Rusty Rubin, Managing Editor
www.ringsports.com

CKP Productions put on another ‘heavyweight explosion’ card at the Reno Hilton on Friday, Aug. 22.

As often happens, this five bout card was changed more times in the final week then a baby gets changed in an evening. Even ring announcer Mark Beiro was ably replaced by Bob Principe when it was learned that Mark had previous commitments.

And while the Hilton didn’t draw well, the fight wasn’t heavily advertised and those who missed this card, missed a good one.

In the main event, tall heavyweight Anthony Thompson, 253, upped his record to 19-1, 11 KO’s, with a TKO at 2:52 of round 6, of game but outclassed, Gilbert Martinez, 230, now 15-6-1 (7). Martinez, suffered a cut on the bridge of his nose in round four, but it wasn’t a factor, made the fight interesting, but simply wasn’t in the same class as Thompson, who’s southpaw style made him even harder to fight.

In another heavyweight bout, James Walton, 208, 19-3-2 (10) fought, and Sione Asipeli, 232, 17-9-2, who leaned on Walton, but threw few punches, and lost a unanimous eight round decision.

In what was shaping up to be an exciting women’s bout, IBFA minimum weight champion Vaia Zaganas, 105, 11-2 (5), worked a bit for two rounds, before her opponent Tracey Stevens, 103, 5-6-1, suffered stomach cramps between rounds two and three, and had to retire.

In the least exciting fight of the evening, former IBF cruiserweight champ Al “Ice” Cole, now fighting as a heavyweight at 232, and under the guidance of trainer and good friend Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, who I haven’t seen in a few years, had no problem in pounding out a unanimous decision against huge and out of shape Joe Lenhart, 315, 11-19-3 (4). Cole is now 34-11-3 (16) and Lenhart could become a poster boy for the “Save The Whales Federation”, he was that out of shape.

In the final bout, Willie Chapman, 225, who seems to enjoy fighting in Northern Nevada, and the fans always enjoy watching him, upped his record to 17-18-3, (5), by knocking Todd Diggs, 288, down three times, the last out of the ring in the fourth and final round, and referee Vic Alegria quickly waved it off.

After the fight, Chapman, who changes his hair style, color and nicknames regularly, called out Mike Tyson for a fight. I doubt anyone is holding their breath however, waiting for this to happen.

Boxing Feedback:

I read your piece on Audley Harrison, as far as most of us Brit’s are concerned, you are more then welcome to have and keep him if you want! I’m afraid I will shock you to the fact that 99.9% of us over here think he is a bum.

We are tired of hearing him predicting he’ll be champion someday. Yeah, maybe when he’s 90, and everyone else is gone.

Please! We are just forgetting how awful a loser Frank Bruno was, we don’t need another.

Us Brits need to take a leaf outta your book on winning is everything (not competing is what counts).

Sorry if I seem a bit harsh, but please understand we Brits have become so starved of a successful fighter or two, you can understand the frustration.

I’d love to see you print this on your web page to enlighten the US fans. It would be great.

Salim Valli, UK.

Glove2Glove:

Please say a prayer for the return to health of boxing promoter Moe Smith, who had a four by-pass surgery on Thursday. Moe has done much for our sport. Cards can be sent to Moe at: 2713 E. 1st St., Post Falls, ID. 82854.

Your prayers have worked and Martin Sommers is no longer in Hospice care, and in fact, is at home recovering. He and his family pass along their heartfelt thanks, and ask that your prayers continue.

Also down but not out with cancer is Kathy Cerola, sister of top referee Elmo Adolph, and my best friend and co-founder of Glove2Glove, Susiey Walker.
Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.

Glove2Glove is a non-denomination group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.

Touching on politics briefly:

Allow me to change topics here and talk about the Internet. We who use it regularly, know what a pain in the butt in can be because of all the viruses around. Seems like these ‘hackers’ can’t stand the idea of getting a real job, and have decided to make other people’s lives miserable instead.

We all have our feelings about hackers and what should be done about them, but we’ll save that for another time.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Internet has done wonderful things, and I’m not just talking about the information it in itself can provide.

I refer to the way we can now communicate with others, from other backgrounds and cultures, which allow us to understand much more (if we take the time and choose to do so) about how other people live.

It is my judgment, misguided though it may be, that the Internet can be a great tool for world peace, or when used to communicate hate, for world terrorism.

I have learned a lot thanks to the Net and made many new friends, all over the world. I have come to try to understand where they are coming from and why they think as they do.

For example, through the Net, I recently have been communicating with a gentlemen of Arab decent, who lives in the UK, and he poses some very interesting questions, which, because of my upbringing I never thought of before.

Another gentlemen from the UK asked, in regard to one of my editorials regarding sending International troops to Iraq: “Why is an American life any more valuable then anyone else?”

A great question, and one I never thought of before. Of course all human life has the same value, although I wonder if we can consider terrorists of any kind, truly human.

The point being, is through the Net, I have found one reason why much of the rest of the World looks down on America, because of it’s arrogance. I was wrong to have worded the article as I did, and was called on the carpet for it. And for this, I have learned much and I am very grateful.

Agree or disagree, we’d like to hear from you, and from now on the best replies to me editorials will be published right here, without comment. I not only can take constructive criticism, I appreciate it.

Political Feedback:

“Liked your last “Corner”. The problem with the good Muslims is that they can’t condemn the suicide bombers because they are rightfully scared out of their wits. All we would gain would be a moral victory/support and good domestic PR for the Muslim world.

Neither they nor the US Government can do enough to stop the terrorist network because you simply can’t defeat an enemy you can’t see. Al Qaeda is a Network – not a government or tangible army. It’s not like Nazi Germany and this isn’t WWII.

The Iraqi occupation makes the extremists hate us even more. But there is no political of financial gain, from fighting an invisible enemy – it doesn’t make for good TV or help with Bush’s poll numbers.

We all know the pols don’t make decisions on what’s right or practical, but rather what will get them re-elected or help their donors. This case is no different.

That’s why it’s hard for these clowns to do anything about the old power grids. By the time they do, the next generation will be running for office.

It’s progress with the lights out!...Ralph Martinez, NYC.