9/7/06 - In Rusty's Corner
In Rusty's Corner
By Rusty Rubin, editor-in-chief of the Ringsports.com publication and website advisor is the author
of "Off the Canvas", #22873, a view of American history and the social problems of the times,
as seen by an 80-year old ex-champion. "Off the Canvas" takes you from the time of the Great
Depression till the World Trade Center disaster and is a book that has been getting rave reviews.
Copies are $15.00 each available at authorhouse.com, (22873)
Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers.
"Billy Soose, the Champion Time Forgot" #31809co-authored by Tom Donelson, is also available. Soose was the
middleweight champion of the world, beating greats like Tony Zale and Ken Overlin in less than a month's time.
Since Tom and I live in different parts of the USA, it would be hard to co-ordinate a joint signing, both
Tom or I will be available. The book is available at Authorhouse.com
(book id #31809) and other fine on-line outlets. Early sales appear strong.
Buy both books and the recipient will really appreciate your caring, and this writer
won't complain one little bit.
My upcoming book, "Woozel, Boxing and Me", #31810 (now available for purchase) is a compilation of funny and true
boxing stories, oddities and quotes, will be out within the next few weeks. "Woozel, Boxing and Me" is a final tribute
to my best friend of more than 25 years, who attended many boxing events with me. She passed away from colon cancer
in Feb. 2004. The early demand for this true, and in my not-so-humble opinion, one of the funniest boxing books
ever written, has been strong. For advance ordering or to purchase an autographed copy, please advise me ASAP.
Here's your gift special: Get all three autographed book for $55.00 plus postage, if you order by Oct. 15,
for Christmas delivery. Interested? Drop me a line for details.
All these books are available for purchase at Authorhouse.com.***
Mark Your Calendar:
Sept. 14-17, the American Association of Professional Ringside (AAPRP) holds it's convention at the Luxor in
Las Vegas. Ringsports.com East Coast Editor Jack Hirsch is being given the media award. Jose Sulaiman, Alex
Ramos and a few others are also getting their just due. Congratulations to all.
Oct. 14, 2005...World Boxing Hall of Fame induction, LAX Marriott...Call 909-239-3541...Inductees includes
Roberto Duran, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Julian Jackson, Eddie Perkins and many more. Fans would not want to miss
this tribute to some truly great boxing people.***
Sometimes it's hard to agree with a decision, which doesn't make one right or wrong, just leaves us wondering
who was watching a different fight?
One of the most interesting fights of the year was held on Sept. 2nd, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The deeply religious and very likable, hard punching Samuel Peter was awarded a split decision over James Toney,
with the winner, Peter now having a title fight with Oleg Maskaev.
A lot of folks are questioning if Peter did enough to win this important fight, and I guess two of the judges did,
finding effective aggressiveness the difference in the fight.
It wasn't a classic James Toney fight, although I did feel that he did enough to win, the decision.
Toney, normally fights a more defensive style of fight and turns his shoulders more to prevent big punches from
landing. Why he fought this way against possibly the hardest puncher in the heavyweight division is something
only he can answer, as Peter was able to land a few very solid punches during the contest.
So Peter will move on, but what will Toney do next? His last three fights were a win over John Ruiz, but a
loss of his newly claimed WBA title when he tested positive for steroids. James then fought a controversial
draw with Haseem Rahman and now this close loss to Peter. It may be a case of bad things happening in a
hurry for Toney, or not. The question now is, where does he go from here?
Only time and his promoter Dan Goossen can answer those questions, but Toney is not the type of guy who says
"I quit!" He will continue, but against whom?***
An entertaining all-women fight card in Tahoe last Thursday, at Harrah's instead of Harvey's. The fight was
promoted by Arnie "Tokyo" Rosenthal's "A Ring of Their Own".
The fight had a good turn-out with loud fans, and like all boxing cards today, they tend to play loud music as
the fighters make their way to the ring. This is omething I can personally live without.
Maybe I'm just getting old. But the fights were well worth the 45 minute drive to Lake Tahoe to watch.
All the action was there, as Elena "Baby Doll" Reid, 18-3-5 (5) took the WIBA flyweight title with a hard-fought
decision over Mary Ortega, who Dlla to 21-3-1, with 7 KO's.
On the undercard, a bit of controversy over a knockdown occurred in the bout between middleweights Erin Toughill
7-3-1, who took on Laura Ramsey, 4-3. You rarely see a match when a fighter (Ramsey) unleashes a six-punch
combination, and in a woman's boxing match, even more seldom.
Toughill never got a chance go get untracked and use her height advantage, as she fell through the ropes at
1:28 of the first round.
There seemed to be some controversy as the ropes appeared to be much looser than they should have, but I
doubt it would have made any difference. Some of Ramsey's fuselage of punches did land solidly.
It should make for a great rematch.
The rest of the card had Jill Emery winning a unanimous decision over Daria Hill in a welterweight match
and Melissa Hernandez stopped Stacy Rogers in round three in a lightweight bout.
Agree or disagree, (not about my age) I'd like to hear from you. (Rusty@ringsports.com)
Glove2Glove:
Please say prayers for long time promoter and friend, Moe Smith, who has been having some ongoing heart related problems.
Patti Brandenburg continues to have health problems and continues to need your help via prayers.
Prayers for Mae Sebastian, who is fighting a serious illness. Mae is the wife of Gene Sebastian, who gave Tom
Donelson and myself the info needed to write the book "Billy Soose, The Champion Time Forgot".
Prayers for the return to health of Ruben Chacon, uncle of RS.com's outstanding West Coast photographer, who is
ailing with prostate cancer.
Prayers needed for Elise Brown, grand daughter of Ringside Products head honcho and good boxing guy John Brown.
Young Elise has heart problems.
Prayers have also helped but continue to be needed for Dennis Wilcox, brother of boxing scribe David Wilcox, who
is in an Oregon hospital suffering from Leukemia. The family and everyone at Glove2Glove ask for your prayers
for his total recovery.
Prayers for the return to health of Audrey Talmo, wife of Ed, a long-time boxing fan who cares about our sport.
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.***
Please say prayers for the recovery of good friend and great boxing guy Norm Cote, Past President of the World
Boxing Hall of Fame, who is undergoing dialysis three times a week. Norm's a fighter and we have to be there in his corner.
Prayers also for former World Boxing Hall of Fame Presidents Dub Harris and Charlie Casas who are having some severe
health problems as well.
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.
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 absolutely 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: Judging by the amount of declension in its ranks, led by folks up for re-election,
many in the Republican Party are running like hell away from our very unpopular President.
Fortunately for them, however, is the simple fact that the Democrats are, by and large, taking the same
position as Bush, at least on issues like immigration. If this doesn't tell you that these guys don't
deserve election or re-election because they stand for the wrong things, nothing will. They claim to
represent the voters, but you don't need a Seeing Eye dog to know differently.
I know I don't just speak for myself when I say that we must stop kissing the butt of the giant corporations
(who donate to the politicians campaigns) and do something to strengthen our porous borders.
Big business likes illegal aliens because it keeps down the wages and ups their bottom line, even if it risks our
national security.
Raise the minimum wage? Great idea, but how about making it legal for only those who are here legally? Why encourage
more people to cross our open borders and take the money and benefits that legal Americans have to pay taxes for?
The blood shed by our brave soldiers to ensure our freedoms is flowing like tears because those freedoms are being
given to those who don't belong here.
If you're a legal American citizen with a family, living below the poverty line, you may never get the benefits
that people who come here illegally get. Medical care, prescription drugs and free education are just some
examples of what dishonest (illegal) citizens will get while honest ones may not.
No one is against immigration, we are a nation of immigrants. It's those who choose to take the short-cut to America,
and break our laws getting here, that I resent. A nation that doesn't enforce its own rules is, sooner or later,
be overtaken, and we cannot allow America become like Rome. Our laws are made for a reason, and that reason
isn't to break them.
Do our politicians of either party give a damn? Well, at least many members of the House of Representatives aren't
bending over and assuming the position, and that takes some courage. And you have to wonder how that may change
after Election Day, if they get re-elected. It's easy to take a popular position to get re-elected, then change
it the minute you get to Washington.
But the U.S. Senate that gets elected for six year terms, almost to a man (or woman) supports the President in his
quest to keep big business's high profitability functioning with an eye to the bottom line, cheap labor
I guess dishonesty and bribery have become a way of life in this country and it will remain this way until we get
some candidates, that can't be paid off, elected. It probably won't happen in my lifetime.
As it is, I'm turned off by the voting process by just knowing that my vote may be cancelled out by someone who
doesn't even belong in this country.
We are still the greatest nation in the world but badly need some better campaign financing laws. I can only wonder
what our founding fathers would have thought, or those brave lads and ladies who gave their all for the freedoms
we now share with people who don't belong here because they chose to break our laws and take the shortcut to
the land of milk and honey.
Maybe America should be re-named the land of 'anything for money'.***
A quick question on Iraq should be asked here, and it's a two part question. First, what happens to the
price of energy (oil) if we pull out of Iraq and allow Hizbollah (Iran) and/or Al Qaeda to take over?
The second part of the question is simple, why hasn't anyone bothered to ask this question? The answer is that
many of our leaders don't think that far ahead.
And let me make it clear, most members of both political parties are suffering from head in butt disease
(read tunnel vision.) Neither seems to have any interest in doing their job, representing the American people.
Agree, disagree or just want to help? I'd love to hear from you.
(Rusty@ringsports.com)
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