Bleacher Report - Articles by Stacy W.L.

A Guilty Conscience--Assaults in The Ring

Stacy W.L. — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:46:58 -0400

I have always suspected that a guilty conscience is a burden not worth any spoils it earns a cheating boxer. Antonio Margarito lost his match with Shane Mosley as much because his sins had been exposed as that this punches didn't hold the same oomph without the plaster of paris he was no stranger to.

Assault in the Ring, producer/director Eric Drath's study of the aftereffects of Luis Resto's unfortunate win over Irish blossoming star Billy Collins Jr., lays bare the price paid for cheating to gain an unfair advantage in the ring.

Tampering with boxing gloves, a too common practice, embodies a cruel dog-eat-dog ring sensibility. Hands, either without padding or enhanced by plaster, become lethal weapons when a boxer and his trainer make that particular kind of dark deal—doing whatever it takes to win a fight.

In this heartbreaking documentary, Drath captures the depths of despair of Collins and his family, who watch Collins' disintegration. Resto endured his own understanding of the brutality of the beating he inflicted on Collins with gloves without padding.

Collins, his career cut short by the eye injuries he suffered during the fight, filled with rage at the loss of his dreams and his livelihood,eventually committed suicide.

Drath encounters Resto as a broken man, consumed with guilt, estranged from his family, holding onto denial of his own role in the glove tampering he states at first that he knew nothing about. He only admits that he saw his trainer, Panama Lewis, go into the bathroom with another man, holding the gloves.

Drath, at first purely an observer, took on an active role in the story when he found inconsistencies in the stories Resto was telling, and those he told at the time of the event, and confronted Resto with this information.

The story changed from that of two boxers who were victims of the same scam into the redeeming of the one who had known the crime he had committed all along.

By admitting his own culpability in the affair, confirming along the way his participation in other long-suspected fouls engaged in by his trainer, such as spiking the water in the corner with stimulants, Resto was finally free of his secret.

He rejoined his family as his true self—flawed, repentant, and released from his bond to Panama Lewis (whose own lack of conscience rivals that of many psychopaths currently in prison).

Last night, Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo, himself in a position to win his fight or melt away into the current stew of disappointing prospects, made his own deal with the devil after his opponent, Gabriel Rosado, won the first round of the fight by keeping Angulo on the outside.

Rather than breaking Rosado down patiently, using pressure and body shots to take the distance away from him, Angulo pinned Rosado's right arm to his body while getting in with a sucker punch that set up the inevitable knockout.

His offense was not major—his opponent suffered nothing more than the loss of consciousness he would have otherwise have suffered at some point later in the fight.

Still, there must be a price—if a man beats another man by employing illegal tactics, will there not always be a shadow in his own pride after the win?

Last Night on Showtime Championship Boxing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:29:14 -0400

To start out the month of August, Showtime finally put together a card to look forward to--a co-main-event featuring Devon Alexander battling former belt holder Junior Witter for the WBC super lightweight belt and rising star Timothy Bradley defending his WBO 140 pound belt against veteran Nate Campbell.

The storyline of the night had some interesting twists—Bradley had vacated the WBC title after taking it from Junior Witter, and while the first fight pitted two rising stars against one another, the next pitted youth against ring experience.

The fights themselves gave us a number of twists and turns, some good, some bad, some ugly.

First, the good. The night's two winners: Devon "The Great" Alexander and Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley proved to be worthy of the belts they hold. Alexander, a protege of Cory Spinks, had a tough competitor in Junior Witter, whose awkward fighting style made him a difficult target.

Moving in behind a stiff, quick jab, showing ring generalship, and putting combinations together, Alexander took advantage of Witter's wild, wide shots and showmanship tactics and had him in trouble by the end of the second round, when he snuck in a short right hook that staggered Witter.

The third round ended with another three punch combo that finished with a hook on Witter's chin, and it was obvious that Alexander was breaking his opponent's will. In round five, the camera angle was perfect as we watched Witter's head reel from another great hook to the chin. When the fight ended after the 8th round, it was clear that Alexander deserved the title of champion.

When Bradley came into the ring, to a triumphant, spiritually grounding song, he had the air of a man who was determined to hold onto his title. After the first round Al Bernstein delineated what each man needed to do in order to win.

Campbell, his age a possible liability in the ring, needed to counterpunch effectively, work on the inside, and use his powerful uppercut. Bradley, the much younger man, needed to use angles to stay elusive, go to the body, and work consistently to wear out his opponent.

Through the 3 rounds of this fight, Campbell showed that he had a different game plan than that recommended by Bernstein, as he came forward rather than waiting to counterpunch, and never managed to land one of his powerful uppercuts.

Bradley, however, was consistent from the first round in punching from a variety of angles, wearing his opponent out with shots to the body, and punching at a workrate that, as he put it after the fight, made his opponent age a little bit more each round, until he got Campbell in deep trouble by the end of the third round.

Next, the bad. The referee, David Mendoza, made a bad call after an accidental headbutt from Bradley in the early part of the third round caused a huge cut to open on Campbell's left eye. Though Campbell covered his eye with his glove immediately after the cut, protecting it until he could pull away and show the ref the blood pouring from the cut, Mendoza ruled that a punch which came after the butt had caused the cut.

And finally, the ugly. Both of the losing fighters demonstrated a lack of heart, that intangible and absolutely critical element in boxing. Junior Witter stopped on his stool after the eighth round of his fight, and had no better explanation for this decision than than he didn't feel good at all and decided that it was "time to let this one go."

Campbell, though he had a legitimate quarrel with the referee re: the head butt, quit on his own stool after the third round. He claimed a possibly legitimate difficulty seeing out of the left eye as his reason.

It was obvious, however, that he was counting on the fact that the fight would be ruled a no contest due to the head butt, and was not willing to show the kind of warrior spirit Miguel Cotto recently demonstrated in fighting on to earn a nobler kind of ending.

Campbell's intense campaign to get the referee to reverse the ruling would have been more compelling had he not been losing the fight so obviously before the headbutt. He seemed to view the headbutt as much an opportunity to get out of a losing battle as a legitimate fight-ending injury.

All of these pieces, the good, the bad, and the ugly, reflected elements of the state of boxing today. Referees have always been fallible, so bad calls are a part of the game. Junior Witter and Nate Campbell join a line of recent fighters who have quit when the going got tough.

Luckily for boxing fans, Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander represent the future of boxing--hungry, determined stars who will do whatever it takes to defend their belts.

Five Hard Lessons Learned by Victor Ortiz Last Night

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:48:09 -0400

"We just saw a moment in a young fighter's career that could define his career. Ortiz was dropped, cut, exhausted, faced with an opponent who refused to lose, and in a moment of weakness gave up." -Max Kellerman, HBO Boxing

1. The hype of a headline fight can be a killer.

After his destruction at the hands of a less skilled, but more determined, fighter in Marcos Maidana, in last night's junior welterweight fight for the interim WBA belt, Ortiz admitted that the huge crowd assembled at the Staples arena to watch his first headline fight did get to him.

In the excitement of the moment, he forgot the basic defensive skills of keeping his hands up and protecting himself while throwing his own shots. The distraction of the hype also played a part in lessons two and three.

2. The jab can't be your best friend if you don't use it.

Ortiz used his jab a few times at the start of round one, but as soon as the fight heated up, he got drawn straight into a brawl and forgot the jab entirely.

Considering that his opponent had very heavy hands but limited boxing skills, going toe-to-toe wasn't the best plan of action for the highly skilled Ortiz, who should have been setting up his punches from the outside.

3. Going for the knockout and forgetting your game plan isn't a good idea.

Ortiz correctly blamed himself rather than his team for his own destruction. As can happen when a fighter wants to impress a crowd, Ortiz kept in the back of his mind throughout the training camp that he would be able to knock out Maidana when the time came.

Though his trainer yelled at him between rounds to remember the boxing skills they practiced in training camp, Ortiz continued to leave himself open in his quest to lay Maidana out.

4. When a soldier meets another soldier, the winner will be the one who leaves it all out in the ring.

Ortiz got his first taste of Maidana's mettle when Maidana, after being dropped in the first round, immediately got up and knocked Ortiz down. Ortiz has the warrior mentality that has given him the edge over other fighters—when he is hit hard, he goes on the attack rather than backing away. When he is put down, he gets up off the canvas to win the fight.

Maidana mirrored these same qualities back to Ortiz, and thus exposed Ortiz' weakness—his unwillingness to leave it all in the ring, no matter what. When he got up after Maidana floored him in the sixth round, he considered the blood flowing from a cut on his right eye, the swelling under his left eye, and shook his head no before the referee stopped the contest.

As he said after the fight, "I'm not going to go out on my back." Max Kellerman noted that boxing is a sport that requires more than is really reasonable, as the true champions are willing to take any and all risks to win a fight.

5. Boxing hurts.

After the fight, Ortiz stated, "I'm young, but I don't think I deserve to be beaten up like this." The truth is, that's the sport of boxing, and though he enjoys beating other men senseless, Ortiz just didn't like the rude introduction to what boxing looks like from the loser's perspective.

Mike Tyson: A Man Seen More Clearly Through the Eyes of James Toback

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:18:08 -0400

If you haven’t seen the documentary Tyson yet, you should. In light of Mike Tyson’s recent tragic loss, this is a good time to get to know the man behind the myth, and James Toback reveals the ‘beast’ to be a troubled man, one who is trying to come to terms with his past, to whom many viewers will be able to relate.

The movie takes us on a journey in Mike’s words through the experience of what it has been like to be Mike Tyson, from his experiences in childhood, to his relationship with Cus d’Amato, to his rise and fall as heavyweight champ.

It detours into just the streets we want to know more about, like his experience of being convicted as a rapist and of fighting after losing his love for boxing and turning toward drugs and alcohol.

James Toback, a close friend of Tyson’s and an astute observer of the intricacies of his confusion about life, compassionately reveals contradictions in key parts of Tyson’s stories, laying bare more about Tyson than Tyson knows about himself.

This is no small task in a documentary in which the only person speaking about the subject is the subject himself, in monologues intermixed with footage taken in training camps and before, during, and after a number of his fights.

Toback’s trick was to let Mike talk, uninterrupted, for a 30-40 minute period of time, and to let him tell and retell his stories. He explained the value of this technique in an interview with Daniel Seeley on buzzfocus.com “you get this psychoanalytic effect where things that you’re not thinking about rationally or consciously come out.”

Tyson’s relationship with his trainer, Cus D’Amato, has taken on mythical proportions, and this movie gives a clear slice of insight into the unique bond between this trainer and boxer pair. Tyson came from an environment without rules or boundaries, as he uses the word ‘promiscuious’ to describe his mother and other women in the neighborhood.

With his high pitched voice and lack of a father figure to model for him how to be a man, Tyson admits that he was a terrified young boy in a rough neighborhood, hiding from bullies who would take his money and humiliate him.

He reacted to these circumstances by picking on targets more vulnerable than himself, as he engaged in robberies and petty assaults, often of elderly women.

Tyson lacked the tools to cope with his environment until he was introduced to boxing during a stay at a center for troubled boys, at the age of 12.

His introduction to legendary trainer D’Amato gave him the exact thing he needed in order to reinvent himself, the knowledge that through owning the power in his fists, he would never have to be humiliated again--that he could kill rather than let that happen.

D’Amato took Tyson into his house, fed him, and gave him the structure, discipline, and positive feedback for which his soul was starving, and Tyson gave the bitter D’Amato a last chance at winning the heavyweight title.

Throughout the documentary, Tyson repeats various phrases he learned from D’Amato’s incessant repetition which provided order to his world. The scenes around D’Amato’s death and burial are heartbreaking, as Tyson admits that without his trainer he was completely vulnerable and exposed in the world.

Tyson describes his confusion about how to handle the fame and fortune which came his way after Don King, to whom he refers with a variety of slurs and curse words, became his manager in 1988.

Without guidance, while in a position of power as a heavyweight champion, he acknowledges that he didn’t treat women with respect, expressing what comes across as sincere regret for how he has treated his wives in particular, as he unabashedly engaged in affairs.

Tyson addresses some of the hardest questions about his life in the film. Though he clearly denies that he raped Desiree Washington, and uses some choice words to describe her and her role in putting him in prison for three years, he also admits that through the incident he lost trust in himself—due to what he knows can come out of him.

Toback leaves the question of Mike’s guilt in this situation ambiguous, leaving the audience certain that at least Tyson is aware of some of the havoc he has wreaked in many of his relationships, and hopeful that he is in a position of greater self-awareness and control.

In accepting responsibility for his life and his poor decisions, clean of drugs and alcohol for 15 months, with some softness in his frame and humility etched into the lines in his face, Tyson is clear that he wants to move forward in his life, to find himself.

He describes this task, ““I don’t know who I am,” “That might sound stupid. I really have no idea. All my life I’ve been drinking and drugging and partying, and all of a sudden this comes to a stop.”

Noting that in his pursuit of titles and his decline into drugs, he missed out on what he now realizes are some of the most important relationships in his life—with his children—he expresses commitment to rekindling those bonds.

These final moments of the film are all the more poignant in light of the tragic loss of his four year old daughter which befell Tyson just as the documentary was hitting mainstream theaters across the country.

Toback frees Tyson from his role as the monster manifesting the various shadows of the human soul while providing a foil for the ‘civilized men and women’ who consume his image.

In revealing Tyson’s humanity as well as our fascination with his transgressions, he reminds us that none of us are immune to these shadows. By doing so, he opens up the possibility of compassion for Mike Tyson as a man. As Tyson himself said after watching the film, “It’s like a Greek tragedy, only I’m the subject.”

Andre Ward Walks the Talk Against Edison Miranda

Stacy W.L. — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:52:02 -0400

Tonight, in front of his hometown crowd in Oakland, California, Andre Ward (18-0 coming into the fight) defeated Edison Miranda soundly in a super middleweight (168 lbs) near-shutout fight, winning by unanimous decision.

Ward has been taking incremental steps up the boxing ladder, and the fight with knockout puncher Edison Miranda (32-3) brought him into the Shobox spotlight. Tonight, the fight also brought him to the attention of fight fans, as he showed courage in finally taking on a tough opponent rather than taking an easier route to a significant title shot.

Ward, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, displayed an exciting blend of offense and defense, skill and power, blending amateur skills with sly knowledge of the professional squared circle.

Miranda, game and macho throughout the fight, coming forward while waiting for a knockout moment that never came, was no more than the foil to Ward's showcase tonight, as Ward gave the veteran a boxing lesson.

In the first round, Miranda, known for dirty tactics, headbutted Ward, opening a gash over Ward's left eye. Ward didn't blink.

The butt was ruled accidental, and Ward showed courage and professionalism by keeping his cool and implementing a number of jab-right hand combinations with each punch coming up from his feet for maximum impact in the very same round.

Between rounds, we were introduced to Ward's corner, including his trainer, Virgil Hunter, and his cutman, "Stitch" Duran, author of acclaimed cutman training DVD "Giving the Fighter One More Round." Duran's understanding of the art of stopping blood flow came in handy, and the cut did not become a major issue in the fight.

Offensively, Ward came in at Miranda from a variety of angles, moving around the ring, mostly to his right away from Miranda's power shots. Ambidextrous, Ward moved between the southpaw and traditional stances before settling into a left hand stance in the later rounds, after Hunter noted that Miranda was being broken down by the powerful left hands which met their target again and again from this stance.

Ward's offense doubled as his defense, as his head and lateral movement kept him away from Miranda's punches, prompting commentators to note more than once that Miranda looked like an amateur as Ward made him miss, then countered effectively.

Ward blocked shots when Miranda come in close, spent most of the fight either comfortably outside of Miranda's range or inside of his punches, and used some man-handling techniques of his own to 'bully the bully' as commentators noted.

Adding to my enjoyment of the fight, Virgil Hunter offered many choice tidbits to his fighter from the corner. After round eight, he noted the psychological shift in the ring, "You breaking his heart."

He offered very specific combinations for use in upcoming rounds, like "Take a small half-step back and go in with an uppercut and a hook," which Ward translated into action. His advice before the championship rounds revealed his contribution to his fighter's patience throughout the fight, "Don't go for the knockout. Beat him up."

After the decision was announced, Ward declared that he is coming after the WBC super middleweight belt currently held by Carl Froch, who recently defended it against Jermain Taylor. Froch, who beat Taylor by knockout in the last round while behind on 2 of 3 judges' cards, better watch out.

Pacquiao-Hatton Coverage: And the Winner Is...Austin

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 03 May 2009 10:10:40 -0400

Austin and San Antonio are well-known boxing rivals in Texas. There is an edge to this battle, as it exhibits all the shady aspects found in the wider world of boxing.

Just ask any Austin amateur who goes up against a San Antonio boxer in San Antonio—everybody knows you’d better knock out your opponent, or the decision is more than likely to go to your rival.

So, in the charged lead-up to the Hatton-Pacquiao fight, I decided to determine how the two cities were faring in the online battle for the best pre- and post-fight coverage of the event.

Representing San Antonio will be mysa.com, led by columnist John Whisler. Representing Austin will be Cedric Golden with the statesman.com. I am judging these two cities head-to-head in only two rounds:

Round One, Pre-fight Coverage: Whose analysis is more prescient? Whose provides the most current info leading up to the fight? Who best addresses local issues of interest?
Round Two, Post-fight Coverage: Who follows up quickest? Whose analysis is more stimulating and comprehensive?

Round One: Before the Real Fight

As for comprehensive pre-fight coverage, statesman.com was clearly ahead. Other than a blurb in Whisler's column on April 26, the only analysis offered by mysa.com was an article by Associated Press writer Greg Beacham on Feb. 5 (when the fight was officially announced).

Meanwhile, Cedric Golden of statesman.com wrote several pieces updating Austinites about the most important local issue leading up to the fight: the rise and fall of James Kirkland, who was imprisoned rather than being able to rock Las Vegas on the second of May.

It helps to have good people in your corner, and Golden’s back-up on pre-fight coverage was talented Associated Press writer/Las Vegas boxing expert Tim Dahlberg, who published both public interest stories (Pacquaio’s special appearance at a San Francisco Giants baseball game) and up-to-date analysis of the media blitz surroundig the week before the fight.

On prescience, this one is a draw: Both mysa.com and statesman.com correctly predicted the winner of the fight.

In the April 26 blurb devoted to analysis of the fight, John Whisler predicted that Pacman would win by seventh-round TKO, so he was off by a few rounds but correct about the Pacman’s dominance. Tim Dahlberg predicted a Pacquaio win without being more specific.

Round Two: After Pacquiao’s Victory

Austin wins by KO here.

Before midnight on May 2, the statesman.com ran a comprehensive Associated Press article, again by Tim Dahlberg, about Pacquaio’s beautiful demolition of Hatton within two rounds.

The article included what may have been the best quote of the night, when Pacquiao answered a question about whether anything surprised him with “I’m surprised the fight was so easy.”

And San Antonio? Finally, on May 3, John Whisler provided a comprehensive analysis of...Kirkland’s arrest?!

The only fight he covered was a preview of the upcoming Dawson/Tarver rematch.

Sorry, San Antonio, when it came to covering the fight of the year, Austin hit you with a punch you didn’t even see coming.

Pacquaio Defines Pound For Pound at Hatton's Expense

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 03 May 2009 01:11:42 -0400

Anticipation was electric at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas tonight, after the completion of the four undercard fights. Fans of the 'Hitman' Hatton filled the air with drumbeats, confident about sending their brave warrior out to battle.

Manny 'Pacman' Pacquaio's entourage lingered almost embarrassingly in his corner before he moved to the center of the ring to touch gloves with his opponent. And then, within the space of two rounds, Pacquaio used superior boxing skills to completely dismantle the English hero.

From the first moments of the round, Pacquaio owned the ring, displaying beautiful footwork and timing as he hit Hatton with combinations, including a short right hook he perfected in his training camp. Hatton made the mistake of coming straight forward with his hands down, succumbing to the excitement of the moment.

Within two minutes, Hatton made his first trip to the canvas from a fierce right hand at close range. Hatton tried to hold on for the next minute until he was floored again just before the closing bell. Hatton looked like a man lost in deep water in his corner between rounds, as Floyd Mayweather Sr. pointed out that he had not stuck to their defensive plan to move his head and use some boxing skills.

In the second round, Pacquaio continued to tag Hatton with combinations, placing punches from a variety of angles and timing Hatton perfectly. Hatton looked like an awkward pub fighter, chasing Pacquaio unsuccessfully while Pacquaio continued to land devastating punches from a variety of angles.

After slipping a few of Hatton's wild shots, Pacquaio closed the deal with a short left hook exactly on Hatton's chin, forcing him to fall straight onto his side like a dead man with only a second left in the fight. Hatton was lucky to get up off of the canvas a few minutes after the referee waved up the fight.

Most expected this fight to last more than three rounds. Freddie Roach, holding the knowledge of the addition of the right hook into Pacquaio's arsenal, knew the fight would be over before then.

This fight was a beautiful reminder that boxing skills, hand speed, and the ability to think in the ring will beat brute force and wild aggression any day. Sorry, Ricky, that's what it means to go up against the pound-for-pound champ.

"The Wrestler"—A Painful Portrait

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:48:20 -0400

I just finished watching "The Wrestler" on DVD. To be more specific, I just finished crying after watching "The Wrestler."

For those of you who haven't seen it, the story follows a professional wrestler, played by Mickey Rourke, through the masochistic rituals he goes through to prepare his body for a match and through some extremely painful fights in an attempt to reimagine his life story.

Randy "The Ram's" love interest is a stripper, and the film portrays wrestling throughout as the male version of selling one's body. Although many moves are choreographed before the matches and there is a sense of camaraderie among many of the wrestlers, the price exacted is physical pain.

From the practice of 'gigging' or self-inflicting wounds to give spectators some bloodshed to more frightening practices of using a staple gun in truly self-injurious fashion, the wrestling world as presented in this film exacts a powerful toll on the body as well as the spirit of the wrestler, as exemplified by "The Ram's" ultimate dive into what remains of his destiny.

The fighting arts are cruel. As a boxing fan, I have never watched professional wrestling. I had imagined that wrestling, with its performance and choreographed elements, was more about pretend pain than real.

A few years ago, I remember feeling that Million Dollar Baby portrayed a depressing exaggeration of many elements of boxing. I am curious to hear from this community about whether this movie captures something real about the world of professional wrestling.

Lightweight Lightning in Austin: The Fights Live Up to the Hype

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:47:50 -0400

by Mark Mederson and Stacy Nakell

Currently, most boxing observers consider the lightweight division as the best in the sport. With several fighters in the division vying for the unofficial title of “pound for pound greatest”, a seemingly endless list of additional fighters compete for the actual lightweight championship belts.

Among those who have fought at the 135-pound weight are Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr., all arguably members or associates of that exclusive “pound-for-pound” club.

Those who may not necessarily be in the PFP club also help to make the 135-pound weight class boxing’s most exciting. The list reads like a "who’s who" of the sport including Juan Diaz, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor, Nate Campbell, and many others.

On Apr. 4 , Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions compiled a four-fight card of lightweight boxers. They were expected to create additional buzz by throwing even more names into the mix of the 135-pound title free-for-all.

At 7:55 PM on Saturday night in Austin, TX, there was an air of excitement in the Erwin Center. The Lightweight Lightning card was about to begin, and fighters of note were beginning to file in toward ringside.

James Kirkland, Victor Ortiz, Juan Diaz, Jesse James Leija, Ann Wolfe, and Bernard Hopkins representing Golden Boy Promotions were all there.

The crowds came out in support of their heroes: The only question was, would these fights satisfy the itch for great ones drummed up by the buzz?

The answer was yes. All four fights of the night lived up to expectations.

After a stellar run up to the title fight of the evening, the crowd was poised for the return of Edwin Valero to the American boxing scene.

Valero made an impression in his first 12 fights after his professional debut in 2002 by scoring 12 first round knockouts in a row.

Fans of the southpaw's knockout power were disappointed when, in early 2004, he was denied a boxing licence in NY after a pre-fight MRI revealed a hole in his skull, stemming from injuries from a motorcycle accident earlier in his life.

Having been denied a license in most U.S. states, he continued his first-round knockout streak for six more fights.

He came into this fight undefeated in 24 fights with 24 KOs.

Some have questioned Valero's record. Many of his previous fights took place overseas amid rumors that his technical skills were waning without the guidance of a skilled trainer.

This year, after extensive testing, Texas officials granted him a license. The fight against Pitalua served as a challenge to Valero, while representing for Pitalua the title shot he had hoped for throughout his 16 year career.

For this fight, the trainer in Valero's corner was Robert Alcazar, a man who trained Oscar de la Hoya through much of his career. With the right trainer in place, he had to prove himself in this fight in the U.S. against a seasoned veteran with a good record (Pitalua came to the fight at 46-3 with 37 knockouts), and do it impressively.

Talks between Top Rank and Golden Boy suggested that if he could accomplish this feat, doors might be ready to open for him in the Lightweight division.

Valero did not disappoint.

He came out strong in the first round, displaying some great boxing skills, with hands so fast Pitalua looked like he was moving in slow-motion.

He feinted, he mixed up his punches to the head and to the body, jabbed his opponent continuously with a beautiful jab, and pulled off lead left/right hook combinations at will.

Valero's jabs began in the ball of his back foot, with his right hand extending out in a straight line from the foot. He kept his hands low, almost down to his waist, but his reflexes were quick and he jumped back or to the side in time to miss most of Pitalua's punches.

Throughout the round, Pitalua seemed like the small kid on the playground being jumped by the school bully, and the crowd waited anxiously for the next round to begin to watch Valero's inevitable triumph.

Soon after, Valero made it happen.

With a perfectly placed jab/straight left hand/right hook combination, Pitalua was sent on his first trip to the canvas early in the second round. With his man in trouble, Valero flew after him like a tornado, throwing hooks and straight left hands until Pitalua collapsed in spectacular fashion 49 seconds into the round.

Valero explained after the fight that although he had planned on a longer bout with the veteran Pitalua, he knew in the first round that it would be a short night.

"The opportunity came in the first round. I hit him with some jabs, and I broke his soul down. I felt that after I hit him with a left hand, it was going to go quickly."

The card also included notable former champions Jesus “El Matador” Chavez, Julio “The Kidd” Diaz and Carlos “El Famosa” Hernandez. These former belt holders wanted to prove they deserved to be back in the upper tier of boxing’s rankings.

Unfortunately, each left the ring defeated.

For Chavez and Hernandez, 36 and 38-years-old respectively, these losses should signal an end to their boxing careers. At times during their fights, each gave us a glimpse into their championship-past, showing why they were still mentioned as contenders.

Prior to the fights, each had claimed that a loss would mean retirement. But to fight for a living means a “never say die” attitude must be swimming somewhere deep in their DNA. In speaking with both fighters at the end of the night, neither was willing to announce that they are ready to hang up the gloves.

Carlos Hernandez, who displayed a lion’s heart in going the distance with his much younger opponent, Vincente Escobedo, also displayed a great deal of emotion in the post-fight press conference. He hinted at retirement with the qualified statement, “maybe I passed the torch tonight.”

Jesus Chavez, a former two-division champion, who had been hampered by a series of shoulder and knee injuries of late, looked like his old self in the early rounds of his match with Australian, Michael Katsidis.

This was a great pairing since both fighters’ style is to move forward and throw caution to the wind, the result being two warriors battling toe-to-toe.

As often happens when two bulls collide, the result is a clash of heads.

That’s exactly what happened in round four.

Unfortunately for Chavez, the unintentional head butt opened up a deep gash at his hairline and blood immediately poured down over his left eye.

Chavez admitted after the fight that the head clash, cut, and resulting blood were a turning point in the fight, as well as a factor in his decision, after round seven, to call it a night.

But, like Hernandez, he still is not quite ready to call it a career, stating that this was, “more than likely my last fight.”

At 29, Julio Diaz had the best chance of getting back on the title track. The first fight of the evening, between Diaz and Orlando Reyes, initially had the crowd worried.

Though Diaz was ahead on the scorecards through the fourth round, in the second round, Reyes caught Diaz with some good jabs. Reyes’ power brought a hesitance to Diaz’ approach, prompting booing from the crowd.

The boos continued through the third round.

In round five, Rolando Reyes revealed his fight strategy (wait for the perfect counter) with an overhand right hand. While Diaz immediately fell to the canvas, he managed to beat the count, only to experience a barrage of Reyes punches which forced referee, Greg Alvarez, to end the bout.

The crowd, surprised by the turn of events, went wild.

Diaz, who was highly ranked on several lists, may have suffered the biggest loss of the night.

In the end, a fight card that had the potential to thrust as many as four boxers into the mix of boxing’s best division, probably only boosted two.

Michael Katsidis took one more small step toward improving his standing as a 140-pounder. And while many compare him to Arturo Gatti, he may need to find the division’s version of Mickey Ward to truly set him apart.

Edwin Valero, on the other hand, eliminated any doubt that remained in skeptics boxing minds. The Venezualan dynamo has earned an invitation to join the lightweight division’s list of top fighters.

Valero was appropriately proud of his victory, letting his new fans in Austin know that due to his limited license, he plans to return to Austin in June or July of this year to fight again.

Valero and his promoter, Bob Arum, were excited to talk about what is next for new WBC Lightweight Champion. Both suggested that Valero's performance in this fight puts him in position to be next in line for Juan Manuel Marquez, or Manny Pacquaio if he were ever to decide to return to 135, an unlikely scenario.

JMM would be a very difficult challenge for Valero, as he would not be so easily put away as Pitalua, and fans would get the chance to see how Valero could handle a superb boxer.

Valero made it clear that he is ready for the challenges ahead, stating, "This is the new start to my career—I will continue my dedication to giving 1000 percent in training, and I want you to know if you haven't heard of me before this fight that I am here to stay."

Oscar De La Hoya's "American Son": A Glimpse into the Life of the Golden Boy

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:35:23 -0400

Oscar de la Hoya: Former Champion? Washed up fighter? Shrewd entrepreneur? An enigma, a superstar, he is the recipient of the fantasies and the projections of millions of people worldwide, boxing fans and non-boxing fans alike.

In 2008, Oscar published an autobiography with Steve Springer entitled American Son: My Story.

The book covers many elements of his life, from his childhood in a family of Mexican immigrants with a boxing bloodline through his success at the highest level of both amateur and professional boxing, to the establishment of Golden Boy Promotions.

The end of the story comes before de la Hoya's loss to Pacquaio, which would be an interesting footnote.

It is a bit surreal to go inside de la Hoya's world of fame and celebrity. He has some narcissistic tendencies, so he sometimes views the world through a very self-centered lens, and admits to feeling hollow in some ways.

It is probably true, however, that it is this very competitive, self-focused drive was the characteristic that brought him to the top of his sport.

It is interesting to learn, as de la Hoya describes his development, that he set his sights on an Olympic gold medal in boxing as early as sixth grade. As the child of immigrants from Mexico, living in East L.A., this dream was little Oscar's version of the American Dream.

De la Hoya is honest in the book about some of his defeats (though he protects his ego in writing about others, particularly about his '07 loss to Mayweather), and he describes his determination at the age of 7 to redeem himself from a humiliating loss his first time in the ring at the age of 4 to an older, more experienced cousin, with the rest of his family watching.

When he returns to the ring three years later, the reader can feel the intensity of his determination at the age of seven to redeem himself from that loss.

One element of de la Hoya's career that surprised me was his frequent switching of trainers.

These changes would occur because either he or his father, from whom he always sought approval, would become discontented with some element of the training and feel they needed to move on to someone better.

By the time he got to the top, he was lonely and unsatisfied.

De la Hoya found renewed meaning in his pursuit and attainment of a famous Puerto Rican singer as his wife.

He applied his determination to making sure he wouldn't become just another retired boxer whenever he retires, applying both the knowledge and the publicity he gained as a boxer in creating and running Golden Boy Promotions.

He describes the trial and error learning curve in creating the company as he honed his decision-making and negotiation skills.

Part nostalgic reminiscences of peak moments, part unveiling of the truth of his personal experience, American Son is worth the read for the glimpse into the world of the man behind the myth.

Vitali Klitschko Makes Easy Work of Juan Carlos Gomez

Stacy W.L. — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 23:51:47 -0400

I have never caught any of Vitali Klitschko's fights, and have sometimes wondered why his and his brother's rule of the heavyweight division doesn't garner the pair much affection in the United States.

After watching the Klitschko/Gomez fight tonight on ESPN, however, I have to admit that I was underwhelmed by Klitschko's performance. Yes, he is very strong and he has some boxing skills and he likes to put his man away.

In the fight, Klitschko had the important physical advantage. He is a tall man who knows how to use his height, and was able to keep the shorter Gomez from being able to do any damage to him.

By the fifth or sixth round, when Gomez was getting thoroughly beaten and his right eye was almost swollen shut, when he did get in on the inside of Klitschko's persistent offense, he could do no more than hold on.

Klitschko finished it out at 1:49 of the eighth round, after beating Gomez around the ring and mat.

Confusingly, Klitschko was given a point deduction for a head butt in the ninth round, shortly before the end of the fight. It didn't make sense to me or to the commentators that someone who was so clearly in control of the fight would choose that moment to cheat.

I watched it back a few times, however, and it did seem that Klitschko intentionally butted his head against Gomez' head. Throughout the fight, Klitschko fought dirty rather than just relying on his already substantial ownership of the ring to get his work done. In the seventh round, Klitschko punched his opponent after he was down.

And finally, adding injury to insult, when Gomez finally turned his back in submission to the mightier foe Klitschko literally reached around from behind him to send a few more sucker punches toward his nose before the referree got in between them to stop the fight.

The fight left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, and I just couldn't celebrate with Vitali Klitschko as he strutted around the ring. I don't know which heavyweight Klitschko might risk who could knock him out, but at this point, I would like to see it happen.

James Kirkland Stops Joel Julio in Six: A Shark in Bloody Water Finds His Target

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:09:00 -0400

There was a lot of noise coming out of my house in a quiet neighborhood in Austin, TX last night.

My fellow gym rat Ellen and I were screaming and dancing around as we watched our stable mate James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland destroy his opponent Joel Julio. Kirkland left a broken man where a knockout artist had been.

It was a beautiful thing to watch.

We both felt good after reading that Kirkland had "won" the weigh-in, looking cut and calm, and inciting fear in the heart of his opponent.

There is something truly scary about the sincerity with which James licks his chops for the blood of his opponent, and I think Julio knew that he was in over his head.

Trainer Ann Wolfe’s description of her fighter as a shark in bloody water seemed particularly apt. You could almost see Kirkland smelling the blood from his corner before the fight began.

Watching the fight, six rounds of punishment for Julio from Kirkland, I had the clear sense of predator and prey roles for the two fighters.

After tasting Kirkland’s power and the irritant of his constant pressure, Julio looked like a man wondering how much of this he would have to take. In his corner between rounds, he seemed speechless and on the verge of tears.

Before the fight, Kirkland acknowledged that he was aware that Julio was a step above his previous opponents, with significant power of his own. This realization led him to make an adjustment in the ring. As he put it in an interview with HBO before the fight, “I finally started listening to my trainers.”

Kirkland’s one disadvantage in the ring has always been the underbelly of his biggest advantage. He has so much natural talent and strength that he hasn’t had to integrate more advanced boxing skills into his repertoire.

In this fight, Kirkland was truly impressive as he combined his natural ferocity with some slick boxing maneuvers. He blocked shots with his elbows, slipped and countered, used his jab, and attacked the body to ensure that his prey wouldn’t be able to get away.

My prediction was off by one round. Julio made it through the sixth and wanted no more.

Of course, Kirkland can still work on using angles rather than going straight for his opponent, moving his head out of the way of straight right hand shots, and keeping his hands up more consistently by his jaw.

As Ann likes to say, however, everybody has weaknesses, it’s just a matter of who gets in first to take advantage. Kirkland’s future opponents, be warned: James is very good and getting even better at getting in on you first.

Two Knockout Artists Meet This Saturday on HBO: James Kirkland Vs. Joel Julio

Stacy W.L. — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:32:09 -0500

I am excitedly awaiting the Saturday Night Fights on HBO. In particular, I am looking forward to watching James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland (24-0--21 KOs) continue his rise up the ranks at 154.

James believes in fighting whoever it takes to get to the top, and he has a date with a man whose knockout reputation rivals James’ own. Though I train at the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym with James, I have had a hard time catching up with him before this fight. This is because Ann knew that in order to be ready to fight Joel Julio (34-2, 31 KOs), southpaw Kirkland must rely on more than the natural aggression, physical power, and raw talent he always brings into the ring.

For this fight, Ann wanted him also to be in the best shape of his life, and in the past few months, she has been making that happen. Ann rented a 3,000-acre plot of land in the country, more than an hour outside of Austin, TX, and has led James through the depths of her old-school training methods.

Assistant coach Pops Billingsley tries to summarize, “He did everything out there--he ran, hit the mitts, did all the tire drills, punched a heavy bag attached to a moving truck, and sparred 30-40 rounds with a guy we brought in from Vegas.”

One of my fellow female gym rats, Ellen, agreed that Ann did something right with James heading into this fight. She noted with awe after watching him spar, "(James) looked better than I’ve seen before, all focused, and ready."

When I finally caught up with James by phone at his hotel in San Jose, CA, he gave his own summary, “I’m feeling good, man. In training I worked real hard, out in the country. I’m already on my weight so I’m just sitting back. My mind is focused on putting in good work and making him pay, making him hurt.”

So, what I know is that James is ready for this new challenge. And from what I have seen and read, Joel Julio is ready too. Pops puts it succinctly, “It’s going to be a barnburner, it could go either way, and it won’t last long.”

On that note—I know I’m biased but I’m taking Kirkland by knockout in less than five rounds.

Humberto Toledo vs. Breidis Prescott Bite DQ

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:06:15 -0500

Humberto Toledo vs. Prescott Bite DQ

I just got back into town from a business trip and watched this past Friday’s ESPN2 Friday Night Fights by Ti-Vo. My boyfriend prepped me by telling me to watch the fight closely. He mentioned that it wouldn’t end in the way I might expect.

During the fight, ESPN commentators expressed the action in the metaphor of dog—Prescott, who was out for the kill—vs. the cat—Toledo—who occasionally succeeded in scratching the sometimes defensively lacking Toledo. Toledo fought dirty all night, and, in the end, the term rabid raccoon probably described him more accurately than cat.

Toledo used elbows and head butts all evening, and had a point taken away in the 8th round for holding and hitting. In the 10th round, with palpable desperation stemming from Toledo’s understanding of his own slow demise in the ring at the hands of the more skilled man, Toledo acted on his desperation.

Away from view of the referree, Toledo bit his opponent deeply in the shoulder. Prescott’s face contorted in surprised pain and the referree disqualified Toledo after one look at the blood flying from bitemarks on Prescott’s left neck/shoulder area.

After the fight, Teddy Atlas suggested that Toledo was consciously looking for a way out of the fight. My sense was actually that of a man who was allowed to develop ring behavior which brought him closer to the primal realities contained in the shadows of the ring.

When these parts of the brain are ignited, fighting becomes less a ring than the true battle zone of a Gladiator who realizes that he is losing the literal fight for his life. I felt that Mike Tyson had similarly free reign in the shadow dimension when he went for Holyfield’s ear.

The bite disgusted me and yet reminded me that boxing is a contained, rule-bound expression of the aggression that all of us carry within.

Ann Wolfe: Boxer, Trainer, Philosopher

Stacy W.L. — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:26:30 -0500

Many of you know Ann Wolfe as a female titleholder in four weight classes. The popular YouTube video of her knocking Vanda Ward unconscious with one punch says it all about her domination in the ring.

Others of you may know Ann as a top female trainer, guiding her protégé James Kirkland up the ranks through Golden Boy Boxing Promotions. ESPN and HBO commentators talk with awe about her old school, 100% blood sweat and tears approach to training.

You may be interested to know Ann Wolfe also as a philosopher of boxing, of the soul, of courage, and mental toughness, and even of fear. In this conversation with Ann, she outlined some of the boxing principles she puts into practice with her Wolfepack of amateur and professional boxers, male and female, ages 6 to 66.

Ann came to boxing through the oldest doorway into the sport--survival skills. She learned to fight to survive, to protect her family. This includes both the siblings she helped through the death of their parents and the three children of her own she now fiercely protects. Ann puts it simply, "I got no breaks."

Ann calls boxing a "poor-man's sport," a ticket out of nowhere. She herself has experienced that 'nowhere'-- she was living on the streets before she found her trainer Pops Billingsley and a boxing career and then helped others get off of the streets by founding her own gym. Ann learned in school that she could use her mental and physical advantages over other girls on the basketball team to cope with the fact that she never fit in, "My shoes didn't match the other girls' shoes. But I could score 30 points while they were scoring 4."

Though she respects the sport of boxing and where it has led her, she also acknowledges the toll it takes on the "mind, body, and soul of the fighter." She is also blunt about the punishment fighters take throughout the years, as she explains, "boxing is so cruel and it is like killing."

Ann passes this fact on to her boxers from the first time they enter into the ring. She tells her fighters that they need to get in touch with their inner killers as they step through the ropes, warning them that their opponents will also have destruction on their minds.

One of Ann's skills as a trainer is the ability to evaluate and train each fighter differently. Her survival skills have led her to view each person she meets 'as if they were naked'--stripping them of money, charm, ego, and sniffing out their inner motivations. "I try to figure out what motivates them and what moves them. I try to bring out the best and the worst in each fighter--the strengths and the fears. When you can tap into people's real emotions, you can get them to perform at their best." She also explains that a boxing gym is of necessity a place where people learn life lessons as well as skills
and toughness. Though learning how to dominate in the ring can be one part of becoming a great boxer, it is only one part, as she points out, "In order to be a whole boxer, you've got to be a whole person outside of the gym."

It does all start in the gym, though, and the first test for most of the boxers who walk through the door is a confrontation in the ring with Ann herself. Men, women, boys, girls, anyone who gets in the ring with Ann finds themselves face-to-face with a woman whose mental toughness is even more overwhelming than her physical strength.

"I've faced so much, you can put me in a room with anyone and I know how to survive. I think that's who I am," she explains. "I'm so mentally strong, if you even think you have a chance to beat me I'm going to hurt you." After one or two rounds in the ring with Ann, each boxer comes to learn two things--respect for her as a trainer, and an understanding of how well they can face down the fear in their own hearts. Some boxers don't come back. The ones who return, Ann laughs, have "paid the piper," and are ready to start preparing for the cold reality of the ring, as well as for its seductive rewards of honor, prestige, and riches.

Boxing: Can Margarito Stop Mosley?

Stacy W.L. — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:12:56 -0500

A welterweight battle between “Sugar” Shane Mosley and the “Tijuana Tornado” looks to be one of the most anticipated matchups for 2009. The fight will come to fruition this on Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be televised on HBO.

On the line will be Margarito’s WBA belt, as well as—of course—the pride of each man.

Both men are coming off of impressive wins.

Margarito showed the spirit of a warrior last year in a fight with Miguel Cotto. Margarito took punishment in the early rounds before picking him apart in the later rounds for an eleventh round knockout to win the belt Mosley hopes to take from him on Saturday.

Mosley gained confidence last year when he overcame Ricardo Mayorga in a twelfth round knockout, showing his commitment to finishing his man in the last few seconds of the fight.

Both men have impressive records. Each has held a variety of championship belts and neither has ever been knocked out.

Many people have lost respect for Mosley lately after reports showed that he used steroids before a fight with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley denied knowing that the substances he took were illegal. In this instance, Mosley tried to take a shortcut rather than to rely on his own strength and talent to win a hard fight.

Margarito is famous for never taking shortcuts in his training. The doping incident may point to a difference in the hearts of the two men that I predict will also make a difference in the ring on Saturday.

It is tempting to focus on the ages of the two men, given Margarito’s seven-year advantage on 37-year-old Mosley. However, as David Avila pointed out in a Press-Enterprise podcast this month, if we consider Margarito’s early entry into the professional boxing arena at the age of 15, the men are roughly the same “ring age.”

This means that the amount of punishment they have taken in their careers is comparable. As Bernard Hopkins has recently shown us, good training and lifestyle choices can add to a veteran boxer’s experience. It gives the power to outwork a younger opponent.

Let’s look instead at the way each man fared in the ring with a foe they had in common. First, we will look at the example of Miguel Cotto. Margarito’s destruction of Cotto was built on two factors—Margarito’s iron chin and his ability to apply pressure throughout the fight. Cotto found it very discouraging that Margarito could take the best punches he had to offer, and Margarito had gained the mental advantage by the middle of the fight. He put Cotto away with precise, deadly combinations.

Mosley fought Cotto in November 2007, and lost a unanimous decision. In this fight, it was Cotto who frustrated Mosley. Cotto stuffed jabs in Mosley’s face to keep him from getting set up as he took Mosley’s punches and continued to press forward. This fight was similar to Mosley’s two losses to Winky Wright, in which he was also frustrated by the consistency of his opponent’s jab.

If Cotto outsmarted and outworked Mosley, and Margarito outsmarted and outworked Cotto, it would stand to reason that Margarito should still hold the WBA belt in his hands at the end of this fight. As long as Margarito applies his usual warrior mentality and pressure, in addition to keeping busy with his jab and a using a variety of combinations, he will be able to frustrate Mosley and send him home feeling like an old man.

If Mosley wants this belt, he needs to be doing his work before the fight. He needs to get in the best shape of his life so that he can withstand punishment into the twelfth round. He also needs to practice the boxing skills he knows best like working to the body, moving in and out of range and using angles, and sharpening his mental game. Otherwise, he might taste the canvas.

I wouldn’t even be surprised if Margarito can be the first to stop Mosley in his tracks.

Our New President Barack Obama and His Boxing Gloves

Stacy W.L. — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:37:01 -0500

United States elections always bring to mind boxing metaphors. Each election season, pundits call on images from the boxing ring to capture the various dynamics of the ongoing fight for the seat of power.

This Inauguration Day, boxing fans can be proud that the man who just became the 44th U.S. president has a personal respect for the Sweet Science.

Boxing gloves are an important symbol in Barack Obama’s history. In his book The Dreams of My Father, Obama describes his teenage experience of being taught how to box by his stepfather.

Barack's stepfather taught his stepson two critically important life lessons when he brought two pairs of boxing gloves home after Barack came home complaining of the unfairness of being hit by a boy at school. These were: (1) defend yourself at all times, and (2) the man who can win a fight can control his own destiny.

With his mixed-race heritage, Obama embodies one kind of man who seeks triumph in the ring—the underdog, a man claiming a spot of wisdom outside of the majority culture. He showed the strength, intelligence, and skill necessary to claim a position of power, and his stepfather's boxing lessons were a step on his climb to an improbable knockout in November’s election.

Hopefully these steps will lead him to a successful and prosperous presidency.

A Brief History of Pops Billingsley—Trainer of Ann Wolfe

Stacy W.L. — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:25:50 -0500

At the Ann Wolfe boxing gym if Ann Wolfe is the heart of the gym, her trainer, Pops Billingsley, is its spiritual soul. An HBO commentator characterized Pops as a boxing coach "straight from central casting," and it is true that he fits the part—an African-American man with a shock of grey hair, few teeth, and Yoda-like wisdom.

His is the first smile to greet visitors to the gym, he is the first to introduce new boxers to work on the mitts, he closes each training session with a prayer, and the muscle memory of his innovative training methods pulses through Ann’s own training techniques.

Pops was born Donald Billingsley, in Austin Texas, on March 3, 1938. He was born into a harsh world of poverty and racial inequality, one which would prime him to become a fighter. His mother moved the family to Roswell, New Mexico, when he was five years old, and she became very sick. With no friends or family around to help, little Donald was forced by necessity to beg for food from house to house.

Pops traces God’s hand in his life back to that time, noting that although he performed this task in winter in shorts without shoes, he never felt cold. More evidence of God’s kindness came in the form of Pops’ aunt, who he came to refer to as “Mother Dear”, who came to New Mexico to find his family, and took them to her home in San Antonio, Texas to nurse them all back to health.

When his mother was ready to leave, he decided to stay with Mother Dear, and credits his own ability to stay out of trouble to her loving and clear guidance.

Pops was never a stranger to hard work, picking cotton to help his aunt with household expenses from the age of five. He was also never a stranger to fighting—defending himself in the streets against gangs, with too much pride to get his older brother for help.

School was difficult for him—he likes to tell the story of how he couldn’t grasp reading comprehension until he picked up the bible in 1965 and suddenly all of the words came to life—so he found his identity in sports. Though he was good at basketball and a star on the football team, it was boxing that gripped him for the long term. In high school, he fought as an amateur, and was deeply affected by an incident in which he got a bad cut over his eye and was taken to the hospital for stitches.

Though he didn’t know exactly where his resolution would take him, he resolved to discover a technique for boxing which would focus on protecting fighters against cuts and injuries.

Pops worked hard on this technique, which involved putting punches together in a devastating order and slipping punches with graceful body and footwork. Later in his life, he taught his own sons this technique, and found it to be successful at keeping them safe in the ring.

He balanced work as a janitor at a high school in Austin with training his children and other children in the neighborhood as amateur fighters. Inclusivity came naturally to Pops, and just as he brought black, Mexican, and white students together at the newly integrated Johnston High School, he brought neighborhood children of all backgrounds together to train and compete.

When he looked for a gym to house his makeshift team, he found Montopolis Gym in East Austin. At first, he got a chilly reception from the fighters there, most of whom were of Mexican descent and weren’t open to being coached by an African American man.

Eventually, however, his boxers began to outbox the rest of the fighters, and Pops was promoted to the role of head coach. It was there, in 1995, that Pops met the woman who would become his pride and joy, Ann Wolfe.

That first meeting was a magical moment for them both. As Pops describes it, Ann, a beautiful, tough woman, walked into the gym one day and asked Pops if he would teach her how to box. She was living on the streets at the time and was used to fighting to protect herself and her family. She had seen women fighting for money on T.V. and realized she could turn her fierceness into a ticket out of the streets.

Pops, skeptical about women boxing, told her no. He couldn’t hold on to his resistance when she looked him straight in the eye and told him, “If you teach me how to box, I will never leave you.” He thought about all of the boxers who had left him as soon as they got enough skills to move on to the big time, and he relented. He notes with amazement that she indeed kept her promise of loyalty, and has never left his side.

Pops had found a boxer who would work as hard as he could push her, and he laughs as he remembers making her run five miles with him driving behind her in his truck, making her hit a heavy bag on the truck while running backwards, egging her on by telling her ‘This is a man’s world’ while sparring with her, and finally putting her in the ring with heavyweight men and letting her get beaten around until she figured out how to get the upper hand even in those unfair circumstances.

He watched the anger she had carried on her shoulders dissipate as she channeled it into the ring, and describes the love that grew between them as trainer and boxer, as he realized that he could help her to become the greatest female boxer in the world.

When Ann decided to open her own gym in August, 2003, Pops let her know that he would back her up completely. He was ready to let go of the role of head trainer to be her assistant, noting that she has a natural talent for training boxers, and is able to train alongside her fighters in a way he was no longer able. He looks forward to the day when her work with up-and-coming 154-lb. James Kirkland will lead her to the honor of becoming the first female to train a world champion.

Pops has worked Ann’s corner at each of her fights, and continues to work the corner with her at every amateur competition. His most recent motivation has come in the form of Ann’s new baby, Zion. He senses Zion’s natural interest in and aptitude for boxing, and looks forward to the days ahead when he can pass along to Zion the intricacies of the sweet science.

When Pops walks around town, he is constantly greeted by people whose life he has touched in some way, and he is a man content with the impact he has made in the world.

Top 10 Most Exciting Boxing Matchups of 2009

Stacy W.L. — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:19:13 -0500

As 2008 draws to a close, I look back on it as a year when two stellar fighters retired undefeated, a Latin hero was dismembered, and potential future champions climbed up the ranks on the backs of other hopefuls.

2009 will see the answers to some important questions about who can rise from defeat to triumph, who is really the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and whether or not Mayweather will be compelled back into the ring to risk his perfect record for another big payday.

Here’s my list of what to look forward to:

Already on the Books

1. Margarito will take on Shane Mosley in a welterweight battle on Jan. 24, 2009 in Los Angeles

This match pairs two very talented fighters, both of whom have recently beat fearsome competition in impressive victories (Margarito’s KO over Cotto, Mosley’s 12th round stoppage of Mayorga). Mosley is a slicker boxer than Cotto, and I think this fight has the potential to be a war for 12 rounds ending in a draw, as both fighters prove their toughness.

2. IBO/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Nate Campbell will defend his titles against Ali Funeka on Feb. 14, 2009 (location TBA)

Though I favor Campbell in this fight, with his long arms and knockout power, Funeka might manage a knockout upset like he did in his recent challenge to Zahir Raheem.

3. Jorge “Travieso” Arce will take on Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan in a superflyweight bout on Feb. 7, 2009 (location TBA)

This matchup has all of the elements of a great fight—two punchers whose offense is their main defense, strong emotions (Darchinyan vows to punish Arce for calling him a "fraud"), and questionable chins on both men. Darchinyan has the edge here, but I think Arce has a chance.

Likely

4. Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton vs. Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao fighting at 140 lbs.

Pacquiao is an easy pick on this one, as Hatton is a novice at the kind of boxing skills in which Pacquiao is an expert, and fast hands usually beat brute strength. Hatton has vowed to retire after this fight, and may have to once Pacquiao demolishes the Englishman.

5. Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik vs. Arthur “The King" Abraham in a middleweight title fight

I am hoping that Pavlik took Hopkins’ advice to learn some slick boxing skills, learns from his painful loss, and can get a knockout win against Abraham. Pavlik’s heart and inspiring story have brought a lot of new fans to boxing.

Rumors/Fights I’d Like to See

6. James Kirkland vs. whoever at 154 lbs.

Kirkland is one of the best up-and-coming knockout artists to be signed by Golden Boy Promotions. Kirkland will take on whoever is put in front of him, but I hope that Alfredo Angulo beats Ricardo Mayorga on February 19, 2009, and they meet after that. I’d like to see James “Mandingo Warrior” get a chance to solidify his defense and outbox a fellow knockout artist.

7. Ann Wolfe vs. any female at 160 lbs.

After being ducked by Laila Ali, who has dropped out of the boxing game, Wolfe is looking to close her career with one final fight. The question is, who will step into the ring to challenge this killer who once put Vonda Ward into a seven-hour coma with one punch?

8. Welterweight champion Paul Williams vs. Floyd Mayweather or Margarito

Williams will fight Mayweather if he can get him out of retirement, or Margarito, who he beat in 2007. He has seemed to be ducking him ever since.

9. David Haye vs. Vladimir

In November, Lennox Lewis denied rumors on ESPN.com that he will be coming out of retirement to fight one of the current Klitschko titleholders. In that statement, he suggested David Haye as a worthy opponent for Vladimir, so that’s the fight I’d like to see (unless Lennox changes his mind).

10. IBF/IBO light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson vs. recently retired undefeated Joe Calzage

Boxing Press quoted Dawson challenging Calzage for his belts, so it could happen.