The "Witton Lane" Boxing Chat Thread

[Witton_Lane]

JOE LOUIS, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano all fought at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Big-time boxing returned last Saturday when Miguel Cotto won the WBA light-middleweight from Yuri Foreman. Thousands crammed into the new $1.5billion stadium, located across the road from the original home of the New York Yankees.

Promoter Bob Arum has delivered the huge gate after putting in hours of groundwork selling the fight.

When it comes to staging big shows in the US, no one is better than Arum. Just look what has been achieved with Manny Pacquiao.

Arum helped make Puerto Rican Cotto a big star - and few names are bigger in New York. But New Yorker Foreman has a story as well. He's boxing's first Jewish world champion in years and is studying to become a Rabbi.

Whereas Arum has built stars for years, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions cherry picks the products of others' hard work - this despite De La Hoya becoming a superstar under Arum.

Only this week, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said that, compared to other promoters, his firm was the 'Barcelona of boxing - only interested in stars' which most rivals will find insulting.

The main reason behind Golden Boy's success is their five-year TV deal with HBO, signed when De La Hoya was still fighting. That expires next year and I don't think there will be a new five-year offer on the table now he has retired.

And if Schaefer thinks British promoters are going to develop stars only to see them lured to America, he's mistaken. But, if a boxer is out of contract, he can do as he wishes.

Amir Khan has already gone to Golden Boy, saying he wanted to fight the very best.

But, after just one appearance Stateside, he's back in the UK on July 31 with 38-year-old Cuban Joel Casamayor - who has spent most of his career at super-featherweight.

MICHAEL JENNINGS challenges for his old British welterweight title next month - but first his band, The Shoks, support Ian Brown. Jennings is a decent drummer when he's not knocking people out!

I SAID Vitali Klitschko wouldn't have any problems with Albert Sosnowski - and I was right.

But despite the one-sided nature of the fight, 60,000 turned out to watch it, while 11million tuned in on TV in Germany. Vitali must be doing something right.

It seems less likely David Haye will fight either Klitschko brother.

This week his manager/trainer Adam Booth said they had plenty of options. Even Audley Harrison has been thrown into the mix.

When he went up to heavyweight, Haye said he wanted to beat the brothers and then retire - and was adamant he wouldn't take on what he described as fat old men.

Vitali or Wladimir is the only fight the fans want to see him take.

Think he's still bitter about Khan?

Was about to post that, the comments about Casamayor are ironic considering he fought Barrera under Warren.

That's the first thing that sprang to mind here too. Warren is fast turning into a bitter old prick. Every fighter that fights under his name is the best thing since sliced bread and as soon as they leave him he's constantly sniping away at them. Slappy Joe, Hatton and Khan have all had the full treatment from him, Haye always cops it too purely because he's 'competition' with Hayemaker promotions. How he can slate Khans opposition when he spoon-fed Slappy Joe and Hatton a ridiculous selection of nobodies for years is beyond me. I seem to remember the only reason Hatton got a fight with Tszyu was because he demanded Warren sort it out - Warren was dead set against it, he doesn't like risks.

Shame the bloke that shot Warren didn't have a better aim, really.

[Gabby15]

JOE LOUIS, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano all fought at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Big-time boxing returned last Saturday when Miguel Cotto won the WBA light-middleweight from Yuri Foreman. Thousands crammed into the new $1.5billion stadium, located across the road from the original home of the New York Yankees.

Promoter Bob Arum has delivered the huge gate after putting in hours of groundwork selling the fight.

When it comes to staging big shows in the US, no one is better than Arum. Just look what has been achieved with Manny Pacquiao.

Arum helped make Puerto Rican Cotto a big star - and few names are bigger in New York. But New Yorker Foreman has a story as well. He's boxing's first Jewish world champion in years and is studying to become a Rabbi.

Whereas Arum has built stars for years, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions cherry picks the products of others' hard work - this despite De La Hoya becoming a superstar under Arum.

Only this week, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said that, compared to other promoters, his firm was the 'Barcelona of boxing - only interested in stars' which most rivals will find insulting.

The main reason behind Golden Boy's success is their five-year TV deal with HBO, signed when De La Hoya was still fighting. That expires next year and I don't think there will be a new five-year offer on the table now he has retired.

And if Schaefer thinks British promoters are going to develop stars only to see them lured to America, he's mistaken. But, if a boxer is out of contract, he can do as he wishes.

Amir Khan has already gone to Golden Boy, saying he wanted to fight the very best.

But, after just one appearance Stateside, he's back in the UK on July 31 with 38-year-old Cuban Joel Casamayor - who has spent most of his career at super-featherweight.

MICHAEL JENNINGS challenges for his old British welterweight title next month - but first his band, The Shoks, support Ian Brown. Jennings is a decent drummer when he's not knocking people out!

I SAID Vitali Klitschko wouldn't have any problems with Albert Sosnowski - and I was right.

But despite the one-sided nature of the fight, 60,000 turned out to watch it, while 11million tuned in on TV in Germany. Vitali must be doing something right.

It seems less likely David Haye will fight either Klitschko brother.

This week his manager/trainer Adam Booth said they had plenty of options. Even Audley Harrison has been thrown into the mix.

When he went up to heavyweight, Haye said he wanted to beat the brothers and then retire - and was adamant he wouldn't take on what he described as fat old men.

Vitali or Wladimir is the only fight the fans want to see him take.

Think he's still bitter about Khan?

Was about to post that, the comments about Casamayor are ironic considering he fought Barrera under Warren.

That's the first thing that sprang to mind here too. Warren is fast turning into a bitter old prick. Every fighter that fights under his name is the best thing since sliced bread and as soon as they leave him he's constantly sniping away at them. Slappy Joe, Hatton and Khan have all had the full treatment from him, Haye always cops it too purely because he's 'competition' with Hayemaker promotions. How he can slate Khans opposition when he spoon-fed Slappy Joe and Hatton a ridiculous selection of nobodies for years is beyond me. I seem to remember the only reason Hatton got a fight with Tszyu was because he demanded Warren sort it out - Warren was dead set against it, he doesn't like risks.

Shame the bloke that shot Warren didn't have a better aim, really.

Is there anyone in boxing that you actually like?

Although I pretty much agree with all of that

[Witton_Lane]

JOE LOUIS, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano all fought at the Yankee Stadium in New York.

Big-time boxing returned last Saturday when Miguel Cotto won the WBA light-middleweight from Yuri Foreman. Thousands crammed into the new $1.5billion stadium, located across the road from the original home of the New York Yankees.

Promoter Bob Arum has delivered the huge gate after putting in hours of groundwork selling the fight.

When it comes to staging big shows in the US, no one is better than Arum. Just look what has been achieved with Manny Pacquiao.

Arum helped make Puerto Rican Cotto a big star - and few names are bigger in New York. But New Yorker Foreman has a story as well. He's boxing's first Jewish world champion in years and is studying to become a Rabbi.

Whereas Arum has built stars for years, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions cherry picks the products of others' hard work - this despite De La Hoya becoming a superstar under Arum.

Only this week, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said that, compared to other promoters, his firm was the 'Barcelona of boxing - only interested in stars' which most rivals will find insulting.

The main reason behind Golden Boy's success is their five-year TV deal with HBO, signed when De La Hoya was still fighting. That expires next year and I don't think there will be a new five-year offer on the table now he has retired.

And if Schaefer thinks British promoters are going to develop stars only to see them lured to America, he's mistaken. But, if a boxer is out of contract, he can do as he wishes.

Amir Khan has already gone to Golden Boy, saying he wanted to fight the very best.

But, after just one appearance Stateside, he's back in the UK on July 31 with 38-year-old Cuban Joel Casamayor - who has spent most of his career at super-featherweight.

MICHAEL JENNINGS challenges for his old British welterweight title next month - but first his band, The Shoks, support Ian Brown. Jennings is a decent drummer when he's not knocking people out!

I SAID Vitali Klitschko wouldn't have any problems with Albert Sosnowski - and I was right.

But despite the one-sided nature of the fight, 60,000 turned out to watch it, while 11million tuned in on TV in Germany. Vitali must be doing something right.

It seems less likely David Haye will fight either Klitschko brother.

This week his manager/trainer Adam Booth said they had plenty of options. Even Audley Harrison has been thrown into the mix.

When he went up to heavyweight, Haye said he wanted to beat the brothers and then retire - and was adamant he wouldn't take on what he described as fat old men.

Vitali or Wladimir is the only fight the fans want to see him take.

Think he's still bitter about Khan?

Was about to post that, the comments about Casamayor are ironic considering he fought Barrera under Warren.

That's the first thing that sprang to mind here too. Warren is fast turning into a bitter old prick. Every fighter that fights under his name is the best thing since sliced bread and as soon as they leave him he's constantly sniping away at them. Slappy Joe, Hatton and Khan have all had the full treatment from him, Haye always cops it too purely because he's 'competition' with Hayemaker promotions. How he can slate Khans opposition when he spoon-fed Slappy Joe and Hatton a ridiculous selection of nobodies for years is beyond me. I seem to remember the only reason Hatton got a fight with Tszyu was because he demanded Warren sort it out - Warren was dead set against it, he doesn't like risks.

Shame the bloke that shot Warren didn't have a better aim, really.

Is there anyone in boxing that you actually like?

Although I pretty much agree with all of that

There's loads that I like, it's just boring to talk about them

For a local legend read Nobby Nobbs...I like that guy a lot but I suspect you've never heard of him. He trains bums, nobodies, opponents, cannon fodder etc or whatever you want to call them but **** me that man is a legend

My favourite quote is "there was 67,000 people at my last fight....I was at Old Trafford and some word removed hit me on the head with a beer bottle"

[Gabby15]

AUDLEY HARRISON has vacated his European crown — clearing the way for a world title shot later this year.

Harrison, 38, is currently recovering from surgery on a torn pectoral muscle following his last-gasp KO of Michael Sprott in April.

The Londoner had hinted he would have one more fight before targeting fellow Brit David Haye or the Klitschko brothers.

But A-Force is in a hurry to box for one of the major world titles — and it appears he may get his wish when he returns from injury in October.

Harrison said: "I'm told by my promoters that both Haye and the Klitschkos have expressed an interest in facing me when I return after rehab.

"If it's either of the Klitschkos, Vitali or Wladimir, the task will be hard — but that's how I want it.

"I respect both brothers as they are effective at what they do. However, both can be beat.

"As I said before, Haye is a false prophet, one punch on that chin and it will shatter like glass.

"If I was him, I'd keep running from the Klitschkos and keep beating up on shop-worn American heavyweights.

"Whatever the route, I will find a way to fulfil my destiny and become heavyweight champion of the world."

Harrison defied the critics by fighting with one hand for most of his bout with Sprott for the vacant Euro title at London's Alexandra Palace.

His heart for pro boxing had been questioned regularly since joining the paid ranks following glory at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

But promoter Eddie Hearn believes the American-based fighter still has what it takes to achieve his dream.

Hearn said: "Everyone wants to fight Audley because they know what he brings to the table.

"We are in discussions with the Klitschkos and Adam Booth and David Haye regarding a world title shot later this year.

"We are keeping our options open right now but the Haye fight is huge.

"Audley's last two appearances in the UK have attracted record viewing figures, so couple that with Haye's popularity and this is the biggest fight the UK has ever seen."

He's right.

Audley :notworthy:

[villamark]

For a local legend read Nobby Nobbs...I like that guy a lot but I suspect you've never heard of him. He trains bums, nobodies, opponents, cannon fodder etc or whatever you want to call them but **** me that man is a legend

My favourite quote is "there was 67,000 people at my last fight....I was at Old Trafford and some word removed hit me on the head with a beer bottle"

I know Nobby Nobbs, well used to years ago, think he would like Gabby!

[Gabby15]

The prospect of an all-British world heavyweight title bout between David Haye and Audley Harrison moved a step closer yesterday when Harrison, the 2000 Olympic super-heavyweight champion, gave up his European title.

Adam Booth, Haye’s manager, said that Harrison was one of six options for the WBA champion’s second defence, due to be in late October or November, with a unification match against Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko still the top priority.

But with Harrison’s decision to give up the title he won with a last-round knockout of Michael Sprott in April, rather than defend it against Alexander Dimitrenko, a Ukrainian, it would seem that he is confident that a worldtitle shot against Haye, or one of the Klitschkos, is imminent.

The Boxing Writers’ Club held a lunch for Haye in London yesterday, although the guest of honour was absent because his wife, Natasha, who recently gave birth to the couple’s second child, was ill. Instead, it was up to Booth to speak on Haye’s behalf.

Booth said that Harrison was among a list of options that also included the Klitschkos, Nikolay Valuev, from whom he won the WBA title last year, and Tomasz Adamek, the former WBC light-heavyweight and IBF cruiserweight champion from Poland.

“As a boxing fan, I hate the fight, because Audley has not boxed anyone in the top 20, but I know that maybe David didn’t deserve a shot at Valuev,” Booth said. “Within Britain it will be a fight that people would love to see, but [Haye] will receive a lot of criticism worldwide. He will be called a coward for not facing the Klitschkos and his credibility will be shot to pieces.

“Audley has to believe he has more chance of beating David than he does Wladimir or Vitali. I don’t think he lasts four rounds with any of them, but with David he has got to have that belief that he finds his b*****ks and David’s chin at the same time.”

Haye is also following the lead of Floyd Mayweather Jr by insisting that random blood testing for drugs will be carried out for all his bouts. A bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao collapsed over Mayweather’s insistence on Olympic-style testing and Booth said that stand inspired Haye. “David wants to use his position to help clean up the sport,” Booth said.

England is guaranteed its best return from a European Amateur Championships in more than a decade after Khalid Yafai and Iain Weaver reached the semi-finals in Moscow yesterday, ensuring at least a bronze medal.

Yafai, the flyweight, was a 9-1 points winner over Derenik Gizhlaryan, of Armenia, while Weaver, 20, a featherwight boxing at his first leading senior event, beat Oualid Belaoura, of France, 12-7. Obed Mbwakongo, the lightheavyweight, lost his quarter-final 11-9 to Abdelkader Bouhenia, of France. Four more British boxers compete in quarter-finals today.

Good stuff there from David If only there were more people like that rather than the kind of people who refuse drug tests

[TheWalletInspector]

[Haye] will receive a lot of criticism worldwide. He will be called a coward for not facing the Klitschkos and his credibility will be shot to pieces.

He's right.

[Gabby15]

Gabby of ESB fame is a potential housemate on BB

[TheWalletInspector]

As in the same Gabby that Colleh mentioned before?

[Gabby15]

As in the same Gabby that Colleh mentioned before?

She didn't get in

Petition the producers to put her in?

[TheWalletInspector]

As in the same Gabby that Colleh mentioned before?

She didn't get in

Petition the producers to put her in?

That's tragic.

I might have been able to bear watching it for around 30 seconds without my eyes bleading if she was in.

[Gabby15]

According to an eyewitness, former heavyweight boxing champion, James “Light’s Out” Toney has been able to make current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion, "King Mo" Lawal tap out.

Speaking via FightHype.com, Toney said:

“Mo giving me good work, but I keep telling people, I am a lot stronger than they think and I know some shit. Man… I got him in a….let him tell you. I don’t want to say too much, but I will say we put in some good work.”

Randy Couture has said he has signed the bout agreement to fight Toney at UFC 118, and all thats left is for Toney to do the same. UFC 118 takes place on August 28 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Toney TKO1 Lesnar 8)

[Gabby15]

Wladimir Klitschko says David Haye is "a pussy" and wants to turn his face into a pizza.

WBA heavyweight king Haye has spent most of the last 18 months calling out Wladimir and his big brother Vitali as he bids to shake up the division.

Haye had been due to face Wladimir in Germany last summer but pulled out with a back injury, and attempts to make a match with Vitali have also come to nothing so far.

But while many see Haye as the man to re-energise the heavyweight scene, the younger Klitschko says he's all talk.

He told Ring magazine: "I want to fight David more (than my brother). Vitali wants to fight him as well."

Wladimir added: "David Haye bitched out against me, then bitched out against my brother. He's criticised everything me and my brother have done."

Excited

Now Klitschko junior has no doubt about what he wants to do to Britain's big hope for heavyweight domination.

"I said I wanted to make Haye's face into a pizza," said Klitschko. "Now I want to make his face into a pepperoni pizza with salami and ketchup on it."

Haye's perceived disrespect and self-promotion isn't the only beef Wladimir has with Haye either.

He added: "Now that I'm 34, I feel at my peak. I'll just work my way forward. I have no set time to retire. I hear David Haye say he's going to retire at 31 - because he's a pussy.

"As long as I'm excited about the sport I'm in, I'll keep going. When I don't get excited any more, that will be it."

Pussy

Anyone else find Wlad's trash talking to be somewhat surreal?

[TheWalletInspector]

UFC

And yeah, it's hilarious.

[Gabby15]

UFC

And yeah, it's hilarious.

Title change to 'Home of the future UFC HW champion'

[Witton_Lane]

Now Klitschko junior has no doubt about what he wants to do to Britain's big hope for heavyweight domination.

"I said I wanted to make Haye's face into a pizza," said Klitschko. "Now I want to make his face into a pepperoni pizza with salami and ketchup on it."

Haye's perceived disrespect and self-promotion isn't the only beef Wladimir has with Haye either.

He added: "Now that I'm 34, I feel at my peak. I'll just work my way forward. I have no set time to retire. I hear David Haye say he's going to retire at 31 - because he's a pussy.

"As long as I'm excited about the sport I'm in, I'll keep going. When I don't get excited any more, that will be it."

Pussy

Anyone else find Wlad's trash talking to be somewhat surreal?

It's not surreal, it's just shit - even worse than Hayes, and he's no master of it either.

James Toney and Ricardo Mayorga are the trash talking kings, by miles 8)

The irony of a Klitschko accusing another fighter of being a bitch isn't lost though, this is the guy that claimed everything from diabetes to CIA interference after Brewster shattered his egg-shell jaw His big brave brother retired rather than face the monster that was Rahman and quit against Byrd who punches about as hard as my aunt Phyllis Oh and on top of that Wlad still has 2 unavenged defeateats on his record to crap fighters

Having said all that if Haye fights Harrison then yes he's a bitch and I'll stop defending the guy - it doesn't make the Klitschkos any better though because they ain't. You can't hammer Haye for fighting Harrison and defend Vitali fighting Sosnowski in the same breath, it's twisted logic. Wlad has taken on his fair share of nobodies too, I bet if he'd just KO'd Ruiz and beaten Valuev all his fans would defend him to the hilt for fighting a journeyman in his next fight.

[Oaks]

If Haye fights Harrison, he goes down a lot in my estimation.

[Gabby15]

Amir Khan has lost the race to fit in a defence of his WBA light-welterweight title on 31 July before observing Ramadan in August – but he remains firmly on course for a showdown next year with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

That scenario is some way off but underpins the strategy of his American business partners, Golden Boy Promotions, whose increasingly obvious presence in the UK has already stirred the rival promoter Frank Warren to complain about the Americans cherry-picking British talent.

Khan will now fight in December against Juan Manuel Márquez, Marcos Maidana or Joel Casamayor; after that, if Mayweather fails to deliver on his half-threat to retire and goes through with his mega-fight against Manny Pacquiao in November, Khan could fight either Victor Ortiz, a rising star at 10 stone, or move up to welterweight to chase Mayweather.

As a blueprint, it looks attractive; putting it into practice could prove tough. Golden Boy were originally keen to fill the July date with a Khan fight in the UK to twin with a promotion in Las Vegas featuring Márquez in a rematch with Juan Díaz for the WBO lightweight title and WBA's "Super" version at that weight. But Khan would have to rush his preparation, as well as come to terms over an opponent.

Another name put forward as an opponent with some enthusiasm since the weekend of Khan's 11th-round stoppage of Paulie Malignaggi in New York was the tough Australian Michael Katsidis who, only hours before in London, demolished Kevin Mitchell in three rounds at lightweight for the WBO's interim title.

While parlaying that little bauble into something significant would be harder than moving up in weight to challenge Khan, the champion's connections maintain Katsidis's negotiators are asking too much at $1m (£680,000), a claim the Australian's promoters find ludicrous.

Rejecting Katsidis would seem to make as much boxing sense, though, as husbanding a much larger part of the purse for the champion. Katsidis, as he showed against Mitchell, is a dangerous opponent anywhere around 10 stone.

Khan's preference, and that of his coach Freddie Roach, is Maidana, a big puncher but a naive boxer. They reckon it would be the easiest of the main three options on offer.

However, Márquez's connections to Golden Boy give him the inside running. He lost widely on points to Floyd Mayweather Jr last year but retains a significant Latino fan base.

Whomever Khan fights, he carries with him now a growing number of Muslim fans. There were at least 2,000 among the 5,000 who paid to watch him fight Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden, and Golden Boy are keen to capitalise on this new audience.

Khan is a dedicated Muslim, who completed a 14-day pilgrimage to Mecca four years ago. "It was an amazing experience that has brought me much closer to God," he said at the time. He followed it with a trip to America to see his idol, Muhammad Ali, whose attachment to Islam sprang from more radical roots in the 60s.

Floyd puts him in hospital after about 5 rounds

[CastleBromVilla]

Why is Khan dodging Katsidis for the mouthy word removed? Know's he'll get put on his arse i bet. Never thought i'd say this, but i'd love Katsidis, despite being an Aussie (seemed like quite a nice guy in his interview after the Kevin Mitchell fight) put Khan on his backside. In fact, i'm not particularly bothered who does it.

[TheWalletInspector]

Why is Khan dodging Katsidis for the mouthy word removed? Know's he'll get put on his arse i bet. Never thought i'd say this, but i'd love Katsidis, despite being an Aussie (seemed like quite a nice guy in his interview after the Kevin Mitchell fight) put Khan on his backside. In fact, i'm not particularly bothered who does it.

Welcome to the club.