TALKIN BOXIN 
by Howie Reed 
December 8, 2002

Before we start this week, I would like to take a moment to remember the passing of Archie Moore (182-24-9). Monday will mark the fourth year we’ve been without the greatest person ever associated with the Sport of Boxing. It was on December 9th, 1998 that God called the "Ol Mongoose" up to straighten things out in Heaven. Archie’s passing has left a void that may not ever be replaced. "God’s that’s one you owe us."

SATURDAY night was to have been the first night of a rejuvenation of the heavyweight division. WBO World heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko (40-1) was defending his title against Jameel McCline (28-3-3). It was announced that 6,580 showed up at the Mandalay Bay for the double dipper. (Floyd Mayweather defending his WBC Lightweight title against Jose Luis Castillo be the semi main) Now I am not one to cast aspirations but I do remember the old saying that, "Figures don’t lie but liar figure". You know a fight card is going into the dumper when the Jesus seats are not filled. "Jesus seats?" Yea you’re closer to Jesus then you are to the ring. HBO, who did the TV honors or dishonors depending on how you view the card, must have demanded that the heavyweight fight be added so someone would watch. It might have worked put it darn sure didn’t sell tickets.

All week long the paid mouthpieces touted these two heavyweights as "the future of the division", two of the top four heavyweights in the world. If they are then the heavyweight division is in a lot more trouble than most thought. For the record Wladimir Klitschko won the fight when Jameel McCline quit on his stool after the 10th round. One quote was alleged from his corner was, "He was loosing every round and getting hit. He couldn’t win the fight?" So he flipping quit on his flipping stool like a flipping gutless dog. Way to go Jameel that’s why some dummy’s paid $500 bucks to see you quit and then have the guts to say, "I have to look at the tape." Don’t waste your time. Read this. "You quit like a dog". End of story.

Yes Klitschko did drop McCline near the end of round 10 round while leading 99-90 two time and 98-91. But the fact remains that unless you were a German promoter or an out of work Volkswagen mechanic the chances of his performance giving you a "stiffie" were slim and none. He was awkward and tentative. He moved like he’d glued the paper feet that one gets with 10 Arthur Murray Dance lesson to the canvas and was following the numbers. His punch’s and style came with the same fluidity. In short he was one half of a dreadful performance. I was shocked when got home and caught the end of the HBO telecast. "It is no wonder than fighters don’t want to fight Klitschko with his awesome power." While not a direct quote it’s darn close. All I could think was "What fight was he watching?"

Many had come to see Castillo beat up on Floyd Mayweather jr. and reclaim his WBC Lightweight title. Mr. Mayweather is not very popular. He is not very popular because he is a boring fighters to watch and a jerk of the highest order. Neither of which he has been able to keep from the boxing public or at least that portion that buys tickets. For those away from the "Center of the World of Boxing", as Vegas likes to call itself, we were treated to one solid week of Floyd Mayweather. He refused to give interviews, failed to show up at the pre fight press conference while blaming the press, his promoters and probably Chuckie Cheese for his problems. When he did talk it was gibberish -nonsense. IT would appear that the "Little Shite" had two complaints. "Why does the press always print the negative? I do good things in the community." Gosh Jr. could it be because you beat a man unconsciousness or whacked your girlfriends father with a champagne bottle or was it that you were in the car that ran your pregnant girlfriend’s car into a ditch or is it because you bought your father and sister a house and then tossed them out? Your Promoter made you a rich man and you treat him like dirt. HBO offer’s you 12 million dollars and you tell them "I feel like a slave." 

His second complaint that he was never promoted like the Williams Sisters or Tiger Woods. He’s got a good point there. He wasn’t but then it would be a real task for Mr. Felps (aka Mission Impossible) to take a sack of offal like Floyd Mayweather and turn it into gold. The excellent columnist dean Juipe of the Las Vegas Sun hit the nail on the head. " What a sweet6heart. Negativity? Everything in that vein that Mayweather sees in print about himself is solely and exclusively the result of his own sordid habits." The upside is that if jr. gets convicted of any of the pending legal action he’ll get a seven year scholarship to a State Institution not of his choosing.

Back to the heavyweight fight and then let’s move on. How bad was it? BY the third round those that got "combed" by the Casino or wanted to see the 9PM Show at the AM/PM were leaving. By the fifth round those that bought tickets were leaving. It looked like the 7th inning at a Dodger home game. BY the 8th those that stayed were getting angry. By the 9th even the empty seats were booing. I even saw some "journalist" take off. One man commented that, "I could have had more fun staying home and getting naked with my wife." Heck if I’d of know that was a option I would have dressed differently.

SOMETIMES it actually helps to know something about boxing when covering the sport. Not always but sometimes. "Now I don’t profess to be an student A" but I know enough about the sport to fake it. Then there are times when one has to come clean and cop a plea. I am "Bewitched, Bother and Bewildered" that Chris Byrd (35-2) is a -180 favorite over Evander Holyfield (38-5-2) for next Saturdays IBF Heavyweight Title fight on HBO. Just so I don’t accused of stealing stuff. "Bewitched..Bothered and Bewildered" is a song from the musical Pal Joey by Rogers and Hart. The movie, one of my favorites, stars Frank, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak. The book, that’s theatre’ talk (Speech & Drama Majors get to talk like that), deals with a small time piano player-singer (Frank), an aging society dame (Rita) and a
blond stripper with a heart of Gold (Kim) working in San Francisco’s old International Settlement. Best line? Easy. Rita is leaning over Frank’s piano at a society swore’ (pronounced ""Swore Ah" and don’t ask me how it’s spelled cause I don’t know and can’t find out at 2AM on a Saturday Night. It’s one of them society deals with canapés and champagne without a twist off top and brown paper bag.) Rita asks, "Play something just for me?" He does. "The Lady is a Tramp." Man they don’t write or make them like that any more. I was speaking of Rita, Kim and Frank. Well yes movies either. Back to box fighting.

As someone besides me wrote, the road to the poor house is paved with those that have bet against Evander Holyfield through the years. It is not even argumentable that he may well be one of the greatest warriors’s ever to "play the game". Forget for the moment that boxing isn’t a game. Games were invented for children to play and have fun. What is equally hard to believe is that Chris Byrd has only 8 fewer fights than Holyfield. Of course the road Byrd’s been done was not nearly as loaded with potholes as Holyfields. For the last 10 year’s Evander Holyfield has fought and beat every top heavyweight. Yes I include one of the Lewis fights when I had him winning even though I was a $50.00 cab ride away from the action. I had a goodly amount of liquid eye medicine that evening. Some would say, "Well lubricated".

I bet Byrd, a rare bet on boxing for Moi, when he gave David Tua a boxing lesson. That was back in August of "ought 1". Not only did I bet but told the world (such as my world was and is) that he would win in a walk. He did. Evander Holyfield will beat Chris Byrd in Atlanta City on Saturday night. Take it to the bank. A word of caution here. I was told the IF the Mayweather-Castillo fight went the distance that Castillo would win. The three judges were from out of state ( Daniel Van De Weile, Larry O’Connell and Ken Morite). They had just come from the WBC Convention in Japan where the Good Doctor Papa Suliaman had done a filibuster on how Castillo had won the first fight between the two. So much form "bet the ranch".

I HATE a fraud. There are few things in life that will get the blood boiling quicker than an out and out liar-fraud. I give you Mia St. John. IT has been a long time since there has been such a phony on the sporting scene. That’s why it’s great pleasure to write that Christy Martin kicked her phony ass all over the Silver Dome Friday Night for a unanimous decision.  (Christy by-the-by never got paid while Mia did. Only about 500 showed up for the fight which might also have been the PPV. "St. John fought well losing almost every round." Is there an oxymoron here waiting to happen?) What set me off this time was a column in the Detroit Free Press by Mike Brudenell. "Growing up poor in a Mexican family in Los Angeles". Mia St. Johns did NOT grow up in a Mexican family. I would respectfully point out that her mother is 100% Filipino. So unless we’re doing the male dominate deal she did NOT come from a Mexican family. Some will remember she only discovered that she was Mexican when the boxing world found out that she couldn’t fight. But moving on. Mia said, "I would never let her children attend a fight. I allow them to watch it on TV, but not at ringside," Anyway, I don't think either of them could box their way out of a paper bag." Like Mother like children. "I fight to kill. I fight my butt off in the ring," said the cellulite St. John. This was suppose to be her last time in the ring. As Grandma Reed would say, "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

STOP right now. Before you start complaining about me being on the soap box about what’s wrong with boxing, STOP. Trust me no one is more tired of the subject than I am. The problem is that last week I was barely able to scratch the surface. As the late Minerva Reed said, "Got an itch? Scratch it." So I’m about to do some scratching. WE have accepted the premise that boxing in not one of the major sports. Now we’re searching for the reasons why. There are many and they are varied Boxing, for some reason, has not be able to get into the betting cycle of the American sporting public. It’s football, basketball and maybe baseball or hockey. Never boxing.

Couple of suggested reasons. The one reasons that jumps out is that most folks think boxing is fixed from the start. Most of us know that boxing isn’t fixed but rather "arranged" by promoters, managers and fighters protecting their self-interest. There is a different. What difference does it make? If you don’t know who’s suppose to win, you still have just as much chance picking the winning side as not. Two fighters, you take one.

That’s a 50-50 chance. In area’s where sports betting is legal they make it as unattractive as possible. Rather than 3 -1 or 2/5 we get -350 or plus 190 what ever in the heck that means. On top of that it seems that where boxing is concerned the "books" never heard of a parley. If you think a parley bet isn’t important you’ve never been around a casino on Sunday morning when the faithful file in to "worship at the alter of the NFL."

I visited my local to ask if I could place the following bet on three upcoming fights. "I want to parley Castillo +280 (you get $2.80 for each dollar that’s what the plus means), Holyfield +150 (against Byrd) and Ruiz +130". (against Roy Jones although at press time that fight was not a done deal.). "Straight bets?" "No I want to parlay them." "We can’t do that?" "Why?" "Cause we can’t." "Then could you tell me why I can parley football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey and horse racing but not boxing?" "No". Case close. Now forget for a moment that I was asking the question of a property that just 86’d a bettor because he won a $2,200 bet on pro basketball which the Book asked him to take back after the game started. The property claimed that the better had taken advantage of them. "He knew that two star players weren’t going to play. We have (name withheld) who protects us against this kind of bettor," said the property. My God a bettor wins. What will the casino industry do? Failure to include boxing in the betting cycle has hurt the sport.

Maybe a bigger problem is that fights that look good on paper all of a sudden disappear. Many are attributed to "Injury". The real reason is greed. Usually by a promoter but sometimes from the fighter. Both use the "Fields Approach". Under this scenario, made famous by the late WC "Bill" Fields. ("Ah yes it was women that led me to drink. I hope to live long enough to thank them all.") Fields would sign for some ridiculous low sum of money to do a movie.. He’d wait until the movie’s (He didn’t make film’s he made movies.) shooting schedule reached the point of no return, then he’d get sick. "Oh my dear I just couldn’t work. I’m soooooo sick." The producers would come up with a ton of cash and Dr. Greenback would do the curing. The same in boxing.

Por Example’, he typed. Next week in the UK, that’s the United Kingdom for those of you that went to public schools and no I don’t care that they aren’t United, there was suppose to be a dynamite double dipper. WBU 140 lb. titlist Ricky Hatton was supposed to fight unbeaten Brazilian Antonio Mesquita (26-0). The other half of the twin bill was WBO Champ Joe Calzaghe against Thomas Tate. I know Tate is a little long in the tooth but the name still sells. Guess what? Both fights have changed. Hatton will now face Joe Hutchinson( 24-2-2, 11KO’s) from Indiana USA instead. Mesquita who was a scratch because of a "contractual" problem. The swap really looks bad when you consider that while Hutchinson has won 6 of his last 7 the combined records of those 6 fighters is 47-97. Whoops. Calzaghe gets Tucker Pudwill (37-14-4). Who? 

That would be Tocker Pudwill of the North Dakota Pudwills. (":Hay Tucker, Pudwill ?" "Fine thanks") What kind of a swap was this? Well Pudwills last win came against Donnie Pendleton in 6 with a UD. Pendleton's record ? 12-137. That my friend means there is something else wrong with boxing. I Love the good guys that do PR work for promoters, ranking organization or fighters. They were doing spin long before the crooks from Arkansas screwed up this country. The World Boxing Council (WBC) started their annual convention last week in Japan under circumstances that were less than
pleasant. You might consider loosing a lawsuit for more than 30 million less than pleasant. For the WBC it might be ". "Sayonara" Amigo. Of course the flack wants to put a good face on the meeting held in the Land of the Rising Sun and falling Yen. ""This convention is expected to be one of the most important in the history of the organization due the present legal situation that has the WBC in a delicate condition." Mr. J you are a master of understatement.

Here’s some PR Thailand style. It’s the report of last Thursday’s fight between 3K battery and Lamond Pearson with a few comments from? Moi".."Yodsanan successfully defended his WBA Super Featherweight crown in an exciting contest. Pearson did a great fight to all local fight fans. He
showed his fast footwork and sharp punches to make Yodsanan in much trouble all time. However, his problem started from the 2nd round when he threw a hard uppercut to Yodsanan’s jaw. This unseen punch made Yodsanan almost lose his balance. (Had his staggered) As for the 3rd round, he did send many straight right punches to Yodsanan’s head. Pearson’s right fist was injured. From the 4th round, Pearson seldom used his right punch as usual. He always threw his left jabs only. He could use his right weapon occasionally. He couldn’t follow his work properly because of his painful right hand. One of his staff trainers shouted loudly during the fight "Put Him Sleep" because of feeling disappointed that Pearson lost his chance to hurt Yodsanan as he could do. "

"Of course, this effected positively to local world champion. Yodsanan still pressured his challenger with his aggressive style. Although he missed so many punches, but his attempt was succeeded in the 9th round. He floored Pearson to the canvas twice and the referee halted the fight. Thereafter, Pearson was immediately sent to Paolo Memorial Hospital. He was x-rayed his hand and his brain. His right fist was swollen, but his brain was in normal condition." Now that’s a fight report..

E MALES: I know there are some doubting Thomas’s out there that think I was telling "Porky’s" when recounting my "Ute" in Oakland, California.(In Cockney a "porkey" is a lie. "Pork Pies Lies". I inject that here to satisfy my wide readership in the UK.). "Do you mean Youths?" "Yes, your honor." Well got a email from a pal that grew up in the same town (except his folks got money and hauled "A" before mine) and tells the following story.

"You remember Ma and Pa's place (All the fight's were behind Ma and Pa's. I have a great story to tell you. I was going home from Elmhurst (Jr. High) in the 8th . I went up 98th to East 14th.to catch the bus. As I was crossing East 14th, I noticed "Johnny ******" He was a High School dropout that terrorized wimps like I was then. He waited with his two friends, and told me that I flipped him off. I was scared as hell as he and his friends pushed me into a small opening. He then said he was going to let me off. I started
to walk away and the hood started kicking me. Now the story gets good. Years later Vicki (the girl I was >pinned to in my Senior Year! She was from Los Altos, but had grandparents in East Oakland) and I were going to the Del Mar Theater. I paid for the tickets and told her I had to go to the bathroom.

When I walked into the bathroom and up to the urinal, I noticed a little guy( 5'5" ) chewing gum with a pot marked face. It was Johnny . I started telling him as I was "*********" , the story in the 8th grade. He said he had been in San Quentin and that there were many guys he beat the shuff out of. Well, I zipped my pants, spun him around and dropped him. When I left he was in the urinal. Is that carrying revenge dago style or what? " Sounds good to me. This gentleman fought amateur at the University of California and at times watch my back during Friday afternoon "attitude readjustment hour at San Jose State. " Spartans and Brothers stick together stick together.

From Stefan in Sweden after reading one of my rather long columns. "I had to take a day off work to read tiz its nearly a book, why don’t you start to right a book? If you do one of beer bars and Go-Go bars in Thailand I can help you with research, for free, off course ! " Stefan.

HOOKS, jabs and stuff to make a buck. A couple of fighters out of Chicago are headed for trouble. Our old Pal Andy "The Foul" Pole Golota you might remember got nailed for impersonating a police officers during a traffic stop. He failed to show up for his second court date so a fugitive arrest warrant has been issued. Probably got bad advice. He’s married to a lawyer. Listen to your wife Andy. Aside here. One web site that carried this story had fugitive spelled "fugitive". Hell even I can spell that word. Also 2000
Olympian Michael Bennett, you have looked better lately as a light heavy, had an indictment returned against him for use of a weapon by a felon. Bennett had done some time in the Gray Bar Inn for being the only person caught in a holdup of a UPS truck when a teenage. That from the Chicago Tribune who didn’t misspell any words. No the Tribune didn’t mention the prison time. I remembered that. Funny what you can d when you don’t have to worry about spelling."

AND finally from Thom Loverro of the Washington Times. "Well, the Harlem Globetrotter of boxing has agreed to step up in class -- well, at least in weight Roy Jones Jr. won't exactly be facing the Los Angeles Lakers of the ring, though, on March 1 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. But at least John Ruiz passes for more than the Washington Generals, because he weighs more and, presumably, punches harder. I've compared Jones, the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world, to the Globetrotters because they share the same act — talent and flash against doormat opponents. But Jones
has made his move. Instead of fighting mediocre light heavyweight fighters, he has agreed to fight a mediocre heavyweight who just happens to hold a version (the World Boxing Association) of the heavyweight championship, thanks to the wheelings and dealings of promoter Don King."

(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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