By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

I was saddened to learn that on December 26, 2007, George Latka passed away.

When I first saw George Latka, it was at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium in the early sixties. I was just a young teenage kid learning my trade in boxing and what I saw that night was an outstanding referee at work.

Little did I know then that, later in my life, I would connect with George and his lovely wife Trudie as best friends. That instantly came into effect when I entered my ten-year tenure in the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997.

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By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

Now that the Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton welterweight title fight is well behind us, let me respond to the many that have contacted me and have asked me for my post fight input.

Frankly, I thought the fight was one sided, and I had Mayweather winning every round but two. So when the 10th round knockout came, Floyd was comfortably well ahead on points – on my card.

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(three new questions will be posted on January 5, 2008)

1) On April 26, 1975, former heavyweight champion George Foreman fought five men in one day … what former heavyweight champion was the last, prior to Foreman, to do such a feat – five men in one day ?
the answer is – Jack Dempsey
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Rusty Rubin is the managing editor of Ringsports.com magazine.

For those who are regulars in my corner, you know that I have written three books, all highly acclaimed, “Woozel, Boxing and Me, in fact was named by one website as the “Boxing Book of the Year” for 2006. The other, “Off the Canvas”, a historically novel, is also available at Authorhouse.com.

Along with my friend Tom Donelson, I wrote a book on Billy Soose, who for far too long has been over-looked for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. Why? How about beating Tony Zale and Ken Overlin within a three week period of time, for starters?

Another gentleman who deserves this honor is world class trainer Freddie Roach, who has followed the example set by his mentor, the legendary Eddie Futch, in teaching his disciples the way to handle them in the squared circle. Freddie, even at a fairly young age, deserves the recognition.

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By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

After attending a special boxing Christmas party luncheon in Los Angles this past Friday, which was sponsored by the California Golden State Boxers Association, I was saddened to receive the news later that night (via a close boxing associate and friend, Jim Carlin) that long time boxing historian and icon, Hank Kaplan, had passed away.

In my lifetime, I have been blessed to have met the three men whom I consider the greatest boxing historians ever : Al Nelson, Nat Fleischer, and Hank Kaplan.

It was October of 1998 when former World Boxing Hall of Fame president Dub Harris introduced me to Hank. We bonded well with our mutual love for boxing, and to my surprise, I was able to spend more than enough time in private with him.

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HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION: OLEG MASKAEV (KAZAKHSTAN)

INTERIM CHAMPION: SAMUEL PETER (NIGERIA)

EMERITUS CHAMPION: VITALY KLITSCHKO (UKRAINE)

WON TITLE: August 12, 2006

LAST DEFENCE: December 10, 2006

LAST COMPULSORY: August 12, 2006

WBA CHAMPION: Ruslan Chagaev (Uzbekistan)

IBF CHAMPION: Wladimir Klitschko (Ukraine)

WBO CHAMPION: Sultan Ibragimov (Russia)

Contenders:

WBC INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION: Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba)

1. Vladimir Virchis (Ukraine) EBU

2. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba) INTL/LATINO

3. Hasim Rahman (US) NABF

4. Nicolay Valuev (Russia)

5. Alexander Dimitrenko (Ukraine)

6. Oliver McCall (US)

7. Chris Arreola (US) AMERICA

8. Donnell Holmes (US)

9. Jameel McCline (US)

10. Andrew Golota (Poland)

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I am happy to announce that my official boxing website t-shirt is now here for purchase, and at the lowest price available to you!

For a special 60 day time period, I am offering this item at a great price of $15.00 each, or two for $25.00, with FREE shipping!

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For those of you that missed it … HBO will replay last weeks Floyd Mayweather vs Ricky Hatton welterweight title fight that took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas … it will air in it’s entirety on Saturday, December 15 at 10:15pm (eastern & pacific times).

David Martinez / Boxing Historian

By popular demand – a new feature is being added to my website, which is, I will list the fights that I believe are of interest on a monthly basis … so be sure to mark your boxing calendars in advance. This is actually nothing new for me, as when I was once a boxing beat writer, I provided a format of fights that were accessible on TV for my many boxing readers!
David Martinez / Boxing Historian

SATURDAY, December 15, 2007
Azteca-PPV / from Cancun, Mexico
Jorge Linares vs Gamaliel Diaz (WBC Featherweight Championship)
Edwin Valero vs Juan Carlos Salgado ( WBA Super-Featherweight Championship)
also on card are sons of former boxers: Pipino Cuevas, Jr … Guty Espandas, Jr … Wifredo Vasquez, Jr
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It has now been better than four months since my boxing website was
born, and I am happy to report that the numbers are up and I am so
blessed to have such an ever growing fan base.

I am striving to bring you things in boxing that will intrigue you.
I am not a beat writer, as I was many years ago, bringing results
of every fight … you can pick up your local newspaper for those
items. I am a boxing historian and I intend to bring
special features into my website that you have never seen, and
that single element keeps me soaring like an eagle in my every day
boxing life – to you!

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