Fenech in comeback fight: report
Three-time world boxing champion Jeff Fenech is believed to be preparing for a comeback.
Fenech, who last fought 12 years ago, was finalising a deal with Thai Samart Payakarun with the Australian hoping to earn $1 million for the bout.
News Limited reported the 43-year-old would fight in Bangkok in a bout pencilled in for mid-June.
Fenech beat Payakarun in Sydney 20 years ago.
Fenech, who won titles in three weight divisions, would not confirm the fight but Channel Nine's A Current Affair program had been trumpeting an exclusive story about a sporting comeback to be aired tomorrow.
The boxer, known as Marrickville Mauler, compiled a record of 28 wins, three losses and one draw during a stellar career.
He drew a controversial bout against Azumah Nelson as he attempted to claim a fourth title and was subsequently knocked out in the rematch before eventually retiring in 1996.
Despite some setbacks in 2007, boxing enjoys a successful year
Boxing fought back and countered shots it has lost some of
its appeal to rival mixed martial arts in 2007. Although the sport
still lacks a dominant heavyweight champion and network television
continues to ignore it as a programming option, boxing enjoyed a
successful year.
Numbers don't lie and the attention directed at the year's most
anticipated fight proved it. The Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr.
on May 5 shattered pay-per-view records, grossing $134 million in
revenue on 2.4 million purchases.
Mayweather won the bout in a close split decision to win his fifth
world title in a separate weight class. The sport's top
pound-for-pound fighter capitalized on the victory by appearing as a
contestant on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in the fall.
With a growing fan base outside the boxing audience, Mayweather
capped the year, stopping Ricky Hatton in 10 rounds Dec. 8. The bout
produced a solid 840,000 in pay-per-view buys and grossed $47million.
Despite paying more attention to his promotional company, De La
Hoya remains the sport's most popular fighter as evidenced by his only
ring appearance of the year in the Mayweather fight.
STAR ON THE RISE
The year's emerging star generated perhaps the revival of Middle
America as boxing fans.
Humble and power-punching Kelly Pavlik dethroned reigning champion
Jermain Taylor to win the middleweight crown Sept. 29. Pavlik, of
Youngstown, Ohio, survived a second-round knockdown and knocked out
Taylor in seven rounds.
Pavlik, who also stopped part-time Miami resident Edison Miranda in
May, could become boxing's next top attraction. More than 5,000 fans
from his hometown attended Pavlik's bout against Taylor in Atlantic
City.
Fighters from Eastern Europe continue to dominate the heavyweight
division. After Pembroke Pines, Fla., resident Shannon Briggs briefly
broke the stranglehold by winning a heavyweight belt in late 2006,
Sultan Ibragimov, who lives part-time in Hallandale Beach, Fla.,
defeated Briggs on June 2.
If Mayweather is considered the sport's top fighter, Manny Pacquiao
is closing in after a convincing decision against Marco Antonio
Barrera on Oct. 6. Barrera, who announced his retirement after the
fight, also lost his super-featherweight title in a decision against
Juan Manuel Marquez on March 17.
Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto made his claim at a possible
future bout with Mayweather with victories against Zab Judah and Shane
Mosley in June and November. The two fights drew capacity crowds at
New York's Madison Square Garden.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
-Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez started another rivalry between
Mexican born champions splitting victories in two exciting
super-bantamweight title fights in March and August.
-Super-middleweights Sakio Bika and Jaidon Codrington are not in
the elite of title contention but fought a thrilling toe-to-toe match
in the finals of "The Contender" reality series' third season Nov.
6. Bika and Codrington traded first-round knockdowns, setting the tone
to a battle of wills, which ended with Bika's eighth-round technical
knockout victory.
-A day before the two-year anniversary of his classic comeback
victory against Jose Luis Castillo, considered by many as boxing's
best fight of the past 20 years, Diego Corrales died in a motorcycle
accident May 7.
Calzaghe v Kessler - as good as it gets
By Gavin Evans –
It’s rare to find a genuine, even-money fight but Joe Calzaghe v Mikkel Kessler is about as close as it gets. When I weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of this pair they really do come out pretty close to 50-50, which is why it is so intriguing.
Let’s start with Calzaghe. He’s exactly six foot tall with a 73-inch reach, can make the weight without too much strain and despite his age (35) has shown no sign of decline after 43 professional fights (all wins, 32 stoppages). Calzaghe is a southpaw whose great assets are his phenomenal speed of hand and foot, his extremely high workrate (based on immense stamina), his all-round boxing skills and his deep experience at every level of the sport.
He’s also extremely versatile, able to adapt to his opponent, and invariably raising his game whenever the opposition becomes more demanding. So far, he has worked out every style presented him: heavy handed sluggers (Jeff Lacy, outclassed in a title unification bout last year), rough-house brawlers (like Sakio Bika, outpointed late last year), upright, European-style boxers (like Richie Woodhall (stopped in 10 in 2000), counter-punching tricksters (like Chris Eubank, widely outpointed in 1997) and US-style boxer-punchers (like Charles Brewer, outpointed in 2002 and Byron Mitchell, knocked out in two in 2003).
However, he has weaknesses that are potentially exploitable. First, although he lands his combinations with dazzling speed, he has a tendency to slap. His stoppages tend to come from the accumulation of blows rather than single power shots. Second, he is injury prone and has particularly fragile hands. When he defended against Evans Ashira in 2005, he fought most of the rounds one-handed. Third, he occasionally sails in with his chin up – and gets clipped (prompting knockdowns against Mitchell and Kabary Salem).
Now onto Kessler. He’s 6’1 tall, also with a 73-inch reach, makes the weight easier than Calzaghe and at 28 is probably at or very near his prime. The Viking Warrior is an extremely sound all-rounder with no obvious flaws other than a tendency towards injuring his back. He moves well, has quick hands, a heavy dig and a thumping jab. He’s effective on the front or back foot, leading or countering and is exceptionally sound at cutting off the ring. His defence is tight and his repertoire is sophisticated. He also has an exceptionally sound chin (never down).
His experience is not quite at Calzaghe’s level, but after 39 straight wins (29 stoppages), three years as a title holder, and wins over world class fighters like Julio Cesar Green, Manny Siaca, Anthony Mundine, Eric Lucas, Marcus Beyer and Librado Andrade – none of whom presented him with any real trouble – he certainly knows his way around the ring. All in all, he’s a very solid and impressive package.
The question then is: does Calzaghe’s edge in speed and workrate count for more than Kessler’s in youth and power? Enzo Calzaghe, Joe’s father and trainer, argues that Kessler, for all his undoubted ability, has never come across anyone like his son. But then the same could be said the other way around. Calzaghe was immense against the previously unbeaten and much-hyped Lacy, but far less so against Bika (who, incidentally, predicts a win for the Dane, with whom he sparred earlier this year).
I first watched Calzaghe from ringside on his professional debut 14 years ago. I’ve seen him on his best nights and some of his worst and I’ve watched him at work in training too. I know his capabilities. Kessler is a more recent taste, but I’ve been enormously impressed with what I’ve witnessed.
My very tentative guess is that Calzaghe will edge it on points but I certainly won’t be surprised if I am proved to be wrong.
Holyfield gets chance to reclaim heavyweight title
Evander Holyfield can become a world heavyweight champion for the fifth time when he fights Russia's undefeated Sultan Ibragimov on October 13 in Moscow.
Six days before his 45th birthday, Holyfield will fight for the lesser-regarded World Boxing Organisation (WBO) crown after the withdrawal of Uzbek Ruslan Chagaev, the World Boxing Association champion, from a scheduled fight with Ibragimov.
Holyfield would not become the oldest champion in heavyweight history. George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 at 45 years and nearly 10 months of age to claim the WBA and International Boxing Federation titles.
"This is the first step on my quest to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, and I'm glad Sultan Ibragimov was willing to step up and give me a shot," Holyfield said.
"I'm looking forward to fighting in Moscow for the first time and winning my fifth heavyweight title there."
Holyfield, 42-8 with two drawn and 27 knockouts, last fought for a world title in 2002 when fellow American Chris Byrd won a unanimous 12-round decision for the vacant IBF crown.
In 2004, the New York State Athletic Commission banned Holyfield from boxing in the state but amended the suspension the next year so he could return to the ring in other places.
Since then, Holyfield has won four fights in a row in his comeback bid, the most recent a unanimous decision over US rival Lou Savarese on June 30.
Ibragimov, 21-0 with one drawn and 17 knockouts, won a silver medal for Russia at the 2000 Olympics. He took the WBO throne from US fighter Shannon Briggs in June.
At least this postponement will result in an attractive, yet
past-his-prime alternative for newly crowned heavyweight champion
Sultan Ibragimov.
A Russia native and part-time resident of Florida, Ibragimov wanted to help clear the multiplicity of heavyweight champions in his first bout as titleholder.
Ibragimov, who captured the World Boxing Organization title with a
victory over Shannon Briggs in June, was scheduled to fight World
Boxing Association champion Ruslan Chagaev on Oct. 13 in Russia. But
when Chagaev withdrew citing an undisclosed illness,
Ibragimov's promotional team, Hollywood-based Warriors Boxing, lined
up four-time world champion Evander Holyfield as a replacement.
"Of course I'm disappointed that Chagaev pulled out of our fight
and won't allow me to unify our titles, but fighting a legend like
Evander Holyfield is even better," Ibragimov said in a statement.
"And though I respect what he has done in his career, once the bell
rings it will be all business, because he is trying to take what I
have worked so hard for-my world championship."
Is it all over for "The Man'?
Tony Mundine has revealed son Anthony, who is battling a career-threatening eye infection, had an agreement in place for a highly lucrative boxing showdown with either Mikkel Kessler or Joe Calzaghe.
WBA super middleweight world champion Mundine remained in a Sydney hospital as The Fist went to press.
He was still without any sight in his left eye and won't know the full extent of the damage for at least another month, although Mundine's eye specialist John Males has already said it is highly unlikely he'll regain full vision.
Danish WBA super champion Kessler and Welsh WBO title-holder Calzaghe, who are both undefeated, will meet at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium in November to determine who rules the super middleweight division.
Tony Mundine revealed Anthony, who lost a title fight against Kessler in Sydney in 2005, was set to face the winner in a bout that would have guaranteed the outspoken Australian a multi-million dollar payday.
"(Kessler and Calzaghe) are fighting later this year and the winner fights Anthony," Mundine Sr said.
"That was the deal."
Mundine's father also revealed more details about the cause of his son's problem, which began after a routine operation to remove a growth in his eye.
He was given some protective contact lenses to wear before heading to New Zealand.
While dining in a New Zealand restaurant a lens fell from his eye onto the floor, and Mundine - who doesn't normally wear contacts - picked it up and cleaned it with his mouth before putting it back in his eye.
A severe infection has developed and Mundine's father confirmed has put the former NSW State of Origin rugby league representative's boxing career was in limbo.
"That's true, that's true," he said.
"But we're just hoping and praying that he doesn't lose any sight long-term and he can come back and do what he wants to do in sport.
"I've talked to the doctor and he said it's a dangerous thing at the moment and we'll find out in the next couple of days how he's going, good or bad.
"I think all they can do is give him antibiotics and check out what damage he's done. Anthony's a very fit boy and lives well so hopefully everything comes good."
If Mundine's eye fails to recover and he is forced to retire, it would be a cruel blow for an athlete who is still improving at his craft.
Mundine crushed compatriot Sam Soliman in Sydney in March, becoming the first boxer to knock the veteran out, to re-claim the WBA belt for a second time and appeared to have his best days in the ring ahead of him.
His father admitted Anthony was struggling to come to terms with his setback.
"He's down, he's been pretty down the last couple of days," Mundine Sr said.
"We're doing our best to cheer him up. I'm staying positive that in three or four days we'll get some good news." |
