Harrison Rogan September 6th

Scheduled to face the 37 year old Prize Fighter tournament winner Martin Rogan(10-0-0) on September 6th, 2008 at the M.E.N Arena, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom, the 36 year Olympic Gold Medalist Audley Harrison(22-3-0) looks to catapult his heavyweight boxing career in 2009 with a win over Rogan who is undefeated in his last 10 fights. They were supposed to fight on July 19th of this year but the fight never materialized. This is what Audley had to say:

"I'm delighted that the Rogan fight has been rearranged so quickly.

"I'm looking forward to getting my career back on track, and defeating Rogan will be the perfect way of signalling my intentions."

Source

Haye Talks About Weight At Heavyweight

“I've only just started to get back into serious training and I'm currently at a lean and mean 16 stone 8 pounds (232 lbs; 105 KG). Klitschko was worried that I wouldn't be big enough to face him, but the scales don't lie and I'm well over the 16 stone mark and in great shape already. I'm eating well, living well and doing some serious training. My body fat is at 12 per cent and I'm currently in better shape than the majority of the division even at this early stage.”

“The weight issue is a non-issue so long as you carry the speed, power and athleticism that I'll be entering the heavyweight division with. Being heavy is only an advantage if you know how to use it to your advantage and the other guy lets you. What good is it being 6'6 and 18 stone if you're content to just hug your opponent for 12 rounds and try and poke his eyes out with your left glove? I have the perfect kryptonite for Klitschko's physique. He doesn't need to worry about that."

“I'll be similar in size to Sanders when I box Klitschko and we all know what happened there. Sanders (a pro standard golfer) had to be dragged off the golf course to knock out Klitschko. Can you imagine Lennox Lewis getting chinned by Colin Montgomerie? Sanders even knocked Klitschko out with a golf swing. Sanders had flash backs to being on the last hole at Wentworth and knocked Klitschko out with an approach shot. Imagine what sort of damage Sanders could have done if he threw an actual punch. When my right hand lands Klitschko will be wishing it was a golf club.”

Haye on Klitschko's Performance With Thompson

“It wasn't pretty but Klitschko got the job done and I'm glad he pulled through,” said Haye, currently 21-1 (20 KO). “He finished the fight with a highlight reel knockout and it was the kind of finish that will probably disguise everything that went before it. Let's face it, the fight wasn't a good one for boxing or the heavyweight division. There was no anticipation and no excitement before it - and there was even less after the first round ended.”

Haye On Klitschko As A Boxer

“You can read Klitschko like a very long and very boring Russian novel. Once you've read it once, you won't want to or need to read it again. He grabs, he hugs and he waves his left hand in your face like a blind man. They call Vitali Klitschko ‘Dr. Iron Fist' – well maybe ‘Dr. Limp Wrist' would be more suitable for little Wlad and his weird excuse for a jab.”

Haye On His Eventual Ranking By The WBO

“Get ready to see that queue becoming even shorter when the WBO give me their ranking,”

My Thoughts

Haye has not been tested at heavyweight by anyone significant anytime recently. Ever since moving to heavyweight from cruiserweight, he has not fought one match nor has he even scheduled a fight to take place against anyone. So his performance at heavyweight is a novel itself with no content at all! All there is is a intro on what he's "going" to do. Lets see how much of his speed he carries up to heavyweight when weighing 232. I have a feeling he's going to be much slower...

Source

Timor Ibragimov Defeats Greenley

In his 2nd comeback fight on Saturday night(7/26/08) since losing to Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, Timur ibragimov fought on local boxing card to the surprise of local fans of Charlotte, NC. His opponent was journeyman Andrew Greeley who seemed to play the sparring partner role all night by staying at a distance for 6 rounds and letting Ibragimov get off his punch sequences.

Ibragimov won the fight easy enough but appeared to have very little snap on his punches despite being 6'3" tall and a pretty compact 223 lbs. Where he plans to go after a 6 round tune-up match is anyones guess, but he definitely doesn't seem like a threat to anyone worried about knockout power from their opponent.

O’Neil Bell Headed To Heavyweight

Possibly in a move to follow another cruiserweight champion, David Haye, O’Neil Bell a former undisputed cruiserweight champion has also stated that he will make his move into the heavyweight division. Now 33, Bell 26-3-1 with 24 knockouts was cruiserweight champion for 2 years and has had notable knockout wins over other cruiserweights such as Ezra Sellers, Kelvin Davis, Sebastiaan Rothmann, Arthur Williams, and Jean-Marc Mormeck.

O'Neil Bell Quotes

“The heavyweight division needs a savior, and I’m applying for the job. I hate to say it, but the division is a mess and it needs cleaning up by a dynamic and exciting fighter like myself.”

“Making the cruiserweight limit has sapped me of my strength over my last couple of fights and took away what got me to the world championship in the first place. Now at heavyweight, I feel better than ever and I can’t wait to smash everyone in my path on the way to the championship. This is the most excited I’ve ever been in my career, and that’s bad news for whoever gets in my way.”

Executive Director of Seminole Warriors Boxing, Bell’s promoter Leon Margules had a few things to say as well.

Leon Margules Quotes

“This is great news for O’Neil Bell and for all of boxing. Not only will O’Neil get to shine at a weight where he is comfortable at, but the world will finally get to see him at his best – putting on exciting fights and knocking people out in the sport’s glamour division.”

Toney Rahman Decision Changed

Originally, in the rematch on July 16th, 2008 between James "Lights Out" Toney & Hasim "The Rock" Rahman, the fight was ruled a 3rd round TKO win for Toney. However, after thorough review by the California State Athletic Commission the ruling has now been changed to a no-decision. Here's what Armando Garcia, Executive Director of the California State Athletic Commission said about this:

"..I have reviewed (Rahman's) appeal and have determined that the wrong decision was rendered on the night of the event. Therefore, the bout will be ruled a No Decision."

Wladimir Klitschko vs Bill Corrigan

This is Wladimir Klitschko's 2 win(2 by KO), 0 losses, and 0 draws 3rd professional fight, and last fight of 1996, which occurred on December 21st, 1996. His opponent was Bill Corrigan (10 Wins, 12 losses, and 1 draw) and Wladimir made short work of him via 1st round TKO. This is how the fight went.

Toney Wants Haye Fight

James "Lights Out" Toney recently talked about his desire to fight former cruiserweight champion David "Hayemaker" Haye, and was furious about Haye's consideration to still fight Hasim Rahman if the ruling from the Rahman-Toney is overturned. As it stands now Toney won by 3rd round TKO. As a reminder, this is what Haye had to say:

"The heavyweight situation is very fragile. There was talk of Hasim Rahman, but he got beat by James Toney. Is that fight going to get changed to a no decision? If it does, that leaves him back in the mix."

James Toney's Response

“David Haye is a comedian. Is he scared of an old, fat, short guy? He’s done nothing to even deserve a fight with [Wladimir] Klitschko. He won the cruiserweight titles from two bums, one old guy and one guy who can’t even fight in [Enzo] Maccarrinelli. And he thinks now he should get Klitschko? It’s ludicrous."

“Rahman is a joke. I beat him and I wasn’t even 100% yet. When I say I wasn’t 100%, my weight wasn’t back to where it was when I fought [Evander] Holyfield. If he got the balls, let’s sign the contract and do this. My record is proven. Come and try to beat me. All Golden Boy has to do is call Dan.”

“As terrible as Klitschko is, he will beat Haye. Haye has no chin and no heart, he proved that against Carl Thompson years ago. Things don’t change. He’s a typical Euro and British fighter. They get fed a bunch of bums and come over here and don’t want to fight a good fighter. I will destroy David Haye. He will never fight again. Everyone I fight, I ruin them. They are never the same again."

“Even Monte Barrett will knock him out. He’s afraid of me. I’m the realest fighter in the game. I’m the only old school fighter left in the game, not Bernard Hopkins. Haye wants the easy road. After I beat Rahman, I knew they would still go after him because he’s fragile. I took his spine and his heart in that fight.”

“I told Dan that I want to fight again by August or early September. I’ll fight anybody. I don’t care who it is. I started at 157 and now I’m fighting heavyweights and beating the brakes off of them. Some of the writers and sports announcers don’t want to give me my props. I’ve been in this game for 20 years and I’m still going to be here. When I’m right, nobody can see me."

“Third time around Sam Peter is going to sleep. I’ll get that dashiki motherf**ker. I don’t care if I fight Klitschko or Sam Peter. Whoever signs the contract first will get whooped. I will be heavyweight champion of the world again.”

Source

Haye Interview After Klitschko Thompson

David "Hayemaker" Haye was recently interviewed by Setanta Sports after the fight between WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko and Tony "The Tiger" Thompson. Wladimir won by 11th round KO, and Haye comments on the fight, including the knockout, and his plans at heavyweight.



In my opinion, Thompson's holding of the back of the head was the just a triangular block he was preparing to do before he got hit by Wladimir on the jaw. In other words, that was the last thing on his mind before he got hit so he just kept on doing that same movement on the floor.

WBC Heavyweight Rankings July 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

WBC CHAMPION: SAMUEL PETER (NIGERIA)
EMERITUS CHAMPION: VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE)
WON TITLE: March 8, 2008
LAST DEFENCE: no defense yet
LAST COMPULSORY: March 8, 2008
WBA CHAMPION: Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan)
IBF CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine)
WBO CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine)
Contenders:
WBC INT. CHAMPION: Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba)

1 .- Vladimir Virchis (Ukraine) EBU
2 .- Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba) INTL
3 .- John Ruiz (P. Rico)
4 .- Alexander Dimitrenko (Ukraine)
5 .- Chris Arreola (US) AMERICA
6 .- David Haye (GB)
7 .- Oleg Maskaev (Kazakhstan)
8 .- Hasim Rahman (US)
9 .- Andrew Golota (Poland)
10 .- Kali Meehan (New Zealand)
11 .- Travis Walker (US) NABF
12 .- Donnell Holmes (US)
13 .- JD Chapman (US)
14 .- Carl Davis Drummond (Costa Rica) FECARBOX
15 .- Kevin Johnson (US)

16 .- Odlanier Solis (Cuba) LATINO
17 .- Sinan Samil Sam (Turkey) MEDITERRANEAN
18 .- Oliver McCall (US)
19 .- Eddie Chambers (US)
20 .- Paolo Vidoz (Italy)
21 .- Joe Mesi (US)
22 .- Denis Boytsov (Russia)
23 .- Oleg Platov (Ukraine)
24 .- David Rodriguez (US)
25 .- Monte Barrett (US)
26 .- Friday Ahunanya (Nigeria)
27 .- DaVarryl Williamson (US)
28 .- David Tua (New Zealand)
29 .- Francesco Pianeta (Italy) YOUTH
30 .- Jameel McCline (US)
31 .- Taras Bidenko (Ukraine)
32 .- Joseph Chingangu (Zambia) ABU
33 .- Manuel Quezada (US) CABOFE
34 .- Albert Sosnowski (Poland)
35 .- Dennis Bakhtov (Russia) ABCO
36 .- Carlos Takam (Cameroon)
37 .- Malik Scott (US)
38 .- Roman Greenberg (Israel)
39 .- Alexey Soloviev (Russia) CISBB
40 .- Bermane Stiverne (Canada)

* NA = NOT AVAILABLE
Alexander Povetkin (Russia) * NA - IBF
Tony Thompson (US) * NA - WBO
James Toney (US) * NA - Medical
Luan Krasniqi (Germany) * NA - Medical
Lamon Brewster (US) * NA - Medical
Evander Holyfield (US) *NA - WBO
Nicolay Valuev (Russia) *NA - WBA
Shannon Briggs (US) * NA - Medical
Sergey Lyakhovich (Belarussia)
Ray Austin (US)
Matt Skelton (GB)
Sultan Ibragimov (Russia)

*will be updated monthly

WBA Heavyweight Rankings June 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan** NOW VACANT
IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria

CHAMPION: VACANT

WBA Rankings

CHAMPION : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan

1 Nicolai Valuev Russian Federation
2 John Ruiz United States
3 Kali Meehan AUS
4 Taras Bidenko UKR
5 Alexander Dimitrenko UKR
6 Andrew Golota POL
7 Kevin Johnson USA
8 Sergei Liakhovich BUR
9 J.D Chapman United States
10 Carl Davis Drumond C.R.
11 Chris Arreola United States
12 Sinan Samil Sam TUR
13 Davaryll Williamson United States
14 Dennis Bakhtov RUS
15 Brian Minto USA

*Will be updated monthly
**WBC rankings will be added as soon as they update/July rankings aren't out yet

WBA Heavyweight Rankings May 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan
IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria

CHAMPION: Ruslan Chagaev

WBA Rankings

CHAMPION : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan

1 Nicolai Valuev Russian Federation
2 John Ruiz United States
3 Kali Meehan AUS
4 Taras Bidenko UKR
5 Alexander Dimitrenko UKR
6 Andrew Golota POL
7 Kevin Johnson USA
8 Sergei Liakhovich BUR
9 J.D Chapman United States
10 Carl Davis Drumond C.R.
11 Hasim Rahman United States
12 Chris Arreola United States
13 Davaryll Williamson United States
14 Sinan Samil Sam TUR
15 Dennis Bakhtov RUS

*Will be updated monthly
**WBC rankings will be added as soon as they update

Ring Heavyweight Rankings July 2008

Ring Magazine Heavyweight Boxing Rankings

Current Champions

IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria


Ring Magazine CHAMPION: No Champion

1 WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO 165 WIR*
2 SAMUEL PETER 168 WIR
3 RUSLAN CHAGAEV 88 WIR
4 NICOLAY VALUEV 136 WIR
5 ALEXANDER POVETKIN 39 WIR
6 SULTAN IBRAGIMOV 60 WIR
7 OLEG MASKAEV 102 WIR
8 VLADIMIR VIRCHIS 60 WIR
9 JOHN RUIZ 20 WIR
10 CHRIS ARREOLA 2 WIR

*WEEKS IN RANKINGS
**updated monthly

WBO Heavyweight Rankings July 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria

CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine

1 Tony Thompson USA
2 Alexander Dimitrenko (Int-Cont) UKR
3 Vladimir Virchis UKR
4 Alexander Povetkin RUS
5 Chris Arreola USA
6 Travis Walker USA
7 J.D. Chapman USA
8 Denis Boytsov RUS
9 Kali Meehan AUST
10 Brian Minto USA
11 Shane Cameron (Asia-Pacific) (Oriental) NZ
12 Monte Barrett USA
13 Donell Holmes USA
14 Friday Ahunanya NIG
15 Hasim Rahman USA

*will be updated monthly

IBF Heavyweight Rankings July 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan??
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria

CHAMPION Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine

1 Alexander Povetkin Russian Federation
2 NOT RATED
3 Alexander Dimitrenko Ukraine
4 Hasim Rahman United States
5 Sultan Ibragimov United States
6 Oleg Maskaev Kazakhstan
7 Chris Arreola United States
8 Eddie Chambers United States
9 Tony Thompson United States
10 Andrew Golota Poland
11 Kali Meehan Australia
12 Sinan Samil Sam Turkey
13 Oleg Platov Ukraine
14 Travis Walker United States
15 Shane Cameron Australia


*Will be updated monthly

IBF Heavyweight Rankings June 2008

Current Heavyweight Boxing Champions

IBF : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBO : Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine
WBA : Ruslan Chagaev Uzbekistan
WBC : Sam Peter Nigeria

CHAMPION Wladimir Klitschko Ukraine

1 Alexander Povetkin Russian Federation
2 NOT RATED
3 Alexander Dimitrenko Ukraine
4 Hasim Rahman United States
5 Sultan Ibragimov United States
6 John Ruiz United States
7 Oleg Maskaev Kazakhstan
8 Eddie Chambers United States
9 Tony Thompson United States
10 Chris Arreola United States
11 Andrew Golota United States
12 Kali Meehan Australia
13 Sinan Samil Sam Turkey
14 Oleg Platov Ukraine
15 Carl Drumond Costa Rica


*Will be updated monthly

Analyzing Klitschko Vs. Thompson

On Saturday July 12th, 2008 there was a heavyweight title match between WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko and WBO #1 mandatory challenger Tony "The Tiger" Thompson. Even though Wladimir won the fight via 11th round KO, there seems to be mixed reviews on his performance during this fight, and his value as a boxer. So, I decided to voice my own opinion of what I thought of the match, and Wladimir Klitschko's recent performances.

1st of all I want to point out that it's always tricky to face a southpaw. You may have experience if you fight a few, which Wladimir has, but the number of southpaws one faces never comes close to the number of orthodox fighters one faces so there's going to be that element of awkwardness. This is the 2nd fight in a row where Wladimir has faced a southpaw, because back in February 23rd of this year Wlad faced Sultan Ibragimov and defeated him via a 12 round decision to pick up the IBF strap. So the results of his last 2 efforts might be deceiving to the public eye because he's faced 2 men in a row that would give any fighter that element of awkwardness. In fact, there have been great fighters in the past who purposely kept away from southpaws for that reason.

The second thing I want to state is that Thompson himself is not only a southpaw boxer but also has other characteristics that Klitschko isn't used to. Those characteristics include a man who is very close in height and weight(actually weighed more than Wlad), and who had a greater reach than Wladimir. So the physical characteristics combined with his awkward southpaw stance is something that takes any fighter a little while to adapt to.

I believe in both the Ibragimov and Thompson fights, although more in the Ibragimov fight, Wladimir faced opponents who at times seemed to be defensive minded. Whenever someone sits back and their sole thinking process is what they can do to prevent you from hurting them, it's alot harder to hurt them than if they are leaving themselves open at times because they themselves are looking to land. Thompson did start the fight out fairly aggressive though, but cooled down after a few. In the 11th round, Thompson was leaving himself open more, although this was also due to his fatigue as well as increasing his aggression, which lead Wladimir to his right hand knockout victory.

I think Wladimir showed in this fight a lot more of his punch arsonol and strategy than he has in his past. He showed some good body shots, which he does quite well(work on this Wlad people are expecting you to be a head hunter and you land good punches to the body), the ability to adapt whenever his jab isn't working as well as he likes, and uppercuts. I only mention these improvements because some people think Wladimir is regressing by not knocking out Thompson/Ibragimov early.

In conclusion, I think Wladimir is improving as a boxer under Emanuel Steward. The only thing that I could see that Wladimir could work on is the ability to pick up his aggression early on fighters whom he knows has a very slim chance of knocking him out, and also working on his body punching. If his opponents in the future have to worry about whether he's going to start out fast or not, and whether they're going to get hit to the body or head at anytime, this would make his ability to make a more impressive victory in the future easier.


As an added note, I believe that whenever Wladimir signs a deal to fight the orthodox, shorter, and highly regarded Povetkin, people are going to be surprised how easy Wladimir lands punches at will and takes this guy out early. It's going to be like wearing ankle weights for two races and then taking them off for the 3rd (In reference to going from 2 southpaws to an orthodox fighter). My prediction is Wladimir will KO Povetkin within 4 rounds. He should have nothing to fear from this guy. Povetkin wins fights by his aggression not by his impressive 1 punch knockout power-- he couldn't knock out Chris Byrd(fight was stopped by his corner)**ok bad example Klitschko didn't ko him either the 1st fight** nor Chambers, and is a sucker for the right hand. **In other words, I believe Povetkin's power is cumulative whereas Wlad's can be in just one punch. especially in fighting at a higher level...**

Good luck to Wladimir and Vitali on chasing their dream to become the 1st heavyweight brothers to hold championships at the same time!

** these are later additions to the post

Toney Interview After Rahman Rematch

Here's some of the commentary from the video:

"I want Sam Peter and Klitschko...in order for anybody to make some real money, if they want to make big money, they gotta fight James Toney. That's bottom line. If Klitschko wanna make some real big money, he gotta come see me. If Sam Peter wanna make some big money, he gotta come see me."

Thompson's Final Blog Post After Klitschko Fight

After Tony "The Tiger" Thompson's loss to WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko this last July the 12th, Tony wrote his final blog entry about his experience with his match with Klitschko. This is how it went..

Hello fellow bloggers and blog readers, No one asked me to write this addition but I found it therapeutic and I am hoping it has the same affect for you because if I ever needed therapy it would be now. But since I still can’t afford it, this will have to do (see it’s working already). I’m now of course back home and have been getting a lot of positive feedback of a lot of “atta boys” and we will get him next time (why people always say “we” usually don’t have the headaches or the gash over their eye or look as if we’ve been in a car accident)…lol.. I do appreciate the support and pep talks. I just can’t feel them just yet.

I feel like I had a dream that my heart held but never actually grasped and had to let go. I don’t know if that makes any sense to anybody but the only thing I can compare it to is that high school girl or guy that we wanted but realized she had a boyfriend (or girlfriend) and was crushed. But to the tenth power to say the least, I am hurting. But as I sit and write I have to admit I am feeling a little better. Sometimes you have to look at the things you do have instead of the things that you don’t have ( sounds like I am talking to my wife) and I realize that I was blessed to have that opportunity and blessed to get out of there alive damn!!!! I was blessed to have people take a healthy interest in me and finally get to see me fight for the first time and see I was not a fictional character that some one told them about like some kind of a big foot ( even though I do have big feet).

So, having come to all of theses conclusions I think I am ready for my next act. You have heard of Bruce Lee in the “Return Of The Dragon” well I am going to be Bruce T , in the “Return of the Tiger.” I can see it now, I come back after a few weeks off of course, I have some promises to keep to the little ones and the wifey pooh and after that I begin a extensive and intensive training, then I knock off some very worthy opponents maybe 3 or 4. Then I get to meet the monster that stopped my very impressive streak of wins.

Again, I wont give you the ending because I want you to watch but I will give you a hint the good guys always win in the sequel. So stay tuned. Now on a more positive note I don’t want this letter to sound too much like a suicide note. I had a great time in Hamburg, Germany. Don’t get me wrong, I love the USA of course and I’m never leaving the DMV area but Hamburg was special.

First of all, the weather was crazy you go over there in July you expect to be hot but if feels like a nice warm fall day with just the right amount of breeze it did have its fair share of raining, but what place doesn’t this time of year then the people were awesome you would think that they would be mad at you for coming to try and take there champs belt but I had a surprising amount of fans and supporters it was crazy even the people that didn’t want me to win seemed like they loved me still they were very passionate.

We had open work outs at one of there biggest sport stores called Kardstadt don’t ask me to pronounce that but I thought it was great to go out there both fighters and interact with the fans and let them see you in your routine at least parts of it and to the fans and take pictures you would be surprised how many people wanted my autograph. I know you would have been because I was. It was incredible everywhere I went people would recognize me and stop me and ask me to take a picture with them and their kids or mate. When one person stopped me the flood gates opened and everyone would run over and it seemed liked everyone had a damn camera and at first I would be in a crowd I would say the German phrase “ Ich Ben Kin Basketball Spieler” because last time I came to fight Luan Krasniqi everyone had mistaken me for a basketball player so I would let the crowd gather and I would say that really loud for everyone to (by the way it says that I’am not a basketball player) but the people where very knowledgeable about what was going on and who I was and the fifty foot likeness of me and Wladimir didn’t hurt either but they remembered me from last year and they were anticipating my return so no matter where I went I was mobbed. People even started to ask my brother for his autograph thinking he was me of course I had to use it to my advantage.

A few times with some very timely escapes because the crowd will not let you go and I wanted to accommodate everyone’s wish but it was impossible because we had other obligations and I had to eat and rest and work out sometimes. I had to pull the okey doke but it was all in fun even the crowds had fun with it when they realized that my brother was not me (even though I wish I could have tagged his ass in about the tenth round on second thought I couldn’t do that to my man I don’t think) but the people where genuinely excited about seeing me which was pumping me up even more than I already was.

The craziest thing was this man said, “he wanted to have a baby for me” I didn’t stick around for him to try I quickly exited that part of the crowd and the Africans would come up and grab me and say “Tony” in that deep African voice “You must kill him: and I would say no man that’s to much I just want to knock him out for 15 seconds or so (15 seconds because we were in Germany and you never can tell). I’d say okay. Just win man they were extreme. Believe it or not man I had to get security yes that’s right security. My man Nate hired a big ass dude named Reggie now I have always been the type to go where I want when I want. At first I was a little naïve about needing a bodyguard, but as we got closer to the fight I understood his purpose and was glad he was there not so much in terms of I thought I was in danger but it was hard to do anything without being interrupted even go to out and have something to eat. Reggie did a great job of being a gentleman yet keeping some sort of boundaries while I was busy not to mention he made a great escape goat because I tried my damnest to give everyone an autograph and picture but as soon as he saw that I was getting tired or overwhelmed he stepped in and took the heat while getting me back to the hotel. So the people might not have liked Reggie too much but me and my wife loved him. But all in all, despite the outcome of the fight, I must admit I had a good time. I'm not through in the sport. I will be champ of the world. So thanks blog world and I'll see you after Disney World.

Source

Valuev Ruiz 2

Due to Ruslan Chagaev being injured past the point of time where he was supposed to fight a mandatory challenger, which was Nicolai Valuev in a rematch, the WBA has stripped Chagaev and gave him a 'champion in recess' label with an option to fight next year the winner of the Nicolai Valuev (48-1, 34 KOs) and John Ruiz (43-7, 29 KOs) 2 rematch that will be held on August 30th, 2008 in Berlin, Germany. The winner of this fight will be the new WBA Heavyweight champion.

The last time Valuev and Ruiz fought was back in December 2005 with Valuev coming out with the decision victory. I think that Valuev will have an easier time with Ruiz this time because I believe Valuev has improved and was already in shape to fight a similarly statured Chagaev, whereas, Ruiz wasn't prepared to face anyone especially someone in the stature of 7'2". The fight is coming up rather quickly so the training preparation is also in Valuev's favor since he should already be in top shape from preparing for the Chagaev fight that did not come into fruition.

Johnson's Letter To Toney

After James "Lights Out" Toney got a messy 3rd TKO win in his rematch over Hasim “The Rock” Rahman on July 16th, 2008, fellow heavyweight "Kingpin" Kevin Johnson wrote an letter to Toney.

"James, congrats on your win, although there really isn’t much for you to celebrate. Just another washed up out of shape American heavyweight beating on another washed up out of shape and old American heavyweight. Watching you and Hasim Rahmn exchange love taps for three forgettable rounds nearly sent me into a coma..

" I know that you probably think that your fraudulent win over Rahmn gives you the right to fight for the heavyweight title and opportunity for another lucrative payday, to which I say B.S. You and the rest of the old washed-up, over-the-hill and semi-retired heavyweights need to stop clogging the path to the heavyweight pipeline and get the hell out of the way of the young lions such as myself. Especially since you guys seem to spend all of your time avoiding me and the other top young American heavyweights such as Chris Arreola and Eddie Chambers, while all the while trying to jump the line and get ahead of us for a title shot. You, Rahman John Ruiz, Evander Holyfield and the rest of the lot need to see me before you set your sights on the title.

" Come see me and I will gurantee that you will never see another title fight in your life. I’ll fight you any place, at any time for any price. Call my Promoter Joe DeGuardia of Starboxing or my management team at Tandem Sports and we can make it happen. "

“Kingpin” Kevin Johnson

Source

Povetkin Sykes Full Fight

These are videos for the full fight between IBF #1 heavyweight mandatory Alexander Povetkin as he defeated American Taurus Sykes by 4th round TKO on July 19th, 2008 at the Olimpyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov, Russia. Enjoy!

Ring Entrances & National Anthems

Povetkin Sykes Rounds 1 & 2

Povetkin Sykes Rounds 3 & 4

Povetkin Sykes Highlights

This is a highlight video of IBF #1 heavyweight mandatory Alexander Povetkin as he defeated American Taurus Sykes by 4th round TKO on July 19th, 2008 at the Olimpyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov, Russia.

Klitschko Thompson Full Fight

These are videos of the full fight for the IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight championship between heavyweight king Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko & the WBO heavyweight mandatory Tony "The Tiger" Thompson which happened on July 12th, 2008. The commentary is in German. Enjoy!

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 1 & 2

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 3, 4, & 5

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 5, 6, & 7

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 8 & 9

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 10

Klitschko Thompson Rounds 11

Williams McDermott Video

Here's some footage from the controversial fight between British heavyweight champion Danny Williams and John McDermott last night at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, England. Williams had 3 points deducted in this fight, although some would agree they were a little excessive, and McDermott also fought a very good fight. Here are some selected interesting rounds from their fight.

Williams McDermott Round 5

Williams is in all kinds of trouble & trying to survive in this round...

Williams McDermott Round 11

In this round Danny Williams is deducted 3 points for low blows, pushing with the glove & spitting out his gumshield.

Williams McDermott Round 12 & Decision

This is the final round with the hugely controversial decision afterwards..

Povetkin Easily Defeats Sykes

At the Olimpyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov, Russia, Alexander Povetkin easily handled Taurus Sykes by 4th round TKO. The 1st round started off slow, and from the 2nd round on, there were many knockdowns. However, all the knockdowns except the final one in the 4th were oddly ruled slips. There was a "slip" at the end of round 2, 2 "slips" that wobbled Sykes in round 3, and finally a knockdown/TKO ath the :48 mark of the fourth round after another of Povetkin’s combos. It was a nice combo, but the punches didn't seem to land clearly which left the announcers explaining that Sykes didn't want to continue and wanted a way out. Sykes now drops to 25-5-1 while Povetkin improves to 16-0-0.

Good job to Povetkin, but when he fights Wladimir, he is going to get destroyed. He has the perfect style for Wladimir Klitschko to exploit. He gets hit easily with rights and isn't going to be fast enough to get in on the towering Ukrainian. His only hope is to tire Wladimir Klitschko by his work ethic. So as long as Wladimir shows up in "shape", Wlad will easily win by KO in this one.

Happy Birthday Vitali Klitschko!

Today is Vitali Klitschko's Birthday. He was born on July 19th 1971 and turns 37 today. On October 11th, Vitali plans his return for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world against current WBC champ Samuel Peter. Good luck to Vitali. Here's a video report from Kyiv and Berlin which was broadcast today on July 19, 2008 by Ukrainian TV Channel 1+1.

Williams Gets Decision Win Over McDermott

On Friday night at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham, England, Danny Williams (40-6, 31 KOs) got a 12 round controversial decision win over John McDermott (25-4, 16 KOs). In this bout, and for the 2nd fight in a row, there were referee issues. The ref took away 3 points but Williams got by with score cards reading: 114-111, 114-113 and 113-113. Danny retains his British heavyweight title and this fight should open up bigger paydays for him in the future.

Povetkin 227 Sykes 238

Today they had a weigh-in for the upcoming fight between Alexander Povetkin (15-0-0) and Taurus Sykes (25-4-1) in Chekhov, Russia. Alexander Povetkin weighed-in at exactly 227.1 lbs, while Taurus Sykes weighed in at 237.9 lbs. I will add the video as soon as I come across it.

Povetkin Sykes Preview

This is a preview of the upcoming fight between Alexander "The Russian Knight" Povetkin (15-0-0) and Taurus Sykes (25-4-1) coming up this Satuday July 19th. Povetkin has a lot at stake by taking this fight because he already has gotten a mandatory position from the IBF to face IBF/WBO/IBO heayweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko later this year.

Sykes doesn't look like a bad boxer, in fact in his last fight he lost a close decision to former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, but doesn't have much punching power it seems. Out of his 25 victories only 7 were by KO/TKO. I believe Povetkin should get by Sykes without much difficulty, but this opponent has none of the attributes that he will face when coming up against Wladimir. So I don't see this fight giving him any benefit other than another win and some extra confidence.

Alexander Povetkin Interview

Here's a 25 minute video & interview that's all about the former 2004 Athens superheavyweight Olympic Gold Medalist Alexander Povetkin as he continues his quest at heavyweight for his shot at a world title against Ukrainian IBO/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko. The fight with Klitschko is supposed to take place sometime this year, but 1st Povetkin has to get past his fight with American Taurus Sykes.

Williams Training For McDermott

Here's some recent training footage of Danny Williams as he gets ready for his upcoming fight against John McDermott on the 18th. This is for the British heavyweight title.

Williams McDermott Weigh-In

This is the weigh in for the upcoming fight between heavyweights Danny Williams(British Champion) and John McDermott who will fight tonight on the 18th. This is for the British heavyweight title with the winner of this is promised to be taken to the higher echelon of the heavyweight division. McDermott weighed in at exactly 18 stones, or 252 lbs, while Williams weight in at 18 stones 13 or 265 lbs, which is the same weight he weighed when he fought Mike Tyson 4 years ago. Here's the weigh-in...

Povetkin Getting Ready For Sykes Fight

This is a video clip of Alexander Povetkin getting ready for his clash with American Taurus Sykes this Saturday July 19th. The video also shows former light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu working out with him and who will also be in the corner with Povetkin for his upcoming fight.

Haye In Heavyweight Training Camp

This is David "Hayemaker" Haye at his training camp in northern Cyprus as he prepares himself to make it in the heavyweight division. The video shows him working out with weights, throwing some combos, and includes some quotes from David.

From this video alone I see nothing that Wladimir should be afraid of at heavyweight from David Haye.

Williams, McDermott Interview

This is an video of an interview from Sentanta sports with Danny Williams and John McDermott. They will both be fighting on the 18th. This is also where Danny recently said,"David Haye has tremendous speed and power. He has absolutely everything. He could beat any heavyweight without a warm-up."

Hide Speaks On Klitschko & Haye

Former WBO Heavyweight Champion and current #2 cruiserweight contender Herbie Hide gave props to Wladimir Klitschko as he considers him the #1 in the division, and discredits David Haye's move to heavyweight saying that he can't punch and has no chin. Here's the video of the interview from Sentanta sports where he discusses this and his cruiserweight hopes. Go to minute 3:02 for information on Wladimir & Haye...

Toney Defeats Rahman

In a rematch to their previous encounter which ended in a draw, James "Lights Out" Toney & Hasim “The Rock” Rahman went at it again yesterday. The fight started out without too much activity for the 1st two rounds even though Rahman was winning slightly with better use of a busier jab and then things picked up in the 3rd with Toney becoming busier and landing rights.

The fight ended controversially with Toney getting a TKO win in the 3rd. The reason it was controversial is because earlier in the round they bumped heads and left Rahman with a cut above the eye. They *should have* stopped the fight to check the cut and continued the bout, *but didn't*. Later, after the 3rd round, Rahman complained that he had problems seeing which caused the bout to halt and they declared Toney winner by TKO. Many feel this should have been ruled a no decision since it was more than likely caused by the headbutt.

I think the ruling is incorrect.

********** I watched the fight again --- I change my opinion it should have been a no decision/no contest. It's not his fault they didn't look at his eye initially after the headbutt.

Here's the fight:

Toney Rahman 2 Rounds 1 & 2

Toney Rahman 2 Round 3

Toney Rahman 2 After Fight

Williams Supports Haye

Heavyweight boxer Danny Williams who is fighting John McDermott on the 18th, had some high praises recently of his fellow countryman and cruiserweight champion turned heavyweight David "Hayemaker" Haye.

“David Haye has tremendous speed and power. He has absolutely everything. He could beat any heavyweight without a warm-up.”

He also had some bad things to say about Tony "The Tiger" Thompson's performance this last Saturday the 12th...

“To see a guy fighting for the world heavyweight title, a guy going for a belt held by the great Muhammad Ali and Fraser, [for him] to go in there and not give it his all is disgusting.”

I personally think that Wladimir made him look that way by psychologically and physically wearing down Thompson. I really do think he tried but just couldn't keep up with Wladimir's pace and strength.

Source

Maskaev Hawkins 2

In a return bout since losing his WBC heavyweight championship crown to Sam Peter in Cancun, Mexico last March, Oleg Maskaev (34-6, 26 KO's) on September 6th looks to make his return bout against an opponent he had faced back in 1995: Robert Hawkins (23-11, 7 KO's). When they fought in Pennsylvania last time, Maskaev won by KO, which makes it no surprise why Maskaev's team has chose this bout as a 1st match after a big loss. The fight will take place in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia.

Rahman 244 Toney 226

For the heavyweight title fight for the lightly regarded NABO Heavyweight Championship this ************ Saturday July 19th ********correction******* Wednesday July 16th******** , which is in promotion by Goossen, James "Lights Out" Toney (70-6-3, 43 KOs) weighed in today at 226 lbs while Hasim "The Rock" Rahman (45-6-2, 36 KOs) weighed in at 244. Toney appears to be in better shape than he has on previous outings(he's at his lowest weight since 2003). Whether this will help his performance this weekend we'll have to see. The loser of this fight is supposed to retire from heavyweight boxing.

Lewis Quotes After Klitschko Thompson Fight

After the fight last Saturday (July 12th, 2008) between WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko and WBO mandatory Tony "The Tiger" Thompson, former unified heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis had a few things to say.

Lewis On Haye

"It's very early for David Haye right now. People keep asking me about him and I tell them he has real talent. He's very good, he's upcoming, he can punch and he's very capable. I know he's calling out Wladimir Klitschko right now but I don't think he's ready yet. But 18 months down the line? Maybe then he has what it takes."

Lewis On Thompson

"Tony Thompson fought a good fight. "He didn't have the power to hurt Wladimir, who has good talent when he uses it."

Lewis On Klitschko

"The further the fight went, the more Wladimir started to relax and was a little less robotic. I always said Klitschko could throw great right hands and it was a real good shot that knocked Tony out. The problem for Klitschko is the way the heavyweights are now. He doesn't have no challengers. Maybe there's one, but he's retired. You could say, I've been there and done that."

Source

Peter Klitschko On For October 11th

It's official. It's been signed. Former WBC champion and current WBC emeritus champion Vitali Klitschko will challenge Sam Peter for the WBC strap on October 11th, 2008. There are 2 locations competing to host the event. One from Abuja, Nigeria, and one in Berlin, Germany.

Also unofficially, there may be a Klitschko brother doubleheader assuming how well Povetkin does this coming Saturday the 19th against Taurus Sykes. Wladimir seemed like he made it through last Saturday's fight with Thompson fairly easily so it wouldn't be hard for him to make a fight by that date if he wanted to.

Sam Peter had a few things to say regarding his official shot at Vitali Klitschko. Here's what he had to say:

"I've been waiting a long time for revenge on the first giant (Vitali's brother, IBF and WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko) but now I get to knock them both out!."

"He has already run from me many times, but now he has signed the contract. This time he must finally take his punishment like a man or get out of boxing forever.."

"Come and get the punishment you deserve so I can get your little brother next."

Peter's manager, Ivaylo Gotzev also had a few things to share...

"This is the first half of Operation Giant Killer because we're going to take out Wladimir's brother before we settle the score with him. Vitali has been standing in Samuel's way for a long time, but now we've got the opportunity to send both of boxing's giants home with a beating."

"This is one of the only meaningful fights in boxing at the moment. And Vitali has been standing in the way of even bigger business with his brother. Hopefully he will show up this time, so that the heavyweight division can settle things the right way and crown one true champion."

Vitali has been running from Peter? Ok don't know where Sam is coming from there. Vitali came out of retirement to face Maskaev and had to step aside to let Peter fight Maskaev. Peter just defeated Maskaev for the WBC strap not too long ago, and Vitali has been in negotiations with Peter's side ever since.

Klitschko Thompson Pics

This is a slideshow of various pictures of WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko and WBO mandatory Tony "The Tiger" Thompson encompassing everything from their initial press conference up until Klitschko's celebration of his victory via 11th round KO of Thompson. Enjoy!

Klitschko Thompson After Fight Quotes

Wladimir Klitschko Quotes

"This may sound strange to some people, but I really had great time and enjoyed myself in the ring tonight. Tony came to fight and he came to win, and I like that in a fight. I had a tough time adjusting to his awkward style, but after that the knockout punch was just a matter of time. The atmosphere in the arena was amazing, I truly love this city."

Emanuel Steward Quotes

"I always knew this would be an extremely difficult fight. Thompson is a fantastic fighter with great defensive skills. But in the end when both guys got tired it was Wladimir´s experience that made the difference."

Tony Thompson Quotes

"No matter what anybody might say: Wladimir is the best heavyweight in the world today, period. I never saw that right hand coming, it was a perfect punch. I am going back to the gym now, back to the drawing board, to regroup and get better. Hopefully I will get another title shot in the future, maybe Wlad grants me a rematch, who knows."

Haye's After Fight Promise To Klitschko

This is commentary from Sentanta TV where David "Hayemaker" Haye discusses via phone his plans in the future and what he thought about the Wladimir Klitschko Tony Thompson title fight.

"I'm happy Klitschko won the fight. All he had to do was get the win and he did that. Tony Thompson came and gave a pretty dismal effort. Klitschko after 50 fights does not have a defence. All he did was hold, he keeps a pawing jab, he doesn't put any meat on his jab and hopes to land that one backhand. You can't teach an old dog new tricks, he's been doing the same thing every year. Every time he's been in the ring with someone fresh, someone fast and someone with heart, he's been knocked out. I'm that guy."

"If he fights me the same way he fought that guy tonight he'll get knocked out in three rounds. I love guys who stand long with me. My ideal opponent is Wladimir Klitschko. He fights in a similar style to Alexander Gurov. Everyone said that the Alexander Gurov fight was a dangerous fight because he was tall and fights in a similar style to me. What happened? In 45 seconds with my first punch I knocked him spark out. I will do the same to Klitschko. I just want to get in that ring as soon as possible."

"I can't stress how much Klitschko's style will gel with mine to see a violent early knockout."

Source

Atlas Klitschko Thompson Pre-Fight Prediction

This is a video that shows boxing analyst Teddy Atlas predicting Tony "The Tiger" Thompson to win over Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko. He believed Thompson's work rate would be the undoing for Klitschko who most likely show up in hopes that the right hand would do the job and would end up losing. Well he got the right hand part right... :D

Klitschko Thompson Weigh In Video

This is a video of the weigh-in for the July 12th fight between heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko and mandatory challenger Tony Thompson. Enjoy!

Haye's Reaction To Klitschko Vs. Thompson

After the fight between wbo/ibf/ibo heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and wbo mandatory Tony Thompson on Saturday July 12th 2008, former cruiserweight champion David Haye discussed his chances vs. Wladimir since turning heavyweight.

Klitschko Thompson Final Round

This is the final round (round 11) of the scheduled 12 round championship fight between WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko & WBO mandatory challenger Tony "The Tiger" Thompson which happened today. The fight ended at 1 minute and 38 seconds in round 11. With this win Wlad improves to (51-3, 45 KOs) while Thompson falls to (31-2, 19 KOs).

Wladimir's next fight should be against undefeated heavyweight, and IBF mandatory Alexander Povetkin. This is assuming he wins his scheduled tune-up fight with Taurus ‘The Bull’ Sykes next Saturday the 19th.

Klitschko Thompson Highlights

This a highlight video showcasing the heavyweight title bout between Wladimir Klitschko & WBO mandatory challenger Tony Thompson on July 12th, 2008 in Hamburg, Germany. Wladimir ended up winning via 11th round KO. Wladimir improves to (51-3, 45 KOs) while Tony lowers to (31-2, 19 KOs).

Klitschko KO's Thompson!

Today in Hamburg, Germany, Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko defended his IBO/WBO/IBF belts and defeated WBO mandatory challenger by 11th round KO.

The fight started off slow. Thompson's height, size, and southpaw stance took a little while for Wladimir to warm up to. In the 2nd round, due to a clash of heads, both fighters ended up with cuts above an eye. Klitschko began to unleash his right in round 2. After the 2nd round Wlad started throwing more punches that he typically does not throw, and those punches included body shots, and uppercuts. Thompson did land some good body punches on Wladimir throughout the first part of the fight and ended up hitting him more than most of Wladimir's opponents in the past, but the problem was those punches were not very hard and did no damage to Klitschko. Thompson also seemed to shut down after the 2nd half of the fight. This is either because he was tired or was reverting back to training partner mode(he once was Wladimir's training partner before his Sanders fight).

Klitschko's punches however were for the most part hard, and I was impressed with his new arsenal of punches that he threw. The fighters also took a spill with Wladimir on top in the 10th round, which made Thompson get off the canvas very awkwardly. Eventually with increased aggression by Wladimir and a good, hard right hand to Thompson's jaw at 1 minute and 38 seconds in round 11, Thompson was KO'd.

This was a great fight for Wladimir. This had much more action in a round than the entire Ibragimov fight. It also ended in a very crowd pleasing fashion, which is something I believe Wladimir wanted to accomplish. Klitschko now improves to (51-3, 45 KOs) while Thompson falls to (31-2, 19 KOs).

Here's a video of the actual Knockout.



and here's some after fight footage in German with an interview with Thompson...

Vladimir Hrunov Interview

Alexander Povetkin (15-0, 11 KOs) will duel with Taurus Sykes (25-4-1, 7 KOs) on July 19 in the main event of the show, which is promoted conjointly by Vladimir Hrunov and Sauerland Event. Vladimir Hrunov is the Povetkin's manager, and recently he was interviewed by Fightnews.com. This is how it went...

So, Taurus Sykes is the next opponent for Alexander. But is he just another step on a long way to the heavyweight championship or maybe Sykes fight is self-sufficing?

It’s a preplanned stage of our preparation for future title fights. But we aren’t looking past Taurus Sykes. We can’t do that because we have no options losing this bout. So, all that we are thinking about right now is our next opponent. Moreover, we have chosen sparring partners to prepare precisely for this coming match-up.

Who are these sparring partners?

Three top American heavyweights are already here helping Alexander for his July 19 collision with Sykes. I’m talking about Jameel ‘The Big Time’ McCline (38-9-3, 23 KOs), Larry ‘The Legend’ Donald (42-5-1, 24 KOs) and Kevin ‘The Kingpin’ Johnson (WBA #7, 19-0-1, 6 KOs). Johnson and Donald are approximately of the same physical stature as Sykes. Jameel is slightly bigger than the aforementioned fighters, but his imposing strength and incredible power will be very useful for my student during the camp. McCline plays a role of coach for both Donald and Johnson. His relations with Valery Ivanovich Belov (Povetkin’s head coach) are really fascinating and I’m very satisfied with the fact that he is here and helps Alexander to improve his boxing skills.

A good share of experts don’t consider Taurus Sykes as an elite heavyweight. In fact, many think Friday Ahunanya was a much better fighter than Povetkin’s future foe, in spite of the fact, that Taurus has already defeated ‘The 13th’.

Friday Ahunanya is a world-class pugilist whom I can compare with a bare-teeth cobra. His opponent must mark out the moment when this cobra starts its attack. Sasha is no fakir but he was able to do it during his 2006 clash with Ahunanya and forced the Nigerian to miss a lot and then to pay a considerable price for those mistakes. Alexander made Friday’s punishing left hook look totally ineffective and it was a key factor in the story. Ahunanya has justified his crushing power in the recent outing with Alonzo Butler, but his business with Povetkin was finished after Alex gave him a serious beating.

Which way can Sykes give Povetkin problems?

He is large. He has a potent left hook and he can press the action. That is exactly what we are looking for. I want to make the following clear – this fight is no walk in a park for Team Povetkin. We are preparing for a hard night on July 19. This is boxing. Everything can change in a moment. Alexander must remember that, and be one hundred percent ready for the fight. We don’t want a repeat of Sechew Powell’s sudden fall.

Before Taurus Sykes was formally announced as Alexander Povetkin’s next foe, a few other names had been mentioned among possibilities in the press. Why such sound characters as Duncan Dokiwari (25-3, 22 KOs), Michael Grant (43-3, 33 KOs), Andrzej Golota (41-6-1, 33 KOs) and Riddick Bowe (42-1, 33 KOs) were dismissed from the final roster of opponents?

In fact, even this list of boxers aren’t complete. However, I’ll make some details of our [Team Povetkin] negotiations clear. First of all, we were offered a deal by well-known British promoter Frank Warren. Sydney Olympics super heavyweight gold medalist Audley Harrison (22-3, 17 KOs) was a possibility. This clash is for sure a box-office bonanza for the European heavyweight scene. Imagine two elite heavyweights, two consecutive Olympic champions in the most popular weight class fighting for the continental supremacy. What a great battle that would be! The only ‘but’ preventing this collision from being set is that, Harrison is a southpaw. Our plan for Sasha is to fight an orthodox pugilist in his next outing. If this bout had been staged, it would have been of a title status. I’m sure this fight can be arranged somewhere in the future.

What can you say about Bowe, Grant, Golota and Dokiwari?

I have phoned Michael Grant myself. Michael is a great guy and a man of his word. He was ready to fight as soon as this September, but that date doesn't satisfy Team Povetkin at all. Grant confirmed that he needed a couple of six- or eight-rounders to prepare for Povetkin as he hadn’t been in the ring in official fights for two years. Andrzej Golota was also unavailable for a bunch of reasons. Then there was such a stellar candidate as Riddick Bowe., but he fought only twice during a twelve-year span. I'm sure he wouldn't have been in his best shape to give such a prospect as Povetkin a stern test. Duncan Dokiwari received a lucrative offer for his next bout immediately after his name had been mentioned. And at last it all came to Taurus Sykes. Together with respective Mr. Sauerland, we defined the most suitable opportunity. I do think Sykes is capable of giving Sasha certain problems.

Will this show be televised?

Of course it will. Our fight card will be shown live on REN-TV channel. The first bout is scheduled on 7 PM LT, while the main event starts at midnight.

Tell us more about the show.

We are expecting a sellout crowd on July 19th. Hot tickets are being sold with sonic speed. And I’m sure all spectators who are going to visit Olympiyskiy Sports Palace in Chekhov, will be fully satisfied with the pre-planned program. As always, we are going to complete several unique enterprises making our event a memorable one. For example, fans are welcome to the birthday party of the EVERLAST ring. It’s a common event for foreign countries, but we shall arrange it in Russia for the first time. The EVERLAST ring is a unique, elite production, not known before in our country. A weigh-in is scheduled to be taken in the open air. I haven’t heard about such practices in Eastern Europe as well.

Tell us about celebrities.

Chekhov will be turned into a roaring boiler by fans' emotions. One of the reasons for that, is a considerable lineup of celebrities. Kostya Tszyu is already in Chekhov, helping Alexander to get into the best shape possible. It was a mass-covered media workout a few days before, but that is not all. On the fight night I expect our living legend to work in the corner of Povetkin as Belov’s assistant. The only problem is that his wife’s birthday coincides with the Sykes bout. We are waiting hopefully for Kostya’s decision now.

Two more honorable champions are scheduled to enter the city of Chekhov pretty soon. Team Sauerland fighters Nikolay Valuev (former WBA heavyweight titlist) and Arthur Abraham (reigning IBF middleweight champion) will provide their teammate with a strong mental support. We hope to listen to the legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer as well. Fans will have a chance to witness the best boxing voice around once again during the main event of the show. We also expect the respective president of the IBF Mrs. Marian Mohammad to visit our fight card on July 19.

Which fighters will fill in the undercard of July 19 fight evening?

At least three world known fighters will be featured in supportive bouts. Former WBO champion Bronco McKart (51-8-1, 31 Kos) will try to spoil Dmitry Pirog’s perfect record (11-0, 10 KOs). Both men can really bang, so I’m looking forward to a thriller. Another Russian prospect, Dzhimi Kapanov (6-0, 4 KOs) is set for the stiffest test in his career, facing former IBF ruler Arthur Williams (44-15-1, 30 KOs). The future is now for Dzhimi but he will need to be at his best to live up to the challenge. Also well-known German fighter Michel Trabant (43-3-1, 19 KOs) will test his skills against hard-as-a-rock Roman Seliverstov (7-7, 1 KO). Finally, spectators will witness two light heavyweight battles. Alexander’s younger brother Vladimir (5-0, 1 KOs) and comebacking Denis Lebedev (13-0, 8 KOs) will be featured in crowd-pleasing war against Georgian national champions.

It seems that Vladimir is not such a successful fighter as his renowned brother, is he?

His potential is really enormous. Unfortunately, he had to miss several years due to some health problems. We are slowly and carefully rebuilding him now. I think he will be capable of fighting for European titles in the future. But he needs to work very hard to achieve higher status.

Denis Lebedev is coming after three and a half years of hiatus. What can fans and experts expect from him?

He is very talented. That is right, he was out for a long period of time. But I saw his eyes. This guy can only be described as a hungry dog. And believe me, this dog makes for more biting than barking. You will see why, for yourself, on July 19. Lebedev is an exceptional master and I hope he will get his title opportunity as soon as next year.

Back to Alexander Povetkin. In May he sparred with such notables as DaVarryl Williamson and Jameel McCline. What can you say about these training sessions?

Their usefulness can hardly be overestimated in my mind. These guys are indeed so experienced that working with them is like fighting a seasoned pro in an official match. Alexander challenged them numerous times in the ring looking for new solutions, testing old and newly found skills, gaining the confidence. I want to say 'thank you' to Williamson and McCline once again. You, guys, were irreplaceable. And I’m twice as pleased with the fact that finally, after years of problems and inconsistencies, such sound names are eager to travel overseas to Russia.

Lots of experts say that conducting training sessions in Russia is not similar to conducting training sessions abroad and, most definitely, in America. They say, in order to feel the real strength of American boxers you need to dig in deep inside local American gyms. Another argument is a foreigner’s motivation. In this connection, wouldn't it be of more use to send Sasha overseas than to invite Americans to Chekhov?

I totally disagree with this point of view. Tell me a reason why I must abandon this beautiful training base near Chekhov in favor of an unknown gym somewhere in Arkansas or, say, Idaho. I don't know such a reason. Conditions here are superb, sparring partners are well-motivated while a transcontinental flight over seas and oceans would have resulted in a two-week period of acclimatization. This is not an option.

Team Povetkin is also often criticized for the tempo it moves Alexander through the ranks of various sanctioning bodies towards a championship collision. Skeptics say, Povetkin is too immature and inexperienced to fight for the title at the moment.

Incorrect statement. They can tell you whatever they want but facts prove the doubters wrong. I remember skeptics had been saying the same about Val Barker’s Cup owner Vassily Jirov day after day after day. He had only 20 pro bouts going into the (Arthur) Williams fight. His opposition was soft and unspectacular. And guess what? It didn’t matter at all. He was a heavy favorite prior to that match-up, thanks to his unique amateur experience. He was not only an Olympic champion, but also had more than 330 amateur fights to his ledger. Povetkin’s case is the same. Sasha is the only Russian to capture a gold medal in the most prestigious amateur weight class. He is an amateur world champion and his experience in the unpaid ranks is overwhelming. It is like you have fought 35 times, not 15 as a pro.

This unique experience did little to help Povetkin in the Chambers fight. Alexander was too amateurish and unspectacular and didn’t live up to expectations. Why so?

We worked for TV. That fight was very important for Alexander’s career and it was one we would never cancel. Had we withdrawn from that bout, Povetkin would have been thrown out of the IBF rankings so we decided to risk our record, our status and our top position in order to fight Eddy Chambers in an official IBF eliminator. The problem is in fact, a continuation of Sasha’s fascinating amateur background. By fighting two decades in the unpaid ranks, he was totally adapted to the amateur schedule and training regimen. January is his tough point when his physical shape is the worst throughout a year. Combining it with the severe chill you will see that Sasha was fully unprepared for the fight. It was an examination of his character and by outpointing and out toughing an unbeaten and so confident young boxer in Chambers, he passed this exam with an excellent mark. This battle is of much more use to Povetkin than several tune-ups against limited opposition.

While still an amateur, Povetkin was known well for his crushing punches. At least, he has broken several jaws and compiled a list of frightening stoppages. But at pro ranks one can hardly see anything close to that. What is the reason?

Fans think the strength of the punch tells the whole story. But it doesn't. What is really important is the tempo you use to throw single punches and various combinations. Alexander possesses a unique ability not only to throw several punches in one combo with an incredible speed but to score with it. Ok, lots of them are going be blocked by gloves but the rest will take a toll on the opponent's face. British legend Joe Calzaghe is doing the same thing. And Alexander is the only fighter to apply this energy-supping, but extremely efficient tactics in the heavyweight division.

So, intensity is the key…

For sure. After the eighth round of the fight Sasha finally got into his own and started throwing three-punch combinations with a subsequent move down. And this combination has provided us with the victory. The Saint Russian Trinity has helped us again!

Povetkin’s offensive arsenal was impressive. The same couldn’t be said about his defense.

The problem does exist. Valery Ivanovich (Belov) and our other cornermen are working hard to improve Alexander's defense for future fights. Speaking about the Chambers bout, there was a weak point in our defense system Buddy McGirt had found prior to the clash. Remember that flowery left hook of Chambers? That was his homework and he completed it perfectly. And still it wasn’t enough to beat Sasha. We fought the cream of American boxing and somehow found a way to defeat, or should I say 'eat up' that cream.

I'm sure you are not looking past Sykes, but anyway, Klitschko is one topic I can't avoid in our talk. Will Team Povetkin representatives be at Wladimir’s next fight against Tony Thompson?

Though we have full information about Klitschko's training process for the Thompson fight, our men will indeed be inside the arena to witness Wladimir’s defense themselves. We shall obtain the most detailed info possible about either Klitschko or Thompson.

Wladimir is often considered to be the strongest existing heavyweight in the world. He annihilated the best of American prizefighting, from Chris Byrd to Calvin Brock to Ray Austin to Lamon Brewster, one by one. Has Tony ‘The Tiger’ Thompson any chance to stop his iron reign?

His chances are more than considerable. His combination of height, a southpaw stance and boxing skills will put Wladimir in danger. I know Dan Goossen, Thompson’s promoter. He confirmed that Thompson seriously reckoned on the win. Don’t get me wrong. Klitschko is a real champion whom we respect much, but no way he is an undefeatable monster that no one can ever beat. In fact he was terribly beaten three times during his career.

Despite all that, Ukrainian unified (IBF/WBO/IBO) champion is a favorite of the upcoming bout. Assuming his possible victory and Alexander’s probable triumph, what will Povetkin bring against Klitschko in their dream fight?

(Smiles) That is a secret. You will see everything with your own eyes.

Any finishing thoughts?

I want to thank each of our fans for the continuous support. I also invite everybody to visit Chekhov's Olympiyskiy Sports Palace on July 19. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

Thank You and Good Luck!

My pleasure!

Source

Klitschko 241 Thompson 247.5 lbs

Klitschko Thompson Weigh In

Today Friday July 11th, 2008, there was a weigh-in for the upcoming fight between heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko & WBO mandatory Tony Thompson. Tony Thompson got weighed-in 1st at 112.3 kilos or 247.5 lbs, and Wladimir Klitschko was next at 109.3 kilos or 241 lbs. They both squared off after the weigh-in and it looked as though Wladimir was irritated by Tony's too close approach to his face and pushed him back a couple times. Wladimir Klitschko has said he wants to end this fight early by KO and Thompson didn't think that was going to happen. Here's the link to the weigh in, and here's one of the public workout Wednesday with fans and more!

Klitschko Looking For Early KO Against Thompson

This Saturday July 12th, IBO/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko & WBO mandatory Tony Thompson will face each other in the ring. Even though Wladimir got another strap around his waist this last February when he defeated former WBO heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov, a lot of people were disappointed with his victory and Wladimir seems to be set on making an early night when he faces Thompson this Saturday.

Klitschko On Early KO

"I will try to end this fight as soon as possible. It is my goal to win as clearly as possible. And that means early and by KO."

Klitschko On Fighting Again In Hamburg

"It is great to be back in Hamburg. I have so many wonderful memories and after Kiev this city is my second home."

Steward About Thompson's Confidence

"You have to hit him hard quickly so that he loses his confidence," Steward told Sportbild magazine. He needs to realise that he is in the ring with a boxer from a different league. Thompson believes after Krasniqi he can now beat up the second guy in Germany. That is why the first round is so important. Thompson needs to panic."

I believe that Wladimir will go for an early KO, and with Thompson being confident and saying he'll stand toe to toe with Wladimir, this might very well be a short night for Thompson.....

Source

Fox Sports Klitschko Interview

This is a interview of Wladimir Klitschko, who is preparing to face WBO mandatory challenger Tony Thompson, from Fox Sports.

FOXSports.com: How has your training been going so far?

Wladimir Klitschko: All is great.

FS: What do you expect from Tony Thompson in the ring?

WK: I expect Tony Thompson to be offensively aggressive and not very defensive.

FS: How would you compare Tony's style to some of the other boxers you've fought in the past?

WK: I would say his style is not impressive, but it is effective.

FS: How do you prepare differently knowing your title is on the line?

WK: I didn't do anything different. It is not about the titles, it is about winning the competition in the ring.

FS: You unified the IBF and WBO heavyweight titles earlier this year. How important do you believe unifying belts is for boxing?

WK: I think that after I won the unification against Ibagimov, my number one position in the heavyweight division was cemented. I do think it is important to unify the title because it validates the champion

FS: Do you ever get any advice from your brother when you go into a fight? Has he given you any advice for this particular bout?

WK: As his little brother, Vitali gives me advice all the time — in and out of the ring.

FS: Recently, Floyd Mayweather announced his retirement. Were you surprised by that?

WK: No! I think he'll be back. If he doesn't return to boxing, then I will be suprised.

FS: So what would you like to tell your fans about this upcoming bout?

WK: To my fans, I look forward to a great performance and a great victory. Your positive energy will help me accomplish my goal and I thank you.

Source

Gomez Removed From Klitschko Workout

On Wednesday July 9th, “The Black Panther” Juan Carlos Gomez was kicked out of the public workout session of current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko in Hamburg for his upcoming battle with WBO mandatory challenger Tony "The Tiger" Thompson this coming Saturday July the 12th.

Gomez Quotes

“It was more or less a coincidence that I was in down-town Hamburg at that time” states Gomez. “I just wanted to stop by to say hello. Mr. Klitschko shouldn’t think that his little aerobic is interesting enough to catch my attention. I don’t know why they call this ‘public’ on the one hand and then select who should belong to that public and who not. To me this is just a proof that they are more afraid of me than they are of Tony Thompson…”

“It’s good to see that people still remember me. Obviously the Klitschkos als exactly know who I am. I can only tell you one thing, guys: When we fight for the world championship there will be no security to protect you or keep me away. I will go for Vitali first and then take on Wlad. Wladimir certainly still remembers how I beat you up in Denmark at the amateurs – I’m coming for you again, bro!”

Gomez isn't trying to cash in on free publicity is he?

Source

Live Klitschko Interview Before Thompson Fight

This is a live interview on Sentanta Sports with WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko which was shown before his upcoming fight with WBO mandatory challenger Tony "The Tiger" Thompson this Saturday July 12th, 2008. The Heavyweight king talks about his fight on Saturday with Tony Thompson & other potential opponents.

Klitschko Thompson Open Workout

This is a video slideshow of pictures from the open workout on Wednesday July 9th, 2008 of Wladimir Klitschko vs Tony Thompson. It also shows some undercard fighters as well. Their fight will take place at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany and will be this Saturday July 12th, 2008. The duel will be shown live and free on HBO @ 4:30 PM ET/1:30 PM PT and replayed in both ET & PT @ 10:00 pm.

Klitschko Peter Oct. 4th?

There is a strong possibility, at least according to Bild Zeitung, that the heavyweight championship match between Vitali Klitschko & current WBC champion Samuel Peter will be at the new O2 World Arena in Berlin on October 4th 2008.

Also, according to how the outcome of the fight between IBO/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko & WBO mandatory Tony "The Tiger" Thompson goes this weekend there may be a double header with both Klitshcko's on the same date.

This would mean that if all goes well and both are successful on that given night we would see 2 brothers holding championship belts at the same time. How exciting would that be! Lets hope Vitali doesn't get any more injuries, and Wladimir comes out the victor this weekend so this special event can transpire.

Source

Chagaev Completes 1st Stage Of Rehab

Ruslan Chagaev, who tore his Achilles tendon in preparation for his mandatory title bout and rematch with Nicolai Valuev, recently completed the 1st stage of his rehabilitation after his Achilles tendon surgery performed by Dr. Tomas Buchhorn in Straubing, Germany. Chagaev has left the Rehabilitation Center in Donaustauf and returned to Hamburg, where he'll continue his recovery. The initial rehab was administered by physiotherapist Klaus Eder.

Chagaev Comments

"The team of Klaus Eder looked after me very well. I would like to thank them very warmly for the great treatment. It's good that the special shoe fits so nicely, because now I can proceed quite well with further rehab over the coming weeks. After the operation, of course, I was very depressed, but with the good healing progress, I'm really positive about the future. It's great that my wife Viktoria was here - she's the best nurse!"

Klitschko Interview For Thompson Fight

This is a short interview with Wladmir Klitschko at his training camp in Austria for his upcoming heavyweight championship with Tony Thompson this upcoming Saturday July 12th, 2008. He discusses how boxing became an important part of his life and shows some of his training for his upcoming duel.

Wladimir Klitschko's Intro Music

This is a song called "Can't Stop" on the album "By the way" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and is used primarily by Wladimir "Steelhammer" Klitschko as his intro song on his way to the ring. Good luck to Wladimir on his heavyweight championship fight with Tony "The Tiger" Thompson this Saturday July 12th...

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

"By The Way" Tracks

1 - By the Way
2 - Universally Speaking
3 - This is the Place
4 - Dosed
5 - Don't Forget Me
6 - The Zephyr Song
7 - Can't Stop
8 - I Could Die for You
9 - Midnight
10 - Throw Away Your Television
11 - Cabron
12 - Tear
13 - On Mercury
14 - Minor Thing
15 - Warm Tape
16 - Venice Queen

"Can't Stop" Lyrics

Can’t stop addicted to the shin dig
Cop top he says I’m gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for
This punk the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
Eastside love is living on the westend
Knock out but boy you better come to
Don’t die you know the truth is some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burnin’ so bright I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screaming in the jungle
Complete the motion if you stumble
Go ask the dust for any answers
Come back strong with 50 belly dancers

[chorus:]
The world I love
The tears I drop
To be part of
The wave can’t stop
Ever wonder if it’s all for you
The world I love
The trains I hop
To be part of
The wave can’t stop
Come and tell me when it’s time to

Sweetheart is bleeding in the snowcone
So smart she’s leading me to ozone
Music the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I’ll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight the gold of meditation
This chapter’s going to be a close one
Smoke rings I know your going to blow one
All on a spaceship persevering
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can’t stop the spirits when they need you
Mop tops are happy when they feed you
J. butterfly is in the treetop
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop

[repeat chorus]

Wait a minute I’m passing out
Win or lose just like you
Far more shocking
Than anything I ever knew
How about you
10 more reasons
Why I need somebody new just like you
Far more shocking than anything I ever knew
Right on cue

Can’t stop addicted to the shin dig
Cop top he says I’m gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for
This punk the feeling that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
Eastside love is living on the westend
Knock out but boy you better come to
Don’t die you know the truth is some do
Go write your message on the pavement
Burnin’ so bright I wonder what the wave meant

Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don’t intimidate her
Can’t stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get 2 maybe even 3 of these
Come from space
To teach you of the pliedes
Can’t stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read thru

"Can't Stop" Lyric Meanings

For meaning into this song you can go here.

"By The Way" On Amazon

*includes the song "Can't Stop", which Wlad uses as his intro music

Discount "By The Way" MP3's

1 - By The Way
2 - Universally Speaking (Album Version)
3 - This Is The Place (Album Version)
4 - Dosed (Album Version)
5 - Don't Forget Me (Album Version)
6 - Zephyr Song
7 - Can't Stop (Album Version)
8 - I Could Die For You (Album Version)
9 - Midnight (Album Version)
10 - Throw Away Your Television (Album Version)
11 - Cabron (Album Version)
12 - Tear (Album Version)
13 - On Mercury (Album Version)
14 - Minor Thing (Album Version)
15 - Warm Tape (Album Version)
16 - Venice Queen (Album Version)

"Can't Stop" MP3 @ Amazon - Low Price

"Can't Stop" Music Video