Hi everyone, I will be booking my flights tomorrow and should be out on the 25 th. It’s going to be good seeing old faces and meeting new members. I will be bringing a few new training methods that I use, I hope they are new to you. I promise that one in particular is very effective and hard. Can’t wait to get out, as its been a tough build up to coming. Lisa you can be the first tester of the drills if you wish, I know you like to try new stuff. I feel myself getting excited as I’m typing this, leaving these cold shores will be hard, as I’ll miss many people, but not the crappy weather.

Took a bit of a hiatus, Irongloves has been so bloody busy lately, especially getting ready for Stevie. Yep, you heard it right, Stevie is coming earlier than expected. He will be here Nov 25th. For those who are not familiar with him… he is the boxing coach from England. This is his second time coming to Irongloves to do some coaching “Brit style”. It is our pleasure to welcome him. For any of you wanting to do some extra training with Stevie, just say the word.

I think the sly old fox B-Hop could be the Pavlik party pooper tonight. I think he will win on points, my only worry for him is his fitness in the last third. He tired bad against Calzaghe and Pavlik has the power to stop him late if he pressures him into a corner. But i think if Hopkins is on his game then he could perform like he did against Tito and outbox Kelly. Hopkins is too slick for a straight puncher like Pavlik. It has the makings of a very interesting fight.

DannyGreen.com  The Green Machine
Australia’s favorite boxing sensation and WBC Interim Super Light Middle Weight World Champion.

I like some parts of his training , I like the med ball walking forward with punches.
I like the machine that he twists and pulls down and the neck drills.

Kelly Pavlik intends to take advantage of the 17-year age gap when he fights Bernard Hopkins. The 26-year-old Pavlik meets 43-year-old great Hopkins in an eagerly-awaited showdown at 170lbs in Atlantic City on October 18. Hopkins has proved a master in recent bouts at making opponents fight his fight. Wins over Antonio Tarver and ‘Winky’ Wright were followed by a close defeat to Joe Calzaghe. But this time the big-hitting Pavlik - now 34-0 with 30 knockouts - says Hopkins won’t have it all his own way.

“We’re not going to fight him at a 43-year-old pace,” he told the Cleveland Free Times . “We’re going to make him fight at a 26-year-old pace. We’re going to throw our 100 punches a round. If he thinks he can get away with throwing his 27 punches a round and keep up with us, it ain’t gonna happen. I think you’ll see the difference once the sixth round comes around. “Despite being one of the new stars of the sport now, Pavlik refuses to let his head be turned by big money and bright lights.He added: “I’m a simple person. Simple things keep me happy. I’m too busy to get into that Hollywood mentality. Maybe if I was raised different, I’d have a big head.”

Its going to be a very interesting fight and will make a bigger name for Pascal over here, he has Irongloves to thank for his preparation.

It is interesting to hear their (England) views on him and how highly they rate him.
Just for the record: Here in Arizona we highly favor Pascal.

Beat Jones, then time to go, Joe

Barry Mcguigan No.1 For Boxing 20/09/2008

It is heartening to hear Joe Calzaghe confirm he will bid farewell to boxing at Madison Square Garden. Though the old place has moved around a bit - today’s site is the fourth it has occupied in New York - it is synonymous with the noble art, evoking memories of all the greats that have crossed its ropes. Joe deserves to add his name to a glittering list going all the way back to Jack Dempsey that includes Joe Louis, Henry Armstrong, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Roy Jones Jr is well into the twilight of a great career.

I understand why Calzaghe wants to share a ring with him even though he is not the fighter he was. Calzaghe, too, is arguably on the wane. He was bowled over by Bernard Hopkins in a fight that might well have gone to the American. Jones does not offer quite the same challenge but don’t expect this to be a fluent encounter. Both are essentially backfoot fighters, counter punchers who rely on hand speed not outright power. There are huge question marks over how much punch resistance Jones has following heavy defeats to Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. Calzaghe does not have a sledgehammer in his armoury. He throws in bunches and overwhelms with volume. That said he hits harder than the Americans think. I see Calzaghe getting to Jones at some point in the 12 rounds, landing a full-blooded shot. Then we’ll see what Jones has left.

Calzaghe was disappointing against Hopkins, a fighter who has perfected the art of making opponents look bad. Joe will want to give a better account of himself this time. But it won’t be easy. I think we will see several rounds of cat and mouse, before Joe goes looking for Jones down the stretch. Calzaghe is the younger and fresher of the two and has the better chin so he starts favourite. And he will want to bow out with his unbeaten record intact so there is plenty at stake. We have heard a bit of sabre rattling from Kelly Pavlik this week, calling out Calzaghe. Pavlik shares a ring with Hopkins next month. If he wins convincingly the clamour for Calzaghe-Pavlik will start. But such a bout would be disappointing. The time is now for both Calzaghe and Jones to call it a day.

Both have been brilliant servants to the game. They have the floor at Madison Square Garden from which to say goodbye. Enough for any man, surely? I think we’ll see several rounds of cat and mouse tactics before Calzaghe goes looking for Jones

“HOW does it feel being known as…?” Herol Graham joins in with the question. “The best British fighter never to win a world title?” we say together. “I agree with it,” he says. “But life is planned out,” he goes on. “You make it how you want it. I was silly not to listen to some people around me, but it was an exciting time when I was fighting. I was happy. I loved it and I’m very grateful for it.” Now a father of six (with his kids aged from two-and-a-half to 30) Graham, who lives by himself in Bradway, Sheffield, and who has been divorced once, is involved in personal training. He works in sports clubs and gyms teaching people exercises, mostly boxing moves. He also runs a skipping class. “It’s going very well,” he says.

Almost 20 years have passed since he was known as the ‘King of Sheffield’, a title that clearly embarrasses him now. “I wouldn’t say I was the king of Sheffield but a celebrity, definitely,” he admits. “Now I hardly go out clubbing. But people still recognise me and talk to me and say they appreciated what I did. People still come up to me and say they watched me fight or they went to America to see me box. “Some people do a double take and say, ‘Excuse me, sir, are you Sidney Poitier?’ ” Herol laughs before conceding: “No, not really. They say, ‘Are you Herol Graham?’ “Then they say: ‘If only you kept your head out of the way against Julian Jackson’.” He lost to Jackson (having opened a lead, he was knocked out by a simply devastating right hand in the fourth in a challenge for the WBC middleweight belt), was pipped by another quality American middleweight champion in Mike McCallum (split decision loss for the WBA belt) and, in his last fight - having knocked Charles Brewer down twice - allowed the Philadelphian back into the fight to win in the 10th in an IBF title fight.

They are amongst the favourite memories of his 54-fight (48-6, 28 inside) career. Herol turned pro in 1978. His last bout came 20 years later against Brewer, but that period included four years of inactivity between 1992 and 1996. “Boxing for world titles are my best memories,” he says happily enough. “Even though I lost, they were all close encounters. I was so close with Jackson, they were going to stop the fight at the end of the round. I only had to stay on my feet and I went and stuck my chin out. “It was one of the most brilliant but lucky shots ever thrown. He threw it from over his head and not even he knew where it was going to land.” What a shot it was. It makes a trip to YouTube worthwhile. Here is the Jackson fight…

More than 100,000 viewers who have clicked on two clips of it would agree. “I always remember and talk about those ones [Jackson, McCallum and Brewer],” says Herol. “I was so close and yet so far away. They could have turned my life around in a big, big way. I could have been a millionaire. It wasn’t to be, but they were still brilliant fights.” But “Bomber” was a brilliant fighter. Some in Sheffield say the city’s now-famous hands-down, unconventional style is the Herol Graham style, rather than that of his former trainer Brendan Ingle, who is often credited with it. Graham was a defensive master; up there with the best.

The term slick southpaw could have been invented for him. He twice lost to Sumbu Kalambay (pts 12 both times) in Euro title efforts but beat Vinny Pazienza (pts 12) in defence of his WBC International title and cleaned up domestically, beating classy fighters and big bangers like James Cook and Mark Kaylor in the late 1980s, largely bamboozling them with that mesmerising technique. “People still remind me of them [the big British fights].

They were easy fights. Don’t get me wrong, they were tough going but I found fighting so easy. “I made most of those fights look easy but they were hard. I always worked my fights out on the night, not before then. Brendan would say to me the guy would do this or do that, but I would work it all out in the ring.” He was that good. Now the former British, European and Commonwealth champion watches fights “now and again”. He was in a London TV studio working for African television when Ricky Hatton boxed Floyd Mayweather in December. He praised Ricky’s heart before saying: “Floyd was reminiscent of myself.”

Herol’s one of only a select few who could get away with saying something like that. He still keeps fit and in shape and moves around with youngsters and beginners in the gym. “I still spar with the guys,” he smiles. “They still can’t hit me and say, ‘Why don’t you make a comeback?’ I say, ‘No thanks. I’m 48. I’ve had my time’.”

Age started boxing: 10

First boxing memory: My very first fight at age 10. I had to give up four years and 15lbs but I told them I’d fight whoever. I won.

Inspiration: Muhammad Ali. He fought for what he stood for.

Favourite all-time fighter: Muhammad Ali.

Best fight you’ve seen: There are three. Larry Holmes-Ken Norton is the best heavyweight fight; they showed heart for heavyweights. Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns I because they had such a big build-up and then lived up to it. And Salvador Sanchez-Wilfredo Gomez.

What do you do to relax: Fish or listen to music. I make music too, rap, and I’ve already made the promo for the [Joe] Calzaghe fight [on September 20]. I think I might call it Battle of the Superpowers. I love music.

Pre-fight superstition: Only one; I always put my right hand in my right glove first.

What training (if any) do you do between fights: I play basketball to keep myself right.

Typical breakfast: I’m a big cereal fan; I love it. Applejacks, Raisin Bran.

Toughest part of being a boxer: Staying focused and dealing with adversity. In life, when you get knocked down you have to get up and keep going and in boxing, you have to do that literally, like Joe [Calzaghe] against [Bernard] Hopkins.

Favourite music: I like rap, especially Scarface, who I’ve done a couple of songs with.

Last book you read: I don’t read books; I just try to read my Bible every day.

Favourite film: Tombstone.

What car do you drive: I’m driving a Z06 Corvette and a Bentley, but I have about eight cars in total.

Where do you train: In my own gym at my farm in Pensacola. It’s old-fashioned, because you can’t get too comfortable. I work on the farm regularly when I’m not fighting.

Training routine: Basketball in the morning, then, in the afternoon, speed bag, pads, exercises, sometimes sparring, then, in the evenings, maybe basketball again. It keeps your mind right, your conditioning, your hand-eye co-ordination and your agility. It keeps you ahead of the game.

Toughest man faced: James Toney. He was the hardest to hit and the smartest.

What supplements do you take: Potassium and magnesium.

Last place you went on holiday: I never go on vacation.

Best boxer in the sport today: Now Floyd [Mayweather]’s gone, it’ll be decided on September 20.

Favourite football team: Pittsburgh Steelers.