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Rafael Joins ESPN Boxing
Dan Rafael, formerly of USA Today , has joined ESPN.com to be the senior boxing writer. He will provide full coverage of boxing news and developments, and will report for the leading sports site from all the top fights. In addition, his coverage will be translated and reported on ESPNDeportes.com, the leading Spanish-language sports site in the U.S. Rafael will also provide exclusive boxing news reports in ESPN Motion, ESPN.com's high-quality, no-buffering video tool.
"It is very exciting to add one of the nation's top boxing writers to our team of journalists," said Neal Scarbrough, vice president, editor-in-chief, ESPN.com. "Adding one of the most respected and dedicated voices in boxing allows us to expand our coverage of the sport for both our core audience and for our Spanish-language fans."
Added Carlos Caban, executive editor of ESPNDeportes.com, "Boxing is a very important part of the sporting landscape for Hispanic culture in the U.S. and abroad. To add to the breadth, depth and quality of our coverage is a very valuable service to ESPN's fast-growing audience of Spanish-speaking fans."
Rafael, 34, comes to ESPN.com following five years as the boxing beat writer for USA Today, where he covered the sport daily during his entire tenure. His coverage has included nearly all major fights and fighters during the past five years, including Lennox Lewis, Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De LaHoya, Mike Tyson, Felix Trinidad and more. Rafael also created USA Today's monthly and pound-for-pound boxing rankings. He will continue to produce monthly rankings for ESPN.com. Prior to his tenure at USA Today, Rafael worked for more than three years each at the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton , NY and The Saratogian in Saratoga Springs, NY .
"Sports is what ESPN is all about, it is what they do 24/seven and they do it extremely well," said Rafael. "I'm very excited to be a part of that, and about being able to bring additional breadth and depth to my coverage of the sport. With the Internet now an everyday part of life for sports fans, I am looking forward to being able to bring boxing to that audience as part of the Worldwide Leader."
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jeff:
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Where does Bert Sugar and Max Kellerman get off saying the best American heavyweight is Ray Lewis? He has no background, nothing to substantiate that. Isnt it time that the American media stop making up excuses and give credit to the Europeans? I have no doubt that if all 4 heavyweights were black Americans there wouldnt be a dispute. Not only is the American media selling out the white fighter but its selling out the American black fighters as well.
Really, what is the difference between the day before, and the day after Lennox Lewis retired? NOTHING! All that existed were aging fighters (Holyfield and Tyson), guys who were past there prime and the up and coming group yet no problems existed. that is a bunch of crap. First off, Lewis got his belts from a guy that first KOd him, then had a nervous breakdown in the middle of a fight. Second, he beat an aging fighter well past his prime; Holyfield. Then when he got the belts handed to him, he dumped 2 of them. He did not possess belts, then unify them by fighting other fighters with belts so what is the difference between him and todays heavyweights? The difference is, Lewis refused 2 mandatories so he vacated 2 of them forcing the division to have to unify them. He caused the problem yet the media wants to say there isnt a true champion. Wlad Klitschko has beaten nearly 10 top 10 opponents and beaten a man with a belt; what did Tyson do? Who did Holyfield beat with belts? he lost more then he won. You need to look at the division without being prejudice meaning the color white or non american.... the media is creating the problem in the division as they do everything else and refuse to admit to it. Kellerman and Sugar are idiots and dont know what they are talking about.
Monday Aug 21, 2006
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"It Takes A Special Man"
"It takes a special man to lace them on and step into a ring to either hurt or be hurt. It's always been my opinion that the greatest fighters (not necessarily the most commercially successful) are probably born with that never give up until I'm completely done attitude. It can be nurtured over time, but you either have it or you don't. When adversity hits, and it will, this instinct will allow you to reach inside for additional strength and determination. Ali, Louis, Gatti, Corrales had it....Marquez and Pacquiao have it. De La Hoya, for all the great things he did as a boxer never had it, Tyson didn't have It, Cotto doesn't have it, and as much as I hate to admit it because I loved to watch him fight, Chavez didn't have it. 99.9% of us don't have it either. That's why we're not all fighters and we can sit here and judge these courageous men from the comfort of our computers."
---TSS reader Juan Montelongo offers his take on the Victor Ortiz debate
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