Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sprott Will Be 1 of Wladimir Klitschko's Sparring Partners

It looks like Wladimir Klitschko will use Michael Sprott as a sparring partner in preparations for his WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight championship fight with contender David Haye on June 20th. Here's a video from Setanta Sports that talks about it:







Valuev vs Chagaev Cancelled!

The WBA heavyweight championship bout scheduled for tomorrow night between "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev and champion Nicolai Valuev has been canceled due to Chagaev failing the standard pre-fight medical. There is speculation on what it could have been (Hepatits), but nothing is for certain as far as i have seen. Hopefully this will be a good opportunity for Vitali Klitschko to get that last belt in the Klitschko name.

Here's a video where the guys from Setanta Sports talk about the WBA and the cancellation of the fight:


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Dimitrenko To Face Chambers in eliminator!

It's official that on July 4th, 2009 WBO #1 ranked Alexander Dimitranko (29-0, 19 KOs) will face WBO #5 ranked "Fast" Eddie Chambers (34-1, 18 KOs) as an WBO eliminator to determine who will be the mandatory challenger to Wladimir Klitschko titles. The fight will take place at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany under the Universum Champions Night card. Stay tuned for more information on this fight.




Tyson's Daughter Dies

The 4 year daughter of the former world heavyweight champion boxer "Iron" Mike Tyson has passed away from a injury resulting from a power chord from a treadmill which had accidentally got wrapped around her neck at their north Phoenix home.

Mike Tyson was away and the mother had been reported to have been doing house work at the time when the 7 year old son rushed and told the news of what had happened. The mother called 911 took the power chord off and did CPR before the daughter was rushed to the hospital. She in critical condition before passing away. Condolences to the Tyson family over this incident.




Here is video footage of about the incident...







Monday, May 25, 2009

Chagaev Interview Ahead of Valuev Rematch

Ahead of his rematch and WBA heavyweight championship fight with current champ Nicolai Valuev, "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev had an interview about his preparations and emotions coming into this fight along with future plans..

You arrived in Helsinki yesterday. What do you like about the city?

It’s great here in sunny Helsinki. I simply like this city, especially now that the sun is shining. This morning I’ve already run alongside the water of the beautiful bay. That was great!

How did your preparation go?

In any case much better than the last time. I’ve had a great preparation with great sparring partners. I’m fully prepared, 100% fit and am looking forward to the fight on Saturday. It’s finally time to clear this up.

How difficult were the months after the injury in June 2008?

It wasn’t a good time, but my family has helped me a lot. I had to go through many emotions. I even briefly thought about quitting, but my five-year-old son Arthur always said ‘Dad, you have to fight. Then you can use the money to buy me a gift.’ My family is my full support.

How important is it now to keep your emotions in check?

Very important. When I was hurt, Valuev simply got my world championship. This made me angry. Normally a boxer is named interim champion until a world champion is fit. That didn’t happen. Now I will correct this with my fists. Nothing else matters. Emotions will only interfere.

Do you have any problems with the Achilles tendon?

No. I started rehab very early. Our sponsor Adidas built me a special shoe that stabilized the area. I don’t think about the injury anymore. I already showed that in my fight in February in Rostock.

You are currently the only boxer who has defeated Valuev. How big of an advantage is it to already know that you can defeat your opponent?


My victory and conquest of the title is naturally an advantage. I have shown everyone that in spite of his great physical advantages that I can win. Also Holyfield looked good against him, and even won in my opinion because he boxed like me. You have to box Valuev with good technique and tactics. [For him] boxing means defeat.

Valuev is nearly a foot taller with a corresponding reach advantage. How must you box to leave the ring once more as a winner?


“Due to the size of Valuev, one must always make special preparations. Like last time, I sparred with a group of four giants, my basketball team, with a combined length of over 26 feet. There’s Julius Long, who I think is three inches taller than Valuev. Then, Pedro Carrion, at 6′7 from Cuba and the Canadian Raymond Olubowale, who is called “Mount Kilimanjaro” because of his size. Sometimes we played basketball to loosen up. A ‘basketball team’ to prepare, it couldn’t have been better. I also had another very experienced sparring partner in Larry Donald, who in the opinion of the experts actually won in his world championship fight against Valuev. He knows how to beat him.”

On May 30th, will you leave the ring victorious?

I don’t like predictions. I’m not the type to do this. I want to win and show who the real champion is. I am and will remain the world champion - that’s what’s most important. I found it unfortunate that he could call himself a world champion. I defeated him. Where has he earned the right to be called world champion?

And then do you want to get one of the Klitschko brothers in the ring?

I would gladly box both. If they want my belt, they have to get past me. But now I’m just fully focused on Valuev.

Is there anything you are afraid of?

Yes, roller coasters. With my wife Viktoria and my son Artur, I always want to take part in everything, but this is not my thing. I reject this always – I get too wound up on these things which are very high and fast, but unlike fast cars I don’t have control.

Source




Thursday, May 21, 2009

Is Haye Big Enough?

Steve Bunce from Setanta sports recently gave his thoughts on David Haye before his clash with current champ Wladimir Klitschko on June 20th on whether Haye is big enough to face Wlad. Thers'a also some Haye training footage as well. Here's the video:




I think Haye is going to definitely be surprised at the size difference when he gets in there and realizes all the things that he thought would work on paper won't when he gets someone in that great of shape at that size in front of him. We'll see but I see a very frustrating night for Haye on June 20th....








Opponents On Wladimir Klitschko

Here is a collection of different opinions from fighters who have actually faced the current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitshcko in the ring. A lot of people like to criticize the 6'7" Ukranian's style, but these fighters would say otherwise.

Ray Austin On Klitschko


Wladimir fought him in March of 2007. Austin is ranked #7 in the WBA currently, has come off 3 straight wins, and hopes to challenge for the title again soon.

“He’s an all around athlete. A great athlete, a better athlete than what I had anticipated when I got in there with him. He’s got everything a heavyweight is supposed to have - he’s strong, he’s got mobility, movement, good jab. But the key thing was for me to go in there and take it to him and make him fight and don’t let him box and get in his comfort zone. That was the plan - to break his rhythm.”

“Basically, in that situation, my mind wasn’t even there. Wasn’t nothing coming together for me that night. Nothing. And it ain’t no certain excuse. It happens like that sometimes. Some nights is your’s, some nights it’s not. That was the wrong night for me not to click in [laughs].”

“He was kind of fast on his feet. His mobile movement from the right to the left was better than I anticipated. Cause when I first went in there, I cut the left off immediately and he darted back the other way. And he did it so swiftly and fast. Like, this is what he do, he didn’t have no problem. When a guy is used to going a certain way - like you got a guy who you push and he’s not used to going backwards, he’s kind of clumsy when you push him back. You go, Uh oh, I kinda found something. But when I cut the left off, he did it like that’s how he was practicing. He just moved with no problems, like this is what I do. I said, Oh okay, this guy isn’t gonna stand still. He came to fight [laughs]. Because I watched the Sam Peter fight and Sam seemed like he caught up with him a little more. Even though he boxed Sam pretty good, Sam was able to catch up with him and land a couple of punches. And that’s what I was looking to do.”

”If he’ll rematch me, I’ll definitely appreciate that. If not, I’ll target his brother. I see a lot of things with his brother I know I can expose. I’m not gonna say what it is - if I get the fight then he work on that. I saw him fight Peter. He has a fight coming up, I’m gonna check to see if he’s still doing the same things. Right now, the heavyweight I want to fight is him - Vitali.”

He was also asked about what he thought about Wlad as an all time great..

“Yeah, I think he’s one of the greatest so far. He hasn’t really truly been tested, he’s been in a couple of wars, he won a few, lost a few but he still got to prove himself. Long time to come to prove himself. But so far, out here right now, he’s probably one of the best.”

Phil Jackson On Wladimir


Jackson fought Wlad in 99' and sparred with him in preparations for Wladimir facing Ray Austin in 2002....

“The experience that I got from Wladimir - he’s a tough cookie. He had those losses, I don’t know what happened to him. To me, Wladimir - he’s a good fighter. Something went wrong, somewhere down the line. To me, I knew he could still be the champ because he has that power. He has that power.”

“He has an excellent jab. He’s not a mover like his brother - his brother moves extremely well. Wladimir wears you down with that power.”

“Klitschko had more power, most definitely. In both hands. You could feel it. Put it this way - if it would have been Wladimir in there when his brother fought Lennox Lewis, I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis. I honestly do. I think he would have dropped Lennox Lewis.”

Jackson thinks his style has changed alot.... “Back then, he just don’t give a damn. He just came forward. He just throw ‘em at you. Now he boxes more, he boxes smarter now and waits for the right time to use the power.”

Chris Byrd On Klitschko


Byrd fought Wladimir twice in 2000 and 2006 in title fights...

“Wladimir beat me the first time, I just didn’t feel right. The second fight, I can be very honest - I was never in the fight. He fought a great fight. He made some changes to his style. He got my respect for beating Sam Peter. I got hit with all kinds of punches. It wasn’t the fight we trained for in sparring. Everything felt great going in but when you get out there and start getting hit and certain things don’t work for you…I thank the Lord I had the chance to have a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko. He’s such a big, strong, good boxer. I take nothing away from him.”

“It was knuckle-headed of me to think I was bigger and stronger than him. He’s 241 pounds of muscle and I was 212 pounds of bulked up muscle, not even for real muscle. So I felt I had to go in there and push him around. And it didn’t work out. It was a horrid showing, getting hit with all kinds of punches. I was pretty sharp in sparring, I was pretty aggressive, but Wladimir Klitschko is a big, strong guy, he’s talented. He knows how to box.”

What kind of fighter could beat Wladimir? “I would say be a big, strong guy and press him forward. But you gotta move the head. I didn’t move my head. You gotta give him angles because he’s so tall and shooting down and he’s taking that half-step back and he’s getting his punches off. It’s hard to fight him.”

Lamon Brewster on Wladimir Klitschko


Brewster fought Wladimir in 2004 and 2007

“He was able to maintain the jab, whereas the last time I knew his jab would be busy but I was able to get past it. In the second fight his jab was better, he had an awesome jab and I tried to get past it but I couldn’t. So then he was accumulating punches. I knew, at some point, I couldn’t keep getting hit like that.”

“I felt I was the same, relentless Lamon Brewster in both fights but sometimes, somebody has the better night. Unlike crying wolf or claiming poison, you just admit when someone’s better than you that night. He was better that night. And I might be better the next night.”

Sultan Ibragimov on Klitschko


Ibragimov fought for a unified IBF/WBO title in February 2008...

“I should have been more aggressive. When I tried to go forward, he’d go back. If I did get inside, he’d hold me. I couldn’t fight him. It wasn’t that I took his punches, or his speed or power - it was his height and it was a very hard technical fight. Nobody could do anything. I felt bad that I didn’t train differently. I should have had more of an attack strategy than defense.”

Source




Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Arreola Interview About Potential Klitschko Fight

According to the WBC #1 ranked contender Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola(27-0, 24KO), a fight with current WBC champion "Dr. Ironfist" Vitali Klitschko(37-2, 36KO) is very close to happening. Chris recently took a timeout took discuss his plans in this interview.

So Chris it looks like your about to fight Vitali Klitschko?

Chris Arreola: "It's close...it's very close we hope it gets done."

You're one of the top guys in the Title pursuit right now in the Heavyweight division, what are your thoughts on that race?

Chris Arreola: "First of all I want to get in a Title fight, I need it...everybody out there wants it." "I don't want to just be a one-hit wonder, I want to be able to defend the Title and Fight the best." "If Vladimir beats Haye or Haye beats Vladimir whatever it is then I want to go after them and just take care of all the other Heavyweights out there!"

I know that you want to be a part of the line of undisputed champions holding all of the alphabet belts what are your thoughts on cleaning out the division to accomplish this?

Chris Arreola: "That what I want to do, but you know what there are so many politics involved in it you know. They (WBC) just stripped Timothy Bradley you know and it's sad because we work so hard to get there and then they strip you because you want to fight somebody else and win another World Title so it's sad and I feel bad for that but regardless I'm going to do all I can in my power to be the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion"

Alright, can you tell the fans at Eastside Boxing and around the world what words you have directly for the Klitschko camp since it seems your so close to securing a fight to get them up and say enough already and seal the deal?

Chris Arreola: "You know you've already said the words I want to say." "Lets get it Done Man!, Lets get it Done!" "Regardless man...if it doesn't get done, I'm gonna kick down the door." "I'm gonna kick the door in and they are going to have to fight me!" "Like I said if It happens I will be happy and grateful but if it doesn't like I said I'm gonna kick the door in!"

Okay Chris thank you so much for letting the fans know a little about whats going on with you right now and I'll be talking to you really soon so we can go more in depth.


Source


Haye Interview At Training Camp

This is a new video interview with David Haye at his training camp in the Turkish Republic of Cyprus as he prepares for his championship fight this June 20th with current champ Wladimir Klitschko.



Klitschko Haye Trailer

This is a short trailer for the heavyweight championship fight between current champ Wladimir Klitschko and challenger David Haye ahead of their June 20th fight which was made by a fan. Enjoy!










Sunday, May 10, 2009

Oliver McCall Interview

Ahead of his fight coming up on May 22nd former WBC champ Oliver McCall was recently interviewed by Charles White. His son Elijah will also be fighting with him on the same card.


CW: How are things going Oliver?

OM: I’m doing fine how is everything man?

CW: I’m doing fine, just keeping it real.

CW: How did you first get into boxing?

OM: Oh man, that is a very long story man. My father basically first got me started into boxing when I was 16 years old. I dropped out of high school. I was getting restless and my dad was talking about getting a job. My dad was a doorman, and one of the guys that worked in the building that my dad worked at trained fighters and told my dad “your son could fight for $400 and make some money” and this and that. He interviewed me at 40th and Wilson Ave on the south side of Chicago. I went there for a while, but I never did keep up my training, but that is where I first went to a boxing gym.

CW: What was the toughest fight of your career so far?

OM: Let me see…the toughest fight of my career would probably have to be the Buster Douglas fight I would say. The reason that was a tough fight is because at the time I was sparring Mike Tyson for Buster Douglas, and Buster Douglas is 6’4’’ and very strong. I think I only had like 15 professional fights. He was ranked # 2 in the world. We took the fight on. We lost the fight even though I thought that I won that fight. It was a close fight and what not. It was the toughest fight I think of the fights I’ve had throughout my career.

CW: You used to be Mike Tyson’s chief sparring partner, what was that like?

OM: That was a blessing. To be Mike Tyson’s chief sparring partner was one of the pivotal points of my career because it let me know that I can handle and deal with the best in boxing. Back at that time Tyson was the man in boxing, he was fast, he was powerful, and he was the people’s dominant heavyweight champion. It let me know that I had the skills and the potential to be the heavyweight champion. The sparring with Tyson showed that I could keep up with the best.

CW: What happened during your rematch with Lennox Lewis?

OM: Well somebody asked me today and she was talking about what happened, and I honestly think it was her first time watching me fight, the Lennox Lewis fight. I said “I’m tired of talking about that” There is no point in talking about that, I have been talking about and people have been asking me that for years. I realize that people 30 years from now people will say “what happened, what are your reflections?” Back then I was going through some changes and some situations that I got caught up in. That is where the tears came from. But after the fight, I was fined a large sum of taxes, and so had to pay those taxes. I put myself in that whole predicament, I take the responsibility of my actions, and I hope to move on and win another title.

CW: What are you most proud of in your career?

OM: Right now, the experience of me and my son boxing on the same card. Oh man, this is really big stuff, next to me being champion because this is my son, my oldest son. I love my kids. My mother is very excited to see her son and grandson fight on the same card. This is the most exciting thing of my career as of today. I want us both to be successful on our dream of a father and son fighting on the same card.

CW: Your son Elijah is now a professional heavyweight like yourself, how do you feel about that?

OM: Optimistic. I wasn’t optimistic at first. But once we sat down we determined that he was to be trained to fight, I knew that I didn’t trust anyone else to train him. I know that I can pass this on to my son, the accomplishments that I have been blessed with in my boxing career. So when my son didn’t box amateur, I said “well son, we have to get in the ring and test you out.” Once we got in the ring, we sparred a few times. He is picking up things really well. So without the amateur experience, I plan to box with him on a regular basis. I am a former heavyweight champ, and just to relay the experience that I have gathered over the years and tell him about certain things in the fight game will really help him. We don’t want to bring him along too fast. We want to build his confidence up. He is a natural puncher and a natural knockout artist, but we want to show him the real slick techniques of boxing. I wish you had a tape of that fight (against Morales). I thought my son won that fight, but that guy (Morales) was 300 lbs. and he was really able to do some things that the referee let him do that made the fight so boring. The guy didn’t come to fight, he came to survive and make my son look bad. But it was a learning experience. I took my son and we went back to the chalkboard and said if you ever fight this type of guy again, we will do things different to entertain the fans and to bring home a win and possibly a knockout.

CW: If you have a copy of the fight will you put it on you tube for the fans?

OM: Yeah. We will see. I’m pretty sure we have a copy of this fight. And for those who haven’t seen the fight, they will say “who’s this guy, what is he doing?” Somebody who really knows boxing will say “what’s up with this referee now?” The referee was making the fight look bad. The referee was letting him (Morales) hold extensively. I mean come on now, this guy is here to keep boxing clean like a world class fight. If the ref says break, then break. Sometimes a referee can make a fight look better if he keeps a good exciting fight between to combatants going.

CW: Your next opponent, John Hopoate, has a rugby reputation that leaves little to be desired, are you concerned about any foul play during your fight with him?

OM: No I’m not concerned about any foul play. That is one thing I am not worried about. I play rough and sturdy. It’s not the type where I will fight foul against foul, he fouls me and I foul him. From looking at him fighting on you tube; I think he will fight within the rules and everything, so I am not expecting any foul play from John Hopoate. He had a pretty successful rugby career, so I think that he will follow the rules of sports and boxing just like he was required to follow the rules of rugby. So that is how I look at it. I hope he brings a good fight. I am definitely going to bring my A game coming into the fight. I think we are going to have a very exciting fight and may the best man win.

CW: That is good, because there is a little bit of lackluster in the division right now and the fans want to see a good fight.

OM: They will see a good fight because his style of fighting and my style of fighting make for a good knock ‘em out bang ‘em up fight for a round or two because I think that is all it will last. I’ve never been knocked out so I don’t think I am going to get the short end of the stick with that.

CW: Any chance you would share a bit of your game plan for this fight?

OM: My game plan is basically to do what I do best. He is the kind of guy where I don’t need a specific game plan. He doesn’t have the ring generalship I have. This guy hasn’t fought the wonderful professionals in the sport like I have. I beat two hall of fame former heavyweight champions back to back. I beat Lennox Lewis and then came back and beat Larry Holmes. Both of these individuals have been inducted into the hall of fame. There are only two fighters in the history of…in fact I might be the only one. There are few fighters in the history of heavyweight boxing that have beat two hall of fame fighters back to back. I think that it is very cool that I have done that. Some fighters might have beat one and then gone on to fight others before fighting another hall of famer, but back to back. I’m excited. I don’t think he (Hopoate) has had those types of tough fights, like when I fought Damiani and Bruce Seldon. With my experience, I will be able to throw a lot more different things. So with this type of process, my game plan is to throw a lot of different things, where as he is limited.

CW: How has training camp gone for this fight, and what weight do you expect to be at come fight time?

OM: Training camp is going great. I am going to come in at 238 lbs. I’m going to come in at the 230’s, about 238 to 239 lbs. I boxed 11 rounds yesterday with 3 different sparring partners, and I boxed today. I have sparred over 100 rounds over the last month or so. I am ready to go. I am looking forward to being the new heavyweight champion of the world.

CW: How many more years do you plan on fighting professionally?

OM: God willing, I will be fighting until the year 2011.

CW: Is there anything significant about that year?

OM: No, not really, but I am looking forward to having a very successful 2010. That is going to be the best year of my boxing career. 2010 is going to be my most exciting year because of my determination to kick ass. By then, my son will have some real fights and advancements under his belt. By 2010 he should be a more complete fighter, and we can have a real ball then because my son will be a main event fighter. That means that I am not going to be the main event, but my son will be. That is what I am looking forward to.

CW: You have already accomplished so much in boxing, what are your goals for the sport now, to pull a George Foreman?

OM: Yeah something like that but I think that I am going to do it better because you know George Foreman, I have had to overcome so much more in my life than him and now I am doing the right thing. I might even do it before then (before the age of 45). I’m reaching for that goal. I’ve got two more wins before then.

CW: You have had to overcome a lot in both your professional and personal life; do you now feel that you are on the right path?

OM: Yes, I am definitely on the right path, you know I am 44 years old, and I thank God for being 44. I think that this year, my 44th year, is going to be the year to conduct myself in a better manner. And I am not just talking about drugs and alcohol. You don’t have to be lusting after different women and all of the other different things that you can do that aren’t good. I want to be a man of character, a man of dignity, a man of integrity. And that is my goal. That is my focus. That is more important to me than fighting now.

OM: A friend of mine named Lawrence Hughes is fighting on the undercard with us and he, my son and I are talking about putting on a triple victory. This isn’t a one-two punch, this is a one-two-three punch, and I just want to put that out there too.

CW: One of your fans wants to know, what do you think would have happened in the Vitali Klitchsko vs. Lennox Lewis fight after the 6th round, had it not been stopped on cuts?

OM: Well personally, from my observation of the fight, I believe that if the fight had gone past the 6th round and hadn’t been stopped on cuts, then Vitali would have stopped Lennox Lewis for this one thing; Lennox Lewis was exhausted and I could see Vitali determined with a second wind coming on. Before the fight was stopped, Lennox Lewis was looking like “man I hope they stop the fight.” Vitali at that point, if the fight hadn’t been stopped on cuts, he would have hit Lennox with the shots that he was hitting him with in the second round, and would have probably stopped Lennox Lewis. That is my personal opinion, but because the fight was stopped by cuts, it didn’t go that way. Lennox was so exhausted, that whether it was the 7th or 10th round, I just don’t think he would have held up. That might be the reason he retired. I don’t know, I am just giving my opinion. I like Lennox Lewis, he was a great champion and we talked a while back. He is a nice guy.

CW: How do you compare the 1990’s heavyweights with those of today?

OM: Man we would have blown them out of the water (laughs). That’s just it. The heavyweights of the 90’s…me, Riddick Bowe, big Bowe, Lennox, Tyson, Holyfield, come on man. Let’s be real. We would have had a shin dig, a smorgasbord. I’m not just talking about the Klitchsko’s, that big giant (referring to Nikolai Valuev) too. You know what I am saying? If an old Holyfield can beat the giant, let’s see what the Holyfield from the Bowe fights could do to him. Holyfield would have beat up the giant so bad. I am just speaking my opinion though you know?

CW: It has been an awesome experience speaking with you Oliver; I want to thank you and your son for giving me this opportunity.

OM: Thank you very much. And like I said we are going to have a one-two-three punch on May 22nd and I am just excited to be a part of it. You have a fresh day my man. Later.

Source



Elijah McCall Interview

The heavyweight boxer Elijah McCall(2-0-1) who is the son of former WBC champion Oliver McCall, was recently interviewed by Charles White ahead of this fight coming up on May 22nd where he will fighting on the same card as his father. This is how the interview went:


CW: What’s up Elijah? How you been man?

EM: I’m doing good.

CW: You turned down a football scholarship to take up boxing. What drove you to do that, and does your father approve?

EM: It was my own decision you know, from the past that is what I always wanted to do. And I got the urge more as I got bigger and matured. And once I asked my father he didn’t approve much, he just wanted me to go my own way but then he saw that I was really serious about it.

CW: What was it like to see your father knock out Lennox Lewis?

EM: Oh it was a great experience. I remember my dad jumping up and down in the ring. And then seeing my mother and my grandmother up there. Everybody was real happy and I just dreamed of doing it myself one day..

CW: Do you have any amateur background?

EM: No.

CW: Does your father train you?

EM: Yes I’m trained by my father.

CW: What does your daily training routine consist of?

EM: A whole lot of floor work; you know trying to get my ring generalship together. And more trying to stay consistent with what we are doing. Running. And sparring. We are sparring each other a lot, so I can get more relaxed in the ring because I didn’t have that amateur experience. That’s just it, trying to be more consistent with my punches and my technique. And my mechanics, my boxing mechanics. I feel like I have it, but I just have to be more consistent in what I am doing to bring it out of me.

CW: You are now 2-0 with one draw as a professional fighter, what happened in that fight with Morales, where you received a draw?

EM: That was more of an experience thing. Before the fight a lot of people were coming in that previously fought him and telling me that he was going to run around and move a lot and stay on the outside. And coming in I was just trying to cut off the ring and stuff, trying to get on the inside because he was going to move around, but he did the total opposite on me and closed the distance. He held on a little bit. The referee allowed him to hold and everything, but his tactics against me were just really to close the void between me and him and not allow me to create the distance I need to put the power on my punches. He did a real good job with that, and I had never had a chance to experience that. It kind of confused me a bit, and so I didn’t really catch on until the third or fourth round. I still thought I won the fight, but I could have done better if I had just stuck to my game plan.

CW: Many fans have seen your fight with Yohan Banks on youtube, what was it like to dispatch such a big guy so quickly?

EM: It was kind of funny because big guys like that; I like to chop them down. The smaller ones I really don’t take as a challenge because they are my size and kind of weak. The bigger ones are the ones that I want to hit and show them that this is my house and I got the power. So going in and taking them out so fast let’s the people know to give me my respect as a McCall and I am bringing the power, same as my dad.

CW: You have a fight coming up May 22nd on the same card as your father, what does it mean to you to be fighting on the same card as your dad?

EM: It is an honor, a real blessing to be fighting on the same card. I never dreamed of this happening. I always thought that I would be the main event, with my own card, with my dad being in the corner watching with my family around. Being the undercard and not the main event, I am just opening up. I am setting the stage and starting the night off, so I’ve got to start the night off with a bang and my dad will end the night with a bang. It is a wonderful feeling for all of this to happen.

CW: Do you know anything about your opponent Chad Davis?

EM: Not really other than he is from Phoenix, Arizona (laughs).

CW: How has training camp gone for this fight?

EM: Training camp is going really good. I am in great shape and my punches are coming along very well, I am very sharp right now. My movement is a whole lot better, my upper body movement. I am getting more into moving my upper body because I am not going to run through everybody that I get a chance to fight, so I’ve got to polish my skills off a little more. You know, upper body movement, getting more angles in so my knockouts look more spectacular.

CW: What weight do you plan on coming in at?

EM: 220 lbs.

CW: What are your ultimate plans and goals for professional boxing?

EM: My ultimate plan for boxing is to be the heavyweight champion of the world. The belt that I want is the WBC belt. That is the belt that my dad had and the belt that I claim the ultimate belt. There is nothing less for me. I don’t want to be a journeyman fighter or a contender, you know, I just want to be the flat out best, the champion.


Source



Saturday, May 9, 2009

Klitschko Haye Setanta Promo

This is a new promotional video from Setanta for the upcoming heavyweight championship fight this June 20th between current champ Wladimir Klitschko and challenger David Haye labeled David vs. Goliath.




Ruiz Open Letter To Heavyweights

Recently John "The Quietman" Ruiz sent an open letter to the heavyweight division. He talks about his style, how he deserves a shot at the title, and how he he will risk his WBA mandatory title shot to face one the top heavyweight contenders. This is how it went...


By John Ruiz: To America’s “Top” Heavyweight Boxers, I’ve been told I’m not the most fan-friendly fighter in the world, my style often criticized as being ugly, but I’m proud to say I’ve never ducked a worthy opponent. For the past month or two, though, I’ve read and heard a lot BS about how I shouldn’t be the WBA mandatory title challenger. A few totally unproven, so-called contenders have whined about them deserving a world title shot more than I do..

Why? Who have Chris Arreola, Eddie Chambers, Kevin Johnson or Brian Minto beaten to deserve a world title shot? Nobody! Just compare my list of victories to yours. You guys haven’t come close to doing what I’ve accomplished.

I’ve been where you’re trying to get – 11 world title fights (2 WBA titles) -- and I’m even willing to risk my WBA mandatory title shot next year against the Chagaev-Valuev II winner just to show everyone that I’m entitled to another world championship fight. Prove me wrong. Stop all of the smack talk, try and beat me in the ring – the only place it really counts -- to be the real No. 1 American heavyweight. Next year, I’ll be fighting for the crown again unless one of you pretenders step-up and change my schedule.

Show the boxing world that you’re a true contender, not a pretender. You want it, come and get it – put your money where your mouth is. No more excuses, just contact my attorney Tony Cardinale (your promoters know how), and let’s make it happen.


John “The Quietman” Ruiz
2-Time WBA Heavyweight Champion


Source

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Klitschko Haye Ringside Interviews

The following are video interviews by Ringside with the current WBO/IBF/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and former cruiserweight turned ranked heavyweight contender David Haye ahead of their heavyweight title fight on June 20th, 2009.


Wladimir Klitschko Interview




David Haye Interview







Hoffmann Botha Tickets

I got a request from a reader who saw the ticket info for the Klitschko Haye fight to do the same for the Timo Hoffmann (won 38 (KO 22) + lost 6 (KO 1) + drawn 1 = 45) vs. Francois Botha (won 46 (KO 28) + lost 4 (KO 4) + drawn 2 = 53) title fight that is coming up on May 15th at the Borderlandhalle in Magdeburg, Germany at 7pm. This fight will be for the lesser known WBF heavyweight title.


Ticket Source 1


Word Ticket Shop is offering Botha vs. Hoffman Tickets, and this is their ticket prices from the site:

Timo Hoffmann vs. Francois Botha 15-05-2009 Seated Tickets Category 2
Start: 19.00 Price € 139,00 (£ 125,10) Venue: Borderlandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany

Timo Hoffmann vs. Francois Botha 15-05-2009 Seated Tickets Category 1
Start: 19.00 Price € 209,00 (£ 188,10) Venue: Borderlandhalle, Magdeburg, Germany

For the English link go here, and for the German link go here.

Ticket Source 2


You can also get your Botha vs. Hoffman tickets from Seatwave. This is a direct link to the German site and page where you can get your tickets. Here's current ticket information from their site:

Sitzplatzlage Anzahl Preis
/Seat Location Quantity Price

KAT 3 4 übrig €40,00

PK 3-5 30 übrig €44,00

PK2 - Ring A, Reihe: 3 4 übrig €100,00

PK 2 10 übrig €150,00

PK 1 10 übrig €220,00



Hope this helps those who had trouble finding these tickets!




Friday, May 1, 2009

Valuev vs Chagaev May 30th

On May 30th, current WBA heavyweight champion Nicoali Valuev will face the WBO "champion in recess" Ruslan Chagaev to decide once and for all who the true heavyweight champ is. The WBA belt is the only belt not held by the Klitschko brothers.

The confusion of who is true WBA champion began when Chagaev defeated Valuev for his belt back in July of 2007, and then due to a series of health problems, Chagaev was unable to fight Valuev last year as a title defense. Valuev got back into position to challenge for the WBA belt when he outpointed former WBO champion Sergei Liakhovich in February of 2008.

Valuev then fought former champion Juan Ruiz last August 30th for the vacant WBO belt due to Chagaev's injury and was named the WBO champion while Chagaev was named WBO "champion in recess".

Since the injury Chagaev has fought Matt Skelton as a voluntary fight back on February 7th of this year against ranked contender Carl Davis Drummond in which he won on points. It should be noted that Chagaev did not have to take this fight and had he lost would have lost his "champion in recess" status.

So, on May 30th at the Hartwall Arena inHelsinki, Finland there will be a 12 round WBA heavyweight championship fight betweeen Valuev and Chagaev to settle once and for all who the true WBA champ really is. Stay tuned here for updates and ticket information.




Discount Klitschko Haye Tickets

Ok I just found by far the best deal out there for anyone wanting to get their tickets while they are still available for the IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight championship fight between current heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and former cruiserweight turned top ranked heavyweight contender David Haye. The site is Viagogo which is a reputable online dealer of tickets, and right now they are offering the lowest prices I've seen on tickets(starting at £34.84/ticket which converts to $51.76/ticket) for the fight plus-- get this-- 5% off ALL ticket sales.

So get your Klitschko Haye tickets here, which is a direct link to the site where you can buy Klitschko vs. Haye tickets, and enter when asked the coupon code VGGSUMMER.

The link and coupon code is good from 5/1/2009 to 6/1/2009. Enjoy!!!!






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