Boxing News magazine 10.2.2011 Download pdf

Boxing News Magazine 2011  History

TWICE in the 86-year history of the
Boxing Writers Association of America
has its Fighter of the Year recipient
suffered a defeat between being voted to
the award and it being presented to him
at the annual awards banquet. The two
were Emile Griffith and Vernon Forrest.
Unceremoniously stopped in one
round by Rubin Hurricane Carter,
Griffith managed to t u rn the defeat
into a positive by charming the New
York crowd when he got to the
podium. "A f u n n y thing happened to
me on my way here tonight," Griffith
said as the crowd roared.

IT'S been more than two years since
Shane Mosley's performance level
last matched his name value, but the
Californian still believes.
His superb upset victory over
favoured Antonio Margarito at the
beginning of 2009 appeared to herald
the onset of an Indian summer for the
veteran, but an unwanted 15-month
hiatus put paid to that scenario and
two disappointing performances in
2010 made retirement look a likelier
option than "Sugar" Shane taking part
in the biggest fight of 2011 thus far.
However, despite dropping a
comprehensive points defeat to Floyd
Mayweather - notwithstanding one big
right hand in the second round - and
only drawing with Sergio Mora,
Mosley has not only bagged a shot at
Manny Pacquiao - at Las Vegas' MGM
Grand on May 7 - but the Pomona
man genuinely believes he can upset
the odds once again.

IT could have been very different for
Thomas Stalker. In the early months of
last year he'd been upset in the ABAs,
losing to Gary Reay in the quarterfinals,
and troubles beyond the ring
threatened to derail his boxing. But
the national side kept faith in him and
Stalker went on to repay that trust.
He reached the final of the European
Championships, where he lost to
the excellent Albert Selimov, beating
reigning lightweight World champion
Domenico Valentino along the way. The
Salisbury A B C star triumphed at the
Commonwealth Games in Delhi and
returned home to a hero's welcome.