Snips and Snipes

Boxers and cars just do not seem to mix. Take the case of Jorge Barrios. From the moment I read of his projected fight with Erik Morales I cast doubts in Snips and Snipes about it ever taking place. Barrios is facing prosecution in Argentina over a fatal car accident in which a pregnant mother and her unborn child were both killed.

Barrios allegedly left the scene of the accident and only turned up later at the police station, by which time he had his lawyer in tow. At his last court hearing it was obvious that this was both a very serious and very emotive case and that he would face prosecution. I could not understand how anyone could think, that with his involvement in a case as serious as this, Barrios would be allowed to leave Argentina, and so it proved. It was never a starter and the net result was a late sub coming in to fight Morales, when an alternative opponent should have been selected long ago.

If you want a classic example of what careless driving can do to a boxer then Harry Simon is the classic example. The former undefeated WBO light middleweight champion was involved in two fatal car accidents. In the first he was cleared and one of his associates was jailed. In the second three Belgian tourists were killed and after a protracted time Simon was eventually convicted and given a remarkably lenient two year sentence. After defending his WBO title against Armand Krajnc in April 2002 Simon looked to be on the verge of some big fights, but instead he did not fight again until being released from jail in 2007. He had one fight that year, but did not fight again until earlier this year when he beat a novice in Kenya.

It could be that Simon is finally getting his career underway again as he had a largely unreported fight in Namibia at the start of this month. I am not sure it is accurate to describe it as a fight. His opponent was 42-year-old Tanzanian Rashid Matumla who lasted just 103 seconds, but a win is a win when you are 38 year-old and trying to resurrect a once promising career. The fight caused ructions locally. One promoter claimed that Simon's female manager had asked him to put the fight on, but he refused. As a result the show was staged in a parking lot by his manager. The ructions were over accusations in the press that the local Commission had relaxed its rules so that the fight could take place. The Commissioner confirmed that some minor regulations had been relaxed in order to encourage promoting in Namibia, but warned that from now on they would go strictly by the book, so some of those whom may have benefited from cooperation from the Commission in the past might wish they had kept quiet.

Reports from Turkey say that the former European heavy champ Sinan Samil Sam was admitted to hospital in a bad way. It is said that the 38-year-old "Bull from the Bosporus" is in urgent need of a liver transplant. Sam was twice European champion with a 31-4 record, but never made it to a world title shot. in the space of just over two months in 2003 he beat both Danny Williams and Julian Francis inside the distance in European title fights, and also beat Denis Bakhtov, Lawrence Clay Bey, Peter Okhello, George Arias and Saul Montana. His losses were all to quality opposition in Juan Carlos Gomez, Luan Krasniqi, Oleg Maskaev and Oliver McCall. San retired in 2008 to concentrate on campaigning for better treatment for Turkey's amateur boxers.

It looks like it is going to be Manny Pacquiao against Shane Mosley on May 7. Can't get too excited about it. It seems that Pacquiao is the cash cow as he generates so much money. The obvious fights are Sergio Martinez, Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather, but instead we get Mosley. Shane has been a great fighter, but in his last two fights he has lost to Mayweather (by 10 points on two cards, and eight in the third, so a thrashing) and drawn with Sergio Mora. Not much to get excited about there. The Mayweather one is the one we all want (not quite all,I guess you could leave Juan Manuel Marquez out of the list of those who want Mayweather to be next), but that gigantic payday looks further away than ever, with Mayweather facing two separate assault charges and looking like a man searching for the cliff edge as far as his career concerned.

Martinez will face Sebastian Zbik the WBC interim champion next with March 12 as the date. Compared to a Pacquiao fight this will be a chump change purse for Martinez, but that's boxing. The talk of a Martinez vs. Miguel Cotto match, much more attractive than the Zbik fight, came to nothing as Lou DiBella and Bob Arum could not come to an agreement.

Zbik is making a whole career out of being WBC interim champion. He won the title in July 2009 and has defended his "title" three times, which just makes a mockery of the supposed purpose for introducing these titles in the first place. The WBC are phasing them out and replacing them with their Silver Belt titles. That’s a bit like saying we have stopped hitting the sport of boxing over the head with a shovel. In future we will use a spade.

Just to return to Pacquiao and his money for a moment. I reported how he had been the biggest tax payer in the Philippines. Well now he is not. He is earning more than ever, but has finally got smart and employed some tax lawyers. As a result after paying $2.8 million in tax for 2008, he paid only $169,000 in 2009. Doesn’t it do your heart good when you find a fighter that can kayo Ricky Hatton and the tax man, both previously unbeatable.

For some fighters it is a lot easier to earn the money than to keep it. A recent report in a Mexican paper had an interview with former WBC bantamweight champion Victor Rabanales. Rabanales had a 20-year career encompassing 73 fights. He won the WBC interim title at bantamweight in 1992 and later in the year beat Joichiro Tatsuyoshi for the full title. He lost the title in Korea in March 1993, but fought on for another ten years losing to Wayne McCullough for the NABF title in 1994 and challenging for the WBC title again in 1997. He was a great value for money fighter who was rarely in a bad fight and rarely in an easy one. It is however the old story of alcohol and hangers on, with the first eating away at his ability and the second at his cash. Now Rabanales, who estimates that he earned $750,000 in his career is parking cars and waiting on tables.

In horse racing sometimes the high quality of the sire and dam of a horse can produce a real winner. Well, in about 20 years Panama may just have a world beater. WBA champion Anselmo Moreno got engaged this year to the daughter of former world lightweight champion Ismael Laguna. There is no truth in the rumour that Bob Arum has options on their first born - I think.

If you feel you want a big dose of confusion to make life interesting then the WBO will oblige. I reported that Ramon Garcia retained the WBO interim light flyweight title last weekend with a win over Puerto Rican Omar Soto. Nothing strange in that as Ramiro had won the interim title by beating then interim champion Joel Casimero in July. All ok up to now, but this is the WBO remember. Ah, but back in October I reported that Colombian Jesus Geles had won the interim WBO light flyweight title by beating-Omar Soto from Puerto Rico! Surely the WBO would sort this out for me. Well, their latest rating make all clear Giovani Segura is WBA champion, Garcia is still interim champion, and down at the end of the ranking they list Jesus Geles as - interim champion! As clear as mud, now all they have to do is to give the title to Soto for losing to both of them, and we will know that they are idiots.

Brian Magee gets the chance of a lifetime when he challenges Lucien Bute for the IBF super middleweight title in Montreal on March 19. Whilst the IBF title is obviously important in itself the added factors here are the exposure Magee will get in the USA market through SHOWTIME and, if he wins, he could be in for a massive payday against whoever wins the Super Six. Carl Froch vs. Brian Magee for it all. Who knows, it could be.

On the same show Steve Molitor will defend his IBF super bantamweight title in a return with Takalani Ndlovu and super middleweight Rene St Juste gets, as a reward for his crushing win over Sebastien Demers, a fight with Colombian Edison Miranda.

South African promoter Branco Milenkovic failed to win the purse bid for the Molitor vs. Ndlovu fight, but has fighter Kaizer Mabuza in another purse offers scenario for the IBF light welterweight title which is vacant after the IBF stripped Devon Alexander of the title. Branco and Main Events failed to reach agreement over the fight, so now it goes to purse bids where the split should be 50-50. However, Judah thinks he should get 70% as he is the guy with the name and the high profile. To ensure he gets his way he has hired top lawyer Patrick English to plead his case with the IBF. I wonder if Mr English will mention Judah getting beaten by Carlos Baldomir, thrashed by Floyd Mayweather, stopped by Miguel Cotto, beaten by Judas Clottey and only just scraping by Argentinian Lucas Matthysse on a split decision. I guess not. I also wonder if Judah will finish up with the equivalent of the 70% after he has paid Mr English for his services. I only hope that Mr English's duties end with the purse bids. I would hate to see him jump in the ring and call for an adjournment if his client is floored, or claim the right to address the judges after every round.

Looks as though Cuban cruiserweight Yoan Pablo Hernandez might reap some quick rewards for his win over Ali Ismailov at the weekend. Hall of Fame promoter Wilfried Sauerland is hoping to put Hernandez in with WBA champion Guillermo Jones in February or March.

In other title news, the representatives of WBC mandatory challenger Odlanier Solis are said to have started negotiations for the title shot and are looking for a purse of 1.5 million euros, but the Klitschkos are hard bargainers - just ask David Haye.

Another title fight said to be in the making is Miguel Cotto defending his WBA welterweight title against returning former champion Ricardo Mayorga. I am not sure that Mayorga deserves a title shot after just one fight back. There are other names in the frame, but the wild Nicaraguan has a "charm” all of his own which can put bums on seats.

The WBA run the WBO pretty close when it comes to questionable decisions. They have just installed former super-bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero as mandatory challenger for their featherweight title (not sure if that is for their real title, their secondary title, their interim title etc.). They could have timed the announcement a bit better, after all Caballero has just been beaten by Jason Litzau. Caballero also jumps over boxers such as Jhonny Gonzalez who was probably under the misconception that winning fights was the way to get promoted. At No 4 super bantamweight they have Victor Terrazas. Rendall Monroe outclassed and stopped Terrazas, but does not even appear in the top 15. It is just the WBA way.