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Paul Williams Disses De La Hoya, Calls out Margarito
by T.K. Stewart
WBO Welterweight titlist Paul "The Punisher" Williams, 34-1 (25)KO, is looking for someone, anyone, that is willing to fight him. Williams' obvious preference is a rematch with WBA titlist Antonio Margarito whom he beat last summer by unanimous decision. But so far, tall Paul, who stands 6'1" with an 82' reach, hasn't been able to get Margarito's attention. Instead Margarito keeps calling out Oscar De La Hoya's name. But Williams says that's not a match that the people or real boxing fans want to see.
"It's not a good fight," said Williams. "I mean, everybody knows De La Hoya, you know what I'm sayin'? He puts on a good fight, but he fades in the late rounds, he starts fadin'." With me, there's going to be action the whole twelve rounds, the whole three minutes."
Williams looked devastating in knocking out Carlos Quintana in less than three minutes back in June to avenge his only loss and regain the WBO belt. But since then he has been trying to get a marquee opponent to accept his challenge but nobody seems to have the courage to step up. Williams' frustration is palpable.
"Margarito should fight me," he says. "We're offering him $4 million. Fighting me don't sound like a bad deal. I'd love to fight him again and everybody already knows that. But if Margarito doesn't wanna' fight I'm not sitting around waiting for him. I can fight somebody else at 154, 160 even 168."
When asked what would happen if Margarito eventually decided to fight him, Williams obviously believes he will win again. He is very confident and the thought of facing Margarito, who put on an exquisite performance against Miguel Cotto a couple weeks ago, doesn't seem to faze him in the least.
"I know how to beat him," said Williams of the 'Tijuana Tornado'. "When you know how to beat somebody you know how to fight somebody." Williams also said he wouldn't do much differently if the rematch were to happen. "I know how to fight him," he said. "Me? I'd fight him the same way. If he changes something up, I'll change something up."
Williams took an additional slap at Margarito by going so far as to say that he wasn't even the toughest fight of his career. Williams said that honor is reseved for Argentina's Walter Matthysse, whom he knocked out in ten rounds back in 2006.
"Even though I made it look easy, that was my hardest fight," said Williams.
by T.K. Stewart
WBO Welterweight titlist Paul "The Punisher" Williams, 34-1 (25)KO, is looking for someone, anyone, that is willing to fight him. Williams' obvious preference is a rematch with WBA titlist Antonio Margarito whom he beat last summer by unanimous decision. But so far, tall Paul, who stands 6'1" with an 82' reach, hasn't been able to get Margarito's attention. Instead Margarito keeps calling out Oscar De La Hoya's name. But Williams says that's not a match that the people or real boxing fans want to see.
"It's not a good fight," said Williams. "I mean, everybody knows De La Hoya, you know what I'm sayin'? He puts on a good fight, but he fades in the late rounds, he starts fadin'." With me, there's going to be action the whole twelve rounds, the whole three minutes."
Williams looked devastating in knocking out Carlos Quintana in less than three minutes back in June to avenge his only loss and regain the WBO belt. But since then he has been trying to get a marquee opponent to accept his challenge but nobody seems to have the courage to step up. Williams' frustration is palpable.
"Margarito should fight me," he says. "We're offering him $4 million. Fighting me don't sound like a bad deal. I'd love to fight him again and everybody already knows that. But if Margarito doesn't wanna' fight I'm not sitting around waiting for him. I can fight somebody else at 154, 160 even 168."
When asked what would happen if Margarito eventually decided to fight him, Williams obviously believes he will win again. He is very confident and the thought of facing Margarito, who put on an exquisite performance against Miguel Cotto a couple weeks ago, doesn't seem to faze him in the least.
"I know how to beat him," said Williams of the 'Tijuana Tornado'. "When you know how to beat somebody you know how to fight somebody." Williams also said he wouldn't do much differently if the rematch were to happen. "I know how to fight him," he said. "Me? I'd fight him the same way. If he changes something up, I'll change something up."
Williams took an additional slap at Margarito by going so far as to say that he wasn't even the toughest fight of his career. Williams said that honor is reseved for Argentina's Walter Matthysse, whom he knocked out in ten rounds back in 2006.
"Even though I made it look easy, that was my hardest fight," said Williams.
Oscar De La Hoya: Taking the easy way out!
By P.H. Burbridge (A voice in the crowd) It’s absolutely ridiculous that Oscar De La Hoya is considering Manny Pacquiao as his final ring opponent! Is this supposed to be Oscar’s “gift” to the fight fans who have made him one of the RICHEST sportsmen ever? If it is, then keep it Oscar because we want to see elite fighters who are evenly matched leaving it in the ring not a good big guy walking down a good small guy. You don’t claim greatness by fighting a guy who is 20 pounds lighter then you unless you’re a heavyweight and your opponent is a prime Roy Jones Jr. If you’re a light middleweight and you’re calling out a “LIGHTWEIGHT” who started his career as a FLYWEIGHT then you’re RIPPING US OFF. Spare us of all the hype and don’t ask us to “suspend” reality so you can make another 25 million dollars!
Enough is enough! Anyone who thinks Manny Pacquiao can stand up to a “real” De La Hoya left hook is kidding themselves. You want proof watch the 2nd round of the second Juan Manuel Marquez fight where Manny was buzzed by a grazing hook and suddenly slammed it in to reverse. So, now that plans for a December showdown seem to be serious I have to raise my hand for hardcore fight fans around the world and shout “this fight’s a JOKE!
If this is the best Oscar can do then maybe we’ve given him too much credit all along. When this potential “Super fight” started popping up on the various boxing websites and Freddie Roach said publicly that he felt that Manny could and would beat De La Hoya if they ever met I didn’t take it seriously. Freddie even went so far as to say that Pacquiao would likely “knock De La Hoya out”! I laughed and attributed all that nonsense to Roach trying to set the stage for a possible monster payday for Manny and HIMSELF. I certainly didn’t think De La Hoya would SERIOUSLY consider it. But, apparently he’s desperate.
Freddie Roach KNOWS there’s no chance that Manny could hurt De La Hoya yet he persists with these ridiculous claims as if he has some “insider” knowledge. Let’s be frank here if Freddie had that kind of insight why didn’t he do a better job of training Oscar for Mayweather? If he was such a great tactician and was capable of breaking down a fighter’s style to capitalize on their weaknesses, why did Oscar loose his jab after the 7th round of that fight when it was working so well early and why didn’t Freddie make the necessary adjustments in the corner? After all, that was the biggest fight he’s ever been involved in and his “A” game should have been on full display but clearly he didn’t have any answers and his timid in corner pleas for Oscar to do more were pathetic. Leading up to the Mayweather fight Roach openly quipped that they would go to plan “B, C and D” if “A” wasn’t working but you can watch that fight a hundred times and you’ll see that NO adjustments were made by De La Hoya and Roach’s advice lacked any direct or any sustained tactical suggestion. Bottom line Roach planned it one way and it didn’t come close to working. If ever De La Hoya needed Mayweather Sr that was the fight. Why Oscar didn’t pony up that 2 million dollar asking price to get Floyd Sr into camp is beyond me. Considering Oscar’s bank roll and his take for that fight 2 million dollars doesn’t seem like a lot of money. What did Oscar think Floyd Sr would do? Come in and sabotage his camp so that Floyd Jr could win? Floyd Sr is a professional and would have come in and done his job. Floyd Sr’s not going to ruin his reputation for a Son who openly treats him with such disrespect. Take a look at what’s been going on and more importantly what’s not been going on between those two since that fight and you’ll have your answer. I think Floyd Sr would have brought his “A” game for that 2 million dollars and Oscar might have had the most satisfying win of his career. Well, we’ll never know. One thing we do know is that Freddie Roach failed in the biggest fight of his career and in a fight that was absolutely winnable for De La Hoya.
So, what’s really going on here? Why won’t Oscar focus his attention on an elite fighter in his own weight range? Why is Oscar avoiding the “Tijuana Tornado," Antonio Margarito? Margarito couldn’t have scripted this thing any better for De La Hoya to end his career if he were a Hollywood screen writer. He beat the man who aside from Mayweather was Oscar’s most obvious choice to end his career with a bang, Miguel Cotto. Margarito was OPENLY ducked by Floyd Mayweather Jr and has for the longest time had the title as the most avoided fighter in the game. Margarito’s credibility is at an all time high and beating him would put some of the shine back on the “Golden Boy." Oscar shouldn’t be wasting his time with Pacquiao. He’s too small and has ZERO chance of withstanding hard shots from De La Hoya. Plus Manny doesn’t come close to having enough power to make Oscar think twice about anything. Oscar has fought full fledge middleweights so I’m sure he’ll be able to absorb anything Manny can muster up. Forget about all the highlight reels showing Manny crushing Featherweights.
This is a complete money making scheme. Oscar knows Pacquiao can’t beat him and so does Roach. Manny knows he can’t beat Oscar too and that’s why you’re reading so much about all these financial penalties and demands that are being made by team Pacquiao such as a weigh in on the day of the fight rather then one day prior. Pacquiao’s team want financial terms put in writing that Oscar is to be penalized $750,000 per pound over the agreed weight. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Pacquiao’s team is looking at every single angle to cash in absolutely anticipating he will lose. After all is he’s going to loose he might as well get paid for it. This isn’t a real fight.
If Oscar and Manny do go through with this ridiculous event and when Oscar wins what does he think he will have accomplished? Does he think that “HE” will all of sudden jump to the top spot of everyone’s POUND FOR POUND list because he took out the current #1 guy? I’ve already said that we’re not going to “suspend reality” for this “Super Fight." Clearly, beating Manny Pacquiao does nothing to enrich the De La Hoya legacy. It will do plenty for his bank account. As usual……
Does Pacquiao consider this to be his “retirement” score? Manny needs to get a couple of wins as the LIGHTWEIGHT champion and then go after Ricky Hatton. Now, that fight makes sense and would be competitive.
For Oscar to go out of boxing on such an undistinguished note will give those who have questioned his greatness all the ammunition they need to question his legacy till the end of time. If Oscar really does care about his legacy then his only option is waiting by the phone in Tijuana!
By P.H. Burbridge (A voice in the crowd) It’s absolutely ridiculous that Oscar De La Hoya is considering Manny Pacquiao as his final ring opponent! Is this supposed to be Oscar’s “gift” to the fight fans who have made him one of the RICHEST sportsmen ever? If it is, then keep it Oscar because we want to see elite fighters who are evenly matched leaving it in the ring not a good big guy walking down a good small guy. You don’t claim greatness by fighting a guy who is 20 pounds lighter then you unless you’re a heavyweight and your opponent is a prime Roy Jones Jr. If you’re a light middleweight and you’re calling out a “LIGHTWEIGHT” who started his career as a FLYWEIGHT then you’re RIPPING US OFF. Spare us of all the hype and don’t ask us to “suspend” reality so you can make another 25 million dollars!
Enough is enough! Anyone who thinks Manny Pacquiao can stand up to a “real” De La Hoya left hook is kidding themselves. You want proof watch the 2nd round of the second Juan Manuel Marquez fight where Manny was buzzed by a grazing hook and suddenly slammed it in to reverse. So, now that plans for a December showdown seem to be serious I have to raise my hand for hardcore fight fans around the world and shout “this fight’s a JOKE!
If this is the best Oscar can do then maybe we’ve given him too much credit all along. When this potential “Super fight” started popping up on the various boxing websites and Freddie Roach said publicly that he felt that Manny could and would beat De La Hoya if they ever met I didn’t take it seriously. Freddie even went so far as to say that Pacquiao would likely “knock De La Hoya out”! I laughed and attributed all that nonsense to Roach trying to set the stage for a possible monster payday for Manny and HIMSELF. I certainly didn’t think De La Hoya would SERIOUSLY consider it. But, apparently he’s desperate.
Freddie Roach KNOWS there’s no chance that Manny could hurt De La Hoya yet he persists with these ridiculous claims as if he has some “insider” knowledge. Let’s be frank here if Freddie had that kind of insight why didn’t he do a better job of training Oscar for Mayweather? If he was such a great tactician and was capable of breaking down a fighter’s style to capitalize on their weaknesses, why did Oscar loose his jab after the 7th round of that fight when it was working so well early and why didn’t Freddie make the necessary adjustments in the corner? After all, that was the biggest fight he’s ever been involved in and his “A” game should have been on full display but clearly he didn’t have any answers and his timid in corner pleas for Oscar to do more were pathetic. Leading up to the Mayweather fight Roach openly quipped that they would go to plan “B, C and D” if “A” wasn’t working but you can watch that fight a hundred times and you’ll see that NO adjustments were made by De La Hoya and Roach’s advice lacked any direct or any sustained tactical suggestion. Bottom line Roach planned it one way and it didn’t come close to working. If ever De La Hoya needed Mayweather Sr that was the fight. Why Oscar didn’t pony up that 2 million dollar asking price to get Floyd Sr into camp is beyond me. Considering Oscar’s bank roll and his take for that fight 2 million dollars doesn’t seem like a lot of money. What did Oscar think Floyd Sr would do? Come in and sabotage his camp so that Floyd Jr could win? Floyd Sr is a professional and would have come in and done his job. Floyd Sr’s not going to ruin his reputation for a Son who openly treats him with such disrespect. Take a look at what’s been going on and more importantly what’s not been going on between those two since that fight and you’ll have your answer. I think Floyd Sr would have brought his “A” game for that 2 million dollars and Oscar might have had the most satisfying win of his career. Well, we’ll never know. One thing we do know is that Freddie Roach failed in the biggest fight of his career and in a fight that was absolutely winnable for De La Hoya.
So, what’s really going on here? Why won’t Oscar focus his attention on an elite fighter in his own weight range? Why is Oscar avoiding the “Tijuana Tornado," Antonio Margarito? Margarito couldn’t have scripted this thing any better for De La Hoya to end his career if he were a Hollywood screen writer. He beat the man who aside from Mayweather was Oscar’s most obvious choice to end his career with a bang, Miguel Cotto. Margarito was OPENLY ducked by Floyd Mayweather Jr and has for the longest time had the title as the most avoided fighter in the game. Margarito’s credibility is at an all time high and beating him would put some of the shine back on the “Golden Boy." Oscar shouldn’t be wasting his time with Pacquiao. He’s too small and has ZERO chance of withstanding hard shots from De La Hoya. Plus Manny doesn’t come close to having enough power to make Oscar think twice about anything. Oscar has fought full fledge middleweights so I’m sure he’ll be able to absorb anything Manny can muster up. Forget about all the highlight reels showing Manny crushing Featherweights.
This is a complete money making scheme. Oscar knows Pacquiao can’t beat him and so does Roach. Manny knows he can’t beat Oscar too and that’s why you’re reading so much about all these financial penalties and demands that are being made by team Pacquiao such as a weigh in on the day of the fight rather then one day prior. Pacquiao’s team want financial terms put in writing that Oscar is to be penalized $750,000 per pound over the agreed weight. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Pacquiao’s team is looking at every single angle to cash in absolutely anticipating he will lose. After all is he’s going to loose he might as well get paid for it. This isn’t a real fight.
If Oscar and Manny do go through with this ridiculous event and when Oscar wins what does he think he will have accomplished? Does he think that “HE” will all of sudden jump to the top spot of everyone’s POUND FOR POUND list because he took out the current #1 guy? I’ve already said that we’re not going to “suspend reality” for this “Super Fight." Clearly, beating Manny Pacquiao does nothing to enrich the De La Hoya legacy. It will do plenty for his bank account. As usual……
Does Pacquiao consider this to be his “retirement” score? Manny needs to get a couple of wins as the LIGHTWEIGHT champion and then go after Ricky Hatton. Now, that fight makes sense and would be competitive.
For Oscar to go out of boxing on such an undistinguished note will give those who have questioned his greatness all the ammunition they need to question his legacy till the end of time. If Oscar really does care about his legacy then his only option is waiting by the phone in Tijuana!
Jorge Arce vs. Hozumi Hasegawa is in The Works?
By Mark Vester
According to the WBC, Fernando Beltran, manager of Jorge Arce (49-4, 37KOs), has been speaking with Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions to match his fighter against WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (24-2, 8KOS). No date or venue has been mentioned at the present.
Arce is said to be one of the fighters to appear on Top Rank's big card at the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel in Macau, China on October 11. Hasegawa has been unbeaten since 2001, winning his last 21-fights and defending the title six times, with two defenses already made in 2008.
By Mark Vester
According to the WBC, Fernando Beltran, manager of Jorge Arce (49-4, 37KOs), has been speaking with Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions to match his fighter against WBC Bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (24-2, 8KOS). No date or venue has been mentioned at the present.
Arce is said to be one of the fighters to appear on Top Rank's big card at the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel in Macau, China on October 11. Hasegawa has been unbeaten since 2001, winning his last 21-fights and defending the title six times, with two defenses already made in 2008.
Middleweight division nearly as bad as heavies
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Middleweight division nearly as bad as heavies
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
3 hours, 16 minutes ago
Buzz Up PrintMore From Kevin IoleOscar-Pacquiao a match that shouldn't happen Aug 6, 2008 Mailbag: Zab needs to cut tired antics Aug 5, 2008
Boxing’s heavyweight division is so poor, it’s almost a running joke. The sad part about that is that it’s been that way more often than not over the last 20 years.
The heavyweights, though, finally have company.
The middleweight division, once the sport’s crown jewel, is so bereft of talent that its champion, the unbeaten power-punching Kelly Pavlik, is left to chase big fights outside the division that once was the home of memorable fights such as Hagler-Hearns, Robinson-La Motta and Graziano-Zale.
Promoter Bob Arum has spent much of the past six weeks searching for a suitable opponent for Pavlik. He came close with a welterweight before settling on a light heavyweight.
Pavlik isn’t much for watching the sport on television, so he’s not up on who’s hot and who’s not. But when Arum mentioned Bernard Hopkins as a potential opponent, that got Pavlik’s attention.
The guy who ruled the middleweight division for 10 years before a controversial 2005 loss to Jermain Taylor ended his reign isn’t the fighter now at 43 that he was even five years ago.
Pavlik, though, knows enough about him to understand that even a slightly diminished Hopkins is a formidable foe. When they fight in a non-title, 170-pound weight-limit bout on Oct. 18 in Atlantic City, N.J., Pavlik will be confident but hardly cocky.
“Bernard is a smart guy and he knows every inch of the ring,” Pavlik said. “You don’t keep the belts for as long as he had them without knowing what you’re doing. You have to come ready for a guy like that or it’s a long night.”
Unless he totally takes Hopkins for granted – and he’s never taken another fighter lightly in 34 pro fights, most of which were against men not nearly as talented as Hopkins is now – Pavlik should prevail handily.
He’s content to be fighting Hopkins, though he concedes he would rather be defending his belt. He won it with a stirring knockout of Jermain Taylor on Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, then beat Taylor in a non-title rematch in February that was contested at a catch weight of 166 pounds.
After Pavlik’s only defense, a third-round bludgeoning of Gary Lockett in June, Arum wanted to put him in a significant fight later in the year.
The problem was, there were no middleweights out there who stirred much interest, either among fans or the television executives to whom Arum was pitching the bouts.
Arum spoke at length with promoter Dan Goossen about a deal to fight WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams.
He at one point was enthused about a fight with John Duddy, but that was before Duddy was atrocious in a February bout and then opted to drop to super welterweight.
No one had interest in seeing Pavlik face Marco Antonio Rubio. Randy Griffin lost a fight to Felix Sturm and thus dropped from consideration. Arum couldn’t reach a deal with Winky Wright, who hasn’t fought in more than a year since losing to Hopkins.
The problems in finding an opponent were reaching the comical stage when Arum worked out the deal for the non-title bout against Hopkins.
“How can you be disappointed when you get a fight against a legend like Bernard Hopkins?” Pavlik asked rhetorically. “I wanted to defend my title, of course, but this is still a big fight and that’s really what I want.”
That point didn’t go unnoticed by Hopkins, who had nothing bad to say about Pavlik. Hopkins normally begins playing psychological games with his opponents when contract talks begin, but he eschewed that approach against Pavlik.
He conceded he admires the way Pavlik is willing to take on all comers and signs first and asks questions second.
“I’m a boxing fan and I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik,” Hopkins said. “I am a fan of Pavlik because he became a champion the right way. Not because of politics, but because he came up through the ranks and beat them all. I know what makes a good fight, but I never thought I would be fighting him. Kelly has a lot of heart and determination, but saying that, I’ve never been afraid of a ghost.”
He should be, though. Hopkins shouldn’t have lost to Joe Calzaghe in April and wouldn’t have a few years ago. But despite insisting before that fight that tests on him showed him to have the body of a 20-something, he looked all of his 43 years in the fight’s second half and let Calzaghe rally to win.
Few fighters prepare as diligently as Pavlik and even fewer hit as hard. That combination is going to be devastating for Hopkins, who has never been knocked out in his career.
Pavlik wasn’t predicting a knockout – he’s hardly the type – but he clearly relishes the chance to fight a first ballot Hall of Famer who is still a member of the Yahoo! Sports top 10 best boxers in the world.
“I think when anybody gets serious about doing this, these are the kinds of fights you dream of being in,” Pavlik said. “You want to fight the guys who have done it all and who have the big reputation and who everyone knows. Bernard is a legend in this business and I appreciate the opportunity to get in there with him.
“I know what I have to do, but I’ll tell you this: I’m taking this very seriously. I’m going to train as hard as I ever have, because you can’t afford to be even one percent off your best against a guy like this.”
Against the middleweights, though, that’s a different story. Perhaps Arthur Abraham, who holds the IBF belt and is expected to meet Pavlik sometime in 2009, might prove to be a worthy rival.
Now, though, what for many years was boxing’s glory division is populated largely by a collection of misfits.
Pavlik wasn’t about to condemn the division and took Arum’s difficulties finding an opponent with a shrug of the shoulders.
“I’m a fighter and my job isn’t to judge anyone else,” Pavlik said. “If I go out and put on a good show and give the people a fight they enjoy watching, that’s pretty much all I can do.”
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Middleweight division nearly as bad as heavies
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
3 hours, 16 minutes ago
Buzz Up PrintMore From Kevin IoleOscar-Pacquiao a match that shouldn't happen Aug 6, 2008 Mailbag: Zab needs to cut tired antics Aug 5, 2008
Boxing’s heavyweight division is so poor, it’s almost a running joke. The sad part about that is that it’s been that way more often than not over the last 20 years.
The heavyweights, though, finally have company.
The middleweight division, once the sport’s crown jewel, is so bereft of talent that its champion, the unbeaten power-punching Kelly Pavlik, is left to chase big fights outside the division that once was the home of memorable fights such as Hagler-Hearns, Robinson-La Motta and Graziano-Zale.
Promoter Bob Arum has spent much of the past six weeks searching for a suitable opponent for Pavlik. He came close with a welterweight before settling on a light heavyweight.
Pavlik isn’t much for watching the sport on television, so he’s not up on who’s hot and who’s not. But when Arum mentioned Bernard Hopkins as a potential opponent, that got Pavlik’s attention.
The guy who ruled the middleweight division for 10 years before a controversial 2005 loss to Jermain Taylor ended his reign isn’t the fighter now at 43 that he was even five years ago.
Pavlik, though, knows enough about him to understand that even a slightly diminished Hopkins is a formidable foe. When they fight in a non-title, 170-pound weight-limit bout on Oct. 18 in Atlantic City, N.J., Pavlik will be confident but hardly cocky.
“Bernard is a smart guy and he knows every inch of the ring,” Pavlik said. “You don’t keep the belts for as long as he had them without knowing what you’re doing. You have to come ready for a guy like that or it’s a long night.”
Unless he totally takes Hopkins for granted – and he’s never taken another fighter lightly in 34 pro fights, most of which were against men not nearly as talented as Hopkins is now – Pavlik should prevail handily.
He’s content to be fighting Hopkins, though he concedes he would rather be defending his belt. He won it with a stirring knockout of Jermain Taylor on Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, then beat Taylor in a non-title rematch in February that was contested at a catch weight of 166 pounds.
After Pavlik’s only defense, a third-round bludgeoning of Gary Lockett in June, Arum wanted to put him in a significant fight later in the year.
The problem was, there were no middleweights out there who stirred much interest, either among fans or the television executives to whom Arum was pitching the bouts.
Arum spoke at length with promoter Dan Goossen about a deal to fight WBO welterweight champion Paul Williams.
He at one point was enthused about a fight with John Duddy, but that was before Duddy was atrocious in a February bout and then opted to drop to super welterweight.
No one had interest in seeing Pavlik face Marco Antonio Rubio. Randy Griffin lost a fight to Felix Sturm and thus dropped from consideration. Arum couldn’t reach a deal with Winky Wright, who hasn’t fought in more than a year since losing to Hopkins.
The problems in finding an opponent were reaching the comical stage when Arum worked out the deal for the non-title bout against Hopkins.
“How can you be disappointed when you get a fight against a legend like Bernard Hopkins?” Pavlik asked rhetorically. “I wanted to defend my title, of course, but this is still a big fight and that’s really what I want.”
That point didn’t go unnoticed by Hopkins, who had nothing bad to say about Pavlik. Hopkins normally begins playing psychological games with his opponents when contract talks begin, but he eschewed that approach against Pavlik.
He conceded he admires the way Pavlik is willing to take on all comers and signs first and asks questions second.
“I’m a boxing fan and I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik,” Hopkins said. “I am a fan of Pavlik because he became a champion the right way. Not because of politics, but because he came up through the ranks and beat them all. I know what makes a good fight, but I never thought I would be fighting him. Kelly has a lot of heart and determination, but saying that, I’ve never been afraid of a ghost.”
He should be, though. Hopkins shouldn’t have lost to Joe Calzaghe in April and wouldn’t have a few years ago. But despite insisting before that fight that tests on him showed him to have the body of a 20-something, he looked all of his 43 years in the fight’s second half and let Calzaghe rally to win.
Few fighters prepare as diligently as Pavlik and even fewer hit as hard. That combination is going to be devastating for Hopkins, who has never been knocked out in his career.
Pavlik wasn’t predicting a knockout – he’s hardly the type – but he clearly relishes the chance to fight a first ballot Hall of Famer who is still a member of the Yahoo! Sports top 10 best boxers in the world.
“I think when anybody gets serious about doing this, these are the kinds of fights you dream of being in,” Pavlik said. “You want to fight the guys who have done it all and who have the big reputation and who everyone knows. Bernard is a legend in this business and I appreciate the opportunity to get in there with him.
“I know what I have to do, but I’ll tell you this: I’m taking this very seriously. I’m going to train as hard as I ever have, because you can’t afford to be even one percent off your best against a guy like this.”
Against the middleweights, though, that’s a different story. Perhaps Arthur Abraham, who holds the IBF belt and is expected to meet Pavlik sometime in 2009, might prove to be a worthy rival.
Now, though, what for many years was boxing’s glory division is populated largely by a collection of misfits.
Pavlik wasn’t about to condemn the division and took Arum’s difficulties finding an opponent with a shrug of the shoulders.
“I’m a fighter and my job isn’t to judge anyone else,” Pavlik said. “If I go out and put on a good show and give the people a fight they enjoy watching, that’s pretty much all I can do.”
Miguel Cotto vs. Kermit Cintron on Lou DiBella's Mind
By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was informed by promoter Lou DiBella that he would love to match his latest acquisition, Kermit Cintron, against the returning Miguel Cotto, in a high-stakes battle of former welterweight champions. Cotto and Cintron, both from Puerto Rico, have three losses between them, and all three came at the hands of Antonio Margarito, now regarded as the best welterweight in the world.
Margarito stopped Cintron within five-rounds in 2005 and then stopped him again, this time within six, when they met for the rematch in April. Cotto suffered the first loss of his career last month in Las Vegas when he was stopped by Margarito in eleven brutal rounds.
Cotto wants to return to the ring before the end of the year, probably in November or December. DiBella would like to get Cintron back in the ring by November. He says a fight with the two Puerto Rican punchers would be a natural crossroads bout in lucrative division, with the winner being catapulted into a title opportunity.
"We love that idea. I would love to have a discussion on that fight and if Cotto is interested, I'll call Bob Arum," DiBella said.
By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was informed by promoter Lou DiBella that he would love to match his latest acquisition, Kermit Cintron, against the returning Miguel Cotto, in a high-stakes battle of former welterweight champions. Cotto and Cintron, both from Puerto Rico, have three losses between them, and all three came at the hands of Antonio Margarito, now regarded as the best welterweight in the world.
Margarito stopped Cintron within five-rounds in 2005 and then stopped him again, this time within six, when they met for the rematch in April. Cotto suffered the first loss of his career last month in Las Vegas when he was stopped by Margarito in eleven brutal rounds.
Cotto wants to return to the ring before the end of the year, probably in November or December. DiBella would like to get Cintron back in the ring by November. He says a fight with the two Puerto Rican punchers would be a natural crossroads bout in lucrative division, with the winner being catapulted into a title opportunity.
"We love that idea. I would love to have a discussion on that fight and if Cotto is interested, I'll call Bob Arum," DiBella said.
in his defense he has only lost to Margarito. Other then that he's undefeated.
I feel kinda bad for him personally, I don't think he's as bad as people make him out to be, he's got skill and talent, he just needs to be a lil smarter and probably fire his trainer (actually I think manny dropped him).
I feel kinda bad for him personally, I don't think he's as bad as people make him out to be, he's got skill and talent, he just needs to be a lil smarter and probably fire his trainer (actually I think manny dropped him).
lol, it's called shit talking. In case you're unfamiliar, it is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations (such as sports events). It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit. Shit Talking is often characterized by hyperbolic, figurative language, e.g., "Your team can't run! You run like honey on ice!" Puns and other wordplay are commonly used.
De La Hoya Should Say No to Pacquiao and Face His Biggest Fear
Circumstances being what they are, Floyd Mayweather Jr. in alleged retirement and team De La Hoya saying no to a Antonio Margarito fight, we suggest Oscar build on his already great legacy and go out facing his biggest fear.
If the Golden Boy really wants to go out like a true champion, do something most fighters would never think of. Fight the opponent you truly fear or redeem a loss. The Golden Boy has only lost to a hand full. Trinidad in a fight most thought he won. Hopkins was just too big of a jump in weight and of coarse “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Facing Margarito could do it, even in a loss the Golden Boy would gain all kinds of accolades just for taking the challenge at this point of his sure legendary Hall of Fame career.
Beating Manny “Pac Man," Pacquiao, who would have to blow up to meet De La Hoya at any weight, is just a payday or in his eyes a sure thing and a fight he should win. But! Whether it be a finally, a redemption or whatever, a rematch with the only person to defeat him twice would sell. It would put bodies in the seats and surely close a great career win or lose. That’s right De La Hoya vs Mosley is the fight! Not Felix Trinidad, not Pacquiao, not Ricky Hatton (too small), not Bernard Hopkins, (Kelly Pavlik’s probably going to stop him anyway) so true redemption is stepped on there. The Golden Boy should fight Margarito or take Mosley after he stops Ricardo Mayorga September 29th. All they have to do is just change the date to early next year.
By "Coach K" (Eastsideboxing.com)
Circumstances being what they are, Floyd Mayweather Jr. in alleged retirement and team De La Hoya saying no to a Antonio Margarito fight, we suggest Oscar build on his already great legacy and go out facing his biggest fear.
If the Golden Boy really wants to go out like a true champion, do something most fighters would never think of. Fight the opponent you truly fear or redeem a loss. The Golden Boy has only lost to a hand full. Trinidad in a fight most thought he won. Hopkins was just too big of a jump in weight and of coarse “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Facing Margarito could do it, even in a loss the Golden Boy would gain all kinds of accolades just for taking the challenge at this point of his sure legendary Hall of Fame career.
Beating Manny “Pac Man," Pacquiao, who would have to blow up to meet De La Hoya at any weight, is just a payday or in his eyes a sure thing and a fight he should win. But! Whether it be a finally, a redemption or whatever, a rematch with the only person to defeat him twice would sell. It would put bodies in the seats and surely close a great career win or lose. That’s right De La Hoya vs Mosley is the fight! Not Felix Trinidad, not Pacquiao, not Ricky Hatton (too small), not Bernard Hopkins, (Kelly Pavlik’s probably going to stop him anyway) so true redemption is stepped on there. The Golden Boy should fight Margarito or take Mosley after he stops Ricardo Mayorga September 29th. All they have to do is just change the date to early next year.
By "Coach K" (Eastsideboxing.com)
U.S. middleweight defeats Maderna of Argentina in a rematch from regional qualifying tournament.
By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 9, 2008
BEIJING -- It was hard to tell who was more relieved after Shawn Estrada's Olympic debut, the boxer or his coach.
The East Los Angeles fighter has always had a ton of promise -- and just a few pounds of accomplishment to show for it. But that may be about to change given the way Estrada dominated Ezquiel Maderna of Argentina en route to a 10-2 victory Saturday in the fourth bout of the Beijing Olympic tournament.
"It's been a long process," U.S. Coach Dan Campbell said with a weary smile after Estrada got his team off to a winning start in his Olympic debut. "One of the things that people thought about Shawn is that he's going to always be a rough guy and hold and punch and elbow.
"But Shawn can box. He's a very good boxer. And that's what we're going to prove here."
Reputations die hard, though. So even after Estrada boxed himself to a quick 7-0 lead midway through the second period, referee Jae Bong Kim of Korea continued to chide him for clinching.
But he had the wrong man.
Maderna, who Estrada beat in April's regional qualifier simply to get to Beijing, clearly had no answer for the American's newfound style and took to holding early on in an effort to find one.
"I kind of already [knew] what he had, what he was going to bring," said Estrada, who was also familiar with Maderna since Team USA trained with the Argentines in South America two months ago. "But I kept my composure and finished the rounds ahead on points and I did what I had to do. Which was keep the lead and get the victory."
Next up for Estrada is a lengthy six-day break, followed by a second-round bout Aug. 16 against Great Britain's James DeGale, an unsung but stylist fighter who used a decided reach advantage to great effect in beating three-time Olympian Mohamed Hikal of Egypt, 13-4, Saturday.
"Everybody thought this would be a rough match. We were waiting to see which Shawn was going to show up," Campbell said over the ever-present toothpick in his mouth. "We have worked very, very, very hard with him on going back to boxing. He's a good boxer. Has been for years.
"We just wanted him to show what he can do boxing. He doesn't have to be rough."
In the first bout of the competition, Russian Malvey Korobov, the favorite to win gold in the middleweight division, outclassed a game Naim Terbunja of Sweden en route to an 18-6 decision. If Korobov wins his second-round bout against Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev he would face the winner of the Estrada-DeGale bout in the quarterfinals.
"I'm looking forward for the next match," Estrada said. "I already put a name out for myself."
But as he left the ring he was also looking forward to a phone call from his father and first coach, Juan Estrada, a former boxer in his native Mexico who couldn't make the trip to China. The elder Estrada, battling liver and kidney troubles, was given just weeks in live in January. But now his son has given him a reason to live, the younger Estrada said.
"He pushes me. Every phone call, every time I talk to him," said Estrada, whose father was planning to watch his son fight on TV from his home in Bell. "I talked to him Friday. He told me in Spanish buena suerte. He wished me luck.
"He's very excited. He's probably out running right now."
Estrada was the only American to fight on the first day of Olympic boxing. Commerce's Javier Molina, a light welterweight and, at 18, the youngest member of the U.S. team, competes Sunday evening, facing reigning Olympic gold medalist Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria. Welterweight Demetrius Andrade of Providence, R.I., a solid medal contender, also makes his Olympic debut Sunday night, squaring off against Kakhaber Jvania of Georgia.
Shawn Estrada & Javier Molina reppin for the U.S.A. coming straight out of L.A.
By Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 9, 2008
BEIJING -- It was hard to tell who was more relieved after Shawn Estrada's Olympic debut, the boxer or his coach.
The East Los Angeles fighter has always had a ton of promise -- and just a few pounds of accomplishment to show for it. But that may be about to change given the way Estrada dominated Ezquiel Maderna of Argentina en route to a 10-2 victory Saturday in the fourth bout of the Beijing Olympic tournament.
"It's been a long process," U.S. Coach Dan Campbell said with a weary smile after Estrada got his team off to a winning start in his Olympic debut. "One of the things that people thought about Shawn is that he's going to always be a rough guy and hold and punch and elbow.
"But Shawn can box. He's a very good boxer. And that's what we're going to prove here."
Reputations die hard, though. So even after Estrada boxed himself to a quick 7-0 lead midway through the second period, referee Jae Bong Kim of Korea continued to chide him for clinching.
But he had the wrong man.
Maderna, who Estrada beat in April's regional qualifier simply to get to Beijing, clearly had no answer for the American's newfound style and took to holding early on in an effort to find one.
"I kind of already [knew] what he had, what he was going to bring," said Estrada, who was also familiar with Maderna since Team USA trained with the Argentines in South America two months ago. "But I kept my composure and finished the rounds ahead on points and I did what I had to do. Which was keep the lead and get the victory."
Next up for Estrada is a lengthy six-day break, followed by a second-round bout Aug. 16 against Great Britain's James DeGale, an unsung but stylist fighter who used a decided reach advantage to great effect in beating three-time Olympian Mohamed Hikal of Egypt, 13-4, Saturday.
"Everybody thought this would be a rough match. We were waiting to see which Shawn was going to show up," Campbell said over the ever-present toothpick in his mouth. "We have worked very, very, very hard with him on going back to boxing. He's a good boxer. Has been for years.
"We just wanted him to show what he can do boxing. He doesn't have to be rough."
In the first bout of the competition, Russian Malvey Korobov, the favorite to win gold in the middleweight division, outclassed a game Naim Terbunja of Sweden en route to an 18-6 decision. If Korobov wins his second-round bout against Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev he would face the winner of the Estrada-DeGale bout in the quarterfinals.
"I'm looking forward for the next match," Estrada said. "I already put a name out for myself."
But as he left the ring he was also looking forward to a phone call from his father and first coach, Juan Estrada, a former boxer in his native Mexico who couldn't make the trip to China. The elder Estrada, battling liver and kidney troubles, was given just weeks in live in January. But now his son has given him a reason to live, the younger Estrada said.
"He pushes me. Every phone call, every time I talk to him," said Estrada, whose father was planning to watch his son fight on TV from his home in Bell. "I talked to him Friday. He told me in Spanish buena suerte. He wished me luck.
"He's very excited. He's probably out running right now."
Estrada was the only American to fight on the first day of Olympic boxing. Commerce's Javier Molina, a light welterweight and, at 18, the youngest member of the U.S. team, competes Sunday evening, facing reigning Olympic gold medalist Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria. Welterweight Demetrius Andrade of Providence, R.I., a solid medal contender, also makes his Olympic debut Sunday night, squaring off against Kakhaber Jvania of Georgia.
Shawn Estrada & Javier Molina reppin for the U.S.A. coming straight out of L.A.