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TALKIN BOXIN
by Howie Reed -March 3, 2003
ROY Jones jr. has now won a world title in four divisions. He became only
the second man ever to hold the middleweight and heavyweight title. So?
Sorry boys and girls but that’s the take. Who cares ? Certainly not Honest
Howie nor I suspect do 99% of the 140,000 people that are here for the
NASCAR’s Las Vegas 400 or even those that got up at 9:30AM (Vegas Time) to
watch the PBA’s Odor-Eaters Open. Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack (home
of UNLV) Roy Jones jr,. pitched an almost shut out ( 116-112, 117-111,
118-110.) against John "The Stupid Man" Ruiz. Talkin Boxin had the bout
118-110. Cruel calling Ruiz the ‘Stupid Man"?
Not really because he has failed every reality check ever since he "won" the
title from Evandler Holyfield on August 8,2000 with a ridiculous unanimous
decision (114-113,114-113,116-112) which I had scored for Holyfield by 3 or
four. I can’t remember for sure as Brother Bill, Myself and a former female
friend were heavy in "scoring fluid" , which only makes the score more
accurate. On that night Ruiz won the decision but got beat to death. From
that point on he really though he could fight. He can’t. He can maul. He can
wrestle and he can whine. Oh God can he whine. Against Jones he told a HBO
Executive after the fight, "The referee (Jay Nady) should be investigated. I
think he listened to Roy Jones' instructions. He wouldn’t let me fight my
fight". Columnist Joe Hawk cracked, "Which was, what
John—"Watch me turn this champ into a chump". Yea John I know the problem.
He (Nady) wouldn’t allow you to grab, elbow and in general turn a boxing
match into a trip to the alley with the biggest bully on the block.
Interesting that Ruiz would blame Nady as prior to the fight Michael Katz,
writing in Gaming Today, addressed the situation of a referee.
"Hit him in the body, and Ruiz will scream to the referee about a low blow.
He was in effect knocked out by Evander Holyfield in their second bout by a
solar plexus shot. Referee Joe Cortez—like Ruiz a Las Vegan of Puerto Rican
descent, and yes I mention that on purpose-ruled the punch a low blow.
Instead of declaring Holyfield winner, a point was deducted. Cortez started
yelling low blows from the start against Kirk Johnson when somehow appointed
again to the Ruiz fight." Like my pal from college who coached High School
football, when a loss occurred it was always the "other coach". This time
out Ruiz had to fight and couldn’t get it done.
Another reasons for the "Stupid Label" is that Ruiz will only get a very
small amount for the fight as his money is tied to Pay-per-view. Does Jones
deserve any credit? Sure he went 12 rounds maybe could have won them all and
walked away with a title which is worth about as much as second year
seasons tickets to the XFL. Many, Moi in that number, though that Ruiz was
too big and would dominate the fight. We were wrong with lots of company.
It’s easy to be anti Jones as I proudly proclaim I am. He is a jerk. Roy
Jones claims that he is a self taught fighter. It then follows that he is a
self taught jerk. On the latter he had a great teacher. One of those who
foolishly picked Ruiz was Oscar De La Hoya who now resides in Puerto Rico
(which Ruiz claims as his home although he was born in the USA) to be close
to his wife and dodge U.S. Tax’s. Jones comments? "Oscar De La Hoya can kiss
my a**. The Golden Boy. I Guarantee, I’d beat him and two or three more of
those M***er F***ers in the same day." Class Roy. Of course what Roy don’t
tell you is that he’d never get down in weight to fight Oscar. That would
take too much work. Also Oscar will sell more tickets and ppv for his
meaningless fight on May 4th (Quarto de Mayo) then Jones has sold in the
last 10 years.
Let’s give credit to Don King who took two fighters that couldn’t sell
tickets, matched them against each other and sold 15,000 plus tickets. Good
for Don King. Many of my fellow writers are now calling Roy Jones the
greatest fighter of the time. That is pure sophistry, which regular readers
will recognize as the word of the month. What’s ahead for Jones ? Let’s see.
Don King, Roy Jones and what heavyweight is out there for a mega fight ? Too
easy, hu ? Sure it will be Roy Jones-Evandler Holyfield
THERE are always "issues", as the elite like to say, after a really big
fight. Tyson-Etienne was a Big fight make no mistake about that. While
Saturdays Ruiz-Jones fight should have been grabbing headlines it was Mike
Tyson 24/7 or rather 24/14. Kevin Iole (Nevada’s Sportwriters of the Year.
Me ? I finished under the category "others" receiving one vote.) made an
appearance on the misleadingly named Great Sports Show, which isn’t. In
answer to the question "Does boxing need Tyson" Kevin ventured his opinion
that boxing doesn’t. He was right and wrong. Boxing doesn’t need Tyson but
it’s in a heck of a lot better shape with him on scene. Tossing out the self
serving comments of the Nevada Athletic Commission and Bob Arum in regard to
Tyson, for two weeks boxing was reported in every newspaper and news
broadcast. That’s something usually only happens when a death occurs in the
ring or pigs fly..
(Excerpt)
Want to make contact or comments to Howie Reed
Go Here! mailto:reed@hotboxingnews.com
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