Archive for March, 2010

Super Six Of One & Half A Dozen Of The Other

Monday, March 29th, 2010

By William Trillo

As defined by thefreedictinary.com
Six of one and half a dozen of the other:
If you say that a bad situation is six of one and half a dozen of the other, you mean that two people or groups are equally responsible.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Or wait a minute…maybe I already did…LAST WEEK!!

After Saturday’s melee in Motown there has been nothing but finger pointing and name calling as everyone from promoters to journalists have put in their 2 cents on what actually transpired in the Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell “Super Six” stage 2 bout.

If you are an Abraham backer your voice echoes that of Abe’s promoter Sauerland who said in no uncertain terms, “…Dirrell is a very good actor. We are glad that his check-up at the hospital turned out just fine but frankly we did not expect any other outcome since he was just acting. He deserves an Oscar for his performance.”

In quick retaliation Dirrell’s promoter Gary Shaw fired back and spoke for all of Andre’s fans when he said, “Sauerland is a sourpuss. Is he Abraham’s promoter or minister of propaganda… Abraham was looking at Andre while he was down on the canvas before deliberately unleashing his illegal blow. As far as I’m concerned, Abraham is a coward and his promoter is an enabler. It was a desperate act by a desperate man.”

In like fashion boxing fans have been arguing about the 11th round blow delivered by Abraham that saw him get DQ’d for the foul thus giving Dirrell, who was decisively ahead on the cards at the time, the victory.

Quite frankly, there is no argument about the errant blow. Abraham clearly hit Dirrell when he was down.

The question is just how hard did Dirrell get hit and was it the type of blow that would render a man twitching and unconscious?

I know plenty of you will say of course it was, but as I made a few calls today and asked fighters, trainers and regular fans their opinion, they all to a man thought at the very least that Dirrell got caught up in the moment and overreacted all the way up to and including the theory that he knew he was not going to stay on his feet much longer and when he heard the commentators say “Abraham should be disqualified” he chose to stay down. One opinion was, “Dirrell got hit a lot harder by Abraham when he was on his feet during the fight but didn’t go down, how did that late glancing blow have enough power to knock him out?”

If you go to any forum or blog you will see a completely opposite take that will say that Andre is lucky that blow didn’t kill him. And there are other similar arguments to plead Dirrell’s case As well.

The fact is reports from the hospital where Dirrell was tested and came up negative and he was cleared of any head trauma.

You can do with that information as you will.  

Now to the fight itself…

Let’s face it. Dirrell was way ahead on the scorecards at the time the fight was stopped and rightly so. He started off early and was blasting Abraham with shot after shot while Arthur just covered up and took the blows with little or no punches of his own thrown. A normal tactic for Abe, but this time he was in against a very well prepared fighter and it seemed he better turn up the heat sooner rather than later. But he did not.

Along the way Abraham was dropped by a punch that was clearly more of a shove with Dirrell’s off arm than it was a knockdown, but everyone’s favorite ref Laurence Cole called it a clear knockdown.

What Cole did not see so clearly was a headbutt that caused a wicked gash over Abrahams that bled profusely a good portion of the fight.

Cole also blundered in round 10 as a hard shot by Abraham sent Dirrell down with a thud, yet Cole waved it off as no knockdown saying their feet were tangled…they were not and you didn’t need a replay to see that.

That knockdown changed Dirrell from a slick boxer who was sticking and moving to a hurt fighter who shifted into reverse to stay out of harms way.

It was clear from that point on that Dirrell was in survival mode and if he could avoid an Abraham bomb over the next 6 minutes he would walk away with an easy unanimous decision. It will always be up for speculation now, but Abraham was catching Dirrell early in round 11 before Andre slipped and got hit while down, but as even the Showtime announcers were saying…this fight was far from over at that point.

And has anyone figured out why Cole was nowhere close to the fighters when Dirrell went down and why he didn’t yell stop until after Dirrell was tagged? The level of incompetency showed by Cole throughout the fight is, ONCE AGAIN, unacceptable.

So now the questions are being asked:

Could it be that Abraham was seconds away from a KO?

Is it possible Dirrell could have stayed away for 2 more rounds?

I guess it really doesn’t matter now as Dirrell was declared the winner and it is highly unlikely that will change, Sauerland protest or not.

Another thing that won’t be changing anytime soon is the fact that this Super Six Tournament has turned into more of a Reality Show than a sporting event and if you think it’s going to get better before it gets worse, well you haven’t been getting your dose of “Billy’s Blog” Medicine and you better take a big tablespoon before the next Super Six bout.

 

And now here’s a little home work for you all.

Don’t know if you remember or not but during his fight with Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez was hit while down. Check out the highlight here YouTube – Barrera vs Marquez pt4  at around the YouTube timer 3:50 mark.

 

Now compare that to what what down on Saturday night  YouTube – ROUND 11 OF ABRAHAM VS DIRRELL!  at the YouTube timer 50 second mark.

 

 

Look at the fighters reaction, watch the referees, listen to the commentary, what do you think?

 

Please be honest!

 

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

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Crippled Six Hobbles Into The Motor City

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

By William Trillo
Photo-Chop: Bret “The Threat” Newton

Tonight in Detroit, Arthur Abraham & Andre Dirrell will face each other in Phase 2 of the long but not forgotten Super Six Tournament. In case you did forget, that’s the Round Robin Tournament that put together the best 6 Super Middleweights on the planet,(yet somehow didn’t include 2 reigning World Champions), and the one with the most points at the end would be declared the winner?

This fight from Detroit was supposed to take place in Palm Springs, California 3 weeks ago but in an unforeseen turn of events Dirrell conveniently hurt his back and the fight got put on a 21 day hiatus while Andre recuperated. 
 
Can someone please tell me how a fighter, fighting on a World Class level can strain his back bad enough to cancel a bout and then find the time not only to heal but get back in fighting shape? And all in the span of 3 weeks?  Please!!
 
Call me a skeptic but I find that very hard to believe. And while you are calling me a skeptic go ahead and label me a conspiracy theorist too because when this Abraham fight got moved from the neutral Southern California desert to Detroit, Michigan, which just happens to be Dirrell’s backyard…well let’s just go ahead and say the Stink-O-Meters needle pegged!
 
Then as if I needed any more cause for concern we found out in the middle of this week that all the officials for the already skewed fight would be from Dirrell’s Michigan home. The stench was only getting worse and Team Sauerland had finally had enough and filed a justifiable complaint.

Well never fear boxing fans because the complaint was heard and neutral judges were appointed to score the fight and Laurence Cole would now be the third man, (A.K.A. The Ref), in the ring………..huh?
Laurence Cole?
 
You mean the guy who had to ask the judges twice in the same fight if cuts on a fighters face came from an elbow or a head butt because he didn’t see it?
 
You mean the same Laurence Cole who told Juan Manuel Marquez who had a vicious cut on his head due to a headbutt that he was ahead on the scorecards, insinuating that if he stopped fighting he would win on the cards? And by the way, the judges scores are supposed to be kept secret, how did Cole know Marquez was ahead?
 
And are you referring to the same Cole who along with his Father sells insurance to Boxing Promoters in his home state of Texas?
 
Here’s a little Billy’s Blog Brain Buster for y’all:
 
Question: What do you get if you take 3 hometown officials and subtract them from the equation and replace them with 3 neutral officials and a referee who has been suspended from refereeing for questionable actions in the ring?
 
Answer: You get the likelihood for some shenanigans of epic proportions going down in the ring tonight and if the fight goes the way of the hometown fighter Dirrell because of some improprieties by the ref, well don’t say you weren’t warned in advance!
 
Look, I know many of you thought this Tournament was a good thing during its inception, but as I warned you long ago, there were too many players and too many egos for this thing to be anything resembling smooth sailing.
 
Along with the Dirrell back injury that postponed his date with Tournament favorite Arthur Abraham, we have seen the same Abraham destroy Jermain Taylor leading him to pull out and quit altogether.
 
Now Taylor’s replacement Allan Green is still basically on the outside looking in because the other Andre, Ward in this instance, has also pulled up lame at the post claiming he twisted his knee. The bout between Ward & Green is now postponed until June 19th. At least we don’t have to worry about a change in venue as the tournament pretty much has coddled Ward by scheduling all his fights in his hometown of Oakland and apparently the June date is also in The Raider Nation.
 
I know we are supposed to believe that when this Tournament comes to it’s conclusion we will find out who the best 168 pounder in the world is, but just looking at the way things have transpired it appears to me the tournament is being skewed to make sure the winner hails from the good ol’ USA.
 
Now that is all purely speculation on my part and I am sure that the accusation has more than a few “suits” foaming at the mouth…but hey…you know me…I call ‘em as I see ‘em!

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

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Just What Steward Ordered The Doctor

Monday, March 22nd, 2010
By William Trillo
 
After 11 rounds of ad nauseam Heavyweight Championship rounds between Wladimir “Dr. Steelhammer” Klitschko & Eddie Chambers, Klitschko trainer Emanuel Steward made his point loud and clear, ”You can’t win by another bullshit decision!”
 
Steward was right.
 
No one was going to buy another Ibragimov or Chagaev decision no matter how lopsided the inevitable victory was. Wlad needed to impale Chambers in the next 3 minutes, and for the first time since maybe his destruction of Chris Byrd, it truly appeared that Klitschko came out actually looking for the KO. Over the next 2 minutes and 55 seconds Chambers showed everyone in attendance why his moniker is ‘Fast” as he ducked and dodged every bomb headed in his direction….well almost every bomb. 
 
Like a laser guided missile, Klitschko dropped a left hand off Chambers cranium that spun the would be challenger like a top as he promptly collapsed face first onto the deck.
 
The fight was waved off before the final bell rang and Steward got what he was looking for.
 
Those are the kind of finishes the heavyweights need. Yes it could have come about 7 rounds earlier but at the end of the day boxing fans got what they wanted…a champion climbing up to the top rope in celebration while his hapless foe lays prone and drooling on the canvas.
 
I’ll take it!
 
Look, Mr. Newly Finely Tuned Body Chambers got himself in shape for a track meet not a fight because he knew, or he thought he knew he could run from the normally too willing just to win by decision Klitschko, only to be on the wrong end of the ring when Steward finally gave the “No more B.S. decision”, marching orders. 
 
Like another in the * long line of embarrassing American Heavyweight hopefuls, Eddie Chambers apparently took the flight to Germany for a payday and nothing more.
 
 
* Long line of embarrassing American Heavyweight hopefuls:
 
Hasim Rahman
Tony Thompson
Lamon Brewster
Ray Austin
Calvin Brock
Chris Byrd
Kevin Johnson
Chris Arreola
Larry Donald
 
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news
 
 

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Golden Boy Licking Their Chops Over New Signing

Monday, March 15th, 2010

By William Trillo


Well it wasn’t in with the old Joe Calzaghe as I speculated ever so incorrectly in my earlier blog but instead it was in with the new as Oscar De La Hoya signed perhaps the best amateur boxer in the United States today, Frankie Gomez .  With 120 victories, a National Championship it’s time for the 18-year-old from East Los Angeles to face new challenges as a professional, and Gomez has decided to team up with Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to turn pro and pursue his dream of winning a world championship.
 
With all the bells and whistles Golden Boy brought out their future hopeful star in East Los Angeles with Mariachi’s playing and everyone feasting on all the tacos they could eat.
 
It’s hard not to draw comparisons to his new boss Oscar De La Hoya since the young Gomez shares the same birthday as Oscar but for the sake of this young man I hope that he is not anointed the next Golden Boy because that has become more of a curse than a blessing for other Golden Boy prospects. Let’s just let this kid be Frankie Gomez and hope that he has a bright future in boxing without having to live up to Golden expectations.
 
Born in East Los Angeles, Frankie Gomez has been a boxer practically all his life.  First stepping into the ring in 2000 at the age of eight, Gomez won his first amateur title in 2001 and has never looked back.  Owner of a stellar 120-8 record, he has won Junior Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves, and Junior Olympic Championships, and in 2008, he won the U17 (Cadets) World Championship.  In 2009, Gomez continued to impress as he won the U.S. National Championship and earned a silver medal in the AIBA World Championships.  He is ending his amateur career ranked number one in the United States at 141 pounds, and is one of only two American boxers to be ranked in the top 15 in the AIBA World rankings.
 
Gomez will make his professional debut on April 3, 2010 on the undercard of Bernard Hopkins vs. Roy Jones Jr. at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
 

 Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news

 

 

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Joe Comeback?

Monday, March 15th, 2010
By William Trillo
 
Today in Los Angeles Golden Boy Promotions will announce an important surprise regarding an addition to Golden Boys promotional roster. Nothing specific was added to the press release other than free tacos would be served up to anyone in attendance.
 
As I was busy staring blankly at 4 of the dullest fights I have ever seen on Saturday night my mind wandered off and I began to speculate as to what this announcement might be. What fighter is out there and available that may want to ride on the coat tails of the powerful Golden Boy Promotional bandwagon?
 
Then like a ton of Golden Bricks it hit me.
 
My memory (for what it is worth) harkened back to the Los Angeles Mayweather vs. Mosley press conference. I recalled that when I entered the ESPN Zone for lunch prior to the press conference I saw Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer in a private booth with none other than former Super Middleweight Champ Joe Calzaghe. I thought to myself, “What the heck could Joe be doing here?” One look outside at the gorgeous So Cal weather and I dismissed Joe’s California appearance as nothing more than a vacation from the frigid Welsh winter.
 
Then, of all things seated right next to yours truly during the “Who R U Picking” press conference was Calzaghe himself. I left Joe alone during the festivities but as the show wrapped up I got the former Champions attention by asking him to give me his pick for The Super Six Tournament. “I don’t know,” was all he said. Finding that a tad peculiar considering he was the former Super Middle king I said,”Really Joe, you don’t have any idea who will come out on top?” Joe replied, “Really I don’t know. I don’t have any idea!” I followed that up by asking him what he thought about Lucian Bute being left out of the tournament. It was then that Joe’s eyes lit up as he said, “Yes that is odd, I don’t understand that at all, he certainly deserves to be.”
 
With that I thanked Joe and we went our separate ways. All I took away from that was Joe didn’t want to discuss the Super Six for whatever reason but he was convinced that Bute is the real deal.
 
Any idea of a come backing Calzaghe was quickly put out of my mind as I always believed he was serious about his retirement.
 
Then sometime last week retirement announcements of Enzo Calzaghe,Joe’s Father and Trainer, were being made ad infinitum and although Enzo was a fine trainer I thought they might have been going overboard just a bit, unless of course Joe told him he was coming out of retirement and Enzo disagreed and told his son, “You will be doing it without me!”
 
This is all purely speculation on my part but it wouldn’t surprise me to see Calzaghe as the guest of honor at today’s press conference.
 
I mean there is that long standing rivalry with Carl Froch still brewing and it must really stick in Calzaghe’s craw to have Froch winning in the first round of the Super Six. Rumor is Calzaghe has offered to help Mikkell Kessler while he trains for his upcoming fight with the hated Froch.
 
Calzaghe also said in a recent interview that the Bernard Hopkins fight is the only one he would want to restage. He feels he was wrong to chase Hopkins too much early on. Without that he thinks the victory would have been more decisive than the split decision he secured. As we know Hopkins is also a Golden Boy promoted fighter who will be fighting Roy Jones in April. The fact that Calzaghe beat them both (Hop & Roy),must not be sitting well with him either as he watches the two getting ready to cash in on a PPV card.
 
Although he has insisted he will not come back Calzaghe has called the promotional business a pain. Unless of course you go into business with Golden Boy a la Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley. Then the only pain is from sitting on an over inflated wallet full of cash.
 
I repeat, this is just me thinking out loud and I could be dead wrong…but I have a hunch.
 
 
Texas
 
I suppose I could go on a rant about the mediocre card that transpired on Saturday night, but I won’t. I suppose I could rail on Joshua Clottey showing up just for a pay day, but I won’t. I guess I could say that the under card followed in another long line of crap under cards shoved down a paying boxing publics throat, but I won’t. I suppose I could go on a tirade about $50 parking at the stadium and $60 pizzas and $10 bags of popcorn, but again I won’t. I mean 50,994 paying fans in Arlington pretty much make all that a moot point….right?
 
“Bang Bang” Lampley
 
As if having to sit through round after round of Joshua Clottey doing absolutely zero wasn’t bad enough, the torture Jim Lampley put me through somewhere in the mid rounds, (they all seemed the same to me), was intolerable. In making his point about Pacquiao’s dominance the ever irritating Lampley closed each statement by loadly barking, “BANG!”
 
“Pacquiao throws a left….BANG!”
 
“Pacquiao hits Clottey with a right….BANG!”
 
“Manny throws a combination…BANG BANG BANG!”
 
I don’t want to say that was the most annoying bit of boxing commentary I ever heard, but if Lampley spewed out one more BANG I was seriously considering puncturing both my eardrums with coat hangers.
 
Jim Lampley has worn out his welcome as HBO’s Boxing commentator…BANG!
 
Jim Lampley has become as relevant as Disco Balls, Cabbage Patch Kids, Pokemon and Pet Rocks…BANG!
 
Jim Lampley needs to step down from his self perceived throne….BANG!  
 
 
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news……BANG!
 
 
 

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The Co-Event…Gomez vs. Castillo

Saturday, March 13th, 2010
By William Trillo
Not to be lost in all the pomp and circumstance of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey Welterweight Title fight tonight is a battle that will be broadcast on the PPV undercard. In a bout for the WBC Continental Americas welterweight title, Alfonso Gomez will go head up against former Lightweight Champ Jose Luis Castillo. I highly suggest ordering the pizza a little early tonight and make sure you are in your seats in front of the big screen for this battle of Mexican warriors.
 
I was fortunate enough to speak with Gomez on the phone after Fridays weigh-in and it’s clear that he is ready for a war. “Castillo came in at 144 pounds and I hear this is the best training camp he has had in a while. I am glad he will be at his best. The Castillo I am expecting to see tomorrow night is the one we saw against Corrales and Casamayor,” said a matter of fact Gomez.
 
On his game plan Alfonso said,” I am not planning on taking one step backward and I know he isn’t either. This is going to be a great fight between 2 tough Mexican fighters and I am ready to give everyone a great show.”
 
It can be argued that of all the “Contender” fighters it’s Gomez who is like the sweet cream in that cup of Reality Show Coffee that has risen to the top. His recent victory over Jesus Soto Karrass has launched him into tonight’s Texas spectacular PPV event and although you may scoff at his fight with Miguel Cotto no one can ever say that Gomez was not willing to take on whatever challenge that is put in front of him. Unlike another Contender star who was busying running from the likes of Jermain Taylor, Gomez has always been ready and up for the task and even in defeat he has not been deterred from his course.
 
Should Gomez defeat Castillo tonight he will put a 147 pound minor belt around his waist and it should only be a matter of time before he gets another shot at the big prize.
 
Meanwhile, this is pretty much do or die for Castillo. But it’s not as if he hasn’t earned one more chance. After a loss to Sebastian Lujan in 2008 Castillo was relegated to fights in deepest darkest Mexico but like Gomez he stayed the course and has put together 4 KO performances disposing his foes in 6 rounds or less in each of those tests. Now Castillo finds himself on the big stage again and as we know he is no stranger to major events, he should handle himself accordingly.
 
Not to take away from Diaz and Soto, ‘cuz that should be a good fight too, but if I have to choose a time to run to the kitchen to grab a slice and a cold one it won’t be during the Gomez vs. Castillo affair.
 
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.
 
 

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Few & Far Between

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
By William Trillo
 
It was only after my Guardian Angel warning me that I have been away too long that I realized it had been a while since I chimed in with my thoughts. It’s not that I have been loafing mind you, it’s been a tad busy here in So Cal and what with 2 major press conferences and some hot local fights….geez….
excuses excuses…which reminds me….
 
Speaking of Floyd Mayweather, I am glad he was amused when the Tecate Girl at the Southern California press conference passed out and hit her head on the stage. That laughing while she was down was about as classless an act as I have seen in quite some time….nice work Pretty Boy!
 
Chris Arreola looked good at his press conference a few weeks ago and he looked in even better shape at this past Friday nights ESPN card in Temecula. Arreola told Teddy Atlas he is shooting to come into the Adamek fight at 239 pounds. If Chris makes anything under 240 Tomasz is in for trouble. If Arreola can stay around that weight he may very well become every heavyweights worst Nightmare!
 
If Joshua’s Clottey’s size makes the difference in Dallas this weekend don’t say I didn’t tell you so…NO…I am not picking against Manny.
 
Am I the only journalist on the planet who finds the Stub Hub sponsorship of the Golden Boy promoted Mayweather vs. Mosley card a tad bit disturbing?
 
Why?
 
A. Stub Hub is a ticket broker who buys tickets to top events and sells them at ridiculous mark ups.
 
B. The official ticket broker for the fight is Ticketmaster but if you log on to their site you will find nary a ticket left to the May 1st show.
 
C. Log on to Stub Hub and you will find they have a plethora of tickets. Seats that would have sold for $150 are now being sold for upwards of $500  
 
D. Who did Stub Hub acquire all these tickets from?
 
I am sure there is a logical explanation here somewhere but at the present time I am…well as I said…I am disturbed…but you already knew that!
 
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

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Golden Boy’s Fight Night Club Is L.A.’s “Right” Night Club

Monday, March 1st, 2010

By William Trillo


There were plenty of pretty good action cards this past weekend from Atlantic City to Puerto Rico and all stops in between, but in all honesty the card I was most impressed with was the one in Los Angeles on Thursday night. The Golden Boy promoted offering was a card full of local talent headlined by Jr. Welterweight star Victor Ortiz.
 
Held in L.A. Lives Club Nokia, the show was complete with a Night Club atmosphere, pre fight face-off’s by the fighters, fast paced action, cute girls and stars from Oscar De La Hoya, Mario Lopez, Sugar Ray Leonard plus a handful of today’s top talent including Librado Andrade, Enrique Ornelas, “Ponce” De Leon, Alfredo Angulo, Steve Forbes and a host of others all neatly packed into a club with full service bars on the main floor and the balcony level.

For boxing fans this night had a little bit of everything and for those who were just looking for a hot party night out on the town…well no one was disappointed…NO ONE.

That includes yours truly.

With the more than capable team of Roy & Marlene Marquez covering the show for our site I had a chance to circulate around the entire club to get a feel from the fans perspective and I liked what I saw.
 
Now… is this like the old days of the Thursday Night fights at the Olympic Auditorium?
 
No.
 
But to tell you the truth, I don’t think anyone at Golden Boy wants it to be. I think what they are looking for is a New Millennium flavor to this boxing card and if things go as they did last week I think they are onto something.
 
The formula I saw was a good one and I hope they stick to it. Give us some hot up and comers, headline the show with a popular and top ranked star, throw in some DJ’s blasting the tunes, invite A list stars & plenty of cute girls, keep the club open after the fights are over, and this may be the hot ticket for Los Angeles locals for 2010.
 
Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

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