Pac-Man Vs. Sugar...thanks.

Well, Manny Pacquiao's next opponent has been determined, in a May 7th bout PacMan will be fighting the faded Shane Mosley. This is definitely not a good choice for a number of reasons and only a good choice for one. What we are looking at here is an aged Shane Mosley who in his last 3 fights, demolished Margarito, got taken to school by Mayweather, and had a draw with Sergio Mora. Not that good of an argument to validate him getting a crack at CongressManny. Mosley has shown in his last few fights that he is having a harder time "pulling the trigger", which means he is hesitant in throwing his punches, and is a sign of age.
The only rewarding aspect of the fight for Manny is that it is another great name on his resume. It also can sort of debunk the theory that Manny does not fight black fighters.
Main problem here is that we have a faded great fighter , fighting a fighter in the prime of their career.
Bottom line is that Pacquiao has to fight Mayweather before it is all said and done to cement both fighters legacies.

Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams, and Bernard Hopkins comments.

Well I knew Sergio Martinez was going to win, but I had no idea he would win like that! The straight left hand he landed on Paul Williams chin was vicious! Sending "The Punisher" to the canvas out cold and totally limp! Martinez has continued to impress and improve over the past 3 years, he is hitting his stride right now, and no one is going to want to fight this man. He is fast, he is powerful, he can box, he can slug it out, I was sold on him after I saw him tear apart Pavlik in person. If Pac vs Mayweather can not happen, I'd pay good money to see Marivilla take on Money May.

What next for Paul Williams? Well if you ask me, and I am sure no one will, the best fight possible is Kelly Pavlik. Think about it, Williams is coming of a 2nd round KO to Martinez, Pavlik a UD loss, AND they were supposed to fight each other multiple times before. I think this is perfect for both fighters. Career defining match up for both of them, and still could draw good attendance and PPV numbers. I'd probably go to this one.

Bernard Hopkins, never at a loss for words, decided to stir the old racial pot last week saying that Manny Pacqiuao would lose to a black American fighter from the inner city (i.e. Floyd Mayweather) because the black style of fighting is a bad match up for him. Also went on to say that Manny has never fought and top black American fighters. I read it, digested it, and researched for about 5 minutes to find the truth to it and the why?

Here is the breakdown. Of the 9 possible weight classes for Manny to have fought in (he skipped 1 of the 9), when you take the top 10 fighters from Flyweight to Light Middleweight(9 weight classes) there are a total of 5 black American fighters in the top 10 combined, 4 being in Light Middleweight (1 being Mayweather) and 1 Nate Campbell (over the hill, not an option). Manny has fought at those 2 weight classes for 3 fights.

Now someone will throw in that he only fights at catchweights and drains his opponents, Sugar Ray Leonard did the same thing and no one is calling him out, so zip it!

Also something else to consider is that there aren't too many black Americans living in Asia, that's where the first 34 fights of Manny's 55 were held. That's like saying Floyd is scared of Filipino fighters...well there aren't too many of those in Detroit is there? Lastly, there is only one black American worth Pacquiao's time and effort, Floyd Mayweather. Why on earth would Manny Pacquiao fight Devon Alexander? Timothy Bradley? or Andre Berto? Neither bring big crowds, neither is proven enough against top competition to earn a fight against PacMan.

All of that brings me to why Bernard Hopkins said this stuff. He may come off as some delusional old man from Philly, but, with everything he does he has a purpose. Bernard Hopkins is partner in Golden Boy Promotions, which is handling Mayweather now. So basically what he is doing is calling Floyd out to be the "Great Black Hope", so he can sit back and watch the millions of dollars pour in for, what is guaranteed to be, the highest grossing fight in the history of Boxing.

He's smarter than he looks.

Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams 2. The War Wages On

Saturday night there will be another "War on the Shore" at historical Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Myself, and fans alike, are expecting them to pick right up where they left off from the first battle. Williams has been a little more inactive than Martinez, last action was a match with Kermit Cintron that ended in Cintron "falling" out of the ring. Martinez on the other hand went a full 12 with Kelly Pavlik, winning the Middleweight Championship of the World. In the second fight I like Martinez to take the W. If his weight is under control, was 175 only 2.5 weeks ago for a fight to be held at 156lbs, then I think with his skill and confidence from the Pavlik win, he will be hard to stop. Williams would be better severed to use his jab and reach and drop the overhand right when the timing is right, and not make it a brawl.

"His power can't hurt me"-Antonio Margarito after the 2nd round.

You sure about that?

Good Lord

I should be punched for even letting doubt creep in my skull for this one. After the 2nd round, barring a huge lucky punch, I knew this one was over. The second was the only round I gave to Margo on my scorecard, 119-109. Pacquiao's blinding speed was on full display as he picked apart the lumbering slugger. Margarito looked "ok" in the first 2 rounds, jabbing with great accuracy, but the "in and out" style and "angle punching" was too much. He just did not have the tools.
Pacquiao further cements himself as an ATG, conquering larger opponents in dominating fashion. He even broke into a rendition of the "Ali Shuffle" in Round 7, which I found to be awesome. The Filipino brawler even showed his human side in the ring, looking to Referee Laurence Cole in the 11th round to stop the beating he was putting on Tony. Pacquiao though, in good form, carried Marg for the last round and a half, and allowed him to finish on his feet. Margarito deserved everyone of the 401 punches that landed on his face. He cheated, he was caught, he lied, he made fun of a man with a disease beyond his control, and in general showed his true colors.

The question and answer that we all have after a Manny Pacquiao fight is "if and when will he fight Mayweather?" At this point I would not hold my breath, there is about 30,000,000 on the table for each guy to get in the ring, it will break PPV records, attendance records (if held at Cowboys Stadium, gate receipts, etc. It's Hagler/Hearns, Ali/Frazier of the new century. It will be a great shame for the fighters, and for the fans if this fight never happens. For the fighters because it will always be the missing link in their resumes, and for the fans because, in a dying sport, we deserve something for loyalty.

Will the 2 best P4P of the same generation ever mix it up? I have no idea. But for now we can only hope.

Weigh In Numbers

Manny Pacquiao weighed in at, what I would call dangerous, a low 144.5lbs. While Antonio Margarito weighed in at the limit of 150lbs. The height advantage was very clear during the staredown, a good 5 inches in Marg's favor. The thing that struck me as odd was Manny not looking as "shredded" as normal in the stomach. Have a weird feeling about this one, but am going to hold to my original prediction. Manny with a decision victory.

Right When You Think You Know Someone...

Antonio Margarito is still hated by most in the boxing community, but was doing his best to revive his image lately. Welp The Tijuana Tornado just undid all of that image building by mocking Freddie Roach's battle with Parkinson's disease. As if Camp Pacquiao needed anymore motivation, Margarito and his little buddy, Brandon Rios, did this (just before the 2 min mark) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPNkNHo7OwM&feature=player_embedded . Totally uncalled for and classless on their part. I know Roach runs his mouth about the fights, BUT has he been wrong lately? No. Either way what is he supposed to say? His fighter will lose? He gave his opinion on the handwraps, something Margarito can control, Freddie cannot control Parkinson's. Prediction now changes to a Manny KO Rounds 9-10.

Rios should keep in mind also that he is still a nobody in Boxing and with one loss could wipe away any sort of relevance he created for himself.

The Hour is Upon Us

Well, it is fight week in Dallas, both Margarito and Pacquiao have arrived. The fight is doing an excellent job of promoting itself, especially with the always fun HBO 24/7. HBO is trying extra hard to sell this one as well, with the show having Margarito training and chopping wood, and showing Pac-Man at different parties and whatnot.

Nice try.

This guy is not buying it. You don't get to where Manny has gotten to by not being prepared. It is ludicrous for us to even think he won't be 100% for this fight and take care of business per usual. Margarito will be a very game fighter, always has been, but his poor footwork and lack of movement will eventually do him in. His heart will never be in question though. The only logical chance I see of Margarito beating Pacquiao is if he gets Manny to play his game. What is that game? A brawl, a fight in a phone booth, a real slobber-knocker(Jim Ross). Between 147-157lbs. you will be hard pressed to find anyone on the planet who likes to just flat out fight like Antonio Margarito. No dancing, feints, slipping, parrying, just old fashioned punching. If Manny decides he wants to be a real tough guy and show he can brawl with the big boys, he'd better be careful, trapped in a corner looking at The Tijuana Tornado is a bad place for any man.

All in all I see Pac coming out in the first 3 rounds with his blistering speed and frustrating the slower, bigger man. Rounds 4-7, the fight will become more competitive and Margo will begin to establish some sort of range with his jab, popping a few body shots in when he can. 8-12 Pac-Man regains total control and takes his hand speed to a new level, torturing Margo to a lopsided decision or TKO based on accumulation of punches.

Gotta Love This Guy

Attached is a video of Manny Pacquiao from the Jimmy Kimmel Show last night, gotta love him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY06iVBGKOk&feature=player_embedded


In other news Kelly Pavlik has broken my heart again and pulled out of his Nov. 13th fight against Brian Vera, on the Pac vs. Margarito undercard, citing a rib injury.

Once I made you rich enough, rich enough to forget my name. Here in Youngstown.-Bruce

Youngstown Ohio, home of hard working, middle/lower class folks, in our nations rust belt. A proud group, who once helped forge the steel that helped build our country. The town shares a similar story with its own favorite son, Kelly Pavlik. Once the hardworking, tough, undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World, Pavlik is now down on his luck too, fighting to stay on top. With a near meteoric rise to the top, the young steel town brawler was knocking out everything in his path, and it all culminated with his knockout victory of previously unbeaten and undisputed Middleweight Champ Jermain Taylor, on that fateful night down on the Boardwalk of AC. Pavlik captured the hearts and imaginations of his hometown, and the country, giving them something to cheer for and be proud of, for the first time in decades Youngstown had a top of the line export.
In the years that followed Pavlik has steadily declined, coming to a screeching halt in the very building that made him famous when Sergio Martinez brutalized him over the last 4 rounds. The excuses have been said, the weight, the trainer, the this and that, but now Pavlik finds himself down, just like Youngstown. Can the one time superstar rise back up, clear away the rubble, and make another run at a title? I think so.
It all starts on the Pacquiao/Margarito undercard. Pavlik will be facing journeyman, and former Contender participant, Brian Vera. Vera represents a step down in competition, a rebuilding fight, and stepping stone. Should The Ghost blast him out inside 3 rounds? Yes. Is Vera a dead body? Hardly. Though Vera has a rough 17-5 record he has pulled upsets in the past. Most notably when he derailed Andy Lee 2 years back.
If Pavlik, as expected, gets by Vera what is next? A fight with Lucian Bute at 168? Winner of Martinez vs Williams II? We aren't quite sure yet, only the future holds that answer.
Even though folks think the ship has sailed on Pavlik, just like Youngstown, I think he will do what his town can not. Come back.

Fall Frenzy

Well after another extended layoff, The Count is back. Mora/Mosley proved to be a snorefest, with Mora running around the ring like Mosley had a disease. But, thankfully, we have other fights to look forward too this fall.
I would like to review the upcoming fights of significance and then through some predictions out there.

First we have Lucian Bute against Contender alum, Jesse Brinkley. I think we are looking at a one-sided UD for Bute here. Brinkley is all heart, and a blood and guts brawler who has strung 10 wins in a row, but he is no match for Bute's boxing skills and power. This one could get ugly, but will definitely have lots of action.

The day after that one, Oct 16, we have Vitali Klitschko taking on a faded Shannon "The Cannon" Briggs for the WBC Heavyweight strap. Though Briggs is over the hill, Vitali is no spring chicken either, I give him a punchers chance here. Briggs is probably the most heavy handed puncher Vitali has faced, and Vitali's chin has never been tested by this kind of power. It will be interesting to see if Briggs can break through V's jab and land some significant shots. Sidenote, Briggs is down to 242lbs as of right now, which is the trimmest he has been in at least 8 years. Obviously taking this one seriously.

Next we have loudmouth David Haye taking on fellow Brit Audley Harrison. Harrison started his career with a lot of promise after winning Olympic gold, but soon faded and was accused of a suspect chin. Haye has risen from Cruiserweight Champion to Heavyweight champion, beating journeyman Monte Barrett, John Ruiz, and Nikoli Valuev. Haye's power is impressive, no doubts there. I truly think Harrison has a better than average shot in this because of his size. If he can somehow stay away and pick his shots he could win this, in boring fashion, but a win nonetheless.

Kelly Pavlik will return to the ring to fight Contender Alum Brian Vera on the Pacquiao/Margarito undercard...and to quote Forrest Gump "That's all I Have to say about that". Seriously, Pav is still one of my favorite fighters but he needs to decide if he can put his whole heart into the fight game or not.

Next, we have the most anticipated showdown of the fall, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao vs Antonio "The Tijuana Tornado" Margarito. This on is gonna be good. The fight will be held, I believe at 152lbs. for a 154lb title. This is by far the heaviest Pac has ever fought, and is no big deal for Margarito, a career 147er. A lot of the talking heads say Pac will roll through him just like everyone else in recent memory, I see it differently. Pac is giving up about 5 inches in height, huge advantage in reach, and Margarito is no tomato can. Regardless of the hand wraps in the Cotto fight, handwraps do not help your face absorb punches. Re-watch the fight with Cotto (a big puncher) and look at the shots he is crushing Margarito with in the first 6 rounds, vicious bombs, thudding shots, and he walked right through them. Antonio may not win this fight, but he will not be KO'd.

Sergio Martinez, fresh off his upset of Pavlik, will be taking on Paul Williams in a rematch(after the controversial first fight) at Middleweight for Martinez's titles. This has the makings of a fantastic fight if it at all resembles the first brawl. After watching Martinez live in AC against Pavlik, I am convinced he is by far the most underrated fighter in the sport and may be the best. I think with his new confidence and slick style that he blows PW out of the water.

Lastly, in December, Amir Khan will be going up against puncher Marcos Maidana. Could be a good fight here. Maidana is a brawler, and strong puncher. Khan is a huge puncher as well, but is accused of a suspect chin because of his lone loss to Breidess Prescott a few years back. I think if Maidana can get to that chin and fire off some vicious shots that we will see an "upset."

Predictions:
Bute/Brinkley-Bute UD
Klitschko/Briggs-Vitali TKO 9-12
Haye/Harrison-Haye KO 5-9
Pavlik/Vera- Pavlik KO-2-3
Pacquiao/Margarito-Pac SD
Martinez/Williams-Martinez-UD
Khan/Maidana- Maidana KO 7-12

Mosley vs Mora...

On September 18th Shane Mosley will re-enter the ring roughly 5 months removed from the one sided whooping Floyd Mayweather put on him earlier this summer. He will be taking on, of TV show The Contender fame, Sergio "The Latin Snake" Mora at the Staples Center. This fight has the chance to be a very interesting fight, though some may not think so, and I'll explain why.

Shane is on redemption road one more time, trying to etch his place in modern boxing history, while Mora is getting only his second crack at a big name. Shane is going to be gunning for the KO after what happened with Floyd, no doubt in my mind, he wants to have an exclamation point return to the ring. Mora, who has never been KO'd, is looking to knock off another great fighter like he did in his first fight with the late Vernon Forrest, which was the reversed by Forrest in a re-match.

When I was enthralled by the first season of The Contender I picked Mora right off the bat to win and it is for the same reasons I think he can beat Shane Mosley. First of all, he is long and tall. Mora is 6ft tall, which is very tall for a Welterwight, with a 73' reach. Mosley is much shorter at 5'9'' but has a reach of 74'. I think if Sergio stays away, sticks his jab, and uses side to side movement he could make it a bitter night for Sugar Shane. Secondly, Mora has an unorthodox style and guard that is hard to figure out as could be seen in the Manfredo fight and even the first Forrest fight. He's a slickster, knowing he does not possess devastating power, and uses these awkward attributes to his favor. Thirdly, Mora is confident. Sergio Mora has a ton of confidence in himself, borderline cocky, and that is what fighters need. I think the most important person a fighter needs to believe in them is themselves. Mora has that.

There are negatives I see in Sergio that Mosley will definitely benefit from in this fight. First and foremost is Mora's inactivity. Mora's last fight was April 3rd and before that he had not fought since September 13th of 2008! That is not nearly enough fighting in almost 3 years for someone to stay at the peak of their abilities. Secondly, Mora's lack of power will play into Mosley's hands. Shane has never shown a glass chin, he has been rocked a few times, but then again who hasn't? I do not think Shane will have any fear of a KO when mixing it up with The Snake.

Mosley obviously possess the veteran knowledge, having boxed more than double the amount of professional rounds in his career that Mora has. Shane has been in the ring with the best, and beaten some of them as well. It will be interesting to see how Shane goes at Mora, after his last performance he can not afford to be anything except aggressive.

Basically what I am thinking is that Sergio Mora is no Floyd Mayweather Jr, this we know, but is Sugar Shane Mosley still Sugar Shane Mosley? We'll find out in September.

Prediction- Upset, and end of a career. Mora 115-113.

Dont Have Em' Like This Anymore

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYke3sexmXI

A letter to Bob Arum, Boxing, and Manny Pac

To Whom is Ruining the Sport:


Gentlemen, are you ****ing serious? This has to be a joke, right? Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito? What? Why? That was the best option? Excuse me while I rant.

First, I would like to discuss the one person in this I do not blame, Antonio Margarito. Margarito has walked into a career payday by doing nothing. He was suspended for having loaded gloves going into the Mosley fight (who knows how many others) and walks right back into the sport to a fight with the, arguably, the best Pound for Pound fighter? He has done nothing to deserve this shot and everything to no be considered. It is typical Bob Arum BS. Keeping the money in the family. He'd rather put on this card instead of another fight so that Top Rank does not have to split the cashish with anyone else. So Mr. Margarito, even though you are a scumbag, I do not blame you one bit.

Secondly, back to Bob Arum. He has this feud with Floyd Mayweather that is screwing up the legacies of two fighters by not allowing them to meet. So instead he puts this circus show together in an attempt to keep the money in the Top Rank family. Congratulations Bob, you did it, Top Rank won't have to split any money.

Thirdly, Manny Manny Manny...come on Manny, you're the boss! Start calling the shots! Why fight this bum? He's a cheater who disgraced the sport that has made you famous, and you are going to let him get this kind of payday thanks to your name? I don't know Manny, I don't like the way this looks for you. Oh, Manny...please do not forget that this guy is a lot bigger (Height 5'11'' to Manny's 5'6'', Reach 73 to 67) and stronger than you are, and has a chin that only Shane Mosley has cracked so far. This may not be a great fight for you, taller man, longer reach, iron chin, walking you down...be careful.

Fourth, lets look over who else Manny could have fought:

1. Andre Berto



2. Timothy Bradley



3. Marcos Maidana



4. Juan Marquez(if he gets by Diaz, push the fight to late December)



5. Michael Katsidis

All 5 of those fights are all action crowd pleasers.

Bottom line, the ball was dropped and now you have Top Ranks prized possession going into a fight with a very dangerous man, I just don't know how I feel about this one.

Sincerely Confused,

Gabe

Rough Patch

As I was looking ahead to the upcoming fights I cam to the conclusion that there is only 1 worth watching, but its on PPV so I refuse. Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz.

The first fight between these 2 in Feb. of 2009 was an instant classic from Round 1. Trading shots with wreckless abandon, willingness to rather block punches with their faces instead of gloves, and refusal to go down. It was a true throwback battle between 2 proud Mexican (and of Mexican decent) fighters. They showed the determination that Boxing is longing for right now.

Marquez is remarkable. I've never seen another fighter who is more willing to trade hands when they have been hurt than him. In the first round Diaz stung him with a combo that forced JuanMa to stumble. What was his response? To put his head down and throw punches violently at Diaz until he backed off of him. Most fighters would have tucked and waited for the barrage to end and hold on, not Juan Ma.

So in a lackluster end of summer and early fall for fight fans I definitely recommend tuning into the Marquez vs Diaz 2 brawl.

I'd also like to award Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers lead guitarist, Mike Campbell, with the Tough Ass Old Dude Award. In a recent show Mike collapsed from heat exhaustion at an outdoor concert while playing, was carried off stage, and returned 10 minutes later to close out a 3 song encore before being taken to the hospital...Rock and Roll baby, Rock and Roll.

The Hour Is Upon Us

Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao and Floyd "Money" Mayweather have yet to come to terms for a November Superfight. Top Rank mobster, Bob Arum, has given Mayweather until midnight Friday to sign the contract. The villain in the first contract was the steroid testing procedures and, Olympic style blood testing, that Mayweather called for and Pacquiao refused. Pac has since agreed to the terms and put the ball in Money's court to make a move.

For a man who calls himself "Money" this seems to be a no brainer. This fight would make both men enough money that they could swim in it. The record for PPV stands right now at $120,000,000.00 from the De La Hoya vs Mayweather letdown w/ 2.15 million purchases. I personally do not think it is out of the realm of possibility for a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight to do over $200,000,000.00. This is the ONLY fight boxing has to make right now, this is it. The sport is fading faster than David Caruso's career after NYPD Blue and needs this fight desperately. These are the only 2 fighters that non-boxing fans have even heard of, which helps generate the interest. ESPN will be yammering about it constantly and the casual SportsCenter watcher won't be able to help themselves, and feel obligated to know something about the fight to sound "with it".

Bottom line here is that this fight has to happen. It has to happen in Las Vegas, with a 50/50 split, at 147lbs, with all the glitz and glamour it deserves. Here is to wishful thinking that Mayweather will sign before the clock hits 12 tomorrow night.

It Meant Something More

Over the past few days I have been giving Boxing, mainly the heavyweight division, a lot of thought and came to a conclusion; It Meant Something More. You probably want me to explain what I mean, but there is a problem there, I am not sure what I mean. So I will give it my best shot.

Over the past 100 years Boxing has seen some of the greatest, most durable, driven, courageous, athletes to ever lace 'em up put on show after show, and wage war after war inside the ropes. Now it just seems like it does not mean what it once did. In a sporting world a long time ago, and far removed from the one we have now, Heavyweight Champion of the World was a title reserved for the baddest man around. Now? Well not so much, and I think I can start to answer myself.

We are not attached to these princes of pugilism like the generations before us. What do I care about Wladimir Klitschko? I don't. Fantastic athlete, amazing boxer, doesn't mean a whole lot to me on a level I can get attached with. Generations before us had the chance to experience Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis, Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Gene Tunney, Jim Braddock, Max Baer, and all the other great heavyweights. These men represented more that just a guy with a good jab and knockout power, the represented all that was amazing about a once great sport.

They fought for meaning and a purpose. Jack Johnson's fight doesn't need to be fought anymore(thankfully), but he fought against racism. Dazzled crowds with uncanny defense and punching power. He fought with passion back then.

Rocky Marciano fought to win, to make a better life for his family and refused to lose, While in a dogfight with Jersey Joe Walcott in 1952, referees warned Marciano (who's nose is said to be literally hanging from his face) that the fight would be stopped if it went another round. What did the Rock do? KO'd Walcott the following round. He fought with pride back then.

For an example of what I mean, right now, click on the link that takes you to Norton vs Holmes 15th round and watch it.............I am waiting............OK, the last 1:30 of that is one of the most amazing clips in boxing history. Two men absolutely refusing to lose, exhausted, drained, barely standing, but not going down...no way. They fought with heart back then.

Joe Louis...oh Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber, the man who single handily told Hitler to shove it. On June 22nd 1938 Louis faced off against the pride of Nazi Germany Max Schmeling, a man who had once defeated Louis, in a fight that had the weight of the Free World on it's shoulders. Louis had to win the fight, it was America against the Nazi's, this fight was for far more than a title belt, it was for all that is good in the world and always will be, it was good vs. evil, it is by far the most significant fight ever fought. On the grandest stage, Yankee Stadium, the Brown Bomber went out and embarrassed Hitler's Prizefighter and took him out in the opening round with vicious right ofter menacing left. Streets in NYC and around the country flooded with people, Black, White, Hispanic, it didn't matter because WE had won. They fought with courage back then.

These fighters not only fought for themselves but they fought for the fans. They fought for their people. Johnson, Louis, Ali all fought so that Blacks in America could be proud and have a champion in those hard times and someone to look up to, to give them hope. Marciano, Dempsey, Braddock all fought for family and pride, to put food on the table, to make a better future for the next generation, and to make something of themselves. These fighters never forgot who made them famous and rich, the people who adored them so much, the fans.

Now today there are more heavyweight champions then I have fingers and toes and the championships are watered down. The once proud division, the most coveted title in sports, is almost meaningless. It is a shame that the division cannot find someone who can fight with the passion, pride, heart, and courage like they did back then.

I suppose former Heavyweight Champion of the World Riddick Bowe said it best "It's hard to get up and run at 5 a.m. when you're wearing silk pajamas."....... I just wish they would remember who bought those silk pajamas for them, the fans.

Its Been a Spell

Well I am back and with lots to talk about. I think I will take it in chronological order, so here we go...

Atlantic City

I was present for the boxing clinic that Sergio Martinez put on Kelly Pavlik on the eve of April 17th. Since I have always supported Pavlik, even through his troubled times, I was highly disappointed with him. Not just becuase he lost, but there seemed to be a willingness to not change his style and no determination left in the once shining star. Basically what it breaks down to here in my opinion is that Pavlik needs to re-evaluate his dedication to the sport.

It has been well documented that he likes to hit the bottle in between fights and party it up. This is something he can not afford to do. His latest troubles have been said to be due to him having trouble making weight. Well, to be honest Kelly, its hard to make 160 when you blow up to 195 in between fights with wings and beers.

The latest news has Kelly moving out of the Middleweight division he once ruled and heading north to 168 or 175. This is going to be a very big mistake. The thing that seperated Kelly from his Middleweight brothers was his ability to take hits and his punching power, this is all going to change. His chin and punching power will go from superior to slightly above average at best when he is up against bigger/stronger fighters.

Long story short, he shouldn't be running from the Middleweight division. He should have take the re-match clause and dropped Jack Loew. Bottom line is that Jack Loew can take Kelly no further. Kelly has a lot to thank Jack for, he trained him hard, he got him to the top, and he took care of his fighter, all things that Kelly should be very thankful for. The reality of it is that Kelly can not continue to fight top level fighters with nothing more than "double up the jab, straight right, walk him down", he has to change it up.

I still like Kelly Pavlik and still am a fan, but I'd prefer he did not run from the challange at Middleweight but instead made the changes to face it head on.

Sidenote: The crowd was great, and I won $600 at Ceaser's

Mayweather vs Mosley

Well this one played out just as I thought it would. Floyd's superior speed was too much for Shane. I did finally get to see what would happen when Floyd got popped with a good one, and he almost went down.

I think Shane really showed his age in this fight but I wouldn't say he is totally done yet. I think we should attribute that to the fact that he was training for Andre Berto before this fight and essentially had a 16 week training camp. This is still no excuse. He just flat out did not listen to Nazim Richardson. Nazim was giving him pin point, fantastic, advice during the fight and he just couldn't pull the trigger.

For Floyd we are back to the same old story, will Money and Pacman get it on? I really think if this fight does not work out then boxing should pack it in. The amount of money that can be made on this fight is mind blowing. All PPV record will be smashed, gate receipts will be smashed, a small country could function off of the money grossed on this fight. Even if they take a 60-40 or 50-50 split both fighters will make more than they ever have before or would have ever thought possible.

What's up?

Amir Khan had a good American debut by whitewashing Paulie Malinaggi. It was a safe fight for Khan, who has a suspect chin, to fight a feather fisted fighter like "The Magic Man". We'll see what happens when hopefully he can bang with someone like Katsidis.

Vitali Klitschko vs. Albert Sosnowski.....oh boy...I mean we have never seen Albert fight nor know much about him but something tells me this will be a brutal beatdown by Vitali.

Yuri Foreman vs Miguel Cotto...the Jabbing Jew is going to give a mentally broken Cotto. Between his fathers death, the beatdown Pacman gave him, and the doubters Cotto is a broken man. I do not think fighting a young and hungry guy like Foreman, in his hometown, is a good idea.

Pavlik vs. Martinez

Well the week is upon me, Saturday I'll be heading over to the Jersey side on one last power drive down the AC Expressway to Boardwalk Hall to watch Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez exchange hands for the Middleweight Title of the World. I think this fight will be fireworks from the start. The way I see it playing out is this; Rounds 1-3 will be Martinez circling and boxing, sticking and moving with Pavlik stalking with the double jab. Around Rounds 4-6 Pavlik will begin to find the range and cut the ring off landing his double jab and sledgehammer right. I think we'll see a knock down in Round 7 from Pavlik and he will finish him in Round 9. The crowd should be its typical Pavlik crowd, with his beer drinking Youngstown natives supplying most of the crowd.

On the non-televised part of the undercard Delaware's own "Mighty" Mike Tiberi will be taking his 12-1 Middleweight record into the ring on his biggest stage yet. The 22 year old will be looking to turn some heads under the lights of historic Boardwalk Hall. All of us here in the First State wish him well.

Over the weekend Andre Berto got back on track by stopping the durable Carlos Quintana and in the Bad Idea Fight of the Year Candidate Evander Holyfield got rid of Francois Botha in the 8th Round.

I'll be sure to update how my Saturday night of championship Boxing on the Jersey Shore plays out.

King Arthur Falls; Maidana KO'S Cayo

Twas a boring Saturday evening and I was still feeling the affects of a rotten crab cake from Friday night. (Thanks for the late night "Vomi-tron" session go out to Chelsea Tavern in Wilm DE.....jackasses) Anyway, I was flipping through channels and came across the Dirrell vs Abraham pre fight nonsense on Showtime, a channel that I didn't even know I could get. Decided to stick with it and see how the fight went. Before it started, I decided to score the bout, I predicted an Abraham KO around Round 10. Andre Dirrell came out on fire. He was moving and circling the feared Armenian puncher, ducking and weaving like Cassius Clay.
Though Andre looked good through the early rounds, I still knew Abraham was a slow starter with tremendous power (nearly killed Jermain Taylor). Then in the 4th, something happened that shocked me, Abraham went down for the first time in his 32 professional fights. King Arthur was on his butt looking up at Dirrell in disbelief. To his credit though, Abraham was off balance when he was caught with the punch. Arthur was now in unfamiliar waters, he was heading into the 5th Round down on the cards 40-35, losing all the first 5 Rounds and being knocked down.
Dirrell kept circling his man, occasionally getting caught up on the ropes, dodging punches that Abraham was throwing with some bad intent. In the 10th Abraham caught Dirrell with a nice shot right on the chin that sent him to his keister, but was ruled a slip by the ref. This I disagreed with as well, though Abraham's foot was a tad behind Dirrell's, it was a solid punch that would have sent him down regardless.
The fight came to a sad conclusion. Dirrell was backed into Abraham's corner when his slipped(same spot for the second time in the fight) and went to a knee. While on his knee Abraham uncorked a shot right across the jaw of the "Matrix". Dirrell winced and then fell to his back and began to have tremors in his legs. It was very scary. Abraham was disqualified for the illegal hit. Once Dirrell woke up he was still in such a daze that he thought he had actually been knocked out and lost the fight, it was truly a scary thing to see. He was convinced that he had been beaten when he replied to a question with "He caught me man, I just got caught". Dirrell was taken for medical attention immediately.
Abraham didn't help himself in the post fight interview by vowing he did nothing wrong and that Dirrell is a "real good actor". It was an unsportsmanlike hit and he knows he was wrong.


Marcos Maidana continues to slowly make his way through the 140lb division by knocking people out. Maidana has become a very feared puncher in this talented division. I hope he can stay grounded and keep up the work, he is a treat to watch.

I am Back

Ok, since my long extended lay-off after starting my new job, I have found some time to catch up with the boxing world. Where to start? Pac-Man drew 700,000 PPV views to fight what seemed to be a punching bag from Ghana. Eddie Chambers did what was expected of him...get knocked out by Wlad. So where are we now? Hopkins vs. Jones, Pavlik vs Martinez, Mayweather vs Mosley?

Hopkins vs Jones

Another battle of the Old Heads. Jones has been obviously slipping in recent years but continues to put himself up for punishment, and Hopkins has been doing a little cherry picking on the smaller guys for a few years. Who will come out on top in this fight of HOF'ers? To be honest, I think Hopkins will put on a clinic after Round 3. Jones still shows his hand speed and willingness not to block punches, but Hopkins can still dish it out like he could 8 years ago. I believe B-Hop will finally get his revenge on Roy for the decision loss he handed him in 1993.
This fight is an example of money being whats wrong in Boxing. When these 2 were prime fighters in the late 90's and early 00's they constantly bickered about another fight. All the bickering and calling out resulted in nothing. Jones never budged off of a 60-40 split of the purse while Hopkins requested 50-50. Jones at the time would have been the headliner in my opinion and deserved the extra 10%...BUT...this could have been contractually resolved with 45% to each and the extra 10% to the winner. We'll never know who would have won when both men were in the prime of each career, but at least they can bury the hatchet.

Prediction: Hopkins via KO 9-10

Pavlik vs Martinez

This in an intriguing fight pitting 2 different styles against each other. Pavlik is the straight forward type who works off of a double jab to set up him right. Martinez is more of a slickster, with more head movement and body movement, as he showed against Paul Williams. I think the Williams Martinez fight showed us a lot about both of them. First, Paul Williams is not as devastating as we think he is. With all the talk his people spew he certainly looked very human against the quick Argentinian, who many thought won the fight. Secondly, that Martinez is definitely a very talented boxer who would be a threat to anyone in the Light Middle and Middleweight ranks.
Pavlik had an abysmal 2009 that he would love to forget, between hand injuries and people calling him out he was under the gun. I believe he is back to the Pavlik from the Miranda and Taylor fights now. I think he has a lot to prove in the fight against Sergio. A lot of critics are saying, after the Williams fight, that Sergio is too quick for him and Pavlik is overrated and just a robot. I will have to disagree with them. I think The Ghost is back and will be in supreme shape and focus come April 17th. I will be attending this one in Boardwalk Hall and will be sure to post fight pics and such.

Prediction: Pavlik by KO 10-11

Mayweather vs Mosley

The fight we all want right now. This one isnt easy, unfortunately, Mayweather is gonna run. Floyd does not want to bang with a puncher like Shane Mosley. If he stood and traded with him, he would surely meet the same fate as Margarito. This is gonna be a tough on for Shane, hes looking at about a 15 month layoff to come back and fight arguably the best Pound for Pounder in the world. Hopefully training goes well for Sugar and Nazim Richardson can devise another masterful game plan. I feel like Shane Mosley can do this. I may be grasping a little bit on this one, and also may be thinking of a younger Shane, but hope I am right.

Prediction: Shane via Split Decision

In other news Heavyweights are sill boring but I'am very interested in the Arreola vs Adamek fight, should be a great one.

No Joke

Best of luck to hometown fighters at Dover Donws tonight. Michael "No Joke" Stewart, of Contender fame (and fighting Ricky Hatton) is headlining as he takes on Brandon Baue.

Sorry....So Sorry

The Count has been on a few week layoff due to starting his new job which is very time consuming but going very well thus far. I will be back in action this Sunday updating on Pavlik/Martinez (which I will be attending), Pac/Clottey, Mayweather/Mosley, Wlad/Eddie, and Adamek/Arreola. See ya Sunday

Mosley and Mayweather...who ya got?

Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley have finally agreed, and signed the contract, to meet in the ring on May 1st at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. This is, in my opinion, going to be a classic.

We can take a look at each fighters last fight and make a decent argument for each of them. Mayweather made a return against a much smaller man in Juan Marquez, who does not have the best of defenses and was not a real threat to KO him. Floyd boxed brilliantly, moving, sticking, utilizing the shoulder roll and picking his shots. The major problem I see from the fight between Floyd and Juan is that Floyd didn't get him out of there with a KO. Floyd was fighting a man who had to move up 2 weight classes for the fight, Floyd was bigger, stronger, faster and has no excuse for not knocking him it. Outside of not knocking Marquez out, Floyd looked excellent by systematically picking his opponent apart as always. One thing that could end up being a problem is Roger Mayweather. With his recent regal problems, court date, and possible jail time ahead, he may not be able to train Floyd. Who would then take over the reigns of training camp? Jeff Mayweather? Floyd Sr? This could pose a major problem and and some tension to camp and within the Mayweather inner circle.

Shane Mosley has not fought in almost a year and, once May 1st comes around it will have been more than a year. But if we get the Mosley who showed up for the Margarito, aggressive, using movement, and motivated then Mayweather will surely be in for the toughest test of his career. I think Floyd is hoping the Shane's major inactivity and age will produce some ring rust on him. I do not think it will. Shane Mosley is a world class athlete, it is not like he has been just sitting around. With Nazim Richardson as his trainer there is no doubt in my mind that he will be 100% ready for whatever Floyd has to offer.

At the end of the night I truly feel that Shane Mosley will have a 12 Round split decision victory.

Breaking News!

It has been reported by reliable sources that the much anticipated match between the 2 old bags of bones, Evander Holyfield and Francois Botha, is now off. Reportedly Holyfield pulled out of the bout citing "money issues" with the contract. Botha is now said to fight on Feb. 27th at the same venue in Uganda. This fight was not going to be a blockbuster, and was dangerous for a man at Holyfield's age, but I was still interested to see how it turned out. When confirmation is 100% it will be reported.

Update:
The "Battle for the Room Closer to the Bathroom in the Retirement Home" is not lost according to ESPN. They are now planning to move the fight to the good old USofA...great. So instead of a packed 80,000 seat stadium in Uganda they will probably fight at Dover Downs or the Mohegan Sun. Here is a link to the article because I am sick of writing about this fight...AARP.

David Haye vs John Ruiz....oh Dear God.

Well, it is official that David Haye will be taking on John Ruiz, the WBA's #1 Contender, in his first title defense. I don't think even Haye's family is excited for this one. The fight will be held at the MEN Arena in Manchester(according to ESPN) on April 3rd.

After all of Haye's talk about wanting to unify the division, and take on the Brothers Klitschko, he turns around and fights Ruiz. Now, to his defense, I understand that Ruiz is the mandatory for him according to the WBA. But...I do recall Vitali Klitschko getting a defense against Oleg Maskaev waived by the WBC because the fight had no significance...just like this one. I don't want to sound like a hater, because Ruiz was a fine boxer in his day, but he is just so boring to watch that it will be Haye vs Valuev all over again. If Ruiz fights his fight, lots of clinching and holding, all it is going to do is hurt Haye's name as a big puncher in the division, which is not good for marketability. Granted, Ruiz has been KO'd by big punchers before....click on the link...soak that up for a little.

Ruiz has had a fine career, having a 1-1-1 trilogy with Evander Holyfield, and defeating Golota, Rahman, and McCline. You could also attribute his 10 career losses to fighting foreign fighters in foreign countries (SD against Valuev and a debatable DEC., also a debatable DEC. against Ruslan Chagaev). The bottom line with Ruiz is that his fighting style is a very affective but unpleasant one to watch. It is not crowd pleasing, it doesn't sell tickets, and he is no longer a big name. In a sport that is desperate need to excitment, from it heavy punchers, John Ruiz is just not the man to get it done.

What does the heavyweight division need? A flashy, big puncher, trash talking youngster to stir the pot. Insert David Haye. Haye is a brash young fighter who knows that he can knock you out and is not affraid to tell you before the fight. By today's heavyweight standards he is a spring chicken, 29 years old, and has bargaining power with the WBA title. As of late he has been best known for his war of words with the Klitschko Brothers, pulling out of a fight with Wlad, and even showing up to a press conference with a t-shirt depicting Haye holding up the decapitated heads of the K Bros(below)...classy. Like I stated in a previous post, the division needs a big puncher, youth, and some bad blood. If the WBA, and Golden Boy(Haye's handlers), would get their act together maybe he could help with the Renaissance of the historic division.

"This is the end of Western Civilization"-Larry Merchant

Dug up this old gem from Prince Naseem Hamed for everyone...

An entrance for the ages...

Breaking News!

Antonio "Hows that Brick Taste?" Margarito is expected to be given a Boxing license by the state of Texas soon, according to promoter Bob Arum. The Tijuana Tornado is penciled in on the Pacquiao/Clottey undercard to fight Carson Jones, 24(15)-7(2), who's most notable fight was a TKO loss to Alfonso Gomez. More to come on this travesty soon.

There's Only One Ricky Hatton...but is that good or bad?

"There's only One Ricky Hatton
One Ricky Hatton.
Walking along.
Singing this song.
Walking in a Hatton Wonderland."
(Sang to the tune of Winter Wonderland)

Ricky Hatton, Manchester's beloved brawler, is not quite ready to hang 'em up after his vicious KO loss to Manny Pacquiao. Hatton, says he plans on having a return bout against "a top 10 pound for pound fighter, or a champion of some sort." There is no doubt that Richards punch resistance is not what it used to be after the Mayweather/Pacquiao knockouts but, he is still young at only 31 years old, may have one last hurrah left in him.

If Hatton makes his full return to the ring this year as planned, it needs to be very well thought out by his keepers. You cant go throwing him in the ring with a vicious puncher in the first fight. You have to find a feather fisted fighter who can't hurt him but still has a name, problem is he already used Malignaggi once. Also, Hatton being known for throwing on around 40 extra pounds after fights(Ricky Fatton), you want to make sure he sheds the weight slowly so hes not gassed out come fight night. Finally, they have to make sure Ricky is confident in himself with whoever he is entering the ring with and against. I believe that Hatton's former trainer, Billy Graham, knew how to prepare Ricky for a fight mentally.

Hatton has bean speaking of a rematch with Juan Urango. I don't know how smart of a idea this really is for The Hitman. If Urango can do anything, he can punch, it would be winning by knockout (17 of his 22 wins came before the final bell). Hatton outpointed Urango in the previous bout between the 2, but I feel like this is a different Hatton then before.

If I were handling this for Ricky I would be looking at 2 different fighters for the comeback, Juan Diaz, or Hatton's countryman Paul McCloskey. Hatton vs. Diaz could get a nice crowd in the States and possibly be a lower priced PPV. I think McCloskey would be a great choice for a fight in his homeland. McCloskey is undefeated 20-0(with 10 KO's against lesser opposition), and the fight could be billed up very well in England. It could be promoted as a changing of the guard type of fight. McCloskey the hungry young fighter with the undefeated record going, up against the most beloved British boxer ever in a comeback attempt. That could definitely put some butts in seats in England.

Hatton has beaten Kosta Tszyu, Luis Collazo(debatable), Juan Urango, Jose Luis Castillo, Paul Malignaggi, and of course, Delawares own Micheal "No Joke" Stewart. Outside of Stewart, all B+ or A level fighters, those are quality wins that any Welter or Light Welterweight would like to have on their record. Are the other 39 wins on his record against lesser competition? Yeah, sure they are, but name any fighter who doesn't have a padded record up to his 20-25th fight?

This is where I want to take a look at whether or not it is good that there is only 1 Ricky Hatton. A lot of fans are saying "he is boring", "hes overrated", "he is shot, his chin is cracked", or "he was never that good, a glorified club fighter". Ya know what? That all may be very true and I agree with some of it...BUT, how many other fighters would have 25,000 people travel 5,000+ miles to watch him fight? None. Vegas was flooded with Brits for his fights with Mayweather and Pac-Man. If you saw the weigh-in you know that 4,500 of them attended just to see him stand on a scale! During the fight with Floyd, the MGM Grand Garden Arena sounded like a soccer stadium in Europe with constant chanting. He even has a band that follows him from fight to fight that are never without a tune. It is amazing the way his fans support him come hell or high water....or airplane. (Below is a picture from the Hatton vs Pac weigh-in of the Hatton supporter section)


Though with his recent losses he did lose a smaller amount of drawing power, he still is the most faithfully followed fighter in the game outside of Pacquiao. He has the drawing power that a sport that is struggling to stay relevant in the public eye needs to help its cause. Before we all write Hatton off on his comeback, let us remember what he can do financially and publicly for the sport. So until someone else comes along with the same kind of fan base and revenue generating power...

There's only one Ricky Hatton....

Pacquiao vs. Clottey: The Event

The upcoming clash between Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been dubbed "The Event", and thats exactly what Bob Arum and Jerry Jones are hoping it ends up being. Arum himself is estimating that 40,000 butts will be in the seats come fight night. I have to agree with him...IF, the fight is marketed properly, priced accordingly, and has a good undercard. The undercard can not be another snoozer like it was for Pac vs Cotto. Big events should have big undercards. I really like the idea of Antonio "Hands of Plaster" Margarito making his comeback on the card, I think that will get a lot of attention. The one feature I like the most about the fight being in Jerry World is that if the ticket sales are going very well, and they are closing in on 40,000 quickly, they can just keep opening more seats. 50,000? Fine 75,000? No Problem.

The main event has potential to be a fantastic fight, Clottey is not a mainstream name but he is a very good, strong, fearless fighter. Some talking heads believed that Clottey had gotten the best of Miguel Cotto in the bout they had last year. I was up in the air, leaning a round or 2 toward Cotto, but none the less Clottey fought very well and did a lot of damage to Miguel.
One thing about Clottey is that he can be drug into a firefight by the other fighter if they bait him, and he can get rough at times (DQ against Baldomir for headbutts). This is no picnic for Pacquiao if he takes it lightly. Clottey can bang. But...can Clottey catch Pacquiao? We will have to wait and see.

Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonia Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto all have one thing in common, they lost to Manny. That list of fighters is pretty impressive, and not having anything worse than a Draw after fighting all of them, and speaks for itself. Now I know what some of you will say "He got lucky against JMM", "Barrera was old", "ODLH was weight drained", "Hatton is not the same fighter", "When he fought Morales the Earth turned .0001 miles per hour faster during the fight, and it made Morales dizzy", yada yada yada. Here is the deal, Manny Pacquiao is a bad mudda. Whether you like him or not, the little dude can scrap. His unorthodox style makes it all that much better, jumping in on punches leaving his chin wide open, but hes so fast about it that not many can catch him. His training is sometimes different, but always ends up affective and with a purpose. He also has, arguably, one of the best trainers in the world in his corner, Freddie Roach.
The Pacquiao/Roach tandem have proven to be one that cannot be stopped yet, and aren't looking to be stopped anytime soon. They mesh well together, Roach instructs and Pacquiao listens. Its a very simple relationship they share, one of business first. I think Roach will employ a similar game plan to the Cotto fight for the one with Clottey. A plan where Manny circles his opponent, jumping in and out with quick combos and hooks.

I hope this fight turns into the event that promoters are hoping it will. It will help Boxing a great deal if "The Event" is as spectacular as it could be. The only problem is, that at the end of the night, will the result be any different for Clottey than it was for Miguel? In my opinion, Clottey is heavy handed, just like Miguel. Clottey is not the swiftest of foot on his toes, just like Miguel. Clottey likes to engage in firefights, just like Miguel. Clottey fights like Miguel and is going to end up just like Miguel.

Breaking News!

Due to the horrid events that have struck his homeland, Andre Berto has pulled out of the Jan. 30th fight with Sugar Shane Mosley. A fight with Floyd Mayweather is said to be in the works for Mosley.

New Features and Haiti

I have been working on making the page more interactive, for the 2 or 3 people who read it, so I have added a new poll, some videos(Quick Jabs) and made the links in the posts more user friendly. Enjoy. Any suggestions are always welcomed.

I'd also like to send out support to Andre Berto and his family members that have either passed away or been reported missing during the earthquakes in Haiti. Also, for all the other people who these events have affected.

Breaking.....and Disturbing News!

Even though Roy Jones Jr. was beaten like he stole something by Danny Green, the rematch between RJJ and Bernard Hopkins is still going to happen. A contract was signed late last night for the 2 old-timers (Jones 41, Hopkins 45) to meet April 17th (happy birthday to my brother) at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. The rematch, 17 years in the making, will be fought at the Light Heavyweight limit of 175lbs. To be honest all I see is Bernard making Jones Jr. look like a fool in this fight, just like Calzaghe, Tarver x2, Glen Johnson (thought Roy was dead), and Green have done. Oh and one last thing...it is going to be on PPV...maybe 10-12 years ago I would have forked over the $ for it, but now? Not so much.

Here is why this fight doesn't need to happen for Roy...
Roy Jones getting crushed.
Roy Jones getting crushed Part Deux

The Battle of the Ages and AARP Supremacy.

Do you remember when? When Evander Holyfield was a strapping young Cruiserweight who unified his division and made the jump to Heavyweight? When he outpointed Buster Douglas, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, and Ray Mercer in the 90's? Or how about when he knocked out Michael Dokes, Quick Tillis, Bert Cooper, Mike Tyson, and Michael Moorer? Not bad resume at all, especially for a man who was undersized in nearly every fight he had at Heavyweight.

Now, do you remember when...Evander Holyfield Lost to John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, Larry Donald, Sultan Ibragimov, and Nikolai Valuev? Or when James Toney knocked him out in the 2000's?
Evander Holyfield always fought like a true warrior (as his trunks often read) in the ring and was a great champion. But his out of the ring activities, said to have at least 11 children with multiple women, and his lavish living style have caught up with him. In June 2008 a legal notice was placed by Washington Mutual Bank stating that Holyfield's $10 million, 54,000 square foot, 109 room, 17 bathroom suburban Atlanta home would be auctioned off due to foreclosure. Toi Irvin, mother of his 10 year old son, filed a lawsuit for skipping two months of child support (he coughs up $3,000 per month for this little mistake). Also a landscaping company also has gone to court seeking $550,000 in unpaid debt for services.

When you owe that kind of cabbage to people you're going to have to pay for it somehow, and the days of retired Boxers greeting people at casinos in Vegas are long gone. What else does Evander Holyfield know how to do other then fight? Well, he did try to take on Big George in the grill market, with the "Real Deal Grill" if anyone remembers that bust. Some, myself included, would agree that Big George won that rematch with a big KO. Seriously though, Holyfield is a warrior, its what he does. We all go to work and do our jobs, some maybe lawyers, writers, accountants, engineers, waiters or waitresses but what does Holyfield do? He punches people in the face, and at one time was really damn good at it.

Do I feel bad for Evander? I'd say I'am at about 80% No and 20% Yes. Here's why....
80%- All of his debts are his own fault. All of his out of the ring choices and decisions were made by him and executed by him. No one held a gun to his head and told him to have 11 children with different women. No one told him to have a $10,000,000 home and not pay the bills either. People need to be held accountable for their actions and its good that he is.
20%-I only feel bad because Evander never took the time to think past Boxing. With the seven figure pay days coming in left and right for his fights, why would he ever need anything else? Because he didnt know how to spend within his means and save. Believe it or not, it is possible for Boxers to retire and not go broke. Take Geroge Foreman for example. Big George has the infamous grill and also a clothing line for the bigger fellas.(and let me tell you that George makes a comfortable pair of slacks) Larry Holmes also invested his money, buying commercial real estate in his adopted hometown of Easton, Pennsylvania.

With all that being said, "The Real Deal" will once again lace up the mitts and do battle in the squared circle. This time he will be facing, the also aging(42), Francois Botha (The White Buffalo) of South Africa in Uganda Feb 20th. Botha is best known to the American public for being iced by Mike Tyson back in '99. Holyfield should not take Botha lightly, he has been in there (most of the time on the wrong end) with some of the recent Princes of Pugilism. Being KO'd by Tyson, Lewis, Moorer, and Klitschko is nothing to be too ashamed of. Botha's last win of any sort of significance was against journeyman Timo Hoffman back in May of 2009.

No self respecting Boxing organization on the planet should give a 48 year old man a license to compete. But the lightly regarded alphabet organization known as the WBF, has decided to be "that guy" and grant Holyfield clearance to fight. One of the mainstays of Holyfield's career has been the fact that he always shows up to fight in superb physical condition so it will be interesting as to how he will look come fight night and pushing 50 years old.

Both of these fighters are grasping at straws in either the twilight or apocalypse of their careers. Botha still trying to find his youth again and Holyfield trying to pay off the mistakes he made during his.

Breaking News!

Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor has pulled out of the Showtime Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament. I think it was a good decision by Taylor to take the time to look at his career. 2 of the possible replacements are Allan Green and the much avoided Sakio Bika, who are going to be exchanging hands on Feb. 5th. Best of luck to Jermain.

From Thriving Metropolis to “Ghost” Town; The Middleweight Division.

Can Pavlik bring himself and the division back?





Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson, Dick Tiger, Carlos Monzon, Jake Lamotta, Gene Fullmer, Iran Barkley, Joey Giardello, Mike McCallum, Randy Turpin, Tony Zale, Rocky Graziano, Stanley Ketchel and Bennie Briscoe. It is hard to believe that one single division produced all of these truly great champions. It is also hard to believe how one of the glory divisions of boxing has fallen from grace. In the 1980’s, with Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard and Duran making appearances, the Middleweight division saw memorable battles between 4 first ballot Hall of Famers.

Now in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s, with the departure of Bernard Hopkins to higher weight divisions, we have hit a dull spot in the division. De La Hoya made a brief appearance, and Tito Trinidad had his moment in the sun (until he faced Hopkins), with above average boxers like Winky Wright, and puncher Ricardo Mayorga also having glory resembling that of a shooting star. Outside of those few brief moments we haven’t had the sustained success from the Middleweight crop that we did in the past decades. Jermain Taylor was supposed to be that star after he twice outpointed Hopkins (debated by some) and beat division gatekeepers like Kassim Ouma, and underrated Cory Spinks. Taylor’s short reign as the face of Middleweight division was ended when he ran across a Ghost. Taylor stepped into the ring with a Ghost, from a ghost town, fighting him in a place that sometimes resembles a ghost city. Spooky stuff, I know.

“This Rise of The Ghost”

Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik stormed onto the scene after a vicious KO of feared puncher Edison Miranda in an eliminator fight on the undercard of Taylor vs. Spinks back in 2007. With Miranda wasting the whole press conference talking about KO’ing Taylor he forgot about the Ghost lurking in the ring.


After the KO of Miranda, Pavik was setup to face Taylor in a boardwalk brawl in the ghost town on the shore in Jersey, Atlantic City. Thousands of his native folk from Youngstown, Ohio made the trek to the coast to see their hometown pride fight for himself, fight for them, and fight for the Middleweight Championship of the World. The fight did not start as planned as Pavlik was rocked in the 2nd round and dropped by Taylor. Smelling blood, Taylor went in for the kill but somehow Pavlik survived to fight another round. In the 7th Pavlik trapped Taylor in the corner and unloaded a barrage of right hands and uppercuts that left the champion slumped over in the corner. The Youngstown faithful roared with applause, fueled by the beer from Boardwalk Hall (The first and only night that Boardwalk Hall ran out of beer, those Y-Town boys can drink). A star had been born and another had burnt out. Taylor has had a string of truly devastating KO’s, given out by Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch, since the one he suffered at the fists of Pavlik. Many analysts and fans (including myself) are calling for his retirement, while hes still physically able to do so.

After outpointing Taylor in a rematch at a catch weight, above the Middleweight limit, Pavlik won the normal mandatory title defense back down at 160lbs against unheralded Gary “I look constipated during the staredown” Lockett.(Lockett is on the right during 0:04-0:16) With only 2 meaningful fight options at Middleweight, (Felix Sturm or Arthur Abraham, both German based with little exposure in the U.S.A.) Pavlik was lured up 10 pounds to fight the Wily Old Fox, Bernard Hopkins. Hopkins has made a living in his career by taming young lions that are coming up in the ranks. Going into the fight with a perfect record and devastating KO ratio, The Ghost was a heavy favorite. But once the bell sounded Hopkins put on a display of boxing and turned back the clock yet again to dominate the youngster. It was a disaster.

Rumors flooded that Kelly was running a terrible fever and was in no condition to fight, but went on with it anyway. In my mind, whether true or not, nothing would have saved him from B-Hop on that night in AC. After this, rumors of alcoholism began to stain Kelly’s name. Now I am sure, that a blue collar Rust Belt mid-20’s guy like Kelly does go out with the guys for a few beers and maybe sometimes has too many, but its no need to scream alcoholism. There was no doubt that he’d been affected by the first loss of his career. In Feb. 2009 he took a bounce back fight against Marco Antonio Rubio, in his hometown of Youngstown, scoring a 9th Round TKO, in front of a rabid hometown crowd.

After this Kelly truly became a Ghost. Pavlik signed to fight Contender star, Sergio Mora, and then pulled out reporting a staph infection in his left hand. After that he reached a deal in a highly anticipated showdown with Paul Williams (had tickets to this one), then pushed it back, then cancelled again. This brought out the skeptics that Pavlik was a bum, a “ducker”, a “paper champ”, who just wanted to fight Gary Lockett’s and keep his belts. Pavlik was the new face of the Middleweight Division. A likeable, personable, middle class kid, who got to the top the old fashioned way fighting every few weeks wherever he had to. Was this “to good to be true” champion already on the way out?

After proper treatment, and a near death experience in the hospital, the Ghost got back into the ring after a ten month layoff in December. He fought Miguel Espino who, if nothing else, was brave. KP got the 5th Round TKO and shook off the Rust.


“Get busy fightin’ or get busy dyin’.”

Now it is time for Pav to get busy. I am a fan of Kelly Pavlik, I like his straight forward style, willingness to trade punches with his opponents, the charity work he’s known to do, (While training in Y-Town for his last fight with Espino, Pavlik broke his busy training schedule and visited a sick child who was a big fan and had even dressed up as Kelly for Halloween this year) and the fact that he seems like a good person. All these things can go to waste if Pavlik doesn’t fight a well known top Middleweight in his next outing. Options…

1)His best option is still having Paul Williams come up to Middleweight in a fight matching 2 big punchers in what is sure to be a thriller. Problem here is that Williams was just in a dog fight with Sergio Martinez and will most likely have a rematch.
2)Felix Sturm has fought in the states, most notably his robbery of a point’s loss to Oscar De La Hoya, but still is not a big draw.
3)With the Showtime Super Six Middleweight Tournament in progress it hurts Pavlik from luring Abraham back to 160 for what would be a shootout of big punchers. That fight fought in America or in Germany would be a big draw.
4)Lucian Bute. A Romanian, based in Canada, fighting currently at 168lbs and not in the tournament is also an option. Bute though is a very dangerous option. He is lightning quick and holds serious power in both hands, as he proved by knocking out Librado Andrade with a vicious body shot.
5)There is always Matthew Macklin, or Anthony Mundine but these fights will have to take place overseas where they will be able to generate more money. Winky Wright could….actually no…bad idea.

By making this list it just shows what poor shape the division is in currently. The fact that the champion has to look for a fight that will be competitive and possibly have to go overseas spells trouble. If you throw it back just a couple years, people would be chomping at the bit to get a shot at Pavlik, young contenders, and people in other divisions would be trying to make it happen. The problem is, even if people make the jump in weight to take a shot at KP, no one in America cares. The new wave of Middleweights is almost all strictly European.

Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams need to step up to the plate and make the fight happen. End of story. Regardless of the "he said she said" of Williams pulling out the first time or Pavlik backing out the second time, it needs to be squashed so the fight can be signed. The fight could breathe life into the struggling division (most fighters are cutting weight to fight at 154 or gaining to stay at 168. 160 is an awkward natural weight for a 6ft person). Bob Arum, and Pavlik’s handlers need to get him in the big fights now. If not, then Kelly may have to find greener pastures, and take a bigger risk, in the Super Middleweight division.

Bottom line for Kelly Pavlik, and the Middleweight division, you either have to get busy fighting (top notch competition) or people will keep caring less and less about you and your weight class. If the latter happens, well, you might as well consider yourself a ghost.