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Muhammad Ali owned the night without saying a word.
The boxing great was the guest of honor Thursday night at the 4th annual Norman Mailer Center benefit gala, which benefited the Norman Mailer Writers Colony, named for the late author. An old friend of Mailer, whose classic "The Fight'' was an account of Ali's stunning defeat of then-heavyweight champion George Foreman in 1974, Ali was in attendance to watch the first ever presentation of the Muhammad Ali Ethics Award. The $10,000 writing prize for college students is co-sponsored by the Mailer center and the Muhammad Ali center.
In his prime, Ali would have been saved for last Thursday. But he has suffered for decades from Parkinson's disease and ceremony organizers decided to bring him on first in case he didn't have enough energy to last the night. The 70-year-old Ali was not simply introduced, but unveiled.
Master of ceremonies Alec Baldwin moved from the front of the ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan to a small, curtained platform on the side as he recited Mailer's very personal list of true geniuses: Charlie Chaplin, Fidel Castro, poet Ezra Pound, and, best of all, Ali.
As Baldwin led the black-tie audience in a chant of "Ali! Ali! Ali!,'' the curtain was drawn and there sat Ali in a wide armchair, mute and expressionless, but handsomely dressed in a tuxedo and white shirt. Attendees were moved, and unnerved, as Ali looked on impassively like an aging monarch while Baldwin, Oliver Stone and Dick Cavett praised him and shared memories of the clowning, rhyming champ.
A brief clip from Cavett's talk show was screened, showing Ali and rival boxer Joe Frazier jokingly lifting the lightweight Cavett in the air. The ceremony program featured an old picture of Ali, teeth gritted in mock determination, as he arm wrestled with Mailer.
Ali was helped to his table after the Ethics prize was given, Baldwin returned to the front and honorary awards from the Mailer center were handed to historian Robert Caro, novelist Joyce Carol Oates and the widow of publisher Barney Rosset, who died earlier this year. Ali stayed until the end. According to Mailer center president Lawrence Schiller, he was a fan of Oates, who has written often about boxing, and wanted to hear her speech.
Read more: Cheers for Ali at literary ceremony in NY - - SI-com
The boxing great was the guest of honor Thursday night at the 4th annual Norman Mailer Center benefit gala, which benefited the Norman Mailer Writers Colony, named for the late author. An old friend of Mailer, whose classic "The Fight'' was an account of Ali's stunning defeat of then-heavyweight champion George Foreman in 1974, Ali was in attendance to watch the first ever presentation of the Muhammad Ali Ethics Award. The $10,000 writing prize for college students is co-sponsored by the Mailer center and the Muhammad Ali center.
In his prime, Ali would have been saved for last Thursday. But he has suffered for decades from Parkinson's disease and ceremony organizers decided to bring him on first in case he didn't have enough energy to last the night. The 70-year-old Ali was not simply introduced, but unveiled.
Master of ceremonies Alec Baldwin moved from the front of the ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan to a small, curtained platform on the side as he recited Mailer's very personal list of true geniuses: Charlie Chaplin, Fidel Castro, poet Ezra Pound, and, best of all, Ali.
As Baldwin led the black-tie audience in a chant of "Ali! Ali! Ali!,'' the curtain was drawn and there sat Ali in a wide armchair, mute and expressionless, but handsomely dressed in a tuxedo and white shirt. Attendees were moved, and unnerved, as Ali looked on impassively like an aging monarch while Baldwin, Oliver Stone and Dick Cavett praised him and shared memories of the clowning, rhyming champ.
A brief clip from Cavett's talk show was screened, showing Ali and rival boxer Joe Frazier jokingly lifting the lightweight Cavett in the air. The ceremony program featured an old picture of Ali, teeth gritted in mock determination, as he arm wrestled with Mailer.
Ali was helped to his table after the Ethics prize was given, Baldwin returned to the front and honorary awards from the Mailer center were handed to historian Robert Caro, novelist Joyce Carol Oates and the widow of publisher Barney Rosset, who died earlier this year. Ali stayed until the end. According to Mailer center president Lawrence Schiller, he was a fan of Oates, who has written often about boxing, and wanted to hear her speech.
Read more: Cheers for Ali at literary ceremony in NY - - SI-com
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As presidential debates go, neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney scored a knockout. However, Obama received a wake-up call: The majority of viewers polled thought that Romney won — on technical points. That’s because it seemed like Obama didn’t call out Romney for obscuring, or even denying, his policies and positions. When Obama did point out Romney’s “etch-a-sketch” approach, Romney just bulldozed over the objections — and the truth.
Romney kept his points simple, if not accurate, by repeating them endlessly. For instance, I was one of those who thought Obama didn’t answer Romney’s repeated falsehood that the president cut $716 billion from Medicare and put recipients’ benefits at risk.
But, reviewing the transcript, I found Obama, in fact, did respond: “We were able to save ($716 billion) from the Medicare program by no longer overpaying insurance companies (and) providers. And using that money, we were actually able to lower prescription drug costs for seniors by an average of $600.” Still, many writers said Obama didn’t answer Romney’s trumped-up charge that the $716 billion was a cut instead of a savings.
Romney’s debate performance was designed to blur the differences between himself and Obama, and the president didn’t call him on it. From regulating Wall Street to reducing taxes for the rich to turning Medicare into an insurance-run program, Obama let Romney get away with claiming that he was for regulations, that he wasn’t reducing taxes for the wealthy and that Medicare would stay the way it is.
The respected National Journal had this take: “Apparently Mitt Romney likes government regulation, loves Medicare the way it is, agrees fairly regularly with President Obama, and does not, in fact, want to cut taxes very much.
“If you were tuning into the presidential race for the first time on Wednesday night, you’d be forgiven if you thought the simplifications were actually the crux of Romney’s plan for the country.”
Romney cherry-picked the Dodd-Frank bill that regulates Wall Street’s worst (but, by far, not all) practices, talking about a provision that puts a few banks in the “too big to fail” category.
Romney began by saying, “Regulation is essential.” And then used the example of a lone provision as reason to scrap the entire law — freeing Wall Street to repeat the behaviors that led to the crash of 2008.
Romney did the same for Obamacare, falsely claiming it would “kill jobs” and would put government in control of private individuals’ personal health care. Obama did say Obamacare was nearly a duplicate of Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts, and it hadn’t led to job losses. But he essentially let Romney get away with claiming the government would interfere with individuals’ health care options.
Romney repeatedly said he wouldn’t touch Medicare for seniors currently enrolled in the program, and that is true. However, he breezed past the fact that he would permanently change Medicare for those now 55 and younger, effectively replacing it by putting the insurance companies in charge, and raising the average cost to an elderly person by $6,000 per year.
In all three cases, tax reform, Obamacare, and Medicare, Romney successfully blurred the lines simply by misrepresenting himself and claiming he was for regulations, he was for health care and he would keep Medicare as is. In truth, in all three cases Romney would dramatically alter the reforms put in place by Obama.
I was personally disappointed that the most serious problem underlying our dysfunctional government — partisan gridlock — was not addressed by moderator Jim Lehrer, or either candidate.
Romney boasted at one point that he had worked with Democrats in the Massachusetts legislature, but then, he had no choice. Obama’s retort, that maybe the Massachusetts Democrats could teach the Republicans in Congress a thing or two about compromise, emphasizes the current intransigence and fanaticism of Congressional Republicans.
The two parties have been moving further and further apart over the last two decades, and away from the moderate center. If that doesn’t change, it doesn’t matter who is president.
Bottom line: Romney won on style, and Obama didn’t appear to have a strategy or a game plan to win the debate on substance. As one of my colleagues wrote in an email exchange: “Obama may have been psyched by being president, wondering how he would look, sound and seem to the audience, especially independents and undecideds, if he attacked his opponent.”
He’s right. Romney left enough stuff on the table to attack him with next time: a tax plan that means windfalls for the wealthy and tax hikes and program cuts for everyone else; a Medicare plan that means leaving seniors to fend for themselves in the marketplace for health insurance; and he does speak contemptuously in private about the same Americans who would suffer from his policies.
Obama needs to shake this debate off and start hitting Romney hard. Insisting that Romney tell the truth and own his own positions will do for starters.
Brazile is a senior Democratic strategist, a political commentator and contributor to CNN.
Debate a boxing match with no knockout | The Dickinson Press | Dickinson, North Dakota
Romney kept his points simple, if not accurate, by repeating them endlessly. For instance, I was one of those who thought Obama didn’t answer Romney’s repeated falsehood that the president cut $716 billion from Medicare and put recipients’ benefits at risk.
But, reviewing the transcript, I found Obama, in fact, did respond: “We were able to save ($716 billion) from the Medicare program by no longer overpaying insurance companies (and) providers. And using that money, we were actually able to lower prescription drug costs for seniors by an average of $600.” Still, many writers said Obama didn’t answer Romney’s trumped-up charge that the $716 billion was a cut instead of a savings.
Romney’s debate performance was designed to blur the differences between himself and Obama, and the president didn’t call him on it. From regulating Wall Street to reducing taxes for the rich to turning Medicare into an insurance-run program, Obama let Romney get away with claiming that he was for regulations, that he wasn’t reducing taxes for the wealthy and that Medicare would stay the way it is.
The respected National Journal had this take: “Apparently Mitt Romney likes government regulation, loves Medicare the way it is, agrees fairly regularly with President Obama, and does not, in fact, want to cut taxes very much.
“If you were tuning into the presidential race for the first time on Wednesday night, you’d be forgiven if you thought the simplifications were actually the crux of Romney’s plan for the country.”
Romney cherry-picked the Dodd-Frank bill that regulates Wall Street’s worst (but, by far, not all) practices, talking about a provision that puts a few banks in the “too big to fail” category.
Romney began by saying, “Regulation is essential.” And then used the example of a lone provision as reason to scrap the entire law — freeing Wall Street to repeat the behaviors that led to the crash of 2008.
Romney did the same for Obamacare, falsely claiming it would “kill jobs” and would put government in control of private individuals’ personal health care. Obama did say Obamacare was nearly a duplicate of Romney’s health care plan in Massachusetts, and it hadn’t led to job losses. But he essentially let Romney get away with claiming the government would interfere with individuals’ health care options.
Romney repeatedly said he wouldn’t touch Medicare for seniors currently enrolled in the program, and that is true. However, he breezed past the fact that he would permanently change Medicare for those now 55 and younger, effectively replacing it by putting the insurance companies in charge, and raising the average cost to an elderly person by $6,000 per year.
In all three cases, tax reform, Obamacare, and Medicare, Romney successfully blurred the lines simply by misrepresenting himself and claiming he was for regulations, he was for health care and he would keep Medicare as is. In truth, in all three cases Romney would dramatically alter the reforms put in place by Obama.
I was personally disappointed that the most serious problem underlying our dysfunctional government — partisan gridlock — was not addressed by moderator Jim Lehrer, or either candidate.
Romney boasted at one point that he had worked with Democrats in the Massachusetts legislature, but then, he had no choice. Obama’s retort, that maybe the Massachusetts Democrats could teach the Republicans in Congress a thing or two about compromise, emphasizes the current intransigence and fanaticism of Congressional Republicans.
The two parties have been moving further and further apart over the last two decades, and away from the moderate center. If that doesn’t change, it doesn’t matter who is president.
Bottom line: Romney won on style, and Obama didn’t appear to have a strategy or a game plan to win the debate on substance. As one of my colleagues wrote in an email exchange: “Obama may have been psyched by being president, wondering how he would look, sound and seem to the audience, especially independents and undecideds, if he attacked his opponent.”
He’s right. Romney left enough stuff on the table to attack him with next time: a tax plan that means windfalls for the wealthy and tax hikes and program cuts for everyone else; a Medicare plan that means leaving seniors to fend for themselves in the marketplace for health insurance; and he does speak contemptuously in private about the same Americans who would suffer from his policies.
Obama needs to shake this debate off and start hitting Romney hard. Insisting that Romney tell the truth and own his own positions will do for starters.
Brazile is a senior Democratic strategist, a political commentator and contributor to CNN.
Debate a boxing match with no knockout | The Dickinson Press | Dickinson, North Dakota
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Ireland's Olympic silver medallist John Joe Nevin has confirmed he is joining the professional ranks.
The 23-year-old bantamweight lost out to Britain's Luke Campbell in his London 2012 final and was considering staying amateur to go for gold in Rio de Janeiro. But Nevin has chosen a future in paid boxing, signing up for Amir Khan's new promotional company Super Fight who announced he will fight at the Manchester Evening News Arena on January 19.
"This was a really tough decision for me as I have trained with the (Ireland) high performance team for many years and we are a tight family unit," Nevin said.
"I have enjoyed my time with the Irish team and am extremely proud of what we have achieved to date.
"I would like to win a world title and this is the route that I need to take.
"I am excited for the future and I'm looking forward to continuing my relationship with my trainer and working with Super Fight Promotions.
"I decided to go with Amir as he is a professional boxer and understands the professional game.
"He himself was an Olympic medallist so he has gone through the transition from amateur to professional. I'm looking forward to my first professional fight in the new year."
Khan, who was a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, said: "When I saw John Joe Nevin at the Olympics he really impressed me and I knew right away he was a real talent.
"He's slick, moves well and has a lot of attributes that I know will take him very far as a professional."
Read more: Irish boxing ace Nevin goes pro - Boxing, Other Sports - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
The 23-year-old bantamweight lost out to Britain's Luke Campbell in his London 2012 final and was considering staying amateur to go for gold in Rio de Janeiro. But Nevin has chosen a future in paid boxing, signing up for Amir Khan's new promotional company Super Fight who announced he will fight at the Manchester Evening News Arena on January 19.
"This was a really tough decision for me as I have trained with the (Ireland) high performance team for many years and we are a tight family unit," Nevin said.
"I have enjoyed my time with the Irish team and am extremely proud of what we have achieved to date.
"I would like to win a world title and this is the route that I need to take.
"I am excited for the future and I'm looking forward to continuing my relationship with my trainer and working with Super Fight Promotions.
"I decided to go with Amir as he is a professional boxer and understands the professional game.
"He himself was an Olympic medallist so he has gone through the transition from amateur to professional. I'm looking forward to my first professional fight in the new year."
Khan, who was a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, said: "When I saw John Joe Nevin at the Olympics he really impressed me and I knew right away he was a real talent.
"He's slick, moves well and has a lot of attributes that I know will take him very far as a professional."
Read more: Irish boxing ace Nevin goes pro - Boxing, Other Sports - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk
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For more years than he wanted to count, Orlando Cruz kept it a secret as best he could. He thought he had no choice, because of who he is and what he does.
Cruz is a fighter, and a pretty good one at that. He won 179 amateur bouts and represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympics. By the time this year is over, he hopes to hold a piece of the world title at 126 pounds
But his legacy won't be defined with wins and losses, or gaudy green belts. Cruz made sure of that last week by saying words no professional boxer had ever dared utter before.
"I have always been, and always will be, a proud gay man," Cruz said.
The words came easy, because for Cruz it was way past time. He was tired of hiding who he was, tired of trying to pretend he was something else.
He came out to the world, and to his next opponent and the one after that. Then he held his breath and waited to see just how far society has really come.
It didn't take long to get an answer.
The best fighter in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto, reached out to offer encouragement and support to his former Olympic teammate. Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin - who came out himself two years ago - sent him a text offering the same.
And the rest of the boxing world more or less just yawned.
"People say, `It's OK, Orlando, don't worry,"' Cruz said in a phone conversation from Puerto Rico "They tell me, `It's your life and we support you."'
Read More: Column: Nothing left to hide for gay boxer - Sports- NBC Sports
Cruz is a fighter, and a pretty good one at that. He won 179 amateur bouts and represented Puerto Rico in the 2000 Olympics. By the time this year is over, he hopes to hold a piece of the world title at 126 pounds
But his legacy won't be defined with wins and losses, or gaudy green belts. Cruz made sure of that last week by saying words no professional boxer had ever dared utter before.
"I have always been, and always will be, a proud gay man," Cruz said.
The words came easy, because for Cruz it was way past time. He was tired of hiding who he was, tired of trying to pretend he was something else.
He came out to the world, and to his next opponent and the one after that. Then he held his breath and waited to see just how far society has really come.
It didn't take long to get an answer.
The best fighter in Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto, reached out to offer encouragement and support to his former Olympic teammate. Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin - who came out himself two years ago - sent him a text offering the same.
And the rest of the boxing world more or less just yawned.
"People say, `It's OK, Orlando, don't worry,"' Cruz said in a phone conversation from Puerto Rico "They tell me, `It's your life and we support you."'
Read More: Column: Nothing left to hide for gay boxer - Sports- NBC Sports
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Boxing legend Mike Tyson says he is convinced there is more to come from British heavyweight David Haye.
Haye retired after losing on points to Wladimir Klitschko in July 2011 but returned to the ring to stop Dereck Chisora this summer and is now pursuing a fight with Klitschko's brother Vitali.
And Tyson, a former undisputed world heavyweight champion himself, told Sky Sports News: "David should continue to fight because he's a young guy.
"I thought David fought very well against Klitschko and I have a lot of respect for him because I expected him to be obliterated.
"Unless he has something else to do and plenty of money he should definitely keep fighting because he can get better and better.
"Fighting is our profession and it's what we do. I fought 15 times one year."
Tyson has also welcomed the decision of Ricky Hatton to return to the ring later this year, saying: "He's a young guy and, if that's what he wants to do, he should carry on.
"If he can take the beating (Manny) Pacquiao gave him and become a champion again, that's what boxing is all about.
"Fighting is a metaphor for life. It's about endurance and proving how much you can take."
The current heavyweight scene is seen by some as colourless because of the domination of the Klitschko brothers.
But Tyson is full of praise for the duo and said: "They should dominate. They have learnt their craft and overcome adversity.
"People want to see very exciting guys, talking smack and knocking guys out. People want barbarism and blood.
"But I love what the Klitschkos are doing. They beat people, they inspire people and they're erudite, they show you don't have to be brainless to be a boxer."
Asked if he would have defeated the brothers in his prime, Tyson added: "I'd like to think so, my ego makes me think so! But these guys would have been hard to beat in any era, they're changing the face of boxing."
Other Sports | Boxing: Haye gets Tyson backing | ESPNSTAR-com
Haye retired after losing on points to Wladimir Klitschko in July 2011 but returned to the ring to stop Dereck Chisora this summer and is now pursuing a fight with Klitschko's brother Vitali.
And Tyson, a former undisputed world heavyweight champion himself, told Sky Sports News: "David should continue to fight because he's a young guy.
"I thought David fought very well against Klitschko and I have a lot of respect for him because I expected him to be obliterated.
"Unless he has something else to do and plenty of money he should definitely keep fighting because he can get better and better.
"Fighting is our profession and it's what we do. I fought 15 times one year."
Tyson has also welcomed the decision of Ricky Hatton to return to the ring later this year, saying: "He's a young guy and, if that's what he wants to do, he should carry on.
"If he can take the beating (Manny) Pacquiao gave him and become a champion again, that's what boxing is all about.
"Fighting is a metaphor for life. It's about endurance and proving how much you can take."
The current heavyweight scene is seen by some as colourless because of the domination of the Klitschko brothers.
But Tyson is full of praise for the duo and said: "They should dominate. They have learnt their craft and overcome adversity.
"People want to see very exciting guys, talking smack and knocking guys out. People want barbarism and blood.
"But I love what the Klitschkos are doing. They beat people, they inspire people and they're erudite, they show you don't have to be brainless to be a boxer."
Asked if he would have defeated the brothers in his prime, Tyson added: "I'd like to think so, my ego makes me think so! But these guys would have been hard to beat in any era, they're changing the face of boxing."
Other Sports | Boxing: Haye gets Tyson backing | ESPNSTAR-com
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Australia has granted Mike Tyson a visa one week after he was barred from entering New Zealand due to his 1992 rape conviction. A spokeswoman from Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship said Wednesday it had granted the former heavyweight boxing champion an entertainment visa to cover the duration of his five-city Australian tour starting next month. She said officials carefully weighed the pros and cons of his visit and of his character given his criminal past.
The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity because of office policy.
Tyson was to visit both countries on a ''Day of the Champions'' tour. New Zealand immigration authorities initially granted him a visa before a charity withdrew its support and officials reversed their decision.
Tyson served three years in prison for rape.
The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity because of office policy.
Tyson was to visit both countries on a ''Day of the Champions'' tour. New Zealand immigration authorities initially granted him a visa before a charity withdrew its support and officials reversed their decision.
Tyson served three years in prison for rape.
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It's not enough that Mike Alvarado wins fights. He's been beaten, sure — he had half a lip left when he sent Breidis Prescott to the mat last year — but he's never lost. He's 33-0 since debuting as a pro in 2004 at the Graystone Castle near Thornton.
Alvarado, a junior welterweight, has punched his way to prominence with a heavy hand. For every 10 fighters he faces, he knocks out seven. That's heading toward Mike Tyson territory.
But none of those victories has won the Denver fighter more than adoration among boxing heads. Caught in a cold war of boxing business and politics, Alvarado has yet to get a title fight.
Yet he continues to punch. To him, right now, titles matter very little.
"Sometimes it's better to give people a good fight than a title fight," Alvarado said from his training camp in Los Angeles. "Even if it ain't a title fight, it can be great fight."
A high-profile fight Saturday night might finally put Alvarado (33-0, 23 KOs) on the brim of the big time. He faces Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., in an outdoor bout at the Home Depot Center south of Los Angeles, to be aired on HBO's "Boxing After Dark." It's a battle boxing fans have buzzed about for months.
It's also the toughest matchup of Alvarado's career.
"I've proved myself with every fight," Alvarado said. "They know I'm ready. I just want good fights, the best fights out there."
It's odd, but when Floyd Mayweather was 33-0, he'd won and defended multiple titles seven times. Yet Alvarado enters this fight with no major titles to his name.
"I'm cool with it," he said. "This is one of the best fights going now."
Read more: Denver boxer Mike Alvarado on a title quest against Brandon Rios - The Denver Post Denver boxer Mike Alvarado on a title quest against Brandon Rios - The Denver Post
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post
Alvarado, a junior welterweight, has punched his way to prominence with a heavy hand. For every 10 fighters he faces, he knocks out seven. That's heading toward Mike Tyson territory.
But none of those victories has won the Denver fighter more than adoration among boxing heads. Caught in a cold war of boxing business and politics, Alvarado has yet to get a title fight.
Yet he continues to punch. To him, right now, titles matter very little.
"Sometimes it's better to give people a good fight than a title fight," Alvarado said from his training camp in Los Angeles. "Even if it ain't a title fight, it can be great fight."
A high-profile fight Saturday night might finally put Alvarado (33-0, 23 KOs) on the brim of the big time. He faces Brandon Rios (30-0-1, 22 KOs) of Oxnard, Calif., in an outdoor bout at the Home Depot Center south of Los Angeles, to be aired on HBO's "Boxing After Dark." It's a battle boxing fans have buzzed about for months.
It's also the toughest matchup of Alvarado's career.
"I've proved myself with every fight," Alvarado said. "They know I'm ready. I just want good fights, the best fights out there."
It's odd, but when Floyd Mayweather was 33-0, he'd won and defended multiple titles seven times. Yet Alvarado enters this fight with no major titles to his name.
"I'm cool with it," he said. "This is one of the best fights going now."
Read more: Denver boxer Mike Alvarado on a title quest against Brandon Rios - The Denver Post Denver boxer Mike Alvarado on a title quest against Brandon Rios - The Denver Post
Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: Terms of Use - The Denver Post
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Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been refused a visa to visit New Zealand as part of a series of motivational speeches for the second time, the country's government said on Friday. The 46-year-old Tyson, who served three years of a six-year U.S. jail sentence for rape, needed dispensation under New Zealand immigration laws because of his conviction.
He had initially been granted a visa by Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson to visit New Zealand, but that was revoked when a youth charity which originally backed his appearance at the Auckland event no longer wanted to have anything to do with the visit.
Promoters applied for a new visa after a second community group said it would support the application in exchange for him talking to at-risk youth.
"The original decision in respect of Mr Tyson was a finely balanced call based on the letter of support from a board member of the Life Education Trust," Wilkinson said in a statement.
"When the Trust withdrew its support I received another application from Mr Tyson's representatives with the support of the Manukau Urban Maori Authority.
"This new application was not enough to get the application over the line and as such, I have declined to grant Mr Tyson a new visa under the Immigration Act 2009."
Tyson, who was the undisputed world heavyweight champion in the 1980s, was granted a visa by the Australian government earlier this week to take part in the series of talks, billed as "Day of the Champions" in November.
He was convicted for rape in 1992 and served three years in prison. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 and retired from professional boxing three years later.
Last month, Tyson spoke to a financiers' conference in Hong Kong about his life before and after boxing, his family and his acting career, which includes a recent one-man show on Broadway.
Boxing-Tyson refused New Zealand visa again - chicagotribune-com
He had initially been granted a visa by Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson to visit New Zealand, but that was revoked when a youth charity which originally backed his appearance at the Auckland event no longer wanted to have anything to do with the visit.
Promoters applied for a new visa after a second community group said it would support the application in exchange for him talking to at-risk youth.
"The original decision in respect of Mr Tyson was a finely balanced call based on the letter of support from a board member of the Life Education Trust," Wilkinson said in a statement.
"When the Trust withdrew its support I received another application from Mr Tyson's representatives with the support of the Manukau Urban Maori Authority.
"This new application was not enough to get the application over the line and as such, I have declined to grant Mr Tyson a new visa under the Immigration Act 2009."
Tyson, who was the undisputed world heavyweight champion in the 1980s, was granted a visa by the Australian government earlier this week to take part in the series of talks, billed as "Day of the Champions" in November.
He was convicted for rape in 1992 and served three years in prison. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 and retired from professional boxing three years later.
Last month, Tyson spoke to a financiers' conference in Hong Kong about his life before and after boxing, his family and his acting career, which includes a recent one-man show on Broadway.
Boxing-Tyson refused New Zealand visa again - chicagotribune-com
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The more spectacular Nonito Donaire looks every time he fights, the better. That makes future potential fights against the the likes of fellow super bantamweight champions Abner Mares or Guillermo Rigondeaux even more attractive than they already are.
Donaire is aware of that, which is why perhaps more than ever he wants a knockout tonight when he defends his two belts against former champion Toshiaki Nishioka at Home Depot Center in Carson (on HBO). Nishioka, a longtime champion, lost his belt via governing body politics, not in the ring.
Donaire won his first world title in the 112-pound division. His two most recent fights have been at the 122-pound super bantamweight class. Those, and his last bout at bantamweight, make three consecutive fights in which he has failed to stop his opponent inside the distance.
Prior to that, Donaire had knocked out four opponents in succession and nine of his past 10. This sudden lack of knockouts happens to fighters who climb the weight-class ladder.
Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) claims he isn't worried, but he acknowledged he wants to do something about it.
"We have been fighting the fights and getting the victories and I think that's what counts most," Donaire said. "These guys I have been fighting are world champions and they are at the top of their game. Sometimes you don't get the results that people look for.
Read more: Boxing: Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka fight could be a knockout - SGVTribune-com
Donaire is aware of that, which is why perhaps more than ever he wants a knockout tonight when he defends his two belts against former champion Toshiaki Nishioka at Home Depot Center in Carson (on HBO). Nishioka, a longtime champion, lost his belt via governing body politics, not in the ring.
Donaire won his first world title in the 112-pound division. His two most recent fights have been at the 122-pound super bantamweight class. Those, and his last bout at bantamweight, make three consecutive fights in which he has failed to stop his opponent inside the distance.
Prior to that, Donaire had knocked out four opponents in succession and nine of his past 10. This sudden lack of knockouts happens to fighters who climb the weight-class ladder.
Donaire (29-1, 18 KOs) claims he isn't worried, but he acknowledged he wants to do something about it.
"We have been fighting the fights and getting the victories and I think that's what counts most," Donaire said. "These guys I have been fighting are world champions and they are at the top of their game. Sometimes you don't get the results that people look for.
Read more: Boxing: Nonito Donaire-Toshiaki Nishioka fight could be a knockout - SGVTribune-com
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's scathing speech against sexism won unlikely backing from controversial former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson on Sunday, who said history was on her side.
Tyson, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 1992 for raping an 18-year-old woman, said he watched Ms Gillard's speech against misogyny on television in Australia, where he is on a speaking tour and thought she had a point.
"I'm not saying she's right personally, but history proves she's right," the former champ told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, describing Ms Gillard's appointment as Australia's first female leader as "wonderful for the country."
"I'm not saying that I'm on her side, I'm just going by the facts of what history proves, that most males are that way."
Tyson, boxing champ and convicted rapist, backs Gillard on sexism
Tyson, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 1992 for raping an 18-year-old woman, said he watched Ms Gillard's speech against misogyny on television in Australia, where he is on a speaking tour and thought she had a point.
"I'm not saying she's right personally, but history proves she's right," the former champ told the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, describing Ms Gillard's appointment as Australia's first female leader as "wonderful for the country."
"I'm not saying that I'm on her side, I'm just going by the facts of what history proves, that most males are that way."
Tyson, boxing champ and convicted rapist, backs Gillard on sexism
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FRANNY SMITH believes boxing has been desperate for a knockout artist such as David Price.
Price defended his British and Commonwealth titles at the ECHO Arena on Saturday night with a first round stoppage of Audley Harrison.
It took Price just 82 seconds to complete his latest demolition job and from his 14 professional fights, 12 have now ended early.
The champion’s trainer, Smith, says Price’s ability to do serious damage is what the sport has been craving for.
Smith revealed he had asked Price to show a level head when going in for the finish but admits it would be wrong to try and completely tame his killer instinct.
“I know as soon as he hits anyone, he is going to hurt them, even cuffing shots are going to trouble people,” Smith told the ECHO.
“I told David that when he caught Audley and hurt him, not to stand in the pocket and don’t go overly aggressive into a finish. I wanted him to calculate the finish.
“But he knew the first right hand had done a fair amount of damage and you can’t take that killer instinct away from him. Boxing is crying out for a ferocious knockout puncher, like David.
I’m over the moon with his performance and over the moon that he’s got the job done.
“When the fight first got talked about, it was a contest I did not want. I thought Audley Harrison would be all wrong for David Price – a big, tall awkward southpaw who is a good counter puncher.
“But when the fight got made we had to work hard in this camp.
“We had to adjust our technique and work on new things. It’s all paid off.”
Smith’s thoughts soon turned to Price’s next opponent, Matt Skelton, and though some fans see December’s match-up as a backwards step, the trainer disagrees and sees plenty for them to work on in training camp.
“In terms of endeavour and courage he is ahead of Audley Harrison,” said Smith.
“He is rugged and brings different challenges to us that we are going to have to work on in this camp.
“Every opponent that Frank Maloney has got for David has presented challenges and working on new challenges brings development and improves him. This camp for Matt Skelton will improve him.
“For David Price, this is now getting to the business end of the game now and his appetite for the sport and success is phenomenal. He came into camp for the Sam Sexton fight and I couldn’t believe how much he wanted it. He’s come in for the Audley fight and he has surpassed it again.”
Read More www-liverpoolecho-co-uk/sport/boxing/2012/10/15/boxing-needs-a-ferocious-puncher-like-david-price-says-franny-smith-100252-32032056/#ixzz29LqRHdjh
Price defended his British and Commonwealth titles at the ECHO Arena on Saturday night with a first round stoppage of Audley Harrison.
It took Price just 82 seconds to complete his latest demolition job and from his 14 professional fights, 12 have now ended early.
The champion’s trainer, Smith, says Price’s ability to do serious damage is what the sport has been craving for.
Smith revealed he had asked Price to show a level head when going in for the finish but admits it would be wrong to try and completely tame his killer instinct.
“I know as soon as he hits anyone, he is going to hurt them, even cuffing shots are going to trouble people,” Smith told the ECHO.
“I told David that when he caught Audley and hurt him, not to stand in the pocket and don’t go overly aggressive into a finish. I wanted him to calculate the finish.
“But he knew the first right hand had done a fair amount of damage and you can’t take that killer instinct away from him. Boxing is crying out for a ferocious knockout puncher, like David.
I’m over the moon with his performance and over the moon that he’s got the job done.
“When the fight first got talked about, it was a contest I did not want. I thought Audley Harrison would be all wrong for David Price – a big, tall awkward southpaw who is a good counter puncher.
“But when the fight got made we had to work hard in this camp.
“We had to adjust our technique and work on new things. It’s all paid off.”
Smith’s thoughts soon turned to Price’s next opponent, Matt Skelton, and though some fans see December’s match-up as a backwards step, the trainer disagrees and sees plenty for them to work on in training camp.
“In terms of endeavour and courage he is ahead of Audley Harrison,” said Smith.
“He is rugged and brings different challenges to us that we are going to have to work on in this camp.
“Every opponent that Frank Maloney has got for David has presented challenges and working on new challenges brings development and improves him. This camp for Matt Skelton will improve him.
“For David Price, this is now getting to the business end of the game now and his appetite for the sport and success is phenomenal. He came into camp for the Sam Sexton fight and I couldn’t believe how much he wanted it. He’s come in for the Audley fight and he has surpassed it again.”
Read More www-liverpoolecho-co-uk/sport/boxing/2012/10/15/boxing-needs-a-ferocious-puncher-like-david-price-says-franny-smith-100252-32032056/#ixzz29LqRHdjh
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A MAN accused of killing a former Australian boxing champion while his two nieces hid in a back room was acting in self-defence, a Sydney court has heard.
Craig Charles Pitts, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Marceta outside his apartment in a Redfern public housing block on August 2, 2011.
During opening statements in the NSW Supreme Court trial today, Pitts's defence lawyer Doug Marr told the jury his client had acted in self-defence.
''There is no dispute that Craig Pitts stabbed John Marceta and that the stabbing caused his death,'' he told the court, adding his client was ''acting in self-defence of himself or others''.
Marceta, 38, was found dead in the hallway of the Morehead St block after suffering a single stab wound to his chest.
At the time of the incident, Pitts's two nieces, then 11 and 15, and his sister were visiting his home from Melbourne. Crown prosecutor Siovhan Herbert said Pitts's sister would testify that her brother had yelled ''I have kids in here, go away'' before he was dragged into the hallway.
She then saw three men on top of her brother ''punching and kicking him''.
But, Ms Herbert said Pitts wasn't acting in self-defence and had armed himself with a knife with the intention to kill.
''At this stage he was an aggressor, he had armed himself with a knife and went out into the hallway,'' she told the court.
''It is the crown's case that John Marceta was killed by the accused, Craig Pitts, and that when he did so he intended to kill him or at the very least seriously harm him.''
She told the court the stab wound that killed Mr Marceta would have penetrated at least 13 to 14 centimetres into his chest.
Mr Marr said Pitts sustained minor injuries, including a cut to his hand, in the altercation.
''John Marceta was a former professional boxer,'' he told the court.
''A big man, a fit man and he'd been to jail for robbery.''
Mr Marceta was a professional boxer in the 1990s and won the Australasian light heavyweight title in 1995.
The trial continues before Justice Christine Adamson.
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Craig Charles Pitts, 29, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Marceta outside his apartment in a Redfern public housing block on August 2, 2011.
During opening statements in the NSW Supreme Court trial today, Pitts's defence lawyer Doug Marr told the jury his client had acted in self-defence.
''There is no dispute that Craig Pitts stabbed John Marceta and that the stabbing caused his death,'' he told the court, adding his client was ''acting in self-defence of himself or others''.
Marceta, 38, was found dead in the hallway of the Morehead St block after suffering a single stab wound to his chest.
At the time of the incident, Pitts's two nieces, then 11 and 15, and his sister were visiting his home from Melbourne. Crown prosecutor Siovhan Herbert said Pitts's sister would testify that her brother had yelled ''I have kids in here, go away'' before he was dragged into the hallway.
She then saw three men on top of her brother ''punching and kicking him''.
But, Ms Herbert said Pitts wasn't acting in self-defence and had armed himself with a knife with the intention to kill.
''At this stage he was an aggressor, he had armed himself with a knife and went out into the hallway,'' she told the court.
''It is the crown's case that John Marceta was killed by the accused, Craig Pitts, and that when he did so he intended to kill him or at the very least seriously harm him.''
She told the court the stab wound that killed Mr Marceta would have penetrated at least 13 to 14 centimetres into his chest.
Mr Marr said Pitts sustained minor injuries, including a cut to his hand, in the altercation.
''John Marceta was a former professional boxer,'' he told the court.
''A big man, a fit man and he'd been to jail for robbery.''
Mr Marceta was a professional boxer in the 1990s and won the Australasian light heavyweight title in 1995.
The trial continues before Justice Christine Adamson.
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DAVID PRICE says Tyson Fury is an ‘idiot’ and wants to fight his heavyweight rival next year.
Fury is waiting on the outcome of a British Boxing Board of Control probe after a bizarre rant at Price and Tony Bellew, first on terrestrial TV on Saturday night and then later on Twitter.
Price said: “He’s idiotic and giving the sport a bad name the way he’s running round like a playground bully.
“We are grown men and no-one bullies anyone as far as I’m concerned.
“There is a genuine dislike for each other and that is going to make for a great fight.
“I say keep talking, because he’s building the fight. The things he’s saying aren’t bothering me in the slightest.
“It’s like dealing with a kid at school talking absolute nonsense.
“I’d take the fight this week but the reality is it’s more likely to happen next summer some time. Let Tyson do his promotional work on Twitter or whatever else and I’ll let my fists do the talking.”
Fury’s promoter Mick Hennessy defended his man.
“Tyson Fury is certainly not a playground bully in any way, shape or form,” Hennessy said, adding that Fury’s Irish Traveller background led to a lot of abuse and that he ‘exploded’.
Price’s next bout will be against 45-year-old former British, Commonwealth and European champion Matt Skelton, on 8 December.
Fury last fought when claiming the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title with a fifth-round stoppage of American Vinny Maddalone in July.
“If David Price really genuinely wants to fight we will put our world title plans on hold and we will make the fight,” said Hennessy.
Read More www-liverpoolecho-co-uk/sport/boxing/2012/10/17/boxing-i-ll-fight-bully-tyson-fury-says-david-price-100252-32045963/#ixzz29Y5REQ56
Fury is waiting on the outcome of a British Boxing Board of Control probe after a bizarre rant at Price and Tony Bellew, first on terrestrial TV on Saturday night and then later on Twitter.
Price said: “He’s idiotic and giving the sport a bad name the way he’s running round like a playground bully.
“We are grown men and no-one bullies anyone as far as I’m concerned.
“There is a genuine dislike for each other and that is going to make for a great fight.
“I say keep talking, because he’s building the fight. The things he’s saying aren’t bothering me in the slightest.
“It’s like dealing with a kid at school talking absolute nonsense.
“I’d take the fight this week but the reality is it’s more likely to happen next summer some time. Let Tyson do his promotional work on Twitter or whatever else and I’ll let my fists do the talking.”
Fury’s promoter Mick Hennessy defended his man.
“Tyson Fury is certainly not a playground bully in any way, shape or form,” Hennessy said, adding that Fury’s Irish Traveller background led to a lot of abuse and that he ‘exploded’.
Price’s next bout will be against 45-year-old former British, Commonwealth and European champion Matt Skelton, on 8 December.
Fury last fought when claiming the vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight title with a fifth-round stoppage of American Vinny Maddalone in July.
“If David Price really genuinely wants to fight we will put our world title plans on hold and we will make the fight,” said Hennessy.
Read More www-liverpoolecho-co-uk/sport/boxing/2012/10/17/boxing-i-ll-fight-bully-tyson-fury-says-david-price-100252-32045963/#ixzz29Y5REQ56
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No fighter – not Arturo Gatti, not Diego Corrales, not Manny Pacquiao – has been in more compelling fights in the last 25 years than Morales.
Each time out, it was almost a slam-dunk guarantee that Morales would deliver an electrifying fight.
The Morales of today, though, is not the Morales of 2000, who that year engaged Marco Antonio Barrera in the first of three highly skilled, bitterly fought battles that signalled his ascent into superstardom.
Morales is now fighting an opponent he cannot beat. Losing is almost inevitable.
He'll face Danny Garcia on Saturday in the main event of a Showtime-televised quadruple-header for the WBA/WBC super lightweight titles at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He may beat Garcia, though it's unlikely, because he nearly did so in March, not long after gall bladder surgery.
Morales, though, won't beat boxing. No one who has tried has ever done it and no matter how stubborn or insistent Morales is, he won't be the first.
Boxing has raised many men from the slums to riches and fame, but it almost inevitably takes it all back when the fighter doesn't know when to say when.
Legendary middleweight champion “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler walked away after a loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987, never to return, his faculties and wealth intact. The great heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis did the same, retiring after a win over Vitali Klitschko in 2003 while he was still on top.
Even the promoter of Saturday's fight card, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya, made the smart move. A few months after he was pummelled by Pacquiao, De La Hoya wisely stepped away.
But De La Hoya had something Morales doesn't have. Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy's CEO and De La Hoya's one-time manager, arranged for a soft landing for De La Hoya's post-fight career. He invested De La Hoya's money, diversified his holdings and built Golden Boy into a legitimate business.
When it was time for De La Hoya to retire, he didn't have to worry about paying the bills because of the groundwork Schaefer had laid years before.
Few other fighters have that, though. They inevitably fight on because they spend their purses like drunken sailors during their careers and, when the massive paydays end, they can't pay their bills.
To pay the bills, they fight, and when they fight long after their body tells them it's time to quit, they get hurt.
Morales hasn't been hurt – yet – but he fights the kind of fearless face-first style that makes him among the most vulnerable.
He has been hearing cries for his retirement for years now, since he was hammered by Pacquiao in their third fight in 2006. He was 30 then, and defiantly opted to fight on.
Now, he's 36, and it's a testament to his greatness that he's able to be competitive with guys like Garcia after all he's been through.
"What makes you think I can't still fight just because I am 36?" Morales asked at a New York workout on Tuesday. "I know I can still fight and I am going to win Saturday night."
Perhaps he might. Garcia is still largely an unknown commodity, though he seemed to answer a lot of questions by stopping Amir Khan to win the belt in July.
It's not a stretch to think that Morales' less-than-stellar showing in their March 24 bout was due to the lingering effects of December gall bladder surgery.
Give Morales credit for refusing to use the surgery as an excuse for his loss, but it's naive to think it didn't have an impact.
"That is in the past and I don't think I need to talk about that now," Morales said of his surgery. "I am not into making excuses. It was something that happened but we are going to rematch now, so let's see what happens." What's probably going to happen is what usually happens in a Morales fight. He'll get hit and he'll fight back, hard, with every ounce of strength he has left in that skinny frame.
He's utterly fearless, which makes for compelling television but probably won't do much for his brain function later in life.
"When the media people ask you to say goodbye, I don't hear those comments," Morales said. "When you love boxing, you don't think about that. If I'm going to retire, I'll know when. When the time is right, I'll know in Tijuana, where I started my career."
A victory over Garcia will make him a champion again. Though it's unlikely – at this stage, Garcia is younger, stronger and faster – the result of the first fight proved it's not impossible.
It would be a big win for him.
But the biggest win would be if he recognized soon that he's never going to beat boxing. Retiring on top, with his title, money and faculties, is the only way he'll have a chance.
Boxing: Morales should get out while he can - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Each time out, it was almost a slam-dunk guarantee that Morales would deliver an electrifying fight.
The Morales of today, though, is not the Morales of 2000, who that year engaged Marco Antonio Barrera in the first of three highly skilled, bitterly fought battles that signalled his ascent into superstardom.
Morales is now fighting an opponent he cannot beat. Losing is almost inevitable.
He'll face Danny Garcia on Saturday in the main event of a Showtime-televised quadruple-header for the WBA/WBC super lightweight titles at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. He may beat Garcia, though it's unlikely, because he nearly did so in March, not long after gall bladder surgery.
Morales, though, won't beat boxing. No one who has tried has ever done it and no matter how stubborn or insistent Morales is, he won't be the first.
Boxing has raised many men from the slums to riches and fame, but it almost inevitably takes it all back when the fighter doesn't know when to say when.
Legendary middleweight champion “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler walked away after a loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987, never to return, his faculties and wealth intact. The great heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis did the same, retiring after a win over Vitali Klitschko in 2003 while he was still on top.
Even the promoter of Saturday's fight card, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Oscar De La Hoya, made the smart move. A few months after he was pummelled by Pacquiao, De La Hoya wisely stepped away.
But De La Hoya had something Morales doesn't have. Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy's CEO and De La Hoya's one-time manager, arranged for a soft landing for De La Hoya's post-fight career. He invested De La Hoya's money, diversified his holdings and built Golden Boy into a legitimate business.
When it was time for De La Hoya to retire, he didn't have to worry about paying the bills because of the groundwork Schaefer had laid years before.
Few other fighters have that, though. They inevitably fight on because they spend their purses like drunken sailors during their careers and, when the massive paydays end, they can't pay their bills.
To pay the bills, they fight, and when they fight long after their body tells them it's time to quit, they get hurt.
Morales hasn't been hurt – yet – but he fights the kind of fearless face-first style that makes him among the most vulnerable.
He has been hearing cries for his retirement for years now, since he was hammered by Pacquiao in their third fight in 2006. He was 30 then, and defiantly opted to fight on.
Now, he's 36, and it's a testament to his greatness that he's able to be competitive with guys like Garcia after all he's been through.
"What makes you think I can't still fight just because I am 36?" Morales asked at a New York workout on Tuesday. "I know I can still fight and I am going to win Saturday night."
Perhaps he might. Garcia is still largely an unknown commodity, though he seemed to answer a lot of questions by stopping Amir Khan to win the belt in July.
It's not a stretch to think that Morales' less-than-stellar showing in their March 24 bout was due to the lingering effects of December gall bladder surgery.
Give Morales credit for refusing to use the surgery as an excuse for his loss, but it's naive to think it didn't have an impact.
"That is in the past and I don't think I need to talk about that now," Morales said of his surgery. "I am not into making excuses. It was something that happened but we are going to rematch now, so let's see what happens." What's probably going to happen is what usually happens in a Morales fight. He'll get hit and he'll fight back, hard, with every ounce of strength he has left in that skinny frame.
He's utterly fearless, which makes for compelling television but probably won't do much for his brain function later in life.
"When the media people ask you to say goodbye, I don't hear those comments," Morales said. "When you love boxing, you don't think about that. If I'm going to retire, I'll know when. When the time is right, I'll know in Tijuana, where I started my career."
A victory over Garcia will make him a champion again. Though it's unlikely – at this stage, Garcia is younger, stronger and faster – the result of the first fight proved it's not impossible.
It would be a big win for him.
But the biggest win would be if he recognized soon that he's never going to beat boxing. Retiring on top, with his title, money and faculties, is the only way he'll have a chance.
Boxing: Morales should get out while he can - Yahoo! Eurosport UK
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Mexican fighter Erik Morales, scheduled to fight Danny Garcia Saturday night for the unified light middleweight titles and help christen the return of championship boxing to Brooklyn, has tested positive for an anabolic steroid, according to a person with knowledge of the test results.
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the test results were supposed to remain confidential.
The person said Morales, 36, tested positive Tuesday during a random pre-fight drug test conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA), and that the B sample will not be tested until after the fight.
Although the New York State Athletic Commission has the final say, it's expected that Morales will be allowed to fight but it's unsure if he will be eligible to fight for the championship belt.
Morales has never tested positive in the past, but he came in over the 140-pound limit for his first fight against Garcia in March, and was stripped of his title on the scales. Garcia won that fight by unanimous decision and claimed the vacant WBC belt.
Read More: Boxer Erik Morales tests positive for anabolic steroid
The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the test results were supposed to remain confidential.
The person said Morales, 36, tested positive Tuesday during a random pre-fight drug test conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA), and that the B sample will not be tested until after the fight.
Although the New York State Athletic Commission has the final say, it's expected that Morales will be allowed to fight but it's unsure if he will be eligible to fight for the championship belt.
Morales has never tested positive in the past, but he came in over the 140-pound limit for his first fight against Garcia in March, and was stripped of his title on the scales. Garcia won that fight by unanimous decision and claimed the vacant WBC belt.
Read More: Boxer Erik Morales tests positive for anabolic steroid
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Orlando Cruz has won his first fight since publicly declaring his homosexuality after he beat Jorge Pazos to retain his light featherweight title in a unanimous decision.
The Puerto Rican featherweight (19-2-1, nine KOs) looked confident and at ease, but Pazos (20-4, 13 KOs) held his own much of the match.
The judges scored it 118-110, 116-111, 118-110 for Cruz, who celebrated the victory in front of a cheering crowd at the Kissimmee Civic Center outside of Orlando.
Cruz has been surrounded by attention since he came out earlier this month, doing dozens of interviews while receiving praise and support from all corners of sports and society.
'That was my moment, my opportunity, my event,' Cruz said Friday night after the bout, his mother, Dominga Torres-Rivera, seated beside him. 'And I won.'
Cruz was touched by the support on display at the Kissimmee Civic Center outside Orlando, the latest in a continual outpouring since his announcement two weeks ago that made him the first active male athlete in a major sport to come out.
'I was very happy that they respect me. That’s what I want -- them to see me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the word,' he said.
Read more: Orlando Cruz: Gay boxer wins first fight since coming out | Mail Online
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The Puerto Rican featherweight (19-2-1, nine KOs) looked confident and at ease, but Pazos (20-4, 13 KOs) held his own much of the match.
The judges scored it 118-110, 116-111, 118-110 for Cruz, who celebrated the victory in front of a cheering crowd at the Kissimmee Civic Center outside of Orlando.
Cruz has been surrounded by attention since he came out earlier this month, doing dozens of interviews while receiving praise and support from all corners of sports and society.
'That was my moment, my opportunity, my event,' Cruz said Friday night after the bout, his mother, Dominga Torres-Rivera, seated beside him. 'And I won.'
Cruz was touched by the support on display at the Kissimmee Civic Center outside Orlando, the latest in a continual outpouring since his announcement two weeks ago that made him the first active male athlete in a major sport to come out.
'I was very happy that they respect me. That’s what I want -- them to see me as a boxer, as an athlete and as a man in every sense of the word,' he said.
Read more: Orlando Cruz: Gay boxer wins first fight since coming out | Mail Online
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Championship boxing returned to Brooklyn on Saturday night for the first time in 81 years. The borough deserted by baseball’s Dodgers in the 1950s and now embraced by the N.B.A.’s Nets, held four title bouts at the newly built Barclays Center.
Before the arena opened for the nine-card bout, hundreds of eager fans spilled out of the Atlantic Avenue subway station to line up in front of its doors, behind which a few Brooklyn brawlers were hoping to make history of their own.
“The last good fight I saw in Brooklyn was on the No. 2 train last week,” said Monica Johnson, a 24-year-old grocery clerk from Flatbush. “If any of these fights tonight are as good as that one, it’s going to get real crazy in here.”
She wasn’t disappointed.
Paul Malignaggi (32-4), a Brooklynite, retained his World Boxing Association welterweight championship title against Pablo César Cano (25-2-1) of Mexico in 12 rounds that Malignaggi won by a split decision.
In the first of the four title matches, Devon Alexander (24-1) of St. Louis beat Randall Bailey (43-8) of Miami in a unanimous 12-round decision for Bailey’s International Boxing Federation welterweight title.
Alexander dominated, connecting on 120 of 534 punches, while Bailey connected on 45 of his 198.
In the second title bout, Peter Quillin (28-0), a Manhattanite nicknamed Kid Chocolate, outclassed Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (27-1) in a 12-round unanimous decision for the World Boxing Organization middleweight title. When Quillin dropped N’Jikam for a second time in the fourth round, Brooklyn’s Mike Tyson, who was sitting at ringside, rose to applaud.
In the other main event, Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia (25-0) knocked out Mexico’s Erik Morales (52-9) in the fourth round to retain the W.B.A. Super World and World Boxing Council light-welterweight titles.
The first fight of the night was between junior welterweights from Brooklyn, Boyd Melson (9-1-1) and Jason Thompson (5-6-2), who fought to a six-round draw.
“I know I won that fight because I was the busier fighter who landed more punches,” Melson said afterward. “But, hey, I can always say that I was the first guy in this new building to get punched in the face.”
Also on the undercard, two junior middleweights from Brooklyn, Luis Collazo (32-5) and Dmitriy Salita (23-1), thrilled the crowd with victories by unanimous decision. Collazo defeated Philadelphia’s Steven Upsher (24-2-1) in eight rounds. Salita turned aside Brandon Hoskins of Hannibal, Mo., (16-3-1) in six.
The Bronx was also represented as Eddie Gomez (11-0), a junior middleweight, knocked out Saul Benitez of Phoenix (2-3) in the first round.
After the Gomez bout, a buzz began building throughout the thickening crowd for the arrival of Daniel Jacobs, a super middleweight from Brooklyn. Jacobs was found to have spinal cancer in May 2011 and was temporarily paralyzed below the waist.
Jacobs, 25, sent the crowd into hysteria with a vicious first-round knockout of Josh Luteran: a sweeping left followed by a crushing right that sent Luteran to the canvas.
“It was left-right and nighty-night,” a smiling Jacobs (23-1) said. “A year and a half ago, I couldn’t walk or feed myself, so to come back from all of that and be able to do what I did tonight makes this the greatest and most memorable moment of my life.”
Before his fight, Malignaggi, 31, said that his family and friends had bought $50,000 worth of tickets.
Steve Farhood, a Showtime boxing analyst and historian, said the last world title fight in Brooklyn took place on Aug. 5, 1931, when the defending light-heavyweight world champion Maxie Rosenbloom outpointed Jimmy Slattery over 15 rounds at Ebbets Field. From the late 1800s until the Rosenbloom-Slattery bout, there were 37 world title fights in Brooklyn.
The middleweight champion Harry Greb fought in Brooklyn in 1917, and Jack Dempsey fought an exhibition bout in 1918. Long before those bouts, the heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan fought in Brooklyn in 1882.
“Most of those early fights were fought in athletic clubs around Brooklyn,” Farhood said. “But when the new Madison Square Garden opened in 1925, most of the title fights went there. After 1931, any other championship fight in New York was held at either Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds or a building in Queens called the Madison Square Garden Bowl.”
Malignaggi, Farhood said, is one of 17 Brooklyn-born boxers who won world championships, the most famous of whom is Tyson. Others include the heavyweights Riddick Bowe, Shannon Briggs and Michael Moorer; the middleweight Joey Giardello; the welterweight Mark Breland; and the junior welterweight Zab Judah.
Through the years, Farhood said, other marquee names fought in Brooklyn, including Tony Canzoneri 47 times, Rocky Graziano 18 times, and Benny Leonard 14 times.
“It’s a thrill for me to have been a part of all of this great history of Brooklyn boxing,” Jacobs said after the fight with nary a scratch. “I’m ready to do it again next week.”
www-nytimes-com/2012/10/21/sports/championship-boxing-is-back-in-brooklyn-html?_r=0
Before the arena opened for the nine-card bout, hundreds of eager fans spilled out of the Atlantic Avenue subway station to line up in front of its doors, behind which a few Brooklyn brawlers were hoping to make history of their own.
“The last good fight I saw in Brooklyn was on the No. 2 train last week,” said Monica Johnson, a 24-year-old grocery clerk from Flatbush. “If any of these fights tonight are as good as that one, it’s going to get real crazy in here.”
She wasn’t disappointed.
Paul Malignaggi (32-4), a Brooklynite, retained his World Boxing Association welterweight championship title against Pablo César Cano (25-2-1) of Mexico in 12 rounds that Malignaggi won by a split decision.
In the first of the four title matches, Devon Alexander (24-1) of St. Louis beat Randall Bailey (43-8) of Miami in a unanimous 12-round decision for Bailey’s International Boxing Federation welterweight title.
Alexander dominated, connecting on 120 of 534 punches, while Bailey connected on 45 of his 198.
In the second title bout, Peter Quillin (28-0), a Manhattanite nicknamed Kid Chocolate, outclassed Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (27-1) in a 12-round unanimous decision for the World Boxing Organization middleweight title. When Quillin dropped N’Jikam for a second time in the fourth round, Brooklyn’s Mike Tyson, who was sitting at ringside, rose to applaud.
In the other main event, Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia (25-0) knocked out Mexico’s Erik Morales (52-9) in the fourth round to retain the W.B.A. Super World and World Boxing Council light-welterweight titles.
The first fight of the night was between junior welterweights from Brooklyn, Boyd Melson (9-1-1) and Jason Thompson (5-6-2), who fought to a six-round draw.
“I know I won that fight because I was the busier fighter who landed more punches,” Melson said afterward. “But, hey, I can always say that I was the first guy in this new building to get punched in the face.”
Also on the undercard, two junior middleweights from Brooklyn, Luis Collazo (32-5) and Dmitriy Salita (23-1), thrilled the crowd with victories by unanimous decision. Collazo defeated Philadelphia’s Steven Upsher (24-2-1) in eight rounds. Salita turned aside Brandon Hoskins of Hannibal, Mo., (16-3-1) in six.
The Bronx was also represented as Eddie Gomez (11-0), a junior middleweight, knocked out Saul Benitez of Phoenix (2-3) in the first round.
After the Gomez bout, a buzz began building throughout the thickening crowd for the arrival of Daniel Jacobs, a super middleweight from Brooklyn. Jacobs was found to have spinal cancer in May 2011 and was temporarily paralyzed below the waist.
Jacobs, 25, sent the crowd into hysteria with a vicious first-round knockout of Josh Luteran: a sweeping left followed by a crushing right that sent Luteran to the canvas.
“It was left-right and nighty-night,” a smiling Jacobs (23-1) said. “A year and a half ago, I couldn’t walk or feed myself, so to come back from all of that and be able to do what I did tonight makes this the greatest and most memorable moment of my life.”
Before his fight, Malignaggi, 31, said that his family and friends had bought $50,000 worth of tickets.
Steve Farhood, a Showtime boxing analyst and historian, said the last world title fight in Brooklyn took place on Aug. 5, 1931, when the defending light-heavyweight world champion Maxie Rosenbloom outpointed Jimmy Slattery over 15 rounds at Ebbets Field. From the late 1800s until the Rosenbloom-Slattery bout, there were 37 world title fights in Brooklyn.
The middleweight champion Harry Greb fought in Brooklyn in 1917, and Jack Dempsey fought an exhibition bout in 1918. Long before those bouts, the heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan fought in Brooklyn in 1882.
“Most of those early fights were fought in athletic clubs around Brooklyn,” Farhood said. “But when the new Madison Square Garden opened in 1925, most of the title fights went there. After 1931, any other championship fight in New York was held at either Yankee Stadium, the Polo Grounds or a building in Queens called the Madison Square Garden Bowl.”
Malignaggi, Farhood said, is one of 17 Brooklyn-born boxers who won world championships, the most famous of whom is Tyson. Others include the heavyweights Riddick Bowe, Shannon Briggs and Michael Moorer; the middleweight Joey Giardello; the welterweight Mark Breland; and the junior welterweight Zab Judah.
Through the years, Farhood said, other marquee names fought in Brooklyn, including Tony Canzoneri 47 times, Rocky Graziano 18 times, and Benny Leonard 14 times.
“It’s a thrill for me to have been a part of all of this great history of Brooklyn boxing,” Jacobs said after the fight with nary a scratch. “I’m ready to do it again next week.”
www-nytimes-com/2012/10/21/sports/championship-boxing-is-back-in-brooklyn-html?_r=0
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Randall Bailey predicted he'd put Devon Alexander to sleep Saturday night.
Together they put a bored Barclays Center crowd to sleep.
Alexander won an unbelievably uneventful, 12-round IBF welterweight title fight by unanimous decision to become a two-division champion. Alexander (24-1, 13 KOs) beat Bailey (43-8, 37 KOs, 1 NC) on the scorecards of all three judges — Don Ackerman (116-110), Tony Paolillo (115-111) and Waleska Roldan (117-109).
The Alexander-Bailey bout was one of four televised by Showtime as part of the inaugural boxing card at Brooklyn's new arena. Alexander and Bailey were supposed to fight Sept. 8, but Bailey's back injury caused a six-week postponement.
Bailey buckled Alexander's legs with a right hand early in the fifth, but Alexander came back strong. One of the few exchanges in the fight occurred later in the fifth, when Alexander stung Bailey with a solid straight left and Bailey quickly responded with a hard right.
Bailey, 38, won the then-vacant IBF title in his previous fight by stopping previously unbeaten Mike Jones by an 11th-round technical knockout June 8 in Las Vegas. Alexander, 25, won his previous two fights by decision over dangerous Argentine sluggers Lucas Matthysse (split decision) and Marcos Maidana (unanimous decision) following his lone loss to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (technical decision).
NOT ENOUGH: Dmitriy Salita, a former New York Golden Gloves champion from Brooklyn, beat Brandon Hoskins by unanimous decision in a six-round, 147-pound fight on the undercard.
Salita (35-1-1, 18 KOs) hopes to land a fight against Paulie Malinaggi, another Brooklyn native who came up through the amateur and professional ranks with Salita. They're friends and both believe the fight could draw well at Barclays Center, but Malignaggi said before Salita's win Saturday night that Salita must defeat a legitimate welterweight contender, someone significantly better than Hoskins (16-3-1, 8 KOs), before he'll seriously pursue the fight.
Malignaggi was to defense his WBA welterweight title against Pablo Cesar Cano later on the card.
GOLDEN RETURN: Brooklyn native Danny "The Golden Child" Jacobs made a sensational return from cancer by knocking out Josh Luteran in the first round of a scheduled eight-round middleweight match on the undercard.
Read More: Boxing😄evon Alexander captures belt by decision - NorthJersey-com
Together they put a bored Barclays Center crowd to sleep.
Alexander won an unbelievably uneventful, 12-round IBF welterweight title fight by unanimous decision to become a two-division champion. Alexander (24-1, 13 KOs) beat Bailey (43-8, 37 KOs, 1 NC) on the scorecards of all three judges — Don Ackerman (116-110), Tony Paolillo (115-111) and Waleska Roldan (117-109).
The Alexander-Bailey bout was one of four televised by Showtime as part of the inaugural boxing card at Brooklyn's new arena. Alexander and Bailey were supposed to fight Sept. 8, but Bailey's back injury caused a six-week postponement.
Bailey buckled Alexander's legs with a right hand early in the fifth, but Alexander came back strong. One of the few exchanges in the fight occurred later in the fifth, when Alexander stung Bailey with a solid straight left and Bailey quickly responded with a hard right.
Bailey, 38, won the then-vacant IBF title in his previous fight by stopping previously unbeaten Mike Jones by an 11th-round technical knockout June 8 in Las Vegas. Alexander, 25, won his previous two fights by decision over dangerous Argentine sluggers Lucas Matthysse (split decision) and Marcos Maidana (unanimous decision) following his lone loss to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (technical decision).
NOT ENOUGH: Dmitriy Salita, a former New York Golden Gloves champion from Brooklyn, beat Brandon Hoskins by unanimous decision in a six-round, 147-pound fight on the undercard.
Salita (35-1-1, 18 KOs) hopes to land a fight against Paulie Malinaggi, another Brooklyn native who came up through the amateur and professional ranks with Salita. They're friends and both believe the fight could draw well at Barclays Center, but Malignaggi said before Salita's win Saturday night that Salita must defeat a legitimate welterweight contender, someone significantly better than Hoskins (16-3-1, 8 KOs), before he'll seriously pursue the fight.
Malignaggi was to defense his WBA welterweight title against Pablo Cesar Cano later on the card.
GOLDEN RETURN: Brooklyn native Danny "The Golden Child" Jacobs made a sensational return from cancer by knocking out Josh Luteran in the first round of a scheduled eight-round middleweight match on the undercard.
Read More: Boxing😄evon Alexander captures belt by decision - NorthJersey-com
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Jamie McDonnell will fight for the IBF world bantamweight title next year after finding a way to break down a tough-as-teak stand-in who had threatened to ruin his big night.
The Doncaster man, boxing 20 miles downstream in Sheffield as chief support to Kell Brook, was finding the going tough against Darwin Zamora, a late call-up following the withdrawal of Vusi Malinga, until the Nicaraguan opted not to get off his stool at the end of the eighth round.
With open cuts on the left-hand side of his face, the relative unknown decided against soaking up further punishment, conceding the riches on offer for winning this final eliminator.
And while there was no doubt he was headed for a defeat on the cards when he called time, McDonnell will have been relieved not to have had to do another four rounds with him, for everything he was throwing seemed to be making little impression, other than the facial wound which developed from the sixth round onwards.
"The pressure was massive out there, but I knew what I could do, I know I'm the best in the world and now I have to prove it," said McDonnell afterwards.
"I thought I had beat him, but he kept coming back."
Zamora had not been coming at all until Monday when McDonnell, who is now 20-2-1, thought he was resigned to a regulation 12-rounder.
The IBF sanctioned tonight to be the eliminator Malinga was meant for, though, and McDonnell practically ran to the ring fuelled by a maelstrom of South Yorkshire pride, with a number of his own fans joining those already waiting for Brook.
He jumped out of his corner too, working behind a ranging left-hand jab and getting through with an early right, as well as two quick lefts.
He soaked up an early rib hit from Zamora and then made progress through the middle of his defences, shielding himself from danger under a low, hunched guard.
He upped the ante in the second round, a three-shot combination making an impression, although he was unable to fully unload after pinning Zamora on the ropes with a sweet left-hander.
McDonnell changed things up a little in the third, connecting from close range to try and combat Zamora's compact style, but took aim from distance again in the next, before he visibly winced twice as Zamora finally opened up with a straight shot from each hand.
A couple of heavy rights got McDonnell back on top in the fifth, although he missed what would have been a finishing shot, going over the top with a left-hander after rocking Zamora back with a quick one-two.
The meatier connection off his strongest side continued into the sixth and Zamora did well to skip away from trouble after taking two fizzing shots on the ropes, and bounced back with a handy left-right of his own after drinking up a five-strong flurry from McDonnell in the corner - a trick he repeated in the seventh.
Things were fast becoming attritional, with Zamora showing little signs of wear short of a the cut above his left eye, and even when McDonnell finally forced him to sway back on his heels with a slick right, he found him quickly coming back for more.
That ended at the end of the eighth, though, giving McDonnell the moment he had wanted.
Other Sports | Boxing: McDonnell earns title shot | ESPNSTAR-com
The Doncaster man, boxing 20 miles downstream in Sheffield as chief support to Kell Brook, was finding the going tough against Darwin Zamora, a late call-up following the withdrawal of Vusi Malinga, until the Nicaraguan opted not to get off his stool at the end of the eighth round.
With open cuts on the left-hand side of his face, the relative unknown decided against soaking up further punishment, conceding the riches on offer for winning this final eliminator.
And while there was no doubt he was headed for a defeat on the cards when he called time, McDonnell will have been relieved not to have had to do another four rounds with him, for everything he was throwing seemed to be making little impression, other than the facial wound which developed from the sixth round onwards.
"The pressure was massive out there, but I knew what I could do, I know I'm the best in the world and now I have to prove it," said McDonnell afterwards.
"I thought I had beat him, but he kept coming back."
Zamora had not been coming at all until Monday when McDonnell, who is now 20-2-1, thought he was resigned to a regulation 12-rounder.
The IBF sanctioned tonight to be the eliminator Malinga was meant for, though, and McDonnell practically ran to the ring fuelled by a maelstrom of South Yorkshire pride, with a number of his own fans joining those already waiting for Brook.
He jumped out of his corner too, working behind a ranging left-hand jab and getting through with an early right, as well as two quick lefts.
He soaked up an early rib hit from Zamora and then made progress through the middle of his defences, shielding himself from danger under a low, hunched guard.
He upped the ante in the second round, a three-shot combination making an impression, although he was unable to fully unload after pinning Zamora on the ropes with a sweet left-hander.
McDonnell changed things up a little in the third, connecting from close range to try and combat Zamora's compact style, but took aim from distance again in the next, before he visibly winced twice as Zamora finally opened up with a straight shot from each hand.
A couple of heavy rights got McDonnell back on top in the fifth, although he missed what would have been a finishing shot, going over the top with a left-hander after rocking Zamora back with a quick one-two.
The meatier connection off his strongest side continued into the sixth and Zamora did well to skip away from trouble after taking two fizzing shots on the ropes, and bounced back with a handy left-right of his own after drinking up a five-strong flurry from McDonnell in the corner - a trick he repeated in the seventh.
Things were fast becoming attritional, with Zamora showing little signs of wear short of a the cut above his left eye, and even when McDonnell finally forced him to sway back on his heels with a slick right, he found him quickly coming back for more.
That ended at the end of the eighth, though, giving McDonnell the moment he had wanted.
Other Sports | Boxing: McDonnell earns title shot | ESPNSTAR-com
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2006/12/07
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However, a youth-related charity trust which originally backed his visit to appear at the event, billed as “Day of the Champions”, said it no longer wanted to have anything to do with Tyson’s visit due to his rape conviction. “Given that the Trust is no longer supporting the event, on balance, I have made the decision to cancel his visa to enter New Zealand,” Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said in a statement. She said the original decision to allow Tyson in had been a “finely balanced call”, with the backing of the charity a significant factor in the dispensation being granted.
Promoters later said they would appeal the decision, but an Immigration New Zealand spokesperson said appeals were not allowed under the legislation. Applicants need to apply for a new visa and “any change in circumstances since the original application was lodged will be taken into account”. An official from the promoters told Reuters by telephone from Sydney that they would apply for a new visa for Tyson and do “everything by the book”. “We are going back to Immigration New Zealand to reconsider their decision,” she said. “We are quite confident they will come to the table with a (positive) decision.”
Tyson’s planned visit had been attacked by women’s groups and criticised by the prime minister. Tyson, 46, was undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion in the 1980s but in 1992 he was convicted of raping teenage beauty queen Desiree Washington in Indiana and served three years in prison. He added to his notoriety when he bit rival Evander Holyfield on both ears in a 1997 bout, for which he was disqualified and temporarily suspended from boxing. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003 and retired from professional boxing in 2006.
Last month, Tyson spoke to a financiers’ conference in Hong Kong about his life before and after boxing, his family and his acting career, which includes a recent one-man show on Broadway. Promoters said they would seek a charity to support Tyson’s visit but if he remained banned from the country they would still hold the event. “He is the star of the show and we would love to have him down there, but if we can’t physically have him in the country we will try to find a way to make it happen,” the spokeswoman said before adding they would look at a video-link hookup. Tickets, which could cost up NZ$395 ($324) for a chance to meet Tyson in person, would be refunded if the former boxer was unable to attend, she said. reuters
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