Golden Boy or PacMan?…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
I admit it, I’ve been drawn in hook, line and sinker. Not only do I think Oscar de La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will draw huge numbers, but I think it’s going to be a helluva fight.
I’ve long been blind to PacMan’s flaws. I get excited hearing he’s going to fight, so sue me. If trainer Freddie Roach truly believes Manny can do it, I’m going to along for the ride.
Roach trained Oscar for the super bout last year with Floyd Mayweather. He must have seen something that has made him believe this was a viable proposition.
I know it’s supposed to be the Golden Boy’s swan song, but I think he’s taken the wrong fight here. There were rumors of a Miguel Cotto fight, but then Antonio Margarito messed that up.
Oscar has always picked and chosen his opponents. When the buyrates come in, it’s totally justified. I’ve had no issues with this for years. I’m just wondering what Oscar sees in PacMan (besides size) that makes him believe that this is the way he wants to go out.
Pacquiao has so much versatility to his game. He’s no longer just that one dynamite left hand and that’s it. His right hook has made tremendous strides, and I think he’s become a lot smarter fighter as the years have gone by.
Oscar couldn’t take out a blown-up lightweight in Steve Forbes, and I think PacMan’s chin doesn’t get enough credit. Will Oscar be able to find PacMan? A left hook is tough to land on a Southpaw, and we all know that is Goldie’s golden punch.
I think some people who are dogging this fight now will change once they see how PacMan looks carrying that weight. If Manny still has the speed and the chiseled 8-pack of abs, well, people will be singing a different tune.
Big kudos to Pacquiao for taking this fight. His legacy is already cemented with wars against Mexico’s finest in Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. He’s the closest thing to a god in the Philippines.
I was worried Pacquiao left too much of himself in his thrilling win over Marquez in March. But he has never looked better than he did in dismantling David Diaz over nine one-sided rounds. Virtuoso performance, for sure.
I’ve been thinking these wars would eventually catch up with the Filipino Icon, but it hasn’t. And there’s no reason to think he won’t bring his best against Oscar.
He doesn’t need this fight. Something tells me he wants this. There has to be a reason for that. On Dec. 6, we’re all going to find out, and it’ll have nothing to do with $$.
Local boxing update: We gots two cards on the horizon, eight days apart. A familiar face, George Tahdooahnippah (Comanche Boy) will try to fight on both of them.
The first is Sept. 12 at the Comanche Casino in Lawton. Grady Brewer is going to make his first fight since winning season two of The Contender on ESPN. We thought Brewer had fallen off the map, well, he’s back. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks.
Then the next is Sept. 20 where Fight Time Boxing Promotions, led by Anthony McGhee, are heading to the Cox Convention Center. Headlining is Kid Carson Jones. This has really piqued my interest. It’s McGhee’s first fight, but it’s at the Cox Center? That tells me he’s got his head on straight. He’s more famous for promoting concerts. He said after seeing events in Dallas, it gave him the itch to try it here. It doesn’t hurt that Bobby Dobbs is the matchmaker. Much more on this card as it draws closer.
Blockbuster announcements (or are they?)…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Some people are looking at the announcements of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and Oscar de La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao are just business ventures.
Not me. I know I’m going to get reamed for this, but I actually like both of these fights. One definitely more than the other, but I’m intrigued by both. And it’s four recognizable names. That’s going to help with the common man.
First, Slice and Shamrock has been confirmed for the Oct. 4 edition of Elite XC on CBS. It’s the third card of the four being promised for the MMA group on CBS.
A lot of MMA experts see this as a step down for Slice. Once upon a time, the name Ken Shamrock sent chills down spines. But now, well, it’s not the case.
He’s lost five straight MMA bouts and has rarely looked like the fighter he was in the mid ’90s. So why do I still care?
It’s the same reason I still get jacked up for an Evander Holyfield fight (I don’t know any better). I hold out that hope that they can turn back the clock to their primes and shock everyone.
I’ve got nothing against Slice. I know a lot of MMA purists have real issues with the guy. I don’t, he’s just trying to make a living, and he’s found a way.
I still don’t see him as a top guy, and I won’t view him much differently if/when he demolishes Ken. But man oh man, I’m hoping Shamrock’s got one last ankle lock in him.
For the fight itself, Ken must avoid being on his feet as Slice will simply overpower him. But it will be real interesting to see if Kimbo has worked on his ground game. He’s a lot like Brock Lesnar in that regard. Can the two behemoths become all-around fighters?
Where I never worry for Holyfield’s safety, I am concerned for Shamrock. Who knows what one more devastating knockout will do to him, long term. The referee will play a pretty big role in the bout.
I’m not sure if this is what Elite XC was hoping for, but I think there are worse options than this. It’s crucial to get Kimbo back on TV.
Local MMA alert: Freestyle Cage Fighting comes to the State Fair Grandstand on Sept. 13. FCF is a fixture in Shawnee, so it will be interesting to see how the OKC crowd embraces the event. The big deal, to me, is that a father and son will be fighting on the same card as Tuttle’s Scott Landis (father) and son Garrick will compete.
Blockbuster announcements (or are they?)…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
Some people are looking at the announcements of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock and Oscar de La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao are just business ventures.
Not me. I know I’m going to get reamed for this, but I actually like both of these fights. One definitely more than the other, but I’m intrigued by both. And it’s four recognizable names. That’s going to help with the common man.
First, Slice and Shamrock has been confirmed for the Oct. 4 edition of Elite XC on CBS. It’s the third card of the four being promised for the MMA group on CBS.
A lot of MMA experts see this as a step down for Slice. Once upon a time, the name Ken Shamrock sent chills down spines. But now, well, it’s not the case.
He’s lost five straight MMA bouts and has rarely looked like the fighter he was in the mid ’90s. So why do I still care?
It’s the same reason I still get jacked up for an Evander Holyfield fight (I don’t know any better). I hold out that hope that they can turn back the clock to their primes and shock everyone.
I’ve got nothing against Slice. I know a lot of MMA purists have real issues with the guy. I don’t, he’s just trying to make a living, and he’s found a way.
I still don’t see him as a top guy, and I won’t view him much differently if/when he demolishes Ken. But man oh man, I’m hoping Shamrock’s got one last ankle lock in him.
For the fight itself, Ken must avoid being on his feet as Slice will simply overpower him. But it will be real interesting to see if Kimbo has worked on his ground game. He’s a lot like Brock Lesnar in that regard. Can the two behemoths become all-around fighters?
Where I never worry for Holyfield’s safety, I am concerned for Shamrock. Who knows what one more devastating knockout will do to him, long term. The referee will play a pretty big role in the bout.
I’m not sure if this is what Elite XC was hoping for, but I think there are worse options than this. It’s crucial to get Kimbo back on TV.
Local MMA alert: Freestyle Cage Fighting comes to the State Fair Grandstand on Sept. 13. FCF is a fixture in Shawnee, so it will be interesting to see how the OKC crowd embraces the event. The big deal, to me, is that a father and son will be fighting on the same card as Tuttle’s Scott Landis (father) and son Garrick will compete.
O’Grady named top OK boxer…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
ESPN has been naming the top boxer in each state and finally made its way to Oklahoma late last week. I don’t think there is any debate about who the top boxer from Oklahoma is, and ESPN saw it just about the way everyone else sees it.
Lightweight Sean O’Grady was given the honor. The only other fighter in contention according to ESPN was Tommy Morrison.
O’Grady will always have his spot in the fight game. Taking a gander at his career on boxrec.com, you wouldn’t dream of a fighter taking that path nowadays.
How many American fighters make their debut at 16 years old? A lot of foreign fighters still do make early pro debuts, but it’s not nearly as common for U.S. fighters to do so.
Even more unique by today’s standards, who is retired a month after their 24th birthday? Incredible.
I’ve had numerous opportunities to grab Sean’s ear, and he loves to tell the story that he got into boxing because “I just wanted people to like me.”
The Oklahoma City product has never abandoned the game to this day. Growing up, I always knew him as a commentator first. He became a fixture on USA and Fox Sports. It wasn’t until later that I learned of his fighting acumen.
He won the WBA lightweight title with a 15-round decision over Hilmer Kenty, his second shot at a title. Kenty had three title defenses coming in, so it wasn’t like it wasn’t a legit title win.
Back then, they all meant something. Now there are so many titles and weight divisions, it’s tough to decipher what’s what. Being a two or three-time champ today doesn’t resonate as much as it used to.
He’s been instrumental in the progress of OKC lightweight Noah Zuhdi though when the spotlight is on, O’Grady is trying to take a backseat and let Noah build his own name.
O’Grady’s one of the good guys in boxing. At 49, he’s still going strong, still very articulate when talking about the fight game. The fire still burns. O’Grady’s professional record was 81-5 with 70 KOs.
Oklahoma couldn’t ask for a better representative.
Hey, they got it right…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
For all the whining and complaining about the amateur boxing scoring system, the system got the right man for the Val Barker Award, presented to the best boxer at the Olympics.
There was no doubt in my mind after watching all of the semifinal and final bouts that Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine deserved to win the award.
He was dominant. He won the gold medal with a ref’s stoppage in the first round at featherweight. Not only that, he’s got a style that will translate well into the professional ranks.
At only 20 years old, he already shows a strong determination to get to the body. He’s not just a head-hunter.
You want to know why it was so easy to give the award to him? Because his opponent in the gold medal match, France’s Khedafi Djelkhir is an aggressive son of a gun. But after being tattooed by Lomachenko, he was backpedaling. And after the third standing-eight count by the ref, that’s it. It’s automatic.
En route to his gold, Lomachenko outscored his opponents 58-13 and his closest bout was a 14-7 win in the first round.
The most notable other Barker winner is Roy Jones Jr. back in 1988. In fact, RJJ losing in that Olympics was what led to the convoluted system we have now. He’s one of only three people to win the award without taking home the gold since the award was instituted in 1936.
Other thoughts from the Olympics: Cuba was guaranteed eight medals. It received them but none of the gold variety. The Cubans were shutout, earning four silver and four bronze.
In contrast, the lone American medalist, Deontay Wilder, was thoroughly out-classed in the semis and took home a bronze.
I won’t forget Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps anytime soon, but being a prideful American, the Redeem Team bringing the gold back in basketball was the sweetest moment.
Boxing is still on a short hiatus in terms of major fights. But man oh man, the fall is shaping up to be great. And put me in the minority of wanting the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de La Hoya fight to happen. I think the Filipino star can take him (not that I have anything against The Golden Boy.)
We’ll get back to the world of MMA where it’s not looking pretty. From fighters failing drug tests to EliteXC and IFL looking like they’re on their last days, but the UFC is still solid.
And you know me, I’ll be watching the less violent form of boxing, tennis, all these next two weeks for the U.S. Open and praying Andy Roddick or James Blake have once again found their game.
Who is Lah Nimani?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
You never know when you’re going to find that diamond in the rough. I was asked earlier this week to try to piece together a story about Lah Nimani. At first, I was skeptical. I had enough work to concentrate on with HS football previews and scrimmages.
But knowing that it had something to do with boxing, I looked into it. I’m glad I did…really glad. This story is your quintesential American dream coupled with a “what the?” factor.
Nimani was a leading boxing trainer for the Yugoslavian boxing team for years and helped train fighters for four different Summer Olympics (1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992).
No one would have known any of this without doing a little digging because Nimani was not one to boast about his own accomplishments.
Nimani died Feb. 20 at age 68 because of heart problems.
He sent his son, Istref, to America as a foreign exchange student. Istref attended Midwest City. While visiting his son, Lah and his wife, Melek, became refugees after war broke out in their native home of Kosovo in the mid to late 1990s.
Lah worked at the Transformation Fitness Center for eight years, and nobody there knew about his former exploits.
He led someone to the gold medal, for crying out loud. You’d think he’d want to brag about said accomplishments.
In talking with both Istref and Melek, you could see how they still beam with pride about Lah. With good reason, too.
Lah was in the fight game during its glory days. When even Melek recognizes how far the fight game has fallen, that’s bad. She said she can’t work up the excitement to watch like she used to.
Melek lives with Istref, and the family has come a long way. Or in her words “we come from nothing and now we have everything.” She can’t rave enough about how great America has been to her and her family. “It’s No. 1 country in whole world. Not just for me, for everybody.”
I don’t know, it was a breath of fresh air for me to discuss boxing’s good ol’ days with people who experienced them. So much (and some from me) about the sport is so negative that you forget about how boxing and sports in general can mold someone and inspire people.
There were two big memorials for Lah in Kosovo. Istref and Melek both said they couldn’t believe how many people made the trip or how many people Lah really did inspire.
And that includes his son, Istref, who is battling something of his own. Istref’s wife, Linda and 3-year-old son, Renard, remain in Kosovo. Renard was born in America but because Istref is not a US citizen, they will not let his family back home even though they were just there visiting.
Istref begins his process for citizenship Sept. 25. He hopes to apply for full citizenship in the fall. When he does, he can begin the process of bringing his family back home.
In spending time with Melek and looking at old photos, a smile came back to her face. She can remember just about anything about those photos. The family has saved newspapers from Kosovo where Nimani’s death was front-page news. They showed me six or seven different papers. I couldn’t read a word of it because it was in Albanian, but you start to understand just a little how much he meant to his people.
One of the most famous Kosovo boxers, Elvir Muriqi, tried to coerce Lah back into the fight game. “The Kosovo Kid” has been in the ring with the likes of Antonio Tarver and was once trained by American legend Teddy Atlas. Lah was also friends with former Muhammad Ali trainer Angelo Dundee.
Istref didn’t follow in the footsteps of his dad. Well, not really. He’s now a juvenile probation officer, which in a lot of ways is exactly like a boxing trainer. They both deal with turning the lives around of normally troubled kids.
Goes to show you never know who you’re going to meet and what interesting and unbelievable stories you’ll find along the way.
Wilder: Last man standing
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
One of my favorite boxing writers is Lee Groves of maxboxing.com. He also works as a CompuBox punch stat counter for ESPN2 among other things. But for now, I’m marveling at the simplicity to which he describes amateur boxing.
“Amateur boxing has become like fencing.” It’s simple, easy to understand and right on the money. It’s about gettting in, getting your one good shot and leaving. Ugh, it’s so embarrassing.
Cuba brought its least amount of boxers to the Games since it boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. But as we stand at the semis, the Cubans are guaranteed eight medals. Only one person didn’t qualify.
As for the US, well, less said, the better. That’s not to say some of these kids won’t have productive professional careers, but this has been a disaster.
One boxer will get a medal, heavyweight Deontay Wilder. With such limited experience, nobody thought Wilder stood a chance to be in this position. So that’s the good news. The bad news is how one-by-one, our studs have fallen.
Everyone knows the system is screwed up. But the fighters have accepted that. Still, in the last round, several US fighters didn’t show that sense of urgency. They were allowed to be manipulated by the system.
Anyway, Wilder is a great story. A 22-year-old kid from Tuscaloosa who hadn’t even picked up boxing when the 2004 Olympics were going on. He’s fighting hard for his 2-year-old daughter, Naieya, who is suffering from spina bifida.
Wilder is your prototypical boxer today. He played basketball and football for years and then moved to boxing. It’s one of the reasons why we haven’t seen a dominant heavyweight since Evander Holyfield. The kids today don’t dream of becoming the next Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, etc.
As much as I deny it, when Wilder steps into the ring with Clemente Russo of Italy in Friday’s semifinal, I’ll be watching. Like I said, I’m sick. I have issues.
Ninja Warrior update: Jack in Saginaw, Michigan, gave me his thoughts about Horton and Ninja Warrior. “I’m sure you guys are clouded by the fact that Horton is from Oklahoma. He wouldn’t be able to complete the first stage. He’s a great gymnast, but he wouldn’t stand a chance at Mount Midoriyama. Too small, sorry.”
I disagree, still. To clarify, there are four stages to Ninja Warrior. Stage 3 is easily the toughest, but Stage 1 is the longest and provides the most excitement. If Horton could clear the wall, he’s got it. You can’t change my mind. Stage 3 would be tough for Jon because of the Body Prop where once again, height would be an issue.
Horton: the next Ninja Warrior?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
When I become obsessed with something, I go all-out. Back home for two weeks, my older brother introduced me to Ninja Warrior (or Sasuke as it’s called in Japan).
How has the Boneman missed this show? This is incredible. “It’s not a game…it’s Ninja Warrior.” Anyway, I’ve now gone out of my way to try to see as many episodes as possible and have twice watched six-hour marathons in the last month.
This isn’t the most recent edition, but it’s the latest one that has the full first stage. Enjoy.
Mr. Ninja Warrior at it again.
Anyway, after watching Jonathan Horton these last four years at OU and the Olympics, could Horton be the next Ninja Warrior? Gymnasts and trampolinists (is that a word) do so well at Ninja Warrior because they have most of the attributes the modern day ninja would need.
Both of the Hamm brothers, Paul and Morgan, have reached Stage 3 of the four-stage process. And Bulgarian star and multi-time medalist Jordan Jovtchev is also a regular participant.
Why let those athletic gifts go to waste? I don’t know if the competitors get anything more than pride, but these guys are awesome. Watch any of the Ninja Warrior shows on G4, and you’ll see what I mean. Guys building their own stages in their backyard? Or my favorite, the gas station manager who never ever misses a competition.
Anyway, back to Horton. I can only see one possible obstacle…the crooked wall. We all know Jon can jump out of the building, but his lack of height would be tough to overcome. He would be able to do the “Jumping Spider” because of his flexibility. And please, the “Flying Chute” is just like a release from the high bar.
I’m not sure if Jon knows anything about the show. I assume he does since the Hamm brothers have been on so much.
But Jon if you’re listening, give Ninja Warrior a try. The show is becoming so popular that it’s spawning American versions called American Ninja Challenge. But what I like about that is the winners get the chance to compete on the Japanese version, the real version.
10 years and counting, thanks Ninja Warrior.
What’s happened to the amateurs?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
I feel cheated. The Boneman was born at the wrong time. I love boxing. I watch just about every last show there is from ESPN2, HBO and Showtime. I’ve even watched shows on Telefutura where I spend half the time trying to translate the action.
But I can’t bring myself to watch a lick of Olympic boxing. I tried. Even the familiar faces of Bob Papa and Teddy Atlas is not enough for me to care.
Now this isn’t because I don’t watch the Olympics. Quite the opposite. In between working on stories and stuff like that, I’ve watched more than 10 hours per day since the thing has started. That swimming 4X100 free relay last night with USA taking France at the last second was one of the coolest things I’ve seen this year. I’ll be glued to the tube for basketball, gymnastics, swimming, track and field and volleyball. So why can’t I work up the courage to watch boxing?
It’s not as simple to say cable has killed Olympic boxing, but it is part of the problem. In 1976 with Sugar Ray Leonard at Montreal, it was the only game in town. You got to know about him. Same thing with the magical class of 1984. Could you imagine nine gold medalists this year? And to think, Evander Holyfield wasn’t even one of them. That ‘84 class has given me three of my favorite boxers: Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker and Holyfield.
The last boxer to capture the nation was Oscar de La Hoya in 1992. Even when David Reid won the gold in Atlanta, the hype was dying down. And by 2000, it was all but gone.
HBO took a gamble on the 2000 Olympians. I remember their pro debuts were all on the defunct KO Nation. Off the top of my head, I remember Dante Craig, Ricardo Williams, Michael Bennett, Clarence Vinson (who I was so sure would be a star), Jose Navarro and of course, the only real star, Jermain Taylor.
After being burned bad by this group, no network took a gamble on the class of 2004. And in 2008, well, the US only has eight boxers. And one solid medal hopeful, Gary Russell, pulled out because of weight issues.
There are other options besides watching the Olympics. Plus, boxing is buried into the mid-afternoon hours on CNBC. It’s not primetime, it’s not on network TV, pitiful slot. But it doesn’t really deserve a top-notch spot, so no complaints from me.
But the biggest and most dopiest thing ever is the scoring system. They’ve got these white part of the gloves where that’s where they want the boxers to connect with. Problem is the three blind mice that run things in the pro ranks look competent compared to the idiots in the amateur ranks.
Explain this one: you could potentially score a knockdown and not get credited with a point. Huh? Three of five judges need to punch their keypad within one second for a punch to count. Huh? It’s an embarrassment. And it’s one of the reasons why so many boxers bypass the shot at Olympic glory and go straight to the pro ranks.
In my first conversation with Sean O’Grady, I asked him about the downfall of boxing. One of his reasons was it’s based partly on the Olympics. Through the Games, viewers get a reason to care about the fighters. They know about them before they go pro. Nowadays, eh, not the case.
It’s sad to see what amateur boxing has become. I admit that when the medal round comes around, I’ll still be watching. But I’m sick and have a problem. So, what can be done to save amateur boxing?
UFC alert: Argh, I go 2-1 with my predictions. I still think Roger Huerta’s got the goods to be something special, though. Kenny Florian UD Huerta. Brock Lesnar UD Heath Herring. And Georges St.-Pierre UD Fitch. Didn’t get to see it, so can’t really comment on it yet.
Do we have a prodigy in our midst?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com
We’ve all heard of kids who are raised from birth to be sports stars. Tiger Woods is the No. 1 example everyone loves to throw around right now.
Golf and basketball are pretty popular sports for this type of thing to happen in. There’s not much contact, so there’s no real risk of injury.
But what about MMA or boxing? Would a parent ever steer their kid into that arena? That’s not a hypothetical. The Boneman is asking for your help. Do you have or know a kid who we could consider a “fight prodigy?” Off the top of my head, I think Oscar de La Hoya is the last born to fight fighter. His father, Joel, didn’t let him do anything else.
I read a story somewhere while on vacation about this 11-year-old who was already learning everything there is about UFC. He’s learning the submissions and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the ground and pound, etc. I’m just wondering if there are any people here in Oklahoma who qualify in that same respect?
So if you do know someone, drop me a line. It makes for a great story.
Blatant plug alert: Saturday is UFC 87. I know I’ve hyped Brock Lesnar’s return to the UFC, but the real main event is Georges St. Pierre against Jon Fitch (welterweights). Also on the card will be Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian (lightweights). Short and to the point, I like Brock, Georges and Roger. Have to continue my streak after Joshua Clottey did beat Zab Judah by unanimous decision. Anyway, UFC 87 can be watched at the Warren Theatre in Moore. Yep, that new ginormous theatre will let you watch your MMA there. I’m looking forward to it.
