Truax Wins, But…and other thoughts

• Caleb Truax got the win in his WBF-sanctioned International super middleweight bout against Kerry Hope.  That’s the good news.  I had Truax sweeping the first six rounds, but he was definitely sucking wind at the end, and I had Hope sweeping the last four.  Chalk it up to Hope’s cardiovascular advantage, but it’s undeniable that Truax faded while Hope seemed to get stronger.  What does it mean?  It really depends on how you’re predisposed to interpret it.
• Kerry Hope got the loss in his fight with Caleb Truax, that’s the bad news for him.  The good news is that his punch-resistance and resilience were tested severely, and he performed well.  Hope’s strong performance in the last half of the fight shows that he’s no patsy.  However, Hope definitely needs to stick with a more suitable weight class.  If he can make junior middle, then that’s where he ought to play.
• I’ve heard several people say that James Todd looked like crap in his loss to Mohammed Kayongo.  As usual, people are prone to oversimplifying.  The Todd-Kayongo fight looked pretty even until Kayongo landed a big bomb near the end of round 2.  After the first knockdown Todd never really got his feet back under him, and the result was that he either couldn’t get back inside where he did his best work, or he lost the nerve to try.  In any case, from the end of the second until referee Mark Nelson called the fight off, Kayongo was dominant and Todd looked like a shell of himself.
• I thought that the Michael Faulk-Ryan Soft fight should have been judged a draw.  It seemed pretty obvious to me that Soft had won the first and fourth rounds, while Faulk won the second and third.  But as I’ve said before, I’m not a judge.  I just like to be judgemental.
• The MMA portion of this show reminded me why I’m not a fan.  A referee who started the bouts off by shrieking “FIGHT!”, fighters punching and elbowing each other in the back of the head, and kicking.  Kicking!  Am I the only man left in North America who remembers growing up in a neighborhood where kids told each other, “Only sissies kick?!”  I just can’t get used to grown men, covered in tattoos, scowling at each other and…kicking.
• It’s a crying shame that the Charles Meier/Marvin Rodriguez fight didn’t happen.  I’d like to know what happened to Mr. Rodriguez.  If someone who knows the story would like to contact me, all the have to do is email me at fisticmystic@hotmail.com.

November 20 Round-by-Round – Truax-Hope and Kayongo-Todd

 

8:10pm – Connectivity challenges have been overcome!  The place is getting full – probably three quarters full so far, and they’re still coming in.

8:18pm - Programming note – Tonight’s festivities begin with an no-headgear exhibition between Willshaun Boxley and Phillip Adyaka, refereed by Gary Miezwa.  There will be no round-by-round for this, but I’ll give you my judgement when it’s over.

Boxing

“Golden” Caleb Truax (now 14-0 with 9 kayos) defeats Kerry Hope (now 12-3 with 1 kayo) by unanimous decision (97-93, 97-93, 97-93) after ten rounds, for the WBF International middleweight title

Round 1

[connection temporarily lost]

Round 2

Hope is the aggressor this round, but his punches to Truax’s body have little effect.  Truax finally goes downstairs and Hope flinches away from contact.  Hope bends forward at the waist trying to get in close, and Truax unloads to the head, spinning Hope around.  Truax is having some success getting himself low and attacking the body.  Hope charges inside and is stopped short by a right, he loses his balance and Truax, pulling a punch, inadvertently pushes him down.  No knockdown.   Touch gloves and resume…boxing carefully, neither man is the agressor at this point.  Hope catches Truax with a wide right hook that travels so far it has no power when it lands.  Hope pushes Truax into the ropes, and as Truax bounces back into play the bell rings.

Round 3

Hope hits Truax with a tapping right, Truax hits him back with a hard right to the body, and Hope again reaches out and taps him.  There’s been a headbutt and both men are bleeding – Truax from above his right eyebrow and Hope from his right temple, behind the hairline.  There’s a pause while both men are examined by the ring doctor, and they come back to it.  Boxing, boxing, and Truax lands a vicious right hook to the boyd of Hope.  Hope comes back with his best body punch of the night so far.  This is developing into a more tactical fight now…Hope reaches out with a straight right arm and flicks his wrist, connecting a slapping “hook.”  Truax corners Hope on the ropes and lands a good right-left, then Hope escapes.  Truax is hitting Hope harder now, and it’s slowing Hope, may be sapping his strength and power, too.  Truax takes a jab to the head that reopens his cut and now his right cheek is covered with blood.  Hope’s hair is drenched in his own blood.  Truax ducks a Hope hook and comes back with a hurtful shot to the body.  Bell, round.

Round 4

Hope comes out for the fourth slugging, but his attack wanes after about ten seconds.   Big combo by Hope, and Truax responds with a hard right jab.  Hope scores with three consecutive right hooks, but Truax hits him and hurts him with a right to the gut.  The two circle and Truax again hurts Hope to the belly.  After about fifteen seconds Truax hurts Hope again with the same shot.  Now Truax lands a hard uppercut to Hope’s abdomen.  Hope jumps in on the attack but is repelled by a hook and then chased with a jab.  Finally Hope lands a 1-2, but the bell interrupts his progress.

Round 5

Both men start the fifth jabbing, now Truax lands a right that moves Hope backward.   Now Truax is coming forward, but Hope steps to the right and right hooks Truax to the head.  Truax lands a left and Hope counters with a mirror image left.  Hope lands a single power shot which rouses his corner, but Truax goes hard to the body, left-right-left-right, forcing Hope to retreat.  Here’s a soft clubbing right to the head by Hope.  Hope is bouncing on his toes, Truax is noticeably flatfooted.  Truax lunges and with a right, and Hope hits him at the same time with a counter right.

Round 6

Both fighters are in a hurry to begin the sixth.  Hope lands an overhand, Truax two hooks in return.  Truax goes to the body and scores with three straight shots, Hope grimacing in pain.  Hope rams a good jab into Truax’s face, but Truax responds with a right/body, left/body, right/head.  Hope, coming forward, gets inside.  Truax loads up on a right but misses and eats a counter.  Truax ducks an attack and comes back with a hard left-right to the body of Hope.  Hope backs Truax up to the ropes, Truax ducks under his attack, and comes back with a hard one-two to the body.  Hope flurries again, and Truax escapes again.  Hope lands a left hook to the body of Truax at the bell while Truax misses with a counter.

Round 7

Jabbing, jabbing…Hope lands a good left to Truax’s face.  Truax goes left-right to Hope’s head, Hope sways but does not fall.  Suddenly he comes back to score – two flurries from Hope allow him to get inside, and Hope shows that he’s willing to eat a power shot in order to land one.  Hope charges in on Truax, their bodies crash together, and Hope is thrown off balance but appears unhurt.  Truax is missing with more regularity now.  Now Truax lands a straight left, Hope responds with a good right hook.  Truax thunders back with an extended combination of which the first four power shots land – just on the strength of that strong finish Truax may have stolen away a round that he was losing.

Round 8

Hope establishes the jab to start this round.  Now he gets bold with a triple jab, but all three punches miss.  Hope connects with a right hook, Truax goes downstairs and connects to the body twice.  Hope clearly has more wind and is coming forward, but Truax is landing to the body.  Here’s a big straight left and then a right hook from Truax.  The two trade as Truax comes barrelling out of a corner, Truax connecting with 2 and Hope with just 1 punch.  Truax grabs Hope’s right arm and bangs an uppercut into Hope’s body.  At the ten second warning Hope flurries hard and Truax fails to answer back.

Round 9

Truax’s cornermen stay out of the ring while cutman Jim Maurine works on hie eyebrow.

Hope comes out jabbing again, Truax connects with a straight, Hope with a jab.  Truax throws a flurry of punches but Hope ducks and bobs away from every punch, now the fighters clinch.  A right hook from Truax lands.  Hope now backs Truax into the ropes and attacks, Truax fires back two power shots that land, but Truax is sucking wind.  Truaxs tries to clinch but Hope prevents it bwith another flurry, ending with a good right hook to Truax’s head.  Hope follows the retreating Truax into a corner, lands a right, grins at Truax, and then eats a Truax left hand that he well deserved for that cheesy move.

Round 10

Truax is gasping and panting in his corner before the tenth.

Hope comes out and immediately throws a single left, then a few seconds later a single right.  Truax fires back – it’s a Truax jab, Hope jab, Truax jab.  Now Truax is bleeding from the nose.  Hope gets off again, and he’s just too fast for Truax here in the final round.  Truax is having trouble getting off.  Hope goes upstairs, and now Truax doubles him over with a tremendous right hook to the gut.  Hope recovers and chases Truax into a corner.  Truax lands a good hook and spins Hope around, the two end up in a clinch.  Hope feints, stutter steps – is he taunting Truax?  Truax tags him with a big left to the chin.  After the ten second warning there is no action for nearly eight seconds, then both fighters try to steal the round with flurries at the bell, but neither does any damage.

- 

Mohammed Kayongo (now 15-2-1 with 11 kayos) defeats James Todd (now 2-2-1 with no kayos), by TKO in round 4 of 8 scheduled, for the WBF Intercontinental welterweight title.

Round 1

This round begins as the fight will probably play out – a brawl with little artistry.  I can too you this much: Todd likes it on the inside but Kayongo does his gest work from the outside.  Midround Kayongo tagged Todd with a thunderclap of a short hook with no evident effect.  Near the end of the round referee Mark Nelson warns both fighters to keep their punches up; Kayongo turns to look at Nelson and Todd takes advantage, chasing Kayongo around the ring and landing punishing shots until the bell.

Round 2

This round begins a little more tentative.  Kayongo is jabbing effectively from the outside, not to set up any immediate power shots, but keeping Todd at bay and snapping his head back occasionally.  Todd misses with a big left-right hook combo and Kayongo laughs out loud as he scoots away.  Moments later Todd gets closer and lands a couple of nice shots to the body and head.  Kayongo  splits Todd’s defense with a serious of straight rights and lefts which score to the face.  Todd misses a big shot and his grunt turns into a  shout with the effort.  Todd lands a grunting right and Kayongo hits hi mback much harder.  Kayongo cracks Todd with a huge combination that puts his mmouthpiece out and leaves Todd rolling on the mat.  He regains his senses and rises to his feet but still looks disoriented.  A break for Todd as his mouthpiece can’t be found.  His corner locates one and is instructed to insert it, pronto.  Boxing resumes with Kayongo on the attack, but no further damage is done before the bell.

Round 3

Todd, who did good work in the first while pressuring Kayongo, is staying on the outside.  A series of jabs and straights miss, but now he gets inside and eats some hooks and an uppercut, while landing one good short right to the ribs of Kayongo.  Kayongo is moving backwards and laterally and countering Todd’s persistent attack.  Kayongo lands a glancing right to the cheek of Todd.  Todd catches Kayongo in a corner and pummels him with an extended series of soft hooks – good show at this point for him.  Kayongo hits him back harder.  Big left hook, big single right, another big left for Kayongo.  Now Todd is wobbling and stumbling into Kayongo’s corner.  Mouthpiece is out.  Todd’s left eye is very puffy.  After getting his mouthpiece cleaned and reinserted Todd resumes his pursuit of Kayongo, landing one good right.  There’s a clinch, during which Todd lands one more right.  Kayongo is taking some time off.  Kayongo lands a couple of good right hooks to the boyd before the bell, and the fighters engage in a staring contest after the bell.

Round 4

Todd comes out with murder on his mind, and connects with about five hard body shots, but Kayongo gets away.  Kayongo lands a  right hook, then another one at a weird upward angle.  Hookercut?  Todd is trying to apply pressure, but Kayongo is punishing him with uppercuts.  The welt under Todd’s left eye is turning dark in the center.  Todd charges inside, lands a good right uppercut, Kayongo backs off and lands two hard right hooks and a left uppercut.  Todd is game, and continues to throw and land a Cristobal Cruz-like fusillade of body and head shots.  Here’s the end:w Referee Mark Nelson is poised to break the fighters apart when Kayongo lands a one-two that sends Todd tumbling and rolling into the ropes, and Nelson calls the fight.  Kayongo owns the WBF Intercontinental welterweight belt.

MMA

Marcus LeVesseur (now 12-2-1) defeated Bruce Johnson (now 8-5)

Derek Abram (now 26-21 defeated Gabe Walbridge (now 23-15)

Jedidiah Jones (now 0-1) was defeated by Isaiah Mahto (now 1-1)

 

Boxing: 

Charles Meir (3-1 with 2 kayos) -vs- Marvin Rodriguez (2-2 with 1 kayo), middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds

This fight is canceled.  Rodriguez didn’t show up at the weigh-in last night, and rumor is he is still unaccounted for today.  Too bad, it would have been a barnburner!

 

Michael Faulk (now 2-0 with no kayos) defeats Ryan Soft (now 1-1-1 with 1 kayo) by unanimous decision after four rounds.

Round 1

The round begins with Soft winging some shots, high and wide, that miss their mark.  Faulk is more precise with his punches, and lands some good leads, both lefts and rights.  The pattern seems to be that Soft lunges in with shots that miss, and Faulk makes him pay.  The pattern is broken when Soft connects with a hard short right that resounds through the auditorium.  Faulk returns the favor with a flurry of hurtful power shots.  There’s a low blow mixed in, and Soft takes a moment in a neutral corner to recover.  At the ten second sounding, both men goes wings to the wind, and though Soft starts out better, Faulk connects with some shots that bounce Soft into and off the ropes.  The two continue punching after the bell and have to be broken up by referee Gary Miezwa.

Round 2

Our combatants return to form as the second begins, with Faulk throwing sharp and accurate shots that connect, and Soft bringing double the aggression with wild shots that hurt when they connect, but more often than not they miss.  Some rough tactics – pushing, I think – bring an admonishment to both fighters from the referee, and when they resume, Soft seems to have the upper hand.  At one point Faulk seeks to turn Soft’s aggression inward by crowding in, and Soft can be heard shouting “Get off me!”    Soft definitely won this round, but could he be punching himself out?

Round 3

Soft hurts Faulk to the body early, Faulk ersponds with an effective right hook and straight left to the head of Soft.  Soft’s wide punches leave him so wide open that it’s painful to watch, but he seems to be landing with twice the force of Faulk.  Soft throws more hooks to the body of Faulk, then goes upstairs and sends Faulk reeling backwards into the ropes.  Johnny Johnson, in Faulk’s corner, is demanding that Faulk let his hands go and attack the body.  Faulk lands a single right shortly before the bell and receives a hail of power shots in return.   End round 3.

Round 4

Soft resumes his lunging attack, and Faulk counters effectively while laying back into the ropes.  Another exchange ends with the two in a clinch and Faulk popping Soft’s hard on the back of the head.  Soft is slowing now, and Faulk lands a furious volley of rights and lefts that seems to take some of the fight out of him.  Faulk is now throwing wide rights that tomahawk Soft on the left ear and temple.  Ref Miezwa warns Faulk for hitting behind the head.  Faulk lands a hurtful right that seems to leave Soft dazed, then backs away.  Johnson is losing his mind in the corner!  Faulk attacks again, and scores well.  As the round ticks away the two trade in the middle of the ring, Faulk getting the better of it.

Upcoming Boxing Event: November 20th in St Paul, Minnesota

What to watch for: 

Hometown favorite Caleb Truax fights for his first title, taking on a risky opponent in Kerry “The Great White” Hope.  Don’t you just love that ring name?  Hope isn’t a big banger, but he is strong and fit and skilled and confident.  Truax and Hope will contend for the WBF International middleweight belt. 

Mohammed Kayongo, sparring warrior, finally gets a good opportunity against highly touted youngster James Todd, who not-so-coincidentally is a gym-mate countryman of Kerry Hope.  Kayongo has had just two fights in the last four years, but as mentioned before, he is an in-demand sparring partner, so he shouldn’t be too rusty.  The winner of this scrap gets the IBA Americas junior welterweight belt, which is more than a trinket but less than a big-time belt.

In what may be a sleeper pick for Fight of the Night, former amateur standouts Michael Faulk and Ryan Soft, both excellent athletes with good pop, square off in a bout to be contested somewhere between welterweight and middleweight (the Fistic Mystic doesn’t have good info on the class).

Charles Meier looks to pay back a favor to all-action Mexican import Marvin Rodriguez, who put the only blemish on Meier’s record back in January of this year, a split decision in Meier’s professional debut.  Rodriguez has proved himself to have a stone jaw in his four professional fights, and die-hard boxing fans are catching on that what he lacks in artistry, the super-tough Rodriguez makes up in excitement.

Elite referee Mark Nelson, a Twin Cities native, is currently at the WBA’s annual convention in Medellin, Colombia (www.wbanews.com), but will be departing early from that event so that he can referee Friday night in Saint Paul.

• Caleb Truax (13-0 with 9 kayos) -vs- Kerry Hope (12-2 with 1 kayo), middleweights, scheduled for 10 rounds
• Mohammed Kayongo (14-2 with 10 kayos) -vs- James Todd (2-1-1 with no kayos), light welterweights, scheduled for 8 rounds
• Michael Faulk (1-0 with no kayos) -vs- Ryan Soft (1-0-1 with 1 kayo), junior middleweights or middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• Charles Meier (3-1 with 2 kayos) -vs- Marvin Rodriguez (2-2 with 1 kayo), super middleweights, scheduled for 4 rounds
• Two MMA bouts will round out the card.

If you can make it to Brit’s Pub (http://www.britspub.com/) in downtown Minneapolis at 6pm on Thursday night, do it!  The weigh-in may be a great spectacle or a boring chore, but it’s at least worth it to see how some real Welshmen react to a fake British pub and restaurant!

Caleb Truax: Thoughts on Kerry Hope and James Todd

Golden prospect Caleb Truax spoke with me tonight about his upcoming (November 20th) fight, the substitution of 14-2 Kerry Hope for Carl Daniels as his opponent, and James Todd, who will fight Mohammed Kayongo in the co-feature.

Caleb Truax

Fistic Mystic: So the fans just found out about your change of opponent within the last 24 hours.  What do you know about your new opponent, Kerry Hope?

Caleb Truax: Actually, when I was out in California he was out there with me.  He had a cut when I was there, so I didn’t get to spar with him or see him spar.  I know he’s in great condition.  He’s built kind of like Jon Schmidt, like a brickhouse!  But it’s strange that he only has one or two knockouts because I’ll tell you, we walk in the gym and he’s hitting the pads – he’s crushing the pads.  He’s shorter and stockier with big broad shoulders and he’s just ripped.  Maybe he just isn’t trying to knock out his opponents, because it looks like he should be getting the knockouts.

Fistic: How long ago did you find out about the change in opponent?

Golden: Just a few days.  Um, Carl Daniels had some legal troubles and they tried to get him out of jail in time, but they couldn’t get him out of jail, I guess.  [laughs]  He’s a bum!

Fistic: Does the change of opponent mean a change in your training or your game plan for the fight?

Golden: It’s a different opponent, it’s a completely different style, but he’s still left-handed and it’s only a week out, so I’m not going to change anything.  He’s younger and hungrier [than Daniels] and he’s going to try to push the pace.  So it’s going to be a better fight for the fans, and better for me because I’ll learn more.

Fistic: Do you think you get more or less credit for beating a guy like Hope, as opposed to a former champ like Daniels?

Golden: Fighting Daniels might have given me more credibility on the national scene, I mean, Daniels has a better name, but he’s lost fifteen out of sixteen fights or something like that.  Hope is going to give me a tougher fight.  So in my mind this is a better fight for me.

Fistic: Of course Kerry Hope is from Wales, just like James Todd…

Golden: I’ll be surprised if that isn’t an awesome fight, with James Todd and Mohammed Kayongo!  That’ll be an exciting fight.  He’s a brawler, Todd, a come-forward guy, and just an exciting, exciting fighter.  People look at him and see his record and they think he isn’t all that – I’ve seen him work out and you would not think that he was a 2-1-1 guy.  He is good.

What’s News?

I heard the familiar thud-thud-thud of helicopter rotors tonight, a sound that – oddly – warms my heart.  That distinctive sound of a helicopter reminds me of the last few months that I lived with both of my parents before they separated for good.  My dad was a soldier (still is, in fact) and was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky.  In those days the sound of helicopters, loud and low, was a constant accompaniment to daily life; a happy memory, bittersweet to recollect.

I glanced up at the night sky in time to see a medivac helicopter, only a few hundred feet up, racing toward the hospital on the north end of town.  I thought to myself, “I wonder who’s hurt or dying up there.”  I pondered some possibilities – a victim of violent crime, a farmer fresh from a machinery mishap, a motorist hurt in a traffic accident…I wondered, “Will I find out from the ten o’clock news?”

But here’s a strange thing about “the news” – it’s only news if “the news” tell us that it is.  In the spirit of the old cliche (if it bleeds it leads), let’s consider the most prevalent variety of news item: how many crimes are committed every day in an American city?  How many of those crimes are reported on the TV news?  The newspaper presents a greater volume of news, it’s true, but even they don’t get it all – especially considering the widespread cutbacks which have afflicted their industry lately.

A few weeks ago a professional athlete nearly died in competition, right here in Minnesota.  Jesse Barbot suffered a subdural hematoma during a boxing match at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen and had to be rushed, in a 100 mph ambulance ride, 75 miles to the big hospital in my adopted hometown of Fargo for emergency surgery.  Barbot’s story is well on its way to a happy ending; it appears that the doctors were able to avert any permanent neurological damage, and Barbot was able to check out of the hospital and go home yesterday.  News coverage: Zero.

The next four weeks will bring Minnesota fight fans more fights than we’ll know what to do with.  Starting with November 13th we have a sold-out, televised show featuring two of the highest-profile boxers in Minnesota in the main event (Matt Vanda and Phil Williams), as well as the professional debut of an elite amateur (Javontae Starks).  From there we move on to November 20th in St Paul, when a local boy (Caleb Truax) fights a former world champ (Carl Daniels) for a minor title belt, then a Minnesota-based African immigrant (Mohammed Kayongo) fights a California-based prospect who is bringing in an entourage of his Welsh compatriots (James Todd) for another minor title belt.  Finally, on December 4th, Minnesota’s top two heavyweight prizefighters (Joey Abell and Raphael Butler) duke it out for bragging rights and a state championship belt at Target Center.  Supporting fights for this downtown Minneapolis event will feature a Jungle Boy, a Freight Train, and a Prodigy.

Will any of these events be considered news by the mainstream press?  I wouldn’t bet on it.

Q&A with “The Sandman” James Todd

Welsh pugilist James Todd is scheduled to face Mohammed Kayongo for the vacant IBA welterweight title on November 20.  Todd, who styles himself “The Sandman,” recently took some time to answer a few questions about himself and his boxing career.

Fistic Mystic:  Please introduce yourself to Minnesota boxing fans, most of whom had never heard your name until last week, when we learned that you will be fighting Mohammed Kayongo on November 20th.

James Todd:  Well where do I start!  I am 21 years old from Swansea in South Wales.  I am from a football [soccer] loving family - my Brother Chris is professional with Torquay United and I started my sporting life as an apprentice with my beloved Swansea City F.C.  However, when I got injured I wanted to improve my fitness [and] I walked in to a boxing gym run by Mario Maccarinelli ( Former WBO Cruiserweight champ Enzo’s Dad) and never looked back!

FM: Please also share your amateur credentials along with a brief account of your professional career to date.

JT:  From a very early stage in my amateur career Mario, and eventually Enzo Calzaghe when I joined Team Calzaghe, realized that my come-forward style suited the pro game better.  I didn’t like the point scoring system in the amateurs and would often get robbed out of a decison.  It made the decision to turn pro all the more easier and even now I realize that fights over a short distance – even in the pro game – do not suit me.

FM:  What led you to visit the US, and what made you decide to stay?

JT:  Well, my friend and former Team Calzaghe teammate Kerry Hope had already made the jump to Talon boxing.  He managed to get me a two-week trial and the rest is history.  Back home things were not going very well for me, bearing in mind that I am a young professional [who] needed lots of fights; Calzaghe Promotions was really struggling.  There is a big recession back home and they were finding it hard to match me, and finding it hard to sell tickets for the shows that they were putting on.  It was becoming very frustrating.  I was spending a lot of my time sparring with World Class Fighters in the Calzaghe Gym (including former WBA World Champion Gavin Rees) and I found that I could hold my own, but I just wasnt getting the fights, and I realized that enough was enough.  When the call came to Join Talon I jumped at it.  But I would like to thank Enzo Calzaghe for everything he has done for me, and we parted on good terms.

FM:  What has it been like for you, working out at Big Bear and training with John Tandy?

JT:  One word: AMAZING!  The attention to detail is amazing - John is so supportive with everything that he does for me, no stone is left unturned in the quest for perfection.  John and his wife Michelle, who is my dietitian, look at every detail and the one-to-one support and training are spot-on.  I am in the condition of my life and would like to thank them for the faith they have shown in me for making this fight for the IBA world Title!  Not to mention the fact that I am sparring twice a week in the Wildcard Gym with world class opposition.  And I am Living the Dream in L.A - what can I say!

FM:  I understand that you may have some fans making the trip across the Atlantic to come cheer for you on November 20th.  What do you expect from those fans who do come over, and how do you feel about this show of support?

JT:  I have always had a very good following.  My style seems to attract support from anywhere I fight.  I will say that I am lucky that I have such a great close-knit family who always look out for me.  I am hoping that quite a few of them will be making the trip out from the UK, but I also understand that times are hard back home…the lift it will give me if they do make it out will make all the difference!

FM:  What kind of boxer are you?  What kinds of tactics and strategies does James Todd typically employ in the boxing ring?

JT:  Now that would be telling.  I have an aggressive style but I can also box.  I like to swarm my opposition, however if anyone thinks that I am one-dimensional, tell them to watch me on November 20th and they will see that is not the case.  Somebody said on the net I am easy to hit! They are Wrong!

FM:  What do you hope that this upcoming fight (for the IBA welterweight title) will do for your career?

JT:  People are looking at my record and thinking, “How the hell has that happend?  How has he got a shot at a title that the like of Oscar De La Hoya and Arturo Gatti have held?”  Well I tell you why: I should have had at least 9 or 10 fights by now - I was forever waiting for a chance to show what I can do and now here it is.

The publicity alone has lifted my profile back home and in the states which is what I need right now.  If John had told me not to take the fight I wouldn’t have, but he knows that I am ready and that is enough for me.  Here is a chance to make a name for myself and believe me I am ready to take it!

FM:  What do you know about your opponent, Mohammed Kayongo?

JT:  In a way I feel for Mohammed - he has been inactive for a while and from what I read he has found it difficult to be matched, which I sympathize with.  That’s where the sympathy ends, though.  I know Mohammed is pretty heavy handed, but he has been stopped early in fights.  Also, his inactivity over the last few years is going to hurt him and he is not gonna be able to keep up with me, and with respect, its gonna be a great fight.

I would like thank Seconds Out Promotions, the IBA, Talon Boxing, and John Tandy for the opportunity.  And I want to ask the Great State of Minnesota to come out to support both fighters on the 20th of November – its gonna be a war!

Minnesota Boxing Scene: In Overdrive

These are heady days for the Minnesota fight scene.  Join me as I survey the the Minnesota boxing fan’s calendar…

• November 4 at Camp Lejuene, NC Jason Litzau faces Johnnie “The LumberJack” Edwards (15-4 with 8 kayos) at 130# in a bout to be televised on ESPN2.  Following his seemingly effortless demolition of Verquan Kimbrough (then 21-1-2)  in August, a win here would appear to set Litzau up nicely for something bigger in the near future.
• Willshaun Boxley takes on another big challenge November 6 when he meets Salvador Sanchez (16-3 with 8 kayos) in a six-rounder in Las Vegas.  Boxley has shown a ton of ambition in the past year, jumping up from the usual early-career patsies to face men with records of 12-7 (Boxley won by unanimous decision), 10-1 (Boxley lost by majority decision), and 10-1 (Boxley lost by unanimous decision).  Sanchez is a pretty good young fighter, but he may have bitten off more than he knows with Boxley.
• November 13th at Grand Casino Hinckley we find a stacked card – by Minnesota standards anyway – presented by promoter Midwest Sports Council.  Phil Williams and Matt Vanda headline, supported by Wilton Hilario -vs- Leon Bobo, unbeaten prospect Cerresso Fort, Javontae Starks’ pro debut, and more.  Four bouts from this event will be televised on Fox Sports North immediately after the conclusion of the Minnesota Wild hockey game.
• November 20th in St Paul we’ll see Caleb Truax fight the faded former WBC world title holder Carl “The Squirrel” Daniels (50-18 with 32 kayos) for some IBA Intercontinental hardware.  Daniels has lost seven straight and fourteen out of fifteen, but this fight will force him to train harder than he’s done in a long time – Daniels hasn’t fought below 170# in nearly two years.  A supporting bout gives this event a higher profile: young Welshman James Todd (2-1-1) meets Mohammed Kayongo (14-2 with 10 kayos) for an IBA welterweight title.  Todd’s supporters are talking about making the trip to St Paul to lend their support, and we all know that British boxing fans travel well.  (There has also been a rumor floating that Todd’s countryman Kerry Hope will face Robert Kamya on this card, but I haven’t confirmed that one with promoter Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions.)
• The heavyweight bout that Minnesota has waited too long for headlines a December 4th event at Target Center in Minneapolis.  Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) meets his pal and fellow Minnesotan Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos) with the vacant Minnesota heavyweight title on the line.  Zach Walters faces Larry Sharpe, who is the man who beat the man (Bruce Rumbolz) who beat the man (Shawn Hammack) who beat Walters back in August of 2008.  Travis “Freight Train” Walker, Ronnie Peterson, Gary Eyer, and Dave Peterson also support this card.
• No specifics are available at this writing, but Showtime will be in town on December 18 to televise a boxing event at Grand Casino Hinckley.  Expect some locals to get a boost from this show.

Almost Unbelievable: Kayongo to fight James Todd for IBA Title

It’s being reported in the UK, and has been confirmed by Mohammed Kayongo’s manager Scott Tolzmann, that Kayongo (14-2-1 with 10 kayos) and Welshman James Todd will meet on November 20th at the St Paul Armory with the IBA light welterweight title at stake.

Photo stolen without permission from the BBC. Ha!

Todd, known as “The Sandman,” is just 2-1-1 after losing his most recent bout to Dean Peters Jr by UD only a month ago.  Yet many people in the UK feel there are very big things in store for the youngster from Swansea.

Reached this morning for a comment, Kayongo’s manager, Scott Tolzmann of Tolzmann’s Twin Cities Boxing, had this to say: “We don’t know a whole lot about the kid, except he was a real solid amateur and he’s training out of Big Bear.  But Kayongo is a whole different animal.  Mohammed is motivated, and he’s going to get some work in with Jason Litzau and Ismail Muwendo.”  Tolzmann couldn’t resist the urge to plug another of his fighters: “He’s another one to keep an eye on, is Muwendo.  He just keeps showing us how special he is.  But we’re really excited  about the fight – it’s been so hard to match Mohammed.”

Tolzmann is eager to credit Tony Grygelko for making the fight, saying “Tony came and told me about the opportunity – he’s just been so phenomenal to help my guys get opportunities.”  Reached for comment, Grygelko confirmed “I proposed the fight to John Tandy (Todd’s manager).  We do a lot of work with Tandy and we’ve used some of his fighters in our shows.  We’re going to continue to grow Seconds Out Boxing nationally and internationally, and hopefully we can return boxing to its status as a premier sport in Minnesota.”

In an interview with Eastsideboxing.com, Todd said “This is a massive opportunity for me, some people might not take these types of chance so early in their career, but I would not have taken the fight unless I was sure I would take the belt. I feel with my style I suit the longer distance and I plan to become only the second world champion from Swansea [following Enzo Maccarinelli] and currently the only Welsh champion. I would like to thank Talon Boxing and my trainer John Tandy for believing in me and allowing me to take this fight”

The Fistic Mystic says: If I didn’t know how serious Grygelko and Tolzmann are about this fight, I would think someone was pulling my leg.  But they’re dead serious, and what’s more, this news is being reported all over the UK, where Todd was a very high-profile amateur.  Let’s watch and see what develops!

Minnesota Boxing Scene: Summer/Fall 2009

The Fistic Mystic surveys the Minnesota boxing landscape at the beginning of August, 2009.

• August 8 at Wyatt Earp’s in Ramsey (just west of Anoka on the south side of Highway 10) we have a completely unexpected show from Seconds Out Promotions.  According to the poster, the event will feature Mohammed Kayongo and Caleb Traux, with Willshaun Boxley and others appearing on the undercard.
• August 14 promoter MSC presents a boxing show at The Myth in Maplewood.  This one features Matt Vanda in a tune-up fight against veteran Jose Spearman, with Cerresso Fort and Brad Patraw on the undercard.  Incidentally, the younger Hilario brother (Jose) makes his professional debut on this card.
• A day later, on August 15, Jason Litzau of St Paul appears in a supporting bout at the Roy Jones Jr-Jeff Lacy event in Biloxi, MS.  Attempting to reassert himself on the national stage, Litzau will be facing 21-1-2 Verquan Kimbrough in a lightweight bout.  This fight is be no mere formality; there are no easy fights against 21-1 opponents.
• September 26 brings us the next boxing show at Target Center in Minneapolis.  This event is to be anchored by the first round of fights in a local super middleweight tournament: Phil Williams and Matt Vanda are matched in one bout, while Jungle Boy Zach Walters is expected to be paired with an opponent yet to be named in the second.  Also scheduled to appear on this card: Cerresso Fort, Antwan Robertson, and the professional debut of Derek Winston.
• A little farther down the line, on November 21, is another event at Target Center.  According to mnboxingleague.com, this event will host the championship round of the super middleweight tournament.  I’ve also heard it whispered that the Jason Litzau -vs- Wilton Hilario match, torpedoed this summer by a rib injury suffered by Hilario, could be rescheduled to this date.

It’s also worth mentioning, though no details are yet available, that the long wished-for heavyweight matchup of Joey Abell (25-4) -vs- Raphael Butler (34-8) reportedly has been or soon will be signed.  Neither the date nor the location has yet been announced.  More details will be published here when they become known to me.

Upcoming Boxing Event: July 25 at the Saint Paul Armory

What to watch for: Caleb Truax fights an opponent with an impressively lopsided record for the first time in Anthony Perez of Indiana.  Last time in the ring Perez lost a majority decision to James McGirt Jr in six rounds.  Caviat: Perez has only fought three times in the last five years, all three fights ending in loss.  What would have been the highest-profile bout of the night has been reduced to an exhibition, as Mohammed Kayongo takes on Jamar “Young Prince” Patterson of New York.  Patterson’s management situation has been complicated in the past, but after fighting just once in nearly three years, he appears poised to restart his prizefighting career.  Jeremy McLaurin continues to accumulate wins and experience, his victim this time will be debutant Tyson Staples.  Willshaun Boxley looks to rebound from his surprising loss to Thomas Snow earlier this summer, his designated victim is Josh Holiday.  If you haven’t seen Ismail Muwendo fight yet, don’t miss this chance.  The young sharpshooter is worth the price of admission by himself.  And Charles Meier squares off against Nathan Willkes of Indiana, whose awful record conceals the fact that he has won in two of his last three contests, both wins coming by knockout.

Caleb Truax (12-0 with 8 kayos) -vs- Anthony Perez (25-6 with 14 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for eight rounds

Mohammed Kayongo (14-2 with 10 kayos) -vs- Jamar Patterson (8-0 with 4 kayos), welterweights, exhibition match, scheduled for eight rounds

Jeremy McLaurin (4-0 with 3 kayos) -vs- Tyson Staples (debut), lightweights, scheduled for four rounds

Willshaun Boxley (5-1 with 3 kayos) -vs- Josh Holiday (debut), featherweights, scheduled for four rounds

Ismail Muwendo (3-0 with 2 kayos) -vs- Brandon Buckey (debut), featherweights, scheduled for four rounds

Charles Meier (2-1 with 1 kayo) -vs- Nathan Willkes (2-17 with 2 kayos), middleweights, scheduled for four rounds