Thailand is known as the land of smiles, but it also has a rougher side. The country is well known for its own form of combat called Thai boxing.
If you vacation in the country, you will inevitably run across a Thai boxing match. It is a fierce form of fighting where the elbows and knees can be used to do some serious damage to the opponent. It is vicious and incredibly exciting to watch as well. The Thais love it and it definitely qualifies as the national sport.
On your vacation, you'll find Thai boxing going on in the strangest of places. Right in the middle of a bunch of bars and restaurants, there will often be an open area with a ring set up. You can just plop down at a table, order an adult beverage or two and watch the matches.
Sadly, you are not watching Thai boxing. You are watching entertainment. The fights are put on to get you to buy beers. This doesn't make them any less exciting, but keep in mind they are fake. If you want to bet your buddies on the outcome, I can suggest an easy way to win a few free beers. The rule of each match is simple. One competitor will nearly get knocked out. He will then make a stunning comeback and wipe the other guy out. You can set your watch by it.
To find real Thai boxing matches, you need to ask around. They are occurring in just about every town. That being said, they are not in tourist areas. Instead, they are usually buried down some side road, so grab a local taxi and get a ride to one. You'll be expected to pay at the door and the fight will not be tourist friendly. By this, I mean nobody will announce anything in English. As a result, taking a friend a Thai who speaks your language along can be a good move.
Sporting events are often a good location to see the real personality of a country. Thailand is known as the land of smiles, but there is a definite dark side. If you think everyone lives a peaceful Buddhist existence, you are going to be in for a shock at one of these matches. The Thais are no different than anyone else. They'll be up and screaming the entire match!
Thailand has a smooth running tourist industry. If you want to see a bit more of the real Thailand, make sure to check out a real Thai boxing match. You'll love it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Huge Upset - Manny Pacquiao Did It!
Last December 6, 2008 was one of the happiest nights of my life. It was the day when somebody proved that this saying is true: "It is not the size of the dog in a fight, but rather the size of the fight in the dog".
Number 1 pound for pound champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao proved to the whole boxing world that size does not matter. He showed the heart of a champion - moving from 135 lbs to the 147 lb limit. He demonstrated a beatdown of the legend Oscar De La Hoya who had fought at a high of 160lbs. Unbelievable!
This little guy was simply amazing. When nobody believed he could beat the much bigger, much experienced Golden Boy, he did it. Perhaps it is the responsibility he feels he has to uplift the spirits of his countrymen. This man has inspired millions in the Philippines. The honor of each and every Filipino is represented by his courage. Undeniably, Manny is a hero!
What does this mean to you? Let me ask you a couple of questions to ponder about:
What would trigger you to achieve higher goals?
Who or what is your inspiration to make a difference in yourself?
What challenge are you looking for?
What is your purpose?
The answers are deep inside your heart. Everyday is a time to unleash the "fight in the dog". Nothing is easy. If life was easy, there will be no excitement.
Consider looking at an old picture when you looked fitter. Make that an inspiration. Why don't you stare at your children, and think of being healthy to be a role model. The key is to make a difference - to achieve new things. There is always an opportunity to surpass yourself in every difficulty. Manny Pacquiao worked very hard to be at his level right now - the best pound for pound fighter in the world. From selling stolen cigarettes in the streets of Manila, to becoming a rag tag fighter fighting on a TV show to now being the idol of 84 million people. It takes hard work and perseverance. His stature surpasses everything - it is unexplainable. It's crazy to think that a boxer can inspire a lot of people - simply beyond comparison!
I was inspired by Manny to write this article. I would like to share with everybody that same inspiration. We all prayed for victory and we got it. However the best has yet to come. There are more challenges to face.
December 6th, 2008 was that day - the day when the little guy stood tall. It was the same day when I cheered, waved my flag and threw punches in the air together with millions. On that same Saturday, I stood tall too.
Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Ragos
Number 1 pound for pound champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao proved to the whole boxing world that size does not matter. He showed the heart of a champion - moving from 135 lbs to the 147 lb limit. He demonstrated a beatdown of the legend Oscar De La Hoya who had fought at a high of 160lbs. Unbelievable!
This little guy was simply amazing. When nobody believed he could beat the much bigger, much experienced Golden Boy, he did it. Perhaps it is the responsibility he feels he has to uplift the spirits of his countrymen. This man has inspired millions in the Philippines. The honor of each and every Filipino is represented by his courage. Undeniably, Manny is a hero!
What does this mean to you? Let me ask you a couple of questions to ponder about:
What would trigger you to achieve higher goals?
Who or what is your inspiration to make a difference in yourself?
What challenge are you looking for?
What is your purpose?
The answers are deep inside your heart. Everyday is a time to unleash the "fight in the dog". Nothing is easy. If life was easy, there will be no excitement.
Consider looking at an old picture when you looked fitter. Make that an inspiration. Why don't you stare at your children, and think of being healthy to be a role model. The key is to make a difference - to achieve new things. There is always an opportunity to surpass yourself in every difficulty. Manny Pacquiao worked very hard to be at his level right now - the best pound for pound fighter in the world. From selling stolen cigarettes in the streets of Manila, to becoming a rag tag fighter fighting on a TV show to now being the idol of 84 million people. It takes hard work and perseverance. His stature surpasses everything - it is unexplainable. It's crazy to think that a boxer can inspire a lot of people - simply beyond comparison!
I was inspired by Manny to write this article. I would like to share with everybody that same inspiration. We all prayed for victory and we got it. However the best has yet to come. There are more challenges to face.
December 6th, 2008 was that day - the day when the little guy stood tall. It was the same day when I cheered, waved my flag and threw punches in the air together with millions. On that same Saturday, I stood tall too.
Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Ragos
Audley Harrison - The Biggest Waste of Talent in Boxing History?
Is Audley 'A Force' Harrison the biggest waste of talent in the history of boxing? If he's not the biggest waste then he is certainly one of them.
Here we have a superb heavyweight specimen - weighing over 17 stone and standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Audley has a frame that is able to cope with the giant heavyweights of the current era, such as the Klitschko brothers and 'Beast from the East' Nikolai Valuev.
Returning from the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a Gold Medal (Britain's first in 32 long years) Harrison was hailed a hero. Not only had he won the gold but he had won 'THE' gold - in the super heavyweight division, Boxing's marquee division. It seemed that Britain had a heavyweight ready to move into Lennox Lewis' mantle of Heavyweight king.
Soon after, the downfall began. Signing a GBP 1million contract with the BBC, Harrison was able to pick his own opponents. Prudently he took some easy fights (why earn a million pounds the hard way if you can make it easier for yourself?) but because he still insisted on headlining the cards he featured on, the public quickly grew frustrated and vented their frustrations, often booing this Olympic Champion.
So in the space of 12 short months Audley had gone from a national hero to a pantomime villain. Although maybe pantomime is an inaccurate description because pantomime is harmless and fun - some insiders in the boxing game really did begin to detest Audley and his approach to his career.
Though that hate may have subsided marginally over time, there were huge cheers when Danny Williams handed Harrison his first defeat in another woeful fight. Finally, Audley had got his comeuppance and the British public loved every minute of it.
Unlike most of the British public I hated this result. Here we had a potential superstar who had been totally wasted. Remember, Harrison was not just an average heavyweight who happened to strike Gold in Sydney; this man had immense talent. Although lacking one punch knockout power, he made up for that with a ramrod of a jab, fantastic fighting on the inside for a big man, good body shots and a classy left uppercut. How had it all gone wrong? Only Audley can answer that.
Fast forward three years to last Saturday night and yet again I found myself watching Audley with monumental frustration. His opponent, Prizefighter Champion Martin Rogan, is a strong handful but Harrison had the ability to beat this man clearly over ten rounds.
At times, when Harrison upped his work rate such as in round 2, he took the round clearly. But for most of the fight he fought lazily, barely throwing any punches and letting Rogan lead off. I found myself watching this and wanting to run into the ring and take the position of Audley's coach myself! I was so incredibly frustrated.
If I had been allowed to do go in Audley's corner (and I don't know why security or Audley didn't want me to!) I would have slapped Audley round the face and started screaming at him. 'Start throwing the Jab! Just keep popping that jab out and Rogan can't set himself. Then as he gets frustrated and lunges in you can land a left uppercut-right hook and get out of there'! It's really was that simple. A decent work rate with constant, solid jabbing would have seen Audley win this fight by 8 or 9 rounds.
Instead, he lost agonisingly by a single point. He lost to a 10 bout novice. A man who didn't take up boxing until he was 29 (Rogan) had beaten an Olympic Champion. Yes, you did read that sentence right. What a waste.
But what annoys me more than watching that? Seeing Audley in the post fight interview appear almost satisfied with him performance. 'I know I didn't win but it was close'....'I hurt him a couple of times in there'...
No, no, no, no, no! That is not good enough. In truth and in the cold light of day, Harrison should have been disappointed to lose a round to Rogan, who whilst determined, is limited ability wise.
So Audley, please hire me as you're coach. I am possibly one of the only people in the boxing world who still believes you have what it takes to succeed at World Title level.
It's nothing short of a crime that Audley has failed to prosper; remember that he is competing against the poorest crop of heavyweight's in boxing history. As said before, Audley does not lack talent, so it can only be mental/confidence issues that are his problem - if so get this man to a sports psychologist, get him there quickly and don't let him leave until he believes in himself!
So many will be glad to see the back of Audley if this is the end but I for one will not be. Audley can beat Rogan, Williams and all at British Title level with consummate ease - if he applies himself. Audley can force his way into World Title reckoning if he applies himself. The problem in all of this is Audley's unpredictability....there's always an IF!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luke_W_Calvert
Here we have a superb heavyweight specimen - weighing over 17 stone and standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Audley has a frame that is able to cope with the giant heavyweights of the current era, such as the Klitschko brothers and 'Beast from the East' Nikolai Valuev.
Returning from the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a Gold Medal (Britain's first in 32 long years) Harrison was hailed a hero. Not only had he won the gold but he had won 'THE' gold - in the super heavyweight division, Boxing's marquee division. It seemed that Britain had a heavyweight ready to move into Lennox Lewis' mantle of Heavyweight king.
Soon after, the downfall began. Signing a GBP 1million contract with the BBC, Harrison was able to pick his own opponents. Prudently he took some easy fights (why earn a million pounds the hard way if you can make it easier for yourself?) but because he still insisted on headlining the cards he featured on, the public quickly grew frustrated and vented their frustrations, often booing this Olympic Champion.
So in the space of 12 short months Audley had gone from a national hero to a pantomime villain. Although maybe pantomime is an inaccurate description because pantomime is harmless and fun - some insiders in the boxing game really did begin to detest Audley and his approach to his career.
Though that hate may have subsided marginally over time, there were huge cheers when Danny Williams handed Harrison his first defeat in another woeful fight. Finally, Audley had got his comeuppance and the British public loved every minute of it.
Unlike most of the British public I hated this result. Here we had a potential superstar who had been totally wasted. Remember, Harrison was not just an average heavyweight who happened to strike Gold in Sydney; this man had immense talent. Although lacking one punch knockout power, he made up for that with a ramrod of a jab, fantastic fighting on the inside for a big man, good body shots and a classy left uppercut. How had it all gone wrong? Only Audley can answer that.
Fast forward three years to last Saturday night and yet again I found myself watching Audley with monumental frustration. His opponent, Prizefighter Champion Martin Rogan, is a strong handful but Harrison had the ability to beat this man clearly over ten rounds.
At times, when Harrison upped his work rate such as in round 2, he took the round clearly. But for most of the fight he fought lazily, barely throwing any punches and letting Rogan lead off. I found myself watching this and wanting to run into the ring and take the position of Audley's coach myself! I was so incredibly frustrated.
If I had been allowed to do go in Audley's corner (and I don't know why security or Audley didn't want me to!) I would have slapped Audley round the face and started screaming at him. 'Start throwing the Jab! Just keep popping that jab out and Rogan can't set himself. Then as he gets frustrated and lunges in you can land a left uppercut-right hook and get out of there'! It's really was that simple. A decent work rate with constant, solid jabbing would have seen Audley win this fight by 8 or 9 rounds.
Instead, he lost agonisingly by a single point. He lost to a 10 bout novice. A man who didn't take up boxing until he was 29 (Rogan) had beaten an Olympic Champion. Yes, you did read that sentence right. What a waste.
But what annoys me more than watching that? Seeing Audley in the post fight interview appear almost satisfied with him performance. 'I know I didn't win but it was close'....'I hurt him a couple of times in there'...
No, no, no, no, no! That is not good enough. In truth and in the cold light of day, Harrison should have been disappointed to lose a round to Rogan, who whilst determined, is limited ability wise.
So Audley, please hire me as you're coach. I am possibly one of the only people in the boxing world who still believes you have what it takes to succeed at World Title level.
It's nothing short of a crime that Audley has failed to prosper; remember that he is competing against the poorest crop of heavyweight's in boxing history. As said before, Audley does not lack talent, so it can only be mental/confidence issues that are his problem - if so get this man to a sports psychologist, get him there quickly and don't let him leave until he believes in himself!
So many will be glad to see the back of Audley if this is the end but I for one will not be. Audley can beat Rogan, Williams and all at British Title level with consummate ease - if he applies himself. Audley can force his way into World Title reckoning if he applies himself. The problem in all of this is Audley's unpredictability....there's always an IF!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luke_W_Calvert
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Roy Jones Legacy
He dominated his sport like few others before him. For a decade he reigned as the best pound for pound fighter in boxing. And for the first fifteen years of his career, he rarely lost a round. But since turning 35 years old in 2004, life just hasn't been the same for old Roy. He didn't simply begin to slip down the other side of the hill. He fell into a precipice.
The reason for his sudden demise was the very reason that he had been so great for so long - speed. He had lost it. No, he hadn't suddenly gotten slow. He was still one of the fastest fighters around. But he had drifted back into the range of normal human reflexes, albeit still at the high end. His foot speed had diminished to the point that he had lost the ability to jump in with lead right hands and hooks and then move out of his opponents' range, sometimes literally before they knew what had hit them. (I had begun to wonder at the time whether HBO would need to upgrade its video equipment from 24 to 32 frames per second in order for fans to actually see him fight.) He had mutated back into normal human form.
He was never a well schooled boxer because he never had to be. His style was centered around his athleticism. Boxing historians are still searching for clues as to whether the words "Roy Jones" and "jab" have ever been used in the same sentence. So when his inhuman speed had forsaken him, he was left as a fighter with excellent hand speed and mediocre boxing skills. Hence the demise.
Of course prior to this he did manage to accomplish a few things inside the square. Save for a DQ loss to Montell Griffin, he was unbeaten in 49 fights across 5 weight classes through age 35. He became the first middleweight in history to have won a heavyweight title after beating John "Is This Guy Ever Gonna Retire?" Ruiz. He beat Bernard Hopkins and James Toney while both were in their prime. And he did pull off a gutsy win in his first fight against the "legend in his own mouth" Antonio Tarver.
The knock on him is that he was a safety-first fighter. Not only did he not like to take chances inside the ring but he was also a business minded prizefighter who seemed to prefer to maximize his risk/reward ratio by fighting opponents who really didn't pose much of a threat. Do the names Richard Frasier, Richard Hall, David Telesco, and Glen Kelly ring a bell? Roy fought all of them while in his prime. Not a one of them won even a single round. But should this disqualify him from debates by the crusty old, cigar chomping aficionados of the ring as to whom were the greatest fighters of all time? I think not.
Sugar Ray Robinson is thought by many to have been the best middleweight in history. But he spent his entire time at middleweight as a thirty-plus year old who was not what he had been in his younger, lighter days. Others believe that Bernard Hopkins is the best. Roy beat him pretty handily. Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon tend to get a healthy amount of press as possibly the best ever as well.
At light heavyweight, names like Archie Moore, Billy Conn and Ezzard Charles are the most frequently mentioned as the greatest ever.
Super middleweight, as a relatively new weight class is not often the subject of debate as to whom its greatest fighter was, although besides Jones, it would be very difficult to make an argument for anyone other than Joe Calzaghe.
In my opinion, you can pick any fighter in history from middleweight through light heavy and I will say that at Roy's best I would be hard pressed to bet money against him. Why? Because more than toughness, fundamental skills or possessing a crowd pleasing style, boxing is about hitting and not getting hit. And at his best Roy did that as well or better than anyone. Ever.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_C._Thomson
The reason for his sudden demise was the very reason that he had been so great for so long - speed. He had lost it. No, he hadn't suddenly gotten slow. He was still one of the fastest fighters around. But he had drifted back into the range of normal human reflexes, albeit still at the high end. His foot speed had diminished to the point that he had lost the ability to jump in with lead right hands and hooks and then move out of his opponents' range, sometimes literally before they knew what had hit them. (I had begun to wonder at the time whether HBO would need to upgrade its video equipment from 24 to 32 frames per second in order for fans to actually see him fight.) He had mutated back into normal human form.
He was never a well schooled boxer because he never had to be. His style was centered around his athleticism. Boxing historians are still searching for clues as to whether the words "Roy Jones" and "jab" have ever been used in the same sentence. So when his inhuman speed had forsaken him, he was left as a fighter with excellent hand speed and mediocre boxing skills. Hence the demise.
Of course prior to this he did manage to accomplish a few things inside the square. Save for a DQ loss to Montell Griffin, he was unbeaten in 49 fights across 5 weight classes through age 35. He became the first middleweight in history to have won a heavyweight title after beating John "Is This Guy Ever Gonna Retire?" Ruiz. He beat Bernard Hopkins and James Toney while both were in their prime. And he did pull off a gutsy win in his first fight against the "legend in his own mouth" Antonio Tarver.
The knock on him is that he was a safety-first fighter. Not only did he not like to take chances inside the ring but he was also a business minded prizefighter who seemed to prefer to maximize his risk/reward ratio by fighting opponents who really didn't pose much of a threat. Do the names Richard Frasier, Richard Hall, David Telesco, and Glen Kelly ring a bell? Roy fought all of them while in his prime. Not a one of them won even a single round. But should this disqualify him from debates by the crusty old, cigar chomping aficionados of the ring as to whom were the greatest fighters of all time? I think not.
Sugar Ray Robinson is thought by many to have been the best middleweight in history. But he spent his entire time at middleweight as a thirty-plus year old who was not what he had been in his younger, lighter days. Others believe that Bernard Hopkins is the best. Roy beat him pretty handily. Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon tend to get a healthy amount of press as possibly the best ever as well.
At light heavyweight, names like Archie Moore, Billy Conn and Ezzard Charles are the most frequently mentioned as the greatest ever.
Super middleweight, as a relatively new weight class is not often the subject of debate as to whom its greatest fighter was, although besides Jones, it would be very difficult to make an argument for anyone other than Joe Calzaghe.
In my opinion, you can pick any fighter in history from middleweight through light heavy and I will say that at Roy's best I would be hard pressed to bet money against him. Why? Because more than toughness, fundamental skills or possessing a crowd pleasing style, boxing is about hitting and not getting hit. And at his best Roy did that as well or better than anyone. Ever.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_C._Thomson
Hatton Back to Form
Ricky Hatton signalled his return to his best form after crushing American opponent, Paul Malignaggi. The young New Yorker was stopped in the 11th round for severe bruising around his left eye. Fighting for the first time since ending an 11 year training partnership with Billy Graham, Hatton showed that a 30 year old dog can still be taught new tricks.
Hatton who silenced his critics' claims that he was just an out and out slugger, put his seven weeks in training camp with Floyd Mayweather Sr to effective use by dominating his boxing match.
Paul Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt stepped into the ring only 28 seconds into the 11th round indicating to the referee Kenny Bayless that the fight should be stopped on a technical knockout. The reaction from Malignaggi was less than composed as he expressed his confusion and anger to the decision from his corner.
Regardless, the victory which takes Hatton's record to 45-1 (32 KOs), silenced the doubters who believed that Hatton was over the moon following his last defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr and then an un-inspiring victory over Juan Lazcano in May 2008.
Malignaggi was particularly annoyed considering that he had lasted 12 rounds against Miguel Cotton in 2006 having suffered a fractured jaw and a broken hand in Midway through the fight, his corner had jumped in to stop him when he felt he was in far less trouble.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Grovenors
Hatton who silenced his critics' claims that he was just an out and out slugger, put his seven weeks in training camp with Floyd Mayweather Sr to effective use by dominating his boxing match.
Paul Malignaggi's trainer Buddy McGirt stepped into the ring only 28 seconds into the 11th round indicating to the referee Kenny Bayless that the fight should be stopped on a technical knockout. The reaction from Malignaggi was less than composed as he expressed his confusion and anger to the decision from his corner.
Regardless, the victory which takes Hatton's record to 45-1 (32 KOs), silenced the doubters who believed that Hatton was over the moon following his last defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr and then an un-inspiring victory over Juan Lazcano in May 2008.
Malignaggi was particularly annoyed considering that he had lasted 12 rounds against Miguel Cotton in 2006 having suffered a fractured jaw and a broken hand in Midway through the fight, his corner had jumped in to stop him when he felt he was in far less trouble.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tanya_Grovenors
Antonio Margarito Drops Moseley Bout
It has been reported that the bout between "Sugar" Shane Moseley will not be facing Antonio Margarito in January. There have been reports of Margarito missing when they almost had a done deal with the bout, but Margarito's manager stated that they will not be facing Moseley, because they think that Moseley will beat him, and then Tony lost his rematch date with Miguel Cotto.
If people have been waiting for this bout, and are ticked off at Margarito, then don't be. I personally do not think that Moseley deserves a match with Margarito. Tony says that he did what Oscar De la Hoya did. De la Hoya said that he will face the winner of the Margarito/Cotto match, and when Margarito won, Oscar didn't take the match up. Instead, he faces a puny, light-weight champion, Manny Paquaio. Also, Moseley ducked a match with Margarito a couple of years ago. Margarito wanted to face the best and e turned it down. Now that Margarito is the best, Moseley wants to come in the picture and fight him. Do you think that is fair? I don't think so. So Moseley deserves what he got. It's not the end of the world that he hasn't faced Margarito. Moseley is talking about that Margarito lost his title as the most feared boxer in the division. I don't think so. It just shows how much of a glory hog Moseley is.
Any who, Tony stated that he will be fighting in his hometown before he has his rematch with Miguel Cotto. We do not know who the opponent might be. Top rank will hopefully find an opponent before the end of this month. Once Margarito gets passed his opponent, he'll be ready for his rematch against Miguel Cotto.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angel_G._Gonzalez
If people have been waiting for this bout, and are ticked off at Margarito, then don't be. I personally do not think that Moseley deserves a match with Margarito. Tony says that he did what Oscar De la Hoya did. De la Hoya said that he will face the winner of the Margarito/Cotto match, and when Margarito won, Oscar didn't take the match up. Instead, he faces a puny, light-weight champion, Manny Paquaio. Also, Moseley ducked a match with Margarito a couple of years ago. Margarito wanted to face the best and e turned it down. Now that Margarito is the best, Moseley wants to come in the picture and fight him. Do you think that is fair? I don't think so. So Moseley deserves what he got. It's not the end of the world that he hasn't faced Margarito. Moseley is talking about that Margarito lost his title as the most feared boxer in the division. I don't think so. It just shows how much of a glory hog Moseley is.
Any who, Tony stated that he will be fighting in his hometown before he has his rematch with Miguel Cotto. We do not know who the opponent might be. Top rank will hopefully find an opponent before the end of this month. Once Margarito gets passed his opponent, he'll be ready for his rematch against Miguel Cotto.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angel_G._Gonzalez
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Joe Calzaghe Defeats Another Old Fighter
The fight between Joe Calzaghe versus Roy Jones Jr. started out with a bang and ended up as a lopsided affair.
The pride of Wales was dropped by a short right hand in the very first round, providing some hope to fight fans who expected a good outing from the 39 year old Jones Jr. Unfortunately that would be the best moment for Roy versus Joe in this fight. The remaining 11 rounds were truly disappointing as Jones appeared slow and unwilling to fight in the trenches or for that matter at all.
What made Roy Jones Jr. one of the best fighters in the 90's was his unbelievable speed and athletic ability which usually surprised his opponents and would overwhelm them leading to easy victories. As Jones aged and lost the speed and athleticism, he became more hittable and consequently was knocked out two times. The fight yesterday in Madison Square Garden featured an old worn out fighter who really has no business in the ring. I had hoped to see at least some glimpses of the great fighter who once knocked an opponent out as he back stepped towards the ropes. Instead we saw an old fighter who not only has lost his skills but his pride and heart!
Roy Jones did not even try to win this fight. Joe Calzaghe is not a knock out puncher and even though I am a fan of his, Joe really has not beaten top U.S. fighters in their prime. I am not sure what Jr. was waiting for to throw punches and try to win this fight. Even when he was being mocked in the ring, Jones would just smile and stand there instead of throwing punches. This was just a pay day for Roy, it seemed all he wanted to do was end the fight on his feet no matter how bad he looked.
After the fight Calzaghe mentioned he had defeated two hall of fame fighters in Jones and Hopkins and was thinking about retiring because he has beaten the best. He has in fact defeated two great fighters who will go into the hall of fame but they were way passed their prime. He beat up two old men (in boxing terms), one who is 43 years old and another who is a worn out 39 year old. He has 45 wins and you can count on one hand notable name fighters within those 45 wins. Throughout his career Joe has hand picked his fighters and taken minimal risk, always fighting in Wales and only coming to the United States to fight two veterans passed their prime. When asked if he would think about fighting Chad Dawson he smiled and did not provide an answer. That fight would be considered risky and not the type of fight which he would be interested in as that would jeopardized his unblemished 45-0 record.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_Caicedo
The pride of Wales was dropped by a short right hand in the very first round, providing some hope to fight fans who expected a good outing from the 39 year old Jones Jr. Unfortunately that would be the best moment for Roy versus Joe in this fight. The remaining 11 rounds were truly disappointing as Jones appeared slow and unwilling to fight in the trenches or for that matter at all.
What made Roy Jones Jr. one of the best fighters in the 90's was his unbelievable speed and athletic ability which usually surprised his opponents and would overwhelm them leading to easy victories. As Jones aged and lost the speed and athleticism, he became more hittable and consequently was knocked out two times. The fight yesterday in Madison Square Garden featured an old worn out fighter who really has no business in the ring. I had hoped to see at least some glimpses of the great fighter who once knocked an opponent out as he back stepped towards the ropes. Instead we saw an old fighter who not only has lost his skills but his pride and heart!
Roy Jones did not even try to win this fight. Joe Calzaghe is not a knock out puncher and even though I am a fan of his, Joe really has not beaten top U.S. fighters in their prime. I am not sure what Jr. was waiting for to throw punches and try to win this fight. Even when he was being mocked in the ring, Jones would just smile and stand there instead of throwing punches. This was just a pay day for Roy, it seemed all he wanted to do was end the fight on his feet no matter how bad he looked.
After the fight Calzaghe mentioned he had defeated two hall of fame fighters in Jones and Hopkins and was thinking about retiring because he has beaten the best. He has in fact defeated two great fighters who will go into the hall of fame but they were way passed their prime. He beat up two old men (in boxing terms), one who is 43 years old and another who is a worn out 39 year old. He has 45 wins and you can count on one hand notable name fighters within those 45 wins. Throughout his career Joe has hand picked his fighters and taken minimal risk, always fighting in Wales and only coming to the United States to fight two veterans passed their prime. When asked if he would think about fighting Chad Dawson he smiled and did not provide an answer. That fight would be considered risky and not the type of fight which he would be interested in as that would jeopardized his unblemished 45-0 record.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carlos_Caicedo
Charles "Sonny" Liston, An Undeserved Tragic Ending
The idea to write an article about Charles "Sonny" Liston came to me late last night as I was watching a program about him on ESPN Classic, which concentrated on the life and career of the man who at one time was the world heavy weight champion of boxing. I for my part must confess before I go further in this article that I am not nor have I ever been what could be considered a real boxing fan, though at one period in my life I did follow the sport more closely. This interest of mine starting back in the 70's when I followed the career of Mohamed Ali (nee Cassius Clay), who on one particular Christmas my mother even bought me an action figure of, as such was the popularity of this now legendary boxer.
As a matter of fact, it was back in the 70's when it was difficult not to hear about boxing even for someone like me who was in his preteen years and frankly speaking found the sport quite boring, even if my father watched bouts with me from time to time. I naturally with a father who followed the sport learnt about several boxers besides Ali, like Frazier, Foreman and Norton. Eventually the 80's and 90's came and as I grew older I learnt about other fighters in other weight divisions, such as "Sugar Ray" Leonard, Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran, Thomas "hit man" Hearns, Marvin "Marvelous" Haggler along with Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and many others though I never did became a great enthusiast of the sport even if I did watch the "big fights" when ever I could. This being at least what I did till the 90's came to an end as so did not only my interest in boxing but my curiosity as well to even want to know who the champion was at any given time or weight category.
As for the boxer Charles "Sonny" Liston, I must say that before last night's program; I barely knew who he was. I naturally was aware that he had been a boxer in the heavy weight division who was noted and still is for being one of the hardest hitting fighters of all time along with Foreman, Tyson, Marciano, Dempsey and Joe Louis. Needless to say apart from these facts my knowledge also included that he at one point had become World Champion by rather easily defeating "Floyd Patterson", who incidentally was the first man to loose and regain the heavy weight title. I however in all that concerns Sonny Liston, must also claim that what I mostly knew him for was being the man, who would go on to be defeated twice by Mohamed Ali back in the 60's. First in a fight which Ali won despite Liston being the heavy favor, 8 to 1 to be precise and then in a second fight which ended in a first round knock out, that as far as I knew or even considered the matter had been the end of his career. I before last night had not even read or been informed that he had been dead for many a year as I did not imagine him to be of an age, that would have made him so old that it would be impossible that he might still be alive.
I found out many things about "Sonny" Liston, last night apart from his real name being Charles and not "Sonny" as this was a nick name which Ali once joked on before their first fight in the form of "there will be a total eclipse of the Sunny". This being a spot of humor which even brought a chuckle to Liston, himself. In all the things I found out about this man, whom I had known so little about was that in a way I felt sorry for him, getting the impression that he perhaps though this is of little consequence deserved better then what he got not only from life but the fans of the sport which he contributed so much to.
The facts on this program were stated that Liston was born in Arkansas, as the son of a share crapper, though not only is the precise day of his birth unknown so is the year making it that nobody really knows how old he was for instance when he fought Ali for the first time. Naturally his not having known his exact date of birth is hardly cause to claim his was a difficult life, however the poverty that he must have known growing up is something I can barely begin to imagine.
Liston however may have been born in to a family of 13 children or 25 this I know to versions, one from ESPN and another from Wilkipedia. Regardless of which number is true or which is false, it is not hard to see that Liston's life must have been full pain in his childhood, as it was said that his father beat him everyday until he finally ran away from home at a very early age. Thirteen perhaps though this again given what we know or rather don't know about his date of birth is another question mark. Sonny Liston however ran away from his father at this age but in a sense did not really run away from home as he left Arkansas to join his mother and cousin who were living in St. Louis. Sonny Liston, had escaped the torments of his father but his life had not really improved all that much as he still did not know how to read or write and with opportunities being what I read they were at the time for African-Americans took to crime out of dire need.
It was actually thanks to this life of crime that he ended up in prison. Looking back it might have been a blessing in disguise that he was caught and sent to prison after participating in the armed robbery of a gas station, as it was there were Roman Catholic priest discovered that he had a talent for boxing which even got him released early.
After prison, a brief amateur career would follow in which he would win many tournaments, most notable the golden gloves. During his one year amateur career he would also defeat Ed Sanders, who later would go on to win the gold medal in the Olympics in the heavy weight division. Seeing his potential, the mafia that had gotten him started in professional boxing knew they had a fighter who like Primo Carnera many years earlier could become a champion capable of bringing big earnings, which is exactly what happened.
Sonny Liston, would go on to win the world heavy weight crown by defeating Floyd Patterson and in the process accumulate an impressive record that only included one loss out 40 fights with the remaining 39 being all victories. His lose coming at the hands of Marty Marshall, a fighter whom he would go on to defeat on two occasions; to prove that he could beat just about anybody. It was after having beaten Floyd Patterson that he was the champion of the world and perhaps should have gotten the respect he had earned, for what more of an American success story (as if stories of the sort could be limited to America) could their be then a man, over coming so much to become what he had.
At this point in the story that is the life of "Sonny" Liston it is easy to see with logic how "Sonny" himself might have felt that he had put his past behind, he had after all paid his debt to society for the crime of participation in an armed robbery by serving time in prison. Of course we should try to keep things in perspective that his was neither murder nor drug dealing nor pedophilia nor rape, not that I claim that armed robbery is not series but then again it is not any of the above mentioned. Sonny had won the world heavy weight championship in convincing fashion; as no one could have any doubts that he deserved to be after knocking out the then champion Floyd Patterson. First in a title bout and then in a rematch which like the first bout also ended in a first round knock out, with the only difference being that the second bout lasted a full two seconds longer.
This however was not to be as "Sonny" Liston's past was not behind him, a fact which was clearly evidenced when he after having won the title flew back home to his adopted city of Philadelphia, to find absolutely nobody waiting for him at the airport. Sonny naturally having just been crowned world champion expected to find people from the press for whom he had even prepared a statement for, perhaps even the mayor but contrary to what should have been he was ignored completely by everybody, including those from the city he was living in at the time. It was clear that people did not respect him or even what he had accomplished believing that he; the evil man had beaten Patterson, who was the good man.
It was true he fought for the mafia but then again so did many other fighters at the time as they were the ones whose money basically promoted the sport but for some reason this was seen as evil in the case of "Liston" though it had not been in the case of Carnera. One could even look at the casinos in Las Vegas which were also controlled by the mafia and furthermore it was these casinos which invited many of Hollywood's stars to perform. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others who by virtue of headlining in places controlled by the mafia in a sense were also working for them but yet those stars who did so were not looked down upon as was "Sonny" Liston.
"Sonny" Liston tried to intimidate his opponents with his stare and brawn before fights but this was nothing which had not been done by other fighter before or since such as Dempsey many years before or Tyson; after all boxing is what could be called a blood sport where the point is to physically beat one's opponent. Yet, this was another reason why Liston was not liked by the boxing public.
"Sonny" Liston's reign however did not last long, despite him being a boxer who many considered to be invincible, after all he had won all but one of his nearly forty fights. As it turned out in his second title defense, "Sonny Liston" would loose to a young boxer, at that time going by the name of Cassius Clay. This a boxer who after becoming champion would change his name to Mohamed Ali.
Much has been said about Liston's fights vs. Ali, ranging from that the fights were fixed because the mafia bet against Liston and even that Liston himself bet on Ali to cover his gambling debts however I for my part fail to understand something. Liston was an 8 to 1 favorite to defeat Ali, yet why is something I have never heard anybody ask. Looking at the facts; Ali was 21 at the time, which with us not knowing Liston's exact date of birth would have made Ali at least 10 years younger then Liston or perhaps as much as 15. As it is possible; based on what Liston's mother claimed, who would have had no reason to lie that Liston might have been born in 1928, which would have made him 35 at the time of his first fight with then Cassius Clay. Liston apart from being considerably older then Clay was also a boxer who was less technically sound, slower and 3 inches shorter. Clay at that time for his part had a record of 21 and 0 and was an Olympic champion, which made him more then the unknown many were calling him at the time. Of course Liston did have certain advantages over Clay. One of them being the ability to hit harder then Clay and with both hands. Another being an equally long or if not longer reach then Clay, as he was known for having a very long reach even for his height, which was slightly over the six foot mark. Liston also had fists measuring fifteen inches which till very recently were considered the biggest in boxing history. All of this making me believe that perhaps the odds should have been even or perhaps slightly in either man's favorite but not 8 to 1 in Liston's, unless somebody was thinking of making a lot of money by betting on Clay.
Liston went on to loose to Clay twice, after which he naturally lost his belt though he did not quit boxing afterwards. Liston in what could be considered his post Ali bouts fought 16 times out of which he lost one fight while winning the remaining fifteen against opponents such as Henry Clark, ranked 5th at the time. Actually "Liston" might have even won back the heavy weight title when Ali was striped of it, in a tournament which was organized among the top contenders with Liston being chosen among them. Liston however would not be champion again as it was in this tournament that he was knocked out by Leotis Martin in the 9th round, after Liston had dominated the previous 8 rounds.
As an interesting note, Liston won his last bout by TKO against a fighter by the name of Chuck Wepner. The man who in 1975 would go on to battle Mohamed Ali for 15 rounds in a fight that would serve as inspiration to a then struggling actor by the name of Sylvester Stallone to write the film "Rocky". This a film whose plot is loosely based on Chuck Wepner's bout against Ali with its main characters being taken from those of Wepner and Ali. Regarding the film Rocky however I would say that Rocky's personality is not as close to Wepner's as his opponent's (Apollo) is to Ali's.
"Sonny" Liston's image, in what could even be considered a slightly ironic twist would go on to appear on the cover of The Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", this despite Liston's refusing to meet with them when they came to America while he was the champ. Liston actually claiming The Beatles were "punks" which was in contrast to Cassius Clay (later Mohamed Ali), who not only meet The Beatles but had photos taken with them. This happening despite neither the Beatles fully knowing who Ali was nor Ali knowing who the Beatles were. Ali in fact would go on to ask someone after the photo session "Who were those little fagots?", which might have lead to his not being included on the cover of the "Sgt. Pepper" album. As perhaps the Beatles don't mind so much being called "punks" even if their music was miles from that sort of music but take more exception to being called by a name that refers to them as not being heterosexuals or one which the British use for cigarettes.
Liston died in 1971 but like with his date of birth the exact date of his death is also not known as his body was found after he had been dead for at least a few days. The victim of a so called "heroin overdose" though in my opinion I think it is easier to find someone who would believe the world is flat then somebody who could believe Liston overdosed on drugs given the following facts.
1) Liston though courageous in the ring was terrified of needless being stuck in him to the point of refusing to go on a tour of Europe which could have made him a lot of money, simply because he had to be given shots. Injections which he was too afraid to get even from a doctor which makes one think were he would have found the courage to inject himself.
2) Bags of heroin were found near Liston's body however drug paraphernalia was not apart from a syringe, which would not have been enough for anybody to inject him or herself with. This because other devices are required such as an appendage to wrap the arm and a spoon to cook the heroin in.
3) Liston, did however have needle marks which were from an injection but these were confirmed by medical records to have been given to him by a recent hospital stay due to having been in an car crash a few days before he supposedly took the heroin that killed him.
4) An autopsy of Liston's body found no traces of heroin, what so ever! It is this factor that should convince anybody that Liston could not have possibly died of a heroin overdose. This reminding me of a woman who tried to sue McDonald's, on the grounds that she almost chocked on a bone, only to find out that the Fish Mac does not contain any fish what so ever. This due to its being made of products that do not include fish but more or less taste like fish. Liston however had traces of morphine and codeine in his body but not in an amount that would have made them deadly.
One might say with all this evidence how could any person, with some degree of intelligence claim that Liston died of a heroin overdose? Yet, despite all the above mentioned factors the police listed Liston's cause of death as a heroin overdose which as we can plainly see was probably a cover up for a murder.
It is with the aim of proving a point which I have already made in another article (Not Always Finding The Truth Or Facts In American History) that I wrote this one and that being that it is not always wise to believe the truth we are told for it might turn out that what is presented to us as such is in fact something else. With regards to "Sonny" Liston I must say when I heard him speak on the ESPN program on his life, he did not give the impression of being stupid or anything of the sort or even inarticulate. On the contrary he seemed friendly and even modest despite being world champion at the time when the interview took place. Liston's perhaps were simple words but what he said made sense and his sentences were by no means incoherent but rather of a man of ideas.
Liston, however is remembered for many things such as being a quitter, after his first fight with Ali though he once fought with a broken jaw. He is also remembered for being a bully though this he only was in the ring, unlike other boxers like Tyson who once hit another boxer in the eye in barroom brawl and later raped a woman or was convicted of it or Monson (Argentina) who threw his wife out a ten floor window. Liston, when looking back was an aggressive boxer but not a dirty one like GoBota from Poland who would stoop to hitting below the belt. Of course Liston is also remembered for dying of a heroin overdose which given the now known facts is impossible that such could have been the case. I however in spite of not being a boxing or Liston fan for that matter, feel Liston deserves better then to be remembered for the above mentioned. This because Liston to a certain extent like Obama, (Current President elect of the USA) was somebody who overcame many obstacles to become a world champion in boxing in a time when life in America was truly difficult for blacks or African-Americans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gianni_Truvianni
As a matter of fact, it was back in the 70's when it was difficult not to hear about boxing even for someone like me who was in his preteen years and frankly speaking found the sport quite boring, even if my father watched bouts with me from time to time. I naturally with a father who followed the sport learnt about several boxers besides Ali, like Frazier, Foreman and Norton. Eventually the 80's and 90's came and as I grew older I learnt about other fighters in other weight divisions, such as "Sugar Ray" Leonard, Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran, Thomas "hit man" Hearns, Marvin "Marvelous" Haggler along with Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and many others though I never did became a great enthusiast of the sport even if I did watch the "big fights" when ever I could. This being at least what I did till the 90's came to an end as so did not only my interest in boxing but my curiosity as well to even want to know who the champion was at any given time or weight category.
As for the boxer Charles "Sonny" Liston, I must say that before last night's program; I barely knew who he was. I naturally was aware that he had been a boxer in the heavy weight division who was noted and still is for being one of the hardest hitting fighters of all time along with Foreman, Tyson, Marciano, Dempsey and Joe Louis. Needless to say apart from these facts my knowledge also included that he at one point had become World Champion by rather easily defeating "Floyd Patterson", who incidentally was the first man to loose and regain the heavy weight title. I however in all that concerns Sonny Liston, must also claim that what I mostly knew him for was being the man, who would go on to be defeated twice by Mohamed Ali back in the 60's. First in a fight which Ali won despite Liston being the heavy favor, 8 to 1 to be precise and then in a second fight which ended in a first round knock out, that as far as I knew or even considered the matter had been the end of his career. I before last night had not even read or been informed that he had been dead for many a year as I did not imagine him to be of an age, that would have made him so old that it would be impossible that he might still be alive.
I found out many things about "Sonny" Liston, last night apart from his real name being Charles and not "Sonny" as this was a nick name which Ali once joked on before their first fight in the form of "there will be a total eclipse of the Sunny". This being a spot of humor which even brought a chuckle to Liston, himself. In all the things I found out about this man, whom I had known so little about was that in a way I felt sorry for him, getting the impression that he perhaps though this is of little consequence deserved better then what he got not only from life but the fans of the sport which he contributed so much to.
The facts on this program were stated that Liston was born in Arkansas, as the son of a share crapper, though not only is the precise day of his birth unknown so is the year making it that nobody really knows how old he was for instance when he fought Ali for the first time. Naturally his not having known his exact date of birth is hardly cause to claim his was a difficult life, however the poverty that he must have known growing up is something I can barely begin to imagine.
Liston however may have been born in to a family of 13 children or 25 this I know to versions, one from ESPN and another from Wilkipedia. Regardless of which number is true or which is false, it is not hard to see that Liston's life must have been full pain in his childhood, as it was said that his father beat him everyday until he finally ran away from home at a very early age. Thirteen perhaps though this again given what we know or rather don't know about his date of birth is another question mark. Sonny Liston however ran away from his father at this age but in a sense did not really run away from home as he left Arkansas to join his mother and cousin who were living in St. Louis. Sonny Liston, had escaped the torments of his father but his life had not really improved all that much as he still did not know how to read or write and with opportunities being what I read they were at the time for African-Americans took to crime out of dire need.
It was actually thanks to this life of crime that he ended up in prison. Looking back it might have been a blessing in disguise that he was caught and sent to prison after participating in the armed robbery of a gas station, as it was there were Roman Catholic priest discovered that he had a talent for boxing which even got him released early.
After prison, a brief amateur career would follow in which he would win many tournaments, most notable the golden gloves. During his one year amateur career he would also defeat Ed Sanders, who later would go on to win the gold medal in the Olympics in the heavy weight division. Seeing his potential, the mafia that had gotten him started in professional boxing knew they had a fighter who like Primo Carnera many years earlier could become a champion capable of bringing big earnings, which is exactly what happened.
Sonny Liston, would go on to win the world heavy weight crown by defeating Floyd Patterson and in the process accumulate an impressive record that only included one loss out 40 fights with the remaining 39 being all victories. His lose coming at the hands of Marty Marshall, a fighter whom he would go on to defeat on two occasions; to prove that he could beat just about anybody. It was after having beaten Floyd Patterson that he was the champion of the world and perhaps should have gotten the respect he had earned, for what more of an American success story (as if stories of the sort could be limited to America) could their be then a man, over coming so much to become what he had.
At this point in the story that is the life of "Sonny" Liston it is easy to see with logic how "Sonny" himself might have felt that he had put his past behind, he had after all paid his debt to society for the crime of participation in an armed robbery by serving time in prison. Of course we should try to keep things in perspective that his was neither murder nor drug dealing nor pedophilia nor rape, not that I claim that armed robbery is not series but then again it is not any of the above mentioned. Sonny had won the world heavy weight championship in convincing fashion; as no one could have any doubts that he deserved to be after knocking out the then champion Floyd Patterson. First in a title bout and then in a rematch which like the first bout also ended in a first round knock out, with the only difference being that the second bout lasted a full two seconds longer.
This however was not to be as "Sonny" Liston's past was not behind him, a fact which was clearly evidenced when he after having won the title flew back home to his adopted city of Philadelphia, to find absolutely nobody waiting for him at the airport. Sonny naturally having just been crowned world champion expected to find people from the press for whom he had even prepared a statement for, perhaps even the mayor but contrary to what should have been he was ignored completely by everybody, including those from the city he was living in at the time. It was clear that people did not respect him or even what he had accomplished believing that he; the evil man had beaten Patterson, who was the good man.
It was true he fought for the mafia but then again so did many other fighters at the time as they were the ones whose money basically promoted the sport but for some reason this was seen as evil in the case of "Liston" though it had not been in the case of Carnera. One could even look at the casinos in Las Vegas which were also controlled by the mafia and furthermore it was these casinos which invited many of Hollywood's stars to perform. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others who by virtue of headlining in places controlled by the mafia in a sense were also working for them but yet those stars who did so were not looked down upon as was "Sonny" Liston.
"Sonny" Liston tried to intimidate his opponents with his stare and brawn before fights but this was nothing which had not been done by other fighter before or since such as Dempsey many years before or Tyson; after all boxing is what could be called a blood sport where the point is to physically beat one's opponent. Yet, this was another reason why Liston was not liked by the boxing public.
"Sonny" Liston's reign however did not last long, despite him being a boxer who many considered to be invincible, after all he had won all but one of his nearly forty fights. As it turned out in his second title defense, "Sonny Liston" would loose to a young boxer, at that time going by the name of Cassius Clay. This a boxer who after becoming champion would change his name to Mohamed Ali.
Much has been said about Liston's fights vs. Ali, ranging from that the fights were fixed because the mafia bet against Liston and even that Liston himself bet on Ali to cover his gambling debts however I for my part fail to understand something. Liston was an 8 to 1 favorite to defeat Ali, yet why is something I have never heard anybody ask. Looking at the facts; Ali was 21 at the time, which with us not knowing Liston's exact date of birth would have made Ali at least 10 years younger then Liston or perhaps as much as 15. As it is possible; based on what Liston's mother claimed, who would have had no reason to lie that Liston might have been born in 1928, which would have made him 35 at the time of his first fight with then Cassius Clay. Liston apart from being considerably older then Clay was also a boxer who was less technically sound, slower and 3 inches shorter. Clay at that time for his part had a record of 21 and 0 and was an Olympic champion, which made him more then the unknown many were calling him at the time. Of course Liston did have certain advantages over Clay. One of them being the ability to hit harder then Clay and with both hands. Another being an equally long or if not longer reach then Clay, as he was known for having a very long reach even for his height, which was slightly over the six foot mark. Liston also had fists measuring fifteen inches which till very recently were considered the biggest in boxing history. All of this making me believe that perhaps the odds should have been even or perhaps slightly in either man's favorite but not 8 to 1 in Liston's, unless somebody was thinking of making a lot of money by betting on Clay.
Liston went on to loose to Clay twice, after which he naturally lost his belt though he did not quit boxing afterwards. Liston in what could be considered his post Ali bouts fought 16 times out of which he lost one fight while winning the remaining fifteen against opponents such as Henry Clark, ranked 5th at the time. Actually "Liston" might have even won back the heavy weight title when Ali was striped of it, in a tournament which was organized among the top contenders with Liston being chosen among them. Liston however would not be champion again as it was in this tournament that he was knocked out by Leotis Martin in the 9th round, after Liston had dominated the previous 8 rounds.
As an interesting note, Liston won his last bout by TKO against a fighter by the name of Chuck Wepner. The man who in 1975 would go on to battle Mohamed Ali for 15 rounds in a fight that would serve as inspiration to a then struggling actor by the name of Sylvester Stallone to write the film "Rocky". This a film whose plot is loosely based on Chuck Wepner's bout against Ali with its main characters being taken from those of Wepner and Ali. Regarding the film Rocky however I would say that Rocky's personality is not as close to Wepner's as his opponent's (Apollo) is to Ali's.
"Sonny" Liston's image, in what could even be considered a slightly ironic twist would go on to appear on the cover of The Beatles album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", this despite Liston's refusing to meet with them when they came to America while he was the champ. Liston actually claiming The Beatles were "punks" which was in contrast to Cassius Clay (later Mohamed Ali), who not only meet The Beatles but had photos taken with them. This happening despite neither the Beatles fully knowing who Ali was nor Ali knowing who the Beatles were. Ali in fact would go on to ask someone after the photo session "Who were those little fagots?", which might have lead to his not being included on the cover of the "Sgt. Pepper" album. As perhaps the Beatles don't mind so much being called "punks" even if their music was miles from that sort of music but take more exception to being called by a name that refers to them as not being heterosexuals or one which the British use for cigarettes.
Liston died in 1971 but like with his date of birth the exact date of his death is also not known as his body was found after he had been dead for at least a few days. The victim of a so called "heroin overdose" though in my opinion I think it is easier to find someone who would believe the world is flat then somebody who could believe Liston overdosed on drugs given the following facts.
1) Liston though courageous in the ring was terrified of needless being stuck in him to the point of refusing to go on a tour of Europe which could have made him a lot of money, simply because he had to be given shots. Injections which he was too afraid to get even from a doctor which makes one think were he would have found the courage to inject himself.
2) Bags of heroin were found near Liston's body however drug paraphernalia was not apart from a syringe, which would not have been enough for anybody to inject him or herself with. This because other devices are required such as an appendage to wrap the arm and a spoon to cook the heroin in.
3) Liston, did however have needle marks which were from an injection but these were confirmed by medical records to have been given to him by a recent hospital stay due to having been in an car crash a few days before he supposedly took the heroin that killed him.
4) An autopsy of Liston's body found no traces of heroin, what so ever! It is this factor that should convince anybody that Liston could not have possibly died of a heroin overdose. This reminding me of a woman who tried to sue McDonald's, on the grounds that she almost chocked on a bone, only to find out that the Fish Mac does not contain any fish what so ever. This due to its being made of products that do not include fish but more or less taste like fish. Liston however had traces of morphine and codeine in his body but not in an amount that would have made them deadly.
One might say with all this evidence how could any person, with some degree of intelligence claim that Liston died of a heroin overdose? Yet, despite all the above mentioned factors the police listed Liston's cause of death as a heroin overdose which as we can plainly see was probably a cover up for a murder.
It is with the aim of proving a point which I have already made in another article (Not Always Finding The Truth Or Facts In American History) that I wrote this one and that being that it is not always wise to believe the truth we are told for it might turn out that what is presented to us as such is in fact something else. With regards to "Sonny" Liston I must say when I heard him speak on the ESPN program on his life, he did not give the impression of being stupid or anything of the sort or even inarticulate. On the contrary he seemed friendly and even modest despite being world champion at the time when the interview took place. Liston's perhaps were simple words but what he said made sense and his sentences were by no means incoherent but rather of a man of ideas.
Liston, however is remembered for many things such as being a quitter, after his first fight with Ali though he once fought with a broken jaw. He is also remembered for being a bully though this he only was in the ring, unlike other boxers like Tyson who once hit another boxer in the eye in barroom brawl and later raped a woman or was convicted of it or Monson (Argentina) who threw his wife out a ten floor window. Liston, when looking back was an aggressive boxer but not a dirty one like GoBota from Poland who would stoop to hitting below the belt. Of course Liston is also remembered for dying of a heroin overdose which given the now known facts is impossible that such could have been the case. I however in spite of not being a boxing or Liston fan for that matter, feel Liston deserves better then to be remembered for the above mentioned. This because Liston to a certain extent like Obama, (Current President elect of the USA) was somebody who overcame many obstacles to become a world champion in boxing in a time when life in America was truly difficult for blacks or African-Americans.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gianni_Truvianni
Achieving Success in Elections and Boxing
Barack Obama and John McCain are the two most talked about figures in the United States today. These gentlemen are running for the most coveted position of their lives, the presidency. Both have mapped out plans to win the hearts of voters. They are going through a rough process, a character- building experience through the campaign. Both Obama and McCain want success and they know it's not going to be a walk in the park.
In order for these two distinguished gentlemen to grab the post (I am writing this article 5 days before the elections), they are going to go through 2 major phases: (1) The Process and (2) The Result. The same goes with your boxing skill and fitness levels.
The Process is the "bloody" phase. Getting people to vote for you is not easy. It takes a lot of hardwork and patience in the face of countless criticisms left and right. This is where they need to bring their A- game. Both Senators know what's at stake so they can't flinch. They have one GOAL!
Similarly, you come in a boxing training program (or any program for that matter) trying to learn new skills and getting in better shape. Your program makes you realize your weaknesses and makes you work on them. You do have goals in mind that you want to accomplish and it would take hard work and patience to achieve them. This is the "bloody" phase but for sure learning new skills and getting in your best shape ever is the most fun that you will ever have working out!
The Result is the "feel good" phase. And no, it does not end there. Just like in life, you take on new challenges once you have achieved something higher. Whoever wins the elections will have a tough task with the recession and all that. It's definitely going to be a challenge. This is when your hard work and dedication matters! But there is no denying that winning the elections is success in itself.
Just like when you achieve your fitness goals, it does not end there. You need to work hard to achieve new things. Your level of goal- setting goes higher. There are " more mountains you want to climb" and there is no stopping you. That's just human nature. When you achieve your goals, you are a step happier and a step better! Boxing is a difficult sport to do that is why all the little things you accomplish would make you happy. Every time your trainer changes it up, your hunger remains and makes you achieve some more.
If you are old, you are voting for your children and their children's future. If you are young (young at heart), you are voting for your future. This is the same thing with working out in the best methods possible. You do it for your future. So think about this. When you choose to get into a path of healthy living you actually:
1. add years to your life, therefore gives you the chance to find quality in it;
2. get rid of the pains, stings and aches that most people acquire in the future;
3. can at least tell people that you gave it all you've got and you made the right decisions.
Only a few people in this world are given the chance to be presidents of their respective nations. I don't intend to be one. I find success in knowing that I give my best in everything that I do especially in my chosen field of boxing training. You have to be willing to go through the process in order to achieve your desired results! I approve this message!
Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!!!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Ragos
In order for these two distinguished gentlemen to grab the post (I am writing this article 5 days before the elections), they are going to go through 2 major phases: (1) The Process and (2) The Result. The same goes with your boxing skill and fitness levels.
The Process is the "bloody" phase. Getting people to vote for you is not easy. It takes a lot of hardwork and patience in the face of countless criticisms left and right. This is where they need to bring their A- game. Both Senators know what's at stake so they can't flinch. They have one GOAL!
Similarly, you come in a boxing training program (or any program for that matter) trying to learn new skills and getting in better shape. Your program makes you realize your weaknesses and makes you work on them. You do have goals in mind that you want to accomplish and it would take hard work and patience to achieve them. This is the "bloody" phase but for sure learning new skills and getting in your best shape ever is the most fun that you will ever have working out!
The Result is the "feel good" phase. And no, it does not end there. Just like in life, you take on new challenges once you have achieved something higher. Whoever wins the elections will have a tough task with the recession and all that. It's definitely going to be a challenge. This is when your hard work and dedication matters! But there is no denying that winning the elections is success in itself.
Just like when you achieve your fitness goals, it does not end there. You need to work hard to achieve new things. Your level of goal- setting goes higher. There are " more mountains you want to climb" and there is no stopping you. That's just human nature. When you achieve your goals, you are a step happier and a step better! Boxing is a difficult sport to do that is why all the little things you accomplish would make you happy. Every time your trainer changes it up, your hunger remains and makes you achieve some more.
If you are old, you are voting for your children and their children's future. If you are young (young at heart), you are voting for your future. This is the same thing with working out in the best methods possible. You do it for your future. So think about this. When you choose to get into a path of healthy living you actually:
1. add years to your life, therefore gives you the chance to find quality in it;
2. get rid of the pains, stings and aches that most people acquire in the future;
3. can at least tell people that you gave it all you've got and you made the right decisions.
Only a few people in this world are given the chance to be presidents of their respective nations. I don't intend to be one. I find success in knowing that I give my best in everything that I do especially in my chosen field of boxing training. You have to be willing to go through the process in order to achieve your desired results! I approve this message!
Do you want more information and tips? Request your copy of the exclusive Train Like a Boxer Strategy Report (a $299 value, yours for FREE): How to Achieve a Leaner and Stronger Body with Limited Time, Space and Equipment at lawrence@trainlikeaboxer.com TODAY!!!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lawrence_Ragos
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