The Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Debacle: Setting the Record Straight

by Paul Magno

Today, Manny Pacquiao ended the debate as to whether the Fight of the Millennium between him and Floyd Mayweather would ever take place.

Pacquiao officially filed a lawsuit in the Nevada federal court against Floyd Mayweather Jr, Floyd Mayweather Sr., Oscar De la Hoya and Richard Schaefer for defamation of character.

Turning back is likely not an option and it is unheard of for two litigants to enter into negotiation for a fight. As a matter of fact, Pacquiao's attorney will surely advise against Pacquiao having anything to do with Mayweather and Golden Boy.

Barring a major miracle, this fight is dead.

But as the story continues to be a source of debate among fans and media, there are so many issues that have yet to be fully understood by those debating. I see the confusion as I wander through cyberspace: From Twitter to Facebook to the numerous boxing sites and forums.

Confusion, questions and unresolved issues abound in this story of the mega-fight that never was...Here are some of the major misunderstandings swirling around this debacle and the facts behind the controversy.

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2009 Junior Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

Last year there was hope. This year, there’s self-pity.

The revolving door at 154 pounds continues to revolve, with the likes of Paul Williams and Sergio Mora moving up to middleweight, and the star-studded names such as Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya have either headed down south or retired. Their replacements were hardly a fair trade. Although Carlos Quintana and Joshua Clottey are great technicians, they are hardly Pay-Per-View fighters. Quintana and Clottey are suppose to come up from welterweight, but who knows in the current fight game. Unfortunately, so far, Kermit Cintron, hasn’t exactly created the predicted splash, which is impressive if you’re a platform diver, but not in any other sport. The Puerto Rican promised a big showing, but we received a lacklustre play instead.

The death of Vernon Forrest has left the division reeling, with the older, wiser gentlemen at the upper half of the ratings taking time off to reflect on their careers. "The Viper's" death scarred the year, alongside legends Alexis Arguello and Arturo Gatti, and respected fighter Marco Nazareth, who all passed away in a July 2009.

One of the fighters that’s took a break from the ring is Ukranian lefty Sergiy Dzinziruk. Another talented fighter from the Eastern bloc, Dzinzurik recently split with promotion outfit, Universum Box for failing to land him a fight with a desperate Paul Williams. Should return for a successful 2010, quite possibly with new promoter, Top Rank, but who would want to risk their winning streak if the WBO strip his title?

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2009: The Boxing Tribune Year-End Awards

by Paul Magno

2009 resembled an Arturo Gatti fight.

Controversy caused by Antonio Margarito's loaded hand wraps and a weak economy had boxing on the ropes for a good portion of the year. To top things off, tragedy hit the boxing world hard as three hall of fame talents were lost: Arturo Gatti, Vernon Forrest and Alexis Arguello.

However, like any good Gatti fight, the underdog battled back and finished strong as quality contests and innovative ideas brought the live gate back in droves and encouraged millions to pay their hard-earned money to watch on TV.

From Plaster Gate to The Return of "Money" Mayweather to The Super Six Tournament to Firepower, here's a look at the best of the best (and the worst of the worst) of 2009:

Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquiao

For the second year in a row, the Filipino Buzzsaw takes top honors with two outstanding performances. Pacquiao followed up a brutal second round knockout of Ricky Hatton with a slow and ugly destruction of reigning WBO Welterweight champ, Miguel Cotto. Things don't get any easier for Pacquiao as he's slated to face Floyd Mayweather Jr, in the first half of 2010 and that could either mean an end to his grasp on FOY honors or a sure 2010 win in this category.

Runners up: Paul Williams, Timothy Bradley


Fight of the Year: Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz

This one had it all. An experienced old pro looking to make his mark in a young lion's home division of 135; Pressure vs. Precision; Fury vs. Technique.

Marquez vs. Diaz exceeded all expectations in a bout full of ebbs and tides and harsh brutality in Diaz's own hometown. At one point, it looked like youth and aggression would prevail as Diaz seemed to be getting to the 36-year old Marquez. However, in the end, it was Marquez's gym-forged and rage-sharpened fundamentals that won out.

Marquez would end up stopping a bloodied Diaz in the ninth to top off a true classic.

Runners up: Bernard Dunne TKO 11 Ricardo Cordoba, Andre Berto UD 12 Luis Collazo


Event of the Year: Firepower

Nothing had boxing fans more energized in 2009 than the clash between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. The buzz was evident for weeks prior to the event and the internet was lit up with both sets of loyal fans making their cases and with an assortment of experts offering their individual takes on the match-up.

In the end, Pacquiao prevailed in a relatively one-sided bout, but that doesn't erase the energy generated by this event and the attention brought to the sport by way of over 1.25 million PPV buys.

Runners up: The return of Floyd Mayweather Jr., The Super Six World Classic Tournament



Knockout of the Year: Manny Pacquiao KO 2 Ricky Hatton

Take one perfectly-timed left hook and combine it with a defensively sloppy Ricky Hatton and you get the most devastating knockout of the year.

Hatton would be left in a heap in the middle of the ring for several moments while Pacquiao celebrated this most brutal of all endings. As surprising as it was crushing, this was a definite career-defining moment for Manny and a sure bet Knockout of the Year.

Runners up: Arthur Abraham KO 12 Jermain Taylor, Randall BaileyKO 4 Frankie Figueroa


Round of the Year: Marcos Maidana vs. Victor Ortiz (Round 1)

This was supposed to be Ortiz's coming out party and the first step in his path to becoming the next Golden Boy. Unfortunately for him, somebody forgot to tell Maidana that he was a stepping stone. Maidana established his will from the opening bell and, despite being knocked down with a hard shot, answered back by decking Ortiz just a few seconds later with a bullet right hand. Ortiz would end up quitting the war in the sixth, but it was the first round that established the fact that Maidana would not be broken by a junior league Golden Boy.

Runner up: Carlos Abregu vs. Irving Garcia (Round 4)


The Pernell Whitaker Virtuoso Award: Shane Mosley

Coming into his bout with Antonio Margarito, there were some smart boxing people who were even going so far as to worry about the 37-year old's safety. After all, Margarito was coming in as the beast who stopped Miguel Cotto.

Mosley would execute a brilliant game plan, devised by new trainer Nazeem Richardson, that made Margarito look impotent and absolutely amateurish.

The one-sided domination of Margarito was somewhat overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Margarito's loaded handwraps prior to the fight, but nothing should take away from Mosley's performance that night in The Staples Center. Mosley proved himself to be a true virtuoso.

Runners up: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (vs. Juan Manuel Marquez), Lucian Bute (vs. Librado Andrade)


The Oliver McCall Puzzling Non-Performance in a Prime Time Drama Award: Daniel Santos

Santos was fighting on the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard, the biggest card of the year, after more than a year of inactivity and he was up against an inexperienced and unproven Yuri Foreman. This would've been the perfect time for Santos to step back into the picture and re-establish himself as a force at 154. Instead he lumbered and slept his way through twelve dull rounds and even allowed himself to be out-muscled by the feather-fisted Foreman.

Runner up: Ruslan Chagaev (vs. Wladimir Klitschko), Nikolai Valuev (vs. David Haye)


UK Fighter of the Year: Carl Froch

Froch spent 2009 proving that his win over Jean Pascal in late '08 wasn't a fluke. He would struggle for large portions of his bouts with Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell, but he would ultimately prevail in both. The finish of his bout with Taylor was exceptionally thrilling as he stopped Taylor at the 2:46 mark while trailing on two of the three scorecards.

Runners up: David Haye, Amir Khan


Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Andre Ward

Prior to 2009, Ward was a gold medalist with a "blah" career, fighting club fighters and looking just competent in his victories.

2009 would be Ward's breakthrough year as he would step things up, big-time, by winning his first world title against favorite Mikkel Kessler via the Super Six tourney. He would also claim dominant victories over Edison Miranda, Henry Buchanan and Shelby Pudwill.

Andre Ward has arrived and will be in the perfect position to build upon his outstanding 2009 by sweeping the 168 pound tournament.

Runner up: Timothy Bradley, Amir Khan


Upset of the Year: Juan Carlos Salgado TKO 1 Jorge Linares

Salgado was merely a stepping stone for WBA Super Featherweight champ, Jorge Linares. Golden Boy promotions had just signed Linares and was already counting the money that could be generated by the well-regarded Venezuelan technician. Unknown Mexican club fighter, Salgado, ruined plans by crushing Linares in seventy three seconds.

Runner up: Shane Mosley TKO 9 Antonio Margarito


Trainer of the Year: Nazim Richardson

Brother Nazim wrapped this prize up in the first month of the year as he devised the perfect game plan for Shane Mosley to beat Antonio Margarito and also uncovered Margarito's use of illegal hand wraps. It was Richardson's astute cynicism that led to his intense inspection of Margarito's wraps which thereby uncovered one of this era's most notorious cheaters.

Runner up: Freddie Roach




Robbery of the Year: Kermit Cintron D Sergio Martinez

It sure seemed as though the Florida state commission was determined to not let Martinez walk away with the win. After controlling the first half of the fight, Martinez sent Cintron to the mat hard at the end of the seventh and referee Frank Santore Jr. reached the count of ten. The fight was apparently over and then, a few minutes later and against all common sense, Santore waved the fight back on and ordered for both fighters to continue for the eighth. The rest time aided Cintron and allowed him to come back and take it to Martinez in the following three rounds. Then, in another shocking move, after a great round by Martinez in the eleventh, Santore took a point from Martinez for hitting behind the head. Still, even with the missed knockdown and bogus point deduction, Martinez seemed to be the clear winner...Surprise! The fight was ruled a draw.

Runners up: Ali Funeka D Joan Guzman, Chris John D Rocky Juarez


The George A Romero Gore Award: Miguel Cotto

Cotto's face took a real beating twice in 2009. First, a massive cut over his eye against Joshua Clottey and then a brutal pulverizing at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. There's one thing for sure when it comes to Cotto: his face shows the signs of a real beating. Last year he was the runner up to this award when he was beat by Margarito; This year, he takes top honors. Congrats Miguel, I guess...


Gutsiest Effort of 2009: Nate Campbell MD 12 Ali Funeka

Weight drained and having been stripped of his titles earlier on, the 37-year old Campbell walked into a 6ft 1, South African punching machine and had to literally fight for his life. Campbell came on strong early and even knocked Funeka down in the second. However, Funeka recovered and gained complete control in the middle rounds. Campbell, behind on the cards and seeing his career on the line, pushed himself through shear exhaustion and battled back to a Majority Decision win.

Runners up: Marcos Maidana TKO 6 Victor Ortiz


Comeback Fighter of the Year: Brian Viloria

At one time considered a top prospect and classy world champ, a couple of tough losses sent Viloria into such a tailspin that nobody in their right mind was giving him much of a chance against long-reigning IBF Jr. Flyweight champ, Ulises Solis. Viloria didn't win easily and Solis didn't go down without a major fight, but somehow, some way, "Hawaiian Punch" once again found the inner drive to push onward and he KOd Solis in the 11th, in front of a packed pro-Viloria card in Manila, the Philippines.

Runners up: Robert Guerrero, Rodel Mayol


The Rat F*ck Douche Bag Award: Antonio Margarito and Javier Capetillo

Prior to the fight against Shane Mosley, illegal hand wraps containing a plaster-like substance were discovered on the hands of Margarito. There were denials and ridiculous excuses made by Margarito, Capetillo and promoter Bob Arum...even charges of racism were leveled. However, the end result was a one year suspension for these scum bags who were willing to put the lives of their opponents in jeopardy to make up for their own flaws and inabilities

Runners up: The Texas and Florida State Commissions, All Boxing Promoters


The Chris Brown vs. Rihanna One-Sided Beatdown Award: Manny Pacquiao TKO 12 Miguel Cotto

This was being built-up as a real dangerous match-up for both fighters where both guys had an equal chance of being destroyed. The reality was that, barring a couple of shots in the early rounds, this was an easy, one-sided win for Pacquiao. By the last few rounds, Miguel Cotto was literally running from Pacquiao's punches.

Runner up: Floyd Mayweather Jr. UD Juan Manuel Marquez, Vitali Klitschko TKO 9 Juan Carlos Gomez


The Dr. Phil Non-Expert Analysis Award: R.A. The Rugged Man

Somehow, some way, this hard-luck, middle-aged rapper found his way on to internet boxing shows and websites as some sort of expert analyst. With the mentality of a message board troll, this failed Beastie Boy wanna be, is actually sought after as a voice of real analysis. His presence is a real kick in the head to all boxing analysts who actually do have a working knowledge of the sport, but lack the exposure. "Rugged Man" is to boxing analysis what Vanilla Ice was to Hip Hop.


The Transformers II Needless Sequel Award: Chad Dawson vs. Antonio Tarver II

What's worst than a relatively one-sided unanimous decision? Answer: A rematch of a relatively one-sided unanimous decision. Chad Dawson clearly proved himself to be the better fighter of the two in their first encounter, but a Tarver rematch clause forced the rematch. The yawner, his first on HBO, actually lowered Dawson's stock.

Runner up: Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez II


Paula Abdul Worst Judge Award: Gale Van Hoy

First, he turned in a ridiculous 114-114 score for Chris John-Rocky Juarez I. Then, he topped himself with a ridiculous 118-110 score for Juan Diaz over Paulie Malignaggi. Texas judge, Van Hoy, has proven himself completely inept at scoring fights featuring Texas' favorite sons.

Runners up: Pierre Benoist (119-110, Paul Williams over Sergio Martinez); Alan Davis, Benoit Roussel (114-114 Ali Funeka-Joan Guzman)


Dumbest Move of 2009: James Kirkland's Parole Violation

Kirkland was one of the brightest stars coming into 2009 and seemed to seal the deal as a legit power with his dominant performance over Joel Julio in March. Shortly after, Kirkland was arrested for parole violation in an attempt to purchase a firearm. He was sentenced to two years in a federal prison.

Runners up: Monte Barrett's attempt to jump over the top rope in his ring entrance vs. David Haye, Miguel Cotto caving in to every concession prior to the Pacquiao fight


The "Hey, That Guy Works at Footlocker" Award: Shelby Pudwill (vs. Andre Ward)

This is The BTBC's annual award given to the most pedestrian fighter who somehow finds his way on to a major network. Congrats on making the Showtime telecast, Shelby!




Tiger Woods Cheat Award: Antonio Margarito

Mrs. Tiger Woods Cheated-On Award: Ali Funeka

Should've Happened: Steve Cunningham vs. Tomasz Adamek II

The Jermain Taylor, All Messed-up Award: Jermain Taylor

The Nostradamus Award: Paulie Malignaggi (for predicting his own screw job against Juan Diaz)

Worst Pay Per View: March Badness

Stick a Fork in 'em, They're Done: Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy, Danny Williams, Jesus Chavez, Roy Jones Jr. (again), Carlos Hernandez, Monte Barrett

2010 is Their Year: Who knows? There's a lot of parity in the sport right now and not many clearly dominant forces...Let's opt out of this one and make an obvious choice: The Boxing Tribune and The BTBC Fan Forum will continue to grow and prosper in 2010, becoming a true force in the sport. Viva BTBC! Happy 2010!

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2009 Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

With Arthur Abraham exiting the division, it was hard to see how lineal middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik would find a credible opponent to share the same ring at 160 pounds. Especially after the grand plans of Top Rank were quickly scrapped and re-mapped following Bernard Hopkins’ magical performance. But he wasn’t dethroned, or stripped of his titles, he is still the champion of the world. But his plans have still changed dramatically.

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2009 Super Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward vs. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler. Over the course of a month and a half, six quality fighters are slated to step into the ring in three outstanding matches. How many of them are on PPV? None. Yes, that’s right, zilch. They compete in a revolutionary new tournament set-up by Showtime Sports to find out who is top dog at 168 pounds.

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Dear Santa,

As we’ve all been exceptionally good at the BTBC this year, I think we deserve a couple of crackers to kick-off boxing in 2010.

On the top of our list, please don't let egos ruin what could be the Fight of the Century. Send Team Pacquiao and Team Mayweather enough Christmas spirit to swallow some of their pride and make this fight.

Then, we ask you for David Haye vs. Klitschko, either the Wladmir or Vitali edition we're not particularly fussed. It would be a great contrast in styles, something to enlighten a poor division that’s lacked a competitive match-up since Lennox Lewis retired.

We would like to see the Super 6 Boxing Classic liven up a bit, as we’ve been mildly disappointed by the first round of action. Don’t get us wrong, it’s a great concept, but to state that the action has been tentative would be an understatement. It’s like the six fighters are on a punch cap, no more than 70 punches thrown or a point deduction, bar you Sir Andre Ward. We like the fact that Ken Hershman said that hometown advantage won’t be a factor in this tournament when he was asked to comment on Andre Ward having his three group stage fights at home. Not a factor! It’s 3-0 to the hometown fighters so far in the tournament, and it looks very likely that it could be 6-0 by the end of Stage 2.

Also, make old pros Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and James Toney more active in 2010 or allow them the grace to pass the torch to the next generation.

Welterweight warriors, please can you stop your whining and get on with it. The ego-inflated boxers complain about this, complain about that, call each other out on foreign TV broadcasters, or even Twitter in one case. Just fight each other. Don’t you realise that you could be the next Fantastic Four?

Ross Greenburg, please, we're begging you, don’t throw this golden opportunity away. Forget everything about celebrity boxers and match-up competitively in a watchable fight. We don’t want to see Chris Arreola jiggling belly dancing at the Staples Center or Madison Square Garden, although it would solve the ancient myth that you can fit a round circle in a square garden.

JuanMa Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Robert Guerrero, Tavoris Cloud, Edwin Valero, Alfredo Angulo, Troy Ross, Allan Green, Nathan Cleverly, Kell Brook, Roman Martinez please take a half step forward already. We need you guys to live up to your talents or make room for others.

Can every other ‘expert’ website stop jumping on the Pacquiao bandwagon like he’s the second coming? There’s giving him praise, and there’s nut-hugging. Again, don’t get me wrong, he’s an exceptional fighter, but the fact that he’s getting compared to All Time Greats is taking the yellow water at the moment.

Sky Sports, we like the fact that you broadcast regular domestic fights on a consistent basis. You have saved the grassroots of our lovely sport for another year. But please, get a new panel. Jim Watt can’t score a fight to save his life and Jhonny Nelson just goes with the flow and gives anything to the hometown favourite.

Bring back Bunce!

Everyone would like to be The BTBC’s Predictor League Champion sometime during the year, so a couple of spine-chilling upsets along the year would be an added excitement.

Yours Sincerely,

The Boxing Tribune

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Jeopardizing Mayweather Fight Only Raises Suspicions Of Cheating

by Dafs117

“9.79! Absolutely incredible! 1.1 wind, that’s legal!”

The ironic quote from a shell-shocked commentary team at Seoul 1988 will live long in the memory of any hardcore sport fan. Ben Johnson not only made the whole world stand still with his world record over the 100 meter dash, he also made the world take note of the lifestyle and pressures an athlete goes through, in preparation for the big stage.

No stranger to a big stage is Philippines icon, Manny Pacquiao. One of the best left-handed fighters in boxing history, Pacquiao has battled poverty from an early age to rise from the slums of General Santos City to boxing stardom. Pacquiao, similar to Johnson, carries the hopes of a nation to every event, consistently outperforming his latest feat with another spectacular performance from the top drawer.

The storyline that’s being portrayed, is again, very similar. A small town boy that struggled through childhood grows up to be one of the most influential figures in sport. The world is his oyster as he re-writes the history books, year after year after year.

The Cinderella story is something the public adore, and they bow to Pacquiao the same way they bowed to Johnson. As Johnson was victorious in Seoul 1988, his loyal Canadian fans jumped for joy, with the thought of enhancing drugs, never, crossing their minds.

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2009 Light Heavyweight Report

by Dafs117

The interest of the light heavyweight division has drastically dropped over the course of the year, with the top dogs competing in poor match-ups, sadly not against each other as the top two didn’t come close to the negotiation table. The division can pretty much be separated into two categories, uninteresting older ‘celebrity’ fighters and interesting younger hungrier fighters. In other words, this is a division that has been in a semi-lull recently, but might soon snap out of it.

As we always start at the positive end of the spectrum here at the BTBC, we’ll start with the young guns that have resuscitated the weight class. There’s the undefeated Chad Dawson, who has talent and puts sweet into sweet science. Sudden lapses of concentration make him vulnerable to the wiser operators in the division, so it might be wise that there’s been no mention of the top two facing off. Dawson failed to capitalize on his breakthrough year of 2008, with similar victories against the contenders put in front of him.

Jean Pascal made the jump up north from super middleweight and quickly made himself a force, winning a title in the process. The green belt has given Pascal another massive opportunity, thus being against Dawson, to really plant himself on the main stage of boxing. He’s a talented fighter, but his execution of simpler tactics is his downfall. His strengths are his boxing abilities, not his slugging nature. He could have easily outpointed Carl Froch last year, but decided to mix it up. The performance however, was promising.

Adrian Diaconu is hardly young, but as he’s a new face, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. He lost twice to Pascal, but kept it close to most importantly keep himself in the frame for another title shot later on in the year, not against Pascal though. Another fighter that is easily caught in transformation from defence to attack, we may have seen the best of Diaconu at 175 pounds. Still, he’s another fresh name at the bottom end of the table.

Patience is a virtue. Especially for Tavoris Cloud, who waited a year and a half to get his much deserved titleshot, capturing the IBF trinket with a unanimous verdict over Clinton Woods, who has since retired from the sport. Big things are expected from Cloud in 2010, but can the undefeated American deliver?

Yusaf Mack suddenly found himself in the high ranks of the division following his split verdict over Chris Henry. He could be another American with a big year ahead of him, with plenty of names seeing Mack as a beatable fighter. He has one punch power that his record covers up, but another relatively new name up there at 175 pounds.

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UK Beat Report: Year Review

by Dafs117

2009 has been a magnificent year for British boxing, with three recognized belt holders and many up and coming prospects making the step from domestic to the European scene.

British boxing froze midway through 2008 and somebody came along to press the F5 button that all stream-watchers have pressed countless times during the past 12 months. It gave British boxing, and the live stream, a refresh. We had a makeover, a transformation and many passing of torches.

Joe Calzaghe retired, and opened the door to Carl Froch. The first major passing of the torch in British boxing over the course of the year. Froch won the WBC Super Middleweight title in a scrap against Jean Pascal, before travelling to the States to stop Jermain Taylor late, and defending his title for the second time in the Super 6 Boxing Classic tournament, against Andre Dirrell, winning via close split decision.

Ricky Hatton’s retirement is inevitable. He might come back to be stopped by either Marquez or Cotto in a one sided affair, but he will leave a fan-base behind. Ricky Hatton passed his smouldering flame to King Amir Khan, who went 3-0 with wins over a one-eyed Marco Antonio Barrera, former paper champion Andreas Kotelnik and previously unbeaten Dimitry Salita.

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Pavlik Destroys Espino in 5...Can The Ghost Win Back His Fans?

by Paul Magno

Miguel Espino (2o-3-1, 9 KOs) showed up at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio ready to go to war. Unfortunately, he was severely outgunned by reigning WBO and WBC middleweight champ, Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs).

The fight itself was of the phone booth variety as both Pavlik and Espino traded shots on the inside. Pavlik scored the heavier blows to the body and head, but Espino, to his credit, kept firing back, even marking up the hometown fighter's face with sloppy, but scoring counters.

Referee Steve Smoger deducted a point from Espino in the first round for punching after the bell and warned him for low blows on several occasions as the battle started to heat up and Espino's punches started drifting down below the belt line.

In the fourth, Pavlik scored two wicked uppercuts that forced Espino to take a knee, but the challenger was able to survive. At the 1:44 mark of the fifth, however, Espino went down again and, this time, his corner waved off the fight.

The post fight interview was highlighted by Pavlik's mocking of Paul Williams' status as "Most Feared Man in Boxing" and by promoter Bob Arum's offer to make the Williams fight Pavlik's first priority in 2010.

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2009 Cruiserweight Report

by Dafs117

Let’s get real. The 200 pound division is a bitch of a division. A tease. Whenever the division finds a talented titleholder, he bottles it to heavyweight. That’s been the case for years. Recently, newly crowned Cruiserweight king Tomasz Adamek made the move up to heavyweight, leaving the division in desperate need for a new champion.

Bernard Hopkins has hinted many times of jumping up to cruiser and fight Adamek. It would’ve energized the division, and brought much needed attention to a competitive division. Nothing came in the end. The boxing public cried out for a rematch between Adamek and Steve Cunningham, but they thought different. When good match-ups are thrown out by the media and fans alike, the Cruisers ride the wave of good karma and let the cry die out.

The thing that grips most followers of the division, all 36 of them, is that anybody in the Top 50 could beat each other. This makes the division almost unpredictable. Also, the tailend of any top 10 Cruiserweight ratings can be made up of thousands of different combinations, and still be regarded as credible. You can make a case for any 200 pounder to be in the Top 10, seriously.

Who could succeed Adamek as the Cruiserweight King? At the head of the class is Philadelphian Steve Cunningham, one of few cruiserweights who have boxing ability not just power. He took Adamek the full twelve and may have won it if there was another set of judges involved.

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The Return of American Swagger

by Paul Magno

At the beginning of '09, the big story among the boxing media was the apparent downfall of the American fighter.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was still retired, Oscar De la Hoya had been humiliated by Manny Pacquiao and future Hall of Famers, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins were on their last legs. Even Kelly Pavlik, the blue collar Cinderella story of 2007-2008 had been profoundly schooled by Hopkins at the end of '08.

2009 didn't look to be much brighter at all for the American fight contingent since, to kick things off, Mosley was going to be facing off against the new consensus #1 Welterweight in the world and widely-regarded beast, Antonio Margarito.

But "Sugar" Shane pulled off the upset in front of a partisan, pro-Margarito crowd at The Staples Center in Los Angeles and ushered in a year that would see the return of a strong American presence in the sport.

Of course, bringing in the headlines was Floyd Mayweather Jr., as he totally dominated Juan Manuel Marquez in his comeback fight in September and officially pushed for a return to his pound for pound throne with a proposed fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2010.

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More Bang For Your Buck: Boxing's Top KO Champs!

by Dafs117

On Saturday, power-punching monster Edwin Valero will make his maiden defence of his WBC Lightweight belt against Hector Velazquez in front of a sell-out bumper crowd in his home nation of Venezuela, La Guaira.

As ‘Dinamita’ has a ridiculous knockout ratio, we list the top 10 belt-holders in order of knockout percentage.

#10 Giovanni Segura (MEX) (22-1-1, 18 KOs) 82%

The WBA Light Flyweight titlist has won all his title contests by stoppage.

#9 Vic Darchinyan (ARM) (33-2-1, 27 KOs) 82%

The WBC and WBA Super Flyweight titleholder made a stunning comeback from the Agbeko defeat with a two round knockout of Tomas Rojas.

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2009 Heavyweight Report

by Dafs117
At the top of the pile (because that’s what they are, a pile of crap), remains the unique two man monster, brothers to be more exact, Wladmir and Vitali Klitschko. They are double champions. Neither one has shown that they’re ‘The Man’ at the top. This is the theory. Beat one Klitschko and you’re in the top two. Beat both Klitschko’s and you’re ‘The Man.’ Sounds like an ending to a fantasy game, doesn’t it?

Nobody knows if the brothers are good for boxing. They’re gentleman, icons and great sportsmen. But a champion won’t be crowned unless they get defeated or retire (together at the top sounds like the beginning to the fantasy game). Is there anybody good enough to beat a brother? Nobody screams out DANGER to all heavyweights like a 5 fight Mike Tyson did. One thing that’s really bugging me about their fights are people classing them as ‘boring.’ I don’t mind defensive sweet science, but if you can take him out of that ring, please do. It’s just too one-sided. Like Vitali said after his pummelling of Chris Arreola, “Boxing isn’t about proving you have a hard head.” True Vitali.

Since they will NEVER fight each other, no matter how many times ignorant reporter’s will ask them that same bloody question they’ve been fending and ducking for a decade, unless they are short of cash, they would turn to each other in a mega mainstream bout that would make them filthy rich. I wonder if Big Mama Klitschko will be ringside? Who will fill the void at the end of the Klitschko era?

The current hopes of breaking the Ukrainians’ stranglehold at the peak is former undisputed cruiserweight champion David Haye, a mouthy Brit that’s uniquely charismatic for a big guy, has a massive punch output, is fast and exciting. He has given the division the kiss of life with his mouth, not his fists, which is pretty impressive. Maybe he got the big fights because he has a personality, and isn’t the same old robotic contender that usually fits the Klitschko criteria. Can he avoid those jabs and right hands for 12 rounds, and then pluck up the courage to land something powerful in return? Let’s leave that for another series of Magno vs. Machine. If Haye breaks down, Alexander Povetkin (yes another Ukrainian), is just like Haye, has a massive punch output, is fast, exciting and a MASSIVE underdog against a Klitschko.

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James "Lights Out" Toney: A BTBC Tribute

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Tavoris Cloud to Chad Dawson: "You can’t be great just fighting hand-picked, over-the-hill guys.”

NORTH MIAMI BEACH (Dec. 14, 2009) – Undefeated IBF light heavyweight champion Tarvoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KOs) has become the Rodney Dangerfield of boxing – he can’t get any respect, especially from “Bad” Chad Dawson, allegedly the top dog in the 175-pound division.

“Chad Dawson won’t be able to run 12 rounds against me,” Cloud said. “My pressure will be unbelievable and I hit hard with both hands. He’ll have to stand and fight and that will be his ultimate demise. We’re totally different. If I went around saying I could beat the No. 1 contender, like Chad did when I was the No. 1, I’d fight him to prove it.

“I’m baffled, I guess, more than frustrated. All my life watching boxing, I thought the champion had to fight the next available, most deserving challenger, or unify the title. I was the No. 1 contender and he was the champ, but that’s when all the politics of boxing came in – extensions and exceptions – and his promoter lobbied to duck this hungry fighter. I understand the promoter building a fighter and arranging puff fights for more money. At some point, though, a real fighter has to fight the best. You can’t be great just fighting hand-picked, over-the-hill guys.”

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Magno vs The Machine (Round 7: The Tripleheader Results)

In the last Magno vs. Machine of the year, the trilogy was supposed to split the pair to make it a closer contest. But both predictors went the same way, and the right way, to get 3 more wins on their records. However, Machine scored 2 vital KOs to close the gap on Magno in the final stretch.

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Pascal Decisions Diaconu: Light Heavyweight Gets A Little More Interesting

Both challenger, Adrian Diaconu (26-2, 15 KOs), and WBC Champion, Jean Pascal (25-1, 16 KOs), came into their bout Friday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with their trademark qualities on full display. Pascal utilized his athleticism while Diaconu fully showed his characteristic tenacity through 12 quality rounds that ended in a unanimous decision for Pascal.

At several points in the bout, both fighters seemed affected by their opponent's power, yet continued to trade on occasion.

As the fight progressed, Pascal remained ahead throughout based on sheer hand and foot speed, but Diaconu was never far behind.

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Time For Change: Can Kingpin Kevin Kayo Klitschko?

by Dafs 117

When David Haye finally claimed a heavyweight title, defeating sloppy titlist Nikolay Valuev, the Heavyweight began its first cosmetic surgery since the beginning of the decade.

Haye know holds a market share at the top of the heavyweight division, and soon, surely, a title shot at Vitali Klitschko must be around the corner. He first defends against John Ruiz, then surely Vitali Klitschko could free up his schedule.

Dr Ironfist fights on Saturday, against Kevin Johnson, an American that possess a potent jab that could trouble the ever-aging Klitschko. He has a padded record that doesn’t really scream out worthy contender, but he has a nature that could trouble Vitali in the ring.

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Magno vs. The Machine (Stage 7)

Round 7: Klitschko-Johnson + Bradley-Peterson + Diaz-Malignaggi II

Paul Williams got another win for both men last Saturday with a split decision victory over tough cookie Sergio Gabriel Martinez. And in the last Magno vs. Machine of the year,

Three fights this week must result in different opinions from Magno and Machine, surely? The heavyweight contest between Vitali Klitschko and Kevin Johnson will kick things off before a channel switch to Timothy Bradley’s defence against Lamont Peterson, then a return to HBO to watch another controversial moment in the tripleheader of Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

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Diaz vs. Malignaggi II: Is It Diaz's Turn To Be Screwed?

by Paul Magno

First, I'm not of the opinion that Paulie was robbed in the first fight. The Gale Van Hoy score of 118-110 for Diaz was obscene, but the fight itself was close and could've gone either way.

And now, as both fighters gear up for the rematch of their August encounter, the stage is being set for another controversial decision that is almost guaranteed to lead to a third encounter. All judging issues aside, the match-up itself screams controversy.

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In Search of…Troy Ross

by The Green Machine

You wouldn’t know it unless you’re Canadian, or a boxing fanatic checking results and web pages from around the globe, but Troy Ross fought Saturday night, and knocked out Daniel Bispo in just over a minute. On the big stage this was lost with Paul Williams and Chris Arreola fighting on the same night on HBO but I think Ross deserves more attention, a grander stage, and the opportunity that The Contender series was supposed to give him.

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Magno vs Machine (Stage 6: The Results)

No change in the standings as Magno still holds a one point lead over the Machine, with both contenders choosing a Williams victory. However, no kayo on the record keeps it close with a bumper three fights for to end the calendar year.

Round 7 will make both camps rack their brains, with a major re-shuffle expected. Vitali Klitschko defends his WBC belt against Kevin Johnson, Paulie Malignaggi hopes for some Sicilian justice against Juan Diaz and Timothy Bradley hopes to win the battle of the unbeaten Americans against Lamont Peterson.

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The Tangled Web of Boxing's Officials

by Paul Magno

The incompetent 119-110 score issued by judge Pierre Benoist after Saturday's Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez bout has inspired a lot of articles and reports about the awful state of judging in the sport we love.

Just one week after Ali Funeka was robbed of a world title by a pair of suspicious 114-114 scores against Joan Guzman, Benoist's wide score completely ripped off the scab that had been healing since Gale Van Hoy incomprehensibly saw Juan Diaz utterly dominate Paulie Malignaggi back in August.

But as amateur and professional boxing pundits alike gnash their teeth about bad decisions and their negative impact on the sport, the wheels keep turning and absolutely nothing is being done to alter an obviously broken system.

Recently, the BPA (Boxing Promoters Association) issued one of the most laughably ironic statements of the year when they "expressed deep concern" over the state of officiating in boxing and offered to create a rating process to judge "competency and integrity" among officials.

Kids running the candy shop?

The most ironic part of their statement is that those officials showing the most competency and integrity would probably end up getting the fewest judging assignments.

Right now, as it stands, the pool of available boxing officials consists mostly of yes men and professional vacationers whose well-paid officiating getaways are paid for directly by the promoters.

Sure, the judges are technically appointed by the commission, but everybody knows that those in the running for appointment are among the group of judges already on the promoter-approved list of acceptable officials. The promoter, who is ultimately footing the bill for the judges, referee and the entire event, will not be forced to accept an appointment that they really don't want.

So, what we get is the same incompetent and/or corrupt officials being passed around from fight to fight with the full knowledge and approval of both promoter and a commission that is just happy to have a revenue-generating event in their home state and a paycheck in their pockets.

At this point, nothing short of a total restructuring of the system will improve the quality of the officiating.

The principal conflict of interest has to be eliminated if things are to improve. This means either establishing a complete separation between the promoter and the officials via strong and independent national commission or by ending the promoter's urgency to protect his own interests by ending his ability to sign fighters to exclusive contracts.

Until we can put an end to this ridiculous conflict of interest where, basically, the officials and fighters are on the same promoter's payroll, there can't be any real level of fair play. The commissions will swear up and down that there is indeed a system of revision and discipline when it comes to their officials, but the truth is easily seen.

And, right now, under the current system, how are the most egregious offenders disciplined for their transgressions?

Well, look at our friend Gale Van Hoy, who was at the center of a firestorm of controversy due to his ridiculous 118-110 score for fellow Texan, Juan Diaz. Van Hoy was punished with a trip to Germany and an assignment to judge a WBC interim title fight.

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November Notes

by Dafs117

There was much hype about November’s fan-friendly month, but did it deliver?

October finished with a Halloween treat from Yhonny Perez and Joseph Agbeko. A great fight and Perez deserved the win overall out-thinking Agbeko from Round 1. It was closer than I probably make it out to be, but still Perez won the fight. Don King said that he had sold the fight too over 200 countries on the web. Really? A bantamweight fight selling in over 20 countries would be something, but 200 sounds like an MMA figure to me.

Sam Sexton stopped Belfast cabbie Martin Rogan who was out of gas (that’s an awful pun) after the 5^th round. It was still end to end stuff, but Sexton looked more relaxed in this fight. A third fight would just end up in the same result for British Boxing’s Balboa.

Alfredo Angulo is a beast... at club level. Flu or no flu, I highly doubt that El Perro can carry his extreme power and pressure to the not so bright lights of the light middleweight division. His stoppage over Harry Joe Yorgey was impressive, but not the war that it was promised to be.

If Angulo isn’t quite the finished article, Chad Dawson is. He’s on the top of his game who has amazing talent and discipline. Glen Johnson couldn’t live with him. He maybe another African American star who lacks a fanbase. Fans follow local fighters or fighters they can relate to. You don’t see Filipino fans following Wladmir Klitschko. Anyway, a talent that’s not likely to be defeated for a long long time.

At last, Nikolay Valuev is out of the WBA picture. David Haye made him look silly. Valuev was awful, slow, and when he was wobbled in the final round, I wanted to see him make a hole in the canvas. Nothing against the guy, I just wanted to see a 7ft mammoth of a man fall flat on his back and cause some movement on the Richter scale.

Matthew Hatton is not world class, neither is Lovemore N’Dou. There fight wasn’t a thriller. They were evenly-matched. They evenly-fought. But they were evenly-awful technically. If Hatton wants to be considered around the top 10 welterweights in the world, I personally don’t count him as the top 10 in Europe, he needs to get a move on and beat figures such as N’Dou. Look Manchester fight fans, Matthew is no Ricky. Let the Turkish Tyson, Selcuk Aydin at him. That will prove if he’s in with the A crowd.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. failed a drugs test! Finally a reason for Bob Arum to drop him off PPV. Daniel Santos is a bum. Big talk, even thinking ahead, but Yuri Foreman was on his game, and even the feather-fisted Rabbi in waiting knocked down the underprepared, unprofessional Santos. Alfosno Gomez is up and down like a jack-in-a box. He’s class one day, he flops on another. Then, the main event. I’ll keep it short and sweet, as I don’t want to rub it in Bori’s face anymore, though I highly doubt he reads my stuff. Manny Pacquiao cruelly battered Miguel Cotto in something the RSPCA would have stopped earlier. He cemented his position as P-4-P #1. Yes, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not the #1. He might be the best fighter, but Pacquiao’s achievement tops Mayweather’s talents in my rankings, and any reliable ratings.

If Rodel Mayol learned one thing from two Ivan Calderon fights, it was the way to head-butt. It took him two rounds to make Edgar Sosa uncomfortable, before dismantling a groggy Sosa who still hadn’t recovered from the head-butts. I later figured out that Andre Ward is America’s answer to Amir Khan, only with a chin that he can rely on. Athletic, fast and powerful, he is the real deal and will win the Super 6 tournament. There’s only one man that can stop him and that is Carl Froch, who I believe will dismantle Mikkel Kessler in the City Ground. Some might be aware of my far-fetched Super 6 set-up theory, but that’s for another day.

To finish off with a B.A.D card, that had BAD broadcasting to match. I understand that Ali Funeka won the fight, but if you watch the fight closely you can see how the judges scored it 114-114. I scored it 115-113 to Funeka, but HBO’s brainwashing remarks convinced the whole boxing world that Funeka won by a near shutout decision. Funeka won, and my scoring was probably tight on Funeka, but HBO needs to be fairer in their analysis of bouts, they can’t just go on and rip off officials. They need to consider how they saw it. It was closer than they made it out to be. I was very miffed by Joan Guzman’s performance, or the lack of it. I touted him as the poor man’s Floyd Mayweather. He was more the rich man’s Emmanuel Augustus. Lucian Bute stopped the best chin in boxing, Librado Andrade. He is #1 at Super Middleweight for now, but needs to face a big name to keep his stock up. Could Kelly Pavlik be the guy?

Thank you Danny Green. One less Celebrity Boxing match-up on HBO next year. That must be good, surely. What’s the big fuss about Bernard Hopkins only making $200,000 from his Enrique Ornelas win? He makes millions for standing next to Shane Mosley blabbing in Mayweather’s face how much of a pussy he is.

I respect Paul Williams. He’s a great fighter. But he can’t go crying because he can’t get a shot at the ego-driven welters. He’s not in the picture as he doesn’t contest at welterweight, not involved with anybody close to the ‘Top 4’. The fight was great. Sergio Gabriel Martinez should have earned a draw. That first round was his round, his knockdown had more effect than Williams’ and he dominated most of the round. Anyway, I scored it 114-114. What if Julie Lederman had scored it 115-113 to Martinez. Would a rematch be on the cards straight away? I highly doubt that a rematch would take place. If a rematch comes around, it’s a simpler task for Williams, a decision or late stoppage in ‘The Punisher’s favour.

Amir Khan is the real deal. I could have lasted longer than Dimitry Salita. I would have been pissed off if I had bought it on PPV. Something I detest is unworthy PPV. How Khan-Salita is PPV and Pacquiao-Cotto is free for all amazes me. Kevin Mitchell is not the real deal. Just because he tamed a monster in Breidis Prescott, I highly doubt that he would beat John Murray or Michael Katsidis for that matter. That’s the level were talking about, WBO Eliminators do have some talent sometimes.

Brian Minto is a man. Chris Arreola needs a new joke book.

Overall, the November month was a success. Not short of controversy, high PPV buys and spectacular performances. One of those spectacular performances was from yours truly, on the Forum’s Prediction League. Ok, I know I’m blowing top C on my trumpet, but I’ve lasted the whole of the November schedule. Mind you, I did get over half of my predictions wrong, but so did the challengers. Hopefully, the luck of the Welshman will continue, but my recent form makes me more vulnerable than Austria during the Second World War.

Are HBO producers in love with light middleweight?! They haven’t had this much coverage on HBO even when De La Hoya was fighting in the weight class! Angulo, Santos, Foreman, Kirkland, Martinez, Williams, all fighters (were) backed by HBO that make their trade at 154 pounds. Greenburg has picked a wildcard of a weight class there!

Does someone have a time machine? I want to fast forward to March 13, I cannot wait!

Laters, from the very wet land of my fathers.

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Why The Hell Is This Guy Not a Draw?

by Paul Magno

Paul Williams is the type of boxer that fans are always begging for; A tough, highly-skilled fighter who will fight anyone, anywhere and will always put in an honest, exciting effort regardless of the opponent.

There's not an ounce of dog in "The Punisher" and nobody can ever accuse him of playing it safe with his opponent selection. Williams is just a soft-spoken punching machine who will fight any opponent in any division.

He should be selling out every seat wherever he fights. He is precisely what every hardcore boxing fan wishes for when they go up and down the rankings and complain about the sad state of the sport today.

Yet, Paul Williams is not a draw; He doesn't bring big numbers to HBO and he doesn't put asses in seats...and that's a real shame and a damn fine mystery to explore.

After all, its not like he's without his connections. He has Al Haymon representing him and Haymon has a direct line to HBO and, seemingly, carte blanche to air what he pleases on HBO World Championship Boxing and Boxing After Dark. The same pit bull pushing Floyd Mayweather into eight-figure paydays is behind Paul Williams, yet Williams has a hard time even filling the first dozen rows of his fights or attracting a rating higher than a 2.0.

Looking over his recent resume, his only less-than-scintillating performance was against Winky Wright and the lack of intrigue in that one had nothing at all to do with Paul Williams' effort as he hurled punches in bunches at a defense-minded Wright.

And if there was need for further proof of Williams' entertainment value, Saturday's war with Sergio Martinez should've erased all doubt as to his ability to thrill even the most casual of fan.

In a candidate for Fight of the Year, Williams and Sergio Martinez went at it with a ferocity that bordered on frenzy at times, but despite the buzz that surrounds a quality fight, this one will ultimately result in a sigh of disbelief and a shrugging of the shoulders as we read the Nielsen television ratings report. This gorgeously chaotic war will undoubtedly draw lower ratings than next week's peck and paw rematch of Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi.

So, why can't a fighter, proven to be entertaining and a representative of all things boxing fans claim to want, attract the proper amount of attention?

Some will point to the big fighters' unwillingness to fight Williams and the resulting necessity to fight trickier, lesser-known opponents in order to make a living. That could be a solid reason, but it's not like Williams has been fighting The Contender alumni at club shows in Minnesota. Williams has fought guys like Margarito, Quintana, Phillips, Wright and Martinez on the nation's premier boxing network. Lesser fighters have achieved greater glory with weaker opposition.

A darker reason for Williams' inability to draw relative to his ability is racial in nature. I've said it a couple of times on our forum (www.thebtbc.com), but I feel that if Williams were Latino, he'd be a major star right now. The shadow of race and nationality is still a factor in the sport, more so than some would like to believe. Mexicans tend to throw their support behind Mexican fighters, Puerto Ricans support Puerto Rican fighters, African Americans support African American fighters, etc. As a result, Williams is only getting full support from a fraction of the available fan base and simply being ignored by the more vocal and fanatical Latino community.

The most pessimistic of the reasons behind Williams' lack of star power is perhaps the most bitter pill to swallow. Maybe the fans, despite their cries to the contrary, simply don't care about entertaining, brave warriors who step softly into battle. Maybe they simply like who they like, based on personality or background, and couldn't care less about anything else.

Whatever the reason, Williams is a special kind of fighter and he deserves to be seen by a much wider audience. Hopefully the buzz around the Martinez bout will fix that. If not, take all fight fans' whines about wanting a re-emergence of old-school fighters with a huge grain of salt...they're not telling the truth.

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The Best of the Rest: A Recap of Saturday's Other Action

Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico

Saul Alvarez UD 12 Lanardo Tyner

Montreal Casino, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Joachim Alcine UD 12 Christophe Canclaux
Troy Ross KO1 Daniel Bispo

Arena, Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Marco Huck UD 12 Ola Afolabi (WBO Cruiserweight Title)
Alexander Povetkin KO 3 Leo Nolan

National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

Matthew Macklin PTS 10 Rafael Sosa Pintos

Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

Tony Thompson TKO 9 Chazz Witherspoon
Carlos Quintana TKO 3 Jesse Feliciano

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The Boxing Truth Radio, Live, 9 pm Eastern

The Boxing Tribune continues to be a proud affiliate of The Boxing Truth.

On tonight's show: Juan Diaz, Paulie Malignaggi and Lou Dibella!

Listen to the show HERE

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Super 6 Boxing Classic Stage 2 All Set

March 6: Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur Abraham - Andre Dirrell will fight Arthur Abraham at the Rancho Mirage in California. This fight will open the second stage of the Super 6 Boxing Classic Tournament on Showtime, which Abraham tops at the moment. Could Dirrell make up for his split decision defeat to Froch?

April 17: Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler - Carl Froch will make his third defence of his WBC Super Middleweight belt against Dane Mikkel Kessler, in either the City Ground, Nottingham, or a venue in Copenhagen or Parken. The venue will be decided in the subject of a purse bid. Could Kessler get back on track or will the Cobra qualify for the semi-finals?

April 17: Andre Ward vs. Jermain Taylor - To finish off the live doubleheader on Showtime, Andre Ward will defend his WBA Super Middleweight belt for the first time against Jermain Taylor at Oakland. Ward suprised most by defeating Kessler in Stage 1, and should have enough in the tank for Taylor. Could Taylor roll back the years and outbox Ward?

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