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

Manny Pacquiao, Bob Arum to meet

by Dan Rafael

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is headed to the Philippines on Monday so he can sit down with Manny Pacquiao to discuss the fighter’s options for a planned Nov. 10 return to the ring.
Arum, who will be in Pacquiao’s homeland for a week, told ESPN.com there are three candidates to face Pacquiao next — and none of them is Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was released Friday after a two-month stint in jail for domestic abuse and whom the world wants to see fight Pacquiao.
Arum, often accused of being an impediment to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, said that after the November fight, “I just hope we will be able to get the Mayweather fight done. I don’t think we can do it in November with Mayweather just being released from jail and so forth.

“I have had no signal from anybody on his side that he would be back so quick for a fight Nov. 10. I would think if we can make a deal it would be in the spring, in April, after March Madness.
”– Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, on a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I have had no signal from anybody on his side that he would be back so quick for a fight Nov. 10. I would think if we can make a deal it would be in the spring, in April, after March Madness.”
The candidates to face Pacquiao next come as no surprise. Arum listed them as:
• Welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr. in a rematch of the tremendously controversial fight they had on June 9, in which Bradley was awarded a shocking split decision.
• Junior welterweight titleholder Juan Manuel Marquez, who has already faced Pacquiao three times in exciting fights that all ended in disputed decisions — with Pacquiao winning twice and their first bout resulting in a draw.
• Former three-division titlist Miguel Cotto, whom Pacquiao knocked out in the 12th round of an all-action welterweight title bout in November 2009.
“I gotta tell Manny what I can afford for each fight and we need to talk about each fight, but he makes his own decision,” Arum said. “I’ve talked to him once earlier in the summer and he’s been thinking about what he wants to do. He’s going to fight on Nov. 10, but we’ll spend some time talking through everything and getting everything ironed out, and then I talk to the opponents and try to make a deal.”
Arum said Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz will be involved in the meetings and, if she wanted to be, so would Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee.
Arum has been busy crunching the numbers. He said the Pacquiao-Marquez III pay-per-view in November 2011 generated 1.3 million buys — about 400,000 more than the June fight Pacquiao had against Bradley. Pacquiao-Cotto generated about 1.25 million buys.
“Cotto brings with him a huge fan base from Puerto Rico and Marquez also has a big fan base with the Hispanics fans,” Arum said. “Marquez did 400,000 buys more than Bradley. That fight did a little better than 900,000, so I have to consider that. And Marquez is very anxious for the fight, too. With Bradley, the general sports fan, at least anecdotally, wants them to have a rematch. People I go out to dinner with or people I visit with, they all talk about the rematch with Bradley, not a fourth fight with Marquez — but they aren’t Hispanics. The Hispanic fans are the ones who want the fourth fight with Marquez.”
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) has the right to exercise his contractual option for an immediate rematch with Bradley, whom Arum also promotes, so that is an easy fight to make. Marquez is promoted by Fernando Beltran’s Zanfer Promotions, but Beltran is very close with Top Rank, with whom he partners on many events.
Cotto is a free agent, although Arum promoted him for his entire career except for his May 5 decision loss to Mayweather, which took place after Cotto’s contract with Top Rank had expired. Arum said he has been talking to Cotto attorney Gaby Peñagaricano.
Before Pacquiao’s June fight with Bradley was finalized, Cotto had been the leading candidate, but they could not agree on the weight. Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, wanted the bigger Cotto to return to welterweight while Arum said Cotto wanted the fight in the low 150 pounds.
“We could do a Cotto rematch, assuming we can come to an understanding on the weight,” Arum said. “Cotto is talking about going to 160 to fight somebody, but we’ve been talking to Gaby and we’ll sort it out. I think Manny would be willing to do it at 150.”
Cotto, however, might not be interested. He could instead fight in New York in December against an opponent to be determined.
Whomever Pacquiao faces, Arum said time was of the essence to get an opponent locked in so he could plan a media tour next month.
“Time flies and we’re going to have to the announcement and the media tour the week of Labor Day because the week after that is our other big fight,” Arum said of the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. middleweight championship fight Sept. 15 on HBO PPV. “So we have a very small window.”
Arum said that assuming Pacquiao gets by the November bout he is shooting for an April fight after that rather than the popular first weekend in May because Pacquiao, a congressman in his native Philippines, is running for re-election. He said Pacquiao would need May and June to campaign.
“He’s definitely running again,” Arum said. “(Politics) is his future.”
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Mayweather- SI's Top Paid Athlete

Mayweather- Top Paid Athlete
by Lem Satterfield

The honors continue to roll in for unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., even though he still is behind bars serving an 87-day jail sentence that began on June 1.
Mayweather has been named the highest-paid American athlete for 2012, an honor that tops Sports Illustrated’s Fortunate 50 ahead of golfers Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods at Nos. 2 and 3.
Nicknamed “Money,” Mayweather made $85 million for two fights last year, including his fourth-round knockout victory in September that dethroned Victor Ortiz as WBC welterweight belholder.
Last month, Mayweather topped Forbes’ list of its 100 highest paid athletes internationally, trumping second-place boxing rival Manny Pacquiao with $62 million from earnings and endorsements.
On July 11, Mayweather (43-0, 26 knockouts) was named “The Best Fighter,” or, what is essentially Fighter of The Year at the ESPYs’, trumping other nominees such as RING super middleweight champion Andre Ward and mixed martial arts stars Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
Mayweather was chosen for the fourth time in the past six years by the ESPY’s, with Pacquiao taking the honors the other two times, including for 2011.
In May, Mayweather earned an all-time boxing record guaranteed purse of $32 million for his unanimous decision victory that dethroned Miguel Cotto as WBC junior middleweight beltholder.
Photos by Tom Hogan, Hoganphotos, Golden Boy Promotions
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The divergent paths of Khan, Garcia

The divergent paths of Khan, Garcia
by Kieran Mulvaney

LAS VEGAS -- There had been plenty of trash-talking in the week before Amir Khan and Danny Garcia stepped into the ring at the Mandalay Bay on Saturday night, much of it between Khan and Garcia's father Angel. Khan wasn't present at the postfight press conference, but Angel was, and he wasn't afraid to keep fighting the war of words even as his foe nursed his wounds at the hospital
"Rematch?!" he exclaimed when it was suggested that maybe his son might face Khan again following Garcia's explosive fourth-round victory. "Why would we fight him again?" After comparing him to an old pair of tennis shoes, Angel spat that Khan was "old news. He's an ex-champion. He's a three-time ex-champion."
That last comment in particular cut to the quick. Khan could excuse his first loss, a shocking first-round KO defeat to Breidis Prescott: Khan was young, he was raw, and he had subsequently improved under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. His second defeat, last December to Lamont Peterson, similarly came with a set of asterisks and, given Peterson's subsequent positive test for synthetic testosterone, may yet be expunged from the record books.
This one, however, was different. Despite a half-hearted suggestion from Khan in the immediate aftermath that perhaps referee Kenny Bayless had been premature in halting the contest, there could be no doubt. This was a fight that Khan had had in his grasp, that he was winning through two and two-thirds rounds, his hand speed and combination punching making him seem a class apart from his young opponent.
But Garcia never lost his composure, and kept coming forward behind a tight defense. And when Khan presented him with a chance, he took it, landing an explosive left hook that detonated on Khan's jaw. Although the bout officially lasted another round, it was effectively over as a contest right then; as Roach admitted afterward, Khan never really recovered from that blow.
The fight highlighted everything that is good and bad about Khan: On the good side, his immense physical gifts and his astonishing heart, which, combined with his flaws, make for consistently exciting fights, win or lose; on the bad, the questions that arose anew about his chin, which it seems will always be a weakness, wherever he goes from here.
For Danny Garcia, the immediate future is bright. With victories over Erik Morales and now Khan, he has, as they say, arrived. Khan arrived, at least as an attraction and as a star, some years ago. The question has been when he would move on and take the next step to a higher level among the elites. Now that question is not so much when, but if. And his absence in the face of Angel Garcia's taunts served only to underline that it is a question to which we almost certainly now know the answer.
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Khan and Garcia both weigh 139 for unification bout

Khan and Garcia both weigh 139 for unification bout
by RingTV

LAS VEAGS -- Junior welterweight beltholders Amir Khan and Danny Garcia both tipped the scales at 139 pounds at Friday's weighin for their RING, WBA, WBC title unification bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Khan (26-2, 18 knockouts) and Garcia (23-0, 14 KOs) looked fit and comfortable for their HBO-televised showdown, weighing one pound under the junior welterweight division limit.
The fighters on the seven-bout undercard to the Golden Boy Promotions event also weighed in on Friday.
Middleweight prospect Fernando Guerrero (23-1, 18 KOs) and Jose Medina (17-10-1, 7 KOs) both weighed 162 pounds for their scheudled 10 rounder.
Welterweight prospect Phil LoGreco (23-0, 12 KOs) weighed in at 149 pounds for his scheduled eight-round bout against Brandon Hoskins (16-1-1, 8 KOs), who weighed 146.
Middleweight prospect J Leon Love (11-0, 7 KOs) weighed 162 pounds for his scheduled eight-round bout against Joseph Dos Santos (10-9-3, 4 KOs), who weighed 158.
Junior middleweight prospect Daquan Arnett (4-0, 2 KOs) weighed 153 pounds for his scheduled six-round bout against Eddie Cordova (3-2-1, 1 KO), who weighed 151.
Lightweight prospect Jamie Kavanagh (10-0-1, 5 KOs) weighed 135 for his scheduled eight-round bout against Paul Valverde (3-1-3), who weighed 136.
Both lightweight prospect Abner Cotto (13-0, 5 KOs) and Juan Manuel Montiel (7-5-3, 2 KOs) weighed 135 pounds for thier schuelded eight-round bout.


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Photo / Naoki Fukuda

Canelo to face Lopez on September 15

Canelo to face Lopez on September 15
by Dan Rafael

Junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, in search of an opponent for his Sept. 15 defense after three previous foes dropped out, will face Josesito Lopez, who scored a major upset against Victor Ortiz last month, multiple sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

The deal has been agreed to and contracts have been exchanged, although the paperwork is not yet signed, the sources said.

While there was serious discussion between Showtime and sister network CBS about putting the fight on CBS -- which has a rich history of boxing but has not aired a live fight since the 1990s -- that aspect of the deal ultimately could not be worked out and, according to a network source, the fight will wind up on Showtime.

Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer had said during the buildup to Lopez-Ortiz that if Lopez, 27, of Riverside, Calif., pulled off the upset that he would be considered as Alvarez's opponent.

However, few thought Lopez would get the fight given the significant weight disparity. Lopez had never fought heavier than the 144 pounds he weighed against Ortiz and the fight with Alvarez will be at the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds, according to the sources.

For weeks, Golden Boy tried to finalize an opponent for Alvarez, one of Mexico's biggest sports stars, to fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day weekend.

The scheduling of the fight has drawn interest -- and heavy criticism -- because it will go head-to-head with rival promoter Top Rank's major HBO PPV show headlined by lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez's fight again titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Mexico's other boxing superstar, at the Thomas & Mack Center, which is down the street from the MGM. The promoters and networks have been battling over the date for weeks.

The 21-year-old Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KOs) was originally scheduled to make his fifth title defense against Paul Williams on Showtime PPV before Williams was paralyzed in a career-ending motorcycle accident on May 27, just a few days after he had agreed to the bout. Then James Kirkland agreed to take the fight, but backed out the next day in a dispute over his purse combined with the fact that his shoulder, which had been operated on in March, was still giving him problems.

Then Ortiz, a former welterweight titlist, accepted the fight, which was still intended for Showtime PPV. But when Ortiz took the fight with Alvarez, he was already scheduled to face Lopez -- a substitute for former welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who was bounced from their rematch after testing positive for a steroid in a random urine test a few weeks before the fight -- on June 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Ortiz planned to go through with the fight against Lopez (30-4, 18 KOs) and then move up in weight to challenge Alvarez. However, Lopez, a junior welterweight who moved up in weight in order to fill in for Berto and a major underdog, broke Ortiz's jaw in two places, forcing him to retire on his stool after the ninth round of a fight he had been winning on all three scorecards.

Lopez, who signed with powerful adviser Al Haymon a few days after beating Ortiz, landed the fight with Alvarez despite Golden Boy discussing possible unification bouts with Cornelius "K9" Bundrage and Austin Trout and the fact that the company promotes top contender Erislandy Lara, who was never seriously considered. Rumors also swirled that Alvarez could face long-faded former titlist Ricardo Mayorga.

Schaefer declined to comment.

The co-feature of the card, which Schaefer announced weeks ago, will pit featherweight titlist Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs) and Mexican countryman Daniel Ponce De Leon (43-4, 35 KOs).

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Nevada attorney general: Bradley over Pacquiao not a robbery

Nevada attorney general: Bradley over Pacquiao not a robbery
by Lem Satterfield


Many in the boxing world have declared that Manny Pacquiao's split-decision loss to Tim Bradley was a stick-up at point-blank range.
But an investigation by the Nevada attorney general Catherine Cortez Matso determined on Tuesday that there was no smoking gun.
"After conducting an initial investigation, there do not appear to be any facts or evidence to indicate that a criminal violation occurred," wrote Cortez Matso, who took action in response to a request by Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes both Pacquiao and Bradley.
"As of this date, no one has presented any facts or evidence to indicate a crime has been committed by anyone involved in the Bradley/Pacquiao fight."
Click here to view the documents from the investigation.
Neither Arum, Bradley, Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin, nor Pacquiao's advisor, Michael Koncz, could be immediately reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Arum told Yahoo!Sports "I have no reaction to it," while Dunkin said, "I expected this."

"Nothing did happen, no funny business at all, and I'm not surprised that's what [Cortez Masto] found," Dunkin told Yahoo!Sports. "I'm happy they cleared it up, and for all the paranoid people who don't understand and who don't know what they're talking about, now they can calm down."
Bradley (29-0, 12 knockouts) defeated Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) by scores of 115-113 on the cards of official judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, dethroning him as welterweight titleholder on June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao, and an informal poll of 51 writers favored Pacquiao over Bradley, 48-3.

In the wake of Bradley's victory, Arum requested in a letter dated June 11 that Cortez Matso investigate the results.
"There have been numerous allegations on blogs and from boxing authorities that perhaps Top Rank, as well as myself, had something personal to gain by what has been described as an extremely poor decision by boxing officials in Nevada," Arum wrote.
"As you know, Mr. Bradley was awarded a split-decision over Mr. Pacquiao despite the fact that there was near unanimous scoring by boxing writers at ringside that had Pacquiao winning in a lopsided decision."
Although none of the judges were interviewed during Cortez Matso's investigation, referee Robert Byrd was. According to Cortez Matso's letter, Byrd stated that "the only thing that was unusual was that Pacquiao was late to the pre-bout rules meeting between the referee and the fighters."
Pacquiao "was stretching and using the treadmill during the scheduled time," Byrd told Cortez Matso in the letter, "which resulted in him being late for the meeting and this delayed the start time."
Although Cortez Matso wrote the matter "is closed," Arum expressed outrage that none of the judges were interviewed.
"They spent a lot of time interviewing the referee who had nothing to do with judging the fight, and I didn't see any interviews with the three judges who scored it? Wouldn't you do that if you were looking into it?" said Arum.

"Anybody who reads that letter is going to say, 'Hey wait a second. The three people who, in effect, caused this, why weren't they interviewed?' Obviously, it would have been far more thorough had they interviewed the judges. They probably would have come to the same conclusion [that there was no evidence of a crime], but at least they would have talked to the people at the center of the issue."

Arum's initial request, though, was more focused on absolving the sport and his promotional company.
"I am not asking you to in any way investigate the determination by the judges from Nevada," his letter said, "nor am I asking you to give any consideration to seeking a change in the final outcome. Instead, I would ask that you consider an investigation that would set the record straight on boxing in Nevada for the entire world to see."
"Nevada is still the premier site for boxing events in the world, and an investigation of the process and more specifically the role of the promoters, including my company, would allow me and my company to defend its reputation against malicious accusations that are damaging not only to us as a reputable promoter but to the sport itself."

Arum asked Cortez Matso to do the following:
-- Determine how officials are picked by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to show that there is an impartial selection of those who work the fights.

-- Investigate the charges of any rumored betting improprieties, although I do not believe that to be the case.

-- Point to the fact that there are no malfeasance among the Nevada officials and the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

-- Speak to the legitimacy and efficacy of the athletic governing body in Nevada so that the world sees that this state continues to be among the world leaders in governing boxing.

-- Thoroughly examine and vet all executives and decision makers in our company, Top Rank

-- And any other pertinent facts that you would deem appropriate.
"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 if forthcoming, this matter will be considered closed," wrote Cortez Matso.
"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."
Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer said he cooperated with the investigation, adding that "the attorney general did a good job."
"The attorney general asked questions and I provided the answers, and I also provided the information which was requested," said Kizer.
"I really felt that there was no need for an investigation in the first place, but I'm glad that the attorney general did a good job investigating the allegations from Top Rank."
Kizer also informed RingTV.com that he has concluded a review of the video with Ford, Ross and Roth.
"I sat down with the three judges individually and we watched each of the specific rounds of the fight that that particular judge gave to Bradley," said Kizer.
"We were very satisfied with their performances that night, and we were very satisfied with their review of the tapes with us last week. We feel that they did a good job that night and we were satisfied with their review."
In addition, Kizer said that Nevada chairman, Skip Avasino, "spoke to the judges individually" and is expected to address their conversations in a report during a 9 a.m. meeting of the commission on July 9.

Cortez Matso's ruling contradicted one on June 20 by a five-member panel of judges convened by WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, which unanimously scored in favor of Pacquiao after watching video of the fight.
Valcarcel informed RingTV.com that his panel all had the matchup for Pacauiao, by scores of 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112, and115-113. From ringside, Valcarcel said he scored the fight for Pacquiao eight rounds to four.
Valcarcel said that his organization's rules do not allow for the bout being overturned, but that "the only thing that we can do is authorize a rematch."
The Bradley-Pacquiao contract already had contained a clause calling for a rematch on Nov. 10, although Pacquiao may be considering a fourth bout with Juan Manuel Marquez or else a rematch with three-division titlewinner Miguel Cotto for that date.
Valcarcel said he would leave the scenario regarding a rematch to Arum, Marquez's Mexican-based co-promoter, Fernando Beltran, who often works with Top Rank, and Dunkin.

Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Drug Cheats in Boxing

Drug Cheats in Boxing

by Danny Richardson

After recent revelations, I thought I'd have my say on drugs in boxing, and how this shadow is threatening the credibility of our sport. Over the past few months, we have been greeted with stories that fighters ranging from a domestic to world level have tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs, and unfortunately, this problem doesn't seem to be going away.

It's nothing new; there have been examples of this before, most famously from Roy Jones Jr, who tested positive for a banned substance back in 2000. Not enough was made of the situation in my opinion, and this has since been swept under the carpet. This was a high profile case, because at the time, Jones Jr was one of, if not the best fighter on the planet. More action should have been taken.

Incidents like these were few and far between though. A personal memory is of Vince Phillips failing a drugs test after being defeated by Ricky Hatton back in 2003. But, as I say, these incidents have been rare, and we haven't faced a pandemic of fighters failing drug tests.

However - that pandemic looks likely at this moment in time. We learned earlier this year, that Lamont Peterson failed a drugs test in the run up to his highly anticipated rematch with Amir Khan. Peterson was found to have traces of testosterone in his system, which is of course a banned substance. We hoped this would be an isolated incident, but more was yet to come.

Shortly after, Andre Berto failed a drugs test a few months before he was due to face Victor Ortiz in a rematch of their 2011 thriller. Peterson, then Berto. But more followed. Antonio Tarver, a great champion in his day, followed suit, and more recently, we have seen that British heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo failed a drugs test, the Englishman admitting that he had taken PED's for years. 3 world level fighters, followed by a domestic level fighter - showing that boxing at all levels is affected.

We have seen further rumours. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr missed his drugs test after defeating Andy Lee last month, after putting on a staggering 20lbs in little over 24 hours, between the weigh in and the fight itself. I'm no expert, but that is a staggering amount of weight to put on in such a short space of time. Surely that can't be down to just rehydration.

Even today, there are unconfirmed reports that Enzo Maccarinelli, the popular Welshman, has also failed a drugs test. As I said earlier, from the examples I've listed, we see fighters at all levels taking PED'S in whatever form. These aren't isolated incidents anymore, and I can guarantee there will be more stories like these in the coming months.

It's an issue that needs to be stopped, because if it gets any worse, boxing will struggle to recover. After Larry Olubamiwo admitted to his drug taking, he told reporters that more fighters were doing it, and they have been getting away with it for years. This needs to stop, because these cases, especially the high profile ones, will ruin the sport.

As soon as a fighter is found guilty of taking PED's, the book needs to be thrown at them. We need a serious deterrent. I would propose a life ban against fighters found to have taken PED's, with their records wiped from history and every fighter to have suffered a defeat against the boxer in question, would be awarded the win, or their loss taken away. Adding a large fine to that would surely act as enough. We need a crack down on drug taking in boxing, and we need it now.

PED's don't always help a fighter either. Olubamiwo has embarrassed himself in more ways than one by admitting his use of PED's, because he was bombed out in a round by John McDermott in 2011. If you can't beat John McDermott (no disrespect to him) with the help of PED's, then you can't be much of a fighter. Also, Vince Phillips lost to Ricky Hatton prior to him failing a drugs test, and those that have been found guilty of taking PED's now find their career and reputation in tatters. It's not worth it, because if you're found out, the whole boxing world views you with shame, and you find yourself looking for an office job as your career is over.

At least that should be the case, because going back to Roy Jones Jr, the situation was more or less forgotten about, and he didn't face any consequences. Also, there are arguments that fighters don't know what they can and can't take, and some claim to have been misinformed when failing drugs tests for a substance they thought was legal. To those fighters, a thorough investigation should be held, followed by a ban for a shorter period of time, as well as a fine. They'll be sure to check before taking anything else in the future.

To catch the cheats, and to act as a deterrent, the Olympic Style drug testing format is the perfect solution. More regular, random blood testing is what is catching the drug cheats, and this format needs to become mandatory. Floyd Mayweather has been a great advocate for this form of testing, which included a blood test as well as urine tests, as there are certain types of PED that only show up in blood tests. Fighters will be tested randomly and more often, catching drugs cheats in the process. If this form of testing is introduced at all levels, the cheats will be caught and boxing will become a cleaner sport.

It is easier said than done, but with fighters such as Floyd Mayweather, Nonito Donaire and Amir Khan supporting the campaign to clean up boxing, then this problem could come to an end. We as fans deserve to be watching natural athletes compete at the highest level, giving us entertainment in the process. PED users may give us the entertainment value, but once their use of drugs comes to light, we all feel cheated. Also, knowing they have worked your way to the top by using PED's can't give fighters the same sense of satisfaction they would receive if they had worked honestly throughout their careers, they can't truly know if they're better than everyone else.

If this problem is not rectified soon, then boxing will be damaged beyond repair. In the past few months, we have seen more cases than I can remember, and if the use of PED's is not stopped, these cases will happen more often. This can't be allowed to happen, because if it does, boxing will no longer be a sport that is loved and respected, and I'm sure the drug users themselves won't want to see that happen. Fighters need to start proving they are clean, to start rebuilding the damaged reputation boxing is in danger of getting. As Floyd Mayweather would say, if you're the best, take the test.

www.FightMuseumLV.com

 

Bundrage, Lara win on ShoBox but don't look like viable Canelo opponents

Bundrage, Lara win on ShoBox but don't look like viable Canelo opponents
by Doug Fischer


Showtime commentator Steve Farhood said it best when he concluded the network’s broadcast from Indio, Calif., on Saturday with the words: “the 'Canelo' sweepstakes continues.”
The special ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader from the Fantasy Springs Casino opened and closed with two junior middleweight contenders who want a shot at WBC 154-pound titleholder Saul Alvarez, the young Mexican star who is still without an opponent for his Sept. 15 date in Las Vegas.
IBF beltholder Cornelius Bundrage, THE RING’s No. 9-rated junior middleweight, scored a seventh-round stoppage of Cory Spinks in the main event, while the magazine’s No. 5-rated contender, Erislandy Lara, outpointed Freddy Hernandez over 10 rounds in the first bout of the broadcast.
Although both fighters got the job done – Bundrage (32-4, 19 knockouts) needed only two more rounds to knockout the former champ in a rematch of his 2010 title-winning effort; while Lara (17-1-1, 11 KOs) soundly outboxed the game but outclassed gatekeeper from Mexico – neither contender really “sold” himself as an attractive B-side to Alvarez’s Mexican Independence Day weekend event.
Bundrage dropped Spinks (39-7, 11 KOs) with an overhand right in the first round and closed the show by knocking the southpaw down three times in the seventh, but the 39-year-old Detroit native didn’t look good in rounds two through six.
Neither did Spinks. The ugly fight featured more holding, grappling, low blows, and takedowns than clean exchanges between the two awkward veterans. Spinks, who looks faded at age 34, had his moments in rounds three, four and five, but at the end of the day the once-savvy boxer lacked the legs and the power to threaten Bundrage, who – if nothing else – is aggressive and can punch.
“I felt like I was going to get him, that’s why I was kind of hard headed (between rounds),” said Bundrage, who frustrated his hall-of-fame trainer Emanuel Steward by not following instructions after having Spinks in trouble in the opening round. “I knew in my mind that I was going to get him. (Spinks) can’t stand up to all that fight, you know. I bring the fight.”
Bundrage has a bright personality, which was on full display during his post-fight interview with Farhood. However, the jury is still out on whether the unorthodox puncher could compete with Alvarez or help push the Sept. 15 promotion.
Bundrage, who goes by many nicknames, including “K9,” believes he would do well on both fronts.
“The Black Rocky, Iron Man versus Canelo,” he barked at the end of his interview. “Let’s get it on!”
Lara doesn’t have Bundrage’s personality or enthusiasm but the 29-year-old former amateur star has the talent and skill set to give Alvarez all he can handle.
The problem with Lara, who was one fight (a first-round KO of Ronald Hearns in April) removed from losing a very controversial 12-round decision to Paul Williams going into the Hernandez fight, is that if the Cuban southpaw doesn’t score an opening-round stoppage he usually makes for uneventful distance bouts.
Lara’s unanimous decision over Hernandez (30-3, 20 KOs) was not only uneventful, but marred by numerous headbutts – all of which seemed to be initiated by the Cuban. By the seventh round, during which referee Wayne Hedgepeth docked Lara a point for the repeated infraction, Hernandez’s face was a bloody mess from head clashes.
Apart from the headbutts, Lara was in command of the fight by utilizing his usual stick-and-move strategy. He landed 64 percent of his power punches, according to CompuBox, en route to dominating scores of 99-90 and 98-91.
Pay no attention to veteran judge Marty Denkin’s 95-94 card. The fight wasn’t close at all. Hernandez, who stalked forward all night, was able to land some left hooks to the body whenever he got Lara against the ropes, but he didn’t connect with enough clean head shots to win more than one or two rounds.
Still, the Mexico City native should be commended for being so determined despite Lara’s tricky style, the many headbutts and four bleeding cuts on his face.
If Lara had a little bit of Hernandez’s come-forward style and some of Bundrage’s reckless aggression he would be the perfect opponent for Alvarez on Sept. 15. But as it is, Lara represents a lot of risk and very little reward for the unbeaten red head.
The one fighter who was able to combine skill with power and aggression on the Golden Boy Promotions card was undefeated featherweight prospect Gary Russell Jr., who scored four knockdowns en route to a one-sided third-round stoppage of unheralded Christopher Perez in the second bout of the ShoBox broadcast.
Russell (20-0, 12 KOs), a 24-year-old southpaw from Capitol Heights, Md., dropped Perez with a left cross-right hook combination in the second round before putting the lanky 22-year-old from Culiacan, Mexico, down three times in the third round.
Russell, a two-time national amateur champ and 2008 Olympian, dropped Perez (23-3, 14 KOs) with a left, and then a right uppercut, before a one-two combo put the Sinaloa native down for a third time in the round, prompting veteran referee Pat Russell to stop the fight.
The performance backed up Russell’s reputation as one of the sport’s top prospects, however, hardcore fans who have followed his career for the past few years are ready to see him tested by a legitimate featherweight contender.


Photos / Naoki Fukuda

Dibella puts on "Rising Stars" card

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

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

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