Saturday, August 30, 2008

Oscar Versus Manny Is What It Is


Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have sealed the deal and will face off in what was once seen as an unlikely prizefight.

I was speaking with a colleague at the daily newspaper that I work for the other day. We were sitting in my office that overlooks a city park and a casino while discussing the current sad plight of the newspaper business and what will ultimately become of it all.

But after a while, we decided there wasn't a heck of a lot either of us could do about any of it, and almost simultaneously we both uttered the same words: "It is what it is."

And that's the way I feel about the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao that is going to take place on December 6th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Many in the boxing community have criticized the match-up and they claim that De La Hoya is simply selling out and taking the path of least resistance to add more millions to his already morbidly obese bank account. They perceive the proposed fight to be a mismatch primarily because Pacquiao is a much smaller man who has never officially weighed more than 135 pounds for a fight. On the other hand, they tell you that since Oscar has fought a couple of times as high as 160 pounds, that he will win easily.

I say "Phooey!" to the criticism and so should you. It's like that old saying, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog."

We can all agree that for the better part of this decade that Oscar De La Hoya has been nothing more than a part-time prizefighter. The minutes that he has spent in boxing rings over the past several years have been brief and sporadic. The 'Golden Boy' has not fought more than three times in one year since 1999 and he's lost three of his last six fights. These days, he spends more time in stuffy boardrooms and on sunny golf courses than he does in boxing rings.

And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that.

Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, is the epitome of what it means to be a fighter. I call him the 'Little Filipino Spitfire' and he reminds me of a mad hornet because of the way he zigs and zags and swoops in to sting his opponents. I've been watching this game they call boxing for 30 years and he is one of the special ones. One of the gifted ones.


Pacquiao always manages to draw a big crowd and he's a happy performer that loves to please his many fans.

My favorite fighter, Roberto Duran, has always said that God chooses. 'Hands of Stone' claims that God chooses some to be lawyers, some to be doctors, some to be writers and some to be fighters. Manny Pacquiao, in as much as any fighter I have ever seen, seems to be a chosen one. The man is an absolutely electrifying performer when he puts boxing gloves on his hands - and that's all you need to know.

I don't see the size difference as any issue at all. Both will hit the scales within a few pounds of the other on the afternoon of December 5th and the next night we will see a fighter in Pacquiao that will gladly carry the weight of the entire Philippines into the ring with him - just like he always does. Manny will be Manny. He'll charge forward, throw punches, look to mix it up and throw caution to the wind. He has always reminded me of a helmet-less man on a motorcycle speeding down an open highway at full throttle.

Oscar will be Oscar. Over the years, despite his many supposed re-inventions, myriad of trainers, multiple weight divisions and his mantra; "I'm in the best shape of my life" we always get the same old Oscar. He's always the same guy with an exquisite left hook and no right hand. He usually appears to be stiff and robotic and he fights without imagination. If Manny is the man on the motorcycle - then Oscar is the gentleman behind the wheel of a Buick Regal with one eye on the speed limit and the other on the caution sign.

For those that say this fight shouldn't happen, I say look at the history books. Boxing's past is littered with these 'spectacle' fights of discrepant sizes and weights. Its all part of what makes boxing interesting and fun. It's why Ray Robinson fought Joey Maxim in Yankee Stadium, why Bob Foster dared to trade left hooks with Joe Frazier in Detroit and why Carmen Basilio fought his guts out twice against Gene Fullmer.

They were all smaller men willing to take a shot. It didn't work out, but they gained fans by the busload because they had the guts to take the chance. And Manny Pacquiao is guts personified.


De La Hoya's age began to show in his last fight against Stevie Forbes. Even though he won, he just wasn't the fighter that he once was.

Too many people are focused on De La Hoya in this fight. What it will or won't do for his supposed 'legacy' and the way people will remember him. Let me let you in on a tiny secret my friends. The final chapter of that little fairy tale is already written and what does or does not happen on December 6th will have nothing to do with the way De La Hoya is remembered, just like the way nobody cares that Larry Holmes fought 'Butterbean' in his final match. When I made the check mark beside Holmes' name on the Hall of Fame ballot I could have cared less that Larry won or lost against the 'King of the Four-Rounders' in his final go round. (He won)

What you have to remember is that Oscar appeared well past it when he faced Stevie Forbes back in May. At 35, 'The Golden Boy' is a tarnished version of his younger self and since the feather-fisted Forbes cracked his cheekbone - what will Pacquiao do? The diminutive Forbes and Manny are virtually the same size, and I marveled at the manner in which Forbes, who is no speedster, was able to nail Oscar with flush, clean shots. Logic would dictate that Pacquiao, a southpaw, a man full of fire and spirit, has a wonderful opportunity in front of him.

The story here is all about Manny. The challenge is all his. And if he wins? My, my, my - all the people who criticized this fight will be calling Manny the smartest man in all of boxing. They are already forced to call him the best.

When I think of this fight, of Pacquiao moving up to fight a bigger man and having the guts to take the shot, I think of Henry Armstrong - still the only fighter in boxing history to simultaneously hold world championships in three weight divisions at 126, 135 and 147 pounds. Armstrong routinely fought (and beat) much larger men that greatly outweighed him. If 'Homicide Hank' did that - Pacquiao can do this.

So if you ask me about the fight between Oscar and Manny?

I say, "It is what it is."


August 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

PACQUIAO VS. DE LA HOYA



De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight is set

The biggest bout in years, supposedly called off 10 days ago, will take place in Las Vegas on Dec. 6.

The biggest boxing match in years will, indeed, take place. Oscar De La Hoya has agreed to a Dec. 6 match with rising superstar Manny Pacquiao.

The official announcement, barring last-minute reversals, will be made in a conference call Thursday morning.

The match, the grand finale of 35-year-old De La Hoya’s unprecedented career as the box-office king in a sport that has survived on his back for more than 10 years without a dominant heavyweight, will be held at the MGM Grand Hotel Garden in Las Vegas. The pay-per-view will be available on HBO.

Ten days ago, Richard Schaefer, De La Hoya’s partner in the operation of Golden Boy Promotions, and Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank had announced that negotiations for the much-anticipated fight had broken down and it would not take place. Schaefer and De La Hoya wanted a 70-30% split of receipts, which would include a projected 2-million-plus pay-per-view buys. Arum and Pacquiao had balked and the deal was off.

In the interim, as recently as two days ago, stories had appeared that the front-runner to replace Pacquiao on De La Hoya’s farewell card was promoter Dan Goossen’s Paul Williams, who had a victory over Antonio Margarito. Margarito, who is from Mexico, was the recent surprise winner over Miguel Cotto in a fight that was to set up De La Hoya’s next opponent.

But when Margarito won, that took the Puerto Rican Cotto out of the picture and De La Hoya had said all along that he did not want his farewell fight to be against a fellow Mexican. De La Hoya, of Mexican heritage, was raised in East Los Angeles and won an Olympic gold medal for the United States.

But the Williams talks apparently were mostly wishful thinking, and De La Hoya agreed to drop his percentage of the take in a Pacquiao bout to a two-thirds/one-third arrangement.

They will fight at 147 pounds.

Pacquiao, 29, the most celebrated and recognized athlete in the Philippines, has won titles at five lower weights and is more comfortable around 136-140 pounds. De La Hoya has won multiple titles and is more comfortable around 154.

The largest pay-per-view fight in boxing history was the 2007 match between De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., won by the now-retired Mayweather. That drew 2.4 million buys. De La Hoya previously was involved in the largest non-heavyweight pay-per-view fight when he suffered his first loss, in 1999, against Felix Trinidad.

De La Hoya will take a record of 39-5 with 30 knockouts into the fight. Pacquiao’s record is 47-3-2, with 35 knockouts.

Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/28/sports/sp-boxing28


Microsoft unveils Internet Explorer 8, its response to Firefox



Thu, Aug 28 09:56 AM

San Francisco, Aug 28 (DPA) Microsoft has unveiled a trial version of a new Internet Explorer designed to fight the growing challenge from Firefox.

But the new browser from the giant software company won't have it easy. Developers for the open-sourced Firefox released a trial version of a new application for the Internet, Ubiquity, which makes it easier to access and share information that combines intuitive commands with browser functionality.

Microsoft's new Internet Explorer unveiled Wednesday showed off improved privacy and security features that give users greater control over their browsing history, 'cookies' and other data.

The browser boasts 'InPrivateBrowsing', which allows users to surf the visit being logged in the browser history, and 'InPrivateBlocking' that prevents sites gathering information about their visit.

It also includes a browsing tool called an 'accelerator', which allows users to highlight text on a website and access a variety of functions, including different search engines, language translation or map displays.

Ubiquity offers a similar service but with a much wider range of commands.

Initial reviews found that IE8 also loaded web pages significantly faster than its predecessor, IE7, and that it matched Firefox for speed.

Microsoft is anxious to boost use of its browsers, which have 73 percent of the browser market compared to Firefox's 19 percent share.

Prior to the launch of Firefox four years ago, Internet Explorer had over 90 percent of the market, and Microsoft's fading power on the Internet is a chief strategic concern.

Firefox made its biggest gain in June when more than eight million people downloaded a new version in the first 24 hours of release.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com


Friday, August 22, 2008

David Haye is Hungry, But He's Not Starving


David Haye hopes to one day find his place among the heavyweight greats.

David Haye knows the pain of hunger. For years he starved to squeeze his heavyweight body into a cruiserweight suit that was bursting at the seams. But those days are over for the "Hayemaker" and soon he's going to unveil his new look in a new division for a whole new audience.

"My weight is fine. I haven't specifically bulked up as such," says Haye of his adios to the land of the cruiserweights. "A lot of people think, O.K. David Haye is a cruiserweight, he's gone up to heavyweight. But what they don't realize is that I've always been coming down to cruiserweight. So, I am what I am, I haven't gotten on the scales. The last time I got on the scales I was 16 stone 8 (232 pounds) and that was perfect. I'll probably be less than that for my fight."

Ah, yes, the fight. Well, it hasn't been sorted out exactly who Haye will fight, but as it stands right now it looks as though he'll make his real heavyweight debut on November 15th with his new promoter (Golden Boy Promotions) at the O2 Arena also known as the Millenium Dome in London.

There have been lots of changes for England's Haye. With the move to heavyweight, the move to Golden Boy Promotions from Frank Warren and the move to be recognized as a serious threat to Wladimir Klitschko as well as one more big change - he now gets to eat a lot more.

"I'm just doing the same thing, but I'm doubling or tripling the calorie intake," says Haye who seems to beam at the thought of his dietary possibilities and his full belly. "It's just working fine, I'm not hungry all of the time. I used to be consistently hungry all of the time. I'd go to sleep hungry, wake up hungry and now I feel great."

Haye claims the move to heavyweight should have come a long time ago, but now that it has finally happened the 27 year-old couldn't be happier or more optimistic.

"This is how I should be, this is how my body should be. I'm naturally a big guy, I'm 6'3", I have a big frame and I should be around 16 1/2 stone," explains Haye. "That's my natural weight. If I was overweight I'd be 18 stone (252 pounds). When I had to come down to 14 stone 4 (200 pounds), as you saw on the scales, there was nothing of me when I fought Maccarinelli and even Mormeck."


Haye's most significant battles have come with the scales. But he typically shows up in superb condition and ready for a fight.

And that should be a scary thought for the world's heavyweights when you think that the muscular Haye, who believes that he appeared emaciated at 200 pounds, will now have another 25 or 30 pounds to play with. He was successful in his starved state, so much so that he was able to destroy Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBO title in less than two rounds back in March and before that he dispatched Jean Marc Mormeck for the WBA and WBC title belts in less than five rounds.

"My bodyfat is 12% at the moment. When I fought Maccarinelli it was 7.5% or 8%. I've got a little bit of bodyfat on me but I think you need that," boasts a proud Haye who sports wide, chunky shoulders and round, thick arms. "Come weigh-in time for my next fight I'm going to look pretty much the same as I did for Maccarinelli, but I'll have 2 stone (28 pounds) of extra-solid, lean muscle on me."

Haye, who has been a pro for less than six years and has run his record to 21-1 (20)KO's, feels that the timing for his move to the world of the big men couldn't be more right. Haye is an electric puncher with quick hands and he is of the notion that he brings youth, excitement and the ability to attract attention and money back to what has become a moribund division.

"Every heavyweight in the division wants a payday," says Haye of the division's woes. "That's the one thing they're not getting at the moment is a payday. They know by coming over to London and getting knocked out by me that they're going to get a nice wedge of cash. But it's all about getting the right opponent the fans want to see."

Haye has been called out by everyone from Monte Barrett to James Toney and other fighters that he feels only have dollar signs in their eyes. Barrett, in particular, who is coming off a quick win over Tye Fields, views Haye as a vehicle to get into another tax bracket, as well as contention. But Haye discounts the vocal Barrett.

"Who cares if I fight Monte Barrett?" asks a disdainful Haye. "Who has Monte Barrett ever fought? If he has another win, maybe, and looks good, then he could be in the mix. But at the moment he's just a 38-year old journeyman who had a good win against some 7-foot basketball player."


Haye was ferocious in overwhelming Enzo Maccarinelli in less than two rounds.

Perhaps the most compelling factor that Haye brings to the land of the giants is that he is personable, quick-witted, well-spoken and not afraid to vent his mind. Many of the belt-holders at or near the top of the division are severely lacking in the "flair" department and they fumble with every awkward word of broken English they mutter. Some cannot speak English at all and it's frustrating for U.S. television viewers who can't develop a connection to them. Americans view those heavyweights as nothing more than robotic mutes that are dependent on translators when the bright lights, cameras and microphones are pointed in their direction.

As for the man that most regard as the number one heavyweight in the world, IBF/WBO titlist Wladimir Klitschko, Haye is not impressed, especially with what he saw when Klitschko faced Tony "The Tiger" Thompson last month and knocked out Thompson in the 11th round.

"What I saw was someone who was terrified of engaging in battle," says Haye of the curiously cautious Klitschko. "Someone who didn't want to stand there, hold his feet and go to war. The other guy, Tony 'The Pussycat' Thompson, he didn't impress me. If I fought him I'd have a go. It was the biggest fight of his life. He should have let his hands go a little bit and you never know what could have happened, especially with someone like Klitschko. But he didn't, maybe the crowd intimidated him a little bit."

"Wladimir Klitschko, he got the job done, I'm glad he did that," continues Haye. "He got the knockout and I'm glad it didn't go to points. Hopefully he beats Alexander Povetkin of which I think he will do. I think Wladimir's too experienced and his arms are too long. Povetkin doesn't cover the distance, his footspeed is very slow and I think that will be the difference between them. I think Wladimir will probably win a decision or a similar sort of late stoppage."


Haye is confident, has ability and could rattle the heavyweight division.

So as Haye begins his feast in the heavyweight dining room, he mostly thinks of Wladimir Klitschko and what will happen. In fact, he's already perused the menu and can't wait to take a bite out of the big Klitschko sandwich. He says he knows how to beat Wladimir and that he will stick a fork in him if he gets a chance.

"You need speed, a lot of angles, a lot of movement and that's what I bring in abundance," says Haye who will never be accused of being short on confidence. "I just want to get this fight as soon as possible, that's what I want. I'm in the gym training every day and feeling healthy and feeling good, my diet is great. I just want to get in there, I can't wait to get in there, you know?"

"There is nobody else in the heavyweight division that can bring what I can bring. I'm the undisputed champion in my respective weight category and now I'm moving up. Who else is there? It's wide open. It's me or no one."

David Haye is not starving anymore, but he's still very hungry. And he's licking his lips.


August 2008

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Free MP3 Songs Download


Of my years of using the internet to gather information, learn and share ideas, I found out in search sites statistics that one the most demanded topic in forum, download search, streaming, hacking goes to MP3 music downloads.

Looking for free sites where you can download free mp3 will be a tedious task for a beginners considering sites with free MP3 files will obliged you to register if not donate to their sites to be able to download your fav mp3 files.

In short those files were not free at all considering you have to stay online for quiet sometime searching downloading and saving whatever you find mp3 files.


But for those who love sounds of the 80`s , slow rock music, love songs and many more, i wanna share the link below...

This one you can find once in a lifetime site to enjoy.


RAMILCVALIENTE FREE MP3 FILES


Hope you enjoy downloading and if you start today and 2 songs a day it will take you 3 years of free mp3 song downloads..hahaha.

Just click the song and save it...

Godbless..


Saturday, August 16, 2008

Lighter Side of Politics: SENADOR

This email keep circulating in the internet so i decided to post it..Some interesting facts that will keep u saying OMG...Why senatorial candidates dance and sing during election? Aside from sole purpose of serving the people,may be the facts below gave more weight...

ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR!

Miriam Defensor Santiago was featured in Correspondents last week.

Maganda rin naman ang naidudulot ng pagiging prangka ni Senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Ayon kay Santiago , marami ang tumatak-bong Senador dahil sa laki ng budget na ibinibigay sa kanila kada buwan.

Lumalabas na P35,000 suweldo nila kada buwan ay pakitang-tao lang sa milyun-milyong budget ng bawat senador. Kada buwan ay may Fixed Monthly Budget ang bawat Senador ng humigit-kumulang P2 Milyon.

Sa opisina pa lang nila ay humigit-kumulang P500,000 ang budget nila sa Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental, Utilities, Supplies at Domestic Travels) at P500,000 para sa Staff at Personal expenses. Kaya para makatipid ang ibang Senador, kaunti lang ang staff na kinukuha nila. Nagtataka ka pa kung bakit mayroong mga Ghost Employee?

Bukod diyan, may P760,000 allowance pa sila kada buwan para naman sa Foreign Travel. At ang masakit pa nito, hindi na kailngan i-liquidate ang mga resibo ng mga gastusin 'yan kundi Certification lang ang Requirement.

Heto pa, lahat sila ay Chairman ng mg Komite sa Senado. Ang Committee Chairman ay tumatanggap din ng budget na sinlaki ng tinatanggap ng mga Senador na humigit-kumulang P1 Milyon din! Hindi sila mawawalan ng Komite dahil 24 lang ang ating mga Senador at 37 naman ang Committee sa Senado. There's food for everybody 'ika nga! Lumalabas na doble ang kanilang benepesiyo at kita kapag sila ay nabiyayaan ng Committee Chairmanship.

Sa P200 milyon na Budget para sa Pork Barrel ng mga Senador bawat taon, awtomatikong may 10% na S.O.P. o kita ng Senador na P20 milyon. Ito ang porsiyento na ibinibigay ng mga kontratista sa mga Senador na nagbibigay sa kanila ng mga Infrastructure at Livelihood Project.

Bago matapos ang termino ng isang Senador, kumita na siya ng P100 milyon sa Pork Barrel pa lang. Yung ibang Senador mas gahaman, hindi lang 10% kundi 20 - 30% ang komisyon hinihingi sa mga kontratista.

Pansinin niyo na lang ang pagbabago ng buhay ng ilan sa ating mga Senador simula nang manungkulan sa puwesto. Kung dati ay simple lang ang kanilang pamumuhay ngayon ay nakatira na sila sa mga eksklusibong subdivision, maraming bahay sa Pilipinas at abroad at mahigit lima ang sasakyan.

Ngayon nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit gumagastos ng daan-daang milyong piso ang mga Senador sa kampanya para sa isang posisyon na P35,000 lang ang suweldo kada buwan? Bawing-bawi pala ang gastos kapag naupo na!

ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR! !



So please vote wisely this coming 2010 election...

Friday, August 15, 2008

Joe Calzaghe Has Done 'It' All


Serious training will begin first thing Monday morning in the ramshackle Newbridge, Wales gym where raindrops drip through holes in the tin roof.

Joe Calzaghe can afford better, but he likes it there.

And besides, it might be the the final time that Joe Calzaghe goes into heavy training inside the crooked walls of the only gym he has ever known and with the only trainer he has ever had - his father Enzo.

On November 8th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Calzaghe will take on Roy Jones, Jr. in a fight that 'The Pride of Wales" says might be the last time he will ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves and hit another man for money.

"Well, at the moment, I'm definitely going to retire," said Calzaghe on Thursday from Cardiff, Wales. "As long as I win the fight and as long as I win the fight in a style I like, it will be my last fight."

Calzaghe is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer and he has been stellar in an undefeated professional career that has seen him as a world titlist for eleven straight years while running his record to 45-0 (32)KO.

It came as somewhat of a surprise then, when he cavalierly proclaimed that Roy Jones, Jr. will be his last fight, especially in light of the fact that several big fights are looming on the horizon should he make it by Jones. But Calzaghe explained, that as far as boxing is concerned, there are no more mountains left for him to climb.

"I believe I've achieved everything in boxing. I'm 36 years old now," said the still youthful Calzaghe. "I don't want to keep fighting. I've got other things in life. I've got two beautiful kids and as you get older, other things become more important."

Certainly there is sons Joseph, Jr. and Conner that Calzaghe can spend his time doting on. Then there is his beautiful Playboy-like, girlfriend Jo-Emma Larvin, who Calzaghe credits with helping him keep his head on straight after his messy 2005 divorce. Besides, Calzaghe still lives where has always lived and despite his enormous wealth and fame he is a man of the people who will be content when it comes time to leave the fighting to others.


Calzaghe was in a celebratory mood after he bested Hopkins in Las Vegas. He is pictured here with sons (from left) Joe, Jr. and Conner as well as girlfriend Jo-Emma.

"I love boxing, I love what the sport has given me, but at the end of the day I want to retire undefeated," says Calzaghe of his final boxing goal. "You know, Rocky Marciano, only a few fighters have done that. That's more important to me than anything. There's not much more to prove."

Aside from going out unbeaten, there is one more little thing that Calzaghe is looking forward to proving. After having conquered Europe, he now wants to conquer America. Calzaghe wants to see his name in lights on the the most storied marquees in the most famous cities and venues that the sport of boxing has to offer.

"Madison Square Garden is like the Mecca of boxing. All of the great names have boxed there," says Calzaghe about the thought of fighting Jones inside what is known as 'The World's Most Famous Arena'.

"The one thing I'm missing from my career, really, is a fight in New York at Madison Square Garden," he declares. "Obviously I've done the Millennium Stadium, it's great to fight in front of your home fans, Mikkel Kessler, you know 50,000. Then obviously Las Vegas, you know I've done the Vegas thing. Now a great way to finish off is the fight in Madison Square Garden against Roy Jones, who I think is one of the greatest fighters of the last 25 years. So many big names have boxed there, you know - Ali, Frazier. So many lists. What a fairy tale way to finish off."

Listening to all of the talk about retirement was, of course, Joe's father Enzo who has trained his son since he first walked into a boxing gym. The wiry and fiery Enzo has never seen a camera or a microphone that he didn't like and he looks like a cross between comedian George Carlin and Zorro. Enzo wears a pencil thin moustache and he doesn't necessarily think that his son has to (or needs to) retire after facing Jones in November.


While enjoying a bottle of Heineken, Enzo Calzaghe gets close to fellow country woman, actress Catherine Zeta Jones.

"He should retire - IF - according to the last fight he didn't perform the way he can perform," says Enzo, who always speaks with a delivery that is emphatic and convincing.

"So, first it doesn't matter if it's Joe Calzaghe or anybody else," Enzo continues. "If they performed bad in their last fight they've got to analyze and say, 'Should I carry on?' It's not a game. So let's look at it this way here: If Joe performs the way he has always performed, I cannot see him retiring. It's about the level of the last fight that makes him decide whether he should quit or not."

Many within the boxing industry were disappointed that Calzaghe opted to pursue a bout with the faded Jones, who is several years removed from his best days. Many fans thirsted for a fight with world middleweight champion and fellow undefeated sensation Kelly Pavlik from Youngstown, Ohio.

But Calzaghe did not apologize on Thursday for what was ultimately his decision to face Jones.

"He's a tremendous fighter, all he's achieved" said Calzaghe in defense of Jones.

"He's a four-weight world champion, done what's never been done, incredible. But obviously he had a couple of defeats against Tarver and against Glen Johnson. He was wrote off, but as all great fighters do, he's come back and he's surprised a lot of people including myself. I cannot underestimate him. I have to make sure that I'm one hundred percent at my best because I'd never forgive myself if I go in there and lose my last fight after being undefeated for 17 years."


Calzaghe and Sylvester Stallone a.k.a. 'Rocky Balboa' ham it up for the camera.

As the end nears, it's useful to look back on Joe Calzaghe's career and peruse his record. It is astounding the names he has beaten and the titles and title defenses he has accumulated. While Calzaghe fought for the majority of his career away from the lens of the magnifying glass that is U.S. boxing coverage - his accomplishments will withstand the test of all-time.

"Eleven years as world champion, I've unified the titles, all the belts. I've become The Ring Champion at Super Middle and Light Heavyweight and made all of the goals I want to achieve in boxing," says a proud Calzaghe. "This is it."

And for Joe Calzaghe, if this really is "it" - what an 'it' it has been.


August 2008

Monday, August 11, 2008

Can the Brett Favre of Boxing Keep from Getting Sacked?

Bernard Hopkins, all 43 years of him, was his usual eloquent self the other day when he was on center stage yet again to begin the sales job for his Atlantic City fight on October 18th against Kelly Pavlik, the youthful world middleweight champion.

While talking up his skills and ring prowess, Hopkins also made sure to downplay the fact that he is closer to 50 than he is 30. The age difference between Hopkins and Pavlik is 17 years, but it may as well be a lifetime.

Pavlik is 26, and he was one month into the first grade when Hopkins fought his first professional fight. That was after Hopkins spent almost six years locked behind the tall walls of Graterford State Penitentiary as prisoner number Y4145.

Last week, Hopkins admitted that he needs to rely on Advil to help ease the pain of his creaking joints and achy muscles, but the specter of facing a man 17 years his junior doesn't seem to concern him much. Hopkins was in a giddy mood and he was too busy thinking about himself in grid-iron terms to worry about the young upstart.

Hopkins didn't compare himself to former fighters like Jack Johnson, Archie Moore or George Foreman who were practitioners of the sweet science well into their forties. No, Bernard Hopkins compared himself to former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who ended his short-lived retirement from the NFL and will suit up for the New York Jets this fall.

"I'm pretty sure that Brett Favre's family is worrying about him, going back out there at forty-something. But you know, we are iron men, said Hopkins in comparing himself to Favre, who is actually 38. "I mention football and I mention boxing because it's all physical contact sports, mentally and physically, we get banged up," he said.

"But he's got 11, 10-15 people, 10, 8, 9 people jumpin' on him and I got one guy I got to deal with. I'd rather deal with that one guy in the ring than be on the football field dealing with 10 or 9 people jumping on me if they sack me, said an animated Hopkins. "But like I said, we're iron men. The ones that can do it is the ones that invested in themselves early in their life."

And Hopkins has made quite an investment in his boxing career and he's been at it for the better part of 20 years. However, in the dark corners of the sport, there are those that are beginning to whisper that "The Executioner" should hang up his axe and retire to his newly bought palatial Delaware estate.


Kelly Pavlik (left) and Hopkins will meet on October 18th at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

They say that Hopkins should live the life of a quiet gentlemen. They say that he should be content with the fact that he is a first ballot hall of famer, that he has millions stashed away in various banks as well as a wife and daughter that love him. They also think he should keep the promise that he kept to his deceased mother, Shirley, to retire before his 41st birthday.

Last week, Freddie Roach, who co-trained Hopkins in recent fights, said that he wouldn't work with him for the Pavlik fight because he was concerned for Hopkins' health and said that he saw red lights in the Calzaghe fight that told him it's time for Hopkins to stop.

But Hopkins dismissed the critics as easily as he racked up a record 20 middleweight title defenses. "I'm 43 years old and still boxing, but not getting beat up," said a defiant Hopkins who lost a close decision to Joe Calzaghe in his last fight.

Hopkins is a masterful salesman and he's trying to convince himself and the public that despite what the calendar says he still has some life in his old bones.

"Boxing has always been, in some cases, easy for me," says the sharp-tongued and clear-eyed former middleweight champion. "A lot of people worry about my health - my family, my wife - but I don't get hit. First, my health is fine, I'm in great shape," he explained.

"Name a fight where Bernard Hopkins got his ass whooped, cut, beat-up. Where somebody said, 'Why is he doin' this?' That hasn't happened to me in my 20 years. Somehow people forget that and they don't even want to talk about that. And it's not braggin', I only mention it when I hear stuff like, 'I'm worried about his health. I'm worryin' about this and I'm worryin' about that.'

"What have people seen in Bernard Hopkins in my last five fights that give any signs that I'm takin' too much punishment? What they sayin' is that I'm not keepin' up with the young guys and I'm sayin' I'm 43!"


Hopkins was able to deck Joe Calzaghe in the first round but it wasn't quite enough for him to get the nod on the scorecards of the Las Vegas judges.

And certainly that is the case. In his last fight against Calzaghe, Hopkins lost a razor thin decision and many in the traveling circus known as the boxing press corps actually tabbed Hopkins as the winner. Many fans also thought that Hopkins did enough to earn a win and it didn't hurt that Hopkins was even able to deck Calzaghe in the first round of the fight with a sneaky right hand.

"If the burden is on me to fight like a young man even though I'm getting pounded (by the media) that I'm 43, then what is the burden on a young guy that is 26 that can't take the old man out?" asked an exasperated Hopkins.

"You can't have your cake and eat it, too! But I'm glad that I'm intelligent," said the aging pugilist. "And I'm glad that I have the foresight to understand the agenda is to make me feel like I'm old and give me that subliminal message so you get to questioning yourself, 'Am I old?' When you do that you become what? Old! You become mentally old and if you become mentally old which controls everything we do - you're already lost."

Many people in boxing who don't know what they're looking at view a Pavlik vs. Hopkins match-up as an easy one for the young middleweight champion from Youngstown, Ohio who possesses an unbeaten record of 34-0 (30)KO. But Hopkins, while he has definitely lost a step, is still cagey, still crafty and still dangerous. The fight will be waged at a catch-weight of 170 pounds which suits Hopkins just fine. Pavlik, on the other hand, when he fought in an over-the-weight bout against Jermain Taylor, was not as finely tuned as he is when he weighs 160, and his performance suffered.

Hopkins will be the most experienced foe that Pavlik has ever fought. Hopkins uses all of his years of collective wisdom and breaks down opponents in the ring like an old professor breaks down math problems in the classroom. Hopkins is systematic and methodical and he has the patience to wait for the chances he wants to take. Bernard is going to present Pavlik with a look that the youngster has never seen before and it is doubtful whether Pavlik will be able to stalk Hopkins and punch freely.


Hopkins is flanked here by Shane Mosley (left) and the great 'Hands of Stone' himself - the incomparable Roberto Duran.

Pavlik knows what he is up against, but his comments seem to suggest that he feels that his youth will be the great equalizer. "I think it's a great fight, he's a future hall of famer," says Pavlik. "He's going to be a legend, he's still crafty, he's still dangerous. But I just think with my work rate and my hunger that I'll win."

Hopkins knows that the time is short for him, but he also knows that this is a fight that he can win. As Hopkins will tell you, he has never been beaten up and he is not so far gone that a win over Pavlik is out of the question. And win or lose, it seems Hopkins might be around for one more opponent, a man he lost to way back in 1993.

"Father Time is around the corner, but I just ask him and plead with him, to give me two more years," said a comical Hopkins. "Give me two more years, at least maybe 'til I can track Roy Jones down. But by then, you know what I mean, they'll be takin' both of us in there with a walker!"

But that's only provided Hopkins, the Brett Favre of boxing, can evade the pass-rush of Kelly Pavlik on October 18th.


August 2008

Saturday, August 2, 2008

The X -Files I Want to Believe

Warrning:This is a movie spoiler. Watching this movie recommended.

The movie starts in West Virginia with a lady (an FBI agent) parking her car into an outdoor garage in a snow encompassed landscape. It then cuts to a man leading a team of FBI agents looking for something into the snow. Here we meet Agent Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet) and Agent Mosley Drummy (Xzibit). The scenes switch back and forth. The FBI lady's dogs are barking in her house while she is parking her car and she is attacked by two men but she scars one of the men with a garden tool before being kidnapped. Cut back to the man leading the FBI agents through the snow as he eventually stops and says it's here. The agents find a severed arm in the snow with scratch marks that match the garden tool that was used.

Cut to Dana Scully speaking before a group of doctors at a Catholic hospital about a boy that has a rare condition. She speaks with another doctor over a video conference and clearly is smarter then her as Scully already has all the answers. As she leaves, Drummy speaks with Scully and tells her that the FBI needs to get a hold of Fox Mulder. She tells them that she does not know where he is and no longer works with him. He only asks that she tries.

Scully drives up to a remote house and walks into a private office where Mulder is seen clipping a news article and posting it on to a wall. She tells him that the FBI needs his help and he starts to do the Mulder ramble. After some talking we see Mulder has grown a beard and tells her that he does not want to help since he is a wanted man by the FBI. Scully tells him they are going to overlook the past. He says no and Scully closes the door. He sees a picture of his sister on the door and decides to help on one condition, they fly in a helicopter to DC.

Scully and Mulder show up at the FBI offices where they meet Drummy and Whitney and are briefed about the case. Drummy wants nothing to do with the paranormal, but Whitney believes in it and in Mulder.

They then go to the house of where the man that lead the FBI earlier lives. The man is Father Joe (Billy Connolly) and he called the FBI and told them he had vision of a women. Turns out, Father Joe lives in a dormitory area for convicted pedophiles. He molested 37 alter boys. Scully has some words with Father Joe because of her religious beliefs. Father Joe leads them to the crime scene but Drummy accidently turns into the wrong driveway. Father Joe feels something and goes to the correct crime scene. They don't find anything there. Drummy feels he is wasting their time. Father Joe walks around the area and stops and says this is where she was taken from. He falls to his knees and starts to cry tears of blood.

Back at the hospital, Father Ybarra who is in charge, talks to Scully about transferring the boy (from Scully's earlier lecture) to a hospice where he can die in peace since they only want to help the curable. Mulder finds Scully and tells her about the tears of blood. Scully does not believe Father Joe. Mulder ask Scully for her help some more.

We then see Scully lying in bed deeply thinking and Mulder is lying next to her. She believes that she can help the sick boy and Mulder refers to their son William. Scully mentions that the severed arm had traces of an animal tranquilizer.

We then see a women swimming in a public pool and a man in the pool with her. She leaves the pool and he is sitting in his snow plowing truck already. He pulls away and she gets into her car. She catches up to him later on the snowy road. He crashes into her side and she veers off the road and crashes into something and is knocked out. She is then kidnapped.

Scully and Mulder and the rest of the FBI are looking in the snow again because Father Joe had another vision. Father Joe mentions dirty glass. Drummy wants to finish searching because it is late and resources are depleted. Mulder believes in Father Joe and continues to search. Father Joe walks some more and then stops and tells them that it is here. They find a head frozen in the snow. Father Joe tells Scully to not give up.

Mulder is back at Quantico and finds out that inside of the ice were a dozen body parts all cut up and that they must have found were the serial killer was dumping the body parts. Scully urges Mulder to give up and let the FBI handle the case now. Mulder does not want to stop and we see there is turmoil in their relationship. Scully is faced with her own battles with the sick boy at the hospital and Mulder feeling an urge to keep going on.

Back in the hospital Father Ybarra has decided to move the sick boy to another facility. Scully disagrees and tells the panel that there is a cure using stem cells. They move forward with the operation and Scully is seen in her office printing searches of stem cell research off of Google.

The FBI find the car that was crashed off the road and Father Joe tells them that he doesn't feel anything. Just as they are about to leave Mulder sees a medical bracelet in the snow and remembers seeing a picture of the missing agent with the same type of medical ID bracelet. They look in the car and find a bathing suit. They then go to the local pool and find out that the missing girl and the missing agent both swam there.

Mulder tells Scully they are close now but Scully does not want to hear about it anymore and that she cannot go down that dark place anymore. The FBI have figured out that the man was targeting people on their rare blood type, AB-.

Scully stops at Father Joe's place and demands to know why he told her to not give up. They argue about religion and he quotes scripture, Proverbs 25:2 (It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter). Father Joe then goes into convulsions.

We then see an operating room where a liver is being taken out. The kidnapper is there to pick the organ but is stopped by the Richmond PD. He is questioned but gets released.

We then cut between scenes of Scully operating on the sick boy, and the girl that was kidnapped in some type of cage in some building somewhere. She tries to escape but gets attacked by dogs.

Cut back to the FBI serving a warrant to the organ transplant company. Just as they are searching, the kidnapper shows up but runs away. Whitney and Mulder chase him after he drops his organ transplant bag. He runs into a construction site and they lose him. Whitney says she saw him but it is too late, he pushes her off the ledge and she falls to her death. Drummy opens the bag and sees the head of the missing FBI agent.

Back at the hospital we see Father Joe recovering, Scully tells Mulder that he is a very sick man and is dying of lung cancer. The FBI have suspects, the man that kidnapped the girls and his boss who owns the organ transplant company. Father Joe does not recognize them until Scully mentions you know him from when he was a boy. Turns out the boss was one of the 37 alter boys that he molested. Mulder needs to test Father Joe and ask if he thinks that the FBI agent is still alive, he says yes.

Mulder needs to continue and find the other girl. He believes that she is still alive while Scully is confronted with the parents of the sick boy. They say they don't want to continue with the stem cell treatments. The mother tells her you don't know what it's like to be a mother. She convinces them to continue the treatments.

Mulder then goes into Nutter's Feed and ask for the animal tranquilizer. The man tells him that you need a prescription. Mulder then notices the snow plow truck pull up and hides. The Russian kidnapper needs more drugs. Mulder decides to follow him. Scully notices something while doing her stem cell research. Russians were able to detach the heads of dogs and attach them onto other dogs to keep them alive for weeks. Mulder is run off the road and over a cliff by the truck. Scully tries to get a hold of Mulder but cannot, she calls Drummy but he is of no help and tells her she will find someone that has more balls.

The kidnapper's truck breaks down and he continues to walk the rest of the way. We then see them operating on the boss. He has scars on his face from the garden tool that the FBI agent used on him. He also has the arm of a female attached to him to replace the one that the FBI found in the beginning of the movie. They prepare the kidnapped girl for surgery. The Russian doctors want to take his head off and put it on the girl's body to keep him alive.

Mulder crawls out of his car and walks to the abandoned snow plow and finds a hammer. Tow trucks find Scully's car and pull it up. The police tell Scully you must know someone high up, enter AD Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi).

Mulder finds the complex where the surgery is being conducted. He is attacked by a two headed dog but kills the dog. The kidnapper looks for him but Mulder find his way into the building. We see the head fully detached and even for a moment fully aware of what's going on. Mulder is tranquilized and dragged outside.

Scully and Skinner are driving around looking for Mulder, they pass some mailboxes and Scully tells Skinner to stop. She sees a mailbox 25 2 (the biblical verse). She looks through its contents and sees an invoice from a medical company. They get silent and hear dogs.

Just as Mulder is about to get hacked into body parts, Scully knocks the kidnapper out. Skinner goes inside and locks all the doctors up. Scully saves the girl and Mulder and Skinner have a moment.

Mulder is then back in his office clipping the newspaper article. It says that Father Joe was an accomplice. Mulder does not want to believe that. He says that he will clear his name by finding out the time that he died and that it should match the same time that the boss died. Mulder asks what Father Joe told Scully and she tells him. She then has a hard time deciding if continuing the treatment is right or not and tells him that she wants to leave and go somewhere else after this. Mulder and Scully kiss and she finishes her operation on the sick boy.

The credits roll and after the credits we see Mulder and Scully on a row boat in the middle of paradise.


Friday, August 1, 2008

Joshua Clottey Just Wants You to Trust Him


Ghana's Joshua Clottey gets his hands taped before a recent fight. He's facing Zab Judah for the IBF welterweight title on Saturday night at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joshua Clottey just wants you to listen to him for a second. And he just wants you to trust him.

He looks at you with darting, expressive eyes and he has the the type of animated personality that helps him make his point with quick hand gestures and jerky, flailing arms. He opens his eyes wide, which causes his brow to furrow, and he gets his face within a few inches of yours as he tries to convince you that he really is a very good fighter and that he is perfectly capable of beating Zab Judah on Saturday night when the two meet in the ring at the Palms Resort Casino in Las Vegas.

Oh sure, he talks too, and even though his English is pretty good, his thick African accent along with his rat-a-tat delivery sometimes causes a few words to be lost in translation.

But there is no mistaking his message.

Joshua Clottey is convinced he's going to beat Zab Judah and he wants you to be convinced, too.

"It's going to be a very good fight, a very attractive fight, because I always like to make the crowd happy," says a smiling Clottey. "This fight will not last twelve rounds, Zab cannot go twelve rounds with me. Trust me."

And maybe Joshua Clottey is right. He's done enough with his fists in his boxing career to convince the Vegas odds-makers that he's going to beat Judah and take the currently vacant IBF welterweight title back to his home in the Bronx and then onto his home country of Ghana where he was born 31 years ago.

Clottey gave newly minted WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito a pretty good scare in 2006 before breaking his left hand in the fourth round and damaging his right a few rounds later. Clottey would eventually lose a unanimous decision but he opened a lot of people's eyes with his impressive showing. Before injuring his hands he looked like a sure winner against Margarito who burst onto everyone's pound-for-pound lists this week with last Saturday's dominant victory over Miguel Cotto.



"The other guys, they don't want to fight me," says Clottey of the top fighters who have smartly sidestepped him in the recent past. "If they give me the chance, I have a lot of talent. If they give me the chance, I will do it. They gave me the chance with Margarito. They didn't expect me to do whatever I did. If not for the injured hand I would have beat him."

While many of the people who will show up at the Palms on Saturday night will have heard of Zab Judah they may not be so familiar with Clottey.

Zab, of course, has been in the ring with the "Who's Who" of the boxing game and counts the biggest names of the hip hop community, namely Jay-Z and Diddy, as close friends.

Even though he is only 30-years-old, Zab has been a professional prizefighter since 1996 and has fought everyone from Micky Ward to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to Kostya Tszyu to Miguel Cotto. While Zab has had more misses than hits against the very best competition, he always makes for interesting nights.

But whereas Zab is often erratic and unpredictable, Clottey is steady and regimented. He has run his record to 34-2 (20)KO, is the #1 contender in the IBF, and he doesn't like the fact that Judah has recently taken shots at what he has been able to accomplish over the past 13 years.

"I have been a professional since 1995 and I have been all over the world fighting," proclaims the intensely proud Clottey, who began his career in Africa before moving onto England and eventually the United States.

"Cotto knocked him out," says Clottey, firing a shot back at Judah. "I beat Baldomir in England (Clottey lost by a very controversial disqualification in the 11th round) and Baldomir beat him. Mayweather beat him. With Zab, I have to beat Zab and I will beat Zab."


Clottey (left) outboxed the previously undefeated Shamone Alvarez to move into position for a shot at the title.

Clottey has a style best described as a "grinder" where he constantly applies pressure, moves forward behind a high defense and picks his shots very well. He has respectable punching power, likes to dig to the body, and possesses a chin that has kept him from ever being knocked out. He's solid and strong and has a body that looks as though it was carved from a stump of petrified mahogany.

Judah, on the other hand, has often been described as a front-runner. He has often displayed fantastic skills and has shown wonderful bursts of speed, power and deft movement blended with stunning quickness. He was wonderful early against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and even showed greater speed and quickness than Floyd.

But as is more often the case, once a fight begins to meander its way into the middle rounds, Judah begins to slowly unravel and lose focus and it has cost him. However, in the one fight that he was able to put all of the pieces together, Zab painted an absolutely exquisite masterpiece against Cory Spinks in St. Louis. On that winter night in 2005, Judah was a sophisticated virtuoso who was as good as he has ever been - before or since.

Clottey knows that version of Judah well and he also knows another version of "Super" Judah. The two men have had minor confrontations in and around New York City over the years since Judah hails from Brooklyn and Clottey now lives in the Bronx.

According to Clottey, Judah once challenged him to a street fight and also shoved his trainer at Gleason's Gym, which caused Clottey to discontinue training there. But despite those episodes, Clottey holds no grudges and he is not threatened in the least by Zab.

"So, whatever," says Clottey of Judah as he rolls his eyes. "He's fast, his speed the first few rounds? I don't care. I want him to show me that, because I have speed, too. I'm ready for everything. I know how to fight rough. If he hits me on the back, I'll hit him on the back. I'm not waiting for the referee to tell me no. I will hit him, trust me."


Judah(left) and Clottey had another chance to size each other up last weekend at a press conference inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Judah has a reputation as a roughhouser and a trouble maker in the ring as well as a trash-talker outside of it, but Clottey says he is ready for that type of fight if things go in that direction.

"I respect every opponent," he says. "If he shows me respect, I will show him respect. But when we get in that ring, if he tries to be rough, I'll be rough. I'm from where we fight on the streets. I'm ready for this fight and I'm ready to be a champion."

Clottey is a physical fighter who makes opponents work every second that they are in the ring with him. He has muscles on top of muscles and for some fights, even though he made the welterweight limit of 147-pounds for the official weigh-in, he has ballooned up in weight over 20 pounds by the time the bell for round one rings the next night. Clottey will likely have a significant size advantage on Judah who is a smallish welterweight.

It also seems that Clottey has thought about everything in this fight and a lot of that thought has been spent on what strategy he will employ.

"I'll beat him. We're gonna' fight a close fight. Nobody is gonna' run," explains Clottey - the visionary. "We're going to stand in one place. If he moves, I'll move. If he runs, I'll run after him. So we're going to fight close. I'm not going to let him go. I'm going to get close to him in the first round. You know, people keep saying that he is very fast for the first few rounds. If he is going to start fast that is going to be his problem. I'm in condition and I will get to him. He has to run around all day. What's going to happen in the ring is that I'm going to bring a very, very fast pace. Everyone is going to be surprised. I'm going to out-speed him, trust me. I am not going to get tired."

When Judah was asked what he thought of Clottey, he was dismissive and he obviously doesn't see the same skill set that others do which have made the Ghanaian a 5 to 2 betting favorite. Judah sees himself as the Lamborghini in a drag race against a Ford Pinto.


Zab has always been partial to flashy cars with all of the shiny accessories.

"He's a steady fighter, you know what I mean? says the fast talking Zab whose words struggle to keep up with his mind.

"If you watch some of the great fighters, all of the great fighters had gears. It's like a racing car, no car runs on just one gear. When you run in one gear, you're gonna' burn out the clutch, you know what I mean? A fighter such as Zab Judah, I can start fast, you know what I'm sayin'? I can end up fast. In this fight I'm going to start and keep it up in the same pace. It's going to be great. I'm going to change a lot in this fight. There's going to be fast pace, slow pace, defense, slippin', movin', combinations. You are guaranteed to see a Zab Judah of the young again."

What is certain is that for Clottey, everything he has accomplished and everything he has fought for thus far is riding on Saturday night's outcome. If he wins he likely goes straight to a lucrative rematch with Antonio Margarito in the fall, or at least that's what promoter Bob Arum has alluded to. And Arum should know, as he promotes both men.

But if Clottey loses, it's straight back to Palookaville and fighting for small money in front of small crowds. His chance at the big time will have passed by quicker than a southbound subway car in the Bronx.

"I really want to fight him bad," says Clottey in anticipation of Saturday night as he rubs his hands together and smiles at the thought of what a victory will mean to him.

"I want to prove to everybody, the point that I want to be a champion. I have to be a champion. If Zab beats me, he can beat Cotto. He can beat Margarito. Whatever training Zab does, if he beats me, he'll have to train all of the time like that to beat all of those guys. But he will never beat me."

Joshua Clottey just wants you to trust him on that one.


August 2008