Where do I start!? First, let me start by apologizing on behalf of every true boxing fan at Bob Arum’s poor business tactics in the Pacman-Bradley wash. It’s been quite some time since i’ve written something or been so ever inspired to do so, but after the decision that was handed down to Timothy Bradley last night, ( who was just as shocked as we were) i was more than inspired to blog my feelings about this catastrophe of a decision. As a true boxing enthusiast/journalist, manager and trainer, I have a soft spot for hungry underdogs in the sport who work hard to change their lives. So without any bias towards Manny Pacquiao, I went into this contest routing for the younger and hungrier Timothy Bradley. In Bradley, I was extremely confident in his hard work, grew attached to his story (via HBO’s 24/7) and thought that Manny  had lost just a little bit of his passion for the sport, due to Arum picked opponents.

Nights Overview:

However, minus his new found faith, Manny proved to be just as focused as the Manny of old. So like most enthusiast who hunger for a good fight, I eagerly set up my PPV (Pay-Per-View) purchase, pressed record and awaited history. As the night got underway, the first fight proved to be moderately entertaining as a young Cuban fighter (two-time Olympic Gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux) put on a display of punching power and boxing prowess by easily dismantling his opponent and knocking him down 5 times. Ok,  so on to the next. The second match was anything short of a Ambien sleeping pill until 2:52 of the 11th round, when a thunderous uppercut by Randall Bailey ended the undefeated hopes of a wiry awkward Mike Jones. Exciting round, boring fight! So far, I’m not that happy as a paying customer, but I’m enthusiastic about the next 2 fights to come. The last preliminary bout between a game Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KOs) and Jesus Rojas (18-1-1, 13 KOs) started out as the shocker of the night. Arce drops the young Rojas in the first round with a perfect left hook. If fans are familiar with Arce, you know that he is a game veteran fighter who comes to fight to the end.

However, by the end of the first round, the young Rojas started to impose his will on Arce. During a heavy exchange, Rojas hits Arce with a low blow ( that referee Kenny Bayless should have stepped in between of) followed by a hard left hook to the ear/ head area. This thunderous punch sends Arce down to the canvas unable to continue.  Arce begins complaining of a ringing noise in his eardrum and a problem with his equillibrium. Unable to stand up and continue, the punch was considered a foul and the fight ended in the  second round being declared a no contest. Ok, so now the only hopes of saving this night is the long, and I mean long awaited showdown between Bradley and Pacquiao.  In a few words, what a total disappointment !!!!  I’ve watched boxing for quite some time and witnessed plenty of bad decisions and blatant robberies. However, this fight ranks alongside one of the poorest judgements in history paralleled to Pernell Whitakers draw with Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. My first thoughts after the decision was handed down, was probably those of Bradley. He did!? /”I did!?” Meaning….I can’t believe i won. It was clearly a surprise to Bradley after being quoted saying to Bob Arum before the decision was handed down, “I tried hard, but couldn’t beat him!..referring to his fight against Pacquiao. When decisions are bad, …. sometimes bad is just really bad!

Facts:

When a fight is blatant and one sided to people who rarely watch boxing, you know what it must look like through the eyes of a true enthusiast. Having watched this fight, listened to Harold Lederman’s scoring and looked at compubox numbers, there was no possible way for Tim Bradley to have won this fight. We all know that the money to a fight is in the rematch, but when compubox has staggering statistics like 190 power punches landed by Pacquiao to 108 power punches landed by Bradley and ringside punching statistics showing Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, something is obviously wrong.  Out of the 12 rounds fought between the two fighters, it would be fair to say that the fight was a 9 round Pacman to 3 round Bradley display or at worst, 8-4 Pacman. It was clearly obvious that Bradley had no answer for Manny’s straight left hand and was repeatedly pummled by it round after round. He (Bradley) looked awkward at times and even puzzled trying to escape the speed and accuracy of  Manny’s  Punches.

Strategy:

It’s Obvious Bob Arum developed his own strategy to stay financially afloat before the fight got underway. Let’s try and take a look into the mind of Bob Arum. First, He’s seemingly running out of cash cows and opponents for his biggest cash cow ( Manny Pacquiao) Second, He has Timothy Bradley a hungry up and coming 28 yr. old with no true star status, but potential to make exciting fights.  Third, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has refused to agree to the terms with Arum and is currently serving a 90 day prison sentence for battery.  Fourth, Manny beats Bradley and their is nowhere for either fighter to go.

Ok…Now let’s go into the strategic mind of Bob Arum.

We are currently in Vegas, where the odds of Timothy Bradley beating Manny Pacquioa are presumably 4-1. So why not bet on Bradley, Pre-Schedule a re-match (that Bradley jokingly taunted Manny with date in Hand), use controversy to catapult  Bradley’s stardom and have Manny Pacquioa win the re-match. After Manny wins the re-match, Floyd Mayweather would have had enought time to be released from jail and train to accommodate the fight of the century. Final results:  Bob Arum walks away a very rich man, Manny Pacquioa and Floyd Mayweather retire and Timothy Bradley gets a Victor Ortiz fan pass. Quite genius if you think about it through the most fiendish mind since “Don King”. These are my thoughts, what are yours?

Everyday I look at the future of boxing and wonder how can the sport I love truly evolve. Not back into the “Golden Years”, because even then there were things that were just not right with boxing. We want to change boxing back into the super sport it can be. You look at boxing, and in my perspective it has everything it takes to be successful and more. It has non-stop action, 1 minute breaks between rounds, 2 guys mano y mano, and boxers using there hands and skill to break each other down. So what happened?

Fighting has been around since the beginning of time. Boxing has evolved into a sport that makes it such a chess match, that when a perfect gameplan is executed it can truly blow you away. So with this sport having so much to offer, my question is who is our Dana White? What is our next step? How can we achieve anything in our sport, when all of the main decision makers only care about making a buck. Do they really care if boxing lives on another day? In all the top sports there is a players union. Shouldn’t we have one?

We have nothing to guide or reprimand young boxers to keep a professional image. Fighters have no control in this sport right now and we’re the ones who put blood, sweat and tears day in and day out. In my opinion, the balance is shifted way to much on the wrong side. We need some drastic and honest changes to make boxing better.  We not only want to make it what it used to be, but to make it 100x better.

For a Spartan-sized challenge to your daily routine, consider this your new fitness gauntlet. All exercises are done without scheduled rest between moves.

THE ORIGINAL “300″ WORKOUT

• Pullups – 25 reps
• Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. – 50 reps
• Pushups – 50 reps
• 24-inch Box Jumps – 50 reps
• Floor Wipers – 50 reps
• Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell – 50 reps
• Pullups – 25 reps

 4. 24-INCH BOX JUMPS (50 reps)  

Stand in front of a sturdy, secure box that’s high enough so that you have to jump with great effort in order to land on top of it. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Dip your knees. Jump up onto the box with a soft landing. Step down and reset your feet.

5. FLOOR WIPERS (50 reps)  

Holding a 135-pound loaded bar above your chest, bring your feet up together to the left plate, down to the middle, and up to the right plate before putting them down in the middle. That’s one repetition.

6. SINGLE-ARM CLEAN-AND-PRESS WITH 36-LBS. KETTLEBELL (50 reps) 

Stand shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell between your feet. Bend at the knees and grab the kettlebell with an overhand grip. Drive your hips and legs through the floor to bring the kettlebell up to your chest (note: your arm should be tucked in close to your body with the kettlebell resting on the outside of your forearm.) Push overhead before lowering it to the ground in a controlled movement.

7. PULLUPS (25 reps) 

Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip that’s slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and hang at arm’s length. Pull your chest to the bar, pause, and then lower your body back to the starting position.

How do we go to the next level? Well, that’s the question at hand. With the emergence of Mixed Martial Arts and the continued success of the UFC (as a business model) how does boxing continue to carve out it’s niche in the MMA fueled fight game? Everywhere you look there is a new MMA show or division of MMA being developed. Kids are now flocking in by the thousands to see amateur MMA competitions and purchasing MMM memorabilia by the millions. MMA has become a permanent staple in our fight culture raking in a whopping 144 million dollars in PPV and doing close to a billion dollars in total revenue. For an art that’s been around for quite sometime, and a business model that has most recently been successfully re-structured, how do you compete with that?

Well in the words of a close friend, the answer is simply difficult!

Now for the sweet science. What has truly been the problem with the sport of boxing going to the next level? After all, its one of the oldest American sports in existence comparative to American baseball and football. We have our superstars, our superbouts  and our flashy personalities to accompany our beloved sport. We successfully grossed an estimated 100 million dollars in PPV, we have bragging rights about one of the most anticipated sporting events in history ( Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao) and we have one of the most internationally successful icon’s , who i personally refer to as Boxing’s Bruce Lee ( Manny Pacquiao). We compete on two of the biggest networks (HBO and Showtime) on cable access television and have had some of the most politically involved athletes to date.  So the question remains, why haven’t we gone to the next level? My answer….business structure.

1) Boxing has failed to implement a business model that is equally successful and profitable for everyone involved,  2) Boxing has failed to capitalize on marketing, merchandising and promotional opportunities, 3) Boxers are poorly represented by unqualified business representatives (managers) and, 4) Boxers have failed to take more responsibility for their images and careers.

Needless to say, If we rectify these particulars, we should improve the overall business of boxing. Once we repair the business model, then we should start to see an immediate turn around in attendance and fan base. Our numbers prove that their is still a love for boxing and our international popularity seals the deal. Thanks Manny!

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans

Ingredients 

2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italians-stye diced tomatoes

1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped

8 ounces penne pasta

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a  large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a large non-stick skillet.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

3. Add spinach to the sauce; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts,

stirring constantly.

4. Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

(Healthy hint) : substitute whole wheat pasta

Amount Per Serving Calories: 460/ Total Fat: 5.9g Cholesterol 17mg

Earlier this year, Bernard Hopkins made history after defeating Jean Pascal and became the oldest fighter in history to win a world title. On October 15th, he is looking for a similar result as he takes on Chad “Bad” Dawson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. At 46 years of age, Bernard Hopkins has found the fountain of youth and is still a formidable force years past his prime. He showed this as he defeated Jean Pascal in a close, but unanimous decision on May 21st in Montreal, Canada. For a majority of the fight Hopkins was in control although Pascal made a strong case of his own. But there was no doubt in Bernard’s mind that the fight was his to win. Hopkins simply confidence and let his presence be known to all viewers. He even managed to get in a series of push-ups in the middle of the ring prior to the start of Round 7. His action can be seen as showboating or exhibiting straight confidence, but ultimately the interpretation is up to you.

Nonetheless when Michael Buffer read the scorecard, B-Hop was crowned the new WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, The Ring Champion, and awarded the WBC Diamond Belt. These very belts are on the line for his upcoming fight with Chad Dawson.

Dawson comes into the fight with an excellent record of 30-1 (17 KO’s) with his only loss to Hopkins’ last opponent, Pascal. That fight was stopped early in the 11th round due to an accidental head butt. Pascal ended up winning by technical decision as all three judges had him winning by a considerable margin at the time of stoppage. Since then, Dawson has recovered from that loss by beating Adrian Diaconu, as a part of the undercard for the Hopkins-Pascal II fight. He certainly looked sharp and the fight has restored his confidence to where it needs to be, coming into the Hopkins bout.

So on October 15th, we’ll see a bright talent in Light Heavyweight Chad Dawson against boxing great, Bernard Hopkins. This is just another common boxing storyline of youth against wisdom. For Hopkins, I think it’s important that he chooses his spots wisely when he attacks, as Dawson is one of boxing’s better fighters at countering. It’s a given that Hopkins has been training hard, but I expect stamina to be an issue for him in this one. In the Pascal fight, there were times he looked very fatigued and Pascal ended up winning some of those rounds. On Dawson’s end, he needs to stay off the rope or Hopkins can be very effective. He needs to get good movement because staying on the ropes can present another issue for him as it was an advantage for Pascal in their bout.

As for fight predictions, this one should go the distance. But something is telling me this one may belong to Dawson. It’s a gut feeling but as Hopkins has proved in the past, he shouldn’t be discounted! Nevertheless, tune in on October 15th and we’ll see how everything unravels. Until then…

Cerveza-battered fish tacos with quick-pickled onion and cucumber

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil, for frying

300g plain flour

3 tsp. ground cumin

3 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 tsp. salt

350ml beer

3 (225g) tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

8 (20cm) soft tortillas

Quick-pickled onion and cucumber, recipe follows

For quick-pickled onion and cucumber:

190ml apple cider vinegar

170g sugar

250ml water

1 tbsp. salt

1 large red onion, coarsely diced

1 large Spanish onion, coarsely diced

1 cucumber, coarsely diced

1 habanero chilli, seeds removed, minced

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

2 tbsp. freshly chopped coriander leaves

Method

Cerveza-battered fish tacos with quick-pickled onion and cucumber

1) Fill a large pot with oil halfway up the pot. Heat oil to 180°C. Preheat broiler.

2) In a medium bowl, mix together 150g cup flour, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Slowly whisk in beer until thick, but not runny. Dredge fish in remaining flour first, then dunk in the batter. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper-toweled lined plate.

3) Meanwhile, heat tortillas on broiler.

4) Serve fish in tortillas topped with quick-pickled onion and cucumber.

5) To make the quick-pickled onion and cucumber: In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, sugar, water, and salt. Add onions and cucumber and continue to cook a few minutes more. Remove from heat, add chilli, and transfer to a bowl. Let cool slightly then chill covered, for at least 1 hour.

6) Toss in the tomato and coriander, 5 minutes before serving.

So after my mid-week fight, I like most boxing fans was geared up to watch what was suppose to be an amazing, star performance between Mayweather and Ortiz. (“Remember, this is my opinion and I’m giving you the breakdown from a person who is in the sport”). First, let me say I’m not a Mayweather hater nor supporter. There are a great deal of things that I disagree with that he does, but at the same time, I respect what he has accomplished in the sport. In this fight there were several variables that pointed in the direction of Floyd Mayweather upsetting Ortiz.  There were some variables that i was concerned with before the fight took place: 1) Floyd’s 18 month hiatus from the ring, 2) His young and very hungry opponent, and 3) Fighting against a south paw, which knowingly presented him with problems in the past. People  would ask me everyday what I thought of this fight and who would win? My reply was, “Floyd should win, but I give Ortiz a 25 percent chance of winning because of Floyd’s ring rust and Victor’s punchin power and youth”. But, at the end of the day, i feel it’s who shows up with a smart game plan and whoever is successful at execution. So now to the controversy in the ring! The only thing I was dismayed with, was the dirty (intentional) head-butt from Ortiz. That was a dirty and cheap move by Ortiz and could have been a game changer. I’m not cool with dirty fight tactics, and you could see Ortiz was sympathetic by apologizing to Floyd close to 10 times. This whole scenario happened simply because Victor Ortiz simply had a lack of experience and failed to protect himself at all times.

My take on what Mayweather did, was a simple get even tactic. After Ortiz and Mayweather touched gloves, Ortiz stepped back with his hands at his side and Mayweather simply used a check/slap hook to relay the message of “don’t try that crap again”! Ortiz stood there without focusing on Mayweather and Mayweather sought to teach Ortiz a valuable lesson. Put simply, “protect yourself at all times”!! Do I think that Mayweather needed to win the fight this way, no not at all. He would have won at least 8 of the 12 rounds if it went the distance. Fact is, Mayweather did nothing dirty in that fight but retaliated within the rules of boxing to the vicious head-butt by “Vicious” Victor Ortiz. Who knows if this outcome will delay the greatly anticipated super fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. One thing for certain,  this fight was a classic example of a lack of experience on the part of Victor Ortiz.

On wednesday night, September 14^th, I returned to the ring at the Robert treat hotel in Newark, New Jersey in front of a 100+ loyal fans and supporters. It was a great feeling fighting in a place that Arturro Gatti had also fought at earlier in his career. There was a certain type of energy in the air that night for me and i could feel it running through me. It was great being home and getting back in the ring again. There are a few things that I think will separate me from others and help me become world champion. I feel that my: hard work, dedication, discipline, heart, and pure love and passion for the sport will take me to the next level. Being back in that ring just feels right, and only fighters will know what I’m talking about when I say there is nothing like “Fight Night.” It’s that night were you can display all of your hard work, sweat and due diligence you put forward toward mastering your craft. For me, there’s that certain energy in the air and I love fight night! But coming off of my loss back in May, these past 4 months have felt like a lifetime. I have been doing my part day in and day out, to evolve as a boxer and to apply the things I practiced in the ring on fight night. So for this to finally have come and gone, I was extremely happy with the outcome. I was successful with my game plan, by adapting and applying my technique I worked endlessly on in camp. To hear and feel my fans energy again going into that ring, is a feeling that I truly can’t describe. It’s absolutely amazing! This was a small step for me to get over in my career, but it was a lesson that was well learned. Sometimes blessings come in the harshest forms, but it’s how you adapt and learn from the situation that will help you in life’s journey. I love where I am in my career right now and and where I seem to be going. I have some great and amazing people on my team  that will be with me on my journey to become world champion.

Newark, New Jersey was the location for another eventful night in the world of boxing. Vincent M. Ponte and Gabe Laconte bought us their event, “Wednesday Night Boxing at the Robert Treat Hotel”. The venue was jam packed with spectators as they came to watch fighters from all over New Jersey compete. Other competitors also made the trip, coming all the way from Canada, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania to take part in the night’s fight card. Here’s a recap of each fight.

The night opened up with a heavyweight bout between Jon Bolden and Eric Newell. Both challengers traded power punches, but more time was spent sizing up their opponent than actual action. Both opponents never really distanced themselves and the final outcome was Newell winning by split decision.

The second fight featured John Thompson and Lee Snow. Thompson came out of the gates looking to dominate the fight and he took control in the early rounds with a series of jabs. Snow proved to be a tough competitor as he never backed down during the fight. His efforts seemed to fall short as the elusive John Thompson won by unanimous decision.

The 3^rd fight was another heavyweight bout, this time pairing Tyabb Beale of Newark NJ against Taffo Asongwed of Canada. Beale came in with a height advantage and looked to use that to his benefit. Both competitors had some powerful exchanges, but Beale just proved to be the more skilled of the two boxers. The outcome from the judges reflected exactly that.

Next we saw Carteret native John Lennox versus Joey Dawejko. This fight took an unexpected turn early on. Dawejko had Lennox against the ropes and was firing a series of punches. His punches were certainly connecting, but it still appeared that Lennox could regroup from Dawejko’s attack. All of a sudden, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Team Lennox, as well as much of the onlooking crowd displayed their displeasure to the referee’s action. Nonetheless, Dawejko won by TKO after 2 minutes of first round action.

East Hanover native Vinny O’Brien took on Carlos Velez in the following bout. A re-invented Vinny O’Brien was on hand as Carlos Velez (the challenger) was making his pro debut. Velez looked hungry, but O’Brien was the more prepared and disciplined of the two. After pinning Velez in the corner, O’Brien landed a hook that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas at the end of the second round. Saved by the bell, Velez was able to recover. In the remainder of the bout, O’Brien was able to pick his shots and steadily dominate the fight. The final result was a unanimous decision with   Vinny O’Brien leading on all judges scorecards.

The next bout featured Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna versus Josh Williams for the B.A.M Youth Championship. Both fighters came out with great energy, but LaManna was simply the more skilled of the two. Williams had opportunities, but his punches weren’t enough to wear LaManna down as fatigue took over. LaManna went on to win the B.A.M youth title and won by unanimous decision.

The co-main event featured veteran Carlos Vinan against an up and coming prospect Wanzell Ellison. This bout was scheduled for a six-rounds and bragging rights. This bout proved to be one of the more exciting fights of the night. Vinan bought experience and relentless pursuit, while Ellison displayed steady confidence and electrifying speed. Each had their moments and were simply refusing to back down from their opponent. After six rounds, the fight went to the judges and it was surprisingly called a draw. Some may disagree with the decision, but viewers definitely got their money’s worth with this one.

The main event featured Jersey City’s Michael Torres and Mark Alexander. This was an eight round bout for the New Jersey State Junior Welterweight Championship. Both boxers appeared well trained and chose their moments wisely. It was close early on but as the fight progressed, Torres started to distance himself from Alexander. As the fight progressed, Torres began to wear his opponent down and captured the Junior Welterweight Championship of New Jersey.