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Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser

Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser
Do you think it would be fun to be a ring announcer?
If you don’t like waiting in airports, taking dozens of flights a year, and living out of hotel rooms, think again.
David Diamante lives in New York City. This was his travel itinerary for 2022:
New York – Atlanta – New York
New York – San Diego – New York
New York – London – Nottingham – London – New York
New York – Manchester – Leeds – Manchester – Barcelona – Ibiza – Marseille – Barcelona – Manchester – Milan – Verbania – Milan – New York
New York – Las Vegas – New York
New York – Milan – Florence – London – Bilbao – London – New York
New York – London – Cardiff – London – Houston – Guadalajara – New York
New York – San Antonio – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – London – Sheffield – London – New York
New York – Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) – Qatar (Doha) – New York
New York – Mexico City – Sonora – Mexico City – New York
New York- Las Vegas – New York
New York – London – Nottingham – London – Mexico City – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – Mexico City – New York
New York- London – New York
New York – Abu Dhabi – New York
New York – Cleveland – New York
New York – London – New York
New York – Phoenix – New York
New York – London – Leeds – London â
So . . . what does Diamante do with his time off?
Among other things, he goes to fights. Four days before Christmas, he was at Sony Hall in Times Square where Larry Goldberg was promoting a club fight show.
In the opening bout, Alejandro Luis Silva (19-0-1, 14 KOs) squared off against Issah Samir (19-1, 16 KOs, 1 KO by) in an 8-round middleweight contest. The fighters’ records were deceiving. Samir is 38 years old. It has been forty months since his hand was raised in victory. Silva dropped him with a body shot in round one, and Issah showed no interest in getting up.
That was followed by Anthony Sims Jr. (22-1, 20 KOs) vs. Anthony Todd (14-6, 8 KOs, 2 KOs by) – eight rounds, middleweights. Sims won an 80-72, 80-72, 79-73 decision in a fight that was evocative of a sparring session.
Next up; female junior-bantamweights, Sulem Urbina (13-2-1, 2 KOs) vs. Indeya Smith (5-6-2, 1 KO). Smith has little form and less power. But she kept moving forward, throwing punches. And Urbina didn’t know how to deal with her. Smith won a 79-73, 79-73, 77-75 decision.
Bout number four showcased club fights at their best. Nadim Salloum (9-1, 4 KOs) took on Decarlo Perez (19-6-1, 6 KOs, 3 KOs by) in an eight-round super-middleweight bout.
“The skill level might not be high,” Diamante noted. “But it’s a real fight, a lot of action with two tough guys giving it everything they have. I love fights like this.”
Then things turned sour.
Perez won the fight. At least, that’s how it appeared to most knowledgeable observers at ringside. But the New York State Athletic Commission is known for erratic scoring that often favors the house fighter. And Salloum (a prolific ticket seller) was the house fighter. Judge John McKaie’s scorecard was read first – Â a 76-76 draw. Then the other two judges were heard from – a gift-wrapped 78-74 (Tony Lundy) and 77-75 (Marcel Varela) for Salloum. Perez got a lump of coal for Christmas.
The final bout showcased flyweight Andy Dominguez (8-0, 6 KOs) against Marvin Solano (24-7, 8 KOs, 2 KOs by). Dominguez has charisma and is a legitimate prospect. But he didn’t go to the body often enough and missed badly with wild right hands throughout the fight en route to a 78-73, 78-73, 76-75 triumph.
“Andy can afford to be wild with an opponent like this,” Diamante observed. “But not when he moves up in class and fights better fighters.”
And how did David feel about the evening?
“I love club shows,” Diamante offered. “Fighters leave the amateurs and this is where the next leg of their journey begins. The headgear comes off. The lights get brighter. The gloves get smaller. For me, club shows like this are the heart and soul of boxing. And I love the vibe. It’s rare for me now to be at a show where I’m not working. But on a night like tonight, I can relax, schmooze with boxing people, and hang out with friends. This is all love for me. Hats off to Larry Goldberg for promoting this show.
*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â *
In an October 21 article posted on this site, I criticized a decision by the Nevada Athletic Commission to categorize slap fighting as unarmed combat that will be allowed when conducted pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the State of Nevada and overseen by the commission. A critique of slap fighting is contained in that article.
On November 16, the NAC granted a license to Power Slap to promote slap fighting in Nevada. Also on November 16, the commission approved rules for slap fighting that appear to have been written by Power Slap.
These rules provide for weight classes for men and women. A competitor can win by knockout, technical knockout, or a decision (rendered by three judges). Fights will be scheduled for three-to-five rounds with a round consisting of one blow to the head inflicted by each competitor. Each round will be scored on a 10-point must system with points being determined by the strikerâs effectiveness, the defenderâs reaction, and the recovery time needed after taking a hit. Fouls can be called on strikers for clubbing, stepping, illegal wind-up, and delay. Strikers will be required to state in advance which hand they will be using and how long it will take for the slap to be delivered. A striker will be penalized if he deviates from this declaration. Fouls will be called against recipients of blows to the head for flinching, blocking, or delay. Penalties can result in a warning, points deduction, ordering a re-strike, the loss of a strike, or disqualification. The striker will have thirty seconds to deliver each slap. The recipient will have thirty seconds for recovery. A coin toss will determine who throws the first slap.
Striking first is an advantage because it weakens the opponent. But if first strikes are rotated, it will mean that combatants are hit with back-to-back blows to the head against which there is no defense. And these blows will be delivered while the effects of the previous blow are still being felt.
There’s a lot to criticize in the commission process. But the low point at the November 16 meeting came when NAC chairman Stephen Cloobeck asked UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell (one of the primary owners of Power Slap), âYou will make sure no one dies?â
âThat is priority 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10,â Campbell responded. âThat goes without saying.”
âYou will make sure that no one has severe brain injuries going forward?â Cloobeck said in the manner of a pitcher lobbing a slow pitch down the middle of the plate.
âThatâs correct,â Campbell answered. âHonestly, one of the reasons we tested this was to really understand firsthand in person the health and safety aspect of the sport.”
That’s utter nonsense. No one can guarantee that a combat sport participant won’t be killed or suffer brain damage as a consequence of fighting. Either Cloobeck knows that or he knows virtually nothing about the industry that he’s charged with overseeing other than the fact that people hit each other in the head and he gets free tickets for the fights.
I might add here that it would be interesting to see Power Slap’s contracts with combatants. An educated guess is that, despite Campbell’s assurances to the commission, Power Slap’s contracts require combatants to acknowledge the risk of severe injury (including brain damage) and death as a consequence of participating in Power Slap events and further require combatants to waive any claim they might have against Power Slap for damages re same.
Power Slap plans to air eight shows on TBS starting in January, hoping to give its new league the same sort of boost that The Ultimate Fighter on Spike gave UFC. The outtakes from the TBS show are more likely to be more revealing with regard to medical issues than the footage that the public and regulators are allowed to see. Do we really expect that, if Slap League or the commission doctors bungle a medical call, the public will be told about it?
It takes a while for chronic brain damage to manifest itself in fighters. But if a Power Slap competitor goes into a coma after being battered with multiple head blows that he was forbidden by the rules to defend against, maybe even NAC chairman Stephen Cloobeck will take notice of it.
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book â In the Inner Sanctum: Behind the Scenes at Big Fights â was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur 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 Bennâs head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Bennâs chin stood firm despite Eubankâs vaunted power and
size advantage.
âI didnât know he had that in him,â 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.
âI under-estimated him,â Eubank said.
Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.
âHe worked harder toward the end,â 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 heâs
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

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 wonât 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 âTankâ 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.
âThis 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,â said Eubank. âI have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.â
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.
âHe’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.
âWhether 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,â he said.
Supporting Bout
Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Irelandâs Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.
âBeefyâ 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 âCaneloâ 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.
Itâs youth versus experience.
âI’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,â said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.
Monster in L.A.
Japanâs super star Naoya âMonsterâ 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.
Itâs 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 âDMG Night of Championsâ 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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Floyd Mayweather has Another Phenom and his name is Curmel Moton

Floyd Mayweather has Another Phenom and his name is Curmel Moton
In any endeavor, the defining feature of a phenom is his youth. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper was a phenom. He was on the radar screen of baseballâs most powerful player agents when he was 14 years old.
Curmel Moton, who turns 19 in June, is a phenom. Of all the young boxing stars out there, wrote James Slater in July of last year, âCurmel Moton is the one to get most excited about.â
Moton was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. His father Curtis Moton, a barber by trade, was a big boxing fan and specifically a big fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr. When Curmel was six, Curtis packed up his wife (Curmelâs stepmom) and his son and moved to Las Vegas. Curtis wanted his son to get involved in boxing and there was no better place to develop oneâs latent talents than in Las Vegas where many of the sportâs top practitioners came to train.
Many father-son relationships have been ruined, or at least frayed, by a fatherâs unrealistic expectations for his son, but when it came to boxing, the boy was a natural and he felt right at home in the gym.
The gym the Motons patronized was the Mayweather Boxing Club. Curtis took his son there in hopes of catching the eye of the proprietor. âFloyd would occasionally drop by the gym and I was there so often that he came to recognize me,â says Curmel. What he fails to add is that the trainers there had Floydâs ear. âThis kid is special,â they told him.
It costs a great deal of money for a kid to travel around the country competing in a slew of amateur boxing tournaments. Only a few have the luxury of a sponsor. For the vast majority, fund raisers such as car washes keep the wheels greased.
Floyd Mayweather stepped in with the financial backing needed for the Motons to canvas the country in tournaments. As an amateur, Curmel was — take your pick — 156-7 or 144-6 or 61-3 (the latter figure from boxrec). Regardless, at virtually every tournament at which he appeared, Curmel Moton was the cock of the walk.
Before the pandemic, Floyd Mayweather Jr had a stable of boxers he promoted under the banner of âThe Money Team.â In talking about his boxers, Floyd was understated with one glaring exception â Gervonta âTankâ Davis, now one of boxingâs top earners.
When Floyd took to praising Curmel Moton with the same effusive language, folks stood up and took notice.
Curmel made his pro debut on Sept. 30, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the undercard of the super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo. After stopping his opponent in the opening round, he addressed a flock of reporters in the media room with Floyd standing at his side. âI felt ready,â he said, âI knew I had Floyd behind me. He believes in me. I had the utmost confidence going into the fight. And I went in there and did what I do.â
Floyd ventured the opinion that Curmel was already a better fighter than Leigh Wood, the reigning WBA world featherweight champion who would successfully defend his belt the following week.
Motonâs boxing style has been described as a blend of Floyd Mayweather and Tank Davis. âI grew up watching Floyd, so itâs natural I have some similarities to him,â says Curmel who sparred with Tank in late November of 2021 as Davis was preparing for his match with Isaac âPitbullâ Cruz. Curmell says he did okay. He was then 15 years old and still in school; he dropped out as soon as he reached the age of 16.
Curmel is now 7-0 with six KOs, four coming in the opening round. He pitched an 8-round shutout the only time he was taken the distance. Itâs not yet official, but he returns to the ring on May 31 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas where Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo are co-featured in matches conceived as tune-ups for a fall showdown. The fight card will reportedly be free for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
Curmelâs presumptive opponent is Renny Viamonte, a 28-year-old Las Vegas-based Cuban with a 4-1-1 (2) record. It will be Curmelâs first professional fight with Kofi Jantuah the chief voice in his corner. A two-time world title challenger who began his career in his native Ghana, the 50-year-old Jantuah has worked almost exclusively with amateurs, a recent exception being Mikaela Mayer.
It would seem that the phenom needs a tougher opponent than Viamonte at this stage of his career. However, the match is intriguing in one regard. Viamonte is lanky. Listed at 5-foot-11, he will have a seven-inch height advantage.
Keeping his weight down has already been problematic for Moton. He tipped the scales at 128 œ for his most recent fight. His May 31 bout, he says, will be contested at 135 and down the road itâs reasonable to think he will blossom into a welterweight. And with each bump up in weight, his short stature will theoretically be more of a handicap.
For fun, we asked Moton to name the top fighter on his pound-for-pound list. â[Oleksandr] Usyk is number one right now,â he said without hesitation,â great footwork, but guys like Canelo, Crawford, Inoue, and Bivol are right there.â
Itâs notable that there isnât a young gun on that list. Usyk is 38, a year older than Crawford; Inoue is the pup at age 32.
Moton anticipates that his name will appear on pound-for-pound lists within the next two or three years. True, history is replete with examples of phenoms who flamed out early, but we wouldnât bet against it.
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