 6/15/07 - Howie ReedThe Square Ring: by Howie Reed 'Your Lordship, you really should clarify your remarks about your fellow Yank, Shannon Briggs. Last week you wrote: "Briggs' after-fight comments are what one would expect from a low life bum." Would you like to explain Your Lordship?' Thank you Jeeves, and like those that serve in the Congress of the USA, I would like to extend and revise my remarks. Mr. Briggs is not a low life bum. Mr. Briggs is a 'knucklehead'. He said after the fight, "I had pneumonia. I was on Zithromax for three days, antibiotics for fifteen days. Don King took me to the best pulmonary doctors in the country. The doctor told me not to fight. I told him I would pull out if he'd pay me US$1.8 million dollars." O.K. let's call a time out here, return the running lips to a neutral corner and consider what this 'knucklehead' said. Briggs goes to a doctor, although he never states when, where or who. Then 'Mr. knucklehead' asks the doctor to give him US$1.8 million not to fight? I don't think so. But heck, even if he didn't ask the doctor, why would anyone give him money not to fight? Next, did the 'Dictator' of the New Jersey Control Board, Larry Hazzard, know of this trip to a doctor? Probably, as the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board assigned Dr. Michael Kelly to review all of Briggs pre-licensing medical as well as pre and post fight medical exams. "Mr. Briggs' lungs were examined both prior to and after the bout, said the Board. "Mr. Briggs was questioned about how he felt after the bout. Mr. Briggs was cleared to fight by Dr. Kelly and Dr. Kelly saw no reason for him to seek medical treatment after the bout. The NJSACB had no concerns about Briggs' physical ability to compete that night." Remember that Briggs asked for a postponement of the fight in March because of pneumonia but at that time said, "I never went to a doctor." Now he's not well and won't fight if someone will give him US$1.8 million dollars. Heck Shannon, me too!! Of the March delay and his 'phony' pneumonia claim Briggs said, "They called me a liar and a phony. They threatened to sue me. They said I'd never get another fight ... that I'd never fight on TV again." I have no idea who 'they' were, are or was, but they were probably 100% correct. Briggs continued, "With all due respect to Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson, I'm the greatest of all time because I did it with asthma. I won the heavyweight title twice with a disease." As the late Irene Maude Reed, Grand Dame of the Reeds, would say, "My God the bridge." The only thing that Briggs is the greatest of all time at is being a 'phony.' Briggs should be ashamed to mention his name with that of Robinson and Ali. The only thing he has in common with them is that he's fought as a professional boxer - and him being a not a very good one at that. One of the Muslim terrorist suspects arrested in connection with the plot to blow up oil lines to JFK Airport in New York City was Abdel Nur of Guyana. The name may not ring a bell but his nephew is Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis who was the first Guyanan world champion boxer. He won the vacant WBA welter title in February of 2001 when he knocked out James Page in seven. The fight in Las Vegas was televised throughout the USA and made "Six Heads" an instant star. He was exciting, throwing punches from all angles. He defended successfully once against Larry Marks. Against fellow wild man Ricardo Mayorga, Lewis went 'loopy' - head butted like a Billy Goat and opened a nasty cut causing no-nonsense referee Marty Denkin to stop the fight after two rounds. The rematch was no contest as Mayorga whacked out Lewis in five. Since getting KO'd in two by Antonio Margarito in "Ought 3", Lewis has gone 1-1-1 against Denny Dalton. Asked about his uncle the terrorist, Lewis said, "I never knew him as a person who would be a terrorist." And the nickname? Story is that Lewis once hit a boxer so hard that when looking up the downed fighter said, "He looked like he had six heads." After a 30-year absence, big time boxing returned to Antwerp in Belgium last week. Gotta love the guy at the top of the card. Local hero Jackson "Sugar the ball brains" Osei Bonsu (24-1), defended his EBU 147lb title against Italian Cristian De Martinis (20-1). It was a classic struggle with De Martinis kissing canvas 3 times in rounds 3 and 4. In the final round with both boxers giving it their all, De Martinis was rocked by a vicious right hand that dropped him harder than a broke punter during Cobra Gold. The challenger was out on the canvas for 15 minutes before being taken out by stretcher. He remained in hospital for a couple of days. Is there a better nickname than "Sugar the ball brains"? Nope. My goodness, gracious - what a great day of boxing on Sunday. To those that whine about things that are wrong with boxing, a day like Sunday will 'cure the patient'. The one not recommended in these corners was Antonio Tarver coming back after a year off. Right again. Fell asleep three times in 12 rounds. Tarver won, who cares? The real action took place before more than 20,000 screaming fans in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Miguel Cotto and Zab Judah put on what could only be labeled a "great show." Our pals Patrick the 'Flying Frog' and O.R. Cross both watched the fight last Sunday - Patrick from his five-star Belgium Restaurant. 'The Frog' wrote: "One of the best fights I saw this year. First two rounds Cotto was hit by Zab with uppercuts (but) Zab couldn't finish. Cotto survived to continue his attacking game plan. Cotto got a point deducted for 2 low blows. Zab was cut on the right eye in the fourth and had problems to see. Cotto continued hammering and Judah took a knee to escape the assault. Cotto continued to brutalize Judah in the tenth. Judah was floored by a right hand in the eleventh and referee Arthur Mercante jr. stopped the fight after Cotto's follow-up assault." Sometimes two guys see the same fight different - not this time! O.R. concurs with 'The Frog.' "The Cotto/Judah mixer has to be my personal 'fight of the year'", wrote O.R. "Miguel Cotto is now 40 and 0 but it didn't come to him easily. He was the stronger of the two but Judah had the faster hands. Zudah hit Cotto with three very quick uppercuts in the 3rd and used that weapon frequently until the end. Judah went down in the 1st and 3rd from low blows. The first one looked like a questionable delayed reaction to my eyes. The one in round three was clearly flagrant. Judah also sustained a cut on the right eye in that round. "Judah staggered Cotto in the 7th with more uppercuts. In the 9th Judah took a knee after Cotto gave him a whacking in the corner. In round 11 the accumulation of Cotto's punches put Judah down for an eight-count. The referee stopped it at 49 seconds into the 11th. Judah gave an excellent, super fight!" O.R. probably would have given a more detailed account except he had some 'problems'. "Enough rambling from this end. Off to the TQ to try and mend some fences that were broken when your manservant told the TQ girls that I said they couldn't dance, even if someone put fire ants in their panties." For readers of this column in America, the fight will be replayed tomorrow on HBO. The 'Flying Frog' hit it out of the park when he ended with, "Cotto is a true champion for me and a very nice guy as well." That's true but this fight will only enable Cotto's critics to point out that no one has had this much trouble with Judah. Neither Carlos Baldomir nor Floyd Mayweather jr. had any trouble handling either Judah's power or speed. Cotto's ability to take a punch has been questioned and those questions still remain. Hard to believe that Judah is a better fighter than when he was destroyed by Kostya Tszyu or lost to Cory Spinks. This fight may have been Judah's Alamo, (clever reference to Pernell Whitaker beating JC Chavez in the Alamo Dome only to get robbed of the win back in 1993), or showed that unlike a painting by Rembrandt, Cotto has some flaws. As Mom use to say: "Use pays your money and takes your choice." Jeeves, if I told you that the WBC had named Jermain Taylor 'Boxer of the Month' for his win over Cory Spinks and that Kelly Pavlik was runner up, what would you say? 'Your Lordship, I would then reckon that using the same rules you are the best boxing writer in the world, the next great Bolshoi Diva will come from the line of either the TQ or Tiffany's, pigs are flying, the cow jumped over the moon and we had best get into the lager, cigars and music a bit early this week as the world has gone crazy.' 
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