Catching up and saying goodbyes

A few thoughts on some issues that have gotten by over the last week.

I thought that I had posted my pick on the Wladimir Klitschko-Ruslan Chagaev bout from Germany,but as I looked for a link,I couldn't find one.
In any event,I picked Klitschko by decision and he actually won by TKO when Chagaev didn't answer the bell for round ten.
Klitschko scored the bouts only knockdown in round two and used the long left jab along with the straight right to completely control the former WBA champ and add the Ring magazine belt to his collection of the IBF and smaller organization straps.

However,the fight of the weekend was in Montreal for the WBC Light Heavyweight crown when not only a world belt was on the line,but the city championship as well with Jean Pascal lifting the titles from Adrian Diaconu in an exciting crowd pleaser via unanimous decision.Pascal dropped Diaconu in round five for the only knockdown of the fight.
We scored the bout for Pascal 116-111 and a rematch certainly would not be argued against from this corner.

Give some credit to Versus for picking up the fight and allowing American fans to be able to watch.
Versus keeps improving slowly,but to take the jump to the next level,they really need to make a push to get on cable/satellite basic coverage instead of being on the additional channels.
Only then can they truly gain more commercial acceptance...

Time to say some goodbyes

to former Buffalo Brave and Cleveland Cavalier Randy Smith.
Smith passed away at age 60 of a heart attack while working out on a treadmill.
Smith was once the holder of the consecutive games played record in the NBA and was the shining star on two of the awful Cavalier teams of the early 80's.
Smith was the All-Star MVP in 1978 and was a stalwart of the solid mid-1970's Buffalo Brave teams with Bob McAdoo and Jim McMillan.
Love those Buffalo Braves uniforms as well!
For more on Randy Smith,click here and for more on what looks to be an interesting book on the Buffalo Braves with a stiff price tag,click here.

To former Indian shortstop Woodie Held.
The power hitting shortstop (in an edge where that was very rare) passed away at the age of 77 after a struggle with brain cancer.
Held never hit fewer than 16 homers for the Wahoos from 1959-1964 and smacked a career high 29 in the Tribe's second place finish in 1959.
Terry Pluto looks back at Woodie Held here in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

To former New York Giant pinch hitter extraordinaire Dusty Rhodes.
Rhodes died in Las Vegas at the age of 82.
Rhodes was most famous for his off the bench heroics in the Giants 1954 World Series win over Cleveland (4 for 6).
The lefty slugger mastered the art of the "Chinese home run"at the Giants home at the Polo Grounds which was only 239 feet down the right field line.

Will be back later/tomorrow with Part two of our look at the Hagerstown Suns,some Devils talk on Brent Sutter and the draft Friday night and perhaps (time permitting) at look at the Cleveland Cavaliers...

Photo Credits
Boxing-Unknown
Smith and Held:Topps
Rhodes:Unknown