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James Brown, a living rage whenever he took the stage, had The Famous Flames.
That was Soul Brother Number One’s backup group when he used to “take it to the bridge” with Maceo and the rest.
Former world light heavyweight champion and now top flight trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was formerly known as Eddie “The Flame” Gregory. The nickname was an easy fit as his then manager Jack Singer owned a steakhouse of the same name.
On a New York day so hot that the polar bears in the Central Park Zoo checked into the Plaza Hotel to cool off, I got a phone call from the loquacious ex-champion who grew up in a Brownsville, Brooklyn, housing project with hoops star World B. Free and baseball star turned manager Willie Randolph.
Muhammad’s prize pupil these days is light heavy champion Bad Chad Dawson and he got that job when Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Dawson parted ways.
Thursday found EMM in hot and humid Houston where he will handle Ishe Smith, a decided underdog to unbeaten prospect and Brooklynite Danny Jacobs, under the Malignaggi-Diaz main event on HBO.
Muhammad was quotable as a fighter and he remains topical and on point in 2009.
He’s also opened up a new Vegas gym for boxers and MMA fighters, the International Fight Club at 5818 Spring Mountain Road (near Jones). For more info, contact EMM by email at champround11@aol.com. With the closing last week of the Top Rank Gym, the IFC may pick up some loose fighters from both sports.
Here are some of the topics we touched on including his Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight prediction.
FLOYD VS. MANNY: “Without a doubt, that fight will happen. Pacman’s speed is too much for Miguel Cotto. He can outpoint Cotto just on speed. You can’t beat Manny throwing one jab at a time because he comes right over the top on you. It would take the Mayweather style to beat Manny. Floyd is a full fledged welterweight, he’s just too big for Manny. He will beat Pacquiao.
WHY MARQUEZ-MAYWEATHER IS WOBBLING: “I think the promotion got hurt when Floyd pulled out on the original date. They have had to jump start the whole promotion again.”
DAWSON VS. HOPKINS: “I am not too worried about Glen Johnson in our next fight. Bernard’s always been a good talker but he needs to step up to the plate, to talk to Kery Davis of HBO to see if they can boost his income. Whatever Bernard wants to do, it’s no problem for us.”
ROGER MAYWEATHER: “I feel sorry for Roger but the man’s got problems. You just don’t put your hands on a woman, you walk away from something like that. Me, I’m not choking anybody. I love my freedom too much.”
SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY: “He’s not old (38) because he found the Fountain of Youth against Margocheato, the Plaster of Paris man. Mosley beat the cheater.”
IS ISHE TOO WISHY, AS IN WISHY WASHY?: I’m not worried about this fight because we trained hard. I do worry about having to tinkle with (Shelly) Finkel and that Jacobs is also Oscar de la Hoya’s boy as far as a decision goes. We busted our asses in that gym. I am very confident. I’m not going against Brooklyn, I was Brooklyn when these guys were in the sandbox. Jacobs is a great prospect but my guy’s got a ton of experience. Ishe can punch and he can take a shot. I hope we get a fair vote on a decision.”
That was Soul Brother Number One’s backup group when he used to “take it to the bridge” with Maceo and the rest.
Former world light heavyweight champion and now top flight trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was formerly known as Eddie “The Flame” Gregory. The nickname was an easy fit as his then manager Jack Singer owned a steakhouse of the same name.
On a New York day so hot that the polar bears in the Central Park Zoo checked into the Plaza Hotel to cool off, I got a phone call from the loquacious ex-champion who grew up in a Brownsville, Brooklyn, housing project with hoops star World B. Free and baseball star turned manager Willie Randolph.
Muhammad’s prize pupil these days is light heavy champion Bad Chad Dawson and he got that job when Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Dawson parted ways.
Thursday found EMM in hot and humid Houston where he will handle Ishe Smith, a decided underdog to unbeaten prospect and Brooklynite Danny Jacobs, under the Malignaggi-Diaz main event on HBO.
Muhammad was quotable as a fighter and he remains topical and on point in 2009.
He’s also opened up a new Vegas gym for boxers and MMA fighters, the International Fight Club at 5818 Spring Mountain Road (near Jones). For more info, contact EMM by email at champround11@aol.com. With the closing last week of the Top Rank Gym, the IFC may pick up some loose fighters from both sports.
Here are some of the topics we touched on including his Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight prediction.
FLOYD VS. MANNY: “Without a doubt, that fight will happen. Pacman’s speed is too much for Miguel Cotto. He can outpoint Cotto just on speed. You can’t beat Manny throwing one jab at a time because he comes right over the top on you. It would take the Mayweather style to beat Manny. Floyd is a full fledged welterweight, he’s just too big for Manny. He will beat Pacquiao.
WHY MARQUEZ-MAYWEATHER IS WOBBLING: “I think the promotion got hurt when Floyd pulled out on the original date. They have had to jump start the whole promotion again.”
DAWSON VS. HOPKINS: “I am not too worried about Glen Johnson in our next fight. Bernard’s always been a good talker but he needs to step up to the plate, to talk to Kery Davis of HBO to see if they can boost his income. Whatever Bernard wants to do, it’s no problem for us.”
ROGER MAYWEATHER: “I feel sorry for Roger but the man’s got problems. You just don’t put your hands on a woman, you walk away from something like that. Me, I’m not choking anybody. I love my freedom too much.”
SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY: “He’s not old (38) because he found the Fountain of Youth against Margocheato, the Plaster of Paris man. Mosley beat the cheater.”
IS ISHE TOO WISHY, AS IN WISHY WASHY?: I’m not worried about this fight because we trained hard. I do worry about having to tinkle with (Shelly) Finkel and that Jacobs is also Oscar de la Hoya’s boy as far as a decision goes. We busted our asses in that gym. I am very confident. I’m not going against Brooklyn, I was Brooklyn when these guys were in the sandbox. Jacobs is a great prospect but my guy’s got a ton of experience. Ishe can punch and he can take a shot. I hope we get a fair vote on a decision.”
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