“KID DIAMOND” REALLY CUBIC ZIRCONIA: As for this past weekend, the match that caught the boxing establishment way off guard, pitted unbeaten lightweight “Kid Diamond” against the “not-so” washed up Nate Campbell. Possessing probably the hardest name to pronounce in boxing today, Diamond, born Almazbek Raiymkulov, he was in some circles a 4-1 favorite! Again, the experts, (me too) were wrong. Did Diamond just have a bad night? Nah, Nate Campbell will beat the Kid if they rematch.
FREE GYM DUES! Training in his garage, the now 27-4-1 (23 KO’s) Campbell pitched a near shutout before Diamond bowed out. Could Nate challenge the winner of Saturday’s 135 lb. World championship, the rematch between champion Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo? Again, nah, Corrales, who I think will win inside the route, unless he’s damaged goods, Diego lumps up anybody and everybody at 135…SCHEDULE, ODDS, & PREDICTIONS LATE THURSDAY: I’ll post the rest of the October schedule, including my picks for Saturday go up later tonight…MORALES, WHERE DOES HE GO? Do you think Erik Morales is done? I know, losing to Marco Antonio Barrera & Zahir Raheem, even in succession, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. But, I remember what Eddie Croft, who weighing 135 lbs., challenged Morales in a “fixed” fight (February ’03) for the WBC featherweight title, the stuff he told me upon his return. That the weigh in, that it was conducted in a hotel room, with Morales present, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. Now, it is commonplace for Morales, now 48-3, (34 KO’s), to be seen partying hearty in his native Tijuana. Having just turned 29, does he have Manny Pacquiao’s number? Or can the Filipino run Erik out of the ring? FIRST “DRY” SEPTEMBER EVER FOR OSCAR SINCE 2000: Expectant father Oscar De La Hoya, he has had his majority of big fights. Beginning in 1995 against Genaro Hernandez, Oscar, September was Oscar’s month for the most part. Following the win over Hernandez (who sparred with Shane Mosley, and entered the fight with a broken nose), Oscar made a bunch of Benjamin’s when he took a less than macho Hector Camacho the route. In ’98, he again slew the faded legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Losing in Sept of ’99 to Felix Trinidad, albeit controversial, the match remains the biggest fight in Pay Per View history, outside of the heavyweight division. In September ’02, De La Hoya, on the verge of being knocked out, he comes back and stops Fernando Vargas in 11 heats. Speaking of controversy, the second Del La Hoya-Shane Mosley match of September ’03, it sure did bring about that and more! Twelve turns of the calendar later, De La Hoya is stopped in nine by Bernard Hopkins. For the month, Oscar is 4-3, having made an estimated $80 million! MAYWEATHER STILL GOING TO INK WITH OSCAR? I haven’t heard anything to discount what I wrote here a fortnight ago, that Floyd Mayweather Jr., that he will sign some type of promotional pact with Golden Boy Promotions, and that after a January fight, that it would be Oscar and Floyd at 150 lbs…SPORT DYING, DEAD? In order for the sport to live on, it needs new blood both in the ring, and in the seats! A recent survey of those 18-25 year olds, boxing didn’t even rate! YIKES! Horseracing is dead, just go the track and you’ll see an aged fan base, that is getting thinner by the day! WILL BOXING LAST 20 YEARS? Look, if boxing can’t get a “youth vaccination,” its days are numbered. Retired hall of fame writer Jacob Finkelstein, AKA Jack Fiske, he predicted the demise of boxing by the year 2015, 2020 at the latest! RON LYLE, THE UNCROWNED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Having known heavyweight Ron Lyle after he retired, we talked about his knockdown, drag out bout with George Foreman in 1976. In the year prior, Lyle was ahead on two cards when referee Ferd Hernandez stopped his World heavyweight title bout with Muhammad Ali match so unjustly that it still bothers me! Ali, he was losing, landed one significant punch that rocked Lyle, and Ferd jumped in and saved Ali’s bacon! Lyle followed that up with a KO in six of the hardest puncher in boxing history in Earnie “The Acorn” Shavers. This set up Foreman-Lyle, a heavyweight fight for the ages! For the record, two judges had Lyle ahead of Foreman before the stoppage in five. After an ill-advised comeback circa 1995, Lyle finally retired at 43-7-1, (27 KO’s). Convicted of one murder, and accused in another, Lyle was one of the most soft-spoken guys you’ll ever meet. ESPN Classic has showed the Ali-Lyle fight a lot of late. Was the “fix” in? Lyle, he seriously thought so. “I wasn’t even knocked down, the referee, he knew what time it was,” said Lyle.
