Fagan to get golden opportunity…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Well, former elementary school teacher Oisin Fagan will finally get his shot to make something special happen.
At 34, Fagan really couldn’t have waited much longer. The Oklahoma City light welterweight will take on Amir Khan in London on Dec. 6.
Khan won the silver medal for Great Britain in the 2004 Olympics and was quickly on his way to superstardom. However, he is coming a shocking first-round KO loss in his last bout.
So, obviously, Fagan is just set up to be the opponent for this fight. But, hey, at least he’s getting this shot. It’s not out of the realm for him to make something happen. He’s been fighting around 140 pounds for a long time.
And of course, you never know how someone is going to react after being knocked out cold in their previous fight. That mindgame is something Fagan is looking to capitalize on.
“The experts will no doubt, have me as the underdog but I’m honestly happy with that label. The ‘underdog role’ suits me, as we-Irish, have been the underdogs in society for hundreds of years which is something I am always hugely aware of when I enter the ring to fight. I want my people to be proud of my performance and I want to fight my heart out for Ireland. Amir should never underestimate the passion and desire those feelings drum up inside me, or it could be to his demise. I understand that he’s the favourite going into this fight and he’s deserved that hype because of his great amateur pedigree, but I promise to fight harder than ever before and whether I win or lose, Amir will know he was in a fight with an Irish warrior by the end of it.”
So add that on the docket of what was already an eventful fall for the fight game. Lawton’s Grady Brewer takes on fellow Contender Cornelius Bundrage on Nov. 13. Noah Zuhdi and George Colbert will lock horns for the vacant Oklahoma lightweight title at Remington Park. And now, Fagan is getting back into the action. Fun way to close out the calendar year.
I’m stoked up for what should be a great fight on Showtime tomorrow night with Vic Darchinyan and Cristjian Mijares. Vic has great power and even more arrogance. I like Mijares in a tight split decision in an excellent battle.
Also of some interest…
The remaining fights for UFC 91 were announced. Some intrigue in each of them. Kenny Florian, fresh off his win vs. Roger Huerta, will be back. Amir Sadollah, the reiging TUF champion, will be in action as well. Nothing can top Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture and Nov. 15 can’t get here fast enough. Here’s the list of the other fights:
JOE STEVENSON VS. KENNY FLORIAN
NICK CATONE VS. AMIR SADOLLAH
JOSH HENDRICKS VS. GABRIEL GONZAGA
DEMIAN MAIA VS. NATE QUARRY
Boxing back at Remington…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Almost a year to the day he made his debut, Oklahoma City lightweight Noah Zuhdi is set to take on his toughest opponent yet, fellow OKCer (is that a term?) George Colbert.
The two will do battle at Remington Park on Monday, Nov. 24, in a six-round bout for the vacant Oklahoma lightweight title.
In everything you read about Zuhdi, part of the focus goes back to him being a point guard for St. Gregory’s and currently being in law school. I won’t go there (shoot, I just did).
What I’m trying to say is this fight is not about gimmicks and outside of the ring storylines, it’s about a real grudge match.
Zuhdi made his professional debut at Remington Park on Nov. 18. In the year since, he hasn’t listened to his corner one time. No, he’s not some self-centered fella, he’s never been in a second round.
Zuhdi has won all of his four fights via first-round KO. Colbert, meanwhile, is none too shabby at 2-0 with his wins by knockout.
I’m just going to throw it out there. Who will the crowd cheer for? They’re both from Oklahoma City. They both have a following. It’s going to get real interesting real fast on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Couple of other familiar faces will be on the card as well with OKC welterweight Kyle Sherman and former Oklahoma City Blazers enforcer Ron Aubrey.
Sherman comes in at 10-1 while Aubrey is 2-2. I’m intrigued by Aubrey because he said he is finally taking it seriously. If that’s true, that’s fantastic. If it’s not, well, we’ll find out soon enough.
Aubrey’s been in the gym with Lawton’s favorite son, George Tahdooahnippah. The Comanche Boy actually won’t be on the card because his fiance, Mia, will be giving birth to their third kid.
It should be a fun and entertaining night.
More info, call (405) 426-7020 or visit catBOX Entertainment.
Episode 1: 24/7 Jones-Calzaghe
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
You know it’s a big fight, when you start hearing this song. By the way, anyone know who composed this and how you can get a copy of it? Seriously, is there a better workout song than this?
Just when you want to start hating on HBO, the network produces something like this. This might be one of the only things MMA has not mastered yet.
Anyway, after a long night with the Oklahoma City Blazers, no better way to end it than with the first episode of 24/7: Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe.
We didn’t learn too much this time around, but I don’t think we could. Your common American fan knows little to nothing about the Welshman. They basically had to introduce him to the world.
Everyone knows about RJJ. I get conflicted when it comes to Jones. I want to believe that his heart is really into it and that he really wants the fight, but man, I can’t help but think all he is seeing is $$$ signs.
I hate being suckered into this type of stuff. If he’s just saying these things to hype the fight, ugh. Then again, if he is, Calzaghe will tear him apart and that might be enough to not get too upset about it.
I admit it, I’m pulling for Jones. That’s that dang American pride going through me. I’ve never been a huge RJJ supporter. I wanted Antonio Tarver to beat him. I laughed when Glen Johnson beat him. I was hoping Tito Trinidad would finish the job in January.
But I give him credit. He’s been humbled, but he’s still here. For someone with so much pride and bravado, there’s a fighter in there.
I thought he was all just sizzle, but there is substance to him. So no matter how much I don’t want to admit it, yep, I’m pumped for Nov. 8.
In the first episode, Jones was re-introduced to the world, and we got a little more on the background on trainer Alton Merkerson.
My favorite part was actually Calzaghe attending his son’s soccer game. I like humanizing the guys, even if it is the guy I’m not pulling for.
Calzaghe is a little tough for me to understand. I have to turn up the volume to make sure I don’t miss anything. Jones, like I said, I don’t know how much of the stuff he actually means.
If that story about the guy he picked up driving is true, that’s something. Jones said after his second loss to Tarver, he picked up a wanderer. The man proceeded to tell RJJ about why he liked Jones so much. And that he seemed different.
Since then, Jones hasn’t lost. He also hasn’t fought the toughest guys ever.
Not the best first installment, but hey, you know the best is yet to come. Episode 2 airs Sunday night, or if you’re like me, anytime you please on HBO onDemand.
Wer-doomed: Dos Santos makes splash…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I was in sports heaven yesterday. College football, Breeders’ Cup, World Series and UFC 90. From 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., ahh, good times.
I was a little disappointed in Anderson Silva. I don’t know if he respected Patrick Cote so much that he didn’t want to get in there and mix it up. But a third-round knee injury by Cote left a sour taste in my mouth.
What didn’t though was Junior Dos Santos. Who?? He wasn’t on my radar. Um, he most definitely is now. Dos Santos in the upset of the night, took out Fabricio Werdum with one monstrous uppercut. Game, set, match, good night, Werdum.
In boxing, this would be called a stay busy fight for Werdum. He was just kinda waiting for the heavyweight picture to clear up with Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Nogueria. But as can happen in boxing, sometimes it’s that fight that kills your shot at the big time.
What I loved most about the first-round KO was where the punch landed. Had Werdum not lowered his head right into it, it would have either hit him in the chest or just been a glancing blow.
That’s why in boxing they say aim for the chest. If you throw at the chest, you’re more than likely going to find the head. Fighters want to get out of the way and like to duck down. Boom, the chest becomes the head and let the good times roll.
It’s been tough for me to get excited about MMA lately because I’ve had Nov. 15th circled on my calendar (well, if I actually owned one) for so long. I’m just waiting for Lesnar and Couture like you wouldn’t believe.
At this point, I don’t even care who wins. With the Elite XC, IFL out, this is UFC’s stage for all to see. This is their chance to capitalize with the common man.
Also, late last night, watching the replay of Bernard Hopkins’ masterful outing against Kelly Pavlik. Wow, it still looks great. I don’t know what round is my favorite. Rounds 7 and 12 are so much fun to watch.
Now it’s time to get ready for Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe. The great HBO series 24/7 begins tonight with the two, and if that theme song doesn’t get in your head, there’s something wrong with you. Still can’t find anywhere to download it, though.
Like I said before, this is a great fall to be a fight fan. Re-charge your batteries and get ready for RJJ-Calzaghe and Lesnar-Couture on back-to-back weeks in November.
Elite XC cashes in its chips…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It is official. I don’t know much at this point, but Elite XC has officially closed its doors. From reports from the good ol’ boys at Sherdog.
The parent company of the EliteXC mixed martial arts circuit is closing its doors for good, according to multiple reports.
Sherdog.com reported that according to T.J. Thompson, an executive at ProElite Inc., he was informed that the company would close for good this week and would file for bankruptcy protection. And Sports Illustrated, on its Web site, reported that ProElite told its employees and fighters on Monday that it was shutting down, effective immediately, according to multiple sources.
Sherdog also reported that according to numerous sources, an EliteXC card scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno, Nev., has been canceled. According to the report, Joey Villasenor, who was scheduled to fight Robbie Lawler for the circuit’s middleweight title on the card, was informed Monday it had been scrubbed.
ProElite did not return calls seeking comment, according to the reports. The shutdown follows an EliteXC card televised by CBS on Oct. 4, in which the circuit’s biggest star, Kimbo Slice, suffered a 14-second TKO at the hands of a relatively unknown last-minute replacement, Seth Petruzelli.
That bout is under investigation by the Florida State Athletic Commission, following comments Petruzelli made after the fight suggesting that he had been promised monetary incentives to trade punches with Slice, rather than employ a more technical game plan.
Showtime Networks, which owns a 20 percent stake in ProElite, on Sept. 17 filed a notice with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announcing its intention to enter negotiations to purchase the company outright. But SI.com reported that according to a source inside ProElite, those negotiations failed and ProElite’s funding disappeared, forcing it out of business.
It appeared like they had done everything right. But that goes to show just how tough it is to open up a fight game right now. You can have the fighters, even the fights, but without a solid business plan, it’s not going to work.
And that’s not to say that Elite XC didn’t have a good plan. I don’t know. All I know is even when I was hyping up the machine big time in July, everyone knew it was losing money by the millions.
I’m a firm believer that Kimbo Slice losing had nothing at all to do with Elite XC closing down. It’s more coincidence than anything else.
There are some really good fighters out there, and all it does is open the door to some very intriguing fights that, by default, will take place in the UFC.
I wonder what happened with Showtime and where the negotiations fell through. Showtime was trying to be life preserver for Pro Elite, and both sides appeared like they would work hand-in-hand to try to get that done.
I don’t know, but UFC President Dana White must be smirking right about now.
On a lighter note, someone must sign Gus Johnson to a job. This man is made for announcing MMA.
Hopkins turns back the clock…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I anticipated a thorough beat down when Kelly Pavlik fought Bernard Hopkins last night. A virtuoso performance that would help clear things up in the sport.
Well, I saw it – just not from who I expected. Hopkins bludgeoned the Ohio native for 12 rounds. Had him dejected in his corner, looking like he was ready to quit multiple times.
As I was watching it, I was simply marveling at what I was seeing. That was, I don’t know how to describe it, because it wasn’t one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Maybe one of the most surprising?
Or a performance that we (as fight fans) have been waiting for from B-Hop since that magical night seven years ago against Tito Trinidad. Ever since, it seemed like Bernard just wanted to do as little as possible to win.
On this night, he attacked Pavlik, who simply had no answer. The weight wasn’t good for Kelly at 170, that’s for sure. He looked soft in the gut. He always looks lean at 160, but at 170, he looked soft. There’s a difference.
I begged him to double, triple his jab. Against Bernard, he was lucky if he even threw one jab. Because like all great B-Hop performances, he kills you mentally and then just finishes the job physically.
Hopkins rocked Pavlik in the second round with a left hook on/above the the right ear. Pavlik’s legs did a little dance, but Hopkins didn’t attack. He stayed with his flawless plan and countered beautifully, got off first, everything a 43-year-old fighter is not supposed to be doing.
When I think about this fight, it will be rounds 2, 7 and 12 that will stand out. I’ve never seen anything from B-Hop like in round seven. Showboating and landing, sapping any last ounce of will left with Pavlik. And the bolo punch made its return to the fight game.
It’s not Pavlik’s fault he got destroyed. It’s people like me, who have been waiting to write off Hopkins. We thought we finally had that opportunity to do it.
Eh, we didn’t. I entered the night hoping Pavlik would knock off the old guard, but in rounds 10-12, I was hoping Hopkins would close the show. He deserved this moment. He put in the work at 43 to put on this type of show. I reiterate, he deserved the KO.
“I could box another two to three years,” Hopkins said. “I think this was my best performance, better than Tarver, better than Trinidad, better than Oscar [De La Hoya]. I am extremely happy tonight. Ninety percent of the media picked Pavlik. I always appreciate naysayers. That is what motivates me — when people are against me. I don’t wish I was like that but that’s the way it is.”
Pavlik had no answers in the fight and none afterward either. “I just couldn’t get off,” he said. “I don’t know why. It was not his slickness. I just couldn’t throw a jab, a double jab. I couldn’t do what I was used to doing. We’ll go back to the drawing board. It just wasn’t me tonight. I will be more comfortable going back to 160.”I agree with Hopkins about this being his best outing. Well, maybe 1a with Trinidad. The Oscar fight was a joke, and Tarver was in NO condition at all to fight on that night.
As Hopkins was tagging Pavlik with rights and lefts in the 12th round, he stared him down as the bell sounded. I don’t think it had one thing to do with Pavlik. It might have a lot to do with Pavlik’s arrogant/cocky trainer, Jack Loew. It might have had to do with everyone counting him out. But he stared Pavlik down and as had happened all night, Pavlik backed away.
I had it a wipeout. Hopkins 119-107, only cuz of that frivolous point deduction in the ninth round for holding.
I’ll definitely watch the replay next week. One, to see the masterful display once again. The masterpiece, if you will. Two, to find out what Hopkins told Pavlik said after the fight. He was tutoring the youngster about what he needs to do. It was interesting. It was eerily reminiscent of Rocky and Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies.
Well, I’ve just turned into the biggest Roy Jones fan. I want to see this version of Hopkins against Jones in a fight that could be labeled “10 years too late.” It’ll be interesting to see what RJJ has left in the tank and heart against Joe Calzaghe on Nov. 8.
Worst. Undercard. EVER. That’s all I can say about the Hopkins-Pavlik card. In these down times, to force people to spend $50 on that garbage is embarrassing. I may rant on this later, but I wanted to make sure it got out there. Bored out of my mind with that crap.
Well, up next on the docket is the return of arguably the best MMA fighter in the world, Anderson Silva. That’ll be at UFC 90 next week from my old stomping grounds, Chicago.
I’ll trade you my Couture for your Lesnar…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Ultimate Fighting Championship and Topps have agreed to a multi-year deal to have Topps brand UFC trading cards. It will feature former, current and future fighters. How they can determine who a future fighter is I have no idea.
Anyway, it got me thinking about the good ol’ days when I used to collect sports cards. I still have a stash of Kevin Johnson (former ALL-TIME great Phoenix Suns guard) cards in my closet. I remember there were so many different kinds of cards. I lost track after things like Fleer Ultra and Upper Deck, but trading cards used to be the coolest. Who didn’t buy every copy of Beckett Monthly to see what the value of their cards were.
But with UFC, it brings me back to the kiddie days. Seriously, what is the value of a Rampage Jackson compared to a Tito Ortiz? I think it’s kinda cool. And what kind of different sets are there going to be? A Legends set with people like Dan Severn, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie and people like that?
The cards will be launched early next year. I’m still on the fence about whether or not I want to start collecting the cards. It’ll be interesting to see how this is marketed.
Onto boxing, where we have another vintage young vs. old matchup: Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins. I went on a little trip down memory lane with The Ghost and watched his fights against Edison Miranda and Jermain Taylor.
I just don’t see how Hopkins can beat Pavlik. Pavlik’s got a beard on him, too. The only way Pavlik loses is he allows himself to be conned into Hopkins’ game. That means throwing only 20-30 punches a round. Getting involved in rough-house tactics on the inside.
Pavlik can win this fight with his jab alone. Now I don’t want him to, but he could. He could simply keep Bernard at bay and out of reach. But I want Pavlik to make that statement. Go after him. I’ve never seen Hopkins truly hurt. I think Pavlik can take him.
But make Hopkins work. Don’t let him get away with his usual tricks. Chad Dawson somewhat did it to Antonio Tarver last week. Now it’s time for another young gun to do the same.
Official prediction: Pavlik unanimous decision Hopkins. I think it’ll be in the neighborhood of 116-112, 115-113.
Guess we’ve heard everything…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I don’t know why I’m shocked, but this is a nice little nugget here.
From the boys at fightnews.com:
Just when you thought you’ve heard everything. WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has revealed his secret remedy for keeping his hands from swelling after fights. The champion told BILD he wraps his hands with Pampers soaked with the urine of his three-year-old son Max. “Children’s urine is pure, without toxic substances and hardly smells. Little Max must make peepee for Dad,” Klitschko is quoted as saying. “Some people even drink their own urine, however I don’t.” The champ added, “I also recommend the urine compress for Sam Peter. He could wind it around his head.”
Yep, there are no surprises in boxing.
Dawson rips Tarver…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I’ve always seen myself as a pretty big Antonio Tarver fan. But man, I really wanted “Bad” Chad Dawson to tear him apart last night.
While Dawson did not do that, he easily did enough to yoink the No. 1 spot in the light heavyweight division from The Magic Man.
Two judges had it 117-110 while another had it a crazy 118-109. For those scoring at home, I had it 116-112 for Dawson.
Dawson wins rounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9 while Tarver takes 3, 6 and 11. I scored round 10 even at 10-10 and round 12 even at 9-9. Dawson scored the knockdown but Tarver fought with a sense of urgency and won the round huge after.
Dawson’s speed was just too much. Both with his footwork and with his hands. It was a boxing clinic. Neither fighter really landed anything flush. The ear muffs were on and most everything was a deflected blow.
Dawson won this fight with body punching, IMO. He was relentless downstairs and Tarver, though still fighting gamely, had no steam on his punches from the mid-rounds on.
I was still a little disappointed. When you have young cat like Dawson who can do anything he wants when he wants (I truly believe that), why doesn’t he just push Tarver to no end? Why give him one second of rest?
Dawson doesn’t need the break. Tarver’s the one who is almost 40 years old. I don’t like when young fighters allow themselves to fight at an old man’s pace. Dawson didn’t do that for most of the night, but there were times when I just felt, man, jump on him and get him out.
My boy, Floyd Mayweather, was in the house and proclaimed Dawson the new No. 1 pound-for-pound king in the sport. Dawson said “Money May” called him before the fight to tell him that, and it gave Dawson extreme confidence. He fought like it, too.
I never got to really elaborate on it because I was so busy with softball, but boxing needed Dawson to win. Like I said, I like Tarver. I was giddy with joy when he KO’d Roy Jones. But Tarver is a plodding fighter and doesn’t make for really good fights. And at his age, he’s selective (you might argue rightfully so). But he takes too long between fights and is only looking at dollar signs against the right people.
Dawson is definitely looking for the money, but he doesn’t care who he fights. It could be Kelly Pavlik, Jones, Joe Calzaghe or any of the young guns coming up. Dawson is not selective, who’ll beat ‘em all down and has done so with his 27-0 record.
On the other hand, the less said about Vitali Klitschko and Sam Peter, the better. Yeah, it’s a big win for Vitali, but it was beyond a flat performance by Peter. He’s just not what I wanted him to be.
When I saw Peter a couple of years ago, I thought there goes the future of the heavyweight division. No, he’s too limited. He gets in with a big guy and doesn’t know how to get inside. He takes jabs all night and just swells up and gets discouraged. And Saturday, he just quit after eight rounds. That’s not the heavyweight champion.
After a thrilling (no joke) weekend of high school softball, it was pretty cool to get home Saturday night to watch Dawson and Tarver.
For the record, I still believe Seth Petruzelli and Kimbo Slice was not fixed. Call me naive, but I have to believe this. If it was, then it’s a crushing blow to the overall credibility of MMA.
Next week, we gots Pavlik and the wily one himself, Bernard Hopkins. No guarantees, but I’ll try to hit something up before then.
Say wha?…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
This is either the saddest day of my life following boxing or one of the coolest. I don’t know which yet.
From Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.
“Evander Holyfield has accepted an offer to challenge Nikolai Valuev for his heavyweight world title, the former four-time champion told ESPN.com Wednesday night.
Holyfield (42-9-2, 27 KOs) said his attorney is reviewing a contract from Valuev promoter Sauerland Event for a fight that would take place Dec. 20 in either Germany or Switzerland.
“It’s solid. They asked if I will take the fight for the offer they made and if everything is straight up, I will take that fight,” Holyfield said. “My lawyer is looking at it.”
Holyfield turns 46 on Oct. 19. I had planned a special tribute blog to The Real Deal. If he’s fighting, may have to put that on the back burner.
I’ll say it right now that Holyfield has no shot and doesn’t deserve any of this. But by fight time, I’ll get that Evander snarl and be rearin’ and ready to go. His dream is still to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
Busy week for me with HS softball championships and two-a-days with the Oklahoma City Blazers, but I’ll be back Friday with a nice long post on why Chad Dawson needs to beat Antonio Tarver (and if I really want it to happen).
Stick with me, fight fans. I shall return.
