RSSCalvin Brock
Friday, August 24, 2007
Klitschko to Face Winner of Tournament
Dan Rafael of ESPN is reporting that Chris Byrd, Alexander Povetkin, Eddie Chambers, and Calvin Brock have all agreed to participate in a “three-fight box-off” to determine who will receive a title shot against Wladimir Klitschko when he recovers from an injured left hand next year:
In the first elimination fight, former titlist Byrd (40-3-1, 21 KOs), who has already lost twice to Klitschko, will face 2004 Russian Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Povetkin (13-0, 9 KOs), one of the hottest prospects in the world. They will meet Oct. 27 in Germany.
In the second eliminator, Chambers (29-0, 16 KOs) will meet Brock (31-1, 23 KOs) on Nov. 2 on Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” at a site to be determined.
The winners of the two fall fights will meet in early 2008, with that winner earning a shot at Klitschko.
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Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Williamson Responds to Holmes
From the Desk of DaVarryl Williamson:
I just finished reading the “press release” sent out by Donnell Holmes calling out Calvin Brock.
Donnell. If you want a fight, have your man Gary Shaw pick up the phone and call Don King. I’m ready,willing and able to take that fight, and once and for all decide who should carry the moniker “Touch of Sleep”.
Some time ago, you stated in an interview that you’d never fight me unless it was for a title. Well, this may not be your title shot, but I’m rated high enough by the WBA & IBF to make it an eliminator.
C’mon Donnell, you want to call out fighters that you know won’t answer, why not trying dialing the phone to someone that is more than ready to answer your call.
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Holmes Calls Out Brock and HBO Among Others
An irate Donnell Holmes (25-0) has sent the following message to Calvin Brock, HBO, and Main Events, issuing a challenge and addressing some longstanding issues that began over a decade ago during their amateur career.
Holmes has grown weary of being ignored by the main stream media that in his words formed a bias against North Carolina fighters placing them below the competent level to challenge for a title. That is except for Calvin Brock.
“This is a message from Donnell “The Real Touch of Sleep” Holmes. First of all I want the world to know I am not in the business of calling people out. But because of remarks Mr. Arrogant Calvin Brock said about me last week, I think there are some things I need to address. First of all who cares that you beat me in the amateurs thirteen years ago. Which at the time you had ten years of experience as an amateur boxer and I only had five amateur fights. Second of all, I was proud of the success you were having in your pro career being another heavyweight boxer from my home state of NC. We were cool up until June when you got the Timor Ibragimov bout, then you turned into Mr. Arrogance.”
“I heard the remarks you said last week about I am nothing and that you are on top of the World, you would never fight me because you would be walking backwards. But your next fight is against Ralph West, with a record of 17-10. You don’t want to fight me because you would be on your back. “
“You and your arrogant daddy have always down talked me since the amateurs. But you still have your same slow, sloppy, falling down, all around the ring, amateur style. You are still lazy in the gym as you were in the amateurs. I have passed you years ago in skill level and experience due to the fact that I have paid my dues in the gym as a amateur and a pro sparring with the worlds best fighters, not like you, only sparring and training with guys that you could beat even on a bad day in the gym. “
“Sooner or later HBO will make you fight somebody, Main Events wont be able to protect you forever, matching you up with washed up has-been’s and wannabe’s. The media pumped you up way beyond the fighter you are and somewhere down the line you started believing it, stating you were the best heavyweight in the world when you aren’t even the best heavyweight out of NC.”
“For eight months you were too good to return my phone calls but funny you remembered my number to text message me that Calvin Brock travel junk. Gary Shaw is my promoter now, Main Events knows him well, so they can contact him anytime about a fight between you and I. And a word to HBO and Main Events, I am Donnell “The Real Touch of Sleep” Holmes, currently ranked number 8 by the WBC with a record of 25-0, I don’t feel like it would be making your fighter walk backwards to fight a credible opponent. That’s why boxing is going down today and no one wants to watch it because you take a sorry boxer like Calvin Brock, talk about how great he is then put him on TV versus a boxer that is more sorry than he is to make him look good. I’m coming off a one year lay off due to promotional problems with my former promoter and now that I have Gary Shaw working for me, we are going to hit the scene running, getting rid of the trash in the heavyweight division. “
“Hopefully starting with you, Mr. Arrogant Calvin Brock.”
“So here it is, for the people of HBO, Main Events, and Mr. Arrogant Calvin Brock and his daddy, I am calling you out!”
“Go ahead and get your Ralph West sparring session out the way. But I want everyone who reads this to see that I have all the credibility and that its no way you can go around calling yourself the best fighter in the heavyweight division, when you’re scared to fight a top ten fighter that you claim is not in your class. “
“So now Mr. Arrogant, Fat, Slow, and Sloppy, IT’S ON YOU! You’re so arrogant you think you can’t lose, so you fired your trainer when Klitschko beat you down. It wasn’t his fault that you were scared and stood right in front of a 6’6”, 240 lb man, that was stupid of you. My only question is who are you going to fire when I knock you out?”
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Monday, February 19, 2007
Rumor: Ibragimov May Face Brock for WBO Interim Title
The Miami Herald is reporting that Sultan Ibragimov is still planning to fight at Madison Square Garden on March 10 since the fee to rent out the arena was already paid for by his promoter.
Since Shannon Briggs will be unable to fight, Warriors Boxing is petitioning for Ibragimov to fight for the Interim WBO Heavyweight Title. The WBO has stated that they will rule on the matter on Tuesday.
Warriors Boxing is also saying that Calvin Brock is the only fighter willing to take the bout. This would work out just great except Brock has already signed to fight an opponent to be named on March 17 as part of the Holyfield-Maddalone undercard.
Are we going to see another Cotto-Margarito situation involving Brock this week? We just might…
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
Holyfield Continues Quest Against Maddalone on March 17
Four-Time World Heavyweight Champion, Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield’s quest for a fifth heavyweight title continues on Saturday, March 17th when he takes on Vinny Maddalone (27-3, Flushing, NY) at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The Holyfield vs Maddalone non-title featured bout will be one of seven fights, beginning at 7:30 pm. The event is being promoted by Main Events, in association with Star Boxing.
Slated to headline an exciting undercard is 2000 U.S. Olympian and #6 World ranked heavyweight, Calvin Brock (29-1, Charlotte, NC) and undefeated bantamweight prospect, Raul Martinez (17-0, San Antonio). Brock’s last fight was a loss to Wladimir Klitschko for the World Heavyweight Championship on HBO. Opponents for Brock and Martinez are to be announced, as is the remainder of the card.
Continue reading "Holyfield Continues Quest Against Maddalone on March 17"
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Saturday, January 27, 2007
EEC - January 27, 2007
Saturday! Saturday! Saaaturday! Saturday! Saturday! I’m such a loser…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Former WBC Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman is supposedly very close to completing a deal that will have him fighting Sinan Samil Sam in May in an odd location, Turkey…
“We’re in serious negotiations and expect to complete them by next week some time,” Rahman’s manager Steve Nelson said Friday. “We are pretty close to finalizing the deal.”
We reported that Rahman was going to fight Ray Mercer last week but Rahman pulled out of the fight, stating he still has some pre-existing injuries that need to heal up before he steps back into the ring.
“It had nothing to do with money. It had to do with the fact that [Rahman] had some problems and we’re not going to take the fight unless he’s 100 percent,” Nelson said.
- The Rahman-Mercer fight was scheduled to be televised on Versus and now the network is desperately searching for another main event fight to take it’s place. If anyone is interested please get in contact with them…
- One more note on the Rahman-Sam fight: Joe Mesi will be featured on the undercard, taking on George Linberger in a 10 round affair…
- According to the Times Online, Calvin Brock has dropped trainer Tommy Yankello and hired Pernell Whitaker to be his new one…
- Want tickets for Manfredo-Calzaghe? Better act fast…
Tickets for the April 7 Joe Calzaghe/Peter Manfredo Jr. super middleweight title fight (HBO) are going like hotcakes. Promoter Frank Warren announced today that with nine weeks still to go until the opening bell of this transcontinental clash, over 20,000 tickets have already been sold.
Some Good Reads:
Boxing Scene: Jorge “Travieso” Arce: Atop Boxing’s Evil Empire
SI: Heavy deadweight
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Wednesday, January 17, 2007
EEC - January 17, 2007
I can’t believe it’s only Wednesday. This is the slowest week ever, probably because I’m looking forward to this weekend’s heavyweight title bout. Oh wait, it’s not televised I forgot, rat bastards…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Despite his recent arrest that we all know about, HBO has announced that Jim Lampley will be one of the broadcasters for the network’s showing of the Hatton-Urango bout this weekend.
HBO had actually considered taking Lampley off of the show but reconsidered once the media coverage of his arrest died down quite a bit. Lampley didn’t say much to the media about the charges but he did express his excitement about being able to help call the fight on Saturday…
“I am pleased that HBO recognizes there is no reason for me not to be working this weekend,” Lampley said. “This is my job, this is what I do. This is business as usual. I am really looking forward to covering Ricky Hatton’s first fight in Las Vegas and a fight at the Paris for the first time. I feel like even though it’s only been five weeks since I’ve called a fight, it feels like it’s been a long time. It will feel good to be back at ringside calling the fights.”
- The Philippines-Mexico World Cup of Boxing has been postponed to later this year according to promotor Sammy Gello-ani. Gello-ani said that the event was postponed because agreements with the managers of Daniel Ponce De Leon and Johnny Gonzales were unable to reached in time for the original date of March 4th.
The postponement will also allow Oscar De La Hoya to help promote the event since it will not fall during his traning for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Danny Williams will take on British Heavyweight Champion Scott Gammer on March 2nd in very well might be the last bout of his professional career.
Gammer actually turned down an offer to fight Audley Harrison who recently defeated Williams. Gammer rejected the offer because he is hoping to take on the winner of a possible bout between Harrison and Matt Skelton should he defeat Williams in March.
- Calvin Brock unveiled his new online travel agency today.
Seriously, is boxing not paying anymore? Brock starts his own travel agency, Foreman travels around the world to sell his grills, Tyson is willing to do anything in this world to make money, Klitschko ran for mayor… There’s so many things. I’m not taking boredom after retirement as an excuse anymore either. We need to get to the bottom of this…
Anyway Brock said that he learned about the business through a friend and soon decided that it would be an interesting venture for him to start.
“The online travel industry is growing fast,” said Brock. “More people are comfortable booking their own travel and getting cheaper prices than using a traditional travel agency.”
I guess we will find out over the next year how fast the travel industry is growing won’t we Calvin?
- Tomorrow is Muhammad Ali’s 65th Birthday and I’ll be sure to gather up all of the articles and various things being thrown out there in a post tomorrow morning…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: At 32, Bailey goes back to basics of sweet science
Doghouse Boxing: Is the end drawing near for Urango?
Seconds Out: Ricky Hatton - The Hard Sell
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Friday, November 17, 2006
Who’s da Champ?
Here we go again. Sergei Liakhovich’s loss to Shannon Briggs set the division back about five years. Wladimir Klitschko’s win over Calvin Brock may have solidified his claim as today’s best heavyweight. Wlad has a great jab and is fairly mobile for a man his size. If he can keep you at the end of that jab, he has a very effective overhand right. Just ask Mr. Brock. My question is...Was Wlad that good or was Brock that bad? Three things I don’t like about Wlad. If a fighter does get inside on him, he becomes very ordinary. In his prime Riddick Bowe who was a big man could beat you on the outside or the inside. Bowe was a very good in fighter. Klitschko lacks this trait. Wladimir rarely goes to the body. This is something that Liakhovich does very well. Last but not least, his chin. Corrie Sanders and Brewster parked him and Williamson and Peter had him down. To be a great one, you’ve got to have the whiskers. I’ve always said that if Wlad had Vitali’s chin and heart, he would be something.
Briggs? I have statues at my church that move better then him. Sergei has got a lot of work ahead of him but I think he beats Briggs if there is a rematch. Sergei can improve. I think we saw the best Briggs had to offer. I admire Maskaev’s heart and he can hit but...I’ve seen too many of his fights where he got clocked. It just seems like he has Rahman’s number. Valuev? Granted he’s huge but for a man his size he doesn’t seem to generate a lot of steam on his punches. He’s very predictable too. Jab, jab, chopping right...He doesn’t deviate too much. I think Wladimir would box him silly.
The best of the rest:
Continue reading "Who’s da Champ?"
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Sunday, November 12, 2006
Klitschko Drops Brock in 7th
Wladimir Klitschko stopped Calvin Brock with a right hand in the middle of the seventh round of Saturday night’s much anticipated match and retained his IBF Heavyweight title.
Klitschko used his jab often in the early stages of the fight but never thought to finally go for a quick combination until the middle of the fight…
“I should have done that earlier in the fight,” Klitschko said of finally bringing a right hand behind his left. “It took me a little time to get the distance I needed and to get my rhythm. He was a good defensive fighter. Anytime you defeat an undefeated fighter, you’ve accomplished something.
There is one other quote from Wladimir that sticks out:
“When I landed the combination, I thought he was done.”
Klitschko speaks the truth…
The champion landed a nice left hook followed by a powerful right cross that send Brock straight to the canvas. Though he wasn’t completely knocked out, Brock has trouble getting back up to his feet. When he finally arose he was too shaky for the referee to allow the fight to continue.
“I saw the punch coming but I couldn’t react fast enough to get out of the way. I wasn’t surprised by how hard he punched. He had a better jab than I thought he would,” said Brock, who went from unwanted 2000 U.S. Olympian to one of the top contenders in the world. “He’s very strong. He’s got a good defense and good jab. I thought I could get behind my jab better and my right hand. I wasn’t able to. He’s got good movement and he’s very good. I’ll be back. I will still be champion.”
It’s going to be very interesting to see who Klitschko ends up fighting in his next bout: He has stated before that he would like to unify any of the titles. Oleg Maskaev has called him out and Klitschko was originally slated to fight Shannon Briggs before contract talks fell apart.
In case anyone lives under a rock, Briggs has championship gold around his waist now too…
Friday, October 27, 2006
Another Chance for Glory
Kermit Cintron has been in ths position before - on the verge of claiming championship gold for the first time. Cintron took on WBO Welterweight title holder Antonio Margarito in April of last year. It was a fight that was expected to be an all-out war and it was supposed to be a real chance for a Cintron victory.
Instead Cintron was knocked down four times in the first five rounds and the fight was stopped in order to save Cintron from any further damage.
More than a year has now passed - Cintron has won two fights in a row and is in position to claim gold once again when he takes on Mark Suarez for the vacant IBF Welterweight Championship this Saturday night.
Cintron can still recall the brutal loss to Margarito last April:
“It wasn’t a good time for me to fight. I should have not taken the fight. But my old management team was pushing it, and it just wasn’t my night.”
“Physically I was there, mentally I wasn’t,” Cintron said. “It was one of those days when I was just not in the fight. I forgot that I was in a world title fight. So my trainer just decided to stop the fight, because he knew I wasn’t going to win and he didn’t want me to get hurt.”
Cintron was coming off major hand surgery and personal problems going into the fight with Margarito. Many say that he should have had a fight before a title shot in order to try out his newly repaired right hand - unfortunately they were right.
His management team’s bad decision cost them their jobs and Cintron hired the legendary Emanuel Steward to be by his side…
“Manny and I clicked from Day One,” he said. “Basically, working with him, he’s changed some stuff about me. Before, I would just go in there and bang. He’s got me boxing more, he’s worked on my footwork, my balance, he’s worked on my combinations, when to throw, when not to throw. It’s been good. I needed a trainer like Emanuel Steward to get to the next level, and now I have the opportunity to take that step.”
With his confidence back and the past behind him, Cintron is ready and determined to make this title shot worth while this time around. What is probably considered the lowest point in his young career has now become a source of motivation:
“I can say that I will never take a big fight—especially after hand surgery and a nine-month layoff—on four months’ training. [But] I know now how it feels, being in a world title fight.”
“My mind is on this fight like it’s a rematch of the Margarito fight,” Cintron said. “It’s like he’s giving me a second chance, and I’m going to take it.”
Interesting things of note: Shane Mosley and Calvin Brock were actually on the undercard of the Cintron-Margarito title fight last spring - That’s one hell of a card in my opinion…
Also for those who trying to find out how to order the PPV and are having trouble - It will be broadcast on Maxboxing.com. Click this link to order…