Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Roach Still Mulling Over Final Decision To Train Margarito

By Robert Morales

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach advised BoxingScene.com that he was still mulling over a final decision as to whether or not he would actually become the new trainer of Antonio Margarito, once the boxer is again eligible to fight. Margarito called Roach about two weeks ago and asked the veteran trainer to take him on.

Margarito in February had his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for being caught with illegal hand wraps prior to his Jan. 24 welterweight title defense against "Sugar" Shane Mosley, in which Margarito was stopped in the ninth round at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Margarito is eligible to apply for a new license a year from the date his license was revoked, which was Feb. 10. Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, also had his license revoked during the same February hearing in Van Nuys, Calif.

"We had a brief conversation and I told him I would think about it," Roach said via telephone from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where he is training Manny Pacquiao for his May 2 fight against Ricky Hatton. "But that's as far as it went."

Margarito is currently appealing his revocation with the idea of getting the decision overturned. Roach said he would not train Margarito to fight in Mexico or any other country outside the U.S. during the 12 month-period that began in February.

"No, that would be a slap in the face to the California commission," Roach said. "And I think that if he did fight in Mexico, he would never get licensed again in the United States."

Ironically, one of Roach's fighters, Rashad Holloway, had suffered a fractured orbital bone during a sparring session with Margarito. After Margarito was caught with the illegal wraps prior to the Mosley fight, Roach had some harsh words to say about Margarito and Capetillo.

"I said if he knew and Capetillo knew (about the hardened inserts in the wraps), they should be banned for life." Roach said.

“But Margarito said he didn't know. He seems like a stand-up guy. I want to believe him. I think I would know if it happened to me. It's a hard decision to make. Rashad Holloway did have a broken eye socket and I would like to believe it was normal. But then with what happened in the (Mosley) fight, you never know. If I did take him over, there would be no bullsh*t.”

 

[heyzel]

Roach Still Mulling Over Final Decision To Train Margarito

By Robert Morales

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach advised BoxingScene.com that he was still mulling over a final decision as to whether or not he would actually become the new trainer of Antonio Margarito, once the boxer is again eligible to fight. Margarito called Roach about two weeks ago and asked the veteran trainer to take him on.

Margarito in February had his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for being caught with illegal hand wraps prior to his Jan. 24 welterweight title defense against "Sugar" Shane Mosley, in which Margarito was stopped in the ninth round at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Margarito is eligible to apply for a new license a year from the date his license was revoked, which was Feb. 10. Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, also had his license revoked during the same February hearing in Van Nuys, Calif.

"We had a brief conversation and I told him I would think about it," Roach said via telephone from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where he is training Manny Pacquiao for his May 2 fight against Ricky Hatton. "But that's as far as it went."

Margarito is currently appealing his revocation with the idea of getting the decision overturned. Roach said he would not train Margarito to fight in Mexico or any other country outside the U.S. during the 12 month-period that began in February.

"No, that would be a slap in the face to the California commission," Roach said. "And I think that if he did fight in Mexico, he would never get licensed again in the United States."

Ironically, one of Roach's fighters, Rashad Holloway, had suffered a fractured orbital bone during a sparring session with Margarito. After Margarito was caught with the illegal wraps prior to the Mosley fight, Roach had some harsh words to say about Margarito and Capetillo.

"I said if he knew and Capetillo knew (about the hardened inserts in the wraps), they should be banned for life." Roach said.

“But Margarito said he didn't know. He seems like a stand-up guy. I want to believe him. I think I would know if it happened to me. It's a hard decision to make. Rashad Holloway did have a broken eye socket and I would like to believe it was normal. But then with what happened in the (Mosley) fight, you never know. If I did take him over, there would be no bullsh*t.”

 

[MOREBASS]

I highly doubt Margarito was loading his gloves during sparring sessions.


That's what kind of sucks about his situation, is that it kind of taints everything he's accomplished even though for all we know the time that they did get caught was the only time that they've ever even attempted to load his gloves, and that try was unsuccessful.


I still think Margarito beats the snot out of Cotto 9 times out of 10.

 

[heyzel]

Weights: Wright 159, Williams 157, Arreola 255

By Mark Vester

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - The weights are in for what plans to be a red hot doubleheader from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. HBO will televise. Former welterweight champion and current WBO interim-junior middleweight champion Paul "The Punisher" Williams came in at 157-pounds strong. Former undisputed middleweight champion Winky Wright, back for the first time in nearly two years, hit the scales at 159-pounds.

In the co-featured bout of the evening, ubeaten Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola takes on former world title challenger Jameel "Big Time" McCline the NABF Heavyweight title. Arreola came in 255-pounds, while McCline stepped on the scales at 271-pounds. Arreola was a pound heavier than his last fight with Travis Walker, but also 16 pounds heavier than last June's bout with Chazz Witherspoon, where he was 239

 

[heyzel]

Pavlik vs. Mora on June 27 - An Early Statistical Look

By Mark Vester

An early statistical look on the June 27 clash between WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and former junior middleweight champion/Contender season one winner Sergio Mora. The fight will televised by Top Rank pay-per-view from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Kelly Pavlik

Age: 27
Record: 35-1, 31KOs
Height: 6'2 1/2
Reach: 75 inches
Titles Won: WBC/WBO middleweight titles
Key Fights: Edison Miranda, Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor Fight 1 and 2, Marco Antonio Rubio, Bronco McKart, Jose Zertuche, Fulgencio Zuniga, Grady Brewer
Key Wins: Edison Miranda, Jermain Taylor Fight 1 and 2, Marco Antonio Rubio, Bronco McKart, Jose Zertuche, Fulgencio Zuniga, Grady Brewer
Win Streak: 1-0, 1KOs

Sergio Mora

Age: 28
Record: 21-1-1, 5KOs
Height: 6'0
Reach: 73 inches
Titles Won: WBC junior middleweight title
Key Fights: Vernon Forrest Fight 1 and 2, Elvin Ayala, Peter Manfredo Jr. Fight 1 and 2, Jesse Brinkley, Ishe Smith
Key Wins: Vernon Forrest Fight 1, Peter Manfredo Jr. Fight 1 and 2, Jesse Brinkley, Ishe Smith

Win Streak: None

Advantages
Power - Pavlik
Chin - Pavlik
Skill - Even
Speed - Mora
Reach - Pavlik
Height - Pavlik
Experience - Pavlik
Stamina - Pavlik

Betting Favorite - Pavlik

Media Favorite - Pavlik

Fan Favorite - Pavlik

 

[heyzel]

Froch and Pascal Are Working Together To Beat Taylor

Call it round thirteen.

“I know Jean is a class act, and a top-notch pro. I found that out last December,” Froch said of their grueling twelve round battle for the then-vacant WBC Super Middleweight title that Froch won via unanimous decision.

“We both fought like our lives were on the line, and after going to war like we did, you get a real appreciation for a person.”

“Besides, by the time camp with Jean is finished, I’ll be as ready as possible for Jermain Taylor.”

Pascal is equally enthused about his new training partner.

“After being in the same ring as Carl last December, I know first hand that he’s an elite warrior,” Pascal said.

“And with a big fight of my own coming up in a few months, I know he’ll be great to help me prepare for battle.”

Froch vs. Taylor, billed as “Continents Collide,” can be seen live in Canada on Super Channel, and on Showtime in the US, beginning at 9 PM Eastern

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Jr. Targets Adamek, Lacy and More Names

By Mark Vester

Former four division champion Roy Jones Jr. is targeting any and all comers. At 40-years-old, Jones is moving quick to secure another fight. will be a very interested party in the outcome of tonight's bout between Jeff Lacy and Otis Griffin. Jones hopes that Lacy pulls through so the two of them could meet in a fight that would certainly sell a lot of tickets in Florida, where both men are big names.

Aside from Lacy, Jones has expressed interest in going against the man Bernard Hopkins was previously gunning for - IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek. Jones has never fought at cruiser, skipping the weight division when he jumped from light heavyweight to heavyweight in 2003 to win the WBA title from John Ruiz. He again skipped the weight when he moved back down to fight Antonio Tarver at light heavy.

And he continues to entertain a dream fight with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Jones wants the fight to take place in a boxing ring, and so does Silva. Jones is waiting to see what happens with Silva's UFC contract, which expires at the end of the year. Jones plans to take a fight in July, and Lacy may be on the other end.

"I'm 100% willing to entertain it," Jones said to The Los Angeles Times . "This is a boxing event that'll be very anticipated, a mega-event."

For those who don't know, Silva has trained with hall of fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach, who told the paper that Anderson is very serious about fighting Jones.

"He told me he wants to fight someone on the level of a Roy Jones," Roach said. "Anderson's very fluid and athletic, but he does make a few fundamental mistakes a boxer of a high level could take advantage of. He wants to train with me, though, and he loves to work. I think he could pick things up quickly. I'd love to work with Anderson."

 

[heyzel]

Cotto, Arum To Meet on April 14, Choose New Trainer

By Mark Vester

Top Rank's Bob Arum has finally spoken out about the recent family brawl between WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and uncle/trainer Evangelista Cotto. As many have already heard from numerous reports on BoxingScene.com, Cotto and his uncle exchanged punches after a heated verbal dispute over a training plan [presented by Miguel] on Wednesday at the Bairoa Gym in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Cotto fired his uncle, the two traded punches, and later in the day they would trade punches again, with a featured incident that saw Evangelista launching a cement block at Miguel, which missed the fighter but broke the window of his 2009 jaguar. Miguel suffered a cut on his nose and Evangelista went to the hospital with a broken nose, chest and cervical trauma.

Arum plans to meet with Cotto next Tuesday, April 14 in New York City, and present him with a list of six possible trainers. Cotto is already in camp and training for the June 13 showdown with IBF champion Joshua Clottey at New York's Madison Square Garden.

"Miguel seems to have made a decision that he doesn't want to work anymore with Evangelista and therefore I have compiled a list of six names for him to make a decision for his next fight," Arum said to Primera Hora. "I want the person who is finally chosen to begin working with Miguel as soon as possible."

One rumor has Emanuel Steward as the new trainer, but Arum doesn't think that will work.

"Emanuel is an excellent trainer, but that will not be possible because Wladimir Klitschko is training for a fight that will take place a week after Miguel's, said Arum.

This is not the first time that Arum has been involved in a family feud. The veteran promoter used to have Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his stable of fighters, and Mayweather's family feud with father/former trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. is legendary in the boxing industry.

"It's sad because this is family. Unfortunately these kind of things happen. One time I was having lunch in a restaurant when I had to intervene in a fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and his father. These type of things are not new, but they are always sad, Arum said

 

[heyzel]

Williams Punishes Wright, Now Has Plenty Of Options

12.04.09 - by James Slater -

In dominating and almost shutting out the returning Winky Wright at middleweight last night, Paul "The Punisher" Williams proved two things: number-one, he is definitely a fighter who belongs in today's pound-for-pound top-ten, and number-two, he can fight at the highest level anywhere from 147 to 160 pounds.

In punishing the gifted Wright the way he did over 12 rounds - throwing over a thousand punches while doing so - the 27-year-old southpaw who stands an amazing (for a welterweight) 6'1" scored what is arguably his best win yet. Though he was coming off a layoff, Wright figured to at the very least be competitive last night. He wasn't. No man has ever dominated Winky the way Williams just has, not even the much heavier Bernard Hopkins. Many people wondered if the former WBO welterweight and the former WBO interim light-middleweight champ could box truly effectively up at 160 pounds. Last night he proved he can.

The thing is, what does Williams, a man with a load of options, do now? In the past, Paul has spoken of going up as far as 168 and trying to win a world title there. Once, such talk was laughed at, but not any more. Williams has targeted fighters like Kelly Pavlik, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and others. Right now, he would have to be given a great chance of beating either fighter.

After last night's fine win, Dan Goossen, Williams' promoter, said his man may go up to 168, he may opt to pick up another belt at 154, he may stick around at 160, or he may even drop back down to 147. This, as you can see, is a man with almost too many options.

Welterweight is where the biggest fights and the most money is at, but will Williams be able to make 147 again after not having boxed there since June of 2008? Going up and down in weight has been something that has felled many a fighter in the past, but Williams says that going back down would be his preferred choice.

Whatever choice he finally makes, "The Punisher" has surely won over whatever critics he had left. He has shown, time and again, that he is no cherry picker. Willing to take on literally anyone from 147 to 160 and maybe even beyond, the potential all-time great from Georgia is a genuine throwback. Due to his willingness - or maybe due to his desperation to get someone, anyone, to fight him - Williams has so many huge and mouth-watering fights that could be made for him. There are no number of super-fights he could engage in at welterweight, the light-middleweight division, while not as talent-rich, also has some good names for him to meet, and the thought of Williams against Pavlik at middleweight boggles the mind.

But will the top names from these three weight classes want to get it on with Williams? Has he been shamelessly avoided - with only fellow member of the 'Who needs him club,' Wright being man enough to face him? As long as Williams continues proving his amazing talent and is able to defeat those guys who WILL risk meeting him, the fans will eventually demand that the names he has called out step up and accept "The Punisher's" challenge.

Still to reach his very peak, he says, the 27-year-old could well be the man who carries boxing's mid-weight divisions into the next decade. And to think, some said William's win over Antonio Margarito was nothing but a fluke!

 

[heyzel]

Forget The Weight, Arreola Is The Best Young Heavyweight Out There

by James Slater - 28-year-old Chris "The Nightmare" Arreola did it again last night; he won a fight and looked impressive doing it as he carried into the ring with him a poundage in excess of the 250 mark. Many critics have been on Arreola's case for his continual desire to weigh-in in excess of the weight he often says he will tip in at, at 240, but until there comes a time when the excess weight affects Arreola to the point of him running out of gas or slowing down to a crawl, the Mexican/American can ignore such criticism.

In blowing away the huge Jameel McCline inside four rounds last night, Arreola proved he is the best of the current young and hungry heavyweight title contenders.. No, McCline, at age 38, is no world beater, but only fairly recently he came within a whisker of beating Sam Peter to capture the WBC crown, he is dangerous early, he is as experienced as they come, and he has not been stopped as quickly as he was last night for a long time (the freak, knee injury loss to Nikolay Valuev, in a fight he was winning, aside). Some people will argue that David Haye, Eddie Chambers and maybe Kevin Johnson have more of a chance of taking one of the two Klitschko brothers out of their current comfort zone, but for me the not exactly svelte, but genuinely tough guy from Riverside, California - a man who really enjoys fighting - is the best bet to end the Ukrainian's dominance.

Chris has often argued back when people have moaned about his weight, claiming, quite rightly, that he has never huffed and puffed in a fight and that his punch output remains as prolific late in a fight as it starts off in one. Remember, Haye was starting to look a little tired before finally despatching Monte Barrett last time out (to say nothing about the time he ran completely out of gas when he lost to Carl Thompson down at cruiserweight), and Chambers simply stopped fighting against Alexander Povetkin in his only loss. Johnson has yet to struggle in any fight, but he has not met the quality Arreola has.

Also, Arreola has good punch variety and real heavyweight power. He goes to the body well, he jabs well and he has a cracking right hand. "The Nightmare" has also proven the strength of his chin far more than Haye, Johnson and Chambers have. How would either of those guys have reacted had they been hit with the hard left hands to the head "Big Time" landed on Arreola in the 3rd round of last night's rumble? And Arreola showed he can keep a clear head and come back from a knockdown in his win over the heavy-handed Travis Walker. There is no doubt in my mind, though "Fast Eddie" scored a good, if slightly pedestrian win over an under-motivated and overweight Peter recently, Arreola is the best of the current heavyweight young guns.

Haye, should he shock both the odds and Wladimir Klitschko in June, will make mincemeat out of such a claim, but until then, Arreola - a guy the fans like because they see action, KO's, a high punch volume and because he is a humble, approachable warrior outside of the ring - gets this writer's vote as the best of the heavyweight hopefuls. 255 or less, "The Nightmare" is at least earning his shot by keeping busy, by taking risky fights ( be honest, how many of you picked McCline to win last night?) and by being entertaining.

Now 27-0(24), Arreola may get his chance to really silence his critics later this year.

 

[heyzel]

Winky Wright Plans To Make a Quick Return

By Mark Vester

Former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright is not planning to sit back on the recent loss to Paul Williams. He wants to return to the ring as soon as possible. On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Wright returned for the first time in nearly two years and was overwhelmed by Williams' workrate and physical dimensions.

"I just couldn't get my punches off," said Wright. "He was very tall and awkward with really long arms. He would throw a lot of punches, and they were coming from all different directions, and I didn't know how to dodge them. I had a long layoff, but I felt this was a great fight."

Many reporters were asking Wright if he plans to retire, but the 37-year-old veteran has no plans to hang up the gloves in the near future.

"I had a long layoff but I felt this was a great fight," Wright said. "This is definitely not my last fight. I'm definitely coming back

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather vs. Marquez Negotiations Stalled on Weight

By Mark Vester

According to Nacho Beristain, trainer and manager of WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, a potential September meeting between Marquez and a returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. is in trouble due to weight. Mayweather's team has been negotiating with Golden Boy Promotions to make the fight, but the talks have hit a wall over the weight. Mayweather wants the fight to take place at the welterweight limit of 147, and Marquez, still at 135, is not willing to move up that high in weight. Marquez feels that anything above 140-pounds will put him at a huge disadvantage.

Beristain told ESTO that Marquez will return in September, in Las Vegas. Recently Marquez was being called out by WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero. Beristain tells the paper that Marquez has "no interest in fighting Valero."

In something very odd for a number of reasons, Beristain told the paper that Marquez could end up in a fight with Erik Morales at 140 - if they can't finalize a fight with Mayweather. Morales has been retired since August of 2007. Mayweather has been away since December 2007, but Morales lost his last four fights and Floyd is undefeated.

Over the last two years, Morales has promised a return to the ring, and called for a fight with Marquez. The return never happened and Morales looked very heavy during a recent public appearance. A few months back he promised a ring return by July. He appeared to be weighing at least 160-pounds, and it's likely he could lose the weight by September but what does Marquez gain by beating him

 

[2-0-Sixx]

^^That's crazy that Mayweather is seriously trying to have Marquez as his tune up!! I really hope they figure out the weight, I think Floyd should come back at 140.

 

[T-Rip]

yeah thats not really a tune up fight although i think he will have a easier time with Marquez then Pac has and would if he fought him again

 

[heyzel]

Is Paul Williams made for Floyd Mayweather?

Is Paul Williams made for Floyd Mayweather?
13.04.09 -By Robert Jackson: After witnessing the dominating performance that The Punisher put on Winky Wright I have to say WHOA. I've also read that Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez are at a impasse regarding weight for their proposed fight. Here's the solution for both men, Floyd strive for greatness Paul Williams will accomodate your 147lb weight request, challenge him, Al Haymon can arrange this. Juan Manuel Marquez accept Edwin Valero's challenge, then you won't have to move up to 147lbs to fight Floyd plus Erik Morales isn't FIT to fight again..

Carlos Quintana who's a 5'9" 147lber was able to beat the Punisher so Floyd with all of his boxing etiquette and skill can do the same. I tend to believe that the 6'4" Punisher has a style that is made for Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd won't be able to knock him out but with Floyd's defensive ability and movement Floyd should be able to outbox Paul Williams for 12 rounds similar to Quintana's feat. If it turns out to be a good fight (it will) Floyd can dare greatness again and give Williams a rematch or NOT. Styles make fights and Paul Williams 'tasmanian devil' style plays into Floyd Mayweather's hands, I say Floyd leave the little guys alone and go for it if you don't you'll wish you did.

Seriously Williams has had the most trouble with guys who use movement, guys who stand 'Wright' in front of him will suffer his punishment. During the first Quintana fight, Carlos constantly circled and stepped out to his own right so he was at angles to Williams range, while there he would land his shots. During the rematch Quintana chose to stand his ground rather than move and paid for it. To be fair to Floyd take a tuneup get your 'sea legs' back because you'll need your 'A' game to take on the punisher but you can beat him. Your Uncle Roger will put together a gameplan for you to defeat the giant. And after you defeat him the silence that you hear coming from your detractors, critics and naysayers will be priceless!

 

[heyzel]

Who Can Beat Paul Williams?

13.04.09 - By Doveed Linder


: After his dominating performance against Winky Wright, Paul “The Punisher” Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) has proven that he is one of the best fighters in the world and he could very well dominate in the 147, 154, and 160 pound divisions. Paul is comfortable in any of those weight classes and it’s hard to see any of the top guys beating him. At 147 pounds, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto are the dominant forces. At 154 pounds, Vernon Forrest and the winner of the Cory Spinks/Deandre Latimore fight would have to be considered the division’s best. And at 160 pounds, it’s a toss up between Kelly Pavlik and Arthur Abraham. Every boxing fan has their own opinion, but the majority of the boxing world would likely favor Paul Williams over any of those fighters.

For some time, people have been talking about Paul as if he is the next great thing to happen to the sport of boxing. But it’s not necessarily his resume that has everyone so impressed. Before last Saturday, Paul’s greatest victory and only career defining fight was a decision over Antonio Margarito. And one can make the argument that Paul beat Winky Wright after a two year layoff and that he wasn’t in there with the same fighter who once defeated Shane Mosley and Felix Trinidad. But there’s something about Paul that is much greater than his accomplishments on paper.

At 6’1”, Paul has a tremendous height advantage over his opponents, especially at 147 pounds. And his punch output and superior conditioning make him very difficult to deal with. But what impressed people about Paul before his latest victory over Wright is his undeniable natural ability. He’s such a natural, it’s almost as if he’s supernatural. When Paul gets into the ring, he seems to enter a state of body-awareness in which everything he does happens by itself. He’s so unconsciously competent and he does everything so effortlessly that sometimes you can’t tell the difference between the fighter and the fight. If you ask Paul what it is that makes him so effective in the ring, even he would have a hard time explaining it.

But Paul is only human, as was demonstrated in his first fight with Carlos Quintana when he lost a decision. He claimed that he had an off night and that might very well be the case. It’s hard to argue with him after he came out and blew Quintana away in the 1st round of their rematch. But the fact is that great fighters sometimes lose fights. Bernard Hopkins lost his first professional fight. Even the great Henry Armstrong lost three out of his first four fights. Boxing fans sometimes get so caught up with a fighter’s record, that when an up-and-coming fighter loses a match, he becomes labeled as “exposed.” But it just goes to show you that it doesn’t matter if a fighter losses, it’s what he does after that loss.

With this recent victory over Winky Wright, Paul has a lot of options. Although he has the potential to dominate at 160 and maybe even 168, he might be better suited in the 147/154 range where he would have more power, more of a height advantage, and more durability. But it’s probable that Paul will fight wherever he can make the best fight for the most money.

So when you ask the question, “Who can beat Paul Williams?” the answer is no one and the answer is everyone. This is boxing and anyone can beat anyone on any given night. But Paul is at the height of his powers and if anyone does have intentions of beating him, they’re gonna have to bring something special to the table, because he is the future of boxing. He has a lot of skills, he’s young, he’s confident, and he’ll likely be around for some time.

 

[heyzel]

This Friday, Yuriorkis Gamboa Goes For His First World Title On Showtime

This Friday, Yuriorkis Gamboa Goes For His First World Title On Showtime
13.04.09 - by James Slater - This coming Friday, on a show to be televised by Showtime, Cuban hotshot Yuriorkis Gamboa - a fighter many see as a potential superstar due to his amazingly exciting style - challenges for what he hopes will be the first in a number of world titles. Going in with 36-year-old Venezuelan southpaw Jose Rojas, Gamboa will attempt to capture the interim version of the WBA featherweight crown (Chris John being the "real" WBA champ.).

A pro only since April of 2007, the 27-year-old Cuban defector who won gold at the 2004 Olympics games held in Athens, has enthralled the fans with his power, speed and overall ability. Gamboa has also proved a hit with fight fans due to the somewhat reckless regard he has for defence. Due to his all-out aggressive style, combined with a suspect chin, Gamboa has shown vulnerability and he has been put down on a few occasions as a result. This has all served to make "El Ciclon de Guantanamo" even more thrilling to watch.

Currently 14-0(12) as a pro, Gamboa has been matched quickly and now he has the chance to become a world ruler (even if it's only an interim ruler). Rojas, a decent puncher himself at 25-6-1(17), holds the edge in experience and he cannot be looked at as a mere stepping stone for Gamboa to beat to become world champion.

A pro since way back in July of 1989, Rojas has met a number of top class super-bantamweights and featherweights. After only thirteen pro fights, three of them back-to-back losses, "Cheo" met countryman and defending WBA super-bantamweight champ Antonio Cermeno in September of 1997. Losing on points, Rojas nevertheless gave a good account of himself, especially after having had so few pro fights.

Six wins later, Rojas fought the then vacant WBA 122 pound belt - this time being KO'd in 4 rounds by countryman Yober Ortega (Rojas' sole KO defeat). This KO defeat came in late 2001, and since then Rojas has continued to compete against good men, but up at featherweight. Two notable fights came against current WBA 126-pound king Chris John of Indonesia. Rojas fought a technical draw with "The Dragon" in December of 2004, the fight being stopped in the 4th round due to a head clash. When the two met again in March of 2007, the fight went the full distance, despite the challenger being put down twice early on. Losing a UD, Rojas has fought, and won, just one fight since.

Coming into the Gamboa fight after his March 2008 3rd round TKO of the then 1-9-1 Rafael Castillo as he is, will the 36-year-old be ready for someone as fast and powerful as Gamboa? On his day, Rojas is a good and capable fighter, but age and inactivity will be against him on Friday night in Primm, Nevada. Sure, there is always the chance Gamboa will get chinned and put down again, but the younger and some would say hungrier man must be made a big favourite to win, even when taking into account his dodgy chin and poor defence.

As powerful late in a fight as he is early in one, Gamboa should stop Rojas at some point. In fact, it would not be a huge surprise if the 27-year-old stopped Rojas in the very first round (Yuriorkis has six 1st round KO's to his name already).

It will surely be lively on Friday, but the fight doesn't figure to last too long. I go for Gamboa to win his first world title inside four rounds

 

[2-0-Sixx]

^^I disagree with that article completely. Floyd would have a nightmare with Williams because of his huge height advantage (let's be real he's 6'3-6'4), long ass arms (longer reach than any heavyweight ranked in the top 10) and his non-stop punching (throws over 1,000 punches per fight that goes over 12 rounds typically).

The first Quintana fight I think isn't a good point because to me, Williams looks better since then. I think that Quintana fight is exactly what Williams needed in his career, a loss a bit of a schooling. He's evolved since that fight and it's shown each fight since. He sits on his punches more. Comes from all angles. He knows how to fight inside and outside. His stamina is simply inhuman.

Floyd is a very defensive fighter that is all about counter punching. Williams has a great chin and I seriously doubt Floyd could hurt Williams enough to slow his punch output down or at least get his respect.

Bad matchup for Floyd stylistically, I think Floyd would lose, but then again this fight is not really fair because for one, Floyd is a small Welterweight (he really should be at 140 imo) and Williams is a freak of nature that can fight as high as Light Heavyweight if he wanted to.

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Jr. Has No Interest in a Paul Williams Fight

By Rick Reeno

Two weeks ago, promoter Dan Goossen made contact with John Wirt of Square Ring, attempting to secure another big fight for Paul Williams. He spoke with Wirt about the possibility of Williams fighting former four division champion Roy Jones Jr. at the catch-weight of 168-pounds [super middleweight].

“I spoke with John two weeks ago about Roy fighting Paul Williams, provided Paul would come out victorious against Winky Wright,” Goossen would tell BoxingScene.com. “He said he was going to get back to me.”

Williams came to the dance and dominated Wright to pick up a unanimous twelve round decision last weekend in Las Vegas. Goossen made contact with Wirt on Monday morning to further explore the possibility of Jones vs. Williams. There appeared to be no interest in the fight. Goossen wasn't surprised with the response to his question and didn't see a need to question the response.

“We spoke this morning and I asked him if it was something we could proceed with and there seemed to be no interest,” Goossen said. “Roy would have been a great fight.”

According to sources close to Roy, he legitimately wants to move up to cruiserweight to challenge IBF champion Tomasz Adamek in the summer. If that door closes, a door for Williams could open up.

Goossen wants the real fighters, the guys who are willing to take any challenge, to fight Paul Williams. The weight is no problem. Williams will go to 147, 154 or 160 to find a worthy enough challenge. If the fight is big enough, a jump to 168 is another option.

“It's funny, a lot of the media is writing that it's going to be tougher for Paul to get opposition. It's time for champions and world class fighters to be men. They need to show their toughness by getting in the ring with Paul. This is why I admire a guy like Winky Wright. He knew it was going to be tough fight but fighters of his [caliber] want that challenge,” Goossen said.

“We are going to find out which fighters are real fighters. Like any other sport, you want the best fighting the best. That's why we have the World Series, the Super Bowl, the NCAA championships. Nobody can declare themselves the best without fighting the best. There should be two chairs in the sport right now. One for the guys who don't want to fight the best. And another for the ones who want to fight the best. We'll find those guys, there are a couple of them out there.”

Jones is not the only fight that Goossen is trying to get for Williams. During last Saturday's co-promotion of Wright-Williams, he spoke with Oscar De La Hoya about the possibility of a catch-weight bout between Williams and Bernard Hopkins. Goossen also approached Shane Mosley about a fight with Williams at welterweight. Dan is certainly on the hustle to get his fighter back in the ring with another recognizable name.

“The other champions and other fighters who think they are the best, they need to step up to the plate. There is no excuse if you are 5'8 and he is 6'2. I spoke to Oscar about Hopkins. I spoke to Shane inside the ring and out. We'll see which of these fighters want to move forward,” Goossen said.

“We are in a great position. We have a a fighter that hasn't been seen in our sport that can be so dominant, who has the ability to fight anyone from 147 to 168, be at the top of the food chain and remain unbeaten during that span,” Goossen said. This man is phenomenal. I don't think we've seen a talent like this in many, many years. He's really what you would call a fighter that has every tool in the book. He can he can hit doubles, triples, homeruns, steal 50 bases and if you need him to pitch a few innings - he can do that too.”

 

[heyzel]

Darchinyan vs. Agbeko on July 11: A Battle of Power

The event is being co-promoted by Don King Productions and Gary Shaw Productions, LLC.

Agbeko (26-1,22 KOs), of New York by way of Ghana, will be making the second defense of the 118-pound crown he won with a seventh-round TKO over Luis Perez in August 2007. A winner of five in a row, Agbeko is coming off a 12-round decision over William Gonzalez on Dec, 11, 2008.

Darchinyan (32-1, 26 KOs) solidified his status as the No. 1 super flyweight in the world – and one of the top boxers pound-for-pound – with back-to-back impressive victories over Jorge Arce last Feb. 7 on SHOWTIME and Christian Mijares on Nov. 1, 2008, on SHOWTIME.

An Australia-based Armenian, Darchinyan exited his signature victory over Mijares with the IBF, World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) 115-pound belts. A former IBF flyweight champion, Darchinyan is appearing on SHOWTIME for a ninth time.

Agbeko, a relentless, aggressive-minded slugger, will be making his third start in the United States and second on SHOWTIME. His nickname is not really a nickname. “My name is Joseph King Kong Agbeko. That’s my real name,” he said. “It’s on my birth certificate and my passport.’’

By any name, this figures to be a dangerous assignment for Darchinyan, who’s talked about moving up in weight for a long time. “I’ll be ready and I’ll be stronger at 118,” he said. “Agbeko will feel my power, I promise you