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

Courtesy AP:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No way Martinez was going to let it happen again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Courtesy USA Today:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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HBO's Cheap Shot Makes Super 6 Pointless

by Dafs117

When the Super 6 Boxing Classic tournament was launched, it received the same amount of good karma as Manny Pacquiao gets for feeding the homeless in General Santos City. Boxing forums were buzzing, fans ecstatic; HBO fuming.

Angry people at the top of the HBO tower attempted to devise different strategies to work around the tournament, even build something of the same stature. But they couldn't. Showtime had outthought HBO. 1-0 Showtime.

Angered by Showtime's unique approach to the sport that had befuddled everyone at the network, there was only one answer from HBO, screw it up.

Showitme carelessly let a jewel in Lucian Bute slip out of their grasp, and HBO duly took advantage. The 'Super Seventh' as he's known to many, Bute is probably the best fighter at 168 pounds. Why isn't he in the tournament is beyond me.

Surely, letting Bute go will hardly ruin the tournament. Wrong. Bute goes on to score a stunning knockout win over Librado Andrade to climb to the top of the super middleweight ratings, live on HBO.

So HBO are squaring up with its own take on the super middleweights.

The whole point of the tournament is to find out the best in the weight class. How are they going to do that when the #1 fighter is outside of the tournament?

Recent rumours suggest that Showtime are shifting the dates of their Super 6 doubleheader involving Andre Ward’s first defence against Allan Green and Carl Froch ‘s title fight versus Mikkel Kessler, back a week to April 24.

While the exact reason has not been confirmed, it seems pretty clear that HBO’s muscle flexing counter-programme has caused the shift. HBO will be airing a split-site doubleheader, opening with Lucian Bute defending his IBF championship against Edison Miranda in Canada, finishing in Atlantic City with Kelly Pavlik defending his middleweight championship against Sergio Martinez.

I think you've cracked it by now. HBO are hyping up a Bute-Pavlik showdown for the future, erasing all hopes for Showtime to crown the new super middleweight champion in Andre Ward. To make it doubly worse, Bute-Pavlik will be for the vacant RING super middleweight belt, yes, the holy grail for any fighter in the sport today.

The winner of Bute-Pavlik will be the real deal at 168, while the tournament contestants are battling for pride and position, not for #1 spot. Cue fist pumping from Ross Greenburg.

HBO have built their battle for #1 spot the HBO way. They will build Bute-Pavlik into a major attraction and put the fight on at the same time as it gets tense in the Super 6. After the tournament has ended, HBO will bully Showtime in negotiations to win the right to broadcast the biggest fight of them all; Bute-Pavlik winner vs. Super 6 winner.

Is it only me that will find the run-up adverts about the major fight cringe-worthy? Imagine Max Kellerman rambling on about the Super 6 Tournament winner with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

I'm all for cutthroat competition between networks as fans benefit from it, but is this really competition? They're not trying to better Showtime, they're trying to demolish something that could've changed the shape of the sport. Because it's Showtime's product, it must be destroyed. I think fans should have a problem with that.

If HBO competed with Showtime by putting on rival cards that were matching up with theirs, I think I would be fine with that. That's not the case here. This is a sabotage operation to spew out any chance of Showtime success.

If they do eventually match-up the winner of Bute-Pavlik and the Super 6, what right do HBO have to broadcast the fight that's been hyped up by another network? It seems to me that HBO's goal here isn't to stay ahead of the game, but to eliminate the competition. HBO's response is not to improve it's own product, but destroy their rivals'.

Since 2007, Showtime have consistently put on better fights than HBO with a much smaller budget. This proves that HBO's marketing strategy isn't working, hasn't been working, and doesn't look like it will suddenly work.

Showtime is never going to back down. If you think this will jeopardize the chances of Showtime investing heavily in the sport, I would disagree. I think incidents like this will teach Showitme an important lesson, and ultimately, spur them on in their fierce battle with HBO. Remember, HBO can't host everything.

These broadcasters are behaving like sanctioning bodies, playing games with super champion statuses and interim farces. Again, the boxing world is reminded why the world tuned out of the sport many years ago.

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2009 Super Middleweight Report

by Dafs117

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

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Read more »

Where does Bute go next?

by dafs 117

IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute silenced his critics and shocked the world by stopping rugged Librado Andrade last Saturday night in a rematch of their topsy-turvy first contest.

Firstly, we estimate that Bute’s goal is to get pound-4-pound status or to set himself up to fight the winner of the Super 6 Boxing Classic. We then looked at who’s called out Bute, who’s in the Super 6 and who Bute needs to get his pound-4-pound ranking.

Headhunters:

Allan Green: The American has never quite lived up to his knockout of the year winner in 2007 when he smashed previously unbeaten Jaidon Codrington to sleep in sixteen seconds. Since then, the only world class performance has been his dismantling of never great Carlos De Leon Jr. With Green being nurtured nicely by Showtime, it came as a shock to everyone that he wasn’t included in the Super 6 Boxing Classic. But maybe he wasn’t ready, or even good enough for that matter, as Ward and Dirrell have more than held their own against the big boys. Could this be Green’s turn? Could he upset the odds and take Bute’s belt as extra luggage? It would set Bute in a nice position if he beats Green, who has looked poor in his recent 10 round bout. Possibly, a wise move.

Allan Green: CHALLENGE

Kelly Pavlik: The reigning undisputed middleweight champion has done nothing much since dropping a lop-sided defeat to old Bernard Hopkins. With a stoppage win over Marco Antonio Rubio and another one over Miguel Espino coming up, Pavlik might need a gut check to get back on track. And who better than Lucian Bute to give Pavlik the motivation and the wake-up call that he desperately craves. With the Williams negotiation stalling, and a reoccurring staph infection resulting in pull-out clauses, both Americans are likely to avoid each other next year. Just imagine how nasty the negotiations between Bute and Pavlik would be! Bute would want it in Canada, Pavlik would want it in Atlantic City. Both would demand over half the cut and we could be left with Pavlik-Espino II. Pavlik is vulnerable at the moment and a perfect catch for Team Bute.

Kelly Pavlik: CHALLENGE

Adrian Diaconu: An all-action Romanian who is loved by his adopted nation of Canada. Sounds familiar!? Yes, Bute and Diaconu sell stadiums in Canada and would serve up a treat for the Canadians. Diaconu was outpointed against Jean Pascal earlier this year in a great bout, but his reputation wasn’t damaged by the defeat. It most probably grew as the hooks were slugged in. The only thing is that his “0” has gone. But it was only a matter of time if he wanted to be taken seriously at world level. Bute and Diaconu would be a marketing success in Canada, and the fight would be something the public would relish. However, with Diaconu’s title now with Pascal, a Canadian, it might turn Bute’s head toward ‘The Mongoose’. Looks a decent fight at light heavyweight.

Adrian Diaconu: AVOID

Jean Pascal: As stated above, Pascal has a title. He’s Canadian. He sells stadiums. He’s exciting and he talks. Marketing heaven for Bute, but a much tougher fight than Diaconu, but with more reward at the end. If Froch can outbox Pascal, I would imagine that Bute can do the same thing. Now position yourself in the Super 6 Boxing Classic winner’s shoes; your invincible and there’s a two-weight undefeated world champion and a one handed middleweight champion to add to your record. So Pascal would enhance Bute’s reputation, but what are the chances that Pascal uses his brain in the fight and gives Bute a skill set contest. It will be an even tougher fight for Bute, with Pascal a quick and powerful fighter but not the most agile. A great fight for the fans.

Jean Pascal: CHALLENGE

Paul Williams: Paul Williams is a great fighter, maybe a bigger Manny Pacquiao, but he’s had a hard time recently because of the danger he possesses to the front-men of the Welterweights and Middleweights. Taking that Williams defeats Martinez this Saturday, and Pavlik avoiding Williams at any cost, a fight with Bute might be Williams’ only reliable option. But the chances of him winning are small, as Williams’ skills are greater than Bute. Everything Bute does, Williams does better. Nobody knows how good Williams will be at 168 pounds, so if he loses an asset, Bute might capitalize and punish the ‘Punisher’. If Bute does emerge victorious over Williams, his reputation would be huge inside the underground of boxing. He would be considered as the best non-welterweight on the planet. I’m getting ahead of myself here, but the reward is massive. Be careful what you wish for, Bute.

Paul Williams: AVOID

The Boxing Tribune Pathway Too Success: Firstly, avoid anything to do with the Super 6 Boxing Classic as a late replacement. It would mess up Bute’s freedom and plans, and the chances of him qualifying would be very little anyway as the other fighters would already have points on the table. So to enhance Bute’s bank account, a fight with Jean Pascal would be a good start to 2010. If Bute was very successful, a move back south to fight Kelly Pavlik in a winnable bout with a victory ensuring Bute a P-4-P spot, and finally, to wait for the Super 6 winner, another easy seven figure salary by out-boxing Adrian Diaconu in Canada.

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Does Pavlik Deserve Bute 2010 Shot On HBO?

by dafs117

According to industry sources, HBO is pushing for a fight between super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute and middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in 2010. Bute knocked out Librado Andrade in the fourth round last night in Quebec City, while Pavlik is set to fight lightly-regarded Miguel Espino on December 19 on Top Rank pay-per-view.

Bute (25-0, 20 KO) and Pavlik (35-1, 31 KO) may well find themselves without any other attractive options, though I'd expect that negotiations could be tough. Bute may be loathe to leave Quebec, where his fights sell out big arenas and make a lot of money. Pavlik has travelled well to Atlantic City for past fights, and would surely object to yielding a home field advantage to Bute, given that Bute has a large audience in Quebec. The money split, the location, the promoters working together, all of that could be a chore.

I also think Pavlik will still want to get in the ring with Paul Williams first, should Williams win on December 5 against Sergio Martinez. Pavlik says he's not ducking Williams, but the only way to prove that for sure is to fight him. They've already had a deal worked out, only for Pavlik to pull out of two dates.

If Pavlik were, in theory, to fight Williams after Espino and win both bouts, then it would almost surely be time to fight Bute. The middleweight money fights simply aren't there. The other titlist Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester, are small names in America and it doesn't appear Sturm is in any rush to leave Germany, where Pavlik would surely not head for a fight.

At the end of it all, Bute-Pavlik just might make the most sense, and if semi-promoter HBO pushes hard enough, it could surely happen. It could also be a terrific fight, much more competitive than Williams-Pavlik. Bute has developed into a fantastic fighter, and Pavlik has stagnated. Then again, a fight with Bute could be just what Pavlik needs to get his groove back.

But does Pavlik deserve another payday? If he doesn’t fight Williams, who must have had enough of Pavlik by now, I don’t think Bute should award him a fight. It benefits Bute financially and it would be a good name on his CV, but if the fight with Williams or Bute doesn’t happen, Pavlik will struggle to find a competitive fight for the fans.

Has Thomas Hauser’s rant at HBO changed the way they set out to matchmake? HBO are carefully choosing fan-friendly fights, which must boost the broadcast popularity. If they can find a good fight for Dawson, HBO might overtake Showtime as the fan-friendly broadcasting team, as Showtime’s Super Six has supposedly changed the face of boxing.

To be honest, it already has. Not in a way that more tournaments will be scheduled, but HBO now consider Showtime to be major competitors. With the opportunity of losing a massive market share to Showtime too much to bear, the big bosses at Home Box have realised that you don’t need a blown-up legend to sell a fight, only a competitive mouth-watering fight.

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Bute...Perfect, Funeka...Robbed

The good and bad of boxing was on display Saturday night at the Colisee Pepsi in Quebec City, Canada.

First, the bad:

In the opening bout of the HBO championship doubleheader, for the vacant IBF Lightweight title, Ali Funeka battered and out-worked Joan Guzman, only to have the fight scored a draw by the Canadian judges.

Although Guzman came out fast, peppering Funeka's long, lean midsection with body shots, Funeka began to find the range with his jab and turned Guzman's face into a bloody mask with a possibly broken nose. Guzman also suffered a cut on the inside brow of his left eye that was caused by an accidental headbutt.

Funeka had Guzman stunned a couple of times in the later rounds, but Guzman proved his mental toughness by surviving until the final bell.

The result seemed a foregone conclusion as Funeka seemed to absolutely dominate most every moment of the final ten rounds.

However, nothing is 'for sure' in boxing...especially in Canada.

Jaws dropped around the boxing world as the score was read: 116-112 for Funeka by the American judge Joseph Pasquale and an incomprehensible 114-114 from Canadian judges Benoit Roussell and Alan Davis. The BTBC had it scored 117-111 for Funeka.

Then came the good:

Lucian Bute avenged his controversy-tainted first victory over Librado Andrade with an absolutely wonderful display of professional prize fighting in front of a very partisan crowd of supporters.

Bute boxed and used angles to keep the tough Andrade off-balance, slowly touching Andrade's well-regarded chin with increasingly strong shots.

Andrade was dropped hard in the middle of the fourth with a sharp left hand counter as he lunged forward. He didn't appear hurt, but the difference in skill level was becoming painfully apparent.

With seconds left in that same round, the southpaw Bute connected with a beautifully-timed left to the liver as Andrade rushed forward. Andrade hit the canvas hard and, paralyzed with pain, was unable to beat the count.

This was Bute's fifth defense of his IBF Super Middleweight title.

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No Weight Issues in Championship Doubleheader

For IBF Super Middleweight Title (Left)

Andrade: 166.71
Bute: 166.8

***************

For Vacant IBF Lightweight Title
(Right)

Funeka: 133.9
Guzman: 134.4

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BTBC Fight of the Week

Saturday, November 28th

Librado Andrade vs. Lucian Bute

(IBF Super Middleweight Title)

Pepsi Coliseum, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

The Breakdown:

Lucian Bute: 24-0 (19 KOs), Rated #1 at Super Middleweight by The BTBC,

Age: 29

Height: 6' 2

Reach: 70"

Stance: Southpaw

Career Achievements: Reigning IBF Super Middleweight Champ (3 defences)

Notable Opposition: James Obede Toney (Win via TKO 8), Sakio Bika (Win via UD 12), Alejandro Berrio (Win via TKO 11), Librado Andrade (Win via UD 12), Fulgencio Zuinga (Win via TKO 4),

Pre-Fight Quote: "It was a small mistake (the ending of the first bout where he was dropped and hurt badly), this time I will be better,

*********

Librado Andrade: 28-2 (21 KOs), Rated #7 at Super Middleweight by The BTBC

Age: 31

Height: 6' 2"

Reach: 78"

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: n/a

Notable Opposition: Otis Grant (Win via RTD 7), Mikkel Kessler (Loss via UD 12), Yusaf Mack (Win via TKO 7), Robert Stieglitz (Win via TKO 8), Lucian Bute (Loss via UD 12)

Pre-Fight Quote: "I came there to knock him out and that's exactly what I did. I got to him and I'll get to him again."

*********

Paulie the Sicilian's Prediction: Bute boxed Andrade's shorts off for 11 and a half rounds last time before getting knocked loopy. Andrade will be coming in with more confidence and the knowledge that he can hurt Bute...that will be a big factor in keeping this contest a lot closer than the first one.

But, still, Bute can outbox Andrade all night and hold when necessary...and he'll get the chance to with the Canadian officials.

Bute wins this via closer UD than the first time, but he won't be in danger at any point.

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Magno vs. The Machine (Stage 5: Bute/Andrade, Guzman/Funeka)

Stage 5: Bute-Andrade II + Guzman-Funeka

Boxing Tribune editor-in-chief, Paul Magno could extend his lead over Title Bout Championship Boxing 2.5 this week, as Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka have split the pair.

We are blessed with another double-header as Stage 5 stages even more compelling action, as both competitors will try and correctly predict the outcome of the well deserved rematch between Lucian Bute and Librado Andrade, and Joan Guzman’s first real test at lightweight against Ali Funeka.

Can The Machine even things up?

Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade

Magno: In the first fight, Bute won 11 and a half rounds in a contest that was becoming boring because it was so one-sided. Andrade came on strong at the very end and made things memorable, but will that make a difference in the rematch?

I say, "yes."

Andrade knows he can hurt and knock Bute out and he's probably buying into the false notion that the ref saved Bute the first time. Confidence is a huge factor in boxing and Andrade will come in with an added sense of it.

However, technique still trumps King-King confidence and I see Bute pretty much following the blueprint of the first fight. Andrade will push harder, earlier, but Bute is still the better boxer.

Bute wins via UD in a more competitive bout than the first time.

Machine: The first bout was a farce. The second bout doesn’t strike the machine as competitive.

Look for the defending champion and hometown favourite Lucian Bute, to identically outbox and outfox his opponent and gain an early lead. He’s quicker, cleverer, but he lacks the cutting edge of his opponent to stop the Mexican.

In their first fight, Bute was gone. He had a 20 second count, and he was still gone. Andrade should have earned the knockout, but referee Marlon Wright had other ideas. That’s in the past. Andrade needs to forget all that, and focus on wearing Bute down. He has power, he has strength, but can he catch Bute often enough to stop the IBF champion?

Bute will win the first ten rounds, making Andrade look silly at times. But Bute will tire, and Andrade will quickly jump on his prey and brutally attack him for the remainder of the fight.

Can Bute survive Andrade’s barrage of punches in the final two rounds? Can Andrade turn in another remarkable late stoppage?

The answers to those questions is, no. Unfortunately for Andrade, and very fortunate for Bute, time will run out, and Bute will be victorious, by a near shutout unanimous decision. Andrade will kick himself, and Bute will plea for a place in the Super 6.

Joan Guzman vs. Ali Funeka

Magno: Make no mistake about it, Joan Guzman is a boxing machine, possessing a skill-set second only to the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley. The question about him is whether he has the hunger to push himself anymore.

Funeka, the lanky punching machine from South Africa, will test Guzman's desire. In his performance against Nate Campbell, Funeka proved he belonged among the elite, but he did show some signs of cracking under pressure as a weight-drained Campbell nearly put him away late.

This will be a very tough fight for Guzman, but I see his reflexes and overall flexibility being the decisive factor. If Guzman really wants it, he will win.

A motivated Guzman takes some time to study Funeka and then begins to time his shots, moving in and out with greater fluidity as the fight progresses.

At the end of the night, a puzzled Funeka wonders how he could've thrown so many punches and landed so few.

Guzman via close UD

Machine: A more accurate prediction could be made after the weigh-in, as Guzman unprofessionally and out of character failed to make the lightweight limit against Nate Campbell, despite campaigning at a lower weight for most of his career.

Ali Funeka, was on the other end of another weight problem in a Nate Campbell fight. Campbell threw away his titles at the weigh-in, and they were up for grabs for the South African. In a very close fight that could’ve gone either way, Campbell won, but Funeka was the real winner, gaining popularity and recognition for his performance. He eventually, earned another title shot.

With both men likely to come in bang on the lightweight limit, the taller, clumsier Funeka will struggle to deal with the slippery Guzman early on. The first four rounds will be cat and mouse, with the ego-inflated mouse emulating the cartoon character Jerry, proving to be too quick for the natural lightweight.

As the rounds roll on, Guzman’s reflexes will slow down remarkably, and Funeka has proved that he grows as the fight goes on. A big right hand floors Guzman in the seventh with Funeka closing the show after three more tiring rounds. Ali Funeka the winner by 10^th round stoppage.

Current Scores: Magno 5-1 (2 KOs), Machine 4-2 (1 KOs)

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Boxing's November to Remember

by Paul Magno

As boxing fans, we're the easiest sports fans to please. We're given so little that when a rarity like November, 2009 comes along, we are liable to become absolutely giddy.

Imagine the prospect of an entire month stacked with quality match-ups and nary a cancellation in sight...It's the stuff of legends; Boxing's equivalent to a winning lottery ticket.

After a very sparse Summer and a fairly lackluster 2009 overall, boxing is closing out the year with a bang and about to unleash one of the best months for the sport in my recent memory.

Just look at what awaits us:

Martin Rogin vs. Sam Sexton II (a UK rematch of the Heavyweight Fight of the Year)

Alfredo Angulo vs. Harry Joe Yorgey (Angulo's always fun and Yorgey will make it a war)

Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson (Best fight to be made at 175)

Nikolay Valuev vs. David Haye (More science experiment than fight, but will be fun)

Matthew Hatton vs. Lovemore N'Dou (Evenly-matched means evenly-fought)

Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao (Mega fight...I will speak about this more next time)

Daniel Santos vs. Yuri Foreman (I don't care what anyone says, I think this might be interesting)

Alfonso Gomez vs. Jesus Soto Karass (Good action and maybe Karass' coming-out party)

Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward (Two prime, elite fighters in Super 6 Classic)

Edgar Sosa vs. Rodel Mayol (For sure FOY candidate)

Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade (A score to settle for both, plus crazy Canadian fans)

Ali Funeka vs. Joan Guzman (A real, major test for both)

Plus, Zab Judah, Joel Casamayor, Marcos Maidana, Jason Litzau, Jorge Barrios, Andy Lee, Alexander Dimitrenko, Mike Jones, "Gato" Figueroa, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr...

It's enough to make even the most bitter of fans take note...and only one PPV among the bunch! (okay, one and a half if you count the Valuev-Haye fight's PPV status in the US)

I hope that boxing's powers that be take notice and realize that by giving us actual fights, they aren't losing potential PPV dollars, they are reminding the loyal fan base of exactly why they are fans in the first place.

As fans, we don't need big-named mega-bouts and we don't even really need months as stacked as November '09.

What we do need is quality match-ups and fights that actually mean something.

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Madcow's Standing 8 Count (5/24/09)

by Madcow

Welcome to a very special edition of The Standing 8 Count. Ok, not really. Actually, this is another slow news week.

So, seeing that there'll be nothing worth talking about until next week when Alfredo Angulo makes Kermit Cintron weep like a little school girl, I thought I'd share another personal list with my dozens upon dozens of loyal Mad Bovines.

Last week, I wrote about what I hated about boxing. This week I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, so I'll flip in the opposite direction and talk about what I love about boxing.

* I love the way the Super Middleweight division is shaping up: Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Librado Andrade, Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Allan Green, Jermain Taylor, Jean Pascal and in a short while Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik. I sure hope greedy promoters and cable companies don't ruin this.

* I love the blind optimism behind fans of Chris Arreola. Here's a guy who is practically obese and has ever beaten anyone tougher than a tough night club bouncer, yet some people rate this blob as the best American Heavyweight. I know the big boys aren't a deep bunch these days, but Arreola ain't the best of an entire nation.

* I love the Tecate ring card girls in Tijuana. These are the only ring card girls in the world where I know that with some elementary Spanish and a few bucks in my pocket, I can bring these chicas back to the Hotel Paraiso with me.

* I love the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. riles up both haters and nut-huggers alike. Say what you will, but it feels good to see some real emotion injected into the sport.

* I love seeing fights in Las Vegas and I love the big fight atmosphere in Sin City. Vegas is Boxing and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If you don't like all night Blackjack binges in dim casinos, surrounded by whores and bad, bad people after a big prize fight I seriously question your manhood. Boxing shouldn't be a "bring the whole family" event like the Ice Capades.

* I love fighters who actually take the time to learn the art of professions prize fighting. These are the guys who know how to walk properly, they know how to cut off the ring, they know how to properly set up their punches, and they know a little something called "defense."

* I love my old fight films.

* I love what Showtime has been doing with their matchmaking lately.

* I love Denise Tarver and Jin Mosley and the crazy night we've had in my imagination.

* I love the back and forth struggles of an evenly-matched bout.

* I love the intenet for allowing me to be able to see even more boxing than I could imagine.

* I love when an undeserving bum of a fighter like Margarito gets what's coming to him and publicly flogged by the entire boxing world.

* I love to get hateful e-mails from Manny Pacquiao fans: P4P, Boxing's goofiest goof balls.

* I love the idea of Rick Hatton fans having to get back on the plane for the long ride home knowing that they just came to see Hatton mugged once again.

* I love that if this blog takes off, I'm gonna start getting paid!

Alright, enough with the happy thoughts. Next week I'll be back with my regular rage and whiskey- filled column.

Until next Sunday, keep your friends close and your bribe money closer.

So long, ladies.

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