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A Legacy to Some, Painful Reminders of Loss for One

Posted: Oct 24th 2009 2:35PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

LAS VEGAS -- In a curio cabinet in the living room rests a huge red, white and blue ornamental belt adorned with a massive gold buckle from The Ring magazine proclaiming the late Eddie Futch the greatest boxing trainer of the last century. In the bedroom is a bookcase still reserved for his precious books of poetry, some so worn and old they are bound by a staple of Eddie's corner man's box: tape.

In the garage are white cardboard file boxes, each labeled with sticky notes, stacked neatly on plastic shelving all from floor to ceiling filled with the training logs, contracts and correspondence of each prizefighter Eddie made a champion: Arguello, Berbick, Bowe, Norton, Spinks, Holmes and, of course, Frazier.

Weekend's Biggest Fight? Boxing vs. Mixed Martial Arts

Posted: Sep 18th 2009 8:23PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

142 COMMENTS

Somewhere during the broadcast Thursday night of the Miami-Georgia Tech football game, a commercial broke across the screen advertising UFC 103, a mixed martial arts fight card featuring somebody named Vitor Belfort against some guy named Rich Franklin. For a pay-per-view price of $44.99, it stated, I could see it all live Saturday night from Dallas starting at 9 PM ET.

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Mayweather-Marquez Photos

LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Nate Jones, co-trainer for Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez and Bernard Hopkins appear during the official weigh-in for Mayweather and Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nate Jones;Floyd Mayweather Jr.;Juan Manuel Marquez;Bernard Hopkins

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Mayweather vs. Marquez Photos

LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Boxing announcer Michael Buffer, Koraun Mayweather, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his advisor Leonard Ellerbe attend the official weigh-in for Mayweather's fight against against Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Buffer;Koraun Mayweather;Floyd Mayweather Jr.;Leonard Ellerbe

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: Boxer Juan Manuel Marquez poses during the official weigh-in for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Juan Manuel Marquez

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: WWE wrestler Triple H attends the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Triple H

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: Radio personality Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo gestures during the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Eddie Sotelo

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: Radio personality Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo (L) and boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya entertain the crowd during the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Eddie Sotelo;Oscar De La Hoya

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: Actor/comedian D.L. Hughley speaks at the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** D.L. Hughley

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: Boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya gestures during the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Oscar De La Hoya

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LAS VEGAS - SEPTEMBER 18: WWE wrestler Triple H (L) and boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya talk during the official weigh-in for boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena September 18, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two will fight at the MGM on September 19. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Triple H;Oscar De La Hoya

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More: Bankable 'Money'? | Mayweather Comes in Heavy | Tonight's Results
Photos: Mayweather Vs. Marquez

Guess what commercial aired next? Undefeated former welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather's returning to the ring against Juan Manuel Marquez. For a pay-per-view price of $49.95, that commercial stated, I could see that card live as well Saturday night. It would be coming from Las Vegas, and starting at 9 PM ET, too.

I'm going to watch the latter. I'd already planned to. Boxing promoters better hope there are a lot more fans like me, too.

Vernon Forrest One of True Good Guys

Posted: Jul 26th 2009 11:01PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

257 COMMENTS

The truth is that, often times, those of us in this business find ourselves struggling to say only good things about a recently deceased personality whose acts in life demanded that we make him or her known to the public. With Vernon Forrest, it seemed to be the opposite.

It is not manufactured hyperbole for the purpose of being polite that you are hearing and reading such wonderful things about Forrest, a three-time boxing champ who we learned Sunday was fatally shot Saturday night in a carjacking attempt in Atlanta. A more famous Atlanta fighter, Evander Holyfield, may be most well-known as the Real Deal, but there was absolutely nothing phony about the good guy who was Forrest. As HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg, whose network carried many of Forrest's bouts, told the Associated Press on Sunday of Forrest: "He was one of the most gracious and charitable fighters in boxing and he will be missed by the entire boxing community and all of his friends at HBO."

Tyson's Life Marked by Misery, Tragedy

Posted: May 27th 2009 8:40PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

29 COMMENTS

A burly black man, his face incised with what appears to be a traditional Maori tribal tattoo, stares at you into a camera lens and, belying his appearance, announces through a thick Brooklyn accent that he is about to lose his composure.

"I'm gonna cry," the man says, his voice softening and cracking.

He then purses his lips and takes a deep breath in an attempt to steel himself.

Pacquiao the Destroyer Rules Ring

Posted: May 3rd 2009 1:56AM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

27 COMMENTS

LAS VEGAS -- At the end of the day, it wasn't that Floyd Mayweather Jr. failed to do what it appeared he'd done earlier Saturday, which was steal the thunder from the first big pay-per-view boxing event of the year by announcing his much-rumored return to the ring from a 17-month respite. Mayweather's Saturday afternoon press conference did, indeed, overshadow the junior-welterweight championship bout scheduled Saturday night between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.

But something transpired Saturday evening that even Mayweather couldn't have anticipated. Pacquiao snatched back everyone's attention, stealing back his own thunder, with a second-round knockout of Hatton that was so devastating it left some observers temporarily in fear for Hatton's well-being. It was nothing sort of Tyson-esque

VIDEO: Pacquiao Knocks Out Hatton

Mayweather Jr. Eager to Reclaim Throne

Posted: May 2nd 2009 4:17PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

1 COMMENT

LAS VEGAS -- It is not raining here today -- when does it ever? -- but Floyd Mayweather Jr. walked onto the Hollywood Theater stage in the MGM Grand this afternoon with his black jean legs stuffed inside calf-high black rubber boots. I guess this was to symbolize that he's about to -- as they say on the strip club scene -- make it "rain money" in the fight game upon announcing just hours before the Manny Pacquaio-Ricky Hatton bout that he is done with retirement. It was even revealed that "Money" is now Mayweather's nickname.

More Coverage: Marquez Up First | Boxing Central

Andre Ward Finally Sees Chance Ahead

Posted: May 2nd 2009 3:23PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

0 COMMENTS

LAS VEGAS – The last time I saw Andre Ward, he was ascending the medal platform in a warehouse-type building in a dingy part of Athens, Greece, to receive the Olympic gold medal in the light heavyweight division. I'd all but forgotten about him until Saturday morning, when I shared breakfast and chitchat with him, a dozen or so other scribes, and his promoter Dan Goossen.

And that is Ward's problem, which he and Goossen hope to address in earnest May 16 in Ward's hometown, Oakland, Calif., where he is scheduled to fight his first name opponent, the big-hitting (and big be hit) Colombian, Edison Miranda. Ward never seized the boxing public's psyche after Athens. He never cashed in that gold medal as others had before him, like, most notably, Oscar de la Hoya.

After all, another Olympics has come and gone and Ward doesn't have a world title to go with his 18-0 record. De La Hoya had multiple world titles by now.

Amir Khan Caught in Middle of Brit Furor

Posted: May 1st 2009 8:12PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing, FanHouse Exclusive

1 COMMENT

LAS VEGAS -- Amir Khan stood sheepishly Friday in a back corner of the crowded stage as we all awaited Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton to weigh-in. His shyness was understood when his name was called to say a few things about the upcoming fight.

"Traitor," some of the sauced Brits screamed from the bleachers. "F-off, Khan," a trio of Brits screamed.

If there is a more loathed man among Brits this week than Khan, who, oddly enough, was born amongst them in Manchester, England, I don't know who it would be. He may as well be Salman Rushdie in Mecca.

No Real Results From Skewed Weigh-In

Posted: May 1st 2009 7:29PM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing, FanHouse Exclusive

7 COMMENTS

LAS VEGAS -- With 6,000 screaming fans crammed into a cordoned off portion of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday, Manny Pacquiao stepped onto a scale and tipped it at 138 pounds. Then came Ricky Hatton; his weight was announced at 140 pounds.

Too bad they aren't fighting this evening.

Pacquiao a True Champion

Posted: Apr 22nd 2009 12:30AM ET by Kevin Blackistone (RSS feed)
Filed under: Boxing

3 COMMENTS

It is virtually impossible to find a superstar athlete these days for whom some disdain can't be mustered. Michael Phelps gets busted. LeBron James gets the benefit of the NBA's preferential refereeing. The Williams Sisters get surly. Rafael Nadal showed some audacity by suggesting tennis adjust its schedule to his liking. And Derek Jeter is a Yankee.

But there is Manny Pacquiao, all 5 feet, 6 inches and 140 pounds of him. What is there about him not to like?