Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:03:03 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Thomas Hauser :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Thomas+Hauser istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/olympics/83107/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Demetrius Andrade, 20, is the top-rated amateur welterweight in the world and the odds-on favorite to win a gold medal in Beijing. The Providence, R.I., native is a tall (6-foot-1-inch), rangy southpaw with good power, fast hands, and a solid chin. He's the 2007 World Amateur Champion, a two-time National Amateur Champion, two-time National Golden Gloves Champion, and the best pro prospect on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. "I went through what Andrade is going through." The speaker is Mark Breland... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/destroying-the-high-temple-in-the-bronx/81685/ Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST For thousands of years, the most physically imposing buildings on earth were temples, churches, and mosques. But in the 20th century, new houses of worship came to dominate the landscape. Yankee Stadium is the most storied of these contemporary shrines. When it opened in 1923, baseball was in the shadow of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, and the wounds from the long war between the American and National leagues had yet to heal. The Yankees' new home was the first baseball facility to be called a... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/black-eyes-black-ties-on-wall-street/61359/ Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 EST Tommy Gallagher brought his own singular brand of "black-tie boxing" to New York in 2002. Gallagher, 65, is an old-school boxing guy, who lives in Howard Beach, Queens, and knows the sweet science from the gutter up. Television viewers know him as a familiar face from the reality series "The Contender." He won the New York City Golden Gloves welterweight championship in 1959. Two years later, he was a member of the All-Army Boxing team. "When I was 17 years old," he said last week, "my picture... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/boxing-back-in-the-bronx-at-the-paradise/58454/ Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 EST Boxing tradition is rooted in the Bronx. During the first half of the 20th century, small fight clubs dotted the borough. Yankee Stadium played host to the most important prizefight ever when Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in 1938. Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali all fought in a ring erected over the infield in baseball's hallowed shrine. Jake LaMotta, Mike Belloise, Frankie Genaro, Al Singer, and Iran Barkley brought world championships home to the Bronx... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/super-bowl-of-boxing/53498/ Tue, 1 May 2007 00:00:00 EST Oscar De La Hoya (38–4, 30 KOs) is the reigning World Boxing Council 154-pound champion and one of his sport's all-time greatest attractions. Since 1995, he has fought in 17 pay-per-view bouts engendering 10.4 million purchases and $490.6 million in PPV revenue. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (37–0, 24 KOs) is boxing's current "poundfor-pound" king and the WBC's 147-pound champion. This Saturday, De La Hoya and Mayweather will do battle in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Their confrontation... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/shady-maneuvering-mars-heavyweight-championship/48575/ Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST Through the years, IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and his brother, former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, and have become known as good people with a social conscience. Wladimir devotes considerable time to raising public awareness and funds for UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). "My understanding of life changes as I see things with my own eyes," he said recently. "The world is getting smaller. We have to act differently and... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/void/48379/ Fri, 9 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST "The sweet science," A.J. Liebling observed, "is joined onto the past like a man's arm to his shoulder." When Liebling penned those words, he was referring to the lineage of boxing's heavyweight champions. It was a glorious line of succession revered by fight fans with the same emotion that British royalists embrace the monarchy. John L. Sullivan ... James J. Corbett ... Bob Fitzsimmons ... James Jeffries ... Marvin Hart ... Tommy Burns ... Jack Johnson ... Jess Willard ... Jack Dempsey... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/many-championship-fights-no-real-champion/43160/ Wed, 8 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST This is a week for settling disputes that have been marked by rhetoric and bluster. Yesterday, voters went to the polls to elect 27 governors, 33 senators, and 435 members of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, boxing's heavyweight division stumbles along with lots of rhetoric, lots of promises, and lots of "championship" fights but no true champion. On June 8, 2002, Lennox Lewis knocked out Mike Tyson in Memphis. Since then, there has been only one real heavyweight championship fight... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/duddy-has-the-big-room-in-his-sights/40579/ Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:00:00 EST Within the boxing industry, Irish middleweight John Duddy is becoming a phenomenon. A 27-year-old from County Derry, undefeated in 17 fights with 15 knockouts, Duddy is handsome and talented with an exciting style. On Friday night, he'll step into the ring to face Yori Boy Campas in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. A sell-out is expected. But more importantly, the fight will serve as a barometer of how Duddy is progressing as a fighter. Campas is 35 with the wear and tear of 96... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/new-york-boxing-returns/37360/ Fri, 4 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EST Boxing returns to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. The main event features an intriguing 154-pound match-up between Vernon Forrest (37–2, 28 KOs) and Ike Quartey (37–2–1, 31 KOs). Forrest, 35, and Quartey, 36, are former welterweight champions past their prime. The winner will get at least one more big pay-day and another shot at glory. The loser will be in danger of becoming an opponent for young fighters on the rise. But the man with the most to gain on Saturday might be Brooklyn's... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/white-collar-boxing-bill-threatens-safety/36915/ Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST A proposal that could put people in harm's way and would result in an economic windfall for a small, privately held corporation is wending its way through the New York State legislature. On June 14, it was approved by the State Senate by a vote of 57 to 3. It's now in the State Assembly Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development and is expected to come before the full Assembly this autumn. The bill would legalize an activity known as "white collar boxing" and place it under the... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/time-to-stay-down/35907/ Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST When Roy Jones was young, he glowed. There was an aura about him and words came out of his mouth like bursts of machine-gun fire. The glow is gone now. Roy's face looks old for his 37 years and there's a bit of cotton in his voice. Jones (49–4) is scheduled to step into the ring again on July 29th. After a decade of brilliance, he has lost three consecutive fights — two to Antonio Tarver and one at the hands of Glencoffe Johnson. Tarver knocked Jones out with one perfectly timed punch. Johnson... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/long-road-for-local-fighter-leads-to-title-shot/33622/ Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 EST On June 10, Brooklyn-born Paulie Malignaggi (21-0, 5 KOs) will enter the ring at Madison Square Garden to face World Boxing Organization 140-pound champion Miguel Cotto (26-0, 22 KOs). Cotto is a hero in his native Puerto Rico, a hard puncher with a potent left hook that he uses to perform liver surgery on opponents. June 10 is the eve of New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade. "I know what's coming," Malignaggi said shortly after the fight was signed. "Miguel Cotto, Madison Square Garden, a... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/unchecked-wagering-sours-the-sweet-science/31666/ Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 EST Boxing has a problem, a big one. Think of it as a monster that's hiding under the bed. Eventually, the monster is going to come out and take a big chunk out of the sport. Fighters, trainers, managers, promoters, even government regulators, can legally bet on fights. They can also bet on fights they're involved with. Earlier this month, Tim Lueckenhoff, president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, said he knows of no prohibition in any state regarding people in boxing betting on fights... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/brooklyn-fighter-is-always-an-opponent-never/27951/ Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:00:00 EST Early on the evening of February 16, Anthony Ottah took the subway from his home in Brooklyn to 34th Street in Manhattan. Ottah is a large, muscular man, 40 years old, with a dignified presence and an honest face. There's some extra weight on his 6-foot-2-inch, 250-pound frame, but he's in good shape. He came to America from Nigeria in 1982 and has been married for 18 years. He and his wife have a 15-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. Ottah is what is known in the boxing trade as an... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/remembering-the-brockton-blockbuster/19989/ Wed, 14 Sep 2005 00:00:00 EST The heavyweight division is in wretched condition. There are four world sanctioning organizations, and each one has its own heavyweight champion. Athletes who would have been first-rate fighters decades ago now play middle-linebacker in the NFL or power forward in the NBA. It wasn't always this way. Fifty years ago, Rocky Marciano was in the midst of a glorious five-year championship reign at a time when the heavyweight champion was the most exalted figure in sports. Sugar Ray Robinson was... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/summer-season-going-out-like-a-lion/19140/ Thu, 25 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST The usually quiet end of August is about to witness a flurry of ring activity. Locally, the action kicks off tonight with a six-fight card at the Hammerstein Ballroom. In the most entertaining match-up of the evening, undefeated junior-welterweight Paulie Malignaggi (19-0, 5 KOs) takes on Jeremy Yelton (17-1, 9 KOs). The 24-year-old Malignaggi was born and raised in Brooklyn, and trained at legendary Gleason's Gym for each of his previous fights. This time, however, he spent two months in... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/cutting-a-birthday-cake-in-jimmys-corner/18772/ Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST Jimmy Glenn, who turns 75 on Thursday, is universally respected in the sweet science. He hasn't captured the brass ring; not yet, anyway. The longtime trainer has been close to the top twice. In 2002, and then again last year, Jameel McCline challenged for the heavyweight crown with Glenn in his corner. But McCline failed both times. That saddened a lot of people who were rooting hard for Jimmy. I've been writing about boxing for 22 years, and there are three people in the sweet science I've... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/interim-shambles-for-heavyweight-division/18385/ Wed, 10 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST The heavyweight division is a mess. Right now, there are four claimants to the throne: Vitali Klitschko (World Boxing Council), John Ruiz (World Boxing Association), Chris Byrd (International Boxing Federation), and Lamon Brewster (World Boxing Organization). In a well-run sport, they would face off in a four-man elimination tournament to crown an undisputed champion. But boxing is not a well-run sport, and rather than consolidate, the powers that-be are further fragmenting the crown. That's... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/view-from-inside-the-ring/18095/ Thu, 4 Aug 2005 00:00:00 EST Most people have been on a baseball diamond and a basketball court. At least once in their life, they've walked across a football field. But relatively few people have ever set foot inside a boxing ring. Unlike most sports playing fields, a boxing ring is a temporary structure. Four people can assemble a ring in less than three hours, although promoters complain that workers being paid by the hour often take longer. The basic components of a boxing ring are the same whether the site is Madison... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/ringside-doctors-duped-by-contender/17730/ Thu, 28 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST A self-serving trade organization called the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP) has named its award recipients for 2005. The honoree for "Outstanding Contribution to Boxing" is NBC's recently cancelled "reality" show "The Contender." The AAPRP's stated rationale for honoring "The Contender" is that the "production exceeded the medical requirements of any State or Indian jurisdiction in the entire country. Their pre-fight evaluations were meticulous and, in... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/taylor-26-seeks-validation-against-40-year-old/16958/ Wed, 13 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST Has boxing found its newest superstar? On Saturday night, 40-year-old Bernard Hopkins (46-2-1, 32 KOs) puts his undisputed middleweight championship on the line against Jermain Taylor (23-0, 17 KOs). Hopkins is a superb fighter who has not lost since coming out on the short end of a unanimous decision against Roy Jones in 1993. But Taylor is considered by many to be the heir apparent in the middleweight division. The powers that be in boxing will be watching Hopkins-Taylor closely. Larry... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/peter-auditions-for-role-of-next-great-heavyweight/16439/ Fri, 1 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EST As the heavyweight division sinks ever deeper into mediocrity, the powers-that-be keep hoping for the next great heavyweight. Actually, the next very good heavyweight will do at this point. The latest prospect to audition for the role is 24-year-old Nigerian-born Samuel Peter (23-0, 20 KOs). The early stages of Peter's career were marked by slow, robotic movement. But in recent fights, he has become more mobile and begun to develop a variety of punches instead of relying exclusively on... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/skill-should-trump-heart-in-gatti-mayweather-bout/16078/ Fri, 24 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST No brawler in boxing is more crowd-pleasing than Arturo Gatti. The 33-year-old Canadian is a made-for-TV warrior who excites fans every time out - hence his nickname, The Human Highlight Reel. Five times he has participated in the "Fight of the Year," and his bloody trilogy with Mickey Ward has entered boxing lore. In the words of Roy Jones, "Gatti has given boxing better fights than the ones they make up in movies." On Saturday night, Gatti (39-6, 29 KOs) steps into the ring in Atlantic City... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/tysons-time-to-move/15315/ Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST Saturday night was about building fighters. Some of them flew high. Others crashed and burned. The messiest crash occurred in Washington, D.C., where Mike Tyson quit on his stool after six rounds against Kevin McBride. Prior to meeting Tyson, the "Clones Colossus" was widely regarded as a human punching bag. British boxing writer Hugh McIlvanney once wrote that heavyweight Joe Bugner was "built like a Greek statue but with fewer moves." McBride has fewer moves than Bugner. But Tyson had nothing... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/mike-tyson-why-do-we-still-care/15278/ Fri, 10 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST The latest chapter in the Mike Tyson saga is hardly a glorious one. Tyson (50-5, 44 KOs) steps into the ring at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night to face Kevin McBride (32-4-1, 27 KOs) in a pay-per-view bout. Fans who shell out $44.95 are unlikely to get their money's worth. Tyson, despite his fall from grace, can still punch, and McBride is a club fighter. It has been suggested that McBride wear a blindfold into the ring for what is expected to be a quick execution. The only... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/cotto-poised-to-break-out-at-the-garden/15105/ Wed, 8 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST New York's boxing renaissance continues this week with two more fight cards in Manhattan. The big one occurs on Saturday night when Miguel Cotto (23-0, 19 KOs) defends his World Boxing Organization 140-pound title against Mohammad Abdullaev (15-1,12 KOs) at Madison Square Garden. Promoter Bob Arum has penciled in 2005 as Cotto's breakout year,and Saturday is an important building block in that process. Cotto is from Puerto Rico; New York's annual Puerto Rican Day Parade is slated for Sunday... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/fireworks-inside-the-ring-and-possibly-outside/14878/ Fri, 3 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EST Fight fans can expect to see fireworks both inside and outside the ring on Saturday night, when Showtime will televise the latest in a series of entertaining matchups. This time, it's Kostya Tszyu (31-1, 25 KOs) facing off against Ricky Hatton (38-0, 28 KOs) for the International Boxing Federation 140-pound title. Tsyzu is from Russia and now lives in Australia. He won the IBF title in 1995, lost it to Vince Phillips 28 months later, and recaptured the crown in 1999. His signature win was a... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/aging-trinidad-still-has-some-magic-in-his-gloves/13638/ Wed, 11 May 2005 00:00:00 EST One of the year's biggest fights is on tap for Saturday night, when Felix "Tito" Trinidad (41-1, 34 KOs) faces off against Winky Wright (48-3, 25 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a 12-round middleweight bout. Trinidad's good looks and smile light up an arena. There are few fighters in boxing today who have a fervent fan base, but he's one of them. After losing to Bernard Hopkins on September 29, 2001, Felix fought once more before going into a 29-month "retirement." Last October, he... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/showtime-for-lightweights/13327/ Wed, 4 May 2005 00:00:00 EST World Boxing Council champion Jose Luis Castillo (52-6-1, 46 KOs) and World Boxing Organization titleholder Diego Corrales (39-2, 32 KOs) are the two best lightweights in the world. On Saturday night, they'll meet in the ring, courtesy of Showtime. Last year, Showtime decided that, rather than televise boxing on a random schedule, it would feature the best fights it could within its budget on the first Saturday of each month. So far, the results have been encouraging. Zab Judah's February 5... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/can-toney-inject-new-life-into-heavyweight/13015/ Thu, 28 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST John Ruiz heavyweight , the World champion Boxing Association, is the - Rodney Dangerfield of boxing: He don't get no respect. A lot of that is his own fault. Each time Ruiz nears public acceptance, he loses big. His first disaster came on a 1996 HBO card styled "Night of the Young Heavyweights," when he was obliterated by David Tua in 19 seconds. Over the next seven years, Ruiz fought his way back to take the WBA title from Evander Holyfield and successfully defend it against Kirk Johnson... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/columbia-baseball-a-look-back/12563/ Wed, 20 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST On May 17, 1939, the Columbia baseball team made sports history when the second game of a home doubleheader against Princeton became the world's first televised sporting event. At the time, fewer than 400 TV sets were owned by the general public. The contest was televised by W2XBS, an experimental station owned by NBC. Princeton swept the twin bill, taking the second game 2-1 in 10 innings. Since that day, episodes of athletic glory for Columbia have been few and far between. The university is... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/tyson-makes-yet-another-comeback/12193/ Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST Here we go again. Mike Tyson is back. On June 11, the man who was once the most compelling fighter in the world will face off against Kevin McBride at the MCI Center in Washington DC. This is the least anticipated Tyson fight since Iron Mike stepped into the ring with Lorenzo Boyd 19 years ago, but you wouldn't know it from the former champ's press conference yesterday. "I just hope these people of Washington, D.C., are prepared to handle this," Tyson said as he announced his return to the ring... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/threshold-issue/11886/ Thu, 7 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EST On March 13, 2004, Joe Mesi fought Vassiliy Jirov in Las Vegas. Mesi won, but was hit so hard and so often that his brain bled in three places. On May 17, 2004, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, 37, was released from prison after serving 17 months for kidnapping his first wife and their children. At Bowe's sentencing, his lawyer asked the court for leniency on grounds that Bowe's judgment had been impaired due to brain damage from boxing. On November 13, 2004, the legendary Evander... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/problem-with-the-contender/11402/ Wed, 30 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST Last year, some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry joined forces to create a TV reality show called "The Contender." The venture was spearheaded by Mark Burnett (who's best known for having created "Survivor" and "The Apprentice") and movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. Show business veterans Jeff Wald, Sylvester Stallone, and Sugar Ray Leonard are also equity participants. The show tracks the efforts of 16 professional fighters as they compete in a boxing tournament for... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/ignoring-the-truth-in-nevada/11026/ Wed, 23 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST Boxing is systemically corrupt. When something in the sweet science doesn't look right, most likely it isn't. Right now, something doesn't look right in Nevada. On September 18, 2004, Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins fought in Las Vegas for the undisputed middleweight championship, a bout promoted by Bob Arum's company, Top Rank. Hopkins and his attorney have testified under oath that Bernard's purse for the De La Hoya fight was $8 million plus $7 for each pay-per-view buy above 800,000. De... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/smell-of-success-2005-03-22/10959/ Tue, 22 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST If a Hollywood studio needed a fighter to play the hero in an old-time boxing movie, the search could begin and end with John Duddy. Duddy was born and raised in County Derry, Ireland, and moved to New York two years ago. A charismatic 25-year-old, he has a thick Irish brogue and matinee-idol good looks. He is likable, gracious, and charming. And he's singularly focused on making it as a pugilist in his adopted home. "I'm here for one thing and that's business," he says. "I'm here to box... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/charity-lingerie-and-fights/10329/ Wed, 9 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST Tomorrow night, New York fight fans can take a trip back in time by attending an eight-bout card at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Box-NYC, as the event is called, is the brainchild of Jed Weinstein (a producer of themed live events). Weinstein says that he hopes to create an upscale event reminiscent of "the old nightclub scene in Las Vegas and Havana." In the main event, junior-welterweight Dimitriy Salita (20-0, 13 KOs) takes on Darelle Sukerow (11-12-1, 5 KOs) in an eight-round match-up. Salita... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/world-class-setting-club-fights/10052/ Thu, 3 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST There's a difference between world-class fighters and club fighters. It's similar to the distinction between a Grammy Award nominee and a guy who sings in Holiday Inn cocktail lounges. Tonight, Sal Musumeci is promoting an eight-fight card in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. It's being advertised as a night of world-class boxing. But the show features four heavyweight matchups between fighters who, at this point in their respective careers, are essentially club fighters. Three have high... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/local-prospect-punches-hard-dreams-big/9686/ Thu, 24 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST One-punch knockout power is the biggest draw in boxing, and Curtis Stevens, a 19-year-old prospect from Brooklyn, knows he has it. "I put on a show," said Stevens (4-0, 4 KOs), who will face Darren Johnson (3-5, 3 KOs) at the Manhattan Center tonight. "I knock people out; I demolish them. I'm fast; I have power. My hook is like a meteorite. You know how, if a giant meteorite hits the earth, we'd all be gone? Well, if I hit you with my hook, you're gone." True to his word, Stevens is a crippling... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/hopkins-savoring-life-at-40/9410/ Thu, 17 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST These are heady times for Bernard Hopkins. He's the undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Last September, he was paid $10 million to knock out Oscar De La Hoya. On May 6, he will be honored by the Boxing Writers' Association of America as the 2004 "Manager of the Year" in recognition of the job he has done in guiding his own career (George Foreman, in 1994, was the only other fighter to receive that honor). Most remarkably, at age 40, Hopkins is considered the best fighter in the... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/real-life-million-dollar-baby/8986/ Wed, 9 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST Women's boxing has received a major boost from the success of "Million Dollar Baby." The feature film, starring Hillary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman, has won a bushel of awards (including Golden Globes for best actress and best director) and earned seven Oscar nominations. The movie comes at a propitious time because women's boxing has been stagnating recently. The novelty has worn off. And unlike female competitors in track and field, basketball, tennis, and other Olympic sports... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/spinks-vs-judah-a-crossroads-fight/8719/ Thu, 3 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST Crossroads fights are important part of boxing. The winner goes on to bigger and better things, while the loser squanders a significant career opportunity. The first Showtime Championship Boxing telecast of the year features a crossroads - a rematch between Cory Spinks (34-2, 11 KOs) and Zab Judah (32-2, 23 KOs) on Saturday night. Last April, the two men met in a welterweight title unification bout. It was a hard-fought, competitive fight. Spinks came out aggressively and controlled the action... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/gatti-returns-to-battle/8361/ Thu, 27 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST It's unlikely that Arturo Gatti will ever be in a boring fight. The 32-year-old Canadian, now living in New Jersey, has participated in the "Fight of the Year" five times. And his brutal ring trilogy with Micky Ward - Gatti won two of their three encounters - has become part of boxing lore. Gatti captured the 140-pound World Boxing Council crown last January with a 12-round decision over Gianluca Branco in a fast-paced fight. Six months later, he defended his title against Leonard Dorin, whom... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/mayweather-and-hbo-kick-off-2005-with-a-dud/8089/ Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST HBO is starting 2005 with a bomb instead of a blast. The network styles itself "the heart and soul of boxing." But on Saturday night, its first offering of the year features a mismatch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. (31-0, 21 KOs) and Henry Bruseles (21-2-1, 14 KOs). As HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant points out, "HBO usually televises first-rate fights. But this is a case where the pay-per-view tail is wagging the HBO dog." Mayweather is sans title at the moment. But the former lightweight... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/from-the-gridiron-to-the-ring-a-prospect-is-born/7676/ Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST There are hundreds of young fighters whose handlers believe them to be a future world champion or the next great heavyweight or another Sugar Ray Robinson. The young men who inspire these beliefs are known as "prospects." Derric Rossy is a prospect. He was born in Manhattan and raised on Long Island, where he still lives with his parents. His father is Italian-American and his mother is Hispanic. He's 24 years old, 6-foot-3, and weighs 238 pounds. Rossy is articulate and likeable. At... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/judging-the-judges/7321/ Thu, 6 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST It didn't take long for fight fans to be reminded of why boxing is a dying sport. The new year was less than three days old when an apparent robbery took place in Japan, where Jose Navarro challenged Katsushige Kawashima for the World Boxing Council 115-pound title at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum Monday night. I say "apparent" because I haven't seen a tape of the fight yet. But every indication is that Navarro (a 2000 U.S. Olympian) got robbed. To put things in context, Kawashima (now 28-3, 18 KO)... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/dibella-leads-big-apple-resurgence/6937/ Wed, 29 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST Lennox Lewis was unkind to retired boxing, leaving the heavyweight division with four beltholders and no recognizable names on top. Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield fell further from grace. Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones, two of the sport's most bankable personalities, were knocked out. Shane Mosley lost twice. No new stars emerged to excite the public. Nonetheless, 2004 witnessed a boxing renaissance in New York. Don King promoted three major cards at Madison Square Garden, which is pretty... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/tarvers-quest-for-recognition/6422/ Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST The last big fight of the year takes place on Saturday night, when Antonio Tarver (22-2, 18 KOs) battles Glencoffe Johnson (41-9-2, 28 KOs) for the right to be called the best light-heavyweight in the world. Tarver, a 7-to-2 favorite, is considered the class of the light heavyweight division. He ascended to that perch by virtue of a one-punch, second-round knockout of Roy Jones on May 15. Four months later, Johnson duplicated that feat by knocking Jones cold in the ninth round. Jones hasn't... THOMAS HAUSER http://www.nysun.com/sports/klitschko-looks-to-cement-reputation/6059/ Thu, 9 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST Saturday night on HBO Pay-Per-View, Vitali Klitschko (34-2, 33 KOs) will defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight title against Danny Williams (32-3, 27 KOs). Klitschko may well be the best of today's heavyweights. Big, strong, and highly motivated, he uses his height well and can take a punch. His stamina is suspect, however, and he carries his chin high and his left hand extremely low. But Klitschko's fight against Williams came close to being postponed. That's because his brother...