Ruiz gets unexpected oppurtunity against Dawson

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Ruiz gets unexpected oppurtunity against Dawson

By Robert Morales
15 Rounds.com

We’ve all seen how ridiculous boxing’s governing bodies can be when it comes to rankings. Actually, “ridiculous” is a word not harsh enough to describe some of the crazy goings on in this regard.

But the World Boxing Council really took the cake when it ranked Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz No. 15 in its light heavyweight rankings. Here is what Ruiz did in the past three years and three months to earn a slot just high enough so he can challenge Chad Dawson for his WBC 175-pound belt June 9 in Hartford, Conn.: Ruiz knocked out the dreaded Rodney Moore in the first round last November on a club card in Montebello, Calif.

Prior to that, Ruiz had not fought since March 2004, when he lost a somewhat controversial decision to Paul Briggs in a WBC title elimination fight in Briggs’ native Australia. That’s right. Chavez has had one fight since March 2004. And his knockout of Moore, a guy who came in 8-16-6 with three knockouts, was good enough for him to first get ranked No. 20 by the WBC, then No. 15.

Wow!

Even Dawson’s promoter, Gary Shaw, who put this fight together, could not defend this Tuesday during a telephone conversation with yours truly.

“When it comes to that, you will never get an argument from me,” Shaw said of the rankings of the four governing bodies in general.Let’s not kid ourselves. The WBC and the other three don’t care what anyone thinks about the way they do business. As long as they get their precious sanctioning fees that come with championship fights, it’s all good.

Shaw said he tried to get the aforementioned Briggs for Dawson. But a deal with Briggs’ promoter, Don King, did not materialize. Shaw said he tried other avenues, but that nothing panned out. Of course, since Shaw had trouble getting a deserving opponent for Dawson, boxing would have been best served if Dawson took on Ruiz in a non-title fight. It wouldn’t be the first time a champion did that during his reign. But you don’t think that was going to happen, do you? Oh, hell no.

Listen, it doesn’t matter what happens during this fight. Frankly, it wouldn’t be a shocker to see Ruiz take this fight more than a few rounds because he can crack. Ask Briggs, who tasted the canvas during the second round of his victory over Ruiz.

Bottom line is, the idea that Ruiz (19-4, 17 KOs) is being afforded an opportunity at a major championship under these circumstances is disgusting. Ruiz, of Long Beach, Calif. via Mexico, understandably is thrilled to get this chance.

“I never thought I would get, at this moment in my career, the opportunity,” said Ruiz, in somewhat broken English. “But the chance came, so I said, ‘Sure.’ ”

Well, duh.

During a telephone conversation with Ruiz on Tuesday afternoon, an interesting revelation popped up. Ruiz, 33, has had three lengthy layoffs during a career that began in April 1994. After beating Paul Jones in December 1997 in Reseda, Calif., Ruiz did not fight again for two years, three months. Ruiz lost a decision to Rodney Toney in September 2001, then did not fight for a year and eight months. Finally, there was the two years and eight months without a fight after his loss to Briggs.

Ruiz must get hurt a lot, right? Not so, he said.

“Managerial problems, that is the thing,” Ruiz said. “During my professional career, I’ve had 24 managers.”

Twenty-four managers? Come on. To be sure, the number was repeated to Ruiz in

Spanish. Yup, he said he has indeed had 24 managers. OK, so now we are talking about a fighter with 23 fights in 13 years, who has had two dozen mangers, whose only fight since early 2004 came against a fighter the little old lady from Pasadena could whip. And he’s going to challenge the undefeated Dawson (23-0, 15 KOs) for the WBC light heavyweight championship? (Oh, and by the way, it’s on Showtime).

Ruiz was asked how he can possibly win. And what he said made a little sense.

“He is faster, but maybe he is a super middleweight,” Ruiz said of Dawson. “I’m a natural light heavyweight all my career. So I think in the fight, he will feel the difference. I think he will feel a real hard punch of a real light heavyweight.”

It’s true. Dawson has had several fights at middleweight and quite a few at super middleweight. He has had only three fights at light heavyweight. In his most recent bout, Dawson took the WBC belt from Tomasz Adamek via a wide unanimous decision.

Shaw isn’t about to say Ruiz has no chance, and he’s on board with the idea that Ruiz has a puncher’s chance

“He can fight,” Shaw said. “He’s a tough opponent. If we were in the eighth or ninth round, it wouldn’t shock me. Some of those Mexican kids really come to fight.”

Dawson, during a conference call Tuesday, swore he was not overlooking Ruiz. Dawson also said he is expecting a tough battle.

“I have seen that he is a tough guy and a good fighter,” Dawson said. “I know that he will come to fight. I am not looking for somebody who is going to come in the ring just to go a round.”

Well, Dawson has to say that. Part of the job of a fighter is to help promote. One would never say that Joe Schmo “doesn’t deserve to be in the same ring with me and it’s a travesty that this fight is taking place.” If a fighter did that, his promoter would have a big problem with it. As would whatever television station was in the mix.

As for Ruiz, he admitted he has butterflies. Of course, he does. He is going from that killer Rodney Moore to Chad Dawson.

“That nervousness, it’s natural,” Ruiz said. “And it’s a little fear, too. But after that first punch, everything is going to turn to courage.”

We’ll see.

Oh, by the way, the other fight on this Showtime card is former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver against Elvir Muriqi for one of the very minor belts. Shaw and Dawson on Tuesday made no bones about wanting Tarver should both win a week from Saturday.

Now, Shaw is usually good about putting his fighters in with tough opponents. But knowing that Dawson-Tarver could be next makes one wonder if that isn’t the reason Dawson is fighting a part-timer like Ruiz.

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15 Rounds,com

CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES
“AWESOME” CHAD DAWSON AND & JESUS “CHUY” RUIZ,
PROMOTERS GARY SHAW & JOE DEGUARDIA


For Immediate Release

Undefeated “Awesome” Chad Dawson (23-0, 1 NC, 15 KOs), of New Haven, Conn., will make the first defense of his WBC light heavyweight title against hard-hitting Jesus “Chuy’’ Ruiz (19-4, 17 KOs), of Long Beach, Calif., by way of Guadalajara, Mexico, in the co-featured bout on Saturday, June 9 on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

In the other SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-featured attraction at The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn., former undisputed 175-pound world champion Antonio “Magic Man’’ Tarver (24-4, 18 KOs), of Tampa, Fla., will battle New York-based Elvir “The Kosovo Kid” Muriqi (34-3, 21 KOs) for the world IBO light heavyweight crown

Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $100, $200 and $500, are on sale at TicketMaster outlets, online at TicketMaster.com and at The Connecticut Convention Center (860) 249-6000. The event is presented by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, LLC, and AT Entertainment.

(NOTE: There will be a Tarver-Muriqi conference call Thursday at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT)

DeGuardia: It is going to be a fantastic night on June 9 where we have two world championship fights that are certainly befitting of the network SHOWTIME, which has been showing the greatest and best fights in boxing today. The Chad Dawson-Jesus Ruiz fight, coupled with the Tarver-Muriqi fight is certain to excite the fans nationally on SHOWTIME. For those that want to (tickets for) The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, they can go to TicketMaster.com where tickets are available. They are selling steadily, but they are still available and the seat prices are from $35 to $500. It will be an exciting night as the state of Connecticut certainly is going to welcome home the new WBC world champion making his first defense. It is fitting that Chad Dawson is doing it in his home state of Connecticut.
Dawson: I am looking forward to an exciting night and a great fight. I want to thank SHOWTIME for having me on the card. It is a pleasure to be on the undercard of Antonio Tarver, former world champion. So I want to look my best and show everybody a good night.
Shaw: Chad Dawson is not on the undercard of Tarver, DeGuardia or anybody else. It was going to be a Chad date if we could get (Paul) Briggs on the card. I thought that being on the same card with Tarver and (with) a big win over Chuy, God willing, that it would set up the Tarver fight. That is why this fight came about the way it did. I just wanted to clarify that for everyone on the call.
Ruiz: I have been waiting for this opportunity for my whole life. Every boxer in the world dreams of the WBC title. We want the green belt. I was born in Mexico, but I now live in Long Beach, California and training in nearby San Pedro. I have been training hard for two months for this fight – mentally and physically. I have watched a lot of Mr. Dawson’s fights. I think that he is a great fighter and we will (put on) a big show on SHOWTIME.
Begin Press Questions.

Question: Chad, how tough is it for you not to overlook a guy like Chuy Ruiz?
Dawson: You cannot overlook any fight. I am definitely coming to fight. I do not look past anyone. I am looking forward to a great fight and hopefully everything will go according to plan and we can get hooked up with a fight with Tarver.
Question: Chad, how is training going with Floyd Mayweather, Sr.?
Dawson: It is going great. We just picked up where we left off last training camp. Everything is going according to plan.
Question: Chad, how has that great fight against Tomasz Adamek in February (on SHOWTIME) helped you going into this fight? What did you learn from that fight?
Dawson: It was a big victory for me. I just have to go back to camp and pick up where I left off. It depends on the fight. I have a lot of confidence. I am still kind of high off that win. So I want to go in and show everybody that I am even better than the last one.
Question: Do you think guys are trying to find ways to avoid fighting you at this point?
Shaw: What they want to do is they want to ruin boxing. The old guys want to fight all the old guys. Like a senior league. Chad Dawson is the best fighter out there at 168 and 175. He is a premium fighter and they know if they go in there, they are bound to take a loss. So the last person that they want to fight is Chad Dawson. But that is why they are avoiding Chad.
Question: Chad, is there anything that you learned about yourself in the Adamek fight that you did not know going into that fight?
Dawson: I learned a lot. I learned from Floyd. Floyd is not only teaching me training, but he is teaching me the boxing game too. Floyd is teaching me to just get up off the canvas on my own. He has taught me a lot. He let me know that I am at a different level, a higher level now, and that guys are going to be stronger and better. So I have to be ready for that.
Question: So you take that into camp knowing that maybe you have to push yourself a little bit harder or go the extra mile?
Dawson: Definitely. After the Adamek fight, the only thing I was thinking about was my next fight and what I wanted to do, and how much more impressive I have to be.
Question: Is there a certain confidence that comes with being the world champion? Do you get a different feel about yourself when you step into the ring?
Dawson: Yes, a little bit. I might be a little bit different. Like I said, I want to impress everybody better than I did in the last fight. But when I step into the ring, I am still going to be the same old guy.
Question: Chad, some of the more recent fights on television have not been all that exciting. Do you feel like you have a greater responsibility or a little bit more pressure to put on a good, exciting performance?
Dawson: No, not really. The most important thing is me going into the ring and doing my job and leaving the ring with my title. Of course, I want to impress the fans and I want to show everybody what I can do. But boxing is just a sport that is changing right now. Like Gary says, the older guys do not want to fight the younger guys. The older guys want to fight the older guys. That is the way it seems right now.
Shaw: Let me also help out with that answer. Chad’s style is a pleasing style. It is a fan-friendly style. He comes forward, he jabs and he follows the jab up. He is looking to end the fight. The other guys that are fighting out there that you are referencing are fighting cautiously. They are fighting to survive 12 rounds, and that is not pleasing, it does not help boxing. But Chad Dawson is a fan-friendly fighter.
Question: Chad, you are working with Floyd Mayweather, Sr. and training in Vegas, right?
Dawson: Yes.
Question: Did you train in Vegas for the last fight too?
Dawson: Yes, I did.
Question: So how do you like training in Vegas with Floyd?
Dawson: I love it. When I am here, it is all boxing. I have been working everyday, no distractions. I just love the gym. I am training at Top Rank and a lot of good fighters and you all get a lot of response. So it is the best.
Question: Chad, what do you know about Jesus “Chuy” Ruiz?
Question: I have seen that he is a tough guy and a good fighter. I know that he will come to fight. I am not looking for somebody who is going to come in the ring just to go to a round. I know he will come to fight.
Question: Chad, does it bother you that a lot of the buildup to this fight is not so much about this specific fight, but about future fights that you might have with some of the other guys in the division or possibly down at 168?
Dawson: It does not bother me. I just have a job to do on June 9 and if everything goes according to plan, then we will look for those other fights.
Question: Do you feel an extra need to really look spectacular and impressive in this fight?
Dawson: I want to look impressive and I want to also just be myself, be the boxer that I can be. Hopefully everything will go OK. Like I said, I know he is coming to fight and he is definitely going to bring the fight to me. So I just have to be prepared for that, and I am prepared for that.
Question: Jesus, why do you think you will be able to defeat Chad Dawson?
Ruiz: Every boxer is looking for this chance. This is my golden opportunity. I watched the fight with Mr. Dawson and Tomasz Adamek. I know that Mr. Dawson (possesses excellent boxing skills). He (knows) the art of boxing. But I think I do, too. I have the face of a boxer. In the majority of my fights, I won by knockout in the first round. I do not think he has ever fought with a puncher like me. So we will see what happens (when we exchange). That is one of my ways to win the fight.
Question: Jesus, is it going to be bombs away from the opening bell? Are you going to try to test Dawson immediately?
Ruiz: I will be trying to win from the first to the last round.
Question: Chad, would you consider doing the super middleweight division?
Dawson: Yes, definitely. I can still make 168. For me to go down to 168 would not be a real big problem.
Question: Chad, do you approach this fight any differently because of Ruiz’ punching power?
Dawson: No, Adamek threw big punches too. I approach this fight like I approach any other fight.
Question: Chad, what do you know about Jesus and what do you expect to see from him?
Dawson: I expect him to come to fight. I expect him to come forward the whole fight. But Adamek is the same type of fighter as Jesus. I expect him to come forward, but it will be pretty hard.
Question: Chad, could you tell us a little bit about how your relationship with Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has evolved since he began training you up until this point?
Dawson: When we first got together, we had our differences the first couple of weeks. But now it is going smooth. He usually shows up about 20 minutes after me and I am already working on things that we have been working on. So our relationship is good.
Question: Jesus, what did you learn about Dawson from watching the Adamek-Dawson fight?
Ruiz: (Adamek fought with) a European style. (He did) not move a lot. They are like a tree. That is Adamek, I am sorry.
Question: So Adamek fights with a European style, very upright?
Ruiz: Correct. I think the Mexican style is different. Much (more) movement. I will not be like Mr. Adamek. I will not be standing back.
Question: Joe, assuming Tarver-Dawson pans out, when do you foresee the fight transpiring?
DeGuardia: Assuming they both get by, we will look and everybody will get together and see if there is something we can make for the fall. That is when Tarver is expected to fight next and I imagine that is when Dawson is expected to fight next as well. But both of these guys have their work cut out for them on June 9. So nothing will be done on that until after June 9.
Question: Joe, could you briefly sum up the state of boxing?
DeGuardia: Well, the state of boxing is doing pretty well, quite frankly, when you look and see that you have an event that can do over $2 million buys and set a record. You have SHOWTIME putting on two world championship boxing events from a historic boxing city like Hartford in one night. Every week, you have boxing events taking place. So I would say, other than what the doomsayers are saying, the fact is, in reality, that boxing is still thriving and it is thriving on major networks like SHOWTIME. It is thriving on Pay-Per-View, which is your real gauge of what the common person is doing and whether they want to buy and pluck down their money for an event. It is thriving in the venues throughout the country, where we are setting records on attendance.
Question: Chuy, you lost a couple of real close fights, especially to Briggs. Did you feel you were robbed in that fight? Do you feel that you need a knockout over Dawson on June 9?
Ruiz: Yes. I am working to win each round and to connect (with) hard punches any place on (his) body. I think that the fans (who follow me know what to expect). I put Briggs on the floor in the second round and one of the judges (scored the round) score 10-10, (another had it) 10-9 and only had it 10-8.
Question: So you definitely feel you got robbed against Briggs and you feel you are a naturally bigger fighter than Dawson?
Ruiz: Yes, I am.
Question: Chad, is there anything you are working on in camp to combat what Jesus is going to bring to the ring?
Dawson: It depends on the fight. I am just working on my boxing skills and everything else will be right. Adamek was a great fight, and I performed up to my ability. I am just going to go back and pick up where I left off.
Question: Jesus, are you planning to swarm Chad, keep him trapped in the corner or the ropes, and look for the knockout?
Ruiz: No, I am going to try to connect (with) my hard punches from the first to the last round, and if the knockout comes faster (it comes). I will not lose the opportunity to end the fight at any moment.
Question: Chad, it seems like you just got a little overconfident and got dropped late in the fight against Adamek. How would you compare style-wise Chuy Ruiz to Tomasz Adamek?
Dawson: I cannot really compare them. Adamek tried to come forward, but I stopped him. He tried to do a lot of things, but my hands beat him. A lot of guys do not think I can punch, but as you can see, I had Adamek backing up the whole fight. He did not want to jump in and get caught himself. Whatever Ruiz brings to the table, I have got something for that too.
Question: Was your performance against Adamek a career best performance?
Dawson: Yes, that is my best performance to date.
Question: Style-wise, is that the kind of fight that you want to fight every time out?
Dawson: Every fighter is going to be different. I am the type of fighter that I can switch up. If a guy wants to brawl, I can brawl. If a guy wants to run around the ring, I can just outbox him. I will win those points. It does not really matter. I am ready for anything.
Question: Chuy, I know it has been tough for you to get fights. What do you have to say about Dawson giving you a shot for the title?
Ruiz: I want to thank Chad Dawson for giving me the chance. I think that this time Chad is going to dance with the ugly lady, the one who will ruin the party for him.
Question: Chad, how does it feel going into your first fight defending a world title?
Dawson: It feels good. Everybody dreams about having a lot of title defenses. I am excited and I am going to come out and show my hometown fans a good fight and a good show.
Question: Jesus, you had a pretty long layoff before your last fight between 2004 and 2006. Are you afraid that you are going to be coming in a little rusty?
Question: That was not the first time that happened in my career. But I never stop the boxing machine. I enjoy running in the morning. (Even with no fights), I was training and getting ready. But it (has) not affected me. I live across from a police boxing gym. I am still there. I live at the beach and I run on the sand. I am training all the time. I never stop running and I never stop training.
Question: Chad, what did you do to reward yourself after you became the light heavyweight champion? How did you celebrate?
Dawson: I celebrated with my family. I bought a ’07 Escalade.
Question: What color is it?
Dawson: Midnight blue.
Question: And when you drive it around town, do people know it is you?
Dawson: My girlfriend drives me around.
Question: If you win this fight, maybe you will be able to buy something for yourself?
Dawson: It is my truck, but she looks better in it.
Question: Who is handling tickets for family, friends and all of that?
Dawson: My job is to train. My manager is handling all of that. I am out here doing my job and he is doing his job.
Question: Chad, how many times have you fought in Hartford before?
Dawson: I think this is my first time since I was an amateur.
Question: So this is like a home game for you. Is there added pressure on fighting in Hartford where it is going to be a packed arena with a pro-Dawson crowd?
Dawson: No, there is no pressure. I think Hartford is just about 40-45 minutes away. So there is no pressure. As long as I have been in the gym and doing what I am supposed to do, everything will be good.
Question: So you are looking forward to this?
Dawson: Very much.
Begin Closing Comments.

DeGuardia: I appreciate everybody’s input and comments, and I look forward to seeing you all on June 9. Once again, the Connecticut Convention Center promises to be an exciting, exciting, fan-filled night of boxing to witness Chad Dawson’s return to Connecticut as world champion against knockout puncher Ruiz, and Antonio Tarver against Elvir Muriqi as the co-headlining world championship bout. Tickets go from $35 straight up to $500. There are a limited amount of $500 seats, but the rest are all fan-friendly priced. $35, $50, $100 and $200, and they are all available on TicketMaster.
Dawson: I am just looking forward to a big and exciting fight on June 9. I will definitely be bringing my A game, so I look forward to putting on a real good show.
Ruiz: I am not famous, but I am up for every fight. The people tell me that they plan to see a great fight. I will make a great fight with Mr. Dawson.

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[GorDoom]

Tarver and Dawson get Victories, but the real Winner is Bad Chad
By Thomas Gerbasi from Max Boxing

Before tonight’s light heavyweight doubleheader at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, former 175-pound boss Antonio Tarver claimed that a fight with WBC champion Chad Dawson wouldn’t necessarily be his next fight, as he would look for more lucrative opportunities. But after Dawson dazzled in defending his crown via a sixth round TKO over Jesus Ruiz, and Tarver was hot and cold in winning a majority 12 round decision over Elvir Muriqi, maybe it’s ‘Bad Chad’ who will be the one getting the big money fight next.

Scores in the Showtime main event were 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114 for Tarver, who improves to 25-4 with 18 KOs in his first fight since a 12 round loss to Bernard Hopkins in June of 2006. Muriqi falls to 34-4 with 21 KOs.

Muriqi had the crowd in his corner and chanting his name immediately, and he was far from tentative as he took the fight to the former light heavyweight champ in the opening round and landed well with a short right hand as the silver-gloved Tarver looked for openings to counter from a distance, but with little luck.

Tarver upped his workrate in the second, shooting out a southpaw jab and the occasional left, but Muriqi fought fire with fire as he got inside, fired away and did his best to make the fight a physical brawl. Tarver responded with some quick and accurate combinations, but even these were met with disdain from ‘The Kosovo Kid’, who was intent on spoiling ‘The Magic Man’s return to the ring.

The pace continued to be pushed by Muriqi in the third round, much to Tarver’s dismay, but the Floridian opened the fourth well with a series of combinations. Muriqi kept coming forward though, and when he got Tarver on the ropes, he would rip his foe to body with both hands, drawing a roar from the crowd, and just when it appeared Tarver was ready to impose his will and pull away, the Bronx resident came back swinging.

In the opening minute of the fifth, Muriqi drilled Tarver with a flush right hand and appeared to stun him briefly, but the veteran cleared his head and chased Muriqi across the ring and back with stiff shots. A clash of heads moments later opened a cut over Muriqi’s right eye, bringing in the ringside doctor for an inspection of the gash, and it looked like the tide was turning.

Tarver looked to get rid of his stubborn foe early in the sixth and landed a huge left hand flush, but Muriqi ate it and refused to go away. But while Muriqi stood in gamely, Tarver was piling up the points in the round by being busier.

The seventh was typical of the fight, as Tarver would appear to be in control, only to have Muriqi come back with a steady attack to the body and head that would put the scoring of the round in question. The eighth was undoubtedly Tarver’s though, as he picked Muriqi apart from long range with both hands and appeared to be a flurry or two away from putting his opponent on the canvas.

The pace slowed in the ninth, but Tarver still held the reigns as he started to pull away and show the form that earned him a world title as Muriqi showed signs of fatigue in his first foray past eight rounds.

Pushing the action in the tenth, Tarver looked to be closing in on a TKO victory, but after some strong work, Muriqi came back strong in the final half of the round and got himself back in the fight.

The 11th was more of the same, as a concerted offensive effort by Tarver was answered by a spirited comeback by Muriqi, and what was expected to be a blowout was unquestionably a fight. And though there was no dispute about who was winning the bout entering the final round, Muriqi didn’t stop battling and trying to win, earning him respect, if not the victory.

In the co-feature, WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson did what he was supposed to do in his homecoming bout, defending his title for the first time with a sixth round stoppage of overmatched Jesus ‘Chuy’ Ruiz.

Ruiz, fighting for only the second time in the last three years, but the recipient of a #15 ranking in the WBC and a title shot, was courageous in his attempt to lift the belt, but New Haven’s Dawson was just too fast and too good, and in a boxing world where undeserving contenders are allowed to stick around for 12 uneventful rounds once a champion knows he can win, ‘Bad Chad’ broke the mold by going to work and getting the challenger out of there as soon as he could.

Dawson controlled the bout from the outset, landing his southpaw jab at will and throwing in a crisp left hand to the face for good measure. Ruiz, game and aggressive, tried, but there was never really a sense that he was a threat to the young champion. And whenever Ruiz would get a little too big for his britches, Dawson would move forward and open up with both hands, ripping shots through the high guard of his foe.

The champions added body shots to his steady arsenal in the third round - a good call against a fighter with less than a round of action in the last three years – and a steady stream of punishment to the head caused the game but outmatched Ruiz’ nose to bleed in the following stanza.

It was more of the same in the fifth, and with Ruiz finally starting to show cracks in his armor, Dawson stepped on the gas in round six and made sure the game Mexican wasn’t going to see the seventh frame. A barrage of diverse shots to the head and body kept Ruiz from getting his bearings, and after a couple of flush lefts to the head hurt the challenger badly, referee John Callas wisely stepped in and halted the bout at the 2:00 mark.

With the win, Dawson improved to 24-0 with 16 KOs and one no contest. Ruiz falls to 19-4 with 17 KOs.

[GorDoom]

Tarver Is Listless, Beats Muriqi, Barely
By Michael Woods from Sweet Science

It doesn't happen all that often but it did Saturday night at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. The stock of the man who won the fight slipped, and the stock of the loser shot up. Antonio Tarver was "the winner," as the former light heavyweight titlist was granted a majority decision over super stubborn Elvir Muriqi, who cannot be rightfully described as "the loser."

The judges saw it 115-113, 116-112, 114-114 in favor of the 38-year-old Tarver, who looked like a man who hadn't fought in a year.

TSS scored it 115-113 for Muriqi.

The Kosovo Kid very nearly got a matchmaker fired, as he pestered Tarver for all twelve rounds, and performed far better than anyone predicted against a boxer two giant steps up from any competitor he'd previously faced.

Tarver left the building with the vacant IBO 175 belt.

In the twelfth round, the 28-year-old Muriqi told the judges that he wanted it more than Tarver did as he went to the body with left hooks. Tarver came out of the slumber at the one minute mark, but Muriqi wouldn't go to the floor if Tarver had a stun gun and slipped him a roofie before the round. Muriqi raised his hands and Ali Shuffled in the last few seconds.

Tarver (25-4, 18 KOs) flurried to begin the eleventh round and Muriqi (34-4, 21 KOs) waved him forward, asking for more punishment. Muriqi, who had never fought past the eighth round in any bout, showed that his cardio regimen was tip top. The action was plentiful for this late juncture.

Tarver put his left to work in the tenth, but that didn't put Muriqi off for long. The New York resident ducked and slipped smartly and landed to Tarver's body with oomph. The round was clearly the Kosovian's. But would the judges see it the same way, and reward the less well known boxer for his effort?

Into the ninth: the Kid kept on keeping on, kept on in Tarver's face, and the ex-champ didn't put his foot down hard on the pedal.

The eighth saw Tarver at his liveliest, for a brief spell: he came underneath with uppers that hit the mark, but he didn't have the juice to sustain that pace, and of course, the stubborn Kosovian pressed forward. Tarver went righty for kicks I guess to close the eighth.

In the seventh round, Muriqi appeared to be lagging some. He was throwing, but pushing punches more than snapping them at times. But hey, throwing's better than posing, which Tarver was doing too much of. Still, Tarver's accuracy probably took the round.

Tarver came to attention at the start of the sixth, but again, Muriqi sent word that he wouldn't be accommodating. Tarver did take the sixth, on his activity alone. When he stayed busy, with those long limbs, Muriqi couldn't answer.

Muriqi landed a nifty right in the sixth and the sense that a considerable upset could unfold became all the more conceivable. Tarver even flinched when Muriqi teased with a feint right to the body. The former light heavy champ and the Kosovian bumped heads, and a cut formed on Muriqi's right peeper. The sight of the red woke up Tarver, who threw three long lefts after seeing color.

In the fourth round, Muriqi brought the action to Tarver, landing a right upper, and outworking the more heralded vet early. Tarver got more lively in the last third of the round, but not enough to take the round on the TSS card.

The third round, Muriqi stepped up as Tarver stepped back. The younger man, who fights out of the Bronx, NY, showed quite competent skills and a good belt-worth of tools acquired in years of amateur and professional action.

In the second, Tarver perked up. By the way, Buddy McGirt is no longer working with Tarver. His original trainer, Jimmy Williams, is back behind the wheel. He looked confident, perhaps overly so, as he took his jab out of the holster. He landed a counter left a few times against Muriqi, who doesn't have a slippery defense.

The first round saw Tarver, seemingly not under the influence of any foreign substance slipped to him by some shadowy miscreant, size up the Kosovo Kid. Muriqi was active, and effective, and didn't look overmatched.

SPEEDBAG Off the two performances tonight, Dawson is the favorite if his planned bout with Tarver takes place. For Tarver, I got a question. Anyone put anything in your water bottle tonight, Antonio?

--A beef took place afterwards, as Tarver commanded Muriqi possemembers out of the ring. Then, Tarver thundered that the judging was a disgrace, to Jim Gray. He called for the judge who called it a draw to be barred. "That was classic boxing," Tarver told Gray, who did well not to snort derisively. "The man was never in the fight, you had an A dog versus a B dog," he said. Hey, maybe someone did slip something to Tarver, cause he sounded like he was goofed on somethin.'

---Gray chatted with Muriqi, who said the "whole world knows I won the fight."
Muriqi gave a shoutout to trainer Colin Morgan, and then asked for a rematch.

[hagler04]

A suprisingly entertaining fight, with lots of back and forth spells. Muriqi showed a damn fine chin and toughness, and Tarver showed the slowness and stamina issues he's shown the past few years. Regardless of the year layoff, Tarver is now old and his time at the top is up.

And while you couldn't help but cheer for Muriqi and applaud his gameness, no way did he win this fight. A draw is the very best you could possibly muster for the Kosovo fighter . . .his aggression was often blocked and slipped by Tarver and while Tarver took some rounds off, he did score beautifully with combinations throughout the fight and really made Muriqi hesistant to go on the inside with beautiful uppercuts.

[DscribeDC]

From what I saw, it looked like Dawson would chew up the old guy.

[diggity]

I really liked what I saw from Dawson. He still needs some polish but the fundamentals for a great southpaw are there. I don't see Tarver keeping pace with that kid. I would like to see the 2 southpaws go at it.

Tarver was the same old Tarver we've seen since he beat Jones. He wins but barely ever impressess other than the KO over RJJ.

I dont know if anyone remember but wasn't Muriqi was slated to fight RJJ a while back (last year sometime?)...I hate to say but I think the old gun shy RJJ might have lost. Tarver at least had his physics to fall back on.