Big Fight Review: Andre Ward Vs Sergey Kovalev 2: Controversy As Ward Beats Kovalev In Battle of the Belt

Photo: CDN News

By Peter Silkov

Andre Ward (32-0, 16koes) and Sergey Kovalev (30-2, 25koes) battled last night, June 17,  for Ward's WBA, WBO, and IBF World light-heavyweight belts, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.   Yet, it was Kovalev’s own belt-line, which was to become the focus of attention by the end of the contest. What had been brewing up nicely into a intriguing and competitive fight, fought at a good pace, ended suddenly, in a welter of controversy, leaving both fans and each fighter deprived of a conclusive and satisfying conclusion to this bitter 175 pound feud.

While it lasted, Ward vs Kovalev 2 was a better fight than their first encounter last November, with both men throwing more punches, and the action being far more energetic than the tense chess match we saw the first time round.

Kovalev, taking the role of challenger this time, started fast, and got his jab going early to good effect. Ward for his part also started much better than he did in the first fight, and seemed more inclined to fire punches, than he did in their first encounter.  There was less holding, and generally the fight was much better on the eye from the start.

As in their first match, Kovalev took the role of the aggressor, while Ward looked to employ his slippery boxing skills to dodge his opponent's attacks, and come back with his own counters.

Photo: Fight Hype

Again, as in their November clash, the action was close and at times, scoring could be decided by whose work you appreciated the best. Kovalev looked to have won the first 3 rounds pretty clearly with his high work rate and some good accuracy from his jab. Ward again came into the fight the longer it went on.  By the 4th round, he was landing some good counters, yet Kovalev still held the edge with work rate. 

By the 7th round the match was fascinatingly poised, with neither fighter having achieved a clear advantage. The action was physical, with both men taking turns to go to the body, and Ward showing the better defensive skills, while Kovalev was the more active offensively. 

However, the fight took a dramatic, and controversial turn in the 8th round. Early in the 8th round, a borderline blow to Kovalev’s beltline, had the challenger wincing, and claiming a low blow.  Referee Tony Weeks ignored Kovalev’s claim, as he had some previous claims of low blows earlier in the fight. After the action was waved on, Ward landed a hard right to the chin of the still unhappy Kovalev, visibly shaking him.  As he looked to recover his composure, Kovalev was bundled by Ward onto the ropes, where Ward proceeded to land three successive heavy blows that seemed to be quite a way below Kovalev’s beltline.  As Kovalev doubled over in obvious pain, referee Tony Weeks hastily got between the two boxers and called a halt to the fight.

The resulting controversy was immediate. Video of the finish shows that Ward's last blow was indisputably low, and that the previous two punches were highly dubious.  With this in mind, referee Weeks should have stopped the actions and administered a warning to Ward for the low blow or blows. Yet, even discounting the area where the blows might have landed upon Kovalev, the finish seemed highly premature.  Kovalev had not been down and was not taking the kind of punishment that would seem to be a threat to his health (unless you take into consideration the possible damage caused by punches in the balls.)

Photo: Washington Post

Amid much after fight controversy, the overall effect of the premature stoppage is that both fighters have been deprived of a satisfactory ending.While he was awarded the victory, Ward's triumph is once more shrouded in controversy, as was his poin'ts win over Kovalev last November. As for Kovalev, the stoppage deprived him of a victory that might have been his, had he been given his rightful chance to ride out the 8th round. Low blows should not win a fight, and on this occasion, that is what they have done. Ward may well have boxed his way to victory in the end had the fight been allowed to run its natural course. Unfortunately, no one will ever know this for sure, and so once more, these two men have fought to an unsatisfactory conclusion.

At the time of the ‘stoppage’ the three judges all had the fight close, with two scoring it 67 to 66 in favour of Ward, and the other judge having it 68-65 in favour of Kovalev. Once again boxing shot itself in the foot, with a match that started out as a great example of a genuine world title fight, between two world outstanding class boxers, descending into a myriad of controversy and suspicion. Once more the failure of the Nevada commission to supply either neutral judges, or a neutral referee for such an important and divisive contest, has to be called into question. Especially when the controversy always seems to adversely effect the ‘away’ fighter.

Photo: Metro News

In the fights aftermath, a stunned and devastated Kovalev said that he wants an instant rematch with Ward. The chances of this however seem exceedingly slim. It is unlikely that Ward will ever allow himself to be lured again into the same ring as Sergey Kovalev, and ‘The Krusher’ may find his future career path severely hampered from here.  

The truth is that Kovalev needs to take a hard look at the people surrounding him, and working for him in the run up to his fights with Ward, and decide if he needs to make some hard decisions in order to get his career back on track. If rumours concerning his purses are to be believed, Kovalev has been left with the short straw in both of his big matches with Ward, and has gone from being an exciting multi-belted world champion, to a ex-champion and deposed challenger, at a cut price rate.

Kovalev deserved better.

Kovalev’s camp is due to file a protest concerning the fights conclusion on Monday, but their chances of a positive outcome to this protest are probably about the same as Sergey’s chances of getting another match with Ward. 
 
In what was a night of controversy and chaos, the main supporting fight to Ward vs Kovalev ended in farce is when Guillermo Rigondeaux (18-0, 12koes) retained his WBA world super-bantamweight title, by knocking out his challenger after the bell to end the 1st round.  Rigondeaux had compete control of the short fight right from the start, as he showed some brilliant defensive skills to avoid the lanky Moises Flores (25-1, 17koes)  eager attacks, making his challenger look clumsy and awkward.  As the round approached its end, Guillermo started to throw punches of his own, with a dynamic accuracy. A brief exchange of punches between the two men ended with Rigondeaux landing a left-hook clearly after the bell, and Flores going down flat upon his back. After much deliberation by a dazzling array of officials and the referee, it was finally decided that the final punch was not intentional, and so ‘The Jackal’ was awarded the victory. It was another bittersweet outing for Rigondeaux. 

Photo: Bad Left Hook

As for Flores, his chance at the big time was over almost before it began, and he is probably still trying to figure out what actually happened to him.

Afterwards there was talk of Rigondeaux having showdowns with the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Roman Gonzalez.  While the Lomachenko match would be highly interesting, it is hard to see why the much smaller ‘Chocolatito’ should move up another two divisions to face Rigondeaux, especially when he has more than enough worthy opponents to face at his current weight of super-flyweight.

If anything those with ‘Chocolatito’s’ interests at heart might do well to persuade him to move back down to the flyweight division, where he seemed more comfortable and effective than where he is now.

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The Boxing Glove Big Fight Preview: Ward vs Kovalev II: Repeat Or Revenge

By Peter Silkov

In what is undoubtedly one of this years most eagerly anticipated fights, and one of boxing's most intriguing rematches for some time, Andre Ward (31-0, 15koes) meets Segey Kovalev (30-1-1, 26koes) on June 17^th, in an effort to prove who is the premier boxer at 175 pounds. This is Ward's first defence of the WBA, IBF, and WBO world light-heavyweight titles that he took from Kovalev last November, after being given a decision, that many think he didn’t deserve. In their first fight, ‘the Krusher’ looked to have won the first 6 rounds pretty clearly (including scoring a 2^nd round knockdown) with Ward coming more into the fight in the last half of the contest, but not doing enough to win a decision, especially with Kovalev having strong 10^th and 12^th rounds.

Photo: HBO

 After the fight, a poll of the media found that out of 63 sources, 46 scored the fight for Kovalev, 16 for Ward, and 1 scored it a draw. It was a match that saw Kovalev score the better more solid punches, while Ward looked to stall and frustrate ‘The Krusher.’ Much of Ward's work was centred around not letting Kovalev work and then countering with some light punches of his own. While it is true that Ward did show some good boxing skills at times, he never seemed to dominate at any part of the contest. In addition to this, Ward's excessive holding, which started after he was floored in the second, marred what was otherwise a good fight, and went a long way to breaking up Kovalev's rhythm as the fight went on. In the end it can be said that, if Ward indeed deserved to win the fight (which this writer doesn’t feel he did), it was more due to what he didn’t allow Kovalev to do, rather than what he actually did himself.

Kovalev has said himself that he was over trained for the first fight, and was fighting on an empty tank after the 5^th round. This might well be one of the reasons why he seemed unable to stop Wards spoiling tactics as the fight went past the halfway mark.

 The rematch in seven days time promises to be a fascinating fight. With both men saying that they will do a better job this time, it could well be one of those rematches, which surpass the original. Certainly ‘The Krusher’ will be looking to exert far more pressure upon Ward in this fight than in their first contest. Despite his noted power, Kovalev is more a boxer than an out and out slugger, but in his first encounter with Ward he may well have made the mistake of being too patient, and boxing too much, when more high intensity pressure was what was really

needed. After he knocked Ward down in the 2^nd round, Kovalev thought that he had plenty of time to catch Ward again, but ofcourse this didn’t happen. Perhaps partly due to the stamina problems which he has alluded too since. This time Kovalev will be looking to capitalise very quickly if he has Ward hurt at any time. If it is true that Kovalev was overtrained in the first fight, then this could be very bad news for Ward, who had his hands full with ‘the Krusher’ in November. If Kovalev is stronger and fitter this time round then Ward himself will have to up his game quite considerably if he is to retain his title.

For the defending champion, this fight offers a chance to put the record straight and silence the doubters. There are still many who feel that Ward is not a genuine champion as he gained the championship through a dubious decision. For a man who is hailed by some as the best boxer in the world ‘pound for pound’ the controversy surrounding November's match is an embarrassment and annoyance.

Photo: The Independent

The run up to this rematch has seen an increase in the bad blood between Ward and Kovalev, and has included the exchange of various insults and innuendoes on both sides. This is a fight that both men are determined not to lose, perhaps even more so than in their first meeting.

One worry for Kovalev might be that like the first fight in November, the judges, and referee are all from America. With the fight once more hosted in Las Vegas (only this time at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, rather than the T-Mobile Arena) so once more, Ward will have a distinct home advantage. While one would not like to question the integrity of the officials concerned in this rematch, it is curious that such a big world title fight, between two fighters of such opposite nations, is not balanced by neutral judges. Certainly it is hoped that referee, Tony Weeks, manages Ward's penchant for holding far better than referee, Robert Byrd, did in November.

There are strong indications that this rematch could surpass the first fight for excitement and spectacle. If Kovalev is much improved and fitter than last November he will force Ward to fight harder than he did in the first fight. A more active Kovalev will be much harder to contain than in the first fight, and Ward will be forced to be more active himsel,f and rely less upon his spoiling tactics. The big question for Ward is... can he fight better than he did in November? Ward himself will try to make the fight a carbon copy of their first encounter. Like it or not, if the fight goes the distance, and is close and competitive, then Ward will be a heavy favourite to get the nod of the judges once more. Another close and controversial decision is very possible. ‘The Krusher’ has to try and take things into his own hands and make himself a clear winner. He certainly seems to have the power to hurt Ward, but does he have the power to stop or knockout Ward.

Much depends upon who can improve most from the first fight.

I think this is a fight, which Kovalev needs to win by stoppage, as I just don’t see him gaining a decision over Ward in Las Vegas. Hopefully however, my cynicism is wrong, and if the fight goes the full 12 rounds, then we will see a fair point's verdict, given to whomever it is that deserves it. 

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Big Fight Preview: Ward Vs. Brand: The Last Warm Up For 'The Son Of God'

By Peter Silkov

This Saturday, August 6, Andre Ward (29-0, 15koes) has his final ‘warm up’ fight before taking on World light heavyweight champion, Sergey Kovalev, in November.  Ward will be fighting fringe contender, Alexander Brand (25-1, 19koes), at the Oracle Arena, in Oakland, California.  The 39-year-old Brand is a strong and willing fighter, with an awkward and unpredictable style. Although he has just one defeat on his record, he has not mixed in with the kind of opposition that Ward has faced during his career.

Indeed it is hard to see how Brand will get Ward ready for Kovalev, beyond taking him a few rounds.  At the same time, Brand is the kind of physical and unpredictable fighter who could cut Ward if they happen to clash awkwardly. This is the kind of fight that Ward will want to end sooner, rather than later. Look for a Ward win within the first 5 rounds. The ‘Son of God’will want to be impressive in what will be his last fight before his big showdown with Sergey Kovalev. Anything less will be an early victory for the World light-heavyweight champion.

An interesting fight on the undercard of Ward vs. Brand is the light-welterweight fight between Maurice Hooker (20-0-2, 15koes) and Ty Barnett (23-4-1, 15koes) for the WBO NABO light-welterweight title.  With Ward vs. Brand likely to be a rout in favour of Ward, this looks destined to be the fight of the night. 

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved.

Sergey Kovalev vs. Isaac Chilemba: The Krusher Dominates

By Peter Silkov

Sergey Kovalev (30-0-1, 26koes) retained his WBO, WBA, and IBF, world light-heavyweight championship against Isaac Chilemba (24-4-2, 10koes) today, July 11, at the DIVS Palace of Sports, in Ekaterinburg, Russia.  It was one of ‘The Krusher’s’ more awkward defences against an opponent who spent most of the fight on the retreat.  Chilemba is an elusive counter puncher, who can slip, spoil, and generally frustrate his opponents, and he did just this against the champion for the most part of 12 rounds.  Yet, Chilemba did little offensive work of his own against the always-pressing Kovalev.

The fight followed the same pattern for most of its 12 rounds, with Kovalev the aggressor against the defensive minded challenger.  For the most part, Kovalev showed great patience against an adversary who was constantly looking to avoid any heavy fistic engagements.  Chilemba’s strategy seemed clear, to try and catch Sergey on the counter. Although he landed at times with his fast hands, Chilemba’s counters were too infrequent to make a dent on the champion.

While the champion was always the aggressor, he was taking his time early on, and some of the early rounds were close, as the fight resembled a technical chess match.  This changed however in the 7th round when Kovalev went up a gear and floored Chilemba heavily.  To his credit, the challenger lasted the round, despite being under a heavy assault by ‘The Krusher.’

From then on, Kovalev was pretty dominant, and he had Chilemba hurt again in the 8th and 10 rounds. Chilemba is strong and durable and seemed determined to hang onto his record of never having been stopped during his career.  In the 12th and final round Kovalev seemed to be doing his best to score a stoppage, but Chilemba fought back, and the two engaged in the best exchanges of the fight in the closing minutes.

Kovalev won by a unanimous point’s verdict, with scores of 117-110, 116-111, and 118-109.  The Boxing Glove had ‘The Krusher’ winning by 10 rounds to 2, with Chilemba sneaking the 4th and 6th rounds with his crafty counter-punches.

This was a memorable night for Sergey in many ways as it was his first appearance in a Russian ring since 2011, when he was involved the tragic fight with Roman Simakov that resulted in Simakov’s death.  In what was a brave move by Kovalev, he chose to reappear in front of his home fans in the very same arena where he had fought Simakov 4 and a half years ago.

There were times during his fight with Chilemba when Sergey seemed to be a little distracted and even nervous, and if these emotions were connected to his memories of Simakov, it would hardly be surprising.  In his post fight interview Kovalev paid tribute to the memory of Simakov.  At that moment he seemed suddenly to be the most relaxed he had been all night, perhaps he felt that at last a burden had been lifted from him, at least a little bit.

‘The Krusher’ will now face the highly regarded Andre Ward in November.  At first glance, Chilemba may be seen to have exposed some flaws in the champion, by frustrating him at times and forcing him to go the distance.  Ward will have to be much more positive than Chilemba was today if he is to beat Kovalev. It is that need to be positive, which will mean that Kovalev will have more opportunities to land his bombs, and even a defensive master such as Ward will give Kovalev more opportunities to land his bombs than Isaac Chilemba did.

In the end, the 12-round that Kovalev traveled today against Chilemba are just what he needed in the run up to his show down with ‘The Son of God.’

Watch the fight:

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Does "Superman" Keep Flying from Kovalev?

By Stephen Donatelli



Speaking for myself and others, I think the Boxing World knows that it is about time that 'Lineal WBC & The Ring Light-Heavyweight' Strap holder, Adonis 'Superman Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs), start backing up his talk and get in the ring with the active (Top #5) Pound-4-Pound, undefeated, Sergey 'The Krusher' Kovalev (29-0-1, 26 KOs.)

It was just a few Years ago that 'Superman' Stevenson was named 'Fighter-of-the-Year’ by Ring Magazine, until a very strange thing happened. Enter matchmaker extraordinaire, Kathy Duva, and a string of vicious stoppage victories (Jean Pascal [twice], Gabriel Campillo, Nathan Cleverly, & Cedric Agnew) by Sergey Kovalev. In between those fights, Kathy took it up a notch, and stuck 'The Krusher' in with master craftsman & future first ballot Hall-of-Famer, Bernard 'The Alien' Hopkins.

Kovalev defeated Bernard Hopkins by unanimous decision on November 8, 2014, in a unification bout in Atlantic City to retain the WBO Light Heavyweight title and win the IBF, and WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight titles. In a one-sided encounter, Kovalev surprisingly knocked Bernard Hopkins down in the first round. After that, Hopkins fought very cautiously, as Kovalev won every single round on all of the three judge’s scorecards. The aged, but formidable, Hopkins, tried his best & made no excuses. The score totals of the fight were correctly scored: (120-107, 120-107, and 120-106) in favor of Sergey 'The Krusher' Kovalev.

On the other hand, the Canadian Champion, Stevenson, has been feasting on a lower level of opposition than Kovalev. In his last two matches, Adonis fought & defeated an overwhelmed and blown-up super middleweight, Tommy Karpency, and Sakio Bika, who's tough & rugged, but has seen his better days. With Stevenson's inactivity issues (in spurts) does he really want to fight Sergey Kovalev or continue milking money from his pretty wide Haitian / Canadian fan base? Stevenson's only blemish was a stoppage defeat all the way back in '2010' against Darnell Boone that 'Superman' comfortably avenged by KO in round 6 in '2013.

While Kovalev has an upcoming bout with the sturdy 'NABF' Light-Heavyweight Champion, Isaac Chilemba (24-3-2, 10 KOs), the decision is clearly upon Adonis to start shifting gears to give us fans a crystal clear Light-Heavyweight World Champion! If this fight comes off, look for the jab to the body from 'The Krusher' to not only keep Adonis at bay, but start grinding him down.

I've noticed a lot of boxing fans think Sergey will roll over Stevenson quick & early. Well, I beg to differ. Adonis was one of the last fighters who were trained by the Legendary Trainer Emmanuel Steward (R.I.P.) before he passed away. I think any fighter with the type of one-punch power like Adonis has to be given a decent chance to be the victor. However, Sergey Kovalev seems to have some sort of psychological edge over Stevenson. In a sense, Kovalev feels that Adonis needs him based on the fan’s perception. While on the other hand, 'Superman' feels that, because he's "The Ring" & "Lineal" Champion, the scrap should be on his terms. Kovalev showed against Hopkins, and Pascal (twice), that he's so much more than a 'One Trick Pony.'

I'm NOT so sure we've seen Adonis in some of the situations the crafty Kovalev has been in. If, or when, this fight ever takes place, watch for the first (2-3) rounds to be fun, then 'The Krusher' Kovalev takes over and starts really picking apart a very gutsy, but out-gunned, Stevenson.

My Final Prediction, as of right now, would be: Sergey 'The Krusher' Kovalev to get his chin tested, but pass that test, and starch 'Superman' Stevenson in the 8th round, respectively!

Stephen  Donatelli is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and contributes to www.theboxingglove.com. If you would like to contact him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steved2012?fref=nf

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved.

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On This Day: Mickey Walker: The Toy Bulldog Remembered

 By Peter Silkov

Mickey Walker was one of the toughest, most popular, and exciting pugilists of his era.  If ever a fighter was summed up by his nickname, then it was Walker. ‘The Toy Bulldog’ was an aggressive slugger, with a good punch in either hand, and renowned for his durability and heart. Walker was a great in-fighter, and despite his lack of stature (at 5’ feet 7” inches), he fought all the top fighters, from welterweight to heavyweight, during his career.

Mickey Walker was born on July 13, 1901 in New Jersey.  He started fighting as a professional in 1919, and with his exciting all-action style, quickly became a crowd favourite, and rose up the ratings in double quick time.  After just 27 fights, Walker was matched with the clever and hugely experienced Jack Britton, for Britton’s World Welterweight championship on November 1, 1922.  In a classic battle of youth vs. age (at twenty-one he was almost sixteen years Britton’s junior), Walker who proved to be too young and strong for Britton, won a 15 rounds point’s decision, and with it, the World welterweight title.

With the world title in his hands, Walker soon became one of boxing’s most popular champions, staying busy with non-title fights, as well as a number of title defences. ’The Toy Bulldog’ quickly gained the reputation of playing as hard outside of the ring, as he fought inside of it. On July 2, 1925, Walker challenged the great Harry Greb for the World Middleweight title, but was out-pointed after a ferocious fight.  Ten months later, on May 20, 1926, Walker lost his World welterweight title when he was beaten on points over 10 rounds by Pete Latzo. Unable to make the welterweight weight limit comfortably anymore, Walker moved up to middleweight, and on December 3, 1926, he won the World Middleweight championship, with a controversial point’s decision over Tiger Flowers. Walker won despite most ringside spectators believing that Flowers was the rightful winner.

Despite the controversy, ‘The Toy Bulldog’ proved himself to be a worthy champion over the next four and a half years, defending the middleweight title three times, and winning all three defences.  During this time, on March 28, 1929, Walker challenged Tommy Loughran for the World Light-heavyweight title, but was beaten on a split point’s decision, by the fast and skillful Loughran.  By this time, Walker was already regularly fighting light heavyweights and heavyweights in non-title fights, and from 1930 onwards, Walker concentrated his efforts on fighting mainly heavyweights in an effort to gain a shot at the World Heavyweight title.  On June 19, 1931, Walker relinquished his World Middleweight title, undefeated champion, and spent the remainder of his career fighting heavyweights.

Although a huge size disadvantage that he was usually facing against heavyweights, Walker was successful against his larger foes. His opponents during this time included Leo Lomski, Johnny Risko, Bearcat Wright, King Levinsky, Paulino Uzucdun, Jack Sharkey, and Max Schmeling.  Mickey’s best result as a heavyweight was holding future World Heavyweight champion Jack Sharkey to a 15-round draw on July 22, 1931, but on September 28, 1932 , ‘The Toy Bulldog’ took a shellacking from former World Heavyweight champion, Max Schmeling, and was stopped in 8 rounds.  In this fight, Walker gave one of the gutsiest performances ever seen in modern times, as the much bigger Schmeling countered his attacks with slashing punches that cut Walker over both eyes, and floored him in the 1st, twice in the 8th, and final round.  Even though he gave a brave effort, Walker’s defeat to Schmeling cost him any chance of a shot at the World Heavyweight title.

’The Toy Bulldogs’ final title fight was for the World Light-heavyweight championship, on November 3, 1933, against Maxie Rosenbloom, who out-boxed him for a point’s decision win.  Walker’s battles finally began to catch up with him now, and after the Rosenbloom fight Walker was 12-5-3 in his last 20 fights, eventually retiring after scoring a 2nd round knockout win over Red Bush, on June 22, 1939.  Mickey Walker’s final record was 94(61koes)-19-4.

In his retirement, Walker would go on to have a short career as an actor, a salesman, and opened his own restaurant in New York City. Mickey Walker also found another passion… oil painting, and became almost as dexterous with a brush as he had been with gloves on.  On April 28, 1981, in Freehold, New Jersey, after suffering, for years, with Parkinson's disease and Arteriosclerosis.

Watch Max Schmeling Vs. Mickey Walker:

 

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

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Boxing History: Harry 'Kid' Matthews

Remembering....Harry 'Kid' Matthews

Harry Matthews

Harry Matthews was a talented fighter with good boxing skills, who during his professional career, fought from lightweight to heavyweight.  Born on December 9, 1922, in Emmett, Idaho, and turned professional in 1937.  By 1940, Matthews was a full-fledged middleweight. In 1942, a victory and a draw against former World middleweight champion, Al Hostak, put Matthews into the rankings, but defeats to Jack Chase, and Eddie Booker dented his progress. Matthews then joined the US army, and did not fight again until 1946.

Rocky Marciano Vs. Harry Matthews

On his return to the ring, Matthews was winning fights yet, finding it hard to progress up the rankings or earn good money, until wily manager, Jack Hurley, took him on in 1949.  Hurley changed Matthews’ style, from a safety first boxer, to a more aggressive fighter, and the victories started coming in quicker, and Matthews became an attraction.  Matthews put together a long winning run, which saw him climb up the rankings, as he moved up to light-heavyweight and then, heavyweight.  A victory over Rex Layne on May 19, 1952 put Matthews on the edge of a shot at the World heavyweight title, but a 2nd round knockout defeat two months later to Rocky Marciano took him out of the title picture.

Don Cockell & Harry Matthews

Matthews put together some more wins, but his hopes of a world title shot were ended for good when he suffered 3 defeats to England’s Don Cockell. He was out-pointed twice and then stopped in their third meeting. 

Matthews won his final 4 fights, including a 10 rounds victory over former World heavyweight champion, Ezzard Charles.  Matthews’ last fight was a 10-rounds point’s win over Alvin Williams, on November 9, 1956.  His final record was 90(61koes)-7-6.

Harry Matthews died on February 21, 2003, at 80 years old. 

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Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Emperor's New Clothes Award: Andre Ward

The Boxing Glove Awards 2015
Emperor’s New Clothes
Super Middleweight & Light Heavyweight
Andre Ward

Few boxers have gained so much mileage out of what they have done in the past, as opposed to what they have achieved in recent times, such as Andre Ward.  At one point, Ward seemed to be on his way to being one of the best boxers in the world, pound-for-pound, and perhaps the heir to Floyd Mayweather Jr.  But, that was back in 2010 when Ward emerged victorious in the Super Six World Super-middleweight tournament.  Yet, that was back in 2010 and 2011, and it is now over 4 years since Ward impressively out-boxed Carl Froch. In the 4 years, Ward has fought just 3 times against mediocre opposition. Still some hail him as the best boxer in the world, for others, the veil of brilliance has started to slip. Ward himself still seems to consider himself an elite fighter who can call the shots and name his price. Too often in recent years, fights have fallen though, and proposed match-ups have failed to materialize.  For a while Ward chased a fight with the smaller Gennady Golovkin.  Now he is said to be inline for a showdown in late 2016 with light-heavyweight king, Sergey Kovalev. Such a fight is just what Ward needs to boost his flagging career, but no one can be certain that it will really happen until Ward gets into the ring with Kovalev. If this match up does not take place, and Ward goes another year without fighting a top level opponent, then the last threads of his reputation will surely be finally stripped from him.  

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The 2015 Boxing Glove Awards: Fight of the Year: Rodriguez vs. Seals

 The Boxing Glove Fight of the Year 2015

Edwin Rodriguez KO 3 Michael Seals

November 13, 2015, Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi.

This was a short, but sweet fight for any boxing fan that appreciates the rougher, more basic side of the sport.  This fight wasn’t about the scientific side of the sweet science.  Look instead under the heading of “sweet brutality” for this fight.  Light-heavyweight Edwin Rodriguez’s nickname is ‘La Bomba’ and it was ‘bombs away’ from the first bell as Rodriguez (28-1, 19koes) went after the unbeaten, but largely untested Michael Seals (19-1, 14koes) looking like he wanted to end the fight with his first punches.

The sudden attack had an instant result, as Seals stumbled to the canvas after just 20 seconds of the 1st round.  After Seals beat the count, Rodriguez went after him, looking for the finish, only to run into a counter by Seals, which had him falling to the floor.  Rodriguez seemed noticeably hurt by the knockdown, and took a long count upon one knee before rising.  With both men knowing that they had the power to hurt the other, the round continued on even terms, and at a slightly calmer pace, as Seals showed a good jab, and Rodriguez continued to come forwards, and lash out with wilder, yet more powerful looking shots of his own. In the last 10 seconds of the round, Seals, after having been forced back to the ropes, caught Rodriguez with a short and sharp right hand. Rodriguez fell to the canvas, like he had been shot, turning as he fell, so that he landed flat onto his face upon the canvas.

Few fighters beat the count when they suffer such knockdowns, and Rodriguez almost didn’t make it either.  Stumbling back onto his haunches at his first attempt at regaining his feet, Rodriguez still didn’t know where he was when he finally got back to his feet and had to be helped back to his corner by his corner men when the bell sounded to end the round moments later.

Amazingly, Rodriguez had made a remarkable recovery by the start of the 2nd round, as both men tried their best to take out the other with one punch.  Seals using his slicker counter-punching, while Rodriguez came forward, with his do or die, caveman-like approach.  In the last 30 seconds of the round Rodriguez had cornered Seals on the ropes, and sent him down to the canvas with a series of chopping punches.  Seals staggered to his feet looking like a Friday night drunk, as he pulled himself upright with the help of the ropes. In fact, Seals was so out of it after he regained his feet, that he turned his head, and seemed to be having a conversation with someone outside the ring while he was taking the mandatory 8 count.  But just as Rodriguez had been saved by the bell at the end of the 1st round, Seals was saved by the bell to end the 2nd.

The 3rd round found Rodriguez looking for the finish once more against Seals, who had not recovered fully from the knockdown in the previous round.  After driving Seals back onto the ropes with a series of heavy jabs, Rodriguez landed a right-hand that sent Seals flying into the ropes, and then down onto the canvas upon his back.  Seals drunkenly regained his feet once again, but this time the referee called a halt to this amazing contest, as Seals was apparently out on his feet.

Five knockdowns in three rounds, with each of the knockdowns a spectacular one, this was one of those fights which will be remembered as the kind of classic slug-fest which captures the imagination of the boxing fan.

Watch the full fight below:

Copyright © 2016 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Bob Foster: Former Light Heavyweight Champ Dies at Age 77

By Peter Silkov

The word legend is one that is parried around far too much these days, along with great, and champion.  There are too many fighters today who would like to be given these accolades, but are unwilling to pay the price needed to truly earn them.  Bob Foster, who passed away yesterday at the age of 77, was truly a ring legend. He was a great world champion, at a time when being champion of the world really meant something. Foster reigned supreme at light-heavyweight from 1968 to 1974. In that time, he defended the World light heavyweight championship a record 14 times, before retiring as undefeated champion.  Amongst all the carnage he left behind in the 175-pound division, he also found time to stand up to the world boxing bodies when they tried to tell him what to do.

Standing 6’ foot 3“, Foster was almost freakishly tall for light-heavyweight.  He was the perfect boxer-puncher, lean and mean, with a dynamite punch to go with his slick boxing skills. These skills included a rapier like jab, which was a dangerous weapon in its own right.  Foster had the kind of power that didn’t just stop fighters, but hurt them. The kind of punch that had many of his opponents out to the world before they had even hit the deck.

Foster was born Robert Lloyd Foster on April 27, 1938, in Borger, Texas.  As a youngster, he found himself fighting regularly on the streets, and discovered early on that he could lay an opponent out with rare ease. Foster was also a talented football player, but gravitated more to boxing as he grew older. However, it was not until Foster joined the U.S. Air force in 1957, that he became fully focused on following a path in boxing.  Foster joined the USAF boxing team, and would win the All Service Championships 3 times, and won the Middleweight silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games.  He would go on to lose just 3 of 100 fights as an amateur.

When  he was due to be discharged from the Air Force, Foster found himself in demand for his boxing ability, and was given offers to join the Marines, Navy, and the Army. He eventually chose the Army, where he was stationed at  Fort Cameron in Kentucky.  But, with a young family to support, Foster felt that he could make a better future for himself as a professional boxer, and so after a few months at Fort Cameron, he had himself discharged, and turned professional, fighting his first contest on March 27, 1961, where he scored a 2nd round knockout over Duke Williams.  Foster’s decision to turn professional turned out to be one that would not only change his life, but save it.  Eventually, according to Foster, every member of the Fort Cameron boxing team would lose their lives in Viet Nam.

Despite starting his career on an impressive note, Foster soon learned the harsh reality of professional boxing.  With his impressive amateur record, and obvious punching power, opponents were soon unwilling to face him.  When fights against men of his own weight were hard to come by, Foster was forced to take on heavyweights.  In just his 10th contest on October 20, 1962, Foster was put in with top ranked heavyweight contender Doug Jones, and was stopped in the 8th round, by the heavier, and more experienced Jones. Over the next 3 years, Foster took fights where he could get them, winning with ease when fighting fellow light-heavies, but also having to give away weight regularly against heavyweights.  During this time, Foster won 12 fights and lost 3, with all his defeats coming against ranked heavyweights.  Foster was out-pointed by Mauro Mina (whose 45-2-2 record dwarfed Fosters 11-1 record) and Zora Folley, and stopped in 7 rounds by Ernie Terrell.  After his 10 rounds points loss to Zora Folley on December 6 1965, (to whom Foster gave away over 30 pounds in weight) a disgusted and disenchanted Foster walked away from boxing.  Yet, the feeling of unfinished business and unrealized ambition was too strong to ignore, and after a year out of the ring, Foster returned in late 1966, determined to secure a shot at the world light-heavyweight title. Over the next year, Foster won 8 fights in a row, and consolidated himself as the number 1 contender for the 175-pound.

The world title shot finally came on May 24, 1968, with Foster having to guarantee the champion Dick Tiger $100,000 dollars, while collecting $10,000 for himself.   Foster didn’t mind the uneven distribution of the purse, as he was confident that his pay days would come once he had won the World Light-Heavyweight championship, which he duly achieved by knocking Tiger out in the 4th round.  This was the only time that Dick Tiger was ever knocked out during his career.

It was the beginning of Bob Foster’s rule of terror over the light-heavyweight division, and of his 14 defences, only 3 would last the distance, and those were the last 3 defences when Foster was clearly on the slide.  Much like a gunslinger, from a classic western, Foster had a way of eyeing his beaten challengers after he had sent them down to the canvas for the final time. Some of Fosters victories were truly chilling.  In 1972, he defended his title against Mike Quarry, who was undefeated in 35 contests.  Foster dropped Quarry with a right hand and a left hook, which left the challenger unconscious on the canvas for a worryingly long time. 

In 1970, Foster had a dispute with the WBA and was stripped of recognition as world champion,  with  Vincente Rondon winning the ‘vacant’ title on February 27, 1971, by knocking out Jimmy Dupree in 6 rounds. Yet, Rondon would never gain acceptance as champion from the general public, and Foster’s dominance of the division was underlined when he regained the WBA title on April 7, 1972, destroying Rondon in 2 rounds.

Foster’s only defeats during this time were to Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.  On November 18, 1970, Foster challenged Frazier for the World heavyweight championship, but Frazier, at 209 pounds to Foster’s 188 pounds, was far too strong, and knocked Foster out in the 2nd round.  Two years later, on November 21. 1972, Foster took on Muhammad Ali for the NABF Heavyweight title, giving away 41 pounds to ’The Greatest.’  Although Foster put up a brave stand, including cutting Ali over the left eye, he was floored 6 times, and eventually counted out in the 8th round.

On September 26, 1972, Foster defended his title against England’s Chris Finnegan, scoring a 14th round knockout, after an epic battle, which was later that year voted by The Ring magazine as the ‘fight of 1972.’ 

Foster was taken the distance twice in 1973 by wily South African, Pierre Fourie.  Then on June 17, 1974, Foster was held to a 15-round draw by the teak-tough Jorge Ahumada.  With the signs of decline visible, Foster announced his retirement 3 months later.

Like many before, and after him, Foster found it hard to say goodbye to the ring, and returned in 1976, for what was a strange, almost part-time comeback.  Fighting infrequently, against mostly mediocre heavyweights, Foster had 7 more fights, winning 5, and losing the final 2.  After being stopped in 2 rounds by Bob Hazelton, on June 2, 1978, Foster hung his gloves up for the final time.

After his retirement, Foster would become a detective at the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department. He was well known in the Albuquerque area for his service. He would also train boxers part time. In 1990, he was inducted into the newly established International Boxing Hall of Fame, along with other boxers such as Dick Tiger, Joe Frazier, and Muhammad Ali.

Bob Foster’s final record was 56(46koes)-8-1.  He is generally regarded as one of the greatest light-heavyweights of all time, and as one of boxing’s greatest punchers, pound-for-pound.  At a time when the best fought the best, and there were not more world champions than genuine contenders, Bob Foster was one of the best, and most feared champions of his time. 

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com