Boxing News and Tidbits

[jmt225]

Okay, so here's a thread for random boxing news that doesn't warrant its own thread, and also results to smaller cards out there that you may want to share your opinion on, but it's not a big enough show or fight for you to feel like creating a thread on it.

Anyway, I'll start off by talking about a Heavyweight fight that took place between Audley Harrison and Michael Sprott Friday night.

Audley Harrison is a guy trying to climb his way up the Heavyweight ladder, while Michael Sprott is your typical journeyman of the sport, the type of guy you feed up-and-comers to.

Well, Harrison's climb looked like it was about to come to a halt Friday night. He injured his shoulder early on in the fight, which of course kept him from going full throttle throughout the rest of the fight. Because of this, the Brit Harrison was behind on scorecards going into the 12th and final round, but as fate would have it... it didn't matter if he was behind or not, because Harrison landed an absolutely DEVASTATING counter left hook that knocked Sprott out cold. No joke, it was one of the most brutal knockouts I've ever seen in a boxing fight. Check it out below:

[YOUTUBE]oW-F-D_dGYs[/YOUTUBE]

Didn't I tell you? Sheesh..

But yeah, please feel free to share random boxing news, thoughts, results, highlights like the one above, whatever, in this thread. Thank you.

 

[jmt225]

Lol... Wladimir Klitschko calls out David Haye:

In a video message posted online and released to the media, Wladimir said:

“I want to send this message to boxing fans and directly to David Haye. David, you’ve bitched out on fighting both Klitschko brothers twice already and now is the time to make it happen.

“On behalf of the boxing fans around the world, I am officially calling you out to fight me. You can’t run away from me forever and you need to follow through with this fight to get respect. I’m ready. What are you waiting for?”

Vitali himself had this to say:

"The main obstacle for this match for me is [my brother] Wladimir … we can't make up our minds as to who will be boxing with Haye"

And this:

Vladimir Klitschko believes it is time for him and his brother Vitali to unite the world heavyweight titles under one name.

Vladimir holds the WBO, IBF and IBO belts, Vitali is the WBC champion and Britain's David Haye has his grip on the WBA title.

"It is now time to unite all belts under one name -- the Klitschko name," Vladimir told Reuters by telephone from Los Angeles."

The two brothers will not fight each other, which means a possible showdown with Haye this year is a major attraction for broadcasters.

"It is definitely going to be a big deal for television," said the Ukrainian. "It is going to be an historic event when all the belts will have one name."

"I am the world champion and I will prove it. Haye is good and he will challenge me but this time you will not see defensive boxing as in my last few fights. I will be more aggressive."

Vladimir, 34, said he was prepared to meet the Briton this year and it was Haye's decision whether the fight took place.

"It is up to Haye. I have never been so aggressive in wanting an opponent but this is personal," said Vladimir.

And here's Haye's response to all this:

David Haye has revealed talks with the Klitschko brothers are due to take place later this week.

Haye has been calling out Wladmir or Vitali for some time, and last year got close to taking on both before injury and then contract negotiations scuppered fights.

But Wladimir turned up the heat on Monday by issuing a come-and-get-me plea via an online video message, with a showdown between the pair looking increasingly likely.

And Haye's trainer and manager Adam Booth responded by telling Sky Sports News that a fight is likely to be made.

Haye, unlike last year, now has the WBA belt as a bargaining tool and a megafight in one of the big football stadiums will be discussed when the teams get together on Thursday.

"Adam said something yesterday (in response to Wladimir) and after a meeting on Thursday I will know more," he said.

And more:

David Haye has held talks to defend his world heavyweight title in an £80million dust-up in the desert.

He wants to put his WBA belt on the line in Abu Dhabi in a unification battle against Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko.

Haye, 29, who battered John Ruiz in his first title defence on Saturday, said: 'It's something we have talked about.

'There's not been a big title fight in the Middle East. Look at the Rumble in the Jungle. No one had ever heard of Zaire until then. After Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman, no one forgets it.'

So, as you see.... it's all a big mess at this point, with nothing but a bunch of trash talk (and you can tell Haye has really gotten under Wladimir's skin, because usually both Klitschkos are complete class acts, with nothing but humbleness when talking about a potential opponent). Hopefully Haye vs. a Klitchsko gets set-up soon, preferably against Wladimir since Haye stands way more of a chance against him than he does Vitali (don't get me wrong here; if Wladimir and Haye did end up fighting, my money would be on Wladimir without a doubt, but the fact of the matter is... if Haye stands ANY chance at all to defeat either one of these two, it's against Wladimir, not his much, in my opinion, superior brother Vitali), since then we could get the big super fight between Vitali and Haye.

But yeah... entertaining stuff, and like I said in the David Haye thread last week, it's all making the Heavyweight boxing scene relevant again, which is a great, great thing for the sport.

Lastly, to end this post, take a look at this picture. I haven't seen it until today, but it's David Haye wearing a t-shirt of him holding the severed heads of the Klitschko brothers:

Man, I can't wait to see Haye eventually get his ass kicked against one of these guys.

 

[jmt225]

It looks like it's time to say goodbye to a familiar name in the Boxing World:

FORMER heavyweight champion John Ruiz is hanging up his gloves after an 18-year career.

The American — who lost to David Haye earlier this month — bows out with a pro record of 44 wins, nine losses, one draw and one no contest.

Ruiz, 38, said: "I've had a great career but it's time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter of my life."

His final defeat came in a ninth-round stoppage in Manchester as Haye defended his WBA title for the first time on April 3.

Haye sent Ruiz to the canvas four times in the first six rounds and he took the defeat as a signal to call it quits.

Ruiz added: "It's sad that my final fight didn't work out the way I wanted, but, hey, that's boxing.

"I'm proud of what I've accomplished with two world titles, 12 championship fights, and being the first Latino heavyweight champion of the world.

"I fought anybody who got in the ring with me and never ducked anyone.

"Now, I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family."

I’ve never been a big John Ruiz fan. He was just the type of fighter who only looked to win fights, but not actually fight. In nearly all the fights he won, he would do it by punching and then hugging. That would literally be the entire fight. Throw a couple of punches, hug the opponent. Literally it.

To his credit though, because fans hated him for that, he did try to become more of an exciting fighter toward the end of his career. But, unfortunately, he lost most of those fights and it was proven then that the guy was not a really good boxer.

Regardless, this still deserved to be posted. He’s one of the more known Heavyweights from this decade, and no matter how he was able to acquire those wins, the fact is that the guy won a LOT of fights and held quite a few championships. You have to respect it all to a certain degree.

 

[jmt225]

Enzo Calzaghe has ruled out his undefeated son Joe coming back for a rematch with American Bernard Hopkins.

Calzaghe, who had reigned as a super-middle and light heavyweight champion for more than 11 years, retired last year with a perfect 46-fight record.

Golden Boy promotions chief exe Richard Schaefer revealed Calzaghe had "expressed an interest" of returning.

But Calzaghe sr, Joe's trainer, told BBC Sport: "There is no truth in it - and I would be the first to know."

Yeah, there's no reason for Joe Calzaghe to return to boxing. He was lucky to end his career undefeated, and it'd be really fucking dumb if he cho=ose to risk that legacy he made for himself by returning to have a rematch against the guy who gave him the toughest fight of his career. Unless Calzaghe needs money (which I doubt, since he doesn't seem like the type to blow all his doe like a lot of American athletes), then there's absolutely no reason for him to ever return to the ring. He should start a school with his father, train fighters, and make a living off of that from this point on.