Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
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you'd prefer vanes over kirkland?? that guy is a chump and deserves nothing, he turns down every big fight he gets offered. fuck that guy.
lara I agree with but I don't think that's a fight Canelo wants nor is it a fight for the fans as it would be a technical match probably not very exciting. lara would likely beat him too, far more risky.
lara I agree with but I don't think that's a fight Canelo wants nor is it a fight for the fans as it would be a technical match probably not very exciting. lara would likely beat him too, far more risky.
I agree with that, but Canelo on a PPV in Sept was the plan before any names were even mentioned. I'm sure they, Golden Boy, wants to see just how big his star power is. If he does some really solid numbers, 500,000-700,000 buys, he'll fight Floyd next. If the numbers aren't all that good, they'll wait.
Seth Mitchell injures hand, fight with Banks is off
May 31st, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: If you were hoping to see the Seth Mitchell vs. Johnathon Banks fight on July 14th, you may not like the news that broke today about the 30-year-old Mitchell injuring his right hand during training for the fight.
The injury is bad enough for his fight against Banks to be canceled, and it’s going to take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks before Mitchell’s hand is healed.
The Mitchell vs. Banks fight was supposed to have been the co-feature bout on the Amir Khan vs. Danny Garcia fight card on July 14th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Without the Mitchell-Banks fight on the card to make the undercard slightly interesting to watch, the card looks pretty basic now. With the Mitchell fight off the card, there’s only Jamie Kavanagh vs. TBA scheduled on the undercard. Thankfully the card isn’t a pay-per-view card because they’d be in serious trouble if that’s all they had to go along with the Khan-Garcia fight.
According to ESPN, Mitchell sprained/strained his right wrist and would need to have his hand put in a splint so that it could heal. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is looking to see if he can find a replacement fight. It could be tough because HBO will have to agree to whatever they dig up. Thankfully this is only an undercard fight, so HBO will likely not be as tough on saying yes.
May 31st, 2012
By Dan Ambrose: If you were hoping to see the Seth Mitchell vs. Johnathon Banks fight on July 14th, you may not like the news that broke today about the 30-year-old Mitchell injuring his right hand during training for the fight.
The injury is bad enough for his fight against Banks to be canceled, and it’s going to take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks before Mitchell’s hand is healed.
The Mitchell vs. Banks fight was supposed to have been the co-feature bout on the Amir Khan vs. Danny Garcia fight card on July 14th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Without the Mitchell-Banks fight on the card to make the undercard slightly interesting to watch, the card looks pretty basic now. With the Mitchell fight off the card, there’s only Jamie Kavanagh vs. TBA scheduled on the undercard. Thankfully the card isn’t a pay-per-view card because they’d be in serious trouble if that’s all they had to go along with the Khan-Garcia fight.
According to ESPN, Mitchell sprained/strained his right wrist and would need to have his hand put in a splint so that it could heal. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is looking to see if he can find a replacement fight. It could be tough because HBO will have to agree to whatever they dig up. Thankfully this is only an undercard fight, so HBO will likely not be as tough on saying yes.
that's all vanes does though is talk shit on twitter, says he'll fight anybody then proceeds to fight nobody. he turned down Sergio Martinez, saying $900,000+ wasn't enough money. Turns down Angulo, who Kirkland fights instead, turns down Lara and I believe Molina as well. I've never seen a guy talk so much shit and do so little.
And I don't really think Vanes is a step up at all for Canelo. Vanes was getting his but kicked by old ass Ouma for a while there in his biggest fight and even dropped, and old ass Ouma is the best opponent he's ever fought which says a lot. Nothing but bums on his resume.
Kirkland, while sure lost to Ishida fresh out of prison, but at least he's fought good opponents. Beat the #1 contender to Canelo in Angulo, beat down Joel Julio, Brian Vera and at the very least he fought Molina (sure he didn't look good against Molina's smothering tactics, but he came on strong at the end, knocked him down and maybe would have stopped him if not for the whacky referee and like I said no one looks good against Molina, including Lara who arguably lost that fight).
And I don't really think Vanes is a step up at all for Canelo. Vanes was getting his but kicked by old ass Ouma for a while there in his biggest fight and even dropped, and old ass Ouma is the best opponent he's ever fought which says a lot. Nothing but bums on his resume.
Kirkland, while sure lost to Ishida fresh out of prison, but at least he's fought good opponents. Beat the #1 contender to Canelo in Angulo, beat down Joel Julio, Brian Vera and at the very least he fought Molina (sure he didn't look good against Molina's smothering tactics, but he came on strong at the end, knocked him down and maybe would have stopped him if not for the whacky referee and like I said no one looks good against Molina, including Lara who arguably lost that fight).
Interview With Trainer Al Bonanni - “Tavoris Cloud Will Go For The KO As He Always Does!”
By James Slater: Ahead of his fighter, unbeaten IBF 175-pound king Tavoris Cloud’s big fight with Jean Pascal, trainer Al Bonanni kindly took the time to speak with ESB about the August 11th showdown set for Canada.
J.S: This massive fight with Pascal, is this one of the fights you’ve chased after for such a long time?
Al Bonanni: I wouldn’t say ‘chased,’ but yes, this fight was one of three or four that we’ve wanted for Tavoris. This fight was probably the easiest to make and Don King has done a good job.
J.S: Of the three or four names you wanted for Tavoris, who else was in there?
A.B: Well, we’d like a unification with WBO champ Nathan Cleverly, and also the WBA champ, Shumenov. We’d also still like to fight Hopkins, but he’s not interested. And Chad Dawson, I have no good feeling towards him. He signed to fight us after making us wait for 18 months and then pulled out. He doesn’t have the stomach to fight Cloud. But any of these fights would be good, but we have the Pascal fight; which was the easiest to make.
J.S: You’re happy about your fighter going to Pascal’s backyard, in Canada?
A.B: Well, we were promised neutral officials so if the fight goes the distance they should treat us fairly. But in every Tavoris Cloud fight he goes for the knockout. But if it does go to the cards, we have to hope they’re fair. The reason we went to Canada was because of Cloud’s promoter: he has great sponsorship deals out there, and he has power and Pascal is so big there - we went where the big money is. But Tavoris has fought away from home so many times already - in Corpus Christi and in Chicago and in Missouri - he hardly ever gets to fight at home. So this fight is no different really.
J.S: You expect a physical fight, a toe-to-toe battle?
A.B: I hope so. Like I’ve said before: we’re the bigger fighter, we’re the stronger fighter, we’re the faster fighter, we’re the harder-punching fighter. We’re not going to change our style at all. One thing, we won’t be facing as 6’3” southpaw like we did last time with [Gabriel] Campillo - a fight I wouldn’t have picked myself. But Zsolt Erdei pulled out with less than 4 weeks to go. Anyway, Pascal is a boxer/puncher and he likes to come in. He’s quite easy to hit I think - I may be wrong but I don’t think so - and Cloud will be able to hit him and hurt him. And another thing; people say Pascal is the better boxer. He’s not the better boxer, Tavoris is.
J.S: What fights of Pascal have you been looking at in preparation? What do you like about him?
A.B: So far, I’ve really only watched his fights against southpaws. We have a reel of his fights against right-handers, which I’ll study closer to the fight. Sometimes I don’t like watching too may previous fights heading into a camp, because the other guy can change his style and approach. But what I like about Pascal is the fact that he signed the contract to fight us. He made a mistake. He’s a hard puncher and he’s not slow. But we definitely take a better punch. The only advantage Pascal has is he’s fighting at home.
J.S: I don’t know if you know, Al, but Pascal and our guy in the U.K, Carl Froch, have a verbal agreement to fight again one day. Their war in December of 2008 was a classic. But obviously you want to ruin that, by beating Pascal bad!
A.B: I’ve not seen that fight, but I’ll check it out now that you’ve mentioned it. Let me tell you about Carl Froch; he is a great fighter and a great boxer. He really impressed me. I wasn’t shocked by the win over Bute, because I thought it was a bad fight for Bute, and that the money must have been huge for him to have taken the fight. But Froch is a great example, to the U.K and to the world. Maybe he could face Cloud one day. I’m not sure the fight will happen, but it could.
J.S: Froch has said he may move up to light-heavyweight before he retires. Anyway, does Cloud plan on staying at 175 or maybe going up one day?
A.B: Right now, he’ll stay at light-heavyweight. He’s 5’11” and he makes the weight. It gets harder with age and we need more weeks to make it. Maybe he will go up to cruiserweight one day, but right now he’s staying at light-heavyweight.
J.S: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Al. Best wishes for the fight in August.
A.B: Thanks. It’s good that Cloud is getting on T.V again. He‘s been on Showtime before and on HBO and ESPN. But not as many times as the most exciting fighter in the sport should be on a big network. After this fight, the big, big fights will come in.
By James Slater: Ahead of his fighter, unbeaten IBF 175-pound king Tavoris Cloud’s big fight with Jean Pascal, trainer Al Bonanni kindly took the time to speak with ESB about the August 11th showdown set for Canada.
J.S: This massive fight with Pascal, is this one of the fights you’ve chased after for such a long time?
Al Bonanni: I wouldn’t say ‘chased,’ but yes, this fight was one of three or four that we’ve wanted for Tavoris. This fight was probably the easiest to make and Don King has done a good job.
J.S: Of the three or four names you wanted for Tavoris, who else was in there?
A.B: Well, we’d like a unification with WBO champ Nathan Cleverly, and also the WBA champ, Shumenov. We’d also still like to fight Hopkins, but he’s not interested. And Chad Dawson, I have no good feeling towards him. He signed to fight us after making us wait for 18 months and then pulled out. He doesn’t have the stomach to fight Cloud. But any of these fights would be good, but we have the Pascal fight; which was the easiest to make.
J.S: You’re happy about your fighter going to Pascal’s backyard, in Canada?
A.B: Well, we were promised neutral officials so if the fight goes the distance they should treat us fairly. But in every Tavoris Cloud fight he goes for the knockout. But if it does go to the cards, we have to hope they’re fair. The reason we went to Canada was because of Cloud’s promoter: he has great sponsorship deals out there, and he has power and Pascal is so big there - we went where the big money is. But Tavoris has fought away from home so many times already - in Corpus Christi and in Chicago and in Missouri - he hardly ever gets to fight at home. So this fight is no different really.
J.S: You expect a physical fight, a toe-to-toe battle?
A.B: I hope so. Like I’ve said before: we’re the bigger fighter, we’re the stronger fighter, we’re the faster fighter, we’re the harder-punching fighter. We’re not going to change our style at all. One thing, we won’t be facing as 6’3” southpaw like we did last time with [Gabriel] Campillo - a fight I wouldn’t have picked myself. But Zsolt Erdei pulled out with less than 4 weeks to go. Anyway, Pascal is a boxer/puncher and he likes to come in. He’s quite easy to hit I think - I may be wrong but I don’t think so - and Cloud will be able to hit him and hurt him. And another thing; people say Pascal is the better boxer. He’s not the better boxer, Tavoris is.
J.S: What fights of Pascal have you been looking at in preparation? What do you like about him?
A.B: So far, I’ve really only watched his fights against southpaws. We have a reel of his fights against right-handers, which I’ll study closer to the fight. Sometimes I don’t like watching too may previous fights heading into a camp, because the other guy can change his style and approach. But what I like about Pascal is the fact that he signed the contract to fight us. He made a mistake. He’s a hard puncher and he’s not slow. But we definitely take a better punch. The only advantage Pascal has is he’s fighting at home.
J.S: I don’t know if you know, Al, but Pascal and our guy in the U.K, Carl Froch, have a verbal agreement to fight again one day. Their war in December of 2008 was a classic. But obviously you want to ruin that, by beating Pascal bad!
A.B: I’ve not seen that fight, but I’ll check it out now that you’ve mentioned it. Let me tell you about Carl Froch; he is a great fighter and a great boxer. He really impressed me. I wasn’t shocked by the win over Bute, because I thought it was a bad fight for Bute, and that the money must have been huge for him to have taken the fight. But Froch is a great example, to the U.K and to the world. Maybe he could face Cloud one day. I’m not sure the fight will happen, but it could.
J.S: Froch has said he may move up to light-heavyweight before he retires. Anyway, does Cloud plan on staying at 175 or maybe going up one day?
A.B: Right now, he’ll stay at light-heavyweight. He’s 5’11” and he makes the weight. It gets harder with age and we need more weeks to make it. Maybe he will go up to cruiserweight one day, but right now he’s staying at light-heavyweight.
J.S: Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, Al. Best wishes for the fight in August.
A.B: Thanks. It’s good that Cloud is getting on T.V again. He‘s been on Showtime before and on HBO and ESPN. But not as many times as the most exciting fighter in the sport should be on a big network. After this fight, the big, big fights will come in.
damn this is the shit I don't like I hope they get Molina, lara or martinez for this fight
Kirkland reinjures shoulder, unable to fight Saul Alvarez on 9/15
By Rob Smith: As I expected, James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO’s) will be unable to fight WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KO’s) in their previously scheduled September 15th fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, because Kirkland reportedly reinjured his bad shoulder while training today.
Kirkland, 28, had shoulder surgery last March after suffering two tears in the shoulder during his controversial 10 round disqualification win over Carlos Molina. Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Kirkland, needed him to take the place of Paul Williams after he tragically was injured last Sunday in a terrible motorcycle accident in Georgia.
Golden Boy Promotions then turned to Kirkland to see if he could take the place of Williams to face Alvarez. It was something that you just knew was going to end badly, because Kirkland obviously needed more time for his shoulder to heal up after the surgery that was performed on it last March.
Los Angeles Times writer Steve Carp said on his twitter page “James Kirkland injured his shoulder while training this a.m. and has pulled out of his September 15 fight vs. Canelo Alvarez at the MGM in Vegas. Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin confirmed the news. ‘He’s probably sick about it.’ Kirkland was scheduled to make around $3 million.”
I knew it was going to go like this, and I’m surprised Golden Boy even wasted time signing Kirkland for the fight. They only finished signing him yesterday, and it seemed like a move that was begging for trouble.
With Kirkland now out of the fight, Golden Boy might want to ask Carlos Molina to replace him because he basically dominated Kirkland the entire fight except for the 10th round when he suddenly got tired and fell down after stumbling. He would be a safer pick for Alvarez than if Golden Boy were to pick out someone really dangerous like Erislandy Lara to face Alvarez. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen because it won’t. Lara is too good and Alvarez is vulnerable as we saw in his win over 40-year-old Shane Mosley last May.
Article posted on 02.06.2012
Kirkland reinjures shoulder, unable to fight Saul Alvarez on 9/15
By Rob Smith: As I expected, James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO’s) will be unable to fight WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KO’s) in their previously scheduled September 15th fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, because Kirkland reportedly reinjured his bad shoulder while training today.
Kirkland, 28, had shoulder surgery last March after suffering two tears in the shoulder during his controversial 10 round disqualification win over Carlos Molina. Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Kirkland, needed him to take the place of Paul Williams after he tragically was injured last Sunday in a terrible motorcycle accident in Georgia.
Golden Boy Promotions then turned to Kirkland to see if he could take the place of Williams to face Alvarez. It was something that you just knew was going to end badly, because Kirkland obviously needed more time for his shoulder to heal up after the surgery that was performed on it last March.
Los Angeles Times writer Steve Carp said on his twitter page “James Kirkland injured his shoulder while training this a.m. and has pulled out of his September 15 fight vs. Canelo Alvarez at the MGM in Vegas. Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin confirmed the news. ‘He’s probably sick about it.’ Kirkland was scheduled to make around $3 million.”
I knew it was going to go like this, and I’m surprised Golden Boy even wasted time signing Kirkland for the fight. They only finished signing him yesterday, and it seemed like a move that was begging for trouble.
With Kirkland now out of the fight, Golden Boy might want to ask Carlos Molina to replace him because he basically dominated Kirkland the entire fight except for the 10th round when he suddenly got tired and fell down after stumbling. He would be a safer pick for Alvarez than if Golden Boy were to pick out someone really dangerous like Erislandy Lara to face Alvarez. Don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen because it won’t. Lara is too good and Alvarez is vulnerable as we saw in his win over 40-year-old Shane Mosley last May.
Article posted on 02.06.2012
Saul Alvarez comments on Paul Williams accident
LOS ANGELES, June 1 - After hearing the terrible news about former World Champion Paul Williams being paralyzed in a motorcycle accident this past weekend, World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez, who was scheduled to fight Williams in September, commented on the tragic situation.
"I am very upset about what happened to Paul," said Alvarez. "I know that an accident can happen to anyone and right now the most important thing is for everyone to pray for his recovery.Paul Williams is a warrior who gives everything in the ring, but right now he is fighting the biggest fight of his life outside the ring. I extend my best wishes to him in his recovery and to his family as well.
"Paul will always be a champion and I am going to dedicate my September 15 fight to him and his family. God willing and health permitting, I want to invite him and his family to be ringside on September 15 in Las Vegas
LOS ANGELES, June 1 - After hearing the terrible news about former World Champion Paul Williams being paralyzed in a motorcycle accident this past weekend, World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez, who was scheduled to fight Williams in September, commented on the tragic situation.
"I am very upset about what happened to Paul," said Alvarez. "I know that an accident can happen to anyone and right now the most important thing is for everyone to pray for his recovery.Paul Williams is a warrior who gives everything in the ring, but right now he is fighting the biggest fight of his life outside the ring. I extend my best wishes to him in his recovery and to his family as well.
"Paul will always be a champion and I am going to dedicate my September 15 fight to him and his family. God willing and health permitting, I want to invite him and his family to be ringside on September 15 in Las Vegas
Boxing: The Beauty and Beast in the Sport
June 1st, 2012
By Reni M. Valenzuela: The Sweet Science is a sport. Everything else that goes with it comes secondary.
Take away boxing from those who have self-interest and mammon as their only agenda and you restore it back to the place where the sport rightfully belongs.
The place is the people and not the few “key persons” who have the bent to play gods and kings in order to “amass” or build and protect their empires. Boxing was originally invented as a sport and the people is the primary reason why it was so. The people care about who wins and loses in a game of true competition for pleasure and edification, while kings and gods care only about their own interests at any cost. Thus innocent fans and people find themselves usually to be at the receiving end, shortchanged.
More likely than not, this is why soccer, football, tennis, golf, baseball and basketball continue to thrive as sports in certain parts of the world where the games are immensely popular, alive and kicking. And this could be the same reason why boxing and other “games” of competition have probably lost their genuine punches and have ceased to become sports, perhaps.
Greatness is in every sport. A game to be considered a sport ought to bring out the finest in human spirits, not the worst. If not, call it other names.
Ponder why Olympics elicit so much worldwide interests to entertain, uplift, bond and unite people of different colors, races and nationalities, and you will discover whatever beauty is left in every man’s heart despite sin. You ask what sports and winning truly mean, Olympic has the answer. The Corporate world has programs to engage its employees in various sports activities and they aptly call it “team building.”
But why Olympics have to happen just once every four years when there are beasts in all of us to battle and conquer all the time? Are we not supposed to be into sport of life bearing the Olympic torch each day of the year, marching on?
June 1st, 2012
By Reni M. Valenzuela: The Sweet Science is a sport. Everything else that goes with it comes secondary.
Take away boxing from those who have self-interest and mammon as their only agenda and you restore it back to the place where the sport rightfully belongs.
The place is the people and not the few “key persons” who have the bent to play gods and kings in order to “amass” or build and protect their empires. Boxing was originally invented as a sport and the people is the primary reason why it was so. The people care about who wins and loses in a game of true competition for pleasure and edification, while kings and gods care only about their own interests at any cost. Thus innocent fans and people find themselves usually to be at the receiving end, shortchanged.
More likely than not, this is why soccer, football, tennis, golf, baseball and basketball continue to thrive as sports in certain parts of the world where the games are immensely popular, alive and kicking. And this could be the same reason why boxing and other “games” of competition have probably lost their genuine punches and have ceased to become sports, perhaps.
Greatness is in every sport. A game to be considered a sport ought to bring out the finest in human spirits, not the worst. If not, call it other names.
Ponder why Olympics elicit so much worldwide interests to entertain, uplift, bond and unite people of different colors, races and nationalities, and you will discover whatever beauty is left in every man’s heart despite sin. You ask what sports and winning truly mean, Olympic has the answer. The Corporate world has programs to engage its employees in various sports activities and they aptly call it “team building.”
But why Olympics have to happen just once every four years when there are beasts in all of us to battle and conquer all the time? Are we not supposed to be into sport of life bearing the Olympic torch each day of the year, marching on?
sucks about kirkland but if he's not healthy enough he's being smart. he also said he'd still fight, not 100% healthy for more money, so everyone has their price but extremely unlikely they'll give him that kind of money.
the reality is the opponent will be Austin Trout, assuming he wins tomorrow. which is a decent fight but a big letdown from Williams then Kirkland. better STACK the undercard.
the reality is the opponent will be Austin Trout, assuming he wins tomorrow. which is a decent fight but a big letdown from Williams then Kirkland. better STACK the undercard.
technically kirkland deserves a fight with Canelo since he won two title eliminators for canelos belt, but I agree an injury is an injury and shoulder injuries in boxing can ruin a fighter, like Jeff Lacy.
the trout fight is good but not something I'd pay for whereas I was planning on buying Williams and kirkland.
the trout fight is good but not something I'd pay for whereas I was planning on buying Williams and kirkland.
Disappointment: Kirkland Not Injured, Wants More Money
By Rick Reeno
Never say never in the world of boxing and strange things happen on a weekly basis. But once you think that you've seen everything in this business, something happens that makes you shake your head in disbelief.
Earlier today, BoxingScene.com was advised that James Kirkland was still feeling pain in his right shoulder and he wouldn't be able to move forward with a scheduled fight with WBC junior middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on September 15th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Kirkland's withdrawal came less than 24 hours after a deal was finalized.
The sequence of events are strange. Kirkland advised his management, Cameron Dunkin and Michael Miller, that he worked out in the gym on Thursday night and immediately noticed issues with his right shoulder.
"He called me this morning and told me that he worked out last night and his shoulder felt funny, he felt a twitch. He is afraid that he won't be able to train properly [because he will be worried about injuring the shoulder]. He is sick about it [not being able to fight]," Dunkin told BoxingScene.com.
Following his March disqualification win over Carlos Molina, Kirkland underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair two tears in his right shoulder. It was initially believed that Kirkland would not be able to fight until the month of October. However, Kirkland received his final medical clearance on Wednesday by his treating physician.
Like Dunkin and Miller, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer believed Kirkland was still being plagued with an injured right shoulder.
However, when Schaefer arrived to the weigh-in for Showtime's Quadrupleheader at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, he was shockingly advised that Kirkland is not injured and the boxer is demanding more than double the money to face Alvarez.
Reportedly, Kirkland was going to make a career high amount of nearly $1 million dollars. Kirkland, influenced by a "new adviser" - is now demanding $2.5 million to move forward.
"What happened is, I was told earlier this afternoon that in fact Kirkland was not hurt, he was not injured, he's fine. He made that up, because supposedly he has some new adviser or somebody who's advising him and this guy is supposedly telling him that he should get two and a half million dollars. Obviously its someone who doesn't know what the hell they are talking about because his two mangers, Michael Miller and Cameron Dunkin, they know the realities of the sport and the kind monies that are available. Everything was okay, but someone must have gotten into his ear [and they are making him think] that he can get two and half million dollars. It's ridiculous," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
Schaefer doesn't blame Kirkland for the unfortunate series of events.
"I don't really think its James. Sometimes these guys get influenced by people around them, and those people have no idea what they are talking about. They want to make themselves look like they are important but in the process they are hurting the fighter," Schaefer said.
Alvarez (40-0-1, 29KOs) vs. Kirkland (31-1, 27KOs) was scheduled to headline a planned pay-per-view event called "Knockout Kings." A four city press tour was being put together.
Schaefer is not worried about finding an opponent for Canelo's next fight. A crowd of boxers are lining up. One possible option, as reported earlier, is WBA "regular" champion Austin Trout, who defends his title on Showtime's Quadrupleheader against Delvin Rodriguez. Canelo will be ringside to watch Trout, who defeated Canelo's older brother Rigoberto Alvarez last year in Mexico.
"It might be where Canelo is going to fight the winner of Trout and Rodriguez and that would be a unification bout. As you have heard or probably know, [IBF champion] K9 Bundradge is going to be with Golden Boy as well, so maybe he can go and fight K9 Bundrage in the fall and they can go for three belts. And then the winner of that fight will have three belts, and he can go fight the WBO champion [Zaurbek Baysangurov] who is promoted by a friend of ours in Germany," Schaefer said.
"We can do that and Canelo is going to start his road, his conquest to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion on September 15th, so that might be the route that we're taking. At the end of the day it's up to Canelo, it's not up to me on who he fights. He might say 'let's go and unify the titles' and if that's what he wants to do then that's what he wants to do."
"The more popular Canelo Alvarez gets, the bigger he gets, the bigger the list gets of guys who want to fight him and that goes with the territory when you are a superstar like Floyd Mayweather, like Manny Pacquiao, like Canelo Alvarez - there are a lot of guys who want to fight you because they know that they can make the biggest payday."
By Rick Reeno
Never say never in the world of boxing and strange things happen on a weekly basis. But once you think that you've seen everything in this business, something happens that makes you shake your head in disbelief.
Earlier today, BoxingScene.com was advised that James Kirkland was still feeling pain in his right shoulder and he wouldn't be able to move forward with a scheduled fight with WBC junior middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on September 15th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Kirkland's withdrawal came less than 24 hours after a deal was finalized.
The sequence of events are strange. Kirkland advised his management, Cameron Dunkin and Michael Miller, that he worked out in the gym on Thursday night and immediately noticed issues with his right shoulder.
"He called me this morning and told me that he worked out last night and his shoulder felt funny, he felt a twitch. He is afraid that he won't be able to train properly [because he will be worried about injuring the shoulder]. He is sick about it [not being able to fight]," Dunkin told BoxingScene.com.
Following his March disqualification win over Carlos Molina, Kirkland underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair two tears in his right shoulder. It was initially believed that Kirkland would not be able to fight until the month of October. However, Kirkland received his final medical clearance on Wednesday by his treating physician.
Like Dunkin and Miller, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer believed Kirkland was still being plagued with an injured right shoulder.
However, when Schaefer arrived to the weigh-in for Showtime's Quadrupleheader at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, he was shockingly advised that Kirkland is not injured and the boxer is demanding more than double the money to face Alvarez.
Reportedly, Kirkland was going to make a career high amount of nearly $1 million dollars. Kirkland, influenced by a "new adviser" - is now demanding $2.5 million to move forward.
"What happened is, I was told earlier this afternoon that in fact Kirkland was not hurt, he was not injured, he's fine. He made that up, because supposedly he has some new adviser or somebody who's advising him and this guy is supposedly telling him that he should get two and a half million dollars. Obviously its someone who doesn't know what the hell they are talking about because his two mangers, Michael Miller and Cameron Dunkin, they know the realities of the sport and the kind monies that are available. Everything was okay, but someone must have gotten into his ear [and they are making him think] that he can get two and half million dollars. It's ridiculous," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
Schaefer doesn't blame Kirkland for the unfortunate series of events.
"I don't really think its James. Sometimes these guys get influenced by people around them, and those people have no idea what they are talking about. They want to make themselves look like they are important but in the process they are hurting the fighter," Schaefer said.
Alvarez (40-0-1, 29KOs) vs. Kirkland (31-1, 27KOs) was scheduled to headline a planned pay-per-view event called "Knockout Kings." A four city press tour was being put together.
Schaefer is not worried about finding an opponent for Canelo's next fight. A crowd of boxers are lining up. One possible option, as reported earlier, is WBA "regular" champion Austin Trout, who defends his title on Showtime's Quadrupleheader against Delvin Rodriguez. Canelo will be ringside to watch Trout, who defeated Canelo's older brother Rigoberto Alvarez last year in Mexico.
"It might be where Canelo is going to fight the winner of Trout and Rodriguez and that would be a unification bout. As you have heard or probably know, [IBF champion] K9 Bundradge is going to be with Golden Boy as well, so maybe he can go and fight K9 Bundrage in the fall and they can go for three belts. And then the winner of that fight will have three belts, and he can go fight the WBO champion [Zaurbek Baysangurov] who is promoted by a friend of ours in Germany," Schaefer said.
"We can do that and Canelo is going to start his road, his conquest to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion on September 15th, so that might be the route that we're taking. At the end of the day it's up to Canelo, it's not up to me on who he fights. He might say 'let's go and unify the titles' and if that's what he wants to do then that's what he wants to do."
"The more popular Canelo Alvarez gets, the bigger he gets, the bigger the list gets of guys who want to fight him and that goes with the territory when you are a superstar like Floyd Mayweather, like Manny Pacquiao, like Canelo Alvarez - there are a lot of guys who want to fight you because they know that they can make the biggest payday."
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao nearly agreed to a 2010 fight, documents show.
LAS VEGAS – Though sports fans remain desperate to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Manny Pacquiao, in 2010 the superstar boxers came closer to fighting than anyone previously realized, according to a document obtained by Yahoo! Sports.
A contract sent on Dec. 11, 2009, by Golden Boy Promotions on behalf of Mayweather to Top Rank on behalf of Pacquiao proposed a 50-50 financial split between the sides for a fight that would have been held March 13, 2010.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is led away in handcuffs to begin his three- month sentence. (Ge …
The eight-page agreement is so detailed that it indicates which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather).
It detailed that the bout would have been on HBO Pay-Per-View at a cost of $59.95. Billing was to be "Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, presented by Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and M-P Promotions in association with [approved sponsors and the site]."
A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout is expected to be the largest-grossing fight in history, in which total revenues could reach $300 million. Experts have predicted the fight would sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S.
Given that Mayweather's May 5 bout against Miguel Cotto was priced at $69.95, it would not be unreasonable for Mayweather-Pacquiao to be priced at $79.95 or more. At $79.95, it would generate a whopping $199.875 million if it reached 2.5 million pay-per-view buys.
Pacquiao's side declined the 2009 contract offer because Pacquiao objected to Mayweather's request for the drug testing. Though Pacquiao has subsequently agreed to Mayweather's demands for random blood and urine testing, the sides have not been able to reach agreement on a deal.
After his May 5 win over Cotto, which sold 1.5 million pay-per-view units and generated $94 million in domestic PPV revenue, Mayweather said he would not agree to a 50-50 split of revenue.
Mayweather entered the Clark County Detention Center on Friday to begin serving the remainder of a 90-day sentence as the result of a plea deal to misdemeanor domestic violence charges. With good behavior, Mayweather is expected to serve two months.
Pacquiao faces unbeaten Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a bout he must win if he is to keep hope alive for a match with Mayweather either later this year or early next year. According to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, they already had a contract in place.
"We have a contract that they sent us and all the terms have been agreed to," Arum said. "All this that's been going on – 'Bob Arum doesn't want it,' and 'I'm entitled to this and that,' is all [expletive]. All [expletive]. This is their lawyer who prepared this, sent copies to everyone. … This isn't something I wrote and passed out. Their lawyer did this and sent it to us."
Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, said he did not recall sending a contract offering a 50-50 split.
"If we had a deal, how come we didn't have a fight?" Schaefer said when asked to comment.
[Related: Will Floyd Mayweather learn anything from jail sentence? | Photos]
Schaefer said he met Arum shortly before Thanksgiving in 2009 to discuss parameters of a deal, but said he didn't remember sending Top Rank a completed contract for signature that included a 50-50 purse split.
However, in a contract obtained by Yahoo! Sports, paragraph 11 under the section entitled Net Profits reads: "Net Profits shall be allocated 50/50 between GBP and TR." The contract goes on to say that net profits would include a split of "all gross revenues."
In sub-paragraph 11 (a), entitled HBO PPV Fight Night Advance, it reads, "Not withstanding the foregoing, the HBO PPV fight night advance shall be paid 50% directly to GBP and 50% directly to TR."
Schaefer said Pacquiao's reluctance to accept the drug testing Mayweather was demanding in 2009 was "a deal killer." Still, Schaefer told Yahoo! Sports he didn't recall offering a 50-50 split, but said that even had he done so, it wouldn't apply now given what has subsequently happened in the fighters' careers.
"It never happened, but for the sake of argument, let's say that the 50-50 split was offered back then," Schaefer said. "A long time has passed. Let's say that I wanted in 2009 to hire you and I offered you $100,000. We didn't sign a contract, but now, I come to you and said, 'Kevin, I know now you are worth $200,000. You are more accomplished and more famous than you were in 2009, but remember that contract I offered you in 2009 where I said I would pay you $100,000? Well, I want you to sign that now.' Like I said, I don't think that ever happened, but if it did, circumstances are vastly different now."
Schaefer said he wanted to hire an accounting firm to do an audit of the fighters' earning power. He said the money split could then go however the audit turned out.
Manny Pacquiao refuses to look past his next opponent, Timothy Bradley. (Reuters)
One of the different circumstances now is that the MGM Resorts, the owner of the MGM Grand (Mayweather's and Golden Boy's preferred venue) commissioned a study to examine the feasibility of an outdoor stadium with a greater capacity.
It released the study, titled "Temporary Stadium Study," on Feb. 7, a week after Mayweather announced during a hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission that he would fight Cotto on May 5.
The study chose a 10-acre lot on the southern end of Las Vegas Blvd. across from the Luxor Hotel & Casino that would have seated 40,000 and which also would have been used for UFC fights, concerts and shows.
In January, before Mayweather announced he'd fight Cotto and talks were still going on for a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Mayweather CEO Leonard Ellerbe scoffed at the plans for a stadium in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.
Ellerbe called the stadium idea "a bunch of baloney" and said "we're talking about a temporary venue out in the middle of a dusty parking lot with bleacher seating."
Ellerbe did not return recent phone calls seeking comment.
[Dan Wetzel: Jail time could help Mayweather-Pacquiao happen ]
Arum said the stadium would have cost $20 million to build and estimated a paid gate for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight at between $50-60 million.
MGM Resorts chairman and CEO Jim Murren and chief marketing officer Bill Hornbuckle were traveling and could not be reached for comment. However, Gordon Absher, the vice president of public affairs at MGM Resorts, said the company believes Las Vegas needs such a facility to host major events.
"The potential of a Pacquiao–Mayweather match-up highlights the need for a large capacity, 40,000-plus-seat stadium in our community," Absher said. "But a once-in-a-lifetime boxing match is by no means the only such event that could be hosted there. MGM Resorts supports the concept of a multi-purpose, 50,000-seat stadium currently being discussed at UNLV."
Yahoo! Sports obtained a rendering of a potential stadium to be constructed near the Las Vegas strip.
Top Rank president Todd duBoef said that even if after construction costs the temporary facility only generated the same paid gate as the roughly 16,000-seat MGM Grand Garden would, it would be worth it to allow more people to attend the event.
If the fight were to happen at the MGM Grand, almost certainly all tickets would be taken by corporate types and ticket brokers before the public had a chance to purchase them. As a result, the vast majority of spectators would be casino customers and VIPs and not general boxing fans.
"I'd like to make that a special week and have it be a celebration of the sport," duBoef said. "And it could be a Festival of Boxing and be like the sport's Super Bowl. It would allow more people the opportunity to be a part of it."
The largest gate in boxing history came on May 5, 2007, when Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden. That fight drew a crowd of 17,078 and generated a paid gate of $18,419,2000.
That is an average of $1,078.53 per ticket. With the same per-ticket price, the gate at a 40,000-seat venue would be $43,141,356. Prices could climb because of a greater number of expensive floor tickets that would be available and the intense desire to see the fight.
Schaefer remains skeptical of the weather and noted that Clark County building codes only allow a temporary structure to remain erect for a year, making it difficult to have a rematch there. He also suggested that if the fight occurred, the promotion could have a fan festival that duBoef suggested by emulating the UFC and holding something in the convention area at sister property Mandalay Bay.
The issue that is more pressing, though, is the money split, because Mayweather has repeatedly said he won't give 50-50 and Pacquiao said he won't fight for less.
HBO Sports president Ken Hershman said earlier this year that he believed the fight had "a short shelf life," and said if the bout wasn't made soon, it would be time to move on. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach agreed, saying interest in the match may be starting to wane.
"My fear is that we may have passed the point of no return," Roach said. "I don't get asked if the fight is going to happen as often as I used to. If they don't make this fight soon, it may no longer be relevant."
So it takes Mayweather to go to jail before the media wants to tell the truth about Top Rank and Manny turning down the fight in 2010. It's also funny how you never hear about the so-called 2nd fake negotiation anymore. The case is closed Top Rank was and is ducking Mayweather..
FYI, Free 'Money' Mayweather
LAS VEGAS – Though sports fans remain desperate to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Manny Pacquiao, in 2010 the superstar boxers came closer to fighting than anyone previously realized, according to a document obtained by Yahoo! Sports.
A contract sent on Dec. 11, 2009, by Golden Boy Promotions on behalf of Mayweather to Top Rank on behalf of Pacquiao proposed a 50-50 financial split between the sides for a fight that would have been held March 13, 2010.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is led away in handcuffs to begin his three- month sentence. (Ge …
The eight-page agreement is so detailed that it indicates which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather).
It detailed that the bout would have been on HBO Pay-Per-View at a cost of $59.95. Billing was to be "Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, presented by Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and M-P Promotions in association with [approved sponsors and the site]."
A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout is expected to be the largest-grossing fight in history, in which total revenues could reach $300 million. Experts have predicted the fight would sell between 2.5 million and 3 million pay-per-views in the U.S.
Given that Mayweather's May 5 bout against Miguel Cotto was priced at $69.95, it would not be unreasonable for Mayweather-Pacquiao to be priced at $79.95 or more. At $79.95, it would generate a whopping $199.875 million if it reached 2.5 million pay-per-view buys.
Pacquiao's side declined the 2009 contract offer because Pacquiao objected to Mayweather's request for the drug testing. Though Pacquiao has subsequently agreed to Mayweather's demands for random blood and urine testing, the sides have not been able to reach agreement on a deal.
After his May 5 win over Cotto, which sold 1.5 million pay-per-view units and generated $94 million in domestic PPV revenue, Mayweather said he would not agree to a 50-50 split of revenue.
Mayweather entered the Clark County Detention Center on Friday to begin serving the remainder of a 90-day sentence as the result of a plea deal to misdemeanor domestic violence charges. With good behavior, Mayweather is expected to serve two months.
Pacquiao faces unbeaten Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a bout he must win if he is to keep hope alive for a match with Mayweather either later this year or early next year. According to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, they already had a contract in place.
"We have a contract that they sent us and all the terms have been agreed to," Arum said. "All this that's been going on – 'Bob Arum doesn't want it,' and 'I'm entitled to this and that,' is all [expletive]. All [expletive]. This is their lawyer who prepared this, sent copies to everyone. … This isn't something I wrote and passed out. Their lawyer did this and sent it to us."
Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, said he did not recall sending a contract offering a 50-50 split.
"If we had a deal, how come we didn't have a fight?" Schaefer said when asked to comment.
[Related: Will Floyd Mayweather learn anything from jail sentence? | Photos]
Schaefer said he met Arum shortly before Thanksgiving in 2009 to discuss parameters of a deal, but said he didn't remember sending Top Rank a completed contract for signature that included a 50-50 purse split.
However, in a contract obtained by Yahoo! Sports, paragraph 11 under the section entitled Net Profits reads: "Net Profits shall be allocated 50/50 between GBP and TR." The contract goes on to say that net profits would include a split of "all gross revenues."
In sub-paragraph 11 (a), entitled HBO PPV Fight Night Advance, it reads, "Not withstanding the foregoing, the HBO PPV fight night advance shall be paid 50% directly to GBP and 50% directly to TR."
Schaefer said Pacquiao's reluctance to accept the drug testing Mayweather was demanding in 2009 was "a deal killer." Still, Schaefer told Yahoo! Sports he didn't recall offering a 50-50 split, but said that even had he done so, it wouldn't apply now given what has subsequently happened in the fighters' careers.
"It never happened, but for the sake of argument, let's say that the 50-50 split was offered back then," Schaefer said. "A long time has passed. Let's say that I wanted in 2009 to hire you and I offered you $100,000. We didn't sign a contract, but now, I come to you and said, 'Kevin, I know now you are worth $200,000. You are more accomplished and more famous than you were in 2009, but remember that contract I offered you in 2009 where I said I would pay you $100,000? Well, I want you to sign that now.' Like I said, I don't think that ever happened, but if it did, circumstances are vastly different now."
Schaefer said he wanted to hire an accounting firm to do an audit of the fighters' earning power. He said the money split could then go however the audit turned out.
Manny Pacquiao refuses to look past his next opponent, Timothy Bradley. (Reuters)
One of the different circumstances now is that the MGM Resorts, the owner of the MGM Grand (Mayweather's and Golden Boy's preferred venue) commissioned a study to examine the feasibility of an outdoor stadium with a greater capacity.
It released the study, titled "Temporary Stadium Study," on Feb. 7, a week after Mayweather announced during a hearing in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission that he would fight Cotto on May 5.
The study chose a 10-acre lot on the southern end of Las Vegas Blvd. across from the Luxor Hotel & Casino that would have seated 40,000 and which also would have been used for UFC fights, concerts and shows.
In January, before Mayweather announced he'd fight Cotto and talks were still going on for a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Mayweather CEO Leonard Ellerbe scoffed at the plans for a stadium in an interview with Yahoo! Sports.
Ellerbe called the stadium idea "a bunch of baloney" and said "we're talking about a temporary venue out in the middle of a dusty parking lot with bleacher seating."
Ellerbe did not return recent phone calls seeking comment.
[Dan Wetzel: Jail time could help Mayweather-Pacquiao happen ]
Arum said the stadium would have cost $20 million to build and estimated a paid gate for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight at between $50-60 million.
MGM Resorts chairman and CEO Jim Murren and chief marketing officer Bill Hornbuckle were traveling and could not be reached for comment. However, Gordon Absher, the vice president of public affairs at MGM Resorts, said the company believes Las Vegas needs such a facility to host major events.
"The potential of a Pacquiao–Mayweather match-up highlights the need for a large capacity, 40,000-plus-seat stadium in our community," Absher said. "But a once-in-a-lifetime boxing match is by no means the only such event that could be hosted there. MGM Resorts supports the concept of a multi-purpose, 50,000-seat stadium currently being discussed at UNLV."
Yahoo! Sports obtained a rendering of a potential stadium to be constructed near the Las Vegas strip.
Top Rank president Todd duBoef said that even if after construction costs the temporary facility only generated the same paid gate as the roughly 16,000-seat MGM Grand Garden would, it would be worth it to allow more people to attend the event.
If the fight were to happen at the MGM Grand, almost certainly all tickets would be taken by corporate types and ticket brokers before the public had a chance to purchase them. As a result, the vast majority of spectators would be casino customers and VIPs and not general boxing fans.
"I'd like to make that a special week and have it be a celebration of the sport," duBoef said. "And it could be a Festival of Boxing and be like the sport's Super Bowl. It would allow more people the opportunity to be a part of it."
The largest gate in boxing history came on May 5, 2007, when Mayweather fought Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden. That fight drew a crowd of 17,078 and generated a paid gate of $18,419,2000.
That is an average of $1,078.53 per ticket. With the same per-ticket price, the gate at a 40,000-seat venue would be $43,141,356. Prices could climb because of a greater number of expensive floor tickets that would be available and the intense desire to see the fight.
Schaefer remains skeptical of the weather and noted that Clark County building codes only allow a temporary structure to remain erect for a year, making it difficult to have a rematch there. He also suggested that if the fight occurred, the promotion could have a fan festival that duBoef suggested by emulating the UFC and holding something in the convention area at sister property Mandalay Bay.
The issue that is more pressing, though, is the money split, because Mayweather has repeatedly said he won't give 50-50 and Pacquiao said he won't fight for less.
HBO Sports president Ken Hershman said earlier this year that he believed the fight had "a short shelf life," and said if the bout wasn't made soon, it would be time to move on. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach agreed, saying interest in the match may be starting to wane.
"My fear is that we may have passed the point of no return," Roach said. "I don't get asked if the fight is going to happen as often as I used to. If they don't make this fight soon, it may no longer be relevant."
So it takes Mayweather to go to jail before the media wants to tell the truth about Top Rank and Manny turning down the fight in 2010. It's also funny how you never hear about the so-called 2nd fake negotiation anymore. The case is closed Top Rank was and is ducking Mayweather..
FYI, Free 'Money' Mayweather