by Suge Green | Fri. Oct. 22, 2010

Boxing's already slow October, has slowed down even more. It seems like half of the notable fights scheduled for the end of this month and early next month have been scrapped. Fernando Montiel's bout cancelled due to an auto accident, Holyfield vs. Williams in Detroit has been canceled (or postponed depending on who you talk to), Guzman vs. Fernandez has been canceled. The cancellation trend has even reached Teddy Atlas, with the veteran trainer scrapping the final two matches of his Ham & Egger Heaven Tour 2010, featuring his charge Alexander Povetkin facing three consecutive no-hopers. The adversity Ken Hershman and Showtime have faced in keeping the Super Six World Dirty Boxing Classic together has been well documented.

Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins will be an ugly fight. Pascal is already promising to repay any infraction of the rules with some rule-breaking of his own should Hopkins resort to any tricks. It's unheard of for the Executioner to run from an ugly fight - you've been warned.

Golden Boy Promotions used the Pascal vs. Hopkins press-conference in New York as occasion to continue boasting this week about their "push into the east coast." Evidently the folks at GBP feel their exclusive deal to promote boxing at the new home of the NBA's New Jersey Nets, is their winning ticket. I wonder how many of the displaced citizens of Brooklyn will pack the still under construction Barclay's Center, considering many were evicted when eminent domain laws were used to force residents and business owners off their private property?

After Brooklyn residents lost a six-year battle to keep their homes and businesses, ground was broken at the site of the new Barclay's Center in March (following a ruling by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Abraham Gerges). Barclay's Center is slated to open in 2012, look for Golden Boy to place their chess pieces throughout 2011 in such a way to pack an upper east coast arena the following year. 

Seeing as how GBP lacks world class level fighters on the upper east coast with any drawing power, it's a no-brainer they'll be cultivating or acquiring some hot Puerto Rican talent in the months ahead.

Returning heavyweight Josue Blocus, shook some rust off when he defeated Darryl Holley via TKO1 on Oct, 9. A former 1996 Olympian for his native France, Blocus has been inactive since 2007 when he won the NABO Heavyweight Championship. With promotional hindrances a thing of the past, the Paris-born fighter is looking ahead to 2011. Now a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia, Blocus intends to make a serious run at a world heavyweight championship, and a Klitschko.

Notably, Blocus was sent home while helping Wladimir Klitschko prepare for his 2006 bout with Calvin Brock, because Klitschko couldn't hit, "A fighter with movement."

Blocus went onto say he was then matched with head Klitschko bag-carrier, Johnathan Banks. Blocus claims to have hurt Banks in the first round of their sparring bout, leading to Banks and team deciding they had enough.

The Frenchman was quick to offer, "If anyone doubts me, make the fight."

As announced in the last installment of this column, James Kirkland will be fighting on the Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana undercard. What wasn't announced is who will be working his corner. With Ann Wolfe rumored to be out of the corner of boxing's hottest junior middleweight prospect, fans of the recently released fighter anxiously await an announcement. Many are still holding out hope that Kirkland and Wolfe will reunite.