shane-mosley « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Richard O'Brien, SI.com - Top 10 Boxers of 2000's

yallkiltit — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:30:47 +0000

2000s: Top 10 Boxers

1	Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao opened the decade as a 21-year-old ex-WBC flyweight champion who owned a 27-2 record and had fought just three times outside his native Philippines, his final pre-2000s excursion resulting in a third-round knockout loss to Medgoen Sengsurat in Thailand in 1999. Today, Pacquiao (50-3-2 with 38 KOs overall; 23-1-2 with 20 KOs this decade) owns seven world titles in seven weight classes, and is quite possibly the finest fighter in the world pound-for-pound. With an improbable combination of speed and power, he’s an electrifying presence in the ring, a relentless attacker and a master of distance who comes at opponents from surprising angles while still maintaining tremendous leverage and balance. He also fights with an urgency and a joy unseen since the young Roberto Duran. Best of all, Pacquiao, 31, may not even have peaked yet; under trainer Freddie Roach, he just keeps getting better.
2	Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The flash and hype — the nicknames Pretty Boy and Money, the press-conference posturing, the WWE playacting — can obscure the fact that Mayweather, 32, is probably the most technically proficient and complete fighter of his generation. Almost literally raised in the gym, he is also one of the hardest workers in the sport. He’s witheringly fast, a crisp puncher with either hand, almost untouchable on defense and a master tactician. Undefeated in his 18 bouts in the 2000s, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs overall) amassed titles in five weight classes and dismantled a number of first-rate fighters, including Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez. The only flaw in Floyd? He didn’t face as many of the best fighters as he might have (Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, among others) and thus has yet to have that career-defining showdown. That will change when he faces Pacquiao. But that’s for another decade.
3	Bernard Hopkins
Hopkins, who turned pro in 1988, was one of the best fighters of the ’90s. But he’s been even better in the 2000s. A true throwback who would have been at home with the best of any decade, B-Hop went 14-3 this decade (and a case could be made that he won at least one of his two bouts with Jermaine Taylor), capping off a record run as middleweight champion before moving up to take the light heavyweight crown. And at 44, he’s still not done. Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) may not be the most exciting performer, but he could do more in the ring than any fighter of his era: box, counterpunch, bang, break you down, rough you up and always outthink you.
4	Joe Calzaghe
Though he was undefeated and had held the WBO super middleweight title since 1997, the Pride of Wales went largely overlooked outside of, well, Wales, until 2006, when he tore apart overhyped American Jeff Lacy for the IBF belt. Suddenly, folks beyond the U.K. realized the rangy southpaw with the nonstop attack was a hell of a fighter. Calzaghe, 37, may not have been a huge puncher, but he made up for it with speed and an unreal work rate, in addition to a capacity for adapting in the ring. He tallied a 19-0 record this decade (46-0, 32 KOs overall), crowned by a narrow decision over Hopkins and, for his final victory, a first-class butt-kicking of Roy Jones Jr.
5	Shane Mosley
During the 1990s, Mosley went undefeated while establishing himself as one of the best lightweights ever. As he moved up in weight over the past 10 years, he lost a few bouts but, if anything, enhanced his status as one of the most compelling fighters of his generation. He was 13-5 with one No Contest this decade (46-5, 39 KOs overall), having defeated such stars as De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Antonio Margarito. A superb boxer with crackling speed of hand and foot, Sugar Shane can also punch and brawl when he wants. Now 38, Mosley closed out the decade in style with dominating knockouts of Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito.
6	Juan Manuel Marquez
Though he was overmatched in his last fight of the decade, against the naturally bigger Mayweather Jr., Dinamita, 36, had established himself as a Hall of Famer long before that. A brilliant technical boxer and a gifted counterpuncher, Marquez was 20-3-1 in the 2000s (50-5-1, 37 KOs overall) against the best competition in four weight classes (from featherweight to welterweight). He had big wins over Marco Antonio Barrera, Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, and he fought Pacquiao twice, coming away with a draw and a disputed loss by decision.
7	Marco Antonio Barrera
Barrera opened the decade with a narrow loss to fellow Mexican hero Erik Morales in the first bout of a spectacular trilogy that played out over three weight classes (from super bantam to junior lightweight). Barrera would go on to take the next two. The Baby-Faced Assassin, 35, a tremendously accurate puncher with a great jab and punishing body attack, went 16-5 this decade (65-7, 43 KOs overall). Even beyond his classics against Morales, Barrera deserves a medal for his encyclopedic schooling of the irritating popinjay Naseem Hamed in 2001.
8	Ronald Wright
Remember, this is a list of the best fighters of the decade, not the most exciting. So welcome, Winky! A southpaw with a hunt-and-pop jab, impeccable defensive skills and a constitutional aversion to mixing it up, Wright, 38, turning self defense into an art form and made many of the best welterweights and junior middleweights of the decade look silly. Many of the others simply refused to fight him. Wright went 12-2-1 this decade (51-5-1, 25 KOs overall), with wins over Felix Trinidad, Ike Quartey and Mosley. Granted, he had just one knockout these past 10 years, but what do you expect from a guy with the nickname Winky?
9	Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
While Wonjongkam may be the smallest man on this list, he has the biggest record. A national hero in Thailand, the 32-year-old longtime flyweight champion went 43-1-1 in the 2000s, with an overall record of 74-3-1 with 39 KOs. A slick-boxing southpaw, Wonjongkam could also produce some surprising power. Since his professional debut in 1994, he has fought exclusively in the Far East.
10	Lennox Lewis
From the smallest to the biggest. (You could fit two Pacquiaos in his trunks and still have room for half the Wonjongkam family.) Though the bulk of his career took place in the 1990s, Lewis, 34, pretty much dwarfed the heavyweight division during the 2000s. Mature, in full command of a complete arsenal of skills and supremely confident, Lewis went 6-1 with five KOs, extending his career record to 41-2-1 with 32 KOs. He avenged his only loss, a shocking upset by Hasim Rahman, with a definitive knockout in the rematch nearly five months later. In watching him destroy an admittedly faded Mike Tyson in 2004, there was no reason to think Lewis wouldn’t have done the same to a prime Iron Mike.

Roy Jones,Jr. K.O.'d Again...Opens Door For March 13 Pacquiao-Mayweather PPV Fight

jerrybrice — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:19:34 +0000

It’s been a bad week for Floridian sports stars when it comes to getting knocked out unconscious. First it was golfer Tiger Woods, knocked out by his wife and a golf club, and last night Roy Jones got it from a fellow boxer.

Basically..40-year-old Roy Jones Jr. was knocked out last night by Australian Danny Green, who retained his IBF World Cruiserweight title in Australia last night.

This opens the March 13th date up for the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather bout that would have been postponed to a later date, if Roy had won, due to a scheduled bout against Bernard Hopkins, in a battle of the grandads.

Danny Green meets Roy Jones Jr.

The bout will never happen with the outcome for Roy last night.

The AP reports…Australian Danny Green stopped Roy Jones Jr. in the first round of their IBO world cruiserweight title fight Wednesday, preventing the 40-year-old American from claiming his ninth title across five weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight.

The 36-year-old Green retained his title and improved to 28-3 with his technical knockout over Jones at the Acer Arena, in the American’s first professional fight on foreign soil in his 20-year career.

It was only Jones’ sixth loss since 1989, along with 54 wins, 40 by knockout.

Green floored Jones with a right hand to the head after one minute. Green moved in to apply more pressure, and following a series of blows, English referee Howard Foster stopped the bout after just 122 seconds.

Jones offered no excuses for a defeat which could signal the end of his career.

“We don’t make excuses, it was a great performance by Danny,” Jones said.

Green was almost apologetic for handing such a defeat to one of his boxing role models.

Green, who only came out of a 13-month retirement in April,

“That almost hurt me to do that to someone whom I aspire to look up to as a professional fighter inside and outside the ring,” he said.

“I am just overwhelmed – this is the greatest victory in my entire life.”

Jones Jr is now unlikely to continue in the ring and said: “I have got to take my hat off to Danny, it was a great performance. I guess now I go back into retirement.”

Jones had to win the Green fight for the Hopkins fight to happen on HBO on the March 13th date.

Roy Jones Jr. after fight

Now, hopefully boxing fans can be treated to a real battle between two boxers in their prime, and that is Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

In defeat,Roy Jones, Jr. officially hands March 13 HBO date to Arum, Pacquiao, and Mayweather…and I say Thank you Roy, I was a big fan of yours, won and lost bets based on my confidence in you.

Roy Jones, Jr. has earned his retirement, and I hope he goes back to broadcasting fights,starting with Mayweather and Pacquiao.

B-Hop will find someone else to knock out…he is still going strong at his advanced age,and as you can see, not every boxer can do what B-Hop does especially at his age.

Follow story by clicking on these links…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/8390987.stm

http://www.examiner.com/x-11372-Dallas-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m12d2-Roy-Jones-Jr-officially-hands-March-13-HBO-date-to-Arum-Pacquiao-and-Mayweather

More Boxing

danfangdango — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:00:53 +0000

Sugar Shane

Shane Mosley faces off against Berto next month. If he puts in a stellar performance then maybe, just maybe he should take on Pacman or Mayweather, BUT if its reminiscent of the one he had against Mayorga, then maybe Mosley should look for an opponent of lower calibre. Apart from the steroids fiasco, I’ve always liked Mosley- he’s a good face for the sport and is a pleasure to watch. Good luck against HBO’s Berto.

Fight Fans Want To Know Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. Risk His Chin And Fight Manny Pacquiao? ...

jerrybrice — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:16:38 +0000

The weekend is near, and tomorrow, Saturday November 20th, will mark one week ago after Manny Pacquiao knocked out Cotto, in a brilliant display of ever improving all around pound for pound boxing, displayed for the millions upon millions of fans worldwide.

Manny Pacquiao was so devastating, yet so tactical and conclusively dominating, that the Puerto Rican fans that have loyally supported their hero Cotto, had to give it up to the respectful dynamo from the Philippines that never quits.

If you did not like that fight last Saturday night, then you must not like boxing.

I was concerned for Cotto’s health after the thrashing Manny gave him in the 9th round.I had predicted a knock out in the fight, I just did not know it was going to be so brutal….but that’s boxing.

Her won fair and square, and was quite humble after the fight. It’s a good thing he is religious, because if he ever did get the devil in him,he might gloat about his skills like his next opponent, if it can be worked out, Floyd MayweatherJr.

I hope that these two can make a deal, and set a date for what will be the fight of the century.This match would bring the boxing game back to a dominant position in sports that it once enjoyed in the past.

Question is…will Mayweather have the heart to risk his chin in a fight with the Pac-man,that is the mystery.

I think that Floyd will make an unreasonable demand on the split of the money, and proclaim that he is the draw, and the more famous and dominant fighter,and talk a lot about his money blah, blah ,blah….who cares?

He will try all the loud subterfuge that a loud mouth ‘has- been’ can drum up, and blame the break down of the deal on Manny Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach, who has proven himself to be the greatest trainer in the whole boxing game…and I do mean that he is better than Floyd’s dad, and his uncle Roger combined, if they like each other or not.

Remember how Floyd ducked from fighting Margarito, and wanted no part of Shane Mosley, to the point that Mosley had to step to Floyd after Floyd beat up on an outmatched Marquez, and all Floyd could do is talk more trash about …don’t disrespect me?…

What was that? It definitely was a bad look for Floyd, and a good move by Mosley to expose the fake Floyd for what he is…just a Pretty Boy, but not a true brawler.

That was as funny as much as it was telling.If Floyd was really upset, he would have told Shane that he would fight him anytime, and anywhere, like a real fighter would.He would have shouted him down face to face like Rampage and Rashad from the UFC.

Do I have to stick with the UFC to get some real good match-ups, or do I have to watch Floyd duck and dodge Manny while he beats up on some more selective tomato cans? I am truly embarrassed for the brother.

Tarver stepped to Roy Jones, Jr., and Roy at least gave Tarver his next fight.

Tarver seized the opportunity and knocked Roy out cold, and I am certain that the Pretty Boy wants to avoid that predictable fate that is awaiting him the moment he steps in to the ring with Pacquiao.

Keep it simple and take a 50/50 split, and give the public what they want…a Pretty Boy Floyd knockout courtesy of Manny Pac-Man Pacquiao.

Mark my words…if they have not made the fight yet, after Floyd was publicly called out on the worlds biggest audience for a PPV boxing match ever…then Floyd is frightened, and is looking for a face-saving way out of the match, and to still look cool.

Maybe his uncle Roger will help him out and sucker punch Pacquiao for Floyd, like he did to Zab Judah, when a street fight broke out in the ring.

That act of cowardice was very telling.

I hope we get to see who really is the man, and then we will all get to see if Floyd is for real, or as expected just all talk.

We all know what Manny Pacquiao is made of.His last 5 victories speaks volumes for him,and we know Floyd has been watching….and running away.

Only time will tell.

http://forums.doghouseboxing.com/index.php?showtopic=149062

http://www.examiner.com/x-426-Sports-Examiner~y2009m11d20-Freddie-Roach-adds-fuel-to-fire-Mayweather-doesnt-want-to-fight-Manny

Pacman inspires the nation and the rest of the world.

socalboxing — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:13:16 +0000

Photo by Chris Farina

Manny Pacquiao solidified his claim to a pound for pound throne stopping brave Miguel Cotto in the twelfth round of the WBO welterweight championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Los Vegas in front of a thunderous, sold out crowd of 16,200 on Saturday night. Crime rate goes down in Philippines when their national hero fights. Consistent with that November 14^th should become a national holiday, Manny Pacquiao Day or The Day of a Peaceful Warrior. The fight with Miguel Cotto has to be ranked among the top performances of Pacman’s brilliant career; the dynamic savagery in the ring and complete domination of one of the sport’s elite fighters left many in the arena breathless.

Photo by Chris Farina

Expecting to see a prolific offence incorporating a torrent of punches coming from all sorts of angles, fans were treated to another facet of his game, not often used in the past, a defense, but more than that the heart of a champion and ability to withstand a heavy welterweight punch. Manny Pacquiao took the best shots from the fierce Puerto Rican warrior, the shots that some feared would change the fight, and when the dust settled after six rounds, Pacman was the one firing at will with superior firepower making his opponent go in retreat.” He hit a lot harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we thought,” said Joe Santiago, a head trainer for Miguel Cotto.

In the first round Cotto came out firing a shotgun jab with bad intentions, the same jab that knocked down Joshua Clottey and gave Shane Mosley problems; this hard jab was snapping Pacquiao’s head back and making him retreat at times. In the second, a round so dynamic I watched for three minutes without taking a breath, Pacman made the adjustments and was able to unload his artillery and the firefight was on.

Cotto was doing very well in the third round landing his patented left hooks and driving Pacquiao back at times and just when it started to look like he was going to assert his dominance and strength, Pacquiao dropped him with a right hook that went around the glove, which Puerto Rican fighter never saw. It was a flash, more off balance knock down that only made Cotto more aggressive in the conclusion of the third. But besides winning the round, it was a shot itself that was very significant for Manny, because it was the right hook around that Cotto, keeping his gloves high, could not see coming.

In the fourth Cotto continued to land bombs, especially some thunderous body blows that made fans of Pacquiao cringe, but when the Pilipino dynamo bounced on his feet and did a patented move hitting his gloves together as if to say” Let’s go” it seemed as though Pacquiao was able to take Cotto’s best shots and we were going to find out if the Puerto Rican fighter could do the same. “I tried to test his power in the early rounds. That’s why I got hit in the body and the head. I controlled the fight,” said Manny Pacquiao.

In the heated exchange at the end of the fourth stanza Manny dropped Cotto with a short left, square on the chin, and this time it was not a flash knock down; Miguel was hurt, but he got up and made it out of the round. Besides being behind on points, Cotto had a look of desperation in his eyes knowing he had a very uphill battle in front of him. “It didn’t go my way tonight,” said Cotto after the fight:” The jabs I threw landed, but I didn’t protect myself.” Actually Miguel did not know how to protect himself as Pacquiao turned up the intensity and unloaded blistering combinations that were coming from all angles baffling the Puerto Rican fighter.

It remained somewhat competitive for a few more rounds, but after the sixth Pacquiao took over the fight, he increased his lethal combinations while Cotto was mostly backing up and occasionally throwing back punches that lacked speed and power of earlier rounds. Pacman continued to stock his retreating prey and unload almost at will. Ninth round was especially damaging as bloodied and battered Cotto, chillingly similar to the way he looked in a fight with Margarito, seemed to wilt under ongoing fire assault. Miguel’s wife and son could not watch it any more and left the arena after the ninth. In the corner papa Cotto kept saying enough and head trainer was saying “We will give you one more round!”, but they never did stop the fight. Manny pressed forward, doing his job, stopping at times, glancing at the referee as if to say: “Do you want me to kill this guy?”

Finally referee Kenny Bayless stopped the massacre at fifty five seconds of the twelfth round. Cotto, who obviously wanted to finish the fight on his feet, was taken to the local hospital for observations.

“I fought everybody, and Manny is one of the best boxers today,” Cotto said. That point is very hard to argue unless you are Floyd Mayweather. “I want to see him fight Mayweather,” trainer Freddie Roach said. And so does the rest of the world. Las Vegas bookmakers have already posted the odds on that fight. Will we get to see it?

Latest from Floyd

ebanjo — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:58:29 +0000

Floyd has done an exclusive interview here with SkySportsNews on Sunday. Floyd said Manny is a one-dimensional fighter, which I believe he is, his only assets are his footwork and speed, while Mayweather has the whole package, aka he is balanced – best of both (a bit of speed, a bit of power, a bit of footwork, and the thing that makes him unique is his brain). Mayweather’s ring philosophy is “whoever has the smartest brain wins in boxing”, & I certainly agree. Mayweather is the most smartest boxer out their, forget strength, power, etc… it’s all about fighting smart.

Manny has been knocked out in his early days when he was young & learning (this was when he was professional). But, being knocked out in your early professional days is a heavy embarrassment, because early in your career, your meant to show what your made off (& losing early in your career is odd/a sign of weakness & bad heart). And of course, Marquez gave him quite a good beating and exposed his flaws, so has Cotto to some minor extent, but Marquez ultimately gave him one hell of a beating, but Manny won the boxing match between & Marquez by unanimous decision, but Marquez, I believe is the toughest opponent Manny has faced up to now, which is why when asked at the Cotto after-fight interview, the interviewer said “which was your hardest fight” he failed to answer the question, due to embarrassment, instead talking about the Cotto fight.

Manny was asked multiple times if he wanted Floyd, but said it’s up to his management. True boxers don’t leave decisions to their management, they call boxers out, like Shane Mosley did to Floyd in his Marquez fight (in a rather rude & disrespectful manner). Manny needs to speak for himself, & stop ducking Mayweather, he knows the world wants that fight, but is to ignorant/scared to call Floyd out. Boxers should be chasing Floyd for a fight with him, as he’s No.1 & undefeated. I believe Manny has earn his opportunity to fight Floyd, & should have called him out when interviewed so the fans get more of a buzz.

Overall, Manny obviously has weaknesses as exposed mainly by Marquez (which is why Floyd fought him, so he can say I beat the 1 who beat Manny). Manny’s defence is average, as you seen Manny protecting his head, but one of Cotto’s upper cuts got in. If Manny tried to use his lightning speed against Mayweather, I think he would look stupid, like Oscar did when he fought Mayweather, Oscar went in their aiming shots all over the place, which is what Manny does. Manny’s lightning speed is quite like Oscar’s combos, they are not precise, and both boxers just blast them out leaving themselves open, & leaving yourself open to Mayweather means a counter punch from Mayweather. So overall, Manny will never get into Mayweather due to his solid defence, lighting reflexes, and Mayweather’s precision & counter-punching skill is just to much for Manny. Mayweather of course is clearly the more intelligent man & bigger man… Floyd has got a lot to lose if he gets beat by Manny, but Floyd will not get beat, because everything he had was on the line in the Marquez fight, & he won it, so Manny is just basically fresh meat for the Mayweather grinder.

Sugar Shane Mosley Set to Knock out Undefeated Andre Berto on Jan.30th

jerrybrice — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:21:45 +0000

Golden Boy promotions announced today, the day that we will all witness Manny Pacquiao fight Cotto in Las Vegas, that a fight between Sugar Shane Mosley and Andre Berto will take place on January 30th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Berto (25-0, 19 KOs), the WBC welterweight champ will face his toughest opponent when he steps to Shane Mosley (46-5-0, 39 KOs), the WBA welterweight title holder,who last knocked out Antonio Margarito last Jan. 24th, even though Margarito had illegal plaster cast cemented into his gloves.

Margarito lost his welterweight belt that night, and has been suspended from the sport for a year.He should have been charged with a crime, because hitting someone on their head with a plaster cast is like striking them with brass knuckles, which could kill a human being.

Golden Boy Promotions will co-promote the fight with Lou Dibella Promotions. It will be shown on HBO. No pay per view.

Berto is a talented fighter, but I predict that Shane will knock him out, as Pacquiao will do to Cotto tonight, no disrespect to Cotto or his fans….so if you disagree, comment here and let me know.

I recommend that you all watch the fight, because both are action packed fighters.

So, before the fight tonight between Cotto and Pac man Pacquiao…let me know what your prediction is,and after the fight,if I am right, or wrong,sound off here.Who knows,maybe I need to stick to politricks…

Cotto-Pacquiao weigh-in

fitzbitzonfights — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:19:21 +0000

Defending champion Miguel Cotto tipped the scales at 145 pounds – his lightest weight in more than three years – one night ahead of his WBO welterweight title defense against Manny Pacquiao in the year’s most anticipated pay-per-view bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A winner in 34 of 35 fights since turning pro in 2001, Cotto agreed to come in two pounds below the weight division’s traditional limit in order to secure the big-money bout with Pacquiao, who holds the IBO title at 140 pounds and is generally considered the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter.

Pacquiao weighed 144 pounds, heavier than he’s been for any of 54 bouts in a 14-year pro career.

A 29-year-old Puerto Rican, Cotto is former 140-pound champion who subsequently held the WBA’s welterweight title before a controversial 11-round TKO loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008.

Margarito was suspended six months later after commission inspectors found illegal substances in his hand wraps prior to a bout with Shane Mosley.

Cotto was a champion again one bout later, defeating Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO title at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 21. He’s defended once since, overcoming a bloody cut to top Joshua Clottey by razor-thin split decision at MSG on June 13.

He weighed 147 for both the Jennings and Clottey bouts.

“We had a great training camp, which is the reason why I wanted to take our team to Tampa. I am facing a great fighter in Pacquiao,” Cotto said. “He has great hand speed and a big heart. It will be a battle.

“I began boxing when I was a little boy, just 11 years old. I always dreamed of fighting for the world championship. I have fought in world title fights, won championships, but this fight is very special. I want to tell all of my fans that I am ready to fight. We have a great game plan and we will win.”

Pacquiao, a former world title claimant at 112, 122, 130 and 135 pounds, weighed 142 pounds for a ninth-round stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya last December, a result that led to De La Hoya’s retirement and propelled Pacquiao to the sport’s consensus No. 1 spot.

He’s fought once since, winning the IBO junior welterweight bout with a vicious one-punch stoppage of Ricky Hatton in round two of their scheduled 12-rounder at the MGM Grand on May 2.

“Cotto’s size and power need to be respected, but I will leverage his size against him,” Pacquiao said. “We have numerous plans to do this depending on the style of fight he presents on Saturday night.

“We are prepared. As important as it is to have advantages, knowing how to use them is even more crucial.”

Now 30 years old and unbeaten since a decision loss to Erik Morales in 2005, the Filipino is 49-3-2 overall with 37 knockouts.

The undercard will include a WBC 154-pound title bout between champion Daniel Santos of Puerto Rico and unbeaten American Yuri Foreman.

Also featured is a 10-round bout involving Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and a separate match with Alfonso Gomez, who was Arturo Gatti’s final opponent in 2007 and lost a title challenge against Cotto in 2008.

Mr Cotto Meet Mr Pacquiao , Mr Pacquiao Meet Mr Cotto ..........Gentlemen Please Box

tophatal — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:39:37 +0000

Once again the fading sport of boxing seeks to enrich our lives with another of their extravaganzas. This time around it’s a welterweight title fight being broadcast via PPV ($54.95 11:00pm ET Saturday 14th November 2009). The two combatants will be WBO welterweight champion, Miguel Cotto (34-1,27 KO’s) who faces challenger, Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2,37 KO’s). This highly anticipated fight takes place this Saturday, at the MGM Grand Casino & Resort, in Las Vegas, Nevada. And the bout itself is being promoted and staged by Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. , in conjunction with several of Top Rank’s media partners and patrons.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao (L) smiles as he poses with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto during the final news conference for their bout at the MGM Grand Hotel/Casino November 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao and Cotto will meet in a WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand on November 14. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The bout itself, will lure the real fight fans to see one of the sport’s modern day heroes in Manny Pacquiao. And though he hasn’t a welterweight title to his name. He’s viewed as the linear champion within the welterweight division. And Arum, as the promoter of both fighters is in the enviable position of making a great deal of money from the event and for both Cotto and Pacquiao. It is expected that the bout may well draw in excess 1.75 million buys,realizing in excess of $ 96 million from the anticipated buys alone. And when one adds in the gate receipts of between $10-$15 million , not including the international broadcast rights, concessions and memorabilia sales. And the bout is expected to gross in excess of $110 million. Arum, and neither of his fighters, have made it public as to what the split may well be, between the fighters. But it is expected that neither fighter will walk away with less $20 million each , once the accounting and financial details have been taken care of.

Pacquiao takes care of business with his dismantling and then devastating knockout of Ricky Hatton for the IBO light-welterweight title. Pacquiao defeated the Englishman with a second round knockout in their title fight. The venue was the MGM Grand,Las Vegas, Nevada.
And on the 2nd May 2009 , the whole world knew then , what we all continue to believe now. Manny Pacquiao is the best pound for pound boxer in the world.

Pacuquiao coming off two devastating wins over former champions, in Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KO’s) and then his sensational display in dismantling and then knocking out Ricky Hatton (45-2-32 KO’s). Well, it has led many to believe that the same fate awaits Miguel Cotto. And though the WBO champion feels that he’s the one with the far more accomplished skills as a fighter. The vast majority of us in the know, are fully aware as evidenced by the recent displays by Pacquiao. Skills may mean one thing but if you can’t back it up in the ring. In the end it all counts for nothing. Personally, I favor Pacquiao to end this fight in a knockout in the early to mid rounds of the bout. Especially, given the fact that Cotto’s skin is very much like porcelain. He’s never been known to be able to take a good shot to the chin. And when cut, his skin essentially opens up to any laceration by way of effective shots to the head. In essence , Cotto’s skin is like that of a newborn baby. He cuts all too easily and given Pacquiao’s proclivity to end his fights rather spectacularly. The only way I can see Cotto overcoming Pacquiao, is to dictate the pace of the fight and to try and use his reach advantage over the challenger. If not then this bout could finish in devastating fashion.

Fans and members of the press convene at Yankees Stadium at a press conference to publicize the upcoming WBO welterweight title bout between title holder, Miguel Cotto and the challenger , Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. At the podium behind the dais is Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach taking questions from the press and fans alike. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Will Hart ……….

Cotto’s resume’ as a fighter ,though not littered with as many high profiled names as his opponent’s fight record. Nonetheless, he’s faced some stiff opposition over the course of his career. But in many people’s eyes the loss to Antonio Margarito gave us something of a glimpse as to the vulnerability of the fighter. And even though it came back to haunt Margarito as to his actions. Nonetheless, we saw one of the more corrupt sides to the sport. And at the same time, how ineffective the governing bodies are with regard to the sport of boxing. It’s something that essentially has curbed the appetite of the fight fan in general. The laissez-faire attitude of the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBC has become an anathema to us all.

Cotto and Pacquiao pose for the press on the hallowed ground of Yankees Stadium in New York City, New York. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Will Hart ................

Cotto’s most recent bout saw him win comfortably in defeating Joshua Clottey (35-3-0, 20KO’s,1-NC). A fighter who’s now on the downside of his career but someone who’s still respected amongst his peers. And that’s solely for the main reason he comes to bang and bang he does with the very best of them. And though it led to Cotto dethroning the then WBO champion. The bout, and the way it ended was non too impressive. Cotto did enough to win but he was nowhere dominant as he,himself had hoped to be.

Cotto stands over Joshua Clottey in the first round of their WBO welterweight title fight. Referee Arthur Mercante Sr, looks on at the events . picture appears courtesy of Top Rank Inc. - Chris Farina ................

As I alluded to earlier, if the champion is to prevail. Then, he’ll have to make use of all of the physical advantages that he can avail himself of. His opponent is a fighter ,who can either box his way through a fight , or he can indeed turn the bout into a slugfest between he and Cotto, on the night. The latter scenario, I believe wouldn’t at all bode well for the champion ! Cotto has to prove himself a worthy champion. A loss here, and in essence his career takes a backseat for the foreseeable future. A win for the challenger, further cements Pacquiao’s legacy as one of the all-time greats of the sport of boxing. And with the win would come another history making achievement. Winning the WBO welterweight title would make him the first fighter in history to win a title in seven different weight categories. And there haven’t been many boxers to have titles multiple weight divisions over the years. There’ve been but a handful , and all have had illustrious careers. If Pacquiao is to join them , which in all honesty I believe that he will. Then there’ll be no doubt in anyone’s mind as to who the best fighter has been this decade.

Mr Cotto meet Mr Pacquiao, Mr Pacquiao meet Mr Cotto. Gentleman ,Please Box ! This has the makings of being an instant classic and I surely hope that the event itself lives up to the hype ! It’s something that the sport of boxing surely needs !

NB Current welterweight titlists as recognized by the various international organizations.

Boxer
Shane Mosley(46-5,39 KO’s) WBA (World Boxing Association)

Andre Berto (25-0,19 KO’s) WBC (World Boxing Council)

IBF(Int’l Boxing Federation)is at present vacant.

Cotto VS Pacquiao

Watchmen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:28:48 +0000

Este próximo sábado 14 de Noviembre el mundo del boxeo se prepara para lo que posiblemente sea la pelea del año. Dos de las grandes figuras del boxeo en el Siglo 21 se subirán al ring a demostrar quién es el mejor libra por libra del mundo. En una esquina el orgullo de las Filipinas, Manny Pacquiao y en la otra el orgullo de Puerto Rico, Miguel Cotto. Dos gladiadores que se han batallado con los mejores en su división y que han demostrado que cada vez que suben al ring le brindan al público un gran espectáculo.

Manny Pacquio un gladiador filipino que cuenta con buenos recursos como son su rapidez, estámina, agilidad, recursos que ha sabido utilizar muy bien para derrotar boxeadores de la calidad de Erick “El Terrible” Morales, Juan Manuel Márquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton y Oscar De la Hoya este ultimo en el ocaso de su carrera. Aunque mucho de estos nombres impresionan con varios de ellos el filipino tuvo que pelear con ellos en más de una ocasión, en ocasiones por que las peleas terminaron en empate, nunca pudo KO a sus oponentes solo a Hatton y a De la Hoya quien decidió quitarse, lo que puede poner en duda la pegada de Pacquiao. Uno de los recursos del Pac-Man es su rapidez y su habilidad para cortar a sus oponentes, habilidad que sin ninguna duda tratara de usar para cortar temprano en la pelea al cagueño quien tiene la tendencia de ser cortado en sus peleas.

Miguel Cotto el guerrero del Turabo es uno de los boxeadores mas completos en estos momentos ya que posee pegada, rapidez quizás no tan rápido como Pacquiao (pero ojo eso mismo decían con Judah y Mosley ), sabe boxear, corta bien el ring, pone presión y sobre todo sabe cómo salir de problemas como lo hizo en la pelea de Clottey que estando tuerto logro mantenerse de pie y obtener la victoria. Cotto cuenta en su record con victorias sobre Carlos “El Indio” Quintana, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Joshua Clottey y Paul Malignaggi. Y aunque Cotto cuenta con una derrota en su record esa derrota fue contra el mexicano Antonio “Margacheato”, digo Antonio Margarito boxeador que fue suspendido por ponerse yeso en sus vendajes, sin duda esa fue una gran pelea para los fanáticos del boxea que termino con la derrota del puertorriqueño, pero dejando claro que este no fue KO este decidió quietarse porque ya su cuerpo no daba para más nada el cansancio acabo con el y todo eso fue por irse a los palos con Margarito, si hubiese continuado con el boxeo que utilizo en los primeros rounds sin duda hubiese sido una fácil victoria para Cotto, si no me creen vean esa pelea de nuevo.

¿Qué sucederá el sábado? sin titubear, una guerra eso es lo que sucederá el sábado cuando esos dos guerreros suban al ring. Encuentro que para Pacquiao poder obtener la victoria debe de usar su rapidez, hacer puntos, usar su jab, moverse bien en el ring y no pararse a dar puños de tú a tú con Cotto. Debe de tratar de darle un buen golpe a Cotto que lo ponga en mal estado y luego lanzar puños a lo loco que aunque no pegue ninguno, dar la impresión de que esta masacrando a Cotto y así el árbitro parará la pelea y este obtendrá la victoria por TKO. Otro punto que Pacquiao pude sacarle provecho es tratar de abrir las heridas viejas que tiene Cotto en su rostro para así crear una hemorragia en el cagueño y atacar esas heridas , para provocar que los médicos paren la pelea. Yo no veo la posibilidad de que Paquiao pueda KO a Miguel Cotto, a lo mejor me equivoque pero realmente veo poca posibilidad de que eso ocurra.

Por otro lado Cotto debe de tratar de robarle el tiro a Pacquiao a la hora de lanzar los golpes, debe castigar los planos bajos de Pacquiao ya que los que han visto las peleas de Pacquiao saben que cuando lo castigan abajo brinca como saltamontes y tiende a bajar su velocidad. Cotto tiene que usar su fuerza para presionar y machucar a Pacquiao. Una de las ventajas que puede tener “Junito” es que al Pacquiao subir de peso puede perder pegada y eso puede ser problemas para el filipino, debido a que si Cotto no siente la pegada tengan por seguro que ira detrás de Pacquiao para anestesiarlo. Cotto lo mas que tiene que cuidarse es de la rapidez de Pacquiao ya que independientemente pierda pegada o no no creo que Pacquiao pueda KO a Cotto no lo KO , Margarito con los puños vendados , no lo KO nadie.

Creo que este pelea se decidirá por KO a favor de Cotto tarde en la pelea, de irse la pelea a decisión cerrada Pacquiao saldrá con la victoria por lo que representa para Top Rank una pelea Pacquiao VS Mayweather, para Cotto obtener una decisión debe ser que este aplaste a Pacquiao claramente sin ninguna duda razonble. Vuelvo y recalco que Pacquiao no KO a Cotto, puede ser que me equivoque pero no creo.

Al final de la velada boxística Michael Buffer dira: “de Caguas Puerto Rico and still WBO champion of the World Miguel Angel Cottoooooooo” si no te gusta mi análisis tiene toda la libertad de comentar y expresar lo que quieras en confianza pa eso se hizo este blog para discutir…

TruFan Boxing: Gleason's Gym Children's Picture Book?

Breakfast @ Tiffany's — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:08:45 +0000

Is boxing an art or a science? For me, I think it’s a mix of both… And for one man, the World Famous Gleason’s Gym inspired Kid’s picture book. Boxing & bedtime stories sounds like a match made in heaven! Author Ted Lewin sits down to chat about his award-winning children’s book.

From Children’s books to girl fights! Yeah, you heard me. Ever wanted to see what really happens at a girls sleep over party? And speaking of girl fights we’ve got the first part of J. Monte’s chat with Lucia Rijker. And, of course we’ve got some Twitter fun for you. Ding ding…

To see more videos & become a member check out INASECTV.com

Fighter of the Month: September

David Payne — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:31:02 +0000

The BoxingWriter.co.uk Fighter of Month award has now developed such prestige I’ve been asked

“Sugar” Shane Mosley to fight Andre Berto in Las Vegas on Jan. 30

vbablogger — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:43:24 +0000

The chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions said he has “finalized” a deal to match Pomona’s Shane Mosley, right, (46-5, 39 KOs) versus Andre Berto (26-0, 19 KOs) in a world welterweight title unification bout on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Mosley, who aspires to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. and/or Manny Pacquiao, had a TKO victory over Antonio Margarito earlier this year.

Bernard Hopkins will fight Enrique Ornelas on Dec. 2 in Philadelphia. If he wins, as expected, Hopkins will fight Roy Jones Jr. sometime in 2010.

Mosley pulls a kanye by Andrew Lapachet

profightnetwork — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:54:18 +0000

Mosley Pulled a Kanye West
But This One Justified!

By Andrew Lapachet
Primer Round Magazine
www.Profightnetwork.com

Love it or hate it…what Sugar Shane Mosley did after Mayweather’s annihilation of J.M. Marquez last Saturday night was exactly what that match-up needed to get a buzz heard around the world. It was respectful, yet uncalled for, and Mayweather Jr. handled it with class. Now with that being said, I was with about 99% percent of the other media present who believe it’s time for Mayweather to give Mosley a shot at the P-4-P ranking. The fight made sense before Mosley stepped on Floyd’s return victory, now it should be personal.

Some feel Mosley went too far, I feel he didn’t play the line close enough. Too many times fighters who deserve shots at the P-4-P Champions get passed by because their name or fight never reaches the potential that will satisfy both men financially. I like the fact that Mosley was willing to put his license on the line to get a fight; it showed passion and determination. A fight that was once described as Hearns/Leonard is now being described as Hearns/Haggler 2. That’s what this single act created and if that’s what Mosley had to do to create that buzz, more power to him.

Mosley’s Antics Spreading In Boxing World
Caballero Planning Challenge at Latin Fury Oct 10th

WBA/IBF Jr. Featherweight Champion Celestino Caballero (32-2, 22 KO’s) thinks what Mosley did was productive because he already announced this week that he will be present ringside at Juan Manuel Lopez’s next fight to challenge him. Caballero has big wins against two former champions that were undefeated at the time they lost to him (Daniel Ponce De Leon and Steve Molitor) but somehow he lacks the star power that I. Vazquez and R. Marquez hold in the sport. Now with the help of Top Rank, who will be showing this fight live on PPV, Caballero will have the opportunity to let a lot of people know who he is and what his future should be. My only advice to Caballero’s team would be to make sure he doesn’t lose his license by doing something stupid. If the current top fighters won’t fight you now, it’s going to be even harder if you’re suspended.
Either way October 10th just got a little more intriguing.

Mayweather should be praised, not punished, for Marquez win

tbontemps1 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:51:46 +0000

In the aftermath of Floyd Mayweather’s unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday night, the common refrain seemed to be not how dominant Mayweather had been in the fight, but instead why he didn’t knock Marquez out, or why he had even bothered to fight the man at all.

The criticism was laughable, but, then again, the criticism often is laughable when it comes to the man who calls himself “Money”. Floyd Mayweather is the most gifted boxer in the business, and has never been pushed even close to his breaking point in a fight. Because of that, people are always left wanting more when he cruises from beginning to end, as he did Saturday night, and dismantles his opponent – who, this time, just happened to be the near-consensus No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world entering the fight.

Now the questioning of the legitimacy of Marquez’s chances against Mayweather in the ring would have been valid, and many did so. Marquez was jumping up about 10 pounds higher than he’d ever fought to take on Mayweather who, despite taking about 20 months off since his last fight, had been fighting at 147 pounds for years, and had fought Oscar De La Hoya – and won – at 154 pounds. And while often the smaller man would be the faster man in a fight like this, no one in boxing is faster than Mayweather, leaving Marquez with only one thing going for him: his undeniable heart and courage in the ring, the hallmark of great Mexican fighters.

And Marquez displayed that heart against Mayweather, in a fight where he was knocked down in the second round but continued to soldier on until 12 rounds had passed and the fight ended. But instead of hailing Marquez for holding his ground for 12 rounds against a man he had no chance of beating – something many lesser men wouldn’t have done – Mayweather was instead blasted for not forcing him to quit.

For a man with as much talent as “Money”, however, these questions will not go away. Instead, he can only, and should only, do everything that he can in order to make as many of the doubters change their tune as he can. To do that, he needs to take as many big fights as he can in the next two or three years, and take on the best fighters in the welterweight division.

That means fighting the winner of November’s clash between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao. That means taking on “Sugar” Shane Mosley, a man who many have said he’s avoided through his career. That means, if he wins those two fights, being willing to take on perhaps the scariest man in boxing, the 6-foot-1 inch welterweight Paul Williams – a man who would have plenty of advantages on the 5-foot-8 Mayweather, but would truly give him the credit that he craves as being the best if he managed to win the fight.

It will remain to be seen what will happen next with Mayweather’s career, though he claims to want to fight the best, and it seems more than likely that he will be taking on either Cotto or Pacquiao next May. But, in the meantime, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he just dismantled one of the best fighters in the world after taking nearly two years off.

The “Money” is back in boxing. Now let’s see where it goes from here.

mayweather-mosley next mega fight?

sportsfan4life — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:15:12 +0000

After Mayweather dominated Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday, is Mosley the next bout? I sure hope so. First off, lets talk about last Saturday’s match. Floyd Mayweather was flawless in this coming out of retirement fight. No disrespect to Marquez, Floyd was too much in every aspect (size, speed, skill, etc). He infact looked like “Super Mayweather” hahahaha. His physique was incredible… I though Floyd would get the knockout eventually, but Marquez is very tough. So does this prove that Mayweather is officially the pound for pound king again? Hard to say. Some fans say yes, where others say no. Where does boxing go from here? Well, time will tell. It is nice to say that boxing is back lucratively. Remember about two years ago where people were saying it was “dead”? The post fight of Mayweather-Marquez had some fireworks (video posted below) with Mayweather and Shane Mosley arguing a bit. This is because Shane Mosley has wanted a crack at Floyd for quite sometime. Some say that Floyd is ducking Mosley. I don’t know if its true or not. Regardless, this fight has potential to be in the class of “mega fight”. Mega as in the Pay Per Views buys Mike Tyson & Oscar De La Hoya used to bring in. In my opinion, Mosley has the best shot at defeating Mayweather. I don’t think Manny Pacquaio can mess with Floyd after watching him outclass Marquez. He is too big & powerful for Manny. I would honestly rather see Mayweather vs Mosley anyhow. The two are around the same size (Mosley probably a little bigger). Anyway, those are my thoughts on the current boxing scene.

[Video] Shane Mosley Confronts Mayweather

zsolo718 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:26:25 +0000

Shane Mosley confronts Money Mayweather about why he’s ducking the fight between them. All hel

Sugar Shane Mosley Talks Smack To Floyd Mayweather After The Fight

Cleon — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:05:17 +0000

more about “Google“, posted with vodpod

Moseley vs. Mayweather would make a great fight, but right now Shane needs to wait his turn. The people desperately want Pacquiao. And no way Money Mayweather passes up all that huge payday.

Mayweather dominates Marquez; who's next?

pacejmiller — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:25:08 +0000

Floyd Mayweather Jr made a triumphant return to the ring last night, dominating a game but outclassed Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 one-sided rounds. The judges had it 120-107, 119-108 and 118-109, all in favour of ‘Money’, but some ringsiders say the judges actually did Marquez a favour by giving him a couple of rounds. Mayweather’s record remained unblemished at 40-0 (25 KOs), while Marquez fell to 50-5-1 (37 KOs).

Before the fight, much talk surrounded the significant size advantage Mayweather had on Marquez, especially after Floyd had to raise the contract weight from 144 to 147 pounds the day before the fight. He officially weighed in at 146 pounds, whereas Marquez weighed only 142. Floyd also refused to be weighed on the day of the fight, leading to speculation that he must have had more than 10 pounds on Marquez by the time they stepped into the ring.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Not only was Mayweather bigger and stronger than Marquez, he was also faster, more accurate and significantly better defensively. Marquez didn’t stand a chance.

Now all attention turns to Manny Pacquiao’s bout with Miguel Cotto on November 14th, with the winner (especially if it is Pacquiao) likely to be Floyd’s next opponent, provided the negotiators can reach an agreement. Of course, waiting on the sidelines is welterweight champ Sugar Shane Mosley, who called out Mayweather ‘Kayne West-style’ in the ring after the bout last night (see more below).

Fight Analysis

At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on 19 September 2009, Floyd Mayweather Jr put on a superb tactical performance against Juan Manuel Marquez, who did everything he could but just couldn’t do anything effective against his bigger, younger, faster opponent. The crowd was very much pro-Marquez, with excited oohs and aahs ringing throughout the arena every time Marquez threw a punch that looked like it was close to landing (and this was rare). However, they couldn’t spur their man to victory. Mayweather showed little rust from the layoff, demonstrating the deadly speed and precision that we’re used to seeing from him, and leaving Marquez and his trainer Nacho Beristain with no answers.

As expected, Mayweather was slightly cautious in the first round, jabbing and moving while spending most of the time surveying his opponent. In the second round, Marquez landed a big right hand that brought a smile to Mayweather’s face. He returned the favour in dramatic fashion, landing a left hook and then adding another one shortly after that put Marquez flat on his backside. From there, the fight was all Mayweather, who was simply superb in attacking and defending from all angles. Left jab to the head, left jab to the body. Lunging lead left hook. Left and right hand counters. Block, cover up, roll, fend, tie-up. And if all else fails, run. Even when Marquez tried to rally with wild combos, Mayweather always appeared in complete control, picking off each punch as though he was toying with his outmatched opponent.

Mayweather was better than Marquez in every respect

The first few rounds, if you don’t look closely and if you discount the second round knockdown, don’t appear that dominant. But if you paid attention or if you saw the punch stats, you would have seen that Floyd was putting on a boxing clinic. Marquez just couldn’t get off, and the few punches he did land, Mayweather shrugged them off with a smile. Marquez’s face, apart from becoming more bruised and battered as the fight wore on, was filled with both anger and frustration – at his own inability to do anything against his opponent. To his credit, even though he was receiving the beating of his life, stuck through it and never gave up till the final bell. No matter how many times he got hit, no matter how many of his shots were blocked or evaded, Marquez just kept coming. And if he was hurt, he certainly didn’t show it. A true warrior.

Punch stats were devastating. Mayweather landed 290 of 493 punches, a staggering 59%. Conversely, Marquez, who actually threw more punches, landed just 69 of 583, an abysmal 12%. Power punch stats were almost equally bewildering, with Mayweather landing 105 out of 177 (59%) and Marquez landing only 48 out of 295 (16%). To really put things in perspective, there was not a single round where Marquez landed more than 8 punches, and in each of rounds 1, 2, 5 and 10, he only landed 4. If Mayweather isn’t right up there as one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, then I don’t know who is.

After 21 months out of the ring, I had forgotten just how good Floyd Mayweather was. Though I predicted him to win, I had mistakenly expected the fight to be much closer given his ‘retirement’, as well as his financial, legal and family issues. As proven last night, Floyd’s instincts and reflexes are unparalleled – he is simultaneously sharp and awkward, and almost impossible to figure out within 12 rounds. He knows when to slip in and when to slip out, when to attack and when to defend.

However, watching this fight, you understand why Floyd, even if you discount his douchebag antics, isn’t a more popular fighter. First, he doesn’t like to take risks or engage unless he has to. He was beating Marquez around the ring all night and even scored a knockdown, but he refused to go for the kill and hand Marquez the first knockout loss of his career. As part of his sublime defence, Floyd backpedals, runs, and sometimes looks like a frightened child cowering from a rabid dog. Technically, he is brilliant, but for people who like to see action, they’d much rather watch Manny Pacquiao. Which is probably why his fight with Marquez, though more exciting than I had anticipated, was considered a snoozer by many who saw it.

Size and weight mattered

It wouldn’t have made any difference to the end result, but the size and weight played a decisive factor in how the fight panned out.

Floyd Mayweather downplayed the size and weight difference from the moment the fight was made and continued even in the post-fight interviews, reminding everyone that he too was once a small fighter (albeit many many years ago). On the other hand, whether intentionally or no, he did everything he could to maximize his size advantage, to the point where he was willing to pay money to come in a few pounds overweight against a guy who was a few pounds off the initial catch-weight limit. If he weighed 146 lbs the day before the fight, how much did he weigh on the day? 155? 160? More? We’ll never know because Mayweather refused to be re-weighed, which only adds fuel to speculation that he didn’t want people to know just how big of an advantage he had.

That said, I don’t think it was Mayweather’s weight that ultimately made the difference – it was Marquez’s. He just wasn’t himself at that weight. He was visibly pudgier around the middle, something we had never seen before. He was always a step slower. Perhaps his age, at 36, had suddenly caught up with him, and his reflexes weren’t as sharp as they used to be (see De la Hoya). Perhaps he overtrained for the fight because of the 2-month delay. And don’t forget, it was his first fight at that weight, two classes above his previous high. Not that any of these things could have changed the result – but it could have at least made the fight more competitive. Excuses? Maybe, but I believe Marquez’s body simply didn’t belong in the welterweight division. Unlike his rival Manny Pacquiao, Marquez’s body maxed out at lightweight. Any weight above that became detrimental to his performance in the ring, and last night, it showed.

Around the ring

Shane Mosley wants a piece of Floyd Mayweather Jr

Some Mayweather detractors claim that the most exciting part of the night was when Shane Mosley entered the ring during Mayweather’s interview with Max Kellerman and challenged Mayweather to a fight right then and there. In response, Floyd said he was not afraid of anyone and would let his managers decide his fights (contrary to what he has said before), before Shane continued to run his mouth and the two had to be separated. Let’s hope Mosley really did get under Mayweather’s skin and the two of them will get it on, though I don’t think it will happen – not unless Manny Pacquiao loses to Miguel Cotto – because the pay day Mayweather will receive from a bout with Pacquiao will dwarf anything he can get from Mosley.

Another interesting tidbit was that Floyd Mayweather Sr was not in his son’s corner for the fight. Instead, he spent the night dressed in a loud black suit with gold trim, looking somewhat displeased in the crowd. After the fight he continued to dismiss Manny Pacquiao, saying that the Filipino was not in the same league as his son. And perhaps, in a poor attempt to try and get himself back into his son’s corner, claimed that Floyd could be a lot better than he showed in the fight. Hint hint.

Can Pacquiao beat him?

No disrespect to Miguel Cotto, but boxing fans (including myself) are already looking forward to a salivating showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the first half of 2010. Mayweather’s camp (Roger and Floyd Sr) have been dissing Pacquiao for ages, perhaps a sign of their jealousy at Pacquiao’s popularity. In response, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach dissed Mayweather by saying that he would be an ‘easier’ opponent than both Cotto and Mosley.

I bet a lot of people are now saying, given the way Marquez fought Pacquiao in their two wars and the way he was handled by Mayweather last night, that Manny would not stand a chance against Floyd. I disagree with that assessment. Much like the way I disagreed that Floyd would be no match for Manny after Pacquiao knocked out both De la Hoya and Hatton in more spectacular fashion. While he will be the underdog, I believe apart from Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao has the best chance of cutting down Mayweather.

Take the Mosley-Cotto-Margarito trio for example. When Mosley lost to Cotto in a tight decision and then Cotto got mauled by Margarito, few gave Mosley a chance when he went up against the big welterweight. And yet Mosley absolutely slaughtered Margarito when they stepped into the ring. Not to say it is comparable to the Mayweather-Pacquiao-Marquez scenario, but it does demonstrate that styles do indeed make fights.

I believe the Manny Pacquiao of now (as opposed to the one that battled Marquez) has a realistic chance of putting a loss on Mayweather’s record. It’s a mistake to dwell too much on those two fights with Marquez. First, the fights were at a featherweight and superfeatherweight (126 and 130 lbs), weights that suited Marquez a lot more than it did Pacquiao, who was seriously struggling to make weight (don’t forget, Pacquiao’s first two losses were after he failed to make weight). Pacquiao is now at a weight he is comfortable with (140-147lbs), and he has filled out his new body well without losing any of the speed and explosiveness he had at the lower weight classes. Secondly, Marquez has a style that matches up well with Pacquiao’s aggression. As Roach said, they could fight a hundred times and each time it would turn out the same. Thirdly, and most importantly, Pacquiao has improved dramatically. He’s no longer the reckless, jab-jab-cross fighter that was sometimes too one-dimensional for the elite technicians. Watch his fights against Marquez and compare them to his bouts with Diaz, De la Hoya and Hatton. He has shown so much more versatility, more discipline and more skill than the Pacquiao of old. Dare I say even more power. And let’s not forget, the Pacquiao of old still knocked Marquez down 4 times in 2 fights. If they fought at welterweight now, I have no doubt Pacquiao would win and probably knock Marquez out.

Stylistically, Mayweather would cause Pacquiao problems, but the same can be said about any fighter Mayweather faces. Pacquiao is one of a handful of fighters that has comparable hand and foot speed to Mayweather and the discipline to stick to a game plan. Further, Manny (30) is younger than Floyd (32) and is a natural southpaw with KO power in both hands. And Freddie Roach believes he has the perfect game plan for beating Mayweather, one that was half-executed by Oscar De la Hoya until he forgot to use his jab.

Everyone wants to see Pacquiao-Mayweather

Of course, even if he is a welterweight, Pacquiao is the naturally smaller fighter and Mayweather has a 5 inch reach advantage on him (72 to 67), and while he has improved defensively, Pacquiao’s defence is just not in the same class. What he does have going for him though is that relentless agression and pressure which Mayweather has never faced before, and the punching power to saw through that seemingly impenetrable defence. And if he does, Mayweather could find himself in trouble.

Will the fight be made?

All of this is just speculation. Can a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao actually be made? As usual, money is the primary obstacle. Top Rank took a step back and offered a 50-50 purse split after Freddie Roach and Bob Arum initially said Pacquiao deserved 60-40. All of this was before Floyd’s masterful domination of Marquez, of course. However, even at 50-50, Mayweather was non-commital. The key is how Pacquiao performs against Miguel Cotto. If he can blast him out of the ring like he did against Hatton and De la Hoya, AND the fight performs better than Mayweather-Marquez, then 50-50 sounds about right, though I can see Top Rank take a little less in order to get Mayweather to sign.

Although PPV records are not public yet, Mayweather-Marquez was slow to sell, with apparently more than 1,500 unsold tickets just days out from the fight. Pacquiao-Cotto, on the other hand, already only has around 500 tickets left, and are sure to sell out well in advance of the fight. So far, advantage Pacquiao.

[Update: Shockingly, Mayweather-Marquez did over 1 million PPV buys! This was when most analysts believed 600,000 was being optimistic. I guess Mayweather really has a solid claim to the lion's share of the purse if he fights Pacquiao. That said, I am still not convinced that Pacquiao will breeze through Cotto. If Manny has not put 100% effort into his training and Cotto is not affected by the drop to the catch-weight of 145 pounds, then he could be in for a rude shock against the bigger, stronger slugger.]

Philippine Sports: Can Miguel Angel Cotto Stop Manny Pacquiao?

JJ Duque — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:05:57 +0000

Being a biased Filipino – my simple answer is NO. I haven’t been the best fan of Manny P

boxing fights that should, but won't take place

sportsfan4life — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:28:09 +0000

There are a bunch of fights that the fans want to see that for the most part are not likely to happen. Here is a list of fights that I would love to see happen in the future.

*Roy Jones Jr vs Bernard Hopkins rematch- They first fought about 10 years ago and Jones came out the victor in a twelve round decision. Now that they are both aging, but can still fight, why not? Hopkins wants it more than Jones.

*Shane Mosley vs Oscar De La Hoya III- The first fight was a slug fest that favored Mosley. The second fight, De La Hoya schooled Mosley with ease, yet the judges gave it to Mosley. A third fight would be sweet but highly unlikely at this point.

*Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Shane Mosley- I would love to see this fight. Mosley wants Mayweather, but Mayweather doesn’t want Mosley. Probably because he is scared of losing.

*Andre Berto vs Paul Williams- Both guys are young and moving up the ranks. Williams just came off a vicotry of Winky Wright and Bert off Urango. I know Williams is a tad bigger than Berto, but if they fought at a catchweight, it would be doable.

*Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr- This is the mega fight. Even though it doesn’t look too far off, I have a feeling it is. Mayweather demands too much for his own good that may end up swaying this fight dead. Manny is willing to fight anyone, but Freddie Roach & Manny’s people controls his moves.

-Those are my dream match ups I would like to see happen. Let me know if I missed some bouts.

jwd708@gmail.com

More Celebrity Deaths... John Hughes and Vernon Forrest

Crash! Landen — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:40:08 +0000

Just heard that John Hughes died.

One of my favorites... Planes, Trains, & Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy. Kevin Bacon also made a fun cameo...

Hughes made a lot of people happy with his movies from Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Uncle Buck, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Breakfast Club, Vacation, the Great Outdoors, Weird Science… Dutch for God’s sake! He also was the catalyst for a lot of stars’ careers…

He was never really controversial or ‘edgy’, but his movies were always fun. They always seemed to have a few poignant moments hidden in each also. My favorite scene from Ferris Beuller’s Day Off wasn’t even one of the big laughs. It was the scene where Ferris, Sloane and Cameron were in the museum with the schoolkids and Cameron ends up staring into the expressionist painting “A Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat (while Ferris and the lovely Sloane make out)….

Just happy memories from all of those. I can tell you what friend’s house I was at or what movie theater when I saw each of these for the first time… Thanks for the great memories and movies Mr. Hughes.

There were too many deaths last month including Vernon Forrest who was yet another pretty good boxer that died last month that I didn’t comment on when it happened… I had seen him fight before I think but he got his big shot against Sugar Shane Mosely on HBO (who had beaten in the amateurs…) and became a ‘name’ fighter… Here’s one of the better rounds (for Forrest anyway…) in that one.

And here’s the aftermath that someone posted of that fight…

Forrest ended up dominating the fight when Mosley was starting to get talked about as the best pound for pound guy… It think he handled him in the rematch also if I remember correctly. Forrest always seemed to be a good guy out of the ring (unlike a lot of boxers) and was friendly enough, which makes it harder to believe that he was yet another fighter that was murdered…

Monday Weisblog: One of the few good guys in boxing leaves us far too early

weiswords — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:51:31 +0000

Vernon Forrest

I am admittedly not a huge fan of professional boxing; still, I am mildly curious from time to time with certain fights. Seven years ago, I got the chance to watch “Sugar” Shane Mosley take on some guy named Vernon Forrest, who was already in his thirties and therefore past his boxing prime. Mosley was one of the hottest tickets in boxing at the time, and very few people gave Forrest any kind of a chance.

But a funny thing happened that day … Forrest thoroughly dominated Mosley – then did it again when the two fought a second time. Suddenly, this guy very few people had ever heard of was the talk of the pugilistic world.

This late bloomer showed it was no fluke by going on to win a total of three world championships over the course of his career. His last fight was a victory over Sergio Mora in September 2008 in which he recaptured the WBC junior middleweight title.

He wasn’t particularly flashy, he didn’t talk trash and he didn’t have the knockout power all the more marketable boxers have. But he was a master tactician in the ring, and he knew exactly what he was doing at all times. I immediately liked him because he let his in-ring work do his talking for him.

Long story short, I was so impressed by this no-frills guy that I decided to find out a little more about him. Turns out he did all kinds of wonderful things in the greater Atlanta area, including providing homes for people with mentally disabled children.

Last Saturday night, Forrest stopped at an Atlanta-area convenience store to put air in one of his car’s tires, and his 11-year-old godson went inside the store as Forrest went to work on the tire. Suddenly, a man approached Forrest and asked him for money.

According to several sources, Forrest had his wallet out when the man snatched it from him and ran. Forrest gave chase and eventually gave up and headed back to his car. With his back now turned to the unidentified man, the man then pulled out a gun and shot Forrest repeatedly in the back. He was dead on the scene. His godson was unharmed and did not witness the shooting.

Did he do the wrong thing by pursuing the perpetrator? Maybe. But if you’re a boxing champion, you’re supremely confident in your ability to defend yourself. We may never know for sure what transpired, but if this kind-hearted guy lost his life by attempting to help someone down on his luck (pulling out his wallet to give a stranger a few bucks), that is nothing but a shame.

It didn’t have to happen. Forrest had turned and gone back toward his car. The man had successfully robbed him … why did this guy decide to spin around and repeatedly shoot Forrest in the back?

The boxing world is full of people with questionable ethics and intentions. That’s why it is especially painful when a guy like Forrest gets gunned down while still in the prime of his life – with a still-strong boxing career even at age 38.

He leaves behind one son of his own and a boatload of fans. So far no suspects have been identified. I hope they find the killer, and soon.

If you’ve never heard of Vernon Forrest, that’s a shame because he was one of the best-kept secrets in sports.

UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Forrest was robbed by the man at gunpoint, and when he fled, Forrest followed him with a gun of his own. Forrest was shot SEVEN to EIGHT times in his back. His godson described the gunman to police and said he drove off in a red Monte Carlo. This new information makes this story a bit more unsavory, but I said it before – when you make a living defending yourself, you have loads of confidence in your ability to do so, and you never consider that you might come out on the losing end. But when guns are involved, it ups the ante to a life or death situation. Forrest certainly should have used discretion but did not, and paid for it with his very life. Truly a tragedy.

Police: Ex-boxing champion Forrest killed in Atlanta - Boxing - Yahoo! Sports

Elias Aleman — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 19:36:12 +0000

AP Images

ATLANTA AP—Vernon Forrest, a former three-time champion who gained stardom when he became the first boxer to defeat “Sugar” Shane Mosley, was shot and killed during an apparent robbery in Atlanta, police said Sunday….Forrest, who had a 41-3 career record with 29 knockouts, is the third prominent boxer to die this month.

Former two-time champion Arturo Gatti, who retired in 2007, was found dead July 11 at a Brazilian resort. Gatti’s wife, Amanda Rodrigues, is being held as the prime suspect….Another former champion, Alexis Arguello, was found dead on July 1 at his home in Managua, Nicaragua. He was elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last year….more via Police: Ex-boxing champion Forrest killed in Ga. – Boxing – Yahoo! Sports.