Pacquiao's star power can't be denied -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Your weekly random thoughts...

• The growth of Manny Pacquiao into a true mega star is nothing short of remarkable. For those of you who have said (and lots of you have) that the 700,000 pay-per-view buys and $35.3 million he generated for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey was a disappointment: You are insane.

And make no mistake about it -- Pacquiao, admittedly with an assist from an exotic venue, the absolutely incredible Cowboys Stadium, which was hosting a fight for the first time, is the reason the fight sold so well. Clottey, who has zero fan base to speak of, had nothing to do with it.

Sure, Clottey is known to those of us who follow boxing closely, but to get 700,000 buys -- not to mention a crowd of almost 51,000 (the third-largest for a fight in the United States in about a half-century) -- you need more than just Fight Freaks tuning in. You need casual fans.

Don't forget these three facts either:

1. The fight achieved the numbers it did even though from announcement to fight night there were barely two months to promote the bout. Most HBO PPV fights are promoted using at least a three-month window.

2. There was no "24/7" series on HBO building up the fight for four weeks like there has been in recent years for bouts involving the sport's biggest stars.

3. Neither participant in the bout was American.

And get this: according to HBO and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, the PPV total will rise, like most do, once all the buys are officially accounted for. This one could increase another 25,000 or more.

You can look up and down the history of boxing pay-per-view and, other than some crazy seven-figure buy fights that Mike Tyson did against similarly unknown opponents such as Peter McNeeley and Bruce Seldon, you would be hard-pressed to find any boxer who has ever done so much business against such an unknown opponent, and that includes Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Evander Holyfield and other stars who have thrived on pay-per-view.

Even the great Roy Jones never came close to 700,000 buys for one of his PPV fights, even when he fought significant fights against name opponents.

Let's put what Pacquiao did into even greater perspective: He generated double the buys that Mayweather did for his fights with Zab Judah (375,000) and Carlos Baldomir (325,000) combined.

• For those who have asked, yes, I did make my long-awaited pilgrimage to Southfork Ranch, where my all-time favorite television show, "Dallas," was filmed for so many years. On the day of the fight, after the morning press conference to announce Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez but before I had to be at the stadium for an ESPNEWS appearance, a boxing friend of mine (who I won't mention for fear of embarrassing him) and I drove out to the ranch, which was about a half hour from our hotel. I had a blast. It's something I have always wanted to do. Looked around the grounds and the house. Took a bunch of pictures -- by the famous pool, by the main gate, on the terrace overlooking the pool, in J.R. Ewing's bedroom, on the front lawn in front of the house, etc. And I bought about $25 worth of junk at the gift shop (coffee mug, refrigerator magnet, some post cards and a glossy program). Much to much shock, while I was deciding on which mug to buy, a guy came over to me and asked to take a photo with me. Turns out it was, as he called himself, Walter The Filipino Fight Freak. He's a regular in my Friday chats and he and friends were visiting the ranch too before attending the fight to cheer on Pacquiao. I knew I couldn't be the only boxing/"Dallas" fan in the world.

• I thought the wave that the fans inside Cowboys Stadium did during the Humberto Soto-David Diaz fight was more interesting than horrible undercard.

• Vitali Klitschko is going to defend his heavyweight belt against Albert Sosnowski on May 29. If that doesn't tell you how bad the crop of contenders are in the heavyweight division, I don't know what will. Sosnoswki is a woeful challenger. I know times are tough in the division, but please. This is the same Sosnowski who lost a shutout decision to journeyman Zuri Lawrence.

• Do you think promoter Dan Goossen is sick to death yet of Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko? They've knocked out all three of his top heavyweights. Wladimir drilled Tony Thompson and, most recently, Eddie Chambers last week. Vitali stopped Cristobal Arreola last fall. None of the bouts were even remotely competitive.

• How about a nice, warm welcome for the newest star pupil at the Winky Wright School of Boxing Business? Let's give it up for Matt Godfrey!

• I was dismayed when I read a recent article in the Detroit News, which reported that Thomas Hearns, who made more than $40 million in his career, was facing foreclosure on his home and owed nearly $1 million in unpaid taxes and mortgage payments. Why is that most fighters are so bad at handling their hard-earned money? In a related note, here's a friendly reminder for Mayweather and all other fighters: April 15, tax day, is coming quickly.

• So the organizers of the Holyfield-Francois Botha heavyweight bout are putting it on at the cavernous Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. OMG! I could probably put the fight on in my backyard and still have room to spare.

• I love Randall Bailey. Dude has one of the greatest right hands ever and can knock anyone dead with it at any time. Just ask Jackson Bonsu.

• Who else is psyched that boxing returns to Telefutura next month? Thanks to Richard Schaefer and De La Hoya of Golden Boy for making it happen.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has generally done a nice job covering its hometown fighters, Devon Alexander and Cory Spinks, in recent years. But the paper blew it big time on Alexander's junior welterweight unification fight with Juan Urango earlier this month. Not only did the newspaper not staff the fight, but it didn't even hire a stringer to cover the bout, instead relying solely on wire copy. That is a disgrace. And when I went to the paper's Web site to see what coverage it did have, even the wire story was buried. Shame, shame, shame. And newspapers wonder why they're dying?

• Have to give my man Alex "Yanksalex" Dombroff a shout out for the clutch 4 a.m. ride to the Hartford airport after Alexander-Urango. We didn't get to make the Frappuccino stop like last time, but his goofy buddy Louis at least provided comic relief and kept me awake.

• Congratulations to all the folks at HBO Sports, which racked up 21 Sports Emmy nominations, including eight for boxing-related programming -- the "Assault in the Ring" documentary and three different editions of "24/7." The Sports Emmys will be handed out April 26 in New York.

• Hector Camacho Sr. was supposed to fight Allan Vester in Denmark on Friday in a middleweight fight. Not that I am glad that Vester suffered a back injury, but I am thankful the horror show was called off.

• When flyweight titlist Koki Kameda of Japan meets Thailand's Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, a former titleholder, on Saturday in Tokyo it will be for the vacant Ring magazine title. I like that.

• Belated condolences to promoter Gary Shaw, whose father, Edward Shaw, died recently at age 92.

• One quick personal note: Happy anniversary to my awesome wife, Jenn. Six years on Saturday and she won't even be upset in the least when I want to watch the HBO and Showtime fights that night.

• DVD pick of the week: This is obviously a repeat selection, but what can I tell you? I love this fight and this month happens to be the 20th anniversary of the all-time classic. It was March 17, 1990, at the Las Vegas Hilton. That's when Meldrick Taylor and Julio Cesar Chavez met for the first time. There were high expectations for the junior welterweight unification fight, but it exceeded them. They waged a memorable action fight that had perhaps the most controversial ending in boxing history. Although Taylor was clearly winning, Chavez was doing damage. Finally, in the 12th round, Chavez broke through and knocked him down. Although Taylor made it to his feet, referee Richard Steele stopped the fight with just two seconds left, allowing Chavez to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Discussion of his stoppage can still fuel a raging debate to this day. I get asked all the time for my opinion of the stoppage. I thought Steele was wrong and that Taylor should have been allowed to continue and claim the win he was robbed of.

Source: espn.go.com

Morales hopes comeback leads to welterweight title shot -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

After Erik Morales lost a close, grueling decision to then-lightweight titlist David Diaz in August 2007, he announced his retirement.

Morales, who had clearly lost a step by that time, said at the postfight press conference at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., that every time he got hit, his head hurt, which is certainly a sure sign that it might be time to go. Another sign was that the loss to Diaz was Morales' fourth consecutive defeat and fifth defeat in his last six fights, the one victory coming in 2005 in the first of his three fights with Manny Pacquiao -- who hasn't lost since.

Despite the losing streak, Morales' Hall of Fame legacy had been sealed years earlier. The Mexican great is a three-division champion -- junior featherweight, featherweight and junior lightweight -- with a long list of big wins and classic fights, such as his thrilling trilogy with Marco Antonio Barrera and the first two slugfests with Pacquiao. But, like so many other great fighters restless in retirement, Morales is making a comeback after 2½ years out of the ring, and will lace 'em up again in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday night (Integrated Sports PPV, 9 ET, $29.95). Morales (48-6, 34 KOs), who will fight all the way up in the welterweight division, will face former lightweight titlist Jose Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs) of Nicaragua in the main event of a card called "The Champion Returns."

As unlikely as it may seem, the 33-year-old Morales -- who turned pro at age 16 -- still has designs on becoming the first Mexican-born fighter to win titles in four divisions.

Morales couldn't get accomplish that goal when he challenged Diaz for a lightweight crown, but he hopes a win against Alfaro can put him on the road to a welterweight belt.

"I'm happy to be here and completely ready to face Alfaro," Morales said. "Fans will see a different Erik Morales than in my last few fights because now I'm hungry to win this fight and go on towards winning a world title in my fourth division. I want to prove to everyone watching that all of the hard work in training camp will result in a great performance in my return to the ring."

Pacquiao, of course, holds a welterweight title and Morales said he'd like another crack at him, despite being stopped in the 10th round of their rematch, which was competitive, and then blown out in three rounds in their rubber match.

Another shot at Pacquiao is highly unlikely, but Morales holds onto the dream.

"The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquiao," Morales said. "Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquiao is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I remember seeing him cry after our fight. I would love another chance at Pacquiao and I also look forward to fighting (Mexican countryman) Juan Manuel Marquez in the future."

"At 147, I'm faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it. First, though, is my fight against Jose Alfaro. & (He) is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best, he has a big heart in the ring, and always gives fans everything he has."

Alfaro, 26, briefly held a 135-pound belt in late 2007 and early 2008. He is coming off a 10th-round TKO loss to Mexico's Antonio DeMarco, whom he met for an interim belt on Showtime in October.

"I do not mind that Morales is the favorite in this fight," Alfaro said. "I understand but I had the best training camp of my life, in my country, and I'm going to win. My youth and strength will dominate this match. I know that I'm going to be taking the victory to Nicaragua."

Also on the pay-per-view: former light heavyweight titlist Hugo Hernan Garay (32-4, 17 KOs) of Argentina meets Houston's Chris Henry (24-2, 19 KOs) in a title eliminator and heavyweight David Rodriguez (32-0, 30 KOs) faces journeyman Daniel Bispo (22-12, 16 KOs). A fight between Denver Cuello (19-2-5, 10) of the Philippines and Mexico's Juan Hernandez (15-1, 12 KOs) for a vacant interim strawweight belt fell out on Tuesday after Hernandez suffered a training injury.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Emanuel Steward: “Wladimir Klitschko would knock Haye out within four rounds” -- Eastside Boxing

By Geoffrey Ciani, Eastside Boxing

This past week’s edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward who is best known for his work with Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis. Steward also currently trains reigning unified heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko who recently stopped “Fast” Eddie Chambers by twelfth round knockout. Emanuel spoke about a variety of topics, including Wladimir’s performance against Chambers, a potential fight between Wladimir and David Haye, and the upcoming mega fight between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Junior. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

On his assessment of how he rates Klitschko’s performance against Chambers:

“I give him a B. It was a B. It was a good performance. It could have been better because of what his ability is compared to what he did, but it was still good. He went out and did what he was asked to do and he got the knockout. Chambers isn’t the easiest guy to fight, either. He spends his time mostly about, like 80% on the defensive mental mode—covering up, running away, hands over his head. It was very difficult to fight guys like that especially when you have a guy like Wladimir who’s a really technical, super intelligent, thinking fighter himself. So I had to do what I had to do the last two rounds to just try to push him out of his regular mode and he got really upset and all emotional and anxiety and then he went out and performed, but it was something I had to do. That’s my job as a trainer—to do what I have to do to get my fighter to get the best performance and I appreciate the fact that he did respond and he went and did what he was supposed to do..”

His views on Klitschko going forward:
“I think based on this performance here and his own conversations with me in the recent days that he realizes that he is actually too reluctant, too intelligent, too technical—that I think you’re going to see a much more aggressive fighter in Wladimir. If this man actually would just operate with close to 80%—he’s only operating with about 60%—he would be the most devastating heavyweight in the history of boxing because I’ve worked with him. Never, ever, ever have I been involved with a fighter who has so much one punch punching power. Even guys that knock somebody out—they get them hurt, they knock them down, they get them groggy—Wladimir is the only fighter I’ve ever worked with that everything can be normal like a big party—everybody is having champagne, on the floors, in the tuxedos, with the music—and the lights go off completely at one time. I mean it’s not like a gradual dimmer switch. I never saw anyone who knocked out people in a gym when they block punches and he did that about three weeks ago with a sparring partner—two weeks ago, prior to the fight. With a sparring partner he threw a left hook, the sparring partner blocked the punch and with twenty ounce gloves he was still knocked out. He has unbelievable one punch punching power and that’s why maybe he doesn’t put combinations together because he punches so effectively and with so much power with one punch, but his handicap and problem is he feints too much. He wants everything to be perfect—perfect balance, perfect this, and the last round he was a little overly aggressive, got out of position a few times, but to go three minutes with a guy with his power is like a lifetime because even if he just grazes you with a punch, you’re going to be hurt.”

His views on Wladimir’s punching power:

“What makes him really special also is he has so much power in the late rounds. A lot of guys, great punchers like (Mike) Tyson, they were great in the early rounds but very seldom in the late rounds. Wladimir has knocked out guys like he did with Chris Byrd, and (Ray) Austin, and Eliseo Castillo—he knocked those guys out early because he threw a punch early, an early power punch. And then he’s had the power to go out after being down three times with Sam Peter and he had him out on his feet in the twelfth round of a very grueling fight with one single punch, a left hook. Then he knocked out Thompson. With Tony Thompson he ran across the ring and threw one straight right hand in the eleventh round and just walked away, and Thompson went down totally finished. Now he knocks out this guy in the twelfth round with ten or twelve seconds left with one punch. To have a fighter that has that kind of devastating one punch clean knockout power is so much stress on the opponent because you’re never safe.”

On a potential fight between Klitschko and David Haye:
“I would love to see that fight because David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko are the only two heavyweights that have explosive power—speed and one punch punching power. If they ever fight, because I don’t know if David wants the fight. He became a big name only by bragging about what he would do the Klitschkos, and drawing cartoon characters and cutting off heads and putting them on t-shirts—but he has never fought a quality heavyweight or did anything. He became a big celebrity just by talking about what he would do to a Klitschko and then he ran away from both fights. Nevertheless, he still is a very hot guy to fight as far as I’m concerned, and I still like the idea of him and Wladimir because they both have tremendous explosive punching power and speed.”

On whether he believes people are counting out Shane Mosley in his May 1 showdown with Floyd Mayweather Junior:
“Oh definitely. I have Mosley and Mayweather a dead even fight. The one good thing is that Shane is, first of all, to me is the first really live physical match-up fight that I think that really that Floyd has fought in about five or six years. I mean I looked at (Arturo) Gatti—I’m not trying to knock Gatti—Gatti was a good fight when he fought another brawler or another guy on his level who was exciting, but anytime he stepped up and fought class boxers he always lost because he could never deal with intelligent fighters. Oscar, you know, fights with Floyd and I cannot believe how he fought such a fight not using his talent, but nevertheless, people forget it was a split decision because Oscar was still just tall enough to use the jab in the early part and that bothered Floyd because Floyd’s defense of just rolling his shoulders and bending back is okay if you got small guys, but guys who have long enough arms to reach over and hit him he had to really fight with them and that was only a split decision. Shane matches up with him in size as a full welterweight and also Shane has good speed—maybe not as fast as Floyd but there’s not that much of a disparity. I think the intensity and the challenge that Shane brings into this fight is going to make Floyd Mayweather show his greatness or he could totally be dominated and look very inferior. He won’t be anywhere in between, he’ll go to one extreme or the other and I think that Shane may be the dark horse so to say in this whole situation because he could easily be a big threat and possibly beat Floyd and (Manny) Pacquiao. Shane is an old school fighter who fights with a lot of intensity, has speed, has shown a good chin and he’s going to be very well prepared. I just think that this is going to be maybe one of the best fights in a long time but I think this is the fight that will make Floyd Mayweather show his greatness or show his weakness—because he won’t be in between. He must fight in this fight.”

On how he would go about training Mosley if he were Mosley’s trainer in his fight with Mayweather:
“Well I think he’s got a very good trainer working with him now in Naseem Richardson and he will need to jab and apply a lot of pressure but not necessarily when Floyd bends back, beating all along his elbows and the ribs throwing a lot of wasted punches which Oscar did. The biggest thing that will be a problem for Floyd is the jab—pressure, jab, pressure, jab, and once you get inside, then you throw punches because Shane is just big enough where his arms are long enough and he’s tall enough where he would have a problem avoiding Shane’s punches by just rolling his shoulder and sticking his head back to the ropes. But the thing that goes for Floyd is Floyd has good hand speed but he also has good foot speed, too, and Shane is really not known for his footwork. Floyd can move around, stop on a dime, punch in and out, catlike reflexes—maybe not throw the volume of punches that Shane throws, but he’s a very, very accurate pinpoint puncher and he has ability to move and change directions a lot. A slight edge would go to Mayweather because of the foot speed and the pinpoint accurate punches, but I think that Shane will, even though Floyd may have that advantage over him in those areas, I think Shane is still fast enough and has enough intensity and anger in him that he’s still going to force Mayweather to bring him out of his comfort zone and make him really have to sit there and show his greatness, and if he does—maybe what he’s been saying is, he’s one of the greatest welterweight fighter of all time even though he won’t fight a welterweight. So this is the first time he’s really fighting a really world class welterweight fighter.”

On which fight he believes fans would enjoy more—Mosley vs. Pacquiao or Mayweather vs.Pacquiao:

“Mosley-Pacquiao or Mayweather-Pacquiao? Mosley-Pacquiao, Mosley-Pacquiao, Mosley-Pacquiao. I mean you know that Shane is going to bring it to you, I mean that’s him. There’s no way he’s going to run from anybody or try to be technical and if things get rough he’s still going to fight. Even in his losses to basically Winky Wright, who he had no business fighting because he was physically way too big, and Vernon Forrest, which was a tall rangy type guy and I know he lost to (Miguel) Cotto but I won’t even go into this because that was a close fight—but still, there’s no way you’re going to get anything but pure explosive excitement with Pacquiao and Mosley. But the fight based on the hype, the interest, and the hunger of the fans is still Mayweather and Pacquiao, but the true, true really explosive fight that the true fight fans would look forward to would be with Shane Mosley and Pacquiao. But still, the media and the press and everybody is going to make the fight if it’s possible with Pacquiao and Mayweather because of the anticipation and the marquee value and all of the hype—but the pure, pure fight is with Shane Mosley.”

His views on the upcoming fight between David Haye and John Ruiz:
“I pick David to win because everything is going in his direction now with the speed and youth, but if I was a betting person I would have it like 6:5 that’s all, or 7:5. I don’t know how odds go because I never bet on a fight but I see it as that type of fight. It’s his home town, his area, his crowd—the momentum and movement and everything is with him, but still, Ruiz is a solid fighter, he’s a real heavyweight not a super heavyweight, he has a good chin and I don’t know that David has all of the gifted movements and the great coordination like Roy Jones had to stay for twelve rounds and move and not get hit, because the biggest problem I have with him is just his chin. When he got knocked down by Monte Barrett I said, ‘Oh my God’. So that’s the situation. A lot of people believe that he is going to go out and just blow Ruiz away, and maybe he will—I wish that that would happen—but I have him a slight favorite and that’s about it.”

On how he sees a fight between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye going should it happen:
“Well Wladimir would knock him out within four rounds because this is one of the few guys who Wladimir has a lot of animosity I guess and anger and he would be extremely aggressive very much like he was with Chris Byrd in their second fight, but I think until it happens—the knockout or whatever, which I think will happen within four rounds—it would be a very explosive exciting fight. You got two guys who are known for explosive punching power, great speed, and both of them reputedly got weak chins so it would be a great excitement fight. But I think that Wladimir’s size and a strong left jab would be too much in addition to the fact that Wladimir has that tremendous short punching power with both the left hand and the right hand. I think that would be a little too much for David to overcome, but in the meantime, he has the ability to knockout Wladimir if he can catch him, too, because he does punch hard and he does punch fast and he does punch freely. As soon as he gets into range he will let his punches go. He doesn’t hesitate, so it’s a fight as a fan I would love to see.”

***

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Source: eastsideboxing.com

Global search for Pacquiao Free Zone while picking Abraham, Guzman -- The Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

COPENHAGEN—I will continue to roam this planet until I find a Manny Pacquiao Free Zone.

I am thinking if I take a yak ride up in the rarefied mountain air of Tibet or a camel ride through the mean streets of Outer Mongolia, I might find such a place.

As if all the chatter I heard about Megamanny in London for two days was not sufficient, I got a Pacman surprise at dinner Wednesday night in the tony Frederiksburg area.

Dining with some boxing guys, our waitress turned out yet another OFW, Overseas Foreign Worker, a lovely lady from Metro Manila now residing over the bridge in Malmo, Sweden. Her name is Evangeline “Eva” Levy and, yes, she is yet another Pinay for Pacquiao.

I'm thinking that Pacquiao's smashing success might have special significance for the OFWs given the fact that he, too, is kind of an OFW, who comes to America to earn his ring riches. Anyway, I've yet to visit a country where the PWA, Pacquiao Worldwide Army is not represented.

I may be on the other side of the pond now but I can't ignore important boxing activity at home this weekend so here's my capsule look at the key bouts:

That noted food critic Don King always said that to have a successful steak house, you had to provide customers with two things. One is a flavorful hunk of beef and the second is what he likes to call “comeback sauce,” meaning some element of the dining experience which along with the food draws patrons back like a boomerang.

Is it me, then, or is the Showtime Super Six 168 pound tournament lacking in both areas, in fistic flavor and in that special sauce?

Jermain Taylor is off the dance floor for medical reasons given his frightening KO at the hands of King Arthur Abraham.

The American hope in the tournament is Olympic gold medal getter Andre “Son of of Ward who somehow thrashed Danish hero and only a loser to Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler.

Unless Kessler finds his lost mojo for his April 24 bout, nearby here in Herning, against rugged but not exceptionally gifted Brit Carl Froch, there's big trouble in Hans Christian Anderson's hometown and that fairy tale could have an unhappy ending.

Allan Green has filled the Taylor vacancy but it would be a surprise if he wins up the ultimate winner of the competition. Let's see how he fares against the highly skilled Ward.

Abraham, the strongman from Armenia but fighting out of Germany, faces flick and run Andre Dirrell in Motown Saturday night.

In a metro area with something like 30 percent unemployment and street after street of empty and foreclosed or simply abandoned homes, you can imagine what a tough sell tickets for this show area especially given that it was moved to Detroit after a postponement at orginal site, Palm Springs.

I don't think balmy Springs loses many public or private events to battered D Town.

Having said, I hope they do attract sufficient warm bodies to the Joe Louis Arena. Although Dirrell is from Flint, he's never before been showcased, at least not professionally, in Detroit so a hometown ring magnet he is not.

Who wins? Chalk players will favor King Artie and I must as well. I think he will get the nod after 12 rounds of chasing mobile lefty Dirrell.

Dirrell's style is generally not one that the average fight judge or fan finds pleasing. He's got skills but they do not look to be the kind that really pay the bills.

Somehow, it strikes me as though Showtime will only be happy if the tournament experiment concludes with American Ward the big winner.

Changing cable channels, HBO offers up a real crossroads rematch with my old friend, Dominican Dandy Joan Guzman trying to square accounts with lanky South African Ali “Rush Hour” Funeka at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Guzman retained his unbeaten record unfairly last Nov. 28 when he got mauled by Giraffe Funeka in Quebec but two myopic judges scored it 114-114. The third judge was right on at 116-112 for Funeka.

My sentimental if not mental pick here is Guzman even though he turns 34 on May 1.

Guzman's back really is against the wall this time out but don't forget that Funeka is no spring chicken, turning 32 on Sunday.

Logic dictates that Funeka will do better and Guzman worse as they start their 13th round against each other.

Guzman looks cut and ready for the quest under a Ricky Hatton Alumni team of trainer Lee Beard and nutritionist Kerry Kayes but...the wild card here is how much Guzman has had left in the competitive tank ever since his weigh in blunder which scotched a Nate Campbell lightweight title bout with Soupy putting three belts on the line.

But what good are old friends if you can't wish them well rather than wishing them hell?

Call my Guzman selection a loyalty test if you must but I shall stick to it. I certainly don't want to let mi presidente, Leonel Fernandez,. down.

He and I are very close having met once for three minutes in the Dominican Casa Blanca, you know.

So put me down as forecasting a Guzman UD 12 as he digs deep.

As far as logic goes, if I was logical I would not be spanning the globe seeking a MPFZ, would I?

With boxing on a roll with back to back crowds of 51,000, first for Pacman and Clottey in Dallas and last Saturday for Wladimir Klitschko-Eddie Chambers in Germany, I hope HBO and Showtime offer up excitement.

We're on a roll, let's try to keep it going.

Even Dana White is praising boxing.

Maybe he has Pacman Flu as well.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Emanuel Steward knocks out tax bill -- The Detroit News

By Robert Snell, The Detroit News

Hall of Fame boxing legend Emanuel Steward, whose Kronk Gym in Detroit trained some of the world's top fighters including Thomas Hearns, owed more than $38,000 in delinquent taxes to the IRS, according to a new tax lien. That is, he did until getting a phone call this week.

Steward, 65, whose now-shuttered gym operated on the city's southwest side until closing in 2006, has trained and managed more than 30 world champions and is a commentator on HBO's boxing coverage. Steward also is chairman of the Kronk Gym Foundation, a nonprofit group established to provide mentoring, tutoring and recreational facilities for Metro Detroit youth.

On Saturday, Steward was in the corner of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who knocked out Eddie Chambers during a fight in Germany. Steward was credited with pushing Klitschko between rounds to punch more frequently.

"I will try, Emanuel," Klitschko said between rounds. "Relax. I will try. I'm doing it."

"You do not need to have another ---- decision," Steward answered.

The goading worked.

Klitschko knocked Chambers unconscious with a left hook in the 12th round.

What's owed

$38,140

The IRS filed a $38,140 lien against Steward on Feb. 1 with the Wayne County Register of Deeds. He owed income taxes from 2006 and 2007.

His side

Steward said he was unaware of the lien until being contacted by The Detroit News on Tuesday.

He had been in Germany for a few months training Klitschko and says he never saw a notice of the lien.

"First of all, I have the money to go pay the taxes," he said. "I feel bad. You go away for a few months, the mail comes in, and nobody's going through the stuff."

So on Tuesday, after getting a call from The Detroit News, Steward set off for the IRS office, prepared to pay $38,140.

But there was one problem.

In the seven weeks since the lien had been filed, the debt ballooned as penalties, interest and costs mounted.

"They said they needed $48,000," Steward said.

Steward returned Wednesday morning with a cashier's check.

"I'm glad you called," he said. "I would never have known anything."

rsnell@detnews.com (313) 222-2028

Source: detnews.com

Hurricane Ana hopes to take boxing world by storm -- Toronto Star

By Morgan Campbell, Toronto Star

When super bantamweight champion Ana (The Hurricane) Julaton enters the ring, heads turn.

In 2006, she caught Manny Pacquiao's attention when the then-featherweight champion spotted her at an amateur tournament in California and invited her to work with him and trainer Freddie Roach.

Eight fights and two world titles into her pro career, the San Francisco native has attracted ESPN's attention too, and the network will feature her next month in the season premier of the news magazine show E:60.

Saturday night at Casino Rama Julaton (pronounced HU-la-ton) meets Toronto's Lisa Brown (16-4-3, 5 KO) for the vacant WBA 122-pound crown, and the 29-year-old hopes a win in her Canadian debut will further boost her profile. After signing a two-year contract with Brampton-based Orion sports management, Julaton is committed to making an impact here.

"I fell in love with downtown (Toronto) right away. For me it feels just like home," said Julaton, who is 6-1-1 with two knockouts. "I feel like I can relate (to Canadian fans)."

Wednesday's public workout at Krudar Muay Thai marked Julaton's first official meet-and-greet with the Canadian media, but she's already used to the spotlight.

A first-generation Filipina-American, Julaton makes headlines in the Philippines each time she fights, and Wedneday's media session included a TV crew that had flown in from Manila.

If she defeats Brown on Saturday, officials in Manila have already planned a tickertape parade in Julaton's honour. According to manager Angelo Reyes, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also plans to congratulate the fighter personally if she wins.

That's a lot of acclaim for a fighter with fewer than 10 pro bouts, but nobody in Julaton's camp worries about the attention swelling her head. The fighter says her first pro loss taught her humility.

Eager to win a title in her first year as a pro, Julaton dropped an eight-round decision to Dominga Olivo in an August 2008 title shot, and says the loss taught her to take nothing for granted. Especially fame.

"After that fight I took a year off. ... It actually gave me time to sit back and focus and reorganize myself," said Julaton, who moonlights as a martial arts instructor in Daly City, Calif. "To be at the top of the game, you have to be able to juggle the physical aspect and also the entertainment aspect of it. For me, my first priority is being an athlete. I'm not looking past this fight."

If Julaton keeps winning, Reyes says she could become the next crossover star in a sport – women's boxing – he says is set to explode.

Reyes believes a group of women with the right combination of skill and charisma can do for women's boxing what female stars have done for tennis: Keep it on the map when fans lose interest in the men.

Of course, Reyes sees Julaton as a central figure in the mainstreaming of women's boxing, but gained no traction when he pitched his grand vision to big promoters like Golden Boy and Top Rank. But he found a willing listener in Orion's Allan Tremblay.

Orion needs other stars to complement former 122-pound champ Steve Molitor, and after the success Orion had selling teenage star Marvin Sonsona to the local Filipino community, Tremblay knew he had a market for Julaton too.

"He told me the market for Ana is in Toronto," Reyes said. "I will say that we have arrived when I can go to the networks and say we're putting Ana Julaton as the main event in Toronto. Ana can get there so long as she keeps winning."

mcampbell@thestar.ca

Source: thestar.com

Historically Pacquiao effort excels despite Clottey performance -- The Examiner

By Matt Stolow, Examiner.com

DALLAS, TEXAS - Just short of two weeks since Manny Pacquiao rolled over Joshua Clottey in nearby Arlington, I'm able to put "The Event" into historical perspective.

If any new details were to come from the participants, I assume they would have by now, and I have watched a couple of replays, read all I could from many sources and listened to people I respect.

We know that Clottey made a few excuses, too petty to list here.

We know now that Clottey couldn't beat Pacquiao on that night or any night even with a baseball bat.

When Clottey physically turned away on his stool from trainer Lenny De Jesus in the corner between rounds on numerous occasions it taught me Clottey had no serious heart in his arsenal.

He has merely finessed his way through his career on natural ability. He cowered in the final rounds against Miguel Cotto last June. Cotto, in one moment, heard an eruption of applause from the 51,000 fans just for being there live on the giant screens louder than Clottey received for his efforts all night.

Still I have Clottey on the short list of the five best welterweights in the world.

I believe the moral to this column simply is that sometimes life isn't fair.

It's certainly true in boxing history that natural ability is all some have. They don't have courage and they surround themselves with those that do as they are told for the free ride.

I'm sorry that a terrific effort by Manny Pacquiao, who may only have a few fights left in his wonderful Hall of Fame and legendary career, was wasted by an opponent just happy to be there and get a check as if it were owed to him.

Clottey had enough world-class defensive skill to survive the pummeling he was taking and enough offense to periodically throw some probing punches to keep referee Rafael Ramos from warning him to get more agressive and pick up the pace - which would have been humiliating to all involved in front of such an excited, enthusiastic live audience and worldwide viewers.

I believe possible opponents as Edwin Valero and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. would fight Pacquiao toe to toe.

I don't know about Antonio Margarito.

Juan Manuel Marquez, approaching age 37, may be long in the tooth and past his best days.

The winner of Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto and an eighth world title/weight division (154 lbs.) might be a great fight for Pacquiao.

So I welcome the loss of Clottey as a serious player and hope first that Mayweather, Jr. steps up to the challenge of Pacquiao, followed by Valero and finally closing the show and career with a rematch against Cotto at 154 lbs.

Source: examiner.com

David Tua's opponent has power, speed and he's a nice guy too -- Stuff

By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE, Stuff.co.nz

Friday Ahunanya pummelled his sparring partner in Auckland yesterday then declared total contentment with his preparation for next week's heavyweight boxing fight with David Tua.

The big Nigerian was in a menacing mood in the practice ring with Aucklander Lou Manusaute, a sparring partner chosen for his physical resemblance to Tua, albeit with a rather large stomach.

But it wasn't the body Ahunanya was concentrating on. He showed a good jab, fine footwork and a dash of power that ended with a vicious uppercut which caught Manusaute flush in the face, leaving him with blood pouring from his nose.

That was enough for Ahunanya's trainer Luis Tapia to call time on the sparring.

Ahunanya went through three more rounds of handwork with Tapia where he showed his real power and hand speed.

Ahunanya described the sparring as "kind of useful just to see how I'm moving around".

He has clearly left the hard work back in his Las Vegas base where he has been through more than 200 rounds of sparring.

"I'm in the best shape that I've been in in a long, long time," he said.

"This was more for you guys, we don't need it," Tapia told the small media group invited into the session. "I told Friday to take it easy, he's not his level, he's just here to help. But you guys can see he's ready, his speed is very good and his power is phenomenal."

That was backed up by the 36-year-old Manusaute, who predicted Ahunanya could prove a handful if Tua doesn't get in with one of his trademark early knockouts.

"It will be a good fight. If Tua doesn't catch him by the third or fourth round it could go the distance," Manusaute said. "He has got some power and he's a nice guy to go with it."

Source: stuff.co.nz

Floyd Mayweather Vs Manny Pacquiao: Cutting Through the Hype -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, RingsideReport.com

Manny Pacquiao has a record of 51-3-2, 38 KO’s, and owns the WBO Welterweight Title. In his last defense at “The Event,” the Pacman easily outworked the challenger, Joshua Clottey, winning every single round en route to a decision. It’s difficult being Pacquiao because the easiest thing to do is to tear down the opposition. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Miguel Cotto was mentally shot, Ricky Hatton was never that good, and Joshua Clottey showed up for a payday. All that aside, Manny still won and forced some good fighters to quit.

There are two fighters currently battling in the public for the right to be called “Pound for Pound Best in the Game.” The more popular at this point is Manny Pacquiao and he makes a good case. He has beaten some of the best fighters in the game, sending most of them into retirement. He has beaten Erik Morales (2 out of 3 times), Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Juan Manual Marquez, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto, and Clottey. He has done what a fighter in his position should be doing and that is to fight the best available opponent.

The other pugilist with a case is Floyd Mayweather, JR., 40-0, 25 KO’s, currently gearing up for his May 1st meeting with Sugar Shane Mosley, the only other big name in the division outside of Pacquiao. Floyd will win this fight. Shane had his back and forth with Cotto in 2007 and scored the knockout over “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito in early 2009, but other than those two outings, he has looked less than spectacular.

In 2008, he stopped Ricardo Mayorga in the final round in what was an even fight at that point. This is the same Mayorga that Oscar De La Hoya easily destroyed and the same one that Felix Trinidad battered. Mosley should have dominated the fight, but he had trouble and Floyd is going to present a whole lot more of it come May 1st.

As popular as Manny is, Floyd is still the man to beat. He’s never lost, dominates his opposition with ease, and has beaten his fair share of great fighters including Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Genaro Hernandez, and Zab Judah. Some question the record of Floyd, but when you examine it, you have to be impressed. He is the modern day Pernell Whitaker…a genius in the boxing ring.

Pacquiao stated that he wanted the winner of Floyd/Mosley next, which means he wants Floyd, but the fight fell apart on one occasion…it’s possible that it might fall through again considering the demands of both sides.

The big steroid scandal destroyed the chances of the two meeting on March 13th, giving Clottey the chance to step in…a chance that he elected to throw away by not fighting. Now we move on and the public demand is higher and will skyrocket when Floyd is victorious. There is a great deal of money to be made with these two colliding and style-wise, it’s a great fight.

The relentless aggressor versus the smart boxer.

The majority of the public will be picking with their hearts rather than their minds if the two great fighters can iron out the details and sign to officially fight. You will see most picking Manny to win, most Pacquiao die hard fans will pick him to win in the first or second round, and then some groupies posing as writers will pick him to win just to get the approval of the masses of Pacfans out there. Manny has a very good chance to win, more so than any other fighter that has ever faced Floyd, but realistically, he is still an underdog going in.

HBO has found a cash cow in Manny and they are going to do whatever they can to keep this money express on the tracks, including Jim Lampley screaming “Bang,” every forty seconds during the Clottey fight. What was that about?

Because of this incentive, there is a great deal of overplay. Manny is a great fighter without question, but much of his great wins were over guys on the way out. He is a knockout threat at nearly any weight, has the will to win, and will be a hard man to beat, but all of this talk of Floyd Mayweather, JR., being beaten down and stopped by Pacquiao is hard to imagine.

Floyd is painted as the villain. He is a thug, Manny is humble…well, that’s the sale. Floyd sells tickets as the bad guy that you want to see lose. He talks big, flashes money, and even refers to himself as “Money Mayweather.” People want to see him lose, so it translates into Manny winning. This sort of thinking is rampant with boxing fans, especially those that are considered “die hard” or live vicariously through the athlete.

Pacquiao has a chance to win when he eventually clashes with Floyd. He’s quick and hits hard, but getting through the defense of Floyd and overcoming the precision and timing is going to be a hard thing to do for the “Pacman.” Most will want to see Floyd lose and some will even pick Shane to beat him, but he has been flawless in the ring thus far and will not panic like Clottey did and will not come in terrified.

With Pacquiao getting by Clottey, that leaves Floyd to beat Mosley and when he does, the two will negotiate again and hopefully sign to fight in the biggest fight in the past 10 years, but Floyd remains the man to beat. What is so exciting about it is that Manny will have the best chance thus far throughout the career of Mayweather, and if anyone can do it, he can, but the odds are still against him. At least both parties seem eager to settle the score and the public demand is so high that it will most likely happen.

Although there will be many Pacquiao fans upset the day after, more than likely, the fact that he has become this force in boxing is impressive, winning fights that not many would have predicted. Perhaps Floyd will prove to be another example of that.

Source: ringsidereport.com