Big Man v Big Mouth

PAT SHEEHAN, The Sun

NICOLAY VALUEV has warned that David Haye's big mouth will cost him dear in their WBA world heavyweight title clash here on Saturday.
The giant Russian ignored Londoner Haye's taunts until yesterday - when Beast from the East Valuev's calm exterior cracked.

Haye's digs included calling the 23st 7ft 2in colossus the Beast with the Least. But Valuev hit back: "He will go down in history for having the worst manners and the biggest-ever mouth in boxing.

"I have never been upset by Haye's comments. All he has done is motivate me more to beat him on Saturday.

"Haye can talk all he likes. He has a couple of more days to speak but then it will be time to climb into the ring and we'll see what he does.

"He has been saying a lot about what he can do to me, that he can become the first boxer to knock me out.

"But I don't think Haye will be able to follow it up when the fight starts and I certainly don't think he should start making predictions about what he intends to do to me.

"Only God knows what will really happen on Saturday and I am not about to put myself in the same company as God by predicting what round the fight will end in - except to say that I will win.

"In Russia, there is a price for everything we talk about - that is how we have to act.

"Haye can go into the ring and he will have to prove what he has said before and I will show him what I can do.

"If Haye is talking about destroying me and things like that he has to prove his words in the ring."



Haye refused to apologise for his taunts but admitted: "I know Valuev sees me as this mouthy little man from England who has no chance.

"Well, we will see. Some people think I am being rude and disrespectful but I always speak my mind and to be frank what I say will be the least of my worries when I step through the ropes."

Puerto Rican Luis Pabo is referee. He has handled several Valuev fights already, including his only defeat against Ruslan Chagaev.

Haye's trainer Adam Booth insists he is not bothered about a home-town decision.

He said: "I wouldn't worry if Valuev's mother was referee because this bout will not be going to points.

"As Marvin Hagler once said when he held his gloved fists in the air: 'On the left is K and on the right is 0 and as long as the referee can count up to 10 that is all that matters'."

Source: thesun.co.uk

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Chad Dawson looks forward to rematch with Glen Johnson, so he says

By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun

For the fourth time in the last 19 months, 27-year-old Chad Dawson will face an opponent this weekend that is at least 13 years his elder.

That was the case when he defeated Glen Johnson by unanimous decision in April 2008. It was the case when he defeated Antonio Tarver convincingly twice in the span of six months.

And it will be the case again on Saturday, when Dawson (28-0, 17 KO) is set to face Johnson in a rematch at XL Center in Hartford, Conn.

According to Dawson, facing fighters who are arguably past their primes remains a challenge, one that he looks forward to again.

“Why do it again? Glen Johnson is the No. 3 ranked light heavyweight out there,” said Dawson over a teleconference. “I can’t get the Bernard Hopkins fight, so why not do it again? It was a great fight and I’m looking forward to the second fight.”

Unfortunately for the undefeated Dawson, rematches with over-the-hill opponents may be the best he can hope for at this point.

Hopkins continues to pursue other options. Joe Calzaghe doesn’t appear to be coming out of retirement. Roy Jones Jr. is looking more and more like the 40-year-old he is.

As much as Dawson tries to seem excited on facing Johnson a second time, there’s an obvious rise in his voice when even the notion of an increase in competition is brought up — such as taking the place of Jermain Taylor in Showtime’s Super Six Tournament.

“I think it’s a great idea, I’ve asked Gary (Shaw, Dawson’s promoter) a few times about the tournament,” Dawson said. “It JT happens to drop out I would love to take his spot.”

Of course, for Dawson it’s never that easy. According to Shaw, HBO owns the option on Dawson’s next fight, making him a long shot for replacing Taylor — if Taylor even drops out at all.

Shaw believes that if Dawson continues to fight — he’s already expressed interest in retiring since long training camps in Las Vegas keeps him from his family in Connecticut — he could eventually add weight to his frame and move to the heavyweight division.

“As Chad gets older and puts on weight, he’ll be the heavyweight champion in my eyes,” Shaw said.

To put things into perspective, WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko weighed in for his last three fights at 251, 230.5 and 253.5 pounds — meaning Dawson would have to add around 60 pounds to his comfortable fighting weight.



One thing Dawson could do to help his case is to deliver a spectacular knockout on Saturday.

Knockouts earn fans, which means more financial leverage in trying to negotiate a deal with Hopkins.

The soft-spoken Dawson has never been the type of fighter to search for the knockout however, although he has expressed a desire to win Saturday’s fight convincingly after Johnson complained about the judges’ scoring in their first meeting.

“My expectations for the first fight where I knew it was going to be a war,” Dawson said, who won the first fight by 117-11 on two scorecards and 116-112 on the third. “I’m looking for the same thing in this fight and I want to win it convincingly.”

Not to say Saturday’s rematch can’t turn into a close fight, as Johnson is a former light heavyweight champion and still believes he deserved to win their first encounter.

But even Johnson himself couldn’t help but sound like an old fighter as he commented on the rematch.

“This fight means a lot to me because it will let me know where I’m at,” Johnson said. “I am 40 years old and I’m fighting Dawson who is a young man. It’s been well-documented that he’s the most talented super-middle, light heavy, cruiserweight out there. Therefore it’s really going to let me know where I am.

“That’s the most important thing.”

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.

Source: lasvegassun.com

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Video: Size doesn't win fights, ability does, says Freddie Roach

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Valuev: Big Gob Will Suffer in Ring

By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk

Nikolai Valuev has warned David Haye that his big gob is going to land him in big trouble on Saturday.

The WBA heavyweight king says he is fired up by Haye's insults that he is a "smelly, ugly circus freak".

And at yesterday's head-tohead in downtown Nuremberg, Haye - who is using an antibacterial spray in case Valuev's camp try to give him swine flu - aimed a few more taunts by claiming he will embarrass the Beast from the East.



The Russian's camp claim they have never seen the 7ft giant so determined to win, and the champ says it will be payback time for Haye in the ring.

Valuev said: "His insults motivate me and have kept me going during training.

"David Haye is a big talker about making predictions, but only God knows what will happen.

"I don't put myself on the same level as God, but I amconfident of winning."

Promoter Willie Sauerland (above) claims Haye's jibes have backfired because they have only served to motivate the man from St Petersburg. "All this talk from Haye is a bit below the belt," said the German. "I'm a promoter and he is promoting himself and the fight, but what he's saying is low.

"But we are very happy that he said it because it means we haven't had to say anything to Niko. Sometimes he can be a bit gentle, but we haven't had to say anything to get him going.

"He knows everything that's been said because every day a friend of Niko's comes into the gym to read him statements from Haye in the newspaper."

The sound of Valuev and Sauerland biting back is music to the ears of Haye, 29, who claims his strategy of winding up the champ is working.



Part of the game plan is to make Valuev so angry that he will come after him on Saturday in front of an 8,000 sell-out crowd in the Nuremberg Arena, leaving him open to his quicker hands.

"I'd like to thank Niko's friend for reading those reports to him because that is exactly what I wanted," he grinned.

Haye maintained his attack, claiming Valuev is the Beast with the Least when it comes to their respective records. The former undisputed world cruiserweight king said: "He's not fought anyone of my calibre. He's never fought anyone in their prime like me. He's never fought anyone who's given up their world titles to fight him.

"I'm not over the hill or past my sell-by date like everyone else he has beaten. I'm fresh and ready."

Haye is wary of insults dirty tricks to the extent that he suspects Valuev's people may try to infect him with a sickness.

The Londoner is using the spray before he shakes hands or touches anything.

His trainer and manager Adam Booth said: "It's to counter skulduggery.

It's too easy for someone to sneeze into their hands before shaking hands with us. And some of the Valuev people appear to have colds."

Both sides have still to agree on the ringtime, Haye threatening a sit-in if the Germans tried to make him go up against The X Factor. But German broadcasters ARD are unlikely to schedule the first bell before 10pm, which will satisfy him.

Haye's dream of a unification clash with the Klitschko brothers will have to go on hold if he wins the WBA crown.

The body have ruled that his first defence would have to be against former champ John Ruiz, who is fighting on Saturday's undercard in Bavaria.

Source: mirror.co.uk

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Pacman Packs Them In On Media Day L.A.

By David A. Avila, The Sweet Science

With a bright colored bus outside the Wild Card Boxing gym painted with the pound for pound champion’s name it wasn’t a surprise to see several hundred people waiting in the parking lot.

Manny Pacquiao has become synonymous with “the big fight” that drives the sport of boxing and keeps the industry humming even in the worst of economic times.

Pacquiao’s media day is the last time journalists can see the Filipino super star before he fights Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) for the WBO welterweight title on Saturday Nov. 14.

The big fight takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It’s also available on HBO pay-per-view.

Reporters arrived an hour before the expected time. It was a good move for those who did so.

Pacquiao arrived a few minutes after 1 p.m. and his arrival caused a stir among the press. He dived into a dressing room and changed into his sparring and workout attire, Then about a dozen reporters from various newspapers and a couple of respected web sites were shuffled into the 6 by 10 foot room.

The questions by reporters were not fired at the Filipino champion probably because he’s been through all these matches before that he was the size under dog.

“They said I would have problems with David Diaz and (Oscar) De La Hoya,” said Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) in his usual understated tone. “Cotto is a very good fighter.”

Once again Pacman will enter the ring against a champion who on paper should be the bigger and stronger fighter. Cotto has only one loss that came by knockout. Fans of the Puerto Rican still insist he was beaten by Antonio Margarito and loaded gloves. Though it was never proven. Most forget that an inspector looks at the wrappings of each fighter especially during a big fight. So be it.

It’s not Pacquiao’s problem and he lets you know that he doesn’t care about Cotto’s past, or his own future.



“I only care about Cotto,” said Pacquiao, whose trainer Freddie Roach has predicted a knockout victory for his protégé.

“It was on Monday when I finally saw the Manny I want to see,” said Roach, who added that Pacquiao worked the mitts for 17 straight rounds.

For those who aren’t familiar with the mitts, it’s often more strenouous than sparring because you can’t take a breather or back away from contact.

“He looks sharp and he’s in the shape I want him to be,” Roach said.

In the past, every time Pacman headed to the Philippines to train it’s resulted in a sub par performance. Sure he won but a 12-round unanimous decision against Oscar Larios who was knocked out by Israel Vazquez in less than three rounds. That is not what most expect from Pacquiao.

“I’m working hard so I can give a fight the fans want,” said Pacquiao.

The pocket-sized bomber has never given a dull fight in his entire pro career and with more than 90 million fans all over the world, he doesn’t expect to start next week.

“Cotto is a good boxer,” Pacquiao reiterated. “He likes to use pressure and he can box too.”

Pacquiao says his father, mother and sister will be arriving in Las Vegas to watch him fight. Though his mother had been to Las Vegas during his fight, she didn’t actually watch the fisticuffs.

“A lot of people look to me to feel good about themselves,” says Pacquiao explaining his popularity. “I’m very thankful.”

Fight fans all over the world are thankful for the fighter known as Pacman. They know if they tune in they’ll see a true prizefighter attempting to wrest a piece of history. But standing in the way is a welterweight Gibraltar named Cotto.

“I’m improving my skills everyday,” Pacquiao says.

Next week the world gets to see if it’s enough to beat Cotto.

“I’m very confident in him as of this week,” said Roach.

It’s hard to bet against Freddie.

Source: thesweetscience.com

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Video: Manny Pacquiao Media Day

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Pacquiao eyes history against Cotto

By Rebecca Bryan (AFP)

LOS ANGELES — To pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, size really doesn't matter.

The Filipino boxing hero, gearing up for a world title clash with Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto that could give Pacquiao a slice of boxing history, said he doesn't put much stock in those who say Cotto's superior size could prove too much.

"I have heard that a couple of times the past two years," Pacquiao said with a smile Wednesday, as reporters, photographers and TV cameramen jammed Hollywood's WildCard boxing club to see him train.

After all, Pacquiao's most recent victories have come against bigger opponents. Admittedly Oscar De La Hoya was past his prime when Pacquiao stopped him in the eighth round in December of 2008.

On May 2, Pacquiao knocked out Britain's Ricky Hatton in the second round of their junior welterweight clash.

"It's not about comparing size, not about comparing power," Pacquiao insisted. "Knowledge is power. You don't have knowledge, you don't have power."

Pacquiao handed Hatton his first defeat at junior welterweight. He claimed the International Boxing Organization belt to match a ring record with a title in a sixth career weight class.

Pacquiao secured his place among boxing's all-time greats, adding the junior welterweight crown to past world titles at lightweight, super featherweight, junior featherweight, featherweight and flyweight.



With the hard-hitting Cotto's World Boxing Organizagion welterweight belt on the line in a bout to be fought at 145 pounds, Pacquiao could capture an outright record by claiming a title in a seventh weight division.

"If I win it's boxing history - seven titles in seven different weight divisions," Pacquiao said. "I would be so proud - being a Filipino who captured titles in seven weight divisions."

Pacquiao's prowess in the ring has made him a hero in his homeland, and his victories over De La Hoya and Hatton have raised his profile in the United States.

This week, he appeared on US television's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" programme, impressing with his singing performance.

It wasn't such a big departure for a man who has appeared on television and in film in the Philippines, where he is also a sought-after product pitchman and a budding politician who plans to run for a seat in the nation's parliament in next year's elections.

Pacquiao also took some time out last month to devote himself to humanitarian work in the wake of a devastating typhoon in his homeland.

It's the kind of gesture that has earned the devotion of his compatriots, and is now garnering attention and accolades elsewhere.

"This kid is something that now transcends boxing," promoter Bob Arum said.

Copyright © 2009 AFP.

Source: Google News

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Jason Litzau wins at Camp Lejuene, Figueroa and Holloway draw

Bad Left Hook

On tonight's special ESPN2 card at the Camp Lejuene Marine base in North Carolina, Jason Litzau won a wide decision over ex-Marine Johnnie Edwards in the main event, and Frankie Figueroa and Rashad Holloway fought to a six-round draw in the co-feature.

Litzau (26-2, 21 KO) was largely unimpressive in beating Edwards (15-5-1, 8 KO), and didn't exactly hold up to the constant claim by ESPN's Brian Kenny that he was a "world class fighter." Litzau went back down to 130 for this fight, picking up a meaningless trinket title belt, which he also did in August at 135 pounds on the Jones-Lacy undercard. Litzau's career isn't in bad shape with Roy Jones' Square Ring Promotions, but the one time he really stepped up in class came against Robert Guerrero, and he was badly beaten that night.



He seemed tentative and sloppy for most of this fight. Litzau's calling card was always his flash and above average speed and power, but his confidence appeared a bit shot tonight. He had a massive six-inch height and nine-inch reach advantage against Edwards, but he didn't really use it to his advantage at all. In the tenth and final round he did fight a bit more like the Litzau you probably remember during his rise up the prospect ranks, but it seemed almost like he was forcing that.

Litzau won on scores of 99-91, 98-91 and 97-93.

In the co-feature, Manny Pacquiao sparring partner Rashad Holloway and former Miguel Cotto sparring partner Frankie Figueroa fought like a couple of sparring partners, killing the awesome live crowd at Lejuene with a rotten non-fight. Like Litzau, Holloway had and failed to use a significant size advantage by steadfastly refusing to jab. Figueroa really landed nothing the entire fight, which I suppose was an example of both his "Gato moves" and his "thang thang." It was an awful fight, a contender for worst TV fight of 2009. I scored it a draw, which more accurately could be described as my feeling that nobody deserved to win.

The best fight of the night was undoubtedly the four-round showcase for 20-year old Yaundale Evans, who met up with double-game Jason Rorie. Evans improved to 3-0 and knocked Rorie down twice, but he had an awful cut opened up, likely from a combination of Rorie rights and some pretty clear headbutts. The two put on a four-round war that definitely stole the show.

Source: badlefthook.com

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A glimpse at boxing history: Foreman – Moorer fight (November 5, 1994)

By Marshall N. B., BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com

The champion kept throwing punches at his 46-year old former heavyweight opponent. He was dodging powerful punches all night. He was making his old opponent look clumsy and distinctly older. He was cruising to a lopsided victory. Then out of nowhere, the old challenger managed to land his trademark right – a punch that put so many boxers to the canvas before, a punch that even the great Muhammad Ali could remember, and the punch that the young champion never saw coming. And the fight was suddenly over, the champion was down, eyes wide open but visibly incapacitated - knocked out. After a decade of hiatus, the old bald-headed warrior was champion again. It was dramatic. It was unbelievable.

That’s what I remember most about Michael Moorer and George Foreman championship fight exactly 14 years ago.



Relive the historic fight. Watch it below.

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Roach predicts Pacquiao destruction over Cotto

By Brad Cooney, Examiner.com

When Freddie Roach makes a prediction it is usually pretty darn close to what actually happens. Recently the legendary trainer not only predicted that Pacquiao will win, but he predicted that he will win quickly, perhaps via first-round knockout. Roach gives numerous reasons as to why he feels this fight will end up a bad one for Cotto.



1.Cotto's corner. Roach points out that Cotto's corner is very inexperienced. In a fight against a ring killer like Manny Pacquiao, one's corner better be ready.

2.Cotto's lack of movement. Roach points out that Cotto does not move fast enough. In a fight against a man with speed like Pacquiao, you better be able to move quickly.

3.Cotto telegraphs his punches. Roach points out that Cotto has flaws in his game that remind him of Ricky Hatton. He said that both Hatton and Cotto telegraph when they are going to throw a hook. Manny will be ready for this.

4.Cotto cuts easily. With the amount of punches that Pacquiao will be throwing at Cotto, it could open up cuts early.

These are just four reasons why Roach predicts an early night for Pacquiao, and a bad night for Cotto. According to Roach, Manny wouldn't even be breaking out a sweat yet. Roach predicts a first-round knockout.

This writer feels as if this fight goes well past the first round. I do not see a first-round knockout for Pacquiao, but I do see a convincing win for him. Time will certainly tell.

Source: Examiner.com

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Vera, Filipino fighters address typhoon

by Jake Rossen/Sherdog.com, ESPN Sports

I'm growing bored with HBO's "24/7" series -- it's about boxing, which I find numbing -- and it has been done over and over again. There are a finite number of ways to film a fighter training and coping with family duties. But the channel had some morbid luck when it went to the Philippines recently to film Manny Pacquiao's preparation for his fight against Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14: Typhoons had razed much of the surrounding area, creating an obstacle of deep water for local inhabitants.



Pacquiao has offered financial and morale assistance; stateside Filipino athletes are doing similar work. Brandon Vera, Mark Munoz and others have assisted Their Fight is Our Fight, a charitable entity devoted to helping victims of the torrential weather. Vera, who faces Randy Couture at UFC 105 on Nov. 14, hosted a workshop last weekend in Los Angeles and told the Asian Journal that he "had to do something. … I know it's hard in the Philippines right now. There are people who lost a lot -- their homes, cars, aunties and uncles. I just want to tell them to keep their heads up and keep moving forward."

Source: ESPN Sports

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