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Antonio Margarito Says He’ll Be Fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Junior This September
By James Slater - Last seen losing his much-hyped grudge-match of a return with Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto, Mexican bad boy Antonio Margarito hopes to be engaging in an all-Mexican showdown this coming September: against unbeaten WBC middleweight title holder Julio Cesar Chavez Junior.
Speaking with the L.A Times yesterday, “Tony” said he will have a tune-up fight next, and then shoot for “The Son Of The Legend” after that..
“I’ve been told I could fight on May 26th here in Tucson,” Margarito said from The Casino Del Sol in Tucson. “But if it’s in June, that’s fine, because it’s in September that we’re going to fight [Chavez Jr.]”
Margarito went on to say that he is currently in training and that he is only five pounds above the middleweight limit of 160-pounds. The controversial fighter also claimed that there is no problem with his right eye - the one that was so badly damaged, first by Manny Pacquiao and then by Cotto in the return meeting.
But then, Margarito would say that, wouldn’t he? In all honesty, neither Margarito himself nor anyone else knows how much if anything he has left to offer at top level. The 34-year-old was beaten up quite badly as he was outboxed by Cotto in December of last year, and Margarito’s reflexes didn’t look too good. Maybe the warrior who will forever be branded a cheat by some (due, of course, to the now infamous hand-wraps scandal) has one more great fight left inside; maybe he doesn’t.
Both Margarito, 38-8(27) and the unbeaten Chavez Junior are promoted by Top Rank, so making the fight could prove to be pretty easy. And if the clash went down in Mexico, where both guys are huge names, the fight would attract a big, big crowd.
But how would the critics take such a fight? Would Chavez Jr, already getting stick for “avoiding” genuine middleweight king Sergio Gabriel Martinez, get slaughtered by the media if he agreed to fight the possibly shot former WBO and IBF welterweight ruler? I think he would be.
Margarito WILL fight again though, on that you can put money. Not knowing what else to do, the naturally aggressive fighting man is still in possession of a belly full of fire. Whether or not Margarito still has the tools to be able to contend with the elite, however, remains to be seen.
By James Slater - Last seen losing his much-hyped grudge-match of a return with Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto, Mexican bad boy Antonio Margarito hopes to be engaging in an all-Mexican showdown this coming September: against unbeaten WBC middleweight title holder Julio Cesar Chavez Junior.
Speaking with the L.A Times yesterday, “Tony” said he will have a tune-up fight next, and then shoot for “The Son Of The Legend” after that..
“I’ve been told I could fight on May 26th here in Tucson,” Margarito said from The Casino Del Sol in Tucson. “But if it’s in June, that’s fine, because it’s in September that we’re going to fight [Chavez Jr.]”
Margarito went on to say that he is currently in training and that he is only five pounds above the middleweight limit of 160-pounds. The controversial fighter also claimed that there is no problem with his right eye - the one that was so badly damaged, first by Manny Pacquiao and then by Cotto in the return meeting.
But then, Margarito would say that, wouldn’t he? In all honesty, neither Margarito himself nor anyone else knows how much if anything he has left to offer at top level. The 34-year-old was beaten up quite badly as he was outboxed by Cotto in December of last year, and Margarito’s reflexes didn’t look too good. Maybe the warrior who will forever be branded a cheat by some (due, of course, to the now infamous hand-wraps scandal) has one more great fight left inside; maybe he doesn’t.
Both Margarito, 38-8(27) and the unbeaten Chavez Junior are promoted by Top Rank, so making the fight could prove to be pretty easy. And if the clash went down in Mexico, where both guys are huge names, the fight would attract a big, big crowd.
But how would the critics take such a fight? Would Chavez Jr, already getting stick for “avoiding” genuine middleweight king Sergio Gabriel Martinez, get slaughtered by the media if he agreed to fight the possibly shot former WBO and IBF welterweight ruler? I think he would be.
Margarito WILL fight again though, on that you can put money. Not knowing what else to do, the naturally aggressive fighting man is still in possession of a belly full of fire. Whether or not Margarito still has the tools to be able to contend with the elite, however, remains to be seen.
Heavyweight News: Adamek, Wach, Jennings Win - Is Bryant Jennings A Future Player In The Heavyweight Division?
By James Slater: There were three biggish heavyweight bouts last night, one of which that may have seen a future contender emerge. In Atlantic City, giants Mariusz Wach and Tye Fields collided and the action was lively. Eventually, in the 6th-round, unbeaten Polish slugger Wach took the upper hand, landing repeated rights to the head of the huge Canadian.
“Big Sky” crashed and was stopped at the 1-minute and 44 second mark. 32-year-old Wach, now 27-0(15) is in the hunt for a shot at one of the Klitschkos (he says he’d prefer WBC champ Vitali) and this latest win, though no earth-mover, will not have hurt his chances. Wach may be ponderous but he has genuine power and he is exciting to watch. I’d like to see “The Viking” in with a top-10 guy next. 37-year-old Fields is now 49-5(44).
Another Pole, in hero Tomasz Adamek, returned to winning ways following his one-sided stoppage loss to Vitali Klitschko, as he pounded out a one-sided ten-round UD over the always-game Nagy Aguilera. This fight took place in Brooklyn, New York, on the under-card of Zab Judah’s good win over Vernon Paris. “Goral” won with something to spare, winning by commanding scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91. 35-year-old Adamek is now 45-2(28) and will likely be back in the summer. 25-year-old Aguilera has now lost four of his last five and is 17-7(12).
27-year-old Bryant Jennings, also boxing on the Brooklyn card, scored the biggest win of his career in halting former WBO heavyweight ruler Siarhei Liakhovich. The Philly fighter known as “By-By” may also have emerged as a contender following his bloodying of the man known as “The White Wolf.” Stopped by the doctor at the end of the 9th, a round that saw him take more heavy punishment, 35-year-old Liakhovich was well beaten. He is now 25-5(16) and looks to be done.
Jennings, who calls himself a typical Philadelphia fighter, has only been a pro since February of 2010 and he is making good, fast progress. Jennings, now 13-0(6) may be no giant of a heavyweight at 6’2” and approx 220, but promoter Kathy Duva told ESPN.com that “we had another guy built like him (Jennings) who did quite well: Evander Holyfield.”
Of course, it’s way, way, way too early to be able to compare Jennings with “The Real Deal,” but the talented, exciting warrior is certainly one to keep an eye on.
“I am the best American heavyweight,” Jennings boldly told ESPN.com.
A fight between Jennings and Seth Mitchell (to many people the fighter deserving of that distinction) would be most welcome!
By James Slater: There were three biggish heavyweight bouts last night, one of which that may have seen a future contender emerge. In Atlantic City, giants Mariusz Wach and Tye Fields collided and the action was lively. Eventually, in the 6th-round, unbeaten Polish slugger Wach took the upper hand, landing repeated rights to the head of the huge Canadian.
“Big Sky” crashed and was stopped at the 1-minute and 44 second mark. 32-year-old Wach, now 27-0(15) is in the hunt for a shot at one of the Klitschkos (he says he’d prefer WBC champ Vitali) and this latest win, though no earth-mover, will not have hurt his chances. Wach may be ponderous but he has genuine power and he is exciting to watch. I’d like to see “The Viking” in with a top-10 guy next. 37-year-old Fields is now 49-5(44).
Another Pole, in hero Tomasz Adamek, returned to winning ways following his one-sided stoppage loss to Vitali Klitschko, as he pounded out a one-sided ten-round UD over the always-game Nagy Aguilera. This fight took place in Brooklyn, New York, on the under-card of Zab Judah’s good win over Vernon Paris. “Goral” won with something to spare, winning by commanding scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91. 35-year-old Adamek is now 45-2(28) and will likely be back in the summer. 25-year-old Aguilera has now lost four of his last five and is 17-7(12).
27-year-old Bryant Jennings, also boxing on the Brooklyn card, scored the biggest win of his career in halting former WBO heavyweight ruler Siarhei Liakhovich. The Philly fighter known as “By-By” may also have emerged as a contender following his bloodying of the man known as “The White Wolf.” Stopped by the doctor at the end of the 9th, a round that saw him take more heavy punishment, 35-year-old Liakhovich was well beaten. He is now 25-5(16) and looks to be done.
Jennings, who calls himself a typical Philadelphia fighter, has only been a pro since February of 2010 and he is making good, fast progress. Jennings, now 13-0(6) may be no giant of a heavyweight at 6’2” and approx 220, but promoter Kathy Duva told ESPN.com that “we had another guy built like him (Jennings) who did quite well: Evander Holyfield.”
Of course, it’s way, way, way too early to be able to compare Jennings with “The Real Deal,” but the talented, exciting warrior is certainly one to keep an eye on.
“I am the best American heavyweight,” Jennings boldly told ESPN.com.
A fight between Jennings and Seth Mitchell (to many people the fighter deserving of that distinction) would be most welcome!
Roach: Pacquiao is pound-for-pound #1 in the World!
March 24th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach believes that his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) is the best fighter in all of boxing, even better than what most fans arguably agree is the best fighter in the sport Floyd Mayweather Jr. It’s easy for Roach to say that fight now because Pacquiao still hasn’t fought Mayweather and I guess Roach can continue push that line until the fight takes place and fans see once and for all that Mayweather is clearly the better fight.
Roach told examiner.com “We [translation: Pacquiao] are pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world. We are taking on all challenges. We can’t turn people down. That’s not what we are all about. We will fight anyone anywhere. Manny Pacquiao will prove he’s the pound for pound king.”
I love how Roach always says “We” when he’s talking about who Pacquiao is going to be fighting. He’s not the one that’s getting hit, so I have a hard time stomaching the whole “We” bit. He’s not the one that’s going to be getting wiped out when and if Pacquiao ever gets around to fighting Sergio Martinez and Mayweather. But they are turning guys down. There’s no interest from Pacquiao’s side in fighting Martinez, and they haven’t been accepting Mayweather’s generous fight offers to get it on. So they’re not fighting everyone. Who they are fighting is mainly for the most part Top Rank guys. Three out of the last five opponents Pacquiao has fought were Top Rank fighters in the same stable as him. And now in his next fight on June 9th, Pacquiao is taking on Timothy Bradley, a new Top Rank signee. That will make four out of his last six fights Pacquiao will have fought Top Rankf fighters.
I’d like nothing more than to see Pacquiao break the mold and step out and fight Mayweather and Sergio Martinez but I don’t see it happening.
March 24th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Trainer Freddie Roach believes that his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) is the best fighter in all of boxing, even better than what most fans arguably agree is the best fighter in the sport Floyd Mayweather Jr. It’s easy for Roach to say that fight now because Pacquiao still hasn’t fought Mayweather and I guess Roach can continue push that line until the fight takes place and fans see once and for all that Mayweather is clearly the better fight.
Roach told examiner.com “We [translation: Pacquiao] are pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world. We are taking on all challenges. We can’t turn people down. That’s not what we are all about. We will fight anyone anywhere. Manny Pacquiao will prove he’s the pound for pound king.”
I love how Roach always says “We” when he’s talking about who Pacquiao is going to be fighting. He’s not the one that’s getting hit, so I have a hard time stomaching the whole “We” bit. He’s not the one that’s going to be getting wiped out when and if Pacquiao ever gets around to fighting Sergio Martinez and Mayweather. But they are turning guys down. There’s no interest from Pacquiao’s side in fighting Martinez, and they haven’t been accepting Mayweather’s generous fight offers to get it on. So they’re not fighting everyone. Who they are fighting is mainly for the most part Top Rank guys. Three out of the last five opponents Pacquiao has fought were Top Rank fighters in the same stable as him. And now in his next fight on June 9th, Pacquiao is taking on Timothy Bradley, a new Top Rank signee. That will make four out of his last six fights Pacquiao will have fought Top Rankf fighters.
I’d like nothing more than to see Pacquiao break the mold and step out and fight Mayweather and Sergio Martinez but I don’t see it happening.
150 pound Pacquiao worried about being underweight
March 24th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Despite being a reported 150 pounds as he’s about to start training camp for his June 9th fight against the smaller Timothy Bradley, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao feels he’s underweight, according to the Manila Bulletin. Pacquiao supposedly has to eat a ton to keep his weight above 140, and he says he can still make lightweight. Isn’t he already three pounds over the limit? What’s the problem?
That’s kind of interesting because if he can still make lightweight, why didn’t Pacquiao agree to give lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez a midway point catchweight between 135 and 147?
Pacquiao told the Manila Bulletin “Right now, I am about 150 lbs…I can still make 135lbs.”
Well, let’s look at it this way. Pacquiao is about to start a lengthy training camp to get ready for Bradley, who fights at light welterweight and is smaller than him in size. Does Pacquiao need to have a big weight advantage over Bradley to beat him? Bradley is likely going to be coming into the fight with Pacquiao weighing a low 140lbs. If Pacquiao comes into the fight at roughly the same weight, isn’t that enough? If he’s better than Bradley then he should be able to beat him regardless if he doesn’t have a size advantage over him.
If Pacquiuao wants to gain weight he might want to consider losing his strength and conditioning trainer Alex Ariza. Not having him around exercise Pacquiao like mad to get him in shape he can probably keep his weight reasonably high while saving a little money at the same time. Since Pacquiao is already having leg problems anyway even with Ariza as his strength and conditioning coach, then Pacquiao should just dump him so he doesn’t have anything to complain about anymore. If Pacquiao loses Ariza, he can probably hod onto another 10 pounds of weight that he wouldn’t be able to retain with Ariza exercising him like crazy.
March 24th, 2012
By Chris Williams: Despite being a reported 150 pounds as he’s about to start training camp for his June 9th fight against the smaller Timothy Bradley, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao feels he’s underweight, according to the Manila Bulletin. Pacquiao supposedly has to eat a ton to keep his weight above 140, and he says he can still make lightweight. Isn’t he already three pounds over the limit? What’s the problem?
That’s kind of interesting because if he can still make lightweight, why didn’t Pacquiao agree to give lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez a midway point catchweight between 135 and 147?
Pacquiao told the Manila Bulletin “Right now, I am about 150 lbs…I can still make 135lbs.”
Well, let’s look at it this way. Pacquiao is about to start a lengthy training camp to get ready for Bradley, who fights at light welterweight and is smaller than him in size. Does Pacquiao need to have a big weight advantage over Bradley to beat him? Bradley is likely going to be coming into the fight with Pacquiao weighing a low 140lbs. If Pacquiao comes into the fight at roughly the same weight, isn’t that enough? If he’s better than Bradley then he should be able to beat him regardless if he doesn’t have a size advantage over him.
If Pacquiuao wants to gain weight he might want to consider losing his strength and conditioning trainer Alex Ariza. Not having him around exercise Pacquiao like mad to get him in shape he can probably keep his weight reasonably high while saving a little money at the same time. Since Pacquiao is already having leg problems anyway even with Ariza as his strength and conditioning coach, then Pacquiao should just dump him so he doesn’t have anything to complain about anymore. If Pacquiao loses Ariza, he can probably hod onto another 10 pounds of weight that he wouldn’t be able to retain with Ariza exercising him like crazy.
Khan: The last five guys I beat would beat Kell Brook
March 24th, 2012
By Sean McDaniel: If unbeaten welterweight contender Kell Brook (27-0, 18 KO’s) is looking for a big name like former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO’s) to fight next or anytime soon, then Brook needs to forget all about it because Khan came out recently said he has absolutely no interest in fighting Brook because he’s unproven and it wouldn’t be a fight.
This is probably not what Brook wanted to here, because he and his promoter Eddie Hearn were both calling out Khan after Brook’s lopsided 12 round unanimous decision win over Matthew Hatton last Saturday night.
Khan told esnewsreporting.com “I don’t know who Kell Brook is; he’s no threat to me. People just use my name to get a bit of publicity for themselves. He’s not a fight and he’s not someone I’m looking at fighting because he needs to prove himself if he wants to fight me. I mean, my last five opponents I beat, would beat Kell Brook. There’s no point in fighting him. If I wanted an easy payday maybe then.”
Khan’s promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions then interrupted the interview of Khan, saying “He’s [Brook] a local fighter. He’s on the local stage. Amir’s on the world stage.”
That’s got to hurt Brook and Hearn to hear that I bet. However, you can’t blame Khan and Schaefer for dismissing Brook as an opponent because Khan is the exact same age as Brook but has been facing world class opposition since 2009 when Khan beat WBA World light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik by a 12 round decision to capture his title. In contrast, the 25-year-old Brook is still messing around fighting fringe welterweight contenders like Matthew Hatton an Rafal Jackiewicz. Those are the best fighters on Brook’s eight-year pro resume and it pales in comparison to Khan. For some reason, Brook has been brought along a lot slower than Khan and is STILL being brought along slowly as if there’s a fear he’ll get beaten if he faces a quality top five opponent.
You can see that there’s some worry there in looking at the guys that Hearn wants to match Brook up against next – Marcos Maidana [ a light welterweight coming off of a one-sided loss to Devon Alexander], Shane Mosley [a 40-year-old fighter who hasn't won a fight in three years], and Paulie Malignaggi [a former IBF light welterweight champion, who moved up in weight after suffering knockout losses to Ricky Hatton and Khan. At welterweight, Malignaggi has faced weak opposition]. It just seems that by the hand holding being done by Brook’s promoter, he must not feel Brook is ready to take on the best fighters at welterweight like Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Mike Jones, Devon Alexander and Thomas Dulorme.
Khan says his last five guys he beat would defeat Brook. I’m not sure if that’s accurate or not.
Here are Khan’s last five guys he beat:
Zab Judah – Brook would have problems with Judah’s superior hand speed and power.
Paul McCloskey – Brook wins this fight.
Marcos Maidana – this would be a toss up. If Brook fades like he did against Hatton, he’d lose.
Paulie Malignaggi – Brook wins this fight
Dmitriy Salita – Brooks beats Salita no problem.
March 24th, 2012
By Sean McDaniel: If unbeaten welterweight contender Kell Brook (27-0, 18 KO’s) is looking for a big name like former IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO’s) to fight next or anytime soon, then Brook needs to forget all about it because Khan came out recently said he has absolutely no interest in fighting Brook because he’s unproven and it wouldn’t be a fight.
This is probably not what Brook wanted to here, because he and his promoter Eddie Hearn were both calling out Khan after Brook’s lopsided 12 round unanimous decision win over Matthew Hatton last Saturday night.
Khan told esnewsreporting.com “I don’t know who Kell Brook is; he’s no threat to me. People just use my name to get a bit of publicity for themselves. He’s not a fight and he’s not someone I’m looking at fighting because he needs to prove himself if he wants to fight me. I mean, my last five opponents I beat, would beat Kell Brook. There’s no point in fighting him. If I wanted an easy payday maybe then.”
Khan’s promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions then interrupted the interview of Khan, saying “He’s [Brook] a local fighter. He’s on the local stage. Amir’s on the world stage.”
That’s got to hurt Brook and Hearn to hear that I bet. However, you can’t blame Khan and Schaefer for dismissing Brook as an opponent because Khan is the exact same age as Brook but has been facing world class opposition since 2009 when Khan beat WBA World light welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik by a 12 round decision to capture his title. In contrast, the 25-year-old Brook is still messing around fighting fringe welterweight contenders like Matthew Hatton an Rafal Jackiewicz. Those are the best fighters on Brook’s eight-year pro resume and it pales in comparison to Khan. For some reason, Brook has been brought along a lot slower than Khan and is STILL being brought along slowly as if there’s a fear he’ll get beaten if he faces a quality top five opponent.
You can see that there’s some worry there in looking at the guys that Hearn wants to match Brook up against next – Marcos Maidana [ a light welterweight coming off of a one-sided loss to Devon Alexander], Shane Mosley [a 40-year-old fighter who hasn't won a fight in three years], and Paulie Malignaggi [a former IBF light welterweight champion, who moved up in weight after suffering knockout losses to Ricky Hatton and Khan. At welterweight, Malignaggi has faced weak opposition]. It just seems that by the hand holding being done by Brook’s promoter, he must not feel Brook is ready to take on the best fighters at welterweight like Victor Ortiz, Andre Berto, Mike Jones, Devon Alexander and Thomas Dulorme.
Khan says his last five guys he beat would defeat Brook. I’m not sure if that’s accurate or not.
Here are Khan’s last five guys he beat:
Zab Judah – Brook would have problems with Judah’s superior hand speed and power.
Paul McCloskey – Brook wins this fight.
Marcos Maidana – this would be a toss up. If Brook fades like he did against Hatton, he’d lose.
Paulie Malignaggi – Brook wins this fight
Dmitriy Salita – Brooks beats Salita no problem.
Kirkland may face Bundrage next for IBF title rather than take Molina rematch
March 25th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: Junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO’s) got lucky last night in his fight against Carlos Molina (19-5-2, 6 KO’s) when referee Jon Schorle decided to play it strict and completely by the book in halting the fight and disqualifying Molina after one of his corner persons stepped into the ring while Schrole was administering a long 10 count after Molina had gotten from a push knockdown.
The time had already run out in the round, but the team member may have been not aware of the rule that the referee can still count after the round has ended. But instead of merely giving a warning, the referee decided to play it strict and disqualify Molina and thus the entire was ruined. Molina was ahead at the time of the stoppage and had he been able to get himself together in the 11th and 12th, he surely would have won the fight.
After the fight Kirkland expressed interest in facing Molina again to try and beat him without controversy. Molina said he’s interested in taking the fight. However, there’s talk that Kirkland will be instead directed to a title shot against IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius Bundrage (31-4, 18 KO’s) next rather than tempting fate by facing Molina again and getting dominated once again the way Kirkland was getting handled for the first nine rounds of the fight.
Molina seemed to have Kirklnad’s number until tiring in the 10th and getting pushed to the canvas. The referee thought it was a legit knockdown but you can clearly see Molina getting pushed down by Kirkland. That’s really unfortunate because the chain of events led to Molina losing the fight. Had the referee ruled it a push down then there wouldn’t have been a needless count and Molina would have been able to fight for the remaining two rounds to try and hold onto his lead. Instead of that, Molina gets another loss on his record and it’s doubtful that Kirkland will now give him a rematch.
March 25th, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: Junior middleweight contender James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO’s) got lucky last night in his fight against Carlos Molina (19-5-2, 6 KO’s) when referee Jon Schorle decided to play it strict and completely by the book in halting the fight and disqualifying Molina after one of his corner persons stepped into the ring while Schrole was administering a long 10 count after Molina had gotten from a push knockdown.
The time had already run out in the round, but the team member may have been not aware of the rule that the referee can still count after the round has ended. But instead of merely giving a warning, the referee decided to play it strict and disqualify Molina and thus the entire was ruined. Molina was ahead at the time of the stoppage and had he been able to get himself together in the 11th and 12th, he surely would have won the fight.
After the fight Kirkland expressed interest in facing Molina again to try and beat him without controversy. Molina said he’s interested in taking the fight. However, there’s talk that Kirkland will be instead directed to a title shot against IBF junior middleweight champion Cornelius Bundrage (31-4, 18 KO’s) next rather than tempting fate by facing Molina again and getting dominated once again the way Kirkland was getting handled for the first nine rounds of the fight.
Molina seemed to have Kirklnad’s number until tiring in the 10th and getting pushed to the canvas. The referee thought it was a legit knockdown but you can clearly see Molina getting pushed down by Kirkland. That’s really unfortunate because the chain of events led to Molina losing the fight. Had the referee ruled it a push down then there wouldn’t have been a needless count and Molina would have been able to fight for the remaining two rounds to try and hold onto his lead. Instead of that, Molina gets another loss on his record and it’s doubtful that Kirkland will now give him a rematch.
