There is an old theory that says women truly don’t want equality. What they want is the power they men hold while still retaining the benefits of their feminity. Saigon gives his view on that theory by arguing that women in 2012 have replaced men are the more “grimy” sex when it comes to cheating and overall deceptive behavior. Does Saigon have a point? This joint can be found on his latest mixtape Warning Shots 3.
DONETSK, UKRAINE – Paulie Malignaggi secured his second major world title with a dominating stoppage of previously unbeaten Vyacheslav Senchenko yesterday (April 29) at the Donbass Arena.
Although fighting in Senchenko’s hometown, Malignaggi never let his opponent get into the fight. The accuracy of his left jab caused bad swelling around Senchenko’s left eye and forced referee Steve Smoger to halt the bout in the ninth round.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” said Malignaggi, who attained only the seventh stoppage of his 11-year career. “I trained really hard for this fight and believed in myself. I don’t care what anyone says, I’m a two-division world champion. This is exactly why I signed with Golden Boy. I’m ready to fight any welterweight in the world.”
With the IBF welterweight title vacated by Andre Berto, Malignaggi joins Floyd Mayweather (WBC) and Manny Pacquiao (WBO) as the reigning titlists of the division. With Devon Alexander also looking for a title shot in the wake of his recent victory over Marcos Maidana, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is very optimistic about Malignaggi’s welterweight marketability and options.
“With this dominating performance, he put everyone at 147 pounds on notice,” said Schaefer. “Ever since he moved to the welterweight division, he has assembled one thrilling performance after another and now the crowning achievement… welterweight world champion! Brooklyn here we come!”
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Seth Mitchell continued his development with a comeback knockout over an inspired Chazz Witherspoon last night (April 28).
Witherspoon stormed out in the first and nearly scored a shocking knockout. Witherspoon worked off the backfoot and landed repeated right hand counters. The first briefly stunned Mitchell a minute in. The same punch would hurt him badly with just a minute remaining. Mitchell would wisely clinch to regain his legs and survive after being very close to a knockdown.
Mitchell went with inside fighting in the second to devastating effect. Hard hooks sapped Witherspoons energy and made him a stationary target for Mitchell’s clubbing shots.
The quick turn of events had Witherspoon trainer Virgil hunter barking orders for his fighter to remain focused.
“I don’t need you to be a hero. I need you to be intelligent!” said Hunter. “We already know you can hurt him… He’s wide open for shots he knows nothing about. You don’t go head up with a buffalo!”
But Witherspoon would go back head on and was promptly dropped in an exchange with a left hook. Mitchell was patient, landing good hooks downstairs and eventually cornering Witherspoon and securing the stoppage with overhand rights.
According to Mitchell’s recent interview HERE, his team has a four-fight, one year plan before a potential title showdown with a Klitschko brother. Per his post-fight interview, Mitchell expects to be back in the ring in September.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Bernard Hopkins was competitive, but couldn’t deliver yet another upset victory over a much younger opponent as Chad Dawson out pointed him to win the WBC light-heavyweight title Saturday night (April 28) at Boardwalk Hall.
The early rounds were expectedly tactical with Hopkins finding sporadic success with lead right hands in rounds two and three. However, Dawson’s was able to keep Hopkins on the end of his jab in the first and pushed Hopkins back in the second and third stanzas with fast, hard hooks inside.
Hopkins continued his habit of rushing in head-first and opened a deep cut above Dawson’s left eye during the fourth. The injury made Dawson irate and he began stalking Hopkins around the ring. The Executioner taunted and baited his foe into a thudding straight right, creating one of the biggest shots of the night.
Dawson regained immediate control in the sixth. The challenger began the round with hard straight left. He followed up with a right hook. Hopkins landed a glancing 1-2 but looked overmatched as the stronger Dawson drove him into the ropes with sweeping left uppercuts.
The speed and length of Dawson’s southpaw straight left would become his main weapon in the remaining rounds. By the eighth, the punch was landing regularly through Hopkins’ defense. Hopkins resorted to prolonged clinching in the ninth and sneaky rights inside. A butt would produce another Dawson cut located above the right eye. Still, Dawson was the fighter consistent on offense with hard hooks inside.
Dawson stayed in control during the championship rounds. In the 10th he picked off Hopkins’ rushes with right hooks and straight lefts. While Hopkins did have a good 11th that saw him land three consecutive lead rights, Dawson would end the round strong with a succession of hooks that forced Hopkins to tackle him to the floor. Outside of a crafty Hopkins lead right in the 12th, Dawson did the majority of the punching in the 12th and closed with a solid left uppercut.
The tactical affair was awarded to Dawson via scores of 114-114 and 117-111 twice. Dawson lauded Hopkins exceptional conditioning, but also delivered criticism over the repeated headbutts.
“He’s a dirty fighter but if you can get through that you can get through anything,” said Dawson in his post-fight interview. “He’s a lot younger than people think. I’ll give him that… he’s a hell of a fighter.”
Dawson expressed interest in his next opponent being Super Six winner Andre Ward. Hopkins refused a post-fight interview but told assembled media that he felt he was again ”robbed” of another signature victory.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Ismayl Sillakh’s (17-1, 14 KOs) light-heavyweight title hopes went up in smoke last night at the hands of Denis Grachev (12-0-1, 8 KOs), who scored a stunning, comeback eighth round TKO on Friday Night Fights.
Sillakh dominated the preceding seven rounds with movement and sharp counter-punching. The shorter ans slower Grachev was reduced to lunging haymakers, resulting in Sillakh catching him repeatedly with left hooks, straight rights and uppercuts. In the third, Grachev was dropped to his knees off a Sillakh left jab-straight right.
From round six, Grachev began to land sporadic but noticeable right hands on Sillakh, who had begun coasting on his lead. In the eighth, Sillakh pounced on Grachev inside only to be wobbled by a right hook. Sillakh stumbled into the ropes and received a series of head-snapping hooks around his guard. The badly dazed Sillakh didn’t hold and Grachev ended matters with a left-right hook combination for a decisive knockdown and referee stoppage.
Grachev would sum up his shocking upset by referencing his pre-fight statement.
“I will break Ismayl Sillakh,” he predicted.
Nas’ new clip has the QB legend rolling through the streets of NYC being… well… a don. From starting the day doing rooftop business with longtime friend Steve Stoute to venturing to a Tunnel-like club to rock, this video is simple yet effective with its use of wide scenery to drive home the NYC roots. Nas’ Life Is Good drops on July 17.
What better way to celebrate the weekend than with a house party? “Up Every Night” captures the congested but ultimately fun and care-free vibe of those gatherings. The old school vibe is apparent from the “go! go! go!” chants that were regularly heard on early 90s jams from Grand Puba and Chubb Rock. And even early 90s R&B fans get a shout courtesy of an interpolation of the classic refrain from Bell, Biv, Devoe’s ”Poison.” 1982′s 2012 album drops on May 22.
When a great emcee uses their personal lives for their art, great things are bound to happen. Look no further than Nas’ latest Life Is Good leak “Daughters,” an exceptional narrative on his struggles and joys raising a teenage daughter. The song pulls heavily from an embarrassing episode last year when Nas’ real life daughter Destiny was acting out on Twitter and Instagram. While this isn’t the first time Nas has discussed home life issues, it’s the first time Destiny has been the starring subject. What makes this such an effective song is how Nas ties her problems to his own missteps (some continued) as a parent. Destiny likely isn’t thrilled by this song, but one thing she can never doubt when listening to it is that her father loves her deeply.
When adding in Nas’ work over No ID’s “Ghetto Dreams” last year, it’s fair to say these two are magic in the booth. We know Premier is still waiting, but the idea of a Nas album executive-produced by No ID sounds tastier by the day.
NAS “DAUGHTERS” [PROD BY. NO ID]
American heavyweight Seth Mitchell takes the next big step in his development when he faces Chazz Witherspoon this Saturday (April 28) on the undercard of Hopkins-Dawson II. With unified champion Wladimir Klitschko identifying him as a potential future opponent, the undefeated Mitchell now will have to endure more intense scrutiny of his performances as he’s mapped out a “four fight, one-year” plan to his first title shot. Is the former college linebacker ready to handle a wholly different type of championship sports pressure?
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Last time we talked was before the Timur Ibragimov fight. You didn’t want to give it away at the time, but you mentioned there was a flaw you wanted to work on. Care to now reveal what it was?
Mitchell: I had a tendency to drop my left hand when I threw my right hand. I corrected it but not as much as I would’ve liked. I’m still working on it – it’s like a bad habit but we’re working on it as we speak.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: What else were you able to take from that win?
Mitchell: Most people see me go forward in my bouts. But this fight I noticed he tried to use his experience and overwhelm me by using his jab and trying to find the right hand. So instead of me coming forward being the aggressor, I would take little steps back and to the side and let him be the aggressor. That’s how I countered off his jab and slipped inside with the left hook. That’s what stunned him and lead to the finish. At that point, it was forget being a boxer and let’s finish this.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: What does Chazz Witherspoon represent for you at this stage of your career? Do you feel “legit threat” or “exhibition fight” when you hear his name?
Mitchell: I see a guy that’s good at everything. He can fight on the inside a little bit, has a good jab and good movement. He’s fundamentally sound and brings his hands back. And he has a little bit of athleticism. He will fight too even though sometimes it’s to his detriment. He has the heart; every fight I’ve seen him in he comes to win. When he goes out, he goes out swinging.
I’m very excited and motivated about him. I’ve trained very hard and can’t wait until the 28th of April.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Being that you’ve now fought in your hometown on a national stage, do you think it’s better to nurture a hometown buzz ala Andre Ward or take the “road warrior” route?
Mitchell: I think you have to do it both ways. You don’t want to neglect the foundation that is your home base. Even as a champion you should come back and reward your fans. You might have a lot of fans that want to support you but may not have the money for the plane tickets for Cali and Vegas and the hotel rooms. So it’s always good to come back with a hot card and venue. Not necessarily every fight, but definitely regularly.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: The biggest heavyweight publicity recently was February’s brawl with David Haye and Dereck Chisora. Some fans enjoy spectacles like that. Did you view it as a detriment?
Mitchell: Some say any publicity is good publicity, so in that regard it did shine light on the heavyweight division. But the stuff that happened outside the ring was a bunch of craziness. It shouldn’t have happened, shouldn’t have took place as far as what Chisora did [slapping Vitali Klitschko]. I thought the champs handled themselves well. I don’t think I could’ve handled myself that way, so kudos to them.
You gotta stick to fighting inside the ring. It’s one thing to promote the fight and talk trash but sometimes people cross the line. It was definitely crossed that night.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: As you’re aware the Klitschkos are in dire need of new opponents and have had their eyes on you, particularly Wladimir. When you hear that from these veteran champs, has that made your team speed up your timeline for a title shot?
Mitchell: We’re sticking to my development. My team and Golden Boy feel in about four fights, a year’s time, we’ll be ready for that championship challenge. It feels good to hear him say that but at the same time everything is on me. If I don’t go out in the ring and produce, get better and win in these next fights, then all that talk is for nothing. In this sport a loss can really you set back. When you start to look ahead and forget about the task at hand, that’s when you can lose sight of the big goal and take a L. I hear it, but I realize I gotta do what I do and get that buzz going. Then that day will come.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Which brother impresses you more?
Mitchell: Both of them! They pose different things that you have to worry about. I believe the younger brother is more athletic. He uses his legs better and has more power. He throws his right hand with more velocity and he’s quicker. I think the older brother throws more punches and will bang with you a little more. You have to look for more variety with him. Vitali is just tougher. He throws a lot more punches. You rarely see Wladimir throw body shots. He preps you with the jab and drops you with the right hand. Vitali will throw an up-jab and different types of jabs.
Both of them are very good and use the tools and attributes God has given them as far as their height. It’s no question they’re a tough task for anyone. You have to be on your “A” game to get in the ring with them.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: How is the fan buzz for this Hopkins-Dawson II card compared to what it was on Khan-Peterson? Do you feel the same level of excitement?
Mitchell: Well from my fans, yes! From others, not as much. I mean people are excited, but to me it doesn’t seem like it was for the Khan-Peterson fight. But my fans will definitely be deep in Atlantic City.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: Aside from the left hand dropping you mentioned earlier, what else is important that you refined forSaturday night?
Mitchell: This might be a cliché answer but I’m still learning a lot. I still want to work on my counter-punching. I watch my fights and I’m like “Man, if I would’ve slipped here, came back with my right hand…” I feel like I hit a learning curve just a few months ago. I want to get better at all the basics and just be a better fighter overall.
Beats, Boxing & Mayhem: As media we’re always criticizing the boxing industry about what it can do better. Let’s flip that. As a fighter what do you think we can do better, particularly regarding the heavyweight division?
Mitchell: Here’s my concern. Writers have to understand that even though boxing is entertainment, it’s also a business. There’s a lot of politics involved but they just trash the boxers so much because of who they’re fighting.
A fighter will get to the title and they’ll say “Ah man, he’s been rushed. He’s not ready.” But then again when a fighter takes his time to develop, then he’s being babied and can’t fight. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I think they should take a more comprehensive view of the situation instead of just criticizing.
I know I can fight so I’m not even worried about it when my time comes.
“Hopkins vs. Dawson: Once And For All,” a 12-round bout for Hopkins’ WBC and Ring Magazine light heavyweight world championships, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Productions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Caesars Atlantic City. Also featured will be a 12-round heavyweight battle between Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell and “The Gentleman” Chazz Witherspoon for the vacant NABO heavyweight title. The event will take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com.
Sene’s April 24 release of his new album brooklyknight coincides with a new video for the title track. Set in his native borough and directed by Pace Rivers, Sene captures a tribal street ceremony that serves as the main backdrop for the everyday people who walk the city streets. brooklyknight is available now via iTunes and can be streamed HERE.
