Boxing FanHouse http://boxing.fanhouse.com Boxing FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Boxing FanHouse http://boxing.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Ex-Champ Oleg Maskaev: 'I Stopped Vitali Klitschko in the First Round' http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/qanda-with-former-heavy-champ-oleg-maskaev/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/qanda-with-former-heavy-champ-oleg-maskaev/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/qanda-with-former-heavy-champ-oleg-maskaev/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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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]]>hasim rahmanoleg maskaevsamuel petervitali klitschkoLem SatterfieldSun, 22 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST 'It's My Time,' Andre Ward Says After Dethroning Mikkel Kessler http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/its-my-time-says-andre-ward-who-dethrones-wbas-mikkel-kess/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/its-my-time-says-andre-ward-who-dethrones-wbas-mikkel-kess/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/22/its-my-time-says-andre-ward-who-dethrones-wbas-mikkel-kess/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Andre WardMost believed that Andre Ward faced a disadvantage in overall experience against Denmark's WBA champion, Mikkel Kessler, on Saturday night.

Not only did Kessler enter their matchup with more than twice as many victories as Ward, but he also had almost three times as many knockouts, and had held the super middleweight (168 pounds) crown for nearly five years -- longer than Ward has been a professional.

But youth trumped experience as did ring generalship in their clash at Oracle Arena, where Ward dethroned Kessler with an 11th-round technical decision before an enthusiastic, partisan crowd of 10, 277 in the 2004 American Olympic gold medalist's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

With Kessler cut and bleeding badly above and below his right eye, and also cut over his left eye starting at the bridge of his nose, referee Jack Reiss of California -- on the advice of a ringside doctor -- called a halt to the bout at 1:42 of the second-to-last round.

Since the cuts were ruled to have been caused by accidental head-butts, the decision was left up to the scorecards.

Judges Steve Morrow of California and Stanley Christodoulou of South Africa both had it 98-92 for Ward, and Swedish judge Mikael Hook scored it, 97-93 -- all for the new champion.

FanHouse scored it a shutout over 10 rounds, 100-90, for the 25-year-old Ward, who improved to 21-0 with 13 knockouts, as the 30-year-old Kessler slipped to 42-2, with 32 KOs.


Ending for Kessler was a string of three straight stoppages since his November 2007 unanimous decision loss to Joe Calzaghe of Wales, who retired unbeaten following wins over ring legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, respectively.

"I have to thank God for this because he constantly puts me up against giants. He puts me in situations where, naturally, I'm not supposed to be able to overcome. But I'm telling you, there's nothing impossible with Jesus Christ in your life. Nothing," said Ward, a winner of Oakland's first fight in 42 years.

"I just felt like it was my time. I wasn't intimidated by Kessler's record," said Ward. "Because, again, if God is with you, can accomplish anything."

Ward's early, tactical aggression baffled Kessler, and it lasted throughout the fight.

Ward alternated from his natural, orthodox, right-handed position -- from which he constantly beat Kessler to the punch with his left jab, lead-left and follow-up rights -- to the southpaw stance, where he did exactly the same thing, but in reverse.

Ward established the tone, from the outset, with a momentum-halting, piston-like jab that effectively disrupted the forward-moving Kessler's agression and prevented him from applying pressure.

As the fight progressed, Ward moved in and out.

On the inside, Ward dug to the body and used his free hands during clinches to pound home shots to the body, face and ears of the man nicknamed "The Viking Warrior."

From the outside, Ward fired freely, and, at times, unwisely. But Kessler rarely made the younger man pay for any indiscretions.

"I was kind of surprised being in there that he didn't make the adjustments. He kind of kept doing the same things, over and over. But I'm taking nothing away from him. He's a super champion, and I know why he's been a champion for so long," said Ward.

"But again, I felt like I was here for a reason. I was getting tons of text messages, tons of messages," said Ward. "And they were all saying the same thing, that 'It's your time.' You'll get what's rightfully yours. You've been training for a long time."

Ward, whose father died in 2002 of a heart ailment, also credited his trainer and father figure, Virgil Hunter, who helped to guide Ward to Olympic glory.

"Virgil, man, this is as much for him as it is for me. He has a gold medalist, and now, he has a world champion," said Ward. "He knows how to keep me focused in a fight from round to round."



Kessler complained of Ward's holding, as well as what he considered to be at least five intentional head-butts.

"I'm not used to the referee not stopping the fight when you're holding. And [Ward] was using his head-butt all of the time. Every time we got into a clinch, he head-butted me," said Kessler, briefly touching a cut on the area beneath his right eye with his left hand.

"Every time I tried to break a clinch, [the referee] let him punch me. I'm not used to that. It causes you to get out of rhythm. I think that it was unfair -- with the head-butting, and the holding, and a hometown referee," said Kessler, noting that Reiss is from California.

"[Ward] was coming in with the head-butt all of the time, and on purpose. He knew that I wasn't moving, so he was coming in with his head. And then, when we were holding, he was punching," said Kessler. "I couldn't see from my eyes. When I was head-butted, I'd be [dizzy] a little bit."

Ward was fighting at Oracle Arena for only the second time, having decisioned knockout artist Edison Miranda over 12 rounds in what was considered to be the biggest win of his career.

Ward denied that his head-butts were on purpose.

"My assessment is that I think that I felt two accidental head-butts. I'm not a dirty fighter. If you check any of my previous 20 fights, I've never done that intentionally," said Ward.

"He has three cuts -- two of them were punches for sure. One of them was a head-butt. But you can't say anything about the other moments in the other 10 rounds," said Ward. "Again, I take nothing away from him. He was a great champion."

Ward-Kessler was the third bout of Showtime's Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic's initial Group Stage One, and sets up a bout between Ward and former undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) champion Jermain Taylor (28-4, 17 KOs).

Also, Kessler must now regroup to face England's WBC titlist, Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs), who stopped Taylor in the 12th round prior to the tournament.

The tournament began on Oct. 17 with Germany's Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) stopping Taylor in the 12th round, and Froch defending his crown with a decision over Michigan's former Olympic bronze medalist, Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs). Ward-Taylor and Froch-Kessler will take place at a site and on a date to be determined.

"Of course, I have to look at how this fight went, and try to see what I can do better. I have to see if I still have it," said Kessler. "If I have to fight Ward again someday, I can't go straight forward or stay in the middle. I have to go side-to-side."

There was speculation that Taylor would not continue in the tournament, having lost four of his past five fights, and having been stopped three times during that stretch.

"That's up to him. But I read on his Twitter where he answered his fans and said that he was training and preparing, so that's who we'll get ready for. But whoever it is, we fought the best in the world tonight," said Ward.

"People thought that I got a bad draw against Kessler. But we told everybody, 'No, this is the right draw.' We beat the top guy; we're going to rest a little bit," said Ward. "It was a hard training camp, it's been a long 15 years, and I'm going to regroup and get ready for the next stage -- whoever it is."

Next-round matchups also have Dirrell facing Abraham on Jan. 23. After that, Froch is to take on Abraham, Kessler is slated to meet Taylor, and Ward is to face Dirrell -- results that will determine a four-man semifinal, followed by a final to crown the tournament's winner.
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'It's My Time,' Andre Ward Says After Dethroning Mikkel Kessler originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Andre WardJack ReissMikkel KesslerLem SatterfieldSun, 22 Nov 2009 00:27:00 EST Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward: Live Round-by-Round Updateshttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mikkel-kessler-vs-andre-ward-live-round-by-round-updates/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mikkel-kessler-vs-andre-ward-live-round-by-round-updates/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/mikkel-kessler-vs-andre-ward-live-round-by-round-updates/#commentsFiled under: , ,

FanHouse has a Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward live blog for round-by-round updates for one of the Showtime Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic bouts.

The 168-pound main event will start a little after 10PM ET. The live blog begins below.

Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts) vs. Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) live blog: Refresh this page often for minute-by-minute updates.

Pre-fight: Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. introduced Ward, who entered the ring waving a small American flag, and wearing a mostly-white robe with two red stripes down the middle, two blue ones starting from the shoulder and going down, and with JESUS CHRIST on the back. He also wore red, white and blue trunks.

Kessler entered the arena wearing a white and red T-shirt, and was booed. Behind him, a member of his entourage carried his WBA belt overhead. His trunks were the color of the Danish flag -- red and white.

Among the fight's rules: No standing eight, no three knockdowns, only the referee can stop the fight, and a fighter can't be saved by the bell.

Round 1: The fighters met at ring center, and Ward threw the first three jabs. Ward circled, jabbed to the body. Neither fighter has broken a sweat. Kessler has thrown two left hooks. Ward has thrown and landed two hooks as well. Ward has switched to southpaw, but is pawing with the right jab. Cornered, Ward twice escaped harm, the second time, by tying up the champion. Ward jabs to the chest and body as well as the head. Ward -- the crowd chanting, "USA, USA" -- appears to be encouraged. Kessler fails to take advantage of Ward's back being against the ropes a third time. Ward closes by landing a lead left hand. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 2: The busier fighter, Ward counters with a left hook. He appears to have found a home for it. Kessler follows Ward to the corner and digs to the body, but as Ward circles off, misses with two right hands. Ward continues to circle and jab -- going left and right. Kessler misses again with a right. Ward is in and out and clinching. Kessler's rhythm is off, but he regains it long enough to jab twice to the body in a corner. Ward switches back to southpaw, and, during a clinch, is the busier fighter. When the clinch breaks, Ward closes with a double-jab, a lead left and a fourth punch. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 3: The combinations and the hand-speed of Ward have been the difference so far, as the usually fluid Kessler appears stiff and surprisingly flat-footed. Ward, back to his orthodox style, wins the early battle of jabs in the round. Kessler has problems getting set for the big punch. Ward is following his jabs with straight rights. And then, he clinches. Kessler's jab is absent. His right hand misses. Ward drives home a left-, right-, left combination and clinches. After the break, Ward nails Kessler with a right hand. Ward closes with a right and two more lead lefts. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 4: A tell-tale mouse has developed under Kessler's right eye, as Ward continues to out-box him. Ward stands before Kessler and digs a three-punch combination to the midsection, starting with his left, and then dances away. Kessler continues to allow Ward to get in and out and beat him to the punch, without making him pay. Kessler manages to nail a ducking Ward with a left hook, but during the break of a clinch, Ward digs lefts and rights to the head and body of a covering-up Kessler. Kessler is bleeding under his right eye, and takes a huge right hand. Encouraged, Ward follows with seven unanswered blows. Kessler -- bleeding from beneath his right eye -- backs off the entire time. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 5: It appears that a right hand opened the cut under Kessler's eye, but that the mouse was started by a head-butt. Nevertheless, Ward siezes the early part of the round, jabbing and firing overhand rights. Kessler appears to be bleeding from his mouth, and takes a hard right. Kessler's left hook has landed twice, but he is blocked by Ward on the third attempt. Kessler lands a jab, but takes a right and a subsequent jab from Ward. Kessler lands a jab, but takes a straight left out of Ward's southpaw stance. Kessler, who did not spar with left-handers, appears confused when Ward fights as a leftie. Kessler returns to his corner with blood streaming from beneath his right eye. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 6: The challenger's circling continues, but Ward badly misses with a left and a right. Ward attacks with long lefts and rights, landing about three of them. Another overhand right is delivered on a holding Kessler, who then takes an uppercut. Ward is a step too quick, and is simply faster than the champion. Ward throws a lead-right, and a left jab from his orthodox stance -- the latter jolting back the champion's head. Kessler lands an overhand right, and then a left, but takes a punch in between. Ward pursues behind his jab and misses with a right. A straight right hand nails Kessler on the chin with about 10 seconds left. Ward's round, 10-9

Round 7: Ward continues forward and Kessler backs up. Kessler drives a left hook to the body. The crowd gets behind Ward, who jabs and follows up with a left to the body. Kessler, who looks flat, "is tired," Ward's corner told him between the sixth and seventh round. Kessler lands two of three jabs, but Ward, his hands dropping, counters well. Kessler misses with a wild left hook, but catches Ward with a right uppercut. Three straight jabs, and then a right all pop Kessler's head back. Ward jabs to the body and then to the head and body to close the round. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 8: Kessler tells his corner "I can't see," between rounds. Kessler lands a short right early, and lands a left to the body. But Ward nails him with a counter right hand. Kessler appears to be fading. Ward comes on as Kessler clinches. Ward drives a right to the body and jabs to the head. Kessler's hands are dropping, and his defense appears to be weakening. Ward lands two long punches -- a right and a left. Ward takes a short left hook as he jumps forward into a clinch, but he takes it well. Ward lands two left jabs, a right, and then a left. Kessler landa a left and a right, but Ward closes with a three-punch combination that appears to have Kessler cowering. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 9: There was desparation in Kessler's corner after the eighth round. Severely cut over his left eye -- from an apparent head-butt -- and below the right, Kessler repeatedly complained of not being able to see. He was told by his cornerman, Richard Olson, that he needs a knockout. Kessler simply backs off as Ward steps up the pressure behind his left jab, lead-left and followup right hands. Kessler holds, and when not in a clinch, appears unable to defend himself. Ward drives a left to the body that causes Kessler to wince. Ward takes a left uppercut during a late surge by Kessler, but his early activity won him the round. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 10: Ward starts by jabbing twice to the head and once to the body. And then, Ward fires a fourth, and then, a fifth, very stiff, piston-like jab into Kessler's face. Another head-butt causes another cut to Kessler -- this time, above the right eye. Ward drives in a right and a left and then a double-lead-right, followed by a left. Kessler lands a right against the on-rusing Ward, but Ward pops back Kessler's head with a shot of his own. Ward lands a right, a left, and then, later, repeats that sequence -- all to the head of Kessler. Ward, as he has all night, works the free hands during clinches. Ward's versatility has Kessler completely untracked as it has all night, and Kessler's corner appears to be in disarray. Ward's round, 10-9.

Round 11: Asked if he can contiinue by his corner between rounds, Kessler answers to the affirmative. Yet he continues to be victimized by Ward's general activity -- the jab, the right hand, and the busier blows during clinches. Finally, referee Jack Reiss calls time to have Kessler's facial injuries examined. And on the advice of a ringside doctor, Reiss stops the fight.

Although they will go to the cards, due to the injuries caused by head-butt, it is apparent that Andre Ward will be the new WBA super middleweight champion.

Sweden's Mikael Hook had it 97-93, and both South Africa's Stanley Christodoulou and California's Steve Morrow had it, 98-92, all for Ward.

FanHouse scored it, 100-90, for Ward.

Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward: Live Round-by-Round Updates originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre wardmikkel kesslerLem SatterfieldSat, 21 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST Erdei Dethrones WBC's Fragomenihttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/erdei-dethrones-wbcs-fragomeni/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/erdei-dethrones-wbcs-fragomeni/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/21/erdei-dethrones-wbcs-fragomeni/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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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]]>David HayeGiacobbe FragomeniZsolt ErdediFanHouse NewswireSat, 21 Nov 2009 22:27:00 EST Kessler Has Edge in Experience vs. Wardhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/kessler-has-edge-in-experience-vs-ward/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/kessler-has-edge-in-experience-vs-ward/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/kessler-has-edge-in-experience-vs-ward/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Denmark's WBA champion, Mikkel Kessler, is considered boxing's premier 168-pounder -- and for good reason.

And it is among those same reasons why the 30-year-old "Viking Warrior" is favored to take down 25-year-old former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward in defense of his title on Saturday night at Oracle Arena.

"Mikkel Kessler's just been in with a higher quality of opponent. And Kessler's been involved with more big fights, fighting, more or less, for 12 rounds since Andre Ward has been a professional boxer," said Doug Fischer, co-editor of RingTV.com. "And now he's fighting in Andre Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif., which is going to be nothing new to him."

Not only does Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts) have more than twice as many victories as Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) and almost three times as many knockouts, but Kessler has held a super middleweight crown for nearly five years, while Ward has been a professional for less than that amount of time.



"Andre Ward is a great, young fighter. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. I won my first world title at 24," said Kessler, who he earned the WBA title with a seventh-round knockout of Manny Siaca on Dec. 12, 2004 -- six days before Ward made his professional debut by stopping Chris Molina in two rounds.

"I can see that [Ward] is hungry, has good speed and good technique. He's a good fighter," said Kessler. "But I have double the fights he has, and I'm more experienced in a lot of different ways."

In June of 2005, Kessler made the first defense of his crown against future world champion, Anthony Mundine, scoring a lopsided, unanimous decision in the challenger's hometown of Sydney, Austrailia.

Kessler is also the owner of impressive wins over former world titlist Marcus Beyer, as well as top-notch contender, Librado Andrade, with his third-round knockout of Beyer earning the WBC crown in October of 2006.

Kessler's next fight was the March, 2007, one-sided rout of Andrade (28-2, 21 KOs) by the scores of 120-108 on all three cards.

That victory came against a fighter who was 24-0 with 18 knockouts. In addition, Andrade will face IBF champ Lucian Bute (24-0, 19 KOs) in a Nov. 28 rematch of their clash in October of 2008, when an out-on-his-feet Bute benefitted from a long count in the 12th round.

Kessler later traveled to Germany in October of 2008 for a third-round knockout of Danilo Haussler, yet again, in front of the loser's hometown fans.

"Mikkel Kessler's just a seasoned veteran. He's been in with Anthony Mundine and Librado Andrade," said Fischer. "He's fought on the road against Joe Calzaghe in Wales and again against Mundine in Austrailia."

Kessler even has an excuse -- if one buys it -- for his lone defeat to Calzaghe in June of 2007, arguing that an injury to one of his hands contributed to a fading effort down the stretch of a unanimous decision setback before Calzaghe's partisan fans in Wales.

"Kessler won at least four rounds against Calzaghe and looked pretty good doing it," said Fischer. "Andre Ward's fakes and his footwork should make it competitive for the first half of the fight, but I think Kessler's straight right hand should buzz him a couple of times."



Kessler-Ward is the third bout of Showtime's Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic, a round-robin tournament comprised of six of the world's best 168-pounders whose completion isn't expected until early 2011.

On Oct. 17, Germany's Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) stopped Arkansas' Jermain Taylor (28-4, 17 KOs) in the 12th round and England's Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) defended his WBC crown with a decision over Michigan's former Olympic bronze medalist Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs). The tournament is not scheduled to end until sometime in 2011.

"Andre Ward is not to be underestimated. He is very good. He is technically very sound and can also punch hard as he has shown in previous fights. But I hope that my new stablemate, Mikkel Kessler, wins," said Abraham, who, like Kessler, is promoted by Kalle Sauerland.

"[Kessler] is versatile, very experienced and he has a great vision-anticipation in the ring. And most importantly, the 'Viking Warrior' is a true fighter," said Abraham, who, like Froch, believes the American will be staring at their third loss after Saturday night.

"If you ask me for a prediction, I would go with a points victory for Mikkel," said Abraham. "The boxing fans can certainly be thrilled about this fight because it puts together two of the best technicians in the division."

Ward last fought at the Oracle in May, when he decisioned knockout artist Edison Miranda over 12 rounds in what, until now, was considered the biggest win of his career.

"Obviously, the stakes are much higher this time. I've prepared for a fight like this since I was nine years old," said Ward. "It's about time. I approach all of my fights the same. Every fight, as an amateur, I took seriously."

Froch, however, isn't sure that Ward is quite yet ready for Kessler.

"Andre Ward has that terrific amateur pedigree, winning the Gold medal at the Athens Olympics. He's had some good wins in the pros, but we will only find out how good he really is when he steps in there with Kessler," said Froch.

"Ward will have the benefit of home advantage, which I'm sure will play its part," said Froch. "But Kessler is very experienced and has won on the road before so I'm sure he won't see it as an issue."

Next-round matchups have Dirrell facing Abraham on Jan. 23, Froch facing Kessler and Ward against Taylor.

After that, Froch is to take on Abraham, Kessler is slated to meet Taylor and Ward will face Dirrell -- results that will determine a four-man semifinal followed by a final to crown the tournament's winner.

"I'm hoping for my own selfish reasons that Kessler wins because then he'll still have the WBA belt," said Froch. "I'm fighting him next, so if he beats Ward, then it means that our fight becomes a massive WBC and WBA unification clash and I can get my hands on his belt."

FanHouse gives Kessler the edge based on experience, which he will use to close strongly for a decision over the second half of the fight.

Kessler Has Edge in Experience vs. Ward originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre dirrellandre wardAndreDirrellAndreWardarthur abrahamArthurAbrahamcarl frochCarlFrochjermain taylorJermainTaylorjoe calzagheJoeCalzaghelibrado andradeLibradoAndrademikkel kesslerMikkelKesslerLem SatterfieldFri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST Pacquiao-Cotto PPV at 1.25 Million Buys; Mayweather-Pacquiao Next?http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/pacquiao-cotto-ppv-at-1-25-million-buys/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/pacquiao-cotto-ppv-at-1-25-million-buys/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/20/pacquiao-cotto-ppv-at-1-25-million-buys/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Manny Pacquiao's historic, 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto, whom he dethroned as WBO welterweight champ for a record, seventh title in as many weight classes on Saturday night, has generated 1.25 million buys, according to official records released to FanHouse by Mark Taffet, HBO's senior vice president of pay per view.

Along with Floyd Mayweather's Sept. 19, unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, which resulted in 1.05 million buys, this year represents the first time HBO pay per view has ever recorded back-to-back fights exceeding a million buys, Taffet indicated in Friday's e-mail.

Pacquiao-Cotto also marks the first time since 1999 that two, pay per view boxing events have totaled more than a million purchases, joining Felix Trinidad's controversial decision over Oscar De La Hoya, and, Lennox Lewis' disputed draw with Evander Holyfield.

The 1.25 figure represents the highest performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009, and, according to Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, "The biggest event of the year for pay per view from the standpoint of revenue generated."

Pacquiao-Cotto produced $70 million in pay-per-view revenue, a figure that includes 650,000 purchases from cable homes, another 600,000 from satellite and telephone company services, and a record 110,000 from Cotto's native Puerto Rico alone.

"I expect those [Pacquiao-Cotto] numbers to surpass 1.25. I really think that we're going to get over 1.3 when we get the final figures," said Arum. "This is a projection that will only go up."

Pacquiao has surpassed the one million mark in pay per view for the second time, joining his knockout of De La Hoya, which also registered 1.25 in December of 2008. Pacquiao's second-round stoppage of Ricky Hatton in May drew 830,000 buys, according to Taffet.

Mayweather's split-decision victory over De La Hoya in May of 2007 sold a record 2.4 million, making Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) against Pacquiao (50-3-2, 37 KOs) the obvious choice for the next megafight.

Arum said that he expects to begin negotiating as early as next week with Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer, who will be action on Mayweather's behalf.

"I think that they've indicated that that's who they want to negotiate with me," said Arum. "And, if that, in fact, turns out to be the case, then the best we have of getting the deal done is if Richard Schaefer's on the other side."

Pacquiao-Cotto will be replayed on HBO on Saturday night at 10 p.m., with subsequent replays scheduled for Nov. 22 at 10 a.m., and, Nov. 23 at 11:40 p.m. The fight will also be rebroadcast on HBO 2 on Nov. 22 at 2:30 p.m., and, Nov. 24, at 11:55 p.m.

Pacquiao-Cotto PPV at 1.25 Million Buys; Mayweather-Pacquiao Next? originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>evander holyfieldFelix Trinidadfloyd mayweatherjuan manuel marquezlennox lewismanny pacquiaomark taffetmiguel cottooscar de la hoyaricky hattonLem SatterfieldFri, 20 Nov 2009 13:07:00 EST Pacquiao-Cotto PPV Numbers Rolling in, Nearing 1.5M Buyshttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/working-pacquiao-cotto-just-below-1-5-million/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/working-pacquiao-cotto-just-below-1-5-million/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/working-pacquiao-cotto-just-below-1-5-million/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


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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]]>bob arumevander holyfieldfelix trinidadfloyd mayweatherJuan Manuel Marquezlennox lewismanny pacquiaomark taffetmiguel cottooscar de la hoyaricky hattonLem SatterfieldThu, 19 Nov 2009 18:09:00 EST Kessler-Ward Officials' Conflict Resolvedhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-conflict-resolved/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-conflict-resolved/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-conflict-resolved/#commentsFiled under: ,


One of the two California judges initially chosen to work Saturday night's 168-pound bout between Denmark's WBA king Mikkel Kessler and challenger Andre Ward has been replaced with a Swedish official, quelling a controversy that had threatened the fight's championship status.

Kessler's promoter, Wilfried Sauerland, said on Wednesday that the WBA had threatened not to sanction Kessler-Ward as a super middleweight title matchup because the referee, Jack Riesse, and at least two of the three judges assigned were from California.

That was in violation of the rules regarding the matchup -- part of Showtime's Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic -- wherein, at least two judges and the referee were to be from neutral territories, in accordance with contracts signed by each of the tournament's six fighters regarding the nationalities of the officials.

But Ward's promoter, Dan Goossen, said the commission has removed one California judge in favor of Sweden's Mikael Hook, who will work the fight along with South Africa's Stanley Christodoulou and California's Steve Morrow.
Riesse remains in place for Kessler-Ward, which will take place at Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland.

"The key is that all that I care about is that, whoever wins the fight, if it goes to a decision, that man gets the decision. I'm willing to accept it. I'm not going to do what Sauerland did and threaten any pullouts or anything like that," said Goossen.

"If Ward is winning and deserves the decision, I expect him to get the decision," said Goossen. "If Ward doesn't do enough to win, and Kessler should be the winner, I expect Kessler to get the decision. It's not right for the fighters to have judges affect the outcome of the fights."

Goossen said that Hook and Christodoulou were assigned to Kessler's last victory, a fourth-round knockout of Gusmyr Perdomo on Sept. 12 in Herning, Denmark. Both officials had Kessler ahead, 29-27, at the time of the stoppage.

"If anyone could complain, it would be me, because Christodoulou and Hook worked Kessler's last fight. But I'm willing to live with it," said Goossen. "It's not a matter of being happy or unhappy, it's a matter of me being willing to let it go as it is with the officials."

Kessler is 42-1 with 30 knockouts coming into the bout with Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), a 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

"Ward is unbeaten and very strong, but his previous accomplishments, including the Olympic gold medal, will not help him against Mikkel Kessler," said Sauerland.

"I have promoted five Olympic gold medal winners, but that does not mean that you become a world champion," said Sauerland. "So Andre can try ... to leave the ring as the winner. He is a strong fighter but he has never been in the ring with someone of Mikkel´s class."

Kessler-Ward Officials' Conflict Resolved originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre warddan goossenmikkel kesslerLem SatterfieldThu, 19 Nov 2009 16:55:00 EST Bert Sugar: Mayweather-Pacquiao Would Be 'Fight Of The Century'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/bert-sugar-mayweather-pacquiao-could-be-fight-of-the-century/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/bert-sugar-mayweather-pacquiao-could-be-fight-of-the-century/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/bert-sugar-mayweather-pacquiao-could-be-fight-of-the-century/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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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]]>bert sugarfelix trinidadfloyd mayweather jr.manny pacquiaomark taffetoscar de la hoyaroberto duransugar ray leonardthomas hearnsLem SatterfieldThu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST Kessler-Ward Officials' Controversy http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-controversy-arises/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-controversy-arises/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/19/kessler-ward-officials-controversy-arises/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A problem has developed concerning Saturday's 168-pound WBA title fight between champion Mikkel Kessler of Denmark and Andre Ward, the third bout of Showtime's Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic that is being fought at the Oracle Arena in the challenger's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

At least two judges and the referee for each matchup are to be from neutral territories, in accordance with contracts signed by each of the tournament's six fighters regarding the nationalities of the officials.

But during a press conference yesterday at Oakland's City Hall, Kessler's promoter, Wilfried Sauerland, said that the referee, Jack Riesse, and at least two of the three judges selected for the fight are from California, along with South African judge, Stanley Christodoulou, according to a report by the Associated Press.


"One thing I want to point out. We will not accept [promoter Dan Goossen's] choice of judges. He has done a great job to get his fighter three fights at home, but now he has appointed three judges from California," said Sauerland, in a statement released by tournament publicists.

"Needless to say, we will not accept his friends and colleagues judging this fight," said Sauerland. "So he better start moving because it takes a while to bring in new judges."

Sauerland told the Associated Press that he believed the WBA might refuse to sanction the bout as a title fight unless the California State Athletic Commission finds judges and a referee who aren't from Ward's home state.

"The WBA has written a strong letter to the Californian commission that the choice of judges is unacceptable, but the Californian commission has been somewhat hard to reach," said Sauerland in a statement. "The WBA has been trying to contact them, sending faxes and everything. If this issue is not sorted, we can have a Super Six fight, but Mikkel´s world title will not be on the line."

Goossen denied being involved with choosing the officials for the fight.

"Our company [Goossen Tutor Promotions] has nothing to do with picking officials. Whoever the WBA and the commission appoint is what we go with. The only man I want to see walking out of the ring is the real champion without any sort of interference," said Goossen.

"I didn't think there was any problem. I didn't know if this was done in unison with the WBA. From my understanding of it, the commission has tried to reach the WBA for the last month and a half, on numerous occasions, to work with them on the officials," Goossen told FanHouse.

"But there was no response back. And then, I understand that about a week and a half ago, the commission announced who the officials were," said Goossen. "First time I heard there was a problem was [Tuesday.] Obviously, this is something that the WBA was not in contact with the commission, and the commission, obviously has the responsibility to appoint the officials."

California Commission, spokesman, Russ Heimerich, told the Associated Press that he expected "come to an understanding" with Sauerland and to resolve the issue by as early as Thursday.

"We are aware of the concerns of the promoter, and so we have been working with both the promoter and the sanctioning body to address those concerns," said Heimerich. "The process is ongoing."

The 30-year-old Kessler brings a record of 42-1, with 32 knockouts into his matchup with Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), a 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

"I've been here before, so I am loving it in California. I have thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay here, living in a nice house and training in Sacramento," said Kessler. "But now I am ready to fight. I didn't come all the way from Denmark to lose. I am fully prepared and 150 percent ready. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been."

Kessler's only loss was a decision to Joe Calzaghe in the latter's hometown of Wales, one he partially attributes to being hampered by an injury to his hand.

"I have had only one defeat, and that was to Joe Calzaghe and it still eats at me today. Even thinking about that fight makes me even more motivated. That's why I am looking at this fight as a second chance to prove that I am the best," said Kessler.

"I hurt my hand and had only two weeks to spar for Calzaghe, but there will be no mistakes or excuses after this one," said Kessler. "I may be [30 years old,] but I have a lot of fight left. Saturday night can't come soon enough."

Ward is returning to the site of his biggest victory to date, which was a decision over highly-touted Edison Miranda May.

"Saturday will be a special night for me and the city of Oakland. There was a lot of buzz before my last fight here, but there is a lot more excitement going around for this one," said Ward.

"No one expected me to win the Olympics. No one expected to me to get this far as a pro," said Ward. "But, now, if I win, it is because I'm supposed to, and if I ever lose, it's a huge thing. I'm thrilled for everybody Saturday night and really anxious for the fight to be here."

Kessler-Ward Officials' Controversy originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre warddan goosensDan Goossensedison mirandajoe calzaghemikkel kesslerLem SatterfieldThu, 19 Nov 2009 00:58:00 EST Bernard Hopkins' Ring Life Continueshttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/bernard-hopkins-ring-life-continues/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/bernard-hopkins-ring-life-continues/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/bernard-hopkins-ring-life-continues/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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?"
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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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]]>Antonio Tarverbernard hopkinsenrique ornelasfelix trinidadjeff laceyjermain taylorjoe calzaghejoe frazierKelly Pavliklibrado andradellucian buteLucian Butenazim richardsonoscar de la hoyaroy jonesLem SatterfieldWed, 18 Nov 2009 22:43:00 EST Mikkel Kessler or Andre Ward? Boxing Experts Weigh Inhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/mikkel-kessler-or-andre-ward-boxings-experts-weigh-in/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/mikkel-kessler-or-andre-ward-boxings-experts-weigh-in/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/18/mikkel-kessler-or-andre-ward-boxings-experts-weigh-in/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Denmark's WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler will meet former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward on Saturday night in what shapes up as a clash of similar styles, even as it is a battle of Ward's youth against Kessler's experience.

Both the 30-year-old Kessler (42-1, 32 knockouts) and the 25-year-old Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) are considered excellent athletes whose arsenals include comparable speed as well as solid chins, stamina and general boxing skills.

FanHouse sought the opinions of 10 boxing experts for their predictions on the 168-pound matchup. See the results after the jump.



Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst
Andre Ward by decision: I'm picking Andre Ward in an upset. I believe that the tiger will come out in him. Being aggressive and making it an inside fight will be his ticket to victory. I'm going with Ward, to win in 12.


Doug Fischer, co-editor of RingTV.com
Mikkel Kessler by decision: Based on experience, Mikkel Kessler's just been in with a higher quality of opponent. And Kessler's been involved with more big fights, fighting, more or less, for 12 rounds since Andre Ward has been a professional boxer.

Kessler's been in with Anthony Mundine and Librado Andrade. He's fought on the road against Joe Calzaghe in Wales, and, Mundine in Austrailia. And now, he's fighting in Andre Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

Kessler won at least four rounds against Calzaghe, and looked pretty good doing it. Andre Ward's fakes and his footwork should make it competitive for the first half of the fight, but I think Kessler's straight right hand should buzz him a couple of times.

I don't think Kessler will get Andre Ward out of there, but I see him winning a 116-112, or a 115-113 type of decision.


Nancy Gay, FanHouse.com
Andre Ward by decision: Andre Ward's skillset as a complete boxer has improved steadily since his Olympic gold medal days as a amateur. After too many sub-par opponents, the 25-year-old Ward is facing a true test against super middleweight Mikkel Kessler, who is 30.

Kessler hasn't lost since dropping a 12-round decision to Joe Calzaghe in 2007. This fight could look a lot like that one. Ward's speed is now as impressive as any fighter in his division.

Ward's footwork is superb, and he's shown he can take punishment and still deliver power punches that do damage. This is a tough call. I could see a Kessler knockout in the third round or a 12-round decision. If this fight goes 12 rounds, it will belong to Ward.


Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports Boxing
Andre Ward by decision: Ward is my pick to win the Super Six. He's a star in waiting, and this is going to be his stage to show the world his talent. Ward's quickness, defensive savvy and work rate will lead him to a tough win.


Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News
Andre Ward by decision: No. 1, I think that this is certainly going to be Andre Ward's best opponent. And I just believe that Andre Ward is one of those guys, who, with an opponent like Kessler, that is going to bring out the best in Andre Ward.

I don't think that we've seen Andre's best yet because he hasn't fought a lot of top-10 guys. But this guy is so talented, and he is so confident, and he is so focused and hungry.

If you've talked to this guy for any amount of time at all -- and I have -- you will know how hungry Andre Ward is and how focused he is. That determination that he has is even more than I've seen with most fighters.

Andre Ward seems to have that Manny Pacquiao-like determination, and that means a lot. I see why a lot of people are picking Mikkel Kessler to win the tournament, because he's an outstanding fighter.

But I don't think that Mikkel Kessler is going to land a whole lot of clean punches on Andre Ward, and I think Andre hits hard enough to keep Kessler at bay. Andre is not a killer, but he won't have to be to win.


Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.boxing and Reuters
Andre Ward by decision: I think that if Mikkel Kessler still is Mikkel Kessler, then he's got a pretty good shot at winning this whole thing. But in his only loss, Joe Calzaghe whipped him pretty bad in the second half of that fight -- and Mikkel Kessler's hardly been seen since.

I just have this kind of sneaking suspicion that, faced with another fast-handed, slightly unorthodox fighter, Kessler might just come unglued a little bit. And so, I'm kind of leaning toward Andre Ward to pull of the upset.

It will go the distance, because Kessler's a tough guy. But I just have a feeling that Andre Ward can do it. I wouldn't be surprised if Ward comes out pretty strong, and maybe Kessler pulls himself together and comes back into it.

Maybe Kessler's a little stronger down the stretch, but I just have this sneaky feeling that Ward's going to pull this one out.


Joe Santoliquito, Managing Editor, Ring Magazine
Mikkel Kessler, ninth-round knockout: Kessler has too much experience for Ward, at this stage in Ward's career. Kessler has been in with Joe Calzaghe, Librado Andrade and Anthony Mundine.

Ward's been in with what? A faded, and easy-to-hit Edison Miranda? Kessler wears down Ward and finishes him in the ninth. It's too soon for Ward to be facing someone like Kessler.


Michael David Smith, FanHouse.com
Mikkel Kessler by unanimous decision: Kessler has looked focused and motivated in his three fights since losing to Joe Calzaghe, and I think he's going to look even better against Ward.

Ward is an undeniable talent, but he hasn't faced opponents of Kessler's caliber. And I think Kessler will give Ward his first loss. So I pick Kessler by unanimous decision.


Tim Smith, New York Daily News
Andre Ward by decision: Andre Ward discovered just how good he can be when he fought Edison Miranda. He didn't push as hard as he should have to get Miranda out of there.

But I think Andre Ward now knows what it takes to get the job done. I think he'll take the next step against Kessler, though I think Kessler is a tougher guy. So I'm picking Ward by decision.


Bert Sugar, noted boxing historian
Mikkel Kessler by decision: My pick is Kessler. I think that Mikkel Kessler is a complete fighter, and that Andre Ward is still learning and still improving. Mikkel is a complete fighter already.

I thought against Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler looked good, but that Calzaghe was faster. Kessler can hit, and I think that he's technically better than Ward. I think Ward, who is excellent, is not there yet.

The boxing experts give the younger Ward an edge, 6-4. I'll make my analysis and prediction on Friday.

Mikkel Kessler or Andre Ward? Boxing Experts Weigh In originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre wardjoe calzaghemikkel kesslerLem SatterfieldWed, 18 Nov 2009 18:10:00 EST Ward vs. Kessler Is Youth vs. Experiencehttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/ward-vs-kessler-is-youth-vs-experience/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/ward-vs-kessler-is-youth-vs-experience/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/ward-vs-kessler-is-youth-vs-experience/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Denmark's Mikkel Kessler has more than twice as many fights -- and wins -- as Andre Ward.

The champion has more than three times as many knockouts, and could be stronger than the challenger, if not equally as fast and athletic.

And although Kessler is six years older than Ward, the WBA super middleweight titlist seems to be in his prime.

Ward (pictured far right) appears to be the underdog in most phases of the matchup. But if you ask his promoter, Dan Goossen, that's just the way Ward likes it.

"This is just like Andre Ward's run to the gold medal, but in the pro ranks. On his path to gold, no one gave him a shot. Everyone else was the favorite, and this is the same situation. Andre's very smart in the ring. He knows when to jab, he knows when to move and he does it with speed," said Goossen.

Mikkel Kessler"But they are all picking Kessler (right) and for good reason -- he's a great, experienced champion," said Goossen. "Experience is great against someone who hasn't experienced everything Andre learned at the Olympics. And we have all the confidence in the world that, on Saturday night, Andre will make history."

Ward (20-0, 13 knockouts) will face Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs) on Saturday night at Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif., as part of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament.

"It's incredible to have this fight at home, and the support here has been outstanding. A lot of people say that boxing is dead in Oakland because there used to be two or three gyms full of boxers here. Boxing was a huge thing," said Ward, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist.

"To see the excitement for this fight here in Oakland and in the Bay Area and to give them something positive to support, I'm excited about that," said Ward. "This is what it's all about, I've been at the highest level as an amateur and now I'm preparing for my first world title fight as a professional. I'm ready."

Kessler-Ward is actually the third bout of a round-robin tournament, whose eventual completion isn't expected until early 2011.

The event began on On Oct. 17, when Germany's Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) and England's Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs), respectively, knocked out Arkansas' Jermain Taylor (28-4, 17 KOs) and Michigan's Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs).

Ward last fought at the Oracle in May, when he decisioned knockout artist, Edison Miranda, over 12 rounds in what is considered to be the biggest win of his career.

In that matchup, Ward overcame a bloody gash over his left eye that was the result of an accidental head-butt less than 30 seconds into the fight.

Ward also did not back down from a slugfest, holding his own while wrestling with the muscular Miranda during clinches, engaging in mini-brawls and infighting exchanges, and firing a blistering left hand from an occasional, southpaw stance while generally displaying his versatility.

"People are often surprised when they fight me. You see one thing, and then, you get into the ring, and you see something different. Miranda told me in the locker room after the fight that he thought I would be a lot easier than I was. I've heard that a lot during my career -- even going back to the amateurs," said Ward.

"I have no idea what it is about my style, but they would hear I was the No. 1 guy and see me fight and say 'That's Ward?' " said Ward. "We do it in such a way that it looks easy until they get in the ring with me. We go back and look at every fight. We saw mistakes in the Miranda fight and we've even corrected those."

Kessler's lone defeat was in November of 2007 against Joe Calzaghe, who later scored back-to-back victories over Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones before retiring at 46-0 with 32 knockouts in November of 2008.

"Obviously for Mikkel, Saturday´s fight will be as important as the clash against Calzaghe, and I am sure he will make a great fight. In my opinion, the difference between the two fighters is Mikkel´s huge experience, and, also, his well-known punching power," said Wilfried Sauerland, Kessler's promoter.

"Ward has a tremendous unbeaten run. His Olympic gold medal as well as his professional record speak volumes about his class," said Sauerland. "But Ward has never been tested, and he has never fought someone like Mikkel. So Saturday will be Ward´s first big test."

Kessler earned the WBA crown in November of 2004 with a seventh-round knockout of Manny Siaca.

Kessler defended the crown four times, capped by a lopsided, unanimous decision over Librado Andrade, from whom he lifted the WBC belt.

Kessler won, 120-108, on all three cards against Andrade, who entered their bout with a record of 24-0 and 18 knockouts.

Kessler knocked out Dmitri Sartison in the 12th round of their June, 2008 bout to regain the WBA crown, and subsequently defended it by stopping Danilo Haussler and Gusmyr Perdomo in the third, and, fourth rounds, respectively.

"I have had a lot of big fights," said Kessler. "I think my strengths are also speed and my experience."

Kessler said that in many ways, Ward, the youngest tournament member at 25 years old, provides a mirror image of himself.

"Andre Ward is a great, young fighter. He reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. I won my first world title at 24," said Kessler. "I can see that he is hungry, has good speed and good technique. He's a good fighter. But I have double the fights he has, and I'm more experienced in a lot of different ways."


Ten most successful super middle title defenses

1. Joe Calzaghe - 21 (1997-2007)
2. Sven Ottke - 21 (1998-2004)
3. Chris Eubank - 14 (1992-94)
4. Chong-Pal Park - 9 (1985-88)
5. Nigel Benn - 9 (1992-95)
6. Markus Beyer - 7 (1993-96)
7. Frankie Liles - 7 (1994-98)
8. Steve Collins -- 7 (1995-97)
9. Mikkel Kessler - 6 (2005-present)
10. Roy Jones - 5 (1995-96)

(Source: Mike Rosenthal, Co-Editor of RingTV.com)

Ward vs. Kessler Is Youth vs. Experience originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre dirrellandre wardarthur abrahambernard hopkinscarl frochdan goossenjermain taylorjoe calzaghelibrado andrademikkel kesslerroy jonesLem SatterfieldTue, 17 Nov 2009 20:54:00 EST Dmitriy Salita Inspired by Foreman to Become Next Jewish Champion http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/salita-inspired-by-foreman-to-be-jewish-champ/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/salita-inspired-by-foreman-to-be-jewish-champ/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/17/salita-inspired-by-foreman-to-be-jewish-champ/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Dmitriy SalitaDmitriy Salita had spent weeks training like a madman at the Poconos resort in Pennsylvania, but the boxer hadn't worked as feverishly as he had while running around in search for a working television on Saturday night.

"I tried to go to different places, but I couldn't find anywhere with good reception," said Salita, "because, you know, this place is out in the middle of nowhere."

By the time Salita was able to achieve his goal, the news already was out: One of his best friends, Yuri Foreman, had become the first Israeli citizen to earn a professional world title.


Foreman dethroned Puerto Rico's WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Daniel Santos, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before a packed house in Las Vegas, improving his record to 28-0 with eight knockouts.

"I did watch it, but I had to watch it on Sunday. I thought that Yuri fought a great fight, and he fought very smart," said Salita, a 27-year-old Jewish immigrant of Russian decent.

"Yuri took chances when he had to take chances, and he boxed when he had to box," said Salita. "Yuri's a very determined guy, and I'm very happy for him and proud of what he accomplished."

Foreman's victory was motivational for Salita, who, like Foreman, lives in Brooklyn. Foreman was born in Gomel, Belarus, and Salita, in Odessa, Ukraine.

And just as they won Golden Gloves titles over the course of consecutive days as team members in April of 2001 at Madison Square Garden, Salita is hoping to join Foreman by earning a world title at junior welterweight (140 pounds).

"I feel inspired. I want to join the club of world champions. I look forward to Dec. 5," said Salita. "I know that I have a tough task ahead of me, but I feel good, here in camp. I'm getting my work done, and I can't wait to get into there with Amir Khan. I can't wait to join the club."

Salita (30-0-1, 16 KOs) will get his chance on Dec. 5, when he travels to England for a shot at 22-year-old Amir Khan (21-1, 15 KOs), the WBA champion. Khan earned the crown with July's unanimous decision victory over the Ukraine's Andreas Kotelnik.

A winner of three straight since being knocked out in the first round by Breidis Prescott in a battle of unbeatens in September of 2008, Khan is a hard-hitting, 2004 Olympic silver medalist.

"I know it's going to be a tough fight, but I definitely felt inspired while I was watching Yuri. It kind of brings back the good old days for both of us," said Salita. "It definitely gives me some momentum. Hopefully, Yuri and I can fight on the same show one day, and both of us could be world champions. That would be very good."

Dmitriy Salita Inspired by Foreman to Become Next Jewish Champion originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>amir khandaniel santosdmitriy salitayuri foremanLem SatterfieldTue, 17 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao: 'Step Up to the Plate'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/floyd-mayweather-to-manny-pacquiao-step-up-to-the-plate/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/floyd-mayweather-to-manny-pacquiao-step-up-to-the-plate/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/floyd-mayweather-to-manny-pacquiao-step-up-to-the-plate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Floyd MayweatherFloyd 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."
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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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]]>antonio margaritoAntonio Margritobernard hopkinsbob arumerik moralesfernando vargasfloyd mayweatherfreddie roachkelly pavlikmanny pacquiaomarco antonio barreraMarcoAntonioBarreramiguel cottooscar de la hoyaOscarDeLaHoyarichard shaeferricky hattonshane mosleyLem SatterfieldMon, 16 Nov 2009 20:39:00 EST Cris Arreola Returns vs. Brian Mintohttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/cris-arreola-looks-to-rebound-vs-brian-minto/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/cris-arreola-looks-to-rebound-vs-brian-minto/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/cris-arreola-looks-to-rebound-vs-brian-minto/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Chris ArreolaHeavyweight contender Cris Arreola will meet 34-year-old journeyman Brian Minto on Dec. 5 in his first bout since being stopped by Vitali Klitschko in the 10th round of September's WBC championship challenge.

A resident of Riverside, Calif., the 28-year-old Arreola takes a record of 27-1, with 24 knockouts into the matchup with Minto, who lives in Butler, Pa.

Arreola-Minto will take place on the undercard of a middleweight (160 pounds) clash of southpaws between Paul Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) and Sergio Martinez (44-1-2, 24 KOs) that will be televised on HBO from the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Arreola stands 6-foot-4 and weighed 251 pounds against Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs), a 6-8 fighter who weighed 252.

But Arreola will have a significant size advantage against Minto, who stands 5-11 and entered the ring at nearly 218 pounds for his last fight in August.

At 34-2, with 21 knockouts, Minto is coming off of a fourth-round, technical decision victory over previously unbeaten Donnell Holmes, who slipped to 31-1-2 with 27 knockouts.

Minto is riding a seven-fight winning streak that inclueds five stoppages, the first four of which were in the first round.

Minto's biggest win was a sixth-round knockout of former world title contender, Axel Schultz, in November of 2006.

The two losses on Minto's record were by decision to former world title contender Luan Krasniqui in March of 2007 and former world champion Tony Tubbs in December of 2004.

Cris Arreola Returns vs. Brian Minto originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brian Mintocris arreolavitali klitschhkoLem SatterfieldMon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST Jermain Taylor Stands Out in 'FIGHT CAMP 360'http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/jermain-taylor-stands-out-in-fight-camp-360/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/jermain-taylor-stands-out-in-fight-camp-360/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/jermain-taylor-stands-out-in-fight-camp-360/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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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]]>andre dirrellandre wardarthur abrahamcarl frochjermain taylormikkel kesslerLem SatterfieldMon, 16 Nov 2009 16:45:00 EST Winky Wright Returns to Ring Against Grady Brewerhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/winky-wright-returns-to-ring-against-grady-brewer/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/winky-wright-returns-to-ring-against-grady-brewer/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/winky-wright-returns-to-ring-against-grady-brewer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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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]]>bernard hopkinsfelix trinidadike quarteyJermain Taylojermain taylorkelly pavlikmanny pacquiaomiguel cottopaul williamsshane mosleywinky wrightLem SatterfieldMon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST Heat Turned Up Between Mosley, Bertohttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/shane-mosley-fights-andre-berto-on-jan-30/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/shane-mosley-fights-andre-berto-on-jan-30/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/shane-mosley-fights-andre-berto-on-jan-30/#commentsFiled under: , ,

LAS VEGAS -- During the months when their fight was being negotiated, welterweight stars Shane Mosley and Andre Berto had words.

Berto said Mosley, who, at 38, is the aging veteran, "had some disrespectful things to say on a few interviews."

But on Saturday, following a press conference announcing their Jan. 30 matchup at Mandalay Bay, the two boxers finally met face-to-face.

And it was the younger Berto who believes that he got the best of their exchange.

"I had to set him straight because he had had some slick things to say, basically in the past, and I was like, 'We're face-to-face now, so what you got to say.' And he was just trying to brush it off a little bit," said Berto, who will be making the fourth defense of his WBC title and who is 25-0 with 19 knockouts.

"I know how Shane is. Everybody knows how Shane is. That's not Shane. There's nothing tough or gangster about him," said Berto, 26, who will be fighting in Las Vegas for only the second time in his career. "So I wanted to clear those things up, and I said, 'You're in front of me now, what do you have to say?' And he basically went to smiling, doing that thing that he does."

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.

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

"Berto was always a possible opponent, even before I was fighting Margarito. It was asked of me if I wanted to fight Berto or Margarito, and I said that I wanted to fight Margarito because I considered him to be the best," said Mosley. "I didn't go for the person who was considered to be the lesser opponent, but the more difficult opponent, and that's just the fighter that I am."

In Berto, Mosley could be facing the younger, mirror-image of himself: an explosive, speedy, up-and-coming talent.

"This is not so much about Andre Berto, it's just that I want to be the best that I can possibly be every time that I go into the ring. I want the fans and the people to know that I'm the best fighter," said Mosley.

"It's nothing about taking this out on Andre Berto, I just want to show the fans and everybody that I'm the best fighter. If I can't get the Manny Pacquiaos or the Floyd Mayweathers, and they go off into the sunset, then so be it. I'll still be here," said Mosley.

"And I've got three or four years to do that. I've got money. I'm not a very extravagant guy. I have money saved in the bank," said Mosley. "I have like four more years that I can reach $20 million as long as I keep fighting and stay in shape and don't take anybody for granted. As long as I keep doing that, these guys are in trouble."

Berto earned his title as a 24-year-old with a seventh-round knockout of Miguel Angel Rodriguez in June 2008.

"Shane used to show up at a lot of my previous fights. He used to come up to me afterward and talk to me and be amazed by a lot of performances and said that I reminded him of himself," said Berto.

"But I think that my last two or three fights, I worked on some things. He probably forgot that aggressive style that I have, and I have to remind him of the stuff that he was nervous about a few fights back," said Berto. "The deal is done, and it's time to get it on. I'm going to show the world a new era. "

Heat Turned Up Between Mosley, Berto originally appeared on Boxing FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>andre bertoantonio margaritofloyd mayweathermanny pacquiaoshane mosleyLem SatterfieldSun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST Pacquiao-Mayweather Would Be a Modern-Day Ali-Frazierhttp://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/pacquiao-mayweather-would-be-a-modern-day-ali-frazier/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/pacquiao-mayweather-would-be-a-modern-day-ali-frazier/http://boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/15/pacquiao-mayweather-would-be-a-modern-day-ali-frazier/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

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."

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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]]>floyd mayweatherfreddie roachmanny pacquiaomiguel cottoLem SatterfieldSun, 15 Nov 2009 13:16:00 EST