EST 1997 ST LOUIS MISSOURI			LIGHTS OUT VERSION 3.0

 

 

 

An open letter to Gary Shaw:

Dear Mr. Shaw,

I have just finished watching Chad Dawson lose badly to Jean Pascal for the second time. It was sad to see such a talented fighter being chased around the ring by another fighter with far less skill and name recognition. However, I feel like the St. Louis fans have been somewhat vindicated by Chad’s performance – considering how thoughtless and silly your comments were after Devon Alexander’s win over Andiry Kotlenik last Saturday night. I’d like to take a look at your comments regarding Devon, Chad and Tavoris Cloud, and give you some honest (fan perspective) thoughts on them.

Gary Shaw to Fanhouse Boxing:
Shaw said that a proposed Jan. 29 showdown between Bradley and Alexander will come off "as long as HBO puts up the right amount of money," adding that he is looking forward to the bout more than ever following Alexander's performance against Kotelnik.

"What an easy question. Devon has no defense," said Shaw. "For sure. I didn't realize Devon was so easy to hit.”

(SEF Prez) Mr. Shaw, you of all people should know that every fighter can have an off night. I watched the Tim Bradley/Kendall Holt fight enough times to know that Tim’s chin is not his greatest asset. Kendall Holt is a good fighter, but not as talented as Kotelnik. In that fight, many fans thought that the only reason Tim won was his higher work rate. In regards to Chad Dawson, I saw more holes in his game than a time-share on Three Mile Island. It looked to me like he was pretty easy to hit last night.

Could it be possible that Devon Alexander just had an off night?

“I think that he was exposed. Look, Max Kellerman anointed Devon Alexander on HBO as the No. 1 guy, the next pound-for-pound superstar, and all of that nonsense. In his opening, he said how Devon beat Juan Urango and Junior Witter more easily than Andre Berto and Timmy Bradley did.

What he forgot to tell you was that Timmy fought Witter in Witter's on home town, when Witter was the world champion and beat him. And when Berto fought Urango, it was when Urango was Urango and not softened up for Devon. So he's not being candid with the fans. Devon Alexander wasn't fighting the same type of fighter in Urango.

I think that Devon showed that he had no defense. He looked puzzled to me. Didn't know what to do. And I think that Kotelnik put a real a**-whipping on him. Kotelnik absolutely landed the more telling blows. He was stopping him in his tracks. To me, if I was Devon Alexander, the only thing that I would be celebrating today is the victory.

But not the fight. There's a big difference.

(SEF Prez) That’s interesting Gary. So, Devon flies 1000 miles away to fight Junior Witter and makes him look stupid – and eventually forces him to quit on his stool. I guess that Tim Bradley’s SPLIT DECISION win vs. Witter softened him up for Devon…? Berto didn’t knock Urango out, and he was coming off of a KO win vs. Randall Bailey. You make it sound like Devon was in there with a shot fighter. I am assuming that Nate Cambell was the stiff test Bradley needed to convince boxing fans that he’s the best 140 pounder in the world. By the way, I thought Chad Dawson looked ‘puzzled’ against Pascal…but, what can you do?

Your thoughts on Tavoris Cloud's performance?

As far as Tavoris Cloud goes, it proved that (41-year-old) Glen Johnson is getting older by the round. And it proved that Tavoris Cloud is just nothing. Does he really want to fight Chad next? I think that he wouldn't be making a wise decision. But he's not going to get that opportunity to fight Chad next.

By the way, I had Johnson beating Cloud by a round.

(SEF Prez) Cloud is still making a name for himself in the Light Heavy division. His biggest win prior to the Johnson fight was the Clinton Woods fight (which he dominated). To minimize Cloud’s win against Johnson is pitiful. Johnson proved that he can still fight at the highest levels. But you’re right, he’s too old to be fighting a star-on-the-rise like Cloud. He was much younger when Dawson fought him TWICE and Antonio Tarver was also at the top of his game when Chad beat him TWICE. It’s pretty easy to whip up on two old men and call yourself one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. If I am Cloud, I am doing everything I can to not only knock Dawson out (should they ever meet), I am plotting your demise as well. Cloud is a killer – he just needs to fight consistently. A Dawson/Cloud fight seems like a pretty decent proposition now…

Would a drop to the 168-pound division and a fight with IBF champ Lucian Bute be next for Chad Dawson if he's successful in defeating Jean Pascal?

We don't have to drop to 168 to fight Lucian Bute. Maybe he would move up to fight Chad. That way, that would give him a shot at winning the 175-pound title and at the same time retain his own 168-pound title. But at the same time, Chad's got a really tough fight coming up against Jean Pascal this coming Saturday.

So any talks about who he fights next is actually premature. But, I think Chad will win. I expect him to win. And I would like to fight Lucian Bute next.

(SEF Prez) Foreshadowing at its best. Bute now has the chance to move up to 175, fight Pascal in his home country…and make a very nice payday. Where does that leave Dawson? Maybe another fight against Johnson…or maybe Rob Calloway will move down to 175 and be a sacrificial lamb. I hear that Jim Strohl is also looking for fights. Good luck with that. Patience is a virtue.

From USA Today (after Dawson lost to Pascal):

The head butt was intentional in my estimation," Shaw said. "The ref should have let Chad fight the last two rounds. He had Pascal in trouble."

(SEF Prez) I watched the fight again, and saw the clash of heads in slow motion. It was clearly two guys in the midst of a fight accidentally clashing heads. The resulting cut was grotesque – and if it was MY prized fighter, I would have advocated for the stoppage. A round of punishment could have caused permanent injury. Why risk Chad’s career? Sure, Chad could have pulled out a KO victory, and Pascal could have disengaged Chad’s eyeball from its socket.

Dawson also was upset with the decision, saying his opponent should be happy with his "little victory."

(SEF Prez) I would guarantee that Pascal is celebrating his ‘little’ victory. He’s likely celebrating it making plans to fight Lucian Bute for a HUGE payday. Chad, my man, you had every opportunity to steal rounds and hurt your opponent, but you didn’t get the job done. Don’t get all bitter and nasty because you lost. It makes you look like a douche. Your promoter has already done enough to make himself look like one. Don’t you go douching up yourself by making comments that people overhear at little league games. You ARE better than that. You’ll get to prove it in the rematch.

"There were four or five head butts and the ref didn't do anything," he (Dawson) said. "But we have a rematch clause and I will be back and I will bring the title back to the States."

(SEF Prez) CHAD – seriously? You got warned for low blows…it’s boxing. In physical fights with different styles, people get butted and bullied. As a pro (especially) at your level, you need to find ways to get around things like that. The butts didn’t lose the fight for you – your game plan did.

So, Mr. Shaw, I am truly hoping that your comments are strictly for promotional purposes – and that you are not seriously trying to tell the boxing fans of the world that your fighters are exempt from the kind of disparaging remarks that you have made about guys like Devon Alexander and Tavoris Cloud. Nothing upsets me more than when a promoter vomits his opinions all over the press (thus putting more pressure on his fighters) and then has to make excuses when they lose. You have a talented group of young men in your stable, and I applaud your for bringing good fights to the public…you ARE better than the image you portray to the fans.

Kind Regards,

Dave Patek
SEF

 

 

The much anticipated Don King boxing production “Gateway to Greatness” is only a few hours from being over, and I am STILL sitting here sweating the way I was during the night’s festivities. There was so much excitement and sustained action during the evening that even the most seasoned boxing fan could honestly say that it was an event of epic proportions. Over the course of the evening, St. Louis witnessed the rise of a prospect, the downfall of a former champion and a title bout so surrounded in controversy that members of the press were still discussing it a darkened parking garage over cigarettes and whiskey flasks.

The night began with a junior middleweight showcase between Armenian Vardan Gasparyan ( 11-2-5) and Jesse Davis (11-18-1). Davis, from Tennessee, is a familiar face in local boxing circles. He has fought on several local cards, and has a reputation as a durable and heavy handed opponent. On this night, however, Davis was the recipient of a ferocious beating from a boxer with superior speed and conditioning. Jesse’s robotic punching left him open to numerous counter shots (mostly right uppercuts) and a high percentage of missed power punches. While it appeared that Davis was much bigger than Gasparyan (actually 10 pounds heavier at the weigh in), Jesse seemed lethargic and embarrassingly inaccurate as the Armenian clobbered him with slick combinations. By the middle of the second round, referee Celestinio Rodriguez had seen enough unanswered punches to stop the contest. It should be mentioned that Davis was a very late sub for Dave Saunders (9-9), who would have probably suffered a similar fate.

The second bout of the evening (140lbs) featured German Ramzan Adnev (7-0-1) and St. Louisan Chris Tyler (2-3-1).  The most exciting part of this bout was the ring entrance of Adnev…who strolled the aisle to the Scorpion’s  ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane’. The match was far from a technical masterpiece, and involved a ton of clinching – mostly by Tyler. It was hard to gauge the skill level of the Adnev, though he did manage to rock Tyler with several good right hands. Unfortunately, it was not a consistent performance – and Ramzan (probably due to frustration) threw Tyler to the canvas several times. The SEF crew began to wonder if we were watching boxing or a Greco-Roman wrestling match. In the end, Adnev won the fight by sweeping every round on the judge’s scorecards.

In the first real bout of the evening, Cruiserweights Ryan Coyne (14-0) and Warren Browning  (12-0-1) treated the crowd to a battle of will and strength.  Browning, who normally fights as a 230 pound heavyweight, came into the ring as the bigger man. Browning weighed in at 199 pounds  (Coyne was 193) and looked at least 210 pounds in the ring. It was clear from the beginning that Warren’s strategy was to use brute force on the smaller Coyne and try to stop him with every power shot in his arsenal. Coyne’s game plan seemed to be the exact opposite. While Browning flailed away with looping hooks and lunging uppercuts, Coyne stayed loose and slick – allowing Warren to expend tons of unnecessary energy.

While Browning did miss a lot of his bigger punches, he did manage to land some good shots to Coyne’s body in the early rounds.  Coyne established his overhand left (a punch that I have never thought was a strength of his) and stunned Browning with one late in the first round.

By the third stanza, both fighters were showing their respective strengths. Browning landed more shots the Coyne’s midsection and Ryan began showcasing his speed by blasting Warren with quick combinations to the head. It was during this round that Browning began trapping Coyne against the ropes and leaning on him, essentially forcing Ryan to carry his huge frame while Browning held his arms and rendered them temporarily useless. This would become a signature move of Browning’s throughout the fight.

The fourth round saw more of the same type of action, though Ryan did manage to land a tremendous right hook to the body and followed it with a left hook to Browning’s head that seemed to have an effect on Warren’s output. Browning got off 3 consecutive upper cuts as Ryan was pinned against the ropes. Coyne punctuated the round with by ripping Browning’s body with a straight left hand.

By the fifth, fatigue forced Browning to start using a slow jab in an attempt to keep Ryan at a distance. Coyne, who was catching a second wind began to use his superior conditioning and speed to his advantage. It started with a terrific set of left hands to the head and finished with a Mike Tyson-esque right hook to the body/right uppercut combo that obviously hurt Browning.
In the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds, Coyne began to pick up steam. In the seventh, Ryan landed 2 left hooks to Browning’s body that forced the big man to wince and keep his elbows down (leaving his face open).  Warren was so tired by this point that he nearly went down after missing a wild left hook.

 Before the ninth, there seemed to be some confusion in the corner of Browning. It appeared that he was ready to quit on his stool – though he did answer the bell, and gamely fought on, though it was clear to press row that he was clearly walking into a buzzsaw. Coyne attacked immediately, and landed a big left hook to Browning’s head. With the crowd on its feet, Ryan landed two HUGE right hooks to Warren’s body. Finally, almost mercifully, Coyne chased Browning into the neutral corner and flattened him with blistering overhand left that sent the Kentuckian flat on his face and out. Referee Mike England decided that Browning was finished and waved the fight off. Ryan is now the WBS USNBC Cruiserweight champion. This means that he will be ranked in the top 15 (WBC) and will likely fight another fighter in the top 15 in his next fight.

After the fight, Ryan had this to say: “Browning was a tough guy.  He thought he would have the power advantage, coming all the way down from heavyweight.  The truth is, I will walk you down, lock you in the closet and defeat you.  We did what we came to do.  Win a championship and make my promoter, Don King, proud.  This is a great fight town.  Leon, Michael, Cory, Devon and all the rest.  I am just proud to be following in their footsteps.”
When SEF asked him if the stoppage came as a surprise, Coyne responded “Not at all. We prepared for it, and it happened. My power causes people to run, but I am eventually going to catch up with them.”

 The Cory Spinks/Cornelius Bundrage fight had been postponed several times for numerous reasons. Rumors had been rampant that Cory had been walking around at close to 200 pounds, and the SEF opinion is that weight was the primary reason for the delays. Sprinkle in some legal trouble, and throw in a new trainer – and you have all of the makings of a disaster.
A disaster it was.

As soon as the opening bell sounded, Bundrage charged Spinks and assaulted him as if he’d stolen his mother’s purse. Spinks literally took sustained punishment for the first minute of the fight without any type of offensive response. Cory was not slick, nor did he attempt to counter punch. He simply put up a weak guard and allowed Bundrage to  pummel  him in the corner. By the time Spinks landed his first jab, press row was wondering if Cory would leave in an ambulance.

The second and third rounds saw more of the same, as Bundrage landed power shots at will.  Spinks occasionally stuck K-9 with a jab or counter, but everything was slow, weak – or a combination of both.

In the fourth, Spinks actually started to give the impression that he was in the fight. He initiated the action early, and danced his way out of situations that he seemed stuck in for the first three rounds. Unfortunately for Cory, this angered Bundrage. Round five saw Spinks rocked with four flush right hands – the last one sending him to the canvas. After complaining that he was fouled (he wasn’t), Cory grasped at the bottom rope in an attempt to pull himself up and continue. Though he beat the count, referee Mark Nelson decided that Spinks was unfit to continue (it was a good call) – and the fight was stopped.

After the fight, Spinks was seen crying on the jumbo-tron, which was slightly disturbing. Many reported seeing Cory Crying in various locations throughout the building as well. When he was finally able to provide a quote for the media, this is what he had to say: “The referee stopped the fight, but I don’t know why.  I totally disagree.  He didn’t even hit me and I lost my title.” Anyone who watched the replay saw that Cory was not only ht – he was hit hard enough that his eyes  rolled back in his head.

The Tavoris Cloud/Glenn Johnson Light Heavyweight bout was a terrific one. Those that saw it live were treated to an incredible display of ebb and flow that brought the crowd to its feet numerous times. While Cloud got the better of the early exchanges,  it was evident that  Johnson was not in the mood to concede – and he gave as good as he received. The second round was one of the best I have ever seen live, and brought thunderous applause from the crowd at Scottrade. There was simply too much action to give a complete round by round – even Brian Grammar at Fightnews.com was limited in his assessment:

In a good action fight, undefeated IBF light heavyweight titleholder Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) had to work hard to defeat former light heavyweight champ Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KOs) by twelve round unanimous decision. The champion was just a little too strong and too energetic for the 41-year-old Johnson, who gave a game effort. Scores were 116-112 on all cards.

In the end, it was a war the Cloud won with some serious flair. It would behoove even the most casual fight fan to watch the replay of. While this may have been Johnson’s last shot at a title, it’s likely that Cloud will face the elite of the light heavy division in his next fight. Hopefully, it’s Chad Dawson.

The Main Event of the evening saw local product Devon Alexander (21-0) fight Ukrainian Andriy Kotelnik (31-3-1). Kotelnik’s major claim to fame is that he is the only person to defeat the fearsome Marcos Maidana. This fact set up my expectations of him for the evening.  While Devon has been making waves with his powerful conquests as of late, Kotelnik defeated the fighter with one of the biggest pound-for-pound punches in the world  (Maidana). Immediately, the intimidation factor would be removed…

Kotelnik’s camp had accused Devon and his trainer Kevin Cunningham of looking past Andriy toward a fight with Timothy Bradley later this year…and though this was denied by Devon’s camp, one has to wonder if some of the innuendo may have been true.

Immediately, Kotelnik made his presence (and speed) known to the crowd. He threw and landed furious combinations in the first few rounds, often punctuating them with a hard right hand (some landed) to Devon’s face. While Devon did exchange, he seemed tentative – almost nervous to let his hands go. This created opportunities for Kotelnik and he capitalized on many of them.
While many at ringside were questioning whether or not Devon was winning rounds, the judges were nearly unanimous in giving the first four to Devon.

By the fifth round, Kotelnik (likely assuming that he had already banked a few rounds) began using his jab to create a rhythm and give Devon another weapon to defend. Mid way through the round, Devon came on strong with several good left hands…only to have Kotelnik come back in the final 10 seconds in a mad attempt to steal the round…which he did not.

The sixth and seventh saw Kotelnik landing clean punches and Devon setting traps that the Russian steered clear of. At this point, Andriy seemed content on piling up points (almost amateurish) rather than trying engage Devon with meaningful punches. In round eight, Devon brought the crowd out of their seats with an offensive rally, only to see them return to their seats after Kotelnik made another run in the last 30 seconds. It was at this point that I started to wonder if Devon was actually sticking to his game plan. He seemed confused at times.

In round nine, Devon was cut over his right eye by a left hand from Kotelnik. It was bad enough that referee Vic Draculich instructed Devon to visit the ringside physician – who cleared him to continue. The incident seemed to give Devon a sense of urgency, and though he came on strong toward the end of the round, he did not do enough to win on the judge’s scorecards. The blood streaming down Devon’s cheek in the 10th may have contributed to his losing that round as well.

The 11th and 12th rounds were both very close, and difficult to score. Devon’s accuracy during this fight was far less impressive than his previous fights. Kotelnik’s precision was a cause for concern. Andriy’s ability to steal rounds were impressive as well…or so we thought.

When the final bell rang, there was a buzz on press row that Devon may have lost the fight. I must admit that I thought that the judge’s decision would be a difficult one. Fortunately for Team Alexander, the fans were not the ones judging the fight – all three of the ‘official’ judges scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Devon. Looking back, Devon’s heart won the fight for him. He fought through adversity and showed a championship-caliber heart. He is an amazing young man.

Overall, the event (attendace  9117) was a success. Even with Spinks losing, St. Louis showed that it is still a boxing city. Ryan Coyne stepped up, and has been added to the STL boxing hierarchy…he has finally achieved what we all knew he was capable of. Devon gave the fans a roller coaster ride of emotions…and came out with his belts to prove that heart is a major factor when fighting at the most elite level of the sport.

St. Louis, we are on the verge of a mega fight – stay tuned, and tell your friends. It’s coming.

 

 

 

 

Coming Soon !!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010 is going to be HUGE for the local boxing scene. Of course, Devon Alexander is in hot pursuit of unifying the 140 pound titles – and is in the midst of electrifying world wide audiences with his talent and billion dollar story. There is another boxer that is on the rise and has steadily been moving up in the world rankings quietly, and almost methodically.



Ryan Coyne has not been dubbed the hottest prospect in the Midwest, nor has he been given the super-hype of some other local standouts. However, hard work – and an addiction to the gym has given the top 50 cruiserweight (200lbs) some serious street credibility locally – and finally, some national recognition. After a brutal one sided beating of tough journeyman Larry Jarrett last August, an impressed Don King singed Coyne to a promotional contract…and gave Ryan an opportunity to showcase his talents on the undercard of Alexander’s March fight against Juan Urango.



One of the challenges local prospects often face is the eventual fight away from home – and the hometown judges. Out of town fights have been disastrous for at least a few local names – the latest being Dannie Williams. When taken outside of the comforting cheers of family and friends, some fighters can lose focus, and make mistakes they normally would not have.

This is not the case for Coyne, who has been to Singapore (the Contender series), Foxwoods in Connecticut (Contender Finale) and the Mohegan Sun (Jennette). The tight focus is not surprising. The Outlaw’s makeup is outside the realm of the average boxer, and his desire to win coupled with an animalistic training regimen trumps the butterflies that most in his position might experience.



At 14-0, the future is bright for the Outlaw, who is rumored to be on the undercard of another World Title fight for Alexander in August – this time in St. Louis. What follows is a personal list of fighters I would like to see Coyne face (in no particular order) in the next 16 months – and why.

1. Zack Page (20-28) DON’T let the record fool you. Page is a cruiser weight version of Emmanuel Augustus. He has skills, a tremendous chin, and most importantly – the desire to ruin a perfect record. Page is a gateway of sorts to the Cruiser (and sometimes) Heavyweight divisions. Zack fights A LOT, and all over the place. Page provides a great challenge to anyone who signs on to fight him…and a fight with the Outlaw would be high on my list of ‘must see’ events.

2. Jeremiah Graziano (10-0) Graziano is becoming an internet sensation of sorts for his training habits. He is an extremely athletic, powerful (10KO) fighter with some tremendous natural gifts. He calls himself ‘Wyson’ (White Tyson), and against limited competition, has looked overpowering. It would be interesting to see how he fares against the Outlaw’s speed and stamina. He’s also from Missouri, and that adds another dimension to a possible showdown.

3. Alfredo Escalera (18-2-1) Escalera is a very talented cruiserweight who was part of the Contender season that Coyne was on. Both have good speed and exceptional boxing skills, and of all the guys on that show, Alfredo was the one I was hoping to see Ryan fight.

4. Francisco Palacios (19-0) The Wizard is fast and powerful, but has some holes in his game. Lately, he has been clobbering decent competition. The Outlaw could pose some problems with his speed and brutal body attack. Going into this one, I would say the Outlaw is an underdog…but a win against a top contender like Palacios (another Don King Fighter) would be HUGE.

A year ago, I would have been careful to put Coyne in with any of the top ‘big hitters’ because of the cuts he sustained in his three previous bouts. Thankfully, that has not been a concern over the last two fights. It’s pretty clear that the Outlaw has made a conscious effort to not lead with his head…and he was able to avoid cuts against two overmatched opponents.

Ryan’s upside is terrific. His KO ratio is not what one would expect from a top prospect, though footage of non-KO fights will show opponents that are bloodied with bruised ribs and damaged egos. Most of his opponents have been atypical to the normal early prospect ‘tomato’ can criteria. He’s has to earn his stars, and fight hard the whole way. At some point, all of those rounds are going to pay large dividends

 

 

 

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