ATE, part II, more JT/B-Hop, Klitschko, heavyweights

In the first edition of our new weekly feature, SecondsOut's editorial team answers your questions about what's going down in the world of boxing. If you want to take part in next week's edition, just click the big blue button "Ask the Editors" which appears on the bottom of the majority of our articles.
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First Name :
William
Last Name : McCormick
e-mail : mccormw@optonline.net
Country : USA
Your Question : What is your honest opinion of Max Kellerman as an HBO boxing analyst and why did HBO hire him?

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Certainly, Max has been hired to eventually replace Larry Merchant. For as in sports, as in life generally, youth must eventually be served. Max is the contemporary version of a well versed boxing commentator. In many ways, few would argue he's at least earned a shot at the big chair. Clearly, he doesn't possess the journalistic credentials nor the well read intellect of Larry Merchant, who industry people know to be 'a smart guy'; if there's a redundant member of the HBO big fight broadcasts it has to be Bob Costas, who has nothing to say about boxing or even the sporting context of boxing's major events. Watching Costas on boxing is as painful as seeing him struggling to be relevant at major golf events such as the US Open.


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First Name : Paul
Last Name : Pouler
e-mail : paulpou@yahoo.com
Country : United Kingdom
Your Question : How can Williamson be the top contender for Chris Byrd when he beat Byrd's ass so damn bad in 2000? Someone explain this to me. The USA body (the IBF) and the USA judge and the USA promoter (Don King) came out and helped out the USA fighter (Williamson) in the good ole USA. Together they screwed the guy from Ulkraine. Well done y'all! Regards, Paul

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Paul, You are touching upon the essence of the issue. Politics of the moment (to moment) and promotional ties dictate access to title belts and not necessarily who has whupped whom.

ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Like I've wrote elsewhere, I don't have a problem with Williamson getting the nod in this one. By virtue of his skin tone and who his big brother is, Wlad has had plenty of favours come his way over the years and he can't complain too much as the IBF have given him a final eliminator (v Sam Peter, should the Nigerian accept it) as recompense.

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First Name : Dana
Last Name : Maglione
e-mail : klitschko101@comcast.net
Country : USA
Your Question : Any personal opinions on the Klitschko/Williamson ruling? I'm disappointed for one. What's next for Wladimir is the question? Maybe he should have gone for a Williamson rematch with the winner taking on Byrd, instead of letting the judge make the call.

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Dana, This is the boxing equivalent of semantics; don't worry about "Klitschko The Younger"... he is still a commodity in the eyes of US cable giants HBO and as such he's never on the outs. He will be offered something sooner rather than later. Although, if there's a title belt he could win from a beatable opponent it's the 2005 version of Byrd. And the WBA is being 'carried over' for Toney when he comes back; but that's another story!

ANT EVANS ANSWERS: His management assure me that Wlad wanted it but Team Klitschko should have made it clearer that he was OK with the rematch with Williamson after that scare last October. The public perception was Wlad was trying to back-door his way to a title shot, whatever the merits of that view. But I am happy for Williamson, he's a good guy and fights hard so I can't begrudge him his big chance. But Wlad will beat Byrd again, no question, the 2000 fight was embarrassingly one-sided.

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First Name : Billy
Last Name : Watts
e-mail : theleader1@yahoo.com
Country : USA Your
Question : Who do you guys think should have got the title shot v Klitschko? Brock or Rock?

MARK BUTCHER ANSWERS: Brock definitely. For all his excellent PR and significant press support, Rahman has done nothing to justify a fresh shot at the title and is in the running on reputation alone. Brock has, at least, beaten a Top 10 contender (Jameel McCline) in recent memory to earn his ranking and one suspects would give Klitchsko a better contest than Rahman who was, after all, the last man to lose to Evander Holyfield and struggled with Al Cole.

ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Brock, 100%. Mark is correct - this was a great PR victory for all the King's men and hats off to them because in the last four years Hasim Rahman has done absolutely nothing to justify a top 10 ranking much less a title shot. And, in a related matter, the US newspaper writer (who shall remain nameless here) who called Brock "greener than Kermit the Frog's backside" was grossly unfair to a fighter who'd beat up Jameel McCline, who beat (but got jobbed) to IBF champ Byrd last year.

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First Name : BEYLKE
Last Name : FALK
e-mail : the_grappling_jew@yahoo.com
Country : USA
Your Question : If King was really interested in unifying, as he says he does, why hasn't he put together a fight to unify any two of the three belts he has control of? The three title claimants - John Ruiz (WBA), Chris Byrd (IBF) and Lamon Brewster (WBO)are all promoted by Don King!

FACT: In more than three years since Chris Byrd became the IBF Heavyweight Champion, He has fought exactly three times, Byrd hasn't fought at all in 2005. His last 4 fights were a joke. He fought a washed up Holyfield for the IBF belt, he fought Fres Quendo (a bum) he got the decision even though he clearly lost. He got a questionable draw with Golota and a questionable split decision against McCline. Look what happen when he fought real competition. Wladamir Klitschko destroyed Chris Byrd.

FACT: Wladimir Klitschko has to go to court to try and make Chris Byrd fight him! Don King and Chris Byrd would like to fight DaVarryl Williamson next, Byrd in his last fight, fought Jameel McCline, both Williamson & McCline were defeated by Wladimir Klitschko.

FACT: Next month's WBC ``interim'' title fight between Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett is supposed to produce a mandatory challenger for Vitali Klitschko, but Monte Barrett has already fought one Klitschko. Barrett whose forehead was split wide open, and was dropped five times by Wladimir Klitschko was KO'd in their 2000 fight.

FACT: Look at Rahman's opponents during his last 5 fights. All due respect to these guys, but who were they again? Do people really think that Klitschko is scared of fighting Rahman? Rahman's Last Five Opponents Were A Joke: 1) Al "ice" Cole: I saw how good Rahman looked when he fought Al Cole, whom Corrie Sanders knocked out within 60 seconds of the very first round. Rahman looked terrible against Al Cole!!!! Sultan Ibragimov has since floored ice in three rounds.

2) Mario Cawley -- I had to look this up, but Cawley, who Rahman beat hasn't won a fight since 1997.

3) Rob Calloway -- beat a legitimate top 100 fighter.

4) Terrance KO'd Lewis -- lost 5 of 6 before getting dropped by Rahman.

5) Kali Meehan --- Danny Williams knocked out Kali Meehan in 32 seconds, then stopped Mike Tyson on a night when Tyson looked good, and people give Klitschko shit for even fighting him.

Rahman has reinvented himself as the second coming on the backs of tomato cans and never-weres. He's got a big punch if he's in shape to throw it. He can't beat bigger men with good jabs i.e. Lewis & (gasp) Klitschko. Sometimes he can even beat people his own size. i.e. Ruiz.

FACT: From 2001.11.17---2004.03.11 Hasim Rahman was 0-3-1, Al Cole was his 1st win in over 3 years!

FACT: So what if Klitschko entertained the notion of fighting Oleg Maskaev, it was Maskaev who drilled Hasim Rahman with a wicked right hand to score a brutal 8th round knockout a few years back. The shot drove Rahman through the ropes, out past the ring apron, and on to the hardwood floor stretched out flat on his back starring straight up at the ring lights!! Rahman was unable to climb back into the ring after a count of twenty!!

Sure, Rahman has won his last 5 bouts going back to march 2004 BUT Maskaev has a nine fight win streak going back to Febuery 2003!

ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Wow. Glad you got that off your chest Beylke. I agree with most of what you wrote - because much of it is, like you say a FACT - Rahman won't last eight rounds with Vitali Klitschko. The guy just isn't in Klitschko's league. His, ahem, fights over the last two years have been total jokes. Meehan has some credibility coming off a good performance v Lamon Brewster but in reality Meehan was nothing special, as you properly pointed out.

Byrd, too, has much to prove and his hanging on to his title by his nails. He's a nice guy but I think he's lost his last three fights. All in all, can't fault much of what you wrote!

First Name : Roscoe
Last Name : Heidtmann
e-mail : ross@cdadams.com.au
Country : Australia
Your Question : Your spot on with your article. I was totally amazed how roth gave bhop the 3 of the first 5 rounds. Judging really needs to be vastly improved > because its not the first time where one judge watches a completely > different fight to the others. Maybe Ford giving taylor the last rd when > he didn't win it was just avoiding another blackeye for boxing. Taylor won > more rds & thats all you have to do when it goes to the scorecards.

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Roscoe, Good points... I would add that the age old habit of judges thinking, "I'd better give that round to Fighter A cause Fighter B has won the first four rounds." And in the BIG fights that's what judges think... some have admitted to me (and others) they do it... Athletic Commissions that over see fights should do yearly seminars (not just luncheons to tell tall tales) and drill in some 'new' mental guidelines for judges, while reminding them of their specific duties...

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First Name : Dave
Last Name : Puxley
e-mail : puxleyd@tenix.com
Country : Australia Your Question : > Whenever we get Pay-per-Views from the good ol' US of A they never show > the Round Girls. Why is this so? Up here in Darwin we look forward to > seein' them but all we get is Glimpses! > In OZ sometimes we have up to Four at a time - just ask the Colonel, and I > don't mean Sanders!! Apart from that , Keep up the good work, Regards, > Dave.

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: The simple answer has always been that IF they show them on air they have to pay them more... and boxing promoters are not inclined to do it as it adds 'another' expense... Ring Card entertainment is deemed 'in-house' entertainment, as one booking agent and site manager for fights told me years ago...

ANSWERS ANT EVANS: Hi Dave, you've just done more damage to the image of the Aussie male than Paul Hogan and Steve Irwin combined. Congratulations, mate! Maybe I've been living with my girlfriend too long, or maybe I'm into my boxing and need to adjust my viewing priorities, but what I want to see is what's happening in the corner between rounds.

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First Name : Chris
Last Name : wiebe
e-mail : cl_wiebe@hotmail.com
Country : Canada >
Your Question : > Just a comment - I'm not convinced that Hopkins was sticking to his game > plan by starting out slow. Sure he generally does this in most of his > fights, but I think in this case, Taylor hit him with some good punches > early on in the fight. Hopkins realized that for the first time in a long > while he was in the ring with an opponent who could hurt him. He didnt > dare to get off until later in the fight when Taylor was tiring visibly. > I believe they landed a similar number of punches but Taylor's looked to > be the harder punches.

PATRICK KEHOE ANSWERS: Exactly Chris... he waited until Taylor's punching venom had ebbed...

ANT EVANS ANSWERS: Yes, yes, totally agree. Hopkins wanted no part of Taylor until the challenger was tired.