The "Witton Lane" Boxing Chat Thread

[Gabby15]

The murder investigation of Edwin Valero has begun in Caracas, Venezuela. The family of Valero requested the exhumation of his body because they suspect the fighter may not have committed suicide and was strangled to death by police officers. Prosecutor Jesus Belucchi told the press a forensic investigation to determine Valero's death will take place.

Valero was arrested on April 18 for the murder of his wife, Jennifer Carolina, in a hotel located in the city of Valencia. Valero took his own life the following morning in a jail cell in Carabobo. The head of the CICPC (Office of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations), Wilmer Flores, told the press Valero hung himself using his pants.

Valero's wife was found dead in a hotel room in Valencia with three stab wounds. Valero made a confession to the murder shortly after it happened. He was taken, without incident, to a police station in Carabobo but during his interview with police officers he claimed to have passed out from a combination of drugs and alcohol and woke up to his wife in a pool of blood. He said there were thugs following him and his wife earlier that night.

No murder weapon has been recovered and police are not exactly sure as to how the wife was killed. There are lingering questions from Valero's family and hundreds of fans in Venezuela, about the lack of prison guards on duty when Valero committed suicide and how nobody knew he was hanging in his cell until other prisoners alerted the guards. Valero still had vital signs when he was cut down but he died shortly after.

[Gabby15]

From Ian McNeilly in New York: There were scenes of absolute chaos at this afternoon’s weigh in for tomorrow night’s WBA light-welterweight clash between champion Amir Khan and hometown favourite Paulie Malignaggi.

Potential trouble had been brewing for half an hour at the Essex House hotel as twenty or so Khan fans, bedecked in black hooded tops emblazoned with ‘Khan’s Army’ across the back (incredibly naïve in the current climate over here) had been posturing for the cameras and chanting for their man.

When Malignaggi entered stage right, loud booing and the standard ‘Who are yer?’ chants accompanied him. ‘Magic Man’, unfazed and looking in fabulous nick, weighed in at 139lbs and responded with a throat-slitting gesture.

Khan took the stage, looking a little nervous but in similarly good fettle, and weighed in at 139 ½ lbs.

It was during the customary eye-to-eye photo call that the brewing threat of mischief spilled over into physical argy-bargy. Malignaggi and Khan got a little heated and when the Brooklyn man shoved his head towards the Bolton man, some of Khan’s Army decided to intervene on his behalf.

A huge melee was sparked with around fifty people on the stage dragging each other around. This was definitely above and beyond the normal shenanigans and Team Malignaggi were outraged; their understandable perception was that their turf had been invaded by a group deliberately looking for trouble and one can certainly have sympathy with their point. It did at one point look as if it was going to turn very nasty.

No one was more enraged that well known US promoter and head of Team Malignaggi, Lou Di Bella. Most of the aggro had subsided and I followed bear-like Di Bella into the Malignaggi room. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so angry and I feared for the room’s furniture.

“F**k them! F**k them!” he roared. “If there’s one more breach of security, my guy is out of the fight! I f**king mean it – one more thing goes wrong and I’m pulling my guy!”

Ten minutes later, Di Bella was slightly calmer but no less resolute. “Hey, I’ll tell you what – I’m not convinced about the security at the venueon the night either and that’s for the record. One more security breach and my man is out – you can take that to the bank.”

He was particularly scathing about Khan’s travelling support.

“How do they think that Khan is going to be popular in this country? It’s harmful. They come over here with their ‘Khan Army’ and invade the stage? Let me tell you what – if it was the other way round, there would be a civil rights investigation.”

A member of Malignaggi’s camp laid the blame firmly at the feet of Khan’s fans. “Listen, I’ve been to a million fights and the fighters getting together like that is always going to happen. But I’ve never seen fans do that. We were told we were allowed five guys up there with Paulie and they had like twenty.

“I don’t blame Khan. Just the retards who are following him. They don’t understand what they’re doing.”

Khan’s manager Asif Vali said, “They’re saying that the weigh in should have been closed but has anyone got that in writing? I haven’t seen it. As far as I know, the weigh in was always going to be public.”

It was put to Vali that Khan was looking nervous. “That’s absolute nonsense,” he countered. “He’s upstairs now, calm as anything. He’s getting dressed and getting ready to go to the mosque.”

I met four members of ‘Khan’s Army’ in my hotel lobby this morning and had a bit of craic with them. They seemed like lovely lads and when I had a quick word with one after the melee, he simply said, “Publicity, publicity.”

The thing is, it’s the wrong kind of publicity. Although perhaps not the ‘retards’ they were labelled as being by a member of the opposition camp, they have almost certainly failed to grasp the wider context of what is going on in America at the moment and in particular, New York. In Times Square a few days ago – ten minutes walk away from Central Park South where today’s weigh in took place – a car laden with explosives was left, presumably with the intention of causing death and mayhem once again.

The lead story on the news this morning was that Police have arrested another three men suspected of helping the Pakistani citizen who is thought to have left the car bomb.

This is quite literally not the place to be walking round with menacing looking tops emblazoned with Pakistani (and UK) flags underscored with militaristic references.

The four lads I met walked down 7th Avenue this morning, before the unfortunate events of the weigh in, seemingly unaware of the inflammatory nature of what they no doubt view as a message supporting their man.

I sincerely hope ‘Khan’s Army’ makes it home in one piece.

Khan's army

[rjw63]

Still think khan is gonna whip the guido

[Oaks]

Still think khan is gonna whip the guido

Yep me too.

[Gabby15]

That haircut>>>>>>>>>>>Anything any of you have 8)

[TheWalletInspector]

That haircut>>>>>>>>>>>Anything any of you have 8)

I don't think so.

Mitchell UD

Khan SD

[Gabby15]

ESB in the General is madness at the min

[TheWalletInspector]

Better than the usual Pac/Floyd shit I suppose.

[Gabby15]

Video

[Gabby15]

Those fake ass gangsters and that ugly bitch at the end of the video :lol:

[Gabby15]

The tension was stirring when you entered the Essex House Hotel in midtown, Manhatan, where Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Ent. staged the official weigh-in for Saturday's junior welterweight clash between WBA champion Amir Khan and challenger Paulie Malignaggi.

Khan's entourage was in full force and outnumbered Team Malignaggi by at least a 3-1 margin. After both fighters made weight, they were brought together for the traditional stare-down and that's when the trouble started. During the entire promotion, a lot of harsh words have been exchanged by both sides. The words continued when the two fighters came face to face, or better yet - forehead to forehead.The two camps unable to pull the fighters apart as they exchanged words.

Golden Boy's Vice President Eric Gomez practically had Khan by the neck, but the words between the two fighters continued until an all-out brawl nearly exploded on stage. The camps were shoving each other, and there have been several accusations of punches being thrown.

Malignaggi's promoter Lou DiBella told BoxingScene.com that he plans to file documents to request a hearing. He says the weigh-in was closed off to the public, but there were at least 100 or more Khan supporters in force. DiBella wants the New York State Athletic Commission to review the video of the weigh-in and to issue suspensions and fines upon Khan and any team members who were responsible for the incident.

"I've always gotten along with Golden Boy. I don't blame them because they didn't understand what was going to happen. I walked into the weigh-in with 25 people and you saw how many people [Khan] had. They created a dangerous situation. What would have happened if the weigh-in was held in the Madison Square Garden and a few hundred Americans were there watching? We would have had a full blown riot," DiBella said to BoxingScene.com.

"Khan and his followers did themselves a great disservice. He will never be a star in the United States, never."

DiBella says Khan struck the first blow when he shoved Malignaggi, igniting the entire situation [which is clearly seen during BoxingScene.com's exclusive weigh-in video]. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer says DiBella contributed to the situation when he egged Malignaggi on to continue hurling insultsat Khan, and Khan's manager, Asif Vali, claims Malignaggi kicked Khan, which led to the shove.

"I was standing right there. And Lou DiBella, Paulie Malignaggi's promoter, was like, egging Malignaggi on, and then one thing led to another. And I saw that Malignaggi grabbed Amir Khan's neck, and then, people started pushing, and then, like I said, one thing led to another," said Schaefer.

"But thank God, nobody got injured, and everything is alright. I did walk Amir up to his room. You know, it's really personal now, between these two fighters. It's really emotional for Amir Khan. As they say in England, 'Put a number on it.' He's really going to go after a knockout against [Malignaggi.]"

Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, told BoxingScene the New York State Athletic Commission needs to stop posing the fighters when there is a lot bad blood involved.

"But if the [New York State Athletic Commission] doesn't want that to happen, don't pose the fighters," said Roach. "Because if you're going to pose two fighters together this close to a fight with this kind of intensity, that's going to happen 95 percent of the time because these two guys are on the edge."

Malignaggi admits to throwing a few kicks but they were thrown after Khan had shoved him and then everything went out of control. He sides with his promoters, and says teh weigh-in was set to be closed off to the public, but there were dozens of supporters were "Khan's Army" t-shirts.

"We were talking sh**. It was typical sh** talking, he shoved me, and then I shoved him back. Well, actually, I didn't have time to shove him back," said Malignaggi to BoxingScene.com. "I tried to kick him in his leg, I threw some kicks, or whatever, but I was being pulled backward by somebody who grabbed me from behind. I don't know what happened after that, you probably know better than me. After that, it just turned into a melee."

"This problem happened because this was supposed to be a weigh-in that was closed to the public, but they went ahead and only let his public in. This wouldn't have happened if they had closed it to his people. They said that the were going to close the weigh in to the public, but then, they let his people in. Otherwise, I would have had my fans here. But they closed it to the public and then let all of his fans in. This is the problem. Otherwise, the stage wouldn't have gotten invaded, and he wouldn't have had so much balls, otherwise."

Schaefer said the talking is now done and the two fighters will settle their differences in the ring.

"You can't and you shouldn't plan for something like this to happen. But there has been a lot of talk going on between these two fighters throughout the promotion, and I think that, with one day to go for the fight, everything is sort of like at the boiling point, as it should be," said Schaefer.

"But tomorrow night, they're going to face each other in the ring. And all of that talk doesn't matter any more. I can see that they really don't like each other. So I believe that you will see all of that build up, I'm sure, is going to be carried into the ring."

[Gabby15]

Dave Parris

[TheWalletInspector]

Dave Parris

:shock:

4 of the first 5 rounds? Really?

[CastleBromVilla]

Still think khan is gonna whip the guido

Yep me too.

Agreed unfortunately. I don't particularly like Malignaggi, but Khan's a **** word removed, so i'd much rather a Malignaggi win. Let's hope the 'real' Malignaggi shows up tomorrow night.

[Gabby15]

27 hours until an episode of shattered glass airs worldwide

[Witton_Lane]

27 hours until an episode of shattered glass airs worldwide

Hope you're right mate.....just had a PM from a mate in New York who's going to be ringside for it, the rocket polisher :x

I'm going to pick Khan on points I think, and it's a painful pick. Nothing would please me more than to see Malignaggi knock the glass jawed prick out though....his career would be over if old feather fisted Paulie KO'd him

[Gabby15]

27 hours until an episode of shattered glass airs worldwide

Hope you're right mate.....just had a PM from a mate in New York who's going to be ringside for it, the rocket polisher :x

I'm going to pick Khan on points I think, and it's a painful pick. Nothing would please me more than to see Malignaggi knock the glass jawed prick out though....his career would be over if old feather fisted Paulie KO'd him

Lucky bastard. Tell him to catch Khan's head when it flies into the front row. :winkold:

There'll be riots tomorrow if 'Khan's gay army' tries any more bullshit. Pretty tense out in NY at the moment...

[Witton_Lane]

27 hours until an episode of shattered glass airs worldwide

Hope you're right mate.....just had a PM from a mate in New York who's going to be ringside for it, the rocket polisher :x

I'm going to pick Khan on points I think, and it's a painful pick. Nothing would please me more than to see Malignaggi knock the glass jawed prick out though....his career would be over if old feather fisted Paulie KO'd him

Lucky bastard. Tell him to catch Khan's head when it flies into the front row. :winkold:

There'll be riots tomorrow if 'Khan's gay army' tries any more bullshit. Pretty tense out in NY at the moment...

Good, I hope someone lamps that retarded word removed Roach and advances his Parkinsons by about 10 years, I hate that mouthy prick and his stable of cheats :x

As for the friend, he's a dentist and fecking loaded....if there's a fight on at MSG he's always front row, he's in his 60's now and he's seen some right classics in his time.

[Tomaszk]

Really hope Khan hurts Maliggnllaanniii.

[Gabby15]

27 hours until an episode of shattered glass airs worldwide

Hope you're right mate.....just had a PM from a mate in New York who's going to be ringside for it, the rocket polisher :x

I'm going to pick Khan on points I think, and it's a painful pick. Nothing would please me more than to see Malignaggi knock the glass jawed prick out though....his career would be over if old feather fisted Paulie KO'd him

Lucky bastard. Tell him to catch Khan's head when it flies into the front row. :winkold:

There'll be riots tomorrow if 'Khan's gay army' tries any more bullshit. Pretty tense out in NY at the moment...

Good, I hope someone lamps that retarded word removed Roach and advances his Parkinsons by about 10 years, I hate that mouthy prick and his stable of cheats :x

As for the friend, he's a dentist and fecking loaded....if there's a fight on at MSG he's always front row, he's in his 60's now and he's seen some right classics in his time.

I've genuinely started to dislike him a lot more than is normal, guy is a complete word removed with his frivolous lawsuits & the constant crap that comes out of his mouth. Strange the amount of times he's said the truth about Pacquiao's opponents as well. Guy can't resist seeing his name in the headlines.

Has anyone seen any adverts for it? I thought ITV would push is a lot more than this