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March 24, 2005
Bum's Rush
Love boxing with a joyful heart, o ye nations, for it remains the only place left in America where one guy can get a rise out of another just by calling him a bum. Vivian Harris, who erodes public sympathy every time he opens his mouth, should take note: champions use words like "bum" when talking to the press. "Motherfucker" we save for the alley.
Posted by jd at 07:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 18, 2005
Seeing Ghosts
Favorite nickname in all boxing right now, though? Gotta be Robert "the Ghost" Guerrero — short, sweet, and ready for oblivion.
Posted by jd at 06:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 13, 2005
Standing Eight
Long counts, late counts, no 'counts: the 12th round of the Beyer-Green fight last night is the kind of fuel that keeps barroom discussions burning for years. Synopsis: Green's behind on points, has been all night. In the 12th and final round, he's teein' off on Beyer so hard that the ref esteems Beyer to be, to all intents and purposes, knocked down. Ref therefore separates the fighters and administers a standing eight-count, without which reprieve Green might well have sent Beyer to the canvas for ten. Beyer makes it to the end of the round and we go to the cards, whereupon Beyer wins on points. Home cooking for Beyer or strict adherence to the rulebook without unnecessary clockwatching, tactical overthinking, et cetera? As David Johanson once said, smacking his lips: "Mystery...aaah!"
Posted by jd at 09:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 08, 2005
Good Chop
Speaking of excellent nicknames, here's a great interview with DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, who just lost a rather meaningless belt to Miguel Cotto (whose own name has a magnificent ghost-of-Rome feel to it). Is there any division more active or exciting right now than the junior welterweights? Pity about the alphabet soup, though; everybody knows the only rankings that don't stink to heaven are these ones.
Posted by jd at 10:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 05, 2005
Egypt, Egypt
Great nicknames aren't as rare as great boxers, but they're still a commodity, which is why we have to show respect to Ahmed "the Riot" Mustafa, who as of last night is still undefeated — as is the promoter of last night's fight card in Giza, Richard Nwoba, who got his nose broken by Sayed Ablaziz in the 3rd round, got up off his stool at the beginning of the next round as if nothing had happened, and proceeded to TKO Ablaziz in the 4th. Hot times at the Zamalek Sporting Club Basketball Hall!
Posted by jd at 10:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 04, 2005
Cross Over
Maybe Willie Dee holding forth on boxing was less coincidence than confluence of interests: J. Prince, founder of Rap-a-Lot Records, has a boxing stable. Did everybody else know about this already? It warrants a "whoa!" or three down here under our news-delayed rock, anyhow, since Rap-a-Lot is our favorite rap label and J. Prince's stable boasts both Winky Wright and Diego Corrales, to say nothing of the unraveling Roy Jones, Jr., whose choice of managers as listed in the preceding link is both hilarious and, considering his last two fights, terribly sad.
Posted by jd at 11:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 03, 2005
Everybody's Innocent
On the comeback trail as always, Mike Tyson did a little PR in Italy this week, over the wholly valid objections of some women's groups, who'd rather we didn't grant celebrity to convicted rapists. It's almost impossible not to sympathize with Tyson; he cuts a mean tragic figure now, loose threads evident in almost everything he says, his fortune gone and his debts an unremoveable millstone around his neck. Still, one wishes that he'd can it already with the "I was convicted by a lie" routine. You've paid your debt to society, Mike; people who hold your past against you would look like assholes if you'd just play the penitent instead of the victim.
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