The Neutral Corner

It was April 1967, and "Irish" Bobby Cassidy, this blog's patriarch, was fighting European champion Bo Hogberg in Stockholm, Sweden. The co-feature on the card was Sonny Liston, who knocked out Elmer Rush in the sixth round. The card was promoted by former heavyweight champ Ingemar Johansson, who died today at the age of 76.

In the wake of the news, I asked him to relay his thoughts on Sonny, Ingo and Stockholm:

"Despite what everyone said, Sonny Liston was the nicest guy in the world. He was a practical joker. He was funny. I think everyone was fooled by his glare. He came to my dressing room and he invited me up to his hotel room. He was just a nice guy, one of the nicest boxers I had ever met."

"Ingemar was a great host. He treated everyone well. He talked about Sonny Liston like he was a God. He never gave the impression that he was better than Sonny Liston. The place was packed when we fought. Every seat was taken. Ingemar was a great promoter, he made us feel right at home."

"I loved Stockholm. It was daylight until about 4 or 5 in the morning during the time I was there. It was a very socially progressive city in terms of everything. Everything was very relaxed. Which made it a lot of fun."

-- CASSIDY

Former heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson has died at the age of 76. Johansson knocked out Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight title in 1959. According to wire reports, Johansson had been in a nursing home for around five years and was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Continue reading "Former heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson has died" »

The Greater Astoria Historical Society will present a lecture and panel discussion on the history of Sunnyside Garden, one of New York City's last great fight clubs. The event takes place on Monday, February 2 at the Greater Astoria Historical Society, 35-20 Broadway, 4th Floor of the Quinn Memorial Building, Long Island City. It starts at 7:00 p.m.

Scheduled to appear are former fighters Vito Antuofermo, Henny Wallitsch and -- Neutral Corner patriarch -- Irish Bobby Cassidy. They each fought at Sunnyside. The arena was in operation from 1926 to 1977 and hosted boxing, wrestling and roller derby. It was also the site where John F. Kennedy spoke to an overflow crowd during a campaign swing through New York. The arena stood at 44-16 Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside. -- CASSIDY

Yuriorkis Gamboa, the hottest prospect in pro boxing, will fight again on February 20th at the University Center Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The fight will be televised on ESPN's “Friday Night Fights.

“Yuri is a true fighter”, said Ahmet Öner, Gamboa's promoter. “He loves to go out there and show his talent, power and speed. If it was up to him he would most probably fight every other week. Originally we had planned to have him fight for the world title in his next bout but I think it might be good to give him another tough test before reaching for the gold.”

Gamboa (13-0, 11 KOs) will be joined on the card by Columbian lightweight star Breidis Prescott (20-0, 18 KOs) and Cuban prospect Erislandy Lara (3-0, 2 KOs). Both Gamboa and Lara have defected from Cuba. -- CASSIDY

Golden Boy Promotions formally announced the date that many suspected all along: Manny Paquiao will fight Ricky Hatton, for Hatton's junior welterweight title, on May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"We are very excited that this fight has been made, as it is the fight fans wanted and the one I look forward to seeing myself," said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. "This fight has all the makings of a "Fight of the Year" candidate and I think Hatton will de-throne Pacquiao and become boxing's pound-for-pound king."

Interesting that Oscar is picking Hatton. I wonder why?

"I always like new challenges which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton," said Pacquiao. "My trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar (De la Hoya). There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring. I promise I will be completely prepared and will do my best for all of my fans in The Philippines."

Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton is set for May 2 in Las Vegas" »

Several entertainment sites are reporting that 50 Cent will co-star with Nicholas Cage in a film about a boxer who goes to prison.

Follow these links:

50 Cent to team up with Cage

50 Cent and Nicholas cage to star in boxing flick

The film, called 'The Dance,' is being produced by the rapper's production company, Cheetah Vision. 50 Cent made frequent appearances with retired champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. when the HBO series, "24/7" chronicled Mayweather's training routine. -- CASSIDY

IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek returns to Newark’s Prudential Center on Friday, February 27th to make the first defense of his world title against Detroit’s undefeated contender, Johnathon Banks. The fight will be aired on Showtime as part of its ShoBox boxing series.

Continue reading "Championship boxing is back -- again -- in Newark" »

The Associated Press is reporting that former heavyweight contender Scott LeDoux has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Continue reading "Report: Scott LeDoux has Lou Gehrig's disease" »

Reg Gutteridge, regarded as Britain's 'Voice of Boxing,' passed away yesterday. He was 84.

Continue reading "Hall-of-fame broadcaster, journalist Reg Gutteridge dies" »

By Marcus Henry

Bobby Cassidy made some interesting points regarding Shane Mosley's future. Any one of the four fights mentioned in his previous post (Who is next for Mosley?) makes sense. Although him fighting Margarito again isn't likely to happen.

The following is a list of fights that are most likely to happen and in the order that they should be considered by Mosley. At least in my opinion.

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Now this is the fight I want to see. Many people regard Pacquiao as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business. Part of that is due the fact that Mayweather is "retired". A Mosley-Mayweather card this summer would trump anything else boxing has done the last few years. Pay-per-view buys would certainly hit the million mark. A win against Mayweather would send Mosley's rep into the stratosphere. Mayweather's bad-boy attitude against the good-guy Mosley would be an instant hit on HBO's 24-7 series.

2. Manny Pacquiao: On paper this appears to be the most logical choice, but Pacquiao has to get by Ricky Hatton. Assuming he does that, a Pacquiao-Mosley card is sure to bring in the money and pay-per-view buys. A win over Pacquiao, who is the sports hot ticket right now, could vault Mosley into the all-time great category. But how long will Mosley wait for Pacquiao? Pacquiao and Hatton are set to fight on May 2. Mosley turns 38 in September. There's no way a Mosley-Pacquiao fight would happen before September.

3. Oscar De La Hoya: The Golden Boy took a big hit after his bitter defeat to Manny Pacquiao. That notwithstanding, De La Hoya can still bring out the fans and fighting Mosley would bring the money and the pay-per-view buys. But what exactly will this do for Mosley's legacy? It's one thing if they split their first two bouts, but Mosley won both. A third win over De La Hoya won't exactly do anything to enhance his hall-of-fame future. But a loss would knock him down a peg.

4. Miguel Cotto: Four things would have to occur for this fight to happen; First: Mayweather stays retired. Second: Pacquiao loses to Hatton. Third: De La Hoya retires. Fourth: Mosley allowing his ego to cloud his judgement and talk him into a rematch. If the aforementioned four things happen, I wouldn't have a problem with this fight. But no way should Cotto be ahead Mayweather, Pacquiao and De La Hoya on the wish list.

5. Antonio Margarito: Like Bobby Cassidy wrote: Anybody want to see this fight again? A rematch with Margarito is a lose-lose for Mosley. If he wins; big deal. If he loses; all the luster off his big win would disappear.

Extreme Long shots: Paul Williams, Vernon Forrest.

Shane Mosley is that good. And, perhaps, Antonio Margarito is not.

Once again, Margarito dropped a fight everyone thought he would win (see Paul Williams) and Mosley won a fight when everyone thought he was one loss away from retirement.

Mosley dominated from the opening bell and won the WBA welterweight title with a ninth-round stoppage. It was the first time in his career that Margarito was stopped.

(Read our post, Who is next for Mosley?)

To read some of Wally Matthews' in-fight commentary, check him out here. Wally's now blogging for Newsday as well.

Click through a gallery of photos from Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito fight

The fight drew 20,820 fans to The Staples Center, which, according to the AP, was the most ever for a sporting event at the venue. More than the Lakers and more than Mosley-De La Hoya I in 2000. It was also an impressive live crowd on a night when Fedor was fighting Arlovski in an MMA heavyweight showdown nearby at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Continue reading "Shane Mosley upsets Antonio Margarito to capture welterweight crown" »

After his incredible upset of Antonio Margarito last night, who would you like to see Shane Mosley fight next?

Oscar De La Hoya. Let's clear up this BALCO thing once and for all. Although Oscar's stock has plummeted after losing to Pacquiao, many a fighter has come back from a lopsided loss before. A third match between Oscar and Mosley would be a fitting end to both careers.

Manny Pacquiao. It was Manny's speed that caused Oscar to unravel in their mega fight. But Mosley would be a quicker -- and stronger -- opponent for the Filipino Phenom.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. The only great fighter that Mosley did not meet from this era. The handspeed in this fight would be other-worldly. Would hate to be Bob Canobbio and the punch-counting crew.

Antonio Margarito. Anybody want to see this fight again?

Vote on Mosley's next opponent

Click through a gallery of photos from Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito fight

By Marcus Henry

The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout scheduled for May 2 is back on, according to an ESPN.com report.

After initially coming to an agreement on a 50-50 split on the purse, Pacquiao reportedly wanted a bigger piece of the pie. Hatton agreed to allow Pacquaio take a 52-48 split, but the Filipino superstar wanted 55 percent.

The fight is back on, according to Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum. "Manny has assured me that he has signed the contract and was going to announce it to the Filipino press," Arum told ESPN.com.

Saturday's welterweight title fight betwen Sugar Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito could very well have been a pay-per-view fight. But with the economy the way it is, it will be broadcast on HBO, which is a good thing for fans. (Wouldn't it be nice to see MLB or the NFL make some price concessions for fans?)

But the economy does not seem to be impacting the live gate. The Staples Center is expected to be sold out.

"This fight is going to be sold out," said Bob Arum, co-promoter. "And it shows that boxing is alive and well and is going to do great in 2009."

"What a way to start of 2009 with a fight that could be on Pay-Per-View and we decided to put it on regular HBO," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "The fight fans are going to be the ones that benefit the most out of this because they will get to enjoy these fights without going into their pockets. I was told this morning that the total attendance for this fight will surpass the De La Hoya-Mosley fight with over 20,000 people at the Staples Center on Saturday night! That really is a tribute to these two great fighters."

- CASSIDY

Antonio Margarito defends his WBA welterweight title against Sugar Shane Mosley, Saturday night, at The Staples Center, in Los Angeles, CA.

Here are the picks:

Continue reading "Predictions: Antonio Margarito vs. Sugar Shane Mosley" »

On Friday night, January 23, Bobby Duffy and Frankie G. bring boxing back to the Huntington Hilton Hotel in Melville, New York.

Long Island's Mike Ruiz (8-2, 5 KOs) meets Daniel “The Hudson Valley Kid” Sostre (7-3, 3 KOs), who is fighting out of Highland (N.Y.) by way of Puerto Rico, for the New York State welterweight title. And in the co-feature, Harlem middleweight George “Blaze” Walton (19-3, 12 KOs) meets unbeaten Jose Angel “Silver Boy” Rodriquez (12-0-1, 2 KOs) for the New York State middleweight crown.

“I’m excited to promote another card at the Huntington Hilton Hotel and back working with my friend and fellow promoter, Frankie G,” Bob Duffy said. “We have some of the hottest, young prospects on the East Coast in action on this show. We have several national amateur champions fighting on this card and fans should closely watch some of the kids making their pro debuts, especially Adam Willet.”

Continue reading "Two state titles on line as boxing returns to Huntington" »

Yes, Fedor likes boxing. He said he grew up watching the sport and among his favorites are Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Kostya Tszyu and Alexander Povetkin.

Oscar De La Hoya couldn't be in two places at once. So on Saturday night, he will be at the Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski MMA card at Honda Center in Anaheim, California and not at the Sugar Shane Mosley-Antonio Margarito show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Golden Boy Promotions is involved as a promoter of both events ("I can't wait to watch the fight on Tivo," he said).

Here's what else Oscar had to say at Fedor's New York presser:

* He has not decided yet if he will retire from boxing.

* He has already signed Andrei Arlovski to a boxing contract should he become a fulltime fighter.

* That it will take a perfect fight from Mosley to defeat Margarito.

One reason, perhaps, that Oscar is opting for the MMA card is so he won't have to answer questions as to when he will fight Margarito.

Continue reading "Oscar De La Hoya will be at MMA card on Saturday and not the Mosley-Margarito fight" »

If you care about boxing -- it's future, it's past or both -- then you have to read this book.

To engage Mike Silver in a debate -- and this corner knows from experience -- is like engaging Smokin' Joe Frazier for 15 rounds. Odds are, you won't last. So take a peak at Silver's book -- "The Arc of Boxing, The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science" -- and debate him if you dare.

Continue reading "Mike Silver's 'The Arc of Boxing'" »

By Marcus Henry

Roy Jones Jr. is done, right? Wrong. The 40-year-old former four-division champ will take on Omar Sheika at the Pensacola Civic Arena on March 21, according to ESPN.com.

It’s Jones’ first fight since losing a one-sided decision to Joe Calzaghe at Madison Square Garden on November 8.

But it won't be an ordinary card, the event will also include a few MMA bouts, John Wirt, CEO of Jones’ promotional company Square Ring told ESPN.com.

Jones (52-5, 38 KOs) hasn't fought in Pensacola since he scored a second-round knockout of Richard Frazier in 1999. Sheika (27-8, 18 KOs) hasn't fought since earning a four-round knockout of Tiwon Taylor in 2007.

Jose Torres, the former light heavyweight champion and one-time chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, has died at his home in Ponce, Puerto Rico today. He was 72.

Although born in Puerto Rico, he fought out of New York City and was a fixture on the Big Apple's boxing circuit.

Continue reading "Hall-of-Famer Jose Torres dies" »

Before this weekend, Ricky Hatton could have told you just what kind of fighter Luis Collazo is. Now you can add Andre Berto to that list. No one has an easy night when they face this kid from Brookyln. Berto, the WBC welterweight champ, scored a (116-111, 114-113, twice) unanimous decision over Collazo on HBO. In a fight that saw plenty off good exchanges, Berto improved his record to 24-0 with 19 knockouts. Collazo, the former WBA welterweight champ, saw his record drop to 29-4 with 14 knockouts. The only fighter to really outclass Collazo has been Sugar Shane Mosley.

On the undercard, 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali, from Brooklyn, knocked out Ricky Thompson in the first round to win his pro debut.

Freddie Roach is a boxing guy. But he says, "A good fight is a good fight, I don't care if it's a boxing match or MMA."

So that's why one of the best trainers in boxing also spends time with Mixed Martial Arts fighters. Roach lists Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney and Mike Tyson among his many pupils in the ring. Yet, he also believes his latest MMA charge, Andrei Arlovski, has what it takes to make it in the sweet science.

Continue reading "Freddie Roach believes Andrei Arlovski has a future in boxing" »

Olympian Sadam Ali, out Canarsie, Brooklyn, will make his pro debut Saturday night in Biloxi, Mississippi on the undercard of the Andre Berto-Luis Collazo welterweight championship fight.

“We are happy to add Olympian Sadam Ali to our Saturday night show at the Beau Rivage,” said show promoter Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment. “It should be a great fight.”

Continue reading "Brooklyn Olympian Sadam Ali to turn pro" »

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton may not happen. The reason is money. At first, Pacquiao agreed to a 50-50 split of the purse. But, according to the story, he is now seeking a 60-40 split in his favor.

-Click here to see the latest Manny Pacquiao photos

It wasn't exactly an old-school call out, but it was interesting nonetheless. At the presser to announce the Miguel Cotto, Kelly Pavlik two-city doubleheader today, Cotto had this to say about Manny Pacquiao:

"If Manny Pacquiao wants to stay at 147 and fight one of the biggest names in boxing - I am available."

He had a lot more to say, including that he's never seen his opponent, Michael Jennings, fight and it didn't appear that he cared too much. Hard to say where Cotto's looking next -- Pacquiao? Margarito? Would he really want to do that again? One thing though, judging by the quotes, it seems he's looking past Jennings.

Continue reading "Cotto throws out challenge to Manny Pacquiao" »

Let's put it this way, Mickey Rourke is comfortable inside the ring. His performance in 'The Wrestler' has already secured him a Golden Globe and there is definitely Oscar buzz about his portrayal of a down and out pro wrestler trying to make it back to the big time.

Most people know that Rourke boxed professionally in the early 1990s, posting a 6-0-2 (4 knockouts) record as a light heavyweight. Here's what most people don't know.

Continue reading "Before Mickey Rourke won a Golden Globe for 'The Wrestler' he lived the life of a boxer" »

Olympian Gary Russell Jr., who never threw a punch in Beijing, is turning pro this Friday night on ShoBox. Russell meets Antonio Reyes (3-2) of Dallas in a four-round featherweight bout at the Million Dollar Elm Casino in Tulsa, Okla.

Russell, a two time national champion, passed out in his Beijing dorm room on the eve of the weigh-in for his first Olympic bout. The 20-year-old boxer wasn’t hospitalized, but he was not permitted to participate in the weigh-in, or the Olympic boxing competition.

The broadcast airs on Showtime at 11 p.m. -- CASSIDY

The man who purchased the heart and soul of the Cuban boxing team -- promoter Ahmet Öner -- had his charges on display last night as part of a card that was televised by ESPN2.

Yuriorkis Gamboa and Odlanier Solis -- both former Olympic gold medalists -- and Erislandy Lara -- a former amateur world champion -- all won their bouts in front of a national televison audience here in the States. It marked the U.S. debut for Solis and Lara.

Continue reading "Cuba Invades America! Gamboa, Solis, Lara win" »

One more example of the lines blurring between boxing and Mixed Martial Arts. Freddie Roach, who recently led Manny Pacquiao to an incredible upset of Oscar De La Hoya, is working with Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski for his MMA match against top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction M-1 "Day of Reckoning," Saturday, January 24 at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

Oh, by the way, De La Hoya and his Golden Boy promotions, are one of the event's promoters.

Continue reading "Freddie Roach to prepare Arlovski for MMA showdown against Fedor" »

Top Rank is calling it a Tale of Two Cities. Miguel Cotto returns to the ring to face Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight title at Madison Square Garden and Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik defends his middleweight title against No. 1 contender Marco Antonio Rubio at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. Both fights will take place on February 21 and both will be broadcast -- from different cities -- live on Pay-Per-View.

Pavlik returns to the ring after his first career loss, against Bernard Hopkins. This is also the first fight for Cotto since being defeated by Antonio Margarito. -- CASSIDY

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will take place in Las Vegas on May 2. The fight will be waged at 140 pounds. Originally, it was believed that the fight would take place in the UK. But Hatton has relented on that issue, thus clearing the way for Vegas.

-- CASSIDY

Trinidadian boxing champion Jiselle Salandy died Sunday from injuries sustained in a car crash on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain. She was 21 and had a record of 17-0..

Salandy was recognized as welterweight champion by the Women's International Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council. Amazingly, she won her first title at the age of 16, two years younger than the legal age at which one is allowed to box in Trinidad. According to reports, traveling in the car with Salandy was national soccer player Tamer Watson. She was listed in critical condition Sunday at the Port-of-Spain hospital.

Continue reading "Female boxing champ Jizelle Salandy dies" »

Here is a report out of Lowell, Mass. that states Dicky Eklund, a former fighter and the half-brother of Micky Ward, has been charged with attempted murder. Police say he strangled his longtime girlfriend.

Continue reading "Report: Dicky Eklund -- Micky Ward's half-brother -- charged with attempted murder" »

Yes, I know the decade is not over yet. But it's getting close. And has anyone accomplished as much in this decade as the Filipino Fury? After defeating Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya, he is the favorite for Fighter of the Year. But what about the decade?

Continue reading "Is Manny Pacquiao the Fighter of the Decade?" »

It sounds very far-fetched but an online betting website is speculating on the possibility of a Manny Pacquiao-Felix Trinidad fight at Madison Square Garden at welterweight. Would it be any different than Pacquiao against De La Hoya?

Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao vs. Felix Trinidad?" »

There are plenty of people in boxing who deserve success in 2009. But perhaps none more than Alex Ramos, the former middleweight contender who now runs the Retired Boxers Foundation.

Continue reading "Happy New Year Alex Ramos" »