ESPN’s Friday Night Fights Presents “Super Brawl 2011”

Boxing News World

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights will originate from the Fort Worth (Texas) Convention Center Arena on Super Bowl weekend at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The main event on the February 4 “Super Brawl 2011” show will feature former world champion and current #8 world-ranked junior middleweight Sergio Mora (22-1-2, 6 KO’s) meeting Fort Worth’s Brian Vera (17-5, 11 KO’s).

In Mora's last bout (September 18, 2011), he battled to a draw with future Hall-of-Famer Sugar Shane Mosley. Vera’s last two wins were both impressive knockout upsets, on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. One of those two wins was a stunning victory over world ranked Andy Lee (24-1), handing Lee his only career loss.

“I know Brian Vera’s a tough, tough fighter, that’s for sure -- I’m going to put this guy in the category of a hard-nosed, come-forward, hit-me-with-all-you-got Jake Lamotta-type fighter,” said Mora. “He’s going to put the pressure on me -- there will be blood. Vera is a fan-friendly style fighter and he’s fighting in his hometown on a huge weekend, so it should be a nice battle of machismo on February 4.”

Friday’s card will also feature an 8-round junior middleweight bout between highly regarded prospects, Charles Hatley (14-0, 11 KO’s) and Chris Chatman (9-1, 4 KO's). Hatley is coming off of a hard-fought unanimous decision against a tough Emanuel Augustus in his last fight. The 22 year old Hatley, of Dallas, was an alternate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. The San Diego native, Chatman, is coming off two victories over undefeated fighters Lester Gonzalez (11-0-1) and Alberto Herrera (7-0-1).

Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action. Studio host Brian Kenny will also be in Fort Worth, presenting special Super Bowl-related guests and all the latest boxing news and highlights.

Media Contact: Stephen McDonald (860) 766-0523; stephen.mcdonald@espn.com

Floyd Mayweather JR & Manny Pacquiao Vs Antonio Margarito: The Shane Mosley Factor -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

I had mentioned that should Shane Mosley come up short against Sergio Mora, that the show would be over, but he ended up with a draw in a horrible fight, but in the promotion’s defense, it was basically as advertised. Anyone that knows the careers of either man, knew that this was an ugly show from the announcement, but the consensus was that Mosley would win.

Sergio Mora is a good fighter. He is not a great fighter and would be obliterated by a prime Mosley, and even a slightly over the hill Mosley would have gotten things done, but struggling to get a draw now sheds even more light on what we’re dealing with as we look at the big picture.

Mosley was shot well before this fight and well before the Antonio Margarito fight. He has been steadily declining since his back to back defeats to Vernon Forrest. His name has kept him in the spotlight and to his credit, his pure talent and grit have kept him on top.

The signs that he was a spent force came around 2006 when he squared off with an equally shot Fernando Vargas. Vargas fought evenly until he was stopped in round 10. They would rematch and a left hook by Mosley would end it in round 6. The word was out that Mosley was no longer what he once was. His unspectacular performances mixed with admitted steroid use was pulling him away from the big payday showdowns.

As Miguel Cotto became one of the hottest tickets in boxing, his management elected to hand pick Mosley as the opponent for a 2007 showdown. It was a measured risk. Cotto looked terrific, Mosley looked mediocre, but style-wise, an older veteran with grit does well with an aggressor like Cotto or Margarito. Their reflexes aren’t nearly as important as they would be when they face off against a guy like Floyd Mayweather, JR., or even Sergio Mora.

Cotto walked away with a win and Mosley moved on with a career rejuvenated. More indications of his status in the sport came with a 12 round struggle against the limited power-puncher, Ricardo Mayorga. Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya had zero problems sending Mayorga into dreamland, but Mosley nearly lost, even on the cards going into the final round. A final second left hook gave him the victory and the chance to face Antonio Margarito, fresh off his TKO win over Miguel Cotto.

The Illusion …

Antonio Margarito built his career as the working man’s sort of fighter. A tough guy with a great work ethic, beating his opponents with his will as well as his aggression, but it was all a great big lie. He had been loading his gloves for years and when he was caught and wasn’t able to pack his hand wraps with plaster of Paris, he became the mediocrity that he is, and Mosley, even when shot, is not a mediocrity. He had no problem beating up Margarito because without the plaster, he was a mediocre puncher with limited defense that just kept running into punches.

The perception saved Mosley’s career and perception is everything. Margarito beat Cotto, so Mosley must be on top of his game, especially to dominate and destroy a man that could out-heart a fighter like Cotto. The truth is that Cotto has all the heart in the world and was taking punch after loaded punch, getting hit with bricks essentially before submitting.

The victory by Mosley wasn’t as impressive as first thought. Margarito was exposed, period. Mosley’s victory was that his camp found out the secret weapon that made his opponent so successful and took it away, proving that he isn’t much without it.

Floyd Mayweather, JR., has been called a lot of names by the fans, but nobody can argue his intelligence. He knows how to pick the right fight at the right time. Mosley would not have been on his radar when he was in his prime and tearing up boxing. Floyd waited for the storm to pass and take on Sugar Shane when he didn’t have anything left, and now we have some more perception: Floyd dominated Mosley, that dominated Margarito, that dominated Cotto. Mayweather must be the best in the game when you look at it like that.

As Sergio Mora pulled a draw with Shane, there is no question that Mosley has been losing his fight with father time and the safe opponent became a very tough one. Mosley went into the Mayweather, JR., fight with nothing and came out with the same. Where does that put Floyd in the game?

Floyd’s two victories in the comeback trail over Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were smart fights from a business standpoint but tell us little about what “Money” truly has left. He obviously has his reflexes, but he had two opponents that were of very little risk. Marquez, a counter puncher, was forced to be the aggressor because of the size differential, while Mosley was a dead man walking. Manny Pacquiao is a monster inside the ring and would not go so easily as the other two have done.

If the wins over Marquez and Mosley are far superior on paper then in actuality, and they are, then what does the Mosely win over Margarito tell us about the upcoming shot at Manny Pacquiao?

The Mismatch…

I have seen the pictures of Margarito in training, getting hit in the stomach with poles and all that junk, but if the playing field is level, and I’m hoping that it is, he’s got no chance to upset Pacquiao. Peter McNeeley trained incredibly hard for Mike Tyson…

The Mosley that Mora and Mayweather faced is the same one that Margarito faced and you see what happened to him. If Shane has somebody in front of him and they cannot punch him hard enough to concern him, he can still perform and win. Margarito walked into a tank with a flyswatter, and was knocked senseless. Now he’s going after something far more devastating in Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is going to have a field day with Margarito, perhaps stopping him in the very first round. Without the plaster of Paris, he isn’t as confident, obviously, and he doesn’t have the punching power to concern Pacquiao. Manny stood in front of a real puncher in Miguel Cotto and came back to destroy him without wobbling or folding. Why would a slower and less powerful guy with questionable defense pose a threat? Trust me on this one, Margarito loses badly by TKO and then laughs all the way to the bank from all the suckers that paid for this atrocity on pay per view.

What does Mosley’s draw with Mora tell us about Mayweather – Pacquiao?

The 20 or 30 or 50 million dollar question…whatever the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight would generate if it were signed and went through. The fact that it hasn’t gone through and some strange things have happened in the life of Mayweather, have led to more and more speculation and people jumping from one side of the fence to the other as to who they think will win.

The question that it raises is this: Is Floyd Mayweather properly prepared for Manny Pacquiao?

Pacquiao has been taking on the better opposition lately and has been more active, cementing his place at the top of the sport. While Floyd picks and chooses his spots, Manny fights and is as good as he’s ever been. Did Mosley or Marquez really prepare him for a guy like Pacquiao? The answer is no. Neither man is an explosive puncher and neither is an aggressor. We honestly have to say that Mayweather, in his comeback, has beaten up a much smaller counter-puncher in Marquez and a one time great turned zombie with gloves in Mosley. Pacquiao will be his truth machine.

There is a lot of doubt that the fight will ever take place and it is really up to Mayweather. You can’t lose if you don’t fight him and that may be the safest route, but can the big ego of Floyd handle the growing belief that he is afraid to fight Manny? Mike Tyson once said that he wanted to fight the all time greats in boxing just to see if he could beat them…not caring if he lost…he just wanted to know. Does Floyd have this curiosity? Is it all business or does he have the competitive need to know.

I am getting the impression that Floyd wants Manny to lose to somebody else and that will give him victory via default. Muhammad Ali begged George Foreman to return to the ring and take out Ken Norton again so he wouldn’t have to face him because Norton gave him all sorts of trouble. He would then give Foreman a rematch. Foreman declined, but it’s the same thought here. Margarito beats Pacquiao somehow…maybe lightning strikes him during the fight. Then Floyd quickly pounces, takes on Margarito and wins and the people lean towards him as the best in the game and he did it all without facing Pacquiao.

We now play the waiting game. We wait for Floyd Mayweather, JR., to get his act cleaned up and get out of his legal troubles and I’m certain he will. He may have to write a big check to his ex, but the charges will be dropped in the near future. Manny will demolish Margarito and then we will see if the third time will be the charm and that the two best in the game will finally meet up. It’s a long shot, but boxing is about long shots.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Shane Mosley makes poor case for future fights -- Examiner

By Ricardo Lois, Examiner.com

Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora failed to electrify anyone on Saturday night during a twelve round junior middleweight bout scored as a draw at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles.

Though Mosley seemed to do better work by attacking the body and being comparatively more active than Mora, the fight was tainted with lulls in action, holding, hugging, and a continual rain of cat calls expressing displeasure from the 13,59 fight fans in attendance.

After this lack luster performance and his one-sided May defeat by Floyd Mayweather, Mosley is showing clear signs of his athletic demise and it will become more difficult for the former pound for pound king to garner million dollar paydays in high profile fights.

Going into the the Mora fight it what whispered within boxing circles that with Mayweather in the midst of legal troubles that could put him behind prison bars for several years, a strong performance by Mosley could earn him a fight with current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao in the near future.

Unfortunately for Mosley his performance highlights what many in boxing already knew, his days as an elite fighter have been over for a few years.

Looking to land a significant fight none the less, Mayweather mentioned another fading super star as a potential opponent - Puerto Rican Migue Cotto. The pair fought clashed in 2007 and it would seem that interest in a rematch has wained.

Golden Boy Promotions’, which promoted the event, top executive Richard Schaefer toyed with the media about a potential rematch between Mosley and Mora - now that is the worst joke boxing fans have heard all year.

Source: examiner.com

Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora draw fire -- ESPN

By Arash Markazi, ESPNLosAngeles.com

LOS ANGELES -- It is often said a draw or a tie in sports is like kissing your sister. If that is the case the disgruntled crowd at Staples Center called the outcome of the painfully dull fight between Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora fairly early in their uninspired affair.

As Mosley and Mora engaged in their umpteenth clinch in a fourth round that more closely resembled a slow dance than a must-win match for both fighters, the crowd of 13,591 began to chant "beso!" -- Spanish for "kiss!"

The decision of a draw served as yet another black eye for a sport that doesn't have enough cut men in the corner to tend to the self-inflicted wounds.

It's easy to say Mosley should have won this 12-round bout with Mora. It's debatable whether he truly deserved to win. Saturday night's snoozer was probably the worst pay-per-view main event of the year and seriously hurt Mosley's ability to headline another pay-per-view card.

The fans at Staples Center -- some paying upward of $400 -- continually booed both fighters after each round.

They saved their loudest ovations for Magic Johnson, seated ringside next to Oscar De La Hoya, the ring girls and 20-year-old boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who knocked out Carlos Baldomir in the sixth round of an undercard fight.

This was a make-or-break fight of sorts for Mosley and Mora, for different reasons. Mora, the 29-year-old East L.A. native who won the first season of "The Contender" reality show five years ago, was trying to establish himself as a legitimate fighter after fighting only twice in the past two years. Mosley, the 39-year-old native of Pomona who had been one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the world, was trying to re-establish himself as a contender after a listless loss to Floyd Mayweather four months ago.

In the end, no one got what they wanted. Everyone could agree the main event was a dud; even the promoters kept harping on how good the undercard was. In the end, the lone suspense was the final decision. Judge Kermit Bayless scored it 115-113 for Mora, David Denkin had it 116-112 for Mosley and Lou Moret had it 114-114.

Either way, the final result of the HBO pay-per-view event only highlighted a fight so bad that HBO will not air a replay as it normally does, choosing instead to show it on HBO Latino next Saturday night when hopefully most of their viewers are out doing almost anything else.

After the fight Mora (21-1-2, six knockouts) felt as if he had won, going so far as to say he may have eased up on Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) late in the fight out of respect for him and because he felt as if he was ahead on the scorecards. But by all appearances, it looked as though Mora started fighting harder late in the fight, as if he knew he needed a strong finish to win.

"I thought I won the fight," Mora said. "I thought I should have gotten more points for my defense. I'm a defensive-minded fighter and I controlled the pace. Then again I forgot where I was fighting. … You guys want to see banging. You don't want to see defense."

The CompuBox statistics, which don't factor in defense, favored Mosley and highlighted how poorly both fared. Mosley connected on 161 of his 522 punches (31 percent) while Mora connected on 93 of his 508 punches (18 percent).

For an aging fighter who will need an opponent like Manny Pacquiao to salvage another pay-per-view payday after Saturday night's performance, Mosley didn't seem overly concerned by the result.

"I was expecting to get the knockout," Mosley said. "I believe I won the fight but it is what it is. That's what happens when you don't knock the guy out."

During the post-fight news conference that took place on the Staples Center floor, some fans again began to chant the name "Canelo." Mosley smiled.

"There's a lot of big fights out there for me," Mosley said. "Canelo is a great up-and-coming fighter. I'm looking at Pacquiao and [Miguel] Cotto right now. Maybe Canelo can be later in the future."

We can only hope not.

Arash Markazi is a columnist and reporter for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Mosley, Mora and fans all lose -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

LOS ANGELES -- Nobody won. Not Shane Mosley, not Sergio Mora and certainly not the fans, who suffered through their awful junior middleweight fight, which was declared a split draw on Saturday night at Staples Center.

The 13,591 fight fans at Golden Boy Promotions' Mexican bicentennial celebration card booed throughout the fight, except during brief bursts of action in the late rounds. Many rounds were close, because there was not nearly enough happening to satisfy the crowd, which cheered throughout the knockout-filled undercard.

When Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer joked about a rematch immediately after the fight, none of the ringside reporters laughed. Then he turned serious when asked what he thought.

"I think we had a great Saul Alvarez, a great Victor Ortiz and a great Daniel Ponce De Leon (who all won on the undercard) and the main event was what it was," Schaefer said.

In the end, the judges couldn't agree on a winner between the Southern California natives. Judge Kermit Bayless scored it 115-113 for Mora while David Denkin had it 116-112 for Mosley. Judge Lou Moret had it 114-114. ESPN.com scored it 117-111 for Mosley, who appeared quicker and busier and worked Mora's body very well.

"We both fought hard. It was a good fight, so it was a good decision," said Mosley, who tried to make points with the heavily Mexican crowd by wearing the green, red and white of Mexico's flag and having "Azucar" -- Spanish for his nickname "Sugar" -- stitched into his waistband. "He's not a big puncher, so he had to box more."

While Mora, a former junior middleweight titleholder and 2005 winner of "The Contender" reality series, claimed victory, he also said he essentially backed off because he thought he was winning.

Ever hear that one before?

"I came to win. I wanted to win but my respect for Shane got in my way," said Mora, 29, who split two title fights with Vernon Forrest, who beat Mosley twice. "I should have listened to my corner. They were telling me it was a close fight, but I thought I was winning the fight. So because of my respect for him, I loosened up and didn't want to hurt him.

"He threw really good punches. He hit me with some hard shots. He's a smart fighter. I think going 12 rounds with Shane Mosley says something in and of itself, but honestly I thought I won that fight."

If you examine the CompuBox statistics, Mosley had the edge. He landed 161 of 522 blows (31 percent) while Mora connected on just 93 of 508 punches (18 percent).

The result is not going to enhance either fighter's marketability.

Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), the former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champ, is 39 and was coming off a lopsided decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May in the year's biggest fight.

Before the fight, Mosley said he hoped beating Mora would set him up for a fight with Manny Pacquiao or rematches with Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto.

But in his second subpar performance, the likely future Hall of Famer is clearly fading fast and those fights appear unlikely.

He chalked up his performance to struggling with a taller, bigger man. Mora (21-1-2, 6 KOs) was coming down from middleweight for the 154-pound fight and could not make weight. He was officially 157 pounds at Friday's weigh-in.

Mosley, who made $1 million, also received an additional $57,000 from Mora's $285,000 purse because he missed weight and was penalized 20 percent by the California State Athletic Commission.

While there will not be an HBO replay of the fight (be thankful), HBO Latino, the network's Spanish-language outlet, will air a replay, along with the Alvarez-Carlos Baldomir and Ortiz-Vivian Harris undercard fights, at 10 p.m. ET next Saturday.

Mosley was coming back up from welterweight, where he had fought his five previous fights. He used that to explain his performance.

"This is a different fight because he's a middleweight and coming down and I had to move up," Mosley said. "This would be different if I was fighting someone my same size and height."

Mosley opened a cut over Mora's right eye in the fourth round on an accidental head butt, but it did not appear to hamper Mora.

The fight was filled with wrestling and holding and Mora running from Mosley. There were times when Mora opened up with some right hands, but his punches never seemed to do any damage to Mosley, who looked very tired in the final two rounds.

"He moved and ran away a lot and rested and held," Mosley said. "There was also a lot of head butts and it really affected me. He was moving so much it was hard for me to get my shots off. I still want to fight someone my weight and my size like Cotto. He won't run as much."

Cotto outpointed Mosley in a razor-close welterweight title bout in 2007. Cotto moved up to junior middleweight and won a belt by stopping Yuri Foreman in June. He does not have a set opponent for his first defense, which is supposed to be Dec. 4.

However, a rematch with Mosley would likely be hard to make given the bad blood between Golden Boy and Cotto's promoter, Top Rank.

After Mosley's performance, however, would people even want to see it?

Maybe, maybe not. But certainly more than a rematch with Mora.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Mosley and Mora fight to controversial draw -- 15Rounds

By Rick McKenzie, 15Rounds.com

In front of the many boxing aficionados in the house such as former greats such as Pepino Cuevas and Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora fought to a highly debatable draw in the main event at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6KO’s) made his way to the ring first to a huge applause. Followed shortly after by Sugar Shane Mosley (46-6, 39KO’s) to meet in a 12 round, Jr. middleweight battle.

In round one, The taller Mora danced around the ring as Mosley chased him around trying to land a jab. Mora seemed very cautious as he only threw one maybe two combination’s the entire round. Mosley couldn’t catch him so he didn’t fair much better. In round two, it was more of the same. Mora switched from Orthodox to southpaw many times as he continued to dance and faint his way around the ring. Whenever Shane got too close, Mora would tie him up. There was a small exchange at the bell, which was have been the most action of the fight. In round three, after landing a somewhat meaningful right hand, Sergio got on his horse and ran around the ring as Shane chased him, attempting to land a shot. After he got off of his bike, he seemed to want to trade a bit more but still, no meaningful punches were thrown or landed. Round 4 started with Mosley becoming more aggressive and attacking at the onset. He trapped Mora on the ropes and began to do work. Mora would clinch and and try to get off all at once. The two began to fight in a phone booth…great strategy change by Mosley. He threw more punches and landed more when he forced Mora to fight him. Mora landed a big right that didn’t seem to phase Mosley, but Mora now has a visible cut over his right eye that is leaking blood fro, an inadvertent. Round five saw a much more aggressive Shane as he would not give Mora any breathing room. Mora seemed to want to exchange more, so it made the fight pick up a bit. As slick as a snake, Mora began to play to the crowd, as he stood in front of Shane daring him to punch him. It may have looked good, but he wasn’t letting his hands go. Round six Mora seemed to revert to his running ways in the first half of the round, as he backed up and jabbed. Mosley tried hard to get him on the ropes and do work but Mora was not a willing participant. Once on the ropes, Mosley was unloading when Mora caught him with a clean, counter left hook to the chin. If Mora had any power, it may have affected Shane. The round ended in a clinch with both fighters landing body shots.

A visibly gassed Mosley came out in round seven, which seemed to give Mora a license to fight as he was more apt to stand and trade. This may have been the most punches landed from any round up until this point. It seems as if Mora got the better of Mosley that round as they exchanged combination’s. Round eight looked like a wresting match. there was a ton of holding and clinching. The tired Mosley seemed to want to lean on Mora and pot shot him. Meanwhile, Mora landed some meaningful punches in this round. Perhaps the tide is changing but it may be too late. Mosley seemed to get the edge in round nine as he had a nice flurry against the ropes. may have been his best round yet. A very nice exchange toward the end of round ten that Mora seemed to get the better of. The two guys stood toe to toe and just let their hands fly. Neither fighter would back up or give in.much more energy than Shane. The round, in my opinion, went to Mora. As we delve deeper into the championship rounds, round eleven looked like round ten. Constant body contact with an array of big punches scattered throughout the round. The older Mosley is breathing heavily out of his mouth, you have to wonder how much gas is left in the tank. Yet he keeps pressing forward. Mosley landed four huge shots to end the round that seemed to wobble Mora somewhat. In the twelfth and final round, it started off as somewhat of a brawl. Both boxers where throwing many punches and pushing each other around. Mosley was head hunting attempting to get Mora out of there while Mora seemed to be attempting the same while fighting with his back on the ropes! The bout ended in the corner with both guys throwing big shots trying to end it before the final bell tolled. As we go to the scorecards, 115-113 Mora, 116-112 Mosley, 114-114 for a draw!

Making his way to the ring first Carlos “Tata” Baldomir, looking to pin the first loss on Saul Alvarez’s record. This is a scheduled 10 rounder in the super welter division. Alvarez, out of Mexico, was easily the crowd favorite as they roared as he made his way to the ring in the co-main event of the evening. There was really no hesitating in the fight. Both fighters threw many punches and came at each other, not many landed. There were a few exchanges in the second round. It seemed when one fighter would land, the other would jump right back as to say, I’m not going anywhere! The third saw more action and more exchanges but it seems to be an even match or Baldomir is slightly ahead. No huge action or huge shots to speak of as of yet. Baldomir looked like a grizzled old veteran as he landed a sneaky right in between the gloves of Canelo many times. Alvarez, however has a left hook/uppercut that seems to land whenever he fires it. Baldomir seemed to take one of Canelo’s biggest punches and urged him to bring more!

Alvarez landed big shot after big shot in the fifth round, but Baldomir would not budge. He stayed on the inside and loaded up his right hand, waiting to fire it. Canelo is clearly the faster fighter though which is to be expected given that he’s 19 years Baldomir’s junior. Towards the end of the round, Alvarez landed a series or huge power shots! Baldomir tried his best but the onslaught was way too much for him to handle! The youngster has power in both hands and he proved it as he dropped Tata with a left hook. Baldomir fell down face first and as he tried to recover, he was counted out at 2:58 of the fifth round. Alvarez is still undefeated as he improves to 34-0-1 with 26 knockouts. Baldomir fades into the darkness with a record of 45-13-6.

The next bout was to determine who was more “Vicious”….Vicious Victor Ortiz or Vicious Vivian Harris. East Coast vs West Coast! Victor fighting out of Ventura, CA while Vivian is representing Brooklyn. The bout was scheduled for 10 in the 147 pound division. Not much action to speak of in the first. Both guys looked somewhat timid, while Harris was looking to counter. Early in the second round, Ortiz dropped Harris with what seemed to be more so a result of Harris being off balance. But moments later, Ortiz landed another right and floored Harris for a second and a long left that dropped him a third time! Harris did not seem hurt, but he was visibly confused. In the third round, Mr. Ortiz landed a mini Mike Tyson-esque combo…a short right to the body and even shorter right to the head, dropping Harris for the fourth and final time at :45 seconds in the third round. Ortiz is now 28-2-1 with 22 knockouts while Harris drops to 29-5-1.

Antonio Escalante (23-2, 15KO’s) met Daniel Ponce De Leon (39-2, 32KO’s), in the WBO Featherweight Eliminator. The first round was the typical feeling out routine. Both fighters kind of measured the other to see where they were. Escalante landed a few big shots in the second round and did a semi-good job of avoiding the return fire of De Leon. De Leon is very aggressive and relentless and throws punches from many different angles. The third round saw both guys throwing many combonation’s that would drop many men. Nearing the end of the third, De Leon landed a mean left upstairs immediately followed by a right hook to the face that floored Escalante. The referee didn’t waste a second in waving the fight off, declaring De Leon the victor at 2:40 of round 3.

“My timing was off, but once I loosened up and got in my groove it was over”, Said De Leon

“I didnt feel his punches at all and I am gonna be a world champion again.”

“De Leon was very poweful and strong and he deserved to win the fight”, said Escalante

So what did we learn today?? Nothing! I think everything that we expected came to fruition. Daniel Ponce De Leon is a stud and is a top contender in the featherweight division. Victor Ortiz and Saul Alvarez are the future of Golden Boy boxing. Alvarez made a huge impression and will be a force in the 154 division. An old, and tired Mosley still has enough in the tank to draw a powerless Sergio Mora.

The next big thing to come out of the Golden Boy stable put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles. Frankie Gomez of East Los, improved his record to 6-0 all by knockout as he pushed around and bullied Ricardo Calzada of Las Vegas. The first round, Gomez felt the power of Calzada and once he knew he couldn’t be harmed, he seeked and destroyed! Calzada did his best to hold on and made it out of the second round, but the third round was a different story. Gomez came out head hunting and got right in Ricardo’s kitchen. He landed a few tough shots on the inside, to the head, that put Calzada on his butt. He rose only to meet an onslaught of punches from all different angles that bloodied his nose and once again saw him on the canvas. The ringside doc stood on the edge of the canvas before the ref even started his count, and at 1:06 of round three, the fight was over. Calzada heads back to Vegas with a record of 2 up and 3 down.

Our next fight was a scheduled six rounder in the lightweight division. David Rodela of nearby Oxnard met Juan Manuel Montiel of Mexico City. This was one of the first bouts of the night where it seemed as if both fighters were using their boxing skills and not a flat out brawl. There were many jab-led combination’s from both fighters. This also made for a boring fight and left the crowd jeering and booing, begging for more action. It seemed like a sparring session and that both guys were going through the motions. The final round did see somewhat of a spike in action which somewhat energized the restless crowd but still, no one really stood out. The fight went the distance, and according to the scorecards which were 59-55 Rodela and the others had it 57-57 resulting in a majority draw, basically indicative of what both fighters displayed. Rodela is now 15-3-4 while Montiel is 6-3-2.

For the only female bout of the night, local lady Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West met Angel Gladney of South Carolina in a scheduled 10 rounder. The first round was a feel out round but West ladned a few meaningful punches as she pressed the action. The next few rounds were all uneventful, not much action, but a lot of faints and jabs. It seemed as if neither fighter wanted to take a chance. In the fourth round, West opened up a bit and started throwing, and landing, meaningful combination’s. Near the beginning of round seven, Wild West landed a huge left that floored Gladney. Gladney rose but the ref waved the fight at :59 seconds in round 7. West, now 13-1-2 with 4 KO’s, is the new bantamweight champion while Gladney drops to 6-3-1.

The third bout was in the junior middleweight division. Undefeated Keith Thurman walked across the ring in the opening seconds and was dropped by a humongous right to the head by Quandray Robertson. Thurman returned the favor at the end of the round as he dropped Robertson with a flurry of punches. Robertson survived the round. This bout was an all out brawl, both boxers swinging wildly when Thurman landed a sneaky body shot that dropped Robertson for the second time midway through round two. In a somewhat uneventful third round, out of nowhere, Thurman landed a left hook inside and up top floored Robertson. The ref immediately waved the fight off and at 2:40 of the third round, Thurman maintained his undefeated record improving to 14-0 with 13KO’s. Robertson drops to 15-10.

Undefeated Sharif Bogere from Nevada made an impressive entrance into the ring as he was donning the fur and head of a lion. Got the few people that are actually in attendance excited. He is facing Julian Rodriguez in a six round, junior welterweight battle. All the action was pressed by Bogere as he landed a thunderous left hook up top at 1:42 of the second round to win by KO and improve his record to 17-0 with 11 KO’s. Rodriguez drops to 17-20-4.

In our first bout, Eric Areola of Mexico met Missael Nunez, also of Mexico, in a four round, featherweight battle. In what was a lopsided fight, Areola improved to 1-1 with a majority decision as the judges called it 38-38 on one card and 40-36 on the other two. Nunez drops to 4-9-2.

Source: 15rounds.com

Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora Fight to Dubious Draw -- FanHouse

By Michael David Smith, FanHouse

Shane Mosley fought Sergio Mora for 12 mostly uneventful rounds Saturday night in Los Angeles, and the judges ruled the fight a draw, leaving some fans booing and some fans yawning, but very few cheering.

I scored the fight for Mosley, as did everyone on the HBO broadcast team commentating on the bout. How one judge gave it to Mora and another scored it a draw was hard to comprehend, but that's just what happened: One judge scored it for Mosley 116-112, one for Mora 115-113, and one a 114-114 draw.

Both boxers were tentative in the early going, but Mora more so; Mora basically just backed away from Mosley for the first couple rounds. By the end of the third round the crowd was booing a lack of much energy from either fighter.

The fourth round featured a little more action and also featured a clash of heads that left Mora with a cut over his right eye. But that didn't seem to light any kind of fire under Mora, who continued in the fifth round to box passively and wait for Mosley to bring the fight to him. HBO announcer Jim Lampley ripped Mora's performance during the fifth round.

"This is pathetic," Lampley said. "This is a pathetic performance in a big-opportunity fight by Sergio Mora. ... If Mora's performance was embarrassing before now, I think it was even worse in this round."

The next couple of rounds featured a little more action, but not a lot: It was still a cautious, tactical, tentative and boring bout, and the fans continued to seem restless and uninterested.

In the late rounds Mora did start to seem more active, as his corner warning him that he was losing the fight appeared to motivate him to go on the offensive. But it was Mosley who was pressing the action, doing more damage with his hands and controlling the fight. Mosley deserved to win.

Instead we got a draw, which Lampley referred to as "atrocious," "a joke," "a travesty" and "an injustice."

Lampley was right. This was a bad deal for Mosley, and a bad deal for boxing.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Shane Mosley: Boxing Needs the Big Fights -- FanHouse

By Michael David Smith, FanHouse

At age 39, Shane Mosley knows that most of his boxing career is behind him. He also knows that in his lifetime, boxing has fallen, and fallen hard.

But Mosley (46-6, 39 knockouts) still believes that he has a few good years left in him, and in those years he says that there's one thing that can cement his own legacy and energize the sport: Make the kinds of big, exciting fights that can bring back the fans who have drifted away through the years.

Mosley's next fight, September 18 against Sergio Mora (21-1-1, six KOs), doesn't exactly have the sports world buzzing the way his last fight, against Floyd Mayweather, did. But Mosley insists that he's going to put on a show in front of his hometown fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"This should be a great fight. Sergio Mora is definitely a competitor and he's coming to fight," said Mosley. "He's the right opponent right now because he's tough, he's bigger than me, it's in LA and fighting at the Staples Center in front of 20,000 people is exciting. It's very important for me to fight there and give the hometown fans a chance to see me up close, and I'm predicting a knockout."

Talk to Mosley and you'll hear him say that all of his focus is on Mora. But in the next breath he talks about the big fights he thinks he has ahead of him against bigger names.

"I think I have about three or four more years left in me," Mosley said. "Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, Antonio Margarito -- those are the four top fighters right now and those are the guys people want to see me fight. Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran all fought each other in round robins and we should be the same way. That's what people want to see, that's what boxing needs right now. We have to give the fans what they want: Great fights."

Great fights are absolutely what the sport needs. The refusal of Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight each other has been a dark cloud hanging over boxing in the last year, and Mosley knows that everything -- even his own fights fall short of the firepower that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would provide.

"Mayweather and Pacquiao need to get together and make it happen," said Mosley, who is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. "But I don't think either one of them's going to budge."

And so Mosley tries to push his own fights as the ones boxing fans want, and insists that even at 39 he has plenty of good fights left in him.

Asked if being 10 years older than his opponent in Mora (pictured at right) is a problem, Mosley said, "We'll find out when we get in the ring but I don't think so. I've been in the ring with a lot of younger guys. Age doesn't cross my mind when I get in the ring. When I'm in the gym it definitely doesn't cross my mind because I'm doing so well with 21-year-old, 25-year-old kids. I'm holding my own."

If Mosley can do more than just hold his own against Mora, he'll have more big fights ahead of him. even as he heads into his 40s.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Shane Mosley Wants Manny Pacquiao, Sergio Martinez -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

If Sugar Shane Mosley has his way, the former four-time world champion will beat Sergio Mora in their non-title, junior middleweight (154 pounds) bout on Sept. 18 and then rise to a career-high 160 pounds to dethrone WBC middleweight king Sergio Martinez, Mosley told FaHouse on Wednesday.

Of course, the 38-year-old Mosley (46-6, 39 knockouts) said that he would also like a shot at seven-division king Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts), holder of the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt.

"If I could map out my career from now on out, I'm just ready to make some more money. I've gone through some personal stuff, so I've got to recoup everything that I've lost and go from there. But in order to do that, I just need to go out and do what I know how to do in the ring," said Mosley, in his first public comments since losing by unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) on May 1.

Although he has spent much of his time away from the ring traveling and vacationing with his children, Mosley said that it has been difficult to forget how close he was to stopping Mayweather with that powerful right hand in the second round.

"When I hurt him in the second round, [my fans have] said that they were pulling for me and that they thought that I was going to knock him out. But Floyd did a good job, and he recovered. He hung on and he did what he had to do to win," said Mosley. "I just want to get back into the ring and to get that feeling again. I just want to get into the ring and get back to fighting and to being myself. That's going to be a great feeling."

When Mosley takes on Mora at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, it will be at the site of his two most celebrated victories.

On June 17, 2000, Mosley dethroned then-WBC welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya with a 12-round split-decision. In January of 2009, Mosley scored a ninth-round stoppage that dethroned WBA welterweight super champion Antonio Margarito, who was knocked out for the first time in his career.

Mora (22-1-1, six KOs) also has a history at the Staples Center.

In October of 2005, the Staples Center played host to Mora's split-decision victory over Peter Manfredo Jr. for the crown and a $1 million purse in the widely popular "Contender" television series. Mora dropped a scheduled July 23 bout against Colombian-born Juan Carlos Candelo (30-10-4, 20 KOs) to make the deal to face Mosley.

Mosley will be facing Mora on a pay-per-view card that will feature Saul Alvarez, a 19-year-old Mexican welterweight sensation with a record of 32-0-1 with 24 KOs, who will no doubt thrill the Hispanic fans expected to take part in the festivities surrounding Mexican Independence Day.

"You know, I think that it will be like a homecoming for me. There have been a lot of great things that have happened for me there at the Staples Center. I've had two of my best wins there," said Mosley, who is from nearby Pamona, Calif., while the 29-year-old Mora is from East Los Angeles.

"It's going to be part of the Mexican Independence Day celebration, and I have a lot of Mexican fans," said Mosley. "That's going to be great. There is a great undercard underneath that's going to be fighting. I'm pretty sure that the Staples Center is going to be packed."

Prior to choosing to face Mora, Mosley had also been considering matchups against Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) and WBC welterweight (147) belt holder Andre Berto (26-0, 20 KOs), both of whom are promoted by Lou DiBella.

DiBella had proposed that a Martinez bout be contested at a catch weight of 155 pounds for Martinez's title, and that Mosley would get a 60-40 split of the purse. Berto was asking for a 50-50 split of the purse with Mosley.

Prior to facing Mayweather, Mosley and Berto had worked out a deal to fight on Jan. 30 -- before a distraught Berto pulled out to devote time assisting with Hatian disaster relief as a result of the January earthquake that killed several of his relatives.

Mosley said that a bout with Berto is something that he would still consider.

"I mean, Berto is another option at 147. I could make the 147 pound weight class again. I can make 154. I can kind of go into different weight classes and still get away with it," said Mosley. "With Berto, I mean, we had agreed upon a fight with Berto before the Floyd Mayweather fight already. So if they want to go back to that, then, yeah, maybe we could do that fight because we had already had a deal."

Before losing to Mayweather, Mosley, recently stripped of his WBA title, had twice beaten De La Hoya and scored consecutive knockouts over former world champion Fernando Vargas. Mosley has, among his six defeats, two unanimous decision losses to the late Vernon Forrest, in January and July of 2002.

Mora split his pair of matchups with Forrest, dethroning him for the WBC 154-pound championship to improve to 21-0-1 with a majority decision in June of 2008, then losing that crown in their return bout three months later by a one-sided, unanimous decision.

Mora ended a 19-month layoff with his last fight, April's seventh-round knockout of Calvin Green (21-5-1, 13 KOs).

Although he will turn 39 on Sept. 7 -- 11 days before facing Mora -- Mosley said that he is not worried about growing old in the ring.

"I'm not going to start worrying about the age factor until I'm 44 or 45 years old like Bernard Hopkins," said Mosley. "I'm actually used to it, I guess, because I didn't really think about it until you mentioned it. I'm going to be 39? You know, until you said that, I really didn't think about that or realize that."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Mora outslugs Green in seven rounds -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Fighting for the first time in 19 months, middleweight Sergio Mora stopped pesky Calvin Green in the seventh round of spirited, but one-sided brawl on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Roy Jones Jr.-Bernard Hopkins II undercard.

Mora, who won the first season of "The Contender" reality show in 2005, upset the late Vernon Forrest to win a junior middleweight title in June 2008. However, Mora, of East Los Angeles, lost it via unanimous decision in the rematch three months later and hadn't fought since.

It took a couple of rounds for Mora (22-1-1, 6 KOs) to find his rhythm.

"By the third round I felt like 'The Latin Snake' was back," Mora said. "He was a tough guy but I got in there and I let my hands flow."

The 5-foot-8 Green (21-5-1, 13 KOs), of Baytown, Texas, was four inches shorter than Mora but came out swinging immediately and cut Mora over his left eye in the first round.

Mora, however, did not come undone by the sight of his own blood and stayed calm as the fight developed into a slugfest.

"I'm so used to cuts," Mora said. "I'm used to being lacerated, so it didn't bother me."

Mora was faster and bigger than Green and hammered him with body shots and combinations.

Green showed enormous heart as he took a shellacking round after round, but kept coming forward. But Mora was there to greet him with body shots and combinations that bounced him around.

Finally, in the seventh round, although Green wasn't seriously hurt, he was taking a lot of clean punches, so referee Russell Mora intervened at 1 minute, 50 seconds.

"I want to fight the best," Mora said. "I want to get back in there ASAP."

Litzau tops Juarez

Junior lightweight Jason Litzau scored the biggest win of his career, a seven-round technical decision against friend and former sparring partner Rocky Juarez.

The judges had it 68-65 and 67-66 (twice) as Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) lost for the first time in a fight other than a world title bout.

Juarez is 0-5-1 in title bouts (0-2-1 at featherweight, 0-3 at junior lightweight). Litzau (27-2, 21 KOs) had been busier than Juarez throughout the bout when it came to a sudden ending.

An accidental head clash in the sixth round caused major damage under Litzau's left eye. After it got worse in the seventh round, referee Jay Nady stopped the bout and sent it to the scorecards because of the accidental foul.

Juarez, of Houston, was returning to the 130-pound division after a tough 2009 in which he was the recipient of a controversial draw against featherweight titlist Chris John followed by a clear decision loss to him in an immediate rematch.

Litzau, of St. Paul, Minn., won his fourth in a row following an eighth-round knockout loss to then-featherweight titleholder Robert Guerrero in 2008.

• Light heavyweight Ismayl Sillakh (12-0, 11 KOs), a standout amateur in Ukraine now based in California, had an easy time with Daniel Judah (23-5-3, 10 KOs), stopping Zab Judah's brother 49 seconds into the second round.

Sillakh, 25, who is signed to Jones' Square Ring Promotions, scored two knockdowns in the second round, including a hard body shot on the second knockdown, before referee Vic Drakulich called it off.

Judah, 32, lost his second in a row and for the fourth time in his last six bouts.

"I was not surprised to knock him out so early," Sillakh said. "I told you I would do it, knock him out. He is a good southpaw but I was looking to go to the body because he was holding his hands up at his face. Then he dropped his hands and I hit him with my favorite punch, the right cross."

• Heralded amateur junior welterweight Frankie Gomez (1-0, 1 KO) scored a third-round TKO against Clavonne Howard (2-4, 1 KO) in his professional debut.

"I wasn't nervous at all," Gomez said. "I was a little rusty. He was a good tough fighter. He could take shots. I have been waiting to get in there [as a pro] for a long time. It felt really good."

The East Los Angeles native, who shares the same Feb. 4 birthday with his promoter, Golden Boy's Oscar De La Hoya, signed with the company in late February after a standout amateur career in which he was a 2009 U.S. national champion and silver medalist at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Milan, Italy, in September. Gomez, 18, was the only American to reach the finals.

In his pro debut, Gomez kept his arms pumping as he dominated Howard, of Palm Beach, Fla. Gomez looked to mix it up throughout the fight and was landing with regularity in the third round when referee Joe Cortez jumped in to stop it with 15 seconds left. It was the first time Howard has been stopped.

Golden Boy plans to keep Gomez busy, scheduling him to fight approximately once per month for the rest of the year.

Also on the undercard, Los Angeles-based Scottish middleweight Craig McEwan (18-0, 10 KOs) stopped Canada's Kris Andrews (15-9-2, 4 KOs) at 2:11 of the eighth and final round; super middleweight James McGirt Jr. (22-2-1, 11 KOs), the son of former welterweight champ Buddy McGirt (who trains his son) knocked out John Mackey (11-5-2, 5 KOs) at 2:58 of the second round; and Cleveland junior lightweight Yaundale Evans (6-0, 4 KOs) knocked out Juan Baltierrez at 2:08 of the second round.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

Source: sports.espn.go.com