Boxing News 2011: Mayweather to return against Ortiz in September

Image via Wikipedia
Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) hasn’t fought since a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010, and has repeatedly declined to accept a bout against WBO welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao—a dream ticket many boxing fans are eager to witness.

Instead, it was Mosley who squared off with Pacquiao in May, losing to the Filipino star in a lopsided 12-round decision.

Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) is riding a six-match win streak, most recently defeating Andre Berto in April to claim the WBC crown in a fight many consider the year’s best.

“I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there for me; that is Victor Ortiz,” Mayweather said in a statement. “At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me.

“Trust me, I will be ready.”

The 24-year-old Mexican-American is one of the sport’s strongest young fighters.

“I respect Mayweather because he has been a champion for many years and I know he will be ready, but so will I,” said Ortiz. “I’m a world champion for a reason and I am not going to let go of my title any time soon. This is going to be a great fight, but I will remain a world champion for many years to come.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=At04p8FrJwpmpVMrQXdTYi2UxLYF?slug=ap-mayweather-ortiz

Related articles

• Mayweather to Return Against Ortiz in September (nytimes.com)
• Mayweather to return against Ortiz in September (sfgate.com)
• Mayweather to fight Ortiz in September (msn.foxsports.com)
• Mayweather to return against Ortiz in September (denverpost.com)
• Mayweather to end layoff against Ortiz (canada.com)
• Mayweather says on Twitter he will face WBC champion Ortiz (tsn.ca)

Boxing News 2011: Kelly Pavlik win

Image via Wikipedia
Kelly Pavlik beat Alfonso Lopez by majority decision on Saturday night in the former middleweight champion’s rusty return from nearly 13 months out of the ring.

Former three-division champion Jorge Arce also stopped Wilfredo Vazquez in the 12th round of an action-packed fight, claiming Vazquez’s WBO 122-pound belt on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s meeting with Sugar Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden.

Pavlik (37-2) looked sluggish and tentative for most of a plodding bout at a 171-pound catch weight. He couldn’t seriously hurt Lopez (21-1) until the final minute of the final round, but Pavlik earned a comfortable decision on two of the three judges’ cards.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AhbR1fMXZANxrqXlqDkP376axLYF?slug=ap-pacquiao-mosleyundercard

Related articles

• Pacquiao Vs. Mosley Results: Kelly Pavlik Survives Scare, Wins Majority Decision Over Alfonso Lopez (sbnation.com)
• Kelly Pavlik: 5 Opponents We would Love to See Him Fight Next (bleacherreport.com)

Boxing News 2011: Pacquiao wins unanimous decision over Mosley

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Manny Pacquiao won a lopsided 12-round decision over Sugar Shane Mosley on Saturday night, retaining his WBO welterweight title with his 14th consecutive victory.

Pacquiao (54-3-2) didn’t get the knockout he wanted, but the Filipino Congressman retained his position the most dominant and exciting fighter in the sport, methodically beating Mosley (46-7-1) at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao knocked Mosley down with a left hook in the third round, a punch that seemed to sap Mosley’s willingness to engage. Pacquiao ran after Mosley the rest of the fight, but the former champion who has never been stopped in 18 years in the ring managed to finish the 12th round on his feet.

Pacquiao won 120-108 on one scorecard, 120-107 on a second and 119-108 on the third. The Associated Press had him winning 118-110.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Au8UDcB6jLtgpucPdM5fH345nYcB?slug=ap-pacquiao-mosley

Related articles

• Pacquiao earns dominant decision over Mosley (sports.espn.go.com)
• Pacquiao easily beats Mosley to retain WBO title (reuters.com)
• Pacquiao dominates Mosley for unanimous decision win (cbssports.com)

Boxing News 2011: Mayweather jabs (but won't fight) Pacquiao

Image via Wikipedia
Floyd Mayweather Jr. might never fight Manny Pacquiao, but Mayweather has the pound-for-pound king on his mind.

It is unfortunate that they may never share a ring for the fight the world wants to see; at this point, Mayweather refuses to fight Pacquiao -- not to mention that Mayweather is also jammed up with multiple court cases, including eight criminal charges (four of which are felonies) stemming from an alleged domestic incident last fall with the mother of some of his children. Pacquiao is always in the spotlight, but even more so last week and this week, as he and Shane Mosley promote their Showtime pay-per-view fight, which takes place May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And Mayweather apparently can't stand it.

Pacquiao, Mosley and the rest of the Top Rank circus took to the road to promote the fight on a national media tour, which began last week and continued this week. Of course, Mayweather could have been the one fighting Pacquiao, but he wanted no part of it. That left Top Rank's Bob Arum to tap Mosley for the fight instead, the same way he tapped Antonio Margarito to fight in place of Mayweather in November and called on Joshua Clottey last March.

Mayweather could have had the fight each time and made perhaps as much as $50 million for his trouble.

Instead, Mayweather declined and now, just as the media attention around Pacquiao ramps up again, it is clearly driving Mayweather crazy.

http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/blog/_/name/rafael_dan/id/6124991/mayweather-jabs-fight-pacquiao

Related articles

• Manny Pacquiao: Why Arum and Roach are More Important Than Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (bleacherreport.com)

Boxing News 2010: Who is next for Pacquiao?

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
The front runners for Pacquiao’s next opponent are Mosley and Berto. There’s no way they’ll fight each other. Mosley is near the end. If he’s going to get wiped out he wants it to be against a great fighter in the biggest fight of the year, not against a young, still-largely unproven beltholder such as Berto.

My guess is that Mosley will get the Pacquiao fight. He’s the best known of Pac’s potential opponents for next year (and no, I’m not including the troubled Mr. Mayweather) and the perception is that he presents the least amount of risk at this stage of his career. Arum believes he can sell a Pacquiao-Mosley fight to the general public and Sugar Shane has endeared himself to the old promoter now that he’s distanced himself from Golden Boy Promotions.

Marquez was always a long shot to get a third bout with Pacquiao, and I’m kind of glad. I don’t care that he weighed 145 pounds on fight night vs. Katsidis. The fact that he made 134 pounds the day before tells me that extra poundage he put on was just water weight -- not muscle. Marquez is not a welterweight. Period. Marquez is an old, small lightweight. Don’t even call him a junior welterweight. There isn’t a world-class junior welterweight alive who can make 134 pounds without killing himself. Pacquiao would kill himself making 134 pounds. Pacquiao would have to seriously dry out to make 140 pounds. We should all forget about Pacquiao-Marquez III unless Manny decides he wants to go against Freddie Roach and Arum and agree to weigh-in between 140 and 142 pounds. Even then, he’ll have a distinct size and strength advantage over Marquez. I think JMM has given fans enough thrills in hard, grueling fights. I don’t want to see him take any more serious punishment. That’s what a Pacquiao fight equals, in my not-so-humble opinion, punishment.

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/2572/dougies_friday_mailbag/

Related articles

• Marquez ready for Round 3 with Pacquiao (nypost.com)
• Pacquiao to choose from three opponents for next fight (reuters.com)

Boxing News 2010: Manny Pacquiao's Next Fight: Why Juan Manuel Marquez Is Not It

Image by sjsharktank via Flickr
The fight everyone wants to see is Pacquiao vs Maywether. One thing I am willing to bet on is that this will not be Pacquiao's next fight. Mayweather needs to fight someone as a tune up match before Pacquiao. Someone he can fight with no real risk of a loss. Maybe Mayweather takes KJ Noons up on his challenge.

In the meantime who will Pacquiao fight?  Some say Marquez should be Pacquiao's next fight. In fact, Oscar De La Hoya tweeted after the fight with Katsidis, "Great fights now let's rally for a Marquez paquiao fight," from his official verified twitter account. The fact is that Manny Pacquiao has one win and one draw over Marquez. The draw was due to the fact that one judge had it 115-110 for Marquez, another 115-110 for Pacquiao and Judge Burt Clements sealed the draw with a 113-113 score, but he admitted making a mistake. He should have had the first round 10-6 for Pacquiao instead of 10-7 because Pacquiao had knocked Marquez down 3 times in the first round. Pacquiao would have won, had Clements added the third knockdown to the scorecard for round 1.

So Pacquiao has really beat Marquez twice. Why would he fight him again. Die hard Marquez fans that say Pacquiao is ducking Marquez or Pacquiao is afraid of Marquez, are really just kidding themselves. They refuse to come to grips with the reality that Marquez is past his prime and Pacquiao is peaking in his. Marquez has less of a chance this time because has not only improved tremendously but is bigger and stronger since they last fought. So why would he think he can win? Maybe he just wants one last huge payday. Maybe he wants to be in the spotlight one last time. Or is that Marquez possibly has delusions of grandeur. Who knows. What I wanted to know is how can he realistically be in the pound for pound discussion when you have a new era of talent and he has lost to Pacquiao twice. Doesn't someone who hasn't lost to Pacquiao twice deserve a shot?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/529072-pacquiaos-next-fight-and-why-juan-manuel-marquez-is-not-it-vote-on-who-is

Related articles

• Manny Pacquiao: Trainer Says Pacquiao Would Finish Mosley Like Margarito (bleacherreport.com)
• Juan Manuel Marquez ready for Round 3 with Manny Pacquiao (sports.espn.go.com)

Boxing News 2010: Mayweather should keep dodging Pacquiao

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

ARLINGTON, Texas – Antonio Margarito entered the ring standing five inches taller and weighing 17 pounds more than Manny Pacquiao.

By the ninth round, Margarito’s right eye had been nearly closed. His nose was bent. The rest of his face was bloodied and bruised. So pronounced was the destruction that Pacquiao kept turning to the referee and begging him to stop the fight, to end his massacre of this bigger, stronger man.

Somewhere Floyd Mayweather had to be watching this beatdown. He had to be watching this incomparable talent defy all known properties of size and strength. And he had to feel reassured about his recent career decisions.

For Mayweather, ducking Manny Pacquiao has never seemed so smart.

If Mayweather has any brains – and for all his fool’s antics, he most certainly does – he’ll keep dodging the superfight the world wants.

Mayweather (41-0) is a different class of fighter than those men. He’s a darting, defensive wizard who would offer the most formidable technical challenge to Pacquiao. It’s why everyone wants to see the fight made.

At this point, though, Pacquiao has separated himself and each hellacious beating he hands out serves as a new round of caution. Pacquiao isn’t just fast. He isn’t just skilled. He is a destructive force. And increasingly he’s shown to possess a formidable chin. If Pacquiao can put his back on the ropes and take the best shots of Margarito and Cotto, you wonder how the lighter-punching Mayweather could possibly hurt him.

Legal woes should serve as one more roadblock that Mayweather can use. If you’re Floyd Jr., what’s the rush anyway? How many opponents need to be sent to the hospital to try to avoid being the next one?

Mayweather has never faced a relentless force like this. They just don’t exist. Pacquiao threw an astounding 713 power punches and landed an equally astounding 53 percent of them. It’s what carved Margarito’s face to bits.

It was ugly. It was violent. It was an unmistakable message to the one opponent everyone wants to see next.

No one dodges a punch like Mayweather. And the best way to slip Pacquiao’s blinding combination is to keep finding a way to stay out of the ring.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=ApDhHroVgslcmGp21ppspxKUxLYF?slug=dw-pacfloyd11410

Related articles

• Pacquiao: 'I don't need Mayweather' (sports.inquirer.net)
• It's time for Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao, says Roach (guardian.co.uk)
• Manny Pacquiao: Why He Must Fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Next To Stay Popular (bleacherreport.com)

Boxing News 2010: Storylines surround Pacquiao-Margarito

Image via Wikipedia

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito square off at Cowboys Stadium in a huge fight on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET, $54.95) and there are a litany of stories surrounding it. Here's what some of those involved in the promotion have to say about some of the storylines:

• If Pacquiao wins and a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. still can't be made, whom will he fight?

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum outlined three possibilities: Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez for a third fight or a rematch with Miguel Cotto.

• The 150-pound catch weight

There's consternation in some quarters because Pacquiao and Margarito are fighting for a vacant junior middleweight title (division limit 154 pounds) but the contract weight is at a catch weight of 150 pounds at the request of the smaller Pacquiao. So while it's still a junior middleweight title bout there are some who believe that Margarito should be allowed to weigh up to 154.

• Prediction?

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach is not shy about making predictions when it comes to fights. On this fight he said, "I think we will overwhelm him with the punches he will land on him with the fast hands and combinations. In eight or nine rounds I think we will break him down. Margarito throws a lot of punches and he makes too many mistakes to beat us. He has bad habits and we are going to take advantage of all of them."

Roach later added, "We'll make him quit. I saw the way Mosley beat him and how he fought Roberto Garcia [in May] and he doesn't impress me. He has terrible footwork. He has too many flaws to beat Manny. Technique-wise he's terrible."

• Watching the hands wrapped

Margarito, of course, is notorious because of the hand-wrapping scandal stemming from the fight with Mosley in January 2009, when he tried to enter the ring with wraps loaded with illegal pads coated in a plaster-like substance. Roach will be watching the wrapping procedure very carefully.

• Who will be the crowd favorite?

North Texas is heavily Hispanic, so Margarito will undoubtedly have strong fan support from Mexican-American fans, but so will Pacquiao, who is popular wherever he fights.

• The toll of the scandal on Margarito and his feelings toward former trainer Javier Capetillo, who was responsible for wrapping his hands:

"Tony has gone to therapy, him and his wife," said Sergio Diaz, Margarito's co-manager. "It was affecting his personal life as well. He's aware it's something that will follow him. He felt just by being in the gym and hoping he would fight again, and this is before he was licensed, it's what kept his mind at peace.

http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/blog/_/name/rafael_dan/id/5792388/storylines-surround-pacquiao-margarito

Related articles

• Pacquiao vs Margarito Frequently Asked Questions (arkhilario.com)
• Manny Pacquiao eyes further glory (reuters.com)
• Manny Pacquaio's team questions legality of Antonio Margarito's gloves (guardian.co.uk)
• "Antonio Margarito Mocks Freddie Roach's Parkinson's Disease (VIDEO)" and related posts (huffingtonpost.com)

Boxing News 2010: Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora fight to draw

Image by Puma Booma via Flickr

LOS ANGELES -- Sugar Shane Mosley wanted a victory that would earn him another big-money fight. Sergio Mora wanted to re-establish himself as an elite boxer.

Neither left Staples Center satisfied after their 12-round draw Saturday night.

The junior middleweight bout was an anticlimactic end to a solid card that featured spectacular knockout wins by Victor Ortiz, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Daniel Ponce De Leon.

In a sometimes dull fight, the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) didn't get redemption for his one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, and Mora (22-1-2, 6 KOs) fell short of his biggest victory.

Both fighters were booed by the crowd, which chanted "Canelo! Canelo!" -- the nickname of the rising 20-year-old Mexican star -- during the main event.

"We both fought hard," Mosley said. "It was good fight, a good decision."

The fight was very difficult to score, with judge Kermit Bayless calling it 115-113 for Mora, David Denkin giving Mosley a 116-112 edge, and Lou Moret ruling it even at 114-114. The scores at press row were equally divided, from a six-point victory for Mosley to a four-point win for Mora.

Mosley had an edge in the CompuBox punchstats, landing 161 of 522 punches to 93 of 508 for Mora.

Mora, who held the 154-pound title in 2008, said he actually let up because he thought he was winning the fight down the stretch.

"I should've listened to my corner," he said. "They were telling me that it was a close fight. I thought I was winning, so I didn't fight as hard because I have respect for Shane. I didn't want to hurt him."

Mosley was the aggressor from the beginning, but had a difficult time landing clean punches because Mora is a standout defensive fighter. The former 154-pound titleholder consistently danced out of harm's way or tied up Mosley when he got inside.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5590908

Related articles by Zemanta

• Boxing: Mosley, Mora fit to be tied (theglobeandmail.com)
• Mosley, Mora fight to 12-round draw at Staples Center (tsn.ca)
• Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora fight to unsatisfying draw (sports.espn.go.com)
• Mosley, Mora Fight to Draw at Staples Center (nytimes.com)
• Mosley-Mora fight ruled draw as judges disagree (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
• Mosley frustrated by Mora (skysports.com)

Boxing News 2010: Sergio Mora penalized for weight

Image via Wikipedia

LOS ANGELES -- Former junior middleweight titlist Sergio Mora was three pounds overweight for his Saturday night fight against former champ Shane Mosley at Staples Center and was penalized 20 percent of his purse by the California State Athletic Commission at Friday's weigh-in.

Mora, who was 157 pounds, will forfeit $57,000 of his official $285,000 purse, and the fight will go on as scheduled. The money will be added to Mosley's $1 million guarantee, according to George Dodd, the executive officer of the commission.

Mosley was right on the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds for the 12-round bout, which headlines Golden Boy Promotions' Mexican bicentennial card (HBO PPV, 9 p.m. ET, $44.95).

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said Mora told him he was surprised to be overweight because he had weighed himself earlier on another scale at his hotel and was on weight. Schaefer said Mora believed the official scale was off. Mora might be right because Carlos Baldomir and Vivian Harris, both of whom are on the televised undercard, also were overweight.

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=5585584

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mosley to Fight Saturday (nytimes.com)
• Mora bout chance for Mosley to show he's still got it (nypost.com)
• Sergio Mora vs. Shane Mosley: Why the Latin Snake Will Bite (bleacherreport.com)
• Mosley seeks return to title mix with Mora bout (sports.inquirer.net)

Boxing News 2010: Margarito will receive further punishment in the ring

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

In terms of competitiveness, this is a terrible matchup. In terms of action, it’s a dream come true –- although the action will be brutally one-sided.

We saw what happened when Margarito, minus the doctored gloves, fought Mosley in January of last year. A 37-year-old who soon afterward showed that he has declined destroyed the rugged Mexican, brutally knocking him out in the ninth round.

And now he’s fighting Pacquiao? The Filipino marvel is 31 and in his prime. He might or might not punch as hard as Mosley at welterweight -- Miguel Cotto would probably lean toward the former -– but he clearly is faster and better than Mosley at this point in their careers.

And forgive the cliché but styles really do make fights. Could Margarito have a better style for Pacquiao? He knows how to fight one way: He stalks his opponent, walking directly into danger. Somewhere Pacquiao is licking his lips in anticipation.

Some might point to Margarito’s pummeling of Cotto as an example of what the Mexican is capable of doing to a quick, talented fighter. That was more than two years ago, though. Margarito looked ordinary against journeyman Roberto Garcia in his only fight since California revoked his license.

Many will point out the size factor: Margarito is a big, strong welterweight while Pacquiao is probably a natural junior welterweight.

How many times do we have to go over this? Size is only a factor when the talent level of the fighters is roughly equal. In this case, the gap in talent is wider than the ocean that separates Mexico and the Philippines.

Pacquiao probably can’t take Margarito out with one punch -– who could? -– but the sacrificial lamb will be hit by an accumulation of punches that almost assuredly will leave him a bloody heap on the canvas before the end of the scheduled 12 rounds.

Imagine a man walking into the whirling propeller of a plane. That’s what’s in store for Margarito.

For the record, I don’t wish this on Margarito. The fact he was about to fight Mosley with loaded gloves was borderline criminal and certainly reprehensible but he’s a friendly guy. You want to believe him when he says he didn’t know –- even if you’re convinced he did.

However, when Pacquiao tears him to pieces, a part of all the angry people who don’t believe he deserves this opportunity, will smile and think to themselves: “He had that coming.”

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/2256/margarito_will_receive_further_punishment_in_the_ring/

Related articles by Zemanta

• Antonio Margarito Granted Fight in Texas Despite Handwrap Controversy (bleacherreport.com)
• Writer Criticizes Manny Pacquiao For Fighting Antonio Margarito (bleacherreport.com)
• Pacquiao looks to Cotto, Margarito as Mayweather mum (sports.inquirer.net)
• Margarito gets Texas license, fight with Pacquiao (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
• Margarito licensed to fight Pacquiao (theglobeandmail.com)
• Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito Will Fight, Who Will Win It? (bleacherreport.com)
• Manny Pacquiao Leaves for US Sunday to Promote Fight With Margarito (bleacherreport.com)

Boxing News 2010: Margarito gets Texas license, fight with Pacquiao

Image via Wikipedia

Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico has been approved to fight in Texas, clearing the way for his proposed bout against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium this fall.

Margarito is expected to face Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight title on Nov. 13.

“I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license, which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States,” Margarito said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On Nov. 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled.”

Margarito hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps before a fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles. Margarito’s license along with that of his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, were revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by other states.

The “Tijuana Tornado” honored the revocation, even though he denied knowing anything about the illegal hand wraps. He could have fought outside the United States during his yearlong suspension, but didn’t return to the ring until May 8, about 16 months after his fight against Mosley.

Moving up to junior middleweight, Margarito coasted to a win over Roberto Garcia in Mexico.

“After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules,” Executive Director William Kuntz said in a statement posted on the department’s website. “Based on the review of the above information, I have authorized the issuance of a license to Mr. Margarito.”

The decision was important not only to those involved in the fight, but also to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his opulent stadium near Dallas, as well as the state of Texas.

Any fight involving Pacquiao means big business for the hosts, including massive crowds and hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view purchases. The pound-for-pound king drew 51,000 fans to face the relatively unknown Joshua Clottey on March 13 in the stadium’s first night of boxing.

The choice has drawn the ire of many fans who don’t believe that Margarito should not receive the lucrative payday after what has transpired over the past 18 months. Still, Margarito remains wildly popular in Mexico and the matchup should outdraw the last crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AhEF5NPdgiNjZWyS_t1JDQOUxLYF?slug=ap-pacquiao-margarito

Related articles by Zemanta

• Margarito gets Texas license to fight Pacquiao (msn.foxsports.com)
• Margarito gets Texas license, fight with Pacquiao (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
• Antonio Margarito was licensed to box by Texas regulators (sports.espn.go.com)
• Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito Will Fight, Who Will Win It? (bleacherreport.com)
• Margarito reinstatement justified (mysanantonio.com)
• Margarito licensed to fight Pacquiao (theglobeandmail.com)
• Margarito Gets Texas License, Fight With Pacquiao (abcnews.go.com)
• Margarito gets Texas license, fight with Pacquiao (sfgate.com)