Rumors still swirl over Martirosyan’s next fight
GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
MARTIROSYAN FOE
NOT DETERMINED
Since his unanimous decision win over Joe Greene in June, talk and rumors have swirled about who, when and where Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan will next fight.
From Miguel Cotto to Paul Williams to Sergio Martinez and on and on, internet reports have surfaced in that time rumoring that Martirosyan will fight certain contenders, while the Glendale fighter has personally laid out challenges to others, such as Williams.
The latest is a likely scrap against New Jersey’s Pawel Wolak (27-1, 17 knockouts) either on Dec. 4 at the Honda Center in Anaheim or on Dec. 18 show on Fox, according to Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum in a story published on Wednesday on AOL Fanhouse.
“We’re going to put [Wolak] in with Vanes,” Arum said. “That fight will happen either that day, Dec. 4, or within the next two weeks on a [Dec. 18] Fox Show..”
Martirosyan or Kermit Cintron was proposed to fight Cotto, but Cotto decided to sit out the remainder of the year. Powlek on the other hand was tentatively scheduled to fight Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., but that bout fell through, as well.
An article on boxingscene.com a day later suggested that Top Rank was contemplating hosting the Fox event in Glendale with the undefeated Martirosyan (28-0, 17 KOs) and Wolak headlining.
Martirosyan, who has been set to travel to the Philippines to spar with Manny Pacquiao, has not confirmed the bout, however, and did not immediately reply to a News-Press text message on Monday.
MORE QB TALK
FOR REID
After watching former star quarterback Donovan McNabb return to Philadelphia for the first time since being traded last offseason, Philadelphia Eagles veteran Coach Andy Reid, a former Glendale Community College football player, saw his current starting quarterback leave in the middle of a 17-12 loss to the visiting Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Michael Vick was diagnosed with a rib cartilage injury in his second and third ribs that he sustained in the first quarter when he was crunched by Washington’s Kareem Moore and DeAngelo Hall.
“This is going to be one of those day-to-day, week-to-week (injuries),” Reid told the Associated Press. “We’ll just see how it goes and how he feels along the way.
“He’s sore. .... It’s up high in that second and third rib. And that’s what it is and you have ligaments and you have cartilage up there.”
If Vick can’t play Sunday when the Eagles (2-2) travel to San Francisco (0-4), the Eagles will likely turn to Kevin Kolb to handle the signal-calling chores. Kolb began the season as McNabb’s successor, but lost his job when he sustained a concussion during the first week of the season against the Green Bay Packers.
Without Vick, the Eagles’ offense struggled against the Redskins.
Reid said Monday that he wouldn’t rule Vick out, but it would seem unlikely he could play due to the nature of the painful injury. Reid, whose team saw its two-game winning streak snapped, added Vick doesn’t have any broken bones.
In addition, running back LeSean McCoy broke a rib during the first half but returned to the contest. Cornerback Asante Samuel and wide receiver Riley Cooper sustained mild concussions.
McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowl member who was drafted by the Eagles in 1999 and led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004 against the New England Patriots, completed eight of 19 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Philadelphia. He received a standing ovation before the game before being jeered during the contest.
Reid and McNabb embraced after the game.
THREE AREA TEAMS EARN RANKINGS
A trio of local high school sports teams earned CIF rankings after the CIF office released the latest polls Monday.
In boys’ water polo, the Crescenta Valley High and Glendale squads remain ranked. Crescenta Valley held steady at the top spot in Division V for the fifth straight week by virtue of a huge 9-5 win against second-ranked La Serna at Pasadena City College on Tuesday. Glendale is sixth in the division for a second straight week.
St. Francis’ football team dropped a spot to No. 5 in the Western Division after it suffered a 35-34 nonleague road loss against West Ranch at Valencia High. The Golden Knights are 3-1.
No cross-country rankings were released.
QB CLUB TO HOLD MEETING
The Glendale YMCA Quarterback Club will conduct its fourth meeting at 11:30 a.m. today at The Elk’s Lodge, 120 E. Colorado St., Glendale.
The club, which is in its 68th year, is geared to support the Crescenta Valley, Glendale, Hoover and St. Francis high football teams and the Glendale Community College football program.
Crescenta Valley first-year football Coach Paul Schilling and Glendale second-year Coach Alan Eberhart will be the guest speakers.