Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

Yesterday morning I got a text that told me Fightnews.com’s Flattop had passed away. It came as unexpected and honestly incredibly sad news. Upon confirming the news, I reached out to my associate here at Pound4Pound, Bret Newton, to let him know.

Flattop gave us both our break into boxing journalism in 2002 and for that we both will be forever grateful to him. Flattop and his associate Karl Frietag have been staples in the boxing community for over two decades now and it deeply saddens us to hear of Flattops passing.

We just wanted to send our condolences and more importantly we want to say thank you to Flattop.

Farewell to you Flattop.

Or maybe it’s better to use your greeting line and bid you… “Good Day!”

Thank You Flattop & Fightnews

By Bret Newton

I was saddened to hear the news yesterday when William called me to inform me of Flattop’s passing. Flattop gave me my start as a boxing photographer at Fightnews back in 2002. Nearly 20 years ago. I hadn’t really thought about how long ago that was until just then. I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did without that and I will never forget it.

Fightnews is also where Will and I met and would eventually team-up to create Pound4Pound.com. Flattop is a big result of that.

Thank you Flattop and Karl for giving me the opportunity. Many great memories that will never be forgotten.

RIP

By William Trillo

Over this past weekend there were some not too quiet rumblings that Canelo’s next opponent could be middleweight Jason Quigley. Having been ringside when Quigley was soundly defeated by Tureano Johson (21-2-1, 15 KO’s), that news didn’t sit well with me. I reached out to a few insiders but wasn’t satisfied with what I was hearing. I decided the best thing to do was reach out to Tureano to get his point of view on the situation. I am sure you will find what he had to say to be very interesting. Check it out.

Pound4Pound: The reason I am contacting you is because of all the noise I have been hearing about Jason Quigley being a possible opponent for Canelo. In my mind if anyone should jump to the forefront here as an opponent for Canelo it should be Tureano Johnson. I mean, you took care of Quigley pretty handily as I recall.

Tureano Johnson: Wow, You’re really be keeping up! You are the only person who called me out on that one. When Quigley was mentioned (for Canelo) I didn’t want to say anything. I just wanted to let the fans speak, and you sure did it…Thanks.

P4P: No worries. I was there that night, I saw how you completely dominated Quigley and forced him to quit. It was such an impressive performance. But here we are a year later, this virus has everything sideways and somehow you got lost in the shuffle. So, when I hear about Quigley getting offered the Canelo fight my first thought is, “What about Tureano, what’s going on here? Why isn’t anybody mentioning him?” Do you have any thoughts on that? And what’s been going on with you the last year.

TJ: Well, first of all, I got to give the almighty God thanks. I went back home to The Bahamas and I’ve been back and forth. I have been in Cuba and then to New York with my coach Andre Rozier who used to train Daniel Jacobs. I’ve been training on an ongoing basis and never stopped because boxing is a lifestyle, it is not a sport for me. We have been trying to make things happen for more fights, but things didn’t go through. We were scheduled to fight for the WBA number one contender to against Magomed Madiev. That fight was scheduled to be in February and April but unfortunately this virus cancelled that opportunity.

I did get an offer to fight Canelo. Of course, immediately I took that opportunity and I said yes. I would to fight Canelo. Any fighter would love to fight Canelo. Most guys look at the financial aspect of it. But me understanding the situation that’s going on with the world today in the pandemic, I’m very reasonable to understand that the finances are not going to be the greatest, but that was not my intention to solely fight for money. Of course, I am a prize fighter, right? I do fight for money. My intention still is to become a world champion. Ain’t no better way than beating the best fighter Pound4Pound in the world in the name of Canelo Alvarez. If you beat Canelo now you will see your entire life turn around when it comes to finances. So that is my aim. And my objective is to win the fight against Canelo. You can shock the world by beating Canelo. You can make a bigger statement than Andy Ruiz did, but he was a one-shot wonder. But me, I’m not a one-shot wonder. I’m here to stay. I want to shock the world.

P4P: Let me make sure I understand. There is an offer on the table for you to fight Canelo? Is this just a matter of somebody accepting?

TJ: Well, yes. It’s just a matter of Canelo agreeing. The ball is in his court. It is completely up to him to fight whomever he wishes to fight.

P4P: Did Golden Boy contact your management team?

TJ: I got word, but nothing is concrete. Nothing is certain. I have been told by my people Golden Boy is interested.

P4P: Who’s your manager?

TJ: My advisor is James Thomas. He was the advisor for Evander Holyfield.

P4P: When were you given notice that there is an interest from Golden Boy for you?

TJ: It’s been almost two weeks now.

P4P: Well the fact that they came to you makes sense.

TJ: It is still questionable because nothing was brought back to me after that. But I want you to please notice: I haven’t just been interested in Canelo. No, I’m interested in fighting. And that’s what I want to do. I’m interested in fighting and I wouldn’t mind getting it on with any of the best of Golden Boys camp or any camp out there. Give me Jermall Charlo or even a rematch with Sergiy Derevyanchenko I would love. I really feel as though my redemption would come with a rematch with Sergiy Derevyanchenko. I was asked if I would fight Quigley again. Why would I fight Quigley again? I have done a lot of damage to him in. On the second fight with him I would win no doubt. It would hurt him for the rest of his life.

P4P: Two thoughts here. #1 you proved your point in the first fight. #2 Quigley don’t want no part of you again in my opinion?

TJ: 100%. And he said that. I read an article that he stated that he doesn’t mind taking a chance of fighting Canelo Alvarez. Wait, how you could take a chance of fighting the Pound4Pound best fighter in the world but you’re not going to take a chance of redeeming yourself from your only soul loss. It is as if somebody has raised the the white flag and given up and just wants to fight for the money. He knows he’s going to be destroyed and obliterated by Canelo but the money would be good. I think that’s his only interest is to fight for the money.

P4P: When you talk about fighting for the money and that I think you know, heck we all know that we’re in a different time right now, we’re in a different situation. Maybe there was this multi bazillion dollar huge fight last year, but right now everybody has to readjust and retool and refocus their priorities. I hear you saying priority for you is that world title. Now of course you’re a prize fighter and you fight to make the money, but you know that with getting that title the money comes along with it. It’s not the other way around. And and a lot of times fighters who have huge Facebook followings, or Instagram followers, well, they see the world the other way around. They think, “No, you’re going to pay me a whole bunch of money now. And then I’ll worry about a world title tomorrow.” And I say, no, no, no.

TJ: 100%. It is so sad that is how the platform of boxing has become. I believe boxing has become so commercialized and so sad that now you don’t even have to be a well decorated fighter. You don’t have to be a well accomplished fighter. You don’t have to be a talented boxer to go in there and fight and make it as the main event and make good money. All you gotta do is be a YouTube superstar then you can make a champion boxers salary.

P4P: It’s just a different climate right now and everyone has to adjust accordingly. I tip my hat to fighters fighting every other month in “The Bubble” in Las Vegas right now for short money. Likewise, I give my props to fighters like you who are willing to take on these chances because the money will come. I give all you guys all the credit in the world.

TJ: Yeah, man. I’m a boxing fan. And so that makes a great difference. So, I understand it from that point of view. I love boxing in the purest form of boxing and it is sad how they are commercializing it now using this YouTube or on Instagram and Facebook and on Twitter. I understand that that is how they think, that they are gonna make their money and promoting these fights. But oh, come on. Let’s be real. Do you really think the Ryan Garcia followers or hundreds and thousands of followers are going to actually come out to his boxing match and watch a fight, or even buy a DAZN subscription? I doubt it. I believe it’s only a fraction of them might just do that. They believe social media is a big thing, but I don’t think it’s going to be profitable in the future.

P4P: I’m going to wrap this up. I want to clarify, since the Quigley fight, you’ve had an opportunity to fight, but it fell out because of the situation with the virus. So it wasn’t that you weren’t training, and it wasn’t that you weren’t ready to fight, just circumstances being as they are.

TJ: Oh, definitely. I’ve been going into camps over and over and over and nothing’s happening yet. So, it wasn’t a matter of me not wanting to fight or me, not being prepared to fight. Circumstances like the virus that came up. And also, I had an incident late in the year where I had a hamstring string injury while training we had a bout due the end of the year but the injury stopped that.

P4P: And the proposed Canelo date is in September. Is that kind of the date they floated at you?

TJ: Yes. September 12th. Yeah. There’s been no follow up, but my team and I are working on it. And if we don’t get the Canelo fight then let’s get the Jaime Munguia fight. No doubt, I believe I’m well deserving of the Canelo showdown . I mean, I’m not ashamed: to say that I am not one of the big time fighters, but dare not insult me and say that I’m on the level of John Ryder. I am better fighter than John Ryder. Maybe Callum Smith is a decorated champion, but I know I can outclass him when I fight him. There are fighters out there who are not being reasonable. I believe I’m being reasonable, not to say that I’m a cheap guy, but I know what it takes to be a champion. And I want to be given that opportunity to give me that opportunity. I would take that title and I know the money will come after. I feel like now I am not strapping with the funds. I’m reasonable. Let’s make this fight happen

P4P: I know I said I was going to wrap it up but… when you mentioned Munguia, I was like, “Ooh, that’s a good fight”.

TJ: It’s a damn good fight.

P4P: Wow. Has that ever come up or was it just something to say… Hey, if I can’t have Canelo, give me a Munguia.

TJ: Oh my God. I’ve been calling them out for months and I want a good clash with Munguia. I am not turning down an opportunity with Canelo. I know for sure, David Lemieux will not give Canelo, the kind of excitement and fight like Tureano. I am coming to fight. John Ryder, he is not coming to bring it. He’s just going to be there, and Canelo is going to tear him apart. And don’t even mention Jason Quigley, he shouldn’t even have been mentioned in the first place.

P4P: Any last words for the fans?

TJ: I am gunning for the Canelo opportunity. I am here, I’m willing and I am able to give him more than any other fighter can. Thank You.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

Last night in “The Bubble” in Las Vegas during the main event of the Top Rank Show, Mikkel LesPierre dropped Jose Pedraza in round five. Truthfully the knockdown was questionable as the fighters feet locked up, but Pedraza did go down from a punch.

After the round, and more importantly after the sixty second break, officials decided they needed to go to the instant reply to verify if the knockdown was legitimate. Some two minutes later they decided it was not a knockdown.

As I stated, it could have gone either way and I have no problem with their decision. But I do have a huge problem with their instant replay rule in it’s current format and I have a few questions and a suggestion.

Can the official in charge of the instant replay look at the replay in the minute in between rounds and make a decision?

Do you really think it’s wise to have the fighters who have been engaged in heated battle just stand there for almost another round while a decision is being made?

How long do you think it will be before this same scenario plays out in a crucial high profile fight changing the flow, the course and the outcome of the fight and having everyone and their brother screaming FIX?

I have no problem if the replay rule is instituted in boxing but it has to be a lot more well thought out than the current “disaster waiting to happen” format we saw last night.

I have a simple and easy solution that you can use, free of charge, take it with my blessings….please!

If during a round a questionable knockdown occurs the knockdown will be under review in between rounds. If the official sitting ringside can’t make a decision after viewing the replay during the sixty seconds in between rounds and come to a conclusion one way or the other then the call inside the ring during that round will stand and can not be over-ruled.

Pretty simple huh?

You can thank me later for the amount of grief you save yourselves once you implement my rule.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing truth.