merce77's Classic Boxing Thread, tape them hands up before you enter!!!!

[Ready2Rumble82]

Klitschko vs. Haye in Doubt Over Money Issues

Despite numerous reports overseas from the British media, and from the camp of David Haye, a fight with WBO/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko for June 20 is far from a done deal and is not even close to being finalized.

Klitschko's manager Bernd Boente spoke in length with boxing writer Dan Rafael, detailing the issues that are preventing a Klitschko-Haye deal from being finalized. Even though Klitschko's trainer, Emanuel Steward, recently said the fight was close to done for the 02 Arena in the UK, Boente said the fight, even the two sides reach a deal, would not happen at 02 because the venue is booked for the proposed date of June 20.

Adam Booth, Haye's manager/trainer and the president of Hayemaker Promotions, brought a deal to the table for the fight to take place at Stamford Bridge on the June 20 date. The date worked for all of the three television deals involved - HBO in the United States, Haye's deal with Setanta Sports in the UK and Klitshko's deal with German network RTL.

Now Haye and his team are pulling out of the deal for Stamford Bridge due to concerns over the economy. The stadium deal that Haye's side presented was a major part of Klitschko's reasoning for settling on Haye over another opponent like Chris Arreola. Because Haye's team backed away from the stadium deal, the negotiations process has to start all over. To top it off, Haye's side is being very difficult with the financial terms. And they want to keep the money from the television rights in the UK while Klitschko’s promotional company, K2, has to take the full financial risk of the event

"We are pretty far away from each other and the fight definitely won't be at the 02 Arena. It is occupied that night. They backed out of the stadium because of the economy and now we have to negotiate everything new," Boente said. "That [stadium] was a huge portion of the deal. Otherwise, Haye is not bringing much to the table."

"We are absolutely willing to do the fight, but we have to start all over again to bring them down from their high horse. Adam is very inexperienced. He may be a good coach, but he's definitely not a good manager. This is a unique chance for Haye and they are being so greedy. If Haye had a name like Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield in their best days, we would have additional money from international sales. But that is not the case."

"They said they would just keep all of the English television rights. Why would we do that? If you think you'll keep all the money from English TV, what are you bringing to the table to get so much more than a mandatory challenger? They think they are bringing a superstar to the fight when he's fought [six] rounds in the heavyweight division. Before, it was an interesting deal, but now he would just be a regular challenger. And we were honoring [the contract Haye has] with Setanta when for any other fight we would have negotiated with Sky TV or ITV or maybe put it on pay-per-view [in the U.K.]."

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Klitschko Gets Chris Byrd, Tony Thompson For Sparring

The camp of WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is taking no chances with mandatory opponent Juan Carlos Gomez. Their fight takes place on March 21 in Germany. According to reports coming out of Klitschko's camp, they are going to bring in Chris Byrd and Tony Thompson to spar with Vitali.

Probably no heavyweight is more familiar with the Klitschko brothers than former two-time heavyweight champion Byrd. He is still the only fighter to actually defeat Vitali [by stopping him and not via a doctor stopping the fight as the case with the Lennox Lewis loss]. The older Klitschko was ahead on points in their 2000 bout, but suffered a shoulder injury during the fight and was unable to continue past the ninth round. A few months later, younger brother Wladimir dominated Byrd over twelve rounds to get revenge. In 2007, Wladimir once again beat Byrd - this time a dominating seven round stoppage. Vitali will use Byrd to match the movement and speed of Gomez.

Tony Thompson is a rugged, big heavyweight, who was recently stopped by younger brother Wladimir in eleven rounds last July.

In quite a twist, Gomez is bringing in Vladimir Virchis for sparring. Gomez decisioned Virchis last September in a WBC eliminator to earn the shot at Klitschko.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Marco Antonio Barrera Begins Work For Amir Khan Bout


Former three-division champion Marco Antonio Barrera is starting the hard work in his training camp in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he prepares for his March 14 bout with Amire Khan in Manchester, England. Barrera suffered a bad cut during a tuneup with Freudis Rojas on January 31 in Mexico, but passed all of his medical exams when a doctor took a look at him in Florida. The medicals were sent over to England and the British Boxing Board gave the meds a green light.

Barrera is already getting his sparring partners together. ESTO notes that one of the guys already recruited is Mexican national champion Michael Lozada (31-5, 24KOs). Lozada has lost some tough bouts to Jorge Teron, Edwin Valero and Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Barrera's team feels that Lozada's size and style is similiar to that of Khan.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Montiel vs. Morel Falls Apart, Will Not Happen on 3/28


Terms could not be reached for a bout between Fernando Montiel (38-2, 28KOs) and Eric Morel (40-2, 21KOs), who were slated to battle for the vacant WBO interim bantamweight title in the co-feature position of Top Rank's Latin Fury pay-per-view on March 28 in Tijuana, Mexico. Montiel will still appear on the card.

Morel on the other hand will also see action on very same day, March 28, but in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Morel will appear in a featured slot on the event being put together by Puerto Rico Best Boxing, and called "Night of Champions." DirecTV will carry it as a pay-per-view event. As previously reported, Puerto Rico Best Boxing were wrangling with Top Rank to stage the Montiel-Morel bout on the Bayamon event.

"Night of The Champions" will also feature Jose Lopez, Henry Bruseles and Manuel Alejandro Siaca.

"We are going to put together this great event with a fight for a world title, two former world champions will appear and other big prospects. Lopez will go for a world title before his people, while Siaca will fight for a regional title and Morel will fight in the prelude to a world title opportunity," Ivan Rivera, president of Puerto Rico Best Boxing, told Primera Hora.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Cotto Upset With Top Rank's Position on Margarito

Miguel Cotto is getting more and more vocal about Top Rank's plan to bring back Antonio Margarito in June/July for a show in Mexico. This past Tuesday, Margarito had his boxing license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission. The punishment stems from the foreign substance that was found in Margarito's wraps about thirty minutes prior to the January 24 bout with Shane Mosley.

Margarito is unable to fight in the United States for a year. To work around the restriction, Top Rank's Bob Arum wants to bring Margarito back in the summer in Mexico, where several cities have expressed interest in providing Margarito with a license to box. A few days ago, Cotto expressed his thoughts on Margarito's return in Mexico. He said Margarito should be banned everywhere, not just the United States. He feels that Margarito should sit out for the year instead of trying to work around the ban. Arum, who also promotes Cotto, said the Puerto Rican star is entitled to his own opinion on the matter.

During a recent workout in Puerto Rico, Cotto once again made his feelings known and said he was upset with Top Rank's push for an early Margarito return.

"It seems like Top Rank is not thinking about the welfare of a human being and is only concerned with money. They (Top Rank) know that Margarito and his team knew what they were putting on his hands. As boxers we rise to the ring to show our skill and physical abilities and this is a lack of consideration by playing with the health of another [fighter]," Cotto told Primera Hora .

Margarito's trainer Javier Capetillo, who also had his license revoked, tried taking the full blame for the mishap with the hand wraps. He told CSAC members that Margarito knew nothing about it, which Margarito backed. Cotto doesn't believe Margarito.

"Margarito should comply with his punishment. To tell people that know about boxing, that he didn't know what they were putting on his hands is hard to believe. Everyone in his group was conscious of what was being done for the fight with Mosley," Cotto said. "Luckily everything is fine me, but there is the possibility that Margarito could have done damage to another [fighter].

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Pavlik vs. Duddy Seems Likely, Not Pavlik-Abraham


If people were salivating to see a unification bout between WBO/WBC champion Kelly Pavlik and IBF champ Arthur Abraham - they may have to salivate for a while longer. Pavlik's next ring appearance is probably not going to be against Abraham or WBA champion Felix Sturm. The most unlikely of opponents, undefeated John Duddy, may get the Pavlik title shot.

Pavlik is scheduled to fight Marco Antonio Rubio on February 21 in Ohio. Pavlik-Rubio is viewed as a mismatch, but I would probably pick Rubio to beat Duddy. That should tell you something about Duddy's chances with Pavlik. Rubio has fought and beaten better competition than Duddy. Both are easy to hit. Both are easy to cut. But Rubio has the edge in the power department and he is certainly the more durable of the two. Duddy himself was planning for a run at junior middleweight because of his struggles at middleweight.

Pavlik's promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, admits that matching Pavlik against Abraham or Sturm would be the best fights out there in terms of skill, but not the best fights in terms of money. Arum says the money involved in making Pavlik-Abraham or Pavlik-Sturm would cost too much to be held on regular cable, and both German-based fighters are way too unknown, to American fans, for the fights to be held on pay-per-view.

He views Duddy as the more lucrative option due to his ability to sell tickets in New York. Duddy is scheduled to fight Matt Vanda on Feb. 21 on the Cotto-Jennings undercard at Madison Square Garden. Both Duddy-Vanda and Pavlik-Rubio will be televised as part of Top Rank's split-feed pay-per-view.

“There is a difference between the best fight and the biggest fight. The biggest fight is financial and the best fight is ... what boxing people would regard as the best fight. That clearly seems to me to be Abraham. But financially, nobody knows who Abraham is in this country. And it’s very, very hard turning it into the biggest fight,” Arum said to The Vindicator. “I’ve talked to both German promoters. I am confident at some time we’ll be able to do those fights.”

“You have to feed two thoroughbreds and sometimes you can only feed them with one pail. It is a problem, but it’s not an insurmountable problem. Duddy is certainly a big name. That could be a monster fight either in Cleveland or Madison Square Garden. It might not appeal to you as the best fight out there — Abraham probably would — but it’s probably bigger than the Abraham fight.”

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Barrera vs. Khan Could Become WBO Title Fight


The fight with Marco Antonio Barrera and Amir Khan, scheduled for March 14 at the MEN Arena in Manchester, could have the vacant WBO lightweight title at stake. Last Friday, Nate Campbell lost the title on the scales when he was unable to make weight for his mandatory IBF title defense with Ali Funeka. Barrera is ranked at number one by the WBO and Khan comes in at number nine.

It's being reported that promoters Frank Warren and Don King are lobbying for the WBO to approve Barrera-Khan as a title fight.

“Khan vs Barrera might well become a title fight. I hope the WBO will sanction it,” Warren tells The Sun.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Sergio Martinez to Push For Vernon Forrest Next


Promoter Lou DiBella has stated that he plans to push for Sergio Martinez to get his title shot at WBC junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest. Martinez fought to a lackluster majority draw with Kermit Cintron on Saturday night in Sunrise, Florida. Most ringside observers felt Martinez was well ahead on points and should have won the fight.

Martinez, the WBC's interim-champion, has been waiting for a shot at Forrest for a long time. DiBella made a deal last year for Martinez to step aside so Forrest can have his rematch with Sergio Mora. DiBella expects the WBC to order a purse bid as early as this week.

"Martinez wants the fight with Vernon. He wants to fight the champion. The WBC may order a purse bid for that fight in the next few days. We are going to push for Martinez to get his shot and either Vernon will fight him or give up his title," DiBella said.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Ricky Hatton's Trainer Eyes Edwin Valero For Sparring

British trainer Lee Beard who works with Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton is eyeing Edwin Valero as a sparring partner for the IBO light welterweight champion as he prepares for his showdown with Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao.

Valero (24-0, 24 KO's) is scheduled to face Antonio Pitalua for the WBC lightweight interim title on April 4 in San Antonio, Texas.

Titled “Battle of East and West” the eagerly awaited bout is scheduled for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.

In an interview with Craig Gibson on the Hatton website, Beard said Valero is “the only one that’s near to Pacquiao in terms of style. I think if you can adjust to him then it’s the closest thing you can get to Pacquiao.”

Beard said Valero’s record “would suggest that he hits as hard if not harder than Manny.”

Beard warned that if Pacquiao “is allowed to get into a rhythm in the first few rounds it will be a very difficult fight for Ricky.” That’s why the trainer made it clear that Hatton “needs to make sure that he works hard in the gym to work on certain things to avoid Manny getting into that rhythm.”

The confident trainer who is expected to be working with Floyd Mayweather Sr when Hatton gets to Las Vegas predicted that “the first time Ricky gets hold of him and unloads, Manny won’t know what hit him.”

Beard pointed out that Hatton is a big light welterweight and has been in with some huge punchers like Kostya Tszyu and Juan Urango and added " obviously they don’t have the speed of Manny but Ricky has seen the speed before in Mayweather.”

The trainer said around five weeks would be “an ideal amount of time” to adjust and get into Las Vegas time as well as having “plenty of time for hard training.”

Hatton’s father Ray Hatton said his son would probably spend two weeks preparation in Manchester prior to leaving for Las Vegas.

Since Pacquiao and Hatton are almost the same height, Beard said “their styles could mean their heads clashing” and with Pacquiao preferring the Cleto Reyes puncher’s gloves “cuts are a concern.” However, Beard noted that Hatton “hasn’t been cut badly in a while” so he was not thinking too much about cuts.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Forrest vs. Martinez Ordered By The WBC, Trouble Looms


The WBC has set purse bid deadline of March 13 for the mandatory junior middleweight fight between full champion Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29KOs) and interim-champion Sergio Martinez (44-1, 24KOs). Promoters Lou DiBella [for Martinez] and Gary Shaw [for Forrest] have until the March 13 date to reach a deal or take part in a purse bid at the WBC offices in Mexico City.

Here is where the trouble comes in. According to a source that is close to the WBC, a request was made to grant Forrest permission for a voluntary defense of his title against Charles Whittaker (33-12, 21KOs) on an April date in the Cayman Islands. The Forrest-Whittaker fight, according to some of the grievances made to the WBC, is going to be part of a televised event on Showtime. Whittaker's family is from the Cayman Islands and I assume there must be a decent amount of money being offered for Forrest to take that fight in the Caymans.

Based on Forrest's intentions for an April defense against Whittaker, and several postponements of prior purse bid dates, Martinez's camp is pushing for the WBC to strip Forrest and upgrade their fighter to full champion status. Martinez has been in line to fight Forrest for at least a year, or longer, and at the very least it appears that his camp is trying to get the WBC to hold an immediate purse bid, instead of waiting until the March 14 deadline.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Antonio Margarito is Welcome To Fight in Mexico City


Rafael Herrera, president of the boxing commission in Mexico City, has vowed to stand united with Tijuana and the WBC in support of former three-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. Last Tuesday Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo had their licenses revoked by the California State Athletic Commission. The CSAC punished both men over a foreign substance that was found in the hand wraps of Margarito about a half hour before his fight with Shane Mosley on January 24.

Herrera has said that he will not honor the ruling by the CSAC and Margarito is welcome to stage a fight in the city.

"The doors of Mexico City are open for Margarito. We consider the punishment that was imposed on him is unjust, applied on the spur of the moment, and they have condemned him without a report from laboratory to confirm the supposed substance that was found before the fight with Shane Mosley. Furthermore, I consider that if there is something found, all of the blame should fall on Javier Capetillo, but not on the fighter," Herrera told ESTO.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Anthony Peterson Injured, Edner Cherry Bout is Off

Things are not getting any better for lightweight Anthony Peterson (28-0, 19 KOs). A few weeks back he said his dream fight would come against Nate Campbell. That fight became a dream when Campbell announced that he would moving up to junior welterweight. According to Dan Rafael, Peterson has injured his left knee and was forced to withdraw from the Feb. 21 Cotto-Jennings undercard where he would have faced veteran Edner Cherry. The fight was going to be televised on pay-per-view by Top Rank.

With Peterson out, Top Rank will replace the fight with another from the undercard. They plan to move up the four round bout between undefeated super middleweight prospect Matt Korobov and Cory Jones.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Nate Campbell Prepares For Big Things at 140-Pounds

The last few days have not been easy for Nate Campbell. Last Friday he lost his lightweight titles after two failed attempts to make 135-pounds. The following night in Sunrise, Florida, he was thoroughly tested for twelve rounds by a very game Ali Funeka.

After a successful run at 135, Campbell begins to evaluate his options at junior welterweight. During his tenure at 135, he tried, with little success, to land the big fights. Now he makes the jump in weight when almost every big name, at 135, is trying to get him in the ring. Golden Boy Promotions is holding a lightweight tournament pay-per-view on April 4. A fight with Campbell was one of the main prizes that Golden Boy wanted for the tournament winner. Don King was hoping to put him in the ring with the winner of Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Amir Khan. All things considered, Campbell has no regrets about the move in weight.

"Where were these guys when I wanted to fight them? I waited around for a long time and now my body says no more [referring to his inability to make the lightweight limit]. Funeka was a very tough fight. He can crack, but the fight went just the way I wanted. Now I'm looking for what's out there at 140-pounds," Campbell states.

For the first time in a long time, Campbell is a promotional free agent. Before the news broke that his body was no longer capable of getting down to 135, Golden Boy was very interested in signing Campbell and matching him against the winner of their tournament and/or the upcoming fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz.

Promoter/advisor Terry Trekas plans to review any and all promotional offers, which includes a potential new deal with Campbell's former promoter Don King.

"We are going to hear Don out. We'll see what Don has to say. We are not leaving anybody out. There are a lot of opportunities for Nate at 140-pounds. The winner of Hatton-Pacquiao, or the loser. People have mentioned Zab Judah, Juan Urango, the winner of Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt. Right now it's too early to say for sure [what's next]," Trekas said.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Dawson vs. Tarver Reportedly Postponed, Chad Injured

The word going around boxing insiders is that IBF light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson (27-0, 17 KOs) injured his right hand in training camp and will not be able to move forward with his HBO televised rematch with Antonio Tarver (27-5, 19 KOs) on March 14. The March date was going to be Dawson's debut on the network and the first fight for Tarver on the network since losing a 2006 decision to Bernard Hopkins.

Dawson won a lopsided decision over Tarver last October. Due to the rematch clause, retirement by Joe Calzaghe and possible retirement of Hopkins - Dawson went with the Tarver rematch sooner than later.

Editor's Note: Manager Mike Criscio is flying out to Las Vegas to check on Dawson's right hand. Technically nothing is officially off until they figure out the severity of the injury and how much time Dawson will need to recover. The fight taking place in less than a month is extremely unlikely.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Sam Peter vs. Eddie Chambers is Set, Nokia Theater 3/27

A battle between heavyweight contenders Sam Peter (32-2, 23KOs) and Eddie Chambers (33-1, 18KOs) has been finalized to take place on March 27 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California. ESPN will televise the fight. It is the first boxing event at Nokia to feature heavyweight contenders.

Peter returns from a one-sided TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko, suffered last October in Germany. Chambers has been 3-0 since losing a twelve round decision to Alexander Povetkin last January. Both are ranked high by the IBF, with Chambers at number 3 and Peter at number 5. A win will more the winner one step closer to a mandatory title shot.

2008 U.S. Olympian, Shawn Estrada and lightweight prospect John Molina will appear on the undercard.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Klitschko vs. Haye is Falling Apart, Negotiations Suspended


The proposed June 20th bout between WBO/IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye is in serious trouble. Revealed last week, the two sides were at odds over the UK television rights, the venue and Klitschko's team had claimed that Haye and his manager, Adam Booth, were being greedy and asking for a lot of money and making all sorts of demands.

The situation has gotten worse. Wladimir posted on his official website that negotiations with Haye and his team have been suspended until further notice and he plans to explore other options, including undefeated contender Chris Arreola, who is scheduled to fight on the April 11 undercard to Paul Williams-Winky Wright.

"The main problem is the lack of professionalism on the part of David Haye and his representatives. Haye can't figure out what he wants. Two weeks ago, negotiations were coming along. But, at this time they have been suspended. If Haye plans to continue [to negotiate] in the same way - it will be two more years before he gets his chance to reach a title fight - if he doesn't lose. In the event that a fight with the Brit will fall apart, we will fight Chris Arreola or find someone else. This will be determined later," Klitschko said.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Jennings "I Won't Back Down From Miguel Cotto"

Michael Jennings is well aware of the odds that are stacked against him when he steps in the ring with Miguel Cotto on February 21 in New York's Madison Square Garden. Even the father of Jennings says the fight is like climbing a huge mountain with a blindfold. Jennings will only have a few fans and friends from the UK to cheer him at ringside. He wants to prove everyone wrong by upsetting Cotto and bringing back the vacant WBO welterweight title.

Cotto plans to take the fight to Jennings from the first round. Coming off an eleven round knockout loss to Antonio Margarito from last July, Cotto will be looking to make a statement. Jennings says if Cotto comes to fight - he will not back down.

"The only people who are giving me a chance are those that really know me, but I am out to prove everyone wrong. Cotto is pound for pound one of the best in the world, so just to get a fight with him is an achievement. People who wonder how I got the fight should take a look at the WBO website because I have been number one or two challenger on there for over 18 months. I have always boxed whoever they put in front of me, and now they have put Cotto in front of me and I won't be backing down," Jennings told the Manchester Evening News.

Jennings is not mad that most people are overlooking his chances in the fight and talking about who Cotto will fight in June.

"I would be stupid to think anything else - I know what I am in for and I know I am a massive underdog," Jennings said.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Rubio Has Nothing To Lose, Secret Plan To Beat Pavlik


WBC mandatory Marco Antonio Rubio (43-4-1, 38 KOs) plans to fight like a man with nothing to lose when he meets WBC/WBO champion Kelly Pavlik (34-1, 30 KOs) on Saturday before a hometown crowd at the sold-out Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio. Rubio claims to have put together a secret plan that will unseat the champion. He says that after he beats Pavlik, he is willing to stage a rematch in Mexico and give the entire Pavlik team a tour of the country.

“I have a secret plan that will not only take the world title belt from Pavlik, but will produce a knockout in front of all his fans,’ proclaimed Rubio. “I really enjoy Youngstown and I look forward to showing Pavlik and his team around Mexico when they come down for the rematch to try to reclaim my title.”

Ramon Rodriguez, one of Rubio’s cornermen, also took some time out to take some shots at Pavlik and his long-time trainer Jack Loew.

“Pavlik’s fate is sealed like one of trainer Jack Loew’s driveways. I hope Loew hasn’t quit his day job,” Rodriguez, said. “At least Marco will be able to patch Pavlik up after he cuts him down to size this Saturday night.”

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Mosley vs. Cotto Rematch is Not Likely To Be Next

According to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, a rematch between Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley is probably not the next fight for Cotto, tentative for June 13. Should Cotto get past Michael Jennings on Saturday, Arum wants to get him the biggest money fight possible. With Mosley almost sure to make a demand of at least 50% or more of the split - he is not at the top of the list of possible opponents for Cotto's next fight.

Before talks even begin there are issues coming up. The fight, also tentative for New York's Madison Square Garden, is not the target of choice for Mosley. Shane has already put on the record that he wants the rematch to take place on the West Coast, and not in New York, where he lost a close decision to Cotto in 2007.

Some of the possible options for Cotto include:

Kermit Cintron - An all-Puerto Rican clash on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade

Andre Berto - Unification bout with the WBC champion

Joshua Clottey - Unification bout with the IBF champion. Easy to make since Clottey and Cotto are both with Top Rank.

If Cotto pushes his return up a few months, it could open up the door for other possible opponents like Paul Williams or the winner/loser of Pacquiao-Hatton in May.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Marquez vs. Diaz - For The Vacant WBO Lightweight Title


The WBO has declared that pursuant to the approval of their executive committee and championship committee, the February 28 lightweight bout between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz will have the vacant WBO 135-pound title at stake. The belt became vacant last Friday when Nate Campbell was unable to make weight for his defense against Ali Funeka.

Eric Gomez, acting on behalf of Golden Boy ,had made a request to the WBO for Marquez-Diaz to have the title at stake, and the request was granted. HBO will televise the fight live from Houston, Texas.

The winner of Marquez-Diaz must make a mandatory defense within 180-days of their fight, unless some other agreement is reached in accordance with the WBO's world championship rules and regulations.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Kermit Cintron Says - "I Will Defeat Miguel Cotto"

New York – Kermit Cintron overcame a slow start with a determined come-from-behind rally versus interim WBC junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez, on Saturday night at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida - earning the former IBF welterweight champion and WBC # 15 rated 154 lbs. challenger, a majority draw, as seen on HBO's Boxing After Dark.

Cintron (30-2-1, 27 KOs) from Reading, PA, by way of Carolinas, Puerto Rico, rebounded from a cut and knockdown at the hands of Martinez by utilizing effective aggression and “signature” Cintron power punching to stay competitive with the speedy champ.

“After reviewing the fight, I know that I was knocked down in the seventh round and I am not questioning the draw and Martinez keeping his belt. Still, I know I am one of the best welterweights in the world and will prove it when I defeat Miguel Cotto, if he gives me the opportunity,” said Cintron.

“Kermit Cintron has proved that he can compete against any fighter between 147 and 154 pounds. Now Kermit is eyeing a return to the welterweight division for a showdown with Miguel Cotto, should Cotto defeat Michael Jennings for the vacant WBO welterweight crown on February 21,” said DBE president Lou DiBella.

DiBella went on to say that Cintron will be at ringside at Madison Square Garden for Cotto vs. Jennings to cheer on his countryman in hopes of setting up a New York City showdown on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend between two of the world's best fighters and the best two Puerto Rican welterweights on the planet. "Cintron vs. Cotto at Madison Square Garden will be one of the hottest tickets in boxing this year and has all the makings of a fantastic fight. Let’s not forget that Kermit and Cotto’s only losses came against Antonio Margarito,” stated DiBella.

Prior to his draw against Martinez, Cintron was coming off a unanimous decision victory over former IBF 140 lbs. champion Lovemore N'dou on the Taylor-Lacy DBE-promoted show, seen on HBO this past November 15, in Nashville, TN. The Cintron-Martinez pairing came about when a scheduled January clash between Martinez and Joe Greene was scratched and a proposed Martinez-Daniel Santos bout also fell through - giving the always opportunistic Cintron a chance to move up in weight and secure another HBO appearance.

One of boxing’s hardest punchers, Cintron won the vacant IBF title in October 2006 with an impressive display of power punching – halting Mark Suarez in six one-sided rounds in Palm Beach, Florida. Cintron would go on to successfully defend his IBF crown on two occasions - both knockout victories - over Walter Dario Matthysse and Jesse Feliciano, respectively

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Joe Calzaghe "This is Not a Mayweather Retirement"


Clinton Woods' promoter, Dennis Hobson, had recently told reporters that he might be able to entice Joe Calzaghe to return to the sport for one more fight. Hobson feels there is a lot of money to made with a Calzaghe-Woods encounter on UK soil. Woods has been after Calzaghe for a while, but was never able to get him in the ring.

"Maybe we could tempt Calzaghe out of retirement for one last fight," said Hobson to PA Sport.

Calzaghe recently said that he is not interested in returning to the ring - for Woods or any other fight. He doesn't want to become like Floyd Mayweather Jr, who retired more than once over the last few years and quickly returned to the ring after every announcement [other than the last time].

"I think you might have to mark me down as an exception to the rule - a fighter who retires and stays retired! In my mind there is no-one out there left for me to fight and I don't see that being different six months or a year from now. I left on my own terms, not noticeably damaged from the ring and with financial security for my family," Calzaghe said to the South Wales Argus.

"This isn't a rash, Floyd Mayweather-style retirement. It was on my mind for the past 18 months although some of the people close to me would argue I've been talking about retirement for a lot longer than that."

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Carl Froch-Jermain Taylor Gets Close, Green-De Leon Too


A deal is very close for Carl Froch's defense of the WBC super middleweight title against mandatory challenger Jermain Taylor. The talks are at the point of finalizing the exact date and venue. If the fight falls on April 18, it may take place at the Theater in Madison Square Garden, and April 25 would likely see it go to Foxwoods. Showtime will televise.

Super middleweight contender Allan Green, who was orginally going to fight Taylor in the main event, will see action on the undercard against Carlos De Leon Jr. Some may remember De Leon as the fighter that knocked out a previously undefeated James McGirt Jr. last April in Florida.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Marquez vs. Diaz: Juan Manuel is Ready For War


Former two division champ Juan Manuel Marquez (49-4, 36KOs) is ready for war when he steps in the ring with Juan Diaz (34-1, 17KOs) on February 28 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Marquez is said that he is oozing with motivation to capture his third world title in his third weight division. The fringe IBO lightweight title is on the line, but Eric Gomez, matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions, has said that a possibility exists for Marquez-Diaz to have the vacant WBO lightweight title on the line.

"I have a winning mentality, I have prepared very well for this fight. I was a champion at featherweight and super featherweight and now I will go for lightweight. On the 28th, I will explode in the ring with so much emotion. To know that there might be two titles at stake puts more importance on this fight," Marquez told ESTO. "Diaz always comes forward, I will be intelligent and ready to take care of anything."

Marquez had a lot of concerns about fighting Diaz in his hometown. Marquez was against Joe Cortez as the ref. He wanted judges from neutral locations but they were already assigned by the time he made a stink about it.

"I asked for neutral judges, but they were already appointed and it is impossible to change them," Marquez said.

Like Barrera and Morales, Marquez is going in the promotional route and is linking up with Golden Boy to run shows in Mexico.

"There are people in charge of my business, Marquez Boxing Promotions, so I could dedicate myself to the gym. I will support the fighters when everything gets up and running. I am in this with the support of Golden Boy. There will be work for all of the fighters," Marquez said.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Bradley vs. Holt, Andrade vs. Tsypko in Montreal on 4/4

CHOKO Boxing in association with Gillett Entertainment Group, Top Rank and Gary Shaw Productions are thrilled to present the first world championship unification bout ever staged in Montreal!

On April 4th in today’s boxing most exciting weight division, witness two of the world’s best boxers in the fight of their lives. WBC light welterweight champion Tim "Desert Storm" Bradley will face WBO light welterweight champion Kendall "Rated R" Holt, live at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Bradley (23W-0L) is the only champion of the division to stand undefeated. Holt (25W-2L) has made a name for himself by taking out the undefeated.

In 2008, both men rocked the boxing world and became superstars: Bradley orchestrated one of the biggest upsets of the year by traveling to hostile territory (Nottingham, UK) and defeating the ex-champion, Junior Witter, against all odds to conquer the World Boxing Council Championship Belt. Holt delivered one of The Ring Magazine’s knockouts of the year in a wild 61-second bout with Ricardo Torres to become Champion of the World Boxing Organization.

Both champions are on a fast track to glory. On April 4th, only one will walk away with the belts, setting the stage for a potential showdown with the winner of the Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton May 2nd fight.

This outstanding gala will also feature the return of Golden Boy Promotions star Librado Andrade (27W-2L), Montreal's adopted son. One man stands between Andrade and his due rematch against Lucian Bute: VITALI TSYPKO (22W-2L), the "Pride of Ukraine." Both men come out of closely debated bouts: Andrade’s fight against Bute in October 2008, and Tsypko’s bout against Jeff Lacy on HBO television. This time, only one man will get a shot at the IBF Super middleweight belt, to settle all doubts once and for all.

On April 4th, don't miss the most important international boxing event presented in Montreal since the historical Duran-Leonard showdown, at the Olympic stadium in 1980.

The fight is to air in the US on Showtime Networks (live at 9 p.m. ET)

Special local fights will be also announced soon.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Pacquiao vs. Cotto in 09: Arum Would Attempt To Do It

The welterweight dreamfight, Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto, could actually stand a chance of becoming a reality. Before Antonio Margarito lost his boxing license for a full year, Pacquiao was actually calling for a future fight with the much-larger former champion. Nobody knows how serious he was, but there was a lot trash talking with Pacquiao [and trainer Freddie Roach] predicting that he was capable of outboxing Margarito with few issues. Now that Margarito is gone, Miguel Cotto remains. Cotto mentioned a potential Pacquiao fight in several recent interviews and said he is more than willing to fight the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

After the demolition that Pacquiao did to De La Hoya at welterweight, a Pacquiao-Cotto fight doesn't appear like the mismatch it would have looked like a year ago.

Bob Arum, who promotes both Cotto and Pacquiao, would be willing to make the fight. Cotto would have to beat Michael Jennings on Saturday [and a possible second opponent in June] and Pacquiao would have to beat Ricky Hatton in May. If Pacquiao gets his win in May, Arum will recommend Cotto as one of the options for his next fight. He makes it clear that it's not up to him if the fight happens, it's up to the fighters, Cotto and Pacquiao.

"Well I want you to understand what I’m about to say just so there’s no confusion that all of these fighters make their own decisions. I make recommendations and would I recommend that [Pacquiao] fight Miguel Cotto? Absolutely. Will he go along with my recommendation? I don’t know. Because I haven’t raised it with him," Arum said.

"But I would think that if Miguel now beats Michael Jennings and wins his fight against whomever it is in June. And Manny Pacquiao beats Ricky Hatton - why wouldn’t I try to make a match between my two best fighters - or two of my best fighters, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao? So yes, the answer is I would attempt to do it. Whether I would be successful in putting it together I mean that’s up to the fighters."

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

SPINKS-LATIMORE AVOID PURSE-BID


Promoters Don King and Lou DiBella were able to reach an eleventh hour agreement that prevented the vacant title fight between junior middleweights Cory Spinks and Deandre Latimore from going to purse-bid. The Spinks-Latimore bout will take place in St. Louis on March 28 or the following weekend at the St. Louis University.

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

Random fight download...

Naseem Hamed vs Kevin Kelley
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YHDT9JUO

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

2/20 ESPN2 Friday Night Fights:

Gamboa/Estrada:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=048DP9V0

Prescott/Toledo:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1P986TBU

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

2/21 Top Rank PPV

Pavlik/Rubio:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A6NE5FY8

Cotto/Jennings:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KI3VBA1N

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

2/27 Shobox Main Event

Tomasz Adamek vs. Jonathon Banks:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QWYE04LL

 

[Ready2Rumble82]

2/28 HBO Championship Boxing 'Lightweight Supremacy'

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=24PNRRIH

Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z3V1YQ2N

 

[Q-vo]

Fightnews:

Unbeaten jr middleweight James Kirkland is now being held in custody by federal authorities after being arrested with a loaded handgun in his vehicle last week at an Austin gun show. He has been charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and has a court appearance today. Apparently there is also another pending case involving Kirkland and firearms, so his May 2 fight on the Pacquiao-Hatton undercard looks in serious jeopardy.

You know Anne Wolfe pissed off than a mutha right now. Hope we don't have another wasted talent down the drain again.

Anyway, a lot of other fights coming up tonight & tomorrow night. Lookin' forward to Taylor/Froch and Lopez/Pennalosa.

 

[tp2001]

bump for those who need it....Random fights

Mayweather/Castillo II

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XZSCS67A

Raheem/Morales

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=021ZVL6S

Mayorga/Forrest I

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T9M9MZZM

Trinidad/Vargas

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3LENID4F

Toney/Jirov

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BO0QJEYM

 

[merce77]

Who you got?