Trainer Ronnie Shields: “Boxing needs Emanuel Steward”

Trainer Ronnie Shields: “Boxing needs Emanuel Steward” 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.

Vitali Klitschko: Corrie Sanders was my toughest fight

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has a great deal of respect for former WBO heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders (42-4, 31 KO’s), who was murdered in South Africa this past weekend by three unknown thugs that robbed the restaurant where Sanders was celebrating a party.

Vitali said to the German news site Bild Plus “Corrie Sanders was the most difficult opponent I ever fought. Corrie was fast, could give and take a punch. His style was dangerous and did not suit me. I was very pleased to be able to win this fight.”

Vitali stopped Sanders by an 8th round TKO to avenge his brother Wladimir Klitschko’s 2nd round knockout loss to Sanders a year earlier in 2003. Wladimir never fought Sanders again after the loss and it’s perhaps wise that he didn’t. Sanders seemed to really have Wladimir’s number, and it might have been a bad idea for Wladimir to fight him again. Sanders almost knocked Vitali down at one point after connecting with a big left hand when Vitali tried to slug with him.

Pacquiao has to beat Marquez impressively this time

By Rob Smith: With Manny Pacquiao’s performances looking less and less impressive with each fight, Pacquiao now has to look especially good for him to be still considered as one of the best fighters in boxing. Getting beaten and/or winning controversial decisions isn’t helping him. You can’t look at Pacquiao’s last three performances against Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Tim Bradley and Pacquiao as a superstar type fighter. He lost to Bradley and should have to Marquez.

That’s two defeats in his last three fights. That’s terrible. While some boxing fans feel that Pacquiao deserved a win over Bradley last June, Pacquiao’s performance in that fight wasn’t superstar type material. Pacquiao just looked like an old guy that could no longer fight hard for three minutes of every round, and who also couldn’t cut off the ring to save his life.

If for no other reason that they can’t find another big money opponent to put him in with, Pacquiao will be fighting Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8th. With the Top Rank – Golden Boy rivalry limiting the number of options Pacquiao has in terms of opponents, sadly he’s reduced to fighting the same guys over and over again.

Frampton thrashes Molitor

By Frank Walsh: Entering Saturday night’s contest, undefeated commonwealth super bantamweight champion Carl Frampton was taking a large step up in class, and his first step inside the grounds of world class. Steve Molitor in the twilight of his career, but still a dangerous proposition, was the gatekeeper upon whom Frampton would have to pass to enter these grounds.

Kessler vs. Magee on December 8th

By Marcus Richardson: Mikkel Kessler (45-2, 34 KO’s) will be taking on WBA interim super middleweight champion Brian Magee (36-4-1, 25 KO’s) in a very winnable fight for Kessler on December 8th at the Boxen, in Herning, Denmark. It doesn’t get any easier than this for the 33-year-old Kessler. Magee, 37, is an okay fighter, but he was recently stopped by former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute by a 10th round TKO last year in March in a one-sided fight and that fight showed pretty clearly where Magee is in terms of talent.

Ricky Burns: Pride of Scotland

By JOHN WIGHT: After his most recent devastating performance against London’s Kevin Mitchell in front of 10,000 fans at the SECC in Glasgow, it would be a great disservice to Ricky Burns to continue to describe or refer to him as a great ‘Scottish’ fighter. He has now proved beyond doubt that he is a great fighter, period, deserving of being considered elite level and more than a match for any lightweight anywhere.

His fourth round stoppage of the hard punching Mitchell, who in the run up to the fight had appeared confident of taking Burns’ WBO title, would have come as a godsend to the bookmakers, what with the bulk of the smart money opting for a points win for the Coatbridge fighter, with perhaps a sneaky wager on Mitchell by KO. This writer asserts the right to boast of betting on the stoppage by Burns. However, this does not so much reflect any great talent to pick bets on my part as it does the fact that Burns is one of the few champions in the sport who improves year on year and relishes fighting the best that’s out there, rather than remain content to stay in any kind of comfort zone in order to hang on to his belt as long as possible.

Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV: Can Manny knock-out JMM?

By Joseph Herron: “Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

On December 8th, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao will take on Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time in what could prove to be another great war of wills.

Although neither fighter has ever dominated their respective nemesis, both men have publicly stated that they feel a sense of urgency to end the ongoing rivalry with a sensational and resounding knock-out.

But will the fourth installment materialize into another strategic but action filled tug-of-war, or will the boxing universe finally witness a decisive victory for the eventual winner?

Despite getting the decision in two of his three epic battles with JMM, the Filipino Congressman is coming off a disappointing loss to Timothy Bradley and is convinced he has much to prove to his fans as well as his critics.

Musing over Maravilla

By Ted Spoon: Rating fighters before they’ve retired is a good crack. When boxers add another chapter to their legacy the fanatics usually pipe up, involuntarily summoned to criticize or praise. And with these two extremes accounting for 90% of support it can make you feel obligated to say something that could be interpreted as objective.

Sergio Martinez is, at the time of writing, at that tender junction having just turned back another challenge. With the bout not yet adequately arranged in time we can’t be sure of its worth. The defeated could go onto do nothing of note, consequently reducing its significance, or, conversely, he could go onto achieve great things, polishing the victory with each successive win.

A good way to get our bearings would be to say from the offset that Sergio is certainly not in the same company as a Marvin Hagler or Marcel Cerdan. Of course, that’s hardly a ‘diss’. The Argentinean is closer to a Tony Zale with the opportunity to nudge himself into a higher consensus.