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A Few Basic Points Worth Knowing About Travelers Car Insurance By John
If you are a frequent traveler you may already have realized that there are many potential risks involved and if you purchase travelers car insurance for every trip that you make you will not only waste time money as well as effort, but also miss out on purchasing an annual travel insurance plan that will be a lot cheaper.
If you are a frequent traveler you may already have realized that there are many potential risks involved and if you purchase travelers car insurance for every trip that you make you will not only waste time money as well as effort, but also miss out on purchasing an annual travel insurance plan that will be a lot cheaper.
Understand Type Of Coverage
However, before buying travelers auto insurance, you should be aware of a few basics that you should use to choose the proper insurance policy. Most companies that hire a great many employees will realize that cars are an important part of their business and it would be improper to drive these cars without the right type of travelers car insurance. They may turn to online auto insurance
There's nothing worse than hearing casual boxing fans say "that's boxing for you." That's exactly what comes from the bizarre ending to last night's Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson pay-per-view fight.
After tying up, Hopkins was shoved to the ground by Dawson. the 46-year-old hit the canvas hard and complained that his left shoulder had popped (2:50 mark). When the WBC light heavyweight champ explained that his shoulder would keep him from continuing, referee Pat Russell stopped the fight and ruled it a TKO victory for Dawson.
Even though Dawson won, he was livid that Hopkins bailed from the fight in his estimation. The Hopkins couldn't understand why the fight wasn't ruled a no contest. That was impossible because Russell didn't tab Dawson's actions a foul.
]]> Young boxer Sosa fighting for his life after horrific car accident Boxer Pedro Sosa was scheduled to start his professional boxing career Monday. Instead, he's in the fight of his life. He is in a coma after a car accident killed his sister and threw him from an overpass on the Cross Bronx Expressway.
The Sosas were among 10 people packed into a Chevy Venture traveling east on the Cross Bronx Expressway about 5:45 a.m. Sunday as temperatures hovered near freezing and road surfaces turned treacherous.
An accident in the west-bound lane caused some drivers to hit their brakes to rubberneck, prompting a wild pile up, with cars spinning around on the black ice. "It was like tops," one police source said.
Both Pedro and Jeneffer got out of their car and walked ahead to check on the other cars when they were slammed into by another motorist. The collision caused both of them both to fly off the overpass and fall 75 feet.
The 20-year-old Sosa, the 2011 National Golden Gloves champ, was rushed to the Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Monday morning he underwent surgery to stop bleeding in his brain.
"All we know is that he's in the toughest fight of his life right now. We're not really thinking of his boxing career. We're just thinking of him. He's a fighter. Hopefully he'll be able to pull through. He's strong," said Steven Martinez, a close friend who grew up with the boxer.
Pedro Sosa Sr. told the Daily News that he's looking for answers about the tragic accident. These last two days must be a horrendous flashback for the Sosa family, to when Pedro Sosa Jr.'s older brother Andy was murdered in August of 2000.
"I take my brother into the ring with me ? every time," Sosa [told Ring Magazine last December]. "I have a lot of anger about what happened to my brother," he said, but is quick to clarify, "I'm not an angry person. It's just something that's inside of me and in my control. I let it out when I want to, which is only in the ring."
"He's in serious shape, we're looking for a miracle,'' said a source close to the former heavyweight champ. "They're only giving him a short time to live. We need to have as many people as possible praying for Joe right now.''
According to Leslie Wolff, Frazier's personal and business manager, the former fighter was diagnosed four or five weeks ago, but hasn't been told how long he has to live.
"We have medical experts looking into all the options that are out there," Wolff told the AP. "There are very few. But that doesn't mean we're going to stop looking."
Frazier will always be linked to Muhammad Ali for their series of fights between 1971-1975.
Their first meeting dubbed "The Fight of the Century" came in 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden when both fighters were unbeaten. They earned a record sum of $2.5 million each. The lead up to fight had a good vs. evil feel.
For fans, either Frazier or Ali filled the role. Frazier won a one-sided decision (11-4, 9-6 and 8-6) handing Ali his first career loss. He floored Ali in the 15th round.
Ali took the 1974 rematch at MSG via majority decision.
The "Thrilla in Manilla" closed out the trilogy. In 1999, ESPN's SportsCentury named the bout the fifth greatest sporting event of the 20th century. Ali won the fight. Frazier could barely see after 14 rounds so his trainer Eddie Futch stopped the bout to save his fighter from further damage.
Frazier retired with one final fight in 1981 with a career mark of 32-4 with 27 KO's.
Frazier has always been regarded as a gentleman.
The son of a South Carolina sharecropper, Frazier was on the 1964 Olympic team and won a gold medal. Over his career, he won 32 fights, 27 by knockout. He had four losses and one draw. He won his first 11 fights by knock out. In 1968, he beat Buster Mathis for the New York State world title at Madison Square Garden. He made six title defenses after that over the next several years.
He was most recently seen in Las Vegas around the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz fight. He participated in a series of autograph signings.
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Joe Frazier, one of the biggest sports icons of the 1960s and 70s, passed away tonight from liver cancer at the age of 67. He was diagnosed less than six weeks ago and spent his final days in a Philadelphia-area hospice.
His family released this statement:
"We The Family of the 1964 Olympic Boxing Heavyweight Gold Medalist, Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame Member Smokin' Joe Frazier, regrets to inform you of his passing. He transitioned from this life as "One of God's Men," on the eve of November 7, 2011at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We thank you for your prayers for our Father and vast outpouring of love and support.
Respectfully, we request time to grieve privately as a family. Our father's home going celebration will be announced as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding."
In the weeks before his death, Frazier was said to have lost 50 pounds. Friends like Rev. Jesse Jackson and fellow heavyweight king Larry Holmes requested visits, but Frazier decided against it.
"Joe doesn't want to see anybody, the way he is now," his manager Les Wolff explained earlier this week. "I think you can understand why. He's a proud man."
Frazier's legacy is etched in stone as part of the greatest individual rivalry in sports history. The stocky, less-than-graceful Frazier was the perfect foil for the elegant and athletic Muhammad Ali.
Their trilogy, contested between 1971-75, tops everything else in boxing's long history. Frazier was the first person to defeat Ali.
Outside the ring, Frazier was helpless in the p.r. battle against the loquacious and charismatic Ali. Ali made it personal before their first meeting in 1971 calling the quiet Frazier an "Uncle Tom."
Both unbeaten, Frazier met Ali in New York City's Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971 and got his revenge on Ali's trash talk by winning "The Fight of the Century" via unanimous decision. He cemented the victory by flooring Ali with a leaping left hook, his trademark punch, in the 15th round.
To illustrate the lack of respect Frazier received from some, veteran boxing writer Jerry Izenberg told the story of the fighter greeting some kids on the streets of his adopted hometown of North Philadelphia a week after the biggest victory of his career.
[...] Joe told them: "Now y'all stay in school. Don't make me have to find you."
Two of them laughed, but the third one said:
"My daddy says Muhammad Ali was drugged,"
In that instant a cold, cold mask seemed to slide across the champion's face. "'Yeah ... yeah," Joe said, "I drugged him with a left hook." And they saw the look in his eyes and all three of them ran away.
Frazier turned to me and said:
"You heard that. What I got to do? What the hell I got to do?"
There was nothing he could do. Frazier, a reserved gentleman, was never going to win a trash talk battle against Ali. Ali went on to win the 1972 rematch against Frazier, again at MSG.
The third fight in the Philippines, "The Thrilla in Manila" trumped the first two. The back-and-forth battle, ended after 14 rounds because Frazier's eyes were nearly swollen shut. His trainer, Eddie Futch, argued with his fighter before calling it a night. On a night with the temperature in Manila hovered around 100 degrees, rounds 13 and 14 were grueling. Both fighters were completely exhausted, but still wailed away at each other.
Frazier fought just two more times. He lost badly to George Foreman in 1976 and fought to a draw during a short-lived comeback in 1981.
Frazier, the son of Rubin and Dolly Frazier. was born in the poor town of Beaufort, S.C. He was the youngest of 12 children. He relocated to Philadelphia as a teenager.
While working in a slaughterhouse, Frazier began to take boxing seriously. By the time he was 20, Frazier was one of the elite heavyweight prospects in the world. He stormed to the Olympic heavyweight gold medal in 1964 in Tokyo. Six years later, he was the king of the heavyweight division, winning the WBA belt with a fifth-round TKO stoppage of Jimmy Ellis.
Frazier was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He finished his brilliant career with professional record of 32-4-1, with 27 wins by knockout.
Poor Joe Frazier has his day overhadowed by the sickness going down at Penn State with Jerry Sandusky and Joe Paterno. As if that was bad enough, in China, one newspaper rubbed a little more salt in the wound by mistakenly posting a photo of George Foreman thinking it was Joe Frazier.
This was on the front page of the South China Morning Post.
He'll be a little more sedentary for part of 2012 serving 90 days in jail for a 2010 run-in with ex-girlfriend Josie Harris.
Mayweather worked his way out of several pickles involving lawsuits and minor charges, but always looming was his most serious legal problem - the seven felony charges he faced for a run-in with his ex-girlfriend/mother of his children. He paid the piper today as Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa handed down her ruling:
Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months in jail, 90 days of which must be spent in the Clark County Detention Center and 90 days which will be suspended.
Mayweather was ordered to attend a year-long domestic violence counseling program, perform 100 hours of community service, pay a $2,500 fine and stay out of trouble.
Saragosa wanted to send a message to Mayweather and victims of domestic violence:
"I think a period of time in incarceration will send the right message to the community and to his children that no matter who you are you will have consequences to your actions that are appropriate when this level of violence is inflicted," Saragosa said.
Yesterday, Mayweather escaped the felony charges and a maximum of 34 years in jail by pleading guilty to one count of battery-domestic violence and no contest to two counts of harassment.
Local prosecutor Liza Luzaich explained to the judge that fines and counseling alone haven't worked for Mayweather in the past during previous domestic violence incidents. She said jail time was the only way to go with the world champion boxer.
"The only thing that is going to get this man's attention is incarceration," Luzaich said.
Mayweather must also pay $2,500 in fines, perform 100 hours of community service and attend a 12 month class for domestic violence counseling.
As part of a plea agreement, Mayweather escaped the most serious serious felony charges of grand larceny, robbery and coercion were dismissed.
Mayweather's legal team asked for his time be served under house arrest. The request was denied by Saragosa.
Just last month, the fighter announced his intentions to return to the ring on May 5, 2012. It's unknown whether the three months in jail will derail those plans or if the Nevada State Athletic Commission may have an issue with granting the fighter a license to fight.
]]> That May 5th date Floyd Mayweather was targeting for his next fight is suddenly in big-time jeopardy. During a sentencing hearing in Las Vegas today, Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
How could he adequately train for a fight while he's spending 90 days in the Clark County Detention Center? Mayweather may also have an issue with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. His current license expires on Dec. 31, from there, executive director Keith Kizer says it's up to the commission:
"One of the questions [on the application] is, have you ever been convicted [...] of a felony or a misdemeanor? He'd have to answer that and give details just as any fighter in the same situation," Kizer told ESPN1100/98.9 FM in Las Vegas. "And then it's up to the commissioners themselves whether or not that's relevant."
Kizer said getting all the licensing business taken care of before May 5 would be tough.
"That's not that long from now. That's one of the issues that comes into play for the promoter and the site itself," Kizer said. "Whether you can make that a go assuming he gets a license once he is released."
In the highest profile cases of lengthy suspension not involving positive drug tests, the NSAC handed down severe penalties to Mike Tyson and Floyd's uncle/trainer Roger Mayweather.
Tyson got a year suspension and a $3 million fine back in 1997. Mayweather had his license revoked for one year and received a $200,000 fine for his role in a postfight brawl during Floyd's 2006 fight with Zab Judah.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. will spend 90 days in jail in a room just like this.
After being swarmed with requests about Mayweather's jail term, the Las Vegas Police Department released this picture of a similar cell that he will be staying in for the duration of his sentence.
The boxing star pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges after a 2010 incident where Mayweather allegedly hit his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home.
The 34-year-old Mayweather was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations.
Mayweather will likely serve most of the 90-day sentence, but could serve several weeks less if he gets credit for good behavior, said Officer Bill Cassell, a Las Vegas police spokesman.
The cell is a far cry from the bedroom space Money Mayweather is used to:
As a result, the former heavyweight boxing king will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on March 31 in Miami, the day before Wrestlemania 28.
Tyson first worked for Vince McMahon's company back in 1998 at Wrestlemania 14. He was the special enforcer for a brawl between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Tyson reappeared in the squared circle in 2010 as a guest host during "Monday Night Raw."
Tyson is part of a Who's Who of non-wrestlers to enter the WWE's Hall of Fame - Drew Carey, Bob Uecker, William "The Refrigerator" Perry and Pete Rose have been enshrined alongside the elite of the elite.
Tyson joins masked superstar Mil Mascaras and the legendary "The Four Horsemen." on March 31.
Tyson's role with the WWE was more than a celebrity appearance, he got physical at times. From WWE.com:
First welcomed into WWE by Mr. McMahon, "Iron Mike's" introduction was interrupted by The Texas Rattlesnake, resulting in a wild brawl between the two tough guys. Weeks later, Tyson aligned himself with HBK and D-Generation X. WWE fans who thought this association would sway the brawler's involvement at WrestleMania XIV were shocked when Tyson ended up being the one who counted the pin to give Austin his first WWE Title. After the bout, the heavy hitter knocked an angry Michaels out cold in front of a rabid Boston crowd.
The beneficiary is boxer Floyd Mayweather, who learned today that his 90-day jail sentence won't start until after June 1.
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa reconsidered her original decision to send Mayweather to the Clark County Dentention Center starting today and pushed back his arrival date at the Las Vegas-area jail.
Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa said she weighed Mayweather's contractual obligations to a fight set for May 5 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas against an as-yet unnamed opponent.
Mayweather's lawyer Richard Wright had pleaded with the judge to allow Mayweather to fulfill commitments regarding the fight, emphasizing the economic benefit to Las Vegas when Mayweather fights.
Two weeks ago, Mayweather copped a plea to multiple misdemeanor charges. The prosecutor pushed hard for no leniency and jail time, and the judge agreed.
Shortly after today's decision, Camp Mayweather was already talking about the fighter's proposed May 5 fight. According to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mayweather's fight will be announced next week.
Carp mentioned names like Saul Alvarez and Robert Guerrero. The chances of the May 5 fight being against Manny Pacquiao appear to be somewhere between slim and none.
To no one's surprise, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions fired a shot at Pacman's promoter Bob Arum.
"It's clear (Arum) doesn't want to do a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. I hope it's an eye-opener," Schaefer told Carp.
HBO finally made its decision. Showtime's executive VP and GM of sports and event programming has decided to jump from one pay network to another. Hershman takes over as HBO's President of Sports on Jan. 9, 2012.
Under the guidance of Hershman, Showtime became a real player on the boxing scene. He did so with a tiny budget as compared to the bigger HBO. More importantly, he ended the cronyism that became a big reason for the downfall of HBO as a successful player in the boxing world.
Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole joined us to talk about the choice of Hershman and what to expect. Check out Kevin's Thursday column for more details.
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It's been over two years since the tragic passing of boxer Arturo Gatti and we still have no clear answer as to what actually happened on July, 11, 2009. Did Gatti commit suicide or was he the victim of foul play?
CBS' "48 Hours" investigates the story on Saturday night (10 p.m. ET).
CBS correspondent Erin Moriarty has an exclusive sit down with Gatti's widow, Amanda. It's her first interview since her husband's death. Gatti's brother Joe also shares his theory and Gatti's longtime rival Mickey Ward is featured as well.
]]> Mayweather and Merchant refuse to back down over postfight verbal spat Larry Merchant is the best at what he does because he's extremely confident. The same goes for Floyd Mayweather. So when broadcaster and boxer have locked horns over the years, it's made for some classic confrontations. Saturday's yelling match following Mayweather controversial win over Victor Ortiz was one part entertaining, one part embarrassing.
Merchant kept pressing Mayweather on why he chose to slug Victor Ortiz when his opponent clearly wasn't fighting. After the third or fourth try, Mayweather flipped out and said HBO needed to fire Merchant. The 80-year-old announcer eventually lost his cool and said if he were 5o years younger he'd "kick his ass."
With some time to cool down and think, Merchant gave his take on what happened.
"It's happened a few times with fighters over the years. I ask questions, they want love, Merchant told Bernard Fernandez of the Philadelphia Daily News. "I was trying to find out what happened at the end of that fight. There were a lot of boos. It was a very hostile scene with the crowd. Floyd just exploded and said some nasty, nasty things. I responded."
In the postfight press conference, Floyd reiterated what he said in the ring.
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With Victor Ortiz out of the way, Manny Pacquiao could be next for Floyd Mayweather. Combine Mayweather's persona and his actions in the win over Ortiz and it could make for an easy "good vs. evil" promotion.
Pacquiao is known as a nice guy with a big heart and he didn't like what he saw on Saturday night. From Manila Bulletin:
"There was nothing illegal in what Floyd did but it was unsportsmanlike," said Pacquiao, noting that he acknowledged the fact that referee Joe Cortez had signaled the fight to continue, something a lot of ringsiders said they never saw.
Pacman's adviser, Michael Koncz said that Mayweather's actions when Ortiz's hands were down is something you'd never see from the Filipino.
Koncz said Mayweather "took advantage of Ortiz's inexperience."
Koncz said if Pacquiao is exposed to the same situation, "Manny would never do something like that."
His trainer Freddie Roach said he never witnessed referee Joe Cortez say it was time to "box."
Meanwhile, Mayweather was getting it from all directions during the postfight press conference, but never wavered in defending his actions.
"Once we touch gloves it's fight time," Mayweather said. "It's open season." [...]
"You want to do me dirty and then two minutes later you want to be friends? It's the hurt business," Mayweather said. "It's boxing."
Mayweather said it was just a matter of time before he got the victory.
"Eventually, he was going to get knocked out down the line anyway," Mayweather said. "I was getting stronger."
]]> Another day, another lawsuit filed against Floyd Mayweather For his own self-preservation, Floyd Mayweather may want to come running back to the boxing ring. Fighting Manny Pacquiao isn't a safe proposition, but at least the eight week training camp would keep Floyd away from Las Vegas-area security guards and bouncers.
Mayweather, who is already dealing with two security guard-related incidents, now has another one on his plate.
[...] Mayweather and his companies are being sued by a bouncer at the Strip nightclub Drai's (Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon) after he was assaulted, the lawsuit said, by the boxer's bodyguard Jan. 2.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Clark County District Court, Clay Gerling alleged that an unknown bodyguard for Mayweather "maliciously assaulted and battered plaintiff, by grabbing the plaintiff, and choking him."
The suit said Gerling was working as a security guard and had "carded," or asked for identification from Mayweather and others in his group when an unnamed Mayweather bodyguard grabbed and choked Gerling.
The suit says Gerling suffered injuries to his head and neck that may be permanent as well as "extreme and severe mental anguish."
Mayweather is now fighting a total of four battles around Las Vegas.
1. The boxer last week was charged in Las Vegas Justice Court with two misdemeanor harassment counts after an October confrontation with Southern Highlands security guards over parking issues.
Mayweather allegedly threatened the guards -- who patrol the boxer's upscale housing community -- after he noticed the citations, claiming, "My homies have guns. If you want me to call them, they'd come over here and take care of you."
This latest incident with his community security guards is on top of an assault charge he's facing.
2. Mayweather faces a misdemeanor battery charge in connection with a Nov. 15 incident involving another guard, Shayne Smith.
[...] A confrontation ensued, and the boxer was verbally abusive and jabbed his finger into Smith's cheek, resulting in redness and discoloration on the left side of Smith's face, police said. A bench trial in that case is set for Sept. 1.
The most serious charge Mayweather's facing is one involving the mother of his children.
3. Mayweather also faces a July 29 preliminary hearing on felony charges, including coercion, grand larceny and robbery, in connection with a Sept. 9 incident with his three children and their mother, Josie Harris. Mayweather is free on $31,000 bail in that case.
Top Rank Promotions and Bob Arum made it clear on Saturday that Mayweather isn't even in the discussion for a Pacquiao fight in 2011. TRP is targeting Juan Manuel Marquez or Timothy Bradley for a November fight in Las Vegas.
]]> Who looks out of place? Arreola hits Home Depot Center <p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/57/579c3a96a3e9668c0a5658d8ce58dc93/woah.jpg" width="600" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/ArreolaSOCCER1.jpg" title="ArreolaSOCCER1" height="362" alt="Who looks out of place? Arreola hits Home Depot Center"></p>
<p>Chris Arreola's ample physique stood out during this photo opp with the fellas at the Red Bulls-Galaxy soccer game at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Thierry Henry is a surprisingly big dude, but the rest of the crew is dwarfed by the American heavyweight boxer.</p>
<p>Give Arreola credit, as you can see below, he's a smart guy. There's nothing more slimming than hitting your local broadcast booth.</p>
<p><center><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/4b/4bee19d4514b8d3686c7fa49efa5a36a/woah.jpg" width="450" align="middle" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/ArreolaSOCCER2.jpg" height="300" hspace="8" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-469" title="ArreolaSOCCER2" alt="Who looks out of place? Arreola hits Home Depot Center"></center></p></p>
<p>
If Golden Boy steps out of the way, Pacquiao-Marquez III is on for Nov. 12 <p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/8d/8d72af4104ed77935edf7a86267fe1e8/woah.jpg" width="600" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/MannySINGING.jpg" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-475" title="MannySINGING" height="372" alt="If Golden Boy steps out of the way, Pacquiao-Marquez III is on for Nov. 12"></p>
<p>Apparently The Eagles are big boxing fans, now let's hope Golden Boy Promotions is too. Juan Manuel Marquez has agreed to face Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas, but the fight can be blocked by Golden Boy holding the first right of refusal on any JMM fight.</p>
<p>Pacman's promoter Bob Arum confirmed on Thursday that Marquez accepted the fight. To make the Pacquiao fight possible, the Mexican legend parted ways with Golden Boy. Pacquiao, who is suing GBP for demation, will not fight anyone officially promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's promotional company.</p>
<p>If the fight goes down, the date is interesting because initially the MGM Grand Garden Arena was booked for an Eagles concert.</p>
<p>According to Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Eagles willingly moved to Nov. 5 to open things up for the big fight.</p>
<p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/be/be00a9eb533a8efc81336feae15c924f/woah.jpg" width="300" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/CarpPACtweet.jpg" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-474" title="CarpPACtweet" height="94" alt="If Golden Boy steps out of the way, Pacquiao-Marquez III is on for Nov. 12"></p>
<p>Golden Boy has until Monday at 3 p.m. PT to make a decision. Marquez will receive $9 million for the fight and there is a rematch clause in the contract if he beats Pacquiao.</p>
Old guys unite: Foreman never thought his title record would be eclipsed
"It happened, it happened!" was the call from a shocked Jim Lampley when George Foreman rocked the boxing world at 45 years old in 1994 by beating WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Michael Moorer.
Next week, it has a chance to "happen" again when 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins takes on WBC light heavyweight champ Jean Pascal. If Hopkins take the title, he'll become the oldest fight in boxing history to win a title belt.
"I thought such a record would last a lot longer than it has lasted because 45 is phenomenal and just think, Bernard Hopkins is 46. He's probably the only one who could break such a record because not only does he possess this big punch to get a knockout, but he's also a good boxer and at times, a counter-puncher. He can pull it off, no doubt about it," Foreman said during a media teleconference this week.
The jovial big man gave Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) his props, but said the record has to be snapped in similar to fashion to what did versus in the 10th round of their fight.
"I was just sitting there on the edge, hoping that he'd pull it off, but Bernard has to realize, as I did when I fought Michael Moorer, you must get a knockout. This fight and the record will not be broken on a unanimous decision. There must be a knockout."
This is a rematch of very good fight back in December. Hopkins lost a tight decision in Quebec City. The American is headed back to Pascal's homecourt again, this time in Montreal.
Foreman thinks a motivated Hopkins will finish Pascal this time, but warned the veteran fighter that he is on the road.
"Well, one thing you got to understand is that hometown thing. It gives you an extra something in your body that you generally don't have. I mean, it gives you more courage. It gives you more speed. He is able to land shots that Bernard Hopkins is not able to land. Bernard is a decisive, good, crisp puncher. He doesn't waste time on throwing nothing shots. The champion?he doesn't mind. Any shot is a point and I think he's better equipped to win because he's not looking for a knockout. It's a point system and he is better equipped to win this fight on the point system [in Montreal]."
If Hopkins beats Pascal, he's not riding off into the sunset. He confirmed that he has an agreement in place with Showtime on a three-fight deal. He first defense of the WBC strap would be against Chad Dawson. That's if Dawson beats Adrian Diaconu on the Montreal undercard next week.
]]> Avoiding the munchies, slimmer Arreola looks to get career back on track Chris Arreola simply hasn't treated his boxing career as a profession in recent years. The heavy-handed heavyweight has failed to monitor his diet and too often entered big fights carrying way too much extra weight.
The 30-year-old's career is far from over, but his spot as a solid draw is in jeopardy with a loss this weekend against Nagy Aguilera Arreola faces Aguilera on the undercard of the Andre Ward-Arthur Abraham fight this weekend at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca.
As an athlete, Arreola (30-2, 26 KOs) is far from a regular guy , but he does carry the fast food gene most of us average Joes battle on a daily basis.
"I'm not eating out as much as I used to. I make my own meals at home. At the most, I eat out once a week where I used to eat out every day. Eating out is horrible," Arreola told FightNews.com. "I would watch food commercials on T.V. and I would go and eat. I would even eat at midnight, one, or two in the morning. It makes a huge difference."
In era of increased knowledge about nutrition and training, that's ridiculous to hear from a former world title contender. Arreola says he's learned his lesson and this week, appears to be trimmer.
The Mexican-American, born just minutes away from the Home Depot Center in East L.A. and currently residing in Riverside, says he'll weigh between 234 and 239. That's down from 249 in his last fight and a high of 263 in Dec. of 2009 against Brian Minto.
A word of caution, we've heard this before about Arreola showing a new dedication to his conditioning. The true story will be told on the scale today and then in the ring tomorrow when his gas tank is tested.
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Young Andre Ward is one of boxing's ultimate technicians. Will that be enough to win over fight fans? It did last night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca. While turning in a near flawless performance against one of the toughest veteran fighters in the world, the crowd, filled with Armenian fans, rooting on Arthur Abraham, starting chanting for Ward by the middle of the fight.
Ward mentally broke and fatigued Abraham to roll to a unanimous decision victory, 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108, in the semifinals of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic.
Abraham, a loser of three-of-four, guaranteed that he'd win the fight and Ward would wilt under his power. He never landed that fight changing blow. His best shots came in the third and at the end of the tenth round. Beyond that, Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) was either covering up or whiffing with wild left hooks. Ward's defense- through-offense stymied, confused, frustrated and wore down the 31-year-old Armenian.
Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) is slated to face the winner of the June 4 semifinal between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson. He's now 4-0 in the Super Six. The tourney has served him well.
The same can't be said for Abraham. There's nothing wrong with losing to top notch opponents, plus he's also raised his profile with the American audience, but the problem moving forward is his stubbornness about cutting weight. He needs to head back down to middleweight where his 5-foot-9 frame belongs. In a short conversation with Showtime's Jim Gray after the fight, Abraham said he won't be moving down.
After three rounds, Abraham actually led 29-28 on most scorecards. Ward turned up the heat and battered Abraham to the body, to get him to lower his hands. By the seventh round, Abraham was breathing through his mouth and shaking his head on some of the body shots. Over the finals five rounds, Abraham had very little fight left. Ward even switched to southpaw for most of the tenth and tore up Abraham.
Even without those highlight reel knockouts, Ward's future is ridiculously bright. If he comes out of the tourney a winner, Lute Bute should be waiting for him. There could also be a rematch against Froch or Johnson. And don't forget about all the talent young and old at 175 pounds with Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson and Jean Pascal. The key to making him into a household name is staying active. Ward's fought four times in the last 17 months. He needs to stay on that pace. If that means going to Montreal to fight Bute in front of 21,000 at the Bell Centre, then do it.
Manny Pacquiao is looking for another big knockout on televisions around the country tonight. Pacman taped a prefight spot with Comedy Central's Daniel Tosh. The champ took a shot at Tosh.
We're guessing it's hilarious. Boxing writer Steve Carp was there and thought it fell flat.
Judge for yourself tonight on Tosh.O at 10 p.m. ET.
With his back against the wall, Chris Arreola changed his diet and view on fitness. It paid immediate dividends on Saturday night. The heavyweight prospect, who let himself get woefully out of shape in 2009 and 2010, got back down to his optimum weight. Back down at 234, he destroyed Nagy Aguilera inside of three rounds on the undercard of the Andre Ward victory over Arthur Abraham.
The Mexican-American fighting out of Riverside, Ca., weighed 250.5 and 251 in losses to Tomasz Adamek and Vitali Klitschko. Arreola said losing weight didn't mean losing power.
"There's more zip to your punches," said Arreola (31-2, 27 KOs). "It's like a wet towel, if you snap it right, that [expletive] is gonna hurt."
He also said, there's is no time off. He's headed right back to the gym.
"I'm hungry. I'm hungry and this time it ain't for burritos and pizza and [expletive]. I'm hungry for that title and it's time to get it back," Arreola said.
Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski is off to a solid start in the squared circle, so Ray Edwards thought he'd give it go. The Vikings defensive end made his boxing debut last night a successful one by rolling to a unanimous decision victory, 40-34, 39-35 and 40-34, over T.J. Gibson at Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minn.
Edwards knocked Gibson down twice in the fight. Once in the first and again in the fourth.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Edwards found out boxing is no easy craft even against a 5-9, 210-pound opponent.
"I definitely stayed behind my jab and just keep working. He got a couple of good shots off and [it was] a little rougher than I expected but I rush 300-pound guys all day so I'm used to it. Guys trying to be rough," Edwards told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Earlier in the week, the 26-year-old Edwards was challenged by promoter Jared Shaw, who represents former street fighter and MMA practitioner Kimbo Slice.
Slice, 37, last fought for the UFC in May of 2010 and wants to try his hand at boxing. Shaw said Kimbo is open to a fight against Edwards.
"I have no idea [if that will happen]. I don't know if they want to fight MMA or fight in a back alley. I have no idea. But whatever they want to do, we're just going to keep training right now and just keep going forward," said Jeff Warner, Edwards' trainer. "[...] If they want to call me, give me a holler, we'll sit down and the bottom line is you put some numbers together we'll do it."
Vikings writer Judd Zulgad said Edwards needs some work:
I am certainly not a boxing expert, but it should come as no surprise that Edwards remains very much a work in progress as a boxer. It will be interesting to see who he ends up facing on June 24 in his next fight. That also is scheduled to be at Grand Casino Hinckley and if the opponent is a step up from Gibson (both in size and in quality) Edwards is going to need to be an improved boxer at that point.
Warner was a little more critical.
"Bottom line is he's a great football player and he's a great boxer. He's going to do both. I just want him boxing, I want him working off his jab and moving. There were times out there he looked incredible tonight and there were times he looked rough. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not happy," Warner said. "We're going to go back and we're going to work hard on Monday, we're going to work on some things. But overall I was happy. He did about 75 percent of his ability."
Edwards was paid a guaranteed $5,000 and got half of the gate. If nothing changes with the NFL lockout, Edwards is contracted to fight again next month.
Unlike Zbikowski, Edwards has zero amateur background as a boxer. Zbikowski, now 3-0 in his latest pro boxing stint, had over 90 amateur fights before concentrating on his football career at Notre Dame and now the Baltimore Ravens.
]]> Underdog Hopkins motivated by PED allegations and chance at record The mouth that roars got a little of his own medicine in the lead up to tonight's WBC light heavyweight championship on HBO (10 p.m./7 p.m. PT). Bernard Hopkins can talk trash with the best of the them, but flipped out when he thought the champ Jean Pascal went over the line. Pascal said he suspected Hopkins of using performance enhancing drugs.
"I mean, when you're younger, you say things," Hopkins said. "Your parents will smack you on your hand or give you a punishment or something like that. But we are accountable for what we say and what we do. Come (tonight), I will take care of the physical part of it and then, I'll let my people take care of the other part of it."
Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) challenges Pascal at the Bell Centre in Montreal. He's trying to become the oldest champion in boxing history snapping the mark set back in 1994 by a then 45-year-old George Foreman. Hopkins just turned 46 in January.
Hopkins said the PED slam was a sign of fear or immaturity.
"I said a lot of things about my opponents to get in their head, but I never said an opponent cheated," Hopkins said. "I never said a person did anything to win a fight, outside of the ring or inside of the ring, but that becomes a part of the game. It's just part of a person being intimidated or just not knowing what to say."
This is a rematch of a December fight in Quebec City. Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions were outraged when the fight was scored a majority draw (113-113, 114-114 and 114-112).
Hopkins may feel like he taking care of unfinished business, but Las Vegas sports books have tabbed Pascal (26-1-1, 19 KOs) as the minus-140 favorite.
]]> At age 42, Roy Jones Jr. continues to chip away at his legacy by taking fights around the world and now he appears to be putting his health in serious jeopardy.
Today at the Sport Complex Krylatskoe in Moscow, Russia, Jones faced a top-rated cruiserweight named Denis Lebedev, got knocked out in the final round of the fight and appeared to be unconscious for close to 45 seconds.
Jones (54-8, 40 KOs) laid facedown for roughly 15 seconds until he was turned over. Using smelling salts, ringside officials finally revived Jones after another 30 seconds.
"It was a great shot, I can't take nothing away from him," Jones said. "He was a tough competitor. I really don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm going to think about it."
The 31-year-old Lebedev stunned Jones with a straight left, then an overhand right and uppercut appeared to turn the lights off at the 2:50 mark of the final round.
Jones, the light heavyweight champion from 1997-2003, has now lost three straight fights. Danny Green knocked him out last year and Bernard Hopkins brutalized him over 12 rounds.
After spending most of his career at 175 pounds, Jones fought today at 198.
This was a solid card featuring a former world champ in Nate Campbell and NABF 175 champ Ismayl Sillakh, one of the top light heavyweight prospects in the the world. Fight News posted the results:
Unbeaten Ukrainian NABF light heavyweight champion Ismayl Sillakh (16-0, 13 KOs) won by TKO in the third round over Ugandan Hamza Wandera (12-3-2, 11 KOs). Sillakh seized the initiative and easily beat Wandera. In the third round Ismayl dropped Wandera. He was able to continue but Sillakh's follow up attack prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight.
The former undisputed lightweight champion Nate Campbell (34-8-1, 25 KOs) won an eight round unanimous decision over Sherzod Nazarov (12-5, 10 KOs). The experienced 39-year-old Campbell controlled the fight and won by scores of 79-73, 79-74 and 80-74.
]]> Dawson beats up Diaconu to earn shot at BHop or Pascal <p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/34/34df2494cb59d56154c8a0c3d28fe3c6/woah.jpg" width="330" align="right" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/Dawson1.jpg" height="248" hspace="8" class="alignright size-full wp-image-548" title="Dawson1" alt="Dawson beats up Diaconu to earn shot at BHop or Pascal">Chad Dawson's changed a lot in his life, but he never lost the basic boxing skills that put him on the boxing pound-for-pound list for much of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The young light heavyweight, a bit forgotten by some boxing fans, cruised to a win over Adrian Diaconu via unanimous decision 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal.</p>
<p>The victory for Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) should get him a shot at his old WBC 175-pound title. Bernard Hopkins challenges the champ Jean Pascal in tonight's main event in Canada. In the prefight, Hopkins said that if won the title, Dawson would be next. The same goes for Pascal.</p>
<p>Under the tutelage of new trainer Emmanuel Stewart, Dawson threw his punches with more conviction, but still seemed to be unwilling to really pour it on against Diaconu, who was a bit outclassed.</p>
<p>Dawson, 28, outlanded Diaconu 240 to 105. He pummeled the Romanian with 157 power shots, landing at a 59 percent clip. By the end of the fight, Diaconu (27-3, 15 KOs) had significant bruising around his left with a cut below the eye on the cheek. He had redness around his right eye as well.</p>
<p>Dawson lost the title last summer against Pascal. The Haitian living in Canada was ahead on the scorecards in the 11th when a headbutt busted open a huge cut over Dawson's eye, forced a stoppage. Pascal won the belt via technical decision.</p>
Bernard Hopkins says he's fighting until he's 50. Anyone want to tell him he can't?
Jean Pascal, a young, strong 28-year-old former champ tried to and got schooled by the cagey veteran. Hopkins ate a few big shots but for the most part was impossible to hit as he took a unanimous decision victory, 117-111, 116-112 and 115-114, to grab the WBC and IBO light heavyweight titles from Pascal.
The win makes the 46-year-old Hopkins the oldest fighter in the history of boxing to win a major title belt, eclipsing the mark set back in 1994 by another Hall of Famer George Foreman.
Foreman was 45 when he scored a shocking knockout against WBA heavyweight champ Michael Moorer.
"I felt like I'm not 46. I felt like I'm close to 36," Hopkins told HBO's Max Kellerman.
He looked it too. While Hopkins bounced around, moved forward and landed right hand leads whenever he wanted, Pascal (26-2, 17 KOs) tired in the second half of the fight. It was the most aggressive Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) we've seen in years.
"I know the fans pay to see fights. I've been accused of being boring. I was trying to buy years and time," Hopkins said. "I'm gonna finish strong. I had a plan in my boxing career, to win fights and get to the last bit. Before I leave this game, you're going to see the best fights of Bernard Hopkins' career. I know that's a big order providing what I've done already. I'm promising that every fight until I retire is going to be breathtaking and it's going to be heart beating."
This was unfinished business for the former middleweight king. Hopkins felt he was robbed back in December in Quebec City against Pascal. The fight was scored a majority draw. This time, Hopkins left no doubts.
In true Bernard Hopkins form, he announced that he already has his sights set on two future fights.
"I think the crowd got what they wanted. I think Canada would welcome me back to fight [Montreal native Lucian] Bute. I would love to fight Bute after Chad Dawson and then I will go onto something bigger and better. I will not retire until I get close to 50. That's about 4-5 years from now," Hopkins said with a big smile.
He outlanded Pascal 131 to 70. The Haitian was good on just 19 percent of his punches. Hopkins also landed 80 power punches. He also showed he still has a great chin. Pascal landed an excellent right in the third and another with 90 seconds left in the fight. The shaken Hopkins used his ring savvy to quickly regain his wits and nearly take back the round in both cases.
There are certainly some big fights out there for Pascal. He just needs to work on his conditioning and up his volume. Hopkins was nothing but complimentary after the fight.
"Let me tell you something about Jean Pascal ... he's tough, he's strong. And if this doesn't discourage him, I don't see nobody beating this strong bull from Canada," Hopkins said. "He has a good strong punch. He needs to work on a couple of things. He looked for big shots and I worked on that. I knew if he was successful with the big shots, he would be more active. So I had to disappoint him early. [He needs to take] some of the punching power off of every punch. He's got to set them up."
Pascal said he learned a lot from the two fights with Hopkins and would to see a third fight down the road. That probably can't happen until Hopkins faces both Dawson and Bute. If Hopkins wins both, that would make a third fight possible around the beginning of 2013. Will Hopkins really be fighting when he's 48? Again, who's going to stop him?
]]> Several boxing legends of the last 15 years were in the news this weekend, but it was a mixed bag for Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya.
He issued this statement through Golden Boy Promotions:
"After doing an honest evaluation of myself, I recognize that there are certain issues that I need to work on. Like everyone, I have my flaws, and I do not want to be one of those people that is afraid to admit and address those flaws.
"Throughout my career and my life, I have always met all challenges head-on, and this is no different. I am confident that with the support of my family and friends, I will become a stronger, healthier person.
"I ask for respect and privacy as my family and I go through this process."
The six-time world champion did not attend Golden Boy's Hopkins-Jean Pascal fight card in Montreal.
His former promoter Todd duBoef with Top Rank Promotions was caught off guard.
"I had no idea," duBoef told the Las Vegas-Review Journal. "When I heard the news, I was stunned. Obviously, you hope he can get through whatever it is he's dealing with and that he comes out of it well."
Freddie Roach, a former De La Hoya trainer, was also stunned.
"I was kind of shocked," Roach said. "But people go through things in life. I hope he gets well soon."
De La Hoya retired in April of 2009 and last fought in Dec. of 2008. He lost badly in that final bout against Manny Pacquaio. Pacman's conditioning coach Alex Ariza pointed to the way he went out as a possible reason for De La Hoya's struggles.
"I think it does because you think back on it and probably said, `I should have done things this way. I should have done things differently," Ariza told GMANews. "I'm sure, there was a lot of doubt and questions, being the athlete that he was. I'm sure he is such a competitor. I think it's one of those things that he is probably questioning himself. There are a lot of variables, and I think the competitor in him is always going to be like that."
The crazy world of 140 characters. Sarcasm stinks on Twitter and it's very easy to get burned once what looks like a critical statement goes viral. Shane Mosley found that out after his comments about Manny Pacquiao, @sugarshanem, blossomed into what many were labeling a steroid allegation.
Mosley says his Tweet was misunderstood:
"There has been some media coverage recently, stating that I accused Manny Pacquiao of steroid use on Twitter. This is not true. I personally respond to my followers on Twitter, and there was an article sent to me which I Re-tweeted. I did not write the article and did not say that I agree with it. I have defended Manny Pacquiao publicly regarding these type of allegations, stating that they have never been proven true," Mosley told Yahoo! Sports through a P.R. person.
"In our post-fight press conference I told the world that Manny won because he was the better man that night. Manny and I have a mutual respect for one another as true warriors and gentlemen. We both strive to be the best we can be at boxing, as family men, and as humanitarians."
The initial reports were shocking considering the fact that Mosley is working a deal to have Pacquiao's promoter Top Rank Promotions assist him with his new promotion. Bob Arum and Mosley pledged their allegiance shortly after the Pacman fight at the MGM.
Golden Boy Promotions has a cash cow in young Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, but it's walking a fine line with the 20-year-old Mexican.
Alvarez's popularity guarantees him filling 12,000-15,000 seats against pretty much any opponent, but when does the novelty wear off? It would be nice to see Alvarez in there against better competition.
Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole previews Alvarez's fight against Ryan Rhodes and looks at possible future opponents.
Seems far-fetched, right? We're basing that on the surprise wedding he put together in Las Vegas and a reception food spread that would serve as a dentist's worst nightmare.
The impromptu ceremony went down at Las Vegas' M resort, at what was supposed to be a joint birthday party for both Tyson and his wife, Lakiha Spicer Tyson.
Saturday's 200 guests were greeted by a big curtain. When the curtain opened, Tyson and Kiki shocked the crowd with a wedding set-up. Married in a shotgun ceremony back in 2009, the Tysons renewed their vows.
The 44-year-old Tyson, who has spoken at length about what a wild man he was during his boxing career, tweeted that he's all about loyalty now:
One is now enough for me! The old player pimp has mastered monogamy!
Once the ceremony was finished, guests got to graze a candy bar that included Sour Patch Kids, cherry rock candy, gumballs and chocolate-dipped cherries. Each guest also went home with a bag of sweets from the Sugar Factory with logo chocolate bars, T-shirts and a whirly pop.
]]> During his Hall of Fame boxing career, Shane Mosley has never been knocked out, but he's certainly wobbled right now after a prolonged fight in the courts against his ex-wife Jin.
The former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champion of the world was just ordered to hand over his boxing hardware. From TMZ:
The settlement provides that ex-wife Jin "shall maintain custody and control of three championship belts for each of the respective parties' three minor children." Each of the kids get a belt when they turn 18.
Jin also gets half of the profits on all future DVD and merchandise sales from Mosley's big fights against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Winky Wright and Fernando Vargas.
California requires an even split between husband and wife, so Jin also got half of Mosley's fight purses during the time they were married (2002-2009).
Back in December, Mosley was ordered to begin paying alimony. According to court documents, some of the $20,000 per month Jin receives goes to:
Oscar De La Hoya is opening up about his recent struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. The former world boxing champion in six weight classes said it got so bad, he contemplated suicide.
''Rock bottom was recently,'' De La Hoya said in an interview that aired Tuesday on the Spanish-language network Univision, and can be viewed below. ''Within a couple of years, just thinking, 'Is my life even worth it?' I don't have the strength; I don't have the courage to take my own life. But I was thinking about it.''
De La Hoya admitted he was an alcoholic and things mushroomed out of control recently when he mixed booze with cocaine.
''There were drugs. My drug of choice was cocaine and alcohol, um. Cocaine was recent, the last two years, last 2 1/2 years, and I depended more on the alcohol than the cocaine. It took me to a place where I felt safe. It took me to a place where I felt like, if, nobody can say anything to me. It took me to a place where I can reach out and just grab my mom.''
The 39-year-old also admitted to cheating on his wife many times, but threw in one interesting qualifier.
''We are obviously not talking a Tiger Woods here, but I was unfaithful.''
De La Hoya also said he and his wife, Millie, were separated for a period. The boxer-turned-promoter said he's been clean for three months.
"It's your choice whether you want to drink or not. Now I have tools. I understand how this disease works. I'm fed up with the lies. Working to be an alcoholic, it's a 24/7 job. I just got tired. I was tired of it. I wanted this for myself, a clean sober life. It's much better."
Back in late May, he checked himself into a Malibu, Calif., rehab center. He spent seven weeks there and then elected to remain for three more weeks. From there, De La Hoya went to Puerto Rico for 90 days. He is currently attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and called this battle the biggest fight of his life.
Fans have become too accustomed to seeing the boxing great, angry and ranting about his plight and a lack of respect during HBO's 24/7 series. Mayweather made an appearance last night on TBS's "Conan." It was all giggles and grins.
Conan tried to throw Mayweather off his game by posing a awkward boxing threat. Mayweather said his kids and Victor Ortiz have something in common, the both love the Harry Potter films. Floyd also said he learned a good lesson when he worked with the WWE. Mayweather knows pro wrestling isn't always fake. He admitted that actually broke the "Big Show's" nose with a punch.
]]> HBO jumped all over another chapter in the war between father and son. The ugly scene between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his father made for uncomfortable television to say the least.
It wasn't phony or drummed up for the reality show. The Floyds haven't spoken since Aug. 16 and Jeff Mayweather, brother of Floyd Sr., says that's the way it has to be for now.
"I've got to try to do it after that fight," he said. "By that time, the egos will probably be cooled down, and all that stuff. This fight's important for Floyd and there doesn't need to be any press about those two -- I mean, the negative press," Mayweather told the Grand Rapids Press. "They don't have to be like they were before, when they had a great relationship at one time, but they should at least be civil."
Jeff says if he had been there the day the major brouhaha went down, he could've stepped in to make peace.
On top of that, he believes Camp Mayweather should've instructed HBO to scrap the argument from its latest installment on the 24/7 series. Once the footage hit television and the internet there was no turning back.
"That's the reason the healing might take some time," he said. "The Mayweathers are supposed to be a dysfunctional family, so something like this plays right into HBO's hands, with what they're marketing and what they're selling."
Tuesday's big fight week arrivals were all about Kansas City versus Las Vegas.
Victor Ortiz, a K.C. area native, arrived in understated, midwest fashion while Floyd Mayweather, a longtime resident in Sin City was surrounded by an entourage of 20. The best boxer of his generation arrived in a $500,000 Maybach 62 S.
Ortiz chuckled when he talked about begging his trainers to take him to the local In-and-Out Burger while Mayweather bragged about winning $100,000 with several bets on the Monday Night Football tilt between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
Mayweather is a notorious favorite and over player at the sports book, so the Pats 38-24 was custom made for his betting habits.
There comes a day when every "Baby-Faced Assassin" or "Pretty Boy" faces a fight he can't win. In the end, no one stays unbeaten against "Father Time."
Floyd Mayweather (41-0) is going to be 35 years old in February. Pair that fact with a long layoff and some other veteran fighters believe Floyd is due for a wake-up call soon.
"Your body starts to shut down, you start settling down," Ray Mancini said. "We change mentally, emotionally, physically. The piss-and-vinegar attitude goes away. The reflexes aren't the same. In training camp, you do seven reps instead of 10, and think, 'Don't worry about it.' But you're not pushing yourself the same, and you pay for it."
Mancini got old very quickly on. By his 24th birthday, he'd fought 32 times. He attempted a comeback at 28 and had little left from a motivational standpoint. Mancini says he couldn't overcome the mental battle of advanced age.
Oscar De La Hoya says for him it was the physical struggle.
"It's a whole new ballgame, and Floyd's going to find that out now that he's 34," De La Hoya said. "Things start happening at 34. Your muscle mass is not the same. You make weight easier, but that's not a good thing because you have less muscle."
DLH pointed out that Mayweather looked a bit small at the 30-day weight. Mayweather's never been a huge welterweight or someone who cut a bunch of weight, but it was an eye opener to see Floyd step on the scale at just 149 pounds.
Mayweather isn't buying any of it, suggesting the old age stuff doesn't apply to him. Because of his fighting style, he's well preserved.
"I'm still here because I haven't been in any toe-to-toe wars," he explains. "I think when a fighter's in a toe-to-toe war, it's wear and tear on the body. I haven't taken any abuse, so I thank God for blessing me with this great defense," Mayweather told FightNews.
Mayweather also says ring rust will be a non-factor. Several long layoffs between fights have actually turned out to be incredibly beneficial.
"I've been dominating the fight game since Victor Ortiz was nine years old until now and I'm still sharp," he barks. "I've taken these long layoffs and continued to dominate. For certain fighters it can help, for others it can hurt. I've been active since 1987 so it's okay for me to take a break."
Mayweather looks to move to 42-0 on Saturday. Victor Ortiz, 24, hopes Father Time's in his corner as he tries to become the guy who removed Mayweather's "O."
Every business owner/entrepreneur must understand the concept of a "diminishing returns price point." Taking that into account, have the promoters and HBO overstepped their bounds on the "Star Power" card this weekend?
With a $70 high-def price tag on the pay-per-view card headlined by the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz fight, one writer in Sacramento says the cost is simply too high.
"Would you pay your cable or satellite provider $69.95 to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. get knocked out? So would I," writes Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee. "But since Victor Ortiz, Mayweather's young and charismatic opponent Saturday night in Las Vegas, doesn't have a chance against the boxer we all love to hate, I'm keeping my $70 in the sock drawer."
Contreras says he's not alone, pointing to slow pay-per-view sales. He also reveals that there are plenty of tickets available online for seat at the MGM Grand Arena, the site of the Mayweather fight.
More importantly, will people buy the fight if they think Mayweather's going to cruise to another decision win? Not according to this pundit.
"Mayweather's lightning-quick jab will carve up Ortiz like a goose on Christmas. Mayweather will dance around his opponent, never engaging in a punch-for-punch skirmish. He'll win a boring unanimous decision."
Anyone notice there's no mention of the undercard in the SacBee story? That's still one of the fatal flaws boxing has to overcome immediately. When the various messengers around the country have no idea of the value on a particular undercard, how do you sell the consumers? There are some good fights beyond the Mayweather-Ortiz clash.
At The MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0) vs. Victor Ortiz (29-2-2)
Erik Morales (51-7) vs. Pablo Cano (22-0-1)
Jessie Vargas (16-0) vs. Josesito Lopez (29-3)
At Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Saul Alvarez (37-0-1) vs. Alfonso Gomez (23-4-2)
]]> Floyd Mayweather knows all about the stress of being surrounded by a family of nutcases, so when he had a chance to toy with Camp Ortiz's psyche, he jumped at the chance.
Mayweather was 99 percent respectful and professional during Wednesday's prefight press conference in Las Vegas, but he did slip in one little dig about Victor Ortiz's back story.
"I know the truth. His father didn't leave him. I do my homework. All he says is, 'Dude, I grew up with nothing.' One minute he wants to be a tough guy. Next minute he wants you to feel sorry for him,'' said Mayweather.
Ortiz's story has been told many times. He was abandoned by both of his parent's at a very young age. Ortiz seemed unfazed on stage, but longtime boxing writer Ron Borges claims that it seem to annoy Ortiz.
"I know the real story,'' Ortiz snapped later. "I don't need to hear it from him.''
Bingo! That was all part of the Mayweather plan. And make no mistake about it, Mayweather always has a structured attack in and out of the ring.
The 41-0 fighter also threw one other salvo at Camp Ortiz by trying to screw with trainer Robert Garcia's head. Ortiz's trainer doesn't speak with his own brother Danny, who also happens to train the Kansas City's fighters' mortal enemy Brandon Rios. So what did Mayweather do? He's having Danny walk him to the ring on Saturday night as part of his entourage. Classic Mayweather.
The press conference ended with the fighters standing nose-to-nose and getting even closer after that when they were chirping directly into the others ear.
]]> Victor Ortiz is a tough guy to read. Trash talk and bravado just aren't part of his nature, but that doesn't mean he lacks confidence. He just doesn't exude it like many of the traditional boisterous fighters of the past.
Yesterday during the prefight conference, the attempts at putting on a confident front were laughable. His manager Rolando Arellano trotted out some botched line from the movie "300" and trainer Robert Garcia said Mayweather was scared. Come on now fellas.
Getting back to reality, everyone wants to see how Ortiz will deal with main event status against the biggest name in boxing. Frankly, it's anyone's guess.
"It's a completely different stage," said Oscar De La Hoya, who lost a split decision to Mayweather in 2007. He's also Ortiz's promoter. "Either you crumble under the lights or you shine like there is no tomorrow. It's 50-50, and with Victor, especially with what he's gone through in life, what he has experienced, he will use it all as fuel to go out there and do great."
That's a brutal dose of honesty. Ortiz shrugged off the massive crowd expected at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and worldwide viewing audience.
"Maybe there will be more people," Ortiz said. "So what? Why does that make it any different?"
But Arellano is ultra-confident after seeing Ortiz overcome just about every challenge thrown his way during his 24 years.
"You have a young man (in Ortiz) who is committed, a young man who is dedicated, a young man who smiles in the face of adversity," Arellano said. "The coaches put him through a lot about the Gates of Hell, and he goes right through them, and when he comes out the other side, he smiles, he laughs, and he is looking forward to entering the ring and taking supremacy of the 147-pound division."
]]>
Floyd Mayweather is fighting Victor Ortiz this weekend, but just like with every other recent "Money" fight, the side story is if the veteran fighter will finally clash with Manny Pacquiao. And the answer has always been pertaining to the performance enhancing drug tests. We've heard that for two years, but after yesterday's discussions with both sides of the negotiation, the testing issue should dead and buried.
David Mayo reports that Bob Arum said that Pacman is good to go:
He said last week that his side "will accede to these tests, " with no timeline limits, and allow the United States Anti-Doping Agency to conduct them, as long as results are shared immediately with the regulatory authority overseeing the fight.
"The athletic commission has to supervise and the reports have to go to the athletic commission, because otherwise, you've got this testing group that's functioning outside of the regulatory scheme of boxing, " Arum said.
Nevada would be the perfect landing spot for the fight. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has experience dealing with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and its recent tests before all Mayweather fights.
The most important thing we heard yesterday was Mayweather confirming that there won't be an issue over whether the final prefight test is done 24, 14, 17 or 7 days before the fight. He just wants it to be random.
So Floyd has backed down with specific demands, but that doesn't mean he's vanquished his doubts about Pacquiao's legitimacy.
"I'm not ducking and dodging nobody -- never have ducked and dodged no one," he said. "But like I always say, when you see an athlete like Michael Jordan in college, you say, 'He's going to be great.' You see LeBron James, you say, 'He's going to be great.' You see Muhammad Ali, you see Sugar Ray Leonard, you see all these different fighters -- even myself -- you say, you know what, from the beginning, 'He's going to be great.' A guy all of a sudden don't become 24, 25, and just become great."
]]>
There's always an underlying angst when you're around Floyd Mayweather. He's 41-0 yet Mayweather is always beating the drum about how he's not respected. His greatness is a matter of opinion. Mayweather is clearly the fighter of this generation, but does that put him amongst the top 20 boxers of all time? It doesn't sound like his opponent Victor Ortiz believes that.
"Floyd is a good fighter. But, I've never thought he was great; ever since I was a kid. You know when you're a little boy, you sit back and you say, 'Wow. That guy's good. That guy's great.'" said Ortiz.
Ortiz mentioned the guys he feels are great. One problem, many of them eventually lost to Mayweather.
"Oscar (De La Hoya) was one of those for me. (Shane) Mosley was definitely one of those for me. Bernard Hopkins was one of those for me. In his prime, Zab Judah was one of those for me. And Floyd, not in his prime, not in his come up, not in his anything, he's ever been that to me," Ortiz said. "So, I'm definitely not impressed for one, and I'm not a person who's going to hold any kind of respect like those 41 other victims."
There doesn't seem to be too many fans or boxing media members buying Ortiz's spiel or his shot at pulling the upset.
Manny Pacquiao is part of the small group who say the 24-year-old can produce a shocker.
"Ortiz has a big chance to win the fight," Pacquiao said. "For me, [Ortiz has] a big chance because I sparred with Ortiz and he's strong. He's a puncher. Both fighters have advantages. Floyd's faster than Ortiz and Ortiz is stronger than Floyd, so it depends on how hard they trained for the fight."
Pacman's trainer Freddie Roach is usually pretty blunt. He sees Ortiz as a longshot.
"Victor's a big, strong kid," Roach said. "He's a good puncher. You've got to give him a shot. Obviously, Mayweather's a great boxer and you've got to favor him a little bit. But he's been off for a long time and I think Victor has a slight shot of pulling the upset off," said Roach.
]]> Legendary heavyweights find savior of sorts in Sin City Boxing can be a cruel sport to those fighters who didn't save their money or got ripped off along the way. There is no pension and the possibility of having medical insurance is almost laughable. The only shot at something close to a pension is the collectibles industry.
For some legendary fighters it's keeping them from abject poverty.
Bill Watson, the owner of Memorabilia International in Las Vegas' Miracle Mile shops, has lent a helping hand to some of the heavyweight stars of the 70's - Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks. All three were spotted at a recent autograph signing/photo op event at the MGM Grand and will sign again this evening.
The 68-year-old Norton has been battling back from the effects of an awful car accident 25 years ago. He called Watson a "godsend." All three have re-located to Las Vegas to work with the store. Shavers came back to the States after 10 years in England. Spinks recently lived in the Midwest and was working for $5.15 an hour as a janitor.
At the request of Scott Sibella, the MGM's President and COO, they'll be signing in the lobby again this evening along with Joe Frazier.
Norton (42-7-1, 33 KOs) was the WBC heavyweight champ in 1978 before losing the title to Larry Holmes. He fought Muhammed Ali three times, going 1-2. He and Shavers met in 1979. Shavers (75-14-1, 69 KOs), a huge knockout puncher, took out Norton in just one round. Shavers was 0-2 against Ali, with both fights going to decision. Shavers, 66, actually fought twice in 1995 at the age of 50.
Spinks (26-17-3, 14 KOs) pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, With just seven pro fights on his resume, he shocked Ali in Feb. of 1978. Ali went on to win the rematch in September of that year in the New Orleans' Superdome.
]]> Victor Ortiz knows what it's like to have lousy parents and awful role models, so when he looks at Floyd Mayweather's dysfunctional family he can play amateur psychologist. Ortiz says there's a reason "Money" is so defiant and boisterous.
"I see Mayweather as a little boy who is yearning for some kind of attention he didn't get as a kid," he told Telegraph Sport in an exclusive interview. "I know, I went through it myself. I was abandoned as a kid, thrown to the wolves, and came back as a king. I don't care what he has to say."
Gareth A. Davies had an interesting sit down with the WBC champ. The 24-year-old is less than a day and a half away from the biggest fight of his life, but he seemed relaxed. Ortiz lit up when he heard Davies' British accent.
"If you ever meet Hermione [the actress Emma Watson] over there in London, put a word in from me, tell her I'm her biggest fan," explained Ortiz to Telegraph Sport, with a broad grin. "I've watched every Harry Potter film, know them all. They rock!"
Check out the rest of Davies' story. He penned a Harry Potter-like theme for tomorrow night's clash.
]]>
It was a final bit of intimidation by Camp Mayweather before tonight's big fight in Las Vegas. With a massive entourage backing him, Floyd Mayweather lost his cool a bit and grabbed Victor Ortiz around the neck during Friday's weigh-in.
"It's all a big joke," Ortiz mumbled. "It's nothing."
Beyond that minor fracas, it was a low key weigh-in. Both fighters easily made weight. Mayweather checked in at 146.5 pounds and Ortiz was right on the money at 147. The festivites were hosted by comedians Paul Rodriguez and Kevin Hart in front of roughly 5,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Mayweather, 34, was the fighter who broke mentally on Friday. He says it won't happen tonight under the big lights.
"I have been at this for 16 years. This is the first time for Ortiz," Mayweather said. "I just have to keep my composure, stick to my game plan, and listen to what my (trainer) Uncle Roger tells me."
In a world where most fans totally disregard title belts, Mayweather is actually the challenger for Ortiz's WBC welterweight strap. The challenger is a 7-to-1 favorite.
"Star Power" weigh-in:
Floyd Mayweather Jr 146.5 vs. Victor Ortiz 147
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez 153.6 vs. Alfonso Gomez 152.6
Erik Morales 140 vs. Pablo Cesar Cano 140
Jessie Vargas 142 vs. Josesito Lopez 140.5
Dion Savage 168 vs. Adonis Stevenson 160
Antonio Orozco 142 vs. Fernando Rodriguez 144
Juan Manuel Montiel 134 vs. Anthony Crolla 135
Dhafir Smith 168 vs. Marco Antonio Periban 168
Carson Jones 145 vs. Said Ouali 147
Cassius Clay 133 vs. Kyrone Butler 134
]]>
LAS VEGAS - The betting action in Sin City has been pretty predictable during the lead up to the big fight at the MGM Grand.
The price tag on Floyd Mayweather of minus-650 (have to bet $650 to win $100) during the week was so high that casual bettors looked for any plus-money value it could find. As a result, most of the public action has come on Victor Ortiz. The odds on Floyd Mayweather have dropped to minus-550 with Ortiz fetching plus-375.
Even more intriguing is the action on the Over/under of 11.5 rounds. Mayweather has only stopped one opponent since 2006, but most bettors are slamming the under. As of 20 minutes ago in the MGM Grand Race & Sports Book, the over dropped from minus-210 to minus-140. Fans are buying Mayweather's guarantee that "someone is going down."
Mayweather vs. Ortiz betting odds (courtesy MGM Grand Race & Sports Book):
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (-550) vs. Victor Ortiz (+375) - WBC welterweight title
Rounds - Over 11½ (-140)
Under 11½ (+110)
Special proposition bets (courtesy BoDog):
Floyd Mayweather Jr. by KO, TKO, or DQ (2/1)
Floyd Mayweather Jr. by Decision (-160)
Victor Ortiz by KO, TKO, or DQ (11/2)
Victor Ortiz by Decision (12/1)
Draw (30/1)
LAS VEGAS - Erik Morales' comeback continued Saturday night with a beating of a boxing newbie in Pablo Cesar Cano. The 21-year-old Cano's face was a bloody mess between the 10th and 11th rounds. Cano's trainer, Rudy Perez, threw in the towel to stop the fight and give Morales another world title in a fourth weight class. Morales picked up the WBC junior welterweight title with the 10th round TKO.
Morales (52-7, 36 KOs) becomes the first Mexican-born fighter in history to win a world title in four different weight classes. The 35-year-old won his first title back in 1997 over Daniel Zaragoza down at 122 pounds. He beat Kevin Kelley for the 126-pound title in 2000 and got another title at 130 over Jesus Chavez in 2004.
Cano (23-1-1, 18 KOs) looked like hell at the end of the fight, but he gave Morales a tough time over the first seven rounds. The punch stats showed it was a pretty even fight. Morales finished with a slight edge 214-201, but it was the 10th that slammed the door shut on Cano's upset hopes.
The youngster was cut badly in fourth round. He had a huge slit over his left eye. When Morales landed an overhand right on the cut in the 10th, Cano's face exploded. Within seconds, blood covered the left side of his face. Morales poured it on the rest of the way against a fighter, who looked like he was mentally shot.
Cano certainly wasn't the celebrated guy Morales' has beaten for a title, but the fact that the Mexican legend was even here is pretty amazing. After suffering four straight losses from 2005-2007, Morales retired. He admitted he was battling issues with alcoholism and ballooned to 180 pounds. When Morales first attempted this comeback, many were against it, fearing for his health. In April, Morales proved most wrong by going the distance with a brutal puncher in Marcos Maidana. Now he's got a world title in one of the toughest weight divisions in boxing.
Vargas takes close decision, crowd not pleased
Jesse Vargas is a highly touted prospect and he pushed the pace, so it's be expected the young lion fighting out of Las Vegas got the nod on the scorecards in what turned out to be a competitive as the start of the "Star Power" pay-per-view.
Vargas got the split decision victory, over Joselito Lopez. Vargas is part of the Floyd Mayweather camp. They believe he's one of the best prospects in the entire sport. He didn't show that tonight. What he did exhibit was the ability to show punches in bunches. Vargas threw 851 punches of 10 rounds and outlanded Lopez 167-122.
]]> Saul "Canelo" Alvarez took another step forward Satuday night, but the fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and watching around the world probably deserved something a little more decisive. More importantly, Alfonso Gomez deserved to continue his quest for the upset.
In the sixth round, Gomez was clearly hurt by a "Canelo" uppercut and right cross, but the stoppage at 2:36 of stanza was premature. Alvarez moved to 38-0-1 with his second successful defense of his WBC light middleweight title. The 21-year-old drew just under 9,000.
On the scorecards, Gomez actually jumped out to 3-1 lead. He pushed forward the entire time and his pace seemed to throw off Canelo's rhythm. Alvarez took back control of the fight in the fourth and fifth, but it wasn't like he was destroying the former cast member from the boxing reality show "The Contender."
Alvarez changed the direction of the fight with a nasty uppercut and followed it up with a brutal right cross. Gomez dropped his left and began to stumble back toward the ropes. He got caught by another right hand before leaning on the ropes. Alvarez poured it on throwing 10 unanswered punches, but aside from one left to the body, the other nine shots appeared to be blocked. For some reason, that's when Wayne Hedgepeth jumped to save Gomez.
"He's a good counter-puncher, but I felt like I was still able to control the pace," Gomez said. "The ref looked for a reason to stop it and found it. I think the fight was pretty close to that even."
]]> LAS VEGAS - Protect yourself at all times. Young Victor Ortiz learned the lesson the hard way against the best fighter of this generation.
While apologizing for a headbutt, Ortiz dropped his hands and Floyd Mayweather decided it was time to fight again landing a delayed combination that the youngster couldn't recover from. Mayweather recorded a knockout victory, but drew lots of boos from the 14,687 in attendance, who thought it was a less than sporting move.
It got worse from there as Mayweather exploded on HBO's Larry Merchant telling the announcer that the network needs to fire him because he doesn't know [expletive] about boxing. The 80-year-old Merchant exploded saying he wished he was 50 years younger so he could "kick his ass."
Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) delivers another victory and wins the WBC welterweight title from Ortiz, but it may have been the most bizarre night of the great fighter's career.
The end of the fight was pure insanity. The bout was heating up in the fourth when Ortiz landed some solid shots and drove Mayweather into ropes. The 24-year-old got too aggressive, leaping into the air to headbutt Mayweather.
Referee Joe Cortez wisely paused the fight. That's when Ortiz walked behind the ref's back to apologize and hug Mayweather. Cortez grabbed Ortiz and walked him back to center of the ring to dock him a point.
From there, Cortez lost control of the fight. The referee looked the other way while Ortiz again walked up to Mayweather in the middle of the ring with hands out in a peace offering. Mayweather hit him with a slapping left. Ortiz looked at Cortez, who was still in a haze, to ask what the heck just happened? That's when Mayweather delivered a right hand bomb straight down the pipe. Ortiz (29-3-2) went down and couldn't back to his feet. The fight was over just as it was really starting.
As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, Mayweather engaged in a ridiculous conversation with Merchant. The veteran announcer tried to press Mayweather on why he threw the punches when Ortiz clearly wasn't fighting. Mayweather refused to do so. Then he snapped getting in the face of Merchant, who finally fired back. It was a terrible moment for both.
Mayweather, ahead on two scorecards 3-0 and the other 2-1, outlanded Ortiz 73-26.
LAS VEGAS - Tonight's big fight ended in ridiculous fashion. Floyd Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz after the young fighter dropped his guard.
So fans didn't get exactly what they bargained for with Mayweather-Ortiz I, but they did get a real throwdown when Mayweather-Larry Merchant XIII unfolded.
The hard-charging HBO announcer and Mayweather rarely see eye to eye. Merchant presses Mayweather with tough questions which generally seems to irk the fighter. Tonight it boiled over.
Larry Merchant: You were in charge of this fight. You were aggressive in trying to take advantage...
Floyd Mayweather: You know what I'm gonna do cause you never give me a fair shake, you know that? So I'm gonna let you talk to Victor Ortiz. I'm through. Put someone else here to give me an interview. Talk to Victor Ortiz!
Larry Merchant: What are you talking about?
Floyd Mayweather: You never give me a fair shake. HBO needs to fire you. You don't know (expletive) about boxing! You ain't (expletive) You're not (expletive)!
Larry Merchant: I wish I was 50 years younger and I'd kick your (expletive).
When pressed further on tonight's clash, Mayweather didn't back down at the postfight press conference. Mayweather said he didn't feel bad about going after the 80-year old Merchant saying it's time for HBO to go "out with the old and in with the new."
]]> Even with the NFL taking center stage on Sunday, Las Vegas was still buzzing about the wacky finish to the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
With a fourth-round knockout, Mayweather retained his title and moved 42-0, but it wasn't your garden variety fight finish.
Ortiz headbutted Mayweather and was docked a point. When the fight "re-started," one fighter was ready and the other had his hands at his side. Mayweather clocked the clueless Ortiz with a combination and down went the 24-year-old Mexican-American fighter.
Fans who spent $50 for closed-circuit viewing, $70 for the pay-per-view and hundreds, if not thousands for a seat in the area, walked away with an empty, confused or angry feeling.
]]>
You can pretty much scratch Floyd Mayweather off your Manny Pacquiao wish list. The fight isn't happening anytime soon.
Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said Mayweather knows who to call and right now it looks like "Money" doesn't want to fight Pacman.
"He knows us," Arum said of Mayweather. "If he had any desire to fight Manny Pacquiao, he would call Todd [duBoef, Top Rank president] and tell us. We have that kind of relationship with him.
"He said if he comes back, he wants a tune-up fight. If that's the case, it wouldn't be until next year that he would be available [to fight Pacquiao]."
Mayweather might be interested in facing newly crowned WBC welterweight champ Victor Ortiz. The rumor is Mayweather would face Ortiz at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Sept. 17. Assuming the NFL lockout ends and the season starts on time, the Cowboys are on the road in San Francisco on Sept. 18.
So that leaves three options for Manny Pacquiao - Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah.
Ortiz and Pacquiao training partner Amir Khan are not options for Pacquiao because they're promoted by Golden Boy Promotions. Top Rank Promotion's Arum was quick to point it's not him who has the issue with GBP.
"They defamed him. His aspirations are to finish up his career and run for President of the Philippines. He doesn't want that stain on his record. For no reason, they defamed him," Arum said during the postfight press conference (4:30 mark).
"By making a true an contrite apology, and then Manny being Manny might not object to them being involved in a promotion," Arum said.
Marquez actually met with Arum and Top Rank officials on Saturday morning before Pacquiao's win over Shane Mosley. Marquez asked for revisions to a previous offer and they were granted. Arum said Marquez would receive the official offer this morning.
It would be the third fight between the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters. The first fight ended in a draw and Pacquiao took a narrow split decision in the second.
Marquez wants the fight. The only hitch is Golden Boy. In an effort to facilitate the Pacquiao fight, Marquez split with GBP, but the promotion has the first right of refusal on any fight he wants to take.
Bradley is in a holding pattern. He was offered Amir Khan on July 23rd, but hasn't signed the contract. He's waiting to see what happens with Marquez first.
Either way, the date of Pacquiao's next appearance is virtually locked in stone. The bout will be in Las Vegas on Nov. 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or Nov. 12 at the Thomas & Mack Arena.
]]>
Shane Mosley's no rookie. The former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champ was involved in the 21st title fight of his career on Saturday against Manny Pacquiao, but even with 53 fights under his belt, "Sugar" Shane was shocked by what he felt in the third round.
Mosley said Pacman's punch was as hard as any shot he's ever felt as a pro. That was just the third time Mosley was on the deck.
Keep in mind, Mosley has been in there with several guys who walked into the ring around 170 pounds on the night of their respective fight including Ricardo Mayorga, Antonio Margarito, Fernando Vargas, Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. It was 149-pound Pacquiao who hit him the hardest.
Mosley said it threw him off the rest of the way. If he'd opened up, Mosley felt like he was walking into a trap. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said he was disappointed in Mosley's approach and thinks it's time Sugar Shane walks away.
"I don't think he tried to win the fight. I think he just tried to survive," Roach said during the postfight press conference. "When you get to that point in boxing, it's time to call it a day."
Everyone loves Manny Pacquiao, even American socialites. Paris Hilton and her sister Nicky were ringside for the Pacman's defeat of Shane Mosley. After the fight, she made an appearance at the postfight press conference.
The Hilton sisters sat alongside Pacquiao's wife Jinkee. Paris spoke for a few seconds and said she enjoyed the fight.
The fight game has fallen off in the celeb world. Not as many big-named Hollywood folks are coming to the mega-fights. Tyrese Gibson sang the U.S. National Anthem, Charice did the Philippine anthem and Jamie Foxx was in attendance to sing "America the Beautiful."
LAS VEGAS _ Coming into tonight's mega-fight, there were legitimate fears that 39-year-old Shane Mosley just didn't have enough left in the tank to give Manny Pacquaio a real challenge. The promotion made a boatload of money and probably sold a ton of pay-per-views, but those fears were realized and some fight fans walked away disappointed with both sides.
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) scored a knock down in the third and pressured Mosley the rest of the way, but couldn't finish him. On the other side, Mosley was helpless, barely averaged 20 punches per round. Pacquiao rolled to a less than thrilling unanimous decision victory, 120-108, 120-107 and 119-108, in front of 16,412 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
"We did our best to put on a good fight. I tried to do my best," Pacquiao told Showtime's Jim Gray. "I want to move in the middle rounds, my legs just got tight. It was a problem before when I fought Marquez."
Pacquiao explained that the cramps arrived in the fourth and his left leg didn't loosen up again until the 10th round according to Arum.
Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) never loosened up. He only threw 260 punches over the 12 rounds. The crowd got on him over the last three rounds when he threw virtually nothing (only landed 18 punches from rounds 10-12). He did get credit for knocking down Pacquiao, sort of.
With just over a minute left in the 10th, the fighters clashed and Mosley pushed Pacman to the ground. Referee Kenny Bayless called it a knockdown and started counting. Pacquiao laughed and fought angrily over the final 60 seconds of the round. After the fight, Mosley admitted that it was a slip. Bayless also told Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach that he made a mistake.{ysp: more}
Mosley landed 82 punches to Pacquiao's 182. This was title fight No. 21 for Mosley and the wear and tear from 54 fights was clear. Mosley simply couldn't catch the younger, faster Pacquiao. He landed five combinations the entire fight. Pacquiao, 32, also attempted 552 punches, but even that was down from his norm.
During the postfight press conference, Mosley said he was having trouble with his right foot. From the sixth round on, a blister on the foot served as a "distraction."
The issue of Floyd Mayweather was addressed after the fight by both Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum. Pacman said he won't lose any sleep if he never fights Mayweather, but he knows the fans want the match, so he'll take the fight if its made.
Arum said as soon as Mayweather wants the fight, he knows where to call. The 79-year-old promoter, who used to work with Floyd Jr. said his relationship with the fighter is fine. It's just a matter of when and if Mayweather wants the fight. He pointed out that Mayweather has mentioned a tune-up fight before facing Pacquiao. That would push a possible matchup into 2012.
Meanwhile, the plan is for Pacquiao to fight some time in November, either on the 5th or 12th in Las Vegas. The MGM would host a Nov. 5 fight with the Thomas & Mack Center serving as the possible home on Nov. 12.
Arum listed the probable opponents as Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley or Zab Judah. Arum believes all three would make for a good promotion. Arum and Top Rank officials met with JuanMan on Saturday morning in Las Vegas where he was given a new offer for the fight. The offer included changes that Marquez requested. Arum believes Marquez will accept the fight if Golden Boy Promotions doesn't block the fight. Marquez has split from Golden Boy, but the promotion still has the first right of refusal on any fight. Marquez has also talked about fighting during the summer against David Diaz.
Marquez and Pacquiao have fought twice, with Pacman taking fight No. 2. The first ended in a draw.
]]> Vasquez Jr. saved by legendary father in 12th round <p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/a9/a9685b1a31358ce6fd8a77379808b37b/vasquez_jr_saved_by_legendary_father_in_th_round.jpg" width="320" align="right" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/VasquezJrSr.jpg" height="247" hspace="8" class="alignright size-full wp-image-409" title="VasquezJrSr" alt="Vasquez Jr. saved by legendary father in 12th round">Wilfredo Vasquez never thought he'd see his son follow in his footsteps. Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. exceeded all expectations by storming to a world title at just 25 years old. Tonight, when things got rough for the younger Vasquez, his father saved him by throwing in the towel against Jorge Arce.</p>
<p>In a dead-even fight on two scorecards, Vasquez Jr. took a beating in the final round. When he failed to throw back or grab to stop an Arce flurry of 30-plus unanswered punches, Vasquez Sr. ended the fight at the 0:55 mark of the final round. Arce, 31, pulls off the mild upset to win the WBO junior featherweight title.</p>
<p>Arce (57-6-2, KOs) has now won world title four weight classes (108, 112, 115 and 122). Vasquez Jr. (20-1, 17 KOs) only started boxing at 19 years old and had no amateur background when he turned pro in 2006.</p>
<p>Vasquez Sr. was a champion at 118, 122 and 126 during the 80's. He's arguably one of the top three fighters in the history of Puerto Rico.</p>
<p><img src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/editorial_image/df/dfb226909129ae9cb85ff18bbd7616dc/vasquez_jr_saved_by_legendary_father_in_th_round.jpg" width="600" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/224/2011/05/ArceVasquez1.jpg" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-411" title="ArceVasquez1" height="399" alt="Vasquez Jr. saved by legendary father in 12th round"></p>
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