Todd Expects to Make Minnesota Return January 30

James Todd

Though boxer James Todd has headed home to Swansea, Wales for some R&R, he told me that he has an inkling that he will appear on a Seconds Out card again on January 30th.  “Yes, I’m signed.  It looks like John [Tandy], my coach, is doing it all…I will be fighting then.”  Todd suggests that his close friend Kerry Hope could fight then as well.  “Yes, Kerry too.  We hope it’s all worked out before we come back to the US.”

Here’s hoping that Todd can successfully transition from a foreign fighter visiting Minnesota to a local favorite.  The local crowd would love to throw their support behind a brawling Brit, and Todd is cognizant of that potentiality.  At least, he says, ”I hope to get better support than last time!”

In a separate interview with Welsh reporter Chris Barney, Todd said that he intends to make his recent loss to Mohammed Kayongo pay dividends. “It was disappointing to lose, but I have to look at the overall picture. This was only the fifth fight I’ve had since turning pro, so maybe it was a fight that came too soon…I realise that I have to get a number of fights under my belt and build myself up before fighting for another title. But the whole experience provided plenty of positives for me — the atmosphere, the build-up, the fight itself.”

You can read that full article at http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/othersports/Todd-disappointed-downhearted-title-defeat/article-1554005-detail/article.html

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.

Sparring with Calzaghe, Fighting with Manoocha

Kerry Hope, who is scheduled to fight ”Golden” Caleb Truax on Friday night in Saint Paul, has been getting pretty good press lately.  I’ve published Truax’s complimentary remarks about Hope, my friend and colleague  Todd Bechtold has posted a nice interview with Hope on his blog (read it at http://www.mnboxingleague.com/?p=5288), and much more impressively, the BBC gave him a nice little writeup today (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/8365496.stm).

It’s that last item that’s got me thinking tonight.

Kerry Hope

In the BBC article, Hope is quoted saying this: “I’m looking forward to the fight, I’ve been training hard and I’m in great shape…The fight is at 168lb, a little higher than normal, but I feel strong.  After doing a few rounds with Joe Calzaghe in the past and with him being the number one 168lb fighter in the world – I don’t think Caleb’s credentials can even compare to this level.”

Well, that’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?  (Or as they say across the pond, innit?)  But behind the big talk, something’s missing.  That something is credibility.

Kerry Hope brings a nice record of 12-2 into Friday’s fight with Caleb Truax, but on closer scrutiny the record proves illusory.

First of all, there’s the puzzling matter of the knockout total – one.  That just doesn’t seem right for one who, as Truax has observed, is a monster in the gym.  One kayo among twelve professional wins?  I don’t want to imply that Hope isn’t tough and strong, only that he may be missing something in his game (POWER!) that Ron Lyke could help with.  You know, the Ron Lyke who owns the ACR gym – that’s right, the gym where Truax works out.  ‘Nuff said about that.

Second, there’s the matter of how that record was compiled – more specifically, against whom that record was compiled.  I had a simple idea the other day, I was going to compare the most impressive wins for each man (Hope and Truax) to get an idea what each had accomplished so far in their careers.  Keep in mind that Hope has been a pro fighter for nearly five years and has had 14 pro fights while Truax has been a pro for about two and a half years and has had 13 fights in his career.  I began to scan Hope’s opponents for an impressive win and found…he only has one win against an opponent with a winning record, ever.  The opponent was Manoochi Salari and the record was 3-1-2.  The rest of Hope’s fights have either been wins against opponents with losing records, or losses to opponents with winning records.  For the sake of fair comparison, Truax got his first win against a plus opponent in his third pro fight, against 17-9-1 Terry Tock.  In his sixth bout Truax dispatched 34-27-2 James Crayton.  To date eight of Truax’s twelve opponents (he has fought Jeff Osborne twice) have been net winners, and his last two fights have been against 11-2 and 25-6 stock.

In the rodeo game they have a word for an animal which has earned a reputation for being tough to ride: the call it rank.  That’s rank as in smelly or malodorous.  Of course in professional bullriding, the cowboys are competing against the animals as much as against each other.  Maybe looking at Truax’s last opponent, a rodeo cowboy would characterize 25-6 Patrick Perez the same way.

I’m tempted to say that Kerry Hope’s competition has been rank too, but for a completely different reason.

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.

Kerry Hope Replaces Carl Daniels for November 20 Show in St Paul

Sharp-eyed Boxrec watchers have already noticed that Kerry Hope’s name has replaced Carl Daniels in the opponent slot for Caleb Truax on November 20th.  According to Tony Grygelko, proprietor of Seconds Out Promotions, contracts have been signed and the fight is now for a WBF Intercontinental title instead of the IBA title that had originally been in play.

Stay tuned for more news!

A Big Deal

With the continuing proliferation of promoters, fighters, and boxing events in Minnesota, there are two ways the local boxing scene could go:

• The market could become saturated and tickets go unsold.  In this scenario some promoters lose their shirts (and maybe their shorts) and give up on the game, or at least scale back their operations.
• The fans could respond by buying tickets, attending events, and supporting their favorite fighters with growing enthusiasm.  The fanbase grows, and this justifies the growth of the promotions.

Here’s something for Minnesota boxing fans to feel good about: so far, we’ve taken the second path.

Last week I heard from someone connected with the November 13th show at Grand Casino Hinckley that fewer than 300 tickets remained unsold.  “Is this news for public consumption?” I asked.  “Oh no, we don’t want to have a run on the last few tickets  before we figure out the seating configuration.”  Only two days later came the news that the show was completely sold out.  This is phenomenal, especially considering that this event is going to be televised.

Early indications are that the November 20th show at the St Paul Armory will be well-attended as well.  Some interesting matchmaking and two IBA belts being in play have resulted in plenty of good publicity, and there’s even talk of fans coming over from Wales to support their man James Todd in his first title bid.

The next test of the Minnesota boxing fan’s appetite will be the December 4th boxing show at Target Center in Minneapolis, which features heavyweights Joey Abell (25-4 with 24 kayos) -vs- Raphael Butler (35-8 with 28 kayos).  People associated with the show have talked boldly of their desire to exceed the attendance record (13,789) set by Duane Bobick and Scott LeDoux 1 back in 1976.  A more down-to-earth goal would be to sell-out the arena’s reduced capacity for boxing (less than 5000 seats), and I think that given reasonable promotion, this will happen.

The Fistic Mystic says:  The old cliche is that in business you’re either growing or dying.  Right now, in Minnesota, the business of boxing is growing!

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 Pro Boxers Who Really Need a Fight (Part 2)

Consider this article a sequel to the article of the same name from May 2008.

The good news is that there seems to be less of a logjam on the local scene than there was back then – despite a few hiccups, 2009 has been a pretty good year for boxing in Minnesota.  But it’s also true that there are still some Minnesota boxers who are frittering their prime away, or participating in fights that don’t advance their careers in an appreciable way.  The cause may be overcaution, chronic indecision, the dread of losing a glamorous record, or the simple lack of a workable career strategy.

In alphabetical order:

• Antonio Johnson (7-1-1 with 3 kayos) Who is managing the career of the St Paul Kid?  Johnson has never been a particularly active fighter, but he did manage to fight three times in 2005 and three more times in 2006.  Since then he has only fought once each year in 2007, 2008, and 2009 – and his last two fights have been a draw to a 10-0 prospect and a loss to a 9-1 fighter in that opponent’s hometown.  As a result, the very talented and ambitious Johnson is now an inactive fighter who hasn’t won a boxing match in two and a half years.
• Andy Kolle (19-2 with 14 kayos) is on this list because his activity rate so radically departs from what he desires.  Back in December of 2007 Kolle told me that ideally he would like to fight five or six times a year.  Since that interview, 22 months ago, Kolle has fought four times.  To his credit, Kolle has won three of the four against very credible opposition.  To his detriment, there doesn’t seem to be a cogent plan to advance his career.
• Kenny Kost (14-4 with 6 kayos) Kost, who turned pro in 2003, fought six times in 2004, winning all six.  Since then, however, Kost has never fought more than three times in a year, so he has never been a particularly prolific prizefighter.  Yet eighteen months of inactivity is out of character even for him.  Kost hasn’t been seen in a professional boxing match since dropping an eight-round decision to Hector Camacho in April 2008.  Kost is one of those guys with other things to do – he makes his money in construction, so spring, summer, and fall are out for him.  So if he never appears in a prize fighting ring again, it might be more our loss than his.
• Zach Walters (24-4 with 19 kayos)  Like Andy Kolle, Zach Walters trains under and is managed by Chuck Horton of Horton’s Gym, in Duluth.  Walters’ record was 23-2 and he was just beginning to make a blip on the worldwide radar in the summer of 2008 when he lost to 18-6 Shawn Hammack in a stunner.  Walters and Horton next took a fight against former world titlist Byron Mitchell in an effort to regain credibility and rake in some cash, but that turned into a fiasco when Walters suffered a bad cut on his tongue and Horton threw in the towel on the advice of the ringside doctor.  After three fights in ‘08, Walters has had just two in ‘09, only one of them a win, and that against 11-12 journeyman James Morrow.  Horton had done a great job of building Walters up prior to the Hammack loss, but now Walters finds himself in the unenviable position of not having won a fight against an opponent with a winning record since June of 2008, and unless something happens soon, he’ll end 2009 not having fought in six months.
• Derek Winston (0-0)  Here’s a guy who keeps trying to go pro, and circumstances conspire against him.  Each time he’s been scheduled to fight in the past, either the fight or the entire event has been canceled.  The one time fight fans did get to see him in the ring (at the Myth nightclub in August, when Winston and cousin Antwan Robertson fought a four-round exhibition sans headgear) Winston looked very impressive.  Good news!  Winston is scheduled to face Tomi Archambeault at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen on Friday, October 23.

The other end of the spectrum…

• Say what you want to about Tony Grygelko of Seconds Out Promotions, but he knows who brings home his bacon, and he’s done a dandy job of keeping that man (13-0 middleweight Caleb Traux) busy.  When he steps out of the ring after his November 20th fight with Carl Daniels, Truax will have had six fights in the last twelve months.  His teammate Jeremy McLaurin, another up-and-comer, is also scheduled to box in that event and will also have had six fights in twelve months.
• Ceresso Fort (7-0 with 7 kayos), a ward of Midwest Sports Council (MSC) is scheduled to have his fifth fight in twelve months on November 13th at Grand Casino Hinckley, with more events soon to come.
• Until his current spate of activity began last April, Jason Litzau (25-2 with 21 kayos) hadn’t fought in 14 months and had a spot on this list locked up.  But Litzau made his return to the ring in April with a 5th-round TKO of Phillip Payne, demolished Verquan Kimbrough in 3 rounds in August, and now has an ESPN2-televised bout with Johnnie Edwards scheduled for the 4th of November.

The Fistic Mystic says:  I’m a realist – I know that there’s often something bubbling away below the surface; events are developing that I don’t know about…someone (maybe more than one someone) will be justifiably irritated to see their name unfairly listed in this article.  The best outcome would be for me to someday consider writing this article and then realize that there’s no one who fits the bill; that everyone is as busy as they want to be!