For the record, I never wrote or said that Danny Williams had no heart. What I wrote was that some friends in the U.K. told me that. I wasn’t questioning it, just stating a fact as presented to me by some friends who have obviously seen Williams fight.

In truth, why should I question it? I want Williams to become a world champion. Boxing needs new blood and hopefully Williams will do just that. The heavyweight division is terrible, and with all those comebacks now, Holyfield, Bowe, etc. it will only get worse.***

Excellent fight this weekend on HBO, when two undefeated, 20-0 fighters face off in Puerto Rico. Kelson Pinto faces Miguel Cotto. Pinto, from Brazil, has 18 KO’s to his credit while Cotto, gets the home court advantage and shows a lot of power as well.

This is a fight that can end with one punch. Cotto has faced the better ‘names’ in the welterweight division, but that doesn’t discount Pinto, who has fought most of his bouts South of the Border. Just because you haven’t fought ‘names’ doesn’t mean you can’t fight and beat them.

Either way, it should be a fun fight to watch. My pick Cotto by late stoppage or decision.***

And I want all our great readers to keep in mind that Rick Schroeders new movie, Black Cloud, will soon be coming to a theatre near you. I urge you not to miss it! It’s a great boxing that deals with both Olympic style boxing and the evils of racism and other problems of the Native Americans.

My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org

Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all jokes, quips and boxing oddities to Rngsports@aol.com, thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well.***

Update: We are again taking orders for autographed copies of my new book, “OFF THE CANVAS”. Check our website for details, or for an autographed copy, just $15, send me an e-mail. It’s also available on the web at Authorhouse.com, ID#22873, or through major on line book stores like Borders, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks or Amazon.com, and some of the major bookstores. If the store you frequent doesn’t have copies, you can ask them to order if for you.***

Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.

Glove2Glove:

Prayers for the soul of Joey Curtis former referee, who passed away in Las Vegas a few months ago, but unfortunately no one notified me at the time.

Herb Platzner, father of RS.com scribe Harrin is having heart problems. Prayers for his health would be much appreciated.***

Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***

Prayers are requested for Donna Jean Landers, boxing fan from Oklahoma, who has been fighting cancer for three years. She needs your help my friends.

Please say prayers for wife of RS.com writer Marty Carson (auto accident) who is having health problems) of Indiana. Marty is a long time friend and a boxing. expert.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***

Sandy Johnson a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***

Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who suffered a stroke a few years back may be down, but knowing him, he’s far from out.***

Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease. And to Arthur Terciera, father of writer Keith, also having heart related problems.***

Prayers are requested for Ringsports.com photo journalist Dale Hausner of Arizona, who is having problems with cancer.***

Prayers are requested for Kenneth E. Ryther father of our photo journalist Amy Green. Kenneth is suffering from Parkinson’s.***

Prayers for Ed “Whitey” Hadar, a former boxer who is having some serious health problems.***

Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***

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-denominational 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: There’s something that can be done to control the high costs of drugs. I don’t know how much difference it would make, but it’s worth a try.

How about stopping all commercials on radio, TV and even publications (yes, websites) also. Not only are these commercials expensive and annoying, but they aren’t necessary. I think my doctor knows what to prescribe for me, at least I hope so. And I don’t see advertising non over the counter products selling one more of these pharmaceuticals.

I don’t enjoy commercials, except maybe when there’s a dog or cat in it. But my feelings towards ads are secondary to the waste of money these companies use to push their product, which I believe would substantially reduce the cost of the product.

For the record, the USPO also advertises on occasion, and that also adds to their deficit and raises the cost of postage for all of us.

I think we can all think of other companies that advertise and need not to, that raise our costs of purchase. In fact, if you’re a stockholder in these companies, doesn’t the expenditure devalue your investment?***

My least favorite Republican has long been the arrogant Dick Cheney, who is giving me, with his arrogant statements, more and more reasons to vote Democratic. His recent statement that America would be attacked more often if John Kerry was elected is so absurd, even I can’t believe he said it.

The only way he could legitimately make that outrageous statement is if he spoke to every terrorist and they assured him that as long as George Bush was President, there will be no attacks on the United States.

The bottom line is that it’s crap like this, and the bull thrown by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that make me want to vote for someone who volunteered and fought for his country with honor. I’d rather have a guy who fights for his country like Kerry any day over a guy who was too busy to serve. And the full story of President Bush and the National Guard hasn’t been released yet either.

If this was the only issue in the campaign, I’d vote Democratic if nothing else but on general principles, because I hate this negative and stupid crap that Cheney tends to throw around. But I’ll wait till after the debates to make up my mind. There are many other issues that impact all of us, so we shouldn’t act in haste. But at least I can thank Dick Cheney for helping me make up my mind on this issue.

But then again, maybe, just maybe, this is a move by Karl Rove, to give President Bush a reason to get rid of Cheney and get a more popular guy for Vice President, which should all but sew up the election.***

Finally, full credit to all the security forces that acted with heroism to prevent any attacks at the Democratic and Republican Conventions and the Olympic Games in Athens.

Marie Antoinette said to the hungry masses “let them eat cake”. To paraphrase this to all the terrorists I say: “Let them eat pork!”***

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you.