Klitschkos and The HBO Shock: Greenburg, Finkel Discuss
There was something almost theatrical about the most powerful man at HBO sports snubbing the most powerful fighters (literally) in boxing.
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Mitch Abramson
221 articles published
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221 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Mitch Abramson byline.
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Articles by Mitch Abramson: page 21
Dmitriy Salita: Still Searching For Respect, Recognition
By Mitch Abramson - He admits that he doesn’t punch like Tyson, look like Tyson or act like Tyson. He might not scare people, he acknowledges.
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Notebook: Duddy Upset, Codrington Changes, Gato-Bailey?
By Mitch Abramson - The unlikely success story of the two working-class brothers with the construction business and the throwback boxer with the matinee idol looks who were going to achieve something special on a handshake agreement despite lacking big-name connections appears to be permanently damaged.
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Zab Judah Targets Ricky Hatton, Malignaggi and Bradley
By Mitch Abramson - Life is good for the Judah clan. Despite the woes of the economy, Yoel, the boss of the family, reported that business is still thriving for his fighting sons. Zab, who recently won a workman like decision against Ernest Johnson on Nov. 11 at The Garden, is still in the conversation for several high-profile fights in the future, Yoel said.
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Roy Jones Sr. Called For Help During Joe Calzaghe Fight
By Mitch Abramson - Getting in touch with Roy Jones Sr. is not difficult. Just call the Roy Jones Sr. Boxing Club in Pensacola, FL. and ask for Big Roy. A receptionist for the gym will scream out, “Roy!” and moments later he is on the line. It was just as easy to reach Jones Sr. when his son fought Joe Calzaghe on Nov. 8.
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Larry Merchant on The State of The Heavyweight Division
By Mitch Abramson - Vinny Maddalone is not highly ranked, but he is hard-working, and every punch he threw against Terrell Nelson on Wednesday in Manhattan came with malicious intent. When he wobbled Nelson with a left hook, the crowd shrieked, and when the bout was stopped at 45 seconds of the second round, a bit prematurely it seemed, with Maddalone leaning his 234 pounds on Nelson and firing away with punches, the room erupted with noise: boos, cheers, applause. No other fight on the card at the Roseland Ballroom elicited the same types of sound, and the reason was simple: they were heavyweights, a couple of local guys from the neighborhood, throwing caution to the win, and everyone likes to see the big boys rumble, even if top American heavyweights are in short supply. (Maddalone just signed a contract to fight undefeated Denis Boytsov in Germany on Nov. 15.) There used to be a time in this country’s history when heavyweights were glorified, even elevated to myth-like status, men like Jack Johnson and Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali and even Mike Tyson. They were all American fighters, and fans identified with them, where they came from, how they got to be champion; fans shared their victories and defeats as if linked by blood.
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Bernard Hopkins’ Big Win Inspires Others To Fight On
By Mitch Abramson - DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley isn’t a very emotional fighter. The expression on his face rarely changes in a fight. When he had Miguel Cotto wobbled and ready to go in 2005, Corley was as serene as a summer day. When he buzzed Floyd Mayweather Jr. a year earlier, there was almost no reaction. (Corley lost both fights and was criticized for not going after those fighters when he had them hurt.) As Corley was battered and cut against Randall Bailey on Wednesday at B.B. King’s in Manhattan on a Lou DiBella-promoted show, it was the same old “Chop Chop.” He carried on, round after round, his expression the same, as he showed he is better at surviving than winning at this point in his career. Corley (31-10-1, 17 knockouts) lost a unanimous decision to Bailey. He was knocked down in the third round and had red slits over both eyes from punches and butts that proceeded to dribble slightly during an interview minutes after the fight. This once proud champion, a former titlist at junior welterweight who was more than competitive against the elites of his class, who admitted to wearing women’s underwear, whose personal life has been marked with tragedy when his brother was murdered, discussed what it felt like to be at the tail end of his career.
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New Direction: Is This a Kinder, Gentler, Bernard Hopkins?
By Mitch Abramson - What happens when an “Executioner” acts more like a presidential candidate? He risks slipping in the polls. But there was Bernard Hopkins referencing his stint in prison in a conference call on Wednesday, getting all biographical on us, describing how he pulled himself out of the gutter, against all odds. “Luck didn’t get me out of the penitentiary,” Hopkins said. “Luck didn’t get me out of the ghetto and turn my life around.” And as he droned on, an image of the Republican presidential nominee John McCain popped into my head. McCain (or his advisors) frequently mentions his time as a prisoner of war on the campaign trail. Everyone knows the story, but still McCain’s people forever reference it, so much that it’s become a political tool, a crutch his campaign seems to use to bolster his standing among voters. Similarly, Hopkins seems to invoke his prison days and subsequent turnaround to substantiate his prowess as a fighter. It’s a great story, but he tells it as if the public has never heard it. “This goes way beyond boxing,” Hopkins went on. “When I made my decision that I wasn’t going back to the penitentiary, I had no money. I had no fame. I had no star power. How could I pull that off?” He seemed to be saying that no one gave him a chance to turn his life around when he left prison, just as few people give him a chance to beat Kelly Pavlik when they meet Saturday in Atlantic City. Against all odds, Bernard Hopkins will forever persevere And that’s when it dawned on me: Hopkins, like McCain, needs a new message. Because if this is the type of stuff that Hopkins is spouting before he faces Pavlik (34-0, 30 knockouts) on Saturday, then Hopkins really is in deep trouble. Because for Hopkins to be successful, he has to gain a mental edge over his opponent, just as he did against Felix Trinidad, Antonio Tarver, and practically every fighter he has faced, and he just hasn't done that against Pavlik. It was surprising when earlier at a presser in New York Hopkins more or less clarified his position on Pavlik: "I have nothing bad to say about Kelly Pavlik. I have no gimmicks," Hopkins said. "I have no apples to give him. He's not an elementary school student. He's a champion already."
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Pawel Wolak; It's All or Nothing in The Ring
By Mitch Abramson - What motivates Pawel Wolak? He is a college graduate; has work-related managerial experience and hopes to one day work in law enforcement. And yet he fights as if he has nothing else to fall back on, as if this is it: Boxing or bust. If I don’t make it here, it’s like, hello to delivering pizzas. Wolak, a 21-1 junior middleweight who will face Chad Greenleaf at the Huntington Hilton in Long Island on Friday, has an aggressive style that borders on recklessness. While most fighters are discerning about how many punches they throw so as not to tire out, Wolak tosses everything but the kitchen sink. While most fighters try to maintain a certain distance to their opponents, Wolak practically runs at them. If they go left, so does Wolak. If they come forward, he goes forward. Wolak’s strategy is simple: he suffocates you, wears you down and tries to break you physically and mentally.
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Joan Guzman - The Long Road Back To Acceptance
By Mitch Abramson - Joan Guzman is still sorry. More than two weeks after Guzman’s “blow-up in Biloxi,” he is still feeling the repercussions of failing to make the lightweight limit and wrecking his Sept. 13 match with Nate Campbell. Guzman has trouble sleeping, frets about losing his fan base, and worries that time is running out on his career. Cue the violins. After hearing a mouthful from Campbell and everyone else regarding this debacle, perhaps it's time to listen to Guzman, minus a touching press release. “I don’t have much longer in this sport,” Guzman said on Friday, holding out his hands. “I don’t feel pressure or that I have to rush or anything, but I do worry about losing time and opportunities and my reputation suffering.” The fallout from his actions, or lack thereof, has been pretty nasty. Campbell, the WBA, WBO, IBF lightweight champ, has appropriately lambasted Guzma n for costing him a $300,000 paycheck. Guzman (28-0, 17 KO) may also be the target of a lawsuit by Campbell’s co-promoter, Terry Trekas.
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