Boxing Notebook: Baldomir Vs. Gatti

[boxfan2015]

By Carlos Guzman
Inspin.com
Contributing Writer

Carlos “Tata” Baldomir is considered the “true” welterweight champion, at least in the eyes of many who saw him strip it away from previous champion -- Zab “Super” Judah.

On Saturday, Baldomir defends his world title on enemy soil as he collides with Arturo “Thunder” Gatti in Atlantic City.

Check out this exclusive Inspin interview with the champ:

Q: Carlos, How did winning the title change your life?

Carlos Baldomir: Change my life? It didn’t change anything. I’m still the same old Carlos Baldomir. What changes in my life is that I don’t have to worry about my economics -- thanks to all of the things to come. But to my family and myself I’m still the same Baldomir

Q: Many people who watched the Mayweather-Judah bout commented that you beat Judah better. What’s your opinion on the Mayweather-Judah bout and the comparison between your bout with Judah.

CB: I think I beat him better because I threw more punches than Mayweather. I always kept coming forward. That’s why I think my fight with Judah was even better then Mayweather-Judah. I say if Mayweather fights me the same way he fought Judah, I will beat him easy.

Q: There were a lot of fights available to you. Why did you decide to fight Gatti?

CB: Because Arturo Gatti is a great fighter. For me he was a great champion. His better days are behind him, but I respect him just the same. Fighting Gatti is important to me because of what he has accomplished. It would be great to beat an ex-champion and boxer like Arturo Gatti who has a great following everywhere he fights. It’s why I accepted the bout.

Q: Do you think it will be more difficult to beat Gatti in his hometown of N.J.? Do you have to win by KO?

CB: I’ve been watching Arturo Gatti since he was a world champion to today, and I think I have everything it takes to beat him, and beat him by KO. Fighting in his hometown, in front of all of his people is of no concern to me. I’ll say it again. I can KO him. He’s not the same Gatti we saw from ‘97-’99. But I respect him.

Q: If you beat Gatti, who’s next for you?
CB: I’ll think about this bout first. I don’t think about future bouts. I know if I leave a good impression with the fans, big fights will come. But for now I will focus on Arturo Gatti.

Q: Do you have a message for your fans?

CB: Watch my fight against Arturo Gatti. It’s going to be one of the best bouts of 2006. You know Gatti’s style and you know how I fight. So I invite you to come watch Baldomir-Gatti July 22 in Atlantic City or on HBO.

WagerWeb odds are Gatti -190, Baldomir +160. My choice is Baldomir, but now I’m starting to hear bad things. Like maybe he isn’t taking this fight seriously. I have nothing confirming he has slacked off, so I’ll stick with my decision.

Chin Checked!
It was a late night for boxing media on Thursday as the latest installment of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing kicked off about an hour late. In the co-main event, highly regarded light heavyweight prospect Curtis “Showtime” Stevens battled Marcos Primera for the WBC youth super middleweight title.

For “Showtime”, it wasn’t meant to be. The brash, cocky Stevens sells as many ticket to haters as to fans, and the haters got their day.

Early in the bout, it was a typical Stevens performance: complete domination. Actually, he looked better then ever. Short uppercuts, tight straight punches and a calm demeanor made it look like he was in complete control. But then something strange happened -- Primera fought back!

In the middle rounds Primera was coming on, and Stevens seemed content to counter rather then attack. In a few of the exchanges Primera loaded up and blasted Stevens with a few bombs that reminded him the fight wasn’t over.

The fight got dirty, and Primera was right at home. The tactics weren’t bad enough to warrant disqualification. It was the “intelligent holding,” roughhousing, the type of fighting boxers used to frustrate Mike Tyson. It worked! In a moment of rage, Stevens hit Primera below the belt with a shot that probably eliminated all chances of Primera ever having children. Primera threw himself to the canvas like he had been shot.

It looked like that fight was over, that Primera would quit on his stool. He had that Roberto Duran “No Mas” look on his face, and even the corner was telling him to call it a night. After sucking it up for about 5 minutes, suffering from cuts and bruises all over his faces, Primera mustered up the guts to go to Stevens’ corner to tell him -- “IT AIN’T OVER, LET’S DO THIS.” The crowd cheered and applauded Primera. Two rounds later, the decision paid dividends.

In the last round, the fight was still close, but it looked like another W for the hometown hero. There wasn’t much fight left in Primera, at least not to my eyes. Stevens relaxed for about one second -- that was enough for Primera to land a joltin’ uppercut, which plastered Stevens to the canvas. He got up, but on rubbery legs. Stevens fired back and was able to fend off the incoming, but only moments later another shot glazed Stevens, forcing the referee to call it a halt.

Stevens forgot the first rule of boxing: “PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES.”

Yo, this was Brownsville, Brooklyn in the house -- so things got ugly quickly. Tempers flared, and the crowd seemed ready to incite a riot. I was starting to check out the evacuation procedures on the wall, but fortunately the security guards were a big as grizzlies. Nothing was going down so easy.

In the end Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment, announced that a rematch would take place in October.

If you are in N.Y., you won’t want to miss this one.

Ruiz Calls Out Stoney
Two-time world heavyweight champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz (41-6-1, 28 KOs), currently rated No. 1 by the World Boxing Association, is upset that his former manager/trainer Norman “Stoney” Stone hasn’t returned valuable and sentimental memorabilia held in storage. Ruiz sent Stone a list requesting the return of his memorabilia that Stone has stored in Wilmington, Mass. Items listed include robes, trunks, shoes, gloves, photographs, trophies and belts.

“Stoney has held my property in storage,” Ruiz said. “He knows that I’ll pay for all of the shipping. I sent him a list nearly two months ago, and he still hasn’t responded. He even has a glove and book signed by Max Schmeling that was given to me as a gift when I fought last December in Germany. All I want is what’s mine for my children.”

10 Seconds
James "Buster" Douglas, the first man to defeat Mike Tyson, faces a misdemeanor charge for allowing his brother to apply for a motorcycle license using his ID.

According to the AP report, if convicted, each brother faces a maximum of 6 months jail time

On Tuesday, the brothers requested a continuance to hire a lawyer. This case will continue Aug. 1.