Boxing News 2011: Mayweather to return against Ortiz in September

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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

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Boxing News 2011: Kelly Pavlik win

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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

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Boxing News 2011: Pacquiao wins unanimous decision over Mosley

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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

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Boxing News 2011: Salido defeats Lopez

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Challenger Orlando Salido upset Juan Manuel Lopez on Saturday, stopping the WBO featherweight champion with a technical knockout in the eighth round.

Referee Roberto Ramirez ended the fight with 1:39 left in the round. Salido also knocked down Lopez at the end of the fifth.

Judges Lisa Giampa, Thomas Miller and Jose Torres all had the fight even at 66-66 when Ramirez stopped the bout.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ap-lopez-salido

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Boxing News 2011: Nonito Donaire stops Fernando Montiel

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Nonito Donaire won the WBO and WBC bantamweight championships Saturday night, stopping Fernando Montiel in the second round.

Donaire rocked Montiel with a left hook that sent the champion to the canvas.

Montiel surprisingly made it back to his feet only to see referee Russell Mora stop the fight moments later at 2:25 of the round.

Nonito Donaire seized two bantamweight titles with a second-round knockout of Mexican Fernando Montiel, writes ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. Story

Donaire controlled most of the first round, landing a left hook that briefly stunned Montiel and came out swinging in the second round, landing a few combinations before stunning the champion with a solid hook that all but ended the fight.

"I hit him with a left hook, looked down and saw him twitching," Donaire said. "I knew the fight was over then."

Montiel's body slumped to the mat as Donaire raised his hands and jumped in celebration.

"I needed to be strong but it was the speed that was the key. He left himself open and that gave me the advantage," the new champion said. "I was surprised he got up after I landed that flush shot."

Donaire (26-1, 18 knockouts) has won 25 consecutive fights, and will likely be elevated to one of the top handful of fighters in the world.

"I just came out there believing in what I had," added Donaire. "I want to be undisputed in this weight class, if not I want to go up in weight."

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=6140735

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Boxing News 2011: Donaire rocks Montiel

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Donaire made a startling case for himself on Saturday in his showdown with Fernando Montiel at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Donaire knocked Montiel down with a wicked left hook and a follow-up right, stopping the great Mexican seconds later at 2:25 of the second to claim the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization bantamweight belts.

“I saw this kid on TV a couple of years ago and I picked him out then,” said Jones, the long-time pound-for-pound who served as a color analyst for HBO on Saturday. “To be honest with you, there’s an argument whether he’s No. 1 or No. 2. I see (Donaire) doing things I don’t see many fighters do. He uses his feet first and his hands second.

“That check hook he threw was incredible. It was a punch I had perfected. I brought that punch to the game and this kid has it down pat solid.”

Montiel (44-3-2) entered the bout with 34 knockouts and held the 10th spot in the Yahoo! Sports rankings. But Donaire was never threatened. He was faster, he was smarter and he was far more powerful.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=Au9S6jTokg2v5zKj1shPkqOUxLYF?slug=ki-donairegainssteam021911

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Boxing News 2011: Head to head: Montiel-Donaire

Image by Getty Images via @daylife
FERNANDO MONTIEL vs. NONITO DONAIRE
When: Saturday, Feb. 19
Where: Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay)
TV: HBO, 9:45 pm. PT/ ET
Weight: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
Title(s) at stake: Montiel’s WBC and WBO

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Skills:
Edge: Even

Power:
Edge: Montiel

Speed and athletic ability:
Edge: Donaire

Defense:
Edge: Montiel

Experience:
Edge: Montiel

Chin:
Edge: Even

Conditioning:
Edge: Even

Wear and tear:
Edge: Donaire

Corner:
Edge: Montiel

Outcome: Donaire will start the bout with a steely focus, popping the sharpest jab of his career. Yet, Montiel will brim with confidence. Donaire will score with his jab while a constantly moving Montiel tries to rattle him with foot feints and lead power shots. Donaire will keep an uncommonly high guard, which will protect him from Montiel’s scary counter punches long enough to land a hard straight right that sends the Mexican back on his heels at the start of the fourth round. Donaire will get overexcited in his pursuit of an early knockout and momentarily drop his hands as he tries to finish his foe. With his back to the ropes, Montiel will make Donaire pay for the defensive lapse, hurting the Filipino with a double hook to the body and head. The two will exchange blazing combinations until the end of the round, bringing the crowd inside the Mandalay Bay’s Event Center to their feet. Having tasted each others power, both fighters will box a little more cautiously in the middle rounds and the bout will become an intense chess match. Montiel will continue to taunt and goad Donaire from a distance in hopes that the bigger man abandons his jab and attacks. However, Donaire will keep his jab going and the effects of his left stick will be evident on the puffy, purple eyes of the dual titleholder by the eighth round of the bout. Sensing Donaire’s growing confidence and possible points lead, Montiel will take more chances in rounds nine and 10, and the veteran will hit pay dirt when he takes half a step back to evade a Donaire right hand and explodes forward with a counter left hook that puts the Filipino fan favorite on queer street in the final minute of the 10th. Montiel will attempt to finish Donaire, but the wounded boxer will survive with constant movement (even on wobbly legs) and the threat of sneaky uppercuts. Montiel will try to swarm Donaire at the start of the 11th round but he’ll discover that his rival recuperates quickly and run into three-punch combination that staggers him into the ropes. Donaire will cautiously press Montiel with long-range jabs, right hands and body shots that punish the more experienced fighter. However, Montiel will survive with slick upper-body movement and by grabbing and holding his tormentor. The two boxer-punchers will let it all hang out in the final round. Boxing on his toes, Montiel will pop in and out of range, landing single power shots (some of which are flamboyant bolo punches that get a rise out of the fans). Donaire will stalk flat footed and look to do real damage with hard combinations. They’ll end the round with extended flurries that electrify the crowd and prompt press row to declare the bout an early fight of the year candidate.

Prediction: Donaire by close but unanimous decision.

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/126715-head-to-head-montiel-donaire

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