Bleacher Report - Articles by phil Leone

Assault In The Ring: Phenomenally, Why Isn't Panama Lewis Still In Jail?

phil Leone — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:46:12 -0400

After watching yet another brilliant HBO documentary on Saturday, one has to wonder why isn't "Panama" Lewis in jail?

After viewing Assault in the Ring in which one of Panama Lewis's former boxers Luis Restos unknowingly assaulted Billy Collins. You got to wonder with the evidence displayed in the documentary when will New York State punish this criminal?

It was said that Panama went to the bathroom to remove padding from Luis's gloves, without Luis knowing. That is terrible and disgusting. Not only was Billy Collins and his family affected but Luis Restos and his family was also affected.

Shame on panama Lewis. I highly recommend the documentary to any boxing fan, or in fact any sports fan. It really does a good job displaying the domino effect.

Must Win For The Legacies Of Kobe and Phil

phil Leone — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:19:16 -0400

Quick question to start. How many titles has Phil Jackson won as a coach without the two most dynamic offensive forces in the history of the NBA (Shaq and MJ)

Answer-Zero

How many championships does Kobe Bryant have without Shaq?

Answer-Zero

This is why in my opinion this series means a lot to the greatness of Kobe and Phil.

First off Orlando does not really have a primary scorer, they work as a team.

The expectations are deservedly high for the Lakers to win it all and it helps that they have home court advantage. I'm not a Lakers fan, but I do realize this is their year. Next year the Rockets will have McGrady back, Celtics will have Garnett back, Hornets will be healthy, Suns will have Amare Stoudemire and teams like the Trail Blazers and Bulls are on the rise.

I'm not going to make a prediction, I'm just going to say that if the Lakers don't win, next year Dwight Howard will be considered the most effective player in the NBA because of his leadership, rebounding, and will to win.

Will Kobe be Superman's kryptonite when he drives to the basket?

It will be interesting to see if Kobe draws fouls against Howard and if Dwight will get into foul trouble early cause of Kobe driving to the basket.

The Lakers time on top is quickly running out, will they make the most of this golden opportunity to win it all while they still got the chance?

What's Next For Andre Berto?

phil Leone — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:03:24 -0400

After last night's near shutout victory over Juan Urango, many boxing fans are wondering what's next for Andre Berto?

I got two opponents that could very well be fight of the year matchups also:

1. Miguel Cotto—After Clottey, which is less than two weeks away. There were talks of a pacquaio fight but those talks faded after numbers thrown around for a catchweight couldn't be agreed upon.

2. Luis Collazo—Their first fight was a great fight and many observers had Collazo winning their first fight. Also right now would be the perfect time for a rematch considering Collazo has nothing planned.

In conclusion, a Cotto fight would be ideal in the early fall and a Collazo rematch would be ideal in the late summer.

Also, I'm not including Shane Mosley because I believe a fight with Paul Williams makes more sense than a fight with Berto.

Top 5 destinations for Plaxico Burress

phil Leone — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:59:33 -0400

It wasn't that long ago when Plaxico Burress and the NY Giants put an exclamation mark on ruining the new england patriots undefeated season. Now the talented reciever is a free agent. He was a huge part of the reason that the giants won the superbowl XLII. Reasons that he is a free agent right now is due to character problems and the infamous accidental shooting, in whcih november of 2008 he accidentally shot himself while in a night club. Never the less he is a tall red zone target that was a key piece in helping the giants win a superbowl. Here our 5 temas that he could also help guide to a superbowl.

Begin Slideshow

Shane Mosley Should Fight Paul WIlliams in the Welterweight division.

phil Leone — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:37:45 -0400

Shane Mosley will not fight Paul Williams because he is not a big name; this might result in a small pay day for Sugar Shane Mosley.

Come on, Sugar Shane. This is a very poor reason to duck a fighter.

The Ring Magazine, considered a highly credibly boxing source, has Mosley at No. 4 for their pound-for-pound rankings. It's upsetting how someone ranked so high can avoid an opponent that would be a great fight for him. Paul Williams can fight at 147, 154, or 160.

Shane Mosley's last 20 fights have either been at 147 or 154 pounds. This fight currently would be the best fight at the welterweight level considering Mayweather is fighting at a catch-weight vs. Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.

Another great matchup before the year ends would be Miguel Cotto vs. Andre Berto: two action fighters. These fighters are the reason why the welterweight division is the most exciting division in boxing.

If I know my boxing, then, by the end of the year, one of these matchups will occur: Cotto vs. Berto, Paul Williams vs. Shane Mosley, Pacquaio vs. Mayweather, Pacquaio vs. Cotto, or even a true welterweight matchup of Mayweather vs. Cotto.

David Wright Is Heating Up At The Right Time

phil Leone — Sat, 23 May 2009 14:39:41 -0400

With Delgado out and Jose Reyes being listed as day to day, it's time for David Wright to emerge as the unanimous leader of the Mets.

Wright's defense is outstanding, and as soon as he improves his late inning hitting and power hitting he will be feared. He strikes out more than usual, but as the weather heats up expect Wright's clutch numbers to heat up as well.

Right now Wright has only 3 HR, but his batting average is in the mid .300's. Expect Wright to explode any day now.

Met's general manager Jerry Manuel said the other day that David Wright is really starting to make good contact with the ball.

Wright will have a good test against Josh Beckett and the Red Sox tonight.