Rampage Loses UFC Title

By René A. Dreifuss
July 7, 2008

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson found himself facing a much tougher opponent than he expected. In only his second title defense, Rampage faced Reality TV alum, Forrest Griffin. It was supposed to be a fight the champ could win on cruise control. After Jackson’s demolition of Dan Henderson nine months ago, none of the MMA cognoscenti gave Griffin even a modicum of a chance. But life has a way of throwing you surprises; Rampage found himself on the receiving end in one of the toughest fights of his career.

Early in the match Forest scored with a strong low kick that hurt the champ, buckling his knees. Rampage wasn’t able to attack at full strength and was forced to back away much of the fight. Though he landed some crisp strikes, and some effective ground-and-pound in the third round, he couldn’t match Griffin’s relentless pace, and his significantly improved skills. Winning a unanimous decision, Griffin was crowned the new UFC light heavyweight champion.

 

Did Tyson Pay For A Hit?

By Sean Sullivan
July 1, 2008

In the June 13, 2008 edition of the New York Post, Stefanie Cohen reported that witness testimony claimed Mike Tyson contributed $50,000 to murder Damion “World” Hardy and Edward “Taz” Cooke, leaders of the Cash Money Brothers drug gang in Brooklyn. The CMB associates were said to have gunned down Tyson’s friend and bodyguard, Darryl “Homicide” Baum, just weeks before the former champ’s fight in Scotland against Lou Savarese in June 2000.

The witness, Dwayne “Thor” Meyers, allegedly connected to CMB, made the accusation “during the trial of Abubakr Raheem, 38, an alleged member of the ruthless gang that controlled the Lafayette Gardens Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Raheem allegedly drove the getaway car in two turf-war slayings...”

Baum was purportedly the man who, in May 2000, put three bullets (not nine as is often rumored) into 50 Cent. However, it was speculated that Baum was murdered for reasons unrelated to his attempted assassination of the rapper.

Despite Meyers’ testimony, HipHopDX.com clarified that, “Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor the NYPD have formally questioned Tyson or named him as a suspect in any crimes related to CMB members.”

Shelby Henderson, another CMB member, also revealed at the Raheem trial that the gang briefly conspired to kill Tyson at the urging of Cooke, after word spread of Tyson's alleged contribution to murder the CMB leaders, but Henderson and others objected to the order because Tyson was a Muslim.

Strangely enough, as Tyson was announcing his retirement in 2005 after his loss to Kevin McBride, he did make this comment: “I’m just changing my life. I could kill drug dealers for money but I don’t want to do that. I want to go down a different route.”

Three weeks after the story broke, Tyson, who turned 42 on June 30, issued a statement: "The allegations that people are saying about me are totally untrue. I don't know or have anything to do with these people on trial. I am tired of people throwing my name around and if they continue to do that I will have my lawyer deal with them."

Holyfield Foreclosed

By Robert Ecksel
June  9, 2008

The subprime mortgage mess, the latest and greatest banking boondoggle, has a boxing component.

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who earned zillions during his long and illustrious career, is having his $10 million estate in suburban Atlanta foreclosed. The Real Deal’s 54,000-square-foot home on Evander Holyfield Highway has 109 rooms, 17 bathrooms, three kitchens and a bowling alley, and will be auctioned off "at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash" on July 1 at the Fayette County courthouse.

Why anyone would ever want a home that big, not to mention a private bowling alley, is not at issue here. What is at issue is how Holyfield blew all his hard-earned cash. The mother of one of his children born out of wedlock is suing for unpaid child support totaling $3000 a month; a Utah consulting company has gone to court seeking repayment of $550,000 in loans allegedly made to the champ for landscaping his 235 acres; and chances are that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Now we know why Holyfield continues to fight.

Mayweather Retires

By Floyd Mayweather
June 7, 2008

We may have seen the last of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing ring. “Pretty Boy” Floyd has expressed his desire to retire and detailed his decision in a letter addressed to the media:

Dear Media: 
It is with a heavy heart that I write you this message today. I have decided to permanently retire from boxing. This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child. However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport. 
    
I have said numerous times and after several of my fights over the past two years that I might not fight again. At the same time, I loved competing and winning and also wanted to continue my career for the fans, knowing they were there for me and enjoyed watching me fight. However, after many sleepless nights and intense soul-searching I realized I could no longer base my decision on anything but my own personal happiness, which I no longer could find. So I have finally made up my mind, spoken to my family, particularly my mother, and made my decision.    
I am sorry I have to leave the sport at this time, knowing I still have my God-given abilities to succeed and future multi-million dollar paydays ahead, including the one right around the corner. But there comes a time when money doesn't matter. I just can't do it anymore. I have found a peace with my decision that I have not felt in a long time. 
   
Finally, I want to personally thank all of my fans for their loyalty and dedication as my career comes to a close. I always believed that their enthusiasm and support helped carry me to victory with every fight I ever had.   
It was a great joy to have fought for all of you. Now I hope you understand my decision and wish me well with the rest of my life.     

Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

 

MMA Kicks off in Primetime

By Jim McLernon
June 3, 2008

Gary Shaw and Elite XC made sports history by debuting their Mixed Martial Arts event primetime on CBS. The nationally televised card from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, featured five bouts with internet sensation Kimbo Slice as the headliner.

Heavyweights  Jon Murphy and Brett Rogers were the first two fighters to step into the spotlight. MMA fans were surprised to see Murphy’s new look as he had cut his long hair to raise money for charity. Rogers, who recently quit his job as a tire repairman, needed just over a minute to end the bout with a right hook to Murphy’s chin. A middleweight  bout between  Joe Villasenor and Phil Baroni ended with a technical  knockout, also in just over a minute.

The highlight of the show was the women’s bout between  Gina Carano and Kaitlyn Young. Both women’s styles were a mix of Muay Thai and Ju-jitsu. The first round was close and filled with action that got the crowd going. The second round started the same way, with Carano landing a shot straight into Young’s face. As Young was  blinking Carano took advantage  and took the fight to the mat. Carano went  for the submission by getting Young into a choke hold. Young refused to tap out and somehow survived  the end of the round. The ringside physicians examined Young and called it with Gina winning by technical knockout.

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler  and Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith was more of a boxing match with Smith being saved by the bell at the end of the first round. Lawler  accidentally struck Smith in the eye and rather than giving him his five minutes the doctors ended the bout to the dismay of the crowd and the fighters.

The main bout continued the controversy in the cage. In only his third MMA fight, Kimbo Slice faced off against England’s James Thompson. Slice looked as if he should be in a boxing ring instead of a MMA cage. Fans expected a short fight with Kimbo landing a devastating  punch as they’ve seen him do on the internet. Thompson took the blows but was able to get the upper hand by taking it to the mat and exposed Kimbo’s weakness. Kimbo caught a break as he was able to get to his feet and land a right hook on Thompson’s badly cauliflowered  left ear. As blood rushed down  Thompson’s face, Slice dazed him with a right uppercut.  The ref stopped the bout and a winded Kimbo admitted he still has a lot to learn.

Mike Tyson Cannes Do

By Robert Ecksel
May 25, 2008

Mike Tyson has taken Cannes by storm. Director James Toback’s new film, “Tyson,” spotlights Mike’s rise and fall, and combines 30 hours of documentary footage, highlights of his major bouts, photographs and interviews to create a sympathetic portrayal of the onetime baddest man on the planet.

Toback, who first met Tyson in 1985 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, and subsequently cast him in “Black and White” (1999), where Mike slaps and chokes Robert Downey Jr., and “When Will I Be Loved” (2004), said he sees Tyson as a “complex and iconic and noble human being.”

Dressed in a bespoke grey suit with a white pocket handkerchief, Tyson was showered with cheers and loud applause from festival-goers at the film’s end.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my whole career,” he said from the stage of the Debussy Theatre. “I’m an athlete and this is totally out of my field here. It’s kind of intimidating. I had no idea this thing was going to ever make it to such a grand scale. I feel totally overwhelmed.”

According to Variety, “In the course of the film, Tyson moves from someone you might think you’d want to steer well clear of to a man you might actually want to meet and speak with, which is a significant accomplishment.”

Cotto and Margarito Prepare
For “La Batalla”

By Sean Sullivan
May 22, 2008

While Floyd Mayweather Jr. is occupied with facing Oscar De La Hoya for a second time, Miguel Cotto, 32-0 (26), is taking on the biggest challenge available in Antonio Margarito, 36-5-0-1 (26), when he attempts to defend his WBA welterweight belt for the fifth time on July 26 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The pair fought on a double-header to promote their looming showdown in Atlantic City in April. Cotto easily destroyed “Contender” Alfonso Gomez and Margarito crushed Kermit Cintron in their rematch to win the IBF 147lb. crown, which he is expected to vacate in order to face Cotto.

They fought on another double-header in the same ring back in December 2006, the night Cotto moved up to welterweight and won his WBA title by stopping Carlos Quintana, who now holds the WBO belt after winning a decision over Paul Williams who beat Margarito for the title last July. Margarito last successfully defended the WBO belt on the Cotto-Quintana undercard with a UD12 over Joshua Clottey, who will challenge for the vacant IBF title once Margarito vacates.

Now the stage is set for a fight appropriately named “The Battle” or “La Batalla” as neither guy, both known as pressure fighters, is expected to take a backwards step. “We all see the excitement in this great event,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. “These are two guys who have thrilled us over the years with their courage and their tenacity. This is going to be a fight for the ages. We named it ‘The Battle’ and it certainly will be a battle, as have most of the fights between Puerto Rican champions and Mexican champions. That’s the great, great rivalry in the sport of boxing.”

Affliction Pulls Out Their Trump Card

By Jim McLernon
May 22, 2008

Affliction, the fashion label for men, hosted a press conference at Trump Tower in NY promoting their upcoming pay-per-view event. Set for July 19, Affliction Banned will be a MMA event featuring the return of former PRIDE heavyweight champion, Fedor “the Last Emperor” Emelianenko. Fedor will be taking on former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim “Maine-iac” Sylvia.

The exciting four-fight undercard features more heavyweights with Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnet in a grudge match against the only man to ever knock him out, Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo. Former IFL titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell is on the card with his opponent still to be determined.  Three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead battles Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a light heavyweight showcase.  The middleweight match has 2000 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland taking on Fabio “Negao” Nascimento.

The conference was open to the public. Fighters spoke with the media then took time to greet fans, give away t-shirts and autograph posters. The pay-per-view event will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

 

Calzaghe Outhustles Hopkins

By Sean Sullivan
April 19, 2008

Welshman Joe Calzaghe, 45-0 (32), won the light heavyweight championship with a hard-fought split decision over Bernard Hopkins, 48-5-1-1NC (32), at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Hopkins got off to an uncharacteristically fast start, knocking Calzaghe down with a sneaky straight right in the opening round. He used roughhouse tactics and inside fighting to keep the fight on his terms, but Calzaghe slowly figured out Hopkins’ style and his punch output increased over the second half of the bout. Hopkins, a conservative counterpuncher in his later years, simply could not keep up with his foe when Calzaghe, a southpaw, flurried in combination.

In the tenth, the crafty Hopkins went down from a borderline shot he claimed was a low blow, and took a lot of time to recover and regain some energy. But it did little to stifle the challenger’s momentum.

Many ringside observers were divided on who won this fight and by how wide a margin. The official scorecards read 116-111 and 115-112 for Calzaghe, and 114-113 for Hopkins.

After the fight, a defiant Hopkins refused to accept defeat: “I got beat tonight, but not by Joe Calzaghe. But I’m not mad at Joe. He ain’t the judges and the referee. He got a decision in the US after a knockdown that I would neverhave gotten that in Wales.”

“Remember that I’m 43 years old,” continued Hopkins. “You saw a craftsman at work and I think I showed something tonight. I fought like a young man and I did what I had to do. I can honestly say, without bragging and boasting, that I never got beat up in the ring and that’s a blessing.”
Calzaghe, of course, was pleased with the result but acknowledged it wasn’t his best performance.

“I had a rough start and he was tough,” admitted Calzaghe. “It certainly wasn’t the prettiest fight, but I came to fight and win, and that’s what I did. I’m tremendously happy.

“To be honest, I didn’t box as good as I can. He’s very difficult to look good against. I wasn’t my best, but we can’t fight our best all the time. I’m proud of the way I came through the first round.”
Calzaghe can look forward to potential mega showdowns against Roy Jones Jr. and Kelly Pavlik, as well as big fights against Chad Dawson, Antonio Tarver, and Glen Johnson.

Hopkins, who retired after his victory over Tarver in 2006, should think about retiring again. He’s fought the best fighters of his generation and provided a good account of himself each time, win or lose. But since he’s a first ballot Hall-of-Famer, having amassed the most consecutive middleweight title defenses in history at 20 over a 10-year period, Hopkins has nothing more to prove.