WARREN SWIMMING IN SEA WITH KING
AROUND WAIST
The repeated victories (seven by some counts) by Don King in the British Courts over
former partner Frank Warren are close to shutting down Warren and all of his operations in
the UK and abroad.
KUSHNER DOING HAMHEAD-WAYNE MAC
Instead of Warren promoting the Halloween matchup on HBO between Naseem Hamed and Wayne Mc
Cullough, Cedric Kushner will be the promoter of record for the event set for Saturday at
the Atlantic City Convention Center.
ON PHONE WITH CK SUNDAY AM
Kushner said that HBO had approached him to promote the fight because the group that
Warren had assembled had no track record. "I will make sure everybody gets paid"
said Kushner.
WAYNE, A NO SHOW? MAYBE!
AMERICA PRESENTS, who represent Mc Cullough contend that whoever the promoter is, right
now they are in breach of contract. Wayne has yet to receive his training expenses.
If a promoter has a problem paying for a fighter's training expenses (about $10 K), how
confidant would you feel in getting your purse which is in the neighborhood of $500 grand?
KUSHNER SAYS "NO"
Cedric put it like this. "I can understand Wayne not wanting to fight if he isn't
getting paid. But HBO has seen to it that he will be paid, so that issue is no longer an
issue."
WHERE'S HAMHEAD & WARREN?
Naseem Hamed was suppose to arrive on Friday afternoon in New York. Warren's people said
that Naz had Visa problems. This guy could hijack the Concorde over here and nobody would
blink an eye if he wanted to. Obviously, Hamhead isn't interested in promoting himself in
the US.
FRANKIE BABY, WHERE ARE YOU?
I got a hint that while talking to a certain promoter yesterday on the phone, that there
were some type of settlement being sought by Warren in his Legal wranglings with King and
that negociations were ongoing.
MEDIA WORKS WAS...
Looking to try and book Naz on Ring Talk Saturday or Sunday. But he never arrived. And
this morning he stiffed Regis and Kathy Lee. Ouch! The suits at HBO must be stressin' as
their Fifth Beatle is no where to be found.
ON THE PRESIDENT
Kushner says unbeaten heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi will go to the post on December
8, as part of a Pay Per View card. Ibeabuchi is a fighter with a big punch, a great chin,
and he exhibits huge stones in the ring. If he can keep himself focused on the ring and
not taking part in Domestic dilemmas, Ibeabuchi could be locking horns with Michael Grant
for the world heavyweight title in a couple of years.
MANFREDY-MAYWEATHER
As El Diablo's promoter, Kushner wasn't impressed with Floyd Maywether's dismantling of
Genaro Hernandez a fortnight ago. "I think you have to look at what he had him in
front of him in Hernandez. Manfredy is a different breed."
BROWN PULLS SHOCKER
"Pint Sized" John Brown may have retired Gabriel Ruelas after stopping the
former WBC 130 lb. titleholder at 1:09 of round #8. It was a fight where Gabe was suppose
to fight Jesse James Leija, who pulled out at the 11th hour with a claim of "sore
ribs."
SORE OR TITLE SHOT BOUND?
Two days later it is announced that Leija will meet world lightweight champion
"Sugar" Shane Mosley on the November 14, HBO card featuring Roy Jones Jr.
defending the WBC 175 lb. honors against Canadian Otis Grant.
BROWN MUGS RUELAS IN HBO CURTAIN RAISER
The Chicago newspaper sports page headlines should have led Sunday morning off with that
billboard after the 30 year old Windy Cindy lightweight convincingly beat back former WBC
champ Gabe Ruelas Saturday night in Atlantic City.
Now 19-5, Brown was coming off a 12 round September 25, loss to Angel Manfredy on the
inaugural TNT card. Although Manfredy got the nod, pint sized (5'3) John Brown accounted
himself well.
BASICS BEAT BROWN EASY
A good boxer, something Gabe Ruelas once was, would have been able to score with uppercuts
as the wide punching Brown waded in. A good jab, preferably a double pumper and right
hands keep a short guy like Brown tasting leather all night.
PEDRO VS. SHORT GUYS
I would keep the hooks to a rare minimum and just work straight off the point of my lead
shoulder and thus maximizing my reach. The reason Brown was able to counter Gabe was that
Ruelas was throwing one jab at a time. You can't respond that way if the jab is doubled
and tripled up on.
Only 28 years old, but a pro since September of 1988, Gabe Ruelas slides to 45-5.
SHANE HARD ACT TO FOLLOW
And that is where Roy Jones has made a mistake. After Mosley goes out and collapses a
Leija lung with a body shot before stopping him inside of four frames on November 14, Roy
will have to do one better against Otis Grant.
HARD STYLE TO OVERCOME
The Canadian WBO 160 lb. titilist is a nightmare of twin billing. Not only is Grant
horrible to watch, his being a powder punching southpaw makes him a horrid opponent to
fight.
MOSLEY "NEW" POUND FOR POUND CHAMP
Shane Mosley has surpassed Roy Jones and sits high atop the list of today's best fighters
pound for pound.
WHY?
Because Shane wants greatness and is willing to pay a price to achieve it. Jones on the
other hand has many problems. First of all, he wants to control every facet of his fights.
Remember, it was Roy who refused to fight #1 Michael Nunn because Nunn was getting too
much money.
SHANE IS DOMINANT
But unlike Jones, he's willing to fight anybody in his weight class, anywhere.
HONING SKILLS, WHY ROY GETS OLD
Mosley, 29-0, with 27 KO's, is continually working to be a better fighter. While Roy is
all that he can be. Just ask him?
WON'T GO ACROSS POND
Roy should have went over to Germany and fought Henry Maske when he was unbeaten. Instead,
Virgil Hill went and made better than $3.5 million in two fights.
AND HE'S GOT TIME WARNER
With HBO wanting to televise, Roy could have cleaned up money wise. Speaking of Hill, Roy
should have met Virgil three or four years ago, and not this past May.
DARIUS AND ROY COULD DO 40,000 PAID IN GERMANY
Easily. And with the HBO suits footing the bill, Roy could receive a record purse.
CAN YOU QUESTION JONES' INTESTINAL FORTITUDE?
If you are objective you have to. Jones can fight anywhere from 164 lbs. on up, or so he
has told trainer Emanuel Steward. If this is true, why is he fighting Otis Grant?
WOULD MOSLEY BE FIGHTING GRANT?
No, Shane Mosley would be fighting Dariusz Michalzewski.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO...
Is that Shane wants greatness, while Roy just expects it.
KING-TRINIDAD UPDATE
Federal Court Judge Lawrence Mc Kenna has till not ruled on the Tito Trinidad vs. Don King
court case. But the way King is kicking ass and taking names in courtrooms of late, I
think he's got momentum on his side and that Felix and the Duva's will roll snake eyes.
KING WAITING
Don King was in his Florida home Sunday morning and had this to say about his case with
Trinidad. "I'm waiting, praying and waiting that the right thing is done. But even if
it's ****** ** and I lose, I can live with it Pedro. Right now I'm streamlining my company
as I'm getting ready to make a move. I'll be back and bigger than ever."
REID WINS, BUT NOT BY A SHUTOUT
David Reid moved to 11-0, while going 12 rounds for a unanimous nod over previously
unbeaten James Coker of Texas. Reid, now 11-0, (7 KO's), won seven straight rounds on my
card. But he stood and looked perplexed at times in the 12 rounder as Coker turned out to
be once tough, awkward, and understimated Texan Coker is 20-1, (12 KO's).
Final scores: 117-111, 118-110, 119-111. In the Ring Talk studios, the fight was scored
116-113.
Coker dropped to 20-1.
GARCIA SHOWS "STONES"
Robert Garcia got off the deck and hung onto the IBF 130 lb. belt when he stopped Cuban
exile Ramon Ledon at 58 seconds of the fifth round of a fight that was on the undercard of
David Reid's unanimous decision win over surprisingly "double" tough James
Coker.
Garcia, is now 31-0, while the Cuban loses for the first time to stand at 12-1-1.
SOLID AMATEUR
Garcia was a solid amateur who has been courted by just about every major promoter. But
his beating Harold Rhodes for the belt Arturo Gatti gave up was less than impressive.
MANFREDY, MAYWEATHER, GARCIA, & CASAMAYOR
Joel Casamayor is like 13-0, with 13 whacks. He is considered by most to be the most
talented pug fighting for Team Freedom. The Cuban junior lightweight must wait for a
mandatory title challenge.
#1 IBF?
According to the IBF ratings, Casamayor is the next mandated challenger for the Oxnard, CA
resident. Look for Garcia to have at least one voluntary title defense in between.
UKRAINE KILLER FEASTS AGAIN
Ukraine's Vitali Klitschko rolled to 23-0, with and scored his 23rd KO in dusting
Germany's Mario Schiesserin two rounds for the vacant European heavyweight
throne.
WBO DREAM BOY
The WBO thought they had a real standard bearer in Riddick Bowe. That was before the two
fights with Andrew Golota. Before and since, the WBO heavyweight belt has been strapped on
by a number of non entities.
Vitali is the fighter that the WBO feels might make their belt something more than it is.
Look for the giant from Ukraine to fight for the diadem in the next six to eight months.
POSSIBLE MOSLEY VICTIM IN WAITING
Artur Gregorian held onto the 135 lb. trinket of the WBO Saturday night in Germany when he
stopped Luigi Campanella of Italy in the 10th round. A fair fighter with good skills,
Uzbekistan's Gregorian is now 25-0, (16 KO's). Campanella, whose claim to fame was
dropping Oscar De La Hoya in a 1994 bout, falters to 26-5-1.
BREWER HEISTED IN GERMANY?
Charles Brewer dropped the IBF 168 lb. belt Saturday night in Germany when he lost a split
decision to countryman Sven Ottke. The scores read: 116-112,, 115-113, for Ottke, while
the third jurist had Brewer way ahead at 117-111.
Afterwards, the Philadelphia native Brewer was pissed. "That was the worst decision
I've ever seen. I wasn't just fighting Ottke, I was fighting the whole country."
Ottke, a novice as a pro is now 13-0, while Brewer watches his record drop to 32-6, (26
KO's). Brewer's promoter Russell Peltz is expected to protest the absurdity of the split
decision to the IBF, who will in all likelyhood mandate a rematch at a site other than
Germany.
BARRETT BEATS PAGE BY DECISION
Of the six or seven name heavyweights that fight under the AMERICA PRESENTS promotional
banner, Monte Barrett continues to be the surprise of the bunch.
Now 19-0, Barrett, out of New York City, ended the 17 fight winning streak of former WBA
hewavyweight champ Greg Page Friday night on the FOX Sports when he walked away with a
unanimous decision.
Page, now 40 years old, 53-13-1, started the fight off with his once vaunted jab. But
three minutes of that is about all Monte would put up with. From the second round on,
Barrett was boss.
LITTLE HARLEM HECKER WINS TOO
Hector Camacho Jr. ran his pro log to 18-0, with a clear 10 round decision over Fred
Muriel in a jr, welterweight contest that opened the FOX Sports show at the Taj Majal in
Atlantic City.
"STICK A FORK" IN SR. AS HE'S DONE
Hector Sr. had to win the last round in order to capture a split decision over Youngstown,
Ohio's Ken Siguarani in the ESPN 2 main event Friday night.
CROWD NOT MACHO TYPE
The pro Siguarani crowd did Camacho no favors and booed the decision without mercy. The
cards read: 97-93, 97-93, for Camacho. The split judge had it 96-94 for Siguarani who is
now 22-3. Hector Sr. improves to 67-4-1, (33 KO's).
Pedro Fernandez
The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com and
can be reached at flash@inow.com