PACQUIAO VERSUS HATTON

Trainer: Pacquiao ready to rumble

2009-04-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

This early, Manny Pacquiao is ready to tangle with Ricky Hatton.
Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez made this observation Sunday, three weeks before the boxing hero guns for Hatton’s International Boxing Organization junior welterweight crown on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“His (Pacquiao’s) body is 100 percent condition already,” Fernandez told an evening newscast in Filipino on Monday. “He just needs to maintain his road work and movements so that he’ll be 100 percent focused on fight night.”
Fernandez, who is also Pacquaio’s bosom friend, is assisting training guru Freddie Roach, former world champion Michael Moorer and conditioning expert Alex Ariza in whipping the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter into tiptop shape at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
In an earlier report, Ariza, who supervises Pacquiao’s early morning roadwork and strengthening exercises, disclosed that Pacquiao’s weight hovers around 149 lbs, just nine pounds off the limit.
Hatton, on the other hand, reportedly weighs 150 with no diet restrictions in his training camp headed by Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Team Pacquiao is expected to motor over to the Sin City and taper off his training at the IBA Gym less than a week before the fight that guarantees the protagonists at least $12 million, excluding pay-per-view sales.

Source: Phil Daily Inquirer

Pacquiao: KO not my game plan

2009-04-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Don't expect Manny Pacquiao to win by knockout over Ricky Hatton in their May 2 showdown in Las Vegas for the Briton’s WBO light welterweight title.
No, the pound-for-pound king has not lost his killer instinct. He just wants to concentrate on the fight and exploit Hatton’s weaknesses, which the Filipino said are aplenty.
“I expect him to be coming forward and fight toe-to-toe, and I like that,” Pacquiao told www.mirror.co.uk. “I’m not looking for a knockout.”
“I don’t want any distractions in my mind,” the Filipino superstar added.
Pacquiao expects Hatton to “walk into his shots because of his aggressive, come-forward style.
“We see a lot of weakness in Hatton,” Pacquiao claimed.
Hatton, in a conference call with reporters as reported by www.fighthype.com, points to two key factors for the fight: Technical skills and the fighter who goes backwards.
“Both of us don’t go backwards and that is the key to the fight,” Hatton said. “Whoever ends up going backwards is going to lose.”
He does fight toe-to-toe, Hatton said, but he also punches hard and has more technical know-how than the four-division champion.
“I’m showing technical ability that he didn’t think I had at first,” Hatton claimed. “That’s going to shock Manny more than the size and power aspect.”
Hatton credits Floyd Mayweather Sr., who replaced his long-time trainer Billy Graham, for his new strength.
“Floyd has given me a new lease on life,” said Hatton, adding that his win over Paulie Malignaggi last November showed his vast improvement under his new trainer.
“I proved in my last fight that I have a much better jab, a stronger punch and speed, too.”

Surce: Phil. daily Inquirer

Hatton fumes over Roach knockout jibe

2009-04-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ricky Hatton has a big motivation to beat Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas other than wresting the Filipino superstar’s distinction as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
It’s all about his contempt for Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach.
The Mancunian “Hitman” wants Roach to eat his words regarding the fight’s outcome. (A Mancunian is a native of the British city of Manchester.)
Hatton was particularly annoyed by Roach’s prediction that Pacquiao will emerge victorious in three rounds.
“Manny is a good puncher, and he punches hard enough to knock anyone out, but when he [Roach] says three rounds, I feel a bit insulted,” a fuming Hatton told Gareth A. Davies of Telegraph Sport.
“Bearing in mind that he has fought a lot smaller men than me, and I have been in with a few monsters, Manny would look like one The Borrowers stood next to Luis Collazo.”
The 27-year-old Collazo is a 5-foot-9 brawler from whom Hatton took the WBA welterweight crown by unanimous decision in 2006.
“I’m not saying Manny can’t knock me out, but if anyone is going to win in three rounds, I think I would be the safer bet to do that to him,” said Hatton, who is still unbeaten as a junior welterweight.
Hatton said he intends to intimidate Pacquiao by entering the ring at 154 lb.
Hatton added that he is ahead of schedule, just 10 lb off the 140 lb limit and in top shape with no dieting problem whatsoever.
Having started training camp earlier than Pacquiao, Hatton also brushed off suggestions that he’s peaking too early.
“There is no chance I’m overtraining,” he said. “I feel very good, very relaxed and where I wanted to be at this point.”

3 Hatton-esque sparmates for Pacquiao

2009-04-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

An undefeated boxer who possesses Ricky Hatton’s aggressiveness and a former practice partner of the “Hitman” have been designated as two of Manny Pacquiao’s three new sparmates four weeks before the Filipino superstar clashes with the Briton in Las Vegas for the latter’s IBO light welterweight crown.
Urbano Antillon, still unbeaten in 25 bouts (18 KOs), has been described as a fighter who mimics Hatton’s tireless assaults.
Also getting the chance to spar with Pacquiao are long-time Wild Card fixture and former Hatton sparmate David Rodela, as well as Philadelphia boxer named Tito.
Reports coming out of the Wild Card gym in Hollywood said Pacquiao has improved his footwork, according to website Philboxing.com.
The same report said Pacquiao was now concentrating more on strategy and game plan, and trainer Freddie Roach believes making the weight limit won’t be a problem for his ward.
“At 140, Manny Pacquiao’s gonna be happy,” Roach told website Teampilipinas.info. “He’s in great shape. When Manny struggled to make weight, he’s not happy, he’s miserable, grouchy and all that, he didn’t fight that well.”

Source: Phil. Daily Inquirer

Forget the Odds

2009-04-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao is favored to beat Ricky Hatton in their Las Vegas duel on May 2 but according to writer Phil Woolever of Boxing Digest, anything can happen because they’re big punchers with inherent weaknesses.
“Besides an all-action approach to their craft, Pacquiao and Hatton have each exhibited moments of vulnerability that add to the ‘anything can happen’ factor,” he said.
“(Aside from) star power on the marquee and long-time legions of faithful fans, Hatton and Pacquiao share a fighting style that’s based on the same fistic foundation of punch first, strategy later. That’s not to say that either man is lacking in the basic skills but both start from an instinctual philosophy of generating pressure that is almost always channelled into highly effective aggression.”
Pacquiao is guaranteed a $13 million purse for the fight and his final take could reach $20 million based on his 52 percent share of the pay-per-view upside. Tickets for the fight are priced at $150, $300, $500, $750 and $1,000.
Pacquiao is shooting for his sixth world title after capturing the WBC flyweight, IBF superbantamweight, Ring Magazine or people’s featherweight, WBC superfeatherweight and WBC lightweight crowns. Hatton is unbeaten in the 140-pound division where he appears to be most comfortable. For Pacquiao, it is his first venture as a lightwelterweight although he beat Oscar de la Hoya in his last outing as a welterweight.
Hatton’s ability to take Pacquiao’s power will be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of the bout. Experts insist that if Hatton can withstand Pacquiao’s power, it will be a long night for the Filipino. The betting, however, is Hatton will go down once he is hit squarely by Pacquiao.
What Hatton will bring to the table is a question mark. With trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. in his corner, the word is a “different” Hatton will face Pacquiao in the ring. Mayweather is trying to transform Hatton into a semi-stylist with a lot of bobbing, weaving and head-moving. The idea is to make it difficult for Pacquiao to strike because the “old” Hatton would be a sitting duck.
But basic instincts won’t go away easily. When Hatton is pressured and under attack, he’ll rely on what he’s used to. He’ll fire back, come forward and engage – which suits Pacquiao just fine.

Source: Philippine Star: Forget the Odds

Oscar Played The Game, The Game Never Played Him

2009-04-15T06:08:00.002-07:00

A lot has been said of the legacy that is left behind now that Oscar de la Hoya has officially called a close to his eventual Hall of Fame career.
His résumé reads like a who’s who list of the best fighters from 130-160 in the span of nearly two decades.
The events in which he participated made for the most lucrative career in boxing history. More than 14 million pay-per-view buys have been placed when he had top billing, raising over $600 million in PPV revenue, and hundreds of millions more in ticket sales and sponsorship.
There was never a fight in which he participated that featured more empty seats than butts that filled them. Never in his professional career did he face a fighter with a losing record.
He’s the last U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist to truly parlay his amateur success into a lucrative Hall of Fame career.
But there’s one area in which Oscar truly distances himself from the rest of the pack. It’s not limited to his ability to draw crowds and revenue. Nor is it just about the superior level of competition he maintained throughout most of his career.
It was his ability to play the game on both sides of the ropes.
There are fighters who stand head and shoulders above their peers in measuring talent, but fail to translate that dominance into box office success. There have been those who drew well, but preferred the low road to stardom for fear that a real challenge would expose their limitations, thus ruining their marketability in the process.
De la Hoya boasted the uncanny ability of juggling the act of being among the sport’s best and its most marketable.
His comeuppance in the sport came at a time when the phrase “there’s boxing, and then there’s heavyweights” still rang true from a marketing standpoint.
As he began to make his run as a pay-per-view headliner, Mike Tyson was released from prison and set to make his second tour as the world’s most famous fighter. Tyson’s two fights with Evander Holyfield shattered pay-per-records, with the second fight breaking all of the records set by its predecessor.
During that time, Oscar merely had to settle for being the sport’s most marketable non-heavyweight. He did so by taking on the best the sport had to offer early on in his career, and never looking back in that regard.
Sure there were some dunkers along the way. A 1996 mismatch against Darryl Tyson came on the heels of a Fighter of the Year-level campaign the year prior. A similarly sparring session-level showcase came a year later when he faced David Kamau. And again twelve months after that, when he met hapless French journeyman Patrick Charpentier.
But the common thread among the list is not that they were mismatches, but bouts that ranged from well attended to circus-like atmosphere. The June ’98 mandatory defense against Charpentier crammed 45,000 into the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, sparking a cover story from The Ring magazine (nearly a decade before he would buy the publication) and an industry-wide frenzy over watching his every move.
After an unnecessary sequel against Chavez later that year, pressure was put on de la Hoya and promoter Top Rank to start making the big fights.
Team de la Hoya delivered.
Ike Quartey. Felix Trinidad. Shane Mosley. Fernando Vargas. Mosley again. Bernard Hopkins. Floyd Mayweather, and in the end, Manny Pacquiao. Oscar faced all while his popularity continued to skyrocket.
To put in perspective how easy it would’ve been for de la Hoya and his handlers to spend the rest of his career screwing the pooch, think about this: the 45,000 he drew for his mismatch against Charpentier was the largest American crowd for a boxing event since the September 1993 super fight between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez.
Instead, he willingly stepped up when prompted to, at a time when a lot of his peers were standing around waiting for a handout. Felix Trinidad and Ike Quartey were not only rumored to fight, but had contracts signed and sealed to make the fight a reality. Yet subsequent promotional issues and lawsuits managed to kill the fight.
It could’ve easily just been postponed and rescheduled but was instead canceled altogether. If nothing else, it was a symbol of the way things were atop the welterweight division, the most loaded in the sport. For years, people marveled at the possible outcomes if the big three – Whitaker, Trinidad and Quartey – were to ever meet in the ring.
All three share a common opponent – Oscar de la Hoya, even if all three fights resulted in disputed outcomes. Wins over Whitaker and Quartey can easily be argued the other way, while many believe that his first official loss – a 12-round majority decision in his September 1999 super fight with Trinidad – was merely a case of the industry delivering a make-up call.
As the 1990’s became the 2000’s, Oscar would exit his optimal prime but his popularity only continue to grew. And it came at a time when overall interest in the sport steadily declined. Lennox Lewis’ knockout win over Mike Tyson in 2002 was arguably the last remaining heavyweight title fight in which the sports world truly gave a damn.
From that point on, the sport belonged to Oscar de la Hoya.
The rock-star run began three months after Lewis-Tyson, when a long awaited grudge match with Fernando Vargas resulted in perhaps Oscar’s greatest hit on both sides of the ropes. A Fight Of the Year worthy bout was capped with de la Hoya stopping Vargas moments into the 11th round, to the tune of 935,000 pay-per-view buys.
Remove de la Hoya’s name from the fight, and there isn’t a non-heavyweight in his generation that can claim a number like that for a single pay-per-view event.
The Vargas fight doesn’t even make the top five in the list of de la Hoya’s best sellers.
Five times in his career, he eclipsed the 1 million mark, including the all-time pay-per-view record of 2.4 million for his May 2007 split decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The end of his career offers a stretch where he won more often than he lost – four of his last seven, dating back to the disputed decision loss to Shane Mosley in their 2003 rematch. All six of his career losses came against fighters not only locks for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, but more than likely to gain acceptance in their first year of eligibility.
Simply put, he never lost to anyone he wasn’t supposed to.
Few fighters in boxing history can make the same claim, with even fewer not leaving behind a laundry list of unfinished business.
When all was said and done, Oscar de la Hoya took part in a lot more fights than the number that didn’t take place. Of the fights that could be made, he pursued them far more often than he opted to look elsewhere. Once he hit his prime, there was never a scenario where he wouldn’t enjoy the upper hand at the negotiating table. Yet for all of the fights he pursued, he batted 1.000 in eventually putting ink-to-paper.
At his best, Roy Jones Jr was and is still criticized for major fights that never took place at super middleweight and light heavyweight. Stepping up in the twilight of his career served as a deflection and also helped bolster his popularity. But it was the lack of marquee matches he aggressively pursued while at top that for more than a decade resulted in his talent far exceeding his box office value.
If and when Floyd Mayweather Jr decides to return to the ring, awaiting him are a slew of welterweights he never managed to get around to facing during his stay atop the division. Never mind the number of challenges he forever left behind while at junior welterweight. It was for that reason that he struggled to generate box office interest of any kind prior to his road win against Arturo Gatti.
Sure, a million and one excuses can be offered as reasons why such voids were left behind for both Jones and Mayweather. But while both are eventual unanimous ballot candidates for the Hall of Fame, it stands to reason that more questions then answers remain while both were in their prime.
For better or for worse, there is little more that could’ve been asked of Oscar de la Hoya. After you get past the nitpicking, you realize that Oscar de la Hoya served as the face of the sport for a good reason.
Met with oft-unwarranted criticism and exceedingly high expectations throughout his 16-year career, rare was the occasion when he didn’t deliver. He didn’t always win, but there was at least one event for every year in which he was a professional fighter in which the boxing world was forced to – but also willingly – took notice.
In an era in which players spent more time nibbling around the edges and looking for every considerable angle and loophole to exploit, Oscar de la Hoya simply played the game according to the playbook he was presented.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton Referee is Named - Kenny Bayless

2009-04-15T06:08:00.001-07:00

Kenny Bayless has been named referee for the “Battle of East and West” between Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.
Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer informed BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that aside from Bayless, the NSAC had chosen Mic hael Permick, Glenn Trowbridge and CJ Ross as the three judges for the eagerly awaited showdown.
Bayless was the referee who cautioned Juan Manuel Marquez three times for low blows in the fierce rematch against Pacquiao on March 15, 2008 and also served as the third man in the ring in Pacquiao’s rematch against Erik Morales which the Filipino won by a tenth round TKO on January 21, 2006.
Bayless was also referee in the Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi title fight last November 22 in which he called a halt in the 11th round as Hatton inflicted a bad beating on Malignaggi.
Boxing Confidential once referred to Bayless as the only referee who should be used in Las Vegas super bouts praising Bayless for always being in control of the bout “with the highest degree of fairness, firmness and accuracy.”
Aside from the two Pacquiao fight he refereed, Bayless also handled “The World Awaits” super-fight between Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In a long list of major fights, Bayless was also referee for Roy Jones Jr vs Antonio Tarver and De La Hoya vs Bernard Hopkins in 2004, Shane Mosley vs Fernando Vargas in 2006 and Miguel Cotto vs Antonio Margarito in 2008.
Bayless showed his firmness in Bobby Pacquiao’s distressing performance against Hecto Velasquez in November 2006 when he disqualified Manny Pacquiao’s younger brother in the waning seconds of round eleven for numerous low blows .
Judge Glenn Trowbridge who was an official in the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch on October 6, 2007 agreed with his colleague Jerry Roth who turned in a lopsided 118-109 scorecard for Pacquiao while the third judge Tom Schreck had it by a much closer 115-112 margin. Trowbridge was also a judge when Pacquiao knocked out Morales in the third fight of their classic trilogy on November 18, 2006. Trowbridge was also a judge in the Hatton-Malignaggi title fight.
CJ Ross was a judge when Pacquiao won the WBC lightweight title with a 9th round demolition of David Diaz on June 28, 2008.
Michael Pernick was invited by the Florida State Boxing Commission sometime in March 2005 to a three-day seminar for referees, judges and ringside physicians at the Sheraton Suites in Fort Lauderdale where officials working in Floroida were mandated to attend.
The boxing sessions were conducted by Pernick and Peter Tremeterra who were both described as “world class officials.”

Oscar’s Classy Exit Prompts Football Memories

2009-04-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

I thought of Jim Kelly on Tuesday evening.
As I sat listening in on the question-and-answer session that followed Oscar De La Hoya’s announcement he’d decided to retire from boxing, I heard a little bit of the ex-Buffalo Bills quarterback’s voice in my head.
It didn’t seem all that long ago – although in reality it’s been more than 12 years – since I was sitting in the fieldhouse alongside what used to be known as Rich Stadium, hearing the multi-time Pro Bowler choke back emotion as he made his own exit.
I was at Kelly’s first NFL game in 1986 as a fan; then came full circle years later while covering the Bills as a beat writer for the Batavia Daily News.
In Oscar’s case, I watched him win Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992; then critiqued him frequently in my own later incarnations as a print and online columnist.
And in either setting – press row or bleacher seats – both were among my favorites.
“To leave and not be a part of this team is something that will be very difficult to swallow,” Kelly said back then, unsuccessfully stemming the moist flow from his eyes. “I also know, in my stomach and in my heart, it's time to move on.”
And though De La Hoya wasn’t as outwardly poignant with his responses as the heart-on-his-sleeve Kelly always seemed to be, there nonetheless seemed a common chord between two 36-year-olds walking away from athletic passions.
For those who think money and fame make it trivial… think again.
“It’s not easy to talk about it,” De La Hoya said. “Every time I think about it and mention it, I remember that it’s been my life for the last 32 years. But I know that every time I step in the ring now it’s not me. It’s not the fighter people grew up watching.”
Beaten in four of his last seven fights, including a shockingly decisive TKO loss to underdog Manny Pacquiao in December, De La Hoya seemed far removed from the form that had netted him legitimate claims to kingpin status in four weight classes.
Still, there had been talk of even more matches to be made, among them a third go-round with opponent-turned-business partner Shane Mosley or a bout with another J.C. Chavez, this time the son of the man be beat in 1996 and 1998.
As Richard Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya’s promotional company, pointed out, its Golden Boy namesake was the “pound-for-pound king of pay-per-view boxing,” having generated more than $696 million from 14.1 million buys on 19 fights.
But it was the specter of past champions, who’d hung around too long and paid a heavy physical price for stubbornness, that helped tip the needle toward “walk away” for De La Hoya, who claimed the decision process extended all the way to Tuesday morning.
“My wife asked me. She looked into my eyes and asked me, ‘Are you sure you want to retire,’” he said, “and when she opened the door for me to come back and fight again, I didn’t take it. I felt right then, ‘This is it. I’m not going to fall into that trap. Because once you fall into that trap, there’s no way out.’”
Kelly, upon retiring, was just five weeks removed from his own inglorious finale, a 30-27 upset playoff loss to the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 28, 1996, from which he exited before the final whistle with a concussion.
Yet he, too, had several opportunities to continue, both with the Bills for the 1997 season and later when other teams – the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, most notably – tried to lure him back on the field in 1998.
But, as with De La Hoya after him, past was also prologue for his own exit.
“I don't want to go out the way some other quarterbacks went out,” he said. “I want to go out with some dignity, with respect from my peers, respect from my teammates. I wanted to retire a Buffalo Bill.”
Ironically, history might remember the two on similar planes as well.
In spite of four Pro Bowl selections, multiple franchise records and several seasons leading his league’s most prolific offensive unit, Kelly is most often recalled as the only signal-caller to lose the Super Bowl four consecutive times.
Even so, he was a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee – in year one of eligibility.
De La Hoya, meanwhile, in spite of title belts in six weight classes and defeats of champions named Chavez, Whitaker, Camacho, Gatti, Vargas and Mayorga, is frequently derided for his six losses and jeered for being more an “attraction” than a “fighter.”
To those critics on Tuesday, however, there was gratitude… with just a dash of venom.
“My satisfaction is that at least I tried to accomplish the impossible, and not too many people do that,” he said. “So if people want to remember me more as an attraction, then I’m glad I could provide that much entertainment over the years.”
I just hope he saved some good stuff for his Canastota speech, too.
See ya in 2014, Oscar.

A Golden Parachute For The Golden Boy?

2009-04-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

By the time some of you read this, Oscar De La Hoya will be gone.
At least that’s the bated breath guess from the BoxingScene.com bureau in Gainesville, Fla. – home of the defending BCS national champions, by the way – where the rest of Gator Nation isn’t exactly expected to grind to a halt while waiting for the up or down word from Golden Boy HQ.
Tim Tebow… maybe. But not Oscar.
At any rate, “His Oscarness” is scheduled to go live with future plans at noon Pacific time, when he’ll announce either a farewell or a welcome back in much the same way Ray Leonard pulled it off more than two decades ago in Landover, Md.
Documentaries have shown how that night at the old Cap Center contributed to the antipathy one Marvin Hagler had for Sugar Ray, feeling he and his team were duped into attending the gala under the guise that Leonard would be announcing a challenge, rather than an exit.
Obviously, Ray’s retirement ended up being only temporary. In fact, he fought seven more times in the subsequent 15 years, including a still-debated 12-round split-decision win over Hagler – I had it 115-113 Leonard – on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Oscar’s extravaganza figures to be anti-climactic in comparison, seeing how his best days are clearly behind him and his last actual in-ring performance – on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand – ended in an on-the-stool surrender that few outside Manny Pacquiao’s guarded compound had predicted.
So, if he exits for good, well… so what?
He’s been a part-timer for quite a while anyway, lacing them up just four times since another Nevada surrender, errr… sorry, I meant legitimate KO loss… to Bernard Hopkins in 2004 after a well-placed – albeit hardly devastating-looking – left hand to the body.
And, if he comes back, well… why?
Though the loss to Pacquiao has been blamed at least to some extent on a dubious pre-fight weight loss that sapped his natural advantages in size and strength, there’s really little else for De La Hoya to prove were he to announce plans to stay in the game.
Another trip to 147 pounds is off-limits physically. Few of the names campaigning at 154 pounds inspire the sort of pay-per-view zeal that would make it worthwhile. And another trip to 160, where guys like Pavlik and Abraham have the same size edges Hopkins had, seems useless as well.
So, unless he’s got a bombshell planned – and no, fighting Julio Cesar Chavez’s peach-fuzz faced kid doesn’t qualify as one – I instead expect a few tears, a few regrets and a few winning smiles en route to an official end to his in-ring career… followed within seconds by a promotional reminder that the sport’s next big event, Pacquiao-Hatton, is available on PPV for $49.95 on May 2 and the second installment of Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 will premiere April 18 at 9:30 p.m.
I only hope he doesn’t start singing again.

Whether He Fights or Retires, Oscar Remains The Story

2009-04-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

With a thin boxing week ahead of us, Oscar de la Hoya couldn’t have picked a better time to host a press conference to discuss the next step in his Hall of Fame career. A grand total of two cards grace stateside television sets this weekend. Both are quality events; neither stands a chance of becoming the talk around town this week. Perhaps it, along with everything else going on in the boxing world in the next few days, is further proof that no matter how hard we try to look toward the future, we refuse to move on from the past. At approximately noontime on Tuesday, inquiring minds will cram into a conference room in downtown Los Angeles in anticipation of what Oscar de la Hoya to say. There has been much speculation as to what will be announced. The smart money is on retirement, though also lingering are the possibilities that he fights again (perhaps the media’s way of reading too much into his presently walking around at 152 lb.), or even a repeat of a conference call held in the summer of 2006, when he decided to announce that there was nothing to announce. Whatever he has to say, all eyes and ears will be affixed on the Golden Boy. It’s a week where we could be talking about Showtime’s upcoming Shobox event. Headlining the show is Yuriorkis Gamboa, the precocious undefeated featherweight who’s already made a career out of outpacing his fellow prospects by a considerable margin. Even by his own high standards, the leap he takes this weekend is a giant one, when he faces two-time title challenger Jose “Cheo” Rojas in Primm, Nevada (Friday, 11PM ET/PT). A title of sorts is at stake, with the very politics behind it enough to give writers a fresh (or at least rehashed) angle to discuss the fight.
Instead, the story line remains all about Oscar’s next move.
One night later, a terrific flyweight battle takes place between top titlist Nonito Donaire and undefeated challenger Raul Martinez, live from Manila, Philippines (Saturday, 9PM ET, Top Rank PPV). For your $24.95, you also get a solid co-feature in long-reigning junior flyweight titlist Ulises “Archie” Solis defending against former champ and 2000 US Olympian Brian Viloria.
In other news, the boxing world awaits Oscar’s next move.
Outside the ropes, there are a slew of press conferences spread around the country. It’s a rare week where the number of significant cards is outnumbered by the number of notable press conferences, which is all you need to know about how thin a schedule we’re looking until at least next weekend.
None will garner even a fraction of the attention that will be spent on what’s going on in downtown Los Angeles come Tuesday afternoon.
In New York, Bob Arum will host a media event to formally announce the June 13 welterweight alphabet unification match between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey. More so than the major welterweight crossroads bout is the reunion of Cotto and a New York City weekend that houses his fight at Madison Square Garden and the Puerto Rican Day Parade after skipping the party in 2008.
Also of note is Clottey in a notable bout, against a top welterweight actually willing to fight him. It’s been an extensive study at the school of hard knocks for the transplanted Ghanaian, who’s served for years as the best fighter nobody wants to face.
Another welterweight has replaced him in that regard in recent years – Paul Williams, who just fought and convincingly won this weekend against faded former lineal junior middleweight king Winky Wright.His difficulty securing challenges even in expanding his range to three weight class was well documented, and his one-sided performance over Wright made him the story of the night.
But the story of the day surrounded a makeshift roundtable discussion held by de la Hoya the afternoon prior, basically revealing as much as he would later that night on Friday Night Fights, which is to say nothing at all. But far be it from any news outlet to pass up on the opportunity to report that spoke with Oscar de la Hoya, even if it’s to mention that nothing of substance was ever revealed.
Much like the story of Tuesday afternoon will be Oscar de la Hoya. It’s what will be on the minds of those who will instead be assigned to cover the Cotto-Clottey press conference three hours earlier and some 3,000 miles away in New York.
It’s what will be on the minds of those who are instead assigned to travel to Oakland to cover a press conference announcing the May 16 showdown between undefeated 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward and former middleweight contender Edison Miranda.
It’s because, love him or loathe him, Oscar de la Hoya has been the story for more than a decade. On his way up, he was often found on the undercards of Roy Jones and James Toney. He even fought on the long anticipated super fight between Roy Jones and James Toney, a fight to determine pound-for-pound supremacy.
Jones won the fight and for a long time boasted physical gifts unmatched by anyone in the industry. Unfortunately for the long-reigning pound-for-pound king, it came at a time when Oscar’s popularity was unparalleled in the industry. From 1995 onward, he became a regular HBO and pay-per-view headliner. Four high-profile bouts marked a breakthrough year that nabbed him Fighter of the Year honors in many circles, and boxing’s newest Golden Boy has never looked back.
The welterweight division boasted at the top during the 1990’s the likes of Pernell Whitaker and then-undefeated titlists Felix Trinidad and Ike Quartey, as formidable a top-three as any other division.
For years there existed speculation over who would be the last man standing if a dream round robin ever transpired. For years, such fights were limited to mythical matchups.
Then along came Oscar, who fought all three. The biggest complaint was the decisions that came about in Oscar’s fights against the big three, all of which could’ve gone either way. Controversial decisions are a regrettable part of the sport, but the fact that there was a fight at all to discuss certainly beats what was – or actually wasn’t – going on in the division prior to his 1997 arrival.
The only matchup to materialize that wouldn’t include Oscar was Felix Trinidad’s win over Pernell Whitaker in 1999, at least two years well after the fact. It would eventually lead to a Trinidad-de la Hoya showdown, the second time in his career in which Oscar would participate in a fight designed to determine pound-for-pound supremacy.
He would lose the fight, though in a decision that few to this day believe deserved to go against him. But a more significant mark that stood for nearly eight years was his flex at the box office – more than 1.4 million viewers purchasing the event, a non-heavyweight record at the time.
In 2007, he would own the overall pay-per-view record outright. A huge marketing push helped bolster de la Hoya to new heights, with his split decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr generating over 2.4 million buys and more than $130 million in pay-per-revenue when all was said and done.
The bout came a year after his return to the sport following a 20-month hiatus. His knockout of Ricardo Mayorga drew a home viewing audience of 925,000, with the night described by ringside commentator Jim Lampley as “a much needed shot in the arm” for the sport of boxing, which was waning in popularity during his absence.
It took for the mammoth beatdown at the hands of Manny Pacquiao last December for the sport to finally consider moving on from Oscar de la Hoya. Regardless of how many times he lost, how we won or lost, or the entertainment value (or lack thereof) to be found in his events, there was always something else to discuss if it meant fitting in one more Oscar de la Hoya-themed headline.
From the time he captured Olympic Gold until that dreadful night in Las Vegas late last year, he has remained the story.
In a boxing week that runs considerably thin compared to most, the sport will be the main topic of discussion for at least another day come Tuesday afternoon.
That’s because for at least another day, he will remain the story.

Floyd Mayweather Jr Told Me "No" - Says Shane Mosley

2009-04-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

According to WBA welterweight champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley, a possible fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not an option in the near future. Speaking with Brent Matteo Alderson of BoxingScene.com, Mosley said that he personally spoke with Mayweather, who told him that he wasn't interested in the fight, at least for now. For several weeks, Mayweather has been rumored to be in training for a ring return by September.
"I've talked to Floyd personally and he said that he really don't want to fight me right now, so maybe he wants to do a couple of tuneups and then take a fight with me," Mosley.
There are other options for Mosley, but Paul Williams is not one of them. A few weeks ago, Mosley was pretty honest and said that he didn't want a fight with Williams. After sitting ringside last Saturday in Las Vegas and watching Williams dominate Winky Wright, Mosley is not exactly changing his mind. He is still set on fighting the winner of the May 2 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton, or a possible rematch with Miguel Cotto.
"[Paul Williams] is not really an option for me. I'm thinking about fighting Pacquiao or either Hatton or maybe Cotto. I'm looking for the mega-fights right now, and those are the mega-fights for me today," Mosley said.

Nonito Donaire, Brian Viloria Are Ready For War

2009-04-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (20-1, 13 KO’s)and former WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria (24-2, 14 KO’s) are ready for war in “The Flash and The Furious” fight card at the famed Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.
But their opponents, undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez (24-0, 14 KO’s) of San Antonio , Texas and Mexico ’s IBF light flyweight champion Ulises Solis (28-1-2, 20 KO’s) are equally determined to wage war and by the looks of it, could give Donaire and Viloria a really rough time.
Donaire and Viloria worked out for around two hours at the “Punch Out” gym in Makati City on Tuesday morning while Martinez arrived shortly after noon and had a comparatively light workout which included shadow boxing, skipping rope, battering the heavy bag and honing his reflexes on the double-end bag. Solis jogged around the Rizal Park in the morning and didn’t show up at the gym.
Donaire went eleven rounds on the punch-mitts until former two-division world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa quit. Donaire showed incredible hand-speed and whipped off six-seven punches in a row, accentuated by a stinging left hook.
Having recently watched some videos of the late, great Gabriel “Flash” Elorde at dinner in our home, Donaire who was awed by Elorde’s classic style duplicated some of his moves when working with Penalosa, slipping easily into a southpaw stance, throwing combinations and moving in a style reminiscent of the former world junior lightweight champion and Hall-of-Famer.
Donaire said what he picked up from watching the Elorde tape “that’s my secret. Its another technique, another style in my arsenal.”
Donaire said his speed would make the difference and his four months of training would help him. He weighed four pounds over the 112 pound limit but that’s where he wanted to be at this stage in his preparation although Martinez after his workout checked in at 111 ½ pounds, unofficially.
Responding to a statement by Martinez that he won’t leave the decision up to the judges, Donaire flashed back “I don’t see it either. I don’t like going to decisions . If it must go that way so be it but I try not to.”
Donaire said “I am confident in my ability, he is confident in his ability. That’s fine. May the best man win. But I know that my title is going to stay where it is.”
A confident Viloria realizes that this is probably his last chance to regain the world title has trained some three months which in his words translated into “being in the best shape I’ve ever been in my career.” Viloria acknowledged that Solis is one of the best light flyweights in the world and promised “it will be a war. I know that.”
He said his game-plan is “to be aggressive” and to bring back the old time Viloria. At the same time Viloria said he was prepared to go twelve rounds if he had to saying “I have no worries about my stamina. Its just me being smart in the ring, being aggressive and taking the fight to him.”
Viloria said he believes he has “all the tools to win this fight. I have the speed, I have the power, I have the aggressiveness, I have the smarts and the focus. For the past year and a half I had to crawl my way back to the top and that made me a hungrier fighter. Now it’s a big test for me and I am so excited about this fight.
Martinez said he had a light workout “because all my hard work has been done already. I feel a little tired because my body is getting used to the time difference but I’ll be ready for the fight” although the humidity which was “ten times worse than in San Antonio”.
Asked what kind of a fight he was looking forward to, Martinez jokingly answered “I am looking forward to an easy fight but I know its not going to be. Nonito is a great champion and I know he’s a tough fighter so I expect a war and I’m ready for that.”
Martinez whose left hook smashed into the heavy bag said “that’s one of my signature punches but at the same time I have everything. Don’t think its just my left hook.”

"The Fast and The Furious" Officials Are Named

2009-04-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Former amateur and professional light middleweight boxer Pete Podgorski of Chicago has been named by the IBF as referee for the flyweight title fight between Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Raul “Cobra” Martinez on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.
A former member of the US National boxing team Podgorski compiled a professional record of 22-15 with 16 knockouts and has refereed scores of big fights including those of heavyweight John Ruiz, Nate Campbell, Jorge Paez Jr, Abner Mares as well as Vic Darchinyan in his IBF/IBO title defense against Mzukisi Sikali which Darchinyan won by a sixth round TKO in Sydney, Australia in 2005.
Podgorski also refereed the August 4, 2007 fight of Filipino lightweight Mercito Gesta who scored a six round unanimous decision over Carlos Madrid in Rosemont , Illinois .
The three judges are Muhammad Rois of Indonesia who officiated when Florante Condes won the IBF minimum weight title from Muhammad Rachman in Jakarta and scored the fight for the Indonesian 117-113 despite his being knocked down in rounds 3 and 10 while the two other judges, Salven Lagumbay of the Philippines and Montol Suriyachand of Thailand had Condes the winner 114-112.
The two other judges for the Donaire-Martinez fight are Larry Hazzard Jr, son of the former New Jersey commissioner whose removal was bitterly criticized and who now reportedly works as a consultant to IBF president Marian Muhammad and Australia ’s respected John Wright.
IBF Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker informed BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that well-known and highly regarded international referee Bruce McTavish of New Zealand who resides in Angeles City has been picked to referee the IBF light flyweight title fight between champion Ulises Solis and former WBC champion Brian Viloria.
McTavish is a fixture in Philippine boxing and has been regularly chosen to officiate the big fights in the Asia-Pacific region because of his unblemished record and his fairness.
Rois and Wright will also serve as judges along with Thailand ’s Yongsak Na Songkla.
The officials supervisor for the title fights is the renowned Australian Ray Wheatley

Oscar De La Hoya Retires From Boxing

2009-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

At a press conference held earlier today in Los Angeles, former six division champion Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30KOs) announced his retirement from the sport of boxing. De La Hoya has generated more money than any other fighter in the history of the sport, and his storybook career began when he won a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic games.
Since his pro debut, De La Hoya, 36, captured titles at 130, 135, 140, 147, 154 and 160. Over the years, De La Hoya's age began to catch up with his and he lost four of his last seven fights, including a one-sided eight round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao last December in Las Vegas. After the loss to Pacquiao, De La Hoya told Manny's trainer Freddie Roach - "I don't have it anymore."
De La Hoya owns one the largest promotional companies in the sport, Golden Boy Promotions.

Donaire vs. Martinez - Raul Will Show No Fear

2009-04-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

Raul Martinez (24-0, 14KOs) has no fear of the very hostile crowd when he steps in the ring against hometown hero Nonito Donaire (20-1, 13KOs) at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. The fight takes place on Saturday night with Top Rank pay-per-view televising.
Speaking with Michael Doss of BoxingScene.com, the native of San Antonio, Texas said the crowd will not be able to help Donaire. Once they step in the ring, there will only be two men. The crowd will not be able to fight the fight and he won't pay attention to the crowd. Martinez wants to return to the United States with the IBF/IBO flyweight titles around his waist.
"As an amateur I traveled all over the world, so I got a little taste of that. I'm not fighting his people. I'm not fighting the crowd. I'm fighting him. I'm sparring him, I'm not sparring the crowd. I'm going in, I'm coming in to fight him and take those titles," Martinez said.
Martinez feels the moment is right and everything has fallen into place for the fight. Donaire has a two inch height advantage, but their reach is the same at 68-inches. Donaire did not look too good in his last fight, and it was the only fight he took part in for the entire twelve month period of 2008. Martinez fought four times in 2008, stopping his last opponent Victor Proa (26-0) in a single round.
"My weight is good. My conditioning is good. I'm going over there to do an upset. I have 24 fights. I have a good amateur background. I feel that I have a great trainer and a good stable at my gym. I feel confident that we can do something out there and come back as the world champ. I'm going to another level and I'm going to be around for a long time," Martinez said.

Hatton Says Pacquiao Will Be The Outsider in Vegas

2009-04-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

The stature of Ricky Hatton is starting to grow by leaps and bounds in America. No longer an uknown, Hatton is starting to get mobbed when he walks the streets of Las Vegas, where he is currently training under Floyd Mayweather Sr. Hatton takes on Manny Pacquiao on May 2 at the MGM Grand. While Pacquiao has found a second home in Hollywood, California - Ricky has become a local in Las Vegas. He predicts that his fans who will travel from across the ocean, along with the locals in Las Vegas, will treat him like the hometown fighter and Pacquiao like the outsider.
"Everybody seems to know me here," said Hatton to Steve Bunce of The Guardian. "It's impossible to try and go about my business in private and that suits me - it is just like back home in Manchester. The taxi drivers, the waitresses in restaurants, the croupiers in the casinos and even the barmen know me."
Hatton is fighting in Las Vegas for the fifth time in his career. He would have liked to fight in Los Angeles or New York, but the big money of the Vegas casinos continues to draw him back to the city of bright lights and big dreams.
"There was a suggestion that I would fight in LA or New York but the money men in Vegas want me and that suits me," added Hatton.
"It was the Floyd Mayweather fight that helped me turn the corner with the people here. They saw me in that fight and they liked what they saw and that is why they are so kind to me. Now it's like my second home and the people treat me just like I was at home. When we get in the ring he will feel like the visitor and I expect to feel like the home fighter."

Mayweather vs. Marquez Negotiations Stalled on Weight

2009-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

According to Nacho Beristain, trainer and manager of WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, a potential September meeting between Marquez and a returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. is in trouble due to weight. Mayweather's team has been negotiating with Golden Boy Promotions to make the fight, but the talks have hit a wall over the weight. Mayweather wants the fight to take place at the welterweight limit of 147, and Marquez, still at 135, is not willing to move up that high in weight. Marquez feels that anything above 140-pounds will put him at a huge disadvantage.
Beristain told ESTO that Marquez will return in September, in Las Vegas. Recently Marquez was being called out by WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero. Beristain tells the paper that Marquez has "no interest in fighting Valero."
In something very odd for a number of reasons, Beristain told the paper that Marquez could end up in a fight with Erik Morales at 140 - if they can't finalize a fight with Mayweather. Morales has been retired since August of 2007. Mayweather has been away since December 2007, but Morales lost his last four fights and Floyd is undefeated.
Over the last two years, Morales has promised a return to the ring, and called for a fight with Marquez. The return never happened and Morales looked very heavy during a recent public appearance. A few months back he promised a ring return by July. He appeared to be weighing at least 160-pounds, and it's likely he could lose the weight by September but what does Marquez gain by beating him?

Khan vs. Kotelnik is The Right Fight - Says Warren

2009-04-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Promoter Frank Warren says Andreas Kotelnik is the right opponent at the right time for UK lightweight star Amir Khan.
Khan moves up to junior welterweight to challenge Kotelnik for the WBA title at London’s O2 Arena on June 27.
"Boxing is all about making the right fights at the right time, and that’s why I’ve delivered Amir Khan a world title opportunity at light welterweight. I had to make a big decision about Amir's future this week, but I’m confident he has the ability and tools to beat WBA light-welter champion Andreas Kotelnik," Warren said.
There has been some question regarding Khan's move to 140, when there are several possible opponents at lightweight. Warren says the opponent he would have liked was Juan Manuel Marquez, who holds the WBO title.
"People will ask why we’ve done this when Amir has just beaten Marco Antonio Barrera to become WBO No 1 at lightweight. But WBO champion Juan Manuel Marquez has big fights lined up and I didn’t want Amir sitting around having to wait. Amir’s at his best when he’s involved in a meaningful fight, and facing a genuine world champion in a new weight division will be a real test," Warren said.
"The Ukrainian has never been on the floor or stopped, and his two losses have been narrow, debatable ones at championship level against Junior Witter and Souleymane M’Baye. He is probably best remembered here for stopping the undefeated Gavin Rees last Easter to win his WBA world title, and he’s made two defences since then. Believe me, he’s a live one."
Warren says Khan could return to lightweight in the future, but there are possible big fights at 140 as well.
"Although this fight is made at 140 pounds, there may be opportunities for Khan at 135 pounds as well. But just as the lightweight division is packed with talent, things are pretty hot at light-welterweight as well. Timothy Bradley, who beat Witter, now holds the WBO and WBC world titles, while former Ricky Hatton victim Juan Urango is IBF champ," Warren said.
"And, of course, you’ve got the Hitman himself, who fights Manny Pacquiao in May. Khan-Hatton could be a classic further down the road."

Hatton Needs Marquez Touch To Beat Manny, Says Roach

2009-04-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

According to trainer Freddie Roach, the way to give Manny Pacquiao the most trouble is to have a strategy and style like Juan Manuel Marquez, and Ricky Hatton is not the fighter to have it. Hatton challenges Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas. Roach tells Gareth Davies of The Telegraph that Pacquiao will not stand in front of Hatton. They plan to use speed and movement to work Hatton over.
Roach admits that Hatton will be the bigger and stronger guy by the time the two fighters step in the ring, but he will need a lot more than that to beat Pacquiao.
"To stand in front of Ricky, that's not our plan. The best way to fight Manny is the way [Juan Manuel] Marquez fought him. I expect Ricky to be better than Oscar [De La Hoya] was at this point. He is younger, fresher. We'll make the weight a lot easier. Then again Ricky will be the bigger guy. But bigger and stronger does not win fights," Roach said
"Manny's abilities to bounce laterally are key. Yes, he feared Oscar for three rounds. The bigger, stronger guy. If you stand in front of Ricky Hatton, he'll have success. We can't use the exact same strategy as we did against Oscar. Hatton is more adaptable. And maybe he won't be so aggressive against Manny. Maybe he will have been instilled with things from Floyd Mayweather."
He says at some point the bout will become a fight.
"I know how to fight Manny Pacquiao, and what styles trouble him. Boxers don't give him trouble. Marquez, yes, but he's just smart. He goes with the flow. Thinks his way through. Manny's not like that. Ricky's not like that. Ricky gets hit - he wants to fight. Manny gets hit - he wants to fight. They revert back to what the do best. If you hit Manny, he claps his hands together and away he goes," Roach said.

Oscar De La Hoya Staying Quiet On The Big Decision

2009-04-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Former six division champion Oscar De La Hoya is keeping quiet on the big decision that he plans to announce during a press conference on April 14 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. De La Hoya will either announce his retirement or a future date for a final return to the ring. One thing is for sure, De La Hoya's decision will be his own, and not based on how his wife or anyone else feels.
"My decision is solely based on how I feel, not on how Richard (Schaefer) feels, and not on how my wife feels," De La Hoya said to the Associated Press . "I've had input from tons of people. Obviously I'm going to pay more attention to people who are closest to me, but I literally was asking people in the street: 'Should I retire or should I continue? Enjoy your family.' That was my No. 1 response from most people."
Some feel De La Hoya has continued his career for the last few years to keep his promotional company on top. He says that is no longer the case and the company can run on it's own.
"There's no pressure whatsoever," De La Hoya said. "Golden Boy Promotions is a machine on its own. It's a company that is paving the way towards the future of the sport, and we don't need the Hopkinses or the Mosleys or the De La Hoyas to rely on."
While De La Hoya sounds like a man who is ready to retire, he also gives hints of a final fight at junior middleweight.
"If I'm weighing 154 up in that ring, I can be a beast," De La Hoya said. "I'm not trying to be 152. I'm eating great. I just lost a lot of muscle mass. Something went wrong (against Manny Pacquiao)."
"If I did decide to retire, I'm content with my career," De La Hoya said. "I'm content with what I've accomplished. As an athlete who's very competitive, you always want more, but in the back of your mind you start thinking about all the wins and what you've accomplished for the sport. That's what makes it so difficult. You think, 'I can still do this."'

Hatton vs. Khan at 140? Close Source Says Never

2009-04-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

There appears to be a lot of speculation in the UK that Amir Khan, based on his shocking move to junior welterweight, is trying to position himself in the direction of a mega-fight with superstar countryman Ricky Hatton. In the past Khan has spoken about the possibility of fighting Hatton one day in the future, and appeared confident that his style would present "The Hitman" with too many problems to overcome.
Hatton has also discussed the fight in the past and told reporters that Amir would never get to him in time. He plans to retire in the near future, while Khan is still very young and building up his name.
Some things never change.
A source close to Hatton spoke with The Sun about the brewing speculation that Khan is making moves to land a fight with Hatton. The source rehashed Hatton's exact thoughts, stating that Amir would never get to Ricky in time. Another issue is the promotional rights. Khan is promoted by Frank Warren, who had a bad falling out with Hatton a few years ago. Hatton is now promoting himself, at least in the UK, under his Punch Promotions banner.
“At the moment, Ricky intends to be retired long before Amir Khan reaches his level. For a start there’s age and experience as, at 22, Khan is still trying to become a world champion while Ricky, at 30, has been operating at the highest level for years. Ricky has a gameplan for his retirement and he is sticking to it, before he becomes a promoter in his own right. Those plans definitely do not include a bout with Khan.
“There are all sorts of issues that would make the fight impossible as far as he is concerned, not least who would promote the contest. Ricky is fighting under his own banner of the promotional company he has formed called Punch. Why would he want anyone else to promote one of his fights?”
Hatton faces Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas. Khan challenges Andrea Kotelnik for the WBA 140-pound title on June 27 in the UK.

Pacquiao Goes Nine With Antillon, Serrano, Rodela

2009-04-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, preparing in earnest for his eagerly-awaited showdown with IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, has pleased his training staff in a terrific closed-door sparring session at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Celebrated trained Freddie Roach, assistant trainer and former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer himself a southpaw like Pacquiao and a defensive specialist, and training expert Alex Ariza were involved in the workout along with Filipinos Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Ariza said Roach closed down the gym and “only those directly associated with boxing were allowed in. There was nobody else in there.”
Aside from the training staff the only others allowed inside were Pacquiao’s sparring partners and their trainers which, Ariza said, helped Pacquiao “put on his best performance we have seen yet.”
Pacquiao sparred a total of nine rounds beginning with undefeated lightweight Urbano Antillon (25-0, 18 KO’s) who had crushed Pacquiao’s younger brother Bobby in one round and is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBC. He then went three rounds with undefeated light welterweight Hector “Teco” Serrano (8-0, 3 KO’s) from Huntington Park, California and wound up going three more rounds with former sparring partner David Rodela (12—1-2, 6 KO’s) who has won 10 and drawn 1 in his last 11 fights. Rodela, a super featherweight is known for his quickness.
He said both Roach and Moorer were clearly impressed because Pacquiao “did everything to the T according to the game-plan” drawn up by Roach with inouts from Moorer.
Ariza said Pacquiao’s “conditioning and work-rate is unbelievable” and “there were no distractions” which proved to be a big help.
Newly crowned WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero who won the title Pacquiao relinquished continued his undefeated streak with a second round demolition of the ageing Antonio Pitalua to register his 25th knockout victory is now getting ambitious.
Valero says he is targeting Pacquiao or Hatton. BBC Sports quoted Valero as stating that “if Manny Pacquiao or Hatton give me an opportunity I would consider moving up (to 140 pounds) and fighting them. This is the beginning of big things." The brash Venezuelan insists " No man can take my punch.”
But promoter Bob Arum has other ideas. Since WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez has been consistently chasing a third showdown with Pacquiao, the astute promoter has told Marquez to first get by Valero before eyeing Pacquiao.
In fact Valero was quoted by BBC Sport as saying Marquez “is a little better than any of the others (Pacquiao and Hatton). If it was up to me I would want that fight (Marquez) but it is up to the promoters Arum and Golden Boy to make it happen.”

Hatton Will Crack Pacquiao Like an Egg, Says Floyd

2009-04-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, NEV - Renowned trainer FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR. who is training junior welterweight champion RICKY HATTON for his bout against pound-for-pound king MANNY PACQUIAO, had some choice words for Pacquiao's trainer FREDDIE ROACH in response to claims that Pacquiao will part Hatton from his world title on May 2 in "The Battle of East and West," which will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to determine the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"Ricky is going to crack Manny like an egg," Mayweather, Sr. said. "Freddie the joke coach Roach is counting his chickens before they hatch by thinking that Manny is going to succeed in his hunt for Ricky's titles, but there will be no resurrection in the ring for him that night.
"The evening of May 2 will be Manny's last supper as number one pound-for-pound fighter," continued Mayweather Sr. "Ricky's victory will be as sweet as Easter candy as he defends his world titleand there'sno doubt in my mind that Ricky will hippity, hoppity all the home."

Roach Still Mulling Over Final Decision To Train Margarito

2009-04-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach advised BoxingScene.com that he was still mulling over a final decision as to whether or not he would actually become the new trainer of Antonio Margarito, once the boxer is again eligible to fight. Margarito called Roach about two weeks ago and asked the veteran trainer to take him on.
Margarito in February had his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for being caught with illegal hand wraps prior to his Jan. 24 welterweight title defense against "Sugar" Shane Mosley, in which Margarito was stopped in the ninth round at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Margarito is eligible to apply for a new license a year from the date his license was revoked, which was Feb. 10. Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, also had his license revoked during the same February hearing in Van Nuys, Calif.
"We had a brief conversation and I told him I would think about it," Roach said via telephone from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where he is training Manny Pacquiao for his May 2 fight against Ricky Hatton. "But that's as far as it went."
Margarito is currently appealing his revocation with the idea of getting the decision overturned. Roach said he would not train Margarito to fight in Mexico or any other country outside the U.S. during the 12 month-period that began in February.
"No, that would be a slap in the face to the California commission," Roach said. "And I think that if he did fight in Mexico, he would never get licensed again in the United States."
Ironically, one of Roach's fighters, Rashad Holloway, had suffered a fractured orbital bone during a sparring session with Margarito. After Margarito was caught with the illegal wraps prior to the Mosley fight, Roach had some harsh words to say about Margarito and Capetillo.
"I said if he knew and Capetillo knew (about the hardened inserts in the wraps), they should be banned for life." Roach said.
“But Margarito said he didn't know. He seems like a stand-up guy. I want to believe him. I think I would know if it happened to me. It's a hard decision to make. Rashad Holloway did have a broken eye socket and I would like to believe it was normal. But then with what happened in the (Mosley) fight, you never know. If I did take him over, there would be no bullsh*t.”

Penalosa, Roach Are Confident That Juanma Will Go Down

2009-04-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa and trainer Freddie Roach are confident of breaking the ubeaten streak of WBO super bantamweight champ Juan Manuel Lopez on April 25 in Puerto Rico. Penalosa is training with Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California.
Penalosa says that Roach's current camp with Manny Pacquiao has not caused any issues for his training time.
"I can fight tomorrow if necessary. So I feel good for what will be the most important fight of my career. Freddie is a demanding trainer and well disciplined. During the morning, he works with me with my preparation for the fight, and in the evening he works with Manny Pacquiao. That has worked very well so far and he will be in my corner. I feel confident that I can beat Lopez," Penalosa told Primera Hora.
Roach says Lopez is a pretty solid fighter, but he sees several weak points. He and Penalosa have a plan to exploit those weaknesses in the ring. He feels that if Penalosa survives the early rounds, he will have a much bigger chance to win as the fight goes on.
"Gerry has worked hard in the gym and we already have our plan for what is going to be a great fight," Roach said. "We know that Lopez is a guy who starts strong and fast. He doesn't have a lot of weaknesses, but we have seen several things and we will try to work on those during the fight."
"Lopez is going to come forward and be aggressive, so Gerry will have to use his experience. I have no doubt that as the rounds go on, Lopez will start to slow down and then we will get him."

Has The Media Overblown The Antonio Margarito Scandal?

2009-04-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Recently one of the sport’s beat writers commented that members of the media were overly critical of Antonio Margarito because they hadn’t bought into his prowess as a fighter and used the incident with the wraps to validate their original opinion of him in order appease their own egos. This writer also wrote that certain journalists were quick to disparage Margarito in an attempt to devalue the writers that held the Mexican slugger in high regard. Talk about some baloney, hasn’t everyone heard of Dempsey-Willard?
Jack Dempsey tore Jesse Willard apart in three rounds and gave the 6’6 giant, who outweighed him by more than fifty pounds, a beating that lasted a life time.
During the course of the three brutal rounds, Dempsey shattered Willard’s cheek bone in twelve places, fractured his jaw in thirteen places and cracked two ribs.
Willard could never internalize how Dempsey was able to give him such a comprehensive ass-whipping and in 1964 when Sports Illustrated printed Doc Kearn’s confession that he had indeed laced Dempsey’s glove with a plaster of Paris type substance, an 80 year old Jess Willard commented “I’m glad Kearns finally admitted it. I’ve been saying that for forty-five years but nobody would believe me. They thought I was just a loser complaining. My jaw is still caved in from the beating I got.”
Although the two combatants had put their gloves on in the ring and numerous witnesses of unquestionable integrity had verified that the gloves hadn’t been tampered with, the allegation conjured up debate that has lasted almost a hundred years.
That’s because the very idea of applying a substance that would render a fighter’s fists more lethal than their opponents not only obliterates the very spirit of competition that makes boxing so great, but also exponentially increases the health risks that the boxing establishment has tried so hard to reduce.
The writers that have defended Margarito in spite of the lab reports are really the ones that have an ulterior motive.
Those writers don’t want to winkle the feathers of the sport’s power brokers and yearn to gain the company’s favor by supporting Margarito even though they should be condemning him.
At least it’s understandable why Top Rank is supporting Margarito. The Mexican slugger turned professional at the age of fifteen and started out his career with a mediocre 9-3 record and had to fight his way to the top.
Nobody gave Margarito a thing. He wasn’t charismatic or good looking and didn’t fight with the type of pizzazz that brings young pugilists notoriety.
He just went out and fought hard and worked his way to the top. He was a blue collar guy through and through.
And when he finally did achieve a certain type of prominence, guys like De La Hoya, Mosley, and Mayweather wouldn’t fight him and he had to fight guerrillas like Joshua Clottey and an undefeated Kermit Cintron.
Through everything, all the obstacles and hurdles, he was loyal to Top Rank and they were loyal to him and Arum maintained a stead-fast belief in Margarito despite his losses to Daniel Santos and Paul Williams.
And after all the sacrifices, Top Rank and Antonio finally arrived at the light, at the end of the tunnel, when he ascended to the top of the boxing world with his now questionable destruction of Miguel Cotto.
In finally achieving fistic success the two had shared the greatest path of all - that of redemption and triumph. As a result, what happened the night of January 24 in the Staples Center has put the Las Vegas based promotional outfit in a compromised position.
I’m not trying to disparage Top Rank. Bob Arum is the best promoter in the world. Top Rank always keeps their fighters active and always provides them with valuable television exposure.
Nobody in the business can take an amateur standout and develop them into a star quite like Arum. The manner in which he guided the careers of Michael Carbajal, Oscar De La Hoya, and Miguel Cotto was near-genius because he matched them in a way that not only developed their marketability, but their talent as well
Arum and the people at Top Rank have to realize that this situation is completely different. At this moment their unyielding support of Margarito isn’t virtuous, but viral, because they aren’t backing the Margarito that embodies the traits of the blue collar worker - they are supporting a fighter that was going to cheat in order to win a prize fight.
Right now Antonio Margarito is like a blue collar worker that stole money out of the cash register and not the quiet, hard working, unassuming professional he’s been throughout his career.
So far both Top Rank and Margarito have uncharacteristically handled the situation in an unprofessional manner by seemingly taking the offensive against the California State Athletic Commission. The company has hired superstar attorney Daniel Petrocelli and Arum has already stated that Margarito would disregard the one year suspension and fight in another country if it was enforced.
That was before the lab results confirmed that "plaster of Paris elements" were present in Margarito's hand wraps before has due to step in the ring with Shane Mosley.
More recently at the Latin Fury card in Tijuana Top Rank representative Lee Samuels stated that they still hadn’t seen the commission’s lab results, “We need to see the evidence, we haven’t seen it.”
Later on in the evening, in the hotel, another Top Rank representative, Ricardo Jimenez, commented, “Margarito didn’t really commit a crime because he never entered the ring with those wraps, he didn’t do anything.”
I hope Top Rank doesn’t try to vindicate Margarito through a series of legal maneuvers and try to get him off on a technicality. Top Rank has the resources to start an official inquiry designed to question the validity of the process used in the confiscation of the wraps or they could go another route and choose to defend Margarito from the premise that he actually never entered the ring with illegal wraps.
Unfortunately, it seems as if they are going to go down that path and contest the one year suspension.
I bumped into Margarito in Tijuana and asked him if he had noticed any type of substance on his wraps and asked him if his trainer, Javier Capetillo, had done it without his knowledge, and the Mexican fighter who has always exuded class, took the route that people without class usually take, “I can’t say anything, talk to my lawyer. I can’t talk about it; you are going to have to speak with my lawyer.”
Basically it comes down to two possibilities. (1) Margarito’s trainer applied the substance without his knowledge or (2) they both knew. That’s it, two possibilities, plain and simple. Cut and dry.
And if Margarito is innocent, he should proclaim his innocence, talk to the different media outlets, volunteer to take a lie detector test, and publicly question his trainer because if he was ignorant about what happened - then Cepatillo endangered his career as well as his reputation and deserves to be vilified and needs to be suspended for at least a ten year period, if not for life.
In my opinion, Margarito is probably innocent and should do what’s right and wait out his year suspension and come back in 2010. Ignorance isn’t always bliss and there’s definitely some negligence on his part for not noticing the substance and a year suspension seems more than fair.
For his part in the fight with Billy Collins, Luis Resto served two and a half years in prison and was banned from boxing for life.
Fighting in Mexico and circumventing the CSAC's decision would negatively impact Margarito’s image as well as the sport’s. At the end of the day someone needs to take responsibility for what happened.

Hatton Learned From De La Hoya's Mistake With Pacquiao

2009-04-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

With less than a month to the May 2 clash with Manny Pacquiao, the once-beaten Ricky Hatton is only ten-pounds above the junior welterweight limit and doesn't plan to make the same mistake as his promoter and close friend Oscar De La Hoya. Last year, De La Hoya drained himself to get down to the agreed upon weight of 147 for the December fight with Pacquiao. Over the last few years, De La Hoya had been fighting at junior middleweight and middleweight - but he was down to 145 a few weeks before the fight with Manny. De La Hoya was so drained that his body barely rehydrated from the weigh-in, and 24 hours later, when he stepped in the ring to fight, he only put on two pounds - going from 145 to 147 - while Pacquiao, the much smaller man, went from 142 to 148.5.
Hatton usually blows up between fights, walking around as big as a middleweight and living it up. He watched the mistake that De La Hoya made with his weight, and because of that Hatton has been extra careful by slowly getting down in weight to properly rehydrate by fight night.
"There is no chance I'm over-training. I feel very good, very relaxed and where I wanted to be at this point. I'm 10 pounds over the limit at the minute, and my diet is fantastic. You need that because there is nothing worse than doing a gruelling training session, and sparring, and then having to watch what you put in your mouth afterwards," Hatton told The Telegraph.
"De La Hoya was a prime example of losing too much weight too early. Oscar is a great friend of mine, but he made mistakes before that fight. What Oscar did makes me more determined not to make the same mistake. I'm 140lbs when I step on the scales and within hours I'm back to 148/149 lbs."

What A Difference An Undercard Makes

2009-04-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

In less than a month, the two biggest promotional outfits in the sport will work together to present the biggest event of the year. Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao will collide in what many regard as the year’s first true superfight.
The past few major events have been all about the headliner, and perhaps for good reason. Boxing fans always complain about the lack of quality undercards to be found on pay-per-view shows in recent years, but the numbers truly show that the main event is the be-all end-all in measuring an event’ s success.
That was, until we were hit with a recession. Mess with a man’s money, and you’re forced to reconsider what you’re trying to sell him.
To its credit, the sport has responded so far in 2009. Promoters have made a conscious effort to bring the sport back to the people. Yes, much of the motivation has to do with casinos proving to be as dry as the deserts which surround them. Whatever the case, boxing has been brought back to real cities, and real fans have been brought back to the sport.
A huge litmus test came in the past four weekends. In that span, HBO went completely dark, while Showtime offered one event each in its Shobox and Championship Boxing series. If it was quality boxing on a Saturday you sought, you were forced to go the premium route. Four straight weekends of pay-per-view cards ran you $135 (plus tax) if you are the type of fan who must watch every televised card as it happens.
Looking back over that stretch, anyone who watched any given event offered little in the way of bitching.
Of the four cards offered, only one received more criticism than praise – the March 21 telecast featuring Roy Jones’ stoppage win over Omar Sheika in an evening that combined boxing and MMA on one telecast.
There wasn’t enough praise to go around for the other three shows during that stretch. The strange thing about each was that there was plenty to complain about in all three main events.
Amir Khan’s headliner with Marco Antonio Barrera lasted four rounds than medically should’ve been the case. Barrera suffered a bone-deep cut in the opening round, only to be forced to linger until after the completion of the fifth round before the bout was stopped just in time to go to the scorecards and give Khan the technical decision win.
March 28 saw Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. headline his umpteenth pay-per-view event against a non-descript opponent.
Last weekend’s big event featured cult hero Edwin Valero in a main event that lasted all of two very one-sided rounds against aged puncher Antonio Pitalua.
Yet ask any given boxing fan about any of the three aforementioned shows, and their reviews will be of the glowing variety.
What’s the common thread, you ask?
All featured the same thing that Jones’ hybrid boxing/MMA card lacked – an undercard that gave boxing fans something favorable to talk about before, during and after the show.
Well before Amir Khan set foot in the ring, boxing fans were treated to not one but two bouts worth discussing around the water cooler on Monday morning. Two stars were born on the March 14 undercard, as Rocky Martinez and Ola Afolabi posting the biggest wins of their respective careers.
Afolabi went back and forth with Enzo Maccarrinelli before dropping and eventually stopping the former cruiserweight titlist in the ninth round of their scheduled twelve. The result came on the heels of undefeated super featherweight Martinez lifting Nicky Cook’s alphabet title in the show’s opener.
The memorable results of each fight that the crowd – and viewers at home – even more amplified for the main event than was already the case. It mattered little that Khan’s win over Barrera should arguably carry an asterisk; there wasn’t a single fan who felt cheated by the end of the show.
Amidst concerns over a brutal drug war claiming thousands of lives in Mexico, promoter Bob Arum promised that “Latin Fury 8: Tijuana Thunder” would be his best independent pay-per-view event yet. Many in the media took the cynical approach, finding fault in the Hall of Fame promoter’s plea to draw fans to the Tijuana bullring in which the event was held.
Sometimes, it helps to simply stick to the subject at hand. For example, if you’re a boxing writer, then write about… boxing.
For those who kept their eye on the ball, there was plenty to be gained from the March 28 show. Four fights aired on Top Rank’s independent show, none of which featured a dull moment. Comebacking former title challenger Antonio Diaz opened the show with a spirited ten round decision over Javier Castro.
The bar was already set high for the rest of the evening, yet still easily surpassed by both Fernando Montiel and Humberto Soto, both of whom looked spectacular in making major statements in front of their enthusiastic countrymen in separate title fights.
Those with a glass-half-full view of the world saw Chavez Jr’s narrow win over Luciano Cuello for what it was: a non-stop action fight with few lulls and plenty of drama. But even if you’re fed up with the lack of progress in the career of the son of Mexico’s greatest fighter whose name he bears, you still ordered the $39.95 show for a reason.
That reason: the supporting cast.
It was for that same reason that fan have discussed for weeks the value to be found in Golden Boy Promotions’ “Lightweight Lightning” card, which aired last weekend.
While Golden Boy benefitted from HBO distributing the card, it was still their own from a production and presentation standpoint. Even with the show changing shape – two separate fallouts in the weeks leading up to a night dedicated to lightweights, they still managed to deliver a show that stacks up against any pay-per-view card offered in recent memory.
The show opened with a significant upset, when career underachiever Rolando Reyes stopped former titlist Julio Diaz in five rounds. Reyes was brought in as a late sub for injured former lineal lightweight champion Joel Casamayor, and made the most of the opportunity after having previously fallen short whenever he stepped up.
Vicente Escobedo was another of the show’s fill-in fighters, agreeing to take on Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez after Jorge Barrios also suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw. Many saw Escobedo-Hernandez as a major upgrade from Barrios-Hernandez, certainly justified by the ten rounds of warfare that came of Saturday’s preliminary battle. In the end, it was Escobedo who emerged with the biggest win of his career, this following his thriller over previously unbeaten Dominic Salcido last September.
Fans were already given their money’s worth by the time Michael Katsidis and Jesus Chavez stepped foot into the ring. The price of admission was further justified following their all-action co-feature, which saw Katsidis post his first win in 21 months after Chavez was forced to concede defeat after seven thrilling rounds.
The stacked show made for a rabid crowd from beginning to end, sweet music to the ears of the main event players, particularly Edwin Valero. The standards were set high for the free-swinging Venezuelan, as evidenced by the chorus of boos that rained down in a relatively tame first round after such a lively undercard. Valero changed that in a hurry, thrice sending Pitalua to the canvas in forcing the stoppage early in the second round.
All told, the three aforementioned shows featured supporting performances that now has boxing fans anxious to see the next step in the careers of at least eight more fighters, excluding those in the main events.
As Hatton-Pacquiao draws nearer, the debates continue to gain steam as to who boxing fans believe will win. The main event is that tough to call to where it generates plenty of interest on its own.
But even with a pick-‘em bout between the sport’s two most popular fighters, there’s one more thing inquiring minds want to know: what else will we get for our $50 investment?

Khan vs. Kotelnik on 6/27 - Amir Moving Up To 140

2009-04-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

Amir Khan will step up a division to light-welterweight and challenge WBA World Champion Andreas Kotelnik promoter Frank Warren said today. Hot-shot Khan, fresh from his win against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera - WBO #1 and WBA #3 ranked at the time - last month in Manchester, gets his dream opportunity on June 27 with a venue to be confirmed shortly. Warren said, "This is the moment that Amir has been waiting for and I'm delighted to deliver him the opportunity. Amir put in a sensational performance against a three time world champion and future Hall of Famer in Barrera in only his 21st fight and now he has to produce the same form against Kotelnik who is a good hard fighter." Khan, 22, has campaigned predominantly in the lightweight division, winning the Commonwealth, WBO and WBA Intercontinental titles, but he moved up to 140lbs for an IBF Intercontinental title fight in December 2006 to beat Rachid Drilzane. Kotelnik, who is from the Ukraine and based in Germany, is well known in Britain having fought here three times; in 2005 when he was robbed of the decision in his European title fight against Junior Witter, then in 2007 when he held then WBA World Champion Souleymane M'Baye to a draw and last year when he beat Gavin Rees to win the WBA crown. Since defeating Rees he has made two successful title defences against Norio Kimura and Marcos Rene Maidana both on points. Like Khan, he won an Olympic lightweight silver medal but at the 2000 Sydney games, and in 34 fights Kotelnik has never been stopped. Naturally, Khan is excited about his world title showdown against Kotelnik. "This is the best news that I could have received," Said Khan. "To fight for the world title in only my 22nd fight and at the age of just 22 is fantastic. Frank has done a great job getting the world title fight for me in Britain and now I have to go out win it." "I've seen Kotelnik a few times and I've always been impressed by him but once my trainer Freddie Roach works out the game plan to beat him it's my job to execute it on the night as I did effectively against Barrera."

Freddie Roach’s Trigger Finger Turns Toward Ricky Hatton

2009-04-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

As it turned out, it was Freddie Roach who really pulled the trigger.
By boldly proclaiming that former charge Oscar De La Hoya was no longer capable of effectively unloading his arsenal in the ring, the ex-ESPN staple set in motion what became the most-discussed pay-per-view boxing event of 2008.
So now, some four months after Manny Pacquiao proved him prescient by battering the “Golden Boy” into submission at the MGM Grand, it should surprise no one that the straight-shooting Roach is already locked and loaded on Pacquiao’s next foe – Ricky Hatton.
In fact, to the Massachusetts-born journeyman turned honor-laden trainer, this one’s easier.
“I’ve studied Hatton for two months now and I’m very confident about Manny’s chances,” Roach said, in a BoxingScene.com phone interview. “Hatton is a guy who’ll be right in front of you and he gets hit a lot. A lot of guys have hurt him, but no one’s ever finished him when they had him hurt.
“Manny Pacquiao is a finisher. I think he’s going to bust him up and stop him within three rounds. It’ll be another Thomas Hearns-Marvin Hagler fight, I believe. Very exciting for as long as it lasts.”
Needless to say, success hasn’t tempered Roach’s bravado.
And because it’s delivered in an even-toned, straight-forward manner reminiscent of Roach’s own former in-ring style, it’s easy to take the chatter more seriously than other modern-day braggarts.
His results are hard to deny, too, especially in light of a nine-month stretch that also saw Pacquiao nip Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBC’s title at 130 pounds in March and dominate David Diaz for the same group’s belt at 135 in June, before the holiday season bonanza with De La Hoya.
The three-fight skein earned Roach a third time nod as “Trainer of the Year” from the Boxing Writers Association of America, while Pacquiao claimed “Fighter of the Year” honors for the second time.
The pair previously earned dual awards from the BWAA in 2006, after Pacquiao defeated Erik Morales, Oscar Larios and Morales again, all at 130 pounds.
But Roach, who won BWAA recognition sans Manny in 2003, said the way last year unfolded was more of a surprise than previous times.
“I can’t honestly say we saw it coming,” he said. “After the first two, the Oscar fight just came up and it was icing on the cake. We’re of the mindset where we just take each fight as it comes. But sure, looking back on it, it was a great year.
“And it’s a great honor to be recognized three times by the boxing writers.”
And through it all, he’s managed to avoid the lure of forcing his own aggressive, take-a-punch-to-land-a-punch style onto his own clients, who’ve included Virgil Hill, Mike Tyson and De La Hoya, in addition to Pacquiao and rising U.K. lightweight phenom Amir Khan.
Hill, a member of the medal-flushed Olympic class of 1984, won his first world title in 1987 and was a two-time champion at both light heavyweight and cruiserweight before retiring in 2007 at age 43.
Khan, just 22, scored his biggest career win last month in Manchester – Hatton’s hometown – with a bloody and controversial five-round technical decision over Marco Antonio Barrera.
“I had the right teacher in Eddie Futch,” Roach said. “He told me that I could never expect people to be like me. My first world champion, Virgil Hill, was about as different from me as a guy could be.
“He was a beautiful boxer. The truth is that when a guy gets hit in the ring he’s going to revert back to whatever he is, not to what you’ve programmed him to be. So it’s best you don’t try to get too cute.”
And unlike the mercurial Tyson, a well-known student of the sport’s history, it seems Pacquiao and some of Roach’s other existing clients – he currently trains 14 professional fighters – don’t even know their trainer was himself an established pro and early ’80s cable television favorite.
In fact, he debuted in 1978 and was 26-1 after a 10-round decision over Juan Veloz at Showboat Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in April 1982, but later stumbled to 12 losses in his last 25 fights – including scorecard verdicts to Bobby Chacon, Hector Camacho and Darryl Tyson and a TKO by Greg Haugen.
Overall, he lost four of his final five fights before retiring in October 1986 with a 39-13 mark.
Khan was born six weeks later.
Still, to those actually aware of his past, Roach sees it as an edge. Just not a gigantic one.
“I think there’s a little bit of an advantage, but probably not huge,” he said. “I’ve known plenty of guys who weren’t fighters but they were great trainers. The guys I work with know that I’ve done it and they trust what I say. But not everyone I’ve worked with has seen me fight.
“Manny’s one of those guys who’s not really a boxing fan. His idol growing up was Oscar, so that’s why he did it, but he doesn’t know the history. We older guys have more stories to tell, but I’m so busy now that I can’t even watch fights anymore.”
Assuming all goes as planned with Hatton on May 2, life doesn’t figure to get any less hectic.
Marquez, who’s now planning to campaign at 140 pounds, is on the record saying he’d like a third match with Pacquiao. Also, former five-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. – on the shelf since handing Hatton his lone career defeat in December 2007 – has been rumbling about a comeback.
Not surprisingly, Roach relishes the opportunities.
“Business-wise, the biggest fights to be made are with Mayweather, if he’s really coming back to the ring, or with Marquez,” he said. “There are a lot of options and we want to wait to see the possibilities.
“As far as who else, we hear that Chavez Jr. has been making some noise about a fight, but the weight might be too big a difference. Bottom line, though, Manny will fight anyone. Hell, he’d fight (publicist) Fred Sternburg if that’s who we told him was next in line. He just wants to be a champion.”

Valero Will Fight Marquez Anywhere, Says Bob Arum

2009-04-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Top Rank's Bob Arum says the record needs to be set straight in the lightweight division. Last weekend in Austin, Texas, knockout king Edwin Valero (25-0, 25KOs) captured the WBC lightweight title by stopping Antonio Pitalua in two rounds. Now Valero has set his sights on the big names at the weight. One name in particular is WBO/WBA champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Marquez is likely to jump to 140-pounds to challenge the winner of the May 2 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Arum says that Marquez should fight Valero, with the winner facing Pacquiao. According to Arum, Valero is winning to fight Marquez anywhere, including Mexico.
"I believe in my heart that Edwin Valero is the best lightweight in the world. Juan Manuel Marquez may challenge that. He has a couple of lightweight titles, but he's always talking about fighting Manny Pacquiao. So I send this message. If he wants to fight Manny Pacquiao, fight this guy next [Valero]. Fight this guy next because Manny only wants to fight the best lightweight in the world," Arum said.
"If Marquez wants, we'll fight him in Mexico, Mexico City, Azteca Stadium, Tijuana. Any place, any city in Mexico that he wants. Any city in Mexico because I believe in Edwin Valero."

Manny Pacquiao's Team Denies Rumors of a Leg Injury

2009-04-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza has put to rest concerns over reports that Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao had suffered a leg injury, which prompted scores of calls including some from boxing fans overseas.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Ariza said “he has a little bit of a blister on his toe. It is no big deal.”
Pacquiao proved there was nothing wrong when he went seventeen rounds on the punch-mitts “non stop and without even a sip of water” enthused Ariza.
Ariza who has gotten used to the Pacquiao work ethic which he described as “phenomenal” said Monday at the Wild Card Gym was like “any other normal previous training day and went well.”
Besides the punch-mitts Pacquiao worked on the double-end bag, speed bag, jumped rope and did some more strength-training.
In the meantime, WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa prepares for his crucial title quest against undefeated WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez in the KO artist’s hometown in Puerto Rico. The veteran southpaw continues to amaze both trainer Freddie Roach and Ariza in camp.
Ariza told us that Penalosa sparred eight rounds today going a few rounds with Michael Freidis and then did four rounds with Kid Diamond.
Ariza said Penalosa “looks great, moves well and went over some strategy with Freddie (Roach) .” The conditioning guru who indicated he was impressed with Penalosa’s physical condition said that watching him train over the past few weeks “Gerry can do exactly what he wants to do with a fighter.”
Penalosa’s showdown with “Juanma” Lopez will be telecast by Solar Sports on Sunday, April 26 which is one week after the “Fast and Furious” showdown at the Araneta Coliseum in which IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire defends his title against undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez while former WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria tries to regain the title from IBF champion Ulises Solis.
One week after the Penalosa-Marquez fight, Solar Sports will telecast the “Battle of East and West” showdown at the MGM Grand between Pacquiao and Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in an unprecedented treat for Filipino boxing fans.
BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports have learned that the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino where Pacquiao will be billeted is fully booked for the week of the fight.

Viloria Says Speed, Aggressiveness Will Beat Solis

2009-04-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

Former light flyweight champion Brian Viloria (24-2, 14 KO's) believes his speed and aggressiveness will be the key in his determined effort to regain the world title when he clashes with IBF champion Ulises Solis (28-1-2, 20 KO's) in the “Fast and the Furious” fight card at the Araneta Coliseum on April 19.
Viloria who arrived from Los Angeles on Monday worked out at the “Punch Out” boxing club in Makati, went six rounds and moved around with his sparring partner a little bit to get into his rhythm after a long and tiring flight.
Viloria said he is trying to get used to the time difference but indicated “overall I’m feeling a 110 percent and right now I’ just two pounds overweight which is no problem at all since I have almost two weeks” before the title fight which is part of a blockbuster promotion between Top Rank and Solar Sports.
While conceding that Solis “is a really tough fighter” Viloria said “I am feeling so good about this fight. I think I am in the best shape of my life. I’m in a lot better shape than I was fighting for the WBC.”
Viloria said he has trained for three-and-a-half months and "never slowed down, despite all the postponements.”
Viloria said he had a couple of things going for him in the fight against Solis saying “I don’t think he (Solis) understands that I am a really quick fighter and I’m gearing myself to fight a full 36 minutes over twelve rounds” and has added aggressiveness into his arsenal.
Viloria who won the title with a spectacular first round knockout victory over Eric Ortiz lost the title to Omar Nino Romero on August 10, 2006 and then figured in a controversial draw in a rematch which was declared a “no contest” after Omar Nino tested positive for a banned substance in a post-fight drug test on November 18 that same year.
Viloria then had a shot against Edgar Sosa for the title which had been declared vacant and lost another controversial majority decision on April 14, 2007.
Nicknamed "The Hawaiian Punch" the 28 year old Viloria, whose parents are from Ilocos Sur, is coming off a 2nd round KO of Benjamin Garcia last December 12 in Los Angeles in an MP Promotions fight card.
The 27 year old Solis has beaten three Filipinos in title defenses, the last being Glenn Donaire, the elder brother of Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire, the reigning IBF/IBO champion who headlines the Araneta card against undefeated Raul "Cobra" Martinez.
Prior to his twelve round unanimous decision over Donaire on July 12 last year, Solis scored an 8th round TKO over Rodel Mayol on August 4, 2007 and then disposed of veteran Bert Batawang by a 9th round TKO on December 15, 2007.

Edwin Valero Returns on July 25, Latin Fury 9

2009-04-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

World champion Edwin 'Superman' Valero, 25-0 with 25 KOs and the biggest KO artist in boxing since Mike Tyson was in his prime, will next fight July 25 on Top Rank's Latin Fury 9 pay per view.
Bob Arum of Top Rank said he is looking for a lightweight challenger "...but it is difficult to find someone brave enough to face Superman.
"After all, nobody wants to become #26 on the Hit Parade," said Arum.
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Valero, 27, of Bolero Alto, Venezuela is the WBC Lightweight champion. Top Rank will soon announce more details about the July 25 event.
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Tickets are on sale at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for Top Rank's May 1 card featuring Urbano Antillon vs. Tyrone 'Fists of Fury' Harris in a lightweight fight. Tickets at $75, $50, $35 and $20 are available on Ticketmaster.com and at the Hard Rock box office.

Edwin Valero’s Perfect Punch Storms The Lightweights

2009-04-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Officially his fourth fight on U.S. soil, Venezuela’s 27-year old Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KO) made the most of what was his true debut on American soil after years of waiting and fan anticipation, obliterating 39-year old the Colombian born Mexico resident Antonio Pitalua (46-4, 40 KO) in only the second round to capture the vacant WBC Lightweight belt on Saturday night at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
Pitalua was supposed to be a serious test for Valero, entering the bout off of a career best knockout win over former World title challenger Jose Armando Santa Cruz in 2008, but Valero’s power was everything it was advertised to be. With the win, Valero adds a second title belt to his collection, having previously held the WBA crown at Jr. Lightweight.
More importantly, Valero emerges as a tantalizing threat to reigning lineal World Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO).
Valero entered the bout just below the division limit at 134 ½ lbs., Pitalua on the mark at 135.
Pitalua began at a distance, wary of the vaunted southpaw power of Valero but tasting it anyways in the form of a long left to the body. His chin dangerously high in the air, Valero’s lunging straight shots kept the veteran from getting anything serious off. A low punch rate from both men brought boos from the crowd until Pitalua’s right forearm swung across the face of Valero to bring a whoop from the stands.
It was no forearm landing for Valero to start the second and the crowd never had a chance to anything but shout in awe. A blinding right hand was followed by a missing straight left before a crushing right hook raked the jaw of Pitalua and melted him into the floor only seven seconds into the round. Pitalua got up on shaky legs and fell face first into the ropes before pushing himself erect into the corner as referee Laurence Cole gave him a mandatory eight. Pitalua stumbled forward nodding his okay to continue and Valero charged in with a flurry of bad intentions, repeatedly blasting lefts into the face of Pitalua until the Colombian collapsed to his right knee.
Bouncing up right away, Pitalua motioned as if to say he’d slipped but Cole counted to eight again. Pitalua would survive for only a few more ticks. Valero stepped in with wildly pumping fists, teeing off with the left before a right hook and final left on the ropes sent Pitalua sprawling face first into the arms of a waving Cole who signaled the bout closed at :49 of round two.
Valero looked as intense after the fight as he had during. “I really demonstrated there is a lot of power in my hands. I said in the press conference, as soon as he made a mistake I can land one big punch and he would go. And not only him but anybody.” Asked if that meant he could perform the same against the elite stars around his weight, Valero responded, “If I connect the punch, it’s going to be the exact same result all the time, any time.”
Valero made clear he’s ready for a shot at the division’s World Champion, Marquez, but indicated it wasn’t up to him alone. “If it was up to me, yes, I would do it but it’s really not. It’s up to (promoters) Bob Arum and Golden Boy to see whether they can make it happen.” Valero also answered positively when asked if he’d like a crack at the winner of May’s World Jr. Welterweight title bout between champion Ricky Hatton and the consensus pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Of course he would. Considering the money either man brings, who wouldn’t? Beginning Saturday, U.S. fans are being provided reasons to want to pay to see it. Valero had previously been unable to fight in the U.S. after a 2004 MRI showed brain irregularities as the result of a severe motorcycle accident in 2001 which resulted in a skull fracture and surgery to remove a blood clot. It remains unknown how many states in the U.S. will license Valero going forward but he will at least have a fistic home in Texas.
A Mexican born Austin resident, and 36-year old former 130 and 135 lb. titlist, Jesus Chavez (44-5, 30 KO), 136, entered Saturday’s chief support bout with the hometown and experience edge. What he lacked in the end were the legs and firepower to prevent the prevailing of youth as 28-year old Australian Michael Katsidis (25-2, 21 KO), 135, rebounded from some tough early rounds to overwhelm the veteran in seven.
The first round found the local hero playing the aggressor, jabbing and winging to the body while Katsidis often covered up and looked for counters. Katsidis showed more fire at the start of the second, chopping with a right while Chavez responded with a left. At the halfway mark, they exchanged big shots again, Chavez nailing Katsidis with a right and Katsidis leveling a pair of left hands. Chavez countered a job with a quick right and absorbed a right and left near the ropes while looking for the ribs of Katsidis.
In the third, it was Katsidis coming forward and Chavez was fine with it. Using an assortment of jabs, uppercuts and body blows, Chavez controlled the bulling Katsidis for most of the round and scuffed the skin beneath the younger man’s left eye. Katsidis would have his moments, most notably a crackling left hook while Chavez lay against the ropes in the final ten seconds. Chavez responded with an overhand right. Chavez continued to outbox Katsidis in the first two minutes of the fifth but the Australian was relentless. An accidental headbutt opened a cut on the hairline of Chavez with a minute to go and Katsidis stepped on the gas at the sight of blood, finding a home for his hooks in the final minute and driving Chavez to the ropes with a left and right in the final seconds.
Chavez answered the sight of his blood with two crowd pleasing rights hands at the start of the fifth but Katsidis shook them off and landed a mean left hook and right hand shortly after. A jab and right hand from Katsidis, followed by a learned shoulder, pushed Chavez to the ropes but the veteran worked off. Blood streaming down his forehead, Katsidis used his jab to pin Chavez and land a series of rights before a left and a left right closed the frame.
Katsidis continued to work the right in the sixth, snapping shots to the head and body as the first minute unfolded. A short left hooked chopped away inside and Chavez held on before using a quick break to relodge a forgotten mouthpiece to attempt to relocate his jab. Chavez, appearing arm weary, increasingly missed the mark with wide shots while Katsidis popped him with short power shots inside, forward momentum behind them all.
Chavez slapped with a lead right to initiate the seventh, then landed a hard version of the blow, before a Katsidis left put him back on the defense. As the seconds ticked by, Chavez increasingly replaced with punches with clinches as Katsidis alternately fired power shots and bumped him with the shoulder. With blood still flowing from Chavez’s head, the Katsidis right continued to rain home and, after eating a left hook and final right at the bell, Chavez waved his hand with a look of discouragement and defeat on his face. Never sitting down in the corner, Chavez shook his head, the corner informing referee John Schorle that Chavez’s night was over, Katsidis awarded a seventh round stoppage.
The local fans booed the outcome and decision not to continue but had seen a quality contest and ultimately cheered Chavez when he rose from the corner to wave at them. Katsidis leaves with a much needed second consecutive victory after having lost twice in 2008 to former Lightweight champions Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz.
It would not the only crossroads thriller on the night.
In a tribute to the sort of gutsy warrior he’s been for a career, 38-year old former IBF 130 lb. titlist Carlos Hernandez (43-8-1, 24 KO), 135 3/4, of West Covina, California, pushed 27-year old 2004 U.S. Olympian Vicente Escobedo (20-1, 12 KO), 134 ¼, to the limit for ten thrilling rounds. That he fell just short in the scoring did nothing to diminish a courageous, educating performance which will serve Escobedo well as his career continues.
The bout began with the younger Escobedo circling and jabbing while the veteran pressured, bulling forward from a crouch. Escobedo took advantage of Hernandez’s aggression in the final twenty seconds, coming off the ropes with a right hand to send Hernandez to the floor. Hernandez rose as referee Ruben Carrion counted out the mandatory eight and the bell sent him to the corner.
The right would pay dividends again as the second round reached a minute passed and while Hernandez rose again, there was no bell to relieve him. Escobedo let loose with more right hands, backing Hernandez to the ropes. The elder man covered up and moved the fight back to mid-ring but with 45 seconds to go nearly dropped again when a short right uppercut sent him stumbling into the chest of Escobedo. Escobedo closed the round with a booming left, then a right and another left, to buckle Hernandez again.
Hernandez came out fast to start the third, rushing Escobedo towards the ropes only to eat a counter left hook. Hernandez would take another left before nailing Escobedo with a pair of echoing body shots. Still in close quarters, an accidental elbow from Escobedo drew blood from Hernandez’s left eye and the crimson raised Hernandez’s spirit. A massive left hook at the midway point drove Escobedo to the ropes and Hernandez sent another left to the ribs for good measure. A right uppercut exploded next and the younger man was suddenly reaching out to clinch. Hernandez stayed to the body and head with hooks while Escobedo searched for his legs, pulling his hands in high and tight. It paid off for fighter and fans as the final twenty second saw both men plant and land hard hooks.
They continued to fire hard hooks at the bell for the fourth as the crowd sounded it encouragement and over it, and the fifth, Escobedo sought to rearrange the geography of the bout, jabbing and seeking room while Hernandez patiently stalked, letting his hands go in calculated spurts.
Escobedo returned to the trenches fully in the sixth, squatting and hooking with Hernandez. It was a tactic which set him up for a bad turn on the scorecards. Stepping on Escobedo’s right foot, Hernandez landed a right hook to the ribs and Escobedo fell backwards into the ropes for what was ruled a knockdown. Escobedo argued the call to no avail but fought well when the action resumed, nailing Hernandez with a hard right seconds before the bell.
Moving and looking for counters at the bell for seven, Escobedo scored with a whipping right and landed a pair of left hooks about a minute in. A left from Hernandez rocked Escobedo near the ropes and Escobedo clinched before letting a long right go. A short right uppercut caught Hernandez coming forward and the punch landed twice more as Hernandez’s right and left eyes increasingly swelled and his posture showed the slack of fatigue. Whenever close, Hernandez continued to shoot to the body but the earlier authority they’d held seemed dissipated.
The frequent punishment of the late seventh round mounted in the eighth. Escobedo’s left hook and right hand jarred Hernandez over and over, leaving the former titlist backing up for the first time, his footwork a prayer for Escobedo to walk into a fight changing counter Escobedo’s feet didn’t take him towards.
Between the eighth and ninth, the ring doctor visited the corner of Hernandez but allowed him to continue. Hernandez showed the fighting heart beneath his swollen features early in the ninth, dropping his head and landing a left hook in the first minute of the frame. Escobedo took the shot and boxed from the outside, drawing blood from Hernandez’s nose and deepening the purple beneath Hernandez’s right eye. The final ten seconds saw Hernandez take a left and right hook in succession.
A respectful hand tap at mid-ring to start the tenth and final round instead became a hug between two warriors, a respectful gesture followed by a final three minutes of attempts to bludgeon. Hernandez scored with a big right in the first minute and then two lefts before the round was half over, everything he had laid out in pursuit of victory. Another pair of jolting hooks got Escobedo’s attention and then it was the younger man letting both hands go, driving Hernandez backwards and towards the corner. They finished the fight with arms flailing and the fans on their feet, neither man succumbing to the other as the final bell rang and both raised their arms in victory.
In the end, it would be Escobedo whose triumphant pose proved correct as unanimous scores were awarded to him at 96-91, 94-93, and 95-91. The crowd booed, as they often do, in favor of an underdog who fell just short.
The televised portion of the show began, in a contest between Southern California staples, with an upset which might herald a career end for the defeated and a long awaited first title shot for the victor. 29-year old two-time former IBF Lightweight titlist Julio Diaz (36-5, 36 KO), 136 ½, of Coachella, suffered the fourth stoppage of his career, and second in his last four bouts, at the hands of 30-year old Rolando Reyes (31-4-2, 20 KO), 135 ½, of Oxnard. Adding to the surprising result, Reyes was in the ring as a late replacement for the training injured former World Lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor.
The boo birds were out early in the first as the bout got off to a slow start but a Reyes one-two combination brought some brief life to the masses. The methodical pace, with Reyes continually backing to the ropes as Diaz jabbed, settled back in almost immediately. Little changed in the second round as both fighters stayed at range, probing with left jabs and finding few opportunities for big contact.
The third and fourth rounds continued at a contained pace, and the crowd continued to boo, as Reyes looked for the right hand and Diaz increasingly scoring with fluid combinations to the body off his quick left jab. In the fifth, Reyes would make a deciding adjustment.
In the fifth, Reyes began finding a home for his left hook at the end of flurries and as the punch found its mark more often, so too did the right. At the halfway mark, fighting off the ropes, Reyes shot an uppercut which was blocked but followed with a left hook and Diaz stepped straight back with his hands too low. Another right uppercut crashed into the cheek of Diaz and the former titlist’s legs looked gone. Another right struck and Diaz reached out to clinch but Reyes spun out of his arms, landing one more right and then a jarring left to send Diaz into the ropes and onto the floor.
Diaz rose as the referee led Reyes to the neutral corner and returned to toll out the count beginning at six. The mandatory eight concluded and Diaz nodded his readiness to continue. Reyes pounced with fury, unleashing a long right which just missed and then slamming a right uppercut to the chin. A wild flurry of shots sailed around the head and body of Diaz missing the mark before a massive right sent Diaz into the ropes. A final right hand and left hook sent Diaz to all fours on the mat as referee Gregorio Alvarez waved the bout over at 2:17 of round five.
Reyes, who sounded almost choked up, reflected with pride on the biggest of five straight victories since a 2006 decision loss to former World Lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo. “I came ready to give it all I got. The first couple rounds I was studying him, seeing what he had that I didn’t know of before. In the fifth round, my trainer told me, ‘You know what. You came here to fight. Let’s do it already,’ and that’s what I went out to do in the fifth round.” Asked about the future, Reyes stated he felt ready for anyone and hoped for a title shot. He made a heck of a case for one on Saturday. Diaz had entered the bout rated near the top of the IBF ratings, a title currently vacant at 135 lbs.

Valero Crushes Pitalua in Two Rounds, Wins WBC Title

2009-04-15T05:30:00.002-07:00

At the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, Edwin Valero (25-0, 25KOs) stopped Antonio Pitalua (46-4, 40KOs) in two rounds to capture the vacant WBC lightweight title. The first time Pitalua was stopped since 1995.
Valero came out with the jab. Pitalua fought back with a combination. Valero fought from a distance and pressed forward with the jab and punches to the body. In the final ten seconds of the round they exchanged some hard power punches.
At the start of the second, a counter right hand sent Pitalua down hard. A few moments later he went down again from a combination. Valero began to batter Pitalua in the corner and the ref jumped in to stop the action.

Pacquiao Back To Hard Work After Media Festivities

2009-04-15T05:30:00.001-07:00

“Phenomenal” is the only word conditioning expert Alex Ariza and the handful of those present at the Wild Card Gym Wednesday could use to describe Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao’s performance in doing 15 rounds non-stop on the punch mitts.
In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Ariza said Pacquiao didn’t even take a break for a sip of water.
He said trainer Freddie Roach couldn’t take the extended punch-mitts session any longer. Ariza described the workout as “unbelievable man, not even a sip of water and Freddie finally said I quit.”
What was even more amazing is that Pacquiao “did five-and-a-half miles of mountain running with only his pet dog “Pacman” able to keep pace with Manny as everybody else turned around and started running back downhill, including myself” said Ariza.
The initial plan was to do ten rounds on the punch-mitts but Pacquiao increased it to twelve and then pushed Roach to go fifteen.
According to Dr. Ed de la Vega, who is a regular fixture during Pacquiao’s workouts, Roach and Pacquiao worked on strategy and battle plans for the showdown with IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.
Pacquiao followed up his explosive punch-mitts performance with his usual routine of shadow boxing, working the heavy bag and the double-end speed ball among others.
HBO Sports which is producing another of its remarkable 24/7 pre-fight countdowns to the “ Battle of East and West” shot the entire Pacquiao workout.
Ricky Hatton’s father who told us he is finishing work on Hatton’s big, new gym in Manchester and won’t leave for Las Vegas until one week before the fight that “The Hitman” was sharply focused on the Pacquiao showdown, determined to win and wrest the No. 1 pound-for-pound title from the Filipino icon in a fight he predicted would be “explosive.”
Ray Hatton who is both father and manager of the IBO light welterweight champion said his son was in a “very similar frame of mind” to the time he stunned Kostya Tszyu at the M.E.N Arena in June 4, 2005. That was when Tszyu considered one of the top pound-for-pound boxers at that time quit at the end of the 11th round enabling Hatton to win the IBF 140 pound belt.
Hatton’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr, who regularly recites poems and tries to engage Freddie Roach in verbal jousts, has told the widely-read site Boxing Scene that since Roach weeks ago predicted Pacquiao would win by a knockout within three rounds he’ll leave it at that and let Freddie Roach call the number. “He called three so I’m going to leave it at three”, said Mayweather Sr.
Talking to boxing writer Mark Vester about Pacquiao’s vaunted speed, Hatton’s trainer that his fighter’s “timing” will counter the speed of the Filipino. Mayweather was quoted by Vester as saying “that ain’t going to be no problem. Do you know what speed is? It’s timing. Can Pacquiao time Ricky Hatton when he gets ready to land the big blow. Can Pacquiao time that? Hell no.”
In what was clearly a cop-out Mayweather said “I’ll be honest with you. The only way that Pacquiao can win this, is if the man above (God) wants him to win.”

Hatton: "I Hope Pacquiao Improved His Body and Chin"

2009-04-15T05:29:00.001-07:00

Ricky Hatton has absolutely no fear of Manny Pacquiao’s power, speed or footwork. He challenges Pacquiao, the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Speaking with BoxingScene.com, Hatton told Luis Sandoval that everyone thought Paulie Malignaggi was going to beat him by using his speed and boxing ability to win a decision. Hatton feels that he was faster and a better boxer than Malignaggi, and those two factors allowed him to dominate the fight. He feels Pacquiao is not as elusive as Malignaggi.
"Everyone expected Paulie Malignaggi to out-speed me and out-jab me and I out-jabbed and out-speeded him - and that was just after seven weeks [of training with Floyd Mayweather Sr]. I have another training camp under my belt so my defense will be even better and I'll be moving my head as I'm attacking, and catching punches as I'm attacking. To be honest, Manny has always been quite easy to hit. He hasn't been the most elusive himself so if you say my defense then I can throw it right back at you and say his defense,” Hatton said.
Hatton is not hiding his intentions in the fight. He told BoxingScene that he doesn’t want a decision. He wants to win with a knockout and he plans to test Pacquiao’s chin and body very early in the fight.
“He's been shaken up several times. He's been stopped twice by body shots. You can improve and he's improved technically. I hope that he's improved on that body and that chin because he's going to get hit by the biggest man that he's ever fought. I don't that it's going to go to a decision. We generally don't fight decision type fighters. Manny goes for the knockout and I go for the knockout. It might come back to bite me on the ass but I really don't think so. Kostya Tszyu hit me with that murderous right hand. Luis Collazo, big and strong, hit me and he couldn't knock me out,” Hatton said.
He is definitely surprised that everyone is holding Pacquiao as the clear favorite and asking him questions about his strategy for Pacquiao’s power. He doesn’t believe that Pacquiao hits hard enough to cause him serious concern. He believes the public is blinded by Pacquiao’s one-sided win over Oscar De La Hoya, which Hatton feels was overhyped because Oscar was drained from trying to make weight.
“I'm a bit shell shocked that he fought at 130, once at 135 and once with Oscar at 147 and everyone is asking if I can take his power. Hell yeah I can take his power. I would like to think I can. You can never tell in boxing. He will be in for one hell of a shock with my boxing ability and my hand speed. He's generally fought at 130, he fought once at 135 and fought Oscar. I think Freddie and his camp are going off the Oscar performance. Everyone I speak to, they don't think he should be fighting me. They think he should be fighting Godzilla. That De La Hoya fight, I just don't see it. It's a lot better to win when you are the underdog,” Hatton said.
Hatton also sees a serious flaw. He says Pacquiao is unable to fight going backwards. He plans to press the Filipino fighter by coming forward and throwing. He doesn’t think Pacquiao’s speed will help him get away from the punches.
“Maliganggi tried to get away too. Manny doesn't punch going back on the back foot. He doesn't punch going back. He comes forward on the front foot to punch. He does very little punching going backwards. He always punches going on the front foot. To come in on the front foot he has to come into my territory.,” Hatton said.

Pacquiao Aims for Four (and Six): Real History Part IV

2009-04-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

In this series, designed to culminate the week of the May 2nd showdown between Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KO) and World Junior Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KO), Pacquiao’s previous title claims in five weight divisions were examined. Identified were three lineal titles at Flyweight, Featherweight, and Jr. Lightweight. Against Hatton, Pacquiao goes for overall title for lineal title number four. How historically significant would it be?

Barrera Turns His Back on Margarito, Calls For Global Ban

2009-04-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

Include Marco Antonio Barrera with the group of Mexican fighters who are speaking out against Antonio Margarito. Barrera had supported Margarito since the fighter's hand wraps were confiscated before the Shane Mosley bout on January 24. After the last week's report surfaced from the Department of Justice, which confirmed that plaster of Paris elements were present in Margarito's wraps, it was too much for even Barrera to defend. For weeks, Barrera has stood by Margarito and felt that his countryman deserved the chance to make money in Mexico - since the California State Athletic Commission revoked his license on February 10. Barrera is now saying that Margarito's punishment should be on a global scale and not limited to California and/or the United States. "After this happened, I said that Antonio, as the fighter, was the least responsible but he should not be excluded because at some point he had to have known about this. This is painful to say but the punishment for my compatriot should be on a global scale and not just in California. Margarito should be made aware of the damage they did to Mexican boxing and this would be the worst punishment," Barrera said on El Nuevo Dia .
"For his part in this, Javier Capetillo [trainer of Margarito] should never be involved with boxing again. It's being said that in Mexico there will be support for Margarito so he can continue fighting. I think the boxing commissions [in Mexico] should abide by the punishment handed in California. They are not as strict in Mexico [as the California regulations] and a serious accident can happen if this conduct is repeated."

Manny Pacquiao: "I Will Fight Marquez at Any Time"

2009-04-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao says a trilogy fight against Juan Manuel Marquez can be made at any time. They battled to a draw in 2004 and Pacquiao won a a razor-thin split decision over Marquez in their 2008 rematch. As Pacquiao moved up in weight, Marquez has followed. On May 2, Pacquiao takes on Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez swept through the lightweight division after following Pacquiao to 135. Now he plans to move up to junior welterweight to seek a trilogy bout at the end of the year.
Speaking with BoxingScene.com, Pacquiao told Luis Sandoval that a Marquez trilogy is no problem.
"Any time. Any time I can [have a] fight against Marquez," Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao is coming off his career best win, a one-sided eight round stoppage over Oscar De La Hoya last December. That fight took place at welterweight and Pacquiao has no issues with moving back up for a big fight. That could open the door for a possible welterweight bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr - if he announces a return. Pacquiao said a few days ago that he was advised by Mayweather's camp members that Floyd was making a comeback.
"I going stay at 140, 145 and 147. I can fight that," Pacquiao said. "We will finish this fight first and then we will talk about the next fight."

Mayweather Not Fazed By Roach's Hatton KO Prediction

2009-04-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

The trainers continued to verbally duel during the recent Hollywood media events. Floyd Mayweather Sr. seemed unfazed by the recent prediction made by Freddie Roach. When asked for his thoughts on the May 2 outcome, Roach would make a bold prediction, stating that Pacquiao would stop Ricky Hatton within three rounds.
When speaking with BoxingScene.com, Mayweather would not make a similiar prediction to Luis Sandoval. He said the "round" predictions were left with Roach.
"I let Freddie Roach call the number. He called three. I let him call the number. He called three so I'm going to leave it at three. We're going to leave it right there," Mayweather said.
As far as the speed advantage of Pacquiao, the witty trainer told BoxingScene that Hatton's "timing" will counter the speed of Manny.
"That ain't going to be no problem. Do you know what speed is? It's timing. Can pacquiao time Ricky Hatton when he gets ready to land the big boat. Can Pacquiao time that? Hell no," Mayweather said. "To tell you the truth. I'll be honest with you. The only way that [Pacquiao] will win this, is if the man above wants him to win."
As far as the press writing that Hatton and Mayweather are too different to properly work together, Floyd Sr. said the result of Hatton's last fight with Paulie Malignaggi should set the record straight on that.
"They said that but that's not true. Did you see what Hatton did the last time to Paulie Malignaggi? Did you see what he did?," Mayweather said.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is Probably Next, Says Arum

2009-04-15T05:18:00.000-07:00

MANNY Pacquiao continued to batter his sparring partners and, according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, is in high spirits.
Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told Standard Today that Pacquiao did eight rounds of sparring as he buckled down to serious work after the Hollywood Boulevard red-carpet affair and press conference, as well as a visit to the Los Angeles Times.
“Pacquiao almost knocked out the first guy [whose name he couldn’t recall] and literally the kid was out on his feet. He was ready to go down,” said Ariza, who described the sparring partner as “a real tough kid from England. A big kid, who had to be about 155 to 160 pounds.”
The conditioning expert, who helped trainer Freddie Roach prepare Pacquiao for his fights against World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz and later against Oscar de la Hoya last Dec. 6, said the sparring partner, who went four rounds with Pacquiao, had a good record.

Penalosa Working Hard at Wild Card For Juanma Battle

2009-04-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa gets nowhere near the attention that Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao receives at the Wild Card Gym of celebrated three-time “Trainer of the Year” Freddie Roach but those who work with him say he is in amazing shape for his April 25 battle with WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez.
With some three weeks to go before he climbs into the ring in Puerto Rico to take on hometown hero and undefeated KO artist “Juanma” Lopez continues to spar with a variety of fighters in preparation for undoubtedly the biggest challenge of his career.
Conditioning expert Alex Ariza who was instructed by Roach to work with Penalosa besides Pacquiao told us that the 36 year old southpaw was “one of the strongest runners I can honestly say I’ve ever seen. That guy is something special.
Ariza said he took Penalosa to the Santa Monica stairs yesterday morning which had 200 flights of stairs which is where British lightweight Amir Khan trained for his fight against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera. He said Penalosa did the routine nine times until Ariza asked him to stop although he could have done more.
Ariza said Penalosa “looked great” even in sparring Thursday when he went four rounds with a taller lightweight with Penalosa working on his defense and occasionally exploding with combinations.
Penalosa’s manager Billy Keane said he was pleased with Penalosa’s condition and believes “Juanma” may be in for a big surprise on fight night.
The venue will be the 13,000 capacity Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon which is one of the biggest indoor sporting arenas in Puerto Rico .
The Penalosa-Lopez title fight will be telecast in the Philippines by Solar Sports as one of three blockbuster weekends beginning with the "Fast and Furious" headlined by IBF/IBO champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire's title defense against undefeated Raul "Cobra" Martinez on April 19, followed by the Penalosa-Lopez title fight on April 26 Manila TNime and the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton showdown on Sunday, May over Solar Sports and GMA 7.

Marco Antonio Barrera Begins Work For Amir Khan Bout

2009-02-14T00:17:00.000-08:00

Former three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera is starting the hard work in his training camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he prepares for his March 14 bout with Amire Khan in Manchester, England. Barrera suffered a bad cut during a tuneup with Freudis Rojas on January 31 in Mexico, but passed all of his medical exams when a doctor took a look at him in Florida. The medicals were sent over to England and the British Boxing Board gave the meds a green light.

Barrera is already getting his sparring partners together. ESTO notes that one of the guys already recruited is Mexican national champion Michael Lozada (31-5, 24KOs). Lozada has lost some tough bouts to Jorge Teron, Edwin Valero and Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Barrera's team feels that Lozada's size and style is similiar to that of Khan.

Cotto Upset With Top Rank's Position on Margarito

2009-02-14T00:16:00.000-08:00

Miguel Cotto is getting more and more vocal about Top Rank's plan to bring back Antonio Margarito in June/July for a show in Mexico. This past Tuesday, Margarito had his boxing license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission. The punishment stems from the foreign substance that was found in Margarito's wraps about thirty minutes prior to the January 24 bout with Shane Mosley.

Margarito is unable to fight in the United States for a year. To work around the restriction, Top Rank's Bob Arum wants to bring Margarito back in the summer in Mexico, where several cities have expressed interest in providing Margarito with a license to box. A few days ago, Cotto expressed his thoughts on Margarito's return in Mexico. He said Margarito should be banned everywhere, not just the United States. He feels that Margarito should sit out for the year instead of trying to work around the ban. Arum, who also promotes Cotto, said the Puerto Rican star is entitled to his own opinion on the matter.

During a recent workout in Puerto Rico, Cotto once again made his feelings known and said he was upset with Top Rank's push for an early Margarito return.

"It seems like Top Rank is not thinking about the welfare of a human being and is only concerned with money. They (Top Rank) know that Margarito and his team knew what they were putting on his hands. As boxers we rise to the ring to show our skill and physical abilities and this is a lack of consideration by playing with the health of another [fighter]," Cotto told Primera Hora .

Margarito's trainer Javier Capetillo, who also had his license revoked, tried taking the full blame for the mishap with the hand wraps. He told CSAC members that Margarito knew nothing about it, which Margarito backed. Cotto doesn't believe Margarito.

"Margarito should comply with his punishment. To tell people that know about boxing, that he didn't know what they were putting on his hands is hard to believe. Everyone in his group was conscious of what was being done for the fight with Mosley," Cotto said. "Luckily everything is fine me, but there is the possibility that Margarito could have done damage to another [fighter].

Khan/Barrera Pay-Per-View To Be Shown in The US

2009-02-14T00:15:00.000-08:00

Integrated Sports will distribute a world-class pay-per-view card, headlined by Amir Khan versus “The Baby Faced Assassin” Marco Antonio Barrera, Saturday, March 14 live from The M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Integrated Sports is distributing three 12-round championship bouts featured on the “Khan-Barrera” card, presented by Frank Warren, in North America for live viewing at 4 PM/ET – 1 PM/PT on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV and Dish Network in the United States, as well as Viewer’s Choice and Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

Khan (19-1, 15 KOs), 2004 Olympic silver medallist, defends his WBA International lightweight title against seven-time world champion Barrera (65-6, 42 KOs) in the 12-round main event. The two other PPV fights will be former WBO cruiserweight title-holder Enzo Maccarinelli (29-2, 22 KOs) against NABO champ Ola “Kryptonite” Afolabi (13-1-3, 5 KOs) for the WBO cruiserweight championship, while WBO super middleweight champion Nicky “Cookie” Cook (29-1, 16 KOs) defends his title belt against undefeated No. 1 contender Roman “Rocky” Martinez (21-0-1, 12 KOs).

“We’re thrilled to be distributing this sensational tripleheader to North American boxing fans,” Integrated Sports president Doug Jacobs said. “The main event is a potential classic match-up between a top prospect, Khan, and veteran warrior, Barrera. Fans are very interested to see how Khan has improved since he started working with trainer Freddy Roach as well as what future Hall of Famer Barrera has left. Maccarinelli-Afolabi and Cook-Martinez shape-up as two very fan-friendly bouts, too, and either could be main events.”

The 22-year-old Khan is coming off of a win by second-round TKO of Oisin Fagan for the WBA International title last December, which was three months after Amir suffered his only pro loss to Breidis Prescott. Khan, rated No. 9 by the WBO and No. 13 by the IBF, has been training at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, where he’s gained invaluable experience sparring with the likes of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Barrera, 35, has held world titles in three different weight classes during his 19-year pro career. He recently suffered a scare when he was cut from a head-butt, which temporarily jeopardized his March 21st showdown with Kahn, that lead to a win by third-round disqualification. Barrera holds wins against world champions and/or challengers such as Erik Morales (twice), Paulie Ayala, Prince Naseem Hamed Robbie Peden, Mzonke Fana, Kevin Kelly, Johnny Tapia, and Rocky Juarez (twice).

Maccarinelli, fighting out of his native Wales, has only one blemish on his pro record, losing a year ago to David Haye in their title unification bout. “Macca,” ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 6 by The Ring, during his WBO title reign (2006-2008) defeated Mohamed Azzaoui, Wayne Braithwite, Bobby Gunn, Marcelo Fabian Dominguez and Mark Hobson (twice).

The WBO No. 5 rated London-born Afolabi, now living in California, captured the NABO crown last April, stopping previously unbeaten Eric Fields in the 10th round.

Cook won the WBO super featherweight title in his last fight in September, taking a 12-round unanimous decision from Alex Arthur (26-1) in The M.E.N. Arena. The former European champion is rated No. 6 by The Ring.

In addition to being the WBC’s top contender, Puerto Rican boxer Martinez is rated No. 4 by the WBA, No. 6 by the IBF and No., 9 by The Ring. The reigning NABO super featherweight title-holder also held the WBO Inter-Continental and WBO Latino belts.

Hatton is a Very Tough Fight For Pacquiao, Says Sulaiman

2009-02-14T00:14:00.000-08:00

World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman predicts that Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao will have a tough fight against Britain’s IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in their showdown on May 2.

Titled the “Battle of East and West” the eagerly awaited clash will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with featherweight Bernabe Concepcion taking on WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano in a title fight on the undercard.

Sulaiman told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “I believe it will be a tough fight for Manny because Hatton has a very, very difficult style.”

Sulaiman noted that Hatton “comes in with four five punches and then holds so he won’t let the opponent punch back.”

He also pointed out that 140 pounds “is the natural weight for him (Hatton.)” and he personally didn’t want Pacquiao to fight Hatton but said the choice was up to Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum.

Well known boxing writer Mark Vester reported in a story on Boxing Scene that he had spoken to Hatton’s trainer Lee Beard who will work alongside Floyd Mayweather Sr and that Beard doesn’t feel Pacquiao will be able to stay with Hatton for the first six rounds and claimed trainer Freddie Roach was “overestimating what Pacquiao can do.”
Beard said Roach’s views were based on Pacquiao’s 9th round demolition of lightweight champion David Diaz and his 8th round mauling of Oscar De La Hoya. Beard stressed that if Hatton fought Diaz he would be “way too fast, big and strong” and would have stopped Diaz between three to five rounds and if he was “in the ring with Oscar (De La Hoya) on that same night, it nwould have ended in four.”

Vester quoted Beard as saying he had been to the Wild Card gym to watch Pacquiao train and spar and witnessed his fights over the past few years adding “I’ve seen a lot of mistakes and they will automatically play into Ricky’s hands.”

He said Pacquiao makes the same mistakes “over and over again” although he wouldn’t reveal the mistakes Beard told Vester “I’m positive Ricky will knock Manny out within six rounds and I believe the fight won’t be as difficult as some may think.”

Bob Arum Issues Statement on Antonio Margarito Ban

2009-02-14T00:12:00.002-08:00

BOB ARUM STATEMENT

We want to publicly thank the president of the World Boxing Council, Jose Sulaimam, for his forthright and compelling statement regarding the Margarito bandaging situation.

President Sulaimam is 100% correct in stating that Margarito should not be punished since he was totally unaware of the improper bandaging. The commission hearing established Margarito's lack of knowledge and innocence.

The commission punishment is based on the theory that the boxer is the captain of his team and is responsible for any wrongdoing of his trainer or any of his cornermen.

This is not the law.

When Roger Mayweather, trainer for Floyd Mayweather, entered the ring improperly during the Mayweather vs. Judah fight, Roger was punished but the Nevada commission quite properly never suggested that Floyd be punished.

We in America should respect the law, fundamental legal principles and not be swayed by emotion. The 'message' sent by the California Athletic Commission is the wrong message. The correct 'message' is that a person should only be punished if he or she is guilty of wrongdoing. We hope that Margarito will appeal the unjust revocation of his California boxing license.

BOB ARUM, CEO, TOP RANK

Nonito Donaire is Deeply Honored To Receive PSA Award

2009-02-14T00:12:00.001-08:00

IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire said yesterday he was deeply honored by the prestigious Philippine Sportswriters Association award which he will receive on February 20.

Donaire who expects to return to Manila from his training camp in Baguio City in the next couple of days said he will join WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who will fly to Cebu to wind down training for his February 21 tune-up fight against Mexico’s German Merza at the Cebu Coliseum.

Speaking about the major award for professional boxing to be bestowed on him at the PSA Annual Awards Night at the Manila Pavilion Hotel, Donaire said “its an honor to be recognized alongside Manny Pacquiao and all other greats” in sports. It will be the second time Donaire will be honored by the PSA.

Donaire (20-1, 13 KO’s) said his training in Baguio with the Penalosa brothers, Gerry former world champion Dodie Boy and one-time prospect Jonathan has been “very, very good. My stamina and everything else is excellent and in fact I am ahead of schedule” in terms of preparation for his March 22 title defense against undefeated Mexican Raul “The Cobra” Martinez (24-0, 14 KO’s) at the Araneta Coliseum, the “Mecca” of Philippine sports and entertainment.

Donaire has been sparring at his high altitude (5,100 feet) training camp with Marvin Tampus and Rodolfo Sumabong.

He said he’s receive a tape of Martinez’ fights sometime this week but recalled that he had beaten him as an amateur in the national championships of the United States some years ago.

However, Donaire said “that’s an old story. Its now a different ballgame” and said he is sure that Martinez had improved and his style would be different.

Amir Khan Looks Sharp in Sparring For Barrera Fight

2009-02-14T00:11:00.001-08:00

Promising British lightweight Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KO's) looks good in sparring according to Wild Card gym conditioning expert Alex Ariza.

In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Ariza said Khan sparred six rounds as part of his three-times-a-week sparring sessions at the famed gym of trainer Freddie Roach who is preparing Khan for his showdown against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KO's) on March 14 at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester , England .

Roach told us in a previous conversation that he expects Khan to be too fast and too strong for the ageing Barrera and felt the Mexican would have a problem fighting as a lightweight.

Ariza said Khan who sparred with Raymund Beltran who has often served as one of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners and another Russian whose name Ariza couldn’t recall, has been doing very well in his workouts..

He said “Amir looked very good.” Ariza said the 22 year old Olympic silver medalist who currently weighs 142 pounds should have no trouble making the lightweight limit of 135 pounds against Barrera saying “we’ll be fine.”

Ariza said they were “going to lose a pound a week up until the fight.”

Barrera who is looking to win another world title told BBC Sport’s Ben Dirs that he will not be “a stepping stone” for Khan.

The 35 year old who held belts in three weight divisions noted that Khan “makes mistakes” and has a “questionable chin” adding that the youngsters would be “another British fighter on my list” recalling that he hammered the flamboyant and cocky Naseem Hamed on April 7, 2001.

Barrera stressed “I’m not coming to be a stepping stone. I’m coming to win the fight.”

Hatton's Co-Trainer Says Pacquiao Will Be in For a Shock

2009-02-14T00:09:00.000-08:00

Lee Beard is sometimes viewed as a young man in an old man's game. Others view him as the secret weapon of Ricky Hatton's team. Even prior to Hatton's well publicized split with long-time trainer Billy Graham, Beard was receiving a lot of praise for his work with Ricky and younger brother Matthew Hatton. When Hatton split with Graham in 2008, he refused to give up Beard, who was Graham's assistant and often in the background. The removal of Graham made Beard, and his work with Hatton, more visible to the public eye.

When Beard is not training the Hatton clan in England, he is watching over his step-son Adrian Gonzalez, who turned pro on the undercard of Hatton-Malignaggi last November. Gonzalez trains and lives in Las Vegas with Hatton's head trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. Beard has worked with Mayweather Sr. since 2004 and was very instrumental in his appointment as Hatton's head-trainer.

On May 2, Beard has a big test in the form of the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao. Over the last few weeks, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has been very vocal with his prediction of a knockout win by his fighter. Recently he said the fight would be close for the first six rounds and then Pacquiao would pull away with his speed and probably stop Hatton around the ninth.

Beard is usually quiet and keeps to himself, but was more than happy to sit down with BoxingScene.com to discuss Hatton's upcoming fight with Pacquiao and the recent comments made by Roach.

"Freddie sounds very sure [of himself] when making statements like 'Manny will KO Hatton in round nine after the first six will be close and action packed. Then Manny's speed will take over and KO Hatton.' What Freddie is failing to see, is that Malignaggi was hoping for the same when he fought Ricky, that his jab, speed and movement would control the fight from the middle rounds. But, the result was that Ricky got stronger and stronger as each round passed and Malignaggi could only hold his way through the rounds to avoid getting knocked out," Beard told BoxingScene.com

Beard doesn't feel Pacquiao will be able to stay with Hatton for the first six rounds of the fight. He says Roach is overestimating what Pacquiao can do, and says the wins over David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya are the reasons why Roach is so sure of himself. If Hatton was facing Diaz or De La Hoya [on that same December night], Beard says that his fighter would have finished both off much quicker. Beard has been looking at Pacquiao very closely for the last few years and sees a lot of holes that Hatton will exploit in May.

"Freddie is so sure of Manny being able to stay with Ricky in the first six rounds and use his speed to outbox him. Freddie's views are based on the way Manny dealt with Oscar [De La Hoya] and David Diaz. My view is simple, if Ricky fought Diaz - he would be way too fast, big and strong and stop Diaz in three to five rounds and if Ricky was in the ring with Oscar on that same night it would have ended within four," Beard said.

"Freddie doesn't realize two things. I've been around Ricky for the past two to three years and seen his hunger back like it was years ago, and seen the improvements made during the last camp with me and Floyd. I've also been at the Wild Card [Roach's gym in California] watching Manny train and spar, plus witnessed his fights over the past few years. I've seen lots of mistakes and they will automatically play into Ricky's hands. We can use them to our advantage, mistakes which Manny makes over and over. I'm not going to say the mistakes right now, but I'm positive Ricky will knock Manny out within six rounds and I believe that the fight won't be has difficult as some may think."

Beard says that as early as the first round, Manny will realize that he underestimated Hatton’s level of speed and strength. He was ringside for Pacquiao’s 2008 rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez. He saw plenty of things that worked for Marquez, some of them are Hatton’s bread and butter.

“Ricky's only loss came to Mayweather Jr, a defensive master which Pacquiao is not. And Mayweather Jr. himself admitted Ricky was his most difficult fight. Freddie is easily underestimating Ricky’s speed, power, strength, footwork and overall boxing skill. Manny will realize in the first round, as all Ricky’s previous opponents have, that he's in the sh*t and he will quickly run for cover until Ricky catches up to him to close out another great night for the Hitman,” Beard said.

“I thought Marquez won [the rematch]. Even though it was a close fight, before the announcement Manny didn't look like he thought he won. The main thing though was Manny was really hurt a few times in that fight and once to the body. Ricky is stronger than Marquez and will hit that target frequently. Manny makes one major mistake which he does constantly in sparring and I’ve studied him doing the same thing in his fights. I can’t say what for obvious reason but when Manny makes this regular mistake - the fight is going to be over. Me and Floyd have been talking and putting a game plan together and we are 100% confident Ricky will knock Manny out early.”

Arum Blasts California Commission Over Margarito

2009-02-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

An angry Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has blasted the decision of the California State Athletic Commission revoking the license of former WBO welterweight champion Antonio Margarito after his trainer Javier Capetillo took full responsibility for using a plaster-like substance on Margarito’s hand wraps before his title defense against Shane Mosley.

In an overseas telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Arum said “they revoked his license because his trainer allegedly did something which he knew nothing about. This is crazy.” The outraged Arum added, "You talk about lack of justice. I mean, what's happening in America?"

Arum criticized the decision as “absolutely outrageous” and said he would appeal the decision in the California State court and apply to other states to license Margarito because he didn’t do anything and they said he didn’t do anything .”

Arum noted that “under the Muhammad Ali Act other states could license him.”

He also disclosed that “every city in Mexico making statements saying he is welcome to fight there.”

Arum insisted “this kid did nothing and all their inspectors said he knew nothing. This is terrible. People are losing their minds in this country.” He vowed not to stage any more fights in California as long as Margarito remained suspended.

Earlier, Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us “Freddie was very disappointed and Freddie is of the opinion that it might be true that Margarito had not known.”

Ariza noted that some trainers and handlers “are very crafty with their hand-wrapping.” He said it regrettably “cast a shadow over everything he (Margarito) has done.”

Margarito also got support from Mayor Jorge Ramos of his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico who invited the former world champion to fight in Tijuana anytime.

After hearing the decision of the California State Athletic Commission to revoke Margarito’s license for one year, Mayor Ramos was quoted as saying “We welcome Antonio Margarito with open arms and want him to know that when he is ready to fight again we want him to come to his hometown. He has been an exemplary athlete and has for many years represented the city of Tijuana with great pride and honor so it is natural for us to continue to support him in his career that should not be blemished by a Commission that was not presented with evidence of any wrongdoing by our native son.”

During his appearance before the Commission, the former world champion who was regarded as one of the hardest punchers and an exciting fighter said he merely held up his fists for his trainer to hand wrap prior to his first title defense against Shane Mosley at the Staples Center last January 24 which Mosley won by a 9th round TKO.

Mosley’s trainer Nazim Richardson who was in Margarito’s dressing room raised the issue of the placing of pads with a substance that allegedly hardened when wet, much like Plaster of Paris used in casts., forcing the California State Inspector Dean Lohuis to declare the hand wrap illegal.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Commissioner Dr. Christopher Giza told Margarito “when you’re the top dog, you bear some responsibility for your team.”

The suspension of Margarito comes at a time of one scandal after another in American sports with Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps who won a record-shattering eight gold medals in Beijing getting a slap on the wrists after being shown smoking pot and admitting it while top baseball players such as Alex Rodriguez admitted taking performance-enhancing steroids.

Hatton-Pacquiao US Promotional Tour is Shortened

2009-02-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

The US promotional tour to further heighten interest in the “Battle of East and West” between Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton has been called off.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that there would however be a big media conference in Los Angeles in the last week of March after the initial kick-off in Britain. Earlier plans called for promotional tour stops in New York and San Francisco.

Arum said that after the trip to London and Manchester, Pacquiao would return to Los Angeles to start training while Hatton will train for two weeks in England before flying to Las Vegas to continue training under Floyd Mayweather Sr.

Pacquiao is scheduled to leave Manila for Los Angeles on February 24 and Arum said he would join Pacquiao on the trip to London, leaving LA on Friday the 27th. He said “we will arrive in London on Saturday morning and do a tour of London with a camera crew. Then we’ll take a train for Manchester on Sunday for a big press conference after which we will do a London press conference on Monday and on Tuesday morning we will fly back to LA to start his (Pacquiao’s) training.”

Arum predicted that with the styles of Pacquiao and Hatton and the tremendous interest in the showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2 “this should be a truly great fight.”

Even as Pacquiao’s training camp is set to begin on March 2, Freddie Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza have already discussed preparations to get Pacquiao into the very best shape for what is predicted to be a tough fight against IBO light welterweight champion Hatton.

Ariza told us that Roach “talked to me a little bit about Manny’s conditioning program for this fight . He discussed it with me earlier today (Tuesday in LA) and we will get into more details about it once Manny gets here. We will start revisiting the program and make some adjustments.”

Ariza said “we are pretty much laying the groundwork for the preparation and for the running, the sprints and stuff like that for Manny.”

The conditioning expert who has been credited for his contribution to enhancing both the speed and power of Pacquiao as clearly evidenced in his 9th round knockout of WBC lightweight champion David Diaz and his 8th round TKO win over Oscar De La Hoya said Pacquiao “might be in the gym for a few days” before he leaves for London.

Pacquiao Should Take Hatton Out After Six, Says Roach

2009-02-14T00:05:00.000-08:00

Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, sees his fighter taking out Ricky Hatton after a good six rounds of action. Pacquiao meets Hatton on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach says the fight will be action filled for the first half and then Pacquiao's speed will pull him ahead for a late knockout win. In the last few weeks, Roach has predicted a ninth round stoppage of Hatton.

"Manny has the perfect style for Hatton. It will be a good fight for six rounds and then Manny's speed will take over and we will get Hatton out of there somewhere along the line," Roach told the Manchester Evening News.

Roach has issued a warning to Pacquiao about Hatton's possible use of dirty tactics in the fight. He expects Hatton to try to rough Pacquiao up on the inside.

"Hatton is much younger, a more vibrant guy, and will give us more difficulties," said Roach. "He will come and truly believe in himself. And he is kind of a rough fighter who will come in with shoulders and elbows, and try to mug us a little bit. It's a different style to Oscar but we will train for it and get in the right sparring partners."

De La Hoya May Decide Boxing Future in Two Weeks

2009-02-14T00:04:00.000-08:00

Oscar de La Hoya’s boyhood friend and Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez says “The Golden Boy’ may decide on whether to return to the ring following his 8th round TKO loss to Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao last December 6, in two weeks.

Gomez told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that “he (De La Hoya) will let us know what he wants to do” when he meets them in two weeks.

Gomez. Said De La Hoya was “good and enjoying life and doing the stuff he enjoys with his family and as a husband and father. He’s relaxing and spending his money a little bit..”

Gomez said De La Hoya “has given us no indication one way or another” about his future career as a fighter but admitted that “he still feels bad” about the bad loss to Pacquiao” although he said “that’s sports.”

The Golden Boy Promotions executive said he was pleased to learn of the recent impressive 4th round KO victory by AJ “Bazooka” Banal over Indonesian champion Nouldy Manakane and described Banal as “a really good fighter.”

Gomez said that he thought “the pressure got to him (Banal)” in his stunning 10th round KO in his WBA Interim super flyweight title fight against Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion in Cebu last July and emphasized that Banal “has to have a special training camp” when preparing for big fights.

Gomez said it is important for top fighters like Banal, Z “The Dream” Gorres and Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista among other boxers from the ALA Gym to train at venues such as the Wild Card Gym under trainers of the quality of Freddie Roach even as he pointed out that there are many excellent sparring partners of different styles, available in Los Angeles.

Juanma Lopez-Penalosa Fight Confirmed by Gomez

2009-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Golden Boy Promotions vice president and international matchmaker Eric Gomez says the title fight between WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa (53-6-2, 36 KO’s) and WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez (24-0, 22 KO’s) will take place as scheduled on April 25 in Puerto Rico.

In an overseas telephone conversation with BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports on Tuesday morning (Manila Time) Gomez said “we have been going back and forth for weeks” but that Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer had informed him after a conversation with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum that “we had a done deal.” Gomez said they were waiting for the contract from Arum.

Without revealing the numbers, the top executive of Golden Boy Promotions said Penalosa was getting “a very, very good purse and can’t afford to turn it down.”

At the same time Gomez said that he had spoken to WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel about Penalosa’s planned February 21 tune-up fight in Cebu City against Mexico’s German Meraz (20-11-1, 8 KO’s) and that Valcarcel had warned that while Penalosa could go through with the tune-up fight “if he gets hurt and can’t fight Lopez on April 25 he will be stripped of his WBO bantamweight title.”

In fact a date has already been set for an interim title fight for the 118 pound crown in Tijuana, Mexico on March 28 between mandatory challenger Eric Morel (40-2, 21 KO’s)and former WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel (38-2-1, 28 KO’s) who was moving up to 118 since he couldn’t make the 115 weight limit. Penalosa would then have to defend his crown against the winner of the interim title.

Gomez quoted Valcarcel as saying they would “rather he doesn’t fight but if he has to its okay, provided he doesn’t get injured” since he also pointed out that the showdown with “Juanma” Lopez is a “big fight on HBO.”

Penalosa continues to train alongside IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (20-1, 13 KO’s) in Baguio City which has an altitude of 5,100 feet and reports from their join training camp indicate both Penalosa and Donaire are in great shape and eager to get back into the ring.

Donaire defends his flyweight titles against undefeated Raul “The Cobra” Martinez (24-0, 14 KO’s) on March 22 at the Araneta Coliseum in a world title fight doubleheader with former world light flyweight champion Brian Viloria (24-2, 14 KO’s) clashing with reigning champion Ulises Solis (28-1-2, 20 KO’s) also of Mexico.

Gerry Penalosa Continues To Wait on Juan Manuel Lopez

2009-02-09T01:25:00.000-08:00

The waiting game continues for WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who hasn’t received his contract as yet for his scheduled title fight against WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel "Juanma” Lopez set for April 25 in Puerto Rico..

Penalosa’s manager Billy Keane told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Los Angeles “ I spoke to Bob (Arum) today and he told me the contract would come over on Monday or Tuesday, so we’ll see.”

Arum who promotes the Puerto Rican sensation Lopez who won the title with a stunning first round KO of Daniel Ponce De Leon told us last week that Keane would receive the contract in one or two days and the details would be finalized this week. Arum told us “we are ready to do the fight. I will get a contract to Billy Keane (Penalosa’s manager) and he’s going to get it to Penalosa, hopefully by Friday.”

But it didn’t arrive and Keane told us he didn’t know what was going on even as he claimed that Juanma Lopez hadn’t signed the contract which was holding things up.

Keane said that should Penalosa beat Lopez “he’ll be fine but if he loses he needs to go right back down and fight the winner of Fernando Montiel (38-2-1, 28 KO’s) vs Eric Morel (40-2, 21 KO’s)” who clash for the WBO bantamweight interim title on March 28 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Morel was the mandatory challenger for Penalosa’s title but since the Filipino was moving up to challenge Lopez and the 29 year old Montiel was relinquishing his WBO super flyweight title and up to bantamweight since he couldn’t make the 115 pound limit, the interim tile fight against the 33 year old Morel was approved by WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel with Penalosa mandated to defend his title against the winner.

Meantime, Penalosa continues training in Baguio City along with IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who will defend his title against undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum on March 22 in a card that will also feature former WBC lightweight champion Brian Viloria in a title fight against reigning IBF champion Ulises Solis.

Keane also told us that should WBC/WBA/IBF super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan who scored an 11th round TKO victory over Mexican warrior Jorge Arce wish to move up and fight Penalosa, the veteran Filipino southpaw “would knock Darchinyan out.”

Joe Calzaghe Has No Regrets, May Return One Day

2009-02-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

Undefeated Joe Calzaghe has no regrets about announcing his retirement from the sport of boxing. Last week, fans and numerous fighters were shocked when Calzaghe issued a public retirement announcement. At a recent dinner that was held over the weekend in his honor, Calzaghe refused to rule out a possible return in the future.

“It has been a fantastic experience and I just hope I brought a lot of happiness to boxing fans around the world,” Calzaghe was quoted as saying by Daily Express. “I can’t see any point in carrying on right now because there is nothing left for me to do, but you never know what might happen in the future. Nobody does."

Calzaghe feels the decision he made to walk away was the right one, rather than sticking around. He had a lot of goals and says that all of them have been accomplished.

“I am happy with my decision to retire as I have had a great career and only now am I getting the recognition which I deserve. It took a long time, but boxing fans are now realising what I have done is very special. I won the world title in 1997 and kept it for nearly 12 years. Nobody in the sport has ever done that,” Calzaghe said.

“The decision I have taken is the right one. I am going into promoting and there are so many other things I want to do,” he said. Boxing has been great to me and I’ve loved every minute of being a fighter. I like the thought of retiring undefeated because so few fighters have done it.”

Nonito Donaire Wants Vic Darchinyan's Unified Crown

2009-02-09T01:23:00.001-08:00

IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire says he wants the three belts that WBC/WBA/IBF super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan retained with an 11th round TKO over Mexican warrior Jorge “ Travieso” Arce at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Sunday morning Manila Time.

Donaire spoke to BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from his training camp in Baguio City where he watched the “live” coverage of the fight over the cable channel of Solar Sports along with former world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa and brother Jonathan Penalosa who are both helping Donaire prepare for his title defense against undefeated Raul “The Cobra” Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum on March 22..

Donaire commended Arce for “fighting with heart” despite the wear and tear of a tough career but said Darchinyan was “the same old Darchinyan and we saw all the flaws again in this fight. The same flaws he showed me when we fought.”

Donaire who inflicted the only defeat on Darchinyan when he won the IBF/IBO flyweight belts with a spectacular, one-punch knockout on July 7, 2007 that won him the "Knockout of the Year" accolade, predicted that if he was the one who fought Drachinyan instead of Arce, “it would have probably gone the same way” as their first encounter.

Donaire noticed that Darchinyan “looked the same, fought exactly the same when I fought him aside from him not being too aggressive as he usually was and it would have been pretty much the same result.”

Donaire said “most definitely I want to fight him again” but unfortunately everything was “jumbled around” as his planned WBO super flyweight title shot at Fernando Montiel was called off after Montiel moved up in weight and will now face bantamweight mandatory challenger Eric Morel in a WBO interim title fight where veteran Filipino southpaw Gerry Penalosa remains champion.. The original scenario was for the winner of Donaire vs Montiel to face the winner of Darchinyan vs Arce but it may now take some time for that dream rematch to take place.

Donaire who will move up to super flyweight after the upcoming title defense said “most definitely I want to make that happen. I know his (Darchinyan's) weaknesses. He is a big force in this weight and I want those three belts.”

Ringside physician Dr. Paul Wallace advised referee Lou Moret, himself a doctor to stop the fight before the start of the final round after Arce was cut and bloodied under and over his right eyebrow and even at the back of his head as he took a bad beating from Darchinyan. All three judges had the champion leading at the time of the stoppage with identical lopsided scorecards of 109-100. .

Darchinyan started off well catching Arce with stinging lefts and as the Mexican lunged forward Darchinyan nailed him with a couple of good shots to the head. Arce turned things around in the third where he appeared to have hurt Darchinyan with a solid right but the champion came right back and wobbled Arce in the fourth with a left uppercut.

The champion hurt Arce again in the 7th with a vicious uppercut and then pressured the tiring Mexican who appeared to age as the fight wore on. Three good rights by Arce failed to move Darchinyan who didn’t even blink in round nine when it turned a little ugly forcing referee Morett to ask Arce to stop wrestling and Darchinyan not to hold and hit.

Darchinyan opened up a cut over the right eye of Arce in round eleven as the WBA Interim champion seemed to tire chasing the unified champion in a sign of desperation. With his corner telling him to box, Darchinyan bloodied Arce’s right eye which he targeted because of the cut and although Arce claimed it was a head-butt the referee insisted the cut was aggravated by a punch.

A slo-mo replay suggested that the gash suffered by Arce in round eleven was caused by the ropes as he tried to bring his head back into the ring after it popped out during one of the torrid exchanges.

In a post fight interview Darchinyan said that if the fight went to round 12 he would have “thrown more punches because I wanted to knock him out” even as he said the TKO decision was “okay, I’m happy.”

Manny Pacquiao Would Kill Vic Darchinyan, Says Staheli

2009-02-09T01:21:00.000-08:00

Undisputed super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan beating the drums for a future fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. He wants to continue moving up in weight until he reaches a fight with Pacquiao, who is currently making a run at junior welterweight.

"I want to move up and fight Manny Pacquaio," Darchinyan said. "[But] I will take my time, one by one. I'm not going to rush. I'll do it when I'm ready to go, and that will be a good fight."

"Keep on bringing your good fighters. I'll demolish them all" - Darchinyan told promoter Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, and Darchinyan's Saturday opponent Jorge Arce.

Rick Staheli, training Shannan Taylor for next week's fight against Anthony Mundine, says the fight would be a mismatch. Staheli is former trainer of Pacquiao.

"Manny would kill him. He's been talking like this for a while now but all Vic really wants is a big payday. Everyone wants to fight Manny because it's huge money, but if it was to ever happen Vic would get absolutely destroyed," Staheli told The Canberra Times.

"He is a super-flyweight and Manny is fighting at welterweight now, and in the history of boxing when has the super-flyweight world champion gone up to welterweight and beaten the pound-for-pound champion of the world? It has never happened and it never will."

Staheli told the paper that Pacquiao has bigger fish on his mind. He says Darchinyan should worry about other potential opponents who are close to his weight class.

"Manny is at the top of his game right now, and he's looking to fight the Ricky Hattons of this world - and maybe Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley," Staheli said.

Nonito Donaire Praises Penalosa For Training Camp Help

2009-02-09T01:20:00.000-08:00

IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire who is deep in training for his title defense against undefeated Raul “The “Cobra” Martinez at the Araneta Coliseum on March 22 is full of praise for the Penalosa brothers who are helping him prepare for a tough title defense.

Donaire said in an email from his Baguio City training camp that WBO champion Gerry Penalosa, former two-division champion Dodie Boy Penalosa and their brother Jonathan Penalosa “have been the greatest for me during the training camp.”

Donaire said people scared him by saying it was so cold in the Philippines summer capital which is at an altitude of 5,100 feet but he and wife Rachael who is a taekwondo champion are okay because its like the weather in San Leandro, California.

Donaire who has amazed Gerry Penalosa with his skill and punching power as well as his relentless training regimen noted that “life’s been pretty demanding and hectic since my last fight but that’s how life is.”

He said he and his wife Rachael “enjoyed the holidays with family and new family here in the Philippines and I’ve gotten to know some great people and have picked up a new camp along the way.”

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum informed us some weeks ago that the title defense of Donaire had been pushed back from March 15 to the 22. The Donaire-Martinez main event is part of a championship double-header that will also feature former WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria against IBF champion Ulises Solis of Mexico.

The 27 year old Martinez of San Antonio, Texas. is undefeated with a record of 24-0 including 14 knockouts and is conceded to be a tough fighter and a worthy challenger although Donaire disclosed that he had beaten him in their only meeting as amateurs in the US Olympic trials for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where Viloria was selected to represent the US.

In his last fight Martinez scored a knockout over Victor Proa (26-0, 19 KO?s) at 1:08 of the first round to retain his International Boxing Association super flyweight title last November 14.

Reporting on that fight boxing writer Jake Donovan said the battle of the unbeaten super flyweights "turned into a slaughter as Martinez needed just 68 seconds to snatch the "0" from poised Mexican banger Proa".

Donaire has described Martinez as a good fighter with speed and power and a future prospect but believes he has a decided edge over the challenger.

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who is training alongside Donaire in their Baguio City training camp told us that no flyweight or super flyweight in the world, including WBC/WBA and IBF champion Vic Darchinyan can beat Donaire on his present form which he said was “amazing.”

Donaire won the IBF/IBO flyweight titles with a sensational one-punch KO of Darchinyan on July 7, 2007.

Juanma Lopez Has Not Signed Penalosa Fight Contract

2009-02-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa still hasn’t received the promised contract for his announced title fight against WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” which Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said would take place in Puerto Rico on April 25.

Penalosa’s manager Billy Keane told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that he has received no word whatsoever from Arum, adding that Lopez “will not sign” and he (Keane) “doesn’t know what’s going on. But I know Lopez has not signed.”

According to Keane, Arum hasn’t been able to get Lopez who is promoted by Top Rank to agree on the purse.

Keane said that based on the present situation Penalosa will have to fight the winner of the interim title fight between mandatory bantamweight challenger Eric “Little Hands of Steel” Morel (40-2, 21 KO’s) and former WBO super flyweight champion Fernando Montiel (38-2-1, 28 KO’s) or he will be stripped of the 118 pound crown.

The Morel-Montiel interim title fight will take place in Tijuana, Mexico on March 28.

The failure of Penalosa to receive his contract for the Lopez fight and the WBO requirement that he must face the winner of the Morel-Montiel fight or be stripped of the title seems to effectively pave the way for Penalosa’s planned March 21 tune-up fight against 22 year old German Meraz who was picked by Cotabato vice governor Manny Pinol who is promoting the big fight card in Cebu which will be telecast by the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN.

Meraz has a record of 20 wins and 11 losses with 8 wins coming by way of knockouts. Meraz is an extremely active fight who fought no less than 13 times last year and is a tireless fighter who bucks the odds and is expected to be an ideal opponent for a tune-up fight.

Meraz won his last two fights by stoppage. On November 8, 2008 he scored a 5th round TKO over Juan Chabelas and in a rematch on December 13 won by a 4th round TKO.

The Mexican lost a unanimous eight round decision to undefeated Zsott Bedak (10-0, 3 KO’s) on September 27 and also dropped a unanimous decision to another undefeated fighter, Hernan Marquez (18-0, 14 KO’s) on July 12 last year.

Penalosa is currently training in the summer capital of Baguio City along with IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire. He said training camp was going very well and he is eager to get back into the ring for his tune-up fight against Meraz.

Z Gorres To Battle Ex-Champion Robert Leyva on 3/14

2009-02-09T01:17:00.000-08:00

Z “The Dream” Gorres, probably one of the unluckiest but truly talented boxers from the famed ALA Gym is moving up from super flyweight to bantamweight and will battle former world minimum weight champion Robert “Mako” Leyva at the plush Waterfront hotel on March 14.

Leyva who has also steadily moved up in weight since winning the IBF minimum weight title from the stylish Daniel Reyes in a twelve round unanimous decision on April 29, 2004 also fought and beat for IBF champion Manny Melchor of the Philippines in a ten round bout on March 9, 2002.

Leyva won the IBF title in only his 19th fight but lost it to undefeated Miguel Barrera whom he battled to a technical draw in 2001.

A report on the fight said it was “fairly close, but Leyva clearly lost.” The fight was described as “ a great battle, with the fight getting national attention for being a possible "Fight of the Year".

Leyva’s rematch against Barrera not as exciting, but ended with the same winner with Leyva on the wrong end of a perfect body shot that paralyzed him in the 3rd round and he was unable to get up.

The article noted that Leyva is still a good top contender, but it will be awhile till he gets another title shot.

Both the Mexican and Gorres have moved up to a more comfortable weight, hoping to make their mark in the 118 pound division. Both fighters are southpaw with the 29 year old Leyva sporting a record of 25-8-1 with 20 knockouts.

Leyva is coming off a sixth round loss on points to Benjamin Garcia last September 11. Garcia has taken on some formidable opponents in his career including undefeated Raul “Cobra” Martinez who is scheduled to challenge Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire for his IBF/IBO titles at the Araneta Coliseum on March 22 as well as the tough Giovanni Segura and former world champions Brian Viloria and Eric Ortiz.

The 26 year old Gorres on the other hand has a record of 28-2-2 with 15 knockouts and is coming off a solid ten round unanimous decision over game Kenyan Nick Otieno last May 31.

Gorres earlier engaged Vic Darchinyan in a rough and rugged IBF super flyweight eliminator which ended in a draw. Darchinyan went on to win the title from Dimitri Kirilov of Russia and then mauled the highly-fancied Cristian Mijares to win his WBC and WBA titles in a stunning upset last November 1.

Gorres lost a hugely controversial split decision in his bid to win the WBO super flyweight title from Mexican champion Fernando Montiel before some 25,000 fans at the Cebu City sports complex. A vast majority of boxing writers and broadcasters at ringside felt Gorres clearly deserved the win.

Youthful Michael Aldeguer who has taken over the mantle of the ALA Gym operations from his respected father and boxing patron Tony Aldeguer told us that Gorres “feels very comfortable at bantamweight and has looked really good in training.”

Hatton, Froch, Macca React To Joe Calzaghe's Retirement

2009-02-09T01:15:00.000-08:00

The news of Joe Calzaghe's retirement has sent shockwaves to a lot of UK fighters. Most of the fighters and media had expected him to at least have one or two more fights before he made a decision to hang up the gloves.

Calzaghe's rival, WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch, issued very few compliments as he gave Joe a retirement farewell.

"I think he made the right decision retiring," Froch told Setanta Sports News. "I said he needs to retire a couple of weeks back. He was put on his ass by a 43-year-old and 40-year-old in his last two fights. He climbed up to win and showed true warrior heart as he's showed all his career.

"But he's not had a defining fight. Yes, against me but it's not just me blowing my own trumpet. I've got big fights ahead of me with Jermain Taylor and other big guns that I'm waiting to happen, maybe a match with Mikkel Kessler. I'll give credit to Joe for the job he did on Kessler who was at his peak and give accolades for that but, after that, I'm struggling to find names.

"Chris Eubank was past his best when he took his title. Jones Jnr - how old was he? Jones was at his best 15 years prior to that. In a professional boxing career, you've 10 years at best probably. He's got a good record as he beat who was put in front of him but I won't lose my mind and say he's Sugar Ray Leonard. He's not. I don't need Calzaghe. He's making a mistake thinking I need him for a pay-day as I'm doing quite fine, thanks very much."

"He's not the best boxer who walked the Earth. He knows he isn't, you know he isn't. Roy Jones and Hopkins know he isn't. Hopkins beat Calzaghe, let's not forget. It was a split decision and a very close call. Calzaghe got beat up, his nose was bust and Hopkins was unmarked. He was 43! Come on, put it in perspective and let's not lose our minds here."

Cruiserweight contender Enzo Maccarinelli, Calzaghe's close friend, told Setanta Sports News that Calzaghe had nothing left to prove, and nothing to gain by fighting Froch.

"Joe had nothing to prove to anyone - he was head and shoulders above anyone else so I don't think anyone could have beaten him. I don't think Joe had anything to prove against Froch. He beats Froch 10 times out of 10 Froch boxed well against Jean Pascal last time and it was a good fight. He wouldn't fight light-heavy and there is no way Joe could make super-middle so that put an end to that straight away," Macca said.

Ricky Hatton told BBC Sport that Calzaghe had nothing more that he could have accomplished in boxing.

"What more can Joe Calzaghe do in his career? He's done Vegas, Madison Square Garden, world champion, two different weights, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, he's unbeaten. He'll retire as one of the greatest fighters that Britain has ever produced," Hatton said.

Enzo Calzaghe, father and trainer of Joe, is happy that his son decided to retire.

"We talked day and night but I'm behind Joe because when enough is enough it's enough. He could go on for another five years on the physical side of it but what's more important is the mental side of it, the hunger. Let's be honest, he walked the walk and had what he could out of it. He has nothing more to prove," Enzo told Setanta Sports.

Amir Khan Looks Phenomenal in Training For Barrera

2009-02-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

Promising British lightweight Amir Khan (19-1, 15 KO's) is confident he can put his career right back on track with a victory over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in their M.E.N Arena clash on March 14.

The 22 year old Olympic silver medalist got a big boost from conditioning expert Alex Ariza who works together with trainer Freddie Roach and former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer in preparing Khan for the biggest test of his young career.

Ariza told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Los Angeles that Khan “looks phenomenal and everything looks so great.”

He said Roach was “working on strategy and breaking down Barrera as a fighter” with the help of Moorer who only recently teamed-up with Roach.

Ariza said he expects “an exciting fight and something really to watch” although he conceded, just as Roach did, that Khan “makes some amateur mistakes” and that Moorer was “probably there for more defensive reasons.”

The conditioning expert noticed that Roach “spends a lot more time teaching and perfecting certain things defensively and offensively than he did in the last fight” when Khan overwhelmed Oisin Fagan in two rounds last December 6 after training under Roach for a few weeks.

Khan himself acknowledged that he benefited immensely from a few rounds of sparring with Filipino ring hero Manny Pacquiao who, at that time, was preparing for his December 6 bout with Oscar De La Hoya.

The fight against Fagan followed Khan’s only defeat which was a shocking first round knockout by Colombia ’s Breidis Prescott last September.

Ariza said Barrera is “a good body puncher, very crafty and Amir will have to be very, very strong physically for this fight as well as in condition. Like Freddie said he must be able to fight three minutes of every round.”

He disclosed that Khan qa doing a lot of plyometrics strength training early and will taper off and concentrate on speed the last three weeks.”

Team Pacquiao Plan To Nullify Hatton's Best Weapon

2009-02-09T00:27:00.000-08:00

Trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza will work on strengthening the mid-section of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao in preparation for his showdown against Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton in Las Vegas on May 2.

Ariza who has worked with Roach in getting Pacquiao into the best shape of his life for his smashing 9th round KO of WBC lightweight champion David Diaz and his 8th round stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that Hatton was “a very solid body puncher.”

Roach earlier told us that Hatton’s body punches are the Briton’s best weapon because “he is a very good body puncher.

At the same time the renowned trainer noted that Hatton fights rough and had the tendency to push his opponent against the ropes, throw a couple of punches and them grab so the opponent couldn’t counter.

Roach said his fight plan would have Pacquiao keep the fight in the center of the ring like he did against De La Hoya and use his speed and angles to get at Hatton and wear him down before hopefully taking him out in the late rounds.

Ariza said that mindful of Hatton’s strength, he was working on a program that would “further strengthen Manny’s mid-section” which is the same thing he is doing with promising British lightweight Amir Khan who is training at the Wild Card gym for his March 14 clash with Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera.

Ariza revealed that he would sit down with Roach who would tell him “what he wants and what he’s going to be looking for out of the fight.”

Ariza said he would “come up with whatever program is best and run it by Freddie and Freddie will make the decision at that time.”

Off hand Ariza indicated he would suggest “a lot of core work, a lot of strength exercises for his (Pacquiao’s) mid-section” but added that it would “all be up to Freddie.”

Barrera Plans To Expose Amir Khan's Suspect Chin

2009-02-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

Former three division champion Marco Antonio Barrera plans to expose the chin of UK lightweight star Amir Khan. The two collide on March 14 at the MEN Arena in Manchester. Barrera says that a win over Khan will put him in position for a title shot. He thinks Khan makes too many mistakes and has a suspect chin.

''That's what gets me to fight. If I beat this kid I am definitely getting a title shot in my next fight. I have seen him a couple of times and studied his fights,'' Barrera said. ''I know he's a good fighter but he makes mistakes and I think he has a questionable chin. I feel sure I can beat him.''

"Amir Khan should be worried that Marco Antonio Barrera is going to get him and make him the next English fighter on his list. 'I don't put the round but it's coming. I don't predict what will happen. I just go on to prove it.''

Khan, a 2004 Olympic silver medal winner, is trained by Freddie Roach, who worked Manny Pacquiao's corner for two dominating wins over Barrera. Several years ago, Khan watched one of his idols, Naseem Hamed, lose to Barrera, but he doesn't think Barrera is the same fighter - and Khan feels that he is more versatile than Hamed.

''I have always had the ambition to go out and fight all the best fighters and this is the start. I am fighting a legend who has won world titles at three different weights. This is my motivation for getting into the gym and fighting a lot harder. I saw him beat Naseem Hamed but I am totally different fighter than Naseem Hamed,'' Khan said.

Roach: "If Pacquiao Fights Smart, He Beats Hatton Easy"

2009-02-04T06:27:00.001-08:00

Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is convinced that if Pacquiao fights a smart fight in his showdown against Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2 he should win easily.

In a wide-ranging conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Roach said Pacquiao needs to “get back into the gym and get back to where we were for the Oscar De La Hoya fight” last December 6 where Pacquiao pulverized “The Golden Boy” to win by an eighth round TKO.

Roach cautioned Pacquiao that Hatton is “a very durable buy” but added that “if Manny fights the correct fight, fights a smart fight I think he’ll win and win easily.”

The renowned trainer who has crafted the career of Pacquiao through the years and turned him into the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and the most exciting fighter in boxing today admitted that IBO light welterweight champion Hatton punches with power and said “his body punches are his best. He is a very good body puncher.”

However, Roach was confident that Pacquiao who trains relentlessly once he steps into the Wild Card Gym will prove too much in the end for the game Briton and should eventually take him out in the late rounds.

Hatton who returns to Manchester in the middle of February after a vacation cruise with his family will join Pacquiao in a kickoff promotional stop in London and his hometown of Manchester in the last week of this month.

Hatton’s father, Ray Hatton told us he would start training in Britain for a couple of weeks before leaving for an eight week training stint before the fight in Las Vegas. Hatton himself has said he was driven by a desire to dislodge Pacquiao as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

The Daily Telegraph quoted Hatton as s aying “ I’ve challenged once for it. I’m focused, I’ve got my eye on the prize” and said he was sure the fight wouldn’t go the distance and he was “convinced, I will beat Manny.” Hatton also maintained that nobody in the world could beat him at 140 pounds. But as Roach has said in the past, ”there’s always a first time.”

Referee Joe Cortez Fires Back at Juan Manuel Marquez

2009-02-04T06:26:00.001-08:00

Referee Joe Cortez has fired back at former champion Juan Manuel Marquez. In an earlier news brief that ran on BoxingScene.com, Marquez revealed that he rejected the use of Cortez as the referee for the upcoming fight with Juan Diaz, scheduled for February 28 in Houston, Texas.

Marquez told his promoters, Golden Boy, that he was concerned with the way Cortez officiated several fights that involved Mexican opponents - with a lot of focus on the terrible call with Humberto Soto being disqualified in last year's bout against Francisco Lorenzo. Soto was beating the hell out of Lorenzo, when Cortez issued a DQ call for Soto hitting the fighter as he was down, but a replay showed that no punch ever hit Lorenzo as he was on the mat.

"He is like the enemy of Mexican boxers. I asked for him not to appear in the ring [for the Diaz] fight and they assured me that he won't," Marquez told ESTO.

The comments reached Cortez, who issued a response to the claims of Marquez. He brought into play the first battle between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao. Cortez made it clear that he allowed the fight to continue, despite Marquez going down three times in the first round, and that alone should prove that he is far from biased against Mexican fighters.

"Those comments are completely groundless. Some of my best friends are Mexicans and I even have Mexican relatives. I truly don't know where those comments come from. If I was an enemy of the Mexicans, why did I give him the opportunity to continue when he was knocked down three times in the first fight against Manny Pacquiao. I let him continue and he had the fight of his life," Cortez said to Primera Hora.

As far as Marquez, and whoever else, being upset over what took place in the Soto vs. Lorenzo fight - Cortezt says "the rules are the rules." As expected, Cortez is still not willing to admit that numerous replays by HBO clearly showed that Soto never hit Lorenzo when he was down. It should be pointed out that Marquez was mad at Cortez for not taking a point away from Pacquiao in the first encounter. Marquez always felt that Pacquaio hit him while he was down [fight 1, knockdown three] and Cortez did nothing about it - which may have angered him more when he was the Soto-Lorenzo outcome.

"If Soto had not hit Lorenzo when he was down, I would not have disqualified him. The rules are the rules. The comments by Marquez are unjust," Cortez said.

Amir Khan's Plan Will Be To Test Barrera's Stamina

2009-02-04T06:25:00.000-08:00

British lightweight hopeful Amir Khan’s scheduled battle with Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera is on following concerns that the March 14 bout was in jeopardy after Barrera suffered a nasty cut in a tune-up bout over the weekend against last-minute substitute Freudis Rojas after Barrera’s original opponent failed to show up at the official weigh-in.

Khan’s trainer Freddie Roach told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that “the fight is one hundred percent on after doctors okayed Barrera today.”

Roach said the Mexican who fought the trainer’s prized possession Manny Pacquiao twice and lost, had two stitches and the cut was not as bad as originally feared which would have resulted in a postponement of the March 14 clash set for the famous M.E.N arena with 15,000 tickets having been already sold.

Roach believes “it’s a great fight for Amir” and said the 22 year old Briton who sparred a few times with Pacquiao when the Filipino boxing hero was preparing for his megabuck fight with Oscar De La Hoya and learned a lot from the experience , will have “speed and youth on his side.”

Roach likened Khan’s advantages to what Pacquiao enjoyed “when he fought Barrera for the first time” at the Alamadome in San Antonio , Texas in November 2003 and annihilated the Mexican in eleven rounds.

Roach revealed that Khan who has a record of 19-1 with 16 knockouts would fight “ a fast-paced fight” even as Roach said they were “working hard to correct some fundamental mistakes” that Khan had made in the past especially in his shocking first round KO at the hands of Bredis Prescott last year.

Gareth Davies of the Daily Telegraph quoted Khan’s promoter Frank Warren who has been in constant touch with Barrera’s new promoter Don King as saying both he and Khan were delighted that the fight is still on.

Davies quoted Warren who said "It's a great relief to finally get confirmation that Barrera will be ready for March 14. Sometimes these problems happens in boxing and you have to get through them, but I'm delighted that the fight is on and now we can get back to business and sell the remaining tickets for what will be a great fight"

The respected boxing writer said the Khan-Barrera fight promises to be an explosive encounter between the young Bolton star and the seven time/three weight world champion.

Khan told Davies "It was a worrying few days but it's great news to hear that it's still on the original date. I was never worried that the fight wouldn't happen, at the worst it would have been delayed by a couple of weeks, but now my team are all geared up and ready for March 14. My training camp is going absolutely fantastic and I will be in the best shape of my life come fight night."

Ricky Hatton: "Beating Pacquiao is My Ultimate Goal"

2009-02-04T06:24:00.000-08:00

Beating Manny Pacquiao is the ultimate goal for Ricky Hatton. For the last few years, Hatton has become obsessed with beating the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He got his first chance in December of 2007, when he met Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight plan backfired and Mayweather stopped the Manchester superstar in ten rounds. Hatton will get his second chance to challenge the best fighter in the world on May 2, with the MGM Grand playing host in Las Vegas.

Hatton, in his mind, believes that a win over Pacquiao will give him the title of "best fighter in the world."

“I want to take that title off him – and I know I can. Once I become the best pound-for-pound fighter, how much higher can I go? Once you have climbed Everest, where do you go next? It is the ultimate. You can’t look past someone like Manny Pacquiao. For God’s sake, he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. But if I was fortunate enough to win, which I genuinely believe I can do, I will have achieved my ultimate goal,” Hatton told The Daily Star.

“Beating him would really fulfill an ambition of mine. Ever since I started out in boxing I have dreamt of being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I am now the best in my division so to be regarded as the best in the world in all divisions would be fantastic – utterly fantastic.

Of course, if he beats Pacquiao, he still wants a rematch with Mayweather Jr. Hatton still feels that a biased ref is to blame for not being able to execute his plan in the ring.

“The only thing left to do would be to have another crack at Floyd Mayweather Jr. I keep going on about how I was so hard done to by the referee, so let’s find out if it was the ref or if he was really that good. If I beat Pacquiao, it will give me more pull to say, ‘Come over here and fight me, Floyd. You won over there – now you come over here.’ I owe it to myself to try and put the record straight before I hang my gloves up. I don’t want to retire until I have another crack at him.

After a not so impressive performance against Juan Lazcano last May, Hatton began to doubt himself, but his confidence returned when he stopped Paulie Malignaggi a few months later.

"I thought my chances of becoming the pound-for-pound king had gone after my performance in the Juan Lazcano fight last year. I thought to myself, ‘Hey you, you’re not performing any more. Has it caught up with you – the going up and down in weight, a few too many pints and the hard fights and stuff like that?’ I thought maybe it had. But against Paulie Malignaggi in my last fight, I felt I redeemed myself. It wasn’t just the performance but my performance against the style of opponent which made it all the more impressive,” Hatto said.

Marco Antonio Barrera-Amir Khan To Move Forward 3/14

2009-02-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan's mega showdown against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera is still on for Saturday 14 March at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

There had been concerns that the fight would have to be postponed following the cut Barrera received last Saturday night against Freudis Rojas in Mexico, but following a thorough medical examination he has been given the all clear to box.

Promoter Frank Warren, who has been in constant contact with Barrera's promoter Don King, is delighted that the fight is still on.

"It's a great relief to finally get confirmation that Barrera will be ready for March 14,"

"Sometimes these problems happens in boxing and you have to get through them, but I'm delighted that the fight is on and now we can get back to business and sell the remaining tickets for what will be a great fight"

More than 15,000 tickets have already been sold and it promises to be an explosive encounter between the young Bolton star and the seven time/three weight world champion.

Khan, who is training at Freddie Roach's gym in Los Angeles, said, "It was a worrying few days but it's great news to hear that it's still on the original date,"

"I was never worried that the fight wouldn't happen, at the worst it would have been delayed by a couple of weeks, but now my team are all geared up and ready for March 14,"

"My training camp is going absolutely fantastic and I will be in the best shape of my life come fight night."

Juan Manuel Marquez Rejects Cortez For Juan Diaz Bout

2009-02-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

Former champion Juan Manuel Marquez has rejected the use of veteran ref Joe Cortez for the upcoming fight with Juan Diaz, scheduled for February 28 in Houston, Texas. Marquez appears to have been concerned with the way Cortez officiated several fights that involved Mexican opponents - with a lot of focus on the terrible call with Humberto Soto being disqualified in last year's bout against Francisco Lorenzo. Soto was beating the hell out of Lorenzo, when Cortez issued a DQ call for Soto hitting the fighter as he was down, but a replay showed that no punch ever hit Lorenzo as he was on the mat.

"He is like the enemy of Mexican boxers. I asked for him not to appear in the ring [for the Diaz] fight and they assured me that he won't," Marquez told ESTO.

Marquez expects a tough fight against Diaz. He predicts nothing short of a solid win to set up more big fights in the future. He told the paper that he is ready for any fight plan that Diaz decides to execute.

"I am going to beat Diaz in this fight in Texas. There is a good number of opponents for big fights. This is one of those big fights, since Diaz was recently the lightweight champion of the WBO, WBA and IBF," Marquez said.

"Diaz is a boxer with a good technique and throws a lot of punches. I am going to fight according to what he does. If he chooses to run, I am going to pursue him. If he wants to attack, that is so much better, because I prefer that type of opponent. I am prepared for everything. I have seen him fight and he is very good boxer. We are going to give a good fight for the fans."

Barrera-Khan: Marco is Possibly Out Of Action Until May

2009-02-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

The team of Marco Antonio Barrera is advising their fighter to postpone his upcoming bout with Amir Khan, scheduled for March 14 at the MEN Arena in Manchester. Last Saturday night in Mexico, Barrera suffered a bad cut above his left eye when opponent Freudis Rojas speared him with his head, resulting in a third-round disqualification. There are many who question Barrera's logic in facing a 1-7 opponent when a Khan fight was around the corner.

A member of Barrera's team told ESTO that a meeting is scheduled with promoter Don King in Florida, and they are advising the fighter to ask for a postponement of the fight. Barrera received several stitches to close the cut. There are conflicting reports as to how many stitches, ranging from 3 to 14. Barrera's team has training concerns, due to the cut.

The paper was told that Barrera should be healed and ready to go by May. There is no official word on the outcome of the meeting with King.

Penalosa Has Yet To Receive Contract For Juanma Lopez

2009-02-04T06:20:00.002-08:00

WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who is scheduled to move up in weight and to challenge WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez on April 25 in Puerto Rico hasn’t received the fight contract as yet.

Penalosa’s manager Billy Keane told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Los Angeles that despite the promise of Top Rank promoter to send him Penalosa’s contract “there’s no contract yet. Bob said its coming but we don’t have it yet.”

Arum indicated then that the minor hitch concerned the Philippine television rights for the fight which Penalosa said he wanted to acquire and to, in turn, sell the rights to the giant broadcast network ABS-CBN with whom he had signed a two-fight deal.

However, Arum indicated “that’s impossible” apparently because Arum has a deal with Solar Sports.

Penalosa claimed he signed a two-fight contract with ABS-CBN because he was assured by Keane that it could be worked out. The veteran world champion said he had tried to contact his manager but was unsuccessful.

Manny Pacquiao Day For The San Francisco Giants

2009-02-04T06:20:00.001-08:00

FILIPINO boxing hero Manny Pacquiao will be honored in San Francisco, according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

In a telephone conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Arum said the San Francisco Giants baseball team will do a Manny Pacquiao Day on April 21, during which he will throw out the first pitch, aside from various other activities.

Arum disclosed that they would also give out Pacquiao bobblehead dolls and are working on how to promote the fight with the San Francisco Giants organization.

Pacquiao is also scheduled to make a tour stop in New York after his return from England. He is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles on Feb. 24, two days after the christening of his daughter Queen Elizabeth and will fly to London, which will be the first stop of the promotional tour for the “Battle of the East and West,” in which he takes on International Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton.

Arum said Pacquiao would also visit Manchester City, the hometown of Hatton.

Pacquiao is scheduled to leave for his hometown of General Santos City on Tuesday to attend classes at Notre Dame University, where he plans to finish his business management course before taking up law.

Controversy Continues To Hit Barrera's Fight With Rojas

2009-02-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

The controversy continues over Marco Antonio Barrera's bout with Freudis Rojas from last Saturday night in Jalisco, Mexico. Barrera won the fight by way of a third round disqualification after Rojas speared him with his head, causing a cut above Barrera's left eye.

Rojas was a late replacement and a very unpopular one. During Barrera's hometwon bout, there were chants of "fraud" by the crowd. Coming in with a record of 1-7, while Barrera was sporting a record of 64-6 - many in the Mexican press called the fight criminal.

Barrera tried to defend the fight going forward after the original opponent Johnny Nolasco no-showed the weigh-in.

"I was uncomfortable with the kind of opponent he was and I respect what the people were shouting. But this was a fight. So many opponents don't come to fight. They come to lay down. In this case they saw a fight. We wanted to return to Guadalajara, a city where I've seen my family grow and spent a lot of year here," Barrera told Notifight. "Nobody is guilty of anything here. I'm not and neither are the promoters. There was nothing scripted. They wanted to do something to save the event and I also wanted to save the event."

There are reports in the Mexican press that Rojas, who was inactive since 2007, tried to get a license to box in California in 2008 - and was denied because of his experience and poor record.

Edwin Valero Officially Signs a Deal With Top Rank

2009-02-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

TOP RANK SIGNS UNDEFEATED EDWIN VALERO

Edwin Valero, the 24-0, 24 KO super featherweight contender from Venezuela, has signed with Top Rank. Bob Arum made the announcement today.

"Edwin Valero is one of the most exciting fighters in the world today," Arum said. "We are very pleased he has signed with Top Rank. We are planning in the months ahead to showcase him so the public can see how talented he is."

Arum said Valero's first bout with Top Rank will soon be announced. Valero will campaign at 130 pounds, the super featherweight division.

Ricky Hatton Conflicted About Eight Week Vegas Camp

2009-02-04T06:16:00.000-08:00

Ricky Hatton is a bit conflicted about his trainer's request for an eight week training camp in Las Vegas. Floyd Mayweather Sr. wants Hatton to arrive in Las Vegas about eight weeks before his May 2 mega-bout with Manny Pacquiao, which takes place at the MGM Grand.

Hatton feels the time away from his family, son, girlfriend and soccer team - could alter his state of mind for the Pacquiao encounter. He plans to speak with Mayweather to work something out, but if push comes to shove - he will agree to his trainer's request.

"My trainer Floyd Mayweather wants me there for eight solid weeks but that is a long time. I will miss my son, my girlfriend, my family and my football if I go for that long. I will speak to Floyd about the training camp but if I have to go I will go," Hatton told writer Steve Bunce.

Marco Antonio Barrera-Amir Khan To Still Go Forward

2009-02-04T06:15:00.001-08:00

Despite suffering a bad cut in Saturday night's bout against Freudis Rojas in Jalisco, Mexico, former three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera plans to move forward with his bout against Amir Khan on March 14 at the MEN Arena in Manchester. Rojas, a late replacement with a record of 1-7, struck Barrera with a missile-like head shot that opened up a cut above Barrera's left eye in the third round. The ringside doctor felt the cut was too severe to allow the fight to continue and stopped the contest. The ref disqualified Rojas.

There was a lot of talk backstage that Barrera would not be able to have a proper training camp for the bout with Khan, but promoters Frank Warren and Don King have discussed the situation and the fight will still proceed on the 3/14 without any postponement.

“Frank has spoken to Don King and the fight will definitely go ahead. Frank was told it was a gash above the eye, but Barrera will still be able to fight Khan,” a spokesman for Khan’s promoter Warren told The Daily Star.

More than 15,000 tickets have already been sold for the Barrera-Khan showdown.

Barrera-Khan in Trouble According To Backstage Press

2009-02-04T06:14:00.000-08:00

According to Mexican media members who were backstage for Marco Antonio Barrera's three-round disqualification win over replacement opponent Freudis Rojas at the Auditorio Telmex in Jalisco, Mexico - Barrera's upcoming fight with Amir Khan on March 14 is in serious trouble.

Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs) suffered a bad cut above his left eye when Rojas hit him with a straight head shot. The ringside doctor examined the cut and felt it was too serious to allow the fight to continue and the ref issued the DQ call on Rojas (1-8-1, 1KOs).

Some of the media members who were backstage said the word going around was that Marco would not be able to recover in time to have a decent training camp for the fight with Khan, scheduled to take place at the MEN Arena in Manchester.

There are also a lot of allegations being thrown around by several Mexican media members. The original opponent, Johnny Nolasco, who can fight a bit, never showed up for the weigh-in. An opponent jumps in, Rojas, with a record of 1-7, lost his last five and has been inactive since November of 2007. Rojas has never been past six rounds and the best fighter he faced had a record of 7-1. This fight would have never been approved by any boxing commission with a brain.

Besides the published overseas reports that called Barrera-Rojas a mismatch on the highest criminal level, what some Mexican press members have alleged is that Rojas was thrown in at the last second to make sure that nothing derailed Barrera's bout with Khan. Now it appears that Rojas may have derailed the bout by causing the cut above Barrera's eye.

Manny Pacquiao Plans To Sacrifice in Training For Hatton

2009-02-04T06:13:00.000-08:00

Acknowledging that his showdown in the “Battle of East and West” against Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton will be a tougher fight than his lopsided 8th round TKO over Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas last December 6 Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao has promised to once again “sacrifice in training.”

In fact, Pacquiao plans to leave for Los Angeles after the christening of his daughter Queen Elizabeth on February 22 to begin preparation for his May 2 showdown with Hatton before leaving for London and Manchester to kickoff the promotional tour which will also take the two fighters to New York and Los Angeles.

In an enjoyable dinner gathering with sports editors and boxing writers last Friday night at the sprawling Harbour View seaside restaurant by Manila Bay , Pacquiao maintained his attitude of never predicting the outcome of his fights and respecting his opponents.

Responding to IBO light welterweight champion Hatton’s claim that nobody could beat him at 140 pounds, Pacquiao said “ I don’t wish to predict the outcome. Everybody knows that I will stay quiet but I will sacrifice in training so that on top of the ring I can show the fans that it will be a good fight and I will make the them happy.”

When asked who scares him more, De La Hoya or Hatton, Pacquiao laughingly replied “nobody scares me. Its only my team members and those who accompany me who are afraid.”

Pacquiao indicated he was not looking beyond Hatton for a fight with the presently retired Floyd Mayweather Jr or newly crowned WBA welterweight champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley saying Hatton “is one of the biggest challenges” he faces in his boxing career, adding “it is not a stepping stone but a challenge against a great fighter.”

Pacquiao said he needs to “prepare well and study the style of Hatton in training and study well, his style of fighting.”

Informed that trainer Freddie Roach noticed that Hatton had a tendency to throw a couple of punches and then grab his opponent, Pacquiao said “that’s the reaction of a boxer when he is hurt. To hold.”

In an earlier news conference Hatton praised Pacquiao asa great champion and the only way to become a great fighter is to box great champions. Its an honor and privilege to be sharing a ring with him.” However, Hatton expressed confidence he would win saying, “I cannot see this fight going 12 rounds. I’m convinced I will beat Manny.”

While he respects the ability of Hatton’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr despite the fact that the mentor had belittled his skill and didn’t believe in him, Pacquiao said “I am not angry with him. He is a very good trainer and I respect him because he is also the father of Floyd (Mayweather Jr) but I cannot let down my trainer Freddie Roach because he is the best and he has proved it.”

During the relaxing get together with sumptuous sea food, Pacquiao who was joined by constant companion and friend, Deputy National Security Adviser and former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson raffled off a total of P300,000 (over $6,000) aside from a 21” TV set, a laptop, three cellphones and other prizes.

Pacquiao and his team members, lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal, Eric Pineda and Jake Joson put up P200,000 while governor Singson chipped in P100,000.

Steven Luevano-Bernabe Concepcion on Pacquiao-Hatton

2009-02-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

Bernabe "Real Deal” Concepcion (28-1-1, 16 KO’s) battles WBO featherweight champion Steven Luevano (36-1-1, 15 KO’s) on the undercard of the “Battle of the East and West” headlined by Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao against Britain’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that he changed his original plan of staging the Concepcion fight on his April 25 card in Puerto Rico and moved it to May 2 because the April date was “no good, because trainer Freddie Roach wants to be with Concepcion” in his corner.

Arum said “obviously that’s a very important fight” for Concepcion but since it will take place during the training of Manny he decided to “accommodate everybody” by moving the Concepcion-Luevano title fight to May 2.

The 21 year old Concepcion who is managed by Aljoe Jaro in partnership with Pacquiao and Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz is coming off a 5th round technical decision win over gutsy Sande Otieno in a clash for the vacant WBC International featherweight title with Concepcion who was having a hard time making the super bantamweight limit of 122 moving up to featherweight.

Concepcion opened up a bad cut over Otieno’s right eye in the third round with a hard right and bloodied his face in the fifth forcing referee Bruce McTavish to call a halt on the advise of the ring physician.

Concepcion, the hard-hitting title prospect fought four times last year and won all four but had a tough time against Mexico’s Giovanni Caro over whom he scored an 8th round knockout after the ring physician had wanted to stop the fight in the previous round because the Filipino’s left eye was almost totally shut.

One report on the fight said that sensing urgency after seeing the doctor, Concepcion urged on by Pacquiao fought ferociously and landed a left-right combination that put Caro on the canvas for good.

Luevano is a 27 year old southpaw who won the title with an 11th round knockout of Britain’s undefeated Nicky Cook on July 14, 2007. He was held to a draw in a title defense against Mario Santiago last June 28 and in his last fight successfully defended his crown against Australia’s Billy Dib with a fairly comfortable twelve round decision.

Luevano is known for his speed and boxing ability and uses his left straight effectively although he doesn’t appear to have the power of Concepcion.

Barrera Beats Rojas, Amir Khan Fight is in Jeopardy

2009-02-04T06:10:00.002-08:00

Former three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera (65-6, 43 KOs) made his return to the ring with a win at the Auditorio Telmex in Jalisco, Mexico, but it wasn't sweet. He beat late replacement Freudis Rojas (1-8-1, 1KOs) by disqualification in the third round after Rojas hit him with his head, which forced the DQ call by the ref and opened a very bad cut over Barrera's left eye.

With February already here, the cut above Barrera's eye could put his much anticipated fight with Amir Khan, scheduled for March 14 at the MEN Arena in the UK, in jeopardy. Ringside reports have said the cut appeared to be serious and will require stitches. The Barrera-Khan meeting is a red-hot ticket in UK and the undercard is stacked. There will be a lot of upset fans if the fight is postponed.

As the old saying in boxing goes - "there is no such thing as a safe fight."

AJ Banal, Czar Amonsot are Back With a Vengeance

2009-02-04T06:10:00.001-08:00

AJ “Bazooka” Banal and Czar Amonsot are not only back, they’re back with a vengeance.

The two southpaws thrilled a massive crowd of 15,000 fight fans at the Island City Mall car park late Saturday with impressive victories over game Indonesian opponents and left no doubt that their careers were back on track.

Banal who is ranked No. 8 by the IBF, No. 9 by the WBA and No 14 by the WBO was returning from a shocking 10th round knockout at the hands of Panama;s Rafael Concepcion in a WBA super flyweight interim title fight last July 26 and his fine performance quickly re-kindled hopes of a future world title.

Banal moved with confidence and often caught Indonesian champion Nouldy Manakane with cracking combinations and whenever the Indon turned aggressor Banal would counter with deadly accuracy.

Banal dropped Manakane with a hard left in the second round and put him away for good with a perfectly-timed combination that sent the Indonesian crashing to the canvas at 1:39 of the fourth with referee Ben Necessario not even bothering to count as the ring physicians clambered into the ring to help the fallen Manakane recover and get back on his feet.

With the impressive win the overjoyed Banal improved to 18-1 with 15 knockouts and clearly erased the memory of his only defeat. Manakane while fighting gamely eventually succumbed to the infinitely superior Filipino and dropped to 17-8-1 with 8 knockouts.

Lightweight Czar Amonsot (18-3-1, 10 KO’s) showed no signs of the ill-effects of a bloody and brutal war with Australia’s Michael “The Great” Katisidis in Las Vegas in July 2007 when Amonsot’s career was in doubt after doctors discovered a tiny spec of blood outside his brain.

Ironically, Katsidis was scoring a lopsided ten round decision over Argentina ’s Hugo Ramirez before some 3,000 fans at the Cebu Coliseum who booed Ramirez who was obviously out to survive while Amonsot was being cheered lustily by a crowd that Dong Secuya of Philboxing estimated at five times the Cebu crowd.

The long layoff, an excellent conditioning program and an abiding faith and desire to return to the ring paid off for Amonsot. A series of tests including MRI’s and CTScans plus a clearance from noted neurosurgeon Dr. Almario Jabson and the Philippine Games and Amusements Board paved the way for the hard-hitting southpaw to take on Indonesia’s Joel Fidal (16-6-2, 7 KO’s) and erase any lingering doubts over his condition or his talent.

Amonsot who hardly showed any trace of his nineteen month absence from the ring proved far too skilful and strong for Fidal. A vicious body shot in round two dropped the Indonesian for the first time.

A cracking left cross by Amonsot sent Fidal crashing to the canvas in the 5th round with referee Delbert Peligrino counting out the hapless Indonesian to the delight of respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer of the famed ALA Gym and Tagbilaran City’s popular sportsman, Mayor Dan Neri Lim, a passionate supporter of boxing along with his city council from the picturesque island of Bohol.

Hatton, Eager To Snatch Pacquiao's Title as Boxing's Best

2009-02-04T06:08:00.000-08:00

During the official announcement for the May 2 clash between Ricky Hatton vs. Manny Pacquiao, better known as the “Battle of East and West,” Hatton who is handled in the United States by Golden Boy Promotions, was given a boost by Oscar De La Hoya who said “I think Hatton will dethrone Pacquiao and become boxing’s pound-for-pound king.”

It was the same De La Hoya who was pulverized by Pacquiao and quit at the end of eight rounds last December 6 in a shockingly one-sided bout in Las Vegas.

Despite picking Hatton to win however, De La Hoya was full of praise for Pacquiao in a fight he believes will be a candidate for “Fight of the Year.” He was quoted by the Andover Advertiser as saying “when Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring he fights for his country, the Philippines and the tens of thousands of Filipinos worldwide.”

De La Hoya described Pacquiao as “a tremendous athlete and unlike any other champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks into the ring he carries the weight of his country on his shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round.”

At the press conference in Britain , BBC Sport reported that Hatton said “it will be an honor to meet Manny, the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.” Hatton said “I’m brimming full of confidence” adding “it doesn’t get better than this”

Hatton claimed “I’m the biggest attraction in boxing.”

The Briton’s only defeat was at the hands of then pound-for-pound No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007 but Hatton said that this time around he will be better prepared especially since he will be fighting at the comfortable weight of 140 pounds instead at 147 when he battled Mayweather Jr.

He insisted there was nobody better in the world at light welterweight and said “with perseverance and hard work I believe I can become the best boxer in the world.”

Hatton told the media “I’ve challenged the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world once and came second. Now I’ve got another chance and I’m not going to let you down.”

BBC Sport reported that Hatton predicted the fight with Pacquiao will be a classic. “Its going to be a cracking fight. If I wasn’t fighting Pacquiao, I’d be a fan of his and Ricky Hatton’s fights are never dull.”

In an earlier conversation with insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Hatton’s father, Ray Hatton, said he expects the bout to be “an absolutely super fight and anybody who likes their style and likes boxing, that’s what they are going to get. There is no way this fight will disappoint anybody. There’s not a chance for that.”

Ray Hatton said he expects Ricky to fight much better than in some of his recent fights pointing out that with Floyd Mayweather Sr, the fighter “went back to basics and Mayweather Sr got Ricky to do the things he used to do…moving his head and also moving his feet . In the last couple of years unfortunately he’s not been doing that.”

Hatton said you could imagine what it will do when Mayweather Sr “picks up where he left off doing the same sort of things again.”

In a statement released by Top Rank, Pacquiao said “I always like new challenges, which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton. My trainer, Freddie Roach, will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar. There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher, so I must deal with that in the ring.”

Barrera-Khan Showdown is a Red Hot Event in The UK

2009-02-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan and Marco Antonio Barrera will meet inside the ring at Manchester Evening News Arena in only 43 days - and tickets for the fight are on fire.

Over 15,000 of the 20,000 available tickets have already been sold and Frank Warren recently informed a group of reporters that he was shocked at the overwhelming response to the fight and the demand for tickets.

"This is one of the fastest-selling bouts that I've ever promoted," said Warren. "I'm very happy with how the tickets are selling and the buzz about the fight is fantastic. In these tough economic times it tells you what kind of draw this fight is and I expect that we will have a sold-out arena soon."

Warren is no stranger to marquee events having promoted some of the biggest names in boxing from Mike Tyson to Joe Calzaghe to Ricky Hatton. Even though he knew he had a solid attraction with Khan and Barrera the fan response to the fight surprised him.

"I've brought some major shows to Manchester over the years," said Warren. "With Ricky Hatton coming from the city, Manchester has firmly established itself as one of the centers of boxing as far as I can tell. Most of the ticket-buyers are from Britain, but I'm expecting people to come in from the U.S. and Mexico. It's a fight that's grabbed the imagination of a lot of people."

The 22 year-old Khan arrived at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California last week and the bookies have installed him as the betting favorite to overcome Barrera, who is 13 years his senior.

Many find it shocking that Khan is tipped as the favorite by various on-line sports books. 5dimes.com is solidly in Khan's corner and is offering odds on him as a -135 favorite while they have Barrera as a +105 underdog.

Warren also thinks Khan has a good shot at winning and said he believes that Barrera has weaknesses that the youngster will be able to expose.

"One thing that he's going to bring to the ring with him is his skills, he's got a good boxing brain," said Warren of Barrera whom he at one time promoted. "But I have always known a couple of flaws that he's got and I think those flaws are still there."

While the rest of the word continues to suffer with economic malaise, boxing seems to be making a strong beginning to 2009 and Warren spoke of that as well.

"This fight is a good start to the year," he said. "Boxing is very much on a high and I'm sure that Amir Khan is going to take it to another level. I think he'll come through in this fight and convince and show everybody what a great fighter he is going to become."

BANAL, AMONSOT WEIGH-IN TODAY IN TAGBILARAN

2009-01-29T22:03:00.000-08:00

Comebacking ALA Boys AJ 'Bazooka' Banal and Czar Amonsot take to the scales today along with their respective foes for tomorrow's "They Are Back" boxing spectacle at the Island City Mall carpark in beautiful Tagbilaran City.

Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim, who is hosting the two fighters' return to the ring, had earlier indicated that he will continue to support the two fighters no matter what, and has remained hopeful that the duo can still dish it out with any of the world's best.

Banal will take on Indonesian Nouldy Manakane in a 10-round showdown which will be his first outing following a failed attempt at the WBA superfly title against Panama's Rafael Concepcion.

Amonsot, meanwhile, will take on Zoel Fidal after more than a year of lay-off following a bout with Australian Michael Katsidis, who incidentally is also fighting tomorrow in Cebu City.

ALA trainer Edito Villamor has indicated that his two wards have not lost faith and focus, and had done their shair in the gym to keep themselves fit for tomorrow's battles.

Manny can beat Hatton – Lainez

2009-01-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao will beat Ricky Hatton with the same ease he disposed of David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya, said a keen boxing observer yesterday.

Moy Lainez, who has watched countless world championships and had followed the careers of great Filipino champions, said the Briton’s daredevil style will bring out the best in Pacquiao when they collide on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Hatton will come in and that’s what Manny likes," said Lainez, who is a TV boxing analyst and a close associate of former Pacquiao chief handler Rod Nazario.

"Manny won’t go after Hatton because he’ll be there to be hit and like what he did to Diaz and De La Hoya, Manny will just spin his way around Hatton," said Lainez, who was at ringside when Pacquiao fought Emmanuel Lucero, Marco Antonio Barrera (first fight), and Erik Morales.

Since Lainez believes that it is remote that Hatton will score an upset, Pacquiao will be better off staying away from the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and recently-crowned welterweight king Shane Mosley.

"The styles of these fighters are difficult to deal with and hard to beat," Lainez noted.

While Mayweather has remained retired, talks are rife that the Michigan-bred puncher will soon announce his comeback and challenge the winner of the Pacquiao-Hatton clash in a megabuck matchup.

Mosley has entered the equation following his surprisingly easy disposal of the granite-chinned Antonio Margarito last week at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"If I were Manny, I would just remain at 140 lbs (super-lightweight/junior-welterweight) and call out the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez for a third fight and even Venezuelan knockout king Edwin Valero," Lainez said.

Floyd Sr warns Hatton: Forget booze, parties

2009-01-29T22:00:00.000-08:00

Floyd Mayweather Sr. is “pretty sure” he’d be back as Ricky Hatton’s trainer when the pride of Manchester stakes his IBO super-lightweight crown against Manny Pacquiao on May 2.

And if he does, the flamboyant trainer and father of Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather Jr. might just impose the same rules on Hatton: no booze, no junk food, no parties, no late nights.

If Floyd Sr. could have his way, Hatton should have “nothing but boxing” in his mind when he starts preparing for the big fight in Las Vegas.

Floyd Sr. the other day told Filipino sports radio program Sports Chat that he hasn’t talked to Hatton recently, but again he’s “pretty sure” that he’d get the job to train him against Pacquiao.

Mark Vester of BoxingScene.com then wrote that Hatton has the “legendary reputation, on both sides of the ocean, for his ability to drink himself silly” and “parties often, eats plenty of junk food, and his weight jumps to the middleweight levels.”

This practice, the article, said, makes or forces Hatton to work extra hard in training. No wonder the 30-year-old slugger said he wants to train 12 to 13 weeks for the Pacquiao fight.

The Filipino superstar, on the other hand, said he’d need no more than eight to nine weeks to get in top shape for the biggest fight of his career – money-wise.

“He needs to stop drinking right now and forget about this sh*t right now because it is no good for him. He knows it is no good for him but he still does it,” Floyd Sr. told BoxingScene.com as Hatton geared up for his fight with Paul Malignaggi last November.

Hatton may have done as his trainer wished, as he dished out a worthy performance, knocking out Malignaggi and in the process earning a shot at Pacquiao who later on demolished Oscar dela Hoya.

Hatton also stands to earn his biggest paycheck for the coming fight.

“I think Ricky can be a much, much better fighter if he starts doing the right things with his lifestyle and body. You can’t get big like that and take your body down, and then get big again and take your body down, and then do it all again. It’s no good and it catches up with you,” he was quoted as saying.

“I don’t like boxers drinking and Ricky would be much better off without it. I don’t like it. It ain’t going do no fighter no good. I hope in some kind of way I have got into his head and that he is going to do the right things.”

Pacquiao to Use different Game plan vs Hatton

2009-01-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

Now that the agreement for the May 2 superfight has been sealed, Manny Pacquiao’s next assignment with coach Freddie Roach is to devise a strategy against British superstar Ricky Hatton.

"My trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar [de la Hoya]," the General Santos native said in a report posted on Mirror.co.uk.

Pacquiao, who is hailed in the Philippine’s as the "National Fist", said there are several factors to be considered when facing a deadly puncher like Hatton.

"There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring," he said.

The Filipino added that he will be fighting Hatton at 140 pounds, a division he has yet to test.

These factors, Pacquiao said, will make an interesting fight.

"I always like new challenges, which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton… Sabik na sabik na akong bumalik sa training (I’m excited to get back in training)," said the hard-hitting southpaw.

Training starts after tour

Pacquiao said he will immediately jump back to gym once they finish the tour being scheduled by promotional outfits Top Rank and Golden Boy, which are handling the staging of the fight.

He said the formal announcement will be made in United Kingdom on the third week of February.

"Pupunta ako, kasama ng aking koponan, sa UK sa ikatlong linggo ng Pebrero mula sa Pilipinas via US... Siguradong malaking exposure ito para sa sport ng boxing (Me and me team will fly to UK on the third week of February via US… it will surely be a big exposure for the sport of boxing)," he said in his PhilBoxing.com column "Kumbinasyon.

From UK, the tour will continue in New York, Los Angeles and other US cities after the press conference in UK.

‘We’ll get Pac in one’

Facing Hatton won’t be a walk in the park for Pacquiao, according to the British’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.

The controversial boxing coach said Pacquiao will have to run, or else he will be knocked out in round one.

"Ricky’s going to be physically, mentally, spiritually strong. Manny Pacquiao’s chances are slim and none. If he doesn’t run, we’ll get him in one," Mayweather told Dennis Principe of SportsNews.ph.

Mayweather’s reaction was a reply to Roach’s prediction of a KO win for the Filipino should Pacquiao brawl with Hatton.

"Ricky will either knock him out or give him a terrible ass whoopin‘. More than likely Ricky‘s gonna knock him out. So all Manny can do is run but even if he runs he won’t win," said Hatton’s trainer.

Pacquiao to get doctorate degree

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is set to accept an honorary doctorate degree from Southwestern University.

The boxer said in his PhilBoxing.com column "Kumbinasyon" that Commission on Higher Education chairman Emmanuel Angeles himself will hand over the Doctor of Human Kinetics, Honoris Causa, award on February 18.

"Hindi ko minsan ma-imagine na natatamo ko ang mga ganitong parangal (I never imagined in my life receiving these honors)," said Pacquiao.

Tomato Cans: January 29, 2009

2009-01-29T21:56:00.000-08:00

And it's finally done. It's finally done. The May 2 clash between junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is signed and completed. Hatton and Pacquiao will meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 50/50 split is in place, though Pacquiao's guarantee is much bigger than Hatton's.

Says Golden Boy chief Oscar de la Hoya, "I think Hatton will dethrone Pacquiao and become boxing's pound-for-pound king."

Says I back to Oscar, "That ain't how it works, Golden Dude."

Pound-for-pound, you see, is mythical. It's not, like, real. It's an opinion. A consensus opinion, but an opinion. And it's not like anyone has Hatton in the top five. Do you? You do? You're bananas.

As for what Hatton's trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., is thinking, he says, "Manny's chances are slim and none. If he doesn't run, we'll get him in one."

It's pretty awesome that that rhymes, but fairly stupid.

Nonito Donaire's fight with Raul Martinez has been pushed to March 22 in Manila. It'll be Donaire's first fight since his November win over Moruti Mthalane, and he only fought once in 2008. Good thing he got away from Gary Shaw and that lazy matchmaking.

Friday Night Fights is going to have a hell of a show on February 20, with Breidis Prescott (20-0, 18 KO) facing Humberto Toledo (34-5-2, 20 KO), plus Yuriorkis Gamboa in action as well as Richar Gutierrez, who I'm hoping will be called Richar by more places than his promoter's office and this blog. He noted on HBO last year that his name is not Richard, it's Richar. Then he lost to Alfredo Angulo. Erislandy Lara will also be on the FNF card. Both Gamboa and Prescott are also tentatively scheduled for the April 3 Shobox card in Gamboa's U.S. "home arena" in Primm, Nevada.

You can forget the brief hope we had that Rafael Marquez and Daniel Ponce de Leon would hook up for a fight. The Marquez camp isn't interested. They have "other plans." I bet they do.

Just in case you've missed the finalized card for the February 21 split-site Top Rank PPV, here it is:

Middleweight Championship: Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KO) v. Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 37 KO)

Vacant WBO Welterweight Title: Miguel Cotto (32-1, 26 KO) v. Michael Jennings (34-1, 16 KO)

John Duddy (25-0, 17 KO) v. Matt Vanda (39-9, 22 KO)

Anthony Peterson (28-0, 19 KO) v. Edner Cherry (24-6-2, 12 KO)

Four legitimate fights. Peterson-Cherry isn't going to turn anyone's boat motors on or anything, but Cherry's got skills. Duddy-Vanda will be a war. Cotto-Jennings is an acceptable return fight for Cotto. And the closer we get, the more I love Pavlik-Rubio. Pavlik will be out to make a statement, and for Rubio this is a huge opportunity. I'm genuinely OK with paying 35-40 bucks to see this card.

Another if you missed it: Jose Canseco and Danny Bonaduce drew in a "celebrity" boxing match. The fight consisted of three, one-minute rounds, so it was a three-minute "fight." Canseco stands about 6'4", while Bonaduce is 5'6". Said Canseco after the fight, "If he were my size, he probably would've knocked me out of the ring." Most of the crowd (about 1,500) started to leave before a decision was announced, and I don't get these things because Canseco generally admits he can't fight worth a damn. I know he needs the money, but couldn't he just get a job?

On the subject of "bad boys," Ricardo Mayorga no-showed the promotional event in Sunrise, Fla., for the February 14 HBO triple-header that he's headlining. Hey, whadda ya gonna do? You buys your ticket with Ricardo, you takes your chance.

On the subject of crazies, actor Mickey Rourke will be boxing WWE star Chris Jericho at WrestleMania this year. I've said before I was a huge pro wrestling fan growing up, and I still love watching the older stuff, but today I just can't watch. It's that loser John Cena what ruined wrestling for me. Anyway, Rourke's new movie The Wrestler is up for Oscars and Rourke just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor (Drama), so I'd imagine this is Vince McMahon capitalizing even though the movie doesn't exactly glorify the pro wrestling industry.

I saw the movie, and I think it works better if you don't already know all those things about pro wrestling. Like if it would shock you that a washed-up wrestler lives in a trailer and scrapes through life. It's good, though. I have to admit it does amuse me that Rourke gets some press again for acting, and immediately he's off trying to do other things again. Give it up, Mickey. You're an actor.

Larry Merchant will be with HBO through 2011.

Manny Pacquiao alleged victim of check forgery in L.A.

2009-01-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has filed 32 counts of forgery and one count of grand theft against a woman who allegedly stole more than $89,000 from Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao.

Pia Anatalia Quijada, 27, was arrested Monday and arraigned Wednesday, pleading not guilty. Law enforcement officials identify Quijada as the wife of Pacquiao's driver. Her attorney said in court that Pacquiao is the godfather of one of her four children.

She was held on $90,000 bail.

According to a news release from the D.A., Pacquiao is "not familiar with the U.S. banking system, so [he] asked the defendant to assist him." The complaint against Quijada alleges that she forged 32 checks and collected $89,383.49 between Jan. 18, 2007, and Jan. 26, 2008.

Quijada is due back in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Feb. 4.

Pacquiao, who last week signed to fight England's Ricky Hatton in a junior welterweight bout May 2 in Las Vegas for a guaranteed $12 million, is expected to return to Los Angeles for training in March.

Hatton receives De La Hoya backing

2009-01-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

Legendary six-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya has backed Ricky Hatton to beat Manny Pacquiao when the pair clash in Las Vegas on May 2.

De La Hoya, who was comprehensively beaten by pound-for-pound king Pacquiao in December, will co-promote the fight with Bob Arum's Top Rank after the deal was done last week.

De La Hoya, who had hoped to meet Hatton until he lost to Filipino Pacquiao, said: "This fight has all the makings of a 'Fight of the Year' candidate and I think Hatton will de-throne Pacquiao and become boxing's pound-for-pound king."

De La Hoya was also full of praise for the 'Pac-man', however.

"When Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring he fights for his country, the Philippines, and tens of thousands of Filipinos worldwide," added the Mexican-American legend.

"He is a tremendous athlete and unlike any other champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks to the ring he carries the weight of his country on his shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round."

Pacquiao said: "I always like new challenges which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton.

"My trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar.

"There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring. I promise I will be completely prepared and will do my best for all of my fans in the Philippines."

Hatton sees Pacquiao as step to Mayweather rematch

2009-01-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ricky Hatton is so confident of beating Manny Pacquiao that he is already planning a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, the only man to have beaten the English boxer.

Hatton will face Filipino star Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas, 18 months after he lost to Mayweather at the same MGM Grand venue.

A win over Pacquiao would allow Hatton to claim the unofficial title of the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, but Hatton says that would not be enough to prompt him to retire.

"How much further can you go than the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?" he asked at a press conference here on Thursday.

"If I was to win it I would have achieved my ultimate goal but then the only last thing I would like to do would be to have another crack at Mayweather.

"I keep going on about how I thought I was outdone by the ref. Let's find out if it was the ref or whether he was that good. I'd like to do that to prove to myself.

"If I beat Pacquiao it gives me more power to say to Mayweather, 'You come over here - and I'll pick the ref!'.

"That solitary defeat sticks in my throat. I can go further than Pacquiao and if I do beat him the furthest is to put the record straight with Mayweather.

"I owe it to myself - I don't want to retire without giving it another crack."

Pacquiao confirmed his status as the world's leading fighter with victories over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.

But Hatton, 30, says he believes he can beat him.

"It will be an absolute honour to fight Pacquiao. I don't think I have seen Manny Pacquiao in a dull fight and if I was not fighting Manny I would be a fan of his.

"I believe I am going to win and I promise you I won't let you down. This time I'm going to do it."

The on-off fight had been in doubt until last week when the two parties finally reached agreement on a 50-50 division of the purse.

Hatton promises victory over Pacquiao in Vegas clash

2009-01-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

Britain's Ricky Hatton vowed to become the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world on Thursday after announcing a May 2 clash with Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

"I've challenged the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world once and came second. Now I've got another chance and I'm not going to let you down," the former WBA and IBF light-welterweight champion told the BBC.

The Manchester boxer is the world's top-ranked light-welterweight following his return to that weight after losing to American Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a WBC welterweight title fight in December 2007. Mayweather, widely regarded as the leading pound-for-pound boxer at the time, retired for the second time in June 2008.

Hatton returned to the ring to stop American Paulo Malignaggi in Las Vegas in November to retain his IBO light-welterweight belt.

Former four-weight world champion Pacquiao outclassed 10 times world champion Oscar de la Hoya in Las Vegas in December to confirm his reputation as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Hatton said it would be an honor to fight Pacquiao and predicted the fight would be a classic.

"It's going to be a cracking fight, if I wasn't fighting Pacquiao I'd be a fan of his, and Ricky Hatton fights are never dull," he said.

The fight had been in doubt due to legal arguments over the share of the purse but Hatton's father and manager Ray told Sky sports news that the deal was sorted late last week with a 50-50 split agreed.

Ricky Hatton:'This Time I'm Gonna Do It'

2009-01-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

Universally recognised junior-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton will meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2.

At a well attended press conference at the Village Hotel in Ashton Under Lyne near Manchester, the Hitman officially confirmed that the on-off saga that has been the past few weeks has been resolved and a deal is now in place for what is likely to be the sport’s biggest event of the year.

Only a week ago the fight looked to be dead in the water as Pacquaio wanted to receive the lion’s share of the million’s of dollars the clash will generate but Hatton’s lawyer Gareth Williams confirmed that the two fights will receive parity in the pay stakes.

Williams said: “I’ve read on the internet and from press releases that we’d offered a 55/45 [percentage split] at one stage and then I read it was 52/48 but the reality is that we have never wavered from what we originally wanted and that’s a straight 50/50 deal.

“We don’t want to take anything away from Manny Pacquiao because we recognise that he is regarded as the best fighter in the world but we also recognise what Ricky Hatton brings to the table. He brings a tremendous amount of support in the UK and generates tremendous interest in TV and the press.

“As far as we are concerned, Ricky Hatton is an equal participant and contributor in this fight.”

Hatton himself admits that he has let the possibility of the clash not materialising get to him but is at ease now that an agreement is firmly in place.

“It’s been a very difficult few weeks,” explained the 30-year-old Mancunian. “We spoke to [Pacquiao’s promoter] Bob Arum and we were ready to put pen to paper. Two weeks ago I was absolutely delighted and then I started seeing things on the internet saying the fight was on and then it was off…I was absolutely devastated.

“I said to my dad and Gareth ‘If it’s not done in the next few days I’m gonna have to look elsewhere because I’ve gotta start my training camp and I wanna know who I’m fighting.

“Things came to a head last Friday when we actually spoke to Manny Pacquiao’s people and I think that was the clincher.

“It’s an absolute honour to fight him. I’ve already challenged once for the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world title and I came second but with perseverance and hard work and by maintaining that same focus and keeping my eye on the prize I’m gonna get the chance to fight the best fighter in the world again.”

After Pacquiao brutally dismantled one of the greatest fighters of this generation, Oscar De La Hoya, in Las Vegas this past December the Filipino will enter the May encounter as a heavy favourite but Hatton believes that Pacquaio’s latest victories, while brilliant, have been a little flattering.

“When he fought [David] Diaz it was an outstanding performance but Diaz is a very good opponent and I couldn’t say he’s an outstanding opponent and I like to think I’d have done much the same [to him as Pacquaio did]”

“As good as his performance was against Oscar De La Hoya, I think he boxed a shell of what Oscar should be.

“I’m filled to the brim with confidence that I’m winning this fight. A lot of people thought in the early days that I wouldn’t become a world champion. People said ‘he’s not bad but he’s not quite good enough.’ But I’ve won world titles at two different weights and the only thing left for me to achieve is to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I challenged for the last pound-for-pound title at welterweight [against Floyd Mayweather Jnr], which was obviously out of my division but I’ve always said at 10 stone I don’t believe anybody will beat me and I still believe that.”

To the media, fellow boxers and his family and friends that filled the room, he added: “I’m very grateful that I’ve got the opportunity to do it now and I promise I won’t you let you down. This time I’m gonna do it.”

Roach wants Pacquiao to face Mayweather next

2009-01-29T21:46:00.001-08:00

Freddie Roach expressed excitement that the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton bout has been finalized and said he would like Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather next.

That depends on a lot of variables, not the least being Mayweather agreeing to step out of retirement.

Pacquiao, who inherited boxing's pound-for-pound mantle when the Grand Rapids native walked away from the sport, also has to defeat Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas before any such fight could materialize.

But fighting the tactical Mayweather would be a completely different experience for Pacquiao than facing the brawling Hatton.

"Very difficult style, of course," Roach said in a telephone interview from his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. "You would have two speed guys in there. I think Manny has a little more power, while Floyd's a little better boxer. Style-wise, it's really a tough fight, one of the toughest fights out there for Manny, because of Mayweather's style and movement. But I think it's a fight where Manny can push the issue and get to him.

"If Mayweather lays on the ropes with Manny, I think he'd be in trouble. Very difficult fight but a fight the world would love to see because they're both great fighters. The styles are good because you have the classic boxer against the puncher."

Roach has trained Pacquiao for nearly eight years. The Hatton bout will be their 20th together and Roach said he "always hoped for, and wanted, this fight next," after Pacquiao's scintillating upset of Oscar De La Hoya last month.

"I told Manny I'd like to see him fight two more fights then he can retire -- this fight, then Floyd, and if he wins those two fights he can call it a day," Roach said. "He'll have enough money he can secure his family then get into politics, or whatever he wants to do. But it doesn't work in the opposite order, you can't have Floyd first and then Hatton. This is the fight I wanted and this is the fight I expected to happen right away."

TICKETS FOR PACQUIAO vs. HATTON MEGA FIGHT ON SALE TOMORROW!

2009-01-29T21:42:00.000-08:00

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE MATCH SET FOR MAY 2 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS

Early indications are that fans around the world are eager to get their hands on tickets for THE boxing event of 2009, which pits five-division world champion MANNY "Pac Man" PACQUIAO against Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY "The Hitman" HATTON in a world title battle that will go down in boxing history. The outpouring of global interest is tremendous, so get your tickets before they are sold out!

Tickets priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket sales are limited to 10 per person at the $1,000, $750, $500 or $300 price levels and a total of two (2) tickets at $150. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. There will be no sales at MGM Grand or any Ticketmaster outlets.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton, a 12-round bout for Hatton's Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions. The world title bout will take place Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.