Image details: Kelly Pavlik v Jermain Taylor served by picapp.com

ESPN.com is reporting that middleweight champ Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik will face boxing’s Methuselah Bernard Hopkins on October 18 in Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Boardwalk Hall. The bout will be fought at a 170-pound catch weight and will be broadcasted on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Pavlik’s promotor Bob Arum admitted to ESPN that “This fight was not our first choice, but it was the only alternative we had to make a buck.” How’s that for salesmanship? You know Bob, it wouldn’t have been this fight fan’s first choice either — that would have been serial big fight ducker Joe Calzaghe — but it’s not bad. Hopkins doesn’t always make exciting fights but he will be a true test of Pavlik’s supposed greatness.

The Atlantic City venue should pull in a good crowd for each fight AND Arum also tells ESPN that the he has been assured by Calzaghe’s people that Kelly will get the Welshmen if both are victorious in their respective fights. We’ll believe it when we see it.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Ghost Will Face The Executioner

Image details: Joe Calzaghe Media Interview served by picapp.com

ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael has just reported the worst kept Breaking News in boxing: 2008’s Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Joe Calzaghe’s next fight will be against 2002 Top 5 pound-for-pound boxer Roy Jones, Jr.. They will fight for Calzaghe’s 175-pound light heavyweight title.

The 36-year-old Calzaghe (45-0, 32 KO) will fight the 39-year-old Jones (52-4, 38 KO) on September 20, 2008 in Madison Square Garden on HBO pay-per-view. Oh, if only this fight had taken place a few years ago. Maybe then I’d be inspired to spend my hard-earned $50-60. But this fight choice just serves as evidence to Calzaghe’s painful lack of ambition as well as his disdain for boxing history.

Maybe once Calzaghe disposes of the once feared Jones he’ll saunter down to the historically relevant middleweight division (or, alas, a catch weight), take on fellow pound-for-pounder Kelly Pavlik and finally rise to a pugilistic challenge.

Post from: EveryJoe

Joe Calzaghe to fight Roy Jones, Jr. on Sept. 20

Last night’s sequel to 2006’s Arthur Abraham – Edison Miranda epic didn’t have its predecessor’s drama or its controversy. Instead it had thunder in the form of Abraham’s unbelievably powerful left hand which dropped Miranda three times in the fourth round.

This fight seemed like a tricky proposition for the Armenian middleweight. He was making his first trip to the United States. He was fighting at Miranda’s veritable home arena in South Florida. He was facing a hostile crowd. He wasn’t going to benefit from kind German judges. His counterpunching style isn’t as highly rated among American judges. He was in the ring with someone who had broken his jaw.

Abraham’s solution was to cover up turtle-style for most of the first and second, absorbing Miranda’s many punches and draining the Colombian’s energy. Abraham emerged from his shell in the third landing some good shots and turning the fight’s momentum.

Nevertheless, the power and decisiveness of Abraham’s vicious and emphatic fourth (see below) was wholly unexpected. Just thirty seconds into the round Abraham landed a square left hook to Miranda’s jaw with left La Pantera wobbled and in a world of trouble. Abraham sensed his opponent’s precariousness and seized the initiative. After missing with a few wild looping lefts Abraham landed a monstrous left hook and sent Miranda down again. The fight was as good as over. Abraham’s next left floored the Colombian again and referee Telis Assimenios mercifully ended the bout.

Post-match Abraham called out two Americans: Oscar De La Hoya and Kelly Pavlik. I’d much rather see him face middleweight king Kelly Pavlik. Prior to tonight’s fight I wasn’t too excited about that match-up. Abraham’s impressive power and in-ring smarts have changed that. He’s no boring German sequestered stiff. He’s going to test Pavlik and hopefully it will happen soon.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Arthur Abraham Ably Attacks and Conquers Edison Miranda

In the mail today I received an advanced copy of George Kimball’s forthcoming book Four Kings. The book profiles the four great middleweights of what the book’s subtitle refers to as “The Last Great Era of Boxing”: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran. No first names are needed.

I’m usually the first person to dismiss and be angered by baby boomer claims that athletes were different then and that their era of sports was the best. The glorious eighties. Problem is that when I am confronted with their challenge of “well then, whose a great middleweight now?” I can only stammer back with Kelly Pavlik.

I’m not saying The Ghost isn’t as talented as those luminaries but what evidence do I have? I guess Jermain Taylor but his fight two Saturday’s ago against Gary Lockett was so appalling and such a mismatch that I didn’t blog about it. It wasn’t exactly news.

Pavlik’s biggest excuse is that he’s only 26 and still has time. What’s Joe Calzaghe’s excuse? He’s spent his whole career running from the top competition, sequestering himself in the Welsh countryside. Talks continue to fester about him fighting 39-year-old Roy Jones, Jr. and skipping out on Pavlik. “It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that (Pavlik and I) will face each other, but I think Jones is the right fight for me at the moment.” Calzaghe told reporters.

What he’s telling boxing and his fans is that he doesn’t and never has cared about them or the greater context of his sport.

And that’s his priority. It’s his body that he’s putting on the line and his career he has to look after. Is that fair to us as fans? Does it really matter?

All we can hope for is that another talented set of fighters come again and choose to fight each other in their primes. Is that such a crazy concept?

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

When Will Another Four Kings Ever Return?

Last week the deeply in debt and still 6′4″ 245lb. Jose Canseco issued a $5K boxing challenge to the general public. Headline the July 12 Atlantic City card presumably stocked with duking-it-out D-listers and the moolah is yours. Thankfully, a former athlete stepped up the the plate and we won’t have to see Jose pummeled by Vinnie from south Philly.

That athlete is none other than former Eagle punt return and special teams wizard Vai Sikahema. Sikahema is currently employed at sports director at Philadelphia’s NBC affiliate WCAU. Vai is no stranger to the celebrity boxing circuit. In January of this year he knocked out a local radio host. To catch some of Vai’s pugilistic skills click here. It’s hard to hate on Sikahema for taking the fight as he will be donating his $5K from the Canseco fight to the widow of slain Philadelphia police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.

Nevertheless, fight fans might be asking, “Why would you even post stuff like that on your blog? It’s not real boxing. It’s more like pro wrestling.” Alas, this is a pro wrestling blog too, but that’s beside the point. Last week in our really long Why Do We Think Boxing Is Dirtier Than Tennis Despite the Facts? post we pondered (A) boxing’s incorrect reputation for dirty fixed fights and (B) its subsequent marginalization by the public. Is this fight an example of both?

(A) We’re not alleging the Canseco-Sikahema fight is fixed – it doesn’t matter enough for that – but the only fights we remember being dirty in the last 20 odd years involved celebrity fighters padding win stats in a P.T. Barnum-esque look-at-the-freaks atmosphere: Butterbean, Mark Gastineau, and even the 50+ year-old George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

The problem with (B), boxing’s marginalization, comes because the public at large has more exposure to these farces then it does good fights.

For example, one of the world’s best fighters, middleweight Kelly Pavlik, is fighting in Atlantic City in two Saturdays from now on June 7 but Canseco’s AC fight is the one garnering attention from the Philly Daily News boxing writer.

We can’t blame him, www.jabandgrapple.com is also guilty as charged. We didn’t have to post about The Badboy of Baseball but we did. It gives us an excuse to post a picture of Vida Guerra with said Badboy.

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Jose Canseco to Fight Former NFL All-Pro; Cooler Heads Avert Eyes