By Rusty Rubin

There are many things far more important than watching the fights, and one of those has recently come up. One that I must make our readers aware of. Veteran ring announcer, good guy and good friend, Mark Beiro suffered a severe setback due to his diabetes, and we almost lost him. I ask that anyone interested in helping out with a roast to assist with his huge medical bills contact his wife Jackie at JDBeiro@aol.com.

Jackie informs me that items are badly needed for the auction that evening, which is expected to raise the majority of the needed funds. Time to step up to the plate, be a boxing good guy and help. I know that Mark would do the same to any boxing guy in need. Mark Beiro has a heart and a voice of gold. Let’s go all out and tell Mark that we’re in his corner.

The event will be held at the Letter Carriers Hall  in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 29, and while I would love to attend, as Mark is an old and very dear friend of this scribe, it doesn’t come close to fitting in with my tight schedule for that time of year.

Jackie e-mailed me about the event, and while I know it probably belongs in our Glove2Glove segment, I wanted to make sure everyone was made aware of it. You don’t have to attend to help. Find out how by writing to Jackie. You’ll feel very good about yourself if you do.

This is our big chance to show the world how great boxing fans really are, and what makes our sport, the best sport around. I ask that you don’t let us down!***

If you subscribe to our monthly news magazine, which many do, we suggest you renew your subscription for a few years, as postal rates, thus subscription costs will be going up.***

Wayne Braithwaite seems to be one of those guys, who moves up in weight, and loses his ability to take big punches from the harder hitter. When he loses a fight, perhaps he has his chin exposed as being a bit on the glassy side, and loses confidence along with his bouts.

Braithwaite, was undefeated, until his last match with tough champion Jean Mormeck of France. After taking a beating in that one, Braithwaite tried a comeback in Cleveland, Ohio, against aging veteran Guillermo Jones.

Shades of Wladamir Klitschko, where did the confidence go? Braithwaite took a pounding from the start and saw his return to ring marked by a TKO loss to Jones. No excuses, it was a legitimate stop by the referee.

Klitschko, a heavyweight contender who hasn’t looked right since his KO loss to Corrie Sanders will try again to get back into the heat of the heavyweight picture by fighting undefeated NABF champion Samuel Peter in New Jersey on Sept. 24th. More on that in upcoming columns.***

The big fight this week takes place at the Staples Center in LA, when Erik Morales takes on Zahir Raheem, the type of fighter that can give anyone fits, and Manny Pacquiao meets tough veteran Hertor Velsazquez.

While both fights are capable of providing upsets, it’s apparent that the big fight will be the rematch between Morales and Pacquiao later this year, and for that to happen both fighters have to win.

Knowing the importance of this re-match, we’ll take Morales to handle the speedy Raheem, winning a decision or late TKO. Pacquiao may have to work a bit harder, but he won’t have to look far in finding Velazquez, who should be pretty much in his firing range all evening. Pacquiao by TKO.***

Peter, 24-0, is a native of Nigeria and has been training for this important fight in Reno, which seems to have become his second home. In fact, on Tuesday, Sept. 6, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell will proclaim that day as Samuel Peter Day in the “Biggest Little City in the World”.***

Beg pardon: In my last column, while promoting the outstanding class going into the Los Angeles based World Boxing Hall of Fame on October 22, I had left out the name of Glen Flanigan.

Glen, the older brother of another Hall of Famer, Del Flanigan, fought all the iron in the featherweight, lightweight and jr. welterweight divisions in the 40’s and 50’s. He was only stopped once, by a badly cut eye.

Early in his career Flanigan won 44 fights in a row in California. Among those he stepped into the ring with were, in no particular order, Jimmy Carter, Dulio Loi, Orlando Zulueta, Laurel Salas and Jackie Graves twice.

Glen Flanigan, like his younger brother Del, truly belongs in the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

So mark your calendar for Oct. 22, at the Crowne Plaza Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, where the LA based World Boxing Hall of Fame has their 26th annual induction ceremony.

To get your tickets for this not-to-be-missed annual event, call (951)782-9688 or (909) 239-3541…For more information go www.wbhf.org.

There’s also a memorabilia and collectables show on the same day, from 10 AM to 4 PM.

Hope to see everyone at ringside.***

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 (or in my case, America’s Least Wanted’.***

And a new website for you to check out, (story upcoming in a future posting) Americanboxer.tv. They have a new concept that everyone should be interested in. Stand by.

Glove2Glove:

Prayers 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 asks for your prayers in his recovery.

Prayers for the return to health of Audrey Talmo, wife of Ed, a long-time boxing fan who cares about our sport.

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.***

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: While I agree with the outrage felt by most Americans at not only the slow support that our government responded with at the disaster on the Eastern Gulf cities, including New Orleans, I’m not surprised.

Our government obviously has not got the resources they said they did because of our involvement in Iraq and elsewhere. If that is not the case, then why the slow response to the tragedy? It has been suggested that this administration doesn’t care about poor black folks. I certainly hope this is not the case.

I’d rather not see our elected officials described as racists, even if the term is used out of frustration. Uncaring, slow, dullards, maybe, but I doubt that racism exists in the Oval Office. Sure, the Republicans rarely get much of the black vote, but that doesn’t mean they want bad things to happen to the minorities in the stricken Cities. After all, Bush has appointed a few blacks to key posts in his administration, most notably Colin Powell and Condi Rice, although being people of color, neither come close to fitting the description above.

It’s easy to understand the frustration that the poor people of New Orleans felt, but that doesn’t give anyone, rich or poor, black or white, a license to steal, particularly from your neighbors, who had suffered enough already.

It seems like everyone but the administration knew that Katrina was going to cause some extensive damage a day or so out, so why wasn’t our government prepared?

No matter what spin President Bush puts on this issue, he has a lot of well deserved egg on his face, if for nothing else making Mike Brown the head of FEMA, a man who has no experience in the area.

So why the slow response? Certainly the food and water was available and could have been dropped sooner. The water filled trucks that Walmart gratefully sent could certainly have helped save lived, yet FEMA turned them away. I don’t know, but I do know that some people have to and should be held fully responsible for the delay that obviously cost many lives that otherwise could have been saved.

But for now, let’s forget the politics of politics and deal with the world of pain and suffering now present on the Gulf Coast.

Like most civilized people in this world, my heart goes out to those victims of hurricane Katrina, where thousands are feared dead and many more homeless.

I don’t object to donating money to the worthy cause of helping others in need, and anyone who can afford it should feel the same.

New Orleans is/was one of my favorite cities, atmosphere and dining wise. And for the most part the people who live there always seem to show the Southern hospitality. But a disaster like Hurricane Katrina can and often does bring out the worst in many people, particularly those who are already impoverished and had no money to get out of town.

But the picture that other parts of America and the World saw was the looting and lack of civilized behavior on the part of a relatively few natives, which sadly made the image the world saw was that some Americans looked like a bunch of crooks.

While the looting was news and should have been reported, the photos of these criminals robbing their neighbors got way too much coverage than needed. Taking food was one thing, but taking large appliances was another. And needless to say taking guns could become something a bit scary down the road.

Still as a member of the media, I applaud the great job they did in showing the faces and heartache of those who had the misfortune of being caught in the disaster, but I decry the media for showing the few lowlifes who did the looting and some the shooting. It was an ugly scene, better left to a minimum of coverage.

And the crimes did not only take place on the Gulf Coast. Some jerks all over the country raised their gas prices in greed, taking advantage of their less fortunate neighbors, not just the ones who were affected by the hurricane. Shame on them. They are a far cry from the Americans I grew up with.

Anger and poverty are the major reasons for the Gulf Coast looting, but there are never any excuses for criminal behavior. Yes, the pro big oil-big business Bush administration have made life for the poor and middle class tough, but the response should come at the ballot box, not at the expense of other impoverished people or those trying to help.

Again my heart says help, and I have, but my brain asks one question: is it wise to rebuild a City, albeit a great City, in the same location, under sea lever? Maybe if they could use the technology used in Holland it would help, but as I recall Holland doesn’t suffer many hurrincaes.

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you. I respect everyone’s opinion. (Rusty@ringsports.com).