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

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?
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Say "No" to the Alphabet Soup Organizations in Boxing

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

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Let's Stop Playing The Bob Arum Game

by Paul Magno

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

It's become an inside joke among boxing fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BODY BLOW #129: BROOKLYN KEEPS ON TAKING IT

Listen to the show HERE

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

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Golden Boy Will Ruin The 140 lb. Division

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

So, what's the deal?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Talk is Cheap: Khan and Ortiz Dominate Malignaggi and Campbell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Green Machine

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

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

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

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

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

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Paul Williams' Identity Crisis

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Williams came away with the mega-frustrating split decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Touching Base with Wayne McCullough: A BTBC Exclusive

By Charles Horgan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WM: Always does, always will!

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

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

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Random Thoughts on Mayweather-Mosley

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Brilliance! Mayweather Dominates Mosley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Who R U Picking?: The BTBC Suggested Retail Price

Who R U Picking?:

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

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

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Montiel Stops Hasegawa in Four

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

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

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

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

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How to Beat a Mayweather

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

It's not you, it's me

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

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

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

Play the Angles

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

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

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

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

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

Waste not, Want not

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Think Buddha”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Saturday's Recap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Will a Loss for Kessler Kill The Super 6?

by Paul Magno

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

The Super Six World Classic was supposed to be different.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                            **********

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The end result was pure tragedy.

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


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

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

by Paul Magno

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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