Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Cintron: "I'm The Guy Floyd Mayweather Needs To Fight"

After reading comments made to the Puerto Rican press by the President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar de la Hoya, stating that Kermit Cintron is “a great choice” to take on Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in the spring, Cintron has set out to make sure de la Hoya knows the interest is mutual.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has been recognized as one of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter for several years, but has recently come under scrutiny for not taking on the perceived toughest opposition. However, there will be no such pubic umbrage over a bout with Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KOs), who has twice held the welterweight crown and whose only losses have come at the hands of Antonio Margarito, a fighter currently under suspension for tampering with his gloves.

“There is no bigger fan of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s talent than myself,” said Cintron. “But the whole world wants to see Floyd fight a big, strong welterweight, and that’s where I step in. Everyone knows I can punch and Alfredo Angulo will tell you I can box, too. If Floyd wants to prove he’s a legit welterweight, I’m the guy he needs to fight.”

Cintron handed the highly touted Angulo his first and only loss in a brilliant effort last May.

Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment, which represents Cintron, is at the ready and waiting to strike a deal whenever he hears from members of the Mayweather camp.

“Oscar and Richard [Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions] know me very well and they know I’m easy to deal with,” said DiBella. “We can have a deal made in an hour if this is the direction Floyd wants to take.”

 

[heyzel]

Shane Mosley – Andre Berto: What’s so intriguing

By Juan Carlos Castillo: WBA Welterweight Champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) surprised many of us last January when he destroyed ex-Champion Mexican Antonio Margarito. It was not him, defeating Margarito, but the way he did what led us to consider him the best Welterweight in the World. Then, you have Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KO’s) who will face the most difficult test of his career when he collides with Mosley. Berto, while still undefeated, won the Welterweight title beating an old and lets be real, not a top-fighter in Steve Forbes, whose record and opponents speaks for themselves.

Common elements between the two fighters: both of them have speed, both have records which leads us to believe they are knockout winners and they both have pretty solid stamina. That, combined with their coming-forward motion of fighting will spread into a brawl. Berto will lay mostly on his speed and wild punches while Mosley will target Berto’s chin and try to counterpunch when Berto gets out of position.

There’s no reason to even compare their opponents since Berto is coming up and Mosley has demonstrated his talent. However, ruling out Berto is not fair, since he’s a titleholder and he has what it takes to bring down a fighter like Mosley is 38 years old, and for this analysis I’m not ruling out Mosley getting old overnight, but I don’t see any reason to believe he will..

The fight will start slow since Mosley does not work in a fast-pace neither Berto, and since Berto’s facing an opponent carrying a lot of power in his hands, that will perhaps work in his favor when he tries to outbox Mosley from the outside. Mosley will put a lot of pressure on Berto looking toward his future in a potential fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. now that Mayweather was left without any good opponent in the Welterweight Division.

Mosley has always been known for having a good work-rate and Berto as well, but in his fight against Luis Collazo, he was exposed in that sense, giving up all his energy and earning a narrow decision. Mosley has never faded in a fight, in fact he’s only been down twice, and that was long time ago against former Champion Vernon Forrest.

Berto will have a special motivation in this fight fighting for his country, which was victim of a strong earthquake, so he’ll have an extra for this upcoming event. Put all the pieces in place, and Mosley should win in a hard-fight that will surprise many going 12 rounds and both fighters having their moments. 115-113 Mosley.

 

[heyzel]

Why doesn’t Pavlik take Taylor’s place in the Super Six tourney?

By Scott Gilfoid: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KO’s) would go a long ways towards shutting up his critics if he were to step up to the plate and make a play to take Jermain Taylor’s place in the Super Six tourney. Taylor dropped out recently to take some time off from boxing after losing back to back fights by knockout against Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham. This early departure for Taylor, after group stage 1 of Showtime’s Super Six tournament, leaves a hole that needs to be filled by a top fighter.

As of now, it’s looking like that vacancy will be filled by the winner of the February fight between super middleweight contenders Sakio Bika and Allan Green. Those are two good fighters, but neither of them are as well known as Pavlik, and it would be a great opportunity for Pavlik to put his 2008 disappointing loss by then 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins behind him.

Pavlik has since beaten Marco Antonio Rubio and Miguel Espino, a couple of obscure fighters that hasn’t done much to make fans forget how badly Pavlik was dominated by Hopkins. Without the Super Six tourney, Pavlik is looking at fighting one of the following fighters next:

Felix Sturm
Sebastian Sylvester
John Duddy
Paul Williams
Sergio Martinez
Gennady Golokin
Sebastian Zbik

Pavlik would do well if he can get a fight against Paul Williams, but Pavlik twice postponed fights against Williams in the past because of a lingering staph infection on his hand. After the 2nd postponement, Williams decided to move on and fight Sergio Martinez, who he beat recently by a 12 round majority decision in December.

If Pavlik were to step into Taylor’s place and take part in the Super Six tournament, he would have the opportunity to show what he’s made of against fighters like Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, and Arthur Abraham. At 6’2 ½”, Pavlik would have the size to compete against those fighters. He couldn’t make the excuse that he’s too short, because Pavlik is taller than all of them.

However, Pavlik would be in great danger of being out-boxed by the likes of Ward, Kessler and Dirrell. I think those would very tough fights for Pavlik, and given how bad Pavlik looked against Hopkins, I can’t see him winning those fights. But I think Pavlik would do well against the sluggers Froch and Abraham. Those fighters are tailor made for Pavlik. He does well against fighters that come at him and try to trade shots, but he struggles against opponents that use any kind of movement.

Would Pavlik be open to fighting in the Super Six tournament? I don’t think he would. In the past, Pavlik had this to say about the Super Six tournament:

“Why would I be in that tournament when I’m a middleweight? They never asked me and I never wanted to join. Let them beat each other up. Let them ruin their careers for peanuts.”

What Pavlik seems to be missing out on is even though the money isn’t quite as good as he would get for one of his fights, he would make a bigger star out of himself if he were to take part in the tournament and come out the winner. It could be the missing ingredient to him becoming a mega star like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Of course, Pavlik might lose to Ward, Dirrell and some of the other Super Six fighters, but at least he would be seen trying against notable fighters rather than lesser known ones like he’s been fighting since winning the WBC/WBO middleweight titles against Taylor in 2007. Pavlik has beaten Marco Antonio Rubio, Gary Lockett and Miguel Espino, as well as Taylor again in a rematch.

 

[heyzel]

Would Marquez or Bradley been a better choice for Pacquiao?

By Sean McDaniel: WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will be facing Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO’s) on March 13th. Clottey, a Top Rank fighter like Pacquiao, has been picked as the replacement for Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the upcoming bout at the Dallas Cowboy stadium, in Arlington, Texas. Clottey has been called a good replacement opponent by many fans. However, I don’t see it that way. Why didn’t they consider matching Pacquiao up with World Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley or WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

Clottey is a good fighter, but he’s coming off a loss to Miguel Cotto in his last fight. Pacquiao defeated Cotto by a 12th round knockout. That kind of takes the suspense out of a fight between Clottey and Pacquiao in my book. For fans that see Clottey as being a power puncher, let me remind you that Clottey has only one knockout in his last eleven fights since 2005. That suggests to me that Clottey isn’t a real knockout threat.

I don’t what happened to his power, but Clottey, 32, hasn’t been knocking out opponents with regularity since 2004 when he was in his mid 20s. At that time, Clottey was mostly facing 2nd tier opponents. Marquez fought Pacquiao very closely in their fight in March 2008. Marquez may have lost the fight by a 12 round split decision, but he came the closest to beating Pacquiao since Erik Morales did in 2005. Marquez may have been beaten recently by Floyd Mayweather Jr., but that was only after moving up in weight nine pounds.

Marquez may have not looked good in the fight against Mayweather, but I still think he’ll give a better fight than Clottey. Marquez can punch with either hand and has done a good job of making Pacquiao pay for his mistakes in his two fights with him. Clottey is more of a defensive fighter with a good left hook and not much else. Since Clottey doesn’t have the power to knock Pacquiao based on his recent performances, I can’t see Clottey out-boxing Pacquiao and beating him by a decision. Clottey can be out-worked, and he fades late in his fights.

I’ve seen his fights against Zab Judah, Richard Gutierrez, Diego Corrales, Miguel Cotto, Carlos Baldomir, Jose Luis Cruz, Shamone Alvarez, Antonio Margarito and Felix Flores. In those fights, Clottey fought mostly short spurts in which he fights hard for 10 to 20 seconds and then covers up for the next minute or two, as if the short exertion tired him out.

It’s not interesting for me to watch his fights, because he isn’t active enough to keep the fight flowing. If Pacquiao’s team were looking for a fighter that Pacquiao can beat with ease, this is the one. When Clottey does attack, all Pacquiao has to do is back off and stay away him. Once Clottey covers up like he always does, Pacquiao can batter him with shots while Clottey lies against the ropes trying to block incoming shots.

Bradley is probably the best light welterweight in the division. I know Pacquiao doesn’t want to move down in weight to fight Bradley, but I’m sure that Bradley would have no qualms about moving up in weight to fight Pacquiao. Unlike Clottey, Bradley throws a lot of punches and is a very busy fighter. Pacquiao would have big problems against him. I think Bradley might even be able to beat Pacquiao.

 

[heyzel]

Hatton gives reasons for loss to Pacquiao

By William Mackay: Ricky Hatton had a variety of excuses to give for his loss to Manny Pacquiao in May. In article at the Sportinglife, Hatton says “It was only in my previous fight a few months earlier that I put in one of my best performances against Malignaggi. All of a sudden they think I’m past it in the next five months. That wasn’t the case – it was a case of just being a little bit over-trained and I was walking to the ring that night like a man going to the gallows.” Hatton was knocked cold by Pacquiao in a 2nd round stoppage on May 2nd, 2009.

It’s hard to agree with Hatton about whether over-training was the reason he lost to Pacquiao, because Hatton was in trouble in the opening moments of the fight after walking into a hard shot by Pacquiao and getting put down. Hatton would later get knocked down a second time late in the round. From my vantage point, it appeared that Hatton was getting tagged because of his defensive lapses rather than being over-trained.

Hatton was going after Pacquiao in a wide open manner that made it easy for Pacquiao to pick him off with big shots as Hatton was coming in. Floyd Mayweather Sr. had been working with Hatton to be more defensive, trying to get him to move his head and cover up more.

This training didn’t seem to have any effect on Hatton, because he fought pretty much as he always does by rushing out and trying to slug with Pacquiao. If the fight had gone longer, then I can see an issue of over-training being a problem. However, Hatton’s loss to Pacquiao seemed to me a result of Hatton’s bad tactics rather than his over training.

Hatton says “I was down on weight very early, I was sparring a lot earlier than normal and consequently I peaked too soon. Where I should have taken my foot off the gas and had a bit of a rest, my trainer put my foot on the gas and in the end it burned me.” Again, I think this would have been an issue for Hatton had the fight gone into the middle or late rounds of the fight where his conditioning could have become an issue.

But for a fight where Hatton was in deep trouble from the opening round, I can’t see his diet or training being the issue here. Hatton just seemed to use too crude of an attacking style on Pacquiao for this fight. He needed to be more tactical, more strategic and less of a brawler. Pacquiao was well trained by Freddie Roach, his coach, and seemed to know exactly what Hatton would do in the fight. The leaping left hooks were something that Hatton should have stayed away from, and he needed to move his head and stay more on the outside against the faster Pacquiao.

“I don’t think Manny Pacquiao beat me at my best that night and that’s what is making me come back,” Hatton says. The only way for Hatton to know for sure whether it was a case of him over-training is for him to be smarter in his next training camp and take things slower. He’s got to take enough weight before the training camp starts so that his camp isn’t a fat farm for him to take off weight. Hatton needs to strip off the lard before he gets to camp, because I can see this being another excuse if he ends up getting stopped in his next fight.

 

[heyzel]

Will the Death of the Pacquiao/Mayweather Fight be Boxing’s Downfall? Not as Much as

By Warren Cloud: The fact that the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight will not happen on March 13 (and will probably never will), is certainly a major disappointment for all boxing fans. What it boils down to is greed and unreasonable demands by the fighters, camps, and promoters involved. Most boxing professionals and analysts believe that this fight could have been as big, or bigger than the super fights of the likes of Marvin Hagler/Tommy Hearns.

It also terribly foolish that both fighters will be throwing millions upon millions of dollars away by not fighting one another, but big money and disappointment aside, the prospect of this fight could have also been quite damaging to the world of boxing. The enormous amount of greed and childlike bickering by both parties would have put a bitter taste in the mouths of faithful boxing fans, but more importantly, it would have disgusted the casual fan whose only interest would be to watch a great fight between the two pound for pound kings.

The most damaging element of this fiasco are the accusations by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and senior that Pacquiao’s success is due to his use of steroids, an accusation that is groundless because there has never been evidence showing that Pacquiao is taking or has ever taken steroids. The 90s proved to be an extremely trying and damaging decade to the sport of baseball when proof of Sammy Sosa and other homerun kings were found to have taken steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Some might think that mere accusations compared to proof of steroid use are two totally different things, but even the greatest of all cyclists, Lance Armstrong who was never found to have used steroids, lost credibility worldwide. The fact that it is widely known that many football and basketball players carry guns has proved to damaging to the two sports. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were recently found to have carried and stored firearms in their lockers. Only weeks ago, Freddy Roach accused Floyd Mayweather of being involved in a shooting in August of 2008, an incident which Mayweather was never charged with.

Although the ratings for football and baseball may not have drastically suffered from the well known fact that athletes sometimes use steroids and carry firearms, it is very possible that the same could not be said about boxing. Historically boxing has been known to have been controlled by the mafia, and there have been many well known instances of fighters “taking a dive” for the purpose of crooked betting endeavors. The fact is that boxing more than any other sport has lost much viewership throughout the years from people who think that boxing is often fixed. That is why it is imperative for fans and casual viewers to come to the realization that this fight will not happen and despite its appeal, boxing will go on and talents of the likes of Guillermo Rigondeaux and Juan Manuel Lopez among others will provide the boxing world with talent that will meet or exceed the superpowers that are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

 

[heyzel]

Keith Kizer Talks Blood Tests, Margarito's License

By Ryan Burton

The final Las Vegas presser for Saturday's Vanes Martirosyan vs. Kassim Ouma clash started out in a laid back manner but as most pressers are these days - it quickly became heated. Ouma decided to start talking trash by saying that he was going to beat Martirosyan's a$$. The Glendale, California-based Martirosyan replied back, saying that he lets his fists do the talking but he did tell Ouma to be a man and do what he says when they are in the ring and then he played on Ouma's nickname of "The Dream" by saying he would turn his dream into "The Nightmare," which of course is Maritroysan's nickname.

Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer had his usual speech about being appreciative of having the fight in Nevada to kick off the New Year and was looking forward to another big year of fights in the state. Afterwards Kizer spoke to BoxingScene.com about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather and a few other topics.

When asked if Nevada was considering blood testing in the future, Kizer said that everything is under consideration. He said they don't have any plans to make any changes at the moment, and the participants of one fight would not be a basis to change the system. Kizer feels the current testing system is pretty accurate. He said the commission regulary looks at making improvements. He pointed to the fact that their testing caught Fernando Vargas. He also mentioned that even though Mosley wasn't caught on the "cream" and the "clear" that they can detect those substances now in their urine testing and that he heard people don't use those particular substances anymore because of the effective testing methods in place.

"It is a cat and mouse game. There are people paid a lot of money to come up with PED's that aren't detectable and there are people paid a lot of money to develop tests to detect them," Kizer told BoxingScene.com

Kizer feels the most important aspect of drug testing is to deter people from using them. He would hope that in this type of sport people wouldn't use them because of the inherent danger in combat sports such as boxing and M M A but he knows that some people will do whatever it takes to get an edge. He said that if blood testing was implemented, fighters would have to be sent to labs to take such tests because of the contamination and infection hazards that are in locker rooms. Another issue that could come about is when a nurse draws blood, they may miss the vein and have to do a second intrusion and then you may have a fighter with a sore arm which can affect the fighter's performance. Kizer knows there isn't a perfect system out there but is confident in what Nevada is currently doing.

That led to the subject of Antonio Margarito's suspension being lifted. Kizer wants everyone to be aware, that even if California decides to lift the suspension - other states won't necessarily follow suit - and there is also the possibility that another state may issue a license to Margarito and California may decide he needs to be suspended for a longer period. I asked Kizer if thought Nevada would license Margarito - if he first was reinstated by California - and he said the final decision would be up to the comission of Nevada. I asked if he felt Margarito would get reinstated and Kizer said he couldn't answer that because he doesn't really know which way the comission would lean.

 

[heyzel]

Manny Pacquiao Stripped of the IBO 140-Pound Title

With the confirmation that Manny Pacquiao will continue campaigning at Welterweight, the IBO will go forward and open the Junior Welterweight division which will be contested by the two leading available contenders.

We were proud and privileged to have the best pound for pound fighter in the world hold the IBO Junior Welterweight World Title.

 

[heyzel]

Prediction: Mayweather won’t be fighting Cintron

By Dave Lahr: I’d like nothing more for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to fight knockout artist Kermit Cintron (32-2-1, 28 KO’s) on March 13th, but I can’t see it happening. This would go against everything that I’ve seen from Mayweather in recent years. It’s not that Mayweather hasn’t faced huge punchers before during his career, because Mayweather dominated big punching Diego Corrales nine years ago in a 10th round stoppage in 2001.

However, that was a long time ago and Mayweather has taken on few punchers anywhere near the class of Corrales since that time, especially lately. Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather’s last two opponents, can punch well, but neither of them can hit like Cintron. Mayweather would have an advantage in speed and boxing ability against Cintron, and he could probably box circles around him if he wanted to.

But I think Mayweather won’t want to take this fight because Cintron will make it hard for Mayweather by hitting him with a number of big shots in every round. Even if Mayweather dominates most of the fight, Cintron will still make him feel a lot of pain every time he lands one of his big shots. And unless Mayweather plays it really careful to avoid Cintron’s big right hands, there’s a chance that Mayweather might get dropped or possibly even stopped.

I doubt it will happen, but I think there’s a chance. Floyd is getting up there in age at 32, and that’s old for a welterweight. In the lower weight classes, fighters can continue to still be effective in their early 30s, but they start to slow down with their movement around that age. Mayweather has to be able to move well for him to beat a hard puncher like Cintron. He can’t just stand in the corner and think he’s going to beat a slugger like Cintron using a check left hook and his shoulder roll.

Those kinds of gimmicks might work against a small light welterweight without massive power, but against a 5′11″ welterweight with knockout power in either hand, Mayweather will have to come up with more than that if he wants to get the win. This is why I think Mayweather won’t even bother taking this fight.

There is too much danger there for him in this fight because of Cintron’s power, and Mayweather would have to run all night long to prevent Cintron from catching up to him and putting hands on him. Mayweather would probably look like a war surviver after a fight against Cintron. I think he’d win, but it would be a very tough fight and totally unlike any of his recent bouts in the past five years.

My guess is Mayweather will pick Paulie Malignaggi to fight next. That seems more of the type of opponent that Mayweather would choose

 

[heyzel]

Hopkins vs. Jones II: Is it too late for this fight?

By William Mackay: 17 years after the two of them last faced each other, Roy Jones Jr. (54-6, 40 KO’s) and Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KO’s) will finally meet up again for a light heavyweight bout on April 17th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. It appears that the two fighters have waited 17 years too long for this fight to occur, because now that both Hopkins and Jones are in their 40s, this fight is more like an old timer’s fight than a bout with any kind of relevance whatsoever.

Jones, 41, has been stopped three times in the past six years, and there are many boxing fans who feel that Jones’s ability to take punishment has degraded in recent years. It could be that Jones, who was rarely ever hit in his prime because of his lightning fast reflexes and hand speed, never did have the greatest chin, but we’re only finding that out now that he’s slowed down and doesn’t move nearly as much as he used to earlier in his career.

In Jones’ last fight against International Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Danny Green on December 2nd, Jones was dropped with a big right hand early in the 1st round. Jones then covered up and took a barrage of punches from Green that last 20 seconds until the bout was finally halted by the referee Howard John Foster when it became clear that Jones wasn’t in the position to throw anything back at Green.

That fight took pretty much all the air out of the Hopkins-Jones fight. Jones was supposed to fight Green as a tune-up for the Hopkins bout, but after Jones was beaten by Green, it made a bout between Jones and Hopkins kind of meaningless. Green attempted to line up a fight with Hopkins, but he was unable to put together a fight because Hopkins wanted a bigger pay cut than him.

The fight that many boxing fans want to see if Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson, and it’s hard not to see why because these two fighters are the best in the division. Hopkins, however, has been reluctant to taking this fight for some reason. It’s hard to see why not, because Dawson is considered by many to be the best fighter in the light heavyweight division, better even than Hopkins.

By facing Dawson, Hopkins would be proving himself against another younger fighter and would really be able to help cement his legacy if he were able to beat the younger Dawson. Hopkins defeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik by a 12 round decision in late 2008. It was a great win, but the fight was held at a catch weight and Pavlik didn’t look good fighting out of the middleweight division. But at least if Hopkins faced Dawson, he would be facing someone from his own weight class.

Strangely enough, Jones still remains ranked high in the light heavyweight division, even after the loss to Green. Jones is currently ranked number #1 WBO, #3 WBC, #3 IBF and #4 WBA. Those rankings seem almost insane given how bad Jones looked in the Green fight, and with the mostly limited opposition that Jones has been getting his wins against in the past four years.

 

[heyzel]

Cotto vs. Foreman: Is this a style nightmare for Miguel?

By Jim Dower: Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO’s) looks to be aiming at World Boxing Association light middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KO’s) for his comeback bout in June, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN. Cotto, 29, was stopped in the 12th round by Manny Pacquiao in November. In losing, Cotto lost his WBO title to Pacquiao and took an enormous amount of punishment during the process. Instead of facing another welterweight to try and capture one of the titles, Cotto instead will be moving up in weight for a bout against the elusive Foreman.

Cotto might regret taking a fight against Foreman, because his style of fighting is one that Cotto might have problems against. Foreman tends to give nightmares to many of his opponents with his hit and run style of fighting. He’s simply hard to hit, period. Even if his opponents do get close enough to hit him, Foreman grabs them in a clinch to prevent them from hitting him. Foreman is great at what he does, and I don’t know that Cotto has the ability to get close enough to hit Foreman enough to win then fight.

Both Foreman and Cotto are Top Rank fighters, so it shouldn’t be problem putting this fight together unlike the Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather bout that recently went down the drains during a failed negotiations process.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says “You will see Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman at Madison Square Garden on Jan 23. The reason they will both be there is to start the promotion for their fight in June. Miguel wants to fight Foreman. Yuri wants a big fight. Yuri will have the Jewish fans behind him. And we already know what a big attraction Miguel is in New York and how much the Puerto Rican fans support him.”

If this fight is put together, it will easily be the biggest bout of the 29-year-old Foreman’s eight year pro career. Up until now, the best opponents Foreman has been in with is a rusty Daniel Santos, who Foreman recently beat by a 12 round decision to capture the WBA light middleweight title in November, and fringe contenders Andrey Tsurkan and Cornelius Bundrage. Cotto will be a big step up for Foreman. Obviously, Yuri won’t be standing and trying to trade with Cotto, because that’s a fight that Foreman can’t win. He has very little power to speak of and is only effective as long as he can continue to stay away from Cotto.

However, Cotto has problems with the quick and elusive Zab Judah in the early part of his fight with him in June 2007. Cotto also has problems with the movement and punch and grab style of Oktay Urkal in March 2007. Cotto eventually won the fight, but he didn’t look good and seemed to really struggle with the constant movement and grabbing by Urkal.

Foreman makes Urkal’s movement and clinching seem like child’s play in comparison. This has the makings of a really ugly fight. The only good that I can see coming out of this fight is that Cotto won’t be in danger of being knocked out or taking a lot of punishment from Foreman, because Yuri can’t punch very well.

 

[heyzel]

And what if Pacquiao is `CLEAN`?

By Dezzie Lightbulb: Boxing has always been plagued with `what ifs`. What if Ali and Tyson had met in the ring, each in his prime? What if Cotto`s team had properly checked Margarito`s gloves before their fight? What if such and such a judge had bought himself a new pair of spectacles the day of yet another crazy decision? What if, what if, what if! These questions can never be fully answered. They can haunt us, and remain as cruelly tantalizing after twenty years as they were the first day. The latest `what if` to storm the boxing world is; `what if Pacquiao has been using PEDs or steroids?` Even longtime, faithful Pacquiao fans must have asked themselves, although probably in the privacy of their most inner selves, what if it`s true. What if Pacquiao has always been a cheat, his whole boxing career nothing more than a second-rate, shabby sham?

All boxing fans, must have given at least some thought to this question. The press has written what must amount to the equivalent of 100 War and Peaces exploring the possibility of Pacquiao juicing. In this article I wish to explore another, different `what if`. Because by now, we must all have some level of doubt as to Pacquiao`s fair play, I think that it is in the interest of a balanced and open-minded view that we have a closer look at the alternative scenario. What if Pacquiao is clean?

Pacquiao in his early days was a very different fighter to the one we see before us today. He was a light, slight southpaw, had a truckload of confidence and self-belief, and a devastating straight left punch that put an early end to many a boxers` ambitions. Yet his confidence cost him dearly. His two early defeats can be put down to overconfidence. He lost to less talented fighters who caught him unawares as he played `cock of the ring`. While he definitely had talent, his losses underlined his need for more boxing skills, and more importantly, the need for a really good trainer. Both came to him later when he teamed up with Freddie Roach.

Roach took the raw diamond that was Pacquiao, and with all the skills and attention to detail of a master jeweler, shaped him to become the brilliant jewel of a boxer we see today. Pacquiao`s boxing arsenal has been transformed from a `one-shot-wonder` to that of an all-round, great boxer. Today it seems he can do just about anything in the ring. As far as I know there is no drug that can give you skills you don`t have. That is the work of a trainer.

There is a very good reason why Pacquiao and Roach get along so well. At some stage in his career Pacquiao must have admitted to himself that he was simply not a good enough boxer to become a legend. While most boxers would rather die than to have to admit to a shortcoming, Pacquiao is obviously able to put himself to question. He knows he needs Roach, and he respects him enough to listen to every word he says. How many times, while watching a fight, have you heard a trainer telling his fighter in the corner between rounds to double up his jab or keep his hands up or some such, only to find that in the following round the obviously good advice has fallen on deaf ears? The boxer goes right on doing what he should not be doing. More than once or twice I have been pleasantly surprised to hear Roach telling Pacquiao to do something different in the next round, and lo and behold, Pacquiao does exactly what he has been told. The best trainer in the world will achieve nothing with a boxer who won`t listen to him. Roach is as a brilliant trainer as Pacquiao is a trainee.

So, back to the `what ifs`; what if` the reason Pacquiao defeated Hatton had nothing to do with drugs, but was because he had learned to use both left and right hooks, neither of which he used in his early years? And `what if` the only PED that Pacquiao has ever used is Mr. Freddie Roach, one of the best Performance Enhancing Dudes in the business? `

Michael Moorer gives us valuable insight into boxing, and particularly into training in an article at Fight Hype; “I see these guys that half-ass fight, and some of them down here in training, they half-ass train, and that`s not how I was brought up.” For Moorer training is obviously the key to success in boxing. He goes on to tell us how unbelievably hard Pacquiao trains. “I witnessed him go 26 rounds, nonstop hitting the mits. That`s phenomenal. He just strives to be the best.” He also tells us of Pacquiao`s work ethic and his will to win, all in the most flattering of terms. Moorer was a world champion and is now a trainer, so his thoughts on the subject definitely carry weight. He has proved himself to be an honest, straight-talking guy with loads of integrity. That`s good enough for me.

So `what if` Moorer is right, and Pacquiao`s success comes from such a high level of hard work, discipline, and dedication, that steroids are simply unnecessary?

In many ways Pacquiao`s hunger for success in not as surprising as it may seem. In Pacquiao we have all the elements of the ultimate fairytale, `rags to riches` story. The lowly street urchin who makes it big in a world he may never even have dreamed of as a child. It is a well known fact that a disproportionate number of self-made success stories find their roots in deprived backgrounds. Could it be that the sting of near starvation once felt will forever haunt and drive a man, and may even drive him to exceptional greatness? Perhaps being born into abject poverty gives the lucky ones who manage to escape a sense of steely, stubborn self-determination that makes them fight every second of their existence to never have to return. Can we conceive that Pacquiao feels that he has a sacred `duty` to pay back for his own good fortune by being the greatest boxer he can, and then to use his fame and fortune to help his fellow countrymen get a fairer deal than he got as a child? Could that be what has driven him to the top? Why not?

`What if` Pacquiao`s success is a result of an exceptional drive inherited from his background, and not some `two-day-washout` designer drug?

So why did Pacquiao refuse to take the damned tests? Pacquiao knows, the rest of us can only speculate. I feel that it is a combination of things. First and foremost he refused point-blank to get pushed around by Mayweather. Understandable! Secondly he did not want his all important training schedule interrupted by unannounced, invasive blood takes which could have weakened him at a time he needs all his strength. Thirdly he may believe that Mayweather needs this fight more than he does, and is playing poker not boxing. Mayweather is reportedly close to broke. Even if Pacquiao only makes 10 million dollars from his fight with Clottey, 10 million dollars in Pacquiao`s hands in the Philippians is probably the equivalent of 100 million dollars in Mayweather`s hands in the US. Pacquiao took the best welterweight challenge available for March 13, leaving Mayweather with very little choice of landing himself a convincing match. This could all be part of a plan so that team Pacquiao can dictate terms if, and when negotiations are reopened between the two teams.

To those who claim that Pacquiao`s refusal to take the random blood tests is conclusive proof of his guilt, I ask you, `what if` one or all of the above are the real reasons why Pacquiao refused the tests, not because he is dirty?

It is very easy to understand why so many people have jumped on this `Manny`s a juicer` bandwagon. Our world has evolved into a cynical, dark place. In recent years we have been repeatedly betrayed by our elected leaders who have been serving their own nasty little agendas rather than serving the common good. Some of the Churches we worshiped in have fallen into damnable disgrace. Huge pharmaceutical companies have been caught doing far more harm to people`s heath than good. Soulless corporations bloody-mindedly and shamelessly rape our world. These days nothing more is sacred. Nothing is as it seems. Honesty has become rarer than the finest gold.

And yet, `what if`, `WHAT IF` for once something was as it should be? `WHAT IF` Manny Pacquiao is simply the best boxer of his generation, no drugs required? Is that really so hard to believe? I hope not, and, call me a helpless romantic if you will, but I actually find it easy to believe the beautiful, magical, amazing story of the skinny little slum-kid who conquered the world.

 

[heyzel]

Hatton vs. Mayweather II: You know it makes sense!

By Murdock Mclain: Hatton vs. Mayweather II has surely got to happen. I know everyone in the boxing world wanted to see Mayweather Vs Pacquiao, but now we know that’s a dead end.

So that leaves Mayweather with no options really, Mosley, Malignaggi, Bradley none of these names are gonna make Floyd the type of money he came out of retirement for. So Floyd, who ever since he fought hatton has realized the British public love to get on a boxers bandwagon and throw money at their fighters.

We hear his people even got in contact with Matthew Hatton about a possible fight. Now Matthew Hatton isnt Floyd Standard, or World standard he isn’t even British standard, He is just after the British fan base and their money.

So then Ricky makes his comeback and the names being thrown about are Urango, Marquez, Khan. Well we all know the Khan fight wont happen because of Ricky’s refusal to work with Warren. Urango hes been there done it. Then there’s Marquez a Class fighter but hes lost to both fighters that Ricky’s lost to so if he wins it will be, So what…

I am a massive Ricky Hatton fan but I cant see him winning another fight, he is now past it so I think whoever he fight he will lose, so why not fight the best. He has always said he wants another go at that Mayweather.

So that’s why this fight makes sense to both Hatton vs. Mayweather at some stadium in England, 80,000 paying fans in attendance. Mayweather gets loads of money and an easy fight. Hatton gets a big name for his last fight and hopefully doesn’t lose as bad as last time, Both make loads of money and then we can wait till November when Manny and Floyd sort out there differences and give us the fight everyone wants. I for one will be there.

 

[heyzel]

Could a super 6 tournament work on the domestic British scene?

By Mark Fletcher: As we are all aware, the ’super six tournament’ has made the super-middleweight division the most talked about division in boxing. After all, it is a great way to get the best to fight the best and has shook up the dark world of boxing politics what with Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler having more to lose than the other four by putting their world titles on the line with have already seen the WBA title change hands, after hot prospect Andre Ward beat Mikkell Kessler by a technical decision.

Three fights into this tournament and I started wondering, could this sort of tournament work on the British domestic scene?

Now before people start ploughing the forum with ‘we’ve already got prizefighter’ I have thought about it, afterall Barry Hearn’s tournament has been great entertainment but the three round fights have mainly only suited young hungry prospects and journeymen with nothing to lose, a lot of Britains top domestic have struggled with it after being so used to 10-12 round fights. Examples of this would be Danny Williams, Pele Reid, Dean Francis, Colin Lynes and Ted Bami neither I expected to go far especially Danny Williams and Colin Lynes who are both slow starters.

Obviously this idea would not work in all divisions for instance, if you were to pick the six best fighters in the middleweight division, we would have Darren Barker, Matthew Macklin and four fighters who are way out of their league, but if you look at say, the light-welterweight division most will probably agree there could be some great domestic match-ups if a super six tournamet was formed, you could have Commonwealth champ Ajose Olusgen (26-0), a skillful fighter who despite his decent WBC ranking is failing to get recognition and has had some up and down performances.

Then there is British Champ Lenny Daws (20-1-1) who at times looks a bit one-dimensional but is relentless and has a good chin, and no fighter has looked good against him (his only defeat being to Barry Morrision on a split decision), I would lke to say former WBA champ Gavin Rees but have heard rumours he is looking towards a title shot again and being linked with Devon Alexander, so I next choose Craig Watson, a former commonwealth champ at welterweight who has since losing his title gone full time and dropped to light-welter (and is arguably Britain’s best fighter).

Now I feel that none of the above three are undeserving in anyway in regards to a european title shot which is why Paul McCloskey would be a great addition to the tournament, a skillful southpaw yet still pretty untested. I thought maybe for the other two it could be decided between the likes of Colin Lynes, David Barnes, Young Mutley or Barry Morrison, all of which are tough domestic fighters not as good as the other four but then look at Andre Dirrell, a fighter who was only brought in surely because Pavlik declined the super 6 tournament.

I think if a tournament like this went ahead it would be brilliant for the winner especially if all belts (i.e Commonwealth, British and Euro) were all on the line like the world titles have been in the current one.

There are a few other divisions where this type of format could work, look at the welterweight divison, there’s Kell Brook; the undefeated and very ambitious British champ, Michael Jennings; a former world title challenger, domestic veteran and the World Boxing Union champ, after these two there is another on par welter in John O’ Donnell, a slick southpaw and also the commonwealth champ.

Another one who wouldn’t be there to make up the numbers would be Matthew Hatton; a fighter who seems to be picking up the results though his opponents have been ‘past it’ but still dangerous, and for the other two again it is quite open for selection, what with Mark Thompson (22-1), English champ Adnan Amar or former British camp Kevin McIntyre (27-6-0-1NC) who since his first round defeat to Kell Brook is determined to get his career back on track (again the WBU, British and Commonwealth title could be put on the line.

If anyone thinks that this format could work, feel free to place a comment, maybe suggesting other division where there lies an open possibility or even fighters that people feel I may have missed on the two divisions that I mentioned.

 

[heyzel]

K-9 EAGER TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF SPINKS

By G. Leon

World rated junior middleweight contender Corneilus "K-9" Budrage plans on making the most of his opportunity for a world title. "I've come up a hard, long, road to get here. I know what I got to do and I'm going to take care of my business because it's now or never," barked Bundrage.

Cory Spinks established himself as one of the purest boxers in the sport during his reign as welterweight champion. Since moving up to junior middleweight, Spinks has been far more inclined enter into his exchanges.

"I'm not interested in talking about how I think he's going to approach the fight. If I say I think he's going to fight me, he might take the opposite approach, so I guess I think he's going to come out and box with me.."

"I've been waiting for this fight my entire life. Becoming champion means everything to me and I'm not going to let my fans down."

Bundrage also explains that a "knockout would be nice, my focus is on winning though. I'm not looking for the knockout, but if it comes it comes."

"March 6, it's my time. I'm going to put on the best performance of my career and walk away from the fight as the IBF junior middleweight champion of the world," said Bundrage.

 

[heyzel]

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRE BERTO

By G. Leon

GL: How did you find out about the earthquake? What was your initial reaction, and how has your day been? "I found out when I got back from the gym yesterday. I got a call from family and friends, we turned to CNN and there it was. Today has been rough, it's been hectic. I've been on the phone all day, trying to contact different family members. I'm just trying to cope with the situation, trying to hold the family together strong, my cousins and everybody else. My phone hasn't stopped ringing, at the same time I'm trying to help out with some relief efforts myself."

GL: Has your immediate family been affected?

Andre Berto: Yes, last night we didn't find out really too much information at all. It happened later on in the day, and we couldn't get any information from the news. Today we found out my mom's cousins and uncle, that lived in the area where the earthquake hit, their house collapsed. They lived there with about eight or nine people, all they all died, except for one person. He's in the hospital, in critcal condition. My oldest sister is there and she lives in the area where the earthquake hit. She has a kid and a husband and we still haven't been able to get in touch with her. We've been trying and trying to get family out that way, but they can't get to where she's at because of the damage. It's just been very tough to handle at this point."

GL: And I understand your foundation collapsed as well.

AB: "Yeah. we have a foundation building out there that we've been holding a lot of product that we disperse to the people there. That whole building just got crushed, so you know it's just a tough situation right now."

GL: How do you turn such a negative tragedy into a positive heading into the biggest fight of your life? How does this not become a distraction?

AB: "It's kind of hard for it not to become a distraction when it hit so close to home. But the positive is, it's bringing a lot of awareness to what is going on over there and will help get a lot of aid to the country. These things happen for a reason, we have to try to cope with it the best we can."

GL: Has today been a day off from training?

AB: "Yes, definitely. We're trying to get our work in, but at the same time even though we have the biggest fight of my career ahead of us. Sometimes things like this are more important to handle at the time."

GL: Is there a part of you that wishes the fight could get postponed or pushed back?

AB: 'Everything is as planned and we will just keep it moving. Everybody who can help, please definitely help with this situation. In the mean time I just have to deal with it."

 

[heyzel]

Freddie Roach Found Innocent, Mayweather Not So Lucky

By Mark Vester

One case is over and another will continue. In Los Angeles, a jury cleared Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, of assault charges. Gregorio Asuncion, a member of Pacquiao's entourage, filed a lawsuit claiming the trainer punched him twice in the Wild Card Gym on October 20, 2008. Roach only claimed that he made him leave the gym as Pacquiao began to train.

The jury deliberated for part of Thursday afternoon and Friday morning and rendered a decision in favor of Roach. He was happy for the case to be over.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, but when I heard there was a verdict after such a short time I believed it was in my favor," Roach said.

In Las Vegas, Roger Mayweather, the trainer/uncle of Floyd Mayweather Jr. was not as lucky. A judge in Las Vegas issued an order for Mayweather to stand trial on three felony charges over the assault incident with female fighter Melissa St. Vil. They had a confrontation on August 2, 2009 when Mayweather showed up at an apartment he was renting out to boxer Cornelius Lock. Mayweather used to train St. Vil and was angry that she parted ways with him.

According to the police report and St. Vil's account of incident on BoxingScene.com, he tried to remove her from the apartment by force and then a physical struggle broke out. When police arrived on the scene, Mayweather was chocking her from behind and she was coughing up blood. Mayweather has a history of getting in trouble with the law for physical incidents. The arraignment is set for January 26 in Clark County District Court.

 

[heyzel]

Amir Khan, Marcus Maidana Agree To Fight

by James Slater - It seems as though WBA light-welterweight ruler Amir Khan will not be giving up his belt and choosing to "avoid" big-punching interim champion Marcos Maidana of Argentina after all. Though many of his critics began hurling insults at Khan when it looked for a time as though the Brit, who has just signed with Golden Boy, may fight someone other than Maidana next (some reports suggested a possible fight with Paulie Mlaignaggi), these same critics will now have to give Khan some praise. Because, as has been reported on a number of boxing web sites - BoxRec and FightNews to name just two - Khan and Maidana recently agreed to fight one another, deeming purse bids for the intriguing fight unnecessary..

The fight between the two young champions and would-be big stars has yet to be announced officially and we can only speculate about when and where the quite mouth-watering match-up will take place - although the word is the fight has a good shot at happening in March or April (BoxRec have the fight up as taking place on April 17th in Las Vegas, on the under-card of the long awaited Jones-Hopkins II bill). It's no secret how 23-year-old Khan wants very much to make a name for himself in America, and what better way to start than with a U.S debut win over a guy many people felt he was afraid of due to his withering power?

It's also no secret how Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, was never all that keen on his fighter taking on 26-year-old Maidana, because of how dangerous a proposition the fight was. Did Khan insist to Roach that he would face Maidana, so as to not be called all manner of names in the media and by the fans? Maybe. One thing is sure, Khan, who always has had enormous pride, despite what some of his critics may say, deserves credit for agreeing to fight the man who has an impressive 26 KO's from his 27 wins (one loss, on points to the man Khan dethroned last summer, Andriy Kotelnik).

If Khan, 22-1(16) can pull off a win over the man who can hit like a mule kicks but is not the most polished of boxers, he will have given his already accomplished career one major boost. No longer will the critics be able to say Khan cannot live with a banger. Still, it's way to early to speak about who may win the fight - the main thing, though, is we can look forward to the fight. Could Khan-Maidana even be one of 2010's best fights?

 

[heyzel]

Schaefer Now Working On Mayweather vs Mosley For Early May

by James Slater - Despite the recent disappointment of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather super-fight falling apart, and now yesterday's disappointing news of how the Shane Msoley-Andre Berto fight set for January 30th won't be happening as scheduled either, things could just turn out far better than anyone could have expected.

Pacquiao, as we know, is set to face the big and strong Joshua Clottey in a most decent match-up of a fight on march 13th, and the latest news is that Mayweather may now face Mosley in early May. Then, looking further ahead, the winner from each bout could even wind up facing each other in a huge blockbuster of a fight in the latter stages of 2010. Granted, this is a best case scenario if ever there was one, but with some luck we could be seeing something special at welterweight this year after all..

Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy, has let it be known how he is right now "doing his best" to make Mosley-Mayweather for either May 1st or May 8th in Las Vegas. Schaefer, who says March 13th (the date Mayweather was originally going to go head-to-head with Pacquiao at the box office) doesn't work for Mosley-Mayweather because more time is needed to sufficiently hype the fight, has May 1st and May 8th reserved at The MGM Grand in Vegas. All that's needed now is for both fighters to agree to terms and sign the contract.

As we know, getting two fighters to agree to terms is no little thing these days, and it's not yet known if Mayweather will demand of Mosley the same random blood tests he demanded, unsuccessfully, of Pacquiao. Nor is it known if Mosley would agree to such demands. However, Schaefer, who recognises how big a fight Mosley-Mayweather would be, is hopeful the welterweight title fight can get made.

"That's [Mayweather-Mosley] one of the few super-fights out there, the kind of fight that would interest not only boxing and sports fans but the general public," Schaefer told Ring TV.com. "I'm going to focus all my energy in the coming hours to see if I can put that fight together."

There seems little doubt Mosley would take the fight in a heartbeat, already clamouring for it as he has been in the recent months (Mosley, desperate for a super-fight, also called out Pacquiao - to no avail). But will Mayweather, who has struck the fans as a cautious, even safety first kind of guy just lately, agree to face the man who, even at age 38, could be just as fast as he is?

If Mayweather-Mosley falls apart with Mayweather opting to instead face someone else who is far less marketable and far less formidable a challenge, fans really will have had enough. It seems the ball is in Mayweather's court, and he has the ability, with one fight, to get a huge number of fans back on his side. But, as some people have suggested, the satisfaction of the fans may not be Floyd's main concern - whereas keeping the zero at the end of his record is. Is Mosley too much of a threat to "Money's" perfect record? It's up to Floyd to do what's right and fight Mosley - otherwise we will be seeing a second mega-fight involving him go down the drain.

As for Berto, whose decision not to fight on Jan. 30th is wholly understandable, he will surely be looking at one day facing the Mayweather-Mosley winner if they do indeed get it on in May. Fingers crossed they do!

 

[heyzel]

Exclusive Interview With James Toney - "I’d Like To Prove A Point With MMA And Then G

y James Slater - All-time great James “Lights Out” Toney has had his name in the news recently. With suggestions made that he could either fight Antonio Tarver at heavyweight or perhaps even embark on a MMA adventure, the 41-year-old legend has been weighing up his options.

Still intent on wining all the major belts at heavyweight, the former middleweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight world champion has lost none of his competitive edge or desire. “Lights Out” has not lost any of his sharpness or ability at coming out with some epic one-liners either. Very kindly granting me the following interview earlier today, James was in great form. Here are the future Hall of Famer’s answers to my questions:

James Slater: It's an absolute pleasure to speak with you, Champ. The fans want to know what's next for you. We hear it may be Antonio Tarver at heavyweight - what's the latest on that, Lights Out?

James Toney: That opportunity was offered to me, he called me out and I reached out to fight him. But then, all of a sudden, he says he wants a tune-up fight with Danny Green. But if Green KO's him like he did Roy Jones Junior, that's it, you know? I'm definitely interested in the fight [with Tarver] but I can't sit back and wait for him to get KO'd, you know what I'm saying? So I'm working with [Dan] Goossen - we’re still working well together - and we're looking at another show instead. I want to fight [Bernard] Hopkins and Roy Jones, but they're still gonna be fighting each other! What's that all about? After he [Jones] got KO'd by Danny Green!

J.S: You don't think any fans will be interested in Jones-Hopkins II?

J.T: No, not really. There's nothing there. They're both good fighters, but they're not legends like myself. There'd be a lot more interest if I was fighting Hopkins or Jones, but as you know, they're both scared of me. You can't put their name up there with mine; it's no contest - everyone knows my name more than theirs - I'll always come out on top in that department. You know why? Because no-one's done what I've done - I've kicked ass from 160 up to heavyweight! The only guy who has come close to what I've done in the past twenty years or so is Manny Pacquiao.

J.S: You rate Manny Pacquiao then? You respect him?

J.T: Oh, yeah, Manny's a great guy.

J.S: We've also heard that you may be going into MMA, and you've been talking to Dana White? Any news on that, James?

J.T: Well, what happened was, Dana White ticked me off - saying MMA were better than boxers. I took exception to that! I'm a boxing guy, I'm old-school, and I want to prove a point. It would only be one fight - against one of their top guys if they want; maybe Randy Couture. I'd beat one of those guys and then get back to unifying the heavyweight division. It would be a one-fight thing, just to prove a point to all those MMA guys. Just because Dana White spoke with Roy Jones and he wouldn't fight; don't think that I won't.

J.S: We boxing fans don't want to lose you, James...

J.T: (jumping in) Oh, no, it would just be a one-fight thing, to prove a point.

J.S: Who would you most like to fight at heavyweight for a title - the Klitschkos or David Haye?

J.T: Right now, I want to fight whoever won't back down. I'm motivated and focused right now - I'm in the gym every day, twice a day. I've heard all the talk about James Toney not being in shape, but these people don't know me at all. Not now. A fight with [David] Haye would be something I'd love - I'd show him real quickly what's what. The same goes for the Klitschko sisters. A fight with either of the two sisters would be a dream. The thing is, I'm not an ass kisser! I won't beg to get a title fight. This is what's ruining the sport, though - if these guys had been around in the 70's or 80s we'd see a helluva fight. But now, it's all money and these guys pick and choose and duck the top threats like me. Guys like Haye and the sisters are scared of me.

J.S: It's great to speak with you, James. I've got to say, I'm a big fan!

J.T: I'm a real dude. I ain't no fake; I'll talk to my fans and the writers any time. Call me!

J.S: I appreciate it, Champ. Can I ask you, of all the weight classes you've fought in at top level - 160, 168, 175, 200 and heavyweight - which weight class suited you best?

J.T: All of 'em! But I would say, I should've been a heavyweight all along. But the people I was around told me I was too small and I listened to 'em. But at the same time, I always told people I'd be the heavyweight champion of the world. They just laughed at me. But I've proved myself at every weight I've fought at.

J.S: There's no doubt about that. But the fans have missed you since your September 2009 KO of Matthew Greer. Is there any timeframe for when you'll be back in the ring - either MMA or boxing?

J.T: I appreciate that. For boxing, either late February or early March. For MMA, they told me June against a big name - but we'll see. But let me tell you, I'm so focused and ready, when I go, someone will get hurt!

J.S: I Know you are still burning and ready to do more, but you've already achieved so much. When you do retire, as an obvious Hall of Famer, where do you think you'll be placed in history?

J.T: Oh, man - they'll have to put me in a separate room from everybody else! Don't get me wrong, I admire and respect old-school guys like Ray Robinson, Jersey Joe Walcott, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns - but I'd have to have my own place. No-one's done what I'd done; what I've contributed to boxing.

J.S: It's hard to disagree with you, James. But it's interesting, as you've brought up Tommy Hearns' name. He's another one of my real boxing heroes. As I got into boxing, I read how you and Tommy had huge respect for one another and how you were and are friends. How would a fight between you two have gone, at, say 168 or 175?

J.T: (laughs) I'd have knocked him out! I'd have been too strong for him. I have much love and respect for Tommy, but whenever I see him, I say, "I'd have knocked you out!" He says, "whatever, I'd have knocked you out!" Put it this way, it would have been a great fight! I have so much respect for Tommy and let me tell you, if he'd have fought Roy Jones at middleweight, he'd have knocked him out!

J.S: Thanks for the interview, James. You and Tommy are two of my genuine boxing heroes. For my last question: I know you've done some acting before in movies, but if they ever make a movie of your life, as they surely could, who would play you?

J.T: Oh, wow, I don’t even know; there are so many great actors around. But I tell you, let’s make the movie happen! But I’ve got lots more to do before it’s finished!

J.S: Thank you James, it’s been a pleasure.

J.T: You’re welcome.