Boxing Wba

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

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

A former three-time titlist, Judah scored three knockdowns while ending a nearly 12-month layoff against Hernandez (22-20-2, 10 KOs), who, like him, weighed 145 pounds for their welterweight matchup.

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."

The weight difference will be 98 pounds in Saturday's heavyweight title fight billed as David vs. Goliath, as England's David Haye weighed in at 218 pounds on Friday, while Russia's Nikolay Valuev weighed in at 316.

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.

As England's David Haye prepares to fight Nikolay Valuev for the WBA heavyweight championship on Saturday, the British press is making it out to be a David vs. Goliath tale: At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Haye, the storyline goes, is facing a monumental challenge against Valuev, who's 7 feet tall and 320 pounds.

Among the motivations for Joseph Agbeko entering Saturday night's defense of his IBF, 118-pound title against Yonnhy Perez is his desire to achieve the greatness of two of his African predecessors.

Like Agbeko, a 29-year-old bantamweight titlist, Ghaninan legends such as three-time champion Azumah Nelson and former belt-holder Ike Quartey, hail from the city of Accra. Nelson excelled as a featherweight (126) and super featherweight (130), and Quartey, as a welterweight (147).

Nelson and Quartey have made appearances at Agbeko's training sessions, encouraging him during his quest to be considered among the sport's best fighters, pound-for-pound.