As Manny Pacquiao nears decision on opponent, Timothy Bradley says Pacman is ‘scared’

by Kevin Iole

Timothy Bradley won a split decision over Manny Pacquiao on June 9 (AP)Almost every move Timothy Bradley has made in the aftermath of his hotly disputed split decision win over Manny Pacquiaoon June 9 in Las Vegas has been the wrong one.
His decision to call out Pacquiao on Wednesday, with Pacquiao only days away from choosing his next opponent, only adds to the list of his strategic errors since the bout.
In a decision that outraged millions around the world and prompted the Nevada attorney general to conduct a review of the bout, Bradley won a split decision over Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 9 to claim the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.
Perhaps never in boxing history has a win hurt a man more. Even Bob Arum, Bradley’s promoter, was outraged at the call. Upon the bout’s completion, he raced over to reporters at ringside and railed at the call.

Can you believe that? I had it 10-2! After I got into the ring after the fight, I went over to Bradley and said ‘You did very well.’ He said, ‘I tried hard, but I couldn’t beat the guy.’ This is crazy. You talk about killing boxing? All three scorecards you throw out.

Arum demanded Nevada attorney general Catherine Cortez Masto conduct an investigation, particularly since most people believed Pacquiao had won going away.
The WBO, which sanctioned the fight, ordered a review and determined that Pacquiao deserved to win. Masto, in a letter to Arum, said she was unable to discover any evidence of malfeasance.

Displeasure with the subjective decisions of sporting officials is not a sufficient basis for this office to initiate a criminal investigation. Unless evidence beyond mere displeasure is forthcoming, this matter will be considered closed. While there may be strong disagreement with the decision, the exercise of professional judgment by individuals officiating at a sporting event is not by itself a criminal violation.

Timothy Bradley called Manny Pacquiao (R) “scared” on Wednesday (AP)In the days after the fight, Bradley was largely silent, refusing nearly all interviews. At a time when it would have been important for him to get his side of the story out, Bradley chose, repeatedly, not to talk.
But with Pacquiao closing in on a decision, Bradley for some reason changed course.
On Wednesday, only days after Arum returned from a visit with Pacquiao in the Philippines, Bradley called out Pacquiao and suggested to reporter Leighton Ginn of the Desert Sun, his hometown newspaper, that “a lot of people on that side are scared.”
Pacquiao is essentially choosing between Juan Manuel Marquez, with whom he has fought three extraordinarily close fights, and Bradley. Arum said that Pacquiao will make up his mind later this week or over the weekend and that he would likely make an announcement next week.
Bradley tried to nudge Pacquiao in his direction with an ill-advised shot at the Filipino superstar. The last thing Pacquiao is — the last thing any professional boxer is — is afraid. Yet, that was the way Bradley tried to make his case for a rematch.

To be honest with you, I think a lot of people on that side are scared. He couldn’t knock me out with two peg legs. Me healthy, I’m going to beat him worse.

Bradley injured both of his feet in the fight, including a break of the left foot, and attended the post-fight news conference in a wheelchair.
Pacquiao will fight again on Nov. 10 in Las Vegas at the MGM, Arum said. Pacquiao is balancing how badly he wants to avenge the defeat against how much more money he’d make by fighting Marquez a fourth time. Pacquiao’s third fight with Marquez in November 2011 sold about 1.3 million pay-per-view units. The Pacquiao-Bradley fight did slightly more than 900,000.
Bradley’s bon mot in Pacquiao’s direction is unlikely to sway Pacquiao’s decision in a positive manner. However, it could have the effect of Pacquiao determining he doesn’t want to give Bradley another payday.
Large segments of the fan base have said they’ll never buy another fight again. Fans often make that emotional kind of comment in the aftermath of a decision they disagree with, but if Bradley lands the rematch, it is likely that sentiment would bubble up again.
Despite the win, Bradley isn’t dealing from a position of strength. His belt is essentially meaningless, given that the majority of the world believes Pacquiao won.
Calling Pacquiao “scared” did nothing to enhance his odds of landing the fight. At this stage, if something won’t improve your odds, don’t do it.
If I had to guess, I’d guess Pacquiao is leaning toward Bradley, despite the fact that the revenues from the two fights would suggest Pacquiao would make far more money in a rematch with Marquez.
Regardless of who he fights, though, Arum said Pacquiao has committed to conducting his entire training camp in Los Angeles. In recent fights, he’s done half in Baguio in the Philippines and the other half in Los Angeles

Weekend Review: Broner's tainted victory

by Michael Rosenthal

BIGGEST LOSER
Adrien Broner: No one should be so presumptuous as to dismiss Broner as a loser … but he sure acted like one before and after his fight against Vicente Escobedo on Saturday. He in effect failed to make weight twice, once during the official weigh-in on Friday – after which he didn’t try to sweat it off — and again after agreeing to another weight limit on Saturday. And he didn’t seem to care a bit. He and his handlers bought his way out the dilemma by paying fines, thereby creating an unfair size advantage over a fighter who had the professionalism to make weight in the first place. Then, in an interview immediately after brutally knocking out Escobedo in the fifth round, he didn’t even hint at an apology. Broner should be ashamed of himself but I don’t think he knows what the word shame means. We all admire Broner’s unusual talent; he could turn out to be better than Floyd Mayweather Jr. I can guarantee you something, though: He has lost a lot of fans because of his behavior. The good news is that he has time to change his deteriorating image. The bad news is that I’m not sure he wants to. Playing the villain has worked for Mayweather. It could work for Broner too.

BIGGEST WINNER
Vicente Escobedo: One could argue that Escobedo (26-4, 15 knockouts) shouldn’t have stepped into the ring if he knew Broner (24-0, 20 KOs) had an unfair weight advantage; that was his choice. However, we shouldn’t be critical: The former Olympian trained hard the past six weeks or so and has a wife and new baby feed. I think most of us would do the same thing. And he fought gamely, giving all he had against a superior – and stronger – opponent. The former U.S. Olympian won our hearts and admiration after the fight, though. First, carrying himself like a true sportsman, he gave Broner credit for his sensational performance. And then, with emotion bubbling to service, he uttered words that dramatically captured the injustice of what had transpired: “I was away from my family, my wife … I don’t know … just to come here and net get a fair, fair fight … I just got emotional, as you can see … but I came to fight.” One thing that came out of the 11^th-hour negotiations that allowed the fight to happen was WBO’s decision to have Escobedo fight for its now-vacant 130-pound title. Maybe there’s some justice after all.

BEST PROSPECT
Keith Thurman: Thurman’s power is obvious. Orlando Lora (29-3-2, 19 KOs) didn’t quit in the sixth round of their fight on the Broner-Escobedo undercard because he was embarrassed; he stopped fighting because he was in pain. Thurman’s record also is stark evidence that the young welterweight/junior middleweight has unusual power: 18-0, 17 knockouts. He started his career with a Jack Dempsey-like eight consecutive first-round stoppages. That ability to crack already is winning him a lot of fans. What might not be so obvious is the Floridian’s boxing ability and athleticism. He was an accomplished amateur – losing to Demetrius Andrade in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials – and it shows in his fights. The point is that a fighter with great power and both skill and athleticism could go a long, long way. Thurman, who is only 23, is definitely one to watch.

MOST IMPRESSIVE
Juan Carlos Burgos: The thing about Burgos’ performance against then-unbeaten Cesar Vazquez on Friday Night Fights that most impressed me was his patience and belief in himself. Vazquez (25-1, 16 KOs) was a dynamo for two-plus rounds, applying intense pressure on Burgos (30-1, 20 KOs) that might’ve overwhelmed a lesser opponent. Burgos, an eight-year pro, calmly withstood the onslaught, fired back enough to keep Vazquez honest and waited. He knew his opportunity would come. And it did in the third round, when Burgos landed a perfect left-right combination to the head of his rugged opponent and followed with a fearsome flurry that prompted referee Tony Weeks to stop the fight. The winner fought like a seasoned pro. Burgos, who has won five consecutive fights since losing in 2010 to Hozumi Hasegawa in his only title shot, is rated No. 2 by the WBO and could end up fighting Escobedo for that organization’s vacant championship. The opportunity would be richly deserved. And don’t be surprised if he wins.

BEST QUOTE
Broner, when asked on Sunday what he took away from this debacle: “I’m just growing up, you know? I’m still maturing in this game. I’m maturing mentally and physically. This is a growing process, and I’m going to be around for a long time.
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UFC 149 results: Renan Barao dominates Urijah Faber, wins interim title

By Matt Erickson

CALGARY – The UFC has another Brazilian champion.
It’s an interim title, but a title nonetheless. Renan Barao dominated Urijah Faber for five rounds on Saturday to win the UFC’s interim bantamweight belt, which was up for grabs with champion Dominick Cruz on the shelf following knee surgery. Barao cruised to win a unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 49-46.
The interim bantamweight title fight served as the main event of Saturday’s UFC 149 event at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.
Barao joins Nova Uniao teammate Jose Aldo, the UFC’s featherweight champ; middleweight champ Anderson Silva; and heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos as current UFC champions from Brazil.
It was apparent early in the five-round title fight that Barao’s strategy was similar to that of Aldo’s when he fought Faber in the WEC – do damage to Faber with leg kicks. And though Barao didn’t do nearly the damage to Faber that Aldo did in April 2010, it still was a game plan that Faber could find little answer for.
Barao was able to land significant strikes in each round, sometimes with highlight-reel potential behind them. And though Faber never was in true danger, he found it hard to get inside on Barao and do any real damage himself.
Faber didn’t attempt a full-fledged takedown until midway through the third round, but he couldn’t land it. And though he was able to score some points with his counter-strikes, he never was able to get any real momentum going offensively.
“I knew he was good at keeping distance, and he was able to keep his kicks from pretty far out,” Faber said. “I knew he was tough. He hurt me pretty early with a knee to the rib, and I think I might have a broken rib. It was nothing like Aldo. Aldo really took my leg apart. I felt (Barao’s) kicks for sure, but it wasn’t the same thing.”
Barao jumped up and down and ran across the octagon shouting after the scores were read, then rubbed the interim belt as UFC president Dana White put it around his waist.
“I came very well prepared for everything,” Barao said through his translator. “I knew Faber was a great athlete and a great fighter. But I prepared myself very well, and that was the result. My coaches told me to keep [kicking the legs], but it was not only that.”
Barao (29-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) had his amazing unbeaten streak extended to 30 fights with 29 wins and a no contest over that stretch. Faber (26-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) again goes back to the drawing board, losing for the fifth straight time in a title fight – three featherweight title losses in the WEC and two bantamweight title losses in the UFC.

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UFC’s Anderson Silva Challenges Strikeforce Champion Luke Rockhold

by Chris Hall

Immediately after UFC 148, it looked likeUFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva had completely cleared the 185 lb. division and should accept Rashad Evans’s challenge. Or he should move up to Light Heavyweight to fight Jon Jones. Then Chris Weidman decimated Mark Munoz at UFC On Fuel 4 and a brand new challenger was born with the “perfect style” to upset The Spider. Dana White has even said that former Bellator champion Hector Lombard could get a shot if he defeats wild card Tim Boestch in his UFC debut.
Last night, UFC Tonight gave the report from Anderson’s management on who his next opponent should be (Transcribed by MMA Mania):

Hector Lombard
He thinks he needs at least three more impressive wins in the UFC. He said that 85 percent of UFC fans don’t even know who Hector Lombard is, who is of course making his Octagon debut on Saturday night.
Chris Weidman
As for Chris Weidman, he said, ‘Well, there’s another great unknown fighter.’ He doesn’t see those match ups as being money making pay-per-view events.
Luke Rockhold
He did mention Luke Rockhold, who is the Strikeforce middleweight champion. Alas, Rockhold is contractually tied to Strikeforce, so that fight’s not happening. We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, the Anderson Silva camp not too excited about the options out there.

That’s right, Anderson Silva wants a champion versus champion super fight with Luke Rockhold. Rockhold just decisioned Tim Kennedy in the second defense of his title this past Saturday. Rockhold is also completely bound to Strikeforce with a negligible chance of fighting in the Octagon in the foreseeable future. For his part, however, Luke did accept the challenge today.
For those who thought Silva had finally figured out how to sell a fight in the week leading up to his bout with Chael Sonnen, this completely shatters the notion. Of all the options open to Anderson, from incredible to great to predictable, he chooses the one that can’t happen and no one asked for

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Adrien Broner Stripped of Title After Missing Weight

by Dan Rafael

Nicknamed “The Problem,” Adrien Broner had a big one on Friday.
Broner did not come close to making the 130-pound weight limit at weigh-in for his junior lightweight title defense against mandatory challenger Vicente Escobedo on Saturday night (HBO, 10 ET/PT), and he has been stripped of the title.
While Escobedo was right on the division limit of 130 pounds, Broner weighed 133½ pounds after hours of working out in the gym on a treadmill and sitting in a sauna.
Escobedo can win the vacant title assuming the fight at the U.S. Bank Arena in Broner’s hometown of Cincinnati goes ahead as scheduled.
Rolando Arellano, Escobedo’s manager, said he was negotiating the terms of a Saturday weight check to make sure Broner does not balloon in weight overnight, which woud give himself a significant size advantage against Escobedo.
“We’re going to try set up a second weigh-in for Saturday,” Arellano told ESPN.com. “We want him limited to 10 pounds over the contract weight, so he could have a maximum of 140 pounds. But if he comes in over that, then we want to start imposing fines. We want $10,000 a pound, but so far (the Broner camp) has not agreed. The ball’s in their court. We’re not considering pulling out, but Broner didn’t live up to his agreement, so we are giving him the flexibility to modify the initial agreement.
“If he is unable to satisfy those terms and conditions we are asking for, that’s on him. We came to his house, to his arena, to his show. We did everything we were supposed to do.”
Arellano said he was working with Golden Boy Promotions matchmaker Eric Gomez to work out the details of the Saturday weight check and the financial penalties.
Arellano said he and Escobedo (26-3, 15 KOs), 30, of Woodland, Calif., heard on Thursday night that Broner was having trouble making weight.
However, Arellano said he was ticked off that Broner immediately got off the scale and began to drink water Friday rather than try to lose a little more weight.
“I think he should have acted more professionally,” Arellano said. “That’s not cool. That’s a lack of professionalism. We know he made an effort to make the weight because we knew he was in the gym working (Friday) morning. We just wanted him to try it again, but by running off he didn’t respect the game, he didn’t respect us or the people who work hard to put the event together.”
Arellano said the Ohio commission imposed a $60,000 fine on Broner — a percentage of his purse — for not making weight. He said half of the money would go to the commission, with the other $30,000 being added to Escobedo’s $150,000 purse.
The 22-year-old Broner (23-0, 19 KOs) said before what was supposed to be his second title defense that Saturday’s fight would be his final bout in the junior lightweight division before he moved up to the 135-pound lightweight division.
But he did not say his reason for the move was because he was having trouble making 130 pounds.
“I’m young. I’m 22. I’m still growing. I just feel like it’s time for me to go up,” Broner said on Wednesday. “After this fight, there really wouldn’t be a reason for me to stay. I’m just going to go up and give the lightweights hell.”
Welterweights Keith Thurman (17-0, 16 KOs) and Orlando Lora (29-2-2, 19 KOs) both were on weight for Saturday night’s 10-round co-feature. They both weighed 147½ pounds.
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Urijah Faber's positivity can't hurt in UFC 149 bantamweight title bout against Renan Barão

by Kevin Iole

Urijah Faber is the Norman Vincent Peale of mixed martial arts. Nobody puts the power of positive thinking to better, or more frequent, use than the UFC's bantamweight star.
Talk to Faber for any length of time and you'll hear the same phrases repeated incessantly: "I believe," "I can," "I will," and "I'm not worried."
Urijah Faber's positive attitude has a lot to do with his run of success. (Getty Images)Peale once wrote, "People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success."
It's a phrase that Faber, a former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion, lives by.
He'll fight highly regarded Renan Barão for the interim bantamweight title Saturday in the main event of UFC 149 at the Scotiabank Saddledome and, typically, he expressed little concern about either the possibility of losing or the pressure to perform.
Barão is on an 18-fight winning streak, a 31-fight unbeaten streak and is regarded as one of the best finishers in the sport. Faber, though, has a ready answer when confronted with the problems Barão presents.
"He hasn't faced me yet," Faber says, chuckling. "He's done all these things to other guys, but he hasn't fought me. He's human like anyone else."
The walls in Faber's bedroom in his Sacramento, Calif., home are dotted with goals and motivational quotes. His primary goal now is, once again, to have a championship belt strapped around his waist.
It's been 3½ years since Faber held a world title, yet he's remained at the top of his class in terms of opportunity and performance.
He was set to meet arch rival Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight title at UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas after coaching opposite Cruz on "The Ultimate Fighter Live." But Cruz tore up his knee and could be out for more than a year.
As a result, Faber was pitted against Barão for the interim belt. Though many believe an interim belt is meaningless, Faber is not among that group.
As he would say, when he wins Saturday he won't feel like a phony champion. He lost an excruciatingly close decision to Cruz for the belt at UFC 132 a year ago that evened the series between them at a win apiece. Faber submitted Cruz in 2007.
"I basically go out there and I think that when I beat Renan Barão, I'll be the best fighter in the world," Faber said. "I feel Dominick and I had a super close fight last time. He got the nod from the judges, but I don't feel like he beat me up. I feel I definitely did some damage to him.
"It was a close fight, but I felt walking away, as a man, I handled business. I'll feel like the champion, for sure, but I definitely want the opportunity to make sure that's the case."
Faber has always sought the best opposition he can face, which has earned him the everlasting respect of UFC president Dana White.
When White was going through the process of choosing a replacement opponent for Cruz, there was no doubt where Faber stood.
Barão was the guy with the record and the reputation. And while several other names were bandied about, Faber was hopeful White would choose Barão.
"The guy is 30-1, [and] he's a tough guy; he's a very, very tough fighter," White said of Barão. "And Urijah Faber who went through that whole season of The Ultimate Fighter to fight Cruz, you know absolutely, 100 percent, [he] not only accepted the fight with Renan Barão, but before it was even announced said, 'I hope it's Renan Barão.' "
Faber's belief in his ability is so absolute that he won't accept less than the best opposition. Eight of his last 10 opponents were either WEC or UFC world champions.
It can be a daunting task, getting no break from the stream of top contenders, but it's why Faber is far and away the biggest star among the lighter weight fighters in the sport.
He's been beaten by Cruz, the bantamweight champion, and Jose Aldo, the featherweight champion, but his star shines much brighter than either of theirs.
"My goal is to be successful as a fighter, as a businessman and as a person, and I work on that all the time," he said. "There's no reason to worry when you know you've done everything you need to do to reach a goal. I'm confident, I believe in myself, because I know I have prepared and done what I need to do to reach my goals."
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Roach: Ariza’s absence not a factor in Khan’s KO loss to Garcia

by Lem Satterfield


Five-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach says the absence of strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza for only the second time in Amir Khan’s past 10 fights was not among the reasons that the former titleholder was knocked out in the fourth round by Danny Garcia in last Saturday night’s HBO-televised bout.
Garcia’s triumph added Khan’s WBA junior welterweight belt as well as the division’s RING championship to the WBC crown he already owned, this, after referee Kenny Bayless asked Khan if he still could continue before waving an end to the fight at 2 minutes, 28 seconds following the third knockdown — the second of the fourth round.
During an interview with RingTV.com, Bayless said that among the reasons was the fact that “in my opinion, Amir’s leg’s were shot, and his balance was off.”
Ariza, who has been replaced by Ruben Tabares, could not be reached for commment. But during an interview with RingTV.com nearly a year ago to the day, Ariza said that the strengthening of the legs is important in supporting the neck.
“I don’t think that [Ariza's absence was a factor.] The new strength coach is a hurdler,” said Roach, who has denied that Khan has specifically expressed the desire to end their association, contrary to reports.
“And I don’t think that Amir’s legs gave out in three rounds. I thought that the new guy did a very good job. But Ariza is very good at what he does also.”
In the past, Ariza contended that it was the strength in Khan’s legs that facilitated his survival through the treacherous 10th round of his unanimous decision victory over Marcos Maidana in December of 2010.

“When he was hurt by Marcos Maidana, I told Freddie that all we needed was about 15 seconds and that he would come right back. I think that the biggest misconception is that theory about the chin, and this is just a theory of mine, and that is that the strength of the chin has to do with something in the neck or the jaw muscles or things like that. But really, when you get hit, what’s the first thing that goes? The legs. So, so much of my work that I do for these fighters is that I concentrate on the legs,” said Ariza.
“So the drills, the balancing, the positions I put them in where the legs are stable when you’re completely fatigued, I think that that was the key element for Amir against Marcos Maidana. I knew that once Amir was able to get a few seconds in, moving around, that his legs would find their stability because they had been there before. Amir has been there where he feels like they’re not under him and things like that. So these are things that we’ve done before, so it was nothing new for him to feel like that and to recover from it.”
Khan began working with Roach and Ariza following his 54-second knockout loss to Breidis Prescott as a lightweight in Sept. of 2008.
From there, Khan won eight straight fights, four of them by knockout, and earned two title belts. That stretch also included knockouts of New Yorkers Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi, as well as victories over former beltholders Maidana, Marco Antonio Barrera and Andreas Kotelnik.
The loss to Garcia was the second in a row for Khan, whose winning streak under Roach ended with December’s controversial split-decision loss to Lamont Peterson.

Ariza was absent from Khan’s corner just one other time during the winning spree — that being Khan’s six-round, technical decision victory over Paul McCloskey in April of last year — but returned for Khan’s fifth-round stoppage of Judah.
Khan also shares Roach with eight-division titlewinner Manny Pacquiao and WBC middleweight titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., whose respective training regimens took place in preparation for title bouts they participated in last month.
First into the ring was Pacquiao, who dropped a controversial split-decision to then-WBO junior welterweight titleholder Tim Bradley that dethroned him as WBO welterweight beltholder on June 9. A week later on June 16, Chavez Jr. scored an impressive seventh-round knockout victory over southpaw challenger Andy Lee.
Roach said Khan chose to end his relationship during a stretch when Ariza left the Philippines, where Khan was training alongside Pacquiao, to be with Chavez Jr.
“Alex left Amir high and dry in the Philippines, and we had to make a choice. We had to go with someone else, and Ruben was available and Ruben did very well,” said Roach.
“He put Amir on a very, very good diet, Amir made weight very easily. He made weight four days before the fight. I thought that Ruben did a very good job.”

Chavez Jr. will be back in the ring on Sept. 15 for a defense against RING champion Sergio Martinez. Pacquiao has a targeted return date of Nov. 10, perhaps against Bradley or for a fourth bout opposite Juan Manuel Marquez, with whom Pacquiao has battled through a draw, as well as split- and majority decision victories, respectively.
Roach said that he expects Khan to return to the ring in December, adding that he would like to get a rematch with Garcia. Roach also said that he recently met with Khan and the fighter’s father, Shah Khan, regarding how to navigate the time spent working with Chavez Jr., Pacquiao and Khan in the future.
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Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

Chael Sonnen fires back at Rampage Jackson: ‘Stick to violating female reporters’

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE – Presswire

12 days ago: Jul. 7, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Chael Sonnen in the ring prior to his fight against Anderson Silva (not pictured) during a middleweight bout in UFC 148 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

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You just knew he was going to have an answer.
By that, I am, of course, referring to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight fighter and part-time television analyst Chael Sonnen, who was recently called out by Quinton Jackson during an interview where he had many unflattering things to say about Sonnen.
Specifically, “Rampage” commented on Sonnen’s recent loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., July 7, 2012, going so far as to say that Sonnen “sucks” and should quit and leave the UFC for good.
Apparently, “The American Gangster’s” ears were burning, and he had a response ready to go when asked about “Rampage’s” tirade, during a recent segment on “UFC Tonight:”
Those comments after the jump.

“Rampage has one fight left in the UFC and he isn’t fighting me. I give you that answer because I am sitting here wearing my fancy suit, with an ear piece on and I have been branded an analyst on the number one UFC show on TV today. But if you had asked me outside, in my kingdom and I was wearing my sponsor’s shirt, I would have told him that he should stick to violating female reporters. He should stick to making box office disasters and driving the wrong way on the freeway ramped up on Mountain Dew, because he’s not on my level. But, you didn’t ask me outside, you asked me inside. So let’s keep this professional, I don’t want to get that message out there.”

To see Jackson “violating female reporters” click here and here.
The Memphis native will end his rocky relationship with the world’s largest fight promotion when he makes what is widely-believed to be his final appearance inside the Octagon opposite Brazilian import Glover Teixeira at the UFC 153 event from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 13, 2012.
And then?
The future for the former PRIDE superstar is a bit cloudy, as “Rampage” has teased a transition to the “sweet science” in order to put butts in boxing seats. Perhaps he can join his old pal Kimbo Slice on the pugilistic circuit?
Or should he stick around for a one-off against Sonnen?
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Martinez and Chavez Jr. have a war of words

Martinez and Chavez Jr. have war of words
by Dan Rafael

Sergio Martinez, the real middleweight champion, has wanted to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for more than a year, ever since Chavez won a belt -– which had been stripped from Martinez -- from Sebastian Zbik.
Chavez Jr. has also wanted to fight Martinez in order to shut him up and show he’s for real.

Top Rank, Chavez’s promoter, understandably didn’t want to make the fight until it felt that Chavez was ready for such a gigantic step up in competition. But after seeing how Argentina’s Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KOs) has had at least some struggles in knockout wins against Darren Barker and Matthew Macklin in his past two bouts, and how good Mexican star Chavez (46-0-1, 32 KOs) has looked in his past two defenses -- a points rout of Marco Antonio Rubio and a seventh-round knockout of Andy Lee (a southpaw to boot, like Martinez) -- the fight has finally been made.

They’ll hook up in one of the biggest fights of the of the year on Sept. 15 (HBO PPV) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in what is shaping up to a be a serious war or words before the actual fight.

Martinez and Chavez don’t seem to like each other much. Martinez, 37, feels like the 26-year-old Chavez has been handed everything he has because of his famous name as the son of all-time great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. That has rubbed Junior the wrong way.

Before any major pay-per-view, the fighters go out on tour to promote the event, which Martinez and Chavez did, hitting the road last week with stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York followed by a final news conference on Tuesday in Mexico City.

Throughout the tour, they sounded like they were ready to throw down already.

"This is the fight I've always wanted,” Chavez said during the tour. “Martinez has said a lot of bad things. Let's see if he wants to go to the center of the ring and fight like a man. I have real one-punch knockout power. I don't think Martinez has that power. After all his verbal bravado, I just hope he stands in the middle of the ring and fights like a man.

"I have this great opportunity to shut Martinez's mouth. On Sept. 15 he will finally realize he has underestimated me -- when the referee is counting to 10 over him. My dad always stressed body punching. I have a very good chin. I can take a good punch and I can throw a good punch and those will be two very hard lessons Martinez will learn on Sept. 15.”

Martinez has never been one to talk smack before his fights, but he has for Chavez. He seems as pumped up for the fight as any he’s had.

“There is no way Chavez Jr. can beat me,” he said during the Mexico City tour stop. “I will knock him out inside seven rounds. I gave his father a baby bottle (at the press conference) so he can take it to his baby after I give Junior a real beating. He won’t be eating solid food with the few teeth remaining after I get through with him."

Earlier on the tour, Martinez said, “I am a much better fighter now than when I won the middleweight titles. Chavez Jr. cannot match up to the knowledge and experience I have acquired in the ring. Chavez may think the sun rises with him in Culiacan (Mexico) but on Sept. 15 he's going to find out that it's going to set on him in Las Vegas."

Martinez also addressed Chavez Sr., who turned 50 last week while accompanying his son on the tour.

"Mr. Chavez, take a look at your son now because you will not recognize his face without DNA after we have fought. I will beat him up."

2012 Unofficial UFC Knockout of the Year

Edson Barboza KOs Terry Etim

by Thomas Gerbasi

We only go with a Top Five for the unofficial half-year awards, and without fail, the best knockout category is always the toughest to narrow down to single digits. In 2012, it seems like it’s even harder to pick, but hey, here they are, and let the debates begin… 5 – Stephen Thompson KO1 Dan Stittgen When it was announced that Stephen Thompson was making his Octagon debut at UFC 143 in February, diehard combat sports fans were excited to see the unbeaten kickboxing star getting his shot in the big show in MMA. Cynics, on the other hand, were waiting for him to fall so they could say that a pure kickboxer just couldn’t compete at the elite level in this hybrid sport. Thompson answered many of those questions against Dan Stittgen, the main one being, if he hits you flush with a kick to the head, it doesn’t matter who you are – you’re going down. That was the end result for Stittgen, who was knocked out with a picture perfect head kick at 4:13 of the first round (Watch Here).
4 – Dan Hardy KO 1 Duane Ludwig Dan Hardy needed a win bad. Loser of four in a row, the former world title challenger was on the brink of UFC extinction when he stepped into the Octagon to meet up with Duane “Bang” Ludwig at UFC 146 in May. The good news was that he wasn’t going to be facing a smothering wrestler; the bad news was that Ludwig is one of the best technical strikers in the sport today. So with all the pressure on, “The Outlaw” bit down on his mouthpiece, landed a sizzling left hook on the button, and finished “Bang” at 3:51 of the first round (Watch Event). Awesome knockout? Yes. A redemptive one as well? Absolutely. 3 – Michael McDonald KO1 Miguel Angel Torres While former WEC bantamweight champion and pound for pound list entrant Miguel Angel Torres was quietly crafting a comeback, California’s Michael McDonald was loudly crashing the UFC’s bantamweight division with increasingly impressive performances. At UFC 145 in April, these two diverse paths collided in Atlanta, and the 21-year old “Mayday” not only proved that he was ready for prime time by beating Torres (Watch Event), but he proved that he may even be ready for a shot at the title with a crushing first round knockout of the Indiana veteran. If you could think of a better coming out party, I’d sure like to hear it, because this one would be hard to top.
2 – Anthony Pettis KO1 Joe Lauzon Let’s not mince words here. The Anthony Pettis that showed up against Clay Guida and Jeremy Stephens just wasn’t the “Showtime” we had come to know and love from his flashy days in the WEC. But at UFC 144 in February, the king of the highlight reel returned in style, knocking out fellow contender Joe Lauzon with a left kick to the head in just 81 seconds (Watch Event). After the bout, the gracious and self-effacing Lauzon simply tweeted “I’m in Japan for a few more days and was gonna look at buying a sword, but I think I’m gonna invest in a helmet instead.” The rest of the lightweight division would be wise to do the same. 1 – Edson Barboza KO3 Terry Etim The ESPYs may have gotten it wrong in not awarding this its Play of the Year award, but the finalist there is a winner here, and in a year with some spectacular knockouts thus far, Edson Barboza’s wheel kick finish of Terry Etim at UFC 142 in January is far and away the best of the half-year. It had it all – speed, power, technique, accuracy, and pure ‘wow’ effect (Watch KO Watch Event). Etim was out the second he got caught by Barboza, and the scary part is that when asked about the finisher, the Brazilian Muay Thai expert said, “To be honest, no, I don’t train that kick much. I like to train the basic things like body kicks or low kicks. But I’ve known how to do that kick since I was eight years old, when I started training Muay Thai. I think I have been keeping it inside of my mind, and when I need it I throw it out.” Wow.
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Alvaraz and Lopez focus on each other

by Doug Fischer

LOS ANGELES – For many who follow the boxing industry closely the “big fight” on Sept. 15 isn’t the Julio Cesar Chavez-Sergio Martinez middleweight championship or the junior middleweight title bout between popular beltholder Saul Alvarez and the sport’s latest “Rocky” story, Josesito Lopez, but rather the battle between the promoters and networks who are putting the opposing shows on in the same city and at roughly the same time.
Chavez-Martinez headlines an HBO Pay Per View show from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sept. 15. Alvarez-Lopez headlines a Showtime-televised event from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the same night.
Chavez-Martinez is a Top Rank promotion. Golden Boy Promotions is putting on Alvarez-Lopez. Even casual boxing fans know these two companies don’t get along. Hardcore fans knew neither promotional firm would back off from staging an event during the coveted Mexican Independence Day weekend – which has hosted a major Mexican- or Mexican American-headlined PPV event since Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya was still fighting for Top Rank.
Both companies think they promote the bigger Mexican star and put on better fight cards, so both went forward with their Sept. 15 plans, putting hardcore fans and the boxing media in the awkward and annoying position of having to choose which show to watch or cover.
Top Rank has the more significant headlining matchup, a 160-pound fight that fans believe will be competitive. Golden Boy had lined up three competitive opponents for the popular Alvarez, who holds the WBC 154-pound title, but one by one those viable pay-per-view B-sides were eliminated. Paul Williams, the first choice, had his career tragically ended by a debilitating motorcycle accident. James Kirkland, who suffered a shoulder injury in his last fight, didn’t feel he would be ready to fight on Sept. 15 and wanted more money to take the risk. Victor Ortiz was upset by Lopez on June 23.
Golden Boy, who was just as shocked as most fans were when the late sub (for Andre Berto) broke Ortiz’s jaw to earn a ninth-round TKO, figured the rugged 27-year-old slugger from Riverside, Calif., was dangerous enough to make for a Showtime-level opponent for “Canelo.”
However, many hardcore fans and members of the media dismiss the matchup. They say Lopez, who has fought most of his career at 140 pounds, doesn’t belong at junior middleweight or in the ring with Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 knockouts).
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer says he’s heard that opinion before.
“Some people say Josesito Lopez is too small to fight Saul Alvarez,” Schaefer said during a public press conference at Placita Olvera-Father Sera Park on Tuesday. “These are the same people who gave him no chance against Victor Ortiz.
“These are the same people who said Danny Garcia could not beat Amir Khan. This is boxing, and in boxing you never know.”
De La Hoya also chimed in with the “Ya-just-never-know” line:
“They said Manny Pacquiao was too small to fight me and look what happened. He destroyed me.”
For the skeptics who refuse to consider Alvarez-Lopez a competitive fight, Golden Boy has sweetened the Showtime offering with two “legitimate” matchups: a featherweight title bout between WBC beltholder Jhonny Gonzalez and former 122-pound titleholder Daniel Ponce de Leon and a surefire welterweight shootout between sluggers Marcos Maidana and Jesus Soto Karass.
The aggressive styles of the headline fighters and ridiculously high KO percentages of Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs), De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs) and Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs) have led Golden Boy to christen this event “Knockout Kings” and the promotional company is encouraging the fighters to live up to the name.
De La Hoya announced during Tuesday’s presser that fans watching the Showtime broadcast at home can vote on the ‘KO of the Night’ and the fighter who scored it will earn a $100,000 bonus.
The promise of extra cash will no doubt entice the participants of the card to give their all once in the ring, but will that promise of action be enough to sway fans to tune into Showtime during the Chavez-Martinez pay-per-view broadcast?
This question was posed to Alvarez.
“I’m not worried at all about sharing the night with Chavez,” Alvarez said through Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez. “He’s got his date and I’ve got mine. I’m only worried about my promotion.
“I don’t think much about ratings. I have my followers and (Chavez) has his. I know my fans will come out to support me. The only thing I worry about is training. I let my team and Golden Boy Promotions select my opponent.
“I’m motivated to fight Lopez because I know that he earned a title shot with his last fight.”
Alvarez promises that his fans won’t be treated to any rude surprises as Ortiz’s fans were recently.
“The problem with Ortiz was that he was overconfident,” he said. “I don’t do that. I know that I have to approach (Lopez) with the same respect that I would have had for Williams or Kirkland or Ortiz.”
Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) says Alvarez would be wise to do that. The near 6-foot contender told RingTV’s Dominic Verdin that he walks around at middleweight and will likely feel stronger than ever not having to sweat off his customary 20 pounds during camp.
Lopez also believes that his vaunted chin, which was able to absorb the best shots that Ortiz could deliver, will hold out against the red-headed Mexican’s heavy hands.
“I always spar with much bigger guys,” he said. “I’m used to getting hit by middleweights, light heavyweights, even heavyweights. So I don’t think about whether I can take Canelo’s punch.
“The ability to take a punch has a lot to do with conditioning. If you’re not in great shape you’ll feel the punch more.”
Lopez, who hasn’t had time to get out of shape since the Ortiz fight, says he’ll be in the best condition of his career for Alvarez.
The result may or may not be another upset but Lopez promises an entertaining main event.
“If you’ve ever seen me fight and you’ve seen him fight you know it’s going to be a good fight,” he said. “We leave everything in the ring.”

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Amir Khan Shows Class in Defeat

Amir Khan shows class in defeat

by Dan Rafael

John Gurzinski/AFP/Getty ImagesAmir Khan, right, didn’t make excuses for losing to Danny Garcia on Saturday.

Former junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan just can’t win with some people.
He got knocked out in the fourth round by Danny Garcia in a unification bout on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in a wonderfully exciting fight. Garcia had too much power and too much chin, and dropped Khan three times to score the upset knockout after walking though a ton of hard right hands.
Now, because Khan has been stopped twice in his career, some are suggesting that he should retire at age 25. I don’t get that. Khan is great for boxing. He’s never ducked anyone, he’s been willing to fight in his opponent’s hometown when he didn’t have to and he usually creates drama — win or lose.
He has so much skill, but doesn’t always use it because he can’t help but get himself dragged into a slugfest. That’s good for us, the fans, even if it’s a detriment to Khan. But that’s why he’s a must-see fighter. And now you have some people ridiculing him for losing and saying he should retire. But had Khan played it safe and boxed to a win like he probably could have, those same people would have also ridiculed him for fighting in a less-than-exciting style. You can’t have it both ways, people. I, for one, respect that when Khan says he’s coming to fight that he really means it. It’s not just some promotional ploy.
After the fight, Khan tweeted, “Can I apologize to my family, friends and everyone. I got caught with a shot and I know millions of you are upset, but that’s boxing for you.”
My thought, which I tweeted back to Khan, was what does he have to apologize for? He doesn’t owe anyone an apology of any kind.
All Khan did was go out and fight his rear end off, make an exciting fight and show a huge heart. He got beat by Garcia, who, by the way, is pretty damn good in his own right. There’s nothing to apologize for when you give your best effort and lose to a worthy opponent.
On Monday, Khan released a statement that I thought showed a lot of class. He didn’t make excuses and gave Garcia the credit he richly deserved.
“I would like to thank all my fans and well wishers for the amazing support I’ve had from you since my defeat on Saturday night,” Khan said. “Obviously, the fight never went as planned but credit has to go to Danny Garcia, who caught me with a good shot in the third round that I couldn’t fully recover from. I guess that’s boxing, where one punch can change everything. It’s the reason so many fans love the sport. Many fighters down the years have bounced back from defeat to prove their greatness and that’s exactly what I intend to do.
“I’ve never shirked any challenge or refused to fight anyone in my division even though it would have been easy for me to do so. Some may say that attitude is the wrong one to have but I’ve always wanted to please the fans and be involved in exciting fights because many of you pay good money to come and watch me, and it’s only right that you get to see the best fighting the best, especially in an age when so many top fighters hand-pick opponents.
“I’m going to spend the next few weeks relaxing during Ramadan and recharging my batteries after what was a 16-week training camp for me (because of the cancellation of his original May 19 rematch with Lamont Peterson). I’ll then sit down with my team to assess the options in front of me.
“Well done to Danny Garcia on his performance, but I promise that I’ll bounce back stronger than ever as I look to regain my spot at the top of the 140lb division.”
Anyone who has a problem with Khan, who fights the way he does and then shows such immense class in the wake of a harrowing defeat, ought to find another sport to watch. Khan picked himself off the canvas after his knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in 2008 and went on to win a title and make some exciting fights. I’m pretty sure he’ll be able to do it again.
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Garcia confirms split from Victor Ortiz

Garcia confirms split from Victor Ortiz
by Lem Satterfield


Trainer, Danny Garcia has confirmed reports that he has split with former welterweight titleholder Victor Ortiz in the wake of the boxer's Showtime-televised ninth-round knockout loss to Josesito Lopez on June 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles during which Ortiz suffered a broken right jaw.
As part of an operation to stablize Ortiz's injury, the fighter's mouth was wired shut and both a metal plate and screws have been inserted. Although the wires have since been removed, the metal plate and screws remain during a recovery period that is expected to take up to six months, according to Ortiz's manager, Rolando Arellano.
"It's true. We're not going to work together anymore. Things happen," said Garcia. "I think that it's the right idea. That way, he can fend for himself and see if he can hopefully do good, because I wish him the best, and I want him to be the champion again."
A 25-year-old with a mark of 29-4-2 with 22 knockouts, Ortiz, in victory over Lopez (30-4, 23 KOs), was to face unbeaten WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) in a Showtime-televised clash on Sept. 15. But instead of Ortiz, it will be Lopez taking on Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"I think that we got to the point where he wasn't trusing to in me, so I said to him 'maybe it would be better if I just go by myself and hopefully, you will make it.' I would be happy for him if he did. I told him that I hoped that he makes it. I told him, 'I would be proud of you, because you were my first champion and I will never forget you,'" said Garcia.
"I told him, 'you gave me a lot of good moments and a lot of good feelings.' I told him, 'here is my hand, I'm still your friend, and you can still come over to my house,' and this and that. I told him, 'my family still loves you, and I still love you too.' But business is business. If we have to stop working together, then that's something that we're willing to see if we can do."
Ortiz had been labeled a quitter stemming from a sixth-round knockout loss to Marcos Maidana that took place nearly three years years earlier to the day and in the same arena as his loss to Lopez. Ortiz scored two knockdowns against three for Maidana during their clash on June 27 of 2009.
During an interview with RingTV.com, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer was highly critical of Garcia in the wake of the loss to Lopez, after which Ortiz was shown on television cameras splitting streams of blood from his mouth both in the corner directly after the fight as well as in the locker room.
"When Victor fought Maidana, he couldn't see any more. One of his eyes was swollen bigger than a tennis ball. At the end of the day, it's about health also. So I would have to say that in the case of Maidana, and, in the case of last night, that I was disappointed in Victor's corner," said Schaefer.
"The corner needs to know when to protect the fighter. The corner should have taken initiative and said, 'obviously, this is it. You can not fight on with one eye or a broken jaw.' In situations like that, the corner has got to do something. They should have stepped in and said, 'this is it.'"
During the same interview, Garcia shed light on the conversation between himself and Ortiz following the ninth round.
"When I saw that he was in pain at the end of the ninth round, I was pretty sure that I was going to stop the fight," said Garcia. "I even told him, 'no, no, you can not go anymore. So let's stop it right now. Actually, I participated in stopping the fight."
Should the fight have been stopped sooner?
"Maybe it would have been a little bit better if we had stopped it a couple of rounds before. But, we tried for a couple of rounds more, and it was even worse," said Garcia."But maybe it would have been a little better a couple of rounds before. But there is nothing that we can do now."
Perhaps the highlight of the Garcia-Ortiz union came in April of last year, when Ortiz dethroned Andre Berto by close unanimous decision for the WBC belt in a clash that featured two knockdowns by each fighter. But in September of last year, Ortiz, in turn, was dethroned via fourth-round knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Mayweather bout ended in controversy. For at the moment when Mayweather threw the two-punch combination that resulted in the knockout, Ortiz's hands were down at his sides after attempting to apologize -- in the form of a hug -- to Mayweather for one of the headbutts.
With referee Joe Cortez nearby, Mayweather took advantage of the opening and nailed Ortiz first with a jarring left hook and then a powerful, straight right hand that sent the ex-titleholder sprawling to his back. Ortiz rolled over and tried to get up, but failed to rise in time to beat Cortez's 10-count.
"I told him after we lost the fight against Mayweather that he still could be champion, because he has all of the tools. He has a lot of potential and a lot of talent," said Garcia.
"Victor is a guy who hits hard and he's a good fighter I think that he can be the No. 1 fighter, pound-for-pound, because he is still young. As for me, I'm satisfied with my work with Victor, and I think that I was doing good, but there is nothing more that I can do."
Arellano said that Ortiz will decide his next move after recovering from his injured jaw.
"There are no thoughts right now. I think that what Victor basically has to do is heal and to regroup. We want to allow him to collect his thoughts and to get balance and make sure that he's okay, because he's going to be off for a long time. it's six months," said Arellano.
"If he picks a trainer, he can be the greatest trainer in the world, but if you don't have the chemistry and the match with the fighter, then it doesn't work. Because of personalities and because of styles, things might not work. But what has to happen is that he should go and work with different trainers over a couple of weeks and check out their personalities and if it works it works."
A BEASTLY VICTORY
Houston light heavyweight Cornelius "Da Beast" White (20-0, 16 KOs) came up with his fourth straight triumph with Saturday's one-sided, unanimous decision over Russia's Dmitry Sukhotsky (18-2, 13 KOs) that ended the loser's winning streak of four consecutive knockout victories at the Palms Casino and Resort's Pearl Theater in Las Vegas.
Judges Richard Ocasio, Robert Hoyle and Patricia Jarman had it for White, 120-108, 119-109, and, 118-110, respectively, as Sukhotsky lost for the first time since falling by unanimous decision to then-WBO beltholder Juergen Braehmer in December of 2009. "Using my jab and staying away from his right hand were the keys to the victory. I took the right hand away from him and I landed a lot of power punches," said White. "Both of his eyes were swollen shut and I opened a cut over his right eye and the referee almost stopped the fight in the ninth and 10th rounds."
White now looks to challenge the likes of WBA titleholder Beibut Shumenov (13-1, 8 KOs) or IBF counterpart Tavoris Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs),who has a scheduled defense of his crown opposite former RING and WBC champion Jean Pascal (26-2-1, 16 KOs) on Aug. 11.
I am trying to show that I am ready to be a player on the elite level," said White, who is managed by Ken Richardson and co-promoted by Dan Goossen and Antonio Leonard. "Tough challenges are what I want and I want Tavoris Cloud or Beibut Shumenov. I know I can beat them both."
White appears to have successfully bounced back from his first-round knockout loss to Donovan George in February of last year.
"Like many before him, a loss either destroys your career or takes you to higher levels," said Goossen. "It was Cornelius' loss that made him better, stronger and more determined to overcome everything in the ring moving forward, which he has proved with some mighty big punchers and world-class fighters."
White and his team are targeting a September or October return to the ring. "I've been saying for the past few years, Cornelius has the mindset and toughness to be a world champion," said Leonard. "He's getting very close to achieving this goal. Saturday was just another example of his meanness."
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Photo by Naoki Fukuda
Photo by Tom Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

The Haymaker is back

The Haymaker is back
by Danny Richardson

Last night, in what was the biggest grudge match boxing has seen in years, David 'Hayemaker' Haye produced a fantastic performance to knock out the tough Dereck Chisora, at a packed out Upton Park Stadium in London. Haye, who improved is record to 26-2, became the first man to knock down and stop 'Del Boy' who slipped to 4 defeats in his professional career, despite giving a brave performance. Haye must surely now be in the frame for a fight with Vitali Klitschko, who himself failed to stop Chisora in February. But will the aging older Klitschko brother want a fight against a rejuvenated Haye? Who knows, but Haye certainly impressed last night.

It was supposed to be a bad tempered affair - particularly after all the animosity between the fighters in the build up. Since their infamous brawl in Munich, both Haye and Chisora had traded insults, and it looked for the entire world that the fight would explode into something nasty last night, and I myself believed something nasty would happen. But, credit to both fighters, the fight was generally clean, and the respect between both men following the stoppage was great to see. They put on a fantastic show for the fans, and some of their credibility is surely restored.

It was Haye that took the early advantage. Looking focused on his way to the ring, walking in to his trademark song "Ain't no stopping us now" you got the feeling that the Hayemaker meant business. Chisora, entering to the Gladiator theme, looked as frightening as ever in his gown, his eyes the only part of his body on show. When the first bell rang, fireworks were expected.

Haye came out fast, utilising his speed and throwing lightning jabs and right hands. Chisora bobbed and weaved, continually coming forward behind his crossed guard, throwing chopping over hand rights which had little or no effect on Haye. Haye switched the attack from head to body, whipping round body shots, obviously keen to back Chisora up. On the inside, both men wrestled, but it was Haye who shoved Chisora back onto the ropes, despite being the lighter man by 30 plus pounds. Haye was wasting energy by doing this, but nevertheless, he produced the classier work, stealing the round.

The second and third rounds followed a similar pattern. Chisora had some success, landing the odd right hand, but struggling to pin the Hayemaker down, who wore trainers instead of the traditional boxing boots to aid his movement. Haye looked slightly off with his movement at times, slipping and tripping over Chisora's feet, who constantly came forward. And, after the bell sounded at the end of the third round, Haye was caught with a big left hook from Chisora, leaving him momentarily stunned as he began to breathe slightly heavier. However, that was the last success Chisora had in the fight, and the only nastiness between the pair.

In the fourth, Haye's class began to tell as he landed a stunning left hook while seemingly off balance, which caught Chisora clean on the chin, halting his come forward approach. At this stage, it seemed that Haye had the power to rock 'Del Boy', who had never been down before in his professional career. In what turned out to be a thrilling round, both men threw hard shots, attempting to blast one another out, the fight we all expected. Despite breathing heavily, it seemed Haye had the all important edge, coming off the better man in each exchange. You sensed the end would come.

And in the fifth round, comfortably ahead on the scorecards, Haye exploded an absolute peach of a left hook onto the chin of Chisora, and a right hand to follow sent the Londoner straight to the canvas, the explosiveness of Haye sending Chisora to where he had never been before, on the deck. A beautiful shot, Chisora was clearly on unsteady legs, as he rose to beat the count against all odds, showing his heart. He bravely tried to continue, attempting to have a shoot out with Haye, but to no avail. The Hayemaker landed a succession of right and left hooks to the head, the final left hand of the night sending Chisora to the canvas once more. Bravely trying to get up, Chisora looked well out of it, with referee Luis Pabon wisely waved off the fight, sending the Upton Park crowd into pandemonium, as well as myself. The Hayemaker was back.

I have to admit, I am a huge fan of David Haye and I always have been. He does have a love/hate personality, but whether you like him or not, he brings entertainment in almost every fight, and last night was no different. After all the talk before hand, Haye and Chisora put on a show for the fans and in my opinion restored some of their credibility. Last night was a success, whether you like to admit that or not. Also, I have to give credit to Chisora. The respect he showed for Haye after the fight was commendable, showing that at the end of the day, settling their differences in the ring was the best cause of action. Chisora knew he had been beaten by the better man, and Haye was respectful of Chisora in the aftermath of the fight too. For that, you have to give both men credit.

But back to Haye, and he showed what he is all about last night. He was dragged into a shoot out at times, but his speed and more importantly, his power, was too much for Chisora. In the lead up to the fight, there was a hell of a lot of talk about how solid Chisora's chin was, the general view being that as Vitali Klitschko couldn't knock 'Del Boy' out, there was no way Haye could.

But, as I correctly predicted, in the fifth round Haye unloaded a phenomenal shot that would have sent anyone straight to the deck. Just before the first knockdown, Haye landed a straight one two before ducking under Chisora's oncoming attack, and that's when I knew Haye's class and power was starting to tell. The left hand which marked the beginning of the end though was a beautiful shot, and you have to give Haye credit for getting Chisora out of there. Yes, Chisora doesn't hold wins over a big name like Haye does, nor as he constantly competed at the level Haye has. But this man gave Vitali Klitschko the toughest fight of his career since Lennox Lewis, and Haye took him out in spectacular fashion.

Chisora did himself proud though, he came to fight as he always does. I'm not going to change my opinion on him, I don't like him as a person and I think he's a lunatic, but I have a new respect for him following last night, and he deserves some credit. I don't think he'll ever be at the top of the heavyweight division, but he'll come to fight no matter who he faces.

He was just outclassed last night, boxing is all about levels, and Haye is a level above. Chisora is at a European level, and bar the two Klitschko's, Haye is one of the best out there. Although after last night, I would strongly back him to give Vitali Klitschko a hell of a battle, and I would bet that the speed and explosiveness of Haye's shots would give Klitschko a massive problem. I'm not saying he would win because Haye does have his flaws, but he would give him a fight that's for sure.

There has been a lot of talk about a fight between the pair, but if I'm totally honest, I don't see the fight coming off. Klitschko is coming towards the end of his career; in fact his September date with Manuel Charr (who gate crashed the post fight press conference, laughably calling out Haye) could be his last ever, before he goes off into the world of politics. But will the fighter in him want to shut Haye up? Of course, which is why the fight could come off. But, my gut feeling is that we won't see the fight take place, which is disappointing, because it's a fight a lot of people want to see.

Haye won't face anyone bar a Klitschko though. The fight with Chisora was a grudge match, and that's why it took place. Haye would have too much experience for the likes of David Price and Tyson Fury at this stage, and I don't see Haye facing an American prospect either. The likes of Deontay Wilder and Seth Mitchell are rated highly across the pond, but Haye would see that as a step back. It's a Klitschko or bust.

As for Chisora, he may want a rematch with Tyson Fury or Robert Helenius. Those losses will surely plague him, so don't be surprised if he goes for either of those too. There is of course a possible meeting with David Price, or indeed Audley Harrison, in a fight where I'd actually want Chisora to win. There are possibilities out there, but he'll want to stay active, albeit at a domestic level. He has to rebuild now, although he'll be back.

But, final say on Haye, and I'm over the moon he got the win last night. He has restored some of his own credibility, as well as that of boxing, after a sell out night in London. There are those who still don't agree with the fight, and those who don't like either fighter. But, last night was a great night for British boxing in my opinion, and the respect between both men after was great to see. After all the events in Munich, the Haye/Chisora chapter can finally be closed, with Haye and boxing coming out as the winners.

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