STURM PROTEST OF JUDGES’ TAB TO NSAC VOID

Felix Sturm, despite his stellar performance in losing his WBO middleweight crown filed to Oscar De La Hoya, isn’t likely to find a change in the controversial decision despite an official protest filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Mark Ratner, the commission’s executive director, though impressed with Sturm’s solid showing June 5 at the MGM Grand, said there is no basis for such a protest as judges Paul Smith and Dave Moretti, both of Las Vegas, and Mike Glienna, of Chicago, unanimously voted 115-113 for De La Hoya, who pulled out a squeaker by winning the 12th round.

Ratner, receiving the protest last week from Klaus-Peter Kohl, Sturm’s promoter from Dortmund, Germany, immediately turned it over to Keith Kizer, the deputy attorney general, who will prepare a letter for Sturm and his associates explaining there will be no review of the judges decision.

Ratner, acknowledging it was a close fight going into the 12th round, had a chance to view the action again Saturday when HBO replayed the bout for its’ international audience along with Bernard Hopkins posting a record 18th defense of his world middleweight title against Robert Allen.

“Scoring in boxing will always be subjective but there can be no basis for a protest unless someone can show there was a mathematical mistake or collusion which did not exist here,” Ratner explained.

Kohl, who knows about protests in boxing during his association with the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, was grossly out of line when he implied the Las Vegas judges might have been distracted by the already scheduled “Collision Course” Sept.18 with De La Hoya and Hopkins meeting in the richest non-heavyweight fight in history.

“Every boxing expert in Germany and the United States disagreed with the decision of the judges were incorrect and a world-wide audience know that Felix Sturm was the winner,” said the obviously frustrated
promoter.

In HBO’s rebroadcast of the fight, the unmarked Sturm spoke freely to Larry Merchant before leaving the ring, losing for the first time in 20 pro fights.

“I know De La Hoya is the champion, but tonight the world knows who is the better fighter. I absolutely know I won this fight. I knew it would be hard to get a decision in Las Vegas. I should get a rematch, we’ll protest, but i know a rematch won’t happen.”

When announcer Mike Buffer announced the scoring, De La Hoya’s expression was almost grim, nothing like a fighter who had just won a title in six different divisions with bruises under both eyes.

The Golden Boy told Merchant “I trained as hard as I can and whenI came into the ring ---boom...nothing happened. Sturm is a world champion and I gave him respect but I know I can box a lot better, People have seen me fight a lot better. I was hoping I might get him early, but Felix kept his hands high. He took my body shots very well.”

Hopkins, watching at ringside, told HBO’s team “I was sure he would pull it out like a champion but my blood pressure went up waiting for that Nevada decision, Sturm fought well and had a very good jab. But if De La Hoya fought me like he fought the German, it might not go four rounds.”

Jim Lampley, HBO’s blow-by-blow man, added “you couldn’t call it highway robbery, but a questionable decision. In the eyes of the judges, Oscar had the most activity overall and they were probably swayed by the power punches.”

Roy Jones, Jr., back with the TV crew, reminded De La Hoya was coming out for the first time at160. “You
could break your neck, so you have to adjust and that’s what Oscar will do.”

Merchant’s philosophy: “This is a brilliant move. De La Hoya didn’t look good and his body didn’t look good. And I’ve never seen him hit so much, so easy. In German, Sturm means “storm and stress” and that’s what Oscar got tonight. If Oscar is honest with himself, he will know what to do the next time”.........

BOXR’S $31 MILLION SUIT LEAVES WBC BANKRUPT

Jose Sulaiman, the World Boxing Council president for life in Mexico City, was an executive with a broken heart when he instructed its counsel to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation proceedings Monday in Puerto Rico.

The WBC, generally considered professional boxing’s most prestigious ruling organizations, was forced into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003 when a New York jury awarded boxer Graciano Rocchigiani $31 million. based on his allegation the WBC stripped him illegally of the light heavyweight championship and returned it to former champion Roy Jones, Jr., without competition.

Sulaiman was hopeful the WBC could convince the court and jury it was not liable and not responsible for the harm Roccihigiani alleged.

“As much as the WBC would like to satisfy the judgment, it is simply impossible for the WBC---a non-profit organization--to pay Mr. Rocchigiani the staggering 31 million dollar award. Still, at all times, the WBC has done everything in its’ power to comply with the procedures and orders of the Federal Court in New York and the Bankruptcy Court in Puerto Rico,” Sulaiman out-lined.

Sulaiman recently said the WBC made a substantial monetary settlement offer to the deposed champion in a last attempt to give him redress. It was a generous offer Rocchigiani refused which in itself far exceeds what he could have hope to recover in WBC liquidation proceedings.

“Perhaps only a few people avid about boxing can understand the deep sorrow the WBC’s bankruptcy will signify to me personally. Our structured format included 10 continental federations which represented 161 affiliated countries. Every country devoted the very best of efforts without compensation in serving boxing. Their humble social sectors are the cradle of our boxers world-wide.”

Sulaiman took a moment to proudly note WBC world champions have included some of the immortals in the second half of the 20th Century.

Leading off with Muhammad Ali. he cherished roll call includes Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran,Julio Cesar Chavez, Carlos Monzon, Azumah Nelson, Marvin Hagler, Roy Jones, Jr., Nino Benvenuti, Emile Griffith, Tommy Hearns, Wilfredo Gomez, Eder Jofre, Chartchai Chionoi, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi, Alexis Arguello, Jungkoo Chang, Flash Elorde, Konstantin Tszyu, Vitali Klitschko, Frank Bruno, and many others who have written golden moments in the annals of the Sweet Science.

“Personally, I was born in boxing. I have lived all my life in it and I want to die in the sport I love. And I’m sure that is the wish of my colleagues in every corner of the world.”

OSCAR CRITIQUE:...Mike Tyson, former champion now preparing in Phoenix for his own comeback July 31 against Kevin McBride, rarely discusses fighters outside the heavyweight division. He made an exception after watching Oscar De La Hoya against Felix Sturm. Tyson, 35, told Kevin Iole of the Las Vegas Review-Journal he “ was shocked how poor Oscar looked against Sturm.,” adding what could be an ominous warning for De La Hoya against Bernard Hopkins.

“I have never seen Oscar get hit that much. In my life I never saw that. I told my friends he might beat Hopkins but I was thinking of the Oscar who fought Julio Cesar Chavez. He didn’t move his head. He can’t fight Hopkins like that or he will get killed.”

MAYWEATHER’S GOOD DAY, BAD DAY IN A WEEK

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., got good news, bad news back-to-back June 9-10 as the undefeated WBC 140-pound champion living in Las Vegas.

Here’s the good news first because it is less complicated. It isn’t universal yet but Mayweather’s long campaign to be the sport‘s pound-for-pound premier performer drew a response when USA Today’s boxing editor Dan Raphael topped his monthly Super Six ratings with the controversial Mayweather as his No.1 choice.

The transition was set when Antonio Tarver chilled Roy Jones in two rounds and opened the gates for Mayweather to replace Jones from the runner up spot.

USA Today’s commentary described “Mayweather as being sensational in his 140-pound debut punishing DeMarcus Corley for 12 rounds. and two knockdowns.

On the minus side, Mayweather took a few too many clean shots from Corley. There is much speculation what the reaction will be when Floyd is in a hard-punching welterweight.Mayweather’s resume is 32-0, 21 KOs.

Rounding out USA Today’s other five contenders are No.2 Bernard Hopkins, No.3 Antonio Tarver, No.4. Roy Jones, Jr., No,5 Erik Morales and No.6 Winky Wright.

The bad news segment was a little more exasperating for Mayweather who had to appear in the court of Justice of the Peace Deborah Lipis where he was convicted of two counts of misdemeanor battery stemming from an altercation in August with two women in the Luxor Hotel’s RA night club.

The women, Kaara Blackburn and Herneatha, both of Las Vegas, told police Mayweather punched them in an unprovoked attack.

The charismatic champion told the authorities he had never seen either woman at the RA club.

Justice Lipis, who suspended Mayweather’s sentence and fined him $1,000, was unimpressed with his dialogue in the court.

“You know, Mr. Mayweather i have heard some incredible stories in my life on the bench, but when you testified here, I was shocked with some of. things you said. I know you are this terrible famous figure, but that doesn’t make you right”.

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas abd and an exclusive contributor to Ringsports.Com).