It Hurts Me to Say This
by Howie Reed
What in the golly heck is going on in boxing. Never before in the history of the sport have we seen so many bouts cancelled due to “injury”. TSR, rightfully so, took Russian heavyweights to tasks for “injury” cause delays or cancellations. Now everybody’s gotten into the act. The latest Yodsanan “3K Battery” Nanthachai who bowed out of his June 26 match up with Ruskie Sergey Sorokin. This fade out took place 17 days before the opening bell.
This was just days before TSR got the following request from Sir Frog who emailed from the lily pad disguised as a fine Belgium restaurant. “Hope Yodsanan gets back to the top. He deservers it! Keep me updated on him.” Done. Not to cast aspiration on today’s boxers but they do seem a little frail. Years ago The Lord of the Manor was playing rodeo and broke his wrist. He was seen at a rodeo the following week. “You entered ?” “No broke my wrist.” “Hummmmm long way from your heart.”
With the David Haye-Wladimir Klitachko tossed into file “13” for good , what’s next for Haye? Could be the other half of the Klitschko family. Vladimir Klitschko is looking for a fight to fill a September 26 HBO TV date. Wladimir, who the Lord of the Manor, touted to get whipped by Haye, has now cleared that hurdle. Haye blew his chance. A tip of the fedora to cable giant HBO in the USA who said “Thanks but no thanks” to the Klitechko-Chagaev. This one could have been for 4 heavyweight titles, three held by Klitschko, but the WBA put Chagaev’s position as champion in recess “under review.”
At O2 Arena, London, England Empty..
The June 20 match up between fight Andriy Kotelnik (31-2-1) vs. Amir Khan (20-1) for a meaningless WBA jr. welter could have prove the metal of Kahn. He was getting way too much credit for beating an over the hill Marco Antonio Barrera. He’s still not taking the step to “super star”. Which seems to be the norm these days, the fight was cancelled as Kotelnik suffered a tooth infection and a minor injury. It’s been rescheduled for July 18 at the M.E. N. Arena in Manchester. London’s 02 Arena is occupied that night by a Michael Jackson concert. No comment needed.
Also out the window will be the comeback fight of Floyd Mayweather Jr. scheduled for July 18 against Juan Manual Marquez for Las Vegas. Mayweather reportedly suffered cartilage damage to his ribs so he’ll be ridding the pine for awhile. Reports are that September is the new date for this so called “mega-fight” which this isn’t. With all the cancellations and delays thank goodness there were some fights.
At Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
Miguel Cotto (34-1) had been a star waiting to happen for some time. For many that day arrived when he took Shane Mosley to the woodshed last year. Then came his big fight with Antonio “Hands of Brown Stuff” Margarito and all that changed. Not only did Cotto get his first loss but got beaten to a bloody pulp in the process. Prior to Margarito’s next fight against Shane Mosley it was discovered that there was a substance in his hand wraps that caused them to harden when wet. Margarito’s now in the sin bin for one year which is about nine years too few.
In boxing there is an old adage, there are no new adages, that a boxer is measured by how he reacts to his first loss. The general consensus was that Cotto responded well. One writer for FightNews wrote, “Any questions regarding what Miguel Cotto had left after the beating he absorbed from Antonio Margarito last summer were put to rest at Madison Square Garden.” TSR could not disagree more. The Miguel Cotto of old would have gone through Joshua Clottey (35-3) like corn through a seagull. Instead he got a split decision (115-112, 116-111, 113-114) which TSR had 114-113 for Cotto. There was a clash of heads in the third from which Cotto emerged with a bad gash over his left eye. He never got over the cut or the flow of blood that ran for the next 9 rounds. Either his new cut man couldn’t stem the tide or just flat didn’t have the knowledge. Whether this caused Cotto to be more cautious or distracted him he was not the Cotto of old. He was tentative in a very good fight but not close to be the super star he was suppose to be.
Cotto-Pacquiao… Big Mistake
Manny Pacquiao had a deal on the table to fight Shane Mosley at an agreed upon weight. The split would have been 60-40 in Pacquiao’s favor. It would have been an interesting fight especially in light of Mosley’s dismantling of ‘Cement Hands” Antonio Margarito. With Cotto’s win a fight against Pacquiao became not only “saleable” but probably a reality. It’s penciled in for November 14 in Las Vegas at a “catch weight” of 143-144 pounds. Bad move for Cotto who will get beaten to a pulp and all for money.
Schalke Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
P.T. Barnum didn’t say, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” The truth is that that the quote belongs to a Barnum rival David Hannum. Regardless of who gets the credit there must be some truth involved as 60,000 “suckers” jammed the Schalle Stadium to watch Wladimir Klitschko successfully defend his IBF/WBO heavyweight title. The nine-round punching bag in this case was Ruslan Chagaev (25-1-1) who quit on his stool with an assist from a doctor due to a cut eye. Chagaev did nothing during the bout but get knocked down by a good right hand in the second and collect jabs with various parts of his body. One non-sucker was Pattaya’s own O.R. “Did Ja” Cross who made no attempt to get up on a Sunday morning after a Saturday night in Pattaya Paradise.
Sir Frog, expert in residence at TSR, takes a different view. “ Klitschko was very fast this time, no amateur boxing this time, he was well prepared, very fast jab and left and right, Chageav couldn't reach Klitschko in no way, took a big punishment in the corner, not for nothing they call Klitschko "the Hammer" when Chageav stopped in his corner, Emanuel Steward in his corner or not, no chance! Was worth to wake up 2.30 am this time, ha ha Frog”
Sir Frog must have been behaving himself on a Pattaya Saturday night. What a waste of a Pattaya Saturday night. There is an old saying that “if you put 100 monkeys in a room with typewriters they would eventually write the great novel.” TSR would like to add if Emanuel Steward was doing the training they’d be pumping out Shakespeare in weeks. What he’s done with Klitschko makes Dr. Frankenstein seem like a rank amateur.
ROY JONES IN AUSSIE
Many thought it strange when a mystery injury cancelled the Danny Green-Shannon Taylor fight scheduled for August. Fret no more. Mystery solved. Instead Green will fight on the August 15 under card of the Roy Jones jr.-Jeff Lacy fight in Florida. Then it’ll be a Green-Jones fight in the land of Aussie late in the year. The plan is for Green to fight who ever owns the IBO (I Be Ordinary) cruiserweight title so the fight in Aussie will give Jones the chance for a world title at a fifth weight. One writer from Australia called the possible Green-Jones match up. “ probably Australia’s biggest boxing match up since Jack Johnson came to the country and fought Tommy Burns in 1908 in Sydney for the world heavyweight title.” Poppycock.
Johnson-Burns was the first time a black man had ever fought for the heavyweight title. Johnson had chased Canadian Burns around the world buying tickets to his title fights then sitting at ringside and taunting him. Early in the first round following a clinch Johnson landed a hellish punch that sent Burns sprawling to the canvas. From that point on Johnson would flash is gold tooth while yelling “Poor old Tahammy”. “There was not on second of any round that Burns won,” one observer noted. By the 14th round the 20,000 that attended on Boxing Day 1908 were yelling that the slaughter ought to be stopped. The police finally stepped in with referee Hugh McIntosh, who Johnson said was the only white man he could trust, raising Johnson hand in victory. Green-Jones a repeat ? Not even close.
JEEVES TIME
“Your Lordship Sir Frog sent me a email extolling the ‘hoopla” during the Klitschko fight. “Forgot to tell your Lord and Master that the Americans can learn from the Germans. The show they put on was amazing. Fireworks, light work, the entree into the ring ect. WAW. Frog”. What does Your Lordship have to say ?
“Scribe this down Jeeves. “Dear Frog. It is with great pleasure that I hereby report to you the final scores from World War 1 and II. America 2-Germany 0. Learn that.” Now Jeeves bring on the lager, the cigars and a little John Philips Souza march music as we wish all Yanks a Happy 4th of July because Cheewit dee khrup”
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