BY FRANKLIN MCNEIL
The broad smile on New York Gov. David A. Paterson's face Friday revealed his eagerness to speak. It was a special moment, and the governor refused to enjoy it alone. He invited many high-ranking state and city officials to the Police Athletic League Harlem Center to share in his excitement.
With former New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch and longtime Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau among the dignitaries in attendance, Gov. Paterson made an announcement that could alter the boxing landscape in the Empire State. He appointed of Melvina Lathan as chairperson of the New York State Athletic Commission.
"She has had a remarkable career in the field of boxing and I know she will bring her wealth of experience, energy and passion for sports to her new role," Gov. Paterson said. "I can think of no one better to lead our State Athletic Commission."
Lathan replaces Ron Scott Stevens, who will serve as a commissioner until the end of this year. Stevens served five years as chairperson. Also, Gov. Paterson appointed Judge Edwin Torres to fill a commission seat.
With Lathan at the helm safety will be priority No. 1. She has judged 235 professional boxing matches, 82 title bouts, and has seen the best and worst in combat sports. Lathan won't cut corners when a fighter's health is at stake.
"We are dedicated to safety, safety, safety and we will continue to be dedicated to safety throughout my tenure," Lathan said. "And at some point we will be sanctioning and regulating mixed martial arts."
This is great news for mixed martial arts, which has struggled to get sanctioned in New York. In Lathan, the sport has a knowledgeable chairperson who can stand before New York lawmakers and articulate the benefits of its presence in the state.
If Lathan says the sport is safe and an asset to the state, the legislators will listen. And it is safe to say they will be persuaded.
"I believe that at some point (MMA) will have to be sanctioned in New York," Lathan told The Star-Ledger. "Obviously, I can't say as much as I would like to say because it really happens through the legislative process here, and I don't want to say anything that will hinder its progress.
"But I feel positive because it is a fast-growing sport and one of the most popular sports. It is an intense sport, it is a difficult sport, but it is so different from boxing. I believe that there is room for the two sports, but you can't compare them.
"A lot of people are afraid of what they don't know. If they were more educated about sport ... it would be easier for them to accept it."
News of Lathan's appointment was music to the ears of Marc Ratner, former Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who is now an official with Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ratner believes Lathan's presence will be felt immediately.
"She was one of the top judges in the world and I brought her to Las Vegas for many championship fights and she always did a great job," Ratner said. "Her husband (William E. Lathan, former NYSAC medical director) is one of the top ring doctors in the world, so she really has a wonderful boxing background.
"I respect Ron Scott Stevens very much. I have known him throughout his different worlds as a matchmaker and I thought he did a very good job in the state of New York.
"But changes come and I have been communicating with Melvina for the past 18 months. She studies videos from our UFC shows and she's getting a very good understanding of MMA. And she understands the economic impact of what a big show means.
"I'm delighted. I am looking forward to the day when MMA is sanctioned in New York."
While Lathan wants boxing to continue thriving in New York and MMA to become a fixture in the state, she doesn't plan to implement changes right away. For now she will play the role of overseer.
"I just want to assess the situation, see what's going on, see what we have and see what I have to work with," Lathan said. "It's like moving into a new house ... you want to see what needs to be repaired, what need to be replaced, what needs to be updated. That's what I'm going to do over the next few weeks."
Highly touted junior middleweight JOE GREENE (19-0-0, 14 KOs) is always eager to step in the ring. But the Queens resident is a bit more excited than usual about his next fight, an Aug. 13 (ESPN2 at 9 p.m.) showdown in Hollywood, Fla., against JOSE MIGUEL TORRES (20-3-0, 18 KOs). What has Greene's juices flowing is the chance to go head-to-head with a fellow slugger. "I know Torres likes to knock people out, but so do I, and we're gonna see who has the fastest trigger finger," Greene said. "I know the answer, unfortunately for Torres, he's gonna have to find out the hard way."Greene-Torres won't be the only interesting bout on the Aug. 13 card in Hollywood, Fla. No. 4-ranked (IBF/WBC) junior middleweight JOEL JULIO will look for his seventh win in a row when he faces JOSE VARELA, who is coming off loss to RICHARD GUTIERREZ in February. Before the loss Varela (23-6-0, 16 KOs) had won five straight. The hard-hitting Julio is 33-1-0 with 30 knockouts.If NATE CAMPBELL thought for one second a break was forthcoming after taking the WBA/IBF/WBO titles from JUAN DIAZ in March, he was mistaken. Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KOs) makes the first defense of his titles Sept. 13 against highly skilled JOAN GUZMAN. Unlike Diaz, who possessed little punching power, Guzman has both pop and quickness. Guzman is 28-0-0 with 17 knockouts.Speaking of Diaz, he makes his return to action Sept. 6 (HBO at 10:15 p.m.) against hard-hitting MICHAEL KATSIDIS. The fight will be held in Houston, which is Diaz's hometown. But Katsidis isn't complaining; he gets to wear Reyes gloves in the bout. Reyes gloves are often favored by heavy hitters like Katsidis. "It's going to be an explosive fight ... but I'm bringing the dynamite," Katsidis said.
Former cruiserweight champ DAVID HAYE just can't keep his mind off IBF heavyweight king WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO, but that isn't preventing others from taking aim at him. JAMES TONEY believes Haye doesn't deserve a heavyweight title shot until he proves himself. "He's done nothing to deserve a fight with Klitschko," Toney said. "He won the cruiserweight titles from two bums ... I will destroy David Haye." There has yet to be a response from Haye.Getting healthy for a showdown with ROY JONES JR. isn't the only thing on JOE CALZAGHE'S mind these days. The light heavyweight king might have to defend against a lawsuit filed recently by former promoter FRANK WARREN. In the lawsuit, claiming breach of contract, Warren asks for $1.98 million in damages. Calzaghe suffered a hand injury during training recently and had his fight with Jones postponed. The two were set to fight Sept. 20 at Madison Square Garden, but will instead square off Nov. 8. Calzaghe-Jones will be available on HBO pay-per-view.Since FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. retired, boxing seems to have lost some of its buzz. The MIGUEL COTTO-ANTONIO MARGARITO fight last night lit a spark, but not the kind witnessed by Mayweather vs. OSCAR DE LA HOYA or Mayweather vs. RICKY HATTON. Maybe Mayweather is playing coy, allowing a megastar to rise from the ashes, and will return in 2009.
One fight that has yet to receive much attention is the IBF welterweight showdown Aug. 2 (HBO at 9:30 p.m.) between ZAB JUDAH and JOSHUA CLOTTEY. This is a solid match-up, Judah's speed and power against Clottey's tight defense and precision punching. One reason for the lack of interest is the fight's location, Las Vegas. Like Cotto-Margarito, Judah-Clottey should have been held in New York. Both Judah and Clottey reside in the Big Apple.Mount Arlington-based junior middleweight PAWEL WOLAK (21-0-0, 14 KOs) puts his undefeated mark on the line Aug. 1 (Showtime at 11 p.m.) against veteran ISHE SMITH. The fight will be held at Aviator Sports Arena in Brooklyn. Smith (19-3-0, 9 KOs) represents the most seasoned fighter Wolak has faced as a professional.
For more boxing and mixed martial arts news visit Franklin McNeil's blog at blog.nj.com/ledgerboxing. This column was generated by the writer from interviews, information from other beat writers and The Star-Ledger wire services.
