Feel free to post Matt any questions you may have.  This guy is my good friend—he is extremely accessible and eager to chat about this sort of stuff!

Enjoy…

As a Christian in the film industry, how would you determine what you will or will not do on screen (explicit language, acted violence, scenes with explicit sexuality, etc)?

This is probably the question I get asked most often and it’s one of the most difficult ones to answer, only because it’s on a case by case basis. There’s obviously a separation in the characters that I play and in my personal life. I would play a killer but I’m not a killer. So you can’t rule out playing a role that in your personal life you morally object to. I’m all about telling stories, whether they’re for pure entertainment or whether they explore issues that society needs to address. If I just played good, morally upright characters I’d be severely limited in my storytelling. What I choose to do or not do is directly related to the story the script is telling – is this a story I want to tell also, is it well done, it is something I’m passionate about? If it turns out that yes, this script is something I’m behind, the story is compelling, then I’ll start to look at the actual content. Violence is a pretty easy one for me. Let’s say my character stabs someone with a knife in the film. I never actually stab someone. That was fake. It may look real on screen, but as long as the stabbing serves the story that I want to tell, as long as it makes the story more honest, then great, that’s something I’ll do. Sexuality is much harder. There is no set on earth where the director would give you a real gun and tell you to shoot the other actor. But let’s say you’re playing a sex scene and my character gropes the other actress. Well, that’s real groping. I’m really grabbing skin, I’m really kissing skin. That gets much more difficult. It may serve the story, it may be non-gratuitous, but there are certain things I’m just not comfortable with. I’m completely fine with telling a story that involves sex – it is a real and important part of life – but because I want to protect myself, my wife, and our relationship, we’ve set up a rule that helps. My wife and I always say that if we didn’t do it before we were married, I’m not going to do it with another girl on screen. That leaves room for me to tell the stories that I want to tell, but it also sets a boundary to keep our relationship safe. But like I said before, this is all on a script-by-script basis. I could be faced with the same sex scene in two different scripts and I might choose to do one and not the other. It depends on the story and if it’s something I want to be associated with.

How do you and Ellen handle marriage when you are portraying someone totally different in your acting career (which might include being in love with someone else!)?

The main thing is for me to make sure that Ellen is totally involved in what I’m doing. She may not be on set with me, but I want her to read the script, to know what scenes I’m shooting that day, for her to be involved. I have a friend who’s also a married actor, and I’ve learned a lot from him about how he keeps his relationship with his wife strong. It’s easy to become a quick family on set because you spend so much time with one another working towards a common goal. If my wife wasn’t completely up to date with what we shot that day, what I was fearful of going in to work that day, etc. it would be too easy to come home and be too exhausted to explain anything to her. My dream of having a career as an actor is equally as much her dream, so she’s involved. There also has to be a level of reassurance there. If I’m playing a serial killer, that’s not something that hard to separate from who I really am. If I’m playing some normal guy who falls in love with a girl, that’s harder. If my wife was an actress and she was on set all day with other guy pretending she loved him, I’d want some assurance when she got home. So I do the same.

I am curious about the medium and message of various art forms. What does a film do to a story that first appeared in a book—how does this newer media form of the movie affect the meaning or content of the original piece?

I don’t think changing media forms necessarily has to do anything to the meaning or content of the original, but it certainly can and sometimes does. I’m just trying to think of adaptations I’ve seen recently where I’ve both read the book and seen the film. For instance, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is obviously an expose on sexual violence towards women in Sweden. The book and film are both disturbing, and each in different ways. Fincher’s version of the film couldn’t show everything the book described, but it was maybe even more horrifying seeing what little Fincher did show. In that way I think the film aided the book’s message. I thought it was the same with The Hunger Games. The books are a pretty clear political critique and commentary on the effects of war on children. There’s this amazing shot in the film of citizens in District 11 getting blasted with water hoses, and it immediately brought up images of civil rights riots in Birmingham, AL in the 1960s. That’s something a book couldn’t do. As a society we have certain images burned into our brains, and I think it was a smart move as a filmmaker for Gary Ross to use that water hose image to drive home Suzanne Collins’ themes of political unrest and government oppression. It took no words and a shot that only lasted 1 or 2 seconds, but it had the effect of pages and pages of writing. I guess what I’m saying is that a well thought out adaptation of a story from one media form to another should only heighten or aid the original in a way the first media form couldn’t. I wish I could think of an example right now of an adaptation completely turning the original on its head, but it turns out I’m not that smart.

I recommend staying connected with Matt.  He is on Twitter, and here are his website and IMDB site.

How did you get your role in BLJ?

My wife Ellen and I are long-time Don Miller fans, and back in 2008 she read on a blog that he was working on turning Blue Like Jazz into a movie. The book had a real impact on both of us, so I knew I had to do whatever I could to be involved. There were basically no details about the film available back then except that Steve Taylor was directing it. I finally came across the email address of Ben Pearson, the cinematographer for Steve’s previous film. I had no idea if he was involved in BLJ, but I emailed him my picture and resume and basically just laid all my cards on the table. I told him I was a huge fan of the book and I really wanted to be involved in the film. He responded and told me he’d forward my information on to Steve, and honestly I thought that was where it would stop. But a day or so later Steve called me and invited me to Nashville to audition. That simply never happens in the entertainment industry. Ben and Steve are a rare breed, and I’m hugely grateful to them for their openness and their talent. I got to Ben’s house in Nashville and read for several different parts in the film but nothing seemed to be a great fit. A lot of directors would have just ended it there, but Steve kept thinking of other roles for me. He called me up one day and asked if I could do a Russian accent, to which I quickly said yes. Then I promptly found an accent coach and learned how to do one. I went back to Nashville and auditioned again for the role of Yuri, which turned out to fit like a glove.

Matt Godfrey ("Yuri" in the film)

You have appeared in a few of other works, none of which could be labeled “Christian.”  Is BLJ a “Christian” movie?  Are “Christian” and “non-Christian” suitable labels for movies and other art forms?   

I think BLJ is as much a “Christian” movie as Vera Farmiga’s Higher Ground or Tree of Life. It’s a movie that deals openly with issues of faith and American Christianity, but it doesn’t have an agenda to push on you. I think applying a label to a piece of art – like calling something a “Christian” movie – does the art a great disservice. Contemporary Christianity has created such a closed-off subculture that we feel we need to make films that cater to the church, rather than just telling honest, compelling stories. I find films or poems or novels that sacrifice honest storytelling to push an agenda offensive – whether I agree with the agenda or not. Every artist has a point of view that will of course be communicated in the piece of art, but reducing a movie to a talking point or a take-away nugget just isn’t great art.

How do you understand your vocation as a Christian plying his craft within an industry often criticized by the church? 

I’m passionate about telling stories. So was Jesus. You can point to countless times in the Gospels where Jesus gathers a bunch of people around and essentially says, “Listen to this story. It’s true.” When God created the world He spoke it into being. We’re made in God’s image, and God is creative by nature. I think God is pleased with great storytelling, and some of the most spiritually impacting moments in my life have happened through art – listening to a certain song or watching a certain film. I think I’m also called to carry Christ out into the world – and the entertainment industry just seems like a natural fit to me. I understand it, I’m fueled by it’s energy, and I love it. We’re also called to love the city where we live and to pray for it. Los Angeles offers such an amazing opportunity to do that. I love being on set and just making relationships with people. Loving people. Showing them that I’m a professional, that I work hard and that I care about my work. I don’t throw my beliefs in people’s faces, but I bet that on 80% of the sets I’ve worked on people have walked up to me and started spiritual conversations without being prompted. Once you’ve worked with someone so closely for several weeks you’ve gained their respect and their friendship. That’s a great place for those conversations to start.

You got to work with Miller.  From your perspective, how did he wrestle with the shift from book author to screenwriter?

I don’t know how well I can answer this question without putting words in Don’s mouth. I can say though that it was such an honor for me to get to know him and to work with him. At one point while Ellen and I were in Portland for the premiere of the film, we went with Don to his office. It was pretty surreal to be sitting there where Don works. And from the perspective of a reader of his work, he transitioned from book author to screenwriter like he was born to do it. I remember reading a draft of the script back in 2008 and immediately thinking, “I have to be involved with this movie!”

What have been the greatest temptations and joys for you personally in seeing this film come to the screen? 

Since this is my first widely released film it brought up a whole new set of temptations and joys I’d never experienced before. The whole process has been a joy. From working on set with actors I respect, to doing Q&As with excited audiences screening the film, to traveling up to Portland for the premiere. Honestly, it’s just been really fun. What a blessing. It’s exacerbated some temptations I’ve always had, namely putting your identity and self-worth in your work. It’s hard sometimes to read a negative review and not feel downtrodden. Ellen always has to remind me that my identity is an adopted son of God, and my self-worth comes from the fact that Jesus loved me so much He died for me – and a critic taking a crap on your work could never change that. Still I’m learning how to do that. And I think step one is to stop reading reviews. If you get a good one you feel your ego start to expand, and if you read a bad one you’re suddenly having a bad day. That’s not a good place to live in.

Anika

Well, this blog is going to be real hard for me, as I am going to re-enter into what was the most difficult part of my life, but also the biggest lesson I have ever learned and what reminds me to smile every day. This may make you emotional, so all I would say is prepare yourself.

My daughter Anika Roimata Godfrey, is now 7 years old, she is what we call highly disabled. She is severely brain-damaged, has low tone cerebral palsy which basically means her brain can’t control her body and is relatively floppy. She needs support to sit up, can’t roll over and is in a wheelchair throughout the day. She is blind but she can hear. She can no longer eat food as her throat ‘valves’ don’t work and needs to be fed through her stomach. She has diabetes insipidus, meaning we have to monitor her water intake. She can only communicate through facial expressions, i.e cry when sad, smile when happy, concerned look when scared.

Former Cruiserweight King Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham’s dreams of regaining the IBF Cruiserweight belt from the man that took his coveted title, by close split decision, following their epic ‘Fight Of The Year’ nominated battle back last December, were shattered on Monday when Main Event’s boss Kathy Duva announced that Tomasz ‘Goral’ Adamek had relinquished the crown.

The IBF reacted quickly to Adamek’s resignation by announcing that Matt ‘Too Smooth’ Godfrey would be the next available for the vacant title and ordered negotiations to start for the fight with ‘USS’ Cunningham.
‘USS’ Cunningham, once described as the by Bad Left Hook’s Steve Christ as the “World’s nicest man” due to his never having a bad word to say about his fellow boxers or the would be opponents that have avoided him, took a typically philosophical stance on hearing the news by saying, “Once again, I’ve got my marching orders, my mission is to be two time world champion, and with Adamek vacating the title, my sights are set on beating Matt Godfrey, I honestly thought it was going to go this way since July so he’s been on my radar.
It’s kinda bittersweet, I’ve wanted the rematch since December, I thought I did enough to win the fight then and I wanted to take my belt back from Adamek, but if the rematch can’t be made, this is the next best thing. I’ve been saying since December I’ll be 2 time in ’09, and I still want that. I’m ready, willing and able to fight anyone for the IBF World Title, I’ve been in the gym steady, like I always am and I am ready to fight.”

It is expected that an announcement of the date and location of Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham vs. Matt ‘Too Smooth’ Godfrey for the IBF Cruiserweight World Championship will be made shortly.

We’ll go in order of approximate importance/meaningfulness.

(This whole thing’s really more a “Round and Round” column, but we’ll go in chronological order on the fights in the headlines, then move to a bit of a “here’s what’s going on with some other fights” dealy-bob. For the entirety of the first three sections, my source of information is BoxingScene, with but one or two exceptions. For more info than I provided, read up there.)

Cotto-Pacquiao

–There are, per usual, an endless number of distractions in the Pacquiao camp for his 145-pound bout against Miguel Cotto. It’s always hard to tell when or if said distractions will catch up to Pacquiao. Where will his training camp be — the Philippines, Mexico? The Philippines strike me as a bad place, given Manny’s short attention span and desire to please the people of his country at every turn. Why is he finishing up a movie when his trainer, Roach, wants him in camp? It seems like the movie can wait, if you ask me. Why is Roach at odds with so many of Pacquiao’s advisers? I’m guessing it’s because, from what I can tell, most of Pacquiao’s advisers are kind of dopes, but I’m not sure what can be done about it. I’m not saying it will or won’t have an effect, as I’ve been fooled before into thinking all these distractions will be a factor, but it strikes me again, as every time, as unnecessarily playing with fire.

–I haven’t seen much in the way of solid reports that Pacquiao’s camp actually requested a 24-foot ring for the Cotto fight, which isn’t happening; it’ll be 20-foot, per Las Vegas regulations. However, if the idea is that Pacquiao requesting a 24-foot ring somehow suggests something about Pacquiao’s strategy we didn’t know already, I’m not buying it. The plan always was to box the bigger man, I’m betting. A 24-foot ring might have helped with that, but Pacquiao’s proven adept at maneuvering in and out. It’s not like the guy’s ever going to do a Malignaggi-esque jab and circle routine.

–After falling on and off Top Rank Promotions’ radar, it’s encouraging to hear that Edwin Valero-Humberto Soto at lightweight is something Top Rank boss Bob Arum is focusing on doing on this undercard. We’d be talking not one but TWO Fight of the Year-caliber bouts on the card, as Pacquiao-Cotto has that kind of potential, too. If that fight was on the undercard, it might trump the two quality bouts on the Mayweather-Marquez undercard by itself, and then Arum would be able to say, truthfully, that he did bring the people an “amazing” undercard as promised. Go Bob go. Another option, which wouldn’t be a bad addition but doesn’t add much if it’s instead of Valero-Soto, is that endlessly delayed bantamweight bout between Fernando Montiel and Eric Morel.

NABF and SNBC cruiserweight champion, Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey hopes the fourth time is the charm for him when he takes on unbeaten Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk in the main event on this week’s ESPN2 Friday Night Fights show from The Arena in Philadelphia.

In a battle of full-blooded Native Americans, Godfrey (18-1, 10 KOs), rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 7 by the IBF, is a Wampanoag fighting in the 10-round headliner against a Sioux, Hawk (18-0-1, 16 KOs).
Godfrey was supposed to face Herbie Hide earlier this year in a WBC Eliminator, but Matt was unable to fight due to a hand injury, and an IBF title fight against Tomasz Adamek, planned for this weekend, fell through when Showtime passed on the opportunity to broadcast.

“I’m preparing for Hawk as if I were fighting Adamek,” Godfrey said during a break from a recent workout. “This is a very important fight because I have another opportunity to showcase my skills on live national television. Fights fall through, that’s boxing. I can’t do anything about it and all I can do is keep focused on this fight. I don’t know too much about Hawk other than I know I’m going to beat him. He doesn’t bring anything that strikes fear in me – nobody does! He’s heavy-handed and he doesn’t know how to lose. Those are his two best assets. I’m not worried but I’m still taking him serious.”

The 28-year-old Godfrey, rated No. 10-ranked by The Ring magazine, has had his three most impressive performances fighting on ESPN FNF, knocking out Emmanuel Nwodo, Felix Cora, Jr. and Shaun George.
“This is my fourth main event on ESPN and it’s an opportunity for the sanctioning bodies, media and fans to see me again in action,” Godfrey added. “Every year I believe I’m going to be fighting in a bigger spotlight. I’m hoping that the fourth time around will lead to a world title fight for me. I’m ready to prove that I’m one of the best cruiserweights in the world; I believe I’m the best. When you’re rated in the top 10 by Ring, you’re definitely one of the best because there’s no politics involved, and it lists all of the different champions, not just the top contenders. I’m hoping a convincing win will push me up a little more in the ratings.”

Go on line to http://www.mattgodfreyboxing.com for more information.

NABF and SNBC cruiserweight champion, Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey, plans to showcase his arsenal of skills July 10, headlining ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, against unbeaten Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk.

In a battle of full blooded Native Americans, Godfrey (18-1, 10 KOs), rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 7 by the IBF, is a Wampanoag who will be fighting in the 10-round main event against a Sioux, Hawk (18-0-1, 16 KOs).

The 28-year-old Godfrey, rated No. 10-ranked by The Ring magazine, has had his three most impressive performances fighting on ESPN FNF, knocking out Emmanuel Nwodo, Felix Cora, Jr. and Shaun George.

“I’ve got to prove to everybody watching on national television and others overseas that I am what I say – the best cruiserweight in the world without a world title,” Providence native Godfrey said. “I’m fighting a tough opponent like Hawk on ESPN gives me a step up in terms of being recognized as one of the top five names in the cruiserweight division.

“It’s a dangerous fight because Hawk is unbeaten, 16 knockouts in 18 fights. He doesn’t know how to lose. He’s training with all the confidence that he’s going to show everybody on national television that he’s a top cruiserweight. But he’s never fought anybody with my skills in the amateurs, pros or even sparring. On July 10th everybody will see.”

For more information about CES, its shows and fighters, go on line to http://www.CESBoxing.com.

Two of the best young cruiserweights in the world, Matt “Too Smooth” Godfrey and Shawn “The Sioux Warrior” Hawk, have been on a collision course and lead promoter Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc. (CES) officially announced today that Godfrey-Hawk will headline the July 10th ESPN2 Friday Night Fights show.

Godfrey (18-1, 10 KOs), rated No. 6 by the WBC and No. 7 by the IBF, will defend his NABF and SNBC belts against unbeaten challenger Hawk (18-0-1, 16 KOs) in the 10-round main event.

“Both of these cruiserweights were highly successful amateurs and now they are two of the top young contenders in the division,” CES president Jimmy Burchfield said. “Both are Native Americans, too. When Matt won the first Sovereign Nation Boxing Council (SNBC) belt, Shawn fought on the same card last November at 4 Bears Casino in North Dakota. This is the match-up American boxing fans want to see – two top fighters in against each other. Matt and Shawn have wanted to fight each other for a long time and now it’s finally going to happen.”

The Ring magazine’s No. 10-ranked Godfrey, who has Narragansett blood in his family, had a 194-23 amateur record, capturing six national championships, four open tournaments including the 2004 Everlast U.S. Championships, plus two in the Junior Olympics. He was a Bronze medal winner at the 2001 Pan-American Games, Silver Medalist in all four of that year’s national major tournaments – National Golden Gloves, PAL (Police Athletic League), U.S. Championships and U.S. Challenge — and six-time New England Golden Gloves champion.

As a pro, three of the 28-year-old Godfrey’s most impressive performances have been knockouts of Emmanuel Nwodo, Felix Cora, Jr. and Shaun George on ESPN. His lone loss was by 12-round decision 15 months ago in a WBC title eliminator to Rudolf Kraj in Germany, in which, Godfrey came on strong down the stretch only to run out of rounds.

Hawk, 25, is a full-blooded Sioux who comes from Crow Creek Reservation, North Dakota, which is the poorest Native American reservation in the country. Shawn had a 108-12 amateur record, including victories in four national championships, highlighted by a gold-medal performance at the National PAL Tournament when he was 14.

For more information about CES, its shows and fighters, go on line to http://www.CESBoxing.com.

I hit some of the few Quick Jabbish items on Twitter — the controversy over the TIME “Most Influential” poll that jobbed Pacquiao, the bad advice super middleweight Jermain Taylor got from his corner last weekend, the TMZ piece on disgraced welterweight Antonio Margarito suing California over the hand wrap business — so if you want to catch up on those tidbits, go to www.twitter.com/tqbr.

The Rest Of The Weekend

On Showtime tonight, Carlos Abregu, the welterweight prospect last seen struggling mightily with David Estrada, is taking a step backwards to fight Irving Garcia. (In the photo, Abregu is on the left.) It’s probably a wise step backwards. There’s no shame in getting static from Estrada — he’s a tough fighter — but most of the best have been able to overcome him. Abregu can be a fun boxer, but he faded in that fight and he needs more seasoning before moving back up another level. Another fun-but-only-OK prospect, Marvin Quintero, is taking on what looks to me like a stiffer challenge than the last, against fast but light-hitting Wes Ferguson. Ferguson was last seen getting pasted by Edner Cherry on the Floyd Mayweather, Jr.- Hatton undercard, and between him and fellow “Mayweather Promotions” product Said Ouali, I’m gathering that Mayweather Promotions is very interested in getting a foothold in the lucrative “ShoBox B-side” market. Gary Russell, Jr. fights in a four-round off-television featherweight bout of which Showtime will broadcast highlights.

In other broadcast action this weekend, exciting and talented lightweight Urbana Antillon and welterweight “Contender” grad Alfonso Gomez, rebounding from that beating at the hands of Miguel Cotto last year, fight on Azteca America tonight. And you can catch some untelevised Pacquiao-Hatton undercard fights Saturday via ESPN 360 featuring a prospect I’m very high on, junior featherweight Abner Mares, and a prospect others are very high on, junior welterweight Mike Alvarado.

Round And Round

Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez started the week as off, but as the week moved on, it slowly moved more and more toward a deal for a July 18 pay-per-view. Details are sketchy, and the last official word at midweek was that it was not “done,” according to Golden Boy boss Richard Schaefer. They’ll fight at somewhere below 145 lbs., according to one report, but that’s all I can find out. We already talked about this fight plenty in our Open Thread. I kind of hate it, kind of understand it.

Welterweight Shane Mosley still is holding out hope that he will get the winner of Pacquiao-Hatton. I don’t see how. Marquez, Mayweather and Cotto all offer more money to the winner of that fight.

After walking away from cruiserweight king Tomasz Adamek, Bernard Hopkins is now targeting Carl Froch at super middleweight. ESPN’s Dan Rafael is skeptical, given Hopkins’ somewhat absurd money demands in recent discussions. I share that skepticism. B-Hop also said that he is interested in a Felix Trinidad rematch, but that contrary to reports, he wasn’t seeking it out. Trinidad, for his part, is now wavering, despite having a whopping $15 million on the table. Obviously, Hopkins-Froch is the more interesting fight, if it can be made. But Froch, having been rebuffed by the retired Joe Calzaghe, is turning his attention to Mikkel Kessler. If Kessler can manage to extract himself from his ever-growing series of eye-rolling fights, Kessler-Froch is fine by me, even if I have serious trouble imagining how Froch wins. We’re talking about two of the best fighters in a very deep division and I wouldn’t mind seeing it.

Two junior featherweight stars, Juan Manuel Lopez and Israel Vazquez, are making their next plans. Lopez wants to fight Antonio Escalante in July. So far so good. It’s a viable stay-busy fight while he awaits the availability of his next prospective opponent, and Escalante, an exciting fighter on a hot streak, deserves a payday. The aforementioned next prospective opponent would be, well, Vazquez. In September. I have my reservations about that one. First, Vazquez’ own plans call for him to return at featherweight around then, against Lopez or Steve Luevano. That means he’d have no tune-up fights, apparently. He needs one. We need to see if he has anything left after his surgeries and long layoffs. Jumping right into any tough fight, let alone one with Lopez — who looked so good early last year that I thought he was the class of junior featherweight even WITH Vazquez and his rival Rafael Marquez roaming the division — sounds very dangerous to me. I’m not utterly convinced, as some are, that Vazquez and Marquez are shot. But I’m skeptical that they aren’t damaged goods in some way. Let’s see them prove they can fight ANYONE before we see them fight the biggest and the best.

Contrary to what his promoter Bob Arum wants, lightweight knockout artist Edwin Valero isn’t all that interested in fighting Breidis Prescott on a July 25 pay-per-view. The thinking is that Valero’s beyond that. He’s right. I was interested in the fight because of both dudes’ gaudy knockout ratios, but Valero would have to be the favorite in that fight by a long distance. Who does Valero want instead? A. Joel Casamayor, which was one of my suggestions for him, just to see if he could handle a slick boxer, or B. Humberto Soto, which sounds like as much fun as a boxing match gets. If Valero doesn’t get his way, I won’t be too disappointed, but if he does, I’ll be thrilled.

Since HBO and Showtime have both stupidly turned down Adamek against light heavyweight Glen Johnson — just a terrible business decision, I think, even if there were budget considerations — and since Versus apparently has stopped picking up fights like this (and any fights at all), Adamek has turned his attention elsewhere. The possibilities for a July 10 bout include cheaper options for Showtime, Matt Godfrey and Shaun George. Those aren’t atrocious fights or anything, but Adamek deserves better, and the fans deserve better. We’ve got a true action star here in Adamek, and a very high-quality fighter, and a huge fan draw, by the way, so we need to see him testing himself against a higher level of competition. And Johnson deserves a big payday — he’s an excellent and exciting fighter himself. This is sad, disheartening stuff here.

Reportedly, Gerry Penalosa has been offered a fight with the winner of the bantamweight fight between Fernando Montiel and Eric Morel. There have been a lot of people dismissing this fight, including Pacquiao. But let’s assume Penalosa recovers from the beating he took from Lopez. I have no indicators that he’s seriously harmed from that, unlike the effect of the beatings Vazquez and Marquez dished out on one another. There are voices saying, “Montiel would rip Penalosa apart.” Really? Has anyone noticed how wildly inconsistent he is? I know he’s talented, and I think he’s closing in on pound-for-pound top 20 status, but he hasn’t shown me much at bantamweight yet. So as much as I’d be perfectly fine with Penalosa retiring now, HBO wouldn’t stop reminding us that he loved boxing more than his “wife and life.” Until I see signs of Penalosa deteriorating, I won’t campaign for him to conclude his career. The beating he took from Lopez, he would have taken 10 years ago. The size difference and talent difference was just that wide. I didn’t see slippage.

As much as we’re all interested in Ivan Calderon-Brian Viloria, I’m assuming, we’ll have to wait a while. Calderon will fight on the undercard against a top-ranked junior flyweight, Rodel Mayol, on the June 13 undercard of Cotto-Joshua Clottey. Apparently, the concern was that Viloria wouldn’t be ready yet, coming off his win over Ulises Solis not long ago. I think Calderon has often not taken the stiffest challenges, but I can’t blame him here for wanting to get back in the ring and especially in front of a rabid Puerto Rican crowd at Madison Square Garden. Under the circumstances, Mayol may be a heavy underdog, but it’s not a bad fight.

Word is that super middleweights Lucian Bute and Allan Green are negotiating successfully for a fight in the next few months. I think that’s a competi
tive fight if the talented but mercurial Green is properly motivated. I don’t know why Bute isn’t doing the rematch with Librado Andrade yet, though. And Green also says he wants a piece of Froch and, for some reason, Paul Williams. Froch-Green is a good fight, but Williams-Green, while mildly interesting, just doesn’t really make that much sense to me. What does Green bring to the table for Williams? Nothin’.

After a close loss, junior middleweight Deandre Latimore is pursuing a rematch against Cory Spinks. I can’t imagine either could find a fight that would make them more money, and it wasn’t a bad scrap the first time around. Why not do it again?

Happy birthday to me! Super middleweight Jean Pascal would move up light heavyweight to challenge Adrian Diaconu on June 19, my birthday, for an all-Canada scrap. Good fight, and a good present to Canada, as much as anything else.

Since the WBC decided to screw Timothy Bradley out of his junior welterweight belt for no good reason, Devon Alexander will fight Junior Witter at some future juncture for the vacant strap. Have I mentioned before how much I think the sanctioning organizations suck? At least Alexander-Witter is a decent fight. Actually, it’s almost identical to Bradley-Witter — young unproven speedster with moderate power against proven veteran.

Danny Green won a fight recently then called out Anthony Mundine. Green is a light heavyweight. Mundine is a middleweight these days. If they can work around that, it would be one of many endless Australian rematches I don’t understand or care about. I’m pretty sure this would be Mundine-Green XXXVI.

(Sourcing: FightNews; Sky Sports; ESPN; GMA; BoxingScene; news releases)

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