Boxing News World
Sunday, 13 December 2009
Best B.J. Penn ever? -- Las Vegas Sun
By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Like many others around the world, B.J. Penn was very impressed when he watched world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao dismantle Miguel Cotto last month in Las Vegas.
Penn (15-5-1) delivered a very similar performance Saturday in defending his UFC lightweight championship against top contender Diego Sanchez with a TKO stoppage in the fifth round of UFC 107.
Penn admitted there are a few similarities between his style and the Filipino boxer’s, although they’re hard to compare because of the difference between the two sports.
“I just like watching Pacquiao, he throws punches in bunches,” Penn said. “You might get away from the first one but not the second and third. I was throwing the first tonight and it was the ones at the end that were landing.
“But this is mixed martial arts where a guy can take you down. So with that said, I can’t be as free with my punches.”
That may be true, but the takedown defense of Penn basically turned Saturday night’s championship fight at FedEx Forum into a boxing match.
The challenger Sanchez (23-3) continually looked for opportunities to get Penn to the mat during their five-round fight but was unsuccessful every time.
The Memphis crowd even began booing Sanchez when he latched on to Penn’s lower body looking for single-leg takedowns. The champion said he didn’t mind that strategy from Sanchez, as it provided plenty of opportunities to land easy shots.
“It’s a blessing when a guy grabs my leg, I know that’s my chance to hit him,” Penn said. “It’s either that or he’s running away. I didn’t know what game plan he was going to use, but I was glad every time he grabbed my leg.”
Penn didn’t need long to take control of the fight, dropping Sanchez with a big right hand in the fight’s opening round.
That shot had Sanchez in trouble immediately, especially when Penn jumped on him right after looking to finish Sanchez off. Referee Herb Dean gave Sanchez a chance to recompose himself, which he eventually did.
After the fight, UFC President Dana White commended Dean for not stopping the fight too early.
“I thought Herb Dean did a fantastic job in the first round,” White said. “It’s not often you get to fight for a title. He was watching closely and let that thing continue. Diego ended up being OK and he showed a lot of heart by hanging in there and kept coming forward.”
Although Sanchez survived the early scare, he was unable to even come close to turning the fight around.
Penn seemed a step ahead of the 27-year-old fighter through all five rounds, stuffing takedowns and dominating the stand-up.
By the end of the fight, Sanchez’s face was badly swollen from all the damage he had taken, including the deep gash over his left eye that ended up being the cause of the stoppage. Sanchez was taken immediately to the hospital following the bout.
Although he was clearly dominated through the entire fight, Penn said he never saw a mental break in Sanchez as the fight wore on.
“One thing I give Diego credit for is he recovers well,” Penn said. “I hit him with some big shots, he recovered and kept going. I think after the first round he started to back up a bit but he never totally gave up on the fight. He always thought he was in it.”
To observers, the fight was not a let down from the challenger as much as it was an outstanding performance by the champion.
Thought to be one of the biggest threats to Penn’s reign as a champion, Sanchez could find rhythm against the 31-year-old, whose birthday is today.
“To me, it was just another fight, but (UFC co-owner) Frank Fertitta and (UFC commentator) Mike Goldberg were telling me it was one of the best fights of my career,” Penn said. “I don’t know. I haven’t watched the tape yet.”
The win, and how dominating of a win it was, makes the future very interesting for the lightweight champ.
In the week leading up to the fight, Penn mentioned multiple times his desire to get another shot at welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who he already has lost to twice in his career.
White has said he would consider giving Penn another shot, only if he cleaned out the entire lightweight division.
After defeating Sanchez as handily as he did, some believe Penn already has fulfilled that requirement.
“It’s hard to pick any weaknesses in B.J.,” said UFC heavyweight Frank Mir. “Really at this point in the 155-pound division, it’s hard to see who could have a definitive shot against him. Maybe you could wrestle him to death, but that’s hard to say when the guy has five rounds to knock you out or submit you.”
Realistically, there are only two fighters left in the lightweight division that are considered potential threats to Penn: Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.
Following the fight, Penn refused to comment on potential future match-ups, saying he was just going to enjoy the win.
Whether his next shot in the welterweight division is next or another title defense must comes first, one thing is certain.
We’re seeing arguably the best Penn ever.
“At 31, he’s finally training seriously,” laughed White. “I’ve been waiting for this for years, for B.J. Penn to take it seriously. He’s the real deal. He’s been coasting on talent for years, but now he’s taking it serious.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.
Source: lasvegassun.com
***
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Like many others around the world, B.J. Penn was very impressed when he watched world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao dismantle Miguel Cotto last month in Las Vegas.
Penn (15-5-1) delivered a very similar performance Saturday in defending his UFC lightweight championship against top contender Diego Sanchez with a TKO stoppage in the fifth round of UFC 107.
Penn admitted there are a few similarities between his style and the Filipino boxer’s, although they’re hard to compare because of the difference between the two sports.
“I just like watching Pacquiao, he throws punches in bunches,” Penn said. “You might get away from the first one but not the second and third. I was throwing the first tonight and it was the ones at the end that were landing.
“But this is mixed martial arts where a guy can take you down. So with that said, I can’t be as free with my punches.”
That may be true, but the takedown defense of Penn basically turned Saturday night’s championship fight at FedEx Forum into a boxing match.
The challenger Sanchez (23-3) continually looked for opportunities to get Penn to the mat during their five-round fight but was unsuccessful every time.
The Memphis crowd even began booing Sanchez when he latched on to Penn’s lower body looking for single-leg takedowns. The champion said he didn’t mind that strategy from Sanchez, as it provided plenty of opportunities to land easy shots.
“It’s a blessing when a guy grabs my leg, I know that’s my chance to hit him,” Penn said. “It’s either that or he’s running away. I didn’t know what game plan he was going to use, but I was glad every time he grabbed my leg.”
Penn didn’t need long to take control of the fight, dropping Sanchez with a big right hand in the fight’s opening round.
That shot had Sanchez in trouble immediately, especially when Penn jumped on him right after looking to finish Sanchez off. Referee Herb Dean gave Sanchez a chance to recompose himself, which he eventually did.
After the fight, UFC President Dana White commended Dean for not stopping the fight too early.
“I thought Herb Dean did a fantastic job in the first round,” White said. “It’s not often you get to fight for a title. He was watching closely and let that thing continue. Diego ended up being OK and he showed a lot of heart by hanging in there and kept coming forward.”
Although Sanchez survived the early scare, he was unable to even come close to turning the fight around.
Penn seemed a step ahead of the 27-year-old fighter through all five rounds, stuffing takedowns and dominating the stand-up.
By the end of the fight, Sanchez’s face was badly swollen from all the damage he had taken, including the deep gash over his left eye that ended up being the cause of the stoppage. Sanchez was taken immediately to the hospital following the bout.
Although he was clearly dominated through the entire fight, Penn said he never saw a mental break in Sanchez as the fight wore on.
“One thing I give Diego credit for is he recovers well,” Penn said. “I hit him with some big shots, he recovered and kept going. I think after the first round he started to back up a bit but he never totally gave up on the fight. He always thought he was in it.”
To observers, the fight was not a let down from the challenger as much as it was an outstanding performance by the champion.
Thought to be one of the biggest threats to Penn’s reign as a champion, Sanchez could find rhythm against the 31-year-old, whose birthday is today.
“To me, it was just another fight, but (UFC co-owner) Frank Fertitta and (UFC commentator) Mike Goldberg were telling me it was one of the best fights of my career,” Penn said. “I don’t know. I haven’t watched the tape yet.”
The win, and how dominating of a win it was, makes the future very interesting for the lightweight champ.
In the week leading up to the fight, Penn mentioned multiple times his desire to get another shot at welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who he already has lost to twice in his career.
White has said he would consider giving Penn another shot, only if he cleaned out the entire lightweight division.
After defeating Sanchez as handily as he did, some believe Penn already has fulfilled that requirement.
“It’s hard to pick any weaknesses in B.J.,” said UFC heavyweight Frank Mir. “Really at this point in the 155-pound division, it’s hard to see who could have a definitive shot against him. Maybe you could wrestle him to death, but that’s hard to say when the guy has five rounds to knock you out or submit you.”
Realistically, there are only two fighters left in the lightweight division that are considered potential threats to Penn: Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.
Following the fight, Penn refused to comment on potential future match-ups, saying he was just going to enjoy the win.
Whether his next shot in the welterweight division is next or another title defense must comes first, one thing is certain.
We’re seeing arguably the best Penn ever.
“At 31, he’s finally training seriously,” laughed White. “I’ve been waiting for this for years, for B.J. Penn to take it seriously. He’s the real deal. He’s been coasting on talent for years, but now he’s taking it serious.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.
Source: lasvegassun.com
***
Manny Pacquiao Would Welcome Random Drug Test -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, on Friday said Floyd Mayweather's camp "wants Olympic-style drug testing" for the March 13 matchup between the sports' two best boxers -- something Roach said he has "no problem" with in an interview with Elie Seckbach of FanHouse.
Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) also would welcome such a procedure when reached Saturday in the Philippines, where he is with the seven-division world champion.
"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. And none of this is getting under Manny's skin or anything," said Koncz.
"I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter," said Koncz. "It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that s**t."
Leonard Ellerbe, manager of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), confirmed their side's desire for the random procedure for both fighters.
"This will be implemented. It is going to be done," Ellerbe told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press, the hometown newspaper of Mayweather, now a Las Vegas resident.
"Floyd's got nothing to do with this," said Ellerbe. "It's our job to protect him and give him the best chance to be successful."
The notion first surfaced back on Sept. 15, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. told The Grand Rapids Press, "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got 'roids in his body."
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," said Mayweather Sr. in a video on the newspaper's Web site.
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not," said Mayweather Sr. "He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him."
Roach and Pacquiao, respectively, were then informed of Floyd Sr.'s implications for the first time by FanHouse.
"Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from?" asked Roach, referring to Pacquiao's second-round victory over Ricky Hatton, who was trained by Floyd Sr. at the time.
"You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lose," said Roach. "They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."
Pacquiao seemed equally perplexed.
"You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is," said Pacquiao. "I've never done that. Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me."
Two months later, Koncz is saying the same thing.
"If the commission decides to do any testing then maybe they'll find something in Floyd, because they certainly won't find anything in Manny," said Koncz.
"Maybe Floyd should go to church a little more," said Koncz. "Then, maybe Floyd would find out where Manny gets his source of strength and power from."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, on Friday said Floyd Mayweather's camp "wants Olympic-style drug testing" for the March 13 matchup between the sports' two best boxers -- something Roach said he has "no problem" with in an interview with Elie Seckbach of FanHouse.
Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) also would welcome such a procedure when reached Saturday in the Philippines, where he is with the seven-division world champion.
"Our reaction is, 'So what?' We know Manny doesn't take any illegal drugs or anything. And none of this is getting under Manny's skin or anything," said Koncz.
"I'm here with Manny, and to him, it's like a joke. It's a laughing matter," said Koncz. "It's something foolish anyway. Why would we be concerned? We know he doesn't do any of that s**t."
Leonard Ellerbe, manager of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), confirmed their side's desire for the random procedure for both fighters.
"This will be implemented. It is going to be done," Ellerbe told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press, the hometown newspaper of Mayweather, now a Las Vegas resident.
"Floyd's got nothing to do with this," said Ellerbe. "It's our job to protect him and give him the best chance to be successful."
The notion first surfaced back on Sept. 15, when Floyd Mayweather Sr. told The Grand Rapids Press, "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got 'roids in his body."
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," said Mayweather Sr. in a video on the newspaper's Web site.
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not," said Mayweather Sr. "He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him."
Roach and Pacquiao, respectively, were then informed of Floyd Sr.'s implications for the first time by FanHouse.
"Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from?" asked Roach, referring to Pacquiao's second-round victory over Ricky Hatton, who was trained by Floyd Sr. at the time.
"You know, these guys, they had to come up with a reason why they lose," said Roach. "They lost because [Floyd Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had the better fighter."
Pacquiao seemed equally perplexed.
"You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is," said Pacquiao. "I've never done that. Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me."
Two months later, Koncz is saying the same thing.
"If the commission decides to do any testing then maybe they'll find something in Floyd, because they certainly won't find anything in Manny," said Koncz.
"Maybe Floyd should go to church a little more," said Koncz. "Then, maybe Floyd would find out where Manny gets his source of strength and power from."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Arum all for Dallas deal -- Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Promoter Bob Arum believes Dallas could still host Manny Pacquiao's fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr in March next year.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has tabled a guaranteed $25m offer to stage the fight at the opulent Cowboys Stadium, setting up a bidding war with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
While the MGM could come up with a bigger offer based on closed circuit sales and the knock-on benefits of being in the gambling Mecca, the Dallas gate could be twice as big - and Arum like the guarantee.
"I'm saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money," said Arum.
The Dallas deal looked dead when Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, representing Mayweather, called off a trip to Texas last week.
But Arum insists all avenues should be explored ahead of what promises to be the biggest-grossing fight in the sport's history.
"I think everybody has an obligation to see," he added. "I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas Stadium.
"My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that's where I want the deal."
Source: skysports.com
Promoter Bob Arum believes Dallas could still host Manny Pacquiao's fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr in March next year.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has tabled a guaranteed $25m offer to stage the fight at the opulent Cowboys Stadium, setting up a bidding war with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
While the MGM could come up with a bigger offer based on closed circuit sales and the knock-on benefits of being in the gambling Mecca, the Dallas gate could be twice as big - and Arum like the guarantee.
"I'm saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money," said Arum.
The Dallas deal looked dead when Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer, representing Mayweather, called off a trip to Texas last week.
But Arum insists all avenues should be explored ahead of what promises to be the biggest-grossing fight in the sport's history.
"I think everybody has an obligation to see," he added. "I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas Stadium.
"My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that's where I want the deal."
Source: skysports.com
Green taunts Hopkins on US TV -- The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
Australian cruiserweight champion Danny Green has ratcheted up the pressure on Bernard ‘‘The Executioner’’ Hopkins by calling the American great out on US TV.
Green, who shocked the boxing world by knocking out Roy Jones Jr earlier this month, was in the crowd at California’s Agua Caliente Casino on Saturday to cheer on Sydney’s Vic Darchinyan in a world-title fight.
After Darchinyan’s ferocious second round knockout win over Mexican Tomas Rojas the US TV broadcaster of the fight, Showtime, crossed to Green in the stands for an interview.
‘‘I took down one legend - the legendary Roy Jones Jr,’’ Green told an audience of millions of American boxing fans.
‘‘If I can get Bernard Hopkins to come to Australia or I’ll come here and fight him.
‘‘I don’t care.
‘‘I’ve fought all over the world.
‘‘To get two legends in the ring and to try and defeat them would be a dream come true.’’
Before Green knocked Jones Jr out in the first round in Sydney on December 2, Hopkins, who was set to fight Jones Jr in a huge payday bout, painted the Perth-born fighter as a nobody, but that seems to have changed.
Green’s camp appears to have 44-year-old Hopkins’ attention by offering him a cash windfall to fight in Australia greater than what he could earn against any other opponent, including light heavyweight Chad Dawson.
‘‘Danny Green is who he is over there (Australia),’’ Hopkins told US boxing website Boxden.com.
‘‘He fills the place up and they have the budget to satisfy me.’’
Green told Showtime he hoped to fight Hopkins ‘‘in the first quarter of 2010’’.
Asked about possibly fighting another US light heavyweight champion, Antonio Tarver, who knocked out Jones Jr in 2004, Green said Tarver was not the number one target.
Tarver declined to fight Green three years ago, instead looking for bigger paydays with other boxers.
‘‘He had his chance in 2007 and he messed us around pretty big so we’ll wait and see,’’ Green said.
AAP
Source: smh.com.au
Australian cruiserweight champion Danny Green has ratcheted up the pressure on Bernard ‘‘The Executioner’’ Hopkins by calling the American great out on US TV.
Green, who shocked the boxing world by knocking out Roy Jones Jr earlier this month, was in the crowd at California’s Agua Caliente Casino on Saturday to cheer on Sydney’s Vic Darchinyan in a world-title fight.
After Darchinyan’s ferocious second round knockout win over Mexican Tomas Rojas the US TV broadcaster of the fight, Showtime, crossed to Green in the stands for an interview.
‘‘I took down one legend - the legendary Roy Jones Jr,’’ Green told an audience of millions of American boxing fans.
‘‘If I can get Bernard Hopkins to come to Australia or I’ll come here and fight him.
‘‘I don’t care.
‘‘I’ve fought all over the world.
‘‘To get two legends in the ring and to try and defeat them would be a dream come true.’’
Before Green knocked Jones Jr out in the first round in Sydney on December 2, Hopkins, who was set to fight Jones Jr in a huge payday bout, painted the Perth-born fighter as a nobody, but that seems to have changed.
Green’s camp appears to have 44-year-old Hopkins’ attention by offering him a cash windfall to fight in Australia greater than what he could earn against any other opponent, including light heavyweight Chad Dawson.
‘‘Danny Green is who he is over there (Australia),’’ Hopkins told US boxing website Boxden.com.
‘‘He fills the place up and they have the budget to satisfy me.’’
Green told Showtime he hoped to fight Hopkins ‘‘in the first quarter of 2010’’.
Asked about possibly fighting another US light heavyweight champion, Antonio Tarver, who knocked out Jones Jr in 2004, Green said Tarver was not the number one target.
Tarver declined to fight Green three years ago, instead looking for bigger paydays with other boxers.
‘‘He had his chance in 2007 and he messed us around pretty big so we’ll wait and see,’’ Green said.
AAP
Source: smh.com.au
Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Child Victor Ortiz refurbished -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
CHICAGO—Golden Boy’s newest Golden Boy Vicious Victor Ortiz appeared headed for the boxing scrap heap when he was knocked out by a not so Mild Bull of the Pampas named Marcos Maidana.
Ortiz, the kid from Oxnard by way of a small town (Garden City) in Kansas, got hammered by Maidana, including get knocked down twice, and compounded his situation in a postfight interview in which he indicated that his fighting spirit was crushed by a foe who didn’t reads his glowing press clippings and Internet hype.
The official result was TKO 6 by Maidana in the June 27 Los Angeles bout which was for the WBA title.
Fight fans can accept a courageous loser but they rarely cotton to a quitter and unfortunately southpaw Ortiz gave off that I don’t really care air.
Since that awful night, in an HBO televised bout designed as an Ortiz showcase, Ortiz has repeatedly said he doesn’t really recall much after being stunned by the initial knockdown.
The closing stages of that bout seemed to be lost in a knockout induced mental fog, Ortiz said.
His promoters wanted to dust him off and bring him back to some semblance of the can’t miss world champion tag they had pinned on him.
And they found the perfect, worse for wear at age 33 journeyman for the 22 year old Ortiz to clobber, Antonio Diaz of Coachella, Ca. (Both weighed 144 pounds).
Starting cautiously but then picking up the pace when he saw the slow motion reaction of the now 45-6-1 Diaz, Ortiz bounced back into the win column Saturday night at the University of Illinois, Chicago, campus.
Ortiz pounded on Diaz until one second of round seven when Diaz’s corner threw in the towel. Diaz did have blood flowing as a result of a cut around his left eye and he never really won any of the first six rounds.
So, after the TKO loss Ortiz rebounded with a TKO 7 victory.
"I felt I pretty much executed the game plan in there," Ortiz said. "I wasn't comfortable at first but then I started using my jab when he started coming inside on me."
Diaz would do well to seriously consider retirement with 52 pro bouts on his record.
Ortiz raised his record to 25-3-1 and notched a third round knockdown over the plodding Diaz.
Given the brutality of the Maidana defeat, I bet the Goldens will remain protective of Ortiz at least for another bout or two as he rebuilds his mental confidence.
There’s absoulutely no need to rush a 22 year old who could blossom into a real star (if his chin and ring resolve remain firm) who was rushed once before.
Beating Diaz was a baby step for Ortiz but an important one as Ortiz attempts to get back to “can’t miss” from “he was nothing much, anyway.”
They’re doing to young Ortiz what people do to battered furniture.
It’s called refurbishing.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
CHICAGO—Golden Boy’s newest Golden Boy Vicious Victor Ortiz appeared headed for the boxing scrap heap when he was knocked out by a not so Mild Bull of the Pampas named Marcos Maidana.
Ortiz, the kid from Oxnard by way of a small town (Garden City) in Kansas, got hammered by Maidana, including get knocked down twice, and compounded his situation in a postfight interview in which he indicated that his fighting spirit was crushed by a foe who didn’t reads his glowing press clippings and Internet hype.
The official result was TKO 6 by Maidana in the June 27 Los Angeles bout which was for the WBA title.
Fight fans can accept a courageous loser but they rarely cotton to a quitter and unfortunately southpaw Ortiz gave off that I don’t really care air.
Since that awful night, in an HBO televised bout designed as an Ortiz showcase, Ortiz has repeatedly said he doesn’t really recall much after being stunned by the initial knockdown.
The closing stages of that bout seemed to be lost in a knockout induced mental fog, Ortiz said.
His promoters wanted to dust him off and bring him back to some semblance of the can’t miss world champion tag they had pinned on him.
And they found the perfect, worse for wear at age 33 journeyman for the 22 year old Ortiz to clobber, Antonio Diaz of Coachella, Ca. (Both weighed 144 pounds).
Starting cautiously but then picking up the pace when he saw the slow motion reaction of the now 45-6-1 Diaz, Ortiz bounced back into the win column Saturday night at the University of Illinois, Chicago, campus.
Ortiz pounded on Diaz until one second of round seven when Diaz’s corner threw in the towel. Diaz did have blood flowing as a result of a cut around his left eye and he never really won any of the first six rounds.
So, after the TKO loss Ortiz rebounded with a TKO 7 victory.
"I felt I pretty much executed the game plan in there," Ortiz said. "I wasn't comfortable at first but then I started using my jab when he started coming inside on me."
Diaz would do well to seriously consider retirement with 52 pro bouts on his record.
Ortiz raised his record to 25-3-1 and notched a third round knockdown over the plodding Diaz.
Given the brutality of the Maidana defeat, I bet the Goldens will remain protective of Ortiz at least for another bout or two as he rebuilds his mental confidence.
There’s absoulutely no need to rush a 22 year old who could blossom into a real star (if his chin and ring resolve remain firm) who was rushed once before.
Beating Diaz was a baby step for Ortiz but an important one as Ortiz attempts to get back to “can’t miss” from “he was nothing much, anyway.”
They’re doing to young Ortiz what people do to battered furniture.
It’s called refurbishing.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Malignaggi avenges previous loss to Diaz -- Houston Chronicle
By BOB HURST, Houston Chronicle
CHICAGO — Paulie Malignaggi finally got his revenge, and let the world know that he still has a lot left.
Malignaggi, from Brooklyn, avenged his controversial Aug. 22 loss to Houston’s Juan Diaz at the Toyota Center with a unanimous decision in front of a crowd of 4,906 fans at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday night. He claimed the NABO junior welterweight crown with the win.
The Chicago venue was more to Malignaggi’s liking, after he felt that he didn’t get a fair result in the first meeting with Diaz. Before the Aug. 22 bout, Malignaggi voiced his displeasure with the selection of judges. Diaz won a unanimous decision, but one of the judges, Gale Van Hoy, scored the fight 118-110. The other two judges scorecards were closer. Malignaggi complained after the fight, and eventually earned a rematch.
This time, judges Mauro DiFiore, Thomas Miller and Michael Pernick each scored the fight 116-111 in favor of Malignaggi.
“Juan fought a good fight,” Malignaggi said. “He’s such a cool dude. I feel vindicated. I feel that I’m a better fighter than Juan. Juan and his team were victimized by the fact that they thought I was finished. They got themselves into this mess, and it’s an honest mistake.”
Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs) lost just three rounds on the judges’ scorecards. He delivered a punch in the third round that cut open Diaz’s right cheek. In Round 10, Malignaggi delivered a blow that caused Diaz to take a standing eight-count, and opened up Diaz’s cut again.
The cut was deep enough to cause Diaz to miss the press conference after the fight.
“It came together tonight, and I think it can come together sharper, better than it did tonight,” Malignaggi said.
Fans of both boxers chanted their names near the end of the first round, with Malignaggi acknowledging his fans by pumping his right fist into the air. After both fighters missed landing several punches in Round 1, Diaz and Malignaggi came out more aggressively in the second frame.
In Round 5, Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) put Malignaggi in the corner early, and later delivered a couple of hooks and a left punch to the “Magic Man” against the ropes.
Malignaggi shook up Diaz in Round 6 by landing a couple of rights and an undercut. Always the entertainer, Malignaggi toyed and taunted at the end of the round, which Diaz didn’t appreciate.
Diaz, wearing baby blue trunks with black trim, and Malignaggi, sporting sliver trunks with bright green socks and red and black shoes, put a charge into the fans in the eighth round. Diaz put his opponent against the ropes, pounding away with jabs. Malignaggi fought back in center ring with a right to Diaz’s head, who followed by driving Malignaggi to the ropes once again.
The fighters put on a show in the 12 th and final round that brought the crowd to their feet. They landed a flurry of combinations.
In earlier matches, Argenis Mendez, of Brooklyn, won a unanimous decision over Kenya’s Morris Chule in an eight-round junior lightweights bout and Cuba’s Erislandy Lara defeated Luciano Perez of Chicago in another unanimous decision in a 10-round junior middleweights fight. Also, in the welterweight division, a pair of Californians, Victor Ortiz, of Ventura and Antonio Diaz of Coachella, squared off. Ortiz won on a technical knockout in the seventh round.
Source: chron.com
CHICAGO — Paulie Malignaggi finally got his revenge, and let the world know that he still has a lot left.
Malignaggi, from Brooklyn, avenged his controversial Aug. 22 loss to Houston’s Juan Diaz at the Toyota Center with a unanimous decision in front of a crowd of 4,906 fans at the UIC Pavilion on Saturday night. He claimed the NABO junior welterweight crown with the win.
The Chicago venue was more to Malignaggi’s liking, after he felt that he didn’t get a fair result in the first meeting with Diaz. Before the Aug. 22 bout, Malignaggi voiced his displeasure with the selection of judges. Diaz won a unanimous decision, but one of the judges, Gale Van Hoy, scored the fight 118-110. The other two judges scorecards were closer. Malignaggi complained after the fight, and eventually earned a rematch.
This time, judges Mauro DiFiore, Thomas Miller and Michael Pernick each scored the fight 116-111 in favor of Malignaggi.
“Juan fought a good fight,” Malignaggi said. “He’s such a cool dude. I feel vindicated. I feel that I’m a better fighter than Juan. Juan and his team were victimized by the fact that they thought I was finished. They got themselves into this mess, and it’s an honest mistake.”
Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs) lost just three rounds on the judges’ scorecards. He delivered a punch in the third round that cut open Diaz’s right cheek. In Round 10, Malignaggi delivered a blow that caused Diaz to take a standing eight-count, and opened up Diaz’s cut again.
The cut was deep enough to cause Diaz to miss the press conference after the fight.
“It came together tonight, and I think it can come together sharper, better than it did tonight,” Malignaggi said.
Fans of both boxers chanted their names near the end of the first round, with Malignaggi acknowledging his fans by pumping his right fist into the air. After both fighters missed landing several punches in Round 1, Diaz and Malignaggi came out more aggressively in the second frame.
In Round 5, Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) put Malignaggi in the corner early, and later delivered a couple of hooks and a left punch to the “Magic Man” against the ropes.
Malignaggi shook up Diaz in Round 6 by landing a couple of rights and an undercut. Always the entertainer, Malignaggi toyed and taunted at the end of the round, which Diaz didn’t appreciate.
Diaz, wearing baby blue trunks with black trim, and Malignaggi, sporting sliver trunks with bright green socks and red and black shoes, put a charge into the fans in the eighth round. Diaz put his opponent against the ropes, pounding away with jabs. Malignaggi fought back in center ring with a right to Diaz’s head, who followed by driving Malignaggi to the ropes once again.
The fighters put on a show in the 12 th and final round that brought the crowd to their feet. They landed a flurry of combinations.
In earlier matches, Argenis Mendez, of Brooklyn, won a unanimous decision over Kenya’s Morris Chule in an eight-round junior lightweights bout and Cuba’s Erislandy Lara defeated Luciano Perez of Chicago in another unanimous decision in a 10-round junior middleweights fight. Also, in the welterweight division, a pair of Californians, Victor Ortiz, of Ventura and Antonio Diaz of Coachella, squared off. Ortiz won on a technical knockout in the seventh round.
Source: chron.com
Bradley pounds Peterson to keep title, stay unbeaten -- Los Angeles Daily News
By Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News
The longer Timothy Bradley fights, the better he gets.
Bradley, of Palm Springs, on Saturday entered the ring at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage hopeful of defending his super lightweight world title.
He was faced with Lamont Peterson, a fighter starving for a world title of his own, a fighter who spent years homeless on the streets of Washington from ages 8 through 10. Peterson is also three inches taller than Bradley.
There was a pro-Bradley capacity crowd of 2,200, putting even more pressure on the champion to perform.
But Bradley outboxed and outslugged Peterson in a dazzling performance and won a unanimous decision. Bradley won by scores of 118-110, 119-108 and 120-107.
Bradley decked Peterson about a minute and 20 seconds into the third round.
But in the best round of the fight, Peterson landed several vicious body shots after he got off the canvas.
Bradley moved much more over the next several rounds, perhaps by design, but he still outboxed Peterson for the most part.
"He came out and made me fight like no one ever has," said Bradley, 26. "He's a tough, tough fighter. This was a great night for me, but also a great fight for the fans."
Bradley (25-0) is 4-0 with one no-decision in title fights.
"I think experience played a real big role," Bradley said. "He had the right game plan, but he got a little careless and he was rushing in there instead of following his jab. When he came in is when I nailed him."
Peterson (27-1) certainly should be given an 'A' for effort. But even when he was stalking Bradley during in the middle rounds, Bradley would most often get the better of the exchanges when they happened.
"My game plan was to win the first round, but in the middle of the first I got hit real hard by a couple of right hands," said Peterson, 25. "I was in trouble. I fell behind. I got reckless. He's a great champion. I gave it all I had."
Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter, could not fault his fighter.
"He left it all the ring," he said. "He had no more left to give."
On the undercard, Vic Darchinyan of Australia via Armenia made quick work of Mexico's Tomas Rojas in their super flyweight title fight, stopping him at 2:54 of the second round.
Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) had just connected with a punch and Rojas motioned for him to bring it on, so Darchinyan whacked him with a vicious left cross that made Rojas (32-12-1) crumple to the canvas, falling partially through the ropes.
Referee Raul Caiz Jr. began to count, but waved it off before he reached 10.
Darchinyan said he knew his power would come into play.
"I took my time and let the knockout come to me," he said. "He was hitting me with punches but I was hitting him back more and with more power. It was only a matter of time before he felt my power."
Rojas was holding his own until he got caught.
"I was boxing and doing what I was supposed to do," he said, "but I got careless and I never even saw the punch coming."
Maskaev loses
Former heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev had a title elimination fight with Ray Austin awaiting him - the winner to get a shot at heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko - so Maskaev didn't have to fight unheralded Nagy Aguilera on Friday night in Sacramento.
But Maskaev, of Sacramento via Kazakhstan, wanted to fight in his hometown and he didn't want to pull out of a fight to which he had committed. It backfired when he was knocked out in the first round by Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs). Maskaev, 40, will not get the fight with Austin - and also lost the possible shot at Klitschko.
Source: dailynews.com
The longer Timothy Bradley fights, the better he gets.
Bradley, of Palm Springs, on Saturday entered the ring at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage hopeful of defending his super lightweight world title.
He was faced with Lamont Peterson, a fighter starving for a world title of his own, a fighter who spent years homeless on the streets of Washington from ages 8 through 10. Peterson is also three inches taller than Bradley.
There was a pro-Bradley capacity crowd of 2,200, putting even more pressure on the champion to perform.
But Bradley outboxed and outslugged Peterson in a dazzling performance and won a unanimous decision. Bradley won by scores of 118-110, 119-108 and 120-107.
Bradley decked Peterson about a minute and 20 seconds into the third round.
But in the best round of the fight, Peterson landed several vicious body shots after he got off the canvas.
Bradley moved much more over the next several rounds, perhaps by design, but he still outboxed Peterson for the most part.
"He came out and made me fight like no one ever has," said Bradley, 26. "He's a tough, tough fighter. This was a great night for me, but also a great fight for the fans."
Bradley (25-0) is 4-0 with one no-decision in title fights.
"I think experience played a real big role," Bradley said. "He had the right game plan, but he got a little careless and he was rushing in there instead of following his jab. When he came in is when I nailed him."
Peterson (27-1) certainly should be given an 'A' for effort. But even when he was stalking Bradley during in the middle rounds, Bradley would most often get the better of the exchanges when they happened.
"My game plan was to win the first round, but in the middle of the first I got hit real hard by a couple of right hands," said Peterson, 25. "I was in trouble. I fell behind. I got reckless. He's a great champion. I gave it all I had."
Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter, could not fault his fighter.
"He left it all the ring," he said. "He had no more left to give."
On the undercard, Vic Darchinyan of Australia via Armenia made quick work of Mexico's Tomas Rojas in their super flyweight title fight, stopping him at 2:54 of the second round.
Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) had just connected with a punch and Rojas motioned for him to bring it on, so Darchinyan whacked him with a vicious left cross that made Rojas (32-12-1) crumple to the canvas, falling partially through the ropes.
Referee Raul Caiz Jr. began to count, but waved it off before he reached 10.
Darchinyan said he knew his power would come into play.
"I took my time and let the knockout come to me," he said. "He was hitting me with punches but I was hitting him back more and with more power. It was only a matter of time before he felt my power."
Rojas was holding his own until he got caught.
"I was boxing and doing what I was supposed to do," he said, "but I got careless and I never even saw the punch coming."
Maskaev loses
Former heavyweight champion Oleg Maskaev had a title elimination fight with Ray Austin awaiting him - the winner to get a shot at heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko - so Maskaev didn't have to fight unheralded Nagy Aguilera on Friday night in Sacramento.
But Maskaev, of Sacramento via Kazakhstan, wanted to fight in his hometown and he didn't want to pull out of a fight to which he had committed. It backfired when he was knocked out in the first round by Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs). Maskaev, 40, will not get the fight with Austin - and also lost the possible shot at Klitschko.
Source: dailynews.com
Klitschko scores points decision over Johnson -- USA Today
By Graham Dunbar, AP Sports Writer
BERN, Switzerland — Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night with a unanimous decision over American contender Kevin Johnson.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian kept Johnson against the ropes for much of the fight but landed few heavy shots to hurt the 30-year-old challenger. Johnson proved a durable opponent and did his best work with counterattacking straight left jabs.
Klitschko (39-2) was making his third defense of the belt he reclaimed in October last year, following a four-year break to recover from injuries. He opted to take the fight just 11 weeks after beating Cris Arreola, another unbeaten American who did not come out for the 11th round of their bout in Los Angeles.
Johnson (22-1-1) was the WBC's sixth-ranked contender, though few expected him to give the bigger Klitschko many problems. The champion is 6-foot-7 and weighed 247 pounds, 3 inches taller and a few pounds heavier than Johnson.
The size difference forced Johnson to rely on his defense, inviting Klitschko from the ropes to come at him beginning in the second round. Klitschko aimed mostly for the head, but several overhand rights found Johnson turning away in defense.
The champion's right cheek was marked in the fourth round, and Johnson connected with a left hook in the sixth. But the New Jersey-born challenger failed to mount many combinations and Klitschko kept winning rounds with steady jabs, more big rights and an occasional straight left.
The fight heated up in the 11th when Klitschko responded to Johnson's taunting, hands-spread gesture with a flurry of blows. In the final round, Johnson pointed at his chin to goad Klitschko into another attack, and the bout ended with the American finally trading punches in the center of the ring.
The two squared up after the bell and Johnson was ushered back to his corner by Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion who works in Vitali's corner.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: usatoday.com
BERN, Switzerland — Vitali Klitschko retained his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night with a unanimous decision over American contender Kevin Johnson.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian kept Johnson against the ropes for much of the fight but landed few heavy shots to hurt the 30-year-old challenger. Johnson proved a durable opponent and did his best work with counterattacking straight left jabs.
Klitschko (39-2) was making his third defense of the belt he reclaimed in October last year, following a four-year break to recover from injuries. He opted to take the fight just 11 weeks after beating Cris Arreola, another unbeaten American who did not come out for the 11th round of their bout in Los Angeles.
Johnson (22-1-1) was the WBC's sixth-ranked contender, though few expected him to give the bigger Klitschko many problems. The champion is 6-foot-7 and weighed 247 pounds, 3 inches taller and a few pounds heavier than Johnson.
The size difference forced Johnson to rely on his defense, inviting Klitschko from the ropes to come at him beginning in the second round. Klitschko aimed mostly for the head, but several overhand rights found Johnson turning away in defense.
The champion's right cheek was marked in the fourth round, and Johnson connected with a left hook in the sixth. But the New Jersey-born challenger failed to mount many combinations and Klitschko kept winning rounds with steady jabs, more big rights and an occasional straight left.
The fight heated up in the 11th when Klitschko responded to Johnson's taunting, hands-spread gesture with a flurry of blows. In the final round, Johnson pointed at his chin to goad Klitschko into another attack, and the bout ended with the American finally trading punches in the center of the ring.
The two squared up after the bell and Johnson was ushered back to his corner by Klitschko's younger brother Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion who works in Vitali's corner.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: usatoday.com
Klitschko retains WBC title with decision over Johnson -- The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC heavyweight championship belt after earning a unanimous 12-round decision over Kevin Johnson.
The champion was the aggressor throughout the fight, although he couldn't seem to land his power punches squarely on the elusive Johnson (22-1-1, 9 KOs). Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) continued to take the match to the challenger in the late rounds and in the end the scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109 all in the favor of the champ.
The 30-year-old American Johnson put up a good fight against the champion, becoming only the second opponent to go the 12-round distance with the 38- year-old Klitschko.
Johnson came into the bout as the WBC's sixth-ranked challenger.
Source: miamiherald.com
Vitali Klitschko retained the WBC heavyweight championship belt after earning a unanimous 12-round decision over Kevin Johnson.
The champion was the aggressor throughout the fight, although he couldn't seem to land his power punches squarely on the elusive Johnson (22-1-1, 9 KOs). Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs) continued to take the match to the challenger in the late rounds and in the end the scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109 all in the favor of the champ.
The 30-year-old American Johnson put up a good fight against the champion, becoming only the second opponent to go the 12-round distance with the 38- year-old Klitschko.
Johnson came into the bout as the WBC's sixth-ranked challenger.
Source: miamiherald.com
Manny wants to retire after Mayweather bout -- ABS-CBN News
By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Could this be the last fight for Manny Pacquiao?
Well, the boxer now being considered as the greatest of his era thinks so.
“Baka last fight ko na (It could be my last fight),” he said on TV yesterday of his highly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated American ex-pound-for-pound king.
Pacquiao, who turns 31 on Wednesday, now holds the distinction of being the best fighter in the planet, not long after scoring historic wins over Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao is the first and only boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes – flyweight, super-bantam, featherweight, super-feather, lightweight, junior-welter and welter.
His victory over Cotto, who’s supposed to be much bigger and much stronger, cemented his place in boxing history, and after starting out at 105 lb he’s now the reigning world champion at 147 lb.
Following his sensational win over the Puerto Rican last Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, said it’s about time to call it a day and that she can’t stand watching him fight again.
“Ayoko na makita siya lumaban at masaktan (I don’t want to see him fight and get hurt),” said Dionisia.
Pacquiao said retirement had crossed his mind a couple of times.
“Ayaw na talaga ng mama ko (My mother doesn’t want it anymore). Umiiyak na nga siya (And she cries),” said Pacquiao, now getting ready for another big birthday bash in his hometown in Sarangani.
Then he gets to enjoy more time with his family on Christmas and as they celebrate his wife Jinkee’s birthday on the first week of January. By that time, however, they could be in the United States.
Pacquiao and Mayweather, unless fate dictates otherwise, should be holding a press conference in New York on Jan. 6 or Jan 11 to announce the fight being billed as the fight of the new century.
Then it’s off to training, another seven to eight weeks, starting off in Baguio City and capping it at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Pacquiao said he will train like never before because it could be his last.
The boxer is also seeking a congressional seat in Sarangani in the May 10 national elections.
That’s why his promoter, Bob Arum, is making sure Pacquiao gets the best of both ends in his fight with Mayweather. And as it is, despite a recent hitch, negotiations could be done and over within a week.
While both camps are ironing out minor kinks in the contract, promoters are busy trimming down the choices as venue of the fight. As of presstime, the choices are down to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
Even before negotiations for this fight started, Pacquiao said if it’s Mayweather then he deserves a guaranteed purse of at least $25 million or almost P1.2 billion which is enough to fund a presidential campaign.
But his Canadian adviser, Mike Koncz, said because of the magnitude of the fight, the pride of the Philippines could end up with $50 million in his already fat bank account.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
MANILA, Philippines - Could this be the last fight for Manny Pacquiao?
Well, the boxer now being considered as the greatest of his era thinks so.
“Baka last fight ko na (It could be my last fight),” he said on TV yesterday of his highly-anticipated showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated American ex-pound-for-pound king.
Pacquiao, who turns 31 on Wednesday, now holds the distinction of being the best fighter in the planet, not long after scoring historic wins over Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao is the first and only boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes – flyweight, super-bantam, featherweight, super-feather, lightweight, junior-welter and welter.
His victory over Cotto, who’s supposed to be much bigger and much stronger, cemented his place in boxing history, and after starting out at 105 lb he’s now the reigning world champion at 147 lb.
Following his sensational win over the Puerto Rican last Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, said it’s about time to call it a day and that she can’t stand watching him fight again.
“Ayoko na makita siya lumaban at masaktan (I don’t want to see him fight and get hurt),” said Dionisia.
Pacquiao said retirement had crossed his mind a couple of times.
“Ayaw na talaga ng mama ko (My mother doesn’t want it anymore). Umiiyak na nga siya (And she cries),” said Pacquiao, now getting ready for another big birthday bash in his hometown in Sarangani.
Then he gets to enjoy more time with his family on Christmas and as they celebrate his wife Jinkee’s birthday on the first week of January. By that time, however, they could be in the United States.
Pacquiao and Mayweather, unless fate dictates otherwise, should be holding a press conference in New York on Jan. 6 or Jan 11 to announce the fight being billed as the fight of the new century.
Then it’s off to training, another seven to eight weeks, starting off in Baguio City and capping it at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Pacquiao said he will train like never before because it could be his last.
The boxer is also seeking a congressional seat in Sarangani in the May 10 national elections.
That’s why his promoter, Bob Arum, is making sure Pacquiao gets the best of both ends in his fight with Mayweather. And as it is, despite a recent hitch, negotiations could be done and over within a week.
While both camps are ironing out minor kinks in the contract, promoters are busy trimming down the choices as venue of the fight. As of presstime, the choices are down to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
Even before negotiations for this fight started, Pacquiao said if it’s Mayweather then he deserves a guaranteed purse of at least $25 million or almost P1.2 billion which is enough to fund a presidential campaign.
But his Canadian adviser, Mike Koncz, said because of the magnitude of the fight, the pride of the Philippines could end up with $50 million in his already fat bank account.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Floyd Mayweather representatives demand Olympic-style drug testing for Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao -- The Grand Rapids Press
By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
In a highly unconventional move, representatives of Floyd Mayweather are demanding that both their fighter and Manny Pacquiao be subjected to random, Olympic-style drug testing in the weeks leading up to their proposed March 13 fight.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, declined to comment whether that the demand was based on suspicions, initially voiced by Floyd Mayweather Sr., and subsequently by others close to Mayweather, that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Ellerbe said. “But people can read between the lines. Al and I made sure this will be implemented. It is going to be done.”
Ellerbe stressed that the decision was made solely by himself and fellow Mayweather adviser Al Hayman, without their fighter’s input.
“It’s not a one-way thing, it’s both fighters who are subject to testing,” Ellerbe said. “And this is not Floyd saying this. This is me and Al. This is one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport and the fans deserve it to be fair.
“Floyd’s got nothing to do with this. It’s our job to protect him and give him the best chance to be successful. Inside the ring, he’s got that. He’ll have no problem with Pacquiao, none whatsoever. Our job is to take care of things outside the ring.”
Ellerbe said the Olympic drug-testing agency would be empowered to administer random tests whenever it chose.
Such tests typically are administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency, although Ellerbe declined to specify which organization actually would be retained to oversee the testing.
“With the standard commission testing, they only test for specific things. The Olympic-style testing tests for everything. The commission testing is nowhere near as sophisticated.”
Ellerbe also fired back at recent claims by Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, that Mayweather’s representatives wanted the fight contested at 154 pounds rather than the welterweight limit of 147, in an oversized ring, and with oversized gloves.
“That’s one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve heard in quite some time,” Ellerbe said. “That’s just Freddie attempting to play mind games with the public. His guy’s in a no-win situation. No matter what he attempts to convince the public of, there was no effort by Team Mayweather to have the fight at 154, to have a 22-foot ring, or to have 10-ounce gloves.”
Also, Cowboys Stadium reportedly has made a $25 million offer to host the fight, after Richard Schaefer, who is representing Mayweather in fight negotiations, was pulled out of a scheduled meeting last week with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The offer seems to have had no impact on Team Mayweather's position that it doesn't want to have the fight in Texas.
MGM Grand, which has yet to make a formal offer, remains the likely frontrunner to host the fight.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com
Source: mlive.com
In a highly unconventional move, representatives of Floyd Mayweather are demanding that both their fighter and Manny Pacquiao be subjected to random, Olympic-style drug testing in the weeks leading up to their proposed March 13 fight.
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, declined to comment whether that the demand was based on suspicions, initially voiced by Floyd Mayweather Sr., and subsequently by others close to Mayweather, that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs.
“I’m not going to get into that,” Ellerbe said. “But people can read between the lines. Al and I made sure this will be implemented. It is going to be done.”
Ellerbe stressed that the decision was made solely by himself and fellow Mayweather adviser Al Hayman, without their fighter’s input.
“It’s not a one-way thing, it’s both fighters who are subject to testing,” Ellerbe said. “And this is not Floyd saying this. This is me and Al. This is one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport and the fans deserve it to be fair.
“Floyd’s got nothing to do with this. It’s our job to protect him and give him the best chance to be successful. Inside the ring, he’s got that. He’ll have no problem with Pacquiao, none whatsoever. Our job is to take care of things outside the ring.”
Ellerbe said the Olympic drug-testing agency would be empowered to administer random tests whenever it chose.
Such tests typically are administered by the World Anti-Doping Agency, although Ellerbe declined to specify which organization actually would be retained to oversee the testing.
“With the standard commission testing, they only test for specific things. The Olympic-style testing tests for everything. The commission testing is nowhere near as sophisticated.”
Ellerbe also fired back at recent claims by Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, that Mayweather’s representatives wanted the fight contested at 154 pounds rather than the welterweight limit of 147, in an oversized ring, and with oversized gloves.
“That’s one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve heard in quite some time,” Ellerbe said. “That’s just Freddie attempting to play mind games with the public. His guy’s in a no-win situation. No matter what he attempts to convince the public of, there was no effort by Team Mayweather to have the fight at 154, to have a 22-foot ring, or to have 10-ounce gloves.”
Also, Cowboys Stadium reportedly has made a $25 million offer to host the fight, after Richard Schaefer, who is representing Mayweather in fight negotiations, was pulled out of a scheduled meeting last week with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The offer seems to have had no impact on Team Mayweather's position that it doesn't want to have the fight in Texas.
MGM Grand, which has yet to make a formal offer, remains the likely frontrunner to host the fight.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com
Source: mlive.com
Pacquiao tops HBO poll as best fighter of the decade -- Examiner.com
By Tim Kane, Examiner.com
According to an HBO poll Manny Pacquiao tops the list as the best fighter of the past 10 years. Seventy-nine percent of respondents picked Pacquiao.
Pacquiao has just come off the biggest win of his career, his stoppage of Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao has lost in the past decade. In 2005 he lost to Erik Morales by a unanimous decision, but Pacquiao came back and knocked Morales twice in 2006.
In the previous decade, Pacquiao was knocked out twice. Rustico Terrecampo knocked out Pacquiao in Manila in 1996. Medgoen Singsurat knocked out Pacquiao in the 3rd round in a fight that occurred in Thailand.
Second on the list is Floyd Mayweather, who is undefeated. He has 40 wins, 25 by knockout. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Mayweather next year in what is expected to be boxing's biggest payday.
Third on the list is Joe Calzaghe, who is also undefeated, with 46 wins, 32 by knockout. Calzaghe beat the man who is fourth on the list, Bernard Hopkins, in a fight that went 12 rounds in 2008.
The HBO Poll results are as follows:
79 percent Manny Pacquiao
15 percent Floyd Mayweather Jr.
4 percent Joe Calzaghe
2 percent Bernard Hopkins
[As of 2 p.m. Saturday]
To take the poll click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
According to an HBO poll Manny Pacquiao tops the list as the best fighter of the past 10 years. Seventy-nine percent of respondents picked Pacquiao.
Pacquiao has just come off the biggest win of his career, his stoppage of Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao has lost in the past decade. In 2005 he lost to Erik Morales by a unanimous decision, but Pacquiao came back and knocked Morales twice in 2006.
In the previous decade, Pacquiao was knocked out twice. Rustico Terrecampo knocked out Pacquiao in Manila in 1996. Medgoen Singsurat knocked out Pacquiao in the 3rd round in a fight that occurred in Thailand.
Second on the list is Floyd Mayweather, who is undefeated. He has 40 wins, 25 by knockout. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Mayweather next year in what is expected to be boxing's biggest payday.
Third on the list is Joe Calzaghe, who is also undefeated, with 46 wins, 32 by knockout. Calzaghe beat the man who is fourth on the list, Bernard Hopkins, in a fight that went 12 rounds in 2008.
The HBO Poll results are as follows:
79 percent Manny Pacquiao
15 percent Floyd Mayweather Jr.
4 percent Joe Calzaghe
2 percent Bernard Hopkins
[As of 2 p.m. Saturday]
To take the poll click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Source: Dallas Cowboys owner offers $25 million for Mayweather-Pacquiao -- Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered a $25-million guarantee to host the scheduled March 13 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in his Texas stadium, a source close to the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about them told The Times today.
Jones' new Dallas Cowboys Stadium has a capacity of more than 100,000. His offer exceeds the $20-million guarantee that Staples Center offered fight promoters earlier this week.
When asked about the Dallas guarantee, Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions would neither confirm or deny its accuracy.
"The numbers are going in the right direction, and I believe we'll end up in excess of $30 million," Schaefer said.
A spokesman for Jones declined to comment about the site talks.
The Dallas offer will be greatly challenged by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, which is expected to offer ringside seats for $2,500, which is $500 more than the highest-priced seats for the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather's split-decision triumph over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.
Experts say that price increase could put a Mayweather-Pacquiao gate near $28 million, and Las Vegas is also positioned to sell another 40,000 seats for closed-circuit showings at $100 apiece, generating another possible $4 million at selected MGM properties, including Mandalay Bay.
MGM hasn't presented a guarantee yet, fight sources have said. An MGM spokesman declined to discuss his company's involvement with Mayweather-Pacquiao this week.
Schaefer said he first is hopeful that he can gather signed deals from Mayweather and Pacquiao next week, and then work to finalize the site deal.
He said counteroffers are encouraged to be sent to his Los Angeles office during the weekend. He added the final decision will require Mayweather's approval.
"I just added toner to the fax machine and had it serviced right before I left Friday," Schaefer said. "So keep those offers coming."
-- Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has offered a $25-million guarantee to host the scheduled March 13 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in his Texas stadium, a source close to the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about them told The Times today.
Jones' new Dallas Cowboys Stadium has a capacity of more than 100,000. His offer exceeds the $20-million guarantee that Staples Center offered fight promoters earlier this week.
When asked about the Dallas guarantee, Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions would neither confirm or deny its accuracy.
"The numbers are going in the right direction, and I believe we'll end up in excess of $30 million," Schaefer said.
A spokesman for Jones declined to comment about the site talks.
The Dallas offer will be greatly challenged by the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, which is expected to offer ringside seats for $2,500, which is $500 more than the highest-priced seats for the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather's split-decision triumph over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.
Experts say that price increase could put a Mayweather-Pacquiao gate near $28 million, and Las Vegas is also positioned to sell another 40,000 seats for closed-circuit showings at $100 apiece, generating another possible $4 million at selected MGM properties, including Mandalay Bay.
MGM hasn't presented a guarantee yet, fight sources have said. An MGM spokesman declined to discuss his company's involvement with Mayweather-Pacquiao this week.
Schaefer said he first is hopeful that he can gather signed deals from Mayweather and Pacquiao next week, and then work to finalize the site deal.
He said counteroffers are encouraged to be sent to his Los Angeles office during the weekend. He added the final decision will require Mayweather's approval.
"I just added toner to the fax machine and had it serviced right before I left Friday," Schaefer said. "So keep those offers coming."
-- Lance Pugmire
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Pacquiao-Mayweather mania running wild - ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Your weekly random thoughts …
(BULLET)You know just how big the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight is when just the discussion of where the March 13 super fight will take place generates daily headlines.
Las Vegas, Dallas, New Orleans and Los Angeles are all places that are interested in the fight. Promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy also received inquiries from places such as Atlanta, Miami and such non-starters as the Congo and Dubai.
I've always believed the fight would wind up in Las Vegas, although it would be fun to go with some place like Dallas, where the stadium with a retractable roof could seat 100,000 people. But the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, from what I understand, has exerted big-time pressure to have the fight there. The MGM, perhaps the best place on Earth to see a fight, has always been the leader in the sweepstakes for obvious reasons. It's hosted numerous Pacquiao and Mayweather fights and supports Top Rank and Golden Boy fights regularly, even some that don't bring big crowds. The MGM hosts lesser fights knowing it also will get the big ones. Golden Boy, in particular, is very tight with the MGM, particularly executive Richard Sturm, who plays a key role in keeping boxing a major aspect of the casino's entertainment offerings. The only problem is that Pacquiao-Mayweather is so big, the arena, which holds maybe 18,000 max, just isn't big enough.
Los Angeles, despite a supposed $20 million offer from AEG, which owns the Staples Center and a minority stake in Golden Boy, seems unlikely because of the state income taxes that will be assessed to each fighter. Besides, Pacquiao says he doesn't want to fight there.
Dallas is interesting, given the serious interest from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in bringing the fight to his stadium. I think that would be cool, not to mention I could make a pilgrimage to nearby Southfork Ranch, home of my all-time favorite TV show, Dallas.
Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer inexplicably dissed Jones by canceling a planned trip there on Wednesday with Top Rank's Bob Arum and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg to tour the facility and meet with Jones. Even if Schaefer was under orders from Mayweather and manager Al Haymon not to do the fight anywhere other than Las Vegas, Schaefer was wrong to cancel the trip. What harm could have come from it? You at least listen to what Jones has to say.
Schaefer bailing so angered Arum that he threw up his hands, pulled himself out of the talks to finalize the fight (which will get done despite the bumpy road) and turned over the Top Rank end of talks to company president (and stepson) Todd duBoef. He is trying to clean up the mess and do his impersonation of Winston Wolfe -- the legendary Harvey Keitel character from "Pulp Fiction" who could fix any problem.
Now that Schaefer and duBoef are working together, I'm told Dallas is back in the mix. Unless some other place pops up, this is a two-town race: Vegas or Dallas, neither of which levy state income taxes.
We should know in a few days. And just think -- all this craziness is just about where the fight will be. Imagine how much fun it's going to be when the fight is signed, sealed and delivered.
• I tuned into HBO's "Joe Buck Live" on Tuesday night to see Mayweather's appearance. What a complete waste of time. Only Buck could make Mayweather boring in an interview. I have also watched a previous episode of the show, and it's just awful. It's a train wreck. It's the "KO Nation" of talk shows.
• If Kelly Pavlik beats Miguel Espino next week, I still want to see Pavlik against Paul Williams before I see a Williams rematch with Sergio Martinez.
• Now that heavyweight Cristobal Arreola has bounced back from his loss to Vitali Klitschko by stopping game Brian Minto in four exciting rounds, I want to see Arreola against David Tua. Somebody please make this happen.
• Say what you want about promoterLou DiBella, but I have deep respect for him. He's a man of conviction. He left a lot of money on the table by severing ties with Jermain Taylor because he believes the diminished Taylor, who has been severely knocked out in three of his last five fights, should drop out of the Super Six and retire. DiBella won't stand by and be a part of something he believes is wrong. Before Taylor fights Andre Ward in April, likely in Oakland, in the next round of Showtime's tournament, I encourage the California commission to demand to see Taylor's medical records and test results from when he was hospitalized in Germany following the crushing knockout he suffered against Arthur Abraham on Oct. 17.
• I have decided to get disgraced judges Gale Van Hoy, Alan Davis, Benoit Roussel and Pierre Benoist eyeglasses as gifts for this holiday season. On second thought, what they all really deserve for their horrific scorecards in recent fights is a giant lump of coal. If you're a prizefighter and you find out one of these guys has been assigned to your fight, run.
• It hasn't been a good month for Square Ring, the promotional company owned by Roy Jones. In the span of three days, neither of the company's key fighters could make it out of the first round. Jones was knocked out in 122 seconds by Danny Green and Dmitriy Salita was knocked out by Amir Khan in 76 seconds. Ouch, babe.
• For the record: I absolutely love the idea of junior welterweights Devon Alexander and Khan defending their titles against good opponents on the same HBO telecast March 6. I think it could lead to an eventual Alexander-Khan showdown, something I've been interested in and first wrote about in August.
• Top Rank hopes that Miguel Cotto will return from his knockout loss to Pacquiao in June in New York on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Don't be shocked if Cotto moves up to junior middleweight to challenge New Yorker Yuri Foreman for his title. It would be a throwback sort of fight with the Big Apple's large Puerto Rican population supporting Cotto and the Jewish community supporting Foreman. I think it could actually be a pretty big fight. If it happens, I just hope Arum doesn't give me the finger again, like he did after Foreman's fight last month when he won his title against Daniel Santos on the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard.
• A hearty congratulations to a trio of non-participants who were elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame this week: manager Shelly Finkel, Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler and former Associated Press writer Ed Schuyler. I've known all three since I started covering boxing and all three are most deserving of the honor. You can say what you want about Finkel, who has made his share of enemies, but he's managed a who's who of boxing superstars and champions (Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Michael Moorer, Fernando Vargas, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao, to barely scratch the surface) over the past 25 years. His résumé speaks for itself. With Trampler, Top Rank wouldn't be the formidable company it is today. He's the glue and one of the most revered matchmakers ever. No Top Rank fight is made without his stamp of approval. Schuyler, AP's national boxing writer for 32 years, is one of my journalism idols. He retired in 2002, but in the first couple of years of my career covering boxing, I got to cover fights with him. I sat next to him for many big fights and, to be honest, it was just as much of a thrill to learn from him at ringside as it was to cover the actual fights. He's a legend.
• Happy birthday to Top Rank's one and only Arum, who turned 78 on Tuesday.
• DVD pick of the week: When I was writing a blog earlier this week about how I cast my ballot for the International Hall of Fame this year, and explaining my vote for "Prince" Naseem Hamed, it obviously got me thinking about one of my all-time favorite fights. It's been the DVD pick of the week before, but it never gets old. So back to Dec. 19, 1997, at New York's famed Madison Square Garden, where Hamed made his American debut in sensational style as he defended his featherweight title against former champ Kevin Kelley. It was Hamed's first fight under a monster HBO contract and it was a slugfest. After one of Hamed's lengthy, showy entrances they went to battle, and both men hit the deck three times. Ultimately, Hamed scored the fourth-round knockout in a fight HBO's Larry Merchant called the "Hagler-Hearns of featherweight fighting." And, by the way, the undercard bout that opened HBO's telecast -- a pitched battle between Kennedy McKinney and Junior Jones, in which McKinney rallied for a fourth-round knockout to claim a junior featherweight title -- was also sensational.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
Your weekly random thoughts …
(BULLET)You know just how big the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight is when just the discussion of where the March 13 super fight will take place generates daily headlines.
Las Vegas, Dallas, New Orleans and Los Angeles are all places that are interested in the fight. Promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy also received inquiries from places such as Atlanta, Miami and such non-starters as the Congo and Dubai.
I've always believed the fight would wind up in Las Vegas, although it would be fun to go with some place like Dallas, where the stadium with a retractable roof could seat 100,000 people. But the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, from what I understand, has exerted big-time pressure to have the fight there. The MGM, perhaps the best place on Earth to see a fight, has always been the leader in the sweepstakes for obvious reasons. It's hosted numerous Pacquiao and Mayweather fights and supports Top Rank and Golden Boy fights regularly, even some that don't bring big crowds. The MGM hosts lesser fights knowing it also will get the big ones. Golden Boy, in particular, is very tight with the MGM, particularly executive Richard Sturm, who plays a key role in keeping boxing a major aspect of the casino's entertainment offerings. The only problem is that Pacquiao-Mayweather is so big, the arena, which holds maybe 18,000 max, just isn't big enough.
Los Angeles, despite a supposed $20 million offer from AEG, which owns the Staples Center and a minority stake in Golden Boy, seems unlikely because of the state income taxes that will be assessed to each fighter. Besides, Pacquiao says he doesn't want to fight there.
Dallas is interesting, given the serious interest from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in bringing the fight to his stadium. I think that would be cool, not to mention I could make a pilgrimage to nearby Southfork Ranch, home of my all-time favorite TV show, Dallas.
Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer inexplicably dissed Jones by canceling a planned trip there on Wednesday with Top Rank's Bob Arum and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg to tour the facility and meet with Jones. Even if Schaefer was under orders from Mayweather and manager Al Haymon not to do the fight anywhere other than Las Vegas, Schaefer was wrong to cancel the trip. What harm could have come from it? You at least listen to what Jones has to say.
Schaefer bailing so angered Arum that he threw up his hands, pulled himself out of the talks to finalize the fight (which will get done despite the bumpy road) and turned over the Top Rank end of talks to company president (and stepson) Todd duBoef. He is trying to clean up the mess and do his impersonation of Winston Wolfe -- the legendary Harvey Keitel character from "Pulp Fiction" who could fix any problem.
Now that Schaefer and duBoef are working together, I'm told Dallas is back in the mix. Unless some other place pops up, this is a two-town race: Vegas or Dallas, neither of which levy state income taxes.
We should know in a few days. And just think -- all this craziness is just about where the fight will be. Imagine how much fun it's going to be when the fight is signed, sealed and delivered.
• I tuned into HBO's "Joe Buck Live" on Tuesday night to see Mayweather's appearance. What a complete waste of time. Only Buck could make Mayweather boring in an interview. I have also watched a previous episode of the show, and it's just awful. It's a train wreck. It's the "KO Nation" of talk shows.
• If Kelly Pavlik beats Miguel Espino next week, I still want to see Pavlik against Paul Williams before I see a Williams rematch with Sergio Martinez.
• Now that heavyweight Cristobal Arreola has bounced back from his loss to Vitali Klitschko by stopping game Brian Minto in four exciting rounds, I want to see Arreola against David Tua. Somebody please make this happen.
• Say what you want about promoterLou DiBella, but I have deep respect for him. He's a man of conviction. He left a lot of money on the table by severing ties with Jermain Taylor because he believes the diminished Taylor, who has been severely knocked out in three of his last five fights, should drop out of the Super Six and retire. DiBella won't stand by and be a part of something he believes is wrong. Before Taylor fights Andre Ward in April, likely in Oakland, in the next round of Showtime's tournament, I encourage the California commission to demand to see Taylor's medical records and test results from when he was hospitalized in Germany following the crushing knockout he suffered against Arthur Abraham on Oct. 17.
• I have decided to get disgraced judges Gale Van Hoy, Alan Davis, Benoit Roussel and Pierre Benoist eyeglasses as gifts for this holiday season. On second thought, what they all really deserve for their horrific scorecards in recent fights is a giant lump of coal. If you're a prizefighter and you find out one of these guys has been assigned to your fight, run.
• It hasn't been a good month for Square Ring, the promotional company owned by Roy Jones. In the span of three days, neither of the company's key fighters could make it out of the first round. Jones was knocked out in 122 seconds by Danny Green and Dmitriy Salita was knocked out by Amir Khan in 76 seconds. Ouch, babe.
• For the record: I absolutely love the idea of junior welterweights Devon Alexander and Khan defending their titles against good opponents on the same HBO telecast March 6. I think it could lead to an eventual Alexander-Khan showdown, something I've been interested in and first wrote about in August.
• Top Rank hopes that Miguel Cotto will return from his knockout loss to Pacquiao in June in New York on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade. Don't be shocked if Cotto moves up to junior middleweight to challenge New Yorker Yuri Foreman for his title. It would be a throwback sort of fight with the Big Apple's large Puerto Rican population supporting Cotto and the Jewish community supporting Foreman. I think it could actually be a pretty big fight. If it happens, I just hope Arum doesn't give me the finger again, like he did after Foreman's fight last month when he won his title against Daniel Santos on the Pacquiao-Cotto undercard.
• A hearty congratulations to a trio of non-participants who were elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame this week: manager Shelly Finkel, Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler and former Associated Press writer Ed Schuyler. I've known all three since I started covering boxing and all three are most deserving of the honor. You can say what you want about Finkel, who has made his share of enemies, but he's managed a who's who of boxing superstars and champions (Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Meldrick Taylor, Michael Moorer, Fernando Vargas, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko and Manny Pacquiao, to barely scratch the surface) over the past 25 years. His résumé speaks for itself. With Trampler, Top Rank wouldn't be the formidable company it is today. He's the glue and one of the most revered matchmakers ever. No Top Rank fight is made without his stamp of approval. Schuyler, AP's national boxing writer for 32 years, is one of my journalism idols. He retired in 2002, but in the first couple of years of my career covering boxing, I got to cover fights with him. I sat next to him for many big fights and, to be honest, it was just as much of a thrill to learn from him at ringside as it was to cover the actual fights. He's a legend.
• Happy birthday to Top Rank's one and only Arum, who turned 78 on Tuesday.
• DVD pick of the week: When I was writing a blog earlier this week about how I cast my ballot for the International Hall of Fame this year, and explaining my vote for "Prince" Naseem Hamed, it obviously got me thinking about one of my all-time favorite fights. It's been the DVD pick of the week before, but it never gets old. So back to Dec. 19, 1997, at New York's famed Madison Square Garden, where Hamed made his American debut in sensational style as he defended his featherweight title against former champ Kevin Kelley. It was Hamed's first fight under a monster HBO contract and it was a slugfest. After one of Hamed's lengthy, showy entrances they went to battle, and both men hit the deck three times. Ultimately, Hamed scored the fourth-round knockout in a fight HBO's Larry Merchant called the "Hagler-Hearns of featherweight fighting." And, by the way, the undercard bout that opened HBO's telecast -- a pitched battle between Kennedy McKinney and Junior Jones, in which McKinney rallied for a fourth-round knockout to claim a junior featherweight title -- was also sensational.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
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