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Police searched the home of Canadian boxing champion Jean Pascal in Lorraine, Que., Sunday night in connection with a possible sexual assault.
According to authorities, a 25-year-old woman was taken to hospital at 5:30 a.m. Sunday claiming to be the victim of sexual assault.
Several hours of questioning led investigators to Pascal’s home, Therese-De Blainville police spokesperson Martin Charron said.
A search warrant was obtained Sunday afternoon.
QMI Agency has learned there’s no evidence yet to suggest Pascal is a suspect, but the alleged assault occurred at his home during a party with friends that began Saturday night.
Pascal, who currently holds the NABF light heavyweight and WBC Diamond championships, left Canada prior to the start of the investigation. He’s scheduled to return Tuesday.
His lawyer, Loris Cavaliere, told QMI that Pascal himself is not being investigated.
Police search Canadian boxing champion Jean Pascal's home | Other Sports | Sports | Toronto Sun
According to authorities, a 25-year-old woman was taken to hospital at 5:30 a.m. Sunday claiming to be the victim of sexual assault.
Several hours of questioning led investigators to Pascal’s home, Therese-De Blainville police spokesperson Martin Charron said.
A search warrant was obtained Sunday afternoon.
QMI Agency has learned there’s no evidence yet to suggest Pascal is a suspect, but the alleged assault occurred at his home during a party with friends that began Saturday night.
Pascal, who currently holds the NABF light heavyweight and WBC Diamond championships, left Canada prior to the start of the investigation. He’s scheduled to return Tuesday.
His lawyer, Loris Cavaliere, told QMI that Pascal himself is not being investigated.
Police search Canadian boxing champion Jean Pascal's home | Other Sports | Sports | Toronto Sun
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Boxing keeps Quade Cooper "sane" and the Wallabies vice-captain is determined to keep fighting after he negotiates his next Australian rugby contract.
Cooper is preparing for his second professional fight - a match-up against 40-year-old Newcastle boxer Warren "The Fortress" Tresidder in Brisbane on Wednesday night as part of Anthony Mundine's undercard.
He is aware Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver has hinted boxing could be off the table when they negotiate a new deal, with Cooper's current contract due to expire later this year.
However, the Queensland Reds playmaker is determined that nothing will stop him boxing and credits it with helping him as he got his once shaky Wallabies career back on track.
"It's made me a more disciplined person and better athlete and only helped my rugby," Cooper told AAP.
"And it keeps you sane.
"It's a great way of escaping from the pressure of being a footballer.
"I love doing both. I won't let either one come in the way of the other.
"I still haven't had a chat with Bill (Pulver) but after everything is out of the way I'm sure we'll be able to sit down and chat about the future.
"I'd love to continue to do it (boxing) and I will continue to do it."
With incumbent Wallabies skipper Ben Mowen declaring plans to head overseas, coach Ewen McKenzie has confirmed Cooper is among those in the mix to take over the national leadership less than two years after he was sidelined, having described the national team's environment then as "toxic".
Will Genia, James Horwill and David Pocock - all of whom have captained the Wallabies, unlike Cooper - are also expected to be considered for the role when the international season begins with three home Tests against France in June.
"It's a great honour to have your name thrown in the hat with the likes of Will Genia, James Horwill and Dave Pocock," Cooper said.
"I am not focusing on that. I just want to be the best teammate I can be.
"Whether that is training as hard as possible, helping my teammates better themselves or me striving to be a better person on and off the field.
"The captaincy is something that will be dealt with down the track."
Cooper missed the Reds' final Super Rugby trial against the Chiefs to fight Barry Dunnett last February and emerged with an impressive first round knockout win.
Cooper now lines up against Tresidder - 15 years older - who has had one professional bout which ended in a split points loss to ex-England cricketer Adam Hollioake but is backed by 25 years as a cage fighter.
Wallaby Cooper intends to keep boxing
Cooper is preparing for his second professional fight - a match-up against 40-year-old Newcastle boxer Warren "The Fortress" Tresidder in Brisbane on Wednesday night as part of Anthony Mundine's undercard.
He is aware Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver has hinted boxing could be off the table when they negotiate a new deal, with Cooper's current contract due to expire later this year.
However, the Queensland Reds playmaker is determined that nothing will stop him boxing and credits it with helping him as he got his once shaky Wallabies career back on track.
"It's made me a more disciplined person and better athlete and only helped my rugby," Cooper told AAP.
"And it keeps you sane.
"It's a great way of escaping from the pressure of being a footballer.
"I love doing both. I won't let either one come in the way of the other.
"I still haven't had a chat with Bill (Pulver) but after everything is out of the way I'm sure we'll be able to sit down and chat about the future.
"I'd love to continue to do it (boxing) and I will continue to do it."
With incumbent Wallabies skipper Ben Mowen declaring plans to head overseas, coach Ewen McKenzie has confirmed Cooper is among those in the mix to take over the national leadership less than two years after he was sidelined, having described the national team's environment then as "toxic".
Will Genia, James Horwill and David Pocock - all of whom have captained the Wallabies, unlike Cooper - are also expected to be considered for the role when the international season begins with three home Tests against France in June.
"It's a great honour to have your name thrown in the hat with the likes of Will Genia, James Horwill and Dave Pocock," Cooper said.
"I am not focusing on that. I just want to be the best teammate I can be.
"Whether that is training as hard as possible, helping my teammates better themselves or me striving to be a better person on and off the field.
"The captaincy is something that will be dealt with down the track."
Cooper missed the Reds' final Super Rugby trial against the Chiefs to fight Barry Dunnett last February and emerged with an impressive first round knockout win.
Cooper now lines up against Tresidder - 15 years older - who has had one professional bout which ended in a split points loss to ex-England cricketer Adam Hollioake but is backed by 25 years as a cage fighter.
Wallaby Cooper intends to keep boxing
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After a 19-month absence from the ring, Victor Ortiz does not want to use the word “comeback’’ to describe his welterweight match against Luis Collazo at the Barclays Center on Thursday night.
“Well, I never left,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz appeared on the TV program “Dancing with the Stars.” He had a role in the upcoming movie “Expendables 3.” He just wasn’t appearing in a boxing ring near you, which is where he gained a measure of fame.
The welterweight division is crowded and talent rich. A prolonged absence from the ring could render a boxer an afterthought in the minds of fans. The fight against Collazo is a way to put Ortiz back into the consciousness of boxing fans. A victory puts him back in the championship mix.
Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said Ortiz will always have a place among the welterweights that he promotes.
“He is, without any question, one of boxing's most charismatic young stars, has made headlines in the ring with his exciting style,” Schaefer said. “People like to see his fights. You just never know what happens, but you know that it's going to be something exciting. The word ‘boring’ and Victor Ortiz just don't go together. There's always excitement in the air when Victor Ortiz starts that ring walk people are at the edge of their seats.”
Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 knockouts) said he never really left the gym. He was always training and keeping himself in shape. Shortly after having surgery on his broken jaw, which needed two metal plates, eight screws and was wired shut for a month to repair, he returned to the gym in Ventura, Cal., to a workout.
“Even when I was filming the movie in Bulgaria for three months I would go to the gym before and after we would film,” Ortiz said.
Boxing has never been far from Ortiz’s thoughts in the 19 months that he has been out of the ring. But he wasn’t following all the moves being made in the welterweight division.
“I couldn’t bear to watch a fight,” Ortiz said. “It pissed me off because it was my spot and my position. And the people fighting didn’t belong there. I belonged there. I know that I belonged there.”
It is a tough argument to advance considering some of the welterweight matches that have unfolded since Ortiz has been on hiatus. Floyd Mayweather has earned more than $100 million outclassing Robert Guererro and Saul Alvarez. And Marcos Maidana has beaten Josesito Lopez and Adrien Broner. Once you’ve been away from the game for so long and you have to prove it all over again.
It was losses against Maidana and Mayweather that left Ortiz having to prove himself to the many doubters who saw cracks in his character.
The match against Maidana cast Ortiz in a bad light. They both went down in the fight, but Maidana got the last knockdown in the sixth round before the fight was stopped on cuts. Later in the postfight interview in the ring Ortiz told HBO’s Max Kellerman: “I’m young. I don’t think I deserve to get beat up like this.”
Ortiz was skewered by his fans and critics, most of them questioned his heart and his boxing IQ. All those comments after the Maidana fight flooded back when he fouled Mayweather with an illegal headbutt and then got KO’ed while apologizing and then had his match against Lopez stopped because of the broken jaw.
“People look at Victor’s two fights (Maidana and Lopez) that he quit in or whatever and they can’t understand it,” said Nirmal Lorick, the manager for Collazo.
“Victor is one of those fighters who know his limits. If he’s hurt he’s not going to keep going and get damaged to the point where he’s out for the rest of his career. Boxers always think that they have to be that macho person. Victor was smart enough to know that he had a broken jaw and that Maidana was getting the best of him why risk it? I don’t look at those two fights as Victor. I look at the Andre Berto fight where he came and he fought every round.”
Ortiz was at his best against Berto. They fought a back-and-forth battle, exchanging knockdowns the same way that Ortiz had against Maidana. But in the end Ortiz won a decision.
Ortiz said he doesn’t allow other people’s negative comments to affect him anymore.
“I’ve reached the point of not caring what people say,” Ortiz said. “You go on Google and see what people say, “He has no heart. He has no balls.” I get it. People have their opinion and I have mine. Yet I’m still the guy who gets into the ring and continues to fight, but I have no heart and no balls.”
He said people don’t realize how long he fought Lopez with a broken jaw and how badly injured he was.
“It was in the fourth round when he threw a little hook that caught me in front of the wisdom tooth, which cracked the jaw,” Ortiz said. “I fought five more rounds with it cracked and broken. In the ninth round he caught me with a shot and it was just hanging there.”
He isn’t going into the match against Collazo thinking that it will have as much drama. But he never knows. One thing he knows is that he’s not concerned about what Collazo can do to him.
“I think Luis is a prime veteran,” Ortiz said. “He knows what he’s in there for. He’s a veteran. I’m a young veteran. I can’t say I have any respect for Collazo. I don’t have respect for him because I’m fighting him. At this point in time I can’t respect any welterweight.”
What about Mayweather?
“No,” Ortiz said. “It could have been respect if he wouldn’t have beaten me the way that he did and instead taken the belt the way it was is supposed to be taken. I would love to get a rematch with him. I deserve a rematch.”
That could happen, but first he has to dispatch Collazo, who also wants to be in the Mayweather sweepstakes.
Don
“Well, I never left,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz appeared on the TV program “Dancing with the Stars.” He had a role in the upcoming movie “Expendables 3.” He just wasn’t appearing in a boxing ring near you, which is where he gained a measure of fame.
The welterweight division is crowded and talent rich. A prolonged absence from the ring could render a boxer an afterthought in the minds of fans. The fight against Collazo is a way to put Ortiz back into the consciousness of boxing fans. A victory puts him back in the championship mix.
Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, said Ortiz will always have a place among the welterweights that he promotes.
“He is, without any question, one of boxing's most charismatic young stars, has made headlines in the ring with his exciting style,” Schaefer said. “People like to see his fights. You just never know what happens, but you know that it's going to be something exciting. The word ‘boring’ and Victor Ortiz just don't go together. There's always excitement in the air when Victor Ortiz starts that ring walk people are at the edge of their seats.”
Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 knockouts) said he never really left the gym. He was always training and keeping himself in shape. Shortly after having surgery on his broken jaw, which needed two metal plates, eight screws and was wired shut for a month to repair, he returned to the gym in Ventura, Cal., to a workout.
“Even when I was filming the movie in Bulgaria for three months I would go to the gym before and after we would film,” Ortiz said.
Boxing has never been far from Ortiz’s thoughts in the 19 months that he has been out of the ring. But he wasn’t following all the moves being made in the welterweight division.
“I couldn’t bear to watch a fight,” Ortiz said. “It pissed me off because it was my spot and my position. And the people fighting didn’t belong there. I belonged there. I know that I belonged there.”
It is a tough argument to advance considering some of the welterweight matches that have unfolded since Ortiz has been on hiatus. Floyd Mayweather has earned more than $100 million outclassing Robert Guererro and Saul Alvarez. And Marcos Maidana has beaten Josesito Lopez and Adrien Broner. Once you’ve been away from the game for so long and you have to prove it all over again.
It was losses against Maidana and Mayweather that left Ortiz having to prove himself to the many doubters who saw cracks in his character.
The match against Maidana cast Ortiz in a bad light. They both went down in the fight, but Maidana got the last knockdown in the sixth round before the fight was stopped on cuts. Later in the postfight interview in the ring Ortiz told HBO’s Max Kellerman: “I’m young. I don’t think I deserve to get beat up like this.”
Ortiz was skewered by his fans and critics, most of them questioned his heart and his boxing IQ. All those comments after the Maidana fight flooded back when he fouled Mayweather with an illegal headbutt and then got KO’ed while apologizing and then had his match against Lopez stopped because of the broken jaw.
“People look at Victor’s two fights (Maidana and Lopez) that he quit in or whatever and they can’t understand it,” said Nirmal Lorick, the manager for Collazo.
“Victor is one of those fighters who know his limits. If he’s hurt he’s not going to keep going and get damaged to the point where he’s out for the rest of his career. Boxers always think that they have to be that macho person. Victor was smart enough to know that he had a broken jaw and that Maidana was getting the best of him why risk it? I don’t look at those two fights as Victor. I look at the Andre Berto fight where he came and he fought every round.”
Ortiz was at his best against Berto. They fought a back-and-forth battle, exchanging knockdowns the same way that Ortiz had against Maidana. But in the end Ortiz won a decision.
Ortiz said he doesn’t allow other people’s negative comments to affect him anymore.
“I’ve reached the point of not caring what people say,” Ortiz said. “You go on Google and see what people say, “He has no heart. He has no balls.” I get it. People have their opinion and I have mine. Yet I’m still the guy who gets into the ring and continues to fight, but I have no heart and no balls.”
He said people don’t realize how long he fought Lopez with a broken jaw and how badly injured he was.
“It was in the fourth round when he threw a little hook that caught me in front of the wisdom tooth, which cracked the jaw,” Ortiz said. “I fought five more rounds with it cracked and broken. In the ninth round he caught me with a shot and it was just hanging there.”
He isn’t going into the match against Collazo thinking that it will have as much drama. But he never knows. One thing he knows is that he’s not concerned about what Collazo can do to him.
“I think Luis is a prime veteran,” Ortiz said. “He knows what he’s in there for. He’s a veteran. I’m a young veteran. I can’t say I have any respect for Collazo. I don’t have respect for him because I’m fighting him. At this point in time I can’t respect any welterweight.”
What about Mayweather?
“No,” Ortiz said. “It could have been respect if he wouldn’t have beaten me the way that he did and instead taken the belt the way it was is supposed to be taken. I would love to get a rematch with him. I deserve a rematch.”
That could happen, but first he has to dispatch Collazo, who also wants to be in the Mayweather sweepstakes.
Don
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As a boxer, Quade Cooper still makes a good rugby player.
But he was given even more reason to debate the merits of his foray into boxing with Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver after his knockout win over Warren Tresidder in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
No doubt the Wallabies coach, Ewen McKenzie, was on board after enjoying a ringside view as Cooper ensured a perfect 2-0 professional record by flooring the former cage fighter early in the fourth and final round.
Their fight was on the undercard of Anthony Mundine's WBA light middleweight fight with New Zealand's Gunnar Jackson.
Pulver may still need some convincing after hinting boxing could be off the table when they negotiate a new deal after Cooper's contract expires later this year.
However, Cooper hopes nothing will interfere with his budding boxing career, crediting it with transforming him into someone now considered Wallabies captaincy material.
Not a bad effort from someone who appeared in the Wallabies wilderness after describing the national team environment as "toxic". And few on Wednesday night could argue with Cooper's boxing ability after witnessing his impressive victory.
Tresidder – in just his second professional bout but backed by 25 years of cage fighting – started the aggressor before Cooper worked away with his left jab.
Cooper, 25, capped a complete performance when he made short work of Tresidder – aged 40 – soon after emerging from his corner in the final round.
Still, Cooper looked to try to help the veteran up after he downed the Newcastle fighter. "I just wanted to show boxing isn't all about trash talking," Cooper said of his actions. "Boxing can also be about having a beer with your opponent after the fight."
Cooper raised eyebrows when he missed the Reds' final Super Rugby trial against the Chiefs to fight Barry Dunnett last February, emerging with an impressive first round knockout win on professional debut.
But this time Cooper went to great lengths not to let his upcoming bout interfere with the Reds' pre-season campaign in a bid to show Pulver that he could successfully juggle the two sports.
Reds team-mate Will Genia – who was a keen ringside observer along with most of the Queensland squad on Wednesday night – backed Cooper's call.
"It's a tricky one in that Bill [Pulver] is the boss and what he says goes but if he asked my opinion he is in the best shape that he has ever been, mentally he is in a really good space," he said. "Boxing gives him [Cooper] confidence which flows into his rugby, which can only be a good thing."
Wallabies' Quade Cooper maintains perfect boxing record | Sport | theguardian-com
But he was given even more reason to debate the merits of his foray into boxing with Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver after his knockout win over Warren Tresidder in Brisbane on Wednesday night.
No doubt the Wallabies coach, Ewen McKenzie, was on board after enjoying a ringside view as Cooper ensured a perfect 2-0 professional record by flooring the former cage fighter early in the fourth and final round.
Their fight was on the undercard of Anthony Mundine's WBA light middleweight fight with New Zealand's Gunnar Jackson.
Pulver may still need some convincing after hinting boxing could be off the table when they negotiate a new deal after Cooper's contract expires later this year.
However, Cooper hopes nothing will interfere with his budding boxing career, crediting it with transforming him into someone now considered Wallabies captaincy material.
Not a bad effort from someone who appeared in the Wallabies wilderness after describing the national team environment as "toxic". And few on Wednesday night could argue with Cooper's boxing ability after witnessing his impressive victory.
Tresidder – in just his second professional bout but backed by 25 years of cage fighting – started the aggressor before Cooper worked away with his left jab.
Cooper, 25, capped a complete performance when he made short work of Tresidder – aged 40 – soon after emerging from his corner in the final round.
Still, Cooper looked to try to help the veteran up after he downed the Newcastle fighter. "I just wanted to show boxing isn't all about trash talking," Cooper said of his actions. "Boxing can also be about having a beer with your opponent after the fight."
Cooper raised eyebrows when he missed the Reds' final Super Rugby trial against the Chiefs to fight Barry Dunnett last February, emerging with an impressive first round knockout win on professional debut.
But this time Cooper went to great lengths not to let his upcoming bout interfere with the Reds' pre-season campaign in a bid to show Pulver that he could successfully juggle the two sports.
Reds team-mate Will Genia – who was a keen ringside observer along with most of the Queensland squad on Wednesday night – backed Cooper's call.
"It's a tricky one in that Bill [Pulver] is the boss and what he says goes but if he asked my opinion he is in the best shape that he has ever been, mentally he is in a really good space," he said. "Boxing gives him [Cooper] confidence which flows into his rugby, which can only be a good thing."
Wallabies' Quade Cooper maintains perfect boxing record | Sport | theguardian-com
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2006/12/07
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According to TMZ, George Zimmerman has once again lost his ever loving mind! He considers himself a “celebrity” now we guess because he just agreed to do a celebrity boxing match. Yes the man who is well known for getting away with killing a teenager after stalking and getting into a fight with him now wants to box in a celebrity boxing match. Wow!
And get this…he says he will fight ANYONE…even black people! (In case we needed any further proof that he wasn’t quite right in the head…this has to be it!)
Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman offered George money to step in the ring. But the best part is…the opponent has NOT been selected.
We’re told George is open to fighting a black person, but the promoter is not discriminating, and said,
“We’re not looking at it as a race thing … We haven’t discussed purple, yellow, white, black.”
Wait hold up a minute…purple?
But anyway if you would like to hand George Zimmerman a serious beat down with zero legal repercussions then this is your chance to handle business!
But you better act fast because the rapper Game is stepping up!
Says Game,
“I would not be boxing for me. I’d be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and for his family. I would box him to knock him out. I would definitely take pleasure in it. It’s legal, and I want to show him you can solve your disputes without a weapon.”
Weighing in at 240 lbs of pure muscle and standing a whopping 6’5″ off the ground…yeah we like Game’s odds!
If you’d like to be the one to knock this guy out, then email [email]fightgeorge@hotmail-com[/email].
George Zimmerman Agrees To Celebrity Boxing Match | The Urban Daily
And get this…he says he will fight ANYONE…even black people! (In case we needed any further proof that he wasn’t quite right in the head…this has to be it!)
Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman offered George money to step in the ring. But the best part is…the opponent has NOT been selected.
We’re told George is open to fighting a black person, but the promoter is not discriminating, and said,
“We’re not looking at it as a race thing … We haven’t discussed purple, yellow, white, black.”
Wait hold up a minute…purple?
But anyway if you would like to hand George Zimmerman a serious beat down with zero legal repercussions then this is your chance to handle business!
But you better act fast because the rapper Game is stepping up!
Says Game,
“I would not be boxing for me. I’d be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and for his family. I would box him to knock him out. I would definitely take pleasure in it. It’s legal, and I want to show him you can solve your disputes without a weapon.”
Weighing in at 240 lbs of pure muscle and standing a whopping 6’5″ off the ground…yeah we like Game’s odds!
If you’d like to be the one to knock this guy out, then email [email]fightgeorge@hotmail-com[/email].
George Zimmerman Agrees To Celebrity Boxing Match | The Urban Daily
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He refused to be knocked out, even in death.
The family of a Puerto Rican boxer — who was shot to death last week — honored his dying wish on Friday by propping up his corpse in the corner of a fake boxing ring to memorialize his career.
Like an ashen wax figure, Christopher Rivera’s pale, embalmed body was positioned in the corner of the ring decked out in boxing gloves, a hoodie, shades and sneakers. Rivera’s mother, Celines Amaro, wife Lidianette Carmona and son Julio Christopher posed with the body that looked ready to pull out its next upper cut.
Mourners took cellphone shots of the corpse. Some pointed at him and imitated his figure.
The simulation of a boxing ring was set up at the community recreation center of the public housing project where he lived in San Juan. A single white candle was positioned in the center of the ring.
Elsie Rodriguez, a vice president of the funeral home that staged the wake, said his company has planned unusual vigils for others before, such as a man seated on his motorcycle.
Rivera died at age 23 with a 5-15 record in the 130-pound weight class.
Family props up, poses with dead boxer | New York Post
The family of a Puerto Rican boxer — who was shot to death last week — honored his dying wish on Friday by propping up his corpse in the corner of a fake boxing ring to memorialize his career.
Like an ashen wax figure, Christopher Rivera’s pale, embalmed body was positioned in the corner of the ring decked out in boxing gloves, a hoodie, shades and sneakers. Rivera’s mother, Celines Amaro, wife Lidianette Carmona and son Julio Christopher posed with the body that looked ready to pull out its next upper cut.
Mourners took cellphone shots of the corpse. Some pointed at him and imitated his figure.
The simulation of a boxing ring was set up at the community recreation center of the public housing project where he lived in San Juan. A single white candle was positioned in the center of the ring.
Elsie Rodriguez, a vice president of the funeral home that staged the wake, said his company has planned unusual vigils for others before, such as a man seated on his motorcycle.
Rivera died at age 23 with a 5-15 record in the 130-pound weight class.
Family props up, poses with dead boxer | New York Post
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Another year's under way as is the continued professional march of Valley boxer Jose Ramirez, who by summer may be back to fight in front of a hometown audience.
The Avenal native and 2012 U.S. Olympian put together some early combinations and later landed a left hook to the jaw that sent Javier Perez to the canvas in the first round of their fight Saturday night before 5,000 at Laredo Energy Arena in Texas.
Referee Jon Schorl signaled the end of the fight -- Ramirez's first of 2014 -- at 2:36.
Later Saturday night, the boxer's representatives said they're eyeing a major fight this summer at the Save Mart Center. Top Rank director of public relations Lee Samuels confirmed the promotions company has begun preliminary talks.
"We're a big arena company," Samuels said. "It's already being discussed in the offices and with (Ramirez agent/promoter Rick) Mirigian."
Ramirez keeps doing his part, adding to his impressive string of victories to open his pro career.
"I felt good," Ramirez said. "My strength and conditioning really paid off. Now I'm able to see my power. My body is getting stronger and really developing in a way that I didn't think it was going to develop."
That was bad news for Perez, who last fought in 2012 against 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz -- a fight that went the distance but saw Perez lose a unanimous decision.
Ramirez started fast from the bell Saturday, trapping Perez in the corner and landing a flurry of punches. Perez slipped away, but not for long.
"He thought he was going to smother me by going too low," Ramirez said. "He also thought my body would go over my punches, but I didn't. I kept my distance and I was able throw my combinations from there."
Fans mobbed Ramirez as he went down the steps after an interview, Samuels said.
"It was something to see," he said. "First time I've actually seen that. He made a statement tonight. He's still very young but on his way."
Samuels said Top Rank's executive matchmaker Brad Goodman was surprised that Ramirez ended the fight quickly against a more seasoned pro.
"He expected the fight to go two or three rounds," Samuels said.
"Ramirez made quick work of his toughest opponent to date," Mirigian said. "He's the future of the sport. He was very calm and very cerebral in the ring. He was very composed and just like a cobra picking the right moment, and that was it."
Ramirez said he was pleased with how his fight went and that he kept to his plan by staying patent after the initial foray.
"Sometimes you've got to be patient," he said. "Keep your range and pinpoint your shots better."
Ramirez, 8-0 with six KOs, next will be featured March 29 as part of a Solo Boxeo series card in Las Vegas.
Perez fell to 8-7.
Read more here: Avenal's Jose Ramirez runs pro boxing record to 8-0; Save Mart bout to come? | Sports | FresnoBee-com
The Avenal native and 2012 U.S. Olympian put together some early combinations and later landed a left hook to the jaw that sent Javier Perez to the canvas in the first round of their fight Saturday night before 5,000 at Laredo Energy Arena in Texas.
Referee Jon Schorl signaled the end of the fight -- Ramirez's first of 2014 -- at 2:36.
Later Saturday night, the boxer's representatives said they're eyeing a major fight this summer at the Save Mart Center. Top Rank director of public relations Lee Samuels confirmed the promotions company has begun preliminary talks.
"We're a big arena company," Samuels said. "It's already being discussed in the offices and with (Ramirez agent/promoter Rick) Mirigian."
Ramirez keeps doing his part, adding to his impressive string of victories to open his pro career.
"I felt good," Ramirez said. "My strength and conditioning really paid off. Now I'm able to see my power. My body is getting stronger and really developing in a way that I didn't think it was going to develop."
That was bad news for Perez, who last fought in 2012 against 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz -- a fight that went the distance but saw Perez lose a unanimous decision.
Ramirez started fast from the bell Saturday, trapping Perez in the corner and landing a flurry of punches. Perez slipped away, but not for long.
"He thought he was going to smother me by going too low," Ramirez said. "He also thought my body would go over my punches, but I didn't. I kept my distance and I was able throw my combinations from there."
Fans mobbed Ramirez as he went down the steps after an interview, Samuels said.
"It was something to see," he said. "First time I've actually seen that. He made a statement tonight. He's still very young but on his way."
Samuels said Top Rank's executive matchmaker Brad Goodman was surprised that Ramirez ended the fight quickly against a more seasoned pro.
"He expected the fight to go two or three rounds," Samuels said.
"Ramirez made quick work of his toughest opponent to date," Mirigian said. "He's the future of the sport. He was very calm and very cerebral in the ring. He was very composed and just like a cobra picking the right moment, and that was it."
Ramirez said he was pleased with how his fight went and that he kept to his plan by staying patent after the initial foray.
"Sometimes you've got to be patient," he said. "Keep your range and pinpoint your shots better."
Ramirez, 8-0 with six KOs, next will be featured March 29 as part of a Solo Boxeo series card in Las Vegas.
Perez fell to 8-7.
Read more here: Avenal's Jose Ramirez runs pro boxing record to 8-0; Save Mart bout to come? | Sports | FresnoBee-com
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A fight promoter says Mexican featherweight boxer Oscar ''Fantasma'' Gonzalez has died after being knocked out in the 10th round of a bout Saturday.
Canelo Promotions says in a statement that Gonzalez died Monday after suffering ''a severe brain injury and brain stem damage'' two days earlier. The 23-year-old fighter lost consciousness after being knocked out in a bout in Mexico City and was taken to a hospital.
He was fighting fellow Mexican Jesus Galicia for the World Boxing Council's Latino Silver championship.
It was the second boxing fatality in Mexico in three months. Francisco ''Frankie'' Leal died in November several days after being knocked out by Raul Hirales in a fight at the Mexican Pacific resort of Los Cabos.
Fight promoter: Mexican boxer Oscar Gonzalez dies after knockout - News | FOX Sports on MSN
Canelo Promotions says in a statement that Gonzalez died Monday after suffering ''a severe brain injury and brain stem damage'' two days earlier. The 23-year-old fighter lost consciousness after being knocked out in a bout in Mexico City and was taken to a hospital.
He was fighting fellow Mexican Jesus Galicia for the World Boxing Council's Latino Silver championship.
It was the second boxing fatality in Mexico in three months. Francisco ''Frankie'' Leal died in November several days after being knocked out by Raul Hirales in a fight at the Mexican Pacific resort of Los Cabos.
Fight promoter: Mexican boxer Oscar Gonzalez dies after knockout - News | FOX Sports on MSN
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Bringing together the rival bodies of boxing and mixed martial arts is no small feat. But there is one common cause on which they can agree -- the need for brain trauma research. On Tuesday, two former boxers, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.), welcomed representatives of the world's two premiere boxing and four mixed martial arts organizations to announce support for a study to understand the effects of repeated blows to the head.
The combat sports have joined forces to commit $600,000 to the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.
"It's a rare occasion when Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Boxing are in the same room together," McCain said. "These athletes are here in support of their fellow athletes because they've seen the results. If we don't do this, I'm afraid that support for these incredible, entertaining sports will wane on the part of the American people."
A former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Reid has deep roots in boxing. He said he judged "hundreds" of matches, including one eye-opening bout late in the career of former great Sugar Ray Robinson, who accumulated 200 professional fights in 25 years.
"He fought too long," Reid said.
Seated behind Reid as he spoke was former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, still active at age 49, and most high-profile fighter involved in the study. He is one of nearly 400 active and retired fighters who have enrolled.
"You want to know the risks," Hopkins said. "God forbid if I was diagnosed with something 10-15 years ago, then I got a choice to make. Do I want to enjoy the rest of my life with my kids or do I want to continue to fight for myself and to walk around the rest of my life as a vegetable?"
This much has been determined: Professional fighters have a higher risk of developing long-term conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), depression, and other neurological and neuropsychiatric problems.
But there currently is no way to determine if a fighter has sustained cumulative brain damage from head trauma. The Cleveland Clinic is working to identify risk factors.
"What we want to know is, what is the very first change that occurs," said Jeffrey Cummings, director of the Lou Ruvo Center. "Can you detect that in an athlete so you can tell that athlete that they are in the beginning of the process. Second, are there procedures, are there risk factors, are there vulnerabilities, so that we would know which athletes to monitor."
Former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler spoke eloquently, admitting that as a young fighter he didn't think about consequences, but he appreciated that others were looking out for his long-term well-being so that he could "play football in the front yard with my children."
Boxing, MMA representatives meet about head research - ESPN
The combat sports have joined forces to commit $600,000 to the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.
"It's a rare occasion when Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Boxing are in the same room together," McCain said. "These athletes are here in support of their fellow athletes because they've seen the results. If we don't do this, I'm afraid that support for these incredible, entertaining sports will wane on the part of the American people."
A former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Reid has deep roots in boxing. He said he judged "hundreds" of matches, including one eye-opening bout late in the career of former great Sugar Ray Robinson, who accumulated 200 professional fights in 25 years.
"He fought too long," Reid said.
Seated behind Reid as he spoke was former middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, still active at age 49, and most high-profile fighter involved in the study. He is one of nearly 400 active and retired fighters who have enrolled.
"You want to know the risks," Hopkins said. "God forbid if I was diagnosed with something 10-15 years ago, then I got a choice to make. Do I want to enjoy the rest of my life with my kids or do I want to continue to fight for myself and to walk around the rest of my life as a vegetable?"
This much has been determined: Professional fighters have a higher risk of developing long-term conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), depression, and other neurological and neuropsychiatric problems.
But there currently is no way to determine if a fighter has sustained cumulative brain damage from head trauma. The Cleveland Clinic is working to identify risk factors.
"What we want to know is, what is the very first change that occurs," said Jeffrey Cummings, director of the Lou Ruvo Center. "Can you detect that in an athlete so you can tell that athlete that they are in the beginning of the process. Second, are there procedures, are there risk factors, are there vulnerabilities, so that we would know which athletes to monitor."
Former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler spoke eloquently, admitting that as a young fighter he didn't think about consequences, but he appreciated that others were looking out for his long-term well-being so that he could "play football in the front yard with my children."
Boxing, MMA representatives meet about head research - ESPN
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Update: TMZ reports that DMX is still negotiating a contract, so the fight isn't 100% official yet.
Yes, this is real. George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin, has signed a contract with celebrity boxing match promotor Damon Feldman. And Feldman has delivered on his reputation for head-spinning matchups (see: Tonya Harding vs. a waitress) by selecting DMX as Zimmerman's opponent, TMZ reports. To break it down further: George Zimmerman will fight DMX.
As you can imagine, the list of people willing to fight Zimmerman was long. Among the 15,000 candidates was the rapper Game, who told TMZ: "I would not be boxing for me... I'd be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and his family." DMX also told TMZ that he wants to fight on behalf of "every black person who has been done wrong in the system...I am going to beat the living ************************ out of him. I am breaking every rule in boxing to make sure I ************************ him up right." He also threatened to piss on Zimmerman's face.
Details of the fight, which takes place on March 1, will be announced during a news conference next Wednesday.
DMX to Fight George Zimmerman in Boxing Match | News | Pitchfork
Yes, this is real. George Zimmerman, the man acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin, has signed a contract with celebrity boxing match promotor Damon Feldman. And Feldman has delivered on his reputation for head-spinning matchups (see: Tonya Harding vs. a waitress) by selecting DMX as Zimmerman's opponent, TMZ reports. To break it down further: George Zimmerman will fight DMX.
As you can imagine, the list of people willing to fight Zimmerman was long. Among the 15,000 candidates was the rapper Game, who told TMZ: "I would not be boxing for me... I'd be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and his family." DMX also told TMZ that he wants to fight on behalf of "every black person who has been done wrong in the system...I am going to beat the living ************************ out of him. I am breaking every rule in boxing to make sure I ************************ him up right." He also threatened to piss on Zimmerman's face.
Details of the fight, which takes place on March 1, will be announced during a news conference next Wednesday.
DMX to Fight George Zimmerman in Boxing Match | News | Pitchfork
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One of Britain's worst boxers who is so bad he describes himself as a 'human punchbag' is getting back in the ring despite losing his last 50 fights in a row.
Robin Deakin, 27, won his first professional bout in 2006 but has lost every bout since then and currently has the worst professional record in the country.
He has been knocked out 12 times in his last 50 fights and has performed so badly that he even had his British boxing licence taken away.
But rather than give up, Robin got a permit issued in Germany so he can carry on fighting.
Despite his half a century of losses, he is preparing for his next clash against an as yet unnamed fighter in London on March 1.
Robin, of East Tilbury, Essex, said: 'I've been a human punch bag. I'd love a title. I'll probably never get one, but I feel like I deserve it.
'My record doesn't reflect my abilities really. There have been several times where I think I should have won on points, or got a knockout, and the decision has gone the other way.
'I think people expect me to lose now - but you can bet that I try my best to win every single time I step in the ring. Despite my record boxing is all I know, all I live for.'
Robin turned professional after a successful amateur career which saw him win 40 out of 75 bouts, including making it to the semi-finals of the British Youth Championships.
But since then he has one of the worst boxing records of all time
turning pro records office BoxRec say he has one of the worst boxing records of all time.
He said: 'When fights have been set up for me, they haven't always had my best interests at heart - I've been paying people's mortgages and it's cost me my licence.
'You look at boxers like Amir Khan and they have one big fight a year, at one point I had 19 fights in 24 weeks.
I would get a call saying someone has dropped out and can I take their place. One fight I had seven hours' notice, and most of that was spent on a train to Birmingham.'
Born with a club foot, Robin endured 60 operations and could not walk until he was six.
He said: 'I've been boxing for 21 years. I took it up to build my own confidence, make my legs stronger and make people proud of me. I think I'm still doing that.
'I hope my comeback will make the British boxing authority give me back my licence so I can carry on living my dream.'
His record is still better than Peter Buckley who quit the sport in 2008 after losing 256 out of 300 professional fights.
The UK's boxing regulatory authority, the British Boxing Board of Control, suspended Deakin's licence in 2012 when they began worrying for his health after sustaining so many blows to the head.
BBBC General Secretary Robert Smith said: 'What needs to be stated here is that he has no British Boxing Board of Control licence.
'He had his licence withdrawn for his own interests. Robin's forthcoming fight is nothing to do with the BBBC.
'If he wishes to reapply for his licence, that will be considered, but he had his licence taken away for his best interests.
'The sad thing here is that Robin is a very nice young man. Everybody likes him, and he's mad on boxing. We felt for his own welfare he should be stopped.
'We have a duty of care to individuals and we would never knowingly sanction a fight with somebody incapable of boxing.'
Mr Smith added: 'The record looks worse than it is. He always put up a good show. He always did his very very best.
'He has had his time, and we wish him the best in any future endeavours.'
Is this Britain's worst boxer? 'Human punchbag' gets back in the ring despite losing his last 50 fights in a row | Mail Online
Robin Deakin, 27, won his first professional bout in 2006 but has lost every bout since then and currently has the worst professional record in the country.
He has been knocked out 12 times in his last 50 fights and has performed so badly that he even had his British boxing licence taken away.
But rather than give up, Robin got a permit issued in Germany so he can carry on fighting.
Despite his half a century of losses, he is preparing for his next clash against an as yet unnamed fighter in London on March 1.
Robin, of East Tilbury, Essex, said: 'I've been a human punch bag. I'd love a title. I'll probably never get one, but I feel like I deserve it.
'My record doesn't reflect my abilities really. There have been several times where I think I should have won on points, or got a knockout, and the decision has gone the other way.
'I think people expect me to lose now - but you can bet that I try my best to win every single time I step in the ring. Despite my record boxing is all I know, all I live for.'
Robin turned professional after a successful amateur career which saw him win 40 out of 75 bouts, including making it to the semi-finals of the British Youth Championships.
But since then he has one of the worst boxing records of all time
turning pro records office BoxRec say he has one of the worst boxing records of all time.
He said: 'When fights have been set up for me, they haven't always had my best interests at heart - I've been paying people's mortgages and it's cost me my licence.
'You look at boxers like Amir Khan and they have one big fight a year, at one point I had 19 fights in 24 weeks.
I would get a call saying someone has dropped out and can I take their place. One fight I had seven hours' notice, and most of that was spent on a train to Birmingham.'
Born with a club foot, Robin endured 60 operations and could not walk until he was six.
He said: 'I've been boxing for 21 years. I took it up to build my own confidence, make my legs stronger and make people proud of me. I think I'm still doing that.
'I hope my comeback will make the British boxing authority give me back my licence so I can carry on living my dream.'
His record is still better than Peter Buckley who quit the sport in 2008 after losing 256 out of 300 professional fights.
The UK's boxing regulatory authority, the British Boxing Board of Control, suspended Deakin's licence in 2012 when they began worrying for his health after sustaining so many blows to the head.
BBBC General Secretary Robert Smith said: 'What needs to be stated here is that he has no British Boxing Board of Control licence.
'He had his licence withdrawn for his own interests. Robin's forthcoming fight is nothing to do with the BBBC.
'If he wishes to reapply for his licence, that will be considered, but he had his licence taken away for his best interests.
'The sad thing here is that Robin is a very nice young man. Everybody likes him, and he's mad on boxing. We felt for his own welfare he should be stopped.
'We have a duty of care to individuals and we would never knowingly sanction a fight with somebody incapable of boxing.'
Mr Smith added: 'The record looks worse than it is. He always put up a good show. He always did his very very best.
'He has had his time, and we wish him the best in any future endeavours.'
Is this Britain's worst boxer? 'Human punchbag' gets back in the ring despite losing his last 50 fights in a row | Mail Online
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Cronulla rugby league skipper Paul Gallen is flaying a punching bag, his fists loaded with intent because even though he's a novice, the man regarded as one of the code's toughest players knows he has plenty to lose in his professional boxing debut.
While he slams a powerful right into the swinging bag, Gallen is tormented by the same demons that haunted boxing's greatest warriors, including Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman - defeat and humiliation.
The ropes and corner posts that surround the boxing ring in the Sharks' gymnasium had finally stopped vibrating from the violent energy he and cruiserweight Jamie Withers generated during their willing spar when Gallen spoke about his approach to February 19, his baptism of fire on the undercard for the Daniel Geale-Garth Wood bout at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.
''I've adopted the same attitude as I do for my footy: I convince myself I've trained harder than anybody and that works for me when I get on the field,'' said Gallen, whose teammates want him to adopt ''G-Train'' as his fight name.
''I know if I prepare well during the week I'll play well and that's my approach to boxing. If I keep training hard - which I have been - I'll be as well prepared as possible.''
He would also be aware a strong, 20-year-old Queensland kid of Samoan descent named Herman Ene-Purcell had plans to stand over his crumpled frame with his arm raised in triumph. Perhaps such an image compelled Gallen to demand one more round after his trainer Mark Gambin called ''time''.
''Herman,'' he said. ''I'm not too sure what to expect. I've seen a little bit of video; the fight he was beaten in. I only saw 20 seconds but it looked as though he was winning to me. The fight he won, the poor bloke he fought shouldn't have been in there but, from all reports, he's excited, he's fit, he's strong and he's a big puncher.''
A purist would easily find faults in Gallen's style but there's many positives - his power, the accuracy of his punches and the obvious fitness. If Gallen can take comfort in anything about boxing it's that the sport can be just as kind to the brawler with guts as it is to the technician with touch.
Although, Gallen acknowledged he had plenty to lose should he not perform under the Hordern's bright lights. Apart from potentially damaging a boxing career - he'd like two bouts a year - it would also tarnish his ''tough guy'' reputation.
With the fight 10 days away, Gallen compared the feeling he'd lived with lately to the lead-in to his 2001 top-grade debut for Cronulla.
''I can't remember feeling all that nervous, I'm sure I would've been,'' he said. ''I remember driving to the ground, I was in the car by myself, and I was so excited. We were smashed [36-6] by Parramatta, my old junior club, but it was good to play against them, they were the gun side.
''It's different this time. I'm a bit nervous with this one. I talk to Jamie [Withers], he hasn't trained for so long, hasn't fought for a while, but he can step in the ring and pump those rounds out. It's part of their DNA, like rugby league is to me. I'd be quite confident to play 80 minutes tomorrow but this is a different sport.''
It's almost one year to the day since the former federal government announced Australian sport's so-called ''darkest day'' after it was alleged criminals had infiltrated professional codes and performance-enhancing drug use was rife.
Gallen's Sharks were dragged into it after allegations of a program in 2011 that involved the use of prohibited supplements. After an investigation, the NRL banned coach Shane Flanagan and provisionally fined the club $1 million. However, if Gallen needed to fuel the fury within an opportunity came - again - the other day in the form of a sledge.
''I think everyone is over it,'' he said. ''The way it's affected our football lives hasn't been too bad - we come to training and do what we do. But, I'll give you an example [of what we put up with]. I had to have a blood test recently and they said, 'We don't care if you're on peptides [we] just want to know if you have HIV'. That's what you cop, little things like that, and I don't think it's fair.''
Gallen has maintained he's done nothing wrong. ''I am not going to hide,'' he said. ''There's been lies - blatant lies - written about me but what do you do?''
Gallen has enjoyed his state's support in the interstate series against Queensland, but he was recently advised by former league bad boy John Hopoate, who, in 2008 became Australia's heavyweight champion, to expect a tough time in the ring and for ''haters'' to want him to fail.
He said just as sparring with the likes of Withers, Commonwealth Games champion Brad Pitt, Hopoate, former Don King-contracted heavyweight Bowie Tupou and Fijian Puna Rasaubale had galvanised him for Ene-Purcell, Twitter primed him for the haters.
''It's not nice,'' he said of the trolls. ''Everyone is entitled to their opinion and with social media people have got a way to express it and they can be hurtful without any repercussions. And, yeah, it's really hard not to respond.''
Gallen was determined to not be seen as another footballer taking bread out of the mouths of fighters. That's why he'd sought the best sparring available although he conceded seasoned pros hadn't gone full tilt.
He also said former four-time world boxing champion Danny Green, Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech and cruiserweight David Aloua were generous in offering their insights. Gallen admitted he'd never been one to take younger players aside to provide pearls of wisdom.
''I wouldn't say I was ever generous with my time and I don't know if that's a bad thing,'' he said. ''I tried to lead by example; get out and do things on the field and hoped people followed.
''I really feel with my footy over the past couple of years people like Wade Graham, Todd Carney … I feel like I've had an influence on their careers and when I finish I'd like to
While he slams a powerful right into the swinging bag, Gallen is tormented by the same demons that haunted boxing's greatest warriors, including Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman - defeat and humiliation.
The ropes and corner posts that surround the boxing ring in the Sharks' gymnasium had finally stopped vibrating from the violent energy he and cruiserweight Jamie Withers generated during their willing spar when Gallen spoke about his approach to February 19, his baptism of fire on the undercard for the Daniel Geale-Garth Wood bout at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.
''I've adopted the same attitude as I do for my footy: I convince myself I've trained harder than anybody and that works for me when I get on the field,'' said Gallen, whose teammates want him to adopt ''G-Train'' as his fight name.
''I know if I prepare well during the week I'll play well and that's my approach to boxing. If I keep training hard - which I have been - I'll be as well prepared as possible.''
He would also be aware a strong, 20-year-old Queensland kid of Samoan descent named Herman Ene-Purcell had plans to stand over his crumpled frame with his arm raised in triumph. Perhaps such an image compelled Gallen to demand one more round after his trainer Mark Gambin called ''time''.
''Herman,'' he said. ''I'm not too sure what to expect. I've seen a little bit of video; the fight he was beaten in. I only saw 20 seconds but it looked as though he was winning to me. The fight he won, the poor bloke he fought shouldn't have been in there but, from all reports, he's excited, he's fit, he's strong and he's a big puncher.''
A purist would easily find faults in Gallen's style but there's many positives - his power, the accuracy of his punches and the obvious fitness. If Gallen can take comfort in anything about boxing it's that the sport can be just as kind to the brawler with guts as it is to the technician with touch.
Although, Gallen acknowledged he had plenty to lose should he not perform under the Hordern's bright lights. Apart from potentially damaging a boxing career - he'd like two bouts a year - it would also tarnish his ''tough guy'' reputation.
With the fight 10 days away, Gallen compared the feeling he'd lived with lately to the lead-in to his 2001 top-grade debut for Cronulla.
''I can't remember feeling all that nervous, I'm sure I would've been,'' he said. ''I remember driving to the ground, I was in the car by myself, and I was so excited. We were smashed [36-6] by Parramatta, my old junior club, but it was good to play against them, they were the gun side.
''It's different this time. I'm a bit nervous with this one. I talk to Jamie [Withers], he hasn't trained for so long, hasn't fought for a while, but he can step in the ring and pump those rounds out. It's part of their DNA, like rugby league is to me. I'd be quite confident to play 80 minutes tomorrow but this is a different sport.''
It's almost one year to the day since the former federal government announced Australian sport's so-called ''darkest day'' after it was alleged criminals had infiltrated professional codes and performance-enhancing drug use was rife.
Gallen's Sharks were dragged into it after allegations of a program in 2011 that involved the use of prohibited supplements. After an investigation, the NRL banned coach Shane Flanagan and provisionally fined the club $1 million. However, if Gallen needed to fuel the fury within an opportunity came - again - the other day in the form of a sledge.
''I think everyone is over it,'' he said. ''The way it's affected our football lives hasn't been too bad - we come to training and do what we do. But, I'll give you an example [of what we put up with]. I had to have a blood test recently and they said, 'We don't care if you're on peptides [we] just want to know if you have HIV'. That's what you cop, little things like that, and I don't think it's fair.''
Gallen has maintained he's done nothing wrong. ''I am not going to hide,'' he said. ''There's been lies - blatant lies - written about me but what do you do?''
Gallen has enjoyed his state's support in the interstate series against Queensland, but he was recently advised by former league bad boy John Hopoate, who, in 2008 became Australia's heavyweight champion, to expect a tough time in the ring and for ''haters'' to want him to fail.
He said just as sparring with the likes of Withers, Commonwealth Games champion Brad Pitt, Hopoate, former Don King-contracted heavyweight Bowie Tupou and Fijian Puna Rasaubale had galvanised him for Ene-Purcell, Twitter primed him for the haters.
''It's not nice,'' he said of the trolls. ''Everyone is entitled to their opinion and with social media people have got a way to express it and they can be hurtful without any repercussions. And, yeah, it's really hard not to respond.''
Gallen was determined to not be seen as another footballer taking bread out of the mouths of fighters. That's why he'd sought the best sparring available although he conceded seasoned pros hadn't gone full tilt.
He also said former four-time world boxing champion Danny Green, Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech and cruiserweight David Aloua were generous in offering their insights. Gallen admitted he'd never been one to take younger players aside to provide pearls of wisdom.
''I wouldn't say I was ever generous with my time and I don't know if that's a bad thing,'' he said. ''I tried to lead by example; get out and do things on the field and hoped people followed.
''I really feel with my footy over the past couple of years people like Wade Graham, Todd Carney … I feel like I've had an influence on their careers and when I finish I'd like to
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In far-from-surprising news, a celebrity boxing match announced earlier this week - set to pit George Zimmerman against rapper DMX 'for charity' - has been called off, with the promoter saying he would rather make people happy than make money from the fight.
In a series of Tweets on Saturday, which have now been deleted, Damon Feldman, who has been orchestrating the fight, said the decision to cancel was based on the public backlash he received for working with Zimmerman.
'This was the wrong person to put in the ring and define celebrity boxing thank you," Feldman Tweeted from his handle, @hollywoodbox11.
'I walked away from av [sic] million dollar payday with this fight but to be honest I'd rather be happy and make people happy thank you.'
Feldman told TMZ earlier in the week that DMZ had been selected out of a pool of more than 15,000 willing fighters to get in the ring with the infamous killer of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin.
In January Zimmerman, 30, said he has been training for months for a boxing match and that it was his idea to organize a fight.
But due to concerns from the public Feldman, apologized Saturday and said he did not wish to go through with it, The NY Daily News reported.
'I wasn't being disrespected [sic] to anyone I had a plan here with this fight I'll let you know soon hope everyone is happy I'm very sorry,' he tweeted.
'I want to thank everyone for the good n [sic] bad comments I've made the choice to cancel the fight w George Zimmermann [sic] more to life then [sic] money.'
He also tweeted he wanted nothing to do with a Zimmerman fight.
DMX, 43, promised to break every rule in boxing 'to make sure I f--k him right up'.
He also threatened to urinate in his opponent’s face if he won.
'I will beat the living f--k out of him,' DMX told TMZ.
'It was my idea,' Zimmerman said in an interview with Radar Online about the fight in January.
'Prior to the incident I was actually going to the gym for weight loss and doing boxing-type training for weight loss and a mutual friend put me in contact with Damon and provided me with an opportunity and motivation to get back in shape and continue with my weight loss goals and also be able to help a charity out,' he said.
'Boxing isn’t new to me.
'It’s something I had picked up well before the incident and it’s something that I liked, I enjoyed, and I kept up with it and I was able to lose a tremendous amount of weight and get a healthy lifestyle.'
'So it’s not a new hobby, it’s something I have been doing and wanting to pursue to maintain a healthy lifestyle.'
In a strange coincidence, today would have been Trayvon Martin's 19th birthday.
Zimmerman was found not guilty of all charges levied against him, after he fatally shot the teen during a fight in February 2012 inside a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
The Hispanic man claimed that he had killed Martin with a weapon in an act of self-defence.
Zimmerman remained without charge for 44 days after the shooting occurred, which led to nationwide protests and sparked furious debate over racial profiling and the right to use weapons in self-defence.
Further demonstrations broke out after Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013.
Federal authorities are currently reviewing the entire case to decide whether Martin’s civil rights were violated.
Rapper The Game, who has a tattoo of Trayvon Martin on his leg, had previously registered his interest to challenge Zimmerman in a fight.
'I would not be boxing for me,' The Game told TMZ.
'I'd be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and for his family.
'I would box him to knock him out.
'I would definitely take pleasure in it.
'It's legal, and I want to show him you can solve your disputes without a weapon.'
Read more: Celebrity boxing match between DMX and George Zimmerman canceled | Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
In a series of Tweets on Saturday, which have now been deleted, Damon Feldman, who has been orchestrating the fight, said the decision to cancel was based on the public backlash he received for working with Zimmerman.
'This was the wrong person to put in the ring and define celebrity boxing thank you," Feldman Tweeted from his handle, @hollywoodbox11.
'I walked away from av [sic] million dollar payday with this fight but to be honest I'd rather be happy and make people happy thank you.'
Feldman told TMZ earlier in the week that DMZ had been selected out of a pool of more than 15,000 willing fighters to get in the ring with the infamous killer of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin.
In January Zimmerman, 30, said he has been training for months for a boxing match and that it was his idea to organize a fight.
But due to concerns from the public Feldman, apologized Saturday and said he did not wish to go through with it, The NY Daily News reported.
'I wasn't being disrespected [sic] to anyone I had a plan here with this fight I'll let you know soon hope everyone is happy I'm very sorry,' he tweeted.
'I want to thank everyone for the good n [sic] bad comments I've made the choice to cancel the fight w George Zimmermann [sic] more to life then [sic] money.'
He also tweeted he wanted nothing to do with a Zimmerman fight.
DMX, 43, promised to break every rule in boxing 'to make sure I f--k him right up'.
He also threatened to urinate in his opponent’s face if he won.
'I will beat the living f--k out of him,' DMX told TMZ.
'It was my idea,' Zimmerman said in an interview with Radar Online about the fight in January.
'Prior to the incident I was actually going to the gym for weight loss and doing boxing-type training for weight loss and a mutual friend put me in contact with Damon and provided me with an opportunity and motivation to get back in shape and continue with my weight loss goals and also be able to help a charity out,' he said.
'Boxing isn’t new to me.
'It’s something I had picked up well before the incident and it’s something that I liked, I enjoyed, and I kept up with it and I was able to lose a tremendous amount of weight and get a healthy lifestyle.'
'So it’s not a new hobby, it’s something I have been doing and wanting to pursue to maintain a healthy lifestyle.'
In a strange coincidence, today would have been Trayvon Martin's 19th birthday.
Zimmerman was found not guilty of all charges levied against him, after he fatally shot the teen during a fight in February 2012 inside a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
The Hispanic man claimed that he had killed Martin with a weapon in an act of self-defence.
Zimmerman remained without charge for 44 days after the shooting occurred, which led to nationwide protests and sparked furious debate over racial profiling and the right to use weapons in self-defence.
Further demonstrations broke out after Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013.
Federal authorities are currently reviewing the entire case to decide whether Martin’s civil rights were violated.
Rapper The Game, who has a tattoo of Trayvon Martin on his leg, had previously registered his interest to challenge Zimmerman in a fight.
'I would not be boxing for me,' The Game told TMZ.
'I'd be boxing for the legacy of Trayvon Martin and for his family.
'I would box him to knock him out.
'I would definitely take pleasure in it.
'It's legal, and I want to show him you can solve your disputes without a weapon.'
Read more: Celebrity boxing match between DMX and George Zimmerman canceled | Mail Online
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Amir Khan has moved a step closer to a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr after the Briton collected the majority of votes from a fans' poll.
Mayweather Jr at the beginning of February invited supporters on Twitter to select who his next opponent would be, with Khan and Marcos Maidana the men in question to take on the American on May 3 in Las Vegas.
And after 35,000 votes, former WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion Khan pulled in 60% of the votes.
Rumours of a fight between the pair have circulated for several months, and in January Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, believed Khan would cause the unbeaten Mayweather Jr problems if they were to clash.
Mayweather Jr is unbeaten in 45 career fights, and before launching the poll said at the time: "I'm going to let the fans vote. Tell me who I should fight next. Khan or Maidana?"
Read more at Amir Khan edges closer to Floyd Mayweather fight following online poll | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
Mayweather Jr at the beginning of February invited supporters on Twitter to select who his next opponent would be, with Khan and Marcos Maidana the men in question to take on the American on May 3 in Las Vegas.
And after 35,000 votes, former WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion Khan pulled in 60% of the votes.
Rumours of a fight between the pair have circulated for several months, and in January Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, believed Khan would cause the unbeaten Mayweather Jr problems if they were to clash.
Mayweather Jr is unbeaten in 45 career fights, and before launching the poll said at the time: "I'm going to let the fans vote. Tell me who I should fight next. Khan or Maidana?"
Read more at Amir Khan edges closer to Floyd Mayweather fight following online poll | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
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The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame announced its second induction class on Tuesday, headed by former heavyweight champions George Foreman and Evander Holyfield and the legendary former four-division champion Roberto Duran.
In all, 18 people (13 living) in 10 categories will be inducted into the Nevada HOF. They were selected by a panel of 33 voters made up of Nevada-based boxing media, past inductees and the HOF’s board members.
The annual induction dinner and ceremony will take place this summer in Las Vegas at a site to be determined. “We at the NVBHOF are thrilled to again honor those, both in and out of the ring, who have made Nevada the boxing capital of the world,” Hall president and founder Rich Marotta said. “”Last year's inaugural induction ceremony/dinner was a massive success, with fans coming to the event from all over the country to mix with, have dinner with, and hear from the amazing boxing personalities who took part.”
This year’s class includes Foreman, Holyfield and Duran in the non-Nevada-resident category for fighters who fought at least 10 fights total or seven world title fights in Nevada.
In the Nevada resident boxer category, for fighters who lived in Nevada during a portion of their career, former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston and former junior lightweight champion Cornelius Boza Edwards were voted in.
Late, great former heavyweight champion Joe Louis was selected in the adoptive Nevada resident category for fighters who moved to Nevada after their careers.
In the pioneer category, for those prominent in Nevada boxing before 1960, former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore were selected posthumously.
Former Caesars Palace chief executive Clifford Perlman and casino magnate Steve Wynn, who hosted fights at the Mirage and Wynn, were elected in the special contributor category.
In the executive category, for Nevada State Athletic chairman Luther Mack and the late Chuck Minker, the former commission executive director, were elected. Two inductees come in the media category, both of whom live in Las Vegas: famed television announcer Col. Bob Sheridan, who has called nearly 10,000 bouts and close to 1,000 world title fights, and writer Kevin Iole, who covered boxing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal from 1990-2007 and now covers boxing for Yahoo! Sports.
In the official category, referees Richard Steele and Kenny Bayless were selected.
In the non-boxer-participant category for trainers, managers or cutmen, Miguel Diaz was elected. He has worked as a cutman or trainer for numerous fighters, including Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo and James Toney.
In the promotions category for promoters, matchmakers and publicists, longtime Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Tramper was elected.
Nevada announces 2014 HOF class - Dan Rafael Blog - ESPN
In all, 18 people (13 living) in 10 categories will be inducted into the Nevada HOF. They were selected by a panel of 33 voters made up of Nevada-based boxing media, past inductees and the HOF’s board members.
The annual induction dinner and ceremony will take place this summer in Las Vegas at a site to be determined. “We at the NVBHOF are thrilled to again honor those, both in and out of the ring, who have made Nevada the boxing capital of the world,” Hall president and founder Rich Marotta said. “”Last year's inaugural induction ceremony/dinner was a massive success, with fans coming to the event from all over the country to mix with, have dinner with, and hear from the amazing boxing personalities who took part.”
This year’s class includes Foreman, Holyfield and Duran in the non-Nevada-resident category for fighters who fought at least 10 fights total or seven world title fights in Nevada.
In the Nevada resident boxer category, for fighters who lived in Nevada during a portion of their career, former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston and former junior lightweight champion Cornelius Boza Edwards were voted in.
Late, great former heavyweight champion Joe Louis was selected in the adoptive Nevada resident category for fighters who moved to Nevada after their careers.
In the pioneer category, for those prominent in Nevada boxing before 1960, former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore were selected posthumously.
Former Caesars Palace chief executive Clifford Perlman and casino magnate Steve Wynn, who hosted fights at the Mirage and Wynn, were elected in the special contributor category.
In the executive category, for Nevada State Athletic chairman Luther Mack and the late Chuck Minker, the former commission executive director, were elected. Two inductees come in the media category, both of whom live in Las Vegas: famed television announcer Col. Bob Sheridan, who has called nearly 10,000 bouts and close to 1,000 world title fights, and writer Kevin Iole, who covered boxing for the Las Vegas Review-Journal from 1990-2007 and now covers boxing for Yahoo! Sports.
In the official category, referees Richard Steele and Kenny Bayless were selected.
In the non-boxer-participant category for trainers, managers or cutmen, Miguel Diaz was elected. He has worked as a cutman or trainer for numerous fighters, including Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo and James Toney.
In the promotions category for promoters, matchmakers and publicists, longtime Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Tramper was elected.
Nevada announces 2014 HOF class - Dan Rafael Blog - ESPN
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David Haye revealed on Tuesday night he hopes to return to the ring – even if the shredded muscles and ligaments in his right shoulder never fully recover. The former world heavyweight champion, who withdrew twice last year from fights with Tyson Fury, told the Guardian he has been in constant rehab for several months but has not given up hope of resuming his career.
"If my shoulder gets back to 85% of what it used to be, that's more than enough. I'll be happy with that," he said. "At the moment, I'm not that great. I can't really do to much with it. I can't run, for instance; the motion of running hurts my arm too much. But I'm not supposed to be running. It's not part of my rehab programme.
"It's all very basic movements, in and out, up and down. Because there was a lot of work done: six pins in my shoulder. My bicep snapped off."
Speaking at the London launch of the Rocky heavyweight collection on Blu-Ray, Haye said he has not entirely given up on his own Hollywood ambitions but he still has the hunger to fight again. He revealed a long scar in his right shoulder that provides visible proof that the injury he suffered last year was genuine and was not, as Fury and a lot of boxing fans thought, an excuse to dodge their showdown.
Haye, who looked trim but said he was some way short of fighting shape, understands the cynicism. "That's the nature of people, particularly boxing fans. They're one person's fan one day, that person loses a split decision, unjustly, and everyone jumps off that bandwagon. It's just the way things go.
"I had to withdraw from three fights in a row [Manuel Charr was the other opponent left disappointed]. And that's deemed inexcusable in the boxing world. Two pullouts, that's it, you're finished. Three, nobody wants to see you ever again. I can understand that. If I were a boxing fan and I'd paid money to see someone. OK, they had an injury, it happens; it happens again and it's 'Come on, this is terrible.'
"And I can understand Tyson Fury's frustration. Anyone would feel that. I would if I were in his position, particularly when you train hard for a fight, and it's no fault of your own [that it's called off]."
He said of his injury: "They had to pin it all back together. I was throwing the same punch that I've thrown hundreds of times, a right hook. That's the muscle, the subscapilaris, that brings the arm across. That's my punch. I'm not called the Hayemaker for nothing. It did my bicep as well. It had to be re-attached to my shoulder.
"So it wasn't a good situation. But people have recovered from similar situations in the past, and some haven't. So, we'll see. If it's humanly possible for my body to heal and regenerate, it will.
"I haven't given myself a timetable. It could take a year. It could take six months. I don't know. Different doctors say different things. Some say, no problem, it'll be OK. Others say that particular injury, you'll be lucky to get 50% of the movement back.
"But if I get 85% back, I'll still be knocking people out, for sure."
David Haye targets a return to the boxing ring after injury | Sport | The Guardian
"If my shoulder gets back to 85% of what it used to be, that's more than enough. I'll be happy with that," he said. "At the moment, I'm not that great. I can't really do to much with it. I can't run, for instance; the motion of running hurts my arm too much. But I'm not supposed to be running. It's not part of my rehab programme.
"It's all very basic movements, in and out, up and down. Because there was a lot of work done: six pins in my shoulder. My bicep snapped off."
Speaking at the London launch of the Rocky heavyweight collection on Blu-Ray, Haye said he has not entirely given up on his own Hollywood ambitions but he still has the hunger to fight again. He revealed a long scar in his right shoulder that provides visible proof that the injury he suffered last year was genuine and was not, as Fury and a lot of boxing fans thought, an excuse to dodge their showdown.
Haye, who looked trim but said he was some way short of fighting shape, understands the cynicism. "That's the nature of people, particularly boxing fans. They're one person's fan one day, that person loses a split decision, unjustly, and everyone jumps off that bandwagon. It's just the way things go.
"I had to withdraw from three fights in a row [Manuel Charr was the other opponent left disappointed]. And that's deemed inexcusable in the boxing world. Two pullouts, that's it, you're finished. Three, nobody wants to see you ever again. I can understand that. If I were a boxing fan and I'd paid money to see someone. OK, they had an injury, it happens; it happens again and it's 'Come on, this is terrible.'
"And I can understand Tyson Fury's frustration. Anyone would feel that. I would if I were in his position, particularly when you train hard for a fight, and it's no fault of your own [that it's called off]."
He said of his injury: "They had to pin it all back together. I was throwing the same punch that I've thrown hundreds of times, a right hook. That's the muscle, the subscapilaris, that brings the arm across. That's my punch. I'm not called the Hayemaker for nothing. It did my bicep as well. It had to be re-attached to my shoulder.
"So it wasn't a good situation. But people have recovered from similar situations in the past, and some haven't. So, we'll see. If it's humanly possible for my body to heal and regenerate, it will.
"I haven't given myself a timetable. It could take a year. It could take six months. I don't know. Different doctors say different things. Some say, no problem, it'll be OK. Others say that particular injury, you'll be lucky to get 50% of the movement back.
"But if I get 85% back, I'll still be knocking people out, for sure."
David Haye targets a return to the boxing ring after injury | Sport | The Guardian
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President Viktor Yanukovych bought himself an insurance policy before all hell broke loose in Kiev. Last November, he outlawed the presidential candidacy of any individual who had the right of permanent residency in a foreign country and had not resided in Ukraine for the past 10 years. The target of this absurd law was obvious — Vitali Klitschko, reigning world heavyweight champion and leader of the new UDAR (‘Punch’) party that won 40 seats in the 2012 parliamentary elections.
National Sports Hero Transcends Party and Regional Divides
Klitschko held the World Boxing Council title for an amazing 9+ years, before vacating it last December during the first surge of protests in Kiev. As a national sports hero, Klitschko’s appeal crosses party and regional lines. Also, the fact that he made his fortune honestly, in the ring, has lifted him above suspicions of corruption that dog almost every Ukrainian politician. It isn’t hard to understand why Yanukovych would consider him a threat in the elections scheduled for 2015. To build his boxing career, Klitsckho became a resident of Germany, the site of all but one of his first 20 professional fights. (The other was in Austria). Last Sunday, Klitschko surrendered his right to permanent residency in Germany. Yet he has only resided in Ukraine for the past 7 years, falling short of the 10 required by law.
Dr. Ironfist Plays Chess
At least for the moment, President Yanukovych has resigned himself to early elections and the formation of a caretaker government. While a raft of measures will be required to ensure that such elections are free and fair, repealing the anti-Klitschko law is a priority. His leadership during the crisis has been outstanding. He has remained committed to peaceful protest, while showing a solid sense of when to demand more and when to seek compromise.
Of course, no one ever thought that Klitschko was just a slab of meat with punching power. He has the equivalent of a Ph.D. in sports science, hence the nickname ‘Dr. Ironfist’. He is also an avid chess player. Still, this was no guarantee that he could lead in a moment of crisis, which he has now proven. In addition to ending the crisis in Kiev, a successful must repair the pervasive damage that the Yanukovych regime has done to democracy in Ukraine.
Ukraine Elections Only Fair If Boxing Champ Klitschko Can Run - Forbes
National Sports Hero Transcends Party and Regional Divides
Klitschko held the World Boxing Council title for an amazing 9+ years, before vacating it last December during the first surge of protests in Kiev. As a national sports hero, Klitschko’s appeal crosses party and regional lines. Also, the fact that he made his fortune honestly, in the ring, has lifted him above suspicions of corruption that dog almost every Ukrainian politician. It isn’t hard to understand why Yanukovych would consider him a threat in the elections scheduled for 2015. To build his boxing career, Klitsckho became a resident of Germany, the site of all but one of his first 20 professional fights. (The other was in Austria). Last Sunday, Klitschko surrendered his right to permanent residency in Germany. Yet he has only resided in Ukraine for the past 7 years, falling short of the 10 required by law.
Dr. Ironfist Plays Chess
At least for the moment, President Yanukovych has resigned himself to early elections and the formation of a caretaker government. While a raft of measures will be required to ensure that such elections are free and fair, repealing the anti-Klitschko law is a priority. His leadership during the crisis has been outstanding. He has remained committed to peaceful protest, while showing a solid sense of when to demand more and when to seek compromise.
Of course, no one ever thought that Klitschko was just a slab of meat with punching power. He has the equivalent of a Ph.D. in sports science, hence the nickname ‘Dr. Ironfist’. He is also an avid chess player. Still, this was no guarantee that he could lead in a moment of crisis, which he has now proven. In addition to ending the crisis in Kiev, a successful must repair the pervasive damage that the Yanukovych regime has done to democracy in Ukraine.
Ukraine Elections Only Fair If Boxing Champ Klitschko Can Run - Forbes
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The family of brain-damaged Russian heavyweight boxer Magomed Abdusalamov has filed court documents that state its intent to file a $100 million lawsuit against the state of New York and its athletic commission, alleging negligence and medical malpractice.
Abdusalamov, 32, was in a coma for weeks following emergency brain surgery to remove a large blood clot hours after his Nov. 2 Madison Square Garden bout with Mike Perez. Perez won a unanimous 10-round decision, landing 312 punches to Abdusalamov's 248. Now in a rehabilitation facility, Abdusalamov has shown slight movement and can follow simple commands, but he remains bedridden, said Dr. Rupendra Swarup, medical director of the Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital department of neurosurgery. Abdusalamov may never walk or talk again. During a postfight exam in the dressing room, Abdusalamov, who broke his upper jaw and hand during the fight, told New York State Athletic Commission doctors that his head hurt, according to his handlers. They said doctors gave him a neurological test that required him to read a series of numbers, sutured a cut above his left eye and told him he had a broken nose and that he should have his injuries looked at by a doctor within a day or two upon returning home to Florida.
What neither the commission doctors nor anyone else realized was that at some point Abdusalamov's brain started bleeding. Left untreated, Swarup said, the condition would have killed him.
Matt Farrago, the state athletic commission inspector assigned to monitor Abdusalamov that night, said that after commission doctors cleared the fighter and left the dressing room, he noticed blood in Abdusalamov's urine sample -- a possible sign of internal bleeding. Farrago, who boxed professionally for eight years, said he advised Abdusalamov's handlers to take him by taxi to a hospital. A Madison Square Garden source who spoke only on the condition of anonymity told "Outside the Lines" that two ambulances were on site (state boxing regulations require at least one for a fight card), but commission doctors summoned neither one for Abdusalamov.
In early November, acting on a request from the office of New York's Secretary of State, which oversees the athletic commission, the state inspector general launched an investigation of the fight and what happened after it. No date for the inquiry's completion has been announced. State athletic commission chairwoman Melvina Lathan and chief medical officer Dr. Barry Jordan -- both of whom were at ringside -- the other commission doctors on duty that night and referee Benjy Esteves Jr. have not commented publicly since the probe began and declined "Outside the Lines" interview requests.
Paul Edelstein, the attorney for Abdusalamov's wife and three young daughters, told "Outside the Lines" that he soon will file a lawsuit against commission doctors and other parties.
He said the legislation that created the commission gives it immunity against some types of litigation but that the state could be liable if there is a legal finding that Abdusalamov was mishandled by the state-employed doctors and others who oversaw the fight.
There is recent precedent of the state settling a claim after a ring tragedy, Edelstein said. The widow of boxer Beethavean Scottland, who died from injuries in a 2001 New York fight against George Jones, filed a wrongful death claim that was settled 11 years later for $150,000. The contention was that Scottland shouldn't have been allowed to fight Jones and that the bout should have been stopped before Scottland's injuries became life-threatening.
The Court of Claims notice filed by Edelstein charges the state with allowing Abdusalamov to be "unreasonably and violently beaten" and states that "improper, untimely and inadequate medical care and treatment" contributed to his condition.
Brutal fight but no knockdowns
"That fight was just an all-out war, two guys giving their all, giving and taking all they can," said John David Jackson, Abdusalamov's trainer. A devout Muslim from the Russian republic of Dagestan, Abdusalamov was the WBC's U.S. champion and entered the bout 18-0, all on knockouts in the fifth round or earlier, with 15 in the first or second round. The 6-foot-3, 231-pound lefty was ranked among the top contenders for the world heavyweight championship with a title shot likely two bouts away -- but he hadn't faced an opponent of the caliber of Perez, who entered the fight with a 19-0 record.
Abdusalamov's manager, Boris Grinberg Sr., said the fighter and his camp knew the HBO-televised matchup was "the most important fight of his life."
In the first round, the 6-foot, 235-pound Perez staggered Abdusalamov with a quick left forearm to his face. Referee Esteves could have declared a "no contest" as a result of the illegal blow, but he was positioned behind Abdusalamov -- it's unclear what he saw, and many other observers missed the forearm shot. Abdusalamov and his corner men did not ask for the fight to be stopped, and neither did ring doctors, although at the end of the first round, Abdusalamov looked up at his image on the big screen video monitor and asked his corner whether his nose was broken.
As the fight progressed, Abdusalamov appeared unable to breathe out of his nose, and the left side of his face became severely swollen and disfigured. His left eye was half shut, and he was bleeding from the cut above it. Despite the damage inflicted by both fighters, the fight had no knockdowns.
"Outside the Lines" interviewed all four of Abdusalamov's corner men -- Jackson, the trainer; cut man Chico Rivas; interpreter Boris Grinberg Jr. (the son of Abdusalamov's manager) and Abdusalamov's brother, Abdusalam. Jackson said he considered stopping the fight around the seventh round because of the punishment Abdusalamov had taken, but that he didn't have a sense from him or the doctors that he was imperiled. And his fighter came back strong -- he won the ni
Abdusalamov, 32, was in a coma for weeks following emergency brain surgery to remove a large blood clot hours after his Nov. 2 Madison Square Garden bout with Mike Perez. Perez won a unanimous 10-round decision, landing 312 punches to Abdusalamov's 248. Now in a rehabilitation facility, Abdusalamov has shown slight movement and can follow simple commands, but he remains bedridden, said Dr. Rupendra Swarup, medical director of the Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital department of neurosurgery. Abdusalamov may never walk or talk again. During a postfight exam in the dressing room, Abdusalamov, who broke his upper jaw and hand during the fight, told New York State Athletic Commission doctors that his head hurt, according to his handlers. They said doctors gave him a neurological test that required him to read a series of numbers, sutured a cut above his left eye and told him he had a broken nose and that he should have his injuries looked at by a doctor within a day or two upon returning home to Florida.
What neither the commission doctors nor anyone else realized was that at some point Abdusalamov's brain started bleeding. Left untreated, Swarup said, the condition would have killed him.
Matt Farrago, the state athletic commission inspector assigned to monitor Abdusalamov that night, said that after commission doctors cleared the fighter and left the dressing room, he noticed blood in Abdusalamov's urine sample -- a possible sign of internal bleeding. Farrago, who boxed professionally for eight years, said he advised Abdusalamov's handlers to take him by taxi to a hospital. A Madison Square Garden source who spoke only on the condition of anonymity told "Outside the Lines" that two ambulances were on site (state boxing regulations require at least one for a fight card), but commission doctors summoned neither one for Abdusalamov.
In early November, acting on a request from the office of New York's Secretary of State, which oversees the athletic commission, the state inspector general launched an investigation of the fight and what happened after it. No date for the inquiry's completion has been announced. State athletic commission chairwoman Melvina Lathan and chief medical officer Dr. Barry Jordan -- both of whom were at ringside -- the other commission doctors on duty that night and referee Benjy Esteves Jr. have not commented publicly since the probe began and declined "Outside the Lines" interview requests.
Paul Edelstein, the attorney for Abdusalamov's wife and three young daughters, told "Outside the Lines" that he soon will file a lawsuit against commission doctors and other parties.
He said the legislation that created the commission gives it immunity against some types of litigation but that the state could be liable if there is a legal finding that Abdusalamov was mishandled by the state-employed doctors and others who oversaw the fight.
There is recent precedent of the state settling a claim after a ring tragedy, Edelstein said. The widow of boxer Beethavean Scottland, who died from injuries in a 2001 New York fight against George Jones, filed a wrongful death claim that was settled 11 years later for $150,000. The contention was that Scottland shouldn't have been allowed to fight Jones and that the bout should have been stopped before Scottland's injuries became life-threatening.
The Court of Claims notice filed by Edelstein charges the state with allowing Abdusalamov to be "unreasonably and violently beaten" and states that "improper, untimely and inadequate medical care and treatment" contributed to his condition.
Brutal fight but no knockdowns
"That fight was just an all-out war, two guys giving their all, giving and taking all they can," said John David Jackson, Abdusalamov's trainer. A devout Muslim from the Russian republic of Dagestan, Abdusalamov was the WBC's U.S. champion and entered the bout 18-0, all on knockouts in the fifth round or earlier, with 15 in the first or second round. The 6-foot-3, 231-pound lefty was ranked among the top contenders for the world heavyweight championship with a title shot likely two bouts away -- but he hadn't faced an opponent of the caliber of Perez, who entered the fight with a 19-0 record.
Abdusalamov's manager, Boris Grinberg Sr., said the fighter and his camp knew the HBO-televised matchup was "the most important fight of his life."
In the first round, the 6-foot, 235-pound Perez staggered Abdusalamov with a quick left forearm to his face. Referee Esteves could have declared a "no contest" as a result of the illegal blow, but he was positioned behind Abdusalamov -- it's unclear what he saw, and many other observers missed the forearm shot. Abdusalamov and his corner men did not ask for the fight to be stopped, and neither did ring doctors, although at the end of the first round, Abdusalamov looked up at his image on the big screen video monitor and asked his corner whether his nose was broken.
As the fight progressed, Abdusalamov appeared unable to breathe out of his nose, and the left side of his face became severely swollen and disfigured. His left eye was half shut, and he was bleeding from the cut above it. Despite the damage inflicted by both fighters, the fight had no knockdowns.
"Outside the Lines" interviewed all four of Abdusalamov's corner men -- Jackson, the trainer; cut man Chico Rivas; interpreter Boris Grinberg Jr. (the son of Abdusalamov's manager) and Abdusalamov's brother, Abdusalam. Jackson said he considered stopping the fight around the seventh round because of the punishment Abdusalamov had taken, but that he didn't have a sense from him or the doctors that he was imperiled. And his fighter came back strong -- he won the ni
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Former Premier League footballer Curtis Woodhouse completed his successful transition to the boxing ring with a split decision victory over Darren Hamilton to win the British light-welterweight title.
Woodhouse confirmed straight after the bout - at the Hull Ice Arena - he would retire with immediate effect and indicated he wanted to "bow out as champion."
The 33-year-old went a full, action-packed 12 rounds with Hamilton and caused the defending champion several problems with his jab.
However, Woodhouse - who gave up football in 2006 to pursue his dream of becoming British champion - was handed the belt and even hinted towards an impressive bonus he may or may not have received.
"There is a rumour going around that I had a £5,000 bet on myself to win the British title at 50-1," Woodhouse told Sky Sports. "I can neither confirm or deny these rumours but the drinks are on me.
"I have fought some really good guys but that was the hardest fight of my life.
"When I was 10 years old, they told me I can't be a footballer, everyone laughed at me. When I said I was going to be a professional boxer, everyone laughed at me again. I had the audacity to say I was going to be a British champion, I honestly can't believe this has happened."
"How can I ever top what has happened tonight, this will never get better for me. I wanted to bow out as champion and aim to stick to that."
Also on the card, Gavin McDonnell stopped Leigh Wood in the sixth round to claim the British super-bantamweight title and Olympic champion Luke Campbell also enjoyed a stoppage win over Scott Moises.
Read more at Former Premier League footballer Curtis Woodhouse wins British title | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
Woodhouse confirmed straight after the bout - at the Hull Ice Arena - he would retire with immediate effect and indicated he wanted to "bow out as champion."
The 33-year-old went a full, action-packed 12 rounds with Hamilton and caused the defending champion several problems with his jab.
However, Woodhouse - who gave up football in 2006 to pursue his dream of becoming British champion - was handed the belt and even hinted towards an impressive bonus he may or may not have received.
"There is a rumour going around that I had a £5,000 bet on myself to win the British title at 50-1," Woodhouse told Sky Sports. "I can neither confirm or deny these rumours but the drinks are on me.
"I have fought some really good guys but that was the hardest fight of my life.
"When I was 10 years old, they told me I can't be a footballer, everyone laughed at me. When I said I was going to be a professional boxer, everyone laughed at me again. I had the audacity to say I was going to be a British champion, I honestly can't believe this has happened."
"How can I ever top what has happened tonight, this will never get better for me. I wanted to bow out as champion and aim to stick to that."
Also on the card, Gavin McDonnell stopped Leigh Wood in the sixth round to claim the British super-bantamweight title and Olympic champion Luke Campbell also enjoyed a stoppage win over Scott Moises.
Read more at Former Premier League footballer Curtis Woodhouse wins British title | Boxing News | ESPN.co.uk
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Moments after scoring his second knockdown of the fight on a hard left hook in Round 10, Jennings poured it on in the corner to force the stoppage in front of a sold-out crowd of 4,829 at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Jennings (18-0, 10 KOs), 29, fought just one time in 2013 due to a promotional switch after posting five wins in a breakthrough 2012 campaign. But Saturday's victory came on his largest platform to date.
Although Jennings talked after the fight of the many things he didn't like about his performance, he thoroughly controlled the rugged yet one-dimensional Szpilka (16-1, 12 KOs) by taking away the southpaw's biggest weapon -- his straight left hand.
After a rather uneventful set of opening rounds, Jennings used his footwork to walk down Szpilka, a native of Poland, and land clean shots to the head and body. He also hid behind his high guard throughout to smother any attempts at a Szpilka counterattack.
Key moment: If there was any doubt in Jennings having established his command midway through the fight, the Philadelphia native landed the first impact punch of the fight in Round 6 when he floored Szpilka with a left hook to the midsection. Although Szpilka was game until the 10th and final round when the fight was stopped, his confidence was never the same.
We've got your number: 46. That's the percentage of power punches landed by Jennings on Saturday. Although not known as a heavy puncher, Jennings continued to pile up clean, flush shots to the head of Szpilka throughout the second half of the fight, setting him up for the finish in Round 10.
Final word: The heavyweight division has lacked a competent American title threat for some time. Although Jennings isn't the kind of puncher who many would consider a candidate to become the next heavyweight champion, his talents as a smart defensive boxer were on full display. Not only did Jennings avoid doing anything to hurt his stock, he closed the show in emphatic fashion.
Rapid Reaction: Jennings stops Szpilka - Boxing Blog - ESPN