Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
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Froch earned my respect as well. His recent string of opponents is impressive - Pascal, Taylor, dirrell, kessler, Abraham, Johnson ...not many guys have fought such high level of opponents like that in a row. I still think dirrell beat him though which btw I hear rumors since pavlik isn't fighting Bute anymore dirrell may step up.
Pavlik’s actions are a cry for help
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo!
Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik made a lot of people angry and cost people a lot of money on Tuesday when he decided he wouldn’t fight Darryl Cunningham on Saturday.
Showtime planned to televise the 10-round super middleweight match from the Covelli Centre in Pavlik’s hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. The entire card was canceled upon learning of Pavlik’s decision, as was the broadcast. Ticket buyers in Youngstown, who had supported Pavlik for years and made him one of boxing’s feel-good stories in 2007, were left high and dry. Top Rank, his long-time promoter, will incur losses of as much as $30,000, or more.
Cunningham, a journeyman who has never gotten the kind of breaks that Pavlik has routinely gotten, had trained for months for what would have been the biggest fight of his life. He goes home with nothing: No fight, no paycheck, no chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.
More From Kevin Iole
Mailbag: Cunningham makes his pitch Aug 2, 2011
Rankings: Khan’s top-10 stay could be short Jul 29, 2011
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Over the past several years, Kelly Pavlik has devolved from feel-good story to potential boxing tragedy.
(Getty Images)
Pavlik raised the ire of enough people to fill a football stadium with his ridiculously short-sighted and flawed decision.
He’s a grown man and he’ll have to face the consequences of his actions.
This decision, though, wasn’t about boxing. It’s about a cry for help, because nothing else makes sense. He doesn’t deserve derision. He deserves pity, sympathy and understanding.
No straight-thinking person would do what Pavlik has done. Top Rank had been negotiating for him to fight International Boxing Federation super middleweight champion Lucian Bute, ranked No. 9 in the Yahoo! Sports poll, in November. Pavlik, though, wanted another tune-up fight against a left-hander, so Top Rank got Cunningham.
Pavlik was to make $50,000 to fight Cunningham, plus 100 percent of the profits from the card.
“We were doing this card to accommodate him, not because we were going to make any money off of it,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “He wanted the fight and we made it happen for him.”
[Related: Kelly Pavlik pulls out of hometown fight]
Pavlik’s explanation is that he was unhappy with his purse. He said he read on the Internet that Mikkel Kessler, a former super middleweight champion, was being offered $3 million to fight Bute. That incensed him, he told his management team, since Top Rank had negotiated a percentage deal with Bute promoter Jean Bedard that would have guaranteed Pavlik $1.35 million. The deal was a 60-40 split, with Bute’s side, as the big draw in Montreal, where the fight would have been held, getting the larger share.
The two fighters together almost certainly wouldn’t have made $3 million combined, let alone one of them individually. Fighters competing on that level of show simply don’t earn that kind of money.
Pavlik told Youngstown television station WFMJ-TV, “The fight is off and the Bute fight is not going to happen. I’m not going to fight a southpaw for peanuts.”
That’s got to make the 14 percent of Youngstown residents who are unemployed feel all warm and fuzzy toward him. Perhaps Pavlik ought to get a job (or, try to get one) and go to work for a living. He’d quickly find out that $1.35 million is hardly peanuts. And though his purse of $50,000 to fight Cunningham is hardly overwhelming, when his boxing career is over, he’s going to wish he could make $50,000 in one night. That’s likely to be his annual salary in the not-too-distant future.
It’s sad, and it sounds like a cry for help.
“The way I see it, and without knowing for sure, is that the kid doesn’t want to fight any more and everyone sees him as a fighter and talks to him about fighting and fighting is all he knows,” Arum said. “I think he’s probably tired of it and wants to do something else in his life. The best thing is for people to leave him alone.”
[Related: Promoter Bob Arum calls actions ‘very bizarre’]
He spent time in a California alcohol rehabilitation facility last year and early this year and has continued to show bizarre behavior. He recently got into a fist fight with his brother in which the police were called.
The pressure on guys such as Pavlik, who was a whale in a small pond in Youngstown, is immense. Some can handle the expectations with ease, but many others crumble under the weight of them.
Pavlik appears to be coming apart at the seams.
This is boxing, where one man bit another’s ear off and later came back to fight, so anything is possible. But it’s hard to imagine that Showtime would ever agree to televise one of his fights again.
He’s pulled out of too many matches – he disappeared days before he was to fight Bryan Vera on the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito card in November and had to withdraw – and has displayed increasingly irrational behavior.
He’s become too unreliable and clearly in need of assistance.
Hopefully, someone close to him realizes that though he’s a fighter, he’s a human being first and he needs to get a solution to his problems before it’s too late.
Otherwise, this story is destined to end very ugly.
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo!
Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik made a lot of people angry and cost people a lot of money on Tuesday when he decided he wouldn’t fight Darryl Cunningham on Saturday.
Showtime planned to televise the 10-round super middleweight match from the Covelli Centre in Pavlik’s hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. The entire card was canceled upon learning of Pavlik’s decision, as was the broadcast. Ticket buyers in Youngstown, who had supported Pavlik for years and made him one of boxing’s feel-good stories in 2007, were left high and dry. Top Rank, his long-time promoter, will incur losses of as much as $30,000, or more.
Cunningham, a journeyman who has never gotten the kind of breaks that Pavlik has routinely gotten, had trained for months for what would have been the biggest fight of his life. He goes home with nothing: No fight, no paycheck, no chance to fulfill a lifelong dream.
More From Kevin Iole
Mailbag: Cunningham makes his pitch Aug 2, 2011
Rankings: Khan’s top-10 stay could be short Jul 29, 2011
AdChoices
Over the past several years, Kelly Pavlik has devolved from feel-good story to potential boxing tragedy.
(Getty Images)
Pavlik raised the ire of enough people to fill a football stadium with his ridiculously short-sighted and flawed decision.
He’s a grown man and he’ll have to face the consequences of his actions.
This decision, though, wasn’t about boxing. It’s about a cry for help, because nothing else makes sense. He doesn’t deserve derision. He deserves pity, sympathy and understanding.
No straight-thinking person would do what Pavlik has done. Top Rank had been negotiating for him to fight International Boxing Federation super middleweight champion Lucian Bute, ranked No. 9 in the Yahoo! Sports poll, in November. Pavlik, though, wanted another tune-up fight against a left-hander, so Top Rank got Cunningham.
Pavlik was to make $50,000 to fight Cunningham, plus 100 percent of the profits from the card.
“We were doing this card to accommodate him, not because we were going to make any money off of it,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “He wanted the fight and we made it happen for him.”
[Related: Kelly Pavlik pulls out of hometown fight]
Pavlik’s explanation is that he was unhappy with his purse. He said he read on the Internet that Mikkel Kessler, a former super middleweight champion, was being offered $3 million to fight Bute. That incensed him, he told his management team, since Top Rank had negotiated a percentage deal with Bute promoter Jean Bedard that would have guaranteed Pavlik $1.35 million. The deal was a 60-40 split, with Bute’s side, as the big draw in Montreal, where the fight would have been held, getting the larger share.
The two fighters together almost certainly wouldn’t have made $3 million combined, let alone one of them individually. Fighters competing on that level of show simply don’t earn that kind of money.
Pavlik told Youngstown television station WFMJ-TV, “The fight is off and the Bute fight is not going to happen. I’m not going to fight a southpaw for peanuts.”
That’s got to make the 14 percent of Youngstown residents who are unemployed feel all warm and fuzzy toward him. Perhaps Pavlik ought to get a job (or, try to get one) and go to work for a living. He’d quickly find out that $1.35 million is hardly peanuts. And though his purse of $50,000 to fight Cunningham is hardly overwhelming, when his boxing career is over, he’s going to wish he could make $50,000 in one night. That’s likely to be his annual salary in the not-too-distant future.
It’s sad, and it sounds like a cry for help.
“The way I see it, and without knowing for sure, is that the kid doesn’t want to fight any more and everyone sees him as a fighter and talks to him about fighting and fighting is all he knows,” Arum said. “I think he’s probably tired of it and wants to do something else in his life. The best thing is for people to leave him alone.”
[Related: Promoter Bob Arum calls actions ‘very bizarre’]
He spent time in a California alcohol rehabilitation facility last year and early this year and has continued to show bizarre behavior. He recently got into a fist fight with his brother in which the police were called.
The pressure on guys such as Pavlik, who was a whale in a small pond in Youngstown, is immense. Some can handle the expectations with ease, but many others crumble under the weight of them.
Pavlik appears to be coming apart at the seams.
This is boxing, where one man bit another’s ear off and later came back to fight, so anything is possible. But it’s hard to imagine that Showtime would ever agree to televise one of his fights again.
He’s pulled out of too many matches – he disappeared days before he was to fight Bryan Vera on the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito card in November and had to withdraw – and has displayed increasingly irrational behavior.
He’s become too unreliable and clearly in need of assistance.
Hopefully, someone close to him realizes that though he’s a fighter, he’s a human being first and he needs to get a solution to his problems before it’s too late.
Otherwise, this story is destined to end very ugly.
Vanes Martirosyan swears he will slap Saul Alvarez if they meet face to face
Chris Robinson
, Las Vegas Boxing Examiner
On June 4th junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan went through a bit of baptism by fire as he was rocked, dropped, and cut in the first round of his bout against Saul Roman in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Martirosyan survived the test as he came back to eventually stop his Mexican foe in the 7th round while securing his unbeaten record as he can once again go back to eyeing the big fights near his weight class.
Reflecting on that scare, Martirosyan admits he was completely caught off guard during that first stanza.
“I wasn’t woken up until that knockdown in that fight,” Martirosyan told me recently while at the Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas. “I went in there with a different game plan and did totally something else. It was a good fight but I learned a lot from it. It was a good experience and I think I moved on to the next level and I can’t wait to the next fight.”
Martirosyan is ranked in the top five of the IBF, WBC and WBO rankings and the 25-year old would love nothing more than to test himself against one of the division’s champions at the moment.
“I would want Sergiy Dzinziruk, Miguel Cotto; one of the top names. Cornelius Bundrage or anybody with a title. I think I’m up to fight them,” Martirosyan continued.
Martirosyan loves to poke fun at WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez and that too is a fight he has little worries about.
“I call him ‘Fire crotch’ now, because of his hair and stuff,” said Martirosyan. “I think I will box his head off and I would knock him out. I know that for sure. Freddie said one round, so I think it’s possible.”
Alfredo Angulo hasn’t fought in more than a year but was one of the sport’s hottest attractions while active. The former WBO interim champion is presently banned from fighting in the United States but Martirosyan is open to facing him in another locale.
“I like the Angulo fight,” he continued. “I’d just have to box him. Move around and get out of the way. Get in and out. I would like to fight Angulo. So, we’ll see what happens; I’m ready. They say one name and I am training for another name.”
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One fight Martirosyan will surely have his eye on is the December 3rd rematch between WBA boss Miguel Cotto and former champion Antonio Margarito. Nearly three years ago to the day, Margarito defeated Cotto via 11th round TKO inside of the MGM Grand but was subsequently found to have tampered hand wraps prior to his following fight with Shane Mosley, raising suspicions about how legitimate the victory was.
Martirosyan has also shown great respect towards Cotto and hopes the Puerto Rican can pull it off when they meet again.
“I hope Cotto kicks his ass. It’s karma. I hope he comes through with a win.”
Vanes stops by The Boxing Lab
Martirosyan also recently stopped by The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene’s official radio show, on Tuesday night. Always one of the more talkative fighters in terms of calling out his fellow pugilists, Martirosyan revealed why he has been so vocal to the press over the years.
“People think I’m talking crap but really I’m not,” he stated. “Boxing is where I make my living, it’s my bread and butter, so I’m doing everything I can to fight the best. These champions that they have, I don’t respect them, because I feel like they bought the belts.”
Martirosyan was also asked if he ever comes face to face with some potential foes and he conceded that was the case.
“It’s funny because I keep running into Sergio Martinez and he’s a real nice guy. I’ve seen Angulo around too, we’ve said ‘Hi’ to each other; it’s all respect when we’re in front [of each other]. But I swear if I ever come across Canelo I’m going to slap him in the face.”
Continue reading on Examiner.com Vanes Martirosyan swears he will slap Saul Alvarez if they meet face to face - Las Vegas Boxing | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-l...ace?CID=examiner_alerts_article#ixzz1TxpfTbwZ
Chris Robinson
, Las Vegas Boxing Examiner
On June 4th junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan went through a bit of baptism by fire as he was rocked, dropped, and cut in the first round of his bout against Saul Roman in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Martirosyan survived the test as he came back to eventually stop his Mexican foe in the 7th round while securing his unbeaten record as he can once again go back to eyeing the big fights near his weight class.
Reflecting on that scare, Martirosyan admits he was completely caught off guard during that first stanza.
“I wasn’t woken up until that knockdown in that fight,” Martirosyan told me recently while at the Cosmopolitan Resort in Las Vegas. “I went in there with a different game plan and did totally something else. It was a good fight but I learned a lot from it. It was a good experience and I think I moved on to the next level and I can’t wait to the next fight.”
Martirosyan is ranked in the top five of the IBF, WBC and WBO rankings and the 25-year old would love nothing more than to test himself against one of the division’s champions at the moment.
“I would want Sergiy Dzinziruk, Miguel Cotto; one of the top names. Cornelius Bundrage or anybody with a title. I think I’m up to fight them,” Martirosyan continued.
Martirosyan loves to poke fun at WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez and that too is a fight he has little worries about.
“I call him ‘Fire crotch’ now, because of his hair and stuff,” said Martirosyan. “I think I will box his head off and I would knock him out. I know that for sure. Freddie said one round, so I think it’s possible.”
Alfredo Angulo hasn’t fought in more than a year but was one of the sport’s hottest attractions while active. The former WBO interim champion is presently banned from fighting in the United States but Martirosyan is open to facing him in another locale.
“I like the Angulo fight,” he continued. “I’d just have to box him. Move around and get out of the way. Get in and out. I would like to fight Angulo. So, we’ll see what happens; I’m ready. They say one name and I am training for another name.”
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One fight Martirosyan will surely have his eye on is the December 3rd rematch between WBA boss Miguel Cotto and former champion Antonio Margarito. Nearly three years ago to the day, Margarito defeated Cotto via 11th round TKO inside of the MGM Grand but was subsequently found to have tampered hand wraps prior to his following fight with Shane Mosley, raising suspicions about how legitimate the victory was.
Martirosyan has also shown great respect towards Cotto and hopes the Puerto Rican can pull it off when they meet again.
“I hope Cotto kicks his ass. It’s karma. I hope he comes through with a win.”
Vanes stops by The Boxing Lab
Martirosyan also recently stopped by The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene’s official radio show, on Tuesday night. Always one of the more talkative fighters in terms of calling out his fellow pugilists, Martirosyan revealed why he has been so vocal to the press over the years.
“People think I’m talking crap but really I’m not,” he stated. “Boxing is where I make my living, it’s my bread and butter, so I’m doing everything I can to fight the best. These champions that they have, I don’t respect them, because I feel like they bought the belts.”
Martirosyan was also asked if he ever comes face to face with some potential foes and he conceded that was the case.
“It’s funny because I keep running into Sergio Martinez and he’s a real nice guy. I’ve seen Angulo around too, we’ve said ‘Hi’ to each other; it’s all respect when we’re in front [of each other]. But I swear if I ever come across Canelo I’m going to slap him in the face.”
Continue reading on Examiner.com Vanes Martirosyan swears he will slap Saul Alvarez if they meet face to face - Las Vegas Boxing | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-l...ace?CID=examiner_alerts_article#ixzz1TxpfTbwZ
Abraham returning to middleweight, wants Sturm in November
By Sean McDaniel: Former IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (32-3, 26 KO’s) plans on returning to the middleweight division in November after a disastrous showing in the Super Six tournament recently at super middleweight.
Abraham wants to go after WBA Super World middleweight champion Felix Sturm (36-2-1, 15 KO’s) for his next fight in November. Sturm has an open date on November 26th, which he’s been busy trying to fill with a rematch with Britain’s Matthew Macklin. However, negotiations have been going poorly, and a fight against Abraham might be an easier fight to put together. Both Abraham and Sturm are based out of Germany, which would make this an interesting fight for German fans.
In truth, Abraham and Sturm should have fought many years ago when both fighters held middleweight titles. However, their two promotional companies were never able to put a fight together for some reason. With Abraham now in bad shape career-wise, perhaps Sturm will give him a shot. If nothing else, it’s a good filler fight for him until Macklin is ready to come to the bargaining table. It’s not likely that Abraham will beat Sturm because he has problems with boxers, and Sturm has sound boxing skills. Abraham would have a small punchers’ chance but that’s about it. It’s a mismatch on paper.
Abraham, 31, has lost three out of his last four fights and looked poor in his last four bouts. The losses showed in clearly that Abraham isn’t suited for the super middleweight division due to his lack of size, speed and work rate.
Abraham now is going to try and get his weight down so that he can attempt to revive his career at middleweight. How Abraham is going to do that is the big question, because he had to leave the middleweight division in 2009 because he was draining himself trying to make weight.
My views is that Abraham’s time at the top has past him by. He’s 31, and no longer able to compete with the very top fighters in boxing. He never did have great skills and more of a slugger holding a belt when the middleweight division was especially weak. It’s gotten a little bit better, and Abraham has slowed to the point where he’s only capable of fighting hard for 20 to 30 seconds of every round. That’s not enough to beat the young lions in the division. I can’t see him succeeding anymore. He’ll get beat by Sturm and by all of the other middleweight champions. At this point, Abraham will be more of a trial horse and/or gatekeeper. If he’s okay with that, he might be able to make a nice living, but he won’t be the champion he was before.
By Sean McDaniel: Former IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (32-3, 26 KO’s) plans on returning to the middleweight division in November after a disastrous showing in the Super Six tournament recently at super middleweight.
Abraham wants to go after WBA Super World middleweight champion Felix Sturm (36-2-1, 15 KO’s) for his next fight in November. Sturm has an open date on November 26th, which he’s been busy trying to fill with a rematch with Britain’s Matthew Macklin. However, negotiations have been going poorly, and a fight against Abraham might be an easier fight to put together. Both Abraham and Sturm are based out of Germany, which would make this an interesting fight for German fans.
In truth, Abraham and Sturm should have fought many years ago when both fighters held middleweight titles. However, their two promotional companies were never able to put a fight together for some reason. With Abraham now in bad shape career-wise, perhaps Sturm will give him a shot. If nothing else, it’s a good filler fight for him until Macklin is ready to come to the bargaining table. It’s not likely that Abraham will beat Sturm because he has problems with boxers, and Sturm has sound boxing skills. Abraham would have a small punchers’ chance but that’s about it. It’s a mismatch on paper.
Abraham, 31, has lost three out of his last four fights and looked poor in his last four bouts. The losses showed in clearly that Abraham isn’t suited for the super middleweight division due to his lack of size, speed and work rate.
Abraham now is going to try and get his weight down so that he can attempt to revive his career at middleweight. How Abraham is going to do that is the big question, because he had to leave the middleweight division in 2009 because he was draining himself trying to make weight.
My views is that Abraham’s time at the top has past him by. He’s 31, and no longer able to compete with the very top fighters in boxing. He never did have great skills and more of a slugger holding a belt when the middleweight division was especially weak. It’s gotten a little bit better, and Abraham has slowed to the point where he’s only capable of fighting hard for 20 to 30 seconds of every round. That’s not enough to beat the young lions in the division. I can’t see him succeeding anymore. He’ll get beat by Sturm and by all of the other middleweight champions. At this point, Abraham will be more of a trial horse and/or gatekeeper. If he’s okay with that, he might be able to make a nice living, but he won’t be the champion he was before.
B-Hop Changes Tune on MMA, Showers Fighters with Praise
PHILADELPHIA -- MMAFighting.com spoke to boxing legend Bernard Hopkins on Wednesday about why he now likes and respects MMA fighters after once famously putting down the sport years ago. Hopkins also talked about whether he would ever try MMA, attending UFC 133 on Saturday night and his upcoming title defense against Chad Dawson.
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didn't know he trained at the same place as Eddie Alvarez, pretty cool.
PHILADELPHIA -- MMAFighting.com spoke to boxing legend Bernard Hopkins on Wednesday about why he now likes and respects MMA fighters after once famously putting down the sport years ago. Hopkins also talked about whether he would ever try MMA, attending UFC 133 on Saturday night and his upcoming title defense against Chad Dawson.
Video
didn't know he trained at the same place as Eddie Alvarez, pretty cool.
Don't people notice that Hopkins only makes ridiculous comments about things before big fights? UFC, Donovan McNabb, just recently. He does it to get people to pay attention to the fight and get people interested. He doesn't give a shit if people tune in to watch him get beat up or not, he's worried about them watching. I don't why people get so offended by shit he says.
^^Yep.
“I think James Toney is going to get his ass kicked [by Randy Couture]. For real,” said Hopkins. “James Toney is out of his league,” Hopkins tells Mauro Ranallo in a recent radio interview.
“When you step out into a situation where, against a legend too in his own sport, I believe, and I’ll go on the record, that the best MMA guy or UFC guy go up against the best boxer in the world in their arena, in their arena gets their ass kicked.” Hopkins continues. “I don’t care who it is, whether Floyd, Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, they get they ass kicked. That is not what we do.”
“I think James Toney is going to get his ass kicked [by Randy Couture]. For real,” said Hopkins. “James Toney is out of his league,” Hopkins tells Mauro Ranallo in a recent radio interview.
“When you step out into a situation where, against a legend too in his own sport, I believe, and I’ll go on the record, that the best MMA guy or UFC guy go up against the best boxer in the world in their arena, in their arena gets their ass kicked.” Hopkins continues. “I don’t care who it is, whether Floyd, Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, they get they ass kicked. That is not what we do.”
Bradley gets first crack and Morales-Matthysse winner
By William Mackay: It appears that Amir Khan’s dream of fighting for the WBC strap in his next fight has been dashed, as the World Boxing Council is reportedly saying that former WBC light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who they recently demoted to the position of “Champion in recess”, will get the first crack at the winner of the September 17th fight between Erik Morales and Lucas Matthysse.
Khan has previously said that he wants to fight the winner of that fight, if it’s Morales, for the WBC belt. Khan never said anything about wanting to fight the hard hitting Matthysse if he’s the winner, only if Morales is the winner. By the WBC saying that Bradley gets the first shot at the Matthysse-Morales winner, this freezes Khan out in his attempts to capture another title before moving up in weight to the welterweight division to pursue a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In the big scheme of things, however, this probably doesn’t even matter. Morales is likely going to lose to Matthysse anyway, and Khan pretty much has shown that he wants not part of tangling with the powerful Matthysse, who would have a chance of knocking Khan out before he gets his big money fight against Mayweather.
Fighting an old way out of his weight class fighter like Morales and fighting a young fighter with power like Matthysse are two different things. Khan would take the Morales fight, but Matthysse is obviously someone that he doesn’t want to face. However, Bradley may not want to take on the Morales-Matthysse winner either if it’s Matthysse that wins.
Bradley wants a fight against Manny Pacquiao, so he might not take the winner either if it’s Matthysse that comes out on top. Morales would be an easy payday for Bradley, and I can see him taking that fight no matter what. Morales just lost his last fight to Marcos Maidana, which makes it kind of laughable that the WBC are allowing him to fight for a title off of that loss.
By William Mackay: It appears that Amir Khan’s dream of fighting for the WBC strap in his next fight has been dashed, as the World Boxing Council is reportedly saying that former WBC light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, who they recently demoted to the position of “Champion in recess”, will get the first crack at the winner of the September 17th fight between Erik Morales and Lucas Matthysse.
Khan has previously said that he wants to fight the winner of that fight, if it’s Morales, for the WBC belt. Khan never said anything about wanting to fight the hard hitting Matthysse if he’s the winner, only if Morales is the winner. By the WBC saying that Bradley gets the first shot at the Matthysse-Morales winner, this freezes Khan out in his attempts to capture another title before moving up in weight to the welterweight division to pursue a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In the big scheme of things, however, this probably doesn’t even matter. Morales is likely going to lose to Matthysse anyway, and Khan pretty much has shown that he wants not part of tangling with the powerful Matthysse, who would have a chance of knocking Khan out before he gets his big money fight against Mayweather.
Fighting an old way out of his weight class fighter like Morales and fighting a young fighter with power like Matthysse are two different things. Khan would take the Morales fight, but Matthysse is obviously someone that he doesn’t want to face. However, Bradley may not want to take on the Morales-Matthysse winner either if it’s Matthysse that wins.
Bradley wants a fight against Manny Pacquiao, so he might not take the winner either if it’s Matthysse that comes out on top. Morales would be an easy payday for Bradley, and I can see him taking that fight no matter what. Morales just lost his last fight to Marcos Maidana, which makes it kind of laughable that the WBC are allowing him to fight for a title off of that loss.
Roach advising Chavez Jr to wait until Manfredo to fight in November
By Jason Kim: Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t want his fighter WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) to take a September fight against the likes of Ronald Hearns and David Medina. Instead, Roach wants Chavez Jr to skip fighting in September and wait until his November 19th fight date against No.5 World Boxing Council ranked middleweight contender Peter Manfredo Jr (37-6, 20 KO’s) in a fight that’s scheduled to take place at the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas.
The reason Roach doesn’t want Chavez to fight in September is because it would leave Roach with only five days to train Chavez Jr for that fight because Roach will be too busy training his number #1 fighter Manny Pacquiao for his November fight against challenger Juan Manuel Marquez. Roach wants to be able to work full time with Chavez Jr to get him ready for his next bout, and he wouldn’t get that luxury if Chavez takes the September fight.
Chavez Jr is probably good enough to beat guys like Medina and Hearns training himself, but you really can’t be sure because Chavez Jr looks awful even when he’s being training full time by Roach. He might even be worse if he’s just tending his own garden in training camp.
The promoters/managers for Chavez Jr aren’t going to match him tough anytime soon. Manfredo may be ranked at number #5 by the WBC, he’s move of a bottom 20 guy than a true #5 ranked fighter. The WBC has really done Chavez Jr. a huge favor by ranking Manfredo so high. This gives Chavez Jr partial cover to take on a so-so contender without the real risk of getting beat before he’s put in with someone that can beat him. Chavez’s promoter Bob Arum wants to put him in with WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez next year. That would be a huge fight in Mexico. If that fight can’t be made, look for Arum to put Chavez Jr in with one of his stable fighters like Miguel Cotto. Chavez Jr will probably lose that fight but get a good payday.
By Jason Kim: Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t want his fighter WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (43-0-1, 30 KO’s) to take a September fight against the likes of Ronald Hearns and David Medina. Instead, Roach wants Chavez Jr to skip fighting in September and wait until his November 19th fight date against No.5 World Boxing Council ranked middleweight contender Peter Manfredo Jr (37-6, 20 KO’s) in a fight that’s scheduled to take place at the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas.
The reason Roach doesn’t want Chavez to fight in September is because it would leave Roach with only five days to train Chavez Jr for that fight because Roach will be too busy training his number #1 fighter Manny Pacquiao for his November fight against challenger Juan Manuel Marquez. Roach wants to be able to work full time with Chavez Jr to get him ready for his next bout, and he wouldn’t get that luxury if Chavez takes the September fight.
Chavez Jr is probably good enough to beat guys like Medina and Hearns training himself, but you really can’t be sure because Chavez Jr looks awful even when he’s being training full time by Roach. He might even be worse if he’s just tending his own garden in training camp.
The promoters/managers for Chavez Jr aren’t going to match him tough anytime soon. Manfredo may be ranked at number #5 by the WBC, he’s move of a bottom 20 guy than a true #5 ranked fighter. The WBC has really done Chavez Jr. a huge favor by ranking Manfredo so high. This gives Chavez Jr partial cover to take on a so-so contender without the real risk of getting beat before he’s put in with someone that can beat him. Chavez’s promoter Bob Arum wants to put him in with WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez next year. That would be a huge fight in Mexico. If that fight can’t be made, look for Arum to put Chavez Jr in with one of his stable fighters like Miguel Cotto. Chavez Jr will probably lose that fight but get a good payday.
Margarito medically cleared to fight Cotto on December 3rd
By Chris Williams: Former IBF/WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) has reportedly received a medical clearance to fight WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) on December 3rd. The two fighters will be going at it in a rematch at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
However, with Margarito having been beaten up in two of his last three fights, the Cotto-Margarito fight has more of a old timer’s fight feel to it than a fight with any relevance. Margarito looks like a shell of his former self that beat Cotto by an 11th round TKO three years ago, and is coming off of a serious injury that required surgery and many months to heal.
This isn’t the kind of fight that you want a fighter to be taking after a bad eye injury like the one Margarito sustained in his loss against Manny Pacquiao last November. Usually when you have a fighter that’s coming off a bad eye injury, they get wiped out in their next fights when they get matched tough. And this is a tough fight for someone with such a bad injury like Margarito, who looks to have slipped a couple of notches from the level he was fighting at in 2008 when he beat Cotto.
Even Cotto looks nothing like what he used to. He’s still winning but look at who his Top Rank Promotional company have been matching him against for him to keep him winning: Michael Jennings, Ricardo Mayorga, and Yuri Foreman. Notice a trend here? It looks like Cotto is being matched softly nowadays, which would help explain why he’s been winning as of late instead of getting drilled. Cotto hasn’t been matched against the really tough lions in the junior middleweight division like Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan, Saul Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, and Carlos Molina.
The weight for the Margarito-Cotto fight could be at 150 lbs. It’s unclear whose idea that is, because both of them have been fighting at junior middleweight as of late. Looks like someone is trying to get an advantage. Hopefully it’s not Cotto. He already has a big advantage with Margarito looking totally shot, missing his power and coming off of a beating and eye surgery. What more of an advantage do you need than that?
By Chris Williams: Former IBF/WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO’s) has reportedly received a medical clearance to fight WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (36-2, 29 KO’s) on December 3rd. The two fighters will be going at it in a rematch at the Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
However, with Margarito having been beaten up in two of his last three fights, the Cotto-Margarito fight has more of a old timer’s fight feel to it than a fight with any relevance. Margarito looks like a shell of his former self that beat Cotto by an 11th round TKO three years ago, and is coming off of a serious injury that required surgery and many months to heal.
This isn’t the kind of fight that you want a fighter to be taking after a bad eye injury like the one Margarito sustained in his loss against Manny Pacquiao last November. Usually when you have a fighter that’s coming off a bad eye injury, they get wiped out in their next fights when they get matched tough. And this is a tough fight for someone with such a bad injury like Margarito, who looks to have slipped a couple of notches from the level he was fighting at in 2008 when he beat Cotto.
Even Cotto looks nothing like what he used to. He’s still winning but look at who his Top Rank Promotional company have been matching him against for him to keep him winning: Michael Jennings, Ricardo Mayorga, and Yuri Foreman. Notice a trend here? It looks like Cotto is being matched softly nowadays, which would help explain why he’s been winning as of late instead of getting drilled. Cotto hasn’t been matched against the really tough lions in the junior middleweight division like Alfredo Angulo, Vanes Martirosyan, Saul Alvarez, Erislandy Lara, and Carlos Molina.
The weight for the Margarito-Cotto fight could be at 150 lbs. It’s unclear whose idea that is, because both of them have been fighting at junior middleweight as of late. Looks like someone is trying to get an advantage. Hopefully it’s not Cotto. He already has a big advantage with Margarito looking totally shot, missing his power and coming off of a beating and eye surgery. What more of an advantage do you need than that?
Slow news day.....
Floyd Mayweahter & 50 cent apparently got into a brawl (against others) at a strip club
http://www.atlnightspots.com/2011/50-cent-floyd-mayweather-involved-in-strip-club-fight
No homo: Prada has chosen three boxing champions to front the latest ads for the Linea Rossa eyewear line. Shot by Brigitte Lacombe, the stark, black-and-white images feature portraits of the Italian Roberto Cammarelle, American Bernard Hopkins and Amir Khan, a Briton from Pakistan.
Glen Johnson is a possible opponent for Lucen Bute since Pavlik pulled out. Johnson agreed in principle to fight Bute. No word from Bute yet. Peter Quillin was also rumored, but in an interview said he was not offered any contract and wouldn't take the fight anyway since he's set at fighting at 160 pounds.
Sadam Ali Will Return on The Klitschko vs Adamek Card (which already sold over 40,000 tickets!)
Floyd Mayweahter & 50 cent apparently got into a brawl (against others) at a strip club
http://www.atlnightspots.com/2011/50-cent-floyd-mayweather-involved-in-strip-club-fight
No homo: Prada has chosen three boxing champions to front the latest ads for the Linea Rossa eyewear line. Shot by Brigitte Lacombe, the stark, black-and-white images feature portraits of the Italian Roberto Cammarelle, American Bernard Hopkins and Amir Khan, a Briton from Pakistan.
Glen Johnson is a possible opponent for Lucen Bute since Pavlik pulled out. Johnson agreed in principle to fight Bute. No word from Bute yet. Peter Quillin was also rumored, but in an interview said he was not offered any contract and wouldn't take the fight anyway since he's set at fighting at 160 pounds.
Sadam Ali Will Return on The Klitschko vs Adamek Card (which already sold over 40,000 tickets!)
Pacquiao: I'm SICK of Waiting for Floyd Mayweather; Mercedes-Maldonado on Friday
Manny Pacquiao wants a judge to declare him the winner in his ongoing legal war with Floyd Mayweather -- claiming the Pretty Boy has been LYING HIS FACE OFF to get out of being deposed by Manny's lawyers.
Manny filed the papers today in Nevada as part of his defamation suit against Mayweather -- in which he claimed Floyd falsely accused Manny of using steroids.
According to the documents, Manny's camp offered up 24 dates for Floyd to be deposed -- but Mayweather kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn't show up for any of them.
Manny claims Floyd often blamed his intense boxing training for the scheduling issues -- but says it's all BS ... because on many of the days Floyd said he was training, he was seen partying at various nightclubs in Vegas and Atlanta.
Point is -- Manny says he's SICK AND TIRED of waiting around for Floyd and wants the judge to issue a default judgment in his favor, making Manny the winner ... and entitling him to damages.
No word on how much $$$ Manny is looking to pocket from the lawsuit.
Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/tmztv/ for syndicated/local listings)
RESULTS OFFICIAL WEIGH IN A PUÑO LIMPIO TOMORROW IN GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO
PR BEST BOXING PROMOTIONS INC
“A PUÑO LIMPIO”
Friday, August 5, 2011
COLISEO MARIO “QUIJOTE” MORALES, GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO
BLUE RED
(World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino Title 115lbs – 10 Rounds)
LUIS MALDONADO – 111 lbs. VS. JUAN MERCEDES – 115 lbs.
Baja California, México (35-6-1, 26KOs) Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana (25-3, 17KOs)
(137lbs – 6 Rounds)
LUIS RODRÍGUEZ – 137 lbs. VS. LUIS JOEL GONZÁLEZ – 136 lbs.
Humacao, Puerto Rico (6-3-1,1KOs) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (7-0-1, 4KOs)
(114lbs – 4 Rounds)
GABRIEL CRUZ – 113 lbs. VS. JONATHAN GONZÁLEZ – 114 lbs.
Oceanside, California (4-3-1, 1KOs) Caguas, Puerto Rico (3-0, 3KOs)
(154lbs – 6 Rounds)
JOSÉ RAMÓN SÁNCHEZ – 153 lbs. VS. GIOVANNI RODRÍGUEZ – 154 lbs.
Mayagüez, Puerto Rio (2-9-1, 0KOs) Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (5-0-1, 4KOs)
(124lbs – 4 Rounds)
NED LÓPEZ – 123 lbs. VS. KENNETH RIVERA – Will weigh in later
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (1-0, 1KO’s) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(143lbs – 4 Rounds)
NELSON AGOSTO – 143 lbs. VS. KENNETH DÍAZ – 142 lbs.
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (0-1) San Juan, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(109lbs – 4 Rounds)
JAN CARLOS MOLINA – Will weigh in later VS. JESÚS PAGÁN – 109 lbs.
Arecibo, Puerto Rico (0-1) Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(135lbs – 4 Rounds)
IVÁN VÁZQUEZ – 135 lbs. VS. JESÚS JAVIER CINTRÓN – 134 lbs.
Humacao, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
PROMOTER: PR Best Boxing Promotions Inc. in association with Top Rank Inc.
TV: WAPA America (9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.)
Manny Pacquiao wants a judge to declare him the winner in his ongoing legal war with Floyd Mayweather -- claiming the Pretty Boy has been LYING HIS FACE OFF to get out of being deposed by Manny's lawyers.
Manny filed the papers today in Nevada as part of his defamation suit against Mayweather -- in which he claimed Floyd falsely accused Manny of using steroids.
According to the documents, Manny's camp offered up 24 dates for Floyd to be deposed -- but Mayweather kept coming up with excuses as to why he couldn't show up for any of them.
Manny claims Floyd often blamed his intense boxing training for the scheduling issues -- but says it's all BS ... because on many of the days Floyd said he was training, he was seen partying at various nightclubs in Vegas and Atlanta.
Point is -- Manny says he's SICK AND TIRED of waiting around for Floyd and wants the judge to issue a default judgment in his favor, making Manny the winner ... and entitling him to damages.
No word on how much $$$ Manny is looking to pocket from the lawsuit.
Tune in to TMZ on TV weekdays Monday through Friday (check http://www.tmz.com/tmztv/ for syndicated/local listings)
RESULTS OFFICIAL WEIGH IN A PUÑO LIMPIO TOMORROW IN GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO
PR BEST BOXING PROMOTIONS INC
“A PUÑO LIMPIO”
Friday, August 5, 2011
COLISEO MARIO “QUIJOTE” MORALES, GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO
BLUE RED
(World Boxing Organization (WBO) Latino Title 115lbs – 10 Rounds)
LUIS MALDONADO – 111 lbs. VS. JUAN MERCEDES – 115 lbs.
Baja California, México (35-6-1, 26KOs) Santo Domingo, Rep. Dominicana (25-3, 17KOs)
(137lbs – 6 Rounds)
LUIS RODRÍGUEZ – 137 lbs. VS. LUIS JOEL GONZÁLEZ – 136 lbs.
Humacao, Puerto Rico (6-3-1,1KOs) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (7-0-1, 4KOs)
(114lbs – 4 Rounds)
GABRIEL CRUZ – 113 lbs. VS. JONATHAN GONZÁLEZ – 114 lbs.
Oceanside, California (4-3-1, 1KOs) Caguas, Puerto Rico (3-0, 3KOs)
(154lbs – 6 Rounds)
JOSÉ RAMÓN SÁNCHEZ – 153 lbs. VS. GIOVANNI RODRÍGUEZ – 154 lbs.
Mayagüez, Puerto Rio (2-9-1, 0KOs) Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (5-0-1, 4KOs)
(124lbs – 4 Rounds)
NED LÓPEZ – 123 lbs. VS. KENNETH RIVERA – Will weigh in later
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico (1-0, 1KO’s) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(143lbs – 4 Rounds)
NELSON AGOSTO – 143 lbs. VS. KENNETH DÍAZ – 142 lbs.
Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (0-1) San Juan, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(109lbs – 4 Rounds)
JAN CARLOS MOLINA – Will weigh in later VS. JESÚS PAGÁN – 109 lbs.
Arecibo, Puerto Rico (0-1) Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
(135lbs – 4 Rounds)
IVÁN VÁZQUEZ – 135 lbs. VS. JESÚS JAVIER CINTRÓN – 134 lbs.
Humacao, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut) Bayamón, Puerto Rico (Pro Debut)
PROMOTER: PR Best Boxing Promotions Inc. in association with Top Rank Inc.
TV: WAPA America (9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m.)