A Logbook of Boxers Behaving Badly…Really, Really Badly!

Published

6 years ago

February 20, 2019

Ted Sares

This isn’t about a fighter biting off part of his opponent’s ear, nor is it about saying, “no mas.” Those incidents have been well-vetted. This is about lesser known and in some cases more reprehensible incidents in which certain fighters behaved in a manner at odds with the standard set by the thousands of fighters who boxed before them.

Tony Anthony (1984) “The Blindside”

In November 1984, Detroit’s “The Fighting Schoolteacher,” Tony Anthony (16-2), took out heavy-handed Mike “Hercules” Weaver with a crunching left hook. A stunned Weaver sagged to the canvas like he had been sapped. The shocking ending came in a fight at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Mike was done. But then, so was “The Schoolteacher.”

The punch, which hit the defenseless Weaver in the back of the neck, landed after the bell had sounded ending round one as Weaver, having been dazed by a legal punch that landed at the bell, wandered back to the wrong corner. School ended early for Tony as he was summarily DQd. The stunned crowd hooted and howled as Tony lamely tried to explain that he did not hear the bell.

Some years later, the “Harlem Hammer,” James Butler, would take this scenario to a more horrific level when he slugged defenseless Richard Grant at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

The Harlem Hammer (2001) ”Cuff him!, Cuff him!, Cuff him!”

”He hasn’t been able to eat since the fight…I’ve never seen anyone get hit with a punch like this, blood squirting out of his mouth. He looked like he was dead.”— Promotor Jimmy Birchfield

One of the very worst losers in boxing history was James “The Harlem Hammer” Butler when he sucker-punched Richard Grant following their 10-round bout. The heavily bleeding Grant, who had just upset Butler, winning a unanimous decision, received 26 stitches, his jaw had been injured, he had some loose teeth and he later experienced severe headaches. Butler had used his bare hand.

As the crowd (with 500 police officials attending) chanted ”Cuff him!; cuff him!; cuff him!,” Butler was arrested and arraigned the next day on a second-degree assault charge for which he served four months in jail.

This was a precursor to a subsequent and unimaginable tragedy in 2004 in which Butler bludgeoned to death Sam Kellerman (brother of Max), a sportswriter who had befriended him. He murdered Kellerman with, yes, a hammer.

This entire sordid affair is one of the lowest points in boxing history with long-reaching implications. Every list has a “worst,” and this incident is it for this list.

Zab Judah (2001 and 2006) “It’s a Family Affair”

2001

When the undefeated and cocky Judah met the undefeated and humble Kostya Tszyu in November 2001, he said, “Tszyu’s style is made for me…He’s strong, stands up straight and comes forward. His style is like Swiss cheese – full of holes.” Unfortunately, Zab never had time to find those holes as Tszyu caught him with a perfect right hand in the second round and the famous “Chicken Dance” ensued, leading referee Jay Nady to waive it off. Zab then lost it (no pun intended) and went after Nady, first by throwing a stool at him and then holding his glove under Nady’s throat. It was uncomfortable for Nady and uncomfortable to witness.

2006

Later, Zab was involved is still another unseemly affair. In a fight tainted by a 10th-round brawl, Floyd Mayweather Jr. won a 12-round UD against Judah in April 2006 in Las Vegas in front of a near-sellout crowd of over 15,000 screaming fans. With seconds remaining in the 10th round, all hell erupted in the ring after Judah fouled Mayweather with a low blow. All of a sudden, it became a family affair. Mayweather’s trainer and uncle, former world champion boxer Roger Mayweather (who had predicted that something like this might occur) jumped in the ring and went after Judah. Zab’s father and trainer, Yoel Judah, then went into the ring from the other corner. Others also rushed into the ring before order was restored. Judah, his father, and Roger Mayweather were all fined and had their boxing licences revoked for one year.

Luis Alberto “El Mosquito” Lazarte (2012) “Riot Time in Argentina”

Lazarte had a record of 49-10-2 and was a former IBF light flyweight world champion when he took on the young Filipino John Riel Casimero with an interim world title at stake. However, four of his losses had come by way of disqualification, two in world title fights. Well known for his dirty tricks, Luis “El Mosquito” Lazarte was one dirty Mosquito and in this fight he reached a new level of loathsomeness.

“Lazarte tried to bully his way through Casimero’s defense from the start,” wrote Philippine Star reporter Joaquin Henson. “He bit the Filipino’s shoulder twice, butted, elbowed, threw rabbit punches and held his head down while belting out sucker blows. A point was deducted from Lazarte’s scorecard in the sixth for repeated butting.”

Casimero bent the rules too and didn’t help matters by gloating. In the ninth he knocked down Lazarte twice and was battering Lazarte in the 10^th when the referee Eddie Claudio stopped the fight. This ignited a full-scale riot. Here’s how Dan Rafael reported it: “As (Claudio) was stopping the bout, spectators at ringside began throwing debris into the ring and eventually it became a full-scale riot — the worst boxing has seen since one erupted at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1996 after heavyweight Andrew Golota was disqualified for repeatedly hitting Riddick Bowe below the belt in the first of their two fights.”

This ugly scene, which is on You Tube, has to be seen to be believed. The liquored-up pro- Lazarte crowd went bonkers and threw drinks, empty bottles, scores of chairs, chains, and other debris into the ring hitting Casimero and his cornermen who then wisely hid under the ring for some 30 minutes. It seemed like every chair in the house was in the ring.

Worse than his infractions was what “El Mosquito” said to Claudio as he was being deducted a point in the sixth round: “Do you want to make it out of here alive?”

Later IBF President Daryl Peoples wrote “There is one measure that we are taking into our own hands and that we will enforce,…As a result of Luis Lazarte threatening the life of referee Eddie Claudio while receiving a points deduction in the sixth round, Lazarte is banned from being involved in any capacity in any IBF-related fight that takes place in Argentina or around the world.” But like many suspensions this one last only 29 months. El Mosquito fought four more times before retiring in 2015 with a 52-12-2 record–and a likely place in Boxing’s Virtual Hall of Shame.

Andrew Golota (1992-2013) “Boxing is 10% Physical and 90% Mental,”

Headbutting, biting and elbowing, the Pole from Chicago by way of Warsaw became known as the “The Foul Pole” and actually became a serial quitter of sorts as he took the DQ route against Riddick Bowe twice and quit against Michael Grant and Mike Tyson. Mental meltdowns were not uncommon for this man who possessed solid talent (41-9-1) that he went and squandered with his lack of stability in the ring. When someone says “boxing is 10% physical and 90% mental,” Golota quickly comes to mind.

“Vicious” Victor Ortiz also comes to mind given his documented serial-like propensity to quit.

Juan Manuel Lopez (2012) “Accident Waiting to Happen”

Juanma’s post fight behavior, winning or losing, has been bizarre on more than one occasion. However, after he lost in a tremendous battle with Orlando “Siri” Salido for the second time, a groggy Lopez whined during the post-fight interview and accused referee Roberto Ramirez and his son Roberto Ramirez Jr (who was the third man for the first Salido-Lopez fight) of having gambling problems. (Of course, he might still have been on Queer Street while being interviewed by the ever-opportunistic Jim Gray.)

Gray went on to induction into the IBHOF while the often concussed Lopez remains a possible accident waiting to happen if he continues to box.

Can you think of other really bad losers?

Ted Sares is one of the world’s oldest active power lifters and Strongman competitors and plans to compete in at least three events in 2019. He is a lifetime member of Ring 10, and a member of Ring 4 and its Boxing Hall of Fame. He also is an Auxiliary Member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

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Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

Chris-Eubank-Jr-Outlasts-Conor-Benn-at-Tottenham-Hotsour-Stadium

Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

5 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective,-Chap.-323:-Benn-vs-Eubank-Family-Feud-and-More.jpg

Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

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