Eric Armit's World View by Eric Armit Dec 22nd 2006

The EBU are real smart. They figured out that what boxing really needed was another title. I bet you did not know that you were hungering for yet another meaningless label on a fabricated championship. They already have the EBU title and to fill a non-existent gap they invented the EU titles and now they have decided that the poor European fighters who are affiliated to the EBU but are not members of the EU are deprived and must have a title. Next it will be a European title for fighters who are not European, but have third cousins twice removed who once knew someone who knew a European. One problem is that they have not yet come up with a name for the new title. Suggestions on a postcard to ……………. This is of course done out of the goodness of their hearts and is not aimed at any increase of revenue or to shut out any other European sanctioning body. This the reason for many of the moves made by the major sanctioning bodies. Their decisions are not based on what is best for boxing but what is best for them in their fight for the slice of the proliferation of titles. More titles leads to more sanctioning fees and influence which leads to devalued titles which leads to a poorer sport. You can tell when an Eastern European country is developing some good prospects; they turn into importers of second rate opposition instead of providing bodies to pad the records of fighters in other countries. It is happening in the Czech Republic where Lubos Suda, Roman Kracik and Ladislav Kutil all scored wins over South American imports in Prague on December 1. Suda, No 21 in the BBN European cruiserweight ratings, halted Brazilian Roberto Martins in seven rounds to go to 15-1-1 with his only loss being to David Haye victim Lasse Johansen. In the same division our No 19 cruiserweight, Kracik, made it 23 wins in 24 fights with a points win over another Brazilian Daniel Bispo. A bit crazy this one as it was for the Czech International title. It appears that all you have to do to qualify to fight for this title is to read a travel brochure on Prague. Those last fling bachelor parties to the Czech capital had better stay sober or they could wake up as Czech International champion as part of the trip benefits. A fight for something called the WTBF Intercontinental light-heavyweight title saw Kutil make it 16 wins by outpointing Argentinian Juan Garay. With Kracik being 35 and the other two 30 they have a limited shelf life, but they are helping to build a fan base for the future. German boxing looks to be getting stronger each day. Latest addition to their heavyweight ranks is former top amateur Steffen Kretschmann. The 26 year old, 6'4” southpaw kayoed Florian Ilie in one round in Koblenz on December 2, his second first round win in two outings. A former European Cadet gold medallist, double World championship bronze medallist and three-time German champion Steffen will be well protected. Ekaterinburg is a long way to go to lose, but as with Prague it played host to some South American losers. However these were not bad matches as Victor Hugo Castro and Joel Mayo are reasonable fighters. Argentinian Castro lost on points over twelve rounds to hometown guy Sergey Sorokin for the Vacant WBO Asia Pacific light-welterweight title and dropped to 22-3. Sorokin is 24-1-1 with his only loss coming against IBF champion, and future Ricky Hatton foe, Juan Urango. Chilean Mayo, who won national titles at super-featherweight, lightweight, light-middleweight and welterweight-in that order, was kayoed in five by Kuvanych Toygonbayev at light-middleweight. Toygonbaev is 26-4 after being 23-1 in his first 24. A heavyweight bout saw Kazak Dennis Bakhtov decision Andriy Oleinyk for the interim PABA title. Bakhtov lost to Matt Ellis way back in 2000 but has a useful 23-4 record. Oleinyk has a 12-6 record, but was fresh from an upset win over once promising Kenny Releford. There is still, a future for losers out there. Marcelo Dominguez and Fabio Moli may have their future behind them, but they can still draw a fair crowd to see them fight each other. For the third time in three meetings the former WBC cruiserweight champion Dominguez came out on top with a sixth round stoppage in Buenos Aires on December 2. Marcelo lost here to Johnny Nelson in 2001 and Enzo Maccarinelli in July this year. Moli lasted six rounds against Matt Skelton in 2005. The Argentinian and South American heavyweight titles were on the line. Miguel Roman is another one of those young Mexicans waiting in the wings. In Ciudad Juarez on December 8 “Mickey Mouse” as he is known, took a close points verdict over the former WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto. It was a repeat of a win 19 year old Mickey scored in August and gave him 19 straight. He turned pro at the age of 17 and also has wins over good pros Cuauhtemoc Gomez and Raul Juarez. Soto lost his WBC title to Prince Naseem Hamed in 1999 and has been steadily slipping ever since. On the same show super-featherweight hope Javier Castro outpointed experienced trial horse Hector Marquez, The 22 year old is 10-1, he beat Soto in only his fifth fight and his only loss was on a disqualification. Kansas City is a pretty small pool as far as boxing is concerned and Rob “All-American Prizefighter” Calloway is a big fish in that small pool. He has been the major draw in the Kansas City, St Joseph area for over ten years and been largely responsible for keeping the sport alive there. Like most backwoods fighters he has struggled whenever he goes to play with the big fish, but in 14 years as a pro has never lost on his home ground. On December 7 in Kansas City he maintained that record with an easy second round kayo of Doug Kaluza and now has a record of 57 wins, seven losses and three no decision bouts. One of those losses was on cuts to Audley Harrison here in 2003. Really just a cruiserweight, Rob is now 37. On the same show two other “home is best” fighter scored wins. Featherweight Marcos Ramirez halted experienced Alvin Brown in six and now has 24 wins, 16 inside the distance and eight of those have come in the first round. Of course all of this has taken place in just 3 mid-West States, Iowa, Oklahoma and Missouri so it means nothing at all. The third fight saw heavyweight Paul “The Italian Hitman” Marinaccio kayo Tom Connelly in two rounds. The 39 year old Marinaccio has a 22-2-2 record but that has been mainly run up in North and South Carolina which means even less than winning the other States I mentioned. In a fourth fight former top amateur Julius Fogle halted Clinton Bonds at in two rounds to go to 14 straight. Light-heavyweight Fogle had a long amateur career winning multiple Army and Inter Service title, the US national title and taking part in the Trials for both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He is now 35 and looks likely to settle for the big fish/ little pool path. Richard “Boone” Pultz was WBO cruiserweight champion back in 1989, winning the vacant title with a split verdict over Norwegian Magne Havnaa and losing it in his first defence in a return with Havnaa in May 1990. At that time he had a 19-1 record but surprisingly just disappeared off the scene. He returned with 3 wins in 1993, and again with three wins in 1995 and then vanished again. Now at the age of 47 he has re-appeared and on December 9 in Fairfax Virginia weighing 30lbs more than he used to he outpointed Alonzo Cutchins. This was a big improvement for the 45 year old Cutchins who had lost his last eight inside the distance. You just have to wonder why Pultz is doing this. At 47 his future is behind him and he is either going to knock about on the backwoods circus for small change or get hurt when he steps up to a real fight. Boxing can do with him even if he can't do without boxing. Have a great Christmas and may 2007 be kind to you and those you love.

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