By Jeffrey Freeman -- During a recent media conference call to promote his upcoming June 2nd comeback fight against Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin on Showtime, former world champion Ronald "Winky" Wright talked about some of the highs and lows he encountered during his illustrious career. Winning four world titles. Victories over Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, and Ike Quartey. Coming within a point of winning the Undisputed Middleweight Championship against Jermain Taylor. It was a career of mostly all highs but what about those lows? KO Digest asked the now 40 year old Wright about the five losses and one draw on his record and which (if any) of these he considers to be legitimate.
Of the five losses and one draw on his record, Wright concedes defeat to only one man, Paul "The Punisher" Williams. Wright lost a wide unanimous decision to Williams in his last fight back in 2009. "My timing was off, but I do believe Paul Williams won that fight."
Only days after Wright made these comments, Williams was involved in a tragic career threatening motorcycle accident which doctors say have left him paralyzed. As far as those other four losses and one draw on his record, Winky broke them all down for KO Digest and here is what he had to say about each fight.
Julio Cesar Vasquez: In Wright's first loss as a pro, he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Vasquez in a 1994 bid for the WBA junior middleweight title. "I outboxed Vasquez. I slipped so much they gave him five knockdowns, and at least three of them were slips. But he didn't hit me on the chin or ever hurt me. The last two in the last round, I was just tired and he pushed me down. That was my first time going twelve rounds."
Simon says 26-0
Harry Simon: Wright lost his first world title, the WBO junior middleweight version, to Simon in 1998.
"The fight overseas with Simon, they called that a draw and then thirty minutes later they changed the decision so that was definitely not a loss. I fought him in South Africa, his home country and at first they said it was a draw. I left and went to my dressing room - took a shower, got dressed, and got ready to leave. They said come back to the ring because they changed the decision (from a draw to a loss). I said, you all must be crazy if you think I'm going back into that ring."
Fernando Vargas: In 1999, just two fights after losing his WBO title to Simon, Wright challenged the undefeated IBF junior middleweight champion, Fernando Vargas. The majority decision in favor of Vargas was highly controversial and remains so to this day. "I definitely beat Fernando Vargas."
Jermain Taylor: The only draw on Wright's record came in a 2006 challenge of Jermain Taylor for the World Middleweight Championship. This was a very close fight that truly could have gone either way, but not according to Wright, "I definitely beat Taylor."
An evening with BHOP
Bernard Hopkins: Going into this 2007 World Light Heavyweight title fight against Champion Bernard Hopkins, Wright was on a seven year winning streak. Twelve rounds and a pint of blood later, his streak would end as Hopkins was awarded a unanimous decision in defense of his Light Heavyweight title.
"I still think I beat Bernard. He did nothing but hold and headbutt. Ya, he came on late but that's because I had a big cut on my eye. I didn't quit, I didn't give up. I could have said it was a headbutt, that I can't see - let's stop the fight and let's go to the scorecards but I wanted to fight the whole way though."
So there you have it. In his 57 professional fights against the very best that boxing has to offer, Ronald "Winky" Wright concedes defeat to only one fighter, Paul Williams.
"Williams was a tall awkward kid, really hard to gauge. I went to the press conference after the fight, the first time I ever did that - and I told him he did his thing. Williams is the one fighter who I feel beat me."
Mr Providence doesn't ask for credit, he takes it!
LINCOLN, RI - In front of a good crowd at the Twin River Convention Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Jimmy Burchfield's Classic Entertainment and Sports put on a ten fight professional boxing card last night entitled "Up For Grabs." Featuring several local fighters on the undercard and a Main Event that pitted Providence against Providence, the night featured a few surprises and it settled the issue of which fighter truly rules the Providence boxing scene as "Mr. Providence" Vladine Biosse defeated the "KO Kid" Joey Spina to defend his New England Super Middleweight title with an eight round unanimous decision.
Vladine Biosse W8 Joey Spina (super middleweights)- In a battle for the heart and soul of Providence boxing, "Mr. Providence" Vladine Biosse (13-1-1 w/ 6KOs) made easy work of fellow Providence fighter Joey "KO Kid" Spina (26-3-2 w/ 18KOs) over eight rounds to successfully defend his New England super middleweight title and his claim of being the premier fighter from Providence, RI. With these titles "Up For Grabs" - Spina enjoyed a good opening round and he rattled Biosse with a left hook that caused "Mr. Providence" to grab him immediately to avoid any follow up. It looked like a competitive fight might be on tap but Biosse began to make his adjustments in the second, finding a home for his straight left hand while Spina did more posturing than fighting. The third featured more posing from Spina and the advertisement that was barely affixed to the back of his trunks began to fall off, a good metaphor for his loss of control in the fight.
In the fourth, Spina offered little more than a lazy jab which Biosse was now easily maneuvering around to land his straight left hand. A good right hand from Spina closed out the round but didn't win it for him. By the fifth, Biosse was outjabbing Spina and landing his straight lefts at will. This is the pattern that defined the remainder of the fight as Spina grew frustrated in the sixth and resorted to some holding and complaining to the referee in clinches that he himself initiated. Going into the final round, the "KO Kid" needed a KO to win but he never came close to landing anything of any significance and not surprisingly the unanimous decision went to "Mr. Providence" Vladine Biosse by scores of 79-73, 78-74, and 78-74. KO Digest scored the fight 79-73, giving Spina only the first round.
Said Biosse afterwards, "I don't ask for credit, I just take it!"
End of the night for a bloody Rich Gingras
Terrance Smith TKO3 Rich Gingras (cruiserweights) - In the scheduled six round co-main event, Attleboro, MA native and former Contender contestantRich Gingras (11-3 w/ 7KOs) engaged in an all-out phone booth war with Terrance Smith (8-13-2 w/ 5KOs) for two rounds before a nasty gash over his left eye ended his night in the corner, on the stool after the second round was complete.
Smith appeared to be getting the better of Gingras in entertaining close quarter combat before the fight was stopped in the Gingras corner due to the cut.
Paul Gonsalves W4 Richard Starnino (super middleweights) - Knownas "Bobo the Bull", the very popular Providence RI journeyman Starnino was looking to end his six fight winless streak but he once again came up short, this time against Paul Gonsalves (4-2 w/ 3KOs from Harwich, MA). Fighting much like his namesake, Bobo did his best impression of a bull while Gonsalves played the role of matador, deftly avoiding Starnino's rushes in the first round before beginning to pick him off in the second. The third was a good action round and both fighters were credited with knockdowns. First it was Gonsalves who went down to a knee, the result of chopping right hands from Starnino. Later in the round, a left hook from Gonsalves dropped Starnino although it appeared to be from a slip as much as from a punch. In the fourth, Gonsalves once again assumed the role of matador and he opened the round with a nice left right combination to take whatever fight was left in Bobo the Bull. Scores were unanimous in favor of Gonsalves: 40-37, 39-37, and 39-37.
Alex Amparo W4 Luis Felix (light heavyweights) - Unbeaten Providence, RI prospect Alex Amparo stayed unbeaten with a four round decision over Luis Felix (0-3 from Cranston, RI) in a fight that probably should have been easier for Amparo than it actually was. Maybe Amparo was having an off night but he looked sluggish and tired at times, getting hit more than he should have by a winless opponent that he looked notably bigger than in the ring. In any case, Amparo won by unanimous scores of 40-36, 40-36, and 39-37. It just wasn't a very impressive performance and given the quality of opposition, it could have been and should have been.
Falowo was emotional after his first loss
Samuel Clarkson W6 Thomas Falowo (middleweights) - In a battle of unbeaten prospects, Pawtucket RI native Thomas Falowo appeared todo enough over six rounds to earn his seventh straight win, but the judges felt otherwise and Falowo dropped a controversial split decision to Samuel Clarkson (5-0 w/ 4KOs from Cedar Hills, TX) in front of a stunned hometown crowd. Clarkson was knocked down in the first round but was not seriously hurt. Falowo boxed and punched nicely in the second, cutting Clarkson on the left cheek and drilling him with a flush right hand straight down the middle. In the third, Clarkson was reduced to more slapping than hard punching, and Falowo was just walking him down and hitting him. More of the same in the fourth from Falowo and he appeared to be cruising to the win.
In the fifth, Clarkson came alive and he stunned Falowo with a nice combination towards the end of the round. The sixth was close and could have gone either way. In the end, the judges did what they are paid to do and they returned split decision scores in favor of Clarkson: 57-56, 57-56, 55-58. Falowo (now 6-1 w/4KOs) was visibly devastated by the loss and his display of emotion in the ring told the whole story. KO Digest scored the fight 58-56 in favor of Falowo. Not quite a robbery, just a bad decision.
Mike Wilson W4 Joesph Rabotte (heavyweights) - Looking very much like George Foreman, but not fighting like him, veteran heavyweight Joe Rabotte (11-21-1 w/ 3KOs from Atlanta, GA) was beaten by the undefeated Mike Wilson (6-0 w/ 3KOs) over four rounds. Rabotte brought a bit of a belly into the ring, while Wilson looked ripped and ready. Majority decision scores in favor of Wilson were 40-36, 39-37, and a curious 38-38. It was reported that an unhappy Rabotte trashed his locker room after the fight in disgust over the decision. That sounds a little more like something George Foreman would do!
Shelito Vincent W4 Carmen Cruz (female bantamweights) - Bringing a good vibe and an infectious smile, the wildly popular Shelito Vincent (3-0 from Providence RI) pounded out her third win as a professional, defeating the debuting Carmen Cruz (0-1 from Fort Meyers, FL) over four easy rounds. Vincent came on strong in the final round, rocking her opponent with a nifty combination to close the show and leave no doubts. Unanimous shutout scores of 40-36 in favor of Vincent serve to illustrate just how dominant she was.
Gardner down in the 2nd
Julio "The Butcher" Garcia W4 Joe Gardner(middleweights) -In a mild upset, Rhode Island native Joe Gardner (8-5 w/ 1KO) was defeated by lopsided decision in a foul filled four round fight against Julio Garcia (5-3 w/ 3KOs from Rincon, Puerto Rico). Representing Team Ruiz, Garcia bulled Gardner back early in the first and set the tone for the fight early in the second with a very low blow that sent Gardner down in obvious pain. Still recovering from the low blow, Gardner was knocked down later in the same round from a more well placed body punch and two follow up rights to the head. Gardner landed a nice right hand of his own in the third to almost get back into the fight but by the middle of the round, he was being bulled back again.
In the fourth round, a now bleeding Garcia butchered Gardner even further to the head and body and scored another knockdown. Scores in favor of Butcher Garcia were unanimous, 40-34, 40-34, and 39-35.
Kevin Cobbs W4 Kentrell Claiborne (super middleweights)- The undefeated Kevin Cobbs (4-0 w/ 1KO) used a persistent jab and a nice follow up right hand to easily outbox opponent Kentrell Claiborne (2-6 w/ 1KO from Cleburne, TX) over four relatively one-sided rounds. In the third, Claiborne appeared hurt by a left right combination to the head but he held on to hear the final bell and scores of 39-37 across the board in favor of Cobbs.
Zack Ramsey TKO3 Alan Beeman (super lightweights) - In the evening opener, highly touted prospect Zack Ramsey (Springfield, MA) made a successful pro debut,dazzling his opponent Alan Beeman with an overwhelming display of combination punching to the head and body. Ramsey did a bit of showboating in the first and carried his hands around his waist at times, but when he did punch, he threw crisp combinations that his overmatched opponent could not stand up to. Beeman (0-2 from Providence, RI) was knocked down in the second round and again in the third, this time from a wicked body punch. The referee didn't even bother to count and ruled it a TKO on the spot at 0:37 of the third.
"THIS SHOULD BE THE ROUND OF THE CENTURY!" ~ The highly anticipated fight between Arturo "Thunder" Gatti and "Irish" Micky Ward was heading into the final round and legendary trainer Emanuel Steward had nothing but high praise for both fighters. The fight had more than met its expectations and the fight couldn't have come at a better time for American fight fans. The horrific attack of September 11, 2001 had closed the previous year out on a solemn note. While the educated follower was treated to some good fights that year, boxing was in need of a high profile fight with a great storyline to capture the attention of the average fight fan and put it back on the cover of the sport pages.
Both fighters had a fighting style that was considered fan friendly, and the average blue collar worker found it very easy to relate to them. Gatti had been in a few wars, and in order to preserve his boxing shelf life, Buddy McGirt came on board as his new trainer. Buddy emphasized boxing not brawling, and Gatti 34-5 (28KO's) looked fantastic in his last outing against Terron Millett - clearing the path for the fight with Ward.
Micky had lost his last fight by technical decision on a cut due to a head butt against Jesse James Leija (the replay proved that ruling inaccurate) but he looked fantastic in his previous fight against Emanuel Burton, an instant classic which was voted Ring Magazine's 2001 "Fight of the Year." The fight was a natural, as both men seemed to revive their careers at the same time. Both were known as good punchers, but it is Micky's left hook to the body that is known to be world class.
War erupts in Connecticut!
The fight was held on May 18, 2002 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. The SRO crowd was curious which Gatti would show up, the puncher or the boxer. At the bell, Ward 37-11 (27KO's) immediately fires a lead left hook to the head, just to let Gatti know he has more than the body shots to worry about. Gatti refuses to take the bait, and is content to box. The first half of the fight features Gatti determined to keep the fight center ring, using his jab, and occasionally throwing combinations to the head, while Ward comes forward behind a high guard, adding more pressure as the rounds mount.
In the second, Ward starts to use his jab, and is starting to find a home for his right hand. Near the end of the round, Gatti is warned to keep the punches up. In the third, Ward lands his first good hook to the body, and it slows Gatti down, forcing him to trade. Ward answers right back with more hooks to the head and body near the end of the round.
The crowd erupts, making it almost impossible to hear the bell.
Ward reacts to a low blow in the 4th
The fight fans are ecstatic, as the fight they were so eagerly anticipating is starting to unfold. Ward taps Gatti on the top of his head on his way to the corner, acknowledging it was a great round. The fighters trade heavy punches in the fourth, as Ward lands a big right cross that stuns Gatti, and he returns fire with uppercuts and hooks to the head. The body shots continue to land for Ward, as well as the right hands to the head. Near the end of the round, Gatti loses a point for a huge low blow, which drops Ward dramatically to the canvas. The intensity of the fight goes to a whole new level in the fifth, as Micky keeps a high guard, and waits for Gatti to finish throwing punches before firing back.
Ward is soaking up a lot of punishment in the fifth, but incredibly, he comes roaring back near the end of the round and almost takes off Gatti's head with a hard left hook at the bell. The fight is now half way over and it's dead even.
In rounds six through eight, the momentum of the fight changes yet again. Gatti continues to box, but Ward starts to impose his will on the fight and he is finally rewarded for his work to the body in the eighth round, and Gatti looks hurt at the bell. "Keep hitting him in the body!" says trainer Dick Eklund, giving good advice in the Ward corner.
At this point, the fight has more than lived up to it's expectations, but little did the fight fans know, the Ring Magazine "Round of the Year" was still yet to come! Ward charges out of the corner for the ninth, and lands a right to the head and a hard left to the body, forcing Gatti to hold. He lands another viscous left hook to the body, and Gatti is down! Gatti's face is a mask of pain, and he barely makes it up at nine. A lesser fighter would not have made it back to his feet, and Gatti would surely have been forgiven if he'd stayed down.
The 9th round is only thirty seconds old, and Gatti is in BIG trouble. Ward goes right back to the body and lands hooks and right hands to the head but Gatti refuses to go down! Micky's punched himself out, and now it's Arturo "Thunder" Gatti roaring back with hooks and right hands to the head. Micky is against the ropes soaking up punishment, and he takes a big breath before pounding his gloves, as if to say "come on!" Now it's Gatti who is spent, and Ward hits him with with hooks, right hands, and body shots - sucking the life out of him. Gatti is totally defenseless as he's bounced from one ring post to the next. Ward adds a few more hooks to the head, and somehow, Gatti survives the round. The crowd roars in approval, again drowning out the bell.
"This should be round of the century!" famously declares Emanuel Stewart on HBO.
In the Gatti corner there is concern for their fighter's condition, and at the start of the tenth and final round, there is some confusion, as everyone thinks Gatti is done for the evening. The timekeeper forgets to stop the clock, and the final round turns into a short two minute round. For the remainder of the bout, Gatti tries to box and keep his distance, while Ward tries to land the hook to the body, and lands a few hard right hands to the head. The Ring's "Fight of the Year" comes to it's conclusion, and "Irish" Micky Ward is declared the winner by very close, but well earned majority decision.
Ward pays the high price of victory
After the fight, both men are taken by ambulance to the hospital, but to the delight of boxing fans, they agree to an immediate rematch which was won just six months later by Gatti in another wild fight. "I used to wonder what it would feel like to fight my twin. Now I know," said Gatti. The rubber match in 2003 was also a great fight with Gatti winning by decision, but not before getting dropped in the sixth round.
The third fight was Ring Magazine's 2003 "Fight of the Year" and once again, both men needed a trip to the hospital. In the aftermath of their amazing trilogy, both men became good friends and they were spotted occasionally out on the town, or at the fights.
The trilogy was compared to the 1940's Tony Zale-Rocky Graziano classics, the ultimate compliment. After the third fight, Gatti went on to victories against Gianluca Branco, Leonard Dorin, and Jesse James Leija before losing badly to pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather. He then moved up to welterweight and won the vacant IBA belt against Thomas Damgaard. This was his last victory. He suffered a TKO loss to Carlos Baldomir and cut ties with trainer Buddy McGirt, before asking his old rival Micky Ward to replace him. On July 11, 2007 Gatti took on Alfonso Gomez and lost by brutal TKO. "I'll be back... as a spectator," said Arturo with a sheepish look on his face. Gatti's final record: 40-9-0 (31KO's). Almost two years later to the day, on July 11, 2009, Gatti was found dead in his hotel room in Brazil while on vacation with his new wife. Although it was ruled a suicide, to this day many feel it was a homicide.
Friends Forever
As for Ward, he wisely retired after the last Gatti fight, and he still lives in his hometown of Lowell, MA. To say he still gets love from fight fans would be a massive understatement. A movie was made about his career in 2010 and the upcoming sequel will feature his epic trilogy with Gatti. Today, he is part owner of a gym, part owner of an outdoor hockey rink and he stays active as a trainer in the Lowell boxing scene.
His final record: 38-13 (27KO's)
The Friday Night Fight Flashback you just enjoyed was written by self-proclaimed boxing junkie David McLeod, exclusively for KO Digest. Each week, David will flashback to a memorable fight in boxing history!
LOWELL - After a seven year hiatus, professional boxing made its return last night to the fighting city of Lowell, MA. Home to Micky Ward, Dickie Eklund, and the rest of Lowell's finest, the Mill City played host to Chicago Fight Club Promotion's "Homecoming" - a five fight card at the historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium featuring local favorites Sean Eklund and Joey McCreedy in separate bouts. Unfortunately for Lowell fight fans, only one of their hometown heroes emerged with a win last night as Sean Eklund (11-4 w/ 2 KOs) won a spirited eight round decision over Niagara Falls native James Ventry (7-14-1 w/ 4 KOs) while Joey McCreedy (13-6-2 w/ 6 KOs) dropped a ten round decision to Flint, Michigan's Shujaa El-Amin (12-3 w/ 6 KOs) - the fighter formerly known as Dion Savage. It wasn't the kind of homecoming that McCreedy or his fans expected and El-Amin spoiled it in a big way by savagely busting up and dominating McCreedy over ten one sided rounds. Simply put, McCreedy was beaten at home by a better more determined fighter and the judges didn't even try to screw it up.
El-Amin came all the way from Flint, Michigan to Lowell, Massachusetts to make a statement in the ring and then one outside of it. By dominating the wild swinging McCreedy with a jab that seemed to never miss and a brutal body attack reminiscent of another certain famous Lowell fighter, he succeeded in making his strong statement in the ring - picking up the vacant USBO super middleweight title by lopsided scores of 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91. The new champion then made his statement outside the ring telling KO Digest after the fight, "I fight for the freedom of my father who has been in jail for fifteen years for a crime he didn't commit. He's Dion Savage Sr and we have proof that he's innocent but they refuse to look at his case and that's an injustice."
It was a great night for El-Amin and a tough night for McCreedy, who was cut early and battered often. When they fought on the inside, El-Amin proved superior and he worked the body with savage effectiveness. When El-Amin worked on the outside, he controlled McCreedy with a jab that seemed to get better as the fight wore on. In the eighth round, McCreedy took two jabs flush to the face the same way Rocky Balboa would take them in the movies, that's to say - he didn't even bother to move his head. In the same round, El-Amin demoralized McCreedy even further with a lead right hand that bounced off McCreedy's face.
"I knew Joe McCreedy didn't have the boxing skills that I have. I hit him with some good shots and he didn't go anywhere, so he's pretty tough. What's next? I want rematches with Marco Antonio Periban and Adonis Stevenson." Periban and Stevenson both stopped El-Amin in one round back in 2011. Oh, and why the name change? It's because according to El-Amin, "Savage is a slave name, and I'm a free man now so I wanted to change my name because I represent a free people."
Sean Eklund wins at home in Lowell
Sean Eklund W8 James Ventry (junior welterweights) - In the co-main event, crowd favorite Sean Eklund made his Lowell debut, fighting professionally for the first time in his hometown since turning pro in 2005. Eklund won an eight round decision over Niagara Falls, NY native James Ventry by scores of 79-73, 79-73, and 78-74. Eklund did a little of everything in the ring against Ventry - boxing when he needed to and fighting when he had to. The crowd went crazy for Eklund all night and he didn't disappoint them. "The gameplan was to box but I think it was my ability to box and dig down inside that separated us. My skills were better and I can do more than one thing in the ring. I fed off the crowd but like Micky and Dickie say - don't let it get you out of your gameplan and stay within yourself."
For eight rounds, Sean Eklund did just that and for him, it was a very successful homecoming.
Antonio Canas D6 Tyrone Chatman (junior welterweights)- Chicago Fight Club Promotions brought the undefeated Antonio Canas (6-0-1 w/ 3 KOs) all the way from the Windy City to Lowell, MA and the "Aztec God of War" barely escaped with a majority draw against St. Louis, MO native (9-1-2 w/ 6 KOs) Tyrone Chatman. After a slow start by both fighters in the first two rounds, Chatman came alive in the third round, dropping Canas in the corner with a straight left to the face. Canas beat the count but was down again quickly from a follow up barrage by Chatman. The knockdowns seemed to invigorate Canas and he began to live up to his nickname, battling back hard for the rest of the fight to earn a draw as Chatman slowed down and seemed to tire as the fight went on. The judge's scores were 57-55 for Chatman, 56-56, and 56-56. Said Canas afterwards, "I think I won the fight. He wasn't throwing as much as I was. I was landing a lot more than him. He did get me down in the third with a punch I didn't see but I don't think he did enough to win the fight."
Jimmy Smith NC1 Rafael Jusino (welterweights) - US Marine Jimmy Smith from Portland, ME celebrated his 28th birthday by making his professional debut in Lowell in the very same building where he's fought many times as an amateur. Unfortunately for Smith, an accidental headbutt in the first round resulted in a deep cut over the right eye of his winless opponent Rafael Jusino (0-6) and the fight was ruled a No Contest before it ever really had a chance to get underway. Smith did drop Jusino with a left hook early in the first round before the headbutt but once the blood started flowing, Smith's chance to get the win went out the window, "Heartbreaking, all that training, all that work. It's a little anti-climactic. I don't remember a headbutt. I remember my head being pulled down a lot and I remember landing a good left hook."
Anthony Jones W4 Bernie Ongewe (middleweights) - In the evening opener, Newark, NJ native Anthony Jones (1-0-1) spent four rounds cornering the professionally debuting Bernie Ongewe and pinning him on the ropes where he would punch away while Ongewe mostly just covered up, only occasionally punching back. Introduced as being from Lowell but billed as being from nearby Dracut, MA - Ongewe got a rousing reception from the crowd when he was introduced but then they saw him fight and the cheering stopped at that point.
Overheard in the Lowell locker room after the fight was - "I think Bernie should go back to Dracut."
Scores were 40-35, 40-36, and 39-37 all in favor of Jones.
