Ruiz Deserved To Lose

Roy Jones said the night of the fight that Ruiz played right into Toney’s hands. Adding that with his win over Ruiz, James Toney is now the best heavyweight on the boxing scene’s top three. Chris Byrd and Hasim Rahman round out Jones’ list of the best three boxing heavyweights however, Jones adds that only Toney has it all. He has speed, punching power and simply knows how to box.

Seconds after the final bell rang ending the heavyweight championship fight between John       “The Quiet Man” Ruiz and James “Lights Out” Toney, legendary sportscaster, Sal Marciano, looked at me and said: “Ruiz deserves to lose.” A statement that turned out to be a fact and a statement that expressed the sentiments that many fight fans feel after a Ruiz fight. Surely, it was how the fans felt on this night.The score card read 116-111,116-111 and 115-112 showing that Ruiz was not only losing, but in a big way. What history will show also is that John Ruiz is the only heavyweight champion in boxing history to lose twice to former middleweight champions. James Toney, the victor, claims Ruiz was stupid. Adding that it seemed Ruiz knew only one way to fight.

Roy Jones, Jr., the first former middleweight champion to beat Ruiz (and the first middleweight champion to win the heavyweight championship in over a 100 years), made some interesting comments about the fight and the heavyweight division. Jones, who was commentating at ringside for HBO, concurs with Toney on some aspects of Ruiz’s lack of knowledge. Yet Jones contradicts Toney as well. Roy (who was once boxing’s premier star and fighter) claims Ruiz, “didn’t fight his fight.” He said it appeared that Ruiz got so caught up in wanting to be liked by the fans and the media, that he changed his approach to the fight. Jones validated this fact even more so, when he told the media Ruiz had asked Jones and his fellow HBO sportscasters, Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley, why they didn’t like him, which was apparently Ruiz’s reaction to being regarded as a dull, unexciting and very boring fighter.

Jones said the night of the fight that Ruiz played right into Toney’s hands. Adding that with his win over Ruiz, James Toney is now the best heavyweight on the boxing scene’s top three. Chris Byrd and Hasim Rahman round out Jones’ list of the best three boxing heavyweights however, Jones adds that only Toney has it all. He has speed, punching power and simply knows how to box. Jones says nobody else in the division has Toney’s total package of boxing skills. “Some can box but not punch.  Some can punch but not box,” Jones remarked.

 â€œFormer heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman is hungry again,â€? says Jones who remarked that had Rahman been smarter he would not have lost to Lennox Lewis in their second encounter. “He tried to out box Lennox.â€? explained Jones.  “He couldn’t out box Lewis.  He should have done what got him into the ring in the first place and that is by bawling,” declared Jones.  When asked about his plans for the future and a return to the ring, Jones said his fans will be the gauge by which he will determine his return to the squared circle. Stay tuned!

Broadways Boxing had another stellar card last week at the Manhattan Ballroom. Jeffrey Resto and Michael Warrick did it again. They gave boxing fans some fight in their first encounter. Fight two, was nothing but the same. Except for the results, this time Resto got the victory. I am sure, it goes without saying, that boxing fans eagerly await fight three. The round-to-round action and non-stop punching once again was the ingredients in this great bout. Halted in the closing minutes of round 10, when it seemed Michael Warrick was going to comeback and knockout Resto to gain the victory. But then Resto, finding some reserve in that big heart of his, came back and had the referee stop the bout giving him a TKO victory and an evened score with Warrick. Both fighters came into the bout with the exact same record of 18-2.

Resto had one more knockout than Warrick. Now at 19-2 and 13 KO’s, he bests Warrick by one victory and two knockouts. Stay tuned, there will be a fight III. Other results on this night found unanimous victory wins for Terrence Thomas over Washington Hugo who suffered his first pro loss. Victor James over Rudolf Pierre Louis and Curtis Stevens over Shannon Miller.  Stevens, who is part of the “Chin Checkers” duo, injured his shoulder in the first round of his 6 round victory. The decision was also the first time in his pro career, he has not knocked out his opponent to win. Stevens upped his record to 7-0. His “Chin Checkers” partner, Jaidon Codrington was impressive in his return to the ring after a shoulder injury himself. Codrington knocked out Etiane Whitaker in 1:45 seconds in the very first round. He dropped his opponent with a quick and picture perfect left hook.  Codrington said he felt no ring rust and was glad to get back into the ring. He claims he can deal with the expectations of fans looking for a knockout. Codrington says he felt no effects of his past injury and the injury never entered his mind once he entered the ring. Codrington record stands at 7-0 and all via the sleep route. This Friday night, May 6th, at Foxwoods Resort and Casino, Sechew “Iron Horse” Powell takes on Cornelius “K9” Bundrgae in a 10 round junior middleweight clash. They will be headlining a card tabbed ‘TWO “0s” Have Got To Go.â€?  Both gents sport undefeated records. Bundrgae comes in at 21-0 with 13 KO’s. Powell has 9KO’s to go along with his 15-0 records. Co-feature has Brooklyn’s Yuri Foreman, 17-0, 7 KO’s clashing against Kevin “KO” Cagle, 16-0 with 12KO’s. Foreman, who was inspired by Mike Tyson to get into boxing says this is the fight that will take him to the next level. Undisputed Middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor, had a press conference this past Tuesday at the Copa announcing their forthcoming clash. Hey, New York boxing fans, on June 1, at Madison Square Garden, Miguel Cotto, WBO lightweight champ, will put his title on the line against Muhammad Abudllaew. Also former champion Joel Casamayor fights the up and coming talented “Kid” Diamond on another outstanding Madison Square Garden boxing card.

DID U KNOW: May 6th is baseball legend, Willie Mays, birthday?  Willie Mays is the youngest man to hit 50 home runs in a season. He hit 51 homers in 1955. Mays is also the only man to win the MVP Award 11 years apart (1954-1965). He also led the National League in stolen bases four straight years, 1956-1959. He also is only one of three men to hit over 500 home runs, 500 doubles and get over 3,000 base hits. Willie also made more putouts than any outfielder and centerfielder in baseball history. He recorded over 7,000 put-outs.  It seems May is a good month for champions: May 3 is the birthday of Sugar Ray Robinson, May 11th, Mark Breland and May 13th, Joe Louis and Stevie Wonder. 
*Trust*In*GOD*

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