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Ward-Green postponed because of Ward's aching knee

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:06:39 PST

The fight between Andre Ward and Allan Green scheduled for April 24 in Oakland, Calif., has been postponed because Ward is having problems with his surgically repaired right knee.Ward reportedly will be out four to six weeks. A new date for the fight, part of the Super Six Boxing Classic on Showtime, has not been announced.Ward reportedly tried to train normally but couldn't go 100 percent because of pain.Carl Froch fights Mikkel Kessler as part of the Super Six tournament on April 24. It will be televised in the U.S. on a delayed basis.

Top amateur Gomez signs with Golden Boy

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:53:07 PST

Frankie Gomez, one of the top amateurs in the U.S., has signed a contract to fight for Golden Boy Promotions.The product of East Los Angeles, Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya's hometown, will make his professional debut on the Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr. undercard on April 3 in Las Vegas.The 18-year-old junior welterweight reportedly went 120-8 as an amateur and won numerous national and international titles, including a U.S. national championship."Growing up I always looked up to what Oscar de la Hoya did in the ring, so to be with Golden Boy Promotions is a dream come true for me," said Gomez. "I'm humbled by this moment, but excited at the same time, because I'm ready to begin my pro career and show the world just what I can do when the headgear comes off and the bell rings."

Free St. Patty's Day card in L.A.

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:43:45 PST

A special St. Patrick's Day boxing event - free to the public - will take place outdoors Wednesday (March 17) evening at Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.The event, presented by Golden Boy Promotions and AEG, will feature the professional debuts of four L.A.-area prospects and other festivities. The first fight is at 7:30 p.m. but fans are encouraged to arrive by 6:30 p.m. to take part in the activities.Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy, and members of the Golden Boy fighter roster will be present to meet fans.The event, dubbed St. Patrick's Fight Night Club Special at L.A. LIVE, is being presented in association with Fight Night Club, a monthly boxing series at Club Nokia.The scheduled fights, all four-rounders: welterweight Bobby Reyes of Valencia vs. Alfredo Rivera (0-5) of L.A.; junior featherweight Jesus Rodrigues of L.A. vs. Juan Sandoval (1-0, 1 KO); junior welterweight Oscar Andrade of L.A. vs. Nichaulas Briannes (1-4) of Portland, Ore.; and the opponent of featherweight Art Martirosyan of Glendale has yet to be determined.As a special St. Patrick's Day-only promotion, anyone buying two tickets to a future Fight Night Club event will receive a $25 game card from the ESPN Zone at L.A. LIVE.

Dougie's MASSIVE Monday Mailbag

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:18:06 PST

AN EVENT?Dougie,I had a house full of people and this event didn't live up to the hype. What a disappointment. It wasn't Manny Pacquiao's fault. It was old man Bob Arum's weak undercard and over-hyped main event. I hope Miguel Cotto's fight at Yankee Stadium lives up to the excitement. Peace -- Frankie from the BronxI agree that the televised undercard was rather ordinary but you should put most of the blame of The Event's failure to live up to its promise on Joshua Clottey. He had the ability to make for a competitive main event, but he didn't go for it. Clottey refused to take risks, and when the guy who doesn't want to fight is concerned only about going the distance, guess what folks? We're going to get a one-sided/boring match.I wouldn't get your hopes up too much for the June 5 fight at Yankee Stadium. Yuri Foreman isn't the most aggressive junior middleweight out there and Miguel Cotto, who I saw getting his drink on in Dallas this past weekend, may not be able to carry 154 pounds as effectively as he did 140 and 147. But we'll see. At least you won't have to pay extra for Foreman-Cotto. It's an HBO World Championship Boxing special event.HE IS WHAT HE ISChanneling Dennis Green.......Clottey was exactly what I thought he would be. I don't know why everyone was surprised by him. He has always fought that style. Has he been dominated like that? No. But to be surprised that he wouldn't take a risk when he was getting waxed? He doesn't take risks when he's winning big! Yawn. Manny, you are the man. You blow me away. It seems to me the only way to beat Manny is to be willing to plant that back foot, wait for the tornado to come at you, and drill it. Literally fighting fire with fire. JMM is the only one to effectively do that so far (El Terrible did a wonderful job of sticking and getting the hell out of the way in the first fight, but Manny is so far beyond where he was at that point that I don't think that strategy would work anymore). Is there anyone that can do this? I think Floyd, however much I dislike him, COULD do it but I don't think he has that heart anymore. Sugar? Oh man. I love the Sugar Man but the former fastest welterweight alive would seem to be the guy with the "puncher's chance" which is just an amazing credit to PacMan.Can anyone, in Doug Fischer's mind, beat Manny Pacquaio right now? (Aside from your "son"....he's not even close yet. He could have the tools but they fight tomorrow and he's stretched by the 6th). JMM-Pac....I could watch tapes over and over. -- Tony Knopp, LAI'll say this about "my son" versus Pacquiao and leave it alone, he would freakin' GO FOR IT if he got the opportunity that Clottey had Saturday night. He would take risks (not stupid ones but aggressive moves with bad intentions). End of story.I think both Mayweather and Mosley have the ability to beat Pacquiao, which is why the only fight that should be made involving the Filipino icon is against the winner of May 1.After watching the PacMan in action against Clottey Saturday night, I strongly favor him to beat Money (eight rounds to four) and slightly favor him to outpoint Sugar (toss-up fight, and I do mean "fight"). Pacquiao is indeed the man. He has the highest blend of offensive intelligence, activity and intensity that I've seen since a prime Terry Norris. He is hands-down the best fighter on the planet.MARQUEZ STILL THE MANHey Doug, I know that people are going to be talking about how great Manny is, but in all the hullaballoo let's not lose sight of how great this makes Juan Manuel Marquez look. Yes, granted, he lost to Floyd. But he is the only man to make Manny look mortal. Hell, in my opinion he beat Manny twice. Manny has been running through all his opponents in the last two or three years but who is the only man to have equaled him or bested him? Look I'm not trying to poo poo Manny but let's give the devil his due. If Paquiao is an all time great so is Marquez, peace out Dougie. -- Jose AvilaI agree with that take, but if Pacquiao goes on to beat Mayweather or Mosley, I'm going to rank him above Marquez in an all-time/pound-for-pound sense.CLOTTEY DID HIMSELF NO FAVORSDougie:Clottey did not earn a lot of fans yesterday fighting in the biggest stage that he will ever fight. I think he did not give himself a chance to win and his corner, very accurately, told him in every round. I was really disappointed with his performance on what was supposed to be one of the biggest fights of the year. I think this goes back to his Cotto fight and why he didn't win. He's a very good fighter who does not show up when it counts. At least Cotto gave it his all against the PacMonster and was at his level for three rounds. He tried and took risks. That's all you can ask for from an elite fighter, to compete at the highest level. Clottey appeared to be content with just sharing the ring with Pacquiao. He didn't even try and that's going to haunt him forever. I would rather be KO'd trying than losing like that. -- FormbyClottey's no Ike Quartey. He shouldn't be mentioned with Azumah Nelson. (Hey, here's a fascinating featherweight/junior lightweight mythical matchup: Pacquiao vs. "the Professor.")Clottey's gifted with Quartey's quickness and physical strength but not the consistent heavy jab that Bazooka was known for. Too bad. When Clottey did pop his jab, it landed flush and knocked Pacquiao's head back. Some of the facial damage that Pacquiao suffered was from those jabs. What will hurt Clottey's credibility from now on is that he happened to be one of the few fighters on the planet tough enough to take Pac's punishment (let's face it, most fighters would have been done in by the little dynamo's body attack) but he lacked the balls to go along with his durability.BRING ON MOSLEYHey Doug,This fan wants to see Pacquiao-Mosley not Pacquiao-Mayweather. I hope Mosley does what you say and beats Mayweather in a conclusive fashion so that we can skip a rematch and move on to Pacquiao-Mosley. That should be a real fight with two offensive guys trying to win. I enjoyed Pacquiao's performance just because with him being so offensive minded there was always that chance that Clottey could land something big. And it was a great performance!Man, that undercard sucked. I was thinking "I paid for this crap?" Tell the big wigs for me that I'm now very skeptical of PPV and will only buy quality stuff. There are other ways to see the fights...By the time Soto-Diaz rolled around I could barely stay awake and had to hop on to the computer to stop myself from nodding off. It wasn't a bad fight but after the two first ones ... Aaarghh!Duddy and Castillo have had enough ... -- StephenCastillo is definitely done. I don't want to see him in a boxing ring again. Duddy is still serviceable as a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. opponent, which is in the works. I like the Irishman in that matchup that nobody asked for. If Duddy spanks Junior, I wouldn't mind seeing what he can do against some of the Contender grads who campaign at 160, such as Sergio Mora and Peter Manfredo Jr. I'd give the "big wigs" your message but it would be a waste of time because they really don't give a s__t what I think or write. I'm just here for the fans, brother. It ain't about the industry's power brokers for me. They know it and they leave me alone and I'm fine with that. We've got Teddy Atlas's "silent agreement" going. LOL.Mosley WILL beat Mayweather and for the first time in many moons boxing will have a mega-fight that will more than live up to its hype and expectations. Remember when the biggest event of the year was also the FIGHT of the year? Remember epic ring battles like Leonard-Hearns I and Hagler-Hearns? That's what Pacquiao-Mosley will deliver. I looked at a list of THE RING's Fight of the Year awards going back to 1945 in the 2010 edition of the magazine's Boxing Almanac & Book of Facts and the last time the Fight of the Year was also the biggest event was in 1996 when Evander Holyfield stopped Mike Tyson in the 11th round. And in retrospect that was really a one-sided ass kicking. What made it special was that Holyfield was such a huge underdog. The last time the Fight of the Year was the biggest event AND an awesome fight was in 1992 when Riddick Bowe outpointed Holyfield for the heavyweight title. Damn, those were the days. Maybe Manny and Shane can rekindle that kind of excitement in the sport.PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY/MAYWEATHERDoug-I'm a long-time reader of your column. I had a few thoughts about the fight and possible future fights.1. Pacquiao's performance was all the more impressive even though, as Manny Steward said, he's not even a real welterweight. This little guy is just amazing. He's everything the fans want to see in a champion. 2. Mayweather would try to employ a defensive, safety first strategy against Pacquiao as well. However, as opposed to Clottey's high, tight guard, Mayweather would use upper body movement and that funky cross-arm type guard that he has. This would leave him with the same problem that Clottey had though, which is not throwing enough punches. He might make Manny miss a lot of punches, but can he land enough of his own? I don't know that he can. The strategy for Manny against Mayweather is simple. STAY BUSY and GO TO THE BODY. He'll have a lot easier time hitting Floyd's body than his head. What do you think? Am I wrong? 3. The questions in No. 2 might be a little premature considering Mayweather has a formidable opponent in Mosley. I, for one, am hoping that Shane beats the crap out of Mayweather and finally shuts him up. I think Mosley should use the same strategy that I recommended for Pacquiao. For Mosley, a return the murderous body puncher he was when he was a lightweight might be in order. Hey Shane, think "Little Mike McCallum." I'm sure that Mosley has the power to hurt Mayweather, but how best to get to his head? And can he keep up the work rate? I doubt he wins a pure boxing match against Mayweather. I hope to hell that it's within his power to turn it into a brawl, or at least make Mayweather stand and throw. Let's hope Mosley renders a possible Mayweather-Pacquiao fight moot. 4. Kudos to Lenny DeJesus! He seemed to be the only one who realized that hanging out in a corner of ring meant there was fight happening. Sure as hell didn't look like Clottey knew. Maybe Pacquiao beat the will out of him in the early rounds. Either way, Clottey just doesn't seem to have the mental constitution to progress to the next level. How many times did we hear DeJesus implore Clottey to "take chances," "open up," "you've lost every damned round, let's go"? Clottey gave nothing in return. It was disappointing to see. DeJesus seems like a trainer who's going to give his charge the straight dope and nothing else. What kind of fighter would want a trainer like THAT? One that WANTS TO WIN! I hope he gets some young prospects to work with. Anyway, Pac-Man was awesome as usual. Keep up the good work Doug. -- Freddie, Pasadena, CAThanks for writing Freddie. I'll respond to your points in order:1. Agreed. Manny's the man.2. Agreed. Pacquiao's got the key to unlocking the Mayweather defense. The same body attack he used against Clottey will take the fight out of any welterweight not named Mosley. 3. I think Mosley can beat Mayweather a variety of ways and I believe he'll employ a little bit of everything -- pressure and volume, body punching, jabbing and counter-punching from the outside, etc. -- while gradually pulling Mayweather into a fight and wearing him down late in the bout. 4. I haven't seen the broadcast yet so I really can't comment on the corner work of DeJesus, but if he told Clottey to move his hands he did his job and he kept it real.UNEVENTFULWhat's up Doug? First time writer, long time reader here. Pacquiao was great as always, Jerry Jones was a great host and the stadium was great too but sadly, I think the "EVENT" was a disappointment. Do you think some of the 50,000 plus that attended the fight got turned off? I have to give credit to Pacquiao for trying so hard to put on a good show and even taking a lot of risk when he is already winning on the scorecard but it takes two to tango to put on a great show. How much again is Clottey making for this fight and please don't tell me has an upside on the PPV? Clottey was a MAJOR disappointment. The guy didn't even try to win. I hope he doesn't get a second chance. The undercard sucked also. You know it's bad when I'm doing the wave in my living room instead of watching that crap undercard. Typical Bob Arum undercard. The next time you see him, can you give him the middle finger for all of us "schmucks?" Watching Duddy is a chore just like watching Chavez Jr. Please don't tell me Arum is really trying to pit those two in Cowboys Stadium. Does Arum really want to turn off the Dallas people from boxing? So, I guess Arum is still in shock and probably can't believe that Castillo is now a shot fighter, right? Who is his next experiment? Arum putting fights in major stadium is great but at least put on a great show for those fans that pays to see a show. Dana White was probably laughing in his seat there in Dallas. When will the boxing people get it? Anyways, thanks for letting me vent out. I know Mayweather is the most gifted defensive fighter today but do you think Pac is the most gifted offensive fighter today? I hope Pac-May happens soon because it's the only fight out there. Thanks. -- AxThere's one other fight "out there" and it's Pacquiao-Mosley. I think that's what we'll get and I think fight fans deserve a huge event that will deliver a great fight. Lord knows we've suffered through enough let-down "events" like Saturday's, which wasn't a total bust. From what I could gather being on the scene before, during, and after the fight was that the 50,000-plus enjoyed themselves. Remember, most of those folks were Pacquiao fans. They were there to "root for the team" and their guy won, so all was well with the world. The hardcore fans in attendance seemed to be in awe of the stadium (which was awe-inspiring) and the atmosphere. The casual fans -- and there were many of them -- don't know what a really good fight looks like. They were fascinated by the giant image of these modern-day gladiators on the Jerry-tron. While hardcore fans were thinking that Humberto Soto is "lucky he isn't in with Edwin Valero" or "will be in trouble when he fights Anthony Peterson" and that David Diaz "is a punching bag," the casual fans were thinking "Wow, this Soto guy has skills" and "My God, this Diaz guy has the biggest heart I've ever seen." The casual fans were blown away by Pacquiao. They can't wait to tell their coworkers that they saw him fight live on Monday morning.Trust me, the casual fans will be back whenever boxing is held at Cowboys Stadium. The hardcore fans will too. Whether or not they'll buy another PPV like Saturday's is another story. For now, though, I doubt Dana White is laughing at boxing. Attracting 50,000 ticket buyers is nothing to laugh at.White is probably laughing at the fact that Clottey made $1.5 million (more than 90% of the UFC's top talent) and will probably clear $2.5 with his share of the PPV upside. If Clottey was a UFC fighter and turned in that kind of performance, the Baldheaded Bossman would probably try to hold up his purse.Clottey is laughing his way to the bank.Yeah, the undercard was pretty weak. The next time you read a boxing writer try to rip Golden Promotions for putting on bad PPV undercards remind them that Oscar's company actually tries to put on quality matchups under their pay-to-view main events and kindly ask those scribes to save some of their criticism for Big Bobby.By the way, I'll flip him off AND moon him for you schmucks. How do you like that?Yes, Arum wants to put Chavez-Duddy at Cowboys Stadium in the near future. If he can get Margarito a license and add the former welterweight titleholder to the card with Jorge Arce he'll have a small event that he can sell. He's also smart enough to price the tickets right and he'll probably get 20,000-30,000 in the stadium. If Margarito and Arce are in with decent opposition (and Jorge told me he could wind up fighting Martin Castillo) Arum might be able do 250,000 to 300,000 pay-per-view buys, too. Pacquiao is definitely the most gifted offensive fighter today.TRASH TALKING MORONSHi there Dougie, Greetings from one of your many UK fans. I've just watched the delayed transmission of the PacMan-Clottey fight. As one of your correspondents said last week, this fulfilled the first part of hardcore fight fans' belief that this bout and the Maynever-Mosley combo were a better deal for us than the over-hyped "superfight." Pac's latest was a good contest, characterised by the latest in a succession of brilliant performances by Manny. And how about that hug before the final round... that typifies everything I love about this great sport. A few more points while I'm here: (1) I'm a huge soccer fan (hey, I'm from Scotland and soccer is our religion). The governing authorities in that sport have a censure applicable in cases of "bringing the game into disrepute." If boxing had an overall regulatory authority, instead of the fragmented farce that is the multi-body, multi-title reality, maybe someone would be throwing the book at Floyd Mayweather Snr. for his unfounded doping slurs instead of Pac having to take him to court.... (2) While they're at it, my fictional regulators could also impose a hefty fine on that clown Malignaggi for jumping on the "doping accusation bandwagon" and accusing Amir Khan of being on steroids. Here's some news for Paulie: Our boy Khan will knock you on your back and shut that trash-talking mouth for good. Your belief of belonging on the A-list will be shattered once and for all. (3) After the Clottey demolition, I'm even more convinced Manny takes Floyd if they ever get it on. PacMan handed out the same level of one-sided beating to a heavier, stronger opponent than Maynever did to the smaller, weaker JMM... and Manny took a few good, hard shots from Clottey with hardly a flinch. (4) I was at the Liverpool Arena over here on Friday night to see a great Frank Warren bill, packed with quality UK youngsters who prove that there's life for Frank after Amir Khan's defection from the Warren stable to Golden Boy. Watch out for Kell Brook and Tony Bellew, coming to "world" title shooting-distance in the next 12-18 months. (5) Barry McGuigan had an article in a national daily newspaper over here calling for "your son" not to be licensed to box due to his blood clot. I can sympathise with McGuigan's view because he's had to live with the consequences of one of his opponents dying after a fight. What are your views about Valero's chances of being allowed to fight in Vegas or some of the other hotbeds of boxing action? Will we see this man fulfill his awesome potential? I sure hope so.... Keep up the good work, Doug... love those mailbags and all your insightful articles online. -- Alistair Strachan (Southport, England, UK)Thanks for the kind words, Alistair. Thanks for finally writing in. I'll respond to your points in order:1. I agree, and when a__holes make baseless accusations I wish there was a regulating authority in boxing to slap a fine on them.2. I agree with the wish that Malignaggi could be fined for his accusations towards Roach and the Wild Card gym, but I think the Magic Man will provide Khan with a stern challenge on May 15. We'll see what happens.3. Interesting comparison between Pacquiao and Mayweather's last fights, and good point. I think Pacquiao takes Floyd. 4. I've heard of Brook and he impresses me. I haven't seen Bellow yet but I'll keep an eye out for him.5. Yeah, I had 15-20 fans email me Barry's column. I see where he's coming from, but I don't agree with him. Do I worry about Valero? Yes. If he was really my son we'd sit down and have a very serious talk about him retiring. That said, I don't worry more about Valero than I do most prize fighters. I certainly don't worry about him as much as the old lions who continue to fight like Holyfield and Castillo, and faded former badasses who are making comebacks like Erik Morales and Johnny Tapia. I really worry about former world-class fighters who have become stepping stones and are clearly impaired from the damage they've received in the ring like former cruiserweight beltholder Kelvin "Concrete" Davis. Nobody ever writes anything about a guy like Davis because he's not an undefeated hotshot with buzz like Valero, but he's seriously endangering his health by continuing to fight -- and I have no idea why commissions allow him to fight when he keeps getting hammered in all of his fights. The thing to remember about Valero is that, over the past five years, his noggin has probably been scanned and examined by more specialists than any other active fighter and so far he's been cleared to fight in six countries and one U.S. jurisdiction (Texas). I think we will see Valero fight in Las Vegas (though maybe not this year) and I believe he will fulfill his awesome potential in the next two years. And I KNOW it'll be a blast watching him.

Report card: Pacquiao-Clottey

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:35:23 PST

Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua ClotteyMarch 13, 2010, Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TexasThe main eventGrade: C-Comment: The fight doesn't get a "D" or worse only because we'd pay to see Pacquiao hit a heavy bag, which is what Joshua Clottey turned out to be. The world's No. 1 fighter, showing his usual fire, did everything he could to break down the challenger but there's only so much you can do with an opponent who has almost no desire to fight. The crowd at Cowboys Stadium had a good time because the atmosphere was special but the fight was a colossal disappointment.PacquiaoGrade: A-Comment: The only flaw in Pacquiao's game -- and we're reaching here -- was his inability to avoid a handful of Clottey's uppercuts, the loser's most-meaningful punches of the fight. However, in his defense, Pacquiao probably took some risks he normally wouldn't have in an effort to make Clottey fight. Pacquiao said he felt Clottey's power but never was hurt.ClotteyGrade: D-Comment: Fighters should try to win fights. And to win fights, you must throw punches. It's not too complicated. The only good thing to say about Clottey is that he absorbed many crushing body blows that probably would've stopped a weaker man. And, to be fair, he landed a few hard shots here and there. A few doesn't cut it, though.Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainerGrade: B+Comment: Pacquaio went into the fight with a good game plan -- jab, pound to the body, try to split Clottey's cocoon, anything to create openings. It wasn't his fault that Clottey chose to stay covered up rather than fight back. I thought Roach and Pacquiao would adjust a bit more quickly to avoid Clottey's uppercut.Lenny DeJesus, Clottey's trainerGrade: BComment: If nothing else, the loser's first-time trainer apparently said the right things in the corner. He believed the loser had the power to hurt -- or even knock out Pacquiao -- and pleaded with hi to throw more punches. In the end, he was as frustrated as everyone else.The JudgesGrade: AComment: No complaints about 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109. Pacquiao outpunched Clottey by a 4-1 ratio.Referee Grade: AComment: The only time I remember noticing Rafael Ramos, out of San Antonio, was when he gave Pacquiao a warning for that goofy double-fisted punch he threw in Round 4. The ref is supposed to be invisible.The crowdGrade: AComment: The fans, all 50,994 of them, created a memorable night with their energy and enthusiasm even if the main event was a dud. I think the wave is a little outdated but, heck, they were having fun. And I heard of no problems on Saturday night. Everyone seemed to be well behaved.The undercardGrade: DComment: The Humberto Soto-David Diaz co-feature had a few interesting moments but neither that fight nor the other two televised undercard fights were particularly compelling. Promoters in general need to pull out all stops to give the fans at least one entertaining undercard bout.Note: This is a new feature at RingTV.com. We will be putting together report cards regularly after selected big fights to give readers an idea how various players performed.Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Pacquiao gives another great performance in spite of Clottey

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:19:45 PST

Joshua Clottey refused to come out of his shell but Manny Pacquiao (right) was able to inflict more than enough damage to beat another elite opponent. Photo / Chris FarinaARLINGTON, Texas - Manny Pacquiao can't look spectacular against an opponent who refuses to fight.Joshua Clottey curled up like a frightened armadillo and barely threw enough punches to win a round Saturday night at the new Cowboys Stadium. The tireless Filipino was at his most active, trying to break down the bigger man, but he couldn't do serious damage without openings.That shouldn't diminish another dominating performance against a world-class opponent. Pacquiao almost shut out an immensely strong former title-holder who is in his prime, winning every round on one card and 11 of 12 on two to retain his welterweight title.That's a rout of epic proportions, certainly like nothing Clottey (35-4, 20 knockouts) has experienced in his successful 15-year career.The 50,994 that filled the enclosed stadium, almost all of them rooting heartily for Pacquiao, were pleased that their man won but were obviously hoping to experience something more.When the disappointment of the man-versus-punching-bag exhibition wears off, though, we'll realize that this performance rates with the three that lifted him to superstardom - KOs of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.Pacquiao was at his best even if Clottey didn't fall."I thought we won every round," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer. "We pressured him. Clottey has good defense but good defense isn't enough to win a fight."The atmosphere was electric at Cowboys Stadium, the $1.2 billion playground of Jerry Jones that features the world's biggest JumboTron screen. Those who watched it saw 72-foot-tall fighters.Stadium officials curtained off the top deck and almost all the remaining seats were filled, giving it the feel and energy of a packed house. And the vastness of the building, far bigger than arenas typically used for boxing, added to the grandeur.The crowd, clearly aware of the special moment, buzzed with anticipation of seeing in action the most-exciting fighter in the world. It was a perfect night for a great fight. That was clear even to Pacquiao."It made me so happy when I walked in," he said, referring to his ring walk through the stands and into the ring. "I felt so excited. I was thinking, 'I have to give my best because the people want to see a good fight.'" And then the opening bell rang.Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) banged incessantly to the body and tried to fire through Clottey's shell-like guard, anything in an attempt to open him up and deliver more-meaningful blows. However, Clottey remained as closed as a stubborn oyster.The Ghanian saved himself from a possible knockout but, doggedly choosing defense over any meaningful offense, he gave himself almost no chance to win the fight and spoiled the night to some degree.Consider the punch statistics. Pacquiao threw a remarkable 1,231 punches - 103 per round - and landed 246. He also connected 232 of 682 power punches. Clottey threw a paltry 399 punches and landed 108. That's only 33 punches per round, the number a plodding heavyweight might throw.In other words, evidence suggests he transitioned from fighting to surviving once he realized that he wasn't going to beat a far superior opponent.Also consider Clottey's payday. He could make as much as $2.5 million, which includes a guaranteed purse and a percentage of the profits. Two and a half million for that? Pacquiao, who earned his $12 million-plus, and anyone who watched the fight deserved better than Clottey gave.Roach, who had predicted a knockout, shrugged his shoulders at the post-fight media conference."You fight for a world title once in a lifetime sometimes," he said. "I thought he would be more offensive to try to take the title from us. It seemed like he was trying to survive. It was just very hard to knock him out." Again, though, Pacquiao has every reason to be proud. He gave a legitimate opponent the thrashing of life before a huge crowd at a glitzy new stadium as millions around the world watched. Not a bad night's work.And the future looks even brighter. He could fight the winner of the May 1 Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley showdown sometime in the fall or perhaps next year, assuming his run for a congressional seat in the Philippines allows it and the parties can come to terms.The fans want to see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather - the Nos. 1 and 2 fighters on earth - and Pacquiao wants to give it to them."I want that fight," he said, "but it's up to him. I'm ready to fight any time."After Saturday night, all we want is a real fight.Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Pacquiao must fight Mosley-Mayweather winner next

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:58:51 PST

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey lived up to its billing as an event -- drawing the third biggest crowd to an indoor stadium in the U.S. -- but it didn't deliver much of a fight to the 50,994 fans who packed Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.Fans watching the pay-per-view broadcast were probably under-whelmed by Pacquiao's dominant performance even though the pound-for-pound king shutout a bona fide welterweight contender on one scorecard and held him to one round on the other two.It's obvious that Pacquiao's on such a level that fights with good, solid fighters like Clottey will not produce compelling fights.For a real event -- one that would dwarf Saturday's -- and one that would deliver a compelling fight, Pacquiao's next fight must be against the winner of the Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather Jr. welterweight showdown on May 1.If we want to see the best of a future first-ballot hall of famer he needs to be in the ring with a fellow future hall of famer. Put two great -- or arguably great -- fighters in the ring and fans usually get a great fight. It worked with Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. My guess is the formula would work for Pacquiao versus Mayweather or Mosley.Pacquaio says he's willing to do it, for the fans, of course."I want that fight," Pacquiao said when asked about Mayweather during his post-fight interview. "I know I have the fans support and I love them for it, but it's up to him. I'm ready to fight anytime. If Mosley wins, maybe I'll fight him. Floyd's style is not difficult."Many fans and members of the media would beg to differ with Pacquiao's assumption. Many fans and members of the media agree with it.That's why a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would be the biggest boxing event in ages. The fight would definitely be more interesting than what fans got on Saturday.A Pacquiao-Mosley showdown wouldn't be as high-profile as a Mayweather event but it would probably deliver the most dramatic slugfest between elite fighters since Leonard-Hearns I.One of these fights must happen before the end of 2010.The excusable reason Pacquiao versus Mayweather or Mosley doesn't happen this year is if the aspiring politician wins his congressional seat in the Philippines on May 20 and decides to retire from boxing.However, Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach, have repeatedly told the media that he could probably do both jobs should he win the election, at least for a little while. Long enough to make the fight that would cement his legacy.The more likely reason Pacquiao versus the Mosley-Mayweather winner will fail to materialize this year is boxing politics, or more to the point, the clashing egos of the fighters' promoters. It's no secret that the Top Rank-Golden Boy Promotions feud is back in full swing following the fallout of the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout earlier this year. Bob Arum, president of Top Rank and Pacquiao's promoter, will probably say that Pacquiao doesn't need Mayweather, whose demand for Olympic-style drug testing was the key sticking point that dashed the proposed superfight. The 78-year-old hall of famer will point to the fact that Pacquiao was able to draw 50,000-plus against a fighter that only hardcore fans recognized. Arum will say his star fighter can draw even bigger crowds, make for even bigger events against Antonio Margarito or Edwin Valero, two potential Pacquiao opponents that he promotes.Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents both Mayweather and Mosley, will probably say the pay-per-view numbers of the May 1 event -- which is expected to far exceed those of Pacquiao-Clottey -- will determine who the real star is.Schaefer has boldly predicted that Mosley-Mayweather will break the all-time pay-per-view record and do close to 3 million buys. If it does half those numbers he can tell Arum to stuff it and predict that a Mosley-Mayweather rematch will break the record.Both promoters are right to an extent, but both will be very wrong if they don't deliver the fight the public demands. Boxing can be a major sport as the people at Cowboys Stadium and the early interest in Mosley-Mayweather prove, but it won't happen if its power brokers don't listen to the fans.Fans want big events that produce great fights. Pacquiao versus Mayweather or Mosley will give them what they want. Nothing else will deliver.

Pacquiao dominates Clottey to decision

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:47:48 PST

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao defended his welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey in front of 50,994 fans inside Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts), who won by scores of 120-108 and 119-109 (twice), was simply too active for Clottey, who was put into a defensive shell for most of the fight.He made it look easy but he said it was more difficult than it appeared."It was not an easy fight, it was hard. He's a hard fighter," Pacquiao said after the fight. "I felt his power. He is very strong."Clottey (35-4, 21 KOs) was humble in defeat. "I can tell you, this is the first time I lost a fight," the Ghanaian contender said afterward. "All my other losses, I never thought I lost. But this time, I lost."Now the boxing world turns it's eyes to the May 1 Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather welterweight showdown. Pacquiao said he is willing to fight the winner, but he and trainer Freddie Roach were clear that they would not back of their stance on Mayweather's drug testing stipulations, which was the impasse that dashed their all-but-made bout earlier in the year.Full on-site post-fight columns from Doug Fischer and Michael Rosenthal will be posted soon.

Pacquiao-Clottey undercard report

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:48:34 PST

ARLINGTON, Texas -- More than 50,000 fans were on hand to witness the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey welterweight title fight at Cowboys Stadium and most of them were in the state-of-the-art arena to watch the undercard to the big event.In the main undercard bout, former 130-pound titleholder Humberto Soto (51-7-2, 32 knockouts) picked up a lightweight belt with a dominant but hard-fought unanimous decision over David Diaz (35-3-1, 17 KOs).Soto, who won by scores of 115-111 and 117-109 (twice), dropped Diaz in the first and 12th rounds, but the former 135-pound beltholder was game throughout the bout, pressing the harder-punching technician in almost every round.Soto, of Los Mochis, Mexico, tried to counter-punch from the outside for the first three rounds, but the Chicago-born southpaw's pressure forced him to open up offensively in the middle rounds to get respect. Soto out-boxed Diaz behind a jab down the stretch but Diaz appeared to take rounds nine and 11 with his tenacity and activity. Soto is now expected to defend his lightweight belt against undefeated (30-0) contender Anthony Peterson on the undercard of the Yuri Foreman-Miguel Cotto fight at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y., on June 5.Welterweight fringe contender Alfonso Gomez (22-4-2, 10 KOs) halted former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo (60-10-1, 52 KOs) after the fifth round of a scheduled 10.For four rounds Gomez troubled Castillo with his faster hands, lateral movement and body attack as the veteran tried to gradually work his way into the fight by boxing from a distance. In the fifth, Gomez pressured Castillo and began punishing the faded fighter with combinations on the inside.Castillo's corner told the referee that their fighter had had enough and the fight was halted between rounds. Castillo announced his retirement after the bout. Irish middleweight fringe contender John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) withstood a late charge from Mexico's Michael Medina (22-2-2, 18 KOs) to pull out a 10-round split decision in the first bout of the HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast.Duddy, who won by scores of 96-93 (twice) and 93-96, was busier over the first half of the bout but the 6-foot-1 Mexican was more accurate and scored well with his long jab. Medina began taking the fight to Duddy in the sixth round and the two slugged it out down the stretch.Junior featherweight prospect Roberto Marroquin (13-0, 10 KOs) knocked out Samuel Sanchez (4-2-1) in the second round of a scheduled six. Marroquin dropped his fellow Dallas native once in the first round and finished him with a double overhand right to the temple in the second. Featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez (19-3-2, 9 KOs) wore down journeyman Jaime Villa (8-8-2, 3 KOs) to a sixth-round stoppage. The nephew of late, great former featherweight champ of the same name dropped Villa, of Midland, Texas, in the fifth and sixth rounds before the fight was waved off.

Pavlik looks to redeem himself against Martinez

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:50:40 PST

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Kelly Pavlik has a very simple plan to make up for a disastrous 2009: Take on the most dangerous opponent available in his first fight of 2010. The middleweight champ will attempt to defend his title against THE RING's No. 1-rated junior middleweight Sergio Martinez in an HBO-televised bout on April 17. The fight will take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., where Martinez (44-2-2, 24 knockouts) engaged Paul Williams in a thrilling Fight of the Year candidate in December. Martinez dropped a majority decision but many observers believed the athletic southpaw from Argentina deserved the nod.Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs) is one of those observers. "I had Martinez up by two rounds," Pavlik told boxing writers at a Saturday morning press conference for the Martinez fight held at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center, the host hotel site for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight. "He was impressive. He showed me that he's got skill, intelligence and a lot of balls. I know I've got a tough fight with him. He's going to be there for all 12 rounds and he's not going to back down."Everyone agrees that Pavlik-Martinez is going to be a good fight. More than a few believe that Martinez's hand speed, considerable power and stick-and-move style will be too much for Pavlik, which is why the champ wanted the fight."I'm excited about this fight," he said. "I took a lot of criticism in 2009 and this is my way of showing everyone that I'll fight anyone who's at the top. I took this fight with no doubts or hesitation because I want to prove that I'm back."Pavlik had a bad year in 2009 by most accounts and his own admission.He had hoped to rebound from the first loss of his career, a one-sided decision to Bernard Hopkins in October of 2008, but most of the year was spent trying to recover from a recurring staph infection in his left hand.The infection lead to near-death experience when he had a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and it caused him to pullout of two fights, scheduled on Oct. 3 and Dec. 5, with Williams. Pavlik's reputation nose dived in 2009 amid rumors of problem drinking and two low-profile fights against lesser opponents on small pay-per-view shows.But what hurt him the most were accusations that he was afraid to fight Williams.Pavlik, who has already begun training and looks fit at 176 pounds, believes a convincing victory against Martinez will erase most of the doubt that fans and some members of the media have about him."I think Martinez is a more dangerous fight for me than Williams would be," he said. "Williams is a volume puncher. He throws five and six shots at a time and leaves himself open when he does it. Martinez is awkward and he moves and punches from different angles. He dropped Williams because he landed a punch that Williams didn't see."Martinez said that he will do the same thing to Pavlik, and he plans to keep the champ on the canvas when he does so."Pavlik will make for a great fight, like Williams," he said through his manager Sampson Lewkowicz. "But I'll be much better this time and I will win by knockout."One can't blame Martinez for wanting to take the outcome of the fight out of the hands of the officials. Prior to dropping the disputed decision in December (one of the judges tallied a ludicrous 119-110 for Williams), Martinez was held to a controversial draw against Kermit Cintron in a bout that nearly everyone thought he not only won on points but deserved to win by knockout.Martinez decked Cintron for the count in the seventh round but the former welterweight titleholder somehow convinced the referee that he was dropped by a head butt and the fight resumed after it was seemingly waved off.Martinez's promoter, Lou DiBella, has stood by his fighter throughout the hardships of 2009. Despite the crummy scorecards and officiating, he knows that fans have begun to recognize Martinez's talent."My guy's a beast," he said at the press conference. "He should be 2-0 in his last two fights. He should be fighting at junior middleweight but nobody wants to fight him at 154 pounds. Frankly, he's the biggest threat to Kelly at middleweight."Pavlik's promoter Bob Arum said Martinez reminded him of Argentina's late, great middleweight champ Carlos Monzon, who he promoted in the 1970s. DiBella believes Martinez is the best fighter from Argentina since Monzon.Pavlik's trainer Jack Lowe isn't buying it."He's not Carlos Monzon, and on April 17, Lou DiBella will be 0-3 versus Team Pavlik," Lowe said, referencing Pavlik's back-to-back victories over former champ Jermain Taylor, who was promoted by DiBella.Pavlik is somewhere in the middle. He agrees that Martinez is probably his biggest threat but he doesn't see an invincible fighter."There are ways to cut the ring off on movers and ways to move a southpaw into your punches, and I'm going to do that," he said. "It's a tough fight because of his style but I've noticed that in the middle rounds and later in the fight he does get a little bit winded because of all of his movement. That's something we're preparing for."Pavlik is also preparing to make up for lost time."The plan is to beat Martinez convincingly and then keep fighting top fighters."

Hall of Fame Friday: Randy Turpin

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:41:24 PST

RANDY TURPINBirthdate: June 7, 1928Birthplace: Leamington, EnglandDate of death: May 17, 1966Nickname: The Leamington LickerWeight classes: Middleweight, light heavyweightProfessional record: 66-8-1 (45 knockouts)Title held: World middleweight (July 10, 1951-Sept. 12, 1951)Best performances: Ray Robinson (W 15), Don Cockell (KO 1), Charles Humez (W 15), Albert Finch (KO 5), Alex Buxton (KO 7, KO 2, KO 5), George Angelo (W 15), Luc Van Dam (KO 1), Jan du Bruin (KO 6).Year of IBHOF induction:2001Background: Followed older brother Dick Turpin into boxing at the age of 9 and had already fought 100 amateur bouts by the time he was 15 ... At age 17 he became the youngest ever and first black boxer to win an ABA championship ... Turned pro in September 1946 and went undefeated in his first 17 bouts before losses to Albert Finch and Jean Stock in '48 stalled his progress ... Returned after a five-month layoff and racked up 21 straight wins, including knockouts of Finch to win the British middleweight title and Luc Van Dam to capture the vacant European 160-pound crown ... Upset Sugar Ray Robinson in July '51 to win the world middleweight championship via 15-round decision as 18,000 fans whooped it up at Earl's Court in London ... "I have no alibi," said Robinson. "I was beaten by the better man." ... Contractually obligated to give Robinson a rematch, they fought again two months later in front of a record crowd of 61,370 at the Polo Grounds ... The fight was even going into the 10th round, but when Robinson suffered a dangerous eye cut he launches a desperate attack and stopped Turpin with just eight seconds left in the round ... Rebounded by winning the vacant British Empire light heavyweight title in a June '52 bout with Don Cockell and the vacant Empire middleweight title against George Angelo in October ... Lost 15-round decision to Bobo Olson in October '53 for the middleweight world championship, which had become vacant when Robinson retired in December '52 ... Although Turpin regained the British 175-pound title and made two more successful defenses, his powers were fading and he retired after suffering a KO loss to Yolande Pompey in September '58 ... Financial difficulties forced a return in '63, but after two more fights, he quit for good in '64 ... High living and poor investments had taken all of his boxing money and he briefly turned to wrestling ... Also worked in a junkyard and rn a small transport caf with his wife ... Dunned by the Inland Revenue for unpaid taxes and depressed at his fall from grace, the 37-year-old Turpin committed suicide by gunshot in 1966 ... Fifth years after his victory over Robinson, a statue in his honor was erected in Warwick.

Notebook: DeJesus hire surprised Roach

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:18:04 PST

DALLAS - Freddie Roach and Lenny DeJesus, the trainers of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, are quite familiar with one another.DeJesus, a longtime cornerman from the Bronx, worked as Pacquiao's cut man for six fights. And, by all accounts, he's pretty good at it.What Roach didn't know is that DeJesus has had some experience as a lead trainer. Thus, he was surprised when he heard that his fighter's former cut man would train Joshua Clottey for their fight on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium."He worked as our cut man for a while when we were with (promoter) Murad Muhammad," Roach said. "When we got rid of Muhammad, we got rid of him also because he was part of Muhammad's camp. He wasn't too happy about that. He made some statements about me back then. Maybe I hurt his feelings or something like that. I didn't take it personally."Lenny's not a bad guy. I know him more as a cut man than as a trainer. I don't know him as a trainer at all. ... He's been around the game a lot, a cut man for a lot of big fights. He's been around fighters. I'm sure he hears things. But does he really know boxing? I don't know."Did Roach think it was weird when he heard DeJesus would be working the opposite corner."Uh ... yeah," he said.DeJesus didn't have much to say about Roach, other than to demonstrate that he's been in the game - in a variety of capacities - a lot longer than the world's top trainer."When Freddie Roach was working with Eddie Futch, I was already a 10-round cornerman," DeJesus said. "I had a kid from Puerto Rico, Alberto Mercado, fighting in Las Vegas. That was more than 20 years ago. Freddie was a bucket boy for that fight."Roach has come a long way. And so has DeJesus, apparently. The former amateur boxer has worked in some big fights as an assistant trainer but he has never been the lead man in a fight this big."It's a good feeling," he said. "I know if we beat him, if we upset Manny Pacquiao, I'll get a lot of calls from people interested in my services. That's very good at this stage, at my age."DeJesus is 64.Trouble brewing?: DeJesus said his fighter should do fine against Pacquiao if two things happen: Clottey listens to DeJesus in the corner and the Ghanian fighter's other handlers keep their mouths shut.Those are strange ifs going into the biggest fight of Clottey's career.DeJesus was a late replacement as Clottey's main cornerman because his first choice, former trainer Godwin Kotey, couldn't get a visa to enter the United States. Still, one would think that DeJesus would have full control in the corner.On the first point, DeJesus is confident his fighter will follow his instructions even though he was the one who brought it into question."When you have a good, motivating corner, your individual will listen," he said.He didn't sound as convincing in regard to whether he could control the cornermen Clottey brought with him from New York, who seem to be friends as much as they are boxing people."He has his group," DeJesus said of the men. "In this case, there aren't too many people there. I told them, 'You holler and you're out. I'm the one who calls the shots.'"For Clottey's sake, he'd better be.Numbers game: If punch output decides fights, Pacquiao has a significant edge on Clottey.Pacquiao has thrown an average of 67.8 punches per round in his last three fights, which have lifted him to superstar status. The average number of punches thrown per round by a welterweight is 58.0.And he has landed a remarkable 53.7 percent of the power punches he's thrown, or 24.4 per round. The average number of power punches landed by a welterweight is 13.3 per round.Clottey has thrown an average of 42.7 punchers per round - about 25 fewer than Pacquiao - in his last nine fights. And he has landed 41.0 percent of his power punches, almost 16 fewer than Pacquiao.The Ghanian, known as a very good defensive fighter, has been able to avoid 78.8 percent of the punches his opponents have thrown.Party passes: Top Rank Boxing and Cowboys Stadium have announced the sale of standing-room-only tickets for $35. They're available through TicketMaster.Party-pass ticket holders will have access to pre-fight festivities in the plazas outside the stadium and six party decks in the end zones of the building.

Mepranum upsets Marquez

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:27:55 PST

DALLAS, Texas -- Filipino flyweight prospect Richie Mepranum spoiled the U.S. debut of Mexico's popular Hernan Marquez on Friday, out-pointing the undefeated junior bantamweight standout in the 10-round main event of a Fox Sports Net-televised card at the Gaylord Texan Convention center, the host hotel site of the Manny Pacquiao-Clottey fight. Mepranum (17-2-1, 3 knockouts), who won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-94, stuck and moved efficiently against the aggressive but less accurate Marquez (27-1, 20 KOs).In the co-featured bout, former heavyweight titleholder Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) looked sharp dispatching rangy prospect Nagy Aguliera (15-3, 10 KOs) in two rounds in an elimination bout for one of the belts.Peter, who weighed in at 237 pounds for the fight -- his lightest in nine years -- was fast and devastating, dropping Aguliera with a body shot early in the second round before overwhelming the 23-year-old former amateur standout against the ropes.In the non-televised opening bout of the Top Rank-promoted show Anthony Peterson (30-0, 20 KOs) , THE RING's No. 6-rated lightweight, dominated the shopworn Juan Ramon Cruz (16-7-1, 12 KOs) to a third-round KO. Peterson dropped Cruz once in the second round and twice in the third.Welterweight fringe contender Dennis Laurante (34-3-4, 17 KOs), a Filipino southpaw who is managed by Pacquiao, narrowly outboxed the badly faded but still very game veteran Ben Tackie (29-12-1, 17 KOs) over eight rounds. Lautante won by scores of 78-74 and 77-75 (twice). Some members of the media believed Tackie deserved the nod.Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Omar Henry (8-0, 7 KOs) demolished Mexico's Francisco Reza (5-2, 4 KOs) 33 seconds into the opening round of their scheduled six rounder.Heavyweight prospect Andy Ruiz (3-0, 3 KOs) had an easy time stopping hapless Luke Vaughn (0-2) in the first round of the their scheduled four rounder.

Pacquiao weighs in heaviest of career

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:13:59 PST

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Everything is bigger in Texas and that includes the star of Saturday's welterweight showdown. The few thousand fans who congregated around the East Plaza of Cowboys Stadium, where the weigh-in for the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey card took place on Friday, witnessed the Filipino icon weigh the heaviest of his hall-of-fame career.Pacquiao, who will attempt to defend the 147-pound title he won from Miguel Cotto last November against Clottey inside the megalithic stadium, weighed in at 145 pounds. It was only the third time in his career that he weighed over 140 pounds. Pacquiao weighed 142 pounds for Oscar De La Hoya; 144 for Cotto. He weighed in at 138 for his junior welterweight fight with Ricky Hatton.Clottey tipped the scales at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. The Ghanaian contender, who looked a little dried out, is expected to replenish himself up to about 160 pounds by fight time.Pacquiao's handlers want him to come in just under 150 pounds on fight night.Among the interested observers were Academy-award winner Robert Duval and former welterweight titleholder Antonio Margarito, who is still without a boxing license after having it revoked last year for attempting to load his hand wraps before the Shane Mosley fight.Bob Arum, who had hoped to add Margarito to the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard before backing off, announced the disgraced fighter to the crowd to mostly cheers but also some jeers of "Cheater!" and "Hands of stone!" Though he may be a pariah to English-speaking media, Margarito was positively received by the Spanish-language press and most of the on-site boxing establishment, including Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and announcer Michael Buffer, who MC'd the weigh-in.Before the main event fighters weighed in, the entire wall of the east side of Cowboys Stadium opened up like giant glass and steel curtains to reveal the spectacular interior of the billion-dollar venue. The peak may have enticed some of the crowd to buy "Party Passes" -- $35 standing room only tickets -- to Saturday's fight.THE UNDERCARDFormer titleholder David Diaz weighed in at 134 pounds for his lightweight title fight with former 130-pound beltholder Humberto Soto, who tipped the scales at 134 pounds.Two-time former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo came in at 144 pounds for his welterweight fight with Alfonzo Gomez, who weighed 145 pounds.John Duddy weighed 160 pounds for his middleweight fight with Michael Medina, who weighed 155 pounds.Local junior featherweight prospect Roberto Marroquin weighed 122 pounds for his non-televised eight rounder against fellow Dallas native Samuel Sanchez, who also weighed 122 pounds.Sal Sanchez, the nephew of the late great featherweight of the same name, weighed in at 125 pounds for his non-televised tilt with Jaime Villa, who weighed 127 pounds.

Roach knows of two of his fighters who tested positive for PEDs

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:06:44 PST

DALLAS - Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, said he has worked with two fighters who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but takes precautions so it won't creep into his gym in Hollywood, Calif.Roach said one of his former fighters, Justin Fortune, was known to have used PEDs and James Toney twice tested positive for steroids, once when he was working with Roach."I won't say I didn't know," said Roach, referring to Toney. "I never asked him, though. I never had a conversation. I could see his body structure had signs, his traps and stuff. He was either lifting a lot of weight or he was on (something)."... I think I had one other fighter on steroids also, Justin Fortune. ... I know he'd been there before."Roach repeated for the umpteenth time, however, that Pacquiao is clean. He said he talked to Pacquiao after unsubstantiated allegations by Floyd Mayweather Sr. and others became public."I said, 'Manny, do you know what steroids are?'" Roach said. "He knows so little about steroids. He knows less than I do."Is there a chance Pacquiao took an illegal substance by accident, perhaps consuming something with which he was unfamiliar?"Why would you think that?" he said. "Manny gets tested after every fight and has never come up dirty. Without evidence, that's a bad assumption."Roach also has discussed PEDs with strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, who works with Pacquiao."A hundred percent," he said. "That's the first guy I went to. ... Alex is a friend of mine and he works with me. My reputation is on the line with him. He assures me 100 percent that there's nothing out there."Pacquiao fights Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Weekend Preview: Peter continues comeback

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:55:16 PST

FRIDAY HERNAN MARQUEZ vs. RICHIE MEPRANUMRounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior bantamweightsLocation: Grapevine (near Dallas), TexasTelevision: Fox Sports Net/Fox Sports en EspanolThe backdrop: Mexico's popular "Tyson" Marquez (27-0, 20 knockouts) is an entertaining pressure fighter with heavy hands but the 21-year-old southpaw does not punch like his nickname and should be tested by light-punching but always game Mempranum (16-2-1, 3 KOs), who went the distance with former flyweight beltholder Denkaosan Kaovichit in 2007, before the seasoned Japan-based Thailand native won a 112-pound title. Also fighting: Samuel Peter vs. Nagy Aguilar, 12 rounds, heavyweightsRating the card: B. This show should be fun. Marquez-Mempranum is a good matchup on paper, and the Peter-Aguilar fight is an elimination bout for one of the belts. Former titleholder Peter (33-3, 26 KOs) is finally fighting a heavyweight with a pulse since his one-sided loss to Vitali Klitschko. Aguilera (15-2, 10 KOs), a young Dominican who is really just a prospect, is coming off a one-round blowout of faded Oleg Maskaev in December. Undefeated lightweight contender Anthony Peterson is on the undercard.SATURDAYMANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEYRounds / weight class: 12 rounds / welterweightsLocation: Arlington, TexasTelevision: HBO Pay-Per-ViewThe backdrop: THE RING's No. 1-rated welterweight is defending his 147-pound title against the magazine's No. 5-rated welterweight before 45,000 fans in Cowboys Stadium. Also fighting: Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz, 12 rounds, lightweightsRating the card: B. It says something when the venue of a fight outshines the actual main event matchup, but Clottey should provide an honest challenge to Pacquiao and might even extend the dynamic Filipino icon the 12-round distance. The Soto-Diaz matchup will be an action fight between an aging former 135-pound beltholder and a former 130-pound titleholder for a vacant lightweight belt. Both fighters are coming off decision victories over a shopworn Jesus Chavez and have frankly seen better days. Welterweight fringe contender Alfonzo Gomez will take on badly faded former lightweight champ Jose Luis Castillo on the televised undercard.

Dougie's FAT Friday Mailbag

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:04:05 PST

UPCOMING FIGHTSDoug:A few things.1) Am I the only one out there that likes the two fights we're getting -- Clottey/Pac-Man and Mayweather/Mosley -- better than the one fight we missed (the fight that shall remain unnamed)?2) I think Clottey with his solid defense will give Pac-Man fits. This one is going to the cards where I think Pac-Man wins a narrow but unanimous decision (although I wouldn't be shocked by people perceiving that Clottey won -- he ain't getting a decision)3) Do we get to know which Mosley shows up before predicting the Mayweather/Mosley fight? I think the Mosley that laid a beat down on Margarito wins a narrow decision, the one that went life or death with Mayorga loses a stinker. The thing about this fight is that because of the way Mayweather fights, adapting his fight to who he's facing, the determining factor is which Mosley shows up.4) The Devon Alexander that beat Juan Urango can hang with anyone from 135-152. Man, I don't know how to properly express how much that kid impressed me on Saturday night. I didn't care who won, I wanted a good fight, and man did they give me that. I haven't seen Tim Bradley, but I have to tell you, if Alexander can tighten up his defense a little, he's going to be pound for pound king before anyone expects it; the kid is the truth.5) And while we're on the topic of Saturday, what the hell is Zab Judah doing hanging around calling Alexander out... Zab you haven't beat anyone of note in forever, Urango would have killed you, please go away.Peace out, enjoy Dallas. -- SteveI'm here in Dallas and I plan to have a good time (as I always do in Texas, which has some of the best boxing fans in the country). Thanks for writing in, Steve. I'll respond to your statements in order:1. I think the slight majority of hardcore fans agree with you that the two fights we got out of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fallout (oops, I named it) are better than the one mega fight we almost had. However, what made Mayweather-Pacquiao special was that it was a fight that casual boxing fans and general sports fans clamored for. That doesn't happen very often in our sport. Having said that, I'm a hardcore fan and I'm excited about Saturday and I'm really hyped about May 1.2. You and I see the same fight, although I envision Pacquiao winning a more comfortable (but competitive) decision. Bottom line, though, I think Clottey takes Pacquiao the distance.3. Dude, come on, which version of Mosley do you think you're going to see? Mosley is a competitor. He was 10 times more motivated to fight Margarito than he was Mayorga because the Mexican titleholder was a 3-to-1 favorite to beat him. Mayorga was considered finished. Margarito was considered the beast of the division. Now he's fighting Mayweather, who most consider to be a superior boxer. He's got something to prove on May 1, just like he did last January. I think he's going to be 10 times more motivated for Mayweather than he was for Margarito. Expect to see a very happy and confident Mosley in the press events leading to the showdown and a brutally efficient version of the SugarMan on fight night.4. I think Bradley is the truth at 140 pounds. Alexander might be. If the St. Louis native can beat Bradley he'll be well on his way to the top of everyone's pound-for-pound list.5. Hey, Zab's just trying to make a living. I'd favor him over Ricky Hatton. How's this for an idea? Judah vs. Vivian Harris: Loser leaves town.FRIDAY MAILBAGHey! Hope you are just as psyched up as I am for Pac-Clottey and as disgusted for the vomit-inducing undercard that Bag of Wrinkles has put together. My thoughts, and hopefully your take, on 'em -1. Clottey has b***** in him and we've seen it come out against Margarito and Cotto. Against Margarito, he was more intent on shaking his hand, acting like it hurts than the task on hand. Against Cotto hetwitched around after Cotto gave him the business for hugging him. That b**** will come out again.2. I don't see Pacquiao's chin being dented by Clottey's punches although he might be able to bust up Manny's face with his head - that noggin can smash through concrete. He has cut up almost everyone he fights. Clottey has sort of heavy hands but if you can't put down Cotto or Judah with flush chin shots you can't put Pac down.3. I see Manny making him quit or TKOing him in 9-10 rounds. You can't have a passive defense with Pac. The guy is not just blazing fast but extremely educated footwork to go with hand speed.4. Gomez-Castillo? Really? Winner gets Morales? Soto-David Diaz? Duddy? This schmuck was about to go tell that wrinkled old geezer to go f*** himself but the wily old fart knows that Pacquiao was gonnasell 99.9% of the tickets anyways.5. Brother Naazim, Bernard and Shane in a ring together working on strategy? Can you think of more boxing IQ/square foot? I think Naazim is almost up there with Coach Roach when it comes to strategizing.-- AsimI'm psyched for Saturday, Asim. I'll respond to your statements in order:1. I think it's a tad extreme to say Clottey's got some b___h in him. Yeah, he overreacted when he hurt his hands vs. Margarito (and let's not forget that Margarito came in with a bad left wrist and a sprained right ankle) but he stayed in there with the Mexican mauler, who broke the CompuBox record (for any division) for 12-round fight. If a fighter really has some b___h in him, I think he gets overwhelmed by Margarito. But we can't deny that Clottey takes his foot off the gas pedal late in his fights, which won't serve him well vs. Pacquiao.2. Clottey's head is his most dangerous weapon. You might be right about his inability to hurt Pacquiao. We'll see. I still think he can hurt Pacquiao with his underrated left to the body.3. I still see Clottey going the distance and having his moments, but if Pac proves me wrong it certainly wouldn't be the first time.4. Arum knows his customers better than any other active promoter. For some reason, I'm looking forward to Soto-Diaz. I like Diaz by decision in an upset.5. Mosley's going to be ready for Mayweather, believe that. I think Richardson can challenge Roach for 2010 Trainer of the Year if Steve Cunningham, Hopkins and Mosley all win their upcoming fights (which I think they will).WHERE DOES CLOTTEY RANK?What up Doug? Hope the flight to big D was good. I can't wait for Saturday. It's gonna be a battle for as long as it lasts, but I want to know where does Clottey rank against his fellow fighters from Ghana. If he wins where does that put him? One of my all-time favorite fighters was Ike Quartey. How drastic of a change in his legacy had he got the nod over the Golden Boy? Is Azumah Nelson easily at the top of the list or is Quartey? What do you think? See you in Jerry's Palace. -- SamI'm looking forward to the fund raiser event in Monterrey, Calif., next Saturday, Sam. Please tell Eloy not to knock me out; it's just an exhibition, right? I think Nelson is definitely at the top of the all-time greatest Ghanaian fighters list, followed either by Quartey, who would be considered a first-ballot hall of famer had he handed Oscar his first defeat back in 1999, or by David Kotey (who I have as No. 2 because of his narrow points victory over Ruben Olivares). Clottey is a distant fourth behind those three. If he beats Pacquiao, he'll be right up behind Nelson. WILL YOU BE IN DALLASHey Dougie,Big fan, written you a few times.I'm an SMU graduate (2002) who's flying back to catch the fight with a few friends. We'll be tail-gating and hitting up a few bars afterwards. I figure I owe you a few Guiness' (Guini?) for the years of entertainment you've provided.Hit me back if you're going to be out there.(PS - What is Ellerbe going to give YOU if Sugar KTFO's Floyd?) -- DannyI'm already here, Danny. If you see me, don't be a stranger, and don't be afraid to toss me a Guinness, either. LOL. I don't want anything from Ellerbe if Mosley blasts Mayweather. He'll probably be crushed if that happens and I'm not the kind of person to rub it in. If Mayweather gets stopped but goes out on his shield, he'll win more respect from than if he wins but stinks it out.COMING TO DFW?I know you always do the post-fight hang out with boxing fans and I'm never in NYC and fights never come to DFW so if you will be out here talking boxing please let me know and I'll make it a point to be there. I know it's in Arlington which is 45 minutes from my home and I know I don't drink so I would just sip on some soda while talking about how much PBF can suck monkey balls! LOL. Heck I haven't even figured out where I'll watch the fight. -- FaustoSince moving to RingTV.com I don't really hang out as much after the fights because I'm too busy writing up the post-fight columns and updating the website with co-editor Michael Rosenthal. But if you come by the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Friday you might see me at one of the bar/lounges. I write this all the time, but I'm being serious folks, don't be a stranger. I'm a boxing writer who really loves the sport and enjoys talking about it with fans and people who read what I and other scribes write.And FYI to everyone who wants to grab a drink (which doesn't have to be an alcoholic beverage) with Dougie before a big fight, don't feel like you have to bad mouth Floyd Mayweather Jr. If you're huge fan of his, that's OK. I don't want to bad mouth the guy (especially now that he's finally scheduled to fight a worthy opponent).HBO'S ROAD TO DALLASHey Dougie, I'm a big fan and an avid reader of your mailbag. I just saw Road to Dallas on HBO and I was impressed. You looked natural in front of the camera. I hope you could have a similar role in all future 24/7 productions. Peace! -- Pinoy from LAThanks for the very kind words Mr. P. Just so you know, "Road to Dallas" was a Countdown show. It's not a 24/7, which is the multi-part series that doesn't include sound bites from media know-it-alls. LOL. I enjoy being interviewed for the Countdown shows and seeing how they turn out post-production. Whenever I'm asked to participate by one of the producers I try my best to make the shoot and to sound semi-coherent once the cameras are rolling.STRIPPING PACQUIAODougie,I thought the whole purpose of The Ring titles was (well, not whole purpose) not to strip fighters like the alphabets do. Now they are going to strip Pac? Not saying Pac should not give it up, but stripping is stripping. I though there was a policy against that activity? Is this the start of a slippery slope...? -- JBThe magazine isn't going to strip Pacquiao. Editor in Chief Nigel Collins is simply going to ask Team Pacquiao what weight class he plans to stay in after the Clottey fight. Roach has gone on record saying that Pacquiao is staying at 147 pounds because that's where the big fights and the HUGE money's at. If this is true and Pacquiao has no intention of dropping back down to 140 pounds, there's no sense in allowing him to hold onto the junior welterweight title. It's not fair to young guns like Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander and Amir Khan, who could be fighting for it. TERRIBLE STOPPAGEI JUST WATCHED DEVON ALEXANDER/JUAN URANGO FOR THE 1ST TIME. I GOTTA SAY, I THINK THAT WAS A BAD STOPPAGE BY THE REF. JUAN WAS UP, WITH HIS HANDS IN THE AIR, FULL CONCIOUS. GIFT STOPPAGE, IMO. -- TommyUrango didn't seem to have a problem with it.

Pacquiao-Clottey notebook: An awesome stadium

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:15:12 PST

Promoter Bob Arum speaks during the final news conference Wednesday for the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The massive JumboTron can be seen from the side. Photo / Chris Farina-Top RankDALLAS - Manny Pacquiao doesn't have much to say. Joshua Clottey probably says less than Pacquiao. The thing that spoke the loudest at the final news conference for their fight on Saturday was the venue, Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.As you approach it by car, watching it get bigger and bigger and bigger than you ever imagined as you get closer, your mouth falls open. And the striking ultra-modern design adds a futuristic element that screams out "cutting edge." To me, an Angeleno, it was Staples Center on an overdose of steroids.Then you walk inside and see the cavernous space, brightly lit through the glass roof, and the legendary high-definition JumboTron and you can't help but think, "Wow!" The screen is 53 yards wide, or more than half the football field on which the Cowboys play, reportedly the biggest in the world.They say everything is big in Texas ... but this is ridiculous. The fighters on the screen will be more than 10 times bigger than the genuine articles."When these fighters are punching each other, when these guys are sweating and strategizing in the middle of the ring, they'll be 72-feet tall ... just like our Cowboys players," said Cowboys and stadium owner Jerry Jones, who obviously is tickled to have a fight card at his $1.2 billion playground.This isn't the first non-NFL event at the stadium. The NBA staged its all-star game on Feb. 14 before a mind-boggling 108,713 spectators.Jones said it was an amazing night, even better than he imagined. A relatively sparse 45,000 are expected to attend the fight card on Saturday but Jones, as positive as any person you'll meet, believes it will be just as exciting as the basketball event."This has a very similar feel to the all-star game," said Jones, referring to the lead-up to the fight. "First of all, it's exciting. It's fun. It's fun to have you curious about it, the media. That's important for the stadium. The goal is for the stadium to be recognized all over the country and internationally as a place that's important. You put someone like Manny Pacquiao in a venue and you accomplish that."I think I have a sense of what it'll be like (on Saturday). I thought I did for the all-star game and the atmosphere, the energy was even better than I thought. I think the energy will be even better for this."Jones didn't want to discuss the future of boxing at the stadium in detail but made it clear that this won't be the last card in Arlington."I think you'll see that these new stadiums can't survive on only their main attraction," said Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Top Rank. "Especially football stadiums, where they have eight games a year, a couple of exhibitions and hope to get into the playoffs. They need other events to fill them."... And there were a thousand reasons to have the fight here - Jerry Jones, the TV screen, the history in this market, just the stadium itself. It clearly is the greatest stadium in the world right now."No one at the news conference would question that.Weighty issues: Roach said Pacquiao weighed 144 pounds on Tuesday, three pounds under the 147-pound welterweight limit. However, the fighter will eat two meals before the weigh-in and will come in at 147 on the scale on Friday, Roach said. He'll then weigh about 150 on fight night. Cotto presumably also will make the 147-pound limit, his weight for most of his fights over the last 14 years. On fight night, he could be as heavy as 165, or 15 more than Pacquiao. There's an even bigger gap in fighters' natural walking-around weight, about 145 for Pacquiao and almost 170 for Clottey.That might seem like a huge edge in Clottey's favor but Roach thinks otherwise."If he comes in at 165, it's too much," he said. "It'll slow him down. It has to."Clottey probably wouldn't be fighting as a welterweight if he weren't fighting Pacquiao. He can make 147 - or he wouldn't have taken the fight - but he must work extremely hard and sacrifice to do it.As a result, he said, his power has suffered. He no longer knocks out his opponents at the same rate he once did. He has 20 knockouts but only one in his last 10 fights, a fifth-round TKO over Jose Luis Cruz at the 154-pound limit in 2008."I feel I'm unstoppable (at 154)," Clottey said. "Against Jose Luis Cruiz, I was unstoppable. He couldn't take my power."That doesn't mean much for Saturday.Dillusional? Clottey said he expects Pacquiao to throw about 1,000 punches over 12 rounds, if the fight lasts the long. And he believes that will be part of the Filipino's undoing.Clottey said all human beings have their limits, including his seemingly unbeatable opponent."Throwing a thousand punches and moving around like he does ... he can't do that for 12 rounds," Clottey said. "He's not a machine. He'll definitely stay there at times. And when he stays there, that's when I'll land my punches."The obvious question is this: What makes Clottey believe Pacquiao isn't a machine?

Pacquiao painting by fashion artist

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:21:48 PST

Albie Espinola is a fashion artist from London who also happens to be lifelong boxing fan.Today, RingTV.com presents Espinola's painting of Manny Pacquiao -- who fights Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium -- and a time-lapse video (below) of him painting it.Espinola was born in London to Filipino parents. His father often spoke of the great Flash Elorde and other top fights from the Phillipines and he became of fan of such British fighters as Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, whose war in 1990 got him hooked on the sport.The Londoner boxed briefly as an amateur but decided to focus on his art. He began to paint portraits of top models, becoming a prominent presence on the fashion scenes in Paris, London and New York. USA Today dubbed him the "fashion artist."However, he never lost his love of boxing. He taught the sweet science at a London gym while he worked in fashion public relations and produced fashion shows. And he has followed the sport religiously.His favorite fighters today are Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., both of whom have been subjects of his paintings. The Pacquiao painting is presented here. Mayweather will come later.Enjoy.

New Faces: Roberto Marroquin

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:20:25 PST

Junior featherweight prospect Roberto Marroquin (right) catches Anthony Napunyi with a right hook en route to a third-round stoppage of the tough journeyman last November. Photo by Chris Cozzone / Fightwireimages.comVital Statistics:Age: 20Hometown: Dallas, TexasWeight class: junior featherweightHeight / reach: 5-7 / 70Amateur record: 165-15 (reported)Turned pro: January 18, 2008Pro record: 12-0, 9 knockoutsTrainer: Raul MartinezManager: Lou MesoranaPromoter: Top RankBest night of pro career: Stopped young journeyman Julio Valadez with a single punch in the fourth round of their bout that took place in Las Vegas, Nev., last May. Valadez was able to duck under Marroquin's potent right hook during the first three rounds so the teenage southpaw faked a hook and turned it into an uppercut that laid the normally durable opponent out cold.Worst night of pro career: Tried too hard to knockout wily 44-fight veteran Jose Garcia Bernal and was occasionally counter-punched by the seasoned journeyman en route to a one-sided six-round decision last October. Marroquin dropped Bernal in the fifth round but wasn't focused or settled enough to finish the vet.Next fight: Takes on fellow Dallas native Samuel Sanchez (4-1-1) in a scheduled eight-round bout on the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday..Why he's a prospect: Marroquin was an amateur standout who made it to the finals of the 2007 U.S. Olympic Trials where he lost to Gary Russell Jr. Marroquin has an amateur victory over Russell (now 8-0 as a pro) and as well as other former amateur stars who are now considered pro prospects, including Mexican standout Carlos Cuadras (14-0, 13 KOs), Ronny Rios (9-0, 4 KOs), Sammy DiPace (7-0, 4 KOs), Victor Valenzuela (7-0, 1 KO) and Derrick Wilson (5-1-1, 2 KOs). Marroquin is an aggressive southpaw boxer-puncher with solid technique and good instincts.Why he's a suspect: Like most young fighters gifted with power, he needs to improve his defense as he sometimes looks too hard for the knockout and gets into exchanges he shouldn't.Story lines: Marroquin's a good-looking young man with a solid family and educational background. His promotional company, Top Rank, believes he can be developed into a bona fide attraction in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and eventually into a world titleholder. Ten fights into his career, Marroquin drew high praise from Top Rank's hall-of-fame mantchmaker, Bruce Trampler, who likened him to a mini-Oscar De La Hoya."He's a kid who can box and who can hit," Trampler said. "He's bilingual and has a great attitude and a good education. He's the complete package. We hope we have the same boxer as De La Hoya."While it's doubtful Marroquin will come close to accomplishing all that De La Hoya has in and out of the ring, there's one thing he might do that the Golden Boy never did -- get a college degree. Marroquin, who still lives at home with his parents, is a sophomore at Northland College in Dallas where he's majoring in accounting with a minor in economics.Lou Mesorana, Marroquin's manager, says it's not uncommon for the young man to be studying in his dressing room less than an hour before he enters the ring.Fight-by-fight record2008Jan. 18 Genaro Castorena RTD 2Feb. 29 Luis Angel Paneto TKO 2July 11 Roberto Perez RTD 2Sept. 5 Gino Escamilla UD 6Dec. 6 Isaac Hidalgo TKO 12009May 1 Julio Valadez KO 4May 16 Robert DaLuz UD 6June 19 Jose Garcia TKO 3Aug. 29 Steven Johnson TKO 2Oct. 17 Jose Bernal UD 6Nov. 13 Anthony Napunyi TKO 32010Feb. 6 Robert Guillen TKO 1

Roach: The start of something good

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:55:17 PST

DALLAS -- Freddie Roach was bitter when his boxing career ended. The fearless brawler from the Boston area had worked tirelessly for much of his life to realize one goal -- win a world championship -- but, limited in natural talent, he came up short.He was left with nothing when it was over, or so he thought. He worked as a telemarketer and by his own admission, "stayed drunk for about a year." He had no intention of remaining in boxing in any capacity.And then came that twist of fate that changes history. Virgil Hill, a stablemate at the gym of legendary trainer Eddie Futch in Las Vegas, asked Roach to work with him because Futch was too busy with Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and other big-name fighters.About a year later, Hill won a world title with Roach in his corner and the career of one of the most-successful trainers ever was underway. Today, Roach can claim he's trained an astounding 27 major titleholders, including his prize pupil -- Manny Pacquiao, who fights Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium."I found out I could be a better trainer than a fighter," Roach said before Pacquiao worked out for the media in the trainer's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif. "I have Virgil Hill and Eddie Futch to thank for that. Eddie taught me the ropes and Virgil asked me to help him. It's been a good ride ever since."Roach had extensive amateur experience and a good eight-year professional career under Futch, fighting on the fringes of the world rankings and facing such big-name foes as Bobby Chacon, Greg Haugen and Hector Camacho. He thrilled crowds with his reckless style and was successful, finishing with a record of 39-13 (15 knockouts).His God-given talent didn't quite equal his ferocity and impeccable conditioning, though. Thus, he never won that one big fight that might've led to a shot at a title. The result was a heart-breaking void that would never be completely filled.Roach no longer feels the sting of that disappointment. He has too much for which to be grateful these days to live in the past. It still nags at him a bit, though."I'm a little bit bitter," he said. "I put my whole life into something and didn't get a shot at (a title). I don't really dwell on that anymore. Helping fighters win world championships has replaced that for me a little bit. That helped a lot. I'm sure if I weren't involved in boxing, it would bother me a little bit more."Only a few people can be world champions. I know that."Roach had to begin thinking about life after boxing even before he lost five of his final six fights for one reason: He was broke. He made $5,000 for his last fight but had borrowed $3,000 beforehand just to survive. He never made more than $7,500 for one night's work, meaning he "lived fight by fight."He was a 26-year-old about-to-be-former boxer who and had no idea what he would do the rest of his life, which was a frightening thought."That's probably why I was drinking so much," he said. "The thing was that all the people who said, 'When you retire, come and get a job with me,' they were gone. They all said, 'Well, things are kind of slow now.' I learned that the old saying 'you're only as good as your last fight' was the truest statement in the world. I thought maybe I'd end up dealing cards in Vegas or something like that, something I really didn't want to do."I really didn't know where I was headed."Roach actually thought of becoming an arborist, someone who manages the health of trees and plants. That's what his father did and he had some training in the field. However, he decided for the time being to go a simpler route.He began working shortly before the end of boxing career for his brother Joey, who owned a telemarketing firm in Las Vegas. He sat in an office with about 100 other telemarketers selling promotional items -- pens, key tags, coffee mugs, etc. -- to companies over the phone in four-hour shifts. At least that was the goal. He wasn't very good at it, he admits.Roach likes to quote Joey, who passed away last year: "He always said, 'I could sell an ice box to an Eskimo but you couldn't sell a tire to a guy with three flats.'"It didn't really matter. Roach had some fun as a telemarketer -- he said he got a kick out of the chaotic energy in the office -- but he knew this wasn't his future, whatever it might be.Then, in 1986, Hill approached him. The former silver medalist from the 1984 Olympics came from his hometown of Williston, N.D., to Las Vegas for the same reason Roach did, to work with Futch. But the great trainer had his hands full with other big-name fighters, the biggest being heavyweights Holmes and Spinks, and Hill wasn't getting the attention he felt he needed.Hill knew who to turn to. He had watched Roach train, watched him push himself to his limits to learn as much as possible and reach peak condition for every fight. Roach was always fully prepared, an attribute all his pupils now share."I used to run with Freddie back in the day, around the dunes in Las Vegas," said Hill, who runs his own gym in New Jersey. "I saw how hard and how smart he trained. And I knew that he'd actually done it, he'd actually been in the ring and battled. That was important to me."I had all the confidence in the world in him. I'd seen him do everything he said."Roach had never trained another fighter but obviously absorbed the vast wisdom of Futch and assistant Thel Torrance, worked extremely hard and took naturally to teaching.From the beginning, Hill said, Roach had the calm confidence of a veteran trainer -- even if he had some doubts in the beginning."When Virgil asked me, the first thing I said was, 'I don't know how to train people," Roach said with a laugh. "Virgil had to give me lessons on how to catch punches. He learned as an amateur when he fought in Cuba. The Cubans do that well; they were ahead of us on that. Eddie used to have us hit the mitts but only one punch at a time, just for technique."Anyway, he talked me into it and I started working with him. A year later, when I was only 27, we won a world title. I really liked that. Since that point, my goal has been to make as many world champions as possible."Hill won a light heavyweight title -- a first for both fighter and trainer -- by stopping Leslie Stewart in four rounds on Sept. 5, 1987. Hill would go on to make 10 successful defenses of his belt and win four more belts in a career that undoubtedly will land him in the International Hall of Fame.Roach went on to help build 26 more major titleholders and become the most-respected trainer in the world. He no longer has to borrow money to survive. And, even though he never realized his dream of winning a championship, he too will end up in the Hall of Fame.The courageous battler has come a long way from telemarketing."It's crazy," said Roach, referring to his success. "I've had 27 world champions. My trainer, Eddie Futch, had something like 24. Eddie is the greatest trainer in the world. I never thought I'd come close to someone like that."It's funny how things work out. First, Virgil asks me to help him when I wasn't expecting it. Then, after I help develop these fighters, I build this gym and someone like Manny Pacquiao walks through the door looking for a trainer. Is it part luck? It sure is."I've been in the right place at the right time. Timing is everything in life."Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Ring Ratings Update: Is Alexander in position for RING title?

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:10:28 PST

Devon Alexander's eighth-round stoppage of Juan Urango was sensational enough to vault the 23-year-old St. Louis native from No. 4 to No. 2 in THE RING's junior welterweight ratings.Alexander (20-0, 13 knockouts) unified two 140-pound titles by beating the always dangerous Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs), THE RING's No. 6-rated junior welterweight going into Saturday's fight that took place in Uncasville, Conn., and leapfrogged former champ Ricky Hatton and current beltholder Amir Khan in the magazine's junior welterweight ratings."After Alexander handed Urango his first kayo loss, the only tough decision was whether he should be ranked No. 3 or bump Amir Khan out of the No. 2 position," said Nigel Collins, Editor-in-Chief of THE RING magazine. "After comparing their records and reading the emails from THE RING Ratings Panel, we decided that Alexander's emphatic victory over such a rugged contender was enough for him to edge out Khan, at least for the time being."Obviously, THE RING's ratings committee is more impressed with Alexander's TKO of Urango and his stoppage of former titleholder Junior Witter in his previous bout than Khan's dominant decision over beltholder Andreas Kotelnik and his one-round blowout of unheralded Dmitriy Salita, and most fans would agree with that opinion.Most fans would also agree that the best 140-pound fight that can be made right now is a showdown between Alexander and THE RING's No. 1-rated junior welterweight Timothy Bradley. If that fascinating matchup can be made this year most would assume THE RING's junior welterweight title would be on the line, however, the magazine's 140-pound championship is still held by Manny Pacquiao, who also holds a 147-pound belt, which he will attempt to defend against Joshua Clottey on Saturday.Given that Pacquiao hasn't defended the junior welterweight championship since he won it by knocking out Ricky Hatton last May, and most expect him to beat Clottey and stay at welterweight to face the winner of the Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather showdown, Collins recently asked the Filipino icon's manager Mike Koncz if the fighter was considering vacating THE RING belt.Koncz told that Collins that Pacquiao wanted to hold onto the 140-pound title because he "intended to defend it following his March 13 bout" with Clottey. THE RING granted Pacquiao's request to hold onto the title until after the Clottey fight but informed Koncz that if the two-division threat's next fight was not a defense of THE RING junior welterweight title it would tantamount to relinquishing the belt.Who knows what the future holds? Mosley and Mayweather could be tied up with a rematch of their first fight later in the year, which would leave Pacquiao without a welterweight dance partner and open the possibility of the pound-for-pound king's return to the junior welterweight division.The winner of a Bradley-Alexander fight would be the most worthy opponent for Pacquiao and among the champ's most attractive 140-pound options along with a showdown with lightweight KO artist Edwin Valero.But if Pacquiao doesn't return to the 140-pound division and a Bradley-Alexander fight can be made there's a good chance that THE RING's Nos. 1 and 2-rated junior welterweight contenders will be fighting for the magazine's title, which is the way it should be.RING RATINS UPDATEJUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS: Alexander (No. 4 last week) jumps to No. 2 on the strength of his kayo of Urango (No. 6 last week), who falls to No. 7. Alexander's advancement also pushes down Khan (No. 2 last week) and Hatton (No. 3 last week) one spot each, respectively. Marcos Maidana (No. 7 last week) replaces Urgano at No. 6.JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: Bernard Dunne (No. 5 last week) has retired and is, therefore, removed from the ratings. All 122-pounders rated below Dunne last week climb up one rung each, while Kohei Oba debuts at No. 10.

Mares gets FNC opponent

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:31:23 PST

Abner Mares, THE RING-rated bantamweight contender who will healdine this month's Fight Night Club, has an opponent for the 10-round main event that will serve as tuneup for his upcoming 118-pound title shot against Yohhny Perez.Mares (19-0, 12 knockouts) will take on journeyman Felipe Almanza (17-15-4, 8 KOs) in the Fox Sports Net-televised headliner at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on March 25.Almanza, a 34-year-old Colombian veteran, lost six consecutive bouts from December of 2006 to November of 2008, but those losses were to unbeaten prospects and former flyweight titleholder Eric Morel. Almanza has gone unbeaten in his last seven bouts (5-0-2), including a six-round decision over undefeated prospect Anthony Rodriguez.Mares, THE RING's No. 8-rated bantamweight, has already signed to face Perez (20-0, 14 KOs), the No. 4-rated 118 pounder, in the Showtime-televised co-feature to Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez IV at L.A.'s Staples Center on May 22. However, the 24-year-old Southern Californian insisted on getting one last fight in before he challenged Perez for a bantamweight belt.Junior featherweight prospect Derrick Wilson (5-1-1, 2 KOs) is scheduled to take on undefeated fellow prospect Khabir Suleymanov (9-0, 4 KOs) in the March 25 Fight Night Club co-main event.Featherweight prospect Ronny Rios (9-0, 4 KOs) is also on the card and will be featured on the Fox Sports Net broadcast.

10: Greatest Filipino boxers by decade

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:18:41 PST

1910s - Pancho Villa: First great Filipino boxer was 15-0 in the decade1920s - Pancho Villa: Became one of the greatest flyweights ever but died at 231930s - Ceferino Garcia: Middleweight title claimant was in many huge fights1940s - Little Dado: Title claimant at flyweight and bantamweight1950s - Dado Marino: World flyweight champion from 1950 to 19521960s - Flash Elorde: Hall of Famer held junior lightweight title from 1960 to 19671970s -- Ben Villaflor: Two-time junior lightweight titleholder1980s - Dodie Boy Penalosa: Titleholder at junior flyweight and flyweight1990s - Luisito Espinosa: Held titles at bantamweight and featherweight2000s - Manny Pacquiao: Became No. 1 fighter in the world pound for poundMichael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Diaz past the battle of wounded knee, ready to battle on

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:39:06 PST

Many thought David Diaz's career was over after he absorbed a frightful beating from Manny Pacquiao in 2008, but only a knee injury kept him out of the ring. The former lightweight titleholder is back in a high-profile bout - vs. Humberto Soto - on the Pacquiao-Clottey pay-per-view undercard on Saturday. Photo / Chris Cozzone-Fightwireimages.comA quick glance at David Diaz's line-by-line record reveals a 15-month layoff following his June 2008 knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao. If you saw the Pacquiao-Diaz fight, it shouldn't be a surprise that the Chicago veteran took an extended break. The most spectacular offensive fighter on the planet dished out nine rounds of one-sided punishment against an opponent with the heart of a lion and the head movement of a quadriplegic.But the 15-month vacation wasn't for the reasons you would assume. It wasn't because Diaz needed time to recuperate and rejuvenate. It wasn't because a doctor prescribed rest, rest and more rest.Diaz felt physically and mentally recovered from the savage Pacquiao beating within a matter of days. If it were up to him, he would have fought again in 2008. But the gods of good health had other plans, and the freak-injury gods were in on those plans as well."For being laid out like I was against Pacquiao, my body, it was good, man," Diaz told RingTV.com. "The Monday after the fight, I was back in the gym, and everyone was like, 'What are you doing here?' I'm like, 'I don't know, I'm thinking about just working out.' They're like, 'Get the heck out of here!' They kicked me out of the gym. So I was just relaxing, wanting to get back in the gym a couple of weeks later, and then it was one thing after another with my knee."First the doctors discovered two pieces of loose cartilage in Diaz's knee, which meant scheduling arthroscopic surgery for September of 2008. The surgery was a success, but the rehab wasn't, as Diaz admits "I didn't do my rehab right." That set the timeline back a bit, and then it reached rain-cloud-following-him-around status in December of 2008 when Diaz re-injured the knee.He didn't re-injure it sparring in the gym. He didn't re-injure it doing roadwork, or even playing a game of pick-up hoops. He did it shoveling snow."A lot of people think that I was down and out because I took 15 months off," Diaz said. "Nah, that's not what it was. Yeah, the spirit was down because I didn't accomplish what I set out to accomplish, and that takes a little bit of time to get back up from. But I did get back up from it, and the layoff was just because of injuries that had nothing to do with the Pacquiao fight."As those who've followed Diaz's career closely know, the 15 months of inactivity he experienced between losing to Pacquiao and winning an untelevised 10-round decision over Jesus Chavez last September didn't even represent the longest layoff of his pro career. In 2000, he was burnt out on training, struggling to make weight and dealing with the emotional hardships of his brother dying and his mother falling ill. He ended up out of boxing for more than two years in his physical prime before launching his first comeback.The repeated stops and starts have created an odd career trajectory for Diaz. He was a prospect with an Olympic pedigree when he turned pro at age 20 but has made all of his significant paydays in his 30s.Diaz was unusually slow out of the gate. Through his first six pro fights, he hadn't knocked anybody out. And it wasn't as though he was feather-fisted; later in his career, he enjoyed a streak where he knocked out 11 opponents in a row. He just couldn't quite get anything to fall into place early on.And that makes it downright remarkable that of all the 1996 U.S. Olympians, a much heralded class when they turned pro, Diaz is probably the second most relevant in 2010. Obviously, Floyd Mayweather tops that list. And you could make a case for Eric Morel above Diaz, though the aging bantamweight technician certainly hasn't been in the high-profile matchups the last few years that Diaz has been in.Aside from Mayweather and possibly Morel, Diaz has clearly outlasted the rest of his Olympic teammates, an unlikely scenario if you'd asked anyone in 1996. Or in 2000. Or even in 2005.David Reid and Fernando Vargas are both long gone. Antonio Tarver is active as a broadcaster but hasn't fought in 10 months and hasn't won in two years. Nate Jones, Lawrence Clay-Bey and Albert Guardado Jr. are ancient history. Zahir Raheem is more recent history. Terrance Cauthen is still active but never reached contender status. And Rhoshii Wells was shot and killed in 2008.There have been triumphs and tragedies among the 1996 Olympians, but perhaps the greatest surprise is that Diaz, who wasn't even expected to make the team (he upset Zab Judah in the finals of the Olympic Trials), is still trucking along."I never would have predicted that, not at all," Diaz admitted. "Some of my Olympic teammates, they didn't have long careers, but at least they made money. That's an easy exit sign. I made an exit too like 10 years ago, but I didn't have no money! So now we're back in it, and trying to find the exit with the money."This Saturday night, Diaz faces a critical challenge with regard to his hopes of cashing out on his terms. The 33-year-old lightweight takes on Humberto Soto in the chief undercard bout beneath Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium.Diaz is the underdog in the fight. One message board poster called him a "sacrificial lamb." If that's so, then it makes a win for Diaz that much more noteworthy and positions him for the payday he's after."I have to win," he acknowledged. "It's a big step back if I lose. We're aware of that, and that's why I'm going to go in there and put my heart and soul into this fight."We wouldn't expect anything less from Diaz.His career hasn't always been predictable. This is a guy who got hurt worse by shoveling snow than by eating Pacquiao's punches. This is a guy who watched Olympic teammate Reid win a gold medal, then outlasted him as a pro by eight years and counting.But when you talk about heart and soul accompanying him to the ring, that is predictable with David Diaz. Soto might find Diaz easy to hit on Saturday night. But he definitely won't find him easy to discourage.RASKIN'S RANTS- I can count on probably one hand all the boxers I've ever interviewed who displayed a sarcastic sense of humor, but David Diaz is among that rare minority. I had to do an over-the-phone double-take when he insisted, "I was robbed in the Pacquiao fight!"- Ladies and gentlemen, your Teddy Atlas-ism of the week: "The testing is going to be in the pudding tonight." By the way, if you'd like to laugh at my own verbal stumbling as I, ironically enough, attempt to pronounce the word "Atlas-ism," check out last week's episode of Ring Theory.- Raise your hand if, heading into Saturday night's fights, you thought Juan Urango would suffer a knockout while Vic Darchinyan would fail to score one?- Sometimes you go into the reading of a decision just knowing that it's going to go to the guy who was expected to win before the fight. The Lenny Zappavigna-Fernando Angulo fight was one of those situations where the skeptic in me rose to the surface and I would have been surprised if the right fighter had gotten the nod.- In the promo for the Pacquiao-Clottey pay-per-view during Saturday's HBO broadcast, it struck me as odd that Bob Papa's scripted voiceover referred to Pac-Man as "one of boxing's best pound-for-pound fighters." Why undersell a fight featuring a boxer whom every respectable journalist currently considers the P-4-P king? I'm trying to figure out what the answer could be. But I'm having trouble thinking over the sound of Floyd Mayweather cracking a whip in the background.Eric Raskin can be reached at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com. You can read his articles each month in THE RING magazine.

Pacquiao: Roots of his legend and secret of his success

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:19:57 PST

Note: The image of Manny Pacquiao on the homepage -- "Glory II" -- was painted by artist Tyler Streeter, whose unique painting style is matched with his reverence for the sweet science. "I try and give the viewer a glimpse into the sacrifice endured by these great fighters in pursuit of glory as we can all relate to sacrifice and struggle on some level." View more of Streeter's work at www.tylerstreeter.com.It was a sunny June morning in 2002 and the Memphis International Airport was busier than usual. The night before, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis had knocked out Mike Tyson in a fight that was the highest grossing pay-per-view event in history at the time.As long lines of fans and media members shuffled slowly toward the departure gates, a slender boyish-looking man sat alone, a tiny suitcase at his feet, unrecognized by the crush of travelers. He too had fought the previous evening, savagely knocking out Jorge Eliecer Julio on the undercard, but Manny Pacquiao remained anonymous among the rush of humanity, just another guy waiting for a plane.Flash forward to the early hours of Nov. 15, 2009, as a gathering of approximately 5,000 revelers at the Mandalay Bay Event Center waited patiently for their hero to arrive. And when Pacquiao bounded onto the stage and launched into an ass-kicking version of "La Bamba," the crowd went bananas.If it wasn't for the bandage wrapped around his head, partially hidden by the small fedora he wore at a rakish angle, you wouldn't have known that just a few hours earlier Pacquiao had engaged in a brutal prizefight with Miguel Cotto. The bruises under his eye had almost disappeared. Maybe the lights and makeup had something to do with it.This wasn't Rinty Monaghan belting out "Danny Boy" in the ring after a fight. It was a full-blown production, complete with flashing lights, a crackerjack band and dancing girls.The juxtaposition of the evening's two events was deliciously surreal. As promised, Pacquiao sang eight songs, some in Tagalog and some in English - "So everybody can understand" - ranging from up-tempo rockers to the schmaltzy ballads Filipinos adore.When he segued into "Sometimes When We Touch," the Dan Hill tune he sang on the Jimmy Kimmel Live a few weeks before the fight, the rapturous squeals from the female members of the audience almost drowned out the band.Boxing's latest savior was celebrating his 50th victory in his own unique manner. And if he didn't sing anywhere near as well as he fights, nobody cared. They just wanted to be part of the incredible thrill ride that is Manny Pacquiao, a ride that has taken him from abject poverty in an Asian backwater to the cover of Time magazine and the bright lights of Las Vegas.Who could have imagined on that long-ago Sunday morning in Memphis that such a thing was possible? Maybe not even Pacquiao dared to dream so spectacularly.Today he is the centerpiece of a growing economic and political empire, an international personality whose life and exploits have eclipsed the sports page and become the stuff of legend.Even for the Cotto fight, seen by many as his most difficult challenge to date, Pacquiao's business obligations meant a helter-skelter training camp of barely eight weeks. Nonetheless, he was in magnificent physical condition and seemed as full of energy in the final round as he was in the first.By the time Pacquiao leapt forward and landed his final two punches of the night, referee Kenny Bayless was looking for the opportunity to stop the fight. When Pacquiao gave it to him, poor Cotto was mercifully lowered from the cross, and the Manny Pacquiao bandwagon rolled on.As improbable as it all seemed seven years ago in Memphis, it's now possible to look back at what's happened. See how all the pieces of this man and the history of his people dovetailed together to create the international phenomenon he has become.Of course, none of the incredible fame and fortune would have been possible if Pacquiao weren't a great fighter. That's the foundation of everything. But it should not be forgotten that he comes from ancient warrior stock. This is something that is often overlooked by contemporary observers, who forget that when Ferdinand Magellan took on Filipino chief Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan, it was the Portuguese explorer who ended up dead, riddled with poisonous arrows.Centuries of oppression under the thumb of foreign invaders and corrupt leaders have not taken away the fighting spirit of the Filipino people. It has instead been sharpened by the kind of desperation that leads to a what-have-got-to-lose mentality. And that's exactly the mindset Pacquiao needs to fight with the passion that has carried him to unprecedented success.True, he's many years and many millions of dollars away from his boyhood days hustling cigarettes on the street. But those formative years, the years of not knowing for sure where the next meal was coming from, molded the boy who became the man who now has the boxing world in the palm of his hands.Pacquiao's sunny disposition and humble demeanor, which contrast so vividly with his merciless ferocity inside the ring, is also a product of his roots. Among Filipinos, humility and hospitality are the most admired traits, and when Pacquiao told reporters at the postfight press conference that he thought of himself as an "ordinary fighter," he wasn't kidding.Sure, he knows he's much more than that. But it took a blatant prod from trainer Freddie Roach for him to admit as much, and even then Pacquiao acquiesced in a way that paid homage to the teacher not the student."You're not ordinary," said Roach."Sorry, Master," Pacquiao replied, flashing a grin of Cheshire Cat proportions.Pacquiao is more than happy to leave the talking to Roach, especially when it comes to prefight trash talk. Many of his opponents have found him as endearing as the rest of us do - before the bell rang anyway. That was the case leading up to his fight against Joshua Clottey on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Roach predicted a knockout, Pacquiao has been polite.That undoubtedly would be the formula even for what seems to be an inevitable showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr., which also presumably would present unusual challenges in the ring. But before we plunge headlong into the future, let's pause briefly and try to absorb everything that the Pacquiao juggernaut has wrought to date.With each victory Pacquiao's legend grows, but the massacre of Cotto was an outcome that many critics had considered highly unlikely."Wait until Pacquiao gets hit by a full-fledged 147-pounder," said the nonbelievers. "The first time Cotto nails him with his left hook it will be over."Well, Pacquiao did get hit quite a bit in the early rounds, and Cotto's frightening left hook found the mark more than once. But Pacquiao just blinked and continued to do his thing. Later, he revealed to ESPN's Brian Kenny that Cotto's punches had indeed hurt, but that he "pretended" that they had not.That Pacquiao is eager to share his success with his people, while remaining one of them, is an essential ingredient in the mix that creates the magic. When he says he wants to put on a good fight to "make the people happy," it sets him apart from so many sporting prima donnas who typically have more selfish motives behind their striving. The commercial spin-offs from Pacquiao's Hall of Fame boxing career now consume the majority of his time and energy. Dire predictions that his career will be derailed by his lifestyle and/or outside interests have been a staple of media coverage since the beginning of his rise to prominence.His singing career is a relatively small part of his extracurricular activities. Check out the number of Pacquiao commercials on YouTube. The variety of products he endorses seem endless - Nike, San Miguel Beer, McDonald's, Talk 'N Text, Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo, Magnolia dairy products - you name it, Pacquiao has probably plugged it.Then there are the movies. Pacquiao has appeared in seven movies since 2000, starting in secondary roles and graduating to leading man in 2005's Lisensyadond Kamao, in which he played a boxer whose mother and sister are kidnapped by thugs while he's training for the big fight. In 2008's Anak ng Kumander, Pacquiao was a rebel hiding out in the mountains with a band of men, wreaking havoc on the corrupt officials who oppressed the people.There is a cornball charm to these low-budget Filipino productions, and Pacquiao just might of have hit his stride with his latest effort, Wapakman. In this flick, he's a superhero, complete with a cheesy red costume and numerous superpowers.While one must suspend all disbelief in order to enjoy such guilty pleasures, in the boxing ring the critics have retreated, their skepticism replaced by incredulity.And if the bean counters insist a fighter is to be measured by the amount of money he generates, the extraordinary pay-per-view buy rate for the Cotto fight puts Pacquiao at the elite level. According to HBO, the fight sold approximately 1.25 million pay-per-views, roughly 200,000 more than the Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight in September. Moreover, the live gate was $8.84-million, which also topped Mayweather-Marquez by around $2-million.Many people who care about him wish that Pacquiao would slow down, stop spreading himself so thin, and abandon his political aspirations. But that's not about to happen, not yet anyway. Right now, the Pac-Man Express is going so fast, he couldn't get off if he wanted.Whether the next stop is Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao's destiny is rushing headlong into the unknown--all we can do is hold on tight and enjoy the trip. Nigel Collins is the Editor-in-Chief of THE RING magazine and can be contacted at comeoutwriting@yahoo.com

Lara-Perez headline first GBP ShoBox

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:03:15 PST

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).

Dougie's MASSIVE Monday mailbag

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:29:52 PST

BRADLEY VS. ALEXANDERHey, 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 VolkoffThanks 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 OBSERVATIONSFirst 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.-- CharlieThanks 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. VALERODoug,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 DiegoI 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 SLUGGERDougie,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 BronxYeah, 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 DRUMSDougwesome,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, AtlI 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 FANHey 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 JerseyLOL. 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? -- JulioIt 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 THOUGHTSWhat'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, UK1. 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.

Weekend Review: Alexander's big night

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:16:58 PST

BIGGEST WINNERDevon 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 LOSERJuan 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 PERPLEXINGAlexander-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 PREDICTABLEDarchinyan 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 IIMartin 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 CAL0RIES7,000 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 HONESTFreddie 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 DESERVINGMills 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 INTERESTINGCalzaghe'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 QUOTEFreddie 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

Pancho Villa: The original Filipino icon

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:59:24 PST

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.

Darchinyan dominates Guerrero to decision

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:24:22 PST

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."

Alexander stops Urango in eight

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:45:20 PST

Junior welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander (20-0, 13 knockouts) collected another 140-pound belt and significantly raised his stature in the division by scoring an eighth-round stoppage of Juan Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs) in an HBO-televised main event from Uncasville, Conn., on Saturday.Alexander twice dropped the iron-chinned Colombian with right uppercuts in the eighth before referee Benji Esteves waved the bout off at 1:12 of the round. The technical knockout was the first stoppage of Urango's career.Alexander is currently THE RING's No. 4-rated junior welterweight. With Saturday's victory he may advance right under the magazine's No. 1-rated 140 pounder, Timothy Bradley, with whom an eventual showdown is expected.

Honorio outclasses Hilario on FNF

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:59:20 PST

Martin Honorio overwhelmed an overmatched Wilton Hilario on Friday in Temecula, Calif. Photo / Craig Bennett-FightWireImages.comFormer featherweight contender Martin Honorio continued to make a name for himself in the lightweight division with a one-sided 12-round decision over Wilton Hilario in the main event of an ESPN2-televised show Friday from Temecula, Calif.Honorio won by scores of 120-106 and 119-107 (twice). It was the Mexican veteran's second consecutive victory over an unbeaten lightweight prospect. Honorio (28-4-1, 14 knockouts) scored a unanimous 10-round decision over John Molina (18-0 at the time) last November in the same venue where he outclassed Hilario (12-1-1, 10 KOs) on Friday.Honorio, who dropped Hilario twice in the sixth round, controlled the early part of the fight with jabs and left uppercuts delivered while outmaneuvering the younger fighter from the outside. Hilario, a 26-year-old native of the Dominican Republic now living in Minnesota, was game throughout the bout but lacked the jab and quick feet he needed to cut the ring off and beat the 30-year-old vet to the punch.Hilario pressed Honorio to the ropes in the third round but found that the Mexico City native could fight as well in close as he did from a distance. The two lightweights mixed it up in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Honorio was the busier and more accurate puncher. After scoring two knockdowns with well-timed right hands in the sixth round, Honorio completely took over the bout by alternately boxing on his toes and pressuring Hilario with body-head combinations.Honorio is now 4-0 since suffering a first-round knockout to then-featherweight beltholder Robert Guerrero in November of 2007.Although Honorio holds a 135-pound regional title belt, which was on the line against Hilario, both fighters weighed under the junior lightweight limit of 130 pounds for Friday's fight. Honorio is expected to campaign at junior lightweight going forward.A number of Dan Goossen-promoted prospects were in action on the undercard of Honorio-Hilario, which was presented by Goosen Tutor Promotions. Three of them scored quickie KOs against journeymen.Junior featherweight standout Rico Ramos (15-0, 9 KOs) stopped Cecilio Santos (24-13-3, 14 KOs) in the fourth round with a single left to the body.Welterweight speedster Mike Dallas Jr. (12-0-1, 3 KOs) stopped Fabian Luque (21-10-4, 12 KOs) with a double right hand at the end of the first round. Lightweight puncher John Molina (19-1, 15 KOs), fighting for the first time since losing to Honorio, stopped Ricardo Medina (31-36-5, 17 KOs) in the first round.

Video: Mayweather-Mosley L.A. news conference

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:11:48 PST

The Los Angeles news conference to promote the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley fight on May 1 in Las Vegas was streamed live on RingTV.com Thursday.Here's the video of the event.

RING Theory: Audio show

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:10:15 PST

RING Theory, a regular feature at RingTV.com, is an audio boxing talk show featuring columnists Eric Raskin and Bill Dettloff. They review recent events, look forward to coming fights and discuss the quirky side of the sport. The show appears twice a month.

Hall of Fame Friday: Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:05:27 PST

THE RING magazine features a thumbnail biography of a ring great who has received the ultimate honor: induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, N.Y.HUMBERTO GONZALEZBirthdate: March 25, 1966Birthplace: Nezahualcoyoti, MexicoNickname: ChiquitaWeight class: Junior flyweightProfessional record: 43-3 (31 knockouts)Titles held: WBC light flyweight (June 25, 1989-Dec. 19, 1990; June 3, 1991-March 13, 1993; Feb. 19, 1994-July 15, 1995), IBF light flyweight (Feb. 19, 1994-July 15, 1995).Best performances: Michael Carbajal (W 12, W 12), Jung Koo Chang (W 12), Yul Woo Lee (W 12), Francisco Tejedor (KO 3), Jesus Zuniga (KO 5), Juan Domingo Cordoba (KO 8), Domingo Sosa (W 12), Melchor Cobb Castro (W 12, W 12).Year of IBHOF induction: 2006Background: The 5-foot-1 son of a butcher had an unblemished 23-0 amateur career before turning pro on Sept. 4, 1984 ... Won Mexican junior flyweight title in 1988 ... Traveled to South Korea to capture the WBC 108-pound belt from Yul Woo Lee in June '89 ... Tallied five successful defenses before losing title and unbeaten status (after 30 straight wins) to Rolando Pascua, who knocked him out in December 1990 ... Regained WBC title from Melchor Cobb Castro, who had subsequently taken the belt from Pascua in June '91 ... Four more successful defenses followed prior to losing title in sensational give-and-take war with Michael Carbajal in March 1993. It was the first million-dollar junior flyweight bout in history ... Regained WBC title and IBF belt in February '94 rematch with Carbajal ... Tallied three more successful title defense, including a rubber match with Carbajal, before losing both belts to Saman Sorjaturong in July '95 ... Known as an aggressive, pressure fighter with a big punch throughout most of his career, but surprised many by turning cutie to outbox Carbajal in their second and third fights ... Although he didn't fight in the U.S. until 1990, he soon became a fan favorite on both sides of the border, headlining 10 times at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. ... Ironically, two of his three pro losses were selected as THE RING's Fight of the Year, his first fight with Carbajal and his final bout, the loss to Sorjaturong. In both bouts, he had his foes on the floor before they rallied back to win in thrilling slugfests ... Became a successful businessman after retiring from the ring, opening three meat markets in Mexico ... Selected by THE RING in 2003 as one of the 100 greatest punchers of all time, coming in at No. 81.

Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:50:33 PST

Manny Pacquiao appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday night. Here are the clips from YouTube.com.

Press conference notes: Mosley says he can box Mayweather

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:31:02 PST

There was nothing but respect at the final stop of the three-city press tour for the Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather Jr. welterweight showdown, which wrapped up at the NOKIA Plaza at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon.That's not out of the ordinary for Mosley and his trainer, Naazim Richardson, but it is for the Mayweathers, especially Floyd's uncle and trainer Roger. However, the former two-division titleholder, who is known for making disrespectful and often crude comments about any individual that happens to pop into his mind, is obviously aware that his nephew will be fighting a worthy opponent on May 1."This is going to be a tremendous fight," Mayweather said when it was his turn to take the podium during the press conference. "You have two tremendous fighters. This is what makes history. You have to challenge someone people think you can't beat."Richardson concurred, stating that Mosley and Mayweather are boxers and competitors of the highest order."You have people who are champions, you have people who are elite and you have people who are special," Richardson said. "On May 1, you have two of the most-special guys in the history of the sport facing off."At 147 pounds, Mosley can knock anyone -- anything -- out, but on the other hand, with Mayweather's defense it's hard to hit him in the ass with a handful of rice."MOSLEY CAN BOX, TOODespite Richardson's podium comments, neither he nor Mosley want fans to believe that the May 1 welterweight clash is a simple puncher-vs.-boxer matchup."I punch so well that people don't realize that I'm a master boxer," Mosley told a small group of boxing writers after the press conference. "I'd love to win by knockout, so if I catch him with a good shot and he wobbles, we'll see a knockout, but if that doesn't happen, I'll have to do whatever it takes to beat Floyd round by round." A writer asked Mosley if his body punching is one of his keys to victory."There's a lot of things I can do," Mosley answered. "I'm not going to do just one thing. I'm not just going to press him, or look for a knockout. My job is to be prepared for everything that Mayweather does that night. "This is my chance to show people that I'm a complete boxer with skill, defense and footwork. This my chance to prove that I'm the best welterweight in the world."Helping Mosley make that case on May 1 is one of the game's best strategists. "Richardson is already studying tapes on Mayweather," Mosley said. "He's up all night watching film. In the morning he'll say 'Let's go watch it.' And while we're looking at the fight, he'll ask me 'Do you see what I see? Good.' We're watching Mayweather's fights going back to his lightweight days. Naazim has a long history with Mayweather. He remembers watching him back in the amateurs. Floyd's got the same basic style but it has changed over the years. As a lightweight, he was more on his toes and he was busier. As he's become heavier he's become more flat footed and more of a pot shotter."So how will Mosley exploit the style of the welterweight version of Mayweather?Richardson obviously wasn't going to go into specifics but he does believe that Mayweather can be exploited, although he was quick to add that it isn't easy to do so."He has flaws but they're not abundant and there isn't a big window to take advantage of them," Richardson said. "What I mean by that is you can't get comfortable in any set position with Floyd. Whatever's working in one round may not be working in the next round."SKILLS KILLSRoger Mayweather remained respectful of Mosley after the press conference but he couldn't envision the 38-year-old fighter outboxing his nephew."I'm takin' nothing away from Shane," he said. "He's one of the best fighters Floyd has faced because he's got the biggest amateur background of anyone Floyd has fought. But I trained a boxer who beat Shane in the amateurs. Shane's good. He's strong and experienced but skills still win fights and Floyd's got better skills."Mayweather was asked whether it is possible that Mosley can simply outwork Mayweather, or win close rounds with his aggression.He didn't think so, but then he was given recent examples of busy and aggressive fighters getting the benefit of the doubt from the official judges in bouts against slicker and more accurate boxers (Juan Diaz over Paul Malignaggi in their first fight, Paul Williams over Sergio Martinez and Beibut Shumenov over Gabriel Campillo)."Well, I guess it could happen," he said, "but Shane's activity has also dropped as he's gotten older."THE RIGHT TIMEFloyd Mayweather claims that he pursued a fight with Mosley in 1998 and 1999, when he was a 130-pound beltholder and Mosley held a 135-pound title, to no avail. Roger was asked whether he thought the fight should have happened at that time."Hell no!" he said. "It's a much bigger fight now. You got two seasoned multiple world champs who have beat (Oscar) De La Hoya. Now the fight defines who's the best. The fight is much better now."BETTER MAYWEATHER THAN BERTORichardson says that he's "more comfortable" with Mosley fighting Mayweather than he was when his fighter was scheduled to face undefeated titleholder Andre Berto on Jan. 30 (before the young Haitian-American boxer pulled out of the fight because of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the homeland of his parents)."I was worried about that fight," he said. "No matter what a fighter says at a press conference it's hard for him to be motivated to fight a guy who hasn't accomplished as much as he has. Like I said during the press conference, Shane and Floyd are special fighters. Mayweather is on Shane's level and he'll bring out the best in him."It's hard for a special fighter to get up for a champion, even a promising one like Berto. Shane's on a higher level than (Ricardo) Mayorga and yet that was a difficult fight for him. You gotta keep these guys where they belong. You don't ask (Mikhail) Baryshnikov to come to the dance club down the street and then be mad that he didn't win the contest. That's not his thing."BUSY BROTHER NAAZIMRichardson has a packed schedule this spring. Before Mosley steps between the ropes to face Mayweather, he'll work the corners of former cruiserweight titleholder Steve Cunningham and Bernard Hopkins in pivotal bouts for the Philadelphia natives. On March 26, Cunningham takes on Matt Godfrey in an ESPN2-televised bout for a vacant cruiserweight belt. On April 3, Hopkins fights Roy Jones Jr. in their bizarre rematch. And then less than a month later he'll work Mosley's corner in the biggest fight of the year. If Richardson's fighters win all three bouts, he'll give Freddie Roach a run for his money for this year's Trainer of the Year award. LEONARD ELLERBEWhile I was engaged with Richardson, I missed the opportunity to join my fellow fight scribes in interviewing Floyd Mayweather after the press conference (poor me), but CEO of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe was sure to get my attention as I was on my out of the event area. Ellerbe told me to get ready to cut my ponytail off. (Evidently, he reads my mailbags. A reader recently asked me if I'd be willing to bet my ponytail that Mayweather can't KO Mosley. I told him if that happened, I'd cut it off at the press conference and present it to Ellerbe on the silver platter.)"I want you to give him credit for what he does," Ellerbe told me. "I know you're a man of you word."I told him if Mayweather beat Mosley, even if it's by a razor-thin decision, I'll give him full credit. (Heck, I'll give him credit if he loses in competitive fashion.)Then I added: "If Mayweather stops Shane, tell Floyd he can cut the ponytail off himself."MAYWEATHER PROMOTIONSMayweather's fledging promotional company isn't licensed to promote shows yet, but it does sign fighters and Ellerbe told me that three of their boxers will be in action on the non-televised portion of the May 1 pay-per-view show.The guy I'm most excited about is 20-year-old welterweight Jessie Vargas (9-0, 4 knockouts), a smart pressure-fighting Mexican-American from Las Vegas who has trained with Roger Mayweather since he was a kid. Along with junior lightweight Eloy Perez and light heavyweight Ismayl Sillakh, I believe that Vargas is one of the best non-televised prospects in the sport. He is definitely worth keeping an eye on. Fringe contenders Cornelius Lock and Said Ouali will likely be in with tough Golden Boy-promoted opposition, Ellerbe said.Ellerbe's trying to make a featherweight bout with Lock and former 122-pound titleholder Daniel Ponce-DeLeon, and a welterweight showdown between Ouali and highly touted Mexican prospect Saul Alvarez. Those are darn-good fights if they can be made.

Mosley plans to make most of opportunity

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:58:04 PST

Shane Mosley is enjoying the fact he's back in the spotlight. Photo / Tom Hogan-Golden Boy PromotionsSANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Shane Mosley wondered less than two months ago whether he would ever again take part in a huge boxing event.Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao appeared to be close to a deal for an enormous March 13 showdown and Mosley, left out of the equation at 38, had signed to fight talented, but less-established Andre Berto on Jan. 30 in Las Vegas.Then events suddenly turned in his favor. Mayweather and Pacquiao couldn't come to terms and Berto pulled out of the fight because of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the homeland of his parents. That opened the door for Mayweather-Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas.Now, Mosley is talking about beating Mayweather on May 1 and then again in a contract-required rematch before ending his career with a victory over Manny Pacquiao."There were three of us, me, Mayweather and Pacquiao" said Mosley, who had just finished a video shoot for Yahoo! Sports on Thursday afternoon. "Any of us could fight the other and it would be the biggest fight of the year. And it looked I was left out. That would've been a crime. I'm the oldest one, the one who has been around the longest. I believe I've given a lot to boxing. I thought I should've been the one in the big fight."This is what I wanted, to be in this position. Some of it's the money. I definitely could use the extra millions of dollars to put in the bank for my kids. That's not really the issue here, though. I just love to do this, to fight these type of fights."Yes, Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) got his big fight. Oscar De La Hoya, whose company is promoting the event, boldly predicted that the fight would generate a record 3 million pay-per-view buys. That would provide Mosley with those millions he mentioned.However, the dream scenario he laid out -- beating Mayweather twice and then closing out his career against Pacquiao -- must start with a victory on May 1.Thirty nine fighters have tried to beat the sublimely talented Mayweather over his remarkable 13-plus-year career and 39 have failed. Only a few -- including Jose Luis Castillo and De La Hoya -- were able to put up a competitive fight.What makes Mosley think he'll be different?"The difference is going to be that I'm faster than the guys he's fought," he said. "I have better movement than the guys he's fought. He's used to fighting guys who aren't on his technical level. I will be. I will be on his technical level and do the things he can do. Yet I'm stronger than him and I have more punching power. He might have a little more speed but we don't know that yet, either; I'm very fast."He just hasn't seen anybody like me but I've been in there with people like him before."And both he and his trainer, Naazim Richardson, even suggested the unthinkable could become a reality: Mosley knocking out Mayweather.Richardson, who worked with Mosley when he KO'd Antonio Margarito in his last fight in January of last year, wouldn't predict a knockout at a news conference to promote the fight earlier in the day Thursday but seemed to come pretty close."At 147 pounds, this dude's lethal," he said. "He's a weapon. He can knockout any welterweight in the world. If I wasn't Shane's trainer and I thought I had a dude who could beat him, I wouldn't fight him at 147 pounds."Mosley wouldn't argue with Richardson. He pointed out that he has had as many knockouts as Mayweather has had opponents."If I hit anybody just right on the chin, if I get in a good, clean shot, it could be happen," he said. "If I get in a shot like (Juan Manuel) Marquez landed, it might be good night Floyd. Marquez is a lightweight coming up. I'm bigger than Marquez. And I'm faster. And my arms are longer. Nobody was able to knock out Margarito. He has a great chin. Everyone knows that. What happened when he fought me?"If I can knock out a guy like Margarito, a guy who had never been stopped even by guys like (Miguel) Cotto, I can knock out anyone."Mosley said during the video shoot that he could see himself fighting for 10 more years. If his dream three-victory scenario comes true, though, he later confessed that there would no point in fighting into his 40s.No fighter in history will have gone out with a more-spectacular flourish if he can pull it off. He admitted it would be anything but easy."If I fought those two guys," he said with a smile, "I would probably need to retire. Those would be some brutal fights."Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Weekend Preview: Alexander-Urango on HBO

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:56:54 PST

FRIDAYMARTIN HONORIO vs. WILTON HILARIORounds / weight class: 12 rounds / lightweightsLocation: Temecula, Calif.Television: ESPN2The backdrop: Honorio (27-4-1, 14 KOs) solidified his contender status by easily outpointing then-unbeaten John Molina in a 10-round fight in November, a significant upset. The Mexican won eight rounds on two cards and nine on the third. Honorio has won three straight since Roberto Guerrero KO'd him in one round in 2007. Hilario (12-0-1, 9 KOs) is stepping up in class. The strong-punching Dominican, who lives in St. Louis Park, Minn., has fought almost exclusively in the Midwest.Also fighting: Rico Ramos vs. Cecilio Santos, 8 rounds, junior featherweights; Mike Dallas Jr. vs. Fabian Luque, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; John Molina vs. Ricardo Medina, 8 rounds.Rating the card: C. Honorio probably won't have too much trouble with Hilario. However, the Dominican's apparent power adds some intrigue. Ramos (14-0, 8 KOs) is a fighter to watch.SATURDAYDEVON ALEXANDER vs. JUAN URANGORounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior welterweights (title unification)Location: Uncasville, Conn.Television: HBOThe backdrop: Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) delivered a break-through victory when he stopped Junior Witter to win a 140-pound title last August. The St. Louis, Mo., product, only 23, has all the tools to remain a major player in and around his weight for a long time. Getting past Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs) won't be easy, though. The Florida-based Colombian is as tough as they come, a relentless brawler who overwhelms most opponents. He has lost only to Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto, the latter at an unfamiliar 147 pounds. He's coming off a 11th-round TKO over Randall Bailey in August.Also fighting: Derric Rossy vs. Zack Page, rematch, 12 rounds, heavyweights; Steve Forbes vs. Harrison Cuello, 10 rounds, junior welterweights.Rating the card: B. The contrasting styles of the main event fighters - and their elite status - should make for an interesting fight.VIC DARCHINYAN vs. RODRIGO GUERRERORounds / weight class: 12 rounds / junior bantamweightsLocation: Rancho Mirage, Calif.Television: ShowtimeThe backdrop: Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KOs) bounced back from his unexpected loss to Joseph Agbeko at 118 pounds by stopping Tomas Rojas in two rounds to retain his 115-pound titles. The fierce Armenian-born Austrailian said he'll move up to 118 again if he doesn't get a rematch with Nonito Donaire, who stopped him in 2007. Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs) has never met the likes of Darchinyan. He outpointed one-time contender Luis Maldonado last July but Maldonado was coming off KO losses to Donaire and Fernando Montiel. Also fighting: Leonardo Zappavigna vs. Fernando Angulo, 12 rounds, lightweights.Rating the card: C+. Darchinyan is fun to watch under any circumstances but this shouldn't' be much of a fight.

Pacquiao media day not the zoo it once was

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:46:21 PST

Manny Pacquiao shadow boxes in a ring surrounded by videographers and photographers during his media day, which ran much smoother than it used to. Photo / Naoki FukudaI woke up with a sense of dread on Wednesday morning. The media day for Manny Pacquiao's March 13 fight with Joshua Clottey took place at the Wild Card Boxing Club that afternoon and it was the last place I wanted to be.It was nothing personal against Pacquiao or the famous Hollywood, Calif., gym. I know that media days -- workouts that are open to the sports press to help publicize up-coming fights -- are integral parts of any promotion, especially big events such as Pacquiao's pay-per-view showdown with Clottey at the new Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.However, some of Pacquiao's past media days have been so unorganized and overcrowded they seemed like sick experiments to determine how many human beings can be crammed into a small room before spontaneous combustion occurs. You think I'd be used to it by now. I've covered every one these press events since they started doing them (either before the first Juan Manuel Marquez bout or the first Erik Morales fight). I'm a veteran of Pacquiao media days, but I'm one who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.I dreaded the search for a parking place (which I found two blocks away from the gym at the corner of Cahuenga Boulevard and Fountain Avenue). I dreaded waiting around for hours in the Wild Card's parking lot before Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum arrived. I dreaded being packed inside the hot, stuffy little gym with members of the media and more than a few nutty fans disguised as working press. I dreaded tripping over video crew equipment, stepping over photographers, and listening to amateur internet bloggers ask the most inane questions.But I grudgingly made my way to the gym anyway because I'm a full-time fight scribe with a Thursday column to write, and hey, Pacquiao is the man right now.I arrived to the already packed parking lot at 11:00 a.m., two hours before Roach and Arum were scheduled to meet the media. Three hours before Pacquiao was to arrive. There I ran into Rob Peters, the head of Pacquiao's security and somebody who dreads media days more than I do.Peters, who has worked for Pacquiao since the Marquez rematch, has the unenviable task of clearing the gym out so the pound-for-pound king can train in private.It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it, and Peters is physically imposing but friendly enough to pull it off without too many altercations. However, even he has his limit, and he's found it during past media days when he has had to deal with belligerent boxing writers and huge pushy crowds inside and outside the gym. "I got up this morning with a tight feeling in my chest, like a pain in my heart, and I thought to myself 'This isn't good,'" Peters said. "I fear this day the whole training camp."Media days are the only time the normally collected Peters has lost his cool."It used to really get to me," he said. "There were a few times I got so mad I didn't know what I was going to do. A couple years ago I was trying to navigate traffic in the parking lot and the lady from the Thai TV station next to the gym ignored me and ran over part of my foot. I went totally crazy. I was spittin' mad. It took me half an hour to calm down."Ola Afolabi, a long time Wild Card patron, exited the gym about half an hour before the doors opened to the media. The cruiserweight contender took a look at the ever-growing throng of desperate-looking people holding cameras and notebooks in the parking lot and he shook his head."If I had known today was Pacquiao's media day, I wouldn't have bothered showing up," Afolabi said. "There's no point in trying to get a workout in on these days. It's just too crazy. It might as well be (Barack) Obama's inauguration. Even before the media is allowed in it's too packed to do anything because all the fighters are there at the same time, trying to get their workouts in before the gym closes down for Manny."Not all of the Wild Card's regulars dread Pacquiao media days. Pepper Roach, Freddie's older brother who has worked at the gym as an assistant trainer for more than 10 years, views them as a necessary evil."The gym is Freddie's business and Manny and his media days have been great for business," Roach said. "Yeah it's a pain in the ass for everybody for one day but it puts the Wild Card's name out there on TV and in the papers. People see the gym, they hear about it and read about it and if they want to start working out they come here. If they're at another gym, they quit that place at come to the Wild Card."Roach says the gym's reputation and respect for his older brother have grown along with Pacquiao's fame. "When Manny first came here it was a regular boxing gym and there were two guys who helped Freddie, me and Macka Foley," Roach said. "Now we got a dozen people working behind the desk, as assistant trainers, and photographers, and we got 200 people trying to workout here every day."If the media days are an indication of Pacquiao's popularity, his trainer and his gym will continue to crossover into mainstream consciousness.Peters says the media event has grown in terms of numbers and diversity during the past 18 months."It's bringing in much broader types of media coverage now," he said. "I remember that it was mostly internet writers and Filipino TV for the Marquez rematch, but it's not such a niche event anymore. Now there are American sports writers from newspapers and magazines. There's a lot of local TV crews, and it's not just the sports reporters coming out it's the news crews.""It's the De La Hoya effect. As soon as Manny beat Oscar everyone took notice. No one thought he could beat De La Hoya, but the folks at the Wild Card knew he would win, and we knew his popularity would skyrocket after the fight. But we weren't prepared for how much attention Freddie and the gym would get from that point on."With only a few months between mega bouts with De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and now Clottey, it seemed that things would inevitably spiral out of control.However, a funny thing happened on the way to what I thought would be Clusterfest 2010; the media was treated to a civil and orderly press event that run quite smoothly.I was pleasantly surprised. Marie Spivey, the gym manager and Roach's personal assistant, was not.She says she used to dread Pacquiao's media days more than anyone but was confident that the employees of Top Rank and Wild Card had enough experience with the event to make this one tolerable."I admit, in the past, I woke up with anxiety on media day," Spivey said. "I would get up and say out loud 'I don't want to go to the gym!' But I woke up feeling fine today because I knew I'd have help with Rob, Miguel (Salazar) and Fred Sternburg," she said. "Fred has been a tremendous help during the entire camp. He's scheduled most of the TV and radio interviews and all of the gym visits from writers."Sternburg, a veteran publicist who was hired by Top Rank to handle the media during the Clottey camp, has worked every Pacquiao media day since the first Morales fight. He says just a few alterations made the difference on Wednesday."It has been a zoo in the past but we're a little more organized these days," Sternburg said. "We convinced Manny to do interviews before his workout so writers who just wanted that didn't have to stick around and take up space and we had Roach and Arum go an hour before Manny arrived so everything wasn't so scattered once it began."We've also been spacing out exclusive time with Manny and two or three writers from different publications since camp began and I think that's helped. Some writers got what they needed weeks ago and didn't need to show up today. We don't have the same pent-up demand for Manny on media day that we used to have."It's all been done out of necessity because the demand for Manny has become so big."How big? Sternburg, who has been in PR business since the mid-1980s, says he hasn't seen anything like it since Sugar Ray Leonard's heyday.Sternburg worked for Leonard beginning with the hall of famer's 1987 comeback fight against Marvelous Marvin Hagler until the end of the decade.He says Pacquiao's recent run against De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto and now Clottey remind him of Leonard's late-career events with Hagler, Donny Lalonde, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran. As it was with Leonard, the demand for the Filipino icon is so constant that the Colorado-based publicist has spent most of his time on site since Pacquiao's camp began."This is the closest I've been to being an in-camp publicist since I spent several weeks in Leonard's camp for the Hearns rematch," Sternburg said. "This camp reminds me of those days because of the celebrities that come by to see Ray, who trained at a PGA resort in Palm Beach, Fla. I remember guys like Burt Reynolds dropping by to watch him."We have that sort of thing with Manny now. In the past four or five weeks we've had Robert Duval, Ron Perlman, Jeremy Piven, Steven Segal and Jean-Claude Van Damme come by the gym to watch him train."They come by to see Roach, too. They all want to talk to Freddie. They think he's great. And he is!"As great a guy (and as good a quote) Roach is, even he took a backseat to Pacquiao when the man of the hour (or two) entered the gym with his entourage around 2:35 p.m.His smile instantly lit up the gym and quickly elevated the mood of what had been rather routine proceedings up until that point.Within one hour every writer, photographer and video crew in the gym got their time with the humble international star. Pacquiao made it all seem easy, just like he does in his fights.I wondered if the guy who actually gets in the ring and dukes it out ever feels the kind of anxiety and dread that I felt and discussed with the gym's employees? If he does he sure doesn't show it. RingTV.com co-editor Michael Rosenthal asked Pacquiao if the expectations and pressure ever get to him."The pressure is always there," Pacquiao answered, "but I pray to God, train hard and know that He will guide me."Pacquiao's not the most articulate fighter around but there's a nobility to his simplicity, and every now and then he says something that can open the eyes of even the most jaded sports writer.Boxing -- heck, life -- is not as complicated as we tend to make it. I left the gym feeling a lot lighter than I did when I arrived.

Leonard vs. Pacquiao? Roach picks Ray

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:34:33 PST

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- One thing boxing writers love about Freddie Roach is that he's a straight shooter, even at the expense of his own fighters.Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard said recently that he would've beaten the current king of boxing, Manny Pacquiao, who is Roach's prize pupil. Roach agrees with Leonard even if he was somewhat critical of him."It's hard for me to pick my own guy," he said standing next to the ring in his gym as Pacquiao loosened before a workout for the media on Wednesday. "Sometimes when people ask me who was the greatest fighter ever, I say Sugar Ray Leonard. He could've been. But he stayed around too long. You gotta count that as part of his career. He got beat by some ordinary guys at the end."But if they fought when both were at their best?"I pick Leonard," Roach said. "They're equal in the speed factor. Leonard was maybe a little better counter puncher, though. That's the key, because Manny would have to attack him. Manny couldn't lay back and counter him. I think (Leonard) was a little more intelligent in that factor."And the difference in size?"That's a big factor, too," Roach said. "Ray is, what, 5-10?"Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, walked up at that moment and Roach asked him the same question: "Who would win, Leonard or Manny?"Arum: "Manny. Why I know that pretty much for a fact is that I was around Ray. The one guy he and his people wouldn't want to fight was who?"Roach: "Aaron Pryor."Arum: "And who does Manny most resemble?"Roach: "Aaron Pryor."Arum: "I rest my case."Arum also thinks that Leonard would've beaten Floyd Mayweather Jr."I don't think he lets Mayweather bulls--t him," he said. "Ray was an extremely smart fighter. And he had the firepower and speed to handle Mayweather. I don't even make it a contest. ... Floyd would have nothing to hurt Ray with. Ray was smart, he knew how to move."Ray would've destroyed Mayweather."Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on pay per view.Extra effort: Some boxers are content to win fights, which obviously is the principal objective in the sport. Pacquiao is different, which is one reason he has become so popular."For me, being a fighter, I have a big responsibility ... to give a good fight, more action for the people" he said. "I always worry about my performance in every fight. I don't want people to say, 'Oh, that was a boring fight.' I want them to be satisfied."Like us, if we're watching a boxing match, of course we want a good fight."Roach feels the same way.He was asked whether Pacquiao must be spectacular against Clottey because that's what people now expect from him."Manny has to be spectacular," he said. "He's definitely set the bar high for himself. My fighters, if they're ahead, I don't tell them to take it easy. I say do your job and finish this guy. We're gonna finish with a splash, that's for sure."Is the idea to build a fighter's reputation?"Right," he said. "When Manny fought (Marco Antonio) Barrera the second time, I asked him, 'Why didn't you knock this guy out?' He says, 'I didn't want to embarrass the guy.' I said, 'Yeah, but it will affect your next payday. You're job is to knock these guys out.'"With Oscar (De La Hoya), I said to him in the corner, 'Manny, you pulled up that last round. Your job is to knock him out so do it.' And he did."Pacquiao defeated Barrera by a one-sided decision in 2007 but stopped De La Hoya after eight rounds the following year.

Ring Ratings Update

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:27:13 PST

Kendall Holt's one-sided sixth-round TKO loss to Kaizer Mabuza on Saturday surprised a lot of fight fans, in part because the man who beat the former 140-pound titleholder is a complete unknown in the U.S. but mainly because of the status THE RING-rated contender held going into the fight.Last April, Holt dropped THE RING's No. 1-rated junior welterweight, Tim Bradley, in the first and 12th rounds of a close 12-round unanimous decision loss. Prior to that loss the 28-year-old Patterson, N.J., native was on a 10-1 run that included a first-round KO of titleholder Ricardo Torres, a ninth-round stoppage of then undefeated future 135-pound titleholder David Diaz, and a decision over then-undefeated future welterweight contender Isaac Hlatshwayo.However, Holt (25-4, 13 knockouts), whose only fight in 2009 was the loss to Bradley, has been dropped from THE RING's 140-pound rankings.Mabuza (23-6-3, 14 KOs), a 30-year-old South African who is now riding a nine-bout unbeaten streak, entered the magazine's junior welterweight ratings at No. 8.The newcomer joins the 140-pound elite at a busy time. Over the next two and half months six RING-ranked junior welterweight contenders will be in action, four against each other.On Saturday, Nos. 4 and 6, Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KOs) and Juan Urango (22-2-1, 17 KOs), will clash in a title belt unification tilt in Uncasville, Conn.On March 27, No. 7-rated Marcos Maidana (27-1, 26 KOs) will battle undefeated prospect Victor Cayo (24-0, 16 KOs) in a scheduled 12 rounder in Las Vegas, Nev.On April 3, No. 10-rated Mike Alvarado (26-0, 18 KOs) finally gets back into action with a scheduled 10-rounder against Hector Munoz in Corpus Christi, Texas.And on May 15, Nos. 2 and 5, Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) and Paul Malignaggi (27-3, 5 KOs), are scheduled to fight for Khan's title belt in New York, N.Y.The rest of the year promises to remain an active time for the junior welterweight division and Mabuza, who won a title-elimination bout to face the winner of Alexander-Urango when he beat Holt, could find himself in the mix. RING RATINGS UPDATE:LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS: Inactivity has caused Antonio Tarver (No. 4 last week) to drop to No. 5. Tarver has not fought since May 9, 2009, and currently has nothing scheduled. Tarver's demotion allows Jean Pascal (No. 5 last week) to advance to No. 4.JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS: Holt (No. 7 last week) exits following his TKO loss to Mabuza. Holt's departure bumps up Marcos Maidana (No. 8 last week) to No. 7, while Mabuza is aboard at No. 8.JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHTS: Antonio Escalante (No. 8 last week) is now fighting as a featherweight and has been removed from the 122-pound division. He will be rated at his new weight class if and when results merit his inclusion. Escalante's exit allows all fighters rated No. 7 through No. 10 last week to climb one rung each, and makes rooms for Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to enter at No. 10, thanks to his kayo of Marvin Sonsona.JUNIOR FLYWEIGHTS: Juanito Rubillar (No. 10 last week) leaves after losing to Hekkie Budler, who takes over the No. 10 position.

Darchinyan wants second shot at Donaire but ready to move on

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:49:55 PST

If you want to get Vic Darchinyan riled, just mention Nonito Donaire.No, it's not that he was knocked out by Donaire in 2007, the Armenian-born brawler's first of two losses. Darchinyan seems to have accepted that. What angers him is that he believes Donaire doesn't want a rematch -- in part because Donaire scheduled a fight in May -- and that his conqueror is perceived by some as one of the best fighters in the world.As his promoter, Gary Shaw, put it: "He has only one fight between his ears: Donaire."Darchinyan still holds out hope that he'll get the opportunity to avenge the loss but insists he won't dwell on it. And, as for the alleged inflated perception of Donaire, he said he no longer pays attention to pound-for-pound lists."I don't care anymore," said Darchinyan, who defends his 115-pound title against Rodrigo Guerrero on Saturday on Showtime. "Donaire hasn't beaten anyone except me. I don't believe anymore in the Top 10. It's all a joke. I just want to fight, to knock out my opponents. I love to fight. I'll fight anyone."Donaire won't fight anyone, Darchinyan said, which is why he's baffled by THE RING and other media outlets that have Donaire on their pound-for-pound lists.Darchinyan, on some pound-for-pound lists himself before he was KO'd by Donaire, pointed out that he has fought Z Gorres, Dmitry Kirillov, Jorge Arce, Christian Mijares and Joseph Agbeko while Donaire "always picks guys lighter than him."And, indeed, Donaire has expressed some frustration that he hasn't fully capitalized on his victory over Darchinyan."I don't know what these commentators see," Darchinyan said over the phone from Agua Caliente, Calif., not far from the site of Saturday's fight in Rancho Mirage. "Donaire in the pound-for-pound Top 10? He beat me. That's it. I fought four world champions after Donaire. I'm always looking for the best opponents."If he believes he's better than me, he's supposed to fight me. This is his last chance, after this fight. He has only one week to decide to fight me. If not, I'm moving up in weight."Added Shaw: "The question is, does Donaire, does (promoter Bob) Arum want him to be only a Pinoy Power fighter? To do niche fights? Or does he want to get on a big stage and fight Vic Darchinyan?"For the record, Donaire has expressed interest in a rematch with Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 knockouts) but he's also considering other options, such as bantamweight titleholder Fernando Montiel or Arce.Cameron Dunkin reiterated on Tuesday that he and Donaire are willing to discuss a rematch if and when Darchinyan beats the relatively inexperienced Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs). Dunkin also said Darchinyan's mouth doesn't help matters."I don't know how many times we have to say it: Nonito will fight anyone, Montiel, Arce, Darchinyan, even Juan Manuel Lopez," Dunkin said. "... Darchinyan was mouthing off about fighting Nonito before and then he got beat by Agbeko. He should shut his mouth and worry about winning his next fight."Nonito doesn't call people out like that. He's fighting again on May 8 [against an undetermined opponent]. After that, we're available."Darchinyan blames himself for the loss to Agbeko, a unanimous decision at 118 pounds last July.The temperamental fighter apparently was angered by physical contact with Agbeko at the weigh-in and Darchinyan brought that anger into the ring, going after a knockout from the opening bell. Ultimately, he failed to land a big shot and was worn down by a bigger fighter.Shaw didn't hold back in his assessment of Darchinyan's performance."I thought he fought a stupid fight against Agbeko," he said. "... He didn't fight the right fight. They kept telling him that in his corner but he didn't listen. He wanted to kill him because he laid his hands on him at the weigh-in. He came back and destroyed his next opponent (Tomas Rojas in December) though."No one who has followed Darchinyan is surprised that he would lose his cool against Agbeko. However, he says he's learned his lesson.Darchinyan's instinct is to brawl -- hence his high knockout ratio -- but he's also a good and very awkward boxer, which presents an unusual challenge for his opponents. He acknowledged that he must remember that from now on. Darchinyan, it seems, is maturing at 34 years old."I was silly," he said, referring to the Agbeko fight. "It wasn't because he's better than me. I was just very impatient. I thought I would knock him out with one punch and all my punches missed. He didn't feel my power. I didn't touch him. I wanted to knock him out."Believe me, it will never happen again. I need to be calm, to wait for my time."Darchinyan, as confident as ever, said he has no qualms about moving back up to 118 or higher in spite of the setback against Agbeko. He likes the prospect of fighting Montiel himself or perhaps the winner of the Abner Mares-Yonnhy Perez fight on May 22.The point is to make some good money, collect more belts and, he confessed, "have my name mentioned as one of the greatest champions."And the only way to do that, he said, "is to keep fighting the best."Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Dawson-Pascal set for Aug. 14

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:33:08 PST

Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal have agreed to fight Aug. 14 in Montreal on HBO, said Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter.The fight, for Pascal's light heavyweight belt, was expected to take place June 19 but Pascal reportedly needs more time to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered in his last fight against Adrian Diaconu.Dawson, No. 8 in THE RING magazine's pound-for-pound ratings and No. 1 at 175 poundsis coming of an impressive one-sided decision over veteran Glen Johnson in November for an interim title.The two-time 175-pound titleholder from New Haven, Conn., might be facing his biggest test. Pascal, a Haitian-born Canadian, is at his peak and fighting in his home country.Pascal(25-1, 16 knockouts) has won four straight since he lost a decision to Carl Froch in 2008. THE RING's No. 4 light heavyweight outpointed Diaconu last June to win his belt, stopped Silvio Branco and then outpointed Diaconu again with a dislocated shoulder.Shaw thinks Pascal will bring out the best in Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs)."It's a spectacular fight," he said. "And a tough fight. We're really going into enemy territory. There'll be, what, 16,000, 17,000 Canadians there rooting against us. I think Pascal will make Chad fight, like Glen Johnson did."

10: Twins and triplets in boxing

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:56:03 PST

A weekly boxing list compiled by Michael Rosenthal. This week: Juan Urango, who fights Devon Alexander on Saturday on HBO, and Pedro Urango are twin brothers who box or boxed professionally. Pedro had one pro fight in 2005. Here are prominent twins or triplets in boxing (alphabetical order).1. Arisawa, Koji and Kazu (1990s-2000s)2. Eubank, Peter and Simon (1980s-90s)3. Porpaoin, Chana and Songkram (1980s-90s)4. Galaxy, Khaosai and Kaokor (1980s-90s)5. Molina, Javier and Oscar (current; Oscar is amateur)6. Sullivan, Jack and Mike (1900s-20s)7. Urango, Juan and Pedro (2000s)8. Velasquez, Carlos Ivan and Juan Carlos (current)9. Weaver, Floyd, Lloyd and Troy (1980s-2000s; triplets)10. Webber, Dora and Cora (1970s-90s; women)Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com

Maidana-Cayo lands in Las Vegas

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:58:29 PST

The junior welterweight showdown between Marcos Maidana and Victor Cayo will take place at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 27.Maidana (27-1, 26 knockouts), a relentless Argentine banger best known for his scorching sixth-round TKO of Victor Ortiz last June, and Cayo (24-0, 16 KOs), a talented prospect from the Dominican Republic, will be the main event of a Boxing After Dark show on HBO (10:30 p.m. ET/PT).The co-feature to the broadcast will be the rematch between lightweight contender Ali Funeka (30-2-3, 25 KOs) and unbeaten former two-division titleholder Joan Guzman (29-0-1, 17 KOs). The two fought to a controversial draw (that most observers believed the South African should have won) last November and both look to settle the score when they meet again in a 12-round fight for a vacant 135-pound title."The fight fans of Las Vegas are some of the most knowledgeable in the world and when we put a show on there, it's got to be top-notch," said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, the lead promoter of the March 27 show. "We feel that delivering two exciting and competitive world title fights in one night with Maidana vs. Cayo and Funeka vs. Guzman is just the type of event that the Las Vegas boxing fans will rally around."Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 5, and may be purchased at the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Urango playing the HBO 'opponent' role one more time

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:59:30 PST

It doesn't matter if you're referring to vinyl singles with a featured song on one side and a secondary song on the other, cassette tapes with a tune on each side or even CDs offering a radio release and a few rarities. The reality is that we now live in the digital download age and an entire generation is growing up having no idea what an "A-side" or a "B-side" are.But while these terms are outdated in the music industry, they're perfectly applicable in the boxing industry. In fact, they're used more commonly than ever nowadays to describe opposing fighters. The A-side is the guy who's expected to win, the guy around whom the fight was built; in some cases, he even had the date booked before he had the opponent booked. The B-side is the guy who's expected to lose, the one who's there, in theory at least, to advance the A-side's career.There are all different levels of each, naturally, and a B-side on HBO or Showtime is frequently a more-advanced fighter than an A-side on ESPN.Juan Urango happens to be a fighter who fits both of those descriptions.The Colombian junior welterweight has headlined his share of Friday Night Fights broadcasts, as either an A-side or a "neither side" (where he and the opponent are competitively matched and receive equal billing). From his draw with Mike Arnaoutis to his controversial win over Naoufel Ben Rabah to his impressive victories over Herman Ngoudjo and Randall Bailey, he's been one of the most reliable ESPN headliners of the last half decade.Urango has also appeared on HBO twice. But both times, he was a prototypical B-side. He lost 11 rounds out of 12 against Ricky Hatton in the British superstar's "get well" fight that followed his perilous welterweight experiment against Luis Collazo, and he lost 10 of 12 against Andre Berto in what, coincidentally, followed the unbeaten welterweight titlist's own struggle against Collazo.This Saturday, Urango gets his third crack on HBO, and though the gap between A-side and B-side is the smallest it's ever been for him, he's still the B-side to Devon Alexander, another unbeaten beltholder being groomed for possible stardom. The HBO broadcast will feature a slickly produced personality profile on Alexander, spotlighting his impact in his hometown of St. Louis. Urango is expected to provide resistance, to apply pressure, to hopefully make it exciting--but to lose to the more-skillful fighter, if the script is followed.Some view this as a last chance for Urango. He doesn't share that sense of desperation."This is a new year for Juan Urango," he said. "I don't play baseball - strike three, no, you're not out."It's true that with a loss, as long as it's not embarrassingly one-sided, he can stay in the HBO mix.But win or lose, he might already have struck out when it comes to making the leap from HBO B-side to HBO A-side.A look at the last decade or two of HBO (and Showtime) history suggests it's rare for a fighter to make the leap from B-side to A-side, and nearly impossible if that fighter doesn't experience success in his first opportunity. Here are six categories we found that fighters have fallen into after first appearing in a major HBO or Showtime fight as a B-side:1. Succeed in first crack as a B-side, become an A-side: Examples of this include Winky Wright, Timothy Bradley and Nonito Donaire. Wright made his HBO debut as a B-side to then-undefeated Fernando Vargas and lost a disputed decision, but the powers-that-be in the sport viewed it much the same as a victory and Wright came back as an A-side against Keith Mullings and against a slew of lesser opponents on HBO Pay-Per-View undercards. Bradley was the B-side against Junior Witter on Showtime, scored the upset and has gradually become more and more of an A-side (to the point that he's now a cover boy on THE RING). Donaire was the Showtime B-side to Vic Darchinyan, scored the stunning knockout and came back as the A-side against Luis Maldonado.2. Succeed in first crack as a B-side, become a neither-side: Examples include Micky Ward and Humberto Soto. Ward didn't get a shot on HBO until 15 years into his pro career, and when he did, he was the B-side to the undefeated Shea Neary. Ward scored the knockout and got five more HBO fights after that, but was never the A-side, falling into the even-money range against Antonio Diaz, James Leija and Arturo Gatti. Soto was an HBO B-side meant to lose to Rocky Juarez, but he scored the upset. Despite his success, he hasn't quite become an HBO A-side - just a pay-per-view undercard A-side and a neither-side against Joan Guzman.3. Succeed as a B-side against second-rate opponents, become a B-side to first-rate opponents: The perfect example of this is James Leija. He surprised the favorites on occasion, outfighting Juan Lazcano on Showtime (but getting screwed out of the decision), outfighting Hector Camacho Jr. on HBO (but settling for a controversial no-contest) and outfighting Francisco Bojado on HBO (and getting rewarded with a victory for a change). Performances like these, and his success against the great Azumah Nelson, helped him get bigger opportunities, in which he was inevitably knocked out by major stars like Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Kostya Tszyu and Gatti.4. Succeed as a B-side, then lose next fight and never become an A-side: The classic example here is Carlos Quintana. "El Indio" upset undefeated prospect Joel Julio but remained a B-side and lost to Miguel Cotto. He came back and upset Paul Williams, then got blasted out in one round in the rematch. On April 10, he'll return to HBO as the B-side to Berto.5. Succeed as a B-side, fluctuate back and forth between A-side and B-side status: Antonio Margarito fits the bill here, repeatedly inching up to A-side status, then taking a step back. He beat Antonio Diaz as a slight B-side on Showtime, then became an HBO A-side against Andrew Lewis and Hercules Kyvelos. Margarito then lost a close technical decision to Daniel Santos, had to work his way back, became an HBO A-side again for his fight with Paul Williams, but lost. He quickly became an A-side once again for his second fight with Kermit Cintron, upset Miguel Cotto on pay-per-view to become a star and then lost everything he'd built up by getting busted with illegal hand wraps and then busted up by Shane Mosley.6. Fail as a B-side, keep coming back as a perpetual B-side: Examples of this one include Collazo, Steve Forbes and Frans Botha. Collazo has thus far been a rich man's Urango, fighting some of the same stars and coming much closer to beating them, but ultimately losing to Hatton, Mosley and Berto. Forbes was a repeat B-side with no A-side hope, losing lopsided fights against De La Hoya and Berto. And Botha was his heavyweight equivalent, a fringe-contending fighter with no A-side potential who got knocked out by Mike Tyson on Showtime's pay-per-view arm and by Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko on HBO.Unfortunately for Urango, he appears headed for the sixth category. His promoter, Leon Margules, however, believes Alexander provides Urango's best opportunity to break on through to the other side."Juan is the experienced guy. He's been on the big stage many times," Margules said. "We believe that Juan is the biggest, strongest and best puncher in the division."So what if Urango finally gets his HBO victory? Does he become an A-side?Recent history suggests he shouldn't count on it. What he's probably fighting for is the right to remain an HBO B-side. And that's not the worst thing in the world. If you're going to be brought in to lose, you might as well get HBO money to do it.RASKIN'S RANTS- Two additional interesting A-side/B-side observations: First, has anyone ever gone from big-time A-side to big-time B-side in such a pronounced way as Zab Judah? And second, did you notice how often Berto's name came up as the A-side to all of the B-sides (Forbes, Collazo, Urango and now Quintana)? It would have been interesting to see him in the B-side role against Mosley; hopefully we'll still get to see Berto in a fight like that before 2010 is out.- Is there a better reality-TV trio than Lou DiBella, Gary Shaw and Dan Goossen? I think MTV needs to put the three them in a New Jersey shore house for a summer so we can watch Louie D., The Shawtuation and Goossi work some shirtless magic.- I thought Andre Ward was excellent in-studio this week on Friday Night Fights. Add the well-spoken super middleweight titlist to the long list of fighters who would be a welcome replacement for Lennox Lewis for the HBO analyst job. (And yes, that list could be summarized in four words: everyone except Leon Spinks.)- If Frankie Gomez really is America's brightest amateur prospect, what does that say about how meaningless the Olympics have become if he's signing with Golden Boy instead of waiting two years for the 2012 Games?- So I guess Danny Garcia is one fighter nobody can stack up against in a toe-to-toe matchup.Eric Raskin can be reached at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com. You can read his articles each month in THE RING magazine.

Dougie's Monday mailbag

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:38:41 PST

ALEXANDER-URANGOThis Saturday I'm going to see Devon Alexander-Juan Urango with my dad. Neither of us have ever seen a fight in person before, so it's pretty cool that our first one will be an HBO-televised unification bout (how does Urango have a belt again?) Anyway, all that I've seen of Alexander was when he found a way to take rounds against Junior Witter's frustrating and awkward style. In Urango's fight with Andre Berto it looked like he shouldn't have jumped to 147, and Hatton outclassed him in a bell to bell shutout. Urango is definitely slower, but since both guys come forward I think there will be exchanges in the center of the ring where Alexander gets caught a few times. Should be plenty of action, and I can't wait to see it. If Alexander wins, who would you want him to fight next? Do you think he's of the same caliber as the rest of the elite bangers at 140? -- JeremyMy hunch is that Alexander is of the same caliber as the best of the junior welterweight division's bangers, boxers, slicksters, pressure fighters, et al. I spent a little bit of time around Alexander, his trainer Kevin Cunningham and members of his management the weekend of the Andre Ward-Mikkel Kessler fight in Oakland last November and I was impressed with the young man and his core team. Alexander reminds me a little of Ward in that he's mature beyond his years. He takes the sport very seriously, which means he's never out of the gym, he doesn't have any bad habits, and he listens to the people around him. Combine those traits with his natural talent, amateur background and unyielding self belief and you gotta tough man to beat. I think Alexander will outbox Urango on Saturday. If he does, the fight I'd like to see is a further unification with Timothy Bradley. None of the other 140-pound standouts seem to want to tangle with Bradley, and it doesn't look like Bob Arum was serious about pitting Edwin Valero against "the Desert Storm," so a showdown with Alexander looks like the most significant fight that can be made with THE RING's No. 1-rated junior welterweight. The fight would be a tremendous opportunity for Alexander, and hopefully a decent high-profile payday for Bradley. However, I shouldn't overlook Urango (and I'm sure Alexander isn't). The Colombian is a very strong, seasoned veteran. The heavy handed southpaw hasn't been a factor in the division for the last five years for nothing.GREAT ARTICLEWhat Up Dougie,Great write by you and Mike Rosenthal about Pacquiao-Clottey. You really summed it up well. I have a few points I wish to make so I will try and keep it short. 1. I think Pacquaio will win by decision for two reasons. One I think at this point Roach has him able to maintain a gameplan. People often don't mention how smart Pacquaio is as a fighter now. He knows what Clottey is and I think he knows how to beat him. It is my belief that if he doesn't feel he can hurt him he will just keep turning Clottey while jumping in and out with hard flurries for twelve rounds. I still think Clottey's toughness and jab will make it more competitive than the Cotto or De La Hoya fights but I don't see how Pacquaio doesn't win a comfortable decision like 8 rds to 4 or even 9-3. For Clottey to win I think he needs to hurt Pacquiao and then follow up. And he's just not that type of fighter. But have no fear I'm gonna watch to find out. 2. Nice to see Vic Ortiz coming back around. He took a lot of crap for the Maidana fight and I find it undeserved for one misstep (Duran quit once too and he's one of the greatest). What bothers me the most is most of the keyboard geniuses who wrote him off would have to wear a diaper if they ever got punched once by these guys. So I try not to be too much of an expert. So to all the negative fans, give these guys a chance, they are human too, no one's perfect. Well except for undefeated Floyd hahahaha but more on that later. 3. Great fight on FNF this week. I had little knowledge of Escalante and never heard of his opponent. But what a fun war. 4. Enough with the promoter jabber. Who really gives a f___? There are real fights to talk about. 5. The Andre Ward bandwagon is getting pretty full after a GREAT win. I wonder what will happen if Arthur Abraham takes him out later (which I think he would. That didn't look like Kessler and Abraham is a whole different type of monster). 6. I wonder if Floyd is planning on running sprints to train for Mosley, cause Shane's gonna be up his a$$ all night. In all seriousness though they both present a complete different challenge for the other. I think Shane will hurt Floyd, I think Floyd will try and fight back to make for a fun fight (not by Floyds choice), I am unsure of my final prediction but my early thoughts are Floyd with a defense, his track shoes, and the fact that love or hate him he does know how to win will eke out a razor thin decision. 7. I say screw Pacquaio-Mayweather and everyone should root for Mosley cause Mosley-Pacquaio would be thrilling. Thanks man and keep up the great work at The Ring. -- Aaron, PAThanks Aaron, and thanks for at least trying to keep it short (LOL). I'll respond to your points in order:1. I also see Pacquiao beating Clottey, probably by a 116-112 decision (8 rounds to 4) but I don't think the pound-for-pound king is going to do so "comfortably." In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if he had his toughest outing since the Marquez rematch. I think Pacquiao can outbox and outhustle Clottey, but I don't think it's going to be as easy for him to "turn" the Ghanaian as you do. Also, I'm not 100% sure Pacquiao can hurt Clottey as he's hurt his recent opponents. I believe Clottey can hurt Pacquiao, however I'm fairly certain that he won't follow up if he does (it's that mentality that made him a relatively "safe" opponent for the Pac-monster).2. I thought Ortiz got in nine rounds of work with Hector Alatorre before closing the show in the 10th. The fight was basically a televised sparring session but it was good that he got in a stay-sharp bout between his HBO appearances, garnered a little basic cable/internet exposure, and put on a show for his local fans. I thought Ortiz carried Alatorre in order to practice his footwork and some defensive moves. We'll see if he can put that practice into play when he faces a still-dangerous Nate Campbell in May.3. Little knowledge of Antonio Escalante? Never heard of Micky Roman? My brother, you have been MISSING out. Those two Mexicans ALWAYS deliver. Don't think for one second that the war they waged on FNF was the first barnburner for either man.4. You'd be surprised how many so-called fight fans are completely infatuated with promoters and the industry's ongoing machinations. 5. I wouldn't count Ward out against anybody, and I'm glad that fans are jumping on his bandwagon. Having said that, I still believe that Abraham is going to win the Super Six. 6. I don't think Mayweather can win a just decision against Mosley with only a tight defense and lots of movement. Maybe he can grab a controversial nod that way, but I think he's got to land quality punches while finding a way to stifle Mosley's offense to really earn a decision victory.7. If Mayweather legitimately beats Mosley (and Pacquiao takes care of biz vs. Clottey), that would make a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown even bigger than it appeared at the start of the year, so I certainly wouldn't complain about that fight happening. The entire sports world would stop to watch that mega-fight. Pacquiao-Mosley, however, would probably be better for the sport in the long run because it would be a big event that would actually live up to its hype. Casual fans who tune into Pacquiao-Mosley would become hardcore fans because of the non-stop action and drama it would deliver.STYLES MAKE FIGHTSWhat's good Doug,Boxing's first big fight of the year is coming up in less then 2 weeks now. Solid article by yourself and Rosenthal, you guys captured the main reasons why Pacquiao will win, but missed 1: style.Pacquiao's style is all wrong for Clottey. Exceptional stamina, fast combinations, side stepping, and a solid punch output are shell-defense fighters' weakness (P-Will showed this last year). Also, JC is too predictable, he throws the same punch over and over, stays in his shell while his opponent is punching until they stop, which then allows him to step into range and get off his combination. Roach has undoubtedly come up with an excellent game plan. Manny will be able to counter Clottey, and when he does, it'll either allow him to stop Joshua or it'll send the Ghanaian into his shell for the rest of the fight (whoever wrote the power description gets props from me).Fights like Escalante-Roman remind us why boxing is the best sport in the world. Antonio could really reek havoc at 122 and 126 if his chin can hold up. Poonsawat-Escalante will be another FOTY candidate.For someone so strong and physically imposing, Juan Urango can't break a clinch to save his life. From what I've seen, Devon has the talent, skills, and stamina to beat Urango handily; hopefully, he doesn't go the Hatton/Berto route and is able to handle Urango in exciting fashion.Do you see Wilton Hilario being able to get past Martin Honorio?Keep doing what you do Doug. -- HectorThanks, I will.I don't think Hilario has the seasoning to beat Honorio who has morphed from a swarming pressure fighter to an aggressive boxer (and has put the work in for this fight), but I'm going to enjoy watching the FNF main event. I think it's a good matchup on paper.I think Alexander will handle Urango, but in exciting fashion? That's asking a wee bit too much.Escalante vs. 122-pound beltholders Kratingdaeng, Toshiaki Nishioka and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. would all be excellent ring battles. I don't think the El Paso attraction has the class to seriously challenge 126-pound titleholders JuanMa Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa but because of his heart and his style I'd still like to watch him try.Pacquiao's style is all wrong for Clottey? Maybe. We've seen Clottey outworked (by Margarito) and outboxed (to a degree by Cotto), and Pacquiao certainly has the ability to do both against the Ghanaian, but that doesn't mean Clottey is right for the little dynamo. For starters he's bigger and more durable than anyone Pacquiao has fought. And if he can get his jab off consistently (which he usually does) I think he can make things difficult for Pacquiao. While it's true that Clottey is predictable, he's not as one-dimensional as you're making him sound. I think he's going to make for a competitive fight.PACQUIAO-CLOTTEYMan, you guys are like two politicians, or two attorneys slugging it out in a courtroom! You both make a great case, and if I had read either argument alone, I would probably agree with whoever I had read. But when both of your arguments are presented side by side, I can't make up my mind. I think I'm going to pull a Solomon and split the difference: it will be a good fight with a few surprises along the way, and a "jury" of three good judges and true will decide the uncertain outcome. Nice job you guys. -- John MillerThanks!FIGHTSAs we say in the D, What up doe Doug,I'm excited about the upcoming fights and needed to holla at my boy about it. I will keep it brief because you seem to have an attention span like mine meaning long winded comments tend to burn us out. For the current flavor of the year fights I have no feel for Paquiao and Clottey. I keep seeing in my head Clottey going head up with a then relevant Margarito and doing damage. If for some reason he decides to throw hands with Manny I think he has just a good chance at hurting Pac as Pac does at hurting him. I like Manny's mentality but I guess I'm in the minority because I don't see special, historical, all time great. I see very good and many very good fighters have been beaten by merely solid fighters who matched up to there style. Close fight. I think Sugar runs Money out the ring. You know I've been rollin with you for a while and I've always said this. Hold me to this but I'm telling you right now Shane Mosley at 38 is the best welterweight. He's the legit champ and he's going to put a hurt on Floyd and I believe would stop Paquiao. Neither Floyd nor Paq could get Shane off of them and neither can take his shots over 12 rounds. Neither guy is big and long with excellent boxing skills like Vernon Forrest or Winky Wright. Little guys have no shot with the Sugarman. Quick moves. Eddie Chambers does nothing with Dr. K. but get hurt. Arreola dumps Adamack. Andre Ward wins Super Six. I like his heart. Sergio Martinez embarrases Kelly Pavlik. Lastly, is John Ruiz really fighting for a title again? -- Big 313I think Pacquiao-Clottey is a competitive fight. I'm not so sure how close it will be, but we'll see. While I'm not sold that Pacquiao is a bona fide all-time great, I think he's a little better than "very good." His titles at 112 and 122 pounds along with his track record at 126-130 pounds are first-ballot hall of fame credentials, IMO. Never mind what he's done over the past 18 months. I think Mayweather's defensive style, superior technique and ring generalship will make for a competitive match with Mosley. He'll have some trouble with Mosley's speed and jab in the early rounds, but he'll also make Sugar Shane miss while landing his jab. I can see Mayweather countering Mosley's telegraphed right hands with his hook (as Cotto did early in their fight) but as the fight wears on the Sugar Man's pressure and physical strength/durability will begin to tell on Mayweather, who will try to steal as many rounds as he can before attempting to run out the clock. I think the late rounds will be very interesting. I can see Mayweather attempting to do what Cotto did in the final rounds against Shane and I can see Mosley putting a beating on Mayweather along the ropes. We'll find out what actually happens in two months. I can't wait!Quick counters, Chambers troubles Klitschko with his fast footwork and hurts the champ with his body shots but the bigger athlete's superior power takes over in the second half of the fight. Ward looks good and wins more fans finishing second to Abraham. Adamek wobbles (or even drops Arreola) before the bigger man catches the gutsy Pole with deceptively quick counter hooks. Pavlik reminds fans how good he can be by intelligently overpowering the ultra-talented/tough Argentine lefty. The Quietman is indeed fighting for a title. Don't be shocked if he wins it.

Weekend Review: Pacquiao-Mayweather burn out

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:20:30 PST

MOST TIRESOMEPacquiao-Mayweather talk: Enough is enough. We have two compelling welterweight fights coming up - Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley - and we continue to discuss failed efforts to make Pacquiao-Mayweather and the fall out. The journalists keep asking about it and the participants have no qualms about responding, in part because they don't want to get one-upped by the other side. OK, we've heard all the arguments and everyone has come to their own conclusions, whatever they are. Let's move on and enjoy the fights on the horizon. We can revisit Pacquiao-Mayweather if and when they enter negotiations a second time.BIGGEST CROWDCowboys Stadium: Promoter Bob Arum said the new stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be configured for 45,000 for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight on March 13 and that sales are approaching 40,000. He added that expansion in the event of a sell-out is a possibility, although that would be up to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The last time a crowd that size saw a fight in the U.S. might've been the reported 45,368 that filled the Sun Bowl in El Paso to watch Oscar De La Hoya fight Frenchman Patrick Charpentier. The large crowd expected for Pacquiao-Clottey is a testament to both Pacquiao's popularity and Arum's promotional skills. Imagine how many people Pacquiao-Mayweather could attract? Is the Rose Bowl (capacity about 100,000) available in the fall?BIGGEST SCREENCowboys Stadium: One aspect of this event that will be unique to boxing is the high-definition video screen, which hangs from one 20-yard line to the other - or 60 yards. That's mind boggling. Fans in the far reaches of the stadium, too far to see the fighters clearly, certainly will have no trouble following the action. "Wait until you see them on that big screen," Arum said, "it is something really special. Until you see it and until you're there, it is very difficult to describe the experience. I know that they just had the NBA All Star Game and the players were on the bench waiting to get in as the game was going on and many of them were watching the game on the screen rather than right in front of them on the floor. When I saw the Cowboys-Eagles game sitting in Jerry Jones' box, I found myself half the time watching the game on the screen than watching the field just because the picture is so incredible."MOST BAFFLINGClottey doesn't watch videos: Clottey said on a conference call with the media that he doesn't watch video of his opponents before they fight, which isn't unusual. Some fighters want to focus on what they do more than what their opponents do. Besides, Clottey said, "I know how he fights." Still, I wonder whether this is wise going into a fight against Pacquiao. The Filipino throws an astonishing array of punches from every conceivable angle. He also has learned to avoid punches by moving his unnaturally quick feet. I would think any opponent would want to study his tendencies carefully to avoid being surprised. I keep thinking: "Clottey is going to find himself in a hurricane and will have no idea what to do."BIGGEST WINNERMike Jones: The undefeated young welterweight contender wasn't dazzling in his one-sided victory over capable Henry Bruseles on Saturday in Atlantic City, N.J. because he didn't let his fists fly as much as he could have. His unusual skills were plainly evident, though. He seems to be a complete fighter - athletic, well-schooled, powerful, well-conditioned and confident. He controlled the fight with an excellent jab and enough power punches to keep Bruseles from mounting an effective attack. I also sense a fighting spirit even if he didn't demonstrate that against Bruseles, perhaps because he didn't need to. Welterweights beware: This guy is for real.BIGGEST LOSERKendall Holt: Holt was a 140-pound titleholder and one of the most-respected fighters in the world less than a year ago. Now, his future as a legitimate contender is murky. He put Timothy Bradley down twice but lost a decision and his title last April. And, on the Jones-Bruseles undercard, he was dominated by a relatively unknown fighter from South Africa, Kaizer Mabuza, who beat Holt into submission after the sixth round. The underdog apparently was just too physically strong for the favorite. Holt, 28, might be young enough to rebuild but I wonder how much he has left after that unexpected beating.MOST-IMPORTANT MISMATCHOrtiz KOs Alatorre: Hector Alatorre was never going to give Victor Ortiz much trouble in the main event of the Fight Night Club card Thursday at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. The journeyman, 1-8 in his previous nine fights, was hand-picked for what amounted to a public workout. The only question was whether Ortiz could become the first to knock out Alatorre, which came to pass: Ortiz scored a 10th-round KO. However, this was an important fight for Ortiz. He looked tentative against Antonio Diaz in his last fight, a KO victory, and that followed his KO loss to Marcos Maidana. Ortiz needed to go some rounds to shake off any residue. Now he seems to be ready for the likes of Nate Campbell, who is expected to be his next opponent.MOST IMPRESSIVEJessie Vargas: The most impressive thing on an impressive night at Club Nokia was the performance of Vargas, the junior welterweight from Las Vegas who is promoted by Floyd Mayweather Jr. I don't much about his opponent, Robert Luna, other than he was 5-0 going into the fight and looked competent - for a few moments. Vargas mounted a fierce attack almost from the opening bell, putting Luna down three times with pin-point blows before the fight was stopped only 1:56 into the fight. I'm not sure how much he proved but I definitely want to see where he goes from here.BEST FIGHTEscalante vs. Roman: Antonio Escalante and Miguel Roman say they once engaged in a street fight in their native Juarez, Mexico. They had another street fight on Friday in El Paso, Texas, only this time in a ring . Escalante, now a resident of El Paso, and Roman gave us the kind of fight that made us boxing fans, two courageous warriors determined to demonstrate who has the bigger heart. The non-stop give and take was so intense that the fans at Don Haskins Center simply couldn't stay in their seats Escalante won a unanimous decision in the end but both fighters won places in our hearts with that effort. I salute them.WORST STOPPAGELucas Matthysse vs. Vivian Harris: This occurred last week but it still bothers me so I wanted to mention it. Matthysse and Harris were engaged in a competitive fight on Feb. 20 in Mexico City when Matthysse landed a hard right to the head of Harris, who seemed to absorb the punch reasonably well. Then, out of nowhere, referee Gelasio Perez Huerta took out Harris' mouthpiece and stopped the fight. Harris was bitter afterward and had a right to be. The former titleholder is trying to re-establish himself as a contender. To have a referee hand his opponent a victory, thereby setting him back, is unconscionable. The fight should be declared a no-contest.BEST QUOTEFreddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer: "I do want to fight (Mayweather) to shut him up. I know Manny would knock him out and the whole world would be happy." Well, most of the world.Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com