By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
Kermit Cintron took a dive and lost his Saturday night super-welterweight fight to Paul Williams.
Cintron's dive wasn't the kind usually associated with boxing.
During the fourth round of a fight that was slow to become active, Puerto Rico's Cintron was rushing toward Williams when the 6-foot-3 southpaw slipped, causing Cintron's momentum to carry him through the ropes, toward a tennis-court landing at Carson's Home Depot Center that caused a fight-stopping injury.
"He hit his head twice, on a [television] monitor and then on the floor," Cintron promoter Lou DiBella said.
Cintron (32-3-1) remained face-down for minutes as Williams rested in the ring. Ringside doctor Paul Wallace then assessed that Cintron was "groggy," according to DiBella.
Cintron "feels like he's OK, he wanted to continue," DiBella said. "But the doctor said, 'No, you can't continue' "
That decision threw the fight, disputedly, to the judges' scorecards because of a California rule that says a bout can be decided by scorecards after the fourth round has begun. That differs with the Assn. of Boxing Commissions, which stipulates that four full rounds must be completed before the judges can determine a winner.
At the stoppage, almost midway through the round, judge James Jen Kin had Williams leading 40-36, judge Fritz Werner had Williams ahead 39-37, and judge Jerry Cantu gave all four rounds to Cintron, 40-36. Yet, a fourth round was judged without being completed.
Williams (39-1) accepted the victory almost in embarrassment, and suggested a rematch will be made.
"He hit me with a little [right-handed] shot, I hit him with one, we got tangled, and then he fell out of the ring," Williams said. "I know he wanted to fight. I know I wanted to fight. It's a strange way to get a win. I'll try to get a better one next time."
However, Williams' promoter, Dan Goossen, said he was not receptive "to look for a rematch." Goossen wants Williams to explore a richer fight in the welterweight division, which counts Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao as residents.
"There's nothing compelling to me, other than the uniqueness of how the fight was stopped, to do it over again," said Goossen, who also expressed some doubts about the severity of Cintron's injury.
Cintron was sent to a hospital for assessment.
DiBella and Cintron's trainer, Ronnie Shields, argued the bout should have been fought under ABC rules and should have been called a no-contest. They both demanded a rematch.
"Who should get a loss because of that?" DiBella asked. "I don't know what I can do, but I shouldn't have lost that fight. It was 3½ rounds. That's why there should be some uniform rules in boxing. Twenty years in this business, you see some weird [stuff]."
Williams started tentatively, and Cintron landed jabs and counterpunches in the first round. A good Williams left in the final 10 seconds was followed by a clean Cintron right.
The early inactivity drew heavy boos from the crowd, and Williams didn't become the pursuer until late in the third round. He landed two big lefts early in the fourth, and the action shifted left across the ring, with Cintron answering a Williams punch with a straight right before the entanglement, slip and ring dive.
Williams was hoping the fight would catapult him to a shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao, but the outcome defused all that talk.
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Source: articles.latimes.com
Sunday 9 May 2010
Williams-Cintron - Kermit Falls Out Of The Ring; Did He Also Fall Foul Of An Unjust Decision? -- Eastside Boxing
By James Slater, Eastside Boxing
Well, you'll be hard pressed to name a more bizarre ending to a fight than the one we saw last night in Carson City, CA, as Paul Williams won a four-round technical decision over Kermit Cintron. In a truly stunning ending to the contest between the two punchers, that was perhaps just beginning to catch fire, Cintron wound up basically being KO'd by a combination of dangerously loose ropes and the hard floor he crashed onto when he flew threw said loose ropes.
Unable to continue due to having hurt his head and neck (a brace was attached to the stricken fighter, before he was wheeled into a waiting ambulance), the Puerto Rican was then to receive the unpalatable news that he had actually lost the fight. Under California Commission rules, only three completed rounds have to have been fought, therefore the fight went to the cards - where a fittingly bizarre decision was announced. One judge had Cintron winning all four rounds at 40-36, one judge had Williams the victor by the same margin, while the third judge had "The Punisher" winning by a score of 39-37..
I think it's safe to say Cintron was the victim of an unjust defeat, and as soon as he is well enough to do so he and his team will, quite rightly, appeal the "loss." The correct result should surely have been a No-Contest, and for a while this was what referee Lou Moret was telling those at ringside would be the case - under ABC rules. But then the California Commission's rule book was checked and Michael Buffer announced how just three completed rounds were enough for the scorecards to be brought into play.
We've seen some weird things happen in fights over the years - the now infamous "Fan Man" incident that occurred during the Evander Holyfield-Riddick Bowe rematch in 1993 for example - but last night's events may have taken the cake. It really was shocking to see Cintron literally fly through the ropes and crash onto the monitors and then the floor the way he did. During the 4th-round - one that saw "The Killer" land a good right hand to the advancing Williams' chin shortly both men lost their footing - Cintron took to the air and then came back down with a nasty thud.
We must all hope Cintron is okay, yet at the same time the questions will be asked. Why, as Sky Sports commentator and former world champion Jim Watt demanded, were the ropes, A: so loose and, B: not tied together to prevent them from opening wide the way they did? Why, when a classic case for a No-Contest was apparent, was one not ruled? And finally, (there may well be more questions that many people may have to ask), as was also suggested during the Sky Sports broadcast I watched, will Cintron look to sue The California Commission for their shoddily erected ring?
As for last night's winner (if Williams' win actually stands in a few days or weeks time), he was asked post-fight if the whole fight was something of an anticlimax for him! Not surprisingly, Williams said, yes, it was. Wanting to make a statement that would hopefully get him a big fight with either Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, Williams instead went home with an extremely hollow victory. No, it wasn't in any way his fault what happened to Cintron, but it must be said that Williams looked anything but sharp and accurate in the rounds preceding the bizarre ending to the fight.
Williams also mentioned new middleweight champion Sergio Martinez' name, saying the rematch can easily be made if Martinez calls him. Basing things on how he looked last night (when, who knows, he may simply have had an off night -or maybe he over trained for the fight), Williams would struggle (again in the case of Martinez) against any of the three names he called out.
As for Cintron, if his neck injury is as bad as it looked as he was being wheeled away on a stretcher, his own ring future may be in serious doubt.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Unable to continue due to having hurt his head and neck (a brace was attached to the stricken fighter, before he was wheeled into a waiting ambulance), the Puerto Rican was then to receive the unpalatable news that he had actually lost the fight. Under California Commission rules, only three completed rounds have to have been fought, therefore the fight went to the cards - where a fittingly bizarre decision was announced. One judge had Cintron winning all four rounds at 40-36, one judge had Williams the victor by the same margin, while the third judge had "The Punisher" winning by a score of 39-37..
I think it's safe to say Cintron was the victim of an unjust defeat, and as soon as he is well enough to do so he and his team will, quite rightly, appeal the "loss." The correct result should surely have been a No-Contest, and for a while this was what referee Lou Moret was telling those at ringside would be the case - under ABC rules. But then the California Commission's rule book was checked and Michael Buffer announced how just three completed rounds were enough for the scorecards to be brought into play.
We've seen some weird things happen in fights over the years - the now infamous "Fan Man" incident that occurred during the Evander Holyfield-Riddick Bowe rematch in 1993 for example - but last night's events may have taken the cake. It really was shocking to see Cintron literally fly through the ropes and crash onto the monitors and then the floor the way he did. During the 4th-round - one that saw "The Killer" land a good right hand to the advancing Williams' chin shortly both men lost their footing - Cintron took to the air and then came back down with a nasty thud.
We must all hope Cintron is okay, yet at the same time the questions will be asked. Why, as Sky Sports commentator and former world champion Jim Watt demanded, were the ropes, A: so loose and, B: not tied together to prevent them from opening wide the way they did? Why, when a classic case for a No-Contest was apparent, was one not ruled? And finally, (there may well be more questions that many people may have to ask), as was also suggested during the Sky Sports broadcast I watched, will Cintron look to sue The California Commission for their shoddily erected ring?
As for last night's winner (if Williams' win actually stands in a few days or weeks time), he was asked post-fight if the whole fight was something of an anticlimax for him! Not surprisingly, Williams said, yes, it was. Wanting to make a statement that would hopefully get him a big fight with either Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, Williams instead went home with an extremely hollow victory. No, it wasn't in any way his fault what happened to Cintron, but it must be said that Williams looked anything but sharp and accurate in the rounds preceding the bizarre ending to the fight.
Williams also mentioned new middleweight champion Sergio Martinez' name, saying the rematch can easily be made if Martinez calls him. Basing things on how he looked last night (when, who knows, he may simply have had an off night -or maybe he over trained for the fight), Williams would struggle (again in the case of Martinez) against any of the three names he called out.
As for Cintron, if his neck injury is as bad as it looked as he was being wheeled away on a stretcher, his own ring future may be in serious doubt.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Are we any closer to Pacquiao-Mayweather? -- San Antonio Express
By John Whisler, San Antonio Express
So here we are again, back where we were a few short months ago when Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao left us at the altar.
With convincing victories in recent weeks, both men have staked their claims to being regarded as boxing's best.
So is there any chance they'll come to their senses and say yes to a fight?
Not if you listened to Mayweather after he won a lopsided decision over Shane Mosley last week. The victory only seemed to harden “Pretty Boy” Floyd's hard-line stance on drug testing.
“If Manny takes the test, we can make the fight happen,” he said. “If he doesn't, we don't have a fight.”
Just like that, Mayweather KO'd the hopes of fans everywhere that boxing's two best fighters would meet in what surely would be the richest fight in the sport's history.
The way Mayweather dominated Mosley, it's easy to see why he's refusing to back off his demands.
Mayweather thinks he's the best, and nothing he did against Mosley served to weaken his argument.
Mosley figured to be Mayweather's toughest test to date. And two rounds into their 12-round bout, he appeared to be just that.
He won the first round and rocked Mayweather with a straight right in the second. The punch caught Mayweather flush on the chin and caused his legs to buckle. It seemed Mosley might upset the man who earlier in the week had boasted he was better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.
But Mosley couldn't close the show.
What followed was a shocking turn of events. In a matter of minutes, Mosley went from looking like Superman to fighting like Clark Kent. He went from full control to on the ropes.
Mysteriously, he stopped punching and watched helplessly as Mayweather — often criticized for his cautious fighting style — did what few thought they would ever see him do.
He stood his ground and became the aggressor.
Mayweather, who earned $22.5 million for the fight (Mosley received $7 million), dominated the rest of the way, pitching a shutout on the scorecards over the final 10 rounds.
That domination was as evident in the punch stats as it was on the scorecards.
Mayweather landed 208 of 477 punches to just 92 of 452 for Mosley. After the second round, Mosley landed double-digit punches only once, in the sixth round.
Pacquiao watched from the Philippines and told reporters there he's eager to fight.
“Yes, I want Mayweather,” he said.
But it appears the only way he'll get him is if he softens his stance on drug testing.
It's not that Pacquiao refuses to be tested. He will, but not too close to the fight because he believes having his blood taken might somehow weaken him.
He's agreed to allow his blood to be checked 24 days prior to the fight, while Mayweather demanded both fighters be tested 14 days in advance.
Recently, though, Pacquiao said on his Web site he will agree to the 14-day window. Perhaps Pacquiao, who is running for Congress in his homeland (the election is Monday), is learning what all politicians must learn — the art of compromise.
So, does that mean we have a fight now?
We'll see. But for now we're back where we were a few months ago — two fighters locked in a strategic tug-of-war over a single issue.
A battle that so far has no winners, only losers.
The fans.
jwhisler@express-news.net
Source: mysanantonio.com
So here we are again, back where we were a few short months ago when Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao left us at the altar.
With convincing victories in recent weeks, both men have staked their claims to being regarded as boxing's best.
So is there any chance they'll come to their senses and say yes to a fight?
Not if you listened to Mayweather after he won a lopsided decision over Shane Mosley last week. The victory only seemed to harden “Pretty Boy” Floyd's hard-line stance on drug testing.
“If Manny takes the test, we can make the fight happen,” he said. “If he doesn't, we don't have a fight.”
Just like that, Mayweather KO'd the hopes of fans everywhere that boxing's two best fighters would meet in what surely would be the richest fight in the sport's history.
The way Mayweather dominated Mosley, it's easy to see why he's refusing to back off his demands.
Mayweather thinks he's the best, and nothing he did against Mosley served to weaken his argument.
Mosley figured to be Mayweather's toughest test to date. And two rounds into their 12-round bout, he appeared to be just that.
He won the first round and rocked Mayweather with a straight right in the second. The punch caught Mayweather flush on the chin and caused his legs to buckle. It seemed Mosley might upset the man who earlier in the week had boasted he was better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.
But Mosley couldn't close the show.
What followed was a shocking turn of events. In a matter of minutes, Mosley went from looking like Superman to fighting like Clark Kent. He went from full control to on the ropes.
Mysteriously, he stopped punching and watched helplessly as Mayweather — often criticized for his cautious fighting style — did what few thought they would ever see him do.
He stood his ground and became the aggressor.
Mayweather, who earned $22.5 million for the fight (Mosley received $7 million), dominated the rest of the way, pitching a shutout on the scorecards over the final 10 rounds.
That domination was as evident in the punch stats as it was on the scorecards.
Mayweather landed 208 of 477 punches to just 92 of 452 for Mosley. After the second round, Mosley landed double-digit punches only once, in the sixth round.
Pacquiao watched from the Philippines and told reporters there he's eager to fight.
“Yes, I want Mayweather,” he said.
But it appears the only way he'll get him is if he softens his stance on drug testing.
It's not that Pacquiao refuses to be tested. He will, but not too close to the fight because he believes having his blood taken might somehow weaken him.
He's agreed to allow his blood to be checked 24 days prior to the fight, while Mayweather demanded both fighters be tested 14 days in advance.
Recently, though, Pacquiao said on his Web site he will agree to the 14-day window. Perhaps Pacquiao, who is running for Congress in his homeland (the election is Monday), is learning what all politicians must learn — the art of compromise.
So, does that mean we have a fight now?
We'll see. But for now we're back where we were a few months ago — two fighters locked in a strategic tug-of-war over a single issue.
A battle that so far has no winners, only losers.
The fans.
jwhisler@express-news.net
Source: mysanantonio.com
Antonio Margarito Earns Unanimous Decision over Roberto Garcia -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Mexican-born Antonio Margarito
scored a first-round knockdown, benefited from two points being deducted from his opponent, and roundly won Saturday night's 10-round, unanimous decision over Roberto "La Amenza" Garcia in a junior middleweight (154 pounds) clash before more than 17,000 at the 17,900 capacity La Feria de San Marcos , in Aguascalientes, Mex.,
Margarito won 100-88, 99-90, and, 99-89, on the three judges' cards, meaning that he lost only a combined two rounds over the course of the bout.
In victory, the 32-year-old Margarito improved to 38-6, with 27 knockouts, while the 30-year-old Garcia (28-3, 21 KOs) -- who was twice penalized for head butts -- had a five-year, 14-bout unbeaten streak ended that had included 10 knockouts.
The performance ended a more than one-year ring absence for Margarito, who had been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley dethroned him as WBA champion.
Margarito's ring exile resulted from Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson's discovery that the Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance that was subsequently removed and confiscated prior to the fight.
With promoter, Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, being a chief support, Margarito has a number of options.
The best of the scenarios involves a potential match up opposite seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), who is the current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion.
Reached in the Philippines where he is supporting Pacquiao during his run for congress, Arum told Nancy Gay of FanHouse that Margarito's rustiness in the fight was "expected."
"I think he looked rusty after 15 months, and he needed to fight," said Arum. "He needed the fight under his belt after the long absence."
Margarito has fought in California more than a dozen times during his career, but was unable to return to the ring for the undercard of Pacquiao's, March 13, unanimous decision victory over Joshua Clottey, at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium for a proposed bout against Oklahoma City resident Carson Jones (26-7-1, 15 KOs).
Arum believes, however, that Margarito's next fight "will be in the United States," mentioning that he hoped "to get Margarito licensed in various states, as he should be," such as "Nevada, or Texas, one of those places."
Arum said that a Pacquiao-Margarito fight would sell out Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where some 51,000 witnessed Pacquiao-Clottey.
"The most significant thing was the Mexican crowd, and how they greeted him," Arum said of Margarito's return against Garcia. "I think that any commission in the United States to whom he applies for a license will have to take that into account."
There is the chance, perhaps, to face the winner of a June 5 WBA junior middleweight title bout between former three-time world champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) and champion, Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) to be fought at the new Yankees Stadium in New York.
Another potential fight involves a rematch with Lou DiBella-promoted, southpaw WBC junior middleweight king, Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs), whom Margarito knocked out in the seventh round in February of 2000.
Martinez is coming off of last month's unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), whom he dethroned as WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) champion.
"Antonio wants Pacquiao. That's all that he talks about," said Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, who is not related to Roberto Garcia. "Antonio wants it. The fans want it. We are ready right now."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Mexican-born Antonio Margarito
scored a first-round knockdown, benefited from two points being deducted from his opponent, and roundly won Saturday night's 10-round, unanimous decision over Roberto "La Amenza" Garcia in a junior middleweight (154 pounds) clash before more than 17,000 at the 17,900 capacity La Feria de San Marcos , in Aguascalientes, Mex.,Margarito won 100-88, 99-90, and, 99-89, on the three judges' cards, meaning that he lost only a combined two rounds over the course of the bout.
In victory, the 32-year-old Margarito improved to 38-6, with 27 knockouts, while the 30-year-old Garcia (28-3, 21 KOs) -- who was twice penalized for head butts -- had a five-year, 14-bout unbeaten streak ended that had included 10 knockouts.The performance ended a more than one-year ring absence for Margarito, who had been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission after a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley dethroned him as WBA champion.
Margarito's ring exile resulted from Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson's discovery that the Mexican's fist wrappings included a plaster-like substance that was subsequently removed and confiscated prior to the fight.
With promoter, Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, being a chief support, Margarito has a number of options.
The best of the scenarios involves a potential match up opposite seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), who is the current WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion.
Reached in the Philippines where he is supporting Pacquiao during his run for congress, Arum told Nancy Gay of FanHouse that Margarito's rustiness in the fight was "expected."
"I think he looked rusty after 15 months, and he needed to fight," said Arum. "He needed the fight under his belt after the long absence."
Margarito has fought in California more than a dozen times during his career, but was unable to return to the ring for the undercard of Pacquiao's, March 13, unanimous decision victory over Joshua Clottey, at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium for a proposed bout against Oklahoma City resident Carson Jones (26-7-1, 15 KOs).
Arum believes, however, that Margarito's next fight "will be in the United States," mentioning that he hoped "to get Margarito licensed in various states, as he should be," such as "Nevada, or Texas, one of those places."
Arum said that a Pacquiao-Margarito fight would sell out Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where some 51,000 witnessed Pacquiao-Clottey.
"The most significant thing was the Mexican crowd, and how they greeted him," Arum said of Margarito's return against Garcia. "I think that any commission in the United States to whom he applies for a license will have to take that into account."
There is the chance, perhaps, to face the winner of a June 5 WBA junior middleweight title bout between former three-time world champion Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) and champion, Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) to be fought at the new Yankees Stadium in New York.
Another potential fight involves a rematch with Lou DiBella-promoted, southpaw WBC junior middleweight king, Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs), whom Margarito knocked out in the seventh round in February of 2000.
Martinez is coming off of last month's unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), whom he dethroned as WBO and WBC middleweight (160 pounds) champion.
"Antonio wants Pacquiao. That's all that he talks about," said Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, who is not related to Roberto Garcia. "Antonio wants it. The fans want it. We are ready right now."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Cintron Flies Out Of Ring, Fight Halted After Three, Williams "Wins" -- The Sweet Science
By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science
Just when things started heating up, a freak accident halted the main event between junior middleweights Paul Williams and Kermit Cintron at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night in Carson, CA. At the beginning of the fourth, the fighters got tangled, and Cintron fell out of the ring, onto a table, and then to the floor. EMTs came for Cintron, and the fight was stopped. Three rounds finished so the scorecards were read, somewhat ludicrously. I will always view this abbreviated event as a No Contest, but the judges called it 39-37, 40-36, 36-40, for Williams.
The medical personnel put a neck brace on Cintron, and put him on a stretcher. TSS wishes Cintron, who was conscious, well.
Williams (age 28; 38-1 entering; ex junior middleweight, and two time welterweight champion; 6-1 1/2; from South Carolina) weighed 152 1/2 , while Cintron (age 30; 32-2-1 entering; ex welterweight champ; 5-11; born in Puerto Rico, grew up in PA, lives in Texas to train) was 154 on Friday. The bout was shown on HBO. Before the scrap, Manny Steward, Cintron's former trainer/manager, said Kermit had a real good chance going in. He said if Kermit was emotionally strong going in, Williams could have a hard night.
Jerry Cantu, Fritz Werner and Dr. James Jen-Kin were entrusted with judging the bout.
In the first, the lefty Williams used his height, and kept distance. Kermit touched him with a jab, and a left hook. It was a cautious round.
In the second, Kermit looked to counter, but Paul was cautious, looking for a big opening. Kermit's hands looked the quicker of the two. The crowd didn't like the excess respect the two showed each other.
In the third, we heard Larry Merchant say, "So far, Paul Williams has looked like a wind turbine on a windless day." Pretty classic, I'd say. "Little too much respect from both of them," he added, astutely. Williams maybe heard, and stepped it up.
In the fourth, Cintron buzzed LTP with a right. Then they got tangled, when Williams grabbed Kermit, Williams fell into the ropes, but Kermit fell out of the ring, onto a table, and then the floor. He hit his shoulder and head, and said he wanted to continue.
Williams said he started slow on purpose, and felt bad the fans didn't get their money's worth. Going forward, he said he wants Floyd, or Manny, or if not them, a rematch with Sergio Martinez.
SPEEDBAG Larry Merchant said before the main event that we shouldn't underestimate boxing's ability to get in its own way. He was talking about the prospects for Mayweather-Pacquiao. Larry said that as of now, it looks like Floyd is looking for an alibi, a way out of fighting Manny, by way of his insistence on Olympic PED testing, far and away beyond current boxing protocol.
---Merchant learned Kelly Pavlik is done at 160, that he weighed 11 or 12 pounds over 160 24 hours before his last fight, with Sergio Martinez. He said Tim Bradley's name has come up for Mayweather and Pacquiao. Don't see that happening, risk/reward ratio is askew there.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Just when things started heating up, a freak accident halted the main event between junior middleweights Paul Williams and Kermit Cintron at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night in Carson, CA. At the beginning of the fourth, the fighters got tangled, and Cintron fell out of the ring, onto a table, and then to the floor. EMTs came for Cintron, and the fight was stopped. Three rounds finished so the scorecards were read, somewhat ludicrously. I will always view this abbreviated event as a No Contest, but the judges called it 39-37, 40-36, 36-40, for Williams.
The medical personnel put a neck brace on Cintron, and put him on a stretcher. TSS wishes Cintron, who was conscious, well.
Williams (age 28; 38-1 entering; ex junior middleweight, and two time welterweight champion; 6-1 1/2; from South Carolina) weighed 152 1/2 , while Cintron (age 30; 32-2-1 entering; ex welterweight champ; 5-11; born in Puerto Rico, grew up in PA, lives in Texas to train) was 154 on Friday. The bout was shown on HBO. Before the scrap, Manny Steward, Cintron's former trainer/manager, said Kermit had a real good chance going in. He said if Kermit was emotionally strong going in, Williams could have a hard night.
Jerry Cantu, Fritz Werner and Dr. James Jen-Kin were entrusted with judging the bout.
In the first, the lefty Williams used his height, and kept distance. Kermit touched him with a jab, and a left hook. It was a cautious round.
In the second, Kermit looked to counter, but Paul was cautious, looking for a big opening. Kermit's hands looked the quicker of the two. The crowd didn't like the excess respect the two showed each other.
In the third, we heard Larry Merchant say, "So far, Paul Williams has looked like a wind turbine on a windless day." Pretty classic, I'd say. "Little too much respect from both of them," he added, astutely. Williams maybe heard, and stepped it up.
In the fourth, Cintron buzzed LTP with a right. Then they got tangled, when Williams grabbed Kermit, Williams fell into the ropes, but Kermit fell out of the ring, onto a table, and then the floor. He hit his shoulder and head, and said he wanted to continue.
Williams said he started slow on purpose, and felt bad the fans didn't get their money's worth. Going forward, he said he wants Floyd, or Manny, or if not them, a rematch with Sergio Martinez.
SPEEDBAG Larry Merchant said before the main event that we shouldn't underestimate boxing's ability to get in its own way. He was talking about the prospects for Mayweather-Pacquiao. Larry said that as of now, it looks like Floyd is looking for an alibi, a way out of fighting Manny, by way of his insistence on Olympic PED testing, far and away beyond current boxing protocol.
---Merchant learned Kelly Pavlik is done at 160, that he weighed 11 or 12 pounds over 160 24 hours before his last fight, with Sergio Martinez. He said Tim Bradley's name has come up for Mayweather and Pacquiao. Don't see that happening, risk/reward ratio is askew there.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Paul Williams Wins Four-Round, Technical Split-Decision over Kermit Cintron -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
A very flat-looking southpaw Paul Williams was rescued from an off night by Saturday night's bizzare, four-round, non-title, junior middleweight (154 pounds) technical split-decision victory over Kermit Cintron, who could not continue after apparently injuring his head, lower back and right leg after tumbling to the ringside floor before a disappointed crowd at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.
Because more than three rounds had been completed, California State Athletic Commission rules required that the decision go to the scorecards, and that the officials score all four rounds.
As a result, judges James Jen-Kin and Fritz Werner both had it for Williams, 40-36, and, 39-37, with Jerry Cantu scoring it, 40-36, for Cintron. FanHouse had it for Cintron, 39-37, who appeared to be boxing well from a distance early on in the HBO-televised bout.
There was no title on the line for the 28-year-old Williams or the 30-year-old Cintron.
After a rather uneventful first three rounds, during which Cintron boxed well from a distance and countered effectively over Williams' right jab with a right crosses and over hand rights, the two fighters became tangled during a clinch.
As Williams lunged forward, he grabbed Cintron around the waist and fell to the canvas.
Cintron's momentum, however, carried him forward and through the ropes, where his head, back, and apparently his leg collided with a ringside television monitor and table before he landed on the floor.
Cintron lay on the floor in a semi-prone position for about five minutes, running his right glove along his right leg in pain.
The fallen fighter indicated to the ringside doctor that he wanted to continue, but was not permitted to, according to HBO commentators.
Cintron was subsequently stabilized and taken from the arena on a stetcher.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
A very flat-looking southpaw Paul Williams was rescued from an off night by Saturday night's bizzare, four-round, non-title, junior middleweight (154 pounds) technical split-decision victory over Kermit Cintron, who could not continue after apparently injuring his head, lower back and right leg after tumbling to the ringside floor before a disappointed crowd at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.
Because more than three rounds had been completed, California State Athletic Commission rules required that the decision go to the scorecards, and that the officials score all four rounds.
As a result, judges James Jen-Kin and Fritz Werner both had it for Williams, 40-36, and, 39-37, with Jerry Cantu scoring it, 40-36, for Cintron. FanHouse had it for Cintron, 39-37, who appeared to be boxing well from a distance early on in the HBO-televised bout.
There was no title on the line for the 28-year-old Williams or the 30-year-old Cintron.
After a rather uneventful first three rounds, during which Cintron boxed well from a distance and countered effectively over Williams' right jab with a right crosses and over hand rights, the two fighters became tangled during a clinch.
As Williams lunged forward, he grabbed Cintron around the waist and fell to the canvas.
Cintron's momentum, however, carried him forward and through the ropes, where his head, back, and apparently his leg collided with a ringside television monitor and table before he landed on the floor.
Cintron lay on the floor in a semi-prone position for about five minutes, running his right glove along his right leg in pain.
The fallen fighter indicated to the ringside doctor that he wanted to continue, but was not permitted to, according to HBO commentators.
Cintron was subsequently stabilized and taken from the arena on a stetcher.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Cintron falls out of ring, Williams wins decision -- NBC Sports
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
CARSON, Calif. - Paul Williams earned a bizarre victory Saturday night when Kermit Cintron wasn't allowed to continue after tumbling through the ropes and landing on a ringside table early in the fourth round.
The 154-pound bout ended with Cintron strapped to a stretcher and wearing a neck brace, though he wanted to get up and keep fighting.
Williams was awarded a technical victory by split decision because he led on two of the three judges' scorecards.
Williams and Cintron exchanged big shots in the early moments of the round before Williams connected with a punch and tried to clinch. When Williams slipped and fell to the canvas, Cintron tripped over Williams' leg and went headfirst through the ropes, hitting a monitor on the table.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: nbcsports.msnbc.com
The 154-pound bout ended with Cintron strapped to a stretcher and wearing a neck brace, though he wanted to get up and keep fighting.
Williams was awarded a technical victory by split decision because he led on two of the three judges' scorecards.
Williams and Cintron exchanged big shots in the early moments of the round before Williams connected with a punch and tried to clinch. When Williams slipped and fell to the canvas, Cintron tripped over Williams' leg and went headfirst through the ropes, hitting a monitor on the table.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: nbcsports.msnbc.com
Manny Pacquiao goes from boxing ring to political arena -- Los Angeles Times
By Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times
Reporting from General Santos City, Philippines
The five-car convoy heads south, warning lights flashing, weaving dangerously around the ever-present, slow-moving civilian traffic and on toward the province of Sarangani and its most famous resident, Manny Pacquiao.
There will be a political rally at 3 p.m. and Pacquiao will be the star, much as he is in the boxing ring.
The convoy includes Pacquiao advisors, managers and friends, as well as his famous boxing promoter, Bob Arum. It also includes members of the media. Once the domain of mere sportswriters, Pacquiao now draws no less than the Asian bureau chief of the Times of London.
Pacquiao is arguably the biggest name in boxing, having just been honored as fighter of the decade by the U.S. Boxing Writers Assn. In March, he drew nearly 60,000 people to the new stadium built for the Dallas Cowboys, fighting someone who had little chance of beating him.
In his last 12 pay-per-view fights, he has gotten 6.25 million people to spend at least $50 to watch him, generating $320 million in revenue. But as big as he is in the United States, he is even bigger in his home country.
When he travels about the countryside, it is in a bulletproof van. In this Pacquiao procession — minus Pacquiao — two police officers are present and packing. That is mostly for Arum, whose fame and worth greatly exceed that of the rest of the caravan.
If that seems excessive, it could be noted that, last November, several hours to the north in Maguindanao, 57 people traveling in a convoy were ambushed, slain and tossed into a hastily dug grave, where they were covered with banana leaves. Their sin, apparently, was to become part of a group that was traveling to file papers to run for election. Several members of the family that was set to oppose those filing are now in jail.
Of the 57 who were killed, 34 were journalists, 12 from Pacquiao's birthplace and main residence, General Santos City. Those 12 are buried in a special plot surrounded by a brick walkway at a cemetery less than five minutes from Pacquiao's house.
An election-related incident such as this is less surprising here than most places. This country is election-crazed, even though the consensus is that many results are tainted.
The political system is modeled on that of the United States, with an elected Congress and Senate. Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat. In 2007, he campaigned for one in the larger General Santos City district to the north and lost, 60% to 40%.
"Last time," Pacquiao says, "I started just a month before the election. This time, I am better prepared."
Pacquiao is running against Roy Chiongbian, who is from the family that owns the most land in the district. Chiongbian, who at 61 is 30 years Pacquiao's senior, is running to replace his brother, who is leaving office because of term limits.
The trip snakes through beauty and beasts. There is ocean and beaches on the left, much of the way, and oxen, dogs, cats, horses and cows wandering about, occasionally down the middle of the highway. It is a barnyard in paradise. The convoy is heading to the far southern reaches of the island of Mindanao, two hours from General Santos City, which is a 90-minute flight from Manila, the heart of Mindanao and the country.
Pacquiao's house, surrounded by others but larger, is also surrounded by people. They are on the patio, in the driveway. Inside, every room is crowded. It is 2:15 p.m. and the convoy party wanders about, some settling in a room adjacent to a closed bedroom door. Pacquiao, a noted night owl, is inside, asleep.
Pacquiao sleeps through the 3 p.m. rally, and it becomes a 4:45 p.m. rally. Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, emerges first and answers a few questions. She looks shy and tired. She says she dislikes her loss of privacy but that Manny likes lots of people around him, so she has no choice.
Pacquiao emerges, smiling his magic smile. He says, "I believe I can be a great politician. If I can make it as a boxer, why not in politics?"
He also says, "I think they should vote for me, because in my heart I really want to help them."
At the rally a few miles north in Kiamba, Pacquiao, the star of the show, speaks forcefully, much more so than in interviews. He gestures, changes inflection, pumps his fist. Like any good politician, he builds the crowd to a fever pitch. He speaks in the local dialect, one of seven he knows. Nobody on the stage behind him, including the Filipino media, has any idea what he is saying.
The stage is a dirty wooden platform, with three peeling white plywood squares indicating speakers' spots. Children wiggle their way to the front of the stage, as close to Pacquiao as they can get. They have come to see their hero, somebody larger than life. A later translation tells members of the convoy that Pacquiao told the crowd he was once like them, that he was poor, that he wanted to help them make it too.
In about half an hour, it is over. The members of the convoy are led through the crowd, Pacquiao near the end, smiling, never fearful, being touched and touching back. It has been a big day in Kiamba. Manny Pacquiao has come. The children, even the adults, don't want to let go. They smile and reach out to members of the convoy.
Several of the children end up with wrinkled pesos and loose change in their hands, even though they never asked.
Time to vote
Pacquiao's political campaign of faith, hope — and, possibly, naivete — is winding down now.
Monday is election day in the Philippines, and the world-champion boxer could very well take a world-class beating, something that has never happened to him in his 56 professional fights and his unprecedented seven titles in seven weight divisions.
Or, with a victory, he could provide a ray of light to the Philippines, where much of the population exists on a dollar a day.
Since that 2007 political loss, Pacquiao's boxing fame and corresponding wealth have increased by multitudes. His victory over the legendary Oscar De La Hoya put him on the short list of the world's most famous athletes. On June 4 in New York City, he will receive his award from the U.S. Boxing Writers Assn. Last year, Time magazine put him on its list of the world's most influential people, a designation indicating contributions beyond sports records or knockout punches.
Pacquiao's political presence has stirred worldwide attention. Boxing and the ballot box make for strange bedfellows. And appealing stories.
Pacquiao grew up in such poverty in General Santos City that he often slept in a cardboard box. When the family had no food, Pacquiao bargained for some at a local market, sold it for a profit on the street, paid his debt and bought more with what he had left. His mother, Dionesia, who now lives in one of the nicest houses in the city, sent his father away when she discovered him living with another woman. At age 12, Pacquiao became estranged from his father, Rosalio, when he ate Pacquiao's dog. A few years ago, he welcomed Rosalio back into his life.
It is that nature of forgiveness, that gentle and giving strain — from a man whose job is violence and infliction of injury — that is a central fascination of his story. He is running on the Nationalist Party ticket, but his identity is as "the People's Champion."
Nobody here seems to doubt his sincerity. All have either witnessed or heard the stories of the hundreds of people who line up at his home when he returns from yet another successful boxing match in the States. They ask for rice, money, help of all kinds. Pacquiao says no to no one.
"Many come with a doctor's prescriptions for drugs they can't afford," says Nick Gioncgo, longtime boxing writer for the Manila Bulletin. "He sees on the paper what it costs, and he gives them the money."
Even the woman who beat him in the 2007 election, Darlene Antonino-Custodio, publicly acknowledged in the aftermath of her victory what Pacquiao means to Filipinos.
"People weren't prepared to lose him as their boxing icon," she said.
She could have phrased it differently. Perhaps people weren't willing to let their knight in shining armor be tarnished by a political system generally considered corrupt.
"Here, it is like what they used to say about politics in Chicago," says Ronnie Nathanielsz, a Philippine media veteran and boxing historian. "They vote early and often."
Arum loves to tell about his pre-election trip in 2007. By Philippine law, he can make no speeches or financial contributions, so he can hang around only as a supportive figure. He was doing exactly that in 2007, when wave after wave of people visited the Pacquiao residence with lists of voters' names they would sell, guaranteeing the votes — apparently a long-standing feature of Philippine elections on all levels.
"I watched them go in, get paid and leave," Arum said. "So I went in to see Manny's people, said I would guarantee the entire Jewish vote for all of the Philippines and asked what they'd pay."
He got zero. Beverly Hills probably has a larger Jewish population than the Philippines.
Big money ahead
Beyond the election, a huge payday looms for Pacquiao. A year ago, he and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the two best boxers on the planet, could not make a fight deal because Mayweather demanded a blood testing schedule to determine drug usage. Pacquiao refused to accept that schedule.
That, by implication, left Mayweather accusing Pacquiao of being a drug cheat and Pacquiao so angry that he sued for defamation of character.
Pacquiao says that his mind is on the election, period. Arum, who stands to fill another Brink's truck if he can somehow put this bout together, asks not to be asked about it or Mayweather right now. He says that, if Pacquiao wins this election and decides to stop boxing, "I'll throw a retirement party for him."
The smart money seems to be on the voters, once again, protecting Pacquiao from himself and voting no. The smart money also seems to be on the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight getting done, because boxing loves any money, smart or otherwise.
That would leave the children of the Philippines still looking up to a boxer, not a politician. Probably a good thing.
bill.dwyre@latimes.com.
Source: latimes.com
Reporting from General Santos City, Philippines
The five-car convoy heads south, warning lights flashing, weaving dangerously around the ever-present, slow-moving civilian traffic and on toward the province of Sarangani and its most famous resident, Manny Pacquiao.
There will be a political rally at 3 p.m. and Pacquiao will be the star, much as he is in the boxing ring.
The convoy includes Pacquiao advisors, managers and friends, as well as his famous boxing promoter, Bob Arum. It also includes members of the media. Once the domain of mere sportswriters, Pacquiao now draws no less than the Asian bureau chief of the Times of London.
Pacquiao is arguably the biggest name in boxing, having just been honored as fighter of the decade by the U.S. Boxing Writers Assn. In March, he drew nearly 60,000 people to the new stadium built for the Dallas Cowboys, fighting someone who had little chance of beating him.
In his last 12 pay-per-view fights, he has gotten 6.25 million people to spend at least $50 to watch him, generating $320 million in revenue. But as big as he is in the United States, he is even bigger in his home country.
When he travels about the countryside, it is in a bulletproof van. In this Pacquiao procession — minus Pacquiao — two police officers are present and packing. That is mostly for Arum, whose fame and worth greatly exceed that of the rest of the caravan.
If that seems excessive, it could be noted that, last November, several hours to the north in Maguindanao, 57 people traveling in a convoy were ambushed, slain and tossed into a hastily dug grave, where they were covered with banana leaves. Their sin, apparently, was to become part of a group that was traveling to file papers to run for election. Several members of the family that was set to oppose those filing are now in jail.
Of the 57 who were killed, 34 were journalists, 12 from Pacquiao's birthplace and main residence, General Santos City. Those 12 are buried in a special plot surrounded by a brick walkway at a cemetery less than five minutes from Pacquiao's house.
An election-related incident such as this is less surprising here than most places. This country is election-crazed, even though the consensus is that many results are tainted.
The political system is modeled on that of the United States, with an elected Congress and Senate. Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat. In 2007, he campaigned for one in the larger General Santos City district to the north and lost, 60% to 40%.
"Last time," Pacquiao says, "I started just a month before the election. This time, I am better prepared."
Pacquiao is running against Roy Chiongbian, who is from the family that owns the most land in the district. Chiongbian, who at 61 is 30 years Pacquiao's senior, is running to replace his brother, who is leaving office because of term limits.
The trip snakes through beauty and beasts. There is ocean and beaches on the left, much of the way, and oxen, dogs, cats, horses and cows wandering about, occasionally down the middle of the highway. It is a barnyard in paradise. The convoy is heading to the far southern reaches of the island of Mindanao, two hours from General Santos City, which is a 90-minute flight from Manila, the heart of Mindanao and the country.
Pacquiao's house, surrounded by others but larger, is also surrounded by people. They are on the patio, in the driveway. Inside, every room is crowded. It is 2:15 p.m. and the convoy party wanders about, some settling in a room adjacent to a closed bedroom door. Pacquiao, a noted night owl, is inside, asleep.
Pacquiao sleeps through the 3 p.m. rally, and it becomes a 4:45 p.m. rally. Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, emerges first and answers a few questions. She looks shy and tired. She says she dislikes her loss of privacy but that Manny likes lots of people around him, so she has no choice.
Pacquiao emerges, smiling his magic smile. He says, "I believe I can be a great politician. If I can make it as a boxer, why not in politics?"
He also says, "I think they should vote for me, because in my heart I really want to help them."
At the rally a few miles north in Kiamba, Pacquiao, the star of the show, speaks forcefully, much more so than in interviews. He gestures, changes inflection, pumps his fist. Like any good politician, he builds the crowd to a fever pitch. He speaks in the local dialect, one of seven he knows. Nobody on the stage behind him, including the Filipino media, has any idea what he is saying.
The stage is a dirty wooden platform, with three peeling white plywood squares indicating speakers' spots. Children wiggle their way to the front of the stage, as close to Pacquiao as they can get. They have come to see their hero, somebody larger than life. A later translation tells members of the convoy that Pacquiao told the crowd he was once like them, that he was poor, that he wanted to help them make it too.
In about half an hour, it is over. The members of the convoy are led through the crowd, Pacquiao near the end, smiling, never fearful, being touched and touching back. It has been a big day in Kiamba. Manny Pacquiao has come. The children, even the adults, don't want to let go. They smile and reach out to members of the convoy.
Several of the children end up with wrinkled pesos and loose change in their hands, even though they never asked.
Time to vote
Pacquiao's political campaign of faith, hope — and, possibly, naivete — is winding down now.
Monday is election day in the Philippines, and the world-champion boxer could very well take a world-class beating, something that has never happened to him in his 56 professional fights and his unprecedented seven titles in seven weight divisions.
Or, with a victory, he could provide a ray of light to the Philippines, where much of the population exists on a dollar a day.
Since that 2007 political loss, Pacquiao's boxing fame and corresponding wealth have increased by multitudes. His victory over the legendary Oscar De La Hoya put him on the short list of the world's most famous athletes. On June 4 in New York City, he will receive his award from the U.S. Boxing Writers Assn. Last year, Time magazine put him on its list of the world's most influential people, a designation indicating contributions beyond sports records or knockout punches.
Pacquiao's political presence has stirred worldwide attention. Boxing and the ballot box make for strange bedfellows. And appealing stories.
Pacquiao grew up in such poverty in General Santos City that he often slept in a cardboard box. When the family had no food, Pacquiao bargained for some at a local market, sold it for a profit on the street, paid his debt and bought more with what he had left. His mother, Dionesia, who now lives in one of the nicest houses in the city, sent his father away when she discovered him living with another woman. At age 12, Pacquiao became estranged from his father, Rosalio, when he ate Pacquiao's dog. A few years ago, he welcomed Rosalio back into his life.
It is that nature of forgiveness, that gentle and giving strain — from a man whose job is violence and infliction of injury — that is a central fascination of his story. He is running on the Nationalist Party ticket, but his identity is as "the People's Champion."
Nobody here seems to doubt his sincerity. All have either witnessed or heard the stories of the hundreds of people who line up at his home when he returns from yet another successful boxing match in the States. They ask for rice, money, help of all kinds. Pacquiao says no to no one.
"Many come with a doctor's prescriptions for drugs they can't afford," says Nick Gioncgo, longtime boxing writer for the Manila Bulletin. "He sees on the paper what it costs, and he gives them the money."
Even the woman who beat him in the 2007 election, Darlene Antonino-Custodio, publicly acknowledged in the aftermath of her victory what Pacquiao means to Filipinos.
"People weren't prepared to lose him as their boxing icon," she said.
She could have phrased it differently. Perhaps people weren't willing to let their knight in shining armor be tarnished by a political system generally considered corrupt.
"Here, it is like what they used to say about politics in Chicago," says Ronnie Nathanielsz, a Philippine media veteran and boxing historian. "They vote early and often."
Arum loves to tell about his pre-election trip in 2007. By Philippine law, he can make no speeches or financial contributions, so he can hang around only as a supportive figure. He was doing exactly that in 2007, when wave after wave of people visited the Pacquiao residence with lists of voters' names they would sell, guaranteeing the votes — apparently a long-standing feature of Philippine elections on all levels.
"I watched them go in, get paid and leave," Arum said. "So I went in to see Manny's people, said I would guarantee the entire Jewish vote for all of the Philippines and asked what they'd pay."
He got zero. Beverly Hills probably has a larger Jewish population than the Philippines.
Big money ahead
Beyond the election, a huge payday looms for Pacquiao. A year ago, he and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the two best boxers on the planet, could not make a fight deal because Mayweather demanded a blood testing schedule to determine drug usage. Pacquiao refused to accept that schedule.
That, by implication, left Mayweather accusing Pacquiao of being a drug cheat and Pacquiao so angry that he sued for defamation of character.
Pacquiao says that his mind is on the election, period. Arum, who stands to fill another Brink's truck if he can somehow put this bout together, asks not to be asked about it or Mayweather right now. He says that, if Pacquiao wins this election and decides to stop boxing, "I'll throw a retirement party for him."
The smart money seems to be on the voters, once again, protecting Pacquiao from himself and voting no. The smart money also seems to be on the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight getting done, because boxing loves any money, smart or otherwise.
That would leave the children of the Philippines still looking up to a boxer, not a politician. Probably a good thing.
bill.dwyre@latimes.com.
Source: latimes.com
Kevin Mitchell faces pivotal fight in pursuit of Amir Khan -- The Guardian
By Kevin Mitchell, Guardian.co.uk
One day, Kevin Mitchell and Amir Khan should meet in the ring. But, such are the machinations of boxing politics, the prospect of this happening makes putting together a coalition to run the country look like a squabble over a parking spot.
For now, these excellent young British fighters are conducting their business 3,000 miles and five pounds in weight apart in major title fights on competing UK television channels, Sky and ITV, for different promoters on the same night.
Certainly, Mitchell is itching to fight Khan. And, if he takes the interim version of the WBO's lightweight championship from the Australian Michael Katsidis at Upton Park on Saturday night, he will have made another definitive statement at world level, albeit in the division below his Bolton rival, who defends his WBA light-welterweight belt against Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden a few hours later.
If their parallel careers do not converge, it will be either because of American-promoted Khan's reluctance to look back to the UK for his big paydays or the intransigence of the fighters' connections, Frank Warren for Mitchell and Oscar De La Hoya for Khan – who recently split with Warren.
Saturday night's two contests could hardly be more different: West Ham fan Mitchell is headed for a very physical confrontation in his own backyard against an Australian for whom going backwards is an alien concept, while Khan travels to the spiritual home of modern boxing for what should be a chess match against a fleet-footed, light-hitting New Yorker.
I fancy Mitchell to be too slick for Katsidis, whose determination and punch make him a dangerous if easy-to-find opponent. The Dagenham fighter surprised all but himself and his new trainer Jimmy Tibbs when he abandoned his kamikaze fighting style to outbox Khan's one-round conqueror, Breidis Prescott, methodically over 12 rounds last year.
Last time out, in February, he displayed his growing power with a perfect right that lifted the tough Ignacio Mendoza clean off his feet and dumped him on his backside for the full count in round two.
While Katsidis – remembered here for his five-round war with Graham Earl three years ago – has moved in better company, losing in thrillers to Joel Casamayor and Juan DÃaz, his recent CV is less impressive. He is a fire-tested 29-year-old campaigner who only kept his interim title with a split decision over Vicente Escobedo in September.
"This is a massive fight for me," Mitchell says. "It will move me into the big time. We're two come-forward fighters, two punchers. We both love having tear-ups. We've proved that throughout our careers. But, when you fight the way we do, when you come forward, you can't just be rushing in throwing bombs at each other. When you fight the way we do, it's not clumsiness. It's tactical as well.
"I can't be giving away tactics, but they won't be the same as I used against Prescott. Prescott is a one-punch man, but Michael throws loads of punches, so I've got to build my tactics around that. Michael's been in there with top-class fighters. He's shown his heart, dug in deep."
On Khan's fight, Mitchell says: "I think he wins, but he took an easy option there. It won't be anything like the fight between me and Michael. We've both taken a bigger gamble than he has in that one, definitely. This shows what I'm about. I'd fight Juan Manuel Márquez too. I'll let Frank take care of all that. I'm just concentrating on this one."
To complicate the picture, Márquez owns what we are led to regard in boxing's confusing hierarchy as the WBO's full lightweight title, and defends it against Diaz at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on 31 July. Adding mystery to confusion, Márquez has hinted he will vacate that title, as he is still prepared to go up to light-welterweight and tempt Ricky Hatton out of his on-off retirement. Hatton is a walking contradiction of the song they belted out for him – "There's only one Ricky Hatton" – yet he may still box again if he can shift the lard and especially if he is part of the promotion.
For the moment, Warren is not thinking about Khan as a potential opponent for Mitchell. "If Kevin wins," the promoter says, "there are some massive fights out there for him. We are still waiting to hear from the WBO whether or not Márquez is vacating. If he isn't, then he has to fight Kevin pretty sharpish. If he is, then Kevin will fight the next in line [currently the Argentinian Jorge Barrios] if he beats Katsidis."
Khan, who has had to cool his heels in Vancouver waiting for his US visa to come through – he is due to fly to New York today – responded to Mitchell's put-down: "I think that's another fighter trying to make a name for himself on my back. This is going to be a very good fight. Malignaggi has been in with Hatton and is a clever, tough fighter. I have been hitting harder and harder in training and am very pleased with my preparation."
So is his trainer, Freddie Roach, who reckons Malignaggi has not been showing much respect for the sport with claims that Khan's stablemate, Manny Pacquiao, needs to prove he is not on performance-enhancing drugs. "He's an asshole," Roach said succinctly. "We're going to knock him out." I think he's right – on the second point, at least.
Source: guardian.co.uk
One day, Kevin Mitchell and Amir Khan should meet in the ring. But, such are the machinations of boxing politics, the prospect of this happening makes putting together a coalition to run the country look like a squabble over a parking spot.
For now, these excellent young British fighters are conducting their business 3,000 miles and five pounds in weight apart in major title fights on competing UK television channels, Sky and ITV, for different promoters on the same night.
Certainly, Mitchell is itching to fight Khan. And, if he takes the interim version of the WBO's lightweight championship from the Australian Michael Katsidis at Upton Park on Saturday night, he will have made another definitive statement at world level, albeit in the division below his Bolton rival, who defends his WBA light-welterweight belt against Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden a few hours later.
If their parallel careers do not converge, it will be either because of American-promoted Khan's reluctance to look back to the UK for his big paydays or the intransigence of the fighters' connections, Frank Warren for Mitchell and Oscar De La Hoya for Khan – who recently split with Warren.
Saturday night's two contests could hardly be more different: West Ham fan Mitchell is headed for a very physical confrontation in his own backyard against an Australian for whom going backwards is an alien concept, while Khan travels to the spiritual home of modern boxing for what should be a chess match against a fleet-footed, light-hitting New Yorker.
I fancy Mitchell to be too slick for Katsidis, whose determination and punch make him a dangerous if easy-to-find opponent. The Dagenham fighter surprised all but himself and his new trainer Jimmy Tibbs when he abandoned his kamikaze fighting style to outbox Khan's one-round conqueror, Breidis Prescott, methodically over 12 rounds last year.
Last time out, in February, he displayed his growing power with a perfect right that lifted the tough Ignacio Mendoza clean off his feet and dumped him on his backside for the full count in round two.
While Katsidis – remembered here for his five-round war with Graham Earl three years ago – has moved in better company, losing in thrillers to Joel Casamayor and Juan DÃaz, his recent CV is less impressive. He is a fire-tested 29-year-old campaigner who only kept his interim title with a split decision over Vicente Escobedo in September.
"This is a massive fight for me," Mitchell says. "It will move me into the big time. We're two come-forward fighters, two punchers. We both love having tear-ups. We've proved that throughout our careers. But, when you fight the way we do, when you come forward, you can't just be rushing in throwing bombs at each other. When you fight the way we do, it's not clumsiness. It's tactical as well.
"I can't be giving away tactics, but they won't be the same as I used against Prescott. Prescott is a one-punch man, but Michael throws loads of punches, so I've got to build my tactics around that. Michael's been in there with top-class fighters. He's shown his heart, dug in deep."
On Khan's fight, Mitchell says: "I think he wins, but he took an easy option there. It won't be anything like the fight between me and Michael. We've both taken a bigger gamble than he has in that one, definitely. This shows what I'm about. I'd fight Juan Manuel Márquez too. I'll let Frank take care of all that. I'm just concentrating on this one."
To complicate the picture, Márquez owns what we are led to regard in boxing's confusing hierarchy as the WBO's full lightweight title, and defends it against Diaz at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on 31 July. Adding mystery to confusion, Márquez has hinted he will vacate that title, as he is still prepared to go up to light-welterweight and tempt Ricky Hatton out of his on-off retirement. Hatton is a walking contradiction of the song they belted out for him – "There's only one Ricky Hatton" – yet he may still box again if he can shift the lard and especially if he is part of the promotion.
For the moment, Warren is not thinking about Khan as a potential opponent for Mitchell. "If Kevin wins," the promoter says, "there are some massive fights out there for him. We are still waiting to hear from the WBO whether or not Márquez is vacating. If he isn't, then he has to fight Kevin pretty sharpish. If he is, then Kevin will fight the next in line [currently the Argentinian Jorge Barrios] if he beats Katsidis."
Khan, who has had to cool his heels in Vancouver waiting for his US visa to come through – he is due to fly to New York today – responded to Mitchell's put-down: "I think that's another fighter trying to make a name for himself on my back. This is going to be a very good fight. Malignaggi has been in with Hatton and is a clever, tough fighter. I have been hitting harder and harder in training and am very pleased with my preparation."
So is his trainer, Freddie Roach, who reckons Malignaggi has not been showing much respect for the sport with claims that Khan's stablemate, Manny Pacquiao, needs to prove he is not on performance-enhancing drugs. "He's an asshole," Roach said succinctly. "We're going to knock him out." I think he's right – on the second point, at least.
Source: guardian.co.uk
Kevin Mitchell blasts Amir Khan -- Daily Star
DailyStar.co.uk
KEVIN Mitchell blames Amir Khan’s texts scandal on his Hollywood lifestyle.
And Londoner Mitchell blasted Khan for claiming he’ll be ready to take on the best in the business in a year.
Unbeaten Mitchell, 25, who fights Aussie Michael Katsidis for the WBO interim lightweight title at Upton Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Saturday, said: “He’s let the Hollywood lifestyle get to him. He’s even talking about fighting Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather next year.
“He’s not in their league. He’s just making himself look foolish and I feel gutted for him.”
Source: dailystar.co.uk
KEVIN Mitchell blames Amir Khan’s texts scandal on his Hollywood lifestyle.
And Londoner Mitchell blasted Khan for claiming he’ll be ready to take on the best in the business in a year.
Unbeaten Mitchell, 25, who fights Aussie Michael Katsidis for the WBO interim lightweight title at Upton Park in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Saturday, said: “He’s let the Hollywood lifestyle get to him. He’s even talking about fighting Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather next year.
“He’s not in their league. He’s just making himself look foolish and I feel gutted for him.”
Source: dailystar.co.uk
Roach to replace Lewis on HBO B.A.D commentary team -- SecondsOut
By Paul Upham, SecondsOut.com
Former undisputed heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis
has been let go as a ringside boxing commentator by HBO Sports in the USA and will be replaced by world champion trainer Freddie Roach.
44 year-old Lewis was hired by HBO in 2006 as a commentator for their “Boxing After Dark” programs alongside blow-by-blow caller Bob Papa and analyst Max Kellerman.
Unfortunately, the three were not able to gel as a team. Papa and Kellerman could not find a way to weave Lewis into the commentary mix, failing to maximise the use of the world champion’s extensive boxing knowledge.
Sources close to the situation have told SecondsOut that a decision not to renew Lewis’ contract was made two months ago. His last assignment for HBO was the Tomasz Adamek-Cristobal Arreola heavyweight match on 24 April.
Born Frederick Roach on 5 March 1960, the trainer is a former lightweight professional boxer and runs the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. He was the Boxing Writers Association of America ‘Trainer of the Year” in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009
HBO executives have been impressed with Roach’s appearances during multiple 24/7 television documentary series and with his connection to current star Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao and work with multiple world champions over many years, he is a popular boxing industry insider.
With Roach training WBA junior lightweight world champion Amir Khan when he faces Paulie Malignaggi on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” on 15 May, the new HBO recruit won’t appear at ringside behind the microphone during the fight.
However, with regular HBO commentator and trainer Emanuel Steward working the corner of Miguel Cotto when the Puerto Rican faces Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium in New York on 5 June on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing”, it is likely Roach will work that fight, with Steward joining Bob Papa and Max Kellerman at ringside for the Khan-Malignaggi HBO “Boxing After Dark” match.
Source: secondsout.com
Former undisputed heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis
has been let go as a ringside boxing commentator by HBO Sports in the USA and will be replaced by world champion trainer Freddie Roach.44 year-old Lewis was hired by HBO in 2006 as a commentator for their “Boxing After Dark” programs alongside blow-by-blow caller Bob Papa and analyst Max Kellerman.
Unfortunately, the three were not able to gel as a team. Papa and Kellerman could not find a way to weave Lewis into the commentary mix, failing to maximise the use of the world champion’s extensive boxing knowledge.Sources close to the situation have told SecondsOut that a decision not to renew Lewis’ contract was made two months ago. His last assignment for HBO was the Tomasz Adamek-Cristobal Arreola heavyweight match on 24 April.
Born Frederick Roach on 5 March 1960, the trainer is a former lightweight professional boxer and runs the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles. He was the Boxing Writers Association of America ‘Trainer of the Year” in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2009
HBO executives have been impressed with Roach’s appearances during multiple 24/7 television documentary series and with his connection to current star Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao and work with multiple world champions over many years, he is a popular boxing industry insider.
With Roach training WBA junior lightweight world champion Amir Khan when he faces Paulie Malignaggi on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” on 15 May, the new HBO recruit won’t appear at ringside behind the microphone during the fight.
However, with regular HBO commentator and trainer Emanuel Steward working the corner of Miguel Cotto when the Puerto Rican faces Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium in New York on 5 June on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing”, it is likely Roach will work that fight, with Steward joining Bob Papa and Max Kellerman at ringside for the Khan-Malignaggi HBO “Boxing After Dark” match.
Source: secondsout.com
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