The Neutral Corner

BY MARCUS HENRY

The May 31 fight between Zab Judah and Shane Mosley has been cancelled due to an arm injury suffered by Judah at his Las Vegas training camp, Golden Boy Promotions announced today.

Judah suffered multiple lacerations on his right forearm during an accidental fall and received 50 stitches, according to a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions.

“It is very unfortunate that Zab suffered this injury and that this great event had to be canceled,” Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer said in a statement. “We are already in discussions with all parties involved to attempt to reschedule the fight for the near future.”

If you are tired of reading about whether or not Roger Clemens took steroids or whether or not he slept with any number of women in the tri-state area, please keep reading this story about Gino Gelormino.

Gino was a world-rated fighter from Levittown. At the height of his career, he was ranked in the top 10 as a junior lightweight by the WBC. Don King offered him a title shot against Azumah Nelson. The catch was that the purse would be about $30,000, which is an insult when it comes to fighting a future Hall-of-Famer like Nelson. After paying his trainer, his manager, the sanctioning fees and Uncle Sam, the kid from Levittown would have been left with maybe $10,000. Gino was nobody’s fool, so he negotiated for more. The fight never came off and Gelormino retired without ever having challenged for a world title.

So he did what we all do, he went out and got a job and went about the business of raising his family. Gino chased his dream for as long and as hard as he could. But he knew when it was time to let go. He didn’t publicly complain about his career and he wasn’t bitter. He had two beautiful children to focus on and what could be more important than that? He coveted a bigger title now, "Dad."

Gino worked for a while for the Long Island Railroad and, for the last 10 years, he was an iron worker. On Tuesday, May 6, Gelormino died in a construction accident at the Triborough Bridge. He was 47 years old and left behind his wife, Jacqueline, a son, Matthew, and a daughter, Chloe.

But Gino wasn’t about sad stories, so let’s get to the real story. Which is to say, let’s forget about Clemens and Carmelo Anthony and Marvin Harrison, millionaire athletes who made headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. They don't know from iron workers. The only iron these three know about are the bars they could end up behind.

These days there is such a disconnect between the athlete and his fans. Who among us can relate to Alex Rodriguez, his $25-million-a-year salary and his soap-opera lifestyle? A-Rod is not our reality. Gino lived our reality. He was that nice guy who lives on any tree-lined street in any town on Long Island. We all have a neighbor like Gino.

I want to say simply that he was one of us. And perhaps that’s how we all knew him, as one of the guys. But saying that would be a disservice. He was special. The reason he was so special was that he never walked around acting like someone special. He was a professional athlete who reached the upper echelon of his sport, but he never had the ego, the arrogance or the distorted sense of entitlement.

If you happened to be in the Felt Forum on a night when 1,500 Levittowners were chanting “GEE-NO, GEE-NO,” you will understand what he meant to his fans and what his fans meant to him. The thought of those nights still sends a chill down my spine. After some of those fights Gino would ride home on the LIRR among us. And doesn’t that put into proper perspective just how absurd Carlos Delgado is for not answering a curtain call at Shea Stadium?

Gino gave his fans plenty of good nights. He boxed out of the Y.O.M recreation center and won the Golden Gloves in 1977. A pro career followed a few years later. Gino was a clever, slick boxer with fast hands. He was a good-looking kid and some experts said he reminded them of Willie Pep.

Gino hit his stride in the mid 1980s, putting together a 14-bout winning streak from 1984 to 1989. He was the first guy to beat prospect Norm “Psycho” Bates and he knocked out Mike Grow in the 12th round at the Felt Forum to win the WBC Continental Americas title. His career ended in 1990 after a knockout loss to former world champion Jose Sanabria. He finished with a record of 31-3 and 22 knockouts.

As cruel a sport as boxing can be – physically as well as emotionally – it never changed Gino’s disposition. He was funny and friendly and approachable.

Charles Barkley famously said that athletes aren’t role models. Well, Gino Gelormino was a role model. But it had very little do with him being an athlete and everything to do with him being a man. -- CASSIDY

Oscar's fighting. It's a simple statement, but one that we've come to rely on for the last 16 years. And soon, those two words will no longer follow each other in a sentence. Oscar De La Hoya, the man who carried the sport through perhaps it's darkest period, will fight just twice more.

That's what he says, anyway. And in boxing, no retirement is ever final. But for now, let's take Oscar at his word. He has been the type of cross-over star that this sport desperately needs. Everyone has been saying that boxing is dead and yet amid all these gloomy forecasts, De La Hoya shattered the pay-per-view record last May with more than two million buys against Floyd Mayweather Jr. His end as a fighter was $40-million. Add about another $20-million to his end for being the bout's promoter. That doubles Alex Rodriguez' anual salary. Oscar did this all in one night.

At times, this corner has been critical of what Oscar has done in the ring, or, more precisely, what he hasn't done. He fades in big fights, which I believe cost him the decision in the first Mayweather contest. It cost him against Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley (first fight) too. Will anything change in De La Hoya-Mayweather II come September? I hope so. But let's face it, Oscar is another year older.

Oscar looked sharp in his tuneup against Stevie Forbes. Forbes was reluctant to engage and took few chances. The HBO broadcast crew pegged it when they said he had a sparring partner's mentality. I watched the fight with a former pug, who was apalled that Forbes reached out to tap gloves or pat Oscar on the butt after every round. "This is a fight, isn't it?" he asked.

Click to see photos of the fight.

Whenever he fights, Oscar elicits emotion and reaction. One longtime observer, known on the blogosphere as P.C. Maverick, sent this our way:

"Forbes is no Floyd Jr. Oscar got tagged a bunch of times by this guy. I think if Forbes could get in these shots obviously Cotto or Floyd Jr can... I really believe he trained to spar Oscar not to beat him... Maybe subconsciously if not intentionally."

Interesting point. Think about it. Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle, used to train Forbes. He was trained for this fight by Jeff Mayweather, another of Floyd's uncles. Could it be that, as P.C. states, "subconsciously or intentionally,' the Mayweather clan exerted just enough influence on Forbes so that he would go through what amounted to a sparring session?
Thus keeping Floyd's massive payday for a return match with Oscar safe.

It's a conspiracy that would make Mel Gibson proud, but I honestly believe that on his best day, Forbes wouldn't have done that much better against Oscar.

On a scale from 1 to 10, P.C. rated Oscar's performance in the ring against Forbes, a 5. That might be a little harsh, particularly when the guy you are "fighting" would rate a negative 3.

You can hate Oscar, you can love him and you can be disappointed him. One thing is certain, you will definitely miss him when he's gone. With the exception of Winky Wright, he has fought every big name fighter in or around his weight class. He started with Julio Cesar Chavez and ends with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Or possibly Miguel Cotto.

He says there are only two more fights left in his career. After that, boxing will really have to worry when people start saying the sport is dead.-- CASSIDY

The Neutral Corner caught up with former world bantamweight and junior featherweight champion Junior Jones. He came up out of the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and was a mainstay in boxing's lighter weight classes throughout the 1990s. He beat Marco Antonio Barrera, Orlando Canizales, Tom Johnson and Tracy Harris Patterson and had tough losses against Erik Morales and Kennedy McKinney. We tossed out some random boxing questions, here's how Jones responded:

Neutral Corner: What is your greatest moment in the ring?

Junior Jones: Beating Orlando Canizales. He broke the record for 17 successful title defenses at bantamweight and I beat him. That was my best moment. You thought I was going to say beating Marco Antonio Barrera didn't you?

NC: With both men at their best, Ali vs. Tyson. Who wins?

JJ: Wow. I have to pick Tyson. I think the way Tyson fought in his prime, he'd catch Ali. Ali would try the rope-a-dope but it wouldn't work. I say Tyson in four rounds.

NC: Who wins in a fight, an MMA guy or a boxer?

JJ: MMA, big time. Once he gets you to the ground, it's over. Boxers aren't trained for that.

NC: Which athlete, from another sport, would make a good fighter?

JJ: Charles Barkley. He had a tough attitude. He wouldn't back down to anyone. He had no fear. John Starks too. No fear. He was a lightweight with a heavyweight's heart.

NC: Is there one fight, one thing that you wished you could have done in your career?

JJ: Yeah, fight at heavyweight. One big fight, and you are set financially for life. Look at all the fights I had. One big fight at heavyweight would equal everything I made in those fights.

-- CASSIDY

BY MARCUS HENRY

So what does Joe Calzaghe's win over Bernard Hopkins mean? It means Calzaghe is the king of the light heavyweights. It means a lot for boxing and should pave the way for several mega-fights. The most obvious matchup is a Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr., tilt. Jones looked like a new man in his win over Felix Trinidad. Trinidad clearly isn't the fighter he once was, but that doesn't take away from the clinic Jones put on.

Calzaghe's convincing win over Hopkins puts him in the driver's seat. Meaning there is a good chance the fight will end up in England. A Calzaghe-Jones card could dwarf the recent Calzaghe-Kessler fight.

Regardless of what happens there will be no shortage of fighters lining up to take on Calzaghe. Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor, Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver are all potential opponents. The rest of 2008 and 2009 should be a great ride.

BY MARCUS HENRY

Round 1 - Hopkins' grind-it-out style controlled round one and he surprised everyone with a quick knockdown of Calzaghe. Calzaghe will need to adjust at some point and find his groove. Hopkins 10-8.

Round 2 - This one goes to Calzaghe. He's beginning to find his stroke against Hopkins. Bernard needs to start throwing combinations. Calzaghe 10-9

Round 3 - Tough round to judge, but Calzaghe landed a few more combinations. Calzaghe is beginning to find his way now. Hopkins needs to adjust. Calzaghe 10-9.

Round 4 - I thought Calzaghe was finding his way. Hopkins' counter punches are being landed with perfection. The ref had to call timeout to warn both fighters about illegal tactics. Hopkins, 10-9.

Round 5 - Calzaghe, who started to find his groove, landed several clean shots. But Hopkins fought off the ropes well the second half of the round. But Calzaghe ended the round with a short flury. Calzaghe 10-9.

Round 6 - Hopkins isn't throwing a lot of punches, but the ones he did throw hit their intended target. Calzaghe is landing combinations, but they aren't hurting Hopkins. Hopkins 10-9.

After six rounds its Hopkins 57, Calzaghe 56.

Round 7 - It was a relatively boring round for both fighters. But Calzaghe may have stolen the round with a late flurry. Calzaghe gets the round for being more active. Calzaghe 10-9.

Round 8 - This was one of those rounds where Calzaghe's combinations weren't fooling anyone. He landed some, but they have no spark behind them. Hopkins landed several straight lefts and counters. Hopkins 10-9.

Round 9 - Back and forth they go. Hopkins landed a few stiff lefts, but Calzaghe clearly had the upper hand in this round. His combinations are beginning to have an effect on Hopkins. Calzaghe 10-9.

After nine rounds it is all tied up at 85.

Round 10 - Hopkins went to his knees after taking a low blow from Calzaghe. Hopkins was clearly acting, trying to get another wind and stop Calzaghe's flow. Joe Cortez gave Hopkins time to recover. The stategy worked as Hopkins landed a straight right and hit on a combination shortly after the action resumed. Hopkins 10-9.

Round 11 - Hopkins again keeled over from a low blow, of course he was acting. Calzaghe landed a combo after the action resumed. But Hopkins, who was infuriated by the low blow, came back strong with a combo and a straight right. Calzaghe landed more shots, though. Calzaghe 10-9.

Round 12 - Calzaghe chased Hopkins, thinking he was behind. Hopkins again countered. Hopkins prevails, 10-9. My final tally: Hopkins 114-113.

Calzaghe landed 232 punches compared to 127 for Hopkins and 187 power punches to 116 for Hopkins. This was a difficult fight to score, so it's not a shock that Calzaghe won on the judges scorecards (113-114, 115-112, 116-111).

Although Calzaghe landed more shots (a lot more), I still didn't feel Hopkins was hurt at any point. But judges often give favorable scores to aggressive fighters. Calzaghe was aggressive, Hopkins wasn't. Hopkins chose to stay with his counter-punch strategy and let the action come to him.

As for the future of both fighters, Calzaghe will likely end up facing Roy Jones Jr. or Kelly Pavlik. As for Hopkins, no one knows. He could retire or try and get a rematch. Nothing is ever certain for the Executioner.

Our man GDM is behind the lense (photo above) and on the scene as the fighters tip the scales:

"The scene for the Calzaghe-Hopkins weigh-in is highly charged with the addition of hundreds of fans who made the trip over from Wales to watch their countryman. First we saw Michael Buffer come out, followed by Sylvester Stallone (to great cheers by the way) and finally followed by Calzaghe, first, and Hopkins.

"Both Calzaghe and Hopkins scaled 173 pounds.

"More gamesmanship: Hopkins stuck his hand into Calzaghe's ribs and there was some banter back and forth. Hopkins held up seven fingers and there was the prediction from Bernard. Your special correspondent thinks it will be Calzaghe in 9 by TKO as he wears down Hopkins.

"The fight atmosphere has been rarified by the presence of Jim Lampley, Shannon Briggs, Juan LaPorte, Max Kellerman, Brian Doogan, who wrote the Calzaghe story in "No Ordinary Joe," Bert Sugar, Roy Jones, Harold Lederman and Zab Judah. This occasion is special as I watch Calzaghe attempt to further his claim as one of the best, pound-for-pound, in the game."

BY MARCUS HENRY

Boxing is dead? I had trouble even writing that phrase, especially after what I saw at the 81st Annual New York Golden Gloves Finals at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

Over 5,000 spectators packed the theater at MSG to witness the future of New York boxing. And the fighters on the card didn’t disappoint.

Fighters from all walks of life, from physical trainers, to high school students, to research scientists and teachers, took part in a great night at the fights. One local fighter on the card was Connetquot high school senior Kathleen "Kitty" Walsh. Although Walsh came away with a defeat in the 138-pound division, she showed a lot of spirit and helped put on one of the night’s most exciting bouts.

In the 132-pound novice championship Hicksville’s Anthony Karperis scored the first and only title for Long Island as he topped Marlon Charlton.

IN OTHER LOCAL MATCHES: Central Islip’s Allen Littlejohn lost a decision to Anthony Caramanno in the 152-pound novice championship…Livingstone Joseph topped Mike Brooks (Freeport) in the 141-pound open championship…

STAR SEARCH: No sport or team (except the Knicks when they are good) brings out the stars like boxing. And the Golden Gloves had its share of them. Iran "The Blade" Barkley, the only man to beat Tommy Hearns twice, was in the house. Motion picture star Ethan Hawke was also in attendance. Soprano’s star Lorraine Bracco, Roberto Alomar and former WBA welterweight champion Mark Breland were also on hand. Giants running back Brandon Jacobs got the loudest ovation. And don’t think the stars were of the Johnny-come-lately variety. Hawke, Jacobs and Alomar stayed until the very end.

A friend of The Neutral Corner, known in NYC boxing circles as GDM, filed this via e-mail on his way to the fight:

So there I was in Kennedy Airport boarding my flight to Las Vegas when I see Juan Laporte, former featherweight champion who fought the best in his day. I asked him who did he think would win the fight? Would it be Hopkins or Calzaghe?

"If it goes to a decision I say Calzaghe, but if there is any knockout it will be Hopkins. When it comes to style you can see a European fighter has more leg movement and hand speed, they are very busy putting pressure on their opponent. Most of the time the American style of boxing is smarter because they have lateral movement and better counterpunching. The only thing that beats American fighters is lackof conditioning."

I asked Juan about Hopkins age and the factor it will play in the fight.

"The age won't hurt him that much because he has been an active fighter all the way through. You don't lose your power however you lose speed and reflexes. It is not like he is fighting 15 rounds, he is fighting 12 rounds and the only weakness he might have is that he already knows about losing in front of his people and is comfortable with the possibility of losing. He may not have the hunger to win that he once had. Calzaghe is detirmined and hungry for victory and has a lot to show the American people. That is always a positive motivation to win. Hopkins will have to be the one who initiates the fight, he has to be boss. If you are boxing and let Calzaghe throw all those punches believe me you are going to get tired. Calzaghe will have to keep the pressure on him, stalk him, stay on top of him and make Hopkins use all of his energy in the clinches. This will wear out Hopkins and Calzaghe will score a lot of points."

Bernard Hopkins, left, meets unbeaten Joe Calzaghe in Las Vegas on Saturday

Wallace Matthews: Except for two very narrow defeats to Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins hasn’t lost a fight in 15 years. And that was to a Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. I’m not even convinced he lost the second Taylor fight. He may be 43, but he’s well-rested, having spent 10 of those years in jail, and his track record against guys previously thought unbeatable—Trinidad, Wright, De La Hoya, Tarver--is damned near impeccable. Calzaghe is younger, but at 36 not all that young, has fast hands but is a wide puncher, and just seems ripe for another Hopkins upset. I go with the Old Man on a split decision.

Mike Rose: If this were a few years ago, I'd say Joe Calzaghe calling Bernard Hopkins, 'Popkins,' would be a recipe for disaster for the Welshman. But Hopkins is 43. Calzaghe, however, is 36 so it's not like he's a young fighter either. I just think Calzaghe is too active and throws punches from too many angles for Hopkins to handle. There are people who will counter with the fact that Calzaghe has never fought in the U.S. and hasn't fought a fighter of Hopkins' caliber. And I have learned never to bet against Hopkins. He's a smart fighter. I'm sure he's hoping Calzaghe throws a ton of punches, Calzaghe tires and he takes advantage. I believe Hopkins' only chance is to tie up Calzaghe as much as possible, sneak in some punches and play defense. Therefore, I'm picking Calzaghe by unanimous decision.

Marcus Henry: The Bernard Hopkins-Joe Calzaghe fight has legacy written all over it. For Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs), it’s a chance to prove once and for all that he deserves to be among boxing’s immortals. Not that Hopkins has to prove anything. The Philadelphia native has beaten everyone from Oscar De La Hoya to Antonio Tarver to Winky Wright to Felix Trinidad (in his prime). But a win over Europe’s best pound-for-pound fighter could be what etches him in stone as one of boxing’s greats with the likes of Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, etc…

For Calzaghe (44-0, 32 KOs), it’s a chance to prove he’s the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, Calzaghe has had a marvelous career, which was highlighted by his unanimous decision victory over Mikkel Kessler last November. With victories over Kessler and Jeff Lacy under his belt, Calzaghe doesn’t have much to prove. But he’s never fought in the United States and has never taken on an opponent the caliber of Hopkins.

As for the fight, Calzaghe has one thing going for him, youth. Considering his age (36), that’s a relative thing. But Hopkins is 43 and Calzaghe needs to take advantage of that. But Hopkins has proven to be the Energizer Bunny, going the distance in seven of his last eight fights against opponents in both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. If Calzaghe allows Hopkins to work inside, it’s going to be a long fight that ends with the Executioner raising his hands in victory. If Calzaghe can dictate the pace and keep the taller Hopkins on the outside, he could score the upset. But I don’t see that happening. Hopkins will use his experience to get inside and beat up Calzaghe’s mid section. PREDICTION: Hopkins in a unanimous decision.

Robert Cassidy: I'm still annoyed that this fight is not taking place in Yankee Stadium, which Hopkins was pushing for. But that's for another blog. In one sense, B-Hop is a lot like Evander Holyfield. The fights in which it seems obvious to pick against him, he finds a way to win. I think that's the case here. Calzaghe seems to have youth, strength and stamina on his side. Of course, when we say youth, we are still talking about a 36-year-old.

Hopkins is a great counterpuncher and I think that's exactly why he'll beat Calzaghe. Joe will come in strong, throwing a lot of punches. But Bernard will dissect him. When the stakes are the highest, Hopkins raises his game. We have yet to see how Calzaghe will react under the intense pressure of a megafight in the United States. I pick Hopkins by unanimous decision.