Rusty Rubin, Managing Editor
www.ringsports.com

A lot has been made about Laila Ali’s prediction on the outcome of her fight with Christy Martin.

Ali said she’d win in five rounds or less and stopped Martin in round four.

In truth, Christy, even in her prime, would have had problems with the great height, reach and weight advantage of Ali. Anyone would.

It was a mismatch, but it also showed that Ali is fast becoming a superstar in women’s boxing.

Give Christy full credit. She knew what she was facing in and up and coming daughter of Muhammad Ali, and had the guts to still give it her best shot, although at her age, sadly, it wasn’t much.

Still a match between the best female fighter in the world, Lucia Rjyker and Ali would be an even greater draw.

Rjyker is younger and stronger then Christy, and would prove to be a great opponent against Laila.***

In other news, Roy Jones has to decide who to fight in early November. Originally it was supposed to be WBO champ Corrie Sanders, a hard hitting, but aging southpaw, who shocked the boxing world and Wladamir Klitschko earlier this year.

Now, the WBC is insisting that Jones drop down in weight and fight Antonio Tarver first.

Jones has to make a choice. Will it be Tarver or Sanders?

Sanders is the money fight, and because of the South African’s power, the tougher one, still, my guess is that Roy will follow the money.

And, the rest of my advice to Roy is simple. After you beat either Sanders or Tarver in early November, take some well needed time off and join us on the cruise for Greg Page and Gerald McClellan.***

And we must report that Lennox Lewis has decided not to retire and has decided to face Vitali Klitschko in a rematch. The question is why?

Retirement for the big Brit makes more sense from this end, as he doesn’t need the money, has nothing to prove, and at his age, 36, it’s harder to get and stay in shape.***

Boxing Feedback:

None this week, yet.

Glove2Glove:

Please say a prayer for the return to health of boxing promoter Moe Smith, who had a four by-pass surgery on Thursday. Moe has done much for our sport. Cards can be sent to Moe at: 2713 E. 1st St., Post Falls, ID. 82854.

Your prayers have worked and Martin Sommers is no longer in Hospice care, and in fact, is at home recovering. He and his family pass along their heartfelt thanks, and ask that your prayers continue.

Also down but not out with cancer is Kathy Cerola, sister of top referee Elmo Adolph, and my best friend and co-founder of Glove2Glove, Susiey Walker.
Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.

Glove2Glove is a non-denomination group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.

Touching on politics briefly:

Sometimes it’s easy to see why we are hated in many parts of the free world. We went into Iraq believing that the regime had weapons of mass destruction ready to use against America and Israel. As of now none have been found.

I do believe Iraq had these weapons, but faced with an invasion from America and a few allies, hid them in other Arab countries, probably Syria, which also has a Baath Party regime in power.

Why else wouldn’t Sadaam use them against our troops. If he had them readily at his disposal, they would have been used.

In the meantime, we’re bogged down in Iraq, losing brave young men every day, and who knows how long and costly this will be? However, the alternative is not very pleasant to think about.

I don’t believe it’s the Iraqi’s who are killing our troops, but other terrorist groups that are crossing the border from neighboring countries. And it’s my firm belief that many of these are members of Al Qaeda.

It’s a difficult issue, and one that becomes more difficult when we have run up the largest national debt in our history, and except for the problems in Iraq now, and that our President’s rich friends got richer, with a stupid tax cut at a bad time, we have nothing to show for it.

What complicates this issue even more is that the countries that were also labeled terrorist nations have continued to build up their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.***

Political feedback:

In response to the last feedback by Ralph Martinez of NYC, Salim Valli writes:

“I’d like to thank you for putting my comments on Audley Harrison on your web page.

“I’d like to quickly respond to the gentleman, Mr. Ralph Martinez, of NYC.

“I’d like to say that the majority of Muslims (including leaders and men of position), in the world have openly, many times, condemned any act of violence towards innocent human life in whatever form, including taking ones own life.

“I would like to also point out to Mr. Martinez that it is a sin and against the teaching of the Quran, for a Muslim to take his life, let alone others.

“I find it laughable and silly for him to say that Muslims are scared to speak out against it. Why would they be? Like I said, it goes against the teachings of Islam.

“Mr. Martinez also needs to understand the anger of some Muslims, as to why they may hold back in condemning (although they do feel for any unnecessary killings) the fact that many thousands of Muslims are killed and yet there never seems to be the same damning condemnation given, especially by the media.

Regards, Salim Valli, U.K.

(ed note: I’ve been saying for some time that these terrorists have been perverting the Quran for their own use and that the vast majority of Muslims are decent, hard working people).