Only in America: Jive Turkey

CBS Miami: Don King’s Turkey Giveaway Canceled After Truck Hijacked

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hundreds of needy South Floridians were disappointed to learn Friday that a truck loaded with Christmas turkeys to be donated by boxing promoter Don King had been hijacked.

Don King’s spokesman Robert Weneck said the truck full of 2,000 turkeys bound for South Florida went missing over night. The truck was found abandoned near Pompano Beach sometime Friday morning, according to Weneck.

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Boxing, Babes, Beef and Beers

Special report from HHR's man on the street @cmatthews58.

HHR was recently attended the 6th annual BOX NYC event. In a word, it was outstanding. Not only were there 6 undercard fights leading up to the main event, which incidentally was for the New York State Welterweight title, but there were celebrities, retired athletes, comedians, a silent auction, a poker tournament, models and oh, there was food and drink as well. What was even better was that all of this was to help benefit Sophie’s Voice Foundation, a foundation to help with those affected by Spina Bifida.

WCMG was the major force behind this initiative and boy did they deliver. The venue was packed, the crowd was pumped and there was some great action in and out of the ring. Confirmed sightings of Curtis Martin, Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden and Anthony Mason (dude LOVES his Ciroc cocktails…and was VERY fan friendly…).


Here is a rundown of the fights:

In the first fight of the evening, middleweight Vadim Gurau defeated Eduado Ayuso by decision. This happened to be the pro debut for each of them.

In the second fight, cruiserweights Rashawn Myers faced Armin Mrkanovic. Rashawn Myers won in a 1st round TKO when his opponent, Armin Mrkanovic had to stop due to a leg injury.

For the third fight which was enjoyable to watch, heavyweight Jarrell Miller, who was promoted as the “future heavyweight king of the world” was able to win by TKO in the 4th round over Isaac Villanueva.



In the fourth fight, lightweight Deano Burrell matched up against George Santiago. Burrell outlasted Santiago and won the fight by decision.



The fifth fight was between heavyweights Thomas Hardwick and Derek Walker. Hardwick celebrated his pro debut by winning the bout with a KO in the 3rd round.



The sixth and final fight before the main event was between Boyd Melson and Hector Rivera. Melson secured a KO in the 1st round when he dropped Rivera 44 seconds into the fight.

The main event was to win the USA Welterweight New York State title which, apparently, was vacant. If anyone can explain to HHR why a title belt can be vacant, please let us know.

Anyway, Mike Ruiz and Martin Wright teamed up for 8 rounds of solid boxing.





As the fight progressed, Ruiz and Wright really got after each other. Ruiz was able to score a knockdown in round 3 but then the tide turned for Wright in the 4th and after.



Entering the 8th round, it still could have been anyone’s fight. Watch the 8th round (with some Anthony Mason bonus footage) below.

INSERT VIDEO 8

In the end, Wright won by split decision 77-74, 75-76 and 76-75. See the announcement below.



All in all, it was a great night for boxing and an even better night for charity. Thank you to WCMG for the event and to Jonathan Schecter to making sure HHR’s man on the ground had a great time.

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Paul Williams KO'd

I'm calling this the Avatar Knockout because whoever was controlling the avatar Paul Williams just decided to wake up and go cut a video diary in the middle of the second round.

-Blue Pulaski

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Interview with Gary Andrew Poole: PacMan Biographer on Manny, Mayweather, Margarito and More

On the eve of what was to be supposed to be the date of the fight of the century - a mega-fight between offense vs. defense, humility vs. flashiness, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr - the sporting world is instead gearing up for Pacquiao/Antonio Margarito.

While the matchup might not be one for the ages, the main attraction is. Pacquiao, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world - perhaps ever - goes for his unprecedented eight title in eight weight classes.

Early last year we were fortunate to be able to interview Red Grange biographer Gary Andrew Poole.

We jumped at the chance to pick up his latest book, PacMan: Behind the Scenes With Manny Pacquiao (Da Capo), and talk with the author about not just tomorrow's match-up, but the experience of documenting one of the most iconic sports figures in the world.


HHR: Who is to blame for a lack of a Pacquiao-Mayweather superfight? Mayweather, De La Hoya/Golden Boy or Pacquiao’s pride and/or hypochondria?

GAP: At this point, I think you have to wonder what's going through Mayweather's mind. The $40 million question is--why won't he fight Pacquiao? But there is plenty of blame to go around: hypochondria or not, Pacquiao decided not to submit to an Olympic style blood test when they were initially trying to make this fight happen. During the second go-around, Pacquiao agreed to the blood testing, but it appears that Mayweather had no desire to fight the PacMan. Negotiations were taking place and then, in another bizarre twist, Mayweather said no negotiations took place, then the racist video emerged on YouTube and his current legal issues....


HHR: Is Mayweather’s gamesmanship a way of escalating the anticipation for an eventual bout or is he truly afraid that he would lose the fight, and not only blemish his record, but also be remembered for being on the losing end of the most anticipated and hyped fight in generations?

GAP: I used to think it was gamesmanship. Perhaps that was his goal. But is he really increasing interest in the fight by delaying it, like, forever? I don't think so. Most of the public doesn't really care about boxing, but they wanted to see this fight. There was really great momentum. But we're approaching a who-cares moment. Has this really increased the drama or is it just a bad, weird and increasingly irrelevant soap opera? As for Mayweather's record, I do think he is worried about losing to Pacquiao. Mayweather really, really cares about being undefeated.

HHR: What can we expect this Saturday in Texas from Pacquiao-Margarito?

GAP: I think it will be an exciting fight. I have seen both fighters train. They both looked good. Pacquiao had difficulty at the beginning of his training camp as he tried to gain weight. It hurt his speed. But that's behind him. He is in great shape. Margarito is much slower and he was almost lethargic when I watched him in camp. But he seems fresher now. He is a pressure fighter and comes forward and he will try and corner the PacMan. Pacquiao comes in quick, attacks, and then escapes at different angles. I think Margarito will have a difficult time catching him. Pacquiao has a tendency to take crazy risks: he will let an opponent hit him just to test his strength. Margarito, who has a five-inch height advantage, has a vicious uppercut and Pacquiao has to worry about goofing around inside too much and getting banged around by his much larger opponent. That could be dangerous. But I think Pacquiao is just too fast and skilled and powerful.

HHR: Given Pacquiao and Freddie Roach’s relationship, besides tasteless, how tactically stupid were the cheap shots by the Margarito camp against Roach’s illness?

GAP: Margarito spent the Wednesday press conference apologizing, and then he came unannounced to the Thursday press conference to apologize again. Freddie was upset. He told me that he didn't want to tell Pacquiao because he was worried that Pacquiao would be upset and it would hurt his focus. I think Pacquiao will try and make Margarito pay by punishing him in the ring--I think he will consider Team Margarito's mockery as violating Roach's honor. Pacquiao takes honor very seriously.

HHR: There are parts of the book that indicated that you’ve followed the sport previous to this project. How did you writing the biography come about?

GAP: I have always been a fan. I have written about boxing for a few publications (TIME, Esquire, The Atlantic). And I like reading about boxing--one of my favorite books is The Sweet Science. One day, several years ago, I was sitting in the Wild Card Boxing Club talking with Freddie Roach, and he kept going on and on about Pacquiao. That's where this book started.

HHR: Did he truly let you inside?

GAP: Manny Pacquiao is an icon in the Philippines and elsewhere. He is considered the greatest boxer alive, and he is also a Congressman. Pacquiao is inundated with requests. It's a circus around him at all times. I was given some pretty good access. I told Freddie I wanted to write a book and he let me hang out in the gym. Then I was given chances to interview Pacquiao. Then I went to the Philippines to cover him. It was a combination of interviews and fly-on-the-wall reporting. I think the book has great detail and scenes, and all those come from spending time reporting it. Not just doing a few Internet searches, or interviewing Pacquiao a couple times, but hanging out at the gym, going into the jungles of the southern Philippines, traveling to Manila, watching his fights ringside, interviewing people around him. I was trying to write an honest take on this guy and I wanted it to have nuance. I went out and did some old school long-form journalism.

HHR: Horse fighting, cock fighting, boxing. What is the infatuation of Filipinos with such seemingly violent sports - how much of that is a reflection of the poverty the societies in the country face? Is it a metaphor for life there?

GAP: I think violent sports are a reflection of poverty, yes.

HHR: Manny’s entourage seems to serve many purposes, not the least of which is entertaining him, but also to fulfill his charitable nature. How is he able to separate the true inner circle from the ridiculously large number of hangers-on? In other words - those he truly needs, from those who truly need him.

GAP: Manny might seem aloof, but I think he knows what's going on around him. A fellow boxing writer, Gareth A. Davies of the Daily Telegraph, compared him to a shark; not in a pejorative way, just that Pacquiao is super-aware of what's going on around him. He might not seem like it, but he knows who to trust and who not to. He keeps a check on people more than anyone knows. He does have a tendency to be overly generous, even with people who have not always had his best interest at heart.

HHR: Pacquiao is in many ways a living, breathing, walking contradiction - simultaneously noted for both his humility as well as his lust for lavish pleasures; both disciplined at times, while also unengaged with things and people around him; deeply religious, while deeply sinful.

GAP: That is one reason he is such a great subject for a biography.


HHR: What is undeniable seems his want to better his country. Recently Roach was on television indicating that Manny is distracted by politics. Throughout the book, its noted that he feels public service is his true calling. Is there any credence to him being ill prepared to fight because of his “other career?”

GAP: I think he is slowly losing his focus on boxing. At the beginning of this camp, he went to visit the president of the Philippines. Roach graded this camp a B instead of the usual A. He has worked his way into his old fighting shape over the last two weeks. I think he is back to his old self for this fight, but you have to wonder if his career is winding down. He told me a month or so ago that he would fight three or four more times, but I wonder if it might be closer to two more times.

HHR: Manny is repeatedly compared, mostly by Bob Arum, but others as well, to Muhammed Ali - being a transitional figure that can transcend beyond a boxer into something larger and legendary. With the state of boxing nowhere near where it once was, is it realistic to claim any boxer can become a global icon much less compare to an Ali?

GAP: He is a global icon. Boxing is a global sport. It's just not a popular American sport anymore. We are seeing a globalization of sports. Looks at all the foreign stars in the NBA. Pacquiao is big news in the UK, Asia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Middle East...Obviously there is only one Ali--and no one can really compare--but Pacquiao's back-story, his humility, and his interest in helping the poor speak to millions upon millions of people. There is a chance Pacquiao could be the president of a country of 94 million people, many of whom live in abject poverty.

HHR: Who can you compare PacMan to?

GAP: We live in a world in which sports figures are neatly packaged and almost robotic. Pacquiao breaks this mold. He wants to stand for something, like an Ali or a Jim Brown. Because he is from a developing country, I think a fair comparison might be Pele.

HHR: Does PacMan have the voice of an angel?

GAP: God bless him--and his voice coach is a really nice person, I just saw her at a Pacquiao workout--but I am not a big fan of his singing. The only miracle? That he has sold so many records.


HHR: Where does Pacquiao go from here? Reality TV? Filipino president?

GAP: He is serious about his congressional duties. He has worked on anti-human trafficking legislation, and he is desperately trying to get a hospital built in his district. All joking aside, he comes from abject poverty. This is developing world poverty. A can of sardines was a luxury. He had to leave school in sixth grade to hawk donuts and cigarettes on the street. I don't want to make him out to be a saint, but people who can't afford to pay their medical bills, who have walked barefoot for several days, line up at his house and he pays their bills. I have seen it. He has a desire to bring a better life to these people. I think that's one thing that's pulling him away from boxing. It will be fascinating to see what happens to Manny Pacquiao in the next decade or two. He is only 31.

HHR: Prediction for Saturday…?

GAP: Pacquiao wins by the eighth. He overwhelms Margarito in a fight that won't be dissimilar to Pacquiao-De La Hoya.


HHR: And finally, will we ever see a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight while they are still in their prime?

GAP: Unfortunately, I don't see the fight happening anytime soon, if ever. The non-fight of the century hurts the sport of boxing. And it hurts both of their legacies.

To get a copy of PacMan, click here for Amazon US; here for Amazon UK; and here for the Kindle.

You can follow Poole on Twitter @orangerose.

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Thanksgiving Shadowboxing

"On Thanksgiving some families sit around and talk about what makes them thankful while some families videotape their father shadowboxing with American Flag boxing gloves."

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Could Bernard Hopkins be the Next Obama?

After spending years campaigning in Philly to get rid of Donovan McNabb, the Executioner was in New Jersey's capitol city stumping for city council president Paul Pintella who is one of 372 candidates looking to fill retiring Mayor Doug Palmer's seat.

"People are desperate right now," said Hopkins, moments after signing gloves for a fan at Pintella campaign headquarters.

"People need to feel as though the person they're supporting has the know-how and experience to make a difference in their lives, and that's why I'm up here supporting Paul Pintella."

Said Hopkins:

"People are desperate right now.

"People need to feel as though the person they're supporting has the know-how and experience to make a difference in their lives...

"I think the term 'politician' has such a negative connotation - it's difficult for people to find someone who can defy that - someone who creates his own definition, but that's what people want. When you got a guy who's running with ideas that people can relate to, they're going to vote for him without hesitation.

"I want to do things like this - community organizing."

In a 2008 debate, then-Senator Obama stated: "I can bring this country together. I have a track record, starting from the days I moved to Chicago as a community organizer.”

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Manny Pacquiao: The Greatest Fighter Ever?

On the heels of his historic victory this weekend against Miguel Cotto, friend of HHR Gary Andrew Poole pens a piece on Manny Pacquiao, who has now won seven world-title belts in seven weight classes "with speed and brutality," for Atlantic Monthly.

The PacMan's Power

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Pacquiao Talks About Fighting His Way out of Asia

The world's greatest pound-for-pound boxer talks about some of his early fights and foes - including King Hippo and Super "Douche Bag" Macho Man.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=c597de1b-0150-4955-9da0-e9766190d124&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout">Video: Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout</a>

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Cadillac Mescallade: Nike Hosts LA Send Off Celebration for Manny Pacquiao

Arguably the hottest boxer in the world, Manny Pacquiao hosted a send off this past weekend at the Montalban Theater in Los Angeles. The event was run by Nike who has taken over the Theater in recent weeks to help promote their new AW77 Pound for Pound campaign. Pacquiao is set to fight Miguel Cotto this Saturday in Las Vegas and looks to improve on his 49-3-2 record. Pacquiao has been on a tear as of late, having not lost a fight since 2005 - and that was in a decision to Erik Morales. Coming off a relatively easy win over Ricky Hatton in his last bout, some are already setting Manny's sights on a bigger fight post-Cotto, perhaps a Pacquiao-Mayweather battle.


Regardless, this day was all about Manny and his fans. Pacquiao is huge in the Filipino community and has a done a great deal for his homeland. Filipinos were out in forces to celebrate one of their heroes as fans were treated to Manny (a versatile actor, politician, and performer) singing a duet with Melissa Reyes. Five lucky fans of Manny were also able to work out for a day as Manny does and there was a taped sendoff for Manny featuring luminaries such as Mario Lopez (AC Slater) and Mark Wahlberg (say "hi" to your mother for me).

After all the hoopla, there was a fan Q and A with Manny along with his training team including the legendary Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez, and Alex Ariza. Most every question was directed at Manny. When asked about what if feels like to be number one? Manny simply replied "Number one is number one!" As for training for this fight, he's been working on it for the last two months in the lead up, and when pressed by the fans who he'd like to fight past or present, perhaps Mike Tyson, he said he'd fight Tyson...in the video game. That brought a good laugh from the crowd.


As the event wrapped to a close, fans headed out grabbing the remaining free candy and drinks that were supplied and lined up to get their shot at some Manny gear. If you see a few more "Pac Man Knows" Nike t-shirts around LA this week, you'll know where they might have come from. Overall this was a fun fan event for those that support Manny. For anyone that knows me, I have enough Nike gear to be on an unofficial endorsement deal so it's always great to check out the newest products.


Pacquiao takes on Cotto this Saturday evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the welterweight division. Fight is available on HBO Pay-per-view.

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Nick Jonas Upstages Ray Leonard, Meets with Frank Drebin on Capitol Hill to Discuss Diabeetus

Nick Jonas Meets with Sgt. Frank Drebin (nee: Lautenberg) today in DC.

Despite being an Olympic gold medalist, multi-time champ and one of the greatest boxers ever, Sugar Ray Leonard can't hold a candle to "teen heartthrob Nick Jonas of The Jonas Brothers pop group" in the eyes of DC's elite.

Leonard, Jonas and others were in DC to testify before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on federal funding for diabetes research.

From Politico, "VIDEO: Jonas Brother electrifies Capitol Hill":

The place was jam-packed with not just teenage girls hoping to get a peek at their crush, but also the parents of teenagers hoping to bring home a picture of their child's favorite star. So powerful was Jonas' star appeal that the crowd otherwise ignored the others stars also testifying: Mary Tyler Moore and Sugar Ray Leonard.

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Little Mac Grew Up to Become Paul "Magic Man" Malignaggi

I thought Little Mac looked familiar. Don't let the parody fool you. The man took Cotto to the limit.

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Movie Review: Tyson

Walking down 34th Street to the theater, I was expecting Notorious with a sprinkle of When We Were Kings. I love Mike like I love Biggie, and looked forward to seeing and hearing them on the big screen, but I know all the plot points so it can't be too great, right?

Then the movie starts. Great opening montage of Mike's first title fight. And on the big screen in surround sound with an audience oohing it's amazing, and I'm like goddamn I've missed seeing him fight.

Then the movie proper starts, and I remember the only thing I miss more than seeing Mike fight is hearing Mike talk.

And that's what we get through the whole film, nothing but archival footage and Mike now reflecting back on his entire life. We never hear an interviewer's question, so it plays like an autobiography mixed over one of boxing's greatest highlight reels. And Mike, who's an executive producer on the film, sounds realer and more comfortable than I ever remember hearing him.

Is it gonna change anybody's mind? I like to think it might if it lures in a few open minds. Somebody's got to see something of what I've always seen in Mike -- something out of epic literature, such savage power and such profound loneliness that I'm this close to launching into Stan Lee's monologue from Mallrats.

So if you go looking for humanity, you'll probably see it. If you go for the fights on a big screen with big sound and an audience, you'll be happy. Or if you just go to snicker at the freak show, you'll get that too.

The film is mostly laid out chronologically -- we start with Mike growing up on the mean streets of Brownville, a fat kid like the young Biggie shocked by the cruelty of strangers who steal his glasses for no reason. The pigeon incident that leads him to his first fight, his first arrest at 12 when he says the cops caught him with $1500 in his pocket.

There's Mike choking up talking about his legendary mentor/trainer Cus D'Amato, but what he can barely keep it together to say is that what he's most grateful for is that Cus got him to the point where he knew no one would ever be able to fuck with him ever again.

Speaking of fucking, the film is probably at its most intense when Mike talks sex. There's no greater feeling in the world than after a long time abstaining from sex finally having sex. His marriage to Robin Givens was nobody's fault, they were just kids. He has some pretty nasty words for Desiree Washington, the woman he was convicted of raping. While he still maintains those charges were false, he says there may have been other women he took advantage of. Later, over footage of him walking alone on a beach, he talks about liking to sexually dominate women and that his favorite thing to say during sex is No.

And still, Mike manages to come off sympathetically. He's got a lot of demons, no doubt, but he does seem to genuinely want to be a good person and a good father to his six kids (including one named Exodus). Personally, I left the theater wondering why HBO or Showtime don't try to give him an analyst gig. Wouldn't that be a dream?

--written by special correspondent David Chalk of Bugs & Cranks who covered the movie on behalf of HHR.


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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Is the Technical Name Really "Home for the Retarded?"

Some little poor man's Special Olympian forgot the first rule of Fight Club.

AP: `Fight club' bouts probed at home for the retarded

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - Seven employees at a state-run home for the mentally disabled have been suspended for allegedly staging a "fight club" among residents.

Corpus Christi Police Captain Tim Wilson says the fight clubs were uncovered when someone gave an off-duty police officer a cell phone containing videos of fights at the Corpus Christi State School.

Wilson says the videos show mentally disabled adult clients punching, shoving, and striking each other while the employees watch.

Wilson calls the abuse "appalling." He says police expect to file charges against several employees by the end of the week.

The school opened in 1970 and is home to about 360 people, according to the Web site of the state Department of Aging and Disability Services.

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Brown Sugar, Iron Mike and the GOP

During the 2006 Maryland US Senate campaign, then-GOP Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele was peppered with questions about his ex-brother-in-law, Mike Tyson, when the former imprisoned rapist was seen training in one of Steele's campaign t-shirts.

Recently elected as the Republican National Committee's first African-American Chairman, Steele just can't shake his Tyson association.

Over the weekend, the NY Times published an article: New G.O.P. Chairman Defends Payment to Sister. That sister is, you guessed it, the former Mrs. Mike Tyson.

Mr. Steele did not dispute that his sister’s company, Brown Sugar Unlimited, of Bethesda, Md., had been paid $37,262 by his Senate campaign in February 2007, as federal election records show.

Federal law does not prohibit a candidate from hiring a relative, and Mr. Steele said in the statement that the payment was for legitimate work. The federal records indicate that the payment to Brown Sugar was for catering and Internet-related services provided in 2006.

The article points out that while technically not illegal to hire one's relative, the snafu is linked to the fact that "Monica Turner, Mr. Steele’s sister and an ex-wife of the former boxer Mike Tyson, incorporated her company in 2003 and dissolved it in 2006, before the payment by Mr. Steele’s campaign was made, according to state and federal records."

Interestingly, the accusation was made by Steele's former finance chairman Alan B. Fabian, who "was sentenced in October to nine years in prison for his involvement in a $40 million fraud scheme, unrelated to his work on the Steele campaign."

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HHR Exclusive: Iron Mike's Shanghai Surprise

Sometimes, friends tell you stories and you think they're just full of sh*t. And then they go and show you a picture that backs it all up...

"So, it's my last night in Shanghai and I've been traveling for two weeks. After a few cocktails celebrating our long awaited return to New York, my coworkers and I head back to the Four Seasons for one final beverage in the lounge.

As I'm walking into the lobby, I see a pink shirt moving towards me. I hear a voice say "I noticed you earlier." I look over and there he is, Iron Mike. I swear his voice is not as high as it is in interviews, but tattoo is even scarier in person and his head must weight 30 lbs- it's massive.

Being slightly intoxicated, I thought it would be a great idea to invite him for a drink and get to know him better. We head up to the bar on the top floor and plant ourselves on some fluffy couches. Mike chooses to sit next to me, quite close. He tells me he is in town visiting a Maoist shrine and also to promote a club opening.

Iron Mike proceeds to order a cup of tea (he's totally straight edge now) and 7 bottles of Evian for his body guards / entourage that are peering at us from a few feet away. I don't remember too much from the conversation other than he thought I was "funny and fine." After not too long, Mike and his crew left the bar to head back to their rooms. He also left us with the bill of $74 worth of tea and water. My coworkers and I begrudgingly paid the bill and went back to our rooms. I would be lying if I didn't say I checked to see if my door was locked quite a few times before I settled into bed. Aside from the bill stiffing incident, he was actually quite the gentleman."

Vai Ready to Drop the Sikahammer on Canseco

Lil' Vai Sikahema is not holding back any punches prior to his fight against Jose Canseco slated for July 12 at Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City.

He let out a verbal barage this morning on WMMR Philadelphia's Preston and Steve show, noting he gave Jose "a bottle of barbeque sauce and told him to baste his ribs," and mocked Canseco for wearing his sunglasses inside, noting he is not a rockstar, but a "punk" who hit baseballs 20 years ago."

Good stuff. Here's the audio.

Salam Aleikum, My Brother

Earlier, The Hotline reported that around 5 PM today Muhammad Ali visited Barry O's Chicago offices. (Not this Barry O, this Barry O).

Interesting.

One dude converted to Islam and avoided military service, the other distances himself from Muslims in public (literally) and strongly denies being one in order to become Commander in Chief.

Wonder what they talked about.

Beware All Who Whisper

It could cost you $88 mil.

A former heavyweight boxer (who you've probably never heard of) named Mitchell Rose is filing an $88 million suit against Jay-Z, claiming, "He took the [Rose's] demo [tape] with him and shortly after that he began using the whispering (which he now frequents) in his songs.... He's using it on the regular, now Lil' Kim is using it. All I want is justice. Jay-Z knows what I am talking about."

Word is he is also going after several prominent boxers, claiming they stole his "jab" punch and most of the human population claiming that they are using his life-sustaining technique of "breathing."

This is an interesting case since rose is being brought to court by Glass Joe for allegedly stealing his jaw and record.

For the Rose/Jay-Z case, many legal pundits are looking for precedence in Clarence Walker v. The Beatles.

Iron Mike Talks About "Tyson"

Interesting interview that makes me even more inclined to check out the flick. Tyson's seemingly come a long way.

Cannes: A Q&A with Mike Tyson and James Toback

Jose Canseco Looking for Someone to Knock Him on His Ass

From Philly.com:

Baseball star Jose Canseco recently revealed that the mortgage on his home had been foreclosed, and he blamed two costly divorces for his financial woes. Because the dude has to pay the bills, he has turned to celebrity boxing.

Canseco and promoter Damon Feldman are seeking a challenger to fight the Oakland Athletics veteran on July 12 at the Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City. The chosen opponent will be paid $5,000. Brave souls should e-mail fightcanseco@aol.com. Canseco's opponent will be revealed in this column next week.

No word on whether Canseco, who admitted to having used steroids throughout his baseball career, will be juiced for the fight. Tickets will be available through Center Stage, 800-677-8499.