Steward Talks Adamek-Banks
February 24, 2009
NEW YORK (Feb. 23, 2009) — SHOWTIME caught up with legendary trainer Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward on Monday for his thoughts on this Friday’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) cruiserweight title fight pitting champion Tomasz Adamek against Steward’s pupil, the undefeated Johnathon Banks in the main event Friday, Feb. 27, on ShoBox: The New Generation (live at 11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Steward, 64, recently lost one of his best friends and mentors, the renowned Walter Smith, who along with Steward ran the world famous Kronk Gym in Detroit that produced numerous world champions, including eight-time belt holder Thomas Hearns, Hilmer Kenty, Duane Thomas, Milton McCrory and Jimmy Paul. Smith passed away last week at the age of 94.
Steward, who won a national Golden Gloves title at 118 pounds in 1963, is managing the 26-year-old Banks’ career outside of the ring while his nephew Javan “Sugar” Hill is handling the training duties. Banks (20-0, 14 KOs) is the IBF’s No. 8 ranked contender while Adamek (36-1, 24 KOs), of Jersey City, N.J., by way of Poland, will be making the first defense of his IBF title.
SHOWTIME: You are managing Johnathon’s career while your nephew is doing the bulk of the training. Why have you taken a special interest in managing Johnathon at this stage in your career?
STEWARD: “I’m very close to Johnathon and he actually lived with me for about three years until he recently moved out and got his own apartment. He came through our training program and he went through training camp as a teenager with Lennox Lewis and has been Wladimir Klitschko’s main sparring guy for the last four years. Johnathon actually leaves two weeks earlier than I do to get to Klitschko’s fights. That’s how much of a bond they have.”
SHOWTIME: How has Johnathon improved since he’s been working with Klitschko?
STEWARD: “Well he’s been sparring with Wladimir for a long time now and he’s never been hurt by him. That gives you a little bit of confidence. You see all these sparring partners who are physically big guys go in there and spar with Wladimir and they all get beat up so that makes you feel a little bit better. They go over strategies. He has just given Johnathon so much confidence. And it’s good to be around that type of work ethic. Wladimir is the hardest working fighter I’ve ever trained. Johnathon’s also learned some new exercises and training techniques with Wladimir.”
SHOWTIME: You’ve trained so many fighters. Who does Johnathon most remind you of?
STEWARD: “He’s a boxer-puncher. Nothing exceptional you would notice about him. He just gets in there and he’ll box and he’ll punch. But the thing I like about him recently is he is getting very good with his left jab. Wladimir eats meals with Johnathon and spends 24 hours a day with him so they’ve talked a lot about his jab. And Johnathon’s gotten really good at fighting on the inside when he has to which amazed me because he’s about 6-foot-2 and a half. I can’t really think of one fighter he reminds me of.”
SHOWTIME: Have you ever had a cruiserweight champion?
STEWARD: “Leon Spinks fought for the cruiserweight title once but he lost to (Dwight Muhammad) Qawi in Reno, Nev. (in 1986).”
SHOWTIME: With the economic struggles the nation and Detroit are currently experiencing, how important would this win be for a hometown fighter from Detroit like Johnathon?
STEWARD: “He would be the first of the homegrown Kronk kids to win a world title since 1985. I’ve talked to Johnathon about this and he’s using it as a big motivating factor. We’re talking almost 25 years. That’s when we had kids coming out of here like crazy. And Johnathon fits into that group. He knows if he wins this fight on Friday that he will be the guy and that when he goes to the mall there will be people who want to touch him and meet him.”
SHOWTIME: What type of fight do you expect Friday?
STEWARD: “Anytime you fight a guy like Adamek it’s going to be a tough fight. He’s got everyone behind him. It’s really an Adamek show and it will stay that way until the bell rings but then we’ll take over and it will become a Banks’ show then. But up until then it’s all about Adamek and he deserves that. He’s a great fighter with a great personality. We expect a tough and aggressive fight.”
In the 12-round ShoBox co-feature, Giovanni Lorenzo (26-1, 18 KOs), of New York City will be opposed by Dionisio Miranda (19-3-2, 17 KO’s) of Barranquilla, Colombia, in an IBF middleweight elimination bout.
Please Mr. Hearns, Don’t Do It
February 23, 2009
In a sport where no one is ever really retired, and there is always one more shot at glory, it should come as no surprise when an over-the-hill former star wants to get back in the ring again.
No, we’re not talking about Roy Jones or Evander Holyfield, we’re talking about Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns. That’s right, Hearns wants one more shot in the ring.
Hearns, now 50, has continued to drag his career out over the years. Hearns fought at least once a year from the start of his career in 1977 until his first “retirement” in 2000. Since then, he fought twice, once in 2005 and once in 2006, but has been MIA since then.
Now he is looking to reunite with his former trainer, Emanuel Steward for one “last” fight.
Hearns told the Detroit Free Press that one last fight is going to happen, it’s just a matter of whether or not Steward comes on board or if he has to go it alone.
“The more I think about it, the more I want to fight. It’s always on my mind. Manny knows how I feel about boxing — to have one final bout.”
…
I want to do it. … I will do it. I think people will support me, and I know what I’m capable of. I’ve had plenty of calls from Europe to come over there and fight.”
…
“If Manny doesn’t agree with me, I’ll go around and make it happen myself. It’s got to happen … to complete my career … have one final title fight. I respect what Manny thinks, but I have my thoughts. Everyone has a right to make a decision when he or she is finished. When God gives you a blessing, you have to use it through. God has this plan. It’s all in the plan.”
Steward has made it clear that he will not support Hearns’ attempt to get back in the ring and has said that he doesn’t want the former five-division champ in any more fights.
It really is an epidemic — boxers refusing to retire. I don’t know what it is about boxing, but fighters just don’t know when to walk away for good.
From all of us here in boxing world, please Mr. Hearns, don’t do this.
Oscar Diaz Released From Hospital
February 23, 2009
Turning our attention to some great news from the world of boxing, Oscar Diaz was discharged from University Hospital in San Antonio, seven months after falling into a coma after a fight.
Diaz was knocked out in a nationally televised fight with Delvin Rodriguez in July of 2008. He went collapsed prior to the 11th round and fell into a coma. He awoke in September from his coma and had remained at the hospital the entire time.
At 26, his boxing career is over, but there are many people who are thrilled to see that his life will go on.
Diaz’s doctors have said that they are optimistic that one day he will walk and talk again.
Cotto, Pavlik Score Knockouts in Returns to Ring
February 21, 2009
No surprises tonight as middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and welterweight star Miguel Cotto both rebounded from their first career losses with dominant knockout victories. Cotto scored a fifth round TKO win over Michael Jennings, while Pavlik defeated Marco Antonio Rubio when Rubio’s corner had seen enough after nine rounds. The night was broadcast on a split-location pay-per-view with both fighters headlining cards in New York and Ohio.
Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs)came out very patient against Jennings, allowing the Brit to box with him and choosing to not press the action. Jennings tried to work his jab and control the fight from the outside, while tying up Cotto on the inside. Cotto, however, continued to land solid punches, slowly breaking his opponent down.
In the fourth round, Cotto unleashed a flurry of devastating body shots, dropping Jennings twice. Had the round been 20 seconds longer, it likely would have ended there, but Jennings managed to survive the round.
Cotto continued to press Jennings in the fifth, getting more ane more aggressive with each exchange. Jennings at this point was fighting for survival, but to no avail. Cotto was all over Jennings, dropping him again after a series of great left hands. Jennings got beaten into the corner before finally going to the canvas. He got up at the count of nine, but clearly had no desire to take more punishment and the referee waived the contest off at 2:36 of the fifth round.
Cotto was fighting for the first time since getting knocked out by Antonio Margarito in the 11th round of their title fight in July of 2008. Margarito has since been suspended for one year, having been caught with an illegal substance in his hand wraps prior to his knockout loss against Shane Mosley. This has led to speculation that perhaps Margarito was fighting with loaded hands against Cotto as well. Both fighters are represented by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions, and Arum’s unwaivering support of Margarito and his desire to land him a fight in Mexico while suspended has led Cotto to imply that he will be leaving Top Rank when his contract expires at the end of the year.
Cotto is in line for any of a number of big fights at welterweight, including potential bouts with Andre Berto, a rematch with Shane Mosley, or even a showdown with Manny Pacquiao should he defeat Ricky Hatton in May.
After the Cotto bout, the card switched Pavlik and a raucous crowd in his hometown of Youngstown, OH, where they were anxiously awaiting their hometown hero’s first fight in Ohio since 2006 and only the third time in his career.
Pavlik (35-1, 31) came out swinging early and appeared to be the only one interested in throwing punches. Rubio was all too willing to eat punches, with no real strategy to win the fight. Pavlik was able to pick his spots in the first few rounds, having complete control while putting himself at minimal risk.
By the third and fourth rounds, it was clear that Pavlik was the superior fighter, as Rubio was unwilling to trade with the bigger man. In the middle rounds, Rubio started to let his hands go some, with some success. But it just wasn’t enough to keep Pavlik off of him.
In the eigth round, Pavlik landed a great right hand that hurt Rubio, but he was unable to finish him off. Rubio survived his way through the ninth round, as Pavlik continued to land at will on him.
At the end of the ninth round, Rubio’s corner and the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight.
Pavlik was also making his first return to the ring since suffering his loss, a one-sided decision loss at the hands of Bernard Hopkins. Since that loss was at the light-heavyweight limit, Pavlik still entered this fight as the middleweight champion of the world.
The middleweight showdown that boxing fans really want to see is Pavlik against Germany’s Arthur Abraham, but it appears that that fight just won’t get made. Both fighters and their promoters are equally to blame, both looking for high-pay, low-risk fights rather than the biggest and best fights. More than likely, Pavlik will square off with Ireland’s John Duddy, in a fight that is sure to be a ratings success, while likely offering Pavlik little more than a punching bag in return.
On the undercard bouts in New York, Duddy stayed unbeaten with a solid decision win over Matt Vanda. Duddy improves to 26-0 with 17 knockouts. Scores were 98-91, 97-93 and 98-91.
Also on the undercard in New York, undefeated Olympian super middleweight Matt Korobov (4-0, 4) kept his perfect record intact with a knockout as time expired, junior middleweight Pawel Wolak (23-1, 16) earned a win with a third round KO, and female super featherweight Kina Malpartida (9-3, 2) pulled off the upset with a tenth round TKO over previously undefeated fan favorite Maureen Shea (13-1, 7).
Meanwhile, over in Youngstown, Dallas Vargas (22-4, 16), Brian Camechis (18-2, 8), Andres Taylor (5-0-1, 2), Mark Salser (9-0, 9), Jake Giuriceo (1-0, 1), Willie Nelson (11-0, 7), and Billy Greenawalt (2-4, 1) were all winners.
*****
On a side note, I thought the Top Rank PPV production was solid, but obviously not at the level of HBO or Showtime. More importantly, I think Charlie Steiner calls a fine fight. He’s a pro’s pro and is never less than completely prepared. The pairing of Steiner and Al Bernstein was a good one and I give Top Rank a solid B+ for the broadcast. It would have been an A, but Ray Mancini knocked it back a notch. Nick Charles was good as usual on the Youngstown half of the card, but Mancini just doesn’t speak well enough to get away with having a speaking job. Not to mention the bias that came through from the Youngstown native.
**
The fans at MSG should be ashamed of themselves for booing “God Save the Queen” from start to finish. Clearly it was the Puerto Rican fans (based on their Jonas Brother-esque treatment of the PR anthem singer), but it was disgraceful. I don’t care where you’re from or what you believe, show a little respect.
De La Hoya Leaning Towards Retirement
February 21, 2009
It was clear by the third round of his fight with Manny Pacquiao that Oscar De La Hoya was done as a fighter, but several months later, Oscar still hasn’t made it official.
After quitting on his stool as a large favorite against Pacquiao, De La Hoya took some time off to figure out what he wanted to do. There are talks of one last going away fight, but now the Golden Boy says he is leaning towards hanging up the gloves for good.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, De La Hoya said he is 60-40 in favor of retiring.
“I’m still confused,” he told the LA Times. “I’m torn between saying, ‘It’s over. ‘Bye. I don’t have it anymore,’ and knowing if I’ll be able to live with that. It’s a tough decision, not easy at all.”
Clearly, there is no way he fights at 147 again, as he attempted to do against Pacquiao. De La Hoya was so drained in that fight that he didn’t gain a single pound between the weigh-in and the fight, a sure sign that he was not physically right for that fight. Fighting at welterweight will never again be an option.
But is it possible for him to fight again at a higher weight? Possible, yes; advisable, not as much.
Sure Oscar could lace them up one more time for a farewell fight so he doesn’t have to live with the taste of the Pacquiao fight in his mouth for the rest of his life. A Cinco de Mayo fight with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. makes so much sense it’s a miracle it isn’t signed already.
But Oscar has never been the type of fighter to take the easy fight without a bigger goal. Say what you want about his wins, but there is no denying that De La Hoya fought the best. Hopkins, Trinidad, Quartey, Vargas, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Chavez, Mosley, Whitaker, Ruelas, Hernandez…and on and on.
De La Hoya’s BoxRec page is a veritable who’s who of boxing. Some may have a hard time envisioning him fighting someone who is not an elite fighter in his final fight.
Having said that, names sell. Oscar’s true rise to fame and power went through Julio Cesar Chaves, Sr. A fight with the young Chavez trying to avenge his fathers two losses to Oscar is a story that will sell and make a fortune. And really, at the end of the day, that is Oscar’s true legacy. Yes, he fought the best fighters, but he’ll always be remembered for making huge events and unimaginable sums of money.
The dilemma that is haunting De La Hoya now is the question of what beat him on Dec. 6, 2008. Was it that Oscar suddenly got old? Was he bested by a better fighter? Or was he drained from the weight loss?
If he’s old, he has to walk away. If he was beaten by a better fighter, he should walk away, but may have better luck with a lesser opponent. If he was drained, perhaps he’s still an elite fighter at 154.
Are these questions that Oscar can live with for the rest of his life? Most fighters would want to know for sure before walking away. But Oscar can’t just test himself with another Steve Forbes at this point in his career. If he fights again, he has to go all out.
All the more difficult for him must be watching his two business partners, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins both knock off two of the top fighters in the world in the last year. By comparison, Oscar is still young. Having just turned 36, De La Hoya conceivably has a few years left in today’s world of boxing. Realistically though, we saw some of his age show against Pacquiao.
It’s likely true that the weight-shedding that De La Hoya has gone through in the past few years has added some years to his actual age. He probably could still fight at 154, but there isn’t much point to it. He showed he can’t make 147 and still fight, and in his prime, 160 was too high for him. One last fight at 154 is understandable, but perhaps the time has come to just walk away.
Money will never be an issue for De La Hoya, and right now he has a chance to get out sound and healthy. Outside of a fight with Chavez Jr. (who really has earned no such shot), there is no logical fight out there for him, and there is not much for him to gain, other than getting rid of that sour taste.
Having said that, if I’ve learned anything from this sport, it’s that if a boxer says he is 60-40 towards retiring, he will fight again. Hell, even if he says he’s retired, they usually fight again. If Oscar isn’t 100 percent sure that it’s time to go, then I’m 100 percent sure he’ll be back.
As long as he doesn’t hold the sport hostage again when choosing an opponent, I can support him fighting one last farewell bout. Otherwise, I think we’ll all support his decision to walk away from the game.
Friday Night Bites!!!
February 20, 2009
Bringing back memories of Tyson-Holyfield II, Humberto Toledo was disqualified against Breidis Prescott for biting him on the neck.
The fight was rather one-sided, with Prescott clearly in control, when Toledo took a chunk out of Prescott’s neck in the 10th round.
During a clinch, Prescott was walking Toledo back towards the ropes, when Toledo’s face disappeared into the junction of Prescott’s shoulder and neck, at which time he bit him. There were clear bite marks on Prescott, and the referee made a prompt, correct decision to halt the fight and award Prescott the victory.
Watch it here. Not great quality, but all I could find so far.
***
On the undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa needed just 35 seconds to handle Walter Estrada, catching him with a perfect right hand that put Estrada down for the count.
Pavlik-Abraham Talk Heats Up; Fight Still Unlikely
February 20, 2009
Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik both say that they want to fight each other. They are clearly the top two middleweight in the world. Abraham has traveled to the United States before and Pavlik has shown himself to be willing to fight the best. Sounds like a fight that should happen, right?
Wrong.
Abraham and Pavlik both say they want to fight each other, but we’ve reached a point where is becoming more and more clear that one or both of them is just throwing around words, with no intention of making a fight happen.
Pavlik’s camp says they have made offers to Abraham’s camp and gotten no response.
Abraham’s camp called B.S. on that claim and say they have been in constant contact with HBO and Showtime, and have had direct talks with Pavlik’s people. They claim that Top Rank has lost any interest in making the fight.
telling FightHype.com, “The money definitely has to be right. The HBO and Showtime networks definitely have to travel there. I really do want to fight Abraham. We just gotta make it happen for the right reasons.”
Call me old fashioned, but I still have a hard time with fighters passing up the only major fight they have, in order to fight a punching bag that gets a bigger paycheck.
That punching bag I’m referring to is none other than Ireland’s John Duddy. Pavlik is likely to face Duddy in his next fight, simply because it provides a better paycheck than a potential bout with Abraham, with just a fraction of the risk.
Am I the only one who remembers Pavlik and trainer Jack Loew vowing to never again chase a paycheck after the beating he got from Bernard Hopkins? That’s exactly what they’ll be doing if they choose to fight Duddy over Abraham. Sure, it lacks most of the risk, but it’s once again choosing the wrong fight over the right fight, based solely on money.
That’s not to say that all blame would fall on Pavlik if the Abraham fight doesn’t happen.
If Abraham thinks he can just fight cupcakes in Germany and be handed a major fight with Pavlik, he just doesn’t get boxing business. Instead of fighting tomato cans like Lajuan Simon, Abraham should be fighting names we know and deserving opponents. Get yourself on American television, even if it’s an undercard, and pretty soon the fight will make money, as well as sense.
Both fighters are to blame if this fight doesn’t happen, but neither of them will be much worse off in their careers if they don’t meet. They will end up just moving on and having giant question marks, while fight fans are denied another great middleweight matchup.
Having seen Bernard Hopkins fight Felix Trinidad and Jermain Taylor, among others, then Taylor fight Hopkins twice, Winky Wright and Pavlik, these two have some big shoes to fill as far as showing a willingness to fight the best.
Pavlik defeated Taylor twice, but since then has fought only Gary Lockett at middleweight. Both of these fighters must prove themselves against the other in order to claim middleweight supremacy.
It’s on both of them if the fight doesn’t happen, but if they know what’s good for their careers and their legacies, they’ll find a way to make the fight happen.
Until then, don’t hold your breath.
Marquez vs. Diaz Now for WBA and WBO Belts
February 20, 2009
While Juan Manuel Marquez is the linear lightweight champion, by virtue of his win over Joel Casamayor, his upcoming fight with Juan Diaz was going to be for no sanctioning body belts. Not anymore.
Marquez and Diaz will not only fight for the lineal title, but the WBA and WBO have sanctioned this as a title fight. This was possible due to Nate Campbell losing both titles on the scale prior to his win over Ali Funeka.
Campbell held the WBA, IBF and WBO titles, but all of them became vacant when he beat Funeka. Had Funeka won, he would have taken the belts, but having missed his weight, Campbell was unable to retain the titles. Campbell was the WBA “super champion,” so the Marquez-Diaz fight will be for that title, rather than just “regular champion.”
Marquez is the Ring Magazine lightweight champion, and this fight was accepted by the boxing world as being for the true lightweight championship of the world, but this now gives both fighters an opportunity to move towards true “undisputed champion” status in the lightweight ranks.
To most, this is quite meaningless, but in the long term, this does more good than bad, since it will allow the belts to remain (at least for one fight) with just one fighter who will be regarded as the champion, rather than spread out over two, three or four fighters that are not considered the champion.
Cotto to Leave Top Rank?
February 19, 2009
The fallout over the Antonio Margarito suspension has hit Miguel Cotto. Cotto, being the classy individual that he is, refused to say anything negative about Margarito’s win over him in 2008, but showed some disappointment at Margarito’s actions, choosing to take the high road instead.
Arum has disgraced himself in the last few weeks since the ruling, claiming that Margarito did nothing wrong and that he will seek to get him a fight in Mexico, where Jose Sulaiman and friends wait with open arms.
Cotto was disappointed in Arum’s decision to do this and has expressed himself accordingly.
According to the LA Times, Cotto told San Juan’s Primera Hora:
“I find it unbelievable that a company like Top Rank would put money ahead of the well-being of a human. [Top Rank] knows that Margarito and his group knew what they were putting on the hands. Boxers climb into the ring to demonstrate our physical and athletic abilities and it’s a lack of consideration to play with the health of another.”
Cotto’s contract with Top Rank, who he has been with his whole career, runs through 2009. After that, Cotto said he will sit and talk with them about his future, but he said he will certainly be looking at his other options.
Arum defended his actions by saying that he would stand by any of his fighters in the same way, and he feels that this will all pass over.
Cotto has always been a level-headed fighter outside of the ring, seemingly emotionless at times, and I would have a hard time seeing him forgive Arum for this treatment of a fighter who not only got caught cheating, but may have in fact done the same thing against Cotto when they fought.
I have a hard time seeing Cotto forgiving and forgetting. He’s sure to have a big fight in the summer, and if he wins it, he’ll be a very big free agent in the boxing world.
Women’s Boxing in Olympics? Real Breasts Only Need Apply
February 18, 2009
The International Amateur Boxing Association unanimously voted to approve women’s boxing for inclusion in the Summer Olympics, starting with the London 2012 games.
The International Olympic Committee will vote on women’s boxing’s inclusion in the Olympics when they meet in October.
Of the 26 sports in the Summer Olympics, boxing is the only federation that does not feature competition from women. In 2004, women’s wrestling was added to the games, leaving boxing alone as the only male-only sport.
In the Winter Olympics, only ski jumping does not include a women’s competition.
AIBA has approved and governed women’s boxing since 1994, establishing its women’s committee a decade ago and holding world championship tournaments and regional events. Those tournaments would serve as Olympic qualifiers if the sport is put on the London program.
In related women’s boxing news, the Amateur Boxing Association of England told a female that she would not be able to compete due to her breast implants.
Sarah Blewden, a 25-year old model, was told that for safety reasons, she could not box with her 32C breast implants.
Dr. Julius Few, director of the Few Institute for plastic surgery in Chicago, said the rule against boxing and implants is “theoretical at best.” He has treated patients for injuries in both horseback riding and skiing and said, implants are “incredibly rugged.”
“In those contact sports, women have taken a fall and landed on their chest and the hit has not been a problem,” he told ABCNews.com. “The risk is greater if someone is in a car accident with a restraining seat belt.”
But, Few cautioned, “Most board certified experts would agree that it’s something that hasn’t been studied and it’s kind of an optional activity, better to err on the side of safety.”
Blewden got the implants in 2003 for her modeling career, but has since taken up amateur boxing. She is fighting for the use of a breast protector, similar to a cup that men wear to protect their testicles.
Doctors have argued that to this day, no breast protectors have been developed that have been deemed effective by medical experts.
More from ABCnews.com:
The problem, according to Attwood, is fat necrosis, which can occur with repeated trauma to the breast. That condition can be dangerous, because it can mimic breast cancer on mammograms and on examination.
If women’s boxing continues to increase in popularity like this (see Olympics above), surely someone will come along with a proper, working, dependable breast protector for women who want to box with augmented breasts. Where there is a demand, there will be a supply.