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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOWN: Bernard Hopkins #7 to #10;

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

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

Scheduled P-4-P Fights

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

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

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Controversial Fight Series: Marquez-Pacquiao I

As part of The Boxing Tribune’s build-up to Manny Pacquiao’s maiden defence of his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey, we revisit the infamous Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez in one of the most controversial fights of the past decade.

Hearts and Fists on Fire - WBA + IBF Featherweight Title
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ (42-3, 33 KO, WBA + IBF Titleholder)
vs.
MANNY PACQUIAO (38-2, 29 KO)
May 8, 2004 | MGM Grand - Las Vegas, NV

May 8, 2004
This was Manny Pacquiao's second fight at 126 pounds, his first was an impressive display against Marco Antonio Barrera, who he stopped in the eleventh round to capture the Ring Championship belt. Pacquiao had made four defences of his IBF title at super bantamweight, and he was ready for a step up in class. He dominated Barrera in his debut at featherweight, leading by a wide margin on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. Pacquiao, was favourite to take Juan Manuel Marquez's titles away.

Juan Manuel Marquez had defeated Robbie Peden and Hector Marquez by tenth round stoppage in 2002, Manuel Medina by convincing seventh round technical knockout, and Derrick Gainer via shutout technical decision over seven rounds in an unification fight. Marquez was also ready for a step up in calss.

After the first minute and a half, few gave Marquez a hope that he would come out of the round. He staggered through the latter stages to finish the opening stanza on his feet, cue HBO quotation.

"Manny Pacquiao is a storm! Juan Manuel Marquez has never seen anything like that." - Jim Lampley

To think that Marquez would go on to last the full twelve, and still have a shot at winning the contest is an amazing achievement in itself. Did Marquez do enough to retain his titles and take away Pacquiao's Ring belt? Or did Pacquiao's 10-6 opening round give him enough of an advantage to coast through and win the fight?

The Boxing Tribune have replaced the judges with our own set of officials. The three judges will be Dafs117, Siren1927 and Mentaldynamo. They will give their round-by-round thoughts, with the quest to find the real winner of this thrilling fight.

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2009 Lightweight Report

by Dafs117

Somebody check the temperature, this division is getting hot.

Lightweight is one of the few divisions that have an obvious champion in Juan Manuel Marquez, when he defeated Juan Diaz in The Boxing Tribune’s Fight of the Year by ninth round knockout. Marquez is head and shoulders above the rest in talent, but that doesn’t limit his options at the weight class.

His next opponent is Michael Katsidis, an Australian warrior that drags every fighter into war. Katsidis sort of broke America, stopping Jesus Chavez and outpointing Vicente Escobedo on the Mayweather-Marquez undercard. Has another shot to capture the 135 pound crown, after being stopped by Joel Casamyor, who has since moved up in weight, in the tenth round of their war.

Juan Diaz has returned following his very short departure up in weight, as he had two contests with Paulie Malignaggi at catchweight, going 1-1 with the Magic Man. ‘Baby Bull’ will stage his comeback at lightweight, but it could be a difficult road back to the top of the rankings.

Behind Juan Manuel Marquez is Edwin Valero, a power punching beast that can’t get a license in the States. The Venezuelan is a beast, a monster in the ring, and his wild style will always make for exciting viewing. A fight with Katsidis would be outstanding, the sheer volume of power being thrown would be immense. Some doubt his whiskers, but they are untested at lightweight.

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Please Ricky, Don't Do It

by dafs117

After hibernating since May, Ricky Hatton is coming back. He's going to put down his pint and bacon butty, rip four stones off that small frame to get into fighting trim for the tough Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez. I can't say this is the best news I've heard in a while, for British boxing or for Hatton.

Fighters fight for one of two reasons. Money or glory. Hatton says he doesn't need the former, not more than any other millionaire desperately needs more money, so he must miss the applause, the buzz or, as he put it last week, "the itch". That's not a good reason to take a suspect chin back into a boxing ring. He was brutally knocked out by the great Filipino Manny Pacquiao six months ago, and his chin hasn't grown any muscles since, and he risks humiliation this time.

The sport is addictive, as nearly any former fighter will tell you, but you don't kick the habit by getting beaten up in public, especially by such an accomplished operator as Marquez who, although outclassed, went the distance with Floyd Mayweather Jr. only two months ago and ran Manny Pacquiao close, twice. So Ricky wants to fight the man who was competitive with the only two fighters he himself has lost to, badly.

All this fight will do is feed Hatton's addiction. No apologies here for repeating something Barry McGuigan says on repeat “boxers are the first ones to know when to quit and the last to admit it.”

If a 31 year old Hatton does the impossible and gets past Marquez, he won't stop there. He will be growing older by the round. If Marquez doesn't get him, someone else will, someone tougher, younger, someone who will see him as a stepping stone.

There is another reason Hatton should not fight again, his drinking. He has always said his lifestyle makes him what he is. It gives him a thrill. He lives two hundred miles an hour, and trains at the same speed. In his mind you can't have one without the other.

Hatton knows the sport inside out and he has seen great fighters go one fight too many, Kostya Tszyu, for instance. That was Hatton’s finest night by a mile, Saturday, 4 June, 2005, at a packed MEN Arena. He was inspired. But he knows he caught Tszyu on the last leg of a long journey, and so does Tszyu.

Tszyu also has been tempted a few times to fight again, and so far, has resisted the urge. Let's hope it stays that way because he would do nothing but ruin our memories of him.

And I'm afraid that is what Hatton is getting ready to do. He’s been a terrific character, great to get Britain back into boxing, but there comes a time in sport where a sportsman must call it a day.

That last point is half the problem. Ricky is desperate to please his fans, the 30,000 and more who followed him to Las Vegas, a travelling circus who lit up boxing like probably no other fans could.

But Ricky needs to step back from the roar of the crowd because it is distant and fading. They're not the ones taking the punches. Their health is not at risk.

The real warning signs for Hatton arrived in the weeks before he fought Pacquiao. A young Cuban light-middleweight called Erislandy Lara gave Ricky such a tough time in sparring in Las Vegas he was kicked out of the camp.

Lara is a serious prospect (he is unbeaten in eight contests with five KOs) and much bigger than Hatton. So what was this young monster doing in a ring with Hatton so close to a big fight? What genius brought in a big man to prepare Ricky to fight a smaller, quicker man?

That camp was the worst preparation Hatton could have had for Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather Sr, a defensive master if slightly eccentric, was marginalised and, ultimately ignored. Hatton went to the ring with a divided team and it showed in the short time the fight lasted.

Hatton looked as if he were fighting on roller skates. His balance was awry and his judgment of space and distance was awful. He fought like a desperate man. While he did himself no favours with what passed for strategy, it was still no disgrace to lose to a wonderful champion, but the piercing scream from ringside by his girlfriend Jennifer when he hit the canvas in round two should have been the only voice he listened to. It should have been the final bell for Hatton, but it seems not.

There was chaos in the corner and in Hatton's mind. That confusion, which begun in the Mayweather fight and resurfaced in May, does not seem to have gone away. Ricky still thinks he can do in the ring what his brain tells him. It would be a fairytale if he did come back. But boxing is about reality, as Hatton knows better than most.

He said before fighting Mayweather: "There's no more honest place in sport than the boxing ring. You can't tell lies in there, you can't pretend."

I'm afraid that is exactly what he is doing now.

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Hatton and Marquez Begin Talks For 2010

When Ricky Hatton was laid flat, by a left hook in his second-round knockout loss against Manny Pacquiao in May, few people thought that Hatton would fight at world level ever again.

Even the Brit hinted on many occasions that his arm chair was calling, but in a new twist, Hatton “has felt the buzz” from seeing his promoted fighters win over the past months.

A fight against his friend Amir Khan has caught the imaginations of some British fans in dreamland, but it seems ever more likely that ‘The Hitman’ will fight Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in a true crossroads bout.

Marquez recently moved up two weight classes as he challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. but struggled to win a round against the five weight world champion in September. Mayweather has also stopped Ricky Hatton in the tenth round.

Both fighters are said to be interested in the fight, and have begun talks to fight in Hatton’s hometown of Manchester. No date has been discussed and they’re most likely to meet at the light welterweight limit of 140 pounds.

Is this a fight for the fans or promoters? And is there any hope for Hatton? Discuss...

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Pretty Impressive From Mayweather As He’s On The Money

by Dafs117

Floyd Mayweather Jr. UD 12 Juan Manuel Marquez

Juan Manuel Marquez never got going. He was never in the fight. It was his first fight at welterweight and he came out of his corner and tried to sustain a jab against the former pound-4-pound king who was making his comeback after 21 months sitting in his armchair. The questions had been asked. Was Mayweather ring rusty? Was Marquez’s size a factor? Did Marquez have the style to upset the odds? By the end of the night, they were all answered.

Mayweather 146, Grand Rapids, MI, had looked unbeatable before his retirement from the sport and, against Marquez 142, Mexico City, the second best fighter on the planet, made Marquez look like a club fighter throughout their contest at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

In the second round, ‘Dinamita’ landed a sharp right hand which got Mayweather’s attention, but ‘Money’ was both unflustered and unscathed, and came back with a left hook himself that floored the Mexican. The instant Mayweather started to slip Marquez’s punches, the Mexican was helpless.

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Number 1/ Numero 1: The BTBC Suggested Retail Price

Number 1 / Numero 1:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez
Michael Katsidis vs. Vicente Escobedo
Orlando Cruz vs. Cornelius Lock


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

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The Project v.1 – Floyd Mayweather v Juan Manual Marquez

By Simon Garner

More than a year after officially retiring from boxing, Floyd Mayweather will step back into the ring on 19 September to face Mexico’s Juan Manual Marquez. This 12-round fight is seen as somewhat of a prelude to a potential megafight been Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, should he get past Miguel Cotto on 14 November. However, this is no warm-up bought for ‘Money’ Mayweather and is a serious test for a fighter that has been out of the ring since a knock-out win over Ricky Hatton in November 2007.

Mayweather’s time away from boxing is unlikely to have that much of an impact on his performance. As we have seen recently from HBO’s acclaimed 24/7 series, he is always in superb condition and always stays on or around the weight for his next fight. In fact, the time spent away from the ring will probably only have done some good. It will have allowed a body that has spent twenty-plus years fighting (especially his famously brittle hands) to recover and enabled the former pound-for-pound king to find out what he really wants to achieve in the sport.

Marquez though is not here for the taking. He is a fighter that puts his Mexican heart and blood into every performance. Despite the fact his last two fights have been at lightweight, he proceeded to knock-out two opponents who had never been stopped – Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz. Two fighters that look good on any fighters record and arguably make Marquez, at least in some fan’s eyes, the best fighter in the world. In recent fights he has turned from meticulous technician to boxer-puncher, which has certainly made for more entertaining viewing. However, this new style may also be his downfall. Casamayor was able to land clean shots and Diaz forced him to whether numerous barrages of punches. On 19 September, he will be facing arguably the biggest, strongest fighter he has ever faced who is capable of doing damage with both fists.


The Project

For this project I have chosen to use Title Bout Championship boxing to simulate what will happen in this upcoming fight. I have updated both fighters to reflect their weight on the night and updated Marquez’s abilities slightly to reflect his recent successes. The simulation as on fight night, will take place in the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. As I do not know as yet, the judges for the fight. I have chosen to have random judging so to be impartial.

I will run six simulation fights and report my results. We will hopefully receive six results and then I will make notes on issues such as the scorecards, the styles of the fighters and conclude with the outcomes. We will then be left with a final result and an overall prediction from the fight. If the outcome proves to be accurate, or at the very least, close, I will run similar simulations for other upcoming fights with Cotto-Pacquiao being the obvious.

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The Boxing Tribune Fight of the Week

Saturday, September 19th

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

The Breakdown

Floyd Mayweather Jr.: 39-0 (25 KOs), Unranked by the BTBC

Age: 32

Height: 5' 8"

Reach: 72"

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: WBC Super Featherweight Champ (8 Defenses), WBC Lightweight Champ (3 Defenses), WBC Jr. Welterweight Champ, IBF Welterweight Champ, WBC Welterweight Champ (1 Defense), WBC Jr. Middleweight Champ

Notable Opposition: Genaro Hernandez (RTD 8), Diego Corrales (TKO 10), Jose Luis Castillo (UD 12, UD 12), Arturo Gatti (RTD 6), Zab Judah (UD 12), Oscar De la Hoya (SD 12), Ricky Hatton (TKO 10)

Pre-Fight Quote: "You can expect blood, sweat and tears on Saturday night. I predict one hell of a fight."

*********

Juan Manuel Marquez: 50-4-1 (37 KOs), Rated #1 at Lightweight by The BTBC

Age: 36

Height: 5' 7"

Reach: 67"

Stance: Orthodox

Career Achievements: IBF Featherweight Champ (2 Defenses), WBC Super Featherweight Champ (1 Defense), WBO Lightweight Champ, WBA Lightweight Champ)

Notable Opposition: Derrick Gainer (TD 7), Manny Pacquiao (D, SD Loss), Chris John (UD Loss), Marco Antonio Barrera (UD 12), Rocky Juarez (UD 12), Joel Casamayor (TKO 11), Juan Diaz (TKO 9)

Pre- Fight Quote: "Everyone knows I don't like talking outside the ring, but I want to say three things: First, I am prepared physically and mentally. Second, I want to thank all the Mexican people for supporting me and third, I want to dedicate this fight to the Mexican people who are going to be here and all of the Mexican people around the world."

Paulie the Sicilian's Prediction: Yeah, Mayweather's bigger, younger, fresher and faster...but he's also coming off a 2o-month layoff, fighting someone ranked no lower than #2 on any credible Pound-for-Pound list and he's going to find himself across the ring from the one style best suited to beat him.

A lot is made of Marquez moving up from Lightweight, but the weight issue is overstated. Mayweather is a small welter and Marquez may actually find some benefit from his Lightweight hand speed.

Marquez can take comfort from following the careers of Roberto Duran and Shane Mosley, two Hall of Fame Lightweights who beat Hall of Fame Welterweights (Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De la Hoya, respectively) after departing the 135 lb. division. He can also look back on other top Lightweights who made big splashes at 147: Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Manny Pacquiao and even Mayweather, himself...

The fight will be a chess match for the first three and then the action will pick up as both fighters work on their timing. Mayweather will find success with lunging right hands, Marquez will counter with standard, textbook-perfect combinations and dogged body work.

By the 8th, Mayweather begins to pull away as he gets his timing together...He puts Marquez away in the 9th after some blazing shots at the end of the round. Nacho refuses to let Marquez come out for the 10th.

After the fight, Mayweather will call out the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto.

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Sympathy for the Devil: Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Being Treated Fairly?

by Paul Magno

It’s hard to defend anyone who “makes it rain” in night clubs or makes the kinds of ridiculous boasts that Floyd Mayweather Jr. does.

Yet, here I am, once again making the case for Floyd while leaving myself wide open for well-timed counters.

For me, likeability as a fighter and likeability as a human being are two very different things. I don’t need to see fighters as “Regular Joes” or “nice guys” in order to appreciate them. What Mayweather does and how he lives outside the ring is about as important to me as whether my butcher is a swell guy.

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¡Viva Mexico! Mexico's Finest!

by Paul Magno

With Mexican Independence Day approaching, it's only fair to give our friends from South of the border the same attention that we've given to our American friends and our members/readers from the UK and Puerto Rico.

Here are Mexico's Top 10 Active fighters:

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Mexican Beat Report (9/7/09)

by Paul Magno

Welcome to the first Mexican Beat Report, a monthly wrap-up of the fight scene in Mexico.

The month of September is always a huge month for Mexican boxing, with many cards scheduled for dates in and around Independence Day (September 15th-16th).

There were mixed results from two prominant Mexican fighters in Panama on Saturday.

Daniel Ponce de Leon (36-2, 31 KOs) won a WBA Featherweight Title Eliminator via wide Unanimous Decision against Panamanian Roinet Caballero (27-8-1, 19 KOs). Ponce de Leon is now in line for a shot at "regular" WBA Featherweight Champ, Yuriorkis Gamboa or the winner of the "super" WBA title bout between champ, Chris John and Rocky Juarez.

On the same card, for the WBA Interim Flyweight Title, hometown boy, Luis "El Nica" Concepcion (18-1, 13 KOs) beat Mexican Omar Salado (21-2-2, 12 KOs) via TKO when Salado's corner waved off the fight in the 12th. Despite losing each round on this reporter's scorecard, Salado was game the whole night, but was hampered by two deep cuts over his left eye and swelling around both eyes.

Also Saturday, in Chihuahua, former world champ Jhonny Gonzalez (41-7, 34 KOs) KO'd Jose “Pegono” Mendoza (21-4-2, 17 KOs), of Columbia via liver shot in the first.

On the same card, hometown Marco "Dorado" Reyes (14-0, 12 KOs) won the WBC Youth World Middleweight Title via UD against Colombian, Beibi Berrocal (6-2, 6 KOs).

From contacts who frequent the Romanza Gym in Mexico City, Juan Manuel Marquez is walking around right now at about the Welterweight limit of 147 and has been absolutely brutal on his sparring partners in preparation for his September 19th clash with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Trainer Nacho Beristain is focused on targeting Mayweather's body and, based on inside sources, don't be surprised if Marquez switches over to southpaw at some point in their bout. Beristain and Marquez are doing lefty drills in sparring and on the mits.

On the verge of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s (39-0-1, 29 KOs) fight on the 12th against unranked Jason LeHoullier (21-1-1, 8 KOs), 19-year old, Mexican prospect, Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez (28-0-1, 21 KOs) is still intent on calling out the son of the legend.

The Jalisco-based Welterweight recently won the WBC Youth World Welterweight Title to go along with his NABF Welterweight strap and has issued public challenges via ring mic after his last several bouts. Alvarez will be fighting in Puebla, Puebla against Carlos Herrera (21-1, 8 KOs) on the same card that will see Edgar Sosa (36-5, 20 KOs) defend his WBC Jr. Flyweight Title against Puerto Rican, Omar Soto (14-3-1, 6 KOs)

On the undercard of Chavez's Jr.'s bout in Nuevo Vallarta, Fernando Montiel (39-2-1, 29 KOs) will take on southpaw, Alex Valdez (21-3-2, 15 KOs) and Manuel "Chongo" Vargas (26-3-1, 11 KOs) puts up his his WBO Interim Strawweight belt against "Full" WBO Champ, Donnie Nietes (24-1-3, 14 KOs).

September 11th will feature a bout for the vacant Mexican Flyweight Title pitting Alejandro Hernandez (22-6, 11 KOs) against Wilbert Uicab (25-5-1, 16 KOs). The fight will be held at the Salon Marbet Plus in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl in the state of Mexico.

On September 12th, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, plays host to a rematch of Venezuelan Nehomar Cermeno (17-o, 10 KOs) against Cristian Mijares (36-5-2, 15 KOs)

There will be a huge Independence Day card on September 15th in Leon, Guanajuato:

Jorge "El Travieso" Arce (52-5-1, 40 KOs) fights for the vacant IBF Flyweight title against South African, Simphiwe Nongqayi (15-0, 6 KOs); WBC Super Featherweight Champ, Humberto Soto (48-7-2, 31 KOs) will defend his crown against Colombian Aristides Perez (15-0-1, 8 KOs); Ulises Solis (28-2-2, 20 KOs), coming off his title loss to Brian Viloria, takes on journeyman, Gilberto Keb Baas (28-20-3, 16 KOs); Omar Chavez (17-0-1, 13 KOs), after his tragic win over the late Marco Nazareth in July, will fight Tennessee journeyman, Jessie Davis (11-14, 8 KOs) in a six round Welterweight bout.

Gutsy Featherweight Tomas “El Norteno” Villa (20-6-4, 13 KOs) has signed a promotional deal with Gary Shaw Productions.

Israel Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs) is back in training for his October 10th comeback bout against Al Seeger (28-4, 22 KOs) at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California. Should he win, Vazquez has hinted at a desire to fight Rafael Marquez in a part 4.

To all of our Mexican friends and fans, Happy Independence Day... ¡Viva Mexico!

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Mayweather vs. Marquez – Coming To a Theatre Near You?

by Dafs117

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez have most probably never dreamt of the opportunity to be on a big screen.

Their plan is to bring boxing back to the purists. With PPV prices soaring up in recent years, Richard Schaefer announced a unique opportunity to watch a fight of the year contender on high definition. At least 170 theatres in 78 major markets will be showing the fight. The admission fee is suggested at $15 per person.

The fight is being marketed in over 1,500 screens in a plan to reach a wider boxing audience. “I really think the younger audience, the fans that go to the theatre on Saturday night, they don’t want to stay at home.” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said at the press conference. “I think it’s going to open up the sport of boxing to a new and younger audience.”

The card will take place at the MGM Grand. With a strong and competitive undercard, this is a PPV event that is worth watching for an avid boxing fan. But why have they suddenly changed their tune and market boxing to a wider audience?

Is Mayweather trying to prove a point? In an interview with Brian Kenny, he debated that he could pull in better figures with Juan Manuel Marquez than with Shane Mosley. Is he trying to prove that he’s a much bigger draw than Manny Pacquiao? As Pacquiao’s popularity has shot up, does Mayweather feel threatened by the Filipino? I wouldn’t think so. Mayweather is still a popular if controversial figure in the boxing world and would still keep his popularity as long as he keeps winning against worthy opponents.

Are they scared that the MMA PPV figures will steal more than the usual market share? Dana White, boxing sinner, is claiming that boxing is dead. Setting up an intriguing light heavyweight contest to rival Mayweather-Marquez, do they feel they need to do more to outsell their rival combat sport?

The last big fight to be shown live on a big screen was Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran. It was very successful and praised for the unique atmosphere that wouldn’t happen at ringside.

Have we finally turned a corner? Do promoters really care about the fans? I wouldn’t bank on it. But the more cards and fresh ideas promoters and producers put into action the more fan friendly the sport will become. The Super Middleweight Super 6 Boxing Classic Tournament is a great example of the promoters and fighters turning a corner. The best of the best will compete in an intriguing and very competitive field which will include four current and former titleholders and two Olympic medallists. This is what fans want. Hopefully boxing can change for the better and this is a first step in the right direction.

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Can Golden Boy Survive the Decade?

You could feel the tension in the air as the tide started turning against Golden Boy prospect, Victor Ortiz, this past Saturday at the Staples Center.

And, when Ortiz eventually caved in under the pressure of Marcos Maidana in the sixth, the frustration exploded as Shane Mosley gave Ortiz a few tense words, shortly followed by a second tongue lashing from Golden Boy boss, Oscar De la Hoya.

But you could hardly blame them for their frustration. The Ortiz loss was just the latest in a series of unfortunate turns for De la Hoya and his promotional company.

2009 began in outstanding fashion for GBP as Shane Mosley shocked the boxing world by easily handling Welterweight kingpin, Antonio Margarito.

Now, just about six months later, momentum has shifted away from the promotional company that, at one point, boasted veteran legends such as Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and De la Hoya himself.

The Golden Boy of the recent past was on top of the world, snatching up as many veteran names as boxing headlines and brokering a deal with HBO which would essentially give them carte blanche to fill a lion's share of the available TV dates with fights and fighters of their choosing.

The boxing world, literally, was thrown at their feet and they most definitely had a plan for world domination.

Even with De la Hoya having been retired by Manny Pacquiao at the end of '08, the strategy would be simple: Mosley and Hopkins would build off of their remarkable wins against Margarito and Kelly Pavlik respectively while the entire promotion crossed its fingers that Ricky Hatton could somehow find a way to beat Pacquiao.

In the downtime between headline-grabbing fights by future Hall of Fame inductees, Golden Boy would satisfy the fans by highlighting their next generation of stars, all on the verge of greatness...or so they would have you believe.

Leading the GBP surge for future dominance were James Kirkland, Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero and Abner Mares.

Unfortunately, the boxing world is often not the most predictable and in a matter of just a few months, GBP would find the heavy-handed Kirkland behind bars for parole violation, Mares being nursed back to health following eye surgery and Ortiz and Guerrero being tagged with the label of being quitters in what was to be their "coming out" parties on HBO.

And to make matters worse, their "bankable" talents, Mosley and Hopkins, have not been able to find the type of fight they feel they need at this stage of their careers. Mosley has been desperately searching for a fight with an indifferent Pacquiao while Hopkins' only legit attempts at a fight were a half-hearted offer to Cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek and a rumored bout with the UK's Super Middleweight world champ, Carl Froch.

In the meantime, HBO has been saddled with mostly luke warm events that generate mediocre ratings and cost a relative fortune to stage. With the exception of Mosley-Margarito and Golden Boy/Top Rank promoted Pacquiao vs. Hatton, you'd be hard-pressed to find any positive Golden Boy events on HBO.

Don't think this fact is lost on HBO executives and don't think it's lost on Golden Boy's promotional rivals, either.

“They [HBO] gave their dates to one promoter, who's stable has now been wiped out. They made a bad mistake. They are not evil people, and I can't blame Golden Boy for grabbing those dates, but it shows that it wasn’t the wisest thing for them to do,” said Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Another blow to GBP is the fact that, in order to make the marquee fights for their established stars, they will need the cooperation of the other promoters who, at this point, have been driven to resentment by Golden Boy's perceived status as HBO's pet promotion.

So, with their best and brightest pretty much taken out of the equation and legit future stars, Erislandy Lara and Danny Jacobs, still too far away to be a factor, questions about the immediate future of Golden Boy have to be raised.

Will HBO grow frustrated with the poor showings and make Golden Boy go back to booking dates on a fight by fight basis?

And if HBO does this, will GBP be able to compete with a company like Top Rank who has a much deeper roster and a keener matchmaking eye at this point?

Can Oscar's company survive the decade? Probably, but expect a major re-tooling of the promotion and a reluctant admission from them that they do indeed need to co-exist with the other promotional companies in order to stay afloat.

2010 will be an interesting year for the sport and a crucial one for Golden Boy.

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Is Mayweather Going Straight at Pacquiao Next?

Sometimes, in Boxing, the best stories are the ones between the lines.

Following the announcement that Mayweather-Marquez was off, The BTBC couldn't help putting the clues together that would lead to the theory that Mayweather is planning on going right into a Manny Pacquiao fight without the benefit of a tune up.

Mayweather's rib injury came right after Bob Arum just surprisingly announced that he would be willing to make a 50/50 split on a Pacquiao/Mayweather bout...Also, with Cotto suffering a deep gash over his eye, an October Cotto/Pacquiao bout is not realistic and, by all accounts, Manny is not at all interested in fighting Shane Mosley.

That would leave Mayweather as the only major money bout available to the Pacquiao camp.

On Mayweather's side, early indications had to point to the fact that his bout with Marquez would not be selling as well as previously thought and, with the help of the Golden Boy brain trust, a change in plans had to be made in order to save an embarrassing spanking at the box office and among PPV buyers.

Don't be surprised if Mayweather-Marquez is called off soon and Mayweather-Pacquiao is announced...Also, if that happens, expect Juan Manuel Marquez to be tossed the consolation prize of a bout with Edwin Valero and a promise to fight the winner of Floyd vs. Manny.

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Mayweather-Marquez: Postponed Due to Rib Injury!

In yet another blow to Boxing's Summer plans, the July 18th bout between Floyd Mayweather jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed due to a rib injury sustained by Mayweather in training.

More info to come...

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Madcow's Standing 8 Count (6/8/09)

by Madcow

Here I am, your favorite bovine boxing columnist, rockin' you like a mother frickin' hurricane, with several axes to grind and a massive inferiority complex (not to mention a substance abuse problem, a weight problem, several dozen outstanding parking tickets and a sexual addiction that makes David Carradine look like Fred Rogers)!

Sorry for last week's lack of a column, but I was knee-deep in Polynesian trim and I honestly didn't feel like writing another column on a slow news week.

But then, as if delivered from heaven directly to my bloodshot eyes, David Haye gives me enough material for several month's worth of columns!

By now, I'm sure you all know, but Haye pulled out of his Heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko, leaving behind a stadium's worth of sold tickets, several million dollars and about 50,000 dumb T-shirts where Haye is ripping the heads off of the Klitschko Bros.

Now, it's just Haye who's getting a virtual decapitation from fans and media for talking so much trash and backing out at the last minute.

Don't buy the injury talk, this Madcow can smell cold feet when their rubbed up against his nose. Haye wrote a check that his sack couldn't cash.

Now, Wlad has an opponent in Ruslan Chagaev who may have Hepatitis, but isn't suffering from "yellow" fever. I say Klit, as a punishment, makes Haye fight Chris Arreola, Alexander Povetkin and Samuel Peter before getting back into contention.

All in all, though, this is a good thing since it saves me the 5 minutes the fight would've lasted before Klitschko separated Haye's flapping jaw from his head.

Ahhhhh. It's good to be back!

Message boards and websites are on fire all over the net about the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight. I've heard both sides and here's the official decision from Madcow:

Mayweather's entitled to a tune-up fight and even a mini-Marquez is not bad at all for a tune-up. Afterwards, if Mayweather isn't making a serious effort to fight someone named Pacquiao, Cotto, Mosley or Williams next, then he deserves the wrath of the world.

Doesn't it seem that Manny Pacquiao's people know deep down inside that the dog and pony show is just about up? His people want nothing to do with a real Welterweight fight, they're already dismissing the idea of a Mayweather fight and they're going to price themselves out of any fight against a legit 140 lb. fighter.

On a similar note, if any Welter melts down to meet Pacquiao's crazy demands, they are goofy and deserve the dehydrated beating they'll get. Hear that, Shane Mosley?

David Tua announced that he'll officially be changing his ring name from "Tuaman" to "The Tuaminator." Can Madcow make a few more name change suggestions? How about "Tua Years Since He's Last Fought," "It's Tua Bad He Doesn't Get Off His Fat Ass and Fight, " or "I Wouldn't Pay Tua Cents to Watch Him Fight Shane Cameron?"

Alfredo Angulo, buddy, how the hell could you lose to Kermit "I'm Too Sensitive" Cintron?

Kelly Pavlik re-signed with Top Rank after they spendt the last 18-months burying the kid against weak opposition on bogus cards and allowing him to get within spitting distance of a slick spoiler like Bernard Hopkins. Maybe Pavlik is the "take the money and run" type of fighter after all. Kelly, how many pick up trucks and "Best of Bob Seeger" CDs can you buy?

John Ruiz is still whining about not getting another shot at the Heavyweight title and about not getting the respect he thinks he deserves. Well, this cure for insomnia has had almost a dozen world title fights in his putrid career and, combined, they've produced less excitement than the first round of any James Kirkland bout. Go away, Ruiz and take your garbage attitude and style with you. You are to Boxing what Stryper was to Death Metal.

Alright, kiddies, all out of venom for this week. See ya next Sunday and, remember, support the BTBC. I have it on good word that this Summer will make or break our community. Let's keep stickin' it to the man. F*ck You Fightnews and Max Boxing! Madcow's gonna rape Boxingscene's mother!

Peace and Love.

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What Should Be Next For Manny and Ricky?

by Paul Magno

Now that the dust has settled and both fighters have had some time to think, it's time to seriously think about the future.

For Pacquiao, the decision is easy- Floyd Mayweather.

Should "Mainstream Money" beat Juan Manuel Marquez in July, the logical battle would be between Manny and Floyd in a war for "Pound-for-Pound" supremacy. But if business issues can't be sorted out, Pacquiao's back-up plans would be a move up to Welter against Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley or a "stay busy" fight at Jr. Welter against guys like Nate Campbell, Joan Guzman or Timothy Bradley. It's doubtful, though, that Manny will be taking any fights from now on with less than 8-digit paydays.

For Hatton, retirement would be the best and most logical choice, but we all know that fighters don't often make the soundest of judgements when it comes to their futures. So, a good choice would be one last mega-fight in front of his Manchester fans- the long-awaited battle between Hatton and Junior Witter.

Hatton/Witter would be huge business in the UK and certainly an HBO-worthy show in the States. The long-standing animosity between the two would charge this event and make it a real spectacle. Plus, frankly, Witter is not a huge banger nor an aggressive warrior. Hatton just may be damaged goods at this point and he wouldn't do too well against a young, hard-charging contender. Witter is a foe he can beat and make one last big payday doing so.

Both Manny and Ricky, though, have to be patient and see whether Mayweather beats Marquez for Pacquiao and whether Witter can capture the vacant WBC 140 lb. strap against Devon Alexander for Ricky...

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Mayweather Returns! Welterweight King to Clean Out Lightweight Division?

I can't decide if I like Mayweather's newly coined nickname, "Mainstream Money" better or my nickname for him, "Midget Murderer." Either way, it's "M&M" on the personalized robes and spit buckets for Mayweather as he officially announced his return today at an MGM Grand press conference in Las Vegas.

The bout between Mayweather and Lightweight King, Juan Manuel Marquez will be contested on July 18th and fought at a catchweight of 143 lbs.

Floyd, in typical Mayweather form, seemed clueless at the impending criticisms that will be hurled his way for fighting a much smaller opponent, "A small man will never retire me. I’m here to stay. I’m here to fight and reclaim what’s mine. I’m the king and nobody has taken my throne."

The name of the PPV card will be, "Number One/Numero Uno," but, for those of us who feel that Mayweather has plenty of better fights to be made among fighters his own size, this fight is pure "Number Two."

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It's Official! Floyd Mayweather Jr. Is Back!

According to anonymous sources close to the 5-time/5-division former pound-for-pound king, the official return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be announced on Saturday either before the scheduled Ricky Hatton/Manny Pacquiao bout or immediately after.

The comeback fight will take place on July 18th and Mayweather's opponent will be current lineal Lightweight Champ, Juan Manuel Marquez. HBO PPV will air the broadcast.

The winner of Pacquiao/Hatton will then likely take on the winner of Mayweather/Marquez at some point in the Winter in a bout that will be hyped as a battle for the mythical Pound-for-Pound title.

Mayweather retired following his 10th round TKO over Hatton in December of 2007, completing a year in which he made approximately 50 million dollars in massive PPV successes against Hatton and Oscar De la Hoya.

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