By Rusty Rubin

Just returned from LA, where I addressed the Golden State Boxers Assn. I saw a number of old friends, and made many new members of my family. To me, all boxing people are my family.

On hand was Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon, Gwen Adair and Mando Ramos to name a few. As well as other friends like David Martinez and Ray Luna. It’s good to see your friends more than once a year, particularly as we grow older.

Julian Eget is doing a fantastic job helping the fighters in Southern California. As President of the GSBA, a non-profit group, he is committed to building a home for indigent boxers in Southern California. Dues are just $10.00 a year, and it goes to a wonderful guy and a wonderful cause. For more information on how to get involved, drop me a line.

I’ll have more information on Julian and this group in future updates.

Was I upset at the fight results from Madison Square Garden on Saturday? Yes and no. Like just about every so-called expert, I expected Mormeck and Judah to have little problem with their foes, particularly Zab, who had a big match planned with Floyd Mayweather Jr. after he won this tune-up against Carlos Baldomir.

Zab may have made the mistake of underestimating his seemingly weak hitting foe, and wound up losing a unanimous decision, ala Erik Morales v. Zaher Raheem. While I picked Judah to win, it wasn’t because I liked the way he fought or his warm fuzzy personality, just that I knew it was a tune-up and Baldomir was a hand-picked opponent. As long as I didn’t make a wager, I won’t complain about the close decision in a very exciting fight.

As for Mormeck, coming off a big win in his previous encounter, he looked like an easy winner over O’Neil Bell, who, up until this fight, hasn’t really shown a lot in recent months.

Like so many others, I thought this fight was an easy one for the Frenchman, and was really shocked when Bell actually scored the TKO win in round ten.

Maybe 2006 will be the year of big surprises in boxing, but I’m not quite convinced just yet.

The New Year has gotten off to a good start in boxing, but the next real action is two weeks hence (Jan. 21) when Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao go at it again, in an exciting PPV fight from Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.***

Agree or disagree, we’d like to hear from you. (Rngsportsr@aol.com).

Glove2Glove:

Let’s say a prayer for the father of Eva Futch, a great friend, and the widow of legendary trainer Eddie, who passed away in 2001. Eva’s father’s cancer has returned and needs all the support we can give him, and please pray that Eva has the strength to cope with this difficult challenge she faces at so close to her having lost her esteemed husband.

Prayers needed for Elise Brown, grand daughter of Ringside Products head honcho and good boxing guy John Brown. Young Elise has heart problems.

Prayers have also helped but continue to be 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 ask for your prayers for his total 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: The new kickback scandal is really running havoc and causing guilty politicians of both parties to run for cover.

While few would doubt that the pols. are willing to take big bucks from anyone they can, in order to remain entrenched in office, there is a major difference between getting illegal donations and stealing from the Indian tribes.

Tom Delay, who has long been known to be an associate of admitted thief/bribery felon, Jack Abramoff, and now it’s Delay who is being forced to step down from re-taking his past post as Majority Whip in the House.

Delay is one guy that I don’t feel sorry for. His arrogant statement last year that Terri Schiavo was lucid speaks volumes about the way he panders to his base, the religious right. The Republicans do not need Delay to embarrass them any further.

Have to wonder which other Congressman and Senators are involved. Technically, you can go all the way up to our Commander in Chief on this one, although no one is claiming that President Bush would intentionally do anything illegal. I for one would never believe that.

And speaking of the religious right, has the Reverend Pat Robertson lost it? Some of his recent statements are so outrageous, that they almost make Delays previous nonsensical and insensitive remarks sound normal.

Along with Ariel Sharon we should all hope for a return to ‘normal’ mental health for Robertson, who certainly has been a force for good in this world over the years.***

The regular readers of this column know that my limited support for President Bush became far more limited when he made his “mission accomplished” speech, and then had us remain in Iraq, putting America in what seems to be a lose – lose situation. But they also know that I’m an equal opportunity offender, and I call it like I see it. I don’t play favorites!

But what two Americans that I once held in high esteem said, in Venezuela, was absolutely obscene, although I do defend their right to free speech and to their own opinion.
I refer to Harry Belafonte, who’s singing (mostly calypso) and acting made him one of my favorites, and another outstanding actor Danny Glover.

In the Marxist country of Venezuela, in front of the left wing President, Hugo Chavez, and many natives, these two famous Americans called our elected leader the biggest terrorist in the world today.

Forgive me if I disagree, although no great fan of our President, I do believe he is doing what he has to do to protect American lives.

To compare Bush to the real terrorists is not only un-American, but insulting.

How can anyone accuse Mr. Bush of being worse than the Al-qaeda terrorists who want to kill us because we live and believe differently than they do? It wasn’t our President who flew those planes into the World Trade Center on 9/11. Last time I checked he had not ordered any enemy beheaded on television (or elsewhere).

I rarely find myself defending any politician and least of all our leader, because I happen to disagree with the way they operate. Bottom line is that there has been no attack upon America since 9/11, and the President is entitled to take credit for that.

No one is assuming that an attack on Americans, on our own soil, will not happen. It will, and it’s just a matter of time. But that attack may be limited by the ‘terrorist’ actions of Mr. Bush, and if it is, he deserves our thanks, not our distain.

I suggest that Mr. Belafonte, should return to Jamaica where he said goodbye to in his biggest hit, and figure out where he left his mind.

As for Mr. Glover, it’s sad to see such an outstanding actor be so full of hate that he doesn’t have a full picture of what’s really going on in the world.
I’ve never considered our President as one of the great ones, not even close, but I do believe he’s trying his best.

I’ve never considered our President as one of the great ones, not even close, but I do believe he’s trying his best.

I also believe that his plan to teach Arabic, Russian, Chinese and Hindu in our schools would make more sense if the students would learn English first. And clearly that’s not happening right now.

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you. I respect everyone’s opinion.