Manny Pacquiao Vs Floyd Mayweather JR: The Psychology of Boxing -- Ringside Report

By Manoj Bhat, Ringside Report

It is a common trap that most of us as fans of any sport fall into – comparing the present generation with the greats of the past. It is a compelling thought for everyone following a sports personality to believe that his idol is perhaps the best ever. In many ways, this is a fact because the comparison is a myth. Imagine a young Mike Tyson standing in front of Muhammad Ali in the prime; Sugar Ray Robinson facing off with Manny Pacquiao or Rocky Marciano standing with a Roy Jones in the ring. These would be fights that could give goose bumps to the best of the experts and most would be inclined to believe that Ali, Sugar or Rocky would prevail but that’s just the reflection of the fear of ghosts that lay deep in the human psyche.

The fact is that the sport of boxing has evolved over the years. It is practically impossible for any good ranking boxer today to fight an incredible 136 professional fights over a period of just over 11 years (Oct 1940 – 1952) like Sugar did. This averages to nearly 12 fights every year or to say the least a fight a month. Would it be possible today is a big question. The sweet science has become more professional and naturally a lot of preparation goes into every bout a boxer puts his head in for. Despite all these ifs and buts, one thing is sure to define each individual as a boxer and a celebrity and that is equally measured by the Vietkong outbursts of Ali, Ear bite of Tyson, Sugar’s loss to Maxim in the 103°F heat in 1952 or the Referee allowing Rocky to fight on with a broken nose and so on.

Manny Pacquiao to say the least stands out in the attitude inside or outside the ring. Of all the legends of this brutal sport, have we ever seen a boxer literally beg the referee to stop the fight when he is winning and the opponent is clearly beaten? Our generation has been previledged to see such a cultured gesture shown by Manny to Margarito. Juan Manuel Marquez may claim he won the fights with Manny twice – but a close look at Manny’s psyche will tell you that he lifted the foot off the pedal soon after Marquez was knocked down twice. This is not to underestimate Juan Manuel’s fighting ability but only an effort to see the human being in a fighter who has lived his childhood in inhumane conditions. Ali’s “BOMAYE” theme in the Rumble in the Jungle shows that he was in for the kill even though he used his intellect to wade off his involvement the “Vietkong” war. He never showed this human aspect in his greatness in the ring.

Yours truly has a few friends in Manila where Manny worked for the safety of the common man during treacherous floods at a time when he should have been preparing for his fight. He worked day in and day out to manage the supplies, medicines and support the flood victims going nights without sleep and pushing his contingent of friends to the brink of collapse. Compare this to Ali taking a stand of not fighting along his countrymen. He literally ran away from the war that his country fought and where his countrymen were dying whereas Manny fought a war to safeguard his countrymen that was not his in the first place. Such compassion is unseen in the artists of sweet science. This trait would be only attributed to Manny Pacquiao in the History of the sport that can boast the world record of having been represented by the maximum number of Ex Criminals or Future Criminals.

What separates Manny from any other boxer ever to have dorned a pair of gloves as a professional is the unbelievable disdain for the dreadful possibility of getting hurt or knocked out. The manner in which he comes out at the bell at starts whipping up a creamy 100+ punches per round gives an intelligent opponent enough openings to get at him. But Manny is an entertainer to say the least. For him the fight is still the same event as it was when he as a teenager used to fight for bits in the filthy neighbourhoods of Manilas ghetos where a boxer can become popular even for the style in which he gets knocked out. For him the crowns may be important but it still comes a distant second compared to the need of entertaining the crowd that pays to come and see him fight.

You will never see Manny fight 8 boring rounds on the ropes like Ali did against Foreman when the world bit their fingers sure that their hero would be destroyed. Skeptics will always say that Foreman was bigger than Ali but pound for pound Margarito v/s Manny was a greater mismatch. Even Miguel Cotto was bigger on a ratio basis when he stepped into the ring. It is useless to argue with such conservatives who have decided to shut facts out of the logic fraternity just because they have decided to treat Ali as the best ever. However it is pragmatic to see the facts and accept the evolution of human beings as a normal process which automatically gets reflected in the sports we play. It would be the same mindset to say that Jesse Owens in 1936 who ran 100 yards (91mts) in 9.4 secs is still a better Athlete than Usain Bolt running 100 mts in 9.58 secs. It just does not make any sense. The sport evolves and every era has its best athletes. It is just logical to say that today Manny is the best and perhaps the best ever till date.

The only person who could have put these speculations to rest is Floyd Mayweather. Floyd too is a great – perhaps greater than Ali in avoiding the fight that involves the pride of his nation. Today America’s Boxing legacy is on the line and a small Filipino man from the labyrinths of Manilas underbelly has dared to snatch it from under the American noses. This would be the only time when Floyd would get a chance to stand up for the aspirations of his countrymen and take on a challenge that could make them proud to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” again during the fights and take American Boxing back to the glory of its past. It is only a matter of time that like the millions of Jobs that are now outsourced to the poorer neighbourhoods of Asian countries, boxing too will become the game played by other nations and for Americans to watch on PPV TV.

Floyd however has unknowingly hit the axe on his own feet. The fact that he is insisting for Drug tests shows that he is convinced just as millions of Manny fans that Manny Pacquiao is really special. He is 100% sure that Manny Pacquiao could not give such perfomances if he was not onto drugs. This only helps him in defeating his own psychology. As more bouts Manny fights and no drugs come up in his system, Floyd will have to put his foot in his mouth or perhaps even cover his face with the same. It is evident that Floyd has lost this fight even without a punch having been thrown. So the big question is – should he take this challenge? I feel that he should.

Fighters greatness is not decided by their unbeaten record but by the wars they have fought. Floyd has this chance to fight a life defining war and he has practically nothing to loose. If its his legacy he is worried about, it would be more tarnished if he ended his career without a fight with Manny Pacquiao. Does he have a chance to win? Well if Juan Manuel Marquez could do a good job against Manny, why not Floyd? He is intelligent and can find a way out to unscramble the Manny matrix. If he does it in the first few rounds then the fight is his but if he cannot do it the first time, I am sure that a rematch would be a certain Floyd Mayweather victory.

The only question is whether Floyd Mayweather, JR., will ever take the first fight at all? Will the Senior Mayweather take this opportunity or think that with time Manny will slow down and their fighter will become faster despite being 2 years older than Manny? Till the time they decide to stop getting involved in unwanted things, Floyd is only committing a psychological suicide for his boxing career and legacy whereas Manny on the other hand is reinforcing his confidence and legacy by fighting whoever comes his way and taking time out to sing, dance, to help his countrymen and meet the presidents of other nations.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Tyson: Mayweather has edge over Pacquiao -- Philippine Star

By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - If there’s one fight Mike Tyson wants to see then it’s the superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

He said if and when that happens, Mayweather will have the upperhand.

Speaking to Showtime broadcaster Jim Grey, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world said he can’t wait to see Pacquiao and Mayweather up in the ring.

“I would love to see the fight,” Tyson told Grey as written by Ricardo Lois of The Examiner.

The former champion, who made some of the biggest news inside and outside the ring, also said there’s one reason why he wants the fight to happen.

“I would love to see the odds, so I can make a bet,” he said.

Tyson used the fight against Juan Manuel Marquez by both Pacquiao and Mayweather as a gauge for the superfight.

“Pacquiao went life and death with Marquez,” said Tyson of a 2008 encounter between the Filipino champion and the Mexican counterpuncher.

The two boxers also figured in a very tight contest, which ended in a controversial draw, in 2004.

“Then Mayweather dominated him (Marquez),” said Tyson, referring to the undefeated American’s lopsided win against Marquez in 2009.

Twice over the last couple of years, Pacquiao vs Mayweather came close to happening, but on both occasions, negotiations fell off.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who handles Pacquiao, said if Don King promoted Mayweather, the fight could be made in one hour.

But that’s not the case because Mayweather still has Golden Boy Promotions as his partner.

“I didn’t say that the fight would be made in a day, it would be made in one hour. Don and I would cut to the essentials, we would work out those few details, and we would make the fight,” said Arum.

Source: philstar.com

The Manny Pacquiao – Mike Tyson Comparison: A Lesson to be Learned -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

The year is 1990 and the undefeated, undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world, Iron Mike Tyson heads to Tokyo to defend his title against the 42-1 underdog, James “Buster” Douglas, a fighter seen as a no-hoper and so bad that they could not find a home for the fight in the states. Tokyo elected to buy it and bring over the monster that was walking over his competition with ease.

Tyson was on a rampage, destroying former long time champion Larry Holmes (KO-4), undefeated light heavyweight turned heavyweight champion, Michael Spinks (KO-1), British top contender Frank Bruno (TKO-5), and Carl Williams (KO-1) along the way. He was a destroyer with power in both hands, aggressive and dangerous and sat atop the boxing world as the most popular pugilist in the game. The little known Douglas would not be a problem.

Douglas was known as a mediocrity that ran out of steam due in large part to his lack of conditioning and focus on the game. He was stopped by lesser opposition like Tony Tucker and Mike White, and didn’t appear to present much of a threat, but on fight night, he came in ready and focused, weighing in at 231 pounds.

Going into the fight there was talk that Tyson was not mentally prepared for a tough fight. In sparring, Greg Page floored him with a right hand. Tyson wasn’t sharp and had to lose a great deal of weight to look presentable for the fight. He weighed in at 220 pounds.

February 11th, 1990, the biggest upset in boxing occurred in front of a quiet audience in Japan, as Buster Douglas pounded his left jab into the face of the aggressive Tyson and followed up with right hands that landed with regularity. In the tenth round an uppercut hurt Tyson and a follow up combination sent him down for the count. The boxing world was shocked to see Iron Mike down and out of the fight, a historic upset, but the writing was on the wall.

Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is heading into his November 13th showdown with underdog Antonio Margarito and you can’t help but to draw the similarities between this and the Tyson-Douglas fight.

As first reported by RSR, Pacquiao was stopped in sparring by Amir Khan. The event was later verified by Freddie Roach. Much like Greg Page did to Tyson, Khan did to Pacquiao and when you add that to the lack of focus on this showdown, all the elements are there for an upset.

Like Tyson, Manny is facing a taller opponent with a lot of motivation. Margarito has claimed innocence regarding his loaded gloves, a claim that has been widely dismissed by anyone with any boxing knowledge and that isn’t tied to the Margarito camp. He is shunned by most of boxing, but Bob Arum has stepped up and used his influence to convince Texas to let him fight and now the reward of getting beaten up by Pacquiao and making a payday may actually turn into much more.

Manny has been slowly turning into a monster outside of the ring. Like any other star athlete, especially a national hero like Manny is, there is the inclination to buy your own press and his ego has been growing. As documented in 24/7, HBO’s hit series leading up to many of the perceived major fights, Roach’s control of his fighter has been reduced and there is now a struggle to maintain the camp he wants. His frustration comes out regularly to the press because Pacquiao is not listening and he’s paying a price for it.

Like Tyson, Manny now has this indestructible label, and Margarito isn’t seen as much of a challenge. Going into this fight, Manny has made easy work of Oscar De La Hoya (TKO-8), Ricky Hatton (KO-2), Miguel Cotto (KO-12), and Joshua Clottey (UD-12). The question isn’t who is going to beat Manny, it’s how long can they survive the punishment?

Margarito’s last notable fight was against Shane Mosley. His world crumbled that night and so did he, losing by TKO in dominant fashion to the old warrior. Later on, his hand wraps would be examined and they were proven to have plaster of Paris within and so the suspension began and we all hoped it would be a lifetime away from the sport, but this is boxing and anything apparently goes.

Mosley was exposed as a spent force by Floyd Mayweather, JR., and it may shed light on Margarito’s skills when he’s not packing bricks inside of his gloves. If an old and shot Mosley can destroy Margarito when he’s on the level, what will Pacquiao do?

A prepared Pacquiao destroys him and does it early and perhaps he can do it when he’s not totally focused. I’m not sure that Margarito can win under any circumstances unless he loads his gloves, but this is boxing and if Manny is not focused, we could have another monumental upset, just as we did in 1990 with Mike Tyson falling at the hands of James Douglas.

The Tyson-Douglas fight has set the standard for an elite fighter coming into a fight unfocused and ill prepared against a lesser opponent, only to lose because they were not ready to fight. Is Pacquiao’s head so big now that he will not heed the warning? Like the rest of boxing, does he only consider Floyd Mayweather, JR., a real challenge? If so, he could be in for a rude awakening.

November 13th is right around the corner and the writing is on the wall for an upset. When a fighter reaches a certain point, the distractions are many, and the man climbing the mountain is usually more hungry then the one standing atop, and it will be interesting to see if Manny can get his head together and perform well come fight night. I still expect him to win with ease, but the recent reports from his training camp are bothersome. This could very well be his last fight and he could be leaving the sport on his back.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Mike Tyson, a monster in and out of the ring... so should this cheating, drug-abusing rapist be allowed into the Hall of Fame? -- Daily Mail

By JEFF POWELL, DailyMail.co.uk

Universal acclaim will no doubt accompany Manny Pacquiao whenever he ascends into the Hall of Fame, whether or not Floyd Mayweather Jnr ever braces himself to dispute the mythical title of greatest pound-for-pound boxer on earth with his fists instead of his trash talk.

No doubt America's so-called moral majority will be outraged if Mike Tyson is elected to that starry chamber next year.

Yet Iron Mike’s impact on the prize-ring has been arguably even more powerful than that of the Pacman.

The thunderous fists which made this troubled pigeon fancier the world's youngest heavyweight champion, along with the almost unbearable sensations of fear and tension which accompanied him into the ring, made Tyson one of the most menacing yet compelling figures to throw punches for money.

All those knock-outs, all that drama, all those tickets and pay-TV subscriptions sold, even being on the wrong end of the greatest upset of all time when James Buster Douglas knocked him out in Tokyo, have weighed on the decision to put Tyson on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2011.

Not the rape conviction, not the biting of Holyfield's ear, not the gruesome threats to drive opponent's noses into their brains and devour their children, not the drug abuse, not the broken marriages, not the hundreds of millions squandered on fast cars, loose women and wealthy lawyers.

There will be many protesting that Tyson's outrages should disqualify him from such lofty recognition.

Yet there are many fighters with a chequered history inside and outside the ropes who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Rightly or wrongly, like it or not, the over-riding criterion is a fighter’s contribution to his sport.

And Tyson was the self-created monster who smashed boxing back into the consciousness of America and the world at a time when it was almost dying on its feet.

The hard old game knows that many of its fiercest warriors are born in the meanest of the mean streets, deprived of an education and subjected to a cruel upbringing. Boxing offers an escape route from the ghetto and the chance of self-improvement. For some, this brutal rite of passage takes longer than others but Tyson has got there in the end.

How about you? Should Tyson go the Hall of Fame?
Yes or No?

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Oscar De La Hoya: In my prime, I'd have schooled Manny Pacquiao -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

BROOKLYN--Physically, Oscar de la Hoya looks the part.

Still trim at age 37, the Golden Boy looks like he could go 12 rounds or 18 holes, your choice.

Mentally, well in his mind he's still the Hall Of Fame fighter who set a PPV TV buy rate record of 2.4 million for his losing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Oscar was at a sweltering Gleason's Gym on a gloomy, overcast Tuesday afternoon with billionaire Bruce Ratner to trumpet the fact that Oscar' company has an exclusive deal with the Barclays Center (which will house the NBA Nets) to promote boxing. GBP plans to build its New York base, with shows in Brooklyn and at the Prudential Center in Newark.

I sparred (verbally) with Oscar and my first question was direct.

Who wins if Oscar fought Manny Pacquiao and both were in their primes?

"Whew," de la Hoya said. "Different story."

Putting aside that purely mythical matchup, I asked what Oscar's thoughts are about the Pinoy Idol balancing Congressional duties and his superstar boxer status.

Oscar expressed approval of and high hopes for Pacquaio's political career.

"With politics, I give Manny all the credit in the world for being a Congressman. I don't know if he can balance both careers because it's got to be very difficult but hopefully he can do some good things for his people." de la Hoya said.

Wanting to test ODLH's sense of humor, I reminded him that he tried to juggle a singing career and boxing.

"Yeah, and you see how that turned out," Oscar said, smiling the smile that thrilled so many females when he was boxing's matinee idol.

De la Hoya said he thinks troubled Floyd Mayweather Jr. needs to end his boxing hiatus and get back to business pronto.

"I have not spoken to him but I think Floyd needs to get back to doing what he does best, which is boxing."

Oscar was swarmed by apsiring boxers of all ages and races and he was clearly in his element.

One young fighter peppered him with other mythical match questions. If I heard correctly, one of them was who would've won between Sugar Ray Leonard and Aaron Pryor and I think Oscar tipped Leonard to win it.

Oscar said some have misinterpreted his Broadcasting & Cable interview in which he said boxing needs to have a dominant promoter.

It's not all about Golden Boy swallowing up the minnows or wiping out Bob Arum's Top Rank, de la Hoya said.

"It's what is best for boxing, really. I'm not talking about just now, I mean what's going to be best for boxing 10-15 years from now. It's frustrating when (because of interpromotional bickering) we can get the best fighting the best. That's why I mentioned what the UFC does, their model.

"We just need a different setup than what we have now. We need something better for the fans and for the fighters."

To his credit, GBP CEO Richard Schaefer also gave Pacman props for his political achievement.

"Manny has to be congratulated on that, being a Congressman," Schaefer said. "To be such an accomplished fighter and a Congressman, well I think that brings credit to boxing and all of us can be proud of him doing that."

Rich guy Ratner, who said the total cost of the new arena will wind up at $900 million or so, said he tapped Oscar and his company for some obvious reasons.

"I used to go watch the Ali fights on closed circuit at the movie theaters when I was a kid in Cleveland," Ratner said.

"We open up in July 2012 and I felt that I don't see any downside here. Oscar is an icon of the sport and his company has other boxers as owners as well. They operate transparently and I like that.

"We want to bring boxing back to Brooklyn, maybe create more icons like (Mike) Tyson was. We just feel that Golden Boy is the right company for us to go with."

At the event, Schaefer announced what he called "breaking news," saying that Paulie Malignaggi of Brooklyn had signed with GBP and would henceforth campaign at welterweight.

Malignaggi was in attendance along with GBP boxers Danny Jacobs and Danny Garcia.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Final cut for a hero of Valleys is fitting tribute -- Independent

By Alan Hubbard, The Independent

The cognoscenti of clout will gather in Cardiff at the end of the month to celebrate the fight game's biggest global festival and at the same time laud one of the great Welsh icons of the ring, the late world featherweight champion Howard Winstone, with the premiere of a compelling film depicting his bitter-sweet life story.

Directed by the award-winning Merthyr-based Neil Jones, Risen tells of the boyo with the dazzling fists and footwork who, despite losing three fingertips of his right hand in an industrial accident, rose during the Sixties to become the pugilistic Prince of Wales. It also features nine former champions playing the parts of some of boxing's best-known figures in the first non-American biopic about a fighter ever made.

The premiere is on the opening night of the World Boxing Council "Night of Champions", taking place over three days from 29-31 July and assembled with the assistance of another of Britain's outstanding former world champions, the welterweight king John H Stracey. The £300,000 cavalcade of fistiana is backed by Cardiff City Council and the Welsh Assembly. A parade of 100 past and present world champions are scheduled to attend what it is claimed will be the biggest gathering of champions in history, headed by heavyweight sibling tsars Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko.

The festival will also include a GB versus Rest of the World amateur boxing international and the first-ever appearance in Britain of the Chinese national boxing team, who are testing Cardiff as a potential 2012 Olympic training base.

The London-born Stracey, 59, who climbed off the canvas to record one of British boxing's most epic overseas victories, a fifth-round knock-out of the legendary Jose Napoles in the Mexican's own bullring backyard in 1975, says: "The WBC president, Jose Sulaiman, thought Cardiff would be an ideal location because per capita Wales has had more world champions than any other country. From Jimmy Wilde and Jim Driscoll to Joe Calzaghe, boxing has always been a very vibrant part of the Welsh culture."

According to the organisers, 76 champions are already confirmed with up to a further 40 anticipated, including Mike Tyson and multi-weight all-time great Manny Pacquiao. In the great tradition of the thick-trade there will be wet eyes rather than black eyes when old foes who belted bits off each other years ago lock themselves in long-held embraces. None more so than the reunion of Britain's 58-year-old Alan Minter and the Italian Vito Antuofermo, against whom Minter won and successfully defended the world middleweight title 30 years ago.

Regrettably, some big-wheel champions have demanded exorbitant appearance money and expenses for entourages (one wanted to bring over 30 "friends and family") and won't be there. Muhammad Ali, naturally, was among the first to be asked but is too ill to travel, though two of his toughest opponents, George Chuvalo and Earnie Shavers, who both took him on in fierce-hitting battles, have accepted.

Based at the Cardiff International Arena, there will also be a gala dinner with Oscar-style awards for services to boxing and the unsung heroes of the sport. Fans will be able to see the champions on open-top bus rides around the city and mingle with them at shopping arcades, tourist spots and community centres.

However, there is no doubt the focal point will be the Winstone film, especially for those who recall the silky, scintillating skills of the little Welshman who brought such grace and guile to the ring. He was born and raised in Merthyr Tydfil and it was in the town's Prince Charles Hospital that he ended his days 61 years later, virtually penniless, pained by a broken marriage and a body wracked with illness largely brought on by excessive drinking, an all too familiar tale once those hand bandages have been unwrapped for the last time.

Winstone's trainer, Eddie Thomas, himself a notable champion, claimed that children born in the Valleys were so angry that they came out with their fists clenched. As a youngster Winstone had been something of a fiery brawler in the amateur ring, where he won 83 of 86 bouts and gained an Empire Games gold medal in 1958.

However, in his teens Winstone sustained the near-ruinous hand injury in an accident while working in a toy factory. He continued to box but lost much of his power and was forced to drastically change his technique. Thomas re-moulded the young Winstone in his Penydarren gym, teaching him the fast left jab that would become his trademark.

The highlight of his career was the acquisition of the world title against Japan's Mitsunori Seki in January 1986 – at the fourth attempt. Stuart Brennan, the actor who plays Winstone (Shane Richie also stars as one of his promoters, Mike Barrett) trained for five years for a role which brings realism to movie scenes unlike anything from Rocky. With Winstone's almost total reliance on his left jab, the film is a fitting tribute to Welsh boxing's leading man.

Source: independent.co.uk

Doomsday 2012 Prophecy: Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson & Floyd Mayweather, JR -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

We are now a year and a half away from what some believe to be the end of the world. The Mayans supposedly have predicted an end to the world on December 21, 2012, which doesn’t give us much time. Thankfully, we have 18 months until 2012 to clean up boxing and settle some scores. Now, I contend that my predictions are just as dependable as the Mayans’ call that the world will end, although there is some debate concerning what they meant. But for argument’s sake, we will go with the majority that lean toward the end of the world stuff.

Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather, JR.

November 2010

Las Vegas, Nevada

Bob Arum announced the fight had officially been signed and that the two best fighters in the game would return to the ring in November and face off for all of the marbles. The boxing message boards become so flooded with conversation and debate that they begin to crash, and the media frenzy begin. Every boxing and MMA website begins running stories, reporting rumors, and claiming friendship and the inside track to both fighters. “Steroids or not, I’m going to send him to the floor,” Floyd Mayweather, JR., notes to a reporter during training camp, as Roger comments, “the boy’s in trouble.”

Freddie Roach is very happy with Manny’s performance in camp and predicts an 8th round stoppage for his fighter. The Pacquiao fans scream “destiny,” which becomes the tagline for the fight: DESTINY: Floyd Mayweather, JR., vs. Manny Pacquiao.

HBO’s 24/7 Series brings in its highest ratings and the PPV numbers do not disappoint as on fight night they report that they have indications that they have beaten the highest grossing PPV by 50%.

A sold out crowd stands on their feet as Pacquiao walks down to the ring. He is stone faced as he walks in and as he steps into the ring, he seems focused and ready. He begins throwing some shadow punches and looks out to the capacity crowd. Jim Lampley notes that “Pacquiao looks like a caged lion.”

Mayweather wastes no time as he makes his way to the ring. He too seems more serious than ever. “This is the most electricity I have ever felt,” notes Lampley as the crowd roars with anticipation. He makes his way into the ring and stares at Pacquiao. Manny glares back and they begin to walk to each other when their corner men step in, preventing a pre-fight fight.

With the prefight festivities out of the way, the two stare at each other from across the ring, eagerly awaiting the opening bell. Pacquiao storms out of his corner and throws a straight left that immediately lands, but Floyd takes it and begins dodging and deflecting the incoming. The first round belongs to the more active Pacquiao.

In the second round, Floyd begins landing and although they are not seeming to hurt Pacquiao, they are turning his face red. “You are standing in front of him…use angles,” Roach calmly states to a frustrated Pacquiao in the corner.

In the fifth round, Pacquiao strikes and drops Mayweather with a straight left hand. Mayweather arises and smiles, winking at the referee when he counts. It was a good shot that stunned Mayweather but didn’t necessarily hurt him. Pacquiao swarms but most of the shots miss and Floyd goes back to his corner with a smile on his face.

From the sixth round on, Floyd controls and amazingly begins to hunt down Pacquiao. Manny moves and attempts to counter Floyd, an interesting tactic for sure, but an ineffective one. In the 10th round, Floyd lands with two uppercuts and Pacquiao collapses to the floor. He sits down and looks at the referee as he counts. He arises at six, nods at Floyd and the bout continues. Pacquiao survives the round.

A late rally in the final round by Pacquiao impresses, but it is obvious to the commentary team that Floyd did enough to win. The judges come in and score it, 116-110, 114-111, and 113-112, all for the winner Floyd Mayweather, JR. Because of the success of the first outing, the two agree to a rematch, which takes place in May of 2011, Floyd once again winning a decision in similar fashion.

The Return of Mike Tyson
March, 2011
Foxwoods Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut

The former 2-Time Heavyweight Champion, Mike Tyson, returns to the ring in March of 2011, featured on a special broadcast on FOX, in their attempt to bring back boxing to network TV. Their prior cards in late 2010 brought in good ratings and now they were able to strike a deal with Don King, the promoter of Tyson for the upcoming telecast. Tyson signed to fight Mike Mollo, an aggressive heavyweight with a big punch that had gone the distance with Andrew Golota.

Tyson came in weighing a fit 225 pounds, and had reportedly looked sharp in training. The fight, itself turned out to be sloppy for the first few rounds with an obviously rusty Tyson missing many of his punches and Mollo progressing forward and doing some damage. In the fourth round, Tyson would jar Mollo with an uppercut, wobbling him. Tyson would pounce and land two more uppercuts, sending Mollo crashing to the floor. The referee would reach nine and wave it off. Tyson returns with a stoppage win in the fourth round. With the amazing ratings, ABC and NBC announce a planned fight schedule for the near future, and Tyson states interest in a title shot.

Tyson gets his title shot in August of 2011 against WBF Champion, Evander Holyfield. A PPV titled: “The Reunion” pits the two all time greats against each other with both men stating that there will be no excuses. Holyfield seems to dictate the action, but Tyson is actually fighting well. At the end of 12 rounds, the decision is in doubt. Holyfield was ahead, it seemed, but lost two points for intentional head butts. The judges would score it 113-113 across the board, ending in a draw and talk of a fourth encounter.

The Klitschkos

In November of 2010, Wladimir Klitschko finally defends his title against the eager Alexander Povetkin, winning a hotly disputed split decision in Germany. Teddy Atlas screams home cooking with the judges, and with David Haye fresh off his TKO 1st round stoppage of Audley Harrison, a Klitschko – Haye fight looms and Povetkin will be denied the rematch.

Vitali Klitschko signs to fight former WBA Champion, Nikolay Valuev, in Germany in December of 2010, and jabs his way to a wide decision, making the comment that there aren’t “many more worlds to conquer.” With Odlanier Solis knocking out Ray Austin in two rounds, he demands his crack, but there are other options like David Tua, a fight that Vitali has been entertaining.

In April of 2011, Haye-Klitschko becomes a reality, fought in neutral territory in Las Vegas, Nevada. Haye shocks the world by stopping Wlad in six rounds. Wlad could not keep off the swarming Haye once he hurt him and crumpled to the canvas, unable to beat the count. Vitali expresses his interest in the now unified champion (WBO/WBA/IBF/IBO) but Haye states that he has other plans.

Vitali would take on David Tua in June 2011 and survive some rocky moments to take the decision.

Super Six Results

With only one defeat in the Super Six, Arthur Abraham takes the title home with a stoppage of Andre Ward. He now looks forward to a showdown with Lucian Bute, a man that has been eagerly awaiting the winner since the inception of the tournament.

The End of Bernard Hopkins

Hopkins sees the potential of winning another title at light heavyweight and signs to fight IBF Champion, Tavoris Cloud. Cloud impressed the boxing world with an 9th round TKO battering of Glen Johnson in August of 2010, and a January 2011 showdown was signed with ring veteran Hopkins to be featured on HBO.

Hopkins wins the early rounds with his ring generalship and movement but a left hook would rattle the old warrior and he wouldn’t be able to fend off the aggression, succumbing to the punishment, rescued by the referee in the seventh round.

Cloud would sign to fight fellow champion, Chad Dawson, in a May 2011 showdown. Cloud once again surprises critics with a stoppage of Dawson in the later rounds, becoming one of the stars in boxing.

Paul Williams & Sergio Martinez

Without anyone eager to face either man, they turn to each other in September of 2010, an eagerly awaited rematch in a fight that saw Williams winning a majority decision. In the rematch for middleweight gold, Martinez turns the tables and wins a close majority decision of his own, leading to a third and final encounter in May of 2011, which disappointingly ends in a draw. The two decide to explore other options before agreeing to a fourth showdown.

This is only a possible look at the future and there are two things that will happen in 2012…either the world will end with explosions and natural disasters and all that stuff, or it will continue to go on, which is the favorite right now if you’re betting. Just like Y2K, this is another interesting thing that we create as humans to keep life fun and to keep Hollywood making bad movies with enormous budgets and ridiculous special effects. I believe the boxing world will keep on spinning and life will go on and be fun when 2012 comes along and passes.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Former Pacquiao, Tyson Manager helps grow an empire -- 8CountNews

8CountNews

The Empire Sports and Entertainment is proud to announce that Shelly Finkel will become the CEO of boxing's hottest new promotional firm, effective July 1st.

"Shelly Finkel has signed on as our CEO and will bring his sharp eye for talent and razor-sharp business acumen to our daily operations," revealed an excited Greg Cohen, President and Founder of The Empire.

Over the past two decades, Finkel has served as manager or advisor to more world champions than anyone in the modern sport of boxing including Mark Breland, Mike McCallum, Juan Diaz, Evander Holyfield, Manny Pacquiao, Meldrick Taylor, Mike Tyson, Fernando Vargas, Pernell Whitaker, Michael Moorer, Vinny Paz, Jeff Lacy and current heavyweight champion brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. And in the process, he has deftly positioned himself as one of boxing's elite power players.

"This is a game changer for The Empire," Cohen continued. "Shelly has the drive, the clout and the connections to bring this company to an unprecedented level in boxing. His history proves he's a step ahead of everyone and a true visionary in this industry and Barry Honig (The Empire, Chairman) and I are honored to have him come aboard our team."

Cohen says he will afford his CEO a chance to settle into his new role, but gives assurance that "huge announcements" are on their way. "Adding Shelly is a huge piece of the puzzle for us and he and I have already been speaking about all the innovative and, in many cases, blockbuster deals The Empire will be coming out with in the near future."

Finkel initially launched his career in entertainment by running a club called "The Action House," featuring legendary bands such as Cream, The Doors, Procol Harem and some of the most recognized groups of the 1960s. In 1973, he produced and promoted The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen, a rock festival which once received the Guinness Book of World Records entry for "Largest audience at a pop festival." An estimated 600,000 fans attended to see the Allman Brothers Band, The Band and the Grateful Dead perform. During his career he promoted concerts for some of the biggest names in the industry such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John, and numerous other household names.

As newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Empire, Mr. Finkel stated, "It is a great pleasure and honor to join the team at The Empire and to assist in building the ultimate sports and entertainment Event Company. The Empire has already begun establishing itself as a premier boxing promoter. Moving forward our goal is to immediately take the existing solid core business that was built by Mr. Gregory Cohen, our President, and strategically position ourselves as a world-class Entertainment Events Company. It is our intent to become a leading media and entertainment company known for promoting the best events in concerts, music festivals, pay-per-view specials, and sporting events around the world."

Source: 8countnews.com

Mike Tyson turning back the Clock & the Roy Jones – Bernard Hopkins PPV Sham -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, RingsideReport.com

Mike Tyson on Holyfield/Botha

Mike Tyson has a couple of fights on his mind as of late. The first is with PETA, a fanatical group that have jumped on Tyson’s reality show because he is racing pigeons, something he has been doing since he was a child. PETA versus Tyson and Animal Planet, the network airing the show, should be an interesting battle…one that Tyson hasn’t concerned himself with too much.

The other fight is Evander Holyfield – Frans Botha this Saturday night in Vegas. Vegas is a place that Tyson is very familiar with and so too are the two combatants going to war this Saturday night. According to a source close to the former champion, Tyson is becoming more and more receptive to the idea of facing Holyfield. Don King is pushing very hard for the Tyson comeback to begin, possibly coinciding with the pigeon show which is set to begin airing next year. Tyson is not getting any younger and that may be too long of a wait. The most likely scenario is that Tyson will be in the ring later this year or early 2011 at the latest.

Evander Holyfield has made it clear both to Don King and to the public through various interviews that he wants Iron Mike. He has stated that “Tyson could only make money” against him, an absurd statement, but one that shows the interest of the “Real Deal” in a third encounter. Should Holyfield get through Botha, expect the wheels to turn for the third match. Should Holyfield lose, it is still a possibility. Either way, the most interested spectator this Saturday night will be Iron Mike.

The Return of Antonio Margarito

Bob Arum said that what Luis Resto did was unforgivable and that he should be banned for life, but when his fighter does nearly the same thing, it wasn’t his fault. Antonio Margarito, proven to have used plaster of Paris in his hand wraps, leading to victories over many opponents that he probably would have lost to had the playing field been even, will return to the ring in Mexico on May 8th in “Latin Fury 14.”

You cannot blame Bob Arum for wanting his fighter to get in there, especially now. The discovery of his cheating ways may actually make him more of an attraction. The boxing bad boys always sell well. Look at Mike Tyson. When his skills diminished and he began becoming more and more unpredictable, people watched. His fight with Lennox Lewis was incredibly successful because of that factor, and now Margarito, the known cheater, comes back to boxing and it will only be a matter of time before he makes his way to the states again.

Money talks and it will scream for him to return. The commission will have to keep a close eye on him, but after time, it may not be as stringent, and we could see him return to the loaded gloves. Remember, for those of you that may dispute the chances of him doing it again, that boxing is a sport where you can make a lot of money. One victory can mean millions upon millions of dollars. Margarito cheated for the money, plain and simple, and he made a boatload, risking the lives of many an opponent and ruining Miguel Cotto in the process.

The PPV buys for this event will tell us something about the future of Margarito. If it sells well, it will be more incentive for Arum to get him back to the states, and with Floyd Mayweather taking on Shane Mosley, and Manny Pacquiao waiting in the wings, there is plenty of money to go around, especially with the hands of plaster, Margarito.

Roy Jones – Bernard Hopkins II: As Advertised

Roy Jones, JR., went to war in an incredibly ugly match with Bernard Hopkins, a rematch 17 years in the making. My prediction was Hopkins by UD in what I called a “no brainer,” and it was Hopkins by UD…a no brainer. I thought it was amusing that the promotion announced that there would be no replay and that anyone streaming it live via the Internet would be punished to the full extent of the law. They knew that this was a bomb and did whatever they could to get people to lay down the 50 dollars to buy it.

The problem with the fight is that it was meaningless and predictable. Jones, JR., had zero left going into it. He was stopped in one round by Danny Green, and pummeled twelve rounds by Joe Calzaghe in recent outings. He beat a bloated Felix Trinidad and a shot Jeff Lacy, names that on paper, impress, but when you see exactly what they have left, you realize that the victories were misleading.

Hopkins has not been in an exciting fight since 2001 when he knocked out Felix Trinidad. His mauling, ugly style is effective, but it isn’t what fans want to see. The bad blood between the fighters, whether real or manufactured to sell the fight, did not do anything to make the PPV any more worthy of the price tag.

This was a business deal. When Green won via first round stoppage, damage control went into effect and suddenly, Green wore illegal hand wraps. It was a pathetic charge, but Jones planted the seed in the public’s mind. Now there was doubt. On top of that, Hopkins chimed in, stating that it was quick stoppage. When you compile the two allegations, some may be duped into believing that Jones was jobbed and therefore you can erase the defeat. In all actuality, he lost fair and square.

Where do the fighters go from here? Jones – Hopkins III? They are tied 1-1 at this point and why not fleece the public for another 50 bucks? Then again, if I’m correct, they will not be in a position to when the PPV rentals come very low. Hopkins will move on and Jones, JR., will regroup and find boxers more shot then he is to beat up and attempt to fool the public into thinking he’s back on his game. Unfortunately for Jones, he built his career on reflexes and they are the first thing to go and they have gone.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Evander Holyfield Focused on Francois Botha, Not Mike Tyson -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Four-time heavyweight champion, Evander Holyfield, who is preparing for Saturday night's bout with 41-year-old, Francois Botha, for the fringe, WBF crown, dismissed any notion of a third-bout with Mike Tyson in a telephone interview with FanHouse on Monday.

Holyfield's name has surfaced among those being considered amid rumors that the 43-year-old Tyson (50-6, 44 knockouts) is considering a comeback that would end a ring absence that has existed since his last bout -- a sixth-round knockout loss to Kevin McBride in June of 2005.

The 47-year-old Holyfield (42-10-2, 27 knockouts), who will face Botha (47-4-3, 28 KOs) at The Thomas and Mack Center, twice defeated Tyson, by 11th-round knockout, and, third-round disqualification in November of 1996, and, June of '97, respectively -- the latter after Tyson took bites out of each of Holyfield's ears.

Despite reports that Holyfield and Tyson have spoken recently concerning a third match up, Holyfield told FanHouse that the last time he talked to Tyson was in October, when each of the fighters expressed mutual praise and admiration during a live episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

"The last time I spoke to Mike was around the time that we did the Oprah show, and since then, there has been no conversation between Mike and myself," said Holyfield, from Las Vegas during a conversation on the celular phone of his manager, Ken Sanders.

"The last time I spoke to him, he told me that he's not into boxing," said Holyfield. "He said that he's not into boxing, and his heart is not into it, and it's something that he just don't want to do. And that's the last conversation that I had with Mike."

Already the only man to win a heavyweight crown for the fourth time, Holyfield could not only be the sport's first five-time heavyweight champion, but also the oldest man to win a crown in boxing's largest division.

Holyfield, who turns 48 in October, can become the eldest man to regain a heavyweight title by surpassing George Foreman, who, at the age of 45, scored a November, 1994, 10th-round knockout to dethrone previously unbeaten, Michael Moorer, as WBA and IBF champion.

Holyfield, who has earned more than $200 million in the ring, said that he would only face Tyson if it led to a shot at a fifth title.

Long-range goals for Holyfield involve bouts with Ukrainian-born, 38-year-old brother, WBC king, Vitali Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), his younger brother, 33-year-old, WBO and IBF champion, Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs), or 29-year-old, WBA titlist, David Haye (24-2, 22 KOs), of England.

"First of all, we wanted this fight [with Botha] so that Evander can win the title, and that Evander can be the champion. And then, we're working on one major fight in Austria, for probably July or August," said Sanders.

"And then, after that, we hope to be in position, somewhere in October, November or December to fight Vitali Klitschko. And I am speaking with people as we go," said Sanders. "I've already spoken to [WBC director] Jose Sulaiman, and Mr. Sulaiman said that he would definitely approve Evander to fight Vitali for the championship."

Klitschko is scheduled to defend his crown against Polish-born, 31-year-old Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KOs) on May 29 at Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

"We've got to pick somebody out for Austria. We want to see how Evander does in this fight here, but we don't have anybody in particular picked out for his next fight," said Sanders, who mentioned 25-year-old Sam Sexton (13-1, six KOs), of Norwich, Norfolk, England, among "some half-dozen" candidates.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

David Haye vows to go into hiding if John Ruiz takes his title -- Mirror

By David Anderson, Mirror.co.uk

David Haye claims he will hide away for a year if he loses his WBA heavyweight title to John Ruiz. Haye is desperate not to suffer the same fate as Frank Bruno did in 1996 when he lost his crown to Mike Tyson in his first defence.

The two-weight world champ says he was gutted for Bruno back then as a teenage fan.

The South Londoner admits losing to Ruiz tomorrow at Manchester's MEN Arena after claiming the title from Nikolai Valuev would be even worse than when he suffered his only pro defeat to Carl Thompson in 2004.

"Winning the title and then losing it to John Ruiz would be devastating," said Haye at yesterday's head-to-head at Manchester Town Hall.

"I'd be devastated by that. It would feel a lot worse than I did when I lost to Carl Thompson.

"Then I had the excuse of being a novice. This time I have no excuse. After the Carl Thompson defeat, I went away for a couple of weeks. This one would be so much worse, I'd probably want to duck out for a year. Just get away from everything.

"Every champion knows the high of winning can quickly turn to the opposite feeling if things go wrong in the first defence.

"I remember Frank Bruno winning the title then losing it.

"He went from such a high when he won to getting blasted by Mike Tyson. I remember being on a real downer afterwards - and that was just me as a fan.

"That fear of losing is my main motivation. I've got to believe I'm a true winner and that's all I'm thinking about. I just want people to know I'm the best.

"People talk about fighters being two-time or three-time, I want to be the one-time undisputed champion. That's the plan."

Haye, 29, knows his dreams of beating the Klitschko brothers to unify the heavyweight titles rest on this first defence against twotime champ Ruiz and his mentor Adam Booth claims the American is dangerous.

Haye's manager and trainer rubbished talk that at 38, Ruiz is past it, claiming he has been rejuvenated under new trainer Miguel Diaz.

"John Ruiz is the hardest fight out there for David and there's only Vitali Klitschko who can compare," said Booth. "John Ruiz is a seasoned and successful heavyweight, who has been at the top for a long time.

"I've watched a lot of his tapes and I'm seeing a lot of the little signs, the signs that make you recognise that he has been renewed.

"People say that at 38, his best days are behind him, but I don't agree with that. I believe John Ruiz's worst days are behind him and that his best days are now. We have prepared accordingly."

Ruiz, who is bidding to join Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield in the exclusive club of three-time world heavyweight champs, has been in training in Las Vegas for three months and Diaz doubts Haye's stamina.

He feels the Hayemaker's struggles against Giacobbe Fragomeni in 2006 when they fought for the European cruiserweight title before he won in the ninth suggests he may not be able to handle the pressure.

"Haye was winning up to the fifth round and he was then in trouble and was cut," said Diaz.

"I know he eventually won, but that tells me that I don't know if he can take the heat in the kitchen."

Haye laughed off Diaz's claims and feels Ruiz's camp are getting desperate if they have picked out that fight as a sign that he is vulnerable.

"I knocked him out in the ninth round, so I don't know what confidence they can take from that," he said.

"If Ruiz is expecting that David Haye to turn up, he's going to be disappointed. I'm bigger, faster, stronger than then."

Source: mirror.co.uk

The Return of Mike Tyson: What Will it Mean for Boxing? -- Ringside Report

By Joe Wilson, RingsideReport.com

For the last several years, the heavyweight division has taken a back seat in the sport of boxing. In my lifetime, I don’t ever remember the division being in the shape it’s in today. It has clearly gone on vacation. Many fight fans are puzzled about what’s happening to the heavyweights.

There has not been a good heavyweight fight since World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis stopped Vitali Klitschko in round six, after a bad cut to Klitschko’s left eye. That fight was very exciting. All three judges had Klitschko ahead before the stoppage. Those two fighters battled it out in the center of the ring.

Lennox Lewis retired shortly after that fight; that was June 21, 2003. Since then, there has been other heavyweight fights, but none of them really worth talking about. Maybe, the 2004 WBO heavyweight title fight, when Lamon Brewster knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in round six, after coming off the canvas himself in round two from a knockdown. Klitschko later won a rematch against Brewster.

Here recently there have been rumors of a Mike Tyson comeback. RSR’s very own, Managing Editor, Geno McGahee, launched a story on Tyson’s return that was picked up by several major Sports News Medias; USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Fox News and ESPN 2 to name a few.

RSR thanked other publications for their professionalism. However, it was shame on Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael for the way they handled the report on ESPN 2 Friday Nights Fights a couple weeks ago. They misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to have investigated the story when in fact based their entire report on speculations and one interview were the subject said very little, according to McGahee.

Back on October 31, 2009, Don King let the “cat out of the bag” when he made it known to everyone that his relationship with “Iron Man” Mike Tyson has been renewed. King had a scheduled boxing event at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Before the start of the event King put on a “marketing extravaganza” with Mike Tyson.

King traveled all through the casino with Tyson at his side; shouting, “He’s back, Mike Tyson everybody, he’s back,” over and over again. They both stopped in the main lobby of the hotel & casino. There was an entourage with people following all around them flashing cameras and getting autographs.

That was the evening Don King started to promote Mike Tyson all over again. I had never seen King look so excited. He acted, as if Tyson was 20 years old, all over again. I must admit at that moment, it looked really nice. After all these years and setbacks of Mike Tyson, he and King could still attract attention. People were watching!

That night King had Tyson as a surprise commentator for his Showtime telecast. Not long ago Tyson released a documentary of his life. He had very harsh words to say about Don King, but that night it was much love between the two. Both Tyson and King acted as if there has never been a falling out between them.

It’s on record of Tyson saying “all things pass and he felt it was time to just mend fences with Don.” As of late, he has taken on a much kinder and gentler approach when dealing with others. He says “he has gratitude in his life now, and that he’s taken so much from others, and now it’s time to start giving back.” Tyson says “he never thought he would live to see 43 yrs. old, and he just wants to give back.”

King said, “He never said anything bad about Mike Tyson after all those years, because he knew one day, they would be back together again.” “Reunited and it feels so good” sings King… It had been four years since Don King put on a boxing event in Las Vegas. Having Tyson at his side is what made the evening so great!

“I think Mike is one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” said King. He also feels that Tyson can still be a fighter if he wants to be one. Any time Don King start saying things like, “Mike needs vitamins; he needs tender loving care, dedication and discipline.” There are definitely plans for Mike Tyson’s return to the ring.

I agree with Managing Editor, Geno McGahee in regards to the five years Tyson has had away from boxing. Being away from the sport has allowed him to put a lot of things back in proper order. He seems to be focused.

Lately, Tyson seems to be very comfortable with himself. Anyone who has watched Mike fight during the prime of his career knows he can beat anybody who stands in front of him when he’s focused. He seems to have his head “screwed on pretty tight these days.” All he needs to do is get in top shape and spend time at the gym. Then, leave all the rest up to his promoter Don King.

The return of “Iron Man” Mike Tyson would be just the cylinder the heavyweight division needs. I don’t believe age would be a big factor, if he decides to come back. Tyson knows the dedication it will take to become champion again. George Foreman has definitely laid out the blueprint on how it can be done, even when you are past your prime.

There is a flip side to this coin and that is; Mike Tyson has to comeback, because Mike Tyson has that desire to fight again, not me or Don King or anyone else can place that in him. It totally has to be Mike. If he chooses to do so, the sport would gladly have him back!

Source: ringsidereport.com

Williams ready to call it quits -- The Sun

By PAT SHEEHAN, The Sun

DANNY WILLIAMS will quit boxing after his British heavyweight title defence against Sam Sexton, regardless of the result.

The 36-year-old appears on the undercard of Kevin Mitchell's world lightweight title bid against Michael Katsidis at Upton Park on May 15.

But win or lose against Commonwealth champion Sexton, Williams has pledged to hang up his gloves to train for his new career as a celebrity bodyguard.

He added: "Regardless of what happens in this fight with Sexton, I'm retiring. It makes me more hungry and more dangerous."

Williams famously beat Mike Tyson in 2004 before failing in a world title clash with Vitali Klitschko later that year.

But he rejected the chance of a 'decider' against Audley Harrison for the vacant European crown on April 9 because he was not given enough notice.

Williams beat Harrison in 2005 only to lose to the 2000 Olympic gold medallist a year later.

And he said: "I only had three weeks' notice and my trainer Jim McDonnell said that wasn't enough time.

"I took my second fight against Harrison at just five days notice and I've learned my lesson."

Williams' Upton Park finale was originally set for Wembley last month, but Sexton suffered a cut thumb in a kitchen accident which he blames on celebrity cook and Norwich City co-owner Delia Smith.

Sexton said: "I know Delia and was following one of her recipes but I'll be leaving the cooking to other people this time."

Source: thesun.co.uk

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

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Your weekly random thoughts...

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

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

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

Don't forget these three facts either:

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

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

3. Neither participant in the bout was American.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: espn.go.com

Seven costly pro athlete screw-ups -- Yahoo! Sports

Yahoo! Sports

Almost 80 percent of National Football League players are flirting with bankruptcy two years after they retire, according to Sports Illustrated. NBA players aren’t faring much better. 60 percent of former National Basketball Association players end up broke within five years of retirement. Athletes squander millions of dollars due to bad decisions, lavish spending and poor financial planning. Here is a list of athletes that have lost their fortunes through some of the biggest financial blunders of all time.

Scottie Pippen

Known more for his on court defense than his off court business sense, former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen lost $120 million in career earnings due to poor financial planning and bad business ideas. Air Jordan’s sidekick blew $27 million on bad investments and spent $4.3 million on a Gulfstream II corporate jet.

Evander Holyfield

Four-time boxing champ Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield reportedly made over $250 million in cash during his boxing career, but despite this he reportedly is flat broke. Holyfield lost all his money by making “smart” business decisions look really foolish. You thought buying a house was a smart move? It normally is, but not when you buy a house the size of Rhode Island. Holyfield bought a $20 million house with over 54,000 square feet and 109 rooms. The house has 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a movie theater, a bowling alley and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Imagine how much it must cost to cut the grass on all 235 acres! You could buy a Range Rover with the electric bill payment alone.

Lenny Dykstra

Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies star Lenny “Nails” Dykstra was a success on the baseball diamond, but in the business field Dykstra has struck out. Dykstra’s failed businesses include car washes, a magazine company, real estate investing and a stock trading website. According to Dykstra’s July 2009 bankruptcy filing, he owed more than $30 million to creditors, including his $18.5 million purchase of Wayne Gretzky’s home. The amazing part is that after two foreclosed homes and numerous failed businesses Dykstra is offering the investment advice that led him into bankruptcy for a mere $899 a year! In the investment world, it is often said that past history does not dictate future performance. Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear Dykstra isn’t the guy to go to for advice.

Latrell Sprewell

Look up the word “shortsighted” in the dictionary and you will see a picture of Latrell Sprewell. He famously turned down a $21 million contract because he said it wasn’t enough money to feed his family. Sprewell, who made over $96 million during his career, lost his $1.5 million dollar Italian yacht, named “Milwaukee’s Best”, in 2007. According to MSNBC, a U.S. marshal seized the yacht after Sprewell defaulted on his mortgage. His $5.4 million house went into foreclosure in May 2008. Don’t blame Sprewell for turning down the three-year, $21 million contract though. I mean really, who could live off a measly $7 million a year?

John Daly

Two-time PGA major champ John Daly gambled away between $50 and $60 million in career earnings, according to his 2006 autobiography. Daly once lost $1.65 million in five hours playing the slot machines at a casino. If you think that’s impressive, there’s more. Daly blew $1.2 million in a mere two hours and 30 minutes at a casino in Las Vegas. He just had his $1.6 million house foreclosed on. Did Daly quit gambling after blowing so much cash at the casino tables? Not by a long shot. Instead, he decided to downgrade from the $5,000 slot machines to the $100 and $500 machines. It looks in John Daly’s world, that is considered sound financial planning.

Jack Clark

Former professional baseball slugger Jack Clark was driven into bankruptcy in 1992 by his appetite for luxury cars. According to his bankruptcy filing, he owned 18 luxury automobiles, including a $700,000 Ferrari and a Rolls Royce. Clark was trying to pay 17 car notes simultaneously, and whenever he got bored with a car he would get rid of it and just buy another one. He ended up losing million-dollar homes and his drag-racing business because of his extravagant spending habits, but despite one of the most publicized bankruptcies in baseball, Clark reportedly got back on his feet in the late ’90s.

Mike Tyson

The king of them all is boxer Mike Tyson, who squandered a $350 million to $400 million dollar fortune. So what did “Iron” Mike spend his fortune on? Everything. He dropped half a million dollars on a 420-horsepower Bentley Continental SC with lamb’s wool rugs, a phone and a removable glass roof. It is one of only 73 Bentley Continental SCs ever built. The sad part is that’s not even the only Bentley that Tyson owned! He spent over $4.5 million dollars on cars alone. Throw in a $2 million dollar bathtub and $140,000 for two Bengal tigers and you can see why Tyson’s fortune is down for the count. He filed for bankruptcy in 2003.

Source: sports.yahoo.com

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