HURTADO TO FILL IN FOR MAGOO

With #1 rated Miguel Angel Gonzalez sidelined for six weeks because of injuries suffered while sparring with Moses James last Friday, #2 ranked Kostya Tsyzu had no dance partner for a November 28, clash for the vacant
WBC junior welterweight title.

CUBAN "NEXT AVAILABLE" CONTENDER

Up steps #5 rated Diobelys Hurtado. He has lost only to Pernell Whitaker, and that being   in early 1997. The then unbeaten Havana string bean was ahead on the scorecards when his lack of conditioning turned Pernell
Whitaker into Ernie Shavers, and he was halted in the 11th.

DUVA GIVES OK

Dino Duva of Main Events, the promoter that has Hurtado under contract, has agreed to the fight. "The fight between Kostya Tsyzu and Diobelys Hurtado is a done deal. We're just waiting on HBO, who seems to be in a rift with (AMERICA PRESENTS COO Dan) Goossen. It'll happen on the 28th."

HBO PONTIFF WORKING 'TILL  8 PM WEDS NIGHT

Lou Di Bella, the HBO VP in charge of Sports, was locked in his office Wednesday afternoon. The frustrated Di Bella, dubbed the "HBO Pontiff" because he looks a little like Pope John Paul, was not leaving his cubicle until the November 28, Boxing After Dark card was finalized.

HBO CALLS THE GOOSE

Word came from the Time Warner headquarters at 8:15 PM ET that Di Bella and Sports Prez Seth Abraham had given their blessing to Hurtado as a challenger.

FIRST FIGHT TO HAVE BOMBS FLYING

The HBO B.A.D. card topped by Tsyzu-Hurtado, will still feature WBC featherweight king Luisito Espinosa's defense against 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and two time champion Kennedy McKinney.

B.A.D. IS GOOD, BUT LATE FOR FISTIC FANS

The Boxing After Dark cards have been for the most part barn burners with epic battles like the Marco Antonio Barrera-Kennedy McKinney fight that kicked off the series in 1995.

OR, how about that Ivan Robinson-Arturo Gatti fight in August? Surely the leading candidate for Fight of The Year, the pair will be rematched when HBO goes prime time on December 12.

BAD GOES OFF AT 11:15 PM

In the eastern time zone, the BAD cards are shown live. But on the west coast, the fights are delayed until 11:15 PM PT.

THE BIGGEST BIGMAN

Michael Grant is an awesome physical specimen who is still a bit green as a fighter. With under 30 amateur scraps, and now 29 pro bouts, the 6'7 "true" giant of boxing is a man nobody wants to fight.

INKS MULTI FIGHT DEAL WITH TIME WARNER

Michael just inked a multi fight deal with HBO that calls for five or six fights, with the compensation to be in the area of $7 million. Grant returns to the ring after a several month layoff that included a slight case of Hepatitis.

DINO DUVA ON GRANT

"There's no question that Michael is the #1 heavyweight contender in a lot of people's minds. Right now we have him going on January 30, on an HBO Boxing After Dark card. No opponent has yet been signed."

NOT IN A HURRY

"No" answered Duva when I asked if they (Main Events) were trying to rush Grant to the heavyweight podium. "We don't have any reservations about fighting anybody. But people have plenty of reservations about fighting
Michael."

DUVA ON NETWORK TV

When I mentioned what a coup it would be to get Grant on national TV in order to expose the giant to the masses, the President of Main Events put it like this. "If we can work out a network TV date, Grant's deal with HBO will allow him to be involved."

PEACOCK TO SPREAD WINGS?

"Of the three networks, NBC is the one that has the air time on their hands with the NBA lockout. But they want to do something that has never been done before. They want to enter into a partnership with a promoter as they
say that the sponsors aren't there. And NBC wants fights that all of their affiliates would want to pick up.

"That might yet happen. But ABC's out of the boxing biz, and so is CBS for that matter. I mean on occasion, they will use boxing. But it's not part of the regular mix."

CROFT RETURNS FRIDAY NIGHT IN MARIN

A few years ago, San Mateo, CA had a legitimate world title contender at 122 lbs. in "Prime Time" Eddie Croft. Unlike a lot of local guys who were fed bum after bum, Croft fought hard after breaking his maiden as a pro.

FIRST LOSS TO GERARDO

In a battle of localites, Croft met Gerardo Martinez of San Jose in an an event that marked the opening the San Jose Arena which plays host to the NHL Sharks.

GREAT FIGHT

With a shot at the world title hanging in the balance, Eddie and Gerardo put on one of the best fights that has ever been seen in Northern California as both men  were on the deck on a number of occasions.

EXPERIENCE WON

Gerardo was a solid pro, whose only setback was an unsuccessful try at then WBC 118 lb. champion Raul Perez. In the end, it was the tricks and superior ring knowledge of Martinez that gave him the nod in what was a real close fight.

MANAGERIAL MISTAKES...

Cost Croft a shot at the then 38 year old WBC 122 lb. titleholder Daniel Zaragoza. Team Croft, headed by Sal Colucci, opted for a move up in weight for a shot at longtime IBF 126 lb. king pin Tom Johnson instead o waiting
on the WBC belt.

SIZE DIFFERENCE

The vast size discrepancy between the two was quite evident soon after the opening bell rang. Eddie would lose a one sided 12 round decision to Mr. Motown.

NEXT UP, EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Why scream eeeeeeeeeeeeeee? That's because Colucci and Eddie agreed to fight Marco Antonio Barrera for a $40 K purse! At the time Marco was headed for the Boxing Hall of Fame. In other words, he was unbeatable and Eddie would get drubbed in eight.

LONG LAYOFF

After a nearly two and half year hiatus, Croft is coming back this Friday night in Marin County on the Paul Nave-Greg Haugen undercard. He will face journeyman Frankie Lizzaraga of Fresno, CA in an eight rounder.

ALWAYS AN IF...

But I can't help but think of the many possible scenarios involving Eddie Croft had he stayed with promoter Don Chargin,  and not listened to Colucci and his mentor, Gil Clancy.

CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S STILL CONSIDERED AN EXPERT

It was Clancy, the boxing matchmaker at CBS who offered the 126 lb. title fight with Johnson to the then #5 ranked WBC 122 lb. contender. Clancy kept telling Team Croft that, "Even if he lost, he could go back down to 122 lbs." That wasn't really the case.

GIL OBLIVIOUS TO SANCTIONING BODY RULES

What Clancy failed to realize was that when Croft fought Johnson for the IBF trinket, the WBC was going to automatically drop him from their 122 lb. ratings. And then, Eddie steps in with Barrera, who at the time was
considered the best pug "Pound for Pound" in boxing, and predictably he is stopped.

CROFT HAD IT, DOES HE STILL?

I think he does. Eddie could fight and he himself was well aware of  his limitations. But after all, he was taking advice from his manager and the famed, but fabled Hall of Famer Gil Clancy.

TYSON DOLLAR FIGURES

Mike Tyson received a $22 million advance from SHOWTIME, and not $26 million as I had reported last week. SHOWTIME gave this to Tyson for his signing a two fight extension (he had one fight left) on his deal with S.E.T., the Pay Per View arm of SHOWTIME.

AMERICA PRESENTS

The Denver based promotional group fronting Tyson for two fights is getting a flat fee in the neighborhood of $500,000 per event.

TINLEY, GOOSSEN TO BE REPAID BY MIKIE

AMERICA PRESENTS CEO Mat Tinley, and COO Dan Goossen gave Tyson a $3 million check recently. Tyson is to repay this "interest free" loan with two payments of $1.5 million, one after each of his next two fights

RING TALK SATURDAY HAS KNOCKOUT LINEUP

Already confirmed are lightweight champ Shane Mosley, WBA welterweight titleholder James Page, #1 IBF junior middleweight contender Fernando Vargas,  and 1988 Olympic Gold Medalist and two time world champ Kennedy McKinney.

RING TALK is carried by the TALK AMERICA RADIO NETWORK and begins at 11:06 PM ET.

NO LOCAL RADIO STATION, NO PROBLEM!

As Ring Talk is heard LIVE in 160 countries on the Internet at www.talkamerica.com

FIRST TIME INTERNET LISTENER?

Go to the Talk America site at www.talkamerica.com and they will explain to you how you can hear "the insiders look into the world of boxing."

RING TALK SUNDAY ALSO

Ring Talk airs for an hour on Sunday night starting also at 11:06 PM ET, but the Sunday show is heard on the Talk America "2" Network.

Be advised, there is a difference between the Talk "1" and Talk "2" Networks. BOTH have LIVE Internet audio channels at www.talkamerica.com

COMPETITION?

Somebody asked me if I ever listened to the other boxing talk shows. The answer is "No." Most of these other guys are just trying to steal the format that I have refined, and now perfected in a dozen years.

"UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE RADIO AIRWAVES"

There's only one thing missing  in the other shows! And that's me! I will go on record as saying that those other radio guys "Couldn't tote my jock."

IN 12 YEARS, RING TALK HAS SENT OVER 100 PEOPLE TO MAJOR FIGHTS!

Will you be next? We are starting a drawing next Saturday night that will net two Ring Talk family members tickets to the Mike Tyson-Fran Botha fight in January, as well as two nights with DELUXE accommodations at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas.

PEDRO IS NOT DONE...

By any means. Starting around Christmas, we will start an entirely different drawing for two seats for the February 13, fight between Oscar De la Hoya and his unbeaten counterpart Ike Quartey. That lucky duo will also spend two nights at the Imperial Palace Hotel, courtesy of Ring Talk, the "insider's look into the world of boxing."

RING TALK IS TOPS!

And remember. It ain't bragging if it's the truth!

Pedro Fernandez

The writer has his own site at www.fighters.com and can be reached at
flash@inow.com

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