Articles of 2009
First Foreman, Now Salita? Kahn Stands In The Way Of Double Jewish Triumph

Because he is guided as much by his immense talent and steadfast dedication as he is by his Jewish faith, Dmitriy Salita, the 27-year-old native of the Ukraine who fights out of Brooklyn, New York, is certain that he will emerge the winner in his December 5 challenge of WBA junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan in Newcastle, England.
Although Salita, 30-0-1 (16 KOS), has received no shortage of negative press over the level of his opposition since turning pro in 2001, he couldnât be more thrilled about challenging the 22-year-old Khan, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, who despite a shocking September 2008 first knockout loss to unheralded Breidis Prescott, is still being talked about as a potential great.
The 5â10â Khan, 21-1 (15 KOS), rebounded from the Prescott loss by stopping Oisin Fagan in three rounds, winning a technical decision over Marco Antonio Barrera in five, and beating Andres Kotelnik by unanimous decision to take his title in July 2009.
âIâve dedicated my life to this moment, from when I was a little kid, running before school, not going on trips, training in the gym for years,â said the 5â9â Salita. âItâs all for this chance to prove myself on December 5 in Newcastle,â said Salita.
Should Salita win, he will become the second Jewish champion to be crowned in less than a month. On the undercard of the November 14 matchup between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, another New York-based native Russian, a rabbinical student named Yuri Foreman, won the WBA junior middleweight crown from Daniel Santos. His life has been a whirlwind ever since.
Bruce Silverglade, the owner of Gleasonâs Gym in Brooklyn and a non-devout but proud Jew, said there is a lot of significance attached to Jewish boxers in todayâs world.
âI havenât been in a synagogue in probably 30 years, but Iâm proud of my heritage and I was extremely proud when Yuri won the title last month,â said Silverglade. âThere was a time when Jewish champions abounded in boxing, but that was a long time ago. To have two Jewish champions today, at the same time, would be a source of pride to Jews all over the world.â
Because Khan is a Muslim and Salita is a Jew, much is being made about the social and ideological significance of their matchup. Silverglade scoffs at the notion, and says that while promoters might be doing ugly things to sell tickets, the motives of the fighters are pure. He talks about Foreman, who prior to arriving in the United States after leaving his native Belarus, had lived for a time in Israel where he trained in an Arab gym.
âAt first they might have looked at him cross-eyed, but once they saw he could fight all that went out the window,â said Silverglade. âIn boxing gyms, all assumptions and negative notions related to race or religion go out the window when you can fight. Even the worst of enemies can become friends when they train alongside each other every day.â
Salita remembers being teased and taunted as a youngster in his native country. After being called one particularly derogatory Jewish term, he kicked the boy who said it in the crotch. His father later told him that he did the right thing.
When the Ukraine declared its independence from the collapsing Soviet Union and anti-Semitism was rife, the Salita family made their way to New York.
This time the taunts continued toward the young Salita, although more often than not it had little or nothing to do with being Jewish.
âI had very bad clothes, stuff from Russia, just the cheapest stuff, because we didnât have any money,â he said.
Salita described once being surrounded by seven boys, whereupon he picked up the desk that was closest to him and fought his way out of the room.
He made his way to the Starrett City Boxing Club, which was run by a wise old black sage named Jimmy OâPharrow. While OâPharrow took some pity on the pale, skinny foreign kid, many of the gym regulars, nearly all of whom were black, at first were not so kind.
âThey looked at me as a white boy who couldnât fight,â said Salita. âI knew I had to establish my respect. Slowly I got better, and eventually I put a whipping on some of them. Many of us are still friends today.â
While Salitaâs late mother hated the notion of her son boxing, Salita would not be deterred. OâPharrow was shocked not only at how often he came to the gym, but by how hard he worked when he got there.
âMost of the people he fought were black boys, so theyâd look at him and say, âIâm gonna kick this white boyâs butt,ââ said OâPharrow. âThen theyâd get in there and say, âOh bleep, this kid is a handful.ââ
When Salita was 16 he represented New York State in the Junior Olympics and won a bronze medal. âThatâs when I really felt like an American,â he said.
Around that time, the colorful OâPharrow, who is still with Salita, would tell anyone who would listen that, âThe kid looks Russian, prays Jewish and fights black.â
When Salita won the 2001 New York City Golden Gloves, he also received the Sugar Ray Robinson Award as the tournamentâs outstanding boxer. By that time, he had also become an Orthodox Jew, which he had become interested in a few years earlier while visiting his mother in the hospital when she was dying from breast cancer.
She had shared a room with a member of a particularly devout sect. During a heated debate with that womanâs husband, the man told Salita that boxing was ânot a Jewish thing to do.â
The conversation only served to pique Salitaâs interest in his spiritual background, while also increasing his commitment to boxing. After turning pro he often had conflicts with his promoters because of his refusal to train or fight on the Sabbath, which begins at sundown every Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday.
Salita is as stubborn as he is determined to make his mark in the world the best way he can. He is as rabid a student of Judaism as he is of the sweet science. He always praises his religion for giving him the discipline and patience to succeed in such a tough sport.
While many orthodox Jews couldnât care less about Salitaâs pugilistic aspirations, there are scores of them that do. They were always a ubiquitous presence when he fought in and around New York, and many of them have made the trek overseas to see him challenge Khan. He and Khan both speak freely about their religions, and how they hope their boxing match can bring some much-needed understanding and camaraderie to both sides.
As big of an attraction that Khan is in England, as well as the Muslim world, Salita has been generating buzz for many years in New York â and beyond. He has been the subject of a documentary film, âOrthodox Stance,â which was produced and directed by Jason Hutt.
Prior to leaving for England, he appeared on âLast Call With Carson Daly,â the popular late-night talk show, and New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote him a letter praising his âhard work, dedication [and] stellar career.â Speaking for all New Yorkers, the mayor said he is âlooking forward to welcoming you back to New York as the new junior welterweight champion of the world.â
As proud as Mayor Bloomberg might be of Salitaâs goals and accomplishments, it will pale in comparison to what the now 84-year-old OâPharrow will feel. He believed in Salita from the moment he met him, and always dreamed along with the young fighter about the day heâd finally compete for a world title.
When Salitaâs mother was near death, it was OâPharrow who told her heâd look after her beloved son. In the glorious melting pot of New York, Salita and OâPharrow, despite hailing from opposite sides of the spectrum, have, from a pugilistic standpoint, become extensions of each other.
âNobody deserves success more than Dmitriy does,â said OâPharrow. âHim becoming a champion means we did something right. It means God put us together for a reason, and everything worked out right.â
Articles of 2009
UFC 108 Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva

Former champion Rashad Evans meets Brazilâs 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. Itâs 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.
âA win against Rashad would put me in the track against Lyoto,â said Silva, in a telephone conference call. âThat's what â what I want to do.â
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.
âI was humbled big time, man,â says Silva who fought Machida in January 2009. âI 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.â
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.
âI've made it a point to not â to not get distracted on what I want to do, because you know Thiago (Silva) is a very hungry fighter,â said Evans who has not fought since losing the title to Machida last May. âMy focus is just on Thiago so much. You know I don't want to overlook him, you know, not even a little bit.â
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.
âI learned a lot from that fight. I think I can correct the mistakes from that fight,â says Silva. âNot overlooking anything else right now, but I just want to get the chance to fight him again.â
What a prize. The winner gets to face the man who beat him: Machida.
Articles of 2009
Ten Boxing Wishes For 2010

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 Showtimeâs 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? Itâs like being fed spam appetizers before the Thanksgiving turkey. It seems that the pay per view promoters just donât get it. Are they watching what they put on or do they only watch the âbig fightâ as everyone else is slowly being conditioned to do so?
9. Time to make Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight
Okay, I understand heâs the son of one of the greatest fighters that ever lived. But heâs had 42 fights against low to mid level competition and has never managed to look spectacular. Itâs 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 wonât totally humiliate him.
8. No more ridiculous Pay Per View mismatches
Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez shouldâve 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 whatâs 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 âThe Nightmareâ 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 âDr. Ironfistâ moniker as he plowed his powerful shots into the former #1 WBC heavyweight contenderâs 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 wasnât 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 whoâs followed the Riverside fighter knows that his best weight is somewhere in the 230 pound range. It certainly isnât 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 wouldâve been a little quicker, maybe he couldâve 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 âThe Nightmareâ isnât willing to change for anyone. At this pace, the only nightmares heâll be providing will be to the management of Hometown Buffets all across Riverside. Just kidding âNightmareâ!
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. Itâs those great fighters that have made boxing fanatics out of casual fans. The heavyweights may get all the money and glory but itâs the little guys who make the sport shine and itâs time they received greater compensation. Itâs 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 âDr. Klitschkoâ but came up short since they were easily outclassed. What happened to the great American Heavyweight? Whereâs our new Joe Frazier or Ali? Even a new Gerry Cooney or a Ken Norton would do at this point. Iâve got a feeling that the only way weâre going to see an American champion is if Klitschko retires. My money is on Arreola. Although undisciplined and rough outside the ring, heâs got tons (no pun intended) of natural talent. Heâs 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 letâs 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 Iâm 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 wouldnât 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. Itâs also important to me but not that important. For now Iâll stick to covering shows at the Pechanga Casino and in the less dangerous city of L.A. I never thought Iâd say that.
2. Pac Man vs. Mayweather
This is the fight everyone wants to see. Seeing how Mayweather dominated Pac Manâs arch enemy, Juan Manuel Marquez, you have to wonder if the Filipino can handle Lilâ Floydâs speed and size. One thing is for sure, betting against Pacquiao doesnât usually work out for me. It never has. Thereâs no future in it. So if the fight gets done itâs 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. Itâs very much appreciated.
Articles of 2009
A Very Special New Year's Day Column

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, youâd 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.
âIâm doing great,â Charles said during a telephone conversation on December 30th. âIâve been off the chemo for a month, and the doctors have told me that Iâm 80 percent in remission. Iâm going to see them again in three months. It may come back, but if it takes one year, or two years, or however long, Iâm going to make the most of the good time.â
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 œ.
While Charles is not big on regrets, he is the first to admit that he wasnât 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 Melissaâs mother since 1977, Charles said his relationship with that daughter has been especially âhot and cold, all of our lives.â
His illness has enabled them to forge a relationship that has been âbased on a massive amount of forgiveness and understanding.â
âThis has had a tremendous healing effect on both of us,â said Charles. âMy illness has had a fortifying effect on a lot of things, the most important of which is my relationships with my family.â
That also includes his first wife, with whom he has had an often acrimonious relationship over the past three decades.
âIt 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,â he explained. âThe whole divorce process creates a hardness that doesnât always go away.â
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 ânuclear 21st century familyâ because of the similar ages of two generations of children. One of the hardest things for him has been the realization that he canât always play with them in manner in which he would like.
âThe hemoglobin is the fuel in your tank, so when itâs low you canât will yourself to do things no matter how much you want to,â said Charles. âYou canât just sleep it off or work through it. I donât want the kids to wonder why I canât play in the backyard with them, or kick a soccer ball, or throw them in the air.â
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.
âYou try to keep things on a need to know basis, which is not easy when dealing with curious kids,â 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.
âI had it pretty rough growing up,â he explained. âI 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?â
Since taking a leave of absence from Shobox, the outpouring of support from the boxing community has warmed Charlesâs 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.
âI always hear that boxing people are ruthless, but I couldnât disagree more,â said Charles. âIâve 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.â
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 âKeep Fighting Nickâ onto their sleeves. He chokes up when talking about cut man Stitch Duran giving up an endorsement opportunity so he could put Charlesâs 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.
âAdversity is a great teacher, and it really teaches you who your genuine friends are,â said Charles. âI have a lot of friends.â
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 husbandâs spiritual base by her love, optimism and strength of character.
âIf I get down, she reminds me to not get too caught up,â said Charles. âI believe in eternity, and that has put me pretty much at peace.â
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 âdonât watch the series to see Nick Charles,â but he is proud of the fact that he was âpart of the identityâ of such a popular show.
âAnd people love comeback stories,â added Charles. âThatâs the message Iâm getting from the people out there.â
In boxing the word âchampionâ 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 lifeâs 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, âHappy New Year, Champ. We hope that you are the comeback story of the year in 2010.â
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