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Sunday, 6 December 2009
Khan - this sends a message -- Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Amir Khan believes his sensational 76-second stoppage of Dmitriy Salita will help propel him to the forefront of world boxing.
The Bolton star retained his WBA light-welterweight world title in Newcastle on Saturday night against the unbeaten mandatory challenger in the best possible fashion.
Khan told Sky Sports News on Sunday: "I'm sure it sent a good message across the world. This fight wasn't picked, I had to fight this guy because he was a mandatory (challenger). If I didn't fight him then the title would have been vacant, but I took this fight on.
"Frank (Warren) was saying in the press conference he wouldn't have taken this fight on because he is an unbeaten guy and a bit dangerous.
"But all the hard work was done in the gym, the Wildcard boxing gym, and I was so confident I could go in and take this guy out. I put the game plan together with (trainer) Freddie Roach, went into the fight and took him out.
"I was very confident, my speed and power have come on so much and I can seee myself becoming an all-round fighter.
"A lot of people know how fast I am and expect me to be quick, but when they get into the boxing ring they don't know what's hit them. Salita didn't know he hit the floor, that's how quick the shots hit him."
Khan expects his next defence to be in March and he plans to prepare for it by sparring with Manny Pacquiao - the world's best pound-for-pound fighter and also part of Roach's Wildcard gym in Los Angeles.
Khan added: "I am going to go back there and hopefully I am looking at fighting in March some time, because Manny will be fighting against (Floyd) Mayweather around that time so it would be good for me to fight around that time too.
"Freddie wants me to be his main sparring partner. Not only his sparring partner, Freddie says it will be good for both of us because I am a world champion now and the last time I sparred with Manny was about a year ago, so just to see how much I have come on as well.
"And I think I have come on so much since. It is going to be great working alongside Manny Pacquiao."
Source: skysports.com
Amir Khan believes his sensational 76-second stoppage of Dmitriy Salita will help propel him to the forefront of world boxing.
The Bolton star retained his WBA light-welterweight world title in Newcastle on Saturday night against the unbeaten mandatory challenger in the best possible fashion.
Khan told Sky Sports News on Sunday: "I'm sure it sent a good message across the world. This fight wasn't picked, I had to fight this guy because he was a mandatory (challenger). If I didn't fight him then the title would have been vacant, but I took this fight on.
"Frank (Warren) was saying in the press conference he wouldn't have taken this fight on because he is an unbeaten guy and a bit dangerous.
"But all the hard work was done in the gym, the Wildcard boxing gym, and I was so confident I could go in and take this guy out. I put the game plan together with (trainer) Freddie Roach, went into the fight and took him out.
"I was very confident, my speed and power have come on so much and I can seee myself becoming an all-round fighter.
"A lot of people know how fast I am and expect me to be quick, but when they get into the boxing ring they don't know what's hit them. Salita didn't know he hit the floor, that's how quick the shots hit him."
Khan expects his next defence to be in March and he plans to prepare for it by sparring with Manny Pacquiao - the world's best pound-for-pound fighter and also part of Roach's Wildcard gym in Los Angeles.
Khan added: "I am going to go back there and hopefully I am looking at fighting in March some time, because Manny will be fighting against (Floyd) Mayweather around that time so it would be good for me to fight around that time too.
"Freddie wants me to be his main sparring partner. Not only his sparring partner, Freddie says it will be good for both of us because I am a world champion now and the last time I sparred with Manny was about a year ago, so just to see how much I have come on as well.
"And I think I have come on so much since. It is going to be great working alongside Manny Pacquiao."
Source: skysports.com
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Warren - Hatton return 'crazy' -- Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Frank Warren has ruled out an all-British superfight between Ricky Hatton and WBA world champion Amir Khan.
Khan made a spectacular defence of his WBA light-welterweight title when he knocked out Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds in Newcastle, which is sure to fuel speculation of a possible clash between Britain's two most popular boxers.
But fight promoter Warren ruled out any chance of a match-up happening.
Warren said: "I don't feel Ricky Hatton should fight any more. It's crazy, you've only got to look at the size of him. Maybe he could get himself down to the weight, but one thing's for sure, his reflexes and his legs are gone.
"He's not the same fighter he was. He won't be able to get out of the way and I don't think it'll be the next fight anyway. For Ricky to be able to fight it would take him about six or seven months to get himself into some shape."
Warren also believes it is unlikely Khan would face Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out Hatton in the second round of their fight in Las Vegas in May.
Khan and Pacquiao share the same trainer in Freddie Roach.
Warren told the BBC: "They're professional fighters and maybe a couple of years down the road if Manny Pacquiao's still around, it may be a fight that takes place."
Source: skysports.com
Frank Warren has ruled out an all-British superfight between Ricky Hatton and WBA world champion Amir Khan.
Khan made a spectacular defence of his WBA light-welterweight title when he knocked out Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds in Newcastle, which is sure to fuel speculation of a possible clash between Britain's two most popular boxers.
But fight promoter Warren ruled out any chance of a match-up happening.
Warren said: "I don't feel Ricky Hatton should fight any more. It's crazy, you've only got to look at the size of him. Maybe he could get himself down to the weight, but one thing's for sure, his reflexes and his legs are gone.
"He's not the same fighter he was. He won't be able to get out of the way and I don't think it'll be the next fight anyway. For Ricky to be able to fight it would take him about six or seven months to get himself into some shape."
Warren also believes it is unlikely Khan would face Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out Hatton in the second round of their fight in Las Vegas in May.
Khan and Pacquiao share the same trainer in Freddie Roach.
Warren told the BBC: "They're professional fighters and maybe a couple of years down the road if Manny Pacquiao's still around, it may be a fight that takes place."
Source: skysports.com
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Sergio Martinez Wins For Losing -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
ATLANTIC CITY -- Sergio Martinez sat on the stage answering questions from reporters during the post-fight press conference -- managing a smile following perhaps the most brutal fight of his professional boxing career.
The Argentinian-born, 34-year-old southpaw had endured a battle with fellow left-hander, Paul Williams, during which he got up from a first-round knockdown to floor his rival just before the bell ending the same round of their middleweight (160 pounds) non-title matchup at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Boardwalk Hall.
Peaking out from beneath the dark shades worn by Martinez were dark purplish, bruises on both cheeks -- the result of 12 rounds of non-stop action.
Martinez endured the many thudding right jabs, right crosses and powerful left hands delivered by his nearly, 6-foot-3 opponent, who is widely consider to be one of the sport's best, pound-for-pound.
But as the saying goes: You should see the other guy.
"Paul had some bad cuts right over his eyelids on both sides," promoter, Dan Goossen said of Williams, who was hospitalized immediately after the fight. "We wanted to get attention on it immediately. We contacted a plastic surgeon to stitch him up."
For even though Williams was declared the majority decision winner, improving his record to 38-1, with 27 knockouts, he was the one with the more severe damage.
"This was a war, plain and simple," said Martinez's promoter, Lou DiBella. "And even though Sergio lost, it's like he really won."
In defeat, Martinez slipped to 44-2-2, ending a nearly nine-year-long, winning streak of 28-0-1 since being knocked out by Antonio Margarito in 2000.
And in the eyes of Goossen, at least, he erased the memory of that lone setback.
"We certainly knew that that loss to Margarito meant nothing, somewhat similar to Paul Williams, when he lost to Carlos Quintana and he came back from that" to knock out Quintana in the first round, said Goossen.
"We knew that Sergio had done the same thing. He's been avoided for the last few years because he's a great fighter," said Goossen. "So we knew that we had to throw that damn Margarito fight out because it was so many years ago, and he would knock out Margarito today."
Knocked down by Williams at 1:57 of the first round, Martinez bounced back to drop Williams with only a few seconds left, setting the tone for the rest of the bout's ebb-and-flow.
"To fight a great fighter like Paul Williams, it makes you great, and it makes you bigger -- especially when nobody wants to fight him. I believe that I accomplished a lot tonight," said Martinez, who displayed the heart, chin, and the overall resiliency that could earn him enough respect to escape the relative obsurity that has plagued his career.
"I believe that I landed the hardest punches in the whole fight. But maybe it was a little bit of luck that he didn't get knocked out tonight. I didn't get the KO that I promised, but the victory was very close," said Martinez.
"I know that I had him, but he kept coming, and he has quick hands, which helped him," said Martinez. "He's a skillful fighter -- a very strong fighter. But there were punches that I threw that were very powerful, and that's why he went to the hospital."
Julie Lederman scored it 114-114, while Williams was given the advantage by both Lynn Carter, and, Pierre Benoist, at 115-113, and an inexplicable, 119-110, respectively. Amazingly, Benoist gave Martinez only one round.
"I came out to win the fight. How I did it is how I did it. And now, it's up to you, the press, to review the tapes and tell the truth about who won," said Martinez. "I just know that I'm down to fight anybody that I have to to get to the top. I hope that my next fight should be all about the money."
Martinez holds the WBC's junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown, which was not on the line since he fought Williams at 160.
"Martinez is an unconventional fighter with tremendous athletic ability. You saw him tonight against a beast, and what he did was almost beat the beast. We'll take anybody at 154, and any champion at 160," said DiBella.
"Martinez has had the hardest time of anybody who is this good getting showcases," said DiBella. "But I believe -- and HBO led me to believe -- that he will get a date, fairly quickly, based upon this performance. I think that he'd prefer to fight his next fight at 154."
Although a rematch with Williams would earn Martinez a lucrative payday, DiBella will likely pursue a 154-pound, unification bout perhaps with champions such as Cory Spinks, Yuri Foreman, or, Sergiy Dzinziruk, of the IBF, WBA, and, WBO, respectively.
DiBella said that he would also like to go after WBO and WBC middleweight titlist, Kelly Pavlik.
"Maybe he'll [Pavlik] pick my guy, but I've got to tell you something -- I think Martinez would run circles around him and knock him out. Martinez has got a great chin, speed that is unmatched by almost anybody in the two weight classes that he fights in," said DiBella.
"He's smart, he's good-looking and he's the whole package. And what he did tonight was to show that he was capable of fighting one of the best fighters in the world," said DiBella. "He went to war with him and walked out of a fight that could have gone either way. What he showed tonight is that he's a top-10, pound-for-pound fighter."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
ATLANTIC CITY -- Sergio Martinez sat on the stage answering questions from reporters during the post-fight press conference -- managing a smile following perhaps the most brutal fight of his professional boxing career.
The Argentinian-born, 34-year-old southpaw had endured a battle with fellow left-hander, Paul Williams, during which he got up from a first-round knockdown to floor his rival just before the bell ending the same round of their middleweight (160 pounds) non-title matchup at the Adrian Phillips Ballroom of Boardwalk Hall.
Peaking out from beneath the dark shades worn by Martinez were dark purplish, bruises on both cheeks -- the result of 12 rounds of non-stop action.
Martinez endured the many thudding right jabs, right crosses and powerful left hands delivered by his nearly, 6-foot-3 opponent, who is widely consider to be one of the sport's best, pound-for-pound.
But as the saying goes: You should see the other guy.
"Paul had some bad cuts right over his eyelids on both sides," promoter, Dan Goossen said of Williams, who was hospitalized immediately after the fight. "We wanted to get attention on it immediately. We contacted a plastic surgeon to stitch him up."
For even though Williams was declared the majority decision winner, improving his record to 38-1, with 27 knockouts, he was the one with the more severe damage.
"This was a war, plain and simple," said Martinez's promoter, Lou DiBella. "And even though Sergio lost, it's like he really won."
In defeat, Martinez slipped to 44-2-2, ending a nearly nine-year-long, winning streak of 28-0-1 since being knocked out by Antonio Margarito in 2000.
And in the eyes of Goossen, at least, he erased the memory of that lone setback.
"We certainly knew that that loss to Margarito meant nothing, somewhat similar to Paul Williams, when he lost to Carlos Quintana and he came back from that" to knock out Quintana in the first round, said Goossen.
"We knew that Sergio had done the same thing. He's been avoided for the last few years because he's a great fighter," said Goossen. "So we knew that we had to throw that damn Margarito fight out because it was so many years ago, and he would knock out Margarito today."
Knocked down by Williams at 1:57 of the first round, Martinez bounced back to drop Williams with only a few seconds left, setting the tone for the rest of the bout's ebb-and-flow.
"To fight a great fighter like Paul Williams, it makes you great, and it makes you bigger -- especially when nobody wants to fight him. I believe that I accomplished a lot tonight," said Martinez, who displayed the heart, chin, and the overall resiliency that could earn him enough respect to escape the relative obsurity that has plagued his career.
"I believe that I landed the hardest punches in the whole fight. But maybe it was a little bit of luck that he didn't get knocked out tonight. I didn't get the KO that I promised, but the victory was very close," said Martinez.
"I know that I had him, but he kept coming, and he has quick hands, which helped him," said Martinez. "He's a skillful fighter -- a very strong fighter. But there were punches that I threw that were very powerful, and that's why he went to the hospital."
Julie Lederman scored it 114-114, while Williams was given the advantage by both Lynn Carter, and, Pierre Benoist, at 115-113, and an inexplicable, 119-110, respectively. Amazingly, Benoist gave Martinez only one round.
"I came out to win the fight. How I did it is how I did it. And now, it's up to you, the press, to review the tapes and tell the truth about who won," said Martinez. "I just know that I'm down to fight anybody that I have to to get to the top. I hope that my next fight should be all about the money."
Martinez holds the WBC's junior middleweight (154 pounds) crown, which was not on the line since he fought Williams at 160.
"Martinez is an unconventional fighter with tremendous athletic ability. You saw him tonight against a beast, and what he did was almost beat the beast. We'll take anybody at 154, and any champion at 160," said DiBella.
"Martinez has had the hardest time of anybody who is this good getting showcases," said DiBella. "But I believe -- and HBO led me to believe -- that he will get a date, fairly quickly, based upon this performance. I think that he'd prefer to fight his next fight at 154."
Although a rematch with Williams would earn Martinez a lucrative payday, DiBella will likely pursue a 154-pound, unification bout perhaps with champions such as Cory Spinks, Yuri Foreman, or, Sergiy Dzinziruk, of the IBF, WBA, and, WBO, respectively.
DiBella said that he would also like to go after WBO and WBC middleweight titlist, Kelly Pavlik.
"Maybe he'll [Pavlik] pick my guy, but I've got to tell you something -- I think Martinez would run circles around him and knock him out. Martinez has got a great chin, speed that is unmatched by almost anybody in the two weight classes that he fights in," said DiBella.
"He's smart, he's good-looking and he's the whole package. And what he did tonight was to show that he was capable of fighting one of the best fighters in the world," said DiBella. "He went to war with him and walked out of a fight that could have gone either way. What he showed tonight is that he's a top-10, pound-for-pound fighter."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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Finally, a fight worth watching -- DailyAdvance.com
By Will Harris, DailyAdvance.com
The only time I ever bought a pay-per-view event was the Mike Tyson-Michael Spinx fight in 1988. I don’t remember exactly how much I shelled out for that one, but 20-something years ago, I am guessing those fights were running about $25-$30.
The bottom line is I felt gypped. If you remember, that fight lasted all of 91 seconds and I was left thinking, “That is all I get?”
A few years later I did host a party for the Tyson-Buster Douglas fight, but I took a collection and ended up not paying anything out of my own pocket.
Now, for the first time in 20 years, I am compelled to buy another fight after Manny Pacquiao agreed to terms on Friday and will fight Floyd Mayweather on March 13.
I am a big boxing fan and have been a huge Pacquiao supporter for a couple years now. He is at his prime and should win this fight. I never was a big Mayweather fan and think he might be a few years past his prime, but is still a very, very good fighter.
I think the difference is going to be Pacquiao’s attacking style versus Mayweather’s tendency to dance and run. Plus, Pacquiao is deadly accurate and quick.
These marquee fights used to be reserved for the heavies, but that division has long been a poor showing of overweight, plodding fighters. Now, the sport belongs to the little guys and none are hotter right now that Pacquiao and Maywether.
The pay-per-views cost twice as much as they were when I last bought one, but this is one I am willing to save up for. I just hope I have time to drink at least one beer before it’s over.
———
Finally, the last Harris Poll of the football season.
Very little changed since the most recent poll on Oct. 25. Four area teams qualified for the playoffs, although none managed to make it out of the first round. But there was some exciting football dominated by underclassmen, which bodes well for the future.
Everything runs in cycles and I think this was one of those years where the wheel was spinning down. It will come back around pretty quick I think.
6. Camden — We’re used to seeing the Bruins with 10s and 1s in their record, just not in the reverse order. I do not expect Camden to have another one-win season, nor finish at the bottom of the ranking anytime soon.
5. Currituck — Injuries and morale bit the Knights late in the season. The bright spot is a lot of young players got valuable playing time, which should pay off next season.
4. Edenton — The Aces moved up a spot on the strength of their win over Currituck. If they can find some size, Edenton always seems to have the athletes to make people nervous.
3. Perquimans — Another team that suffered some key injuries, which limited them during the playoffs. There are never any guarantees for next season, but coach T.J. Worrell brought something that has been paying off the past couple of years — stability.
2. Pasquotank — The Panthers’ playoff match-up looked nice, but they just could not find enough points in the end. The biggest question facing Pasquotank next year is who will coach the team after David Brinson’s retirement.
1. Northeastern — The BCS should take note. The Eagles reached the top on the field. They went 5-0 against other area teams, beating rival Pasquotank twice. I would think that the Eagles are a strong candidate to start the 2010 season right back at No. 1.
Source: dailyadvance.com
The only time I ever bought a pay-per-view event was the Mike Tyson-Michael Spinx fight in 1988. I don’t remember exactly how much I shelled out for that one, but 20-something years ago, I am guessing those fights were running about $25-$30.
The bottom line is I felt gypped. If you remember, that fight lasted all of 91 seconds and I was left thinking, “That is all I get?”
A few years later I did host a party for the Tyson-Buster Douglas fight, but I took a collection and ended up not paying anything out of my own pocket.
Now, for the first time in 20 years, I am compelled to buy another fight after Manny Pacquiao agreed to terms on Friday and will fight Floyd Mayweather on March 13.
I am a big boxing fan and have been a huge Pacquiao supporter for a couple years now. He is at his prime and should win this fight. I never was a big Mayweather fan and think he might be a few years past his prime, but is still a very, very good fighter.
I think the difference is going to be Pacquiao’s attacking style versus Mayweather’s tendency to dance and run. Plus, Pacquiao is deadly accurate and quick.
These marquee fights used to be reserved for the heavies, but that division has long been a poor showing of overweight, plodding fighters. Now, the sport belongs to the little guys and none are hotter right now that Pacquiao and Maywether.
The pay-per-views cost twice as much as they were when I last bought one, but this is one I am willing to save up for. I just hope I have time to drink at least one beer before it’s over.
———
Finally, the last Harris Poll of the football season.
Very little changed since the most recent poll on Oct. 25. Four area teams qualified for the playoffs, although none managed to make it out of the first round. But there was some exciting football dominated by underclassmen, which bodes well for the future.
Everything runs in cycles and I think this was one of those years where the wheel was spinning down. It will come back around pretty quick I think.
6. Camden — We’re used to seeing the Bruins with 10s and 1s in their record, just not in the reverse order. I do not expect Camden to have another one-win season, nor finish at the bottom of the ranking anytime soon.
5. Currituck — Injuries and morale bit the Knights late in the season. The bright spot is a lot of young players got valuable playing time, which should pay off next season.
4. Edenton — The Aces moved up a spot on the strength of their win over Currituck. If they can find some size, Edenton always seems to have the athletes to make people nervous.
3. Perquimans — Another team that suffered some key injuries, which limited them during the playoffs. There are never any guarantees for next season, but coach T.J. Worrell brought something that has been paying off the past couple of years — stability.
2. Pasquotank — The Panthers’ playoff match-up looked nice, but they just could not find enough points in the end. The biggest question facing Pasquotank next year is who will coach the team after David Brinson’s retirement.
1. Northeastern — The BCS should take note. The Eagles reached the top on the field. They went 5-0 against other area teams, beating rival Pasquotank twice. I would think that the Eagles are a strong candidate to start the 2010 season right back at No. 1.
Source: dailyadvance.com
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Pacquiao-Mayweather ticket to cost a fortune -- Manila Bulletin
By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin
A ringside seat to the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather super fight next year will amount to the annual income of a minimum wage earner.
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin Sunday that a premium seat in the March 13, 2010 welterweight title fight will cost $2,500 (P117,500), while the cheapest will be sold at $500, assuming the fight is held at the 17,000-seat MGM Grand.
If the fight is held, say, at the 80,000-capacity Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the price of the seat would remain the same, while the inexpensive seat will be sold lower than $500.
Arum said a meeting with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, will be held Monday followed by an inspection of the Cowboys Stadium near Dallas by him and Top Rank officials is scheduled On Wednesday.
“We would know the venue by the end of this week,” said Arum, stressing that billionaire Jerry Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, is more than willing to put up a juicy offer that could rival even Las Vegas’ proposal.
The $2,500 appears to be the most expensive ticket to a boxing event as it is slightly higher than the top seat – $2,400 – that was peddled during the June 2002 heavyweight match between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis.
Should Arum stick to the hefty price, it would be much higher than the $2,000 seat that was sold during the Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather tiff that took place in May 2007.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are assured of $25 million each and their earnings could go up to as high as $40 million apiece depending on the pay-per-view sales.
Source: mb.com.ph
A ringside seat to the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather super fight next year will amount to the annual income of a minimum wage earner.
Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin Sunday that a premium seat in the March 13, 2010 welterweight title fight will cost $2,500 (P117,500), while the cheapest will be sold at $500, assuming the fight is held at the 17,000-seat MGM Grand.
If the fight is held, say, at the 80,000-capacity Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the price of the seat would remain the same, while the inexpensive seat will be sold lower than $500.
Arum said a meeting with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, will be held Monday followed by an inspection of the Cowboys Stadium near Dallas by him and Top Rank officials is scheduled On Wednesday.
“We would know the venue by the end of this week,” said Arum, stressing that billionaire Jerry Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, is more than willing to put up a juicy offer that could rival even Las Vegas’ proposal.
The $2,500 appears to be the most expensive ticket to a boxing event as it is slightly higher than the top seat – $2,400 – that was peddled during the June 2002 heavyweight match between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis.
Should Arum stick to the hefty price, it would be much higher than the $2,000 seat that was sold during the Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather tiff that took place in May 2007.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are assured of $25 million each and their earnings could go up to as high as $40 million apiece depending on the pay-per-view sales.
Source: mb.com.ph
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Martinez proves worth against Williams -- ESPN.com
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Plan B turned into Grade A.
Plan A was supposed to be Paul Williams challenging middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in one of the most significant fights of 2009.
But after Pavlik pulled out for the second time a month ago, promoter Dan Goossen turned to Plan B: Sergio Martinez, the relatively unknown, but outstanding, junior middleweight titlist.
The result was sensational as Williams won a majority decision in a classic middleweight slugfest on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall's Adrian Phillips Ballroom.
It was perhaps the fight of the year.
It featured nonstop, back-and-forth action from the opening bell -- the fellow southpaws both suffered first-round knockdowns -- and it never let up.
What should have been a glorious night for the sport, however, was marred by an indefensible scorecard turned in by judge Pierre Benoist, who scored it 119-110 for Williams, prompting the crowd of 2,927 to boo lustily. Judge Lynn Carter had it 115-113 for Williams and Julie Lederman had it 114-114. ESPN.com had it 114-113 for Martinez in a fight that was dead-even all the way and could have gone to either fighter.
"I thought my guy one by one point," said Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter. "I can live with a close loss. I can live with 115-113 or a draw. But I cannot live with a 119-110 incompetent piece of s--- who shouldn't work again as a judge. Is there anyone on Earth who actually thinks that great fight was almost a shutout? Please."
Said Martinez, "It was an error. It was a true error. We should have a rematch."
Even Goossen, while happy with the victory, panned the scorecard.
"I obviously felt that was off base," he said. "I'll take it but when everything was said and done I believe Paul won the fight."
But a horrible scorecard does not take away how wonderful the fight was. With no title on the line, Williams (38-1, 27 KOs) and Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) fought for pride and showed enormous heart.
As soon as the bell rang to start the fight, they were on the gas pedal. First it was Martinez going down on the end of a shot that caught him on the shoulder/neck area.
He popped up and didn't appear hurt and went right at Williams, eventually knocking him down on the end of a right hand just as the bell rang to conclude the round.
"It was a war. I was tying to make it a war and make him fight me," said Williams, who got his wish. "I had to get up and show him what a warrior is made of. I've been knocked down before in the gym and [I wanted to] show him what a true warrior is made of."
The wild first round set the stage for a scintillating war fought at an extremely high level.
"What a fight, it was a classic. It was Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward at a higher skill level," DiBella said.
Said Goossen, "It was a great fight. What can you say? Martinez was in the fight. He showed sensational fortitude. They both did."
A former two-time welterweight titlist from Augusta, Ga., Williams has been labeled the most feared fighter in boxing by some, a 6-foot-2 southpaw with the reach of a telephone pole who few want to fight.
But it's not like anyone was rushing to fight Martinez, born in Argentina and living in Spain. Both of them showed why with their gritty, skillful performances, and it's unlikely that a line will form anytime soon with other top fighters waiting to face them.
"For my guy to fight like that against a guy nobody wanted to fight, come up in weight and put on that kind of performance, Sergio Martinez is one of the best fighters in the world," DiBella said. "There is nobody at 154 who could beat him. He would walk through Kelly Pavlik."
Both fighters were extremely aggressive, but Williams almost recklessly as he went after Martinez, 34, and walked into many punches instead of using his reach advantage.
An accidental head butt in the fourth round opened a nasty cut over Williams' left eye, which bled throughout the fight.
But it didn't deter the 28-year-old Williams from brawling, which delighted the crowd. It cheered wildly throughout the fight as the two went toe-to-toe, eventually bringing nearly everyone in the joint to their feet for the final round.
"They call him the most feared fighter in the world but I didn't have any fear at all in this bout," Martinez said. "I know he is a good boxer and puncher, but I was never hurt. I wasn't exhausted. I actually wanted to pick up the pace later in the fight."
Williams' handlers always viewed Martinez as a more difficult opponent than the more one-dimensional Pavlik, and with good reason.
But Williams didn't hesitate to take the fight, even on short notice.
"I don't look for an easy fight. I look for a hard fight," said Williams, who sure got one. "The preparation was tough for this fight because I had to switch from training for a right-hander to left-hander just a few weeks ago. If people want to see this again, we can do it again."
Goossen may consider a rematch, but he'd prefer a bigger name for Williams to face.
"It's too soon to talk about what's next but two guys we've been chasing for a year and a half are Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins," he said. "Mosley has another fight [on Jan. 30] with Andre Berto. I think we would do great numbers for a Hopkins fight in Washington, D.C. [where Williams trains and spends a lot of time], or here in Atlantic City. It's a great fight and a fight Bernard should take."
What about Pavlik?
"We tried to make the Pavlik fight three times, but you know what happened," said Goossen, noting that Pavlik was well enough to take a Dec. 19 fight with unheralded Miguel Espino. "We'd do it but we would need a safety net in case he pulls out again. And no negotiation this time. It has to be a 50-50 deal or the fight doesn't get made."
Whatever happens, Williams will get more notable fights. He probably made a lot of new fans also with the way he fought. The same goes for Martinez.
They deserve it. And whomever they fight, let's just leave Benoist at home and enjoy the action that is sure to come.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Plan B turned into Grade A.
Plan A was supposed to be Paul Williams challenging middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in one of the most significant fights of 2009.
But after Pavlik pulled out for the second time a month ago, promoter Dan Goossen turned to Plan B: Sergio Martinez, the relatively unknown, but outstanding, junior middleweight titlist.
The result was sensational as Williams won a majority decision in a classic middleweight slugfest on Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall's Adrian Phillips Ballroom.
It was perhaps the fight of the year.
It featured nonstop, back-and-forth action from the opening bell -- the fellow southpaws both suffered first-round knockdowns -- and it never let up.
What should have been a glorious night for the sport, however, was marred by an indefensible scorecard turned in by judge Pierre Benoist, who scored it 119-110 for Williams, prompting the crowd of 2,927 to boo lustily. Judge Lynn Carter had it 115-113 for Williams and Julie Lederman had it 114-114. ESPN.com had it 114-113 for Martinez in a fight that was dead-even all the way and could have gone to either fighter.
"I thought my guy one by one point," said Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter. "I can live with a close loss. I can live with 115-113 or a draw. But I cannot live with a 119-110 incompetent piece of s--- who shouldn't work again as a judge. Is there anyone on Earth who actually thinks that great fight was almost a shutout? Please."
Said Martinez, "It was an error. It was a true error. We should have a rematch."
Even Goossen, while happy with the victory, panned the scorecard.
"I obviously felt that was off base," he said. "I'll take it but when everything was said and done I believe Paul won the fight."
But a horrible scorecard does not take away how wonderful the fight was. With no title on the line, Williams (38-1, 27 KOs) and Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) fought for pride and showed enormous heart.
As soon as the bell rang to start the fight, they were on the gas pedal. First it was Martinez going down on the end of a shot that caught him on the shoulder/neck area.
He popped up and didn't appear hurt and went right at Williams, eventually knocking him down on the end of a right hand just as the bell rang to conclude the round.
"It was a war. I was tying to make it a war and make him fight me," said Williams, who got his wish. "I had to get up and show him what a warrior is made of. I've been knocked down before in the gym and [I wanted to] show him what a true warrior is made of."
The wild first round set the stage for a scintillating war fought at an extremely high level.
"What a fight, it was a classic. It was Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward at a higher skill level," DiBella said.
Said Goossen, "It was a great fight. What can you say? Martinez was in the fight. He showed sensational fortitude. They both did."
A former two-time welterweight titlist from Augusta, Ga., Williams has been labeled the most feared fighter in boxing by some, a 6-foot-2 southpaw with the reach of a telephone pole who few want to fight.
But it's not like anyone was rushing to fight Martinez, born in Argentina and living in Spain. Both of them showed why with their gritty, skillful performances, and it's unlikely that a line will form anytime soon with other top fighters waiting to face them.
"For my guy to fight like that against a guy nobody wanted to fight, come up in weight and put on that kind of performance, Sergio Martinez is one of the best fighters in the world," DiBella said. "There is nobody at 154 who could beat him. He would walk through Kelly Pavlik."
Both fighters were extremely aggressive, but Williams almost recklessly as he went after Martinez, 34, and walked into many punches instead of using his reach advantage.
An accidental head butt in the fourth round opened a nasty cut over Williams' left eye, which bled throughout the fight.
But it didn't deter the 28-year-old Williams from brawling, which delighted the crowd. It cheered wildly throughout the fight as the two went toe-to-toe, eventually bringing nearly everyone in the joint to their feet for the final round.
"They call him the most feared fighter in the world but I didn't have any fear at all in this bout," Martinez said. "I know he is a good boxer and puncher, but I was never hurt. I wasn't exhausted. I actually wanted to pick up the pace later in the fight."
Williams' handlers always viewed Martinez as a more difficult opponent than the more one-dimensional Pavlik, and with good reason.
But Williams didn't hesitate to take the fight, even on short notice.
"I don't look for an easy fight. I look for a hard fight," said Williams, who sure got one. "The preparation was tough for this fight because I had to switch from training for a right-hander to left-hander just a few weeks ago. If people want to see this again, we can do it again."
Goossen may consider a rematch, but he'd prefer a bigger name for Williams to face.
"It's too soon to talk about what's next but two guys we've been chasing for a year and a half are Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins," he said. "Mosley has another fight [on Jan. 30] with Andre Berto. I think we would do great numbers for a Hopkins fight in Washington, D.C. [where Williams trains and spends a lot of time], or here in Atlantic City. It's a great fight and a fight Bernard should take."
What about Pavlik?
"We tried to make the Pavlik fight three times, but you know what happened," said Goossen, noting that Pavlik was well enough to take a Dec. 19 fight with unheralded Miguel Espino. "We'd do it but we would need a safety net in case he pulls out again. And no negotiation this time. It has to be a 50-50 deal or the fight doesn't get made."
Whatever happens, Williams will get more notable fights. He probably made a lot of new fans also with the way he fought. The same goes for Martinez.
They deserve it. And whomever they fight, let's just leave Benoist at home and enjoy the action that is sure to come.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
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Williams trades knockdowns with Martinez, takes decision -- USA Today
By J. Michael Falgoust, USA TODAY
ATLANTIC CITY — No longer can Paul Williams call himself the sport's most avoided fighter.
Sergio Martinez met him head-on Saturday night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
"They called him the most feared man in the world, but I didn't have any fear at all in this bout," said Martinez, who overcame a first-round knockdown to drop Williams at the first-round bell en route to losing a disputed majority decision in a non-title middleweight bout in front of 2,927.
In a Fight of the Year candidate that was as brutal as it was entertaining, judge Julie Lederman scored it even at 114 and Lynn Carter had it 115-113 for Williams. Pierre Benoist, however, saw it 119-110 for Williams. He gave Martinez, who holds a major belt at junior middleweight (154), the first two rounds but gave the next 10 to Williams.
Williams threw 340 more total punches, according to CompuBox estimates, but landed 31% to the Argentine's 40%.
There were furious exchanges throughout, most notably in the second, third and fifth rounds in which Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) rocked Williams (38-1, 27 KOs) by walking him into lead right hooks.
Undeterred, the 6-1 Williams, who was at welterweight two years ago but moved up in to 160 pounds in search of a challenge, found one. Martinez replaced Williams' initial opponent, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, who withdrew citing a hand injury.
"I don't look for an easy fight. I look for hard fights," said Williams, who has an 82-inch reach. "I knew this was going to be a tough fight. The preparation was difficult because we moved to a left-hander from a right-hander just a few weeks ago."
Williams kept the pressure against his fellow southpaw, walking him down and initiating most of the exchanges.
Martinez wasn't as effective with the right hook in the later rounds because he began to telegraph them. He started leading with left hands instead which found their mark as there was two-way action until the final bell.
Carter and Lederman gave three of the last four rounds to Martinez to close the gaps on their cards.
"Losing by one point I can live with, but 119-110 I want to hit the (expletive) guy," said Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment, Martinez's promoter. "What a fight. It was a classic. It was Gatti-Ward at a higher skill level.
"(Sergio) is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world."
Explosive Arreola: In an exciting heavyweight matchup, Chris Arreola (28-1, 25 KOs) rebounded from the first loss of his career by scoring a fourth-round KO of Brian Minto (34-3, 21 KOs).
Arreola, who was topped in the 10th round by Vitali Klitschko in September, weighed in at 263, 12 pounds heavier than he was for Klitschko. But that didn't seem to matter as he connected on 57% of his power punches, according to CompuBox estimates.
"I hear people make fun of me behind my back," Arreola said of his weight, "but I come in here to fight. The problem is when I train, I get hungry."
While Minto boxed well and controlled most of the action for the first two rounds, scoring looping right hands and left hooks to the body at will, Arreola's power advantage was evident. Except for a trickle of blood from the bridge of his nose, Arreola was unfazed even though he was an easy target.
Minto was moved by Arreola's jabs, and a right hand caused Minto's right eye to become red and swell in the second. By the end of the round, a massive knot formed under Minto's left eye.
A right hand buckled Minto in the fourth, and a second right hand put him down for the first time. Minto wouldn't go quietly, however, as he fought back and exchanged powershots bravely to his detriment. A left hook-right hand combination staggered Minto again as he folded over into the ropes for cover.
Referee Eddie Cotton didn't intervene until Arreola — who scored more than half of his 67 power-punch connects in the fourth — was able to get in two more punches to put Minto on the canvas cleanly. Cotton finally stopped the contest while administering the count.
"Regardless of my previous loss, I'm still a top contender in the world," Arreola said. "Besides, who's better than Vitali? Nobody?"
Although Vitali owns a major belt, as does younger brother Wladimir, Wladimir is recognized as the heavyweight champion by lineage.
On the rebound: Carlos Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs), who handed Williams his only loss almost two years ago, scored a third-round stoppage of against Jesse Feliciano (15-8-3, 9 KOs) in a welterweight bout. Quintana, who was knocked out in one by Williams in a rematch four months later, opened a cut over his right eye with a left hand. Quintana dominated most of the way and had him reeling in the second round but was caught by a left hook that put him down. It was only Quintana's second bout since his loss to Williams.
Source: usatoday.com
ATLANTIC CITY — No longer can Paul Williams call himself the sport's most avoided fighter.
Sergio Martinez met him head-on Saturday night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.
"They called him the most feared man in the world, but I didn't have any fear at all in this bout," said Martinez, who overcame a first-round knockdown to drop Williams at the first-round bell en route to losing a disputed majority decision in a non-title middleweight bout in front of 2,927.
In a Fight of the Year candidate that was as brutal as it was entertaining, judge Julie Lederman scored it even at 114 and Lynn Carter had it 115-113 for Williams. Pierre Benoist, however, saw it 119-110 for Williams. He gave Martinez, who holds a major belt at junior middleweight (154), the first two rounds but gave the next 10 to Williams.
Williams threw 340 more total punches, according to CompuBox estimates, but landed 31% to the Argentine's 40%.
There were furious exchanges throughout, most notably in the second, third and fifth rounds in which Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) rocked Williams (38-1, 27 KOs) by walking him into lead right hooks.
Undeterred, the 6-1 Williams, who was at welterweight two years ago but moved up in to 160 pounds in search of a challenge, found one. Martinez replaced Williams' initial opponent, middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, who withdrew citing a hand injury.
"I don't look for an easy fight. I look for hard fights," said Williams, who has an 82-inch reach. "I knew this was going to be a tough fight. The preparation was difficult because we moved to a left-hander from a right-hander just a few weeks ago."
Williams kept the pressure against his fellow southpaw, walking him down and initiating most of the exchanges.
Martinez wasn't as effective with the right hook in the later rounds because he began to telegraph them. He started leading with left hands instead which found their mark as there was two-way action until the final bell.
Carter and Lederman gave three of the last four rounds to Martinez to close the gaps on their cards.
"Losing by one point I can live with, but 119-110 I want to hit the (expletive) guy," said Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment, Martinez's promoter. "What a fight. It was a classic. It was Gatti-Ward at a higher skill level.
"(Sergio) is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world."
Explosive Arreola: In an exciting heavyweight matchup, Chris Arreola (28-1, 25 KOs) rebounded from the first loss of his career by scoring a fourth-round KO of Brian Minto (34-3, 21 KOs).
Arreola, who was topped in the 10th round by Vitali Klitschko in September, weighed in at 263, 12 pounds heavier than he was for Klitschko. But that didn't seem to matter as he connected on 57% of his power punches, according to CompuBox estimates.
"I hear people make fun of me behind my back," Arreola said of his weight, "but I come in here to fight. The problem is when I train, I get hungry."
While Minto boxed well and controlled most of the action for the first two rounds, scoring looping right hands and left hooks to the body at will, Arreola's power advantage was evident. Except for a trickle of blood from the bridge of his nose, Arreola was unfazed even though he was an easy target.
Minto was moved by Arreola's jabs, and a right hand caused Minto's right eye to become red and swell in the second. By the end of the round, a massive knot formed under Minto's left eye.
A right hand buckled Minto in the fourth, and a second right hand put him down for the first time. Minto wouldn't go quietly, however, as he fought back and exchanged powershots bravely to his detriment. A left hook-right hand combination staggered Minto again as he folded over into the ropes for cover.
Referee Eddie Cotton didn't intervene until Arreola — who scored more than half of his 67 power-punch connects in the fourth — was able to get in two more punches to put Minto on the canvas cleanly. Cotton finally stopped the contest while administering the count.
"Regardless of my previous loss, I'm still a top contender in the world," Arreola said. "Besides, who's better than Vitali? Nobody?"
Although Vitali owns a major belt, as does younger brother Wladimir, Wladimir is recognized as the heavyweight champion by lineage.
On the rebound: Carlos Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs), who handed Williams his only loss almost two years ago, scored a third-round stoppage of against Jesse Feliciano (15-8-3, 9 KOs) in a welterweight bout. Quintana, who was knocked out in one by Williams in a rematch four months later, opened a cut over his right eye with a left hand. Quintana dominated most of the way and had him reeling in the second round but was caught by a left hook that put him down. It was only Quintana's second bout since his loss to Williams.
Source: usatoday.com
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Super fight easier than expected to make -- My SA Sports
By John Whisler, My San Antonio Sports
So much for tough negotiations.
Getting Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to agree to fight each other was supposed to be a task bordering on the impossible. Sort of like Democrats and Republicans settling on health care reform.
Or worse.
With the egos involved, conventional wisdom said they'd never agree on the purse. One — or both — would surely demand more than a 50-50 split.
And surely there would be other problems. Such as, which fighter would take top billing?
But sanity apparently won out. And it took only a couple of weeks to happen.
The fight many are calling the richest in decades — and biggest since the classic battles featuring Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler of the 1980s — apparently is on after Pacquiao signed a contract Friday, according to published reports.
Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, met for two hours over breakfast in Manila on Friday to discuss the fight.
There apparently were some minor adjustments sought by Pacquiao and, once those were made, Pacquiao later in the day inked the deal.
Mayweather previously had agreed to terms with Golden Boy Promotions, his promoter for the HBO Pay-Per-View fight, but it is unknown if he actually has signed a contract.
The bout reportedly will take place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for Pacquiao's WBO title.
Some other interesting details have been revealed. One is a 50-50 split of the money, perhaps the most shocking of all.
But with the fight expected to eclipse the all-time record for PPV sales — Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya registered 2.44 million buys in 2007 — many experts are predicting each fighter could pocket $40 million or more.
It's hard to get too greedy with that kind of cash staring you in the face.
Also, both fighters apparently will wear 8-ounce gloves, but each fighter will be allowed to select the brand.
As for the marquees, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao, according to ESPN.com, but Arum's Top Rank will receive top billing over Golden Boy throughout the promotion.
The only hint of bad news here is the media tour. Apparently, there won't be one.
Promoters and HBO wanted the fight on May 1, but because Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in the Philippines, that date could have created a conflict between his training and the campaign.
Thus, March 13 was chosen.
But because of the earlier date, promoters felt there wasn't time to do a full-scale media tour to promote the fight.
This is too bad, because San Antonio might have been included on that tour.
Instead, there will only be a single news conference in New York during the second week of January.
Once Mayweather signs, the only major detail left to be finalized is the site.
The negotiations there could be tougher than they were for the fight itself.
Lesson learned? Maybe Pacquiao was driven to the bargaining table by what happened to Roy Jones Jr.
Wednesday, Jones was knocked out in the first round by Danny Green, sinking Jones' already-signed and long-awaited rematch with Bernard Hopkins.
Pacquiao, and Mayweather, too, for that matter, had talked of taking an interim fight before facing each other.
JOHN WHISLER'S VIEW FROM THE CORNER
Opening flurry
S.A. duo off to Russia: A local boxer and coach will represent the United States at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries boxing competition Dec. 17-20 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
Bantamweight Adam Lopez and Edward Rivas, coach of the U.S. Air Force team based at Lackland AFB, were named to the U.S. squad that will compete against elite boxers from 10 other countries.
Lopez, a senior at Highlands High School, has won multiple national titles, including the recent National Police Athletic League Championships at Municipal Auditorium.
He will be joined on the U.S. team by seven other boxers, including Errol Spence of DeSoto, the 2009 national champion welterweight.
Joining Rivas as coaches are Tom Moraetes (Augusta, Ga.) and Robert Luna (Commerce, Calif.).
Straight shots
Chavez tests positive: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faces a fine and suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, ESPN.com is reporting.
Chavez, 23, the son of Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic, following his Nov. 14 victory over Troy Rowland.
According to a complaint filed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Chavez faces a suspension of up to nine months and a fine of up to $100,000.
Vazquez-Marquez IV: Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez have already given us a classic trilogy. They will square off for a fourth time on May 22 at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Showtime.
Diaz rematch: The Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi rematch is set for Saturday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on HBO. Diaz, a native of Houston, won the first bout on a controversial decision in August in Houston.
Chavez returns: Austin lightweight Jesus Chavez is facing a tough challenge Dec. 19 when he meets Humberto Soto on a split site pay-per-view card in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
Local notebook
LBCs: The 2009 LBC Senior Championships run Friday-Sunday at the Antioch Sports Complex on the East Side.
First bell is 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Sunday’s session is tentative, depending on the number of registrations.
Male and female open and novice boxers age 17-34 are eligible to compete in novice and open divisions.
Admission is $8 per session.
Amateur MMA: Texas Fight Fest 16 is set for Saturday night at Cowboys Dancehall.
The eight-bout, amateur mixed martial arts card begins at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5.
Featured fighters include San Antonians C.J. Vergara, flyweight; Bubba Martinez, middleweight; and Chris Lopez, cruiserweight.
Also, Richard Smith, an instructor at Lackland AFB, is scheduled to take on Houston police officer Jason Williamson in a light heavyweight match.
Tickets are $15 general admission and $35 for cageside.
jwhisler@express-news.net
Source: mysanantonio.com
So much for tough negotiations.
Getting Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to agree to fight each other was supposed to be a task bordering on the impossible. Sort of like Democrats and Republicans settling on health care reform.
Or worse.
With the egos involved, conventional wisdom said they'd never agree on the purse. One — or both — would surely demand more than a 50-50 split.
And surely there would be other problems. Such as, which fighter would take top billing?
But sanity apparently won out. And it took only a couple of weeks to happen.
The fight many are calling the richest in decades — and biggest since the classic battles featuring Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler of the 1980s — apparently is on after Pacquiao signed a contract Friday, according to published reports.
Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, met for two hours over breakfast in Manila on Friday to discuss the fight.
There apparently were some minor adjustments sought by Pacquiao and, once those were made, Pacquiao later in the day inked the deal.
Mayweather previously had agreed to terms with Golden Boy Promotions, his promoter for the HBO Pay-Per-View fight, but it is unknown if he actually has signed a contract.
The bout reportedly will take place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for Pacquiao's WBO title.
Some other interesting details have been revealed. One is a 50-50 split of the money, perhaps the most shocking of all.
But with the fight expected to eclipse the all-time record for PPV sales — Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya registered 2.44 million buys in 2007 — many experts are predicting each fighter could pocket $40 million or more.
It's hard to get too greedy with that kind of cash staring you in the face.
Also, both fighters apparently will wear 8-ounce gloves, but each fighter will be allowed to select the brand.
As for the marquees, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao, according to ESPN.com, but Arum's Top Rank will receive top billing over Golden Boy throughout the promotion.
The only hint of bad news here is the media tour. Apparently, there won't be one.
Promoters and HBO wanted the fight on May 1, but because Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in the Philippines, that date could have created a conflict between his training and the campaign.
Thus, March 13 was chosen.
But because of the earlier date, promoters felt there wasn't time to do a full-scale media tour to promote the fight.
This is too bad, because San Antonio might have been included on that tour.
Instead, there will only be a single news conference in New York during the second week of January.
Once Mayweather signs, the only major detail left to be finalized is the site.
The negotiations there could be tougher than they were for the fight itself.
Lesson learned? Maybe Pacquiao was driven to the bargaining table by what happened to Roy Jones Jr.
Wednesday, Jones was knocked out in the first round by Danny Green, sinking Jones' already-signed and long-awaited rematch with Bernard Hopkins.
Pacquiao, and Mayweather, too, for that matter, had talked of taking an interim fight before facing each other.
JOHN WHISLER'S VIEW FROM THE CORNER
Opening flurry
S.A. duo off to Russia: A local boxer and coach will represent the United States at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries boxing competition Dec. 17-20 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
Bantamweight Adam Lopez and Edward Rivas, coach of the U.S. Air Force team based at Lackland AFB, were named to the U.S. squad that will compete against elite boxers from 10 other countries.
Lopez, a senior at Highlands High School, has won multiple national titles, including the recent National Police Athletic League Championships at Municipal Auditorium.
He will be joined on the U.S. team by seven other boxers, including Errol Spence of DeSoto, the 2009 national champion welterweight.
Joining Rivas as coaches are Tom Moraetes (Augusta, Ga.) and Robert Luna (Commerce, Calif.).
Straight shots
Chavez tests positive: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. faces a fine and suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, ESPN.com is reporting.
Chavez, 23, the son of Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic, following his Nov. 14 victory over Troy Rowland.
According to a complaint filed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Chavez faces a suspension of up to nine months and a fine of up to $100,000.
Vazquez-Marquez IV: Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez have already given us a classic trilogy. They will square off for a fourth time on May 22 at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Showtime.
Diaz rematch: The Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi rematch is set for Saturday at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on HBO. Diaz, a native of Houston, won the first bout on a controversial decision in August in Houston.
Chavez returns: Austin lightweight Jesus Chavez is facing a tough challenge Dec. 19 when he meets Humberto Soto on a split site pay-per-view card in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico.
Local notebook
LBCs: The 2009 LBC Senior Championships run Friday-Sunday at the Antioch Sports Complex on the East Side.
First bell is 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Sunday’s session is tentative, depending on the number of registrations.
Male and female open and novice boxers age 17-34 are eligible to compete in novice and open divisions.
Admission is $8 per session.
Amateur MMA: Texas Fight Fest 16 is set for Saturday night at Cowboys Dancehall.
The eight-bout, amateur mixed martial arts card begins at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5.
Featured fighters include San Antonians C.J. Vergara, flyweight; Bubba Martinez, middleweight; and Chris Lopez, cruiserweight.
Also, Richard Smith, an instructor at Lackland AFB, is scheduled to take on Houston police officer Jason Williamson in a light heavyweight match.
Tickets are $15 general admission and $35 for cageside.
jwhisler@express-news.net
Source: mysanantonio.com
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Khan sends message to America -- ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports
The flag of Pakistan waved proudly from the stands as Amir Khan defended his WBA light-welterweight title against Dimitriy Salita.
On his moment of victory, it was hoisted proudly alongside - sewn together with, in fact - the Union Jack and the flag of St George.
In the defeated Salita's corner, both the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David hung limp.
If comments he made this week are to be taken seriously, Khan is a young man who sits a little uneasily with his heritage. On Saturday night, the message was clear: go global.
No-one expected the competent but untested Salita to provide any kind of defining fight for the Bolton 22-year-old. But the manner of Khan's victory was sensational.
His profile - hardly tarnished by one unfortunate, unguarded remark - will sky-rocket as a result and surely ratchet up the interest of the American pay-per-view moguls.
A Khan fight these days is a big-time buzz - a buzz captured once by the ringside Naseem Hamed, and on Ricky Hatton's Las Vegas dates.
It is a buzz which transcends the sport and filters through to high streets and big-screen bars.
It's a buzz which will comfortably drown out a handful of remaining bigots just as long as Khan continues to produce his dazzlingly quick and classy performances inside the ring.
Khan's performance was perfect. Salita hardly brought with him the record of a big-punching threat but he nevertheless boasted a record of 31 fights and no defeats.
Khan smashed him to the canvas three times in the opening minute before the contest was waved off. It was a message to reverberate across the Atlantic.
Next for Khan, perhaps, Las Vegas. Ironically that is a place which his Filipino gym-mate Manny Pacquiao has made his own in the last 12 months with stunning wins over Oscar De Hoya and Miguel Cotto.
Not for Las Vegans the kind of small-minded attitude Khan was intimating exists in Britain. The Strip's reknowned fight fans will acclaim a fighter of any creed or colour for their own just so long as he can fight.
Khan can fight. His chin may be dodgy, his defence leaky albeit much improved, his over-eagerness a little concerning, but all those add up to make him one of the most exciting and accessible stars in the sport today.
He brings with him that profile - not a profile rooted in any particular race, rather one which presents a carefully brash and cocksure young kid with the big ambition of emulating and perhaps even beating Pacquiao.
Khan's world is one in which he really need not concern himself with perceived injustices, simply because, as well as seemingly being wide of the mark, they relate to an ever more marginalised band of critics.
He needs to keep doing more jobs like the one he did on Salita on Saturday night, in a respectful fight which, incidentally, had successfully pretty much avoided the issue of a Muslim fighting a Jew.
Such parochial concerns are best kept to grubby pamphlets and pit-bull backyards. Khan has the capability to rise above it, and one day become a fighter whose ability will be recognised and cheered by all.
Source: espnstar.com
The flag of Pakistan waved proudly from the stands as Amir Khan defended his WBA light-welterweight title against Dimitriy Salita.
On his moment of victory, it was hoisted proudly alongside - sewn together with, in fact - the Union Jack and the flag of St George.
In the defeated Salita's corner, both the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David hung limp.
If comments he made this week are to be taken seriously, Khan is a young man who sits a little uneasily with his heritage. On Saturday night, the message was clear: go global.
No-one expected the competent but untested Salita to provide any kind of defining fight for the Bolton 22-year-old. But the manner of Khan's victory was sensational.
His profile - hardly tarnished by one unfortunate, unguarded remark - will sky-rocket as a result and surely ratchet up the interest of the American pay-per-view moguls.
A Khan fight these days is a big-time buzz - a buzz captured once by the ringside Naseem Hamed, and on Ricky Hatton's Las Vegas dates.
It is a buzz which transcends the sport and filters through to high streets and big-screen bars.
It's a buzz which will comfortably drown out a handful of remaining bigots just as long as Khan continues to produce his dazzlingly quick and classy performances inside the ring.
Khan's performance was perfect. Salita hardly brought with him the record of a big-punching threat but he nevertheless boasted a record of 31 fights and no defeats.
Khan smashed him to the canvas three times in the opening minute before the contest was waved off. It was a message to reverberate across the Atlantic.
Next for Khan, perhaps, Las Vegas. Ironically that is a place which his Filipino gym-mate Manny Pacquiao has made his own in the last 12 months with stunning wins over Oscar De Hoya and Miguel Cotto.
Not for Las Vegans the kind of small-minded attitude Khan was intimating exists in Britain. The Strip's reknowned fight fans will acclaim a fighter of any creed or colour for their own just so long as he can fight.
Khan can fight. His chin may be dodgy, his defence leaky albeit much improved, his over-eagerness a little concerning, but all those add up to make him one of the most exciting and accessible stars in the sport today.
He brings with him that profile - not a profile rooted in any particular race, rather one which presents a carefully brash and cocksure young kid with the big ambition of emulating and perhaps even beating Pacquiao.
Khan's world is one in which he really need not concern himself with perceived injustices, simply because, as well as seemingly being wide of the mark, they relate to an ever more marginalised band of critics.
He needs to keep doing more jobs like the one he did on Salita on Saturday night, in a respectful fight which, incidentally, had successfully pretty much avoided the issue of a Muslim fighting a Jew.
Such parochial concerns are best kept to grubby pamphlets and pit-bull backyards. Khan has the capability to rise above it, and one day become a fighter whose ability will be recognised and cheered by all.
Source: espnstar.com
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Ricky Hatton ponders one last hurrah with 2010 farewell fight -- Mail Online
By Peter Higgs, Mail Online
Ricky Hatton will return for one fight only if he confirms his decision on his comeback early in the New Year.
The 31-year-old former light-welterweight world champion is seriously contemplating a farewell appearance simply to remove the shame of his last defeat, a two-round knockout against Manny Pacquiao in May.
Britain’s most popular boxer was so embarrassed by the manner of the Las Vegas loss that he wants to give his thousands of fans one last, happy memory before hanging up his gloves.
Despite the clamour of disapproval which he knows will come with his return to the ring, Hatton will place his trust in those close to him before making his final decision — and does not care what critics have to say on the matter.
Only another boxer would know why I’m thinking about having another fight,’ said Hatton.
‘It was embarrassing for me what happened against Pacquiao. There were things that went on in my training camp that affected that fight and I will talk to the people who know.
‘I’m not going to take any notice of those people who say I should never go back in the ring because they do not know me and they do not know what has gone on in the background.
‘I’ve heard the warnings about boxers going on too long and risking long-term damage. But I’m not coming back for five fights or anything like that. If I decide to come back it will be for one fight.’
Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez remains the most likely opponent, while a match against Amir Khan in a big-money showdown is unlikely.
Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach has been talking up the fight, but Hatton, looking for a comfortable farewell, is unlikely to be tempted.
With about £30million in the bank, he does not need the money.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Ricky Hatton will return for one fight only if he confirms his decision on his comeback early in the New Year.
The 31-year-old former light-welterweight world champion is seriously contemplating a farewell appearance simply to remove the shame of his last defeat, a two-round knockout against Manny Pacquiao in May.
Britain’s most popular boxer was so embarrassed by the manner of the Las Vegas loss that he wants to give his thousands of fans one last, happy memory before hanging up his gloves.
Despite the clamour of disapproval which he knows will come with his return to the ring, Hatton will place his trust in those close to him before making his final decision — and does not care what critics have to say on the matter.
Only another boxer would know why I’m thinking about having another fight,’ said Hatton.
‘It was embarrassing for me what happened against Pacquiao. There were things that went on in my training camp that affected that fight and I will talk to the people who know.
‘I’m not going to take any notice of those people who say I should never go back in the ring because they do not know me and they do not know what has gone on in the background.
‘I’ve heard the warnings about boxers going on too long and risking long-term damage. But I’m not coming back for five fights or anything like that. If I decide to come back it will be for one fight.’
Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez remains the most likely opponent, while a match against Amir Khan in a big-money showdown is unlikely.
Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach has been talking up the fight, but Hatton, looking for a comfortable farewell, is unlikely to be tempted.
With about £30million in the bank, he does not need the money.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
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Unbeaten Chavez tests positive for diuretic: report -- AFP
AFP
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Unbeaten Mexican middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. has tested positive for the banned diuretic Furosemide and faces a nine-month suspension and 100,000-dollar fine, ESPN reported Saturday.
The son of Mexican boxing icon Chavez Snr, tested positive in his 10-round victory over Troy Rowland on November 14, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer said Saturday.
The bout was on the undercard of Filipino star Manny Pacquiao's victory over Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto last month in Las Vegas.
Chavez, 23, has until December 21 to respond to a formal complaint with a hearing to follow. Should the commission uphold the test results, Chavez's victory would be ruled a no decision.
Chavez would also have to provide a clean urine sample before being allowed to fight in Nevada again.
While a suspension would likely be honored across the United States, Chavez would be free to fight in Mexico.
Furosemide is included on the World Anti Doping Agency's list of banned products under the heading 'Diuretics and Other Masking Agents'.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Source: Google News
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Unbeaten Mexican middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr. has tested positive for the banned diuretic Furosemide and faces a nine-month suspension and 100,000-dollar fine, ESPN reported Saturday.
The son of Mexican boxing icon Chavez Snr, tested positive in his 10-round victory over Troy Rowland on November 14, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer said Saturday.
The bout was on the undercard of Filipino star Manny Pacquiao's victory over Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto last month in Las Vegas.
Chavez, 23, has until December 21 to respond to a formal complaint with a hearing to follow. Should the commission uphold the test results, Chavez's victory would be ruled a no decision.
Chavez would also have to provide a clean urine sample before being allowed to fight in Nevada again.
While a suspension would likely be honored across the United States, Chavez would be free to fight in Mexico.
Furosemide is included on the World Anti Doping Agency's list of banned products under the heading 'Diuretics and Other Masking Agents'.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Source: Google News
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Khan stops Salita to defend light-welter crown -- AFP
By Nick Parkinson, AFP
NEWCASTLE, England — Amir Khan defeated Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight title here at the Metro Radio Arena on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Briton ended the unbeaten record of New Yorker Salita after flooring the challenger twice before finishing the fight with a left hook to the chin to complete a speedy first title defence.
WBA champion Khan has declared he wants to fight in America in 2010 and this victory once again showed how the 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallist is improving since losing his unbeaten record last year.
Salita, born in Ukraine but who moved to New York in his childhood, claimed he would expose Khan's punch resistance, but there was no repeat of the bout in September last year when the Briton was blown away in just 54 seconds by Colombian Breidis Prescott.
Instead, it was Salita who was overwhelmed in the first round.
Salita looked mesmerised as Khan launched his ferocious assault and the New Yorker was first dumped on the canvas by a left-right combination.
After taking a standing count of eight, Salita continued but moments later was in more trouble as Khan unloaded a blizzard of punches with the challenger trapped in the corner.
Salita was given another standing count before Khan finished the bout with a sweet left hook that prompted Puerto Rican referee Luis Pavon to step in.
Khan, who captured the WBA title with a commanding points win over Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in July, spent the prelude to his first world title defence against mandatory challenger Salita saying how much he wanted to box in America, where he prepares for fights at the gym of trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.
Khan have been looking beyond Salita, but he did not look distracted in the ring as he went about his business in quick fashion.
Salita dropped to 30 wins, one defeat and one draw while Khan improved his professional record to 22 victories and one loss.
"It was very explosive," Khan, a rejuvenated boxer under Roach's guidance, told BBC Radio Five Live.
"The fight was just what we asked for, what Freddie asked me to do. We had too much power for this guy.
"I'm a growing young man and developing as a man," Khan added.
"Freddie said to take it easy, pick the right shots and you'll take this guy out and we did.
"Freddie is a great trainer, he's like a father figure to me and to have him in my corner means a lot.
"Everyone knows I'm a hard-working fighter and if you put the hard work in you're going to get the benefits.
"After the first shot I could see his legs buckling and I just had to take my time. I knew he was going."
He added: "It was a blessing in disguise what happened against Prescott, I got beat and came back stronger. I'm getting stronger and quicker."
Roach, asked to rate Khan's performance, said: "I would give him an A+.
"We've been working on that power and the fight was really over after that first punch."
There were many who feared for Khan's career after his loss to Prescott but he returned to form with a victory over Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera before defeating Kotelnik.
Earlier on the Khan bill, unbeaten Briton Kevin Mitchell out-boxed Prescott to earn a unanimous points victory, 119-110, 118-111, 117-111 in an eliminator for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) lightweight title.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Source: Google News
NEWCASTLE, England — Amir Khan defeated Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds to retain his World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight title here at the Metro Radio Arena on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Briton ended the unbeaten record of New Yorker Salita after flooring the challenger twice before finishing the fight with a left hook to the chin to complete a speedy first title defence.
WBA champion Khan has declared he wants to fight in America in 2010 and this victory once again showed how the 2004 Athens Olympic silver medallist is improving since losing his unbeaten record last year.
Salita, born in Ukraine but who moved to New York in his childhood, claimed he would expose Khan's punch resistance, but there was no repeat of the bout in September last year when the Briton was blown away in just 54 seconds by Colombian Breidis Prescott.
Instead, it was Salita who was overwhelmed in the first round.
Salita looked mesmerised as Khan launched his ferocious assault and the New Yorker was first dumped on the canvas by a left-right combination.
After taking a standing count of eight, Salita continued but moments later was in more trouble as Khan unloaded a blizzard of punches with the challenger trapped in the corner.
Salita was given another standing count before Khan finished the bout with a sweet left hook that prompted Puerto Rican referee Luis Pavon to step in.
Khan, who captured the WBA title with a commanding points win over Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in July, spent the prelude to his first world title defence against mandatory challenger Salita saying how much he wanted to box in America, where he prepares for fights at the gym of trainer Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.
Khan have been looking beyond Salita, but he did not look distracted in the ring as he went about his business in quick fashion.
Salita dropped to 30 wins, one defeat and one draw while Khan improved his professional record to 22 victories and one loss.
"It was very explosive," Khan, a rejuvenated boxer under Roach's guidance, told BBC Radio Five Live.
"The fight was just what we asked for, what Freddie asked me to do. We had too much power for this guy.
"I'm a growing young man and developing as a man," Khan added.
"Freddie said to take it easy, pick the right shots and you'll take this guy out and we did.
"Freddie is a great trainer, he's like a father figure to me and to have him in my corner means a lot.
"Everyone knows I'm a hard-working fighter and if you put the hard work in you're going to get the benefits.
"After the first shot I could see his legs buckling and I just had to take my time. I knew he was going."
He added: "It was a blessing in disguise what happened against Prescott, I got beat and came back stronger. I'm getting stronger and quicker."
Roach, asked to rate Khan's performance, said: "I would give him an A+.
"We've been working on that power and the fight was really over after that first punch."
There were many who feared for Khan's career after his loss to Prescott but he returned to form with a victory over Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera before defeating Kotelnik.
Earlier on the Khan bill, unbeaten Briton Kevin Mitchell out-boxed Prescott to earn a unanimous points victory, 119-110, 118-111, 117-111 in an eliminator for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) lightweight title.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
Source: Google News
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Khan destroys Salita in battle of faiths -- CNN
CNN
British boxer Amir Khan has retained his WBA light-welterweight title after winning the much-hyped "battle of the faiths" by stopping challenger Dmitriy Salita in the first round on Saturday night.
Khan, a devout Muslim, knocked down his Jewish opponent three times before the referee stopped after just one minute and 16 seconds.
Salita, an American citizen who was born in Ukraine and is nicknamed "Star of David", was unable to follow up his bold claims made in the build-up to the fight, which took place in Newcastle in the north-east of England.
The 22-year-old Khan was successful in his first defense of the belt that he won in defeating Andreas Kotelnik in July.
He is trained by American Freddie Roach, who also guides Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
"It was very explosive. The fight was just what we asked for, what Freddie asked me to do. We had too much power for this guy," a delighted Khan told reporters after the fight.
"I'm a growing young man and developing as a man. Freddie said to take it easy, pick the right shots and you'll take this guy out and we did.
"Freddie is a great trainer, he's like a father figure to me and to have him in my corner means a lot. Everyone knows I'm a hard-working fighter and if you put the hard work in you're going to get the benefits.
"After the first shot I could see his legs buckling and I just had to take my time. I knew he was going."
Roach has helped the Olympic silver medal winner to rebuild his career after a humiliating defeat by unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott last year.
"It was a blessing in disguise what happened against Prescott, I got beat and came back stronger," Khan said.
Roach was equally impressed with his young charge.
"I would give him an A+. I said if you hurt him, finish him. We've been working on that power and the fight was really over after that first punch," he said.
Source: edition.cnn.com
British boxer Amir Khan has retained his WBA light-welterweight title after winning the much-hyped "battle of the faiths" by stopping challenger Dmitriy Salita in the first round on Saturday night.
Khan, a devout Muslim, knocked down his Jewish opponent three times before the referee stopped after just one minute and 16 seconds.
Salita, an American citizen who was born in Ukraine and is nicknamed "Star of David", was unable to follow up his bold claims made in the build-up to the fight, which took place in Newcastle in the north-east of England.
The 22-year-old Khan was successful in his first defense of the belt that he won in defeating Andreas Kotelnik in July.
He is trained by American Freddie Roach, who also guides Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
"It was very explosive. The fight was just what we asked for, what Freddie asked me to do. We had too much power for this guy," a delighted Khan told reporters after the fight.
"I'm a growing young man and developing as a man. Freddie said to take it easy, pick the right shots and you'll take this guy out and we did.
"Freddie is a great trainer, he's like a father figure to me and to have him in my corner means a lot. Everyone knows I'm a hard-working fighter and if you put the hard work in you're going to get the benefits.
"After the first shot I could see his legs buckling and I just had to take my time. I knew he was going."
Roach has helped the Olympic silver medal winner to rebuild his career after a humiliating defeat by unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott last year.
"It was a blessing in disguise what happened against Prescott, I got beat and came back stronger," Khan said.
Roach was equally impressed with his young charge.
"I would give him an A+. I said if you hurt him, finish him. We've been working on that power and the fight was really over after that first punch," he said.
Source: edition.cnn.com
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Amir Khan demolishes Dmitriy Salita in 76 seconds!
Boxing News World
At Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, the first knockdown of the much anticipated WBA Light Welterweight championship fight came barely 10 seconds in the fight via a crushing left hook-right straight combination flushed to the challenger's face.
Previously undefeated challenger Dmitriy Salita (now 30-1-1, 16 KOs) managed to get to his feet and continue but not for long. A flurry of punches by the determined champion Amir Khan (now 22-1, 16 KOs) put him down to the floor for the second time seconds later. Finally, the Bolton's pride Khan finished him off with Manny Pacquiao-like, lightning quick flurry of punches that prompted the Puerto Rican referee Luis Pavon to step in and end the one-sided contest at 1.16 of the openning round.
At Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, the first knockdown of the much anticipated WBA Light Welterweight championship fight came barely 10 seconds in the fight via a crushing left hook-right straight combination flushed to the challenger's face.
Previously undefeated challenger Dmitriy Salita (now 30-1-1, 16 KOs) managed to get to his feet and continue but not for long. A flurry of punches by the determined champion Amir Khan (now 22-1, 16 KOs) put him down to the floor for the second time seconds later. Finally, the Bolton's pride Khan finished him off with Manny Pacquiao-like, lightning quick flurry of punches that prompted the Puerto Rican referee Luis Pavon to step in and end the one-sided contest at 1.16 of the openning round.
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