Boxing manager Luis Decubas Jr: “Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero will be in a blockbuster fight very soon!”

09/14/201610/11/2012 ESB

Boxing manager Luis Decubas Jr: “Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero will be in a blockbuster fight very soon!” By Joseph Herron — With big fights currently scheduled on the remaining 2012 boxing calendar for many of the top 147 pound fighters, fight fans are curious who reigning interim WBC Welterweight Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (30-1-1, 18 KOs) will be stepping in the ring with next.

Talented young boxing manager Luis Decubas Jr, gives us a glimpse into the future plans of the four division world champion.

“Robert is in a very good position right now,” insists the lifelong boxing proponent. “He’s a very hot fighter at this time, coming off of a very impressive performance against one of the highest rated Welterweight fighters in the world in Selcuk Aydin. He picked up his fourth world title in his first fight at the 147 pound weight class, and this was coming off of a 15 month period of inactivity. He made a big statement with the win.”

“There are so many great fights to be made in the division right now with Berto, Maidana, Alexander, and Malignaggi. We tried to make the fight with Timothy Bradley and he turned us down. Bradley feels that he has a very good chance of getting the winner between Pacquiao and Marquez, so he didn’t want to risk fighting a guy who would beat him.”

“So instead of making a fight with Robert a reality, he will more than likely choose to face a guy that he’s already dominated in Lamont Peterson.”

Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez: “If Kelly Pavlik thinks I’m so horrible, he should prove it in the ring”

09/14/201610/11/2012 ESB

By Joseph Herron – After his dominant performance against previously undefeated KO artist Jason Escalera on HBO Boxing After Dark two weeks ago, Super Middleweight contender Edwin “La Bomba” Rodriguez (22-0, 15 KOs) immediately issued a challenge to former universally recognized Middleweight Champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik.

Although the superb match-up would be one of the more fan friendly pairings that could possibly be made in the talent enriched division, the Youngstown, Ohio native stated through numerous media sources that Edwin isn’t an accomplished enough fighter to make a truly meaningful fight at this stage in his career.

The Dominican born puncher had much to say about Kelly’s public commentary on the October 9th edition of “The Pugilist KOrner”.

“In a recent interview I read, Kelly Pavlik stated that I was horrible and that he would rather watch paint dry than watch one of my fights,” stated Edwin Rodriguez. “He also stated that there wasn’t enough money in a fight with me at this time.”

After headlining HBO Boxing After Dark and closing the show with a resounding bang, “La Bomba” found great folly and hypocrisy in Kelly’s response.

Reggie Johnson Interview

09/14/201610/08/2012 ESB

By Michael R. Cumberbatch — Welcome to the inaugural edition of “Catching up With” — a feature series focusing on former champions. In this edition, I had the privilege to talk to Reggie Johnson, a former three time champion who fought at the middleweight and light-heavy weight divisions. I found Reggie to be quite engaging, extremely intelligent, and passionate about boxing and life.

MRC: Reggie, earlier this year you talked about fighting again. At age 46 is that still a possibility?

RJ: First Michael, let me thank you for this interview and platform to be heard. My return to the ring is in progress and in early 2013 I will announce when, where, and who I will be fighting.

MRC: You’ve also talked about the Boxing Hall of Fame. If you were given the opportunity to state your case for becoming a member, what would you say?

RJ: I was blessed to visit the IBHOF in 2005, 2006, and this year, 2012. If any man is not inspired by that experience as a fighter, trainer, manager, promoter, etc… to take their chosen profession higher, they are working in the wrong field. I read a blog years ago that featured me …… titled “Reggie Johnson wants to be in the Hall of Fame.”

Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns: “Floyd Mayweather Jr. would have a lot of problems with a prime Hitman”

09/14/201610/06/2012 ESB

By Joseph Herron: Whenever anyone strikes up a passionate mythical debate between fighters facing off from different eras, one match-up always enters the conversation: “How would Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Welterweight fair against the 147 pound version of the six division world champion, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns, circa 1981?”

Earlier this week on “The Pugilist KOrner” radio show, the Hall of Fame fighter shared his thoughts on the hypothetical prime for prime pairing.

“You know how I fought. And if a man couldn’t deal with that, then I would just have to say goodnight to him,” professed the legendary “Hitman” Tommy Hearns. “That was my thing; to put everybody to sleep. It didn’t matter who I faced, it was almost a guarantee that I would put them to sleep.”

Exclusive interview with Alexander Dimitrenko

09/14/201610/06/2012 ESB

By Pavel Yakolov: October 6, 2012) Alexander Dimitrenko is still in the heavyweight title chase, and there are reasons why his best performances may occur in the future. Just 29 years old, the Ukrainian is still young, especially for a heavyweight. At 6’7”, 245 lbs., he towers over his opposition, has superb offensive skills, speed, and athleticism. Dimitrenko packs power in both hands, possesses a whiplash jab, and is one of the division’s best combination punchers.

Currently 32-2 (21 KO’s), Dimitrenko lost his last bout, against the top-rated Kubrat Pulev. However, the fight was closely contested for most of the match, which Dimitrenko entered under unfavorable personal and athletic circumstances. Considering that Pulev may be the world’s leading heavyweight outside of the Klitschko brothers and David Haye, the loss should not be considered career-breaking.

Now a free agent after a decade fighting for Universum Box Promotions, Dimitrenko is exploring new promotional opportunities. Noteworthy is that he hopes to campaign in American rings in the future. In this exclusive ESB interview, Dimitrenko discusses his career and plans.

Javan “Sugar” Hill: “There is no replacement for Emanuel Steward in Wladimir Klitschko’s training camp”

09/14/201609/30/2012 ESB

(Picture credit: Michael Freitag) By Joseph Herron: While camp is just getting underway at Wladimir Klitschko’s customary training facility in Austria, many have pondered the question concerning who will serve as the Heavyweight Champion’s chief second in Hamburg, Germany on November 10th.

Due to an unexpected ailment suffered by Wladimir’s longtime trainer, friend, and mentor, Hall of Fame boxing legend Emanuel Steward, “The Steel Hammer” will find himself in a very unusual situation when he faces undefeated Heavyweight contender Mariusz Wach.

While the usual band of fighters, coaches, and supporters will be on hand to help prepare the popular fighter, the incomparable master strategist and motivator will be unable to reprise his role as head trainer for a title defense that is set to take place in just 41 days.

Emanuel Steward’s nephew and longtime Kronk Gym trainer Javan “Sugar” Hill expounds on the current situation.

Q&A with Gabriel Rosado

09/14/201609/29/2012 ESB

How frustrating is it to you to keep getting all these wins and not be able to get the big fights?

Gabriel Rosado: “I just gotta keep chipping away. I just gotta keep doing’ what I’m doing’. That’s why with Charles Whittaker, everyone kept telling me ‘Don’t look past Charles Whittaker, don’t focus on something else, something big.’ And you know I didn’t. I knew that it was important to make a statement, not just to win. I had to stop that guy and I had to dominate because I do want the big fight. You know, it gets a little frustrating because what makes sense to me is just putting (together) good fights. You just gotta deal with the politics that involves itself with boxing. I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’m not going to let it distract me or lose focus. I’m going to just keep getting better.”

J Russell Peltz: “I don’t think it’s that frustrating for me. Sometimes Gabby wants to go from kindergarten to his PhD without going through junior high and high school. When we first got together I remember him saying to me, ‘I’ll fight anybody, I need someone to protect from myself.’ We’ve come a long way in a year.”

“I think to expect that Canelo or Cotto or one of those guys was going to say three, four , five months ago, even after the Sechew Powell fight, ‘Yeah we’ll fight Gabby’, I think that was a little unrealistic…

Malik Scott: “I Would Love to Get a Crack At Seth Mitchell. I Believe His Style is Picture Perfect for Me”

09/14/201609/28/2012 ESB

Exclusive Interview by Charles White – Congratulations on the big win Malik. How are you feeling after this big victory?

MS: Thanks bro, I’m feeling great. I hopped right back in the gym the same night after the fight and I think I was more sore from my after fight workout then the actual fight. Personally, I don’t even consider that a big win for me. It was easy work and I beat the shit out of Bowie with basically one hand the whole fight so now it’s on to the next so-called test, whoever the hell that’s supposed to be.

For those who didn’t get the opportunity to see the fight, walk us through it briefly. What was working for you and how did you put an end to this fight?

MS: Like I said before it was easy work. I used my jab, I was dressed down in defense and Bowie was looking for one shot all night that he never could land. It was so much more obvious I could have done more to make Bowie quit a lot more sooner than he did and that was my main reason for leaving the venue that night directly after the fight and going straight to the gym to fill in the loop holes of things that I didn’t capitalize on that night against Bowie. As a matter of fact he should consider himself very lucky.

Q&A Session with Raul ‘El Tigre’ Casarez

09/14/201609/25/2012 ESB

(Photo credit Adrian Hernandez) By Robert Jackson: In the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, middleweight/Jr middleweight pro Raul ‘El Tigre’ Casarez is a local legend. His amateur exploits that began at age 12 are well known to locals from Rio Grande City to Brownsville and throughout South Texas. El Tigre who sports a 19-2, 9 KO’s professional record has been tabbed to face Alfredo ‘El Perro’ Angulo for his comeback fight scheduled for November 10, 2012 in California. In Marines gym on the eastside of Edinburg, Texas this writer got a chance to observe Casarez’ training for his BIG fight and was granted a rare interview afterwards.

RJ: Hello El Tigre, How’s it going? You’re coming off of your biggest win over JC Candelo, what did winning that fight do for your career?

ET: Having fun, that fight was just another day at the office, something I love to do, having fun doing it.

RJ: Tell me about the name “El Tigre”, where it came from.

ET: I was 12 years old at the time I fought at Brownsville Texas regional golden gloves, at that time Octavio Saenz who worked for Univison was there and there was a world champion Nestor “El Tigre” Garza who fought out of Reynosa, Mexico and they (Saenz) said I fought like him and reminded them of him and they started calling me tigre and tigre grew up now I’m El Tigre.

Trainer Ronnie Shields: “Boxing needs Emanuel Steward”

09/14/201609/24/2012 ESB

By Joseph Herron: Boxing is a symbiant industry and is very much like a family, in which everyone involved depends on each other. Currently, one of the sport’s most prominent figures is in need of prayer from the entire boxing community.

According to sources close to Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, the boxing icon underwent surgery last week to repair an undisclosed stomach ailment and is currently in recovery at an unnamed location.

While ambiguity encases the 68 year old boxing legend’s condition, everyone associated with the beloved trainer is absolutely certain that the world of boxing is a much better place when Emanuel Steward is involved.