Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
I think there are definitely some problems between floyd, al haymon and golden boy. I knew golden boy was playing this whole thing stupidly they in the end are going to get fucked big time.
I also don't doubt Don King would have made the Floyd-Pac fight a long time ago. Even bob arum, during the first negotiations, mentioned he wished floyd would just have don king sort everything out.
Say what you will about don king, but he'll do whatever it takes to get the big money fights to happen including showing up at your front door with a brief case full of hundreds.
He hasn't been that big of a factor in recent years, but next week august 7th he has a tremendous card with two of his fighters - Tavoris Cloud vs Glen Johnson and Devon Alexander vs Kotelnik.
I also don't doubt Don King would have made the Floyd-Pac fight a long time ago. Even bob arum, during the first negotiations, mentioned he wished floyd would just have don king sort everything out.
Say what you will about don king, but he'll do whatever it takes to get the big money fights to happen including showing up at your front door with a brief case full of hundreds.
He hasn't been that big of a factor in recent years, but next week august 7th he has a tremendous card with two of his fighters - Tavoris Cloud vs Glen Johnson and Devon Alexander vs Kotelnik.
Haye: I Still Want The Klitschkos; Khan Targets Marquez
By Hilmar Rojas
Las Vegas, Nevada - The rematch between lightweight super champion of the World Boxing Association and the champion of the World Boxing Organization, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, and the Texan Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz, has brought out some of boxing's biggest stars to Las Vegas, including WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan and the WBA's heavyweight champ David Haye.
Khan and Haye joined Shane Mosley, Michael Katsidis, Bernard Hopkins and Oscar de la Hoya on stage for a group photo during Friday's weight-in as photographers mobbed them.
"King" Khan said he expects to fight the winner of the Marquez-Diaz II, "I could be leaving [Las Vegas] with the name of my next opponent, so I've come here to watch the fight, and besides being in contact with the public is always important. "
He also said his favorite to meet next is Marquez, "I'd like to meet him in December in my next fight. I have a date for the 11th of that month. We just need to clarify and define who and where, but I'll be ready to do it. "
For his part, Haye said he is taking "a long vacation, resting a lot and spending time with family."
As far as when and who he will fight. "We do not know. We have not entirely ruled out the Klitschko brothers, and there are other interesting names to consider. My promoters and my manager is on it. "
He stated that could return at the end of the year when to defend his heavyweight, but Haye says "for now there is nothing, so I'm enjoying my vacation."
By Hilmar Rojas
Las Vegas, Nevada - The rematch between lightweight super champion of the World Boxing Association and the champion of the World Boxing Organization, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, and the Texan Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz, has brought out some of boxing's biggest stars to Las Vegas, including WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan and the WBA's heavyweight champ David Haye.
Khan and Haye joined Shane Mosley, Michael Katsidis, Bernard Hopkins and Oscar de la Hoya on stage for a group photo during Friday's weight-in as photographers mobbed them.
"King" Khan said he expects to fight the winner of the Marquez-Diaz II, "I could be leaving [Las Vegas] with the name of my next opponent, so I've come here to watch the fight, and besides being in contact with the public is always important. "
He also said his favorite to meet next is Marquez, "I'd like to meet him in December in my next fight. I have a date for the 11th of that month. We just need to clarify and define who and where, but I'll be ready to do it. "
For his part, Haye said he is taking "a long vacation, resting a lot and spending time with family."
As far as when and who he will fight. "We do not know. We have not entirely ruled out the Klitschko brothers, and there are other interesting names to consider. My promoters and my manager is on it. "
He stated that could return at the end of the year when to defend his heavyweight, but Haye says "for now there is nothing, so I'm enjoying my vacation."
Gary Shaw: Amir Khan is a Con, a Simple and Pure Fraud
By Lem Satterfield
Promoter Gary Shaw is not impressed with the recent boasts from the tongue of WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. Shaw doesn't believe Khan's talk of fighting WBO champion Timothy Bradley or WBA-interim champion Marcos Maidana. Khan is currently in Las Vegas and plans to sit ringside at the Mandalay Bay to watch Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) defend his WBA/WBO lightweights titles against Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs). If Marquez wins, he is expected by most to fight Khan on December 11.
"Khan is a con. Every day he has a new favorite to fight. Trouble is, they are all Golden Boy fighters," said Shaw, who promotes Bradley. "Khan the con was KOd by a no one, and is lucky that Golden Boy has an out put deal with HBO. Or he would be fighting across the pond, and no one would care. Khan is a con -- a simple and pure fraud
By Lem Satterfield
Promoter Gary Shaw is not impressed with the recent boasts from the tongue of WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. Shaw doesn't believe Khan's talk of fighting WBO champion Timothy Bradley or WBA-interim champion Marcos Maidana. Khan is currently in Las Vegas and plans to sit ringside at the Mandalay Bay to watch Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) defend his WBA/WBO lightweights titles against Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs). If Marquez wins, he is expected by most to fight Khan on December 11.
"Khan is a con. Every day he has a new favorite to fight. Trouble is, they are all Golden Boy fighters," said Shaw, who promotes Bradley. "Khan the con was KOd by a no one, and is lucky that Golden Boy has an out put deal with HBO. Or he would be fighting across the pond, and no one would care. Khan is a con -- a simple and pure fraud
Mayweather Promotions Evicted From Their Vegas Office
By Mark Vester
According to a report in the New York Post, Mayweather Promotions, the promotional company of Floyd Mayweather Jr., has been evicted from their Las Vegas office for being behind on several months rent. Mayweather Promotions employees were given notice, packed up their things and the landlord locked the doors.
The landlord has filed a lawsuit in a Las Vegas district court, stating that Mayweather is five months behind on rent and owes more than $63,000. Mayweather's lawyer, Jeffrey Morse, said he is withholding rent because the property's conditions were substandard. There is still a year left on a three-year lease for $10,781 per month. Mayweather is expected to file a response by August 17
By Mark Vester
According to a report in the New York Post, Mayweather Promotions, the promotional company of Floyd Mayweather Jr., has been evicted from their Las Vegas office for being behind on several months rent. Mayweather Promotions employees were given notice, packed up their things and the landlord locked the doors.
The landlord has filed a lawsuit in a Las Vegas district court, stating that Mayweather is five months behind on rent and owes more than $63,000. Mayweather's lawyer, Jeffrey Morse, said he is withholding rent because the property's conditions were substandard. There is still a year left on a three-year lease for $10,781 per month. Mayweather is expected to file a response by August 17
Amir Khan: I Want To Fight Maidana To Shut Him Up
By Lem Satterfield
Las Vegas - WBA junior welterweight Amir Khan (23-1, 17 knockouts) will be ringside at the Mandalay Bay to watch the pay-per-view rematch between WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) and challenger Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs). Marquez is the leading contender to become Khan's next opponent. HBO has set aside December 11 for Khan's next fight.
Khan will be an interested spectator at ringside for Marquez-Diaz, as will Australia's , the mandatory challenger to the winner of Saturday night's bout.
If Khan had a choice, the opponent at the top of his list would be interim-WBA champion Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs). Another top choice would interim-WBO lightweight king Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), who is another interested party in the Marquez-Diaz outcome.
"There's guys like Maidana. I'd love to fight him just to shut him and people up. Because of my boxing skills, I know that I can beat him. I've got long arms, and I don't think that he'll be able to cope with the speed and the power. Also, there's other names like Michael Katsidis," Khan said.
"I think that that would be a great fight as well. Styles make fights, and I think our styles would make a very explosive fight. In the 140-pound division, at the moment, I think that there are a lot of fights that will make a big fight. So let's just see what happens. You have Victor Ortiz there as well. You have Juan Manuel Marquez there as well. We'll just have to see what happens."
As far as the selection of his next opponent, Khan left it in hands of his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions.
"I gave [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer a list of fighters I wanted to fight. There was Maidana in there, and there was Victor Ortiz. And he's going to give me the best package for a fight where I can make the best deal. At the end of the day, boxing is a business. So I've left it to Richard. I'm going to enjoy Ramadan. I've got a month off until I get back into training. So I've given Richard the names, and he's going to come back to me," Khan said.
The picture will become clearer in the aftermath of the Marquez-Diaz rematch. A few months ago, Golden Boy tried to make a match between Khan and Marquez. The Mexican fighter, coming off a high-profile bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., had no interest in being a "stepping stone," as Marquez called it, for Khan. If Marquez beats Deal for a second time, Khan hopes a deal will be reached the second time around.
"That's one of the reasons that I've come here, you know? To see Marquez fight and to beat him as well. We offered the fight to Marquez before I fought Paulie Malignaggi, and he refused the deal. He refused to fight. So now, if he comes out of here with a good performance, and he wins this fight, I think that that would be a big fight and a big name for me to take on next," Khan said.
By Lem Satterfield
Las Vegas - WBA junior welterweight Amir Khan (23-1, 17 knockouts) will be ringside at the Mandalay Bay to watch the pay-per-view rematch between WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) and challenger Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs). Marquez is the leading contender to become Khan's next opponent. HBO has set aside December 11 for Khan's next fight.
Khan will be an interested spectator at ringside for Marquez-Diaz, as will Australia's , the mandatory challenger to the winner of Saturday night's bout.
If Khan had a choice, the opponent at the top of his list would be interim-WBA champion Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs). Another top choice would interim-WBO lightweight king Michael Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), who is another interested party in the Marquez-Diaz outcome.
"There's guys like Maidana. I'd love to fight him just to shut him and people up. Because of my boxing skills, I know that I can beat him. I've got long arms, and I don't think that he'll be able to cope with the speed and the power. Also, there's other names like Michael Katsidis," Khan said.
"I think that that would be a great fight as well. Styles make fights, and I think our styles would make a very explosive fight. In the 140-pound division, at the moment, I think that there are a lot of fights that will make a big fight. So let's just see what happens. You have Victor Ortiz there as well. You have Juan Manuel Marquez there as well. We'll just have to see what happens."
As far as the selection of his next opponent, Khan left it in hands of his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions.
"I gave [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer a list of fighters I wanted to fight. There was Maidana in there, and there was Victor Ortiz. And he's going to give me the best package for a fight where I can make the best deal. At the end of the day, boxing is a business. So I've left it to Richard. I'm going to enjoy Ramadan. I've got a month off until I get back into training. So I've given Richard the names, and he's going to come back to me," Khan said.
The picture will become clearer in the aftermath of the Marquez-Diaz rematch. A few months ago, Golden Boy tried to make a match between Khan and Marquez. The Mexican fighter, coming off a high-profile bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., had no interest in being a "stepping stone," as Marquez called it, for Khan. If Marquez beats Deal for a second time, Khan hopes a deal will be reached the second time around.
"That's one of the reasons that I've come here, you know? To see Marquez fight and to beat him as well. We offered the fight to Marquez before I fought Paulie Malignaggi, and he refused the deal. He refused to fight. So now, if he comes out of here with a good performance, and he wins this fight, I think that that would be a big fight and a big name for me to take on next," Khan said.
Mayweather At Odds With Golden Boy or Al Haymon?
By Mark Vester
According to promoter Don King, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not pleased with his current representation. King doesn't name any person in particular, but Mayweather would have to be unhappy with either Golden Boy Promotions, or manager/adviser Al Haymon. Mayweather has been hanging out with King for the last few days in Florida and the two men have been discussing the possibility of working together.
Mayweather has worked with Golden Boy on a fight by fight basis for his last four ring appearances. King says Mayweather feels a certain level of disrespect from the people he is currently working with.
"We're hanging out to see what happens," King told the New York Daily News. "He's been here for five days. We've gone out to dinner. We went to a comedy show in Miami. We're going to have a barbecue at my house. We've been talking about his future and where he wants to go and what he wants to do. Right now he's not sure what he wants to do."
"For him it's all a matter of the disrespect that he's feeling and them not listening to him. It's all about pride and dignity. I understand him completely because we share a common background as rising from the ghetto. He wants his dignity, his respect and his pride to remain intact and he wants to get paid. That's where I come in. I'm the mix master."
King and Mayweather have discussed a future fight with Manny Pacquiao. As the New York Daily News points out, it's not the first time Mayweather has met and spoken with King about possibly working together. After their previous meetings, Mayweather went back to the people he was working with. King is going to sit back and wait for Mayweather to make a decision.
"Floyd is the star. It ain't Pacquiao that's driving things," King said. "I don't care if Floyd fights Pinocchio or Betty Boop, he's going to be the star and he's going to make money. I'm just playing it cool and hoping things work out for his benefit. He's not here on a fluke. He's not happy where he's at. Either way it's going to be good for him.
"If he comes with me I'm going to make him bigger than he can imagine. If he goes back with them, they're going to give him the kitchen sink. ... I'm laying in the cut and hoping something works out. If not, we're having fun."
By Mark Vester
According to promoter Don King, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not pleased with his current representation. King doesn't name any person in particular, but Mayweather would have to be unhappy with either Golden Boy Promotions, or manager/adviser Al Haymon. Mayweather has been hanging out with King for the last few days in Florida and the two men have been discussing the possibility of working together.
Mayweather has worked with Golden Boy on a fight by fight basis for his last four ring appearances. King says Mayweather feels a certain level of disrespect from the people he is currently working with.
"We're hanging out to see what happens," King told the New York Daily News. "He's been here for five days. We've gone out to dinner. We went to a comedy show in Miami. We're going to have a barbecue at my house. We've been talking about his future and where he wants to go and what he wants to do. Right now he's not sure what he wants to do."
"For him it's all a matter of the disrespect that he's feeling and them not listening to him. It's all about pride and dignity. I understand him completely because we share a common background as rising from the ghetto. He wants his dignity, his respect and his pride to remain intact and he wants to get paid. That's where I come in. I'm the mix master."
King and Mayweather have discussed a future fight with Manny Pacquiao. As the New York Daily News points out, it's not the first time Mayweather has met and spoken with King about possibly working together. After their previous meetings, Mayweather went back to the people he was working with. King is going to sit back and wait for Mayweather to make a decision.
"Floyd is the star. It ain't Pacquiao that's driving things," King said. "I don't care if Floyd fights Pinocchio or Betty Boop, he's going to be the star and he's going to make money. I'm just playing it cool and hoping things work out for his benefit. He's not here on a fluke. He's not happy where he's at. Either way it's going to be good for him.
"If he comes with me I'm going to make him bigger than he can imagine. If he goes back with them, they're going to give him the kitchen sink. ... I'm laying in the cut and hoping something works out. If not, we're having fun."
Amir Khan: I Still Want To Fight Juan Manuel Marquez
By Mark Vester
WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan liked what he saw at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Khan sat ringside to watch Juan Manuel Marquez win a dominating twelve round decision over Juan Diaz in their "fight of the year" rematch. Marquez is the frontrunner option to fight Khan on December 11 on HBO.
Khan wants to fight Marquez and thinks the Mexican lightweight champion would provide him with a very tough fight. Other options include Marcos Maidana, Michael Katsidis and Timothy Bradley.
“Márquez looked strong and sharp. I still want to fight him. He’s a legend. I know people think I’m stupid to fight someone with so much experience, but I want tough fights against big names. I am now relying on Golden Boy Promotions to make this fight for December,” Khan told The Telegraph.
By Mark Vester
WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan liked what he saw at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Khan sat ringside to watch Juan Manuel Marquez win a dominating twelve round decision over Juan Diaz in their "fight of the year" rematch. Marquez is the frontrunner option to fight Khan on December 11 on HBO.
Khan wants to fight Marquez and thinks the Mexican lightweight champion would provide him with a very tough fight. Other options include Marcos Maidana, Michael Katsidis and Timothy Bradley.
“Márquez looked strong and sharp. I still want to fight him. He’s a legend. I know people think I’m stupid to fight someone with so much experience, but I want tough fights against big names. I am now relying on Golden Boy Promotions to make this fight for December,” Khan told The Telegraph.
Chad Dawson Eyes Lucian Bute, Cloud, Calzaghe Too
By Ryan Burton
Ring Magazine #1 rated light heavyweight Chad Dawson and his trainer Eddie Mustafa were in Las Vegas this weekend. Dawson is training very hard for his upcoming fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, scheduled for August 14 on HBO. When asked who he would like to fight after Pascal (assuming that he beats Pascal), Dawson said, "I am through chasing Bernard (Hopkins). I don't think that fight will every happen. I would like to fight Calzaghe too if he comes out of retirement."
When asked about which currently active fighters he would like to fight the Connecticut native said, "I would fight (Tavoris) Cloud if he gets past Johnson next week. Andre Ward has been looking good and I can make 168. I would be interested in that. A fight that really intrigues me is a fight with Lucian Bute. I would fight him Montreal."
Dawson's August fight with Pascal takes place in Montreal and Bad Chad isn't worried about Montreal's reputation for helping hometown fighters with questionable tactics. "I saw what happened in Bute's fight with Andrade but I am not worried about the ref or the judging. I am going to beat him so convincingly they aren't going to be able to give it to him." Montreal is one of the best fight towns in the world. Wins over Pascal and Bute could lead Montreal into being Dawson's adopted hometown as well.
By Ryan Burton
Ring Magazine #1 rated light heavyweight Chad Dawson and his trainer Eddie Mustafa were in Las Vegas this weekend. Dawson is training very hard for his upcoming fight with WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, scheduled for August 14 on HBO. When asked who he would like to fight after Pascal (assuming that he beats Pascal), Dawson said, "I am through chasing Bernard (Hopkins). I don't think that fight will every happen. I would like to fight Calzaghe too if he comes out of retirement."
When asked about which currently active fighters he would like to fight the Connecticut native said, "I would fight (Tavoris) Cloud if he gets past Johnson next week. Andre Ward has been looking good and I can make 168. I would be interested in that. A fight that really intrigues me is a fight with Lucian Bute. I would fight him Montreal."
Dawson's August fight with Pascal takes place in Montreal and Bad Chad isn't worried about Montreal's reputation for helping hometown fighters with questionable tactics. "I saw what happened in Bute's fight with Andrade but I am not worried about the ref or the judging. I am going to beat him so convincingly they aren't going to be able to give it to him." Montreal is one of the best fight towns in the world. Wins over Pascal and Bute could lead Montreal into being Dawson's adopted hometown as well.
Schaefer: If Marquez Beats Khan, He Could Get Pacquiao
By Mark Vester
According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, if Juan Manuel Marquez decides to move up in weight to challenge WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, and wins, he might be able to get the trilogy fight with Manny Pacquiao.
“I think if he would move up and fight Khan and let’s say Marquez wins that fight, then you could have a Pacquiao vs. Marquez,” Schaefer said to The Las Vegas Sun.
Otherwise, Schaefer doesn't see the trilogy taking place. The blame falls on Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who Schaefer says is keeping his fights in-house and not matching his top stars against fighters being represented by other promoters.
“No, there’s no sense in [calling Arum],” said Schaefer. “I know what he’ll say. We all know it. I know the MGM would love to host a Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight. I think even Pacquiao would love it. But Bob likes to do everything in house.”
By Mark Vester
According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, if Juan Manuel Marquez decides to move up in weight to challenge WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, and wins, he might be able to get the trilogy fight with Manny Pacquiao.
“I think if he would move up and fight Khan and let’s say Marquez wins that fight, then you could have a Pacquiao vs. Marquez,” Schaefer said to The Las Vegas Sun.
Otherwise, Schaefer doesn't see the trilogy taking place. The blame falls on Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who Schaefer says is keeping his fights in-house and not matching his top stars against fighters being represented by other promoters.
“No, there’s no sense in [calling Arum],” said Schaefer. “I know what he’ll say. We all know it. I know the MGM would love to host a Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight. I think even Pacquiao would love it. But Bob likes to do everything in house.”
Klitschko: "I'll Fight Haye in England, Cardiff, The Moon"
By Ray Murray, courtesy of The Daily Star
Vitali Klitschko claims trash-talker David Haye is *running scared from the real heavyweight kings.
WBC champion Klitschko believes the Hayemaker is afraid to take on either him or his younger brother Wladimir.
And the frustrated Ukrainian, who has offered a fight proposal to Londoner Haye, advised the WBA king to stop talking rubbish and use his fists.
Klitschko, 39, said: “I am ready to fight David any place, anytime in England, Cardiff or even on the moon.
“My brother and I offered him a proposal two months ago but we have had no answer. Why? It’s mean of David.
“We don’t want to talk with our mouths, let’s just talk with our fists. But all boxing fans have to know he is afraid to fight us and is afraid to lose the title. It shows his character.
“David has to come out and say he doesn’t want to fight the Klitschkos.
“He talks too much and is just a trash talker but there is a big difference between talking and doing.”
Haye, 29, was scheduled to fight both brothers in 2009 but pulled out with injury before beating Russian giant Nikolai Valuev instead to capture his world title.
He has since stopped US *slugger John Ruiz in his first *defence in April.
But Team Klitschko insist the Englishman is just boxing clever.
Klitschko added: “If he is only interested in the money, then we offered a fair proposal where we’ll split the worldwide income 50-50.
“I’m motivated to take his belt but I understand David and he’s a smart boy.
“He is a world champion who enjoys the spotlight but only because he doesn’t fight the Klitschkos.
“He knows the chance of beating *either of us is minimal. He will lose against Wladimir or me.”
Klitschko was in Cardiff last night for the WBC Night of Champions alongside a star-studded boxing cast including greats Roberto Duran and Carlos *Zarate.
And he revealed he expects to tie up a contract for his next fight against American veteran Shannon Briggs in Hamburg on October 16 in the coming days.
He added: “I’m in negotiations with Shannon and I can’t wait to show I am the strongest in the world by defending my world *title with a good *display in the ring.”
By Ray Murray, courtesy of The Daily Star
Vitali Klitschko claims trash-talker David Haye is *running scared from the real heavyweight kings.
WBC champion Klitschko believes the Hayemaker is afraid to take on either him or his younger brother Wladimir.
And the frustrated Ukrainian, who has offered a fight proposal to Londoner Haye, advised the WBA king to stop talking rubbish and use his fists.
Klitschko, 39, said: “I am ready to fight David any place, anytime in England, Cardiff or even on the moon.
“My brother and I offered him a proposal two months ago but we have had no answer. Why? It’s mean of David.
“We don’t want to talk with our mouths, let’s just talk with our fists. But all boxing fans have to know he is afraid to fight us and is afraid to lose the title. It shows his character.
“David has to come out and say he doesn’t want to fight the Klitschkos.
“He talks too much and is just a trash talker but there is a big difference between talking and doing.”
Haye, 29, was scheduled to fight both brothers in 2009 but pulled out with injury before beating Russian giant Nikolai Valuev instead to capture his world title.
He has since stopped US *slugger John Ruiz in his first *defence in April.
But Team Klitschko insist the Englishman is just boxing clever.
Klitschko added: “If he is only interested in the money, then we offered a fair proposal where we’ll split the worldwide income 50-50.
“I’m motivated to take his belt but I understand David and he’s a smart boy.
“He is a world champion who enjoys the spotlight but only because he doesn’t fight the Klitschkos.
“He knows the chance of beating *either of us is minimal. He will lose against Wladimir or me.”
Klitschko was in Cardiff last night for the WBC Night of Champions alongside a star-studded boxing cast including greats Roberto Duran and Carlos *Zarate.
And he revealed he expects to tie up a contract for his next fight against American veteran Shannon Briggs in Hamburg on October 16 in the coming days.
He added: “I’m in negotiations with Shannon and I can’t wait to show I am the strongest in the world by defending my world *title with a good *display in the ring.”
Why didn’t Arum match Pacquiao against Berto, Paul Williams or Bradley instead of Mar
By Peter Wells: Manny Pacquiao had plenty of options for his next fight, such as Paul Williams, Andre Berto and Timothy Bradley, which would have all been very intriguing fights for hardcore boxing fans. But Bob Arum only had two fighters on his mind – Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto – both promoted in Arum’s Top Rank stable. These were the only fighters Bob mentioned putting fights together with Pacquiao.
Miguel Cotto has already been destroyed by Pacquiao, last November, but the Puerto Rican is now the WBA Light Middleweight champion and Bob wants Manny to win a title in an eighth different weight class.
Arum though preferred a fighter who Pacquiao hadn’t yet fought, Antonio Margarito was chosen. Antonio as you all know is still looking to get his boxing licence renewed in most American States after being caught with a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps in January 2009 before his one-sided defeat to Shane Mosley. Margarito has since fought once, looking poor in his victory at 154lbs against Roberto Garcia. What’s made fans even angrier is that this is for the WBC Light Middleweight title, how have these fighters got the shot at the title, when Pacquiao has never fought above 145lbs and Margarito isn’t really deserving a big fight let alone a title shot.
For Arum it’s easy money, and if the Pacquiao-Floyd fight fails next year he’ll put together Pacquiao-Cotto II, so he isn’t expecting Margarito to beat Manny with that type of talk. Plus Manny’s last two opponents – Miguel Cotto and then Joshua Clottey – are also both promoted by Arum.
Well Pacquiao isn’t the only one only fighting fighters in the same stable, Miguel Cotto was looking like he could have been heading for a fight with Andre Berto, but talks have been cut off and now Arum wants to set
By Peter Wells: Manny Pacquiao had plenty of options for his next fight, such as Paul Williams, Andre Berto and Timothy Bradley, which would have all been very intriguing fights for hardcore boxing fans. But Bob Arum only had two fighters on his mind – Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto – both promoted in Arum’s Top Rank stable. These were the only fighters Bob mentioned putting fights together with Pacquiao.
Miguel Cotto has already been destroyed by Pacquiao, last November, but the Puerto Rican is now the WBA Light Middleweight champion and Bob wants Manny to win a title in an eighth different weight class.
Arum though preferred a fighter who Pacquiao hadn’t yet fought, Antonio Margarito was chosen. Antonio as you all know is still looking to get his boxing licence renewed in most American States after being caught with a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps in January 2009 before his one-sided defeat to Shane Mosley. Margarito has since fought once, looking poor in his victory at 154lbs against Roberto Garcia. What’s made fans even angrier is that this is for the WBC Light Middleweight title, how have these fighters got the shot at the title, when Pacquiao has never fought above 145lbs and Margarito isn’t really deserving a big fight let alone a title shot.
For Arum it’s easy money, and if the Pacquiao-Floyd fight fails next year he’ll put together Pacquiao-Cotto II, so he isn’t expecting Margarito to beat Manny with that type of talk. Plus Manny’s last two opponents – Miguel Cotto and then Joshua Clottey – are also both promoted by Arum.
Well Pacquiao isn’t the only one only fighting fighters in the same stable, Miguel Cotto was looking like he could have been heading for a fight with Andre Berto, but talks have been cut off and now Arum wants to set
End of the line for Casamayor
By Kirk Jackson: Joel Casamayor certainly looked his age tonight against the younger fighter Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero. The fight in itself was boring, but there was one last flash of greatness from the all time Cuban great in the final round, when he sent ‘The Ghost‘ to the canvas off a counter right jab. The effort from Guerrero was lackadaisical, whether it is from distractions from his personal life or adjusting to the weight it’s beyond me. Maybe he was thrown off by his opponent’s southpaw stance, or legendary reputation of the former two division champion. Whatever was the case, Guerrero was able to defeat the former champion.
After all the grueling rounds put in over the years, every damaging punch sustained, after every soul altering bout, it has taken its toll and I hope Joel Casamayor calls it a career before he suffers any further damage. He has clearly lost his reflexes, speed, stamina, will, and overall skill to continue fighting at a high level.
Some may point out a decline in his game when he was given a gift decision against light weight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz late in 2007. Cruz controlled the fight and in the eyes of many spectators won the fight without question. His decline was magnified even more in depth when he fought Michael Katsidis back in 2008. Katsidis is a tough fighter, but technically at a major disadvantage when facing Casamayor. After a slow start for Katsidis which included a few knock downs, he created a life and death war with Casamayor and was on the verge of beating and possibly knocking him out. Due to a lapse of defense and judgment, the cagey veteran was able to land a counter left hand that rocked Katsidis’ world and shifted all the momentum in Casamayor’s favor.
After knocking out the then undefeated fighter in perhaps the last great performance in his career, Casamayor would go on to lose his Lightweight Championship via ko to the Juan Manual Marquez who was moving up in weight. This had marked the first time the Cuban was stopped in his professional career. After taking more than a year off, Joel would move up to the welterweight division and fight a no namer in Jason Davis. Subsequently, after earning a decision over Davis, this brings us to his most recent bout, a decision loss against Robert Guerrero. In each one of his last 5 or 6 fights, he has shown decline and it will only continue. The wear and tear from a great lengthy amateur career, and from an extraordinary professional career is clearly evident. Many spectators can see it, let’s just hope Joel and the people in his corner see it and come to realization he probably shouldn’t be fighting anymore.
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By Kirk Jackson: Joel Casamayor certainly looked his age tonight against the younger fighter Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero. The fight in itself was boring, but there was one last flash of greatness from the all time Cuban great in the final round, when he sent ‘The Ghost‘ to the canvas off a counter right jab. The effort from Guerrero was lackadaisical, whether it is from distractions from his personal life or adjusting to the weight it’s beyond me. Maybe he was thrown off by his opponent’s southpaw stance, or legendary reputation of the former two division champion. Whatever was the case, Guerrero was able to defeat the former champion.
After all the grueling rounds put in over the years, every damaging punch sustained, after every soul altering bout, it has taken its toll and I hope Joel Casamayor calls it a career before he suffers any further damage. He has clearly lost his reflexes, speed, stamina, will, and overall skill to continue fighting at a high level.
Some may point out a decline in his game when he was given a gift decision against light weight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz late in 2007. Cruz controlled the fight and in the eyes of many spectators won the fight without question. His decline was magnified even more in depth when he fought Michael Katsidis back in 2008. Katsidis is a tough fighter, but technically at a major disadvantage when facing Casamayor. After a slow start for Katsidis which included a few knock downs, he created a life and death war with Casamayor and was on the verge of beating and possibly knocking him out. Due to a lapse of defense and judgment, the cagey veteran was able to land a counter left hand that rocked Katsidis’ world and shifted all the momentum in Casamayor’s favor.
After knocking out the then undefeated fighter in perhaps the last great performance in his career, Casamayor would go on to lose his Lightweight Championship via ko to the Juan Manual Marquez who was moving up in weight. This had marked the first time the Cuban was stopped in his professional career. After taking more than a year off, Joel would move up to the welterweight division and fight a no namer in Jason Davis. Subsequently, after earning a decision over Davis, this brings us to his most recent bout, a decision loss against Robert Guerrero. In each one of his last 5 or 6 fights, he has shown decline and it will only continue. The wear and tear from a great lengthy amateur career, and from an extraordinary professional career is clearly evident. Many spectators can see it, let’s just hope Joel and the people in his corner see it and come to realization he probably shouldn’t be fighting anymore.
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Marquez says he wants to move up to light welterweight to try and win another title
Jason Kim: Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) looked as good as ever on Saturday night, beating challenger Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez, 36, hurt Diaz a number of times in the fight and was in command the entire way through. Diaz appeared to win only round – the 11th – and spent much of the fight throwing jabs and moving a lot. After the fight, Marquez said “One of the challenges is to move up to 140 [light welterweight] and become the first Mexican fighter in boxing history to win four titles in four divisions.” If Marquez plans on making good on that, he’ll have some tough fighters to pick from.
The current light welterweight champions are Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander and Amir Khan. Bradley is probably the best out of the bunch, but Alexander is close behind. Khan has the best hand speed, power and size and is also probably the most popular among the three. Khan also fights for the same promotional company as Marquez – Golden Boy Promotions. There’s no doubt that Golden Boy would like to match Marquez with Khan in his next fight, if Marquez is interested in fighting him. Khan would likely be the most beatable of the three because of his fragile chin and would also likely be the best payday for Marquez.
It’s hard to see Marquez beating Alexander and Bradley. Both are very fast and elusive. I think those would be bad match-ups for Marquez. Against Khan, Marquez would have a chance if he can hurt him with a big shot. Marquez would have to be loading up the whole time, because that’s the only way he’d be able to beat a fast guy like Khan. Freddie Roach, Khan’s trainer, would have him moving constantly like he was against Andriy Kotelnik. Khan’s hard to beat when he’s moving.
Marquez also said that he’d like to fight Manny Pacquiao next, saying “My priority has always been Manny Pacquiao. No ifs, and or buts. I want to fight Pacquiao.” The problem is Pacquiao already has a fight planned for November against Antonio Margarito, so he’s not going to be available to fight Marquez next. And beyond that, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum wants to try and match Pacquiao up against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in early 2011. If that fight can be put together, then Pacquiao won’t be available until late next year in September or October. However, Arum also would like to put Pacquiao back in with Miguel Cotto in a rematch. The fight would be taking place at junior middleweight, presumably, if Cotto still has his World Boxing Association junior middleweight title by then.
Since Cotto and Pacquiao both fight for Top Rank, it’s more than likely that Arum will choose to set up the Cotto-Pacquiao rematch rather than put Pacquiao in with Marquez for a third fight between them. Marquez gave Pacquiao huge problems in his two previous fights with him, and would have a good chance of beating Pacquiao. You can’t say the same thing for Cotto, who was totally dominated by Pacquiao last year. Cotto is pretty much a safe fight for Pacquiao, as there’s little danger that Pacquiao will lose the fight, unless Cotto has improved dramatically since the last fight. Boxing fans aren’t too eager to see Pacquiao fight Cotto again, but that fight will probably get made anyway. It’s a fight that is almost guaranteed to bring in between 700,000 to 1 million pay per view buys, and that’s good money for Pacquiao, Cotto and Arum.
Jason Kim: Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) looked as good as ever on Saturday night, beating challenger Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez, 36, hurt Diaz a number of times in the fight and was in command the entire way through. Diaz appeared to win only round – the 11th – and spent much of the fight throwing jabs and moving a lot. After the fight, Marquez said “One of the challenges is to move up to 140 [light welterweight] and become the first Mexican fighter in boxing history to win four titles in four divisions.” If Marquez plans on making good on that, he’ll have some tough fighters to pick from.
The current light welterweight champions are Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander and Amir Khan. Bradley is probably the best out of the bunch, but Alexander is close behind. Khan has the best hand speed, power and size and is also probably the most popular among the three. Khan also fights for the same promotional company as Marquez – Golden Boy Promotions. There’s no doubt that Golden Boy would like to match Marquez with Khan in his next fight, if Marquez is interested in fighting him. Khan would likely be the most beatable of the three because of his fragile chin and would also likely be the best payday for Marquez.
It’s hard to see Marquez beating Alexander and Bradley. Both are very fast and elusive. I think those would be bad match-ups for Marquez. Against Khan, Marquez would have a chance if he can hurt him with a big shot. Marquez would have to be loading up the whole time, because that’s the only way he’d be able to beat a fast guy like Khan. Freddie Roach, Khan’s trainer, would have him moving constantly like he was against Andriy Kotelnik. Khan’s hard to beat when he’s moving.
Marquez also said that he’d like to fight Manny Pacquiao next, saying “My priority has always been Manny Pacquiao. No ifs, and or buts. I want to fight Pacquiao.” The problem is Pacquiao already has a fight planned for November against Antonio Margarito, so he’s not going to be available to fight Marquez next. And beyond that, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum wants to try and match Pacquiao up against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in early 2011. If that fight can be put together, then Pacquiao won’t be available until late next year in September or October. However, Arum also would like to put Pacquiao back in with Miguel Cotto in a rematch. The fight would be taking place at junior middleweight, presumably, if Cotto still has his World Boxing Association junior middleweight title by then.
Since Cotto and Pacquiao both fight for Top Rank, it’s more than likely that Arum will choose to set up the Cotto-Pacquiao rematch rather than put Pacquiao in with Marquez for a third fight between them. Marquez gave Pacquiao huge problems in his two previous fights with him, and would have a good chance of beating Pacquiao. You can’t say the same thing for Cotto, who was totally dominated by Pacquiao last year. Cotto is pretty much a safe fight for Pacquiao, as there’s little danger that Pacquiao will lose the fight, unless Cotto has improved dramatically since the last fight. Boxing fans aren’t too eager to see Pacquiao fight Cotto again, but that fight will probably get made anyway. It’s a fight that is almost guaranteed to bring in between 700,000 to 1 million pay per view buys, and that’s good money for Pacquiao, Cotto and Arum.
This is pretty simple:
Berto - Al Haymon
Williams - Al Haymon
Al Haymon also represents Floyd Mayweather. Arum and Haymon are not going to be working together after the failure to produce Floyd-Pac.
Bradley simply isn't big enough, has only fought one time at 147 and holds no belts.
Cotto rematch doesn't have as much appeal being that Pac already destroyed him.
Margarito, as unpopular as it may be to hardcore fans, is someone different, someone a lot bigger than Pac, and like it or not, the vacant WBC jr. middleweight belt will be on the line.
Berto - Al Haymon
Williams - Al Haymon
Al Haymon also represents Floyd Mayweather. Arum and Haymon are not going to be working together after the failure to produce Floyd-Pac.
Bradley simply isn't big enough, has only fought one time at 147 and holds no belts.
Cotto rematch doesn't have as much appeal being that Pac already destroyed him.
Margarito, as unpopular as it may be to hardcore fans, is someone different, someone a lot bigger than Pac, and like it or not, the vacant WBC jr. middleweight belt will be on the line.
Joe Calzaghe prove his greatness when he beat Bernard Hopkins
by Geoffrey Ciani - Joe Calzaghe represents an interesting case in recent boxing history. He is the type of fighter who was probably underrated throughout most of his fighting days. At the same time, he is also the kind of guy who will most likely tend to become overrated with time because he decided to retire with his unbeaten record still intact. Exactly how good was Joe Calzaghe and how should he be remembered?
Calzaghe’s style was not always pretty. He was an unorthodox fighter who utilized speed, volume, and angles. His detractors would often criticize his style and technique, and sometimes he would even appear almost amateurish inside the squared circle. Critics would frequently accuse him of slapping rather than punching. Despite his numerous “flaws”, he was very effective inside the ring and was a proven winner. Why was he so effective? Was it due to a lack of good opposition? Is it because Calzaghe was a special fighter whose genius was simply not appreciated? Or was it perhaps some unique combination of the two that largely surrounded circumstance?
On episode 69 of On the Ropes Boxing Radio boxing trainer Brother Naazim Richardson had this to say about Joe Calzaghe:
“It’s hard for us over here to respect Calzaghe’s style because it’s so far different from what we allow our athletes to do here. We won’t allow our athletes to slap with punches. I tell people a lot of times, I applaud Calzaghe’s father because had you brought Joe Calzaghe over here to some of the greatest trainers that live over here, they probably wouldn’t have found the same success with him. I’m talking about some of the all time great trainers. Some of our guys like even the current guys that are out there now, like John David Jackson, Freddie Roach, and people of that nature, Emanuel Steward—they won’t let their guys out of the gym without turning those punches over. So we just wouldn’t accept that style here so it would never have been able to grow and flourish into what he became. We would have probably snuffed that fighter out a long time ago, but his dad being new to boxing he let it slide and it turned out to work. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
Richardson touched on some key points regarding American attitudes towards Calzaghe.
When Calzaghe won the WBO super middleweight title against British legend Chris Eubank few fans in America took notice. He successfully defended this title twenty-one times, but despite his long reign, he never received a whole lot of credit outside his region. Part of this was due to the fact that Calzaghe rarely fought outside of the UK and never fought on American soil throughout his entire 168 pound reign. This undoubtedly hurt his standing in the eyes of many. In addition to his ugly style, Calzaghe also had a few rough patches along the way while suffering knockdowns against the likes of Byron Mitchell and Karbary Salem. Even though Calzaghe just kept on winning, his level of opposition and unorthodox style still drew a lot of criticism.
When Calzaghe annihilated American hopeful Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey in twelve one-sided rounds of action many people finally began to take notice, but at the same time, many discredited the victory and said Lacy was no good to begin with. When he had his unification bout against Mikkel Kessler he began drawing more attention. Aside from having some really rough spots and eating some good shots early on, Calzaghe outworked and outhustled his younger foe to win a comfortable points victory. Kessler was simply unable to cope with Calzaghe’s superior speed and tremendous work rate, getting busted up in the process as Calzaghe bamboozled him with angles and activity.
After that Calzaghe decided to move up to the light heavyweight division to face American legend Bernard Hopkins. This was the first time Calzaghe fought in America. Despite being 43 years old, Hopkins was still an elite fighter and represented Calzaghe’s toughest challenge to date. Things did not start off well for Calzaghe, either. Hopkins dropped him in the opening round with a perfectly placed right hand. Calzaghe would rise to his feet, but he was caught with a couple of more solid rights before the round concluded. It appeared that Hopkins had him timed brilliantly and it looked like it was going to be a long night for Joe.
Things did not get much better over the next three rounds. Hopkins patience and experience were on full display. He was looking for opportunities to counter and consistently finding the mark. Calzaghe looked uncharacteristically confused. He was unable to find his rhythm during the first third of the fight and it almost appeared as if Hopkins was on his way to an easy victory. After all, Hopkins was a seasoned vet who knew every trick in the book. He was extremely versatile and had an uncanny ability to adapt to his opponent’s style. It was not uncommon for Hopkins to start slowly in fights. He would often feel out his opponent, look for weaknesses, and begin exploiting them with more and more frequency as the fight progressed. Typically, Hopkins would then slowly break a fighter down both mentally and physically over the final stretch. In this fight, however, Hopkins got off to a good early start and whenever this happened, it usually meant bad things for his opponent.
This was when Calzaghe really proved his worth as an elite fighter. Starting in round five, Calzaghe began making slight subtle adjustments of his own. He was adapting to Hopkins' patterns and began pressuring him more effectively. He was landing more frequently and he was not getting caught as much with the right hand that troubled him early. His work rate continued to improve and it appeared he was gaining steam as Hopkins began to fade. Simply put, Joe was beating Hopkins at his own game. Calzaghe may have arguably lost the seventh round and he almost certainly lost the tenth when Hopkins used some veteran theatrics to get a second wind and secure the round. Aside from that, it was all Joe after the fourth. Calzaghe even managed to become the only fighter to really ever outwork Hopkins during the championship rounds of a fight.
Calzaghe was awarded a split decision victory, but many in the boxing world still refused to give Joe his due credit. After all, Hopkins was 43 years old and clearly on the decline. Or was he?
Calzaghe would go on to beat Roy Jones in his next and final fight. There is no question that Jones was a shell of his former self at this point. He had not won a significant fight against a top tier opponent in years, but he still had a big name. This allowed Calzaghe to ride off into the sunset having finished his career with two victories over aging future Hall of Famers. Many fans would view his victories over Kessler, Jones, and Lacy as his most impressive. When things are really viewed more objectively, however, none of those victories compare to Joe’s win against Hopkins. The fact remains that Lacy never lived up to expectations, Jones was already well past his expiration date, and Kessler was the type of fighter who would always have problems with guys who could disrupt his rhythm. Hopkins was an entirely different animal altogether. He was the only top elite fighter Joe ever fought in his career and it happened during Calzaghe’s first fight in America, which was also his first fight at 175 pounds in a fight where he faced a lot of early adversity. The fight may have been “ugly” but it was definitely Joe’s most impressive win.
The magnitude of his victory against Hopkins may or may not be a matter of debate for future boxing historians. As Calzaghe’s legacy improves with time, however, perhaps this fight will begin to get the attention it probably deserves. It was a tactical chess match between two masters of versatility and craftsmanship. It was a close fight, and a strong argument can be made that Calzaghe even deserved to lose a close decision. Regardless of that, even if two of the judges did not see things his way, it was still the one fight where Joe truly proved his greatness as a boxer.
In conclusion, to quote Naazim Richardson:
“I’ve never cared for the way Calzaghe fights but I have great respect for his achievements.”
by Geoffrey Ciani - Joe Calzaghe represents an interesting case in recent boxing history. He is the type of fighter who was probably underrated throughout most of his fighting days. At the same time, he is also the kind of guy who will most likely tend to become overrated with time because he decided to retire with his unbeaten record still intact. Exactly how good was Joe Calzaghe and how should he be remembered?
Calzaghe’s style was not always pretty. He was an unorthodox fighter who utilized speed, volume, and angles. His detractors would often criticize his style and technique, and sometimes he would even appear almost amateurish inside the squared circle. Critics would frequently accuse him of slapping rather than punching. Despite his numerous “flaws”, he was very effective inside the ring and was a proven winner. Why was he so effective? Was it due to a lack of good opposition? Is it because Calzaghe was a special fighter whose genius was simply not appreciated? Or was it perhaps some unique combination of the two that largely surrounded circumstance?
On episode 69 of On the Ropes Boxing Radio boxing trainer Brother Naazim Richardson had this to say about Joe Calzaghe:
“It’s hard for us over here to respect Calzaghe’s style because it’s so far different from what we allow our athletes to do here. We won’t allow our athletes to slap with punches. I tell people a lot of times, I applaud Calzaghe’s father because had you brought Joe Calzaghe over here to some of the greatest trainers that live over here, they probably wouldn’t have found the same success with him. I’m talking about some of the all time great trainers. Some of our guys like even the current guys that are out there now, like John David Jackson, Freddie Roach, and people of that nature, Emanuel Steward—they won’t let their guys out of the gym without turning those punches over. So we just wouldn’t accept that style here so it would never have been able to grow and flourish into what he became. We would have probably snuffed that fighter out a long time ago, but his dad being new to boxing he let it slide and it turned out to work. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”
Richardson touched on some key points regarding American attitudes towards Calzaghe.
When Calzaghe won the WBO super middleweight title against British legend Chris Eubank few fans in America took notice. He successfully defended this title twenty-one times, but despite his long reign, he never received a whole lot of credit outside his region. Part of this was due to the fact that Calzaghe rarely fought outside of the UK and never fought on American soil throughout his entire 168 pound reign. This undoubtedly hurt his standing in the eyes of many. In addition to his ugly style, Calzaghe also had a few rough patches along the way while suffering knockdowns against the likes of Byron Mitchell and Karbary Salem. Even though Calzaghe just kept on winning, his level of opposition and unorthodox style still drew a lot of criticism.
When Calzaghe annihilated American hopeful Jeff “Left Hook” Lacey in twelve one-sided rounds of action many people finally began to take notice, but at the same time, many discredited the victory and said Lacy was no good to begin with. When he had his unification bout against Mikkel Kessler he began drawing more attention. Aside from having some really rough spots and eating some good shots early on, Calzaghe outworked and outhustled his younger foe to win a comfortable points victory. Kessler was simply unable to cope with Calzaghe’s superior speed and tremendous work rate, getting busted up in the process as Calzaghe bamboozled him with angles and activity.
After that Calzaghe decided to move up to the light heavyweight division to face American legend Bernard Hopkins. This was the first time Calzaghe fought in America. Despite being 43 years old, Hopkins was still an elite fighter and represented Calzaghe’s toughest challenge to date. Things did not start off well for Calzaghe, either. Hopkins dropped him in the opening round with a perfectly placed right hand. Calzaghe would rise to his feet, but he was caught with a couple of more solid rights before the round concluded. It appeared that Hopkins had him timed brilliantly and it looked like it was going to be a long night for Joe.
Things did not get much better over the next three rounds. Hopkins patience and experience were on full display. He was looking for opportunities to counter and consistently finding the mark. Calzaghe looked uncharacteristically confused. He was unable to find his rhythm during the first third of the fight and it almost appeared as if Hopkins was on his way to an easy victory. After all, Hopkins was a seasoned vet who knew every trick in the book. He was extremely versatile and had an uncanny ability to adapt to his opponent’s style. It was not uncommon for Hopkins to start slowly in fights. He would often feel out his opponent, look for weaknesses, and begin exploiting them with more and more frequency as the fight progressed. Typically, Hopkins would then slowly break a fighter down both mentally and physically over the final stretch. In this fight, however, Hopkins got off to a good early start and whenever this happened, it usually meant bad things for his opponent.
This was when Calzaghe really proved his worth as an elite fighter. Starting in round five, Calzaghe began making slight subtle adjustments of his own. He was adapting to Hopkins' patterns and began pressuring him more effectively. He was landing more frequently and he was not getting caught as much with the right hand that troubled him early. His work rate continued to improve and it appeared he was gaining steam as Hopkins began to fade. Simply put, Joe was beating Hopkins at his own game. Calzaghe may have arguably lost the seventh round and he almost certainly lost the tenth when Hopkins used some veteran theatrics to get a second wind and secure the round. Aside from that, it was all Joe after the fourth. Calzaghe even managed to become the only fighter to really ever outwork Hopkins during the championship rounds of a fight.
Calzaghe was awarded a split decision victory, but many in the boxing world still refused to give Joe his due credit. After all, Hopkins was 43 years old and clearly on the decline. Or was he?
Calzaghe would go on to beat Roy Jones in his next and final fight. There is no question that Jones was a shell of his former self at this point. He had not won a significant fight against a top tier opponent in years, but he still had a big name. This allowed Calzaghe to ride off into the sunset having finished his career with two victories over aging future Hall of Famers. Many fans would view his victories over Kessler, Jones, and Lacy as his most impressive. When things are really viewed more objectively, however, none of those victories compare to Joe’s win against Hopkins. The fact remains that Lacy never lived up to expectations, Jones was already well past his expiration date, and Kessler was the type of fighter who would always have problems with guys who could disrupt his rhythm. Hopkins was an entirely different animal altogether. He was the only top elite fighter Joe ever fought in his career and it happened during Calzaghe’s first fight in America, which was also his first fight at 175 pounds in a fight where he faced a lot of early adversity. The fight may have been “ugly” but it was definitely Joe’s most impressive win.
The magnitude of his victory against Hopkins may or may not be a matter of debate for future boxing historians. As Calzaghe’s legacy improves with time, however, perhaps this fight will begin to get the attention it probably deserves. It was a tactical chess match between two masters of versatility and craftsmanship. It was a close fight, and a strong argument can be made that Calzaghe even deserved to lose a close decision. Regardless of that, even if two of the judges did not see things his way, it was still the one fight where Joe truly proved his greatness as a boxer.
In conclusion, to quote Naazim Richardson:
“I’ve never cared for the way Calzaghe fights but I have great respect for his achievements.”
Vitali Klitschko Says Haye, Adamek, Valuev Running Away
By Ruslan Chikov
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is having trouble getting an opponent to step up for his next fight. Speaking with Golzka, Klitschko says a proposal for a fight with Tomasz Adamek was turned down, WBA heavyweight champion David Haye is not returning calls and former champion Nikolai Valuev wants too much money to make the fight happen. Vitali is most interested in the "Russian Giant" Valuev. There are issue with making the fight happen.
Vitali says Valuev's co-promoter Don King is standing in the way of the fight with his numerous additional demands during the negotiations. Former champion Shannon Briggs is a possible opponent for October.
"The fight [with Valuev] can't happen because of Don King. We offered Valuev a title shot and $1.5 million dollars. He never earned this much money in the past. Still they continue to ask for more....including money from television [rights]. When has a champion had to persuade the challenger to make a fight? We tried to get David Haye, but heard nothing back. He's scared because he knows the chances of beating a Klitschko are minimal. Tomasz Adamak was sent a proposal and he didn't want the fight. Maybe we will fight with Shannon Briggs. Right now we are talking, but nothing is clear," Klitschko said.
By Ruslan Chikov
WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is having trouble getting an opponent to step up for his next fight. Speaking with Golzka, Klitschko says a proposal for a fight with Tomasz Adamek was turned down, WBA heavyweight champion David Haye is not returning calls and former champion Nikolai Valuev wants too much money to make the fight happen. Vitali is most interested in the "Russian Giant" Valuev. There are issue with making the fight happen.
Vitali says Valuev's co-promoter Don King is standing in the way of the fight with his numerous additional demands during the negotiations. Former champion Shannon Briggs is a possible opponent for October.
"The fight [with Valuev] can't happen because of Don King. We offered Valuev a title shot and $1.5 million dollars. He never earned this much money in the past. Still they continue to ask for more....including money from television [rights]. When has a champion had to persuade the challenger to make a fight? We tried to get David Haye, but heard nothing back. He's scared because he knows the chances of beating a Klitschko are minimal. Tomasz Adamak was sent a proposal and he didn't want the fight. Maybe we will fight with Shannon Briggs. Right now we are talking, but nothing is clear," Klitschko said.
Frank Warren Talks Mayweather, Greenburg, Ricky Hatton
By Frank Warren
IT'S a pain how a promoter's relationship with a boxer can sometimes get messed up by a middleman.
Last week, in the aftermath of Floyd Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao falling through, I said head of HBO Ross Greenburg should break his silence.
He'd been at the centre of negotiations.
Greenburg has spoken to the Press and confirmed that talks between the two camps had taken place via him - something Mayweather's team had denied.
So either the message did not get through to Mayweather, or it did and he wasn't interested in the eagerly-awaited showdown.
There were also some interesting observations from Ricky Hatton this week.
In a magazine article, the Hitman said: "I want to do right by my fighters, but unfortunately - and I speak for all promoters here - you have to accept that you are going to be let down.
"I have learned that getting let down in boxing is what happens."
Hatton said that three fighters had left him, ironically all of whom also split from me.
He certainly does speak for me. I certainly want to do right by my fighters, too.
I'm not convinced you get let down by all boxers. But it seems some of the ones who do, are the ones you have invested a lot of time and money in.
Although some television companies do not always think it is the case, building a star takes investment right from day one.
Ricky now knows he has to be prepared to use his own cash as a promoter - and lose.
He seems to be investing heavily in his younger brother Matthew, the new European welterweight champion. That's good to see. Most fighters who become promoters are only interested in making money for themselves.
As far as Ricky was concerned, after three men and a dog came to watch his first few fights in Wythenshawe I promoted him to stadium-style shows.
Eventually, he left me for a promoter - someone that Hatton alleges still owes him money. Also this week, Hatton applied to the British Boxing Board of Control to renew his licence after 14 months out of the ring.
Whether he is granted his wish remains to be seen. There are concerns about his health and the board will be extra careful because of his high profile.
The most obvious fight for him would be against his young British rival Amir Khan.
TWO good holiday reads from respected boxing writers.
Tom Hauser's 'Waiting for Carver Boyd' is a really enjoyable book, while Bob Mee's 'Liston and Ali' is an excellent read.
The only drawback is that it relies on news clippings from some biased journalists.
By Frank Warren
IT'S a pain how a promoter's relationship with a boxer can sometimes get messed up by a middleman.
Last week, in the aftermath of Floyd Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao falling through, I said head of HBO Ross Greenburg should break his silence.
He'd been at the centre of negotiations.
Greenburg has spoken to the Press and confirmed that talks between the two camps had taken place via him - something Mayweather's team had denied.
So either the message did not get through to Mayweather, or it did and he wasn't interested in the eagerly-awaited showdown.
There were also some interesting observations from Ricky Hatton this week.
In a magazine article, the Hitman said: "I want to do right by my fighters, but unfortunately - and I speak for all promoters here - you have to accept that you are going to be let down.
"I have learned that getting let down in boxing is what happens."
Hatton said that three fighters had left him, ironically all of whom also split from me.
He certainly does speak for me. I certainly want to do right by my fighters, too.
I'm not convinced you get let down by all boxers. But it seems some of the ones who do, are the ones you have invested a lot of time and money in.
Although some television companies do not always think it is the case, building a star takes investment right from day one.
Ricky now knows he has to be prepared to use his own cash as a promoter - and lose.
He seems to be investing heavily in his younger brother Matthew, the new European welterweight champion. That's good to see. Most fighters who become promoters are only interested in making money for themselves.
As far as Ricky was concerned, after three men and a dog came to watch his first few fights in Wythenshawe I promoted him to stadium-style shows.
Eventually, he left me for a promoter - someone that Hatton alleges still owes him money. Also this week, Hatton applied to the British Boxing Board of Control to renew his licence after 14 months out of the ring.
Whether he is granted his wish remains to be seen. There are concerns about his health and the board will be extra careful because of his high profile.
The most obvious fight for him would be against his young British rival Amir Khan.
TWO good holiday reads from respected boxing writers.
Tom Hauser's 'Waiting for Carver Boyd' is a really enjoyable book, while Bob Mee's 'Liston and Ali' is an excellent read.
The only drawback is that it relies on news clippings from some biased journalists.
Marquez deserves a third shot against Pacquiao, but will likely have to settle for Kh
By Chris Williams: There’s little question that WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) deserves a third fight against Manny Pacquiao, but unfortunately because Marquez doesn’t fight for Top Rank and Bob Arum hasn’t been particularly interested in matching Pacquiao back up with Marquez, boxing fans will likely have to settle for watching Marquez chase WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan around the ring for 12 round this December. Compared to the unlicensed Antonio Margarito, Marquez is much more deserving of a fight against Pacquiao, but that’s meaningless because Arum doesn’t seem at all interested in putting Pacquiao back in with Marquez.
You can only wonder why after Marquez fought Pacquiao to a standstill in their first fight in 2004 and then appeared to beat Pacquiao in 2008, but lost a controversial decision. In looking at those two fights, it’s no wonder why Arum doesn’t want to match Pacquiao back up with Marquez and risk losing his gravy train. Pacquiao, if he wanted to, could stand up on his own hind legs and push Arum into making the Marquez fight happen, but he doesn’t seem interested in either in a third fight with Marquez and that says all you really need to know about Pacquiao.
If he’s not interested, then Marquez is going to have to look elsewhere and forget completely about wishing and hoping for a final third fight against Pacquiao. Marquez needs to come down to earth and fight the best opponent he can in his next fight and try to make as much money as he can before he retires from the sport. Marquez is talking about wanting to fight for a fourth world title and is interested in moving up in weight to the light welterweight division. There’s really only one choice for Marquez at that weight and its WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan.
HBO wants the Marquez-Khan fight, Golden Boy Promotions wants the fight and Khan badly wants it. Marquez will make the most money in this fight than he will in any others out there unless Pacquiao suddenly starts showing interest in fighting Marquez, and I seriously doubt that will happen in this lifetime. As such, Marquez is going to have to make up his mind whether he wants to be used as a stepping stone for Khan, because that’s pretty much what it looks like here.
Marquez, the old warrior, is going to be serving a purpose by fighting Khan, a younger star on the rise who needs a win over a star – any kind of star to make a name for himself. Golden Boy Promotions and HBO could find that they’re backing a losing horse by thinking Khan be a future star, just as was the case when Daniel Jacobs was taken out last Saturday night by Dmitry Pirog. However, Khan will likely be successful until he’s finally matched up against the top light welterweights in the division and who knows how long it will be before that finally happens. In the meantime, Khan can pick up some more older scalps by beating Marquez and maybe three or four other fighters on the downsides of their careers.
By Chris Williams: There’s little question that WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) deserves a third fight against Manny Pacquiao, but unfortunately because Marquez doesn’t fight for Top Rank and Bob Arum hasn’t been particularly interested in matching Pacquiao back up with Marquez, boxing fans will likely have to settle for watching Marquez chase WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan around the ring for 12 round this December. Compared to the unlicensed Antonio Margarito, Marquez is much more deserving of a fight against Pacquiao, but that’s meaningless because Arum doesn’t seem at all interested in putting Pacquiao back in with Marquez.
You can only wonder why after Marquez fought Pacquiao to a standstill in their first fight in 2004 and then appeared to beat Pacquiao in 2008, but lost a controversial decision. In looking at those two fights, it’s no wonder why Arum doesn’t want to match Pacquiao back up with Marquez and risk losing his gravy train. Pacquiao, if he wanted to, could stand up on his own hind legs and push Arum into making the Marquez fight happen, but he doesn’t seem interested in either in a third fight with Marquez and that says all you really need to know about Pacquiao.
If he’s not interested, then Marquez is going to have to look elsewhere and forget completely about wishing and hoping for a final third fight against Pacquiao. Marquez needs to come down to earth and fight the best opponent he can in his next fight and try to make as much money as he can before he retires from the sport. Marquez is talking about wanting to fight for a fourth world title and is interested in moving up in weight to the light welterweight division. There’s really only one choice for Marquez at that weight and its WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan.
HBO wants the Marquez-Khan fight, Golden Boy Promotions wants the fight and Khan badly wants it. Marquez will make the most money in this fight than he will in any others out there unless Pacquiao suddenly starts showing interest in fighting Marquez, and I seriously doubt that will happen in this lifetime. As such, Marquez is going to have to make up his mind whether he wants to be used as a stepping stone for Khan, because that’s pretty much what it looks like here.
Marquez, the old warrior, is going to be serving a purpose by fighting Khan, a younger star on the rise who needs a win over a star – any kind of star to make a name for himself. Golden Boy Promotions and HBO could find that they’re backing a losing horse by thinking Khan be a future star, just as was the case when Daniel Jacobs was taken out last Saturday night by Dmitry Pirog. However, Khan will likely be successful until he’s finally matched up against the top light welterweights in the division and who knows how long it will be before that finally happens. In the meantime, Khan can pick up some more older scalps by beating Marquez and maybe three or four other fighters on the downsides of their careers.