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Holy shit, looks like Pavlik vs Hopkins is official. At 170 pounds. Oct 18th.
Pavlik-Hopkins fight slated for Oct. 18, promoter says
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Updated: July 17, 2008, 8:23 PM ET
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Unable to secure a meaningful opponent to wage a middleweight championship defense against in the fall, Kelly Pavlik will move up in weight and face former light heavyweight champion and middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com Thursday.
Arum said he and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer struck a deal Thursday for the nontitle fight, which will take place Oct. 18 on HBO PPV at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Pavlik, 26, will move up 10 pounds and face Hopkins at 170 pounds, five under the light heavyweight limit, Arum said.
"There's a deal, but there are a few details to be tied up," Arum said. "But the fight is happening."
Since Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs), who was in Hawaii preparing for his wedding on Friday to the mother of his daughter, blew out Gary Lockett in three lopsided rounds in his first title defense at Boardwalk Hall on June 7, Arum has run through numerous potential opponents.
There were talks for a fight with Joe Calzaghe (which would have taken place at super middleweight), Marco Antonio Rubio, Randy Griffin, Sergio Mora, Paul Williams and Winky Wright. For various reasons, none panned out, leaving Arum to turn to the 43-year-old Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs), who lost the light heavyweight title to Calzaghe on a split decision on April 19.
Arum and Schaefer had briefly discussed the fight a few weeks ago, but they couldn't come to terms. When the fight was revisited, they agreed to split the revenue 50-50, Arum said.
"This fight was not our first choice, but it was the only alternative we had to make a buck," Arum said. "We didn't have any place to go except a pay-per-view card. At least it will do halfway decent numbers. We turned it down once. It came back around and we accepted it."
Schaefer was traveling and unavailable for comment.
"Kelly isn't thrilled with the fight, but one of the incentives he has is that if he's going to fight Calzaghe after Calzaghe fights Roy Jones, it will be 168 pounds anyway. So it gets him ready for that fight."
Jack Loew, who has trained Pavlik since he began boxing as a kid, said he likes the matchup.
"Bernard is really a middleweight, he's not a light heavyweight," Loew said. "I think 170 pounds is fine for us. Bernard will be strong, but I know what we have to work on. I'm fine with Bernard Hopkins. I think it will be good fight. We're fighting a legend. He's experienced and he's an old veteran. He knows all the tricks and Bernard is a survivor. I think he's a great fighter and it will be an honor for us to fight him."
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
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As a hopkins fan, I don't like this fight. He's 43 now and Pavlik is 26. If it's a close fight, no way he'll get the decision and he doesn't have the strength to KO pavlik. I don't think he has the stamina either since he gassed at the end against Calzaghe. Sucks because he's a legend, history won't look back and criticize him for losing to Calzaghe at 43. He doesn't have anything else to prove he doesn't need this fight. I think with his style and defense he can keep it competitive, albeit boring, but I don't think he can keep up with the 26 year old. Oh yeah it shouldn't be PPV either. They are really fuckin up, waaaay too many PPV fights this year already. bad.
Pavlik-Hopkins fight slated for Oct. 18, promoter says
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Updated: July 17, 2008, 8:23 PM ET
* Comment
Unable to secure a meaningful opponent to wage a middleweight championship defense against in the fall, Kelly Pavlik will move up in weight and face former light heavyweight champion and middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com Thursday.
Arum said he and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer struck a deal Thursday for the nontitle fight, which will take place Oct. 18 on HBO PPV at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Pavlik, 26, will move up 10 pounds and face Hopkins at 170 pounds, five under the light heavyweight limit, Arum said.
"There's a deal, but there are a few details to be tied up," Arum said. "But the fight is happening."
Since Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs), who was in Hawaii preparing for his wedding on Friday to the mother of his daughter, blew out Gary Lockett in three lopsided rounds in his first title defense at Boardwalk Hall on June 7, Arum has run through numerous potential opponents.
There were talks for a fight with Joe Calzaghe (which would have taken place at super middleweight), Marco Antonio Rubio, Randy Griffin, Sergio Mora, Paul Williams and Winky Wright. For various reasons, none panned out, leaving Arum to turn to the 43-year-old Hopkins (48-5-1, 32 KOs), who lost the light heavyweight title to Calzaghe on a split decision on April 19.
Arum and Schaefer had briefly discussed the fight a few weeks ago, but they couldn't come to terms. When the fight was revisited, they agreed to split the revenue 50-50, Arum said.
"This fight was not our first choice, but it was the only alternative we had to make a buck," Arum said. "We didn't have any place to go except a pay-per-view card. At least it will do halfway decent numbers. We turned it down once. It came back around and we accepted it."
Schaefer was traveling and unavailable for comment.
"Kelly isn't thrilled with the fight, but one of the incentives he has is that if he's going to fight Calzaghe after Calzaghe fights Roy Jones, it will be 168 pounds anyway. So it gets him ready for that fight."
Jack Loew, who has trained Pavlik since he began boxing as a kid, said he likes the matchup.
"Bernard is really a middleweight, he's not a light heavyweight," Loew said. "I think 170 pounds is fine for us. Bernard will be strong, but I know what we have to work on. I'm fine with Bernard Hopkins. I think it will be good fight. We're fighting a legend. He's experienced and he's an old veteran. He knows all the tricks and Bernard is a survivor. I think he's a great fighter and it will be an honor for us to fight him."
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.
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As a hopkins fan, I don't like this fight. He's 43 now and Pavlik is 26. If it's a close fight, no way he'll get the decision and he doesn't have the strength to KO pavlik. I don't think he has the stamina either since he gassed at the end against Calzaghe. Sucks because he's a legend, history won't look back and criticize him for losing to Calzaghe at 43. He doesn't have anything else to prove he doesn't need this fight. I think with his style and defense he can keep it competitive, albeit boring, but I don't think he can keep up with the 26 year old. Oh yeah it shouldn't be PPV either. They are really fuckin up, waaaay too many PPV fights this year already. bad.
Gamboa going to 126 pounds.
Unbeaten Yuriorkis Gamboa (10-0, 8 KOs) was considered one of the big rising stars of the super featherweight division, however the 2004 Olympic gold medallist has now decided to go down in weight to campaign at 126 lbs. starting tonight in Primm, Nevada, against former 122 lbs. world title contender Al Seeger. "I think 126 is the most appropriate and most natural division for Gamboa at the moment", states promoter Ahmet Öner. "At 5'6 he is rather short. Fighting at 126 lbs. will help him be even more efficient and bring out his power and speed even more. If you keep in mind that he used to knock out tough guys at 130 you can imagine how he will clean up the featherweight division." Gamboa's fight with Seeger is for the WBA Fedelation championship. The co-main event of the night features light middleweight prospect Richard Gutierrez (24-2, 14 KOs) against Jerome "Boomer" Ellis (11-8-1, 10 KOs).
Unbeaten Yuriorkis Gamboa (10-0, 8 KOs) was considered one of the big rising stars of the super featherweight division, however the 2004 Olympic gold medallist has now decided to go down in weight to campaign at 126 lbs. starting tonight in Primm, Nevada, against former 122 lbs. world title contender Al Seeger. "I think 126 is the most appropriate and most natural division for Gamboa at the moment", states promoter Ahmet Öner. "At 5'6 he is rather short. Fighting at 126 lbs. will help him be even more efficient and bring out his power and speed even more. If you keep in mind that he used to knock out tough guys at 130 you can imagine how he will clean up the featherweight division." Gamboa's fight with Seeger is for the WBA Fedelation championship. The co-main event of the night features light middleweight prospect Richard Gutierrez (24-2, 14 KOs) against Jerome "Boomer" Ellis (11-8-1, 10 KOs).
Rahman's Trainer: Commission Needs To Be Investigated
By Ryan Songalia
The James Toney-Hasim Rahman rematch was supposed to bring closure to their initial meeting two years ago, which ended in a debatable draw. In the aftermath of the controversial third round TKO win for Toney, the result has drawn far more questions than conclusions.
Toney was awarded a TKO win when Rahman complained in the corner to the ring doctor about a cut, caused by an accidental headbutt, which he said was impairing his vision. Team Rahman, who have promised to appeal the decision, contend that an injustice had been brought against them.
When reached for comment, Rahman's trainer Marshall Kauffman expressed outrage with what he feels was a major fumble by the commission Wednesday night in Temecula, CA.
"I think they're out of their mind and something should be done about that," Kauffman told BoxingScene.com. "How the California commission, which has had a good reputation in the past, could do something like this is totally out of line. They need to be investigated."
Prior to the fight, both fighters agreed to retire should they lose. In light of the controversy that has since overtaken the event, Kauffman says that the former heavyweight champion will not end his career on such a sour note.
Kauffman was unable to elaborate on the extent of the cut's effect on Rahman's vision, saying "I can't answer that because I don't have his eyes. It'd be like me asking you 'When I punched you, did it hurt you?'"
The Reading, PA-based trainer did point out that he felt Toney's connect percentage rose dramatically after the blood began to flow.
"I personally don't think Toney was landing any punches until after the head butt. I thought Rock won the first two rounds and then after the cut happened, Toney started finding the range with the right hand
By Ryan Songalia
The James Toney-Hasim Rahman rematch was supposed to bring closure to their initial meeting two years ago, which ended in a debatable draw. In the aftermath of the controversial third round TKO win for Toney, the result has drawn far more questions than conclusions.
Toney was awarded a TKO win when Rahman complained in the corner to the ring doctor about a cut, caused by an accidental headbutt, which he said was impairing his vision. Team Rahman, who have promised to appeal the decision, contend that an injustice had been brought against them.
When reached for comment, Rahman's trainer Marshall Kauffman expressed outrage with what he feels was a major fumble by the commission Wednesday night in Temecula, CA.
"I think they're out of their mind and something should be done about that," Kauffman told BoxingScene.com. "How the California commission, which has had a good reputation in the past, could do something like this is totally out of line. They need to be investigated."
Prior to the fight, both fighters agreed to retire should they lose. In light of the controversy that has since overtaken the event, Kauffman says that the former heavyweight champion will not end his career on such a sour note.
Kauffman was unable to elaborate on the extent of the cut's effect on Rahman's vision, saying "I can't answer that because I don't have his eyes. It'd be like me asking you 'When I punched you, did it hurt you?'"
The Reading, PA-based trainer did point out that he felt Toney's connect percentage rose dramatically after the blood began to flow.
"I personally don't think Toney was landing any punches until after the head butt. I thought Rock won the first two rounds and then after the cut happened, Toney started finding the range with the right hand
Roach Would Like De La Hoya-Pacquiao in December
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
CELEBRATED trainer Freddie Roach wants ring idol Manny Pacquiao to fight Oscar “Golden Boy” de la Hoya, instead of either Humberto Soto or World Boxing Association super featherweight champion Edwin Valero.
In a thee-way telephone conversation with Dennis Principe and this writer on the dzSR sports radio show “Sports Chat,” Roach said he didn’t’ think either the Soto or the Valero fights are big enough.
Roach noted that De la Hoya is looking for a fight and he would love to fight Pacquiao at 147 pounds.
Pacman can KO Oscar
The trainer said he would ask Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to start negotiating for a De la Hoya fight. “At this point in his career, Manny Pacquiao can knock Oscar de la Hoya out.”
Roach said a December fight date would be fine and better than November because Pacquiao’s right hand was a little swollen after the David Diaz fight, and he would like it to heal completely.
“If Pacquiao fights De la Hoya, we would need a longer training camp just to work on the styles on how to beat him. De la Hoya is the bigger guy, he does have a good left hook, but he’s not the same Oscar of a few years ago.”
Roach revealed he had spoken to some people and they told him De la Hoya can make 147 (pounds), but the trainer said he wouldn’t let Pacquiao fight the Golden Boy over that weight.
Weight matters
“I will make sure that Pacquiao weighs 145 pounds at fight time, so he will have the power and the speed,” said Roach, who also revealed he had spoken to the Filipino champion about the De la Hoya fight, and Pacquiao told him: “I’d love to fight Oscar and Oscar has publicly said, this is a big big fight.”
Roach believes that De la Hoya is probably upset with Pacquiao on the controversy over who he signed with—Golden Boy or Top Rank—and the court settlement that happened. “Oscar seems a little bitter about that.”
Roach noted that when he trained De la Hoya for the fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., “he had trouble pulling the trigger. He’s quite slower, and if Steve Forbes can hit him as easily as he did, I know Pacquiao will knock him out.”
Roach said he doesn’t want Pacquiao to come in too heavy.
“I want him at 145, which is exactly what I wanted for the last fight against Diaz. We do need the speed because Manny has the power, for sure.”
Huge fight
Asked by Viva Sports/Standard Today whether the boxing market would be able to stand having to pay the two fighters a lot of money against the backdrop of an economic crisis in the US and the disappointing attendance figures and pay-per-view buys in recent fights, Roach was confident it could happen with a major promotional effort.
He said with a 24/7 pre-fight countdown that HBO produced for the De la Hoya-Mayweather fight, it will be huge.
“Manny has a hell of a story in the Philippines and a lot of Americans are interested. I’ll never take a fight if I didn’t know my guy could win. The money is secondary. A win is the most imporant thing. If Manny fights in the US in December and next year, he fights [British champion Ricky] Hatton, then he can be president of the Philippines after that.”
Win over Diaz was turning point
Roach said he was convinced by Pacquiao’s impressive performance against Diaz that he could take on De la Hoya.
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
CELEBRATED trainer Freddie Roach wants ring idol Manny Pacquiao to fight Oscar “Golden Boy” de la Hoya, instead of either Humberto Soto or World Boxing Association super featherweight champion Edwin Valero.
In a thee-way telephone conversation with Dennis Principe and this writer on the dzSR sports radio show “Sports Chat,” Roach said he didn’t’ think either the Soto or the Valero fights are big enough.
Roach noted that De la Hoya is looking for a fight and he would love to fight Pacquiao at 147 pounds.
Pacman can KO Oscar
The trainer said he would ask Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to start negotiating for a De la Hoya fight. “At this point in his career, Manny Pacquiao can knock Oscar de la Hoya out.”
Roach said a December fight date would be fine and better than November because Pacquiao’s right hand was a little swollen after the David Diaz fight, and he would like it to heal completely.
“If Pacquiao fights De la Hoya, we would need a longer training camp just to work on the styles on how to beat him. De la Hoya is the bigger guy, he does have a good left hook, but he’s not the same Oscar of a few years ago.”
Roach revealed he had spoken to some people and they told him De la Hoya can make 147 (pounds), but the trainer said he wouldn’t let Pacquiao fight the Golden Boy over that weight.
Weight matters
“I will make sure that Pacquiao weighs 145 pounds at fight time, so he will have the power and the speed,” said Roach, who also revealed he had spoken to the Filipino champion about the De la Hoya fight, and Pacquiao told him: “I’d love to fight Oscar and Oscar has publicly said, this is a big big fight.”
Roach believes that De la Hoya is probably upset with Pacquiao on the controversy over who he signed with—Golden Boy or Top Rank—and the court settlement that happened. “Oscar seems a little bitter about that.”
Roach noted that when he trained De la Hoya for the fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., “he had trouble pulling the trigger. He’s quite slower, and if Steve Forbes can hit him as easily as he did, I know Pacquiao will knock him out.”
Roach said he doesn’t want Pacquiao to come in too heavy.
“I want him at 145, which is exactly what I wanted for the last fight against Diaz. We do need the speed because Manny has the power, for sure.”
Huge fight
Asked by Viva Sports/Standard Today whether the boxing market would be able to stand having to pay the two fighters a lot of money against the backdrop of an economic crisis in the US and the disappointing attendance figures and pay-per-view buys in recent fights, Roach was confident it could happen with a major promotional effort.
He said with a 24/7 pre-fight countdown that HBO produced for the De la Hoya-Mayweather fight, it will be huge.
“Manny has a hell of a story in the Philippines and a lot of Americans are interested. I’ll never take a fight if I didn’t know my guy could win. The money is secondary. A win is the most imporant thing. If Manny fights in the US in December and next year, he fights [British champion Ricky] Hatton, then he can be president of the Philippines after that.”
Win over Diaz was turning point
Roach said he was convinced by Pacquiao’s impressive performance against Diaz that he could take on De la Hoya.
Kelly Pavlik: "Bernard Hopkins Will Get Banged Up"
By Mark Vester
WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik plans to put the heat on Bernard Hopkins on October 18 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Pavlik says Hopkins is not active enough and unlike Hopkins' bout with Calzaghe, Pavlik plans to batter the old veteran. Pavlik-Hopkins will take place at the catch-weight on 170-pounds and televised by HBO pay-per-view.
“Hopkins is a good fighter, but he’s got lots of flaws,” said Pavlik to The Vindicator. “He’s not active enough for me. Plus, I hit harder than Calzaghe, so he might get banged up a bit.”
When the news of Pavlik-Hopkins was first broken by Steve Kim on MaxBoxing.com and BoxingScene.com, a lot of fans were disappointed with the choice of opponent. Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, told the The Vindicator his reasons for the selection of opponent.
“When we looked and saw who was out there, we realized this was the best fight for Kelly both from a money standpoint and a notoriety standpoint,” said Arum. “Hopkins is a huge name in the middleweight division and a victory over Hopkins will put Kelly in good stead.”
Arum also confirmed what I reported late last night, if Pavlik gets by Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe beats Roy Jones Jr on September 20, Calzaghe-Pavlik will be the next target bout for early 2009. That means, and Arum touched on it, that IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham would have to wait in line before a unification bout with Pavlik is made.
By Mark Vester
WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik plans to put the heat on Bernard Hopkins on October 18 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Pavlik says Hopkins is not active enough and unlike Hopkins' bout with Calzaghe, Pavlik plans to batter the old veteran. Pavlik-Hopkins will take place at the catch-weight on 170-pounds and televised by HBO pay-per-view.
“Hopkins is a good fighter, but he’s got lots of flaws,” said Pavlik to The Vindicator. “He’s not active enough for me. Plus, I hit harder than Calzaghe, so he might get banged up a bit.”
When the news of Pavlik-Hopkins was first broken by Steve Kim on MaxBoxing.com and BoxingScene.com, a lot of fans were disappointed with the choice of opponent. Pavlik's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, told the The Vindicator his reasons for the selection of opponent.
“When we looked and saw who was out there, we realized this was the best fight for Kelly both from a money standpoint and a notoriety standpoint,” said Arum. “Hopkins is a huge name in the middleweight division and a victory over Hopkins will put Kelly in good stead.”
Arum also confirmed what I reported late last night, if Pavlik gets by Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe beats Roy Jones Jr on September 20, Calzaghe-Pavlik will be the next target bout for early 2009. That means, and Arum touched on it, that IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham would have to wait in line before a unification bout with Pavlik is made.
