March 8th 2009 – by Suge Green: Was it just me, or did Joel Julio make James Kirkland look like Clubber Lang on HBO Saturday night…??? I enjoyed the 6 of 10 scheduled, before Julio retired on the stool, in what the ring announcer officially called a referee’s stoppage. In any case Kirkland did a good job, and took too much heat from Lennox Lewis who kept saying that the junior middleweight wasn’t jabbing. For every time Lennox said James wasn’t jabbing he’d land 2 or 3 immediately. I guess Lewis wanted to see the next Larry Holmes in Kirkland. He improved over his last time out, and made for a good Saturday night of boxing…so far, it looks like he’s on his way.
In light of Joe Calzaghe’s apparent commitment to retirement, Bernard Hopkins has declared Tomasz Adamek his target. This writer would personally rather see Bernard go after WBA Champ Nicolay Valuev, in what would be no doubt be a bonafide superfight. The largest heavyweight champ in history against the former undisputed middleweight ruler, would capture the public’s imagination in a way that a bout with the conventionally sized recent heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev could not, and Bernard actually campaigned a little for that one when Oleg had the WBC Title. Cruiserweight kingpin Adamek is certainly a formidable adversary, and no doubt a worthy challenge for Hopkins, but the fight would not bring Bernard any closer to the mainstream notoriety he would achieve should he pursue the larger than life heavyweight match up.
Steve “Two Pound” Forbes had another night at the office Friday night, stopping the 11-3-1 Jason Davis from Vancouver Washington. The fans in attendance at the Spirit Mountain Casino in Salem, Oregon were treated to a series of punches by Steve that halted the action, and Davis in the 2nd round
With Freddie Roach recently being quoted asking, “Why ?” he should respect Floyd Mayweather Sr., boxing fans are assured of a little drama when two admitted “nice guys,” in Ricky “Hitman” Hatton and Manny Pacquiao square off later this year. The next installment in this saga should be good, as Floyd Sr. is always very “quotable.”
Boxing fans everywhere began crying tears of joy just after the press release went out announcing that former WBA Heavyweight Champion John Ruiz was being named mandatory challenger for the title. John “I don’t hold, they do” Ruiz. What a joyous day this is. I was asked about a week ago if the heavyweight division can get any worse. I now ask all boxing fans to refrain from asking this question for at least the time being. We do not need fate laughing at the heavyweight division any further. God forbid that the Ruiz thing was just a warm up. Yes people, the heavyweight division can get worse. Thank you John Ruiz.
Happy Birthday wishes go out to the Galaxxy Grandpa…Nate Campbell turned 37 on Saturday. The 140lbs. division has a veteran awaiting his debut in the weight class that he intends to call home, don’t be surprised to see Nate get an eliminator or title shot in ’09.
Along with “Iceman” John Scully and “BigTime” Tim Kudgis, Suge Green hosts OnTheGrind Boxing Radio. OTG Radio is live at 8pm est/5pm pst Sundays and Thursdays (1am UK, Mondays and Fridays) right here on eastsideboxing, listen to past episodes by clicking the “On The Grind Boxing Radio” button.