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Winky is ducking Kinglsey Ikeke. Why you ask? Because Winky is only 5'7'' and Ikeke 6'4''. They are both jabbers I wonder who would win?
Is Winky ducking Ikeke?
by Dave Baggs, ********* Canada
photos by Rich Rich Samuels, Top Rank
2005-09-30
While Winky Wright and his management look for a dance partner for their December 10th date, there is one fighter who eagerly awaits his phone call. The patient boxer is none other than Toronto's Kingsley Ikeke, the IBF's #2 Middleweight in the world.
"HBO offered Kingsley a fight against Winky Wright about 3 weeks ago." Nelson Oliveira told ********* "We said yes in about 1 second after they asked us. We want this fight real bad."
The only stumbling block to cement the deal seems to be Gary Shaw, the promoter for the Ring Magazine's 154lb Champion.
"For the past 3 weeks, Gary Shaw has refused the fight against Kingsley. He (Shaw) has been asking for Kassim Ouma and Golden Boy Promotions (promoter of Ikeke and Ouma) said Ouma wasn't available for Winky. Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions told Shaw that Ikeke was the only one ready and willing to fight Winky on Dec 10. "
Other fighters approached by Team Wright for the December 10th show include Felix Sturm (former WBO Middleweight champ), Ike Quartey (former WBA Welterweight champion), or Kelly Pavlik (a rising young talent) but those fighters either wanted too much money or were not ready from face off against the stylish likes of the man called Winky. An attempt was made to get the IBF #1 man in Sam Soliman but the HBO people didn't like the fight style-wise.
The question currently on the minds of the Ikeke camp is
'How can Winky Wright, who's the Ring Magazine 154 Champion, WBC and WBA #1 contender, the IBF#4 contender, and one of the world's top pound for pound fighters, refuse to face Kingsley?'
Nelson Oliveira, co-manager of the Ikeke, believes he has the answer:
"Winky is running scared and his whole team knows it. As a matter of fact, the whole team is scared of Kingsley and what he could do to Winky."
Gary Gittelsohn, the other man along with Oliveira guiding Ikeke upward, is also very confident with Kingsley fighting Winky Wright.
Wright isn't the only fighter who wants no part "Sharp Knuckle". The Ikeke camp have tried in vain to get Jermain Taylor in the ring with little success, even before Taylor's impressive performance in lifting Hopkins's championships. Frustration continues to plague Ikeke with the inability to get the top guys in the Middleweight division into the ring to face the Canadian big man.
"In the past 3 years Jermain Taylor has been running from Kingsley Ikeke. Lou De Bella came up with every excuse not to fight Kingsley Ikeke. In fact, he even tried to sign up Ikeke to a promotional contract. I refused the idea as soon as it was mentioned to me. " Oliveira commented. "I hope we don't have to add Winky Wright to the long list of fighters who have avoided Kingsley Ikeke in the past. Winky Wright will have to reconsider if he will fight at 160 in the future."
In the meantime, Ikeke (23-1 with 13 KO's) continues to train in Hollywood getting ready for anyone come December. Should the Ikeke-Wright bout not come through, look for the 6'4 Middleweight to possibly share the ring with undefeated power-punching Arthur Abraham on HBO. Another scenario that would favor Ikeke would be the IBF stripping Taylor before the current Middleweight champ meets Hopkins in the return come December, setting up a title opportunity with Ikeke taking on Solimon for the vacant title.
Is Winky ducking Ikeke?
by Dave Baggs, ********* Canada
photos by Rich Rich Samuels, Top Rank
2005-09-30
While Winky Wright and his management look for a dance partner for their December 10th date, there is one fighter who eagerly awaits his phone call. The patient boxer is none other than Toronto's Kingsley Ikeke, the IBF's #2 Middleweight in the world.
"HBO offered Kingsley a fight against Winky Wright about 3 weeks ago." Nelson Oliveira told ********* "We said yes in about 1 second after they asked us. We want this fight real bad."
The only stumbling block to cement the deal seems to be Gary Shaw, the promoter for the Ring Magazine's 154lb Champion.
"For the past 3 weeks, Gary Shaw has refused the fight against Kingsley. He (Shaw) has been asking for Kassim Ouma and Golden Boy Promotions (promoter of Ikeke and Ouma) said Ouma wasn't available for Winky. Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions told Shaw that Ikeke was the only one ready and willing to fight Winky on Dec 10. "
Other fighters approached by Team Wright for the December 10th show include Felix Sturm (former WBO Middleweight champ), Ike Quartey (former WBA Welterweight champion), or Kelly Pavlik (a rising young talent) but those fighters either wanted too much money or were not ready from face off against the stylish likes of the man called Winky. An attempt was made to get the IBF #1 man in Sam Soliman but the HBO people didn't like the fight style-wise.
The question currently on the minds of the Ikeke camp is
'How can Winky Wright, who's the Ring Magazine 154 Champion, WBC and WBA #1 contender, the IBF#4 contender, and one of the world's top pound for pound fighters, refuse to face Kingsley?'
Nelson Oliveira, co-manager of the Ikeke, believes he has the answer:
"Winky is running scared and his whole team knows it. As a matter of fact, the whole team is scared of Kingsley and what he could do to Winky."
Gary Gittelsohn, the other man along with Oliveira guiding Ikeke upward, is also very confident with Kingsley fighting Winky Wright.
Wright isn't the only fighter who wants no part "Sharp Knuckle". The Ikeke camp have tried in vain to get Jermain Taylor in the ring with little success, even before Taylor's impressive performance in lifting Hopkins's championships. Frustration continues to plague Ikeke with the inability to get the top guys in the Middleweight division into the ring to face the Canadian big man.
"In the past 3 years Jermain Taylor has been running from Kingsley Ikeke. Lou De Bella came up with every excuse not to fight Kingsley Ikeke. In fact, he even tried to sign up Ikeke to a promotional contract. I refused the idea as soon as it was mentioned to me. " Oliveira commented. "I hope we don't have to add Winky Wright to the long list of fighters who have avoided Kingsley Ikeke in the past. Winky Wright will have to reconsider if he will fight at 160 in the future."
In the meantime, Ikeke (23-1 with 13 KO's) continues to train in Hollywood getting ready for anyone come December. Should the Ikeke-Wright bout not come through, look for the 6'4 Middleweight to possibly share the ring with undefeated power-punching Arthur Abraham on HBO. Another scenario that would favor Ikeke would be the IBF stripping Taylor before the current Middleweight champ meets Hopkins in the return come December, setting up a title opportunity with Ikeke taking on Solimon for the vacant title.
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