You don’t usually expect it to work out for a fighter who protests a bunk decision with one of the alphabet sanctioning organizations, because usually that only happens if there’s some technicality. But the WBA is reviewing the bunk decision last weekend that gave Beibut Shumenov (at right in the picture) the light heavyweight title owned by Gabriel Campillo (left), and I think there might be just the right technicality here. The WBA, you see, is upset that only one of its judges was appointed for the fight. It just so happens that that judge, Levi Martinez, is the one who got it right, scoring it 117-111 for Campillo, comparable to the unofficial score of nearly everyone who watched. See, you can’t underestimate the egos of the alphabet gang. Observe:
“Unfortunately due to the Muhammad Ali Law approved by the American Congress and applied in the main jurisdictions where WBA world championships are carried out, they have the freedom to approve and appoint the officials of the fights,” said WBA vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. “I’m not trying to generate a controversy but our judges attend yearly seminars to reduce the possibility of controversy and to do justice in the ring. In this particular fight they only accepted Levi Martínez from the WBA.”
I’m not saying the result will be overturned or anything like that, but I feel like I’m hearing “mandatory rematch.”
Speaking of Campillo-Shumenov, did you know I was big in Spain? My write-up of that fight led a publication there to say The Queensberry Rules was a “famed” or “famous” boxing blog, per TQBR friends-of-the-site Caitlin, Eugene and Jim, all of whom quickly pounced on translation duties when I put out simultaneous requests. Thanks, Spaniards!
The subjects in the headline, and more besides — like an array of fights in the works — await you in this edition of the WORLD-FAMOUS Quick Jabs…
Quick Jabs
BoxingScene reported on “rumors” earlier this week of junior welterweight Amir Khan being protected, by contract, from hard-hitting mandatory title challenger Marcos Maidana. Guess what! The rumors are true. Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer spun it as a “building the fight” deal, but Khan-Maidana won’t happen for three fights at least. I like Khan, I do, and I don’t think it’s him who’s driving this — he’s said he wants to fight Maidana, and he’s cocky enough that I believe him. I think his team is sheltering his questionable chin, though, and it’s kind of a wuss move…
There was a junior welterweight trashtalkathon this week that spread out over BoxingScene and Boxingtalk, and I’m not going to link to all of it, but if there was a junior welterweight who could say something about another junior welterweight this week, it happened. Anyone who’s followed the division lately knows how loaded it is and knows how many match-ups have been discussed, but it’s disconcerting the degree to which so many fighters’ plans are still unsettled. Just freaking fight each other, OK? I’ll leave the final word on that to Nate Campbell, who’s always good for words, this set directed at Timothy Bradley, against whom Campbell fought to a no contest in 2009: “We still have unfinished business between us. But for now everyone gives him a pass. That’s f**ked up. We have 2 close rounds, then he fouls me with his big ass buckethead, mashing my eyeball so I cant see, but I’m the **shole?” And, in his closing remarks to BoxingScene’s Rick Reeno (click with caution, given BoxingScene’s cyberhygiene): “Sh*t like this is killing boxing Rick. Not just at 140, but everywhere. All these cats talking all this noise and won’t f**king fight anyone unless they get $934 million dollars or something. If this sh*t don’t change then our sport is in big trouble.” Hear hear…
The one person in the division I want to shut up above all is Zab Judah. GOD he annoys me. The guy massively overvalues himself. He recently said he wasn’t interested in any offers for fights with Golden Boy fighters unless it was Oscar De La Hoya. Dude, you just came off a pay-per-view where you did 5,000 buys. Why in the world would De La Hoya come out of retirement to face you? And even if you were not speaking literally, why would anyone want to give you so much money? You ditch fights, and you’re a pain to deal with, and your star is as faded as hell. Go away…
The Boxing Writers Association of America awards are out for both the decade and the year, and I don’t think there should be many surprises there. But if you were wondering, they’re out…
The heavyweight fight between David Haye and John Ruiz may end up on U.S. television for free as part of the hype for the same-day April 3 light heavyweight rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr. That’s good news. The bad news is that the heavyweight fight between Wladimir Klitscho and Eddie Chambers March 20 is only going to be on pay-per-view domestically. I’m also entertained that for one of their press conferences, Hopkins and Jones plan a “debate,” per a news release. Great idea, but I already have Hopkins’ “You’re no Jack Kennedy” line at the ready: “Roy, you got knocked out in the 1st round of your last fight”…
This might normally fall under the “Round and Round” section of the column, but without opponents named, I’m prone to leaving out return dates for so-and-so. These are two special occasions. One, junior middleweight James Kirkland is scheduled to return in August (per BoxingScene, see warning above), coming off his legal problems, in a tune-up. As he had ballooned up to 205 pounds, I’d say a tune-up is a smart idea. Second, welterweight prospect Saul Alvarez is likely to be on the undercard of the welterweight fight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley, as is middleweight Danny Jacobs, who’s recovering from surgery. I enjoy both those young fighters, but my main interest is in having a good FIGHT or two on that undercard. So, Jacobs-somebody and Alvarez-somebody, fine; but make sure we get something more meaningful, too.
Raise your hand if you’re surprised to learn that another fighter is suing Don King, claiming King stiffed him out of cash. What, no one? This time it’s heavyweight Sam Peter. Meanwhile, junior middleweight Sergei Dzindziruk has been freed from his promoter, Universum, and has signed with Gary Shaw. That’s good news — I’m not taking sides for or against Universum, I’m just eager to see Dzindziruk in a fight, you know?…
There’s a controversy a-brewin’ involving the Olympics, Australia and a flag featuring a boxing kangaroo. Do I understand it, exactly? Nah. I’m just happy that there’s a controversy over a boxing kangaroo…
I seriously heart Lou DiBella. His latest interview has me wanting to clone him and make all the other promoters exactly like him. Check it out — maybe he comes off as sanctimonious to some, because he doesn’t HAVE to brag about this stuff, but I don’t care. I say he’s got the right to brag. In both word and deed, he smacks of integrity…
Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, insists Mayweather is up next after both men dispose of their next opponents. I don’t doubt that’s what Roach wants, but both sides are entrenched right now on this drug-testing thing, and while I’d love it if one side just gave in — I don’t care which — I don’t know what makes him so confident that it’ll be Mayweather. Anyway, that’s not even the most important Pacquiao news of the day. Pacquiao meeting Steven Seagal? That’s news, brother. If the two fought, and there are no indicators that they did, I think Pacquiao would have beaten him in boxing rules. But in MMA rules, Seagal all the way, even fat Seagal. First off, he breaks bones with his martial artistry. Second off, he has super powers. They recently had dinner together. You didn’t think I would deprive you of the picture of this, did you?
Round And Round
After some dispute about the facility, super middleweight Carl Froch is interested again in fighting Mikkel Kessler in the Denmark city of his choosing April 17 on Showtime. Apparently money swayed him over. I don’t think the fight was ever in any great jeopardy but for those of you worried about it, I wanted to ease your trouble minds. Meanwhile, Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda is a go, also for April 17, but on HBO. My first reaction was that the super middleweight division is loaded and Bute could do better. But then I looked at the division and noticed almost everybody better was busy, mostly with the Super Six tournament.
Nonito Donaire-Vic Darchinyan II at junior bantamweight continues to be the subject on the lips of all the relevant promoters and managers and fighters, this time for June. Donaire wants to squeeze in another fight after his Feb. 13 date, so we’ll see if it doesn’t get pushed back. Donaire is talking about Jorge Arce, Fernando Montiel and Israel Vazquez, too. Arce wants a rematch with Simphiwe Nongqayi. I see no point.
HBO has a nice double-header done for March 27: Robert Guerrero-Michael Katsidis at lightweight and the aforementioned Maidana against Victor Cayo. I bet both fights are pretty entertaining.
Junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan’s team is talking about matching him up with Carlos Quintana. That’s a good fight, too, but maybe a touch dangerous for Martirosyan given how he struggled with Kassim Ouma, a fighter I don’t consider as good as Quintana? Anyway, I don’t have a problem with bold match-making. It’s better for me, the customer.
Marco Huck, the entertaining cruiserweight, will be fighting Adam “Swamp Donkey” Richards March 13, previously an entertaining heavyweight. I’m all for it. By the way, I thought “Swamp Donkey” was just a cool-ass nickname. I wasn’t aware it had an Urban Dictionary entry.
There’s some chatter about Danny Green fighting Paul Briggs in an all-Australia bout, although I don’t know if it would be at cruiser or light heavy; The Daily Telegraph story doesn’t specify. I like both fighters, but Briggs has been out of boxing for a while. A while while. As such, if it happens, I’m not sure it’s that competitive a fight. I wish Green would get some U.S. exposure from knocking out Jones, but he’s been trying to no avail.
(Round and Round sources: BoxingScene, Maxboxing, ESPN, Fightnews, The Daily Telegraph, news releases)
