BOXING NEWS-MORALES/PACQUIAO/TYSON/TONEY
Erik Morales will return to action in November and it's no surprise why. The Mexican is a major television attraction. Going up against Carlos Hernandez the day after Mike Tyson's pay-per-view battle with Danny Williams, Morales' fabulous 12-rounder generated 140,000-150,000 ppv sales in America. It was the second highest ppv fight of Morales' career, behind the rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in June 2002. Tyson-Williams was marginally more successful, raking in 170,000-200,000 buys.
Ricky Hatton's much anticipated fight with WBA light-welter champ Vivian Harris has been called off because Hatton's manager Frank Warren simply wasn't prepared to go down the purse bids route, whereas Harris was. Warren's beef is that he had already negotiated a satisfactory purse for Harris to come to England to defend against Hatton. Harris changed his mind and decided he was prepared to gamble on purse bids, even though his purse could end up being smaller than the $750,000 Warren was prepared to pay. But purse bids didn't make good business sense to Warren, who sees Hatton as the bigger attraction and ticket seller. "If, for example, we bid $2m, then Harris will get $1.6m and Ricky $400,000," said Warren. "With the greatest of respect to Harris (whom Warren had earlier labelled a coward), I don't think he's worth that. I don't think he's worth the $750,000 we offered." Harris' camp countered that with: "There is a well-established mechanism for resolving deadlocks (in negotiations)," stated Harris and Main Events lawyer Pat English. "That is the purse bids mechanism. Vivian requested immediate purse bids. But is it fair to label Harris a coward when he's prepared to resolve the differences through purse bids? If Harris is willing to fight under the purse bid terms and Hatton is not, doesn't it look like Hatton is the coward? Of course, we don't think Hatton is a coward. I just want to illustrate how easy it is to turn around accusations of cowardice. Hatton had an opportunity to fight for the title and could have grasped it by going to purse bid. He stepped aside and that means he is not dedicated to fighting for the title." Harris added: "This proved what I've said all along - Hatton doesn't want to fight outside of England. I really want to fight Hatton, but not under his or Warren's terms. I wanted to go to purse bids so everything was done fairly."
The November 6 world light-welterweight title showdown between Kostya Tszyu and Sharmba Mitchell may be shifted to America from Sydney, Australia. Possible sites include Atlantic City and New York.
According to top featherweight Manny Pacquiao, the deal has been done for him to face Marco Antonio Barrera again this autumn, a year after blasting the Mexican to defeat in 11. All that has to be decided is the date and venue, but November 17 or 24 at the Los Angeles Staples Center or Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas are favoured. Pacquiao's plans were stalled in April when Juan Manuel Marquez held him to a draw. Had he beaten Marquez - after flooring him three times in the opening round - the Filipino would have challenged Erik Morales for the WBC super-featherweight title last month. Pacquiao, who leaves for California on September 8 to begin training, is going back over old ground to push for another shot at Morales.
Mike Tyson will fight on, according to manager and advisor Shelly Finkel. But it is unlikely the former world heavyweight champion destroyed in four by Britain's Danny Williams last month will see action again this year. Tyson is sidelined following a knee operation. Had he beaten Williams, Tyson stood to earn around $80m from a proposed deal with promoter Bob Arum, starting with a fight against Vassiliy Jirov. But that offer is no longer on the table. Arum, though, recommended Tyson come back next year the way George Foreman relaunched his career in the 1980's after a 10-year layoff - fighting regularly at small locations against relatively soft opposition. But this doesn't interest Finkel, who believes there will be no shortage of offers to promote Tyson. Arum told the Las Vegas Review Journal, "You can't ask people to spend their hard-earned money on pay-per-view (to watch Tyson) against the kind of guys he needs to be fighting now. You need to let him stay busy and get some wins before you move him up."
How about IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez's finishing right uppercut against Heriberto Ruiz in Las Vegas last month as KO of the year? Perfectly delivered, thrown instinctively and bang on target, nailing Ruiz clean on the jaw. You don't see many punches better than that.
You have to admire the way Arturo Gatti has reinvented himself. The Canadian 32-year-old looked washed-up six years ago when losing three in a row (to Angel Manfredy and Ivan Robinson twice). He also had a style which meant he had to dip deeply into the well seemingly every time. Yet in an age when an unbeaten record compiled against no-hopers is given a higher priority than a real test from which a boxer can learn something, it is ironic that a loss to Micky Ward in 2002 was the launchpad for a new lease of life for Arturo. Kostya Tszyu has gone over 18 months without a fight but with Gatti around, who needs him?
Diego Corrales' win against Acelino Freitas reminded me of Ray Leonard's brilliant quote after he gained revenge over Roberto Duran in 1980. He was asked if he felt cheated out of a "proper" victory because Duran quit. His reply: "Hell, no - making Duran quit is better than a knockout."
In your opinion, which of these fighters could figure in the heavyweight championship picture over the next 18 months? Some are tired faces, others have yet to establish themselves, and one or two aren't even heavyweights. But as the events in Kentucky last month proved, strange things can happen in the world of heavyweight boxing...
Ray Austin
Monte Barrett
Riddick Bowe
Lamon Brewster
Calvin Brock
Chris Byrd
Andrew Golota
Juan Carlos Gomez
Audley Harrison
Dominick Guinn
Evander Holyfield
Ike Ibeabuchi
Roy Jones
Vitali Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Lennox Lewis
Jameel McCline
Joe Mesi
Gerald Nobles
Leo Nolan
Samuel Peter
Hasim Rahman
John Ruiz
Malik Scott
Matt Skelton
Antonio Tarver
James Toney
David Tua
Mike Tyson
Danny Williams
Erik Morales will return to action in November and it's no surprise why. The Mexican is a major television attraction. Going up against Carlos Hernandez the day after Mike Tyson's pay-per-view battle with Danny Williams, Morales' fabulous 12-rounder generated 140,000-150,000 ppv sales in America. It was the second highest ppv fight of Morales' career, behind the rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in June 2002. Tyson-Williams was marginally more successful, raking in 170,000-200,000 buys.
Ricky Hatton's much anticipated fight with WBA light-welter champ Vivian Harris has been called off because Hatton's manager Frank Warren simply wasn't prepared to go down the purse bids route, whereas Harris was. Warren's beef is that he had already negotiated a satisfactory purse for Harris to come to England to defend against Hatton. Harris changed his mind and decided he was prepared to gamble on purse bids, even though his purse could end up being smaller than the $750,000 Warren was prepared to pay. But purse bids didn't make good business sense to Warren, who sees Hatton as the bigger attraction and ticket seller. "If, for example, we bid $2m, then Harris will get $1.6m and Ricky $400,000," said Warren. "With the greatest of respect to Harris (whom Warren had earlier labelled a coward), I don't think he's worth that. I don't think he's worth the $750,000 we offered." Harris' camp countered that with: "There is a well-established mechanism for resolving deadlocks (in negotiations)," stated Harris and Main Events lawyer Pat English. "That is the purse bids mechanism. Vivian requested immediate purse bids. But is it fair to label Harris a coward when he's prepared to resolve the differences through purse bids? If Harris is willing to fight under the purse bid terms and Hatton is not, doesn't it look like Hatton is the coward? Of course, we don't think Hatton is a coward. I just want to illustrate how easy it is to turn around accusations of cowardice. Hatton had an opportunity to fight for the title and could have grasped it by going to purse bid. He stepped aside and that means he is not dedicated to fighting for the title." Harris added: "This proved what I've said all along - Hatton doesn't want to fight outside of England. I really want to fight Hatton, but not under his or Warren's terms. I wanted to go to purse bids so everything was done fairly."
The November 6 world light-welterweight title showdown between Kostya Tszyu and Sharmba Mitchell may be shifted to America from Sydney, Australia. Possible sites include Atlantic City and New York.
According to top featherweight Manny Pacquiao, the deal has been done for him to face Marco Antonio Barrera again this autumn, a year after blasting the Mexican to defeat in 11. All that has to be decided is the date and venue, but November 17 or 24 at the Los Angeles Staples Center or Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas are favoured. Pacquiao's plans were stalled in April when Juan Manuel Marquez held him to a draw. Had he beaten Marquez - after flooring him three times in the opening round - the Filipino would have challenged Erik Morales for the WBC super-featherweight title last month. Pacquiao, who leaves for California on September 8 to begin training, is going back over old ground to push for another shot at Morales.
Mike Tyson will fight on, according to manager and advisor Shelly Finkel. But it is unlikely the former world heavyweight champion destroyed in four by Britain's Danny Williams last month will see action again this year. Tyson is sidelined following a knee operation. Had he beaten Williams, Tyson stood to earn around $80m from a proposed deal with promoter Bob Arum, starting with a fight against Vassiliy Jirov. But that offer is no longer on the table. Arum, though, recommended Tyson come back next year the way George Foreman relaunched his career in the 1980's after a 10-year layoff - fighting regularly at small locations against relatively soft opposition. But this doesn't interest Finkel, who believes there will be no shortage of offers to promote Tyson. Arum told the Las Vegas Review Journal, "You can't ask people to spend their hard-earned money on pay-per-view (to watch Tyson) against the kind of guys he needs to be fighting now. You need to let him stay busy and get some wins before you move him up."
How about IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez's finishing right uppercut against Heriberto Ruiz in Las Vegas last month as KO of the year? Perfectly delivered, thrown instinctively and bang on target, nailing Ruiz clean on the jaw. You don't see many punches better than that.
You have to admire the way Arturo Gatti has reinvented himself. The Canadian 32-year-old looked washed-up six years ago when losing three in a row (to Angel Manfredy and Ivan Robinson twice). He also had a style which meant he had to dip deeply into the well seemingly every time. Yet in an age when an unbeaten record compiled against no-hopers is given a higher priority than a real test from which a boxer can learn something, it is ironic that a loss to Micky Ward in 2002 was the launchpad for a new lease of life for Arturo. Kostya Tszyu has gone over 18 months without a fight but with Gatti around, who needs him?
Diego Corrales' win against Acelino Freitas reminded me of Ray Leonard's brilliant quote after he gained revenge over Roberto Duran in 1980. He was asked if he felt cheated out of a "proper" victory because Duran quit. His reply: "Hell, no - making Duran quit is better than a knockout."
In your opinion, which of these fighters could figure in the heavyweight championship picture over the next 18 months? Some are tired faces, others have yet to establish themselves, and one or two aren't even heavyweights. But as the events in Kentucky last month proved, strange things can happen in the world of heavyweight boxing...
Ray Austin
Monte Barrett
Riddick Bowe
Lamon Brewster
Calvin Brock
Chris Byrd
Andrew Golota
Juan Carlos Gomez
Audley Harrison
Dominick Guinn
Evander Holyfield
Ike Ibeabuchi
Roy Jones
Vitali Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Lennox Lewis
Jameel McCline
Joe Mesi
Gerald Nobles
Leo Nolan
Samuel Peter
Hasim Rahman
John Ruiz
Malik Scott
Matt Skelton
Antonio Tarver
James Toney
David Tua
Mike Tyson
Danny Williams
