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Joey Abell Has Answers, Plus A Correction from the Fistic Mystic
December 6th, 2009
This article began with a simple purpose: several people pointed out to me that it was Dan O’Connor who Joey Abell was protecting during the group tussle in the ring on Friday night, and not Ron Lyke. It seemed proper to get a clarification, so I called Abell to see what he had to say. Abell was as gracious and friendly as usual, and answered a few more questions at the same time.
Fistic Mystic: Some people have told me that my initial report was wrong, and one of them in particular thought it was very important for me to clear this up! Who was it that was underneath you, who you were protecting?
Joey Abell: Yeah, that was Dan O’Connor. I was just trying to keep people off of him, so he wouldn’t get hurt.
FM: Keep him from getting squished?
JA: Yeah, that’s right.
FM: Okay. Now having fought Raphael once, for a round anyway, would you fight him again?
JA: I would fight him again, any time. Especially after that, that one round.
FM: He did hit you with at least one good shot. Did it bother you? It looked like you shrugged it off…
JA: I didn’t really even notice it or acknowledge it. Some people did tell me afterwards that I’d been hit pretty hard, but I don’t know.
FM: The fight was originally called a disqualification before it was changed to a no-contest. How did you feel about…
JA: I felt the same way – it happened to me once before, in South Dakota, when I hit a guy who had one knee down…
FM: I was at that fight
JA: Yeah, and this was kind of the same thing. It probably looked bad to half of the people who saw it. But to the people who had my view it was legitimate. This was the same. Half of the people didn’t hear the bell.
FM: Did you get paid? Was there any talk of withholding any of your purse money?
JA: I don’t know, I left early and I don’t exactly know. But I know that there was some kind of issue going on there. There was talk, but I’m not sure whether it had anything to do with the result of the fight.
FM: I’ve heard that some people are saying you weren’t fully in the neutral corner following the knockdown. Were you?
JA: You know, when you knock someone down you’re pretty eager to go again. I didn’t want to lose that advantage or that opportunity…but I got yelled at, so I took a step backwards, farther back than I would have been. Yeah, I was in the neutral corner.
FM: How soon would you fight again?
JA: Today!
FM: Do you have any plans?
JA: Ah, no, I haven’t had my meeting yet. We usually have a meeting after each fight to see what’s on the agenda.
The Fistic Mystic says: I was wrong! When Joey Abell arched his body over a gray-haired man in a satin jacket, that was Dan O’Connor, not the similarly attired Ron Lyke.
Boxing Results from Sioux Falls, November 28
November 28, 2008 – 7:10 pm
Joey Abell (now 20-4 with 19 kayos) loses by DQ to Jason Nicholson (now 18-24 with 10 kayos) in round 1 of an 8-round heavyweight bout. This bout took an regrettable turn when Abell had Nicholson badly hurt: Nicholson took a knee and put his head down, whereupon Abell finished a combination with a vicious left hook to the back of Nicholson’s downturned head. There was nothing unsporting about it, and Abell appeared genuinely distressed while he waited in a neutral corner. Nicholson, for his part, appeared to be (and professed to be) in pain and out of equilibrium for a good five minutes afterwards. The decision by referee Mark Nelson was obviously the right one, despite the smattering of boos in the arena - you can’t hit a man who’s taken a knee, and if you do you’re stuck with the result. It’s unfortunate for Abell, who was winning the fight in dominating fashion - I won’t say that Nicholson didn’t throw a punch, but I know for sure he didn’t land a punch…and I honestly don’t recall him throwing one.
Are There Any World-Class Boxers in Minnesota Today?
May 31, 2008
So how about it - are there any world-class boxers in Minnesota today? There are certainly boxers who would like to answer that question with a resounding yes. Some of them may be right. Let’s look at the best and most famous fighters our state has to offer and see what the Fistic Mystic says. (Boxers will be listed in alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone)
Boxer - weight (class) - record - analysis
Joey Abell - heavyweight - 20-2 (19 kayos) - Abell was probably no more than a fight or two from a shot at the big time before losing in shocking fashion to Andrew Greeley on April 26. The loss to Greeley would probably not have been so damaging to Abell had he not already lost once in his career, to Arron Lyons a couple of years back. Abell has some work to do to get back to the cusp of fame and fortune (where he was a little over a month ago), but as has been noted here before, white heavyweights do get second chances in America. Abell’s recently announced plans to fight three times this summer, including a bout with former world cruiserweight champ Al Cole in September, should help - provided Abell wins out. Verdict: not yet world class
They’re talking about Joey Abell in Philadelphia.
There are two trains of thought on Abell in Philly. One says that he’s the greatest thing to hit town in years, he’s an exciting knockout artist with a good future and a fun present, and everybody should get on the Joey Train. These folks are his boosters, the reason Don Elbaum keeps bringing him back to the Legendary Blue Horizon. They think of Abell as one of their own, and they follow him as closely there (in Philly) as we do here in Minnesota.
The other train of thought says that Abell is a big strong guy with a puffed-up record and bad defense, that the first time he’s in the ring with a top-quality opponent he’ll fold like a Valentine’s Day card. They point out that many men have been able to land punches on Abell, but that most of them just weren’t strong enough to hurt him. These skeptics will also tell you that Abell is only popular because he’s big and strong and white. There’s a “homer” aspect to this perspective, an attitude that Joey isn’t really one of them, and he shouldn’t be getting home-town support from Philadelphians.
Not being from Philly, the Fistic Mystic doesn’t take to either opinion. We feel that it’s a good thing for Minnesota boxing if Abell can establish a base at the Blue Horizon, and we’re as excited as any Minnesotan about the potential for Abell to become a star.
But it’s also true that Abell’s defense is spotty, and it’s true that many opponents have been able to walk right in and land punches on him.
Clearly that’s why he’s been working hard at improving his jab (which is a great defensive tool for a big man) and getting as much ring time as possible.
Think of the riddle he poses to his trainers - he’s never in the ring long enough to learn anything! And how do you teach a guy like that good defense? Put him in the sparring ring and tell him not to throw any punches?
He needs developmental time with guys like his recent opponents, Ratko Draskovic and Maurice Wheeler, and his next opponent, Andrew Greeley.
Draskovic has been in the ring with Audley Harrison, Matt Skelton, Danny Williams, Sinan Samil Sam (twice)…Wheeler has done time with David Bostice, Dominick Guinn, Tony Thompson, Alonzo Butler, David Tua, and DaVarryl Williamson. Sometimes he goes the distance and sometimes he gets KOd, but nobody ever put him down as fast as Abell. And Andrew Greeley went the distance in fights with Kevin Johnson, Malik Scott, Travis Walker, Eddie Chambers, and Chris Arreola.
The Fistic Mystic says: these are the kind of opponents Abell needs time with to learn his craft. They aren’t big punchers but they’re tough and experienced, so they offer the possibility of extending Abell past the first round. They’ve been around the block a few times and they won’t be overawed by his power - at least not before he hits them. And they provide a measuring stick for the media and the public. It’s a fun game (even if not very instructive) to compare boxers’ performances against common opponents, and it gives the chatterers something to natter about.