Boxing News Thread
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Pascal Talks Roy Jones, Hopkins, Heavyweight Run
By James Blears
Jean Pascal has been formally presented with the famous green belt by World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, at the Zona Rosa Offices of the WBC in downtown Mexico City.
Next week Jean goes to Miami for training camp, in advance of his defense against Bernard Hopkins on December 18th in Quebec. . Jean respects the 45 year evergreen veteran on the polite side of the ropes saying to BoxingScene.com: “Bernard is like a bottle of vintage wine. Look at the way he schooled Kelly Pavlik. He’s a teacher, but I’m a great student of boxing. Bernard seems to get better with age, but my job is to defeat him.”
The only blemish on Jean’s record was a unanimous decision loss to Carl Froch in Nottingham back in 2008. And Jean is keen to have another fight in the future. He explained: “The fight against Carl brought me a lot of experience. Because of that fight I’m a more complete boxer. If we fight again, I’m one hundred and ten percent sure that I’ll defeat Carl. He’s a great fighter and a great man, but this is my only loss, so we have to do it again. Carl is currently focused on Arthur Abraham and I’m concentrating on Bernard. But after Super Six has finished, why not?”
Jean’s boxing hero is Roy Jones. He said: “Roy is my idol. It’s because of him that I love boxing so very much. It would be crazy to fight Roy, and if my promoter asked me to do this, I would decline. But if Roy asked me, it would be a different thing.”
Jean says the WBC belt is going to take pride of place in his bedroom, and he plans to stay a WBC champion for a full ten years, before hanging up his gloves. He says he aims to achieve this by hard work, discipline and sheer dedication.
He also revealed he wants to win the Cruiserweight title and end his career as Heavyweight Champion: “Like my man Roy!”
By James Blears
Jean Pascal has been formally presented with the famous green belt by World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman, at the Zona Rosa Offices of the WBC in downtown Mexico City.
Next week Jean goes to Miami for training camp, in advance of his defense against Bernard Hopkins on December 18th in Quebec. . Jean respects the 45 year evergreen veteran on the polite side of the ropes saying to BoxingScene.com: “Bernard is like a bottle of vintage wine. Look at the way he schooled Kelly Pavlik. He’s a teacher, but I’m a great student of boxing. Bernard seems to get better with age, but my job is to defeat him.”
The only blemish on Jean’s record was a unanimous decision loss to Carl Froch in Nottingham back in 2008. And Jean is keen to have another fight in the future. He explained: “The fight against Carl brought me a lot of experience. Because of that fight I’m a more complete boxer. If we fight again, I’m one hundred and ten percent sure that I’ll defeat Carl. He’s a great fighter and a great man, but this is my only loss, so we have to do it again. Carl is currently focused on Arthur Abraham and I’m concentrating on Bernard. But after Super Six has finished, why not?”
Jean’s boxing hero is Roy Jones. He said: “Roy is my idol. It’s because of him that I love boxing so very much. It would be crazy to fight Roy, and if my promoter asked me to do this, I would decline. But if Roy asked me, it would be a different thing.”
Jean says the WBC belt is going to take pride of place in his bedroom, and he plans to stay a WBC champion for a full ten years, before hanging up his gloves. He says he aims to achieve this by hard work, discipline and sheer dedication.
He also revealed he wants to win the Cruiserweight title and end his career as Heavyweight Champion: “Like my man Roy!”
Khan plans on fighting Maidana, the Alexander-Bradley winner and then Mayweather and
By William Mackay: You can’t say that WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) lacks for a grand plan for his future. Khan has an upcoming fight with WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) on December 11th. Khan then plans on fighting the winner of the proposed bout between light welterweight champions Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley in January. Following that, Khan wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. It almost sounds like a dream of a child, because it seems to unlikely to happen. Who knows? Maybe Khan can still get fights against all of those aforementioned fighters even if he’s beaten by each one of them.
However, I’d say the chances are slim that Khan will be facing Mayweather or Pacquiao if he can’t beat Maidana and the Alexander-Bradley winner. I see those as prerequisite fights for Khan to get the big money fights against Mayweather and Pacquiao.
In an article at the Manchester Evening News, Khan says “The fans want to a new champion a new guy to follow. I will take them to Vegas just like he [referring to Ricky Hatton] did. And I will prove myself against the elite. That’s where Ricky railed twice. I’m only 23, I’ve got many years left in my career. I can take my time and beat these guys like Mayweather and Pacquiao. I could go in the ring with them right now, but I want to fight them when I am at my best. I need to beat Maidana first and then the winner of the Bradley and Alexander. After that, I will move onto Mayweather and Pacquiao. I want to be rated as number one.”
Gosh, Khan sounds really delusional about his future and ability. Here’s my take on Khan’s future: I don’t see the guy even beating Maidana, much less those other guys. That’s the first weeding out point for Khan. He already failed his test miserably against his first big puncher Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan has been skillfully matched against weak punchers since that time, and now is finally stepping food in the ring with the hard hitting Maidana on December 11th.
I expect Khan to fail for a second time and then begin a new round of facing more pillow punchers for the next year or two while he builds up his record and starts to talk about Mayweather and Pacquiao again. I think at that point, they’ll throw Khan in with one of those guys without testing him against a big slugger or putting him in with Bradley or Alexander. That’s the only way I see Khan getting a fight with the likes of Mayweather or Pacquiao. Boxing fans will probably complain, but this is boxing and it’s a whole different sport nowadays.
By William Mackay: You can’t say that WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s) lacks for a grand plan for his future. Khan has an upcoming fight with WBA light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) on December 11th. Khan then plans on fighting the winner of the proposed bout between light welterweight champions Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley in January. Following that, Khan wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. It almost sounds like a dream of a child, because it seems to unlikely to happen. Who knows? Maybe Khan can still get fights against all of those aforementioned fighters even if he’s beaten by each one of them.
However, I’d say the chances are slim that Khan will be facing Mayweather or Pacquiao if he can’t beat Maidana and the Alexander-Bradley winner. I see those as prerequisite fights for Khan to get the big money fights against Mayweather and Pacquiao.
In an article at the Manchester Evening News, Khan says “The fans want to a new champion a new guy to follow. I will take them to Vegas just like he [referring to Ricky Hatton] did. And I will prove myself against the elite. That’s where Ricky railed twice. I’m only 23, I’ve got many years left in my career. I can take my time and beat these guys like Mayweather and Pacquiao. I could go in the ring with them right now, but I want to fight them when I am at my best. I need to beat Maidana first and then the winner of the Bradley and Alexander. After that, I will move onto Mayweather and Pacquiao. I want to be rated as number one.”
Gosh, Khan sounds really delusional about his future and ability. Here’s my take on Khan’s future: I don’t see the guy even beating Maidana, much less those other guys. That’s the first weeding out point for Khan. He already failed his test miserably against his first big puncher Breidis Prescott in 2008. Khan has been skillfully matched against weak punchers since that time, and now is finally stepping food in the ring with the hard hitting Maidana on December 11th.
I expect Khan to fail for a second time and then begin a new round of facing more pillow punchers for the next year or two while he builds up his record and starts to talk about Mayweather and Pacquiao again. I think at that point, they’ll throw Khan in with one of those guys without testing him against a big slugger or putting him in with Bradley or Alexander. That’s the only way I see Khan getting a fight with the likes of Mayweather or Pacquiao. Boxing fans will probably complain, but this is boxing and it’s a whole different sport nowadays.
Vitali Klitschko says Haye doesn’t have enough power or speed to beat him or Wladimir
By Scott Gilfoid: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) once again was calling out World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KO’s) in an interview at Skysports.com. Vitali, who will be facing Shannon Briggs on October 16th, had this to say about a future fight with Haye: “A fight against a Klitschko means he [Haye] will be knocked out. David Haye has good speed, but not so much speed to be quicker than the Klitschkos. David doesn’t have the power to knock out Wladimir or Vitali, but the Klitschkos both have speed and power.”
I’d say that Haye is probably a lot faster than Vitali, but his problem he’s too short and timid to land his shots. Haye’s weak chin would also be a huge liability for him against Vitali or Wladimir because he would get hit with so many shots even while running around the ring in wide circles the way he did against Nikolay Valuev. Haye barely won that fight by a 12 round majority decision with Valuev mostly jabbing.
Against the Klitschkos, Haye would get hit constantly and he would either get knocked out or badly out-pointed. Haye does appear to have lost a lot of hand speed since moving up to the heavyweight division. He’s not as fast and he looks a little flabby compared to the way he used to look. Haye is listed at 6’3”, but looks closer to 6’2” to me. That’s just too short to beat either of the Klitschko brothers.
Vitali says “David Haye understands, he’s smart enough to understand that he’s a world champion, so long as he doesn’t fight the Klitschkos.” Of course, that goes without saying. It’s obvious that Haye is milking his WBA title and isn’t eager to get in the ring and take his beating from one or both of the Klitschkos. But Haye is going to have to do it soon, because he’s been flapping his gums over and over again about retiring at 31. This means that he has one year now to fight the Klitschko. It means he has to start fighting them soon unless he plans on extending his retirement age
By Scott Gilfoid: WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO’s) once again was calling out World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KO’s) in an interview at Skysports.com. Vitali, who will be facing Shannon Briggs on October 16th, had this to say about a future fight with Haye: “A fight against a Klitschko means he [Haye] will be knocked out. David Haye has good speed, but not so much speed to be quicker than the Klitschkos. David doesn’t have the power to knock out Wladimir or Vitali, but the Klitschkos both have speed and power.”
I’d say that Haye is probably a lot faster than Vitali, but his problem he’s too short and timid to land his shots. Haye’s weak chin would also be a huge liability for him against Vitali or Wladimir because he would get hit with so many shots even while running around the ring in wide circles the way he did against Nikolay Valuev. Haye barely won that fight by a 12 round majority decision with Valuev mostly jabbing.
Against the Klitschkos, Haye would get hit constantly and he would either get knocked out or badly out-pointed. Haye does appear to have lost a lot of hand speed since moving up to the heavyweight division. He’s not as fast and he looks a little flabby compared to the way he used to look. Haye is listed at 6’3”, but looks closer to 6’2” to me. That’s just too short to beat either of the Klitschko brothers.
Vitali says “David Haye understands, he’s smart enough to understand that he’s a world champion, so long as he doesn’t fight the Klitschkos.” Of course, that goes without saying. It’s obvious that Haye is milking his WBA title and isn’t eager to get in the ring and take his beating from one or both of the Klitschkos. But Haye is going to have to do it soon, because he’s been flapping his gums over and over again about retiring at 31. This means that he has one year now to fight the Klitschko. It means he has to start fighting them soon unless he plans on extending his retirement age
Shumenov v Cleverly: A possibility
By Andrew Meggers-Lloyd: You’d have to have had your head buried in the sand over the last few years, to have not been impressed by the waves 23 year old Nathan Cleverly has been making in the ligh-heavyweight division, and in the Boxing world in general. The affable Welshman has many admirers throughout Europe following his convincing victories of late, namely against the previously unbeaten German hope, Karo Murat in Manchester in September. Not only has he been convincing in the Boxing ring, but he has combined his fights and training with studying for a Mathematics degree at Cardiff University, graduating with honours.
His lightening fast hand speed, combined with great feet and head movement, solid jab, and devastating right hand would make him a difficult fight against anybody in the light-heavyweight division right now, including fighters like Tavoris Cloud, Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal and Jurgen Brahmer to name a few. One fight I’d be particularly interested in seeing sometime in the near future, is a fight between the Welsh dragon and young Kazakhstani hope Beibut Shumenov. This 27 year old from Chimkent has been making waves of his own in the former Soviet state, and after only nine fights, captured the WBA Light-Heavyweight title in a hard-fought 12 round war against Spaniard Gabriel Campillo, a man who had already beaten Shumenov in their first encounter five months earlier, in 2009. In these fights, Shumenov showed immense heart and determination against his more experienced opponent. He has fast reflexes, a concrete chin and an immense desire for victory. One thing I’ve also noticed about Shumenov, is his extremely high level of resilience, particularly highlighted in his last fight against Viacheslav Uzelkov in July. He came off the canvas, having been knocked down in the first round, to score a unanimous points decision, boxing neatly and cunningly throughout.
I know the likelihood is that Cleverly will continue on his path to WBO glory by taking on Jurgen Brahmer, but I do hope these two young guns can cross paths somewhere in the near future as I believe it would be explosive and certainly hard fought. In my opinion, Cleverly would win, but I believe Shumenov would take him right to the edge of his capabilities and test every attribute that young Nathan holds dear. We wait with baited breath to see what the future holds in the light-heavyweight
By Andrew Meggers-Lloyd: You’d have to have had your head buried in the sand over the last few years, to have not been impressed by the waves 23 year old Nathan Cleverly has been making in the ligh-heavyweight division, and in the Boxing world in general. The affable Welshman has many admirers throughout Europe following his convincing victories of late, namely against the previously unbeaten German hope, Karo Murat in Manchester in September. Not only has he been convincing in the Boxing ring, but he has combined his fights and training with studying for a Mathematics degree at Cardiff University, graduating with honours.
His lightening fast hand speed, combined with great feet and head movement, solid jab, and devastating right hand would make him a difficult fight against anybody in the light-heavyweight division right now, including fighters like Tavoris Cloud, Bernard Hopkins, Jean Pascal and Jurgen Brahmer to name a few. One fight I’d be particularly interested in seeing sometime in the near future, is a fight between the Welsh dragon and young Kazakhstani hope Beibut Shumenov. This 27 year old from Chimkent has been making waves of his own in the former Soviet state, and after only nine fights, captured the WBA Light-Heavyweight title in a hard-fought 12 round war against Spaniard Gabriel Campillo, a man who had already beaten Shumenov in their first encounter five months earlier, in 2009. In these fights, Shumenov showed immense heart and determination against his more experienced opponent. He has fast reflexes, a concrete chin and an immense desire for victory. One thing I’ve also noticed about Shumenov, is his extremely high level of resilience, particularly highlighted in his last fight against Viacheslav Uzelkov in July. He came off the canvas, having been knocked down in the first round, to score a unanimous points decision, boxing neatly and cunningly throughout.
I know the likelihood is that Cleverly will continue on his path to WBO glory by taking on Jurgen Brahmer, but I do hope these two young guns can cross paths somewhere in the near future as I believe it would be explosive and certainly hard fought. In my opinion, Cleverly would win, but I believe Shumenov would take him right to the edge of his capabilities and test every attribute that young Nathan holds dear. We wait with baited breath to see what the future holds in the light-heavyweight
Allan Green fighting for his career against Glen Johnson
By Dan Ambrose: Super middleweight contender Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO’s) has a lot more at stake than just winning or losing a Super Six tournament fight on November 6th in his fight against 41-year-old Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KO’s), Green could be fighting for his career in that bout.
Green was badly beaten by WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward in his last fight in June, losing the bout by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision.
Green looked beyond bad in that fight. He looked like he had no boxing skills or even the sense enough to get off the ropes, which is where Ward had Green trapped for much of the one-sided 12 round fight.
It was the worst possible time for Green to look bad with millions of viewers watching the fight at home on Showtime. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the fight hadn’t been in the Super Six tournament and had received so much attention.
Now Green has his back against the wall against the aging Johnson, and if he gets beaten by him in this fight, it’s going to do a number on Green’s rankings in the super middleweight division. It’s hard to see Green fighting his way into a title shot in the future.
Green is 31 as it is, and he would need time or luck to get a shot at one of the champions. Green said he was weight drained in the Ward fight, and thinks he may need to move up to the light heavyweight division in the future to compete.
If that’s the case, then Green is going to have to really pick up his game in a big way because most of the Super Six tournament fighters intend on moving up to light heavyweight as well.
As such, it won’t get any easier for Green just because he moves up in weight. He needs to win right now against Johnson and try to finish the Super Six tournament leaving a favorable impression.
By Dan Ambrose: Super middleweight contender Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO’s) has a lot more at stake than just winning or losing a Super Six tournament fight on November 6th in his fight against 41-year-old Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KO’s), Green could be fighting for his career in that bout.
Green was badly beaten by WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward in his last fight in June, losing the bout by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision.
Green looked beyond bad in that fight. He looked like he had no boxing skills or even the sense enough to get off the ropes, which is where Ward had Green trapped for much of the one-sided 12 round fight.
It was the worst possible time for Green to look bad with millions of viewers watching the fight at home on Showtime. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the fight hadn’t been in the Super Six tournament and had received so much attention.
Now Green has his back against the wall against the aging Johnson, and if he gets beaten by him in this fight, it’s going to do a number on Green’s rankings in the super middleweight division. It’s hard to see Green fighting his way into a title shot in the future.
Green is 31 as it is, and he would need time or luck to get a shot at one of the champions. Green said he was weight drained in the Ward fight, and thinks he may need to move up to the light heavyweight division in the future to compete.
If that’s the case, then Green is going to have to really pick up his game in a big way because most of the Super Six tournament fighters intend on moving up to light heavyweight as well.
As such, it won’t get any easier for Green just because he moves up in weight. He needs to win right now against Johnson and try to finish the Super Six tournament leaving a favorable impression.
Ward may not get a very good replacement opponent on November 27th
By Jason Kim: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO’s) may not get much in the way of a quality opponent in his next Super Six tournament fight on November 27th, according to the latest boxing news.
The fighter that was supposed to be going against Ward on that date, Andre Dirrell, suddenly without warning dropped out of the tournament earlier today due to neurological problems he suffered in his last Super Six tourney fight against Arthur Abraham on March 27th.
The fight between Dirrell and Ward was supposed to have been one of the most competitive matches in the entire tournament and it was looked forward to by a great many boxing fans. Now, however, there isn’t many top fighters to pick and choose from with only a little over a month to go before November 27th.
Dan Rafael of ESPN doesn’t think Ward will find anyone that good because of the shrinking pool from which to pick from in the super middleweight division. Jermain Taylor, Dirrell and Mikkel Kessler all have dropped out of the Super Six tournament due to medical reasons, and it’s going to be tough to find someone that is not only free and willing to take the fight on short notice, but is also willing to risk what will likely be an almost certain loss to Ward.
Given how risk adverse most top fighters are nowadays, it’s likely that Ward will get stuck with either a 2nd tier opponent or a bottom 15 fringe contender. Ideally, it would be nice if someone like Sakio Bika, Marcus Johnson, Librado Andrade, Paul Smith, or Karoly Balzsay stepped up and took the fight. However, the chances of that happening are probably slim and none.
Ward is most likely going to have to take a B level fighter or snatch someone from the light heavyweight or middleweight division if they’re willing to find in the Super Six tournament. It would be a great opportunity for any fighter to take, but there’s little time to get ready for the bout and that alone might be a major turnoff for potential opponents.
Ward has already made it into the semifinals of the Super Six tournament by virtue of his two wins over Kessler and Allan Green. It’s unclear whether his next fight on November 27th with be a Super Six tournament fight or just a normal non-tournament bout.
We’ve already got 41-yedar-old Glen Johnson replacing Kessler after he dropped out recently. If Dirrell gets replaced after two fights, it’s going to make the Super Six tournament look very odd.
By Jason Kim: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO’s) may not get much in the way of a quality opponent in his next Super Six tournament fight on November 27th, according to the latest boxing news.
The fighter that was supposed to be going against Ward on that date, Andre Dirrell, suddenly without warning dropped out of the tournament earlier today due to neurological problems he suffered in his last Super Six tourney fight against Arthur Abraham on March 27th.
The fight between Dirrell and Ward was supposed to have been one of the most competitive matches in the entire tournament and it was looked forward to by a great many boxing fans. Now, however, there isn’t many top fighters to pick and choose from with only a little over a month to go before November 27th.
Dan Rafael of ESPN doesn’t think Ward will find anyone that good because of the shrinking pool from which to pick from in the super middleweight division. Jermain Taylor, Dirrell and Mikkel Kessler all have dropped out of the Super Six tournament due to medical reasons, and it’s going to be tough to find someone that is not only free and willing to take the fight on short notice, but is also willing to risk what will likely be an almost certain loss to Ward.
Given how risk adverse most top fighters are nowadays, it’s likely that Ward will get stuck with either a 2nd tier opponent or a bottom 15 fringe contender. Ideally, it would be nice if someone like Sakio Bika, Marcus Johnson, Librado Andrade, Paul Smith, or Karoly Balzsay stepped up and took the fight. However, the chances of that happening are probably slim and none.
Ward is most likely going to have to take a B level fighter or snatch someone from the light heavyweight or middleweight division if they’re willing to find in the Super Six tournament. It would be a great opportunity for any fighter to take, but there’s little time to get ready for the bout and that alone might be a major turnoff for potential opponents.
Ward has already made it into the semifinals of the Super Six tournament by virtue of his two wins over Kessler and Allan Green. It’s unclear whether his next fight on November 27th with be a Super Six tournament fight or just a normal non-tournament bout.
We’ve already got 41-yedar-old Glen Johnson replacing Kessler after he dropped out recently. If Dirrell gets replaced after two fights, it’s going to make the Super Six tournament look very odd.
Does the Super Six (Nine?) Boxing Classic Still Matter?
by Cliff Rold
Here we go again.
Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO) always seemed short for the field. Following a knockout loss to Carl Froch (26-1, 20 KO) one fight before entering Showtime’s increasingly chaotic “Super Six” Super Middleweight tournament, the former World Middleweight champion being slated to face hammer fisted Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO) in October 2009 had ‘early exit’ written all over it.
One more knockout loss later, it came to pass. The assumed ‘player to be named later’ was always Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO) and six became seven. It wasn’t perfect, but it was all fairly predictable. From the onset, skeptics predicted far more in the way of obstacles to come but the optimist could hope for the best.
As stage three of the preliminary rounds gets ready to kick off later this year, the skeptics have won. An eye problem ended the run of former unified Super Middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KO) run following a rousing decision over Froch and opened the door for the super eighth in the form of former Light Heavyweight titlist Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 32 KO). Now, the field will need yet one more.
Andree Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO), the 2004 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist at Middleweight, bounced back from a narrow opening round loss to Froch and picked up the best win of his career in stage two. Sure, he finished on his back against Abraham, but that was because of a foul. He won most of the rounds that came before the fateful eleventh round and looked pretty good doing it; he earned his win even before a disqualification made points moot. A showdown with Olympic teammate Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO) loomed.
It’s going to loom for awhile. Perhaps one day those two will lock horns. It won’t happen in 2010. It won’t happen in the Super Six. Lingering concussion affects have sent Dirrell packing, marking a full half of the field that did not make it through three full fights. Whether or not Ward’s replacement foe is an official part of the tournament field or not (and Ward was already guaranteed a semi-finals slot with wins over Kessler and Green so it doesn’t have to be), the perception will be that the field has a new replacement player.
Of the remaining combatants, two (Abraham and Froch) will be fighting each other off of losses. Johnson enters off a title-fight loss at Light Heavyweight to Tavoris Cloud. Green looked awful against Ward.
Assuming the Super Six can keep what remains intact and make it all the way through a final contest, it begs a simple question. Does the tournament still matter at this point?
Ultimately, an exclusion from the tournament from its onset that has been, and still should be, seen as a negative allows the answer to be in the affirmative.
Yes, the Super Six still matters.
When the initial field was announced, it was met with great fanfare and a lingering question: what does any of this prove with Lucian Bute? Bute (26-0, 21 KO), the IBF titlist, was regarded even before the start of the Super Six as one of the very best at 168 lbs. He’s gone to scratch twice since and posted knockout wins over Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda to further the argument that no one can be declared the best Super Middleweight in the world without facing him.
That was apparent all along and remains the truth now. The only fighter in the division at the moment who has a similarly strong argument for division leader is Ward and Ward’s remaining in the tournament is its saving grace.
After upsetting Kessler in the opening round, and seeing Abraham defeated in round two, Ward became the tournament’s unofficial top seed. He’s the quality control component and, barring a stunning upset to “TBA” later this year, he will be guaranteed at least one compelling opponent in the elimination rounds. He’ll be defending a WBA belt and have a chance to snare a WBC belt before this is done (as Froch and Abraham will now compete for the belt Kessler vacated upon exit).
Should Johnson defeat Green, and he should be favored to, both Froch and Abraham will advance and the elimination field will be fairly strong. If someone beats Ward in the semi-finals or finals, they’ll rocket up the ratings with the Bute argument still out there.
Oh, and if the someone to win the whole thing winds up being Froch or Abraham, there will probably be rematch potential post-tournament with healed versions of Kessler and Dirrell and a Ward looking for redemption. It won’t have the world any closer to an outright Super Middleweight champion in the short term, but it will leave the Super Middleweight class where it was at the start of the Super Six.
It will leave 168 lbs. healthy and intriguing.
It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to remain wildly relevant and demand our attention. If disaster strikes again, maybe that changes.
But not yet.
by Cliff Rold
Here we go again.
Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO) always seemed short for the field. Following a knockout loss to Carl Froch (26-1, 20 KO) one fight before entering Showtime’s increasingly chaotic “Super Six” Super Middleweight tournament, the former World Middleweight champion being slated to face hammer fisted Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO) in October 2009 had ‘early exit’ written all over it.
One more knockout loss later, it came to pass. The assumed ‘player to be named later’ was always Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO) and six became seven. It wasn’t perfect, but it was all fairly predictable. From the onset, skeptics predicted far more in the way of obstacles to come but the optimist could hope for the best.
As stage three of the preliminary rounds gets ready to kick off later this year, the skeptics have won. An eye problem ended the run of former unified Super Middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KO) run following a rousing decision over Froch and opened the door for the super eighth in the form of former Light Heavyweight titlist Glen Johnson (50-14-2, 32 KO). Now, the field will need yet one more.
Andree Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO), the 2004 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medalist at Middleweight, bounced back from a narrow opening round loss to Froch and picked up the best win of his career in stage two. Sure, he finished on his back against Abraham, but that was because of a foul. He won most of the rounds that came before the fateful eleventh round and looked pretty good doing it; he earned his win even before a disqualification made points moot. A showdown with Olympic teammate Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO) loomed.
It’s going to loom for awhile. Perhaps one day those two will lock horns. It won’t happen in 2010. It won’t happen in the Super Six. Lingering concussion affects have sent Dirrell packing, marking a full half of the field that did not make it through three full fights. Whether or not Ward’s replacement foe is an official part of the tournament field or not (and Ward was already guaranteed a semi-finals slot with wins over Kessler and Green so it doesn’t have to be), the perception will be that the field has a new replacement player.
Of the remaining combatants, two (Abraham and Froch) will be fighting each other off of losses. Johnson enters off a title-fight loss at Light Heavyweight to Tavoris Cloud. Green looked awful against Ward.
Assuming the Super Six can keep what remains intact and make it all the way through a final contest, it begs a simple question. Does the tournament still matter at this point?
Ultimately, an exclusion from the tournament from its onset that has been, and still should be, seen as a negative allows the answer to be in the affirmative.
Yes, the Super Six still matters.
When the initial field was announced, it was met with great fanfare and a lingering question: what does any of this prove with Lucian Bute? Bute (26-0, 21 KO), the IBF titlist, was regarded even before the start of the Super Six as one of the very best at 168 lbs. He’s gone to scratch twice since and posted knockout wins over Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda to further the argument that no one can be declared the best Super Middleweight in the world without facing him.
That was apparent all along and remains the truth now. The only fighter in the division at the moment who has a similarly strong argument for division leader is Ward and Ward’s remaining in the tournament is its saving grace.
After upsetting Kessler in the opening round, and seeing Abraham defeated in round two, Ward became the tournament’s unofficial top seed. He’s the quality control component and, barring a stunning upset to “TBA” later this year, he will be guaranteed at least one compelling opponent in the elimination rounds. He’ll be defending a WBA belt and have a chance to snare a WBC belt before this is done (as Froch and Abraham will now compete for the belt Kessler vacated upon exit).
Should Johnson defeat Green, and he should be favored to, both Froch and Abraham will advance and the elimination field will be fairly strong. If someone beats Ward in the semi-finals or finals, they’ll rocket up the ratings with the Bute argument still out there.
Oh, and if the someone to win the whole thing winds up being Froch or Abraham, there will probably be rematch potential post-tournament with healed versions of Kessler and Dirrell and a Ward looking for redemption. It won’t have the world any closer to an outright Super Middleweight champion in the short term, but it will leave the Super Middleweight class where it was at the start of the Super Six.
It will leave 168 lbs. healthy and intriguing.
It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to remain wildly relevant and demand our attention. If disaster strikes again, maybe that changes.
But not yet.
Bradley: I Signed The Contract, Alexander Got His Wish!
By Lem Satterfield
WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley has officially signed his fight contract to face WBC/IBF champ Devon Alexander in a unification bout on January 29. The fight will be televised by HBO. However, Alexander is expected to lose his IBF title before the unification takes place. The sanctioning body has ordered him to face the mandatory challenger, Kaizer Mabuza, by December 28.
"Devon, you have gotten your wish. I've signed the contract. So the fight is on," Bradley said.
The signing ends a back and forth struggle on the contract terms between Bradley and his promoter, Gary Shaw. Bradley (26-0, 11KOs) has been waiting to his hand on Alexander (21-0, 13KOs) for some time.
"Devon Alexander and his camp have been doing a lot of talking, and the fight has been a big buzz in the boxing community and in the media," said Bradley. "And, you know, now we're going to see who is truly the best in the world in the 140-pound division. So on Jan. 29, I'm going to be very excited."
By Lem Satterfield
WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley has officially signed his fight contract to face WBC/IBF champ Devon Alexander in a unification bout on January 29. The fight will be televised by HBO. However, Alexander is expected to lose his IBF title before the unification takes place. The sanctioning body has ordered him to face the mandatory challenger, Kaizer Mabuza, by December 28.
"Devon, you have gotten your wish. I've signed the contract. So the fight is on," Bradley said.
The signing ends a back and forth struggle on the contract terms between Bradley and his promoter, Gary Shaw. Bradley (26-0, 11KOs) has been waiting to his hand on Alexander (21-0, 13KOs) for some time.
"Devon Alexander and his camp have been doing a lot of talking, and the fight has been a big buzz in the boxing community and in the media," said Bradley. "And, you know, now we're going to see who is truly the best in the world in the 140-pound division. So on Jan. 29, I'm going to be very excited."
Ward shows concern for Dirrell
By Scott Gilfoid: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO’s) showed that he’s 100% pure class in making this statement about his good friend Andre Dirrell: “It’s very unfortunate to hear about Andre Dirrell’s situation. It’s never a good thing for a fight not to be able to work, especially for a neurological reason. I pray for his health and that he is able to return to the ring as soon as possible.”
That is so classy of Ward. That says what a great person he is to be there for Dirrell and wish him well. Dirrell is suffering from neurological problems related to a punch he received from Arthur Abraham in the 11th round of his Super Six tournament fight on March 27th in Detroit, Michigan. Dirrell had slipped on the canvas and was partially in a sitting position when Abraham teed off on him with a right hand and temporarily knocked Dirrell out.
After he came to, Dirrell had thought he lost the fight. It took him awhile to fully understand that the referee had disqualified Abraham for the terrible foul. People thought that Dirrell had faked it, but all you had to do is take one look at the foul in slow motion and you could see that Dirrell was really hurt. Sadly, there’s some boxing fans who still think the talented Dirrell is faking the neurological problems, but that just shows you how Mean-spirited and jealous some people are about this amazing fighter.
Why would Dirrell fake a brain injury and walk away from a million dollars? He wouldn’t. The man is hurt and he’s going to need time to heal. But Dirrell will be back, and will show the world the kind of talent that he has. For now, Dirrell will be out of action for at least three months while he waits for the neurological problems to disappear. He’s been having headaches and periods of dizziness since being fouled by Abraham. It’s been seven months since his bout with Abraham. It sometimes takes a year for a fighter to get over a bad concussion like the one that Dirrell suffered.
By Scott Gilfoid: WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO’s) showed that he’s 100% pure class in making this statement about his good friend Andre Dirrell: “It’s very unfortunate to hear about Andre Dirrell’s situation. It’s never a good thing for a fight not to be able to work, especially for a neurological reason. I pray for his health and that he is able to return to the ring as soon as possible.”
That is so classy of Ward. That says what a great person he is to be there for Dirrell and wish him well. Dirrell is suffering from neurological problems related to a punch he received from Arthur Abraham in the 11th round of his Super Six tournament fight on March 27th in Detroit, Michigan. Dirrell had slipped on the canvas and was partially in a sitting position when Abraham teed off on him with a right hand and temporarily knocked Dirrell out.
After he came to, Dirrell had thought he lost the fight. It took him awhile to fully understand that the referee had disqualified Abraham for the terrible foul. People thought that Dirrell had faked it, but all you had to do is take one look at the foul in slow motion and you could see that Dirrell was really hurt. Sadly, there’s some boxing fans who still think the talented Dirrell is faking the neurological problems, but that just shows you how Mean-spirited and jealous some people are about this amazing fighter.
Why would Dirrell fake a brain injury and walk away from a million dollars? He wouldn’t. The man is hurt and he’s going to need time to heal. But Dirrell will be back, and will show the world the kind of talent that he has. For now, Dirrell will be out of action for at least three months while he waits for the neurological problems to disappear. He’s been having headaches and periods of dizziness since being fouled by Abraham. It’s been seven months since his bout with Abraham. It sometimes takes a year for a fighter to get over a bad concussion like the one that Dirrell suffered.
Mayweather to Pacquiao: “Let us both take the test!”
By Keith Darren: In a radio interview at SIRIUS Satellite Radio yesterday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. insisted that both of them (Pac and Money) undergo blood test before the mega fight could happen.
“I’m not saying Pacquiao is on nothing, I never said Pacquiao was on something. The only thing I’m saying is this, If I’m cheating or he’s cheating, then we’re cheating the fans, so let’s show the fans that the sport of boxing is clean. Let us both take the test!”, said Mayweather Jr.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao was in Manila yesterday for a fun run in the morning then meet with the Philippine President in the evening together with other Congressmen from Central Philippines. He has yet to make comment on Mayweather’s insistence regarding the blood test.
Ariza said Pac will be making some oval works this morning in Manila then back to Baguio City in Northern Philippines where Team Pac is holding camp for another sparring session tomorrow in preparation for his November 13 fight with the Tijuana Tornado Antonio Margarito of Mexico at Cowboy’s Stadium at Texas for the vacant junior middleweight title. Accordingly, Pac had only four sparring sessions until now and will add more sparring rounds starting this week.
By Keith Darren: In a radio interview at SIRIUS Satellite Radio yesterday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. insisted that both of them (Pac and Money) undergo blood test before the mega fight could happen.
“I’m not saying Pacquiao is on nothing, I never said Pacquiao was on something. The only thing I’m saying is this, If I’m cheating or he’s cheating, then we’re cheating the fans, so let’s show the fans that the sport of boxing is clean. Let us both take the test!”, said Mayweather Jr.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao was in Manila yesterday for a fun run in the morning then meet with the Philippine President in the evening together with other Congressmen from Central Philippines. He has yet to make comment on Mayweather’s insistence regarding the blood test.
Ariza said Pac will be making some oval works this morning in Manila then back to Baguio City in Northern Philippines where Team Pac is holding camp for another sparring session tomorrow in preparation for his November 13 fight with the Tijuana Tornado Antonio Margarito of Mexico at Cowboy’s Stadium at Texas for the vacant junior middleweight title. Accordingly, Pac had only four sparring sessions until now and will add more sparring rounds starting this week.
Andy Lee vs. John Duddy would be huge in New York, says Steward
By Jason Kim: Trainer Emanuel Steward thinks an all Irish contest between middleweights John Duddy (29-2, 18 KO’s) and Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KO’s) would be huge in New York where he thinks it could draw as many as 10,000 boxing fans at Madison Square Garden, according to Michael Marley at Examiner.com.
A fight between Lee and Duddy would pull fans from the large Irish community in the New York area, who probably wouldn’t seeing these two good middleweights go at it for 12 rounds.
Both Lee and Duddy have been beaten in the past and are considered flawed by a lot fans. Lee, 26, is possibly the better of the two, but it’s hard to tell because he still hasn’t fought anyone during his four year pro career besides Brian Vera, who stopped Lee in the 7th round two years ago in March 2008.
At that time, Steward had been making noises about Lee fighting then WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. However, Lee’s loss to Vera ended such talk. Lee has been matched against nothing but soft opposition since the Vera defeat and it’s unknown how Lee will react when he’s finally put in with someone that kind fight a little like Duddy.
The good thing that Lee has going for him in a fight with Duddy is that he’s a southpaw, can punch and will have a five year youth advantage. However, Duddy has a great chin and all he needs to do is stick around past the midpoint of the fight and keep landing occasional right hands and Lee may get rocked and taken out again.
What Vera wasn’t magical against Lee. All he did was stick around long enough to survive Lee’s early onslaught and then he started to blast Lee with right hands once the Irish fighter started showing signs of fatigue.
Built with a slender neck, Lee’s head snapped back and forth when he would get hit with right hands from Vera. It might have looked worse than it actually was, but the referee didn’t like how Lee was getting hit so cleanly and decided to pull the plug on the fight.
By Jason Kim: Trainer Emanuel Steward thinks an all Irish contest between middleweights John Duddy (29-2, 18 KO’s) and Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KO’s) would be huge in New York where he thinks it could draw as many as 10,000 boxing fans at Madison Square Garden, according to Michael Marley at Examiner.com.
A fight between Lee and Duddy would pull fans from the large Irish community in the New York area, who probably wouldn’t seeing these two good middleweights go at it for 12 rounds.
Both Lee and Duddy have been beaten in the past and are considered flawed by a lot fans. Lee, 26, is possibly the better of the two, but it’s hard to tell because he still hasn’t fought anyone during his four year pro career besides Brian Vera, who stopped Lee in the 7th round two years ago in March 2008.
At that time, Steward had been making noises about Lee fighting then WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik. However, Lee’s loss to Vera ended such talk. Lee has been matched against nothing but soft opposition since the Vera defeat and it’s unknown how Lee will react when he’s finally put in with someone that kind fight a little like Duddy.
The good thing that Lee has going for him in a fight with Duddy is that he’s a southpaw, can punch and will have a five year youth advantage. However, Duddy has a great chin and all he needs to do is stick around past the midpoint of the fight and keep landing occasional right hands and Lee may get rocked and taken out again.
What Vera wasn’t magical against Lee. All he did was stick around long enough to survive Lee’s early onslaught and then he started to blast Lee with right hands once the Irish fighter started showing signs of fatigue.
Built with a slender neck, Lee’s head snapped back and forth when he would get hit with right hands from Vera. It might have looked worse than it actually was, but the referee didn’t like how Lee was getting hit so cleanly and decided to pull the plug on the fight.
Timothy Bradley signs contract for Alexander bout but is it too little to late?
By Brad Jones: Timothy Bradley has finally signed to fight Devon Alexander, but what took him so long? The IBF are no longer sanctioning this fight as IBF chairman Lindsay Tucker informed Alexander and his promoter Don King they must defend his IBF crown against No. 1 mandatory challenger Kaizer Mabuza from South Africa.
King then informed them that Bradley had signed to fight and that the fight had been agreed but in actually fact it would be well over 3 weeks until Bradley signed to fight so now The fight is set but now it’s only for the WBC and WBO titles.
If Bradley would have hurried up and signed a few weeks ago this fight would have been for all 3 major titles and surly the Ring Magazine would have sanctioned it for their 140lb title. So now there is no IBF title at stake and most likely no Ring magazine belt at stake.
So does this fight really decide who is the man at 140lb? Whoever wins this fight on 1/29 will not be universally recognized as the man at 140lb but just a holder of 2 titles. We could still even have people saying Amir Khan is the man or whoever wins the vacant IBF belt.
My point being that fighters and sanctioning bodies need to work together to get a unified champion in each weight division so there is no doubts as to who is the best in each weight class.
I mean Bradley has already held both these titles so is there any point in him regaining his WBC title? If Bradley would have signed earlier or the IBF weren’t so hungry for money the winner on 1/29 would have 3 titles and the Ring belt and there would be no doubt as to who the man at 140lb is and for any few doubter (British public and Khan fans) the winner could face Khan for all the marbles at 140lb.
Is this not the ultimate goal to have one guy at each weight hold all the 4 titles? I mean what better way for Khan, Alexander or Bradley getting a shot at Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. What boxing needs are undisputed champions! After this fight we will still have 3 different champions and no more clarity as to who the best 140lb is.
By Brad Jones: Timothy Bradley has finally signed to fight Devon Alexander, but what took him so long? The IBF are no longer sanctioning this fight as IBF chairman Lindsay Tucker informed Alexander and his promoter Don King they must defend his IBF crown against No. 1 mandatory challenger Kaizer Mabuza from South Africa.
King then informed them that Bradley had signed to fight and that the fight had been agreed but in actually fact it would be well over 3 weeks until Bradley signed to fight so now The fight is set but now it’s only for the WBC and WBO titles.
If Bradley would have hurried up and signed a few weeks ago this fight would have been for all 3 major titles and surly the Ring Magazine would have sanctioned it for their 140lb title. So now there is no IBF title at stake and most likely no Ring magazine belt at stake.
So does this fight really decide who is the man at 140lb? Whoever wins this fight on 1/29 will not be universally recognized as the man at 140lb but just a holder of 2 titles. We could still even have people saying Amir Khan is the man or whoever wins the vacant IBF belt.
My point being that fighters and sanctioning bodies need to work together to get a unified champion in each weight division so there is no doubts as to who is the best in each weight class.
I mean Bradley has already held both these titles so is there any point in him regaining his WBC title? If Bradley would have signed earlier or the IBF weren’t so hungry for money the winner on 1/29 would have 3 titles and the Ring belt and there would be no doubt as to who the man at 140lb is and for any few doubter (British public and Khan fans) the winner could face Khan for all the marbles at 140lb.
Is this not the ultimate goal to have one guy at each weight hold all the 4 titles? I mean what better way for Khan, Alexander or Bradley getting a shot at Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. What boxing needs are undisputed champions! After this fight we will still have 3 different champions and no more clarity as to who the best 140lb is.
The Super Six tourney made Dirrell a star
By Scott Gilfoid: Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO’s) may no longer be in the Super Six tournament, but he’s already been made a worldwide star from his two fights against Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham. While it was disappointing the way that Dirrell had to leave the tournament because of the cheap shot that Abraham landed while Dirrell was on the canvas in their fight, Dirrell still has a lot to be proud about and a lot to look forward to once he’s healed from his suspected neurological problems.
In his fights in the tournament, Dirrell proved to be superior to his European opposition and schooled both of them in fights that were mostly one-sided. Dirrell lost the fight to Froch by a 12 round decision, but few agree with the results for that fight and think that Dirrell should have won.
What Dirrell accomplished in such a short period of time in the Super Six is stunning. He was like a shooting star for that tournament, a bigger star than any of them. It doesn’t matter if Dirrell is no longer in the tournament, because he already accomplished all that he needed to by becoming a star and a household name for most boxing fans.
Dirrell’s suspected brain injury will soon heal, I’m sure of that. He will then show the boxing world what he would have achieved had he stayed in the tournament and took on Andre Ward and fought rematches against either Froch or Abraham. Like Mikkel Kessler, another fighter that was forced to drop out of the Super Six tournament due to an injury, Dirrell will likely meet up with the Super Six tournament winner in the near future.
Dirrell will have lost very little in terms of his career by this brief injury, and I see him starting back in where he left off by dominating the division and becoming the hottest star in the super middleweight division. Dirrell can be what Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been for the welterweight division.
Dirrell just needs time and the right fights. He can’t waste his time fighting scrubs. Dirrell has got to go after fighters like Ward and Lucian Bute. He doesn’t need to bother with Froch and Abraham again, because he already proved that he’s better than both of them.
By Scott Gilfoid: Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO’s) may no longer be in the Super Six tournament, but he’s already been made a worldwide star from his two fights against Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham. While it was disappointing the way that Dirrell had to leave the tournament because of the cheap shot that Abraham landed while Dirrell was on the canvas in their fight, Dirrell still has a lot to be proud about and a lot to look forward to once he’s healed from his suspected neurological problems.
In his fights in the tournament, Dirrell proved to be superior to his European opposition and schooled both of them in fights that were mostly one-sided. Dirrell lost the fight to Froch by a 12 round decision, but few agree with the results for that fight and think that Dirrell should have won.
What Dirrell accomplished in such a short period of time in the Super Six is stunning. He was like a shooting star for that tournament, a bigger star than any of them. It doesn’t matter if Dirrell is no longer in the tournament, because he already accomplished all that he needed to by becoming a star and a household name for most boxing fans.
Dirrell’s suspected brain injury will soon heal, I’m sure of that. He will then show the boxing world what he would have achieved had he stayed in the tournament and took on Andre Ward and fought rematches against either Froch or Abraham. Like Mikkel Kessler, another fighter that was forced to drop out of the Super Six tournament due to an injury, Dirrell will likely meet up with the Super Six tournament winner in the near future.
Dirrell will have lost very little in terms of his career by this brief injury, and I see him starting back in where he left off by dominating the division and becoming the hottest star in the super middleweight division. Dirrell can be what Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been for the welterweight division.
Dirrell just needs time and the right fights. He can’t waste his time fighting scrubs. Dirrell has got to go after fighters like Ward and Lucian Bute. He doesn’t need to bother with Froch and Abraham again, because he already proved that he’s better than both of them.
Mayweather Talks Cheating Margarito, Testing Pacquiao
By Mark Vester
During a recent appearance on the Sirius satellite radio program Shade 45, Floyd Mayweather Jr. spoke in detail about Antonio Margarito, a possible fight with Manny Pacquiao, and how they can set things right for the sport of boxing. The appearance was booked for Mayweather to discuss his future wedding and his pending legal issues, but the subject of boxing came around in the second half of the interview.
Mayweather was being hunted by Margarito back in 2006-2007. An offer of $8 million dollars was not enough to get Mayweather to accept Margarito. He instead took a fight with Carlos Baldomir and then sat back until a fight with Oscar De La Hoya was finalized. Mayweather claims that he knew something was fishy was Margarito all the way back in 2006.
"A lot of people wanted to see me and Antonio Margarito fight at one particular time. They said I was ducking and dodging Antonio Margarito. This is the same guy that was cheating. I told the world that there was something funny going on with Antonio Margarito. Come to find out that this guy was cheating and beating opponents with casts in his gloves," Mayweather said.
Mayweather says the sport of boxing has taken some hits because of the issue with Margarito and the past steroid use of Shane Mosley. He says a fight with Manny Pacquiao, with a strict drug testing protocol, will set things right for the sport of boxing and show everyone how boxing is a clean sport
Mayweather doesn't agree with Margarito being issued a license by the state of Texas for a November 13 showdown with Pacquiao.
"I can’t see how you [can] even give a guy like Antonio Margarito a [boxing] license. He was beating opponents with casts, one shot in this sport can end your whole career," Mayweather said
By Mark Vester
During a recent appearance on the Sirius satellite radio program Shade 45, Floyd Mayweather Jr. spoke in detail about Antonio Margarito, a possible fight with Manny Pacquiao, and how they can set things right for the sport of boxing. The appearance was booked for Mayweather to discuss his future wedding and his pending legal issues, but the subject of boxing came around in the second half of the interview.
Mayweather was being hunted by Margarito back in 2006-2007. An offer of $8 million dollars was not enough to get Mayweather to accept Margarito. He instead took a fight with Carlos Baldomir and then sat back until a fight with Oscar De La Hoya was finalized. Mayweather claims that he knew something was fishy was Margarito all the way back in 2006.
"A lot of people wanted to see me and Antonio Margarito fight at one particular time. They said I was ducking and dodging Antonio Margarito. This is the same guy that was cheating. I told the world that there was something funny going on with Antonio Margarito. Come to find out that this guy was cheating and beating opponents with casts in his gloves," Mayweather said.
Mayweather says the sport of boxing has taken some hits because of the issue with Margarito and the past steroid use of Shane Mosley. He says a fight with Manny Pacquiao, with a strict drug testing protocol, will set things right for the sport of boxing and show everyone how boxing is a clean sport
Mayweather doesn't agree with Margarito being issued a license by the state of Texas for a November 13 showdown with Pacquiao.
"I can’t see how you [can] even give a guy like Antonio Margarito a [boxing] license. He was beating opponents with casts, one shot in this sport can end your whole career," Mayweather said
IBF Tourney in Play, Winner To Face Wladimir Klitschko?
By Ruslan Chikov
Several reports in the Russian press are suggesting that the IBF is considering another four fighter elimination style tournament to crown a new mandatory challenger to IBF/IBO/WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko. The four fighters being considered are former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck, K2 promoted boxer Johnathon Banks and Russian pugs Alexander Dimitrenko and Denis Boytsov.
The IBF held a similar tournament in 2007 with Alexander Povetkin, Chris Byrd, Eddie Chambers and Calvin Brock. Povetkin beat Chambers in the final bout of the tournament but to date has has never fought Klitschko. The were going to fight in December of 2008 before Povetkin withdrew with a training camp injury. They were once again scheduled to fight, last month, but Klitschko replaced Povetkin with Samuel Peter due to difficulties in finalizing the deal with the unbeaten Russian
By Ruslan Chikov
Several reports in the Russian press are suggesting that the IBF is considering another four fighter elimination style tournament to crown a new mandatory challenger to IBF/IBO/WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko. The four fighters being considered are former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck, K2 promoted boxer Johnathon Banks and Russian pugs Alexander Dimitrenko and Denis Boytsov.
The IBF held a similar tournament in 2007 with Alexander Povetkin, Chris Byrd, Eddie Chambers and Calvin Brock. Povetkin beat Chambers in the final bout of the tournament but to date has has never fought Klitschko. The were going to fight in December of 2008 before Povetkin withdrew with a training camp injury. They were once again scheduled to fight, last month, but Klitschko replaced Povetkin with Samuel Peter due to difficulties in finalizing the deal with the unbeaten Russian
Mikkel Kessler Will Retire if The Eye Injury Continues
By Mark Vester
Mikkel Kessler, the WBC's super middleweight "champion in recess," says there is no improvement in the eye injury that forced him to withdraw from the Super Six Boxing Classic. Kessler is holding out hope that the injury clears up. The popular Danish fighters withdrew from the Super Six tournament after complaining of double vision. Kessler's recovery could take as long as nine months, according to his doctors.
"It's still the same. There is no improvement yet. I do not spar. I can not train too hard. But you get used to going down the stairs and things like that," says Kessler to spn.dk. "I have no doubt that it's going to get better. The question is when is it going to happen."
Kessler will not take any chances with his vision. If the eye clears up, but then returns in either training camp, or his comeback fight, the popular Dane will retire from boxing to avoid any permanent injury to his vision.
"People always say to me 'what if you get hit and it starts up again? What if you go blind? Is it worth it?' No, it is not," Kessler says.
The WBC made him the "Champion Emeritus." Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham will fight his the vacant WBC title on November 27 in Helsinki, Finland. The status of "Champion Emeritus" allows Kessler to get an immediate title shot at the winner.
By Mark Vester
Mikkel Kessler, the WBC's super middleweight "champion in recess," says there is no improvement in the eye injury that forced him to withdraw from the Super Six Boxing Classic. Kessler is holding out hope that the injury clears up. The popular Danish fighters withdrew from the Super Six tournament after complaining of double vision. Kessler's recovery could take as long as nine months, according to his doctors.
"It's still the same. There is no improvement yet. I do not spar. I can not train too hard. But you get used to going down the stairs and things like that," says Kessler to spn.dk. "I have no doubt that it's going to get better. The question is when is it going to happen."
Kessler will not take any chances with his vision. If the eye clears up, but then returns in either training camp, or his comeback fight, the popular Dane will retire from boxing to avoid any permanent injury to his vision.
"People always say to me 'what if you get hit and it starts up again? What if you go blind? Is it worth it?' No, it is not," Kessler says.
The WBC made him the "Champion Emeritus." Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham will fight his the vacant WBC title on November 27 in Helsinki, Finland. The status of "Champion Emeritus" allows Kessler to get an immediate title shot at the winner.
Champion Son of Wilfredo Vazquez on The Rise in Florida
By Lyle Fitzsimmons
Fathers might know best.
But if the lineup for a Saturday night card in the Disney suburb of Kissimmee, Fla. is any indication – the sons have picked up a few things along the way, too.
No fewer than five male offspring of former world champions will be in the ring at Silver Spurs Arena on a show billed as “The Rising Son Returns.”
Headlining the show will be WBO junior featherweight champion and unbeaten fistic progeny Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who’ll risk his title for the second time since winning it in February with a fourth-round KO of Filipino slugger Marvin Sonsona in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Vazquez stayed close to home and successfully defended with a 10th-round stoppage of Zsolt Bedak three months later, but will return to Kissimmee for the 14th time in a pro career that’s seen him go 19-0-1 with 16 knockouts since a December 2006 debut.
“I am excited to come back to Kissimmee and it will be my first defense of the world title in Kissimmee,” he said. “I am very happy to return here where I started a dream; a dream where nobody believed in me. Every time I have fought in Kissimmee I have felt like I was fighting in my living room.
“I respect my island of Puerto Rico and my blood is from there and I love it there, but here in Kissimmee is where I was made to get to where I am today. I tell my friends that I work for my family. I do what I do every day for my daughter and my wife and I am going to keep doing it for as long as I can because I work for my family and I have to respect my family.”
Vazquez’s father, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr., was a pro from 1981 through 2002, winning 56 of 68 bouts in a career that saw win capture WBA titles at 118, 122 and 126 pounds.
He was 16-4-1 in 21 championship matches – reigning at bantamweight in 1987-88, super bantamweight from 1992-95 and featherweight in 1996-97.
His final try at a title belt – the WBO featherweight championship – ended with a seventh-round TKO loss to Naseem Hamed in 1998 in Manchester, England.
He fought for the last time in October 2002.
“Someone once asked President Truman if he thought the USA would be able to send people to the moon. Truman replied, ‘It will be difficult, but we can do it,’” said Roberto Quesada, a former member of the elder Vazquez’s training team who’s now working with the younger version.
“Can a person with no amateur experience become a world champion? It was difficult, but Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. proved it could be done. Vazquez Jr. trained for six months, alone, to prove to his father he was ready, before his father would let him enter the ring.”
The 26-year-old champion holds both father and tutor in high regard.
“There has been a lot of sacrifice. I am glad that I am champion to prove that the sacrifices I have made have paid off,” he said. “It takes a lot to get in the ring, and if you’ve never gotten in the ring you don’t know what it feels like. We are a big group and my father saw my talent when no one else thought I had any talent to make it like I did. I wasn’t even a boxer. But he showed me all this talent.
“To Professor Roberto Quesada, who, when I asked for support at the beginning of my career when nobody believed in me, he gave me his hand, not knowing that I could come without fighting an amateur fight and then making it to this place, from the bottom of his heart.”
Vazquez Jr. will face former 115-pound world champion Ivan Hernandez, a 27-year-Mexican who’s gone 27-4-1 in 32 fights since turning pro in 2000.
The 5-foot-6 right-hander won the WBO junior bantamweight championship with an eighth-round stoppage of Mark Johnson in September 2004, but was stopped by Fernando Montiel in his initial defense seven months later.
Two subsequent WBC challenges at 122 have also resulted in TKO losses – initially to Israel Vazquez in 2006 and more recently against Toshiaki Nishioka in 2009.
Still, impressive resumes aside, the champion was pointed in remarks toward Hernandez at a media event in Kissimmee.
“I want you to know that you won’t be taking the title away from me,” Vazquez said. “I have worked very hard to be where I am and I know and I am glad that you are coming well prepared. I am not a kid that after he trains or fights he goes out partying in the clubs. You are going to fight a man and boxing is my life.
“Boxing is breakfast. Boxing is lunch and boxing is dinner. That’s my life. You will not be in my way to make my dream happen. In my vocabulary, ‘not proud’ is not there, because anyone who talks about that is only working to the half.”
Rounding out the father-son theme elsewhere on the card will be Guty Espadas Jr., Pipino Cuevas Jr. and Tony LaPorte – the son of Juan LaPorte – whose fathers combined for three world championships and 114 wins in 157 fights between 1971 and 1999.
Also, set to make his pro debut is Vazquez’s brother, Israel.
“We are promoting this event like a family event. It will be stacked with juniors,” promoter Tuto Zabala said. “I am a junior and if it weren’t for my father, none of us, Wilfredo or myself, would be here today. I am a promoter because of my father, who promoted Wilfredo Sr., who was a three-time world champion and now his junior is a world champion.
“The ring announcer (Saturday) will be Jimmy Lennon Jr., whose father was one of the greatest ring announcers in the sport. It is going to be a great night to be able to pay respect to our fathers. That inspired me to do the show the way we are doing it.”
* * * * * * * *
This week’s title-fight schedule:
FRIDAY
IBF super middleweight title – Montreal, Canada
Lucian Bute (champion) vs. Jesse Brinkley (No. 2 contender)
Bute (26-0, 21 KO): Sixth title defense; Won 19 straight fights in Montreal (19-0, 14 KO)
Brinkley (35-5, 22 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2007 (9-0, 5 KO)
Fitzbitz says: “Brinkley’s a nice story, but not ready for an elite at 168.” Bute in 7
SATURDAY
WBC heavyweight title – Altona, Germany
Vitali Klitschko (champion) vs. Shannon Briggs (No. 8 contender)
Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO): Fifth title defense; Held WBO (1999-2000) and WBC titles (2004)
Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO): Fourth title fight (1-2, 1 KO); Held WBO title in 2006-07
Fitzbitz says: “Briggs is a very live underdog, but falls after a rugged challenge.” Klitschko in 11
WBO junior featherweight title – Kissimmee, Fla.
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (champion) vs. Ivan Hernandez (No. 10 contender)
Vazquez Jr. (19-0-1, 16 KO): Second title defense; Four straight wins by KO
Hernandez (28-4-1, 17 KO): Fifth title fight (1-3, 1 KO); Held WBO title in 2004-05
Fitzbitz says: “Vazquez a rising star with a safe opponent in a home venue.” Vazquez in 8
WBO flyweight title – Monterrey, Mexico
Julio Cesar Miranda (champion) vs. Michael Arango (unranked)
Miranda (33-5-1, 26 KO): Second title defense; Three straight wins by KO
Arango (31-9-3, 25 KO): First title fight; Winless in two fights in Mexico (0-2, 0 KO)
Fitzbitz says: “Miranda’s has beaten, or at least stayed with, a better grade of foe.” Miranda in 10
Last week’s picks: 1-0
Overall picks record: 142-49 (74.3 percent)
By Lyle Fitzsimmons
Fathers might know best.
But if the lineup for a Saturday night card in the Disney suburb of Kissimmee, Fla. is any indication – the sons have picked up a few things along the way, too.
No fewer than five male offspring of former world champions will be in the ring at Silver Spurs Arena on a show billed as “The Rising Son Returns.”
Headlining the show will be WBO junior featherweight champion and unbeaten fistic progeny Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., who’ll risk his title for the second time since winning it in February with a fourth-round KO of Filipino slugger Marvin Sonsona in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Vazquez stayed close to home and successfully defended with a 10th-round stoppage of Zsolt Bedak three months later, but will return to Kissimmee for the 14th time in a pro career that’s seen him go 19-0-1 with 16 knockouts since a December 2006 debut.
“I am excited to come back to Kissimmee and it will be my first defense of the world title in Kissimmee,” he said. “I am very happy to return here where I started a dream; a dream where nobody believed in me. Every time I have fought in Kissimmee I have felt like I was fighting in my living room.
“I respect my island of Puerto Rico and my blood is from there and I love it there, but here in Kissimmee is where I was made to get to where I am today. I tell my friends that I work for my family. I do what I do every day for my daughter and my wife and I am going to keep doing it for as long as I can because I work for my family and I have to respect my family.”
Vazquez’s father, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr., was a pro from 1981 through 2002, winning 56 of 68 bouts in a career that saw win capture WBA titles at 118, 122 and 126 pounds.
He was 16-4-1 in 21 championship matches – reigning at bantamweight in 1987-88, super bantamweight from 1992-95 and featherweight in 1996-97.
His final try at a title belt – the WBO featherweight championship – ended with a seventh-round TKO loss to Naseem Hamed in 1998 in Manchester, England.
He fought for the last time in October 2002.
“Someone once asked President Truman if he thought the USA would be able to send people to the moon. Truman replied, ‘It will be difficult, but we can do it,’” said Roberto Quesada, a former member of the elder Vazquez’s training team who’s now working with the younger version.
“Can a person with no amateur experience become a world champion? It was difficult, but Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. proved it could be done. Vazquez Jr. trained for six months, alone, to prove to his father he was ready, before his father would let him enter the ring.”
The 26-year-old champion holds both father and tutor in high regard.
“There has been a lot of sacrifice. I am glad that I am champion to prove that the sacrifices I have made have paid off,” he said. “It takes a lot to get in the ring, and if you’ve never gotten in the ring you don’t know what it feels like. We are a big group and my father saw my talent when no one else thought I had any talent to make it like I did. I wasn’t even a boxer. But he showed me all this talent.
“To Professor Roberto Quesada, who, when I asked for support at the beginning of my career when nobody believed in me, he gave me his hand, not knowing that I could come without fighting an amateur fight and then making it to this place, from the bottom of his heart.”
Vazquez Jr. will face former 115-pound world champion Ivan Hernandez, a 27-year-Mexican who’s gone 27-4-1 in 32 fights since turning pro in 2000.
The 5-foot-6 right-hander won the WBO junior bantamweight championship with an eighth-round stoppage of Mark Johnson in September 2004, but was stopped by Fernando Montiel in his initial defense seven months later.
Two subsequent WBC challenges at 122 have also resulted in TKO losses – initially to Israel Vazquez in 2006 and more recently against Toshiaki Nishioka in 2009.
Still, impressive resumes aside, the champion was pointed in remarks toward Hernandez at a media event in Kissimmee.
“I want you to know that you won’t be taking the title away from me,” Vazquez said. “I have worked very hard to be where I am and I know and I am glad that you are coming well prepared. I am not a kid that after he trains or fights he goes out partying in the clubs. You are going to fight a man and boxing is my life.
“Boxing is breakfast. Boxing is lunch and boxing is dinner. That’s my life. You will not be in my way to make my dream happen. In my vocabulary, ‘not proud’ is not there, because anyone who talks about that is only working to the half.”
Rounding out the father-son theme elsewhere on the card will be Guty Espadas Jr., Pipino Cuevas Jr. and Tony LaPorte – the son of Juan LaPorte – whose fathers combined for three world championships and 114 wins in 157 fights between 1971 and 1999.
Also, set to make his pro debut is Vazquez’s brother, Israel.
“We are promoting this event like a family event. It will be stacked with juniors,” promoter Tuto Zabala said. “I am a junior and if it weren’t for my father, none of us, Wilfredo or myself, would be here today. I am a promoter because of my father, who promoted Wilfredo Sr., who was a three-time world champion and now his junior is a world champion.
“The ring announcer (Saturday) will be Jimmy Lennon Jr., whose father was one of the greatest ring announcers in the sport. It is going to be a great night to be able to pay respect to our fathers. That inspired me to do the show the way we are doing it.”
* * * * * * * *
This week’s title-fight schedule:
FRIDAY
IBF super middleweight title – Montreal, Canada
Lucian Bute (champion) vs. Jesse Brinkley (No. 2 contender)
Bute (26-0, 21 KO): Sixth title defense; Won 19 straight fights in Montreal (19-0, 14 KO)
Brinkley (35-5, 22 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2007 (9-0, 5 KO)
Fitzbitz says: “Brinkley’s a nice story, but not ready for an elite at 168.” Bute in 7
SATURDAY
WBC heavyweight title – Altona, Germany
Vitali Klitschko (champion) vs. Shannon Briggs (No. 8 contender)
Klitschko (40-2, 38 KO): Fifth title defense; Held WBO (1999-2000) and WBC titles (2004)
Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KO): Fourth title fight (1-2, 1 KO); Held WBO title in 2006-07
Fitzbitz says: “Briggs is a very live underdog, but falls after a rugged challenge.” Klitschko in 11
WBO junior featherweight title – Kissimmee, Fla.
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (champion) vs. Ivan Hernandez (No. 10 contender)
Vazquez Jr. (19-0-1, 16 KO): Second title defense; Four straight wins by KO
Hernandez (28-4-1, 17 KO): Fifth title fight (1-3, 1 KO); Held WBO title in 2004-05
Fitzbitz says: “Vazquez a rising star with a safe opponent in a home venue.” Vazquez in 8
WBO flyweight title – Monterrey, Mexico
Julio Cesar Miranda (champion) vs. Michael Arango (unranked)
Miranda (33-5-1, 26 KO): Second title defense; Three straight wins by KO
Arango (31-9-3, 25 KO): First title fight; Winless in two fights in Mexico (0-2, 0 KO)
Fitzbitz says: “Miranda’s has beaten, or at least stayed with, a better grade of foe.” Miranda in 10
Last week’s picks: 1-0
Overall picks record: 142-49 (74.3 percent)
The end of 2010 keeps getting better this is a sick card....
Odlanier Solis vs Ray Austin, Tavoris Cloud on December 17 in Florida
By Lem Satterfield
According to Alan Hopper, head of public relations for promoter Don King, 2004 Olympic gold medal winner Odlanier Solis (16-0, 12 KOs) will face Ray Austin (28-4-4, 18 KOs) in a WBC final eliminator on December 17, with the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida being the likely venue. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs).
Hopper confirms that IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) will defend his title on the Solis-Austin undercard against an opponent to be determined.
"Don King is has been in discussions with American Airlines Arena, and he's getting very close, to presenting a WBC heavyweight title elimination bout," said Hopper. "That bout would be between No. 1-ranked Ray Austin and No. 2-ranked Odlanier Solis, who is also undefeated, to determine who will face the WBC champion next."
Odlanier Solis vs Ray Austin, Tavoris Cloud on December 17 in Florida
By Lem Satterfield
According to Alan Hopper, head of public relations for promoter Don King, 2004 Olympic gold medal winner Odlanier Solis (16-0, 12 KOs) will face Ray Austin (28-4-4, 18 KOs) in a WBC final eliminator on December 17, with the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida being the likely venue. The winner becomes the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs).
Hopper confirms that IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) will defend his title on the Solis-Austin undercard against an opponent to be determined.
"Don King is has been in discussions with American Airlines Arena, and he's getting very close, to presenting a WBC heavyweight title elimination bout," said Hopper. "That bout would be between No. 1-ranked Ray Austin and No. 2-ranked Odlanier Solis, who is also undefeated, to determine who will face the WBC champion next."