Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Mayweather Sues Top Rank For Back Pay

By Mark Vester

According a recent report in the New York Daily News, WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has filed a lawsuit against his former promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank. The suit was filed in Clark County District Court on March 7 in Nevada, claiming that he is still owed money from his pay-per-view bouts against Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah, with additional claims which allege that Arum breached his contract terms and acted in bad faith.

In the lawsuit papers, Mayweather claims that his fight contract called for him to receive 85% of Top Rank's net revenues for Gatti and 80% of the net revenues for Judah. To date, Mayweather claims that Top Rank did not provide him the final accounting for either bout.

 

[heyzel]

Zab Judah: "I Will Stop Shane Mosley in May

It's extremely high stakes for Zab and myself in this fight and I'm excited to be fighting him," said Mosley. "We have similar styles in terms of speed and power and we both always come to fight. I think it will come down to who's the hungrier fighter. I am hungry for this victory and I'm confident I will get it May 31."

Judah rebutted saying, "I am willing to gamble everything on this fight against Mosley and I know I have to win it to set my career back on the winning path. I respect Shane as a great fighter but I know he can't go 12 fast rounds with me. I plan to take him into deep waters and be the first one to stop him."

Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions stated, "As a boxing fan, I am excited to finally see what happens when two of the best welterweights of this era get in the ring together. Both Mosley and Judah always come to fight with tremendous non-stop action and as they both need to win this fight to keep their dreams of another championship alive, I know we're going to see the best of them May 31."

Senior Vice President of HBOPPV Mark Taffet agreed, "Shane Mosley and Zab Judah have given boxing fans so many exciting, memorable performances for years. We expect May 31 to be another one of those great nights."

A four-time and three-division world champion who has proven to be worthy of the venerable nickname "Sugar," Mosley (44-5, 37 KOs) continues to thrill fans with his speed, power and warrior's heart. Mosley holds wins over the likes of De La Hoya (twice), Fernando Vargas (twice), Jesse James Leija, Luis Collazo and John John Molina while winning world titles in the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. The 36-year-old Pomona, Calif. native also showed his mettle and toughness last November when he fought welterweight champion Miguel Cotto tooth and nail for 12 rounds, falling short via close decision. A win over Judah in May will put Mosley at the top of the line for a rematch with Cotto.

Judah (36-5, 25 KOs), a three-time and two-division world champion, is considered one of the most talented fighters of the past decade. The former undisputed world welterweight champion, 30-year-old "Super" Judah owns victories over Junior Witter, Micky Ward, DeMarcus Corley and Cory Spinks. He has recently been fighting with his speed, power and focus coming together like never before. Brooklyn's finest is on track for a spectacular performance against Mosley on May 31.

In addition to the main event, Golden Boy is pleased to announce that former super featherweight world champion Jorge Barrios will meet 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Ricardo Rocky Juarez as the featured undercard bout of the evening and also featured on the live broadcast

 

[2-0-Sixx]

Money Talks: Pacquiao Willing To Fight Marquez


Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who sometimes moves out of his specialized territory to discuss future fights of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao says “if it is worth our while we will fight him (Juan Manuel Marquez) right away.”

Roach was guest on the “Sports Chat” radio show of Dennis Principe who is a regular analyst on the weekly Viva Sports boxing show “The Main Event” and hosts the morning broadcast over dzSR Sports Radio.

Roach made the statement when informed that Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schafer had made an immediate $6million offer to Top Rank rival Bob Arum for one more showdown shortly after Pacquiao won a contested split decision over Marquez on Sunday, Manila Time.

Roach said Pacquiao made $5.5 million for the rematch and there was no reason for him to give Marquez a shot at his newly won WBC super featherweight title for an additional $500,000. Roach made it clear “we want more money than that” stating he was sure that Marquez who reportedly received $1.5 million for the rematch “will want more money also.”

Roach noted that Arum and Schaefer “will negotiate the fight and if its worth our while we will fight him again right away” although he revealed that a fight against WBC lightweight champion David Diaz will be next. Roach however said a rematch against Marquez before a Diaz title shot was “not totally out of the question at all. Both guys will want a lot of money for a rematch and if everything is right, lets do it.”

Pacquiao had told Marquez who asked for a title rematch at the end of the bout last Sunday that he was basically not willing, but appeared to be ready to change his stand if he felt the price is right.

Roach wants to fight Diaz who he believes will be a good test for Pacquiao. He said he wanted “to see how Manny performs.” The trainer disclosed that the reason they were considering moving up to fight Diaz was that Pacquiao “struggles to make 130.” He claimed that by fight time Sunday, Pacquiao was 146 pounds adding that "he is bigger, he is filling out and he’s more mature.”

He also raised the possibility of Marquez moving up to lightweight should Pacquiao win the title from Diaz. “At 135 we want to give him that rematch because we felt he (Marquez) deserved it. It was a very close fight.” Roach confessed they will have “a little bit of trouble with Diaz” because he is a southpaw and they would need to make some adjustments.

Roach noted that Diaz is “a little bit slower than Manny but he is very durable and is in your face all the time which is a good style for Manny because he likes to exchange. The question is will Manny be able to bring his big punch up to 135. I want to test the waters here and make sure he’s comfortable at that weight and doesn’t lose his speed.”

Asked about having to wear ten ounce gloves if the fight is held in Las Vegas unlike the eight ounce gloves he uses now, Roach said “when he puts the weight on he will bring the punch up with him. I think it will make him punch a little harder because he wont be so drained because he drains himself to make 130.”

 

[REdRUM]

LOL...Roach doesn't want to give Marquez another shot...does he not deserve it? It was a widely contested decision, and they now are 1-0-1 vs Marquez...

 

[heyzel]

it looks like pac want atleast 7 million for a rematch

 

[heyzel]

Chagaev-Valuev For 5/31 Arslan-Wilson

By Per Ake Persson

Universum won today´s purse bids for WBA heavyweight champ Ruslan Chagaev´s mandatory defencse against Nikolai Valuev with an offer for 4,354,840 USD. Sauerland Event bid 3,541,021 USD and Don King Productions 3,000,000 USD. Chagaev vs. Valuev II is likely to go ahead in Germany on May 31.

The undercard to Diaconu vs. Henry on April 19 in Bucharest is likely to feature Italian lightheavy veteran and multiple ex-champ Silvio Branco. There will also be a NABA jr welter title defence by Jo Jo Dan against Argentinian Raul Balbi, who a few years back gave Leonard Dorin a very tough fight in Bucharest for the WBA lightweight title. Featherweight Viorel Simion face Rudy Encarnacion for the WBC Mediterranean title and Bogdan Dinu, a talented amateur heavyweight, turns pro.

Estonian Sergey Melis and Latvian Oleg Fedotovs clash for the vacant BBU middleweight title March 22 in Tallinn, Estonia.

When Italian welterweight Cristian De Martinis was badly knocked out in June of last year against EBU champ Jackson Osei Bonsu, it looked like the career was over. De Martinis spent days in the hospital and a got a six month suspension with a recommendation to quit boxing. Cristian is however back and will fight March 25 in Budapest, reportedly with a Romanian license, against Janos Petrovics. The show also feature the comeback of Danish heavyweight Ingvardt Jorgensen, who returns after eight years out.

Bild Zeitung hinted recently that it will be Darnell Wilson that take on WBA cruiserweight champ Firat Arslan on May 3 in Stuttgart.

EBU bantamweight champ Carmelo Ballone defends the title May 9 in La Louviere, Belgium, against Valery Yanchy from Belorus but fighting out of Spain. Yanchy is rather unknown but is a tall, awkward, quite capable fighter.

The undercard to Abraham vs. Ayala on March 29 in Kiel seems to be dedicated to the cruisers: Yoan Pablo Hernandez square off against Wayne Braithwaite and talented Bosnian Enad Licina fight Kenneth Releford.

Former EBU welterweight champ Christian Bladt returns to action after a brief suspension April 4 in Aarhus. The show, promoted by Anders Vester, is headlined by welterweight Allan Vester taking on Hassan Saku over six rounds.

Opponent for WBO light heavyweight champ Zsolt Erdei April 26 in Dresden is American DeAndrey Abron.

 

[heyzel]

Calzaghe: "Haye Will Struggle at Heavyweight

By Mark Vester

Enzo Calzaghe, father/trainer of champion Joe Calzaghe, and trainer of Enzo Maccarinelli, believes that WBC/WBA/WBO cruiserweight champ David Haye will struggle at heavyweight. Two weeks ago in London, it took Haye only two-rounds to knock Macca out in their unification bout.

Despite his fighter being strached, Enzo is not impressed and doesn't see Haye as force in the heavyweight ranks.

"Haye did nothing for me to change my views on him," Calzaghe told Setanta Sports. "It wasn't his performance that counted it was Enzo's performance. He was only as good as Enzo made him look. He answered no questions to me. He only threw four punches himself a round. Four whole punches.Lets be honest about it. This hot property: bullsh*t. I think the same of him as I did before. If Enzo went 12 rounds with the guy he would have destroyed him.

"He didnt get a chance to show it because he did what he did wrong. You can't judge what Haye is all about from that fight. It took him five big straight rights to deck Enzo. Now you think he is going to be fighting 17 stone guys. It will take a lot more to put them down. If that went 12 rounds as Maccarinelli can fight, as he does all the time, that prestigious greatest thing since sliced bread wouldn't be around today. He won fair and square, but lets not get carried away because Enzo underperformed."

Haye is planning to stage his next fight in the heavyweight division with November as the target date. A six-month training period has been scheduled to prepare Haye for his anticipated heavyweight run. Former champion Hasim Rahman has been mentioned as an opponent, but Haye tells The Sunday Mirror that a lot of other options are out there as well.

"Hasim Rahman has been on the phone and there are plenty of other options. The plan is to put the weight on and keep it on before cleaning up the heavyweight division," Haye said. "There are too many so-called contenders and the champions are not that impressive. Wladimir Klitschko is like a robot and would be my first choice, Ruslan Chagaev is too small and is not the fighter he once was, while Samuel Peter is too slow and easy to hit.

"Any of them would be ideal for a massive fight at Wembley next summer and that's my plan."

 

[naner12]

LOL...Roach doesn't want to give Marquez another shot...does he not deserve it? It was a widely contested decision, and they now are 1-0-1 vs Marquez...

Can't get mad now. Pacquiaos people were the ones seeking the rematch back in the day when Marquez went to fight Chris John and Marquez and his people pulled the same shit about more money yet he took the fight John for $30,000.

 

[naner12]

Hatton sells 45,000 tickets!

Sunday, March 16 2008

By Craig Watt

IBO 140 pound champion Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton (43-1, 31 KOs) showed why he is one of the most popular fighters in world boxing when he sold 45,000 tickets in the the first 36 hours of his planned "Homecoming" promotion in Manchester on the 24th May. Tickets only went on sales on Friday morning and have already reached the 45,000 mark with a capacity set at 55,000 tickets at the City of Manchester Stadium. Many people have taken advantage of family tickets where two adults and two children can watch the fight for $200 equivalent and there were 14,000 tickets priced at $70 equivalent. The timing of the bout at UK prime time of 9pm GMT has also helped opposite a potential 2am GMT slot to suit US TV requirements. Hatton will take on Juan Lazcano (37-4-1) in the main event and it is expected this week that it will be confirmed IBF 140 pound champion Paul Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KO's) will take on Lovemore N'dou (46-9-1, 31 KO's) in a rematch of their June 2007 bout which Malignaggi won on points. The fight will be televised in the UK on Sky Box Office who will be looking to break their PPV record set when Hatton lost to Floyd Mayweather in December 2007 with 1.2M buys at $30 equivalent each.

^~~ that is some crazy shit.

 

[heyzel]

Kermit Cintron: "Margarito Will Get A Surprise

Mark Vester

IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron promises to surprise Antonio Margairto when the two fighters collide on April 12 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Cintron vows to avenge his 2005 knockout loss to Margarito.

"If Margarito thinks the fight will be the same as the first, he'll be in for a surprise," Cintron said to Primera Hora. "Everything in camp has been perfect. Everything is going according to plan and I'll be more than ready for Margarito. I am not the same fighter that he faced in 2005 and I'm going to show it."

Cintron told the paper that Margarito should stop talking about WBA welterweight champ Miguel Cotto, and worry about their fight in April. Cotto, who defends against Alfonso Gomez in the main event, will meet the winner of Cintron-Margarito in the summer.
"If he's thinking about that fight before ours, it's better for me. For a long time Margarito has been talking trash. This time is different. I will let him to that he shouldn't be thinking about Cotto because a big surprise is coming," Cintron said. "I am healthy. I don't have any distractions that would take away my focus from training. They were there the first time I fought Margarito. I had a few personal problems to deal with during my camp for the first fight."

 

[heyzel]

Guzman-Arthur Revised Date Confirmed for 5/3

Alex Arthur faces the toughest test of his career when he tackles Joan Guzman on May 3 - but is backing massive Edinburgh support to ensure he is victorious.

The Scotsman challenges Guzman for the full WBO super-featherweight title, and knows he has got his work cut out against one of the best fighters in the world.

But interim WBO champion Arthur, 26-1 (19) says his home fans could be the key to victory, as the super fight goes ahead at the Meadowbank Arena, Edinburgh.

" With my fans behind me I know I can beat Guzman and prove that I belong at world level," said the 29-year-old Edinburgh ace.

" Make no mistake, Guzman is a dangerous customer and he fully deserves his reputation as one of the pound for pound greats.

" The bookies will have me as a pre-fight underdog, but that doesn't bother me - I know I've got the beating of him.

" I've already been training hard for the fight, and the atmosphere in Edinburgh around fight week is going to be incredible.

" I've had some wonderful nights at the Meadowbank, and hearing the roar of the fans helped me defeat Steve Foster in December."

Arthur, a former European, Commonwealth and British champion, also hit back at disrespectful comments Guzman has been making in the build up to the showdown.

" He reckons that fighting me will be easy money, but I'm going to give him hell for every single penny he earns," said Arthur.

" I've never been so fired up for a fight in all my life. It's been my dream to fight the best in the world, and now I've got the chance to prove myself, I'll take it with both hands."

Promoter Frank Warren added: "I'm delighted that I have been able to deliver a super fight for Alex in his own backyard, and I'm sure it will be a very special occasion."

Born in the Dominican Republic, 31-year-old Guzman is 28-0 (17) and is a former WBO super-bantamweight champion, as well as being the current WBO super-featherweight king.

Setanta Sports

 

[heyzel]

Winky Wright's Trainer Calls For Pavlik Bout

By Mark Vester

Dan Birmingham, trainer of Winky Wright, is calling for a fight with WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Speaking with The Vindicator, Birmingham issued the challenge to Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.

“We’d like to know why Bob Arum avoided the best and most accomplished middleweight out there,” said Birmingham. “The fight people want to see is Winky. The fans want to see Pavlik in a real fight. I believe HBO will eventually force him to fight Winky — after all they are the real promoter. It shows how afraid Arum is of Wink, when he doesn’t mention his name.”

Pavlik will defends his titles against WBO mandatory Gary Lockett on June 7 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Birmingham feels that Arum is scared of matching Pavlik against Wright.

“Arum is trying to give Kelly a soft defense, which is okay,” Birmingham said. “But, by not mentioning his [Wright’s] name, Arum is showing how scared he is of Winky. Kelly and [trainer] Jack [Loew] both say they want this fight. They both know that in order to be called the best, you have to fight and beat the best.”

 

[heyzel]

MAYWEATHER SR. TO RETIRE WITH DE LA HOYA?

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2236.html?PHPSESSID=8b4b78f9e1705bca5c46608ac16cc86c

You know what Percy, at the end of the year, I may bail out too," stated world-renowned trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. as he talked about retiring along with Oscar De La Hoya at the end of the year. Currently, Mayweather Sr. is training De La Hoya for his May 3rd fight against Steve Forbes

 

[heyzel]

O'Neil Bell vs. Tomasz Adamek, 12 rounds, IBF cruiserweight eliminator

O'Neil Bell vs. Tomasz Adamek, 12 rounds, IBF cruiserweight eliminator
4/19/08 - ESPN Classics

 

[heyzel]

Librado Andrade vs Robert Stieglitz - HBO - 3/22/08

I'm take andrade by ko, he's alwasy exciting

 

[REdRUM]

By Mark Vester

Dan Birmingham, trainer of Winky Wright, is calling for a fight with WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. Speaking with The Vindicator, Birmingham issued the challenge to Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.

“We’d like to know why Bob Arum avoided the best and most accomplished middleweight out there,” said Birmingham. “The fight people want to see is Winky. The fans want to see Pavlik in a real fight. I believe HBO will eventually force him to fight Winky — after all they are the real promoter. It shows how afraid Arum is of Wink, when he doesn’t mention his name.”

Pavlik will defends his titles against WBO mandatory Gary Lockett on June 7 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Birmingham feels that Arum is scared of matching Pavlik against Wright.

“Arum is trying to give Kelly a soft defense, which is okay,” Birmingham said. “But, by not mentioning his [Wright’s] name, Arum is showing how scared he is of Winky. Kelly and [trainer] Jack [Loew] both say they want this fight. They both know that in order to be called the best, you have to fight and beat the best.”

LOL

Make it happen, HBO...err...Bob.

 

[heyzel]

if this fight goes down winky will just outbox kelly

 

[MOREBASS]

Kelly is good and all, but has hardly any lateral movement...I think Winky dominates a fight with Kelly with his jab and boxes circles around him. I'd like to see this happen.

I think that Winky bit off more than he could chew by moving up so high to fight B-Hop...and that took away some of his gusto. I still think he's one of the top middleweights in the division.

 

[heyzel]

THE WEIGHT IS OVER FOR TYSON-HOLYFIELD 3

The weight is over...well...over his ideal fighting shape that is. Despite recent rumors of a potential comeback, Mike Tyson doesn't look at all like he's too anxious to get back into the ring. TMZ.com was the first to release recent photos of the overweight ex-heavyweight champion. Now you can see for yourself what type of shape he's in. This past weekend, Tyson was on hand for the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch and judging from the spare tire around his waist, it doesn't look like he's very eager for a third fight with Evander Holyfield. In fact, he didn't even seem too interested in talking about boxing at all. That being said, it's always nice to see Tyson at ringside enjoying a good boxing match. watch video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KTUZJbSO_3w

 

[heyzel]

JOAN GUZMAN SIGNS PROMOTIONAL CONTRACT WITH SYCUAN RINGSIDE PROMOTIONS

Sycuan Ringside Promotions announced today that World Boxing Organization (WBO) 130-Pound Champion Joán Guzman has signed a multi-fight-multimillion dollar contract with their promotional company. Guzman, currently in Las Vegas, Nev., is preparing for his title defense against interim champion Alex Arthur on April 26, 2008. The fight, which is being promoted by Frank Warren of Sports Network after having won the WBO purse bid, will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland, at a venue to be determined

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content2238.html?PHPSESSID=697f6e00942c0995f5ddb330c8481ca4