British Expats - Boxing Notebook: Harris Left Hanging, By Carlos Guzman

Boxing Notebook: Harris Left Hanging

By Carlos Guzman
Inspin.com
Contributing Writer

“Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis was cut out of HBO’s July 29 "Boxing After Dark" main event, but this time it wasn’t the network's fault. Arnaoutis got a cut over his eyelid, which is normally a bad area, that forced him to back out of his clash with Vivian Harris for the No. 1 IBF spot. Promoter/Manager Jake Donovan sounds skeptical:

“The last time he (Arnaoutis) did so (May '05 ShoBox card), it turned out that it was because Team Arnaoutis was undergoing major reconstruction. And coincidentally enough, both occasions where he's pulled out fights have been on Gary Shaw cards. They had a falling out prior to that May '05 card, and I'm not sure they ever completely reconciled.”

According to Tom Gerbasi of MaxBoxing.com, Team Arnaoutis is distraught:

“We’re devastated,” said Arnaoutis’ manager, Mike Michael. “Two months of work just went down the toilet. Mike was crying his eyes out because a fighter knows when he’s going to get a victory. Emotionally, he just broke down.”

You can read the full story here: http://www.maxboxing.com/Gerbasi/gerbasi071306.asp

So is the card cancelled? I’ve learned that late-replacement specialist Lovemore N’Dou has become the leading candidate to replace Arnaoutis as the opponent for former junior welterweight titlist Harris on the 29th.

If the fight is given the green light, it will serve as an IBF junior welterweight elimination bout, with the winner to face recently crowned Juan Urango.

Life Lessons With Atlas
Trainer and ESPN color commentator Teddy Atlas has a book out that’s a must read. It’s titled: Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son’s Struggle to Become a Man. Atlas has worked the corner of some great fighters, including former heavyweight champion Michael Moore, Michael Grant, Irish legend Barry McGuigan, and he even helped train a young Mike Tyson.

Atlas has always been a no-nonsense type of guy. In one incident involving Tyson, Atlas' wife, Elaine, told him that Tyson had allegedly made unwanted advances on her sister. Atlas got his gun, shot a warning shot in the air and told Tyson that he would kill him if he tried anything:

“I'm not proud of that. I don't condone it, but I'm not un-proud of it,” he says. “I wasn't going to let him treat my family that way. I wasn't going to let him take away something that nobody has a right to take away from a person -- their dignity."

Novelist Adam Berlin describes Atlas’ book:

“Atlas is a strong book. It is blunt and straightforward and honest. And that’s how it should be. Anyone who has heard Teddy Atlas’ expert commentary on ESPN knows that this is a man with complete integrity who is not afraid to call boxing out when boxing needs to be called.”

If you buy any book this weekend, make it “Atlas”

Breaking News
IBF middleweight champ Arthur Abraham (21-0) takes on mandatory challenger Edison Miranda (26-0) on Aug. 26 in Oldenburg, Germany, with Sauerland Event promoting.

This should be a hell of a battle. Miranda recently deposed former Bernard Hopkins victim Howard Eastman in a classic battle of chins. Both men were dazed, but it was the Colombian Miranda who was able to finish the job in the seventh.

Miranda has also been very verbal about his disappointment in the middleweight division -- calling Jermain Taylor a fraud and saying that Winky Wright isn’t even in his league. Look out for this kid, he’s the one guy with the skills to best all of the current champions and contenders.

Iraq War Halts IBO Title Bout
The IBA cruiserweight world title fight “Night of Champions” between Bobby Gunn (15-2, 12 KOs) and Shannon Landberg (58-11, 26 KOs), originally scheduled for Aug. 19, will now be pushed back four weeks due to the war in Iraq. How, you ask, did the war in Iraq cause the fight to be rescheduled? Well, Landberg is an Army reservist and has been called to local duty in Indiana for the weekend of Aug. 19-20.

10 Seconds
“Due to ongoing negotiations for a heavyweight title fight, Gotham Boxing has announced that Shannon Briggs will not compete on the July 26 card at the Manhattan Center.”

That was the message sent. Translation: “Briggs gets another undeserved shot at a title when he faces Wladimir Klitschko later this year.” How did this happen? Since 2003, Briggs hasn't faced a guy ranked in the Top 100. What’s wrong with Wladimir fighting Calvin Brock? Nikolai Valuev?

Shame on Klitschko, and whatever organization sanctions this bout. I’m still looking for the day Superfighter gets off the ground. Don’t remember them? Check out http://superfighter.tv – it promises one true heavyweight champion.