Rusty Rubin is a veteran boxing writer

Glad to be back after a short absence. Fortunately, for me, but not for boxing, I did not miss very much of importance.

On Feb. 4, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, what shapes up to be a great doubleheader takes place and one that will be shown on HBO.

In one match,, for the WBC middleweight crown heavy fisted Marco Antonio Rubio puts his record of 53-5 1 (46) against fast and undefeated champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 44-0-1 (31).

Rubio, 31, is shorter and slower than Chavez, but is the bigger puncher. He also has a three inch reach disadvantage.

Great fight, I like Chavez via TKO late.

In the other bout, Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. takes on fast, hard hitting Nonito Donaire from the Philippines.

Vasquez at 27 is two years younger and shows one loss, that to Jorge Arce last year in Vegas. His record is an impressive 21-1 with 18 KO’s.

Donaire, 29, is a southpaw with a two inch reach advantage. His record is 27-1 (18).

Take Donaire by a late TKO, in another great match-up.

Glove 2 Glove:

We lost five boxing guys since my last article (and probably more that I wasn’t notified of). Prayers are asked for the souls of Angelo Dundee, 90, Brian Curtis, 74, Goody Petronelli 88, referee Wayne Kelly and Don Fullmer.

Prayers for the complete return to good health to my old friend, promoter, and ex-wrestler Jack ‘Moe’ Smith who had complete reconstructive knee surgery a couple of weeks back. Moe’s a fighter and making a complete recovery.

Please pray for my Aussie mates and Glove2Glove member John MacDougall, who had to deal with health problems for his wife of many years Gwen, who is in a nursing home John, a former Commissioner is having problems after a hip replacement surgery. Both need your prayers for recovery and inner strength.

Also prayers for the recovery of Mills Lane and Denis Wilcox.

On behalf of these great fighters who have given their all in our great sport, we thank you for your ongoing prayers.

If you know of any boxing people in need of spiritual uplifting and/or prayers? Just drop us a line. Membership is free to all and no one will ever contact you except for prayer requests. Your name will not suddenly appear on anyone’s mailing list. In short, there is no obligation. Every prayer request is welcome and I know the recipient will appreciate it.

God listens!

To join Glove2Glove, or just request needed prayers, drop Dave Wilcox a line at ubtdave@earthlink.net

Glove2Glove, which has been a long-time integral part of the defunct Ringsports.com magazine and website. It is a program I wish to continue a long after I have left the sport and this earth. I want to thank Dave and Deborah Wilcox, who have offered to take over the program and promised to continue it indefinitely. This generous offer means a lot to me. We always welcome new members.***

Thanks and God bless.***

Rusty Rubin, formerly the award winning managing editor of Ringsports.com as well as the now defunct Ringsports Magazine, is the author of three highly acclaimed boxing books! “Woozel, Boxing and Me”, “Off the Canvas” and “Billy Soose, the Champion Time Forgot” co-authored by Tom Donelson. These books are all available at Authorhouse.com, and all major book retailers. They are all more than worth the purchase price, or contact me via this website for a personally autographed copy at a small extra charge.

RUSTY WOULD LIKE TO URGE ALL HIS FRIENDS TO LIST THE FOLLOWING INFO ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE AS WELL AS YOUR E-MAIL. “HAVING BEEN BLESSED WITH SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE IN MY LIFE, I HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO GET INVOLVED WITH NETWORKING, JUST TOO DAMN OLD FOR THAT”.

HENCEFORTH, ALL PROFITS FROM THE SALE OF ANY OR ALL OF THESE BOOKS WILL GO TO THE SUSAN KOMAN FOUNDATION. I ALSO CHALLENGE ALL OTHER JOURNALISTS, BOXING OR OTHERWISE, TO DO WHAT THEY CAN IN THIS EFFORT. IT’S A CHANCE TO CHANGE THE PUBLIC OPION OF THE PRESS, AS WELL AS DOING SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR WORLD.

Together we can find a cure for this dread disease and a knockout win for the sport of boxing. Here’s a wonderful chance for you to enjoy a good read for a great cause.

“The sale of any or all of these very enjoyable books will help an important cause (breast cancer research). I personally ask everyone, if they do nothing else, to pass this information along the social networks you use.”

Please take note that my next book will be about “MIRACLES” and I would appreciate any submissions you may deem worthy. Of course names can be withheld by request.

Please allow me to recommend, two other great books, the “Arc of Boxing” by Mike Silver and “My Life among the Icons” by Johnny Ortiz.

In these hard economic times, any or all of these books will make an excellent and inexpensive presents to the boxing fan(s) in your life. They are especially appreciated gifts if the recipient is tired of watching re-runs of sit-coms and the far-less than significant reality shows.

Being somewhat laid-up a bit of late, I should know. At least it gives me some time to try to finish my latest work, which, God willing, will bring us so much closer to curing cancer.

Of course we are all here on the Lord’s schedule and not our own.

Where’s the “Gillette Cavalcade of Sports” when you need it? Make your friend or loved one ‘look sharp’, ‘feel sharp’ and be ‘sharp.’ So how are you fixed for books? You’d better check’ to parrot an old commercial.

You and the book-gift recipient will be glad you made the right choice (or the write choice)!***

Keep punching, always….Rusty

By David Martinez / Boxing Historian

In life we have friends; I have many, and two that ceratinly stand out for their talents are Johnny Ortiz and Anthony Prieto.

Johnny Ortiz – I am delighted to announce that a new revised edition of his publication “MY LIFE AMONG THE ICONS” has been recently released for purchase. I have known Johnny for the past twenty years and he has truly emerged as one of my best friends, and I consider him to be one of the most knowledable boxing authorities that I have ever met. I hope that you will join me to support the publication of his book, which is a fascinating memoir of a raconteur whose life intersected with the giants of sports and the glamour of Hollywood. To purchase your copy, you may order online by contacting the publisher at: authorhouse.com or by calling 1-800-839-8640

Anthony Prieto – I am grateful for a friend who is very talented in singing and artistic drawing, and so devoted in working as a volunteer with the California Condor Recovery Team. I have known Anthony for most of my adult life and we first met because our mutual love for boxing. I attend many of the concert events in which he performs, as I truly enjoy his flavor of Latin music. There are two CDs currently available: “Anthony Prieto by Anthony Prieto” and “Life Love and Desire / Anthony Prieto.” To purchase these CDs, you can go to the following websites: lacimamusic.com, cdbaby.com, or amazon.com.

If for any reason you want to contact Johnny or Anthony directly, I can accomodate this if you would so kindly go through me to arrange it, as I respect their privacy. In knowing both, they would honor any request you might desire of them.

Thank you for your support for my two friends; I respect both for their talents and I consider myself blessed to have them as my friends!

By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer

I just read a book about a man who may be the best boxer to come out of my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. As an accomplished amateur he knocked out future world light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim. As a professional fighter he defeated some of the best heavyweights and light heavyweights of that era. Men like Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Charley Burley, Gus Lesnevich,Maxim, Billy Soose and many others tasted defeat at the hands of Bivins. Jimmy even took on Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott.For his great accomplishments Bivins was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.

The author of this book is fellow Clevelander Jerry Fitch. Jerry is a well respected boxing historian who has developed a long friendship with Jimmy and his family. This connection enabled Jerry to tell the story of Bivins and his roller coaster life and career.Along with the great text Fitch published some vintage photos that are priceless.

I’ll say say this is a “must read” for boxing fans. I feel you will enjoy it as much as I did.

BOOK NAME ~ James Louis Bivins; The man who would be CHAMPION; Author Jerry Fitch

The book is available at www.amazon.com

Barnes and Nobles and various sites in the UK.

It is also available by contacting jerryfitch@aol.com

Hopefully the one time heavyweight champion of the world Riddick Bowe will never fight again. His post career problems have been well documented.

The question now is, where does Bowe rank among the great heavyweights of all time? How would he have fared against Louis, Marciano, Frazier or even dream fights in his own time against Lewis or Tyson? Here is a boxer who may have never realized his full potential. When he was near it his career declined due to his own self-indulgence.

After Lennox Lewis stopped Riddick in the 1988 Olympics, Bowe was considered a risky project. Rock Newman took the risk of managing Bowe and convinced the skeptical but astute Eddie Futch to undertake the task of molding Riddick. The rest is history. Bowe progressed nicely thru the ranks, turning pro in 1989 by halting future contender Lionel Butler in two rounds. In 1990 he stopped faded ex-champion Pinklon Thomas in nine. He also destroyed Bert Cooper in two.

In 1991 he kayoed Tyrell Biggs in eight and outscored ex-champ Tony Tubbs. He later kayoed future titleholder Bruce Seldon in one round. In 1992 he cemented a shot at the title by halting South African Pierre Coetzer in seven rounds.

Finally Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe was in the ring facing heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. The well-schooled and well-conditioned Bowe won a hard fought but convincing decision and the crown. Was this the turning point of his career? Was it the beginning of the end? The night Bowe won the title from Holyfield he could have arguably competed with any heavyweight who ever lived. He was that good.

So where did it all go wrong? Did Riddick believe he was unbeatable? Easy defenses against ex-champ Michael Dokes and shopworn journeyman Jesse Ferguson did little to sharpen his skills. His weight as well as his ego began to swell. By the time he met Holyfield in their rematch he had become a different fighter. So had Evander who had totally dedicated himself in training. Their second bout is mainly remembered for the “Fan Man” incident but in reality it was a highly entertaining fight. Even at the height of his skills against an ill prepared Bowe, Evander had all he could do to win the decision and regain the title. Without the championship, Riddick had become an enigma to himself. Would he rededicate himself or let the talent he had slip through his fists.

Riddick began his march toward reclaiming his crown. He would beat once highly regarded Herbie Hide and knock out overrated Jorge Luis Gonzalez who had beaten Riddick in the amateurs. He would again meet a now ex-champion Holyfield in a rubber match. He would pick himself off the canvas to knock out Evander and it appeared Riddick was still a prime player in the heavyweight sweepstakes. All that came crashing down following two brutal and highly controversial bouts against Andrew Golota.

Golota was a native of Poland. He was big, strong, talented and white. He was dubbed the next “White Hope” and a victory over Bowe would put him back in the thick of the title picture. Bowe was still considered too good for the upstart but things changed abruptly when the fight started. Riddick lost too much weight too fast in training. He was weak and lethargic. Golota outboxed, outslugged and outfought Bowe but he also landed repeated low blows. Finally the foul punches cost Golota the bout as he was disqualified in round seven.

In their rematch Riddick vowed to be in condition. It did not matter, Golota was again the dominant fighter and he was again guilty of repeated low blows that led to his disqualification in round nine. The Riddick Bowe who “won” dubious disqualification victories over Golota was only a shell of the Bowe who had won the crown from Holyfield.

That Bowe may have been able to beat the Liston who destroyed Patterson or the Dempsey that ravaged Luis Firpo. He may have beaten the Louis who crushed Schmeling or the Marciano who rendered Jersey Joe Walcott unconscious. He may have defeated the Joe Frazier who whipped Ali or the Ali who drubbed Foreman or the Foreman who bounced Frazier around like a rubber ball. Maybe he could have even beaten the Clay who humbled Liston.

Could he have defeated his amateur nemesis Lennox Lewis? Could he have handled the pressure of neighborhood rival Mike Tyson? Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

By Jim Amato / Senior Boxing Writer

How do they keep turning out such great fighters ? Jose Torres, Wilfredo
Gomez, Wilfred Benitez, Felix Trinidad and now Miguel Cotto. Puerto Rico has
put their stamp on the fistic map!

In the forty five years I’ve followed the great sport of boxing I’ve seen two
lightweights that were not only Puerto Rican standouts but in my opinion
among the greatest lightweights of all time.

I am speaking of former champions Carlos Ortiz and the late Esteban
DeJesus. Who would have won if these two fine fighting machines had met in
their primes ?

Carlos Ortiz dominated the lightweight division in the mid and late 60’s.
He was extremely strong and powerful for his weight. He was also more clever
then ever given credit for. He was a solid puncher with a sturdy chin.
Only the vastly talented Ismael Laguna was able to give Carlos problems
at his peak.

Then you have Esteban DeJesus. If there was ever a fighter who fought at
the wrong time it was Esteban. If only Roberto Duran had not been around…
DeJesus beat Duran in their first bout, a non-title affair. Roberto then
came back to twice halt Esteban in championship encounters. In between all
that Esteban won the W.B.C. version of the title by whipping Guts Suzuki.
This is not a feat that should taken lightly. Suzuki had held his own with
Laguna and Duran. He twice kayoed the respected Rodolfo Gonzalez. He won
against tough Tury ” The Fury ” Pineda and defeated future Hall Of Famer Ken
Buchanan.

By defeating Suzuki, DeJesus proved he was the top challenger for
Roberto’s undisputed claim. History tells us that Roberto won their rubber
match and moved on into boxing legend. Esteban would slowly fade from the
scene.

After Carlos Ortiz lost the title in an upset to Carlos ” Teo ” Cruz, he
to would fade from the limelight. He would come back in the mid 70’s in
hopes of fighting Duran. Instead he would meet the clever Buchanan who
stopped the shopworn Ortiz.

How would Ortiz and DeJesus match up ? Who would have come out on top ?
These two men were fifteen round fighters. The true championship
distance. DeJesus may have been the better overall boxer. He was a smooth
counterpuncher. His counter left was awesome. Ask Duran. Esteban floored
Roberto twice with that punch.

Ortiz was the stronger and probably the harder hitter although neither
fighter was a one punch KO artist.

I see Esteban outspeeding and outboxing Ortiz in the early going. Carlos
is smart and he’s not allowing himself to get hit with any big shots. Still
DeJesus is setting the pace and building up a nice points lead.
Carlos begins to to close the margin during the middle rounds. While he
becomes more aggressive he leaves himself open for Esteban’s effective
counters. After ten hard fought rounds DeJesus has a slight lead.
The tide begins to turn in rounds eleven and twelve as the strength of
Ortiz becomes a factor. Going into the ” championship rounds “, it has
become anyone’s fight.

Only a fool could not see that at this point Carlos was the fresher of
the two. Esteban was wilting from the Ortiz body attack as well as his bully
tactics.

A sustained body barrage puts Esteban down for a short count in the
thirteenth. Another body blistering has him down late in the fourteenth.
Somehow Esteban finds the strength to rally in the last round as it now
seems that Ortiz is spent.

The final bell… The winner by a close but unanimous decision;
Carlos Ortiz !

( Winter 2012 Edition )

On a quarterly basis, I always write to thank and acknowledge the people that make this website the success that it is. My producer is John Boitnott, the main person who is simply my right hand man with his professional expertise regarding this website. Other key people are: Bob Quackenbush (Proof Reader and Photo Editing), Kathy Kraft (Proof Reader), Rusty Rubin (In Rusty’s Corner column), Tom Donelson (Boxing Correspondent Writer), Jim Amato (Senior Boxing Writer), and Ray Luna (Media Photographer). I am so grateful to have these wonderful people that contribute to this website in a positive manner.

My t-shirt, hat, and tank top products are a huge part of this website and the girls that pose wearing these items have all added a personal touch with their beauty and support.

As a boxing historian and avid collector for over fifty years, I strive to bring everyone the best in boxing in a most respectable and professional way. The fan mail that I receive is greatly appreciated and I respect your views and opinions.

One change on this website has been my RING TRIVIA, which had been monthly and is now offered quarterly in March, June, September, and December. I have added more questions (formerly three and now five) with the answers available for viewing sooner in a two-week time frame. I have always been fascinated with boxing trivia, and as a young boy growing up I would pick the minds of my older generation boxing friends to learn for myself the history of boxing that they knew and lived. When this website was born in July 2007, I knew that RING TRIVIA would be a main feature and I intend to keep it so.

On a personal note, many of my closest friends know that I have been helping kids in local gyms for many years – it is such an honor to help the youth. A gym that I go to here on a regular basis in the Santa Barbara, California area is Duke’s Boxing and Fitness. The owner, 34 year old Henry Calles, a former outstanding amateur boxer, does a great job with the kids that come into his gym. Mark Lee also adds a special touch with his expertise as a trainer and whom I’ve known since the early eighties when we contributed to another local gym. He now teaches the youth at a top level of boxing at Duke’s Boxing. For further information regarding the gym you can go to: www.dukesboxing.com

I get tons of fan emails and I enjoy reading all your opinions and answering many of your questions. In the past couple of years there has been one person that has surfaced to the top of that list. My friend Harold Lederman at HBO World Championship Boxing connected me with his friend Steve Corbo. Harold knew through boxing that we would “instantly” become friends and was he ever so right.
Steve lives in Chicago, knows and has lived boxing as long as me, and has become my number one boxing friend with his input and expertise. He does professional ring  announcing for major boxing venues in Europe and sends me tape of his work and the fight action from these matches. Although we have never met in person, I certainly hope that we will one day, as I consider myself truly blessed to have Steve as my friend.

To answer a commonly asked question regarding the best heavyweight champions of all time, my opinion, in order, are: (1) Jack Johnson, (2) Muhammad Ali, (3) Joe Louis, (4) Jack Dempsey, (5) Rocky Marciano, (6) Gene Tunney, (7) James Corbett, (8) Larry Holmes, (9) Jim Jeffries, and (10) Ezzard Charles. And in no particular order the next set of five to round out my top fifteen are: Bob Fitzsimmons, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson.

Now that the New Year 2012 has arrived, I will continue to offer you the best in boxing. Your support is much appreciated as you continue staying connected to dmboxing.com

Thank You!

(ABOVE PHOTO) Mark Lee (black trunks) and David Martinez (Referee)
… La Casa De La Raza Amateur Boxing Show, 1983 …
Santa Barbara, California / promoted by Art Carbajal

( stay posted every month to  David Martinez Boxing  for your complete boxing schedule )

FRIDAY / January 6,  2012 (Showtime)
Location: Indio, CA
Luis Ramos vs. Reymundo Beltran (Lightweights)
Michael Perez vs. Omar Figueroa (Lightweights)

SATURDAY / January 7, 2012
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Edgar Sosa vs. Walter Rojas (Flyweights)

FRIDAY / January 13, 2012 (ESPN2)
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Teon Kennedy vs. Chris Martin (Junior Featherweights)
Yordenis Ugas vs. Esteban Almariz (Welterweights)

FRIDAY / January 13, 2012
Location: London, England
Leon Williams vs. Shane McPhilbin (Cruiserweights)
Larry Olabamiwo vs. Sam Sexton (Heavyweights)

SATURDAY / January 14, 2012
Location: Offenburg, Germany
Arthur Abraham vs. Pablo Oscar Natalio Farias (Super Middleweights)
Robert Stieglitz vs. Henry Weber (WBO Super Middleweight Championship)

FRIDAY / January 20, 2012 (Showtime)
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Rico Ramos vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux (WBA Junior Featherweight Championship)
Brandon Gonzales vs. Caleb Traux (Middleweights)

SATURDAY / January 21, 2012 (NBC-TV)
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Eddie Chambers vs. Sergei Liakhovich (Heavyweights)
Gabriel Rosado vs. Jesus Soto-Karass (Junior Middleweights)
Joel Julio vs. Chris Fernandez (Welterweights)

SATURDAY / January 21, 2012
Location: Liverpool, England
David Price vs. John McDermott (Heavyweights)

SATURDAY / January 21, 2012
Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Omar Estrella (Featherweights)

FRIDAY / January 27, 2012 (ESPN2)
Location: Temecula, CA
Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Julio Diaz Junior Welterweights)
Ji-Hoon Kim vs. Alisher Rahimov (Lightweights)

SATURDAY / January 28, 2012
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
Miguel Vazquez vs. Ameth Diaz (IBF Lightweight Championship)

SATURDAY / January 28, 2012
Location: Oneida, NY
Brian Minto vs. Tony Grano (Heavyweights)
Eric Fields vs. Derrick Brown (Heavyweights)

SATURDAY / January 28, 2012
Location: London, England
Carl Frampton vs. Kris Hughes (Junior Featherweights)

SATURDAY / January 28, 2012
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Jurgen Brahmer vs. Jose Maria Guerrero (Light Heavyweights)
Ruslan Chagaev vs. TBA (Heavyweights)

SATURDAY / January 28, 2012
Location: Springfield, MO
B.J. Flores vs. TBA (Cruiserweights)
Cory Spinks vs. Sechew Powell (Junior Middleweights)

(bouts subject to change) ]]> http://dmboxing.com/fight-calendar-for-january-2012/feed/ 0