Miguel Angel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale RBR

Holyfield tried to sue Geale. :-(


Daniel “The Real Deal” Geale fighting off claims from Evander Holyfield he has stolen his nickname

WHEN it comes to below-the-belt insults, Australia’s two-time world champion Daniel Geale is no stranger to being blindsided by low blows.

In his latest stoush outside the boxing ring, the fight game’s Mr Nice Guy has been dragged into a blazing row with five-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield over the trademark of the nickname “The Real Deal”.

Sounds like a storm in a teacup? Judging from the emails obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Holyfield’s camp are prepared to go toe-to-toe with Geale the same way the former heavyweight champion traded blows with Mike Tyson, Rid**** Bowe, Lennox Lewis and Michael Moorer.

Citing a trademark conflict-of-interest, Holyfield’s camp turned an initially friendly email exchange into a war of words which, sadly, could well be destined for the courts.

The final email in a chain of exchanges between Holyfield’s agent Neil Glasberg, US boxing promoter Gary Shaw, Grange Old School Boxing owner Bill Treacy and Grange Old School Boxing manager Garrie Fransisco means Geale jetted out for the US with a feud going on behind-the-scenes.


“Considering we have yet to hear from anyone on this request, I would ask that you please immediately refrain from using the nickname, “Real Deal” anywhere in the world, until you have received Consent and Permission from Holyfield Management Inc., which may not or ever be granted,” Glasberg said.

Grange Old School Boxing owner Treacy, a man well-schooled inside and outside the fight game ring, decided the only way to respond was to come back swinging.

“It’s one of the worst things I’ve seen in boxing for a long time but it typifies where boxing’s going where everyone’s trying to get the last penny, bleed the last penny they can out of the game,” Treacy said.

“It’s hard to believe a guy like Holyfield who had such a good reputation, such a good name, wants to put someone down like this.

“Just because Daniel is using a nickname which is the same as what he used, come on. Is it that much of a problem?

“It’s sad that for the sake of trying to get a quid out of it, instead of supporting boxing they’re trying to put it down. In my opinion, it’s very ordinary.

“You didn’t see Sugar Ray Robinson trying to pull this sort of thing on Sugar Ray Leonard, or you didn’t see Jeff “The Hitman” Harding trying to claim ownership against Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton.

“I just think the world’s gone a little bit mad. It’s wrong.”

Since moving away from his hometown of Launceston in Tasmania to turn professional in 2004, Geale has always fought under “The Real Deal” slogan.

Similarly, throughout Holyfield’s 57-fight, 30-year career, the big-punching heavyweight who famously had a piece of his ear bitten off by Tyson in 1996 traded blows under exactly the same alias.

Holyfield even released a video game called Evander Holyfield’s Real Deal in 1992, with his agent claiming he trademarked the name ”Real Deal” in 1990.

The real shame of it is both boxers are regarded as absolute gentleman and wonderful role models outside the ring.

How did it get so ugly? Easy.

Geale’s upcoming world title fight against unbeaten WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in New York on July 27 is currently being plastered all over the US as one of the fights of the year.

As the hype builds, it’s being advertised on cable television giant HBO with links to New Jersey boxing promoter Shaw, who acts as a match-maker for Geale in the US.

Shaw is a multi-millionaire who along with Bob Arum, Floyd Mayweather, 50 Cent and Oscar De LaHoya, ranks as one of the richest promoters in the business.

So, perhaps, the Holyfield camp can smell an opportunistic, easy dollar.

This is the other great shame. In the course of the argument, the Holyfield camp is has dragged in an Australian boxer who can forever etch his name among the best fighters this country has produced by upstaging Golovkin.

It sounds like a big statement but when you consider Geale has already won two world titles in Germany, beating champions Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester, it’s hard to argue against it.

When you talk about Fenech, Tszyu, Harding, Carruthers, Rose, Darcy and Patrick, all legends of the Australian fight game in no particular order, Daniel Geale already gets a start in that conversation.

Beat Golovkin, the undefeated middleweight with the reputation for knocking most of his opponents out, and the triple world champion would be an automatic inclusion.

Surely, then, the unsung hero of the Australian fight game becomes a household name.

 

Barrie Jones rocking a beard. It actually really suits him.

 

:nono Evander is a devout Christian. :yep

 

I've heard of boxers rehydrating 20 to 22 pounds before (maybe even 23) but I've never heard of one doing 25.