The Square Ring July 3 2010
by Howie Reed
As mentioned probably to the point of “ad nausea” to most this is a column for and by boxing fans. Boxing fans care about the sport and just as passionately about the boxers. Boxing is suppose to be a contest between two individuals with the referee in attendance to see that rules are enforced and the safety of boxers protected. While the name of this person is being withheld he is well known in boxing circles. The last column which highlighted referee Arthur Merchant jr. prompted the following response.
“The fighter that died was Beethavean Scottland and Mercante Jr. despite everybody asking for the fight to be stopped, let it continue and George Jones kept beating Scottland who died the next day. Mercante Jr. was also merciless in the way he handled the beating that Pernell Whitaker put on Diobelys Hurtado. I got to know Diobelys and he barely remembered anything about the beating, he was out on his feet. Yet Mercante Jr. let the beating continue while Hurtado was entangled in the ropes and one Whitaker left after another landed on a helpless opponent. There were other fights where Mercante Jr. refused to step in and help a defenseless and beaten fighter, Donovan "Razor" Ruddock vs. Michael Dokes.
To me Arthur Mercante Jr. as is often the case these days, be it the entertainment business or anywhere a guy can get by with a name and not talent and heads of organizations put them in. My personal gut feeling is that Mercante Jr. loves the camera time and thus gets caught in the moment, but as the official stated, "has no innate feeling for what is happening to the fighters"
ANOTHER VIEW
It’s always bad policy to attack a person or a performance without providing a possible suggestion to improve the situation. This idea comes from a professional referee who got a copy of TSR. “ I thought Mercante's actions were heroic, just like a brave trainer pushing a blinded boxer off the stool in a fight he cannot win...which happened to me a couple of times. My belief is that a referee, if he has had no boxing experience, should have to train to a level so he can spar a few times, and even have a amateur bout, or two. It would let the referee attain a modicum amount of empathy for what a fighter is going through and maybe be a little less brave for what he feels a fighter can take, obvious evidence to the contrary. I woulda thunk Mercante would have had a bout or two in NYC....? Maybe not, cause he sure was brave for the fighter.”
HOOKS AND JABS
JC Chavez Jr.
It was a fight that was suppose to prove either that Julio Cesar Chavez jr. at 42-0 was the “real deal” or that John Duddy (29-1) wasn’t. After 12 rounds at the Alamodome in San Antonio the Chavez question is still pretty much unanswered. For all reports it was an action fight with Chavez winning easily 120-108, 117-111, 116-112 The score alone should answer the other question posed. John Duddy is not now nor has he ever been primetime. Duddy pretty much summed up his performance when after the fight he said to Promoter Bob Arum “I wish I could have given you a better fight.” After 42 fights it’s time for Chavez to actually step up and fight the likes of … well actually the middleweight division is pretty much up for grabs as it’s devoid of big names. Arum is taking about a fight with Miguel Cotto but then what he’s really trying to do is find a good payday for Cotto who is sliding down the mountain.
Big Things that go bump
WBO/IBF/INO heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko (54-3) will defend the I Be Fixin title on September 18th at the 55,000 seat Commerzbank Stadium in Frankfurt Germany. Klitschko will face Alexander Povetkin who’s built a 19-0 record against “the usual suspects” including Eddie Chambers who last out put on a dreadful performance against Klitschko. Of course the real heavyweight fight out there is David “El Pollio “ Haye who ducks any Klitschko. Haye instead is tuning up for an important defense of his WBA (We Be Anonymous) title against Audley “The Fraudly” Harrison. November 13th in England. You don’t need to look for the heavyweight division you can smell it a mail away.
Always a big time David Tua fan, Jeeves, is glad to see him back in the USA. He’s in Jersey City training with Roger Bloodworth for a July 17th fight against Monte “No Guns” Barrett 34-9. Tua will probably extend his winning streak to 9 on this comeback. Tua’s overall record is 51-3 which is also a little deceiving. When up against the best he’s failed to connect. Barrett qualifies as a “usual suspect” having lost three on the run but against David Haye (24-1), Odlanler Solis (16-0) and Alexander Ustinov(21-0). Solis in time may be the best of the bunch. It’s been over 2 years since Barrett has scored a win. Then it was against “Railroad” Tye Fields in 1. If trainer Bloodworth can teach the “Tuaman” to move just a little it is a legitimate contender. Well that’s what Jeeves says.
PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER JR.
Former Las Vegas review Journal boxing guy Kevin Iole broke the story this week that Pacquiao-Mayweather jr. seems to be on track for a November 13 meeting in Las Vegas. As the boxing world knows the stumbling block has been Pacquiao’s refusal to accept “random drug testing” which is now, according to Promoter Bob Arum, now a non-issue. But it’s still not a done deal. Mayweather jr/has yet to sign his “John Henry” on the dotted line or any other line for that matter. The only remaining question is whether Mayweather jr. wants to fight this year.
JEEVES TIME
As my many fans known when calling at Patong Beach I always stop in at 91.6 FM to help up and coming DJ Doris. Doris ? Yes Doris a chap with a lady’s name but then that’s not unusual in Thailand. During my absence the program and station sometimes struggle for top flight guests. Recently they scored with retired boxer and movie star Gary Stretch. Stretch had a professional record of 23-2 with one of those loses coming at the hands of Chris Eubank in 1991. After 5 rounds in that one Stretch was trailing 48-47 on two cards and 49-47 on the other. Then in the 6th “Stretch got stretched”. He was called the Glamour Boy of Boxing as he became a male model and movie star. His best film may have been Dead Man’s Shoe’s. His last fight was in 1993 when he defeated Steve Goodwin 59 ½ to 58 ½ . No it was not the Steve Goodwin that wrote the perfect country western song “You Don’t Have to Call Me Darling……Darling”.
Tomorrow we Brits will be celebrating July 4th as the day we got rid of the likes of his Lordship. It is indeed a grand day. So instead of lager, a cigar and some sounds I’m suggesting baseball on the telly, apple pie and Bar-B-Que. OK toss in a few lagers because Cheewit dee khrup” Oh yes HAPPT BIRTHDAY AMERICA |
