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Jul 24, 2005
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Wladimir Klitschko blasts into Haye, says he has “no respect” for him – News

By Jim Dower: IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko launched into World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye, saying in an article in Reuters at Eurosport “I am ready to fight against David Haye anywhere in this world. He just needs to make the next step. Sign the contract, get in the ring and get the fight. I have no respect for this man [Haye] because he is nothing but a little dog who just runs away when the big dog turns around. It’s not about the money and the business, it’s about pride. But I think he owes it to the fans.”


Wladimir Klitschko and his brother WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko have been trying to get the 29-year-old Haye in the ring without luck since last year in June. Haye, however, has come up with an injury on one occasion, pulled out of negotiations with Vitali on another occasion. And recently, Haye and his trainer/manager Adam Booth were unable to agree to a fight with Wladimir despite Wladimir saying that he was offered a 50-50 deal with no options.

It’s hard to understand what Haye is waiting for or wants from the Klitschko brothers. Haye has said that he plans on retiring by the time he turns 31. He’s now 29, and will be turning 30 in October. He doesn’t have a lot of time left before reaches retirement age, if Haye does really intend on retiring at that age. Tired of waiting for Haye to agree to fight him, Wladimir has chosen former WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter to fight in September, while Vitali Klitschko is looking to step in the ring with former WBO heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs in October.

Both Klitschko brothers would much rather face Haye one after another. Haye still hasn’t decided who he wants to fight by the end of the year. Thus far, Haye has been out of the ring since April, when he defeated 38-year-old John Ruiz in his first title defense of his WBA belt. Haye is rumored to be thinking over fights against a number of opponents from Audley Harrison to Tomasz Adamek. Haye has to be careful because he’s not a natural heavyweight, as he moved up in weight form the cruiserweight division in 2008 and he doesn’t have the best chin. Haye is vulnerable to getting knocked out against any of the top 15 heavyweights. Harrison, 38, would be a good choice if Haye wants to fight in the Uk, but Harrison is a southpaw and has good power in both hands. He could mess things up for Haye if he lands one of his big left hands.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Jeff Mayweather Speaks on Celestino/Gamboa, Margarito/Pacquiao, and Mayweather/Pacqui

Vivek Wallace: There were some recent developments in the case of Gamboa and Rojas. With Rojas being injured and stepping back, I understand you and Caballero ( photo by Jody Kohn) stand to potentially get a shot at him (Gamboa) next. How close are we to seeing that fight happen?

Jeff Mayweather: Basically, Celestino was told that the fight is a go......So, we're preparing for it like it's on!

Vivek W: Now, I know that Gamboa's initial fight date was the 11th of September. Are we looking at that same date if the fight goes through?

Jeff MW: Yes, September the 11th is the date that we're preparing for.

Vivek W: OK, now, stylistically, Gamboa is a very fast fighter, good reflexes and a good amount of power; yet Celestino is tall, has great reach, and is far more experience to add to his better attributes. Do you think this variation would allow you guys to exploit certain weaknesses in Gamboa?

Jeff MW: Well, one thing Celestino and I work on regularly is trying to get him to get the most out of his height and reach against any fighter and not be so combative.. Not just Gamboa. The good thing about Celestino is that he can do both, but I like to keep a fighter on the end of a long jab and force him to make mistakes while coming in. Gamboa likes to jump and that leaves him off balance sometimes. There are certain flaws that he has that we could capitalize on. To be honest, I think he's good, but I can't think of many real talented people he's faced, let alone defeated.

Vivek W: Yeah, Mtagwa is the biggest name I could identify without a quick trip to BoxRec (stats); but even in his case, most would look back at JuanMa as one of his career peaks, which was a loss for him. That brings me to my next point, though. JuanMa is set to face Rafael Marquez the week after you all potentially face Gamboa. Providing you all come out victorious, would you like a crack at the winner?

Jeff MW: Of course, and I expect JuanMa will win! That's a fight we've wanted (with JuanMa) for 3 years now. It started at 122(lbs), now at 126, and if he goes to 130, we'll be there waiting on him, too!

Vivek W: Hit or miss, lets say the fight with Gamboa doesn't happen, who's a potential next opponent?

Jeff MW: If Gamboa takes the fight, I'll be surprised. If he's taking it that means he's getting paid very, very good, because I don't think he wants any part of Celestino, either. That being said, to be honest, I don't think there's anyone in line who truly wants to face Celestino. I can't see any marquee fighter with any value or any worth who would take the risk of fighting Celestino right now, but he's willing to face anyone and everyone in that weight class.

Vivek W: Yeah, I was telling someone the other day that Celestino is almost in a Paul Williams type scenario, where he can make the weight, yet the guys in those respective divisions who can make the weight with him are more concerned with his height and reach. But anyhow, switching gears.....of course we're now on the backside of the biggest fight in history to NEVER happen, of course referring to the latest Mayweather/Pacquiao debacle. I can respect that it's a sensitive topic, and as a member of the media I know we like to build sources, not reveal sources. So, with neither one of us obligated to say names, I would like to run by you a theory that my sources have informed me of and have you, as a direct insider, tell me how close it comes to the reality:

Team Mayweather said after the Mosley victory, and I was in the media room when they said it, "there would be no negotiations if there is no randomized drug testing". As I was told, among a few monetary issues that could have been potentially resolved, the core issue came down to Team Pacquiao never fully conceding to the testing demand, and although they came closer than efforts of the past, they never quite gave Floyd what he wanted by removing the cutoff date. Now, if this is true, that would explain why Team Mayweather felt there may have been an initial discussion, but no actual negotiations, because they (as I was told) refused to talk at any point beyond that refusal, unless it changed. Is that the reality of what we're faced with?

Jeff MW: To be totally honest, I don't know who your sources are, but that's as close to the truth as you're ever gonna get! Basically, once again, they couldn't agree. There was a concession to a certain point, but random is random. There was no need to entertain anything beyond that point. There were never formal talks between the two camps, and regardless of who carried the messages back and forth, there was no desire to continue from the beginning when it became evident that the same issues that halted things the last time were gonna be an issue this time. There was no need to even entertain that and Floyd didn't. He literally moved on, despite what they may think was being negotiated.

Vivek W: I'm gonna be honest with you, I initially took the position like "wow, Floyd basically walked away and substantiated several claims about his perceived non-desire to face Pacquiao"; but as the source and I discussed, there was not one visible piece of information that proved Pacquiao had in fact conceded to the full randomized testing, and as I traced the hints and checked the files, I literally couldn't find anything to overrule that theory. Bob Arum on record never went beyond saying he "couldn't get into details". Neither did any other Team Pacquiao or Top Rank official.

Jeff MW: (interrupting) Vivek, listen, Pacquiao and Arum know what it would have taken to make the fight, and they didn't make it happen. Floyd is at a point in his career where he is totally fine being semi-retired until something really motivating comes back across the table. I'm his uncle, but I can't even tell you if he's gonna fight, or if he's gonna retire. Even as his Uncle I have to take a wait-and-see approach. It all comes down to what motivates him. What I do know is that when the time comes he puts in the work, and he does that even when he's not preparing for a fight. But, Floyd won't even attempt to respond to anyone trying to force his hands. He knows he doesn't have to. Fight fans wanting to see that will continue to be disappointed.

Vivek W: You know what, that's exactly why I don't like to get into choosing sides or talking down on a fighter, because you just never know in this funny business. Consider this......Floyd was talked down upon after he defeated Mosley. Some said Shane was "off too long", "washed up", and "no longer a threat". Those same fans who said this now have to face the reality that the man they support (Pacquiao) will soon step in the ring with a man (Margarito) who was away from the ring even longer than Shane Mosley was.

And what makes it so bad, this man is suspended for a weapon he won't have on fight night, which makes him less of a threat, and was KO'd by the same "washed up" Mosley who Mayweather pitched a shut out against. Now.......will that same group of fans strip away the greatness of what I expect to be an eventual Pacquiao victory, too? Not at all! Yet it's identical to what they criticized Floyd for. I just can't do that, man! I have a problem with so many things Floyd has done, but I have no problem being the minority in saying that he isn't alone, because it's a revolving door and these two guys are very much the same as Oscar, and Tyson, and all the others were. It's just their time. So, now that that's out of the way, what are your thoughts on Margarito/Pacquiao?

Jeff MW: It's kinda difficult to pick, but Mosley isn't even as fast as Pacquiao, and Mosley beat him very easily. I don't know if he'll knock Margarito out, but he'll beat him for certain. It does make for an interesting fight! Manny will be easy to hit like he always is, but I still lean towards Pacquiao.

Vivek W: Yeah, the one thing that I think will favor Margarito is the fact that, although he lost to Shane, Shane had height and reach; Pacquiao has neither, so he will have to sacrifice his body to go inside, and with Margarito's comparable workrate, that could make it intriguing. I do agree that Pacquiao's speed and pop gets him a points win if not more, though! But, before we wrap up, about Floyd.....Do you expect him to fight this year?

Jeff MW: It's like I said earlier, I have to take a wait-and-see approach. It depends on what comes across the table.

Vivek W: There are a few names we keep hearing....Williams, Cotto, and Martinez. What are your thoughts about those potential opponents for Floyd?

Jeff MW: Every one of those fights are winnable for Floyd. Williams' length is the only thing that would give people something different to analyze or talk about, but he has no defense and he's easy to hit. He does throw a high volume of punches, but that alone doesn't get you the nod. Martinez....good fighter, but he fights with his hands down, and he's no where near as fast as Floyd, so I think Floyd would pick him apart easily. Cotto, he's probably damaged goods. Cotto kind of reminds me of a modern day Meldrick Taylor. He's not as solid, talent-wise, but even after Taylor was no longer an elite fighter, he was able to win a world title. Cotto, I view as pretty much the same. Him defeating Foreman told me that he was good enough as a past elite fighter to defeat a man who probably was never going to be an elite fighter.

Vivek W: Excellent analysis, Jeff. Like always. On that note I'm gonna shut it down and let you get back to what you were doing, but I'll be following the Celestino/Gamboa story close, and hopefully we can see this fight happen.

Jeff MW: Always great talking to you, Vivek. Stay tuned, Eastside Boxing

(In defense of Team Pacquiao/Top Rank, this interview holds the key to only side. I have extended opportunities, yet no source or official has been eager to answer the call. I am open and very willing to allow the same opportunity to those with the desire (and power) to help clear the air. Do consider this an open invitation......again
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Arum thinks Margarito will be the “toughest guy” Pacquiao has ever fought – News

By John Martinez, Ironboxing.com – On November 13, a fight fan’s dream will come to fruition. Former welterweight beltholder and banger, Antonio Margarito will take on current WBO welterweight strong man, Manny Pacquiao in a junior middleweight showdown for the World Boxing Council bragging rights.

Margarito will enter this fight with not only a sizable advantage over his foe in physical stature, but also with a new teacher in former champion, Robert Garcia. With Garcia as his strategist,” Large Marge” will be armed with a trainer that won’t be so quick to utilize Antonio’s fan favorite style of “take three hits to give one” approach. “…before me, he (Margarito) just wanted to beat on somebody,” Garcia continued, he was like ‘wait till I hit you; you will feel me..’”


Garcia believes that his now infamous (reference the numerous accounts of Margarito’s loaded gloves and ultimate ban of him and his former trainer Javier Capetillo) pupil has learned and continues to grow under the trainer’s tutelage. “ Antonio has already learned so much under me. He’s doing things that he’s not done before like defense, head movement, and jabbing. Antonio looks and is far different than what people know him as from before.

“The world will see a different Margarito this time around. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to change him completely. “Garcia added, “If Manny wants to go to war, we will help him get his wish. Our focus is to box, but we are ready for a war if Manny wants to go there.”

In speaking with Top Rank boss, Bob Arum, he sized up the fight to me by saying, “John, Margarito will be the toughest and biggest guy Manny has ever fought plain and simple. That being said, the question that will be answered on fight night is going to be if Manny’s ability to fight with both hands and work his quick foot work be enough to overcome Antonio’s strength and heart?”

Many people believe that Margarito hasn’t proven himself worthy of winning the Pacquiao sweepstakes none more so than WBA super welterweight king Miguel Cotto’s newest trainer, Manny Steward.

In a phone conversation with me, Steward blasted Arum’s decision to pick Margarito as Pacquiao’s next opponent. “This fight shouldn’t be happening, John. Margarito got caught with loaded gloves and isn’t even licensed to fight. Bob (Arum) has his own agenda. It’s obvious. This fight should be judged by the fans and the media should question the validity of this poor decision.”

I agree with Steward’s views on the making of this fight, but I also believe his verbal venom is tainted since he has a stake in Cotto’s career.

Frankly, I don’t see this fight as being too competitive in the end. It’s no secret that Margarito has never had much side to side movement, and he has been fighting for too long to learn anything new. Margarito is Margarito. Much like Erik Morales, Israel Vazquez, and Rafael Marquez to name a few, they may preach and even want to show they can box, but in the end all it takes is one solid hit landed by their challenger and strategy goes out the window.

Margarito’s trainer said it best, “I don’t want see Antonio take three hits to give one. I want him to move his head and hands more.” Garcia added, “I want him to make Manny miss and make him pay, but Margarito is who he is and will always want to beat on somebody by going to war.”

I couldn’t have summarized this fight better myself Mr. Garcia. I have Pac winning by late stoppage.

In a forthcoming piece, I continue my interview with Manny Steward, Bob Arum, and Robert Garcia.

In it, Steward handicaps a possible Mayweather/Pacquiao battle and the state of boxing today.

That being said, who’s ready for November 13th?
 
May 13, 2002
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This is actually a pretty good card however Golden Boy made two mistakes: 1). it shouldn't be PPV and 2). it's on the same night of Juan Manuel Lopez vs Rafael Marquez which is free on Showtime, which is what I'll be watching instead.


Shane Mosley vs Sergio Mora
Alvarez vs Baldomir
Ortiz vs Harris
Officially Announced


LOS ANGELES - The Mexican Independence Day Bicentennial celebration will be a big boxing weekend as Golden Boy Promotions presents "200: CELEBRATE AND DOMINATE" featuring Five-Time and Three-Division World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley against former World Champion Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora in a junior middleweight showdown. Also appearing on the card will be rising Mexican phenom Saul "Canelo" Alvarez who squares off against former World Champion Carlos "Tata" Baldomir, and top junior welterweight contender "Vicious" Victor Ortiz who will face former World Champion "Vicious" Vivian Harris, all part of a great night of fistic action on Saturday, September 18 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles which will be televised live on pay-per-view.

"I am happy to be fighting at STAPLES Center again and on a card like this with great up and coming talent," said Sugar Shane Mosley. "I am going to give Sergio, the younger guy, a chance to see what he can do. I am giving him the opportunity to see if he can take on a great warrior like me. Let's see if he is going to be the Mexican star that can beat me on September 18 at STAPLES Center which is my boxing home."

"It is an honor to be fighting Sugar Shane Mosley," said Sergio Mora. "I respect Shane, but September 18 is not the Shane Mosley show. It's mine...the Latin Snake's, real debut. I am a proud Mexican-American, in my prime and I am here to prove myself against one of the best fighters of this era."

"I am very pleased to once again present a stellar card here in Los Angeles," said President of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar de la Hoya. "On September 18, fight fans will see the present and future of boxing while they commemorate Mexico's Bicentennial Independence Day. No boxing fan should miss this show as I expect there to be fireworks in the ring during every one of the fights that night at STAPLES Center."

"On September 18, we will continue to celebrate the great heritage of Mexican and Mexican American boxing that historically takes place during Mexican Independence Day weekend," said CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer. "These fighters are not just coming to win, but they are coming to win in an exciting and spectacular fashion in front of adoring and knowledgeable boxing fans at STAPLES Center."

"STAPLES Center and AEG are incredibly excited about bringing the Mosley vs. Mora fight to Los Angeles," said Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center General Manager. "We look forward to what is sure to be a great night of boxing and to host the main bout which includes two local grown fighters in Shane and Sergio, both of whom have had memorable victories in their careers here at STAPLES Center and September 18 will be a night that more boxing history will be made."

A future Hall of Famer who is undefeated in two bouts at STAPLES Center against Oscar de la Hoya and Antonio Margarito, Sugar Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KO's) returns to his Southern California backyard for the first time since his dominating ninth round knockout performance against then Welterweight World Champion Margarito in January of 2009. A future Hall of Famer, Mosley has already earned six world titles ruling the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career. He has defeated the likes of De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito. Looking to put his recent loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May of this year behind him in short order, Mosley returns quickly to action as he continues to take on every challenge the sport has to offer. On September 18, his challenge will be turning back the extremely hungry and talented Sergio Mora.

East LA's own former Junior Middleweight World Champion Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6 KO's) last fought at STAPLES Center in 2005 when he scored a thrilling split decision victory over Peter Manfredo in a rematch of his final bout championship win of the first season of the reality series "The Contender" during which Mora became a household name to millions of fans. Going unbeaten in his next four fights, Mora began to rapidly climb the junior middleweight ranks, eventually earning a shot at the junior middleweight world title held by the late Vernon Forrest in June of 2008. Mora seized the opportunity and won the title via majority decision, but would lose a close decision to Forrest in a rematch three months later. Mora returned to the ring in April of this year and defeated hard-hitting Calvin Green with an impressive seventh round knockout. He now looks to take down a legend in Sugar Shane Mosley and become the first fighter of Mexican descent to defeat the future Hall of Famer.

Unbeaten in 34 pro bouts, but still only 20-years-old, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (33-0-1, 25 KO's) has broken into the elite level of the welterweight division in 2010 with knockout wins over Brian Camechis, Jose Miguel Cotto and Luciano Cuello. With a rock star-like following already established in Mexico, Alvarez looks to continue making his mark on the American fight scene with another impressive performance on September 18, facing a former World Champion in Carlos Baldomir for the first time in his young, but impressive career.

A rugged warrior who has earned the respect of the fight world for his aggressive style and unyielding will to win, Santa Fe, Argentina's Carlos Baldomir (45-12-6, 14 KO's) has been saddled with the task of seeing if Saul Alvarez is ready for prime time. The owner of wins over the likes of Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah, the latter victory earning him the WBC Welterweight World title in 2006, Baldomir has also been in with Floyd Mayweather and Vernon Forrest for twelve rounds each, making it evident that the bright lights of Los Angeles won't have any effect on him when the bell rings.

23-year-old southpaw Victor Ortiz (27-2-1, 21 KO's), who followed up his December 2009 knockout win over Antonio Diaz with a February knockout of Hector Alatorre and a dominating May decision victory over former World Champion Nate Campbell, will look to use his September 18 bout as a showcase of his impressive boxing skills that have already garnered him high praise as one of boxing's future superstars.

One of the hardest punchers in the junior welterweight division, former World Champion Vivian Harris (29-4-1, 19 KO's) expects to show Victor Ortiz who truly deserves the nickname "Vicious" on September 18. The WBA 140-pound titleholder for nearly three years, the Guyana native has thrilled fight fans with his memorable battles against Stevie Johnston, Juan Lazcano and Disobelys Hurtado. Now hoping to get back in the title hunt, he can skyrocket to the top should he halt Ortiz.

Tickets for Mosley vs. Mora, priced at $200, $125, $75 and $20, are on sale now and available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000. Tickets are also available at STAPLES Center box office.
 
Aug 31, 2003
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I'm definitely not paying for that PPV. I'm interested in the Mosley/Mora fight but the other two fights are clear build ups that don't even seem competitive. Baldomir & Harris haven't been relevant in years..
 

Tony

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May 15, 2002
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I only seen one fight of Vivian Harris and he was terrible..... he fought like a smoker. He looked good in the first few rounds then got tired out.
 
Feb 23, 2006
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i think we might buy it............just to see canelo.just like wen he fought in the undercard of mosleys last fight.we cant miss the canelo fights.golden boy knows canelo on the undercard $$$$$$
 
Feb 23, 2006
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I like canelo too but baldomir? wtf?

I think JuanMa Lopez vs Marquez is going to be a hell of a fight. Why don't mexican's support Rafa as much?? He's a warrior. Plus mexico vs puerto rico rivalry...
i think cuz almost all of us mexicans have hbo not showtime....... and canelo vs baldomir. you just dont know look wat happen to jacobs.baldomir fought a while back in argetina and won....
 
May 13, 2002
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jacobs was fighting an undefeated fighter though and the vegas odds were even for that fight, lots of people were picking the russian. I doubt anyone is going to pick Baldy!

but lol your answer is true (about hbo and not showtime). I just finally swallowed the bullet and ordered showtime the other day. They are stepping it up. Super Six tournament and I read today they are going to have a bantamweight tournament set up too
 
May 13, 2002
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LMAOl laksjmfkdf I can't believe this is the promo. They said the word "Mexican" like 28 times in 30 seconds. LOL @ "millions of mexicans behind mora" "200 years of mexican pride" and mora attempted to do what no other mexican has done before (beat shane mosley) lmao

 
Jul 24, 2005
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Schaefer says it’s Arum who doesn’t want the Marquez-Pacquiao III rematch to take pla

By Jim Dower: Many boxing fans are interested in seeing a third fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao after having seen the first two fights between the warriors. However, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. Both Golden Boy Promotions and Juan Manuel Marquez really want to put together a third fight against Pacquiao. It doesn’t look like Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is interested in putting together that fight right now.


In an article by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press at Las Vegas Review Journal, Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, says “We all know Bob ‘[Arum] wants to do the in-house stuff, and that’s his choice. Marquez is not a begger. We’re not going to go on our knees. There are so many other great fights out there. We all know it isn’t many Pacquiao that doesn’t want the fight. It’s his promoter that doesn’t want to fight Marquez, and that’s fine. “

Marquez really doesn’t need the Pacquiao fight if he wants to get good paydays. There are plenty of other fighters that Marquez can fight to get good paydays against besides Pacquiao. Marquez has already fought Floyd Mayweather Jr., which is more than Pacquiao can say. Marquez is looking at a potential fight against World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan next in December, if Marquez decides to take the fight. Besides Khan, Marquez can always choose to defend his WBO lightweight title against WBO lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis. That would be a great fight and it would almost surely be seen on HBO.

Pacquiao has fights coming up against Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. Arum wants to put together a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, but that fight won’t get made until Pacquiao agrees on taking less than a 50-50 deal and agrees to the random blood tests that Mayweather wants before he’ll fight Pacquiao. Since Pacquiao won’t agree to either of these things, it’s not likely that Pacquiao will be fighting Mayweather in 2011.

It would be good, though, for boxing fans if Arum would allow Pacquiao to fight Marquez a final time. Arum could put off Pacquiao’s rematch with Miguel Cotto until later on in 2011, and slip in the rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez. To be sure, it would be a tough fight for Pacquiao to take because Marquez has given him big problems in their two prior fights. But Arum at least would be giving boxing fans what they want to see in the absence of a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Devon Alexander vs. Andriy Kotelnik this Saturday

By Dan Ambrose: This Saturday night, IBF/WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 KO’s) will be defending his two titles against former World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik (31-3, 13 KO’s) at the Scottrade Center, in Saint Louis, Missouri. Alexander, only 23, needs this fight to line him up for much bigger paying bout against WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley in January.


Both the Kotelnik and the Bradley fights will be shown on HBO, and if Alexander is successful, he will find himself getting much bigger paydays than he’s been getting in the past. While Alexander and Bradley are squaring off early next year, presumably WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan will finally be getting around to fighting WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana, if Khan is able to get by his next opponent in December. Khan wants to fight Juan Manuel Marquez, and if he gets his wish, Khan may find himself in over his head in that fight.

Alexander has a tough fight this Saturday with the 32-year-old Kotelnik. This is a fighter that fought Maidana and beat him by a controversial 12 round split decision last year. And although many people think that Kotelnik should have lost the fight, he still fought well enough to make the fight very close at the end. Kotelnik showed that he could take Maidana’s best shots for 12 rounds, and did an excellent job of keeping Maidana on the outside, where he was much more manageable.

However, against Alexander, Kotelnik is going to have problems dealing with his powerful jab and fast hands. Alexander punches very fast and hard, and his southpaw stance makes him even harder to deal with. Kotelnik has an advantage in that he doesn’t like to fight in close and he also doesn’t make silly mistakes like a lot of fighters do when they fight Alexander. Unlike Juan Urango, who was stopped by Alexander in the 8th round in March due to his often reckless attacks.

Kotelnik will be fighting much more in control, using his jab and staying away from Alexander’s power shots. Alexander is going to have to be the one doing the attacking, because Kotelnik won’t be coming after him the way that most of his opponents have done. However, Kotelnik is vulnerable to fast shots, as was seen in his lopsided 12 round decision loss to Amir Khan last year in July.

What Kotelnik needed in that fight, more than anything, was power on his shots. If he had decent power, he would have had an excellent chance of knocking Khan out or at least making him fight more cautiously.

Look for Alexander to dominate Kotelnik much more than Khan did and end up stopping him before the 10th. It will still be a fairly tough fight because Kotelnik has an excellent jab, and he’ll be landing it often as Alexander takes chances trying to take him out.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Pacquiao not interested in fighting a third fight with Marquez for now – News

By Jason Kim: For boxing fans that were hoping that Manny Pacquiao would choose to fight a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez in the near future, they’re going to have forget about that, at least for now. According to Globalnation.inquierer.net, Pacquiao’s lawyer Jeng Gacal, said “He’s [Marquez] out of the picture at the moment.” If Pacquiao does ever fight Marquez again, it will be over 140. Gacal says “Manny will find it hard to trim down to 140 now.” Marquez fought over 140 in his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year in September, and looked slow and bloated at that weight.


Pacquiao will be fighting Antonio Margarito on November 13th, possibly in the United States if Margarito can get one of the States to give him back his boxing license. If Pacquiao can get by Margarito, he’ll either be fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. early next year or WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto. It’ll probably end up being Cotto, because it’s highly unlikely that Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, will be able to put together a fight with Mayweather.

After Pacquiao fights Cotto or Mayweather, Arum will probably match Pacquiao up with another fighter in his Top Rank stable, someone like Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Marquez just doesn’t seem to fit anywhere among those fighters, so he’s going to have to look in another direction, starting with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan. Marquez has fought Pacquiao twice in the past, fighting to a 12 round draw in 2004, and then losing a razor thin 12 round split decision in 2008.

Pacquiao has since moved up in weight three separate times since Marquez last fought him and is now fighting at welterweight. Pacquiao will be moving up in weight to fight Antonio Margarito at a catch weight of 150 pounds for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight title on November 13th. If Pacquiao is successful in winning the title, it’s doubtful he’ll ever choose to defend the title, other than fighting Cotto in a unification fight.

Had Sergio Martinez, the previous WBC junior middleweight title, not given up his title, it’s highly unlikely that Pacquiao would have been matched against him. Martinez is too tall and too elusive and likely would have beaten Pacquiao. However, with Martinez choosing to hold onto his WBC middleweight title rather than the WBC junior middleweight crown, it gives Pacquiao a chance to fight for the vacant WBC title against fellow stable-mate Margarito.

The odd thing about this fight is that Pacquiao has never fought at junior middleweight and Margarito has fought only once at that weight during his career, yet the two of them were allowed to leap frog over the other top junior middleweight contenders and fight for the vacant title. It’s very strange.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Prediction: Pacquiao-Margarito to be PPV disaster

By Chris Williams: You can only ignore what the boing public want for so long before they turn their backs on you and look elsewhere for their entertainment. Bob Arum of Top Rank already served up a poor pay per view fight in the last appearance from his fighter Manny Pacquiao by matching him against another Top Rank fighter Joshua Clottey last March.


Pacquiao, riding the crest of three consecutive PPV successes against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, was able to get 700,000 boxing fans that were willing to purchase the fight on PPV against the obscure Clottey. Few fans were happy with the opponent and the fight itself, which as it turned out, was one of the most boring Pacquiao fights in memory.

Arum then tried to put together a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., with no success. Now, instead of making the best of the situation by choosing someone that boxing fans want to see fight Pacquiao like Andre Berto, Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, Sergio Martinez, Timothy Bradley or Devon Alexander, Arum has decided on putting Pacquiao in with another one of his Top Rank fighters Antonio Margarito, who doesn’t even having a boxing license to fight in the United States.

Margarito isn’t popular with the knowledgeable boxing fans of the sports, and many of the casual fans don’t have any idea who he is. In other words, this is looking like another Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight in terms of PPV buys. However, I think it may end up falling even short of that mark. At the time Pacquiao fought Clottey, Manny was still receiving the benefit of having fought De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto in consecutive fights.

The Clottey fight was a real turn off, as it didn’t bring excitement and it still cost around $50 to watch. It wasn’t a good fight for PPV, needless to say. It was a fight that was perfect for regular cable, but not PPV. Now, after having given a fight that few people wanted to see with Pacquiao and Clottey, Arum is going to again match Pacquiao up against an opponent that few people want to see with Margarito.

This would be the second time in a row that Arum will be matching Pacquiao up against fighters that the larger boxing public doesn’t care to see. Providing entertainment is like anything. If you give bad service the first time, it has an effect of turning away customers so that they’re less likely to come back for a second time.

And if you give them bad service twice in a row, in many cases you’ve lost that customer for life. It’s like giving bad service in a restaurant. You often don’t get a second chance to make it up to the customer. I think Arum is making a huge mistake in putting Pacquiao in with Margarito after the Clottey fight.

Instead, Arum should making it up to the fans by matching Pacquiao up with the very best fighter he can get, even if they aren’t one of Arum’s fighters in his Top Rank stable. I think by matching Pacquiao up against fighters that fans don’t want to see, Arum is weakening his product, who in this case, is Pacquiao.

My guess is the Pacquiao-Margarito fight will do no better than 400,000 PPV buys, with virtually all of that coming from Pacquiao’s loyal stateside Filipino fans. I just don’t think there are enough of them to make this fight a success in terms of PPV.

If Arum is okay with mediocre numbers, then more power to him. But I think it’s not exactly the best thing to do if you want to increase the value of Pacquiao and help put him in a good position at the bargaining table for a future fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If Pacquiao ends up with numbers similar or lower than his PPV numbers in the Clottey fight, it’s going to be almost impossible for Arum to justify Pacquiao asking for a 50-50 deal with Mayweather, when he’s bringing in 1.4 million PPV buys. It’s about giving the people want they want. You can’t scrimp and give them a product they don’t want to see. Oh sure, you can do that, but you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot by doing it.