This will be the last of me that you guys will see. I am going to pull a PrettyBoyWho and retire from boxing forum.com.

This place is waaaay too strict.

and you banned Tommy for a BS reason. So I am following Tommy to his website... F I G H T G A M E dot com.

Basically BF.com, in a nutshell... **** you!!!! :cheeky4:

3. Jack Johnson
Imagine fighting the same crop of fighters over and over again, month after month. It would be pretty frustrating. Then imagine being the best of the bunch, well that's what Jack Johnson had to contend with for almost the whole of his career. It must have been incredibly frustrating for Johnson having to just watch less-talented, lumbering white heavyweights take all the glory while he out slicked fighters like greats Sam Langford and Joe Jeanette. However, unlike those other men,

Johnson was eventually granted the chance to fight for the 'real' heavyweight title. It was the original super fight, the 'coloured' heavyweight champion, Johnson locking horns with the other more-accepted world champion, Tommy Burns in front of thousands of racist, blood-thirsty fight fans. After 14 rounds the police intervened and Johnson was awarded the decision, thus becoming the first ever black heavyweight champion. The man broke boundaries and put himself in the record books for eternity.

Johnson's career after that fabled night was one of up's and down's. From the extreme highs of knocking out Stanley Ketchal, James J Jeffries and Fireman Jim Flynn, to the extreme low of being knocked out in the 26th of a scheduled 45 rounds to Jess Willard. Some say Johnson threw that fight, others disrepute this claim, saying that if Johnson was going to throw the fight why wait 26th rounds, why not do it in the first. That is something we'll never know. Without Johnson the infamous term 'Great White Hope' may never have been coined and the fact that this phrase is still a fixture in most boxing fans vocabulary shows the profound effect Johnson crossing of the colour line had.

Johnson led an extravagant life, almost as flashy as his in ring style. He sported gold teeth and was often spotted in public with white women. He blew money without thought on everything just because he could and became the first in the line of many of these kinds of fighters. I personally believe he loved to be hated, and would act so flamboyantly to fit in with his persona as 'The ****** Champion'. Johnson's lifestyle and character puts today's spoilt cry-baby’s e.g. Floyd Mayweather Jr. to shame.

From most accounts, Johnson was actually a kind man. From all accounts, he was a great fighter. Johnson will hopefully be looking down on us all now, seeing how he is remembered, revered amongst all races. You can almost picture him, flashing his gold teeth in a big smile. He broke records, he broke faces, and he broke the colour line. And for that Jack Johnson that's what puts him in 3rd position on my list.

Number 2 will be posted soon.

Top 25 Countdown: #2 Louisville Cardinals by BasketballForum.com Blog

What I Learned in CBB Week 1 by coolpohle

Heavyweights by LeedsLad



Blog 6: Jack Dempsey: Tommy Gunn by BoxingManiac

UFC Rankings: Lightweight and Welterweight by kamikaze145

UFC Rankings: Middleweight and Lightheavyweight by kamikaze145

WWE SummerSlam 2008 Review by HBKBretHart

WWE The Great American Bash 2008 Review by HBKBretHart

Smackdown v. Raw 2009 Review by CERB3RUS

[CENTER][B]Boxing HOF Inductee[/B]
Jack Dempsey[/CENTER]
Jack Dempsey is one of the greatest fighters who ever stepped foot in the ring, who had a great punch, great determination, and a great style to match. Every single one of you Mike Tyson fans better recognize that his style was molded off of the great Jack Dempsey.

[CENTER][B]HOF Fights[/B]
Mike Tyson vs. Larry Holmes 1988[/CENTER]
I like this fight because it marked the end of a curse that Larry Holmes brought on himself. When Larry Holmes built up a 48-0 record, a reporter asked him about him beating Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record, to which Holmes said that Rocky did not even deserve to carry his jock strap. Holmes lost his next three fights. Karma ftw!

[CENTER][B]My BoxingForum.com HOF[/B]
TommyGunn[/CENTER]
Tommy is awesome dood. He is the best thing since sliced bread ROFL.

[CENTER][B]Jokes[/B][/CENTER]
An Amish woman and her daughter were riding in an old buggy one
cold, blustery January day. The daughter said to the mother, "My
hands are freezing cold."

The mother replied, "Put your hands between your legs. The body
heat will warm them up." So the daughter did, and her hands
warmed up.

The next day, the daughter was riding with her boyfriend, and he
said, "My hands are freezing cold."

The daughter replied, "Put them between my legs, they'll warm
up."

The next day, the boyfriend was again driving in the buggy with
the daughter. He said, "My nose is freezing cold."

The daughter replied, "Put it between my legs. It will warm up."
He did, and his nose warmed up.

The next day, the boyfriend was once again driving with the
daughter and he said, "My penis is frozen solid."

The next day, the daughter is driving in the buggy with her
mother, and she says to her mother, "Have you ever heard of a
penis.

The slightly concerned mother says, "Sure, why do you ask?"

The daughter says, "Well, they make one hell of a mess when they
defrost!"

[CENTER][B]Funny Picture[/B][/CENTER]
[IMG]http://content.pyzam.com/funnypics/misc/DoingItWrong6.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://bp2.blogger.com/_fE03nX4gqrw/R-P_oYlg6DI/AAAAAAAAABs/09uDwbrKF_A/s1600-h/baseball.jpg[/IMG]

[CENTER][B]My Random Nonsense Thoughts[/B][/CENTER]
Its been at least 2 days. He still wont go bunny catching with me. >.< *sob*sob* Doesn't he like me.

What about all of the times that I, like, ate his pickels when he did not want them?

What about all of the times that I shared crayons with him?

Stupid son of a bitch still doesn't color inside of the lines.

[CENTER][B]My Political Thoughts[/B][/CENTER]
Obama is going to start eating discombobulating convulsing infantile retards.

Originally this was meant to be 6-3 but I think it would be better if the top 3's identity were hidden for now.

May The Countdown Continue!

6. Rocky Marciano
Oooh controversial! Yes, I know, but it's all about an opinion. Rocky Marciano took the heavyweight scene by storm in the 50's with his patented pistol-like right hand, affectionately called his 'Susie Q'. 49 wins 0 losses and 43 KO's, so why not number 1 I can hear you asking. Well, his title reign only lasted 3 years (almost to the day) and, at no fault of his own, the competition wasn't great. Jersey Joe Walcott was talented but limited while Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore were past their prime by the time Rocky took the out. We will never know how Marciano may have fared against the other men on this list, but his hear and pure, unadulterated power is enough to earn him sixth spot.

5. George Foreman
It's a travesty that this bullying (in the ring) behemoth is only remembered for three fights: his two round destruction of Joe Frazier, his loss to Muhammad Ali and his exploitation of Michael Moorer's vulnerable chin. People often forget his wins against Ken Norton, George Chuvalo and Ron Lyle amongst others. The oldest heavyweight champion ever and at one point probably the most feared man in the world, his resume is uncountable. His 90's comeback is a strange phenomenon as it both aids and damages his position on this list: 3 of his 5 losses came in this period, to men who he would have be favourite against in his prime. But his aforementioned win over Moore puts him ahead of Marciano, to regain the title at 45 years old is an incredible achievement and this edges him ahead of Rocky. Forget the grills, because this is your number 5.

4. Larry Holmes
Holmes will forever be known as the man who came between Ali and Tyson, and to be sandwiched between the two most popular heavyweights ever is not an easy place to be. But, another thing he will also be remembered as is the most dominant fighter of his era. He beat all who came in front of him for 7 years, starting from his WBC title eliminator win over Earnie Shavers and ending with a unanimous decision against Carl Williams. Had he have retired then, who knows were 'The Easton Assassin' with the world-famous jab would be on this list. But Holmes carried on and lost 3 in a row (twice to Michael Spinks and then to Mike Tyson) and he was never truly a world-class fighter ever again. Holmes will always remain an oddity; some think of him as the longest-reigning transitional champion ever, others see him as one of the most dominant champions in Heavyweight history. Holmes revealed a few years ago that he believes he should be number 1. Sorry, Larry! You're at number 4 for me.

Heavyweight Boxing

Top 10

1. Wladimir Klitschko (WBO/IBF Champion)
2. Vitali Klitschko (WBC Champion)
3. Ruslan Chagaev
4. Alexander Povetkin
5. Nikolai Valuev (WBA Champion)
6. Samuel Peter
7. James Toney
8. Sultan Ibragimov
9. Chris Arreola
10. Juan Carlos Gomez

2008 was supposed to be a big year for Heavyweight boxing, with the first unification bout for over a decade taking place at ‘The Mecca of boxing’ that is Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, 2008 turned out to be the same as the last 5 years as far as Heavyweight boxing goes. Never has the term ‘overweight’s’ been so relevant to the Heavyweight division. A division that was once the pride and crowning glory of boxing has become a laughing stock. The majority of fighters today are slow, unskilled and poorly conditioned, gone are the days of the supremely athletic big men, such as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson. Anyway, rather than dwelling over what we haven’t got, let’s look at what we do have with the Heavyweights of today.

Wladimir Klitschko is still the number one, but after rather unimpressively unifying belts against Sultan Ibragimov followed by another less than impressive display against Tony Thompson, there are still question marks over his future. It’s a sad state when the best HW in the world is a bore with a glass chin, but that’s the unfortunate reality. His brother made a fantastic comeback in 2008, and is most likely the REAL best Heavyweight (with one fight in 4 years, it’s hard to put him as the ‘official’ best). It cannot be doubted that the two Klitschko’s are the best Heavyweights at the moment; they hold ¾ of the titles with the only other champion being Valuev, the 7’0 giant who barely breaks the top 5. Its very sad that the next opponents of Wlad and Valuev, which will be Rahman and Holyfield respectively. How these two guys continue to get chances because of former glory (or just one punch, in Rahman’s case) is beyond me.

After the three belt holders, there is a string of mediocre Heavyweights occupying the top 10. Chagaev proved to have some class in out boxing the giant Valuev, but his health problems and lack of activity is a big problem, as he recently vacated his WBA strap which Valuev has since picked up. Povetkin was forced to pull out of his fight with Wlad, which could be a blessing in disguise as, at least in my opinion, he is not quite ready to fight the best in the world but he will be a very good fighter. Both Samuel Peter & Sultan Ibragimov are coming off big defeats to title holders, but such is the lack of depth at Heavyweight both still make the top 10 with ease. James Toney is a familiar name back in the mix, and seemingly back in shape (I know, how many times has this been said?) and looking for another crack at a Heavyweight belt. Chris Arreola perhaps has the potential to bring some life back into the Heavyweights, he has looked impressive in recent bouts, albeit against lacklustre opponents. A potential bout between him and David Tua would be interesting to watch. At the bottom of my top 10 is Juan Carlos Gomez, which tells you alot about the Heavyweight division today. He has looked fairly decent lately, and will be looking to fight Vitali as he is the WBC mandatory.

So, what about the future? Well, there is some hope. As mentioned earlier, young prospects Chris Arreola and Alexander Povetkin are undefeated and pushing the top 10. Both fighters have aggressive styles, and both have been in some entertaining bouts as of late. November 15th is a big date in the Heavyweight calendar, the long awaited first fight (not including his early cameo) for David Haye at his new weight. He comes with great credentials from Cruiserweight, and he takes on respectable opponent Monte Barrett in his first fight. After months of talking Haye needs to deliver a great performance in order to push for his fight with one of the Klitschko’s. The other stand-out prospect is Odlanier Solis, the big Cuban with great amateur credentials. Hes undefeated in 12 fights, but my feeling is he needs to improve his conditioning and lose some weight if he wants to become an elite Heavyweight.

What is my prediction for the next 12 months? Well, when it comes to the Heavyweights I am very much a pessimist. Something tells me Arreola will still be fighting mediocre fighters, Solis will still be out of shape and struggling with nobodies and Povetkin will still be stalling on the big fights through ‘injuries’. That leaves David Haye, now as much as I would love to see Haye clean up the division in the fashion Tyson did in the 80s, I have my doubts. In my opinion, Haye fights Wladimir Klitschko and gets stopped early on due to his weak chin, which leaves the Heavyweights... well, the same way it’s been since the great Lennox Lewis retired; very disappointing.

2008 College Football Thoughts (Week 10) by Dissonance19

Calzaghe-Jones 24/7: Episode 3 by NFFC

WWF Survivor Series 1991 Review by HBKBretHart

WWF Survivor Series 1990 Review by HBKBretHart

WWF Survivor Series 1989 Review by HBKBretHart

WCW The Great American Bash 1989 Review by HBKBretHart

WCW Starrcade 1989 Review by HBKBretHart

WWE Unforgiven 2008 Review by HBKBretHart


Royal Rumble 08 by Rawlin67

can anyone remember the thrills of your first fight,the thrills and the ups and downs 1996 for mine,will always be my best and most memorable win.thirteen years old getting my arm raised the adrenaline going through me at the time,just new boxing was for me after that.Miss all the thrills sadly boxing will be no more for me haven't got the time to continue,boxing gave me thirteen good years of mylife. :D

It's fight week in New York. Words I've been waiting to hear for months. The fight is almost upon us, and it is time for the final episode of the Calzaghe-Jones 24/7.

Both fighters are now in New York. Joe Calzaghe is relaxed and still focused on the job. Roy Jones goes down to Madison Square Garden, a venue in which he holds a 5-0 record, and of course, the venue of the fight, to watch Basketball. He says that the energy of the Garden is "phenomenal". Roy knows he will be the main attraction on November 8th, and he too is now very focused, and he seems desperate to get on with the fight.

Election Day is spent promoting the fight. Then Joe goes to Little Italy. The days of him struggling to make 168 are well and truly a thing of the past. Later in the afternoon Joe's girlfriend and two sons join him in New York. Roy's family will arrive later, but his Dad won't be coming. I find this interesting. It is so hard to understand their relationship. Roy says his Dad would probably just tell him what to do. That's very possible. But it's still slightly surprising that to me that his Dad won't be there.

It is now night time, and hundreds have gathered in Times Square to witness Barack Obama's victory. Roy seems overcome with emotion. He says that Calzaghe will now have to kill him to beat him on November 8th. Which must be proof if it was needed that he ain't thinking straight and really is overcome with emotion :laugh:.

Back to the Calzaghe camp. Calzaghe says that going to Vegas and New York is "nothing" and he ain't a "home boy". He seems to be playing half fighter, half promoter. However I think it's relaxing him. I think he put himself under a lot of pressure for the Hopkins fight, whereas here he can relax more.

It is now time for the final press conference. Jones continues to use the election by saying "he's about change". Enzo Calzaghe quickly brings him back down to earth though by saying "there won't be no f***ing change". Made me laugh. We then hear some quotes from the fighters whilst seeing them train around New York. Calzaghe says the American public will be shocked to see how good he really is, whilst Jones says there ain't nobody who can keep him down. A great end to the episode and the three part series. HBO have done another great job. This fight has me excited. I think we'll see something special on Saturday night.

Jazz Editorial: Lights Out, Jazz Win Opener by unluckyseventeen

Mini Missouri Valley Preview by coolpohle

Mini Big 10 Preview by coolpohle

Mini SEC Preview by coolpohle

Duke 2008 Coaches Clinic Recap by TM

Top 25 Countdown: #3 UCLA Bruins by BasketballForum.com Blog

The Return of 24/7! By NFFC

Rocky Marciano: Megarodon by BoxingManiac

Mr. Masterpiece: Bernard Hopkins by Jake Shaw

Calzaghe-Jones 24/7: Episode 2 By NFFC

Jake Shaw's Greatest Heavyweights of All Time. Numbers 10-7 by Jake Shaw

John L. Sullivan: hhascup by BoxingManiac

Shawn Michaels vs Triple H vs Chris Benoit WMXX by Rayven

One Night Stand 08 by Rawlin67


WWE Backlash 2004 Review by HBKBretHart

Shawn Michaels vs Triple H vs Chris Benoit Backlash 2004 by Rayven

Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit Raw 05/03/04 by Rayven

WWF Backlash 2002 Review by HBKBretHart

Backlash 03 by Rawlin67

WWE The Great American Bash 2004 by HBKBretHart

Through my eyes #1 - Heartbreak Kid spiritual enough? By gmkhercules

WWE No Mercy 2004 Review by HBKBretHart

Judgment Day 03 by Rawlin67

WWE No Mercy 2003 Review by HBKBretHart

WWE No Mercy 2002 Review by HBKBretHart

WWF Invasion 2001 Review by HBKBretHart

[FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]Boxing HOF Inductee[/CENTER][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Impact"][CENTER]John L. Sullivan[/CENTER][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]The reason that I chose Sullivan for my HOF this blog is because I view him as the second greatest fighter of al time. He was a man who had no style, but could, as he put it, "lick any son of a bitch in the house." He fought hundreds of men (although there are only around 45 fights recorded) and has been reported on numerous occasions to have broken bones with single punches. Aside from that, he also has an outstanding chin. A chin good enough to go 75 rounds with the tough Jake Kilraine.[/FONT]

[FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]HOF Fight[/CENTER][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Impact"][CENTER]Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston[/CENTER][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]At the time of this fight, Muhammad Ali was known as Cassius Clay and was considered as nothing but an amateur, and many people were saying that Liston would get him in one, maybe in two. When the fight night came in 1964, Muhammad Ali remained untouched, and won the fight when Liston saw his own blood after the 7th round, which Liston was not used to. This fight was one of the greatest upsets of the century.[/FONT]

[FONT="Impact"][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Modern News[/SIZE][/CENTER][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]-Challenger Raul “El Diamente” Marquez vowed once again at today’s press conference in Germany to shock the boxing world when he fights unbeaten International Boxing Federation middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham on Saturday at Jako Arena in Bamberg, Germany.
-"Americans can't fight as well as they think they can," unbeaten light heavyweight Joe Calzaghe told the London Times in advance of Saturday's fight with Roy Jones Jr. "They've always been ignorant. That's why they don't give me the respect I deserve. Americans only won one boxing medal in the Olympics [a bronze]; they haven't got one heavyweight world champion.
-Lightweight Bobby Pacquiao (29-14-3, 14 KOs) will fnow face current NABA titleholder Robert Frankel (25-9-1, 4 KOs) on the November 20 American Metal & Iron Fight Night at the Tank at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.[/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]My BoxingForum HOF[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Impact"]hhascup[/FONT][/CENTER]
[FONT="Courier New"]hhascup is an abbreviation for the real man behind the screen, Henry Hascup, who is one of the greatest historians in New Jersey. I am entering Henry into my HOF simply because of his boxing history accomplishments off of the computer. Just that beautiful Jersey Joe Walcott memorial is deserving of this HOF title.
[/FONT]
[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]Jokes[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER]
[FONT="Courier New"]Q. A blonde ordered a pizza and the clerk asked if he should cut it in six or twelve pieces.
A. "Six, please. I could never eat twelve pieces."

Q. What's a blonde's idea of safe sex?
A. Locking the car door.

Q. Why did the dum blond keep failing her driver's test?
A. Because every time the door opened, she jumped into the back seat.

Q. Did you hear about the funny blonde who tried to blow up her husband's car?
A. She burned her lips on the tailpipe.

Q. Why is it okay for dumb blonde's to catch cold?
A. They don't have to worry about blowing their brains out.

Q. What do you call an unmarried blond in a BMW?
A. Divorcee'

Q. Why can't a blonde get a drivers license?
A. Because every time the instructor says "Let's park" she jumps in the back seat.

Q. What do you call a swimming pool full of blondes?
A. Frosted Flakes.

Q. Why do blondes wash their hair in the sink?
A. Because, that's where you're supposed to wash vegetables!

Q. Why don't blondes eat Jello?
A. They can't figure out how to get two cups of water into those little packages.

Q. What goes VROOM, SCREECH,VROOM, SCREECH,VROOM, SCREECH?
A. A blonde going through a flashing red light.

Q. Why are there lip stick stains on the steering wheel after a blonde drives a car?
A. Because she blows the horn!

Q. Why is a blonde like a door knob?
A. Because everybody gets a turn.[/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]Funny Picture[/SIZE][/FONT]
[IMG]http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/cripster/WRONG5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]

[FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]My Random Nonsense Thoughts[/CENTER][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]It makes me sad when hippos are assasinated. It makes me scream "get the peanut butter NAO!" When I do get the peanut butter i light it aflame and I throw it at pigeons.
then I wake up and cry because the aliens are coming to get me. Then I feel safe with my foil wrapped around my head.[/FONT]

[FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"][CENTER]My Political Thoughts[/CENTER][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]Well, Obama has been elected. The only thing to do now is watch him drag us down farther into the hole.[/FONT]

Let The Countdown Begin!

10. Sam Langford
History can often change over time; untruths slip into stories and become common belief. One of these is that Jack Johnson was the main sufferer of racial discrimination in boxing. Johnson may not have had it easy, but at least he got a title shot, one black man who never did was Sam Langford. An excellent stylish who despite being a light-heavyweight in size, regularly outboxed and outfoxed bewildered white heavyweights. The Boston Tar Baby was only 5'7 yet still few men could cope with his ferocious hand speed and undeniable slickness. It's not like he couldn't punch either, 130 stoppages from 200 fights is impressive against opposition the same size, but even better when you consider Langford often fought much bigger men. Whether he's the greatest fighter never to hold a title is doubtable, but one thing that isn't is his place on this list.

9. Harry Wills
In Depression era boxing, the infamous colour line meant that most of this black heavyweight's fights came against other African-Americans. It's his astonishing record in these fights which gain him this placing. 6 wins against the above Langford and 3 against Sam McVey are the main reasons which warrant such a high placing, but wins over Willie Meehan can only help his case. A big puncher who amassed an impressive 49 kayo's throughout his excellent career. The one big blot on his record is a DQ loss to former champion Jack Sharkey. Sharkey was never a great champion, but he was clearly winning before Wills got himself disqualified due to building frustration. Another man who never even got a chance to hold sport's premier prize, he was honoured by The Ring magazine by being included in their 100 greatest punchers list.

8. Joe Frazier
Smokin' Joe's career is a bit of an enigma in that the one man who made him, also dropped him a few rungs on the all-time ladder. That man is Muhammad Ali, who Frazier famously beat in the 'Fight of the Century'. That was certainly the jewel in the crown for Frazier, but if you take out his wins are still pretty impressive. Wins over Bob Foster, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry and George Chuvalo read nicely too. The one big blow to Frazier's claim to be higher on this list is his first loss to George Foreman. That the undefeated Frazier reluctantly relinquished his Championship to Big George is not something to be ashamed of. Instead it's the way he lost which will for ever haunt Joe. He met the canvas 6 times in 2 rounds and was absolutely annihilated by the younger hard-hitting Foreman. Further losses to Ali x2 and one more to Foreman make up his four defeats, it that stat which shows perfectly how 'Frazier lost to the best, but destroyed the rest.' Unfortunately, that's only enough for eighth place on this list.

7. Lennox Lewis
Admit it! You didn't really like Lewis when he was around, too boring, too defensive. Maybe those comments are true, but I know one comment that is certainly correct and that is 'too good'! People whined when Lennox was one top but when he retired a lot of people realised how much they missed him and how important he was. Lewis beat every man he fought, that's more than most men can say, and it's a testament to his heart. Remember when the then unknown Hasim Rahman took Lewis' title, his dignity and his unbeaten which at that point dated back to 1994? Back then most thought he was finished, over the hill and out of the picture. But no, Lennox shown that famous Lion's heart and came back, regained the title via a thunderous knock out and then made 2 more defences before retiring as a champion. Lewis beat every top class heavyweight of the 90's, bar none (he beat Riddick Bowe in the Olympics) and that's no easy feat. Holyfield - check. Tyson - check. Tua -check. Morrison - check. The list could go on. But the main point here is, like him or love him, Lewis slots in at 7 on the count down.

Jake Shaw's Greatest Heavyweights of All Time. Numbers 6-3 will be next week!

On Sunday the second episode of Calzaghe-Jones 24/7 was shown on HBO. I was eager to watch after seeing the first episode, which showed that 24/7 was just as good without the Mayweather's. HBO did an excellent job on the first episode.

This episode highlighted the fighters relationships with their fathers. Firstly it was Jones. He said that his Dad was willing to sacrifice love to get a job done. It was also said that Roy Sr. hit his son's thigh with a pipe whilst doing sprints. Their relationship hasn't been smooth for about 16 years. Not consistently anyway. However Roy doesn't seem angry. He says they're cool as friends. That didn't surprise me. I just don't think Roy would ever want his Dad near his training camp again.

In the Calzaghe camp, things are going well. As Joe has a haircut, Enzo plays his guitar. That had me laughing so much. Enzo then talked about how music and boxing are similar, with there being seven shots in both music and boxing. Don't quite see much of a connection myself but each to their own. The father-son relationship with the Calzaghe's is a lot more relaxed and easy going. Then the focus switches to his Mum, and how scared she is to watch his fights. It is said that she has never attended one of her son's bouts. She seems genuinely frightened about what her son does. This does surprise me, as it is a big contrast to Enzo.

Meanwhile Roy has gone back to his hometown of Pensacola to see his family. I am always in awe of Roy's popularity in his hometown. This time is no different. He sees his kids and his father again. Roy Sr. says it will take more than Calzaghe to beat his son. I think he underestimates Calzaghe, but time will tell whether he is right. The relationship still looks strained, but looks better than it has been before.

We then go back to the Calzaghe camp, where it is his last day of training before leaving for New York. After a minor problem with a lost mouthpiece, the team leave the gym. Then, Joe says goodbye to his family and his Mum and leaves for New York. His girlfriend and sons seem calm. His mother seems very upset, and nervous about the fight. Unsurprising after what we found out earlier.

Roy has now gone back to California, PA. It is also his last day before he leaves to New York. The mood still seems quite relaxed and fun. Joe meanwhile has arrived in New York. I feel excitement now as I see Joe in New York. The fight isn't far away now. The episode was interesting, because it showed the relationship between Roy and his Dad, and Calzaghe and his Mum. It was slightly disappointing in that we didn't learn as much as in some previous 24/7 episode's, but it was still a good, enjoyable watch. I look forward to the third episode on Thursday.

Mr. Masterpiece
After Pavlik, is Hopkins the best of his era?

It was a fight all those who witnessed may never, ever forget. In a bloodstained Chicago ring, 'Sugar' Ray Robinson delivered one of the best performances of his career. 'Sugar' battered long time foe, Jake LaMotta from pillar to post. The latter was cut, swollen and bruised when Robinson ended proceedings via TKO in the 13th, when after a barrage of blows, referee Frank Sicora was forced to jump in. Robinson, at this time at age 30, was a middleweight and a few years gone from his prime down at 147lbs, but he gave everyone in attendance flashback in what proved to be the final bout in a historic 6 fight series.

Fast forward 37 years, and in a makeshift ring somewhere in Atlantic City, debutant Clinton Mitchell picked up the first win of his career via majority decision. Mitchell hoped it would be the first of many (he retired in 1998 with a 3-1-1 record). His opponent was a Philadelphian named Bernard Hopkins. Now 20 years after the fight with Mitchell, Hopkins has an excellent 49-5-1 record and is a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer. That B-Hop is great is unquestionable, but how great? Some say the best of his era, this writer agrees.

Look at who he's beaten. While rival Roy Jones was padding out his record with names like Richard Hall and David Telesco, Hopkins was busy beating other future Hall of Famers for fun. Oscar De La Hoya, Winky Wright and Felix Trinidad will one day have a plaque in Canastota, but what else do they all have in common, that's right, they've all lost to Hopkins. But it's not just these three, Kelly Pavlik and Antonio Tarver have a good chance of making the hall, and Hopkins outclassed both of them. Impressive? Also factor in wins against William Joppy, Glen Johnson, Antwun Echols and Syd Vanderpool. There's no doubting Hopkins resume.

Some detractors point to Hopkins' losses, but really, had the judges have been a bit kinder, he could have another 4 wins on his ledger. The loss to Mitchell was only via majority decision and was razor close. Both losses (especially the first) to Jermain Taylor are highly disputed, as is the April defeat to Joe Calzaghe. In fact, Hopkins has only ever been beaten definitively once, and that was to a near-prime Roy Jones, nearly 2 years before he won Hopkins won his first world title. There's no shame in that.

Hopkins is somewhat considered a late bloomer, he was 30 when he won his first alphabet world title, The Ring magazine middleweight world champion at 36 and he won the same belt up at light-heavyweight at the grand old age of 41. That's longevity for you, has any other fighter fought so consistently well over such a long period of time, not many. B-Hop's 20 title defences at 160lbs illustrate perfectly what little effect time has played on Hopkins. Even now at 43 he is the consensus #2 175lbs fighter in the world and is coming of a dominant win over the extremely dangerous Pavlik, 17 years his junior. That Hopkins can still do this in his forties is a testament to Hopkins' conditioning. Have you ever seen Hopkins come to a fight out of shape? Thought not.

But the Nay-Sayers always find something else to hold onto. Some say Hopkins' questionable character writes him of from 'great' status. But why? The infamous 'white boy' comment to Calzaghe was a misunderstanding. Hopkins was not discriminating, he was just pointing out that when he was younger, everyone would want to fight the white guy in the gym as he was perceived as weak. Granted, 'The Executioner' did so in a very poor way, but he has since apologised and it's not like he does this kind of think every fight, like some other greats did e.g. Muhammad Ali. Other's point to his unfortunate trait of holding, sometimes unnecessarily and his style which often is said to ruin fights and make the opponent look bad, but since when have we judged fighters on how he wins fights. As long as he wins, it shouldn't matter how he does it. And it's not like Hopkins has always fought this way, he was once a different fighter. In his youth he took far more risks and picked up a lot more knockouts. The only reason for his in-ring metamorphosis is age, which although hasn't stopped him winning, has slowed him down. He has to fight differently than he used to otherwise he'd get knocked out every time at the top level. Why would Hopkins voluntarily do this? Simple answer is, he wouldn't.

Like him or not Hopkins is and always will be 'The Executioner'. So few weaknesses and so many strengths, Hopkins is a phenomenal physical specimen, one of the best pure athletes the world has ever seen. His constant evolution into a new fighter every few years is what has kept him ahead of the pack. 20 Middleweight Title defences, more than anyone and titles in two of boxing's toughest, most respected divisions and he's still building his legacy. His rise is an incredible one, from the streets to prison, to the ring, to glory. And once he finally hangs up the gloves, it will be a short 5 years wait until one more step can be added to that list 'to the Hall of Fame'.

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]Boxing HOF Inductee [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT="Impact"]Rocky "The Brockton Blockbuster" Marciano[/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT="Courier New"]I chose Marciano to be the inductee for this blog because I simply think that he is the greatest fighter to ever step foot inside of the ring. He had two left feet, he was short, he had horrible reach, he was slow, and somehow he came to use all of his disadvantages to an advantage while fighting some of his opponents. He was the greatest because of his chin, strategic fighting, and unbeatable determination. You could have torn the man's head open and it would read in weird brain letters "WIN"![/FONT]

[FONT="Impact"][CENTER][SIZE="5"]HOF Fight[/SIZE]
Jack Johnson vs. Stanley Ketchel: 1909[/CENTER][/FONT]
[FONT="Courier New"]Jack Johnson and Stanley Ketchel were having this fight pretty much for fun, when it stopped being fun in the 12th round when Stanley's manager yelled out "now, Stanley, now!" and Ketchel proceeded to knock the heavyweight champion down with a solid right hand to the chin. Jack Johnson got pissed off and hit Stanley Ketchel about as hard as a human being has ever been hit, and as Stanley was being counted out, Jack Johnson stood in his corner and picked teeth out of his gloves that did not belong to him, they belonged to the fallen Ketchel. Just seeing Johnson picking teeth out of his gloves sends shivers up my spine. [/FONT]

[FONT="Impact"][CENTER][SIZE="5"]Modern News[/SIZE][/CENTER][/FONT]

[FONT="Courier New"]-STUNNING UPSET: Muhammad Ali wins the heavyweight championship when Sonny Liston will not come out for the eighth round.
-Boobs: Alternative energy source?
[/FONT]
[FONT="Impact"][CENTER][SIZE="5"]My BoxingForum HOF[/SIZE]
Megarodon[/CENTER][/FONT]

[FONT="Courier New"]The reason that I chose Megarodon to be the new inductee for my HOF is because whenever I am reading the fantasy fight sections, wehn Megarodon posts, he states what he thinks will happen and then he gives a good, short explanation as to why he beleives that the fight would go that way, and then he leaves forever, not really arguing with anybody. [/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]Joke[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT="Courier New"]A Frenchman and a Canadian live next door to each other and the Canadian has a chicken coop in his back yard. One day they both come out at the same time realizing that the chicken had laid an egg on the Frenchman's yard. They than began to argue about who's egg it belonged to, the Frenchman arguing that it was on his property, and the Canadian arguing that his chicken had laid the egg. Finally the Canadian came up with a solution. Whoever took the most kicks to the nuts before keeling over would win the egg. The Canadian want's to go first, so he kicks the Frenchman in the nuts 10 times before the Frenchman keels over in pain. When the Frenchman rose and said, "now its my turn", the Canadian replied, "You know what? You can keep the egg, i am going in for a nap."
[/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]Funny Picture[/SIZE][/FONT]

[IMG]http://www.demotivateus.com/posters/waterballoon-demotivational-poster.jpg[/IMG]

[FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]My Random Nonsense Thought[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT="Courier New"]Well if you are sitting here reading this I have to tell you that I am not the average female hippopotamus. I actually know the way to Kansas and can eat very large quantities of corn without emancipating teh little elfish slaves that Santa keeps in his den. Well some people call the people who throw rocks at tanks crazy, but I think taht I have accomplished a new level of crazy. I am now currently fighting against the government of the united states of america by throwing Rubber duckies as they come towards me in their tanks. Some day I will find out how to keep the tanks in line by using my car keys as a tranquilizer dart to distract the army while my girlfriend goes and fetches me an elephant, which it will hopefully be dumbo and he can fly us all to safety. Well, a girl can dream cant he?[/FONT]

[CENTER][FONT="Impact"][SIZE="5"]My Political Thoughts[/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER]

[FONT="Courier New"]Well I have compared and contrasted the two candidates for the Presidency of the United States of America, and I really think that Obama is under qualified for the job. If you compare them, McCain's credentials start all the way back in 1958. Obamas has just started in the early part of the 1990s. Obama became senator in 2004. McCain became Senator in 1986. Now I want somebody to tell me who would have the experience hand to deal with the high pressure of fixing the ruined economy of this country and fighting the war the way that it should be fought, which McCain should have the upper hand in too because he has seen war and he has suffered the pain that comes with war. And nobody should be pulling the crap that McCain is too old for president. You can put an age limit on sports and you can put an age limit for the time that some dood retires, but I want to know, how the hell can you be TOO old to be the President of the United States of America?[/FONT]

[B]Boxing HOF[/B]
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Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Henry Armstrong
Rocky Marciano

[B]My BoxingForum HOF[/B]
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Obama
Bill1234
SugarShane
Megarodon

[B]Fight HOF[/B]
---------------------------
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns II
Rocky Marciano vs. Bernie Reynolds
Tommy Morrison vs. Ray Mercer
Jack Johnson vs. Stanley Ketchel