Las historias de Ismael Laguna

Ismael Laguna se recupera tranquilo en su casa de Bethania y agradece a todas las personas que lo ayudaron en el hospital.
leyendas.

Por: GUSTAVO AMPUDIA P.
El ex campeón mundial y leyenda del boxeo panameño Ismael Laguna es fanático del canal Animal Planet, le gusta la cacería y escoge a Manny Pacquiao sobre Miguel Cotto.

Laguna, quien se recupera en su casa de Bethania, tras dos meses y medio internado en el hospital por un principio de infarto de corazón, aprovechó para contar algunas anécdotas de su vida.
“Quiero empezar diciendo que no tengo mal de Parkinson ni nada parecido”, indicó Laguna. “Si pones un billete de 100 dólares en el suelo verás lo rápido que lo recojo”.
Laguna explicó que la gente está confundida y que han inventado que tiene una serie de enfermedades que no tiene.
“Por allí me entero o leo que tengo diabetes y no es cierto. Yo estuve internado en la Caja de Seguro Social por un principio de infarto en el corazón”, afirmó tajantemente.
Agradeció a todas las personas que lo atendieron y lo ayudaron a seguir adelante.
“No la pasé fácil, sin embargo, las enfermeras y los médicos me atendieron muy bien y tengo que agradecerles”, dijo el Tigre de Colón.

LE GUSTA ‘ANIMAL PLANET’
Laguna, con voz pausada, indicó que ahora que está reposando en su casa, uno de sus hobbies es ver televisión y por supuesto, su canal favorito Animal Planet.
“Después del boxeo me gusta mucho la cacería. Muy pocas personas saben esto, pero te lo digo”, comentó.
“En ese canal uno aprende mucho sobre la naturaleza y la manera en que actúan los animales; realmente es interesante”, dijo el ex campeón.

PACQUIAO GANARÁ
Al preguntársele sobre el ganador del pleito entre Manny Pacquiao y Miguel Cotto, este sábado 14 de noviembre en Las Vegas, Estados Unidos, su respuesta fue rápida: Pacquiao.
“Manny Pacquiao pelea como yo. Es muy rápido de manos y se mueve bien en el tinglado. Pega, sale, pega y sale”, indicó Laguna, quizás recordando sus grandes pleitos.
“No tengo la menor duda de que Manny Pacquiao ganará el combate y cuidadito por nocaut”.

ISMAEL LAGUNA

LOVEMORE Ndou has taken a cheap shot at Matthew Hatton, whom he faces in his first defence of the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight crown on Friday next week.
The Limpopo-born but Australia-based fighter says Hatton is an average boxer, who happens to live in the glory of his more famous elder brother, Ricky.
The elder Hatton is a former four-time world champion, who has slugged it out against the world’s two pound for pound boxers – Floyd Mayweather Junior and Manny Pacquiao.
“Personally, Matthew is a lovely guy, but as a fighter he is very limited. In fact, he’s got nothing to offer other than living in his elder brother’s name. I want to expose him during our fight so that people can see what kind of a boxer he is.
“I have seen him fighting on a number of occasions and he doesn’t impress me. He is more like a donkey that’s trying to become a race horse,” a confident Ndou said.
Popularly known as the ‘Black Panther’ in boxing circles, Ndou has been in South Africa for the past two weeks preparing for the Hatton fight under Harold ‘The Hammer’ Volbrecht’s watchful eye.
Ndou and the former South African welterweight king will leave for England tomorrow where they plan to finalise their preparations for the Hatton contest which will be held at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Staffordshire.
“I came here to catch up with my trainer before we leave for England. We would have spent three weeks together by the time we jet out of the country.
“We want to prepare in England for only a week because it’s very cold over there.
“I believe training at high altitude here in Johannesburg will help me a great deal,” said the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-welterweight champion.
The 38-year-old boxer, who is on the verge of being admitted to the bar as a lawyer in his adopted Australia, won the IBO belt when he outpointed his namesake, Phillip Ndou (no relation) at Emperors Palace four months ago.
Ndou, who has spent the past 15 years living in Australia, says he will return to his New South Wales home soon after the fight. –

By MONWABISI JIMLONGO

NDOU

HATTON

NOTTINGHAM, England (Oct. 17, 2009)—The matchups for Group Stages 2 and 3 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic were announced tonight by SHOWTIME Sports®. All Group Stage 2 and 3 matches for the groundbreaking tournament will be scheduled to take place in 2010 and will air on the premium television network SHOWTIME®. Dates and venues for the coming matchups will be announced.

The celebrated tournament pits the six best super middleweight boxers in the world against one another in a modified round robin as they compete for supremacy in the 168-pound division and the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup. The points-based Group Stages ensure a progression of fights and present added pressure for the fighters to earn valuable points towards a berth in the single-elimination Semi-Finals. Each participant will fight three different opponents in the Group Stage segment of the tournament, earning two points for a win with one bonus point for a KO/TKO, one point for a draw and zero for a loss. After Group Stage 3, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the Semi-Finals.

GROUP STAGE 2

ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM

MIKKEL KESSLER vs. CARL FROCH

JERMAIN TAYLOR vs. ANDRE WARD

GROUP STAGE 3

ANDRE DIRRELL vs. ANDRE WARD

CARL FROCH vs. ARTHUR ABRAHAM

MIKKEL KESSLER vs. JERMAIN TAYLOR

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, including exclusive videos, photography, expert analysis from Al Bernstein and Steve Farhood, and much more please visit www.WorldBoxingClassic.com .

About SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC
The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division. The field is comprised world renowned fighters with a staggering combined record of 161-4-1 with 117 knockouts: former IBF middleweight champion “King” Arthur Abraham of Germany; U.S. Olympic medalist Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell of Flint, Mich.; WBC super middleweight champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch of England; WBA 168-pound champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler of Denmark; former undisputed 160-pound world champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor of Little Rock, Ark.; and U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre “S.O.G.” Ward of Oakland, Calif.

All bouts in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semi-Finals. The winners of the Semi-Final bouts will advance to the Finals and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.

The moment when Jose Sulaiman presented the belt to the widow and family of a former amateur boxer who was killed in Mexico City as he tried to save several people from the attack of a gunman.

The World Boxing Council (WBC) granted today, in a moving act, a green and gold world championship belt to the widow and family of a former amateur boxer who was killed in Mexico City as he tried to save several people from the attack of a gunman.
Two other people died and five more were hurt before the murderer was stopped by the police of Balderas subway station, in the capital of Mexico.
WBC President, Jose Sulaiman, presented to Esteban Cervantes´ widow, Martha Grimal, the green and gold belt that is awarded to world champions.

__________________________________________________________
Letter received right after the news was released:

What a thoughtful and honorable thing to do for this family. The WBC is an organization that has the heart of all the professional boxers who are distinguished as WBC champions, and we are so proud of this gracious act of generosity to this Mexican Hero!

Alex “The Bronx Bomber” Ramos
Founder & President
RETIRED BOXERS FOUNDATION

John Murray has been warned not to underestimate Jon Thaxton ahead of their British Lightweight title clash this weekend. The advice comes from Scott Lawton, the current English Lightweight Champ and a man in a good position to air his views on the fight given that he has shared the ring with both men in previous British title fights.

Murray and Thaxton headline at the Altrincham Leisure Centre on Saturday night with the Hennessy Sports event live on ITV4 and Lawton believes that Murray will have to be wary of the former British and European Champ’s power.

“Going by the form book you’d have to fancy John Murray,” revealed Lawton. “You would expect him to be too young and simply have too much energy but with Thaxton’s power you can never count him out.”

Lawton challenged Thaxton for the British title in 2007 and had some success early on before being stopped in seven rounds while he took on Murray last time out suffering a sixth round stoppage defeat under the relentless pressure of Murray.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Thaxton catches Murray with one because he still carries a whack,” predicted Lawton. “I still fancy Murray to win it but he might have to get off the floor to do it. Whatever happens it should be exciting anyway because they are both top class fighters and both of them love to get in there and get stuck into a fight.”

Saturday’s undercard features amongst others Bob Ajisafe, Richard Towers, Phill Fury, Kid Galahad and the pro debut of Manchester’s Danny Randell. Tickets for the bout priced £30 and £70 are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk .

JOHN MURRAY

JON THAXTON