Boxing News Thread

[heyzel]

Felix Trinidad To Scout Hopkins-Calzaghe

By Mark Vester

It appears that Felix "Tito" Trinidad is going to decide his next career move after watching this weekend's light heavyweight encounter between Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe. Depending on the outcome and the performance of Hopkins, Trinidad will decide whether he will pursue a rematch of their 2001 encounter or agree to a deal to fight Jermain Taylor in a catch-weight bout.

After several years of inactivity, Trinidad returned to the ring in January and lost a spirited decision to Roy Jones Jr. at the catch-weight of 170-pounds. Although Trinidad is tempted to fight Taylor, he's been very vocal about fighting Hopkins for the second time. He is also interested in Calzaghe, should the Welsh fighter win.

Felix Trinidad Sr, Tito's father/manager/trainer, told El Nuevo Dia that his son will be watching Saturday's fight with open eyes.

"We are going to watch the fight with Bernard Hopkins on Saturday and see where that leaves us. We will see how they perform in the fight and then we will speak with Don King to make a decision," Trinidad Sr said. "Tito is still analyzing (the Taylor offer). He is not 100% sure of what he will do. He is taking his time and looking at all of his opt

 

[heyzel]

Hatton vs. Pacquiao Won't Happen in 2008

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

GOLDEN Boy Promotions’ chief executive Richard Schaefer said that Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton won’t fight Manny Pacquiao this year, because the Briton has two fights lined up.

Schaefer pointed out that Hatton is going to fight Juan Lazcano on May 24.

Assuming that Paul Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs), who also sees action on the same card against Lovemore N’dou ( 46-9-1, 31KOs), is victorious and Hatton beats Lazcano, then the Briton will battle Malignaggi in October or November, which will rule out a clash with Pacquiao.

But Schaefer left open the possibility of a Pacquiao-Hatton fight next year.

“We are planning a big Hatton pay-per-view for spring 2009, but it is too early to say against whom. Certainly, Manny [Pacquiao] would be one of the names and so are Oscar [de la Hoya], Floyd [Mayweather], Juan Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez. It really depends on what’s going to happen from now until the end of the year,” Schaefer said.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has said several times in the past that after Pacquiao (46-3-2, 35 KOs) wins the lightweight title from reigning champion David Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs), whom he battles at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino on June 28, they are looking for a really big fight against Hatton, maybe even in England.

Hatton is very popular with British fight fans, who crowded Las Vegas for his last fight against Mayweather (38-0, 25 KOs). Hatton lost by a 10th-round TKO last Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.

Golden Boy Promotions handles Hatton as well as former World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion Marquez, among others. Marquez, who refuses to accept the fact that he lost a split decision to Pacquiao last March 15, has been trying to goad Pacquiao into giving him a third fight without any success.

Pacquiao has maintained that he is not afraid of Marquez and is willing to fight him for a third time, but that the Mexican will have to wait which is basically what the Pacman’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, has also said.

 

[heyzel]

Campbell Awaits Casamayor, Khan, Peterson

Tampa, FL: IBF / WBA / WBO Unified Lightweight Champion Nate Campbell is patiently waiting to see who his next fight will be against. "We have a WBO mandatory defense due, so we are waiting to see whether it will be Casamayor, Khan, or Peterson", said Terry J. Trekas of One Punch Productions, Campbell's co-promoter alongside Don King.

"We will go through the motions with this Casamayor thing and present an offer to Golden Boy, even though the likelihood of Joel actually fighting Nate is less than 1%. We can't really do anything else at the moment, because until the WBO actually strips Casamayor, or he vacates the WBO Interim title, any move by us for another fight could cause Nate to be stripped of the WBO title. Now I'm sure that Frank Warren wouldn't shed a tear over that, because he would like to make Khan the WBO champ, without having to fight Nate, but rest assured that we will do whatever we have to, to make sure that our WBO mandatory obligation is fullfilled."

"If Amir Khan wants the WBO title, sooner or later he will have to see Nate Campbell about that. Now when (not if, but when) Casamayor declines the Campbell fight, should Khan elect to step aside for now, then hopefully the WBO will name Anthony Peterson as the mandatory challenger, and we could do that fight. As things stand, we are just waiting for the Casamayor situation to run it's course, and then whether it's Khan, or Peterson, we WILL do our WBO mandatory defense to retain the WBO title." said Trekas.

"And as for the talk of Campbell-Pacquiao in the fall, well of course that's a very appealing fight, but at this point it's just talk. Pacquiao has to deal with David Diaz first, so any discussions about anything involving Pacquiao in the future are irrelevant until after his June fight. People seem to think that Pacquiao has already won that fight or something, but he's in tough on June 28. David Diaz is no cupcake. No guarantee Pacquiao wins that fight. And no guarantee that even if he wins, that he stays at 135" said Trekas

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones-Tavoris Cloud: Winner Gets Tarver

By Mark Vester

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the IBF has ordered an eliminator between former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. (52-4, 38KOs) and power-punching prospect Tavoris Cloud (18-0, 17KOs). The winner would be named the mandatory challenger to light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, who won the title last weekend from Clinton Woods.

Cloud has already accepted the IBF's offer. Jones has until the end of today to respond or the sanctioning body will pass him over and offer the eliminator to another fighter.

"Tavoris Cloud gladly accepts the invitation to fight for the elimination bout for the No. 1 position against Roy Jones," Cloud's manager, Jerry Attardi said. "My fighter is willing and able to fight Roy Jones."

Cloud is hoping that Jones steps up and accepts the fight.

"It's pretty exciting to me," Cloud said. "A fight like this I can really get up for. Roy Jones has been a great fighter, but all of that is about to come to an end. Hopefully he will accept the fight. If he doesn't, somebody else will take the fight. Whichever way it goes, I'll be fighting somebody for the number one spot

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Jr: "I Want Joe Calzaghe Next"

By Mark Vester

During a recent interview with Frank Warren TV, former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. called for a fight with Joe Calzaghe, provided that he beats Bernard Hopkins on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Jones is willing to fly to Calzaghe backyard of Wales to make the fight.

"That's a fight we are going to make if he's successful," Jones said. "I'll go (over to Wales) because I have to give the people what they want."

Jones feels that Hopkins will make it a dirty fight to nullify Calzaghe's speed, but Joe's boxing skills and quicker reflexes will guide him to victory.

"I see it as a very interesting fight. I think Hopkins will make it a dirty fight. I'm sure he has a gameplan to come out and do something about the punch output of Joe Calzaghe, but I think that if Joe keeps his head - he beats Bernard all night. There will be dirty tactics because he has to slow Joe down from throwing so many punches. He won't do that by throwing a lot of counter punches. He will counter punch and then hold, counter punch and then hold," Jones said.

"It's probably going to be a lot more of a holding match than a fighting match. Joe needs to outsmart him, outbox him and stay on the outside and just beat him. Hopkins is not that fast of a fighter. Joe can stay on the outside and outbox him all night. He needs to be smart and very patient. I think he will win it because he works to much for Hopkins."

 

[heyzel]

Samuel Peter: "David Haye Talks Too Much"

By Mark Vester

The WBC heavyweight champion, Samuel Peter, says David Haye (21-1, 20KOs) is doing way too much talking for his own good. Haye, following his unification of the cruiserweight division in March, promised to move up to the heavyweight division to clean it out. Haye is slated to make the heavyweight move by the end of the year.

Haye briefly went to heavyweight last April, blowing out Tomasz Bonin (37-1, 20KOs) in a single round. At the time of their fight, Bonin had only lost one other bout, against Audley Harrison, and it took Harrison nine-rounds to put him away. The Bonin fight marked an impressive heavyweight debut for Haye.

Shortly afterwards, Haye moved back down to cruiserweight and stopped Jean Marc Mormeck in seven-rounds to win the WBC/WBA cruiserweight titles. He would return to the ring in March to stop UK rival Enzo Maccarinelli to add the WBO cruiserweight title around his waist. Now he plans to come back to heavyweight by the end of the year. The second heavyweight opponent for Haye is said to be someone with a recognizable name to land him an immediate high ranking.

Peter feels that Haye needs to learn how to crawl before he can walk among the heavyweights. He doesn't think Haye willl ast very long if he meets a stong heavyweight puncher. Haye's chin has come into question at cruiserweight, and some feel it may become his downfall at heavyweight.

"I have not watched him fight, but I hear he's talking a lot. People who talk a lot are always scared. He has to crawl first before he starts talking. If he meets people like me, I don't think he'll be around for a long time. He has to crawl first before he can beat Samuel Peter," Peter told Frank Warren

 

[rylor206]

I wonder why Anderson Silva is so confident against Roy Jones in a boxing match.

 

[heyzel]

Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr. Could Be Next

By Mark Vester

It appears the next major bout for Joe Calzaghe might be against former four-division champion Roy Jones Jr. Jones was sitting ringside at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas to watch Calzaghe outpoint Bernard Hopkins over twelve-rounds to win a split-decision.

There are several other options for Calzaghe, but the selling point with Jones is his insistence to make the fight on Calzaghe's turf of Cardiff, Wales. Jones told the New York Daily News that he would like to make a two-fight deal with Calzaghe's promoter Frank Warren. If the first fight in Wales is a hit, they stage a rematch in America.

"I'd love to go to Wales and fight in front of 70,000 or 90,000 people," Jones said. "I'd like to propose a two-fight deal. We fight the first one over there, and if there's a reason to have a second one, we'd fight it over here."

Calzaghe told reporters earlier in the week that he never got a chance to fight Jones in his prime because neither of them were willing to make the fight outside of their country. When he was the top dog of the light heavyweights, Jones saw no reason to travel to Wales.

"When I was on top of the world why would I go to the other guy's place," Jones said. "If he's going to beat me and I'm the best in the world, come to my place. When James (Toney) was the best super middleweight in the world and I wanted that title, I had to leave the middleweight division and go up to super middleweight and get that title."

Now that he's trying to regain his spot as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, he is willing to meet Calzaghe on enemy territory. Warren told reporters that he plans speak with Jones about a possible fight with Calzaghe in Wales.

 

[heyzel]

Calzaghe: "Hopkins Was My Toughest Fight

By Mark Vester

Following his split-decision win over Bernard Hopkins in Las Vegas, Joe Calzaghe praised the Philadelphia veteran by labeling him as the toughest opponent of his career. Calzaghe admits that it wasn't his best performance and knew the clash of styles would lead to an ugly fight.

"I knew this wouldn't look pretty tonight," Calzaghe said. "He's so awkward. He gave me some good shots. It wasn't my best night, but I won the fight. The world title in a second division and a win in America is just icing on the cake for my career."

Calzaghe was knocked down in the first round and was being outhustled by the older fighter for the first few rounds. He knew that in order to win, he had to let his hands go to wear Hopkins down. The defensive skills of Hopkins gave him the most trouble.

"I had to let the punches go as the fight wore on," Calzaghe said. "He was very defensive. I was only hurt one time, but he never caught me with a clean punch. It was the toughest fight of my career. He's very clever. I'm very proud."

 

[heyzel]

King Contacts Schaefer For Hopkins-Trinidad

By Mark Vester

Following his split-decision loss to Joe Calzaghe in Las Vegas, Bernard Hopkins told the media that promoter Don King contacted Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, about putting together a rematch between Hopkins and Felix "Tito" Trinidad. Hopkins stopped Trinidad in the twelfth-round back in 2001 to unify the middleweight division.

"Richard told me that Don King already called him tonight about the Felix Trinidad fight," Hopkins said.

Hopkins has not given a straight answer regarding his possible retirement. He appears to be pondering whether to return to the ring for one last fight.

Felix Trinidad Sr. told El Nuevo Dia several days ago that he would be watching the Hopkins-Calzaghe bout with his son and base their future plans on the bout's outcome and the performance of Hopkins. Trinidad Sr. said they would contact King to advise him of their decision. Since King called Schaefer to make the fight, Tito is interested.

Trinidad returned to the ring back in January, losing a decision to Roy Jones Jr. at New York's Madison Square Garden. He lost, but he was competitive enough to position himself for another big fight.

 

[heyzel]

Tomasz Adamek Stops O' Neil Bell

20.04.08 - by James Slater: There was another major fight last night, aside from the Hopkins-Calzaghe shootout. In Poland, cruiserweights Tomasz Adamek and America's O' Neil Bell met in an eliminator for the IBF 200 pound championship. Earning a crack at reigning champ Steve Cunningham, former light-heavyweight boss Adamek stopped Bell after 7 rounds - when Bell opted not to come out for the next session..

Adamek, 34-1(23) dropped Bell, 26-3-1(24) in the 1st round, when a right hand made Bell take a knee. Bell tried to use his power and aggression, but was too slow for the speedy Pole. Still, it was a shock when Bell chose to stay in his corner prior to the start of round number 8. Complaining of feeling dizzy and sick, Bell explained his decision.

After his good won, only his 3rd up at cruiserweight, Adamek spoke of his enthusiasm to get it on with Cunningham. He also spoke of the possibility of a unification bout with London's David Haye, apparently not aware of the fact that "The Hayemaker's" days at 200 pounds are now over.

The 31 year old Adamek, who won the WBC light-heavyweight title with a win over Paul Briggs, and later, after two successful defences, lost it to Chad Dawson, is a very good addition to the cruiserweight ranks. With only the points loss to "Bad" Chad on his record, Adamek has surely to be given at least a 50/50 chance against Cunningham. As for the beaten 34 year old Bell, after a hard career, in which he has engaged in wars with the likes of Sebastiaan Rothman and Jean Marc Mormeck (twice) retirement could well be on the cards. Bell was always a fighter known for giving his all and for showing great heart and guts along with a "never quit" mentality. After last night's capitulation, however, it seems the hard battles may have caught up with the former IBF cruiserweight king.

Current IBF ruler "USS" Cunningham, will not want to give up his newly acquired world title easily. Having won it in a return bout with another Polish fighter in Krzystof Wlodarczyk last May, the 31 year old will fight his heart out to keep his belt. It's not known yet where the Adamek-Cunningham fight will take place, but the 31 year old from Philly has proven he is not afraid to fight in another guy's home country.

Adamek Vs. Cunningham could well be something to look forward to in an increasingly excitement-filled cruiserweight division.

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones Jr.: Dana White is crying like a little girl (Video)

http://mmamania.com/2008/04/21/roy-jones-jr-dana-white-is-crying-like-a-little-girl-video/

 

[heyzel]

Felix Trinidad Will Push To Get Hopkins

By Mark Vester

It appears that Felix "Tito" Trinidad will push to avenge the first loss of his career, which make at the hands of Bernard Hopkins. Felix Trinidad Sr, mananger and trainer of Tito, told El Nuevo Dia that he plans to send a letter to promoter Don King to see if the two sides can negotiate the right deal for his son to fight Hopkins.

"We plan to write him later this week through our lawyer Nicolas Medina. We will let him know what we think and wait for his reaction. We are basically negotiating with the promoter and can't anticipate anything at this time," Trinidad Sr. said.

Last Saturday in Las Vegas, Hopkins was outpointed by Joe Calzaghe. This past January, Trinidad lost a decision to Roy Jones Jr. in New York. Even with both fighters coming off a loss, Trinidad Sr. believes the rematch is still very marketable.

"Trinidad is also coming off a loss and Hopkins continues to be a big name, just like Tito. Win or lose, they are fighters who continue to be respected in boxing. I am 100% sure that Puerto Rico will support a fight between Tito and Bernard Hopkins," Trinidad Sr. said.

Hopkins revealed at the post-fight press conference to his fight with Calzaghe, that King had already made contact with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer to discuss the fight with Trinidad

 

[heyzel]

Joe Calzaghe: "I Am The Legend Killer"

By Mark Vester

Joe Calzaghe, who last Saturday decisioned recognized light heavyweight champ Bernard Hopkins, is calling himself the legend killer. Calzaghe's victory will probably send Hopkins, 43, into retirement, but the Welsh fighter is not that far behind. He would like to fight one more time, hopefully against Roy Jones Jr, and then retire undefeated.

"I'm going to fight one more time and it's going to have to be a big fight -- a super-fight," Calzaghe told BBC TV. "Call me a legend killer. I've taken care of a so-called legend in Hopkins and hopefully Roy Jones as well."

The split-points win over Hopkins was close. Calzaghe, 36, has a few opponents in mund, but ruled out any possibility of a Hopkins rematch.

"His style doesn't gel into an exciting fight, so of course I won't give him a rematch," said Calzaghe. "Why should I? It was pretty close, but I felt I won the fight. All that's left is one more fight and that could be either Roy Jones or Kelly Pavlik."

If Calzaghe decides to go with WBC/WBO middleweight champ Pavlik, he would have to move back to super middleweight because it's unlikely that Pavlik will meet him at 175. There is also no guarantee that Pavlik is willing to take the fight in Wales. Jones says a bout with Calzaghe, in Wales, is the only thing he wants to do. There has been talk that proposed bout with Jones is being eyed for November 15 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

"That's all I want to do next, nothing else but that," Jones said. "Joe's saying that this is going to be his last year so maybe we should make it quicker than November. But both the countries want to show the fight so I think we should agree to two fights, one over in his country and one in mine

 

[heyzel]

Diaz Likes The Underdog Role With Pacquiao

By Mark Vester

During a recent interview with the Manila Bulletin, WBC lighteweight champion David Diaz discussed his underdog role against Manny Pacquiao on June 28 in Las Vegas. Diaz told the paper that conditioning will be the key to victory. The fight with Pacquiao is the one that he so badly wanted.

There are no hard feelings with people calling him the underdog. Some say his style is made for Pacquiao, but he still plans to make it a war.

"This is a fight that I want so much," Diaz said. "I am not offended by people saying that I am the underdog and that my style is tailor-made for Pacquiao but I can assure you that I will be coming in there to fight. My team is happy that we got this fight."

"I am not surprised that I am the underdog and again I don’t take offense because it’s part of the sport. Right now, I am just going through the motions (in the gym

 

[REdRUM]

Hopkins and Trinidad again, huh? Fuck me.

Right now, I don't want to see Hopkins fight; after his last performance, bleh...

And Trinidad...the way he got worked by Jones (no surprise), and Winky before that (forget Mayorga < LOL), I wouldn't pay 2 bucks to see him shovel snow out of my driveway.

I'd rather see Trinidad/De La Hoya, for old times sake (and for free), and Hopkins matched up with a nice timeshare in Arizona.

Oh yeah...WINKY WRIGHT VS JOE CALZAGHE.

LOL

 

[heyzel]

Roy Jones: &quot;Calzaghe Deal For November 15&quot;

By Mark Vester

Roy Jones Jr. is making a strong play to face Joe Calzaghe later this year at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. He told ITV that a deal is already in the works and the date of November 15 is the target. Jones sat ringside in Las Vegas as Calzaghe pulled out a split-decision over Bernard Hopkins at the Thomas & Mack Center.

"I would love to fight Joe in front of all those fans in Wales. I hope we will have the deal done next week to fight on November 15. I would see it as the best moment of my career. I am confident despite all I have achieved that my best moments are ahead of me," Jones said. Joe is the best light-heavyweight in the world right now and pound for pound only behind Floyd Mayweather. That is the reason I am willing to go to Wales to fight him.

"I thought Joe won the fight. He had to make the fight to win it. He kept coming and forced the issue. I'm more impressed with Calzaghe now than I was before the fight. I think he's an excellent fighter."


Calzaghe feels that Jones still possesses some of the qualities that made him a former four division champion.

"Roy Jones is a tremendous ambassador for the sport and he can still fight. He's still got that speed and that bit of magic there. But I've beaten one legend tonight and I'll beat another one," Calzaghe said.

Frank Warren, Calzaghe's promoter, would not comment on a Jones deal for November 15, but did admit to BBC Radio that Jones could be the next possible opponent, as well as WCB/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. He says a decision will not be made for at least a month.

"We chased Roy Jones for six or seven years and he didn't want to know Joe. Now he wants to know him because he's got nowhere else to go. I'm not saying anything - Joe has only just won his fight," Warren said. "We won't make any decisions for at least a month. When Joe has been on holiday we'll sit down and have a look at our options.

"Joe is still Ring magazine and WBO, WBA super-middleweight champion. Now he is also undisputed light-heavyweight champion so we've got various things to look at. There's Roy Jones and Kelly Pavlik but bottom line is, it's what Joe wants to do."

 

[REdRUM]

Just saw the Calzaghe post; I'd rather see him vs. Jones than Pavlik...and I'd go out on a limb (at least with the oddsmakers, I'd assume) and take Jones.




*EDIT: LOL @ Legend Killer; he beat a 43 year old Hopkins via split decision in a sloppy fight (a win is a win, yes...)...what other ''legends'' has he beaten?

 

[heyzel]

I would go with jones myself I think joe have the perect style for roy to dismantle him

 

[heyzel]

Pound for Pound List (As Of 4/20/08)

Floyd Mayweather {Welterweight}
Although Calzaghe and Pacquiao are catching up, Mayweather is definitely the number one fighter in the world. Unfortunately, Mayweather will be fighting Oscar De La Hoya in a rematch on September 20th (which real boxing fans don’t care to see). If Mayweather beats Oscar again and doesn’t face the winner of the July 26th Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito fight, his legacy will be severely hurt for blatantly ducking the winner..

2. Joe Calzaghe {Light Heavyweight}
In his first trip to America on April 19th, Calzaghe moved up in weight to win a split decision over the legendary Bernard Hopkins while taking his Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight crown. Calzaghe, who is the Ring Magazine champion in two weight classes, recovered from a first round knockdown and outpointed Hopkins by having the much busier hands. According to Compu Box, Calzaghe landed more punches than anyone ever against the defensively sound Hopkins. Although he may consider retirement, Calzaghe could be facing Roy Jones this November in England.

3. Manny Pacquiao {Junior Lightweight}
Pacquaio earned an incredibly hard fought split decision to take the WBC junior lightweight crown from Juan Manuel Marquez in another thriller. Pacquiao’s third round knockdown ended up being the deciding factor as one judge’s score of 114-113 would have had the fight once again end a split draw if Marquez stayed on his feet. Pacquiao will be moving up weight and fight WBC lightweight champion David Diaz June 28th on Pay Per View. This should be an entertaining bout while it lasts.

4. Kelly Pavlik {Middleweight}
The undisputed middleweight champion used effective aggression and an improved defense to earn a unanimous decision victory over Jermain Taylor in a non title fight fought at 166 lbs as per Taylor’s request. Pavlik will be facing unknown Brit Gary Lockett June 7th on HBO. If Pavlik is victorious as expected, he will reportedly be taking another tune up fight against tough Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio.

5. Miguel Cotto {Welterweight}
Cotto annihilated Contender season 1 star Alfonso Gomez, earning a TKO at the end of round 5 on April 12th. The fight was never competitive as Cotto’s dominance was evident just seconds into the first round. Cotto is now slated to face Antonio Margarito July 26th on Pay Per View in what should be a fight of the year candidate as Margarito is one of the few fighters in the world who should be able to stand up to Cotto’s vicious offensive arsenal.

6. Bernard Hopkins {Light Heavyweight}
Hopkins lost a close decision to the undefeated Joe Calzaghe while giving the Welshman the hardest fight of his career. The Philadelphia bred legend cried of a robbery after the fight but this was definitely not the case. Hopkins will most likely retire for good this time after one of the greatest careers in the history of the sport.

7. Israel Vazquez {Super Bantamweight}
Vazquez made it two out of three against the elite Rafael Marquez with his hard fought and well deserved split decision victory on March 1st. Vazquez showed an incredible amount of heart as he recovered from a fourth round knockdown and an early deficit on the scorecards to aggressively attack Marquez in the later rounds, and score a knockdown with just seconds remaining in the 12th to seal the fight. Vazquez will be taking some much deserved time off as he had taken some heavy punishment during the phenomenal trilogy. Rumors are not circulating that Vazquez and Marquez will fight a 4th time. While it would be a great fight, it is unnecessary as Vazquez has two victories and neither man can really afford this type of further punishment if they want to continue their careers much longer.

8. Ricky Hatton {Junior Welterweight}
Hatton is coming off a heart breaking 10th round knockout loss to pound for pound elite Floyd Mayweather. The Hitman will be making his comeback against Juan Lazcano in Manchester on May 24th. The bout will be aired on the Versus Network and if Hatton wins, expect a bout with Paulie Malignaggi (who is fighting on the TV portion of the undercard) in the near future.

9. Juan Manuel Marquez {Junior Lightweight}
Marquez fell just short in his thrilling rematch against the elite Manny Pacquiao while losing his WBC junior lightweight belt. Marquez boxed well in spurts but the Filipino’s aggression and third round knockdown ultimately earned him the razor thin split decision which many thought could have gone to Marquez. There is a good chance that Marquez will end up fighting for the belt he just lost as Pacquiao is moving up in weight and most likely vacate the belt.

10.Winky Wright {Middleweight}
Although there were talks, Wright was unable to lock the June 7th date for the fight with Kelly Pavlik. Wright claims Pavlik was ducking him while Pavlik’s promoter Bob Arum said Winky priced himself out of the fight (what else is new?). Winky has been on the shelf for 9 months and has nothing scheduled. If Winky keeps pricing himself out and refuses to take a tune up type bout to stay busy, he may soon become a forgotten about fighter.

Honorable Mention: Rafael Marquez, Chris John, Shane Mosley, Cory Spinks, Wladimir Klitchko, Nate Campbell, Mikkel Kessler, David Haye, Ivan Calderon, Christian Mijares