Jacobs Fighting For More Than Just A Belt » Daniel Jacobs, the 2009 ESPN.com prospect of the year, was an elite amateur but just missed making the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. • Making the Olympic squad was a dream for the 23-year-old New Yorker, who is one of the best prospects to come out of the Big Apple in years and hails from the same Brooklyn neighborhood that has produced many fighters, including former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. • After his amateur disappointment, Jacobs turned pro at the end of 2007 and now, three years later, he’s set to face Russia’s Dmitry Pirog at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay on July 31 (HBO PPV, $49.95)… Dan Rafael, espn.go.com
Wladimir Klitschko Trying To Line Up Samuel Peter » FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Wladimir Klitschko’s management is trying to line up Samuel Peter of Nigeria for the IBF heavyweight champion’s next fight. • Klitschko also holds the minor WBO and IBO belts and was slated to fight Russian Alexander Povetkin in Frankfurt on Sept. 11. But Povetkin never signed the contract and Klitschko’s camp is looking to sign former WBC champion Peter… Source: www.usatoday.com
James Toney-Randy Couture Bout Pits Boxing Purists Vs. MMA » Jon “Bones” Jones takes on Vladimir Matyushenko in San Diego on Sunday, Aug. 1, in a UFC- sponsored card televised on Versus. • On Saturday, Aug. 7, middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva will defend the belt he has had since 2006 against No. 1 contender Chad Sonnen, at UFC 117. • Ho-hum. • The fight to watch, the fight that will catch the attention of even mainstream media, is on the card of UFC 118, set for Aug. 28 in Boston. • It’s not B.J. Penn trying to reclaim the lightweight title Frankie Edgar took from him in April, even though that is the top fight on the card. The fight to watch is James Toney going against former UFC heavyweight titleholder Randy Couture… Chuck Yarborough, www.cleveland.com
Jacobs photo by Howard Schatz; Peters photo courtesy of AP
Haye All Bark, No Bite » Ducker David Haye is a joke at this point. I mean, how can you possibly take him seriously? He vigorously called out Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko for about the past two years with some of the most childish antics I’ve ever seen… Dan Rafael, espn.go.com
Boxing’s Next Battle: Blood Testing Vs. Urine Testing » United States Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart calls American sports “war” — a landscape full of desperate athletes who will do anything to win. • The Nevada boxing scene is no exception, Tygart said, and with a possible “Fight of the Century” looming between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, Tygart believes his own battle to convince the Nevada Athletic Commission to adopt blood testing into its drug-screening policy has never been more relevant… Roman Stubbs, www.rgj.com
Mike Jones photo by Chris Sembrot; Haye photo by MEN’S HEALTH
Klitschko Will Not Underestimate Arreola » “He is young, undefeated, has a powerful punch and is confident. I won’t underestimate him but I have no doubt that I will leave California as world champion.” —Vitali Klitschko •Source: www.secondsout.com
Boxing’s Month From Hell » “You play football and basketball, but you don’t play boxing.” —Buster Mathis Sr. • This July, all the boxing news of note has been in the obituaries. Death has visited the sport like a plague, shocking even the most callous observers… DAVE ZIRIN, www.thenation.com
‘Thrilla In Manila’ A Can’t-Miss For Boxing Fans » I had a chance over the weekend to watch an advance copy of HBO’s documentary “Thrilla in Manila,” which will debut on the pay network at 5 p.m. Saturday before the Winky Wright-Paul Williams fight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. • The story of the classic third and final fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975 is told from Frazier’s perspective, and the insight is fascinating… Lance Pugmire, latimes.com
Boxing Helps Teenager Put Life On The Streets Behind Her »Jeannine Vides sat in a folding chair, her elbows resting on her thighs. • She bobbed her head to music as her legs rocked. She was fidgety and nervous. Her eyes were fixed on an empty boxing ring at a Council Bluffs convention center. • She took a few deep breaths. • Despite her nerves, she knew she’d be all right. She could handle anything. She was a fighter… LEIA BAEZ, www.omaha.com
Brief-Boxing-Klitschko To Fight Briton Haye In Schalke Stadium »BERLIN, April 7 (Reuters) – Heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko will fight British contender David Haye in Bundesliga club Schalke’s soccer stadium on June 20, the Ukrainian’s manager said on Tuesday… Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Martin Petty, uk.reuters.com
(Photos: Vides by ALYSSA SCHUKAR/THE WORLD-HERALD; Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier by Associated Press)
“Wladimir wants to feel comfortable inside the ring and at the negotiating table. He was as reluctant to put pen to paper for this fight as he is when throwing a right hand. He’s a mentally weak fighter and has been terrified to take risks ever since he was blitzed by a semipro golfer (Corrie Sanders).” — David Haye
Klitschko Vs. Haye Finally Set For June 20 » LONDON (AP) – David Haye can become a heavyweight world champion in only his second fight at that class. • The British former cruiserweight world champ announced Thursday that he has finalized a deal to fight IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine on June 20…
Boxers Getting Chance On ESPN Telecast » Call it a fight for opportunity. That’s how junior welterweights Randall Bailey and Frankie Figueroa view their IBF title elimination fight tonight. • Their scheduled 12-rounder is the featured event for tonight’s ESPN “Friday Night Fights,” which will take place at Handy Park Pavilion on Beale Street… Marlon W. Morgan, www.commercialappeal.com
©2010 • 
culturegraphic interactive