Maidana Passes on Khan Clash

BoxingScene report that Marcos Maidana has turned down the opportunity of facing Amir Khan on July 31 in the UK, citing a reoccurring back injury as the reason the fight couldn't be made.

Maidana had pulled out of a fight with WBO junior welterweight champion, Timothy Bradley, for the same reason only three weeks ago. Team Maidana say that the back injury won't recover in time to have a sufficient training program set-up for the fight.

In my opinion, this is another cheap shot from Khan. He knows that Maidana is injured, and knows that Khan-Maidana is one of the most revealing fights on the table for the fans about Khan. And here, with some PR magic, they have attempted to turn it round that Maidana is avoiding Khan.

The biggest problem is that Maidana is injured, and that should be the end of story. But the July 31 date is only nine weeks away, hardly enough time for world class fighters to prepare efficiently. It's a big commitment for a fighter who's got a lot of pride to lose, such as Maidana.

Anyway, Michael Katsidis and Joel Casamayor are the other options discussed for Khan, and I think we all know which one appertizes Khan the most out of the two.

Katsidis has just steamrolled Kevin Mitchell in three rounds and looked back to his fearsome best. While on the opposite end of the spectrum, Casamayor looked ancient in his eight-round exercise earlier this year, and struggled with Marquez's speed a year ago.

If Khan does find an opponent without alienating half of the division, Schaefer will discuss the prospect of a split-site PPV with Marquez-Diaz II headlining in the States, and Khan vs. whoever broadcasted from the UK.

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Vazquez and Martinez Stop Opponents In Puerto Rico

WBO junior featherweight titlist Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (19-0, 16 KO) recorded a tenth-round technical knockout win over Zsolt Bedak (15-1, 5 KO) in his native Puerto Rico, defending his title with predictable ease.

It was Vazquez' first defense, following his four-round blowout of previously undefeated Filipino Marvin Sonsona back in February. Bedak was Vazquez' number one contender by the WBO, which is a joke in itself, who's best win came against Ramie Laput, who had long since been exposed as yet another fluffed record fighter from the Philippines.

Bedak was holding his own up until the fifth, where Vazquez landed a number of head-snapping right hands and left hooks. Vazquez continued his dominance until the stoppage in the tenth, dropping Bedak with a right hand and the bout was waved off.

In the age of fighters making the most of their fathers name to earn a healthy living from the sweet science, Miguel Vazquez Jr. offers something different, and behind the 'Jr.' tag lies one hell of a fighter that has plenty of potential to dominate the decision in future years.

In the co-feature, Roman Martinez (24-0-1, 15 KO) scored a stunning fourth-round knockout win over Gonzalo Mungia (17-7-3, 13 KO), defending his WBO junior lightweight title in the process. It was a thriller up until the stoppage, with the third round the highlight of the card as both men brawled recklessly. Eventually, Martinez had too much firepower for Mungia and overawed the Nicaraguan, stopping him in the fourth.

On the undercard, twin brothers McWilliams Arroyo (3-0, 3 KO) and McJoe Arroyo (3-0, 1 KO) continued their education of the game at the lower level as they both dominated their punchbag level opponents. McWilliams is a former Olympian and campaigns at bantamweight, while McJoe is a division south at junior bantamweight.

On a sidenote, this was a great card and well worth the £5 ($8) that UK TV charged for it. It seemed like a well organised event in Puerto Rico, with leading stars Juan Manuel Lopez and Ivan Calderon in attendance, reminding the public that they have fights scheduled for the next month or so.

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Shocker: Vitali Scores Tenth Round Stoppage

Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO) took his time to take out a resilient Albert Sosnowski (45-3-1, 27 KO) in the tenth round in his fourth defense of his WBC heavyweight title in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Klitschko won every round on The Boxing Tribune's unofficial scorecard, and although Sosnowski did some good work in the third and fourth, Klitschko dominated the entire fight. Vitali was an enormous favourite going into the fight, and it resembled in the one-sided performance.

Vitali came out in the ninth landing numerous power shots to take away Sosnowski's legs. The ending was inevitable, and it came with forty seconds left in round ten, when a straight right hand landed on the button and finished Sosnowski off.

Using this fight as a measuring stick, I would say that Vitali is pretty vulnerable for anyone with a little hand speed and footwork. If Sosnowski can be competitive in the early rounds by using some moderate speed, you would think that Haye and Adamek would box circles around the Ukranian brother.

So yes, to be blunt, I would pick both Haye and Adamek over Vitali right now. He just looked old, and a little bit fed up of boxing. He was still in fantastic condition, and maybe took the fight a little lightly, but there were signs that age was starting to catch up with him.

On the undercard, Jonathan Banks (24-1-1, 17 KO) bored everybody yet again, this time against journeyman Jason Gavern (19-7-4, 8 KO) with a twelve-round majority draw. The cards came in at 115-111 for Banks, and two 113-113. Gavern now has two surprise results in his last two fights, the other being a split decision victory over Manuel Quezada earlier this year.

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What A Difference A Game Makes

by Siren1927

UFC 2010 Undisputed was released to widespread critical acclaim and fanfare from fans and journalists alike this week. Is it a coincidence that it has been released just a few days before the biggest grudge match in UFC history airs on PPV? Of course not.

Fight Night Round 4 was to be the jewel of the boxing series, the first fight night in three years. It was eagerly anticipated with fan forums buzzing with wish-lists, unconfirmed roster rumours and overall game play changes.

Then EA dropped their bombshell, there would be no button configuration in the game. Those fighters you would normally associate with the fight night series and boxing in general would not be included in the retail version of the game. Instead, should you want to own Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney (middleweight version) or Bernard Hopkins you would have to pay a combined total of around $15. Also there is no Floyd Mayweather, no David Haye, in fact there are very few of the top current crop of boxers in the game. Can you imagine UFC not having Lesnar, GSP and BJ Penn? Of course not because that would be stupid.

So on top of alienating 50% of its users by removing button configuration, EA also forced people to pay an extra $15 for content that should have been included at retail. Needless to say it was not the success it should have been. Eventually EA patched in a button configuration but it was far too late for most fans, including myself.

I am not even commentating on the Online game play, it was non-existent at time of release, EA used the fans as beta testers.

The commentary in Fight Night is tedious and repetitive, once you have played the game with around 8 different fights there is nothing that you have not heard at least twice. Couple that with the ESPN plugs and it becomes unbearable. There is no education from the commentators, they don’t really explain why one fighter has changed his game plan, or why someone has almost exclusively worked the body. They don’t explain the nuances of the sweet science, and one wonders if EA really care about the state of the game.

Compare that to UFC 2010. The first thing you notice when playing the game on the PS3 is the exclusive movies. Low and behold there you find some of the biggest fights in UFC history including two legendary wars. UFC 2010 is the undisputed winner.

The whole UFC game is one big promotional tool. The game itself is a pretty good game to be honest. THQ have integrated online fight camps, where you can meet up with online friends and train together to improve both of your fighters. THQ run online tournaments where you can earn actual prizes, which range from signed memorabilia to a UFC mug. Even if you lose in the first round, you still earn credits. Enough of which will eventually allow u to purchase UFC memorabilia.

The whole game is designed to promote the UFC product, no detail has been left unchecked. You get the feeling that Zuffa ordered THQ to spare no expense. They see the bigger picture, a great UFC game that hooks non-UFC fans eventually leads to more PPV sales and much more exposure. In order to bring in new fans, you have to have an outstanding product. Zuffa understood this and reacted accordingly.

Possibly the biggest promotional aspect of UFC 2010 is the commentary. Every move is covered with the utmost accuracy. When you counter an opponent the commentators explain how and why it happened. The commentary is intended to educate fans and ease them into the MMA world.

Zuffa saw exactly where EA had failed, and trod on a different path. UFC will no doubt get an extra few hundred thousand PPV buys for the next few months. It will die down eventually, but if this game permanently increases UFC PPV buy rates by 50,000, the game did its job.

Maybe it's time that Top Rank and Golden Boy got together and worked out the gaming industry for themselves, instead of allowing EA Sports to just make some money now and again. Don King attempted with his Prizefighter game, but it didn't take-off. With the marketing brilliance of both leading promotional companies, could they finally give something back to the fight fans?

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Let's Stop Playing The Bob Arum Game

by Paul Magno

“Yesterday I was lying, but today I’m telling the truth.” -- Bob Arum

It's become an inside joke among boxing fans.

"There goes Arum again...he's up to his old shenanigans." This is usually accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and a knowing smirk.

Bob Arum is definitely another colorful character in a long line of shady boxing personalities, but it's time we start recognizing the reality behind the campy cliche. Arum is no caricature, no lovable scoundrel and definitely no friend of those who love the sport and care about the fighters who risk their lives in the ring.

He's been doing the dance for longer than many fans have been alive, but nothing has really changed about the man or the way he chooses to do business.

Arum has engaged in just about every confidence game one can think of in boxing, from the simple bait and switch to flat-out bribery, as was established by the US Department of Justice when he confessed to paying a one hundred thousand dollar bribe to the IBF in 1995 for getting them to approve a George Foremen-Axel Schultz title defense. One of his favorite tricks, though, is what I like to call the "Done Deal" scam.

The "Done Deal" almost exclusively happens in bouts where his guys face the greatest risk; The modus operandi is always similar. Almost as soon as negotiations for the fights are rumored, Arum runs to the press (usually a certain boxing website with the initials "BS" whose editorial process can also be referred to as "BS."). The "friendly" media outlet jumps on the story and prints the requisite, "Arum says fight is a done deal" story which intimates that everything is hammered out and only the non-Top Rank fighter's signature is needed to complete the deal.

All of this is news to the other fighter's management, though, as they were most likely not even aware that negotiations had begun, much less concluded...

The end result is usually a win-win for Arum. If the other fighter's team balks and walks away or if the negotiations naturally fall apart, it looks as though they were the ones backing down and acting cowardly; Arum's fighter gets credit for the win while never having to fight. If the fight goes through, Arum has already painted the other guys into a corner and has likely been in control of the negotiations throughout.

The most recent example of this was the proposed Nonito Donaire-Vic Darchinyan rematch, which was really just beginning to touch on some heavy revenue issues when Arum declared the fight a "done deal." A day or two after the "Done Deal" statement in BS (of course), the fight collapsed over those same hotly-contested matters. The impression left on some casual, lesser-informed fans was that Donaire was already signed on to fight and it was Darchinyan who walked away.

The truth of the matter, though, was that negotiations were still ongoing when Arum, probably sensing a falling apart of the proposed bout, went to the press (in breach of professional protocol) with his statement. As a matter of fact, sources say that Darchinyan's signature was the only one on the contract and that the fight fell apart before Donaire could even have a chance to sign.

There were also the cases of Shane Mosley vs. Top Rank's Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams vs. Arum-backed Kelly Pavlik where Arum had gone to the press early and often with the same stories of deals being reached when nothing could've been further from the truth. In the case of Mosley-Margarito, talks were re-established and the fight got made. The Williams-Pavlik fight, however, fell apart completely, a few times. The goal was to paint Williams as the one backing down, but Pavlik had taken so many missteps by then that few really blamed Williams for the failure to make the fight. Still, Arum took the microphone after Pavlik's annihilation of Miguel Espino and tried to back-door the "Done Deal" scam by re-writing history.

And then there's Arum's hate campaign against Floyd Mayweather, which may be Arum's most complete piece of work to date.

Arum somehow convinced a lot of the media and too many fans that Mayweather was running scared from Top Rank's Antonio Margarito and passing up on an 8 million dollar payday when the fact of the matter was that such a fight was impossible; Mayweather had just left Top Rank, was suing Arum and had the option to fight the lineal welterweight champ, Carlos Baldomir, for the same amount of money under his own promotional banner.


The Mayweather-Margarito dust-up was especially well-played by Arum. He had Mayweather tried, convicted and executed for something that never could've happened and a fight which Arum never even began to try and negotiate.

Then, of course, Arum and Floyd would cross paths later when a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout was being proposed. As usual, Arum was announcing a "done deal" just as the drug testing issue started to heat up. The intent was to make it look as though Team Mayweather suddenly brought up the issue after both sides had already agreed to fight. In reality, PEDs testing was on the table almost from the very beginning. The fact that Arum is keeping quiet about re-opened negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather is a good sign, but be wary of any "done deal" announcement from Arum that isn't accompanied by a similar announcement from Team Mayweather.

I don't necessarily blame the fighters for what their promoter has done in their name. Most are just trying to get the most of their short time in the sport and there are few promoters out there who will more viciously defend their fighters than Arum (Unless your name is Miguel Cotto and you're being fed to Manny Pacquiao, but that's a topic for another article.) Many fighters are probably unaware that anything shady is going on in their name. But, the fact of the matter is that every grease-ball move to advance one fighter is taking money from the pockets of someone actually doing it the right way.

And every shady "Done Deal" from Arum represents a fight being taken from the fans. It's an unprofessional, cynical attempt to "take his ball and go home" at the expense of everyone involved, from the fighters to the fans to the venues and cities that could benefit from the fight. It's Bob Arum putting himself and his ego ahead of everyone.

Boxing will never undergo a much-needed house cleaning as long as guys like Arum are in the driver's seat and, unfortunately, there are too many people, from fans right on down to media, who are more than willing to leave the driving to Arum.

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Marquez and Vazquez End One Story; Perez and Mares Start Another

Los Angeles, CA- Fans in The Staples Center in LA witnessed the possible (some say hopeful) end of Israel Vazquez's (44-5, 33 KOs) long, accomplished career as heated rival, Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), stopped him in three exciting rounds.

The bout was hardly dull, but it was a bit of a let-down as Vazquez seemed to be a step behind Marquez and appeared to be sporting fresh, barely-healed scar tissue above his left eye (which would be brutally ripped open in the first round).

After two relatively even rounds, Marquez put the pressure on in the third and dropped Vazquez, who was bleeding heavily from two cuts, one over each eye. Marquez put on the pressure and left the ref no option but to stop the fight halfway through the third.

After the bout, both fighters were eager to sign on for a fifth bout in their series, but Vazquez's manager, Frank Espinoza Jr., commented that this would be the last fight of his client's career.

In the televised opener, IBF Bantamweight champ, Yonnhy Perez (20-0-1, 14 KOs), fought to a majority draw with Abner Mares (20-0-1, 13 KOs) in a thrilling display of boxing professionalism.

Mares used his legs for the majority of the bout, opting to stick and move while Perez stalked him and tried to coax his younger rival into a back and forth ground war.

The beginning and end of the bout seemed to belong to Mares while the middle rounds were Perez's. The judges saw it 115-113 for Mares and 114-114 from the other two. The BTBC had it scored 116-112 for Mares.

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Controversial Fight Series: Vazquez-Marquez III

With the fourth fight only around the corner, The Boxing Tribune's panel of judges take another look at Israel Vazquez's stunning last gasp victory over Rafael Marquez to win via split decision. But did Marquez do enough to win on the basis of the opening rounds? Dafs117, Siren1927 and Sooterkin are the judges and will decide if the right warrior got the nod in the best trilogy in living memory.

The Tiebreaker - WBC Super Bantamweight Title
ISRAEL VAZQUEZ (42-4, 31 KO, WBC Titleholder)
vs.
RAFAEL MARQUEZ (37-4, 33 KO)
March 1, 2008 | Home Depot Center - Carson, CA

Round 1

"It's on." -- Al Bernstein

Siren 1927 - "Rafael Marquez just edges the round in what is probably the tamest round of the trilogy, they only go to war for two of the three minutes, which in this series is quite disapointing!" 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez starts on the inside, with Marquez looking to score with the jab. Marquez lands a sweet counter left after Vazquez misses with a left hook. Vicious left hook to the body from Marquez. Vazquez stuck with a jab, but fires back with some body work of his own. Marquez stuns Vazquez, but Vazquez comes back with an uppercut of his own. Vazquez is punishing Marquez on the inside, before Marquez rocks Vazquez with a hook. Great start." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Bright start from both fighters, but Marquez edges the round with the better work behind the jab." 10-9 Marquez

Round 2

Siren1927 - "Great round with lively back and forth action. Both guys are really going at it, amazing action from both sides. 10-10 is probably fair, but as you all know we don't do even rounds in The Boxing Tribune." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez doubles up on the jab, and now they have a jabbing contest. Vazquez backs Rafael to the ropes, but Marquez wisely gets out quickly. A stiff jab from Marquez, and a right from Vazquez makes Marquez think twice about coming forward off the jab. Hook to the body from Vazquez, Marquez keeps jabbing. Those are just brutal jabs. Marquez is winning this round again. Vazquez shakes Marquez! Marquez shakes Vazquez! Monster left hook to the body from Marquez." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "It's a level pegging round until the final minute or so, where Marquez's greater jab work and a huge left hook to the body wins him the round." 10-9 Marquez

Round 3

Siren1927 - "Marquez dominates the round and wins it on pure activity in my opinion. Another great round." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "From the 15 rounds that they've fought so far, we've learned that as hard as Marquez hits, Vazquez hits harder. As good a boxer as Vazquez is, Marquez is better. And it looks to stay that way here. They're trading inside again. Vazquez opens with a counter right. Vazquez is definitely the aggressor, but Marquez lands again with that 1-2 combo that Vazquez defended so well in the second fight. Hard right from Vazquez, and follows up with a left hook. The first low blow from Marquez. Just a warning this time. Slight edge to Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "The aggression from Vazquez topped with the accurate hooks and body work win him a very tough round that could really go either way." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 4

Siren1927 - "Marquez outboxes Vazquez for the majority of the round, before dropping him. Then with fifty seconds to go in the round, the fight finally wakes up as they both get hurt, swing for the fences and show us what the word heart actually means." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Dafs117 - "Long right from Vazquez lands, followed by a body attack. Nice right from Marquez, countered with a solid left from Vazquez. They trade their signature punches, Marquez's straight right and Vazquez's left hook. Marquez is back to controlling the fight with his jab. A left hook from Marquez stuns Vazquez, and a right hand to follow and down goes Vazquez! He's up and a little wobbly, but he comes back straight on Marquez! Amazing stuff, Marquez is wobbled! Left hook from Vazquez, right hand from Marquez! Left hook clatters Vazquez, and another right from Marquez! Right from Vazquez, uppercut from Marquez! BELL!" 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Sooterkin - "The best round of the trilogy, as Marquez floors Vazquez with a solid right hand, before Vazquez comes off the canvas to wobble Marquez. Great stuff." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

After 4 Rounds: Siren1927: 39-36 Marquez; Dafs117: 39-36 Marquez; Sooterkin: 39-36 Marquez;

Round 5

Siren1927 - "Another fantastic round, Izzy edged it on the basis of better work and more accurate power shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Just about recovered from the last round, ready for the next? Accurate combo from Marquez, but Vazquez comes back with a 1-2 of his own. This is incredible! Vazquez with an uppercut, Marquez with a left hook. Vazquez stings him with a short check hook. Big left hook from Vazquez! Marquez is wobbled, but lands a thudding body shot. Vazquez is now getting inside and doing his thing. Huge straight right from Marquez! Vazquez is getting beaten pretty soundly at this point. The jab is scoring, the right hand is now effective, and his left hook might even be outscoring him too." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Marquez with the better work again this round, working behind the jab and scoring to the body effectively." 10-9 Marquez

Round 6

Siren1927 - "Marquez starts well and controls the whole round until the last fifty seconds, where he's stunned by Vazquez for a second after a wonderful combination. However, it's not enough to take the round on my card." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Out they come again, Vazquez throws a 1-2 and they keep trading, there are no breaks in action, nothing stops either of them from fighting forward. Vazquez is working the combinations much more than he has in the previous rounds. Marquez's jab has been amazing tonight, keeping Vazquez from fighting in the pocket for a long period of time. Stinging right hand from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again! The tension is growing, and this is a close round. A Marquez round, but Vazquez is rocking Marquez and slowly getting himself back in the fight. My card is very wide towards Marquez, but every point has been earned." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez stuns Marquez a couple of times in the round, and his body of work is greater than Marquez's jab work." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 7

Siren1927 - "Anybody got a coin? Vazquez dominates early but then Rafael comes back with a cracking left hook-straight right combo but then he's hurt by Vazquez and I'm mentally drained watching the fight. God knows how those two feel." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez come out once again firing on all cylinders. Hard short right from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again. Marquez is known for fading in these rounds. Vazquez is looking a lot better this round. Crunching right from Marquez to the side of the head then a shot to the chest. Vazquez throws two jabs and corners Marquez, who escapes once more. This is a super round for Vazquez, but Marquez comes back with a combo! Marquez hurts him again, left hook to the jaw! Marquez with a nasty uppercut! Marquez is measuring him! Hard shots land in bulk! Brilliant round!" 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "A thrilling round with back and forth action throughout, where Marquez seems to make a comeback to level up the round, but I don't think he's done enough." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 8

Siren1927 - "Pass me that coin again Dafs. I've given this to Izzy by the margin of a cigarette paper. Both of them trade bombs, both continue to steal the momentum from the other. If only all fights were like this." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Marquez with combos, and now they trade absolute bombs. Another hard-fought round, and this one has been really even. Vazquez scores with 1-2's, taking the lead. Big right from Vazquez. Marquez answers back! Marquez with hard shots on the inside, taking control once again. Can this get any better? Massive right from Vazquez! Right uppercut from Vazquez! These two men are warriors. Marquez is getting tagged!" Vazquez 10-9

Sooterkin - "Vazquez is beginning to catch Marquez a lot now with big rights and uppercuts. Quite a big Vazquez round." 10-9 Vazquez

After 8 Rounds: Siren1927: 76-75 Marquez; Dafs117: 77-74 Marquez; Sooterkin 76-75 Marquez;

Round 9

Siren1927 - "Marquez edges it for me by clearly hurting Vasquez at the end of the round. Otherwise its a coin toss again." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez's eye looks quite bad. Marquez with a left hook, but Vazquez just won't stop pressurizing. Vazquez is controlling this round again, and he's taking any momentum from Marquez. The combos from Marquez aren't as quick as they were earlier. Vazquez drilled with a straight right, luckily for him the bell comes to save him." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez with the greater work, and Marquez looks a little tired as we approach the final stages of the fight." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 10

Siren1927 - "A close round in which Rafa shades for his beautiful combination punching. Pat Russel did the correct thing by taking a point off Marquez for the low blow. Is it just me or would any other referee bar Capuchino and Mercante have spoiled this fight? Marquez round." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "Vazquez putting the pressure on at the beginning of the tenth round. Marquez's jab is no longer halting Vazquez, as it's just not being thrown or landed much. Vazquez corners him again, but yet again Marquez gets out of there fast. Good shots from Rafael Marquez, a three-punch combo, all of it landing. Vazquez lands a right, and what, is that really what I think it is... A clinch! Marquez with a low blow, and that's the point deduction for Marquez. That could be a big deal come scorecards." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "That point deduction could make a big difference to the final scorecards. Marquez wins the round, he looks to be back to his best." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Round 11

Siren1927 - "Vazquez takes the round for me, he just can't miss with that right hand at the moment and he is clearly dictating the pace in round eleven. Marquez comes back late but its just not enough to overshadow the body of work done earlier by Vasquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez will not stop punching. It's special. It's historical. Stiff jab from Marquez, and then with a right. This is fantastic stuff. Vazquez races after Marquez and lands that trademark left hook that's been well defended from Marquez up until now." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "It's an even round up until the final minute, where Vazquez presses Marquez and lands the cleaner shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 12

Siren1927 - "What a call by Pat Russell. Any other referee would have ended the fight at that knockdown. Instead, Pat used his common sense and allowed the last few seconds to let the fight finish. Izzy dominates this round add in the knockdown and Vasquez wins the fight on my card despite being behind the entire fight." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "The crowd are going wild, on their feet cheering the warriors on. They touch gloves, and here we go! Vazquez smacks Marquez with a straight right hand and looks physically a lot stronger right now. Vazquez is absolutely owning it. Another right rocks Vazquez and the crowd can't believe it, and neither can I! Vazquez is destroying Marquez, who has no other option but to hold on. He can't do anything else. Vazquez with a 1-2, then a right on the ropes. Marquez hangs on! VAZQUEZ IS GOING FOR IT AND DRILLS HIM AGAIN! MARQUEZ GOES DOWN! THE BELL SOUNDS, WHAT A FIGHT! WHAT A FIGHT!" 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "Brilliant final round from Vazquez, who's hungry for the knockout and hunts down a demoralised Marquez who is hanging onto the ropes before being drilled by Vazquez and called a knockdown. Great round from Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Official Scores: Max DeLuca 114-111 Vazquez; Tom Kaczmarek 114-111 Marquez; James Jen-Kin 113-112 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via split decision

BTBC Scorecards: Siren1927: 113-112 Vazquez; Dafs117 113-112 Vazquez; Sooterkin 114-111 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via unanimous decision

BTBC Combined Scorecard

Round 1 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3);
Round 2 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 3 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 4 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 knockdown for Vazquez];
Round 5 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 6 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 7 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 8 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 9 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 10 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 deduction for Marquez];
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0) [-1 knockdown for Marquez];

Total: Vazquez 113-112;

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Midweek Hangover With Siren1927

by Siren1927

Can Katsidis Be Floyd's Gatti?

“I’ve been in a lot of fights, and every one has been the fight of my life. Every time I get in the ring I put my life on line, and if my heart was big enough, I’d give it to the world.”

Michael Katsidis had just been through five rounds of some of the most brutal action ever seen in a British ring with Graham Earl in what has become a forgotten classic. In a fight which saw both men down and badly hurt, Katsidis showed his huge heart in becoming the last man standing.

Cut under his right eye and with four separate cuts on his left eye, Katsidis battled through another fight of the year candidate with Czar Amonsot. Both men were hurt in the bout, but yet again, sheer heart and determination once again allowed Katisidis to prevail.

Down in the first round twice and seemingly on the verge of his first defeat, Katsidis rallied back to drop the then-lineal lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor, before finally succumbing to the future hall-of-famer in what many believe to be the last great performance of Casamayor’s career.

“I don’t think he’s afraid to lose, I think he’s more afraid of being in a bad fight.” Sooterkin, BTBC Member

Another loss in his next fight to Juan Diaz may have spelled the end of Katsidis young career, however wins over Angel Ramirez, Jesus Chavez and the unbeaten Vicente Escobedo put him back on the map and brought him to the UK to face Kevin Mitchell.

As we know Katsidis blew away Mitchell in three, but yet again, Katsidis had to battle back through adversity to win. His style has never changed; head up, look the other guy straight in the eye and out muscle him. Sometimes this hasn’t worked, but one thing it has always done is make it a real fight. It will drive the purists crazy but boxing needs excitement like Micheal Katsidis.

His fights bring in new fans, he is Mr. Excitement. And it doesn’t hurt that he is one of the most humble boxers around today, as he displayed after the Mitchell fight.

“I don’t care who the people are cheering for, there are 20,000 passionate people here cheering the sport that I love and that means everything to me, regardless of who their cheering for .”

Once every decade or so we unearth a special fighter, someone who through sheer excitement helps push the sport to a new era. While De La Hoya brought in the casual fans, Arturo Gatti is credited with keeping them hooked.

Similarly today we have Floyd Mayweather Jr., a man who has transcended the sport. Yet while Floyd brings in casual fans, his fights aren’t enough to keep them hooked. Can Katsidis be Floyd's Gatti?

Let's hope the powers that be realise what they have with Katsidis before its too late. He may not be the greatest boxer in the world, but for sheer heart, determination, and most importantly excitement, Michael Katsidis is pound-for-pound number one.

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BODY BLOW #129: BROOKLYN KEEPS ON TAKING IT

Listen to the show HERE

Khan dominates Malignaggi
Why I'm not impressed with Victor Ortiz?
Why I don't want to see Marquez vs Vasquez IV?
Yonnhy Perez vs Abner Mares Breakdown
Call in line: 206-202-4468

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Golden Boy Will Ruin The 140 lb. Division

by Paul Magno

There's a party at 168 lbs. with six of the division's best currently involved in a hotly-contested tournament that has captured the attention of fight fans from around the globe.

In a true win-win, these six world class elites are getting the exposure they deserve and making the money they want while giving the fans the quality match-ups they crave. The World Classic Super Six Tournament really should serve as the template for the entire sport.

Dropping 4 divisions to the South, we find a jr. welterweight division which is arguably even richer in depth than the aforementioned super middleweight class. But, while the 168 lb. crew hammered out their differences and got their act together to give the fans a treat, the 140 lb. division seems to be spinning its wheels and providing more excuses than quality encounters.

So, what's the deal?

Aside from the obvious weight difference, the only real distinction between the two divisions is that the super middleweights are free from Golden Boy and Top Rank fighters and that fact, alone, may be the difference between getting something done and just pushing around promises and reams of hype.

Golden Boy currently has its grip on three of the top 10 jr. welterweights in the world and we're already seeing the customary foot-dragging of a promotional giant looking to protect its investment at the risk of denying the sport's fans.

With Amir Khan and Victor Ortiz in their pocket, Golden Boy opened its checkbook and bought off the one fly in the ointment, Marcos Maidana. The Argentine slugger, who had beaten Ortiz into submission and had become the mandatory for Khan's WBA title, was offered a one year, three fight promotional contract by Oscar De la Hoya's promotional outfit in what many are saying is more "step aside" deal than real acquisition.

So, instead of Maidana-Khan, which was mandated and a legal necessity, we got Maidana-Victor Cayo. But wait, there's more...

After crushing Cayo, Maidana was lined up to fight current division top dog, Timothy Bradley. Outstanding match-up and a real consolation prize for those wanting Khan-Maidana, right?

Well, hold your horses...this is big time boxing. Maidana pulled out of the Bradley fight just as the promotional hype was to begin. Citing a back injury, Maidana decided to not go ahead with the plan...and why not? All he has to do is cool his heels for the next few months and he stands to make a mint of a payday with a still-mandated, more winnable shot at Khan.

Short-term problem solved for Golden Boy; Bye bye Marcos Maidana for the fans....and, just like that, one of the division's most exciting fighters has been muzzled and leashed.

Khan is now free to sit on Golden Boy's pile of cash while fighting division re-treads and smaller exports from the lightweight division. Rumor has it that Michael Katsidis is being talked about next.

Now, switch to Victor Ortiz, who played Rihanna to Maidana's Chris Brown last year and is still being shoved down the throats of the boxing public via Golden Boy's hypnotic hold on HBO.

No fights are being rumored for Ortiz, but you can bet that no real challenges are being batted about at Golden Boy headquarters.

With a division full of home run hitters, Khan and Ortiz, two of the division's brightest talents, are looking for batting practice with the bat boy.

Here's hoping that Golden Boy wakes up at some point and realizes the lesson learned from the super middleweight class; You can make more money by giving the fans what they want than by trying to manipulate them into buying the hype.

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Nothing Different From Dominant Ortiz

by Dafs117

Victor Ortiz won for the third time since Marcos Maidana handed him a heavy sixth-round technical knockout beating eleven months ago, and despite shutting out a cooked Nate Campbell, Ortiz showed no signs that he’s adapted his predictable style that came undone against a hungrier, less-skilled opponent.

His ferociousness has made him a marketable fighter, along with a backstory which will always make fans root for him. But when he fell short of the promise land, his bloodthirstiness deteriorated into a tentative boxer that lacks killer instinct, which normally are the first words associated with the Golden Boy prospect.

Ortiz’s profile will always be overshadowed by his infamous post-fight interview with Max Kellerman, where he let slip the worrying quote for any talented boxer “I don’t think I should get beat up like that.” There will always be a question mark over his mentality, which made some experts pick Nate Campbell to roll back the years and lure him into a testing brawl.

Like Bigswa mentioned on his exceptional podcast, Golden Boy would not choose Campbell for Ortiz unless they were utterly convinced that he was shot. They are still in the re-mapping process with Ortiz, and were trying to get some rounds against a faded name fighter to re-build his status.

Campbell clearly has no business at 140 pounds, and had nothing in the ring. But what left me disappointed with Ortiz’s performance was his lack of desire to make a statement as he made no effort to chase the stoppage, a complete contrast to promotional light welterweight rival Amir Khan.

I just get the feeling that Richard Schaefer is waiting for Devon Alexander to drop one of his titles and gift-wrap it to Ortiz to hold hostage on HBO World Championship Boxing. After re-watching his performance, I can’t help but predicting that Ortiz will fold against anyone who offers a little bit of pressure, someone who holds a slight advantage in either speed or power.

There’s one fight that Victor Ortiz badly needs, and that’s a rematch with Maidana. Maidana stole Ortiz’s pride, taking away the lighthearted side that we saw a peek of when he whooped overmatched step-ups Jeffrey Resto and Mike Arnaoutis.

And until he defeats Maidana, I can’t see Ortiz competitive against any of the titlists. When he’s matched with any resistance, who knows how Ortiz will react. He has the talent to mix it up at the top, and he showed glimpses of it against Campbell as he perfected combinations with slick movement. But I don't think he knows it. Unless he finds that ruthlessness that made him an awkward opponent, or maybe even a simple change in setup, Ortiz will suffer in the shadows of Golden Boy's new blue-eyed boy, Amir Khan.

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Weekend Hangover With Siren1927

by Siren1927

Last night, undefeated UK prospect Kevin Mitchell lost his first professional bout against Aussie hardman Michael Katsidis. Looking at both fighters records it should not be a real surprise. Yet once again, Frank Warren’s fantastic promotional skills had us all believing that Mitchell was deservedly a 2 to 1 favourite. Mitchell’s only recognizable previous opponents were Carl Johanneson and an over-hyped Breidis Prescott, was facing a fighter who has been at the higher echelons of the division since he fought Joel Casamayor back in March ‘08, and really had no business being favourite.

Katsidis, known and loved by hardcore fans around the world for his crude, all-action brawling style, relies on just four things in the ring; heart, pressure, power and one hell of a chin. Katsidis does not box, he walks straight forward and hammers you with punches. His only defense is his huge heart, and his own belief that he will knock you out before you knock him out. Some call him the modern Arturo Gatti, and it's probably too early to say, but he is certainly making a case for himself.

In face of such a challenge, how does Mitchell prepare for by far his biggest test to date? He goes out on the town during training, and just hours before the fight he was seen with a group of his “closest friends” in a shopping mall in London, as Colin Hart reported on UK Radio Station TalkSport early this morning.

25-year-old Mitchell said after the fight that his trainer had told him five weeks ago "you have not prepared for this fight properly, you keep messing around." For professional sportsmen, this stern warning from your trainer should kick you into gear and make you realise that you haven't grafted enough to reach his demands. But Mitchell thought differently.

"There were things I wasn't doing and I was having a few late nights and this has given me a kick up the backside. But I've got a young family and there have been a lot of rows that people don't understand about. That's made things hard. One minute I'm living at my mum's, the next I'm back at my flat."

Which begs the question as to why Mitchell was not locked away in a training camp? We have heard so much about how he struggled to earn a living working on the railway tracks while injured. Why did this young fighter who had his chance at glory, totally disregard his training, his promoter, and most importantly, the 14,000 adoring fans who parted with their hard earned wages to watch him fight?

This is not about a fighter losing, a loss is nothing, many great fighters have lost. Sugar Ray Robinson lost 16 times and yet he is the greatest boxer of all time. It is about a boxer who has totally disregarded the fans, his associates and embarrassed himself in the process.

Micheal Katsidis locked himself away for three months in Thailand doing nothing but preparing for this fight. He also has a young family, but he respects his loyal fans back at home, and wanted to prove that he still belonged at the top of the division and was focused on the task ahead. This is the reason why whenever Katsidis loses there is no backlash. We know that he comes to fight, we know he will sacrifice everything before and during the fight.

As fans, that’s all we ask, and personally, I don’t think its too much to ask for.

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Talk is Cheap: Khan and Ortiz Dominate Malignaggi and Campbell

New York, NY- Paulie Malignaggi and Nate Campbell, two of boxing's best talkers, had the general public believing that they had a real chance of beating their younger, more naturally gifted rivals on Saturday night.

However, once the bell rang and the fights actually began, we saw that talk is indeed cheap.

In the HBO Boxing After Dark main event, Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) made his UD debut and easily handled a game, but over matched Paulie Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs).

From the opening bell on, Khan proved to be too strong, too fast and too disciplined for his rival. Malignaggi was hit hard and often as he tried to box, but simply had no solution for Khan's hand speed and physical strength.

After ten and a half one-sided rounds, referee Steve Smoger stopped the contest after a particularly hard shot sent Malignaggi to the ropes.

Post-fight, Khan expressed an interest in fighting Marcos Maidana next and eventually unify the jr. welterweight division.

In the opening bout of the telecast, Victor Ortiz (27-2-1, 21 KOs) was also too big, strong and quick for his foe.

Nate Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KOs) spent most of the fight trying to chase a mobile Ortiz down while getting caught with sharp counters in return. "The Galaxxy Warrior" never could corner Ortiz and failed to apply the pressure that seemed to be part of his game plan. The only knockdown of the fight was against Campbell; a dubious flash knockdown in the first.

Ortiz cruised to a one-sided decision by the scores of 100-89, 100-89 and 99-90. The BTBC had it scored 100-89, also for Ortiz.

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Katsidis Disposes Mitchell In Three

A monster left hook and a barrage of brutality was enough for Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KO) to score a devastating third-round technical knockout win away from home against Kevin Mitchell (31-1, 23 KO) to position himself as a mandatory for the Marquez-Diaz II winner.

Katsidis landed the harder shots in the opening two rounds, and in the third, Katsidis staggered Mitchell very early and kept up the pressure to take him out at the end of the third.

Mitchell didn't back down though, deciding to trade as his legs continued to wobble. But Mitchell was outclassed as Katsidis continued to stun the Englishman with heavy shots before referee Dave Parris stopped the bout with Mitchell still unsteady.

On the undercard, Derek Chisora (13-0, 8 KO) blasted out Danny Williams (41-9, 31 KO) in the second round. Williams weighed in at a career-high 275 pounds and offered no resistance in what is likely to be his last professional contest.

James DeGale (7-0, 5 KO), Frankie Gavin (7-0, 6 KO) and Billie Joe Saunders (6-0, 3 KO) all impressed against domestic cans. Only Billy Joe Saunders gained valuable rounds as DeGale and Gavin were badly undermatched.

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Kevin Mitchell: The Modern Day Cinderella Man

by Dafs117

A year and a half ago, Kevin Mitchell’s dream was over. A persistent hand injury forced him to take a lengthy layoff, flirting with retirement as he slaved on the train tracks to get by. It was set to be a sad end to a promising career which had already surpassed domestic level.

Mitchell persevered through the tough times, but was still struggling to make ends meet. After his hand had fully healed, Frank Warren knew that it was time to turn his undefeated prospect into a top 10 contender. The introduction of Jimmy Tibbs was an inspired change, as the veteran domestic trainer polished the reckless wild slugger into a well-rounded boxer.

Tibbs' re-branding process of Mitchell started with adding a more efficient jab and straight right hand to his arsenal. After successful public sparring sessions against Lanquaye Wilson and Rudy Encarnarcion, Tibbs regenerated Mitchell’s ability to find angles from the amateur days into an effective, multi-dimensional ‘Dagenham Destroyer’.

And on December 5, those world title aspirations were ignited again, this time at lightweight. He gave Breidis Prescott the boxing lesson that rival Amir Khan was supposed to play out in 2008, impressively out-shining Khan who headlined the card that night.

Mitchell could go one step further than Khan with a win over Michael Katsidis, a fighter that has constantly called out Khan to no prevail.

Say what you want about Katsidis’ goofy helmet, the guy comes to fight. His electrifying fights with Joel Casamyor, Graham Earl and Czar Amonsot has made Katsidis a fan favourite, gathering more tags as the modern day Arturo Gatti every time he steps into the square circle.

In his 28 professional outings, there has not been much ‘D’ from Katsidis. He prefers to walk through punches to land his own bombs, and this proved to be his downfall in his biggest career fights. Against the underrated then-champion Joel Casamayor,
Katsidis was flattened twice in the first, before weathering the early storm to floor Casamayor in the sixth. However, the lack of defense allowed Casamyor to consistently land power punches which drained Katsidis, forcing a stoppage in the tenth round.

The story wasn’t too different in the fight with Juan Diaz. Diaz threw quick 1-2 combinations before spinning away from Katsidis, who could not block any punches thrown by Diaz in the earlier rounds. Diaz utilized the jab to full effect, keeping Katsidis at bay to win a deserved split decision. It wasn’t the case that Diaz won the fight, it was more of what Katsidis could have polished since his defeat to Casamayor.

Since then, Katsidis has hammered home two impressive, but gruelling wins over a post-prime Jesus Chavez, and contender Vicente Escobedo, who exposed the flaws that Team Mitchell will be hoping to capitalise on at Upton Park come May 15.

Despite his background, the media have continued to turn a blind eye on Mitchell by concentrating on the Olympic silver medallist, Khan. This is Mitchell's chance to fill in Khan's spot as he plys his trade across the pond, completing his fairytale story in the process.

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Bridging the Gap: Can We Get More Overseas Boxing in the U.S.?

by Green Machine

I read a post today from our very own PHONETOOL entitled “Latin Fury 15 PPV another money grab” and I got to thinking about the state of boxing, pay per view attractions, and how we’re still pitifully limited in what we’re getting for our money.

Now before we gather up the torches and storm the Dish Network offices let me say this: I’m not entirely against the whole pay per view structure.  Shows cost money, transmissions cost money, fighters cost money, and so shelling out a little green to watch a fight card that would be otherwise unavailable is acceptable to me.  Hey, you’ve got the right to not buy the show if you that’s your choice.  What I would like to know is why in this digital age where we can get access to just about anything in the world with a few mouse clicks, are theses unlimited pay per view events so limited in their talent?

If they’re going to charge us $35 a shot for a fight card then so be it, but give as a little more. There’s hundreds of thousands of boxers in the world: professional, amateur, recreational, police, military, white collar, and we see none of them.  I can jump on the internet and in minutes watch live footage of a pub in Australia or a traffic intersection in Moscow but if I want to see a great bout from the U.K. or Japan I’ve got to find a trader willing to ship it or wait for a crappy quality youtube video to pop up.  Of course, I could always watch the 98th rerun of a 2006 Roman Greenberg bout on Comcast, why show us the latest Golden Gloves bouts or Wing Championships anyway? 

We’ve seen small improvements in boxing coverage over the years, weigh-ins are televised in some outlets and even the opening bouts are shown for free sometimes.  This is great for fight fans and fighters alike but I want them to take it a step further.  Bring us the big bouts from Japan, the U.K., and Canada and let us see some of the big fights we’ve been only hearing about all these years.  There’s no reason why fighters like Mikkel Kessler or Amir Khan should have had over 20 fights and multiple titles before we get a glimpse of them on U.S. television. 

If you’re going to charge us then so be it, just give us more to choose from. 

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Paul Williams' Identity Crisis

by Paul Magno

"I don't see anything special in Paul Williams; He is very beatable." --BoriBlaze1, veteran member of The BTBC Fan Forum.

Lost in the spectacle of Kermit Cintron's Superfly Snuka ring dive act was the fact that, up to the frustrating end of their bout Saturday, boxing's #3 pound for pound fighter had looked quite unspectacular over three rounds. As a matter of fact, he was looking downright pedestrian.

This is no new trend for Paul "The Punisher" Williams.

In his last bout against Sergio Martinez, Williams also looked less than spectacular in the same manner that we saw him show up for his first fight with Carlos Quintana, which he ended up losing.

Some may use the explanation that Williams' lackluster performances were due to the high level of opposition he fought or the styles of his most difficult opponents, but Williams' fluctuations go beyond simple match-up issues.

Throughout his career, Williams has struggled with the balance between being a world class fighter and a world class attraction. As a result, he's become an in-ring schizophrenic, becoming less and less of what made him special in an effort to attract the attention and paydays he lusts for.

The smooth-moving punch machine with the tricky head movement from his earlier days has been replaced by a lunging, laboring, flat-footed glove-pusher.

Granted, even a diminished Williams with an identity crisis is good enough to be classified among the sport's elite, evidenced by the fact that a sloppy version of himself was good enough to beat a prime, motivated Sergio Martinez (even if you thought Martinez won, nobody can deny that it was a very close encounter).

What Paul Williams needs to understand is that fans are fickle and that chasing after their approval at the expense of his own identity will only result in frustration. Even if he were able to somehow persuade them to turn him into a major draw, they'd be gone the moment he loses...that's the nature of the beast in boxing.

Instead, Williams needs to be who he is, fight how he must and let the fans decide on their own whether to love him or not. As long as he keeps winning in the manner that he should, the buzz will grow and the paydays will gradually line themselves up.

Otherwise, Williams will get beat and will find himself forgotten by all those fans he tried so hard to win over.

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Kimbo: “Sliced” from UFC, so where to now?

by Green Machine

Even if you’re not an MMA fan of any sort, you can’t avoid hearing about Kimbo Slice.  Slice, in his few years of popularity has went from bodyguard, to street fighting “legend” to mixed martial artist, and now to purgatory.  In case you haven’t already heard, Kimbo was cut from the UFC roster (so says Dana White) after Saturday nights TKO loss to Matt Mitrione. “What does this have to do with boxing”? you ask?  Nothing on the surface, but it makes me wonder if we’ll be seeing Kimbo join our beloved sport now that he’s failed twice in the MMA circuit.

Last year prior to his appearance in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 10, it was rumored that Slice was taking up boxing and leaving MMA behind.  Some were supportive, some were indifferent, and some were laughing their asses off.  Sure, the guys good with his fists and has a good punch, but that’s never a guarantee that he’ll do even remotely well as a professional boxer.  We’ve seen it before, we’ll see it again, and it never looks pretty.  So what are the chances?

As it stands now, I can see it happening.  Slice has suffered two embarrassing losses in his short MMA career and now has no where to turn.  He’ll never be taken seriously in mixed martial arts again (if he was at all) so unless he’s content with fighting for a fringe MMA promotion, boxing is all that’s left.  Unfortunately boxing fans won’t take him seriously either and he’ll more than likely be hard pressed to find a promoter that will put any serious effort into building a career for him…but it can be done.

Kimbo seems like a genuinely nice person, who wants nothing more than to make a good living for his family and do well in combat sports.  Unfortunately passion isn’t always enough and already into his 30’s, success as a fighter of any sort is remote.  Even with the sorry state of the heavyweight division these days any C level boxer that can move his feet will embarrass him even further, having him end up as the latest version of Tye Fields.

I seriously wish Kimbo well in what ever field he chooses to pursue and hope he’s successful.  Whatever your opinion of him as a fighter, he deserves respect for getting the cage and will be deserving of more respect if he chooses to give boxing a go.  How’s he’s viewed afterward remains to be seen.

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A Drama Queen, A Tornado and A Japanese Cock Fight: The Weekend Hangover

Carson, California- And the Drama Queen  lifetime achievement award goes to...Kermit Cintron! (Cintron cries, runs up the stairs, trips, and falls off stage)

In the latest Kermit Cintron (32-3-1, 28 KOs) drama, three cautious, uneventful rounds with Paul Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) were followed by a fight-ending collision in the fourth which saw Cintron fly from the ring, bounce off the table and land on the arena floor. After a couple of minutes of Cintron semi-writhing on the cold floor, he was carted off on a stretcher and taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The frustrating thing is that the fight was just starting to pick up when it came crashing to an abrupt halt. Per California commission rules, the fight was judged based on the three complete rounds and the partial fourth.

Williams came away with the mega-frustrating split decision.

Predictably, Cintron issued a statement about being outraged, petitioning the commission for a reversal of the decision and threatening to walk away from the sport for good if his demands aren't met...blah, blah, blah...Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Kermit...

Aguascalientes, Mexico- 16 months after the Plaster Gate controversy, Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) made his comeback in front of more than 17,000 partisan fans in La Plaza de Toros Monumental.

Margarito's opponent, Roberto Garcia (28-3, 21 KOs), was so obviously mismatched that most of the interesting moments of the bout came from Margarito, himself, as he mugged to the camera, windmilled punches and mimicked being a bull fighter in the face of a painfully slow and stiff Garcia.

Margarito scored a flash knockdown in the first and Garcia suffered couple of point deductions for headbutting in the eighth and a low blow in the tenth, but that was the only real noteworthy happenings in Margarito's easy Unanimous Decision victory.

After the fight, Margarito indicated that a bout with Manny Pacquiao was just about a sure thing.

On the undercard, Jorge Solis (39-2-2, 28 KOs) dominated Mario Santiago (21-3-1, 14 KOs) via wide UD. The first two rounds looked promising, with both fighters landing significant shots. Eventually, though, Solis settled into a groove and dominated from the outside with long, straight right hands against the southpaw, Santiago.

Also, Urbano Antillon (27-1, 20 KOs) won a tougher than expected UD over Rene Gonzalez (27-1-1, 21 KOs). The scores were wide and it was scored a near shutout, but Gonzalez did have his moments.

Osaka, Japan- Mexican, Hugo Cazares (31-6-2, 22 KOs) went into enemy territory and avenged a prior loss by taking the WBA Super Flyweight title from Nobuo Nashiro (13-2-1, 8 KOs). In what could only be described as an early morning cock fight, the action was fierce and back and forth with Cazares doing enough to take the unanimous decision.

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Touching Base with Wayne McCullough: A BTBC Exclusive

By Charles Horgan

BTBC: I've considered you to be the "Most Avoided Man In Boxing" for a while. How does a former world champion and Olympic medalist with 7 losses avoid work? It seems like prospects would want to test their abilities against somebody who would look good on a resume.

Wayne McCullough: The problem is that I've never been on the canvas so anyone that steps in the ring with me knows they're in for a long night!

BTBC: Some people don't think you should fight anymore, they look at the record of your previous outing and it says "RTD". What happened?

WM: Prior to the fight I got injured in sparring. I asked the promoter to let me postpone the fight but he refused. My wife wanted to pull me out but I thought it could have been my last chance so I took the fight. No disrespect to Juan Ruiz but I should not have been in the ring that night and even though I was ahead on the cards my injury flared up and I had to stop after the 6th round. But I didn't make excuses after the fight!

BTBC: How hard has it been to get a bout? Tell us about some of the frustrations you've had.

WM: Cheryl (Cheryl McCullough, wife) has asked lots of promoters if they would give help me get a fight. I was even willing to sign a deal. But nothing materialized.

BTBC: How did this Prizefighter (UK-Based One-Day Tourney) opportunity come about?

WM: I was approached by the promoters people and I jumped at the chance. He is using my name but it means I get to fight so I'm happy about it.

BTBC: Some people think that a long layoff like yours hurts your chances, what have you done to keep your abilities sharp?
WM: I kept training even when there wasn't a fight to train for. I just continued to work on my craft and focused knowing that if I was meant to fight something would come along.

BTBC: A lot of our readers are boxing purists who would rather die than watch MMA; But MMA has given you some opportunities, tell us a little about how it has helped you out.

WM: I've known Dana White for many years and about 4 years ago I got tickets through Marc Ratner to attend a live UFC event in Las Vegas. It's unheard of to be invited to attend a boxing event so I was thrilled. That night Dana approached me and asked if I'd come work for them and I said I'd be honored. I'm very thankful to Dana, Lorenzo & Frank Fertitta because my position in the UFC has secured my future. I have given more than most to boxing but I never thought it would turn it's back on me.

BTBC: Can you tell us about who your opposition will be in the tournament and give us an idea of what we can expect from you?

WM: There is a former European champion taking part and another 6 British fighters as well as me making a total of 8 boxers in the tournament. An injury free Pocket Rocket can walk away with the Prizefighter trophy!

BTBC: Let's say my dream match of you vs. Penalosa happened, how would you see that playing out (two strong chinned volume punchers)?
WM: I like the way Penalosa fights. I've asked for that fight but yet again I was ignored! It would be a great fight that I would win but I could see it becoming a trilogy like Ward v Gatti!

BTBC: Will Cheryl be working with you in getting prepared?

WM: Always does, always will!

BTBC: Any final words for your fans and well-wishers on The BTBC?

WM: I want to thank all my true fans who have supported me throughout my career!

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Body Blow: The Boxing Show That Goes Toe To Toe...On The BTBC

Body Blow #127: Mo Money Mo Money Mo Money

Mayweather destroys Mosely

Will Mayweather and Pacquiao ever fight?

Is Mayweather an all-time great?

Williams vs Cintron Breakdown

Call in line: 206-202-4468

Master Feeds for all the shows on Whatchatalkinbout.com

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Calzaghe Quickly Losing Respect Of Loyal Fans

As a proud Welshman, you can excuse my biasness towards Joe Calzaghe, who’s arguably the best fighter ever produced from the British Isles. But ever since he announced his retirement from the sport on February 5th, 2009, my respect for ‘The Pride of Wales’ has been on a slippery decline.

There have always been question marks from Calzaghe’s doubters hanging over his career; about the level of opposition, his desire to fight the best the sport had to offer and his unique style of boxing. I too, am beginning to creep into that category.

His biggest career victories have decayed, maybe because of Calzaghe’s dominance in victory breaking his opponents’ mental toughness or maybe because they weren’t that good. Mikkel Kessler, in my view Calzaghe’s best win, was dominated by inexperienced, but talented, Andre Ward, and has not looked convincing for a long time. Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr. and Jeff Lacy have continued to lose respectability as good fighters, with dull performances and sloppy meaningless fights.

Calzaghe’s desperation for the limelight has seen him enter a celebrity dancing competition and create his own hit TV series, ‘The Calzaghe Clang’. I have nothing against boxers who seek a career on the box after retirement, but at least appear like you’re not doing it purely to raise your reputation through embarrassment.

An undercover investigation from News of the World, who have turned from a newspaper to a private investigation team to try and wipe out all sports, recorded Calzaghe admitting use of cocaine since his retirement. The funny thing is that nobody seemed to care. Calzaghe by now had lost my respect as a human being.

With the media awaiting his announcement out of retirement, hyped up a little by Golden Boy Promotions, I have come to the conclusion that I don’t want to see him back in the ring, especially if it’s a rematch against Bernard Hopkins.

It would be another example of Calzaghe cherry-picking his opponents as they become weaker and more fragile. Hopkins showed he had nothing much left in the tank against Jones, and Calzaghe could sniff his opportunity to get rid of the asterisk next to his fight with Hopkins by defeating him comprehensively the second time round.

If the fight gets made, why would anyone other than Hopkins and Calzaghe fans tune-in to watch the fight, when it has no relevance to the light heavyweight division whatsoever? It doesn’t mean that Calzaghe will continue to campaign at light heavyweight if he wins, with a look down the line of fighting the winner of Dawson-Pascal in late 2010.

As a fighter, I still rate him highly, and will back him because of his nationality. Joe’s undefeated record is what makes him special, and quite rightly too. Not many fighters can go 46-0 by keeping hold of a title for eleven years, and that’s what makes him hall-of-fame bound. His doubters will criticize his inclusion into Canastota, but considering his importance to British boxing over the past decade, I doubt that Calzaghe will be ignored.

Calzaghe might need to realise that a comeback fight with Hopkins tarnishes his legacy, not strengthen it, before hastily deciding to cash in on a pretty low income that the fight will generate. But I know deep down, that I would be pretty naive to think that Calzaghe would be able to avoid the ‘itch’ of returning into the square circle and the chance of tentatively adding to his collection of wins. My respect for him as a fighter has begun it’s slippery decline.

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Random Thoughts on Mayweather-Mosley

by Paul Magno

* I'm sorry... if you don't appreciate Floyd Mayweather's in-ring work and the supreme old school professionalism that he exhibits fight after fight, boxing is obviously not for you. May I suggest mma or WWE?

* Wasn't it refreshing to see a major ppv fight not burdened by catchweight stipulations and weight demands?

* I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, but referee Kenny Bayless did an excellent job with two fighters who are notoriously hard to officiate. One only wonders how Joe Cortez would've done in the same situation.

* Mayweather saved $675,000 in sanctioning fees by telling the WBA to keep their belt to themselves...Hopefully this is a trend all fighters will follow. Then, we may be able to start over and get a real sanctioning body.

* Talk of Mosley being old is the epitome of Mayweather hating. Up until last night's contest, Mosley was rightfully considered the top welterweight in the world and was deemed "too good" by Freddie Roach when Pacquiao was deciding on an opponent.

* That straight right hand that Mosley landed in the second round would've leveled ANY fighter from 154 on down...Credit goes to Mayweather's super human physical conditioning and his ability to think on his feet...even when knocked loopy.

* Larry Merchant, IMO, crossed the line with the Mayweather hate speech...Everything out of Merchant's mouth was a crack disparaging Mayweather, the fight, and the very event he was paid to cover...

There were more verbal jabs at Mayweather than actual jabs on the whole telecast...Principally, the whole "Artful Dodger" sermon before the main event...Merchant's been around the block and he knows better; he's not some chat room moron...He has to know the reason behind fights with Margarito and Cotto not getting made, yet he pushes forward with the name calling...It really crossed the line from stubbornly critical to patently unprofessional.

This was the first time where Merchant seemed almost pathetically burdened with prejudice...Normally, I would be up in arms about this kind of biased coverage, but last night I felt sorry for Merchant...He's come to the end of his run and he's not going out gracefully...

* Ever since Mayweather mentioned Mosley's nose job, I can't stop looking at it...

* Daniel Ponce de Leon on the undercard is quite possible the ugliest, sloppiest-looking fighter on the world stage. His newly-developed jab looked about as graceful as a boxing glove stuck on a metal pole, tied to a rusty bulldozer...but it was effective.

* I'll reserve judgment  on Mexican phenom, Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez...If a blown up, fringe-contending lightweight like Jose Miguel Cotto can stun him, who knows what a top 20 welterweight would do?

* Mayweather operates on two speeds: "Better than the rest" and "All-time Great." He'd been cruising on the first speed for a number of years, but getting caught and hurt by Mosley forced him to shift into second...and Mosley simply couldn't keep up.

* Do you realize that Mayweather, in his last two fights, has fought two Top 4 pound for pound fighters and has lost a combined total of two rounds?

* Can anyone not at least seriously consider putting Mayweather back at #1 on the pound for pound list?

* Is it safe to say that nobody will be enforcing the rematch clause in this one?

* Oddest image of the night: A puzzled blonde kid sitting on Muhammad Ali's lap...I don't know the back story or how the kid got there, but it was a very surreal moment.

* Hands down, the silliest post-fight theory to date: Accusations that Mayweather-Mosley was somehow fixed.

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Brilliance! Mayweather Dominates Mosley

Las Vegas, NV- After an uneventful first round, Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs) connected with a straight right hand in the second that buckled the knees of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs); He followed it up seconds later with a right hook that nearly dropped the trash-talking welterweight from Las Vegas by way of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Floyd Mayweather learned early on that "Sugar" Shane Mosley was not a faded veteran and that, indeed, he would be forced to step it up to elite mode.

That was the last lesson learned by Mayweather because, from that point on, Mayweather became the professor and proceeded to put on a clinic.

The rest of the bout could be considered a modern day masterpiece, featuring a more aggressive than usual Mayweather mixing things up and utterly outclassing a top 3 or 4 pound for pound fighter in Shane Mosley.

Mayweather, for the last ten rounds of the fight was simply a step ahead and a class above a "Sugar" Shane who, for the first time in his career, looked to be doubting himself and questioning his presence in the fight.

Employing his usual fluid shoulder roll, followed by accurate potshots and controlled spacing, Mayweather turned rounds three to twelve into one long session, with Mosley trainer, Naazim Richardson, at one point hinting at stopping the fight between rounds.

The judges scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the bout: 119-109, 119-109, 118-110. The BTBC scored it 118-110, also for Mayweather.

On the undercard, undefeated 19-year old Mexican phenom, Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez (33-0-1, 24 KOs) survived a near-knockdown in the first round to stop a game, but pudgy and over-matched Jose Miguel Cotto (31-2-1, 23 KOs) in the ninth.

Daniel Ponce de Leon (39-2, 32 KOs) put in an uncharacteristically calm, professional performance against Cornelius Lock (19-5-1, 12 KOs) en route to a unanimous 10 round decision.

In the pay per view opener, Said Ouali (27-3, 19 KOs) stopped power punching Hector Saldivia (31-2, 24 KOs) in the first in a wild bout that saw both fighters hit the canvas.

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