Smith finally on the right side of boxing politics

Smith finally on the right side of boxing politics
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 23, 2013

My first contribution to RingTV.com.


At 34 years of age, longtime contender and sometime gatekeeper Ishe Smith has finally found himself on the right side of boxing politics.

For years, Smith was often cast as a B-side in his most meaningful fights, meaning the deck was often stacked against him. However, in his 14th year as a professional fighter, the Las Vegas native has an opportunity to earn a major world title as he meets IBF junior middleweight beltholder Cornelius Bundrage in the main event of a Showtime Championship Boxing telecast from Detroit that was originally headlined by Devon Alexander against Kell Brook. That fight was postponed when Alexander suffered an injury.

For Smith, Saturday marks an opportunity to make history. Despite the Sweet Science's rich connection to the city of Las Vegas, no homegrown talent has ever held any sort of major title, an interesting anomaly.

Click here to read the rest...

Rousey an opportunity to draw crossover appeal for UFC

Rousey an opportunity to draw crossover appeal for UFC
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
February 21, 2013

Heading into Saturday night, Ronda Rousey will have a lot heavier things on her shoulders than just the UFC women's bantamweight championship she is set to defend against Liz Carmouche in the main event of UFC 157 at Anaheim, Calif.'s Honda Center.

Rousey will make history as the first female to fight under the UFC banner after a successful run as Strikeforce women's champion before the company folded and was purchased by Dana White and the UFC last year.

James Page's Battle to Turn Back the Clock

In the February 2013 edition of British boxing publication Boxing Monthly, I have a four-page spread on the unlikely comeback of former WBA welterweight titlist James Page, who returned to the ring in November 2012 after a 10.5 year jail sentence stemming from multiple bank robberies. In fact, Page's picture makes it on the front cover in the upper right corner. Though Page's comeback didn't go as planned, there was still a worthwhile story behind the ring return.

I was very proud of this piece. Unfortunately, the photographer I used pictures from was completely unprofessional and refused to provide me with shots of Page getting worked over by his opponent in that comeback fight, telling me "Page is her homie". This despite the fact I lined her up to get paid for the photos.