Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

David Haye Does Not Rule Out Tomasz Adamek Clash

By Mark Vester

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye does not rule out a future clash with Tomasz Adamek. Haye became the king of the cruiserweights by capturing the major titles and beating the top guys at the weight. After Haye made his move to heavyweight, it was Adamek, moving up from light heavyweight, who became the king of the cruiserweights by winning titles and beating all comers. Adamek would soon follow Haye's lead by moving up to heavyweight and demolishing Polish veteran Andrew Golota.

After Haye captured his WBA title with a decision win over 7'2 Nikolai Valuev, Adamek issued a challenge to the British fighter. Haye told Bill Emes of BoxingScene.com that Adamek needs a bigger name in the UK and the United States to make such a fight a reality. Haye says the Polish fighter is not a big name in the UK and none of his fights were televised in the country. He says Adamek is on the right path to making a name for himself at heavyweight.

"To be honest, I've only seen one of his fights. I saw highlights of the [Steve] Cunningham fight. He looked good in that and against [Andrew] Golota. He looked good there. I think if he keeps on the same path that he's going at, and keeps beating names - he can cause a stir and get the American and the UK people involved. In Poland he's massive but none of his fights have been shown in the UK before and we need that," Haye told BoxingScene.

 

[heyzel]

Shane Mosley: I'm The Best at 147, Not Manny Pacquiao

By Mark Vester

WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley considers himself the best welterweight in the world. He doesn't think WBO champ Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter at the weight because he didn't beat the best welterweight in Miguel Cotto. Mosley wasn't willing to wait forever for a Pacquiao fight and signed for a unification bout with WBC champion Andre Berto on January 30.

"If Pacquiao wanted to fight the number one welterweight, he would have fought me first - he wouldn't have fought Cotto. I felt that Berto wanted to fight and he said he wanted to fight and he deserved to get the fight. He's been waiting around. He wanted to take this fight so he deserves the fight," Mosley told BoxingScene.com's Bill Emes.

Mosley told BoxingScene that he refuses to continue chasing fights with Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. He feels that he did more than enough to let both fighters know that wants to face them, and now it's up to them to answer the call.

"I want to fight Mayweather but I want to fight anybody who wants to get in the ring with me. I'm not going to chase anybody. I'm not going to chase Mayweather and I'm not going to chase Pacquiao. I already said what I said and I already did what I had to do to as far as telling them that I want to fight them. It's up to them now to step up and say 'I want to fight you' and I'll make it happen," Mosley said.

He gave some thoughts on Antonio Margarito, who will seek a new boxing license at the end of January. Margarito had his license revoked for one year by the California State Athletic Commission back in February. The Mexican fighter was found liable for the inserts that were discovered in his handwraps prior to the January 24 bout with Mosley. A plaster-like substance was discovered on the inserts. Mosley told BoxingScene that he is not against a Margarito return. He continues to stand by his opinion that Margarito's trainer Javier Capetillo should take a bigger part of the blame.

"With Margarito, I think if anything they should get the coach, because the trainer is the one who put the stuff on his hands. I'm not saying he's innocent. I'm not going to say that he's innocent. He probably knew what was going on. I'm just saying that Capetillo knew what he was doing and what he was trying to do by giving him the edge and putting it on him. Margarito, his punishment was served. He did a year. Capetillo you can argue for something more," Mosley said

 

[heyzel]

Lucian Bute is Option Heavy if He Beats Andrade

By Rick Reeno

If Lucian Bute (24-0, 19KOs) is successful in defending his IBF super middleweight title when he meets Librado Andrade next week in Quebec, he will entertain offers from both HBO and Showtime. Several of Bute's fights have been televised on Showtime, including the first fight with Andrade. The Andrade rematch takes place on HBO.

Showtime has the high hand because the bulk of the super middleweight talent is involved in their ongoing Super Six tournament. BoxingScene.com was informed that Bute is very interested in the Super Six tournament. In order to participate, one of the combatants in the Super Six will have to be sidelined or withdraw from the tournament. Jermain Taylor has not officially made any announcement regarding his future involvement in the Super Six. Pursuant to the Super Six schedule, Taylor would face Andre Ward in the second round of competition. I anticipate an official decision in the coming days.

While Showtime has the talent locked in, Bute may have to wait a while to fight any of those names. HBO is interested in Bute and provided he wins in Quebec, his camp will discuss future appearances with the network. Because most of the names at 168 are under contract with Showtime, Bute will need some recognizable names to make an HBO run. One possibility that I've heard mentioned is a fight down the line with WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik - if Pavlik decides to move up in weight next year. Another possibility is Bute moving up in weight for a fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson.

 

[heyzel]

Pacquiao Fires Back: Tells Mayweather To Step Up

By Mark Vester

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao arrived back home to Manila, Philippines on Thursday [Friday in Manila], receiving a hero's welcome from thousands of fans who lined the streets to celebrate last Saturday's victory over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Ad few days ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. baited Pacquiao by telling the Filipino icon - "If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself."

Pacquiao fired back, telling Mayweather that he should be one to step up to the plate. Mayweather sees himself as the bigger draw and bigger star, and Pacquiao sees himself in the same light. Pacquiao told reporters that he will not chase Mayweather to force a fight. Mayweather should be calling him out, says Pacquiao.

“I am willing to fight Mayweather as long as there’s an agreement,” Pacquiao said. “But we don’t want to force him to fight me. He should be the one to challenge me because it was clear I had more pay-per-view than him.”

Pacquiao has a tentative return date of March 13. If a deal with Mayweather is made, the March return could get bumped to May. Pacquiao plans to take some time off to relax and heal an ear injury suffered in the win over Cotto

“I want to relax and my ear injury to heal,” Pacquiao said.

 

[Thir$ty B]

S.O.G.! Dominant! Not expected, but awesome outcome, regardless of how it ended.

 

[heyzel]

Ricky Hatton Clash Would Be Huge, Says Amir Khan

By Terence Dooley

Although promoter Frank Warren has poured cold water scepticism over the comeback hopes of Ricky Hatton the Mancunian boxer has an ally in Amir Khan, who has told Sporting Life that Hatton can make it back to the top of the boxing ladder.

“I don't blame him (Hatton) because after a defeat like that you want to come back and prove to his fans how good you are,” stated Amir.

“We all rate Ricky Hatton, he is a great fighter. Perhaps he took that extra step fighting Manny Pacquiao. That's boxing - one punch can win a fight. But what happened to me against Prescott didn't make Prescott a better fighter than me. It was a little mistake I made and perhaps he feels like he made that mistake and he wants to correct it by coming back and showing he's not finished.

“I think he should come back and not walk out on his career with a defeat. It is going to be hard mentally as you're only as good as your last fight and that will be running through his mind. But I'm sure he can learn from what I went through, getting the defeat and then within a few fights coming back and being the world champion. I'm sure he can do the same. I have a lot of respect for him in that way he is not ducking anything and hopefully if he takes this guy out he'll be in with a chance for another big fight.”

However, Amir, 22, is not being too altruistic, the Bolton boxer, who defends his WBA light-welterweight crown against Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle on December the 5th, still hankers after a possible showdown with Ricky.

“I will leave it to the promoters, but it is a fight that could happen in the future with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, the likes of Ricky Hatton,” said Khan.

“We are at the same weight. You have got Manny, Marquez, Mayweather, myself, Ricky Hatton it is an exciting weight. People want to see us fight each other and having two British fighters (facing each other) here, it would be a huge fight, an explosive fight. People always want to see that the young lion going to take the old lion out. It's all about timing, picking the right opponent, but we'll see what happens.

“The same with Manny Pacquiao the fight might happen, even though we are training partners. You never know in this sport. As an amateur we used to fight people from the same gym, you'd spar with each other and then fight each other in championships. But I am not going to fight anyone at their peak if I am not at mine; there would be no point and it could spoil my whole career.”

However, Amir needs to take care of Salita come the 5th; Dmitriy’s glossy 30-0-1 (16 early) record may yet flatter to deceive. Still, the Brooklyn-based Ukrainian-Jew could upset Khan’s plans if Amir has taken his eye off the ball.

 

[heyzel]

Don King: "I Still Have John Ruiz Under a Valid Contract"

John Ruiz is my fighter,” King said. “I have a valid promotional agreement that designates me as his promoter. I do not understand why he and his manager are representing that he is a free agent when that is clearly not the case.”

Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 KOs) is a two time World Boxing Association heavyweight champion and is currently the WBA No. 1-ranked contender and mandatory challenger to new champion David Haye.

King has represented Ruiz since 1998. From 1998 through 2007, Ruiz fought 15 consecutive matches under the WBA banner, becoming a two-time WBA heavyweight champion. He has fought in a total of 11 WBA heavyweight championship matches under King’s representation.

King said he felt the winds of change blowing when Ruiz’s longtime manager Norman “Stoney” Stone, who had managed Ruiz since he was a Boston-area amateur, was ousted in 2005 by the lawyer Stone had brought in to represent Ruiz, Tony Cardinale.

“When they double-crossed Stoney, I knew something had gone wrong, and it wouldn’t be long until I’d be standing in Stoney’s shoes,” King said of the Ruiz camp.

Contacted to comment, Stone was not bashful in his assessment.

“I brought Tony into the Ruiz camp and look what they did to me,” Stone said. “It comes as no surprise what Tony is trying to do to Don now.

“Don stands right next to me as the two people who did the most to further the career of John Ruiz. Without Don King there is no John Ruiz becoming heavyweight champion of the world.

 

[heyzel]

John Ruiz: "David Haye is a Good Opponent For Me"

By Mark Vester

The last time John Ruiz saw action in London, he was training with Lennox Lewis in 1994. Ruiz was heklping Lewis prepare for his first bout with Oliver McCall. Things did not go as planned and Lewis was upset by McCall in two rounds. Now Ruiz is the mandatory challenger to WBA champion David Haye. Their fight is expected in London during the first quarter in 2010.

“The last time I was there I was working with Lennox Lewis when he lost to McCall,” Ruiz told The Times Online. "I’m definitely ready to go back now; the fans were great back then.”

Ruiz saw action on the undercard to Haye's title win over 7'2 Nikolai Valuev. He was surprised Haye got the win in Germany. After watching Haye up close, Ruiz feels the Hayemaker is a very good opponent for him. Ruiz doesn't think Haye will be able to avoid him in the same manner that he avoided Valuev.

“It was a fight where there weren’t that many punches thrown, for me I’m a little surprised that Haye got it because I couldn’t get a decision out of those judges in Germany. I could see that Haye’s a mover, he’s a runner - for me it’s a good opponent. I’m a lot quicker than Valuev, a little bit more experienced with bigger guys and it’s a better opportunity for me than fighting Valuev again," Ruiz said.

 

[heyzel]

Holyfield vs Botha on Jan 16: Francois Expects a War

Holyfield (47-10-2, 27 KOs) hasn’t boxed since his controversial majority decision loss to giant Nikolay Valuev for the WBA world title last December, and he is hoping that a victory over the man known as “The White Buffalo” (47-4-3, 28 KOs) will put him in line for a shot at WBC champion Vitali Klitschko later in 2010.

“I am very much looking forward to going to Uganda, and I expect a tough fight against Francois Botha. I am going to win, and I will cherish the WBF world title”, said the former undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight king.

Botha is himself coming off a close battle against a huge opponent, and barely defended the WBF title in October with a draw against 202 cm tall Cuban Pedro Carion, when a hand injury made things extra difficult for him in that fight. He has been cleared by doctors to fight again in January, and wows to do better in what will be his most significant fight since a TKO loss to Wladimir Klitschko in 2002:

“I have always been my own harshest critic. My performance against Carion, without making any excuses, was arguably the worst of my career. Expect the fittest, toughest and best ever, and extremely serious Francois Botha in Uganda in January. I owe my fans and members of Team Botha the performance of my life - I intend to make good on that”.

Promoter Bazira, who is planning to have no less than six title fights on the card, has worked 24/7 for the last month negotiating the terms and conditions to make the fight a reality, and is thrilled that the final details have been ironed out:

“We are proud to be able to present this big fight to not only the people of Uganda but to the people of all of Africa and the rest of the world. Holyfield, the legend that he is, is obviously the bigger name of the two, but Botha, being African, is also very famous in Uganda, and since both of them are real warriors I am sure we will get a fantastic fight and a fantastic event on January 16”.

Q & A: Francois Botha: Evander better bring his best game!

Francois you put up a wonderful performance against Timo Hoffman and then a very indifferent one against Pedro Carion. Even World Boxing Federation President, Howard Goldberg - a good friend of yours said Botha was extremely fortunate to draw. Which Botha can be expect to see against Holyfield?

Botha: I have always been my own harshest critic. My performance against Carion, without making any excuses, was arguably the worst of my career. Expect the fittest, toughest and best ever, and extremely serious Francois Botha in Uganda in January. I owe my fans and members of Team Botha the performance of my life - I intend to make good on that.

Although Holyfield is a few years older than you, he looked very impressive in his last fight. What tactics will you be employing?

Botha: Holyfield is an outstanding warrior and a several times world champion. He can box and fight. I need to bring my best game in order to win, and win is exactly what I intend to do. I am extremely serious, have started training, and will be going to Europe to spar before going early to Uganda to acclimatise. You have two top world champs in action. We're both a bit older and a bit wiser. Expect a great fight.

Many people who know you know that you are your own man, and don't really listen to advice from others? Will it be the same on this occasion?

Botha: I'm a bit older and wiser, and certainly more mature than in the old days in the USA. I speak often to some wise people, including my trainer, WBF President Howard Goldberg and people I trust. They always give me good advice even if it is sometimes harsh. But I have certainly learnt to listen to them and the good advice they give.
Why is a win so important to you in Uganda?

Botha: The good thing I suppose is that people who saw me turn in that lousy performance against Carion think that I'm done and should quit. I know my abilities if I take this seriously. A win against a warrior like Holyfield will open the doors to an eventual match with either one or both of the Klitchkos. When that happens, lets see those people who think I should quit.

A defence of the World Boxing Federation title means exactly what to Francois Botha?
Botha: I believe that a message was sent to me from higher powers telling me that I can still make it and inspire young people never to forego their dreams. It was Howard Goldberg who believed in me when I wasn't serious and wasn't interested and told me grasp the opportunity with both hands or to stop wasting everyone's time. That World Boxing Federation title means as much to me as does this individual fight with Holyfield and I intend doing justice to both.

Francois - a final comment from the White Buffalo?

Botha: The buffalo, after a little hiccup, is back on the prairie as mean and hungry as every before. Tell my friend Evander, for whom I have the highest respect and admiration, that he is coming to the buffalo's turf and he had better bring his best game. Whatever the result (and after a Botha victory) I look forward to having Evander as my guest in South Africa after the fight to show him one of the greatest countries in the world.

Francois - thank you very much and best of luck!

Botha: My pleasure as always.

 

[heyzel]

Amir Khan Can Fight at 147 Like Pacquiao, Says Roach

By Mark Vester

Trainer Freddie Roach says WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan can easily move up to welterweight and beyond, and win titles in multiple divisions like Manny Pacquiao. Roach trains both fighters and has them spar often during training camp. Khan defends his title against undefeated Dimitry Salita in Newcastle on December 5.

"He has the body frame to move up for sure. 135 was okay, but 140 I like him better at. As he fills out and matures a little bit he'll definitely end up as a welterweight and maybe end up as a middleweight one day, I would say," Roach tells Irish Times.

Khan is looking forward to his defense against Salita. Roach doesn't think the fight will go the distance. He sees Khan taking Salita out in a wild, action fight.

"It's gonna be a great fight. Salita is undefeated, he's hungry for a title shot. he's going to be at his best I'm sure," Roach said. "Amir is training great, he's in great shape. We had a great training camp with great sparring partners. We're definitely ready for whatever he brings. I think Amir is going to shine in this one.

"I wouldn't miss this one - Amir is an action fighter and Salita comes to fight. It's going to be all-action as long as it lasts."

 

[heyzel]

David Haye Breaks Down The Klitschko Brothers

By Mark Vester

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye has to defend his title against mandatory challenger John Ruiz, but he still wants to fight the brothers who rule the division, WBO/IBF/IBO champion Wladimir Klitschko and the WBC chmapion Vitali Klitschko. Haye broke down the strenghts and weaknesses of both brothers.

"I think they are about the same to be honest. They both got their own assets. Wladimir is a lot looser and a lot faster but he's a lot more vulnerable to punches. He's a lot more gun-shy. He likes to shy away from shots which makes him awkward," Haye told BoxingScene.com's Bill Emes.

"Vitali holds his ground a lot more. He punches up a lot more than Wladimir. He can take a better shot but he's a lot older and had well documented knee problems so he's not as mobile, well...maybe...he was in his last fight. But he's not as mobile as his younger brother. They are both different fighters so I have to train differently to fight either one of them."

Haye withdrew from scheduled bouts with the brothers in the past. He was set to face Wladimir in June and Vitali in September. Haye tells BoxingScene that he still believes the brothers will fight him.

"They are the biggest fight. The biggest paydays. The biggest everything. They are the big fights that the people want to see - not only in England but everywhere. When they check their bank accounts after their fight next and see how much they could get for fighting me and see the pay-per-view numbers that I'm getting - then they will probably go and make the right business decision."

 

[heyzel]

Goossen: Paul Williams Wants Mayweather/Mosley at 147

By Ryan Burton

BoxingScene.com spoke to Dan Goossen about the upcoming Paul Williams versus Sergio Martinez fight, scheduled for December 5 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. See what Goossen had to say about this matchup, the possibility of fighting Pavlik down the road and who they really want Pavlik to fight after this fight in this BoxingScene.com exclusive interview.

BoxingScene.com: How do you view Paul Williams versus Sergio Martinez in contrast to him fighting Kelly Pavlik. That is a major difference in styles.

Dan Goossen: I said it on the conference call a couple weeks ago. I believe that Sergio Martinez is a tougher fight for anyone instead of Pavlik. This isn't just a tougher fight for Paul. It is a tougher fight for anyone that would fight Martinez. As we all know no one is really putting there name in the hat to fight Martinez. The difference of not wanting to fight Martinez versus not wanting to fight a Paul Williams.

Martinez you don't want to fight because he is a slick guy and he knows how to box and counterpunch. He does the types of thing that a good techinician does that a lot of fighters don't like to oppose. On the other hand with Paul he just puts a lot of fear into a lot of fighters. It's not because he is tricky or anything. It is because he is big, strong and aggressive and comes right at you. He doesn't stop throwing punches until either you stop the fight or your counted out or it goes to a decision which is very seldom. With Paul you have a young man that is knocking on the door of superstardom and he will get it. All he has to do is keep on doing what he is doing and that is fighting the way he does and being consistent doing it which will bring him victories. I believe Atlantic City and the fans of the east coast will gravitate to him.

BoxingScene.com: With that being said Pavlik is now fighting Miguel Espino in a
fight he should win easily a couple of weeks after the Williams fight. Do you think we will see Williams versus Pavlik in the first quarter of next year?

Dan Goossen: There is a lot of speculation about Pavlik and Williams. That is one of the reasons why we took the fight October 3rd and obviously we all know what happened there. We hesitantly agreed to push it back to December 5th and we all know what happened with that. There is an old saying, shame on me for agreeing to it once but what is the punch line Ryan? Shame one me if we agree to it again which I did. What we are looking at is Paul Williams and his career. Kelly Pavlik is obviously doing what he wants to and for us to sit there and depend on anything from Kelly Pavlik I think would be another scenario where we could be sitting on the shelf waiting for Pavlik to follow through with it. I don't want to sit here and say that the staph infection isn't serious stuff. We know there was a big story on it that he was almost on his death bed so its nothing to attack in anyway. It is peculiar that he is fighting a few weeks later after he said that he hasn't trained for a few months. We have always wanted to fight Pavlik and it just didn't materialize.

We are happy we are fighting Sergio Martinez and I think it might have been on BoxingScene.com recently where Shane Mosley came out on the Berto press conference saying no one wants to fight him and he is the best welterweight in the world. I have always respected our champions especially the ones that have been as great as Shane Mosley. I certainly don't want to do anything that shows any disrespect to him but on the other hand I just feel it is unfair for Shane to say what he did when we all know we tried everything in our power to make the Mosley-Williams fight for the past six or seven months which would have been a very very good fight. All I ask for him to do is don't say you are the very best welterweight out there because Paul Williams would be ready to fight him immediately at 147 pounds after December 5th. If he is fortunate to beat Berto which isn't a foregone conclusion because Berto is a young Shane Mosley we would love to fight him. I just don't think Shane Mosley should proclaim any greatness in the 147 pound division as long as Paul Williams is ready and willing to go down to 147 pounds. We would not be fighting at middleweight right now if Shane
Mosley would have accepted the fight with Paul Williams.

BoxingScene.com: Shane Mosley has 3 HBO dates in 2010. As we know Berto is going to be his first fight and for the third fight he will probably target the Pacquiao verus Mayweather winner. Are you looking to be that second fight probably towards the end of the spring?

Dan Goossen: Again we have been trying for close to a year now Ryan to make this fight. These are questions you have to ask Shane Mosley. Would he be willing to fight Paul Williams. There is the possibilty that he just doesn't want to fight Paul. That it is too much for him.

If that is the case we don't have a problem with that. Just don't say you are the best welterweight in the world when we have tried to everything to put you in the ring with the best welterweight in the world in our eyes and you have not accepted it or even let it go further than us just saying hey lets do it.

BoxingScene.com: Since you first started talking to Shane about a possible fight, Williams has beaten Winky Wright and now if he gets by Martinez won't that help increase his marketability and ultimately make him a more attractive option for Mosley?

Dan Goossen: Listen he (Williams) obviously had a lot of marketability going into the Pavlik fight. That was a fight that was very widely anticipated and certainly there was quite a bit of money out there for everyone. The same holds true for Mosley. There is zero excuses at this point. Paul has established himself as I said earlier. With each victory he pushes himself closer and closer to being one of the elite superstars out there. Nothing comes over night. You have to keep on pushing going back to what I said in our previous interview about Pacquiao and Andre Ward. You need consistency and you need to constantly get your hand raised and tell the fans that they have
someone they can get behind and cheer. That is why we are looking at a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. You wouldn't have thought of that fight a few years ago.

BoxingScene.com: Speaking of Pacquiao versus Mayweather. We will never see Pacquiao set foot in a ring with Paul Williams but if Mayweather wins that fight will a fight with Mayweather be another fight you target?

Dan Goossen: First off its if the fight gets made and I believe it should get made. There is no reason it shouldn't get made. One of the things that Bob (Arum) and I have been able to do in the past even in the most dificult circumstances like with the Pavlik versus Williams fight and the rescheduling of it, is get fights done. Bob has a way of getting deals done along with ourselves. Number two I believe it is a fight that Floyd Mayweather wins. He is just too good of a technician and too good of a fighter. People like to suggest that he never has fought the top guys out there. Well I would disagree with that. He has fought the top guys out there. I have been around when he has. I believe that fight will get made and I believe it is a fight that Floyd Mayweather will win. Getting back to your question, Paul Williams would love to fight Floyd. I believe
your right that Pacquiao would never ever step in the ring with Paul Williams but I believe Floyd Mayweather would.

BoxingScene.com: 2009 is ending with a bang and it looks like 2010 will be another great year for boxing. Good luck with your card on the 5th.

Dan Goossen: Yes it has been. Thanks again.

 

[Tony]

Holyfield is going to serve who ever steps in his way.

Evander Holyfield is the greatest of all time!

 

[heyzel]

Kessler: "Ward Ruined My Style, I'll Beat Carl Froch"

Mikkel Kessler has vowed to bounce back stronger than ever after his 11th round technical decision defeat against Andre Ward. The Viking Warrior was trailing on all three scorecards when the fight was stopped due to a cut caused by an unintentional headbutt. “I have lost the world title once and won it straight back so I know how to do it,” Kessler said. “With the support of my home fans in Denmark I will beat Carl Froch and become world champion again. That is why this tournament is great – I have the chance to make amends immediately.”

Kessler admitted it was tough to fight Ward. “He was very fast and very good. He ruined my style,” he said. “It was not my day. Now I will go home, watch the tape and then bounce back stronger than ever.”

Said Wilfried Sauerland: “Congratulations to Andre Ward, he fought a great fight and deserved to win. I was impressed by his speed and his technical abilities. However, the referee should have stopped the holding and headbutting, but we do not want to take anything away from his performance and his victory. Mikkel will come back and do very well in this tournament, no doubt about that.”

Added Kalle Sauerland: “Ward proved today that he belongs into this tournament and that he is a great fighter with a golden future. The great thing about the Super Six World Boxing Classic is that Mikkel can take revenge soon as their paths might cross again. Mikkel and his team will analyse the fight closely and draw the right conclusions. I have no doubts that the Viking Warrior will come back stronger than ever and we will see an exciting fight against Carl Froch. That fight will be massive.”

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather’s Sky Sports Interview Rings True

By Michael R. Cumberbatch - If you did not get an opportunity to catch the Floyd Mayweather Jr. exclusive interview with Sky Sports’ Adam Smith you are probably in the minority amongst boxing fans. Mayweather, whose words are often dismissed by his legion of critics those include fight fans and writers alike for reasons well chronicled. It doesn’t mean that Moneys statements are void of truth.

Boring Fights Because of His Superior Defense

Mayweather can control and dictate the pace and the manner in which his fights play out because of his defensive prowess. This is a gift that few fighters have.. You look at a guy like Bernard Hopkins. When have you seen him get “Beat Up” in any fight? He finishes his fights looking nearly the way he entered. Hopkins like Mayweather controls fights with his defensive skills often making it very difficult and awkward for opponents to land clean solid punches. Defensive wizardry is not easily taught and more often than not a God given talent. Sure you have seen guys able to slip punches because of their quick reflexes only to see that lost with Father Time a la Roy Jones Jr., but what Mayweather possesses is much more than just quick reflexes.

On the other hand it’s amazing how much credit guys who are so called action fighters get because of their style. They are there to hit and get hit. They get credit for absorbing punches. Not only is it not smart to absorb a lot of punishment because we have seen what happens to many fighters once their careers are over. Mayweather wisely points out “those guys can’t enjoy the money they’ve made.”

To sum it up Mayweather is 100% right in saying his critics say his fights are boring but looking closely at the reasons they may feel that way it’s simply because he is that good and defensively he can do what very few can. If his critics were in his shoes and they could go into a fight use, their defensive skills come out barely unscathed and make millions? How many would sign up right now and do exactly what he does?

Trying to make a fighter to beat him

I think the media is as guilty of this as anyone. Fans are fans and they often are going to believe their guy can win and, ultimately, view things through rose-colored glasses. Looking back at the Mayweather vs. Hatton fight- in the weeks leading up to the fight, many scribes said Hatton’s aggressiveness and his Going Forward style would be enough to afford the Hitman a victory. I am not sure whether they actually believed this or if it was more like wishful thinking. It’s like what Prince Naseem said years ago “People watch me because they want to see me lose,” Mayweather is in the same boat as Naseem but numerically multiplied. To his credit, no one else in boxing can say that they carry such an antifan base. Yes, I said to his credit because those antifans buy PPV’S as well because they want to be witnesses to that first L. If Hatton was built up by the media I think some legitimately believe Pacquaio can win.

Pacs opponents cleverly cherrypicked?

Mayweather referred to Erik Morales as being already washed up when he met Pacquaio. You can certainly say Morales was on the decline, after 3 brutal fights with Barrera, he is absolutely right. Ricky Hatton had been already knocked out by Mayweather when he met Pac. We already knew Hatton was not a great fighter. Another point Money made was Pac vs. ODH at welterweight, a weight Money said Oscar had not fought at in nine years. It was more like seven years, eight and a half months but you get the point. Mackie Shilstone the conditioning guru accurately predicted that ODH would have more difficulty going down in weight than Pac moving up. Even though he might have less weight to lose, the man coming down is going to have the bigger problem," Shilstone told ESPN.com from his New Orleans training center. "It's easier building a guy up, even if he has a longer way to go, because regardless of what condition he's in, the one losing weight runs the risk of losing the wrong kind of weight. Freddie Roach knew his man had the decided advantage. Manny weighed 135 lbs for Diaz, but he went into the ring weighing 146 lbs for that one," Roach said. "Frankly, I think Oscar will be affected by having to make this weight for the first time in years. He got down to 150 for Forbes, but if Forbes could break up his face and rock him a couple of times, I know Pacquiao is much faster and hits a lot harder than Stevie Forbes does." And lastly Miguel Cotto. Damaged goods coming in as Mayweather stated. You can debate that for the next ten years but what is a fact is that he always had a suspect chin before the Margarito fight. You can remember Cotto visibly hurt holding on for dear life against Chop Chop Corley, Ricardo Torres and resorting to questionable tactics when hurt by Zab Judah.

Mayweather often accused of cherry picking opponents believes Pacquiao and his team does the same thing by picking big names at a downtime in their career.

Perhaps the quote that stands out most was Mayweather saying that a Pacquiao fight would be easier than his fight with Marquez. Time will tell if we can add this to other facts he stated.

 

[2-0-Sixx]

might be the pic but pavlik looks like shit to me (see below) and I cannot believe this shit fight/card is on PPV. The thing that gets me is if Pavlik was not able to fight Paul Williams on Dec 5th because of his staph infection, uh, how is he suddenly ok to fight on Dec 19th? I really liked Pavlik after he beat taylor but I'm having some serious doubts about him right now.....prove me wrong Ghost

Pavlik-Espino Full Undercard Finalized For December 19

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO – World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK returns home, to Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center, on Saturday, December 19, to defend his titles against top-rated contender MIGUEL ESPINO. Promoted by Top Rank, the Pavlik-Espino world title tilt will headline an all-action two-country world championship doubleheader, produced and distributed Live on Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. The suggested retail price is $39.95.

Combined, these two sluggers boast an incredible record of 55-3-1 (40 KOs), a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 72%!

Tickets, priced at $208, $158, $108 and $58, including $8 processing fee, go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, November 25, at 9 a.m. ET, online at www.Tickets.com. They can also be purchased at the Beeghly Center box office, beginning Monday, November 30.

The pay-per-view broadcast will open from the Arena Itson in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico with WBC super featherweight champion HUMBERTO SOTO (49-7-2, 32 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mexico taking on two-time world champion JESUS CHAVEZ (44-6, 30 KOs), of Austin, Tex., in a 10-round lightweight bout, followed by a rumble between WBA interim bantamweight champion NEOMAR CERMEÑO (18-0, 10 KOs), of Anzoategui, Venezuela, defending his title against ALEJANDRO VALDEZ (22-3-2, 16 KOs), of Ciudad Obregon, Mexico. The pay-per-view action will shift to Youngstown where undefeated Top-10 super welterweight contender VANES MARTIROSYAN (25-0, 16 KOs), of Glendale, Calif., will challenge NABF super welterweight champion WILLIE LEE (17-5, 10 KOs), of New Orleans, in a 12-round bout, followed by the main event, Pavlik vs. Espino.

“It’s great to be back training and it’s great to be defending my titles in Youngstown,” said Pavlik, who has been sidelined for much of the year by various problems from a nagging staph infection in his right hand. “Jack Loew and I are taking nothing for granted which is why we decided to set up training in Las Vegas. We are 110% focused on Espino and the best way to avoid the distractions of the holidays is to isolate ourselves in the desert. I’m not going to allow Espino to be the Grinch who took my world title.”

“It’s going to be ‘Seasons Beatings’ for Señor Espino. Nothing but lumps of coal in his stocking plus a few lumps on his head” added Loew.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I intend to make the most of it,” said Espino. “All fighters dream of the chance to fight for a world title and now I am living that dream. I know I am the underdog in this fight but that is what is inspiring me. No sacrifice will be too large in preparing for this fight. If Pavlik takes me lightly he’ll be making a big mistake.”

"Kelly Pavlik is a superstar because he has always accepted the biggest challenges,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “He’s endured a lot since his last title defense. To come back from his staph infection and the life-threatening complications he suffered due to his allergic reaction to the antibiotic prescribed is the stuff of legends. In life, just as in the ring, Kelly Pavlik may get knocked down, but you can never count him out. We are thrilled to be able to present this two-country world championship doubleheader. It has the makings of a great night of boxing, whether you’re seeing it live or live on pay-per-view.”

Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs), the star from Youngstown, Ohio, joins former lightweight champions Harry Arroyo and Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini as hometown world champions. Pavlik Ghost wrote a career year in 2007 against three of the best who boasted a combined record of 74-4-3 (55 KOs) when he faced them. The consensus “Fighter of the Year” for 2007, Pavlik knocked out Jose Luis Zertuche (19-3-2, 14 KOs) and Edison Miranda (28-1, 24 KOs), in world title elimination bouts, earning him the right to become Jermain Taylor’s mandatory challenger. His year-end finale, a seventh-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Taylor, to claim the world middleweight championship, was selected as the “Fight of the Year” by the Boxing Writers Association of America and extended Pavlik’s two-year victory by knockout streak to nine bouts. Pavlik defeated Taylor handily in their rematch in February 2008 to solidify his claim as one of boxing’s top pound for pound fighters. He has successfully defended the title twice, both by knockout, against Gary Lockett and Marco Antonio Rubio, the No. 1 contenders and mandatory challengers for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC), respectively.

Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs), from North Hollywood, Calif., was featured in the first season of “The Contender” on NBC. He enters this fight riding a four-year, 11-bout winning streak -- the last four by knockout. He returns to the ring after one of his career-best victories, a sixth-round TKO of former two-time world champion Alejandro Garcia in his last fight, successfully defending his WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation middleweight title. Trained and managed by John Bray for the last 10 years, Espino has good skills and movement and experience against world-class opposition. He is currently world-rated No. 3 by the WBC.

 

[MR. CLEEN]

Pavlik clearly backed out of the Williams fight knowing he couldn't win that fight. That was cowardly. If his hand is healed enough to fight Espino, then his hand is healed enough to fight Williams. If he wins this fight he's gonna call out Williams again. If i was Williams I wouldn't give him the time of day.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Pavlik asked for 2 more weeks and William's camp said no and they were tired of the games. I don't blame them.

That's what I read anyways....

 

[naner12]

Cermeno Vs. Valdez is a very dope fight. Cermeno is coming off two big wins over Mijares and Valdez is coming off getting dicked in a fight against Montiel in a fight he clearly won by TKO.

.. not enough to order that PPV though .. especially since I'll be at the Saints/Cowboys game.

 

[heyzel]

Miguel Cotto's Return Eyed For June in New York City

By Mark Vester

According to promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, former champion Miguel Cotto may return in his favorite position - headlining a June event on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. Arum plans to meet with Cotto and his team in the near future to discuss the plans for 2010. First, Cotto needs to recover from the beating he took against Manny Pacquiao on November 14.

"First, Miguel needs a long period of rest, so forget boxing for a while. Then we will sit down to talk about some possible opponents, but the idea is for him to fight again in the summer," Arum told Primera Hora .

Arum would love to put together an event with Cotto in the new Yankee Stadium but obviously Madison Square Garden is a frontrunner to host the card. Juan Manuel Lopez is a possible co-feature to Cotto's comeback if the event lands in Yankee Stadium.

"If we reach an agreement to make the event at Yankee Stadium, it would be ideal to have Miguel with Juan Manuel "Juanma "Lopez on the same card. We would need both of them to fill the place. But if it's at Madison Square Garden, then it would only be Miguel," Arum said.