Dibella puts on "Rising Stars" card
by Dan Rafael
Last July, I wrote about HBO's plans to launch a prospect-oriented boxing series on its HBO2 platform.
Promoters Lou DiBella, Gary Shaw and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, along with then-HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg, signed the paperwork to create a monthly tripleheader (probably a four- or six-rounder followed by 10- or 12-round bouts) for about $150,000 per show.
The show was originally delayed until January and now has been canceled altogether. Obviously, Ken Hershman, the new HBO Sports boss who replaced Greenburg -- who was forced to resign last summer -- didn't want to go forward with the series.
But he still had obligations to the promoters for the money they would have received for a year's worth of cards under the deal. That has now seemingly been worked out, and the promoters will get lower-priced "Boxing After Dark" shows to make up for the license fees they would have gotten for the now-dead (and unnamed) series.
The first of these "makeup" shows looks promising. DiBella will put on a Sept. 29 tripleheader from the Foxwoods resort in Mashantucket, Conn., that will feature some of his most promising fighters: super middleweight Edwin Rodriguez and junior featherweight Luis "Orlandito" Del Valle and probably light heavyweight Isaac Chilemba.
"There's a need to build some new blood," DiBella said. "HBO is doing what they promised they'd do, but in a different way. This is like a rising stars card, where the matches all look good on paper and should have action, and there's a chance for a prospect to make his mark."
Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs), 27, who outpointed Donovan George in his HBO debut in March, will fight in the main event, largely because he is from nearby Worcester, Mass., and will bring a crowd. He'll face New Jersey's Jason Escalera (13-0-1, 12 KOs), also 27.
Escalera has never faced anyone close to Rodriguez's caliber, so I'm far more intrigued by the undercard bouts.
DiBella said the deal is done for Puerto Rico's Del Valle (16-0, 11 KOs), 25, to face former junior bantamweight and flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (37-5-1, 27 KOs). Darchinyan, 36, has lost two in a row at bantamweight and is moving up in weight, but he is very experienced, packs a punch, usually is in entertaining fights and has nothing to lose. He is Del Valle's best opponent -- by far.
"Del Valle-Darchinyan, it's a war," DiBella said. "The thing I love about Edwin and Orlandito is, they're great TV fighters because they can't help themselves to engage even though they don't have to. But it's who they are. They put themselves in danger, and it makes it fun to watch. Orlandito is a little beast. We know Darchinyan is a warrior. He never makes a bad fight.
"If Orlandito passes the test, he emerges as a legitimate challenger for [titleholder] Nonito Donaire. Orlandito against [former titlist] Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., if Vazquez beats Rafael Marquez in August in Puerto Rico, is a big fight. [Top Rank's Bob] Arum and I have already talked about that fight."
DiBella is working to finalize the third fight -- South Africa's 25-year-old Chilemba (19-1-1, 9 KOs) against former light heavyweight and cruiserweight titlist Zsolt Erdei (33-0, 18 KOs), who's a bit older (38) and hasn't fought in a year but is regarded as one of the best at 175 pounds. Chilemba is coming off a career-best win against Edison Miranda, whom he outpointed in February on "Friday Night Fights."
DiBella said he tried to work out a deal with British promoter Frank Maloney to have heavyweight prospect David Price (13-0, 11 KOs), a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and perhaps England's best heavyweight hope, appear on the show, but it didn't work out.
Shaw is supposed to get his version of a "rising stars" card in October, and could feature welterweight sensation Thomas Dulorme (15-0, 12 KOs) of Puerto Rico.
www.FightMuseumLV.com
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Pavlik's not a 'ghost' of his former self anymore
Pavlik's not a 'ghost' of his former self anymore
by Lem Satterfield
When Kelly Pavlik entered the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, Calif., in January, gym owner Robert Garcia knew the 30-year-old former undisputed middleweight champ would stand out in the crowd.
Having split with career-long trainer Jack Loew and left his native Youngstown, Ohio, to begin working with Garcia, Pavlik was going to be among the few caucasian boxers in a predominantly Mexican atmosphere.
"When he first came to us, we sat down and we talked," said Garcia of Pavlik, who was nicknamed "The Ghost" for his pale skin by African-American rivals as an amateur.
"We knew he was going to be the only white guy in my gym and thought that it would make it harder. But it was really easy. He found himself at home. We gave him the same treatment and everything went well. He came in and became friendly with everyone, and everyone is friendly with him."
And it appears that Pavlik (39-2, 34 knockouts) has revitalized his career as he pursues his third straight victory as a super middleweight when he meets New York's Will Rosinsky (16-1, 9 KOs) on July 7 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
"Everybody in the gym was very welcoming. After the first day, I felt comfortable -- like I had trained there for five years," said Pavlik, who left behind some well-publicized troubles with alcohol in Ohio.
"The hunger was there when I made the move to go to California, but working with Robert, and learning again has made me hungry again. It made me want to keep boxing and fighting harder. It's been easy to get along."
After being dethroned as WBO and WBC middleweight titleholder by Sergio Martinez in April of 2010, Pavlik cited a rib injury as his reason for pulling out of a bout with Bryan Vera, which was scheduled for the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito in November of 2010.
Later that month, Pavlik entered the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., for a nearly two-month stay and treatment of a drinking problem.
In August of last year, Pavlik pulled out of a scheduled fight on Showtime, citing his disappointment over the offer of $50,000 to face Darryl Cunningham, followed by a $1.35 million minimum he was to get from Top Rank for a meeting with then-IBF titleholder Lucian Bute.
Pavlik said that he had heard that Denmark's ex-titleholder Mikkel Kessler had turned down a larger amount for a matchup with Bute. The move by Pavlik forced Showtime to cancel the entire card that was be held in Pavlik's hometown of Youngstown, Ohio.
That's about the time when manager Cameron Dunkin began pondering the details designed to resurrect the beleagured Pavlik.
The change to Garcia, who also handles the careers of fighters such as Nonito Donaire, Brandon Rios and Mikey Garcia (who is Robert Garcia's younger brother), was proposed by Dunkin, Pavlik's father, Mike Pavlik, promoter and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, and Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti during an October meeting in New York while attending Donaire's fight against Omar Narvaez.
"It was definitely important to come out to Oxnard to train. I'm not here to knock anybody or anything like that, but I wasn't going any further where I was. We had a meeting in New York with Bob and Cameron and we had this conversation," said Pavlik, who burst onto the scene with a seventh-round knockout of then-undisputed middleweight titleholder Jermain Taylor in September of 2007.
"A move had to happen, and it was very important. I am learning. I'm hungry and I'm rejuvenated to get back into it. You can never quit learning in this sport, and I'm learning again and that's very important. On the personal part, when I get out here, I don't have any distractions or headaches. I am able to focus on what I'm here to do."
During the fighter's last outting, a seventh-round knockout of Scott Sigmon on June 8, Dunkin said he noticed that Pavlik is no longer a "Ghost" of his former self.
"There were so many more skills in there than he had shown in the past. He was catching Sigmon's punches and rolling with stuff," said Dunkin.
"Kelly was moving his head, holding his hands up and working inside. Not every punch was loading up -- he touched him, turned him and beat him down. And he was calm in there."
Pavlik believes he is approaching a title shot opportunity, perhaps one against England's Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KOs), who dethroned Bute (30-1, 24 KOs) by fifth-round stoppage last month.
"I would like to fight Carl Froch. That weight class is loaded, no matter which way you go. Any big fight at this stage. Whatever opens up, whatever opportunity presents itself, whatever sanctioning body. It doesn't matter," said Pavlik. "Some of those heated words and some things Froch said to me before hurt a little bit. I would like to fight Bute also. Any of those guys, I will fight."
If Pavlik is successful against Rosinsky, Arum said he would like to bring Pavlik back to New York, where he could fight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in October.
But Pavlik knows that he faces a significant test in Rosinsky, a winner of two straight since falling by unanimous decision to Edwin Rodriguez in October of last year.
"This kid is a good fighter -- a very game fighter and he's going to come to fight. He's coming off of a fight, so he's ready too. But people are going to see the best of me come out that night," said Pavlik. "We're still over a week out, but there are still some things we are fine-tuning right now. I feel really good in camp. Clear-headed and ready to go."
Photos by Chris Farina, Top Rank
by Lem Satterfield
When Kelly Pavlik entered the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard, Calif., in January, gym owner Robert Garcia knew the 30-year-old former undisputed middleweight champ would stand out in the crowd.
Having split with career-long trainer Jack Loew and left his native Youngstown, Ohio, to begin working with Garcia, Pavlik was going to be among the few caucasian boxers in a predominantly Mexican atmosphere.
"When he first came to us, we sat down and we talked," said Garcia of Pavlik, who was nicknamed "The Ghost" for his pale skin by African-American rivals as an amateur.
"We knew he was going to be the only white guy in my gym and thought that it would make it harder. But it was really easy. He found himself at home. We gave him the same treatment and everything went well. He came in and became friendly with everyone, and everyone is friendly with him."
And it appears that Pavlik (39-2, 34 knockouts) has revitalized his career as he pursues his third straight victory as a super middleweight when he meets New York's Will Rosinsky (16-1, 9 KOs) on July 7 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
"Everybody in the gym was very welcoming. After the first day, I felt comfortable -- like I had trained there for five years," said Pavlik, who left behind some well-publicized troubles with alcohol in Ohio."The hunger was there when I made the move to go to California, but working with Robert, and learning again has made me hungry again. It made me want to keep boxing and fighting harder. It's been easy to get along."
After being dethroned as WBO and WBC middleweight titleholder by Sergio Martinez in April of 2010, Pavlik cited a rib injury as his reason for pulling out of a bout with Bryan Vera, which was scheduled for the undercard of Manny Pacquiao's unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito in November of 2010.
Later that month, Pavlik entered the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., for a nearly two-month stay and treatment of a drinking problem.
In August of last year, Pavlik pulled out of a scheduled fight on Showtime, citing his disappointment over the offer of $50,000 to face Darryl Cunningham, followed by a $1.35 million minimum he was to get from Top Rank for a meeting with then-IBF titleholder Lucian Bute.
Pavlik said that he had heard that Denmark's ex-titleholder Mikkel Kessler had turned down a larger amount for a matchup with Bute. The move by Pavlik forced Showtime to cancel the entire card that was be held in Pavlik's hometown of Youngstown, Ohio.
That's about the time when manager Cameron Dunkin began pondering the details designed to resurrect the beleagured Pavlik.
The change to Garcia, who also handles the careers of fighters such as Nonito Donaire, Brandon Rios and Mikey Garcia (who is Robert Garcia's younger brother), was proposed by Dunkin, Pavlik's father, Mike Pavlik, promoter and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, and Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti during an October meeting in New York while attending Donaire's fight against Omar Narvaez.
"It was definitely important to come out to Oxnard to train. I'm not here to knock anybody or anything like that, but I wasn't going any further where I was. We had a meeting in New York with Bob and Cameron and we had this conversation," said Pavlik, who burst onto the scene with a seventh-round knockout of then-undisputed middleweight titleholder Jermain Taylor in September of 2007."A move had to happen, and it was very important. I am learning. I'm hungry and I'm rejuvenated to get back into it. You can never quit learning in this sport, and I'm learning again and that's very important. On the personal part, when I get out here, I don't have any distractions or headaches. I am able to focus on what I'm here to do."
During the fighter's last outting, a seventh-round knockout of Scott Sigmon on June 8, Dunkin said he noticed that Pavlik is no longer a "Ghost" of his former self.
"There were so many more skills in there than he had shown in the past. He was catching Sigmon's punches and rolling with stuff," said Dunkin.
"Kelly was moving his head, holding his hands up and working inside. Not every punch was loading up -- he touched him, turned him and beat him down. And he was calm in there."
Pavlik believes he is approaching a title shot opportunity, perhaps one against England's Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KOs), who dethroned Bute (30-1, 24 KOs) by fifth-round stoppage last month.
"I would like to fight Carl Froch. That weight class is loaded, no matter which way you go. Any big fight at this stage. Whatever opens up, whatever opportunity presents itself, whatever sanctioning body. It doesn't matter," said Pavlik. "Some of those heated words and some things Froch said to me before hurt a little bit. I would like to fight Bute also. Any of those guys, I will fight."
If Pavlik is successful against Rosinsky, Arum said he would like to bring Pavlik back to New York, where he could fight at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in October.
But Pavlik knows that he faces a significant test in Rosinsky, a winner of two straight since falling by unanimous decision to Edwin Rodriguez in October of last year.
"This kid is a good fighter -- a very game fighter and he's going to come to fight. He's coming off of a fight, so he's ready too. But people are going to see the best of me come out that night," said Pavlik. "We're still over a week out, but there are still some things we are fine-tuning right now. I feel really good in camp. Clear-headed and ready to go."
Photos by Chris Farina, Top Rank
Friday, June 29, 2012
What's next for Pacquiao?
What's next for Pacquiao?
by Lem Satterfield
Over a Tuesday evening dinner in Los Angeles, eight-division titlewinner Manny Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, discussed the fighter's future.
What they concluded was that Pacquiao "will definitely fight on Nov. 10," said Arum.
Exactly whom Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 knockouts) will face remains a mystery.
But it will likley be a rematch with one of three opponents -- current WBO welterweight beltholder Tim Bradley, four-division and WBA and WBO junior welterweight titlewinner Juan Manuel Marquez or three-division beltwinner Miguel Cotto -- Arum told Yahoo!Sports.
"I spoke to Manny last night," said Arum during an interview with RingTV.com on Wednesday. "He's considering all of the options."
On Wednesday, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) told WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel that he was vacating the organization's 140-pound crown in order to retain the 147-pound version he won from Pacquiao via controversial split-decision victory on June 9.
In doing so, it appears that Bradley is set on pursuing a return bout with Pacquiao, whose 15-fight winning streak that included eight knockouts ended with the loss.
"I don't think that you can say that a rematch with Bradley is 'likely,'" said Arum. "But he could possibly get a rematch."
The Bradley-Pacquiao contract already had contained a clause calling for a rematch on Nov. 10, although Pacquiao was widely reported to be considering a fourth bout with Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) for that date in Mexico.
Pacquiao escaped with a disputed majority decision victory over Marquez in November, this, after having previously battled through a draw and a split-decision win over Marquez.
During an exclusive interview with RingTV.com, Marquez cited Fernando Beltran, president of Zanfer Promotions as saying that Pacquiao was leaning toward facing him next. Beltran co-promotes Marquez with Top Rank out of Mexico.
Meanwhile Paquiao told The Associated Press in Manila, Philippines that he was "going to get that title" back from Bradley.
Already the WBA's junior welterweight titleholder, Marquez rebounded from the loss to Pacquiao with April's unanimous decision over Sergei Fedchenko for the WBO's interim junior welterweight belt. Bradley's move, however, makes Marquez the WBO's full junior welterweight titleholder and a four-division beltwinner.
And then there is Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs), whose advisor, Gaby Penagaricano, informed RingTV.com that Puerto Rican fighter would be open to rematches with Pacquiao or five-division, eight beltwinner Floyd Mayweather Jr., if not a shot at WBC middleweight beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr..
Cotto is coming off last month's unanimous decision loss to Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs), who added the WBA junior middleweight belt to the WBC welterweight crown he already owned.
Cotto had scored three straight stoppage victories since being dethroned as WBO welterweight beltholder by 12th-round knockout against Pacquiao in November of 2010. Cotto's run included December's 10th-round stoppage of Antonio Margarito to avenge the first loss of his career.
As for Mayweather, he began serving jail time on June 1 and is not expected to be released until Aug. 3.
Arum won't say who is next for Pacquiao.
Not exactly, at any rate.
"What what we discussed is the fact that it will be one of the three, yes," said Arum. "One of the three or Mayweather -- but that's a long shot."
Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photos by Chris Farina
Photos by Tom Hogan, Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
by Lem Satterfield
Over a Tuesday evening dinner in Los Angeles, eight-division titlewinner Manny Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, discussed the fighter's future.
What they concluded was that Pacquiao "will definitely fight on Nov. 10," said Arum.
Exactly whom Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 knockouts) will face remains a mystery.
But it will likley be a rematch with one of three opponents -- current WBO welterweight beltholder Tim Bradley, four-division and WBA and WBO junior welterweight titlewinner Juan Manuel Marquez or three-division beltwinner Miguel Cotto -- Arum told Yahoo!Sports.
"I spoke to Manny last night," said Arum during an interview with RingTV.com on Wednesday. "He's considering all of the options."
On Wednesday, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) told WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel that he was vacating the organization's 140-pound crown in order to retain the 147-pound version he won from Pacquiao via controversial split-decision victory on June 9.
In doing so, it appears that Bradley is set on pursuing a return bout with Pacquiao, whose 15-fight winning streak that included eight knockouts ended with the loss.
"I don't think that you can say that a rematch with Bradley is 'likely,'" said Arum. "But he could possibly get a rematch."
The Bradley-Pacquiao contract already had contained a clause calling for a rematch on Nov. 10, although Pacquiao was widely reported to be considering a fourth bout with Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) for that date in Mexico.
Pacquiao escaped with a disputed majority decision victory over Marquez in November, this, after having previously battled through a draw and a split-decision win over Marquez.
During an exclusive interview with RingTV.com, Marquez cited Fernando Beltran, president of Zanfer Promotions as saying that Pacquiao was leaning toward facing him next. Beltran co-promotes Marquez with Top Rank out of Mexico.
Meanwhile Paquiao told The Associated Press in Manila, Philippines that he was "going to get that title" back from Bradley.
Already the WBA's junior welterweight titleholder, Marquez rebounded from the loss to Pacquiao with April's unanimous decision over Sergei Fedchenko for the WBO's interim junior welterweight belt. Bradley's move, however, makes Marquez the WBO's full junior welterweight titleholder and a four-division beltwinner.
And then there is Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs), whose advisor, Gaby Penagaricano, informed RingTV.com that Puerto Rican fighter would be open to rematches with Pacquiao or five-division, eight beltwinner Floyd Mayweather Jr., if not a shot at WBC middleweight beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr..
Cotto is coming off last month's unanimous decision loss to Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs), who added the WBA junior middleweight belt to the WBC welterweight crown he already owned.
Cotto had scored three straight stoppage victories since being dethroned as WBO welterweight beltholder by 12th-round knockout against Pacquiao in November of 2010. Cotto's run included December's 10th-round stoppage of Antonio Margarito to avenge the first loss of his career.
As for Mayweather, he began serving jail time on June 1 and is not expected to be released until Aug. 3.
Arum won't say who is next for Pacquiao.
Not exactly, at any rate.
"What what we discussed is the fact that it will be one of the three, yes," said Arum. "One of the three or Mayweather -- but that's a long shot."
Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photos by Chris Farina
Photos by Tom Hogan, Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
Rahman out of title bout
Rahman out of title bout
by Dan Rafael
Former heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman, due to challenge titleholder Alexander Povetkin in a mandatory fight on July 14, withdrew on Thursday because of a wrist injury.
Rahman aggravated a cyst on his right wrist so acutely during a training session on Wednesday that he had surgery to remove the cyst on Thursday morning and will be sidelined for two weeks, promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
"He was working out and he had excruciating pain in his wrist because of the cyst," Cohen said. "His trainer, Eddie Mustafa (Muhammad), stopped the session and had him go to the doctor. He had an MRI. 'Rock' wanted to have a cortisone shot, but the doctor said it wouldn't help. So he had surgery (Thursday) morning. Everything went fine. He's out for two weeks. Really, it's a minor thing, but obviously we have to postpone the fight."
It has not been determined if Povetkin will fight a substitute opponent on short notice, although Cohen said their contract with Sauerland Event, Povetkin's promoter, contains standard injury delay language.
"Our contract calls for a postponement if there's an injury," Cohen said. "From our perspective the fight will be postponed. We're the mandatory, and Povetkin has to make his mandatory defense. I expect Rahman and Povetkin will be fighting each other in their next fight. It's a matter of the German TV date."
Rahman has had the cyst but had not previously been bothered much by it, Cohen said, so when it flared up so severely it came as a surprise.
"It was a pretty substantial cyst around the wrist and he said from time to time he had discomfort, but never a big deal," Cohen said. "'Rock' is not a complainer. He didn't have it checked out. (Wednesday) he said it was like a sledgehammer hitting his wrist every time he punched. He saw the doctor, had the surgery. He did the right thing. Now we have to reschedule the fight."
Cohen said as soon as he found out, he notified Sauerland Event officials.
"They were disappointed to hear the news but appreciative that as soon as we knew we informed them," Cohen said. "We hope to have a new date worked out with them soon."
Sauerland Event could not be reached for comment.
Povetkin (24-0, 16 KOs) was originally due to make his third defense against Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KOs) in London on the undercard of the Dereck Chisora-David Haye heavyweight fight. However, earlier this week the bout was moved to Hamburg, Germany, to its own card due to conflicts on the timing requirements of the two bouts with their respective home television networks, BoxNation in the United Kingdom and ARD in Germany
www.FightMuseumLV.com
by Dan Rafael
Former heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman, due to challenge titleholder Alexander Povetkin in a mandatory fight on July 14, withdrew on Thursday because of a wrist injury.
Rahman aggravated a cyst on his right wrist so acutely during a training session on Wednesday that he had surgery to remove the cyst on Thursday morning and will be sidelined for two weeks, promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
"He was working out and he had excruciating pain in his wrist because of the cyst," Cohen said. "His trainer, Eddie Mustafa (Muhammad), stopped the session and had him go to the doctor. He had an MRI. 'Rock' wanted to have a cortisone shot, but the doctor said it wouldn't help. So he had surgery (Thursday) morning. Everything went fine. He's out for two weeks. Really, it's a minor thing, but obviously we have to postpone the fight."
It has not been determined if Povetkin will fight a substitute opponent on short notice, although Cohen said their contract with Sauerland Event, Povetkin's promoter, contains standard injury delay language.
"Our contract calls for a postponement if there's an injury," Cohen said. "From our perspective the fight will be postponed. We're the mandatory, and Povetkin has to make his mandatory defense. I expect Rahman and Povetkin will be fighting each other in their next fight. It's a matter of the German TV date."
Rahman has had the cyst but had not previously been bothered much by it, Cohen said, so when it flared up so severely it came as a surprise.
"It was a pretty substantial cyst around the wrist and he said from time to time he had discomfort, but never a big deal," Cohen said. "'Rock' is not a complainer. He didn't have it checked out. (Wednesday) he said it was like a sledgehammer hitting his wrist every time he punched. He saw the doctor, had the surgery. He did the right thing. Now we have to reschedule the fight."
Cohen said as soon as he found out, he notified Sauerland Event officials.
"They were disappointed to hear the news but appreciative that as soon as we knew we informed them," Cohen said. "We hope to have a new date worked out with them soon."
Sauerland Event could not be reached for comment.
Povetkin (24-0, 16 KOs) was originally due to make his third defense against Rahman (50-7-2, 41 KOs) in London on the undercard of the Dereck Chisora-David Haye heavyweight fight. However, earlier this week the bout was moved to Hamburg, Germany, to its own card due to conflicts on the timing requirements of the two bouts with their respective home television networks, BoxNation in the United Kingdom and ARD in Germany
www.FightMuseumLV.com
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Martinez Chavez card taking shape
Martinez Chavez card taking shape
by Dan Rafael
Just because promoters Top Rank and Lou DiBella came to an agreement for the showdown between lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to meet Sept. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, and ironed out a deal with hotel and casino magnate Steve Wynn for his Wynn Las Vegas resort to sponsor the event, doesn't mean the work is done.
The fight is made, but there are schedules to plan, promotional elements to put into motion and an undercard to make, not to mention a formal contract to finalize with HBO PPV.
So Top Rank president Todd duBoef and vice president Carl Moretti and DiBella met Tuesday in New York to go over a number of aspects of the promotion. They are supposed to meet with HBO on Wednesday.
Over lunch on Tuesday, the promoters scheduled the commercial and photo shoot for July 9 in Los Angeles, followed by a kickoff news conference there on July 10. The media tour will continue with stops in Las Vegas (July 11), New York (July 12) and Mexico City (July 13), although the specific locations have not been finalized.
Tickets for the fight, priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, go on sale July 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, Town Square Las Vegas Concierge, online at www.unlvtickets.com or by phone at 702-739-3267.
DiBella told me that he plans to use one of his pay-per-view undercard slots to put on middleweight contender Matthew Macklin (28-4, 19 KO), who gave Martinez a very tough fight on March 17. He knocked Martinez down in the seventh round and was dropped twice himself in the 11th round before the fight was stopped in his corner after the round.
DiBella said he might match Macklin with former junior middleweight titlist Joachim Alcine (33-2-1, 19 KOs), who rejuvenated his career in December with a spirited majority decision win against heavy favorite David Lemieux in their all-Montreal meeting.
Top Rank has been tossing around a variety of possibilities for the card. Nothing is set, but names in the mix include junior featherweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux, who was very impressive in his blitz of Teon Kennedy in a June 9 defense on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. undercard, and junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KOs), whose last two fights (against Mauricio Herrera and Breidis Prescott) were sensational brawls on pay-per-view undercards.
Another fighter who might land on the card, be it on TV or off, is light heavyweight prospect Mike Lee (9-0, 5 KOs), the popular Notre Dame graduate.
There is a chance we could see at least one of the televised bouts pit a Top Rank fighter against a DiBella fighter, although as both DiBella and Moretti said, the card is a work in progress.
by Dan Rafael
Just because promoters Top Rank and Lou DiBella came to an agreement for the showdown between lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and beltholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to meet Sept. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, and ironed out a deal with hotel and casino magnate Steve Wynn for his Wynn Las Vegas resort to sponsor the event, doesn't mean the work is done.
The fight is made, but there are schedules to plan, promotional elements to put into motion and an undercard to make, not to mention a formal contract to finalize with HBO PPV.
So Top Rank president Todd duBoef and vice president Carl Moretti and DiBella met Tuesday in New York to go over a number of aspects of the promotion. They are supposed to meet with HBO on Wednesday.
Over lunch on Tuesday, the promoters scheduled the commercial and photo shoot for July 9 in Los Angeles, followed by a kickoff news conference there on July 10. The media tour will continue with stops in Las Vegas (July 11), New York (July 12) and Mexico City (July 13), although the specific locations have not been finalized.
Tickets for the fight, priced at $600, $400, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, go on sale July 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center box office, Town Square Las Vegas Concierge, online at www.unlvtickets.com or by phone at 702-739-3267.
DiBella told me that he plans to use one of his pay-per-view undercard slots to put on middleweight contender Matthew Macklin (28-4, 19 KO), who gave Martinez a very tough fight on March 17. He knocked Martinez down in the seventh round and was dropped twice himself in the 11th round before the fight was stopped in his corner after the round.
DiBella said he might match Macklin with former junior middleweight titlist Joachim Alcine (33-2-1, 19 KOs), who rejuvenated his career in December with a spirited majority decision win against heavy favorite David Lemieux in their all-Montreal meeting.
Top Rank has been tossing around a variety of possibilities for the card. Nothing is set, but names in the mix include junior featherweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux, who was very impressive in his blitz of Teon Kennedy in a June 9 defense on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. undercard, and junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado (33-0, 23 KOs), whose last two fights (against Mauricio Herrera and Breidis Prescott) were sensational brawls on pay-per-view undercards.
Another fighter who might land on the card, be it on TV or off, is light heavyweight prospect Mike Lee (9-0, 5 KOs), the popular Notre Dame graduate.
There is a chance we could see at least one of the televised bouts pit a Top Rank fighter against a DiBella fighter, although as both DiBella and Moretti said, the card is a work in progress.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Burns vs Mitchell- Fight Candidate of the year
Burns vs Mitchell - Fight of the Year Candidate?by Danny Richardson
Yesterday, it was confirmed that Scottish superstar Ricky Burns will defend his WBO lightweight title against Dagenham's Kevin Mitchell in September, a fight which has been high in demand amongst the British public. Burns, who has strung together some impressive performances in recent years, will face arguably his toughest test against Mitchell, whose only career defeat in 33 contests came at the hands of Australian warrior Michael Katsidis, who Burns beat late last year. With both men having a point to prove and the Scotland vs England factor, the fight promises to be a barnstormer and a true Battle of Britain.
I am a fan of both fighters and when the fight was announced, the first thing that came into my head was 'Fight of the Year'. Both fighters are extremely talented, and their stories are worthy of Hollywood, making this fight one of the most I have ever looked forward to, and apart from the up and coming Haye and Chisora fight, the biggest domestic fight in years.
Burns has had a rapid rise to fame. Since shocking the world by beating Roman Martinez to win the WBO super featherweight title in 2010, 'Rickster' has beaten good fighters in Michael Katsidis and Paulus Moses, and is still developing as a fighter. His speed and boxing ability has made him a top level operator, and he is starting to receive the credit he deserves. Although the quality of opposition he has faced has come into question, especially after his farcical win over Nicky Cook, Burns has proven that he is world class, but still has his doubters. But by facing Mitchell, a fight that many have called for over the past year, his stock will surely rise further.
Mitchell on the other hand, has had a roller coaster of a career, especially in the past few years. Wins over Breidis Prescott and Ignacio Mendoza earned the Essex man a shot at Michael Katsidis, for the interim WBO lightweight title in 2010. A packed out Upton Park eagerly awaited a Mitchell victory, but what they got was quite the opposite. Mitchell was destroyed in 3 rounds by the Australian, and personal problems left Mitchell in tatters.
Suffering from all kinds of trouble, Mitchell made a return to the ring a year later, against the highly rated John Murray. In what was the fight if the year, Mitchell looked back to his best, showcasing his talent and taking the previously unbeaten Murray out in 8 rounds, setting the express train rolling again.
However, since then, Mitchell has suffered from more personal problems, and has fought just once since beating Murray, a lopsided 10 round decision over the previously unheard of Felix Lora. Mitchell has promised much in his career, and has shown that he can mix it with the best and beat them. However, he has so far failed to deliver, and the fight against Burns will be seen as the last chance for Mitchell to get his career back on track and fight for world honours. Mitchell is extremely likeable and I'm a huge fan, but I think he will be the first to admit that he hasn't focused on boxing as much has he has needed to. However, with his personal troubles well and truly behind him, I wouldn't bet against 'The Hammer' beating Burns, and claiming a world title in the process.
However, Burns will probably go into the fight as the favourite. He is after all the world champion, and has been the more active of the two in recent years. The fight is also likely to be in Scotland, so he will have hardcore support behind him. Burns has improved massively since losing to Carl Johanneson in 2007, and will be the betting favourite all the way up to September 22nd.
However in my opinion, you would be a fool to bet against Mitchell. Although he has had his troubles, you can't deny he has talent and a will to win. He was wrote off going in against John Murray last year, and produced a stunning performance to halt a man who had never been beaten before. He is judged unfairly on the Katsidis fight, after all it is hard to know what was going on in his head at the time. He has all the tools needed to pull off a win against Burns, and I personally, even though I am a fan of both fighters, would love to see him pull it off. As long as his head is clear, then I can see a Mitchell win.
What makes this fight so great, is that even though both fighters are extremely likeable and they both respect each other, it is a fight which everyone will want to see even though there is no bad blood, and that will go a long way to restoring the credibility of British boxing, especially after the Haye/Chisora controversy. Although both fights will be watched with great anticipation, the difference with Burns vs Mitchell is that we have two fighters who are in the game for all the right reasons and are respected by most fans. It promises to be tremendous occasion, and I for one can't wait to see them get it on.
Yesterday, it was confirmed that Scottish superstar Ricky Burns will defend his WBO lightweight title against Dagenham's Kevin Mitchell in September, a fight which has been high in demand amongst the British public. Burns, who has strung together some impressive performances in recent years, will face arguably his toughest test against Mitchell, whose only career defeat in 33 contests came at the hands of Australian warrior Michael Katsidis, who Burns beat late last year. With both men having a point to prove and the Scotland vs England factor, the fight promises to be a barnstormer and a true Battle of Britain.
I am a fan of both fighters and when the fight was announced, the first thing that came into my head was 'Fight of the Year'. Both fighters are extremely talented, and their stories are worthy of Hollywood, making this fight one of the most I have ever looked forward to, and apart from the up and coming Haye and Chisora fight, the biggest domestic fight in years.
Burns has had a rapid rise to fame. Since shocking the world by beating Roman Martinez to win the WBO super featherweight title in 2010, 'Rickster' has beaten good fighters in Michael Katsidis and Paulus Moses, and is still developing as a fighter. His speed and boxing ability has made him a top level operator, and he is starting to receive the credit he deserves. Although the quality of opposition he has faced has come into question, especially after his farcical win over Nicky Cook, Burns has proven that he is world class, but still has his doubters. But by facing Mitchell, a fight that many have called for over the past year, his stock will surely rise further.
Mitchell on the other hand, has had a roller coaster of a career, especially in the past few years. Wins over Breidis Prescott and Ignacio Mendoza earned the Essex man a shot at Michael Katsidis, for the interim WBO lightweight title in 2010. A packed out Upton Park eagerly awaited a Mitchell victory, but what they got was quite the opposite. Mitchell was destroyed in 3 rounds by the Australian, and personal problems left Mitchell in tatters.
Suffering from all kinds of trouble, Mitchell made a return to the ring a year later, against the highly rated John Murray. In what was the fight if the year, Mitchell looked back to his best, showcasing his talent and taking the previously unbeaten Murray out in 8 rounds, setting the express train rolling again.
However, since then, Mitchell has suffered from more personal problems, and has fought just once since beating Murray, a lopsided 10 round decision over the previously unheard of Felix Lora. Mitchell has promised much in his career, and has shown that he can mix it with the best and beat them. However, he has so far failed to deliver, and the fight against Burns will be seen as the last chance for Mitchell to get his career back on track and fight for world honours. Mitchell is extremely likeable and I'm a huge fan, but I think he will be the first to admit that he hasn't focused on boxing as much has he has needed to. However, with his personal troubles well and truly behind him, I wouldn't bet against 'The Hammer' beating Burns, and claiming a world title in the process.
However, Burns will probably go into the fight as the favourite. He is after all the world champion, and has been the more active of the two in recent years. The fight is also likely to be in Scotland, so he will have hardcore support behind him. Burns has improved massively since losing to Carl Johanneson in 2007, and will be the betting favourite all the way up to September 22nd.
However in my opinion, you would be a fool to bet against Mitchell. Although he has had his troubles, you can't deny he has talent and a will to win. He was wrote off going in against John Murray last year, and produced a stunning performance to halt a man who had never been beaten before. He is judged unfairly on the Katsidis fight, after all it is hard to know what was going on in his head at the time. He has all the tools needed to pull off a win against Burns, and I personally, even though I am a fan of both fighters, would love to see him pull it off. As long as his head is clear, then I can see a Mitchell win.
What makes this fight so great, is that even though both fighters are extremely likeable and they both respect each other, it is a fight which everyone will want to see even though there is no bad blood, and that will go a long way to restoring the credibility of British boxing, especially after the Haye/Chisora controversy. Although both fights will be watched with great anticipation, the difference with Burns vs Mitchell is that we have two fighters who are in the game for all the right reasons and are respected by most fans. It promises to be tremendous occasion, and I for one can't wait to see them get it on.
Bradley to stay at 147 to defend title
Bradley to stay at 147 to defend title
by Dan Rafael
Timothy Bradley Jr. had a decision to make in the wake of his upset split decision victory against Manny Pacquiao on June 9 in Las Vegas: Which title should he keep?
Bradley has decided that he will hang on to the WBO's welterweight title and has vacated the organization's junior welterweight belt.
A reigning junior welterweight titleholder, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) moved up in weight and claimed a welterweight belt against Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) by getting the nod in one of boxing's most controversial decisions. The loss ended Pacquiao's seven-year, 15-fight winning streak during which he became the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight weight classes.
"Tim told me, 'I'm going to hold onto the 147-pound belt,' " Cameron Dunkin, Bradley's manager, told ESPN.com. "He said, 'That's the title I just won and that's where the good names are -- Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather. That's where I'm going to keep my belt.' "
Dunkin said he then notified WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel about Bradley's decision.
"Timmy wants to keep the 147 belt because that's where the action is," Dunkin said. "Even though he is the best 140-pounder in the world, he can't keep both belts, so he made the decision to stay at 147."
Bradley's decision to give up the junior welterweight title paved the way for the WBO to elevate interim titlist Juan Manuel Marquez to the organization's full titleholder.
That move makes Marquez, one of Mexico's all-time great fighters, a four-division titleholder. Marquez, who has also won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight, won the vacant interim junior welterweight belt on April 14 in his hometown of Mexico City with a lopsided decision victory against Sergey Fedchenko. Marquez knew there was a good chance that Bradley would leave the division following the fight with Pacquiao.
There is a strong possibility that Pacquiao will exercise his contractual right for an immediate rematch with Bradley and face him again on Nov. 10.
If Pacquiao does not face Bradley in a fall rematch, he likely would meet Marquez for the fourth time. Pacquiao is 2-0-1 against him, although all three fights were debatable decisions and many believe Marquez deserved all three verdicts.
Bradley, who is headed for a Hawaiian vacation with his family, is recovering from injuries he suffered to both of his feet during the fight with Pacquiao. He has a sprained right ankle and ligament damage in the left ankle that has him in a cast, but is expected to be ready for a fall fight.
by Dan Rafael
Timothy Bradley Jr. had a decision to make in the wake of his upset split decision victory against Manny Pacquiao on June 9 in Las Vegas: Which title should he keep?
[+] Enlarge
Joe Klamar/Getty ImagesTimothy Bradley Jr. will stay at the 147-pound weight class and keep the welterweight belt he won in his controversial decision over Manny Pacquiao on June 9 in Las Vegas.
Bradley has decided that he will hang on to the WBO's welterweight title and has vacated the organization's junior welterweight belt.
A reigning junior welterweight titleholder, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) moved up in weight and claimed a welterweight belt against Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) by getting the nod in one of boxing's most controversial decisions. The loss ended Pacquiao's seven-year, 15-fight winning streak during which he became the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight weight classes.
"Tim told me, 'I'm going to hold onto the 147-pound belt,' " Cameron Dunkin, Bradley's manager, told ESPN.com. "He said, 'That's the title I just won and that's where the good names are -- Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather. That's where I'm going to keep my belt.' "
Dunkin said he then notified WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel about Bradley's decision.
"Timmy wants to keep the 147 belt because that's where the action is," Dunkin said. "Even though he is the best 140-pounder in the world, he can't keep both belts, so he made the decision to stay at 147."
Bradley's decision to give up the junior welterweight title paved the way for the WBO to elevate interim titlist Juan Manuel Marquez to the organization's full titleholder.
That move makes Marquez, one of Mexico's all-time great fighters, a four-division titleholder. Marquez, who has also won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight, won the vacant interim junior welterweight belt on April 14 in his hometown of Mexico City with a lopsided decision victory against Sergey Fedchenko. Marquez knew there was a good chance that Bradley would leave the division following the fight with Pacquiao.
There is a strong possibility that Pacquiao will exercise his contractual right for an immediate rematch with Bradley and face him again on Nov. 10.
If Pacquiao does not face Bradley in a fall rematch, he likely would meet Marquez for the fourth time. Pacquiao is 2-0-1 against him, although all three fights were debatable decisions and many believe Marquez deserved all three verdicts.
Bradley, who is headed for a Hawaiian vacation with his family, is recovering from injuries he suffered to both of his feet during the fight with Pacquiao. He has a sprained right ankle and ligament damage in the left ankle that has him in a cast, but is expected to be ready for a fall fight.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Bailey set to fight September 8th
by Dan Rafael
Knockout artist Randall Bailey, who won a vacant welterweight belt with one shot on June 9 on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. pay-per-view undercard, will make his first defense against Devon Alexander, Bailey promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com on Monday.
The bout is due to take place Sept. 8 on Showtime.
"The venue is to be determined, but Randall can knock him out any place on Earth," DiBella said. "Randall's gonna win by knockout, so it doesn't make a difference where he knocks him out."
DiBella said he was still awaiting a contract from Alexander promoter Golden Boy but "we've agreed on all the major deal points. Obviously, Devon Alexander is the favorite. He's younger, he's more athletic and he's a better boxer. But if Randall lands on his chin at any point in the 12 rounds, Devon Alexander is going to sleep.
"Randall is the hardest puncher in the game and Devon often leaves himself open, so we know that there will be chances for Randall to land that big punch."
Bailey (43-7, 37 KOs), 37, of Miami, is indeed one of boxing's heaviest hitters, especially with his right hand. He was way behind the favored Mike Jones on all three scorecards after nine uneventful rounds when he landed a clean right hand to drop Jones seconds before the end of the 10th round. In the 11th round, Bailey, who held a junior welterweight belt from May 1999 to July 2000, got Jones again, this time for good, landing a crushing right uppercut for the upset knockout victory and a second world title.
"I always said that dude has a monster right hand, monster. That dude has power," Alexander said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't (thinking about it). That's something I'll be working on to avoid, get out of the way of that. But the right hand comes in so slow and he's not that fast. His skills are limited, but he has that one thing that can count (power)."
Kevin Cunningham, Alexander's manager and trainer, said he was waiting to hear from adviser Al Haymon about the specific terms of the fight for Alexander but that they are excited about it.
"You've got Devon, the boxer-puncher, and the one-punch knockout artist in Bailey. I think it's the perfect matchup," Cunningham said. "Some of the best fights in boxing are boxer-puncher versus knockout artist."
Cunningham said he watched Bailey's fight against Jones and saw things he believes Alexander can take advantage of.
"It looked like to me that early in the fight Randall Bailey touched Mike Jones with a right hand and that Mike Jones was nervous about being caught with a right hand the rest of the fight even if he was winning by outboxing Bailey," Cunningham said. "You could see Bailey was looking to land one big shot. Randall has always been one of the most dangerous punchers in boxing. But I see that there are a lot of things we can take advantage of -- take his right hand away and execute the game plan, and that's what we plan to do.
"We're not going into this fight looking to just outbox Randall Bailey and get a decision. Our plan is to go in there and stop Randall Bailey. Everyone will talk about Randall Bailey's right hand, but Devon has the ability to stop him and that's what we plan on doing winning by knockout."
Alexander (23-1, 13 KOs), 25, of St. Louis, is a former unified junior welterweight titlist whose lone loss came via 10th-round technical decision in a January 2011 140-pound unification fight.
Alexander has won 10-round decisions in his two fights since, both against big punchers -- a split verdict against top contender Lucas Matthysse last June followed by a virtual shutout decision against junior welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana, who, like Alexander, had moved up to the 147-pound welterweight division for the nontitle fight.
"I'm definitely excited about the fight," Alexander said. "I'm only 25 and want to be crowned a three-time world champion already in my career. I'm young and I'm blessed for this opportunity, and I will take advantage of it."
Alexander said he had hoped to face Paulie Malignaggi, another of the welterweight titleholders who is also with Golden Boy, but the deal could not be worked out.
"We wanted Paulie and he was talking a lot of stuff, but we can take care of that later," Alexander said. "I'm happy that Randall Bailey is going to step up to the plate."
Alexander knows Bailey's right hand is the weapon he needs to avoid.
"That's his shot, the right hand," Alexander said. "It definitely wasn't his best performance at all, the Mike Jones fight. Mike Jones acted like was scared the whole fight and he got caught. Lights out. I know what Bailey can do, what is the best thing in his arsenal. But I know he won't be able to keep up with me.
"People do sleep on a lot of my power. I'm learning how to sit down more and more on my punches. I have way more power than what I've been showing. I got the power. Me and my coach know I have the power and skill. I'm ready to go work and I'm excited."
by Dan Rafael
Knockout artist Randall Bailey, who won a vacant welterweight belt with one shot on June 9 on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. pay-per-view undercard, will make his first defense against Devon Alexander, Bailey promoter Lou DiBella told ESPN.com on Monday.
The bout is due to take place Sept. 8 on Showtime.
"The venue is to be determined, but Randall can knock him out any place on Earth," DiBella said. "Randall's gonna win by knockout, so it doesn't make a difference where he knocks him out."
DiBella said he was still awaiting a contract from Alexander promoter Golden Boy but "we've agreed on all the major deal points. Obviously, Devon Alexander is the favorite. He's younger, he's more athletic and he's a better boxer. But if Randall lands on his chin at any point in the 12 rounds, Devon Alexander is going to sleep.
"Randall is the hardest puncher in the game and Devon often leaves himself open, so we know that there will be chances for Randall to land that big punch."
Bailey (43-7, 37 KOs), 37, of Miami, is indeed one of boxing's heaviest hitters, especially with his right hand. He was way behind the favored Mike Jones on all three scorecards after nine uneventful rounds when he landed a clean right hand to drop Jones seconds before the end of the 10th round. In the 11th round, Bailey, who held a junior welterweight belt from May 1999 to July 2000, got Jones again, this time for good, landing a crushing right uppercut for the upset knockout victory and a second world title.
"I always said that dude has a monster right hand, monster. That dude has power," Alexander said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't (thinking about it). That's something I'll be working on to avoid, get out of the way of that. But the right hand comes in so slow and he's not that fast. His skills are limited, but he has that one thing that can count (power)."
Kevin Cunningham, Alexander's manager and trainer, said he was waiting to hear from adviser Al Haymon about the specific terms of the fight for Alexander but that they are excited about it.
"You've got Devon, the boxer-puncher, and the one-punch knockout artist in Bailey. I think it's the perfect matchup," Cunningham said. "Some of the best fights in boxing are boxer-puncher versus knockout artist."
Cunningham said he watched Bailey's fight against Jones and saw things he believes Alexander can take advantage of.
"It looked like to me that early in the fight Randall Bailey touched Mike Jones with a right hand and that Mike Jones was nervous about being caught with a right hand the rest of the fight even if he was winning by outboxing Bailey," Cunningham said. "You could see Bailey was looking to land one big shot. Randall has always been one of the most dangerous punchers in boxing. But I see that there are a lot of things we can take advantage of -- take his right hand away and execute the game plan, and that's what we plan to do.
"We're not going into this fight looking to just outbox Randall Bailey and get a decision. Our plan is to go in there and stop Randall Bailey. Everyone will talk about Randall Bailey's right hand, but Devon has the ability to stop him and that's what we plan on doing winning by knockout."
Alexander (23-1, 13 KOs), 25, of St. Louis, is a former unified junior welterweight titlist whose lone loss came via 10th-round technical decision in a January 2011 140-pound unification fight.
Alexander has won 10-round decisions in his two fights since, both against big punchers -- a split verdict against top contender Lucas Matthysse last June followed by a virtual shutout decision against junior welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana, who, like Alexander, had moved up to the 147-pound welterweight division for the nontitle fight.
"I'm definitely excited about the fight," Alexander said. "I'm only 25 and want to be crowned a three-time world champion already in my career. I'm young and I'm blessed for this opportunity, and I will take advantage of it."
Alexander said he had hoped to face Paulie Malignaggi, another of the welterweight titleholders who is also with Golden Boy, but the deal could not be worked out.
"We wanted Paulie and he was talking a lot of stuff, but we can take care of that later," Alexander said. "I'm happy that Randall Bailey is going to step up to the plate."
Alexander knows Bailey's right hand is the weapon he needs to avoid.
"That's his shot, the right hand," Alexander said. "It definitely wasn't his best performance at all, the Mike Jones fight. Mike Jones acted like was scared the whole fight and he got caught. Lights out. I know what Bailey can do, what is the best thing in his arsenal. But I know he won't be able to keep up with me.
"People do sleep on a lot of my power. I'm learning how to sit down more and more on my punches. I have way more power than what I've been showing. I got the power. Me and my coach know I have the power and skill. I'm ready to go work and I'm excited."
Monday, June 25, 2012
Canelo closes in on foe for September 15th
by Dan Rafael
With the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Victor Ortiz fight down the drain in the aftermath of Ortiz's ninth-round TKO loss to Josesito Lopez on Saturday, the pressing question in boxing is whom will Alvarez fight Sept. 15?
Golden Boy is seeking its fourth opponent for Alvarez after Ortiz's upset defeat, which came after previous opponents James Kirkland and Paul Williams dropped out.
In the aftermath of the Alvarez-Ortiz fight cratering, Golden Boy and Showtime both said Alvarez would still fight Sept. 15 -- on Mexican Independence Day weekend -- at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They also said it wouldn't necessarily be on Showtime PPV, leaving the door open for the fight to air on regular Showtime and floating the idea of it being on CBS, Showtime's sister network.
With rivals Top Rank and HBO PPV going with Sergio Martinez against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a much-anticipated junior middleweight championship fight on the same night from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, it's clear that positioning an Alvarez fight opposite Martinez-Chavez on pay-per-view is suicidal. Besides, I've heard from multiple sources that pay-per-view industry executives have already given Top Rank the important primary 1 pay-per-view channel, which would have relegated Alvarez's fight to the secondary PPV channel, which isn't available on all systems and would mean far less marketing and promotion from cable systems.
The only way I can see that changing is if an A-level opponent could be lined up to face Alvarez. There are only two names that fall into that category: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto.
Mayweather is locked up in county jail in Las Vegas for at least another month. The prospect of Mayweather exiting jail and fighting about a month later is zero. I don't consider Mayweather-Alvarez a possibility for this year. Next year? Certainly.
As for Cotto, he is coming off a spirited loss against Mayweather in a terrific fight on May 5. He made a boatload of money and isn't looking to rush back to the ring, especially as the B-side of a promotion as the Puerto Rican fighter matched against a Mexican on the Sept. 15 holiday.
I decided to check with Gaby Peñagaricano, Cotto's attorney and adviser, to see if Cotto might be lured into a September fight. From the sound of things, Alvarez-Cotto isn't in the cards for the September date.
"I have not even discussed the matter with Miguel, as this unexpected event [Ortiz losing] just occurred over the weekend," Peñagaricano said. "We will meet today, but our plan is to fight at the end of the year."
With Cotto almost certainly off the drawing board for Alvarez, I've been told by multiple sources that Alvarez will fight on live Showtime (not pay-per-view). I never thought CBS would seriously pull the trigger and do the fight anyway.
Alvarez's fight on Showtime probably will come against fellow titleholder Austin Trout, who fought on Showtime on June 2 and easily retained his belt against Delvin Rodriguez in a deathly boring fight. Still, at least there is a mild storyline to an Alvarez-Trout fight. Trout easily outpointed Rigoberto Alvarez -- Canelo's brother -- to win a vacant belt in February 2011 in Mexico. I'm told the two camps are far down the road from finalizing the match, though.
by Dan Rafael
With the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Victor Ortiz fight down the drain in the aftermath of Ortiz's ninth-round TKO loss to Josesito Lopez on Saturday, the pressing question in boxing is whom will Alvarez fight Sept. 15?
Golden Boy is seeking its fourth opponent for Alvarez after Ortiz's upset defeat, which came after previous opponents James Kirkland and Paul Williams dropped out.
In the aftermath of the Alvarez-Ortiz fight cratering, Golden Boy and Showtime both said Alvarez would still fight Sept. 15 -- on Mexican Independence Day weekend -- at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They also said it wouldn't necessarily be on Showtime PPV, leaving the door open for the fight to air on regular Showtime and floating the idea of it being on CBS, Showtime's sister network.
With rivals Top Rank and HBO PPV going with Sergio Martinez against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a much-anticipated junior middleweight championship fight on the same night from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, it's clear that positioning an Alvarez fight opposite Martinez-Chavez on pay-per-view is suicidal. Besides, I've heard from multiple sources that pay-per-view industry executives have already given Top Rank the important primary 1 pay-per-view channel, which would have relegated Alvarez's fight to the secondary PPV channel, which isn't available on all systems and would mean far less marketing and promotion from cable systems.
The only way I can see that changing is if an A-level opponent could be lined up to face Alvarez. There are only two names that fall into that category: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto.
Mayweather is locked up in county jail in Las Vegas for at least another month. The prospect of Mayweather exiting jail and fighting about a month later is zero. I don't consider Mayweather-Alvarez a possibility for this year. Next year? Certainly.
As for Cotto, he is coming off a spirited loss against Mayweather in a terrific fight on May 5. He made a boatload of money and isn't looking to rush back to the ring, especially as the B-side of a promotion as the Puerto Rican fighter matched against a Mexican on the Sept. 15 holiday.
I decided to check with Gaby Peñagaricano, Cotto's attorney and adviser, to see if Cotto might be lured into a September fight. From the sound of things, Alvarez-Cotto isn't in the cards for the September date.
"I have not even discussed the matter with Miguel, as this unexpected event [Ortiz losing] just occurred over the weekend," Peñagaricano said. "We will meet today, but our plan is to fight at the end of the year."
With Cotto almost certainly off the drawing board for Alvarez, I've been told by multiple sources that Alvarez will fight on live Showtime (not pay-per-view). I never thought CBS would seriously pull the trigger and do the fight anyway.
Alvarez's fight on Showtime probably will come against fellow titleholder Austin Trout, who fought on Showtime on June 2 and easily retained his belt against Delvin Rodriguez in a deathly boring fight. Still, at least there is a mild storyline to an Alvarez-Trout fight. Trout easily outpointed Rigoberto Alvarez -- Canelo's brother -- to win a vacant belt in February 2011 in Mexico. I'm told the two camps are far down the road from finalizing the match, though.
David Haye Licensed
by Dan Rafael
The outlaw fight that the British Boxing Board of Control -- which oversees the sport in the United Kingdom -- didn't want to happen is now out of its hands.
The last piece of the puzzle for the Dereck Chisora-David Haye heavyweight fight fell into place Wednesday when Haye was issued a professional boxing license by Luxembourg Boxing Federation general secretary Tony Tiberi.
The fight will take place at London's Upton Park soccer stadium on July 14 (Epix and EpixHD.com in the United States), with the Luxembourg Boxing Federation sanctioning the fight, which is allowable under European free trade rules -- even though British authorities are unhappy about it.
The British board revoked Chisora's license in the aftermath of his disgraceful brawl with Haye at the press conference following Chisora's decision loss to champion Vitali Klitschko on Feb. 14 in Germany. The British board wouldn't license Haye, either. His previous license had expired during his retirement following a virtual shutout decision loss to champion Wladimir Klitschko in their unification bout last summer.
The British board made its feelings known about the fight, saying in a recent statement that it "condemns the actions" of the Luxembourg Boxing Federation and that it "strongly disapproves of the contest, which the Board considers will bring the sport of professional boxing into disrepute."
Tiberi paid no heed to the British authorities.
"We are proud to grant a great fighter like David Haye a boxing license, and he showed his appreciation by coming out here [Wednesday] to talk to the media and rub shoulders with his fans, who requested many autographs," Tiberi said. "David was charming, and [the LBF] has no doubt that his fight with Dereck Chisora will be a credit to boxing."
Chisora was licensed by the LBF weeks ago.
The officials for the bout were also announced on Thursday. England's Mickey Vann will be the referee, and the judges assigned are John Coyle and Paul Thomas, both from the United Kingdom, and Luc Muller of Luxembourg.
Also on the card, heavyweight titlist Alexander Povetkin will make his third defense, against faded former champion and (somehow) mandatory challenger Hasim Rahman.
by Dan Rafael
The outlaw fight that the British Boxing Board of Control -- which oversees the sport in the United Kingdom -- didn't want to happen is now out of its hands.
The last piece of the puzzle for the Dereck Chisora-David Haye heavyweight fight fell into place Wednesday when Haye was issued a professional boxing license by Luxembourg Boxing Federation general secretary Tony Tiberi.
The fight will take place at London's Upton Park soccer stadium on July 14 (Epix and EpixHD.com in the United States), with the Luxembourg Boxing Federation sanctioning the fight, which is allowable under European free trade rules -- even though British authorities are unhappy about it.
The British board revoked Chisora's license in the aftermath of his disgraceful brawl with Haye at the press conference following Chisora's decision loss to champion Vitali Klitschko on Feb. 14 in Germany. The British board wouldn't license Haye, either. His previous license had expired during his retirement following a virtual shutout decision loss to champion Wladimir Klitschko in their unification bout last summer.
The British board made its feelings known about the fight, saying in a recent statement that it "condemns the actions" of the Luxembourg Boxing Federation and that it "strongly disapproves of the contest, which the Board considers will bring the sport of professional boxing into disrepute."
Tiberi paid no heed to the British authorities.
"We are proud to grant a great fighter like David Haye a boxing license, and he showed his appreciation by coming out here [Wednesday] to talk to the media and rub shoulders with his fans, who requested many autographs," Tiberi said. "David was charming, and [the LBF] has no doubt that his fight with Dereck Chisora will be a credit to boxing."
Chisora was licensed by the LBF weeks ago.
The officials for the bout were also announced on Thursday. England's Mickey Vann will be the referee, and the judges assigned are John Coyle and Paul Thomas, both from the United Kingdom, and Luc Muller of Luxembourg.
Also on the card, heavyweight titlist Alexander Povetkin will make his third defense, against faded former champion and (somehow) mandatory challenger Hasim Rahman.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Lopez breaks Ortiz jaw on Saturday Night
by Dan Rafael
Well, that nasty Sept. 15 problem seems to be solved, thanks to Josesito Lopez. A junior welterweight who moved to welterweight and who isn't known for his power, Lopez landed a flush left hook that appeared to break Victor Ortiz's jaw at the end of the ninth round on Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
It also knocked cold the best-laid plans.
Ortiz was winning a tremendous give-and-take action fight. He was ahead on all three scorecards, 88-83, 87-84 and 86-85 (watching on Showtime, I had him up 87-84), and his corner was imploring him to continue. But Ortiz took things into his own hands, telling referee Jack Reiss that his jaw was broken and that he was quitting the fight.
It's not the first time Ortiz has waived the white flag. His reputation as a quitter began in 2009 when, in the very same Staples Center ring, he couldn't take the heat against Marcos Maidana and quit in the sixth round after being knocked down. He did make up for it, at least somewhat, in 2011 when he displayed a warrior's heart in a brutal slugfest with Andre Berto, surviving two knockdowns and winning a decision and a welterweight title.
That may be lost now that he has quit for a second time. Many fighters -- Muhammad Ali and Arthur Abraham, off the top of my head -- have persevered through broken jaws to win.
I won't give Ortiz too much grief, though. The injury was legit and he could barely talk in a brief postfight interview.
Moments after the fight was over, as Ortiz sat in his corner spitting streams of blood from his mouth and Lopez joyously celebrated a massive upset victory -- "I told everybody I'd shock the world. Today's my day," he said -- all of the boxing world could breathe easier.
by Dan Rafael
Well, that nasty Sept. 15 problem seems to be solved, thanks to Josesito Lopez. A junior welterweight who moved to welterweight and who isn't known for his power, Lopez landed a flush left hook that appeared to break Victor Ortiz's jaw at the end of the ninth round on Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
It also knocked cold the best-laid plans.
Ortiz was winning a tremendous give-and-take action fight. He was ahead on all three scorecards, 88-83, 87-84 and 86-85 (watching on Showtime, I had him up 87-84), and his corner was imploring him to continue. But Ortiz took things into his own hands, telling referee Jack Reiss that his jaw was broken and that he was quitting the fight.
It's not the first time Ortiz has waived the white flag. His reputation as a quitter began in 2009 when, in the very same Staples Center ring, he couldn't take the heat against Marcos Maidana and quit in the sixth round after being knocked down. He did make up for it, at least somewhat, in 2011 when he displayed a warrior's heart in a brutal slugfest with Andre Berto, surviving two knockdowns and winning a decision and a welterweight title.
That may be lost now that he has quit for a second time. Many fighters -- Muhammad Ali and Arthur Abraham, off the top of my head -- have persevered through broken jaws to win.
I won't give Ortiz too much grief, though. The injury was legit and he could barely talk in a brief postfight interview.
Moments after the fight was over, as Ortiz sat in his corner spitting streams of blood from his mouth and Lopez joyously celebrated a massive upset victory -- "I told everybody I'd shock the world. Today's my day," he said -- all of the boxing world could breathe easier.
[+] Enlarge
Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesAs Victor Ortiz bled in his corner following Saturday's upset defeat to Josesito Lopez, boxing's power brokers were forced to rethink their best-laid plans.
For the past few weeks, archrivals Golden Boy and Top Rank have been playing a nasty and unappreciated game of chicken with the all-important Mexican Independence Day date of Sept. 15.
Both companies, with a blatant disregard for what is best for the fans and the sport, were planning competing pay-per-view cards from venues barely a mile apart in Las Vegas.
Top Rank is going with lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez against paper titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. -- one of boxing's most anticipated fights -- on HBO PPV from the Thomas & Mack Center.
Golden Boy and Showtime PPV were planning a card at the MGM Grand, with junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez slated to face Ortiz, who was supposed to walk through Lopez and then move up in weight for the fight.
The plan for Golden Boy and Showtime is now in ruins. In a big way.
Ortiz was already the third scheduled opponent for Alvarez. First, it was Paul Williams, who exited after a tragic motorcycle crash ended his career and left him paralyzed. Then James Kirkland, whose shoulder isn't yet healthy and who wanted stupid money, dropped out. And now it's Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KOs), who wouldn't be ready for Sept. 15 even if he hadn't quit and had gone on to win.
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told me the other day that if Ortiz lost, Alvarez -- who watched his fight fall apart from ringside -- would probably face either fellow titlist Austin Trout or former welterweight titlist Carlos Quintana.
Maybe Golden Boy will make one of those bouts, but as pay-per-views, they're a pathetic joke, especially opposite an A-level fight like Martinez-Chavez. Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza told me after Lopez-Ortiz that Alvarez would still fight as scheduled.
"We're still going with Canelo," he said. "We've got a short list of opponents and we'll announce shortly."
Espinoza also said that although the mystery fight might still air on pay-per-view, it could also wind up on Showtime or even on sister network CBS, which, as far as I can recall, hasn't broadcast a fight since the late 1990s.
Whomever Alvarez fights now, however, unless it's Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Miguel Cotto -- and it won't be either of them -- the Sept. 15 bout won't come close to matching the significance and excitement surrounding Martinez-Chavez.
Even Alvarez-Ortiz, as good a fight as I think it would have been, didn't quite stack up to Martinez-Chavez.
Now nobody has to worry about what to watch or where to go on Sept. 15, because it's an easy decision.
We can all thank Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs), a nice guy and a good fighter who fought the fight of his life. He called it his "Rocky moment."
All week leading up to the fight, Lopez and his team wore T-shirts that read "It Smells Like An Upset."
Guess what? It was.
He took down Ortiz, an entire big-money fight and one giant headache all at the same time.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tarver Tests Positive
by Dan Rafael
Cruiserweight contender Antonio Tarver tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone in a pre-fight urine test conducted by the California State Athletic Commission for his June 2 fight with Lateef Kayode, Steve Feder, Kayode's manager, told ESPN.com on Friday.
Tarver, the former light heavyweight world champion, fought Kayode to a 12-round draw at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., in a the main event of a Showtime-televised quadrupleheader.
"That is correct. Mr. Tarver tested positive for a banned substance," George Dodd, the executive officer of the California commission, told ESPN.com
Dodd said the commission has suspended Tarver -- who earned $1 million for the fight -- and fined him $2,500.
Feder said Che Guevara, the chief inspector for the California commission, called him on Wednesday to tell him that Kayode's test was clean but that Tarver's was not.
"We had a brief conversation and he said that the commission had gotten back the drug test results and that Tarver's was dirty," Feder said. "I didn't know the substance at the time and they were notifying the people they had to notify, so I felt like I had to give the commission time to do their job and that I wouldn't say anything until I got the confirmation of the drug."
That happened Friday, Feder said, when Guevara texted him with the particulars.
Tarver did not return a telephone message but released a statement on Friday night.
"Today's news of a false positive caught me, as well as my family and supporters by surprise. I apologize for the embarrassment it caused," Tarver said in the statement. "I'll appeal and submit to the California commission everything that I've consumed prior to June 2 that could of caused this honest mistake.
"I have always been a proponent of a clean sport and an advocate for the most rigorous drug testing in boxing. ... I am confident that my fans will see that I was not at any time attempting to gain an unfair or illegal advantage in my performance."
Dodd said Tarver and Kayode both gave samples the day before the fight that were tested for steroids. They both also gave second samples after the fight the next night which were tested for drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and marijuana.
Dodd said Tarver's positive test came from the "A" sample.
"Mr. Tarver has the right to appeal the suspension and view the opening of the 'B' sample and the analyzing of the 'B' sample," Dodd said.
Dodd said "B" samples are not tested unless the offender asks for it to be analyzed.
"We don't need the 'B' sample for confirmation, so he has the right to appeal if he wants that one analyzed," Dodd said.
Tarver is the third high profile boxer to test positive in the past two months. Junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson tested positive for synthetic testosterone during a random pre-fight urine test, causing his May 19 rematch against former titleholder Amir Khan in Las Vegas to be canceled.
Also, Andre Berto tested positive for the steroid norandrosterone last month, forcing his rematch against fellow former welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz, which was scheduled for Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, to be canceled. The card is going ahead with Ortiz facing substitute opponent Josesito Lopez.
Tarver was scheduled to work the card as a Showtime analyst, but the network benched him for the telecast -- the main event which was happening only because of Berto's failed steroid test -- on Friday night because of the positive test.
"We were made aware of the California State Athletic Commission's report regarding Antonio Tarver's positive drug test following his last fight on June 2 this afternoon," Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio said in a statement. "Out of respect for the fighters competing on Saturday night, Antonio and the network have mutually agreed that he will not serve as color analyst for the June 23rd boxing telecast."
The 43-year-old Tarver (29-6-1, 20 KOs) appeared to give away most of the rounds in the first half of the fight, but he came on strong in the second half to pull out a 12-round split draw. One judge had the fight for Tarver, 115-113, another had it 115-113 for Kayode and the third judge had it, 114-114.
Feder, who said he has been a fan of Tarver's for years, spent some friendly time with him the week after the fight when they were both at the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Canastota, N.Y.
"We were taking pictures together and having a good time and then I get this news. It's crazy," Feder said. "Why would a guy do this? Why would he tarnish a stellar career? I've been a fan of his. And he has this great job with Showtime (as an analyst). I have to say I shake my head and say, 'Why would he jeopardize this?'
"I want to believe somebody influenced Tarver to do this and that he would know better because I don't want to believe he would initiate this. It's still his fault though and he has to take the blame for it, but I actually feel bad for him. I feel bad for my fighter as well."
If the test result holds up, the California commission likely would change the result of the bout to a no decision.
Feder said that Kayode (18-0-1, 14 KOs), a 29-year-old from Nigeria who lives and trains in Los Angeles, was shocked when he told him about the positive test.
"I told Lateef and he said, 'Oh, man, I can't believe it.' He was shocked and then he started thinking, 'I wonder if that's how he came on late like he did? Maybe that's what the drug was and he was able to come on late.' Lateef said maybe it started to kick in because he said he didn't really feel anything on Tarver's punches earlier in the fight and then he really started to come on. He had this energy or something. Maybe that was the steroid?"
The fight had come about because Tarver, in his role as a Showtime analyst, was critical of Kayode's performance on some fights of his that he called. Kayode did not appreciate the remarks and called Tarver out.
Tarver, a 1996 Olympic bronze medalist and one of the most decorated amateurs in United States history, is best known for beating Roy Jones Jr. in their second and third fights, including a stunning second-round knockout to win the light heavyweight championship in May 2004.
In his cruiserweight debut in July 2011, Tarver traveled to Australia and pulled a mild upset by stopping Australian hero Danny Green in the ninth round, a victory that helped set him up for the fight with Kayode.
by Dan Rafael
Cruiserweight contender Antonio Tarver tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone in a pre-fight urine test conducted by the California State Athletic Commission for his June 2 fight with Lateef Kayode, Steve Feder, Kayode's manager, told ESPN.com on Friday.
Tarver, the former light heavyweight world champion, fought Kayode to a 12-round draw at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., in a the main event of a Showtime-televised quadrupleheader.
"That is correct. Mr. Tarver tested positive for a banned substance," George Dodd, the executive officer of the California commission, told ESPN.com
Dodd said the commission has suspended Tarver -- who earned $1 million for the fight -- and fined him $2,500.
Feder said Che Guevara, the chief inspector for the California commission, called him on Wednesday to tell him that Kayode's test was clean but that Tarver's was not.
"We had a brief conversation and he said that the commission had gotten back the drug test results and that Tarver's was dirty," Feder said. "I didn't know the substance at the time and they were notifying the people they had to notify, so I felt like I had to give the commission time to do their job and that I wouldn't say anything until I got the confirmation of the drug."
That happened Friday, Feder said, when Guevara texted him with the particulars.
Tarver did not return a telephone message but released a statement on Friday night.
"Today's news of a false positive caught me, as well as my family and supporters by surprise. I apologize for the embarrassment it caused," Tarver said in the statement. "I'll appeal and submit to the California commission everything that I've consumed prior to June 2 that could of caused this honest mistake.
"I have always been a proponent of a clean sport and an advocate for the most rigorous drug testing in boxing. ... I am confident that my fans will see that I was not at any time attempting to gain an unfair or illegal advantage in my performance."
Dodd said Tarver and Kayode both gave samples the day before the fight that were tested for steroids. They both also gave second samples after the fight the next night which were tested for drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and marijuana.
Dodd said Tarver's positive test came from the "A" sample.
"Mr. Tarver has the right to appeal the suspension and view the opening of the 'B' sample and the analyzing of the 'B' sample," Dodd said.
Dodd said "B" samples are not tested unless the offender asks for it to be analyzed.
"We don't need the 'B' sample for confirmation, so he has the right to appeal if he wants that one analyzed," Dodd said.
Tarver is the third high profile boxer to test positive in the past two months. Junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson tested positive for synthetic testosterone during a random pre-fight urine test, causing his May 19 rematch against former titleholder Amir Khan in Las Vegas to be canceled.
Also, Andre Berto tested positive for the steroid norandrosterone last month, forcing his rematch against fellow former welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz, which was scheduled for Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, to be canceled. The card is going ahead with Ortiz facing substitute opponent Josesito Lopez.
Tarver was scheduled to work the card as a Showtime analyst, but the network benched him for the telecast -- the main event which was happening only because of Berto's failed steroid test -- on Friday night because of the positive test.
"We were made aware of the California State Athletic Commission's report regarding Antonio Tarver's positive drug test following his last fight on June 2 this afternoon," Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio said in a statement. "Out of respect for the fighters competing on Saturday night, Antonio and the network have mutually agreed that he will not serve as color analyst for the June 23rd boxing telecast."
The 43-year-old Tarver (29-6-1, 20 KOs) appeared to give away most of the rounds in the first half of the fight, but he came on strong in the second half to pull out a 12-round split draw. One judge had the fight for Tarver, 115-113, another had it 115-113 for Kayode and the third judge had it, 114-114.
Feder, who said he has been a fan of Tarver's for years, spent some friendly time with him the week after the fight when they were both at the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Canastota, N.Y.
"We were taking pictures together and having a good time and then I get this news. It's crazy," Feder said. "Why would a guy do this? Why would he tarnish a stellar career? I've been a fan of his. And he has this great job with Showtime (as an analyst). I have to say I shake my head and say, 'Why would he jeopardize this?'
"I want to believe somebody influenced Tarver to do this and that he would know better because I don't want to believe he would initiate this. It's still his fault though and he has to take the blame for it, but I actually feel bad for him. I feel bad for my fighter as well."
If the test result holds up, the California commission likely would change the result of the bout to a no decision.
Feder said that Kayode (18-0-1, 14 KOs), a 29-year-old from Nigeria who lives and trains in Los Angeles, was shocked when he told him about the positive test.
"I told Lateef and he said, 'Oh, man, I can't believe it.' He was shocked and then he started thinking, 'I wonder if that's how he came on late like he did? Maybe that's what the drug was and he was able to come on late.' Lateef said maybe it started to kick in because he said he didn't really feel anything on Tarver's punches earlier in the fight and then he really started to come on. He had this energy or something. Maybe that was the steroid?"
The fight had come about because Tarver, in his role as a Showtime analyst, was critical of Kayode's performance on some fights of his that he called. Kayode did not appreciate the remarks and called Tarver out.
Tarver, a 1996 Olympic bronze medalist and one of the most decorated amateurs in United States history, is best known for beating Roy Jones Jr. in their second and third fights, including a stunning second-round knockout to win the light heavyweight championship in May 2004.
In his cruiserweight debut in July 2011, Tarver traveled to Australia and pulled a mild upset by stopping Australian hero Danny Green in the ninth round, a victory that helped set him up for the fight with Kayode.
Fight Museum Las Vegas releases a small amount of Limited Edition Wanderlei Silva Posters
Official licensed product
Released in November 2008
18 x 24 inches
Limited Edition of only 500 worldwide
Hand signed by artist, Richard T. Slone.
Hand signed by Wanderlei Silva.
View at www.FightMuseumLV.com
Friday, June 22, 2012
Kell Brook vs Carson Jones - Two Weeks to Go
by Danny Richardson
First of all, I would like to apologise for not posting
in almost two weeks. The last post I did, on the controversial Manny Pacquiao
and Timothy Bradley fight, drew in a record number of views for the site.
However since then, my laptop and iPad keyboard have broken, and there has been
a lack of news in recent days. However, the site is now back, bigger and better
than before. I will be posting reguarly again and hopefully adding more features
to the site. Thanks for all you support so far, and please keep
reading!
Tomorrow will mark two weeks until the rising star of British boxing, Kell Brook, faces dangerous American Carson Jones in an eliminator for the IBF welterweight tile, currently held by Randall Bailey, who became the first man to beat Mike Jones nearly a fortnight ago. Brook, who is unbeaten in 27 professional contests, is regarded as a future world champion, and has built up a solid fanbase in recent contests, and is fast becoming a fan favourite.
That was evident in March, when nearly 10,000 people packed out Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena to witness the Steel City man dismantle the seasoned Matthew Hatton, arguably Brook's best performance. Not appearing to get out of second gear, Brook has yet to showcase his full repotoire, and looks set to become a tremendous fighter. Trained at the famed Ingle gym in Wincobank, Sheffield, Brook has a great team behind him and looks set to reach the top of the sport.
However, in Carson Jones, Brook faces a step up in class. Although he has 8 defeats on his record, Jones has stepped up recently and looks a totally different propostion to the fighter that suffered early career defeats. Jones is a tough cookie and throws a great right hand which Brook has looked open to in the past, so will cause Brook plenty of problems on July 7th. He is full of confidence and sees Brook as a stepping stone to a world title opportunity.
However, Brook has a similar mentality. This is a fight he should win, and win well. I haven't seen much of Jones, but from what I have seen, Brook has the superior boxing ability, and if he packs the spite in the punches he is promising to, he should get Jones out of there. He's been stopped before by worse fighters than Brook, and although Jones will make it a tough night for 'The Special One', Brook should come through this fight and earn a world title shot in the process.
That shot should come against Randall Bailey, who as I mentioned earlier, shocked a lot of people by knocking the previously unbeaten Mike Jones clean out. Jones was seen as the rising star of the welterweight division over in America, but was unimpressive against Bailey even though he was winning at the time of the knockout. If the American fans were raving about Jones, wait till they see Brook in action. For the record, I believe Brook would beat Bailey comfortably. Although he has great power, he would struggle to get near Brook, and I am confident we would have a new world champion should they ever meet.
But back to Carson Jones, and I'll be looking at the ins and outs the day before the fight and giving my prediction then, but the early signs point to a Brook win. He looks in great shape, and I fully expect him to do a job on Jones in two weeks time. Something that I have never seen from Brook before is the bad blood shared between him and Jones, which was evident at the press conference announcing the fight.
But I think this may give Brook all the motivation he needs to, as he would say, 'smash' Jones. Of course I might be slightly biased, because I am a huge fan of Brook, especially with him being a local lad, but even then, I see nothing else but a Brook victory in two weeks time. He is incredibly down to earth and has a lot of time for his fans, unlike some of the other fighters we have to offer. I think we should all get behind him.
I am tired of seeing the stick he gets from some of our fellow fight fans, who have nothing else to say apart from "he's 26, he should be fighting at a higher level than he is by now" and "where are the names on his record?". Fighters mature at different rates and there is nothing wrong with taking your time. Age is nothing but a number as we've seen from Bernard Hopkins, and Brook is hitting his peak just as he is about to step up in class. We should be giving him all the support in the world, and I will be right behind Brook come July 7th. Look out for my preview of the fight, but until then, come on Kell!
Tomorrow will mark two weeks until the rising star of British boxing, Kell Brook, faces dangerous American Carson Jones in an eliminator for the IBF welterweight tile, currently held by Randall Bailey, who became the first man to beat Mike Jones nearly a fortnight ago. Brook, who is unbeaten in 27 professional contests, is regarded as a future world champion, and has built up a solid fanbase in recent contests, and is fast becoming a fan favourite.
That was evident in March, when nearly 10,000 people packed out Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena to witness the Steel City man dismantle the seasoned Matthew Hatton, arguably Brook's best performance. Not appearing to get out of second gear, Brook has yet to showcase his full repotoire, and looks set to become a tremendous fighter. Trained at the famed Ingle gym in Wincobank, Sheffield, Brook has a great team behind him and looks set to reach the top of the sport.
However, in Carson Jones, Brook faces a step up in class. Although he has 8 defeats on his record, Jones has stepped up recently and looks a totally different propostion to the fighter that suffered early career defeats. Jones is a tough cookie and throws a great right hand which Brook has looked open to in the past, so will cause Brook plenty of problems on July 7th. He is full of confidence and sees Brook as a stepping stone to a world title opportunity.
However, Brook has a similar mentality. This is a fight he should win, and win well. I haven't seen much of Jones, but from what I have seen, Brook has the superior boxing ability, and if he packs the spite in the punches he is promising to, he should get Jones out of there. He's been stopped before by worse fighters than Brook, and although Jones will make it a tough night for 'The Special One', Brook should come through this fight and earn a world title shot in the process.
That shot should come against Randall Bailey, who as I mentioned earlier, shocked a lot of people by knocking the previously unbeaten Mike Jones clean out. Jones was seen as the rising star of the welterweight division over in America, but was unimpressive against Bailey even though he was winning at the time of the knockout. If the American fans were raving about Jones, wait till they see Brook in action. For the record, I believe Brook would beat Bailey comfortably. Although he has great power, he would struggle to get near Brook, and I am confident we would have a new world champion should they ever meet.
But back to Carson Jones, and I'll be looking at the ins and outs the day before the fight and giving my prediction then, but the early signs point to a Brook win. He looks in great shape, and I fully expect him to do a job on Jones in two weeks time. Something that I have never seen from Brook before is the bad blood shared between him and Jones, which was evident at the press conference announcing the fight.
But I think this may give Brook all the motivation he needs to, as he would say, 'smash' Jones. Of course I might be slightly biased, because I am a huge fan of Brook, especially with him being a local lad, but even then, I see nothing else but a Brook victory in two weeks time. He is incredibly down to earth and has a lot of time for his fans, unlike some of the other fighters we have to offer. I think we should all get behind him.
I am tired of seeing the stick he gets from some of our fellow fight fans, who have nothing else to say apart from "he's 26, he should be fighting at a higher level than he is by now" and "where are the names on his record?". Fighters mature at different rates and there is nothing wrong with taking your time. Age is nothing but a number as we've seen from Bernard Hopkins, and Brook is hitting his peak just as he is about to step up in class. We should be giving him all the support in the world, and I will be right behind Brook come July 7th. Look out for my preview of the fight, but until then, come on Kell!
Famed boxing artist LeRoy Neiman remembered
By Richard T. Slone
I was extremely saddened to get the call that iconic artist LeRoy Neiman had died, aged 91, in New York City. I was first introduced to LeRoy when I was 16 years old through my then boxing trainer Smokin' Joe Frazier. LeRoy was intrigued that I was an amateur boxer and also an artist. Once he saw my art his eyes lit up and in the many years I'd see him since, he kept up with my career and he always had kind words with sincere encouragement. I know we shared the same passion for boxing and I think he liked that.
LeRoy Neiman loved boxing and boxing loved LeRoy Neiman. He had a great passion for the fight game. He admired boxers more than any other athlete or celebrity and I think his love of the sport is very evident by simply looking at his timeless boxing paintings.
He will be missed. He was one of a kind. He brought an extra level of class to any event he'd paint. He was an attraction of his own, but took pride in painting those he admired. He was certainly flamboyant – a great showman – but was also a humble and generous man who truly did things his way without hurting anyone along the way. A lover of boxing, a great artist, a class act and a true gentleman.
Rest in Peace my friend.
Lopez not happy Ortiz scheduled his next fight already
by Dan Rafael
Former welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz gets cranky around fight time.
All he wants to do at the moment is get into the ring and take care of his business against Josesito Lopez and move on to what he already has planned next -- a shot at junior middleweight titleholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Given how long he has been preparing and how many ups and downs he has been through in recent months, Ortiz is just ready to fight.
So with Berto out, Lopez -- who had been training for a June 22 fight that wound up falling apart -- got the call to face Ortiz. He accepted and will move up from junior welterweight to face Ortiz in a scheduled 12-round bout on Saturday night (Showtime, 9 ET/PT) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
In a potentially explosive co-feature, former lightweight and junior lightweight titleholder Humberto Soto (59-7-2, 34 KOs) of Mexico will square off with slugger Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KOs) of Argentina in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight bout.
As if the long delay from February to June and then losing the much higher-profile fight against Berto wasn't enough, now Ortiz has something else to think about, even if he tries not to: He must win -- or at least draw -- to preserve a Sept. 15 pay-per-view headline fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
That bout was made just a couple of weeks ago, after two previously lined-up opponents for Alvarez fell out, first Paul Williams (due to a career-ending motorcycle accident) and then James Kirkland (a combination of a still-injured shoulder and pie-in-the-sky financial demands).
"I'm not taking anyone for granted at all," Ortiz said. "Josesito is a great fighter. We share one thing in common, and that's a lot of heart. It's going to be a great night. He's ready to fight, and that makes two of us. Josesito knows this is a huge opportunity for him on a big stage. That's why I can't take him lightly."
Ortiz, 25, of Ventura, Calif., said that even though he doesn't need motivation for the fight with Lopez, he has an extra push. Because he knows if he loses Saturday, the fight with Alvarez -- a major bout on a big date, Mexican Independence Day -- for a seven-figure payday and a chance to win a world title in a second weight class, disappears.
"It is definitely motivation for me," Ortiz said. "As of right now, I feel Josesito Lopez is standing in my way of greatness, and I'm not going to let him do that. But I don't want to talk about Canelo. My focus has been on Lopez for the last month."
Although Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs) admitted that he was excited when the Alvarez fight was brought to his attention, he said the moment came and went quickly. He said he asked his manager, Rolando Arellano, and the folks at Golden Boy Promotions not to discuss it with him again until after Saturday.
"I just said, 'Keep that out of my training camp,'" Ortiz said. "I'll take care of it after I take care of Josesito. But I know [Alvarez is] there. I don't care what anyone has to say. I'm going to do one thing: destroy Josesito Lopez. Period."
Lopez (29-4, 17 KOs), 27, of Riverside, Calif., had been getting ready to face former junior welterweight titlist Kendall Holt on this week's edition of "Friday Night Fights." Holt, however, pulled out of the fight around the same time Berto dropped out against Ortiz. So when Lopez was offered the fight with Ortiz, he and trainer Henry Ramirez simply adjusted their sparring from right-handed fighters (for Holt) to southpaws (for Ortiz, a lefty).
"There were a lot of names that were proposed as opponents. Josesito was the guy who stepped up on short notice," said Showtime Sports chief Stephen Espinoza. "He was the guy who said, 'I'll do it. I'll rise to the challenge,' and that is the kind of spirit and that is the kind of backbone that he has. He is not backing away from a challenge."
Lopez is, however, ticked off that Ortiz already has his next bout set up before they have even fought.
by Dan Rafael
Former welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz gets cranky around fight time.
All he wants to do at the moment is get into the ring and take care of his business against Josesito Lopez and move on to what he already has planned next -- a shot at junior middleweight titleholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
Given how long he has been preparing and how many ups and downs he has been through in recent months, Ortiz is just ready to fight.
"I've been training for more than six months for this fight, but that's what world champions do," Ortiz said. "I have to be prepared to fight anyone if I want to prove that I'm the best."
After Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked out Ortiz in the fourth round in September to take his welterweight belt -- in dirty fashion, some say, because Ortiz had his hands down and wasn't looking when Mayweather delivered the knockout blow -- Ortiz expected to return Feb. 11.
He was supposed to meet Andre Berto in a rematch of their classic slugfest in April 2011. In that memorable battle, both fighters hit the deck and Ortiz won a decision to claim a world title. But Berto suffered a torn biceps, and the February fight was postponed until Saturday night. However, last month, Berto tested positive for a steroid after giving a random urine sample and was bounced from the fight entirely.
That left Ortiz frustrated and in need of a new opponent.
"It was definitely disappointing, especially after having back-to-back training camps," Ortiz said. "At the end of the day, I can't do anything about it and I moved forward. When Berto tested positive, I took it as a compliment to myself that he had to cheat. He knew he couldn't stop me."
In the aftermath of the fight last year, Berto accused Ortiz of using performance enhancing drugs, even though he didn't have a shred of proof to back up the claim.
"He blamed me for using after the first fight, didn't even congratulate me for beating him," Ortiz said. "He blamed the loss on me using steroids, which I found fishy. But I found out why: He was on 'roids. I don't believe in that. I believe in hard work."
In a potentially explosive co-feature, former lightweight and junior lightweight titleholder Humberto Soto (59-7-2, 34 KOs) of Mexico will square off with slugger Lucas Matthysse (30-2, 28 KOs) of Argentina in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight bout.
As if the long delay from February to June and then losing the much higher-profile fight against Berto wasn't enough, now Ortiz has something else to think about, even if he tries not to: He must win -- or at least draw -- to preserve a Sept. 15 pay-per-view headline fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
That bout was made just a couple of weeks ago, after two previously lined-up opponents for Alvarez fell out, first Paul Williams (due to a career-ending motorcycle accident) and then James Kirkland (a combination of a still-injured shoulder and pie-in-the-sky financial demands).
"I'm not taking anyone for granted at all," Ortiz said. "Josesito is a great fighter. We share one thing in common, and that's a lot of heart. It's going to be a great night. He's ready to fight, and that makes two of us. Josesito knows this is a huge opportunity for him on a big stage. That's why I can't take him lightly."
Ortiz, 25, of Ventura, Calif., said that even though he doesn't need motivation for the fight with Lopez, he has an extra push. Because he knows if he loses Saturday, the fight with Alvarez -- a major bout on a big date, Mexican Independence Day -- for a seven-figure payday and a chance to win a world title in a second weight class, disappears.
"It is definitely motivation for me," Ortiz said. "As of right now, I feel Josesito Lopez is standing in my way of greatness, and I'm not going to let him do that. But I don't want to talk about Canelo. My focus has been on Lopez for the last month."
Although Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs) admitted that he was excited when the Alvarez fight was brought to his attention, he said the moment came and went quickly. He said he asked his manager, Rolando Arellano, and the folks at Golden Boy Promotions not to discuss it with him again until after Saturday.
"I just said, 'Keep that out of my training camp,'" Ortiz said. "I'll take care of it after I take care of Josesito. But I know [Alvarez is] there. I don't care what anyone has to say. I'm going to do one thing: destroy Josesito Lopez. Period."
Lopez (29-4, 17 KOs), 27, of Riverside, Calif., had been getting ready to face former junior welterweight titlist Kendall Holt on this week's edition of "Friday Night Fights." Holt, however, pulled out of the fight around the same time Berto dropped out against Ortiz. So when Lopez was offered the fight with Ortiz, he and trainer Henry Ramirez simply adjusted their sparring from right-handed fighters (for Holt) to southpaws (for Ortiz, a lefty).
"There were a lot of names that were proposed as opponents. Josesito was the guy who stepped up on short notice," said Showtime Sports chief Stephen Espinoza. "He was the guy who said, 'I'll do it. I'll rise to the challenge,' and that is the kind of spirit and that is the kind of backbone that he has. He is not backing away from a challenge."
Lopez is, however, ticked off that Ortiz already has his next bout set up before they have even fought.
"I took offense to it," Lopez said. "I thought it was very disrespectful. I don't blame Victor Ortiz for it, but I blame the promoter for allowing it to happen. I don't feel that was necessary. No matter how easy you think a fight may be, I don't think there's a reason to do it. They could have waited another 12 days to announce it, so it definitely adds more motivation for me, as if fighting him on Saturday night wasn't enough. This really adds more fuel to the fire."
Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer said during his announcement of Alvarez-Ortiz that Lopez would be considered for the fight in the event he beats Ortiz. But Lopez said his co-promoters, Dan Goossen and Ken Thompson, haven't been approached about the fight.
"Nobody has ever spoken to me or my team about it, but it's OK," Lopez said. "My only focus is Saturday night. My only focus is Victor Ortiz."
It might look disrespectful to Lopez for Golden Boy to announce the Alvarez fight, but it could take a fight without much heat to it and give it some spice for that very reason, Schaefer said.
"It's a motivation for Victor, knowing that he's going to come back Sept. 15 against Canelo in a fight he's wanted for a long time," Schaefer said. "Victor feels that Canelo is a paper champion, and there is some animosity. They have talked some s---. So he's definitely motivated to get that fight and to fight on that weekend at the MGM.
"For Josesito, if he was motivated before, now there is an additional element. I'm sure he ran extra hard or sparred that extra round and is pumped up because he is trying to win and also derail the fight between Canelo and Victor and potentially inject himself into the mix. Is there more pressure on Victor? Yes, I would think so. Josesito is coming with everything to gain and nothing to lose, so it makes the fight much more interesting."
Thursday, June 21, 2012
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Jesse Vargas signs deal with Top Rank
by Dan Rafael
Las Vegas welterweight prospect Jessie Vargas, who has had the benefit of significant television exposure on Floyd Mayweather Jr. pay-per-view undercards, signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank on Wednesday.
"I wanted to be with the Top Rank team, and here I am," said Vargas, who became a promotional free agent recently when his agreement with Mayweather Promotions expired.
Vargas also signed on June 5 with manager Cameron Dunkin, who handles such name fighters as welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., junior featherweight titleholder Nonito Donaire and former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
"Jessie Vargas is a top-10 welterweight who not only wants to win a world championship but is looking to be a star in the sport," Dunkin said. "I talked to several people about signing him, but when it was all said and done, these guys [Top Rank] gave him a really good deal -- financially and with the opportunities."
Two of Vargas' past three fights came on Mayweather undercards. He pulled out a split-decision win against Josesito Lopez on the undercard of Mayweather-Victor Ortiz in September and rolled to a lopsided decision against Steve Forbes on May 5 on the undercard of Mayweather's fight with Miguel Cotto.In between those bouts, Vargas (19-0, 9 KOs) was on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation" series and scored a near shutout of Lanardo Tyner in February. The victories against Lopez and Tyner impressed Top Rank matchmaker Brad "Abdul" Goodman.
"I think Jessie is still in the learning process, but he showed me a lot of willpower in a really tough fight with Lopez where I thought he pulled out the fight in the last two rounds," Goodman said. "What impressed me the most was when he fought on 'ShoBox' and he easily beat a really rough, tough guy like Lanardo Tyner. He was a young kid fighting a man.
"Slowly and gradually, we'll groom him until we think he's ready to fight for a title. He's just going to get better."
Vargas, 23, has been boxing since he was 8. He was a two-time junior National Golden Gloves champion and went approximately 120-20 as an amateur before turning pro in 2008.
"Everyone at Top Rank is very excited about Jessie," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.
Vargas, who is trained by Robert Alcazar -- who trained Oscar De La Hoya for many years -- will make his Top Rank debut in September. Dunkin said the fight could come on the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. middleweight championship card being planned for Sept. 15.
"I am planning to be very busy, fighting three, four times a year," Vargas said.
by Dan Rafael
Las Vegas welterweight prospect Jessie Vargas, who has had the benefit of significant television exposure on Floyd Mayweather Jr. pay-per-view undercards, signed a promotional agreement with Top Rank on Wednesday.
"I wanted to be with the Top Rank team, and here I am," said Vargas, who became a promotional free agent recently when his agreement with Mayweather Promotions expired.
Vargas also signed on June 5 with manager Cameron Dunkin, who handles such name fighters as welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., junior featherweight titleholder Nonito Donaire and former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
"Jessie Vargas is a top-10 welterweight who not only wants to win a world championship but is looking to be a star in the sport," Dunkin said. "I talked to several people about signing him, but when it was all said and done, these guys [Top Rank] gave him a really good deal -- financially and with the opportunities."
Two of Vargas' past three fights came on Mayweather undercards. He pulled out a split-decision win against Josesito Lopez on the undercard of Mayweather-Victor Ortiz in September and rolled to a lopsided decision against Steve Forbes on May 5 on the undercard of Mayweather's fight with Miguel Cotto.In between those bouts, Vargas (19-0, 9 KOs) was on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation" series and scored a near shutout of Lanardo Tyner in February. The victories against Lopez and Tyner impressed Top Rank matchmaker Brad "Abdul" Goodman.
"I think Jessie is still in the learning process, but he showed me a lot of willpower in a really tough fight with Lopez where I thought he pulled out the fight in the last two rounds," Goodman said. "What impressed me the most was when he fought on 'ShoBox' and he easily beat a really rough, tough guy like Lanardo Tyner. He was a young kid fighting a man.
"Slowly and gradually, we'll groom him until we think he's ready to fight for a title. He's just going to get better."
Vargas, 23, has been boxing since he was 8. He was a two-time junior National Golden Gloves champion and went approximately 120-20 as an amateur before turning pro in 2008.
"Everyone at Top Rank is very excited about Jessie," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.
Vargas, who is trained by Robert Alcazar -- who trained Oscar De La Hoya for many years -- will make his Top Rank debut in September. Dunkin said the fight could come on the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. middleweight championship card being planned for Sept. 15.
"I am planning to be very busy, fighting three, four times a year," Vargas said.
Paquiao hints at rematch with Bradley
by
It appears that Manny Pacquiao wants a rematch with Tim Bradley, whose controversial split-decision victory dethroned Pacquiao as WBO welterweight titleholder, ended his 15-bout winning streak that included eight knockouts and added Pacquiao's crown to the WBO junior welterweight belt Bradley already owned.
Bradley defeated Pacquiao on June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
"My supporters shouldn't worry," Paquiao told The Associated Press in Manila, Philippines on Thursday. "We're going to get that title."
The Bradley-Pacquiao contract already had contained a clause calling for a rematch on Nov. 10, although Pacquiao was widely reported to be considering a fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 knockouts) in Mexico for that date.
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) scored a disputed majority decision victory over Marquez in November, this, after having previously battled through a draw and a split-decision win over Marquez.
During an exclusive interview with RingTV.com, Marquez cited Fernando Beltran, president of Zanfer Promotions as saying that Pacquiao was leaning toward facing him in November. Beltran co-promotes Marquez with Top Rank out of Mexico.
"If Bob Arum says that I'll fight with Manny on Nov. 10, that would be great for me. I don't know what will happen. It's maybe. I'm not sure. Bob Arum said Manny might want to fight me in Mexico. That would be a great thing for me," said Marquez, who holds the WBO's interim junior welterweight belt as well as the WBA's corresponding super title.
"I need to see what Bob Arum says, and what Pacquiao says. If Pacquiao wants to fight with me in Mexico, and Bob Arum has said the same, I don't know. I need to wait. My people want to see me fight Manny again, and I'd feel very happy to do it again."
But Pacquiao's statement on Thursday contradicted the notion of another fight with Marquez, at least not before taking a return bout with Bradley.
On the night of the fight, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) edged Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 on the cards of official judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, while Jerry Roth had it the same way for Pacquiao. An informal poll of 51 writers favored Pacquiao over Bradley, 48-3.
On Wednesday, however, a five-member panel of judges convened by WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel unanimously scored in favor of Pacquiao after watching video of the fight with Bradley. Valcarcel informed RingTV.com that his judges all had the matchup for Pacauiao, by scores of 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112, and115-113.
Valcarcel, who said he thought Pacquiao won eight rounds to four, said that the organization's rules do not allow for the bout being overturned, but that "the only thing that we can do is authorize a rematch."
But under the circumstances, Valcarcel said he would leave the scenario regarding a rematch to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley, Beltran, who often works with Top Rank, and Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin.
"My first stop on any quest to determine what to do next is that I have to talk to the guy who is the money generator, and that's Manny Pacquiao," said Arum.
"And I have to then determine after discussions with him what he wants to do next and we'll go from there. Until Manny makes a determination, then I'm like a dog chasing its tail."
by
It appears that Manny Pacquiao wants a rematch with Tim Bradley, whose controversial split-decision victory dethroned Pacquiao as WBO welterweight titleholder, ended his 15-bout winning streak that included eight knockouts and added Pacquiao's crown to the WBO junior welterweight belt Bradley already owned.
Bradley defeated Pacquiao on June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
"My supporters shouldn't worry," Paquiao told The Associated Press in Manila, Philippines on Thursday. "We're going to get that title."
The Bradley-Pacquiao contract already had contained a clause calling for a rematch on Nov. 10, although Pacquiao was widely reported to be considering a fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 knockouts) in Mexico for that date.
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) scored a disputed majority decision victory over Marquez in November, this, after having previously battled through a draw and a split-decision win over Marquez.
During an exclusive interview with RingTV.com, Marquez cited Fernando Beltran, president of Zanfer Promotions as saying that Pacquiao was leaning toward facing him in November. Beltran co-promotes Marquez with Top Rank out of Mexico.
"If Bob Arum says that I'll fight with Manny on Nov. 10, that would be great for me. I don't know what will happen. It's maybe. I'm not sure. Bob Arum said Manny might want to fight me in Mexico. That would be a great thing for me," said Marquez, who holds the WBO's interim junior welterweight belt as well as the WBA's corresponding super title.
"I need to see what Bob Arum says, and what Pacquiao says. If Pacquiao wants to fight with me in Mexico, and Bob Arum has said the same, I don't know. I need to wait. My people want to see me fight Manny again, and I'd feel very happy to do it again."
But Pacquiao's statement on Thursday contradicted the notion of another fight with Marquez, at least not before taking a return bout with Bradley.
On the night of the fight, Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) edged Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 on the cards of official judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, while Jerry Roth had it the same way for Pacquiao. An informal poll of 51 writers favored Pacquiao over Bradley, 48-3.
On Wednesday, however, a five-member panel of judges convened by WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel unanimously scored in favor of Pacquiao after watching video of the fight with Bradley. Valcarcel informed RingTV.com that his judges all had the matchup for Pacauiao, by scores of 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112, and115-113.
Valcarcel, who said he thought Pacquiao won eight rounds to four, said that the organization's rules do not allow for the bout being overturned, but that "the only thing that we can do is authorize a rematch."
But under the circumstances, Valcarcel said he would leave the scenario regarding a rematch to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley, Beltran, who often works with Top Rank, and Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin.
"My first stop on any quest to determine what to do next is that I have to talk to the guy who is the money generator, and that's Manny Pacquiao," said Arum.
"And I have to then determine after discussions with him what he wants to do next and we'll go from there. Until Manny makes a determination, then I'm like a dog chasing its tail."
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Pacquiao helps flood victims
by AP Wire Feed
MANILA, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines on Saturday to help flood victims in his home province, a week after his loss to Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao was showered with confetti Saturday, although his homecoming was much less festive than usual because of his split-decision loss in the welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
He cut short a vacation with his family in the United States to help thousands of victims of floods that hit Sarangani province, the area he represents in congress.
"Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us," Pacquiao said at a news conference where men dressed as gladiators lined up as his honor guards.
Later, he told GMA television he had asked supporters to skip the traditional "hero's welcome" for him and instead focus on helping those affected by the floods. He said he has already sent relief supplies.
Pacquiao went to the Roman Catholic church in Manila's Quiapo district, where he addressed worshippers, urging them to accept the judges' decision and shun anger.
Pacquiao's controversial loss has prompted one of boxing's major sanctioning bodies to review Bradley's victory, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be "clarity" in the judging of the fight.
WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel said in a statement this week that the WBO's championship committee will review video of the fight with five "recognized international judges" and make a recommendation. He said the WBO does not doubt the ability of the scoring judges.
Most observers thought Pacquiao easily had defended his welterweight title against Bradley.
The civil defense office reported Saturday that flash floods from rain due to a low pressure over the main southern island of Mindanao earlier this week killed two people in Sarangani and displaced more than 8,000. At least 37 villagers and fishermen are still missing and more than 200 homes were damaged or destroyed, the disaster agency said.
At least eight other people have been killed and six others are still missing elsewhere in the country in the wake of the storm and the seasonal monsoon rains exacerbated by a typhoon passing northeast of the country. About 28,000 people also have been displaced.
by AP Wire Feed
MANILA, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines on Saturday to help flood victims in his home province, a week after his loss to Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao was showered with confetti Saturday, although his homecoming was much less festive than usual because of his split-decision loss in the welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
He cut short a vacation with his family in the United States to help thousands of victims of floods that hit Sarangani province, the area he represents in congress.
"Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us," Pacquiao said at a news conference where men dressed as gladiators lined up as his honor guards.
"Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us.
"-- Manny Pacquiao, on his controversial loss to Timothy Bradley
Later, he told GMA television he had asked supporters to skip the traditional "hero's welcome" for him and instead focus on helping those affected by the floods. He said he has already sent relief supplies.
Pacquiao went to the Roman Catholic church in Manila's Quiapo district, where he addressed worshippers, urging them to accept the judges' decision and shun anger.
Pacquiao's controversial loss has prompted one of boxing's major sanctioning bodies to review Bradley's victory, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be "clarity" in the judging of the fight.
WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel said in a statement this week that the WBO's championship committee will review video of the fight with five "recognized international judges" and make a recommendation. He said the WBO does not doubt the ability of the scoring judges.
Most observers thought Pacquiao easily had defended his welterweight title against Bradley.
The civil defense office reported Saturday that flash floods from rain due to a low pressure over the main southern island of Mindanao earlier this week killed two people in Sarangani and displaced more than 8,000. At least 37 villagers and fishermen are still missing and more than 200 homes were damaged or destroyed, the disaster agency said.
At least eight other people have been killed and six others are still missing elsewhere in the country in the wake of the storm and the seasonal monsoon rains exacerbated by a typhoon passing northeast of the country. About 28,000 people also have been displaced.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Chavez did take drug test before fight
by Dan Rafael
As if there weren't enough scandal and controversy in boxing already, now we have a manufactured one due to an honest error -- but one that many fight fans can't seem to accept as just that.
I was watching HBO's "World Championship Boxing" telecast Saturday night, waiting for the start of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s middleweight title defense against Andy Lee at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, when HBO announcer Jim Lampley informed the audience that "there has been a delay in Julio Cesar Chavez's dressing room. ... Andy Lee has been gloved up and warming up for quite some time. We're told that in the other dressing room, Chavez tried and failed to provide a [urine] sample and the Texas state commission has elected to take the sample after the fight."
That sounded reasonable to me, but a look at my Twitter feed and Facebook page revealed a deluge of comments from boxing fans who, for whatever reason, believed that something was amiss -- that Chavez having difficulty providing a sample was evidence he was using some sort of illegal substance or was looking to duck the drug test.
That's a big reach.
In fact, Chavez (and Lee) did provide a prefight urine sample, according to his manager (Billy Keane), his promoter (Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti) and, most important, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation -- all of whom I spoke with to check on the issue.
On Tuesday, I spoke to Randy Nesbitt, a spokesperson for the TDLR, which oversees boxing in Texas.
"Both fighters, Chavez and Lee, submitted urine samples before the bout," Nesbitt said.
According to Nesbitt, the rules in Texas allow regulators to ask for a sample before or after, and both fighters were tested before the bout. They were the only fighters on the card tested, which is permissible under Texas rules.
"Their samples have been sent to the lab, and the results will be looked at when we get them," Nesbitt said.
As for Lampley's ill-timed comment, HBO spokesman Kevin Flaherty told ESPN.com: "Jim's comments at the time were accurate. We were unaware that shortly thereafter a sample was provided. That was unfortunate."
In other words, it was an honest mistake by HBO, even though some won't accept that.
These are the same people who wrongly believe that Chavez refused to provide a sample for his previous fight, a victory against Marco Antonio Rubio in February in San Antonio. Once again, Chavez got a bad rap.
Chavez didn't refuse that drug test. Instead, as the TDLR admitted after the fact, it screwed up by not having the proper testing equipment on hand for the fight. In fact, Chavez did not flee the event after the fight to avoid the test. I was there. Chavez was at the postfight news conference and leisurely answered questions. He was not a man in a hurry to leave.
But once again, the conspiracy theorists want to believe the worst about Chavez. It's understandable that some are inclined to, because in November 2009 Chavez tested positive for Furosemide -- a diuretic that is typically used to help cut weight or as a masking agent for steroids -- in conjunction with his fight against Troy Rowland, which took place on the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
For the positive test, the result of a prefight urine sample, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Chavez for seven months and fined him $10,000 (10 percent of his $100,000 purse). The fight result, originally a lopsided decision for Chavez, was changed to a no-decision.
But that positive test has nothing to do with Texas' blunder in February, nor does it have anything to do with Saturday night, when Chavez provided a prefight sample without any other issue than not being able to pee on command.
by Dan Rafael
As if there weren't enough scandal and controversy in boxing already, now we have a manufactured one due to an honest error -- but one that many fight fans can't seem to accept as just that.
I was watching HBO's "World Championship Boxing" telecast Saturday night, waiting for the start of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s middleweight title defense against Andy Lee at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, when HBO announcer Jim Lampley informed the audience that "there has been a delay in Julio Cesar Chavez's dressing room. ... Andy Lee has been gloved up and warming up for quite some time. We're told that in the other dressing room, Chavez tried and failed to provide a [urine] sample and the Texas state commission has elected to take the sample after the fight."
That sounded reasonable to me, but a look at my Twitter feed and Facebook page revealed a deluge of comments from boxing fans who, for whatever reason, believed that something was amiss -- that Chavez having difficulty providing a sample was evidence he was using some sort of illegal substance or was looking to duck the drug test.
That's a big reach.
In fact, Chavez (and Lee) did provide a prefight urine sample, according to his manager (Billy Keane), his promoter (Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti) and, most important, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation -- all of whom I spoke with to check on the issue.
On Tuesday, I spoke to Randy Nesbitt, a spokesperson for the TDLR, which oversees boxing in Texas.
"Both fighters, Chavez and Lee, submitted urine samples before the bout," Nesbitt said.
According to Nesbitt, the rules in Texas allow regulators to ask for a sample before or after, and both fighters were tested before the bout. They were the only fighters on the card tested, which is permissible under Texas rules.
"Their samples have been sent to the lab, and the results will be looked at when we get them," Nesbitt said.
As for Lampley's ill-timed comment, HBO spokesman Kevin Flaherty told ESPN.com: "Jim's comments at the time were accurate. We were unaware that shortly thereafter a sample was provided. That was unfortunate."
In other words, it was an honest mistake by HBO, even though some won't accept that.
These are the same people who wrongly believe that Chavez refused to provide a sample for his previous fight, a victory against Marco Antonio Rubio in February in San Antonio. Once again, Chavez got a bad rap.
Chavez didn't refuse that drug test. Instead, as the TDLR admitted after the fact, it screwed up by not having the proper testing equipment on hand for the fight. In fact, Chavez did not flee the event after the fight to avoid the test. I was there. Chavez was at the postfight news conference and leisurely answered questions. He was not a man in a hurry to leave.
But once again, the conspiracy theorists want to believe the worst about Chavez. It's understandable that some are inclined to, because in November 2009 Chavez tested positive for Furosemide -- a diuretic that is typically used to help cut weight or as a masking agent for steroids -- in conjunction with his fight against Troy Rowland, which took place on the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
For the positive test, the result of a prefight urine sample, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Chavez for seven months and fined him $10,000 (10 percent of his $100,000 purse). The fight result, originally a lopsided decision for Chavez, was changed to a no-decision.
But that positive test has nothing to do with Texas' blunder in February, nor does it have anything to do with Saturday night, when Chavez provided a prefight sample without any other issue than not being able to pee on command.
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