Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Drug Testing is Needed. NOW!
May 9th, 2012

By Robert “Big Moe” Elmore: Somewhere in Las Vegas, newly crowned WBA junior middleweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is probably sitting back and saying “And people think I’m crazy for wanting the fighters I face to undergo random blood testing”. In fact, he doesn’t have to say anything because Lamont Peterson said for him.

Boxing has yet suffered another black eye. With Peterson admitting that he took pellets BEFORE his fight in December with Khan just proves that drug testing is needed BEFORE every boxing match. The integrity of the sport is being demolished. The fact this discovery happened AFTER the fact simply takes away Peterson victory as legit. I applaud Peterson for coming forth and saying he used the pellets, but it doesn’t justify what he did. It beckons the question; how many fighters are dirty? From here on out with every victory won by a major name in boxing, the victory might be questioned and it has a right to be. Urine sample are good, but they do not catch steroids. Blood work does. There is no need to get a petition together to start a mandatory random blood testing before every fight. The governing bodies have the power to due so.

I’m going out on a limb and say this. Peterson is not the only one in boxing that is juicing up. I believe there are many more. And if mandatory blood testing becomes a thing of boxing, I guarantee you, many boxing matches will be called off, licenses will be suspended, a heavy fines will be paid, community services duties will take place, or even bans for life from boxing. And it’s sad because fighters have enough to be concerned with; their health, brain damage, and other injuries that come with boxing. Juicing only increases those chances. It’s sad when a fighter can’t rely on his skill, training techniques, and his team alone to get the job. If the athletic commissions do not want to do their job, then I urge fighters to put it in their contracts or something that fighters have to be randomly tested before their scheduled bout.

 

[heyzel]

Peterson was taking the pellets for a testosterone insufficiency
May 9th, 2012

By Scott Gilfoid: According to the LA Times, IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson was using the testosterone pellets in which he tested positive for on a drug test to treat testosterone deficiency. In other words, it was for legitimate reasons under a doctor’s supervision.

This is perfectly allowable whether boxing fans want to agree to it or not. A fighter can seek treatment for low testosterone and still continue their boxing career. The only thing that’s up for debate is whether Peterson informed the testing agency VADA ahead of time about him being under treatment with the testosterone. There’s some disagreement on this. If Peterson did inform the VADA about it and they failed to document it then obviously this will hurt Peterson, because it’ll end up being his word against the VADA. It’s obvious that the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who will be ruling on whether Peterson will be able to get his license to fight Amir Khan on May 19th, will likely rule against Peterson getting his license.

Peterson has given his medical documentation to the Commission proving that he was under treatment for the testosterone problem. The Commission will then have to decide on whether to penalize Peterson for the information not being being passed on to the VADA or not. The bad thing about this is if Peterson did in fact tell the VADA about the problem and they failed to document it then that’s pretty disappointing for Peterson.

My take on this is that since it’s a legitimate reason for Peterson to be taking the testosterone then there’s no reason to not let the fight go forward. The man has a medical problem, so why should he be penalized for it. If he failed to inform the VADA, which is still unknown, then it still shouldn’t matter as long as it can be proven that Peterson is under medical treatment for a legitimate problem. Not letting Peterson have his license will hurt boxing by having the Khan-Peterson II rematch cancelled. I say the Commission should allow Peterson to be licensed for the good of boxing.

 

[heyzel]

VADA President Dr. Margaret Goodman on the Lamont Peterson testing
By Gabriel Montoya, MaxBoxing (May 8, 2012) Doghouse Boxing


Early Tuesday morning, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer held a conference call to discuss WBA/IBF junior welterweight Lamont Peterson and his positive drug test for synthetic testosterone as detected by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association. Peterson is scheduled to fight May 19 live on HBO against Golden Boy promoter Amir Khan in a rematch of their close first fight.

In the call, Schaefer said he was informed Monday by Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer of Peterson’s positive test. Schaefer complained that neither he nor HBO or anyone at Golden Boy Promotions had been notified of the result in a timely enough fashion. Obviously, with the fight right around the corner, his company and its fighter, who has passed all VADA tests thus far, may be left without a payday or a dance partner May 19. HBO, which has had its fair share of cancelled or postponed fights this year, cannot afford another date debacle.

But testing protocols exist for a reason. A man’s reputation is at stake and confidentiality is key.

The positive sample in question was taken March 19 in Los Angeles. Both Khan and Peterson signed their VADA paperwork, gave urine and blood samples and then went to the final press conference announcing their fight. The samples, which were tested at the UCLA Medical Lab, a WADA-approved facility, came back positive on April 12. Peterson was informed the next day as was his team.

When an athlete tests positive, he has the right to have the “B” sample tested in order to gather more information for an appeal or to outright clear his name. After Team Peterson gave the go ahead, the “B” sample was tested on April 30 and the result once again was positive.

“It is important for VADA to carry out its mission consistent with respect for the privacy of the athletes who are tested,” VADA President Dr. Margaret Goodman said in a statement released to Maxboxing.com early Tuesday. “VADA notified Lamont Peterson and his attorney, Jeff Fried, immediately after Mr. Peterson’s “A” sample tested positive. VADA felt that it would be inappropriate for it to notify third parties of the positive test result at that time because there had been no confirmation of it.”

Once Peterson was informed of his “A’” sample testing positive, he could have gone to Golden Boy and HBO and informed them of his plans to have the “B” sample tested and his name cleared. That was his right. His team chose not to and instead moved forward testing the “B” sample in hopes it would not come back positive. It did.

“It appears as though Mr. Peterson and Mr. Fried also chose not to notify third parties at that time in the hope that Mr. Peterson’s “B” sample would test negative,” continued Dr. Goodman. “As soon as Mr. Peterson’s “B” sample tested positive, VADA notified Mr. Peterson, Mr. Fried, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

According to Schaefer, had he been informed of the positive result sooner, he would have asked for the process to be sped up. Speeding up the process nor being informed right along with Peterson was not his, Golden Boy’s or HBO’s contractual right according to Dr. Goodman.

“Neither Golden Boy Promotions nor HBO was a signatory to the VADA contract,” explained Dr. Goodman.

It should be noted that Khan was under the same privacy protection as Peterson.

“Amir Khan was a signatory to a separate contract,” explained Dr. Goodman. “He was entitled to the same protection with regard to notification procedures as Lamont Peterson.”

It is still not known how Peterson was caught specifically. Considering he was caught using synthetic testosterone and VADA uses the Carbon Isotope Ratio testing method as a screen test, it is likely he was caught this way.

 

[heyzel]

Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach speaks out on Floyd Mayweather and more
By Special Report on Doghouse Boxing (May 8, 2012)
-





HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – Boxing’s Commander-In Chief, Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, began his U.S. training camp today at Hall of Fame-elect trainer World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. Pacquiao is in his final five weeks of intense workouts as he prepares for his world title defense against undefeated junior welterweight champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY.



Pacquiao began the day with a 6:45 a.m. run from Griffith Part up the Hollywood Hills to the landmark Hollywood sign. He shaved a minute off his personal best time, running the 3.5 mile course in 22 minutes.



Later that afternoon, Pacman worked out for three hours with Roach at Wild Card, going 10 brisk rounds on the mitts followed by two hours of conditioning and hitting the bags.



Manny Pacquiao



· I saw the Mayweather-Cotto fight. It was a good fight and everyone [fans] was happy.

· I have no opinion on Mayweather’s plans to retire. That’s his decision. A very personal decision

· I’m glad to be back at Freddie’s gym. I have no plans to retire. I still love what I’m doing

· Freddie and I had a good camp in the Philippines and we are ready to work very hard in preparation for Timothy Bradley. Bradley is strong, undefeated and young. I have a great deal of respect for his talents and his accomplishments."



Freddie Roach





· We are on a steady pace to get Manny to where he will peak on June 9. We built a good base to build on in our training in the Philippines. Now it’s time for the hard work and the strategy.

· We had a good session today. Manny went a strong 10 rounds with me today on the mitts. He’ll sleep good tonight.

· I did not see the Mayweather-Cotto fight but I do know that Floyd’s slippery defense is now better outside the ring than inside the ring. But that is the path he has chosen.

· Would Manny beat Floyd? You bet. The way to beat Floyd is to outwork him every minute of every round. Manny is the only fighter capable of executing that game plan. Activity kills Mayweather. You need to stay busy against him and not let him dictate the pace by slowing down the fight. Southpaws are his other weakness. Manny is just a bad combination for Floyd to fight. If it would bring Floyd into the ring, I’d agree to have Manny fight him right handed.

 

[heyzel]

Floyd Mayweather's stance on PEDs admirable
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The Record
Floyd Mayweather Jr. boxed brilliantly again Saturday night in Las Vegas to beat an elite-level opponent in rather convincing fashion.

Mayweather made more guaranteed money for one fight in his victory over Miguel Cotto — $32 million — than any boxer in the sport’s history.

The undefeated five-division champion also drew an enormous amount of attention to a niche sport that once dominated headlines.

Those are not, however, Mayweather’s greatest recent contributions to boxing.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native’s most recent significant accomplishment is the consistent emphasis he has placed on the issue of combating performance-enhancing drugs.

Say what you will about Mayweather’s behavior outside the ring, the outspoken superstar is at the forefront of forcing random prefight blood and urine testing to become the standard in a sport shamefully lagging behind its efforts to catch cheaters.

Mayweather was wrong to insinuate on multiple occasions that Manny Pacquiao has used PEDs, and he’ll probably pay for those indiscretions, at least monetarily, once their legal issue is resolved. But he is 100 percent correct to demand testing before each of his fights.

Postfight testing can accomplish only so much and boxers deserve to know before they step into the ring that their opponents are clean.

The benefit of such stringent testing was obvious Tuesday, when the highly anticipated May 19 junior welterweight championship rematch between Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan was in jeopardy due to prefight tests Peterson recently failed. Peterson’s attorneys had a team of doctors trying to prove Tuesday that the high level of testosterone found in two of his urine samples wasn’t the consequence of anabolic steroid use, as the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which performed all the prefight tests on Peterson and Khan, indicated in its letter to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Ironically, it was Peterson, of Washington, D.C., who demanded the prefight testing, presumably because England’s Khan has long been subjected to rumors related to PED use.

If the fight is canceled, it’ll cost the blameless Khan a seven-figure payday, just as it would Peterson. But some things, first and foremost a fighter’s safety, are more important than money.

The cash-obsessed Mayweather makes that more clear than anyone in boxing.

 

[heyzel]

Manny Pacquiao moves camp to Los Angeles, trainer unimpressed by Floyd Mayweather
By Kevin Iole | Yahoo!

Manny Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles from the Philippines on Saturday to finish his training camp for his June 9 bout with Timothy Bradley at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club.

Pacquiao arrived just as, a couple hundred miles to the East, Floyd Mayweather Jr. stepped into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden for his bout with Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao, who resumed training on Monday, said he managed to catch a portion of the bout.

"It was a good fight and everyone was happy," Pacquiao said.

Mayweather and Pacquiao are regarded as the top two fighters in the world and boxing fans have been eager for them to get into the ring against each other. But a series of issues, notably the purse split and an agreement on a drug testing regimen, have stalled the match.

Mayweather defeated Cotto by a unanimous decision, winning nine rounds on two judges' cards and 10 rounds on the third. Apparently, that wasn't enough to impress Roach.

"Would Manny beat Floyd? You bet," Roach said. "The way to beat Floyd to outwork him every minute of every round. Manny is the only one capable of executing that game plan. Activity kills Mayweather. You need to stay busy against him and not let him dictate the pace by slowing down the fight. Southpaws are his other weakness. Manny is just a bad combination for Floyd to fight. If it would bring Floyd into the ring, I'd agree to have Manny fight him right handed."

Though Mayweather hinted at retirement on Saturday, Pacquiao said he doesn't harbor the same thoughts. There had been talk he would only fight a handful more times, but he said Monday retirement isn't on his agenda.

"I still love what I'm doing," he said.

 

[JLMACN]

· Would Manny beat Floyd? You bet. The way to beat Floyd is to outwork him every minute of every round. Manny is the only fighter capable of executing that game plan. Activity kills Mayweather. You need to stay busy against him and not let him dictate the pace by slowing down the fight. Southpaws are his other weakness. Manny is just a bad combination for Floyd to fight. If it would bring Floyd into the ring, I’d agree to have Manny fight him right handed.

LOL

 

[heyzel]

Ring Ratings Update: Does Mayweather supplant Pacquiao atop pound-for-pound list?



by Michael Rosenthal
May 8th, 2012



Posted ImageDid Floyd Mayweather Jr. do enough in his victory over Miguel Cotto to supplant No. 1 Manny Pacquiao on THE RING’s pound-for-pound list?

One question that emerged after Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Miguel Cotto on Saturday was sure to stir the passions of many fans: Did Mayweather do enough to supplant Manny Pacquiao atop THE RING’s pound-for-pound list?

Members of THE RING Ratings Panel pushed for Mayweather to become No. 1, citing his hard-fought but convincing victory over the top junior middleweight in the world.
Another argument against Pacquiao is that many people believe he was given a gift victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in his most-recent fight, the same Marquez who was overwhelmed by Mayweather.

Members of the Editorial Board leaned the other direction, pointing out that Mayweather had much more trouble with Cotto than Pacquiao did. The editors initially preferred to wait to see how Pacquiao looks against Tim Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas before making a decision.
Then the editors remembered a course of action they considered immediately after the Pacquiao-Marquez fight: Leave the No. 1 spot vacant until one of them either seizes the mythical title or falters badly.

This is what we wrote in the article announcing that Pacquiao would remain No. 1 in spite of his performance against Marquez: “Pacquiao survives as THE RING’s No. 1 fighter by a hair. Should he stumble again or Mayweather turn in an outstanding performance, a new king probably would be crowned.”

Some will argue that Mayweather’s performance against Cotto was outstanding. He stood up to a stiff challenge from a very good fighter after moving up in weight and emerged with an impressive victory.

Others have suggested that Mayweather shouldn’t have struggled as much as he did against Cotto, who many believed was fading as an elite fighter going into Saturday. Perhaps we saw the first signs that Mayweather, at 35, was beginning to show his age.

In the end, the editors decided that Mayweather did enough against Cotto to pull even with Pacquiao but not ahead of him. Thus, we decided to leave the No. 1 position vacant, meaning Pacquiao and Mayweather are now tied at No. 2.

Pacquiao can reclaim the top spot if he looks sensational against Bradley, maintain the status quo with a solid victory or open the door for Mayweather to become No. 1 with a poor performance.
And if there is no movement at that time, Pacquiao and Mayweather could decide who is No. 1 by fighting one another. We think everyone would agree that that is the best way to determine such things.


It was a bold and unexpected move by the Ring Magazine, but I think it was appropriate given the above conditions.

 

[heyzel]

Victor Conte Said Peterson Could Be Using Smart Method Doping Beats All Tests


by David P. Greisman
Victor Conte — whose post-BALCO-scandal career has seen him once again working with pro athletes, including boxers — has commented on Twitter about Lamont Peterson’s testing positive for synthetic testosterone.
These are a few of the highlights:
“My opinion is that Lamont Peterson’s use of synthetic testosterone could be a smart method of doping and beat almost all test methods,” Conte wrote.
“200 mg [testosterone] pellet delivers 2 mg [testosterone] per day for about 100 days w/stable blood and urine levels. Boost T, yet under 4:1 [ratio] radar. Perfect.
“Plain and simple. Lamont Peterson did not make a declaration of use to anybody. Why?” he wrote.
“Testosterone use by pellet, gel, patch, oral, cream and injection are all prohibited without TUE [therapeutic-use exemption]. I think Peterson has a tough row to hoe.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

peterson khan fight is off! peterson failed to disclose any prior medical conditions so its a no go. he'll likely be suspended for 9 months and its a strong possibility the first fight will be ruled a NC and/or the belts returned to him.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

lol. Are your feelings hurt because you were the MAIN Dickrider talking crap about Mayweather using testing to duck Manny?? Your faggot ass is the last one that should be talking about random testing. I mean for 3 years now you have been the head cheerleader of the Mayweather is using random testing to duck Manny movement. You are Mr. Double Talk always talking in cricles.. When Mayweather wanted Manny randomly tested he was scared and ducking. But now that Peterson got popped for pissing dirty you're the number 1 activist for random drug testing. It's not about Floyd vs Manny, it's you running your big ass mouth all the time and not being right about anything for the last three years. Keep talking tuff and I will go back and expose all your double talking and out right lies for the last 3 years. And this also applies to all that sideline hoes that co-signed all this bs for 3 years..

sounds like you're the one upset and angry the way you're talking. this is why its pointless talking to you, as everyone the last few days have been cool with the floyd vs pac topic and some real good discussions have been taking place, except with u and you're disrespectful rants.

if we go back in time, which is pointless since pac has agreed to all testing, I maintained a compromise should be met - some type of agreement on a cut off date. I always said pac should take random tests. I also said the state athletic commission should implement stricter, YEAR ROUND random testing. but of course its no longer about testing floyd has made it about money now. regardless, june 9th must come first then we'll see what happens.

 

[heyzel]

peterson khan fight is off! peterson failed to disclose any prior medical conditions so its a no go. he'll likely be suspended for 9 months and its a strong possibility the first fight will be ruled a NC and/or the belts returned to him.

damn I wonder if hbo if going is still going to have broner fight on that date still

 

[2-0-Sixx]

the whole card is canceled so no. broner was fighting a weak opponent anyways so no real loss there.

 

[heyzel]

Peterson vs. Khan II fight cancelled
May 10th, 2012

By John F. McKenna (McJack): In a move that was expected after IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s) tested positive for an illegal substance his rematch with former champion Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO’s) has been cancelled. The rematch was scheduled to take place on May 19 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Most troubling was that Peterson tested positive on two separate occasions and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was not made aware of the failed test until Monday morning. Lamont acknowledged that he took testosterone pellets prior to his fight with Khan last December although when he showed up positive for the first test he denied having ever used any illegal or barred substances.

The results of the first test were not revealed in the hope that a second test would come up clean. However, the second test also came up dirty. It was at that point Peterson claims, that his memory was jogged and he recalled being given the testosterone pellets by a doctor last October for an extremely low testosterone level in his body. That would place Lamont’s illegal use of testosterone before his fight with Khan.

The Voluntary Anti Doping Association (VADA) reported the findings of the first sample on April 13. The process of running the second sample began on April 30 in the presence of representatives of Peterson. The results for the 2nd sample were received by VADA on May 3 and confirmed the findings of the first sample.

The results of the second failed test forced the cancellation of the fight and left HBO, the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino as well as the promoters holding the bag. At this late date there is little time to locate a viable opponent for Khan. It goes without saying that the parties involved have invested a substantial amount of time and money in putting the Peterson – Khan match together.

It is not known at this point what action will be taken against Peterson. Some boxing pundits are calling for the IBF and WBA to strip Lamont of his titles and to declare his December fight against Khan a “no contest”. Khan’s promoter Golden Boy Promotions exerts much influence in boxing and is sure to weigh in on yet another controversy surrounding Lamont Peterson.

 

[bigface]

sounds like you're the one upset and angry the way you're talking. this is why its pointless talking to you, as everyone the last few days have been cool with the floyd vs pac topic and some real good discussions have been taking place, except with u and you're disrespectful rants.

if we go back in time, which is pointless since pac has agreed to all testing, I maintained a compromise should be met - some type of agreement on a cut off date. I always said pac should take random tests. I also said the state athletic commission should implement stricter, YEAR ROUND random testing. but of course its no longer about testing floyd has made it about money now. regardless, june 9th must come first then we'll see what happens.

Mr. Double talk at it again. You was the main guy talking about Mayweather ducked Manny, because Floyd wanted random testing.

FYI, Manny hasn't agreed to no random testing, until he actually gets randomly tested. 3 years later and Manny still hasn't been randomly drug tested. Manny agreed to random testing my ass.

 

[bigface]

I'm hearing Devon Alexander and Paulie Malinaggi are in talks to make a fight..

 

[RM211]

dam, thats a snoozefest of a fight right there...

 

[bigface]

Chad Dawson-Andre Ward in the works


By Dan Rafael | ESPN.com


Light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and super middleweight champion Andre Ward are both coming off the biggest wins of their careers, but instead of taking it easy, they are planning to fight each other in September in a match of two of the best fighters in the world.

Dan Goossen, Ward's promoter, and Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter, are in negotiations with HBO, which wants the bout.


"We have two fighters in their primes, two lineal champions. I think it's a great fight. You just don't get it in our sport too often," Goossen told ESPN.com on Thursday. "Two champions facing one another allows the winner to go out there and continue his climb to superstardom. That's what this fight is about. We need more of this in boxing. In boxing we want the big fights and it's very seldom you can have two world champions willing to face each other in their primes."

Goossen and Shaw said they are still discussing the specific weight limit -- whether it will be for the super middleweight or light heavyweight title.

"Our intent is to have it for Andre's super middleweight championship," Goossen said. "I still have a few things to close up with Gary. Gary and I have had good conversations and we're moving in the direction to making this fight happen."

Shaw said the fight could be at a catch weight slightly above the 168-pound super middleweight limit for Dawson's 175-pound world title.

"Chad has never ducked anyone and I believe the fight will get made," Shaw told ESPN.com. "It's going to be a great fight, a very interesting matchup between the best American fighters in their divisions. We want it very much as we want to fight the best. Dawson has fought all the top fighters at 175 pounds -- Antonio Tarver (twice), Glen Johnson (twice), Bernard Hopkins (twice) and Adrian Diaconu -- and we have a score to settle with Jean Pascal." Pascal handed Dawson his lone defeat.

Goossen and Shaw are exploring sites. Goossen said there are "a few sites very interested in hosting the fight."

He said the two leading possibilities are Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., Ward's hometown, where he has been a draw in the few fights he has had there, and Atlantic City, N.J., where both fighters have scored significant victories. Goossen also mentioned Southern California as another possibility.

"Atlantic City just had a great turnout for Dawson-(Bernard) Hopkins and I believe we could get 19,000 at Oracle Arena," Goossen said. "So I am partial to Oakland."

In December in Atlantic City, Ward culminated his domination of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament by easily outpointing England's Carl Froch to become the lineal super middleweight champion while also unifying a pair of belts, although he was subsequently stripped of one of the titles for no apparent reason.

The fight with Dawson will be Ward's first since winning the tournament. His layoff was caused in part by a hand injury he suffered against Froch. But his wife is also due with a baby in June and Ward wants some time off to be with his family during her pregnancy and the birth, meaning September was the earliest he could return, taking into account the time needed to train.

Dawson (31-1, 17 KOs), 29, of New Haven, Conn., claimed the lineal light heavyweight title, and regained an alphabet belt, on April 28 in Atlantic City when he scored a decisive decision win against Hopkins in a rematch of their aborted two-round, no-decision in October.

After Ward (25-0, 13 KOs), 28, defeated Froch, he spoke about his willingness to move up to fight a top light heavyweight if the opportunity presented itself.

"I am ready to fight the best 168- and 175-pounders that are out there," Ward told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "At this point, a big fight at 175 is interesting to me. I don't want to go up just to go up. But for the right fight, for a big fight, I would go up. I'm willing to fight anyone at '68 or '75."

After Dawson dispatched 47-year-old Hopkins, he specifically named Ward as an opponent he said he would like to fight, adding that he was willing to drop to super middleweight for the challenge.

The fight is headed to HBO because Showtime, which had rights to Ward's next fight after he won the Super Six (bankrolled by Showtime), passed on its option. Showtime had hoped to match Ward with super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute, the top super middleweight not invited to participate in the tournament.

However, there were never serious talks about making the match and Bute instead took a fight with Froch, whom he meets May 26. Showtime, which has a contract with Bute, gave him an out to take the Froch fight on another network, and Epix picked up the rights to it.

"Ward-Dawson will be on HBO and we're looking forward to it," Goossen said. "It's kind of a homecoming in a lot of ways, including working with Ken (Hershman)."

Hershman was running Showtime Sports when he invited Ward to participate in the Super Six. He left Showtime late last year and took over rival HBO Sports in January. Also, Ward, coming off his Olympic gold medal victory in 2004, made his professional debut on HBO.

Goossen said the fight with Dawson, an unusual match of two lineal champions in different divisions, is coming at the right time in Ward's career.

"Unlike in the tournament, where we had everything lined up for the next challenge, we were looking for something that was big after the tournament," he said. "We were looking at the winner of Hopkins-Dawson. With Chad being the winner, we put our attention there.

"I know some people are surprised we are going for this fight, but in Andre's career we have done things that have surprised people from the beginning. In his 20th fight we put him in the tournament and out of the box he was facing (titleholder Mikkel) Kessler and people said, 'What are you, nuts?' We try to push the envelope and try to do things bigger than people anticipate."

 

[naner12]

I don't care about what people get paid but if there's anyone deserving of making money is Ward & Dawson if they step in the ring with each other. I hope that fight comes through and I hope they both get paid well for it. The 2 absolute best in their divisions stepping in with each other.

 

[heyzel]

AMIR KHAN STATEMENT FOR FIGHT FANS

Dear Fans, No one was more shocked and upset by the cancellation of next week's fight than me. I had been training hard for almost eight weeks and was ready to put on a dazzling performance and win my belts back. I know many of you purchased tickets for the fight and had planned to make the trip to Las Vegas next weekend. For any inconvenience or hardship this cancellation has caused, I am truly sorry.. We're working hard to schedule my next fight for some time during the early summer in the States and hope that you can find a way to reschedule your arrangements and come out support me with the enthusiasm that you always do. As you know, I always perform at my best when my fans are rooting me on. Thanks as always for your support.

-Amir Khan