Boxing in Las Vegas: In the Green Room 12/6/04.htm

MAX KELLERMAN
Visits with Amy Green in
THE GREEN ROOM

“I, Max” himself! With his trademark unbridled enthusiasm, Max presented his scenario on the “Best Damn” fight December 9 on The Best Damn Sports Show, Period between heavyweights Michael Moorer and Vasiliy Jirov at the Pechanga Resort in Temecula, CA, and regaled me with other boxing insights.

AG: in our interview, Jirov stated he’s not in a hurry to get to the top of
his division, taking it boxer by boxer. I got a sense of urgency from Michael Moorer, about this fight, as he said it’s a do or die fight for him…. And there are a couple of titles involved, the WBC continental and WBA North American titles….

MAX KELLERMAN: Well, those are regional titles, and I have a problem with all belts that claim to be world title belts that are not Ring Magazine because Ring Magazine policy ensures that when they get a championship it’s to a real champion, it’s not to a paper champion. But these are regional belts, the Continental and North American. And that’s about right. Those kinds of belts used to be stepping stones to world titles, and the winner of this fight re-enters the mix as a player in the heavyweight division, which is wide open right now. Jirov saying he’s taking it fight by fight-he’s significantly younger than Michael Moorer although he lost to Joe Mesi, he practically knocked Mesi out in the last round, Jirov had his only other loss to James Toney-- many people feel the best heavyweight in the world right now or at least one of them. And that was in a fight of the year. Probably the second best fight in the history of the cruiserweight division behind Evander Holyfield and Dwight Qwai, their first fight in 1986. So for Jirov there’s less of a sense of urgency because he’s the younger fighter, closer to his prime, who hasn’t looked bad recently. For Moorer, of course there’s more of a sense of urgency, ‘cause he’s an older fighter, more removed from his prime, and has not looked great recently.

AG: Moorer and Jirov are both southpaws. Jirov is tough and aggressive; Moorer is a heavy hitter…how do you think this fight will go? An all out brawl or tactical boxing?
MAX KELLERMAN: That’s what’s so interesting about this fight! It really is hard to say. You assume with Jirov, that any fight eventually turns into a really good fight. Because he is aggressive, an excellent body puncher. At heavyweight, y’know, his ability to take a punch, you have to wonder, with a really good puncher. And Moorer, has shown that if you reach the chin, you can hurt him. But again, although Jirov is a good puncher at cruiserweight, he’s an excellent puncher, at heavyweight you don’t assume he’s the same puncher he was at cruiserweight though he was able to drop Mesi a couple of times. Again that was in the last round of the fight, after Mesi slowed down a little bit. But I think either guy…and also Moorer started out as a light heavyweight, they’re both modest sized heavyweights in this day and age. I think either guy has enough power to stop the other in his tracks with one shot. Not to say that it would be a one punch knock out, but that either guy has the punching power, the ability to y’know, hit the other guy with one
shot, and stun him and change the fight around. And both fighters
defensively.. well, Jirov defensively, and Moorer in terms of his
susceptibility to a big punch, y’know, leave themselves open to that
possibility. So, it’s a really interesting fight. Y’know it’s one of the, as
you’re talking about the very top of the division, it’s one of the best
fights that can be made in this division.

AG: you think it will go the 12 rounds?
MAX KELLERMAN: um, do I think it’ll go the distance…No. I don’t think it will go the distance because I think Jirov will force the issue. And Moorer, though he’s been known to….Moorer will stick it out if you allow him, to box and make it more if you allow him. But he’s got a real fighter’s temperament, that if you force him to fight, y’know I think about the Bert Cooper-Michael Moorer fight, probably the best heavyweight action fight since Foreman and Liles, probably the best heavyweight action fight in the last 10 or 15 years, A classic. and Moorer wound up knocking Cooper out. And the reason it was such a great action fight is that Cooper pressured him, and made him fight,
so I think at some point in the fight, Jirov’s pressure will force Moorer to
really have his fighter’s temperament come out and I think you’re gonna get a stoppage, one way or the other, in the middle to late rounds.

AG: If Jirov wins, or if Moorer wins, how will either outcome affect the
heavyweight division?
MAX KELLERMAN: Well, if it’s Moorer, it’s his best win in a lotta years. And he’s a former legitimate heavyweight champion of the world, so he becomes a name opponent for someone. But again it's his name that will be seen, y’know unless he looks totally devastating in stopping Jirov, he’d be seen as a name opponent for a big time heavyweight looking for a pay day against a guy who they view as not too dangerous. If he was able to compete or win in a fight against THAT, then he’d really be back in the mix at the very top of the division. For Jirov, a win against Moorer, is, especially if it’s an effective win, certainly puts him in the mix, for guys like Chris Byrd, and the top of the division under Vitali Klitschko. One more thing! Then there’s also the possibility of a James Toney rematch. That was fight of the year at cruiserweight, why wouldn’t it be at heavyweight?

AG: The co feature event looks to have exciting featherweight action, between the undefeated Robert Guerrero and Cesar Figueroa (28-4-2)….and again, a title, the NABF featherweight….
MAX KELLERMAN: Yeah, Guerrero’s whole thing is can he keep his temperament under control? He’s been, I’ve seen him since the very beginning of his career, he has all the talent in the world, he’s developed real punching power, when he turned pro, y’know he really didn’t have much, he’s developed real punching power, he’s spectacular at times defensively but at other times a little bit irresponsible defensively. He makes those kind of “did you see that oh-my-God” defensive moves, and at the same time be thinking why are you throwing an uppercut from that far away? But he has a ton of talent, very skilled, but then I’ve seen him hit guys low, hit a guy when he’s down, then hit him again,. And so I’m wondering, is that like a good sign, like a racehorse chomping at the bit for the gun to go off so he can run? Is that a good sign? Or is that a bad sign, a guy who feels a little bit insecure, feels he always needs press his advantage when he has the upper hand, even if
it’s maybe illegal, or maybe has just a control problem, he can’t stop
himself. Now I’m sure what his camp would say, what they have said in the past, is we’re executing a combination, and while you’re in the process of executing that combination, you’re muscle memory continues until the end of the combination so even if the guy is on a knee, that use of a right hand, if you practice a million times to end with a left hook, you’re gonna throw the left hook. But I don’t know, I think his biggest problem is gonna be keeping himself under control, in big moments in fights. But if he can do that, he can be an elite guy. He has all the talent in the world.

AG: And your predictions for next Thursday night?
MAX KELLERMAN: I like Guerrero, and I like Jirov.

AG: Max, if there were one thing in your power you could do to improve
boxing, what would it be?
MAX KELLERMAN: If there were one thing in my power…. To improve boxing…Well, one thing, the most common answer, is you get rid of the sanctioning bodies. Well, how do you really do that? They have a right to exist, I suppose. The best thing to do for this sport, a lot of people talk national commissioner, but that’s government regulated, and the NFL and major league baseball, and NBA aren’t government regulated and they’re big successes, the same way with tennis and golf. So I would want a legitimate league, who would tour like that, like golf or tennis have, or league like the baseball or basketball has, a corporation with deep pockets willing to make a real investment in boxing over the next 3 to 5 years. And not expect to see any immediate profit, but really look to build something big. The way they did in NASCAR.
I think boxing could be bigger than anything but the NFL. Corporate
investment in boxing.

I asked Max if he had anything else to say, regarding boxing, his show, or the industry in general. His closing remarks were simple, to the point and sincere.

MAX KELLERMAN: “Watch “I, MAX,” 6 PM and late night on Fox Sports Net! As far as boxing goes, the way boxing, the industry is organized, YES, it has a lot of problems. Bad decisions, public perception of scandal and everything else. But then again, you Morales and Barrera so in what other sport do you get something like that? It’s still the greatest sport in the world. “

Comments? agreen@sirinet.net

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