Olympic bombshell.

Groundbreaking news has broken today that AIBA will be changing their statues in order to allow fully fledged professional fighters to compete in the Olympic Games, from this Summer's Olympiad in Rio onwards.
AIBA president, Dr. Ching Kuo Wu has been quoted as saying,
"We want the best boxers to come to the Olympic Games. It is AIBA's 70th birthday and we want something to change - not after four years, but now.
It is an IOC policy to have the best athletes in the Games and of the international federations, AIBA is probably the only one without professional athletes in the Olympics..   I think it's a terrible shame that the pinnacle of the amateur aspect of our game has sold out..  Where are our ground roots boxers going to emerge from now, and for what will our sports youth have to strive for..   Terrible news..

New faces.. Jesse Hard Work Hart.

In Philadelphia boxing circles the surname Hart should evoke fond images of Philadelphia legend Eugene Cyclone Hart a folk hero of a bygone era, but today there is a new Hart in town, Eugene's son Jesse 'Hard Work' Hart an unbeaten super middleweight raised up on the same mean streets as his father..   Jesse was the 2011 US Olympic trials gold medalist at 165, the national Championship gold medalist at 165 and the National Golden Gloves champion at 165..  Currently after three years as a pro Jesse is 19 / 0 with 16 Kos a 26 year old with a point to prove..  Father Eugene is Harts coach and since day one has never tried to wrap the youngster in cotton wool, Jesse trains at two gyms in Philly to vary his sparring, always top notch guys, in Philly no one cares about your reputation..  Eugene makes sure the competition in the gym is designed to push Jesse to his limits..  Cyclone knows how tough it is at the very top, he has carefully instilled a solid work ethic into his fighter, knowing full well Jesse will thank him in the long run, it's kill or be killed..
Jesse has been averaging five fights a year consistently, and in 2014 he beat Samuel Clarkson to win the vacant junior NABF super middleweight title in Las Vegas. Four fights later he would add the vacant WBO NABO and USBA titles by beating Mike Jimenez via 6 round tko on the Mayweather v Pacquiao card in Las Vegas..   His best performance to date had to be his 9th round tko in September over another son of a legendary fighter Aaron Pryor jr at the cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, a victory which has prompted many to tip Jesse for big things in the coming months..   "Everyone knows I am the hardest working guy in the gym, I live and breath boxing, I have a clear vision of where I need to be.."    With the wealth of knowledge his father brings plus the unequalled work ethic, it would be hard not to favour Jesse Hard Work Hart in the current super middleweight mix at the minute..   The WBA and IBF currently have Hart ranked at 8, with the WBO ranking him at 3..

Glenwood Brown, a throwback..

Glenwood Brown...  This New Jersey native became a resident fighter at New Yorks felt forum in the mid 80s, staging 18 of his first 26 fights there.. Brown started his pro career with an 18 fight winning streak before losing a split decision to Saoul Mamby in 1988, Brown would avenge the sole loss a year later to win the USA New York State welterweight title..  Glenwood would go a further 16 fights unbeaten going into 1991, securing a shot at Maurice Blockers IBF title, losing a split points verdict..  A year later the unlucky challenger would get a second crack, this time at Meldrick Taylor's WBA belt, this time losing a unanimous decision..Miguel Santana, Edwin Curet and Anthony Andrews would set Brown back, but undeterred he would  go unbeaten for 3 years with 9 consecutive victories ..  In June of 1996 Glenwood Brown would box out of his skin against former two weight world champion Simon Brown, again falling short Unanimous points..   Losses to Dana Rosenblatt, Vinnie Pazienza and Bronco Mckart, along with his only 2 stoppage defeats at the hands of Bernice Barber and Scott Pemberton saw Brown end his career unlucky not to win world honours,  an awesome record of 48 / 1, Glenwood the real Beast was a top drawer fighter..

Forgotten warriors.. Philadelphia's Vaughn Hooks.

Who remembers Philadelphia light heavyweight Vaughn Hooks, a crafty boxer puncher who went 20 fights unbeaten with a NC against tough Frankie Swindell for the USBA title, a fight where Hooks was announced the winner only to fail a drugs test..  He would lose his unbeaten streak on points to Adolpho Washington in 1993 before losing his final bout that same year to Fabian Garcia on a retirement at the end of the 9th round..   Hooks was ranked as high as 11 by the IBF but never got close to a title shot..

Opening nights.. Legendary Las Vegas debuts..

Boxing has been taking place in Nevada since the late 1800s, Las Vegas in particular has held thousands of historic fights..  Many of the older venues are no longer here, but were opened with huge events, each one attempting to outdo the last..
1959 saw the Showboats first step into the boxing arena with a modest middleweight affair, 72 fight veteran Willie Vaughn outpointing Eddie Andrews in what would be the first of 110 shows..  1960 saw the Las Vegas convention centre hold its first boxing event, heavyweights Howard King and Charlie Powell, the centre would later stage historic matches like the Patterson v Liston rematch 3 years later..
1976 would see both Caesars palace and the Aladdin stage their debut events, with the George Foreman v Ron Lyle barnstormer at Caesars and Duane Bobick v Fred Houpe over the street at the Aladdin.  The Aladdin would add a theatre a year later with Leon Spinks v Scott Ledoux opening the show, whole 1978 saw Caesars build the huge pavilion, a landmark which was opened by another heavyweight firecracker, Larry Holmes v Kenny Norton..
1979 saw the beautiful Dunes Hotel dip it's toe into boxing with Sugar Ray Leonard outpointing tough Adolfo Viruet in future superstar Leonard's 21st pro fight..
In the 1980s the Las Vegas Hilton hosted a whole array of events..  1985 saw the Hilton centre open with the Donald Curry v Milton McCrory superfight, whilst two years later the outdoor arena would open for the WBA / WBC heavyweight unification bout between Mike Tyson and James Bonecrusher smith..  The eventual series would finish in this very arena with Tyson outpointing Tony Tucker to become the first unified champion in over a decade..  The more prominent resorts in the 1990s are still thriving today..  The MGM grand which is still considered the home of championship boxing opened with a double header in 1994, with Hector Camacho v Felix Trinidad and Julio Cesar Chavez suffering his first defeat at the hands of Frankie Randall..
5 years later the gorgeous golden towers of Mandalay bay staged its first event , again a mouthwatering double header, featuring future all time greats Floyd Mayweather boxing Justin Juuko and Oscar Dela Hoya fighting Oba Carr..  Hard acts to follow, Las Vegas always seems to upstage itself..  This coming May the latest arena the brand new T-mobile arena at the rear of New York, New York opens with an epic cinco de Mayo event..  Las Vegas never disappoints..