Boxing News Thread
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Why because I think a fighter that has never been knocked out in his whole career won't get knocked. Sorry I just don't see anyone KO'ing a prime Mayweather dude has the best defense since Sweet Pea. LOL. You remind me of a heart broken bitter bitch always so worried about what I saying, doing and so quick to hate on me. SMH at you calling anyone a nutthugger Tim Bradley's new biggest fan. LOL.. Are you sick of me proving your dumb ass wrong all the time. Lol. at the sideline hoes that co-sign ur bullshit.
joe calzaghe was undefeated does that mean its crazy to think someone in history could knock him out?
u are a nutthugging hoe cuz u can't ev3n fathom the possibility of floyd losing, and against much bigger men at that. its no diss on floyd its a matter of size & skill.
tell me, who is the best fighter floyd beat? Castillo? Corrales? Oscar?? hearns & leonard are 100x better than anyone on floyd's resume. its not about hate its about stupidity.
and yes bring up Bradley if you'd like I'm still not a fan of his and have said that repeatedly. I've asked u to reply to my posts and u continue to duck it so keep living in ur fantasy world where u think you've somehow proven me wrong.
u are a nutthugging hoe cuz u can't ev3n fathom the possibility of floyd losing, and against much bigger men at that. its no diss on floyd its a matter of size & skill.
tell me, who is the best fighter floyd beat? Castillo? Corrales? Oscar?? hearns & leonard are 100x better than anyone on floyd's resume. its not about hate its about stupidity.
and yes bring up Bradley if you'd like I'm still not a fan of his and have said that repeatedly. I've asked u to reply to my posts and u continue to duck it so keep living in ur fantasy world where u think you've somehow proven me wrong.
and lol @ saying hearns & leonard were easy to hit. What is 5'7 mayweather going to do to keep them off him with his amazing power and pot-shotting abilities? He's going to shoulder roll Hearns to death and Leonard's flurries? Get real man. They're just too damn big for floyd. If they were of equal size then maybe but they weren't, they were huge welterweights.
Have you even seen these guys fight, other than say Hagler-Hearns? Watch Hearns & Leonard vs Wilfred Benitez, who had phenomenal defense to see how they dealt with defensive fighters. And Benitez was 5'10 himself, one of the greatest puerto rican boxers in history. Not only was he a defensive wizard he had a much better offensive attack than floyd.
Have you even seen these guys fight, other than say Hagler-Hearns? Watch Hearns & Leonard vs Wilfred Benitez, who had phenomenal defense to see how they dealt with defensive fighters. And Benitez was 5'10 himself, one of the greatest puerto rican boxers in history. Not only was he a defensive wizard he had a much better offensive attack than floyd.
Cotto: I feel more motivated to beat Mayweather than when I was getting ready to win my first title
April 11th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: The Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has given WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto more motivation than he’s had in years, saying more than he’s had since he first won a world title years ago. Cotto has had big fights since then against Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito, but for some reason Mayweather stands out for him.
Cotto said “I feel more motivated a this point than any other [fight] in my career. I feel more motivated to beat Mayweather than I did when I was training for my first world title.”
I can respect that. Who wouldn’t get motivated for fighting Mayweather. After all, he’s number #2 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound ranking and there’s talk that he could be moved to the number #1 spot very soon. Motivation for a fight against Mayweather isn’t surprising because he’s considered to be the best fighter in boxing by a lot of people.
Besides that, the Cotto vs. Mayweather fight will be watched by literally millions of fans from all across the globe. Having that many people see the fight has a natural way of motivating anyone. Cotto wants to be seen doing well in front of the millions of strangers that will be plunking down $59.95 to watch the fight on PPV on May 5th.
Cotto has a lot to prove to people, many of which see him as a partially shot fighter because of how he’s declined since his loss to Margarito in 2008. Cotto hasn’t faced anyone good to show that decline but it’s there none the less. Motivation is nice to have, but if that’s all you got to try and beat a fighter like Mayweather, well that’s not enough. You need more than that. Mayweather is just too good to be beaten on a fighter with a high enthusiasm. Cotto has got to fight well and do the right things in this fight
April 11th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: The Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight has given WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto more motivation than he’s had in years, saying more than he’s had since he first won a world title years ago. Cotto has had big fights since then against Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito, but for some reason Mayweather stands out for him.
Cotto said “I feel more motivated a this point than any other [fight] in my career. I feel more motivated to beat Mayweather than I did when I was training for my first world title.”
I can respect that. Who wouldn’t get motivated for fighting Mayweather. After all, he’s number #2 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound ranking and there’s talk that he could be moved to the number #1 spot very soon. Motivation for a fight against Mayweather isn’t surprising because he’s considered to be the best fighter in boxing by a lot of people.
Besides that, the Cotto vs. Mayweather fight will be watched by literally millions of fans from all across the globe. Having that many people see the fight has a natural way of motivating anyone. Cotto wants to be seen doing well in front of the millions of strangers that will be plunking down $59.95 to watch the fight on PPV on May 5th.
Cotto has a lot to prove to people, many of which see him as a partially shot fighter because of how he’s declined since his loss to Margarito in 2008. Cotto hasn’t faced anyone good to show that decline but it’s there none the less. Motivation is nice to have, but if that’s all you got to try and beat a fighter like Mayweather, well that’s not enough. You need more than that. Mayweather is just too good to be beaten on a fighter with a high enthusiasm. Cotto has got to fight well and do the right things in this fight
Marquez: Everyone knows I won all three fights against Pacquiao
April 11th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KO’s) really wanted to take advantage of his time at the podium in his press conference with his opponent Sergiy Fedchenko to take about various things like their fight on Saturday night, as well as what Marquez wants to get out of the fight – a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.
Marquez said this about what he hopes he can accomplish by beating the 31-year-old Fedchenko as quoted by fightnews.com: “Everyone knows over and over that I won all three fights with Pacquiao, but now more than ever I want the fourth fight with him…but first I have to defeat the Ukrainian.”
I completely agree with Marquez. He did appear to beat Pacquiao three times.
Marquez better tell Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum what he thinks he’s going to be getting out of a victory over Fedchenko, because Arum has other ideas for Marquez rather than letting him get a fourth crack at Pacquiao and possibly beating him before Arum has had a chance to put him in with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a big money fight that could in theory be a cash out fight. That’s probably when Pacquiao does eventually fight Mayweather again, when Pacquiao is on the door of retirement and looking for that last golden parachute fight to cushion his retirement years.
Arum wants Marquez to immediately fight one of his Top Rank stable fighters former WBA lightweight champ Brandon Rios in July. Now I know that’s an exciting fight and a good one for boxing fans, but I think it’s not a good deal for Marquez and I tell you why. Rios isn’t a big star or even close to one. He’s liked by hardcore boxing fans but that’s about it. He’s not well known among casual boxing fans, and that means that Marquez would have to do all the heavy lifting in being the one that draws the fans for their fight unless they put it on the undercard of a Manny Pacquiao fight, and Arum obviously won’t do that.
A Rios fight will be a tough one for Marquez where he could end up depleted after he goes into it. Rios is a slugger, so Marquez might not be in good shape after he gets out of that fight, and he could lose. I think it’s a bad deal for Marquez to take that fight. He shouldn’t have to fight Arum’s little known fighters at this point in his career.
April 11th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KO’s) really wanted to take advantage of his time at the podium in his press conference with his opponent Sergiy Fedchenko to take about various things like their fight on Saturday night, as well as what Marquez wants to get out of the fight – a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.
Marquez said this about what he hopes he can accomplish by beating the 31-year-old Fedchenko as quoted by fightnews.com: “Everyone knows over and over that I won all three fights with Pacquiao, but now more than ever I want the fourth fight with him…but first I have to defeat the Ukrainian.”
I completely agree with Marquez. He did appear to beat Pacquiao three times.
Marquez better tell Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum what he thinks he’s going to be getting out of a victory over Fedchenko, because Arum has other ideas for Marquez rather than letting him get a fourth crack at Pacquiao and possibly beating him before Arum has had a chance to put him in with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a big money fight that could in theory be a cash out fight. That’s probably when Pacquiao does eventually fight Mayweather again, when Pacquiao is on the door of retirement and looking for that last golden parachute fight to cushion his retirement years.
Arum wants Marquez to immediately fight one of his Top Rank stable fighters former WBA lightweight champ Brandon Rios in July. Now I know that’s an exciting fight and a good one for boxing fans, but I think it’s not a good deal for Marquez and I tell you why. Rios isn’t a big star or even close to one. He’s liked by hardcore boxing fans but that’s about it. He’s not well known among casual boxing fans, and that means that Marquez would have to do all the heavy lifting in being the one that draws the fans for their fight unless they put it on the undercard of a Manny Pacquiao fight, and Arum obviously won’t do that.
A Rios fight will be a tough one for Marquez where he could end up depleted after he goes into it. Rios is a slugger, so Marquez might not be in good shape after he gets out of that fight, and he could lose. I think it’s a bad deal for Marquez to take that fight. He shouldn’t have to fight Arum’s little known fighters at this point in his career.
I don't feel like getting into a back and forth with anyone but I'll just say this, the era of fighters in that weight category at that time is the best I've seen with my own two eyes. Mayweather has said himself he'd have trouble with Aaron Pryor, and last I checked Pryor fought like a berserker.
Mayweather may be able to hold his own in that era but there is no one fighting right now that resembles the absolute greatness that was fighting around that class in that time period. Benitez who 2-0-Sixx mentioned is one of the best fighters to ever put on a pair gloves and fight for money, he just happened to lace them up at a time when some of the other greatest fighters ever were doing it.
.. as for the Duran/Leonard thing people like to omit that it took Leonard 23 rounds to do that to him. Duran was not easily beatable by a stretch especially at 135. He'd be no easy win for Mayweather by any stretch of the imagination.
Mayweather may be able to hold his own in that era but there is no one fighting right now that resembles the absolute greatness that was fighting around that class in that time period. Benitez who 2-0-Sixx mentioned is one of the best fighters to ever put on a pair gloves and fight for money, he just happened to lace them up at a time when some of the other greatest fighters ever were doing it.
.. as for the Duran/Leonard thing people like to omit that it took Leonard 23 rounds to do that to him. Duran was not easily beatable by a stretch especially at 135. He'd be no easy win for Mayweather by any stretch of the imagination.
Floyd Mayweather Is the Best of All Time According to CompuBox
By Mick Akers(Featured Columnist) on April 6, 2012
As the old saying goes, "numbers don't lie," and in the case of the self-proclaimed, greatest boxer of all time, Floyd Mayweather has the statistical numbers of CompuBox to back up his claim.
Going off the numbers—which CompuBox president Bob Cannobbio calculated by fighter's bouts in their prime—they clearly show that Mayweather is on another level, as far as his number of punches landed compared to punches landed on him.
Money May leads both of the main categories that CompuBox calculates by averaging a 46 percent connect rate, as opposed to an astonishing 16 percent punched landed by his opponents on the 42-0 pound-for-pound great.
Mayweather's overall plus/minus number is plus-30 percent—subtracting the amount a fighter is hit from the amount a fighter lands punches—far ahead of any other top fighter, regardless of weight class.
Comparing Mayweather to other top fighters shows that Mayweather is the most efficient fighter that we have ever seen.
The closest opponent of the current crop of top boxers is current super middleweight champ Andre Ward in second with a plus-15 plus/minus ratio, just half that of Money May.
The rest of the top six is as follows: Vitali Klitschko at plus-13 percent, Yuriokis Gamboa at plus-12 percent, Manny Pacquiao at plus-11 percent, Timothy Bradley at plus-eight percent and Nonito Donaire at plus-seven percent.
The fighter of the modern era who gets the most debate when talking about who is the P4P great with Mayweather is Pacquiao.
Do the CompuBox numbers back up Floyd Mayweather's greatest of all time claim?
Yes. Numbers are the best way to judge a fighter's worth.
No. Numbers can't tell you everything that goes on in the ring.
Submit Vote vote to see results
Do the CompuBox numbers back up Floyd Mayweather's greatest of all time claim?Yes. Numbers are the best way to judge a fighter's worth.55.9%No. Numbers can't tell you everything that goes on in the ring.44.1%Total votes: 488
Pacquiao's power punch stat is 45.3 percent, just behind Mayweather's 47.8 percent, but Pacquiao gets hit more than Money May. A lot more.
Pac Man's opponents land punches on the Filipino fighter at an average of 33.6 percent, which means he takes more punishment than Money May who, as I stated before, gets hit by 16 percent of his opponents punches.
All this statistical evidence, along with Mayweather's unblemished record of 42-0 clearly shows that he is indeed the greatest fighter of the modern era and may also be the greatest of all time.
Compubox numbers show that legendary fighters of the past don't stand up to Mayweather with their statistical averages as well, as CompuBox calculated their scores by going back and watching tape of them in their primes.
Joe Louis is the closest with a plus-26 percent average, followed by Marvin Hagler with a plus-17 percent and Sugar Ray Leonard with a plus-13 percent. Roberto Duran with a plus-eight percent, Thomas Hearns with a plus-six percent and Muhammad Ali with a plus-four percent don't match up with Mayweather numbers-wise either.
The one fighter who many consider to be the best ever, Sugar Ray Robinson, didn't have any film of fights in his prime so he did not receive a number.
Sure the numbers can't tell the whole story as far who in fact is the greatest to ever take to the ring, but they have to mean something, and this will give Mayweather one more valid reason to keep on proclaiming that he is indeed the GOAT of boxing.
The most efficient fighter (Mayweather) in Compubox history is getting sold very short. Some peoples hate for the "Money" Mayweather alter-ego is blinding them to dudes greatness and boxing skills. Mayweather is the king of landing punches and not getting hit back. Other then Ortiz Mayweather has been fighting nothing but Top 10 P4P fighter and still making compubox history. Mayweather can fight and win in any boxing era and I stand behind that statement a 100%..
By Mick Akers(Featured Columnist) on April 6, 2012
As the old saying goes, "numbers don't lie," and in the case of the self-proclaimed, greatest boxer of all time, Floyd Mayweather has the statistical numbers of CompuBox to back up his claim.
Going off the numbers—which CompuBox president Bob Cannobbio calculated by fighter's bouts in their prime—they clearly show that Mayweather is on another level, as far as his number of punches landed compared to punches landed on him.
Money May leads both of the main categories that CompuBox calculates by averaging a 46 percent connect rate, as opposed to an astonishing 16 percent punched landed by his opponents on the 42-0 pound-for-pound great.
Mayweather's overall plus/minus number is plus-30 percent—subtracting the amount a fighter is hit from the amount a fighter lands punches—far ahead of any other top fighter, regardless of weight class.
Comparing Mayweather to other top fighters shows that Mayweather is the most efficient fighter that we have ever seen.
The closest opponent of the current crop of top boxers is current super middleweight champ Andre Ward in second with a plus-15 plus/minus ratio, just half that of Money May.
The rest of the top six is as follows: Vitali Klitschko at plus-13 percent, Yuriokis Gamboa at plus-12 percent, Manny Pacquiao at plus-11 percent, Timothy Bradley at plus-eight percent and Nonito Donaire at plus-seven percent.
The fighter of the modern era who gets the most debate when talking about who is the P4P great with Mayweather is Pacquiao.
Do the CompuBox numbers back up Floyd Mayweather's greatest of all time claim?
Yes. Numbers are the best way to judge a fighter's worth.
No. Numbers can't tell you everything that goes on in the ring.
Submit Vote vote to see results
Do the CompuBox numbers back up Floyd Mayweather's greatest of all time claim?Yes. Numbers are the best way to judge a fighter's worth.55.9%No. Numbers can't tell you everything that goes on in the ring.44.1%Total votes: 488
Pacquiao's power punch stat is 45.3 percent, just behind Mayweather's 47.8 percent, but Pacquiao gets hit more than Money May. A lot more.
Pac Man's opponents land punches on the Filipino fighter at an average of 33.6 percent, which means he takes more punishment than Money May who, as I stated before, gets hit by 16 percent of his opponents punches.
All this statistical evidence, along with Mayweather's unblemished record of 42-0 clearly shows that he is indeed the greatest fighter of the modern era and may also be the greatest of all time.
Compubox numbers show that legendary fighters of the past don't stand up to Mayweather with their statistical averages as well, as CompuBox calculated their scores by going back and watching tape of them in their primes.
Joe Louis is the closest with a plus-26 percent average, followed by Marvin Hagler with a plus-17 percent and Sugar Ray Leonard with a plus-13 percent. Roberto Duran with a plus-eight percent, Thomas Hearns with a plus-six percent and Muhammad Ali with a plus-four percent don't match up with Mayweather numbers-wise either.
The one fighter who many consider to be the best ever, Sugar Ray Robinson, didn't have any film of fights in his prime so he did not receive a number.
Sure the numbers can't tell the whole story as far who in fact is the greatest to ever take to the ring, but they have to mean something, and this will give Mayweather one more valid reason to keep on proclaiming that he is indeed the GOAT of boxing.
The most efficient fighter (Mayweather) in Compubox history is getting sold very short. Some peoples hate for the "Money" Mayweather alter-ego is blinding them to dudes greatness and boxing skills. Mayweather is the king of landing punches and not getting hit back. Other then Ortiz Mayweather has been fighting nothing but Top 10 P4P fighter and still making compubox history. Mayweather can fight and win in any boxing era and I stand behind that statement a 100%..
Mayweather-Pacquiao Latest (Groan) - Floyd Tells The L.A Times It Won’t Happen, Roach Says “There’s Nowhere Else For Them To Go”
By James Slater: Even though he is, by his own admission, currently working his ass off for a fight that will happen in less than a month, unbeaten superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior is still being peppered with questions about a fight that has an average at best chance of happening.
Mayweather, as we know, faces the formidable challenge of Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto on May 5th (actually, it will be Floyd who does the challenging, for Miguel’s 154-plound title), and this fight has attracted quite some buzz amongst boxing people. But still, despite the soap opera having dragged on for far, far, far too long already, media types continue to ask Mayweather Junior about the possibility of him facing fellow superstar Manny Pacquiao.
The latest news on this tiresome subject is this: Lance Pugmire of The L.A Times was told by “Money” that “No, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s because of Bob Arum. It’s not my fault.”
Doubtless many fans will agree with Floyd when it comes to who is holding up/preventing the potential classic. Arum has been singled out as the bad guy a number of times before and some writers, Dan Rafael for one, feel Arum is the biggest problem when it comes to the two Pound-for-Pounders being able to meet and settle their differences in the ring.
However, some people - such as Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach and Mayweather trainer and uncle Roger Mayweather - remain somewhat optimistic.
“There’s nowhere else for them to go,” Roach said of Team-Mayweather.
While Uncle Roger, his usual boastful self, had this to say on the subject of making the mega-fight:
“Why wouldn’t you? There ain’t no way that guy [Pac-Man] lasts five rounds against my nephew.”
Fans have been debating whether or not Mayweather or Pacquiao would emerge triumphant if they fought for so long now we’ve all lost track (and a great deal of interest in the fight come to that), but there is still talk of a possible November date.
But talking abut the non too shabby title fight that will go down on May 5th, Roger Mayweather had some interesting things to say:
“This is the best I’ve seen him since the Diego Corrales fight,” he said. “He hasn’t been laid off at all, he’s come back tighter, sharper.”
Indeed, as far as Mayweather Junior is concerned, he has been more than active. After all, it’s been “only” eight months since the 35-year-old with the 42-0 record last boxed. When we remember how sharp Floyd looked in the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, after having had three months short of two full years out at the time, it goes without saying how much sharper “Money” will be against Cotto. That could equate bad news for the Puerto Rican legend.
Meanwhile, new star Canelo Alvarez reiterated his desire to fight Mayweather, saying that “I want Mayweather and will do my best in this fight (against Mosley) to prove I’m worthy.”
Article posted on 12.04.2012
By James Slater: Even though he is, by his own admission, currently working his ass off for a fight that will happen in less than a month, unbeaten superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior is still being peppered with questions about a fight that has an average at best chance of happening.
Mayweather, as we know, faces the formidable challenge of Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto on May 5th (actually, it will be Floyd who does the challenging, for Miguel’s 154-plound title), and this fight has attracted quite some buzz amongst boxing people. But still, despite the soap opera having dragged on for far, far, far too long already, media types continue to ask Mayweather Junior about the possibility of him facing fellow superstar Manny Pacquiao.
The latest news on this tiresome subject is this: Lance Pugmire of The L.A Times was told by “Money” that “No, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s because of Bob Arum. It’s not my fault.”
Doubtless many fans will agree with Floyd when it comes to who is holding up/preventing the potential classic. Arum has been singled out as the bad guy a number of times before and some writers, Dan Rafael for one, feel Arum is the biggest problem when it comes to the two Pound-for-Pounders being able to meet and settle their differences in the ring.
However, some people - such as Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach and Mayweather trainer and uncle Roger Mayweather - remain somewhat optimistic.
“There’s nowhere else for them to go,” Roach said of Team-Mayweather.
While Uncle Roger, his usual boastful self, had this to say on the subject of making the mega-fight:
“Why wouldn’t you? There ain’t no way that guy [Pac-Man] lasts five rounds against my nephew.”
Fans have been debating whether or not Mayweather or Pacquiao would emerge triumphant if they fought for so long now we’ve all lost track (and a great deal of interest in the fight come to that), but there is still talk of a possible November date.
But talking abut the non too shabby title fight that will go down on May 5th, Roger Mayweather had some interesting things to say:
“This is the best I’ve seen him since the Diego Corrales fight,” he said. “He hasn’t been laid off at all, he’s come back tighter, sharper.”
Indeed, as far as Mayweather Junior is concerned, he has been more than active. After all, it’s been “only” eight months since the 35-year-old with the 42-0 record last boxed. When we remember how sharp Floyd looked in the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, after having had three months short of two full years out at the time, it goes without saying how much sharper “Money” will be against Cotto. That could equate bad news for the Puerto Rican legend.
Meanwhile, new star Canelo Alvarez reiterated his desire to fight Mayweather, saying that “I want Mayweather and will do my best in this fight (against Mosley) to prove I’m worthy.”
Article posted on 12.04.2012
Andre Ward Says He Wanted to Fight Lucian Bute, Bute's Team Disagrees
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Andre Ward Says He Wanted to Fight Lucian Bute, Bute's Team Disagrees
206480_10150226708710923_747385922_9037192_4017321_n_tiny by Scott Christ on Apr 12, 2012 10:01 AM EDT in Boxing News Analysis
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Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Nick Laham - Getty Images
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, super middleweight world champion Andre Ward revealed that he's targeting a June 2 return in Oakland, but has no opponent in mind. He also stated that he wanted to fight Lucian Bute, which Bute's promoter Jean Bedard has all but laughed off in response.
Let's start with Ward's next fight. The June 2 date in Oakland should work, but it won't be against Bute, who faces Carl Froch on May 26. Nor will it be against Anthony Dirrell, it would seem. Dirrell, the brother of the more famous Andre Dirrell, is Ward's WBC mandatory. But Ward says he's not interested in that fight and would just vacate his belt, even though he called it "a good matchup." He claims that the TV networks won't be interested, which seems bizarre given that Showtime televised Dirrell's eliminator win over Renan St-Juste in December.
Star-divide
After immediately saying following his Super Six win in December that he wanted to take a break, Ward now seems shocked that Bute went ahead and signed a deal with Froch, the next-best option for him:
"I was disappointed," Ward said. "Bute and his promoter were screaming and yelling that I was ducking them, then they go and make a two-fight deal with Froch where if he loses, he takes Froch back to Canada? I didn't understand that. I was never ducking him, I just wanted to build up the fight. I was coming off two years of grueling fights and I felt he needed to fight someone. But ducking him? Come on. He wants belts, I have three belts over here if he wants to fight for a belt."
What a bizarre statement this is. Ward previously claimed that Bute needed to fight top competition, so with Ward not showing any legitimate desire for a fight, Bute went with Froch. I fail to see any problem there. As for "building up the fight," that's a load, plain and simple. That fight is as built as it's going to get. Andre Ward's not exactly packing in the fans for his fights or drawing a load of interest from the general public, and frankly he probably never will. He's not interesting enough, in or out of the ring. Maybe he's the next Bernard Hopkins, but B-Hop was never an A-side draw either. Still isn't, even though he's unquestionably headed to the Hall of Fame.
Bute's promoter Bedard took a humorous route in response. From BoxingScene.com:
"It's like he was resurrected after Easter ... after all, his nickname is 'Son Of God.' When I first read [Ward's comments], I thought it was a joke. We never had any discussions with Andre Ward. In fact, we have not heard from him since December 18... If he wanted to fight Lucian, we might have already been one week away before the fight."
I'm really having trouble seeing a valid point from Andre Ward here. He said he wanted to take a break. Fine, he did that. What was Bute supposed to do? Wait for him to get a tune-up in and fight him this fall? Was Bute supposed to take a year off? And if they both win their next fights, what will the next excuse be?
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, super middleweight world champion Andre Ward revealed that he's targeting a June 2 return in Oakland, but has no opponent in mind. He also stated that he wanted to fight Lucian Bute, which Bute's promoter Jean Bedard has all but laughed off in response.
Let's start with Ward's next fight. The June 2 date in Oakland should work, but it won't be against Bute, who faces Carl Froch on May 26. Nor will it be against Anthony Dirrell, it would seem. Dirrell, the brother of the more famous Andre Dirrell, is Ward's WBC mandatory. But Ward says he's not interested in that fight and would just vacate his belt, even though he called it "a good matchup." He claims that the TV networks won't be interested, which seems bizarre given that Showtime televised Dirrell's eliminator win over Renan St-Juste in December.
Star-divide
After immediately saying following his Super Six win in December that he wanted to take a break, Ward now seems shocked that Bute went ahead and signed a deal with Froch, the next-best option for him:
"I was disappointed," Ward said. "Bute and his promoter were screaming and yelling that I was ducking them, then they go and make a two-fight deal with Froch where if he loses, he takes Froch back to Canada? I didn't understand that. I was never ducking him, I just wanted to build up the fight. I was coming off two years of grueling fights and I felt he needed to fight someone. But ducking him? Come on. He wants belts, I have three belts over here if he wants to fight for a belt."
What a bizarre statement this is. Ward previously claimed that Bute needed to fight top competition, so with Ward not showing any legitimate desire for a fight, Bute went with Froch. I fail to see any problem there. As for "building up the fight," that's a load, plain and simple. That fight is as built as it's going to get. Andre Ward's not exactly packing in the fans for his fights or drawing a load of interest from the general public, and frankly he probably never will. He's not interesting enough, in or out of the ring. Maybe he's the next Bernard Hopkins, but B-Hop was never an A-side draw either. Still isn't, even though he's unquestionably headed to the Hall of Fame.
Bute's promoter Bedard took a humorous route in response. From BoxingScene.com:
"It's like he was resurrected after Easter ... after all, his nickname is 'Son Of God.' When I first read [Ward's comments], I thought it was a joke. We never had any discussions with Andre Ward. In fact, we have not heard from him since December 18... If he wanted to fight Lucian, we might have already been one week away before the fight."
I'm really having trouble seeing a valid point from Andre Ward here. He said he wanted to take a break. Fine, he did that. What was Bute supposed to do? Wait for him to get a tune-up in and fight him this fall? Was Bute supposed to take a year off? And if they both win their next fights, what will the next excuse be?
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Andre Ward Says He Wanted to Fight Lucian Bute, Bute's Team Disagrees
206480_10150226708710923_747385922_9037192_4017321_n_tiny by Scott Christ on Apr 12, 2012 10:01 AM EDT in Boxing News Analysis
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Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
Nick Laham - Getty Images
Andre Ward seems upset about the Lucian Bute vs Carl Froch fight, but it's hard to figure out what his angle is. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, super middleweight world champion Andre Ward revealed that he's targeting a June 2 return in Oakland, but has no opponent in mind. He also stated that he wanted to fight Lucian Bute, which Bute's promoter Jean Bedard has all but laughed off in response.
Let's start with Ward's next fight. The June 2 date in Oakland should work, but it won't be against Bute, who faces Carl Froch on May 26. Nor will it be against Anthony Dirrell, it would seem. Dirrell, the brother of the more famous Andre Dirrell, is Ward's WBC mandatory. But Ward says he's not interested in that fight and would just vacate his belt, even though he called it "a good matchup." He claims that the TV networks won't be interested, which seems bizarre given that Showtime televised Dirrell's eliminator win over Renan St-Juste in December.
Star-divide
After immediately saying following his Super Six win in December that he wanted to take a break, Ward now seems shocked that Bute went ahead and signed a deal with Froch, the next-best option for him:
"I was disappointed," Ward said. "Bute and his promoter were screaming and yelling that I was ducking them, then they go and make a two-fight deal with Froch where if he loses, he takes Froch back to Canada? I didn't understand that. I was never ducking him, I just wanted to build up the fight. I was coming off two years of grueling fights and I felt he needed to fight someone. But ducking him? Come on. He wants belts, I have three belts over here if he wants to fight for a belt."
What a bizarre statement this is. Ward previously claimed that Bute needed to fight top competition, so with Ward not showing any legitimate desire for a fight, Bute went with Froch. I fail to see any problem there. As for "building up the fight," that's a load, plain and simple. That fight is as built as it's going to get. Andre Ward's not exactly packing in the fans for his fights or drawing a load of interest from the general public, and frankly he probably never will. He's not interesting enough, in or out of the ring. Maybe he's the next Bernard Hopkins, but B-Hop was never an A-side draw either. Still isn't, even though he's unquestionably headed to the Hall of Fame.
Bute's promoter Bedard took a humorous route in response. From BoxingScene.com:
"It's like he was resurrected after Easter ... after all, his nickname is 'Son Of God.' When I first read [Ward's comments], I thought it was a joke. We never had any discussions with Andre Ward. In fact, we have not heard from him since December 18... If he wanted to fight Lucian, we might have already been one week away before the fight."
I'm really having trouble seeing a valid point from Andre Ward here. He said he wanted to take a break. Fine, he did that. What was Bute supposed to do? Wait for him to get a tune-up in and fight him this fall? Was Bute supposed to take a year off? And if they both win their next fights, what will the next excuse be?
In an interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, super middleweight world champion Andre Ward revealed that he's targeting a June 2 return in Oakland, but has no opponent in mind. He also stated that he wanted to fight Lucian Bute, which Bute's promoter Jean Bedard has all but laughed off in response.
Let's start with Ward's next fight. The June 2 date in Oakland should work, but it won't be against Bute, who faces Carl Froch on May 26. Nor will it be against Anthony Dirrell, it would seem. Dirrell, the brother of the more famous Andre Dirrell, is Ward's WBC mandatory. But Ward says he's not interested in that fight and would just vacate his belt, even though he called it "a good matchup." He claims that the TV networks won't be interested, which seems bizarre given that Showtime televised Dirrell's eliminator win over Renan St-Juste in December.
Star-divide
After immediately saying following his Super Six win in December that he wanted to take a break, Ward now seems shocked that Bute went ahead and signed a deal with Froch, the next-best option for him:
"I was disappointed," Ward said. "Bute and his promoter were screaming and yelling that I was ducking them, then they go and make a two-fight deal with Froch where if he loses, he takes Froch back to Canada? I didn't understand that. I was never ducking him, I just wanted to build up the fight. I was coming off two years of grueling fights and I felt he needed to fight someone. But ducking him? Come on. He wants belts, I have three belts over here if he wants to fight for a belt."
What a bizarre statement this is. Ward previously claimed that Bute needed to fight top competition, so with Ward not showing any legitimate desire for a fight, Bute went with Froch. I fail to see any problem there. As for "building up the fight," that's a load, plain and simple. That fight is as built as it's going to get. Andre Ward's not exactly packing in the fans for his fights or drawing a load of interest from the general public, and frankly he probably never will. He's not interesting enough, in or out of the ring. Maybe he's the next Bernard Hopkins, but B-Hop was never an A-side draw either. Still isn't, even though he's unquestionably headed to the Hall of Fame.
Bute's promoter Bedard took a humorous route in response. From BoxingScene.com:
"It's like he was resurrected after Easter ... after all, his nickname is 'Son Of God.' When I first read [Ward's comments], I thought it was a joke. We never had any discussions with Andre Ward. In fact, we have not heard from him since December 18... If he wanted to fight Lucian, we might have already been one week away before the fight."
I'm really having trouble seeing a valid point from Andre Ward here. He said he wanted to take a break. Fine, he did that. What was Bute supposed to do? Wait for him to get a tune-up in and fight him this fall? Was Bute supposed to take a year off? And if they both win their next fights, what will the next excuse be?
Roger Mayweather – Floyd Jr. would stop Pacquiao in less than five rounds
April 12th, 2012
By Chris Williams: If trainer Roger Mayweather gets his way, WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be facing WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao next in a big money unification bout in 2012. Roger doesn’t see any point in waiting for the fight to happen, as he’s ecstatic about how good Floyd is looking in training camp as he gets ready for his HBO pay-per-view fight against WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Roger said to the Latimes.com “This is the best I’ve seen him since the Diego Corrales fight. He hasn’t been laid off at all, he’s back tight, sharper…There ain’t no way that guy [Pacquiao] lasts five rounds against my nephew.”
I hate to say it but Roger is telling the truth here. There is NO WAY that Pacquiao will make it five rounds with Mayweather, but then maybe that’s why we haven’t seen them fighting yet. Mayweather really wanted the fight like crazy in the past two years, but he’s faced all kinds of obstacles with Pacquiao not wanting blood testing within two weeks of the fight in their 2010 failed negotiations, and then Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum saying he had to build an outdoor arena before the fight could be made in order to maximize profits. It just doesn’t fly.
April 12th, 2012
By Chris Williams: If trainer Roger Mayweather gets his way, WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be facing WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao next in a big money unification bout in 2012. Roger doesn’t see any point in waiting for the fight to happen, as he’s ecstatic about how good Floyd is looking in training camp as he gets ready for his HBO pay-per-view fight against WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Roger said to the Latimes.com “This is the best I’ve seen him since the Diego Corrales fight. He hasn’t been laid off at all, he’s back tight, sharper…There ain’t no way that guy [Pacquiao] lasts five rounds against my nephew.”
I hate to say it but Roger is telling the truth here. There is NO WAY that Pacquiao will make it five rounds with Mayweather, but then maybe that’s why we haven’t seen them fighting yet. Mayweather really wanted the fight like crazy in the past two years, but he’s faced all kinds of obstacles with Pacquiao not wanting blood testing within two weeks of the fight in their 2010 failed negotiations, and then Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum saying he had to build an outdoor arena before the fight could be made in order to maximize profits. It just doesn’t fly.
Roy Jones Jr. Says He'd Beat Floyd Mayweather, But Pacquiao's a Different Animal
By
Nedu Obi
Roy Jones Jr. says with his style he would beat Floyd Mayweather, but sees Manny Pacquiao as a different animal, and as a result he would encounter some problems against the Filipino congressman.
Original quotes reported by Boxingscene.com.
“The young Roy Jones, Jr. would probably beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr., because basically Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and James Toney fight with the same style. My style is a different style to theirs.”
“But when you come back and start talking about Manny Pacquiao, he’s a whole different animal. He’s a southpaw who throws bombs. You’ve got to survive his power first, then you deal with him. That’s still left to be seen. Of course with my size I’ll beat him, but if I was in his weight class, that would be a good fight to see,” Jones said on dBoxing Source Radio Show.
Mayweather (42-0-26 KOs) possesses a ministry of defense style which hardly gets breached, he also incorporates a Philly shell shoulder roll, and to boot, has great counterpunching prowess.
The closest the five-division titlist has come to being knocked of his pedestal was when he was rocked by Shane Mosley in the second round of a non-title bout.
Conversely, Pacquiao (54-3-2-38 KOs) is primarily an offensive fighter with a relentless aggressive style, which wears down his opponents. In addition, he owns a killer left-hook.
That said, Pacquiao has suffered stoppage losses on three occasions.
Both fighters are currently in negotiations regarding their projected superfight which has and is still being beset a number of stumbling blocks, most namely the pay-per-view revenue that Mayweather wants the entirety of, whilst Pacquiao is stalling for a 70/30 split of the aforesaid television revenue.
However, before either fighter can give the fans the most anticipated clash in boxing history, “Money” has business to attend to when he vies for Miguel Cotto’s WBA super welterweight title on Cinco de Mayo.
Meanwhile, “Pac-Man” is scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight crown against Timothy Bradley on June 9.
Jones Jr. (55-8-40 KOs), is a four-division world champion—winning titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. Thus far the cruiser weight crown has eluded him
By
Nedu Obi
Roy Jones Jr. says with his style he would beat Floyd Mayweather, but sees Manny Pacquiao as a different animal, and as a result he would encounter some problems against the Filipino congressman.
Original quotes reported by Boxingscene.com.
“The young Roy Jones, Jr. would probably beat Floyd Mayweather, Jr., because basically Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and James Toney fight with the same style. My style is a different style to theirs.”
“But when you come back and start talking about Manny Pacquiao, he’s a whole different animal. He’s a southpaw who throws bombs. You’ve got to survive his power first, then you deal with him. That’s still left to be seen. Of course with my size I’ll beat him, but if I was in his weight class, that would be a good fight to see,” Jones said on dBoxing Source Radio Show.
Mayweather (42-0-26 KOs) possesses a ministry of defense style which hardly gets breached, he also incorporates a Philly shell shoulder roll, and to boot, has great counterpunching prowess.
The closest the five-division titlist has come to being knocked of his pedestal was when he was rocked by Shane Mosley in the second round of a non-title bout.
Conversely, Pacquiao (54-3-2-38 KOs) is primarily an offensive fighter with a relentless aggressive style, which wears down his opponents. In addition, he owns a killer left-hook.
That said, Pacquiao has suffered stoppage losses on three occasions.
Both fighters are currently in negotiations regarding their projected superfight which has and is still being beset a number of stumbling blocks, most namely the pay-per-view revenue that Mayweather wants the entirety of, whilst Pacquiao is stalling for a 70/30 split of the aforesaid television revenue.
However, before either fighter can give the fans the most anticipated clash in boxing history, “Money” has business to attend to when he vies for Miguel Cotto’s WBA super welterweight title on Cinco de Mayo.
Meanwhile, “Pac-Man” is scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight crown against Timothy Bradley on June 9.
Jones Jr. (55-8-40 KOs), is a four-division world champion—winning titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. Thus far the cruiser weight crown has eluded him
De La Hoya gives Saul Alvarez advice where to tag 40-year-old Shane Mosley
April 13th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has reportedly given WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez instructions in where to hit 40-year-old Shane Mosley in their May 5th pay-per-view fight, according to boxing news from Fighthype.com.
It sounds like a good thing that De La Hoya is trying to help out the young 21-year-old Alvarez get through this fight with Mosley with flying colors. However, if Alvarez needs advice in how to beat Mosley, who looks pretty well used up at this point in his career, then Alvarez is going to have serious problems when he finally is matched against someone good one of these days. The training wheels are still on Alvarez even though he’s technically the World Boxing Council junior middleweight champion.
Alvarez is one of those champions that is being still matched as if he’s a prospect instead of a real champion. We see that from time to time, most notably with WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly.
I guess the promoters don’t want to wait for these guys to fully develop before having them go after a paper title. But what happens unfortunately is you get them being put in with a lot of soft opponents for a year or two, and it’s hard on the eyes to see this mismatches.
Alvarez is going to wipe Mosley out even if De La Hoya gave Alvarez the worst of advice. It doesn’t matter anymore. Mosley hasn’t won a fight in three years and has looked positively awful in every fight since his last win in January 2009.
The real shocker here is Alvarez wants to fight unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. if he can get past Mosley. That makes no sense. All those soft fights for Alvarez that culminates in a payday fight against Mayweather. That’s like being rewarded for easy fights and a padded record.
April 13th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has reportedly given WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez instructions in where to hit 40-year-old Shane Mosley in their May 5th pay-per-view fight, according to boxing news from Fighthype.com.
It sounds like a good thing that De La Hoya is trying to help out the young 21-year-old Alvarez get through this fight with Mosley with flying colors. However, if Alvarez needs advice in how to beat Mosley, who looks pretty well used up at this point in his career, then Alvarez is going to have serious problems when he finally is matched against someone good one of these days. The training wheels are still on Alvarez even though he’s technically the World Boxing Council junior middleweight champion.
Alvarez is one of those champions that is being still matched as if he’s a prospect instead of a real champion. We see that from time to time, most notably with WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly.
I guess the promoters don’t want to wait for these guys to fully develop before having them go after a paper title. But what happens unfortunately is you get them being put in with a lot of soft opponents for a year or two, and it’s hard on the eyes to see this mismatches.
Alvarez is going to wipe Mosley out even if De La Hoya gave Alvarez the worst of advice. It doesn’t matter anymore. Mosley hasn’t won a fight in three years and has looked positively awful in every fight since his last win in January 2009.
The real shocker here is Alvarez wants to fight unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. if he can get past Mosley. That makes no sense. All those soft fights for Alvarez that culminates in a payday fight against Mayweather. That’s like being rewarded for easy fights and a padded record.
Mike Jones vs. Randall Bailey for vacant IBF welterweight title on June 9th
April 12th, 2012
By Sean McDaniel: Unbeaten welterweight contender Mike Jones (26-0, 18 KO’s) will be up against big puncher Randall Bailey (42-7, 36 KO’s) in a fight for the vacant IBF welterweight title on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jones, #1 IBF, #1 WBO, has been toiling away for the last seven years fighting mostly in obscurity against lesser fighters. He’s recently started stepping it up slightly with wins over Irving Garcia, Jesus Soto-Karass, and Sebastian Lujab, if you want to call that stepping up, and he’s done well.
In the 6-foot Jones’ first fight against Soto-Karass in November 2010, Jones didn’t look at all good in winning a questionable 10 round majority decision. But in their rematch in February 2011, Jones looked 100 percent better in winning by a convincing 12 round unanimous decision. I still wouldn’t call it a great performance because Jones was getting nailed all along by Soto-Karass, but the fight did show some substantial improvement from Jones.
Bailey, 37, represents a real threat to the 28-year-old Jones because of his one punch power. Bailey has a cannon for a right hand and he’s able to hurt his opposition when he connects cleanly. However, Bailey isn’t quite the puncher at welterweight compared to when he fought at light welterweight. At that weight, Bailey was dangerous for anyone that stepped in the ring to fight him. He’s been in with some good fighters like Juan Urango, Herman Ngoudjo, Miguel Cotto, Ishe Smith and Diosbelys Hurtado. He was beaten by all of those fighters. Bailey seems to have problems against opposition with good power and who put a lot of pressure on him.
Jones will have a size advantage over the the 5’9″ Bailey, #2 IBF, but it won’t mean anything if he runs into one of Bailey’s big right hands. Jones is one of those huge fighters with a large upper body and skinny legs. He’s kind of like a Wladimir Klitschko of the welterweight division but without Wladimir’s comparative power.
Jones can punch, but he’s not a huge puncher at 147. He’s more of a big guy that wears you down with his size and reach. Bailey, on the other hand, is a very big puncher and he’s capable of taking Jones out with a single shot if he lands solidly. However, it might not be easy for Bailey to land often because Jones has altered his fighting style to where he now moves a lot, and doesn’t just stand in front of his opponents looking to slug like he used to.
April 12th, 2012
By Sean McDaniel: Unbeaten welterweight contender Mike Jones (26-0, 18 KO’s) will be up against big puncher Randall Bailey (42-7, 36 KO’s) in a fight for the vacant IBF welterweight title on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jones, #1 IBF, #1 WBO, has been toiling away for the last seven years fighting mostly in obscurity against lesser fighters. He’s recently started stepping it up slightly with wins over Irving Garcia, Jesus Soto-Karass, and Sebastian Lujab, if you want to call that stepping up, and he’s done well.
In the 6-foot Jones’ first fight against Soto-Karass in November 2010, Jones didn’t look at all good in winning a questionable 10 round majority decision. But in their rematch in February 2011, Jones looked 100 percent better in winning by a convincing 12 round unanimous decision. I still wouldn’t call it a great performance because Jones was getting nailed all along by Soto-Karass, but the fight did show some substantial improvement from Jones.
Bailey, 37, represents a real threat to the 28-year-old Jones because of his one punch power. Bailey has a cannon for a right hand and he’s able to hurt his opposition when he connects cleanly. However, Bailey isn’t quite the puncher at welterweight compared to when he fought at light welterweight. At that weight, Bailey was dangerous for anyone that stepped in the ring to fight him. He’s been in with some good fighters like Juan Urango, Herman Ngoudjo, Miguel Cotto, Ishe Smith and Diosbelys Hurtado. He was beaten by all of those fighters. Bailey seems to have problems against opposition with good power and who put a lot of pressure on him.
Jones will have a size advantage over the the 5’9″ Bailey, #2 IBF, but it won’t mean anything if he runs into one of Bailey’s big right hands. Jones is one of those huge fighters with a large upper body and skinny legs. He’s kind of like a Wladimir Klitschko of the welterweight division but without Wladimir’s comparative power.
Jones can punch, but he’s not a huge puncher at 147. He’s more of a big guy that wears you down with his size and reach. Bailey, on the other hand, is a very big puncher and he’s capable of taking Jones out with a single shot if he lands solidly. However, it might not be easy for Bailey to land often because Jones has altered his fighting style to where he now moves a lot, and doesn’t just stand in front of his opponents looking to slug like he used to.
Abril vs. Rios winner to get $50,000 bonus; Sergio Martinez to appear on ESPN Deportes tonight
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (April 14, 2012) -- Eyes on the prize baby. Eyes on the prize. Undefeated former lightweight champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS and World Boxing Association (WBA) interim lightweight title holder RICHARD ABRIL will be fighting for more than the vacant WBA lightweight title and guaranteed purses Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, they will be fighting for a $50,000 bonus that will be awarded to the winner.
The Rio vs. Abril rumble is the co-main event to three-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ (53-6-1, 39 KOs), of México City, going for his fourth world title in as many different weight divisions when he rumbles with World Boxing Organization (WBO) European junior welterweight champion SERGEY FEDCHENKO (30-1, 13 KOs), of Kharkov, Ukraine, for the vacant WBO interim 140-pound world title. Márquez vs. Fedchenko and Rios vs. Abril headline a world championship pay-per-view event that’s so big its main events are originating from two different countries!
Márquez vs. Fedchenko will take place in México City’s brand new Arena México, while Rios vs. Abril and two other exciting fights will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Tomorrow! Saturday, April 14. Boxing fans at Mandalay Bay will also see the Márquez vs. Fedchenko world title fight live, via closed-circuit, on a jumbo screen. The Márquez/Rios world championship event will be produced by Top Rank and distributed Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“Prizefighting is part of boxing’s heritage. In the early years of modern professional boxing, offering a bonus or “prize” to the winner of a fight was a tradition. It added more excitement for the fighters and the fans,” said Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, the promoter of Saturday night’s world championship pay-per-view event. “We wanted to bring the prize aspect back into fight game and this seemed to be the perfect platform to do it. After personally witnessing their animosity toward each other throughout fight week, I think Rios and Abril will be looking at the $50,000 bonus more as the spoils of victory than as a performance incentive. They can’t wait to go for it and one-up each other!”
“When I win my title back on Saturday night you can call my bank account Rios Grande,” stated Rios (29-0-1), of Oxnard, Calif. “I know he’s going to try and run from me all night like Forrest Gump. ‘Run Robert. Run.’ But on Saturday night I’m going to turn Forrest Gump into Forrest Chump.”
“You know why Rios is called ‘Bam Bam?’ Because he has pebbles for brains,” said Abril (17-2-1, 8 KOs), a Cuban expatriate now living in Miami, Fla. “He has to pay a guy to teach him to eat right? I learned how to do that when I was three. He’s an idiot. I’m going to break his mouth, break his heart and break his piggy bank. Come on down Bam Bam. The prize is right – FOR ME!”
Rounding out Saturday’s pay-per-view card at Mandalay Bay will be a 10-round battle between Top 10 junior welterweight contenders “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO (32-0, 23 KOs), of Denver and MAURICIO HERRERA (18-1, 7 KOs), of Riverside, Calif.; and a 10-round lightweight fight between undefeated Top 10 contender MERCITO “No Mercy” GESTA (24-0-1, 12 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, and OSCAR CUERO (15-7, 12 KOs), of Cartagena, Colombia, whose last seven victories have been by knockout.
Today’s Official Weigh-In is open to the public. It will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Doors Open at 2 p.m. PT with the pay-per-view fighters stepping on the scale at 3 p.m. PT.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Tecate and AT&T, remaining tickets, priced at $250, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are available at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
SERGIO MARTINEZ TO APPEAR AS SPECIAL GUEST ON ESPN DEPORTES
New York, NY (4/13/12) - Tonight, the universally recognized Middleweight Champion of the world, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez will be the special guest on ESPN Deportes' Viernes de Combates (the domestic Spanish version of Friday Night Fights). Martinez, who will arrive at the ESPN studios this afternoon to partake in a number of media activities prior to the Friday Night Fights telecast, will be bringing his own special guest along to accompany him, Monique McClain.
For those who don't already know, Monique is the young teenage girl who Sergio befriended before his title fight against Serhiy Dzinziruk last March at Foxwoods in Connecticut. Monique was being so badly bullied by her classmates that her family took her out of school. Upon learning of Monique's situation, Martinez, who is an outspoken advocate and avid supporter of ending violence against women and children, invited Monique and her family to spend some time with him prior to his title fight and to be his special guest at the fight. The relationship between Martinez and Monique has continued to grow over the last year, with Monique spending time at that champion's training camp in Oxnard during the preparation for his October 2011 middleweight title defense of Darren Barker as well as being ringside for each of Martinez' last three title defenses. (Editors Note: A few months ago, Monique re-entered school and is doing better than ever.)
"Being a world champion, and being in the position I am in, one of the most important things I can do in my life is to bring awareness to society what a serious situation this is (Domestic Violence and Bullying). I am very excited to be on ESPN Deportes, and have the opportunity to speak out about these causes to such a large audience," said Martinez.
"I am very proud to be part of Sergio Martinez's campaign and be able to collaborate with him on his mission to end violence against the un-defensible. Sergio continues to show that he is not only a great champion inside the ring but outside as well," said long-time adviser Sampson Lewkowicz.
"We are thrilled that Sergio will be a guest on Viernes de Combates, the domestic Spanish version of the Friday Night Fights series, and even happier that he will get an opportunity to champion his causes of anti-bullying and anti-domestic violence. It will also be great for the domestic and international boxing viewers to meet Monique and learn what kind of champion Sergio is outside of the ring," said promoter Lou DiBella.
It was a busy couple of days for Martinez. Just yesterday, Martinez participated in "The Y Factor - Men Leading by Example", a national summit in San Francisco that honors men working to end violence against women and children. Other special guests at the summit included baseball legends Willie Mays and Joe Torre, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Department of Justice Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West, Thomas Goetz, the Executive Editor of WIRED Magazine, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joel Brinkley.
Below is a list of just some of the causes and/or organizations that Martinez is an advocate and supporter of:
- WBC Word Boxing Cares: World Champions Against Bullying
- New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferrers, who chairs the committee on Women's Issues and representatives from the Dominican Women's Development Center and the Violence Intervention Program
- Federal legislation: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Baltimore-Pittsburgh “The Rematch” Scheduled for May 4!
Baltimore, MD (April 13, 2012) – Promoter Jake Smith of Baltimore Boxing Promotions announced that Team Baltimore and Team Pittsburgh will fight again Friday, May 4 at the Du Burns Arena.
Dubbed as, “The Rematch”, the card is headlined by a Maryland State Title bout between Jerome Featherstone Jr. and Maurice Stokes. A Maryland native who attended The Boys’ Latin School, Featherstone Jr. later became a Marine and standout wrestler at the University of Oklahoma. Featherstone Jr, the son of a Baltimore wrestling legend, is one of the region’s better known boxers.
The two squads previously met on March 23 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in nearby Glen Burnie, MD, with Team Baltimore earning a close victory following an outstanding night of Olympic-style boxing. Throughout the evening, the capacity crowd was on their feet enjoying the nonstop action. Upon the card’s completion, both the fighters and spectators were eager to know when there’d be a rematch.
“I’ve been promoting both pro and amateur shows for a number of years now and this is the best response I’ve ever had following one of my cards,” said Smith, a former pro fighter who runs a local gym Baltimore Boxing and Fitness. “This really reminded me of a Ravens-Steelers game. The fights were down to the wire and the crowd was really into it. Everybody wanted another Baltimore-Pittsburgh card as soon as possible and I’m happy to deliver it!”
Individual tickets purchased in advance start at $25 and VIP tables of 10 range from $350-500. Individual VIP tickets are available for $50 and all VIP ticketholders can enjoy catered food from various local eateries and half price drinks during a special happy hour.
All bouts are sanctioned by USA boxing and tickets to “The Rematch” can be purchased by calling 410-375-9175 or going to baltimoreboxing.com.
Doors open at 6:30 and the Du Burns arena is located at 1301 S Ellwood Ave in Baltimore, MD
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (April 14, 2012) -- Eyes on the prize baby. Eyes on the prize. Undefeated former lightweight champion BRANDON “Bam Bam” RIOS and World Boxing Association (WBA) interim lightweight title holder RICHARD ABRIL will be fighting for more than the vacant WBA lightweight title and guaranteed purses Saturday night at Mandalay Bay, they will be fighting for a $50,000 bonus that will be awarded to the winner.
The Rio vs. Abril rumble is the co-main event to three-division world champion and Méxican icon JUAN MANUEL MÁRQUEZ (53-6-1, 39 KOs), of México City, going for his fourth world title in as many different weight divisions when he rumbles with World Boxing Organization (WBO) European junior welterweight champion SERGEY FEDCHENKO (30-1, 13 KOs), of Kharkov, Ukraine, for the vacant WBO interim 140-pound world title. Márquez vs. Fedchenko and Rios vs. Abril headline a world championship pay-per-view event that’s so big its main events are originating from two different countries!
Márquez vs. Fedchenko will take place in México City’s brand new Arena México, while Rios vs. Abril and two other exciting fights will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Tomorrow! Saturday, April 14. Boxing fans at Mandalay Bay will also see the Márquez vs. Fedchenko world title fight live, via closed-circuit, on a jumbo screen. The Márquez/Rios world championship event will be produced by Top Rank and distributed Live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
“Prizefighting is part of boxing’s heritage. In the early years of modern professional boxing, offering a bonus or “prize” to the winner of a fight was a tradition. It added more excitement for the fighters and the fans,” said Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank, the promoter of Saturday night’s world championship pay-per-view event. “We wanted to bring the prize aspect back into fight game and this seemed to be the perfect platform to do it. After personally witnessing their animosity toward each other throughout fight week, I think Rios and Abril will be looking at the $50,000 bonus more as the spoils of victory than as a performance incentive. They can’t wait to go for it and one-up each other!”
“When I win my title back on Saturday night you can call my bank account Rios Grande,” stated Rios (29-0-1), of Oxnard, Calif. “I know he’s going to try and run from me all night like Forrest Gump. ‘Run Robert. Run.’ But on Saturday night I’m going to turn Forrest Gump into Forrest Chump.”
“You know why Rios is called ‘Bam Bam?’ Because he has pebbles for brains,” said Abril (17-2-1, 8 KOs), a Cuban expatriate now living in Miami, Fla. “He has to pay a guy to teach him to eat right? I learned how to do that when I was three. He’s an idiot. I’m going to break his mouth, break his heart and break his piggy bank. Come on down Bam Bam. The prize is right – FOR ME!”
Rounding out Saturday’s pay-per-view card at Mandalay Bay will be a 10-round battle between Top 10 junior welterweight contenders “Mile High” MIKE ALVARADO (32-0, 23 KOs), of Denver and MAURICIO HERRERA (18-1, 7 KOs), of Riverside, Calif.; and a 10-round lightweight fight between undefeated Top 10 contender MERCITO “No Mercy” GESTA (24-0-1, 12 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, and OSCAR CUERO (15-7, 12 KOs), of Cartagena, Colombia, whose last seven victories have been by knockout.
Today’s Official Weigh-In is open to the public. It will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Doors Open at 2 p.m. PT with the pay-per-view fighters stepping on the scale at 3 p.m. PT.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, Tecate and AT&T, remaining tickets, priced at $250, $150, $100, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, are available at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
SERGIO MARTINEZ TO APPEAR AS SPECIAL GUEST ON ESPN DEPORTES
New York, NY (4/13/12) - Tonight, the universally recognized Middleweight Champion of the world, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez will be the special guest on ESPN Deportes' Viernes de Combates (the domestic Spanish version of Friday Night Fights). Martinez, who will arrive at the ESPN studios this afternoon to partake in a number of media activities prior to the Friday Night Fights telecast, will be bringing his own special guest along to accompany him, Monique McClain.
For those who don't already know, Monique is the young teenage girl who Sergio befriended before his title fight against Serhiy Dzinziruk last March at Foxwoods in Connecticut. Monique was being so badly bullied by her classmates that her family took her out of school. Upon learning of Monique's situation, Martinez, who is an outspoken advocate and avid supporter of ending violence against women and children, invited Monique and her family to spend some time with him prior to his title fight and to be his special guest at the fight. The relationship between Martinez and Monique has continued to grow over the last year, with Monique spending time at that champion's training camp in Oxnard during the preparation for his October 2011 middleweight title defense of Darren Barker as well as being ringside for each of Martinez' last three title defenses. (Editors Note: A few months ago, Monique re-entered school and is doing better than ever.)
"Being a world champion, and being in the position I am in, one of the most important things I can do in my life is to bring awareness to society what a serious situation this is (Domestic Violence and Bullying). I am very excited to be on ESPN Deportes, and have the opportunity to speak out about these causes to such a large audience," said Martinez.
"I am very proud to be part of Sergio Martinez's campaign and be able to collaborate with him on his mission to end violence against the un-defensible. Sergio continues to show that he is not only a great champion inside the ring but outside as well," said long-time adviser Sampson Lewkowicz.
"We are thrilled that Sergio will be a guest on Viernes de Combates, the domestic Spanish version of the Friday Night Fights series, and even happier that he will get an opportunity to champion his causes of anti-bullying and anti-domestic violence. It will also be great for the domestic and international boxing viewers to meet Monique and learn what kind of champion Sergio is outside of the ring," said promoter Lou DiBella.
It was a busy couple of days for Martinez. Just yesterday, Martinez participated in "The Y Factor - Men Leading by Example", a national summit in San Francisco that honors men working to end violence against women and children. Other special guests at the summit included baseball legends Willie Mays and Joe Torre, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, Department of Justice Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West, Thomas Goetz, the Executive Editor of WIRED Magazine, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Joel Brinkley.
Below is a list of just some of the causes and/or organizations that Martinez is an advocate and supporter of:
- WBC Word Boxing Cares: World Champions Against Bullying
- New York City Councilwoman Julissa Ferrers, who chairs the committee on Women's Issues and representatives from the Dominican Women's Development Center and the Violence Intervention Program
- Federal legislation: The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Baltimore-Pittsburgh “The Rematch” Scheduled for May 4!
Baltimore, MD (April 13, 2012) – Promoter Jake Smith of Baltimore Boxing Promotions announced that Team Baltimore and Team Pittsburgh will fight again Friday, May 4 at the Du Burns Arena.
Dubbed as, “The Rematch”, the card is headlined by a Maryland State Title bout between Jerome Featherstone Jr. and Maurice Stokes. A Maryland native who attended The Boys’ Latin School, Featherstone Jr. later became a Marine and standout wrestler at the University of Oklahoma. Featherstone Jr, the son of a Baltimore wrestling legend, is one of the region’s better known boxers.
The two squads previously met on March 23 at Michael’s Eighth Avenue in nearby Glen Burnie, MD, with Team Baltimore earning a close victory following an outstanding night of Olympic-style boxing. Throughout the evening, the capacity crowd was on their feet enjoying the nonstop action. Upon the card’s completion, both the fighters and spectators were eager to know when there’d be a rematch.
“I’ve been promoting both pro and amateur shows for a number of years now and this is the best response I’ve ever had following one of my cards,” said Smith, a former pro fighter who runs a local gym Baltimore Boxing and Fitness. “This really reminded me of a Ravens-Steelers game. The fights were down to the wire and the crowd was really into it. Everybody wanted another Baltimore-Pittsburgh card as soon as possible and I’m happy to deliver it!”
Individual tickets purchased in advance start at $25 and VIP tables of 10 range from $350-500. Individual VIP tickets are available for $50 and all VIP ticketholders can enjoy catered food from various local eateries and half price drinks during a special happy hour.
All bouts are sanctioned by USA boxing and tickets to “The Rematch” can be purchased by calling 410-375-9175 or going to baltimoreboxing.com.
Doors open at 6:30 and the Du Burns arena is located at 1301 S Ellwood Ave in Baltimore, MD
Photos: Rigondeaux in Camp, Training For Teon Kennedy Bout
Hialeah, Florida - Cuban star Guillermo "The Jackal" Rigondeaux is already back in the gym and working hard for his next defense. The WBA super bantamweight world champion is training at The Xtreme Boxing Gym, owned by the trainer Jorge Rubio in Hialeah, Miami. Florida. The Cuban fighter began this training camp along with his physical conditioner DJ Montanocordoba and the help of Jorge Rubio and Ramón Garbey for his next fight in June against Teon Kennedy in Las Vegas.
Hialeah, Florida - Cuban star Guillermo "The Jackal" Rigondeaux is already back in the gym and working hard for his next defense. The WBA super bantamweight world champion is training at The Xtreme Boxing Gym, owned by the trainer Jorge Rubio in Hialeah, Miami. Florida. The Cuban fighter began this training camp along with his physical conditioner DJ Montanocordoba and the help of Jorge Rubio and Ramón Garbey for his next fight in June against Teon Kennedy in Las Vegas.
