Featherweight Challenger and Undefeated Super Middleweight on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights

Boxing News World

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights will originate from Tulsa, Okla. on February 25 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 with a 10-round main event featuring featherweight contender Juan Carlos “Mini” Burgos (25-1, 18 KO’s, WBC #4), battling Frankie Archuleta (27-7-1, 14 KO’s). Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside at the Osega Million Dollar Elm Casino describing the action.

Mexico’s Burgos, is coming off his first loss, a November title shot against WBC featherweight champ Hozumi Hasegawa, considered by many to be one of Japan’s best fighters of the last decade. ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote, “They produced a surprisingly outstanding fight, battling tooth and nail as both men had big moments. Hasegawa led early, but Burgos mounted a comeback and staggered Hasegawa with a left uppercut in the seventh round, just one of several rounds that featured tons of furious punching and back and forth action. Burgos relentlessly pressured Hasegawa over the final four rounds and had him in trouble, but Hasegawa hung on for the unanimous decision.”

In June, Burgos TKO’d Ricardo Castillo, the younger brother of former world champion Jose Luis Castillo.

Friday’s card will also feature an 8-round bout between undefeated super middleweight Maxim Vlasov (19-0, 10 KO’s) and South Africa’s Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilemba (15-1-1, 8 KO’s). Russia’s Vlasov is coming off a September seventh-round TKO win over Mikhail Krinstin. In his previous fight, he scored one of his career-best wins- a third round TKO against Jerson Ravelo on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights in June.

“Vlasov was imposing himself on Ravelo through the first two rounds and then put him away with a massive right hand in the third round,” ESPN.com’s Rafael reported. “The blow landed flush and stopped Ravelo in his tracks before he fell face first with his arms draped over the bottom ring rope.”

Friday’s show will also feature Ring Magazine’s #1 ranked light heavyweight and future hall of famer Bernard Hopkins in studio with host Brian Kenny. Hopkins will discuss his upcoming rematch with Ring Magazine’s light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, with whom he fought a controversial majority draw in December. Hopkins, age 46, will attempt to become the oldest fighter ever to win a significant title (besting George Foreman who beat Michael Moorer for the heavyweight title at age 45).

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

Floyd Mayweather JR Vs Manny Pacquiao: The Shocking Reason it Did Not Happen -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

It was the fight that we all wanted to see and that many of us still do, but failed negotiations on two separate occasions sent the fighters in different directions. Floyd Mayweather, JR., 41-0, 25 KO’s, would face Shane Mosley and then, presumably, retire from the sport, while Manny Pacquiao, 52-3-2, 38 KO’s, would take on Joshua Clottey. Hope would arise after the victory over Margarito, but Floyd didn’t come knocking and RSR may have been informed as to why.

On Monday, February 21st, we received an email from a boxer that wishes to remain anonymous but claimed to have had a discussion with Floyd Mayweather, JR., during the preparation for Mosley. Here is part of the email:

“…and we spoke about Pacquiao and he (Floyd) said that he was not even thinking about him. Then he said that he would fight him on his own terms only and that he needed him to ‘calm down’ a little. He was worried about Manny’s speed.”

RSR attempted to arrange an interview with the man making these claims but it was declined, so it is up for debate as to whether or not this statement was made by Floyd. The man that has contacted RSR has stood by the statement and we hope in the future to be able to reveal his identity and get him to sit down and speak more thoroughly about the situation.

The Pacquiao fans have stated for a long time that Floyd was afraid of Manny Pacquiao, which is met typically by skepticism by the Mayweather fans, but his behavior may lend that theory some validity, and the way to beat Floyd is smart aggression and speed, both of which Manny has.

It makes a lot of sense that Floyd would feel this way, if what we were told was true. Zab Judah, a speedy and powerful southpaw gave Floyd the most trouble he’s ever had and Floyd only won that fight because of the lack of focus of his challenger. Zab could never maintain his focus and Floyd was able to get him down the stretch. Pacquiao would not tire, or at least not nearly as much as Zab did, which means that there may not be enough time for Floyd to catch up if they should fight.

On May 7th, Manny Pacquiao will face Shane Mosley in a pay per view where the result isn’t really in doubt. Mosley is far too old and slow on the comeback to stop a near prime Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather, JR., is retired. He will not fight Manny and will not fight Sergio Martinez. Whether it is because of fear or his life’s turmoil, we don’t know, but whatever the case may be, he is not lacing up the gloves.

The super fight that never was is a headline we may see ten years from now, unless Floyd comes forward and Pacquiao remains in the game. It’s a long shot, but let’s be optimistic and hope for the fight to materialize.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Hatton roars back at critics of title shot -- ESPN

ESPN

Matthew Hatton has hit out at his critics by insisting he is fully deserving of a WBC light-middleweight title shot.

The European welterweight champion will fight Saul Alvarez in California on March 5 in a clash that was lifted to world title status after Manny Pacquiao decided to vacate the belt.

The promotion of the bout has been the source of controversy, with Hatton and Alvarez boasting just one fight at light-middleweight between them - when the Brit fought Rob Burton at national level in 2004.

But Hatton, the younger brother of legend Ricky, has rejected accusations that boxing politics have come into play. "I've not been involved in all that and I took the fight before it was for a world title because it's a great opportunity," he said. "My bravery in taking a fight like this at a weight up has been rewarded."

Alvarez promises to present a stiff test to Hatton, having amassed a 36-fight unbeaten record as a pro - despite being just 20 years old.

Source: espn.co.uk

Arum has starring role in making of Pacquiao-Mosley fight -- Philly Daily News

By Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News

THE BEATLE and the Godfather were very much evident during a four-city media tour earlier this month, hyping a pay-per-view boxing event that the world might consider a consolation prize, but likely will purchase with gusto because more attractive options are not yet available.
The "Beatle" is Manny Pacquiao, the most popular, or at least recognizable, fighter on a global scale since Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali commanded attention that transcended their sport. During stops in Beverly Hills, Calif., Las Vegas, New York and Washington that officially began the drumbeating for his May 7 bout with Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand, Pacquiao modeled a new look, a shaggy, unbarbered noggin that apparently was inspired by the Fab Four's hysteria-inducing first trip to America 47 years earlier.

An aspiring singer who loves karaoke, Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) more closely resembled an Asian Paul McCartney than Ali, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard or Oscar De La Hoya, iconic fighters to whom he sometimes has been compared. Maybe we should start calling him the Fab Filipino.
And while the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) was on the dais in each city as the designated foil, the most influential player in the behind-the-scenes drama is the "Godfather," otherwise known as Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank founder and CEO Bob Arum.

Make no mistake, what will transpire 2 1/2 months hence is as much or more Arum's baby as Pacquiao's latest superstar turn. What Arum has orchestrated is reminiscent of the closing scenes of the 1972 film classic, in which Michael Corleone ruthlessly and efficiently settles all family business, dispatching the other heads of the five families, getting his revenge and establishing his vision of dynasty.

Oh, sure, the matchup everyone most wants to see, Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs), has encountered more delays than the legendarily drawn-out construction of the Blue Route, so much so that fewer and fewer fight fans believe it will ever happen. But for that hardy and vanishing breed known as boxing purists, scraps with Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs), who is 0-1-1 in a pair of closely contested slugfests with Pacquiao, or WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KOs) probably would have been preferable to the finest fighter of his era thumping Mosley, a future Hall of Famer whose best days are in his rearview mirror.

Although Pacquiao isn't fearful of testing himself against any man wearing padded gloves, and probably could have forced Arum's hand had he insisted on Marquez or Berto, he has ceded near-total control of his ring career to the 79-year-old master manipulator. Like the youngest and most calculating of Vito Corleone's three sons, Arum knows how to protect his primary asset, and has no objection to sticking it to rivals to accomplish that purpose.

What's different about Pacquiao-Mosley is that Arum has brokered a deal by which an over-the-air television network, CBS, has joined with Showtime to sell boxing's hottest property to home viewers at $54.95 a pop. Given that Pacquiao's last five pay-per-view fights - all on HBO - generated total sales of 5.1 million, it's a certainty his pairing with Mosley again will top the million mark, and may even approach 2 million.

The CBS Corp. and Showtime, which is a CBS subsidiary, are co-producing a four-part documentary, "Fight Camp 360: Pacquiao vs. Mosley," and ads promoting the fight will be shown via both outlets. That figures to provide a major revenue boost, since CBS - which will air some of the spots during the ratings-heavy NCAA Tournament - is available in 115 million TV homes, to just 16.5 million for Showtime.

"I would want for nothing more than for my legacy to be that I brought boxing back to network television," said Arum, who has championed that cause since over-the-air TV fights began being phased out nearly 3 decades ago.

But Arum's altruistic pronouncements also are in keeping with a personal agenda. A former Department of Justice attorney during the Kennedy administration, Arum can make life as uncomfortable for perceived boxing enemies as his DOJ boss, Robert Kennedy, did for Jimmy Hoffa.

The onetime promoter of De La Hoya and Mayweather, Arum regards each as turncoats who bolted the Top Rank reservation after he had helped make them multimillionaires. Arum believes that HBO has tended to favor De La Hoya's company, Golden Boy Promotions, which might explain why he seems to have taken particular delight in bringing Pacquiao to Showtime, or why Mosley, who left Golden Boy to further his chances of landing the high-paying gig against Pacquiao, was selected instead of the De La Hoya-backed Marquez.

It's a cream pie in the face to HBO Sports executives, one of whom, senior vice president Kery Davis, is said to be under fire for not minding the store a little closer during a period in which the gap between HBO's Hertz and Showtime's Avis narrowed.

"It's a one-fight deal, and we're hopeful we can get back in the Manny Pacquiao business," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said of the new reality in which Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, likely get to call more of the shots so long as "PacMan" remains boxing's must-see performer.

'Swift' salute

Tardy congratulations to the winners of the 15th annual "Salute to Philly Boxers" awards presentation last month at the New Palladium Ballroom.

Danny "Swift'' Garcia (19-0, 13 KOs), the junior welterweight prospect from the Juniata section, was named Philadelphia's Boxer of the Year for 2010, ending the 2-year reign of living legend Bernard Hopkins, a seven-time winner.

Other honorees were Alan Rubenstein, judge; Steve Smoger, referee; Derek "Bozy" Ennis, trainer; Moz Gonzalez and Eddie Woods, managers; Joey Eye, cutman; and Nate "Mr." Miller, "Blast from the Past." Special guests were Willie Torres and Marty Feldman.

Send e-mail to fernanb@phillynews.com.

Source: philly.com

Antonio Margarito on His Recovery, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

LAS VEGAS -- Ex-champ Antonio Margarito, who underwent 75 minutes of surgery to repair a fractured right orbital bone suffered during November's HBO pay per view televised unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao, spoke to FanHouse last Friday concerning his recovery and his anticipated return to the ring.

The 32-year-old Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts) fought Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) for the vacant WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt, which Pacquiao has since vacated even as he defends his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title against Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) on May 7 in a Showtime pay per view televised bout that is being promoted by Top Rank Promotions.

Last Friday, Margarito was at the Mandalay Bay Hotel during the weigh in for last Saturday's HBO televised bout featuring WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist, Nonito Donaire (26-1, 18 knockouts), of the Philippines, scoring a second-round knockout over WBO and WBC king, Fernando Montiel (44-3-2, 34 KOs), of Mexico, to earn Montiel's belts.

Margarito said that he already is in training for a potential June bout opposite WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), assuming Cotto gets beyond a March 12, Showtime pay per view televised encounter with former world champion Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 22 KOs).

Margarito dethroned Cotto as WBA welterweight king with an 11th-round knockout in July of 2008.


FanHouse: What is your prognosis of recovery from your injury?

Antonio Margarito: Well, thanks to God, everything has gone well. We have an appointment again next month with the doctors, and they will tell me more.

But so far, things are progressing very well.


FanHouse: What have you been able to do to begin to get into shape once again?

Since January 5, when the doctors cleared me to start working out, that's when I started. The only thing that I'm not doing is sparring. I'm doing everything else.

Running, push ups, sit ups, hitting the bags, and I'm doing that on my own. Sparring is the only thing that I haven't been doing.


When do you expect to be able to begin sparring?

We have an appointment for another examination next month, and, hopefully, by then, the doctor will give me the green light to begin sparring.


Can you clear the air for your fans and the media and the critics concerning whether or not you thought that your fight with Manny Pacquiao should have been stopped as a result of the damage that you were absorbing?

We wanted to finish on our feet. Every minute during the break between rounds, [trainer] Robert Garcia would ask me how I felt. My answer was always, 'I feel great.'

There was no reason to stop the fight. We always knew that one punch could make the difference and maybe turn the tide and the momentum of the fight.

We were looking to land that punch in the fight, but, unfortunately, we were never able to land that momentum-changing punch.


How did that fourth-round punch that opened the cut beneath your right eye affect the course of the fight?

That's what changed the fight. That punch. The uppercut from Manny Pacquiao in the fourth round is what changed the fight. Up until then, I thought we were fighting the right strategy.

We were going to break him down. But that punch changed everything. After that, all that I could see was blurry.


Why weren't you able to capitalize on that sixth-round body shot that hurt Manny Pacquiao?

I tried, but the bell ran. Plus, Manny Pacquiao is just an excellent fighter and he was able to maneuver away from me. I would have kept on trying if we had more time.

But the bell rang, so there was nothing that I could do.


What was said when Manny Pacquiao came to your dressing room after the fight?

Manny just came into the dressing room and gave me a nice hug we told each other that we both put forth a great effort in a great fight and that we should both be very proud.


When do you expect to be back in the ring and when do you want to fight Miguel Cotto?

When I get the green like from the doctor. But I think that Bob Arum is already talking about a rematch against Miguel Cotto. That's a fight that [Top Rank Promotions CEO] Bob Arum already has mentioned.

I would love to have that fight, but we have to get cleared by the doctor.


Do you anticipate taking a tuneup bout or do you want to go straight into a rematch with Miguel Cotto?

It all depends on Bob Arum. If Bob Arum feels that we might benefit from a tuneup and that we have enough time to do a fight in between the Cotto-Mayorga fight and my fight with Cotto, then we can do it.

But if not, then we'll go straight to Miguel Cotto. If it was my choice, then I would go straight into the Miguel Cotto fight. I would love to go right into that fight, probably in June.


What is your relationship with your trainer, Robert Garcia?

I am very happy with him. He's a very good friend and a great trainer.


How long will you continue fighting?

I'm going to allow my body to tell me when enough is enough. I think that if, when I fight Cotto, my body tells me that's enough, then that will be end.

But if I feel strong and I feel healthy during and after the fight, then I will continue fighting. I will continue in this game until my body tells me that that is enough.


When you say, 'Enough,' how do you mean that the state of having had 'Enough' will manifest itself?

Right now, my body responds well to hard training and it responds to all of the things that I do in the gym. The simple fact is, in my last fight, I lost to Manny Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter, but it was just another loss. I feel that I'm healthy enough to keep fighting right now, and that I can come back and do it again.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Donaire punches his way to stardom -- FOX Sports

By Allen Trieu, FOX Sports

“I don’t know about star yet,” Nontio Donaire said.

The 28-year-old Filipino-American fighter was trying to stay modest after a scintillating second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel to win both the WBO and WBC bantamweight world titles. While Donaire may not want to say it, he propelled himself to stardom with that punch. The boxing community is abuzz over that devastating left hook that sent Montiel to the canvas and fractured his cheek bone.

Where does this put him now? The exact number on the pound-for-pound list is up for debate, but many agree he is right up there with Sergio Martinez, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. In addition to his obvious power, quickness and speed, he also appears to have clairvoyance on his side.

“I was telling everybody second round and I said it,” Donaire said after the fight. “I told you second, right. I told a lot of people second round. It wasn’t to be cocky or anything, it was just to motivate myself.”

After Donaire won the first round, Montiel appeared to be getting a rhythm and was picking up the aggression in the second. Donaire says it was all according to plan.

“That’s why it seemed like I was losing that round, is because I was being attentive,” he said. “Where he was going to be, his movement, his body and where his head was going to be after he punches. When I figured out where exactly where he was going to be, I knew regardless if I close my eyes, he was going to be there as long as my punches were in that direction.”

Donaire calls it the hardest punch he has ever thrown in his life and his most memorable punch to date. That is saying something considering his career full of knockouts, including the fifth-round KO of heavily favored Vic Darchinyan in 2007 which first put him on the map.

To be a star, you cannot just be a great fighter. Donaire has a personality that draws people in. After the fight, he said he won it not just for himself, but for all the kids who had been bullied like him. Who can’t relate to that?

The pieces are here for him to continue his rise. As boxing searches for the next great heavyweight, it is guys like Donaire in the lighter divisions, along with Pacquiao, Mayweather and other rising stars like Timothy Bradley and Amir Khan that are breathing life into the sport.

“I don’t know about the star yet,” Donaire reiterated, “but I definitely believe I belong in that top pound-for-pound and I am the best bantamweight right now and this is just the beginning of it.”

It is indeed just the beginning, as the bantamweight division has several attractive potential opponents. There is also the possibility of moving up weight classes. Another piece to Donaire’s likability is his willingness to fight whoever wants to get in the ring with him.

“What’s next is anybody. “

Source: msn.foxsports.com

The New Ring Magazine Pound-For-Pound Ratings: Nonito Donaire Takes Number-Three Slot -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

“The Bible Of Boxing,” Ring Magazine, has just updated its Pound-For-Pound ratings and its clear the writers of the publication were as impressed as the fans were by bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s awesome 2nd-round stoppage of Mexico’s Fernando Montiel. Before the big win, “The Filipino Flash” sat at the #5 position on Ring’s P-4-P chart, but now he has vaulted up to the #3 position - behind only countryman Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior.

Fans of middleweight king Sergio Martinez may feel angered, seeing as how “Maravilla” has been dropped to the #4 slot, but it can’t be denied how deserving of his lofty ranking Donaire is. Many good writers wrote how a star was born on Saturday night, in reference to the brutally stunning punch that both felled the previously unstopped Montiel and left his legs twitching in scary fashion. Now eager to see more of the once-beaten (very early in his pro career, on points over five-rounds), now three-weight champion, fans and writers also want to see how high Donaire can go in the P-4-P charts..

Much has been discussed about the man who still holds the #2 slot, the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Junior. Some fans feel “Money” should be dropped down a few places due to inactivity; others still say he should not be on the list at all any longer! It sure will be interesting to see what Ring Magazine and other publications do with the soon-to-be 34-year-old star if the month of May comes and goes without him fighting. It was back on May 1st, against Shane Mosley, when Mayweather last boxed, but with his legal issues hanging over him, it’s unlikely he will fight again any time soon. If a full year passes without Floyd having fought, should he be dropped from the P-4-P ratings?

If this is what turns out to be the case, and as long as he doesn’t lose in the meantime, the sensational Donaire will likely rise to the #2 slot; meaning two great fighters from The Philippines will pretty much rule the boxing world! And two greater, more role model-like men you could not find. Isn’t it a shame, though, that these two incredible talents will never be able to fight each other in a bid to decide true supremacy?

Ring Magazine’s full top-10, Pound-for-Pound:

1. Manny Pacquiao

2. Floyd Mayweather

3. Nonito Donaire

4. Sergio Martinez

5. Juan Manuel Marquez

6. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam

7. Wladimir Klitschko

8. Timothy Bradley

9. Juan Manuel Lopez

10. Giovani Segura

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Glittering Donaire poised to cash in commercially in Philippines, USA -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

If Bobby "Boxing Hippie" Diamond was still around Carol Doda's and the other topless joints of then gamy North Beach, San Francisco, I know what he would've said about Bay Area resident Nonito Donaire's clean, crisp KO 2 over Mexican champ Fernando Montiel Saturday night.

"He must think the Mexican guy is Jewish because he hit him right in the temple."

Well, onetime New England feathherweight champeen and conqueror of Leo DiFiore, Diamond was funny like that.

When a Boston light heavyweight acqauitance of his was found rigor mortis in the water under the Mystic River Bridge in mobbed up Chelsea, Diamond said, "Well, Georgie was always proficient in doing the Dead Man's Float."

Diamond was likely the greatest 4-10 featherweight ever. That's his pro record, not his height, folks.

He once said the California commission gave him a "no cut bout contract" and then explained that he was told if he did not trim his rock band singer locks they wouldn't allow him to rumble, young man, rumble.

I've thought of the now deceased character on my recent SF sojourn to see Mercito "No Mercy" Getsa fight.

Which brings us back to Donaire, who I think is going to be a magnet for advertisements and endorsements.

Only 28, Donaire is a true Fil-Am, meaning born in the Philippines and mostly raised in Norcal.

The public dissension between his attractive wife, Rachel, and Mom and Pop Donaire is played out and the fighter handled the question about the father (his original trainer) friction when quizzed by Mad Max Kellerman in he ring after the dramatic knockout.

I've made it a practice to tell fighters I've worked with that they will make 90 percent plus of all they earn in the ring and very little from non-boxing endeavors.

For most fighters, it rings true.

But Donaire is a fresh face, a bright and thoughtful young man who a growing demographic audience can identify with as I relearned watching the fight on TV in a San Francisco suburb.

Boxing Truth's John Chavez had me over to his friend Preston Wada's home and the crowd included a crazy quilt of mixed ethnicities, Japanese-American, Fil-Ams, Chinese-Filipino Ams and so on.

He wasn't present for the viewing but another Chavez pal, a North Beach cafe owner named Tarek, is Egyptian-American. As the "Egyptian Magician," Tarek tried a boxing career but could not overcome having Chavez as his trainer.)

America, it used to be said, is a melting pot. For this generation, it's more of a mixed salad.

I saw the same ethnic hodgepodge at a Daly City bowling alley, chock full of Fil-Ams but also populated by league teammates who were Mexican, Salvadoran and African American.

Properly handled, Donaire can be a new sporting hero for a New Age, for young people like the ones who I watched him dismantle Montiel with.

And, given how his latest victory has resonated back home with a senator issuing a proud proclamation in Manila and a victory lap/tour in the offing, the Donaires can milk both the Pinoy and USA markets for product endorsements and other lucrative sidelines.

Manny Pacquiao must be more careful now what he lends his name to commercially, given his Congressional status and possible aspirations for higher office in his homeland.

But not Donaire, he has no such limitations or restrictions.

If he keeps exploding in the ring and goes on dominating foes in an entertaining, Pacman-style way, the sky is really the limit.

I know one thing, when boxing ends, Donaire won't be needing any donors.

I know another thing, Bobby "Goldilocks" Diamond was a real gem.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Has Floyd Mayweather Jr lost his #2 pound for pound ranking -- Examiner

By Rick Rockwell, Examiner.com

With Manny Pacquiao still the pound for pound best fighter in the world, the question being asked Monday morning is who's the second best. On Saturday night, Nonito Donaire defeated Fernando Montiel in devastating fashion with a 2nd round TKO. Donaire improved his record to 26-1 and now holds the WBC and WBO bantamweight titles. By Monday, the buzz over Donaire's victory was still at such a "fever pitch" that many prestigious Boxing sources, like BoxingScene.com, have Donaire replacing Floyd Mayweather Jr as the #2 P4P best fighter. But has Floyd really lost the #2 spot?

I'm just as impressed over Donaire's Saturday night victory as many others, but I would not rank him #2. I also agree that Floyd Mayweather Jr should fall down the list especially if he's not fighting in the ring. If Floyd doesn't fight in 2011, which is possible due to his legal issues, then he should be dropped off the list all together. However, it's not Donaire that should replace him.

Sergio Martinez should be ranked as the #2 pound for pound best fighter. He was fighter of the year for 2010 and has dominated top fighters in 2 weight classes. Martinez KO'd Paul Williams who was arguably the #3 pound for pound fighter in the world. Martinez is arguably the one fighter that nobody really wants to face especially after defeating WIlliams and Pavlik.

I would slide Donaire right in at #3 and Floyd Jr would fall to #4. I'd probably round out the Top 5 with Juan Manuel Marquez or Timothy Bradley.

Who do you readers have as your Top 5 P4P?

Source: examiner.com

Pacquiao to Donaire: Keep your feet on the ground -- ABS-CBN

abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao sent his congratulations to compatriot Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire, Jr., who rose to champion status after dethroning Mexican foe Fernando Montiel Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila).

"To Donaire, sa pagkapanalo, congrats ha! Salamat at nanalo ka na naman ulit. Nakapagbigay ka naman ng karangalan sa ating bansa," Pacquiao said of Donaire.

The 28-year-old Donaire is seen to be next in line with Pacquiao after a shocking 2nd round stoppage in their bantamweight bout.

The "Filipino Flash" now has an improved record of 26-1 with 18 knockout wins (KO) and hold the bantamweight titles from the World Boxing Organization and the World Boxing Council.

Pacquiao said Donaire can surely follow his footsteps as long as he keeps persevering while keeping his feet on the ground

"Keep up the good work and don't forget to pray... Huwag makalimot," he said.

Pacquiao, who flew from Los Angeles, California, disclosed that he had planned to surprise Donaire by watching the fight at the ringside.

However, due to bad weather, the flight got delayed causing him to miss Donaire's moment.

Pacquiao said he and wife Jinkee were just about to enter the Mandalay Resorts Hotel when the news broke out about Donaire's victory. – With a report from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Source: abs-cbnnews.com