From the cheap seats…

Ben Pierce

12.11 - Once again we look back over the happenings in and around boxing over the last week. We have the press conference that was, but wasn't, Arum and King fighting it out in the courtroom, Hopkins and Dibella doing the same, Roy Jones playing some hoops and even some decent boxing action. Here's how I saw it, from the cheap seats…

Outside the ropes…

A federal jury sided with promoter Bob Arum in his courtroom tangle with fellow promoter, Don King over the rights to former champion and all time great Julio Cesar Chavez. The jury awarded King a big zero in monetary compensation and left without comment. Probably the same scenario King faces in the upcoming Hopkins-Haaker pay-per-view fight…zero compensation and no comment from the boxing media. Is it just me or has King seemed weakened since his hair has lost that stand up, starched kind of look. You know, like Samson. Maybe King needs to get some of that freeze gel to restore that old luster to his hair and his promotions. Only in America!

Bernard Hopkins and Lou Dibella also squared off inside the courtroom this week as Dibella is suing Hopkins for defamation. Both sides threw opening barbs at one another before the judge recessed the trial until Tuesday morning. No inside reports available, but I heard rumors Hopkins said Dibella's case had no teeth…No, that would be too easy and I won't touch that! But lets just say the tooth fairy knows Hopkins address all too well.

Don King and Murad Muhammed planned a news conference in New York this week to announce the Bryd-Holyfield and the Jones-Ruiz fights. They had the press conference, but without the ever-elusive Roy Jones Jr. being present. Roy was busy playing basketball and still looking at " the long version contract". I never knew a boxing contract that was not long, but that is beside the point. No matter how much Murad Muhammed and others want to say Jones has signed the fight contract, he has in fact only signed a letter of intent. And Roy has intended to fight many others over the years.

Now speaking of Jones and basketball, it seems many of the boxing websites are now mentioning his diversion into basketball. But that is old news, as I told you that news weeks ago! But since some sites are even carrying news blurbs from his latest exhibition game, let me tell you what really happened, from someone who was there. And not from the cheap seats, but courtside, right behind Roy Jones!

Roy played well. Yes, he only had limited playing time due to the fact that the Mobile Revelers pick up a new point guard out of the University of Florida, but he moved the ball up the court well and directed the team. He only took one shot, that from three-point range and it rolled around the rim and fell to the floor. But the man can play basketball. This league has a good level of talent and with some additional experience Jones could play with the best of them. That said, the new point guard is very talented, which could limit Jones's playing time considerably and I do not see Roy Jones riding the bench. I am wondering if he will continue with the team if he is not the starting guard. Will the best p4p boxer in the world play second fiddle on a basketball team? Yall musta forgot!

Inside the ring…

Paul Spadafora with his usual style of boxing wins another hard fought decision, this time over virtually unknown Dennis Holbaek. Spadafora started slow and finished strong to win the unanimous decision in what many thought was a much closer bout that the judge's cards reflected.

IBF Lightweight champion, Spadafora was looking to impress and make a statement, hoping for a possible match up with the winner of the upcoming Mayweather-Casttillo fight. From all reports, I do not think he made that statement last night.

Jeff Lacy took on and experienced veteran in Ross Thompson and had a hard road in route to a majority decision. Lacy showed flashes of brilliance, but Thompson also made Lacy miss more than half the punches he threw. Thompson showed a great chin after eating several big left hooks from Lacy and never going down. Lacy passed another big test, but when these young prospects step up from the gimme fights to some formidable opposition, they do not look as overwhelming and devastating as they have been billed.

Sharmba Mitchell dominate an aging Vince Phillips to solidity his standings in the race at Junior Welterweight to get a shot at the undisputed champion, Kostya Tszyu. But as good as Mitchell looked in the ring, he looked even worse in his post fight comments. Mitchell needlessly degraded champion, Koysta Tszyu and contender Zab Judah. Comments such as that may help him obtain a fight with Zab Judah, but will most likely caused Tszyu to distance himself from such ignorance.

Closing the door…

I will close out this week with kudos to Roy Jones Jr. for even considering a fight with John Ruiz. As I looked at Roy Jones, up close and on the basketball court with bigger men, all I could think of was how small he looked. If he takes the fight with John Ruiz, he is a crazy man and deserves mad props. As I think of what Kevin Kelley told me in a conversation earlier this week, he is right. Ruiz learned a good bit just from being in the ring three times with Evander Holyfield. Ruiz is purposely clumsy, awkward and dirty inside the ring and it works well for him. Roy, stay at Light Heavyweight or even move to Cruiserweight, but leave John Ruiz alone! I think Jones is too smart to be suckered into this fight and is just looking for an outstanding way to close out his career. But he musta forgot, his career needs no exclamation point. His biggest critics have never stepped inside a boxing ring, so who cares?

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