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read on from this ********* article. Peltz has a legitimate grip i think since his fighter is a longshot coming in anyways
Hall-of-Fame boxing promoter J Russell Peltz is protesting the early weigh-in (scheduled for 1 pm Friday, Dec. 8) for Saturday night's world middleweight championship fight between Jermain Taylor, of Little Rock, and challenger Kassim Ouma, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Peltz, who co-promotes Ouma along with Golden Boy Promotions, claims the 1 pm weigh-in is "close to a day and a half" prior to the start of Saturday night's fight.
"I have been in boxing for more than 37 years and I never have seen a weigh-in this early for a non-heavyweight fight," says Peltz, who has heard the rumors that Taylor, a big middleweight, may be struggling to get down to the 160-pound limit.
"I spoke with the Arkansas Boxing Commission last week and today and they claim they see nothing wrong with the early weigh-in," says Peltz. "I guess not. This will give Taylor more time to put the weight back on."
Peltz, 59, who promotes most of his cards in Pennsylvania, says "we do it right at the shows in Philadelphia. (Commissioner) Greg Sirb weighs all fighters in the morning of the fight, the way things are supposed to be. That way, we don't have welterweights competing for the world flyweight title and we don't have cruiserweights defending the world middleweight title. I would like for someone to tell me how many hours, or even minutes, in the course of a single year that Jermain Taylor actually weighs 160 pounds. Or even 165. If we have a state or a regional title fight in Philadelphia, the contestants weigh-in at 7pm the night before, but they must get back on the scales the morning of the fight having gained no more than 10 pounds from the previous night's weigh-in.
"The entire idea of weighing-in fighters the night before is preposterous," says Peltz. "Whoever initiated the idea should be tarred and feathered," Peltz continued. "I've heard the ridiculous arguments that it gives a fighter time to re-hydrate. Well, fighters would not need to re-hydrate if they were fighting at their normal weight.
"I mentioned to the Arkansas Commission that the ABC rules dictate weigh-ins no sooner than 24 hours prior to the fight and Arkansas is a memebr of the ABC. Their response was that those are only guidelines, not rules. What a wonderful answer! And people wonder why boxing is losing its credibility."
Peltz also has a problem with the new 'open scoring' system which will be in effect for the Taylor-Ouma fight.
"Here's another beauty," Peltz says. "Suppose a fighter has been cut from a head butt and it's questionable as to whether he can continue. If he knows he's ahead on the cards (which will be announced after the fourth and eighth rounds), he can simply tell the ref he cannot go on and he wins the fight on a Technical Decision.
"I honestly believe the intent of the open scoring decision is to intimidate judges into scoring fights correctly so as not to embarrass themselves with the fans when their scorecards are announced during the action. But I have a better idea. It's actually quite new--how about appointing experienced, competent judges, those with solid tracks records who are not homers and who will not be influenced by the crowd one way or another. Wouldn't that be a swell idea?"
As for Ouma, Peltz understands his fighter's situation.
"Kassim took this bout knowng he was a big underdog, fighting a bigger man in the bigger man's backyard," Peltz said. "Fine, no problem. But at least play by the rules, whatever they are. I spoke with Lou DiBella's office last week about the early weigh-in because I know they can change the time. They had no comment. Funny, I remember how upset they were when their own fighter, Paul Malignaggi, was forced to weigh-in early on a Friday prior to the next night's junior welterweight title fight with Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in June. They screamed and howled. Now the shoe is on the other foot and now it's fine with them.
"What a business!"
Hall-of-Fame boxing promoter J Russell Peltz is protesting the early weigh-in (scheduled for 1 pm Friday, Dec. 8) for Saturday night's world middleweight championship fight between Jermain Taylor, of Little Rock, and challenger Kassim Ouma, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Peltz, who co-promotes Ouma along with Golden Boy Promotions, claims the 1 pm weigh-in is "close to a day and a half" prior to the start of Saturday night's fight.
"I have been in boxing for more than 37 years and I never have seen a weigh-in this early for a non-heavyweight fight," says Peltz, who has heard the rumors that Taylor, a big middleweight, may be struggling to get down to the 160-pound limit.
"I spoke with the Arkansas Boxing Commission last week and today and they claim they see nothing wrong with the early weigh-in," says Peltz. "I guess not. This will give Taylor more time to put the weight back on."
Peltz, 59, who promotes most of his cards in Pennsylvania, says "we do it right at the shows in Philadelphia. (Commissioner) Greg Sirb weighs all fighters in the morning of the fight, the way things are supposed to be. That way, we don't have welterweights competing for the world flyweight title and we don't have cruiserweights defending the world middleweight title. I would like for someone to tell me how many hours, or even minutes, in the course of a single year that Jermain Taylor actually weighs 160 pounds. Or even 165. If we have a state or a regional title fight in Philadelphia, the contestants weigh-in at 7pm the night before, but they must get back on the scales the morning of the fight having gained no more than 10 pounds from the previous night's weigh-in.
"The entire idea of weighing-in fighters the night before is preposterous," says Peltz. "Whoever initiated the idea should be tarred and feathered," Peltz continued. "I've heard the ridiculous arguments that it gives a fighter time to re-hydrate. Well, fighters would not need to re-hydrate if they were fighting at their normal weight.
"I mentioned to the Arkansas Commission that the ABC rules dictate weigh-ins no sooner than 24 hours prior to the fight and Arkansas is a memebr of the ABC. Their response was that those are only guidelines, not rules. What a wonderful answer! And people wonder why boxing is losing its credibility."
Peltz also has a problem with the new 'open scoring' system which will be in effect for the Taylor-Ouma fight.
"Here's another beauty," Peltz says. "Suppose a fighter has been cut from a head butt and it's questionable as to whether he can continue. If he knows he's ahead on the cards (which will be announced after the fourth and eighth rounds), he can simply tell the ref he cannot go on and he wins the fight on a Technical Decision.
"I honestly believe the intent of the open scoring decision is to intimidate judges into scoring fights correctly so as not to embarrass themselves with the fans when their scorecards are announced during the action. But I have a better idea. It's actually quite new--how about appointing experienced, competent judges, those with solid tracks records who are not homers and who will not be influenced by the crowd one way or another. Wouldn't that be a swell idea?"
As for Ouma, Peltz understands his fighter's situation.
"Kassim took this bout knowng he was a big underdog, fighting a bigger man in the bigger man's backyard," Peltz said. "Fine, no problem. But at least play by the rules, whatever they are. I spoke with Lou DiBella's office last week about the early weigh-in because I know they can change the time. They had no comment. Funny, I remember how upset they were when their own fighter, Paul Malignaggi, was forced to weigh-in early on a Friday prior to the next night's junior welterweight title fight with Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in June. They screamed and howled. Now the shoe is on the other foot and now it's fine with them.
"What a business!"
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