Defamation suit lurks as likely roadblock to Pacquiao-Mayweather -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

By STEVE CARP, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bob Arum is confident of striking a deal for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight Nov. 13, but one obstacle is in the Top Rank chairman's way.

Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his uncle Roger Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions on Dec. 30, claiming they damaged Pacquiao's reputation by alluding that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

The lawsuit is a remnant of unconsummated negotiations for Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight March 13. Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, admits the suit will factor into any renewed talks.

"The lawsuit is still being actively pursued," Arum said. "All these issues are on the table and will be negotiated. I'm sure it will be discussed."

Mayweather's camp is not commenting. But common sense indicates Mayweather wouldn't agree to fight someone who is suing him and would demand that Pacquiao drop the suit to make a deal.

What Arum doesn't want to do is make the same mistake twice and negotiate in the media. On a conference call Wednesday, he constantly told reporters he would not answer specific questions about making a deal, even declining to confirm when he would sit down with Team Mayweather.

"Once you start negotiating through the media, it becomes ego driven," Arum said. "People can't wait to give a statement to the press. The flames just shoot up, and there's no real opportunity for rational behavior to take over.

"Everyone is so interested in setting forth his position to the media that it becomes a contest that involves me and everyone else. As far as when, I have my marching orders (from Pacquiao), and it will be sooner than later."

If a deal is made, the fight probably would be at the MGM Grand Garden or Cowboys Stadium, Arum said.

■ TOP-10 GATE -- The Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden made the list of top-10 paid gates for a Nevada boxing card.

According to the Nevada Athletic Commission, the fight produced a gate of $11,032,100, making it the 10th largest in Nevada history. The official paid attendance was 14,038.

Mayweather-Mosley bumped the 1996 rematch between Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno from the top 10, a fight that did $10,673,700. The record gate in Nevada is the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight in 2007, which generated $18,419,200.

Along with the 1.4 million pay-per-view buys on HBO, Mayweather-Mosley attracted an additional 12,879 to closed-circuit TV sites at eight MGM Mirage properties, generating approximately $1 million more.

■ DEFENDING PAVLIK'S DECISION -- Kelly Pavlik's decision to move up from middleweight to super welterweight after an April 17 loss to Sergio Martinez was endorsed by Arum, Pavlik's promoter.

"I think he knows his body, and in order to make 160 (pounds), he had to burn off a lot of muscle," Arum said. "He's got to be comfortable with his weight, and if he's burning muscle to make weight, it doesn't make any sense for him to stay at 160."

Pavlik (36-2, 32 knockouts) has ventured beyond middleweight previously with mixed results. In 2008, he weighed 164 when he beat Jermain Taylor for the second time. Later that year, Pavlik lost by unanimous decision to Bernard Hopkins at 170, the first loss of his career.

Pavlik, his father, Mike, and longtime trainer Jack Loew decided it was time to move up in weight, and Arum said he thinks the former middleweight champion can regain his form.

"I don't think he's done. I think you'll see the old Kelly Pavlik," Arum said.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.

Source: lvrj.com

Fever over possibility of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao bout shows boxing isn't dead -- New York Daily News

By Bill Gallo, New York Daily News

This week I start a three-part series on something I've been thinking about for a few years. It's what many boxing fans of yore and today have asked: What happened to a sport that was once the main attraction? Yes, the sport that ran in the papers as an entry with baseball. Back then they were noted as the "BBBB" - BASEBALL/BOXING, the BREAD and BUTTER of sports.

What happened? Over the next three Sundays, I will attempt to answer this.

There is no denying that the sweet science has been in a funk for the past few years. And, yes, you can use that old bromide, "the old gray mare ain't what it used to be."

But I say to you, members of the dwindling fraternity of punch lovers, the game is far from being "dead," as some sportsters keep writing in American newspapers and magazines.

Asleep? Yes. Resting? Perhaps. But, dead? Hell no! Especially when the drums are currently beating loudly for a multi-million-dollar socko match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao for the welterweight title.

This match is not made yet, and there are still those who say it may never come off. I'm sure it will though, for what fighter is going to let $50 million (each) fly away from their hungry clutches?

Still if boxing - as some say - is dead, then why are so many people clamoring for this fight? This one will even bring out those who continually shout to "Abolish boxing, It's barbaric!" I'd be willing to bet that when this match is made, these are the first people who will be asking the promoter for a couple of freebies.

For some years of covering the sport, I have always maintained that, "Boxing must always have a good and popular heavyweight to lead the parade." I still adhere to that notion, but after watching the talents in the smaller divisions, and especially Pacquiao's invincibility, I've changed my words to say, "...and a little man shall lead them."

In his fight with Miguel Cotto, I looked at Pacquiao as a man who knows all there is to know about boxing. Although he has been well-schooled by Freddie Roach, a fine trainer in the Ray Arcel, Eddie Futch and Charley Goldman mold, Pac has his own natural talents no one can teach.

The little guy is a package of speed and know-how and sudden, inventive moves not seen since Sugar Ray Robinson and Willie Pep, two of boxing's creme de la creme.

Which brings me to when boxing and baseball were the strongest, most popular entries in sports.

If you can go back that far, think of names like: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the like.

Okay, now say these names: Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, Max Baer, Jim Braddock, Rocky Marciano, Tony Zale, Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Pep, Tony Canzoneri, Barney Ross and others from another time.

Put the two groups (baseball and boxing) together and you have the most dynamic sports entry of all time.

Just think about that for a moment fans. Then check out how today's fandom goes: (1) Pro football, (2) baseball, (3) pro basketball, (4) college football and basketball, (5) tennis, (6) golf (when Tiger Woods is playing) (7) hockey, (8) soccer, (9) a tie between horse racing and boxing.

Some railbirds and boxing purists might dispute this, but for certain, those two bottom sports are the least covered by newsprint and TV.

So how did the sport go from the top rung to the bottom one? The answer lies not only with boxing's stall but with the sudden rise of pro football and pro basketball. The temporary fall of boxing amazingly goes back to the last man who helped keep it on top.

He is Mike Tyson, the man who some sages say could've been one of the greatest of all heavyweight champions.

Tyson, a big banger who learned how to protect himself by moving his head and body in that herky-jerky way of his - while looking for his opening to throw those learned left hooks and hard right hands at his opponent - was the last of the "you-gotta-see-this-guy-in-the-ring" type of heavyweight.

The fact that Tyson screwed everything up is another story, but all the excitement that came from heavyweights stopped with him.

Since John L. Sullivan, the ancient brawler and first heavyweight champion and who held the title from 1882 till 1892, the aura of King of Boxing was born. Sullivan's often-used phrase was, "I can lick any man in the house!" And for a little while, the hefty braggart could.

The word "King" in boxing was used not loosely but with a respect held for actual kings of nations. This may sound a bit grandiose, but the doings of heavyweight champions were known throughout the country. Later in boxing, when Dempsey ruled, the world knew who the king was even in the far corners of the earth. This gives you an idea just how much adulation a champion from the United States received.

After Sullivan, came James J. Corbett (1892-1897), the fancy-Dan boxer who supposedly put the science into the game. Then came Bob Fitzsimmons (1897-1899), followed by Jim Jeffries (1899- 1905), Marvin Hart (1905-1906) and Tommy Burns (1906-1908).

Then like a bolt came a man who was to change the color of this once lily-white sport. Jack Johnson, a hard-hitting, clever and determined black man, came on the scene.

For now I'll leave this with the interesting story of this African-American tossing a wrench into the "white man's machinery." You might say Jack Johnson was to boxing what Jackie Robinson was to baseball.

This is to be continued next Sunday. See you then, friends.

bgallo@nydailynews.com

Source: nydailynews.com

Wrath of Amir Khan too much for Coney Island fighter Paulie Malignaggi -- New York Daily News

By Tim Smith, New York Daily News

Amir Khan, a British citizen of Pakistani descent, had fought to get his work visa at the last minute to get into the country to fight Paulie Malignaggi at The Theater at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

Khan made good use of that visa and did a job on the Brooklyn product, pummeling Malignaggi for much of the fight before referee Steve Smoger stopped it at 1:25 of the 11th round, giving Khan a TKO before 4,412 fans.

With the victory, Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) made a successful and impressive U.S. debut and retained his WBA super lightweight title.

"Me and (trainer) Freddie (Roach) stuck to the game plan. Paulie is a very awkward fighter. We had to break him down slowly," Khan said. "We had to use our brain. I knew in the last few rounds I was hurting him. All I had to do was put the pressure on him."

Not only did he surprise Malignaggi, but he overwhelmed him with his speed and power.

"I ran into a clone of myself of when I was younger. But he was faster and stronger," Malignaggi said. "He's bigger and stronger. But I gave it all I had."

It was the first time that Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs) was back at the Garden since his loss to Miguel Cotto in the big room in 2006. Even though Malignaggi lost a 12-round unanimous decision and suffered a fractured eye socket, it was a fight that proved that he was not just a flamboyant trash talker from Coney Island.

Malignaggi thought that battle against Cotto would carry him over Khan, whose only blemish on his record was a first-round KO by Breidis Prescott in 2008. He was wrong.

Khan, 23, was looking to cash in on his British-built fame like other English imports such as Naseem Hamed, Joe Calzaghe and Lennox Lewis.

Khan had the looks, but the question for the U.S. fans who filled the arena Saturday night was can he fight?

Khan displayed blazingly fast hands, coupled with pinpoint accuracy on his punches. He hit Malignaggi with a three-punch combination in the second round that appeared to land in the blink of an eye. By the third round, there was significant swelling around Malignaggi's left eye, all courtesy of Khan's powerful right hand. Malignaggi, who isn't a slouch in the speed department himself, had little defense against that right hand.

Midway through the fight, Khan began to work his jab, and that spelled the end of any threat that Malignaggi, never a KO guy, could muster.

The pre-fight buildup had been marred by trash talk from both sides. Khan said he had sparring partners who were tougher than Malignaggi. Malignaggi said Khan was a creation of the European press and was "a step above a bum." The nastiness spilled over at the weigh-in on Friday when Malignaggi and Khan got into a shoving match during the stare-down and Khan's supporters rushed the stage.

At the fight Saturday night, someone sent an anonymous e-mail to Lou DiBella, Malignaggi's promoter, that they were going to throw something in the ring to try to hit Malignaggi during the fight. DiBella alerted Garden security.

There were a few minor skirmishes in the stands, but it was nothing compared to the punishment that Malignaggi took from Khan, who obviously was benefiting from the schooling from Roach, the renowned trainer of Manny Pacquiao.

After the eighth round, a small chant of "Paulie (stinks)!" went up from the crowd as the Khan supporters could sense the fight was slowly turning into a mismatch.

Before the start of the 11th, Malignaggi was pleading with ringside physician Ostrick King not to stop the fight. "Give me one more! Give me one more!" he cried out.

It didn't matter. As Malignaggi was getting pummeled on the ropes, Smoger stepped in and halted the bout. There was no protest from Malignaggi this time.

Khan now wants to take on the other 140-pound champions - Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley.

"I'm not going to leave the 140 pound division until I unify the titles," Khan said.

Source: nydailynews.com

Khan lives the American dream -- The Sun

By PAT SHEEHAN, The Sun

AMIR KHAN'S US debut turned into an American dream when he retained his WBA world light-welterweight title against Paulie Malignaggi.

Khan outboxed and then outfought brave Malignaggi who was saved from further punishment by referee Steve Smoger 1min and 25sec into the 11th round.

The stoppage, which was overdue, came 37 seconds after Ricky Hatton also stopped Malignaggi in November 2008, and brought the house down at Madison Square Garden.

Khan had the fight under his control and the crowd under his spell from the first bell.

He hardly put a foot wrong and dropped only one round on the way to his latest win inside the distance.

Malignaggi was game from first to last and at the end of the 10th round pleaded with the ringside doctor to give him one more round - even though he was bashed and battered.

Khan unloaded with some big rights straight from the off but showed he could mix it when the New Yorker tried to brawl but ended up with his head in a lock.

Malignaggi put his foot on the gas in the second and came out fast trying to catch Khan by surprise but, for his efforts, he was rocked back by Khan's jab.

The third showed Malignaggi at his slippery best but he was not quick enough to get out of the way of Khan's big rights and dropped another round.

Bolton star Khan was caught by an uppercut during the fourth, his worst round of the night, and showed Malignaggi was capable if not dangerous.

A wicked left from Khan zipped into Malignaggi's body in the fifth and put him down but Smoger ruled Khan pushed him and refused to start the count.

It was all one-way traffic with Malignaggi getting hurt and dazed by Khan's speed and power but he bravely hung on, refusing to buckle until Smoger called it a halt in the 11th.

Source: thesun.co.uk

Classy Michael Katsidis ends Kevin Mitchell dream -- BBC Sport

By Ben Dirs, BBC Sport

Kevin Mitchell's dream fight at Upton Park turned into a nightmare as he was dismantled inside three rounds by Australian Michael Katsidis.

Mitchell, 25, looked surprised by Katsidis' power in the first round and was immediately forced to backpedal.

The Dagenham man appeared to have settled in the second, finding his mark with some sharp combinations.

But Katsidis, 25, staggered Mitchell with a big left hand in the third and referee Dave Parris later stepped in.

"I knew he was a big puncher, I knew he was heavy-handed," said Mitchell.

"He lured me into an attack and bang, he caught me.

"I've been in with big punchers - Carl Johanneson, Breidis Prescott. He lured me into the shot, I walked into one and bang. You can't make mistakes like that, I made the mistake and that's that.

"It's a wake-up call, I've got to be more professional in what I'm doing and take more care of my work and be more aware of what I'm doing in the ring, I backed up and sat on the ropes like an idiot.

"I'll be back and I'll be strong and I'll be ready to fight him again, definitely. 100% I will win a world title, I promise you."

Mitchell was challenging for Katsidis' WBO interim lightweight crown in front of 14,000 vociferous locals at West Ham's ground, but it was the Aussie who seemed the more energised by the occasion.

Punk band Cockney Rejects were on hand to sing Mitchell into the ring with a raucous rendition of the old Hammers favourite I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, but Katsidis, in his trademark gladiator helmet, looked noticeably bigger when they eventually came face to face.

And after a cagey opening, Mitchell seemed to be somewhat taken aback when Katsidis decided to break ranks, with the Englishman spending most of the rest of the round on the back foot and Katsidis landing some spiteful blows.

It was better from Mitchell in the second, the challenger using his jab and finding the target with some snappy combinations, but still Katsidis came pouring forward.

At the start of the third Katsidis seemed to back off slightly, which succeeded in luring Mitchell forward into a slugging match and allowed the champion to pounce.

Former British and Commonwealth super-featherweight champion Mitchell, who made his name as a slugger, had looked a more complete fighter in his last few fights, and the accepted wisdom was that he should avoid going toe-to-toe with Katsidis.

And sure enough, when the leather started flying it was the champion who came off best, staggering Mitchell with a cuffing left to the back of the head, a shot from which Mitchell never really recovered.

Mitchell fired back with a couple of combinations, but Katsidis just kept coming, backing his rival onto the ropes before landing with another clubbing left and following up with a sustained, two-fisted battery.

And with Mitchell no longer returning fire, Parris was left with no other option but to stop the fight one minute and 57 seconds into the round, an outcome that stunned the West Ham faithful into virtual silence.

Mitchell, who was previously unbeaten in 31 pro encounters, will now have to rebuild his career, with a much talked about domestic match-up against Amir Khan now a distant dream.

While he vowed to come back and win a world championship, the manner in which he was exposed by a fighter who had fought and come up short at the very highest level will raise questions about his ability to do so.

But promoter Frank Warren has backed his man to return from his first loss and follow Khan's example by bouncing back from defeat to win a world title.

"Can he come back? I think he can," Warren told BBC Sport.

"We saw what happened to Amir Khan 18 months ago, and it's all about him using the talents he's got and not letting his heart overrule his brain.

"If he does that again he won't win a world title, he's got to learn and he's young enough to do that. He's got to go back to the drawing board and if he can learn, I think he will win a world title."

Instead it is Katsidis, who stopped Luton's Graham Earl in five savage rounds when he last fought in London in 2007 and who improves to 27 wins and two losses, who can now look forward to some big pay days, with the WBO's full champion Juan Manuel Marquez still on his radar.

"It's fantastic, it's been an absolute pleasure. You've got 20,000 people here, I would just hope one day these people could come and support me," said Katsidis.

"I feel I'm the best I've ever been, we've worked hard and I've been away from my family and my new baby girl.

"I can't leave Britain anyway because of the volcano, so I just want to stay here. There's 20-odd thousand passionate people here cheering and supporting the sport I love.

"I'm just going to enjoy my title, I am the world champion."

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Khan demolishes Malignaggi -- ESPN

ESPN staff

Amir Khan's first venture onto American soil proved to be a positive one as he defended his WBA light-welterweight title with an impressive stoppage win over Paulie Malignaggi.

There was bad blood in the run up to the fight with both camps trading insults, but once the action unfolded at Madison Square Garden - Khan showed a thoroughly professional attitude to dismantle Malignaggi.

Malignaggi made positive talk about having too much speed for Khan, but he had badly underestimated the Bolton man who dominated the centre of the ring behind a blistering jab that bewildered the American.

Khan picked Malignaggi off on a couple of occasions in the first round but the American's unorthodox nature briefly threatened to upset Khan in the second and third rounds. There was a suggestion that Khan was getting frustrated but the fight turned from the moment he landed a couple of solid shots in the fourth.

It was evident from the fifth onwards that Khan was the superior fighter as time and again crisp punches snapped in on Malignaggi's head. The New Yorker has been in with some excellent fighters and has proved his durability, but he had no answer to the speed and boxing skills of Khan.

The doctor took a close look at Malignaggi at the end of the 10th and it looked at one stage as though he would be pulled out. He was allowed to carry on but the fight did not go much further as the referee stepped in with over with 1.35 left in the round.

Ricky Hatton stopped Malignaggi in the 11th but Khan's job on the American was far from impressive as he proved he can mix it with some of the big players in the division.

© ESPN EMEA Ltd

Source: espn.co.uk

Knockout Nation: Khan Breaks Down Malignaggi, Ortiz Outboxes Campbell, Hopkins Wants Calzaghe and Bute, Mayweather-Pacquiao Update -- AllHipHop

By Ismael AbduSalaam, AllHipHop.com

Malignaggi Has No Answers for Khan

Before his hometown NYC crowd last night (May 15), Paulie Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KOs) was thoroughly beaten by a well prepared Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), who took out his Brooklyn foe with a dominant 11th round TKO.

From the outset, Malignaggi had no answers for Khan’s superior speed and power. Amir was able to consistently get off first with his stiff jab, and even at times with lead left hooks and straight rights.

By the 4th round, Khan was also making Malignaggi pay for trying to come inside, clipping him with a head-turning right uppercut. In the following round, Paulie’s offense was hampered further by Khan’s longer reach, and the Brooklynite was punished with multiple flush right and left hooks to the face.

The 8th and 9th rounds were complete whitewashes for Amir Khan. In the former round, the UK fighter began attacking more with impunity, as the light-hitting Malignaggi (5 KOs in his career) could do nothing to keep his opponent off him. Khan could not miss Malignaggi’s head with any of his shots, finding a home for the jab, left uppercut, and hooks with both hands. In the latter stanza, Paulie continued to get busted up with stiff left jabs and hooks, and the Magic Man’s face was swollen all over with a mouse under the left eye.

Following another brutal 10th round, referee Steve Smoger asked Malignaggi if he wanted to come out for another round. Despite Paulie’s affirmations, Smoger refused to let the bout continue until the ringside physician had a thorough review. Once completed, Malignaggi was advised he had one more round to make a stand.

With no power to turn the tide, Paulie Malignaggi absorbed more hooks as he tried to land a desperate home run shot. A Khan left hook caused him to careen into the ropes, and Smoger stopped the bout as Malignaggi feebly threw weak punches in retaliation.

The 11th round TKO made Amir Khan’s U.S. debut a successful coming out party, and now Golden Boy’s most promising young star turned his attention to his remaining division rivals.

“A lot of people put the pressure on me to fight Maidana. I’ll fight Maidana next,” Khan told HBO’s Max Kellerman. “Let Bradley fight Alexander, and the winner of that fight face me in the finals…let’s do it! I will not leave 140 until I’ve unified the titles.”

In spite of all his prefight trash talk, Paulie Malignaggi made no excuses for his loss and gave Khan full credit.

“Amir just fought a really good fight. [He gave] lots of angles, kept changing distance, that was the plan for me [but] Amir was quicker,” Malignaggi admitted. “Amir’s younger, he had that youthful enthusiasm and I give him a lot of credit.”

On the undercard, Victor Ortiz kept his poise for 10 rounds and was able to easily outbox a now slower and fading Nate Campbell.

At 38 years old, Campbell was unable to chase down Ortiz, who circled for the majority of the bout and countered Campbell with hard straight lefts and flurries. Scorecards for the bout read 100-89 twice, and 99-90.

HBO did much to sell the junior welterweight division, doing a video package focusing on its talented young guns Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, and Marcos Maidana. In addition, the network covered the division’s other top fighters in Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Ricky Hatton, and Andriy Kotelnik. From commentator Max Kellerman’s own mouth, HBO looks to be putting their hopes on this division to carry their boxing coverage before and following Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Bernard Hopkins Looking for Another Match

Following the abysmal April PPV encounter that was Hopkins-Jones, there was no one clamoring to see Bernard Hopkins in the ring ever again. Even Golden Boy CEO Richard Shaefer told the press he’d like to see the Executioner hang it up. But Hopkins is ignoring these retirement suggestions, and is reportedly seeking bouts with Lucian Bute or Joe Calzaghe.

Last month, Bute destroyed Edison Miranda with a 3rd round TKO. Many consider Bute the top super-middleweight in the world despite the ongoing Super Six tournament. Joe Calzaghe beat Bernard Hopkins via controversial split decision in 2008. Calzaghe announced his retirement that year after beating Roy Jones and hasn’t fought since.

Hopkins was in attendance last night but did not disclose whether serious talks have begun for either proposed fight.

Calzaghe was in the States for Mayweather-Mosley, and in remarkably good shape for someone 2 years into retirement, which fueled speculation he was considering a comeback bout.

If the Welshman does come back, more than likely it would be for the Super Six winner or Bute. Calzaghe was adamant following the Hopkins bout that he would never fight Bernard again. And fans were not demanding a rematch either of the foul-filled bout.

On the other hand, Bute may fancy the Hopkins showdown since his biggest super-middleweight opponents are tied up with the Super Six for the next year. The big question would be the weight, as Hopkins has been campaigning in recent years at light-heavyweight.

Until someone decisively beats him, Bernard Hopkins looks like he won’t even consider retirement.

Mayweather-Pacquiao Reps Hope to Prevent Previous Media Fiasco

Many fans and media still have a bitter taste in their mouths after the most anticipated fight in boxing history fell through in February over disagreements on Olympic style drug testing.

Following dominant victories for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in their last fights, both camps have begun quiet preliminary talks to resurrect the fight.

Bob Arum recently spoke to ESPN and advised that both sides have vowed to iron out their differences behind closed doors without regular media updates. Last time, Arum was one of the main culprits of “media negotiation,” and regularly disparaged Mayweather’s camp during the process, and later with the last-ditch third-party mediation.

Skepticism aside, I believe both parties have come to grips that no other opponent is acceptable besides each other. Between them, Pacquiao and Mayweather have eliminated the other top welterweights (Mosley, Clottey, Cotto) between them, and proved that they are far more talented than anyone else in the division. Now is the time to see who the best fighter in the world is.

While it’s still early, expect this one to end up in Las Vegas with a 50-50 purse split, and Mayweather getting the Olympic style testing, but with some provision that stops it at least 10-14 days before the fight.
At press time, the fight is targeted for November.

Source: allhiphop.com

Can't doubt Khan after he pounds Paulie -- ESPN

By Michael Woods, Special to ESPNNewYork.com

NEW YORK -- Every time Paulie Malignaggi has stepped up to take on an A-level pugilist, he has been knocked down a peg.

Fight fans didn't know whether Amir Khan was an A-level talent coming into the main event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. But after a couple rounds of taking in Khan's considerable power, hand speed, work rate and beyond-his-years poise, everyone watching had to be of the same mind: Khan, who nabbed a technical knockout in the 11th round, is indeed a top-level fighter and would be a steep challenge for anyone in the 140-pound class.

After seeing round after round of Khan's blows landing solidly, ref Steve Smoger stepped in and halted the one-sided tussle. Malignaggi was the loser and his dreams of a showdown with Manny Pacquiao look to be shelved for now. The end officially came at 1:25 of the 11th, but unofficially it was over in the first, when Malignaggi came out flat and Khan looked sharp and heavy-handed.

Afterward, Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) said he'd like to get 'er done at 140 and deal with Tim Bradley, the WBO crown-holder, or Devon Alexander, who has the WBC and IBF belts.

Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he'd like the WBA junior welterweight champion to meet Argentine Marcos Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs). "Amir wouldn't lose a round," Freddie said.

Malignaggi (27-4) said his camp was strong and that he went into the bout feeling capable, but Khan was clearly the better man.

"I've fought two elite fighters, Miguel Cotto and Amir Khan," Malignaggi said. "From here, I'm not sure where I go. I'll sit down with my team. I don't want to be a punching bag."

The underdog Malignaggi (139 pounds, from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn) has come up empty against Cotto, Ricky Hatton and now Khan. But even those who can't stomach his cocky manner and boy-band spiked hairdo have to concede that Malignaggi, 29, is of sturdy stock.

No fighter possessing the limited power of Malignaggi, in the present-day scene, has done more with less. But he is perennially armed with a slingshot against foes packing firearms. Before the bout, Malignaggi's promoter, Lou DiBella, was hopeful that his kid would wreck the U.S. debut of the HBO-backed Khan and secure a clash with Pacquiao, if the Filipino and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can't come to terms. But coming off a decisive loss, the New Yorker will likely have to claw back up the ladder to get a title shot if he wants to keep hacking away.

"I want to see Paulie do what is right," DiBella said. "But you heard him. He's not going to be in the game to be a punching bag."

Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer told ESPNNewYork.com that Khan, 23, exceeded his expectations. "I was just amazed by the speed, the combos, the power," Schaefer said. "He's the total package."

Schaefer would like to see Khan (139½, from Bolton, England) fight in the United Kingdom at the end of July, and then back in the U.S. in the fall. Maidana, the winner of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz bout, Victor Ortiz, Alexander or Bradley will all be considered.

It was hard to determine the breakdown of rooters at the venue. The building holds just under 5,000 and the announced attendance was announced at 4,412, with Malignaggi backers the majority by a 55-45 margin or so. The vibe was impassioned and intensified by a weigh-in fracas Friday afternoon. This wasn't a planned, WWE-style "I'll push you, you shove me" deal; neither fighter lacks for confidence or is shy about announcing his attributes, and their pride boiled over Friday.

In the first round Saturday night, Khan showed the controlled aggression that Roach has instilled in him since the Brit was KO'd in one round by unknown Breidis Prescott two years ago. This bout was Khan's fifth under Roach, the Hollywood-based tutor who has transformed Pacquiao from unharnessed brawler into methodical, pugilistic assassin. Khan's power edge was glaring from the get-go. Malignaggi sneakily whacked Khan on the thigh when Khan snagged him in a headlock on several occasions.

In the second, a Khan one-two snapped the New Yorker's head back. Khan both led, with a long jab, and countered, with crisp left hooks, in a solid round for the champ. Malignaggi, a former junior welterweight titlist, usually has a speed edge. But Khan's hand speed looked of a higher caliber than the challenger's. He picked off Paulie's jab smartly, and the American through three hadn't figured out a winning strategy to deal with Khan's skill set.

Khan had good luck with the left hook, catching Malignaggi coming in. His right hand was even more damaging to the Brooklyner through the middle rounds. In the eighth, a left-right slammed Malignaggi, who still didn't have an answer for the well-rounded Brit. The ring physicians took a hard look at Paulie after the ninth and 10th, at Smoger's insistence.

Malignaggi begged the doctor for more time after the 10th, showing his ample heart. But it was his lack of power, and dead legs, which proved his downfall. The heart has never been in question.

Speedbag: Before the co-feature (Victor Ortiz-Nate Campbell) kicked off, silver-tongued emcee Michael Buffer gave a heartfelt shout-out to Arthur Mercante, "the greatest referee ever," who passed away last month at 90. ... New York State Athletic Commission chair Melvina Lathan told ESPNNewYork.com that Khan fans crashed the weigh-in at the Essex House hotel Friday with mischief on their minds. "Khan followers were shouting 'Allahu Akbar,'" she said. Ample security was in place, but a bushel of bad apples poisoned the atmosphere, she said. ... Ring announcer Joe Antonacci said he was trying to keep the peace after a fracas between Khan and Malignaggi rooters broke out, post-staredown, and a Khan posse member yelled, "Get your hands off me, you New York Jew!" The affable Antonacci corrected him. "I'm an Italian from Jersey," he replied.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

After Verbal Sparring, a Lopsided Title Fight -- New York Times

By Greg Bishop, The New York Times

The boxer Amir Khan spent late April and early May in Vancouver, British Columbia, his entry into the United States delayed while he obtained a work visa. By Saturday, Khan had gone to work here for the first time, and his opponent, Paulie Malignaggi, wished the stopover had been longer.

Khan justified the hype he brought with him from England. He punished Malignaggi at the outset and pummeled him throughout, registering a technical knockout 1 minute 25 seconds into the 11th round.

In a one-sided triumph that was nearly stopped earlier, Khan retained his World Boxing Association super lightweight title in front of 4,412 at Madison Square Garden’s smaller theater. Afterward, he said he planned to remain in that division until he could unify the belts, and that he will fight in England in July.

“I was just amazed,” said Richard Schaefer, the chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions. “The speed. The combinations. The power. He’s the total package.”

Khan (23-1, 17 knockouts) landed more jabs, more power punches and more total punches (259 to 127). He won every round and forced Malignaggi (27-4) to deliver an opinion opposite from all the criticism he levied across an ocean the past few months.

Malignaggi took questions with a swollen left eye and bruised face. He said that of the four fighters he has lost to, he considered two, Khan and Miguel Cotto, to be truly elite — high praise for Khan, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics and does not turn 24 until December.

“He’s a terrific fighter,” Lou DiBella, Malignaggi’s promoter, said. “He’s a tremendously talented kid.”

Khan dictated the pace in the early rounds, stalking Malignaggi, throwing punches with more potency and frequency. In the second round, Khan landed a four-punch combination that sent Malignaggi backward, and by the middle of the next round, Malignaggi’s left eye appeared swollen.

The fight continued in that vein, with the man nicknamed King Khan playing the aggressor. In the fourth round, Khan ducked, then bounced Malignaggi’s head backward with a powerful right hand.

Khan brutalized Malignaggi repeatedly with that hand, with jabs and overhand rights and straight rights, until every round seemed almost exactly like the one before. When Malignaggi adjusted in Round 7, Khan smacked him repeatedly with the left.

Soon after, doctors checked on Malignaggi between rounds. He begged to go back out for No. 11. The referee stopped it halfway through.

“We had to break him down slowly,” Khan said. “From Round 9, I knew I wasn’t letting him off. I had to keep the pressure on him.”

The pressure started, in large part, through a Twitter feud escalated at Friday’s weigh-in, when the fighters’ camps exchanged shoves and punches before security stepped in. DiBella stalked through the room afterward, incensed, his voice rising.

So went another fight week, even if this was not exactly a normal fight.

For starters, it was Khan’s debut in the United States, where he is somewhat unknown. Khan’s low profile here stands in stark contrast to his celebrity status in England, where he once met former Prime Minister Tony Blair and carved out a résumé that shaped his candidacy as one of boxing’s next potential stars.

Khan’s only loss came by knockout at the bruising hands of Breidis Prescott, who won his bout on Saturday’s undercard. After that defeat, Khan hired Freddie Roach, perhaps boxing’s best trainer, who steered Manny Pacquiao toward greatness. Still, questions lingered.

“I’m sure Khan’s good,” Malignaggi said on Wednesday. “But he’s unproven at a high level. He hasn’t got one major victory on his record. They handed him a world title, after he got knocked out.”

Malignaggi presented a real test, even though Khan entered the bout the heavy favorite. Malignaggi once held his own super lightweight title belt — he lost to Ricky Hatton in 2008 — but he fell so far so fast that he made only $10,000 in his next fight and wondered if his boxing days were numbered.

Malignaggi also hired a new trainer, Sherif Younan. As Malignaggi rebuilt his reputation — winning his rematch against Juan Diaz in December to rise back into title contention — he credited Younan.

Malignaggi said this fight, held near his native Brooklyn, represented redemption. But he also knew the brutal truth: another loss, and even his promoter said fights of this magnitude would likely be out of reach.

Afterward, Malignaggi was not sure what would come next. Off they went, two fighters headed in opposite directions. King Khan had come here and delivered. His message was emphatic.

Source: nytimes.com

Amir Khan shuts down Paulie Malignaggi's big mouth -- PhilBoxing

By Ed de la Vega, PhilBoxing.com

Just moments ago, Amir Khan, the Pakistani-Brit who once trained with the famed Manny Pacquiao at the Wildcard Gym of Freddie Roach in Hollywood, CA beat Paulie Malignaggi, the loud mouth New Yorker.

Malignaggi who is best remembered by Filipinos as the “other” accuser of Manny Pacquiao indicating that the Filipino spit fire could be on drugs, was not able to back up the words he uttered prior to the fight.

Malignaggi at the end of round 6 was so far from Khan in so far as punch landed. Khan landed 37% and Khan just a mere 23%. His face also shows the brunt of Khan’s punches.

Khan is effectively out-boxing him. He has never fought a guy like Khan who is so nimble on his feet and can punch hard as well.

At the end of eight, this writer’s score was 80-72 which runs parallel to those of the HBO analysts.

Malignaggi’s lack of power seem more apparent as the fight progressed. He never had the chance to get back at Khan. In fact after the 9th, Malignaggi’s trainers was telling him between rounds that the only way to win at that point was to knock-out Khan -- something he can not possibly do.

After round 10, the doctors came up the ring and told Malignaggi that if he does not do something better and continues to get mugged, they will stop the fight.

On the 11th, the referee has seen enough and stopped the fight for a TKO victory by Amir Khan.

Source: philboxing.com

Olympic-Style Drug Testing (Is Mayweather Right?) -- SecondsOut

By Allan Scotto, SecondsOut.com

When the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight fell apart (after the two camps couldn’t come to an agreement over Mayweather’s insistence that he and Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing), Manny went on to fight Joshua Clottey, while Floyd went on to defeat the ill-fated “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

With both Pacquiao and Mayweather adding another “W” to their records, fans are once again anxious for them to finally meet in the ring and settle the debate over who beats who.

Floyd has already stated that if Manny is willing to undergo Olympic-style blood testing, he’s ready to make the fight.

But if Pacquiao is not willing to undergo blood testing, Mayweather has further stated, unequivocally, that there will be no fight.

Mayweather, who has stated a number of times that his mission is to clean up the sport, seems very serious and, at last check, it seems that Pacquiao is willing to undergo blood testing in order to make the fight.

The question now seems to revolve around a cut-off date for testing, either 21 days before the fight, or 14.

But why does that matter so much?

Well, on one hand, the closer to the fight, the more guaranteed you are that both fighters are indeed clean.

On the other hand, as Keith Kizer, the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission points out, “Blood testing is invasive, and for a fighter, who obviously needs both arms, there is risk of infection, bruising, and possibly nicking a vein.”

But Mayweather has certainly gotten everyone’s attention, and the fact that the most influential commission in the sport of boxing is now taking a long hard look at whether to institute Olympic-style drug testing is testimony to that fact.

Asked if Mayweather’s insistence that his opponents undergo blood tests is influencing the NSAC to consider changing its testing procedures, Kizer points out that the Nevada State Athletic Commission is constantly looking for ways to improve fighter safety, and that includes improvements in testing, if so warranted.

“We’re not going to change any of our policies to give a fighter an advantage,” Kizer said, “but that’s not to say that a fighter or anyone from the public may not have a good idea.”

“We constantly re-visit our regulations,” Kizer continued. “For instance, in 2001, we added steroid testing, and since then, we’ve caught about 60 people and, interestingly enough though, most of them had not won their fights.”

The NSAC has also been meeting with representatives of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, including Dr. Larry Bowers, Chief Medical Officer of the USADA, along with its Executive Director, Travis Tygart, and Dr. Robert Voy, formerly with the Unites States Olympic Committee, who is considered an expert in drug testing.

Kizer points out, “But our discussions are not limited to blood testing alone; we are discussing whatever methods might improve our testing procedures.”

Kizer pointed out that when blood testing was introduced to the Olympics in 2000, it was met with a lot of criticism, and that all of the testing done at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic games produced no positives.

It is important to Kizer that the NSAC does as much as it can to keep performance-enhancing drugs out of the sport, while somehow being able to work within budgetary constraints, which can be a bit of a high-wire act.

But it is something Kizer takes very seriously.

“At the end of the day in boxing,” Kizer stated, “where the object is to hit a man in the head as hard as you can, you have to be as diligent as possible.”

Dr. Margaret Goodman was the Chief Ringside Physician for the State of Nevada until 2005, and the Medical Advisory Board Chairperson for the NSAC until 2007. Along with Dr. Flip Homansky, a former commissioner with the NSAC, she was influential in instituting many of the testing regulations currently in use by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Dr. Goodman points out that there are many different things to test for, such as human growth hormones, performance-enhancing drugs, steroids, and erythropoietin (which is used in blood doping, and can only be detected by blood tests).

Dr. Goodman states, “Although urine can be used to detect steroids and other substances, many things can disappear from the urine quickly.”

Asked if the NSAC ever considered blood testing during her tenure, Goodman said, “We never did blood for one main reason; it was extremely hard from a logistical standpoint. We never had phlebotomists, and didn’t want to send the fighter to a hospital for labs alone after a fight.”

Dr. Goodman believes that unannounced testing of fighters between fights is critical in keeping down the use of illegal substances.

Currently, the NSAC does do random checks, and sometimes fighters are given advance notice of up to 48 hours, which is a practice Goodman feels should change.

“Many substances,” Goodman points out, “including low doses of testosterone, could be out of their system in that time.”

But Goodman does share Kizer’s belief that one must be as diligent as possible.

“Listen,” Goodman said, “one needs to recognize that no current testing program is foolproof, but USADA’s is a great step.”

Goodman continued, “And this is a process that needs to be revamped constantly, especially due to the ever-changing world of performance-enhancing drugs.”

So is it time for boxing to bite the bullet and institute USADA’s testing program?

ESPN’s color commentator Teddy Atlas thinks it is, and he agrees with Mayweather that the time for blood testing has come.

“I think,” Atlas said, “if there’s smoke there’s fire. We’re already aware of [Fernando] Vargas and Mosley, and I’m sure that’s the tip of the iceberg.”

“Look, someone using PEDs in baseball hits more home-runs,” Atlas continued. “And in football, you tackle better. In boxing, you’re throwing fists at another man’s head, and PEDs put that opponent in much more danger, and boxing is a dangerous sport to begin with.”

“PEDs,” Atlas said, “makes human bodies not regular, and it makes a punch much more deadly. No doubt about it, they need to be rooted out of the sport by whatever means necessary.”

Atlas recalled a classic “Twilight Zone” episode where boxing had been banned, so they used robots to fight. When a promoter’s robot breaks down, the promoter climbs in the ring himself to oppose the robot. Needless to say, he didn’t fare very well.

“A man,” Atlas said, “can’t fight a robot, and a fighter should never be in a ring fighting another fighter who has performance-enhancing drugs pumping through their veins.”

Well, fans, you pay the bills…so what do you think?

Allan Scotto can be reached at boxingriter@aol.com

Source: secondsout.com

Promoter threatens to pull Malignaggi from Khan fight -- ESPN

ESPN staff

Paulie Malignaggi's promoter threatened to pull the New York fighter out of Saturday's Madison Square Garden showdown with Amir Khan after their weigh-in turned to chaos on Friday.

Khan weighed in half an ounce heavier than his rival before the pair squared up to each other, at which point both camps began an unprompted session of push-and-shove. Khan eventually exited the stage, but the incident left the Malignaggi camp visibly annoyed.

The altercation is said to have been caused by accusations of drug misuse inside the Khan camp, in relation to Floyd Mayweather Jnr's demands for testing ahead of a potential clash with Manny Pacquiao. Nevertheless, Malignaggi's promoter Lou DiBella threatened he would not stand for anymore unprofessional moments in the build-up to the fight.

"This is amateur," DiBella said. "The public was not supposed to be here. One more thing like this and I'm pulling (Malignaggi) out of the fight.

"My guy got roughed up by his people. Some gentleman. Go back to England."

Khan is trained by world class coach Freddie Roach, the same man who trains Pacquaio. And the Bolton fighter insists he has grown tired of scandalous accusations regarding Roach's methods.

"He was saying I was on drugs as well and how big I had gone but working with Alex Ariza (Roach's fitness and nutrition expert) and looking at how my body's changed, to be honest I've gone a lot slimmer," Khan said.

"I was a big, big lightweight and I've trimmed down and made my legs bigger.

"What people like Paulie Malignaggi don't realise is the work ethic and the training that me and Manny put into our work. We work so hard and it just disrespects the trainers because they help us so much, push us 110% and do a wonderful job with us."

© ESPN EMEA Ltd

Source: espn.co.uk