Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Erislandy Lara (10-0, 6 KOs) will take on former title challenger Danny Perez (34-6, 17 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Golden Boy Promotions' first event on Showtime's ShoBox: The New Generation series on April 2.

Featherweight prospect Carlos Velasquez (11-0, 9 KOs), of Miami by way of Cantano, Puerto Rico, will be in the televised co-feature at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“We’re proud to present our first ShoBox event and we promise that fans will see the quality of fights they’re accustomed to on the series,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Danny Perez will be Erislandy Lara’s toughest test to date and a fight I’m really looking forward to.”

Perez, a 33-year-old technician from Carlsbad, Calif. who fought Antonio Margarito in a welterweight title bout in 2002, is coming off a 12-round decision loss to Carlos Molina last June. However, the veteran won three fights in 2008, including decisions over Mexican standout Julio Cesar Garcia and fringe contender Eric Mitchell.

Lara, a 26-year-old former amateur star from Cuba, is coming off an impressive 10th-round stoppage of fringe contender Grady Brewer in January.

Also competing on April 2 will be a host of undefeated prospects, including Puerto Rico’s 6-foot-1 featherweight Hector Sanchez (18-0, 8 KOs), 2008 U.S. Olympic heavyweight bronze medalist Deontay Wilder (8-0, 8 KOs) and New Jersey’s 20-year-old lightweight Mike Perez (6-0-1, 3 KOs).

BRADLEY VS. ALEXANDER

Hey, Mr. Fischer, what's up? Anyway, saw Devon Alexander TKO Juan Urango, and am really impressed with this win. Timothy Bradley needs to face Alexander in his next fight. If the fight were to take place, what do you think would happen? My opinion, "The Great" would give "Desert Storm" a tough fight, but Bradley would take a close decision.

As for Vic Darchinyan, he was good against Rodrigo Guerroro, hope Donaire-Darchinyan II comes off. My predictions for the rest of the month, Joshua Clottey wins over Manny Pacquiao, though it's tough to not pick the Filipino, Eddie Chambers upsets Wladdy Klitschko, Steve Cunningham and Cory Spinks win their fights on the 26th, Andre Dirrell wins a close decision against Arthur Abraham, and Ali Funeka's gonna beat Joan Guzman and actually win the decision he should have won the first time.

Keep up the good work. -- Vasili Volkoff

Thanks Double V.

Whatever happens in the Funeka-Guzman rematch let’s hope the fighter that deserves to win it gets the right scorecards from the judges if it goes the distance (which it probably will).

Dirrell might be more motivated fighting in his home state (he would have been surrounded by loud-cheering Armenians in Rancho Mirage, Calif., this past Saturday) but I’m not sure if that’s going to be enough for him to get past the ultra-confident and freakishly strong King Arthur. I’ll say this, the Matrix has got a style that should trouble the former middleweight titleholder.

I see Cunningham delivering on March 26. I’m not so sure about Spinks.

I think Chambers will be more competitive against Klitschko than most folks I’ve talked to figure, but I still see the champ winning -- either by late stoppage or by decision.

Bold pick on this Saturday’s big fight. Kudos to you for having the balls to call it. I think Clottey gives Pacquiao a good fight, a competitive fight, but I see him losing another close decision (that he’ll probably think he won).

I also thought Darchinyan looked sharp against the green but super tough Mexican challenger. I think big punchers like Darch Vader and “my son” benefit from going rounds against durable hombres like Guerrero and DeMarco. The rock-solid chins of their challengers force them to fall back on their underrated (and underused) boxing skills.

If Donaire-Darchinyan II doesn’t happen at 115 pounds, I’d like to see either fighter step up to 118 pounds and fight the winner of Perez-Mares.

I was also impressed with Alexander’s stoppage of Urango (who wasn’t?) Next to Bradley-Valero, Bradley-Alexander is the fight I want to see the most at 140 pounds. That’s a fight that would feature a lot of speed, boxing, and heart. Right now I have to agree with your prediction but if Alexander gets another fight or two under his belt, I think it could become an even-money scrap.

FOUR OBSERVATIONS

First time mailer/long time reader hailing from England here.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday's Alexander-Urango bout. The fight made for an interesting clash of styles and was exciting throughout. I thought it was a little more competitive than people have made it out truth be told. I had Alexander ahead by a marginal distance at the time of the stoppage (rightly called by Benjy Esteves Jr.) though only one round was clear cut (the sixth) and so I wouldn't be too surprised to see people disagree with me there. Would be interested to see what other folks had it down as. Harold Lederman had it 69-64 but then I don't rate Harold very highly at all as a judge.

Before that terrific uppercut knocked the stuffing out of Urango I thought Urango was slowly making his way into the fight (though I was still expecting Alexander to pull out a UD.) He did very well though, he made mistakes but he did well to keep Urango at bay with nice use of a consistent jab and the knockdowns were excellent and unexpected.

2. I would love to see Alexander The Great matched up against Timothy Bradley in the near future. I think that would be a mouth watering match up and probably the best fight that can be made at Jr. Welterweight at the moment. Not really too keen on him taking on Zab Judah.

3. Clottey's a bigger test for Pacquiao than people are making it sound. I had Clottey winning by the slightest of margins against a Cotto that I don't think is as finished as other fight fans/scribes do and this will be the biggest fighter Pacquiao has ever faced in terms of weight. Clottey tends to come in at 160 pounds on fight night (though Roach sees this as a potential disadvantage for the Ghanaian) and though I don't think Clottey's getting the respect as an opponent that he deserves by the media and fight fans I look forward to PacMan putting a win on an opponent people can't make excuses about. Oscar was weight drained, Hatton's finished, Cotto's never been the same since Margarito etc. Sure they'll say Clottey's just not that good but anyone that knows boxing knows Clottey is a very strong opponent and most definitely a top 5 welterweight. I'm a betting man and I'll be sticking a fairly sizable amount on Pacquiao to take the victory by UD. As much as Roach has been touting it I just can't see Pacquiao stopping Clottey though that would be a terrific boost to his resume if he did (while also strengthening a small portion of boxing fans belief that he's doing all this with the aid of PEDs.)

4. Why is Lennox Lewis a HBO analyst? He sucks.

-- Charlie

Thanks for finally writing in Charlie. What took you so long? I’ll respond to your observations in order:

1. Although I though Alexander controlled the majority of the bout before closing the show, I had it close on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage. I scored four rounds for Alexander (1, 2, 4 and 5) and three rounds to Urango (3, 6, and 7). You and I were not alone in seeing a close fight through seven rounds. Two judges had Alexander winning by 68-65 and 67-66 margins and one judge had Urango ahead by 67-66.

2. Bradley-Alexander is a fight that should happen by the end of the year. Maybe Shaw and King can work together better than Gary and Arum do. I certainly hope so. I’d also like to see Pacquiao vacate THE RING’s 140-pound title (if he beats Clottey and decides to stay at 147 pounds, which we all know he will). That way there’s the possibility of

3. Whether Pacquiao wins by lopsided decision or by KO I think we can expect his victory to be slighted by a__holes in some manner. And if he doesn’t dominate he’ll likely be demoted from his pound-for-pound perch in favor of the winner of Mosley-Mayweather. It’s hard to be the king.

4. Lewis could be a lot better than he comes off. He understands the sport, craft and business of boxing. However, he’s not the kind of personality that likes to spout everything he knows throughout a fight. I think Bob and Max are going to have to dish him some assists in the form of questions throughout the fights in order bring him out of his broadcast shell. Off the air, the dude is brilliant in his analysis, but I think he clams up a bit once the mics go live. If there was more conversation between the commentators I think Lewis’ insight would come out. I thought he made some good observations during the Alexander-Urango fight. He’s not as good as Antonio Tarver is on Showtime‘s broadcasts, and probably never will be, but I think he has the ability to improve.

ALEXANDER VS. VALERO

Doug,
What do you think about a possible Alexander vs Valero match up at 140? Alexander looked like he has enough movement, pop, and most importantly focus to trouble Valero. Hope you had a good weekend! -- Anthony, San Diego

I think that would be a terrific matchup (who doesn’t?). Where can I buy tickets? LOL. Seriously, that would be one hell of a fight and it would feature more boxing than most would expect but it would be intense from the opening bell until somebody got caught and KTFO. Both guys have overcome a lot in in their lives to get to where they are. Both have behaved like grown men since the age of seven and they are both real fighters in the ring. No quit in either.

You know who I’d be picking. I saw some things in Alexander’s style that Valero would exploit the hell out of (repetitive jab-led combinations that can be timed, being susceptible to right hooks, and the impulse to trade when he gets tagged clean), but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a good fight. Valero has his share of flaws, too.

ST. LOUIS SLUGGER

Dougie,
I always thought that Devon was good but not THAT good. Wow!

I'm not sure that the other 140 pounders would have beaten Urango in that fashion. Most of them would have taken the Berto route in winning. Or get KO’d by him with all that pressure he applies. Juan is a tough out. That was a big victory for the St. Lou slugger. Once I noticed he was punching in-between punches I knew Devon had taken the next step.

Vic D. is must see TV.

I believe Pac vs Clottey is gonna be real good. Too bad the undercard is a waste of time...hopefully I'm awake before the main event starts. DVR will be on for sure just in case. PAC by UD.

Peace. -- Frankie from the Bronx

Yeah, I think Top Rank could have put together a much better undercard for “The Event,” but who knows? Maybe Diaz-Soto and Castillo-Gomez will turn out to be barnburners. I wouldn’t be shocked if they did. All four fighters are come-forward slug-it-out types.

Of course, the most important thing is that the main event delivers action and drama and I think it will. I can’t wait to witness the opening bell for Pacquiao-Clottey in that stadium and feel the energy of 45,000 fans. It’s gonna be a thrill!

Agreed on Darchinyan. I want to see him take on the winner of Nashiro-Cazares II at 115 or Perez-Mares or Hasegawa-Montiel at 118. That’s if a rematch with Donaire can’t be made.

Believe it. Alexander is THAT good.

BANG THE DRUMS

Dougwesome,
Bang the drum for a 140 unification bout btw Alexander and Timmy! I thought Devon benefited from a quick stoppage, but Devon is still a BA. I thought he was being a little dishonest with his line about Juan not hurting him, but oh well. I do have a couple questions:

1. Martinez vs. Pavlik - too much speed and skill for Martinez or too much power and punch placement for Pavlik? I think Kelly is too strong for Martinez. He will end up walking him down and imposing his will. This will make people want for a P-will vs. Pavlik fight. and............

2. P-will vs. Killer - I like the Killer. This will be the first fight will P-will will taste power. Martinez is not a big puncher and he checked P-will. The Killer is great against people not named Margarito.

3. Mosley will beat Money. Not a question, more like a statement.

4. Last question, Tarver, better as a fighter or announcer?

Thx. -- JSY, Atl

I will bang the hell out of those drums, JSY.

1. Like you, I’m not sleeping Pavlik. Too many fans and boxing writers are. I know that Martinez has a style and the kind of talent to trouble any fighter, but just because Bernard Hopkins schooled Pavlik at 170 pounds doesn’t mean any boxer can dominate The Ghost. I see an even fight. Pavlik’s power, pressure, body shots and block-and-counter ability will give the Argentine hell.

2. We’ll see. I like the pressure and activity of Williams in this matchup but it’s a fight I’m looking forward to.

3. You know it!

4. Right now he’s a better fighter than commentator but I think he’s the best boxer-turned-broadcaster out there at the moment and he’s improving with each show.


ALEXANDER & DOUGIE'S BIGGEST FAN

Hey Doug,
Between the win over Junior Witter and what he did to Juan Urango last night, I think it’s safe to say that Devon Alexander has officially put the junior welterweight division on notice. Timothy Bradley is rightfully the guy in the division at this point, but it looks like Alexander is right there, breathing down his neck. I thought that Max Kellerman’s descriptions of Alexander were right-on, in that this is the type of fighter than fans really want to see. And, luckily for us fans, the division is loaded right now. Overall, it was a good night to kick off what’s shaping up to be a run of solid fights through the next few months.

So, who knew that Leonard Ellerbe was a Doug Fischer fan? Maybe you could mention to him the fact that, if you run around on a stage and bust your ass in front of a crowd of people, you are automatically disqualified from trying to act hard after you get up…just a thought. Thanks. -- Jesse, New Jersey

LOL. That was a funny scene, wasn’t it? But I must point out that Ellerbe didn’t approach me trying to “act hard” at the L.A. Mosley-Mayweather press conference. He mentioned the pony tail bet in a polite and respectful manner. In fact, he did so in a jovial manner. I didn’t have a problem with it. He’s part of the promotion and we were at a press event. There’s supposed to be some kind of exchange or discourse, right? He wanted get my word that I would give Mayweather credit for taking on a worthy opponent and I gave it to him. I will give Floyd his due respect if he beats Shane. And I also asked him about Mayweather Promtions other fighters, which he had no problem talking to me about. (I really am high on Jessie Vargas.)

I think Alexander should be considered the No. 2-rated junior welterweight behind Bradley. If they fight I’ll consider the winner the man at 140 pounds whether Pacquiao vacates his RING title or not.

Alexander is in the right division. Potential fights with Khan, Maidana and Ortiz are all fascinating matchups.


WHO WILL BE KING?

With Manny Pacquiao fighting Joshua Clottey on March 13 it seems that Pacquiao will win but on May 1 Mayweather will fight Mosley with Mayweather being Number 2 and Mosley Number 3 P4P so it seems that Pacquiao will no longer be P4P king. Is it true? -- Julio

It depends on how Pacquiao wins on Saturday. If he blows out Clottey and Mayweather-Mosley fight to a draw, maybe he’ll remain P4P King. If he struggles with Clottey and Floyd or Shane win in decisive fashion, my guess is that the Mayweather-Mosley winner will be the new P4P No. 1.

SOME THOUGHTS

What’s good Dougie. Props on the mailbags – they never fail to deliver.

3 points I’d like to discuss.

1. Firstly, Andre Ward hired Victor Conte to work in his camp for the Kessler fight. WOW! Is this man just plain stupid. There is only one reason to hire this piece of trash and that’s to take “stuff” which can be hidden in the tests. I’ve lost a lot of respect for SOG after this. Abraham will teach him a lesson in the super six final.

2. Secondly, am I the only guy who thinks that “Bad” Chad Dawson is the real deal. The man has the athleticism of Roy Jones Jr in his prime, and is now a complete fighter who can go 12 rounds. He may not be a knockout artist but makes up for it with excellent boxing technique and ring generalship. There is no one who can beat Dawson at light-heavyweight or at heavyweight, apart from maybe the Klitshcko’s. There is something great about this dude. Future P4P king baby. Also, not taking Pascal lightly but he did get beaten by Carl Froch.

3. And, can Pacquiao stop Clottey if he waits for the defence to drop and catches Joshua clean in the exchanges.

God Save the Queen. -- Akhil, UK

1. Conte did his time for his past crimes, he knows his s__t and he’s right there in the Bay Area. I don’t blame Ward for utilizing his nutritional know-how and I doubt Conte is still in the illegal PED trade. If he got busted again, he’d be ruined and have to go underground after getting out of the pen.

2. Pascal is stronger and better at 175 pounds than he was at 168. Don’t sleep on him. I think Dawson is a P4P top-10-level boxer and I favor him over the rest of the light heavyweight field, but I think he’d get destroyed at heavyweight. He doesn’t have the whiskers to play with the big boys.

3. I don’t think Pacquiao can KO Clottey but if he does it wouldn’t be first time the Filipino icon proved me wrong.

BIGGEST WINNER

Devon Alexander: Alexander demonstrated two things during his knockout victory over Juan Urango on Saturday in Uncasville, Conn.: that he’s an excellent boxer and he’s willing to take risks to hurt his opponent, which is an exciting combination. And hurt Urango he did, with a devastating uppercut and a follow-up flurry that ended the rugged Colombian’s night in the eighth round. Thus, Alexander did what no one else has been able to do –- stop Urango. Ricky Hatton couldn’t do it at 140 pounds and Andre Berto couldn’t do it even though Urango moved up to 147. The top pound-for-pound fighters beware: Here comes Alexander.


BIGGEST LOSER

Juan Urango: This is another case in which it’s difficult to call the loser a loser. The hulk-like Colombian remains one of the most-dangerous fighters in the world. He might’ve beaten Alexander had a few more of those crazy right hooks landed. However, it was demonstrated again that he’ll never be a candidate for the pound-for-pound list. He has now lost one-sided decisions to Hatton and Berto, both of whom exposed his limited boxing ability, and the KO loss to Alexander was a bigger step backward. Urango, 29, will remain a title contender and might win another alphabet belt against the right opponent but nothing more.


MOST PERPLEXING

Alexander-Urango scoring: I found it hard to believe that one judge had Urango ahead 67-66 and another had Alexander leading by a point when the fight ended. I had Alexander winning five of the seven complete rounds (68-65, the score of the third judge). I saw a fighter in Alexander who was in complete control of a fight with his jab, power punches and movement. Yes, Urango landed some solid punches and seemed to be gaining some momentum but he wasn’t able to establish a consistent attack. People in the business I respect also believed it was a close fight through seven rounds, which means the scoring wasn’t outrageous, but I don’t believe it reflected what happened in the ring. Urango leading? No way.


LEAST AND MOST PREDICTABLE

Darchinyan vs. Guerrero: The result of the Vic Darchinyan-Rodrigo Guerrero fight on Saturday in Rancho Mirage, Calif., was a foregone conclusion. We knew the four-time titleholder was going to win. We didn’t know that the journeyman from Mexico would prove to be so incredibly tough. Guerrero took everything the hard-punching Australian had to offer and kept coming, which made for a very entertaining fight. Darchinyan should be congratulated for a solid victory and Guerrero should be applauded for putting up such spirited resistance.


BIGGEST WINNER II

Martin Honorio: The lanky Mexican proved that his one-sided decision of then-unbeaten John Molina in November was no fluke. Honorio, in scary condition, threw about 900 punches to overwhelm a determined, if limited opponent in Wilton Hilario on Friday night in Temecula, Calif. Hilario also had never lost. Honorio reminds me of one-time titleholder Rafael Ruelas, another tall, lean fighter who outworked most of his opponents. The comparison is meant as a compliment. I look forward to seeing Honorio fight a Top 10 junior lightweight, which could happen soon.


MOST CAL0RIES

7,000 a day: That’s the number of calories Manny Pacquiao consumes during training, according to strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. By comparison, heavyweight Chris Arreola, who generally is trying to lose weight, consumes about 3,500 per day. Ariza said Pacquiao consumes the large number of calories to keep his weight near the 147-pound limit, at which he’ll fight Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao burns about 2,000 calories per workout, Ariza said. “He couldn’t sustain 7,000 calories for long,” Ariza said. “It would put too much strain on the liver and kidneys, a high-protein diet like that. He has to take liver-support supplements to make sure we’re flushing it out.” Ariza said Pacquiao walks around at 145 when he’s not training and could easily fight at 135.


MOST HONEST

Freddie Roach: The respected trainer is a refreshing exception in a sport overflowing with malarkey. Roach was asked whether his fighter, Manny Pacquiao, would’ve beaten Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard and gave an honest answer: no. He said Leonard’s ability to counterpunch and his height advantage would’ve been too much for Pacquiao to overcome. On the other hand, Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, said the Filipino star would’ve beaten Leonard. Arum, known to stretch the truth at times, might truly believe that. However, I have a feeling that if the roles were reversed –- if Pacquiao were retired and Leonard were active -– Arum would have picked Leonard. My pick? Leonard. He didn’t have a weakness.


MOST DESERVING

Mills Lane: The former longtime referee will receive the James J. Farley Award -– for honesty and integrity in boxing -– by the Boxing Writers Association of America at its awards dinner in June. It is richly deserved. No other referee in the 20-plus years I’ve covered boxing garnered more respect than Lane. And it went beyond honesty and integrity, which was unquestioned. That assessment also includes competence. When he worked a fight, you knew it was in good hands. His most-memorable moment might’ve been the second Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fight, in which he disqualified the most-popular fighter in the world for biting his opponent’s ear, but he was the third man in the ring for countless more epic fights. He is missed.


MOST INTERESTING

Calzaghe’s return? The former super middleweight and light heavyweight titleholder, now retired, was at the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley news conference on Thursday in Los Angeles. “You gonna fight on the undercard?” he was asked. “No, I’m going to fight the winner,” he said with a smile, obviously joking. “So, tell me, is there a chance you’d really come back?” he was asked. “Welllllllll, you never know,” he said. He wasn’t smiling. Calzaghe, who appeared to be in fighting shape, was at the event as the guest of Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and in L.A. because his girlfriend lives there.


BEST QUOTE

Freddie Roach: Roach was asked to name the dumbest question he’s asked about Pacquiao. His answer: “Is he in shape?” C’mon.


Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

There have been three great Filipino prizefighters in the modern history of boxing.

One, Manny Pacquiao, will face Joshua Clottey next week in an attempt to add to his already-burgeoning legend and legacy. He is likely to succeed.

Another is Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, who fought the world’s better junior lightweights in the 1960s and was world champion for seven years. Dead for a quarter century, he remains a national icon in the Philippines, where heroes are not readily forgotten.

The third is Francisco Guilledo, the first Filipino world champion, who the Asian world and the fight game’s old heads remember as Pancho Villa, and without whom the other two might not be known at all.

That Villa died at the age of 23 and at the apparent apex of his powers as the flyweight world champion puts him in the same sad league as Salvador Sanchez, Harry Greb and Stanley Ketchel, other ring greats whose lives and careers were not permitted the luxury of winding down painfully and slowly, as do so many others. You wonder who has it better.

At any rate, Guilledo, who in 1994 was inducted later than he should have been into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, was born in Ilog, Negros Occidental on Aug. 1, 1901.

As a kid Guilledo was good with his fists and enjoyed using them. Kids like that never stay a secret for very long and soon he had acquired the attention of a pair of older boxing figures in Frank Churchill and Pacquito Villa. Together they managed his fortunes.

History is unclear as to which of the men convinced him to fight under the name Pancho Villa, but by any name he did such good work in the Philippines that by 1922 he was invited by Tex Rickard – the Don King of the 1920s, if you like – to fight in the United States.

Villa, whose career record is 76-5-5 (23 knockouts) with 23 no-decisions, accepted the invitation and fought frequently – nine fights in -‘22 alone – and with mixed results: no-decisions against Abe Goldstein and Frankie Genaro, wins over Battling Murray and Johnny Hepburn, another loss to Genaro. But his relentless, all-action style made him enormously popular.

In a preview of his 11-round knockout of Johnny Buff for the American flyweight title, the New York Times reported: “Villa enjoys wide popularity among local boxing enthusiasts. In his local bouts the Philippine boxer has demonstrated remarkable ability, and his cleverness, speed and hitting prowess have gained him many local admirers.”

A report of the fight the next day was equally complimentary and also spoke to Villa’s style.

“The new champion impressed the large crowd with his victory. Popular in the extreme prior to the battle, Villa added many new admirers to his legion of friends through the workmanlike manner in which he attained the title.

“The oriental champion was the master throughout,” reported The Times. “Villa was like a beast of the jungle suddenly unleashed on his prey … the little Filipino flyweight was on Buff in a jiffy, battering the defending champion around the ring and gradually wearing Buff down to a state of utter helplessness.”

The win over Buff got Villa a shot at the legendary flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde, who most historians recognize as the greatest flyweight ever, as well as the best fighter Great Britian has ever produced.

But before meeting Wilde, Villa lost again to Genaro. He got the title shot anyway, due primarily to the nature of the loss. The decision was so controversial it moved editor Nat Fleischer to pen a column in the April 1923 issue of THE RING entitled “Time to Eliminate Judges.”

The title fight with Wilde, which was scheduled for June 16 at New York’s Polo Grounds, represented a comeback of sorts for the champion. He’d been inactive for two years, and, at age 31, was past his peak.

Nevertheless, the bout did brisk business: Paid attendance was more than 40,000, and even that was a disappointment to the promoters, who had expected a sellout.

Fans of Wilde saw their hope for victory crushed early. Writing for THE RING, R.B. Cozens reported, “A punch, landed on Wilde at the end of the second round after the bell had sounded, dropped Jimmy and it was the turning point of the battle. … The blow ended whatever chances Wilde had against his aggressive opponent. Jimmy had to be pushed out for the third round, and from then to the finish he took a severe beating.”

Villa thrashed Wilde until referee Patsy Haley stopped it in the seventh round. At just 21 years old, Villa was world champion.

“It was just as I expected, but I don’t want to crow over the victory,” Villa said afterward. “Jimmy Wilde was the gamest little fighter I ever met, and I’ve fought quite a few. Not one fighter in a hundred would have come back after that sixth round, and I was surprised to see him try it. But it proved he was one of the best and I have nothing but admiration for him.”

The Times gushed. “The rise of Pancho Villa, the new flyweight champion of the world, has been little short of meteoric.”

Such was the severity of the beating that some months later Wilde revealed, “I do not recall being knocked out, nor a single thing that happened until, one day three weeks afterwards, I found myself in a little seaside bungalow some distance from New York.”

Villa defended the title four times over the next two years, mixing in a number of non-title fights. While preparing for a July 1925 non-title fight against future Hall of Famer Jimmy McClarnin, he had a dentist remove one of his wisdom teeth. The abscess became swollen and he was advised not to fight. He went against McLarnin anyway, and lost a 10-round decision.

“It was a tough fight,” McLarnin told writer Peter Heller in 1970. “On the inside he kept hitting me on the ears. He was a great infighter. I wound up with two black ears. I heard of people winding up with black eyes, but I wound up with two black ears. He was a great little fighter.”

Following the fight Villa had three more teeth extracted and was found to have a serious infection at the site of the original extraction. Over the following week the infection worsened.

His trainer, Whitey Ekwert, found him in such a state that he took him to a local hospital, where Dr. C.E. Hoffman scheduled surgery to relieve swelling in Villa’s throat that was caused by the infection.

The operation never took place. Villa “suffocated under the anesthetic” while being prepared for surgery, Dr. Hoffman told the press. Attempts to revive him failed. He was dead at 24.

Villa, whom in 2002 THE RING called one of the 80 best fighters of the last 80 years, was eulogized by The National Sports Alliance, a short-lived, New York-based body formed purportedly to protect and enhance boxing and wrestling.

“The champion died fighting a man’s fight,” said James J. Johnston, the group’s spokesman. “Villa was a credit to boxing, and the game cannot afford to lose such men.”

Manny Pacquiao, like Flash Elorde before him, is in very good company.

Some random observations from last week:

Good news for Devon Alexander: He’s a unified belt holder in one of the deepest divisions in the game, a hot commodity and just 23 years old. Bad News: By the time he’s done paying Don King and sanctioning fees to two governing bodies, he’ll be lucky to clear $47.00 from his next fight. …

I don’t know what Juan Urango could have done to make it any clearer to Benjy Estevez that he was ready and willing to keep fighting, but it doesn’t matter much now, does it? …

Lenny Zappa: great name, average fighter. But hey, he‘s the IBO champion so that counts for something, right? …

Vic Darchinyan is fortunate that while they were passing out punching power, Rodrigo Guerrero was off somewhere bragging about what a great chin he has. …

Joshua Clottey’s had some big fights – against Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales, Miguel Cotto. Next time you think all fighters make a lot of money, remember those shots of his apartment in the Bronx. …

Kudos to our friends at Friday Night Fights for the new studio and the ramped up opening montage. Good stuff. …

While we’re handing out accolades, good for ESPN Classic for going deep into the vault and coming out with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad’s thundering (and cruelly hilarious) knockout of Lotte Mwale in 1982. For those of you who know Muhammad only as a trainer, when properly inspired, he was a stone killer in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. …

While it’s true that Wilton Hilario didn’t jab worth a damn in his loss to Martin Honorio, he was still chasing Honorio and trying to land a bomb in the 12th round despite having been soundly beaten up and floored twice. I say that makes him a heck of a prospect. You can teach a guy to jab, and a better trainer will. You can’t teach him to hate losing.


Bill Dettloff can be reached at dettloff@ptd.net. You can read his articles every month in THE RING magazine.

THE RING's No. 1-rated junior bantamweight defended two 115-pound titles with a punishing, one-sided unanimous decision over freakishly tough but outclassed Rodrigo Guerrero in a Showtime-televised main event from Rancho Mirage, Calif., on Saturday.

Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 knockouts), who won by scores of 117-111, 118-110 and 120-108, outboxed Guerrero while hitting the game and aggressive 22-year-old challenger with clean power punches in every round of the bout.

"This kid took big punches," Darchinyan said afterward. "I couldn't believe it. I respect him."