Boxing News Thread
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It has been reported throughout the media in Puerto Rico that Miguel Cotto’s father passed away this morning. Miguel Cotto Sr. is believed to have died from a heart attack. According to police, the senior Cotto, who carried an oxygen machine due to asthma, felt ill, stopped the car and asked for help before collapsing. Fightnews.com sends our deepest sympathies to the Cotto family.
Miguel Cotto Comments on The Death of His Father
During the day, we received the news of the sudden and unexpected death of Don Miguel Cotto Sr., father of former world champion, Miguel Cotto, Jr.
The event has taken everyone by surprise, including the Cotto family and the followers of boxing. The following statement has been released to the press in general, requesting adequate time to process and channel the terrible loss. In a statement below:
"We appreciate all of the tokens of affection and sympathy. It is a very painful moment for me and for my entire family. I hope that everyone respect our request for space to overcome this difficult moment" Miguel Cotto, Jr.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later. There will be a mass for Cotto Sr. in his neighborhood of Canaboncito in Caguas, Puerto Rico and later he will be cremated.
During the day, we received the news of the sudden and unexpected death of Don Miguel Cotto Sr., father of former world champion, Miguel Cotto, Jr.
The event has taken everyone by surprise, including the Cotto family and the followers of boxing. The following statement has been released to the press in general, requesting adequate time to process and channel the terrible loss. In a statement below:
"We appreciate all of the tokens of affection and sympathy. It is a very painful moment for me and for my entire family. I hope that everyone respect our request for space to overcome this difficult moment" Miguel Cotto, Jr.
Funeral arrangements will be announced later. There will be a mass for Cotto Sr. in his neighborhood of Canaboncito in Caguas, Puerto Rico and later he will be cremated.
Amir Khan-Marcos Rene Maidana - Who Wins?
by James Slater - With various web sites reporting how the WBA have ordered a fight between their "real" 140-pound champion Amir Khan and their interim champ at the weight in Marcos Rene Maidana, it looks like 23-year-old Khan will either face the lethal puncher in his next fight or vacate the title. I don't have any inside info regarding the way Khan's mind works, but my hunch tells me the talented and proud fighter will not want to give up his title just like that.
Yes, some have suggested Khan will look for a bigger named, yet safer opponent to fight next, probably in America - Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and even the faded-looking Jose Luis Castillo have been mentioned as potential opponents - but giving up a world title is no little thing. Khan was immensely proud when he took the WBA crown from Andriy Kotelnik back in the summer of last year, and he loves being a recognised world champ..
Also, Khan must realise how much criticism he will receive if he dodges the dangerous, once-beaten slugger from Argentina. Critics everywhere will says loudly that Khan, who was starched in one-round by Colombia's Breidis Prescott, is scared to go in with a hard-hitter again. Would Khan be able to live with such a reputation?
Supposing, then, that the fight that will decide who is the main man at 140-pounds, at least according to the WBA, does go ahead, who will win? Obviously, it goes without saying how lethal Maidana can be with his fists, and in turn we all know how Khan's chin is not the Bolton man's best asset. But Khan has improved his defence a lot since hooking up with trainer extraordinaire Freddie Roach, and he is also the better boxer of the two 140-pounders.
Let's not forget also, how 26-year-old Maidana was beaten, on points, by Kotelnik in his only loss as a pro - the split decision defeat coming in Feb. of last year. If he were able to box another disciplined fight, why wouldn't Khan be capable of outboxing the man who is 27-1(26). Khan would really have to make sure he didn't put a foot wrong, and he would really have to keep his chin out of harm's way at all times, but it's possible he could do it. And what about the younger and faster man's own punching power? Maidana has been hurt and hurt badly before, and maybe Khan would also be able to drop him?
All in all, the idea of a Khan-Maidana fight appeals hugely to the average fan - and Maidana is positively aching for the fight. But does the fight appeal to Khan? Due to the WBA's orders, we will soon find out!
by James Slater - With various web sites reporting how the WBA have ordered a fight between their "real" 140-pound champion Amir Khan and their interim champ at the weight in Marcos Rene Maidana, it looks like 23-year-old Khan will either face the lethal puncher in his next fight or vacate the title. I don't have any inside info regarding the way Khan's mind works, but my hunch tells me the talented and proud fighter will not want to give up his title just like that.
Yes, some have suggested Khan will look for a bigger named, yet safer opponent to fight next, probably in America - Paulie Malignaggi, Zab Judah and even the faded-looking Jose Luis Castillo have been mentioned as potential opponents - but giving up a world title is no little thing. Khan was immensely proud when he took the WBA crown from Andriy Kotelnik back in the summer of last year, and he loves being a recognised world champ..
Also, Khan must realise how much criticism he will receive if he dodges the dangerous, once-beaten slugger from Argentina. Critics everywhere will says loudly that Khan, who was starched in one-round by Colombia's Breidis Prescott, is scared to go in with a hard-hitter again. Would Khan be able to live with such a reputation?
Supposing, then, that the fight that will decide who is the main man at 140-pounds, at least according to the WBA, does go ahead, who will win? Obviously, it goes without saying how lethal Maidana can be with his fists, and in turn we all know how Khan's chin is not the Bolton man's best asset. But Khan has improved his defence a lot since hooking up with trainer extraordinaire Freddie Roach, and he is also the better boxer of the two 140-pounders.
Let's not forget also, how 26-year-old Maidana was beaten, on points, by Kotelnik in his only loss as a pro - the split decision defeat coming in Feb. of last year. If he were able to box another disciplined fight, why wouldn't Khan be capable of outboxing the man who is 27-1(26). Khan would really have to make sure he didn't put a foot wrong, and he would really have to keep his chin out of harm's way at all times, but it's possible he could do it. And what about the younger and faster man's own punching power? Maidana has been hurt and hurt badly before, and maybe Khan would also be able to drop him?
All in all, the idea of a Khan-Maidana fight appeals hugely to the average fan - and Maidana is positively aching for the fight. But does the fight appeal to Khan? Due to the WBA's orders, we will soon find out!
Is boxing a sport, or sports entertainment?
By Luke Orem - We enter into a new decade with boxing rising out of the subconscious of casual fans and back into the mainstream. We have negotiations taking place for a mega fight, which stands to make both fighters in the area of 40 million dollars each. The buzz around this fight has only been heightened by a steroid controversy that seems as if it’s been thrown in as pure fight hype. We have exciting fighters in most of the weight divisions and the emergence of David Haye as a title holder in the heavyweight division does ignite a certain spark we have all been waiting for, for some years. Boxing does look promising and even strong right now.
The question rises if boxing has slipped into complete sports entertainment, or does it still remain a competitive sport? With the popularity of the internet, all of the fans are now in the know for every detail of every boxing match. We know who said what, who requested what size gloves or what size ring. We know who is getting what cut of the purse before the contract is even signed.. The boxers know that the fans are more educated now than ever, and the promotions do as well. We only have to read how many times fights don’t happen over purse splits and negotiations to know that the business of boxing is taking over the sport. We rarely see 2 competitive men wanting to square off to prove who is better. We mostly have boxers coming through the ranks taking soft opponents and cherry picking matches they know they will win, so they can have a record that catches the eye and gives the impression you’re watching someone amazing.
We use the term “throw back” to describe fighters who will take on all comers and like to actually fight. Most of us respect and enjoy these types of fighters, as it is becoming more and more rare to actually see a man who is worried about his place in boxing history over his place in Forbes magazine. Has boxing started to generate so much money that the fighters forget why they box? Is the desire to be the best stamped out by the desire to be richest? I believe greed is replacing pride in the sport of boxing, I think the business of boxing needs to have more of It’s roots planted firmly in It’s competitive history. I believe when the fans start talking about PPV buy rates over Punchstat numbers, we should look at ourselves as fans and ask why we cheer who we cheer. Is the better boxer the man who draws more revenue, or is the man who fights better fights? I think I have the answer.
I think the men who fight the best fighters out there can be the cash cows of the business, if the business knew how to market them correctly. I think the emergence of 30-0 fighters who want to make a quick buck should stop being rewarded by the business with a shift in attention. HBO, Showtime and ESPN can all play a part in changing the collective mindset of the boxing audience to refocus their energies into the fighters who fight, against the fighters who talk. This just gives us the opportunity to have more Sugar Ray Leonards and Muhammad Alis. The guys who can box well will stand out, but the guys who can box well and sell themselves will become the superstars they deserve to be. I believe we have all taken too many steps towards the sizzle and left the steak behind. The business of boxing is trying to create revenue instead of trying to create real boxing superstars. If we ever want to see boxing boom like it has, we have to take a step back and look at what caused our favorite eras to take place. Protected boxers with undefeated records do nothing but provide short term interest that does nothing for the sport of boxing, just the business. We can fix this. We can root for the warriors and not buy into the propaganda to promote sub-par fights. Boxing greatness should be earned in the ring, not negotiated in contracts.
By Luke Orem - We enter into a new decade with boxing rising out of the subconscious of casual fans and back into the mainstream. We have negotiations taking place for a mega fight, which stands to make both fighters in the area of 40 million dollars each. The buzz around this fight has only been heightened by a steroid controversy that seems as if it’s been thrown in as pure fight hype. We have exciting fighters in most of the weight divisions and the emergence of David Haye as a title holder in the heavyweight division does ignite a certain spark we have all been waiting for, for some years. Boxing does look promising and even strong right now.
The question rises if boxing has slipped into complete sports entertainment, or does it still remain a competitive sport? With the popularity of the internet, all of the fans are now in the know for every detail of every boxing match. We know who said what, who requested what size gloves or what size ring. We know who is getting what cut of the purse before the contract is even signed.. The boxers know that the fans are more educated now than ever, and the promotions do as well. We only have to read how many times fights don’t happen over purse splits and negotiations to know that the business of boxing is taking over the sport. We rarely see 2 competitive men wanting to square off to prove who is better. We mostly have boxers coming through the ranks taking soft opponents and cherry picking matches they know they will win, so they can have a record that catches the eye and gives the impression you’re watching someone amazing.
We use the term “throw back” to describe fighters who will take on all comers and like to actually fight. Most of us respect and enjoy these types of fighters, as it is becoming more and more rare to actually see a man who is worried about his place in boxing history over his place in Forbes magazine. Has boxing started to generate so much money that the fighters forget why they box? Is the desire to be the best stamped out by the desire to be richest? I believe greed is replacing pride in the sport of boxing, I think the business of boxing needs to have more of It’s roots planted firmly in It’s competitive history. I believe when the fans start talking about PPV buy rates over Punchstat numbers, we should look at ourselves as fans and ask why we cheer who we cheer. Is the better boxer the man who draws more revenue, or is the man who fights better fights? I think I have the answer.
I think the men who fight the best fighters out there can be the cash cows of the business, if the business knew how to market them correctly. I think the emergence of 30-0 fighters who want to make a quick buck should stop being rewarded by the business with a shift in attention. HBO, Showtime and ESPN can all play a part in changing the collective mindset of the boxing audience to refocus their energies into the fighters who fight, against the fighters who talk. This just gives us the opportunity to have more Sugar Ray Leonards and Muhammad Alis. The guys who can box well will stand out, but the guys who can box well and sell themselves will become the superstars they deserve to be. I believe we have all taken too many steps towards the sizzle and left the steak behind. The business of boxing is trying to create revenue instead of trying to create real boxing superstars. If we ever want to see boxing boom like it has, we have to take a step back and look at what caused our favorite eras to take place. Protected boxers with undefeated records do nothing but provide short term interest that does nothing for the sport of boxing, just the business. We can fix this. We can root for the warriors and not buy into the propaganda to promote sub-par fights. Boxing greatness should be earned in the ring, not negotiated in contracts.
Abraham-Dirrell: Arthur’s ‘o’ will go
By Scott Gilfoid: In two months, former International Boxing Federation middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KO’s) will be taking on the toughest opponent of his career on March 6th against Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KO’s) in a Super Six tournament bout at the Agua Caliente Casino, in Rancho Mirage, California. Abraham, 29, will be turning 30 next month on February 20th, and is already starting to show signs of aging with his work rate dropping in the past couple of years.
Abraham is going to have to try and dig up some kind of strategy to help bail him out in his fight with the talented American Dirrell, because on paper, Dirrell has the much better overall skills compared to the slow moving Abraham.
Dirrell is faster of hand and feet, busier offensively, taller with longer arms, and the much better fighter on defense. The one and only thing that Abraham has going for him in this fight is a slight power edge. Some people mistakenly think that Abraham has crushing power based on his 12th round knockout win over Jermain Taylor on October 17th in their Super Six fight.
However, Taylor was hurt earlier in the fight from a picture perfect right elbow that Abraham landed in the 9th round that badly hurt Taylor. I think Taylor never adequately recovered from that elbow shot. The form that Abraham had in that elbow was quite excellent.
He had it looking like a punch but then he hooked his right arm enough to catch Taylor square in the grill, causing Taylor to stagger around after getting hit. This is a difficult weapon to defend against, of course, but I think Dirrell has it in him to avoid Abraham’s stray elbows as long as he doesn’t let Abraham to get in too close. Some people may not like this, but I think Dirrell needs to stay on the move for the full 12 rounds to avoid getting hit with one of Abrahams’ big shots.
As long as Dirrell fights hard in the first two and half minutes of every round, he should be fine for the last 30 seconds, which is when Abraham typically comes to life and starts throwing punches. Dirrell should have no problems figuring out how to deal with Abraham’s primitive attacks. He does the same thing every time he tries to attack an opponent, basically bum rushing them at a run and throwing punches the entire time.
For Dirrell, all he needs to do is step to the sides and let Abraham go by and then tag him. Dirrell can’t let Abraham get in close enough to let loose with the stray elbows because those shots are deadly.
Dirrell is coming off a controversial 12 round split decision loss to World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Carl Froch on October 17th. The loss, a bitter one for Dirrell, puts him with his back against the wall where he absolutely needs to win his next fight against Abraham or else risk not making it to the next round of the Super Six tournament
By Scott Gilfoid: In two months, former International Boxing Federation middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KO’s) will be taking on the toughest opponent of his career on March 6th against Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KO’s) in a Super Six tournament bout at the Agua Caliente Casino, in Rancho Mirage, California. Abraham, 29, will be turning 30 next month on February 20th, and is already starting to show signs of aging with his work rate dropping in the past couple of years.
Abraham is going to have to try and dig up some kind of strategy to help bail him out in his fight with the talented American Dirrell, because on paper, Dirrell has the much better overall skills compared to the slow moving Abraham.
Dirrell is faster of hand and feet, busier offensively, taller with longer arms, and the much better fighter on defense. The one and only thing that Abraham has going for him in this fight is a slight power edge. Some people mistakenly think that Abraham has crushing power based on his 12th round knockout win over Jermain Taylor on October 17th in their Super Six fight.
However, Taylor was hurt earlier in the fight from a picture perfect right elbow that Abraham landed in the 9th round that badly hurt Taylor. I think Taylor never adequately recovered from that elbow shot. The form that Abraham had in that elbow was quite excellent.
He had it looking like a punch but then he hooked his right arm enough to catch Taylor square in the grill, causing Taylor to stagger around after getting hit. This is a difficult weapon to defend against, of course, but I think Dirrell has it in him to avoid Abraham’s stray elbows as long as he doesn’t let Abraham to get in too close. Some people may not like this, but I think Dirrell needs to stay on the move for the full 12 rounds to avoid getting hit with one of Abrahams’ big shots.
As long as Dirrell fights hard in the first two and half minutes of every round, he should be fine for the last 30 seconds, which is when Abraham typically comes to life and starts throwing punches. Dirrell should have no problems figuring out how to deal with Abraham’s primitive attacks. He does the same thing every time he tries to attack an opponent, basically bum rushing them at a run and throwing punches the entire time.
For Dirrell, all he needs to do is step to the sides and let Abraham go by and then tag him. Dirrell can’t let Abraham get in close enough to let loose with the stray elbows because those shots are deadly.
Dirrell is coming off a controversial 12 round split decision loss to World Boxing Council super middleweight champion Carl Froch on October 17th. The loss, a bitter one for Dirrell, puts him with his back against the wall where he absolutely needs to win his next fight against Abraham or else risk not making it to the next round of the Super Six tournament
Haye vs. Ruiz: Will David run from the Quiet Man?
By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) has a title defense coming up in the next couple of months against mandatory challenger John Ruiz (44-8-2, 30 KO’s). This will be the first defense of Haye’s title after defeating big seven foot Russian Nikolay Valuev by a 12 round majority decision in November 2009. Haye hardly looked dominating in the fight, fighting a strictly defensive-oriented bout and doing just enough to get the win over Valuev.
I personally had Valuev winning the fight by a round. At worse, I had the fight scored a draw. The judges scored it 116-112 , 114-114 and 116-112. Never the less, it wasn’t exactly a dominating performance by Haye, who ran for most of the fight choosing only to throw a pot shot or two every now and then. Haye said later that he hurt his right hand early in the fight, and that caused him to throw fewer punches and fight more defensively.
Haye will have to fight much better than that if he wants to beat the 38-year-old Ruiz, and get a shot at a unification bout against one of the Klitschko brothers. Ruiz has good offensive skills, a frustrating punch & grab technique, and a solid chin. Haye will be tested in a big way in this fight, and he won’t be able to win it by knockout. Haye is saying that he’s going to destroy Ruiz without any problems.
However, I see that as empty boasting on Haye’s part. He just doesn’t seem to have same aggression at heavyweight compared to the way he fought as a cruiserweight. Thus far, in two of Haye’s three fights, he’s not looked like a phenom in beating Monte Barrett and Valuev. He’s winning, but I haven’t seen anything from Haye’s performances that would suggest that he’s capable of competing against either of the Klitschko brothers. In my estimation, I see Haye as blow top contenders Alexander Povetkin, Odlanier Solis and Eddie Chambers in ability. He’s missing the aggression and the work rate needed to compete with the better heavyweights in the division in my view.
I think Ruiz fight is going to be a very tough life and death bout for Haye. I see him running for his life after tasting some of Ruiz’s power early on, and looking to pot shot his way to a victory. That kind of thing will work against a bigger slower heavyweight like Valuev, but Ruiz will keep enough pressure on Haye to make this fight very close and ugly. I can see this fight being hard to pick the winner.
Haye will likely win, because he’s the champion and the fight will be no doubt held in England, but it will probably be controversial. I think Haye will stink up the joint by running nonstop for the entire 12 rounds. It would be much better for Haye to stand his ground and swing for the fences against Ruiz, and maybe catch him with something big. However, I think Haye, a small heavyweight at only 217, doesn’t feel comfortable brawling with the bigger, stronger heavyweights.
By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) has a title defense coming up in the next couple of months against mandatory challenger John Ruiz (44-8-2, 30 KO’s). This will be the first defense of Haye’s title after defeating big seven foot Russian Nikolay Valuev by a 12 round majority decision in November 2009. Haye hardly looked dominating in the fight, fighting a strictly defensive-oriented bout and doing just enough to get the win over Valuev.
I personally had Valuev winning the fight by a round. At worse, I had the fight scored a draw. The judges scored it 116-112 , 114-114 and 116-112. Never the less, it wasn’t exactly a dominating performance by Haye, who ran for most of the fight choosing only to throw a pot shot or two every now and then. Haye said later that he hurt his right hand early in the fight, and that caused him to throw fewer punches and fight more defensively.
Haye will have to fight much better than that if he wants to beat the 38-year-old Ruiz, and get a shot at a unification bout against one of the Klitschko brothers. Ruiz has good offensive skills, a frustrating punch & grab technique, and a solid chin. Haye will be tested in a big way in this fight, and he won’t be able to win it by knockout. Haye is saying that he’s going to destroy Ruiz without any problems.
However, I see that as empty boasting on Haye’s part. He just doesn’t seem to have same aggression at heavyweight compared to the way he fought as a cruiserweight. Thus far, in two of Haye’s three fights, he’s not looked like a phenom in beating Monte Barrett and Valuev. He’s winning, but I haven’t seen anything from Haye’s performances that would suggest that he’s capable of competing against either of the Klitschko brothers. In my estimation, I see Haye as blow top contenders Alexander Povetkin, Odlanier Solis and Eddie Chambers in ability. He’s missing the aggression and the work rate needed to compete with the better heavyweights in the division in my view.
I think Ruiz fight is going to be a very tough life and death bout for Haye. I see him running for his life after tasting some of Ruiz’s power early on, and looking to pot shot his way to a victory. That kind of thing will work against a bigger slower heavyweight like Valuev, but Ruiz will keep enough pressure on Haye to make this fight very close and ugly. I can see this fight being hard to pick the winner.
Haye will likely win, because he’s the champion and the fight will be no doubt held in England, but it will probably be controversial. I think Haye will stink up the joint by running nonstop for the entire 12 rounds. It would be much better for Haye to stand his ground and swing for the fences against Ruiz, and maybe catch him with something big. However, I think Haye, a small heavyweight at only 217, doesn’t feel comfortable brawling with the bigger, stronger heavyweights.
Luevano-Lopez: A step up in weight and class for Juanma
By Peter Wells: Before our big fight between WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto and WBA champion Shane Mosley we have a great little guys battle. But when these so called little guys fight, they are like machines and fight to thrill. Not many come as light and destructive as Juan Manuel Lopez can when he catches his opponents. Well known as Juanma, Lopez can bang but in his last fight had to go the full 12 and was shaken late on.
On 23rd January Juanma will move from Super Bantamweight to Featherweight to take on WBO champion Steven Luevano. The titleholder is 37-1-1 with just 15 knockouts, and hasn’t lost since 2005, being unbeaten in 9, 1 being a draw and has 5 defences of his title all making it to the final bell but did win by disqualification in his last bout.
The challenger won the WBO Super Bantamweight title in 2008 by stopping Daniel Ponce De Leon in 1 round then stopped both Figueroa and Medina in a single round, the first not even making the first minute. His last 3 have gone much longer, going 10 rounds before Freddie Roach pulled out veteran Gerry Penalosa then he retired Oliver Lontchi in 9 before his unanimous victory over Rogers Mtagwa. Mtagwa shook Juanma late on and the champion for the first time in his career looked in big trouble, but managed to hold on. Now Lopez boats a nice 27-0 with 24 knockouts and isn’t fazed by size advantage, although they both stand 5ft 7in and both have a 69in reach, but Luevano is the naturally bigger being more experienced at the higher weight.
Luevano isn’t a big puncher but has a good chin and has seen plenty of good opposition fall short in front of him, but the sharp powerful hitting Lopez will be something different, and will be surely more prepared to go 12 rounds this time and won’t go out to quick unless he gets the chance to take him out. Luevano is by far the best opposition Lopez is to fight in his career so far, but he will be too good and powerful for the champion. Luevano won’t crumble but will fall short by a long margin when the final bell goes.
By Peter Wells: Before our big fight between WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto and WBA champion Shane Mosley we have a great little guys battle. But when these so called little guys fight, they are like machines and fight to thrill. Not many come as light and destructive as Juan Manuel Lopez can when he catches his opponents. Well known as Juanma, Lopez can bang but in his last fight had to go the full 12 and was shaken late on.
On 23rd January Juanma will move from Super Bantamweight to Featherweight to take on WBO champion Steven Luevano. The titleholder is 37-1-1 with just 15 knockouts, and hasn’t lost since 2005, being unbeaten in 9, 1 being a draw and has 5 defences of his title all making it to the final bell but did win by disqualification in his last bout.
The challenger won the WBO Super Bantamweight title in 2008 by stopping Daniel Ponce De Leon in 1 round then stopped both Figueroa and Medina in a single round, the first not even making the first minute. His last 3 have gone much longer, going 10 rounds before Freddie Roach pulled out veteran Gerry Penalosa then he retired Oliver Lontchi in 9 before his unanimous victory over Rogers Mtagwa. Mtagwa shook Juanma late on and the champion for the first time in his career looked in big trouble, but managed to hold on. Now Lopez boats a nice 27-0 with 24 knockouts and isn’t fazed by size advantage, although they both stand 5ft 7in and both have a 69in reach, but Luevano is the naturally bigger being more experienced at the higher weight.
Luevano isn’t a big puncher but has a good chin and has seen plenty of good opposition fall short in front of him, but the sharp powerful hitting Lopez will be something different, and will be surely more prepared to go 12 rounds this time and won’t go out to quick unless he gets the chance to take him out. Luevano is by far the best opposition Lopez is to fight in his career so far, but he will be too good and powerful for the champion. Luevano won’t crumble but will fall short by a long margin when the final bell goes.
Can Hatton take off enough weight to fight Marquez in May?
y Sean McDaniel: World Boxing Organization lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez will be fighting next on May 1st against a still to be determined opponent. It was originally thought that Marquez had an optional defense available for that date. However, it now looks as if the WBO will be forcing Marquez to defend his WBO title against interim champion Michael Katisidis or risk having the title stripped from him.
There has been talk that Marquez would be fighting former IBF light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton on May 1st. However, even if Marquez is risk having his title stripped from him for not going ahead with the Katsidis fight, there’s a question whether Hatton will have taken off enough weight for him to fight Marquez by that time.
Hatton still looks huge despite that he reportedly started training recently, and it’s unclear whether Hatton will be able to take enough weight by May 1st to go ahead with a fight with Marquez. Hatton normally bloats up between fights getting really big. However, Hatton normally fights every four months or so, which prevents him from getting really big.
This time, however, Hatton has been out of action for eight months and has ballooned up to huge proportions, and looking fatter than I can ever remember him getting. While it’s possible that Hatton can take off that amount of fat that he’s put on his hide with his eating and drinking, he may be left feeling drained and weakened for his fight with Marquez – or whoever Hatton ends up fighting next.
Hatton obviously would like to look good in his comeback bout after being destroyed in a 2nd round knockout by Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd. If Hatton doesn’t take the weight off slowly, it’s doubtful he’ll perform well against Marquez, and may end up getting knocked out once again. It probably is worth Marquez’s while to vacate the WBO title if they’re going to force him to fight Katsidis and cause him to lose a big money fight against Hatton.
Marquez can always take on Katsidis after the Hatton fight, and probably easily beat Michael to win back his WBO title. The Hatton fight would seem to be the bigger priority if Hatton can take off enough weight, that is. Hatton looks be around 180 or so. That would mean that Hatton would have to strip off 40 or more pounds of blubber to make a fight with Marquez. That’s a tremendous amount of weight for a professional athlete to take off and still expect to fight at a high level.
y Sean McDaniel: World Boxing Organization lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez will be fighting next on May 1st against a still to be determined opponent. It was originally thought that Marquez had an optional defense available for that date. However, it now looks as if the WBO will be forcing Marquez to defend his WBO title against interim champion Michael Katisidis or risk having the title stripped from him.
There has been talk that Marquez would be fighting former IBF light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton on May 1st. However, even if Marquez is risk having his title stripped from him for not going ahead with the Katsidis fight, there’s a question whether Hatton will have taken off enough weight for him to fight Marquez by that time.
Hatton still looks huge despite that he reportedly started training recently, and it’s unclear whether Hatton will be able to take enough weight by May 1st to go ahead with a fight with Marquez. Hatton normally bloats up between fights getting really big. However, Hatton normally fights every four months or so, which prevents him from getting really big.
This time, however, Hatton has been out of action for eight months and has ballooned up to huge proportions, and looking fatter than I can ever remember him getting. While it’s possible that Hatton can take off that amount of fat that he’s put on his hide with his eating and drinking, he may be left feeling drained and weakened for his fight with Marquez – or whoever Hatton ends up fighting next.
Hatton obviously would like to look good in his comeback bout after being destroyed in a 2nd round knockout by Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd. If Hatton doesn’t take the weight off slowly, it’s doubtful he’ll perform well against Marquez, and may end up getting knocked out once again. It probably is worth Marquez’s while to vacate the WBO title if they’re going to force him to fight Katsidis and cause him to lose a big money fight against Hatton.
Marquez can always take on Katsidis after the Hatton fight, and probably easily beat Michael to win back his WBO title. The Hatton fight would seem to be the bigger priority if Hatton can take off enough weight, that is. Hatton looks be around 180 or so. That would mean that Hatton would have to strip off 40 or more pounds of blubber to make a fight with Marquez. That’s a tremendous amount of weight for a professional athlete to take off and still expect to fight at a high level.
Tomasz Adamek Muscles Up To 223-Pounds For Estrada
By Przemysław Osiak/bokser.org
Tomasz Adamek (39-1, 27 KO) is getting heavier and heavier before his upcoming fight against Jason Estrada (16-2, 4 KO), scheduled on February 6 in Newark. According to and interview given to the Polsat News channel, "Goral" currently weighs 101 kilograms (223 lb) and feels that his muscles are still growing.
The best Polish heavyweight is being prepared for the bout by the tandem of coaches. Andrzej Gmitruk, who stoods in Adamek's corner for years will remain as the head trainer and Roger Bloodworth who joined the team recently is there to assist.
"There will be no conflicts between me and Gmitruk. I'm not a quarrelsome man. I can get along with everybody – said Bloodworth, previously known as a coach of another Polish heavyweight, Andrew Golota. - "At this stage of his career, Adamek needs a whole team working for him. A coach exists for the fighter, not the other way around."
The skills of "Goral" are gradually apreciated by the American media. Summarizing the boxing year of 2009, "The Ring" magazine located Adamek's name at number 30 among the best active fighters. Besides that, two of his victorious battles were classified in the ESPN rankings concerning the most spectacular boxing clashes of the last decade. The first of them is the 38# rated bout for IBF cruiserweight title in 2008 in Newark. The fight finished with unanimous win over Steve Cunningham. The second honoured encounter took place three years earlier in Chicago. Then, after a genuine bloodshed, the Pole defeated Paul Briggs by majority decision and won the WBC light heavyweight belt. According to the experts of ESPN, this clash deserves the 30th rank on the list.
By Przemysław Osiak/bokser.org
Tomasz Adamek (39-1, 27 KO) is getting heavier and heavier before his upcoming fight against Jason Estrada (16-2, 4 KO), scheduled on February 6 in Newark. According to and interview given to the Polsat News channel, "Goral" currently weighs 101 kilograms (223 lb) and feels that his muscles are still growing.
The best Polish heavyweight is being prepared for the bout by the tandem of coaches. Andrzej Gmitruk, who stoods in Adamek's corner for years will remain as the head trainer and Roger Bloodworth who joined the team recently is there to assist.
"There will be no conflicts between me and Gmitruk. I'm not a quarrelsome man. I can get along with everybody – said Bloodworth, previously known as a coach of another Polish heavyweight, Andrew Golota. - "At this stage of his career, Adamek needs a whole team working for him. A coach exists for the fighter, not the other way around."
The skills of "Goral" are gradually apreciated by the American media. Summarizing the boxing year of 2009, "The Ring" magazine located Adamek's name at number 30 among the best active fighters. Besides that, two of his victorious battles were classified in the ESPN rankings concerning the most spectacular boxing clashes of the last decade. The first of them is the 38# rated bout for IBF cruiserweight title in 2008 in Newark. The fight finished with unanimous win over Steve Cunningham. The second honoured encounter took place three years earlier in Chicago. Then, after a genuine bloodshed, the Pole defeated Paul Briggs by majority decision and won the WBC light heavyweight belt. According to the experts of ESPN, this clash deserves the 30th rank on the list.
Dzinziruk To Pay Universum Off; Targets Alfredo Angulo
By Andrey Krikunov
WBO light middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk continues to sort out the issues with his ex-promotional company Universum. The Ukrainian was surprised to hear the claims of the German side, claiming they had won the trial with him. At the same time Sergiy has already realized that the only way to resolve the situation is to pay the Germans a certain amount of money.
“The latest claims of Universum were a complete surprise for me”, – told Dzinziruk to BoxingScene.com. – “We’ve only recently talked to them and they haven’t said a word about the trial. My lawyer is also surprised that there was some court ruling, though I haven’t even been informed about that. Probably they are afraid of something, if they make such claims. Now we continue negotiations. What is the way out of this situation? Before the New Year we decided that I would pay to Universum a certain amount of money and buy out my contract. Though I’m told that I have to go to the court and win the trial, I just don’t have time for that. I want to box, not to go through legal proceedings. If the trial drags on, there will be unnecessary headache, nerves and uncertainty with my bouts."
Meanwhile, Dzinziruk continues his negotiations with American promoters. Sergiy plans to continue working with his trainer Alexander Polischuk, while living and training in Los Angeles. The Ukrainian has already started the preparation for his next fight, possibly against WBO temporary champion Alfredo Angulo, which may take place in March. At that time the gap between Dzinziruk’s bouts would be 16 months.
“Such a long recess in boxing is always difficult”, - tells Dzinziruk. - “But maybe there is something positive about that. I miss boxing and now I have extra motivation, I really want to show myself to the world and to prove my worth. I think that everything is for the best. I’ll step into the ring and will defend my title. Angulo is a tough boxer, he’s rather short and has aggressive powerful style. I’ve fought such boxers many times; the most important here is to be well prepared and to have solid training camp. I don’t see any problems in this fight for me."
By Andrey Krikunov
WBO light middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk continues to sort out the issues with his ex-promotional company Universum. The Ukrainian was surprised to hear the claims of the German side, claiming they had won the trial with him. At the same time Sergiy has already realized that the only way to resolve the situation is to pay the Germans a certain amount of money.
“The latest claims of Universum were a complete surprise for me”, – told Dzinziruk to BoxingScene.com. – “We’ve only recently talked to them and they haven’t said a word about the trial. My lawyer is also surprised that there was some court ruling, though I haven’t even been informed about that. Probably they are afraid of something, if they make such claims. Now we continue negotiations. What is the way out of this situation? Before the New Year we decided that I would pay to Universum a certain amount of money and buy out my contract. Though I’m told that I have to go to the court and win the trial, I just don’t have time for that. I want to box, not to go through legal proceedings. If the trial drags on, there will be unnecessary headache, nerves and uncertainty with my bouts."
Meanwhile, Dzinziruk continues his negotiations with American promoters. Sergiy plans to continue working with his trainer Alexander Polischuk, while living and training in Los Angeles. The Ukrainian has already started the preparation for his next fight, possibly against WBO temporary champion Alfredo Angulo, which may take place in March. At that time the gap between Dzinziruk’s bouts would be 16 months.
“Such a long recess in boxing is always difficult”, - tells Dzinziruk. - “But maybe there is something positive about that. I miss boxing and now I have extra motivation, I really want to show myself to the world and to prove my worth. I think that everything is for the best. I’ll step into the ring and will defend my title. Angulo is a tough boxer, he’s rather short and has aggressive powerful style. I’ve fought such boxers many times; the most important here is to be well prepared and to have solid training camp. I don’t see any problems in this fight for me."
Arce vs Angkota: Jorge's Last Shot at Some Gold
By Mark Vester
In what may be his last shot at a title, former champion Jorge Arce (52-6, 40KOs) will face Angky Angkota (23-4, 14KOs) of Indonesia on January 30 for the vacant WBO super flyweight title in Toluca, México.
Arce lost two of his three fights in 2009. He was stopped by Vic Darchinyan in eleven rounds in February and then lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Simphiwe Nongqayi in a September bout for the vacant IBF super flyweight title. Angkota is riding a win streak since losing a decision to then Filipino prospect AJ Banal. Arce will be a big step up in class.
By Mark Vester
In what may be his last shot at a title, former champion Jorge Arce (52-6, 40KOs) will face Angky Angkota (23-4, 14KOs) of Indonesia on January 30 for the vacant WBO super flyweight title in Toluca, México.
Arce lost two of his three fights in 2009. He was stopped by Vic Darchinyan in eleven rounds in February and then lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Simphiwe Nongqayi in a September bout for the vacant IBF super flyweight title. Angkota is riding a win streak since losing a decision to then Filipino prospect AJ Banal. Arce will be a big step up in class.
Ricky Hatton: Gallagher Willing To Train For Comeback
By Lee Collier
Joe Gallagher closed out a successful 2009 in style and the trainer now believes that 2010 could be a bumper year for his Denton-based gym. Talks of a Ricky Hatton comeback have led to rumours about Ricky’s coaching set-up, Gallagher believes that he is the man for the job of bringing Ricky back to title contention.
“I have people asking me about the possibility of training Ricky Hatton if he comes back, well it just shows what a compliment when people think of me with that job,” beamed Gallagher to BoxingScene.com.
Gallagher, however, feels that the Hitman needs to get back to basics to reach the levels he once achieved. “Ricky would have to leave his entourage at the gym door and would have to come in to the gym alone and become a fighter again. He would have to do what all the other fighters do which is come with just their bag work and get amongst it and do the training,” he declared.
Gallagher then compared Hatton’s comeback as a similar scenario to Rocky Balboa’s comeback in Rocky III. “Ricky has to be a bit like Rocky in Rocky III, when he went back to basics with Apollo [Editor’s note: The improbably muscled Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, not the Greek sun god.],” explained Gallagher.
“He needs to go back to the sweat and tears and Ricky needs a bit of the Rocky Balboa syndrome if he wants to come back. He needs to cut away the ‘blowing bubbles’ and the fanfare and all the merchandising around him and he needs to get around hungry and ambitious fighters and Gallagher’s Gym has a lot of ambitious fighters.”
He added: “Ricky is a good fighter and I have known him years but he will know I am looking after three of his prize fighters in my gym, so they must think I am doing a good job and it’s a compliment to be mentioned for the job. Whether I get the job or not is down to Ricky Hatton, his family and the rest at Hatton Promotions, whatever Ricky decides to do in the future I wish him all the luck in the world.”
The esteemed trainer feels that if Hatton decides to fight again he has at least one big fight left in him. “I think there is another big fight in Ricky if he gets stuck into his training again,” enthused Gallagher. “I’m not saying he has another pound-for-pound fight as Ricky knows his limitations but the light-welterweight division is opening up again and there is a possibility of another world title.”
Gallagher then finished by saying: “Oscar De La Hoya has done a good interview this month for The Ring magazine. He mentioned that when he came back for the Pacquiao fight that he knew in the first sparring session that he didn’t have it anymore but he wanted to keep going thinking it would get better.
By Lee Collier
Joe Gallagher closed out a successful 2009 in style and the trainer now believes that 2010 could be a bumper year for his Denton-based gym. Talks of a Ricky Hatton comeback have led to rumours about Ricky’s coaching set-up, Gallagher believes that he is the man for the job of bringing Ricky back to title contention.
“I have people asking me about the possibility of training Ricky Hatton if he comes back, well it just shows what a compliment when people think of me with that job,” beamed Gallagher to BoxingScene.com.
Gallagher, however, feels that the Hitman needs to get back to basics to reach the levels he once achieved. “Ricky would have to leave his entourage at the gym door and would have to come in to the gym alone and become a fighter again. He would have to do what all the other fighters do which is come with just their bag work and get amongst it and do the training,” he declared.
Gallagher then compared Hatton’s comeback as a similar scenario to Rocky Balboa’s comeback in Rocky III. “Ricky has to be a bit like Rocky in Rocky III, when he went back to basics with Apollo [Editor’s note: The improbably muscled Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, not the Greek sun god.],” explained Gallagher.
“He needs to go back to the sweat and tears and Ricky needs a bit of the Rocky Balboa syndrome if he wants to come back. He needs to cut away the ‘blowing bubbles’ and the fanfare and all the merchandising around him and he needs to get around hungry and ambitious fighters and Gallagher’s Gym has a lot of ambitious fighters.”
He added: “Ricky is a good fighter and I have known him years but he will know I am looking after three of his prize fighters in my gym, so they must think I am doing a good job and it’s a compliment to be mentioned for the job. Whether I get the job or not is down to Ricky Hatton, his family and the rest at Hatton Promotions, whatever Ricky decides to do in the future I wish him all the luck in the world.”
The esteemed trainer feels that if Hatton decides to fight again he has at least one big fight left in him. “I think there is another big fight in Ricky if he gets stuck into his training again,” enthused Gallagher. “I’m not saying he has another pound-for-pound fight as Ricky knows his limitations but the light-welterweight division is opening up again and there is a possibility of another world title.”
Gallagher then finished by saying: “Oscar De La Hoya has done a good interview this month for The Ring magazine. He mentioned that when he came back for the Pacquiao fight that he knew in the first sparring session that he didn’t have it anymore but he wanted to keep going thinking it would get better.
Sonsona Once Again Fails To Leave For Training Camp
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
“Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona failed to once again leave for the United States to begin training for his WBO super bantamweight title fight against undefeated Wilfredo Vazquez Jr set for February 27 in Puerto Rico.
He was supposed to fly to Manila from his hometown of General Santos City on Sunday to join Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales and Nonito Donaire Sr on a flight to San Francisco but their departure was called off after Morales, for unknown reasons failed to take the flight from GenSan.
Promoter Sammy Gello-ani who worked hard along with international matchmaker/promoter Sampson “Picasso” Lewkowicz to get Sonsona the title shot after he lost his WBO super flyweight title when he failed to make the weight in his first defense at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada last November 21 traveled to GenSan via Davao on Sunday to meet with Sonsona and his parents to find out what was wrong.
Latest word is that his father said there was no family problem as earlier rumored while his mother said on Monday that Gello-ani had bought a ticket for Sonsona who would hopefully leave for Manila on Tuesday and catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles where he and Morales are supposed to train at the Kennel Gym in San Francisco.
Morales faces WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in a title fight on the “Pinoy Power III” card at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 13 which will be telecast in the Philippines by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN which recently signed a two-year output deal with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports learned that when Sonsona was asked why he wasn’t training and why he didn’t leave as scheduled, he provided no answer even as he indicated he doesn’t pay any attention to criticism of his attitude.
All efforts to contact Gello-ani proved futile while Nonito Donaire Sr who continues to work hard with Morales at the IPI Gym in Mandaue said if Sonsona is not ready to fight then he would prefer continuing to train Morales in Cebu and leave for Las Vegas about two weeks before his title fight against Montiel.
Donaire said Morales was looking good and coming along nicely and he has high hopes for the young fighter.
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
“Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona failed to once again leave for the United States to begin training for his WBO super bantamweight title fight against undefeated Wilfredo Vazquez Jr set for February 27 in Puerto Rico.
He was supposed to fly to Manila from his hometown of General Santos City on Sunday to join Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales and Nonito Donaire Sr on a flight to San Francisco but their departure was called off after Morales, for unknown reasons failed to take the flight from GenSan.
Promoter Sammy Gello-ani who worked hard along with international matchmaker/promoter Sampson “Picasso” Lewkowicz to get Sonsona the title shot after he lost his WBO super flyweight title when he failed to make the weight in his first defense at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada last November 21 traveled to GenSan via Davao on Sunday to meet with Sonsona and his parents to find out what was wrong.
Latest word is that his father said there was no family problem as earlier rumored while his mother said on Monday that Gello-ani had bought a ticket for Sonsona who would hopefully leave for Manila on Tuesday and catch a connecting flight to Los Angeles where he and Morales are supposed to train at the Kennel Gym in San Francisco.
Morales faces WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel in a title fight on the “Pinoy Power III” card at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 13 which will be telecast in the Philippines by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN which recently signed a two-year output deal with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports learned that when Sonsona was asked why he wasn’t training and why he didn’t leave as scheduled, he provided no answer even as he indicated he doesn’t pay any attention to criticism of his attitude.
All efforts to contact Gello-ani proved futile while Nonito Donaire Sr who continues to work hard with Morales at the IPI Gym in Mandaue said if Sonsona is not ready to fight then he would prefer continuing to train Morales in Cebu and leave for Las Vegas about two weeks before his title fight against Montiel.
Donaire said Morales was looking good and coming along nicely and he has high hopes for the young fighter.
Joe Calzaghe Hit With "Phantom Injury" Claims By Warren
By Mark Vester
During a recent chat with thisislondon, promoter Frank Warren discussed his career and all of the past and present British names that he saw through the ranks. He called Joe Calzaghe one of the more selfish fighters that he ever promoted. Warren claims Calzaghe used to withdraw from fights with non-existent injuries. Warren promoted nearly all of Calzaghe's big fights. They had a bad falling out before the final fight of Calzaghe's career against Roy Jones Jr. in 2008.
"Calzaghe is one of the more selfish ones," Warren says. "He pulled out of fights because of phantom injuries."
Warren said the finest performance of Calzaghe's career was nearly crippled off by Joe. To make his point about the phantom injuries, Warren claims Calzaghe and his father tried to withdraw from the Jeff Lacy fight for a third time with less than two weeks to go before the fight. Warren thought Lacy was overhyped and had to convince Calzaghe to move forward. He notes how Calzaghe threw 1,000 punches during the fight.
"In his book he says he was going to pull out of the Jeff Lacy bout, 10 days before the contest. His father rang to tell me Joe had a hand injury. We had postponed the fight twice already. The press had built up Lacy, so I told Joe, 'You can beat this guy with one hand.' He agreed to fight and in the end he threw 1,000 punches," Warren said.
By Mark Vester
During a recent chat with thisislondon, promoter Frank Warren discussed his career and all of the past and present British names that he saw through the ranks. He called Joe Calzaghe one of the more selfish fighters that he ever promoted. Warren claims Calzaghe used to withdraw from fights with non-existent injuries. Warren promoted nearly all of Calzaghe's big fights. They had a bad falling out before the final fight of Calzaghe's career against Roy Jones Jr. in 2008.
"Calzaghe is one of the more selfish ones," Warren says. "He pulled out of fights because of phantom injuries."
Warren said the finest performance of Calzaghe's career was nearly crippled off by Joe. To make his point about the phantom injuries, Warren claims Calzaghe and his father tried to withdraw from the Jeff Lacy fight for a third time with less than two weeks to go before the fight. Warren thought Lacy was overhyped and had to convince Calzaghe to move forward. He notes how Calzaghe threw 1,000 punches during the fight.
"In his book he says he was going to pull out of the Jeff Lacy bout, 10 days before the contest. His father rang to tell me Joe had a hand injury. We had postponed the fight twice already. The press had built up Lacy, so I told Joe, 'You can beat this guy with one hand.' He agreed to fight and in the end he threw 1,000 punches," Warren said.
The Fighter – ‘Irish’ Micky Ward’s story goes to Hollywood
By Samuel K Chatwin: 2010 will see the release of a new boxing blockbuster ‘The Fighter’ directed by David O. Russell, probably most known for directing ‘Three Kings’ and producing ‘Anchorman’. The film will be centred around the life of Micky Ward, who will be played by Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, Rock Star, Three Kings) and his older brother Dickie Eklund, played by Christian Bale (Batman: Dark Knight, American Psycho). Brad Pitt was originally touted for the role of Dickie but Christian Bale got the nod in the end.
Not too many details are available so far but we can expect this to be a gritty biopic of the highs and lows of a remarkable journey through boxing, crime and drugs. Where both lead actors have apparently gone through vigorous training regimes to get in the right shape for this picture.
Having recently re-watched the first fight between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward (One of the best fights ever in my opinion) I am quite excited about this title. Although there’s no denying the talent of Bale (watch American Psycho if you need convincing), the casting of Wahlberg is an interesting one and it will remain to be seen if he can pull it off. Either way here’s hoping for a great film!
More details can be found http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/
By Samuel K Chatwin: 2010 will see the release of a new boxing blockbuster ‘The Fighter’ directed by David O. Russell, probably most known for directing ‘Three Kings’ and producing ‘Anchorman’. The film will be centred around the life of Micky Ward, who will be played by Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights, Rock Star, Three Kings) and his older brother Dickie Eklund, played by Christian Bale (Batman: Dark Knight, American Psycho). Brad Pitt was originally touted for the role of Dickie but Christian Bale got the nod in the end.
Not too many details are available so far but we can expect this to be a gritty biopic of the highs and lows of a remarkable journey through boxing, crime and drugs. Where both lead actors have apparently gone through vigorous training regimes to get in the right shape for this picture.
Having recently re-watched the first fight between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward (One of the best fights ever in my opinion) I am quite excited about this title. Although there’s no denying the talent of Bale (watch American Psycho if you need convincing), the casting of Wahlberg is an interesting one and it will remain to be seen if he can pull it off. Either way here’s hoping for a great film!
More details can be found http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/