Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

GARY SHAW: BERNARD HOPKINS IS TRYING TO BREAK THE DEAL

By G. Leon

GL: Is there any update you can give us on the Danny Green-Hopkins negotiations? Is there fight looking more likely or less likely since our last discussion? "I haven't been able reach Danny because he's in a yacht race for charity. The last I spoke with him 60-40 would not fly. I am confident at this point that the fight will probably not happen. It's gone from a deal that should have been signed in one hour, to just another negotiation and at this point it's silly. Bernard Hopkins is not getting 60-40. Danny Green told him he's not getting 60-40 and I'm telling you on the record Hopkins is not getting 60-40, nor he is getting all of the HBO money and going 50-50."

GL: Does he want to make it a 60-40 deal if Danny Green is involved with the HBO money?

GS: "All he said was 60-40 or he'll take all of the HBO money because he's bringing all of the HBO money, which I don't agree with and then 50-50 on the rest of the promotion."

GL: Hopkins counter to that is that the HBO money wasn't there for the Roy Jones Jr fight so it's only there because Green is fighting him and if he's the one giving Danny Green the...

GS: (cutting in) "But I went to HBO. I spoke to HBO and the number that Hopkins gave Danny Green is an inaccurate number."

GL: Is there any credibility to what Hopkins is saying about Green getting the opportunity to put another legend on his resume on HBO, is priceles?

GS: "Not at all. Danny Green is an attraction in Austrailia. Danny Green could put anywhere between 15 and 20,000 people in the arena. If we can't make a deal, Bernard will move on and go do what he wants to do and Danny Green will fight somebody else."

GL: Will you remain on as Green's advisor if this doesn't get done?

GS: "I would hope so, but that's strictly up to Danny Green. We have common friends on the Darchinyan team and I think we clicked. I hope he keeps me on as an advisor, but if he doesn't that's strictly his call."

GL: Closing thoughts?

GS: "To respond to your earlier interview with Bernard, where he said Gary Shaw would try and break the deal, that wasn't the case. Gary Shaw made the deal and Hopkins is trying to break the deal."

GL: By changing his position?

GS: "Absolutely correct. If he wants to make the fight at 50-50, we can have this fight before the new year.

 

[heyzel]

JERMAIN TAYLOR GETTING BOUGHT OUT OF SUPER SIX?

By G. Leon

Boxingtalkers shouldn't be surprised if former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor is on the verge of being bought out of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, likely at the expense of his future replacement, which will be the winner of the February 5th box-in between Allan Green and "Suddenly Super" Sakio Bika that is currently in the works. Lou DiBella released Jermain via an emotional public statement a couple of weeks ago and Al Haymon hasn't followed suit. Why? Perhaps so he can orchestrate walking his most damaged fighter out of the tournament while attempting to walk his most undeserving fighter in

 

[heyzel]

BERNARD HOPKINS ON SHAW INTERVIEW: "I WISH THEM WELL"

By G. Leon

After reading Boxingtalk's recent interview with Danny Green advisor Gary Shaw, the future hall of famer had merely four words in response; "I wish them well," said a nonchalant manner. Hopkins refused to discuss Green any further because if they're unwilling to accept his offer, which he (and Roy Jones Jr) believe is more than fair, there's no need for him to talk about a fight that isn't going to happen

 

[heyzel]

Juan Manuel Lopez-Steve Luevano - Can "Juanma" Become The First Man To Halt The WBO F

by James Slater - Ultra-exciting puncher Juan Manuel Lopez will have his featherweight debut on January 23rd, as he challenges WBO 126-pound ruler Steven Luevano. The bomber who blasted out around 20 of his super-bantamweight opponents on the way to becoming the WBO ruler at 122-pounds, had a much tougher time than expected last time out, as he barely survived the determined challenge of Rogers Mtagwa (who, of course, faces future-planned Lopez foe Yuriorkis Gamboa on the Jan. 23rd bill in New York)..

Hanging on when desperately hurt in the final round of an absolute thriller, the southpaw from Puerto Rico somehow made it through and kept his perfect record. The title was given up, however, as the 26-year-old made it clear he had struggled to make 122 for the last time - even saying how his weight draining had made the Mtagwa fight tougher than it should have been. Now, against the talented and durable Luevano, also a lefty, Lopez is looking at grabbing his second "world" title, as well as getting himself another KO.

But while a devastating KO over the WBO champ who will be making his sixth defence would be highly impressive as well as a performance that would go a ways towards making fans forget about his almighty struggle with Mtagwa, it will likely prove hard for Lopez to get one. Never stopped in almost 40 pro fights, 28-year-old Luevano will not let his title go without a real war. Not in any way as big a puncher as "Juanma" at, 37-1-1(15), the Californian can rumble nonetheless.

Luevano will also be the natural featherweight, the man who has proven himself at the weight. Both men, according to BoxRec, are the exact same height at 5'7" and they both have an identical reach at 69." An excellent match-up then, but who do you like?

Luevano is a good boxer and he can also attack the body well. Having fought all different styles of opponents and having also boxed as a pro since 2000 (five years before Lopez made his debut), Luevano is as experienced as can be. The champion has been caught and hurt before in a couple of fights, but he has shown how he can dig deep and hang tough. But can he do this with Lopez, by far the biggest hitter he will ever have faced?

Aside from the draw he was held to three fights ago, by Mario Santiago, and the 2005 points loss to Martin Honorio (who, incidentally, went on to out-point Mtagwa), Luevano has won and kept any blemish to his record at bay since. The 28-year-old did suffer some kind of injury to his torso back in May of this year, which enforced the longest layoff of his career, but he last fought as recently as August (after an absence of ten months) and he won a 7th-round DQ over Bernabe Concepcion (who he was supposed to have faced in May). There is no reason to believe Luevano will not be at his best for the Lopez clash.

And he will need to be. As in any Lopez fight, a quick KO win for the 27-0 Puerto Rican is a distinct possibility; even at the new weight. But I feel the defending champion will see it through some early rough patches, perhaps even having to haul himself off the canvas, before his spirited effort sees him to the final bell - only for him to lose a decision. Lopez will win himself his second title, but his KO-win column will stay as it is, at 24.

 

[heyzel]

Vitali Klitschko vs. Nikolay Valuev – Don’t Expect an Upset

By Adam Fillingham: I have a lot of friends that enjoy a good boxing match up. So, we have a lot of discussion and this week was the turn of the heavyweight match up between World Boxing Council champion Vitali Kltschko and former WBA champion Nikolay Valuev. Most of the group have predicted an easy win for Klitschko, like most boxing fans would, but one of our group has gone with the 7ft giant Valuev. Now before you all laugh or whatever, he did have a good argument.

“Valuev has the superior reach, height and Klitschko isn’t as fast as David Haye”

Now that’s a good argument. But I still disagree for many reasons, this is why…

1. Vitali isn’t as fast as Haye, and has slowed down more and more through the years but Vitali has no reason to run around the ring. He is not all that much shorter than Valuev and his reach length isn’t that much shorter either. Vitali’s footwork isn’t that of Haye’s to be honest as well, so why would he stay on the outside.

2. Vitali has the chin to stand and trade with Valuev all night long. Valuev does posses some power but nothing close to the power Vitali possesses. Also Vitali will most likely beat Valuev to the punch due to the superior speed of Klitschko. This isn’t a good sign for Valuev since Vitali has slowed down considerably and yet he is still quicker than the former WBA champion.

3. Vitali has too much to lose. If Klitschko looks bad against Valuev or even doesn’t knock him out, he is going to look as good if not worse than his “enemy” David Haye. Klitschko is going to want to get Valuev out of there as quick as possible which will make for an amazing night of entertainment from two boring fighters.

4. Valuev has been exposed by Haye. The battle plans are there and if Vitali needs them he could revert to bobbing in and out. This may not work for a big man like Klitschko but they worked to perfection for Haye and going toe to toe with big Valuev isn’t always a safe game plan.

5. And finally Valuev was hurt for the first time in his career by Haye. Haye showed that Nikolay is human after all and can be hurt. Klitschko has as much, if not more power than Haye at times so also has the ability to hurt him. He could go one step further than Haye and knock him down or even out as Vitali may hit Valuev with many more punches per round than Haye did.

But we will have to see who’s argument will come true in April/May next year.

 

[heyzel]

Steve Bunce: Calzaghe might fight again – News

By Liam Santiago: Boxing pundit Steve Bunce has said that he thinks former world champion, Joe Calzaghe might fight again in 2010. Speaking on his weekly boxing podcast on William Hill’s website, Bunce said, ”Calzaghe is like a loose cannon (since he retired). Different girlfriends. If you asked me 12 months ago I would have put my house on him staying retired, but now I’m not sure.”

Bunce stated Calzaghe is acting differently than usual. He believes that Calzaghe may be missing fighting. Bunce said he would not be surprised if Enzo and Joe were to call a ’special announcement’ in Wales and announce he will come back for one last fight.

 

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Ricky Hatton should come back, but he has to be realistic

By Samuel K Chatwin: With Ricky Hatton looking determined to make a come back in 2010 and names such as Juan Manuel Marquez being banded around. I can’t help but feel with the amount of weight he is going to have to lose and the possible psychological damage caused from his horrific knockout to Manny Pacquiao that this is a bad move.

Don’t get me wrong. I do not blame Hatton for wanting to get back in the ring, as I wouldn’t want to end my career flat on my back seeing stars. Although Marquez looked very ordinary against Floyd Mayweather Jnr, I still feel this is not a sensible comeback fight for Hatton. If Hatton is genuinely serious about making a comeback and giving it ‘one last go’ then he should have a warm up fight against a weaker opponent.

Not very exciting I know, but it is for the best. This would give him a chance to get his confidence back up, his fitness back up and more importantly give his fans a bit of hope that he hasn’t completely lost it. 20,000 fans traveled to Las Vegas for his last fight against Manny Pacquiao, they sang their hearts out all weekend ‘There’s only one Ricky Hatton’ a love rarely seen in boxing. Sadly what they witnessed was nothing short of a disaster and quite upsetting.

Hatton obviously was not in the same class as Manny and Floyd, but the fights still drew a lot of attention and a lot of great buzz for the sport, especially over here in England. I for one am all for him giving his career one last chance, but I want it done in the right way. The last thing his fans want is to see him embarrassed by Juan Manuel Marquez, which I’m sad to say, is probably what would happ

 

[heyzel]

20 years of Boxing greats

By Richie Doyle: Whenever I sit down with other boxing fans and talk boxing I must say I cringe when people say that boxing isn’t as good as the good old days and that it has lost its romance, now I know boxing past has seen some unbelievable boxers, great characters and ambassadors for the sport but that is not to say that the last 20 years hasn’t seen some greats so heres my top 20 pound for pound boxers of the last 20 years:

1. Roy Jones Jr.
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
4. Bernard Hopkins
5. Mike Tyson
6. Felix Trinidad
7. Marco Antonio Barrera
8. Joe Calzaghe
9. Julio Cesar Chavez
10. Shane Mosley
11. Evander Holyfield
12. Oscar de la Hoya
13. Winky Wright
14. Juan Manuel Marquez
15. Miguel Cotto
16. Parnell Whitaker
17. Lennox Lewis
18. Vernon Forrest
19. Erik Morales
20. Ricky Hatton

In my opinion these boxers (and there are many more that could be mentioned) are without doubt good enough to grace any decades p4p top 20 fighters and we as boxing fans should be proud to watch such talent as when you look at these fighters and have witnessed the fights they have been part of it paints a great picture of what boxing is all about past or present.

 

[heyzel]

Will Matthew Hatton be next for Mayweather?

By William Mackay: I don’t know about you, but I’ve pretty much given up on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight. I don’t think it’s going to happen the way things are looking. Neither of these two fighters appears to be close to giving in and coming to an agreement about the drug testing. Mayweather wants random blood testing all the way through the training period up through the 30 days before the fight, whereas Pacquiao wants the blood testing to stop at 30 days before fight.

Since it’s looking like neither of these fighters are about to give in, the two of them will have to start considering other options. Matthew Hatton (37-4-2, 14 KO’s), the brother of Ricky Hatton, is the name that has mostly been mentioned as an opponent for Mayweather to fight if things don’t work out with the negotiations with Pacquiao. This would be like an organized slaughter to major proportions. Hatton wouldn’t stand a chance.

Matthew Hatton would be in deep trouble if he ends up getting the nod for the fight. Hatton appears to be a 2nd tier welterweight, and not at the elite level right now. I don’t know how Mayweather could pick him at this point. Hatton doesn’t have the power that his older brother Ricky Hatton does, and isn’t very fast either. Mayweather would make quick work of him if he ends up fighting this guy.

There are countless other options for Mayweather and alternate opponent other than Hatton. Of course, Mayweather would look great in destroying Hatton if they were to fight, but it would be such a mismatch it wouldn’t even be fair. Mayweather would have to carry him to get this fight to go any length of time.

If Mayweather jumps on Matthew Hatton early or applies any kind of steady pressure, there’s a good chance that Hatton will fold. He hasn’t been in the ring with anyone nearly as good as Mayweather. Recently, Hatton fought to a 12 round draw with Lovemore N’dou in November. That was probably the best opponent of Hatton’s career, sad to say. Mayweather would dominate a fighter like N’dou, which tells you that Hatton wouldn’t have a chance.

I just can’t see why Mayweather would want to pick a fight against Matthew Hatton, but then again, I didn’t see the point in selecting a lightweight, Juan Manuel Marquez, for Mayweather’s last fight. Mayweather needs to be going after top welterweights like Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Andre Berto. Those are the fights that boxing fans want to see, if Mayweather can’t come to an agreement for a fight against Pacquiao.

 

[heyzel]

BOXINGTALK YEAR END AWARDS

By G. Leon

Fighter Of The Year: Manny Pacquiao
Honorable Mention: Floyd Mayweather Jr, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley, Vitali Klitschko

Fight Of The Year: Juan Manuel Marquez TKO9 Juan Diaz
Honorable Mention: (in order) Williams-Martinez, Dunne-Cordoba, Lopez-Mtgawa, Berto-Collazo

Round Of The Year: Marcos Maidana-Victor Ortiz Round 1,
Honorable Mention: Marquez-Diaz Round 3, Escobedo-Hernandez Round 10, James Kirkland-Julio Round 3, Dunne-Cordoba Round 10, Pacquiao-Cotto Rounds 3 and 4, Carl Froch-Jermain Taylor Round 12

KO Of The Year: Manny Pacquiao KO2 Ricky Hatton
Honorable Metion: Arthur Abraham KO12 Jermain Taylor, Randall Bailey KO Gato Figueroa, Allan Green TKO2 Carlos De Leon Jr, Darchinyan KO2 Rojas, Marquez-Diaz ,

Upset Of The Year: Juan Carlos Salgado KO1 Jorge Linares
Honorable Mention: Danny Green KO1 Roy Jones Jr, Shane Mosley TKO9 Antonio Margarito

Worst Decision Of The Year: Guzman MD12 Funeka
Dishonorable Mention: Diaz-Malignaggi I, Martinez D12 Cinton, John D12 Juarez Mayweather Going Public With That Statement,

Trainer Of The Year: Freddie Roach
Honorable Mention: Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Nazim Richardson,

 

[heyzel]

“I don’t want to disappoint my fans” –An Exclusive ESB Interview with Edison Miranda

by Jaime Castro-Núñez - The first month of the year seems to be a good time for 28-year-old super middleweight challenger Edison Miranda (33-4-0, KO’s 29) of Buenaventura, Colombia, now fighting out of Los Angeles. It was in January 2008 and 2009 when he knocked out both David Banks and Manuel Esparza, respectively. January 9, 2010 was the date in which “Pantera” would face WBO titleholder Robert Stieglitz. Unfortunately, he was struck with the flu and the bout had to be canceled. While recovering from the ill, Edison looks ahead to an unforgettable, action-filled 2010 in which the belt will belong to him.

Thanks to Mrs. Marylyn Aceves, the WBO NABO super middleweight titleholder took some time off early today to speak with me. Here is what he had to say:

Jaime Castro-Núñez: Edison, first of all, thanks for your time. How do you feel?

Edison Miranda: Let me start by saying I was in perfect conditions to fight Robert Stieglitz, but suddenly I started to feel bad, my stomach hurt. So my trainers Joe Goossen and Ricky Funes bought some medicines that worked well at the beginning. Then I went to spar and at the end of the session I felt very bad, with fever and nasal congestion..

JCN: How do you feel right now?

EM: A lot better. I just sparred and trained a little bit. I felt very well and now I have to resume training because I haven’t done anything in almost fifteen days.

JCN: Regarding the fight with Stieglitz, what do you know about that?

EM: To tell you the truth, I don’t know what Stieglitz’s promoters decided to do. I have no idea what they want to do now.

JCN: You’ve been training here in LA for a couple of months already. What can you tell about this new experience?

EM: It’s been pretty good. You know that before coming to Los Angeles I had been working and training in Puerto Rico with José Bonilla and when you live and travel with a person for three years, you get used to it. Now that I live in LA it’s the same thing with Joe Goossen and Ricky Funes, they treat me very kindly, so the transition has been very smooth. I haven’t had any trouble with that. Regarding training, it’s been a learning experience, self-improvement, correcting defects. I’m adjusted to the new camp and in perfect conditions.

JCN: Jorge García-Beltrán taught you the basics of boxing in Barranquilla. Then you were relocated to Puerto Rico, where José Bonilla took you to another level. Now you’re under Goossen and Funes’ umbrella. Tell us the kind of things you are learning now…

EM: José Bonilla and Joe Goossen are fantastic trainers, you know. Bonilla taught me how to maximize my power. The difference is that every trainer has his own book, his own techniques and schedule. Right now I’m getting adjusted to Goossen’s techniques. I repeat, José Bonilla is a superb trainer and looking back I believe he could implement different techniques with me. I think the way Joe does it is better for me. Now I’m aware of little things I used not to see, small things that in a fight against top contenders are crucial. It takes less than a second for a fight to change.

JCN: I would say that under Joe Goossen’s wing you’re reengineering yourself. We’re supposed to see a new Edison Miranda against Francisco Sierra, but the fight wasn’t long enough. What can we expect from this renovated Edison Miranda in 2010?
EM: As you mentioned, I fought in October and I was hoping to show what I’ve learned with Joe Goossen. I tried to show it, but I released the big hand I always throw and we saw the knock out in the first round. I couldn’t show anything in 2009, but rest assured that in 2010 the new Edison Miranda will be seen.

JCN: Is there anything else you want to add?

EM: That I probably could go to Germany and fight, but I thought of myself and the fans who are waiting for Edison Miranda to become champion of the world. I don’t want to disappoint my fans. I believe it’s better for everybody if I’m at 100% and not at 50%.

JCN: Edison, thanks for your time and happy New Year…

EM: Thanks to you Jaime! You know I always be ready for both journalists and fans. I’m here because of you guys. And happy New Year!

 

[heyzel]

The Fight Of The Decade? - For Me It's Somsak Sithchatchawal Vs. Mahyar Monshipour!

by James Slater - The decade is just one day away from coming to an end, and on web sites and in publications everywhere, boxing writers have been giving their choice or choices for the fight or fights of the decade that was 2000 to 2009.

There have been some truly great fights over the past ten years, and as such picking a list of just five or ten is a most difficult task. Picking just one is damn near impossible. However, I have managed to choose a winner when it comes to fight of the last decade, as you will have gathered from the title of this article..

Not an obvious choice maybe, but the super-bantamweight war that took place in March of 2006 is my personal pick for the cream of the crop that was seen in the sport in the 2000s. The argument that another fight is actually better than my choice is most understandable, and fights that seem to have been given the honours include all three Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez battles, the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy, the first Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales war and, of course, the splendid Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I epic. These choices, along with a number of others, cannot be faulted, but, perhaps simply to avoid going with the herd, I have chosen the battle between the Frenchman and the Thai instead.

Though my choice is sure to attract arguments and debate, it is, after all, simply my opinion only. And, as anyone who has seen the fight will know, the incredible fight that raged in 2006 sure was a dandy.

Here, for those fans who have not yet seen this terrific boxing match, is a rundown of how the spellbinding action unfolded.

Defending WBA super-bantamweight champion, Monshipour of France, who was making the 6th defence of his world title, came out like a man possessed at the sound of the opening bell. Southpaw Sithchatchawal of Thailand, who had lost just once previously in 47 bouts, met him head-on and the brutal action commenced. And brutal is the only world for it! Without exaggerating, what these two men did to one another simply has to be seen to be believed, such is the sheer carnage going on in centre ring.

The Frenchman threw himself to the floor in the opening seconds, such was his enthusiasm for battle, but a genuine knockdown soon sent him there for real. A sharp left uppercut/hook did the job, and the Thai fighter had the upper hand. Not for long, though. For as soon as he got back up, the ultra-tough fighter from France, along the equally tough boxer from Thailand, went at it, in a I'll-hit-you, you-hit-me approach for ten of the most breathtaking rounds of boxing imaginable. With almost every punch from either guy being a fully loaded one, the damage being done on both sides was savage.

The only question was, who would cave in first? Someone had to, surely! But for round after round, no-one did. The brutality continued unabated. Almost as incredible, is the fact that neither warrior was particularly marked up, despite the savage haymakers they were furiously exchanging - a cut over the champion's left eye and some blood from his nose being the only wounds of battle. Of course, that's during the contest - how the two men looked a few hours after the war had ceased is something I can't tell you.

Of the two men, the challenger was the more versatile. Able to box and move at times, and stick out a fast right jab, the man from Thailand was to benefit from his greater skill. The Frenchman, marching forwards relentlessly and refusing - or unable- to change tactics, was the first to visibly grow at least a little weary. Not that you could blame him! But the action seemed to last a hell of a long time before the pace slowed. After about 6 rounds of trying to knock chunks out of each other, the frenetic pace dipped at least a touch. But how the fans had been treated to an all-time classic.

The 9th round was especially mind-blowing. In this session, with the two rivals beginning to tire, they traded blow after blow with absolutely no regard for defence. Both swinging for the fences, the spectacle was like few others ever seen inside a boxing ring. Finally, as round number ten approached its end, the stubbornness was drained from the man from France. As Sithchatchawal teed off, making Monshipour's head visibly reel as he did so, British referee John Coyle dived in to call a halt. And with the stoppage, my pick for the fight of the last decade came to an end.

The best fight from 2000 to 2009? Better than Corrales-Castillo? Better than Gatti-Ward? Better than Vazquez-Marquez? Better than Barrera-Morales? To be honest, I think so, yes. As great as those fights were, the kind of intense, even insane, warfare the two great fighters with the unpronounceable surnames gave us was nothing short of unique.

Happy New Year, and for those of you who have the fight on video (or for those who haven't got it, look it up on YouTube) get it out and watch it today!

 

[heyzel]

Katsidis ruins Summer showdown by refusing to wait for Marquez to fight Hatton

By Michael Taylor: A few weeks ago Juan Manuel Marquez told the public that he would be returning to Las Vegas on May 1st. No opponent had been named, but there were big possibilities that he would clash with Ricky Hatton at Light Welterweight in a summer showdown. Golden Boy Promotions had told boxingscene that Michael Katsidis had told them he would give Marquez more time to fight Ricky Hatton. Katsidis is the World Boxing Organization interim lightweight champion making him the number #1 contender for Marquez’s WBO Lightweight title.

Marquez would have to defend against Michael unless Katsidis said they could fight another fight first. Despite what had been said, it wasn’t true. This means that if Marquez fights Hatton he will be stripped of his title. We don’t quite know how much Marquez wants to hold onto his belt, if he doesn’t care too much then I’m sure the Hatton fight will still be available. If he wants to keep it then the Hatton fight will have to wait.

Katsidis is a brawler and can be very exciting to watch, but isn’t a class opponent and when up against better opposition usually comes up short. Juan Diaz last defeat was to Juan Diaz via split decision in September 2008. Diaz has since lost to Marquez earlier this year and to Paulie Malignaggi. Marquez would be the clear favourite and would get almost everybody’s vote to win this fight.

Obviously HBO would prefer Hatton-Marquez, it would sell much quicker and would be a bigger attraction, but most boxing fans know that a fight like Katsidis-Marquez would be a good one to watch, and would be extremely exciting, maybe next years fight of the year candidate.

Katsidis has made it clear he wants to fight when interviewed by Boxing Scene, saying, “I am sure Juan Marquez wont be a w**ker about all of this. I know he would not be trying to get another grant from the president. I don’t believe it. He does not come across as that sought of bloke and I am sure he is not a greedy man. But if I am wrong, and he does not want to fight in the lightweight division and wishes to up and campaign in the higher weights, then he should do the right thing and let it go so the rest of us lightweights can get on with it. If he fights up in weight one more time, we all know he is not coming back to lightweight after that. He may even retire. That is another reason why I do not believe this rumour, as what an awful long hold up in the lightweight division it would create. I know the WBO, promoters, managers and boxers in the division and the public would not want this to happen. So just a little massage to Juan from me! You were granted once to go up in weight to fight, now do what you are supposed to do and fight me or let it go, plain and simple! We have enough w**kers in the world mate, don’t become one yourself and be the champion you are. I look forward to saying hello may 1st.”

Katsidis isn’t too bothered whether he fights Marquez or not, but that’s the type of fighter he is, just put them in front of him and he’ll take them. I suspect Marquez has a lot of thinking to do, whether to leave Lightweight and take a bigger money fight with Hatton, or stay and take on Katsidis and hold onto what he fought so hard to get.

 

[heyzel]

Light Welterweight division could be in for a great 2010

By Peter Wells: First of all I hope you enjoyed my friend Michael Taylor’s articles hopefully he’ll carry on, we just worked together and he took the credit. Well now to the Light Welterweight division, it is full of great names and if all the fighters fought each other then we could have some great fights next year and beyond. Packed into the division we have: Timothy Bradley (WBO), Devon Alexander (WBC), Amir Khan (WBA), Juan Urango (International Boxing Federation), Marcos Maidana, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, Victor Ortiz, Nate Campbell and Paulie Malignaggi.

And maybe there are more that you can mention, but these are the top fighters. We may not see Ricky Hatton or Juan Manuel Marquez for long, but a fight against each other would be great. There are possibilities that Ali Funeka might move up in weight, but let’s just stick with who we have.

So far only Victor Ortiz and Marcos Maidana have met out of all those names, but already all these names are been linked together. To be honest why do they need to look at other divisions when they look around there own division. For next year Devon Alexander is returning on March 6th and Marcos Maidana has been linked with him. There were talks that Amir Khan would fight on the card and the winner of each fight would face each other in the summer.

Since defeating Dmitriy Salita in just over a minute, Amir Khan has been linked to nearly every big name in the division. First he was linked to Marquez and Hatton then there were talks for a fight with Bradley then a fight with Malignaggi. I’m guessing Khan is spoilt for choice and picking an opponent won’t be easy. Malignaggi’s name has been linked with a fight with Pacquiao if the Mayweather fight doesn’t get sorted and if Marquez fights Hatton then Khan will still be left with Bradley, Ortiz whom has also been mentioned, Urango and Campbell. Juan Urango is hoping to fight Khan and has big plans for the future. Bradley would be the best fight personally; Tim has the WBO title, is unbeaten and would hold a great challenge. It would also be the hardest, while Campbell would just be a test, and Ortiz would be another interesting battle between two fighters who have suffered bad losses.

It’s doubtful that all these great fights will happen, other fighters will emerge and others will be exposed and pushed to the side, or weight issues will ruin most of them.

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather should fight Paul Williams

By Dave Lahr: Due to the contract difficulties between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, it’s looking like their March 13th bout won’t be happening now. Although there is still work being done behind the scenes to try and save the mega fight, it won’t be possible without either Mayweather or Pacquiao giving in about the random blood tests. Barring one of the sides giving in, Pacquiao could be facing WBA light middleweight champion Yuri Foreman next instead of Mayweather.

However, that still would leave Mayweather in search of a replacement opponent. There has been talk of fringe contender Matthew Hatton as an opponent for Mayweather. However, boxing fans have been mostly negative towards that fight, criticizing Hatton as being too inexperienced and limited for Mayweather to fight at this point. The fighter that Mayweather needs to be going after is Paul Williams.

That’s a fight that would be a real interest for boxing fans, and it would help Mayweather’s legacy in a big way. Mayweather, 32, has slowed down in taking on tougher fighters in his own weight class since beating Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir in 2006. Mayweather has fought Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Juan Manuel Marquez since then. Those are all good fighters, but the ones that many boxing fans wanted to see Mayweather fight – Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito – have gone largely ignored by Mayweather.

But by taking on the 6’1” Williams, Mayweather would make a real impact on quieting his critics and creating a nice fight to replace the Pacquiao bout. For those who say that Williams isn’t a welterweight, I would remind them that Williams only recently moved up to the light middleweight division to seek out bigger fights because he wasn’t getting the bout at welterweight. Williams has said recently that he plans on moving back down to the welterweight division after beating light middleweight Sergio Martinez by a 12 round decision on December 5th.

Williams would be a tough opponent for Mayweather, because of his punch output and long arms. But I think Mayweather could beat Williams if he was willing to work hard in the fight and throw enough punches. It wouldn’t be a cake walk like his fight against lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez, though. Mayweather would most certainly take a lot of punishment in the fight and would have to fight his heart out to get the win.

He wouldn’t be able to just pot shot and run all night long and expect to win with ease like he did against the smaller, slower Marquez. Williams would be on Mayweather and would cause him a lot of problems with his reach and nonstop punches. But this is a fight that would really enhance Mayweather’s resume, because he hasn’t really done much in the past three years aside from fighting smaller fighters.

Do I think that Mayweather would fight Williams? No, I don’t. I wish he would, but given his recent history of fighting bouts against smaller opponents, I think he wouldn’t get anywhere near Williams. That’s too bad, because it would be a great fight and well worth watching if he can’t work out his differences with Pacquiao.

 

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Tyson avoids charges in Airport scrap

By Eric Thomas: Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson avoided charges for his November 11th scrap with a photographer at the Los Angeles Airport in November, after prosecutors were unable to get enough evidence for the case it was reported today. A photographer was hospitalized with a cut on his forehead in that incident

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Maidana going after Khan; Alexander vs. Urango – News

By William Mackay: World Boxing Association interim light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (27-1, 26 KO’s) is gunning for a fight with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, according to news from Boxing Scene. Maidana, 26, was previously looking at a fight against WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander in March, in a fight that would have likely been shown on HBO. However, Maidana instead is looking to get a fight with Khan. The WBA, Rick Reeno says, ordered that the winner of Khan’s December 5th bout against Dmitriy Salita would have to face Maidana, the interim champion, next.

And with Khan destroying Salita in one brutal round, he would then, by virtue of his victory, be looking at the unpleasant prospect of facing the knockout artist Maidana. It’s doubtful that Khan will be overjoyed at having to fight Maidana if this bout is forced on him, because his management team were looking at different options other than Maidana.

Former International Boxing Federation light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi was one of the names that has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Khan by Amir’s trainer Freddie Roach. Malignaggi has little power, and would likely be not much of a threat to dent Khan’s shaky chin. Malignaggi is also much better known than Maidana with casual boxing fans, and Khan would have the benefit of facing a known fighter.

If Maidana is forced on Khan as an opponent, it’s unclear what Amir will do in that case. There has been speculation that Khan will choose to vacate his WBA light welterweight title rather than choosing to defend it against the hard hitting Maidana if he has no other choice. Khan was knocked flat in the 1st round last year by Colombian knockout artist lightweight Breidis Prescott in September 2008.

Khan hasn’t fought a rematch with Prescott to attempt to avenge that defeat. Maidana looks even more powerful than Prescott, and is much more accurate with his punches compared to the Colombian. Maidana doesn’t throw big looping punches like Prescott, and doesn’t need to wind up to get a lot of power on his shots. Maidana is able to get tremendous power even when throwing short punches. However, he doesn’t move nearly as well as Khan, and doesn’t have great hand speed.

There’s a good chance that Khan would be able to out-box Maidana from the outside much like former WBA light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik was able to do with his controversial 12 round split decision win over Maidana in February. However, even in that fight, Kotelnik took a lot of punishment from Maidana, and had to depend on his chin in getting him through the fight.

Many people thought that Maidana won the fight, which took place in Germany. Khan wouldn’t be able to run from Maidana all night long. Sooner or later, Maidana would catch up to Khan and test his chin. This wouldn’t be one of Khan’s early knockout wins because Maidana has a decent chin.

As for Alexander, he may be fighting a unification bout against IBF light welterweight champion Juan Urango in March. Alexander isn’t happy that Maidana has backed away from a fight with him, saying “If Maidana is cared, bring on Urango. I want to unify the division anyway, so why not start with Urango.” You can’t blame Maidana, though, for wanting to fight the full WBA light welterweight champion Khan, because that’s where the money would be and the fan interest.

Urango, 29, is coming off of an 11th round knockout over Randall Bailey in August. Before that, Urango lost a lopsided 12 round decision to WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto. Urango would figure to have his hands full in a fight against the boxer-puncher Alexander. Although Urango is good at wearing down his opponents with his heavy pressure and hard shots, he’s not nearly as mobile at Alexander and will likely have problems against him.

 

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HBO BOXING AFTER DARK MARCH 6, ALEXANDER-URANGO NEARLY DONE!

By G. Leon

Sources close to the situation have informed Boxingtalk.com that juior welterweight champions Devon Alexander and Juan Urango will square off in a unification bout on HBO's Boxing After Dark On March 6. No venue has been solidified as this goes to prin

 

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Tomasz Adamek Still Gunning For a Chris Arreola Rumble

By Pawel Kakol

A few days ago on BoxingScene.com, promoter Dan Goossen, said a heavyweight fight between Tomasz Adamek and Chris Arreola was only one of the options that Team Arreola would take into consideration. He denied some of the information that appeared in the media, which had reports claiming the fight was a done deal for April 24. Tomasz Adamek has decided to respond to the words of Chris Arreola's promoter. The Polish heavyweight said HBO has the final say on the opponent for Arreola, and they want the two of them to fight

"The promoter has the right to select the opponent for his boxer. He can say that he wants a certain opponent, but if HBO dosen't want that opponent the fight won't happen. I know that HBO is interested in me, but we have to wait to see what will happen on February 6. For now, we are focused on the fight with Jason Estrada," Adamek said.

 

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Jose Luis Castillo Says 2010 Will Be His Year

By Mark Vester

Former two-time lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo says 2010 will be his year to win a world title at junior welterweight. He's been fighting at welterweight in a few of his last fights. Castillo says lightweight will be impossible to get down to but he thinks he can make 140 and still be a force.

"In my last fight, when I beat Carlos Urias in Tepic by technical knockout in two rounds, I weighed 145 pounds on the scales, and in my previous match, when I beat Cristian Solano in Los Cabos, I weighed 147, the welterweight limit. In my next fight I hope to make 140 pounds, which is the junior welterweight limit, to see how I feel at that weight," Castillo told ESTO. "I think I still have what it takes to be a force in boxing."

Castillo has a record of 52-9-1, including wins over Stevie Johnston, Juan Lazcano, Joel Casamayor, Diego Corrales, Julio Diaz, Cesar Bazan and Jorge Paez and others.