David Haye has fists that have earned him the nickname, "The Hayemaker," since only one opponent in 22 victories has gone the distance with him.
But the London resident is known by opponents as much for his verbal taunts and jabs outside of the ring as he is for the actual bombs he throws inside of it.
Haye, for example, once wore T-shirts sporting the decapitated likenesses of the siblings, heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko (IBF and WBO) and Vitali Klitschko (WBC), during promotions of scheduled bouts with each that never materialized.
And during the buildup to Saturday's matchup with WBA titlist, Nikolay Valuev, of Russia, Haye's vocal assault on the largest heavyweight champion in history have been equally relentless.
Called by Haye, "a circus freak, a zombie and a robot," the seven-foot Valuev literally steps over the ropes instead of through them because he says "it's easier."
Paul Williams will be ending a nearly nine-month layoff when he enters the ring on Dec. 5 against Sergio Martinez, which he calls "a good thing."
Williams (37-1, 27 knockouts) will face Martinez (44-1-2, 24 KOs) in Atlantic City, on the same night he was supposed to challenge WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) champion Kelly Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), before the titlist canceled their bout due to a staph infection on the knuckle of his left forefinger.
"I've got to focus on this guy now. It's a little bit of an adjustment, but it's nothing that a champion can't do," said Williams, an Aiken, S.C., native now living in Augusta, Ga.
"At this point in my career, a win is a win. But any time you get in there, you want to make a statement," said Williams. "And I'm going to make a statement. I'm going to go in there and do what I do."
Champion Miguel Cotto has a message for challenger Manny Pacquiao as well as those who believe he can be successful during his quest to win a world title in a record seventh different weight class: "They picked the wrong guy."
"If he thinks he's going to reach a seventh title in a seventh different division, he picked the wrong moment, the wrong fighter and the wrong opponent," said Cotto, all but bristling during Thursday's conference call with the national media.
"If he thinks he's going to beat Miguel Cotto," said Cotto, "he's pretty much all wrong with that kind of thinking."
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum called a recent report that he is negotiating a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight in early March at Cowboys Stadium "total nonsense."
"We haven't talked to Mayweather," said Arum. "We haven't discussed it with Mayweather."
The story, reported by an affiliate of The Dallas Morning News, quoted Top Rank vice president Bruce Trampler as indicating that Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) needed to dethrone WBO champ Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) on Nov. 14, after which Top Rank could focus on making the fight with Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) in Arlington, Texas.
During the buildup of WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao, the challenger's trainer, Freddie Roach, says he's having fun at the expense of Cotto and his chief cornermen, Joe Santiago.
Cotto "is slower," and "gets hit so much more" since his 11th-round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito, and "his defense sucks, because he's training himself," said Roach.
When Manny Pacquiao emerged from backstage for Tuesday night's appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, he was greeted by chants of "Manny, Manny," from what appeared to be a large contingent of his Filipino countrymen.
Near the end of the segment, Pacquiao, wearing a dark, button-down shirt and blue jeans, literally closed the show, singing along with the band as the members of the crowd, collectively, waved their arms.
With Thursday being the 15th anniversary of his 10th-round knockout of Michael Moorer -- which made him, at age 45, the oldest man to become heavyweight champion -- George Foreman reminisced about his comeback from a 10-year hiatus from boxing.
An evangelist for his non-denominational, Church of Jesus Christ, Foreman, 60, recalls the reaction of his wife, Mary, to the news that he was un-retiring, how trainers such as former light heavyweight champion, Archie Moore and Angelo Dundee, re-structured and modified his style, and how a victory over Steve Zouski began a run of 24 straight wins, including 23 knockouts during this, the second installment of a four-part Q&A series.
Thursday marks the 15th anniversary of George Foreman's dethroning of Michael Moorer with a 10th-round knockout, making him the oldest man to earn a heavyweight title.
Foreman, 60, was knocked out by Muhammad Ali in The Rumble In The Jungle 35 years ago this past Friday.
There was a 10-year span between Foreman's first retirement -- following a unanimous decision loss to Jimmy Young on March 17, 1977 -- and his return to the ring with a fourth-round knockout of Steve Zouski on March 9, 1987.
Beginning with this, the first installment of a four-part series, Foreman discusses his transformation from a stoic, surly brawler, to philanthropic evangelist, to a patient and more cerebral fighter who left his mark in boxing history by dominating younger men.
Former world champion Winky Wright will return from an eight-month layoff when he enters the ring against Grady Brewer on Dec. 11 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
A southpaw who will turn 38 on Nov. 26, Wright is coming off of consecutive losses by decision to Bernard Hopkins and Paul Williams in July 2007 and this past April, respectively.
Wright (51-5-1, 25 knockouts) owns victories over former world champs Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad, and fought to a disputed draw with former undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) champion Jermain Taylor.
Southpaw former world champions, Zab Judah, and Joel Casamayor will return to the ring on Friday night at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas.
Judah, a 32-year-old welterweight (147 pounds), will be ending a nearly 12-month layoff. The 38-year-old Casamayor will be ending a nearly 14-month ring absence when he enters the ring as a light weight (135).
Judah (37-6, 25 knockouts) will face 31-year-old Adailton De Jesus (23-4, 18 KOs) of Brazil, who has won four of his last five fights.
David Haye has fists that have earned him the nickname, "The Hayemaker," since only one opponent in 22 victories has gone the distance with him.
Top Rank promoter 
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