Connect with us

Featured Articles

Pat Robertson Doesn't Deserve To Have Robert Guerrero On His Platform

Published

on

robert-guerrero-casey-guerrero-pat-robertson25-3-2013It always good to see, if you're a fan of boxing, who loves the sport and wants to see it remain healthy, to see a fighter get some press outside the normal channels. When a boxer goes on a “Dancing With the Stars,” that has the potential to grow the fighters' fanbase immensely, right? A growing and vibrant sport is beneficial to all of us who love it and make a living off of it.

So on surface, it's seemed a good thing that Robert Guerrero, who fights Floyd Mayweather on May 4 in Las Vegas, appeared on “The 700 Club,” the show hosted by evangelical leader Pat Robertson.

But if you're not familiar with Mr. Robertson (seen in above Hogan Photo, flanked by Casey and Robert Guerrero), who is tellingly described in his Wikipedia intro as “An American media mogul, executive chairman, and a former Southern Baptist minister, who generally supports conservative Christian ideals,” you might not be inclined to applaud Guerrero's decision to be on Robertson's show.

Especially if you're gay.

Or a feminist. Or a pacifist. Or a Haitian.

Fight fans by and large know that the 29-year-old Guerrero, a Gilroy, CA resident with a 31-1 record, a fetching back-story and humble spirit- warrior persona, isn't shy about proclaiming his faith.

On Twitter, his mini-bio tells you that he is a “Big believer in Jesus Christ.” Which is completely admirable, it should go without saying. A belief in a higher power is a most powerful salve in a frequently cruel and indecipherable world. And considering the man has been right there with his wife Casey, who has battled leukemia, and is currently and thankfully clear of cancer, no one in their right mind would judge him for latching on to a belief system and regimen to stay right minded.

Casual boxing fans and sports fans who rarely give a second look at the sweet science are learning about Guerrero, and assessing his chances at handing the 36-year-old Mayweather (43-0) his first loss as a pro in Las Vegas, in a bout to be shown on Showtime pay-per-view. The hype machine for that MGM Grand tussle is humming, and kicking into third gear now. A release went out on Sunday, Palm Sunday, which talked about Guerrero's Monday appearance with Robertson.

“I'm very excited that I'll be able to use my platform in boxing to talk about my faith in Jesus Christ who has guided me to this incredible position,” Guerrero said in that release. “At the same time I'll bring awareness to the bone-marrow registry. I want everyone to check out www.knockoutbloodcancer.org and join me in my quest to help save lives. On May 4th the world will see me dethrone Floyd Mayweather and everyone won't understand what happened, except those who believe in the power of Christ. As the bible verse Philippians 4:13 states “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

Let me digress, slightly, by informing you where I'm coming from on this matter. Personally, I've tried to be a follower, tried to believe, but have found it's not for me. I'm more of the Bill Maher school, though I wouldn't indulge in his pointed takedowns and mockery of believers, as I feel that if you weigh out the good and the bad, faith and worship does more to lift up souls than drag them down. My outlook on organized religion has become more entrenched in the last 10 or so years with each and every scandalous and disgusting revelation of rape and sexual abuse committed by priests the world over, so many of which were swept under the rug by church higher-ups, allowing vile predators to prey upon young innocents over a span of decades. I have a hard time conceiving there is a Heaven that the good ones will spend eternity in when their time on earth is done, but less difficulty picturing a Hell where supposed ambassadors for spiritual wellness who have abused their standing in such shocking and shameful a manner will reside after dying.

Which leads me back to Robertson. No, he hasn't been accused of molestation. But if you dig into his past, he has repeatedly voiced judgements, accusations and insinuations that scream bigotry and bias, and could leave any but a loyal adherent wondering if the man is possessed by demons who are seeking to undermine the import of his brand of Christianity. I do not know how much Guerrero, the six time champ in four weight divisions, a beyond-solid citizen who one and all can't help but root for, for his strength of character in and outside of the ring, knew about Robertson heading into his date with the tele-preacher. I wish, I guess, I had the time to collect all the forthcoming Robertson-isms and had forwarded them to Guerrero before he accepted the invite.

Robertson appeared on many radar screens when he ran to secure the Republican nomination for President in 1988. Then the head of the Christian Broadcasting Network, he wasn't casually dismissed as a fringe player by more voters than some might think when it was widely reported that he'd bragged that God had performed miracles at his request, and that he had been spoken to directly by both God and Satan. (I will resist the temptation to joke that he sometimes seems to listen a little bit harder to the whispers of Satan.) His CV, which included a law degree from Yale, and the fact that his dad was a Senator from Virginia, helped some on the fence decide that there was enough there to overlook some of his more “out there” behavior and viewpoints. He picked up support from the odd boxing fan when he said that he was a Golden Gloves boxer in Tennessee, where he lived as a high schooler. But more potential supporters bailed on him when it came out that his first child was born ten weeks after he and wife Dede Elmer were married, in 1954. “Judge not, lest ye be judged,” some voters thought to themselves of the man who railed against premarital sex to the tune of $200 million a year grosses as head of the TV network-informercial platform.

I am guessing–and I don't know, as a DM to Guerrero on Twitter Sunday night asking if he was aware of Robertson's total history went unanswered–that Guerrero likely doesn't know much or all of Robertson's history, or, I have to think, it's possible that he might not have accepted the invitation to appear on “The 700 Club.” And really, what the man did back in 1988, if he's been walking a straight and narrow path and acting in a manner Jesus, were he to return, would approve of, is probably not germane to the present. (And, it could be argued, that it is not incumbent on Guerrero to agree with, explicitly or tacitly, all or even most of what Robertson stands for, as it is more important for him to spread his message about the bone marrow registry, rather than dismiss platforms to educate the public about it.)

That said, for those curious about Robertson as a result of Guerrero's visit to the show, the televangelist was the second-to-last man standing in 1988 Republican primaries. Vice President George Bush repelled the challenge of 1992 nominee Bob Dole, and Robertson threw a scare into both of them, by carrying four states, to Dole's 5, and Bush's 41. Citizens were put off by what a sincere vetting of the man found, yet he did not melt into the background, put off by the national rebuff. Perhaps he was uplifted by the understanding that any dirt clinging to him from past misdeeds paled in comparison to the brand smeared on fellow fraternity boys Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart.

In Match 1987, Bakker, big on the “prosperity theology” scene, resigned from his “Praise the Lord” ministry after a payoff scandal with then secretary Jessica Hahn came to light, and in 1989, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison for fraud.

In February 1988, televangelists again were under the microscope after Louisiana-born Pentecost preacher Jimmy Swaggart, beset by accusations that he'd recently consorted with a prostitute, went on TV and weepily admitted, “I have sinned against you, my Lord.” He didn't specify how, or with who, but that came to light a bit later. Ironically, it had been Swaggart who'd ratted out Bakker to Bakker's bosses. Swaggart shrugged off the knockdown blow, and returned to his pulpit, but was again felled in 1991, when another hooker was linked to him. He'd been busted in a traffic stop, with an admitted sex worker. To his flock, Swaggart said, “The Lord told me it's flat none of your business,” but he stepped down from his post. He took a hiatus, but was back in the pulpit in 2004, talking about the “asinine stupidity of men marrying men. I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm going to be blunt and plain, if one ever looks at me like that I'm going to kill him and tell God he died,” as many in the pews chuckled and clapped. A backlash ensured, and the preacher countered that his remarks were a “humorous statement,” and that he was joking. Today, he heads the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, preaches with his son and grandson, and hasn't been embroiled in any hooker scandals since.

Televangelists can tend to blend together, if the only time one pauses to consider them is when they pop up in one scandal or another. Robertson is not to be confused with the late Jerry Falwell, who headed up “The Moral Majority,” was for many years the leader in that space, and said right after the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way – all of them who have tried to secularize America – I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.”'

We could touch on similar preacher scandals long enough to fill a book, but since it is Robertson that Guerrero chose to chat with, let's get the focus back on him, the man whose mission statement is, “I want to be part of God's plan of what He is doing on earth, and I want to bring Him glory.”

Guerrero was born in 1983, so one couldn't expect him to recall the 1992 disclosure that Robertson wrote a fund-raising letter which made clear he opposed an equal rights amendment to potentially be inserted into the Iowa constitution. The amendment would have barred sex discrimination; in his letter, Robertson wrote, “it is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.”

A bias against homosexuals has been a persistent theme for the leader of the Christian Coalition. “Since our nation was founded, we have discriminated against certain things,” he told viewers in 1993. “We discriminate against kidnappers. We discriminate against murderers. We discriminate against thieves…There are laws that prohibit that kind of conduct. And there have been laws since the founding of our country against what are considered unnatural sex acts, sex between members of the same sex.” Then, “If the world accepts homosexuality as its norm and if it moves the entire world in that regard, the whole world is then going to be sitting like Sodom and Gomorrah before a Holy God. And when the wrath of God comes on this earth, we will all be guilty and we will all suffer for it,” he told viewers in 1995. “The acceptance of homosexuality is the last step in the decline of Gentile civilization,” he said on TV in 1998.

The anti-gay campaign drew wide attention in 1998, when Robertson, taking umbrage that Disney World didn't spurn attendees to “Gay Days,” an annual gathering in that state, said on air, “I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you.” Homosexuality “will bring about terrorist bombs, it'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor,” he continued. When called on his message of hate and division, Robertson would protest that he wasn't preaching hate, but rather “redemption.” Was that any solace to a gay man or woman who might not have the emotional armor sufficient to shrug off the babblings of such a hate monger?

He didn't seem to care for the heterosexual practices of then President Bill Clinton, either. Robertson publicly praised politicians who voted to impeach the President for declining to admit publicly his private transgression, a dalliance with a White House intern. This sort of behavior perhaps made it easier for the IRS, in mid 1999, to deny the Christian Coalition's struggle to win tax-exempt status. (Here is the IRS' current wording on how they determine if a church can rightly operate under tax exempt status: “(A church) may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”)

Robertson has been a boon for pharma companies who peddle pills to combat high blood pressure, I'm betting. Heading into the year 2000, Robertson preached about impending doomsday, and chaos and crisis. Tune in to me, buy my books and videos, and I will ferry you through the murky waters, he counseled. And pad my bank account, he maybe should have added.

Robertson was branded an “agent of intolerance” and “a force of evil” by Senator John McCain, running to gain to the Republican nomination in 2000, but McCain days later backed off, and said he was speaking in jest.

Robertson drew hard looks from folks who found it hard to believe the tout, which his CBN crew put out in early 2002, that he'd leg-pressed 2,000 pounds. The claim tied in with his push to sell a new product, Pat's Diet Shake. “My hope and prayer is that you'll find a healthier and more joyful life, fit for the Kingdom and the Master's use,” Robertson, then age 72, said on Patsshake.com. “God bless you!”

Ads for the product were sometimes paired with a reference to “Dr.” Pat Robertson, which would no doubt sway some buyers who figured he owned a medical degree, which he did and does not.

Here is the copy on CBN.com which touches on the miracle leg lift.

“One Saturday morning, his physician said, “I’ll get you bragging rights. Let’s go to 2,000 pounds.” Then he worked up multiple reps of 1,400 pounds, 1,500 pounds, 1,600 pounds, 1,700, pounds, 1,800 pounds and 1,900 pounds. When 2,000 pounds was put on the machine two men got on either side and helped push the load up, and then let it down on Mr. Robertson, who pushed it up one rep and let it go back down again. Mr. Robertson warms up now at 500 pounds, and was shown on television with Kristi Watts doing 1000 pounds. His doctor, by the way, has leg pressed 2,700 pounds. It is not nearly as hard as the authors of these reports make it out to be. We have multiple witnesses to the 2,000 pound leg press, plus video of the 10 reps of 1,000 pounds.”

The world record for leg press is up for debate, as one can set the incline at different angles, and range of motion can vary, but eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman has maintained that his leg press of 2,300 pounds in 2009 is a world record. Does Robertson's boast pass your sniff test? Never mind why the Robertson feat wasn't taped and promoted, as if it were, he'd see a massive uptick in sales. Of course, if any of the “multiple witnesses” wish to contact me, and provide video proof, I will stand corrected.

The Reverend next stepped in it when he made this remark on his show about Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez: “I don’t know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we’re trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. It’s a whole lot cheaper than starting a war, and I don’t think any oil shipments will stop.” It is mind-boggling that a “man of God” would lobby for the assassination of anyone, even a dictator, but somehow, Robertson's latest controversy didn't result in the cancellation of his show or noticeable reduction in his empire.

He was Robertson the meteorologist when in May 2006 he said, “If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms.” He again went into predictor mode in January 2007, saying there would be a massive terrorist strike in the US in late 2007. “I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear,” he said. “The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that…I put these things out with humility,” he added, after stoking terror in the hearts of sad souls who give credence to his messaging. Months later, he coincidentally or not endorsed former NY Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for President in the 2008 race.

There was more doom and gloom and predictions of horrific unrest to start 2008, and he hinted that God told him who would win the 2008 race. “He told me some things about the election,” he said, but didn't want to share, because he'd draw the scorn of the media. Robertson did just that when he said that a “pact to the devil” brought on the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti which killed more than 220,000 people.

He horrified even some of his faithful followers when in September 2011 he opined that it was OK to divorce a spouse with Alzheimer's, as long as you made sure you provided “custodial care” for the afflicted. Some unfamiliar with his history of verbal missteps wondered if he was beginning to lose his mental faculties. This theory gained steam when he implied that author Paula Broadwell initiated an affair with US general David Petraeus, the former CIA director, and that the General was unable to resist the charms of the seductress. In the minds of some, the dementia theory was cemented when in mid January, Robertson weighed in when told about a teen who asked for advice on how to cope with his dad's inattention to his mom. “It may be your mom isn't as sweet as you think she is,” he said. Robertson then went on to relay a story about a preacher who'd told a woman who complained to him that her hubby had started drinking that he'd drink to if married to her. Why? Because she was overweight and wore rattty clothes. “You've got to fix yourself up, look pretty,” said this man of God.

So that's a short list of Robertson's greatest hits, a collection of behavior and verbalizations that could charitably be described as “eyebrow raising.”

The host didn't offer any of those trademarked gaffes on Monday, when the boxer Guerrero and wife Casey went on his set. “I was a heavyweight Golden Gloves boxer,” said the 83-year-old host, setting up the package.  Co-host Terri Meeuwsen offered an intro to the segment, which told of Casey Guerrero's fight against leukemia. She was diagnosed in 2007, and the cancer had entered her brain. She got a bone marrow transplant, survived that 50-50 roll of the dice, and this morning sat next to the fighter in-studio.

The boxer said that he was enjoying life, as a champion and husband and father, and then his wife was stricken. “It was the hardest blow I ever took,” he said, of learning that the gal he'd been with since age 14 was so ill. The boxer, calling himself “a devout Christian,” said that he took a break from boxing so he could put his full attention on his wife. Casey said she had faith that God would heal her, and her hubby said the ordeal strengthened his belief in prayer. “Prayer is more effective than any chemo, in anything out there,” he declared.

Guerrero said he was taking on “the biggest fighter on the planet” on May 4, and presented Mayweather as being all about fame, fortune and trappings of fame. “He's a very talented guy but I have faith in the Lord that he's put me in this position for a reason,” he said. Robertson chimed in, asking Guerrero how he'd be able to beat Floyd. “He's tough!” Robertson said. “How you gonna handle it?”

Guerrero said he worked out every day and “I give it all I got, because the Lord's blessed me with a tremendous talent and I got to go out there and be a shining light with that talent.” Robertson asked if he was rusty, and Guerrero said he fought recently (he beat Andre Berto on Nov. 24, 2012, in a rugged rumble which earned him loads of new fans, who took to his in-your-face tactics) and he's ready to “show the world how great is God.”

“Amen, that's tremendous testimony, exciting, May the fourth, Floyd Mayweather, that'll be a biggie,” Robertson said.

I do wish there were more and better platforms for Guerrero to advertise his heart-warming story, which I admire so. That Robertson, who has persistently demonized and degraded so many folks for the infraction of being born with a preference for the romantic company of their same sex, is still seen as any sort of leader in that realm is slightly depressing. But people who agree with me can be uplifted by the knowledge that time is on our side. Bigots like Robertson dwindle in numbers every day and young hearts, who understand that one's sexual preference is nobody's business but their own, replace the throwback thinkers.

A Twitter follower, a fellow boxing writer, asked me if there was any difference in a fighter being a convert of a Robertson, or a hip-hop star who has advocated violence, murder and misogyny. Good question. Yes, it is a night and day difference, because Robertson is still seen as a spiritual leader, someone we look to to learn from, that we look up to. A spiritual leader is supposed to be a role model, and if this man is someone who purports to follow the teachings of Jesus, I think he's gotten lost somewhere along the line. No version of Jesus I can conceive of would believe that a catastrophic hurricane was dispatched in divine retribution for a devil's pact. I think the lines are fairly clear to all involved what Pat Robertson's role in society is, or should be, and what 50 Cent's is.

One might get to this point in the article and say, OK, that's all well and good, but I'm a boxing fan, I'm a sports fan. I don't really care about Pat  Robertson. I read and watch sports so I can avoid the dark and depressing aspects of the world. Understood. But how has our collective drift toward ignoring the dark and depressing, the almost constant immersion into entertainment, served us? If more people watched the news, and not funny cat videos, then perhaps there would be more righteous anger about what plagues our nation today. Maybe more people would be inclined to be activists, to push the lawmakers and powers that be to raise wages for the common laborer, for health care in this richest nation in the world to be seen as a right, and not a privilege for the top tier, to see that cynical puppeteers are setting Red and Blue Staters against each other, nudging them to go at each others' throats over issues like abortion and gay marriage and gun control, while they preside over a gargantuan transfer of wealth to the 1%. Friends, if you are going to watch sports to distract yourself from the real world ugliness, from the seemingly pointless political goings on, I have news for you–that is present everywhere. It is present in the sports you watch, which is presented by about six different gargantuan media conglomerates which own the bulk of the platforms, and insure that there is a uniformity of viewpoint, which helps keep their messaging on point.

Bottom line: I think highly of Robert Guerrero, as a boxer and human being who has stood tall and done the right thing, bigtime, by his wife and family. I'm always hopeful that fighters like him, who have so many elements of a positive role model in them, get more attention, so the sport can grow. But a Pat Robertson, with a decades-long record as a divider of people, a merchant of menacing fear and bias, doesn't deserve to have a person the quality of Guerrero appear on his platform. Guerrero is better than that. Robertson is not.

Feel free to follow Woods on Twitter here.

Comment on this article

Featured Articles

R.I.P. IBF founder Bob Lee who was Banished from Boxing by the FBI

Published

on

RIP-IBF-founder-Bob-Lee-who-was-Banished-from-Boxing-by-the-FBI

“The image some people have of me is disappointing,” said Bob Lee in a 2006 interview, “but I also feel I had a positive impact on the sport…”

Lee, the founder of the International Boxing Federation who died yesterday (Sunday, March 24) at age 91, spoke those words to Philadelphia Daily News boxing writer Bernard Fernandez who was the first person to interview him when he emerged from a federal prison in 2006. Lee served 22 months on charges that included racketeering, money laundering, and tax evasion.

Born and raised in northern New Jersey and a lifelong resident of the Garden State, Lee, a former police detective, founded the International Boxing Federation (henceforth IBF) in 1983 after a failed bid to win the presidency of the World Boxing Association. At the time, there were only two relevant sanctioning bodies, the WBA, then headquartered in Venezuela, and the WBC, headquartered in Mexico. Both organizations were charged with favoring boxers from Spanish-speaking countries in their ratings at the expense of boxers from the United States.

Bob Lee’s brainchild, whose stated mission was to rectify that injustice, achieved instant credibility when Marvin Hagler and Larry Holmes turned their back on the established organizations. Hagler’s 1983 bout with Wilford Scypion and Holmes’ 1984 match with Bonecrusher Smith were world title fights sanctioned exclusively by the IBF, the last of the three extant organizations to do away with 15-round title fights.

Lee’s world was rocked in November of 1999 when a federal grand jury handed down an indictment that accused him and three IBF officials, including his son Robert W. “Robby” Lee Jr., of taking bribes from promoters and managers in return for higher rankings. The FBI, after a two-year investigation, concluded that $338,000 was paid over a 13-year period by individuals representing 23 boxers.

The government’s key witness was C. Douglas Beavers, the longtime chairman of the IBF ratings committee who wore a wire as a government informant in return for immunity and provided video-tape evidence of a $5000 payout in a seedy Virginia motel room. Promoters Bob Arum and Cedric Kushner both testified that they gave the IBF $100,000 to get the organization’s seal of approval for a match between heavyweight champion George Foreman and Axel Schulz (Arum asserted that he paid the money through a middleman, Stan Hoffman). In return, the IBF gave Schulz a “special exemption” to its rules, allowing the German to bypass Michael Moorer who had a rematch clause that would never be honored. (In a sworn deposition, Big George testified that he had no knowledge of any kickback).

After a long-drawn-out trial that consumed four months including 15 days of jury deliberations, Bob Lee was acquitted on all but six of 32 counts. His son, charged with nine counts, was acquitted on all nine. The jury simply did not trust the veracity of many that testified for the prosecution. (No surprise there; after all, they were boxing people.) But neither did the jury buy into the argument that whatever money Lee received was in the form of gifts and gratuities, a common business practice.

The IBF was run by a court-appointed overseer from January of 2000 until the fall of 2003. Under its current head, Daryl Peoples, who came up from the ranks, assuming the presidency in 2010, the IBF has stayed out of the crosshairs of federal prosecutors.

As part of his sentence, Bob Lee was prohibited from having any further dealings with boxing and that would have included buying a ticket to sit in the cheap seats at a boxing card. This was adding insult to injury as Lee’s passion for boxing ran deep. As a boy working as a caddy at a New Jersey golf course, he had met Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, two of the proudest moments of his life.

As for his contributions to the sport, Lee had this to say in his post-prison talk with Bernard Fernandez: “We instituted the 168-pound [super middleweight] weight class. We took measures to reduce the incidence of eye injuries in boxing. We changed the weigh-in from the day of the fight to the day before, which prevented fighters from entering the ring so dehydrated that they were putting themselves at risk. All these things, and more, were tremendously beneficial to boxing. I’m very proud of all that we accomplished.”

Bob Lee was a tough old bird. Diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1986, he was insulin-dependent for much of his adult life and yet he lived into his nineties. Although his coloration as a shakedown artist is a stain that will never go away, many people will tell you that, on balance, he was a good man whose lapses ought not define him.

That’s not for us to judge. We send our condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

 

Continue Reading

Featured Articles

Australia’s Nikita Tszyu Stands Poised to Escape the Long Shadow of His Brother

Published

on

Australia's-Nikita-Tszyu-Stands-Poised-to-Escape-the-Long-Shadow-of-His-Brother

They held a confab for the boxing media last week at the spacious Las Vegas gym where WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu has been training for his forthcoming match with Sebastian Fundora. Tim was there, of course, as were many of the fighters in the supporting bouts plus Tim’s younger brother Nikita who was inconspicuous in this gathering.

Nikita Tszyu isn’t on Saturday’s card and so was never spotlighted, but it’s likely that most of the media-types there knew nothing about him. Had they been Aussies, he wouldn’t have been able to blend into the scenery as the Sydneysider is already a major sports personality in the Land Down Under. More than that, he is seemingly on pace to become as big a star as his older brother who has been called the face of boxing in Australia.

In his last start, Nikita wrested the Australian 154-pound title from previously undefeated (10-0) Dylan Biggs. Their bout in the Australian harbor city of Newcastle headlined a pay-per-view telecast.

Nikita was down in the first 45 seconds of the contest and was buzzed in the third, but had Biggs in dire straits in the fourth and ended matters in the next frame with a wicked left hook to the liver. Biggs somehow made it to his feet, but the bout was waived off seconds later as Biggs’ corner was throwing in the towel.

It improved Nikita’s record to 8-0 (7 KOs) and burnished the reputation of the Tszyu dynasty. Collectively, the three Tszyu’s – his Hall of Fame father Kostya, his bother Tim and Nikita – are 48-0 in Australian rings.

Outside the squared circle, Nikita Tszyu, who is 26 years old and looks younger, comes across as thoroughly unspoiled. Talking with him, what started as a formal interview quickly became a relaxed chat between two old souls (as Nikita described himself) enjoying each others company. And as prizefighters go, he sure is different. A college grad, Nikita cited gardening, of all things, when we inquired if he had any hobbies.

As amateurs, Nikita had a deeper background and was more decorated than Tim. But in 2017, he turned his back on boxing to pursue a degree in architecture. He was away from boxing for five years before deciding to give the sport another fling.

“I wanted to be the first person in my family to be smart,” he says tongue-in-cheek when asked how he could abandon a sport that was seemingly in his blood. “My mom wanted one of us to get a college degree,” he says, elaborating. “When it wasn’t going to work out for Tim, it fell on my shoulders.”

As is well known, Nikita’s parents divorced (Nikita was then just starting high school) and his dad then returned to his native Russia and started a new family. But the brothers and their father remain on cordial terms – they speak on the phone periodically – and they are close to Kostya’s parents (their paternal grandparents) who live near Nikita in the Sydney area and are currently watching Nikita’s three dogs, a husky, a French Bulldog, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. “I can’t imagine a life without them,” says Nikita who, unlike his brother, has no special lady living under his roof.

The family tie extends to the brothers’ trainer Igor Goloubev who is married to their aunt (Kostya’s sister). Uncle Igor, a training partner of Kostya Tszyu in the old days, came to Sydney in 1997 with a touring Russian amateur team and, unlike the famous boxer, never left.

During the lull between the two generations of fighting Tszyus, Igor Goloubev founded a construction company that he still owns. While working for an architectural firm (working remotely because of Covid), Nikita was able to work part-time for his uncle which was good hands-on experience for a future architect.

When Goloubev counsels one of the brothers between rounds, the old becomes new again and this blast from the past doesn’t stop there. The brothers are managed by Newcastle NSW businessman Glen Jennings who formerly managed Kostya, widely considered one of the two or three best junior welterweights of all time. (Jennings says that as a boxer Nikita is more like his dad whereas Tim is more of a pressure fighter.)

Glen Jennings Flanked by Tim and Nikita

Glen Jennings flanked by Tim and Nikita

This is Nikita Tszyu’s second trip to Las Vegas. He was here last year when Tim was preparing for a match with Jermell Charlo. When that match fell out, Nikita used the occasion for a little holiday, the highlight of which was a hike through Northern California’s Redwood Forest, home to the world’s tallest trees.

“Your national parks are the coolest things about America,” he says. As for the food? ”Too much fat,” he says, wrinkling his nose, but that’s a moot point as Team Tszyu now travels with its own chef.

Nikita Tszyu will defend his Australian title on April 24th. At this writing, the opponent is uncertain. Three leading candidates fell by the wayside, two because they lost a fight they were supposed to win, ruining their credibility, and another because he got injured. Finding good opponents may prove to be a recurrent hassle in part because Nikita, unlike his brother, is a southpaw.

Coming up the ladder, Tim Tszyu looked forward to fighting at the MGM Grand where his father won his first title (TKO 6 over Jake Rodriguez in 1995) and had one of his most memorable fights, a second-round stoppage of Zab Judah in 2001. The T-Mobile Arena didn’t exist back then, but sits on MGM Grand property, so Saturday’s fight is a dream come true for the older Tszyu brother.

Looking down the road, it’s easy to envision Nikita becoming a headline attraction here too.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

 

Continue Reading

Featured Articles

Dalton Smith KOs Jose Zepeda and Sandy Ryan Stops Terri Harper in England

Published

on

Dalton-Smith-KOs-Jose-Zepeda-and-Sandy-Ryan-Stops-Terri-Jarper-in-England

Dalton Smith KOs Jose Zepeda and Sandy Ryan Stops Terri Harper in England

England showed off its talent in Sheffield.

Super lightweight prospect Dalton Smith advanced into the championship level and Sandy Ryan proved to be not just another world titlist on Saturday.

Dalton Smith (16-0, 12 KOs) faced the venomous punching power of Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and eliminated him with a body shot knockout that left the world title challenger gasping for air at Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.

“I had to be on my game. He (Zepeda) puts people to sleep,” said Smith.

If any questions existed on Smith’s ability to compete at the championship level, the 27-year-old answered emphatically with a clinical and professional-style win.

Smith walked into the prize ring realizing that southpaw slugger Zepeda could end the night with a single punch. He carefully measured the California-based fighter’s movements and punching power before stepping on the gas from the second round on.

“He’s a great fighter,” explained Smith of Zepeda. “That’s what made me train harder.”

During the first several rounds the two hard-hitting punchers were able to score. Zepeda clipped Smith with quick rights and occasional lefts but discovered that the British fighter has a chin. That seemed to allow Smith to open-up slightly more with one-two combinations.

After Smith gained serious momentum in the third and fourth rounds, Zepeda shortened up his stride and looked to put on more pressure. In the fifth round Zepeda moved closer into firing range and ran into a right cross to the belly that took the strength out of his legs. Down went Zepeda for the count at 1:25 of the fifth round.

“I was hitting him with clean shots and it wasn’t doing anything,” said Smith of his head attack.

Apparently, the body shot was the answer.

Sandy Ryan Wins Battle of Champions

WBO welterweight titlist Sandy Ryan won the battle between British champions with a pile-driving stoppage of Terri Harper who, after dropping down a weight division but was unable to be competitive.

Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) walked into enemy territory and quieted the pro-Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs) crowd with a riveting attack at Sheffield Arena. There was no stopping her on this night.

“I’m just happy,” said Ryan, 30, of Derby England.

After spending months in Las Vegas, Nevada living and training away from her home in England, the tall slender fighter Ryan finally was able to lure a fellow British world champion in the boxing ring.

“I was away from family and friends for so long,” Ryan said.

A close first round between the two female champions saw Ryan open up the second round behind a riveting left jab and body shots that made Harper hesitant and gun shy to counter.

Ryan seemed to sense early that she was in control and opened up with five- and six-punch combinations. And when Harper retaliated, Ryan returned fire again almost daring her rival to engage in a free-for-all.

Harper clinched several times in the third round to stymie Ryan’s constant attack, but it was not enough. The WBO titlist seemed even more eager to win by knockout and opened up with little concern of Harper’s counters.

In the fifth round it was obvious that Ryan was in complete control, the only question was if she could maintain the frenetic pace. Again, she opened up with punishing combinations as Harper looked for a solution. Instead, rights and lefts pummeled the super welterweight titlist until the end of the round.

Harper’s corner decided to end the fight, Referee Marcus McDonnell declared Ryan the winner at the end of the fifth round by technical knockout.

“I felt her fading,” said Ryan.

The win by Ryan sets her up for a rematch against Jessica McCaskill who holds the WBA and WBC welterweight titles. Their first encounter ended in a split draw after 10 rounds last September in Orlando, Florida.

Ryan expressed a desire to face any champion.

“Any big fight. All the big names,” Ryan said.

Other Results

Ishmael Davis (13-0) defeated Troy Williamson (20-3-1) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds for a regional middleweight title.

James Flint (14-1-2) handed Campbell Hatton (14-1) fis first defeat as a pro by unanimous decision after 10 rounds in a super lightweight match.

Photo credit: Mark Robinson / Matchroom

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Jake-Paul-KOs-Ryan-Bourland-but-Amanda-Serrano's-Fight-Falls-Out
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Jake Paul KOs Ryan Bourland but Amanda Serrano’s Fight Falls Out

Twi-Faetherweight-Title-Fights-Top-a-Strong-Bill-at-Turning-Stone-on-Saturday
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Two Featherweight Title Fights Top a Strong Bill at Turning Stone on Saturday

Jared-Anderson-and-Adam-Kownacki-Heavyweights-on-Worrisome-Paths
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Jared Anderson and Adam Kownacki: Heavyweights on Worrisome Paths

Avila-Perspective-Chap-274-Ryan-Garcia-and-Devin-Haney-in-Hollywood-Jake-Amanda-and-More
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 274: Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney in Hollywood, Jake, Amanda and More

AJ's-Emphatic-KO-was-Good-for-Boxing-but-the Circus-Hasn't=Left-Town
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

AJ’s Emphatic KO was Good for Boxing but the Circus Hasn’t Left Town

High-Drama-at-Turning-Stone-where-Ford-Rallied-to-Overcome-Kholmatov
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

High Drama at Turning Stone where Ford Rallied to Overcome Kholmatov

The-Hauser-Report-What's-Going-On-With-Premier-Boxing-Champions?
Featured Articles1 week ago

The Hauser Report: What’s Going On With Premier Boxing Champions?

Joshua-vs-Ngannou-is-the-Main-Dish-but-Don't-Sleep-on-This-Delicious-Undercard
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Joshua vs Ngannou is the Main Dish, but Don’t Sleep on this Delicious Undercard

Madueno-Upsets-Pauldo-and-Lopez-Overcomes-Escudero-at-Whitesands
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Madueno Upsets Pauldo and Lopez Overcomes Escudero at Whitesands

Nigerian-Heavyweight-Efe-Ajagba-May-Yet-to-Prove-to-be-As-Good-as-Advertised
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Nigerian Heavyweight Efe Ajagba May Yet Prove to be As Good As Advertised

Australia's-Nikita-Tszyu-Stands-Poised-to-Escape-the-Long-Shadow-of-His-Brother
Featured Articles4 days ago

Australia’s Nikita Tszyu Stands Poised to Escape the Long Shadow of His Brother

Fight-Talk-with-the-Celebrated-Boxing-Writer-and-Author-Don-Stradley
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Fight Talk With the Celebrated Boxing Writer and Author Don Stradley

Joshua-Pulverizes-Ngannou-and-Parker-Out-hustles-Zhang-in-Saudi-Arabia
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Joshua Pulverizes Ngannou and Parker Out-Hustles Zhang in Saudi Arabia

Avila-Perspective-Chap-276-Notes-on-AJ-vs-Ngannou-and-Mike-Tyson-vs-Jake-Paul
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 276: Notes on AJ vs Ngannou and Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul

Wednesday Recaps: Kalajdzic-and-Goodman-Score-Big-Wins-in-Far-Flung-Places
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Wednesday Recaps: Kalajdzic and Goodman Score Big Wins in Far-Flung Places

Dillian-Whyte-Returns-from-Purgatory-and-Brushes-Away-a-Wimpy-Opponent-in-Ireland
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Dillian Whyte Returns from Purgatory and Brushes Away a Wimpy Opponent in Ireland

Boxing-Notes-and-Nuggets-from-Thomas-Hauser-The-Blue-Corner
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boxing Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: ‘The Blue Corner’

Joe-Joyce-KO-10-Kash-Ali-Heaney-and-Pauls-Fight-to-a-Stalemate-in-a-Thriller
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Joe Joyce KO 10 Kash Ali; Heaney and Pauls Fight to a Stalemate in a Thriller

RIP-IBF-founder-Bob-Lee-who-was-Banished-from-Boxing-by-the-FBI
Featured Articles3 days ago

R.I.P. IBF founder Bob Lee who was Banished from Boxing by the FBI

William-Zepeda-Demolishes-Maxi-Hughes-on-a-Flimsy-Card-at-the-Cosmo
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

William Zepeda Demolishes Maxi Hughes on a Flimsy Card at the Cosmo

RIP-IBF-founder-Bob-Lee-who-was-Banished-from-Boxing-by-the-FBI
Featured Articles3 days ago

R.I.P. IBF founder Bob Lee who was Banished from Boxing by the FBI

Australia's-Nikita-Tszyu-Stands-Poised-to-Escape-the-Long-Shadow-of-His-Brother
Featured Articles4 days ago

Australia’s Nikita Tszyu Stands Poised to Escape the Long Shadow of His Brother

Dalton-Smith-KOs-Jose-Zepeda-and-Sandy-Ryan-Stops-Terri-Jarper-in-England
Featured Articles5 days ago

Dalton Smith KOs Jose Zepeda and Sandy Ryan Stops Terri Harper in England

Avila-Perspective-Chap-277-Canelo-and-Munguia-and-More-Boxing-News
Featured Articles7 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 277: Canelo and Munguia and More Boxing News

A-Closer-Look-at-Brian-Mendoza-who-Aims-to-Steal-the-Show-on-the-Tszyu-Fundora-Card
Featured Articles7 days ago

A Closer Look at Brian Mendoza who Aims to Steal the Show on the Tszyu-Fundora Card

The-Hauser-Report-What's-Going-On-With-Premier-Boxing-Champions?
Featured Articles1 week ago

The Hauser Report: What’s Going On With Premier Boxing Champions?

Dillian-Whyte-Returns-from-Purgatory-and-Brushes-Away-a-Wimpy-Opponent-in-Ireland
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Dillian Whyte Returns from Purgatory and Brushes Away a Wimpy Opponent in Ireland

Boxing-Notes-and-Nuggets-from-Thomas-Hauser-The-Blue-Corner
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Boxing Notes and Nuggets from Thomas Hauser: ‘The Blue Corner’

William-Zepeda-Demolishes-Maxi-Hughes-on-a-Flimsy-Card-at-the-Cosmo
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

William Zepeda Demolishes Maxi Hughes on a Flimsy Card at the Cosmo

Joe-Joyce-KO-10-Kash-Ali-Heaney-and-Pauls-Fight-to-a-Stalemate-in-a-Thriller
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Joe Joyce KO 10 Kash Ali; Heaney and Pauls Fight to a Stalemate in a Thriller

Wednesday Recaps: Kalajdzic-and-Goodman-Score-Big-Wins-in-Far-Flung-Places
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Wednesday Recaps: Kalajdzic and Goodman Score Big Wins in Far-Flung Places

Nigerian-Heavyweight-Efe-Ajagba-May-Yet-to-Prove-to-be-As-Good-as-Advertised
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Nigerian Heavyweight Efe Ajagba May Yet Prove to be As Good As Advertised

AJ's-Emphatic-KO-was-Good-for-Boxing-but-the Circus-Hasn't=Left-Town
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

AJ’s Emphatic KO was Good for Boxing but the Circus Hasn’t Left Town

Joshua-Pulverizes-Ngannou-and-Parker-Out-hustles-Zhang-in-Saudi-Arabia
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Joshua Pulverizes Ngannou and Parker Out-Hustles Zhang in Saudi Arabia

Undercard-Notes-from-Riyadh-where-Rey-Vargas-Kept-his-Title-with-an-Unpopular-Draw
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Undercard Notes from Riyadh where Vargas Retained his Title with an Unpopular Draw

Finding-Value-in-Boxing-Lines
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Finding Value in Boxing Lines

Avila-Perspective-Chap-276-Notes-on-AJ-vs-Ngannou-and-Mike-Tyson-vs-Jake-Paul
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 276: Notes on AJ vs Ngannou and Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul

Fight-Talk-with-the-Celebrated-Boxing-Writer-and-Author-Don-Stradley
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Fight Talk With the Celebrated Boxing Writer and Author Don Stradley

Joshua-vs-Ngannou-is-the-Main-Dish-but-Don't-Sleep-on-This-Delicious-Undercard
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Joshua vs Ngannou is the Main Dish, but Don’t Sleep on this Delicious Undercard

Jared-Anderson-and-Adam-Kownacki-Heavyweights-on-Worrisome-Paths
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Jared Anderson and Adam Kownacki: Heavyweights on Worrisome Paths

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending

Advertisement