TALKIN BOXIN
by Howie Reed 
August 12, 2003

VERY seldom in recent memory were boxing fans treated to a really “GREAT FIGHT” . Even rarer is the
occurrence that will find two “GREAT” fights on one
evening. Saturday night pigs were flying, the cow
jumped over the moon and Shania Twain called to ask if she could spend the night. First up was NABF Welter Champ Teddy Reid against Elio Ortiz. They banged each other around for four drama filled rounds. Ortiz was down in the first and twice in the fourth before it was stopped at 2:58. This bout set the table for what turned out to be a “slam bang rip roaring down and dirty old time Pier 9er.” Barrios down rounds 11 and 12 WBA/WBO 130lb champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas (34-0, 31 KO’s) had to get off the canvas in rounds 8 & 11 to score his 31 KO in round 12. Jorge Barrios (39-1-1) looked like he had been a part of a
demonstration of “ginzo knifes” as he had cuts around
his left eye that bleed before the rounds started..
There’s am old saying that the eye is a long way from
the heart. That statement was true for the courageous
champion from Argentina. That would be Senior Barrios.

The end came at the 50 second mark of the 12th. It was a fair stoppage. What was surprising, in hindsight,
was that the fight was flatfooted dead even at the
time. The two guys mike side kinda made sport of the
press gentleman that had the fight close. In point of
fact at the time it ended the cards were 106-104
Barrios, 106-103 Freitas, 105-105 even. Great fight
but then I said that.

THERE are times in ones life when the “feeling” is
there. In this case it was the “feeling” that
recommending Camacho jr. and John Brown was a mistake.  Those that watched the Tuesday night fights on ESPN2 know what transpired from the “feeling”. I toll you that I didn’t want to recommend fights. In fact John Brown, who was suppose to fight, was a “no show”. He now joins a long list of ‘No Shows”. The most famous “no show” ? George Jones, the Old Possum. One night in Phoenix I had tickets to see George and wife Tammy Why Not. Tammy did her 25 minutes. George came out, made a couple of remarks about showing up. Got into his opening number (“The Race is On”) and then took a “Brody” on stage. Tammy came back to announced, “George has the flu.” A red neck beer swilling t-shirts wearing loudmouth yelled, “The Bottle Flu.”

Well John Brown got the “Evonne Goolagongs” and was scratched from the fight. “The Evonne Goolagongs ?”
Yep. Evonne was one of the most dominating of female
tennis players during the late 60’s and early 70’s.(A
little history here. She played in the first Virginia
Slims final in LA. I know cause I was working with
Scene Four Production as “kinda an announcer” with the late Chick Hern and Larry King. Not that Larry King.  This Larry King served as a bard to Billy Jean “I Am Wonderful” King. Spent most of the time ogling Angie Dickinson who was sitting directly behind us with husband Bert Backarack and Mr. And Mrs. Bill Shoemaker. Goolagong defeated Virginia Wade in the finals while Jimmy Conors mother drank a million Martini’s the night before at the Scene Four Party. Same party the late Anne Francis, all 6 foot of her, also took a Bordy in the Holiday Inn Hollywood Park. The Longdon Suite if I remember correctly. Yep. True fact.)

Back to Evonne, now Evonne Goolagong-Cawley. She was a great representative of the “Aborigine” race who
many equate with the American Indian. In the case of
America Indian they were here to meet the Mayflower (
There first words were not “How, wanna buy T shirts
?”, nor were they “Keen you here, now we can have
Thanksgiving” but probably “Wanna by New York ? Some beads would do nicely .”). In the case of Australia the Aborigine were there to meet the prison ships from England with Australia’s first outsider settlers. (“Whoops, There goes the neighborhood”.) Back to Evonne, in each of her matches, according to some, she would get the “walk a-arounds”. Her actions were that of someone that wasn’t really sure where they were, how they got there or why they were there, .
John Brown may a victim of the Evonnes”.

There is another school of though for Mr. Browns “no
show”. The bout was scheduled for 140 pounds. Hector
jr. came in at 147. So much for turning over a new
leaf. The fight, against replacement Byron Mackie, had
all the excitement of my divorce hearing. You knew the
outcome you just wish they would get the heck to it.
The judges each gave Mackie a round which in boxing
terms could be called a sympathy vote. Just proved you can win a round without throwing a punch. Kevin Iole is one of the boxing writers for the Las Vegas Review Journal. As such he has to be pretty vanilla on the sports page. Not so when doing his radio show.
“Camacho jr. Will never amount to anything. What a
waste.”

MOST know that as a person gets older and set in their ways change never comes without a struggle. I have a routine which is sometimes interrupted by work. (“Work the curse of the drinking class”) When possible each day at 3PM, I try to tune in Special Report (FOX
NEWS) with Bret Hume. Bret seems like such a studley guy. Cool. Calm, collected. The kind of guy that you want to pal around with to get his “bounce off’s”. My Dad use to tell me when I was a little baby he use to take me out and use me. “Oh what a cute baby? Is it yours?” “No just watching it for my older Brother”.   It’s a known fact that man is separated from the apes by time and the ability to use the TV clicker. (It’s always amazed me that some say that “man evolved from apes.” Now that may be correct but if so how comes there are still apes ?) My personal evolution stopped shorting after being house broken. Loving my clicker almost as much as college football I never waste a commercial break without utilizing it to the fullest.

Last week I happened on Dr. Phil. Now here’s another
cool dude. Love his haircut. The subject of his show
was “Drama Queens”. The first time I had heard that
term one of my editors, Ms. Sue Fox, used the term to
describe a boxing person that we both know. Everything is a crisis. Drama Queens come in all shapes, sizes, colours and sexes. They take self absorption to the fullest extent usually of everyone’s patience.

The following day while on the way to the salt mines
where I’m able to eke out a living while subsisting on
hangouts from friends, there was a discussion on the
TV without pictures about Lennox Lewis, The Greatest
Fighter on the Planet. Will he fight again ? Will he
retire ? Those that are regular readers to this column
know that personally “I couldn’t give a rat’s
posterior”. Strangely enough on the same day my Pal
J’Mo forward to me a e-mail from “O”. “O” had axed her
to “send this to Mr. Reed.” Not the “Dear Lovely
Person” communications that I’m accustomed to but at
least not, “Hay Jerk.” This person took a different
view of Lennox Lewis. It’s a know fact, not the
least cause I’m going to repeat it, “As the
heavyweight division goes…so goes boxing.” Boxing is
as dependent on the heavyweight division as an old
man’s love making is to viagra. It’s just the way
things evolved from the apes. Axe Dr. Phil.

On Friday the following appeared on a boxing website
that if any promoter would stop quickly there would be
an operation to remove them from said promoters
backside. “. "I haven't decided if I will retire yet.
Nothing is final. But, I do know that I am not going
to fight this year. Maybe next year. If I decide to
fight, it won't be a problem for me to get in shape.
It will take me less than three months to get ready.”
The speaker was Lennox Lewis. Now to “O” e-amil.
“There is no differences between my moms cooking and famous Silvia's in Harlem NYC except one
thing.....flavor!

The world needs flavor, boxing needs FLAVOR. Flavor is Lennox Lewis. Sure he's a pain in the butt. But the world loves "pain in the butts" that's why we have Lewis, Tyson, and HBO's OZ (that's a different pain in the butt). If you want boxing to be inhabited by men (and women) who say and do the right thing. My friend, you are in the wrong sport. I think there is a PGA event this weekend.  No doubt you have more knowledge of the "sweet science" in a recently discarded fingernail clipping then I hope to amass in the rest of my life. Lennox Lewis can make the claims that he does because he holds the belt. As the bumper sticker said on the Porsche 911 that blew me off the New Jersey Turnpike said "he who has the most toys...wins."

Of course I saw the fight, of course I can honestly say that Klitschko was a pair of James Worthy goggles away from winning the belt. But, he didn't. And thus we are subjected to the blabbing of a champion served to us in the Kings English. And by slinging those belts over his shoulder he has the right to tell us that he
invented Bass Ale. So if Klitschko would have won,
would we be getting such wonderful sound bites from
him? I think not. Lennox Lewis is down to 14:40 in his
15 minutes of boxing fame. His time will expire soon.
And when he's gone, we will miss him. Both in the ring
and outside of the ring. “

That was a great e-mail from “O”. I would agree with
most everything. The person is 100% right except the
basis for the view is based on a false premise. Yes
Lennox has the right to talk about self serving
drivel, yes he holds the belts but he has done less
with the heavyweight title than anyone this side of
Oliver “I’m hearing Things” McCall. George Foreman
aside, Lewis can be ranked anywhere from 10 to 20 of
the best heavyweights of all time. Big George thinks
he’s in the top five but George sometimes doesn’t
speak before his brain is in motion. I have to grade
Lewis on the fights he’s lost. McCall and Rahman.
Great heavy’s would loose to neither.

Great heavyweight don’t use as an excuse “I was making a movie.” I made the same movie but my brilliance remained. Great heavyweights perform every time out not just when “they think it’s necessary”. Great champions in any sport are great because they “Always” win and do so with grace. That about eliminates  Lennox from that category.

Lennox Lewis is a Drama Queen. It’s not that he says
anything that is really out of line except he can’t
get over the fact that his opinion makes no difference
to us common folk.. No one cares what Lennox thinks or does. My friend “O” points out that people love the
unusual. Lennox is not “unusual”. He’s your typical
fighter that thinks the world owes them a living.
Lennox thinks that his path should be showered with
rose petals tossed by adoring fans. Didn’t he bring
the heavyweight tile to England.? Yep after stops in
Canada.. He travels beneath the sports radar. He’s a
Drama Queen in that he actually thinks that there are
people out there that can’t take the next breath
unless he fights. Lennox can’t understand that “what
do I have to prove” is not a big time meaningful
statement that anyone but him cares about. In three
years he’s fought 39 rounds. Considering that 12 of
those were against David Tua where all he did was
dance you have 27 rounds in three years. Not the most
taxing of schedule. He can’t draw flies. His biggest
gates were against Tyson and Holyfield. Is he the best
heavy around today ? Probably.

 Yes but……..“O” takes a shot at the PGA (Professional Golf Association) which is OK cause it is kinda of vanilla, with a tip of the cap to Tiger. The figures would argue that “vanilla” sells as golf is the second hottest thing on TV when Tiger’s in the field. When he’s not it’s still a rating winner. The hottest thing on TV today? “Wild Nekked Drunk girls on spring
break” A TV hit is something that can’t be said for
boxing right now. While “O’s” theory’s may have held
water at one time that may no longer be the case. “Ms.
Vito does the defense’s case hold water ?” “No it
doesn’t.” “Is that all ?” “No there’s more would you
like to hear ?” “Yes Ms. Vito.” In this day in age
there is nothing refreshing or even different about
Mr. Lewis. He’s like ever other spoiled athletic. All
sports breed them. Could it be a coincidence that all
sports are in trouble ? Attendance is down as are the
TV ratings. If Mr. Klitschko have won would he be
saying “interesting” thing? Naw he’d been spouting
the same garbage as Lewis.

 LET’s assume that Lennox doesn’t fight again, he typed wiping a tear from his eye. What then? Then children things get really interesting. The past week, a true dog week in sweltering Las Vegas, lots of scenario’s were written, tried out on the lap dog press and saw the light of day. It’s already “f ate acompli” that IBF Champion Chris Byrd (36-2) will fight Fres Oquendo (24-1) for that title. Is Fres Oquendo a world class fighter? Depends on how you view David Tua. Tua knocked him out colder than my ex wife’s stare but then ex wife stare could turn solid wood into limp
linguini . That aside Byrd is fighting Oquendo cause
no one else wants to fight him. The problem with this
fight is no one cares to see it and no venue is
willing to lay any cash on the line.  With The Imperial One on the side line the WBC could hold a “interim title fight” in case His Majesty does retire. Word on the street is that is exactly what Dr. Suliaman’s organization will do. The WBC has done this
a number of times. It’s done for revenue but also to
protect the organization should the champ retire. One
of their memorable moves was sanctioning an “interim”
fight between in March of 1998 between Michael Nunn
and Graciano Rocchigiani. The fight was to protect the
title for Roy Jones who at that time was considering a
move to the heavyweight division.

 The WBC at first called it a “title fight” then in June , after Rocchigiani won a SD, decided that it was an “interim” fight. From the boxing archives. “In June 1998 the WBC suddenly declared this bout an "interim" title
fight. Rocchigiani sued and was awarded $31 million.
In April 2003 a United States District Judge restored
Rocchigiani’s WBC light heavyweight championship, but only through April 2000, when Rocchigiani lost to
Dariusz Michalczewski.” That miscue aside they are
ready now to protect the waters for His Majesty King
Lennox. The “interim: fight would match up Vitali
Klitschko(32-1) against Hashim Rahman (35-4). Lest you forget Rahman beat and lost to Lewis, Holyfield and probably beat Tua. He does have a “W” over WBO Champ Corrie Sanders (39-2) who is the real wildcard in this entire equation.

Sanders has been ordered to defend his WBO title
against Lemon Brewster (29-2) who somehow is the
number one contender. How ? Probably the same force
that motivated Shaina Twain to call and ask for
lodging. The edict came down from Paco Valcarel El
Presidente’ de WBO. The purse bid was held with
Universum Box Promotion winning at $721,00. What a
joke, The heavyweight champion is going to defend and
get 70% of the bid. Not being a math genius I asked a
young lady of my acquaintance “what would I get with
70% of 712,000 ?” “Everything I’ve got with a drink
before and a cigarette after.” Meanwhile Roy Jones jr,
is wandering around babbling about who he’s going to
fight for 50 million. Problem is there’s no one out
there.

Mike Tyson is in bankruptcy court, Lennox Lewis is
dining, according to Lisa Scott, “with famed criminal
defense attorney, Barry Scheck at the ultra trendy
Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City's, Greenwich
Village.”, Holyfielf has a date with James “The
Lights Are Out” Toney in October 4th and Joe Louis is
dead. Roy was up the creek with no paddle. A brief
time out if I may. Does the name Barry Scheck ring a
bell ? Barry’s one of the scumbags that got OJ off
after he killed his ex wife and an innocent guy. The
bum is now fronting an organization called “Innocence
Project”. The Bum Scheck equates innocence with the
ability to pay him. Lennix told Ms. Scott, "Barry, as
well as his team and I, spoke about things concerning
the 'Innocence Project.' I think it's a good cause and
something that I would be interested.” Sheep dip
wouldn’t eliminate the stench from an encounter with
Scheck but that’s your “Greatest Fighter on the
Planet”. Babbling Primate.

Sorry I had an attack of the Evonnes’ there. Mr. Murad
Muhammad is promoting Mr. Jones at the moment. “At the moment” is a good term, but of course, as there are those cynics that think Mr. M is just filling in until
Don King steps in. Mr. King didn’t get Mr. Jones a
fight with John Ruiz without some “added incentive”.
Murad approached Corrie Sander, The WBO champ, with a deal to fight Jones on November 8 on HBO PPV for a heck of a lot more than 70% of $721,000. Sanders by passed the purse bid and instead signed for the Jones fight. As reported in USA Today, that day, Murad Muhammad said,” "it's a done deal.” Well of course it isn’t but that’s the way it is with Roy Jones. Jones babbles about wanting to fight Antonio Tarver. Jones repeated his desire to fight Tarvor while attending the Frietas fight Saturday night. "Roy will be
fighting Corrie Sanders, he has already climbed the
mountain. now he is sitting on top, I don't think he
wants to go down to valley." But Murad what about the
fact that Roy, by everyone’s admission, hasn’t signed
a contract ? “ Roy never signs a contract right away,
that doesn't mean the fight isn't happening. He didn't
sign on to fight Ruiz until just before the fight, and
the fight was on. Over the years Roy's word has proven
to be so good that HBO and all involved parties can
move forward based on just his word." Yea like the WBC vacating the title for Mr. Rocchigiani.

“If he (Sanders) fights (Roy) Jones, we will strip
him of the title,” said WBO President Paco Valcarcel.
“This is unbelievable. We are having a purse bid on
Friday because he (Sanders) requested this action.
Sanders will have to relinquish the title if he does
not intend to defend it against Lemon Brewster (29-2)
who is the WBO number one.” Believe it Senior
Valcarel. That leaves the WBO without a champ. Not a
big problem. If Sadners fights Jones then it would be
Lemon against David Tue (42-3) which might be a darn
good fight. Is this fact or pipe dream on the part of
the Tua’s folks ? Probably not although they still
seem to be viewing the heavyweight world through rose
coloured glass’s. "As we have said many times before,
David Tua is ready to fight anybody, anywhere at
anytime," according to manager Kevin Barry. "This is
definitely another option for us and one that we will
be strongly perusing. We are in a solid position with
all the sanctioning bodies, having recently been
mandated to fight for the mandatory number 1 position
with the IBF and the WBA. With top money earners,
Tyson, Holyfield, and Roy Jones all avoiding David, a
chance to fight for and win the WBO Championship would definitely make a difference in attracting the
networks to promote David Tua in a major PPV event." I like Kevin but Tua is a minor player and PPV would run from this match like me from honest work. Still it is
intriguing.

AND FINALLY. You didn’t really think that I was going
to let the biggest news story of the week slip past
without comment ? Arnold “The Terminator” is running
to become the next Governor of California. From the
day of his announcement the “operatives” of the soon
to be ex governor have been out spewing their
nonsensical drivel. To think that I pick on Mr.
Lewis. As I’m always fair I must add that one
operative said, "from the day he announced Arnold has
been negative. We have a right to fight back.” What
Arnold said was, We need a change in Sacramento and Davis is a lousy Governor.” That’s not negative that’s fact. So we have Arnolds parents were Nazi’s, he smoked pot (that ought to get him a few votes right
there), he use steroids and he has no experience in
Government.” All statements are accurate. Most
important is the “no experience in Government”. That’s
really bad,. Look what all the guys and gals with
experience have done to the once Golden State. Go
Arnie……

And really finally. From the old Scottish Philosopher
(That would be Harry the TeaPot), “Before you
criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their
shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a
mile away and you have their shoes.

(Opinions and editorials of HotBoxingNews.com is the opinion of those writers and may not be the opinion of HotBoxingNews.com)

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