SEPTEMBER
2006
01 | Rinsing Off the
Mouthpiece
By GorDoom
02 | Poem of the Month
By Tom Smario
03 | Pollack's Picks
By Adam Pollack
04 |
Top Women Worth Watching
and Televising
By Adam Pollack
05 | Tournament
of Champions: Boxing's Lineal Mathematics
By Cliff Rold
06 | Roberto Duran, Unplugged
By Juan C. Ayllon
07 | Appreciating Chuck
By Thomas
Gerbasi
08 | Thistle in the Rose
By James Glen
09 | Anton "The Sheik" Greek
By Jerry Fitch
10 | Interview with Don Fraser
By Juan C. Ayllon
11 | Boxing's Good Book [PDF]
By Don Cogswell
12 | "John L. Sullivan: The Career
of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion" [PDF]
By Adam Pollack
13 | Three Book Reviews
By Katherine
Dunn
14 | What's in a Name?
By Ted Sares
15 | Audio
From the Archives [mp3]
The CBZ presents another classic boxing-themed radio
show. This month we bring you an episode of Duffy's Tavern ("Where the elite meet to eat"), from
April 13, 1951, starring Maxie Rosenbloom.
|
Pollack's
Picks
By ADAM
POLLACK
These are the prospects and top
fighters worth watching:
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Wladimir Klitschko (46-3, 41 KOs): Victories over Peter and Byrd show he is
formidable and willing to take on anyone. Upcoming match with undefeated Calvin Brock
should be interesting, but question mark is whether Brock has the chin to withstand Wlad's
serious power.
Serguei Lyakhovich (23-1, 14 KOs): Demonstrated heart, skill, and condition in
victory over Lamon Brewster (who held a KO over Klitschko). Upcoming bout with
over-the-hill Shannon Briggs is meaningless.
Lamon Brewster (33-3, 29 KOs): Despite loss to Lyakhovich, is still quite
formidable and worth watching.
Oleg Maskaev (33-5, 26 KOs): Hasn't lost since early 2002. Maskaev's victory over
Hasim Rahman shows he has heart, a chin, conditioning, power, and the experience necessary
to give anyone a good fight.
Samuel Peter (27-1, 22 KOs): Never easy to look good against James Toney, and Peter
was the first to hurt James, but he still has no business weighing 257 pounds. He has a
mammoth punch, but to be in the elite, he needs to work on his punch repertoire, defense,
and conditioning.
Nikolay Valuev (44-0, 32 KOs): He's huge and undefeated, but still relatively
untested. Upcoming match with Monte Barrett still won't prove much.
Up-and-comers
Calvin Brock (29-0, 22 KOs): Will he have the chin to deal with Klitschko? If so,
he'll put up a good fight, because he's well schooled and has solid conditioning.
Ruslan Chagaev (21-0-1, 17 KOs): Southpaw coming off KO8 win over Michael Sprott.
Cristobal Arreola (17-0, 15 KOs): In today's world a 25-year-old like Arreola can
go places.
Travis Walker (21-0-1, 17 KOs): Upcoming match with 6-0 former Olympian Jason
Estrada should be interesting.
Mike Marrone (15-0, 12 KOs): 20-year-old is being moved along well.
CRUISERWEIGHTS
O'Neil Bell (26-1-1, 24 KOs): Defeated Mormeck, but needs to get in the ring again.
Jean Marc Mormeck (31-3, 21 KOs): Despite loss to Bell, he's still dangerous for
anyone.
Steve Cunningham (19-0, 10 KOs): Victories over Guillermo Jones and Kelvin Davis
show he's a contender.
Guillermo Jones (33-3-2, 26 KOs): Loss to Cunningham was close and controversial,
and Jones came back with KO victories over Kelvin Davis and Wayne Braithwaite.
Up-and-comers
Vadim Tokarev (22-0-1, 15 KOs): Victories over Arthur Williams, Michael Simms,
Darnell Wilson, and Felix Cora Jr. demonstrate he's the real deal.
David Haye (17-1, 16 KOs): This English cruiserweight does hold a KO over Alexander
Gurov.
Johnathon Banks (12-0, 9 KOs): Promising prospect scored a recent KO4 over Eliseo
Castillo.
Marcus Johnson (8-0, 7 KOs): Another prospect looking good, has an entertaining
style.
Matt Godfrey (12-0, 7 KOs): Had a solid amateur career.
B.J. Flores (16-0-1, 11 KOs): Also had good amateur background.
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHTS
Bernard Hopkins (47-4-1, 32 KOs): Old enough to retire, but good enough to keep
doing this if he wants.
Zsolt Erdei (25-0, 15 KOs): He's the lineal champion but needs more exposure and
bigger fights.
Glen Johnson (44-11-2, 29 KOs): Coming off close split-decision loss to Clinton
Woods, but he's still fun to watch.
Up-and-comers
Tomasz Adamek (30-0, 21 KOs):
Upcoming rematch with Paul Briggs.
Chad Dawson (23-0, 15 KOs): Strong and fast southpaw appears talented.
Curtis Stevens (13-1, 11 KOs): Loss to Primera based on questionable stoppage, but
still showed that he needs to work on defense and conditioning. At only 21, don't count
him out just yet.
SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Joe Calzaghe (41-0, 31 KOs): A fantastic champion finally being appreciated.
Mikkel Kessler (37-0, 28 KOs): Solid guy has upcoming match with Markus Beyer.
Jeff Lacy (21-1, 17 KOs): Hopefully isn't too devastated by Calzaghe loss, because
he matches up well with Tarver and Allan Green, fights that he turned down.
Up-and-comers
Librado Andrade (23-0, 17 KOs):
Upcoming match with Richard Grant should be a nice next step.
Allan Green (22-0, 15 KOs): Entertaining fighter, though Linton gave him some
trouble.
Peter Manfredo (25-3, 11 KOs): Scheduled match with 19-0 Joe Spina.
Jaidon Codrington (12-1, 10 KOs): Despite loss, he's still only 22, so don't write
him off.
Andre Dirrell (8-0, 5 KOs): Very fast 2004 Olympic bronze-medalist southpaw.
Carlos De Leon Jr. (15-1-2, 11 KOs): Might have some talent.
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Jermain Taylor (25-0-1, 17 KOs): A courageous and deserving champion based on who
he's been fighting, Upcoming match with Ouma should be a good one.
Good upcoming fight: Edison Miranda (26-0, 23 KOs) vs. Arthur Abraham (21-0, 17
KOs).
Up-and-comers
Kelly Pavlik (28-0, 25 KOs):
Good condition, solid punch, and coming off KO wins over Bronco McKart and the tough
Fulgencio Zuniga. Needs some defensive work if he's going to become champ.
Sergio Mora (19-0, 4 KOs): Despite lack of power, he's game and entertaining,
although his punch rate needs work -- he fights a lot in spurts, as shown in the Regan
fight.
John Duddy (17-0, 15 KOs). Big puncher stepping up slightly with upcoming match
with Yory Boy Campas, but not much -- Campas is way over the hill.
Anthony Thompson (22-1, 16 KOs): He may eventually be a guy that no one wants to
fight. A dangerous dark horse because of his speed and talent. Coming off KO over Said,
who had fought Echols to a draw.
Jose Luis Zertuche (17-2-2, 14 KOs): Pretty strong fighter has upcoming rematch
with the tough Fulgencio Zuniga, which should be fun.
Andre Ward (9-0, 5 KOs): Olympic gold medalist has some question marks surrounding
his chin and power, but thus far he has always managed to win in both the amateurs and the
pros.
JUNIOR-MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Winky Wright (50-3-1, 25 KOs): A true veteran champion who has earned the boxing
community's respect.
Oscar de la Hoya (38-4, 30 KOs): Potential dream match with Mayweather on the
horizon. It's the fight everyone wants to see. C'mon Oscar, one final hurrah.
Rodney Jones (37-3-1, 22 KOs): Southpaw veteran, undefeated since 2000, has a 1996
win over Margarito and is now the IBF mandatory.
Shane Mosley (43-4, 37 KOs): Back on top with KO over Vargas, should probably take
on Mayweather because he matches up well with him.
Ike Quartey (37-3-1, 31 KOs): Despite controversial loss to Forrest, looks to be
the guy you'd rather see next time.
Honorable mention: Vernon Forrest and Cory Spinks. Have to mention them, but...
Up-and-comers
Sergiy Dzinziruk (32-0, 21 KOs):
Southpaw defeated Daniel Santos.
Joachim Alcine (27-0, 18 KOs): At 30 he needs to step up the competition.
Yuri Foreman (21-0, 8 KOs): Speed and footwork make him a difficult matchup.
Vanes Martirosyan (10-0, 6 KOs): He's only 20 years old, but showed some passion
and ability in the Olympics.
WELTERWEIGHTS
Carlos Baldomir (43-9-6, 13 KOs): Victories over Judah and Gatti have earned him
respect.
Antonio Margarito (33-4, 24 KOs): Upcoming fight with 19-1 Josh Clottey.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (36-0, 24 KOs): Baldomir might be a bit more of a test than
people think.
Luis Collazo (26-2, 12 KOs): Loss to Hatton did more to raise his stock.
Kermit Cintron (26-1, 24 KOs): Huge puncher has upcoming bout with 25-2 Mark
Suarez, who has never been stopped.
Up-and-comers
Paul Williams (31-0, 23 KOs):
Looked great against an over the hill Mitchell.
Carlos Quintana (23-0, 18 KOs): Coming off victory over then 27-0 Joel Julio.
Andre Berto (14-0, 12 KOs): I truly enjoy watching him Ð he's quick, compact,
powerful, and very entertaining.
LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHTS
Ricky Hatton (41-0, 30 KOs): Moving back to junior welter to defend crown against
Juan Urango (17-0-1).
Miguel Cotto (27-0, 22 KOs): Truly a legitimate entertaining contender who is
willing to take on real tests.
Jose Luis Castillo (54-7-1, 47 KOs): Looking forward to seeing him again, at a
proper weight.
Junior Witter (33-1-2, 19 KOs): Upcoming match with Corley could be interesting.
Good upcoming match: Vivian Harris (27-2-1, 18 KOs) vs. Isaac Hlatshwayo (25-0, 9
KOs). Hlatshwayo has a win over Nate Campbell.
Up-and-comers
Demetrius Hopkins (24-0-1, 10 KOs):
Consistently improving, a threat to anyone because of his speed and skill.
Lamont Peterson (18-0, 8KOs): Fast and busy.
Lorenzo Reynolds (15-0, 7 KOs): Good southpaw coming off win over Joaquin Gallardo.
Mike Arnaoutis (17-0-2, 9 KOs): Southpaw needs a test.
Victor Ortiz (14-1, 9 KOs): Very strong southpaw appears to have what it takes.
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Diego Corrales (40-3, 33 KOs): Have no clue why he's fighting Casamayor again.
Haven't we seen Joel enough?
Jesus Chavez (43-3, 30 KOs): Hasn't fought since Leavander Johnson death fight. I'd
love to see him again if he has his head on right.
Juan Diaz (30-0, 15 KOs): Well managed and entertaining but needs to step up the
competition a bit more to truly call himself a "champion."
Good upcoming match: Julio Diaz (33-3, 24 KOs) vs. Acelino Freitas (38-1, 32 KOs).
Up-and-comers
Anthony Peterson (20-0, 15 KOs):
Good enough to step up the competition.
Vincente Escobedo (10-1, 9 KOs): No shame in lone loss to a tough guy in 13-1-1
Daniel Jimenez.
Amir Khan (9-0, 7 KOs): At only 19, 2004 Olympic silver medalist is very talented,
but probably needs to work on his defense and inside game.
SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHTS
Manny Pacquiao (42-3-2, 33
KOs): Upcoming third match with Morales, but one has to question why Erik is taking
this fight.
Marco Antonio Barrera (62-4, 42 KOs): Upcoming rematch with Juarez should be very
interesting.
Jorge Barrios (46-2-1, 33 KOs): Upcoming match with 25-0 Joan Guzman should be fun
to watch.
Rocky Juarez (25-2, 18 KOs): The question will be whether he can improve his punch
output and better capitalize on his good moments in Barrera rematch.
Up-and-comers
Humberto Soto (40-5-2, 24 KOs):
Defeated Rocky Juarez and has won three fights since then. Needs more exposure.
Jason Litzau (19-0, 16 KOs): Fun to watch but needs to step up competition.
Edwin Valero (20-0, 20 KOs): Hard puncher proved himself with a KO10 over Vincente
Mosquera(24-2-1).
Urbano Antillon (18-0, 11 KOs): Is stepping it up lately with some good wins.
FEATHERWEIGHTS
Chris John (37-0-1, 20 KOs): Upcoming match with Renan Acosta is not a legitimate
title fight.
Scott Harrison (25-2-2, 14 KOs): Upcoming match with Juan Manuel Marquez (45-3-1)
should be fun.
Up-and-comers
Robert Guerrero (19-1-1, 12 KOs):
Southpaw just won a "title."
Nicky Cook (26-0, 15 KOs): Still untested.
SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHTS
Somsak Sithchatchawal (46-1-1, 37 KOs): The "Sith Lord" is coming off KO10 victory
over the exciting Mahyar Monshipour in THE fight of the year. Upcoming match with
Celestino Caballero (24-2, 17 KOs) could be yet another excellent fight.
Mahyar Monshipour (28-3-2, 19 KOs): Highly entertaining in your face fighter is
totally worth watching despite losing to the Sith Lord. He officially retired, but someone
should throw a pile of money at him to take a rematch with Sith.
Israel Vazquez (40-3, 28 KOs): Has scheduled match with Jhonny Gonzalez (33-4, 28
KOs), which should be a war.
Up-and-comers
Rey Bautista (20-0, 15 KOs):
Needs to step it up.
Miguel Roman (17-0, 12 KOs): Coming off win over Cesar Soto.
BANTAMWEIGHTS
Rafael Marquez (36-3, 32 KOs): Again showed his power in rematch with Mabuza.
Upcoming match with Gerry Penalosa (50-5-2) could be interesting.
Hozumi Hasegawa (20-2, 7 KOs): Southpaw has victories over long time champion
Veerapol Sahaprom.
Vladimir Sidorenko (19-0-1, 6 KOs): Coming off victory over then-undefeated
Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (24-1).
Up-and-comer
Raul Martinez (15-0, 11 KOs):
Looks pretty solid.
SUPER-FLYWEIGHTS
Nobuo Nashiro (8-0, 5 KOs):
Just defeated Martin Castillo (30-2).
Masamori Tokuyama (32-3-1, 8 KOs): Victories over Kawashima and Navarro show he's
legit.
Luis Perez (24-1, 15 KOs): Southpaw has fought legitimate opposition.
Good upcoming match: Jorge Arce (44-3-1, 34 KOs) is moving up in weight to take on
Hawk Makepula (28-3, 18 KOs). Arce could be the future of the division.
Up-and-comer
Nonito Donaire (15-1, 9 KOs):
Contender moving along.
FLYWEIGHTS
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (62-2, 32 KOs):
This star champion southpaw has not been defeated since 1996, an amazing record. Very
skilled, relaxed, and a good puncher.
Vic Darchinyan (26-0, 21 KOs): Strong southpaw has upcoming match with Glenn
Donaire (16-2-1, 9 KOs).
Lorenzo Parra (27-0, 17 KOs): Coming off victory over Olympic gold medalist Brahim
Asloum. Upcoming match with Roberto Vasquez (22-1, 17 KOs), who hasn't lost since his pro
debut.
Omar Narvaez (22-0-2, 15 KOs): Southpaw good enough to take on the bigger fights.
Up-and-comers
Juan Rosas (25-0, 22 KOs): Good
puncher should step up the competition.
Giovanni Segura (15-0-1, 12 KOs): Pretty strong for this weight.
LIGHT-FLYWEIGHTS
Omar Nino (24-2-1, 10 KOs):
Just defeated then-undefeated Brian Viloria (19-1) in impressive showing. Upcoming
rematch.
Ulises Solis (22-1-2, 16 KOs): Has victories over Carlos Fajardo, Will Grigsby, and
Eric Ortiz, and is coming off draw with Omar Salado (14-0-1).
Koki Kameda (12-0, 10 KOs): Has some solid victories.
MINIMUMWEIGHTS
Ivan Calderon (26-0, 6 KOs):
Not much power but good southpaw fighter.
Eagle Kyowa (16-1, 6 KOs): A good fighter and match with Calderon would be nice.
Muhammad Rachman (51-7-4, 23 KOs): Has victories over Daniel Reyes and Omar Soto,
and has upcoming match with Donnie Nietes (14-1-2, 9 KOs).
Yutaka Niida (20-1-3, 8 KOs): He has a number of wins over top guys.
Up-and-comer
Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym (16-0, 12
KOs): Nice pop but needs to be tested.
Adam Pollack is a CBZ staff writer, a boxing coach, an attorney, and the author
of John L. Sullivan: The Career
of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion. For details on the book, click
here.
contents
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