Boxers Say the ‘Realist’ Things (And You Can Quote Me On That)

Published

3 years ago

September 24, 2019

Boxers-Say-the-Realist-Things-And-You-Can-Quote-Me-On-That

As a boxing journalist since 2010, I’ve gathered my fair share of quotes. Some of them were as forgettable as yesterday’s fake news while others are the stuff that BWAA Bernie Award winning stories are made of. Here is a quick collection (20) of my favorites compiled for your enjoyment.

They’re all the kind of candid quotes that boxing publicists might obtain but would never include in their politically correct press releases where the “quotes” are often made up or flat-out fudged.

These are taken from my personal archives and from my recent years writing for The Sweet Science. They’re all quotes I personally procured or were obtained by writers who wrote for me, most notably Joel Sebastianelli, the young scribe assigned to conduct the KO Digest interviews I’d set up monthly. They also come from press conferences, conference calls, and live events. They’re all the real deal.

GEORGE FOREMAN on why he didn’t fight Mike Tyson: ”Some things are not meant to happen. Two punchers, meeting in the middle of the ring, neither one looking to retreat. That would’ve been one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time. No jabbing and hiding out of the way. I wish it had happened for boxing’s sake but I’m glad it didn’t happen for my own safety.”

MIKE TYSON on becoming a sober promoter: ”My job is to tell the truth. It’s an uphill battle. I wasn’t using drugs when I was fighting but I drank everyday. I was always drinking. I didn’t wait until the fight was over to drink. Thank God I’m not doing that anymore. I was about to die. My objective now is to promote these fighters. They’ll market themselves by their performance.”

LAILA ALI talks up women’s boxing: “Opportunities have to be created. If a promoter gets behind them the way they did in the UFC with Ronda Rousey, anything is possible. There’s a lot of talent out there but there is nobody behind them to promote them and that’s what it takes.”

WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO on which piece he is on a chess board: “The Queen because the Queen can move anywhere‒a combination of the Queen and the horse; a Queen that sits on a horse.”

LENNOX LEWIS recalls fighting Vitali Klitschko: “He was a guy I had to figure out, and when I say figure out, the man wasn’t easy to hit. Plus he was WAY taller than me and had longer arms. My last major opponent before that was Mike Tyson so to adapt to his different qualities such as the height and the reach, was a big challenge to me.”

VITALI KLITSCHKO respects Lennox Lewis: ”In all my career I never met so strong an opponent as Lennox. I never took so many punches. I never looked so horrible like in that fight. I’m appreciative Lennox gave me a chance to prove my skills against the strongest boxer of all time. I have lots of experience and I can definitely say Lewis was the hardest fight in my career.”

ZAB JUDAH on Micky Ward: “Micky was one of the toughest fights I had in my career. It came at a time when I was only 15-0 as a pro and this guy was like a legend. Everybody told me don’t fight him. I went in there and defeated him but it was no easy task. Big shoutout to Micky Ward.”

MICKY WARD on Floyd Mayweather Jr.: ”There’s only one Floyd Mayweather. He’s leaps and bounds ahead of everyone even at his age. It’s incredible how hard he works. People don’t see how dedicated that kid is. He might be spending money or doing this and that but hey, the damn kid earned it. He can brag all he wants, he’s proven himself over and over. You got kids just turning pro and they’re bragging. That’s bull****. Someone like Floyd can talk all he wants.”

MARLON STARLING on the night be beat Mark Breland: “Let me tell you something. I got the s*** beat out of me in that fight. I got hit with everything but the kitchen sink. I fought that fight from the heart instead of from the head. That fight, I got an ass whooping, but guess what? I came home with the title. You know what they say in boxing: it ain’t how you start, it’s how you finish.”

JEFF FENECH laments: “After the first Azumah Nelson fight, I have no excuses, but I was never the same. I was going to be the first boxer ever to win four world titles undefeated. I was the first fighter to win three world titles undefeated. Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and Roberto Duran all lost before winning their fourth titles. I was the first undefeated three-time world champion. After that draw, I was never the same. I can’t put my finger on it, but something left me that day.”

PAULIE MALIGNAGGI on Punch Stat and CompuBox: “Do you know how many people think that there’s a special chip in the gloves that counts punches landed and don’t realize it’s actually some guy playing Nintendo and pressing buttons deciding what lands and what doesn’t.”

VIRGIL HILL on fighting the great Roy Jones Jr.: “I just did not expect him to throw a shot to the body. He never threw a body shot before, particularly with the right hand, so we just got caught. It was the hardest shot I have ever been hit with, for sure. When you get hit like that with a body shot, the only thing I really remember is them saying “six, seven…” Up until that point, I believe we had the right formula. Had it gone two more rounds, it would have been a different story.”

RAY MANCINI goes 15 rounds: “The true championship distance is 15 rounds. I have a problem with guys who only have to go 12 and got into the International Boxing Hall of Fame before guys who went 15. I lost but against Arguello and Livingstone Bramble, I was winning after 12 rounds. So if it’s only 12 rounds, I’m undefeated! What would they say now if I had beat those legends?”

TIM BRADLEY on his being an action fighter: “I fought Provodnikov with sheer heart. I was in a bad place at that time mentally, the Pacquiao controversy and everything I just went through. That’s the reason I fought the way I did that night. I felt I had a lot to prove to the world and to myself, that I’m a true champion. I wanted to show everyone what I was made of. After that crazy fight, I learned a lot from that going into the Marquez fight. Some light started shining on my career, so I said, give me the guy that just beat Manny, I want Marquez. Everybody thought I was crazy but by staying disciplined in my craft, it worked out well. Now I know what I’m capable of. If I have to dig deep, I know I have it in there. There is nothing I can’t do in the ring.”

JOHN MOLINA JR. explains his popularity: “Fans root for me because I’ve been the underdog every way you can imagine. I didn’t turn pro until I was 24. I had only 22 amateur fights. I’m showing everybody that if you stick to something you apply yourself, you can make it. That’s why fans are intrigued with my style. I’m a first class example of getting past discouragement.”

TONY “THE TIGER” THOMPSON on his lack of fan appeal: “Maybe it’s the ‘2000 Larry Holmes body’ or maybe it’s the boring left hand, defensive first style, or maybe it’s a face for radio.”

SHANNON “Let’s Go Champ” BRIGGS: ”I’m active, pumped up, and fired up now more than ever. Everything happens for a reason, and you know what? I’m the black Cinderella Man. I’m going to shock the world and get a fight with this bum Wladimir Klitschko and knock his face off.”

MIKE WEAVER describes how he got into boxing: ”I got into a fight in the Marines. I went to a club and tried to play a song on the jukebox. I got there before this other guy and he pushed me out of the way. I shoved him back and he swung at me and missed. I swung back and knocked him out. Two days later, they asked me if I was interested in joining the boxing team. I said, “I never boxed a day in my life. I don’t know the first thing about boxing.” He said, ”The guy you knocked out was the heavyweight champion of the Marine Corps.” That’s the way it started.”

JOHNATHON BANKS on speculation he ‘threw’ the Seth Mitchell rematch: “I’ve dedicated my life to boxing and I’d rather die than to throw or give a fight away. I fractured both hands in the first round. I thought I broke them. Each and every time I threw a punch, it was hurting so bad! I’ve been nothing but honest and a stand-up guy all my life, especially in the sport of boxing. I have too much integrity and too much love for the sport and the fans to do anything like that.”

BRYAN DANIELS on boxing Boston Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev: “I fought him in 2010 when I was a novice with only six fights. I fought him twice that tournament but he was more experienced being an open class fighter. He was not in great shape but had the experience to get the victory. I advanced that year because he was not a legal citizen but I never got the chance to get a rematch. I spoke to him after the fights and he appeared really cocky and arrogant, no respect for anyone. He came to our gym a couple times with no regard toward safety. He would spar with no headgear. I don’t believe he valued life or the opportunity that he had with the sport because he never boxed again after 2010. I guess he turned for the worst.”

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Jeffrey Freeman

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Mercito Gesta Victorious Over Jojo Diaz at the Long Beach Pyramid

Published

3 days ago

March 19, 2023

David A. Avila

Mercito-Gesta-Victorious-Over-Jojo-Diaz-at-the-Long-Beach-Pyramid

LONG BEACH, CA.-Those in the know knew Mercito Gesta and Jojo Diaz would be a fight to watch and they delivered.

Gesta emerged the winner in a super lightweight clash between southpaws that saw the judges favor his busier style over Diaz’s body attack and bigger shots and win by split decision on Saturday.

Despite losing the main event because the star was overweight, Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) used an outside method of tactic to edge past former world champion Diaz (32-4-1, 15 KOs) in front of more than 5,000 fans at the Pyramid.

The speedy Gesta opened up the fight with combination punching up and down against the peek-a-boo style of Diaz. For the first two rounds the San Diego fighter overwhelmed Diaz though none of the blows were impactful.

In the third round Diaz finally began unloading his own combinations and displaying the fast hands that helped him win world titles in two divisions. Gesta seemed stunned by the blows, but his chin held up. The counter right hook was Diaz’s best weapon and snapped Gesta’s head back several times.

Gesta regained control in the fifth round after absorbing big blows from Diaz. He seemed to get angry that he was hurt and opened up with even more blows to send Diaz backpedaling.

Diaz targeted his attack to Gesta’s body and that seemed to slow down Gesta. But only for a round.

From the seventh until the 10^th each fighter tried to impose their style with Gesta opening up with fast flurries and Diaz using right hooks to connect with solid shots. They continued their method of attack until the final bell. All that mattered was what the judges preferred.

After 10 rounds one judge saw Diaz the winner 97-93 but two others saw Gesta the winner 99-91, 98-92. It was a close and interesting fight.

“I was expecting nothing. I was the victor in this fight and we gave a good fight,” said Gesta. “It’s not an easy fight and Jojo gave his best.”

Diaz was surprised by the outcome but accepted the verdict.

Everything was going good. I thought I was landing good body shots,” said Diaz. “I was pretty comfortable.”

Other Bouts

Mexico’s Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Chicago’s Alex Martin (18-5, 6 KOs) with a counter right hand after dropping him earlier in the fourth round. The super lightweight fight was stopped at 1:14 of the round.

A battle between undefeated super welterweights saw Florida’s Eric Tudor (8-0, 6 KOs) emerge the winner by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain.

The taller Tudor showed polished skill and was not bothered by a large cut on his forehead caused by an accidental clash of heads. He used his jab and lead rights to defuse the attacks of the quick-fisted southpaw Cato-Cain. The judges scored the fight 80-72 and 78-74 twice for Tudor.

San Diego’s Jorge Chavez (5-0, 4 KOs) needed less than one round to figure out Nicaragua’s Bryan Perez (12-17-1, 11 KOs) and send him into dreamland with a three-punch combination. No need to count as referee Ray Corona waved the fight over. Perez shot a vicious right followed by another right and then a see-you-later left hook at 3.00 of the first round of the super featherweight match.

Photo credit: Al Applerose

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Jojo Diaz’s Slump Continues; Mercito Gesta Prevails on a Split Decision

Published

4 days ago

March 18, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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At age 30, Jojo Diaz’s career is on the skids. The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a former world title holder at 126 and 130 pounds and an interim title holder at 135, Diaz suffered his third straight loss tonight, upset by Mercito Gesta who won a split decision at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, CA.. The scoring was strange with Gesta winning nine of the 10 rounds on one of the cards and only three rounds on another. The tie-breaker, as it were, was a 98-92 tally for Gesta and even that didn’t capture the flavor of what was a closely-contested fight.

Originally listed as a 12-rounder, the match was reduced to 10 and that, it turned out, did Diaz no favors. However, it’s hard to feel sorry for the former Olympian as he came in overweight once again, having lost his 130-pound title on the scales in February of 2021.

Diaz also has issues outside the ropes. Best elucidated by prominent boxing writer Jake Donovan, they include a cluster of legal problems stemming from an arrest for drunk driving on Feb. 27 in the LA suburb of Claremont.

With the defeat, Diaz’s ledger declined to 32-4-1. His prior losses came at the hands of Gary Russell Jr, Devin Haney, and William Zepeda, boxers who are collectively 83-2. Mercito Gesta, a 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino, improved to 34-3-3.

Co-Feature

Chihuahua, Mexico super lightweight Oscar Duarte has now won nine straight inside the distance after stopping 33-year-old Chicago southpaw Alex Martin in the eighth frame. Duarte, the busier fighter, had Martin on the deck twice in round eight before the fight was waived off.

Duarte improved to 25-1-1 (20). Martin, who reportedly won six national titles as an amateur and was once looked upon as a promising prospect, declined to 18-5.

Other Bouts of Note

New Golden Boy signee Eric Tudor, a 21-year-old super welterweight from Fort Lauderdale, overcame a bad laceration over his right eye, the result of an accidental clash of heads in round four, to stay unbeaten, advancing to 8-0 (6) with a hard-fought unanimous 8-round decision over Oakland’s Damoni Cato-Cain. The judges had it 80-72 and 78-74 twice. It was the first pro loss for Cato-Cain (7-1-1) who had his first five fights in Tijuana.

In the DAZN opener, lanky Hawaian lightweight Dalis Kaleiopu went the distance for the first time in his young career, improving to 4-0 (3) with a unanimous decision over 36-year-old Colombian trial horse Jonathan Perez (40-35). The scores were 60-52 across the board. There were no knockdowns, but Perez, who gave up almost six inches in height, had a point deducted for a rabbit punch and another point for deducted for holding.

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‘Big Baby’ Wins the Battle of Behemoths; TKOs ‘Big Daddy’ in 6

Published

4 days ago

March 18, 2023

Arne K. Lang

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Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne weighed in at a career-high 277 pounds for today’s battle in Dubai with Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, but he was the lighter man by 56 pounds. It figured that one or both would gas out if the bout lasted more than a few stanzas.

It was a war of attrition with both men looking exhausted at times, and when the end came it was Miller, at age 34 the younger man by nine years, who had his hand raised.

Browne was the busier man, but Miller, whose physique invites comparison with a rhinoceros, hardly blinked as he was tattooed with an assortment of punches. He hurt ‘Bid Daddy’ in round four, but the Aussie held his own in the next frame, perhaps even forging ahead on the cards, but only postponing the inevitable.

In round six, a succession of right hands knocked Browne on the seat of his pants. He beat the count, but another barrage from Miller impelled the referee to intervene. The official time was 2:33. It was the 21^st straight win for Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs). Browne declined to 31-4 and, for his own sake, ought not fight again. All four of his losses have come inside the distance, some brutally.

The consensus of those that caught the livestream was that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s commentary was an annoying distraction that marred what was otherwise an entertaining show.

As for what’s next for “Big Baby” Miller, that’s hard to decipher as he has burned his bridges with the sport’s most powerful promoters. One possibility is Mahmoud Charr who, like Miller, has a big gap in his boxing timeline. Now 38 years old, Charr – who has a tenuous claim on a WBA world title (don’t we all?) — has reportedly taken up residence in Dubai.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 10-round cruiserweight affair, Suslan Asbarov, a 30-year-old Russian, advanced to 4-0 (1) with a hard-fought majority decision over Brandon Glanton. The judges had it 98-92, 97-93, and a more reasonable 95-95.

Asbarov was 12-9 in documented amateur fights and 1-0 in a sanctioned bare-knuckle fight, all in Moscow, entering this match. He bears watching, however, as Glanton (18-2) would be a tough out for almost anyone in his weight class. In his previous fight, at Plant City, Florida, Glanton lost a controversial decision to David Light, an undefeated Australian who challenges WBO world title-holder Lawrence Okolie at Manchester, England next week.

A 10-round super featherweight match between former world title challengers Jono Carroll and Miguel Marriaga preceded the semi-windup. Carroll, a 30-year-old Dublin southpaw, overcame a cut over his left eye suffered in the second round to win a wide unanimous decision in a fairly entertaining fight.

It was the sixth straight win for Carroll (24-2-1, 7 KOs) who elevated his game after serving as a sparring partner for Devin Haney. Marriaga, a 36-year-old Colombian, lost for the fourth time in his last five outings, declining to 30-7.

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