The Boxing Tribune

Controversial Fight Series: Cotto-Clottey

2010-06-03T10:20:00.005-05:00

by Dafs117, Siren1927 and Mentaldynamo

As part of The Boxing Tribune’s preview of Yuri Foreman’s maiden defence of his WBA junior middleweight title against Miguel Cotto, we revisit Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey in the Puerto Rican’s closest fight of his career.

At The Garden – WBO Welterweight Title
MIGUEL COTTO (33-1, 27 KO, WBO Titleholder)
vs.
JOSHUA CLOTTEY (36-3, 29 KO)
June 13, 2009 | Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

June 13th, 2009

This was Miguel Cotto’s first real comeback test since his devastating first career defeat to the hands of Antonio Margarito. Suspicions were raised when Shane Mosley’s camp found an illegal substance in Margaito’s handwraps, which led many to believe that his win against Cotto was not legit. The victory still stands, and Cotto had begun his comeback trek with a one-sided beatdown of Michael Jennings, stopping him in the fifth round.

Joshua Clottey was no Michael Jennings. Viewed to many as an underrated top-end welterweight, Clottey was going to be a much tougher opponent for Cotto to break down. In 2006, Clottey had gone the distance with Margarito, starting brightly before a hand injury forced him into retreat. The Ghanaian was coming off the most impressive victory of his career, a technical decision over Zab Judah to capture the vacant IBF welterweight title.

Clottey didn’t defend his IBF title and blamed Cotto for failing to file paperwork on time to make the contest a unification fight. This had no effect on the purse however, as the marketing was successful and the gate was huge, partly because it was held on the eve of the Puerto Rican Parade.

This was Miguel Cotto’s first fight without long-time trainer and uncle Evangelista Cotto, who were involved in several arguments in their fiery relationship. In front of a pro-Cotto crowd, Clottey’s defence frustrated Cotto early on, and it proved in the middle rounds as Cotto resulted into wild shots. Cotto was also cut in round three, the worst cut of the year. Was Cotto’s late surge enough for victory? Or did Clottey’s middle-round cleanout ensure an upset?

The Boxing Tribune have replaced the judges with our own set of scorers. The three judges will be Dafs117, Siren1927 and mentaldynamo. They will give their round-by-round opinion, with a quest to find if Cotto was on the right-end of a split decision at the Garden.

Round 1

Dafs117 – “Both fighters start well, not landing much but getting their punches off in bunches. Cotto begins to land a couple of body shots as he begins to stretch out a lead in the round, and very late on, he lands a left hook which catches an off-balance Clottey who touches down.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Siren1927 – “Great start to the fight, with both fighters jabbing well and both looking to attack the body early. Cotto is finding a home for his straight right already, and it’s a pretty even first round until Cotto drops Clottey, who to be fair looked off balanced.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Mentaldynamo – “High tempo start from both fighters, knockdown clinches it for Cotto.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Round 2

Dafs117 – “Clottey begins to land a couple more scoring shots this round, sweet uppercut and a nice right hand at the end of the round to win the round. The more accurate punches came from Clottey and probably the best defence.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Cotto is firing away nicely but he cannot break through the guard of Clottey. Clottey keeps on firing uppercuts which are mostly blocked too. Cotto is throwing a lot, but not landing. Clottey landed the most telling blows in this round for me.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Although Cotto looked more active, Clottey landed the cleaner, sharper blows.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 3

Dafs117 – “Clottey’s left hand can’t miss in the opening minute as he fires a hook followed by a handful of jabs onto Cotto’s chin. Cotto’s peek-a-boo style is ineffective, as Clottey finds his range to land left uppercuts. Cotto throws more punches, but they simply don’t find their target, and a nasty clash of heads causes blood to trickle above the Puerto Rican’s left eye. This round should separate the judges, Lederman gives it to Cotto for out-jabbing, but for me, he doesn’t land anything to compare to Clottey.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “For the first minute, we have Cotto teeing off and landing one punch. Clottey is again landing clean, he’s found a home for that left to the body. Cotto uses the jab he forgot in the last round to actually catch Clottey twice, then he forgets it again. However he is starting to catch Clottey now and he takes the round on activity for me.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “Clottey controlled the round with his jab, backing Cotto up and using it to land his right.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 4

Dafs117 – “Clottey again starts strongly, and his defence is just excellent. They trade heavy leather with Cotto going to the body and Clottey firing back. The cut is really bothering Cotto as he wipes the blood away. Kellerman suggests that Cotto can’t see the right hand coming, and he’s right. Cotto with a late flurry and Clottey tries to answer back. Brilliant round!” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Both start the round on fire, throwing and connecting, though if I’m honest Cotto's head movement wins the early exchanges. Clottey then comes right back and Cotto, looks as though he is going to steal the round then acts like a clown and Cotto steals it right back.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “Controlled the round with the jab, and again backed Cotto up with right hands. Clottey also blocked most of Cotto’s punches.” 10-9 Clottey

After 4 Rounds: Dafs117 – 38-37 Cotto; Siren1927 – 39-36 Cotto; 38-37 Clottey;

Round 5

Dafs117 – “Clottey blocks Cotto’s shots before landing a huge right hand. Another right hand lands from the Ghanaian, and another. Cotto keeps pawing at that cut and it’s really hurting him. Clottey comes in with another right and Cotto basically just slams him to the canvas. Clottey complains, and rightly so in my view, that was a cheap shot from Cotto. Poor officiating from Arthur Mercante Jr., who tells him to walk it off, and on the replay, Clottey slips more than I originally thought. This is getting feisty and Clottey complains about his knee.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Clottey starts this round really well and around the two minute mark lands a lovely double jab right hand combo. Cotto slams Clottey to the ground and special mention must go to the ref who simply tells Clottey be a man, be a champ and walk it off. Clottey wins the round but by God I wish I could take a point off for being a wimp.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Clottey blocks Cotto’s shots before landing his own right hands. Clottey wins because he lands the cleaner, more precise shots.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 6

Dafs117 – “Cotto presses and Clottey stands still and gets hit. Cotto traps him in the corner, digging at him punch by punch. Clottey counters with a straight left and they trade, before Clottey goes back into defence mode. Cotto keeps him in the corner landing heavy shots, but Clottey keeps on firing back. Clottey’s mobility is non-existent this round, maybe his knee is a problem. Big round for Cotto, but also a tough round for the Puerto Rican.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Cotto is on fire at the start of the round, throwing and landing multiple shots. Clottey’s mobility is clearly an issue here. Cotto traps him in the corner, but Clottey fires back and catches Cotto, but he’s still trapped in there. They trade leather at the end but Cotto kept him in that corner all round.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “It looks like Clottey took a round off, getting his breath back after a high tempo start. Cotto dominates and wins the round easily on my card.” 10-9 Cotto

Round 7

Dafs117 – “Cotto really taking control of the fight right now, and I don’t know how much Clottey hurting from that slip/throw has to do with it. Cotto with four unanswered punches, two land. Clottey’s movement is better this round for sure, but getting outpunched. Clottey gets away a combo that ended with a nice right hand. Clottey hurting Miguel, but Cotto gets out of danger. Clottey is the one cranking up the pressure. Another big right, and he takes this round fairly handily. Cotto fires hard near the bell.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “How else can you explain this round other than say Clottey just simply beats Cotto up. Cotto fires enough back to at least be competitive but Cotto has a massive target on that cut eye and Clottey’s right hand can’t miss.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Again, Clottey landed the cleaner shots and backed up Cotto with that lead left jab.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 8

Dafs117 – “Cotto goes back to pressure Clottey on the ropes again, but Clottey is still able to get his punches away. Cotto then backs himself onto the ropes, de ja vu to the Margarito fight. Clottey lambasts Cotto with rights, that uppercut is hurting Cotto as he grabs both eyes. Cotto now unloads in the corner. Clottey shakes his head like a badass. Clottey takes the round for me, but very close.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Before we even start the round, I’m wondering why the fight hasn’t been stopped, that eye is terrible and I’ve seen far less serious cuts stop fights. The actual round starts with Clottey still in his groove; he gets inside and lands some decent shots. Cotto backs him to the ropes before Clottey flurries out of it. Cotto is continually dabbing at his eye and Clottey is punishing him for it. The amount of right hands Clottey is landing is unreal. Cotto backs him back into the corner in an attempt to steal the round however, Clottey shakes his head and I shake mine.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Cotto’s exciting burst at the end of the round not enough to win it. His flurry of punches is not as good as the cleaner 1-2’s from Clottey.” 10-9 Clottey

After 8 Rounds: Dafs117 – 76-75 Clottey; Siren1927 – 76-75 Cotto; 77-74 Clottey;

Round 9

Dafs117 – “It’s Clottey’s turn to stalk early in the round as Cotto moves backwards, not doing much. Another Clottey right lands again. Cotto coming forward with 40 seconds left, but not finding much. Now he’s punching! Clottey resets at mid-ring and jabs Cotto. Cotto’s just not breaking the defence enough to win these rounds, in my humble opinion. Clottey landed the better shots this round.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Nothing of note in the first minute, seconds later Clottey lands a nice straight right then flurries almost straight afterwards. Both fighters are feeling the pace and are not doing much. Both fighters come to life in the last 30 seconds both landing roughly equal. It’s a tough round to score, but I’ve given it to Clottey based on accurate punching.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “More effective punches came from Clottey in that round, and Cotto doesn’t seem to have anything left as his cut gets worse.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 10

Dafs117 – “Clottey chasing Miguel around again for the first half of the round and Cotto is just not in this fight right now. Lampley thinks Clottey is slowing, I agree, but Cotto is just staying away more than before. Cotto, like in the Margarito fight, has just stopped his work to the body and is head hunting albeit unsuccessfully. Round is winnable for either with 40 seconds to go. They trade leather, most punches miss. Another card-splitting round. I’m going with Cotto.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “The first minute of the round is beautiful for Cotto, he doesn’t land much but his footwork and ring generalship are on display for everyone here. Cotto has found something here; he is bobbing and weaving, throwing a few and then moving out of range. It almost wins him the round, but Clottey lands around 12 punches in the last 40 seconds to steal it.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Not much action in round ten, but Clottey kept coming forward so I award the round to the Ghanaian on effective aggression.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 11

Dafs117 – “Everyone from HBO is excited. Cotto outworks Clottey, who has really slowed down now. The pace is getting to him, and Cotto picks and pecks. Good idea, he needs the rounds. Clottey lands a meaningful right, but it’s Cotto’s round.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Another close round, it’s now Cotto’s turn to throw the most of the punches and starts to fire back at Clottey. Both fighters have their moments and it’s another tough round to score. You have the sense that if Clottey had thrown a few more he would’ve taken the round hands down. He just about took it, but only just.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Much of the same as Clottey keeps coming forward and dictating the pace of the fight.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 12

Dafs117 – “Both come out to win the round and Cotto moves around the ring as Clottey pressures. Cotto lets his hands go, Clottey follows suit, nothing lands though. Cotto turns to southpaw and smacks Clottey in the back of the head. Good call from Mercante Jr., it looked an accident. Clottey tries to find time as he complains for a low blow, nothing given. Cotto with five punches, nothing coming back from Clottey. Left hand from Cotto, and a right from Clottey. Brilliant fight, a rough tussle.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Another tough round to score and unfortunately, more Joshua Clottey bad acting classes. Cotto is just much more active and his defence is actually better in this round. Cotto stole it for me. He didn’t so much as win the round; it was Clottey that lost it.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “It was a close round, but Cotto just did enough to win it. Cotto had his moments, but that was it, just moments.” 10-9 Cotto

Official Scores: Don Trella – 116-111 Cotto; John McKaie – 115-112 Cotto; Tom Miller – 114-113 Clottey;

Miguel Cotto successfully defends his belt by split decision

BTBC Scorecards: Dafs117 – 114-113 Cotto; Siren1927 – 114-113 Clottey; Mentaldynamo – 116-111 Clottey;

Joshua Clottey wins via split decision

BTBC Combined Scorecard

Round 1 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0); [-1 knockdown for Clottey]
Round 2 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 3 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 4 – 10-9 Cotto (2-1);
Round 5 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 6 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0);
Round 7 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 8 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 9 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 10 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 11 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 12 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0);

Total – 115-112 Clottey;

Money, Money, Money: Odds on Foreman-Cotto and The Weekend Action

2010-06-02T19:25:00.004-05:00

As a keen boxing fan, I take a healthy interest in what the books are thinking, as it normally is a good indication to see how the fight will turn out in the casual fans’ mind. Maybe once in a while I’ll back up my predictions with putting some money down, but for enjoyment and the profit, not to fuel any sort of addiction.

For those unfamiliar with how it works, it’s not that difficult. For example, a fighter is -300, it means every $3 you win a $1. If a fighter is +300, it means you bet $1 to win $3. And the line varies on how big a favourite/underdog a fighter is.

Junior Middleweight: Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto (HBO) [12 Rounds]

Yuri Foreman +200, Miguel Cotto -250

Close fight on paper, closer than expected fight in the books. For those who think that Miguel Cotto is shot and favour the Rabbi, you could make a healthy profit out of this fight with the tempting price. Cotto is also at a juicy price, and I expected that his star reputation would make him an obvious favourite.

Cruiserweight: Steve Cunningham vs. Troy Ross (Polsat) [12 Rounds]

Steve Cunningham -500, Troy Ross +333

This will be the first time one of our House Fighters will be in a title shot, and it’s a big ask for Troy Ross to pull it off as he’s a clear underdog going into the fight. Cunningham is regarded as the best in the division, and you could strongly argue that he’s head and shoulders above everybody else in the top 10.

Middleweight: Sebastian Sylvester vs. Roman Karmazin (Polsat) [12 Rounds]

Sebastian Sylvester -250, Roman Karmazin +188

In his prime, Karmazin would probably beat up Sylvester over the distance. But the battles are beginning to catch up with him, as was displayed in his come-from-behind knockout win over Dionisio Miranda in January. Sylvester is on a four-fight winning streak since he lost to Felix Sturm, and I favour him to extend his run to five.

Junior Middleweight: Vanes Martirosyan vs. Joe Greene (HBO) [10 Rounds]

Vanes Martirosyan -200, Joe Greene +150

This might be the most intriguing fight this weekend, despite three other strong contenders. Both fighters are undefeated and are expected to put on an explosive fight. Martirosyan is a slight favourite due to his background.

What do you think will happen? Get involved in The BTBC's new fantasy boxing betting game!

BODY BLOW #130: DO YOU SMELL WHAT ARUM IS COOKING?

2010-06-02T14:20:00.003-05:00

Listen to the show HERE

Mares vs Parez WrapUp
Why I Love Wilfredo Vazquez Jr?
Why nobody can beat Vitali Klitschko
Cotto vs Foreman Analysis
Is Arum pulling a fast one with the Cotto vs Foreman matchup?
Call in line: 206-202-4468

Margarito's Sudden Acceptance an Illustration of the Double Standards in Boxing

2010-06-02T14:10:00.007-05:00

by Dafs

Antonio Margarito’s ring return was greeted by many with a ‘forgive and forget’ attitude, with the hand-wrapping controversy a distant memory for fans and media alike; a stark contrast to the outrage and resentment in the public a year ago.

I wasn’t offering a welcome back hug to the fighter who claims he was deceived by his immoral trainer. Margarito still disputes today that he knew nothing about the two rock hard pads implanted in his hand wraps by Javier Capetillo, who sacrificed himself for Margarito’s career.

Despite some early negative press, Margarito outrageously finds himself in a better position sixteen months on. Bob Arum has pledged that he will face Manny Pacquiao in the Fall, guaranteeing that Margarito will be joining the exclusive eight-figure salary club with the leading figures of the sport.

So far, the commissioners have stood firm, refusing to restore his license. In their opinion, he has not done his time. The case was revisited after the indefinite year suspension, but he was refused by the usually lenient state of Texas. Arum blamed California’s influence, who have been stubborn in their case against Margarito.

The lack of remorse shown by Margartio and the constant digs towards the commissioners didn’t help his cause. He disobeyed his rejection by reminding everyone he could fight in his native country Mexico, through taking countless interviews outlining his arrogant return plan back to the top, while crying innocent.

The more and more media coverage Margarito received, the more the fans began to believe his story. But when asked about Capetillo’s return, the fans that completely neglected the elephant in Margarito’s room will be the first to let rip at Capetillo’s incompetence.

At least Capetillo was man enough to own up, and for me, that deserves a chance at redemption, just as any guilty man should if that second chance comes from a place of empathy. I don’t approve of Capetillo’s actions on that January 24 night, not at all, but at least he had the fortitude to admit that he was in the wrong.

I don’t know if Margarito had cheated before, frankly I don’t have the knowledge, but I find it improbable that he would have loaded in a fight where he was a 3-to-1 favourite, but not in a fight where he was a 3-to-1 underdog.

‘Plaster-gate’ has drawn the obvious comparison with the Resto-Collins fight back in 1983. To this day, Resto and his trainer Panama Lewis are banned from boxing, partly because they didn’t take responsibility over their actions until they were broke and needed the money.

The name Panama Lewis is enough to send shivers down any long time follower of the sport’s spine. But why has Margarito been allowed to wriggle out of the same punishment implemented on Lewis and Resto twenty-six years ago?

The fighter is the head of any team, and if he doesn’t like what his trainer is plotting, he can easily tell him to sling his hook. Margarito knew exactly what the situation was in that dressing room, and was caught red-handed with the illegal hand wraps. Margarito should not be treated differently to any other fighter, trainer or cutman, regardless of their status in the game. Like Resto and Lewis, Margarito should be banned for life.

Say "No" to the Alphabet Soup Organizations in Boxing

2010-06-02T06:15:00.003-05:00

by Paul Magno

I don't know of any real fight fans who actually like boxing's four major sanctioning bodies (WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF). As a matter of fact, hardcore fans are unanimous in their disgust for these "Alphabet Soup" Organizations.

The laundry list of offenses is too long to detail in one short article, but with only their own self-interest in mind, these groups have committed just about every offense possible against the sport and it's athletes.

For this reason, The Boxing Tribune is spearheading the campaign to discredit and eventually eliminate these blights on the sport. We urge all fans and websites to join in and support the cause for the betterment of the sport. A large, vocal movement may give fighters and managers the courage and incentive to ditch these now meaningless belts and bring the sport back to where it needs to be.

Join the movement: www.Facebook.com/boxing.reform

It's easy to say "Ditch the Sanctioning Bodies," but what does that really mean and how can the sport exist without the current power structure? Here's a FAQ-style rundown of some of the major sticking points of this movement:

Why get rid of the sanctioning bodies?

To be kind, they're very unnecessary. To be real, they are a blight on the sport and merely exist to line their pockets with the hard-earned money fighters truly deserve. Aside from the bribes and kickbacks that most acknowledge as real parts of the ranking procedure, there's the issue of sanctioning fees. About 3 percent of fighter's purses in all championship fights and official eliminators are handed over to the sanctioning body in charge of the fight...we're talking 5 and 6 figure sanctioning fees just for the right to hold the belt that they earned on their own. But if this isn't bad enough...all 4 major organizations regularly invent new belts and new titles in order to extract more money from more fighters...So, with compromised rankings and a landscape littered with World, Interim, Regular, Super, Diamond, International and Silver champions, the continued existence of these groups is not only bad for the fighters who want a fair, even playing field but, also, for the casual fans who want to follow the sport but get no clear idea of who's who because of all the diluted titles and cartoonish corruption.

Fighters use the sanctioning bodies and the lesser belts as a ladder to climb in their development...What will the young fighters do to get that push and be seen by a large group of fans?

Well, they'd do what they've historically done: Win, make a name for themselves and fight their way to the top. Why should the sanctioning bodies be involved in promoting fighters to new heights? That's what promoters are for. The sanctioning bodies should be for protecting the fighters and making sure that all are fighting on an even playing field.

What about the history and title lineages that accompany these sanctioning bodies?

Well, the sanctioning bodies, as we know them, have only been around since 1962 when some members of the NBA (National Boxing Association) executed a hostile take over of the organization and moved it out of US jurisdiction, renaming it the WBA. Eliminating the modern organizations will do nothing to lessen the importance of the great fighters of the past. And, as far as title lineages go, the arbitrary rules of the sanctioning bodies have already compromised a good share of title lineages.

Ok, They're corrupt, but what would boxing do without at least some sort of sanctioning body?

I'm not endorsing chaos in the sport. Boxing does, indeed, need a sanctioning body, but it needs an organization that will do the right thing and put the sport ahead of the wallets of the boss men. The sport can operate on the same level as other sports do, but a house cleaning is desperately needed in order to start the cleansing process. In the absence of the Alphabet Soup Crew and while a new sanctioning body is being formed, local and state commissions could handle the record keeping and other logistical duties while, short term, the media could handle the rankings. I'll admit, this is not an ideal situation, but the only way to reform is to remove the offending parties. If they still exist and operate as usual, their stranglehold on the sport would be too strong to enact any reform.

Why not work from within and try to reform the existing sanctioning bodies?

48 years of repeat offending have shown us that they simply will not clean up their act...and there's nothing we can really do to force them. Three of the Four sanctioning bodies are based outside US jurisdiction and the one US-based group, the IBF, has already been busted, disassembled and re-formed with little real change.

How can we even do this?

Getting rid of the sanctioning bodies would be as easy as cutting off the cash supply. Six to Nine months of no sanctioning fees or kick-backs would significantly cripple them. A lot depends on whether fighters and managers would join in the movement or if they'd rather continue on with the corrupt current scene that allows them a chance to buy their way to the top. I guess this movement would also say a lot about the integrity of many active participants in the sport and whether they'd choose to play on a level playing field if given a choice.

How can we ensure that the next sanctioning body wouldn't fall into the same corrupt pattern as the ones we have now?

Remove the profit factor and the veil of secrecy; That would just about do it. Make the rankings based upon a fair, objective formula that takes activity and level of opposition within a given weight class into consideration. Publish the formula, make it simple enough to verify and keep it as an untouchable method of ranking fighters. When it comes to money issues, make all financial dealings 100% transparent. Yes, sanctioning fees do need to be charged, but the current rate is too high. A scaled-down, small government-style sanctioning body would require less of an operating budget than the massive bureaucracies that currently exist only to sustain themselves. The new sanctioning body's responsibilities would be to supervise the officials, ensure for the safety of the fighters and oversee officially sanctioned bouts. All of this, of course, would take place in complete transparency with all meetings transcribed, observed and posted in a public forum and all revenue paths clearly earmarked.

Believe me, I have no delusions of grandeur regarding this issue. Maybe this is the greatest of pipe dreams, but I owe a lot to this sport and have nothing but the greatest respect for those warriors who risk their lives each and every time they step into the ring. To have a bunch of middle-aged confidence men divvying up these warriors' hard-earned money is just obscene. And to have the sport riddled with bogus titles and bought rankings that ruin all credibility is sickening. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least make my voice heard...this is your chance to make your voices heard as well...And, maybe, together we can make a loud enough noise.

Join the movement...Say "No" to the Alphabet Soup Organizations in Boxing:

www.Facebook.com/boxing.reform

Maidana Passes on Khan Clash

2010-05-31T19:21:00.004-05:00

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.

Vazquez and Martinez Stop Opponents In Puerto Rico

2010-05-30T07:21:00.007-05:00

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.

Shocker: Vitali Scores Tenth Round Stoppage

2010-05-29T17:18:00.005-05:00

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.

What A Difference A Game Makes

2010-05-29T08:12:00.005-05:00

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?

Let's Stop Playing The Bob Arum Game

2010-05-25T00:51:00.001-05:00

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.

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

2010-05-23T03:34:00.001-05:00

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.

Controversial Fight Series: Vazquez-Marquez III

2010-05-21T09:56:00.008-05:00

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;

Midweek Hangover With Siren1927

2010-05-19T07:08:00.005-05:00

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.

BODY BLOW #129: BROOKLYN KEEPS ON TAKING IT

2010-05-18T23:06:00.001-05:00

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

Golden Boy Will Ruin The 140 lb. Division

2010-05-18T02:20:00.000-05:00

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.

Nothing Different From Dominant Ortiz

2010-05-16T16:59:00.007-05:00

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.

Weekend Hangover With Siren1927

2010-05-16T13:12:00.008-05:00

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.

Talk is Cheap: Khan and Ortiz Dominate Malignaggi and Campbell

2010-05-15T23:13:00.000-05:00

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.

Katsidis Disposes Mitchell In Three

2010-05-15T18:08:00.004-05:00

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.

Kevin Mitchell: The Modern Day Cinderella Man

2010-05-14T14:05:00.006-05:00

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.

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

2010-05-13T01:02:00.000-05:00

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.

Paul Williams' Identity Crisis

2010-05-11T02:59:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2010-05-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2010-05-09T05:56:00.000-05:00

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.

Touching Base with Wayne McCullough: A BTBC Exclusive

2010-05-07T23:19:00.002-05:00

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!

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

2010-05-05T00:51:00.002-05:00

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

Calzaghe Quickly Losing Respect Of Loyal Fans

2010-05-04T18:02:00.003-05:00

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.

Random Thoughts on Mayweather-Mosley

2010-05-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Brilliance! Mayweather Dominates Mosley

2010-05-02T00:33:00.000-05:00

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.

Who R U Picking?: The BTBC Suggested Retail Price

2010-04-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

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.

Montiel Stops Hasegawa in Four

2010-04-30T05:46:00.002-05:00

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.

How to Beat a Mayweather

2010-04-28T03:41:00.001-05:00

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.

John Ruiz Retires

2010-04-26T14:36:00.001-05:00

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.”

Saturday's Recap

2010-04-26T01:13:00.003-05:00

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

Will a Loss for Kessler Kill The Super 6?

2010-04-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

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?

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

2010-04-21T01:02:00.001-05:00

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.

Was Boxing Partly At Fault For Valero's Madness?

2010-04-19T19:29:00.002-05:00

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.

Edwin Valero Hanged Himself In Jail

2010-04-19T10:22:00.001-05:00

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.

Valero Arrested On Suspicion Of Murdering His Wife

2010-04-18T13:24:00.003-05:00

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.

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

2010-04-18T02:54:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2010-04-16T02:19:00.000-05:00

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.

Funeka and Guzman Exploit Boxing Weaknesses

2010-04-13T17:53:00.003-05:00

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.

While I Was Away...

2010-04-12T23:54:00.000-05:00

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.

10 Most Influential People In Boxing

2010-04-12T15:26:00.006-05:00

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;

Caballero Catalyst For Gamboa-Lopez

2010-04-11T10:38:00.004-05:00

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.

Arthur Mercante and Lorraine Chargin Pass

2010-04-11T07:39:00.006-05:00

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.

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

2010-04-11T04:42:00.004-05:00

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.

The BTBC Fight of the Week

2010-04-10T08:04:00.007-05:00

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

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

2010-04-09T18:34:00.005-05:00

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.

Bradley and Maidana Agree Terms For June 19

2010-04-08T13:45:00.003-05:00

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.

WBC Mob Threatens Alexander... Nigga, Please!

2010-04-08T13:01:00.002-05:00

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!"

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

2010-04-08T03:45:00.006-05:00

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.

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

2010-04-07T14:57:00.001-05:00

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.

Cotto Confirms Steward As Trainer

2010-04-07T12:53:00.005-05:00

In one of the worst kept secrets in boxing, Miguel Cotto officially announced on his Twitter account that his new head trainer will be legendary hall of fame trainer Emmanuel Steward. Steward has already joined Cotto in his training camp and will remain with the Puerto Rican star until his fight with Yuri Foreman on June 5 for the WBA junior middleweight title.

Cotto will be aiming to become a three-weight world champion with victory at the Yankee Stadium in New York against Foreman who'll be making his first defense. Steward was on the verge of agreeing terms with Foreman's camp as a consultant, but Team Cotto managed to change his mind at the last minute.

Joe Santiago, Cotto's former head trainer, keeps his spot in the corner with Joe Chavez and his brother Jose Miguel Cotto.

Valero Problems Create American Burden

2010-04-06T04:23:00.003-05:00

by Dafs117

Edwin Valero's professional record maybe perfect, but his lifestyle is definitely blemished, as the knockout machine has been placed in a psychiatric rehabilitation center for six months, where they hope to cure his alcohol and drug related problems.

El Inca had mapped out plans for capturing a US boxing license after his recent run of victories, but a failed MRI scan in 2004 still raises concerns over his safety in the ring, and the major commissions don't want to run the risk of fatality in their state.

His actions outside the ring have not helped his cause, with Valero often in trouble with the law in Venezuela. Allegations of domestic violence rose again after his wife was hospitalized with a punctured lung. Other incidents include possession of illegal firearms and a DUI charge in Texas, which stops him from fighting in one of the most tolerant of states.

His chances of building on his best career victory over Antonio DeMarco have indefinitely put on hold. The offers were coming in and he was considered as Juan Manuel Marquez's biggest threat to his lightweight championship, but the momentum gathered seems to be lost.

The repercussions have already kicked-in, with his planned move to light welterweight to face Lamont Peterson put on hold for now. The fight was destined for HBO, who only have interest in Valero when he fights on American soil as they like to invest in boxers they can build, and it would be a tougher sell for them to showcase Valero if he doesn't have a US license.

The worry is that Valero's career will rot if he can't get the fights to advance his career, especially if his fights take place in Mexico, where the biggest names would demand that their fights take place on American turf as there's more money in the pot. This limits his options, and without lucrative fights, HBO will steer away as he's not an attractive investment. With Valero without a license and in no fit state to fight, his name will be quickly erased from the broadcasting shortlist.

The thought that we might not see Valero in the ring again is worrying, as he's an all-action fighter and the sport needs exciting fighters to expand it's fanbase. It's disappointing that such a great talent is struggling with personal issues, but it's good to see him getting the help he needs.

They say when you've got it all, you've got it all to lose, and one would hope that this isn't the case with Valero. His dream of becoming a superstar hangs in the balance, as the American officials and fight fans alike wait on further developments out of Venezuela.

Robert Guerrero Returns April 30

2010-04-05T19:33:00.005-05:00

'Solo Boxeo Tecate' returns on April 30 with two-weight world champion Robert Guerrero (25-1-1, 17 KO) returning to the ring for the first time since his triumphant win over Malcolm Klassen eight months ago when he capture the IBF junior lightweight crown. Guerrero faces Roberto David Arrieta (34-15-4, 15 KO) in a fight scheduled for ten rounds, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

This is great news as Guerrero had to scrap a scheduled fight with Michael Katsidis earlier in the year due to his wife Casey undergoing a bone marrow transplant, and with Guerrero planning a return it must mean Casey's on the mend. Guerrero vacated his IBF junior lightweight title to spend time and assist his wife in her battle against leukemia.

If Casey is indeed on the road to recovery, Guerrero can again look at big fights that are out there for him, such as Michael Katsidis if he still holds the WBO lightweight title after May 15 when he faces Kevin Mitchell in London. Guerrero has options across three divisions, assuming he can still make 126 without sacrificing ability. 'The Ghost' is still the biggest attraction at 130 pounds because of television interest, despite not holding a title and only fighting once at the weight.

Hopkins Collapses After Jones Fight

2010-04-04T07:59:00.005-05:00

According to BoxingScene, Bernard Hopkins "collapsed to his knees" in his dressing room following his unanimous decision victory over Roy Jones Jr. in Las Vegas.

This reportedly happened in the Executioner's dressing room as he tried to sit down on a bench because he was feeling tired. Schaefer said that he recovered quickly enough to "reach the ambulance under his own power."

The report also says that Roy Jones Jr. took a trip to the hospital for treatment following the fight.

This raises questions about older fighters' safety if both boxers had to go for treatment following a slow-paced fight.

After the fight, Hopkins said "You're going to think it's because I got hit on the back of the head too many times, but I want David Haye for the heavyweight championship of the world." If Hopkins collapsed after going twelve rounds with a shot Roy Jones, who knows what damage Haye could cause to the all-time great if they were to meet-up in the ring?

Richard Schaefer is convinced that Hopkins should hang 'em up and not chase Haye, and I second that.

Hopkins Revenges Jones Defeat

2010-04-04T05:29:00.004-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - Bernard Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO) won a unanimous decision over long time rival Roy Jones Jr. (54-7, 40 KO) in a dull contest that lived up to it's farcical hype that the public and media had labelled on it.

The fight was fought at a snail's pace, with CompuBox considering counting the feints instead of the punches. The only time of real excitement was when Hopkins made the most of the recovery time given for Jones' rabbit punch, where referee Tony Weeks rightly took a point away from Roy. Hopkins took four out of the five allowed minutes before coming back throwing wild punches at a retreating Jones, who then traded back for five seconds after the bell, nearly getting a double disqualification.

Hopkins constantly used his head to come inside, landing below the belt and rabbit punched. But Hopkins showed his street-wise mentality as it only occurred on the blind-side of Weeks. Every time Jones landed a foul, Hopkins would roll around on the floor demanding a point deduction. Hopkins was down three times, once in the sixth, eighth and tenth, all from Jones fouls. Jones also had recovery time for an accidental headbutt in the tenth.

Instead of landing any good punches, the legends put on an embarrassing show. I'm a fan of both, but this was horrible. Both are past their primes and can't deal with any high tempo. Both need to hang 'em up, they've had spectacular careers, both hall-of-famers and all-time greats. There's no point tarnishing their legacies with another pointless fight for a couple of pound coins.

The scores came in at 118-109, 117-110, 117-110, all for Hopkins. The BTBC scored the fight 118-110.

After the fight, Hopkins called out David Haye, and the least said about that the better.

On the undercard, light heavyweight Ismayl Sillakh (12-0, 11 KO) scored a second-round knockout of Daniel Judah (23-5-3, 10 KO).

Jason Litzau (27-2, 21 KO) got the nod over Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KO) as the fight went to the scorecards after Litzau's left eye was nearly shut as a result of an accidental headbutt in the seventh. It was a unanimous technical decision with cards of 68-65, 67-66 and 67-66. The BTBC scored the fight 67-66.

You know you have problems when Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6 KO) was involved in the most exciting fight of the night, disposing overmatched Calvin Green (21-5-1, 13 KO) in seven rounds.

18 year-old Frankie Gomez (1-0, 1 KO) made a successful start to his promising professional career with a third-round stoppage win over Clayvonne Howard (2-4, 1 KO)

Haye Demolishes Ruiz In Nine

2010-04-03T17:54:00.004-05:00

Manchester, England - David Haye (24-1, 22 KO) successfully defended his WBA heavyweight title for the first time at the M.E.N Arena as he knocked-down mandatory challenger John Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KO) four times before Ruiz's corner threw in the towel in the ninth to call a halt to the contest.

In the first thirty seconds, Haye landed a straight right hand that floored former titleholder Ruiz. The veteran got up on unsteady legs, before Haye knocked him down again with the use of illegal rabbit punches. Haye got a point deducted and admitted post-fight that it was "a little naughty" and "a bit of a cheap shot".

Ruiz continued to march forward and was often punished by Haye's right hand. Despite fighting off the back foot, Haye had no problem in winning the rounds off his fast jab, despite Ruiz dictating the pace and rhythm of the bout.

Ruiz was down again late on in the fifth following another Haye barrage, although the challenger's complaints about rabbit punching fell on deaf ears. Haye began the sixth looking for the stoppage and floored Ruiz for the fourth time with another quick combination. Ruiz was dazed by Haye's speed and struggled to nullify the champion's qualities as he promised to do so.

Haye dominated for another three rounds, before Ruiz's corner made the correct decision and pulled him out of the fight. It was the right call as Ruiz was taking one of the heaviest beatings he's had all career.

What's next for Haye is a mystery. He has a contractual agreement to give Nikolay Valuev a rematch, but that would be pointless and unnecessary. Everybody wants to see him in the ring with either Klitschko, but they seem occupied with other opponents. There are plenty of options out there, but it's up to him to make the fights the fans crave, which is to attempt to break the Klitschko stranglehold.

On the undercard, Ajose Olusegan (28-0, 14 KO) successfully defended his Commonwealth light welterweight title for the fourth time against Colin Lynes (33-8, 12 KO) with an eighth-round knockout victory. Olusegan dominated the fight before he landed a body shot on Lynes, who failed to beat the referee's ten-count. Olusegan's performance suggested he's ready for a step-up in class.

Super prospect George Groves (9-0, 7 KO) impressively stopped Charles Adamu (17-5, 12 KO) to win his first belt, the Commonwealth super middleweight title. Groves looks the real deal, becoming the first fighter to ever stop Adamu in his professional career, which is a major achievement when you consider that Adamu lasted the full twelve against Carl Froch. Groves knocked Adamu down once in the first and twice in the fourth, before the fight was stopped in the sixth.

Former top ten junior middleweight Jamie Moore (32-5, 23 KO) was upset by Sergey Khomitski (22-7-1, 9 KO) in his middleweight debut as he failed to come out for the seventh round.

No Friday Surprises For Undefeated Prospects

2010-04-03T03:15:00.009-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - The BTBC's junior middleweight House Fighter Erislandy Lara (11-0, 6 KOs) kept his undefeated record intact as he scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over veteran Danny Perez (34-6, 17 KOs) at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Lara dominated the bout from the opening bell, but seemed content to outbox the slower and less-talented Perez over the distance rather than up his work-rate to go for a stoppage victory. The judges scored the fight 99-91 on all three cards. The BTBC also scored the fight 99-91.

On the undercard, Puerto Rican featherweight standout Carlos Velasquez (12-0, 10 KOs) impressively scored a spectacular fourth-round knockout over late replacement Ira Terry (24-3, 14 KOs). Velasquez wobbled Terry in the third round and closed the show with a huge overhand right in the fourth.

Uncasville, Connecticut - In a better looking match-up on paper, Delvin Rodriguez (25-4-2, 14 KOs) retained his regional belt as he won a unanimous decision over a durable Mike Arnaoutis (24-5-2, 10 KO’s). Scores of the bout were all comprehensively in favor of Rodriguez, 117-110, 119-108, and 118-109. Rodriguez utilized his jab to setup hooks and right hand as he got back to winning ways in his hometown.

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Demetrius Andrade (10-0, 7 KOs) won a six-round unanimous decision over journeyman Geoffery Spruiell (8-9, 2 KOs). All three judges scored the fight a shutout win for Andrade 60-54. Andrade had Spruiell often in trouble as he worked off his jab to land his scoring shots.

Joe Greene (22-0, 14 KOs) scored an eight round unanimous decision victory over journeyman Chris Gray (12-12, 1 KO). The judges scored the bout 79-73, 78-74, and 77-75 all in favor of New York's Greene.

Las Vegas, Nevada - Charismatic lightweight Sharif Bogere (15-0, 9 KOs) defeated Martin Tucker (7-6, 3 KOs) via first-round retirement win after Tucker quit on the stool after a clash of heads at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas. Apparently, the clash of heads caused a cut over Tucker’s right eye. The doctor said he could continue in between rounds but Tucker claimed he could not see.

BTBC House Fighter Update

2010-04-02T13:31:00.003-05:00

It's time for a House Fighter update, as the best prospects in the game are getting busy turning into contenders and title challengers. Nate James (Heavyweight), Troy Ross (Cruiserweight) and Lamont Peterson (Junior Welterweight) have yet to fight under the House Fighter banner. Here's a track record of every fight involving a House Fighter so far.

Results

January 29 - Erislandy Lara TKO-10 Grady Brewer (Junior Middleweight)
February 13 - James DeGale TKO-2 Matthew Barr (Super Middleweight)
February 13 - Nathan Cleverly TKO-5 Antonio Brancalion (Light Heavyweight)
February 27 - Mike Jones UD-10 Henry Bruseles (Welterweight)
March 12 - Kell Brook TKO-5 Krzysztof Bienias (Welterweight)
March 27 - Daniel Jacobs RTD-1 Jose Miguel Rodriguez Berrio (Middleweight)

BTBC House Fighter Record: (6-0, 5 KO)

Schedule

April 2 - Erislandy Lara vs. Danny Perez (Junior Middleweight)
April 10 - Lamont Peterson vs. Damian Fuller (Junior Welterweight)
April 17 - Mike Jones vs. Hector Munoz (Welterweight)
May 1 - Daniel Jacobs vs. TBA (Middleweight)

Erislandy Lara fights Danny Perez on Showtime tonight, hoping to win for the second time under the BTBC banner. Keep checking the forum for more House Figher polls as we keep climbing down the weight classes.

BTBC Rumor Mill

2010-04-01T18:49:00.006-05:00

It's been a long time since our last rumor mill, but there have been plenty of little birds discussing negotiations and purse bids across the globe. Here are the best and worst of the inaccurate whispers.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Alexander Povetkin - There seems to be a disagreement surrounding this fight as to whether it will or will not take place. The IBF have ordered Povetkin to take full advantage of his mandatory position or they'll crack the whip and drop him, but Team Povetkin are in two minds as to take the money fight now or risk losing their shot at the big time and prepare their fighter a little better. This should be a good fight as Povetkin holds the most stubbornness, and maybe talent of all of Wladimir's previous opponents.

Devon Alexander vs. Marcos Maidana - A fight between two fighters that have impressed on HBO in their young careers serves good for fight fans, especially when you have a speedster in Alexander and a monster puncher in Maidana. Alexander has openly expressed his desire of facing Maidana, and this could happen in August if both camps agree terms.

Steve Cunningham vs. Troy Ross - This would be a historic fight for The BTBC, as it would be the first title fight involving our carefully chosen House Fighters in Troy Ross, who would attempt to fill the IBF vacancy by defeating #1 cruiserweight Steve Cunningham. In my opinion, this is a better fight than Cunningham-Godfrey, which also got the blood pumping. It could be the news that the cruiserweight division needed to kick-start itself since David Haye and Tomasz Adamek departed to heavyweight.

Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman - Yes I know, this one's already set, but there's an on-going fight that between the two for trainer Emmanuel Steward, who's on both fighters' wishlist coming into June 12. Foreman was on the verge of clinching Steward before Team Cotto waded in and look set to convince Steward to join their camp instead. It might be the deciding factor on June 12.

Carlos Tamara vs. Luis Lazarte - Moving on to a fight that has just been signed, as Brian Viloria's conquer, Carlos Tamara, will defend his IBF title for the first time against experienced Argentine, Luis Lazarte, who has a unsuccessful history in light flyweight title fights. Tamara has one eye on a fight with Ulises Solis later on in the year. Staying true to form, Ivan Calderon is staying well away.

Andre Ward vs. Andre Dirrell - The promoters have already disagreed about the venue and there's only a week been since they started talking. The fight between the two American Olympians has been scheduled for September 25, but will probably change a couple of times before nailing a final date.

Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Bernabe Concepcion - Again, hardly a shocking discovery, but there has been development in negotiations, date, venues, etc. The most surprising news is that Showtime are rumoured to have picked up the fight, scheduled for July 10 in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. But HBO still is favourite to broadcast the fight as they're working on a big showdown between Lopez and Gamboa next year, and it would be foolish to allow Lopez fight on a rival broadcaster.

James Toney vs. Jonathan Banks - This looks to be the first step in Toney's last push at his goal of heavyweight glory, which is unlikely to be reached soon. I'm pleased to see this fight getting made, as it not only shows that Toney actually might have realised he needs to start from the bottom to get to the top again, but that he is willing to risk everything against a puncher in Banks.

David Tua vs. Hasim Rahman - Both successful in March, could they turn to each other in search of a rise from the heavyweight scrap heap? Tua hasn't beaten a legit contender for yonks, Rahman doesn't look like he wants to get himself up that ladder and is doing this all for pride, and money of course.

Tony Thompson vs. Cedric Boswell - More from the redemption from American heavyweights, as Thompson, a little higher up the ranks than Toney, is looking to build on a stoppage win over Chazz Witherspoon with a victory over Cedric Boswell, who replaces Jason Estrada who picked up an injury.

Ruslan Chagaev vs. Kali Meehan - Quick jump back to the heavyweights, two of the WBA's favourite heavyweights will battle it out on May 22 in Rostock, Germany. Meehan is a Don King fighter, and you guessed it, inactive. Chagaev is coming off a heavy loss to Wladimir Klitschko.

Gennady Golovkin vs. Anthony Mundine - Firstly, shame on the WBA. Secondly, praise on the WBA. They've promoted Felix Sturm into 'Super Champ' position, which is a bad thing as it frees up the 'Regular Champ' belt, which will be filled by the winner of Golovkin-Mundine, which is an evenly matched fight.

Humberto Soto vs. Ricardo Dominguez - Humberto Soto will defend his WBC lightweight title against decent challenger Ricardo Dominguez on a very busy May 15 date that already involves plenty of action. Dominguez should give Soto some rounds at least, maybe even competitive ones.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. John Duddy - Make what you want of it, it's a pretty even fight.

And finally...

Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins - If Bernard wins on Saturday, which is a bigger if than some might think, Joe Calzaghe might be tempted to come out of retirement and fight Hopkins for the second time in Las Vegas. Remember, you heard it here first!

Still a Long Way Tua Go

2010-03-31T06:37:00.004-05:00

Auckland, New Zealand - David Tua (51-3-1, 43 KO) dominated Nigerian fighter Friday Ahunanya (24-6-3, 13 KO) over twelve high-tempo rounds to win a near shutout unanimous decision at the Trusts Stadium in Auckland.

In front of a largely biased Tua crowd, the 'Tuamanator' controlled the proceedings against Friday 'The 13th', who talked his way into a fight with Tua by claiming he ruined Shane Cameron before Tua took all the plaudits.

Ahunanya decided to fight at distance, pecking and flicking from time to time, getting success but not in droves. Tua was frustrated but relentlessly pressurized, winning the majority of the rounds on punch output.

It's worth noting that Ahunanya has never been decked before, and I think everybody underestimated him in that area. He was durable, and wasn't even wobbled by Tua, who did land his fare share of trademarks left hooks and straight rights. His defense was sharp if his offence wasn't, and Tua had to be patient by accepting a decision win before going in reckless. The judges scores were 120-108, 119-109 and 117-111. The BTBC also had it 119-109.

The performance was there, but the statement wasn't. Tua had done all the right things; weighing-in at a respectable 239 pounds, he fought a tactically good fight, entertained the home crowd; but the Klitschko's heads have definitely not been turned.

There were rumors that the IBF were waiting on Tua to make a decision on their next round of eliminators, even though Alexander Povetkin, the current mandatory, and Wladimir Klitschko, the current king, are in talks over a fight in August.

But why should a Klitschko, Wladimir or Vitali, give a dangerous puncher a shot at the title, when his last win over a real contender was against Michael Moorer in 2002? There's no logic to risking everything to impress a couple of casual fans who remember Tua as the dangerous knockout machine from the 90's.

The blueprint is already down on how to beat Tua, coincidentally created by another Nigerian, Ike Ibeabuchi, which is no shame on Tua's part. So Tua needs to beat a legit contender to even get on the Klitschko waiting list, which is pretty long at this moment in time.

Referring back to the rumour mill, Tua could be facing old rival Hasim Rahman to complete their long-awaited trilogy. But still, Rahman is hardly active, fighting for the first time since the Klitschko loss last week with a KO-1 victory over a premium tomato can. He's not a contender either, unranked in the top 15 by the major governing bodies.

Tua needs to step-up fast and fight top 10 fighters if he wants to be taken seriously. We've heard this all before from other post-prime fighters that their comeback trail will lead to the world stage. Very few have walked the walk, and the time is ticking on Tua.

Magno vs. Machine: The Decision

2010-03-30T07:52:00.003-05:00

After a long-winded process that has lasted six months, we have finally come to the end of Magno vs. Machine.

And after twelve rounds of evenly-fought action, we have a split decision on the cards.

And the winner, of the 21st century boxing-related battle of man vs. machine, by split decision... Paul Magno!

Paul Magno sneaked the victory with the last fight of the contest, predicting a Dirrell victory in the Super 6 Boxing Classic fight against Arthur Abraham on March 27.

Both predictor records were impressive, with Magno (17-3, 2 KO) and the Machine (16-4, 3 KO), who predicted the correct winner twelve times in a row from November through March.

Paul Magno has kept his reputation as the boxing encyclopedia in human form, and achieved John Henry’s feat of defeating a multi-functional machine in Title Bout Championship Boxing 2.5.

The Machine is considering filing a protest about the decision, but it would likely be snubbed by The Boxing Tribune, who sanctioned the bout. However, both camps have entered negotiations for a rematch later on in the year.

Prediction History

Abraham-Taylor: Abraham UD 12 (Magno); Abraham TKO 2 (Machine);
Froch-Dirrell: Dirrell SD 12 (Magno); Dirrell SD 12 (Machine);
Haye-Valuev: Haye TKO 7 (Magno); Haye UD 12 (Machine);
Dawson-Johnson: Dawson UD 12 (Magno); Dawson UD 12 (Machine);
Pacquiao-Cotto: Pacquiao TKO 5 (Magno); Pacquiao TKO 7 (Machine);
Kessler-Ward: Ward UD 12 (Magno); Kessler KO 9 (Machine);
Guzman-Funeka I: Guzman UD 12 (Magno); Funeka TKO 10 (Machine);
Bute-Andrade: Bute UD 12 (Magno); Bute UD 12 (Machine);
Williams-Martinez: Williams UD 12 (Magno); Williams TKO 10 (Machine);
Vitali-Johnson: Vitali TKO 9 (Magno); Vitali TKO 9 (Machine);
Bradley-Peterson: Bradley SD 12 (Magno); Bradley UD 12 (Machine);
Malignaggi-Diaz II: Malignaggi SD 12 (Magno); Malignaggi UD 12 (Machine);
Gamboa-Mtagwa: Gamboa UD 12 (Magno); Gamboa TKO 7 (Machine);
Lopez-Luevano: Lopez TKO 10 (Magno); Lopez MD 12 (Machine);
Johnson-Mack: Mack SD 12 (Magno); Johnson UD 12 (Machine);
Valero-De Marco: Valero TKO 3 (Magno); Valero TKO 6 (Machine);
Alexander-Urango: Alexander UD 12 (Magno); Alexander UD 12 (Machine);
Pacquiao-Clottey: Pacquiao TKO 10 (Magno); Pacquiao TKO 11 (Machine);
Wladimir-Chambers: Wladimir TKO 8 (Magno); Wladimir TKO 7 (Machine);
Dirrell-Abraham: Dirrell UD 12 (Magno); Abraham TKO 11 (Machine)

RESULT: MAGNO (17-3, 2 KO); MACHINE (16-4, 3 KO)

Allegations of Dirrell Cheating Are Unwarranted

2010-03-29T06:37:00.012-05:00

by Dafs117

Experienced writer and analyst, T.K. Stewart, has been the first to openly criticize Andre Dirrell following his disqualification victory over Arthur Abraham at the weekend, accusing Dirrell of 'mock pain and agony' as he was laid flat on the canvas following a cheap shot from Arthur Abraham in Detroit.

Stewart complains that Dirrell faked injury to claim his first victory in the Super 6 Boxing Classic so he can continue on in Showtime's 168-pound tournament.

As always, Arthur Abraham's fan club has used this to back their poorly thought-out argument on how their guy was badly treated by Michigan officials, and how he was robbed of a 32nd career victory.

Dirrell was clearly ahead at this point in the fight and looked relatively comfortable, if slightly tired, as he hopped on his motor scooter and stayed well clear of Abraham, who stalked him looking for another dramatic knockout. The momentum was hardly with Abraham, even though he should have been awarded a knockdown in the tenth.

Stewart goes on to slate referee Laurence Cole, who made the decision to disqualify Abraham after the foul. He claims that Cole "went for the bait - hook, line and sinker", which is uncalled for in my opinion. Cole's job is hard enough without writers like Stewart on his case every time he gets a big fight, constantly referring to this fight for extra credibility from casual fans.

Abraham claims that he "did not see that he was down." Is that his best response? C'mon get real. He'd been looking up at Dirrell, 6'1'' no less, who had been towering over him, 5'9'', all night, but then suddenly Dirrell was clutching Abraham's ankles. Maybe Stewart went for the bait - hook, line and sinker?

Stewart closes his article with "the boxing ring is no place for actors - especially ones as putrid as Andre Dirrell." But the only actor I saw in the ring on Saturday night was Arthur Abraham, who complained and nagged at referee Cole about non-existent low blows. Trying to buy points from officials is a form of cheating, and because he didn't have 'his' referee, frustration boiled over which ultimately led to a thundering right hand from one of the biggest punchers in boxing landing on a defenseless Dirrell.

If Dirrell was acting, he should really try to get a part in an action film, because I was sold. He was obviously not, as he still hadn't realised that he had won moments after he regained consciousness. The twitching, the disorientation; both obvious signs of concussion, was enough for the doctors to make a thorough check on Dirrell in the ring and at the hospital.

The conspiracy theories are flooding in on forums across the web, but you only need to look at other televised fights to see why there is such skepticism of Dirrell. Francisco Lorenzo's melodramatic actions against Humberto Soto is a prime example, even if the aftermath was as despicable. Lorenzo is the scapegoat here, but he and many others are partly responsible for making spectators doubt the true purity of one's actions. It's the same in other sports, not just boxing.

Was Abraham's foul malicious? Probably not, I think it was more out of frustration than anything. It was out-of-character for a guy that has been very laid-back on Fight Camp 360, without even a mention of hatred towards his competitors. His reputation has been tarnished because of one moment of madness. It was a rush of blood to the head type of thing, nothing more.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, and I'm not trying to brainwash you into thinking that Abraham's shot was intentional, but the correct decision was made. Make up your own mind, the video is here.

Andre Dirrell Out Of Hospital

2010-03-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

According to BoxingScene, Andre Dirrell has received the all clear from the hospital following his visit after last night's disqualification win over Arthur Abraham in Detroit.

Dirrell was knocked-out on his back when Abraham landed a brutal right foul as Dirrell slipped on a canvas logo in the eleventh round. Abraham was disqualified by referee Laurence Cole.

Rick Reeno also reports that the brain scans are negative, which is always good to hear. On our forum, people question how much impact the knockout will have on Dirrell mentally. I honestly don't think it'll have any affect on him what-so-ever. Dirrell didn't expect the blow, and will probably not be in that situation again where someone crouches over him and lands a blatant foul. I have no reason to believe that Dirrell will be at a slight disadvantage because of Abraham's cheap shout.

His next opponent is Andre Ward, who first has to defend his new WBA belt against Allan Green on June 19.

Wilfred Sauerland, Abraham's promoter, has said that he will file a protest over Dirrell's 'acting'. The protest will be pushed aside, as anyone in their right minds can see that Dirrell was not messing around on the canvas.

Moreno And Molitor Win In Title Fights

2010-03-28T09:05:00.006-05:00

Ontario, Canada - Steve Molitor (32-1, 12 KO) got the better of Taklani Ndlovu (30-6, 18 KO) for the second time as he outpointed the South African over twelve rounds.

The fight began at Molitor's pace; very slow and hesitant. As the rounds went by, the pace and intensity upped slightly, until the fifth, where both fighters decided to let their hands go and trade plenty of leather. Molitor landed the most punches, but Ndlovu scored with a head-rocking straight right that could've tipped the round in his favour.

Ndlovu upped his game as the fight approached it's end, but Molitor's superior defensive skills were impressive as he used his footwork to get out of Ndlovu's range.

Molitor was the winner by unanimous decision, winning with scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 to fill the IBF super bantamweight vacancy. The BTBC scored the fight 116-112.

I don't expect Moltior to face the highest level of competition, but he'll be looking forward to defending his new title in front of his home fans. Considering the talent that the division holds, Molitor is behind other titlists Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym and Toshaiki Nishioka, but I wouldn't rule him out of a contest with either of them.

Neven Pajkic (12-0, 5 KO) won the battle of the undefeated heavyweight prospects on the undercard, decisioning Grzegorz Kielsa (11-1, 5 KO) with scores of 100-90, 99-91, 99-91. Pajkic wobbled Kiesla early on and cut him early in the fight, which allowed Pajkic to run away with the fight.

La Guaira, Venezuela - WBA bantamweight titlist Anselmo Moreno (29-1-1, 10 KOs) retained his title via controversial split decision over previously unbeaten Nehomar Cermeno (19-1, 11 KOs) at Polideportivo José María Vargas.

Moreno and Cermeno were evenly matched throughout the fight, and look all set to agree on a rematch in the future. Cermeno thought that his relentless pressure was more than enough to win the fight, but the judges disagreed.

The judges had Moreno ahead 114-113 and 115-112. Cermeno was up 115-112 on the third card. Team Cermeno are reportedly thinking about filing a protest about the decision.

Jorge Linares (28-1, 18 KOs) rebounded from his first loss with a less than impressive ten round majority decision over Francisco Lorenzo (34-8, 15 KOs). The scores were 97-93, 97-94 and 95-95. It wasn't controversial, but it was close enough for one judge to score it level. Linares didn't look his usual self as he struggled to get in the groove against a declining Lorenzo, who has lost four of his last five fights.

Morales Outpoints Alfaro In Successful Return

2010-03-28T00:24:00.004-05:00

Monterrey, Mexico - It was hardly convincing, but Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KO) won for the first time in five years as he outpointed club fighter Jose Alfaro (23-6, 20 KO) in his native Mexico.

Following a two-and-a-half year layoff, it took time for Morales to come to terms with the challenge he was putting his body through as he looked badly prepared for the fight.

But as the contest got older, Morales quickly found himself in a brutal battle, that was although pleasing to watch for some fans, very hard to watch for Morales die-hards. He took a lot of punches, but also returned a lot of fire, but there was just something not right about the fight, and I didn't like it.

Morales was involved in a typical Morales fight, and claimed a hard-fought and wider than expected unanimous decision by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112. With only one eye on the fight as I was busy watching Abraham-Dirrell, my scorecard rounded off to 115-113 for Morales, but as I was concentrating on the bigger fight, it's a rough score.

It's hard to work out what's Morales' motivation behind this comeback. Is he bankrupt and looking for pesos? Is he looking for revenge against Marco Antonio Barrera, or God help me, Manny Pacquiao? Whatever it is, it's puzzling.

On the undercard, Chris Henry (25-2, 20 KO) produced a career best result with a stunning first-round kayo victory over former WBA light heavyweight titlist Hugo Hernan Garay (32-5, 17 KO). This was the first time Garay had been stopped in his professional career, and Chris Henry is now at the front of the queue for a mandatory shot against the winner of Shumenov-Uzelkov, which is expected to happen in the Summer.

Heavyweight David Rodriguez (33-0, 31 KO) predictably did his usual thing, stopping another tomato can in Daniel Bispo (22-13, 16 KO) in the second-round of their one-sided bout.

Baja California, Mexico - In northern Mexico, Ulises Solis (30-2-2, 21 KO) defeated Bert Batawang (45-15-3, 37 KO) for the second time in his career, this time winning by sixth-round corner retirement.

Solis was impressive as he completely outclassed Batawang throughout the six rounds, handing him a pretty heavy defeat in the process. Batawang's corner did the right thing by pulling him out in the sixth, as he was taking a beating at the time.

As this was an IBF eliminator, I presume that Solis will get a chance to regain his old title back later on in the year against new titlist Carlos Tamara, who pulled off a mighty upset in stopping Brian Viloria in their January fight.

Solis slots right back into the 108 pound picture, while Batawang seems finished at the highest level, and he drops down below second-tier in my humble opinion. I was very impressed by Solis, who looked back to his best against a potentially tricky opponent in Batawang, who he handled with ease.

In a non-title fight, Giovanni Segura (24-1-1, 20 KO) kept busy with a fifth-round corner retirement victory over Ronald Ramos (28-8-3, 14 KO).

The 27 year-old Segura had no problmes dispatching Ramos, who was grossly overmatched on the undercard.

Segura, who holds the WBA version of the light flyweight championship, could potentially be set-up to face Solis later on in the year, but I doubt that will happen just yet. If all goes to plan, a potential unification fight could be on the table for Segura and Solis.

Maidana Crushes Cayo In Six

2010-03-27T23:38:00.006-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KO) knocked out Victor Manuel Cayo (24-1, 16 KO) with a sweet body shot in the sixth-round to end a very entertaining contest controlled largely by the Argentinean knockout machine.

Cayo started well, staying disciplined on the outside and winning the opening round, despite Harold Lederman giving it to Maidana. The second started off pretty much the same, until Maidana began to find his helpless target, who crumbled under a rocket right in the second.

Maidana could smell blood and stalked Cayo to every corner of the ring as he tried to end the fight there and then. Cayo however, landed the cleaner punches in the round, but Maidana's greater activity topped every bit of good work Cayo did in the third.

Cayo gave up fighting on the back-foot and joined Maidana in the center of the ring for a brawl that had an air of Arreola-Minto about it, but half the weight. Maidana, acting as the thinner Arreola, was catching Cayo, who played Minto pretty well, flush with nearly every single power punch thrown, but Cayo was game as he managed to weather the onslaught to survive the fourth and began to get back into the fight in the fifth.

Maidana calmed down at the beginning of the sixth, which sent Cayo negatively into retreat, which ultimately proved to be his downfall. Maidana only needed to land one crisp body shot, and that was it. Cayo's resilience had been broken by something relatively new to Maidana's various choice of weapons, as he's become a much improved body puncher. The scores at the time of the stoppage were 49-45, 49-45 and 47-47, which shows that Cayo was competitive in one judge's eye.

Maidana is primed for a title tilt against Amir Khan, but I highly doubt that Team Khan will want anything to do with Maidana after this performance, which I rank up there with Ortiz. Maidana is definitely a top 10 junior welterweight, maybe even top 5, so the future is bright for the Argentinean, who could face Devon Alexander if Khan backs out.

For Victor Cayo, he can return home with his head held high. He gave a credible performance, slugging it out for six rounds against a fierce puncher in Maidana, who's up there with Ediwn Valero and Arthur Abraham as the pound-4-pound biggest puncher in the sport. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cayo challenging for a title again, but I don't think it will be anytime soon.

BTBC House Fighter Daniel Jacobs (19-0, 16 KO) kept up his impressive run for our House Fighters as he destroyed overmatched and an overweight Jose Miguel Berrio (20-5, 12 KO) who quit on his stool after only one round of action. It was a stay busy fight for Jacobs, who'll be looking to make big strides in 2010.

Arthur Abraham Disqualified Against Andre Dirrell

2010-03-27T23:15:00.004-05:00

Detroit, Michigan - Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO) dethroned Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO) via disqualification tonight in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, picking up two points in the process. The BTBC had Dirrell leading 97-92 after ten.

Abraham was a long way behind on the cards in the eleventh round, when Dirrell slipped for the second time on an advertisement logo, and went down with his hands out in front of him to keep him from falling on his face. Abraham saw the perfect opportunity to land a right hand that put Dirrell's lights out. Abraham was disqualified by referee Laurence Cole, losing for the first time in his professional career.

The disqualification has taken a little bit of the limelight away from something much more important; Dirrell's coming of age. He used his attributes to his advantage and learned the harsh lessons he learned from the Froch fight in Group Stage 1. Even though he got tagged often by Abraham, he annihilated the Super 6 Boxing Classic leader over ten eventful rounds.

Dirrell floored Abraham for the first time in his career in the fourth, landing a straight right on an unbalanced Abraham. Abraham was down again in the seventh, but referee Cole made the wrong call. However, Cole evened things up as he failed to award Abraham a knockdown when he put Dirrell on the canvas legitimately in the tenth.

This has made the Super Six a lot more interesting, with every fighter still with a strong case in making the semi-final spots. If Abraham would've won in Detroit tonight, he could've retired on his stool after the first round against Carl Froch and still qualified.

After the bout, Abraham irritatingly claimed that Dirrell was "acting to get the DQ", which erased any sympathy left for King Arthur. The most frustrating thing for me was that it was getting interesting too, with Abraham getting real close at times to nail Dirrell with those trademark right hands as they approached a nail-biting conclusion.

Next up for Andre Dirrell is fellow Olympian Andre Ward, who first has to tackle the obstacle that is Allan Green. Arthur Abraham will be back at home against Carl Froch, who faces Mikkel Kessler on April 17.

Joan Guzman Gets Split Verdict Over Ali Funeka

2010-03-27T22:42:00.005-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada - Disgraced boxer Joan Guzman (30-0-1, 17 KO) got the better of South African rival Ali Funeka (30-3-3, 25 KO) in their highly controversial rematch as the Dominican fighter earned the nod on two of the judges scorecards by scores of 116-111 and 114-113. One judge gave it to Funeka 114-113.

Guzman was just too slick for the flat-footed Funeka, who rarely threatened to punish Guzman when he rested against the ropes. Funeka took a lot of time to find his range, and never quite knew what to do when he got there.

Guzman on the other hand executed the perfect strategy laid out to him by his new trainer Lee Beard, as he waited on the back-foot to catch the oncoming Funeka as he switched from long range to close.

Unexpectedly, Guzman floored Funeka in the sixth with a peach of a right hook to the side of Funeka's temple. Funeka got up and wasn't hurt, but it did show that the nine pounds advantage Guzman had at the weigh-in made a difference.

The frustration was apparent in Funeka's game as he never seemed to catch Guzman at the right time. He desperately began to swing wildly as he realised that the IBF title was slipping from his grasp. The BTBC scored the fight 115-112 in favor of Guzman.

Joan Guzman does not win the IBF lightweight belt as he unprofessionally weighed-in at 144 pounds, nine pounds over the lightweight limit.

The win actually doesn't help Guzman one jot. His unprofessionalism has put off any promotional company with more than one braincell to even approach him with a fight contract, and I doubt Golden Boy will go looking for one either. I see Guzman rotting away on Golden Boy undercards in Mexico or his native Dominican Republic, but definitely no TV date for a long long time.

For Funeka, he's in the same situation as he was in November. He'll feel cheated again, but he's earned major recognition for his three HBO performances which he has given 100% in every single round. He's got a little following and he's in good hands, so I'd expect to see him fight in an eliminator for that IBF title that seems impossible for him to capture.

Gamboa Decisions Barros In Hamburg

2010-03-27T13:26:00.009-05:00

Hamburg, Germany - Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (18-0, 15 KO) predictably defeated overmatched Jonathan Victor Barros (28-1-1, 16 KO) but in less than impressive fashion, winning by unanimous decision.

It was obvious from the get go that Gamboa was a class above Barros as he got the Argentinean's attention with decent counter-punching in the opening exchanges. But the lack of action made an Anthony Small fight watchable, as everybody knew that it was target practice for Gamboa.

The posturing was a sign that Gamboa was in control, but he was coasting until the final 20 seconds of every round, where he would pump a couple of jabs and switch to the body. He would win the round, but only just.

Up 'till the eighth, Barros was puzzled by Gamboa's athleticism and pure speed as he struggled to mount a consistent offence. Barros finally caught Gamboa with a clean punch, that triggered something in the Cuban brain of his, as he punished him by knocking him down with more relentless pressure than punching force.

As we all came to expect Gamboa to finish things there and then, the Gamboa of old came out of the closet. In the ninth, Barros caught Gamboa flush with a right hook that sent Gamboa's legs into a funny dance, but he quickly recovered to finish the round on his feet. It made you wonder that if Gamboa had made the same mistake against Celestino Caballero, who he's fated to face late Summer, that he would be so lucky.

Barros finished well, gunning for the knockout he needed to keep his unblemished record. But Gamboa was content in winning by decision than going reckless again, and Barros won a couple of rounds in the Championship rounds.

The scores were 118-109, 118-109 and 116-111, all in favor of Gamboa. The BTBC scored the fight 118-109 to Gamboa. As mentioned above, his next opponent will likely be Celestino Caballero, who faces Indonesian Daud Yordan in what could be a tricky fight for the freakishly tall Panamanian.

Even though this was Gamboa's best defensive display by far, there were signs that he's not as polished as what we thought. I'd still favour him to batter Caballero if they met in the Summer, but the brightest talent in boxing has a few issues he needs to work on in the gym before we can consider him as a finished product.

On the undercard, Juan Carlos Gomez (45-2, 36 KO) made a successful return to the ring with a thrid-round knockout win over Alexey Mazikin (13-5-2, 3 KO). Mazikin went down following a body shot in the first, and again in the third following relentless pressure from the former title challenger.

Steffen Kretschmann (14-2, 13 KO) failed to extract his revenge over Denis Bakhtov (33-5, 22 KO) as they bored the hell out of the Hamburg crowd in a horrible heavyweight fight.

In a bizzare ending, promoter Ahmet Oner jumped onto the apron to call a halt to the proceedings, claiming that Kretschmann wasn't fit to continue after the German had turned his back from the action. This came in the ninth round after Kretschmann had been down in the sixth following a harmless body shot.

Bakhtov, who scored a first-round knockout win over Kretschmann in the first fight, is no further up the heavyweight ladder after that fight. He did dominate the fight and was looking like he was going to get robbed or disqualified by a pedantic referee. Expect to see Kretschmann playing the role of sacrificial lamb for a heavyweight prospect such as Manuel Charr or Kubrat Pulev and so on.

The released scorecards show that Kretschmann was ridiculously ahead 80-72, 78-73 on two judges scorecards, and this includes a knockodown for Bakhtov against the German. The BTBC had it 76-75 to Bakhtov at the time of the stoppage.

Arthur Abraham's leftovers Mahir Oral (28-2-2, 11 KO) won a worthless WBA trinket with a tenth-round technical knockout win over journeyman Juan Camilo Novoa (14-5-1, 12 KO).

Guzman-Funeka Update: Joan Guzman 148.2; Ali Funeka 143.2

2010-03-27T09:50:00.004-05:00

After the farce of yesterday's weigh-in, both Juan Guzman and Ali Funeka re-weighed ahead of their catchweight fight at the Hard Rock Hotel tonight. Joan Guzman weighed-in at 148.2 lbs, while Ali Funeka tipped the scales at 143.2 pounds.

If your not aware of yesterday's events, here's a brief re-cap. Guzman is still a joke. He disgracefully weighed-in at 144 pounds, a staggering nine pounds over the lightweight limit, which Ali Funeka met with no fuss.

According to various reports, Guzman will be penalized 25% of his purse for failing to make weight by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). Funeka will receive an additional $25,000 for taking the fight. The title will only be on the line for Funeka.

The fight will be the co-feature to Marcos Maidana's junior welterweight battle against Victor Manuel Cayo, broadcasted by HBO.

Wonjongkam Defeats Kameda In Thriller To Reign Flyweight Champion

2010-03-27T07:51:00.003-05:00

Tokyo, Japan - In a cracking contest, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (75-3-1, 39 KO) won The Ring magazine's flyweight championship and regained the WBC flyweight title from the hands of Koki Kameda (22-1, 14 KO) with a competitive majority-decision win in Tokyo.

It was a top drawer back and forth battle, Wonjongkam got the better of the early action, dictating the pace in the opening four rounds. In the fifth, a nasty clash of heads caused both fighters to cut with Kameda getting the worse of it, but it seemed to spring him into action as he began to even things out in the middle rounds.

But the pace gradually caught up with Kameda, and Wonjongkam came on strong to finish with a flurry. The last round summed up the fight, with the momentum switching hands from one boxer to another, but Wonjongkam finishing the stronger of the two. The scores were 116-112, 115-112 in favour of Wonjongkam with a level card 114-114. The BTBC also scored the fight 116-112 in favour of the Thai fighter.

If your a Kameda fan, there's no need to worry, he was competitive against the most experienced and probably the best flyweight around at the moment. He's still #2 at 112 pounds, and only 23, he has a fabulous future ahead of him. A rematch with Wonjongkam is highly possible.

For Wonjongkam, he won his 75th professional fight, that's an amazing achievement. He adds another alphabet trinket to his trophy cabinet, but most importantly, the lineal flyweight championship. Like I've seen posted elsewhere, this probably seals Wonjongkam as a hall-of-famer. At 32, he's just overcome a younger opponent that was heavily tipped to defeat him, so big stock boost for Wonjongkam who looked really good in that ring.

On the undercard, Oleydong Sithsamerchai (34-0, 12 KO) successfully defended his WBC strawweight title with a closer than expected unanimous decision victory over Yasutaka Kuroki (23-4-1, 15 KO), winning by scores of 114-112, 114-113 and 113-112. Sithsamerchai is a major player at 105 pounds, but I don't expect him to face Roman Gonzalez, Nkosinathi Joyi or Denver Cuello anytime soon.

Friday Hangover

2010-03-26T19:39:00.008-05:00

East London, South Africa - Nkosinathi Joyi (21-0, 15 KO) dominated Mexican Raul Garcia (27-1-1, 16 KO) over twelve rounds to capture Garcia's IBF strawweight title and hand him his first professional loss.

Joyi produced an outstanding performance as he controlled the fight from the outside with his southpaw jab that set up everything else in the South African's arsenal. Joyi's speed and power was too much for Garcia, who was rocked several times in the six rounds I caught.

This is the most meaningful fight in the division for a long time, with two of the top four sharing the ring, something unheard of in the 105 pound history. South Africa are known to produce some awful hometown robberies, but the wide scoring was deserved as Joyi won on scores of 119-109, 118-110 and 118-110. Joyi could be the best fighter in the division and he outclassed Garcia, who's also a damn good fighter.

Dagenham, England - Matthew Hatton (39-4-2, 15 KO) put on his career-best performance as he comprehensively out-pointed Italian challenger Gianluca Branco (43-3-1, 22 KO) to capture the vacant European welterweight crown via unanimous decision, winning by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. The BTBC scored the fight 116-112 in favour of Hatton.

Hatton's activity was too much for the aging Branco, who's naturally a 140 pounder. Hatton seemed to ease off in the end, but Branco couldn't capitalise as Hatton won a deserved victory in the end.

As for Hatton's position in the welterweight division, he's a long way away from the top 10, maybe even top 20, but his determination to get a title shot earns my respect straight away, even though I don't rate him as a boxer.

Hatton deserves this victory for the effort he's put in since he lost to Craig Watson, and to keep going in his older brother Ricky's shadow. I actually want him to get a big payday against the big names he's been linked with, I really think he deserves it.

In the co-feature, Sam Webb (16-1, 4 KO) rolled back to the amateur years to pull off a surprising result by putting on a stellar performance as he eked out a majority decision victory over Anthony Small (23-2, 16 KO) to win the British and Commonwealth light middleweight titles.

Small began the fight his usual self, showboating for no apparent reason, taunting his opponent while flicking out meaningless punches. Despite being cut in the fifth, Webb started to dominate proceedings by drawing Small into a brawl, which Small didn't want.

Small gassed in the seventh, and after excellent corner work to close Webb's cut, he picked up the pace to attempt to punish Small. Small wobbled all over the place in the ninth, but recovered to last the distance.

Webb won by scores of 117-113, 117-112 and 115-115. The BTBC scored it level at 114-114.

On the undercard, undefeated featherweight prospect Joe Murray (7-0, 3 KO) cruised to a points victory over veteran Yuri Voronin (27-11-2, 18 KO) over eight rounds. Overrated Yassine El Maachi (12-4, 5 KO) also won on points, but over six rounds against Bertrand Aloa (15-6, 1 KO).

Mexico City, Mexico - Lightweight contender Vicente Escobedo (22-2, 14 KO) fought for the first time since his split decision defeat to Michael Katsidis on the Mayweather-Marquez undercard with a third-round stoppage victory over Carlos Urias (43-24, 32 KO).

Helsinki, Finland - Heavyweight prospect Robert Helenius (12-0, 7 KO) improved his record with an uninspiring win over Gbenga Oloukun (17-4, 10 KO), who gave the Finn his toughest outing to date.

The fast-tracked Helenius won an eight-round unanimous decision via scores of 79-76, 78-75, 77-75. The BTBC had eyes on other things, but scored it 77-75.

Nice, France - Former junior middleweight contender Chrisophe Canclaux (41-3, 26 KO) got back to winning ways with a routine second-round knockout victory over inexperienced Janos Varga (6-2, 5 KO). Canclaux recently lost a WBO interim fight against Joachim Alcine, which dropped him down the pecking order at 154 pounds.

WBA Reject Campillo-Shumenov Trilogy

2010-03-26T19:20:00.005-05:00

In disappointing news for fans in particular, the WBA have rejected claims from former light heavyweight titlist Gabriel Campillo for a rematch of the highly controversial decision loss to Beibut Shuemnov in January.

In 2009, Campillo outpointed Shumenov in Kazhakstan, also via controversial decision, but Shumenov received the rematch he felt deserved. Campillo wasn't as fortunate, even though his case was far stronger than his rival.

It's disappointing news in so many ways. We miss out on the excitement that a trilogy would've offered. Campillo has been hard done by, you could argue that it's some sort of a punishment for the Spaniard. He brings no money to the table, and the risk/reward ratio he offers is terrible.

Most importantly, Shumenov will keep his trinket hostage for months, similar to Felix Sturm, Paulus Moses and other WBA titleholders, who receive kind mandatories from the organization. There's a reason why Shumenov shouldn't have that belt around his waist; he's not that good. Shumenov will defend his crown against official challenger Vyacheslav Uzelkov next, in a fight that I see Uzelkov winning with ease.

This is another blow to an already suffering light heavyweight division, which lacks the depth that has made the division what it is today.

Guzman vs. Funeka In Jeopardy as Guzman Fails Weight... Again

2010-03-26T17:31:00.011-05:00

We've been here before. At the weigh-in ahead of his hotly anticipated rematch with Ali Funeka, Joan Guzman (29-0-1, 17 KO) staggeringly failed to make weight by nine pounds at the Hard Rock Hotel, tipping the scales at 144 lbs.

Cast your minds back to September 2008, where Guzman unprofessionally failed weight ahead of another HBO date, this time against Nate Campbell. The consequences were much bigger than anticipated, with Nate Campbell filing his bankruptcy shortly after the fight.

The IBF could award Ali Funeka the belt, or make it inaccessible for Joan Guzman if the fight goes ahead, as the South African weighed-in on the lightweight limit, 135. Guzman's purse should be withheld, but it's highly likely that the fight won't go ahead, as promoter Gary Shaw whispered to BoxingScene.

Both Marcos Maidana and Victor Cayo made weight ahead of their light welterweight clash, both weighing in at 140 pounds.

Guzman has two hours to lose the weight, which is virtually impossible. If there's a breakthrough, it'll be below.

***A deal was struck between camps allowing the fight to go on – providing that Guzman does not weigh more than 150 lbs. tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. If Funeka defeats the overweight Guzman, he will also be allowed to bring the IBF lightweight title home to South Africa.***

Maccarinelli's Third Attempt At Redemption

2010-03-26T12:01:00.008-05:00

As David Haye prepares for a vital defense of his WBA heavyweight crown, things couldn't be more different for Enzo Maccarinelli.

It was only two years ago that they were competing for the biggest purse in cruiserweight title history, a scary thought when you compare both fighters' careers since that March night.

Maccarinelli is an old 29 year-old. He's been beaten up badly in every attempt at honours since he was blasted out in two by Haye, so why should the tables be turned against Alexander Kotlobay (18-1-1, 12 KO), a unknown fighter that boasts a KO percentage of 66%? If Maccarinelli is successful in his European title shot, he'll be forced to defend against Alexander Frenkel (22-0, 17 KO), another German youngster that has a stubborn punch.

The signs have been there for a while now that 'Big Mac' is not fit to be matched against hungry lions no more. Ola Afolabi and Denis Lebedev have displayed just that, both stopping the limited Welshman in stunning fashion.

Frenkel and Kotlobay are no better, or much worse for that fact, than Afolabi or Lebedev. Simply put, they're your stereotypical cruiserweight. They're heavy handed, physically strong and cover up their dodgy beards that are yet to be tested by their over-matched tomato cans. But as has happened to others like them, the step-up in class is a step too far.

If Maccarinelli does manage to pull off an almighty upset, I can assure you that the WBO will immediately catapult their favourite cruiserweight into a dizzy high ranking. Of course, he'll have the option of defending his European strap on Sky Sports or in Germany, but the intent is to get him back into the world title frame.

But let's get back to planet Earth, the odds are heavily stacked against the former titlist. The fight will take place in St. Petersburg, which means two things. 1. Frank Warren couldn't care less about his former star product; 2. Alexander Kotlobay will win. An away win in St. Petersburg is as common as a Vitali Klitschko fight going the distance. It happens occasionally, but not often.

So Maccarinelli's downward spiral seems all set to continue while his counterpart Haye is gearing up for another Pay-Per-View box office against John Ruiz.

Mares and Hopkins Stay Busy With Expected Wins

2010-03-25T18:18:00.008-05:00

Los Angeles, California - Over at Club Nokia, Abner Mares (20-0, 13 KO) won his tune-up fight against journeyman Felipe Almanza (17-16-4, 8 KO) via fifth-round technical knockout in front of a vocal crowd at Los Angeles.

The bantamweight contender looked confident in his public sparring session, showing no ring rust for a guy who hadn't fought since August. Almanza was no match for Mares in any area, which probably was Golden Boy's plan as he has a much bigger fight on the horizon.

That's against IBF bantamweight titlist, Yonnhy Perez, who entertained us all in a thrilling fight with the popular Joseph Agbeko. He'll have a big stage to perform on, as they fight in the co-feature for Marquez-Vasquez IV.

Watching last night's fight will hardly swing your opinion one way or the other for Perez-Mares. At the moment, I'd go with the more experienced Perez to outpoint the more talented Mares, but my opinion may change closer to May 22.

On the undercard, Ronny Rios (10-0, 5 KO) stopped Andreas Ledesma in five, while Derrick Wilson (5-1-2, 2 KO) took another hit to his record with a points draw against Adam Ochoa (2-1-1, 1 KO). He landed scoring shots often, but maybe not often enough as he was too timid at times.

Commerce, California - Demetrius Hopkins (29-1-1, 11 KO) made a successful comeback from a 15-month layoff with a shutout ten-round unanimous decision victory over journeyman Jesse Feliciano (15-9-3, 9 KO) at the Commerce Casino, California.

From the opening bell, it was clear that Hopkins was a skill level above as he shook off any apparent ring rust to dominate every round against the tough Feliciano. Hopkins looked very sharp, landing scoring shots at will at times against his late replacement, Feliciano, who stepped into Freddie Norwood's role for the night. The judges' scores were 100-91, 100-90, 100-90.

Hopkins was impressive, especially when you consider he was fighting a junior middleweight, as Feliciano tipped the scales at 149 lbs. Felicinao's record is also deceiving, with most defeats against well-known fighters and a surprise TKO-7 win over Delvin Rodriguez.

This win shows that Hopkins is not here to mess around, and probably gives him a ranking by one of the organization bodies. Considering he was competitive against a top-5 Kendall Holt in 2008, I would not be surprised to see him in an elimination process soon, and knocking on the door of the top 10. He needs to stay active if he wants to be taken seriously.

On the undercard, amateur flyweight sensation Randy Caballero scored a 49-second KO in his pro debut against Samuel Jude Yniguez (2-5-3, 0 KO)