Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Kelly Pavlik: "I Want The Williams-Martinez Winner Next"

By Mark Vester

WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik makes his return on December 19 in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio. Pavlik defends his title against heavy underdog Miguel Espino. Finally recovered from a staph infection on his left hand, Pavlik is taking his return very seriously and moved the training from camp Youngstown to Las Vegas.

"There were a lot of distractions at home, over the simplest things. It could be the price of tickets. People calling up and saying 'the price of tickets are too high, too expensive, we don't want to spend that amount of money on them. Team Pavlik's fault for this or that.' There were little distractions. We came out here to clear our head and focus on what we have and about a week and a half before the fight we'll head back to get used to the climate," Pavlik said to BoxingScene.com's Ryan Burton.

"[After Espino] I want to fight the best, hopefully get the winner of Williams and Martinez. Right now that's the biggest fight out there."

Pavlik was scheduled to face Paul Williams on October 3 and December 5. He withdrew from both dates due to the staph infection. He was forced to return to action a few weeks early when the WBO/WBC threatened to strip him of the titles. Pavlik tells BoxingScene that he is not ducking Williams and wants to fight the winner of Williams-Sergio Martinez next.

"First of all, what people in boxing have to understand - when I fought Bernard Hopkins, I was suppossed to fight Paul Williams and Paul Williams pulled out. If anyone wants to check with any of the promoters, we were in talks to fight Paul Williams. Paul Williams didn't take the fight so we went up two weight classes, not one but two weight classes to fight Bernard Hopkins. Why would I duck Paul Williams to fight Bernard Hopkins at light heavyweight? Hopkins, one of the most craftiest fighters in the sport, ever," Pavlik said.

"Because of the injury, we were looking to push the fight back three weeks or another month and they didn't want to hear it. The reason we are fighting two weeks after, on the 19th, is because the organizations came down and said I had to fight or they were going to strip me of my titles. I wouldn't be fighting until the end of January if it wasn't for that. They can say what they want. Williams knows that I wanted to fight him but he wants to keep that whole 'I'm the most feared fighter' thing going."

 

[2-0-Sixx]

If bernard can pull that off, that is beat his tune up, then roy jones, then david haye at heavyweight. Top 20 all time.

 

[heyzel]

Pacquiao vs Foreman May Be Next in March, Says Roach

By Mark Vester

Trainer Freddie Roach has confirmed BoxingScene.com's big scoop over the weekend; Manny Pacquiao may move up to 154-pounds to target a world title shot against undefeated WBA champion Yuri Foreman. Foreman and Pacquiao are both promoted by Top Rank. Roach, who will be in Amir Khan's corner this Saturday, told British press that Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn't want to fight Pacquiao in March, and Manny doesn't want to wait until May or June to fight again - likely due to a possible election run as noted earlier by BoxingScene's Ronnie Nathanielsz.

"Mayweather doesn't want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154 pound title in March and move up for that eighth world title. I'm thinking about that still and it's something that I'm kicking around in my head right now," Roach said.

"Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we'll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he's not negotiating too well. It has to happen, and with the money they are going to make out of it, I feel it will happen. Mayweather can't make that money with anybody else."

Bernard Hopkins, a partner in Golden Boy Promotions [who are backing Mayweather], told BoxingScene.com over the weekend that Pacquiao would likely face Foreman before Mayweather, and Floyd would likely fight Shane Mosley - should he beat Andre Berto in January.

 

[heyzel]

Arthur Abraham Missing Training; Sylvester Back on 1/30

By Mark Vester

Bild Zeitung reported on Friday that Arthur Abraham had again had missed out on a training session. Trainer Ulli Wegner wasn´t one bit happy about it and said "King" Arthur was blowing his career. There have been many rumors that Abraham is lazy in training but come fight time - so far - he´s always had that little extra to see him come through. Abraham is next scheduled to fight Andre Dirrell in the second round of the Super Six tournament.

IBF middleweight champ Sebastian Sylvester returns to Neubrandenburg and the Jahnsportforum when he makes the first defence of the title January 30. No opponent is announced yet. Sylvester won the title in September against Giovanni Lorenzo and also knocked out Javier Castillejo at this venue.

Mads Larsen vs Brian Magee for the EBU super middleweight title was on for January 30 in Aarhus but is now out to purse offers again with December 3 as deadline. Larsen was originally set to fight Dimitri Sartison after Palm Promotions had won purse bids for that one. Sartison then pulled out to fight for the WBA title with Brian Magee becoming the new opponent for Larsen. Palm was quick to sign a deal with Magee and Larsen vs Magee was on. However, the EBU should have called for purse bids as it was a new fight which was pointed out by Sauerland Event who have a contract with Larsen that expires December 30 with option for another year. Larsen wants out of the deal with Sauerland and there have been a lot of unhappy comments from both parts in Danish media

IBF Youth middleweight champ Dominik Britsch will now fight Cleber Argente Alves on Saturday in Luwdigsburg and not Matias Ezequiel Franco, who had to pull out due to passport problems. Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin will fight American Leo Nolan. Povektin is now trained by Teddy Atlas and is waiting for a shot at the IBF title but there is no date set.

OPI 2000 in Italy have signed up super middleweight Mohamed Ali Ndiaye, 15-1, and welterweight Michele Di Rocco, 26-1-1. Ndiaye has fights set for December 23 and January 29 in Rovigo when he appears on the undercard to Brancalion vs Cleverly.

WBA I/C jr middleweight champ Zauerbek Baysangurov defends the title December 19 in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, on a K 2 East promotion. Dmitrij Nikulin, also at jr middleweight, will fight for the WBO European title. Also on the bill is light heavyweight Vitaliy Rusal, welterweight Valery Brazhnik and jr welterweight Sergey Fedchenko.

Next up for Florida-based Swedish heavy Attila Levin could be a spot on the Botha vs Holyfield card January 16 in Kampala, Uganda. Super middleweight Badou Jack and welterweight Patrick Bogere, the best Swedish prospects around, are both booked for the show.

Norwegian Arild "the Hulk" Haugen turns pro December 11 in Valencia against Latvian Pavels Dolgovs. Haugen have previously competed as a strongman and bodybuilder. His weight is now around 120 kilos of pure muscles and Norwegian press gives "the Hulk" a lot of publicity.

P 3 Boxing in Finland close out the year with a small show at the Aladdin Nightclub in Espoo December 12 with lightweight Edis Tatli, super middleweight Niko Jokinen and cruiserweight Harri Hakulinen on the bill.

 

[heyzel]

David Haye Says Salita Will Not Be Easy For Amir Khan

y Mark Vester

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye says Amir Khan should not overlook undefeated Dmitriy Salita. Some have said Khan, the WBA junior welterweight champion, is looking past Salita by discussing potential bouts with Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and others. Haye expects Salita to be a very tough opponent for Khan. The fight takes place on December 5 in Newcastle.

"Salita is a solid fighter and is very good. I know a few people who have seen him in the past saying he could he trouble," Haye told Sportinglife.

Haye will attend the fight to support Khan's first defense of the title he won back in July from Andriy Kotelnik. He expects Khan to retain his title.

"Khan is in tremendous shape already," Haye said. "I will be there as I really want to see him defend his title.

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather vs Pacquiao Negotiations Hit a Snag

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The negotiations for a possible $80 million super fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr have been stalled and its not because Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer have hit a snag. Its all because of Pacquiao’s reported firm decision to run for a congressional seat in Sarangani.

After a series of frantic overseas telephone conversations with Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal Arum told us he was informed that Pacquiao had decided to run for Congress and that the newspaper photos and reports quoting Pacquiao as asking for support for the Party List group Pwersang Bayaning Atleta were supposedly misleading. The impression that he would vie for a seat as a representatve of the PBA party list group were reportedly incorrect.

Pacquiao’s longtime friend and sometime confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud told us that Pacquiao would run in Sarangani and that there is a good chance he would run unopposed, banking on an apparent effort by President Arroyo to appeal to the well-established Chiongbian family to withdraw from the congressional race.

Salud said he was 99% sure that Pacquiao would run and win, no matter what.

Given this scenario Arum told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “what’s there to talk about” when asked for an update on his talks with Schaefer on a Mayweather fight.

Arum said “if worse comes to worse we’ll go back to the original plan for a March 13 fight” in which the new Dallas Cowboys billion dollar stadium is the likely venue.

He said Pacquiao “will fight somebody else” although no names were mentioned and Mayweather may go to England and fight Matthew Hatton, the brother of former IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton which has been mentioned as a possibility and the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will happen at the end of the year.

Arum said “anyway, let’s see what happens” after the deadline for Manny to file his Certificate of Candidacy

 

[heyzel]

Gary Shaw speaks about the controversial Funeka-Guzman decision

by Geoffrey Ciani - At the conclusion of Saturday night’s fight between Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman, the verdict seemed pretty clear—Ali Funeka won the fight. This was not an especially difficult fight to score. Funeka won, and he should have been awarded the vacant IBF lightweight title. To the astonishment of those in attendance and those watching around the world, the fight was inexplicably ruled a draw. I had a chance to speak with promoter Gary Shaw after the fight, and here is what he had to say:

Audio:








Q: Gary, what was your opinion of the Funeka-Guzman decision last night?

A: I thought it was one of the top four robberies that I’ve ever seen in boxing in my entire career. I think it ranks right up there with Holyfield and Lewis in Madison Square Garden..

Q: Well it’s funny you mention that fight, because at the end of the fight what I noticed was the reactions on the fighters’ faces was similar to that fight where, Holyfield and Guzman both appeared happy about getting a draw whereas Funeka and Lennox Lewis appeared very upset about the decision. What does that tell you?

A: It tells me that both Holyfield and Guzman believe they lost the fight, and Lennox Lewis and Ali Fukena believe they won the fight, which was correct in both cases. And to Guzman’s credit, although he fought like a warrior and fought one of the better fights I’ve ever seen him fight, even at the press conference he admitted he didn’t win and he said that Golden Boy and his corner wanted to stop the fight.

Q: I watched the fight with a bunch of friends, Gary, and I think that we all scored it something along the lines of 118-110, 117-111. What do you think of the fact that two of the Canadian judges actually gave Guzman six rounds?

A: I think they were either inept and their licenses should be pulled and they should never judge again, or that they wanted to fix the fight. There could be no other reasoning, and they had the score the exact same and I believe they may have scored the rounds exactly the same.

Q: Do you think that there will be a rematch for this fight?

A: Well I don’t know. I’m going to ask the IBF to make Ali Funeka the interim champion which he is at least deserving of, because if we have to fight again and it goes to purse bid there’s no reason why it should be a 50-50 purse bid. That would be just wrong. So we’ll see. I’m not sure that the world or HBO wants to see the fight again. It was a one-sided fight. HBO was in disbelief at the scoring.

Q: Gary, do you have anything else you’d like to add on this fight?

A: No, I just think that it hurts boxing terribly, it hurts the fans, it hurts everything we’re trying to build to and that’s the essence of what’s so terrible about it. It’s not just the fact that the fighter gets screwed or the fighter goes back to South Africa empty handed when in fact he won and he should have gone back with the belt. But we lose the confidence of fans that we’re fair, we’re unbiased, it doesn’t make a difference where a fight happens—the winning fighter will always get the win. That’s the terrible thing here.

Q: Now Gary, before I let you go is there anything else you would like to say to all the fans out at East Side Boxing?

A: Sure. I would just like to thank them for being fans of Gary Shaw Productions and, more importantly, being boxing fans. So don’t lose your interest in the sport. Keep up the hope, and hopefully, we’ll be able to get better officials and fairer fights—ones that the fight fans can be proud of.

Q: Great. Gary, thank you very much for your time, I appreciate it.

A: Thank you so very much, I appreciate you taking the time.

***

 

[heyzel]

Will Enzo Maccarinelli Get Himself A Comeback Win, Or Will Krisztian Jaksi End The We

by James Slater - It has been confirmed that former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli of Wales will face 24-year-old Krisztian Jaksi of Hungary this coming Saturday night on the under card of Amir Khan Vs. Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle. Returning to the ring after his 3rd-round stoppage loss to Denis Lebedev in July of this year, the 29-year-old who admitted he thought seriously about quitting the sport will be looking to get his first win in 2009. It's no secret how the big puncher has had a dreadful year so far, losing inside the distance to Ola Afolabi (TKO by 9) and then to Lebedev. And despite calls from some quarters for his retirement, Maccarinelli is giving it one more go. Against his younger opponent from Hungary, Enzo should be able to get himself a win - unless he's really regressed since his last two defeats..

Jaksi, 6-12-4, has no KO's on his record, and judging solely by that, he is a "safe" opponent for Maccarinelli. But one thing the Hungarian has proven to be in the past is durable. Stopped just once in his 12 defeats - back in June of 2004, inside a round by Stas Kashtanov of Ukraine - Jaksi has fought in the U.K before. Losing on points to Terry Dunstan and David Dolan (the Dolan fight being his most recent, taking place just this past November 6th), Jaksi has a proven chin.

The journeyman has no notable wins on his record, but he is young, he has been active and if Maccarinelli is as shot as some people feel he is, Jaksi could possibly score the upset. Scheduled only for six rounds, Saturday's fight might well go the distance. And, yes, being the "home town" fighter as he is, if it's in any way close Enzo will likely get the verdict, but Jaksi might just fight more aggressively than usual and make the favourite look bad.

A loss for Enzo would be absolutely catastrophic, and a stoppage loss to the non-puncher would be even worse - if that's possible. Amazingly having had ten fights this year already, Jaksi is sure to be sharp and in good shape.

It's tough not to root for the likeable former WBO 200-pound ruler, but it's equally hard to see him achieving his goal of not only regaining his old belt, but of winning the other titles at cruiserweight also.

A KO win over Jaksi would go some way towards restoring some of Maccarinelli's lost confidence, but I feel he will have to settle for a wide points win instead.

 

[heyzel]

Wright Plans Return: Targets Felix Sturm, Kelly Pavlik

By Rick Reeno

It was a wild Monday for Winky Wright. The former undisputed junior middleweight champion was getting ready for a planned December 11 bout against Grady Brewer in Puerto Rico. He was very much caught off-guard when BoxingScene.com, on Monday afternoon, informed his adviser Damian Ramirez, that co-promoter Cesar Sainz of San Juan City Knockout was going to withdraw his financial support for their show.

From what I was told, the co-promoter did not have the necessary funds to move the show forward. While Wright would not specify his purse, BoxingScene learned from a source with knowledge of the negotiations that Winky was only going to make $200,000 dollars for the fight. He was willing to take a significant cut in pay to fight Brewer. How significant? Well, Winky's fight with Paul Williams this past April was a 50-50 split.

"I wasn't going to make a lot of money. I just wanted to get back in the ring and give the fans a good fight. Grady isn't a world beater but he's a tough guy and he can fight. I wanted to give the fans a good fight. It's just my luck," Wright would tell BoxingScene on Monday night.

Golden Boy Promotions is working to get Wright a date in the next three months. He wants to return as soon as possible.

"I would like to fight in the second week of January. If that doesn't happen, then early February. I just want to get back in the ring. I don't want to take anything away from Paul [Williams] but the layoff took a lot [away from me]. I don't want that to happen again. I want stay active," Wright said.

Wright has two targets in 2010; WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and WBA champion Felix Sturm. Pavlik returns on December 19 against Miguel Espino. Sturm is a free agent [not according to Universum]. He told BoxingScene's Terry Dooley on Monday that he plans to fight in American in 2010 and wants a "name" opponent. There were talks last year for a Sturm-Wright clash. That never happened.

"They talked about it and talked about it and then they didn't want it. I would definitely take that fight. I want Kelly Pavlik too. I want to get back in ring, keeping fighting and keep winning and show the fans that I'm still here," Wright said.

 

[heyzel]

Amir Khan Insists: "I'm Not Overlooking Salita Bout"

By Mark Vester

WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan claims to have his entire focus on mandatory challenger Dmitriy Salita. Khan defends the title against Salita on Saturday in Newcastle. The media has been blasting Khan over his multiple comments where he talks about future fights with Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and several others. Many are under the impression that Khan is not taking Salita serious enough - and spends too much of his time thinking about future fights.

Khan says the media chatter is not true. He is focused only on Salita. He says the media asks him about potential opponents and then uses his own comments against him.

"My total focus is on Salita. People have been mentioning other names to me, asking 'what do you think of this guy?' But I've got a guy in front of me who wants to beat me and I need to win that fight. If I lose the fight there will be no point in talking about other fights. I need to beat this guy first and then sit down with my team and see where we go from there," Khan said. "It's a big fight for me, defending my WBA title. It's my first defence and it is true what people say — it's tougher to keep hold of a title than win it."

"I don't want to be one of those fighters who wins it in one fight and loses in the second fight. I want to keep hold of my title. It will be a tough fight and a good fight for the fans because they have not had a big boxing show there for a long time. But I'm ready for it — I feel nice and sharp and I know I can take this guy out."

 

[heyzel]

Winky Wright-Grady Brewer Has Been Called Off

By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has been informed that Winky Wright vs Grady Brewer, set for December 11 in Puerto Rico, has been called off. From what I was told, the local promoter in Puerto Rico pulled the plug on the show over an issue having to do with necessary funds being available for the show to move forward.

A source in Wright's camp told BoxingScene that Winky is already making alternate fight plans

 

[heyzel]

Malignaggi Says Diaz Rematch is a Stepping Stone To More

Malignaggi, who was has battled with some of the best fighters in the sport, including Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, outpunched and out landed the hometown fighter Diaz, and yet was shown on the judge’s scorecards to have lost by a wide margin.

“It was a disappointing loss because I trained long and hard for the fight, and although I knew going into it I was fighting Diaz in his hometown in front of local judges, I expected to be given a fair fight,” says Malignaggi. “In preparation for the upcoming fight I have been training twice as hard and plan on leaving everything in the ring.”

Rather than allowing his spirit to be broken by the loss, Malignaggi has made it a point to gain motivation from it in his training. “The first fight against Diaz made me realize that I have so much left to accomplish in boxing and so many goals that I will never reach with another loss on my record.”

This motivation shows in Malignaggi’s perseverant and disciplined training regimen. The former champion has been deliberate about getting this win against Diaz not just for himself, but also for his fans.

“My fans have been loyal since day one,” says Malignaggi. “Following the loss to Diaz I received much mail from fans offering support and urging me to lobby for a rematch. Come December 12 I am going to give them the show they deserve, and this win will be for them.”

A major difference between this upcoming fight and the previous fight in August is that it will take place on neutral soil in Illinois, something that should’ve been done for the first fight. The neutral site offers no bias to either fighter, and both fighters will be scored fairly, a key component that was missing from the first fight.

“It’s important for me to get out there December 12 and do what I do best, fight my fight,” says Malignaggi, who has been rated as one of the top boxers in the world. “This fight is a stepping stone for me; there are many big names out there that I’d like to compete with, and following this win, I will have my shot at them.”

The rematch between Malignaggi and Diaz will take place at the UNC Pavilion in Chicago on December 12 beginning at 10:15pm, and will be aired on HBO After Dark

 

[heyzel]

Bernard Hopkins Still Wants Roy Jones Rematch in March

By Mark Vester

On Tuesday, Roy Jones Jr. was crushed in one round by Danny Green in Australia. Across the ocean, Bernard Hopkins won a dominating decision over Enrique Ornelas in Philadelphia. Prior to their fights, Jones and Hopkins had a signed deal to stage a rematch on March 13 in Las Vegas. After the way Jones was put away, most expected Hopkins to look for bigger game but that doesn't seem to be the case.

In the post-fight, Hopkins told a live audience that he still wants to move forward with the Jones rematch. He still thinks the public would want to see it - but I have to disagree. I think it's a black eye for the sport if Hopkins moves forward with Jones, who is way beyond his best, instead of fighting Chad Dawson or another tough fighter at light heavyweight.

Hopkins tried to make a case for the rematch by claiming the referee stopped the fight too early and didn't give Jones more of a chance to at least show something.

"Everyone knows what happens when you go over to Europe and that's why I never go over to Europe," Hopkins said. "Some punches landed but of more of them missed. Roy Jones Jr. lost on his feet and not on his back. Being knocked out and TKO is totally different.

 

[heyzel]

Ward vs Taylor: Jermain May Decide Next Week

y Mark Vester

Ozell Nelson, the trainer and mentor of former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, spoke to the Associated Press and said his fighter has not made a decision on whether or not he will fight WBA super middleweight champ Andre Ward in March. Nelson says a decision may come down as early as next week.

Taylor and Ward are two of the six fighters in Showtime's Super Six tournament. Taylor has had a bad two years; losing four of his last five - and three of them by knockout. In his last ring appearance back in October, Taylor was knocked out cold in the twelfth round by Arthur Abraham. He was hospitalized afterwards. Last month Ward dominated tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler to a career-defining decision win.

 

[heyzel]

Chad Dawson Blasts Bernard Hopkins "You Can't Run"

NEW HAVEN, CONN. – Like the proverbial cat on the verge of using up its nine lives, Bernard Hopkins is running out of excuses -- excuses for not fighting undefeated two-time light heavyweight champion CHAD DAWSON.

“He’s on the run like the one-armed man in “The Fugitive.” Eventually the law catches up with him,” said Dawson. “Well I’m the sheriff of the light heavyweight division and I’m putting a stop to Hopkins’ con. First, he said he’d fight the winner of my fight with Glen Johnson. I won and Hopkins hid. Second, he said he’d fight the winner of my rematch with Johnson. I won and this time Hopkins chose to fight some guy named Enrique Ornelas, who has lost to almost every decent middleweight he’s ever fought. And on top of that, the fight isn't worthy of HBO, Showtime or even ESPN 2! Desperate people do desperate things. Hopkins knows that if he fights me he’s looking at a loss of Calzaghe proportions.

“Bernard, it’s time for you to pack it in and get out of my division. If you’re not willing to fight the best light heavyweight, move along and quit wasting everyone’s time. Your deep well of excuses, along with your credibility has dried up. You weighed 175 pounds for tonight’s fight, Roy Jones was knocked out in 122 seconds today and HBO has a March date available. No more excuses. Get onboard with HBO’s original plan for us to fight each other, or as you told ESPN.com this morning, go run "a marathon to super-greatness” away from me."

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Offers No Excuses, Green Blasts The Critics

By Mark Vester

IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green's crushing first round knockout sends shockwaves to everyone; even to thousands of his countrymen who watched it live at the packed Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Green caught Jones with a right hand in second minute of the first round, landing the punch on the temple and nearly knocking out the ring veteran with that single shot. Jones beat the count, but he was out on his feet and easy picking for Green, who battered him against the ropes until the ref jumped in to stop the pounding.

Afterwards, Jones offered no excuses. He said Green was the better man and praised the Aussie's big win.

"I have got to take my hat off to Danny he had a great performance tonight, he fought a wonderful fight. We don't make excuses, we had a great time in Australia," Jones said.

The easy win did not stun Green. He promised to never let the fight get to the judges and he delivered. He told media members that clean power punch would send Jones to sleep. The media laughed. No Green is the one laughing.

"I don’t know what to say," Green said. "This one is for you, this is Australia's victory, I come from a land down under guys. To Roy Jones Jr, I almost felt bad doing that, that almost hurt me to do that to a man I aspire to be. He is a bloody legend.

"I have had so many ups, and some pretty horrific lows ... it has been an awesome ride, a special night. This is the greatest victory in my entire life ... and for those who did not think I could do this, shove it up your bottoms guys - you don't know shit. I didn't surprise myself, we told everyone that if caught him clean I would knock him out."

 

[heyzel]

Paul Williams' Trainer Says Pavlik Lied, Talks Martinez

By Ryan Burton

BoxingScene.com speaks to Paul William's trainer, George Peterson, about Williams upcoming bout against Sergio Martinez on Saturday night at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. He also explains the keys to victory and about how they really don't worry about the next opponent for Williams, since no fighter is stepping up to fight me.

BoxingScene.com: How did training camp go?

George Peterson: Training camp has been going swell. We are rock and rolling right along.

BoxingScene.com: Was it difficult making the adjustment from training for Pavlik to Williams, going from righthander to lefty?

George Peterson: We have been rocking and rolling right along. We haven't really made a lot of adjustments. If you are a fighter you are supposed to fight. Guys tend to make a lot of excuses but that hasn't been our position. This young man (Paul Williams) is a warrior. He doesn't care if its a right hander or left hander. A lot of times he won't even know the difference because of the way he approaches guys. You know what I am saying?

BoxingScene.com: A lot of people think Martinez is a better fighter than Pavlik and this is a tougher fight for Paul. What is your opinion on that?

George Peterson: Martinez is a guy that has much better skills. To my knowledge he can be hard to hit. He has fast hands and has 44 wins with one loss so he can be a difficult fight but not for Paul Williams.

BoxingScene.com: What is going to be the key to the fight for Paul?

George Peterson: We don't see nothing unusual about this guy (Martinez) . We are hearing that this guy has all of these advantages because of what (Carlos) Quintana did to Paul. We heard he is three times faster than Quintana and that he hits three times harder and he is three times smarter. We hear all of this kind of stuff but that doesn't mean anything to Paul Williams. When Paul fires his guns and that is what he will be doing Saturday night it doesn't matter who he is in the ring with. He definitely is going to take advantage of him.

BoxingScene.com: I interviewed Kelly Pavlik last week and he said they are still looking to fight Paul early next year. Is that a fight you guys would still be willing to entertain?

George Peterson: I forgot all about Kelly Pavlik. We don't even want to talk about him. We can end this conversation about Kelly Pavlik right now.

BoxingScene.com: I know its a sore spot. So you just don't want to try to fight him anymore?

George Peterson: This has been three times man with this Kelly Pavlik thing. We don't want to hear his name and he doesn't really want to hear Paul's name to be honest with you.

BoxingScene.com: Kelly told me when the fight was made with Bernard Hopkins they were trying to make a fight with Paul and it never materialized. Do you recall that?

George Peterson: (laughing) You have never seen a human being that Paul Williams wouldn't fight. You can believe that brother. Not Paul Williams. Paul Williams will fight anybody. Paul Williams has been waiting on him. This isn't on Paul Williams. He (Kelly) lied about that. We never ducked him.

BoxingScene.com: Assuming you come out of Saturday's fight with a victory who would you like to see Paul fight next?

George Peterson: It doesn't matter who we want to fight next. We never get anybody we want to fight. It doesn't matter who we want to fight. We are fighting two weight classes above our weight right now because nobody wants to fight us so that doesn't matter. It wouldn't even be fair to say who we want to fight because it is not going to happen.

BoxingScene.com: What is your prediciton for Saturday night?

George Peterson: We are going to get the victory plain and simple. Paul really hasn't came into his own yet. These guys that are waiting around for Paul to show some type of indication that he isn't ready for them are making a mistake. This guy (Williams) is learning everyday and he is getting stronger and stronger and wiser and wiser.
If anything they need to jump on him right now at the stage that he is in now because the longer they wait the worse it will be for them.

 

[heyzel]

Dawson Back on HBO in April; Hopkins-Jones Co-feature?

OTOWA, NJ – Promoter GARY SHAW formally offered to promote the rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr. – on the undercard of undefeated two-time light heavyweight champion CHAD DAWSON’S next fight. Shaw faxed the offer letter to Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions, Hopkins’ promoter, earlier today. HBO is holding an April 2010 date for Dawson’s next world championship fight.

After congratulating Schaefer on Hopkins’ 12-round light heavyweight decision victory over fringe middleweight contender Enrique Ornleas, Shaw wrote the following:

“Inasmuch as Bernard stated during his post-fight press conference that he wanted to pursue the rematch against Roy Jones, Jr. rather than fight Chad Dawson, I wanted to offer a slot on Chad’s next undercard for that fight. HBO is holding an April date for Chad. I would be willing to pay Bernard and Roy $200,000.00 each, the same purse Bernard fought for in his fight against Ornleas, though I cannot guarantee the fight will be televised since HBO would be making that decision, presumably based on its evaluation of Bernard’s and Roy’s last performance.

“If Bernard decides to take on Danny Green instead, please wish him luck for me and know that I’m hopeful he will not break Roy’s record of 122 seconds.”

Shaw has not heard back from Schaefer.

Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs), from New Haven, Conn., serving his second term as light heavyweight champion, captured the WBC interim world title while successfully defending his IBO title, winning a dominating unanimous decision in a rematch against two-time world champion Glen Johnson on November 7. On May 9, Dawson successfully defended the IBF and IBO titles in a rematch against former world champion Antonio Tarver, whom he dethroned in October 2008. Dawson won his first world title in 2007, battering undefeated defending WBC champion Tomasz Adamek. He successfully defended the WBC title three times, including a victory over Johnson, before vacating that title to challenge Tarver for his belts.

 

[heyzel]

Calzaghe: "David Haye Would Hurt Bernard Hopkins"

By Mark Vester

Bernard Hopkins is telling anyone who will listen - "I will be heavyweight champion in 2010." Hopkins decisioned Enrique Ornelas on Wednesday night in dominating fashion. He wants a shot at David Haye's WBA heavyweight title next year. Hopkins and Haye are both under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Hopkins was set to fight Roy Jones Jr. in a rematch in March but Jones was stopped by Danny Green in one round in Australia, also on Wednesday.

Hopkins may still go after Jones for the March rematch. Joe Calzaghe, who decisioned Hopkins last year, says the veteran fighter should stay far away from David Haye. He feels Haye is too big, too strong and too fast Hopkins.

"I don't think it's a good idea for him to fight David Haye," Calzaghe told BBC Radio 5 live's Victoria Derbyshire show. I think Hopkins should retire because he is 44 and he is going to end up getting hurt."

"If he fights a big guy like Haye, who is too fast and too strong, he will end getting knocked out way too quickly and that would be a shame to see as he (Hopkins) is a legend of the sport. It is time to call it a day.

 

[heyzel]

Pacquiao-Mayweather: March 13 or Bust Says Bob Arum

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum arrived in Manila on an early morning Philippine Airlines flight from Las Vegas with one clear message for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and that is if he doesn’t agree to a Floyd Mayweather Jr fight on March 13, the megabuck super-fight may not happen at all.

Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who effectively hammered out a deal which began with a luncheon meeting on Monday in Las Vegas are sworn to secrecy until they have a final agreement, there are clear indications that they have basically come to terms.

Arum was expected to meet with Pacquiao sometime late on Thursday since the boxing icon arrived from General Santos and went straight to continue shooting his "Wapakman" movie and didn’t have time to even pass by the hotel to meet Arum who was waiting for him along with Pacquiao’s longtime friend and sometime confidant Rex "Wakee" Salud.

Arum said that he hadn’t set an appointment to meet with Pacquiao although Pacquiao knew that the promoter was arriving on Thursday morning. Arum told us, "obviously if I didn’t believe that this thing could happen I wouldn’t be here. But I haven’t talked to Manny about various things so Manny is the principal. He has to signoff on it."

In an exclusive interview with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports along with ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo at the New World Hotel in Makati, Arum said "it has to be March 13 because of this crazy congressional thing" where the original proposal of a May 1 fight date would not be feasible because of Pacquiao’s bid for a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 10 elections next year.

Arum said "we have everything in place to get it done but we’ve got to start now." Arum indicated "there is no reason why Pacquiao wouldn’t do the fight. He trains in the months of January and February and we are not doing a tour and doing only one press conference in New York at Madison Square Garden." He said Pacquiao can go into training in Baguio City or the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

Arum said "I am not here to interfere with his political life and March 13 doesn’t." He also made it clear that if Pacquiao "let’s Mayweather off the hook now by not agreeing to the March 13 date because of politics here in this country then we are never going to get him (Mayweather) in the ring. We will give him the excuse to say ‘yeah I’ll fight anybody but look at this Pacquiao."

Arum said "you can make an argument that because he is running for office Manny can’t fight on May 1st but you can’t logically with a straight face make an argument for March 13."

The astute promoter who promoted some of Mayweather’s fights in the past said he doesn’t think Mayweather "has anything to beat him (Pacquiao) with. I think Mayweather is a very, very good defensive fighter and I think that between Freddie (Roach) and Manny they’ll find a key to be able to attack Mayweather and once Manny can attack Mayweather I don’t think Mayweather can take his punches. I look for Manny to knock him out in six or seven rounds."

Arum cautioned against underestimating Mayweather stating that he is a "very, very good fighter. He is probably one of the best defensive fighters that I’ve seen. But I tell you that as far as Manny Pacquiao, he will destroy Mayweather and that’s why I like the fight, my matchmaker Bruce Trampler who is about to enter the Hall of Fame and Freddie Roach likes the fight and that’s why Mayweather has been reluctant to do the fight" stressing that it is imperative for Pacquiao to agree