Saturday, 13 February 2010

Upcoming bouts help ease pain of blockbuster cancellation

By George Willis, New York Post

Though the frustration, skepticism and finger pointing over the failed negotiations for a bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao haven't totally subsided, the dark cloud is starting to lift. At least there's something to look forward to.

Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium, and Mayweather has signed to fight WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins finally will stage a rematch on April 3 to settle their 17-year-old feud, and Kelly Pavlik will defend his middleweight title against Sergio Martinez on April 17 in Atlantic City.

The case can be made boxing is picking itself off the canvas.

Now only if the blood-testing controversy would go away. The 800-pound elephant is out of the barn, and the issue isn't going away anytime soon. Though Mosley has agreed to Mayweather's demand for random blood testing, the issue didn't come up in the talks for Jones-Hopkins II, even though Jones tested positive for steroids after a fight in 2000 with Richard Hall in Indianapolis and Hopkins is a 45-year-old marvel who seemingly is defying age. If there is suspicion about Pacquiao, why shouldn't there be suspicion about Jones or Hopkins?

"Why would we need all that? We didn't do that the first time," Jones said of the lack of testing. "If he is doing something because he's 45 years old, I'm still going to beat him. He could have been doing it the first time. Who knows? I'm still going to beat him so it doesn't matter to me. That's how much better than him I think I am."

Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, represented Mayweather in his failed negotiations with Pacquiao and acted as the mediator in talks between Mosley, a Golden Boy partner, and Mayweather. Schaefer hopes the controversy about blood testing begins to quiet down.

"I do believe the time is here to introduce blood testing to the sport of boxing, but it's not up to me," Schaefer said. "I'm not the commissioner. If a fighter asks for specific contractual deal terms as far as blood testing or the size of the ring or the gloves, they basically become contractual deal points.

"It's too bad [Mayweather-Pacquiao] didn't happen, but the world goes on. We should all take a step back and stop talking about Mayweather and Pacquiao. Let's focus on [Mayweather-Mosley]. Who knows? Maybe down the road that other fight is going to happen. Maybe it won't. The fact is boxing goes on."

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Jones said he likely will retire at the end of this year. "I'll do it this year and probably call it a day," he said. Some would suggest Jones should have retired in 2004 when he was knocked out in back-to-back fights with Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. Six years later, he's coming off a first-round TKO defeat to Danny Green last December in Australia, making Jones 5-5 in his past 10 bouts, including three losses by knockout.

"Had I got knocked out and stayed down, I would have been concerned," Jones said. "But I've got two knock downs and a knockout. The first [Antonio] Tarver knockdown I got up. They just stopped the fight. The only time I got knocked out was against Glen Johnson and my body was totally dehydrated then. If I was getting knocked out every time or every time I got hit in the gym I was getting hurt, I wouldn't be out there. I wouldn't waste my time fighting. But that's not the case."

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Spike TV will broadcast "Facing Ali" at 9 p.m. Monday. The documentary delves into the life of Muhammad Ali through the eyes of 10 fighters who faced him in the ring, including Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

george.willis@nypost.com

Source: nypost.com

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Why Valero must quit ring for the sake of boxing -- Mirror

By Barry Mcguigan, Mirror.co.uk

Edwin Valero is now a champion in recess, as the WBC call it, which means his lightweight world title is up for grabs.

The idea is to give Valero time for the gash on his head - sustained against Antonio DeMarco last week - to heal and for him to test the waters at light-welterweight.

I wonder if the real issue is being overlooked here. Texas remains the only state in the United States in which he can fight.

That is no accident.

Reports of the brain scan from New York State came as a shock when I learned the findings.

Valero suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain after falling off a motor cycle in 2001. He was not wearing a helmet.

He had an operation to repair the damage and was declared fit to box by the Venezuela authorities.

It was not until the New York State scan that the extent of his injuries were revealed. The fact that he had a traumatic brain injury, a tear inside the cranium in the most vulnerable part of the brain, means he should never box again in my view. That is a devastating conclusion to reach for such a talented fighter but not as desperate as the consequences might be of fighting on.

He is a phenomenal fighter, one I tipped for greatness during his battle for the right to fight in the United States.

But the bottom line is I don't believe boxing can take the risk knowing what we know now.

The ramifications of allowing a boxer who has had a subdural haematoma into the ring could be disastrous.

I accept that Valero, and Marco Antonio Barrera, have fought on without obvious consequences following operations to drain blood from the brain.

But that is not to say there won't be any. The risk is just too great, particularly in championship bouts.

There are also the long-term effects to consider. Brain injuries sometimes take a while to play out leading to dementia or some impaired brain function much later. Valero is a knockout artist. He goes to war in the ring, which is the attraction of him.

But it is a style that leaves him vulnerable in elite class. From a technical point of view, Valero fights recklessly. Yes, he was more measured against DeMarco last week, but could he hold himself back against Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather? Championship bouts in Las Vegas have a way of hitting the adrenalin button. As it is, Valero throws shots like he is looking over a fence with his head stuck up in the air.

That is OK when the opponent is so scared by his reputation that he is already running away. And no wonder. Valero has ko'd each of his 27 opponents.

But against a Pacquiao or a Mayweather, Valero would get the opposite response. Both exploit any technical vulnerabilities.

A bout against either, or a Juan Manuel Marquez for that matter, would be dangerous for Valero.

It is not simply about him. What if he were to suffer a fatal injury in the ring? Subdural haematomas are the most common cause of boxing deaths.

I know what it is like to suffer the effects of a death in the ring.

There is not a day goes by when I don't think of Young Ali. No fighter should have to go through that.

The pressure for Valero to fight in Las Vegas will increase as he goes through the gears. For the sake of boxing and Valero himself, the answer should still be no.

Check Out My Website: www.barrymcguigan.com

Source: mirror.co.uk

Fernando Montiel Wants 'Big Fight' After Ciso Morales -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Although he weighed in at the bantamweight limit of 118 pounds for Saturday night's clash at the Las Vegas Hilton, Fernando Montiel opponent, Ciso Morales, represented a large obstacle in more ways than one.

Listed at only an inch taller than Montiel at 5-foot-5, the slender Morales looked to be bigger. And his nickname, "Kid Terrible," makes him every bit the threat that he's supposed to be.

"I know Ciso Morales is a very hungry fighter," said Montiel, who, at the age of 30, is eight years older than the 22-year-old Morales. "I know that he is coming to take my title."

Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KOs), of Los Mochis, Mex., will be riding an 8-0-1 unbeaten streak that includes five knockouts when he steps into the ring opposite Morales (14-0, eight KOs), of Bohol, Philippines, to defend his WBO crown.

Morales is a youngster whom many compare favorably to seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), the cross-over Filipino superstar who will defend his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.

Montiel-Morales will be an undercard bout to Saturday night's main event of Top Rank's Latin Fury 13-Pinoy Power III pay-per-view card, featuring 27-year-old WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) champ Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs) of the Philippines defending his belt against 28-year-old Manuel Vargas (26-4-1, 11 KOs) of Jalisco, Mexico, in the main event.

The show also has Puerto Rican-born, 34-year-old former WBA flyweight (112 pounds) king Eric Morel (41-2, 21 KOs), of Madison, Wis., facing 37-year-old, southpaw, former two-time world champion Gerry Penalosa (54-7-2, 36 KOs), of Cebu, Philippines, in a WBO 118-pound title eliminator.

Also on the card is a featherweight clash between 31-year-old Puerto Rican southpaw Mario Santiago (21-1-1, 14 KOs) going up against 22-year-old Bernabe Concepcion (29-2-1, 17 KOs), of Rizal, Philippines.

"Montiel has been one of the premiere fighters for a while. And if he gets by Morales, then he's going to fight the Morel-Penalosa winner," said Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions.

"That's only if he gets by this guy -- and that's a big 'if,'" said Arum, "Because the guy is a young, hungry fighter, this Morales, who is very, very good."

Montiel last suffered defeat in May of 2006, via split-decision to Jhonny Gonzalez during his bid to earn that same crown.

Coming off of September's three-round, technical draw with Alejandro Valdez, Montiel said that he realizes what is ahead of him should he defeat the energetic Morales.

"At this stage in my career, I want a big fight against big names like Nonito Donaire," said Montiel, who earned the interim WBO belt with a third-round knockout of Diego Oscar Silva in March.

"I know that I have to stay patient and not get wild on Saturday night," said Montiel. "I am really looking forward to this fight."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Jean Claude Van Damme visits Manny Pacquiao

In boxing, one fight generally leads to another, bigger score -- Los Angeles Times

By Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times

Rising star Nonito Donaire fights Manuel Vargas on Saturday night, but the nondescript bout is just a means to a potentially more lucrative end: a rematch with Vic Darchinyan. It's all part of the gam

From Las Vegas

Into the Damon Runyon sport of boxing, where personality often trumps punching power, comes a fresh face.

His name is Nonito Donaire, and he is a live wire. He dispenses no one-word grunts, no cliche answers. He loves to talk as much as he loves to hit.

He will defend his WBA interim super-flyweight title, whatever that is, in a 12-rounder Saturday night at the Hilton against Manuel (El Chango) Vargas from Mexico. Vargas wasn't the original warm body scheduled to go. That was Gerson Guerrero, also of Mexico, who actually had a world ranking in one of the alphabet-soup sanctioning bodies that have succeeded in making boxing so confusing to fans that they have been driven, kicking and screaming, to handball or curling.

Guerrero, come to find out, couldn't pass the pre-fight eye exam. So, presto, there was Chango, ready to step in. Bob Arum immediately legitimized the new matchup with the mandatory promoter's quote: "They tell me this Vargas kid is no pushover."

Ah, but are those paying $39.95 for the Top Rank pay-per-view telecast?

Actually, seeing Donaire, a 27-year-old Filipino, on his way up might be worth it. There are eerie resemblances to the path taken to superstardom by that other Filipino fellow, Manny Pacquiao. Donaire even calls the road map he has laid out for the next few years his "Pacquiao blueprint." That includes moving up in weight through several divisions and winning multiple titles.

Saturday night's 115-pound fight is expected to be merely a prelude to the next fight, which often is what the sport is about. In boxing, the grass is always more fertilized on the other side of the street.

This one is all about building some interest for a rematch between Donaire and Vic Darchinyan. In the tiny weight divisions, there are few huge paydays, but Donaire-Darchinyan could be one. The elements are perfect.

Darchinyan, an Armenian headquartered in Australia and fighting mostly in the United States, was the feared champion. His boxing style and his personality made his nickname, "Raging Bull," a perfect fit. So, on July 7, 2007, when he stepped into the ring for a defense of his IBF flyweight title, the "Raging Bull" was a 7-1 favorite against Donaire, who knew in that fight that he was merely "an opponent."

In the fifth round, the "Raging Bull" took a left hand from the "Filipino Flash" and the lights went out. Donaire is now in the driver's seat and an angry Darchinyan is trying to become bullish again.

Donaire sits on the throne and flicks away Darchinyan's harping and verbal attacks as if they were fly specks on his sleeve.

"He is like a little Chihuahua," Donaire says. "He is barking, barking all the time."

Darchinyan turned up the volume earlier this week in an interview with Ray Wheatley in the Australian magazine World of Boxing.

Speaking directly to Donaire in the article, Darchinyan said, "You're a fraud and you are fighting bums. . . . I made you and I will break you."

Donaire has a video loop that runs 24/7 in his gym in San Carlos. It is a replay of the left hook that sent Darchinyan down and out. It is both a reminder of what got him to where he is, and a daily mocking of the once-raging bull.

"The things he says, does are obnoxious," Donaire said.

Donaire said that Darchinyan has a small window -- this year -- to fight him. He said he needs to move up in weight and divisions, and that his body can no longer easily get to these 112- and 115-pound limits. Both promoters, Arum and Darchinyan's Gary Shaw, can clearly hear the cash registers ringing for this one.

Part of the problem in getting this rematch was that Shaw promoted both fighters in the first bout. But shortly after depositing his left hand on Darchinyan's face, Donaire switched to Arum.

Shaw, outraged, said he would never let Darchinyan fight Donaire again because Donaire had been "disloyal." That, of course, introduced an entirely new laughable image to the sport: boxers as boy scouts.

It comes down to the same old basic idea. The noise is out there. Lots of money can be made. The fight will happen.

We even have a suggestion for the fight title: Pipsqueak Power.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Source: latimes.com

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Jeremy Piven and Mark Wahlberg visit Manny Pacquiao (Language: Tagalog)

5 Reasons Why Pacquiao Is Considered the Best -- 8CountNews

By Lorne Scoggins, 8CountNews.com

The consensus on Manny Pacquiao is that he is the greatest fighter on planet earth. While his status as the top boxer in the world can be debated, the fact that the vast majority considers him the best is irrefutable. The Manny Pacquiao story isn’t just about boxing anymore, and it has overflowed far beyond the boundaries of the Philippines Archipelago. The man who has long been an icon in his home country of the Philippines has now found his way into the hearts of millions from all over the world. Pacquiao is one of those rare pugilists who has crossed over into mainstream media. Top Rank publicist, Lee Samuels recently announced that Pacquiao will be featured in an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes.

As I considered the reasons why Pacquiao is so endearing to the general public, I constructed a list that outlines the qualities that have played a role in his iconic rise to the top.

Faith
Pacquiao has never taken full credit for what he has accomplished. He understands where his talent comes from and he’s always quick to point out that he owes his success to God. He openly demonstrates his faith by getting on his knees to pray in the corner of the ring before and after every fight. He doesn’t claim to be perfect. In contrast, self-righteous individuals feel no need to pray.

Loyalty to his fans
The man who currently has the most loyal fan base of any boxer in the sport is in turn equally loyal to his supporters. He often states that his job is to make people happy. In the Pacquiao-Cotto post-fight press conference, Manny said, “My goal is to give happiness…enjoyment to all the people who are always watching us.” He spends hours signing autographs and talking to fans. During open training sessions, it’s not uncommon for him to stay at the Wildcard Gym until he has interacted with each and every devotee.

The ability to rise above all odds
Manny Pacquiao was born into extreme poverty in Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines. He only completed a grade school education before he started working to help support his family. By the time he was 16 years old he was a professional boxer. When he came to the United States to search for an American trainer, he was rejected time and time again. He was repeatedly told that there was no market for a Filipino boxer. Freddie Roach wisely disagreed and took him under his wing. When Pacquiao scored a TKO against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, the boxing world began to take notice. The once poor kid from the Philippines is now ranked among the highest paid athletes in the world. He is an inspiration to millions and is exemplary of the fact that great things can be achieved by faith, determination and perseverance.

Humility
“I always think to myself that I’m just an ordinary fighter and sometimes I can beat a good fighter.” You will never hear Manny Pacquiao boast about his accomplishments or discredit his opponents. That’s just not his character. He is one of the true gentlemen of the sport. His brand of low-key charisma makes him an endearing figure in the public eye.

Fight style
It has been said that no boxing trainer will ever say “Fight like Manny Pacquiao.” His style is inimitable. His explosiveness and work ethic inside the ring make him enthralling to behold. Pacquiao could fight anyone and it would be exciting while it lasted. His unorthodox and unpredictable style injects a unique sense of suspense into each and every fight. When he gets rocked with a hard punch it only ignites him. At the moment he appears to be hurt, he instinctively becomes more dangerous. During such occasions, he often winds up gaining back the advantage during the flurries that follow.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the pugilist is the fact that he improves exponentially with each fight. Somehow he manages to stay hungry and focused in spite of all the success he’s already achieved.

Pacquiao’s legacy is sealed. Like Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, the name “Manny Pacquiao” will be repeated continually by boxing enthusiasts long after his career has been completed.

Source: 8countnews.com

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Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey referee switch: Ramos in, Cole out -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

BREAKING NEWS:

He's done so many big fights in Japan he should open up a sushi place in Tokyo.

He's done so many bouts in Texas, particuarly close to Mexico, that he could get a side job with the Border Patrol.

He's also refereed to favorable notices in Ecuador, Italy, Mexico, Thailand, France and Germany.

He's a ringwise veteran with a solid international refereeing resume now in its 11th year.

Rafael Ramos has paid his third man dues, so to speak, now he goes into the big world spotlight on March 13 as word has seeped out to me that it will be Double R and not his Lone Star State colleague Laurence Cole handling the March 13 Joshua Clottey-Manny Pacquiao WBO 147 POUND title bout in Cowboys Stadium (Arlington).

William Kuntz, who oversees all 29 departments of the Texas Licensing and Regulations Board (including boxers, barbers and more), has informed Ramos that he's drawn the big bout assignment.

I picked through Ramos record and nothing jumps out, no hint of controversy or even alleged mistakes. I'd say he is as solid a ref as there is and he's been assigned to world title bouts previously by the IBF and the WBA.

(See Cole critic and Pinoy Luis Sebastian Rustiana story in which he complained about Cole drawing the Pacman assignment, Sportshypeboxing.com.)

On Jan. 11, Ramos was in Tokyo where he handled the Poonsawat Kratingdaengym-Satoshi Honson WBA super bantamweight title match.

Early in his career, Ramos did a lot of bouts in New Jersey, getting his start in Atlantic City.

When Evander Holyfield launched a comeback in Dallas in 2006 against pushover Jeremy Bates, Ramos was the referee.

He also handled Juan Manuel Marquez's TKO 9 in Houston Feb. 28, 2009, against hometown star Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz.

It's no bull, baby or otherwise, that Ramos is a ref fit for the job.

Texas is lucky to have both the competent Cole and the steady Ramos in its officiating ranks.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

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Holmes and Frazier swap stories -- ESPN

By Arash Markazi, ESPN.com

Larry Holmes is standing in the lobby of a posh hotel in Pasadena, belting out a tune that is recognizable only to him as he laughs in between every verse. He is making his way around a breakfast buffet set up near the entrance, dancing as he picks at some fruit and muffins.

While Holmes is lost in his own world, Joe Frazier is being wheeled into the hotel in a wheelchair by his manager, Leslie Wolf. Frazier, wearing a cowboy hat and a gold chain and gripping a cane, is slowly looking at his surroundings as he is taken closer to Holmes.

"Get up, Joe!" Holmes yells to Frazier. "Stop messing around."

Frazier wishes he were messing around as he musters a laugh in between coughs.

"Are you that sick?" Holmes asks him. "Are you OK?"

"If I walk too long I get tired," Frazier says. "I'm old. We do what we got to do."

The man who took Ali to 14 rounds in the "Thrilla in Manila" and 12 rounds in Madison Square Garden and beat him in 15 rounds in "The Fight of the Century" has a hard time standing up for more than 15 seconds before needing to sit down and catch his breath.

Holmes and Frazier can't remember the last time they saw each other but are brought together this morning for breakfast to talk about the man who has defined the careers of every fighter he faced -- Muhammad Ali. The former world heavyweight champions are two of the 10 Ali rivals featured in the award-winning documentary "Facing Ali," which makes its world television premiere Feb. 15 on Spike TV.

As I sit down with both fighters in the corner of the hotel, I ask Frazier whether he has ever come to peace with the racial comments that Ali made about him before their fights. Despite last fighting Ali 35 years ago, Frazier has always resented Ali for calling him an "Uncle Tom," among other things, after Frazier petitioned President Richard Nixon to have Ali's right to box reinstated, which set up their legendary trilogy of matches.

Frazier: That was him, saying the things he said and doing the things he did. I don't worry about it anymore. What he said is what he felt, and you can't control another man's feelings. I don't mind him carrying on like that. That was his style. No one could change that. He's been that way all his life and I've learned to accept that. That was his way of handling me and I've learned to accept that. He had nothing good to say about me [laughs], but that's OK. Being around Larry, I learned to live with him because Larry lived with him. He knows him better than anybody.

Markazi: In doing this documentary, did one Ali moment stick out for you guys?

Holmes: When I kicked his ass! [Laughs]

Frazier: That was good. I don't have one. Ali had his own charisma then. I couldn't say or tell what was really going on in his mind. Especially now, with the way he is, I wouldn't want to know what he's thinking. We've all been in the same sport for so many years and we're sitting here with you talking and having fun, and he can't do that. What the hell went wrong? What happened?

Holmes: I will always remember being with him. Being in the training camps with him as his sparring partner and seeing what a champion is really like and how they act. That was the part that gave me the most pleasure, being around him and Joe Frazier. Even though I was younger than him, I got to live with him and understand what he was going through. As I moved up the line, I took a page out of their book and tried to incorporate it in my book and carry on their legacy. It was a great thrill for me throughout the years to be a friend of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and remain a friend of both guys.

Markazi: Being friends with Ali and being his sparring partner, how difficult did that make your fight with Ali in 1980 when he probably shouldn't have even been allowed to fight at that stage of his career?

Holmes: It wasn't difficult for me. What made it hard for me was people would say he was old if I beat him and say I never had it if he beat me. At 38 years old, I didn't consider him being an old man. I considered him a champion trying to reclaim his championship, so I had to go out there and do what I had to do. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I knew that I could beat Muhammad Ali because of all the tough fights he had, and me being his sparring partner, I know what he could do and what he couldn't do. I knew I was going to win the fight, but I didn't know how people would react. I knew they would say what they said, but I handled it the best way I could by winning the fight after Ali quit on the stool like he did. That showed that I was the hero because I didn't kill anybody.

Markazi: They replay a lot of your fights on TV now or do stories about them; is it hard to rehash the past, especially if that past might not be something you want to revisit?

Frazier: No. I don't watch them. It's hard knowing what happened to [Ali]. He can't handle himself. He can't talk. He can't talk to his wife. He can't talk to his son or daughter. He used to be wild, and now he doesn't know what's going on. I don't know what went wrong. It shouldn't be like this.

Markazi: When you two see each other, knowing everything you guys have accomplished and your place in boxing history, what do you guys talk about?

Frazier: Well, we don't have to talk about what we did because we both know what we did, and when you look at what's going on today, you know what we were all about. We did a lot of sacrificing and the traveling and a lot of the hard work to raise the level of boxing.

Holmes: It's always great to see Joe. I always have a good feeling in my heart when I see Joe because he gave me the opportunity to learn as a sparring partner, and I was able to do that. When I see Joe or Ali I get a good feeling, but it's different when I see Ali -- my feelings turn to sadness because you don't want to see a guy like that. A guy that used to talk a lot and now you can't understand what he's saying. When you see him, you want to cry. That's the part that doesn't sit well with me, but I always love seeing Joe.

Markazi: Joe, you had three amazing fights with Ali and only won one but could have easily won all three; do you ever look back and wonder how history would have viewed you guys if you would have won all three or at least two?

Frazier: Well, everyone thinks I lost twice, I think I won all of them. I know and my family knows that I was blind in my left eye. So my right eye was closed and I couldn't see out of my left eye in the last fight, so it's hard to fight when you can't see and that's why I couldn't go anymore and got shut down. I didn't get angry, when those guys call the shots in the corner; they know what they're doing. If they say that's it, that's it, you can't override his word. If I would have went back and been really badly injured, it would have been on the guy in the corner, so I wasn't upset about it. It happened, and I feel like going back at it again. [He begins to laugh and starts shadowboxing before coughing.]

Markazi: Larry, what did you think of the epic fights that Ali and Frazier had, seeing that you were on the card during the last two fights and served as a sparring partner?

Holmes: That's right, I was happy to be on the card during the last two fights Ali and Joe fought in Manila and in Madison Square Garden. I was there with Joe because I served for Joe as a sparring partner at that time and I know Joe had his heart all the way into the fight. So when two guys who talked a lot of [junk] to each other and knew what the game is all about went all-out, it was great. It was hard because I hopped off one bandwagon and on another and liked both guys very much, but the best man won in both those fights I saw.

Markazi: Larry, do you every wish you got to fight Ali or Frazier in their prime? Despite having one of the most dominant careers in the history of the heavyweight division with 48 straight wins, 26 successful title defenses, I think you got knocked down for not having that iconic rival.

Holmes: Everything happens for a reason, and I can't really worry about that. The guys that I did fight I thought they were just as good as Ali and Frazier when I fought them. Everybody has a time and place, and I feel that I was put in my time and spot for a reason. I don't regret being in the spot that I was in, and I don't wish that I was in the spot Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier were in because I knew that I made the most of the spot I was in. I don't regret anything. I will say to you and everybody that I think I was the best. I could beat everybody from 1909 to today. That's the way I feel. They can rank me, but I don't care about that because in my opinion, I was the best of all time.

Markazi: Joe, why do you think the fights that you had with Ali still resonate today? Don't you think we've dissected every round as much as we possibly can already?

Frazier: They must be looking for something they haven't found, because over the years, man, I've done so many books and movies about the fights. [Laughs] I don't know what the hell they're looking for. I really don't know what they hell they're looking for. I think they've already found everything they're going to find. But I don't mind doing it and talking about it. I like getting together with Larry and talking about boxing. But I don't know what they're looking for.

Holmes: You know what it is; they're still trying to figure out who's the greatest and the best of all time. Ali always said he was the greatest of all time, Joe thinks he was, and I think I was. We all have our opinions, but they try to prove it out in books and movies and research, and it's hard to do because we're all so different. I think the one thing that's for sure is that you can't compare the guys who are fighting today to us. These guys are what I call "poop butts." They can't fight. These guys probably wouldn't make good sparring partners; we would have sent them home.

Markazi: Is it tough to see where boxing is and where the heavyweight division is now? Everyone always used to know who the heavyweight champion was; I would imagine less than 10 percent of the population knows who he is today.

Holmes: Ask me. I can't tell you. It's understandable because these guys aren't real boxers. One of the things that's really hurting boxing is they don't have national television anymore. It's all pay-per-view now. They might have an ESPN fight here or there, but that's it. When we were fighting we would have our fights on ABC, CBS and NBC. We had all the networks carrying and covering our fights.

Frazer: I don't understand it. We need guys like Larry, Muhammad and George Foreman in boxing again. All these guys now should be able to step up and carry what we created, but they can't. They don't understand.

Markazi: Do you even watch heavyweight fights anymore?

Holmes: No, I don't watch it. I can't.

Frazier: Me too. I don't know who these guys are. I really don't know who anyone is. I don't go to fights anymore. It's not exciting.

Holmes: I watch some of the little guys. If Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao is fighting, I'll watch them, but not the heavyweights. These Klitschko brothers and stuff I'll turn them on for a second, but I can't watch it. They weren't doing anything but dancing around and looking at each other. It wasn't interesting, so I didn't watch it. I wish I could see Mayweather and Pacquiao fight, but what they're doing right now is hurting boxing because people want to see the fight and there's a lot of money involved in the fight. They're trying to bring up stuff that is taking away from the fight with drug tests and accusations. When you get into personal insults like that, it puts a damper on the fight. I don't get it. They're both going to make at least $25 million. I would worry about it after the fight. If I'm making $25 million and he's taking dog food to make him stronger, so what? Let's go ahead and do it and talk about it later after we get our money. First, get the money. These guys don't get that.

Markazi: You both retired and came back, which seems to be the protocol of most boxers. What is it about boxing that makes fighters want to return and maybe fight past their prime?

Holmes: What drove me back was money. That was the only thing. I had to take care of my family and provide them an education. I didn't want to do a regular job; I went back to boxing because that what I knew how to do. Boxing helped me to get out places that I didn't want to be. That's what motivated me. It was about the money, about the benjamins.

Frazier: The main thing was the government was taking a lot of money out, and I had to fight. We had to fight to survive.

Markazi: Obviously that's hard to justify at times when you look at Ali now, who fought one fight too many, right?

Holmes: Ali was a great champion and a great man who did a lot for this game of boxing and if it wasn't for guys like Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, the game of boxing would not be as great as it was and come as far as it did. The boxing that Joe and Ali put on in Manila and the Garden gave boxing a hell of a shot in the arm, and what boxing needs today is the same thing. They need someone like Ali and Joe …

Frazier: And someone like yourself.

Holmes: Well, you were the guys who brought it. You guys were the tree; I was just a twig on the tree. Boxing needs someone like you guys to get the sport back to where it was. I want to believe there's a next great generation of boxers that will do that, but we need one bad. I had hoped Mayweather was going to do it, but he can't because a lot of people are turned off by his attitude. We need a heavyweight, not a foreigner; we need a great American heavyweight fighter to bring boxing back. We don't have that now and don't know if we'll ever get it again.

Arash Markazi is a columnist and reporter for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

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Who's The Real Shane Mosley In 2010? -- The Sweet Science

By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science

Now that the Mayweather-Mosley bout is signed and scheduled to take place on May 1st, the speculation as to who will win has begun. Shane and Floyd are two of the greatest and most complete fighters to grace the sport of professional boxing over the last 20 years. Mayweather who will turn 33 later this month and Mosley who will be 39 a few months after the fight are two of the best welterweights in the world. Obviously Manny Pacquiao has to be included in that conversation as well. Most likely Pacquiao would be a slight underdog against Mayweather and a slight favorite over Mosley.

As of this writing Mayweather looks to be the surer bet over Mosley when it comes to which one of them will show up having retained their A-game on the night of May 1st. Floyd looked tremendous in dismantling Juan Manuel Marquez in his last bout. In his previous fight against Ricky Hatton he looked to be at the top of his game and performed better than he did in his signature winning bout versus Oscar De La Hoya a little more than two and a half years ago.

Shane Mosley fought one of the most complete fights of his career a little over a year ago when he took apart and stopped the tough and durable Antonio Margarito in his last fight. It was also Mosley's first fight with his new trainer Nazeem Richardson. Under Richardson's tutelage, Shane exhibited great holding and clenching skills which were exactly what he needed to do in order to disrupt and impede Margarito's aggression and strength.

Nazeem appears to have infused life into Mosley at the twilight of his career. The only thing that's unclear... is the Margarito fight a good indicator of who Mosley is as a fighter in 2010? Did Shane match up well with Margarito or is he really the fighter who was being written off after losing a decision to Miguel Cotto and then coming on to stop the crude and wild swinging Ricardo Mayorga in the last round in his last bout before meeting Margarito?

What Mosley shows up to face Floyd Mayweather this coming May will determine what kind of a fight boxing fans will see. If it's the Mosley who had a hard time getting off versus Mayorga until Ricardo slowed and became more predictable and easier to time than he normally is, Mayweather will run away with the fight. And if it's the Mosley who got caught in between styles fighting Cotto, Mayweather will pot-shot him and stay a step ahead of him the entire fight.

The last thing Mosley can let happen against Mayweather is for him to try and show Floyd something different from round to round. If Shane comes out aggressively, looking to put Floyd away with one big punch, he'll think he's punching at a sheet draped over a clothes line hanging in his neighbor's backyard. And if he tries to bring Mayweather to him looking for the big counter, he'll come in second every time because Mayweather has the reach, hand speed and instincts to beat Mosley playing tag.

On the other hand if Mosley fights with the same purpose and ring savvy he exhibited against Margarito, then the fight has a chance to be a memorable one. Against Margarito, Mosley boxed from the outside as Antonio was trying to shrink the ring and force it on the inside. Once he got there Mosley tied him up and clinched - thus impeding Margarito's aggression and forcing him to reset and start over. Then when Margarito tried to change it up and inch his way towards Mosley behind his jab, Shane sensed the subtle change and fought more aggressively, utilizing his superior hand speed and made Margarito pay a price on the way in and set him up to be taken out later in the fight.

For the Margarito fight, Mosley's trainer Nazeem Richardson drew up the perfect fight plan and Mosley followed it to the letter. And in doing that he had to fight himself along the way because Shane likes to attack and trade when he's under fire. However, Richardson apparently reached Mosley and convinced him trading and going to war with Margarito wasn't the way to go.

At this time Richardson has to be considered one of the three or four best trainers in professional boxing. Now he has to come up with a fight-plan for an almost 39-year-old Mosley to somehow draw Mayweather into a knockdown, drag-out fight in order for him to have his best chance to beat the favored Mayweather. And for him to do that, Mosley will have to have retained enough of his physical skills and weapons to carry out the plan against what will surely be an uncooperative Mayweather.

If Mosley is to hand Mayweather his first pro defeat, he'll have to force the fight on the inside and somehow keep it there for a majority of the time. Mayweather likes his opponent to bring the fight to him, but has never been confronted by an opponent who had fast hands who's stronger than him. Mosley has to force Mayweather to trade hooks and uppercuts with him while his back is on the ropes. To do that he'll have to be in great shape and also be elusive enough to make Mayweather's jab miss him with some consistency. If Shane is too upright as he's moving in, Mayweather will pepper him with his left-jab and score with some crowd stopping left-hooks off it.

Mosley does not need to be creative to beat Mayweather (if he's going to beat him, that is.) He has to be completely consistent, start to finish. And he doesn't have to worry about whether his shots are catching Floyd clean early in the fight, he just has to stay on him, landing anywhere he can.

The question that cannot be answered until fight night is - is Shane Mosley the measured and calculated physical force that took apart Antonio Margarito or is he the fighter who looked a little better than ordinary versus Cotto and Mayorga but certainly not extraordinary. When Mosley steps into the ring to fight Floyd Mayweather he'll becoming off the longest period of inactivity of his 17 year career. Add to that Mayweather is the most accurate and best counter-puncher he will have faced during his career, and that's not a good recipe to go into a fight with Mayweather.

As of late Mosley's speech and diction haven't been as sharp and clear as it once was. I hope that's more the case of me catching him on and off day or after a tough gym session. But in all honesty that scares me as to what Mosley has left. When it was discussed that he was going to fight Joshua Clottey it was stated here that in my opinion that was a bad matchup for him. Once that fight fell through and the fight with Andre Berto was made, I felt that Shane wasn't a lock to win that one.

Mayweather from a style and mindset vantage-point will present Mosley more problems than either Clottey or Berto could've. I'm not going to guess at this time what version of Mosley will show up. What I do know is if he's not the fighter we saw versus Margarito, Floyd Mayweather will have a lot to do with him looking spent and on the severe decline.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

Source: thesweetscience.com

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