Articles of 2009

Carl Froch Rallies In Round Twelve, KOs Jermain Taylor

Published

12 years ago

April 25, 2009

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — By the time Carl Froch returned to his corner at the conclusion of the penultimate round, trainer Robert McCracken had hastily done his sums, and calculated that there was a good chance his man would need a knockout to retain his championship. And as it turned out he was right.

“You saw it,” said Froch. “I got it.”

Trailing by four points on each of two cards going into the final three minutes, Froch staged a furious last-ditch rally, scoring a knockdown by pummelling Jermain Taylor to the floor before battering his defenseless foe into submission. By the time referee Mike Ortega finally rescued Taylor, just 14 seconds remained in the fight.

Froch, a betting underdog even at the bookie shops in his native Nottingham, retained his WBC super-middleweight title with the dramatic, come-from-behind victory at Foxwoods’ MGM Theatre, and will return from his successful invasion of America as he arrived – an undefeated champion, albeit one with one more significant notch on his gun, and with the respect he had arrived on these shores in search of.

He had never expected that it would come easily, and it didn’t. Surprised by Taylor’s counterpunching ability, he had dug himself into a big early hole against the former undisputed 160-pound king. Taylor got Froch’s attention early in the first round when he sent him spinning with a right-hand lead, and gotten the judges’ in the third, when he hurt him with a straight right, landed another, and then speared him with a laser-like left that caught the Englishman squarely on the chin and sent him sprawling.

Although Taylor appeared in complete command at this stage, it was hard to forget that he had similarly dominated Kelly Pavlik in the early going of their first fight.

After five rounds Froch trailed by six points on the scorecard of Mexican judge Omar Mintun, and by four on that of Mintun’s Japanese counterpart, Nobuaki Uratani. (Canadian Jack Woodruff at this stage had it unaccountably even.)

“He caught me with two rights I didn’t see coming,” said Froch of the knockdown. “I was all right. That’s boxing. I just took the count and tried to get my composure back.”

It was an uphill battle over the second half of the fight, but Froch was able to increasingly exert himself. The jab Taylor had used to control the early going had slowed perceptibly, and the Englishman, whose awkward style is hardly pretty but nonetheless relentless, began to land with more frequency. Taylor’s face remained almost serenely confident, but he knew he was in a fight.

Froch dominated the first two and a half minutes of the eighth before Taylor rallied in the stanza’s closing seconds. His revival didn’t seem sufficient to have pulled out the round, but both Mintun and Uratani gave it to him anyway in what might have been a major bone of contention had the issue gone to the scorecards.

In the ninth Froch stunned Taylor with a right, and as the battle moved into the championship rounds, the champion was the aggressor. Taylor, of course, has evinced stamina problems in the past, and Froch and his small band of supporters at ringside seemed to sense that the gap was inexorably narrowing.

Taylor looked to have all he could to just to get through the eleventh, but McCracken’s calculations proved to be correct. Woodburn had Froch up 106-102 going into the final round, but the other two judges had Taylor leading by the same score.

Froch flung himself almost headlong at Taylor, who could offer scant resistance. Trapped in a neutral corner Taylor took a series of right hands to his unprotected head before crumpling to the floor, and for several seconds it didn’t appear that he would be capable of beating Ortega’s count.

In the end he struggled to his feet, and even made a brief but vain attempt to ward off Froch’s frenzied attack, and by the time the end came Taylor’s hands had fallen to his side and he was utterly unprotected while Froch clubbed away at his sagging form. Ortega might even have stopped it earlier, but his decision to rescue Taylor when he did was both just and merciful.

Some Taylor partisans, aware that had Jermain been allowed to survive the round the title might have been his even had he gone down again, might've wished the ref let it go, but Ortega said “my only concern is for the safety of the fighter. I don’t consider the time. Whether it was 14 seconds or one second makes no difference. He was defenseless.”

Froch, once he got a chance to review the Showtime tape of the telecast, seemed surprised that Taylor had remained erect as long as he did.

“He was badly hurt,” said the champion. “He wasn’t even looking at me.”

The Sweet Science card, incidentally, had Taylor up 105-103 going into the final round. Since Froch had already erased that margin before the end came, he had done enough to retain his title in our view even in the absence of the TKO.

Following the abdication of Joe Calzaghe, Froch had won the vacant title in December by outpointing Haitian-born Jean Pascal, leaving many doubters about his credentials, even among his countrymen. But in scoring his 25th win (and his 20th knockout), against a bona fide elite fighter of Taylor’s stature, he not only announced that he belongs, but potentially places himself in an enviable position for future big fights in the talent-laden 168-pound division.

Taylor’s performance, gallant while it lasted, once again raises questions about his future. Taylor is now 28-3-1, but he is 3-3-1 since his back-to-back wins over Bernard Hopkins almost three and a half years ago, and hasn’t stopped a single opponent since February of 2005.

It was another disappointing evening for Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella, who had seen one of his charges come within a point of taking a title in St. Louis a night earlier and his marquee fighter come within 14 seconds on Saturday.

“But it was a great fight,” conceded DiBella. “Froch isn’t pretty. He’s ungainly and nowhere near as talented as Jermain, but he’s strong as an ox and he just keeps coming.”

Both victor and vanquished were willing to entertain talk of a rematch, but don’t expect that to happen anytime soon. On the other hand, having made a successful conquest of a new country, Froch will return to his own with newfound respect. The shadow cast by Joe Calzaghe will still be there, but it won’t be quite as long.

# # #

In the co-feature of the Showtime telecast, Oklahoma super-middleweight Allan Green demolished Carlos De Leon Jr., pounding the Puerto Rican to the canvas four times en route to a second-round TKO, setting up a likely challenge to IBF champion Lucien Bute at Montreal’s Bell Centre on the July 10-11 weekend.

Green, who spent much of last year on the sidelines following an administrative suspension, was facing his first ‘live’ opponent in a couple of years – and this one didn’t last long.

Early in the second he upended De Leon with a picture-perfect left hook, and when his foe arose, he clubbed him back to the canvas with two right hands. The third knockdown came seconds later, once again from a right, and although referee Joe Lupino allowed it to continue, Green pounded De Leon with two more overhand rights, bringing the referee’s intervention at 1:54.

DeLeon complained that the last knockdown had come when he had been punched in the back of the head, which at that point hardly seemed material.

“He looked,” said Green as he watched the replay, “like he got hit with the Hammer of Thor.”

“I knew he couldn’t hang in there with me,” said Green, now 28-1. “He’d been down six times prior to this fight. My mission tonight was to make a statement.”

Fighting for the first time since last November’s lopsided loss to Ricky Hatton, former IBF 140-pound champion Paulie Malignaggi (26-2) won a unanimous decision over Chris Fernandez (16-7-1) of Salt Lake City in an off-TV eight-rounder. Malignaggi took the biggest shot of the night when Fernandez nearly put him down with a good left hand at the end of the sixth, but otherwise dominated. Don Trella, Glenn Feldman, and George Smith all scored it 79-73.

Arkansas veteran Dominick Guinn (31-6) shocked previously unbeaten Louisianan Johnnie White, knocking him down twice in the first round on the way to a TKO at 2:01 of the first. Guinn, who has now won three in a row after back-to-back losses to Eddie Chambers and Robert Hawkins, crushed White with a right hand to send him down the first time, and when the Louisianan got up on shaky legs, quickly put him down again, this time with a left. Although Eddie Claudio briefly allowed action to resume, he immediately halted it when Guinn connected with his next solid punch. White, who has fought primarily on the Louisiana Fairgrounds circuit, dropped to 21-1.

Framingham (Mass.) junior welter Danny O’Connor made it six for six in his nascent pro career with a unanimous decision over Missouri journeyman Travis Hartman (9-12-1). O’Connor floored Hartman twice, late in the second and again with 30 seconds left in the bout. Trella, Feldman, and Smith all returned 40-34 scorecards.

Jonathan Nelson (9-0), the nephew of Taylor trainer Ozell Nelson, won a unanimous decision over Eddie Caminero (5-1) of Lawrence, Mass. in a battle of previously unbeaten super middles. Although Nelson landed the heavier leather and rocked Caminero severtal times, both acquitted themselves well. Trella and Steve Weisfeld both scored it 58-56; Julie Lederman 59-66.

Brooklyn (NY) junior welter Sadam Ali (3-0) knocked down Schenectady’s Bryan Abraham (1-1-1) in the third rounder of their 4-rounder on the way to a unanimous decision. 40-35 X 3 (Woodburn, Mintun, Uratani)

# # #

MGM GRAND ARENA

FOXWOODS CASINO

MASHANTUCKET, Conn.

APRIL 25, 2009

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS: Carl Froch, 167, Nottingham, England TKO’d Jermain Taylor, 166, Little Rock, Ark. (12) (Retains WBC title)

Allan Green, 168, Tulsa, Okla. TKO’d Carlos De Leon Jr., 168, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (2)

Jonathan Nelson, 163, Little Rock, Ark. dec. Eddie Caminero, 162, Lowell, Mass. (8)

HEAVYWEIGHTS: Dominick Guinn, 229, Hot Springs, Ark. TKO’d Johnnie White, 227, St. Martinsville, La. (1)

WELTERWEIGHTS: Paulie Malignaggi, 141, Brooklyn, NY dec. Chris Fernandez, 142, Salt Lake City, Utah (8)

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS: Danny O’Connor, 140, Framingham, Ma. Dec. Travis Hartman, 140, St. Joseph, Mo. (4)

Sadam Ali, 142. Brooklyn, NY dec. Bryan Abraham, 140, Schenectady, NY (4)

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George Kimball

Articles of 2009

UFC 108 Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva

Published

11 years ago

December 31, 2009

David A. Avila

Former champion Rashad Evans meets Brazil’s venerable Thiago Silva in a non-title belt that can lead to a return match with the current champ, but first things first.

Evans (15-1-1) and Silva (14-1) meet in Ultimate Fighting Championship 108 in a light heavyweight bout on Saturday Jan. 2, at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. A win by either fighter could result in a world title bid. The fight card is being shown on pay-per-view television.

Events can change quickly in the Octagon and anybody can beat anybody in the 205-pound weight division. Just ask Silva or Evans.

Silva and Evans are both experienced and can vouch firsthand about the capriciousness of fighting in MMA and especially as a light heavyweight. On one day this man can beat that man and on another day, that man can beat this man. It can make you absolutely daffy.

Evans, 30, is the former UFC light heavyweight world champion who only defended his title on one occasion and lost by vicious knockout to current champion Lyoto Machida of Brazil. It’s the only defeat on his record.

Silva, 27, is a well-rounded MMA fighter from Sao Paolo, Brazil who is versed in jujitsu, Muy Thai and boxing. He can end a fight quickly in a choke hold just as easily as with a kick or a punch. His only loss came to who else: Machida.

Evans and Silva know a win can push open the door to a rematch with current UFC light heavyweight champion Machida.

“A win against Rashad would put me in the track against Lyoto,” said Silva, in a telephone conference call. “That's what – what I want to do.”

When Silva fought Machida the two Brazilians were both undefeated and feared in the MMA world. The fight took place in Las Vegas and with one second remaining in the first round a perfectly timed punch knocked Silva unconscious.

“I was humbled big time, man,” says Silva who fought Machida in January 2009. “I learned a lot from that fight. I think I can correct the mistakes from that fight, not overlooking anything else right now, but just I want to get the chance to fight him again.”

For Evans it was a different circumstance. The upstate New Yorker held the UFC title and was defending it after stopping then champion Forrest Griffin by knockout. Still, many felt Machida was far too technically versed. Evans was stopped brutally in the second round.

“I've made it a point to not – to not get distracted on what I want to do, because you know Thiago (Silva) is a very hungry fighter,” said Evans who has not fought since losing the title to Machida last May. “My focus is just on Thiago so much. You know I don't want to overlook him, you know, not even a little bit.”

Dana White, president of UFC, says the winner of this fight could conceivably fight Machida in the near future. Evans and especially Silva are motivated by the open window.

“I learned a lot from that fight. I think I can correct the mistakes from that fight,” says Silva. “Not overlooking anything else right now, but I just want to get the chance to fight him again.”

What a prize. The winner gets to face the man who beat him: Machida.

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Articles of 2009

Ten Boxing Wishes For 2010

Published

11 years ago

December 30, 2009

Ralph Gonzalez

As 2009 comes to a close, one reflects on what went well and what went wrong during the year in boxing. There were many highlights. Pacquiao vs. Cotto and Showtime’s Super Six tournament were part of the best that boxing had to offer. But there were some low points too therefore the industry has some work to do in order to keep generating fans. Here are some suggestions for 2010:

10. Better pay per view cards

Paying 40 to 50 bucks to watch the main event gets old real quick. Why do we have to sit through a horrible under-card to get to the main course? It’s like being fed spam appetizers before the Thanksgiving turkey. It seems that the pay per view promoters just don’t get it. Are they watching what they put on or do they only watch the “big fight” as everyone else is slowly being conditioned to do so?

9. Time to make Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight

Okay, I understand he’s the son of one of the greatest fighters that ever lived. But he’s had 42 fights against low to mid level competition and has never managed to look spectacular. It’s time to throw the 23 year old out of the nest to see if he can fly. My suggestion is a fight against Sergio Mora or maybe even Yuri Foreman. Neither of these guys can punch. They may outbox Junior but they won’t totally humiliate him.

8. No more ridiculous Pay Per View mismatches

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez should’ve never been made. It was a ridiculous fight when it was announced and it was more ridiculous when it took place. Unable to bring Manny Pacquiao to the bargaining table for a third match against Juan Manuel Marquez, someone figured that pairing up the 135 pound champion against a natural 147 pounder like Mayweather would be a great idea. The pay per view generated over a million buys but the fact that millions of people were treated to an incredibly boring mismatch is what’s truly worrisome. I can guarantee you one thing about this card. The sport of boxing lost fans once the show was over and done with. Talk about short term thinking.

7. Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola shows up for a fight in amazing shape

It was painful to see Chris Arreola take a beating from the Ukrainian giant, Vitali Klitscho. The champion certainly earned his “Dr. Ironfist” moniker as he plowed his powerful shots into the former #1 WBC heavyweight contender’s face. He reddened and bloodied the young Mexican American with an assortment of weapons and foot movement seldom seen on a six foot seven inch heavyweight. Arreola was brave and unrelenting in battle. He never stopped coming forward and took chances when he could. His work in the ring at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles wasn’t the problem. Where Arreola let himself down was outside the ring. His unwillingness to condition himself into a finely tuned athlete cost him certain immortality as the first ever heavyweight champion of Mexican descent. Arreola has the heart and skills but it was his mental fortitude that broke down. Anyone who’s followed the Riverside fighter knows that his best weight is somewhere in the 230 pound range. It certainly isn’t at the 252 pounds he registered on the scale at the Staples Center. Those fifteen to twenty extra pounds might have made all the difference in the world. Maybe he would’ve been a little quicker, maybe he could’ve sustained a faster pace in order to tire out the champion. In his most recent fight against Brian Minto, Arreola weighed in at a career high 263. It looks like “The Nightmare” isn’t willing to change for anyone. At this pace, the only nightmares he’ll be providing will be to the management of Hometown Buffets all across Riverside. Just kidding “Nightmare”!

6. More respect for the lighter weights

Real boxing fans know that the most exciting fighters in the sport are usually found toiling in weight divisions south of 154 pounds. Pacquiao, Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Edwin Valero, Israel Vazquez, Juan Ma Lopez, Vic Darchinyan, Rafael Marquez and countless others have been the real driving force behind this sport. It’s those great fighters that have made boxing fanatics out of casual fans. The heavyweights may get all the money and glory but it’s the little guys who make the sport shine and it’s time they received greater compensation. It’s dismaying to think that a mediocre heavyweight can make three or four times as much as the great Rafael Marquez.

5. An American Heavyweight champion

Speaking of heavyweights, two Americans tried and failed at dethroning Vitali Klitschko this year. Both Kevin Johnson and Chris Arreola did their best to wrestle the belt away from “Dr. Klitschko” but came up short since they were easily outclassed. What happened to the great American Heavyweight? Where’s our new Joe Frazier or Ali? Even a new Gerry Cooney or a Ken Norton would do at this point. I’ve got a feeling that the only way we’re going to see an American champion is if Klitschko retires. My money is on Arreola. Although undisciplined and rough outside the ring, he’s got tons (no pun intended) of natural talent. He’s without a doubt the most talented American heavyweight on the scene.

4. More ShoBox

The Showtime Cable network gave us the best boxing on TV for the price of a cable television subscription. Their ShoBox series has been a proven hit for Senior VP of Sports Programming Ken Hershman. The concept is simple yet brilliant. Match up two up and comers with great records and let’s see what happens. Sometimes the results are surprising. Many have passed the ShoBox test and went on to bigger and better things. Others have been exposed as having padded records and eventually their careers stall and take a dive.

3. More safety in Mexico so I can attend a show without a gun battle breaking out

Having lived near the Tijuana border all my life I’m dismayed at the war zone that the city has evolved into. Every day there are reports of shootings fueled by the drug war trade. Believe it or not, there was a time when Tijuana was safe and most wouldn’t have thought twice about crossing the border for some seafood and nightlife. No more. Having covered several boxing cards on Revolucion Avenue many years ago, I got a taste of just how important the sport is to Mexican fans. It’s also important to me but not that important. For now I’ll stick to covering shows at the Pechanga Casino and in the less dangerous city of L.A. I never thought I’d say that.

2. Pac Man vs. Mayweather

This is the fight everyone wants to see. Seeing how Mayweather dominated Pac Man’s arch enemy, Juan Manuel Marquez, you have to wonder if the Filipino can handle Lil’ Floyd’s speed and size. One thing is for sure, betting against Pacquiao doesn’t usually work out for me. It never has. There’s no future in it. So if the fight gets done it’s Pacquiao by TKO in ten.

1. And finally

One final wish is reserved for all the readers of TheSweetScience.com I wish you all a healthy and happy 2010. Thank you for your continued loyalty to the site. It’s very much appreciated.

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Articles of 2009

A Very Special New Year's Day Column

Published

11 years ago

December 30, 2009

Robert Mladinich

It has been just over four months since Nick Charles, the play-by-play announcer for Shobox: The New Generation, was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer and forced to take a medical hiatus from the monthly show that has aired since 2001.

Since then he has undergone grueling chemotherapy treatments that have resulted in him losing all of his hair as he forces himself to live as normal of a life as possible. Through sheer force of will, as well as the strength and support that he receives from his wonderfully loving family and his strong Christian faith, the 63-year-old Charles has managed to keep his weight up while not falling prey to the always lingering threats of depression, cynicism and negativity.

If one was unaware that he was battling such an insidious disease, you’d never know from talking on the phone to him that he has been to hell and back. He has lost none of the inspiring energy that has endeared him to members of the boxing community and legions of worldwide viewers.

“I’m doing great,” Charles said during a telephone conversation on December 30th. “I’ve been off the chemo for a month, and the doctors have told me that I’m 80 percent in remission. I’m going to see them again in three months. It may come back, but if it takes one year, or two years, or however long, I’m going to make the most of the good time.”

As physically and emotionally wrenching as the grim diagnosis and subsequent treatment has been, even for someone as perpetually positive as Charles, the longtime announcer said a lot of good things have come from it.

Having been married three times, Charles is the father of four children: Jason, 38, Melissa, 34, Charlotte, 22, and Giovanna, 3 ½.

While Charles is not big on regrets, he is the first to admit that he wasn’t always there for his older children. For many years he traveled the world as a CNN correspondent, often putting the demands of his career above all else, including those closest to him. Nowhere was the strain more evident than in his relationship with Melissa.

Having been divorced from Melissa’s mother since 1977, Charles said his relationship with that daughter has been especially “hot and cold, all of our lives.”

His illness has enabled them to forge a relationship that has been “based on a massive amount of forgiveness and understanding.”

“This has had a tremendous healing effect on both of us,” said Charles. “My illness has had a fortifying effect on a lot of things, the most important of which is my relationships with my family.”

That also includes his first wife, with whom he has had an often acrimonious relationship over the past three decades.

“It took a long time for the scab to become a scar, but we had lunch one day and it was so great to once again see the gentle, soft sides of each other,” he explained. “The whole divorce process creates a hardness that doesn’t always go away.”

Charles is also the grandfather to three children, some of whom are about the same age as his youngest daughter. He jokes that he has a “nuclear 21st century family” because of the similar ages of two generations of children. One of the hardest things for him has been the realization that he can’t always play with them in manner in which he would like.

“The hemoglobin is the fuel in your tank, so when it’s low you can’t will yourself to do things no matter how much you want to,” said Charles. “You can’t just sleep it off or work through it. I don’t want the kids to wonder why I can’t play in the backyard with them, or kick a soccer ball, or throw them in the air.”

Particularly difficult is when Giovanna reminds her father of how handsome he is, but then innocently asks him what happened to his hair, eyebrows and lashes.

“You try to keep things on a need to know basis, which is not easy when dealing with curious kids,” said Charles.

While Charles might look like the kind of guy that things have often come easy to, the reality is that his beginnings were far from auspicious. But, he says, his often challenging Chicago childhood blessed him with the steely resolve that has helped him so much during the arduous journey he is now on.

“I had it pretty rough growing up,” he explained. “I remember the lights and the heat being shut off and eating mustard sandwiches. I went to work at 13 and always had insecurities about the future. But I always expected and saw the best in people, so when I got sick, never once did I say 'Why me?”

Since taking a leave of absence from Shobox, the outpouring of support from the boxing community has warmed Charles’s heart. For a guy that is battling for his life, he actually considers himself fortunate to be surrounded by so much goodness in both his personal and professional lives.

“I always hear that boxing people are ruthless, but I couldn’t disagree more,” said Charles. “I’ve probably received about 1,000 e-mails, and people are always following in sending their best wishes. From the relatively unknown people in boxing to many of the more famous people, there has been an outpouring of true affection.”

Charles said that the Top Rank organization has been exceedingly kind and gracious. He was touched beyond description when he learned that officials in Oklahoma got special permission to have a seamstress sew “Keep Fighting Nick” onto their sleeves. He chokes up when talking about cut man Stitch Duran giving up an endorsement opportunity so he could put Charles’s name on his outfit. He never tires of hearing shout-outs from fighters on television.

Charles has always been a people person with an inordinate faith in the goodness of his fellow man. Battling this illness has only made his already strong faith in humanity even stronger.

“Adversity is a great teacher, and it really teaches you who your genuine friends are,” said Charles. “I have a lot of friends.”

He also has a remarkable wife, Cory, a CNN producer to whom he has been married for 11 years. She is the daughter of an electrician, a self-made woman who exudes all of the warmth of her native Brooklyn. She has reinforced her husband’s spiritual base by her love, optimism and strength of character.

“If I get down, she reminds me to not get too caught up,” said Charles. “I believe in eternity, and that has put me pretty much at peace.”

More than anything else, Charles wants to get himself back behind a microphone sooner rather than later, and hopefully on Shobox. He is the first to admit that viewers “don’t watch the series to see Nick Charles,” but he is proud of the fact that he was “part of the identity” of such a popular show.

“And people love comeback stories,” added Charles. “That’s the message I’m getting from the people out there.”

In boxing the word “champion” is often overused because it pertains only to winning belts and receiving worldwide recognition for being the best at your craft. The reality is that life’s real champions have other qualities, such as the innate ability to treat people well and always make them feel better about themselves, especially when the recipients of the goodwill are in no position to give them anything back.

By that standard of measure, Charles is as much, if not more of a champion than all of the boxers he has covered during the nine years that Shobox has been on the air.

I know I speak for scores of others when I say, “Happy New Year, Champ. We hope that you are the comeback story of the year in 2010.”

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