RSSEarly Eight Count
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
EEC - February 21, 2007
Think of this as the trash-talking edition of EEC…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- We all know about the blowup at yesterday’s Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr press conference. But did you hear some of the things they said about each other?
While De La Hoya was impressive with his remarks…
“I respect Floyd as a fighter, as the best pound-for-pound in the world.” said De La Hoya. “Come May 5, when I touch you, you’re going to hurt for weeks.”
Pretty Boy Floyd stepped his usual great trash-talking game up to a new level:
“I’m gonna bust his ass. I’m gonna do what I’ve done to 37 others,” Mayweather said. “I’ll bet you $1 million, $2 million, $3 million. Every dime in my bank account if you want. Right now. They kept me in the dark. Now they have to face me. I’m the top glove in the sport.”
- The most interesting remarks of the day however were made by Zab Judah during a recent interview with renowned boxing writer Tim Smith. What did Judah have to say regarding his upcoming fight against Miguel Cotto?
“I’m not Paulie Malignaggi. I’m Zab Judah. They must not know who I am,” Judah said. “Cotto is a little boy. He’s like my son. You know how it is when your son gets out of line and you have to give him a spanking to get him back in line. That’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to spank him like he’s my son.”
“I’m going to ask Top Rank to have my belt made up ahead of time,” Judah said. “I’m going to get me a float and I’m going to ride in the parade. I’m going to have all his Puerto Rican fans cheering for me at the fight and at the parade.”
Some Good Reads:
Boxing Scene: “Baby” Joe Mesi - The Big Gamble
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Tuesday, February 20, 2007
EEC - February 20, 2007
Many new things to report this morning…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Raul Frank has appealed to the New York State Athletic Commission to reinstate his victory over Terrance Cauthen. There will be a public hearing held at the officies of the NYSA tomorrow…
- IBF and IBO Flyweight Champion Vic Darchinyan has stated that he wants the winner of Rafael-Marquez-Israel Vazquez as a setup bout that would eventually get him in line for a shot at Manny Pacquiao.
“I will challenge both Marquez and Vazquez,” Darchinyan said. “I am looking forward. I just don’t want to stay in my weight division. I want to unify the flyweight division, but if the other champions won’t fight me, I want to move up and fight for more world titles. I want to become more popular. I want to become pound for pound No.1.”
- The Plain Dealer Reporter is reporting ironically that HBO would like Kelly Pavik to fight on the same card as Jermain Taylor-Sergio Mora on April 14th.
Pavlik told the paper that Top Rank is trying to set up a fight between himself and Edison Miranda in June instead with the winner getting a shot at Taylor in September…
- A biography on Roberto Duran written by Christian Giudice and titled “Hands of Stone, The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran” will start going on sale on Friday, March 2…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: ‘Koncrete’ meets ‘Ding-A-Ling Man’ on FNF
FOX Sports: Malignaggi earns a win with a measured approach
Boxing Scene: Hopkins thinks Winky is the “Wright” Opponent
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Friday, February 16, 2007
EEC - February 16, 2007
Here comes the weekend…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Famed boxing manager Bob Botto passed away in his home early yesterday morning. Botto managed many former contenders including Randy Mack, Johnny Carter, Mike Mungin, and current supper middleweight star Omar Pittman.
Weekend Fights:
Friday -
Verno Phillips vs Eddie Sanchez - Las Vegas, Nevada - Junior Middleweight (ESPN 2)
Gary Stark Jr vs Mike Oliver - Miami, Oklahoma - Junior Featherweight (Showtime)
Derek Ennis vs Allen Conyers - Miami, Oklahoma - Junior Middlweight (Showtime)
Tony Thompson vs Timor Ibragimov - Beverly Hills, California - Heavyweight (FSN)
Andre Dirrell vs Kenny Kost - Beverly Hills, California - Super Middleweight (FSN)
Jorge Paez Jr vs Jaime Alvarado - Beverly Hills - California - Welterweight (FSN)
Saturday -
Paulie Malignaggi vs Edner Cherry - New York City, New York - Junior Welterweight (HBO)
Ishe Smith vs Sechew Powell - New York City, New York - Junior Middleweight (HBO)
Andre Berto vs Norberto Bravo - New York City, New York - Welterweight (HBO)
Audley Harrison vs Michael Sprott - London, England - Heavyweight
Michael Katsidis vs Graham Earl - London, England - WBO Lightweight Title
Amir Khan vs Mohammed Medjadji - London, England - Lightweight
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Malignaggi still has moxie after loss to Cotto
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Wednesday, February 14, 2007
EEC - February 14, 2007
Happy Valentine’s Day bitches…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Just because he is sick, doesn’t mean that Shannon Briggs can’t still talk smack on Sultan Ibragimov:
“We contemplated fighting. I wanted to fight,” said Briggs. “To me this fight was a joke. How did he even become my mandatory? Off a draw with Ray Austin? OK, but it was an easy payday. But we came to the realization that it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Me losing to Ibragimov because of illness, people don’t want to hear about that.”
- Despite being heavily rumored to be taking on Koki Kameda this spring, WBC Flyweight Champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam will now be heading to Japan to defend his title against Yo Sam Choi.
- Cruiserweight contender Matt Godfrey will take on his fellow 2000 US Olympic Trials teammate, Felix Cora Jr, on April 6th.
- Look for it to be announced later this week that Jason Litzau will be returning to the ring in April…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Johnson earned respect, drew anger
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Tuesday, February 13, 2007
EEC - February 13, 2007
A suspension and a signing highlight today’s EEC…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Former IBF Junior Flyweight Champion Will Grigsby has tested positive for marijuana following a post-fight screening after his loss to Ulises Solis in January.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission will issue Grigsby a suspension during a meeting on Friday in which Grigsby will be asked to appear before the commission and then help set a date for a hearing. Grigsby will most likely also be fined.
Commission director Keith Kizer gave some details on what Grigsby’s punishment might be like:
“The last few guys who have been busted [for marijuana use] have gotten six-month suspensions and a minor fine,” Kizer said.
This is the second time in his career in which Grigsby has failed a post-fight drug test…
- Newly crowned Women’s WBC Heavyweight Champion Vonda Ward has signed a contract to play for the NWFL’s Cleveland Fusion this spring..
Some Good Reads:
Boxing Scene: “Fighting Words” – Shane Mosley: Back up that Mountain
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Monday, February 12, 2007
EEC - February 12, 2007
Not a lot on the whole news front today but there’s still some interesting notes…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- One of Shane Mosley’s next opponents may very well be Miguel Cotto. Cotto’s scheduled June bout against Antonio Margarito is now all but officially cancelled since Margarito signed a contract to face WBO mandatory challenger Paul Williams.
- It seems that Bernard Hopkins is picking his fellow Golden Boy Promotions associate, Oscar De La Hoya to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May…
“Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather will be the first time in history that a fighter’s name gets changed after the fight, from Pretty Boy to Ugly Boy. I’m just telling you how I feel. The opposite of pretty is ugly. There ain’t no in-between. I’m just telling what’s going to happen,” Hopkins said.
- Hasim Rahman has pledged to donate a percentage of the rest of his career earnings to the family of an injured Baltimore detective who was struck by a vehicle driven by Rahman’s brother Karim during a chase from police in which Karim also robbed a convenience store.
Some Good Reads:
The Sweet Science: This Day in History (February 12, 1974)
MaxBoxing: Still Sweet
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Friday, February 09, 2007
EEC - February 9, 2007
Interesting weekend in terms of fights starts today…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Cedric Boswell and his camp have made an offer to Evander Holyfield in order to set up a fight in the near future involving the two.
Boswell is confident that the fight can be set up rather easily and that he will come away with a victory…
“I’ve been a big fan of Evander Holyfield for a long time,” Boswell said. “He’s a great fighter, a legend who’s been good for boxing. But if I get him in the ring, I’ll be fighting to win. I think it’ll be a great fight. We both live in Atlanta, too. I’m a counter puncher who can still move around a lot. Evander has said that he wants a fight against a good opponent to take him back to the top. I’m trying to find a nice way to say it, but I don’t
think he can beat me.”
Boswell’s manager, Jim Rider also shed some light on the situation:
“We contacted Holyfield’s promoter (Main Events) and offered Cedric Boswell, anywhere they want the fight,” Rider explained. “I think it’ll be a good fight for fans and good for boxing. They said they’d put Cedric’s name in the hat and speak to Evander about him. Cedric has come back with a vengeance. He’s training harder now than he’s ever done in his life. We also offered them Sherman Williams to fight Calvin Brock on the same card. And we offered Gerald Nobles to Hasim Rahman for his March 17th fight.”
- David Tua will try to continue to climb back up the heavyweight ladder when he takes on Robert Hawkins on February 22nd at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
- Apparently Don King and Anna Nicole Smith were good friends and he is very saddened by her death. I’m surprised at the amount of boxing articles involving Anna Nicole that have come out over the past few hours…
Weekend Fights:
Friday -
Eddie Chambers vs Derric Rossy - Selden, New York - Heavyweight (ESPN 2)
Chris Arreola vs Zakeem Graham - Selden, New York - Junior Lightweight (ESPN 2)
Saturday -
Shane Mosley vs Luis Collazo - Las Vegas, Nevada - WBC Interim Welterweight Title (HBO)
Vivan Harris vs Juan Lazcano - Las Vegas, Nevada - WBC Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator (HBO)
Some Good Reads
Boxing Scene: Dawson Passes Class, Peter is Left Back
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
EEC - February 6, 2007
After a little hiatus that extended into the beginning of the week, we are back once again with the Early Eight Count…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The April fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jin Chi has been postponed until at least October according to Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum yesterday.
Arum informed ESPN that Pacquiao would still be fighting in April, but now he would be lacing up the gloves on April 21st against an opponent that has yet to be named. The fight will take place in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“Manny will fight in San Antonio and we’ll have an announcement on the opponent in a couple of days,” Arum said.
Arum also announed that Jorge Arce and Jose Navarro will face off in the co-main event. Other fighters who could also possibly be added to the card in the near future are Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa.
So what was the reason for the change? It’s hotel problems…
“We found out that because of certain delays there are only about 4,000 decent hotel rooms in Macau, and that is not enough to handle demand for this event,” Arum said. “They have a whole group of properties that are coming on line that we were expecting to be open by the end of April, but they aren’t going to make it. By the fall there will be 10,000 rooms. There will be plenty to handle the people in the fall.”
- Yet another boxer arrested…
Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell was arrested in Big Bear, California after assaulting his training partner, Larry Slayton.
37-year-old Larry Slayton, was helping Bell train for his March 17 rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France. Slayton claims that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods, and threw a hatchet at him. Bell was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears. At that point Slayton ran as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks. Arden Wiltshire, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said that Deputies found Slayton with cuts from running through the brush and “fearful for his life.”
He is currently out on bail…
- Miguel Cotto has been named fighter of the year by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: From gridiron to ring, Rossy’s rising fast
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Friday, February 02, 2007
EEC - February 2, 2007
Happy Groundhog Day everybody! We have a busy weekend ahead of us…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The WBC announced yesterday that it has stripped the WBC Flyweight Title from Omar Nino because Nino has tested positive for methamphetamine according to post-fight testing results done after his November 18th bout against Brian Viloria.
Ironically Viloria and Edgar Sosa will fight for the title in the coming months. The winner of that bout will then have to face Nino who has been giving number one contender status since he was unaware that the drug had been put into his system.
“In light of the fact that the WBC believes that Nino did not voluntarily commit this infraction and considering that his clean record has won him the trust of this organization ... we are declaring that Nino will be the challenger for whoever is the new champion,” a WBC statement said.
- The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Felix Trinidad will be at ringside to watch Cory Spinks fight Rodney Jones this weekend. He’s just going to see a decent bout, right? Not exactly…
Spink’s trainer, Kevin Cunningham, has confirmed that Trinidad will be at ringside with Don King to scout Spinks as a possible opponent in the near future…
“Don’s bringing Felix Trinidad in for this fight,” Cunningham said. “He might come out of retirement. Fernando Vargas is another possibility. But my thing is this: We want to keep chugging away, keep grinding. And eventually that big marquee fight will be there for us. And hopefully we can bring another big fight back to St. Louis.’‘
- Paulie Malignaggi will be the in-studio guest for ESPN’s Friday Night Fights this evening…
Weekend Fights
Friday -
Zuri Lawrence vs Dominick Guinn - Rochester, New York - Heavyweight (ESPN 2)
James Kirkland vs Billy Lyell - Santa Ynez, California - Junior Middleweight (Showtime)
Timothy Bradley vs Manuel Garnica - Santa Ynez, California - Junior Welterweight (Showtime)
Saturday -
Tomasz Adamek vs Chad Dawson - Kissimmee, Florida - WBC Light Heavyweight Title (Showtime)
Jesus Chavez vs Julio Diaz - Kissimmee, Florida - IBF Lightweight Title (Showtime)
Cory Spinks vs Rodney Jones - Kissimmee, Florida - IBF Junior Middleweight Title (Showtime)
Laila Ali vs Gwendolyn O’Neil - Kempton Park, South Africa - Women’s Super Middleweight Title
Sunday -
Naoufel Ben Rabah vs Lovemore Ndou - Sydney, Australia - IBF Junior Welterweight Title Eliminator
Paul Briggs vs Andre Thysse - Sydney, Australia - Light Heavyweight
Sakio Bika vs Rupert Van Aswegen - Sydney, Australia - Super Middleweight
Some Good Reads
Boxing Scene: Chasing Marciano’s Ghost: What’s in a Record?
MaxBoxing: Friday Night Fights Shuffle
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Thursday, February 01, 2007
EEC - February 1, 2007
Your morning boxing news coming at ya…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The Milburn family of Windsor, Ontario has donated a pair of Joe Louis’ gloves that he used in his historic battle with Max Schmeling in 1936 to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The Milburn family originally received the gloves from relatives who were close with Louis’ long time manager.
- WBC President Jose Sulaiman thinks that it’s time for Erik Morales to hang up the gloves…
“When someone loses hunger, he loses the desire to win,” Sulaiman said. “I think fighters lose the motivation to get up at 4 a.m. in the morning and go running, and the motivation to go on a diet. And I believe in that regard, Erik has not taken care of himself. He put himself through inhuman levels to lose weight, and he has picked the best to fight with the least amount of conditioning, and that is why he is in the situation that he is.”
Sulaiman also thinks that Morales needs one last fight…
“But my opinion is that he wants to retire with a victory, and he believes he can win the championship at lightweight. Erik doesn’t want to go out a loser in the way that he lost against Manny Pacquiao. He doesn’t want to go out in the minds of the people thinking of him on the canvas. So there are two motivations for him: his fourth world title and his leaving boxing with a different image for fans who’ve seen him for so many years.”
What does this all mean? Since Joel Casamayor will fight Acelino Freitas, that leaves David Diaz open for Morales’ taking. Look for a WBC Lightweight Title fight in either March or April…
- Floyd Mayweather Jr’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, has told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that Freddie Roach’s training methods aren’t going to have an impact on the fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya:
“Oscar had two chances to win this fight, slim and none, and slim just left town when he hired Freddie,” Ellerbe said. “I have a lot of respect for Freddie as a great trainer, but to compare Freddie Roach as a trainer to Mayweather Sr. is like comparing (Manu) Ginobili to Kobe Bryant.”
- Manny Pacquiao has not yet decided whether or not he wants to run for mayor of his hometown or for a seat in the House of Representatives in the Phillipines.
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: The big time has called Kelly Pavlik
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