* Port Authority or customs must have seen the Billy Lyell fight. I’m speaking of “Irish” John Duddy’s new bride Grainne finding out her VISA to America has been denied. * Angelo Dundee just turned a nifty 88 – year’s old! * Speaking of Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto on November 14, Jesus Soto-Kaross won a UD 10 Saturday night over game Elvan Dos Barros which puts him on the televised under card that night against Arturo Gatti – beater Alfonzo Gomez.
* Soto – Kaross vs. Barros was the main event at Grand Prairie, TX’s Quick Trip Park and televised nationally by Azteca America TV. * Dallas, Texas – based southpaw super – bantamweight prospect Roberto Marroquin scored a second round stoppage over unbeaten Steven Johnson on the under card late Saturday night. I mean real late. It was the walk out bout after the excellent main event of the Soto – Kaross UD 10 Elvan Dos Barros (junior middleweight) fight. * Over 7,000 were on hand at the new minor league baseball park near Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. * The TV lights had already come down and Marroquin missed the valuable publicity of being on TV but he’ll be on soon enough the way he is progressing. He is now 9-0 (7 KO’s) and I believe will be moving to Las Vegas permanently very soon. * HBO’s popular 24/7 series featuring the Floyd Mayweather – JM Marquez battle September 19 will have it’s second installment on Saturday, September 5 at 9:00 PM Central Time. * I must address some typical east coast media bias regarding the Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi fight. * I believe all 50 states in America have a system where judges, referees and other officials are paid by the promoter. In this economy, a state might have more important needs than paying boxing officials, such as paying school teachers, firemen and filling pot holes. * If a 30 – year world class veteran boxing judge such as Gale Van Hoy were to “fix” a fight, I doubt he would purposely draw attention to himself by scoring a fight 10-2 in rounds. Wouldn’t he keep it close like 7-5? * Since it weren’t a true title fight but just one of big names, the state of Texas didn’t need to bring in out of state officials, but two of the three judges were from out of state. I’m not counting the bogus NABO title just to make it a 12 – round fight for TV. * While HBO likes to act high and mighty and not lower itself to mentioning the existance of sanctioning bodies, it needs the sanctioning groups just so it can sell the public a 12 – round fight, which gives it “status.” * If there is any relationship between HBO judge Harold Lederman and Paulie Malignaggi, I would be upset if HBO didn’t mention it. While I know Harold, and believe he has lived in a single family home for many years, I’m hearing rumors of an apartment complex they both lived in is in common. I’d like to know the truth. * Prince Naseem Hamed recently said that the reason he retired seven years ago for good is that his hands were becoming too brittle and the cortisone shots and other preventative measures had taken their toll. He simply didn’t have his awesome power anymore, he claims.
