To all boxing fans. So what are your thoughts about Trinidad’s retirement? Is that true that Hopkins refused to face Trinidad in Novemeber? I think it would be an 80% sure win for Hopkins, they could do it pay per view again, why would he refuse? How about de la Hoya’s refusal? In this case I think Felix would win.
You can definitely get the scoop on this on www.fightnews.com - the news of this would be either in “archives” or you need to go back a few pages.
And de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions will be in town (Portland) next week, July 18 in the Rose Garden. Damn, would love to watch this fight. Anywhoos, I guess we'll never know who would come out on top in a Trinidad/Hopkins fight. And now, there may be a Mosley / de la Hoya rematch in February - depending upon the outcome of the de la Hoya/Vargas bout in September.
I am very close to De la Hoya’s people and I can garuantee you that Trinidad is only retired for the sake of getting you to talk about it. There is no one to fight at the moment and no one is talking about him. Good move Felix. Oscar will get around to fighting him, you gotta understand this about Oscar, he can only lose. He is one of the richest athletes ever and hands down the most popular boxer ever because of his crossover appeal to women. Assuming he wins his next two or three fights he will meet trinidad. Oh did I mention that Oscar owns the most successful promotion company in California. He is a busy business man unlike anyone he fights he is 29 and runs his own show, a multimillion dollar show at that. If I have anything to do with it, and I just might, Oscar will be a DARK RENEGADE after he pulverizes fat boy Vargas. If Oscar comes over to the “Dark Side” say good night, literally to all comers.
The great thing about de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and Sugar Ray Leonard’s own promotion gig, is that they want to begin “corruption” (for lack of a better word) free promotions in boxing. I hope they can do it.
Patricia :-)
He’ll fight again, but everyone is busy right now.
On another note, what about Lennox Lewis dodging Klitschko? Gee didn't see that one coming.
Didn’t Emanuel Stewart say that he wants Klitshko to fight Lewis. Klitshko looked pretty good against Ray Mercer. Klitshko is Lewis’s size and would be a good fight.
JasonL: regarding Klitschko / Lewis. Check out www.fightnews.com - and read a statement by Lewis. And then read the comeback by Klitschko. raising eyebrow Interesting…
Heres what Lewis said:
"Wladimir Klitschko...he's not tough enough," Lewis told SKY Sports. "He's not ready for me yet. It would be a waste of my time to go and fight him. I would knock him out."
Then Klitschko posted this on fightnews:
It seems to me that Lennox is looking for an excuse to not have to fight me. I would love to show him that I´m tough enough. If Lennox will not retire whom does he want to fight next? Chris Byrd, whom I totally beat up, or a third match against Holyfield or a rematch against Tyson? Are these the fights the fans want to see? I don't think so. Ask the fans, carry out a poll and you will see Lewis vs Wladimir Klitschko is the fight most people want to see. On the other hand if Lennox wants to keep the WBC belt he has to fight the mandatory challenger sooner or later and that`s my brother Vitali. Then Lennox will see how tough the Klitschkos are. We are both ready and I can only repeat once again: let's start the promotion with a chess match and then we move to the ring. Lennox I really hope you won't retire before you give one of the Klitschko Brothers a shot at your titles.
If Lewis is really the badass that he says he is,and truly wants respect, then he should prove it by fighting the number one heavyweight as rated by fightnews, and ring magazine. But Klitschko did what only one fighter (Holyfield) has done, send Mercer to the canvas, and do what no other fighter has by stopping him. Mercer gave Lennox some serious trouble, so Lennox wants no part of Klitschko.
I think Lewis wants to fight Klichko but right now Klichko is not popular enough in the us. He needs a couple more fights here and a good scandal like Tyson-Lewis to raise the money. So IMHO these statemnts are a way of increasing interest to the fight. Another possibility is that Lewis wants to retire (unlikely according to Stewart) and is talking his way out. Who do you guys think Klichko should fight next, if Lewis won’t fight him? Ruiz seems the right candidate to me.
Nick: I don’t think Lewis wants to retire. I just don’t believe that he would retire. And as Vladimer said, it makes more sense that Lewis fight Vitali next. Either way, it shouldn’t matter if Klitschko is popular in the US or not. I mean how many people heard of Kostya Tsuyu? But the fact that he wasn’t known, did not stop anyone from fighting him.
Also, Lewis saying that Klitschko is "inexperienced" - is bunk. So was Michael Grant when Lewis fought him. And as in what Ko said: if Lewis truly believes that he can "knock" Klitschko out - than man, prove it. Show it. And THAT will prove to me (and other Lewis "disbelievers") once and for all, that Lewis is the UNDISPUTED Heavyweight champion. I'm sorry, but until Lewis stops ducking Klitschko (either Vitali or Vladimer), there will always be questions as to his status.
As for Ruiz, here's a part of a interview from Fight News:
FIGHT NEWS: Lennox Lewis has said time and time again that he has no reason to fight you. Do you think if you were to fight WBO champion Wladmir Klitschko and beat him, that would up the ante for a fight with Lewis? Ruiz: "Probably not. So far we've got nothing. We've always wanted the fight with Lewis, but we've heard directly from his camp that he'd never fight me. Lennox now, all he likes to do is fight for the money. Maybe one day HBO will put up something to Lennox's liking and we can get the opportunity to fight him."
Fighting Ruiz would give him the WBA belt, and put him in the position to unify the heavyweights in four different sanctio0ning bodies, but fighting Chris Byrd would might put him in a postion to force Lewis to defend his IBF belt. Its a tough call, I think he should fight Ruiz though.
Interesting article:
Columnist Dean Juipe:
Lewis? future may hinge on Johnson
aaa
Lennox Lewis holds all the cards in boxing?s
heavyweight division, and rightly so. When he
decides what he wants to do next, everyone else?s
plans will fall into place like so many dominos.
Lewis, at 36 years old, is said to be contemplating
retirement, as is his prerogative after defeating
every formidable opponent to come his way in the
past decade or so. Yet with at least two
decent-money fights on the horizon that he would
likely win, perhaps even with ease, it?s within
reason to suggest he will see the benefits of
extending his reign.
To be sure, there won?t be another $20 million
payday like he just received for roughing up Mike
Tyson. But a Lewis vs. Tyson rematch, which was
addressed if not mandated in their original
contract, could be worth $10 million, as might a
bout in Canada with Kirk Johnson in the event he
beats John Ruiz later this month in Las Vegas.
Also very much on the table is a somewhat riskier
fight with Wladimir Klitschko, although I think
Lewis wins that one as well.
So Lewis, the WBC and IBF champion, has sufficient
options. This is just a guess, but I think he?ll
wait and see if Johnson wins July 27 at Mandalay Bay
and, should that occur, suggest a unification fight
that might draw 50,000 spectators to the Skydome in
Toronto.
Ruiz, the WBA champion, could throw a wrench into
those plans by beating Johnson, a Canadian with a
limited resume who has had hand and elbow troubles.
But bettors and some experts like Johnson in that
fight and, if he were to win, it sets up a bout with
Lewis, who was raised in Canada although he?s now a
citizen of England.
If Ruiz beats Johnson, Lewis might go ahead and
retire as neither he nor the general public is
intrigued by a fight with Ruiz. Likewise, Lewis vs.
IBF mandatory challenger Chris Byrd lacks the
financial and emotional incentives Lewis feels he
needs to extend his career.
But let?s say Johnson beats Ruiz and then fights
Lewis later this year. That scenario also gives
Tyson a chance to not only resurrect his career but
come up with a tangible excuse as to why he was so
passive in his fight with Lewis, and the marketing
for a Lewis-Tyson II fight to be held next spring
can begin in earnest.
Lewis, who would smother Byrd if he had to and
hammer Ruiz if it became a necessity, is too much
for Johnson and has already demonstrated his
dominance over Tyson. The net result: Lewis, should
he choose to continue fighting, can safely predict
he will have added two victories -- and another $20
million -- to his 40-2-1 record by this time next
year.
At that time, a fight with Klitschko would make more
sense than it does today and Lewis could take it and
announce it would be his finale. Such a plan gives
Klitschko additional time to develop and add to his
reputation, while allowing Lewis the opportunity to
complete a clean sweep of the division.
It?s an orderly plan: Lewis beats Johnson before a
big crowd, beats Tyson for good money and meets
Klitschko in a win-or-lose swan song. There are no
dogs in the bunch and the public, let alone Lewis
himself, is apt to be satisfied.
The wild card, of course, is Kirk Johnson. If he
doesn?t beat Ruiz, all bets pertaining to Lewis are
off.
Thats an interesting scenario, Johnshon is actualy rated higher than Ruiz by fightnews, and Ring magazine, and may win that matchup. Its sad that he cares more about the money, and not his reputation.