By Rusty Rubin, managing editor, of Ringsports.com, and author of “Off the Canvas”, a historically accurate view of American history and the social problems of the times, as witnessed 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 Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers. For a list of the reviews please contact me.
Also we’ll be taking orders soon on autographed copies of “Billy Soose, The Champion Time Forgot” co-authored by Tom Donelson. Since we live in different parts of the country, it would be hard to co-ordinate a joint signing, either me or Tom are available.***
This weekend at the Staples Center in LA, Julio Cesar Chavez continues his retirement tall against Ivan “Mighty” Robinson, another aging veteran of the boxing wars.
Since I’m not a fan of these type of fights, I won’t make any predictions in this space, instead, I’ll concentrate on a solid undercard, featuring a great match-up between Rafael Marquez, 33-3 against Ricardo Vargas 37-10-3, for the IBF bantamweight title.
Marquez is a great banger with a solid chin. Vargas is a solid veteran campaigner, who doesn’t know the meaning of ‘no mas’.
This doesn’t feel to be a hard fight to pick, as Marquez is going to rock Vargas with big bombs until one of these bombs puts the game Ricardo on the canvas for a 10-count. Marquez will knock out Vargas, the only question is how long it will take to land the big punch. A chin of granite can’t stand up to punch packed with steel. It would be far better for Vargas if his chin were made of kryptonite. That’s about what you need to be able to absorb the power that Marquez has.
Agree or disagree, I always welcome comments.
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 boxing jokes, stories, quips and boxing oddities to ( Rusty@ringsports.com ), thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well. All submissions used will be given full credit, if used in the book, and it will be given on who submits the story first, basis. Here’s your chance to have your name in print, instead of ‘America’s Most Wanted’ posters.***
Glove2Glove:
Please say prayers for the return to health of ring announcer Mark Beiro, who is having health problems and complications from diabetes. Mark is a good friend of this scribe, and both of us need you in his corner right now.
Prayers for boxing promoter and all around good guy Clem Crowley who could use a push in the get well ranks just about now. Also prayers for the return to health of Audrey Talmo, wife of Ed, a long-time boxing fan who cares about our sport.
A request for prayers for those who were injured/killed in an accident involving the Las Vegas Elite Boxing Team a few months back. Prayers are needed/requested for those who were injured in the tragic, fatal crash, and the souls of those who didn’t.
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.***
Prayers also requested for the Sheila Sepulveda, a long-time friend of this writer. Sheila is having some very serious health problems.
Prayers needed for the return to health of Alfonso Luna, father of our outstanding photographer Ray Luna, who has taken ill in Southern California.
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 return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***
Sandy Johnson a great gal as well as 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 moved from Reno to New York, suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but knowing him personally, 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.
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: I finally figured out what annoys me most about our President, it’s his attitude that ‘it’s my way or I’ll stand in the corner and pout and cry.’ Or better yet, he’ll veto any legislation that seems to go against his religious beliefs, or is it the religious beliefs of those who elected him? Does it matter that most Americans want stem cell research or minority rights? Not to this President.
In fairness to Mr. Bush, one certainly can’t accuse him of changing horses in mid-stream. He’s been consistent on almost all these issues, but consistent, makes him stubborn, not necessarily correct.
Having had no success in getting some of his judicial appointments approved two years ago, he forces the issue by having Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, force the issue with the ‘nuclear option’. Seems to be Bill Frist, who is a doctor, blew whatever chance he had for the Presidency by following executive orders. Maybe the President is clearing the field for someone he prefers, like his brother Jeb?
After all, if ‘W’ doesn’t get his way, and get 100% of his appointees approved, he may start to yell and have a temper tantrum. 95% is 5% too little for his absolute rule. I don’t like crybabies, regardless of political party affiliation, period.
I’m not complaining or questioning the capability of any of these judges, I have no opinion or knowledge one way or another. What I am concerned about is that there may no longer be a checks and balances system applied to minority rights, and that is very dangerous.
Here’s the lowdown folks, the President wants an up and down vote on all his judicial nominees, but won’t take an up and down vote on stem cell research. The President is supposed to be the political leader of the Country, that doesn’t give him the moral high ground to force his beliefs on us.
Mr. Bush correctly states that he got more votes for President than anyone else in history. What he doesn’t tell you is more people voted than anytime in our history.
Personally, I wouldn’t have felt too bad if the Senate hadn’t reached agreement and watch our leader explode in anger, it would be embarrassing for our Country, but maybe that’s what the voters need in order to elect qualified leaders. I didn’t have this much disagreement with President Bush in his first term, but now, I wonder if there’s someway to impeach him for impersonating a President. How about abuse of power? Forget it! Too many Republicans in Congress and besides Cheney’s next in line, and he’d even be worse.
Look I respect the office, but that doesn’t mean I have to worship the man in it. There are no Kings in America. We are supposed to be a democracy. Are you listening George II.
Truth be told however, it was great to see members of both parties showing common sense and voting for HR810, which allows for stem cell research on embryos. And if saving lives is really so important to Mr. Bush, he won’t be hypocritical and veto it, because these ‘lives’ in Petri dishes will only be destroyed anyhow.
Now Mr. Bush is threatening to veto any legislation that allows for government funding for embryonic stem cell research. Guess he’d rather see it go down the tubes than used to save innocent lives.
I respect his view that embryos are indeed human life, I’m not sure that I don’t share it, but these embryos will be wasted in any event by being disposed of. If they’re going to be wasted or destroyed anyhow, why not use it to help try to find a cure for diseases that there appears to be no hope for now? In truth, isn’t that really wasting human life?
Once again if our leader doesn’t get his own way, he’s going to get angry and in this case says he will exercise the veto because he says he ‘respects human life’. Question, if he respects human life, why are our best and bravest men risking life and limb in Iraq? And that’s both American and Iraqi lives. Our government can take taxpayer dollars and fund a war to take lives but not spend money to fund stem cell research to save and improve the quality of life? Where’s the logic Mr. President?
I have always voted for the candidate that best represents my views, and not any particular party. I didn’t vote for Mr. Bush last time out because his views on most issues aren’t even close to mine.
Since Colin Powell is against the nomination of John Bolton as Ambassador to the U.N., so am I. The fact that both President Bush and Veep Cheney support Bolton is in itself a good enough reason to vote no!
But for the record, I still intend to vote Republican next time if the Dems put up Hillary, and the GOP puts up someone who is less polarizing, and that shouldn’t be very hard to do. Other than that, it depends on the candidate and to what special interest factions they represent. If that special interest is not first and foremost the American people, than they don’t get my ballot cast for them.
Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you ( Rusty@ringsports.com ), and feel free to pass this along to your representatives, most of whom aren’t really your representatives anyhow.
