Oscar Versus Manny Is What It Is

Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have sealed the deal and will face off in what was once seen as an unlikely prizefight.

I was speaking with a colleague at the daily newspaper that I work for the other day. We were sitting in my office that overlooks a city park and a casino while discussing the current sad plight of the newspaper business and what will ultimately become of it all.

But after a while, we decided there wasn't a heck of a lot either of us could do about any of it, and almost simultaneously we both uttered the same words: "It is what it is."

And that's the way I feel about the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao that is going to take place on December 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Many in the boxing community have criticized the match-up and they claim that De La Hoya is simply selling out and taking the path of least resistance to add more millions to his already morbidly obese bank account. They perceive the proposed fight to be a mismatch primarily because Pacquiao is a much smaller man who has never officially weighed more than 135 pounds for a fight. On the other hand, they tell you that since Oscar has fought a couple of times as high as 160 pounds, that he will win easily.

I say "Phooey!" to the criticism and so should you. It's like that old saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog."

We can all agree that for the better part of this decade that Oscar De La Hoya has been nothing more than a part-time prizefighter. The minutes that he has spent in boxing rings over the past several years have been brief and sporadic. The 'Golden Boy' has not fought more than three times in one year since 1999 and he's lost three of his last six fights. These days, he spends more time in stuffy boardrooms and on sunny golf courses than he does in boxing rings.

And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that.

Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, is the epitome of what it means to be a fighter. I call him the 'Little Filipino Spitfire' and he reminds me of a mad hornet because of the way he zigs and zags and swoops in to sting his opponents. I've been watching this game they call boxing for 30 years and he is one of the special ones. One of the gifted ones.


Pacquiao always manages to draw a big crowd and he's a happy performer that loves to please his many fans.

My favorite fighter, Roberto Duran, has always said that God chooses. 'Hands of Stone' claims that God chooses some to be lawyers, some to be doctors, some to be writers and some to be fighters. Manny Pacquiao, in as much as any fighter I have ever seen, seems to be a chosen one. The man is an absolutely electrifying performer when he puts boxing gloves on his hands - and that's all you need to know.

I don't see the size difference as any issue at all. Both will hit the scales within a few pounds of the other on the afternoon of December 5th and the next night we will see a fighter in Pacquiao that will gladly carry the weight of the entire Philippines into the ring with him - just like he always does. Manny will be Manny. He'll charge forward, throw punches, look to mix it up and throw caution to the wind. He has always reminded me of a helmet-less man on a motorcycle speeding down an open highway at full throttle.

Oscar will be Oscar. Over the years, despite his many supposed re-inventions, myriad of trainers, multiple weight divisions and his mantra; "I'm in the best shape of my life" we always get the same old Oscar. He's always the same guy with an exquisite left hook and no right hand. He usually appears to be stiff and robotic and he fights without imagination. If Manny is the man on the motorcycle - then Oscar is the gentleman behind the wheel of a Buick Regal with one eye on the speed limit and the other on the caution sign.

For those that say this fight shouldn't happen, I say look at the history books. Boxing's past is littered with these 'spectacle' fights of discrepant sizes and weights. Its all part of what makes boxing interesting and fun. It's why Ray Robinson fought Joey Maxim in Yankee Stadium, why Bob Foster dared to trade left hooks with Joe Frazier in Detroit and why Carmen Basilio fought his guts out twice against Gene Fullmer.

They were all smaller men willing to take a shot. It didn't work out, but they gained fans by the busload because they had the guts to take the chance. And Manny Pacquiao is guts personified.


De La Hoya's age began to show in his last fight against Stevie Forbes. Even though he won, he just wasn't the fighter that he once was.

Too many people are focused on De La Hoya in this fight. What it will or won't do for his supposed 'legacy' and the way people will remember him. Let me let you in on a tiny secret my friends. The final chapter of that little fairy tale is already written and what does or does not happen on December 6th will have nothing to do with the way De La Hoya is remembered, just like the way nobody cares that Larry Holmes fought 'Butterbean' in his final match. When I made the check mark beside Holmes' name on the Hall of Fame ballot I could have cared less that Larry won or lost against the 'King of the Four-Rounders' in his final go round. (He won)

What you have to remember is that Oscar appeared well past it when he faced Stevie Forbes back in May. At 35, 'The Golden Boy' is a tarnished version of his younger self and since the feather-fisted Forbes cracked his cheekbone - what will Pacquiao do? The diminutive Forbes and Manny are virtually the same size, and I marveled at the manner in which Forbes, who is no speedster, was able to nail Oscar with flush, clean shots. Logic would dictate that Pacquiao, a southpaw, a man full of fire and spirit, has a wonderful opportunity in front of him.

The story here is all about Manny. The challenge is all his. And if he wins? My, my, my - all the people who criticized this fight will be calling Manny the smartest man in all of boxing. They are already forced to call him the best.

When I think of this fight, of Pacquiao moving up to fight a bigger man and having the guts to take the shot, I think of Henry Armstrong - still the only fighter in boxing history to simultaneously hold world championships in three weight divisions at 126, 135 and 147 pounds. Armstrong routinely fought (and beat) much larger men that greatly outweighed him. If 'Homicide Hank' did that - Pacquiao can do this.

So if you ask me about the fight between Oscar and Manny?

I say, "It is what it is."


August 2008

David Haye is Hungry, But He's Not Starving

David Haye hopes to one day find his place among the heavyweight greats.

David Haye knows the pain of hunger. For years he starved to squeeze his heavyweight body into a cruiserweight suit that was bursting at the seams. But those days are over for the "Hayemaker" and soon he's going to unveil his new look in a new division for a whole new audience.

"My weight is fine. I haven't specifically bulked up as such," says Haye of his adios to the land of the cruiserweights. "A lot of people think, O.K. David Haye is a cruiserweight, he's gone up to heavyweight. But what they don't realize is that I've always been coming down to cruiserweight. So, I am what I am, I haven't gotten on the scales. The last time I got on the scales I was 16 stone 8 (232 pounds) and that was perfect. I'll probably be less than that for my fight."

Ah, yes, the fight. Well, it hasn't been sorted out exactly who Haye will fight, but as it stands right now it looks as though he'll make his real heavyweight debut on November 15th with his new promoter (Golden Boy Promotions) at the O2 Arena also known as the Millenium Dome in London.

There have been lots of changes for England's Haye. With the move to heavyweight, the move to Golden Boy Promotions from Frank Warren and the move to be recognized as a serious threat to Wladimir Klitschko as well as one more big change - he now gets to eat a lot more.

"I'm just doing the same thing, but I'm doubling or tripling the calorie intake," says Haye who seems to beam at the thought of his dietary possibilities and his full belly. "It's just working fine, I'm not hungry all of the time. I used to be consistently hungry all of the time. I'd go to sleep hungry, wake up hungry and now I feel great."

Haye claims the move to heavyweight should have come a long time ago, but now that it has finally happened the 27 year-old couldn't be happier or more optimistic.

"This is how I should be, this is how my body should be. I'm naturally a big guy, I'm 6'3", I have a big frame and I should be around 16 1/2 stone," explains Haye. "That's my natural weight. If I was overweight I'd be 18 stone (252 pounds). When I had to come down to 14 stone 4 (200 pounds), as you saw on the scales, there was nothing of me when I fought Maccarinelli and even Mormeck."


Haye's most significant battles have come with the scales. But he typically shows up in superb condition and ready for a fight.

And that should be a scary thought for the world's heavyweights when you think that the muscular Haye, who believes that he appeared emaciated at 200 pounds, will now have another 25 or 30 pounds to play with. He was successful in his starved state, so much so that he was able to destroy Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBO title in less than two rounds back in March and before that he dispatched Jean Marc Mormeck for the WBA and WBC title belts in less than five rounds.

"My bodyfat is 12% at the moment. When I fought Maccarinelli it was 7.5% or 8%. I've got a little bit of bodyfat on me but I think you need that," boasts a proud Haye who sports wide, chunky shoulders and round, thick arms. "Come weigh-in time for my next fight I'm going to look pretty much the same as I did for Maccarinelli, but I'll have 2 stone (28 pounds) of extra-solid, lean muscle on me."

Haye, who has been a pro for less than six years and has run his record to 21-1 (20)KO's, feels that the timing for his move to the world of the big men couldn't be more right. Haye is an electric puncher with quick hands and he is of the notion that he brings youth, excitement and the ability to attract attention and money back to what has become a moribund division.

"Every heavyweight in the division wants a payday," says Haye of the division's woes. "That's the one thing they're not getting at the moment is a payday. They know by coming over to London and getting knocked out by me that they're going to get a nice wedge of cash. But it's all about getting the right opponent the fans want to see."

Haye has been called out by everyone from Monte Barrett to James Toney and other fighters that he feels only have dollar signs in their eyes. Barrett, in particular, who is coming off a quick win over Tye Fields, views Haye as a vehicle to get into another tax bracket, as well as contention. But Haye discounts the vocal Barrett.

"Who cares if I fight Monte Barrett?" asks a disdainful Haye. "Who has Monte Barrett ever fought? If he has another win, maybe, and looks good, then he could be in the mix. But at the moment he's just a 38-year old journeyman who had a good win against some 7-foot basketball player."


Haye was ferocious in overwhelming Enzo Maccarinelli in less than two rounds.

Perhaps the most compelling factor that Haye brings to the land of the giants is that he is personable, quick-witted, well-spoken and not afraid to vent his mind. Many of the belt-holders at or near the top of the division are severely lacking in the "flair" department and they fumble with every awkward word of broken English they mutter. Some cannot speak English at all and it's frustrating for U.S. television viewers who can't develop a connection to them. Americans view those heavyweights as nothing more than robotic mutes that are dependent on translators when the bright lights, cameras and microphones are pointed in their direction.

As for the man that most regard as the number one heavyweight in the world, IBF/WBO titlist Wladimir Klitschko, Haye is not impressed, especially with what he saw when Klitschko faced Tony "The Tiger" Thompson last month and knocked out Thompson in the 11th round.

"What I saw was someone who was terrified of engaging in battle," says Haye of the curiously cautious Klitschko. "Someone who didn't want to stand there, hold his feet and go to war. The other guy, Tony 'The Pussycat' Thompson, he didn't impress me. If I fought him I'd have a go. It was the biggest fight of his life. He should have let his hands go a little bit and you never know what could have happened, especially with someone like Klitschko. But he didn't, maybe the crowd intimidated him a little bit."

"Wladimir Klitschko, he got the job done, I'm glad he did that," continues Haye. "He got the knockout and I'm glad it didn't go to points. Hopefully he beats Alexander Povetkin of which I think he will do. I think Wladimir's too experienced and his arms are too long. Povetkin doesn't cover the distance, his footspeed is very slow and I think that will be the difference between them. I think Wladimir will probably win a decision or a similar sort of late stoppage."


Haye is confident, has ability and could rattle the heavyweight division.

So as Haye begins his feast in the heavyweight dining room, he mostly thinks of Wladimir Klitschko and what will happen. In fact, he's already perused the menu and can't wait to take a bite out of the big Klitschko sandwich. He says he knows how to beat Wladimir and that he will stick a fork in him if he gets a chance.

"You need speed, a lot of angles, a lot of movement and that's what I bring in abundance," says Haye who will never be accused of being short on confidence. "I just want to get this fight as soon as possible, that's what I want. I'm in the gym training every day and feeling healthy and feeling good, my diet is great. I just want to get in there, I can't wait to get in there, you know?"

"There is nobody else in the heavyweight division that can bring what I can bring. I'm the undisputed champion in my respective weight category and now I'm moving up. Who else is there? It's wide open. It's me or no one."

David Haye is not starving anymore, but he's still very hungry. And he's licking his lips.


August 2008

Joe Calzaghe Has Done 'It' All

Serious training will begin first thing Monday morning in the ramshackle Newbridge, Wales gym where raindrops drip through holes in the tin roof.

Joe Calzaghe can afford better, but he likes it there.

And besides, it might be the the final time that Joe Calzaghe goes into heavy training inside the crooked walls of the only gym he has ever known and with the only trainer he has ever had - his father Enzo.

On November 8th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Calzaghe will take on Roy Jones, Jr. in a fight that 'The Pride of Wales" says might be the last time he will ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves and hit another man for money.

"Well, at the moment, I'm definitely going to retire," said Calzaghe on Thursday from Cardiff, Wales. "As long as I win the fight and as long as I win the fight in a style I like, it will be my last fight."

Calzaghe is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer and he has been stellar in an undefeated professional career that has seen him as a world titlist for eleven straight years while running his record to 45-0 (32)KO.

It came as somewhat of a surprise then, when he cavalierly proclaimed that Roy Jones, Jr. will be his last fight, especially in light of the fact that several big fights are looming on the horizon should he make it by Jones. But Calzaghe explained, that as far as boxing is concerned, there are no more mountains left for him to climb.

"I believe I've achieved everything in boxing. I'm 36 years old now," said the still youthful Calzaghe. "I don't want to keep fighting. I've got other things in life. I've got two beautiful kids and as you get older, other things become more important."

Certainly there is sons Joseph, Jr. and Conner that Calzaghe can spend his time doting on. Then there is his beautiful Playboy-like, girlfriend Jo-Emma Larvin, who Calzaghe credits with helping him keep his head on straight after his messy 2005 divorce. Besides, Calzaghe still lives where has always lived and despite his enormous wealth and fame he is a man of the people who will be content when it comes time to leave the fighting to others.


Calzaghe was in a celebratory mood after he bested Hopkins in Las Vegas. He is pictured here with sons (from left) Joe, Jr. and Conner as well as girlfriend Jo-Emma.

"I love boxing, I love what the sport has given me, but at the end of the day I want to retire undefeated," says Calzaghe of his final boxing goal. "You know, Rocky Marciano, only a few fighters have done that. That's more important to me than anything. There's not much more to prove."

Aside from going out unbeaten, there is one more little thing that Calzaghe is looking forward to proving. After having conquered Europe, he now wants to conquer America. Calzaghe wants to see his name in lights on the the most storied marquees in the most famous cities and venues that the sport of boxing has to offer.

"Madison Square Garden is like the Mecca of boxing. All of the great names have boxed there," says Calzaghe about the thought of fighting Jones inside what is known as 'The World's Most Famous Arena'.

"The one thing I'm missing from my career, really, is a fight in New York at Madison Square Garden," he declares. "Obviously I've done the Millennium Stadium, it's great to fight in front of your home fans, Mikkel Kessler, you know 50,000. Then obviously Las Vegas, you know I've done the Vegas thing. Now a great way to finish off is the fight in Madison Square Garden against Roy Jones, who I think is one of the greatest fighters of the last 25 years. So many big names have boxed there, you know - Ali, Frazier. So many lists. What a fairy tale way to finish off."

Listening to all of the talk about retirement was, of course, Joe's father Enzo who has trained his son since he first walked into a boxing gym. The wiry and fiery Enzo has never seen a camera or a microphone that he didn't like and he looks like a cross between comedian George Carlin and Zorro. Enzo wears a pencil thin moustache and he doesn't necessarily think that his son has to (or needs to) retire after facing Jones in November.


While enjoying a bottle of Heineken, Enzo Calzaghe gets close to fellow country woman, actress Catherine Zeta Jones.

"He should retire - IF - according to the last fight he didn't perform the way he can perform," says Enzo, who always speaks with a delivery that is emphatic and convincing.

"So, first it doesn't matter if it's Joe Calzaghe or anybody else," Enzo continues. "If they performed bad in their last fight they've got to analyze and say, 'Should I carry on?' It's not a game. So let's look at it this way here: If Joe performs the way he has always performed, I cannot see him retiring. It's about the level of the last fight that makes him decide whether he should quit or not."

Many within the boxing industry were disappointed that Calzaghe opted to pursue a bout with the faded Jones, who is several years removed from his best days. Many fans thirsted for a fight with world middleweight champion and fellow undefeated sensation Kelly Pavlik from Youngstown, Ohio.

But Calzaghe did not apologize on Thursday for what was ultimately his decision to face Jones.

"He's a tremendous fighter, all he's achieved" said Calzaghe in defense of Jones.

"He's a four-weight world champion, done what's never been done, incredible. But obviously he had a couple of defeats against Tarver and against Glen Johnson. He was wrote off, but as all great fighters do, he's come back and he's surprised a lot of people including myself. I cannot underestimate him. I have to make sure that I'm one hundred percent at my best because I'd never forgive myself if I go in there and lose my last fight after being undefeated for 17 years."


Calzaghe and Sylvester Stallone a.k.a. 'Rocky Balboa' ham it up for the camera.

As the end nears, it's useful to look back on Joe Calzaghe's career and peruse his record. It is astounding the names he has beaten and the titles and title defenses he has accumulated. While Calzaghe fought for the majority of his career away from the lens of the magnifying glass that is U.S. boxing coverage - his accomplishments will withstand the test of all-time.

"Eleven years as world champion, I've unified the titles, all the belts. I've become The Ring Champion at Super Middle and Light Heavyweight and made all of the goals I want to achieve in boxing," says a proud Calzaghe. "This is it."

And for Joe Calzaghe, if this really is "it" - what an 'it' it has been.


August 2008

Can the Brett Favre of Boxing Keep from Getting Sacked?

Bernard Hopkins, all 43 years of him, was his usual eloquent self the other day when he was on center stage yet again to begin the sales job for his Atlantic City fight on October 18th against Kelly Pavlik, the youthful world middleweight champion.

While talking up his skills and ring prowess, Hopkins also made sure to downplay the fact that he is closer to 50 than he is 30. The age difference between Hopkins and Pavlik is 17 years, but it may as well be a lifetime.

Pavlik is 26, and he was one month into the first grade when Hopkins fought his first professional fight. That was after Hopkins spent almost six years locked behind the tall walls of Graterford State Penitentiary as prisoner number Y4145.

Last week, Hopkins admitted that he needs to rely on Advil to help ease the pain of his creaking joints and achy muscles, but the specter of facing a man 17 years his junior doesn't seem to concern him much. Hopkins was in a giddy mood and he was too busy thinking about himself in grid-iron terms to worry about the young upstart.

Hopkins didn't compare himself to former fighters like Jack Johnson, Archie Moore or George Foreman who were practitioners of the sweet science well into their forties. No, Bernard Hopkins compared himself to former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who ended his short-lived retirement from the NFL and will suit up for the New York Jets this fall.

"I'm pretty sure that Brett Favre's family is worrying about him, going back out there at forty-something. But you know, we are iron men, said Hopkins in comparing himself to Favre, who is actually 38. "I mention football and I mention boxing because it's all physical contact sports, mentally and physically, we get banged up," he said.

"But he's got 11, 10-15 people, 10, 8, 9 people jumpin' on him and I got one guy I got to deal with. I'd rather deal with that one guy in the ring than be on the football field dealing with 10 or 9 people jumping on me if they sack me, said an animated Hopkins. "But like I said, we're iron men. The ones that can do it is the ones that invested in themselves early in their life."

And Hopkins has made quite an investment in his boxing career and he's been at it for the better part of 20 years. However, in the dark corners of the sport, there are those that are beginning to whisper that "The Executioner" should hang up his axe and retire to his newly bought palatial Delaware estate.


Kelly Pavlik (left) and Hopkins will meet on October 18th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

They say that Hopkins should live the life of a quiet gentlemen. They say that he should be content with the fact that he is a first ballot hall of famer, that he has millions stashed away in various banks as well as a wife and daughter that love him. They also think he should keep the promise that he kept to his deceased mother, Shirley, to retire before his 41st birthday.

Last week, Freddie Roach, who co-trained Hopkins in recent fights, said that he wouldn't work with him for the Pavlik fight because he was concerned for Hopkins' health and said that he saw red lights in the Calzaghe fight that told him it's time for Hopkins to stop.

But Hopkins dismissed the critics as easily as he racked up a record 20 middleweight title defenses. "I'm 43 years old and still boxing, but not getting beat up," said a defiant Hopkins who lost a close decision to Joe Calzaghe in his last fight.

Hopkins is a masterful salesman and he's trying to convince himself and the public that despite what the calendar says he still has some life in his old bones.

"Boxing has always been, in some cases, easy for me," says the sharp-tongued and clear-eyed former middleweight champion. "A lot of people worry about my health - my family, my wife - but I don't get hit. First, my health is fine, I'm in great shape," he explained.

"Name a fight where Bernard Hopkins got his ass whooped, cut, beat-up. Where somebody said, 'Why is he doin' this?' That hasn't happened to me in my 20 years. Somehow people forget that and they don't even want to talk about that. And it's not braggin', I only mention it when I hear stuff like, 'I'm worried about his health. I'm worryin' about this and I'm worryin' about that.'

"What have people seen in Bernard Hopkins in my last five fights that give any signs that I'm takin' too much punishment? What they sayin' is that I'm not keepin' up with the young guys and I'm sayin' I'm 43!"


Hopkins was able to deck Joe Calzaghe in the first round but it wasn't quite enough for him to get the nod on the scorecards of the Las Vegas judges.

And certainly that is the case. In his last fight against Calzaghe, Hopkins lost a razor thin decision and many in the traveling circus known as the boxing press corps actually tabbed Hopkins as the winner. Many fans also thought that Hopkins did enough to earn a win and it didn't hurt that Hopkins was even able to deck Calzaghe in the first round of the fight with a sneaky right hand.

"If the burden is on me to fight like a young man even though I'm getting pounded (by the media) that I'm 43, then what is the burden on a young guy that is 26 that can't take the old man out?" asked an exasperated Hopkins.

"You can't have your cake and eat it, too! But I'm glad that I'm intelligent," said the aging pugilist. "And I'm glad that I have the foresight to understand the agenda is to make me feel like I'm old and give me that subliminal message so you get to questioning yourself, 'Am I old?' When you do that you become what? Old! You become mentally old and if you become mentally old which controls everything we do - you're already lost."

Many people in boxing who don't know what they're looking at view a Pavlik vs. Hopkins match-up as an easy one for the young middleweight champion from Youngstown, Ohio who possesses an unbeaten record of 34-0 (30)KO. But Hopkins, while he has definitely lost a step, is still cagey, still crafty and still dangerous. The fight will be waged at a catch-weight of 170 pounds which suits Hopkins just fine. Pavlik, on the other hand, when he fought in an over-the-weight bout against Jermain Taylor, was not as finely tuned as he is when he weighs 160, and his performance suffered.

Hopkins will be the most experienced foe that Pavlik has ever fought. Hopkins uses all of his years of collective wisdom and breaks down opponents in the ring like an old professor breaks down math problems in the classroom. Hopkins is systematic and methodical and he has the patience to wait for the chances he wants to take. Bernard is going to present Pavlik with a look that the youngster has never seen before and it is doubtful whether Pavlik will be able to stalk Hopkins and punch freely.


Hopkins is flanked here by Shane Mosley (left) and the great 'Hands of Stone' himself - the incomparable Roberto Duran.

Pavlik knows what he is up against, but his comments seem to suggest that he feels that his youth will be the great equalizer. "I think it's a great fight, he's a future hall of famer," says Pavlik. "He's going to be a legend, he's still crafty, he's still dangerous. But I just think with my work rate and my hunger that I'll win."

Hopkins knows that the time is short for him, but he also knows that this is a fight that he can win. As Hopkins will tell you, he has never been beaten up and he is not so far gone that a win over Pavlik is out of the question. And win or lose, it seems Hopkins might be around for one more opponent, a man he lost to way back in 1993.

"Father Time is around the corner, but I just ask him and plead with him, to give me two more years," said a comical Hopkins. "Give me two more years, at least maybe 'til I can track Roy Jones down. But by then, you know what I mean, they'll be takin' both of us in there with a walker!"

But that's only provided Hopkins, the Brett Favre of boxing, can evade the pass-rush of Kelly Pavlik on October 18th.


August 2008

Joshua Clottey Just Wants You to Trust Him

Ghana's Joshua Clottey gets his hands taped before a recent fight. He's facing Zab Judah for the IBF welterweight title on Saturday night at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joshua Clottey just wants you to listen to him for a second. And he just wants you to trust him.

He looks at you with darting, expressive eyes and he has the the type of animated personality that helps him make his point with quick hand gestures and jerky, flailing arms. He opens his eyes wide, which causes his brow to furrow, and he gets his face within a few inches of yours as he tries to convince you that he really is a very good fighter and that he is perfectly capable of beating Zab Judah on Saturday night when the two meet in the ring at the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas.

Oh sure, he talks too, and even though his English is pretty good, his thick African accent along with his rat-a-tat delivery sometimes causes a few words to be lost in translation.

But there is no mistaking his message.

Joshua Clottey is convinced he's going to beat Zab Judah and he wants you to be convinced, too.

"It's going to be a very good fight, a very attractive fight, because I always like to make the crowd happy," says a smiling Clottey. "This fight will not last twelve rounds, Zab cannot go twelve rounds with me. Trust me."

And maybe Joshua Clottey is right. He's done enough with his fists in his boxing career to convince the Vegas odds-makers that he's going to beat Judah and take the currently vacant IBF welterweight title back to his home in the Bronx and then onto his home country of Ghana where he was born 31 years ago.

Clottey gave newly minted WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito a pretty good scare in 2006 before breaking his left hand in the fourth round and damaging his right a few rounds later. Clottey would eventually lose a unanimous decision but he opened a lot of people's eyes with his impressive showing. Before injuring his hands he looked like a sure winner against Margarito who burst onto everyone's pound-for-pound lists this week with last Saturday's dominant victory over Miguel Cotto.



"The other guys, they don't want to fight me," says Clottey of the top fighters who have smartly sidestepped him in the recent past. "If they give me the chance, I have a lot of talent. If they give me the chance, I will do it. They gave me the chance with Margarito. They didn't expect me to do whatever I did. If not for the injured hand I would have beat him."

While many of the people who will show up at the Palms on Saturday night will have heard of Zab Judah they may not be so familiar with Clottey.

Zab, of course, has been in the ring with the "Who's Who" of the boxing game and counts the biggest names of the hip hop community, namely Jay-Z and Diddy, as close friends.

Even though he is only 30-years-old, Zab has been a professional prizefighter since 1996 and has fought everyone from Micky Ward to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to Kostya Tszyu to Miguel Cotto. While Zab has had more misses than hits against the very best competition, he always makes for interesting nights.

But whereas Zab is often erratic and unpredictable, Clottey is steady and regimented. He has run his record to 34-2 (20)KO, is the #1 contender in the IBF, and he doesn't like the fact that Judah has recently taken shots at what he has been able to accomplish over the past 13 years.

"I have been a professional since 1995 and I have been all over the world fighting," proclaims the intensely proud Clottey, who began his career in Africa before moving onto England and eventually the United States.

"Cotto knocked him out," says Clottey, firing a shot back at Judah. "I beat Baldomir in England (Clottey lost by a very controversial disqualification in the 11th round) and Baldomir beat him. Mayweather beat him. With Zab, I have to beat Zab and I will beat Zab."


Clottey (left) outboxed the previously undefeated Shamone Alvarez to move into position for a shot at the title.

Clottey has a style best described as a "grinder" where he constantly applies pressure, moves forward behind a high defense and picks his shots very well. He has respectable punching power, likes to dig to the body, and possesses a chin that has kept him from ever being knocked out. He's solid and strong and has a body that looks as though it was carved from a stump of petrified mahogany.

Judah, on the other hand, has often been described as a front-runner. He has often displayed fantastic skills and has shown wonderful bursts of speed, power and deft movement blended with stunning quickness. He was wonderful early against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and even showed greater speed and quickness than Floyd.

But as is more often the case, once a fight begins to meander its way into the middle rounds, Judah begins to slowly unravel and lose focus and it has cost him. However, in the one fight that he was able to put all of the pieces together, Zab painted an absolutely exquisite masterpiece against Cory Spinks in St. Louis. On that winter night in 2005, Judah was a sophisticated virtuoso who was as good as he has ever been - before or since.

Clottey knows that version of Judah well and he also knows another version of "Super" Judah. The two men have had minor confrontations in and around New York City over the years since Judah hails from Brooklyn and Clottey now lives in the Bronx.

According to Clottey, Judah once challenged him to a street fight and also shoved his trainer at Gleason's Gym, which caused Clottey to discontinue training there. But despite those episodes, Clottey holds no grudges and he is not threatened in the least by Zab.

"So, whatever," says Clottey of Judah as he rolls his eyes. "He's fast, his speed the first few rounds? I don't care. I want him to show me that, because I have speed, too. I'm ready for everything. I know how to fight rough. If he hits me on the back, I'll hit him on the back. I'm not waiting for the referee to tell me no. I will hit him, trust me."


Judah(left) and Clottey had another chance to size each other up last weekend at a press conference inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Judah has a reputation as a roughhouser and a trouble maker in the ring as well as a trash-talker outside of it, but Clottey says he is ready for that type of fight if things go in that direction.

"I respect every opponent," he says. "If he shows me respect, I will show him respect. But when we get in that ring, if he tries to be rough, I'll be rough. I'm from where we fight on the streets. I'm ready for this fight and I'm ready to be a champion."

Clottey is a physical fighter who makes opponents work every second that they are in the ring with him. He has muscles on top of muscles and for some fights, even though he made the welterweight limit of 147-pounds for the official weigh-in, he has ballooned up in weight over 20 pounds by the time the bell for round one rings the next night. Clottey will likely have a significant size advantage on Judah who is a smallish welterweight.

It also seems that Clottey has thought about everything in this fight and a lot of that thought has been spent on what strategy he will employ.

"I'll beat him. We're gonna' fight a close fight. Nobody is gonna' run," explains Clottey - the visionary. "We're going to stand in one place. If he moves, I'll move. If he runs, I'll run after him. So we're going to fight close. I'm not going to let him go. I'm going to get close to him in the first round. You know, people keep saying that he is very fast for the first few rounds. If he is going to start fast that is going to be his problem. I'm in condition and I will get to him. He has to run around all day. What's going to happen in the ring is that I'm going to bring a very, very fast pace. Everyone is going to be surprised. I'm going to out-speed him, trust me. I am not going to get tired."

When Judah was asked what he thought of Clottey, he was dismissive and he obviously doesn't see the same skill set that others do which have made the Ghanaian a 5 to 2 betting favorite. Judah sees himself as the Lamborghini in a drag race against a Ford Pinto.


Zab has always been partial to flashy cars with all of the shiny accessories.

"He's a steady fighter, you know what I mean? says the fast talking Zab whose words struggle to keep up with his mind.

"If you watch some of the great fighters, all of the great fighters had gears. It's like a racing car, no car runs on just one gear. When you run in one gear, you're gonna' burn out the clutch, you know what I mean? A fighter such as Zab Judah, I can start fast, you know what I'm sayin'? I can end up fast. In this fight I'm going to start and keep it up in the same pace. It's going to be great. I'm going to change a lot in this fight. There's going to be fast pace, slow pace, defense, slippin', movin', combinations. You are guaranteed to see a Zab Judah of the young again."

What is certain is that for Clottey, everything he has accomplished and everything he has fought for thus far is riding on Saturday night's outcome. If he wins he likely goes straight to a lucrative rematch with Antonio Margarito in the fall, or at least that's what promoter Bob Arum has alluded to. And Arum should know, as he promotes both men.

But if Clottey loses, it's straight back to Palookaville and fighting for small money in front of small crowds. His chance at the big time will have passed by quicker than a southbound subway car in the Bronx.

"I really want to fight him bad," says Clottey in anticipation of Saturday night as he rubs his hands together and smiles at the thought of what a victory will mean to him.

"I want to prove to everybody, the point that I want to be a champion. I have to be a champion. If Zab beats me, he can beat Cotto. He can beat Margarito. Whatever training Zab does, if he beats me, he'll have to train all of the time like that to beat all of those guys. But he will never beat me."

Joshua Clottey just wants you to trust him on that one.


August 2008

Duel in the Sun

Their future is so bright they've gotta' wear shades. Challenger Antonio Margarito (left) and WBA 147-pound champion Miguel Cotto are smiling now, but things are going to turn serious once the two square off in "The Battle" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

On Saturday night, soon after Michael Buffer hits the final note on what will surely be another stirring introduction, the timekeeper will strike the bell for round one and the gong will slice through the 100 degree heat of the Las Vegas night. Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito will be ready to rumble.

Over the past few months, Cotto and Margarito have been asked thousands of questions from scribes in San Juan, newshounds in New York, listeners in Los Angeles and correspondents in Canada.

But one final question is going to be asked inside the ring set up in the middle of “The House That Tyson Built” and once Cotto and Margarito move toward one another in the MGM Grand Garden Arena, it will then be time to answer one question for themselves.

The question, of course, is “How much do I want this?”

Simply put, Cotto versus Margarito, Puerto Rico versus Mexico, aptly billed as “The Battle” is that type of fight. Both men will be tested and when the smoke clears on this desert shootout one of them is going to have passed the ultimate test.

“I’m here to fight the big names, the real fighters in my division and Margarito is one of them. I know this is going to be a great fight,” says the poker-faced, 27-year old Cotto of Saturday’s collision between the the world's top two weltwerweight gunslingers.

Cotto, of course, has scorched a trail through two weight divisions, is the undefeated star of the welterweights, is ranked in the top five of the pound-for-pound lists and everything he has accomplished over the past seven years is at risk in this standoff.

Twenty paces away, in the other corner, hailing from a dusty Tijuana, Mexico barrio is the stereotypical story of a once poverty-stricken fighter that has used his fists to fight his way up and out. He speaks no English, has a menacing sneer, has won a slice of the welterweight pie two times and he is the most dangerous type of an hombre that exists.

A gangly, angular welterweight with inky black hair, stringy arms and a face framed with a pencil thin goatee, Margarito began fighting grown men for money when he was just a boy of sixteen. If you see him on the street walking around at over 170 pounds you would never guess that he is able to squeeze his broad shoulders into the suit of a 147-pound assassin, or that he has knocked out twenty-six men.


A confident Margarito stands in front of a bus in Las Vegas the day before he and Cotto get it on inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Margarito, though, is not without flaws and he appeared relatively ordinary in successive fights against the unheralded Joshua Clottey (in a fight he won) and then he was outpointed over twelve rounds by Paul Williams. It is these fights that Cotto supporters point to when they talk about Saturday night and it is here where they see their best hope for Cotto to return to Puerto Rico as the victor.

But like a virtual tornado, Margarito has stormed back from the Clottey and Williams struggles to viciously dispatch Golden Johnson in one round and then knock out Kermit Cintron in six rounds in their rematch. For those that see weakness in Margarito - he comes into this fight riding on the coattails of two of his most impressive performances.

Although some question Margarito’s ability, there is no mistaking the fact that he is a top-flight talent. This is one of the best match-ups that could have been made in all of boxing. It is also a fight that revives and continues the longstanding rivalry between Puerto Rican and Mexican fighters. It’s a fact not lost on the expressionless Cotto who perked up a bit when this subject was broached.

“I believe the Puerto Rican - Mexican rivalry means a lot,” he says. “Not just for me, but for all the Puerto Rican fans and all of the Mexican fans, and I think, all of the boxing fans in the world. The Margarito fans and the Miguel Cotto fans have the chance to maintain the rivalry. That’s because the way the ancestors of us have made the fights between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. I think that we have in our hands the privilege to write another chapter with this fight.”

Cotto is the overwhelming favorite to come away with the victory. In a recent poll of nearly 60 boxing writers and media members from around the world, (including this one) only seven picked Margarito to win. That should not be seen as a slap in the face to the “Tijuana Tornado” but more of an acknowledgement that Cotto is perceived as the type of special talent that comes along only once a generation.


Miguel Cotto is a popular fellow and his loyal fans will pay big bucks to have his "John Hancock" on a boxing glove.

“There’s going to be a lot written about this fight,” said promoter Bob Arum. It’s like an old-time throwback. This is like when Tommy fought Leonard and when Hagler fought Hearns. This really brings me back to the old days. It’s going to be a great night.”

Many, however, question Arum's wisdom in putting Cotto into harm's way with an animal such as Margarito, whom he also promotes.

“Miguel has never, ever ducked anybody,” says Arum of one his shining stars, the other two being Manny Pacquiao and Kelly Pavlik.

“One thing you always know about Miguel Cotto is that he is always in top condition and is always prepared to give 110% in the ring. He beat Zab in Zab’s hometown and he beat Shane Mosley. What more can I say?”

For Margarito, who is now on center stage and in the bright spotlight that a major pay-per view card will shine on him, it's a do-or-die proposition. This is his crossroads fight. Should he lose he remains without a title belt and anonymous to casual boxing fans. Should he win it propels him forward, likely onto the pound-for-pound rankings, and into the big money.

And despite his accomplishments and success in the boxing ring, Antonio Margarito does live a life of anonymity.

Let me relay a brief personal story to you. The morning after Oscar De La Hoya knocked out Ricardo Mayorga in May 2006, this writer was waiting in line for a car to the airport. I turned around and standing there in the same line, dressed in black from head-to-toe, was Margarito.

Not one person asked him for a photo or an autograph and this was Las Vegas mind you - the boxing capital of the world - where the night before nearly 15,000 boxing fans had just been milling about.

Once I arrived at the airport and had cleared security I was waiting for a flight to Phoenix, Arizona.

Coincidentally, awaiting for the same delayed flight was Margarito. As he sat quietly flipping through the pages of a boxing magazine, not a soul recognized that he was the then WBO Welterweight champion of the world. No one asked for a picture. No one asked for an autograph.

So for Antonio Margarito to go forward, this is a fight that he has to win.

“The time is finally here,” says Margarito of his struggle for his place in the sun.

Until now Margarito has been avoided by the marquee names of the sport; especially names such as Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. As a result, Margarito has also missed out on the really big money that comes along with fighting the really big names.

“I want to show everyone that I am still in the best moments of my career," says the 30-year old Margarito. "I don’t think this will be the most difficult fight of my career but I think it will be the most important. I believe it’s going to be a tough fight, it’s going to be a difficult fight. But I do believe I’m going to be victorious and I believe it will open a lot of doors for even bigger fights.”

What is certain is that winning or losing a boxing match can be a life changing experience. On Saturday night, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito are going to be asked to give some answers to some difficult questions.

Whoever can provide the best answer to the question, "How much do I want this?" will be the victor of this duel in the sun. They will also be the one that happily rides off into the Nevada sunset like a heroic gunslinger in an old western.



July 2008