Upcoming this weekend, from Vegas, two very interesting and important fights, with southpaw Cory Spinks, despite his obvious lack of significant power, putting his titles on the line with the harder hitting but less mobile Miguel.Angel Gonzalez.

Spinks is the son of Michael Spinks and nephew of Leon, and he’s an outstanding boxer, Chris Byrd style, but hasn’t shown a lot of power. He beat Zab Judah, who can bang, and figures to give Gonzalez all that he wants and more.

It’s one of those fights that if Gonzalez can catch him and corner him, he can win the fight, but the faster Judah wasn’t’ able to accomplish that, so why would we think Gonzalez can.

I can see Miguel, at 5-1, scoring an upset here, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Spinks by decision.

In the semi main, Lamon Brewster puts his newly won heavyweight crown on the line against largely unknown Kali Meehan.

Brewster, who was an outstanding amateur, is still not a household name, but has the talent to change that. He’s a good fighter, and he can punch.

There’s not a lot we can tell about Meehan. He’s from New Zealand and now lives in Australia, he’s undefeated with a lot of knockouts, but against what caliber for fighters? In truth, the heavyweight division of today doesn’t boast of a great caliber of combatants.

Meehan can be one of those guys who comes out of nowhere and become a legend, but more then likely he will be with the majority of non-names and quickly slip back into oblivion.

Brewster by late TKO.

Finally, Nov. 26, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is the new date and location, and hopefully the final change for the Morales – Barrera III fight. I’m hoping to be able to clear my schedule, catch the fight and spend some time with many old friends.

Agree or disagree, I want to hear from you, I respect every opinion as long as it’s informed and I also promise to respond to everyone.

And I want all our great readers to keep in mind that Rick Schroeders new movie, Black Cloud, will soon be coming to a theatre near you. I urge you not to miss it! It’s a great boxing that deals with both Olympic style boxing and the evils of racism and other problems of the Native Americans.

My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org

Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all jokes, quips and boxing oddities to Rngsports@aol.com, thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well.***

Update: We are again taking orders for autographed copies of my new book, “OFF THE CANVAS”. Check our website for details, or for an autographed copy, just $15, send me an e-mail. It’s also available on the web at Authorhouse.com, ID#22873, or through major on line book stores like Borders, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks or Amazon.com, and some of the major bookstores. If the store you frequent doesn’t have copies, you can ask them to order if for you.***

Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.

Glove2Glove:

Herb Platzner, father of RS.com scribe Harrin is having heart problems. Prayers for his health would be much appreciated.***

Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***

Prayers are requested for Donna Jean Landers, boxing fan from Oklahoma, who has been fighting cancer for three years. She needs your help my friends.

Please say prayers for wife of RS.com writer Marty Carson (auto accident) who is having health problems) of Indiana. Marty is a long time friend and a boxing. expert.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***

Sandy Johnson a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***

Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who suffered a stroke a few years back may be down, but knowing him, he’s far from out.***

Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease. And to Arthur Terciera, father of writer Keith, also having heart related problems.***

Prayers are requested for Ringsports.com photo journalist Dale Hausner of Arizona, who is having problems with cancer.***

Prayers are requested for Kenneth E. Ryther father of our photo journalist Amy Green. Kenneth is suffering from Parkinson’s.***

Prayers for Ed “Whitey” Hadar, a former boxer who is having some serious health problems.***

Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***

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-denominational 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: Many times, war is a necessary evil that results in the ultimate good. More often than not, it has been used, over the years, for expansion, be it for greed, religion, colonialism, etc. or, on occasion, an even more holy cause like freedom.

In the interest of space, I omitted a few wars, like the one with Mexico after the battle of San Jacinto and other wars fought for the soul purpose of expansion.

The face of war is ugly, make no mistake about that. Killing other human beings you have never met, and never will, who are just following orders is ugly. Hate is ugly. Greed can be ugly. And as we’ve all seen in this election, politics, can be ugly as well, although hopefully all we do is agree on the right to disagree and remain friends.

Some wars had merit, although you can make a case that the causes could have been solved by peaceful means.

The early wars in this Country were almost entirely caused by expansionism (colonialism) and greed, right up to our American Revolution. In this war, we fought for none of the above mentioned causes, only for our right to be free and to have self government. Also so that we will not be unfairly taxed without representation. It perhaps all could have been avoided if the British would have stopped their unfair treatment of the colonies, but when negotiations failed, we had no choice but to rebel or remain an English colony. We chose rebellion.

The next war America fought was the war of 1812, again against the British, to defend our newly won freedom.

The Civil War could have been averted only if we the Union could tolerate the ugly institution of slavery. Although the real main cause for the North was to preserve the Union. There was little room for compromise here, although many tried, and the war was fought giving the slaves their deserved freedoms (although many blacks were still treated as second class citizens up to fifty years ago).

The Indian wars in the West will forever remain an ugly blight on our history. Wherein as the Civil War was fought to save the Union and free the slaves, the Indian war was sadly used to enslave the Indians, steal their lands and put them on government controlled reservations so we can have the gold their land held. The Indians were not treated as second class citizens, they were treated as savages, in a war, they fought to protect THEIR land and defend THEIR way of life.

The Spanish American war was also wrong, fought for expansion and no other reason.

Our entry into WWI was ostensibly caused by the German sinking of the Luisitania, taking many American lives. The fact that the liner became a target by smuggling arms to England, when we were supposed to be impartial (which we found out later), caused our entry into the War to end all Wars.

World War II was justified as America was attacked at Pearl Harbor by Japan, and Germany declared war on the U.S.A. shortly thereafter. It was clearly self defense.

Korea was never declared a war, but a police action, to prevent the takeover of the South Koreans by the North, as provided by treaty.

Viet Nam was a war, but like Korea, it was one that we never were trying to win, just to keep the status quo, that was so screwed up, that in effect we were fighting for nothing. Still there was no excuse for bra, draft card and flag burning and even less of an excuse to spit and show distain to those who risked their lives in that God forsaken war. That also is a shameful part of our history, which we have to live with.

Currently one of the battles we are fighting is in Afghanistan, which we correctly attacked to strike back at the cowards who killed 3,000 Americans at the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 1991, an act of war was declared against Al Qaeda and the Taliban that was absolutely justified.

Then we come to Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11, and had not attacked us, and for the life of me I can’t understand getting involved in the overthrow of another government, which we ultimately accomplished. Granted Sadaam and his ilk were cold blooded killers, and more was gained than lost in taking them out. But having no exit plan, staying there and losing a thousand young Americans while trying to impose our way (Democracy) upon a country that has never known it, makes no sense at all to this old codger.

And there is another war, which we do have to continue to fight, the ongoing war against terrorism, which is perhaps the hardest to win. But how can we win it when we allow the preaching of hate against us in the Mosques, not only in this country but around the world. The terrorists are producing more brainwashed followers than we can capture or kill. There’s no way to win this war under current conditions and this behavior under the guise of freedom of religion must be stopped.

President Bush said at first that this war is not winnable, but wisely thought better of it. But it takes far more than thinking about winning it, you must do something about it, and attacking a Country (Iraq) for no logical reason, time-wise, didn’t make a lot of sense. But it was done, and we must support our fine young men and women who are bravely serving over there.

Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are two important things, and should always be allowed, but preaching the overthrow of a government is called sedition, and there are some very strict (but sadly un-enforced) laws against it.

Somebody once said that ‘war is hell!’ You’d better believe it.

And if you think the only two wars going on in the world today are in Afghanistan and Iraq, better check out the records.

Do you know who said these great words, “Can’t we all get along?” That great Los Angeles philosopher Rodney King, and you know what, I’d like to think that all of us really wish that we could.

Marie Antoinette said to the hungry masses “let them eat cake”. To paraphrase this to all the terrorists I say: “Let them eat pork!”***

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you.