Who R U Picking?: The BTBC Suggested Retail Price

Who R U Picking?:

Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley
Saul Alvarez vs. Jose Miguel Cotto
Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Cornelius Lock
Said Ouali vs. Hector David Saldivia

Before each major pay per view the members of the Boxing Tribune Blue Corner will make a bid on what they'd be willing to pay to see the event. The numbers will then be tabulated and the real value of the event will be established.

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Montiel Stops Hasegawa in Four

WBO Bantamweight champ, Fernando Montiel, got his career back on the fast track by scoring a TKO over reigning WBC champ, Hozumi Hasegawa in Hasegawa's hometown of Tokyo, Japan.

After a dead-even first round, Montiel came on to have a solid second, followed by a Hasegawa-controlled third.

The fourth round was mostly Hasegawa's until Montiel landed a pair of left hooks at the end of the round that shook the Japanese world champion. Hasegawa was stunned and essentially defenseless, with one hand draped over the ring rope and Montiel landing at will.

Referee Laurence Cole stepped in and waved off the bout with just a couple of seconds left in the round. The stoppage was quick for some tastes, but it was obvious that Hasegawa was in bad shape and Montiel could've inflicted some real damage.

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How to Beat a Mayweather

by Paul Magno

As Shane Mosley and Naazim Richardson prepare for the daunting task of trying to beat one of boxing's modern day masters, The Boxing Tribune has set out to aid the duo and help establish the blueprint for beating Floyd Mayweather.

No fighter is undefeatable and, while not an easy job at all, Mayweather is surely not invincible.

Sure, all of this is easier said than done, but the point is that it can be done...It's just going to take a hell of a fighter to put it all together:

It's not you, it's me

There is one major mistake trainers make when preparing for Floyd Mayweather- They put too much focus on Mayweather. They study tapes, dream up strategies and make plans to counter and befuddle Mayweather's unique style. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing. Mayweather opponents should familiarize themselves with Mayweather's style and trainers should come up with a proper strategy to nullify it.

But the answer to the Mayweather riddle doesn't lie within Floyd's steel trap defense or sharp focus. Frankly, there are no weaknesses to exploit, no glaring lapses in technique.

Instead of focusing on Floyd, a trainer would be better suited focusing on his own guy, making him sharp and as error-free as humanly possible. Taking a fighter and making him a flawless paragon of his own style is key.

Play the Angles

Mayweather employs the famous “shoulder roll” style that turns traditional boxing geometry into a null and void jumble of missed shots and uncomfortable angles.

Fighters learn their craft in 1-2 steps...Mayweather works on 1.5, 1.7, 2.3...Off to the side and always at odd angles, Mayweather is a mystery to most....and as the fight progresses and desperation sets in, that mystery deepens.

What anyone fighting Floyd has to understand is the basic logic taught to us in Geometry: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

The fighters who have success with Mayweather are those who can throw sharp, tight, straight punches. A sharp jab has been pointed to as a key to solving the riddle, but sharp, compact straight rights and lefts can also lead to success.

Swinging for the fences will lead to zero success against Floyd; Tight, straight compact shots, at the very least, will cut the distance and put some leather on Mayweather.

Waste not, Want not

Mayweather feasts on wasted movement. When his odd angles throw opponents off balance or his defensive stance forces foes to over-commit, his job becomes frighteningly easy; It's really just a matter of stepping off and unloading on off-balance, defenseless targets.

Make no mistake about it, if you overpursue, you will get pot-shot to death from a supremely quick-fisted and always in command Mayweather.

Fighters who have found success against Floyd have been mature, fundamentally sound boxers who don't burn through logic and reason by trying to take the fight to Mayweather. Instead, they focus on what they do best, stay within their own skill set and don't make a counter puncher's job easier by deviating off the script.

These are the types of fighters who make Mayweather's life miserable. These are the guys who Mayweather, in order to ensure the victory, has to go after and beat rather than just wait for exploitable errors to take advantage of.

The “Money” Mayweather of 2010 has become spoiled and has relied too much on being so much more fundamentally sound and technically superior to his opposition; He hasn't been made to force the issue against a fighter who simply refuses to give Floyd anything to exploit and counter.

Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar De la Hoya and Zab Judah are examples of fighters who “wasted not” and, as a result, gave Mayweather some of his closest battles.

“Think Buddha”

“There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt... It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” -- The Buddha

To beat Mayweather, one has to focus on the here and now. You have to take each exchange as it comes and focus on doing the right thing on a case by case basis.

Be fundamentally sound, don't waste punches or movement, keep punches short and straight, make Mayweather take the intiative and make him pay for every exchange you get into...Those are the nuts and bolts keys to beating Floyd Mayweather.

The psychological key to the entire task, though, may be just as vital. Anyone fighting Mayweather will be frustrated and demoralized at times...The secret is being strong enough to push those moments aside and focus on the big picture.

Beating Mayweather is no easy task and it becomes increasingly more difficult when doubt begins to creep in and affect the sharpness of a fighter's performance. Mayweather's vanquisher will focus on winning rounds and will have the maturity to put the setbacks aside, little by little, taking the fight away from Floyd and forcing him to deviate from the script.

“A jug fills drop by drop.” -- The Buddha

This Saturday, May 1^st, we'll see if Shane Mosley has the mental and physical goods to handle this huge task.

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John Ruiz Retires

from a Press Release:

The First and Only Heavyweight World Champion of Latino Heritage Calls it a Career

LAS VEGAS (Apr. 26, 2010) – After a professional career spanning 18 years, highlighted by becoming the first and only Heavyweight World Champion of Latino heritage, two-time world champion John “The Quietman” Ruiz today announced his retirement from the ring.

Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KOs) defeated three world champions – Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker – as well as top contenders such as Andrew Golota, Fres Oquendo, Jameel McCline and Kirk Johnson. Six of John’s nine career losses were to world champions.

“I’ve had a great career but it’s time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter of my life,” Ruiz said. “It’s sad that my final fight didn’t work out the way I wanted, but, hey, that’s boxing. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with two world titles, 12 championship fights, and being the first Latino Heavyweight Champion of the World. I fought anybody who got in the ring with me and never ducked anyone. Now, I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family.

“I want to thank all of fans for staying in my corner through a long, up-and-down ride, as well as members of my family and team – my manager and legal advisor, Atty. Tony Cardinale, my brother, Eddie (cornerman), and Keith McGrath (strength-and conditioning coach) who’ve been with me so long. I also want to thank my trainer Miguel Diaz and (assistant) Richie Sandoval for teaching an old dog, new tricks, and my promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, the fairest promoter in boxing.

“I was proud to be the WBA champion twice and have the opportunity to fight 12 times for the WBA championship, the oldest and most respected organization in boxing. I’d particularly like to thank WBA President Gilberto Mendoza.”

Ruiz plans to move from Las Vegas back home to the Boston area this year and open a boxing gym in the inner city. “With my experiences in boxing,” he explained, “I want to go home and open a gym where kids will have a place to go, keeping them off of the streets, so they can learn how to box and build character. Someday, I’d like to see one of them go on to represent the United States in the Olympics. I want them to have the same opportunity to see the world that I had as an amateur. I’ve always tried to be involved in community and charity work in the past and now I’ll have more time to work with kids.

“Maybe, someday I’ll get into training, but right now I just want to spend time with my wife, Maribelle, and my children. I wasn’t around as much as I would have liked for my two oldest children, John and Jocelyn, because I was away training or fighting. Now, I’ll be around for them and my 3-year-old son, Joaquin, as he grows up. I’m going back to my roots in Massachusetts, where a lot of my family and friends live, and look forward to helping young boxers avoid some of the bad things that I experienced in the sport but help them to experience the good times, too. Boxing is brutal but also beautiful. As I look back, I’m happy about my career, and my future is very bright.”

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Saturday's Recap

Courtesy of Lee Payton and our friends at The Boxing Bulletin:

Boxing fans were treated to another fun Saturday night with 3 competitive match-ups involving some of the sport's most exciting fighters.

Showtime kicked things off with a delayed broadcast from Denmark where Mikkel Kessler silenced many of his critics, who called him finished and soft.  He and Great Britain's Carl Froch delivered easily the best fight of the Super Six tournament so far.

Then it was time to switch the channel to HBO. In the opener, a somewhat surprising effort from enigmatic part-time banger Joel Julio made things very interesting for hard man Alfredo Angulo and his backers.  The main-event featured a gutsy Chris Arreola in a tussle with the smaller, but better Tomasz Adamek. The lively crowd in California enhanced what was already the best heavyweight fight in quite some time.

Let's take a look at both shows starting with the battle from Denmark....

You can access the rest of The Boxing Bulletin's recap HERE

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Will a Loss for Kessler Kill The Super 6?

by Paul Magno

Whenever you're dealing with elite professional boxers, the best planning you can sometimes hope for is a pair of crossed fingers and a silent prayer.

The Super Six World Classic was supposed to be different.

Six top fighters in a highly competitive, but definitely non-glamor division. No HBO/Golden Boy/Top Rank politics...Just the best fighting the best until there was one elite superstar left. It was a beautiful concept and a testament to what can be accomplished when fighters want to fight and their management isn't afraid to let them.

Unfortunately, the Super Six tournament may be two fights away from falling apart and, if we really would've paid attention, the writing was on the wall all along.

As Mikkel Kessler prepares to take on Carl Froch in what promises to be a Fight of the Year candidate this Saturday, there has to be one simple question on the minds of Kessler and his team: "What if we lose?"

A loss for Kessler would mean an 0-2 mark in the tourney and almost no chance to make it into the final four. What would be the point in going on? What if there were a third loss? Kessler, who was the favorite to win it all, is facing the distinct possibility of having his career crushed.

"The Viking Warrior" has always demonstrated the same type of stiff caution outside the ring as he demonstrates inside of it. The best move, yeah, maybe even the smart move, would be to pull Kessler out and make a grab for a lesser title en route to a cushy Calzaghe-esque reign in his home country of Denmark with packed stadiums and the comfortable assurance that every other top super middleweight will be occupied with one another.

Another option for Kessler would be Lucian Bute and an attempted short cut back to the front of the 168 lb. line.

The other questionable piece of the puzzle is American, Andre Ward, but for completely different reasons.

A win against Allan Green on June 19th puts Ward up 2-0 and further cements his status as breakthrough fighter of the tournament. Things can only go downhill form there.

His next fight would be a supremely tough stylistic encounter against good friend, Andre Dirrell, but why risk it? An impressive win against Green will have HBO calling (if they haven't been ringing the phone off the hook already).

The Miranda, Kessler and Green wins will put the Olympic gold medalist in the perfect position to make some real money and HBO has the cash and a list of potential opponents, strong enough to give Ward a real push as "America's Next Big Thing."

Any way you slice it, Ward and Kessler pulling out after the second round would kill the credibility of the tournament and make it little more than a parody of what it was intended to be.

When you think about it, Andre Dirrell is no sure thing to finish the tourney, either. It's easy to envision a scenario where Dirrell, convinced of the fact that he should be 2-0, decides to explore the open market and see what's available for a flashy, yet inconsistent, Roy Jones substitute.

Froch, Abraham and Green are likely to stay in the Super 6; Froch and Green, because there's nowhere else to go...and Abraham, despite the loss to Dirrell, is still in the lead (at least until Ward fights).

Maybe all this is  just paranoia on my part...Maybe everybody stays put and completes their commitment to Showtime and the fans. But it sure would make business sense for some fighters to pack their things before the end of the tourney. And just how often does the good of the sport take precedent over a management team's personal interests?

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Edwin Valero's Last 24 Hours: In His Own Words.

by Paul Magno

"Now I've screwed up for real...I'll never be able to see my daughter again."

Edwin Valero, reigning lightweight champ and Venezuelan national hero was in a dingy holding cell in Carabobo, Venezuela, stripped to the waist and slowly coming down from an alcohol and cocaine frenzy that saw him brutally end the life of his 24 year old wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera just hours earlier.

"I feel so alone. I need to talk to somebody," Valero mumbled as fellow inmates shouted everything imaginable, from hymns of support to cruel sexual innuendo.

"I was going to rehab in Cuba, but I didn't have my passport. I lost it. We were going to stay in La Guaira until they sent it to me. The flight was supposed to be yesterday."

Valero was indeed on suicide watch as he spoke, all he wore were sweatpants and lace-less sneakers.

"We were driving and I had been drinking Vodka. I was drinking and drinking. All of a sudden, I realized that someone was following us. It was like 10:30 pm (Saturday). I sped up until we reached a toll booth and I told the police officer that someone wanted to rob or kidnap us...I don't remember which toll booth. After awhile at the booth, he told us to go to the Hotel Intercontinental in Valencia. I went there because they were trying to kidnap me."

Valero continued, "(In the hotel lobby), There was a woman leaning back in a chair, staring at my wife. Another man said 'hello' to her as well."

Up in room 624, Valero said that he continued drinking and ingesting cocaine until he lost consciousness in bed with his wife. "I laid next to her and when I woke up she was dead."

The rest of the story is public record as Valero went down to the reception area soaked in blood and, according to many sources, confessed to the heinous act of stabbing his wife several times. The police were called and they escorted the champion fighter to the holding cell from which he gave his last interview.

"I can't count on my family at moments like this," Valero insisted, "I think they'll find out what happened soon enough. What I would like, though, is to call my manager, Segundo Lujano. He should come."

Lujano would never have the chance to meet with his troubled client.

Valero hanged himself with his sweatpants in the early morning hours of Monday. He still had feint vital signs when found, but not enough to keep the fighter alive.

As the lifeless body of a national hero was being taken away, Edwin Valero got one last round of applause from his countrymen.

Pounding the doors of their cells and shouting as loud as they could, the other prisoners made the crusty cement walls shake..."Valero, we don't care! You are the best!"

                                                            **********

A murdered young wife, two orphans (ages 8 and 5), and a tragically wasted talent...That is the legacy left behind by Edwin Valero, someone who could've been the next Roberto Duran, but instead fell into the hole dug by his own inner demons.

Despite the possibility of brain damage caused by his 2001 motorcycle accident or the insanity caused by extreme drug and alcohol addiction, the blame has to fall squarely into the same hands that brutally stabbed his wife to death. It's not fair to let Valero become a victim, a martyr. There are too many innocent victims in this case to seriously consider him one...Personally, I can't stomach it right now.

But there are others who played key roles in the degeneration of Valero from a hungry, young prizefighter into an uncontrollable monster. They are also guilty and have blood on their hands.

Valero had a long history of substance abuse and deep depression that everybody in the industry was aware of...He was well-known for aggressive, out of control behavior, dating back to his early days as a fighter, through his time in Japan and right up to the headline-grabbing incident when he put his wife in the hospital and then proceeded to tear a path of destruction through that same medical facility.

Through it all there were plenty of managers, agents and hangers-on...All happy to cover things up, sweep things under the carpet in the best interest of their own bank accounts.

On the couple of incidents where rehab was mandated by the Venezuelan authorities, they were always there to spring him early...Victims were paid "hush money" and stories of substance abuse were buried in his home country, where Valero was portrayed as a fun-loving family man with a mischievous side rather than the cruel, soulless beast that he had really become.

The reality is that Edwin Valero, regular guy, would've gotten locked up long ago and maybe would've had a chance to recover and rebound. Maybe he could've saved a marriage in crisis and, maybe, his children would still have their parents.

Instead, Edwin Valero, marketable prizefighter, was lining pockets with cash and getting classless scumbags into clubs they would normally be laughed out of...He was allowed to spin out of control for as long as the money and fame lasted. The higher ranking he got, the more he was protected...everybody's pot of gold...he was untouchable.

The end result was pure tragedy.

There should be a lot of people ashamed to be seen in public, burdened by heart-breaking built. But I know boxing all too well. These wastes of humanity are already off to their next free ride, ready and willing to do anything to exploit the talent and dedication they could never dream of having.


*Special thanks to the people at El Nacional newspaper in Caracas, Venezuela for providing background info and transcripts.

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Was Boxing Partly At Fault For Valero's Madness?

by Dafs117

In February 2001, Edwin Valero was involved in a near fatal motorbike accident in which he fractured his skill and had surgery to remove a blood clot. Had he been wearing a helmet, his injuries would not be half as severe. Despite the life threatening injury, El Inca was cleared by Venezuelan doctors to begin his professional boxing career.

Three years and twelve first-round knockouts later, Valero signed with Golden Boy Promotions and was heavily tagged as the next big star. His recklessly aggressive style and consistent offense was reminiscent of Pipino Cuevas, who made the most of his abilities to successfully defend his WBA welterweight title eleven times before Thomas Hearns ended his champion run.

But his chances of emulating Cuevas’ achievements were slim when an MRI scan exploited the full extent of his injuries. He had the most traumatic of brain irregularity, a tear inside the cranium, which is the most fragile part of the brain and thus ending all chance of capturing an American boxing license to appear on the planned HBO Boxing After Dark card.

With the strict safety regulations in the sport, Valero should not have been able to continue with his condition. In my opinion, any fighter who suffers bleeding on the brain should never be allowed to ply their trade in the square circle, no matter how talented they are. But sometimes as is the case in boxing, promoters and advisers could see the dollar signs flashing and in interest of their own bank account, persuaded Valero to risk his life every time he stepped in the ring.

As he rose through the ranks picking up a 130 pound trinket on the way, Valero had established himself as a household name in his home country, building a strong relationship with President Hugo Chavez.

With everybody treating Valero like a king and Top Rank offering him a bumper contract, you could sense an aura of invincibility creeping in on Valero’s behalf. Soon after his destruction of Antonio Pituala to become a two-weight world champion, Valero began to find himself in hot water time and time again.

Allegedly, Valero has been involved in multiple incidents, including domestic violence charges against his mother, sister and wife, possession of illegal firearms, a long list of traffic infringements with a DUI charge in Texas, solvent abuse, and probably many more that the government turned a blind eye on and never got reported.

It was only last month that Valero was suspected for beating up his wife, who didn’t press charges and claimed to have fallen down the stairs. If only someone closer to the pair would have been brave enough to read the situation at the time, two lives could have been saved and two children would not be orphaned.

But how about if somebody had told Valero the day he received the results of the MRI scan that he would never be allowed to box again, and that simply ignoring his injury is a risk not worth taking?

When you have a condition similar to Valero, the last thing you should do as a profession is get hit in the head. Every punch that landed on Valero’s temple increased the percentage of him getting Dementia or Alzheimer’s in the future.

Unlike other parts of the body, the brain doesn’t heal. Our bodies don’t know how to repair the nervous tissue damage, and different to other organs such as skin and muscle where a scar will be marked, the damage area forms a clot in the aftermath to cut the loss of red blood cells. The consequence of that fragile clot tearing and causing the brain to bleed again is one that would have tarnish the sport had it happened in the ring, or even in training.

Major changes in blood flow certainly has an effect on the body and changes many things, including your temperament. The reckless combination of excessive drinking and drug taking could have deteriorated his condition and weakened his brain function, making him irritable.

The theory is far-fetched, but not out of the question. Valero might be a nutcase that when drunk, as he was when he murdered his wife, that he spirals out of control and into a completely different character. Once the full weight of his actions crash down, Valero admits that his actions are wrong and often left off the hook by the Venezuelan police, but this was one weight too heavy.

Valero and his wife’s deaths have rocked the boxing world, and the sport needs to set out strict clear-cut safety guidelines for every country, state commission and alphabet organization to follow. Talented fighters should not be given passes or sneak through the back door as Valero did by fighting in Japan and Mexico. Boxing is a dangerous enough sport as it is, without possessive handlers pressurizing the flexibility of vital rules.

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Edwin Valero Hanged Himself In Jail

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP)—Former boxing champ Edwin Valero committed suicide in his jail cell on Monday just hours after he was arrested in his wife’s killing, police said.

The former lightweight champion used his own clothes to hang himself from a bar in his cell early Monday, Venezuelan Federal Police Chief Wilmer Flores told reporters.

He said Valero was found by another inmate, who alerted authorities in the police lockup in north-central Carabobo state. Valero still showed signs of life when they took him down, but they were unable to save him and he died about 1:30 a.m., Flores said.

The 28-year-old was detained Sunday on suspicion of killing his wife. Prosecutors said Sunday night that they had planned to charge Valero in the killing.

Valero was detained after police found the body of his 24-year-old wife in a hotel in Valencia. The boxer left the hotel room around dawn Sunday and allegedly told security he had killed Jennifer Viera, Flores said.

The fighter was a household name in Venezuela and had a huge image of President Hugo Chavez tattooed on his chest, along with the country’s yellow, blue and red flag.

His all-action style and 27-0 record—all by knockouts—earned him a reputation as a tough, explosive crowd-pleaser. Venezuelans called him “Inca,” alluding to an Indian warrior, while elsewhere he was called “Dinamita,” or dynamite.

The former WBA super featherweight and WBC lightweight champion had been in trouble with the law before.

Last month, Valero was charged with harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida. Police arrested Valero following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for a series of injuries, including a punctured lung and broken ribs.

The Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that Valero was detained March 25 on suspicion of assaulting his wife, but his wife told a police officer her injuries were due to a fall. When the boxer arrived moments later, he forbade Viera from speaking to the police officer, and spoke threateningly to the officer, prosecutors said in a statement.

The Attorney General’s Office said a prosecutor had asked a court to order Valero jailed but that the judge instead placed him under a restraining order that barred him from going near his wife, a condition he repeatedly violated.

Police found three stab wounds on Viera’s body, but investigators who searched the hotel rooms had yet to find the weapon used in the killing, Flores said.

In the ring, Valero shot to fame when he won his first 18 fights by first-round knockout, setting a record that has since been eclipsed by Tyrone Brunson. Valero last fought in February, stopping Antonio DeMarco in a fight in Monterrey, Mexico.

He was replaced as WBC lightweight champion in February after he expressed a desire to campaign in a higher weight division, WBC president Jose Sulaiman said.

Valero was involved in a motorcycle accident in 2001 that caused a cerebral hemorrhage, and because most jurisdictions refuse to license a fighter who has sustained a brain injury, he was unable to fight in the United States. The boxer wound up fighting mainly in Japan and Latin America, where he won his first title in 2006.

Valero also was charged with drunken driving in Texas, which is the primary reason he was denied a U.S. visa.

He accused the U.S. government of discrimination, saying his application wasn’t approved because of his sympathy for Chavez, a fierce critic of the U.S. government.

He appeared at times as a special guest at televised events hosted by Chavez and was lionized by Chavez supporters as a national hero, while some critics accused him of avoiding punishment for past problems due to close links to the government.

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Valero Arrested On Suspicion Of Murdering His Wife

In a sickening story, Edwin Valero has been arrested on suspicion of murder of his wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera de Valero, only 24 years of age.

She was found dead in a hotel room in Valencia, stabbed three times. They had a stormy relationship, with many domestic violence charges launched against Edwin, with one only last month where she later claimed that she fell down the stairs.

Valero was forced to admit that he had a problem, and intended to cure his alcohol and drug addiction. But only days later, just as he prepared to fly out to Cuba for his training camp, he crashed his car drunk.

I wrote an article about Valero and his problems, but things look like they've taken a gruesome turn for the worse. Little information has been released, and we'll do our best to keep you updated.

The BTBC wishes to extend our greatest sympathy to the friends and family of Jennifer Carolina Viera de Valero.

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Martinez beats Pavlik to claim middleweight title; Bute Knocks Miranda Out in 3

Courtesy AP:

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Nobody could deny Sergio Martinez the victory this time.

The junior middleweight champion dominated the final five rounds Saturday night, winning a bloody and impressive unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik to claim the WBO and WBC middleweight belts at Boardwalk Hall.

Martinez (45-2-2) moved up to 160 pounds to challenge Pavlik, who had never been defeated at his natural weight. The 35-year-old from Argentina put on marvelous display of speed and footwork, though, rallying from a questionable knockdown in the seventh round to batter and frustrate the pride of Youngstown, Ohio.

When the final bell sounded, Martinez immediately ran for the corner and leaped onto the ropes in victory, his promoter Lou DiBella storming into the ring. Pavlik solemnly raised his own arm, his face awash in blood — just as it been at the end of every round after the eighth.

Judge Roberto Ramirez scored the fight 116-111, Barbara Perez scored it 115-111 and Craig Metcalfe had it 115-112. The Associated Press also scored it 115-112.

Martinez said he knew that he had won the fight when it ended, even though the judges haven't been kind to him the last couple of years.

He appeared to beat Kermit Cintron in February 2009, dropping his opponent in the seventh round and watching the referee count him out. But after a lengthy commotion, the fight was allowed to continue, and all Martinez was able to get out of it was a draw.

Then in December, Martinez fought feared puncher Paul Williams in the smaller ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in a Fight of the Year candidate. Both of them hit the deck in the first round and they stood toe-to-toe the rest of the way, but Williams earned the debatable decision.

No way Martinez was going to let it happen again.

He moved around the outside of the ring like a hornet from the beginning, dashing in to sting Pavlik (36-2) before moving away from the champion's punishing right hand.

Pavlik appeared to make his move in the middle rounds, finally starting to catch Martinez with a couple of hard shots that left the challenger off balance. A short right sent Martinez to the floor with about 90 seconds left in the seventh round, but he claimed that it was a slip and never appeared to be seriously hurt.

That much was obvious by the ninth round, when the momentum swung back to Martinez. He opened a heavy cut over Pavlik's right eye that turned his face crimson by the end of every round, and Martinez was on cruise control after that. He kept out of the way of a knockout blow in the final round, the only thing that could have sent the titles back to Youngstown again.

Pavlik's corner said that he would need at least a dozen stitches to close the cut.

Much has changed since Pavlik last stepped foot on the boardwalk, when he was embarrassed by slick veteran Bernard Hopkins in a non-title fight in October 2008.

Back then, thousands fans made the trip from Youngstown to cheer on their favorite son, the next great middleweight. He was feted everywhere he went, throwing out the first pitch for the Cleveland Indians and showing up in magazine and newspaper spreads on a regular basis.

Then he contracted a staph infection on the knuckle of his left hand that threatened his career, if not his life, and caused him to back out of a fight against Williams last fall.

His only title defenses last year, against overmatched and undersized Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino, took place in his hometown — far removed from the glaring spotlight that had once shone so brightly. Rumors began to circulate that Pavlik was an alcoholic or having other personal problems, and many of his fans began to turn their back to him.

Boardwalk Hall was still heavily in his corner Saturday night, but Pavlik acknowledged before the fight that merely winning might not be enough to earn back everyone who abandoned him. He needed to win the fight convincingly, perhaps by knockout.

In the end, Martinez was the one who nearly finished the fight early....

Courtesy USA Today:

MONTREAL — Undefeated Lucian Bute stopped Edison Miranda 1:22 into the third round to retain the IBF super-middleweight title Saturday night at Bell Centre.

Early in the third, Miranda mocked Bute and dared the Montreal fighter to give his best shot to the body. Bute then had the Colombian scrambling with a flurry of punches, stopped for a second to grin at his opponent, then finished him off with a combination.

Miranda got up, but was still wobbly and the fight was stopped.

Bute, a Romanian who moved to Montreal in 2003, improved to 26-0 with his 21st knockout. Miranda dropped to 33-5.

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Two Years of Injury, Defeat and Mismanagement: Can Kelly Pavlik Get Back on Track?

by Paul Magno

Two years ago, every informed finger was pointing directly at Kelly Pavlik as a "for sure" superstar of the future and, possibly, as the face of the sport as guys like Oscar De la Hoya faded from the scene.

You couldn't ask for a better back story or more impressive rise to glory.

Two big wins over a pound-for-pound Jermain Taylor, a destruction of the still well-regarded Edison Miranda as well as victories over fringe challengers like Bronco McKart, Jose Luis Zertuche and Fulgencio Zuniga; It all pointed to a legit pound for pound placement with a definite eye aimed at upward movement.

There seemed to be no limit to how big Pavlik could grow. A blue collar, pickup-driving Mid-west middleweight champ with an exciting style and, seemingly, not an ounce of pretense to him. Lord, this kid was destined to be a money machine!

But then Pavlik (or his people) veered off Top Rank's carefully prepared course and stalled in the proverbial roadside ditch.

A one-sided schooling to Bernard Hopkins at 170 lbs, injury, inactivity, listless performances and one public relations disaster after another have characterized the last two years of "The Ghost's" career.

Now, Pavlik's last real chance to get off the side of the road and back onto the path of glory will be coming this Saturday in Atlantic City against Argentine world jr. middleweight champ, Sergio Martinez.

A loss for Pavlik ends the wild ride and permanently sends him back to the full-time job of being Youngstown, Ohio's resident big fish in a small pond. But, in Team Pavlik's typical short-sighted fashion, even a win for Pavlik is not likely to regain his status of twenty four months earlier.

Aside from being a strong, quick-footed, southpaw, Sergio Martinez is also the fans' second choice of opponent for Pavlik with Paul Williams , who just beat Martinez in a thrilling war, being the consensus preferred opponent.

So, essentially, Team Pavlik has made it so that a win for Kelly in his biggest fight since the Hopkins debacle, will still be coming against the guy who just lost to the fighter that Pavlik is accused of ducking.

Martinez has a nightmare style for Pavlik that will force him to revisit the same technical flaws that cost him against Hopkins...Aside from that, Pavlik has to impress and convince the masses that this is the same Kelly Pavlik of old, fully recovered from a bad turn of recent events and a potentially career-ending hand injury.

This will be a real test of whether Pavlik truly wants to be at the top of the sport again and, as has been the case ever since he reached the spotlight, he'll have to do it all with his own team seemingly stepping on his feet every step of the way.

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Funeka and Guzman Exploit Boxing Weaknesses

by Dafs117

Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman defied the odds to keep the IBF lightweight title vacant after 24 rounds of exchanging leather. But the controversy caused from the two fights has riled many boxing fans, reminding us of the negative side to our sport.

The first fight raised the all-too common problem of poor scoring. The majority thought Ali Funeka had cruised to a unanimous decision victory, with Harold Lederman’s unofficial ringside scorecard at a wide 117-111, and The BTBC's very similar. Michael Buffer announced a majority draw leaving many scratching their heads, even Guzman.

Funeka’s promoter Gary Shaw immediately filed a protest, which like countless protests came to nothing. Funeka however kept his #1 IBF ranking, and when Rolando Reyes vacated his challenger spot, Joan Guzman eagerly stepped in as his replacement.

HBO had already showed their interest in screening Funeka's next bout, agreeing to broadcast on March 27. This was another massive opportunity for Funeka or Guzman to solidify themselves as a HBO fighter and gain further TV time in the future.

Guzman, not that surprisingly, failed to make weight for the second Funeka fight. Just a look at his previous record shows that Guzman has struggled to shed the pounds, again on HBO versus Nate Campbell. What was surprising was that he weighed in nine pounds heavy, an action of unprofessionalism and a show of disrespect towards the game and Funeka as a person.

The IBF could not let the opportunity of sanction fees go by, and decreed that the fight could take place as long as Guzman didn't weigh more than 150 pounds by 7 am on Saturday. Funeka could fill the vacancy, Guzman could not.

Guzman was fined 25% of his purse by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who gave half of it to Funeka while the other half went into the NSAC's bank account. Guzman entered the ring one, or possibly two weight classes above Funeka, who simply couldn't deal with Guzman's speed and power, losing a twelve-round split decision.

Recent revelations reveal that Funeka was busted for using hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic that helps fighters make weight. The fight gets more meaningless after every shocking development.

HBO should come down hard on Guzman and Funeka, giving neither any broadcasting time in the future. HBO would be sending out all the right signals with regard to a fighter's past record of failing to make weight or drug test.

It's sad to see two fighters who fought at the highest level embarrass themselves by cheating on the biggest stage of their professional careers to try and gain an unfair advantage over their opponent.

Over the past decade, people have been crying out for a change in the boxing setup, fed-up with the way that the sport is run. But this fight is a prime example that boxing has not changed, and the same old antics keep popping up.

These weaknesses and faults were vivid in Funeka-Guzman. Poor scoring from inexperienced judges who are fast-tracked too quickly; promoters acting like managers, creating one publicity stunt after another; greedy alphabet organizations who make a living out of commission fees and a joke out of any Championship; and maybe worst of all, two ill-disciplined fighters who are willing to cheat their way to the top by putting their lives, and their opponents' lives, at risk.

Boxing is slowly climbing out of a slump, but farce fights like this endanger any valuable progress. The boxing world needs to take a stand against the above issues, and there's no time like the present.

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While I Was Away...

by Paul Magno

When I planned out my vacation several months ago I simply didn't know how much boxing action I'd be missing...As much as I needed time away from the day to day grind here in my Central Mexican fortress, I would've put off the festivities for another date...Maybe a few weeks earlier so I could conveniently miss the Pacquiao-Clottey Crapfest...

Well, I've just about caught up on the action I've missed...So, I guess, no harm, no foul...Here's a brief review of some of the action that took place during my swingin' vacation:


Andre Dirrell DQ 11 over Arthur Abraham: Brilliant boxing clinic given by Dirrell over the first 9 or so and 100% validation of my opinion that Abraham is way overrated...As for the fight-ending foul: When, I first saw it casually, I was of the opinion that Dirrell was acting. When I saw it again and actually paid attention, it was clear that Dirrell was legitimately hurt and the way he reacted, by pawing at his eye, was eerily reminiscent of Gerald McClellan's reaction after he suffered a brain injury in a bout with Nigel Benn. Plus, how could anyone watch Dirrell's punch drunk post-fight interview and say that he was play-acting the part of a hurt fighter?

Marcos Maidana KO 6 over Victor Cayo: Whether Maidana goes on to do something at 140, there's no doubt at this point that he belongs among the top jr. welters in the world...Cayo, on the other hand, does not.


Joan Guzman SD 12 over Ali Funeka: Guzman is in a lose-lose situation...He simply can't (or won't) make a weight below 147, but he will be devoured by the elite crew at 147. Unless he can find a way to motivate himself below 135, Guzman is finished. Funeka was also busted for using a diuretic to help make weight...So, what we had was two natural welterweights fighting for a lightweight title...Go figure.


Bernard Hopkins UD 12 over Roy Jones Jr.: I never thought I'd use the words "embarrassing" and "pathetic" alongside the Hopkins name, but this was a career-low for a fighter who deserves so much better. Poorly thought-out, poorly executed and just, plain tedious, this was the most cringe-worthy fight of the year so far.


David Haye TKO 9 over John Ruiz: Haye is for real...It remains to be seen whether he can hang with the Klits, but there's no doubt at this point that Haye belongs on the main stage.


Evander Holyfield TKO 8 over Frans Botha: Sadly, with a near win over Valuev and a TKO of Botha, Holyfield has a case for continuing on with his career...

Andre Berto TKO 8 over Carlos Quintana: Yes, Berto is legit and he's a deserving champion...shame on you if you thought otherwise.

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10 Most Influential People In Boxing

More often than not, the most influential people in the industry are men or women who have never stepped between the ropes and traded punches.

But their opinions make a difference, from the match-ups being made to the unique ideas to revamp the sport. Here are the 10 most influential people in boxing.

1. Bob Arum, chairman, Top Rank - Top Rank has the best stable of fighters and is by far the most innovative. If Arum doesn't like the contact offered by Showtime or HBO, he'll spend the money to broadcast the fight on his own, Latin Fury and Pinoy Power to name just a few. We’ve all seen how Arum spins stories so his team can look good, and you can strongly argue that he controls the boxing media.

2. Oscar De La Hoya, promoter, Golden Boy Promotions - The Golden Boy is the most powerful individual former boxer in the sport. He's the head of Golden Boy Promotions, which, along with Top Rank, is one of the game's two leading promotional companies. De La Hoya pretty much gets what he wants when it comes to television dates, venues and opponents.

3. Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports - HBO are the best broadcasters in boxing, simple as. Greenburg controls the budget, which is four times larger than their closest rival. This allows Greenburg to choose whatever fights he wants to air on HBO.

4. Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions - Schaefer is Oscar De La Hoya's right hand man and has proven to be one of the best negotiators in the game. He’s one of the reasons Golden Boy Promotions are as successful.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxer - Mayweather argues that he’s the pound-4-pound king, which is unclear as of now, but he is definitely the biggest draw in the sport. As he charismatically says, “all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather.”

6. Al Haymon, manager – Haymon handles Mayweather’s career, giving him the best options for the least risk. He seems to have healthy connections with HBO, which not many managers and promoters can say in the game today.

7. Ken Hershman, vice president of Showtime sports - Hershman doesn’t have the budget Greenburg has, but some might argue he does a better job. The Super 6 Boxing Classic has earned him the highest respect from fans, easily making him one of the most influential men in the sport without mentioning other attributes.

8. Manny Pacquiao, boxer – Pacquiao has risen to become a box office hit, recognised as the best boxer on the planet at this point in time. His influence can be seen in his stranglehold in negotiations, with his contractual demands displaying his dominance over fighters. His large fanbase also gives him power.

9. Bruce Trampler, Top Rank Matchmaker – One of the masterminds behind Pacquiao’s rise is Trampler. His mapped plans for any Top Rank fighters are usually the best option possible, and Pacquiao is a prime example.

10. Jose Sulaiman, WBC President – The impact Sulaiman can have on promoters by just making a stance is ridiculous. Nobody appreciates his work to the extent of others on the list, but his reward for keeping the WBC afloat is power.

Knocking on the door: Cameron Dunkin, Manager; Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions; Don King, Chairman, Don King Productions; Larry Merchant, HBO broadcaster; Wilfred Sauerland, Sauerland promoter;

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Caballero Catalyst For Gamboa-Lopez

by Dafs117

Andre Berto might have headlined HBO’s first World Championship Boxing broadcast of the year, but it was Celestino Caballero who produced the most impressive display on the card, dominating previously unbeaten Daud Yordan to win a near shutout unanimous decision.

Former junior featherweight champion Caballero debuted at featherweight and on HBO, looking excellent and a clear threat to those who currently hold a position in the top 5. He displayed everything in his arsenal in throwing 1,248 punches, connecting with 325, ranging from jabs, to right uppercuts, to wincing body shots. The ‘Towering Inferno’ is a suitable alias considering his 5’ 11’’ frame, the same height as Joe Calzaghe, who fought 50 pounds heavier.

However, despite producing his best display since he crushed Steve Molitor in four rounds, it might hurt his chances of landing a big fight when the time comes to discuss his options.

He’s rumoured to face Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa on July 24, but I’ll prompt a guess that Bob Arum will hesitate matching one of his brightest stars against the awkward Panamanian after watching ‘El Pelenchin’ last night. The risk of fighting Caballero before the ‘Best Featherweight Showdown’ is one not worth taking in my opinion, and probably in Arum’s mind too.

The danger that Caballero possesses could force Gamboa and Lopez to meet up quicker than expected. The tentative announcement of Summer 2011 from Bob Arum might be brought forward, unless they are entirely convinced that Gamboa will beat Caballero.

One of Caballero’s reasons for moving up in weight was to find these career best paydays and major events, and this could be a real setback for him. Caballero has called out Lopez over and over to no avail, claiming the fight had been signed when it hadn’t. They’ve exchanged a few fiery comments, but it looks from an outsiders’ point of view that Lopez doesn’t want anything to do with Caballero. Why would he? The guy is a handful on a bad day, but he’s a mighty tough proposition for anyone when he’s on song.

If they do decide to avoid Caballero, the excuse for Top Rank is already out, as both camps are already disagreeing over money issues. Warrior Boxing, Caballero’s handlers, claim that they are a long way off reaching an agreement over purse percentage, giving Arum's PR more than enough to work with.

It was great to see Caballero at his best again, as he hadn’t been at the same level since the Molitor win. This conjures up more excitement in the already crammed featherweight division, which can only be good news for fight fans and Bob Arum alike.

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Arthur Mercante and Lorraine Chargin Pass

Boxing has lost two well-known characters in the sport this week, with referee Arthur Mercante, 90, and promoter Lorraine Chargin, 79, passing away this weekend.

Arthur Mercante is regarded as one of the all-time great referees, officiating in high-standard fights such as Ali-Frazier I. Lorraine Chargin co-promoted with her husband Don Chargin, known as 'The Dragon Lady' (pictured right, with Don) because of the fearsome side of her personality.

The BTBC extends our greatest sympathy to the families of Arthur Mercanre and Lorraine Chargin.

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Saturday Results: Berto Stops Quintana In Eight, Caballero Dominates Yordan

Sunrise, Florida - Andre Berto (26-0, 20 KO) successfully defended his WBC welterweight title for the third time against Carlos Quintana (27-3, 21 KO), starting slowly to eventually stop him in the eighth.

Berto struggled early with Quintana's spoiler tactics, before utilising his God given talents to overpower the game Puerto Rican, who lost a point for rabbit punching.

After the fight, Berto stated that he had injured his left bicep in the third round, therefore forced to use his right more often. He stunned Quintana early in the eighth, then chasing him for a minute or so before a stinging right hand landed for Berto forcing referee Tommy Kimmons to stop the fight.

As discussed on our forum, Berto is definitely in the elite class of 147 pounds. But with the welterweight division, there's also a super elite class, filled with Mayweather, Pacquiao and Mosley. Berto is better than your Quintana's, but is he good enough to challenge with the top of the division. Some still have their doubts.

Celestino Caballero (34-2, 23 KO) won a near shutout unanimous decision over Daud Yordan (25-1, 19 KO), knocking Yordan down in the second round and winning by scores of 120-107, 119-108 and 119-108. The BTBC scored the fight 119-108. Caballero was very impressive and looked right at home at 126 pounds, and his next opponent could be Yuriorkis Gamboa in the Summer.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Future hall-of-famer Evander Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KO) stopped Francois Botha (47-5-3, 28 KO) in the eighth round of their heavyweight contest on pay-per-view. Botha began well, winning the opening two rounds by manhandling Holyfield. But Holyfield got back into the fight, frequently landing counter lefts and rights in the closer third and fourth rounds. The tempo of the fight rose, with Holyfield beginning to throw combinations which eventually wore Botha down. Holyfield knocked down Botha in the eighth, but the South African beat the count. The pressure Holyfield was piling on Botha allowed referee Russell Mora to stop the contest late on in the eighth. The scores of the fight at the time of the stoppage were 67-66, 67-66 in favour of Botha, and 69-64 in favour Holyfield.

Rancho Mirage, California - David Estrada (24-6, 15 KO) impressively stopped previously undefeated Orlando Lora (26-1-1, 18 KO) via eighth round retirement. Lora was game, but Estrada was a league above, constantly landing right hands that Teddy Atlas mentioned in his 'key to victory'. Lora didn't win a round and was cut around both eyes at the time of the stoppage.

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The BTBC Fight of the Week

Saturday, April 10th

Andre Berto vs. Carlos Quintana

(WBC Welterweight Title)

BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida, USA

The Breakdown:

Andre Berto: 25-0 (19 KO), Rated #4 at Welterweight by The BTBC

Age: 26

Height: 5' 8 1/2

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: Reigning WBC Welterweight Champ (3 defenses)

Last 5 Fights: Michel Trabant (Win via RTD-6), Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Win via TKO-7), Steve Forbes (Win via UD-12), Luis Collazo (Win via UD-12), Juan Urango (Win via UD-12);

Pre-Fight Quote:"I appreciate everyone coming out. I had a tremendous training camp and it's going to be a terrific night of boxing on Saturday night. Carlos Quintana is a former world champion and a crafty southpaw. This is my third straight southpaw so I'm pretty used to them by now and I had some great southpaw sparring in training camp. I'm excited to get back in ring and honestly, I wish the fight was tonight. I've never been this focused, hungry and motivated for a fight before and Carlos Quintana has a major task on his hands on Saturday night. I'm going to let everything loose for a good cause, and you are going to see the best of me on Saturday night. It's going to be a terrific night of boxing and I hope everyone will come out and support this very important cause."

*********

Carlos Quintana: 27-2 (21 KO), Rated 5 to watch at Jr. Middleweight by The BTBC

Age: 33

Height: 5' 19 1/2"

Stance: Southpaw

Career Achievements: Former WBO Welterweight Champ

Last 5 Fights: Christopher Henry (Win via TKO-4), Paul Williams (Win via UD-12), Paul Williams (Loss via TKO-1), Joseph Onyango (Win via TKO-4), Jesse Feliciano (Win via TKO-3)

Pre-Fight Quote:"Andre Berto is a great, young fighter with a lot of power, but I'm also a great fighter and I will prove it Saturday night. There can only be one winner on Saturday night and I will be the winner and the new WBC Welterweight Champion of the World. I trained very hard for this fight, for a world title fight and for Berto. I did everything necessary to take the belt from Berto. You might see Berto acting very calm and peaceful right now and this a great cause, but he's a fighter I'm prepared to see something different on Saturday night, and it will definitely be a fight."

*********

Dafydd 'The Pocket Rocket's Prediction: Stylistically, Carlos Quintana is hell for Andre Berto. People know that and have blended it into their predictions. Stylistically, Andre Berto is hell for Carlos Quintana. I don't think people have considered that. Quintana, doesn't have the heart or grit to keep going when it gets tough, and Berto will punish him in this fight for every mistake Quitana will make. Quintana struggles with speed and his defense has dropped since the Williams fight, being floored by Jesse Feliciano, who's a similar puncher but a lot slower than Berto. Quintana's smart, and a very good technician, but Berto will have too much here, way too much. Andre Berto TKO-8

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Audley Not Yet A-Force In Heavyweight Division Despite Hitting The Sprott

London, United Kingdom - Audley Harrison (27-4, 20 KO) scored a stunning last gasp twelfth-round knockout victory win over Michael Sprott (32-15, 17 KO) to win the vacant European heavyweight title.

Sprott was leading going into the final round on all three judges' scorecards before Harrison landed a perfect left hook with a minute to go to keep his career alive. The BTBC had Sprott ahead 106-102 going into the final round.

Harrison claimed that an injury to his right shoulder in the second round hindered his performance, and in some cases he only used his left hand for offence. Sprott capitalised and landed heavy counters that wobbled Harrison in the middle stages, but Harrison clawed back to score a knockout win out of nowhere.

It was a surprise, as Harrison hadn't even rocked Sprott all fight. It was a peach of a punch, knocking Sportt unconscious and as a result, the referee quickly waved away the contest so Sprott could receive attention. Sprott got up alright and received oxygen on his stool as the result was announced.

Next up for Harrison is Alexander Dimitrenko in a tough fight that I don't see him winning. I'm impressed with his conditioning, but his punch output is shocking and is not good enough to get him close to the top 10.

He promised to make a statement to David Haye, but he didn't. Bar the knockout, Harrison hadn't done anything impressive, and when you consider it, he was only a minute away from retiring from the sport.

On the undercard, Darren Barker (22-0, 14 KO) won a barnburner over Affif Belghecham (19-5, 4 KO) to claim the European middleweight title via unanimous decision. Barker started brightly but like every Belghecham fight, the Frenchman catches up as the rounds wear on. The BTBC scored the fight 116-112, as did one judge, with the others carding a ridiculously wide 118-110 and a respectful 115-113.

Massy, France - Simphiwe Nongqayi (16-0-1, 6 KO) retained his IBF junior bantamweight title with a majority draw agianst Malik Bouziane (13-1-1, 1 KO) in the Frenchman's backyard.

Nongqayi had won the title via unanimous decision against Jorge Arce, but struggled against the rangy Bouziane. According to reports, it was an evenly fought fight with Bouziane doing just enough to win the back-and-forth fight.

Both fighters were down but no knockdowns were issued. The scores were 114-114, 114-114 and 115-113 for the challenger Bouziane. A rematch could well be on the cards.

Ljubjana, Slovenia - IBF titleholder Jan Zaveck (29-1, 17 KO) also scored a twelfth-round technical knockout victory, but against Rodolfo Martinez (36-4-1, 13 KO). This was Zaveck's first defense of his title since he blasted out Isaac Hlatshwayo in three brutal rounds. Zaveck dominated Martinez for twelve rounds before stopping him with forty seconds to go.

Leemore, California - Manuel Quezada (29-5, 18 KO) dropped a surprising ten-round split decision defeat to journeyman Jason Gavern (19-7-3, 8 KO), who won via scores of 95-94, 95-94 in his favour, and one 95-94 card for Quezada. Gavern was deducted a point in the second round because of a stupid WBC rule, where a fighter loses a point if his opponent is cut following an accidental headbutt. This caused a cut and immense swelling around Quezada's eye, which reports say cost him the fight. Quezada was down in the sixth but it was wrongly ruled a slip. All in all, Quezada was never that good and Gavern deserved a wider unanimous decision.

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Bradley and Maidana Agree Terms For June 19

Boxingscene report that a deal between Timothy Bradley and Marcos Maidana has been reached for June 19 on HBO. Bradley will be defending his WBO junior welterweight title while Marcos Maidana probably loses his WBA mandatory status.

Bradley was supposed to make his HBO debut against undefeated welterweight Luis Carlos Abregu, who's last fight was on the Valero-De Marco undercard. The Maidana fight is much more relevant, one because it's a 140 pound fight and secondly Abregu is fringe top fifteen contender at welterweight.

You can argue that Maidana is the best value opponent Bradley has faced in his career. Maidana is a bigger name than Holt, Witter and Peterson, even if he isn't as talent. His power punching style will cause Bradley a little trouble early on maybe, but I expect Bradley to win a wide unanimous decision.

I still see Maidana as a very live underdog. The guy can punch as his record, and 96% knockout percentage suggests. Bradley was down twice against Holt and there's nothing that shows he's improved his defense and balance since his unification win.

This is a great fight, a step-up from Abregu, and it's another great fight added to a pack Spring schedule.

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WBC Mob Threatens Alexander... Nigga, Please!

In one of the most ludicrous news stories seen for a while, Dan Rafael reports that Jose Sulaiman has sent an e-mail to Devon Alexander threatening to strip him of his title if he continues to call out WBO titlist Timothy Bradley.

Here is a cut out of the e-mail "I read today in the papers that you want to fight Timothy Bradley for the WBO championship. I appreciate the information and I kindly ask you to immediately present the resignation to the WBC championship, as it seems that our organization is not up to your stature as a boxer. The WBC green and gold belt has been the dream of many boxers in the world, but apparently it is not yours. I will be waiting for your resignation and may you have good luck in your fight."

Sulaiman's delusional comments just prove how arrogant he is and his governing body is. This is just another genius plan to tarnish the sport, which Sulaiman is now an expert at. Hopefully, Alexander will ditch the title to chase down Bradley, and maybe even go as far as filing a lawsuit against the WBC.

Dedicated to the late, great Ol' Dirty Bastard, the heart and soul of the Wu Tang Clan, the "Nigga, Please!" award will be given to a fighter, event or situation that is just plain stupid enough to garner ODB's famous phrase of disgusted disbelief, "Nigga, Please!"

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Dafs' Pound-4-Pound Update (Part 2)

We now enter the creme de la creme, the best crop of fighters in the sport. Part 1 included fighters from #25 to #11, ranging from fighters on the rise, on the way down, and some who managed to keep their places. The top 10 is dominated by American fighters, but will an American top the rankings? It's time to find out.

#10 Bernard Hopkins (USA) (51-5-1, 32 KO) [Light Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Ronald Wright UD-12; Kelly Pavlik UD-12; Roy Jones Jr. UD-12;
Last Ranking: #6

Hopkins continues to free-fall after a dull fight against Jones who's not even fringe top 10 at light heavyweight. Hopkins just about holds on to #10 place because of a victory over Pavlik, but if Bute and Pavlik are successful on April 17, expect another drop for The Executioner.

#9 Timothy Bradley (USA) (25-0, 11 KO) [Junior Welterweight]

Three of the best: Junior Witter SD-12; Kendall Holt UD-12; Lamont Peterson UD-12;
Last Ranking: #10

Bradley is tentatively scheduled to face Luis Carlos Abregu on his HBO debut, but according to industry sources they're attempting to match him with Marcos Maidana. Either fight is tough for Bradley, and he rises once more due to a drop.

#8 Hozumi Hasegawa (JAP) (28-2, 12 KO) [Bantamweight]

Three of the best: Simone Maludrottu UD-12; Alejandro Valdez TKO-2; Vusi Malinga TKO-1;
Last Ranking: #9

In the biggest bantamweight match-up on the table, Hasegawa will face Fernando Montiel on April 30 in a unification fight of sorts. A big win could propell him up the rankings once more.

#7 Wladimir Klitschko (UKR) (54-3, 48 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Tony Thompson TKO-11; Ruslan Chagaev RTD-9; Eddie Chambers KO-12;
Last Ranking: #8

Wladimir had already passed Hopkins with his dramatic last gasp knockout over Eddie Chambers as he continues to dominate the heavyweight division with his brother (ranked #20). Could David Haye be next?

#6 Paul Williams (USA) (38-1, 27 KO) [Junior Middleweight]

Three of the best: Antonio Margarito UD-12; Carlos Quintana KO-1; Sergio Martinez MD-12;
Last Ranking: #6

'The most feared man in boxing' faces Kermit Cintron next up back at junior middleweight in what promises to be another war. Williams will already be looking ahead, chasing the winner of Pavlik-Martinez further down the line in 2010.

#5 Juan Manuel Marquez (MEX) (50-5-1, 37 KO) [Lightweight]

Three of the best: Marco Antonio Barrera UD-12; Joel Casamayor TKO-11; Juan Diaz TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #5

There's still plenty of life in Marquez despite being dominated from pillar to post by Floyd Mayweather in September. A rematch with Diaz looks like his next step in a fight that promises fireworks. Marquez is being closed down, so he needs to be active to keep his place.

#4 Chad Dawson (USA) (29-0, 17 KO) [Light Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Tomasz Adamek UD-12; Antonio Tarver UD-12; Glen Johnson UD-12;
Last Ranking: #4

The undefeated light heavyweight will be gunning for the lineal championship against Jean Pascal in August when they meet up in Montreal. Dawson has a bright future ahead of him but relies on competition to maintain his high ranking.

#3 Shane Mosley (USA) (46-5, 39 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Luis Collazo UD-12; Ricardo Mayorga KO-12; Antonio Margarito TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #3

Mosley faces Floyd Mayweather in a fight that should 'Sugar Shane' win, could see him topping the rankings by the next update. His inactivity though doesn't help his cause if he loses on May 1.

#2 Floyd Mayweather Jr. (USA) (40-0, 25 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Oscar De La Hoya SD-12; Ricky Hatton TKO-10; Juan Manuel Marquez UD-12;
Last Ranking: #2

Mayweather is trying to re-capture the pound-4-pound crown he 'vacated' when he retired. He could do so with a victory over Shane Mosley on May 1, but it should be a tricky fight for Money May.

#1 Manny Pacquiao (PHI) (51-3-2, 38 KO) [Welterweight]

Three of the best: Juan Manuel Marquez SD-12; Ricky Hatton KO-2; Miguel Cotto TKO-12;
Last Ranking: #1

Still reigning at the top is Manny Pacquiao, who dominated Joshua Clottey over twelve one-sided rounds at the Cowboys Stadium. A super-fight with Mayweather has to be next, or I and many others will cry.

UP: Timothy Bradley #10 to #9; Hozumi Hasegawa #9 to #8; Wladimir Klitschko #8 to #7;

DOWN: Bernard Hopkins #7 to #10;

Nationalities: 1. USA-9; 2. Puerto Rico-3; =3. Philippines, Ukraine, Great Britain-2; =6. Mexico, Japan, Romania, Thailand, Argentina, Panama, Indonesia-1;

Divisions: =1. Welterweight, Heavyweight, Super Middleweight, Featherweight-3; =5. Light Heavyweight, Junior Middleweight, Junior Welterweight, Middleweight-2; =9. Lightweight, Bantamweight, Junior Flyweight, Junior Bantamweight, Flyweight-1;

Scheduled P-4-P Fights

(#2) Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley (#3) - May 1
(#4) Chad Dawson vs. Jean Pascal (NR) - August 14
(#5) Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz (NR) - July 10
(#6) Paul Williams vs. Kermit Cintron (NR) - May 8
(#8) Hozumi Hasegawa vs. Fernando Montiel (NR) - April 30
(#9) Timothy Bradley vs. Luis Carlos Abregu (NR) - June 19
(#11) Lucian Bute vs. Edison Miranda (NR) - April 17
(#12) Ivan Calderon vs. Johnriel Casimero (NR) - June 12
(#13) Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler (NR) - April 17
(#14) Kelly Pavlik vs. Sergio Martinez (#18) - April 17
(#17) Andre Ward vs. Allan Green (NR) - June 16
(#19) Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman (NR) - July 12
(#20) Vitali Klitschko vs. Albert Sosnowski (NR) - May 29
(#22) Celestino Caballero vs. Daud Yordan (NR) - April 10
(#23) Chris John vs. Fernando David Saucedo (NR) - May 22
(#24) Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Bernabe Concepcion (NR) - July 10

As you can see, it's a very busy period in the boxing calender with 18 out of the top 25 with scheduled fights. The next update will hopefully be after the Mayweather-Mosley fight.

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Dafs' Pound-4-Pound Update (Part 1)

The Ring have told us "to expect major shake-ups" in their pound-4-pound ratings in the coming months, so I thought I'd weigh-in with my personal mythical rankings. I'll rank twenty-five of the world's best fighters for you to agree, or most probably disagree and wave your fists at the computer screen in anger. Three of the best is the fighter's three best victories or draws from 2007 onwards and last ranking is self-explanatory. Without further ado, here's 25-11.

#25 Devon Alexander (USA) (20-0, 13 KO) [Junior Welterweight]

Three of the best: Jesus Rodriguez KO-9; Junior Witter RTD-8; Juan Urango TKO-8;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Two impressive wins over former titlists have shot Alexander up to the top 25 and I expect Alexander's rise to continue if he keeps winning against high level opposition.

#24 Juan Manuel Lopez (PUR) (28-0, 25 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Daniel Ponce de Leon TKO-1; Rogers Mtagwa UD-12; Steven Luevano TKO-7;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Lopez enters after a solid performance against Steven Luevano. His next fight is against Bernabe Concepcion on July 10 in Juanma's first defense of his WBO title.

#23 Chris John (IND) (43-0-2, 20 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Roinet Caballero RTD-7; Hiryoki Enoki UD-12; Rocky Juarez UD-12;
Last Ranking: #22

John keeps dropping down the rankings and it's his longevity that keeps him in my top 25. He needs to face a top 10 contender to solidify his position, and his next opponent Fernando David Saucedo doesn't qualify as a legit opponent.

#22 Celestino Caballero (PAN) (33-2, 23 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Lorenzo Parra TKO-12; Steve Molitor TKO-4; Jeffrey Mathebula SD-12;
Last Ranking: #21

The third featherweight in a row, Caballero drops but is still hunting down the big guns in search of a healthy payday. He faces Daud Yordan this coming Saturday in a tough fight for the Panamanian.

#21 David Haye (GBR) (24-1, 22 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Jean Marc-Mormeck TKO-7; Nikolay Valuev MD-12; John Ruiz TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #23

Two-weight world champion Haye moves up two places following his impressive stoppage victory over John Ruiz. Hopefully, we can see Haye match-up with a Klitschko before the end of 2010.

#20 Vitali Klitschko (UKR) (38-2, 36 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Sam Peter RTD-8; Juan Carlos Gomez TKO-9; Chris Arreola RTD-10;
Last Ranking: #20

Big bro' keeps his position and his next defense is against Albert Sosnowski, which is a fight that can only damage his ranking.

#19 Miguel Cotto (PUR) (34-2, 27 KO) [Junior Middleweight]

Three of the best: Zab Judah TKO-11; Shane Mosley UD-12; Joshua Clottey SD-12;
Last Ranking: #18

Miguel Cotto drops one place because of a new entry, and his scheduled fight against Yuri Foreman will guarantee movement for the two-weight world champion.

#18 Sergio Martinez (ARG) (44-2-2, 24 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Saul Roman KO-4; Alex Bunema RTD-8; Kermit Cintron D-12;
Last Ranking: #17

Martinez could possibly enter the top 10 with a win against Kelly Pavlik in a fortnight at Atlantic City. His performance against Paul Williams is the reason he's ranked at #18.

#17 Andre Ward (USA) (21-0, 13 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Henry Buchanan UD-12; Edison Miranda UD-12; Mikkel Kessler TD-11;
Last Ranking: #16

Andre Ward is now the favourite to win the Super 6 Boxing Classic 168-pound tournament after he annihilated Mikkel Kessler to win his first world title. Allan Green is his next opponent.

#16 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (THI) (75-3-1, 39 KO) [Flyweight]

Three of the best: Daisuke Naito D-12; Julio Cesar Miranda UD-12; Koki Kameda MD-12;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Wonjongkam regained his WBC title with a victory over Koki Kameda where he also won The Ring Championship belt in the process. Plenty of big money fights on the table for Wongjongkam, and maybe he can rise further up the pound-4-pound stakes if he keeps defeating his rivals.

#15 Nonito Donaire (PHI) (23-1, 15 KO) [Junior Bantamweight]

Three of the best: Vic Darchinyan TKO-5; Raul Martinez TKO-4; Rafael Concepcion UD-12;
Last Ranking: #15

Donaire hasn't capitalised on his spectacular kayo victory over Vic Darchinyan, but an interesting rematch maybe on the cards. Can three pounds make a difference?

#14 Kelly Pavlik (USA) (36-1, 32 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Edison Miranda TKO-7; Jermain Taylor TKO-7; Marco Antonio Rubio RTD-9;
Last Ranking: #14

Pavlik would be edging near the top 5 had he not been humiliated by Bernard Hopkins, but now finds himself re-building a damaged reputation with Martinez next up.

#13 Carl Froch (GBR) (26-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Jean Pascal UD-12; Jermain Taylor TKO-12; Andre Dirrell SD-12;
Last Ranking: #13

The highest rank Brit is at #13 and his impressive resume of opponents could feature Mikkel Kessler on April 17.

#12 Ivan Calderon (PUR) (33-0-1, 6 KO) [Junior Flyweight]

Three of the best: Nelson Dieppa UD-12; Hugo Cazares TD-7; Rodel Mayol TD-7;
Last Ranking: #12

Calderon was slated to face Brian Viloria before the 'Hawaiian Punch' lost to Carlos Tamara, and now the undefeated Calderon faces mandatory challenger Johnriel Casimero who's an up and coming dangerous Filipino.

#11 Lucian Bute (ROM) (25-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Sakio Bika UD-12; Alejandro Berrio TKO-11; Librado Andrade KO-4;
Last Ranking: #11

The best super middleweight outside of Showtime's tournament will face Edison Miranda this month with one eye on the outcome of Pavlik-Martinez who fight in the co-feature on HBO.

UP - Devon Alexander NR to #25; Juan Manuel Lopez NR to #24; David Haye #23 to #21; Pongsaklek Wonjongkam NR to #16

DOWN - Fernando Montiel #25 to NR; Tomasz Adamek #24 to NR; Chris John #22 to #23; Celestino Caballero #21 to #22; Arthur Abraham #19 to NR; Miguel Cotto #18 to #19; Sergio Martinez #17 to #18; Andre Ward #16 to #17;

The rankings will continue tomorrow with part 2, ranging from 10-1.

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