Boxing FanHouse

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Opens as Favorite, Early Money on Manny Pacquiao

Michael David Smith — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

We still don't know whether we'll get the dream fight of Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, but we do know this: Mayweather is favored to win the fight, but bettors are feeling confident about Pacquiao.

The online sports book Bodog.com is already taking bets on the fight (bets that will only become valid if they actually fight in 2010), and Bodog decided to set the opening odds at -170 for Mayweather, signaling that Mayweather's undefeated record (not to mention his size advantage) would make him the expected winner if the two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world meet in the ring.

But Bodog has already had to adjust its odds twice, because the early money came in for Pacquiao. The odds moved very quickly from -170 to -160, and they're now at -155 for Mayweather, with Pacquiao having gone from +130 to +125.

Bodog is also taking over-under bets on the number of rounds the fight will go. Over 11.5 rounds is set as a -175 favorite, with under 11.5 returning +135.

So there are a number of bettors who were impressed enough by Pacquiao's performance Saturday night against Miguel Cotto that they're eager to put money on Pacquiao to beat Mayweather, should that fight happen.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Opens as Favorite, Early Money on Manny Pacquiao originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wladimir Klitschko Explains Why Russians Are So Skilled in Boxing

Elie Seckbach — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Wladimir Klitschko is a 6-foot-6 powerhouse fighter who currently holds four heavyweight titles - the IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine. In this FanHouse exclusive, we talk to "Dr. Steelhammer" about his brother Vitali Klitschko (and his upcoming fight against Cris Arreola), how often do people get them confused and more.

Check out the video after the jump.

Wladimir Klitschko Explains Why Russians Are So Skilled in Boxing originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Freddie Roach Denies Steroid Use by Manny Pacquiao

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:05:00 EST

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Rumors, FanHouse Exclusive

A former professional boxer, Freddie Roach has not fought competitively since retiring in October 1986.

But during an exclusive interview with FanHouse from Los Angeles on Tuesday, the 2009 Trainer of The Year seemed as if he was ready to lace up the gloves and go after rival trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Hearing for the first time that Mayweather Sr. has implied that steroid use had contributed to the rise in weight of Manny Pacquiao, his No. 1 fighter and boxing's 2009 Fighter of the Year, Roach fired back, among other things, "Where in the hell did that come from?"

Check out the full interview below.

Manny's Counter-Punch: 'Maybe They're Using Steroids'

Lem Satterfield: What were the reasons you and Manny fell out of touch recently?
Freddie Roach: We had a little trouble getting in touch with him a couple of weeks ago because he was in the Philippines and before he came to America, so we didn't really communicate that much. But I was trying to find out where and when he wanted to begin training. When he came to New York, we worked it out in five minutes and it was fine. We're going to do four weeks in Baguio [Philippines] and the last four weeks at the Wild Card Gym and then we'll be fine.

Satterfield: Where is Baguio in relation to Manila, and why train there?
Roach: Baguio is about five hours above Manila -- at the highest point of the Philippines -- at 5,000 feet above sea level. The Olympic training center for the Philippines -- that's where it is. We've never trained there before. It's a little bit cooler, it's more of a tourist type of place, and it's not overcrowded like Manila. It will be a lot quieter than the normal camp.

Satterfield: Does Manny deserve to be the pound-for-pound best?
Roach: Yeah, I think that Manny is the pound-for-pound best. He's really demolished his last three opponents. I think that he deserves to be pound-for-pound. I don't think that anyone really comes close to their domination of Oscar De La Hoya.

Everyone says that Oscar is old now, but before the fight, they said that Pacquiao was going to lose. They said that Ricky Hatton was stronger than him. Ricky Hatton was dead even after six rounds with Floyd and Manny got him out of there in two. So I don't believe that there is any other choice out there other than Manny for pound-for-pound best.

Satterfield: Do you believe that Oscar De La Hoya was physically drained for his fight with Manny?
Roach: Oscar was drained by the guy who was supposed to teach him how to fight. All of those excuses don't mean [expletive] at the end of the day. It's the bottom line, which is that it's either a 'W' or a loss. The record books are going to say that for life. All of those excuses aren't going to cut it -- Oscar was old, Oscar was this, Oscar was that. But before the fight, Oscar was great.

Satterfield: Does it validate you, personally, as a trainer, that Floyd Sr. was in the corner for Hatton fight when Pacquiao -- your guy -- won?
Roach: It means that I have a better fighter. I hate to lose, and I love to win. I do everything possible to get my guys prepared to win. It was very satisfying to win. But comparing trainers, I don't know. I think that Manny Pacquiao is the better fighter, and that's why we won.

Satterfield: Did you hear that Floyd Sr. implied to Michigan's Grand Rapids Press -- Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s home newspaper -- that Manny Pacquiao has been on steroids?

Roach: Well [chuckles], we have taken him a couple of times to be tested, and we haven't tested positive yet. I think he's wrong, but all Manny's on is white rice."Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from? You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lost. They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."

Satterfield: Why do you believe that Floyd Sr. would say something like that?
Roach: Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from? You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lost. They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter.

Satterfield: How are you preparing for Miguel Cotto -- a big, strong guy whose punch output was incredible against Joshua Clottey?
Roach: Miguel Cotto had a good fight against Joshua Clottey. He's obviously better. That was a great win over Clottey, who is a tough guy. He showed some signs of wear and tear from the Margarito fight, but I look at it more like it's as if he got himself back into the groove of things, which is why he is in training camp early. He's gotten his confidence back and he's taking this fight against Manny very seriously.

Satterfield: Will any part of your strategy be to make Miguel Cotto remember what it was like to be in those wars with Antonio Margarito and Clottey, as if he's in the 13th round, or even the 25th round?
Roach: Of course. We're definitely going to try to do that. The thing is, though, I'm expecting Miguel Cotto to be better in this fight. So I'm watching more tapes of the old Cotto, when he beat Zab Judah, the southpaw, and when he beat Shane Mosley.

I'm watching the Clottey fight a little bit, but I expect Miguel Cotto to be back to his best because I believe that the Clottey fight gave him a lot more confidence. Is Cotto totally back yet? Is his confidence 100 percent back yet? That's hard to say.

But I know that beating Clottey had to help him. I think that he's definitely heading in the right direction. So we're preparing as if he'll be back to the way that he was against Judah and Mosley.

Freddie Roach Denies Steroid Use by Manny Pacquiao originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Suicide Reportedly Not Ruled Out in Arturo Gatti Death

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Rumors

SAO PAULO (AP) -- An autopsy indicates former boxing champion Arturo Gatti may have committed suicide, been accidentally killed or murdered, according to a Brazilian newspaper that said it obtained a copy of the coroner's initial findings.

Police have said they are certain Gatti's 23-year-old wife strangled the boxer with her purse strap as he drunkenly slept July 11, but the autopsy report raises some doubts.

Gatti was found dead in the apartment he was renting with wife Amanda Rodrigues in the Brazilian seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.

In the state capital of Recife, the Jornal do Comercio newspaper reported Saturday that the autopsy findings it obtained stated Gatti's body was "suspended and hanged, indicating he may have committed suicide.''

The autopsy report, according to the newspaper, also said that "murder or accidental death'' could not be ruled out. There was no explanation for ``accidental death.''

Paula Cysneiros, the spokeswoman for the medical examiners office that performed the autopsy, would not confirm the newspaper's report.

Police arrested Rodrigues on suspicion of murdering the former two-division champion. She maintains her innocence and is being held in a prison in Recife. She has not been charged - according to Brazilian law, police have until this Wednesday to hand over their findings to prosecutors, who will decide if charges are to be filed.

A visitation for Gatti is scheduled for Sunday at Maison Funeraire Magnus Poirier in his adopted hometown of Montreal, with a funeral on Monday at Notre Dame De La Defense.

Deaths in Sports

Arturo Gatti, July 11: The former junior welterweight champion was found dead in a hotel room early Saturday at the age of 37. Gatti, known for his legendary bouts that electrified fans, participated in Ring Magazine's 'Fight of the Year' a total of four times. Click through to see recent deaths in the world of sports.

Frank Franklin II, AP

Rene Capo, July 7: A two-time judo Olympian, Capo also played college football at the University of Minnesota. He was 48.

Lou DiGesare / realjudo.net

Mathieu Montcourt, July 7: The French tennis player was found dead by his girlfriend outside his apartment.

Lionel Bonaventure, AFP / Getty Images

Lou Creekmur, July 5: The Hall of Fame lineman was known for his tenacious style of play and starred on three Detroit Lions championship teams.

Steve McNair, July 4: A fan favorite during his 13 years in the NFL, McNair was found dead in a Nashville condo, the victim of a gunshot wound to the head.

Gail Burton, AP

Alexis Arguello, July 1: The former boxing champion, pictured here in 1986, was one of the best junior lightweights to step in the ring.

Allsport / Getty Images

Bob Frederick, June 12: The former Kansas Athletic Director died from head injuries suffered in a bicycle accident.

Jeff Jacobsen, Kansas Athletics / AP

Richard Quick, June 10: The swimming coach won 13 NCAA titles with three schools during a career that spanned four decades.

Ted S. Warren, AP

Pio Sagapolutele, June 7: Sagapolutele, who played for three teams over a seven-year NFL career and was a member of New England's Super Bowl XXXI team, passed away at the age of 39.

J.D. Cuban, Getty Images

Jim Owens, June 6: The former University of Washington football coach had an 18-year career, including three Rose Bowl trips. Owens weathered accusations of racism in 1969 for suspending four black players who declined to pledge loyalty.

John Lok, Seattle Times / MCT

Rodrigues told investigators she awoke July 11 and found her husband's body about 9 a.m. She then called police.

Investigators said she was the only suspect and they are certain she killed Gatti in the apartment where they and their 10-month-old son arrived for a second honeymoon. The boy was unhurt and was in the care of Rodrigues' family.

Investigators said there was no sign of forced entry and that the electronic locks on the apartment indicated only Gatti and his wife had entered it.

Police said Gatti had marks on his throat, indicating he was strangled.

Rodrigues' sister, Flavia, told the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo earlier this week that there is "no way she could have strangled a man of that size.''

Rodrigues' attorney, Celio Avelino, told The Associated Press that he agreed.

"She is fragile, young and skinny - how could she kill a boxing champion?'' Avelino said. "When she awoke, she presumed he had committed suicide. But she had nothing to do with it.''

Police also said there was a knife wound in the back of Gatti's head and displayed a small steak knife along with the bloodied, white purse strap - both found near his body.

Citing the results of the autopsy, the Jornal do Comercio newspaper said the wound "may have occurred when the body fell to the floor.''

Police have also said they think the crime scene had been altered before they arrived - indicating that Rodrigues could have tried to make it appear as if Gatti had committed suicide, police spokeswoman Milena Saraiva told the AP earlier this week.

Saraiva said the death may have been premeditated and Rodrigues may have encouraged Gatti to drink excessively so she would be able to overpower him later.

Rodrigues, in a letter given to the AP on Wednesday, said she didn't commit the crime.

"I'm innocent and I know that this will be proven in a few days,'' she wrote in the letter. She ended the note by addressing the couple's infant son, writing: "Junior - soon mama will be at home!''

By STAN LEHMAN, Associated Press Writer

Associated Press Writer Bradley Brooks in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Suicide Reportedly Not Ruled Out in Arturo Gatti Death originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sources: Showtime Close to Boxing Tourney Deal

FanHouse Newswire — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, Boxing Rumors, Showtime

NEW YORK (AP) -- Showtime is putting the final touches on a six-man super middleweight round-robin tournament that will include two current champions and three former U.S. Olympians.

Two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press on Thursday that the details, including sites and dates, are being worked out this week. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations were ongoing

The tournament is expected to include WBA champion Mikkel Kessler and WBC champion Carl Froch along with middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham. The three Europeans will be joined by former U.S. Olympians Jermain Taylor, Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell.

Showtime issued a statement Thursday saying all six fighters would be in New York for a "groundbreaking boxing announcement" Monday, but declined to elaborate.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Sources: Showtime Close to Boxing Tourney Deal originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Teddy Atlas Talks Upcoming Title Bout

Michael David Smith — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Gossip, Boxing Rumors, FanHouse Exclusive

Boxing's decline in popularity has come in large part because all the biggest fights are on pay-per-view or premium cable. But that will change this month, when, for the first time ever, ESPN will broadcast a heavyweight title fight live.

Having the promotional muscle of ESPN behind that heavyweight title fight, featuring WBC heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko defending his belt against Juan Carlos Gomez, will undoubtedly be good for the sport. But when I talked to ESPN boxing commentator Teddy Atlas this week, he cautioned that boxing has problems that the Klitschko vs. Gomez fight can't come close to solving. My interview with Atlas is below.

Michael David Smith: How much promotion do you think ESPN will give the Klitschko fight?
Teddy Atlas: That's up to them. They have the ability to give it as much promotion as they want to give it, and I would hope that they give it a good amount, because they made the decision to pursue the fight. This isn't normally something we'd be doing. We usually do our Friday shows, and this is veering off that. It's taking an opportunity to give our audience something extra, a heavyweight title fight, which I think the audience will appreciate, and I appreciate that ESPN decided to do it. They didn't have to do it. This was something that became and opportunity and they made the decision that it was something they were prepared to pursue, and I would hope they would give it the special promotion to go with that.

How important is it to boxing that a heavyweight title fight will be on ESPN?
I think it's important because when you look at the situation in this country, boxing has almost gotten to the point where it's a cult sport, and that's not how I've always seen it, my whole life. It's gotten put on the sidelines, and it's become an event-driven sport. When it's a big fight, when it's De La Hoya -- and hopefully he's finished -- but if it's De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao or Mayweather, it gets its proper attention. But other than that, you go through the year and there aren't many fights that get the attention of the public the way the sport used to on a regular basis.

Now we don't have what we had in the 80s, with the best fighters fighting the best fighters. Now there's no managers anymore, there's basically just promoters, and the concentration of the promoters is to bulld up a fighter's record so he can fight on HBO or Showtime and make as much money as possible. And it's more about developing the record than it is about developing the fighter or even developing legitimacy with the fan base. Now the only place where the fans can get their fix of boxing is on ESPN. You've got HBO doing their fights, but they only pick their spots for the bigger fights here and there. Same with Showtime. ESPN, for the last 11 years, has really been the lifeblood of the boxing fan. They're the only real network that a boxing fan, week to week, can say, "I'm going to get my fix of boxing, and I'm going to follow the guys who are coming up, and see the next stars."

If the same thing happened in any other sport, you'd have a problem. If you could only see baseball or basketball or football once a month, you'd lose that connection with your fan base. ESPN is the only place, week in and week out, where fans can stay connected to their sport. We've stayed connected through the Friday show, and now we've got this Saturday show coming up with a heavyweight title fight that isn't on pay-per-view, that doesn't cost $50 or $60.

How good a fight is Vitali Klitschko against Juan Carlos Gomez?
Look, I don't think it's gonna be the Thrilla in Manila. I don't think you have too many Thrillas in Manilas anymore. You don't have those kinds of athletes, those kinds of fighters, those kinds of people anymore. I don't think you have that anymore. You have spoiled athletes in most of the sports and boxing is no different. Boxers get paid a lot of money and to a certain extent they treat it like it's a business and they get away with things that the fighters of the past wouldn't have gotten away with.

Klitschko's been away for a long time and he's back now. He's tall, he's long, he has the kind of style where he controls range, he controls distance. He's not a "go get you guy," he's not a "seek and destroy guy." He tries to control his opponent with his long arms, and he's fighting a southpaw, so that brings an interesting dimension into it. He's fighting a guy in Gomez who's also up there in age, not a spring chicken. Klitschko is 37 and Gomez is 35. I think there's going to be a tactical element to it, but I think the physical dimensions of Klitschko -- size, height reach -- at the end of the day I think that's what will lead the way for them.

I'll be interested to see how well ESPN promotes this heavyweight title fight because In my opinion, ESPN doesn't do a good enough job of promoting its boxing properties. It seems like when ESPN has a good football, baseball or basketball game, they beat you over the head with it. But sometimes I'll see a good boxing match on Friday Night Fights and it doesn't even get mentioned on SportsCenter.
I appreciate you saying that. I appreciate the truth and I appreciate you saying the truth. We can promote our sport more. I understand ESPN has a lot of properties. They have responsibilities, financially, to different leagues that bring in bigger fan bases than boxing does. I understand and appreciate that. But we are one of the entities. We've had a good fan base for a long time. The more you promote it, the more you're going to grow it. If you have a plant and you water it a little more, you feed it a little more, it's going to grow a little more.

Maybe boxing is never going to be football or baseball, but we have a fan base out there. A great fan base. And if we promote it, the fans will come to it. I'm not complaining, I'm just making, I think, a fair statement. Boxing fans have been around for centuries. If you tell them about it, they'll come out.

Do you think boxing will ever be as popular again as it was in the 80s?
To do that, there would have to be somebody in charge, leading the sport in a definitive direction. We need a change in philosophy -- there would have to be somebody at home. What I mean by that is we're the only sport without a national commission. That's what I mean by nobody home. There's nobody promoting the sport. Nobody who says, "My responsibility is to make the sport better."

What we have is power brokers and promoters who only care about their little piece of land. They don't care about the overall growth of the sport. They just care about what they're getting. That's not the case in football. They care about the sport from A to Z, and they care about the small-market teams, too. They look at the sport as a whole. Boxing doesn't have that. And until it has that, I don't know if there's ever going to be a solution to these issues.

We need the best fighters fighting the best fighters. We need to do something about these corrupt alphabet organizations, that put guys in title fights because of their relationships with promoters, rather than the merit of the fighters. The best promotion for the business would be the best guys fighting each other. That's what we need, because the fighters are noble. It's the administrators who aren't noble. The fighters are noble, and the fans, for centuries, have recognizedthat. And if you give it to them they're going to come out.

Do you think the rise of mixed martial arts has anything to do with the decline of boxing?
Not at all. A lot of people say that. I think people who say that are ignorant. They just say that because it seems like the thing to say. One of the healthiest things in our society is competition. That's always been good for our American way of life and business as a whole. So competition should be good for boxing. Mixed martial arts is a different entity than boxing. And if there's competition it should be healthy, because it should push one of the businesses -- really both businesses, but just talking about boxing -- it should push boxing to get its own house in order.

Mixed martial arts does a better job of marketing their sport. You hear more about mixed martial arts because they market it better. Boxing doesn't market its sport. The perception is, 'Wow, this stuff has kicked the s**t out of boxing." That's not true. It's just that they talk about the sport.

You brought up a good point about us -- we don't even talk about it enough. The sport does not market itself. There's no one there to do that. So you get the perception that mixed martial arts is really climbing. The reality is, when you see a big fight, whether it's De La Hoya-Pacquiao or De La Hoya-Mayweather, or whatever, you realize -- and I'm not knocking mixed martial arts, I think that sport's good and the participants are tough guys -- but Ultimate Fighting's not a pimple on the ass of boxing.

When you see boxing, with those pay-per-view buys, and one fighter making $40 million and the other fighter making $20 million, you say, "Are you kidding me? You think (the UFC is) making inroads into boxing? No, no, no. They don't come close. Not when it comes to the big fights. But the problem is, that's what boxing has come to, where you only get that one big fight a year or one every two years.That's the problem. You don't have the public talking about all the other fights in between.

Do you think having the Klitschko-Gomez fight on ESPN has the potential to give boxing a shot in the arm, as one of those fights in between that people will talk about?
I don't think those fighters deserve to be in that position. I'm a purist, and I'm not going to give you the bulls**t that someone else is going to give you. I don't think these particular fighters really deserve that status. I don't think any heavyweights today really do, to be quite frank with you. But they are what they are, and they are what we have. So to have a heavyweight title fight on ESPN is a good thing. And it's good that, like the 80s, when great fights were on network TV, you're getting a free fight -- as long as you have the basic cable package -- and that's a good thing. That's bringing you back to when people were connected to boxing more, and they could watch a heavyweight title fight without having to worry about whether they could afford it.

I think it's a good step for us and it's a good step for boxing. But ultimately it's going to come down to how good a fight it is. If it's a good fight, that's a big step. If it's not a good fight, it's still good for the sport to get the exposure, but it's not as big a step. I'm a lifer. I've been in boxing my whole life. Anything that's good for the sport, I get hopeful about. Hopefully, thisis a step toward the sport going where it needs to go.

Teddy Atlas Talks Upcoming Title Bout originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Antonio Margarito Banned From Boxing For at Least 1 Year

Michael David Smith — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Gossip, Boxing Rumors

The California State Athletic Commission has taken swift action against boxer Antonio Margarito, stripping him of his license after he was found to have an illegal substance in his hand wraps before his fight with Shane Mosley last month.

Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, has also had his license revoked. Both can apply to have their licenses reinstated a year from now.

The other states' boxing commissions will honor California's suspension. Margarito, who was born in the United States but lives in Mexico, might be able fight in another country this year -- but if he did that he would likely be banned for life in the United States.

When Margarito's hand wraps were examined prior to the Mosley fight, they were found to have a cast-like substance in them that would harden when wet. In the hearing before the California Commission, Capetillo claimed he inserted the substance into Margarito's hand wraps accidentally:

"I committed a big mistake," Capetillo said. "I don't want this young man [Margarito] to have problems. I'm here to cover any responsibility. I take full responsibility. I committed this innocent mistake."

But the Commission didn't buy it, and now both men have been kicked out of boxing.

Did You See That?

Rich Frankliln with an eye patch over his right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Rich Frankliln with a bruised right eye after UFC 93.

Rich Franklin/American Fighter

Marion Kreiner of Austria takes 1st place during the FIS Snowboard World Championship Women's Parallel Giant Slalom on January 20, 2009 in Gangwon, Korea.

Agence Zoom, Getty Images

Russia's Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze perform their pairs short program at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, on January 20, 2009, during the European Figure Skating Championships.

Lars Lewen #12 of Sweden leads through a turn in front of Xavier Kuhn #5 of France and Beni Hofer #20 of Switzerland during the Men's Ski Cross heats on day two of the Freestyle World Cup on January 19, 2009 at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, New York.

Tunisia's Mahmoud Gharbi shoots against Russia during the Men's World Handball Championship Croatia 2009 Group C match in Varazdin city January 19, 2009.

OBERHOF, GERMANY - JANUARY 11: Ole Einar Bjoerndalen of Norway skates during the Men mass start of the E.ON Ruhrgas IBU Biathlon World Cup on January 11, 2009 in Oberhof near Erfurt, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Bongarts/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Martin Rose, Getty Images

Arizona Cardinals' Larry Fitzgerald (11) reaches the ball over the goal line for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers' Chris Harris (43) defends during the second quarter of an NFL divisional playoff football game in Charlotte, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.

Chuck Burton, AP

Pilots make an exhibition of Motocross Free Style in Rio Hato, some 120 km north of Panama City, on January 11, 2009. Motocross free style world champion, US Travis Pastrana, also participated in the show.

Elmer Martinez, AFP/Getty Images

San Jose Sharks forward Mike Grier hits the boards after he scored a goal during the second period of their NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, January 6, 2009.

Todd Korol, Reuters

Antonio Margarito Banned From Boxing For at Least 1 Year originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roy Jones-Omar Sheika on March 21 Features MMA Undercard

Michael David Smith — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Rumors

Roy Jones Jr. will return to the ring on March 21 to take on the little-known Omar Sheika in a card that he's promoting himself, with mixed martial arts fights featuring Seth Petruzelli and Bobby Lashley on the undercard.

Combining boxing and MMA has been tried before, although never in a card featuring a fighter as well known as Jones. And although neither Petruzelli nor Lashley is anywhere close to being a great MMA fighter, they're both well known: Petruzelli beat Kimbo Slice on national television in October, while Lashley was once among the most popular pro wrestlers in the WWE. Another MMA fight on the card is supposed to match Roy Nelson against Jeff Monson, although Monson's legal problems could make that difficult.

The card will take place at the Pensacola Civic Center and be shown on pay-per-view, but will anyone buy it? I have a hard time seeing this selling very well. Jones was once the best boxer in the world, but that was a long time ago. He's 40 years old now, and he got destroyed in his last fight, a unanimous decision loss to Joe Calzaghe. How many people want to spend $50 to watch an over-the-hill Jones against an opponent only the most hard-core of boxing fans have ever heard of?

I also have my doubts about the pay-per-view worthiness of the MMA offerings. Nelson vs. Monson and Petruzelli vs. Doug Marshall are OK fights, but not the kinds of fights that fans will plunk down their hard-earned money to purchase. Lashley is probably the biggest draw of the MMA bunch, but his opponent hasn't been named yet.

And then there's the question of whether boxing fans want to watch MMA and MMA fans want to watch boxing. In general, there isn't a lot of crossover between the two. I personally love both boxing and MMA and would love to see cards like this succeed, but I have my doubts.

Roy Jones-Omar Sheika on March 21 Features MMA Undercard originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Floyd Mayweather Wants Manny Pacquiao, According to Estranged Mayweather Family

Michael David Smith — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Rumors

When Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired over the summer, he passed the title of best pound-for-pound boxer in the world to Manny Pacquiao. Now Mayweather's relatives say he wants to take that title back from Pacquiao.

According to various members of the Mayweather family, Floyd Jr. watched Pacquiao beat Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday and became motivated to end his retirement:

"My niece said my son told her he wanted to fight Pacquiao next, and that he wants me to train him for the fight," Mayweather Sr. said.

Bernice Mayweather said she was not surprised to hear her grandson -- a five-division champion with a 39-0 record, who last fought Dec. 8, 2007 -- wants to return to the ring.

"I always said he was going to fight again," she said. "It was just a matter of time. He was waiting until the time is right. And the time is right. I knew he was going to come out of retirement -- he did it before, didn't he?"
Janelle Mayweather disclosed her conversation with Mayweather Jr. to family members Sunday at Bernice Mayweather's home.

The problem in all this is that the Mayweather family is estranged, and Floyd Sr. is in no position to say much of anything about what Floyd Jr. plans to do. So until we hear the words come out of Floyd Jr.'s mouth, we shouldn't get too excited.

Still, for those of us hoping to see the two best boxers in the world in the ring together, this is a good sign.

Floyd Mayweather Wants Manny Pacquiao, According to Estranged Mayweather Family originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arthur Abraham-Kelly Pavlik Middleweight Title Fight Looking Likely in 2009

Michael David Smith — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Rumors

World middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik's stock has fallen since his loss to Bernard Hopkins, and No. 1 contender Arthur Abraham's stock is only high in his native Germany. But a fight between the two of them would be a very big deal for boxing, and it looks like that fight is going to happen.

Abraham's promoter, Wilfried Sauerland, said in an interview with the German web site Abendblatt.de that he expects Abraham to fight Pavlik next year in a battle that would determine without a doubt who the best middleweight in the world is.

Sauerland said of Abraham, who beat Raul Marquez Saturday, "Arthur's future is in the U.S. He wants to fight WBO / WBC champion Kelly Pavlik in the summer and then he will move up to super middleweight."

Sauerland added that a fight with Felix Sturm is unlikely for Abraham, although he has said in other interviews that the fight is possible if it can be done quickly, to give Abraham time to fight Pavlik in the summer.

A full translation of the interview, from Robert at Betwwx, is below.

Abraham vs Sturm unlikely according to Sauerland
An exclusive interview with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland from German news site Abendblatt.de

"Abraham wont fight against Sturm"

Interview by Bjorn Jensen

Q: Are you especially nervous for Abraham's fights?

I'm exited for every fight. But, of course, with Arthur its something special, he is the pearl of our team, our number one.

Q: Since Sturms last title defense all the talk has been about a possible Abraham vs Sturm fight? When will it finally come?

I don't think the fight will go ahead. Both camps want the fight. But the 3 million required for each fighter looks unlikely. The only interest for this fight comes from Germany. And that would mean it would have to be financed in Germany. And that is unlikely.

Q: According to media reports, you have offered Sturm 2.5 million euros.

No I have not made that offer. One member of my company went to see the Sturm - Sylvester bout, heard that 3 million euros would be required to make the fight happen. My reply is: When we receive a 3 million euro offer for Arthur then we will gladly make the fight happen on ZDF. [Sturm's network]

Q: Which brings us to another problem. Both TV partners want to broadcast the fight, is there a way around this problem?

I think so. We do have from time to time match-ups between Sauerland and Universum fighters and the broadcasters could certainly find a solution. We are ready to negotiate and want to fight, but I personally don't think the fight will happen. Arthur's future is in the US. He wants to fight WBO / WBC champion Kelly Pavlik in the summer and then he will move up to super middleweight, a fight will Sturm seems unlikely.

Q: The excitement around Sturm vs Sylvester must encourage you to produce more of these inter camp fights?

Yes it did, I still dream of tournament across weight classes between Sauerland vs Universum. These are the fights the German fans want to see.

Q: Isn't there to much German boxing these days? From now until Christmas, there isn't one boxing free weekend.

I have been saying for a long time, the increasing number of events isn't a good thing. Sometimes you have to hold back on a product to make people really look forward to it. That criticism can be put to me also.

Q: You've received a lot of criticism for matching up Danilo Häussler against Mikkel Kessler. Was this fight bad for the sport?

It was Danilo's last chance and I didn't want to be the one to take it from him.

Q: Most recently one of your own, Nikolai Valuev, complained about a recent match-up. He doesn't want to fight Evander Holyfield because he thinks he's too old.

That is not true. Valuev was in a training camp in Japan when the fight was announced. It was his father in law that was against the fight. Niko himself sent me a letter assuring me that he would fight Holyfield.

Q: Many want to see Valuev fight one of the Klitschko brothers. Is that a possibility?

I do not know, I've not heard anything from the Klitschko brothers. For me its more important that our Alexander Povetkin gets a chance against Wladimir Klitschko.

Arthur Abraham-Kelly Pavlik Middleweight Title Fight Looking Likely in 2009 originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deontay Wilder's Bronze Is USA's Only Boxing Medal in Disappointing Olympics

Michael David Smith — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Rumors

From start to finish, it was a disappointing Olympic Games for the U.S. boxing team, and when it's all said and done, only one boxer -- heavyweight Deontay Wilder, who won a bronze -- will bring home a medal.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Wilder should be proud of his effort, and he represents a very rare thing in the United States: A big, athletic guy who decided to be a boxer instead of a football or basketball player. I don't think he's ever going to be heavyweight champion of the world, but we're a country with so few good heavyweights that we have to be pleased by what Wilder accomplished.

But the U.S. had several boxers other than Wilder who expected to bring home medals, including 112-pounder Rau'shee Warren, 119-pounder Gary Russell Jr., and 152-pounder Demetrius Andrade. They all come home empty handed.

Bad judging and rules changes have made Olympic boxing a much less compelling sport than it once was, but as long as it's an Olympic sport at all, it would be nice to see the U.S. field a competitive team. It didn't happen this year.

Deontay Wilder's Bronze Is USA's Only Boxing Medal in Disappointing Olympics originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't Believe The Hype: Sex Does Not Weaken Legs

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Boxing Gossip, Boxing Rumors

I haven't played organized athletics in quite a while. Don't get me wrong, I'll still get together with friends to play basketball, football, or baseball once in a while, but the last team I belonged to was in high school. I remember playing football back then, and every Friday before a game we would basically have a walk-through of Saturday's game-plan.

At the end of every Friday practice, before the team would "break it down" our coach would give us a little speech about that week's game. When he came to the end of this weekly speech, he would always tell us the same thing.

"Boys, no sex tonight."

Now what in the hell kind of thing is that to tell a 16-year old kid who is going to a party that night? Why the hell am I going to the party if I'm not allowed to have sex? Still, it's an axiom that has existed in sports for quite a while. In the movie Rocky, Rocky's trainer Mickey tells him not to have sex with ADRIAN(!!!) before his fight because "women weaken legs."

Since Mickey said it, the entire world believed it. I mean, you try looking into those eyes of his and not melting. It's impossible not to believe him. Well, unless you're a cold-hearted scientist or a doctor who refuses to believe things without actual proof.

I'd like to introduce you to the newest American hero, University of Kansas team physician Sean Cupp. Cupp believes he can prove what I spent many a Friday afternoon trying to convince my football coach was a bunch of bull.

University of Kansas sports team physician Sean Cupp sure thinks so. Cupp, a sports medicine specialist, said no true scientific studies proved night-before sex impedes performance in any way. In fact, Cupp said if sex was part of an athlete's typical nighttime routine, the person shouldn't suddenly abandon lovemaking.

"Basically, the best way to continue positive performance outcomes would be to not change your pre-game ritual," Cupp said.

"You won't find a more superstitious bunch of people than coaches and athletes," Cupp said. "If they feel like they have a pretty good system, they're not going to stray from it."

The original theory behind the no sex rules weren't really that the act of sex weakens the legs-in reality, it strengthens them-but that it takes away an athlete's aggression. Since ejaculating draws testosterone away from the body, coaches were concerned that all that dopamine released in his defensive end's brain would cause him to hug the quarterback instead of breaking him in half.

In actuality, some recent experiments have shown that having sex the night before a game or match increases your testosterone levels, which means not only does having sex help the athlete break the quarterback in half, but he actually wants to go after the guy's family as well.

So if you have a big game tomorrow, or hell, even just a meeting at work, get yourself out there and get some tonight, fellas. You won't regret it. Well, at least not for a couple of weeks until you get the "I'm pregnant" call, but you'll cross that bridge when you come to it.

Don't Believe The Hype: Sex Does Not Weaken Legs originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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