Boxing FanHouse

Ex-Champ Oleg Maskaev: 'I Stopped Vitali Klitschko in the First Round'

Lem Satterfield — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive

For Oleg Maskaev to be in contention for a heavyweight world title is incredible considering the obstacles he has overcome both in and out of the ring.

There was his near-death experience as a 16-year-old coal miner in his native Zhambul, Kazakhstan, and the fact that only his budding, amateur boxing career saved the former Soviet leutenant from being sent into the war in Afganistan.

Knocked out in all of his six losses, Maskaev overcame a suspect chin to earn his biggest career wins -- two knockouts of former world champ, Hasim Rahman, with the second earning him a brief stint as WBC champion.

Maskaev says that he suffered a broken right elbow during the rematch with Rahman, an injury he endured during a subsequent win over Peter Okhello, as well as in a loss to Samuel Peter.

But now, Maskaev (36-6, 27 knockouts), who turns 41 in March, finds himself, yet again, on the verge of title contention.

For with a Dec. 11 victory over Dominican-born, Nagy Aguilera (14-2, nine KOs), Maskaev would earn a matchup with 39-year-old Ray Austin (28-4-4, 18 KOs). The winner of Maskaev-Austin positions himself for a shot at WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs), whom Maskaev knocked out in the first round as an amateur.

FanHouse caught up recently with Maskaev, who has dual citizenship in America and the United States.

FanHouse: So, you're still at it, trying to win a title?

Oleg Maskaev: You know what happened? I had a couple of injuries when I lost the title. I wasn't at full health or strength when I was trying to defend it against Samuel Peter.

That's why I wasn't able to successfully defend it -- because of the injuries. And now, I'm healthy, and I feel strong. I want to win it back. I feel that the belt belongs to me. That's my goal. That's what I'm going for.

FH: What answer do you have for people who might say that you're a little too old?

Maskaev: I would say that it's not about age, but it's about training. It's about how hard you want to train, and how disciplined you are in training. If you stay in shape, you have a good schedule, and you don't do stupid things, then it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter if you're 40, 41 or, 44 -- like Bernard Hopkins is 44. That's a guy who has served as a good example for me.

FH: How big were the wins over Hasim Rahman at the points in your career when they were accomplished?

Maskaev: I was very happy when I beat Rahman the first time. Rahman was sure that he was going to stop me and knock me out the first time. And that didn't happen.

Even the second time, which was harder than the first time. After that fight, he wasn't the same -- believe me. I believe that I destroyed him. Totally. And everybody has looked at him, and he hasn't had the same stamina or shown the same heart after that.

Because of his training, because of his weight, because of his mental problems -- who knows.

FH: Given your knockout losses, can you blame people for doubting you and counting you out so much?

Maskaev: What I think about people, and what I'm not happy about is that they don't know Oleg. They don't know who is Oleg.

I have to be strong and healthy, mentally strong, with good preparation, no physical problems, and I can do a lot of things. I've proven that before, and I'm going to prove that again.

FH: What do you know about your next opponent, Nagy Aguilera?

Maskaev: I know enough. He has a good background. A solid amateur background. He likes to bring good pressure. He's going to give me a good fight, which is what I'm looking for. And I'm going to be ready for a good, tough fight, and I'm going to whip this guy.

FH: What are you looking forward to after Nagy Aguilera?

Maskaev: I've got to win this fight to get a shot at Ray Austin. That's the title eliminator for another championship fight. The main goal is to fight Vitali Klitschko. He's running away from me, but I know why, and he's given me some problems.

He's been like, 'I don't want to fight you this time.' I've been looking for the fight against this guy for six years, and hopefully, one way or the other, it will happen.

FH: Didn't you fight one of the Klitschkos as an amateur?

Maskaev: Yeah, Vitali. I fought Vitali in the amateurs and I stopped him in the first round, and he doesn't want to admit that. He'll say, 'Oh, hey, I hurt my hand, and I couldn't continue.'

But I remember that I hurt him three times, and when his trainer saw that Vitali couldn't handle it, and didn't have a chance to beat me, he stopped the fight.

FH: Do you believe that a meeting like that, years later, will help you, mentally, and, hurt Vitali, mentally?

Maskaev: I think, yes.

FH: Do you believe that you will eventually get that title shot?

Maskaev: It's boxing, so it's hard to predict what's going to happen. But I'm willing to fight him. I'm strong, confident and ready.

FH: Do you think that there is anything to the fact that five of your six knockout loses came during the first half of the year -- one in February, one in April and three in March around your birthday?

Maskaev: Yeah, who knows? Only God knows why. March, March, March. Somebody mentioned that same thing to me, but I don't believe in that. I don't believe in that, I believe in God, that's all.

FH: Why do you believe that you are more deserving of a title shot than some others?

Maskaev: Because I was a champion once, and, after that second victory over Rahman, I got the bad news that I had broken my elbow.

FH: So which elbow did this happen to?

Maskaev: It happened to the right elbow, and I broke it against Rahman the second time. And then, I was supposed to get a surgery operation, but then, I received an offer to fight Peter Okhello in Moscow.

So I said, 'No, I'm going to wait, I'm going to fight.' Because I thought that I would lose the chance to defend my title for the first time, and I wanted the chance to defend the WBC title in Moscow.

So then, I beat Okhello in Moscow, and I fought against him with a broken elbow. I was able to beat this guy the whole 12 rounds. I knocked him down once with an uppercut because I couldn't straighten out my right hand -- it was so bad.

And after that fight, I came home, and I went to a hospital in Manhattan, New York. And I had a surgery operation. The doctor said that rehabilitation would take about three years.

And then, I was supposed to fight Samuel Peter. I wasn't ready for that. I pulled out once. But then, I had some back injuries, and they ordered me to fight or I would lose the belt, and that's about it.

FH: So that's how you went into the fight with Samuel Peter, when you were knocked out in the sixth round?

Maskaev: Oleg, for that fight with Samuel Peter, wasn't the same Oleg.

FH: So over the course of the Rahman fight in August, 2006, the Peter Okhello fight in December of 2006, and the Samuel Peter fight in March of 2008, has your general health improved?

Maskaev: The right elbow is totally healed. And it's like it used to be. I can punch. I've shown that against my sparring partners. It's back. Mentally, I'm strong, and I want to do it. I've missed it. I'm going to bring it back.

FH: Were you feeling 100 percent for the 10-round decision over Robert Hawkins in December of 2008?

Maskaev: That was a good fight. Robert was a very smart guy, a slick guy. But I beat him all of the way. I wasn't 100 percent, but I'd say, 65-, 70-percent. That was a year or so after the surgery.

FH: How were you feeling for your last fight -- the first-round knockout of Rich Boruff -- when you weighed a career-high 252 pounds?

Maskaev: I felt great. Finally, my elbow was good. I was able to work out in a fitness club, lift weights, do a lot of pullups and pushups. I felt strong. I didn't leave the guy a chance.

FH: What do you need to do againts Nagy Aguilera to feel good about your performance?

Maskaev: What I need to do in this fight is to just get into the ring, relax, and do my job. Nice and relaxed. I don't need to overdo anything, I just need to push myself and not try to create something unbelievable.

I have everything. I just need to relax and do my job. The first time I get to hurt this guy, though, I'm going to do it. I want to see how well I can perform, and this fight is going to show exactly who Oleg is.

FH: Wasn't your present trainer, Chuck McGregor, in Rahman's corner when Rahman fought you the first time?

Maskaev: Yes, Yes. We talk about that, yeah. This, coming up, against Nagy Aguilera, is going to be the first fight working with Chuck. It's been a couple of months we've been together.

We just talked about the Rahman fight. He said, 'Oleg, do you remember that I was in the corner against you?' I said, 'Yes, I remember.' That was a great fight. We were killing each other. And he said the same thing.

FH: How do you want your career to come to a close?

Maskaev: I think differently. Boxing is my health. It's what I do. If I stop boxing, I'm going to gain weight and lose my health. Some people think boxing is dangerous for health. I don't think the same way.

I'm trying to work on my fitness, which is a lot of work. I expend energy and burn calories -- that's the way I am, that's who I am, that's my life, that's my character. Oleg wants to fight.

I have a trainer, a manager and a promoter. If they say to me, 'Oleg, you're old, and you're going to get beat up every time,' then, of course, I have to stop. I can do nothing.

But when you start thinking about your limitations, then exactly what you're thinking is going to happen. You're going to be afraid, and this and that. But there's no reason for me to think like that right now.

Why? I can run like I used to run. I spar with the guys. I can punch, I can fight, I can box the same way. I'm trying to learn, and I have a great trainer, Chuck McGregor, who is teaching me right now. I'm willing to learn, and that's great.

Ex-Champ Oleg Maskaev: 'I Stopped Vitali Klitschko in the First Round' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Erdei Dethrones WBC's Fragomeni

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:27:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, HBO, Showtime

KIEL, Germany (AP) -- Zsolt Erdei of Hungary won the WBC cruiserweight title with a majority decision over Giacobbe Fragomeni on Saturday night.

Erdei vacated the WBO light-heavyweight title to fight at cruiserweight for the first time, and managed to do just enough against the 40-year-old Italian. Two judges had it 115-113 for Erdei, while the third scored it 114-114.

Erdei (31-0) controlled the first three rounds with his speed, landing several powerful rights to Fragomeni's head. The tide turned in the middle rounds when Fragomeni (26-2-1) stepped up the pace, and he began to wear down his younger opponent.

"After the first three rounds I thought I could do it easy," Erdei said. "But he kept on coming on, pressing and pressing and I began to worry about my health."

Fragomeni, whose only previous loss was to heavyweight titleholder David Haye, began connecting to the body and was gaining the upper hand when the Hungarian landed a blow to his chin at the end of the eighth round.

The last two rounds were a free-for-all, with both fighters connecting with their guards down. Although Fragomeni threw a flurry in the final round, the judges ruled the fight in the counterpunching Erdei's favor.

On the undercard, the Kazakhstan-born Dimitri Sartison won the vacant WBA super middleweight belt when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round because of an eye injury to Stjepan Bozic of Croatia.

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.

Erdei Dethrones WBC's Fragomeni originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pacquiao-Cotto PPV Numbers Rolling in, Nearing 1.5M Buys

Lem Satterfield — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that the early pay-per-view numbers released on Manny Pacquiao's victory over Miguel Cotto are "over a million and under 1.5 million buys -- and that's without all of the precincts being reported."

"They're not really accurate yet, but all that we can say with absolute certainty is that Pacquiao-Cotto was the biggest, revenue-producing event on pay-per-view for the entire year," said Arum. "And that surpasses all of the UFC. Everything. Any event. It's the biggest event of the year from the standpoint of revenue being generated."

Arum, who promotes Pacquiao (50-3-2, 37 knockouts), said that he met with officials at HBO on Thursday concerning the numbers.

Arum said that he expects Mark Taffet, HBO's senior vice president of pay-per-view, to release a statement on Friday when all of the numbers are totaled up.

"That's without Washington, D.C., being reported, Baltimore, California -- a lot of Comcast Systems," said Arum. "But based on what we have, we can make that statement -- that Pacquiao-Cotto was the biggest revenue-generating pay-per-view event of the year."

Arum had hoped to begin negotiating with Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions concerning a potential Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) matchup when the numbers were released, but would not elaborate on whether or not that had taken place.

However, according to sources with knowledge of their intentions, Arum and Schaefer could meet as early as next week to begin working on a deal to make Mayweather-Pacquiao.

"They said I will be representing them, so I am going to give Bob [Arum] a call [Friday] and see when we can meet. There are a whole list of things to discuss and then to take them back to Team Mayweather," Schaefer told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

"I've had conversations with [Mayweather advisers] Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe. Floyd wants to see if the fight can be made, so that's what I am going to do," said Schaefer.

"I am going to put my best effort forward to see that a fair deal can be structured so sports fans can get what they want," said Schaefer. "How often in any sport do you have the two best of an entire generation in their prime and able to challenge each other?"

During an Oct. 6 interview with FanHouse, Taffet said September's Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout produced more than a million pay-per-view buys -- only the fifth non-heavyweight fight to reach seven figures.

So with Pacquiao-Cotto and Mayweather-Marquez, boxing history was made, for their pay-per-view numbers marked the first time since 1999 that two fights generated more than a million pay-per-view buys in the same year, joining Felix Trinidad-Oscar De La Hoya and Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield.

Pacquiao-Cotto PPV Numbers Rolling in, Nearing 1.5M Buys originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bert Sugar: Mayweather-Pacquiao Would Be 'Fight Of The Century'

Lem Satterfield — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

Noted boxing historian Bert Sugar believes that a clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would rival Sugar Ray Leonard's comeback 14th-round knockout of Thomas Hearns in September 1981, when the victor trailed by four, three and two points, respectively, on the three judges' cards.

Calling it "today's Super Bowl of boxing," Sugar said the demand and scope of Mayweather-Pacquio "easily passes" Felix Trinidad's controversial September 1999, 12-round majority decision over Oscar De La Hoya, even as theirs was a clash of a Puerto Rican icon in Trinidad and a cross-over Mexican-American star in De La Hoya.

"[Mayweather-Pacquiao] has international appeal, particularly in Asia. And you've got HBO, which will be pumping it with their 24/7 series. It will be the fight of the century," said Sugar, who, as then-editor of Ring Magazine, named Leonard-Hearns "Fight Of The Year."

"Even though with Leonard-Hearns boxing was more in the mainstream within the framework of sports in the 1980's -- with football, baseball and basketball -- the hype for [Mayweather-Pacquiao] will be off the charts."

Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) "has proven to be the No. 1 attraction in urban markets across America," HBO's senior vice president of pay-per-view, Mark Taffet, told FanHouse during an exclusive interview last month.

A five-division champion, Mayweather has participated in "Dancing With The Stars" and defeated professional wrestling's "Big Show" in a highly-viewed match.

In his most recent effort in September, Mayweather dominated Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez, nearly shutting out a fighter who endured a draw and a loss to Pacquiao in disputed bouts.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 37 KOs), meanwhile, is coming off of a historic 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), against whom he earned his record seventh crown in as many different weight classes.

Pacquiao is considered a hero in his native Philippines as well as a cross-over star in America, where he has graced the cover of the Asian edition of Time Magazine and been featured in ESPN's Body Issue, among other things.

"The whole thing is these are two [professed pound-for-pound fighters] who would be meeting together celestial plane. They're on the same off-ramp, trying to get off of the exit first," said Sugar.

"With Trinidad-De La Hoya, that was also in the welterweight division," said Sugar. "But Mayweather-Pacquiao is Leonard-Hearns in the fact that there is more of a major public demand" for both fighters in America.

In addition to their personalities beyond the ring, Mayweather and Pacquiao are known as much for their work ethics in preparation for bouts as for their skills on fight night.

The always chiseled Mayweather is known for being a gym rat to the point where, at the end of his workouts, the Las Vegas resident throws more than a thousand punches at the heavybag or mits held by trainer and uncle Roger Mayweather.

Pacquiao's daily training regimen is known to last for four hours, ending with a technique during which parts of his body are pounded by a long, thick stick to deaden the nerves against the pain of being punched.

Similarly, Leonard always was known for his spartan techniques and Hearns for closing workouts with push-ups while supporting his feet high on a table and clapping in between repetitions.

The sheer energy-level of the Leonard-Hearns battle over the course of their 14 rounds remains unmatched by virtually any fight of that caliber since then.

"I covered Leonard-Hearns, and going in, there wasn't the same energy-level ascribed to Hearns as to Leonard. That's because it was more about Hearns' punching ability. Hearns was knocking everybody out, so there was very little said about Hearns' stamina because he hadn't been around to see much action in decisions," said Sugar.

"They had been in exciting fights before, with Leonard having been in against Roberto Duran," and Hearns against Pipino Cuevas, said Sugar, noting how the roles of Hearns and Leonard changed over the course of their classic confrontation.

"And as it turned out, there were many ebbs and flows, and some back-and-forth. There were some rounds where there was some maneuvering. In the sixth round, after Leonard knocked down Hearns with a beautiful left hook. Hearns went to jabbing," said Sugar.

"Leonard, the boxer with the shorter arms, was able to get inside and to become the puncher. And Hearns, the puncher, became the boxer," said Sugar. "It was a great tactical battle, and Hearns just turned the tables and was winning it."

In a matchup with Mayweather, a defensive specialist, Pacquiao is expected to be the aggressor, similar to how Hearns was opposite Leonard.

Pacquiao out-landed Cotto, 276-to-93, in power-punches, or, nearly, three-to-one.

But can the action of Mayweather-Pacquiao live up to hype?

"With Leonard-Hearns, you sort of went in knowing that you were going to get what you got. But you have a different set of equations with Mayweather-Pacquiao. Pacquiao's always in exciting fights, and Floyd Mayweather has hardly ever been in an exciting fight," said Sugar.

"So there could be some question," said Sugar. "If Floyd is so much better than Manny, and he fights his fight, and controls it in his own way, it could be considered a boring fight. There was never that concern for Leonard-Hearns."

Bert Sugar's top three welterweight fights:

Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns 1 (Leonard, W TKO 14)

Carmen Basilio-Tony DeMarco I (Basilio, W TKO 12)

Carmen Basilio-Tony DeMarco II (Basilio, W TKO 12)

Bert Sugar: Mayweather-Pacquiao Would Be 'Fight Of The Century' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bernard Hopkins' Ring Life Continues

Lem Satterfield — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:43:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

Don't wish Bernard Hopkins success, wish him failure.

Specifically, tell the 44-year-old boxer that he's so far past his prime, that you believe he'll lose on Dec. 2 to unheralded 29-year-old Enrique Ornelas, the man he will meet in a non-title, 12-round light heavyweight (175 pounds) bout at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Hopkins' hometown of Philadelphia.

"People have written me off a lot of times in my life, and that's been my biggest motivation. I've always needed people to be rooting against me," said Hopkins, a former Philadelphia street criminal who survived three stabbings, was imprisoned at age 18 for five years, and released in 1988.

"I did not let the street life destroy me. I'm that throwback Philadephia fighter who just happened to take care of himself, and that's why I'm still here," said Hopkins, who is 49-5, with 32 knockouts.

"I took care of myself in my 20s, I took care of myself more in my 30s. I don't have a secret potion. No secret vitamins. No secret strength," said Hopkins. "Do I feel the same way at the age of 44 as I did at the age of 24, or, 34? No. But I will always be ahead of the game compared to the average, 45-year-old who is boxing -- if there is anyone out there other than me."

Hopkins, in addition to the age factor, said that he is at least equally -- if not more -- focused on the philanthropic theme of a his clash with Ornelas, which will be televised on VERSUS.

It will benefit three charities: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Philadelphia & Susquehanna Valley, to which Hopkins will donate in memory of 2008 brain cancer victim Shaun Negler; the Hero Thrill Show, an annual day of events designed to raise money for the education of relatives of police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty; and the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc., in memory of Hopkins' deceased mother, Shirley.

A film crew will record his visits to Shirley Hopkins' "resting place of eight years, as well as my brother's since [1984], my father's since '96, and my grandfather's since '84."

"There will be some emotional footage that no one has ever seen. We'll be running the streets where I got into trouble. This is meaningful for me to go through all of this leading up to this fight," said Hopkins, who will fight in Philadelphia for the first time since his eighth-round KO of Morrade Hakkar.

"It's crazy that the city is proud of me for accomplishing the things that I have," said Hopkins. "Philadelphia has lost 15 police officers in less than two years, but there will be a lot of [policemen] supporting me at the Liacouras Center."

Hopkins will enter the ring for the first time since October 18, 2008, when he dominated middleweight (160) world champion Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, Ohio, to rebound from an April 2008 loss to unbeaten Joe Calzaghe of Wales.

"Because of my age, that's [Pavlik] a win that stands out the most," said Hopkins. "I proved that even though I was 43 at the time, that I could still compete at that level."

After losing his undisputed middleweight champion status to Jermain Taylor in July 2005, Hopkins rose to light heavyweight in June 2006 and routed former world champ Antonio Tarver, 118-109, on all three judges' cards.

"I was a big underdog against Tarver," said Hopkins, who subsequently routed former world titlist Winky Wrigh in July 2007. "I've been blessed to have a lot of great moments, but I think that I have a lot more history to accomplish. And my hit-list starts with Enrique."

Called, "a Mexican Joe Frazier," by Hopkins' trainer, Nazim Richardson, Ornelas is a former sparring partner of Hopkins.

"We've trained for an opportunity like this, and I know that he's not going to see me as a friend. As soon as we step into the ring, it's each man for himself. We're friends, but as soon as the bell rings, we're both their to execute a plan," said Ornelas, a hard-puncher with a record of 29-5 with 19 knockouts.

"I don't feel like this is his backyard or anything. I know that I'm fighting in his city, and I know that I'll have less of his crowd going for me," said Orlenas, a native of Mexico who lives in La Habra, Calif. "But that's all the better, and it will make me push harder to show the people that I really do want to win this fight."

The younger brother of super middleweight (168 pounds) Librado Andrade (28-2, 21 KOs), also of La Habra, Calif., Ornelas has lost three of his last seven bouts, being stopped once during that time.

Coming off of July's fourth-round stoppage of Roberto Baro, Ornelas is motivated by the fact that Andrade will face Montreal's southpaw IBF champion Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec, Canada, on Nov. 28.

Bute-Andrade is a rematch of their Oct. 24, 2008, bout that ended with Bute surviving nearly being knocked out in the 12th round. Ornelas believes that his sparring sessions with Andrade will bring out his best against Hopkins.

"My brother and I have a similar style, so it's easy. We're here to work, and we're working really hard, and we're having a great time. [Hopkins] has seen it all. We really can't show him anything different," said Ornelas.

"We're just going to stay busy and try to take whatever he gives us. We have to be ready to take advantage of the opportunities any time he gives them to us. Fighting is what I love to do. I just want to prove it," said Ornelas. "We're looking to win, and we're training really hard. Winning would be an amazing thing that will open so many doors in so many ways."

Hopkins-Ornelas precedes an agreed-upon rematch with Florida's multi-champion Roy Jones (54-5, 40 KOs) slated for early, 2010, assuming Jones gets past Austrailia's tough Danny Green (27-3, 24 KOs) on the same night before Green's home crowd in Sydney.

According to ESPN.com, Jones-Hopkins II is slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

"I have more to lose, and Enrique has more to gain. But trust me: I'm going to win this fight," said Hopkins, who will turn 45 on January 15 -- one day after Jones turns 41. "I'm going to look great, and I'm going to finish off Roy Jones Jr., and I might become the heavyweight champion of the world in 2010."

Nicknamed "The Executioner," Hopkins lost a unanimous decision in May 1993 to Jones, who since falling to Calzaghe last November, has stopped Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacey in five and 10 rounds respectively in March and August.

Hopkins earned the middleweight crown on April 29, 1995, with a seventh-round knockout of Segundo Mercado in a rematch of their controversial draw four months earlier. Hopkins made a division record 20 title defenses before losing to Taylor by a split decision.

Hopkins' title run included wins over nine world champions, with seven of those being knockouts of titlists Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Robert Allen, Simon Brown, Glen Johnson, John David Jackson and Carl Daniels.

"Dec. 2 starts a marathon of super-greatness for me. Some people may think that I'm bragging, but I'm blessed," said Hopkins. "I know that a lot of the media is trying to figure out when in the hell, and on what night, is this guy going to look like he's 45?"

Bernard Hopkins' Ring Life Continues originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao: 'Step Up to the Plate'

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:39:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, IBO

Floyd Mayweather was nowhere to be seen in the MGM Grand Hotel during the lead-up to this past Saturday night's Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto welterweight megafight. Nor could the undefeated, five-time champion and Las Vegas resident be found when Pacquiao made history by lifting from Cotto the WBO's 147-pound title belt.

But in the days since Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, stood in the ring before a packed MGM Grand Garden Arena and called out his name as the man he wanted to be Pacquiao's next opponent, Mayweather has gotten the message loud and clear.

Mayweather's name was even chanted by the crowd of more than 16,200, but he says that he just hasn't heard it from Pacquiao's own mouth.

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"They are all talking for him, but Manny Pacquiao has yet to say he wants to fight me. If he wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate," said Mayweather, who is 40-0, with 25 knockouts, after pitching a virtual shutout over Juan Manuel Marquez in his last fight in September.

Mayweather, whose nickname has morphed from "Pretty Boy," to, "Money," watched Saturday's fight from his home in Las Vegas.

"Manny Pacquiao is the fighter, and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to his promoter, or he's going to take a vacation, or whatever the answer is. I have yet to hear him actually say, 'yes I want to fight Mayweather,'" said Mayweather in a statement issued by his media company.

"We are the fighters, and if one fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it," said Mayweather. "Manny Pacquiao doesn't say anything directly about fighting me because he might just know it's not a fight he can win."

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 37 KOs) and Mayweather are considered to be the sport's premier fighters, pound-for-pound, and the logical rivals in a bout whose magnitude should surpass all others.

"The world is much more intrigued by the thought of someone fighting me who can beat me. That is what everyone wants to see and the boxing world is trying to find that guy," said Mayweather, 32. "Manny Pacquaio's people have done a good job of creating an image of him to be this unbelievable fighter, and now the so-called guy to beat me. But like all the rest, he's not the one."
"There is boxing and then there is me. The rest are just falling in line behind me or are trying to get in line to fight me. And that includes Manny Pacquiao too."
-- Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Like Mayweather, Pacquiao, 30, has victories over Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather beat Hatton and De La Hoya first, by knockout and decision, respectively, before Pacquiao stopped both fighters. Mayweather has decisioned Marquez, and Pacquiao has drawn with and decisioned Marquez.

"Less than an hour after his fight Saturday night the talk turns back to me. Their whole promotion was just a Mayweather sweepstakes. They know it and anyone could figure that out. Why? Because my name kept coming up and I didn't even say anything," said Mayweather.

Richard Schaefer, representing Mayweather on behalf of Golden Boy promotions, said that he would work with Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, to get Mayweather-Pacquiao done.

"I think it will be a great fight, and a big fight, and I really don't want to say anything else, because there is really not much more to be said right now," said Schaefer. "But I do think that it could be one of those fights which certainly has the potential to break any and all records."

Schaefer and Arum have successfully pulled off such matchups as Pacqauiao's fights opposite Marquez, De La Hoya, Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera, as well as Cotto-Shane Mosley, Barrera-Erik Morales, De La Hoya-Fernando Vargas, Mosley-Antonio Margrito, and Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik.

"In the last five years, we've done so many big fights together, and in the process, we've developed a mutual respect for each other. So, I think Bob likes to work with us, and we like to work with him," said Schaefer. "Let the people behind the scenes do their job, and hopefully, we are going to be successful putting that together."

Arum told FanHouse he wanted to wait before starting negotiations -- at least until Wednesday, when it could be determined whether or not Pacquiao-Cotto had approached or surpassed the pay-per-view buys mark of 2.4 million set by Mayweather-De La Hoya in May of 2007.

"[Pacquiao] said during an interview he did leading up to his fight that he didn't think I wanted to fight him, and that boxing, for me, was just a business, and I wasn't interested in a good fight," said Mayweather.

"But again, he never said during that interview that he would fight me. Why is he talking about what I won't do instead of what he wants to do? Plain and simple, it's because he knows he can't beat me under any circumstances."

Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao: 'Step Up to the Plate' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jermain Taylor Stands Out in 'FIGHT CAMP 360'

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Showtime

A scene involving former middleweight world champion, Jermain Taylor, represents one of the more compelling moments in FIGHT CAMP 360: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Asked if he feels blessed to be in the tournament, pitting six of the world's premiere super middleweights (168 pounds) in a round-robin affair, Taylor responds to the affirmative.

"When I first heard about this tournament, I was on my boat. Then I get a call saying something about the Super Six [Tournament,]" said Taylor, a soft-spoken native of Little Rock, Ark., who speaks with a slight stutter.

"They said there are going to be six guys in the super middleweight division, and they're going to put us all in the ring, and 'May the best man win,' " said Taylor. "I was just like, 'This is a blessing.' After this tournament -- after I win it -- I'll be right back on top, no matter what happens."

By now, everyone knows what has happened, and it wasn't good for Taylor.

For not only was Taylor's 12th-round stoppage loss at the hands of Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) his second straight setback by knockout, but it was his fourth defeat in his past five bouts, and the third time the 31-year-old has been knocked unconscious during that time.

Taylor (28-4-1, ,17 KOs) was hospitalized for a short time during the fight's aftermath. It is unclear whether he will remain in the tournament, whose next bout features WBA champ Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs) of Denmark defending his crown against former Olympic Gold medalist Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) on Saturday night at Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

The preparation of Kessler and Ward are also examined in Episode 2 of FIGHT CAMP 360, which debuted last Saturday night and will be replayed on Monday at 10 PM on Showtime2.

The rebroadcast also deals with the acrimony between England's WBC champ, Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) and Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) leading up to and following Froch's unanimous decision victory over Dirrell on Oct. 17.

Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing
Classic--Episode2:

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 12 a.m. SHO

Wednesday, Nov. 18 - 11 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Nov. 19 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Nov. 19 - 1:05 a.m. SHO

Friday, Nov. 20 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Saturday, Nov. 21 - 4:35 p.m. SHO

Note: all times ET/PT

Jermain Taylor Stands Out in 'FIGHT CAMP 360' originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winky Wright Returns to Ring Against Grady Brewer

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive

LAS VEGAS -- When former world champion Winky Wright enters the ring in San Juan's Coliseo de Puerto Rico on Dec. 11, it will be with the short-range goals of acheiving past glory.

Wright (51-5-1, 25 knockouts), a southpaw who turns 38 on Nov. 26, will end an eight-month layoff when he meets Brewer, who will turn 39 on Dec. 22. Brewer (26-11, 15 KOs) has won eight consecutive fights, inlcluding first- and, second-round knockouts of his past two opponents in May and August.

Wright twice defeated current world champion, Shane Mosley, as a junior middleweight (154 pounds) in 2004, and then followed that up with a rise to middleweight (160) for a one-sided, May, 2005, unanimous decision over former world champion and Puerto Rican great, Felix Trinidad.

But since vanquishing Sam Soliman in December of 2005, Wright is 1-1-2.

In succession, Wright battled Jermain Taylor to a disputed draw, dominated former titlist, Ike Quartey, and then suffered consecutive unanimous decision losses to Bernard Hopkins and Paul Williams.

FanHouse caught up to Wright for this Q&A on the eve of Saturday night's Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao megafight to discuss his bout, which is available on traditional pay per view channels for $29.95.

FanHouse: Can you talk about your last fight -- your performance against Paul Williams?

Winky Wright: First of all, I don't want to take anything away from Paul Williams. I think that Paul Williams fought a helluva fight. It was just the right time. There was a two-year layoff for me, and, plus, there's his style and his size.

Paul is, what, 6-foot-2, and has arms like a giant? And he throws a billion punches a round. A lot of people just don't want to fight him. But I came off of two years to do it, and I'd do it again.

But that's not the point. It was just different fighting that style, and his awkwardness because I wasn't as sharp as I wanted to be. The punches that I wanted to throw, I would get set, and my timing -- it was just a second or two off.

I would throw my punches, and I was just missing a lot of them. If I could have just thrown them at the right time, it might have changed the fight. But it is what it is, and you win some and you lose some.

If you're going into every fight, knowing that you're going to win, thinking that you're going to win, that's the way that it's supposed to be. But if you do that and you lose, and you gave it your all, well then, you have to look at that and then you can come back from it.

That's what great fighters do. You take a loss, and then, it's 'O.K., well I'm going to come back and show you that I'm still here.' And I'm still here.

FH: Was there a point in the fight where you said that, 'Well, this young guy is on, and it just might not be my night?'

Wright: No, not really. For me, I never give up. I knew he couldn't hurt me, but the point was, 'Could I catch him?' That's was my whole thing. I just wanted to catch him. From the early rounds, I said, 'Let me just work him, try to make him get tired.'

But he stayed fresh. Shorty just kept throwing punches, kept throwing punches, kept throwing punches. So I'm like, 'Let me pick off some of his shots, and then, maybe I can catch him and hurt him.' But he really wouldn't let me get in that one, good shot.

He was rolling with a lot of punches, and, once again, my timing was off. My punches weren't as solid or as crisp as I wanted them to be. It was just mainly, 'Well just keep digging, and you can catch him, you can catch him, and if you can catch him, you can hurt him.'

But I just couldn't catch him. So he fought a great fight, and now, it's all good. I would have liked to see Paul Williams fight Kelly Pavlik, somebody his size with good, long arms and who is tall.

Pavlik is tall, and even though he has shorter arms, he has the size. But Paul Williams, with that long reach, he's going to be hard to beat.

FH: You sound as if you have sort of an affinity with Paul Williams?

Wright: I know how he feels. By not having people who want to fight him. That was almost my whole career. For him to step up and fight me -- and like I said, he got me at the right time -- that took a lot.

But it was especially tough for me with a person like him who throws a lot of punches and who stays busy. But give me about a year, and like I said, I'll fight a couple of times, taking out all of the bums, and then, I'm coming back and whipping on everybody.

FH: What is your gameplan?

Wright: I'm willing to get right back into a big fight right after Grady Brewer. I want to fight Grady, do what I have to do to beat Grady. And then, if no fight presents itself, then I'm going to take another fight to stay busy and stay sharp.

And then, if no fight presents itself then, I'll take another fight to stay busy and stay sharp. I'll get somebody that's tough, and beat them, and, then, maybe a fight will present itself then.

But when you wait on fights, and you don't get them, and you're just laying around, you're not going to be as sharp. If you take Michael Jordan out of the game for two years, and then try to throw him into an NBA championship game, he's not going to look good.

He's not going to be slamming and shooting three-pointers on everybody. He's going to be a little bit rusty. And that's all that it was for me. Paul came out and executed his gameplan, and I give him all of the praise for fighting a great fight.

FH: How much do you weigh right now, and what weight do you wish to compete at?

Wright: Right now, I'm probably at about 169. I want to fight at 160. I'll want to fight people my size -- not the super middleweights or light heavyweights. I'm a small guy. I fought 154 my whole career.

The only reason I moved up to 160 is because there was nobody at 154. I fought Jermain Taylor at 160 pounds for the undisputed middleweight title, which I feel that I won. Then I fought once at against Bernard Hopkins because there was still nobody to fight.

But that's just showing you that I'll fight anybody. Now, it's time to get back to fighting in my weight class. I'm a 154-to-160-pounder. Really, I'm trying to fight at 160, maybe once or twice.

If I can't get Kelly Pavlik, then I may go down to 154 and do what I've got to do -- fight people my size.

FH: If you could pick your next three fights, and those guys would agree, who would your opponents be?

Wright: Straight up, Pavlik would be No. 1. But that's the problem, 'Who else is at junior middleweight?' There are welterweights I would fight, but then I would be taking advantage of them.

I've always wanted to fight Oscar De La Hoya. I really don't want to call out people. I just want to fight the best. But if Pavlik wants a name, and, being a champion, and since he didn't fight Williams, then I know that he's looking for somebody else.

I mean, maybe he could be thinking, 'Well, if Williams beat Winky, then I can come back and I can beat Winky, and then, maybe I'll do Williams.'

But Williams caught me two years off from boxing, and he ain't going to catch me with a two-year layoff. When I get back into the ring against Grady Brewer, I'm going to look so sharp that you all are going to say, 'Somebody revived that man, because he's kicking a**'

FH: Chad Dawson?

Wright: That's not really a fight for me. I like Chad. We used to train together. He was training with my trainer, Dan Birmingham. We've sparred together, had fun, and all of that.

But, Chad is a light heavyweight who said that he would come down to 168. But I'm a 154-, 160-pounder. And Chad is 6-1, 6-2, and I'm 5-10. I need to be fighting people my weight.

That's like saying, 'After this fight, why don't Manny Pacquaio come up to and fight Winky Wrigt.' There's a size difference. Chad is a big, tall dude.

FH: So, why Grady Brewer in Puerto Rico?

Wright: I don't have to do this, I want to do this. I want to move around, get around, expand my horizons on the boxing scene. I used to travel the world and fight, and it can bring you a lot of fans from all over.

I've been doing a lot of fights in Vegas. After fighting 'Tito,' I told him that I would come down there and do a promotion with him and we'd do something together, and so I did it.

FH: Does your victory over Felix Trinidad give you respect and leverage with his fans?

Wright: Tito, if you go to Puerto Rico with Tito, he's God. He's a good do, people stuck by him, and he carried Puerto Rico on his back every time he stepped into that ring, and he fought like a warrior, and gave his best, and the fans appreciated that.

FH: How do you have to look against an awkward Grady Brewer to boost your stock at this point in your career?

Wright: Right now, for me, I'm just focusing on winning the fight. If I go out and do what I plan on doing, then I feel like I'm going to look good. It's just that sometimes, people are going to expect you to do so much because it's a Grady Brewer.

But they've got to realize, Grady Brewer is going to come out with his best game, because he's fighting a Winky wright. So that's going to make it a little tough and it will put some pressure on me.

Grady's style is going to be a little awkward, but if you want to be the best, you've got to come down and fight the best. Right now, I can't really get the best into the ring, so I've got to stay busy.

That's the problem. When I stay out of the ring for almost two years, you're not going to be as sharp as you were when you were in the ring. So I'm not going to let that happen to me again.

I'm going to go out and fight, fight and fight and beat everybody until I get the best.

FH: So how much longer are you going to do this?

Wright: I really don't know. There are really no marquee names in boxing. So when people say, 'How long are you going to continue boxing?'

If there's no reasonable fight but there that can make me a great amount of money or present a great challenge, then there's no reason to do it.

Winky Wright Returns to Ring Against Grady Brewer originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pacquiao-Mayweather Would Be a Modern-Day Ali-Frazier

Lem Satterfield — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:16:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, IBO

LAS VEGAS -- The superlatives ran rampant during the aftermath of Manny Pacquiao's brilliantly violent beatdown of Miguel Cotto on Saturday night in an MGM Grand Garden Arena packed to its rafters with more than 16,200 fans.

Having witnessed the Filipino superstar's array of speed, athleticism and durability used to batter senseless the Puerto Rican warrior before their fight was stopped 55 seconds into the 12th round, promoter Bob Arum declared Pacquiao "the best fighter that I've ever seen -- and that includes Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard, and Marvin Hagler."

Ross Greenburg, head honcho of sports programming at HBO, told reporters it is time for Pacquiao to face his unbeaten, pound-for-pound rival, Floyd Mayweather, in a "Super Bowl" type of matchup whose modern-day significance would rival Ali-Joe Frazier.

More: Pacquiao Leaves No Doubt After Beating Cotto

In fact, the crowd, in unison, chanted, "We want Floyd," during the fight's immediate conclusion.

"Floyd believes that he's the best in the world. And having witnessed Manny's performance tonight, and having seen what Manny has done against both [Oscar] De La Hoya and [Ricky] Hatton, it's clear that Manny has an argument," said Greenburg, who already has facilitated a meeting for Monday between Arum and Richard Shaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, representing Mayweather.

"I called Richard Shaefer, and what he said is that he would begin negotiating with Bob on Monday. And we have to settle it in the ring. What's most important is to seize the opportunity right now," said Greenburg. "This fight is huge, and I don't know if the sky is the limit. This is on the Super Bowl level, and it should be treated that way. We have to do it the right way and take it to another level."

Pacquiao floored Cotto twice and lost maybe one round in the fight on the way to earning the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title. In the process, "The Pac-Man" became the first fighter to earn a seventh belt in as many different weight classes.

Pacquiao addressed the post-fight media wearing a full white gauze wrapping around his head. His badly swollen right ear had to be drained of fluid as a result of punishment received during the fight, and he was bruised beneath both eyes.

"I think this was one of the toughest fights in my boxing career. I took a lot of punches from Cotto -- my eyes, my ears," said Pacquiao, who began his career as a 106-pound, 16-year-old with a four-round decision over Edmund Enting Ignacio in January 1995 and earned his first world title with an April 1999, fourth-round knockout of Gabriel Mira at 112 lbs.

"I don't want to compare my achievements to Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard. I'm just doing my job to give the people a good fight," said Pacquiao. "My goal is to give good enjoyment to those people who are watching us."

The victory was the 50th for Pacquiao against three losses and two draws, and the 11th straight since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005.

During that stretch, the 30-year-old Pacquiao has eight knockouts, including four consecutively. That spree include those against David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, respectively, in nine, eight and two rounds.

And Pacquaio's run includes having twice avenged the loss to Morales, whom he stopped in 10, and, three rounds, in January and November 2006.

It also includes 12-round triumphs over Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as an eighth-round knockout of Jorge Solis, who entered their matchup unbeaten at 33-0-2, with 24 knockouts.

Against Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), Pacquiao yet again displayed balance and a wizardry that allowed him to punch from awkward angles, even as some critics questioned his ability to carry his two-fisted power against a champion who represented the largest and strongest man he had ever faced in the ring.

Pacquiao, who fought Cotto at a catchweight of 145 pounds, weighed in at 144 -- his highest since the 142 against De La Hoya, as well as 138 against Hatton.

Still, Pacquiao was able to floor Cotto during each of the third and fourth rounds, respectively, with a right hand to the temple and a brutal left uppercut.

"Manny proved that he can punch with any 147-pounder in the world," said Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. "Manny has great power and speed. I think that he proved everything tonight."

Earlier, Pacquiao had dominated Cotto in the ninth round where, at one point, there was an unanswered 10-punch combination as well as a three-punch series that nearly floored Cotto again.

Referee Kenny Bayless appeared ready to step in at that point, and Roach, for one, believes that he or Cotto's cornerman, Joe Santiago, should have.

"In round nine, Miguel was ready to give up. He was in retreat mode and wasn't trying to win the fight anymore," said Roach. "I mean, when you're not trying to win the fight anymore, and you're out there bleeding to death, and you see his face is bloody like that -- come on."

Pacquiao left Cotto's face a mass of welts, bruises and cuts, including a deep, laceration around his left eye from which blood flowed like a river.

Cotto apparently nearly remained on his stool following the 11th round, but changed his mind and tried to finish the fight before Bayless mercifully put his arms around the beaten man and waved an end to it.

During the furious back-and-forth early rounds, however, Pacquiao said that he "wanted to measure" Cotto's strength as a challenge to the pre-fight notion that he -- as the smaller man -- couldn't withstand what Cotto had to offer.

"The first three rounds, I was measuring his power. That's why I didn't move. It hurts, and he's strong. But I pretended that I wasn't getting hurt by his punches, and I made it," said Pacquiao, whose birthname is Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao.

"Before the fight, there was talk that he was going to be bigger, and that he was going to be the stronger man in the ring. So I was like, 'Okay, we will see,'" said Pacquiao. "And I was trying to fight toe-to-toe, because I wanted to prove that I was stronger."

Roach said that Pacquiao "was hurt once" during the fight, "in the third round."

"Third round, coming off of the ropes in my corner, he got nailed with a left hook. Miguel was coming out low from a crouch and he threw a half-uppercut, half-hook, and he caught Manny and you saw him shake just a bit," said Roach.

"I told Manny, 'Next round, stay the hell off of the ropes.' I yelled at him and said, 'Why are you fighting his fight? You're giving the guy an opportunity to bang the body and use that left hook,'" said Roach. "'That's someplace that you don't want to be.' And Manny says, 'I can handle it,' and he did."

After taking what Cotto had to offer, Pacquiao said "I felt like after the third or fourth round, I had him."

A crossover star in America, Pacquiao has been featured in ESPN's Body Issue, graced the cover of Time Magazine, and been the subject of a five-page feature story in the New York Times.

Pacquiao was a knockout on a recent edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live, and was the only athlete among 18 recipients of this year's Gusi Peace Prize, bestowed upon him for his humanitarian efforts in disaster relief during two recent typhoons in the Philippines.

Pacquiao is in the midst of filming a movie, WaPak Man, about a super hero whose powers rival that of Superman and Spider-Man.

And his stock is only rising, even as he remains humble against the praise.

"When I think about what I've achieved right now, it's unbelievable. But I don't want to compare my achievement to any fighter. We just did our best in boxing," said Pacquiao. "I always thank God for the physical ability that he gives to me. As long as you believe in God, nothing is impossible."

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Pacquiao vs. Cotto Photos

Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, holds the championship belt at the finish of his WBO welterweight boxing title fight against Miguel Cotto, of Puerto Rico, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao won the fight by TKO in the 12th round. Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before--win a belt in seven weight classes. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

FR159466 AP

Pacquiao vs. Cotto Photos

With a mural depicting his triumphs in the ring, Filipinos cheer Manny Pacquiao donning the championship belt as they watch live satellite broadcast at Manila's financial district of Makati Sunday, Nov 15, 2009. Pacquiao took the WBO welterweight crown from Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto with a technical knockout in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Pacquiao made history in boxing by winning in seven different weight classes. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Philippine ambassador to Indonesia, Vidal Querol (3rd L-behind table), leads a group of Filipino residents in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in celebrations at a restaurant on November 15, 2009 after watching a live television broadcast of Asian boxing icon Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines against Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in their welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. Expatriated Filipinos from around the globe joined their boxing-crazy homeland in erupting in a frenzy of joy after Manny Pacquiao pummelled Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto in the history-making bout in Las Vegas. AFP PHOTO / ROMEO GACAD (Photo credit should read ROMEO GACAD/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines celebrates after defeating Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico during their WBO welterweight title fight on November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Residents, mostly flood victims, cheer while watching Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao knock down Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on a free satellite television at a former evacuation center in flood-stricken Taytay township, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 15, 2009. Pacquiao's victory gave a morale boost to the country, which has been wracked terrorism, Muslim and communist rebellions and recent back-to-back storms that caused the worst flooding in and around Manila in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Residents, mostly flood victims, react after seeing Filipino Boxing Hero Manny Pacquiao knock down Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto during a free satellite television viewing of their fight at a former evacuation center in flood-stricken Taytay township, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 15, 2009. Pacquiao's victory gave a morale boost to the country, which has been wracked terrorism, Muslim and communist rebellions and recent back-to-back storms that caused the worst flooding in and around Manila in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A female resident gestures as she watches the fight of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on a free satellite television at a former evacuation center in flood-stricken Taytay township, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 15, 2009. Pacquiao's victory gave a morale boost to the country, which has been wracked terrorism, Muslim and communist rebellions and recent back-to-back storms that caused the worst flooding in and around Manila in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A man distributes high-energy biscuits, food aid from the World Food Program, to mostly flood victims as they wait for the fight of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto during a free satellite television viewing of their match at a former evacuation center in flood-stricken Taytay township, Rizal province, east of Manila, Philippines on Sunday Nov. 15, 2009. Pacquiao's victory gave a morale boost to the country, which has been wracked terrorism, Muslim and communist rebellions and recent back-to-back storms that caused the worst flooding in and around Manila in more than four decades. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

A resident shows an advertisement poster featuring homegrown boxer Manny Pacquiao as people watch the live telecast from Las Vegas of the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight in Manny's Philippines hometown of General Santos City on November 15, 2009. From its teeming slums to its strife-torn southern region, the boxing-crazy Philippines erupted in a frenzy of joy after Manny Pacquiao pummelled Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto in a history-making bout. AFP PHOTO / PAUL BERNALDEZ (Photo credit should read PAUL BERNALDEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Pacquiao-Mayweather Would Be a Modern-Day Ali-Frazier originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Haye to Defend Title Against Ruiz

Lem Satterfield — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO

LAS VEGAS -- When England's David Haye traveled to Nuremberg, Germany, for his Nov. 7 matchup with 7-foot, 316-pound, Nikolay Valuev, the 218-pounder did so with more support from his own countrymen than the man who is named "The Russian Giant" for his status as the largest champion in the history of boxing.

And when Haye broke his right hand in the second round of an eventual, 12-round majority decision, it was the deafening cheers of his fans that lifted him on the way to dethroning Valuev for the WBA championship.

"We all know that the British boxing fans are among the best boxing fans in the world. They're exciting, they like to travel, and they're just great sports fans," said Richard Shaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, who is handling Haye's affairs in the United States.

"And they showed that again. They realized the significance of a British fighter fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world. And they came there, and they supported him, and they were rewarded by the fact that David was able to capture the title."

In victory, Haye (23-1, 21 knockouts) became only the sixth Brit ever to earn a heavyweight crown and only the second-ever former cruiserweight (200 pounds) to do so.

Bob Fitzimmons, Herbie Hide, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno and Henry Akinwande also were English champions, and Evander Holyfield, a former cruiserweight, dethroned Buster Douglas for that honor.

On Saturday morning, Haye fielded questions from reporters concerning his future in the heavyweight division, which could include bouts with WBC champ Vitali Klitschko, WBO and IBF titlist Wladimir Klitschko, or even rising former cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek.

First, however, there is the prospect of facing mandatory challenger John Ruiz, a former world champion who is looking to earn that title a third time. Haye could face Ruiz in March.

"There is a mandatory obligation against John Ruiz," Shaefer said. "I don't know if March is going to be the date, but it might be, depending on David's hand, which, as you saw, is injured. So it's first things first, and I don't really want to think too far ahead of that, because John Ruiz is a very experienced fighter and a former world champion.

"It would be a very big fight in England, probably in London. It would be a big homecoming for David Haye, defending his world title for the first time. That's really the plan. Obviously, I know that the fights everyone would like to see is against one of the Klitschkos, and, after that, hopefully against the other one. We'll have to see when those fights happen, and how they can happen."

As he spoke to reporters, Haye wore a white wrapping on his right hand as a result of what Schaefer called "a hairline bone fracture," suffered against Valuev, "but there is no surgery necessary, so it will basically heal on its own."

Haye recounted the moments early in his bout with Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs).

"A lot of the stuff that I had trained to do, I found it very tough to get off on him because of his sheer size. Not because of his technical abilities, but because he was so big," said Haye, who is nicknamed "The Hayemaker."

"And when I did hit him, with my trademark haymaker in the second round, when most people would have fallen and been unconscious, it broke my hand," said Haye. "I had slipped his jab and threw a perfect right hand, which was something that I had worked on time and time again. And I threw it with as much power as possible, hoping he would hit the deck, but it didn't work out that way."

Haye said he then had to rely on boxing skills, displaying abilities that some didn't believe the self-professed knockout artist was capable of using.

"To not only fight against the largest heavyweight of all time, and to go pretty much to his back yard and his home town, where he's fought before and he's got support, I think that shows my intent. And to do that in Germany, you've got to pretty much put on a boxing clinic," said Haye.

"Evander Holyfield himself said that he didn't think that I would be good enough to beat Valuev because of my lack of experience against big guys. He didn't know how I would react to taking the punches, or if the guy leaned on me. He didn't think I had the experience to get through it, but I think that proved a few people wrong," said Haye, who hurt Valuev badly in the 12th round.

"I showed that I'm an athlete, and that I punch very, very hard. All that you have to do is look at Valuev's prior fights. You can see that he gets hit by some hard shots and he seems to shake them off," said Haye. "Yet the first time he's ever been hurt, and wobbled, was by my left hook. And my left hook is not really even my punch. I also think that my defense also has been underestimated over the years."

Another fight Haye would consider is one against the Polish-born Adamek, former IBF cruiserweight champion and winner of his last eight bouts -- six of them by knockout -- who will fight in his second straight heavyweight bout against an opponent to be determined on Feb. 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

A resident of nearby Jersey City, Adamek (39-1, 27 knockouts) also is said to be considering matchups against either Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds.

Adamek's only defeat came in February 2007, when he lost a decision to current light heavyweight champion, champion Chad Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs). Adamek had taken a 31-0 record into his bout with Dawson, who dethroned him as WBC 175-pound titlist.

On Oct. 24, Adamek scored a fifth-round knockout over former three-time heavyweight title contender Andrew Golota despite being out-weighed 257-215 by the larger challenger.

Adamek has called out Haye for a matchup, but Haye said that he will not look beyond Ruiz.

"The toughest fight of my life is going to be against John Ruiz, next. And I won't look past John Ruiz. I made that mistake earlier on in my career in the fight that I lost when I looked beyond Carl Thompson. That won't happen again," said Haye. "I'll make sure that I make a statement against Ruiz. It's been a long time since John Ruiz has been knocked out by David Tua back in the day."

Over time, Haye said he wants to conquer the Klitschkos, and, in the end, be appreciated as a fighter with excellent overall skills.

"Everyone just sees me as a brawler and a puncher," Haye said. "They look at my record and see that I've gotten lots of people out early. They didn't feel that I could adjust and make the right movements with my feet, thinking that I have lazy legs or whatever.

"But I've showed that I can adjust and that I can do things that people don't expect me to do. But over time, I think that people will start warming to what I can do. I can change my gameplan to suit any fighter because I'm an athlete, and I live the life in and out of the ring."

David Haye to Defend Title Against Ruiz originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tomasz Adamek Returns to Heavyweight, Calls Out David Haye

Lem Satterfield — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: IBF, HBO, Showtime

Former IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek, a winner of eight straight bouts -- six of them by knockout -- will continue his pursuit of heavyweight glory and recognition when he enters the ring on Feb. 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., his promoter, Kathy Duva, said on Friday.

Adamek (39-1, 27 knockouts) will go after his second straight heavyweight opponent at the Prudential Center, where the resident of nearby Jersey City routinely packs the stands with his local support.

"It's been a very long time since the boxing public has seen the kind of action in a heavyweight fight that they enjoyed before the super heavyweights who dominate the division these days. When a heavyweight title fight is exciting, it is always the smaller guy in the ring pressing the action," said Duva.

"Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jack Dempsey, and of course, Evander Holyfield, to name a few -- they all fought in their primes under 215 pounds," said Duva. "The next great heavyweight will come from the cruiserweight division and we believe that he will be Tomasz Adamek."

Duva said Adamek's long-range goals are to perhaps land a shot against Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, or perhaps one opposite newly-crowned WBA heavyweight titlist David Haye of London (23-1, 21 KOs), who recently dethroned 7-foot, 318-pound Nikolay Valuev.

Haye became only the second cruiserweight to win a heavyweight title, joining Evander Holyfield, who dethroned Buster Douglass.

"David Haye, if you want to fight somebody who punches back at your face, and not at the empty air, then you know where to find me. You call yourself the best heavyweight fighter in the world after running scared for the whole fight against Nikolay Valuev? That's not even funny," said Adamek.

"But talking is cheap. People don't care how big you are during the press conferences," said Adamek. "The want to see a man in the ring."

Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) and Jones (54-5, 40 KOs) are slated to meet in early 2010, assuming each wins matchups they both have scheduled for Dec. 2.

Hopkins will fight Enrique Ornelas (29-5, 19 KOs) at light heavyweight (175 pounds) in his hometown of Philadelphia, and Jones will take on Danny Green (27-3, 24 KOs) at cruiserweight (200) in Sydney, Austrailia.

The Polish-born Adamek has been on a roll since February 2007, when was routed by 10, eight and six points, respectively, over the three judges' cards by current unbeaten light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs).

It was the first career loss for Adamek, who lost his WBC 175-pound title to Dawson, in 32 bouts.

Since then, however, Adamek has soared in popularity, earning the IBF cruiserweight (200) title and defending it three times, part of a stretch where he's won all eight races since the loss to Dawson, with six of those wins being by knockout.

On Oct. 24, Adamek rose into the heavyweight ranks, where he flattened three-time heavyweight title contender Andrew Golota in five rounds.

"I never say too much before my fights, and my opponents are not saying a lot because they are knocked down," said Adamek, addressing a potential matchup with Haye. "You say that you want to be a people's champion, well if so, then fight me. That's what people want."

Adamek, who weighed nearly 215 pounds to Golota's nearly 257, gave up his IBF title in order to face Golota, with the result being more lucrative paydays down the road.

"We've talked to David Haye, and we feel like that would be a great matchup -- two, smaller heavyweights who actually throw punches and who would be fun to watch in the ring," Duva said of Haye, who must first defend his title against mandatory challenger and former world champion John Ruiz, perhaps in the spring.

"We had been speaking with Hopkins for a possible fight at cruiserweight before he signed to fight Jones," said Duva. "[Adamek] felt comfortable at heavyweight, and would like to continue fighting at that weight, but he would certainly come back down to cruiserweight to fight [either Hopkins or Jones.]"

Tomasz Adamek Returns to Heavyweight, Calls Out David Haye originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shane Mosley to Face Andre Berto Next

Lem Satterfield — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Golden Boy Promotions, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

LAS VEGAS -- Shane Mosley will fight Andre Berto, the 26-year-old WBC welterweight champion, on Jan. 30 at The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, a source familiar with the negotiations informed FanHouse on Thursday.

A deal for the matchup has been in the works for months, and it will be announced here on Saturday, the same day as WBO welterweight (147-pounds) champion, Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) defends his crown against Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) at the MGM Grand Hotel.

In an interview last month with FanHouse, Berto said he "dreamed" of fighting Cotto, Pacquiao and Mosley in particular.

"With my left hand, I see Shane Mosley. With the right hand, I see Manny Pacquiao. Left hook, I see Miguel Cotto," said Berto, who is 25-0 with 19 knockouts."It's just that I have all of their spirits just haunting me in the gym. They pop up from time to time in my sleep, too.

"I've already envisioned myself fighting all of those guys, and seeing the outcomes, seeing how the fight will end up."

Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) has won his last two bouts over former world champions Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito by knockouts in the 12th and ninth rounds, respectively.

Mosley, the WBA's super champion, also owns two victories over Oscar De La Hoya, but is considered to be an aging fighter, having turned 38 on Sept. 7.

Berto is considered a rising star in a 147-pound class stocked with talent, including Floyd Mayweather, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey.

Last month, Berto and his promoter, Lou DiBella, indicated that a decision on Mosley was close, but not done. DiBella believed that "the likelihood is that we'll get a deal done" for Mosley.

"It's not done yet. I'll be working on that for the next week or two," DiBella said on Oct. 24. "I think that the fight would likely be January 30, but it's not done yet. If it's Mosley, then it will be at the Mandalay Bay."

If the deal had not been made, Berto said he was considering a unification bout with IBF champion Isaac Hlatshwayo (29-1-1, 10 KOs) of Soweto, South Africa.

"It's just a matter of getting the right fight done and putting it into play. We're trying real hard to make that a reality right now," said Berto, who earned his title as a 24-year-old with a June, 2008, seventh-round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez.

"I want Shane, but I'm not going to chase him," said Berto. "If Shane doesn't happen, there are a few other options. We're just trying to see what happens."

DiBella told FanHouse that Mosley was a risky, yet necessary, fight for his prospect.

"For a very young kid like Berto, who has just turned 26, it's a great opportunity to fight a first ballot Hall of Famer like Mosley," DiBella said. "You have to take that opportunity, because a victory changes your life immediately.

"Frankly, a really good performance, even if it doesn't result in a victory, is still a victory when you're fighting that level of guy. But I think that Andre is strong enough, fast enough and fresh enough that he would have a great chance to upset Mosley."

Berto said that he has heard "mixed reaction" as to his chances against Mosley.

"A lot of people say that Shane may have too much experience for me, and that I'm too young for Shane," Berto said of Mosley, who is exactly 11 years older than Berto as each were born on Sept. 7.

"Some people feel as if I have too much energy for him and that he's a little to old now," said Berto. "Some people think I have the speed, I'm too young for him. I'm too fast and have too much power, and that youth will be served. I'll beat him easily.

"I'm just hearing a lot of different things."

Shane Mosley to Face Andre Berto Next originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hometown Hero Andre Ward Looks to Dethrone WBA's Mikkel Kessler

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:44:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, Showtime

Former Olympic gold medalist, Andre Ward, calls upcoming rival, Mikkel Kessler, of Denmark, "absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt the most skilled" fighter that he will have faced over the course of his nearly five-year professional career.

"He's the champion. He's very tough. I take nothing away from Mikkel Kessler," said Ward, who will put his 20-0 record with 13 knockouts on the line in pursing Kessler's WBA 168-pound title on Nov. 21 before a partisan crowd at Oracle Arena in Oakland. "At the same time, this is what it's all about -- taking the challenge and rising to it. And I plan on doing that 11 days from now."

Their first-round clash is part of Showtime's Super Six Middleweight World Boxing Classic.

Armed with a record of 42-1, with 32 knockouts, Kessler's only loss is to former world champion Joe Calzaghe of Wales, who retired undefeated after whipping both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones in successive bouts.

Ward began his professional career on Sept. 18, 2004, with a second-round knockout of Chris Molina. Since then, Ward has been carefully brought along by his promoter, Dan Goossen, business manager, James Prince, and trainer, Virgil Hunter, who became a male role model when Ward's father died in 2002.

"[Hunter] stepped in and became a father to me. He's given me a lot of wisdom. A lot of people say that I have wisdom beyond my years, and the reason why is because he's a wise man," said Ward, a 2004 Olympian. "He's taught me so much about manhood, about life. He's just helped me to rise up and be the man I am today."

And Hunter has trained Ward to win a world title.

"This is something you envision, and something that you dream about for years. I'm just very impatient for this and I'm ready to fight. I haven't been training for five weeks, I haven't been training for six weeks. I've been training for this for most of my life since I was nine years old," said Ward, 25.

"It's time to go and get this world championship. It's against a dynamite fighter. I don't think our roll up to this point has been slow. Some of the former gold medalists, like Sugar Ray Leonard, he did it in three years," said Ward. "But I don't think that our road to this point has been slow, I don't think it's been stagnant. I think that it's been right on time."

The tournament's initial first-round fight was held on Oct. 17, starting with Germany's Athur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) scoring a 12th-round knockout of Arkansas' Jermain Taylor (28-4, 17 KOs) in a matchup of former middleweight (160 pounds) champions.

On the same night, England's Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) earned a split-decision over former Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich., in defense of Froch's WBC title.

In the next group stage, Taylor, 31, is scheduled to fight Ward, Abraham is slated to meet Dirrell, and Froch, to face Kessler. In the third and final group stage, it's Abraham-Froch, Dirrell-Ward, and, Kessler-Taylor.

"It was very unfortunate that both of the Americans lost their fights, and it's just added more motivation to be victorious on Nov. 21, because that's how everybody expected it to be. I think Carl Froch summed it up in his comments when he said, 'Everything is going as scheduled,'" said Ward.

"I take that personal, because I'm a proud American. I want to show that it's time in the super middleweight division for an American to be champion," said Ward. "It's been dominated in Europe, and there are some great fighters over there, but I want to do my part to bring the belt back to American soil."

Showtime and NFL Films, meanwhile, are embedded into the respective camps of Kessler and Ward as they prepare for the second episode of the reality show FIGHT CAMP 360: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic.

The second episode will air on Saturday night on Showtime at 10:40 p.m., and will offer a look back at the start of the tournament.

Kessler is considered the tournament favorite, and, ostensibly, Ward, among its underdogs.

"When you have the it-factor, when you have the drive, when you have the determination, when you have the skill, when you have the hunger, records don't mean anything. When you look at Floyd Mayweather Jr. when he fought Genaro Hernandez, he wasn't supposed to win that fight," said Ward.

"Muhammad Ali, when he beat Sonny Liston, he wasn't supposed to win that fight. Sugar Ray Leonard over Wilfrend Benitez, Benitez was a decorated figher and Leonard really wasn't supposed to win that fight," said Ward. "That's how I look at it. When you know that you have the heart of a champion, and you've worked years for an opportunity, a guy having more fights than you is not going to stop you from fulfilling your goal."

When the three group stages are completed, the top four point-earners will be seeded to comprise the semifinals, from which the two finalists will be determined. The tournament is not expected to be completed until 2011.

Goossen believes Ward will be the last man standing.

"Andre Ward's an exciting, offensive-minded, very intelligent fighter inside of that ring, and Mikkel Kessler's a proud champ, which we obviously saw from the first round to the 12th round in his only losing effort [against former world champion Joe Calzaghe.] He was certainly still trying to get that fight turned around in the closing seconds," said Goossen.

"We know that it's going to be a great fight. But if you're going to have a prize fighter, one who is destined for greatness, have him have the mentality of Andre Ward. He's a great family man outside of those ropes," said Goossen of Ward, who is married with two sons and a daughter.

"But during preparation and inside of the ring, he's one of the meanest fighters I've ever been associated with -- and we've been associated with some great ones throughout the years," said Goossen. "I believe that the world stage that Andre conquered in [in the Olympics in Athens] Greece, he's going to do the same thing at Oracle Arena in his home down on Nov. 21."

On that night against Kessler, Ward, the youngest competitor in the Super Six, will return to the site of his biggest victory to date. In May, Ward thrilled Oracle Arena fans by scoring a unanimous decision over tough, perennial contender, Edison Miranda, of Puerto Rico.

Ward said that he "answered all of the questions that were asked about me" against Miranda, including a head butt that caused blood to stream down his face just under a minute into their bout, being punched by a knockout artist squarely on the jaw, and whether he could go 12, hard rounds while also dealing with the distractions of a hometown crowd.

"Everything was pretty much the way that I thought it was going to be. There were people who are going to be screaming and yelling and trying to get your attentionthe week of the fight and two weeks before. Even the night of the fight, people screaming your name, saying good things, bad things, but I just try to stay focused," said Ward.

"I just try to stay in the middle and keep my eye focused on the prize at hand. This is a long time coming. This is over a decade of preparation," said Ward. "Fighting at home, I won't allow it to be a distraction. If anything, just like the Miranda fight, I'll use the crowd as motivation."

Ward is coming off of September's third-round knockout over North Dakota's 34-year-old Shelby Pudwill (22-4, nine KOs) at the Pechange Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA.

"It's about bringing the total package. I don't know how Mikkel perceives me as a fighter, but I plan on bring the total package on Nov. 21," said Ward. "It will be a little bit of everything. Not just speed, not just footwork, but the total package."

And there is nothing like the intensity of performing before fans who are familiar with you, said Ward.

"I'll allow the crowd to fuel me. They were very excited for this last fight, and they're extremely excited for this fight. I went to the [Goden State] Warriors' game last night, and I could just sense the excitement that people have about this fight," said Ward.

"So I'm definitely going to use it to my advnage where needed, but at the end of the day, it boils down to two men fighting, and who comes out on top. And who is going to focus and execute the gameplan," said Ward. "If you go in there just depending on the hometown advantage, you're in for a long time. It's just focus, whether I'm fighting at home or fighting abroad."

The role of underdog is one that Ward relishes.

"I expect a very, very, very tough fight. I expect to face the best Mikkel Kessler...I expect a better Mikkel Kessler than I saw against Calzaghe. But why do I feel I can beat Mikkel Kessler? I have to feel that way at this point in my career. If I didn't feel like I can be in this tournament, I shouldn't be in this tournament," said Ward.

"For me, personally, when you're fighting a fight like this, this is it. This is all that you think about. This is what you eat, this is what you sleep, this is what you drink," said Ward. "The other details, you just approach them as they come. This is not something that you sit up and you calculate. It's all about this fight right here."

Below are the air dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic--Episode2:

Saturday, Nov. 14 - 10:40 p.m. SHO (premiere)

Monday, Nov. 16 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 12 a.m. SHO

Wednesday, Nov. 18 - 11 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Nov. 19 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Thursday, Nov. 19 - 1:05 a.m. SHO

Friday, Nov. 20 - 10 p.m. SHO2

Saturday, Nov. 21 - 4:35 p.m. SHO

Note: all times ET/PT

Hometown Hero Andre Ward Looks to Dethrone WBA's Mikkel Kessler originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao? Boxing's Experts Weigh In

Lem Satterfield — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:37:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

For Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) and Filipino challenger Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), there never has been a more career-defining moment than this one.

Each will be battling for the pride of his countrymen as well as his status among boxing's best fighters, pound-for-pound, when the combatants step into the ring for Saturday night's mega-fight at The MGM Grand In Las Vegas.

After the jump, some of the most knowledgeable sources in the boxing world offer their predictions for a clash at the same site where Floyd Mayweather easily decisioned Mexican great, Juan Manuel Marquez, in September.

Joe Calzaghe, former supermiddleweight, light heavyweight champ
Manny Pacquiao by decision: I think Manny Pacquiao is going to be too quick for Cotto. I was ringside when Cotto fought [Joshua] Clottey.

He seemed to struggle a bit in that fight and it is hard to say what he will do against a faster, quicker Pacquiao. I know people say Cotto is the bigger guy, but I still think Pacquiao beats him in a decision.

Hector Camacho Sr., former WBC and WBO three-division champ
Manny Pacquiao to win: I'm a Puerto Rican like Cotto, but I like Pacquiao because he has fought better guys, like Oscar De La Hoya. I see him having no problem against Cotto.

Cotto is not a smart fighter, he boxes, and he's shown his colors already. He can be beat. So can Pacquiao. But I like Pacquiao. He has an unorthodox style, with punches coming from all over. Cotto tries to box. I see Pacquiao possibly stopping him.

Pacquiao's on a roll. He has the confidence. He has the boxing momentum. I see him winning.

Chad Dawson, undefeated IBO and WBC interim light heavyweight champ
Manny Pacquiao to win: Manny Pacquiao. He's the best. He's on top right now.

Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News
Miguel Cotto by decision: I initially picked Pacquiao, but I did a flip-flop on this one. For a guy that started at 106, you have to figure he's going to climb up one division too high at one point.

Cotto is not an Oscar De La Hoya at the end of the line, and he's not Ricky Hatton. He's one of the top five or six in the world, and he's a natural welterweight. I'm picking Cotto by decision.

His strength is going to be too much. Pacquiao keeps surprising me, but this may be the fight where he goes up one weight class too many.

Doug Fischer, co-editor of RingTV.com
Manny Pacquiao by decision: I think it's going to come down to styles. As versatile a boxer as Cotto is, he's predictable. The version of Pacquiao we've seen recently is the definition of unpredictable in the ring.

Pacquiao has a non-stop mix of in-and-out movement, feints, sneaky jabs and explosive lead power punches. His opponents never know what he's going to lead with, and so far, no one since Juan Manuel Marquez has been able to time this guy.

I think Cotto will eventually catch Pacquiao, which is why I think the fight will go the 12-round route. I believe Pacquiao will rock Cotto repeatedly in the early rounds with power punches that catch the bigger man blind.

But I also believe that the Puerto Rican star will be most dangerous while hurt. Pacquiao's instincts are to jump on a wounded prey, but Cotto will catch Pacquiao coming in and earn respect.

From the middle rounds on, I think the two will go at it. Pacquiao will use his legs to get in and out with fast combos and to stay off the ropes, while Cotto stalks forward and does damage with his stiff jab and occasional right hands that find the smaller man's body and head.

Pacquiao will constantly move to his left, taking Cotto's lethal left hook out of the equation. After 12, excellent rounds, I believe Pacquiao will have had more moments in the fight, and will win a close decision.

Nancy Gay, FanHouse.com
Manny Pacquiao by decision: This is Manny Pacquiao's toughest opponent to date-- a pure boxer and a natural welterweight who has the strength to inflict real punishment if he stays busy and works the body.

Miguel Cotto has a lot to prove after the hideous beating by Antonio Margarito. Does he have the chin to take punches? Can he stay off the ropes and maintain stamina through 12 rounds?

The catchweight of 145 pounds is lighter than Cotto would like, while Pacquiao's impressive hand and foot speed hasn't diminished the bigger he gets.

I think Pacquiao's speed, along with his superior trainer and corner, will prevail, and boxing's pound-for-pound champion will win by decision.

Bernard Hopkins, future Hall of Famer and former two-division world champ
Manny Pacquiao to win: Pacquiao is going to chop Cotto up. Out of respect, Cotto will get some rounds, but Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing.

His basketball and martial arts background give him that speed and agility. You can't tell where his shots are coming from. Unlike Rocky, Bruce Lee was a real dude and so is Manny.

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports Boxing
Manny Pacquiao by decision: I am afraid Miguel Cotto isn't the same man since he lost to Antonio Margarito. There is a suspicion that Margarito's gloves may have been loaded in that fight, but it's never proven.

But what is fact is that Cotto has slowed greatly since that bout. If I were convinced Cotto was going to be the same guy he was before he fought Margarito, I'd take him. But I think he's slowed because of the damage he took in that fight.

As a result, I expect Manny to move in and out, hitting Cotto and sliding out of danger. I think Pacquiao's quickness will make the difference and he'll win a unanimous decision.

Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated
Miguel Cotto by decision: Pacquiao has enjoyed a meteoric rise by beating on offensive-oriented fighters [such as] David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. But Cotto will be the first true counter-puncher he has faced since Juan Manuel Marquez.

Cotto has the speed and skill to deflect Pacquiao's heaviest shots, and the power in both hands to return a few of his own. Expect a back-and-forth, uber-competitive fight that is worth every dollar of the Pay Per View price. But expect Cotto to emerge with the decision.

Shane Mosley, WBA super world welterweight champ
Miguel Cotto by decision: It's going to be an interesting fight, and I think Pacquiao better take it very seriously. I think Cotto will win because he's a little bit bigger and is a real welterweight.

His power may be enough to overcome Pacquiao's speed. I think Cotto wins in a decision.

Kiernan Mulvaney, ESPN.boxing and Reuters
Manny Pacquiao by decision: I am having an incredibly hard time picking this fight. I think it's a very close, very even fight that, funny as it may sound. I can picture either guy totally dominating.

Miguel Cotto is one heck of a fighter: He's strong phsyically, he's strong-willed, he's calm, and he's a very good boxer technically. Until Antonio Margarito's possibly loaded gloves started taking their toll, Cotto was winning that fight last year with ease, I thought.

But I'm not sure Cotto is quite the same fighter he was before that. I think he just that little bit more vulnerable than he was. And Cotto, more than most fighters, really likes to set his own pace, to stamp his authority early on and force his opponent to fight at the speed he wants.

That isn't going to happen against Manny Pacquaio, and so, even though I can also see Cotto punishing Pacman with far harder shots than the Filipino has ever felt, I think Pacquiao's swarming fusillade proves too much, and Pacquiao winds up taking a hard-fought but ultimately clear decision.

Carlos Oritz, Hall of Famer and former three-time world champ
Miguel Cotto by decision: Pacquiao is a good boxer, but Cotto is a fighter. I'm going to give the edge to Cotto, and not just because he's Puerto Rican, but because of the way he fights.

He always comes to fight, he's always in shape. Cotto is going to have the edge. I see him winning by decision, but I do think he can knock Pacquiao out if the chance arrives.

Michael Davis Smith, FanHouse.com
Manny Pacquiao by 11th-round technical knockout: Miguel Cotto is bigger than Pacquiao, more powerful than Pacquiao, and seems to me more motivated than ever since his loss to Antonio Margarito last year.

But I just don't think he's ever seen anything like Pacquiao's blinding speed, and I think that will be the difference in this fight. I'm picking Pacquiao by 11th-round TKO.

Tim Smith, New York Daily News
Miguel Cotto by decision: Cotto in a decision. He is the first,legitimate welterweight that Pacquiao has faced who is in his prime rather than a blown-up junior welterweight or a fighter who is no longer in the prime of his career.

Bert Sugar, noted boxing historian
Manny Pacquiao by eighth round knockout: This is a fight of speed and accuracy for Pacquiao, against the body punching of Cotto. Vegas has always been Pacquiao's home, and the Evel Knievelof boxing will leap over another opponent to come away with the win.

Pacquiao also has a secret ingredient called [trainer] Freddie Roach, whose battle plans bring tears to the eyes of Robert E Lee. Cotto is a gutsy and gritty fighter, but I think Pacquiao stops him on cuts, and wins in the eighth round.

Felix Trinidad, former three-division world champion
Miguel Cotto by decision: Manny is a big puncher and a good boxer, but he has never faced a natural welterweight like Miguel. Cotto is the most dangerous fight of Pacquiao's career.

Mike Tyson, former undisputed world heavyweight champ
Manny Pacquiao by mid-rounds knockout: I pick Manny Pacquiao by knockout. I think he will knock him out in seven or eight. Manny just has too much for Cotto.

Winky Wright, former undisputed junior middleweight champ
Miguel Cotto by decision: If Cotto stays busy, he'll win a decision. I think that Cotto will win the fight, but I thinks it's gonna be a good fight.

On the night of the fight, Pacquiao will still not be a full welterweight. And Cotto is very strong. As the fight plays out, around rounds seven, eight, nine, that's when Cotto starts taking over.

I think Cotto will win by a decision, but he might even get a knockout. With all of my heart I think Miguel Cotto will win.

The boxing experts have chosen Manny Pacquiao to win, 11-7, with a 5-4 advantage for the Pac Man among the nine former or present world champions.

Check back on Friday for my analysis and prediction.

Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao? Boxing's Experts Weigh In originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pavlik to Return, Face Espino on Dec. 19

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:42:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

WBO and WBC middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik will fight Miguel Espino on Dec. 19 at in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, his promoter, Top Rank president Bob Arum, confirmed on Monday. Pavlik has apparently healed from a staph infection that twice prompted him to cancel scheduled title bouts against three-time champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams.

Arum said that Pavlik will face Espino as the main event of a Top Rank pay-per-view card entitled, "Latin Fury."

"He wanted to fight before the end of the year, and we had a Latin Fury card on in Mexico," said Arum. "So we decided that we would use the two best fights on that card, and put them with Pavlik against Espino from Youngstown."

The story, first reported by ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, indicates that the injury, located on the knuckle of Pavlik's left forefinger, has responded favorably to recent therapy.

Rafael quotes Top Rank Vice President Todd duBoef as saying that Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) will defend his 160-pound title against Espino (20-2-1, nine KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif.

"I think it's imperative for his career. Activity is important. You never like to see a young guy not fighting regularly when he's in his prime. This year has been a curse of little things that happened," duBoef told ESPN.com, referring to an injury that had been problematic despite two surgeries.

As a result, Pavlik said that he could not make a tightly closed fist. Pavlik will be ending a nearly 10-month layoff.

"It's good for everybody, especially for him, to get a good fight under his belt on Dec. 19," said duBoef. "Hopefully, if he's successful in defending his title he can go into 2010 with a clean slate."

In the co-feature, which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, WBC junior lightweight (130 pounds) champion Humberto Soto (49-7-2, 32 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico, will rise into to the lightweight (135) division to meet former IBF titlist, Jesus Chavez (44-6, 30 KOs).

Before Pavlik enters the ring, the card will also showcase Armenian-born, 23-year-old junior middleweight (154 pounds) Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 knockouts), who will be fighting an opponent to be determined for the NABF title, Arum said.

Pavlik, who has twice beaten former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, is returning to Youngstown for the first time since February, when he knocked out Marco Antonio Rubio in the ninth round.

Espino has won 11 consecutive fights, including six by knockout, and stopped his past four opponents since losing a five-round, unanimous decision to Peter Monfredo in August of 2004.

"We'll open up with Humberto Soto fighting in another fight in Mexico," said Arum. "And then, the action will go to Youngstown, where we'll do the Vanes Mrtirosyan fight, and the Kelly Pavlik-Espino fight."

Pavlik to Return, Face Espino on Dec. 19 originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cotto May Have to Bleed to Succeed

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

On Saturday night, Miguel Cotto, will walk into the same Las Vegas hotel arena where, sixteen months ago, the Puerto Rican fighter suffered the worst beating of his professional boxing career.

And as sure as he knows he'll be at ringside delivering his commentary for Cotto's matchup at the MGM Grand, HBO's Jim Lampley is equally certain that Cotto is going to shed blood, yet again, opposite Manny Pacquiao.

"Of course, [Cotto's] going to bleed in this fight. Unless it's only going to go a minute. Otherwise, if we're in round three, he's cut," said Lampley, who has been ringside during the many times when Cotto has bled, profusely, from facial lacerations.

"And I would specify that the cut is going to be above his left eye, which has been damaged in the past, and it's going to come from a Pacquiao right hook. It's a punch he won't see coming because Manny is so fast and so quick inside with that punch," said Lampley, who will be on the HBO pay-per-view telecast.

"The single biggest coefficient to cuts is fast hands, and that's where Manny Pacquiao has an advantage in this fight," said Lampley. "You don't see the punch coming, that's when you get cut."

But Cotto's resiliency is something of which Lampley also has taken note, adding, "he's a rare example of a guy who can constantly make adjustments in the ring based on what's in front of him."

hat's an advantage, said Lampley, that Cotto brings with him, ostensibly from having endured so many brutal brawls with various rivals.

"No doubt, Cotto is better at handling a crisis in the ring," said Lampley. "No doubt, he thinks his way through a fight better than Pacquiao does."

Cotto (34-1, 27 knockouts) will likely rely on those survival skills against Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) in defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title, which will be contested at a catch-weight of 145 pounds.

TPacquiao is attempting to win a belt in a record seventh weight class, while Cotto continues to stake his claim among Puerto Rico's premier world champions.

"Puerto Rico has a good boxing tradition with Wilfredo Gomez and Wilfred Benitez, Carlos Ortiz and Felix Trinidad. I am very happy and very proud to be a part of this Puerto Rican history," said Cotto, 29.

"First of all, I have to make good work of Manny Pacquiao (on Nov. 14) and then I have to go back to Puerto Rico. I don't know how the people are going to receive me there, but I hope it is going to be good," said Cotto.

"Some people are happy with my accomplishments in boxing; some others do not believe in me. But I have to do my work whether the people believe in me or not."

If his past is any indication, Cotto will do so or go down swinging.

"Miguel Cotto was wobbled against DeMarcus Corley (February, 2005) with a right hand over the top. Cotto was wobbled twice and knocked down once against Ricardo Torres, and I think that he was stunned a couple of times against Shane Mosley," said Lampley.

"He was cut badly against Zab Judah. He was cut badly against Joshua Clottey -- of those times in matches that he won, " said Lampley. "He was cut badly and beat up, obviously, in the Antonio Margarito fight, when he was knocked out."

It is that last one against Margarito, however, in July 2008, that has Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach and others questioning whether or not Cotto still is the same fighter he once was.

Cotto suffered a broken nose, dripped blood from his face, was knocked down once, took a knee once, and bled from a deep gash over his left eye. He was stopped in the 11th round.

"That was a very sad night for me. Miguel wasn't crying tears. The tears coming out of Miguel's eyes that night weren't normal. They were tears of blood. You had to see it," the champion's father, Miguel Cotto Sr., was quoted on HBO's 24/7 documentary.

"Bleeding out of his nose, bleeding out of his ears. You had to see how deep his wounds were," said Miguel Cotto Sr. "It's impossible to explain. I couldn't explain how someone with gloves could do that."

Although illegal plaster was found in Margarito's hand wrappings prior to his next fight with Shane Mosley, who knocked him out, no one is sure whether or not he was dirty when he faced Cotto.

Nevertheless, questions lingered into Cotto's last fight in June against Clottey, who not only had gone the distance with Margarito, but who vowed to manifest in Cotto what he considered to be a fragile psyche as a result of the punishment he had absorbed against Margarito.

Adding to the intrigue were the facts that cut man Joe Chavez and trainer Joe Santiago were in their first and second fights respectively in their lead roles with Cotto, having replaced dismissed Miguel Diaz and Evangelista Cotto. Santiago had backed up Evangelista Cotto for three years.

The moment of truth came in the third round, when an accidental clash of heads caused the area over Cotto's left eye to again pour blood.

Chavez worked to close the cavernous cut, being only intermittently successful. Santiago encouraged his fighter, who responded.

"No matter what the situation, no matter what the vision in my eye was, I always told the referee, 'I'm good,'" said Cotto.

"A lot of people wondered why I didn't allow the fight to be stopped," said Cotto. "But I spent more than nine weeks preparing for the Clottey fight to make a great fight and a great show for the fans all over the world."

On cue, Cotto switched to survival mode and attack mode.

"From the moment that that cut occurred, Cotto understood that the rest of the fight was going to be a game of chicken," said Lampley. "It was a matter of how much space and time could Cotto buy in the fight by simply staring Clottey down and using moments of aggression, here and there."

At one point, Cotto even slammed Clottey to the canvas in the fifth round as a seeming demonstration that he would not back down.

"It was a matter of continuing to make his point that he was dangerous, and to prevent Clottey from taking advantage of all the advantages he was enjoying in the fight," said Lampley.

"As a result, in the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds, Clottey has a dead man in front of him," said Lampley. "But he won't go after him because Cotto already has mentally stared him down. That's how he wins fights."

On Saturday night, Cotto vows yet again to rely on past experiences to bring his best into the ring against Pacquiao.

"Now, I've been in good fights with Judah, Mosley, Clottey. If people saw Miguel Cotto in all of those years, and they didn't believe in me, then what else do I have to do?," said Cotto.

"There is a lot of pride on the line for me, but for those people not to believe in me, I can't do anything else," said Cotto. "I'm here mostly to prove to myself that I'm better than Manny Pacquiao. I'm doing this for the pride of my family, my kids and my country."

Cotto May Have to Bleed to Succeed originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Promoter Seeks Froch-Dirrell Rematch

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:12:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO, Showtime, IBO

Promoter Gary Shaw, right, said that he is "pushing for a rematch with the WBC" between his 168-pound fighter, Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs), and the organization's super middleweight champion, Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs), who won a split-decision over Dirrell on Oct. 17 as part of Showtime's Super Six super middleweight tournament.

"I'm looking to try to get it done for December. I'm talking to Showtime about it, and I have a meeting with them this week," said Shaw, whose talented southpaw, Dirrell, is scheduled to face hard-hitting, former middleweight world titlist, Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs), in the second stage of the tournament on Jan. 23.

Abraham is coming off of an Oct. 17, 12th-round knockout of former middleweight world champion, Jermain Taylor.

Dirrell lost what was considered by many to be a controversial decision in Froch's hometown of Nottingham, England.

European judges Massimo Barrovecchio and Daniel Van De Wiele both scored the fight 115-112 for Froch, while Mexican judge Alejandro Rochin awarded Dirrell a decision, 114-113.

FanHouse scored the 168-pound clash 115-113 for Dirrell, who complained, throughout, that he was being hit behind the head and on the break several times by Froch, and who expressed shock that referee Hector Afu deducted a point from him for excessive holding during the 10th round, when he had Froch hurt.

"He was holding me and hitting me in the back of the head the whole time," said Dirrell, who was slammed to the ground by Froch (pictured) in the fifth round. "He was rough the whole fight. And he takes a point from me without warning. But we know where we're at."

Froch's next matchup, against Denmark's WBA king, Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), has not yet been scheduled, since Kessler still has to face Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) in their first-round matchup on Nov. 21.

"The rule is that if it doesn't break up the Showtime tournament, then Froch can be the guy," said Shaw, adding that he is "absolutely" trying to make Froch-Dirrell for December.

There is little reason to believe that Shaw won't get his way, because, for the past few weeks, the promoter has been on a roll and luck has been largely on his side.

"We've had a lot of fighters winning championships," said Shaw. "We've been very, very blessed."

On Saturday, Shaw's top performer, 175-pound Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs) defended his IBO light heavyweight title and earned the WBC's interim crown against Glen Johnson, defeating the 40-year-old challenger for the second time.

On the Dawson-Johnson undercard, Shaw's junior middleweight, Alfredo Angulo put previously undefeated, Harry Joe Yorgey (22-1-1, 10 KOs), on the canvas three times on the way to a third-round stoppage.

A 27-year-old native of Mexicali, Mexico, Angulo, who lives in Coachella, Calif., improved his record to 16-1 with his 13th knockout and his 12th stoppage in his past 13 fights.

In victory, Angulo bounced back from a loss to Kermit Cintron and earned the WBO's interim title in the process.

"I'm going to bring Angulo back to the West Coast and fight him in the Los Angeles area," said Shaw. "I haven't honed in yet on the opponent for him, but that will happen probably in April."

A weekend earlier on Halloween night at the Treasure Island Hotel in Las Vegas, Shaw watched Colombian-born bantamweight Yonnhy Perez, and Mexican southpaw lightweight Antonio Demarco score two impressive, if not improbable, victories on the way to earning crowns.

Perez, 30, improved his record to 20-0, with 14 knockouts when he dethroned the IBF 118-pound champion, Joseph Agbeko, of Ghana, handing him only his second loss in 29 bouts.

Perez stood toe-to-toe, and won many of those exchanges. Perez also floored Agbeko for the first time in his career in the 10th round on the way to winning, 117-110, on two judges' cards, and, 116-111, on that of the third.

"Yonnhy Perez was in the fight of the year, in my mind. He showed everybody what he's made of by beating down Agbeko," said Shaw, who has ruled out a rematch with Agbeko.

"That [Agbeko] won't happen. That's done. He's finished," said Shaw. "Yonnhy will be in a mandatory position, but I'm not sure who we'll fight at 118."

The 23-year-old Demarco (23-1-1) had been even more dominant during his 135-pound clash with Jose Alfaro, against whom he won every round before scoring three knockdowns that forced referee Joe Cortez to call a halt to their bout at 2:07 of that 10th round.

For Demarco, the win marked his 17th by knockout as he earned a right to face WBC champ, Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KOs), of Venezuela.

Valero, 27, has a defense scheduled for Dec. 19 in Caracas, Venezuela, against Mexico's Hector Velazquez (51-13-2, 35 KOs).

Since losing a six-round, majority decision to Anthony Vasquez in February of 2006, Demarco is 15-0-1, with 10 knockouts.

"If Demarco fights Valero, I believe that he'll knock Valero out," said Shaw. "That would be to just about everybody's shock and surprise, but Demarco is for real."

Over the next few weeks, Shaw has South African Ali Funeka (30-2-2, 25) fighting Brooklyn's Joan Guzman (29-0, 17) for the vacant IBF lightweight title on Nov. 28, and Ola Afolabi (14-1-3, six) of West Hills, Calif., taking on Germany's Marcus Huck (26-1, 20) for the WBO cruiserweight (200 pounds) championship on Dec. 5.

Also next month, Tim Bradley (24-0, 11) of Palm Springs will defend his WBO junior welterweight (140) crown against Lamont Peterson (27-0, 13) of Washington, D.C., on Dec. 12, and Armenian-born Vic Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26) will put his WBC and WBA super flyweight (115 pounds) titles on the line against Mexico's Tomas Rojas (32-11-1, 22).

Promoter Seeks Froch-Dirrell Rematch originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dawson to Face Pascal-Diaconu Winner

Lem Satterfield — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:09:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, HBO, Showtime, IBO

Chad Dawson, the undefeated light heavyweight champion, will pursue a bout with the winner of next month's Jean Pascal-Adrian Diaconu matchup, his promoter, Gary Shaw, told FanHouse on Sunday.

"I really believe that in time, all roads will lead to Chad Dawson -- just like it did for Pernell Whitaker, and just like it did for Bernard Hopkins," said Shaw, making sure not to rule out possible bouts against Hopkins or Roy Jones, who will likely face each other early in 2010.

"They won't be able to avoid him, because people will eventually say, 'You can't say that you're the best, and you can't say that you're the champion until you've fought Chad Dawson and beat him,' " said Shaw. "I believe that Chad is, right now, officially the gatekeeper at 175 pounds."

The 27-year-old Pascal (24-1, 16 KOs) is the WBC's champion. Pascal and the 31-year-old Diaconu (26-1, 15 KOs) will meet in a Dec. 11 rematch of Pascal's unanimous decision victory in June. It's also a clash between fighters who both reside in Quebec, Canada.

"After Pascal-Diaconu, I'll start negotiations with the winner of that fight, because, right now, Pascal is the champion, and Dawson is the [WBC's] interim champion," said Shaw. "The WBC said that those two have to fight next, and it will be a great fight."

Dawson is coming off of Saturday night's IBO light heavyweight title defense against Glen Johnson, whom he dominated on the way to a 12-round, unanimous decision.

It was the second time that the 27-year-old Dawson (29-0, 17 knockouts) had won on all three cards against the 40-year-old Johnson, the 2004 Fighter Of The Year.

Against Dawson, Johnson looked like a man who should ponder retirement from the game. "I think that Chad put on a masterful performance. I'm not sure that the fans appreciate what a good boxer he is, and what a great athlete he is. He did things in the ring that I've never seen a 175-pound fighter do before," said Shaw.

"Defensively, he moved like Pernell Whitaker. There were two, or three, or four times, where he would roll and duck, and he was right in front of Glen. Glen actually couldn't even punch him," said Shaw.

"Glen just looked at him. Chad was making the angles and rolling right in front of him. I had the fight at 118-110 in my mind. He's a smart fighter, and I believe that there's no one around who can beat him."

Dawson to Face Pascal-Diaconu Winner originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:09:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angulo KOs Yorgey in Third Round

Lem Satterfield — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:04:00 EST

Filed under: WBC, IBF, WBO, HBO

Alfred Angulo had his opponent on the canvas three times and landed 99 power punches on the way to a sensational third-round knockout of previously-unbeaten Harry Joe Yorgey during Saturday night's 154-pound clash at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

The 27-year-old Angulo raised his record to 16-1 with his 13th knockout, scoring his 12th stoppage in his past 13 matchups. Yorgey dropped to 22-1-1, with 10 knockouts.

"I knew Harry Joe Yorgey was a good fighter, and we knew that he came to fight, but this was the first time I was fighting for a title, and I wanted to showcase my talents on HBO," said Angulo, who rebounded from a loss to Kermit Cintron and earned the WBO's interim title belt.

"I dedicated this to Mexico," said Angulo. "I dedicate this fight to all of my fans who follow me."

Angulo-Yorgey took place on the undercard of a light heavyweight (175) matchup between Chad Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs) and Glen Johnson (49-12-2, 33 KOs) in defense of Dawson's IBO crown in a bout that is for the WBC's interim title.

Angulo-Yorgey was televised on HBO.

Angulo-Yorgey Round-by-Round Recap

Round 1: Angulo met Yorgey at ring center, where he sought to establish his jab. The two traded punches along the ropes, early, with Angulo getting the better of it against Yorgey, whose back was against the ropes. Yorgey retreated, but doubled up with a left to the body at one point. Trained by Jack Lowe, of middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, Yorgey effectively countered against the oncoming Angulo while moving side to side. Angulo drove home two rights, punctuated by a right cross. Angulo's delivery -- hard right crosses, left hooks and uppercuts, had Yorgey trying to clinch at round's end. Angulo's round, 10-9.

Round 2: Angulo out-landed Yorgey 24-16 in the first round, but emerged with redness on the right side of his face. Yorgey gave ground more in the second round, but got Angulo's attention with an overhand right and danced away. Yorgey fired a left hook and an uppercut that was answered by two hard rights from Angulo. Angulo then trapped Yorgey in a neutral corner, blasted his head back with a staggering right hand, and then battered him with about 10 punches for a knockdown with 1:19 left in the round. Yorgey rose, but still was wobbly, and absorbed a relentless attack while almost going down yet again. The referee stepped in to prevent Angulo from hitting behind the head, giving Yorgey a brief respite, as he staggered around the ring. When the fight resumed, it was more of the same -- Yorgey trying to keep off Angulo, but absorbing more blows and leaving the round with a bloody nose. Angulo's round, 10-7.

Round 3: Angulo was back on top of Yorgey early in the third round, as Yorgey wound up falling to the canvas -- his hands around Angulo's legs -- from an early assault that began with a right hand, yet again. Cornered for the final time, Yorgey was knocked senseless by a hard, left hand that followed a right, and then another right hand as he dropped flat on his back at 1:03 of the second round.

Fight's over, third round knockout at 1:03.

Angulo KOs Yorgey in Third Round originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Champs Judah, Casamayor Both Score Comeback Wins

Lem Satterfield — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:28:00 EST

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF

Southpaw former world champion Zab Judah (pictured) scored a second-round knockout over Ubaldo Hernandez on Friday night at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas to improve to 38-6 with his 26th career KO.

The victory was the fourth in the past five fights for the 32-year-old Judah since June 2007, when he was knocked out in the 11th round by Miguel Cotto.

A former three-time titlist, Judah scored three knockdowns while ending a nearly 12-month layoff against Hernandez (22-20-2, 10 KOs), who, like him, weighed 145 pounds for their welterweight matchup.
Judah was coming off of last November's 10-round unanimous decision victory over Earnest Johnson, which helped him to rebound from being stopped in the ninth round by Joshua Clottey in August 2008.

Hernandez lost for the third straight time.

In another welterweight fight, former four-time world champion Joel Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs) scored an eight-round unanimous decision over Jason Davis (11-5-1, three KOs).

The Cuban-born Casamayor, 38, ended a nearly 14-month layoff in the process, improving to 6-1-1 since losing a split decision to Jose Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight title in December 2004.

Also a southpaw, Casamayor was coming off of a September 2008 loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, when he was stopped for the first time in his career in the 11th-round of a tightly-contested, lightweight (135 pounds) matchup.

Also on the card was Salvador Sanchez (17-3-2, eight KOs), who earned a six-round unanimous decision over Jose Pachecho in a 124-pound bout.

Former Champs Judah, Casamayor Both Score Comeback Wins originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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