THE BEST OF 2014 P.35 ® SERGEY VIDEO + KOVALEV REVIEW INSTANT REPLAY COULD PLAY A LIMITED ROLE IN BOXING P.68 MAYWEATHER ANNUAL BEST VS. PACQUIAO THE SUPERFIGHT FIGHTER POLL OF THE CENTURY WE BET ‘MONEY’ YOU KNOW P.64 WHO CAME OUT ON TOP P. 56 APRIL 2015 HALL OF FAME $8.95 RIDDICK BOWE, NASEEM HAMED AND RAY MANCINI ARE GOING IN P. 72 APRIL 2015 38 Lucas Matthysse (right) was expected to handle John Molina fairly easily but that’s not how our Fight of the FEATURES Year played out. 86TH ANNUAL RING AWARDS Pages 35-63 64 MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO IS 2015 THE YEAR IT WILL FINALLY HAPPEN? 36 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR By Michael Rosenthal By Norm Frauenheim 38 FIGHT OF THE YEAR By Norm Frauenheim 40 KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR By Elliot Worsell 68 A TIME AND A PLACE 42 ROUND OF THE YEAR By Bart Barry VIDEO REVIEW CAN HAVE LIMITED VALUE IN BOXING 44 UPSET OF THE YEAR By Keith Idec By Thomas Hauser 46 COMEBACK OF THE YEAR By Keith Idec 72 HALL OF FAME 48 TRAINER OF THE YEAR By Bart Barry BOWE, HAMED AND MANCINI HEAD THE CLASS OF 2015 50 PROSPECT OF THE YEAR By Doug Fischer By Bernard Fernandez 52 EVENT OF THE YEAR By Elliot Worsell 54 MOST INSPIRATIONAL By David Greisman 76 ERNIE TERRELL: 1939-2014 56 BEST FIGHTER POLL By Michael Rosenthal HEAVYWEIGHT IS REMEMBERED FOR HIS FIGHT WITH ALI JOE SCARNICI/GETTY IMAGES; COVER PHOTOS- COTTO: RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES; ROACH: BRAD BARKET/GETTY IMAGES FOR HBO LATINO IMAGES; ROACH: RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY COTTO: PHOTOS- JOE SCARNICI/GETTY IMAGES; COVER 62 HIGHLY UNOFFICIAL AWARDS By David Greisman By Thomas Hauser 4.15 / RINGTV.COM 3 DEPARTMENTS 6 RINGSIDE 16 7 OPENING SHOT Winky Wright gave many of his opponents f ts. 8 COME OUT WRITING As the subject of Best I Faced, he reveals who 11 ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES gave him the most trouble. Jabs and Straight Writes by Thomas Hauser 16 BEST I FACED: WINKY WRIGHT By Anson Wainwright 18 READY TO GRUMBLE By David Greisman 21 OUTSIDE THE ROPES By Brian Harty 22 PERFECT EXECUTION By Bernard Hopkins 26 RING RATINGS PACKAGE 78 LETTERS FROM EUROPE By Gareth A Davies 82 DOUGIE’S MAILBAG By Doug Fischer 84 NEW FACES: BRADLEY SAUNDERS By Tom Gray 87 WOMEN’S BOXING By Thomas Gerbasi 90 RINGSIDE REPORTS By Norm Frauenheim 94 COMING UP 96 FROM THE ARCHIVE 98 AT THE FIGHTS AT RINGTV.COM KEN HERSHMAN ANTHONY CROLLA Q&A HEALING HBO EXEC LOOKS BRITON BATTLING BACK AT 2014 AND BACK FROM ATTACK AHEAD GO TO: http://bit.ly/ GO TO: http://bit.ly/ crolla-healing hershman DON’T FORGET TO FOLLOW US ON: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/RINGTV @RINGMAGAZINE THERINGDIGITAL HTTP://INSTAGRAM.COM/RINGTV# AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES 4 RINGTV.COM / 4.15 RINGSIDE By Michael Rosenthal ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT The International Boxing is tough to answer. VOLUME 94, NO. 3 | APRIL 2015 Hall of Fame is diligent about its The Hall could consider a more enshrinement process, enlisting stringent screening process of its around 200 boxing experts from voters, although that would be around the world to vote on which diff cult to do. According to the FOUNDER modern f ghters will be inducted Hall, “Members of the Boxing Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972) each June. Writers Association of America The result is that the vast and an international panel of EDITOR majority of those who enter the boxing historians cast votes.” Michael Rosenthal Hall in the highest-prof le category Plus, voters are provided with MANAGING EDITOR deserve the honor. background information on Brian Harty Some don’t, though. At least candidates. that’s the way many see it. Two How do you determine whether ASSOCIATE EDITOR names that usually surface are the voters are knowledgeable Douglass Fischer Ingemar Johansson and Arturo enough to vote, though? Give ART DIRECTOR Gatti. And one could argue that them a test? Some of those who Lamar Clark Ray Mancini, who will enter this vote in the baseball and other halls year, is also questionable. of fame undoubtedly have limited CONTROLLER Deborah L. Harrison How are they getting in? knowledge of candidates, too. One person knowledgeable A more practical step might be CIRCULATION DIRECTOR about the process believes that a to require candidates to receive a Kenneth J. Gudaitis substantial percentages of those certain percentage of the votes, a ADVERTISING INQUIRIES who vote in the modern category la baseball. I like the 75 percent Robert Gasparri do not have the expertise to do threshold because it leaves little 213-233-2952 so, an argument which probably doubt as to the worthiness of the [email protected] has merit. candidate but two thirds – 66.6 SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES I think the process itself also percent – might be suff cient. BACK ISSUES INQUIRIES plays a role, however. At least that would reduce DIGITAL ORDERS INQUIRIES In the National Baseball Hall the chances of an undeserving Sports and Entertainment of Fame, candidates must have candidate entering the Hall. Publications P.O. BOX 433122 their names checked on at least 75 That might mean that fewer than Palm Coast, Fl 32164-3122 percent of ballots to be inducted. three modern f ghters would enter 800-846-6438 If no one reaches that threshold, the Hall in a given year, which [email protected] so be it. No modern player will be could hurt the bottom line. That’s SEND EDITORIAL inducted that year. a legitimate concern. At the same COMMENTS TO: The IBHOF inducts the top time, though, the higher standard [email protected] three vote-getters regardless of would enhance the prestige of the or P.O. BOX 251753, percentage, which opens the Hall and the signif cance of being Los Angeles CA, 90025 doors to the Hall to at least some a Hall of Famer. THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410), Vol. 94, NO. 3 (April 2015), is undeserving candidates. Of course, it’s possible that published nine times per year (no issues in June, October and February) by Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC, P.O. I understand why IBHOF Bowe, Hamed and Mancini all Box 90254 Brooklyn, NY 11209. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11209 and additional post off ces. Postmasters: off cials use this system. The Hall exceeded that two-thirds threshold Send change of address notices to: THE RING, P.O. Box 433122, Palm Coast, FL 32164-3122. Single copy price $8.95 in U.S.A. needs big-name inductees like in the voting. The problem is we and Canada (£4.95 in the U.K.). Subscription price U.S. And possession $49.00 for nine issues; Canada and Mexico add $7 Mancini – as well Riddick Bowe don’t know because the IBHOF for nine issues per year and all remaining countries add $15.00 for nine issues per year. Not responsible for the loss or non-return and Naseem Hamed, who will doesn’t release voting results, as of unsolicited articles or photographs, which will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope bearing the also enter in June – to attract baseball does. Hall executives proper amount of postage. The entire contents of this magazine are copyright ©2015 Sports and Entertainment Publications, visitors each induction weekend in might consider doing so. That sort LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Canastota, New York, to remain of transparency also would add Publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of advertisements appearing in this magazine, nor the delivery or f nancially viable. Few would credibility to the process. quality of merchandise or services offered. No endorsement of any such advertisement is intended or implied. Advertisers and show up if inductees were limited Let me state again: The selection agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their advertisements. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRES AND RATES: to old-timers and non-f ghters. process is pretty good. I just think (213) 233-2952. U.S. / Canadian and International distribution by Kable Distribution Services Inc., 14 Wall Street, Suite 4C, New Is there a solution? That question it can be better. York, NY 10022. UK distribution by Comag Tavistock Rd., West Drayton, Middlesex UB77QE, England. Printed in U.S.A BECKER/GETTY IMAGES DAVID 6 RINGTV.COM / 4.15 THE LIGHTER SIDE OF A SERIOUS SPORT OPENING SHOT Tim Bradley (foreground) seemed to do enough to beat Diego Chaves but only one judge saw it that way on Dec. 14. COME OUT WRITING the screen. It’s no wonder kids are RING, Dr. Jake VanderKooy sitting on their fathers’ laps watching compared Chris Algieri to Gene UFC. Shame. Tunney and Manny Pacquiao to Jack Robert Maye Dempsey. In light of the thrashing Ephratah, N.Y. that Pacquiao gave to Algieri, maybe he should’ve compared Manny to MUCH ADO Harry Greb. Do you feel that this whole “who Allen Morris gets to f ght on Cinco de Mayo” Belle River, Ontario, Canada thing is becoming too big of a deal? I just saw Brandon Rios say he thinks Editor’s note: Tunney outboxed anyone should be allowed to f ght Dempsey in two famous f ghts while that weekend. I agree and feel that Greb handed Tunney his only defeat. the date doesn’t determine how many buys the f ght gets. If it is a f ght SHAKY GUIDANCE between two elite guys, I could care Never in my life have I seen such less if it was a Wednesday night in poor corner work as I did in the the middle of February.