Clottey is also prepping for the biggest fight of his life without his trainer, Godwin Kotey. Kotey, back in Ghana, couldn't obtain a visa so now Lenny DeJesus, 64, is Clottey's lead man. 

Clottey won't use video either in gameplanning.

"I never watch tape," he says. "Never watch nothing. I know what he's gonna do. He's going to throw a lot of punches."

Dallas Morning News reporter Kevin Sherrington pointed this odd statement.

A reporter from the Philippines, Pacquiao's home, asks Clottey if he has a strong chin.

"We Africans always have a good chin," he says, smiling. "We take a lot of punches, but we don't feel pain."

It sounds as if Clottey is feeling zero pressure. He's getting a career-high $1.5 million for the fight and a share of the pay-per-view revenue. Let's hope that's the case because his words don't exactly inspire confidence in his chances. 

There's few figures in sports who are as generous as Manny Pacquiao. He pays for an entourage more than two dozen deep to travel the world with him. In his latest move of insane generosity, Pacman flew 130 people on a private jet to his fight in Dallas.

If his posse is only 30-40 people, who else was on the plane? Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole reports that there were also some Filipino media members on the plane. For all we know, they may have paid their way on the plane. If not, it does bring up questions about objectivity and ethics (0:26 mark).

This becomes even more interesting when you go back a few days when Bob Arum was complaining that several Filipino media members were denied access to Floyd Mayweather after the Mayweather-Shane Mosley presser in Los Angeles. If they're jetting around with Pacquiao for free are they really objective media members who should gain access to Floyd? Or simply Pacman press agents? Arum charged Golden Boy Promotions with discrimination.  

If something can go wrong, it will go wrong for Tommy Morrison. The heavyweight boxer, who for years has been fighting reports that he's HIV positive, was popped on suspicion of marijuana possession recently in Kansas. The Joplin Globe reports that Morrison went from "minding his own business" to a jail cell.

The 41-year-old said Friday it all started Thursday night when he was sitting outside a Wichita gym, reading his Bible and meditating, before going in to lift weights. He suspects someone thought he looked suspicious and called police.

Morrison told The Wichita Eagle he let police search his car, which contained items from a recent move. Inside a box was a pipe that police said contained marijuana residue.

He said the pipe was in a box filled with boxing equipment that was on the floorboard.

"They found an old pipe that had some residue on it or something," said Morrison. "Someone in my position, I guess, has to be more careful. I wasn't aware of what I had in that box. I wasn't aware of anything illegal."

Morrison spent two hours in jail and was released on $4,000 bail. The former WBO champ says he has a fight schedule in June.

"Jerry said he was in for $25 million [for the proposed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight]," Arum recalled as he lovingly repeated the dollar figure over the telephone. "And he said he could go higher if need be."

Barry Horn from the Dallas Morning News pointed out that the largest site fee in history was $18 million in 2007 for Floyd Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

"That told me right there that Jerry was ready to compete," Arum said. "Dallas, Texas, was suddenly a heavyweight contender in the world of boxing."

Jones gloats $25 million, $25 schmillion.

"I don't want this to sound wrong, but we write checks like that around here all the time," Jones said while sipping iced tea in his Valley Ranch office last week. 

He didn't have that much for this weekend's Pacman-Joshua Clottey. He got this one for only $7 million. 

You can bet Arum will be smiling ear-to-ear this week as Las Vegas casino executives watch closely. The last thing Sin City needs is fight bidding to turn into a Red Sox vs. Yankees scenario.

"I can compete with Las Vegas," Jones said. "I can hold my head up high, keep my credibility and say that. I can and I will."

Horn reached out to the MGM's Richard Sturm but was blocked by a P.R. person. That's OK. Arum, who lives and runs his business in the desert town, will speak on behalf of Vegas. 

"Not only can Cowboys Stadium compete, it can beat Vegas," Arum said.

Jones may not make back his $7 million but he's certainly established himself as a player if the Pacman-Mayweather fight ever comes off. Although he may have to slip "Money" a little side bonus under the table. Mayweather doesn't want to fight outside of his new hometown Las Vegas and certainly doesn't want to have it appear that Arum decided where the fight is held.

Jimmy Kimmel loves Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino boxer turned crooner ripped out some Dan Hill before his win over Miguel Cotto. He was back on stage flashing the golden pipes.

The normally calm, Mosley even shoved and barked at Mayweather. Was it real or fake? Tough to tell. It wasn't like either guy was going to throw a punch but there were moments of bedlam up on the stage. Watch at the 0:41 mark, even a camera crew get tossed around.

Will we see the same thing today during the Los Angeles press conference? Let's hope not. The pushing and shoving thing at pressers can jump the shark pretty quickly.

This fight has a lot of great elements to it. One is the fact that Oscar De La Hoya fought both guys. Even the "Golden Boy" got in a little trash talk (4:00 mark). Mosley also stepped up with a good line (6:00 mark).

"May 1st signifies May's first loss," said Mosley.

Mayweather chose to thank his family and said don't judge him if you don't know him. He followed that up by saying he's trying to save boxing by calling for drug testing and pointed out factually that Mosley may have cheated in the past.

Mike Tyson no longer looks like a super heayweight during an apperance on Italy's "Dancing With The Stars." It's good to see the 43-year-old ex-champ looking a bit more healthy. Hopefully that doesn't mean a return to the ring is in the offing.

This was Tyson at the end of 2008. 

It sounds like the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight can already be deemed a box office success. With just under two weeks left before the fight, Top Rank's Bob Arum says there's 30,000 tickets sold for the Dallas fight at Cowboys Stadium. Arum is estimating a total attendance of 45,000. Now it's just a matter of introducing/selling Joshua Clottey to casual boxing fans.

"People were looking forward to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, that's clear. But Manny has a huge, huge fan base," Arum told AP. "Every sports fan knows Manny Pacquiao. Our job is to present Joshua Clottey as he is, a bigger guy, a stronger guy probably, a guy who has never been off his feet — a real test for Manny Pacquiao. That's what will sell this fight."

On the surface, when you look at the way both Clottey and Pacman peformed against a common opponent in Miguel Cotto, it looks like an easy win for the Filipino. Pacquiao took apart the Puerto Rican and finished him in the 12th while Clottey lost a close decision to Cotto in June of 2009. But real fight fans know that Clottey was beating Cotto until he let his foot off the gas pedal and squandered a big lead on the scorecards. 

Filipino television did a video feature covering the doctor's visit and claimed that Pacquiao was "visibly shaken" while giving blood. Do you see anything?

Maybe we missed it but maybe out of respect for the national hero, that part of the visit was left on the cutting room floor. Pacman trainer Freddie Roach has begun the prefight hype sounding confident his guy will get by Joshua Clottey on Mar. 13 in Dallas.

"Well, the more I watch Clottey, the more mistakes I find in him and I’m very confident Manny is going to knock him out and be the first person to knock him out," Roach said.  "I know he [Clottey] has a good chin. He’s a tough guy and he’s a nice guy, but just studying the tapes of him, he won’t last 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao in my opinion."

According to GMANews.tv, Pacman's entourage will hit Dallas on Mar. 8.

The stalemate between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is getting really old for everybody involved and most onlookers. The sides reached an impasse on Wednesday and fans reacted with an explosion of outrage. You got Floyd or Manny? Who's the jerk?

Mayweather came out swinging last night saying he's tired of being bashed:

"In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever," Mayweather said. "I know the people will see through their smokes screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight."

No one has explained why Mayweather is usurping the power of the Nevada State Athletic Commission but Floyd continues to push for blood testing in the final month before the fight:

“First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao. I want to whip his punk [rear]. Before the mediation, my team proposed a 14-day, no-blood-testing window leading up to the fight. But it was rejected. I am still proposing the 14-day window, but he is still unwilling to agree to it, even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off. The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests."

Meanwhile, Top Rank is suppoedly sending out messages that it has moved on with Pacquiao and he will face Joshua Clottey.

March 13 becomes an intriguing day. If the big fight doesn't coem together, we could be looking at a standoff on that date with Mayweather fighting at one Las Vegas venue and Pacman doing so just down the street. 

Chicken photo via Facebook/Jasper Santillan

Are we bound for a huge year in boxing or the same frustration we're feeling today because of the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. cancellation? The BBC listed its most desired fights for 2010. The top three include:

3)Paul Williams vs Kelly Pavlik: Should have happened late last year, but due to hand injuries suffered by the Ghost, the fight could not go ahead. Fortunately for boxing fans, Pavliks replacement was more than adequate. Martinez vs Williams was arguably the best fight of 2009, Williams vs Pavlik could eaisly secure that accolade in 2010.

This should be a difficult fight to make. They were close in December before Williams came down with a serious illness. Dan Goosen and Top Rank Promotion shouldn't have any big issues making this work. 

2)Bernard Hopkins vs Chad Dawson: Dawson may not be box office draw just yet, but a showdown with B-Hop would secure him a place at the forefront of American boxing. Obviously the way Hopkins schooled Pavlik, another fighter who had a chance to capture the headlines, this would not be straight forward for the softly spoken light heavyweight.

Will this ever happen? Hopkins has held out forever and he's got a good case. Dawson still hasn't proven that he's a draw. Most of the risk is on the side of Hopkins. What else is there for Hopkins, a big leap up to heavyweight? Frankly, Dawson should've been part of Showtime's Super Six down at 168 pounds. He could challenge the winner or runner-up from the tournament but that fight wouldn't happen until 2011. 

1)Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather: This is the one that everyone wants to see, it could be the biggest fight of all time. The legal dispute for me just makes it more interesting, the more drama the better, when this happens the sporting world will stop and everyone will be talking about boxing.

Who knows if this one will ever happen. Mayweather has boxed himself in. He won't fight a legit welterweight: Williams, Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley. Does anyone care if he fights Paulie Malignaggi or Tim Bradley?

The shame of this list is the exclusion of fantasy fights in heavyweight division. Outside of the Klitschkos challenging blown-up cruiserweight David Haye, the only dream fight is the brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, going at it. That will never happen. 

Golden Boy seems to have completely reversed its course on the importance of blood testing:

When Golden Boy (the company) represented Shane Mosley, an "accidental" (he said) steroid user in the Balco scandal for his fight against Zab Judah, it was Mr. Schaefer who babbled: "Whatever test the Nevada Commission wants Shane will take but we are not going to do other tests (as Judah demanded). Shane is not a cheater and does not need to be treated like one."

What happened? What's the difference between Mosley and Pacquiao? 

And "now" (with neither logic nor evidence) [Schaefer] explains his demand for outside blood tests by saying "I have educated myself since then. I know the difference between blood and urine tests."

Izenberg went on to rip Schaefer further:

With a banker’s arrogance he says he knows more about steroids than most sports writers. He claims they don’t know the difference between blood and urine testing. Funny, most of us have been writing about them for decades while he while he was allegedly "educating" himself.

Izenberg writes that it could be Yuri Foreman v. Pacquiao while Mayweather could fight Paulie Malignaggi in March.

It's come to this. After weeks wrangling over to expand drug testing for the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, the sides will sit down in front of a mediator on Tuesday in Santa Monica, Ca. The mediator is retired federal judge, Daniel Weinstein. He's worked on boxing schisms in the past including helping to make the Marco Antonio Barrera fight against Pacquiao in 2007. In another ridiculous scenario, he settled a beef between Arum and Oscar De La Hoya over possession of DLH's Olympic Gold medal.

Arum, Top Rank president Todd DuBoef along with representatives from Golden Boy Promotions are expected to attend the summit. 

Mayweather is asking for Olympic-style drug trust. Pacquiao is reluctant to submit to blood tests within 30 days of the fight and has filed a defamation lawsuit against several members of Golden Boy for suggesting that he's using performance enhancing drugs. Filed by his lawyer Daniel Petrocelli, Pacman is asking for $75,000 in punitive and compensatory damages.

Mayweather's manager Leonard Ellerbe suggested this is all for the fans:

"From Day One, I've never accused Manny Pacquiao of anything," Ellerbe told AOL FanHouse. "All that I've said from Day One is that we want to ensure that there is a level playing field because this is what the fans deserve. We've done everything on our part to try to make this fight come to fruition. Now, the other side just has to check their egos at the door and make a deal and give the fans what they deserve."

The clock is ticking on the proposed Mar. 13 fight date for Pacman and Mayweather in Las Vegas. Time is of the essence especially with regards to all the prefight promotion which will include an expansive media tour around the country. 

The holiday wish is a beautiful touch in a letter soaking wet with sarcasm. As was the mispelling of Ornelas' last name.

It's hard to believe Hopkins wasted his time last night for just $200,000 and now has no fight big fight on the horizon anywhere in the 160-175 pound range unless he calls out Dawson. 

During the Miguel Cotto-Pacquiao postfight, Arum lectured a reporter on what states like New York would do to the Filipino's purse. He pointed out that upwards of 45 percent would be withheld when you add in city, state and federal taxes. Arum wants Pacquiao to fight in more tax-friendly states like Nevada, Texas or Florida where there is no state income tax. It would nice for boxing to hold the fight in front of 30,000-50,000 fans but Mayweather will be a big factor. As a Las Vegas resident, he's got to favor a fight at the MGM. 

Bernard Hopkins essentially shutout Enrique Ornelas in what should've been a triumphant return to his hometown. But it's hard to believe that BHop really reveled in the victory after his big rematch against Roy Jones Jr. was ruined earlier in the day by Danny Green. Green upset Jones in Australia via first round knockout. There is absolutely no interest, need or way to sell Jones-Hopkins II, so now the 44-year old former middleweight champ has turned to BIGGER goals. That's right, now that someone under 245 pounds holds one of the heavyweight crowns, Hopkins is talking about moving from 175 pounds to a fight with the big boys:

"It was great to be in there after 14 months,'' Hopkins told Bernard Fernandez from the Philadelphia Daily News. "I don't think I looked so bad. I looked like the same fighter I've always been, even though I'm 44 years old. All along my energy level was fantastic. I'm going to be the heavyweight champion in 2010.''

Sounds crazy right? After essentially wasting his time in front of 6,662 fans in Philly, Hopkins wants to defy logic again by challenging WBA heavyweight champ David Haye. Haye is 6-foot-3 and fought at 217 when he took the title from Nikolay Valuev but he was fighting at 198 less than 21 months ago. Can he do it? Don't ever rule out Hopkins.   

The steady downfall of the once great Roy Jones Jr. has been tragic to watch. He's been stubborn in thinking he still has the same defensive instincts, and now he's cost himself a big paycheck and a little more of his legacy. Golden Boy Promotions, Jones and Bernard Hopkins thought they could get Jones one more big pay day out of the former light heavyweight king but Danny Green was having nothing of it. In what was supposed to be a tune-up fight for a BHop-Jones fight in March, Jones was destroyed in Sydney, Australia. Green nailed him with a right to the temple and the 40-year-old never recovered. The ending for Jones (54-6, 40 KOs) came at 2:02 of the first in what appeared to be a half empty Acer Arena. Jones was fighting at a higher weight, 179.5 pounds, against the IBO's cruiserweight titleist, Green (28-3, 25 KOs).

Taking out a future Hall of Famer with world titles in four different weight classes had Green in awe:

"He's one of the greatest fighters of all time and the opportunity to fight him in Australia, thanks Roy Jones Jr," Green told the crowd. "I almost feel bad doing that, that almost most hurt me to do that to someone whom I aspire to look up to as a professional fighter inside and outside the ring. He’s a bloody legend."

Now Hopkins has to step into the ring tonight in Philadelphia against little known Enrique Ornelas, put on a show and all for nothing. He's certainly not going to fight Green. So who's next? Joe Calzaghe is not coming back. Will we ever see Hopkins against Chad Dawson? Hopkins against the winner of the Super Six World Boxing Classic would be tremendous but he'll be 46 by the time the tournament crowns a champ. It's sad to see Jones crawl across the finish line but it's equally awful watching Hopkins, who still has lots of game left, not be able to make a major fight. 

Green, a 36-year-old Aussie, has now won seven straight. His only losses came against Markus Beyer (majority decision and disqualification) and Anthony Mundine.

Bernard Hopkins is already going down as one of the greatest fighters of his era for both effectiveness and durability. He's still fighting at a high level at 44-years-old but it's not because he needs the money. Being a frugal dude, he's fine. He simply loves the game in and out of the ring. Hopkins is getting damn good at his craft out of the ring as part of Golden Boy Promotions. The native-Philadelphian has hit the promotional trail hard to make sure Temple's hoops area, the Liacouris Center is full of fight fans tomorrow night as he takes on Enrique Ornelas (29-5) in a tune-up bout with hopes of setting up an early 2010 fight against Roy Jones Jr.

The Philly Inquirer points out that Hopkins has been like the mayor:

He did a ticket giveaway at center court at a 76ers game and posed with Dave Schultz when "The Hammer" was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame. Last Wednesday, he gave away 500 turkeys at a police station in North Philadelphia. He has been on TV and radio everywhere, like a real home-team athlete - even punched Danny Bonaduce on the air.

A tune-up fight for a guy like Hopkins seems ridiculous but it's a nice way to get back in the groove after 13 months off and even better a treat for his hometown fans. Hopkins' fight is on nationwide on Versus, as long as you don't have DirectTV while Jones Jr. takes a little bigger risk traveling half way across the world to face a more formidable opponent in Danny Green in Sydney, Australia.

Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Last up is the top five stories of the 2000s. Whatever your opinion on the issues which engulfed the sport, these are the storylines that generated the greatest controversy and speculation over the past decade.

5. Margarito's illegal hand-wraps

Antonio Margarito headed into his Staples Center matchup with Shane Mosley as one of boxing's favorite sons; an iron-chinned superstar beloved for his bravery and competitive fire.

But the events of January 24, 2009, and their aftermath have turned Margarito into a boxing pariah. Margarito's hand wraps were found to have on them calcium and sulfur, which would have hardened into a Plaster of Paris-like substance.

Eagle-eyed Mosley corner man Nazim Richardson spotted the unusual nature of Margarito's wraps in the locker room prefight and immediately alerted officials. With new wraps, Margarito was smashed up by Mosley before being stopped in the ninth round.

The California State Athletic Commission handed down bans a month later - a ludicrously brief one-year suspension for both Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo.

4. Diego Corrales dies in a motorcycle crash

Corrales was one of boxing's most colorful characters, a man who lived and fought at full speed.

His spectacular wars with Jose Luis Castillo cemented his popularity, but he was unable to handle the resulting fame and battled constantly with personal problems.

Many friends said afterward it had been inevitable that Corrales' tumultuous life - he had served 14-months in prison for abusing his pregnant girlfriend - would end in tragedy.

Despite limited motorcycle experience, Corrales insisted on riding down a busy residential street in Las Vegas on the second anniversary of his classic victory over Castillo. His blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, Corrales collided with the back of a vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

3. The continued fall of Mike Tyson

Tyson's life and career had already plummeted downhill in the 1990s, but a new decade didn't bring any better fortune for the former undisputed heavyweight champ.

Iron Mike has become an increasingly forlorn figure, with most of the millions he earned during his career having been squandered away.

The early part of the decade offered an opportunity for him to scale the heights of the heavyweight division once more, but he was demolished by Lennox Lewis in eight rounds and followed up with shocking defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride before, mercifully, hanging up his gloves.

2. The FBI raids Top Rank's offices

Has boxing ever seemed sicker than when federal agents stormed into Top Rank's Las Vegas HQ in the first week of January 2004 and seized computers, contracts and financial documents?

The most salacious part of the investigation was that Oscar De La Hoya's rematch with Shane Mosley had been "fixed," and the fight game winced from this latest controversy as Bob Arum's company came under scrutiny.

More ugly details filtered out, that the investigation was part of an ongoing probe into organized crime, rumors of fixing, tampered medical records and deep-rooted corruption.

The investigation eventually was dropped in 2006 with no charges filed, but it was an episode that took boxing to the top of the news bulletins for all the wrong reasons.

1. Top Rank/Golden Boy lawsuit over Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao was on his way to becoming the world's most exciting fighter in 2006, and promotional giants Top Rank and Golden Boy both wanted a slice of the action.

Bob Arum claimed he had Pacquiao signed to a contract, but Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy also insisted he had him tied to a deal after handing over a satchel of cash during an airport meeting.

The two parties went head-to-head in an acrimonious courtroom battle that was eventually settled when the judge warned Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer that neither may like the final judgment.

The upshot is that Arum continues to promote Pacquiao, while Golden Boy also receives a sizeable cut every time he fights.

Honorable mentions: Despite lacking a definitive incident like these other stories, there were a couple of issues that were a constant theme during the 2000s.

• What happened to the heavyweights?  The decline of the heavyweight division has been lamented for much of the decade. Lennox Lewis' retirement left a void, while Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson both faded from the world scene. Instead, a generation of big Russian and Ukrainian fighters came to the fore, led by the Klitschkos, Vitali and Waldimir, but none were really able to capture the public imagination.

• Boxing v MMA The emergence of mixed martial arts and the UFC has presented boxing with some significant challenges. MMA's deep undercards for pay-per-view events and the relative lack of bluster surrounding its fighters won over some supporters who had previously gravitated towards boxing. However, the huge PPV numbers generated in recent times by fighters such as Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather suggests boxing is not ready to roll over just yet.

Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Next up is the fights of the decade, featuring five sensational bouts that electrified the sport.

Share your thoughts and comments below.

5. Israel Vazquez beats Rafael Marquez, August 4, 2007 – WBC super bantamweight title.

This was one of the most anticipated rematches in recent history, following a classic encounter in March 2007 that ended when Vazquez suffered an injury to his nose.

The second version did not disappoint, as Vazquez and Marquez put together another bout featuring all-action intensity and a frenetic pace at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, five months after their first fight.

This time it was Vazquez who came out on top, despite being cut above both eyes in another torrid slugfest.

Vazquez floored Marquez with a left hook early in the sixth round and forced a stoppage with a blistering subsequent attack.

4. Juan Manuel Marquez draws with Manny Pacquiao, May 8, 2004 – WBA and IBF featherweight titles.

This fight did plenty to boost the reputations of both fighters, but it almost came to an end within the first round.

Pacquiao started like a steam train, unleashing flurries of punches upon Marquez in the opening exchanges and had his opponent on the canvas after only 90 seconds.

Two more knockdowns followed in the same round, but Marquez survived and gradually worked his way into the fight.

The scorecards caused controversy, with one judge scoring it 115-110 for Pacquiao, another 115-110 for Marquez, and a third, Bert Clements, 113-113. It later emerged that Clements had erroneously scored the first round 10-7 to Pacquiao, when it should have been 10-6 due to the three knockdowns.

3. Erik Morales beats Marco Antonio Barrera, February 19, 2000 – WBC and WBO Super bantamweight titles.

The first great bout of the 2000s also marked the start of a storied trilogy between a pair of modern greats.

Morales and Barrera refused to take a backward step, pummeling each other for 12 exhausting and thrilling rounds in a matchup that brought the Mandalay Bay crowd, and surely a fair share of the HBO viewing audience, to its feet.

In the end it was Morales who claimed a split decision, controversially, with many observers insisting that Barrera's efforts in the final round, when he knocked Morales down in the final minute, should have earned him the victory.

2. Micky Ward beats Arturo Gatti, May 18, 2002.

Two of boxing's biggest crowd-pleasers went head-to-head at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in what quickly would turn into a battle for the ages.

Ward and Gatti both withstood a tremendous amount of punishment, pounding away with astonishing ferocity.

An amazing ninth round saw Ward knock Gatti down with a vicious left to the body and he appeared to be on course for a knockout. But Gatti refused to wilt, finding incredible reserves of strength to fight back to keep the contest alive.

Ward went on to win a majority decision, but the rousing ovation the fighters received meant there was no real loser on this night.

1. Diego Corrales beats Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005 – WBO and WBC lightweight titles.

The crowd was sparse at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, but those in attendance and watching on television saw 10 rounds of boxing they would never forget.

All throughout the contest, Corrales and Castillo stood toe-to-toe, slugging it out in an epic battle of willpower and tenacity, culminating with an epic comeback and dramatic conclusion.

Both gladiators entered what would be the decisive 10th round exhausted and roughed up, with swollen eyes and bloodied faces. Castillo appeared ready to seal the victory when he twice sent Corrales sprawling to the canvas, both times courtesy of brutal left hooks.

However, Corrales regained his footing and his composure, gaining extra recovery time by spitting out his mouthpiece (even though it cost him a point). Then Corrales somehow produced a devastating right hand that turned the fight on its head. Following up with a flurry of punches, he backed Castillo on to the ropes, and with the Mexican unable to defend himself, referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to step in and call the fight.

Corrales was killed in a motorcycle accident exactly two years after the fight. And although Castillo won a rematch against Corrales five months after their first fight, he has never been the same fighter since.

On this night, though, they were kings, and they combined to put together a contest that will live on in boxing history.

Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives.

Next up is fighters of the decade – and if you even think about arguing that the decade doesn't really end until next year then we're going to send Pacman 'round to have some harsh words. Watch out.

5. Juan Manuel Marquez

Marquez has put together a spectacular decade, racking up 20 victories while operating mainly at the elite world level.

His only defeats have come against Chris John in Indonesia, Manny Pacquiao and a much bigger Floyd Mayweather, with the Pacquiao defeat subject to a contentious points decision.

He also fought to a draw with Pacquiao in their classic 2004 encounter and has been a regular presence near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.

4. Bernard Hopkins

It is amazing to consider that 10 years ago Hopkins was already considered to be in the twilight of his career.

Years of successfully defending his IBF middleweight title had not garnered him widespread recognition – but that all changed in September 2001 when he cut down Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden to become the undisputed champion.

His middleweight reign, which included a spectacular body-shot knockout of Oscar De La Hoya, was brought to an end by two defeats to Jermain Taylor, but even into his 40s Hopkins was far from finished, punishing then-rising star Kelly Pavlik with a superb display in 2008.

3. Joe Calzaghe

Calzaghe came into the 2000s already a champion as holder of the WBO super middleweight title, and he continued his dominance before retiring undefeated at the end of 2008.

His last three fights were the ones that defined his career – a unification bout with Mikkel Kessler, and trips to America to beat Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Calzaghe's conditioning and work ethic were second to none, although he was criticized in some quarters for not testing himself in the States earlier in his career.

2. Manny Pacquiao

Just a few months before the turn of the decade, Pacquiao was fighting at 112 lbs and the boxing world could not imagine the future impact he would have on the sport.

He has risen through the divisions to win officially sanctioned belts in five divisions while being considered champion in seven, and elevated himself to the level of genuine superstar by trouncing Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao drew with Agapito Sanchez in 2001, with Marquez in 2004 and lost a tight decision to Erik Morales in 2005. Apart from those setbacks, he has put together a perfect decade. No man has had a greater impact on boxing in the past two years.

1. Floyd Mayweather

No fighter has owned the 2000s like the Pretty Boy, whose sublime boxing skills have protected his perfect record and established him as the sport's leading star.

That status has come under threat thanks to the emergence of Pacquiao, and a 2010 bout between those two could be one for the ages.

Mayweather announced his retirement after beating Ricky Hatton in December 2007, but that was short-lived and he is back to cement his legacy.

Criticism that he has failed to fight the best out there persists, yet no one can question Mayweather's ability, with exceptional defense and phenomenal hand speed.

Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives.

First up is upsets of the decade – and if you even think about arguing that the decade doesn't really end until next year then we're going to send Corrie Sanders 'round to have some harsh words. Now you're scared.

5. Danny Williams beats Mike Tyson

Tyson already was well past his prime by the time he took on British journeyman Williams in Kentucky in July 2004. Even so, "Iron Mike" had dispatched Clifford Etienne inside a round in his previous contest and was expected to have little trouble in disposing of Williams in similarly quick time.

It was even suggested that a Tyson victory could put him back in the title picture following Lennox Lewis' retirement. However, Williams silenced that talk with a fierce flurry toward the end of the 4th, to which Tyson had no answer and was counted out.

4. Glen Johnson beats Roy Jones Jr.

Jones was still one of boxing's biggest stars when he took on Johnson in Memphis in September 2004, despite having being knocked out by Antonio Tarver four months earlier.

His bout with Johnson, who was 35 and had lost nine times, was supposed to get his career back on track – but instead ended with him flat on his back once more. A huge right hand from Johnson put Jones out cold in the 9th, and Jones hasn't been the same since.

3. Corrie Sanders beats Wladimir Klitschko

The younger of the Klitschko brothers was unbeaten in five years and was defending his WBO heavyweight title for the sixth time when he faced South African southpaw Sanders in Hannover, Germany, in 2003.

Klitschko was an overwhelming favorite but got tagged by a big left hand in the first round and never recovered. Big Wlad went down twice in the opener before being saved by the bell, but the Sanders assault continued and he finished it off less than 30 seconds into Round 2.

2. Bernard Hopkins beats Felix Trinidad

Few gave Hopkins a chance against Puerto Rican superstar Trinidad, who was 40-0 going into the final of Don King's 2001 middleweight unification tournament. Hopkins taunted Trinidad mercilessly before the fight, and even placed a $100,000 wager on himself to emerge victorious.

Once the contest started, Hopkins swiftly assumed control, fighting brilliantly on the outside and never giving Trinidad a chance to settle. He was at least five points up on each scorecard going into the final round, but capped it off in style by knocking Trinidad out midway through the 12th.

1. Hasim Rahman beats Lennox Lewis 

Lewis was the dominant heavyweight on the planet when he took on unheralded Rahman in South Africa in 2001. Even though the Brit had spent some of his precious training time filming on the set of "Ocean's Eleven," it was expected that he would be too big and too strong for Rahman.

But Lewis looked jaded and sluggish in the ring and was never able to generate any serious momentum. Even so, the fight was still even until the fifth round, when Rahman sent Lewis crashing to the canvas with a monstrous right hand that turned the heavyweight division on its head.

Comparisons were immediately drawn between this fight and Mike Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas. It might not be as big an upset, but it's the biggest one of this decade.

Monte Poole from The Modesto Bee says Ward is beyond perfect for the role of American boxing hero:

Ward is a man of virtue and good nature - but a cobra in the ring. Moreover, he is the kind of flag-carrier boxing today needs - not as abrasive as Bernard Hopkins, not as brazenly vain as Floyd Mayweather, not as earnestly glib as Oscar De La Hoya and certainly not as menacing as Mike Tyson.

Ward, now the WBA super middleweight champ, dominated Kessler from the get-go. He was too fast and crafty for the Danish veteran. Surviving the rough streets of Oakland, Ward is deeply spiritual:

Mostly, though, Ward fights for his faith, as indicated by his nickname "S. O. G.," son of God, and the robe he wore entering the ring, white with the words "Jesus Christ is King" inscribed in red on the back.

"I feel like I'm here to make my mark, to use the stage as a platform to glorify Him," Ward said. "Nothing is impossible with God on your side. Nothing."

Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) will fight Jermain Taylor next in The Super Six. Promoter Dan Goosen said it could Oakland again in March.

(Even Kessler can't figure out where JaMarcus Russell is throwing the ball)

Mikkel Kessler got his wish. The Dane voiced concerns earlier in the week that there were too many Californians involved in judging and officiating his fight against Andre Ward tomorrow night in Oakland. According to the Oakland Tribune, the California State Athletic Commission acquiesced and replaced one of the Californians with Swedish judge Mikael Hook. California's Steve Morrow is still judging the fight and the referee is California-based Jack Reiss. The other judge is South African Stanley Christodoulou.

The WBA was talking about not sanctioning the super-middleweight title bout if the situation wasn't addressed. On Thursday, The Copenhagen Post wrote that the decked was stacked against Kessler (42-1, 32 KO's) and Ward (20-0, ) was going to get "home cooking." Kessler's management also complained that Reiss was a bad choice:

Wilfried Sauerland, owner of Team Sauerland, told Sporten.dk."‘They’ve also picked a referee who’s never worked a fight at this level."

If Kessler beats Ward, he'll fight Carl Froch next to unify the WBA and WBC 168-pound straps. After that, the 30-year-old Kessler fights Jermaine Taylor. 

It's been a banner year for boxing at least on the blockbuster fight/pay-per-view front. HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet predicted just before the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight that 2009 would be the first year where two fight cards would exceed the 1 million buy threshhold. He was right. Pacman's win turned in 1.25 million buys domestically. Who knows how viewers that really means. Worldwide it may have been in excess of 10 million. HBO reported that in Puerto Rico alone, there were 110,000 buys made. The fight was broadcasted across the Philippines for free. 

Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole spoke with HBO's Ross Greenburg and Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum about boxing's latest home run and what could be coming in 2010. 

If you missed the fight, the replay is tomorrow night on HBO at 10 p.m. ET/PT

Those of us who enjoyed Manny Pacquiao's victory on Saturday night over Miguel Cotto have no idea of the impact the Filipino has back home as he continues to climb the ladder of boxing history.

Pacquiao's win was also a nice pick up after horrible months of typhoons that killed 1,128:

"This is a glorious day for the Philippines especially after the typhoons," Tondo district chief Marcel de Asis.

Cerge Remonde, President Gloria Arroyo’s spokesman said, "Once again, Filipino grit and determination triumphed over great odds. The President joins the entire nation in rejoicing over the unprecedented victory of Manny Pacquiao over Miguel Cotto."

The Manila Times reports today that jailhouses were quiet and the Islamic revolution front took a day to rest, in order to watch Pacquiao fight on Sunday afternoon in the Philippines.

In strife-storn Mindanao, the military silenced its guns against al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants to watch from the trenches.

“In the [southern Philippine] headquarters, we set up a big screen for our soldiers to support our icon,” regional chief Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said. “The ground units also had their satellite feed to boost troop morale.”

A spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighting since 1978 watched Pacquiao's fight on television as it's entering peace talks with Manila.

Pacman (50-3-2, 38 KO's) put Cotto on the floor twice, in the third and fourth rounds. Pacquiao's greatness is clear in the fact that it was a short right that produced the first knockdown and a left uppercut that put him on the deck in the fourth.

Cotto had little left by the eighth. His wife Melissa, left the arena with her son after the 10th. Cotto's father begged for a stoppage after the 11th but was overrules by the corner. They couldn't overrule referee Kenny Bayless who saved Cotto in the final stanza.

Pacman outlanded Cotto 336-172 and nailed him with 43-percent of his punches. Over 270 of those punches were to head and 276 were power shots. He landed those with a 49-percent accuracy rate.

Cotto did land some big shots on Pacquiao but the Filipino withstood all of them. He did have some bruising and small cuts under both eyes.

Pacquiao wouldn't say in the ring if he wanted Floyd Mayweather Jr. next. His trainer Freddie Roach didn't hold back saying that's the fight he wants.

Chavez Jr. (41-0-1, 30 KOs) was fighting for the first time at 160 pounds. He threw the harder punches but still lacked the zip to ever hurt the 34-year-old journeyman Rowland. 

It's mystifying that Top Rank would put this fight as the lead-in to Cotto-Pacquaio with 16,000-plus folks in attendance and probably 5-6 million watching worldwide.

There is talk of Chavez Jr. being matched next against Irishman John Duddy. Let's hope it happens, so we can see if the kid can actually fight.

He's a rabbi-in-training, so Yuri Foreman made for a nice storyline coming into his junior middleweight title shot against Daniel Santos. Most critics concentrated on the fact that Foreman, 29, only had eight knockouts in 27 fights. No punching power, meant no real threat to the veteran Santos. Foreman showed he could be a rough, tough customer. He often charged with his head which resulted in several headbutts and was credited with a knockdown in the second when he slugged Santos in the back of the head. He got a more legitimate knockdown in the 12th to seal the deal.

Foreman became the first Orthodox Jewish boxing world champ in more than 70 years. Jackie "Kid" Berg, a junior welterweight from London, was the last, in 1932.

With a better connect rate throughout, it was more than enough for Foreman to get his first world title via unanimous decision 116-110, 117-109 and 117-109.

Foreman was the slicker fighter throughout. His jab, fighting out of a southpaw stance, puffed up Santos below his right eye. Santos eventually suffered a cut on the edge of the eye in the eleventh round.

Foreman suffered a cut over left eye early in the fight but his corner did a nice job of managing the wound.

The Puerto Rican looked sluggish at times. Maybe it was the big weight gain after Friday's weigh-in. Foreman was 161 pounds tonight, while Santos was 173. Foreman pointed out during the postfight press conference that he noticed how big Santos looked at the start of the figt.

Foreman outlanded Santos 146-105 and connected at higher percentage (29-24).

Foreman's story can be best described as the American dream. Born into poverty in Belarus, he moved to Israel as a child and then New York as a 19-year-old. Five years ago, he began studying to be a rabbi on the advice of his girlfriend, who is also a professional boxer and model.

Soto-Karass really lost the fight in the third and fourth, when he was penalized a point in each stanza for repeated low blows. If he hadn't lost those poiints it would've been a majority draw. It was the third straight win for Gomez, who's hoping to get another welterweight title shot. He lost his first shot against Miguel Cotto back in 2008.

Middleweight Matt Korobov, the best fighter on the non-televised undercard, steamrolled James Winchester. Winchester didn't have a chance with his less-than-skilled approach. The Russian mauled Winchester to the body. The judges couldn't find a round to give Winchester. All three had it 60-54 for Korobov (8-0, 6 KO's) 

Korobov probably wanted a night like Eden Sonsona. Sonsona scored a knockdown in the first with a great left against Eilon Kedem. Kedem escaped the first but last only 17 seconds in the second round before the fight ended on a knockout by Sonsona (14-3, 4 KO's).

In fight No. 2 it was a Filipino prospect's turn to shine. Richie Mepranum didn't blow out Ernest Marquez but he did enough to his junior lightweight bout via split decision (58-55, 57-56, 56-57). It's surprising the gap wasn't bigger after Mepranum floored Marquez in the second with a nice left. Mepranum (15-2-1, 3 KOs) gassed a bit in the final three rounds allowing Marquez (9-6-2, 3 KO's) to narrow the score.  

Abner Cotto won the opening bout of the evening. Miguel Cotto's younger cousin, Cotto was simply the better boxer against Gudalupe Guzman (3-5, 3 KO's). He got the unanimous decision (60-54, 60-54, 59-55) in a six rounder. Cotto is 5-0 to start his career.   

First things first, Pacquiao needs to beat Miguel Cotto. If he does, Steve Carp from the Las Vegas Review-Journal said initial conversations for a 2010 megafight could start as early as Monday. Arum will ask Schaefer to reach out to Team Mayweather:

"I have tremendous respect for Richard," Arum said. "We give each other our word, and we can make a deal or we could not make a deal in two hours."

Schaefer will have to take the lead because Arum can't stand Mayweather managers Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe:

"I don't know," he said. "Nobody is going to sit around and wait for Mayweather and take his abuse. If Mayweather wants to fight Pacquiao if Manny wins and (Mayweather) is sensible about it, why not?"

Schaefer said it all comes down on how the purse money is split. If Pacman crushes Cotto, he's certainly entitled to something in excess of 50-percent. Can Mayweather and his boys deal with being on the short side? 

Surprisingly, Pacquiao was the most pessimistic person quoted in Carp's story:

"I don't think it's going to happen. I'm sure (Mayweather) doesn't want to fight. Boxing for him is like a business. He doesn't care about the people around him watching. He doesn't care if the fight is boring, as long as the fight is finished and he gets his money."

Pacman said it should be about the fans:

"I want people to be happy when I fight. You have a big responsibility as a boxer."

After 21 months away from the ring, Mayweather won a comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19.

Yuri Foreman takes a big leap of faith when he enters the ring on Saturday night against junior middleweight champ Daniel Santos. But the 29-year-old Belarussian will go into the squared circle with peace of mind because this isn't a make or break situation. If the boxing thing doesn't produce titles and big paychecks, he's already working on his future. Foreman is training to be a rabbi.

Foreman, born in Belarus, he moved to Israel as a child and eventually made his to New York in 1999 where his wife, Leyla Leidecker, convinced him to study the Torah with a Brooklyn rabbi named DovBer Pinson.

It's never been easy for Foreman, who lived through a dangerous childhood according to the New York Times:

His early memories are trailing his mother with a knife tucked in his waistband as she walked through Gomel for fear that she might be kidnapped. The blade of the knife was so big (“like Crocodile Dundee,” he said) that it pricked his knee as he shadowed her. When he was 5, thugs forced his mother into a car and she was missing for days. 

He even felt threatened when making the simple move of switching trainers. His first trainer Michael Kozlowski, didn't deal with things gracefully:

The split was messy. Foreman said he was visited by a masked gunman who delivered a package. Inside was a bullet. Foreman alerted his promoter, who hired a private investigator, and Kozlowksi said he was visited by F.B.I. agents. The pupil and the coach still train in the same gym, but do not speak to each other.

As far as his upside in the ring, the opinions are mixed. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is a big fan. More objective sources don't seem so bullish.

Josh Alper from NBCNewYork.com suggests the Rabbi training may not be the best thing mentally for Foreman's boxing career:

Foreman isn't only training to be a rabbi, he fights like one. Rabbis try to stay above the fray so they can analyze situations with a clear head and open heart, and Foreman acts the same way in the ring. He tries to stay out of the fray, picking his spots with the care that one might use when discussing existential questions of life and rarely throwing himself into fights with abandon. His punches lack the impact of a deeply felt sermon, however, which, along with his generally intellectual approach to pugilism, is why many think his career will stall now that he's reached the highest rungs of the boxing world.

The Times writes the same thing:

Santos, 34, has more experience, against better fighters. He has knockout power in both hands. And, most critical, he is a left-hander. Foreman, 29, has not boxed a left-hander as a professional. Nor has he shown a willingness to use his power: his last knockout came three years ago.

Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler echoes those sentiments: 

"I’m not saying he’s a pacifist, but he fights like one. You can’t be content to win the rounds in a title fight. It could be your only chance. It is the moment, and in the moment, you have to be willing to take guys out"

Foreman (27-0, 8 KO's) versus Santos (32-3-1, 23 KO's) is part of the pay-per-view undercard. According to the New York Daily News, if Foreman, who is Orthodox, beats Santos, who hasn't fought in 16 months, he will become the first Orthodox Jewish boxing world champ in more than 70 years. Jackie (Kid) Berg, a junior welterweight from London, was the last, in 1932.

Watch Arum and Foreman at the Undercard Press Conference:

(BHop and Calzaghe finally agree on something)

You know you have a great fight on the way when guys who have stepped in between the ropes have varying opinion on who will pull out a mega-fight. The fellas who have laced them usually give the fans and media a dose of reality. In the case of Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquaio, it's a tough call. Jeff Haney from the Las Vegas Sun did a great job polling some of boxing's biggest names.

George Foreman picks Cotto. He liked what he saw out of the Puerto Rican post-Antonio Margarito. Cotto is a smarter fighter now:

"I think there would have been a good opportunity for Pacquiao to win if he faced Cotto before he fought (Joshua) Clottey, but now Cotto is thinking defense. I think Cotto is going to pull out a decision, and now because of the terrible beating he took against (Antonio) Margarito, he knows he can't get into a knockdown, drag-out brawl. He's going to be smarter, and I think Cotto wins in a 12-round decision."

Hector Camacho says Cotto is not a smart fighter:

"I'm a Puerto Rican like Cotto, but I like Pacquiao because he has fought better guys, like (Oscar) De La Hoya. I see him having no problem against Cotto. Cotto is not a smart fighter, he boxes, and he's shown his colors already. He can be beat. So can Pacquiao, but I like Pacquiao. He has an unorthodox style, with punches coming from all over. Cotto tries to box. I see Pacquiao possibly stopping him. Pacquiao's on a roll, he has the confidence, and he has the boxing momentum. I see him winning."

Joe Calzaghe disliked what he saw from Cotto versus Clottey:

"I think Manny Pacquiao is going to be too quick for Cotto. I was ringside when Cotto fought Clottey. He seemed to struggle a bit in that fight and it is hard to say what he will do against a faster, quicker Pacquiao. I know people say Cotto is the bigger guy but I still think Pacquiao beats him in a decision."

Bernard Hopkins agrees with "Super Joe" saying Pacman is from another planet: 

"Pacquiao is going to chop Cotto up. Out of respect, Cotto will get some rounds, but Manny is the Bruce Lee of boxing. His basketball and martial arts background give him that speed and agility. You can't tell where his shots are coming from. Unlike Rocky, Bruce Lee was a real dude and so is Manny." 

It's interesting to see the fighters split down the middle on a fight featuring huge favorite odds on Pacquiao at minus-300.

If Manny Pacquiao suffers a vicious cut in this weekend's fight he may look longingly towards the Miguel Cotto corner. No Pacman won't be begging for mercy but he may wish that trainer Freddie Roach kept his old buddy Joe Chavez around. It's not quite Floyd Mayweather Jr. switching camps but it is significant that the cutman, who has worked often with Roach's fighters is going to help Cotto in this fight.

He was a miracle worker for Cotto, when he suffered a huge gash over his left eye during a summer fight with Joshua Clottey. Cotto wasted no time is locking up Chavez for this fight.

"[Chavez] was very important to me in my win over Clottey," Cotto told Steve Carp from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He did a great job with my cuts in that fight, and that's why I wanted to bring him back for this fight."

Chavez is calm under the gun:

"I'm so comfortable when I'm working in the corner," Chavez said. "In that fight, my total focus was making sure I stopped the bleeding and kept the doctor from stopping the fight."

But before Chavez signed on for another assignment, he asked Roach if it was okay.

"Joe's a close friend, and it was a chance for him to make some money," said Roach. "Cotto's going to have one of the best cut men in the world working for him."

Let's hope Chavez's work isn't needed and both fighters get to perform without the distaction of a nasty cut. If there is one, we know from prior experience that Cotto is in good hands. 

Every fighter reacts differently to that first knockout or whipping in the ring. No one knows that better than Manny Pacquaio and his trainer Freddie Roach. Most people are familiar with the unstoppable version of Pacman. A Filipino force, who is 34-1 with 27 knockouts since 2004. But there was a time Pacquaio had to deal with big KO losses (1996 by Rustico Torrecampo and 1999 by Medgoen Singsurat) Those were crossroads moments for Pacquiao:

"After the (Singsurat) fight I was thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to stop boxing because maybe boxing doesn’t like me,’" Pacquiao told the Las Vegas Sun. “But then I started thinking to use them to focus harder for my next fights."

Roach says his fighter is fine but won't say the same about Miguel Cotto, who suffered his first knockout loss less than 17 months ago. Cotto took a lot of shots during that 2008 fight with Antonio Margarito. Sure it appears Margarito may have had loaded gloves for that fight but it doesn't lessen the mental effect on Cotto according to Roach:

“It doesn’t matter if Margarito did it in that fight or not, a fighter is still not the same following a knockout like that."

He said the only thing that can heal the mental damage is time. Roach thought Cotto looked like a different in his close win this summer against Joshua Clottey. Many more folks would probably say Cotto showed awesome mental toughness when overcame an early cut to post a great comeback victory.

Echevarria got a tip that Tyson, traveling with his wife and 10-month-old child, was arriving at LAX from London. Echevarria followed Tyson, who arrived 30 minutes late, from the international terminal as he made his way to Terminal 7. Echevarria said Tyson was cordial and cooperative until he got agitated while looking for a bathroom. That's when the 43-year-old former champ allegedly lost it grabbing Echevarria by his camera bag strap and striking him:

"I found myself in the street and he was hitting me with fists in the head. People came and got him off me. They basically saved my life."

Echevarria said he needed five stitches to close wounds on the back of his head and forehead:

"He was hitting me, there was just blood everywhere. It was like a water valve," Echevarria said he was struck with four punches that he knew of. Airport police spokesman Jim Holcomb said the photographer told police he was struck once. "When the blood is just gushing around you lose count."

Echevarria still appeared to be shaken during his sitdown with the gossip site:

"It's traumatizing. When you're being hit by Mike Tyson, it's really the worst thing in the world that you can imagine. He claimed that I elbowed him. He claimed that I was aggressive. I'm not an aggressive paparazzi."

That's not the story from Tyson's side.

"Mike acted in self defense as a father protecting his child," said Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook.

Holcomb said witnesses on the scene supported both stories.

Echevarria told TMZ that his new $5,000 camera was destroyed and the remains, including the videotape, are now in police possession.

It was odd to hear Manny Pacquiao called the challenger during Wednesday's final prefight press conference in the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Miguel Cotto is putting his WBO welterweight belt on the line which means Pacquiao has a chance to win an unprecedented seventh world title in a seventh weight class. Keep in mind that mark is a bit watered down because there's a ton of sanctioning bodies labeling folks world champs but it's still incredible considering the former 112-pound champ is shooting for a 147-pound title on Saturday. Pacman (49-3-2, 37 KOs) is currently the IBO super lightweight champ.

''If I win this fight, it will be history for boxing and for the Philippines,'' Pacquiao said. ''Now to be welterweight, I can't believe it. 'I just thank God every day for what he gave to me.''

His promoter Bob Arum is still amazed by his fighters' growth:

"We are watching a phenomenon unfold before our eyes. I have not, in my 45 or 46 years in boxing, seen anything like this. This should have never happened."

The fighters have agreed on a catch weight of 145 pounds but Arum says Pacman is defying logic at 39 pounds heavier from his original professional fighting weight back in 1995:

"Manny seems to be punching harder now. People have been asking if he’ll lose his speed as he goes heavier, but Manny seems to be faster now."

Cotto is Pacman's biggest test yet. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican is not in twilight of his career like Oscar De La Hoya was when he faced the Filipino. Cotto's also been in there with legitimate, hard-hitting 147-pounders like Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley. Pacquaio may be the faster fighter but we find out in two days if he can take a real welterweight punch.

"‘I was very hurt and depressed after that (Margarito) fight. Then I redid my team. Now, I’m with the people I wanted. Sometimes you win by losing," told Jerry Izenberg from the Star-Ledger.

Cotto had wanted his second in charge, Joe Santiago to take things over. The loss allowed him to jettison his uncle and original trainer Evangelista Cotto. The fighter and trainer were often at odds about where to train. Cotto was tired of the hoopla of training in Puerto Rico. For his uncle, it was more about convenience:{YSP: MORE}

"‘The best thing we did was to go to Tampa to train for this fight," said Santiago. "The training went perfectly. If he had stayed in Puerto Rico, the distractions would have been even more than in the past because this is Pacquiao. We know fans are excited. And we know they don’t understand he needs his time even more for this one because of what beating Pacquiao means to him. They would have been all over him and what would we have gotten done? Too much adoration gets in the way of a fighter in training. They can love you to death.’’

Cotto first trained in Tampa before his Fight of the Year candidate brawl against Joshua Clottey and he did the same for this fight. 

As his fight against Manny Pacquiao approaches, Miguel Cotto is the side dish so far in Las Vegas. That's for the fans, media and even his own promoter. Cotto arrived at the MGM Grand in Sin City to a lot less fanfare compared to his opponent. Conspicuously absent was his promoter Bob Arum, who is seen in this Pacman arrival video smiling from ear-to-ear.

One has to wonder what Arum's relationship with Cotto and his camp is considering Pacman is the focus of his attention this week. Plus there was the interesting way Arum backed Antonio Margarito around the time when he was nailed for cheating wiith concrete fists before the Shane Mosley fight. It's hard find anyone who believes that Margarito didn't do the same thing before he severely beat up Cotto in their July of 2008 fight.

Arum did turn on the charm during today's prefight press conference stating that Cotto may not be the main attraction but he's one of two great fighters who'll be in the ring on Saturday night. He said the enormity of promotion was not possible without the the prefight efforts of Cotto at various locations around the world. 

Manny Pacquiao may be able to whip Oscar De La Hoya any day of the week but "The Golden Boy" is the Pavarotti of boxing compared to the Pacman. Manny decided to sing during his appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. One can only imagine what American Idol's Simon Cowell would've said if he were on set. For 70's cheeseballs, Manny's choice of "Sometimes When We Touch" by Dan Hill was a nice touch.  

It wasn't the worst public performance by a celebrity. That bar was set beyond reach by Carl Lewis and Roseanne Barr. But we're calling bull if Pacman releases an album in the future that sounds great. Can we say digitally altered?

Imagine if George Steinbrenner owned the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies? Impossible, right? Somehow it is in boxing. Promoter Bob Arum directs the careers of both fighters in Saturday's main event at the MGM in Las Vegas. Arum is the longtime promoter of Manny Pacquaio and Miguel Cotto. He'll have that Steinbrenner-like glow at the postfight press conference in either case. During the prefight he gets to sit back a little not having to pitch the fight by talking about how his guy is going to crush the opponent:

"Anybody who tells you now that they know for sure how it's gonna end up, is not telling the truth," Arum told the Manila Bulletin. "The reason this fight is creating so much attention is because of the fact that people who know boxing are baffled as to how this fight is going to turn out."

I think Arum means "anybody [not involved in the promotion] who tells you ..." We can all certainly make a prediction on the fight. That said, Arum won't: 

"I know how the fight is going to start and the question is can Miguel handle Manny’s speed early on and can Manny handle Miguel’s power early on?" said Arum. "They’re gonna both be aggressive in the beginning. If that doesn’t work for either of them, then you’ll see Miguel resorting to be a counter-puncher and Manny going on the attack." 

Ultimately the guess here is that Arum would love to see Pacquiao win and continue to solidify his reputation as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter. That could potentially lure Floyd Mayweather Jr. into accepting a Pacman fight in 2010 at less than 50-50 terms.

On the surface, you can't make a better impression than Arthur Abraham did with his knockout win over Jermain Taylor to kickoff Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament. Abraham finished Taylor with that 12th KO with less than 20 seconds left in the fight. The Armenian's straight right was so effective that it knocked Taylor stiff. When Taylor hit the mat, his head bounced violently against the canvas. He was admitted to a Berlin hospital with a concussion.

In the tournament's format, Abraham picked up three points, but does it mean he should be a heavy favorite? I beg to differ on that one. Viewers of the Abraham-Taylor fight got cheated a bit by Showtime. Without Compubox stats and listening to the slanted call from Steve Albert, you would've thought Abraham was leading 11-0 entering the 12th round. Far from it. Abraham was virtually inactive in six rounds. Sure the scorecards had Abraham leading handily (105-103, 107-103, 106-102) entering the final round but it could've been a different story if the American wasn't dealing with a homefield advantage. Showtime did a good job in the prefight of warning the audience about Abraham's propensity to beg for low blow calls. His wish was granted early in the fight when referee Guido Cavalleri called a couple on Taylor. It took a lot of the steam out of Taylor's efforts to lower Abraham's hands by going to the body. Without a ringside judge of its own on the scene, Showtime didn't have an objective voice on what the score really was entering the final round. There's no way with the Abraham's low punch output in half of the rounds, that he was leading that fight 9-3 as one judge had it. 

Even with a low punch output, Abraham also looked a bit winded in rounds 9-through-11. Abraham did a get a big win but he'll have to step things up to win the Super Six. If he fights in front of judges who favor volume over power, he may have trouble beating a guy like Andre Dirrell. Abraham faces Dirrell in Round two and said he's ready to take America. Be careful what you wish for. The next time around, on a level playing field, the story may be different.  

"If anyone resorts to force, then I'll resort to force too," the World Boxing Council heavyweight title holder threatened, as a scuffle broke out.

Klitschko, 38, was angered by the session's inability to approve a land redistribution. Klitschko and his allies tried to bring a halt to the proceedings.

"I didn't hit anyone, I just tried to push a few people away," he told television channel 1+1 afterwards. He added that a real fight, "could have led to certain lawmakers being admitted to hospital."

Klitschko, who has a doctorate in Sports Science, has twice run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Kiev. Klitschko and his brother, Wladimir have always been active on the Ukranian political scene. Back in 2004, Wladimir, the WBO and IBF heavyweight champ, led a protest 10,000 strong in Kiev.

Sure, Lewis was a better overall fighter than Klitschko, but there was always a healthy dollop of vulnerability. We saw early on that his chin could be reached, and that threat never really left, even against someone like Shannon Briggs. The Canadian also compounded matters by not always showing up in top-notch shape.

Klitschko gave Lewis a run for his money but in the end an old Lewis shredded the Russian's face and forced a stoppage. In general, he put his punches together much better. And most importantly, Lewis (38-2, 37 KOs) faced much better competition than Klitschko. "Dr. Ironfist" is a solid fighter and his defensive abilities defy logic, but let's not gloss over the fact that this rebirth at 38 has come against Chris Arreola, Juan Carlos Gomez and Sam Peter.

While we're at it, is 38-year-old Vitali even the best Klitschko? Iorfida says so:

Yes, younger brother Wladimir is also a heavyweight titleholder with several defences under his belt, but he's been knocked out twice and doesn't have the "It" factor Vitali does. Wladimir has scored some great KOs, but too often his game plan is mechanical.

Iorfida also says the heavyweight picture is better now than it was five years ago. That's a tough call to make especially since it looks like both Klitschkos have run out of worthy opponents. The good news is Oliver McCall is fighting Lance Whitaker next month in Las Vegas. Kidding. It's no knock on the Klitschkos. They may be all-timers for all we know, it's just tough to gauge what they've done considering the competition.

Cris Arreola broke down in the ring after the fight. He cried uncontrollably after not being able to catch a Vitali Klitschko, 6-foot-7, 252-pound heavyweight for 10 rounds. Klitschko, with his hands down for most of the fight, put on a show nailing Arreola throughout with six and seven unanswered punches at a time. By the end of the tenth, the big Russian was leading 10-0 and 9-1 on most cards, and had outlanded Arreola 301-86. Arreola's trainer Henry Ramirez told referee John Schorle that was it. Klitschko, 38, retains his WBC heavyweight title with a thudding technical knockout victory over Arreola at Staples Center.

"He was taking too much punishment," Ramirez told the L.A. Times. "Arreola was irate. It was not an easy decision, but we had discussed it, and I had to do it."

Arreola, weeping for minutes after the fight, could barely pull it together to speak with HBO announcer Larry Merchant:

"I couldn't get to him," said a sniffling Arreola (27-1, 24 KOs). "He ran when he was supposed to. Whatever I did he found a way to counteract that."

Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) was super confident from the start holding his left hand by his side. Arreola stood in front of the big guy the entire fight and got nailed by three and four-punch combinations. When it wasn't three or four punches, Klitschko was masterful pcking apart Arreola with two-punch combos and then sliding to his left or right. Arreola couldn't pull the trigger after getting drilled or would simply swing and miss.

"I don't know [what happened] man. I worked my ass off. [Expletive]!," said Arreola. "Vitali is a strong [expletive]. He hit hit hard."

The 28-year-old from just outside L.A., in Riverside, was distraught about the fact that his corner threw in the towel:

"That's never in me. I didn’t want to quit. I knew he was [expletive] me up. I'm sorry guys."

Schorle had no choice. By the middle of the fight, Klitschko's confidence soared as held both hands at his side and landed almost everything he threw. He mixed together clubbing lead left hooks, straight rights and wicked uppercuts to puff up Arreola's face.

Arreola's best rounds were No. 4 and 8. Yahoo! Sports' writers on the scene in Los Angeles, Kevin Iole and Martin Rogers, each had it 89-82 for Klitschko. I had it a clean sweep for Klitschko. Klitschko led 99-91 on the cards of Anek Hongtongkam and Ken Morita, and Guido Cavalieri had it 100-89.

The final punchstats illustrated just how dominant Klitschko was. He outlanded Arreola by 215 and threw 471 more shots. He also landed 151 power punches (53-percent) to just 24 for Arreola. "Dr. Ironfist" still looked very fresh even after throwing 802 punches.

It's difficult to see what's on the horizon for Vitali and his brother Wladimir (53-3, 47 KOs), who holds the other major heavyweight titles. The brothers have been resistant to the talk that they fight each other. Who else is out there? Arreola may have been the last American heavyweight for a while who can challenge the massive Russians. 

He's a mean looking dude but Cris Arreola has a soft side and a good sense of humor. That said, he should've let poor Dan Goossen in on the joke at yesterday's weigh-in for his fight against Vitali Klitschko. Arreola is always fighting the battle of the bulge. So when he chose to step on the scale in front of Staples Center with his shirt on, first thought had to be, "did this guy train at all?" Then Michael Buffer announced, "272 pounds!" It appeared that Goosen was freaking out that the scale was malfunctioning:

"Everybody keeps bitching about the weight. That's the first question. I [said] I'm going to run with this and put the weight vest on (2:04 mark)," Arreola told Elie Seckbach from AOL Fanhouse. "And make them all believe that 'damn, this is a fat [expletive],' but I'm not."

Arreola removed the vest and weighed in at a trimmer 251 pounds. He averaged roughly 256 for his last three fights up from the 230's he fought at back in 2007. Arreola challenges for Klitschko's WBC heavyweight title tomorrow night Los Angeles.

The one million buy total represents the highest performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009 and generated $52 million in pay-per-view revenue. The million buys include 525,000 from cable homes and 475,000 from satellite homes. It is only the fifth time in boxing pay-per-view history that a non-heavyweight event has attained the one million buy mark. [Mayweather] has now participated in two events that have reached the one million buy mark.  

HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet was fired up:

"Sept. 19 was an event that connected with sports fans across the country. Floyd Mayweather has clearly reinforced his standing as a top attraction and fans are excited about his return to the sport."

Yahoo! Sports Kevin Iole told Cagewriter that his sources said UFC 103 finished in the 450,000 range. The UFC does not release its PPV buy statistics.

Make sure you tune in on Thursday night, when Yahoo! Sports, The Ring and Versus team up to give you a free night of live-streamed pro boxing action from Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The live stream starts at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Fight Night Club is your chance to check out some of boxing's most promising up-and-comers before they become stars. Thursday night's main event is a six-round bantamweight contest featuring unbeaten Charles Huerta against Derrick Wilson. Four other matches will also be broadcast.

So make sure you stop by Thursday night and check out the fights. Follow all the action via the live stream from L.A.

On Thursday, Yahoo! Sports teams up with Versus and The Ring magazine to present a live stream of the Fight Night club event at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Bell time is 9 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. Pacific.

The card features a co-main main event. In a junior lightweight showdown, David Rodela (12-1-3, 6 KOs) meets Juan Garcia (14-2, 5KOs). And at featherweight Charles Huerta (10-0, 5 KOs) meets Noe Lopez Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs).

And you don't have to pay a dime. So be sure to tune in to Yahoo! Sports and The Ring magazine on Thursday to watch the fights.

"He's taking his time. He is single minded, stubborn if you like, and once he makes up his mind that will be it. We will respect that decision and knowing him it will be final and certainly he won't be a Frank Sinatra, forever making comebacks."

The older Hatton says there's no need rush into the second phase of life at such a young age:

"This is one big decision for a 30-year-old. It's not like old Father Time is catching up on him. It's the biggest decision of his career, even of his life, and he's got to get it right."

Hatton's legacy is at stake if he walks away off a defeat where he was last seen laid out:

"The defeat is still very painful for him even now. He knows he was reckless and his game plan went out of the window. A lot of people who know him well are thinking they can't see him going out and ending his career on the back of that sort of defeat. Some genuine experts and people who know him best reckon he won't want to be remembered flat on his back."

The Manchester Evening News also confirms a story first reported by the Yahoo! Boxing Blog, that Hatton's co-trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. showed up late on fight night.  Mayweather blames the loss on Hatton listening to others and not him exclusively during training.

Michael Katsidis has been mentioned as an opponent for what could be a farewell fight later this year. The Hattons are busy this evening opening a huge fitness center in Manchester.

Manny Pacquiao may not be boxing's best pitchman but his trainer is certainly making up for it. Freddie Roach has taken on the role of trash-talker extraordinaire. Roach isn't happy that the upcoming Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez fight is simply being dubbed "No. 1":

"They can call Mayweather-Marquez "No. 1" but it smells like No. 2," said Freddie Roach. "The fight stinks. Two counter-punchers waiting for the other one to make the first move is boring and proves nothing." 

Since the minute the Pacman-Ricky Hatton fight ended, Roach has been ripping the Mayweather comeback effort. He told ESPNRadio1100 that the fight will be terrible. He repeated recently that Mayweather is ducking Pacquiao:

"If Mayweather wanted to prove he was the best all he had to do was wait one day to see who won Pacquiao-Hatton before signing to fight Marquez.  You might as well rename him Fraud Mayweather, Jr.“

Marquez twice fought Pacquiao going 0-1-1. The WBA and WBO lightweight champ is fighting Mayweather at a catch-weight of 144 pounds.

"Bernard is full of [expletive]!"

That prompted Hopkins' camp member Malik Chambers to snap at Shaw during the press conference. Chambers took issue when Shaw said that Hopkins had offered Tomasz Adamek $300,000-$500,000 for a fight. Chambers told Shaw to mind his own business because it was really $1.2 million. For some reason, Hopkins also told ESPNRadio1100 that it $500,000 last week (3:05 mark). There seems to be some disconnect between Chambers and Hopkins or is it possible that in the week since the BHop interview, Adamek was offered $1.2 million?

Dawson told ESPNRadio1100 there haven't been any negotiations with the Hopkins camp (7:00 mark) so it seems a bit odd that Chambers would be yelling out, "get the money right!" during the press conference:

"There's not been one second of conversation. So how can he say it's a money issue? What he should say is, I'm going to have my representatives call Gary Shaw and work out a deal."

Watch Shaw talk about Dawson v. Hopkins with Yahoo!:

Shaw says he's not going to chase Hopkins. Fortunately for fight fans Dawson does have the option of going down to 168 pounds to take on Carl Froch or Mikkel Kessler. Is there any other fight we care about for Hopkins other than Dawson?  

There were plenty of negative cries about this rematch between Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver. Dawson did beat Tarver the first time around but it wasn't a walkover. There didn't have to be a rematch but it turned out to be a pretty good fight. The fans and the HBO broadcast team seemed to think it was a much closer fight than the judges who gave a unanimous decision to Chad Dawson 117-111 on two cards and 116-112 on the other card. The Yahoo! Boxing Blog scored it 115-113 but there were at least three difficult rounds to score. Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole had it 117-111 for Dawson.

Dawson retains his IBO light heavyweight title in front of 2,156 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas but sounded disappointed after the fight:

"I was a little bit out of my element. He came back strong in the middle rounds. He said he was going to push the pace. He came forward," said Dawson (28-0, 17 KOs). "He took me off my gameplan. He fought a heckuva fight. My hats off to him."

Dawson outlanded Tarver 209-121 and landed at a higher connect rate (31-percent to 16-percent). He also impressed the judges with his body punching, landing 62 shots to just 14 for Tarver.

Dawson's best rounds came in the sixth and seventh. His combinations of three or body punches followed by a big uppercut were impressive. He did the same in the ninth round to at least lock up a draw at that point in the fight.

Tarver trainer Buddy McGirt thought his fighter closed stronger:

"We thought it was a lot closer. We thought we won the last two or three rounds to pull out a draw."

The Yahoo! Boxing Blog had Tarver (27-6, 190 KOs) winning the final two rounds. Patricia Jarman and Duane Ford gave the final two rounds to Dawson while Alan Davis gave them to Tarver.

Dawson is looking to take a step to the next level and draw Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe into a fight. His gas tank was running on empty down the stretch and this decision on points and cleaner boxing may not be enough to woo one of the big names into a big money fight.

It was the third win of the year for Topou (17-0, 13 KOs), who was coming off a victory over the one and only Marcus Rhode.

Another unbeaten prospect, Ismayl Sillakh (8-0, 7 KOs) scored a sixth round KO (2:25) win against David Whittom )_in a light heavyweight fight.

Jose Guzman, 25, also remained unbeaten but it wasn't easy. Veteran Jose Lugo was outclassed but was able to sucker Guzman onto the ropes where he did some decent damage to the body, In the end, Guzman (7-0, 5 KOs) was simply too slick in the middle of the ring. He won a majority decision (59-55, 58-56, 57-57) over Lugo (10-8-1, 5 KOs).

Additional undercard results:

Melisa Hernandez (10-1-2, 3 KOs) defeated Jeri Sitzes (14-9-1, 6 KOs) via Unanimous decision (60-54, 59-55, 59-55)

Anna Donnatella Hultin (1-0, 1 KO) defeated Jasica Rojo (0-1) via fourth round KO, 1:08 - Jr. Lightweight

Said El Harrack (5-0, 2 KOs) defeated Hugo Correa (8-3, 4 KOs) via first round KO, 1:55 - Middleweight

Jose Pacheco (1-5-6) and Omar Valencia (0-3-1), Majority Draw (39-37, 39-32, 38-38) - Jr. Featherweight

Hopkins says he's ready to fight someone in September but the terms have to be right:

"I'm not waiting on nobody," Hopkins told Yahoo! Sports. "If it ain't set up by at least June or July, whoever it is, then it's a wrap. It's a done deal. What's the purpose? If a guy's 44 years old, they should be beating his door down."

Listen to Hopkins talk about Dawson and Adamek (2:45 mark):

Hopkins claims that Dawson wants a 50-50 split. Dawson told ESPNRadio1100 on Friday that's not the case:

"We haven't even talked about money. No one's even mentioned anything about money. Let's just fight man. Stop all the bullcrap. I go to the ratings, they have Bernard rated above me. He's one, I'm two. Don't you think one and two should fight? The money will be good for both of us. Let's just fight."

Now word is leaking out that Hopkins is throwing the name Felix Trinidad into the mix. Huh? That set off Keith Idec of the North Jersey Herald:

(Hopkins') penchant for trying to peddle fiction as indisputable fact has become rather ridiculous. No one other than Hopkins, Trinidad and Don King, Trinidad’s promoter, has any interest in seeing Hopkins-Trinidad II.

How, exactly, could this warrant a rematch?

And why does Hopkins think he can conveniently dismiss higher-risk, higher-reward fights against Dawson or cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek in trying to convince everyone that a Trinidad rematch matters?

Idec is right but it's all part of Hopkins' negotiating games. We're not exactly sure why the games are needed with Dawson. If he wins tonight, he sounds like he's going to be pretty reasonable to try and seal a deal with Hopkins. At that point, the ball's in BHop's court. Does he really want to play with the 26-year-old Dawson?

Eight months has passed since the first time they met but you'd think it was five years from the recent reports of their first meeting. Chad Dawson rolled to a decision win over Antonio Tarver but it was far from a beating. Yet according to the odds, this is one of the most lopsided title bouts of the year. Dawson (27-0m 17 KOs) was as high as -900 at some Las Vegas sportsbooks on Friday. The number has settled down but it's still at a very high in the -600 to -700 range. What's the deal?

The 40-year-old Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs) has a shot in this fight. He was more dedicated this time around with his training. Tarver got as a high as 233 pounds for the role of "Mason Dixon" in Rocky VI. He's generally cutting from around the 200 pound mark but there time there was no massive weight loss. If anything, he may have overtrained a bit coming in at 172 pounds during Friday's weigh-in. His dedication is from joining forces again with Buddy McGirt:

"Buddy is a great trainer," says Tarver. "We've had a lot of success together, and I think along with Jimmy Williams, two great minds are better than one. Where Jimmy is weak at, as a trainer, Buddy has strengths. And vice versa. They complement each other. And just to be able to have two guys in that corner that I love, and believe in and trust in, I think it just helps me. I know Buddy's going to be cool and calm under pressure and that's what I need between those rounds."

Trainer and fighter are both hard-headed but they put aside their differences for this one:

"It's been a year and a half since I worked with Antonio, and it was difficult at first. But we've worked hard, and I see Antonio winning back the championship Saturday night."

The fight starts tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET on HBO live from the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. This is the first major boxing card to be held at the Hard Rock's new venue concert/fighting venue The Joint. The $60 million facility is configured for 2,900 fans for boxing cards. Let's hope this fight performs better than the first one which sold less than 700 tickets in a similar venue, the Pearl at the Palms.

There's no one better than Steve Kim from Maxboxing.com to cut through the bull. K-9 says enough with Oscar De La Hoya comeback talk. DLH is not "Oscar De La Favre."

Floyd Mayweather's return last week got some people buzzing about a rematch between the two. The first fight was a financial success but a dud for most boxing fans.

Stay retired Oscar! There's plenty of real 147-pounders lining up to take on Mayweather. No need to block Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.

"Chad throws combinations like the old Sugar Ray Robinsons," said Mustafa Muhammed. "You don't see that no more. These guys throw 1-2 and then they resort to holding."

Dawson and his boys don't believe a knockout is a must to prove you're a great fighter:

"The name of the game is 'I hit you but you don't hit me' not 'I hit you and you hit me back.' It don't work like that. That's not the game," said Mustafa Muhammed extolling the virtues of Dawson's defensive prowess.