IMPRESSED WITH CHAMBERS

Hey Doug,
I was rather impressed (and entertained) with Eddie Chambers against Alex Dimitrenko. Not only did Chambers beat the 6'7'' and athletic Dimitrenko he busted him up. He controlled the center of the ring the whole fight and consistently backed up and stalked Dimitrenko. Could he do the same with Wladimir Klitschko? I am now intrigued and would like to see that fight. -- Stephen, Montreal

I think Chambers did well enough against Dimitrenko that his eventual challenge of Wladdy Klitschko won’t be entirely dismissed by the boxing world. He’ll still be a HUGE underdog if that fight ever comes off, and for good reason. The only things Dimitrenko and Klitschko have in common is their giant stature and Ukrainian background. Dimitrenko lacks the champ’s speed, power, offensive form and, of course, experience. Dimitrenko pawed with his jab all night, moved entirely too much for a man with a 45-pound weight advantage and willingly backed to the ropes in almost every round, giving Chambers the opportunity to tee off with short combos punctuated by accurate uppercuts on the inside.

However, I must give Chambers props for taking advantage of the big lug’s technical and strategic flaws. The old Eddie Chambers would not have pursued Dimitrenko to the ropes, or let his hands go when in close. The old Chambers would have been comfortable making Dimitrenko miss, or blocking the taller man’s jabs and firing back only a single jab in return. The version of Chambers that lost to Alex Povetkin would not have stepped on the gas in the late rounds the way the new Eddie Chambers did vs. Dimitrenko.

I think Chambers justified his No. 5-ranking by THE RING with his unanimous decision over Dimitrenko (who was ranked No. 7 last week), and I think he and Chris Arreola are America’s best hopes for future heavyweight champs.


CHRIS BYRD-IT IS

Hey Dougie,
Not sure if you got a chance to catch the video or highlights of the Dimitrenko-Chambers fight, but I had 2 initial impressions. First, I couldn't tell if Eddie's head was way too small or Sasha's head was a melon, but I don't recall ever seeing 2 fighters with such different head sizes in there. I guess Valuev has a huge noggin', but the disparity in head sizes really struck me this time for some reason.

Second, I couldn't believe Chambers weighed in at 208 (instead of the 220s that he has weighted in his last 5 or so fights) and was still so flabby around the midsection. I realize boxing is not a body building competition, and I know from experience how hard it can be, trying to lose those last 10-15 lbs in order to show some ab definition, all in vain. But it just seems that Eddie could make a great cruiser or light heavy, and a la Chris Byrd, he has decided to fight at heavyweight with the big boys.

Yeah he hung in there with slow-and-fat Peter. Yeah he seems to continue improving. But ultimately he will get destroyed by Wlad just like Chris did. I personally would rather see him face someone like Adamek than the Klitschkos. Do you think I am way off here, and how do you see Eddie's future turn out?

Thanks, and keep up the great work! -- B from NYC

I think Chambers is too old (27) and his bones are too big for him to make light heavyweight. He would drain himself horribly if he even tried to make 175 pounds. However, the cruiserweight limit (200 pounds) is not out of the question. He looked fit and obviously felt good after weighing in at 208. I would like to see him consistently weigh-in between 205 and 208 for three or four bouts before I’d start beating the drums for him to get down to 199 or 200 to face the cruiserweight champ. I think Adamek-Chambers would be an excellent fight because the champ would press the issue and force Chambers to exchange. And being the naturally bigger man, who is used to far heavier dudes putting it on him, I think Chambers would have no problems letting his hands go.

But if Chambers did go down to 200 poundds, I think Adamek is the only fight he would take. He would only do it for a decent payday and a shot at the cruiserweight title. If he won it, I don’t think there are any matchups for him at cruiser that would make for an event (unless David Haye decided to come back down). So I think he would go right back up to heavyweight where the money is and where the glory could be.

I don’t care if a heavyweight’s abdominal muscles show or not. I just want them to be in good enough shape to box and fight for however many rounds their bout has been scheduled.

Larry Holmes never had a six-pack. ‘Nuff said.

Oh yeah, Eddie’s definitely got a small head. That’s a good thing. I was always told that boxer’s with tiny heads were harder to knockout that those with big domes.


LIGHT IS RIGHT FOR CHAMBERS

Man, I wish Eddie Chambers weighed 205 for every fight. Hopefully he will going forward. Props to him for taking on guys nobody else wants to fight, going to Germany which nobody wants to do, and being a class act in general. I know that realistically nobody wants to root for a heavyweight that's not going to knock everyone out, but you have to respect a guy that comes in at 7/8 scale of his opponents and shows some athleticism in this weight class. I'm a lot more excited about his long-term potential than Chris Arreola. Chris will be Kayo'd by either Vlad or Vitali within 3 rounds because he doesn't move his enormous head. Period. I wouldn't favor Chambers against Vladimir just yet, but I think he could dance a jig around Vitali easily. And Vlad's not getting any younger, and we all know how much he loves movement (not). Thoughts? -- JRT

I agree that Chambers deserves props for taking on giants and punchers who outweigh him by 40-50 pounds and showing skill, athleticism and class (in and out of the ring) while doing it. He’s every bit as brave as Chris Byrd was/is.

I disagree that Chambers will be able to easily “dance a jig” around Wladimir. The champ’s excellent jab can throw Eddie’s entire game off because he can match the Pittsburgh native’s speed while overwhelming the much smaller man with his power. Eddie can slip jabs well, but he prefers to try and block them with his high guard. This preference will do him in vs. Wladdy. I’m not saying that Chambers can’t be competitive with the champ. I think he can be more competitive than the more respected Ruslan Chagaev was, and if he continues to develop he might be able to upset the giant, but it won’t be as easy as simply skipping around Klitschko for 12 rounds.

I also disagree that Arreola has no shot against either Klitschko. He has an aggressive, pressuring, combination-dropping style that can trouble Baby Brother, and I think Big Brother’s age (37) could betray him vs. a strong young gun like Arreola. Vitali hasn’t had a grueling fight in years (literally) and certainly not during his comeback. Sam Peter simply cannot let his hands go (even when facing someone who isn’t a physical threat like Chambers) and Juan Carlos Gomez lacked the strength and power to hurt Big Bro. Arreola might not move his head much, but he does move his hands, which is rare for big men these days. And he’s a lot craftier than fans and gringo boxing writers (yeah, I said it) give him credit for. He’s got a very sneaky counter left hook and an underrated jab (when he decides to use it).

We haven’t seen the best of Arreola yet, but I think we’ll see the Nightmare at 100% against either Klitschko.


REMEMBERING ALEXIS ARGUELLO

Hey Dougie,
Long time reader of your mailbags, first time writing in. I was greatly saddened hearing the news of Alexis Arguello's death, so I decided to finally write in to share my memories of him.

I came out from California and was lucky enough to get paired up with him at the 2007 IBHOF golf tournament in Canastota, NY. I got to spend the day sharing a golf cart with him and playing with another group of four friends from upstate New York. I was about to start training for my last amateur fight and got to spend the day picking his brain about his career. Right off the bat he was so friendly and so much fun. He was constantly cracking jokes and making us all laugh. He was happy to pose for many pictures with us, and even got on the phone with one of the golfer's wives and one's dad. He had so much fun on the course, but you could still see he was competitive by nature. He could hit the ball a mile (but not always straight). We were playing in a Best Ball Tournament, and whenever I made a good shot, he would yell, "You saved my ass, kid!"

I also really admired his honesty. I asked him why he was drinking soda while everyone else had beers or mixed drinks. He told me about his past drug problem. He hadn't had his first beer until he was 38, but it quickly turned into much harder drugs.

That day was one of the greatest days of my life and when I left Canastota, I considered Alexis Arguello a personal friend of mine. We exchanged emails, and he even called me from Nicaragua to say hi, and he made me promise that I wouldn't have another sip of alcohol while I was training for my fight, a promise that I kept. I will never forget how amazing of a man he was when I met him, and thankfully I have many of his fights to remember how great of a fighter he was too. (Everyone knows about the Aaron Pryor fights, but how about his two wars with Afredo Escalara, with Rafael Limon, and with Ruben Olivares? Amazing!)

Rest In Peace Alexis. I hope you are resting up in Heaven. -- Greg, San Luis Obispo, CA

Thank you for sharing your story of meeting Arguello and developing a friendship with one of the modern greats of the sport, Greg. Arguello’s reputation for being a classy guy out of the ring was just as strong as his ring legacy, however, this story gives us some insight into how personable and genuine he was. He will be missed.


A BRIEF, MOVING TRIBUTE

Hi Dougie,
I'm a long time reader from the Maxboxing days and have always enjoyed your writing. Like you, I was terribly upset upon hearing the news about Alexis Arguello. I scoured the boxing news in an attempt to read something that would help me digest the news or at least remind me of why Arguello was so special. Your recounting of a fifteen year old Rudy Hernandez's life changing encounter with Arguello made me push myself back from my desk and just think for a moment about what kind of a man he was. Thanks for sharing a great story. -- Herman

I appreciate your praise, Herman, but don’t thank me, thank Rudy Hernandez for sharing that story. I just did my job in relaying it to my readers.


LESS-'A MORA IS BETTA

Doug,
I read your article and thought that it was great. However, the Sergio Mora section kept it from being excellent. The attacks on Pavlik because of the bout postponement are classless and typical Mora. He got lucky when he fought Forrest the first time and was beaten soundly the second time around. I believe that Mora and Pavlik would have been entertaining for a few rounds because Mora is a slick fighter with zero power. He would have ran all day or tried to keep it close to negate Kelly's reach like he did in the first Forrest fight. I also believe that he would have gotten seriously hurt and could have gotten killed by Pavlik if that fight went off as planned. I think that all of us boxing fans do not want to see that fight happening period. I know that Pavlik's absence has been frustrating for fight fans, but Mora is a joke of a fighter and shouldn't be even allowed to enter into the discussion as if he had a chance to win. The other examples where great Mora doesn't fit the bill. Keep up the good work. -- James

Mora didn’t attack Pavlik. He just stated that he is upset because the bout was postponed for medical reasons that even the middleweight champ’s promoter has admitted were false (or blown up to use as an excuse to delay the bout).

Both Mora and Pavlik signed a contract to fight each other on June 27. Mora kept his end of the deal by training his ass off and preparing as best he could for the middleweight title challenge. Pavlik didn’t keep his end of the deal. Mora has every right to be upset.

Your dislike for Mora, your belief that he got lucky against Vernon Forrest and your assertion that Pavlik would have killed him had they fought has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the fact that he’s been jerked around by Team Pavlik, Top Rank and even by his own promoter (Tournament of the Contenders) to a degree.

Mora was perfect for my story on fight postponements because it was obvious that his delayed title challenge (and the possibility of it being cancelled all together) was effecting him in a negative way.

By the way, there’s no such thing as “luck” in boxing. There’s being in the right place at the right time and being prepared (AND having the balls) to take advantage of it.

For the record I think if Pavlik would have gone through with their scheduled June 27 bout, Mora would have been in the right place at the right time to take advantage of a very troubled fighter with the perfect style. And don’t think for one minute that Pavlik’s astute manager Cameron Dunkin didn’t realize this.


THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

Dougie,
Great article on “the waiting game”. I don't think fans realize exactly how important it is to enter the ring while peaking physically and mentally ... What is your spin on Clay-Liston 2? I don't think Liston took a dive, but in that atmosphere you so aptly described I think he was okay with staying on the canvas after what otherwise would have been a flash knockdown... Where do you rank Liston all time among the all time heavies? I place him somewhere below Ali & Holmes -- my 1 & 2, but still lingering in the top 5...

That's bad a bad break for Mora. Maybe if he starts to wear 20-ft extensions in his hair, he won't be dismissed so easily, it worked for Paulie Malignaggi (I cannot help myself I am an unabashed hater). Why HBO? Why? He's not going to be able to hurt Juan Diaz, who like Hatton is a totally different fighter if the other guy can't slow him down. After the fight we will hear the usual Paulie excuses -- he broke his hands or my personal favorite "that wasn’t the real Paulie Malignaggi out there"… Happy 4th! -- Tom G.

I think the choice of Malignaggi as an opponent for Diaz had more to do with the Baby Bull than HBO having a soft spot for “Little Mac”. Diaz has faced three hardasses in row and lost twice to two Old School Macks (one of whom, JM Marquez, is a first-ballot hall of famer). I think both Golden Boy Promotions and HBO is looking out for the marketable college grad (who happens to put butts in the seats in his native Houston) by putting him in with Malignaggi. I’m not going to complain. After taking on Nate Campbell, Michael Katsidis, and Marquez, and getting KTFO in his last bout, Diaz has earned the right to face a guy who doesn’t punch hard and generally comes up short in his big fights.

By the way, I’m probably the only boxing writer/fan who not only likes BOTH Sergio Mora and Paul Malignaggi, but thinks they are underrated and have the ability to win second world titles.

I don’t think Liston took a dive in his rematch with Ali. I think the lengthy postponement (six months is a long time to put off a fight) threw his physical conditioning off and all the crazy buzz about Ali’s connections to the NOI messed with his head. He probably convinced himself that someone in the audience was going to assassinate Ali during the fight (there had been numerous death threats leading into the rescheduled bout) and figured the sooner he was out of range the better.

I have a lot of respect for Liston’s ability and resume going into the first fight with Ali. I believe that on his best night he could have defeated any other great heavyweight from any other era, however, he didn’t accomplish enough as a top contender or a champ to merit being ranked in my top five all-time list. I definitely rank Liston behind Ali, Louis, Johnson, Holmes, Marciano, and maybe even Charles and Walcott. Liston’s in my lower top-10 mix with Frazier and Holyfield.


FUNNY STUFF

At this point I am a definitely an admitted Mayweather hater......

http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/9760130/Big-payday-may-aid-Mayweather's-money-woes

Reading this convinces me that he won't be fighting anyone who can beat him for at least 3 fights. He needs to build that bank back up before he takes a big risk. I know Marquez has a shot but I think its a long one at 147lbs. -- Brendan, Philly

Me too, but I’m not going to count Marquez out. He’s proven time and time again that he’s got the character to respond to adversity and overcome situations where it looks like he’s done for.

I don’t want to kick Mayweather when he’s down (financially). I hope that his financial troubles will encourage him to seek out his biggest challenges (Pacquiao, Mosley and Cotto). Beyond Marquez, I don’t see any “little guys” for him to pick on who can merit eight-figure paydays and the full backing of HBO’s marketing machine.


IDENTITY

Hi Doug,
Why does Victor Ortiz or anybody else should be marketed as a reincarnation of Golden Boy? Mike Tyson was no duplicate of Muhammad Ali, and Oscar himself did not imitate Tyson. The next savior of boxing must have his own identity. If a promoter tries to create an Oscar copy, he will get just a spoiled kid who really deserves good spanking.

Anyway, the fight I would like to see at 140 lbs is now Nate Campbell vs. Marcos Maidana, but there can be an even better fight coming at lightweight if Valero vs. Casamayor is realized. I can't wait the verbal war which the crafty and dirty Cuban defector will declare against the power punching communist. The fistic counterstrike by Valero will be even more impressive.

Keep up the good work. -- Jorma, Finland

Valero-Casamayor is the 135-pound fight I want to see most (OK, maybe I’d settle for Valero-Barrios). Skill, savvy and experience vs. raw dynamic power. Valero-Barrios would just be two crazy guys going at it; and I’m all for that kind of fight. I just want Valero to get the hell out of Venezuela and back into the ring before someone caps his ass.

Campbell-Maidana is a hell of a fight at 140 pounds. Maybe we’ll see it if Campbell beats Tim Bradley. I don’t know who I favor in that Aug. 1 showdown yet. But I would favor Campbell over Maidana.

I agree with you 100% about allowing young up-and-comers to establish their own name and legacy.


MAYWOOD BOXING CLUB

good article on the gym scene, wild card and maywood. just had a quick question. would i be allowed to walk up to maywoood gym and watch fighters train? kind of weird but im a boxing junkie. would appreciate a response, thanx! -- boxing rick

Everyone is welcome at the Maywood Boxing Club. If they let me in, they’ll allow anyone to come inside. Seriously, they are very friendly there.

If you’re a boxing junkie, you’ll be in the right place and you’ll learn a lot just observing the fighters and their trainers go about their business.


ORTIZ-MAIDANA MADE FANS

Hello Doug,
Congrats on all the great work so far on RingTv.com, I have been a long time reader on this site. The update has taken it from being one of 3 or 4 boxing sites I would read to my main source every week.
I wanted to share a quick story and ask a few questions.

Last Friday I was talking to one of my co-workers who I know loves mma (I love boxing and mma both) and told him to watch HBO on Saturday for a great fight. He told me he hadn't watched boxing in over 4 years because he thought it was too slow paced. I guaranteed him that the Ortiz fight would be pure fistic fireworks (mostly on your endorsement of Maidana being no slouch). He ended up calling me Saturday during the 4th round, happy as hell that he flipped it on! It was the best fight he had seen ever he told me and had him on the edge of his seat. Even in the loss Ortiz gained a fan.

1. I haven't heard what is next for Israel Vasquez, is he going to fight this year? I have been a huge fan since his fight with Jhonny Gonzalez and am waiting to see him in action again.

2. Lightweight Lightning was a superb PPV. Did it get a lot of buys? I hope so, this is what boxing needs, well produced with good commentary PPVs that feature competitive bouts from top to bottom. This is where mma I think has the advantage lately their PPVs have many good fights instead of a headliner only. I hope another sweet card is in the works, it definitely is what boxing needs to keep the casual fans interested in the pay cards.

3. Do you know Max Kellerman? I like his commentary, but can you tell him he doesn't need to ALWAYS shout? My wife always calls him the "shouty-guy" whenever she watches boxing with me.

Keep up the great work Dougie! Much Love. -- Hector C. from Orlando, FL

Thanks for sharing that story about your MMA-lovin’ co-worker who was thrilled by the Ortiz-Maidana shootout. Everyone who is criticizing the hell out of Ortiz’s choice of tactics and post-fight comments should remember that rounds one through five were about as good as it gets in terms of action and drama, and that casual fans like your MMA buddy are attracted to those kinds of slugfests (and might be willing to pay good money to see more of them). Onto your questions:

1)Vazquez is back in training and looking to make his return at 126 pounds later this year. I plan to check him out sometimes in the next couple weeks.

2)I’m glad you liked the ‘Lightweight Lightening’ PPV. Someone told me recently that it didn’t do very well in terms of PPV buys, but I agree with you that it is exactly what boxing needs to attract more fans. I just wish there was some way Golden Boy Promotions could get that product out to more viewers. Perhaps RingTV.com can replay select fights from that card before fighters like Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis fight again in high-profile bouts. I also hope that GBP tries to put on a ‘Lightweight Lightning II’ before the end of the year. Valero vs. Casamayor or Barrios is the perfect headliner if you ask me. Maybe Katsidis and Escobedo could fight each other in the co-feature; if not perhaps one of them could take on Rolando Reyes (who surprised everyone by Koing Julio Diaz on the first show) or Ali Funeka (perhaps for the vacant IBF belt that the South African deserves a shot at).

3)I know Kellerman. I also like his commentary, and I don’t mind the loud voice. He’s enthusiastic about his subject. Isn’t that what we want from our commentators? Better to be the “Shouty guy” than the “Mumble guy”, right?



Doug Fischer can be reached at dougiefischer@yahoo.com