Thomas Gerbasi

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Articles by Thomas Gerbasi: page 83

Danny Jacobs Returns To Form With KO of Lorenzo

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 19, 2013

Unbeaten Bronx junior lightweight Emanuel Gonzalez kept his 0 in the opener of the Golden Boy Promotions show at the Best Buy Theater in New York City, outpointing Alabamas Michael Doyle over four fairly uneventful rounds. Scores were 40-36 across the board for Gonzalez, now 12-0 with 7 KOs. Doyle (2-4, 1 KO), who was coming off a first round TKO win over previously unbeaten Neuky Santelises just five days ago, wasnt able to see lightning strike twice against the patient Gonzalez, who was able to stagger his foe twice in the first round, but wasnt able to get him out of there.

Willis Brings ‘The Bite Fight’ Back to Life

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 16, 2013

Mike Tyson was in the jovial mood that has been his usual one these days, far removed from the time when a simple question from the media could provoke a surly outburst. So while in New York City last month for the launch of George Willis’ book “The Bite Fight,” which chronicles the second fight between Tyson and Evander Holyfield in 1997, Tyson was asked if it was difficult to go through memories of that time, which certainly weren’t good, all over again. “That’s so awesome you said that because at the time they weren’t great at all, but they are now,” he said. “They’re great moments now.” In a bizarre way he’s right. They’re not great in terms of wanting to pat “Iron Mike” on the back for biting Holyfield’s ears – not once, but twice – and earning a third round disqualification, but when you read Willis’ book, it reminds you of how pivotal a moment that fight and its aftermath was in boxing history. For the longtime New York Post sports reporter and boxing beat writer, he couldn’t have come across a better book topic.

Danny Jacobs: Continuing to inspire in and out of the ring

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 16, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - The last time I spoke to Danny Jacobs in March of 2012, he was days away from his second sparring session after beating cancer. The first one in December of 2011, against his good friend and 2008 Olympian Sadam Ali, didn’t go so well. When I remind him of this conversation earlier this week, he laughs. “The first time I did go sparring it really didn’t turn out the way I thought and I knew I had a long way to go,” said Jacobs, who can afford to look back at those rough days and smile; not just because he defeated the Osteosarcoma that threatened his career and his life, but because he’s won three straight bouts by knockout since returning to the ring in October of 2012. On August 19th, he takes the biggest step in his comeback when he faces always tough Giovanni Lorenzo at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. It’s been a remarkable journey thus far for the former middleweight title challenger, but one he always thought would turn out okay, even during what most would consider to be the darkest times. “No, there were never any doubts,” he said. “I told myself that if I couldn’t get through training, I wouldn’t set foot inside that ring and risk my health and my life. So the first time I did come back, even though there was a little bit of rust, I was confident that over time the kinks were going to be out, and they are. I feel like I’m a hundred percent now, if not better.”

Marcus Browne - Never Satisfied

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 8, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - A year ago, it wouldn’t be accurate to say Marcus Browne’s life was in disarray, but he probably had better days in the aftermath of his opening bout exit from the 2012 Olympics due to a 13-11 loss to Australia’s Damien Hooper. But the Team USA member has always been an optimist, so he decided to look toward a bright future as opposed to the disappointment of the immediate past. “I had over a hundred amateur fights, and I only had seven losses, so losing was never something that we were accustomed to,” Browne recalled. “But me losing on that big stage made it hurt even more, especially with all the build-up going into it and it being a dream of mine to be at the Olympics. But every situation in life that has happened to me, I’ve always took the good out of it. And the good out of the situation in the Olympics was that I have to finish strong. That’s number one. Number two, guys never even get to experience fighting in front of 10,000 people as a pro until they do it. Me, I was honored and blessed to be able to experience that and fight in front of 10,000 people as an amateur boxer. So I took the good out of that.” Today, the only time that 2012 experience comes up is when he’s introduced as a former Olympian, and in stories like this. To the world at large, when it comes to Staten Island’s Browne, all the talk is about his unbeaten 5-0 slate as a professional, and his substantial upside in the light heavyweight division. On August 19, he will step into the ring for the sixth time against an opponent to be named, and in between training sessions, he can reflect on 12 months that has altered his life considerably.

Dominick Guinn: The Resurrection of The Southern Disaster

Thomas Gerbasi

•Aug 2, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - Apparently we weren’t the only ones who saw it. When Dominick Guinn was on the verge of big things in the heavyweight division from 2003 to 2006, only to lose winnable fights by turning off his hands in the midst of a bout, it wasn’t just the fans and the media wondering what was going on with “The Southern Disaster.” His close friends, including two world champions, saw it too. “Vernon Forrest and Arturo Gatti, and other guys that I’ve had great conversations with, that was my entourage,” said Guinn. “They were warriors and they were the ones that always told me that if I let my hands go I would never be beaten. Arturo and Vernon used to tell me that all the time.” Both Forrest and Gatti are gone now, both tragically dying within weeks of each other in July of 2009. But Guinn is still here, and on Saturday, the 38-year-old who has lost three of his last four bouts gets another chance to show the world how good he can be when he lets his hands go, or, as he used to say, “unleashes his demons.” “I kind of got away from boxing and having fun, but I’m back to having fun and you’re gonna see on August 3rd,” said Guinn, who faces Tomasz Adamek in a televised bout at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut. “I’m just gonna go in there and let my boxing talk for itself and we’ll see who’s gonna put on the better show.”

Rebuilding Andre Berto

Thomas Gerbasi

•Jul 26, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - Saturday is the first day of the rest of Andre Berto’s boxing life. Melodramatic? Possibly. True? Most definitely. But despite being a little over a month shy of his 30th birthday, the former welterweight champion’s future in the sport will likely be dictated by what should be a winnable outing against Mexico’s Jesus Soto Karass in Texas this weekend. It’s his first fight since a competitive but crushing loss to Robert Guerrero, third since losing his 147-pound title in a 2011 Fight of the Year candidate against Victor Ortiz, and first since leaving longtime trainer Tony Morgan for Virgil Hunter. It’s also a pattern followed by many fighters over the years: reach a certain point in your career, have some success, lose a couple fights, try to get cute and bring new things to the table stylistically, and when that doesn’t work, switch trainers. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. At the moment, Berto – whose Floyd Mayweather-esque shoulder roll in the Guerrero fight didn’t prevent him from two trips to the canvas – is confident that he made the right call in taking his camp from Florida to the Bay Area.

Ryan Kielczewski: Ready for Soto and the ESPN Lights

Thomas Gerbasi

•Jul 18, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - With the 2010 census reporting the population of Quincy, Massachusetts to be 33.5% Irish, you would figure that a kid going by the name of “The Polish Prince” might have gotten into his share of scraps growing up. Not so, says Ryan Kielczewski. “I never got into a street fight,” he chuckles. “Some people try to get me going, but that stuff doesn’t work on me.” That may have something to do with the fact that Kielczewski has been boxing since the age of six, winning two New England Golden Gloves titles and 118 of 144 amateur fights before turning pro in 2008. Currently 16-0 in the punch for pay ranks, the 23-year-old has landed in the ESPN Friday Night Fights co-main event slot this Friday at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire against fellow unbeaten Miguel Soto, and just as he was unmoved by anyone trying to test him in the neighborhood, he’s similarly cool about his big nationally televised showcase. “It’s definitely a huge opportunity for me, but at the end of the day, it’s just another fight,” he said. “I trained real hard for this fight and I had an unbelievable camp this time around. I know I’m ready to do my thing, so it feels like another day at the office.” It’s not though. A big win for the Lou DiBella-promoted junior lightweight can start to put him on the fast track to the top of the division, but the way he sees it, this isn’t just a lark he stumbled upon; this is a life mission just starting to get good.

Edwin Rodriguez: Grachev First, Mickey Mouse Next

Thomas Gerbasi

•Jul 12, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - If Edwin Rodriguez wins his Monte Carlo Million Dollar Super 4 final bout against Denis Grachev this Saturday, don’t be surprised if he yells “I’m going to Disney World” into the cameras. No, it’s not a big endorsement deal or something of that ilk, just a reminder to his family that despite not getting a trip to Monaco, they are getting a trip to the land of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. “My daughter will remind me of that when I get home,” said Rodriguez who welcomed a son to the family with wife Stephanie a little over two months ago. It’s the couple’s third child, and for the Worcester, Massachusetts super middleweight, the idea of picking up an extra $200,000 with a win over Grachev is a more than welcome perk of competing in the tournament. “It’s great,” said Rodriguez of the final bout, which will give $600,000 to the winner and $400,000 to the loser. “I’m getting the financial support to give my family a better life, and at the same time I’m putting myself in a position after this fight where I can get a world championship fight, which is a big goal in my life.”

The Comeback of Boom Boom Mancini

Thomas Gerbasi

•Jul 4, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - Don’t get scared away by the headline. This isn’t one of those sadly typical boxing stories where a fighter not just past his prime but past his sell by date in the sport returns for a payday. That’s not where Ray Mancini is at 52 years old these days. Yet more than 21 years after his last bout, it’s almost like “Boom Boom” has made a return to the world’s consciousness in a way that no ill-advised comeback fight could ever do. Whether it’s the brilliant 2012 biography by Mark Kriegel, “The Good Son,” a recent documentary of the same name that has earned critical acclaim, or the t-shirts popping up from brands like Roots of Fight and No Mas that celebrate the former lightweight champion’s heyday in the 80s, Youngstown’s finest is back. “Who woulda thunk it?” laughed Mancini. “It’s always a surprise when people think of you in high regard or they want to do something. It’s so long after my career, I’m thinking ‘who cares now?’ But with the book and the documentary, and now we’ve got t-shirts and stuff like that, it’s a good time, and I’m very flattered by it.”

Thomas Oosthuizen: Tommy Gun is Ready for the World

Thomas Gerbasi

•Jun 28, 2013

By Thomas Gerbasi - Certain things can make a young fighter stand out in your memory: good power, blinding speed, a lethal left hook, flash, etc. But the thing that made me watch South African super middleweight Thomas Oosthuizen a bit closer was his reference in several interviews to modeling his style on a mix of Hall of Famers Thomas Hearns and Bob Foster. Now that’s an intriguing mix for sure, yet what impressed me is that the 25-year-old even knows who Bob Foster is. Call me cynical, but I’m guessing that while the majority of his peers in the fight game would obviously know the “Motor City Cobra,” the Albuquerque light heavyweight terror would draw plenty of blank stares. Unfortunate? Yes. But that’s a rant for another time. For now, we can get back to Oosthuizen and his respect for his elders, from his father Charles (a former pro boxer himself) and trainer and former welterweight contender Harold Volbrecht, to the aforementioned Hearns and Foster.

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Boxing News

Thomas Gerbasi

About

Articles by Thomas Gerbasi: page 83

Danny Jacobs Returns To Form With KO of Lorenzo

Willis Brings ‘The Bite Fight’ Back to Life

Danny Jacobs: Continuing to inspire in and out of the ring

Marcus Browne - Never Satisfied

Dominick Guinn: The Resurrection of The Southern Disaster

Rebuilding Andre Berto

Ryan Kielczewski: Ready for Soto and the ESPN Lights

Edwin Rodriguez: Grachev First, Mickey Mouse Next

The Comeback of Boom Boom Mancini

Thomas Oosthuizen: Tommy Gun is Ready for the World

Boxing News

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Eddie Hearn makes pitch to Shakur Stevenson over boxing future

Anthony Joshua's destiny against Tyson Fury is in his hands, not Ben Davison's

Eddie Hearn reveals Naoya Inoue demands regarding Bam Rodriguez showdown

Chantelle Cameron-Mikaela Mayer rematch set for Christmas Eve in Dubai

Gerome Warburton will make history against Carlos Adames – regardless of the result

Naoya Inoue-Bam Rodriguez talks underway, says Eddie Hearn

Diego Pacheco may be only a step away from Lester Martinez

Floyd Schofield Jnr-Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela ordered by WBA

WBA orders Teofimo Lopez vs Jack Catterall amid Ryan Garcia talks

Jaron Ennis-Josh Kelly three-belt unification confirmed for February 27 in Atlanta

Chris Eubank Jnr-Kell Brook close to agreement for 2027, says Ben Shalom

Martin Bakole returns on Fury-Joshua undercard alongside rising Da’Mazion Vanhouter

Manny Pacquiao definitely off the Joshua-Fury Netflix card

Arnold Barboza Jnr-Oscar Duarte official for January 23 in Anaheim

Lester Martinez latest at risk to be sidestepped by Canelo Alvarez

Diego Pacheco chases his destiny in down-and-dirty L.A.

Jarrell Miller-Tony Yoka to headline December 20 show in Ghana

Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua 1am start hinges on Cardiff Council decision

Ryan Garcia vows to hospitalize Floyd Mayweather as he 'announces' February 6 showdown

Jaron Ennis-Josh Kelly unification nearing completion for February 27

Willy Hutchinson reveals Canelo Alvarez contact and vows to 'box his head off'

Larry Goossen, influential trainer and Big Bear pioneer, dies at 75

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have unfinished business beyond December 11

Willy Hutchinson being 'analysed' as potential next fight for Canelo Alvarez

Denzel Bentley willing to travel to Ireland for Aaron McKenna title shot

Dana White holds court at White House but tells Donald Trump: 'I do not want to be in politics'

Darius Fulghum sees second chance, and pressure on Diego Pacheco

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Brock Jarvis hopes third time's the charm against Jermell Charlo

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Alycia Baumgardner dominates Elif Nur Turhan; Ramla Ali, Skye Nicolson also victorious

Donald Trump wants Dana White as his new press secretary

Is 'Rocky' a boxing movie? Furthermore, is 'I Play Rocky' a Rocky movie?

Abraham Perez defends flyweight title against Yankiel Rivera

Willy Hutchinson earns revenge, a world title in rematch win over Joshua Buatsi

Cheavon Clarke stuns Chris Billam-Smith with sensational seventh-round stoppage

Denzel Bentley drops Shane Mosley Jnr en route to unanimous decision victory

Caroline Dubois and Stephanie Han to unify Feb. 20 in Texas

Joshua Buatsi, Willy Hutchinson make weight for WBC title rematch

Chris Billam-Smith, Chev Clarke make weight; Shane Mosley Jnr needs second attempt

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Conor Benn reveals Manny Pacquiao offer, fight targeted for 2027

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Thomas Gerbasi

About

Articles by Thomas Gerbasi: page 83

Danny Jacobs Returns To Form With KO of Lorenzo

Willis Brings ‘The Bite Fight’ Back to Life

Danny Jacobs: Continuing to inspire in and out of the ring

Marcus Browne - Never Satisfied

Dominick Guinn: The Resurrection of The Southern Disaster

Rebuilding Andre Berto

Ryan Kielczewski: Ready for Soto and the ESPN Lights

Edwin Rodriguez: Grachev First, Mickey Mouse Next

The Comeback of Boom Boom Mancini

Thomas Oosthuizen: Tommy Gun is Ready for the World

'Would you bet your mortgage against Floyd Mayweather beating Ryan Garcia'

Eddie Hearn makes pitch to Shakur Stevenson over boxing future