Boxing News Thread

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Nate Campbell's Statement on Fighting Floyd Mayweather

Jacksonville, FL: Former unified lightweight champion Nate Campbell has issued the following statement, exclusively to BoxingScene.com, regarding undefeated pound for pound champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather:

By Nate Campbell

There's been some reports in the media that me fighting Floyd is a done deal. That is just not true. The truth is that the only cat who knows who Floyd is gonna fight next is Floyd himself. I do know that my name is being considered, as it should be. I mean, who else between 140 and 147 can bring the kind of fight that I can? I have solid HBO ratings for all my HBO fights over the last few years, and I have the style that can beat Floyd. And besides, everybody dont know this, but Floyd DID turn down a fight with me several years ago. He called it "slave wages" or something. So theres some unfinished business between us, and now's as good a time as any to straighten it.

Look, everyone knew that Pac's people didnt want none of Floyd. They can talk all the sh** they want, but they dont fight guys like him, or me for that matter. Only way you get a Pac fight these days is if you have no movement and stand there in front of him like a dead man. If you can box and move a little bit, you can forget it. You ain't getting the fight. But it is what it is. I mean, who leaves $40 million on the ground instead of taking a few tests? Cmon brother. I'm just saying.

But if Floyd decides he wants to fight me, we can do this. When Bradley wouldn't rematch me I figured I was gonna have to move to 147 anyways to get a decent fight, so the weight ain't no thing for me. And there's been alot of talk about blood testing. I did have Team Diaz make bullsh** steroid allegations against me after I beat Juan Diaz ass from ding to dong and took his "0", so I have no problem taking whatever tests Floyd would want me to take.

I know I match up pretty good against him, and I aint fixing to blow an opportunity like this over some tests. Like I told my man Terry, they can even pluck hairs from my sack in between rounds for all I care. I ain't got nothin to hide. But I gotta make it clear Rick, aint nothing been signed, or even seriously discussed about this fight being made. I ain't talked to Oscar, Richard, or Eric about it. But I'm easy to deal with. If Floyd wants it, we can get it done in one phone call. It's up to him."

 

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John Ruiz Signs With Golden Boy Promotions

LOS ANGELES - As the first and only Hispanic Heavyweight World Champion paves his way through the boxing history books, John Ruiz, has joined forces with GoldenBoy Promotions to help guide his path. The Puerto Rican descendant has accomplished a lot throughout his career, including appearances in 11 world title bouts in the last decade, but Ruiz has plenty more in store and believes 2010 will be his year.

"I'm excited to become a member of the Golden Boy Promotions family and know that I have a great future ahead of me," said Ruiz. "I'm going to continue to make history and break records one fight at a time, starting with David Haye this spring. I know Golden Boy will help get me back to the top of the heavyweight division and to secure my place in the boxing history books."

"John Ruiz is a very skilled and talented heavyweight and we are very excited to add him to our elite stable of fighters," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "He has proven time and time again that he has what it takes to battle with the top guys in the division and will continue to do so in 2010 and beyond."

The Chelsea, Massachusetts native who now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, John "The Quietman" Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 KO's), has been the heavyweight division's iron man in the last decade and is currently ranked number one by the World Boxing Association (WBA). Out of his last 15 fights, 11 of them have been world title fights with eight of those being against then-world champions Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Hasim Rahman and Nikolai Valuev and three others against world title challengers Andrew Golota, Kirk Johnson and Fres Oquendo. During this impressive stretch of fights, he made history by capturing the WBA Heavyweight World Title belt by defeating Evander Holyfield on March 3, 2001, becoming the first Hispanic fighter to win a Heavyweight World Title. As a world champion, Ruiz never backed down from a challenge, having faced mandatory contenders and top-rated fighters every time he defended his title. His penchant for squaring off against tough competition is also evidenced by his non-title fights of the decade with him having faced the likes of former World Champion Ruslan Chagaev and four-time world title challenger Jameel McCline. No one in the heavyweight division can compare to the record of success against top competition that the 17-year professional has racked up and he will continue his fearless trek into the history books with his 12th world title fight when he faces David "Hayemaker" Haye in the spring of 2010.

 

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David Haye: The Fights With The Ukrainians Will Happen

By Mark Vester

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye continues to promise unification clashes with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Mandatory challenger John Ruiz is the first one up, in April, but after that the Klitschko brothers are the prime targets for the talkative Brit. Haye would like to fight at least three times in 2010. Wladimir will defend his title against Eddie Chambers on March 20 and Vitali's next move is still up in the air.

“This is a mandatory defense, but I have to be careful. He’s a ‘come forward’ fighter and I tend to do well against those guys. The one thing I can’t do is take my eye off the ball. I have to see the Ruiz fight as the most important of my life,” Haye told ZOO.

“Then it’s the Klitschko brothers. The fights against the Ukrainians will happen, but only if I beat Ruiz. By the end of the year I want to be the undisputed world Heavyweight champion. I’m not interested in second place – second place in boxing is not a nice place to be.”

Most believe the Klitschko brothers are too big and too good for Haye. When he won the cruiserweight and heavyweight crown, he says there were plenty of doubters against him. He didn't listen then and he won't listen now.

“When I won the Cruiserweight title, there were still people who said I was too light to make the big leagues. Not only was I big enough, I took on and beat the heaviest champion of all time. My stamina has always been questioned, but only because I finished fights so quickly. Against Valuev, I proved I can go the distance. Like everyone, the big man underestimated me.”

 

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Ricky Hatton, Frank Warren Tug of War For Foster Jr.?

By Lee Collier

The last two years have been difficult for Manchester’s former WBU super-featherweight champion Stephen Foster Junior (24-2-1, 16 early). The son of Steve ‘The Viking’ Foster has only boxed once since losing to Alex Arthur in a fight for the WBO interim super-featherweight title.

This month will see the return of Foster, who now fights under the Hatton Promotions banner after splitting with Frank Warren [Frank Warren responds: “Stephen is still under an exclusive promotional contract to me.”] Foster makes his comeback on 15th January in Altrincham on the undercard to the Rob Norton-David Dolan rematch and Foster is happy to be fighting again.

Foster explained the difficulties of the last two years and his absence away from the ring. “I have had problems with my promoter,” explained Foster. “I was told after the Alex Arthur match there was be a possible rematch, with some title fights further down the line. I got a bit fed up waiting so they offered me a six rounder and said after that I could fight Nicky Cook for the WBO title.”

Warren responds: “He talks about a rematch [with Arthur] but he never had that conversation with me so I don’t know where he got that from. Furthermore, he signed a agreement with me in 2008 and the first fight under that contract was the six rounder so he got what was in his contract. He should have boxed Femi Fehintola for the English title on the 5th of December 2008 but he pulled out on the basis that he couldn’t get up for the fight.”

Foster continued: “I did the six rounder and it wasn’t the best performance and I struggled to get up for it. I then had a car incident. Cook pulled out with the flu two weeks before our fight so it [the fight] was rescheduled. Then it got called off again.”

Warren responds: “The fight was called off because Cook pulled out off it with flu and it wasn’t rescheduled. Because of the injuries the timing of the fight expired and Nicky had to fight his mandatory, Roman Martinez, and that was out off my hands as the WBO called for it.”

Foster then explained his frustration and the reason why he joined Hatton Promotions. “I then got offered a fight against Kevin Mitchell and that got called off. I had been training for 10 weeks by that time; the fight got rescheduled for eight weeks later and then got called off again.

“I asked when I was going to be fighting next and got told they didn’t know so I’d just had enough. They came back with the Ricky Burns fight but I felt they were trying to push me to one side and mess with my head so I left and got in touch with Ricky Hatton.”

Warren responds: “He was offered the fight with Kevin Mitchell but, as has been well documented, Kevin was unsure of whether he would stay at the weight. Then we offered him Ricky Burns and he wanted more money than we thought the fight was worth and he didn’t want it to take place up in Scotland. So he was offered work.”

Hatton Promotions have signed many top Manchester fighters, and if you ask any of them the reason for signing with the promotional outfit they will answer that Ricky Hatton knows what they go through as a boxer.

Warren: “I’ve been in this business thirty years so I know what a fighter goes through and I know what I go through when fighters pull out off fights you’ve arranged for them.”

“Ricky [Hatton] knows the score and knows you can’t go messing with fighter’s heads as they can get disheartened. Everyone gets a bit fed up with boxing, especially when you’ve been let down in the past,” continued Foster.

Foster will face 20-year-old Georgian Kakhaber Avetisian, 13-9-1 (2 early), over six rounds and Foster is chomping at the bit to get back to boxing again. “It feels good to be back,” said an excited Foster.

“My first fight back is just after Christmas but that’s boxing. I have a strong belief in myself now that I have a promoter who can back his words up instead of giving me false promises saying I can fight for this title or that and then it falling through.”

Warren responds: “Stephen is one hundred percent under a promotional contract with me and I haven’t been informed (this week’s contest) so someone needs to pick up the phone and contact me, and I’m not talking about Steve or his dad. We’ve got issues with Hatton Promotion’s and we are looking to resolve these issues before we can make any further decision.”

Foster is keen to get back into the title mix as soon as possible after having a couple of wasted years and with the Hatton’s showing no fear of pitching their own fighters against each other Foster is looking forward to possibly meeting fellow Mancunian Andy Morris down the line.

“It’s a possibility that me and Andy [Morris] could end up fighting, we are both Manchester based fighters and Ricky Hatton is going to have the most of shows at the Manchester Velodrome so it’s likely that we may fight, to show who is the cream of the crop in Manchester.”

Foster is also keen to get involved with fights at world level so he can show that he is better than the result in the Arthur fight.

“I feel I can fight at whatever level Ricky Hatton can get me a title fight at, I would love to fight for a WBO or any world title fight like any boxers would and feel it’s within my capabilities.”

 

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s Pacquiao better off not having fought Mayweather?

By Dave Lahr: The more and more I think about it, the better off Manny Pacquiao was by not choosing to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think Mayweather would have totally dominated Pacquiao from start to finish with his movement and pinpoint punching, and I see the fight as one-sided slaughter. But here’s the deal: by not facing Mayweather – a fight that Pacquiao might have taken a beating in – Pacquiao can continue on with his winning streak become even a bigger star by picking up wins over the likes of Joshua Clottey.

I mean, if Pacquiao had fought Mayweather and been beaten in a one-sided fight, the hype train would end right there. Pacquiao would still be a big star, but he wouldn’t likely be seen in the same light by many boxing fans. By not facing Mayweather, Pacquiao can take on Clottey, do well financially for him and his promotional team, and then move on towards other opponents in the welterweight division like Andre Berto or Shane Mosley.

Pacquiao doesn’t even need to ever fight Mayweather, period. Pacquiao will continue to get huge paydays against pretty much whoever he fights from this point on. The March 13th fight against Clottey at the Dallas Cowboy stadium will bring in a likely figure of $10 million or more for Pacquiao. With that kind of money, why mess things up by facing someone dangerous like Mayweather and end up possibly getting beaten up and humiliated.

Pacquiao should just keep on taking the beatable fighters that he does well against. Pacquiao does well against fighters that come at him like Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and David Diaz types. But I think Pacquiao would have serious trouble against a fighter that moves a lot like Mayweather or Timothy Bradley. Those would be a different kind of fighter that I can’t see Pacquiao being able to deal with.

Manny is good when he’s got a fighter coming at him, but Mayweather is the exact opposite of that. Mayweather would be using lateral movement all night long; pot shotting Pacquiao and avoiding Pacquiao’s in and out attacks. Mayweather would be landing hooks, jabs, right hands, you name it, and I can’t see Pacquiao having much luck at all landing anything all night against him. This is why I feel that it’s a good thing that the fight fell apart because of the random blood testing. Pacquiao doesn’t ever have to fight Mayweather now. Who would blame Pacquiao if he didn’t? I wouldn’t.

That whole thing can derail fights forever and there wouldn’t be anyone trying to say that Pacquiao is dodging Mayweather. It’s good because Pacquiao can then continue to fight the Joshua Clottey’s and the Ricky Hatton types of the boxing world, do well, and retire on top.

But if Pacquiao were to fight Mayweather, I hate to say this but I think Pacquiao would be destroyed by Mayweather much worse than Juan Manuel Marquez was recently. I think it would be a total destruction because with Pacquiao’s aggressive style of fighting, he would play directly into the hands of the expert counter punching Mayweather, and I think Floyd would literally box Pacquiao’s ears off.

I don’t see Pacquiao winning one round against a skilled fighter like Mayweather. Floyd is hard to beat, and no one yet has out-boxed Mayweather and I don’t expect that a smaller slugger like Pacquiao would have much of a chance against him.

 

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Arum could have future Pacquiao fights at the Dallas Cowboy stadium – News

By Jason Kim: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is ecstatic about his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao facing Joshua Clottey at the large Dallas Cowboy stadium on March 13th, in Arlington, Texas. Arum, 79, plans on having some of Pacquiao’s future fights at the Dallas cowboy stadium, according to Abs-cbn news. The advantage is that with the big stadium, Arum can get more paying fans and get more attention to Pacquiao, and help boxing in the process.

The Dallas cowboy stadium fits 100,000, but is being configured to fit less than that. As of now, the stadium could be reconfigured to fit between 50,000 to 65,000 fans. It will likely depend on how well ticket sales go.

If they can get 65,000 or more in the stadium for Pacquiao’s fight against Clottey, you can only imagine the kind of numbers that Arum could get if he is able to successfully negotiate a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., perhaps the number #1 or #2 star in the sport.

After Pacquiao’s planned fight with Mayweather fell apart, it was necessary to find a replacement opponent to fill the void. Clottey, 32, also a Top Rank fighter for Arum, was deemed the best possible available to fight. World Boxing Association light middleweight champion Yuri Foreman, yet another Top Rank fighter for Arum, was briefly considered for a fight with Pacquiao, but it was thought that Clottey would make for a more exciting fight because of his tendency to stand and brawl in his fights instead of moving.

Pacquiao wants to go after an 8th world title win, but that will have to wait awhile for him to get this fight over. The plan after the Clottey fight is to take the winner of the January 30th unification bout between WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto and WBA champion Shane Mosley. These plans could change, naturally, if another more intriguing fight opens up like Mayweather, for instance.

Mayweather could fight on the same night on March 13th. There’s been no word about who he would be fighting, but unless it’s a big named star, his fight will likely take a back seat to the Pacquiao-Clottey bout in terms of pay per view revenue and fan interest. Paulie Malignaggi and Nate Campbell have been two of the names that have been mentioned as a possible opponent for Mayweather to fight next. Both are good fighters, but it will probably take a bigger star than them to take away fans from wanting to see the Pacquiao-Clotty fight.

Mayweather would do well to pick someone like Paul Williams or Sergio Martinez, two of the best light middleweights in the division, but the chances of that happening are slim and none.
After the fight, Pacquiao plans on singing with a reported 5000 to show up for the singing.

 

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Could Miguel Cotto be facing Yuri Foreman next?

By Eric Thomas: According to writer Michael Marley of Boxing Confidential , former World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KO’s) could be going after newly crowned WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KO’s) to try and capture his title. Foreman was linked as a possible alternate opponent for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao for March 13th.

However, Pacquiao’s management team instead chose former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey instead. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said that he felt that Foreman would have made it difficult for Pacquiao to look good against him because of his spoiling tactics. Foreman moves a lot, clinches and uses the same kind of in and out style of fighting that Pacquiao employs in his fights. Plus, Foreman is five inches taller than Pacquiao. It would have been likely been a tough fight for Pacquiao to win because of Foreman’s elusive style.

Cotto, 29, is coming off a 12th round stoppage loss to Pacquiao in November 2009. Although some boxing fans felt that the fight was stopped prematurely because Cotto was still fighting back at the time that referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight with 56 seconds left in the bout, it was clear that Cotto was going to lose the fight.

Cotto had taken a lot of punishment in the fight and had used movement off and on during the second half of the fight to try and slow Pacquiao down. If Cotto does choose to fight Foreman, the 5’7” Cotto will be giving up four inches in height and five inches in reach to Foreman.

That could be meaningless, however, because Foreman often gets in close to land his shots. Foreman is the bigger fighter and used to fighting larger opponents. What may give Cotto trouble is Foreman’s movement.

Foreman doesn’t give his opponents much of a chance to set up their offense because he doesn’t like to stand and trade in his fights. His whole style is one of movement and hit and run. Cotto has faced a minor version of Foreman’s style in his fight with British fighter Michael Jennings in February 2009.

Jennings moved constantly trying to avoid Cotto and was able to make it to the 5th round before Cotto finally chopped him down. Foreman is a lot more frustrating to fight than Jennings, because he changes direction a lot of the time and dives in at his opponents to punch and clinch. Cotto would have to be ready for him to land before Foreman initiates one of his head first clinches. Cotto would have to watch out for Foreman’s head when Yuri is coming in, because Foreman’s last two bouts have had nasty cuts occur because of a clash of heads.

This would be a tough fight for Cotto, especially given that he’s taken a lot of punishment in three out of his last four fights to Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey and Pacquiao. The good news about Foreman is that he doesn’t have a lot of power, but that bad news is that he may not need it to still beat Cotto.

 

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ESPN Poll: 76% of respondents won’t be watching Pacquiao-Clottey – News

By Sean McDaniel: If the ESPN poll is any guide in which the respondents were asked if they would watch the Pacquiao-Clottey bout shown at the Dallas Cowboy stadium, there could be a general disinterest in the upcoming March 13th bout between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboy stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Of 37,000 respondents that have taken part in the poll, 76% of them have voted that they won’t be watching the Pacquiao-Clottey fight. Of course, this is a boxing site that hardcore fans go to more than casual ones.

However, it’s not a good sign when you have that many people showing little interest in wanting to see the replacement fight for the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout. Boxing fans were hoping to see the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on March 13th, but the fight fell apart after Pacquiao and Mayweather couldn’t agree on the blood testing for the fight.

Top Rank, who will be promoting the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, still hasn’t started their promotion of the fight yet. There isn’t much time to promote the fight, but with a strong surge, it’s possible they could drum up interest in the fight with the casual fans if they can make Clottey look good somehow.

They could have to focus on showing bits and parts of his career, and stay away from his disappointing losses to Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. The problem here is that Clottey isn’t well known among boxing fans, aside from the hardcore fans. He’s not a real flashy fighter either, so it’s going to take some selling to get people to want to fork over big money to watch this on pay-per-view.

As of now, there’s no word which cable network will be showing the fight. HBO would be a big help in selling the Pacquiao-Clottey fight if they can put together one of their 24/7 series for the fight. It’s a little different in this case from their usual 24/7 series, which typically has two big stars facing each other. In this case, it would be one big star – Pacquiao – against an opponent that boxing fans would have scant knowledge of.

That could be good or bad. If HBO or Top Rank can make Clottey look like a monster, instead of a defensive fighter who recently was beaten by Miguel Cotto, it could drumming up interest among fans. It would be a huge disappointment if the Pacquiao-Clottey fight fails to make 900,000 pay-per view buys.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Pacquiao, but even I have a hard time stomaching this fight. Clottey wasn’t the kind of opponent that I was expecting as a replacement for Mayweather, and depending on how much the fight goes for on pay-per-view, I might not watch it. If it’s $49.95 or more, I’ll save my money on other things. I’d like to see it, but just because I want to see Pacquiao fight.

I don’t see the fight as a competitive match, which is why I’m not all that excited about it. I’m sure that Top Rank and/or HBO will do a good job of convincing the casual fans that this will be a competitive fight. However, since I know boxing well, and see this as a mismatch, the PPV price will have to be reasonable for me to want to throw down my money on this.

 

[heyzel]

Why doesn’t Mayweather choose Amir Khan to fight next?

By William Mackay: If Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking for an opponent to fight next on March 13th, one that will steal away much of the thunder from the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey bout, which will be taking place on the same night, why doesn’t Mayweather go after World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KO’s) next? That fight makes the most sense to me.

Mayweather isn’t too keen on fighting bigger opponents than him, and Khan, although technically taller than Mayweather at 5’10” compared to 5’8” Floyd, has the smaller frame than Mayweather. This fight would come down to speed vs. speed. It would be the perfect fight for Khan, because it would make a huge name for him in the United States, which is what he wants, while at the same time give him a huge payday.

That’s something he also no doubt wants. But another added value is that Khan wouldn’t have to bother facing the murderous knockout puncher WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana, who the WBA has ordered Khan to fight. Khan would have the perfect excuse to vacate his title. Who in their right mind would blame Khan for wanting to vacate his title for the honor and the prestige of fighting Mayweather?

I know Khan would like to wait awhile before facing the likes of Mayweather, but sometime you have to man up and take your training wheels off a little earlier than you’d like. Ideally, it would be better for Khan to face Mayweather in a year or three, but who knows what the future will bring. Khan could get destroyed by Maidana in his next fight, and his market value would likely plummet with that loss.

Also, Mayweather could decide to retire again after making a bundle. If Mayweather offers the fight to Khan, I think Amir would be crazy to turn it down. No one would blame him if he loses to Mayweather. Khan is only 23, and no matter what happens, he’ll come out of this looking good.

If Mayweather wants to get a lot of attention, he needs a big named opponent like Khan to get it. At the same time, Floyd could be getting back at trainer Freddie Roach, who trains both Khan and Manny Pacquiao. What better way to get even than to fight and beat a Roach trained fighter and sap away the attention that the Pacquiao-Clottey fight gets on the same night.

 

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Pacquiao-Clottey: Couldn’t a better opponent have been found than Joshua?

By Dave Lahr: I realize why former International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Joshua Clottey might be an appealing fighter for Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to select for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on March 13th. Clottey is a Top Rank fighter, meaning Top Rank won’t have to share the promotion with another promotional outfit like Golden Boy Promotions.

I can understand why Arum would want to choose Clottey, but I see this pick as a poor replacement for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. You would think that after letting the biggest fight in boxing history slip through their fingers, they could serve up something better than Pacquiao vs. Clottey.

Oh, I know some boxing fans might see this as an appealing fight, but I’m not one of them. I’ve seen too many of Clottey’s fights at ringside, and seen how he fades down the stretch. Clottey often does just enough to lose, and seems to lack the killer instinct. You mix in his low work rate, hand problems, increasing age, and tendency to gas out after the 6th round, and you have a fight that is less than appealing.

Clottey’s a good six round fighter, I admit that. If Pacquiao was fighting a six round bout against Clottey, I would feel sorry him, because Clottey is more than a handful for six rounds. Unfortunately, this is a 12 rounder, and we’ll probably be seeing Clottey fade to oblivion after the 6th or 7th rounds, at which point he’ll station himself against the ropes and cover up for the remaining rounds.

To me, this fight is an ESPN variety fight bout, not a pay-per-view bout. I could see watching it for free, but paying for it? Forget it. And I can’t believe that the fight will be taking place at the Dallas Cowboy stadium. That seems absurd to stage this kind of fight in a huge 100,000 seat stadium like that.

I’m well aware that they plan on reconfiguring it to 40,000, but it would be a huge embarrassment if only 10,000 fans show up for the fight. This is poor match making in my view. It’s a serious step down from the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

I don’t see how they’ll be able to sell this to the boxing public. If it does work and sell well, I think it will only because the Mayweather-Pacquiao controversy which has whetted the appetites of casual boxing fans who want to see what Pacquiao is all about. Boxing fans might be willing to pay out the nose for a mismatch like this will likely be, even without Mayweather.

As the saying goes, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.’ Unless boxing fans from other states are willing to filter into Texas to see this fight, I don’t know that it will draw well from the Texas area. I hear that Antonio Margarito could possibly be put on the undercard, obviously a move to lure the Hispanic audiences to want to see the fight. Unless they really stack the undercard with a ton of Hispanic fighters, I don’t see a lot of people turning out for this fight in Texas.

It’s a weird place to have a boxing match that doesn’t involve a local fighter in the main event. If this was a football team like the Dallas Cowboys, then I’d feel confident that the stadium would sell out. But this is Pacquiao-Clottey, neither of which comes from Texas as far as I can tell. Why should the locals care about wanting to come and see this fight, especially in this kind of weak economy?

If they wanted to find a replacement for Pacquiao, why didn’t they choose someone like Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez or Timothy Bradley to fight him? Those guys are doing well and very hard to beat. I think Pacquiao would have his hands full with any of them, and it would make for a great fight

 

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Wladimir Klitschko wants to fight three times in 2010 – News

By Jim Dower: International Boxing Federation/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (53-3, 47 KO’s) is hoping to fight at least three times in 2010. Klitschko, 33, has a title defense coming up against American Eddie Chambers (35-1, 18 KO’s) on March 20th, at the ESPRIT arena, in Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. In an article at the Miami Herald, Klitschko says “You could say I am very anxious to get back in the ring. I definitely want three fights this year after what I went through last year.”

Klitschko is referring to his missed fight against British heavyweight David Haye, who Wladimir wasted months in training and negotiations for a June 20th bout. However, several weeks before the fight, Haye suddenly experienced a back injury that caused the fight to be called off. Instead of waiting for Haye’s back ailment to heal up, Klitschko chose to fight Ruslan Chagaev. However, the time spent in trying to arrange the fight with Haye, and an injury that Wladimir sustained in the Chagaev bout, caused Wladimir to miss out on another fight.

“Last year, Vitali [Klitschko, the older brother of Wladimir] was busier than me, so now I have to catch him. I am feeling great and have no ill effects from my injury.” Vitali Klitschko, the WBC heavyweight champion, fought three times in 2009, beating Juan Carlos Gomez, Chris Arreola and Kevin Johnson. Wladimir Klitschko hasn’t fought since his 9th round stoppage win over Chagaev in June.

Wladimir is hoping to attract a huge crowd of 55,000 boxing fans for his fight with Chambers in Dusseldorf. Klitschko’s last fight against Chagaev drew 61,000 fans in Germany. These are numbers that Klitschko, and his brother Vitali, could only dream about getting in the United States. In the U.S., the Klitschko brothers are much less popular, even though both of them have been dominating the heavyweight division off and on since 2003.

The problem with the Klitschko is that they don’t press hard to score knockouts in the early going of their fights, and instead prefer to wear down their opponents with an accumulation of blows. Still, that hasn’t stopped each of them from scoring mostly knockouts in their fights. It’s just not as interesting for some boxing fans because the Klitschko brothers typically bludgeon their opponents into submission rather than trying to take their heads off with every punch like more exciting heavyweights like Mike Tyson.

Wladimir could fight in the U.S. this year, possibly fighting twice in the United States if he can get one of the major broadcasters, like HBO, to show his fights. There is talk already that HBO won’t be showing the Klitschko-Chambers fight in March. Lets’ hope that HBO does end up showing the Klitschko-Chambers fight, because this is bout that many Americans would be interested in seeing it.

Chambers, a former sparring partner for Klitschko, is coming off an impressive 12 round majority decision over 6’7” Alexander Dimitrenko last July. Chambers did well against Dimitrenko, who has a fighting style very similar to Klitschko.

 

[heyzel]

Further Thoughts On That Cat Mayweather

By Caesar Almase: I read the comments to my earlier article, The Catlike Floyd “Meow” Mayweather, and am compelled to make a couple of statements.

First, re the email asking about the consequences if Pacquiao tests dirty, sent by a “reliable anonymous source” out of the Pacquiao camp, I, like many boxing writers and bloggers strenuously call BS. Where is this phantom email? If it exists, why not publish it? Why protect the identity of someone in the enemy camp? Is it because Mayweather and his posse are above besmirching someone’s name, or is it because the email DOES NOT EXIST? Only the very gullible would eat that cat poop. Like their allegation that Pacquiao is a cheater, Mayweather and his crew have absolutely no proof to back up the email story.
Second, assuming he actually believes Pacquiao is a dirty fighter, the question remains, would Mayweather be so insistent on drug testing if he thought, without a doubt, he could beat Pacquiao? I’m sure he won’t ask Matthew Hatton or Paulie Malignaggi to drug test, just as he never insisted that any of his past opponents be tested. Drug testing is only an issue because Mayweather made it one, and he only made it an issue because he is a big gaping cat.

Third, the argument that Mayweather only makes fights that make the most money, isn’t worth its weight in kitty litter. Can anyone, except the most strident Mayweather fans, really believe that there is (was) more money to be made fighting Matthew Hatton than Paul Williams? Carlos Baldomir than Miguel Cotto? Anyone other than Shane Mosley (either at present or at any time in the past)? He has been good enough to have fought with distinction against all of his opposition but we don’t know the measure of his greatness, the money earned notwithstanding. In my opinion, the first Castillo fight, which was more about answering a challenge and less about making money, was as close to a life and death battle that Mayweather has ever come. And since that earlier period when he was still making his ascent to the top and seeking challenges, Mayweather hasn’t tested his whiskers against anyone who posed a credible challenge.

One last thought regarding legacy (of which Mayweather has said is unimportant but then at turns claims himself The GOAT), consider if he had fought during the late 70’s and 80’s and the time of Duran, Chavez, Pryor, Arguello, Hearns, and Leonard. . . would he be similarly undefeated? I think so. . . but only because he would’ve pulled a pussycat move then, as now. But maybe, if Pretty Kitty was (is) sufficiently pressured by the public, and put in a financial straitjacket, then he’d be forced to prove his greatness, instead of talking about it.

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather – Pacquiao: Floyd’s Fear Factor

By Rasheed Catapang: Floyd Mayweather Sr. had wanted us to believe that there’s something about – and amiss with – Manny Pacquiao. But I believe History and not “his story” will judge the Pacquiao’s remarkable ascent in the Pound-for-pound throne. In that regard, and with the benefit of hindsight, I hope this piece would shed some light.

While Dela Hoya was Pacquiao’s sacrificial lamb in the Altar of Fame, Hatton was really the deciding factor in his pound-for-pound claim. In the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, there was just no over-the-hill and weight-drained excuses as Ricky Hatton was the undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion who’s still in his prime and is undefeated at 140 lbs. So when Pacquiao’s devastating punch rendered Hatton unconscious in less than two rounds, it was both a statement and an affirmation.

It had another far reaching effect though when it struck fear in the heart of Floyd Mayweather Sr.

But had Floyd Sr. been paying more attention to the facts than to his poems, he would have known that the hitman’s defeat was inescapable destiny. Sun Tzu, I mean Roach, really just had Hatton figured out. (Though Floyd Sr. wouldn’t consider that as well since that would mean acknowledging Roach’s doing a much better job).

Consider this: As early as after two weeks from Pacquiao’s second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, which the records will show, Roach was already salivating over getting a fight with Ricky Hatton. Roach knew he has the perfect weapon in Pacquiao to overwhelmingly destroy the popular Manchurian champion.

See, that was even before the Pacquiao–Diaz fight which marked the beginning of Pacquiao’s rampage in the higher weights. Check also the Pacquiao-Diaz post fight interview where Hatton’s name has already been thrown as an opponent preferred by Roach. That said, Hatton simply didn’t stand a chance.

Of course, when the Pacquiao–Cotto fight came to fruition, Pacquiao was already a different beast altogether. He simply will have his way and will not be denied. He has by then the calm demeanor of an assassin, so confident in his well-honed skills. If there’s a transition from a great fighter to an All Time Great, Pacquiao transcended that in the Cotto fight.

After that, Floyd Mayweather Sr. then said that he won’t let his son fight Pacquiao if it were up to him. Through all his garble, that’s perfectly understandable as no father would send his son on a road to perdition. Still, the sin of the father shall be visited upon his son.

For Floyd Mayweather Jr, pound-for-pound Glory is a long way back home. And though everyone gets to reach somewhere by taking one step at a time, Mayweather could have made a big leap had he taken the Pacquiao fight. He won’t be accused of cherry picking anymore and he could regain his rightful place as P4P King – a position he claimed was always his.

Not anymore.

In spite of his great skills set and vast boxing arsenal, Floyd Mayweather Jr. chose to engage with words. He injected some “bad blood” in the equation. And now the super fight is dead.

His “whoop his punk ass” statement is another broken promise, easier said than done. Delivered when the fight negotiations failed, it’s not a threat but a cushion to break his fall.

The sin was passed on from father to son. And in the end, it came back to haunt us all. The truth is out there now, Floyd Mayweather Jr. like his father before him is truly afraid of Manny Pacquiao. And he has every right to be.

Mayweather and Pacquiao might just be the “yin and yang”- equal powers on opposite sides of the spectrum. But Roach affects that balance of power and sways it in Pacquiao’s favor. The scariest thing then for Floyd Jr. is not just being in the other corner with the Pacmonster. Rather, it is that Roach had him figured out. That makes his fear very real!

I just hope Mayweather proves me wrong by taking on Pacquiao inside the ring where it matters.

 

[heyzel]

Mayweather could face Cintron, Malignaggi, Campbell or Bradley next – News

By Eric Thomas: According to Dan Rafael of ESPN, unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be facing a number of potential boxing opponents such as Nate Campbell, Paulie Malignaggi, Kermit Cintron and Timothy Bradley. One opponent that Mayweather won’t be fighting is Matthew Hatton. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said there was no truth in the rumors that Mayweather was considering a fight with the younger Hatton brother.

What could be a bit of bad news for Manny Pacquiao and his promotional team is that Mayweather could fight on the same night, March 13th, as Pacquiao. If that happens, Mayweather could draw away many of the fans that otherwise would have purchased the Pacquiao-Clottey fight on pay-per-view.

Of course, it would take a good opponent for Mayweather for that to happen. He can’t just fight anyone and expect to take away viewers from Pacquiao’s fight with Clottey. Schaefer says that they could fight on March 14th, a Sunday night so that they don’t compete with the Pacquiao-Clottey fight. That wouldn’t be an ideal night for a fight, however. HBO would have to go along with this idea for that date to work.

The list that is being considered by Mayweather might not be good enough for him to take away a large percentage of fans from the Pacquiao bout, however. Bradley would seem to be the best fighter of the bunch, but he’s not well known by casual boxing fans, even though he’s got the best record and is considered to be the best fighter in the light welterweight division by many boxing fans at this time.

Mayweather is bigger than both Campbell and Malignaggi, and it’s hard to see these fights as anything more than a dreadful mismatch. Cintron would give Mayweather some problems with his power, but Cintron looked bad in his fight with Sergio Martinez last year, and he was destroyed by Antonio Margarito in 2008. Cintron might be the best opponent out of that list, apart from Bradley, but I’d much prefer to see Mayweather considering fighters like Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams or Carlos Quintana to fight instead of Cintron, Campbell and Malignaggi.

If Mayweather gets by his March opponent, then he will be looking to fight the winner of the Andre Berto vs. Shane Mosley fight which takes place on January 30th of this month. Although Pacquiao reportedly wants to fight the winner of that fight as well, you would have to think that Mayweather would have the edge in getting the winner – if it’s Mosley – because he and Mosley are both with Golden Boy Promotions.

 

[heyzel]

Roach hints that Pacquiao could fight Mayweather in the future

By Chris Williams: After Manny Pacquiao and his management team suddenly pulled out of their planned March 13th fight with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. last week because of the random drug testing methods for the fight, it shot an arrow through what many boxing experts feel would have been the biggest fight of all time. Pacquiao, who would have possibly made $40 million on the fight, walked away from that money because he didn’t want to have blood taken from him inside 24 days from the fight.

Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promotional team, quickly found another opponent in Joshua Clottey to fight instead of Mayweather on March 13th. Roach had this to say according to the Las Vegas Sun: “He [Pacquiao] wants to fight the best fighters out there and Floyd is definitely one of them. I had been studying his style and coming up with a game plan and we were mentally getting ready for that fight. It’s disappointing because the whole world wants to see that fight and it would have been good for boxing because boxing needs that. But we can’t force people to fight each other. He has all the excuses in the world and that’s just what it is.”

Pacquiao will face Clottey, and then after that Roach says that he wants Pacquiao to face the winner of the January 30th bout between Andre Berto and Shane Mosley. However, after Pacquiao fights the winner of that bout, the opponents for him will start thinning out to the point where Pacquiao and his management team might need to consider fighting Mayweather.

Floyd is the biggest name out for Pacquiao, and unless Manny wants to stick around and fight another two years to make the same amount of money he’d make in one fight against Mayweather, they need to try and work out their differences with Mayweather instead of walking away from negotiations and fighting a much less popular fighter.

I think they shot themselves in the foot by not fighting Mayweather. It’s nice to want to stick to your guns and all, but when you walk away from a deal that would have made huge money like the Mayweather fight would have, it doesn’t make sense.

As far as I’m concerned, I think that move hurt boxing, as well as both fighters. If you have a fighter like Mayweather willing to bargain and a huge world wide audience that wants to see the fight, you got to stick it out and work out the differences instead of moving on. Who knows what will happen with Mayweather. He could turn around and get beaten by one of his next opponents, and then all hope for a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather would be completely lost.

Roach says “I do think it will happen eventually. I don’t think that either one of them has many other options out there if they want to keep fighting the big fights.” You can say that again. If Pacquiao is serious about wanting to get out of boxing and make a career in politics, then he should go the last yard to take the fight with Mayweather.

Pacquiao is going to take a lot of punishment in his fights with Clottey, Berto or Mosley, and by the time that Manny gets through those bouts, he might not have enough left to beat a fighter like Mayweather. If Roach is serious about Pacquiao fighting the winner of the Mosley-Berto fight next, it means that Pacquiao is going to be facing two grueling bouts back to back.

Pacquiao may win them, but Clottey and Berto/Mosley are fights that could take their toll on Pacquiao. He won’t be able to walk through those guys like he did Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao will get hit a lot in those fights, win or lose. I think if Roach and company want Pacquiao to be competitive with Mayweather, they need to go after him immediately instead of taking on the Mosley-Berto winner.

 

[heyzel]

Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto: A Chess Match?

By Mike “Mykers” Boehm - In recent years, boxing has silenced all critics who say, “it’s a dying sport.” More specifically, the welterweight division has proved this alone with the fierce competition that has evolved from a day to day basis. Consequently, these allegations are constantly up for debate on cold hard facts; in which everyone has their immediate rendition. However, patience is a virtue…and with this, there is no question that we have quite the chess match in boxing at the end of this month.

Eagerly, we wait with anticipation for the great unification welterweight battle between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto on January 30, 2010. The beginning of this year promises to become another great year for boxing, and so it goes. The breakdown itself of the welterweight clash is an interesting one.. There is so much speculation of who will leave the ring victorious and who won’t. Each fighter has plenty of magical tricks that will no doubt prove who’s the better man. However, let’s try to suppress some of the speculation by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the art of war.

The community has become all too familiar with Shane Mosley and his rise. The stunning welterweight has reeked havoc on the sport since February of 1993.The road to welterweight supremacy was indeed a tough, yet arduous journey for Mosley. Ultimately, the years of experience, combined with the increased work rate has cemented Mosley’s place in the welterweight division. However, is this enough for the older fighter to conquer the speedier fighter in Andre Berto? More importantly, is age going to finally become a factor for Shane Mosley in his upcoming bout?

Speed has always been a huge factor in a fight. Just ask Andre Berto! The majority of the time, the young fighter in Berto, constantly outworks his opponents by landing the cleaner more effective punches. Hence, the undefeated record that Andre Berto strives to protect. However, when Andre Berto fought Luis Collazo we saw Berto in a bit of hot water. Both fighters were able to stun each other, and Collazo was able to catch Berto coming in. No doubt, Andre was the busier fighter in the bout, but weaknesses did seem apparent on Berto’s behalf. If Andre Berto expects the same treatment and power from Shane Mosley, it could become an early night for Andre Berto.

Age has become an interesting factor as well. Take fighters like Bernard Hopkins and Evander Holyfield; these might not be the best examples, but there decent enough to stake a claim. The two fighters in Hopkins and Holyfield have proved that there is life as an aging boxer. The age factor should not become an immediate disadvantage for Mosley, as proven in his recent bought with Antonio Margarito. Mosley managed to blast Margarito across the canvas throughout the fight and end with a ninth round TKO victory. Shane has proven his speed is apparent, and his strength has not diminished at all in recent bouts. Of course, with age comes experience. Shane Mosleys’ experience and fast adjustment rate should prevail over Andre Berto.

The work rate of Mosley will become an ultimate factor for Berto. Most likely, Berto will remain cautious, picking his shots with Shane. More specifically, Andre Berto has much more to protect; which is apparent in his undefeated record. Mosley on the other hand, will stalk, trap, and land several hard shots when the chance permits. Indeed the chess match seems logical. The only difference is Shane Mosley has been in numerous chess matches where the opponent has fallen short. Therefore, for the sake of this bout, age is just a number, and hopefully will remain suppressed until the end of the match up.

Personally, one of my major concerns is Andre Berto himself. That is, how Berto will fair in the ring. In Berto’s most recent match with Juan Urango, he was repeatedly criticized for punching Urango and falling into a clinch. Following this, Andre was repeatedly told by the referee to stop holding. Luckily for Mosley, he knows the advantages and disadvantages of this tactic, along with breaking through the defense of recent opposition.

Both fighters possess decent defensive skills. Although, at times; Shane Mosley is intent on using his chin for a defensive tactic. However, in Andre Berto’s recent matches against Luis Collazo, and Juan Urango; his chin has proved quite rock steady. But then again, no other welterweight hits like Mosley, and no other welterweight has the capabilities, and adjustment ratio like Shane. Either way, both fighters have a decent defensive game, but Berto’s seems more extensive with the speedy footwork.

While the public tends to slightly overlook each of the two fighters, it’s the ultimate anticipation that has nabbed our thoughts and speculations. Shane Mosley’s presence is stellar, constantly supported, honored, and appreciated in the sport of boxing. Andre Berto has quickly become a fierce opponent in the welterweight division and looks to make his mark on the sport. Nevertheless, Andre Berto looks to improve his unblemished records against one of the best welterweights in Shane Mosley. Ultimately, the unification bout will set the standards for the welterweight division, and possibly entice the next best thing to happen. That is, one of the two fighters to land a checkmate bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Article posted on 13.01.2010

 

[heyzel]

Exclusive Interview With Joshua Clottey - "I'm Ready To Shock The World!" -Pacquiao v

by James Slater - Former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey landed the biggest fight of his career when the eagerly awaited Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Junior fight fell apart. The teak-tough 32-year-old from Ghana received the great news last week whilst in his homeland of Ghana, and yesterday the 35-3(20) warrior arrived back in New York. Having had some bad luck recently - what with his big fight with "Sugar" Shane Mosley, originally set for Boxing Day, 2009, called off - Clottey is at last the beneficiary of some fortune his hard work has earned him.

Very kindly taking the time to speak with me on the upcoming mega-fight with the pound-for-pound king, the always modest and easygoing Clottey had the following answers to my questions:

James Slater: Congratulations on getting the huge fight with Pacquiao! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me, Joshua, I know you've got a lot going on. First of all, is this the best possible fight you could have hoped for? If you could have picked your dream fight, would this fight with Manny Pacquiao have been it?

Joshua Clottey: Thank you very much. Yes, this is the fight I have always wanted. I've always wanted fights like this - against the best fighters in the world. I really want to prove my point in this fight, prove to the whole world that I am the best. I'm so happy about getting this fight with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world..

J.S: After all the recent disappointments you've had, with the Shane Mosley fight falling through for one thing - have things turned out even better in the long run? You now have the Pacquiao fight, and everyone knows you deserve it.

J.C: Yes, you're right. I was upset when the Mosley fight fell through, but this is better. I'm most honoured to be getting this fight - this is what I've always wanted.

J.S: When did you get to the U.S from Ghana?

J.C: Yesterday. I had to come back to sign the contract today. It will all be wrapped up today.

J.S: I know you are a guy who is always in shape, but when will you begin camp for March 13th?

J.C: Right now, I have to do the press conference. I want to say thank you to Top Rank - they have been so good to me throughout my career. And I want to say thank you to Manny Pacquiao as well. Then, after the press conference, I will sort out my training camp. Right now I am running, I'm jogging in the morning and in the afternoon.

J.S: Is it too early talk about who you will be sparring with? Lots of southpaws though, obviously.

J.C: I will think about who I will spar with later, but one thing about me is, I know how to handle southpaws easy. [Miguel] Cotto switched to southpaw in the fight and it was no problem. So I'm not concerned about Pacquiao's stance. I can handle that good.

J.S: A key question, Joshua, is at what weight will the fight take place at? Will it be a catch-weight fight, like the Pacquiao-Cotto fight was?

J.C: It will be at full welterweight. Manny Pacquiao is a very nice person, and he wants to show the world he can fight a real welterweight, someone who is big like me.

J.S: If that did come about, though, and they asked you to fight at, say, 145-pounds, would you do it?

J.C: That's never been talked about. Bob Arum got him to agree to fight at 147, and I want to thank Bob Arum for that. If I had to [come in at 145] I don't think I could really do it. I wouldn't want to drain myself. Boxing is dangerous and I wouldn't want to fight while weakened.

J.S: Well, that's good news, the fight being at a full 147. As great as Pacquiao is, you think you can beat him. How hard do you see the fight being?

J.C: You know, this is not an easy fight at all. But you know me, I always come to do my job in the ring, and I come to make the people happy. I can handle southpaws well and I will beat Pacquiao. I'm ready to shock the world.

J.S: Do you yourself think it will be considered an amazing upset if you beat Pacquiao, or will people say, "well, Clottey was too big for Pacquiao?"

J.C: I don't know if people will be amazed, but I will beat him. If I do, people may then say that he [Pacquiao] can't beat real welterweights. But if he can win, they will say he has beaten a real guy at the weight. But if I beat him, they will say he wasn't able to beat the genuine welterweights.

J.S: You mean because of the way Pacquiao beat a weight-drained Oscar de La Hoya, and a 145-pound Cotto, the critics will say that?

J.C: Yes. I want to see myself, if Pacquiao beat those guys - De La Hoya, Cotto, Ricky Hatton, because of the weight they had to come down to. I also want to see if he beat those guys for real or if he beat them with something. I will show the world the answer to this question.

J.S: When you say with "something," do you mean what all the Floyd Mayweather thing has been about? I mean, we can't say anything about steroids, we could get in trouble, and we can't say Pacquiao uses or has used them.

J.C: No, I don't think he has used steroids, but I can't say for sure. But if he has, it's very unfair. I'm going up against him now, and I want to see if he can beat a real, big, natural welterweight.

J.S: How will you fight Pacquiao? And will he be the fastest guy you'll have ever fought?

J.C: It's too early to talk about my tactics, but I will follow him; I will come forward in the fight. Yes, he will be the fastest guy I'll have fought, but Pacquiao is also durable as well as fast. I'm concerned about his speed, of course, but every time I hit him he will feel it, and maybe this will break him down. I think this will be a nice fight. There's one thing about me; I hate losing.

J.S: This is a huge fight; do you feel any more nervous or excited than you have before any other fight?

J.C: I feel more happy with this fight than for any other. It's not easy to get a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best pound-for-pound in the world. I want to see how good he and Freddie Roach are - I'm fighting them both and I want to see how they perform. I want to see what they can do against me.

J.S: The sky's the limit for you if you can win this one, Joshua. Has Pacquiao made a mistake by fighting you?

J.C: Well, we always ask that before a fight. People have asked me that - as I am bigger and stronger than him. In that regard, he has made a mistake. But he is fast and he wants to prove to the world he can beat someone as big and as strong as me.

J.S: Well, we all look forward to the fight. It's been a pleasure speaking with you, Joshua. Can I ask you finally: how do you see yourself winning - on points or by KO?

J.C: I think I'll win on points, but if a KO comes I'll take it and give it to the world.

 

[heyzel]

Andre Berto’s Statement on the Catastrophic Earthquake in Haiti

WINTER HAVEN, FLA.) – WBC Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto (Winter Haven, Fla.) is devastated by the catastrophic earthquake, which hit the island nation of Haiti on Tuesday. He had the following comments about the tragedy and rescue efforts he will be developing to assist the people in the island nation.

“I’m devastated by everything currently happening in Haiti. As everybody knows, I have a lot of family members in Haiti and proudly represented Haiti in the 2004 Olympic Games. Like many other Haitian-Americans, my family and I are working to reach my loved ones. From what we have learned to this point, some of my family members are still missing and we have already been informed that members of my family have passed away in the earthquake..

We are currently working on starting our own Haitian relief efforts, and I will be releasing additional information on how everyone can help very soon. I am asking everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers for the people in Haiti during this devastating time.”

 

[heyzel]

Manuel Charr: Another heavyweight star arises in German

Paul McCreath - Germany has turned out most of the top heavyweight boxers in recent years and now we have another rising fast. Many of these boxers are not actually German but they fight there almost exclusively and are well accepted by German fans. We had the Klitschko brothers, Vlad Virchis and Alex Dimitrenko from Ukraine, Alex Povetkin, Nicolay Valuev and now Denis Boytsov from Russia. Ruslan Chagaev came from Uzbekistan, Francesco Pianeta from Italian extraction and now we have Manuel Charr from Lebanon..

You may not be familiar yet with the name Manuel Charr but I can almost guarantee he will be well known soon. He was born in Lebanon to Syrian parents who escaped the civil war and took their 4 year old son with them to Germany. They have all lived there ever since but his parents were illegal immigrants and this has caused some problems for Manuel and slowed the progress of his pro career. After starting in kick boxing and then having a short eleven fight amateur career as a boxer he turned pro with Sauerland in May of 2005. Because he lacked German citizenship, a passport or work permit he could not get paid for any of his first seven fights.

Manuel still managed to attract attention by his seventh fight when he was matched with the former Cuban amateur star Pedro Carrion and came away with a surprising 8 round majority decision. His legal problems then caused a break in his career of nearly two years while he sorted things out but finally he resumed boxing in 2008 this time under the Universum banner. Now he could get paid. After 3 more wins he got his big break when he was matched with his friend Gbenga Oloukun who was undefeated in 16 fights. Charr scored an upset 7 round KO to suddenly jump into the spotlight. In his very next fight Oloukun bounced back and outpointed Lamon Brewster over 8 rounds.

In October of last year Manuel took on his first name that would be recognizable to most American fans. Veteran trial horse Sherman Williams was outpointed in 10 rounds. Finally just a few days ago Charr added his most important win yet when he stopped veteran contender Owen Beck in the 10th round. Beck has not been too active lately with only two easy wins in 2009 but he is still only 33 years old and brought a 29-3 record into the fight. The Beck victory brought Charr's record to 14-0 with 7 KOs.

He is more boxer puncher than slugger and likes to hold his hands high and catch incoming punches off his gloves. He has fast hands with a snappy jab and quick combinations. His power is just enough to keep his opponents honest and to hurt many of them. He has an aggressive style and throws lots of punches. Manuel also has youth on his side. Although already a pro for nearly 5 years he is still only 25 years old. He stands 6 foot 3 and 1/2 inches tall and weighs between 236 and 250 pounds. Recently he has been around the low 240s most of the time. This would suggest he might be a bit overweight but he is not. He doesn't have the cut body of say David Haye but he has a solid stocky build. You can catch some of his fights on YouTube.

From the very beginning first with Sauerland and later Universum he has had the advantage of sparring with all the top heavyweights in those two stables as well as the expertise of their top trainers. With plenty of time left to develop still further we should be seeing Manuel Charr in some very important matches in the very near future.

 

[heyzel]

Mikkel Kessler Presents New Trainer: Jimmy Montoya

OPENHAGEN (January 13, 2010) – Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) will rely on the coaching brilliance of Jimmy Montoya when he takes on WBC Super-Middleweight Champion Carl “The Cobra” Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) in the second round of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Montoya, a living legend, has been appointed the new head trainer following the opening-round loss against Andre Ward. He is no stranger to the Danish superstar, having worked in his corner as an assistant trainer on countless of occasions.

“I really look forward to working with Jimmy,” Kessler said. “Just like (Joe) Calzaghe, Ward managed to take my strengths away from me. Neither my corner nor I found any solutions during the fight. But I need to cope with this kind of situations, so I decided to make some changes. It was a very hard decision to part company with my dear friend Ricard Olsen, who has been in my corner in each and every fight of my career. Richard made me the fighter I am today – without him I would never have made it to this level. I owe him big time and will forever be in his debt for his great support..”

Yet the coaching change was necessary. Kessler added: “The reason why I have decided to bring in new competences into the team is to try and look at the tactics from a new perspective. Jimmy has been a part of my team before, as an assistant of Ricard, but never as the head trainer. He has a lifelong experience in the world of boxing and I am sure that he will be able to teach me new tactical dimensions and take me to the finals of the Super Six tournament.”

Montoya, who runs the famous Montoya Boxing Gym, boasts the experience of over 15 world title fights. During his illustrious career, he has worked with stars such as Hector “Macho” Camacho, Alexis Arguello, Salvador Sanchez, Richie Sandoval, Juan “Kid” Meza and Tony “The Tiger” Lopezar. He has no doubts that Kessler will bounce back stronger than ever. “Mikkel is a great warrior with the heart of a champion,” Montoya said. “It was not the real Mikkel Kessler that lost the fight against Ward. We will work hard in training camp to bring out the best in him again. He will be himself against Froch and put on a great performance to pave his way to success in the Super Six tournament.”

Chris Meyer, General Manager of Team Sauerland, also welcomes the decision. “After the fight in Oakland, it was clear that changes had to be made. We feel extremely optimistic about Jimmy and Mikkel. They are a great team. We have no doubts that Jimmy will help Mikkel back to success and glory, starting with a convincing victory against Froch and leading up all the way to the final of the Super Six tournament. Meanwhile, our cooperation with Ricard Olsen continues as he will continue to train our talented fighter Patrick Nielsen in his gym in Copenhagen.”

And Mikkel Kessler added: “The fight against Froch is the most important of my career. I will work my butt off to win this battle and show my great fans what the Viking Warrior is really made of."