RUIZ RETIRES

Ex-heavyweight champion Ruiz says he's retired
===============================
By STEVE CARP
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
===============================
After making one final attempt to win the world heavyweight championship, John Ruiz decided it's time to move on.

Ruiz, 38, a two-time former WBA heavyweight champ, announced his retirement Monday. He'll move from Las Vegas to his native Boston, where he'll run a gym and train young fighters.

"It wasn't that hard a decision," said Ruiz, the first Latino to be heavyweight champion. "I've had a great career but it's time for me to turn the page and start a new chapter of my life.

"I want to go home and open a gym where kids will have a place to go, keeping them off of the streets so they can learn to box and build character."

Ruiz was unable to wrest the WBA belt from Englishman David Haye on April 3 in Manchester, England. He was knocked down four times, twice in the first round, and Ruiz's corner stopped the fight in the ninth. Ruiz is 44-9-1 with 30 knockouts.

"It's sad that my final fight didn't work out the way I wanted, but, hey, that's boxing," he said. "I'm proud of what I accomplished."

During an 18-year professional career, Ruiz defeated three world champions -- Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman and Tony Tucker. He fought in 12 championship bouts.

"I'm going to miss Las Vegas," said Ruiz, who lived in Southern Nevada for nine years.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.

Martinez beats Pavlik to claim middleweight title

(From AP)
===================

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.(AP)—Sergio Martinez dominated the final five rounds Saturday night, winning a bloody and impressive unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik to claim the WBO and WBC middleweight championships.

Martinez (45-2-2) moved up to 160 pounds to challenge Pavlik, who had never been defeated at his natural weight. But the junior middleweight champ put on marvelous display of speed and footwork, battering and frustrating the pride of Youngstown, Ohio.

When the final bell sounded, Martinez ran for the corner and leaped onto the ropes in victory. Pavlik solemnly raised his own arm, his face awash in blood - just as it been at the end of every round after the eighth.

Roberto Ramirez scored it 116-111, Barbara Perez had it 115-111 and Craig Metcalfe had it 115-112, all for Martinez. The Associated Press also scored it 115-112.

HOLYFIELD RALLIES TO STOP BOTHA IN 8!

Wins first bout since June 2007...

===================================
(From Associated Press)

47-year-old Holyfield stops Botha in 8th

LAS VEGAS — Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield stopped Frans Botha in the eighth round on Saturday night.

The 47-year-old Holyfield (43-10-2) knocked the 41-year old Botha (47-5-3) down with 2:36 left in the round with a right to the left chin.

Botha beat referee Russell Mora's count, but with 2:05 left Mora stopped the fight with Botha backed into a corner. It was Holyfield's 28th career knockout.

Two judges had Botha ahead 67-66 when the fight was stopped. The other judge had it 69-64 for Holyfield, the former heavyweight champion.

There were only about 2,200 people in the stands at the Thomas & Mack Center, most rooting for Holyfield.

Holyfield briefly lost his balance, stumbling into a corner after a right from Botha with 2:04 left in the second round. After that, Holyfield started taking control.

Botha, a native South African, was warned by the referee twice in the first three rounds for hitting behind the head. Botha also was warned in the first round for a double hit to the head during a clinch.

This was Holyfield's first fight in Las Vegas since 2003, when he lost to James Toney at Mandalay Bay.

Before Saturday Holyfield was only 10-6 in Las Vegas, including the infamous ear-biting incident against Mike Tyson in 1997, when he won by disqualification.

HOLYFIELD LICENSED IN TEXAS

(From USAToday)
==================

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Nevada State Athletic Commission has granted Evander Holyfield's request for a fighter's license.
The one-fight license was granted Monday. It was awarded on the condition that Holyfield would get a retinal inspection before any future fights in Las Vegas.

One board member voted against granting the license, saying he was concerned about the now 47-year-old Holyfield's condition. Raymond Avansino Jr. said he wanted a medical advisory board and neurologist to look at Holyfield's capabilities.

In 2003 Holyfield lost a fight to James Toney at Mandalay Bay.

Commission Executive Director Keith Kizer says Holyfield has come back and proven himself.

Holyfield's fight could come next month against 41-year-old Frans Botha.

FIGHT SCHEDULE 2010 - Q1

JANUARY
23 - JM Lopez TKO 7 S. Luevano (WBO 126)
FEBRUARY
5 - G. Johnson TKO 6 Y. Mack (175)
6 - Valero TKO 10 DeMarco (WBC 135)
6 - Adamek W 12 Estrada (Hvy)
20 - Oquendo TKO 9 D. King (15-18(13)) (Hvy)
MARCH
12 - S. Peter v Aguilera (Hvy)
13 - Pacquiao v Clottey (147)
13 - JL Castillo v A. Gomez (147)
13 - A. Povetkin v tba (Hvy)
20 - W. Klitschko v Chambers (Hvy)
26 – H. Camacho v A. Vester (160)
27 - Abraham v Dirrell (168 Tourney)
27 – M. Miadana (27-1) v V. Cayo (24-0) (HBO Oakland)
27 - JC Gomez v tba (Hvy)
31 - Tua v F. Ahunanya (Hvy)
APRIL
3 - Hopkins v Jones II (175)
3 - Haye v Ruiz (Hvy)
14 – D. Green v Siaca (200)
17 – Pavlik v S. Martinez II (160)
17 – Bute v E. Miranda (168)
17 - Holyfield v Botha (Hvy)
24 - Ward v A. Green (168 Tourney)
24 - Froch v Kessler (168 Tourney
24 – Arreola v Adamek (Hvy)
24 - Holyfield v D. Rossy (Hvy)
29 - B. Mirovic v A. Leapai (Hvy)
MAY
1 - Mosley v Mayweather (147)
JUNE
5 - Cotto v Y. Foreman (154)

FIGHT SCHEDULE 2010 - Q1

JANUARY
23 - JM Lopez TKO 7 S. Luevano (WBO 126)
FEBRUARY
5 - G. Johnson TKO 6 Y. Mack (175)
6 - Valero TKO 10 DeMarco (WBC 135)
6 - Adamek W 12 Estrada (Hvy)
20 - Oquendo v D. King 15-17(13) (Hvy)
MARCH
6 - Abraham v Dirrell (168 Tourney)
6 - Holyfield v Botha (Hvy)?
12 - S. Peter v Aguilera (Hvy)
13 - Pacquiao v Clottey (147)
13 - JL Castillo v A. Gomez (147)
13 - A. Povetkin v tba (Hvy)
20 - W. Klitschko v Chambers (Hvy)
27 - Tua v F. Ahunanya (Hvy)
27 - JC Gomez v tba (Hvy)
APRIL
3 - Hopkins v Jones II (175)
3 - Haye v Ruiz (Hvy)
17 - Ward v Taylor (168 Tourney)
17 - Froch v Kessler (168 Tourney
24 - Holyfield v D. Rossy (Hvy)
29 - B. Mirovic v A. Leapai (Hvy)
MAY
1 - Mosley v Mayweather (147)
JUNE
19 - Cotto v tba (147)

This Weekend's TV Bouts

Feb - 6
SHOWTIME
Edwin Valero (27-0 (27)) TKO 10 Antonio DeMarco (23-2-1)
Luis Abregu (29-0) W 10 Richard Guiterrez (24-4-1)
FOXSPORTS
Brandon Rios (24-0-1) TKO 3 Jorge Teron (23-2-1)
Thomas Villa (22-6-4) W DQ 10 Juan Ruiz (23-6)

Feb - 5
ESPN2
Glen Johnson (50-13-2) TKO 6 Yusaf Mack (28-3-2)
Guillermo Rigondeaux (5-0) KO 1 Adolfo Landeros (20-13-1)
SHOWTIME
Freddy Hernandez (28-1) KO 5 Demarcus Coley (36-13-1)
Francisco Contreras (13-0 (12)) KO 1 Juan Casteneda (16-3-1)

VALERO STILL PERFECT - NOW 27-0 (27KOS)

FROM AP
===================

Edwin Valero stays unbeaten, eyes fight with Manny Pacquiao

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Edwin Valero of Venezuela retained his WBC lightweight belt by stopping Mexico's Antonio DeMarco on Saturday night.

DeMarco sat in his corner and declined to come out for the 10th round of their title fight. The Mexican was well behind on points and, though he had no obvious injuries, officials said he retired on the advice of his handlers.

When the fight ended, Valero was eight points up on the scorecards of all three judges.

Valero improved to 27-0, with none of his bouts going the distance. DeMarco had only his second career defeat against 23 wins and a draw.

"My physical strength started to show," Valero said. "Little by little, I started gaining ground. The first three or four rounds I couldn't hit him with my jab, but then I started to connect."

Valero picked up a gash across his forehead in the second round, which came from an elbow by DeMarco that was ruled accidental. Valero needed three stitches afterward to close the wound.

Valero said he'd like a fight with Manny Pacquiao, which would force him to move up several weight categories.

"That's the fight the world wants to see," the Venezuelan said.

There could be many problems standing in the way of a Pacquiao-Valero fight.

Valero has been denied a U.S. visa because of a drunk-driving charge in Texas. He claims he was turned down because of his strong support for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America.

Valero also had a severe motorcycle accident in February 2001 that left him with a fractured skull and required surgery to remove a blood clot. He eventually failed a pre-fight exam in New York. He was handed an indefinite suspension that effectively banned him from fighting in the United States.

The Venezuelan claimed the belt with a second-round TKO of Antonio Pitalua in April last year, and defended it in December when Hector Velasquez retired after six rounds.

DeMarco took an interim version of the belt with a 10th round TKO of Jose Alfaro in October last year.

This Weekend's TV Bouts

Feb - 6
SHOWTIME
Edwin Valero (26-0 (26)) v Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1)
Luis Abregu (28-0) v Richard Guiterrez (24-3-1)
FOXSPORTS
Brandon Rios (23-0-1) v Jorge Teron (23-1-1)
Thomas Villa (21-6-4) v Juan Ruiz (23-5)

Feb - 5
ESPN2
Glen Johnson (50-13-2) TKO 6 Yusaf Mack (28-3-2)
Guillermo Rigondeaux (5-0) KO 1 Adolfo Landeros (20-13-1)
SHOWTIME
Freddy Hernandez (28-1) KO 5 Demarcus Coley (36-13-1)
Francisco Contreras (13-0 (12)) KO 1 Juan Casteneda (16-3-1)

FIGHT SCHEDULE 2010 - Q1

JANUARY
23 - JM Lopez TKO 7 S. Luevano (WBO 126)
FEBRUARY
5 - G. Johnson TKO 6 Y. Mack (175)
6 - Valero v DeMarco (WBC 135)
6 - Adamek v Estrada (Hvy)
20 - Oquendo v tba (Hvy)
MARCH
6 - Abraham v Dirrell (168 Tourney)
6 - Holyfield v Botha (Hvy)?
12 - S. Peter v Aguilera (Hvy)
13 - Pacquiao v Clottey (147)
13 - JL Castillo v A. Gomez (147)
13 - A. Povetkin v tba (Hvy)
20 - W. Klitschko v Chambers (Hvy)
27 - Tua v F. Ahunanya (Hvy)
27 - JC Gomez v tba (Hvy)
APRIL
3 - Hopkins v Jones II (175)
3 - Haye v Ruiz (Hvy)
17 - Ward v Taylor (168 Tourney)
17 - Froch v Kessler (168 Tourney
24 - Holyfield v D. Rossy (Hvy)
29 - B. Mirovic v A. Leapai (Hvy)
MAY
1 - Mosley v Mayweather (147)
JUNE
19 - Cotto v tba (147)

2010 FIGHT SCHEDULE - Q1'10

JANUARY
23 - S. Luevano v JM Lopez (WBO 126)
30 - Mosley v Berto (WBA/WBC 147)
30 - G. Johnson v Y. Mack (175)
FEBRUARY
6 - Valero v DeMarco (WBC 135)
6 - Adamek v Estrada (Hvy)
20 - Holyfield v Botha
MARCH
6 - Abraham v Dirrell (168 Tourney)
25 - Tua v F. Ahunanya
APRIL
17 - Ward v Taylor (168 Tourney)
17 - Froch v Kessler (168 Tourney)

PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER UPDATE

(From Associated Press)
==========================
Final proposal by Pacquiao camp
LAS VEGAS--Promoter Bob Arum has delivered what he says will be his last proposal to salvage the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight is in jeopardy because of a blood-testing dispute.
Under Arum's proposal, the Nevada Athletic Commission would have the final say in how much testing there would be for the fight and when it would take place. Preparations for the fight would go forward and there would be three blood tests _ none within 30 days of the fight _ unless the commission decided otherwise at a mid-January meeting.

Arum said Sunday that Pacquiao's side would go no further than the proposal, and that he will begin negotiations Monday with Paul Malignaggi for the March 13 date the megafight was supposed to take place on.

(From TomH - my thoughts are that this fight will most likely happen sometime after the proposed March 13 for various reasons. That said, this fight has a couple of days to go or not. We will find out before the new year. Probably on 12/29 or 12/30. Most likely it will collapse and both fighters will take interim bouts before facing each other later in 2010)

TEN ROUNDS: END OF YEAR EDITION

(From braggingrightscorner.com - Tony Montgomery)

========================================

Round 1, Manny Pacquiao: Manny Pacquiao owned 2009 in boxing. His victory over Oscar De La Hoya came late in 2008 and he kept on rolling into 09 with huge wins over Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. It was not that long ago if I were to be asked who wins a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao I would have quickly answered Mayweather. After watching Pacquiao this year I honestly don't know how I would answer that question today. Floyd and Manny are the two best fighters in the world when they step into the ring anything can happen. I can make valid points on why both of them would win the fight. No crazy predictions claiming Pacquiao is going to get destroyed this time.

Round 2, Super Six: The Super Six tournament is on of the best things to happen to boxing in a long time. Take six of the best fighters in a weight class put them in a round robin tournament and find out who's the best. I hope this great idea will find its way into other weight classes. This is exactly what boxing is about, finding out who is the best in a weight class. On a side note, Lou DiBella should be congratulated for stepping down as Jermain Taylor's promoter. Taylor, one of the participants in this classic tournament, has suffered brutal knockout loses in two consecutive fights. Rather than sit by and watch his fighter get seriously injured, DiBella walked away not wanting any part of what could happen. And don't get it twisted, DiBella did not make this move to make himself look good, he didn't pull a Pontius Pilate and simply wash his hands to signify he would not be held responsible for any serious injury that could occur to Taylor. He did it because he cared, not because he didn't want to share the blame.

Round 3, The Heavyweights: It was another dismal year in the heavyweight division. We saw the Klitschko's continue to hold the heavyweight crown hostage in boring fight after boring fight. WHERE IS THE EXCITEMENT? I think it may have finally arrived in David Haye or at least I hope so. The heavyweight division needs a leader in the worst way. Someone we can get excited about, but where the hell is he? David Haye may make things more exciting but the heavyweight division has not seen true excitement since the days of Mike Tyson. Thank god for Middleweight and Welterweights!

Round 4, Poor judgment: Boxing has always seen its share of poor officiating and judging over the years but, goodness people, it is the year 2009. Why haven't we found a system that truly works yet? Why should a fighter's career -not to mention his or her well being- be put in the hands of someone who obviously doesn't get it? How can two judges score a fight so close only to have the third score come up so differently? Something needs to change and change soon. I'm tired of seeing fighters getting screwed because the judges are clearly not paying attention or have no clue of what thy are doing.

Round 5, The passing of Legends: The boxing world lost three great champions this year. Arturo Gatti, Vernon Forrest, and Alexis Arguello all left us much to early and will be missed by us all. Many more fighters and people who worked in boxing this year have passed boxrec.com has a list here http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Category:2009_Deaths. I wish you all the best on the other side.

Round 6, Margarito's hands: Antonio Margarito went from one of boxing's most exciting stars to one of boxing's biggest embarrassments in the blink of an eye. Before his fight with Shane Mosley Margarito was caught using loaded hand wraps. Boxing gets enough "black eyes" every year, which make the headlines every time. Thank you Antonio Margarito for bringing more shame to the boxing world, it's exactly what boxing doesn't need.

Round 7, MMA: Another year has passed and MMA still hasn't killed boxing like so many say will happen. Neither sport are going anywhere anytime soon. I've started to see a trend that I like. Shows that incorporate both MMA and boxing. It's a great way to bridge the fans together. Fans of boxing get a chance to see MMA fights live and perhaps become a fan and vice versa. I've never been a huge fan of MMA but I do respect the fighters and what they do the same way I respect a boxer for climbing in the ring.

Round 8, The end of Roy Jones: Roy Jones started the year with impressive victories over Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacy. Jones looked impressive enough to start raising a few eyebrows once again. That was until a few weeks ago when Danny Green stopped him in the first round and with the loss a potential showdown between Bernard Hopkins probably went down the drain. It's very clear that Roy Jones needs to finally hang up the gloves and begin the next chapter of his life. To many fighters hang around far to long and end up paying a heavy price in the end. Roy you were one of if not the best fighter of your generation now do yourself and your fans a favor and walk away.

Round 9, Instant Replay: Instant replay was introduced into boxing this year and I for one am very happy to see it's arrival. This is a feature that should have had made its entrance long ago. No longer will a fighter lose a fight on cuts when it was clearly a headbutt that caused the laceration. This is a step in the right direction for the sport of boxing. Now if we can just find something to do about those damn judges.

Round 10, 2010: All in all, 2009 was another great year in boxing. Manny Pacquiao dominated it, making a case to be called one of the greatest fighters of all time. The Super Six tournament will hopefully catch on in other weight classes and of course the return of Floyd Mayweather. Here's to 2010 and hopefully another great year!

2009 FIGHT SCHEDULE

PAVLIK & VALERO STOP OPPONETS - DEFEND TITLES

(Final update for 2009)

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Ward (W TD 10) Kessler (WBA 168)
28 - L. Bute (KO 4) L. Andre (IBF 168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins (W 12) E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones (TKO by 1) D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams (W-maj-12) S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola (TKO 4) B. Minto (Heavy)
5 - T. Thompson (TKO 9) C. Witherspoon(Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko (W 12) K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik (TKO 5) M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero (TKO 7) H. Velasquez (135)

VALERO STILL PERFECT - 26-0 (26)

DEFENDS WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE WITH TKO

(From The Associated Press)
=========================

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Edwin Valero stopped veteran Hector Velazquez after six rounds Saturday night to keep his WBC lightweight title in a town on Venezuela's Caribbean coast.

The 28-year-old Valero (26-0, 26 KOs) was bleeding from an eyebrow and his nose after a pair of accidental head-butts early in the fight. But the feisty Venezuelan kept attacking, giving Velazquez (51-14-2) his third loss in four fights.

It was Valero's first defense since winning the belt in April with a second-round knockout of Antonio Pitalua in Austin, Texas. Valero is already planning to defend the title in early 2010 against Antonio DeMarco, who holds the interim WBC belt.

The fight Saturday night was held just outside Caracas — Valero's first fight since problems renewing his U.S. visa prevented him from defending his title in Las Vegas last month against junior lightweight champion Humberto Soto.

Valero at the time accused the U.S. government of discrimination, saying he had completed all the necessary paperwork and that his application wasn't approved in time because of his sympathy for Venezuela President Hugo Chavez — a fierce critic of the U.S. government. Valero has an image of Chavez tattooed on his chest along with a Venezuelan flag.

Authorities say that Valero has a pending drunken driving charge in Texas, which is the primary reason he was denied a visa.

The charismatic lightweight turned professional in 2002 and fought without any problems until he failed a prefight MRI exam two years later in New York, when it was revealed that he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in a motorcycle accident in 2001.

Valero was place on indefinite suspension and wound up fighting mainly in Japan and Latin America. He finally received a license to fight in Texas, where he won his 135-pound title in the kind of dazzling performance that has become his hallmark.

2009 FIGHT SCHEDULE

V. KLITSCHKO OVER K. JOHNSON...

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Ward (W TD 10) Kessler (WBA 168)
28 - L. Bute (KO 4) L. Andre (IBF 168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins (W 12) E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones (TKO by 1) D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams (W-maj-12) S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola (TKO 4) B. Minto (Heavy)
5 - T. Thompson (TKO 9) C. Witherspoon(Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko (W 12) K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik v M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero v H. Velasquez (135)

SUPER SIX UPDATE

ROUND TWO MATCHES
Mar. 6 '10 - Abraham (31-0) v Dirrell (18-1)
Apr. 17 '10 - Froch (26-0) v Kessler (42-2)
Apr. 17 '10 - Ward (21-0) v Taylor (28-4-1)

STANDINGS
Abraham 1-0 (3)
Froch 1-0 (2)
Ward 1-0 (2)
Kessler 0-1 (0)
Dirrell 0-1 (0)
Taylor 0-1 (0)

2009 FIGHT SCHEDULE

HOPKINS DECISIONS ORNELAS!
GREENE SHOCKS JONES IN ONE!
WILLIAMS SQUEAKS BY MARTINEZ!
ARREOLA STOPS MINTO!
THOMPSON STOPS WITHERSPOON!

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Ward (W TD 10) Kessler (WBA 168)
28 - L. Bute (KO 4) L. Andre (IBF 168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins (W 12) E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones (TKO by 1) D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams (W-maj-12) S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola (TKO 4) B. Minto (Heavy)
5 - T. Thompson (TKO 9) C. Witherspoon(Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko v K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik v M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero v H. Velasquez (135)

2009 Fight Schedule

BUTE KO'S ANDRE IN REMATCH

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Ward (W TD 10) Kessler (WBA 168)
28 - L. Bute (KO 4) L. Andre (IBF 168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams v S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola v B. Minto (Heavy)
5 - C. Witherspoon v T. Thompson (Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko v K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik v M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero v H. Velasquez (135)

Super Six Standings

Abraham 1-0 (3)
Froch 1-0 (2)
Ward 1-0 (2)
Kessler 0-1 (0)
Dirrell 0-1 (0)
Taylor 0-1 (0)

Next bouts:
Round Two - Abraham v Dirrell, Froch v Kessler, Taylor v Ward.

2009 Fight Schedule

WARD BEATS KESSLER TO TAKE WBA SUPER MIDDLWEIGHT TITLE

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Ward (W TD 10) Kessler (WBA 168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams v S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola v B. Minto (Heavy)
5 - C. Witherspoon v T. Thompson (Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko v K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik v M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero v H. Velasquez (135)

2009 Fight Schedule

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Pacquiao (TKO 12) Cotto (145)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
5 - P. Williams v S. Martinez (154)
5 - C. Arreola v D. Rossey (Heavy)
5 - C. Witherspoon v T. Thompson (Heavy)
12 - V. Klitschko v K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)
19 - K. Pavlik v M. Espino (160)
19 - Valero v H. Velasquez (135)

PACQUIAO STOPS COTTO IN 12TH!

Pacquiao stops Cotto to win 7th title

(From The Associated Press)
========================================
LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao's speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto's heart.

Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.

The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.

The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring.

Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand as Cotto was advancing forward late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.

"Our plan was not to hurry but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."

Cotto fought gamely but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao kept coming after him relentlessly. It looked as if his corner was trying to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to call the fight to an end.

Cotto's face was swollen, blood was flowing from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.

"I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said. "Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought."

Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title. Pacquiao did it in trademark fashion, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down and then pursuing him relentlessly until the fight finally ended.

The fight will likely set up an even bigger fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in the soldout crowd at the MGM Grand arena began chanting "We want Floyd! We want Floyd" after the fight ended.

"I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.

Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before and win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.

The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though. He said he will not move up any more in weight.

"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it.

He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches , 336-172 , as Cotto.

Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million

Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.

2009 Fight Schedule

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (WBC Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson (W 12) G. Johnson (175)
7 - Haye (W 12) Valuev (WBA Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao (147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)
12 - V. Klitschko v K. Johnson (WBC Heavy)

DAWSON DEFENDS AGAINST JOHNSON

Chad Dawson retained his title via unanimous 12 round decision over the aging Glen Johnson who will be 41 in January. Basically it's time for the Road Warrior to hang it up. A very good fighter in his day, but he is no longer at the elite level.

Scores were: 115-113, 115-113, 117-111. Dawson moves to 29-0 (17) while Johnson dips to 49-13-2 (33).

HAYE NEW WBA CHAMP!

David Haye defeated Nikolay Valuev via 12 round majority decision to capture the WBA Heavyweight Title tonight. Scores were: 114-114, 116-112, 116-112. Haye's record moves to 23-1 (21) and has a mandatory against John Ruiz which is due by May 2010. Ex-two time champ Valuev drops to 50-2 (34).

Prediction: Valuev v Haye

I see this going Haye's way. Too fast, boxing to easy almost embarrasing decision. Or possibly a KO in 11. Yep Valuev down twice in this bout, stopped in 11.

2009 Fight Schedule

(Note: Mosley v Coley moved to Jan. '10)

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao (147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)

2009 Fight Schedule

Note: Pavlik v Williams (160) postponed until early 2010.

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao 147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
2 - B. Hopkins v E. Ornelas (175)
2 - R. Jones v D. Greene (Cruiser)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)
26 - Mosley v D.Coley (147)

2009 Fight Schedule

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch (W 12) Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham (KO 12) J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao 147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
5 - Pavlik v P. Williams (160)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)
26 - Mosley v D.Coley (147)

Super Six Standings

Abraham 1-0 (3)
Froch 1-0 (2)
Kessler 0-0 (0)
Ward 0-0 (0)
Dirrell 0-1 (0)
Taylor 0-1 (0)

Next bouts:
Round One Kessler v Ward 11/21
Round Two Abraham v Dirrell, Froch v Kessler, Taylor v Ward.

Super Six - Results

Round One - Today

Abraham TKO 12 Taylor
Froch W 12 Dirrell
Kessler v Ward (tbd 11/21)

Super Six - Predictions

Super Six Predictions For Round One

Abraham over Taylor by TKO.
Dirrell over Froch by Decision.
Kessler over Ward by Decision.

SUPER SIX WBC

THE SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

MISSION: TO FIND THE BEST FIGHTER AT 168. Each fighter will face three different opponents over the next 12 months in a points-based race. The top four point-makers reach the semifinals, and the winners square off in early 2011 for the Super Six World Boxing Classic trophy.

THE FIGHERS: ARTHUR ABRAHAM 30-0(24), CARL FROCH 25-0(20), MIKKEL KESSLER 42-1(32), ANDRE WARD 20-0(13), JERMAIN TAYLOR 28-3-1(17), ANDRE DIRRELL 18-0(13).

THE BOUTS:
(Round One)
Oct. 17, 2009 Abraham v Taylor, Berlin, Ger.
Oct. 17, 2009 Froch v Dirrell, Nottingham, UK.
Nov. 21, 2009 Kessler v Ward, Oakland, CA USA.

2009 Fight Schedule

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko (TKO 10) Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch v Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham v J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao 147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
5 - Pavlik v P. Williams (160)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)
26 - Mosley v D.Coley (147)

Klitschko stops Arreola after 10th round

(From AP)
=============

LOS ANGELES — Vitali Klitschko gave Cris Arreola such a beating that his corner finally stepped in to stop the fight. Good thing, because Arreola wasn't about to quit by himself.

Klitschko cemented his spot alongside his brother, Wladimir, at the top of the heavyweight ranks Saturday night by battering a game but outclassed Arreola around the ring for 10 rounds. Arreola remained upright the entire fight but had taken so many punches that his corner wouldn't let him out for the 11th round.

It was a dominating performance for Klitschko, who retained his piece of the heavyweight title and denied Arreola's bid to become the first Mexican-American to win a heavyweight crown. Arreola was still willing to fight some more, but trainer Henry Ramirez ended things with his fighter still on his stool after the 10th round.

"I know I was hurting him a lot but he has a great, great chin," Klitschko said. "I was surprised he did not come out (for the 11th round)."

One ringside judge gave Klitschko all 10 rounds while the other two gave Arreola one round. The Associated Press had Klitschko winning every round.

It was the third win for Klitschko since he returned last year from a four-year retirement he said he needed to allow his body to heal. His brother, Wladimir, also a heavyweight champion, was in the corner to give him advice but there was little that needed to be said about a performance so dominating that there seemed little chance for Arreola even after the first round.

Klitschko, who stood a half-head taller than Arreola, used his left jab when he wanted Arreola on the outside, and threw uppercuts and short hooks at him when he tried to get inside. He ran his record to 38-2 while stopping an opponent within the distance for the 37th time.

2009 Fight Schedule

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem (TKO by 4) S. McLean (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko v Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch v Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham v J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao 147)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
5 - Pavlik v P. Williams (160)
12 - Valero v A. Demarco (135)
26 - Mosley v D.Coley (147)

Hopkins v Jones II in 2010

(From ESPN)
=============================
Jones must first win bout in Australia

Sixteen years after they first met, Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins will finally fight again.

The light heavyweight stars signed an agreement Friday night to meet in a rematch sometime in the first quarter of 2010, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Square Ring CEO John Wirt.

The deal is contingent on Jones' first winning a planned Dec. 2 fight in Australia against Australian cruiserweight Danny Green.

Under the terms of the agreement, it is a 50-50 split of the revenue. However, if there is a knockout, the winner of the fight will get 60 percent and the loser 40 percent.

When Hopkins and Jones first met in 1993, Jones won a unanimous decision to claim a vacant middleweight title.

Upcoming Bouts for the Remainder of 2009

SEPTEMBER
23 - F. Saleem v tba (Heavy)
26 - V. Klitscko v Arreola (Heavy)
OCTOBER
17 - Froch v Dirrell (168)
17 - A. Abraham v J. Taylor (168)
NOVEMBER
7 - Dawson v G. Johnson (175)
7 - Valuev v Haye (Heavy)
14 - Cotto v Pacquiao 147)
21 - Pavlik v Williams (160)
21 - Kessler v Ward (168)
28 - L. Bute v L. Andre (168)
DECEMBER
26 - Mosley v D.Coley (147)

Mayweather Tops Marquez

(First In: From San Francisco Chronicle)
===============================================
(09-19) 21:43 PDT LAS VEGAS, (AP) --

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has returned to the ring in a big way with an unanimous decision over the smaller, lighter Juan Manuel Marquez.

In his first fight back from retirement and a 21-month absence, Mayweather knocked down the undersized Marquez in the second round and then peppered him with countless damaging shots to remain unbeaten in 40 pro fights.

Marquez was a 130-pounder just 18 months ago, but the Mexican champion moved up two weight classes to be Mayweather's hand-picked comeback opponent. At Friday's weigh-in, he was four pounds lighter than Mayweather, who paid a hefty six-figure penalty for missing the bout weight.

The size disparity was painfully obvious from the opening bell, but Marquez stayed on his feet for 12 one-sided rounds.

Mayweather v Marquez

Should start around 8:30pm tonight. Should be a dull fight as both are counter punchers. Prediction 116-112 Mayweather by UD. Will post the result around 11pm tonight.

Holyfield v Rahman II...

(From Democrat and Chronicle)
====================================
Holyfield-Rahman fight proposed

Preliminary discussions are under way for a farewell fight between former WBC heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Hasim "Rock" Rahman next spring at Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial.

"These are high-profile boxers nearing the end of their careers," said Steve Nelson, the Rochester-based manager of Rahman. "We contacted Holyfield's connections and they're interested in the fight. It would be a tribute event and a classy way to go out. I believe Rochester would be an ideal site. Rock (Rahman) is 5-0 here and feels at home in Rochester. He has a sincere affection for this community."

The New York State Athletic Commission in August 2005 banned Holyfield from fighting in the state due to "diminishing skills." Nelson doesn't think that would be an obstacle: "Evander has proved himself in many fights (since the ban), including heavyweight title fights."

Holyfield, the only boxer to win the heavyweight title four times, has a career record of 42-10-2, but is only 4-5 in his past nine fights. In his past two fights, he lost a controversial majority decision to WBA champion Nikolai Valuev on Dec. 20, 2008, and lost a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimov in October 2007, for the WBO title. Holyfield turns 47 on Oct. 19.

Rahman, who turns 37 on Nov. 7, is 36-7-2. His last fight was a seventh-round knockout loss to Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, IBO and WBO titles, Dec. 13, 2008.

He trained for the fight in Rochester.

"Rock was being treated for bone chips in his elbow at Strong (Memorial Hospital), but we weren't going to back out of the fight," said Nelson. "At Rock's age, you don't get many $1 million paydays. The elbow bothered him in the fight."

Holyfield won a technical decision over Rahman, June 1, 2002. The fight was stopped by the ring doctor in the eighth round after accidental head butts produced a baseball-sized lump over Rahman's left eye.

Nelson believes Rahman-Holyfield would draw well in Rochester.

"Former WBC champions don't fight against each other very often. For historical significance alone, it would be a big deal. It would draw lots of attention.

"And it could be a real good fight."

JONES STOPS LACY - CAREER OVER?

(From The Associated Press)
==================================
BILOXI, Miss. – Roy Jones Jr. toyed with the crowd and with Jeff Lacy, stopping the overmatched opponent after the 10th round Saturday night to retain the NABO light heavyweight championship title.

Jones (54-5, 39 KOs) used a left hook to cut Lacy's right eye in the third round, and both of Lacy's eyes were swelling by the seventh. Lacy didn't answer the bell for the 11th round and the referee stopped the bout.

Jones joked when asked when he thought the bout was in his hands.

"When they gave me the gloves," Jones said. "My hands are still as fast as ever. I've got the quickest speed in the game."

Lacy's strategy for the faster Jones was apparent from the outset. Lacy tried to pin Jones on the ropes throughout the fight. Jones was unaffected by the tactic and seemed more worried about playing to the crowd than about Lacy's punches.

As Lacy tried to tussle with Jones in the corners, Jones told the Mississippi Coast Coliseum crowd "Watch this" on several occasions. He followed with fast combinations that eventually took their toll on Lacy (25-3).

"I've got to give the crowd what they want," Jones said. "The crowd asked for it so I gave them what they wanted. I still love what I do."

All three judges had Jones, an eight-time world champion in four weight classes, far ahead on their scorecards before the match was stopped before the 11th round.

"(Lacy) could do whatever he wanted to do. I trained for everything," Jones said. "If that's the kind of fight he wanted, that's what I'll give them."

Jones said his next fight will be Nov. 21 in Australia against newly crowned IBO cruiserweight champ Danny Green. Green stopped Julio Cesar Dominguez on the undercard Saturday night.

Klitschko retains heavyweight title

(From Reuters)
================
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Ukraine's Vladimir Klitschko retained his world heavyweight titles by beating Russian Chagaev thanks to a technical knockout after the ninth round at the Schalke 04 soccer stadium on Saturday.

Klitschko, 33, held on to his IBF, IBO and WBO belts when the referee stopped the fight before the start of the 10th round in front of 61,000 fans with the Uzbek WBA champion-in-recess bleeding from a large cut above his left eye.

(TomH Note: Klitschko is now The Ring Magazine Champion)

COTTO WINS BRUTAL BATTLE

(From Skysports June 13)
=========================
Clottey's WBO welterweight title challenge ends in split decision loss
Bloodied but unbowed: Cotto retains WBO welterweight title

Miguel Cotto retained his WBO welterweight title with a gruelling split decision victory over Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening.

Judges Don Trella and John McKaie scored the bout for Cotto by margins of 116-111 and 115-112 respectively, while Tom Miller gave it to former IBF champion Clottey by 114-113.

Cotto put his Ghanaian opponent on the canvas in the first round with a stiff left but the challenger quickly recovered to shade a wild second as both men looked to land with hooks and uppercuts.

An accidental clash of heads in the third opened a cut above Cotto's left eyelid, which bled profusely throughout the remainder of the fight hampering the Puerto Rican's vision.

Clottey took advantage, landing regularly with the right hand as he forced the pace in the middle rounds, although he had a scare in the fifth when he slipped and appeared to hurt his knee, writhing around in pain before referee Arthur Mercante Jr urged him to regain his feet.

Cotto, who had looked to be tiring, found a renewed purpose in the ninth and proceeded to dominate the remainder of the contest.

He spent the the closing stages circling Clottey and moving in-and-out to land with quick flurries, a grandstand finish that ensured the decision went his way.

Plan
"I just tried to keep my plan and forget about the cut," said Cotto, who improved his record to 34-1 with the win.

"I tried to forget about the blood running into my eye and make my people proud."

Clottey, who is now 35-3, complained bitterly about the judges' decision in the immediate aftermath.

"I fought my heart out," he said. "I'm chasing the guy. He's running. I'm blocking the punches. So I don't know what I have to do to win the fight."

Holyfield to fight Ethiopia exhibition bout in July

(From Yahoo Sports)
==========================

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield will fight an exhibition match in Ethiopia in July to help raise funds for AIDS victims, promoters announced Friday.

The 46-year-old will take on Ethiopian-born American Sammy Retta in Addis Ababa on July 26, in what will be the Horn of Africa nation's first ever showpiece boxing bout.

"The two boxers and their team will arrive in Addis Ababa on May 17th to conclude a contract and for promotional purposes before the match on July 26," promoter Eshetu Belay told a press conference.

The match will cost organisers upto seven million dollars, Eshetu said, but declined to disclose how much Holyfield would receive in appearance money.

"Evander showed extreme enthusiasm to fight for the first time in Africa. He is very much delighted to be part of such a worthy cause," Eshetu added.

His scheduled opponent is a 35-year-old super-middleweight.

The four-time world champion last fought a competitive match at the end of last year when he lost in controversial circumstances to Russian Sultan Ibragimov in an attempt to clinch an unprecedented fifth title.

Holyfield is best remembered for having his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson in 1997 in a match which was later coined as the "The Bite Fight".

The fight would rank as one of the highest-profile all-American boxing bouts on African soil since the legendary 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" that pitted Muhammad Ali against Joe Frazier in the former Zaire.

PACQUIAO KOs HATTON!

Manny Pacquiao could have the boxing market cornered
(From Los Angeles Times)

Reporting from Las Vegas — Manny Pacquiao prides himself as a smart businessman who knows how to play poker. Let future opponents beware: He walked out of the MGM Grand casino-hotel this weekend with a stack of chips.

A record-tying world title in a sixth division. A fourth consecutive victory in a different weight class. And a one-sided performance in a major fight that, compared to the Tyson-Spinks mauling and George Foreman's "Down goes Frazier!" triumph, has given Pacquiao unprecedented power in mapping his immediate fighting future.

The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world coming off a second-round knockout victory like that in a lucrative junior-welterweight championship bout against Ricky Hatton? That creates perks.

After the first major bout of the post-Oscar De La Hoya era, Pacquiao is now the man. He is empowered to pick who he wants to fight, when he wants to fight them, and at what weight.

The handful of opponents before him includes Pomona's world welterweight champion Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, unbeaten lightweight champion Edwin Valero, Mexico's popular Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and unbeaten and recently unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The problem with Mayweather is that he signed Friday to fight Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18. The move surprised the Pacquiao camp, who say they are unlikely to rest until the super-fight.

"A busy fighter is a good fighter, we're not going to wait around," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "Mayweather just had to wait one day and this fight could've happened. I think he's scared of Manny."

Privately, the Pacquiao camp said Mayweather Jr. harmed his leverage in future Pacquiao negotiations -- perhaps for a bout early next year -- by agreeing to fight Marquez in a bout expected to struggle for pay-per-view buys.

Meanwhile, the buzz around Pacquiao (49-3-2, 36 knockouts) intensified after he knocked down Hatton three times, including a highlight-reel left hook that flattened Hatton with one second left in the second round.

Pacquiao, 30, is in peak shape, showcasing ring smarts that have caught up to his speed and punching power. He's better than even those closest to him think. Pacquiao business manager Michael Koncz said before the fight that he bet at the sports book that his fighter would knock out Hatton in three to six rounds.

Roach, for the second consecutive fight, ended the night urging a Pacquiao victim to retire. De La Hoya did, and Hatton should, too, Roach said. "He had a great career, but knockouts like that aren't good for people."

Hatton's promoter Richard Schaefer said Hatton "never mentioned retirement" in a post-fight discussion.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said, "I have something special in history here, an athlete who's improving every fight. He's like a grand painting."

The next stroke, Arum said, is to have Pacquiao film a movie in the Philippines, then travel to New York in June to pick up his 2008 fighter-of-the-year award and watch Cotto's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey. The Pacquiao camp will then huddle to select a new foe.

"Manny will fight anybody. He says, 'Whoever, whatever, no problem, I just do what my coach [Roach] wants me to do,' " Arum's matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, said. "Freddie knows. He thinks about this stuff all the time."

So it's noteworthy that Roach first mentioned Mosley as a future opponent. "As a fan, that's the fight I'd most want to see," Roach said.

Mosley congratulated Pacquiao late Saturday, then quickly lobbied to get that fight while knowing Top Rank could be tempted business-wise to match Pacquiao against Cotto, a Top Rank fighter. Trampler said assuredly there's no such conspiracy theory in play.

"Let's get it done," Mosley said. "I don't see a reason they'd want to fight Cotto when I'm the champion who beat [Antonio] Margarito, who beat Cotto. It'd be a classic fight [against Pacquiao]. We both have good hand speed and power and I think that fans want to see the best fight the best."

Team Pacquiao, however, doesn't want to fight either Mosley or Cotto at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, and would demand that either move down to a catch-weight bout of 143 pounds, said Roach.

"We can talk," Mosley said.

First, it'll be up to Team Pacquiao to make the call.

Paul Williams batters Winky Wright for unanimous decision

(From The Associated Press)
===============================
LAS VEGAS - If Paul Williams thought the world's top boxers were scared of him before, just wait until they see the holes he punched in Winky Wright's once-impenetrable defence.

In his first main-event bout in boxing's capital city, Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) pounded at Wright's famed defensive posture from the opening bell. The Augusta, Ga., native was simply masterful, systematically breaking down the former champion in Wright's return from a 21-month ring absence.

With so many punches to block, Wright (51-5-1) simply didn't have time to land enough scoring blows against his much taller, longer opponent. Williams barely appeared tired by the closing bell, chasing Wright around the ring up to the final seconds while anticipating what his biggest win yet will do for his blossoming career.

"I felt like I did in the first round in the 12th," Williams said. "That was because of my hard training, and running seven miles a day. It helped my breathing."

The Mandalay Bay Events Center was half-full, but those fans now understand why Williams might be the sport's most intriguing talent. Williams threw 104 punches in the first round and 106 in the 12th, rarely taking a break in between.

Judges Jerry Roth and Robert Hoyle favoured Williams 119-109, while Adalaide Byrd gave every round to Williams, 120-108. The Associated Press had Williams winning 118-111.

In his first fight since losing a decision to Bernard Hopkins in the same ring in July 2007, Wright still had the strong defences that made him one of the sport's least pleasant opponents for a decade - but they weren't enough. For every counterpunching shot landed by Wright, Williams constantly replied with elaborate combinations, forcing Wright to retreat again.

Wright's left eye swelled nearly shut by the 11th round, making his corner's pleas for a knockout pretty much pointless.

Wright hadn't been in the ring since his disappointing 170-pound loss to Hopkins, whose technical wizardry was more than Wright could handle. While Wright spent the next year welcoming his son's birth and hitting the casinos on fight nights, he didn't seem particularly eager to fight again - an opinion underscored by rumours he had rejected several possible bouts on financial terms.

Wright insists he never considered quitting, but couldn't get a significant fight from Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor or the other big names around his weight. He finally agreed to take on Williams in an HBO fight that should pay both men more than US$1 million.

"This is definitely not my last fight," Wright said. "I'm definitely coming back. I had a long layoff, and I'm definitely not going to wait that long again. He threw a lot of punches, but it was a great fight."

Since both fighters are used to rejection, each praised the other for accepting the bout in the weeks leading up to it. They embraced at Friday's weigh-in, both spoke reverently of each other afterward.

"I expected Winky to throw big shots, and he did," Williams said. "We went 12 hard rounds. I anticipated that it was going to be a tough fight."

VALERO CAPTURES WBC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE - NOW 25-0 (25)

(From Sportinglife.com)
==========================
(And Jesus Chavez Retires)

Venezuelan Edwin Valero beat Antonio Pitalua in only the second round to capture the vacant WBC lightweight belt in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

Colombian-born Mexico resident Pitalua put in a career best performance when knocking out Jose Armando Santa Cruz last year but he was on the receiving end against Valero.

Valero could now be a real threat to Juan Manuel Marquez after improving to a career performance of 25-0, all won by knockout.

Elsewhere on the 'Lightweight Lightning' bill, Mexican-born Austin resident Jesus Chavez lost to Australian Michael Katsidis in round seven.

Chavez was cut from a shoulder bump in the seventh, and after Katsidis landed some severe blows the Mexican conceded as he trudged to his corner after the bell.

Carlos Hernandez pushed Vicente Escobedo to the limit for 10 rounds but fell short in the end, the judges scoring the bout 96-91, 94-93, 95-91 in Escobedo's favour.

In the fourth fight on the card, Julio Diaz suffered the fourth stoppage of his career after losing to 30-year old Rolando Reyes.

Three Posts Today...

Catching up on things...

CHAMBERS TOO FAST FOR PETER

(From March 27 - From Sportinglife.com)
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'Fast' Eddie Chambers beat Sam Peter with a majority decision after their 10-round heavyweight encounter at the Nokia Center in Los Angeles on Friday.

It was a workmanlike performance from Chambers (34-1 with 18 KOs) who just edged the competitive bout with Peter (30-3 with 23 KOs).

Jabs were aplenty in the opening two rounds before Peter had Chambers on the ropes in the third.

It was pretty tight after four rounds but from then on Chambers began to fight more effectively and he dominated the closing stages.

The judges scored the fight 95-95, 96-94, and 99-91 in favour of Chambers.

Chambers was delighted with his performance. He told the Los Angeles Times afterwards: "The jab worked great. I slipped his punches, worked for it. I also jabbed a lot to his body. I had him leery of that.

"A lot of people didn't think a puncher could hold off a big, strong guy like that, but I proved I could."

JONES STOPS SHEIKA

(From March 21 Associated Press)
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PENSACOLA, Fla. — Roy Jones Jr. says he is still addicted to boxing. Knocking out lightly regarded Omar Sheika did nothing to convince him that it's time, at 40, to hang up his gloves.

"Don't you understand?" Jones said after the referee stopped the fight at 1:45 of the fifth round Saturday night. "I haven't learned that yet. I'm going to rehab."

A hometown crowd roared its approval as Jones captured the North American Boxing Association's vacant light heavyweight championship.

Jones said he wants to fight again in two or three months and he's not particular about who or where as long as he has an opportunity to seek another world title.

"I'm not going to call any people by their names, but if you've got a belt tied to your waist you already know," Jones said.

He was asked if he'd like to drop down to super middleweight.

"I would like to, but if I told you I was doing that I'd be lying to you, because if somebody called me and told me they wanted me to fight for the heavyweight title tomorrow, I'd be on my way back to 199," Jones said.

That's one of the four weight classes Jones has dominated as an eight-time world champion.

Jones bloodied Sheika's face with a flurry of punches, but Sheika never went down and wanted to continue. Sheika kept Jones backed up in the ropes for much of the fight, but Jones did most of the damage.

"I'm glad the referee did stop the fight before I messed him up even more," Jones said.

It was the first title victory of any kind in nearly two years for Jones, once acclaimed as the world's best pound-for-pound boxer.

The win was Jones' 53rd, including 39 knockouts, against five losses. The 32-year-old Sheika of Patterson, N.J., fell to 27-9 with 18 knockouts.

The Jones-Sheika fight was the main event of a combination card of boxing and mixed martial arts fights promoted by Jones.

Jones fought for the first time in 10 years in Pensacola, where his professional career began two decades ago.

It was another comeback fight for Jones. In his last outing four months ago, he lost a lopsided unanimous decision to then-super-middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, who retired with a perfect 46-0 record.

Before the loss to Calzaghe, Jones had put together three straight wins. They included unanimous decisions over Felix Trinidad last year and Anthony Hanshaw in 2007 to claim the vacant IBC light heavyweight title.

KLITSCHKO STOPS GOMEZ

(From March 21 itn.co.uk)
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Klitschko makes light work of Gomez

Vitali Klitschko successfully retained his WBC world heavyweight title with a ninth-round stoppage of Juan Carlos Gomez in Stuttgart.

The 37-year-old knocked down Gomez, a former WBC cruiserweight champion, three times, the last of which prompted referee Daniel van de Wiele to stop the fight.

"After the sixth I became bit impatient but I knew he did not have much fuel after that" - Vitali KlitschkoIt was Klitschko's first defence of the belt he won in October against Samuel Peter. That bout marked his return to the sport after four years in retirement.

Klitschko said: "I knew Gomez very well and knew this was not going to be easy.

"After the sixth I became bit impatient but I knew he did not have much fuel after that."

The Ukrainian, 10cm taller than his opponent, who is 35, began cautiously in the first few rounds but gradually went on the attack to the delight of some 12,500 spectators in Stuttgart's sold-out Schleyer Hall.

© Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

CALZAGHE RETIRES!

Calzaghe goes out on his terms
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Feb 5, 4:34 pm EST

Bernard Hopkins is undoubtedly an angry man today. And Chad Dawson surely can’t be too happy. Nor, one would imagine, are Carl Froch, Glen Johnson and Jermain Taylor.

That disparate group of boxers shared a desire for a fight against Joe Calzaghe, who foiled them all on Thursday as he had 46 opponents when he announced his retirement from boxing.

The long-time super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion spent the past couple of months deciding whether he wanted to fight any more.

After waxing Roy Jones Jr. at Madison Square Garden in November, Calzaghe improved his record to 46-0 and unquestionably established himself as one of the greats of the current era.

Hopkins was desperate for a rematch of their April 19 bout, which Calzaghe won by split decision. Dawson, the unbeaten IBF light heavyweight champion, had hoped a fight with, and a victory over, Calzaghe would establish him as one of the game’s elite.

Froch won the super middleweight title that Calzaghe relinquished when he moved to light heavyweight and began campaigning for a bout that would have been huge in the United Kingdom.

Calzaghe considered those possibilities, but he chose to walk away. He walks away with his faculties, his reputation and, of course, that unbeaten record.

He was a target because of his success, because potential opponents knew they could increase their own stature by defeating him.
And many of those men will speak disdainfully of him for walking away, questioning his courage, his heart and his manhood for not accepting another challenge. They’ll point to the fact that, in a similar situation a little more than a decade ago, Calzaghe whined about Steve Collins’ decision to retire rather than to face him.

Just like Collins had little to gain by facing a relatively unknown Calzaghe in 1997, so, too, does the nearly 37-year-old Calzaghe have little to gain by fighting again.

He’s not going to burnish his reputation, regardless of whether he became the first man to stop Hopkins or the first man to defeat Dawson.

“I thought long and hard about things, but I’ve decided to retire from boxing,” Calzaghe told the BBC, which broke the news of his retirement. “It was a difficult decision, but I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted to achieve in boxing.”

He was 22-0 in world championship bouts, held the super middleweight belt for more than 10 years and was rarely challenged.

He could have pursued a rematch with Hopkins, that would have paid him millions, but there was no upside other than money in that fight for him.

Had he chosen to stick around, he inevitably would have lost. The reason why there are so few boxers who have retired undefeated is that most stay long past their primes. They fight when they’re only a shell of the man that the fans once knew.

Exhibit A in the modern era, of course, is former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who is almost pitiable the way he’s hanging on.

Even defeating a young and skilled fighter like Dawson would have done little for Calzaghe’s reputation. After a closing stretch in which he routed the previously unbeaten Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler and then knocked off a pair of icons in Hopkins and Jones, nothing Calzaghe could have done after defeating Jones would have impacted the perception of him.

He’ll suffer because he fought Hopkins when Hopkins was 43 and not in his prime. He’ll suffer because he faced Jones five years after Jones had become just another boxer.

Whether it was his fault that those fights didn’t happen earlier or not, questions will always surround him whether he was good enough to have beaten them in their primes.

He told the BBC that his greatest accomplishment was finishing his career unbeaten, noting he hadn’t lost since July 1990, when he was an amateur.

“I fought some great fights, against some great fighters, and to do that is beyond my wildest dreams,” Calzaghe said. “Like I said, it was just incredible.”

He did everything correctly during his professional career. He came ready to fight, he always came in shape and, more often than not, he was highly entertaining.

He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will go down as, arguably, the greatest fighter in British boxing history.

In his autobiography, “No Ordinary Joe,” he writes of his satisfaction of his lopsided victory over Lacy in 2006.

“I love to hear people say to me, ‘That was a great fight,’ ” Calzaghe wrote. “It’s nice and it doesn’t happen all the time because in some of my fights, I’ve been ordinary. But it’s always the first thing I ask my Dad: ‘Was it a good fight?’ I didn’t realize how good my performance was until I overhead some people talking as I walked out of the ring.

“Was I really that good, Dad?”

His father, Enzo, who taught him to box and served as his trainer for his entire career, was speaking of the Lacy fight, but perfectly captured his son’s career when he answered, “You were brilliant, Joe. (Expletive) brilliant.”

All those fighters who are angry that Calzaghe is stepping away would even have to grudgingly admit that.

When he stepped between the ropes, Joe Calzaghe was brilliant.

(Expletive) brilliant.

Shane Mosley rolls back the years to dismantle Antonio Margarito

(From Telegraph.co.uk)

Shane Mosley, 37, rolled back the years to create a major upset by dominating Antonio Margarito, considered one of the world's most durable fighters, knocking him out in the ninth round of their World Boxing Association welterweight bout at the Staples Center, Los Angeles on Saturday.

Margarito, who had beaten Miguel Cotto six months ago in a scintillating performance in which he had shown himself to be virtually impregnable by weathering Cotto's storm before stopping the Puerto Rican, came into this fight as the clear favourite.

But Margarito simply had no answer to Mosley's speed and accuracy as he appeared to land with right hands and left hooks, seemingly at will, as the fight wore on.

Two left hooks and seven unanswered punches put Margarito down at the end of the eighth round, the Mexican saved only by the bell. Even at the start of the ninth, he looked, and was, a beaten man.

Margarito lost every round on one of the judge's scorecards, all but one on another, with the third judge giving two rounds to the Mexican.

"It was my strategy, my focus, my game plan," said Mosley. "It was a tough fight, but it was a great plan. It was my left hook."

Margarito dropped to 37-6 with 27 knockouts after being stopped for the first time. Mosley moved his record to 46-5 with 39 knockouts.

Bowe looks rusty, still beats Pukall

(From Stripes.com)
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MANNHEIM, Germany — Early last week, former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe predicted he would knock out Gene Pukall Saturday night in the second or third round.

The 41-year-old Bowe won but in a lackluster performance, winning a unanimous decision in the eight-round affair.

The bout was the first time "Big Daddy" Bowe fought professionally since 2005 and served as his third fight in 12 years. Bowe’s time away from the sport showed.

The bearded Bowe, who moved to Kaiserslautern three months ago to resurrect his boxing career, failed to knock out a much smaller opponent, who prior to Saturday night had been KO’d in the first round of two of his last three fights.

Overall, the fight was marked by little action and less movement. For much of the fight, the men stood nearly flat-footed, not venturing far from the center of the ring.

Still, Bowe controlled the over-matched Pukall from the start and brought his opponent crashing to the canvas with a lone left hook at the end of the fifth round. It was the only real excitement of their bout.

The men took to the ring just after 9 p.m. Saturday with Pukall choosing a rock song for his entrance music. "In da Club" by 50 Cent blared through the SAP Arena as Bowe made his way to the ring in a white robe and white trunks.

The lack of movement and relatively few punches of the first round could be chalked up to the boxers feeling each other out. The boxers exchanged punches at the end of the second round, but none of the blows did terrible damage.

As the fight continued, Bowe, at times, would drop his gloves to his side to either adjust his trunks or when he appeared to be getting instructions from his corner. He still did damage to Pukall, landing some heavy rights to the 33-year-old’s face. For most of the fight, the crowd was as quiet as clergy, but a few shouts of "go Big Daddy" and "move" could be heard.

Throughout the fight, Pukall did his best to keep his face buried behind his gloves, but at the very end of the fifth round Bowe landed a left hook that dropped his challenger like a bad habit. Pukall stumbled back to his feet late in the count, and the round ended seconds later.

The fight dragged on until the bell sounded to end the bout following the eighth round.

Bowe improved to 43-1 (33 KOs), while Pukall’s record now stands at 14-13-2. Bowe billed the fight as a comeback bid to regain the heavyweight belts. While he showed flashes of his old self Saturday night in a few combinations, Bowe will need to improve by leaps and bounds if he’s serious about a title run.

Fortysomethings believe they can recapture titles

(From the timesonline.co.uk)
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They shared 32 of the most exciting rounds in the history of the world heavyweight championship, two American legends whose three clashes are fondly remembered by fans around the world. They were multiple world champions who should be enjoying well-deserved retirements. But over the next nine days, Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield will lace up their gloves to return to the ring.

The millions they made have gone and what is left are the memories. Memories rarely pay the bills, so both, now in their forties, thousands of miles from home and more than 13 years on from their glory nights in Las Vegas, are back to fight. The fear is that if they box on too long, they might not have the memories, either.

Next week, in Zurich, Holyfield makes another seemingly doomed attempt to win back the world title when he challenges Nikolay Valuev, the 7ft giant from Russia, for the WBA belt. Tomorrow, in Mannheim, Germany, Bowe starts a comeback when he faces Gene Pukall in a low-grade eight-round bout.

There is no seniors tour in boxing and tales of old glory reclaimed are few and far between. But there is often a buck to be made off an old reputation somewhere. The inability of Holyfield, 46, to accept the decline in his talents has long been a concern in boxing circles and he was suspended in New York in 2004 - although the suspension was lifted. It was once claimed on Bowe's behalf in court that he was brain-damaged.

That they can still box fills many who love the sport with dread and those that condemn it with anger. The pair themselves believe that they are still chasing a dream and trying to earn a living. “Money makes the world go round,” Bowe said. “Why knock a man when he is trying to do something right? I'm from Brownsville [a rough suburb of New York], I could easily go and get a gun and do something bad. I'm just trying to earn an honest dollar.”

The pair met in three remarkable bouts in the early Nineties. Bowe won the first and third, but the second, in 1993, is the best remembered. Bowe was on course to repeat his earlier win when, in round seven, a man strapped to an enormous fan parachuted into the Caesars Palace ring. The bout was suspended for 21 minutes amid turmoil and when it restarted Holyfield sneaked a majority points decision.

Bowe, 40, has spent the past three months in Kaiserslautern, in southwest Germany, preparing for his return, his mind a mixture of excitement and anxiety. “I can't sleep,” Bowe said. “It's a good sign that I'm anxious, because it means I'm ready. I want to be a three-time champion like my idol Muhammad Ali.”

He won the heavyweight title from Holyfield in 1992, lost it in the infamous rematch but won the WBO title from Herbie Hide in 1995. Surprisingly, that Holyfield loss is still his only one in 44 bouts. The boxer known as “Big Daddy” vanished from the sport in 1996 after two brutal bouts with Andrew Golota, the Pole being disqualified in both for low punching.

His life then became a mess. He tried to join the Marines, but quit after only 11 days of basic training. In 2000 he was in court for kidnapping his wife and five children. His defence counsel appealed for a lenient sentence claiming that he had suffered brain damage in the ring. He was initially sentenced to 30 days and ordered to get treatment, although that was later raised and he served 17 months. He tried a comeback in 2004, which lasted two bouts. Now he misses the glory and needs the money.

“I'm just trying to get my swagger back,” Bowe said. “I missed it all, the people wanting to speak to you, the people wanting to shake your hand. It's the only thing I know, I'm not going to go out and be a construction worker. I guess money plays a part. I got married again. I live in the house I had with my first wife. I would like to buy a house so it can be the one I have with my new wife. I want to be able to leave something to my youngest daughter, who is 3.

“I've been training all the time. I was in California for a bit, I was in Kentucky. I think people in America were trying to freeze me out. I got a call one day and I was invited to Germany. Everything has been as they said so far.

“I truly believe I can be world champion again if these people give me the chance. If I pick my opponents right, when the time is right I'll be ready. I'm going to take my time. I think it will be at least ten fights over an 18-month period.”

Holyfield last boxed 14 months ago, when he won only three rounds in an unsuccessful attempt to take Sultan Ibragimov's WBO title in Moscow. That Ibragimov won only one round in a unification match against Wladimir Klitschko in February gives an indication of how far Holyfield is off the summit of the division. Against Valuev, as well as disadvantages in height, reach, weight and youth, he also has inactivity to overcome. Few have earned as much as the four-times heavyweight champion in the ring. His four bouts against Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson were among the richest in history. But the money has gone.

Last summer Holyfield was in court facing jail over missing support payments to one of his 11 children, although a payment deal was worked out. He was also faced with losing his sprawling 109-room mansion in Atlanta. “I'm not bankrupt, I'm just not liquid,” Holyfield said at the time.

He is believed to be earning $650,000 (about £432,000) for the dubious privilege of facing Valuev. However, Holyfield insists that even an unlikely win would not stop him. He says that he will keep going until he unifies all the titles. “I had this goal even before I had any money problems,” Holyfield said. “You get tired of telling people you're not doing it for the money. I might not have fought in over a year but all those who think that I am not able to compete for the world title will be more than surprised. I have been boxing for 38 years, so I know how to make the correct assessments.”

Even his old rival Bowe believes that it is time for Holyfield to finish. “Evander has a great legacy, I don't want to see that get messed up,” Bowe said. “But it's not up to me to tell him what to do.

“I don't think Evander can still win the title. The difference between me and Evander is Evander is 46 and I'm 40. I believe I can still win the title at 42. Once you are 43 or 44 it's time to chill out, time to be at home with the wife and kids. I want to be able to drop my daughter off at the school bus and be there when she comes home.”

Bowe's return comes on the undercard of Wladimir Klitschko's defence of his WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles against Hasim Rahman, but he does not see this weekend being the end of the road. That will be when he gets to face Klitschko.

“I think a fight with Klitschko could be a barn-burner, but it takes two guys who are willing to give everything, two guys who are willing to die for what they do,” Bowe said. “Klitschko is a bit of a pretty boy, but I still think I'm pretty.”

Past their sell-by date

Heavyweights who went on too long:

Muhammad Ali Did not look the same after the Thrilla in Manila against Joe Frazier in 1975 and retired after regaining the title from Leon Spinks in 1978. There were two comebacks; the sad display against Larry Holmes in 1980 and a final beating at the hands of Trevor Berbick in 1981, a month short of his 40th birthday. Has suffered from Parkinson’s disease since the mid-Eighties.

Greg Page A short-lived WBA champion between 1984 and 1985, he was still boxing in 2001, aged 42, and was left confined to a wheelchair after being knocked out for the Kentucky title. His condition was said to have been made much worse because of inadequate medical facilities ringside.

Joe Louis Money troubles drove the “Brown Bomber” back to the ring in 1950, a year after his retirement, although he was a shadow of the man who had ruled the heavyweights for a decade. There were tears when Rocky Marciano brutally knocked him out the next year at the age of 37.

Floyd Patterson Lost the heavyweight title in a round to Sonny Liston in 1962, still boxing a decade later when Ali beat him up.

Larry Holmes Heavyweight champion in the Seventies and Eighties, he had his last bout in 2002 at the age of 52.

PACQUIAO STUNS DE LA HOYA

Smaller Pacquiao Topples De La Hoya

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Manny Pacquiao fought a lot bigger than he looked. Oscar De La Hoya simply looked old.

Pacquiao dominated his bigger and more famous opponent from the opening bell Saturday night, giving De La Hoya a beating before De La Hoya declined to come out of his corner after the eighth round.

The fight was so lopsided that it could mean the end for De La Hoya, boxing’s richest and most marketable star.

It was only the second time in his 16-year professional career that he was stopped in a fight, and it came at the hands of a fighter who fought at 129 pounds months earlier. At 35, he seemed not only well beyond his prime but unable to offer any answer to the punches that Pacquiao was landing almost at will.

De La Hoya’s left eye was closed shut as he sat on his stool after the eighth round and the ring doctor, referee and his cornermen discussed his condition. De La Hoya had no complaints when his corner decided he had enough, walking to the center of the ring to congratulate Pacquiao.

“You’re still my idol,” Pacquiao told him.

“No, you’re my idol,” De La Hoya said.

Two of the three ringside judges scored all eight rounds for Pacquiao, while a third gave De La Hoya only the first round.

Bowe Comeback?

FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boxing: Bowe to make another ring comeback

FRANKFURT- Former heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe will fight for the first time in three years on the undercard of the Wladimir Klitschko v Hasim Rahim IBF title fight Dec. 13 against a still to be determined opponent, the organisers said Thursday.

Bowe, 41, retired in 1996 and came back in 2004. He had another fight in 2005 and has not fought since.

Bowe's only loss in 43 fights was against Evander Holyfield, who at age 46, is preparing to fight Nikolai Valuev next month for the WBA title.

And German newspaper reports said Thursday Lennox Lewis, 42, was preparing for a comeback fight against Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir's older brother, and the WBC champion.

Bild newspaper said the fight could take place in the middle of next year.

Holyfield, 46, to get another title shot

Seven-foot Russian boxer will defend WBA heavyweight title against Holyfield Dec. 20
By JEFF SCHULTZ

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, November 10, 2008

The end might actually be near for Evander Holyfield. But it won’t arrive without one more title shot.

Holyfield, who said he plans to retire by the end of 2009, will meet the 7-foot Russian, Nikolai Valuev, for the WBA heavyweight title Dec. 20 in Zurich, Switzerland. Final contracts are expected to be signed before the end of the week.
“I knew I would get one more shot, I just had to be patient,” said Holyfield, who turned 46 last month. “But I realized my time is running out and I’ve got to get this thing pretty soon. My whole thing, how old do you want to be when you pursue this?”

Holyfield, countering pleas from fans, media and the boxing community, has been putting off retirement until he reclaims the championship. He has not held a share of the title since losing the WBA belt to John Ruiz in March of 2001. Holyfield now says he plans to retire before the end of the next year, although he’s quick to add, “I’m not in control of my life. If the Lord says, ‘I made you heavyweight champion again and I want you to keep fighting,’ I’ll stay as long as He wants me to stay.”

Holyfield (42-9-2) is expected to make only $600,000 for the bout. He has reunited with his first manager, Ken Sanders, but doesn’t currently have a trainer.

Valuev (49-1, 34 knockouts), who is likely to be a significant favorite, had put off committing to fighting Holyfield because of a lack of interest. But no other bouts materialized and one potential opponent, Andrew Golota, lost Saturday in China.

Despite recent public financial issues with outstanding loans and child support, Holyfield strongly reiterated he is not fighting for the money but rather for a desire to reclaim the championship.

“People are always asking me, ‘Why are you keeping this going? Are you doing this for the money?’ ” he said. “It’s kind of odd. I had this as a goal even before I had any money problems and situations. You get tired of explaining to somebody that you’re not doing this for the money. It may look like it now, but it’s not the case.”

The Valuev bout is being held in Switzerland due to a general lack of interest by sites in the U.S. Organizers hope the bout will be on pay-per-view, but Holyfield said, “I don’t think it will be. It’s sort of like this is going to happen in secret. That’s too bad because it’s going to be a great story. It’s going to be a shocker.”

CALZAGHE BEATS JONES KEEPS TITLE

(From Bloomberg)
Welsh Boxer Calzaghe Beats Jones, Keeps Light Heavyweight Title

By Nancy Kercheval

Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Undefeated Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe won a unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr., pelting his opponent with a flurry of punches to retain his light heavyweight title in a 12-round fight last night at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Calzaghe, undefeated in 46 bouts, received three identical judge's scores of 118-109 over Jones, an eight-time world champion whose record fell to 52-5. The winner is three victories shy of the 49-0 record held by Rocky Marciano.

``This could be my last fight,'' said Calzaghe in a broadcast interview. ``I have to go and sit down and evaluate the situation.''

Calzaghe, wearing black sequined shorts, was knocked down with 45 seconds left in the first round.

``I was stunned,'' said the 36-year-old boxer. ``When I go down, I just get upset. I didn't see the punch coming. It was a good shot.''

Calzaghe threw 985 punches, landing 344 or 35 percent, as his 39-year-old opponent connected with 159, or 33 percent, of his 475 attempts. Of the total, Calzaghe landed 120 jabs and 224 power punches, opening up a cut over his opponent's eye in the seventh round. Jones returned 12 jabs and 147 punches.

``I gave it my best effort,'' said Jones, wearing orange and black shorts. ``He was a better man tonight.''

Both men weighed in at 174.5 pounds and could reach 24 inches. At 6 feet, Calzaghe had a one-inch height advantage over Jones, of Pensacola, Florida.

Hopkins Upsets Pavlik

Hopkins gives lesson to Pavlik and doubters

From The Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — After thoroughly confusing and dominating previously unbeaten Kelly Pavlik, Bernard Hopkins walked to the edge of the ring and stared at some of his detractors in the media.
The message was obvious. Don't ever doubt me again, even at 43 years old.

"I'm tired" of having to prove himself, Hopkins said. "What do I have to do? Kill someone? I believe I am the most underrated fighter when it comes to defense, when it comes to offense, when it comes to my heart. In my heart, I fought like I had to prove something."

Hopkins (49-5-1) showed himself to be one of boxing's all-time greats Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall, taking Pavlik to school in a 12-round non-title fight in which he beat up and embarrassed the middleweight champion with skills honed in a magnificent 20-year career.

"To be 43 years old and doing anything in sports is good," Hopkins said.

The one-sided victory could set a rematch with Roy Jones Jr. early next year, provided Hopkins' longtime antagonist beats Joe Calzaghe next month in a fight in New York City. Calzaghe scored a controversial decision over Hopkins in April.

Jones beat Hopkins in a 12-round decision in 1993.

"If I am going to fight again, it has to be no later than January or February, or it's a wrap," Hopkins said, hinting at retirement. "Because of the time frame, I can't keep starting this old 1965 car and think that it is going to take me through. I know my limits."

Pavlik (34-1) will have to start again after being exposed. What's obvious is that the Youngstown, Ohio, fighter will have to stay in the middleweight ranks.

His fight against Hopkins was at 170 pounds, and Pavlik looked slow and powerless in carrying an extra nine pounds.

Pavlik is required to meet Marco Rubio of Mexico for the WBA middleweight title. Rubio maintained his status as the WBA's No. 1 contender with a split decision over Enrique Ornelas earlier on the card.

Pavlik clearly has weaknesses.

"The strategy coming in was to win the fight, back Bernard up and cut the ring off," said Jack Loew, Pavlik's trainer. "Things were just not working. We went to Game A, B, C and just nothing worked tonight."

Hopkins was a big reason for that. He watched countless hours of video on Pavlik and noticed that most of his opponents danced to his right.

Hopkins said that allowed Pavlik to jab with his left and set up his powerful right.

"I kept going to my right, which was his left and he could not handle it," Hopkins said. "His feet couldn't adjust going that way. He could not throw across his chest with his right hand."

Pavlik looked lost from the opening bell as Hopkins beat him to the punch countless times.

A left hook in the second round caused Pavlik to buckle momentarily. Hopkins drew blood from Pavlik's nose in the fifth round and taunted his foe in the seventh, winding up for punches in an impressive flurry.

The question coming into the fight was whether Pavlik could become the first man to knock out Hopkins. By the final round, Hopkins was battering his opponent and threatening to make Pavlik's first loss a knockout.

"I just wanted to step on the gas pedal," Hopkins said. "I wanted to stop him."

Hopkins threw 304 power punches in the fight and landed almost half, according to CompuBox Statistics.

Pavlik threw only 211 power punches and landed just 55.

"I knew I was a better fighter than Kelly Pavlik and I knew I could overwhelmingly outgun whatever he did," Hopkins said. "He's a straightforward guy and if you notice Bernard Hopkins is at his best when he comes to me like that."

A gracious Hopkins walked over to Pavlik after the fight and told him he would be one of the game's top fighters, provided he stayed in the middleweight ranks.

"He still is the new face of American boxing; one loss is not the end of the world," Loew added.

When asked about Hopkins, Loew gave him credit, noting he had believed that his fighter could wear the old man down.

"He surprised me, he really did," Loew said. "But again our work rate wasn't there. We couldn't get off and throw punches. Kelly was throwing one or two punches at a time."

V. Klitschko Returns - Pounds Peter - Takes WBC Belt

From Newsday
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Vitali Klitschko had not fought in nearly four years, but the mayoral candidate from Kiev pounded Samuel Peter to reclaim the WBC heavyweight title when Peter did not answer the bell for the ninth round.

It has long been Vitali's dream to hold a heavyweight title at the same time as his brother, Wladimir, who currently has the IBF and WBO belts.

Peter chose not to come back out after eight rounds of heavy pressure from Klitschko. The bout took place in Berlin in front of more than 12,000 people at the new O2 World Arena. It was televised on Showtime.

"If Samuel Peter didn't stop the fight, I have the feeling in the next two rounds, I would have knocked him out," Klitschko said to the AP. "He got more and more punches, and his chin (was) not so strong as the first rounds."

Wladimir Klitschko dealt Peter his only previous loss, in September 2005 in a 12-round unanimous decision in Atlantic City. The Klitschkos have long said they would never fight each other.

Vitali Klitschko also held the WBC belt in 2004.

In an undercard fight, Cuban heavyweight Odlanier Solis improved to 12-0 and captured the WBC international heavyweight belt by beating American Chauncy Welliver. Solis, a former gold medalist, defected from Cuba with teammates Yuriorkis Gamboa and Yan Barthelemy.

In another bout televised by Showtime last night -- but from Las Vegas -- Chad Dawson beat veteran Antonio Tarver.

Holyfield v Valuev in December. One Last Shot For The Champ!

From ESPN.com

Evander Holyfield has accepted an offer to challenge Nikolai Valuev for his heavyweight world title, the former four-time champion told ESPN.com Wednesday night.

Holyfield (42-9-2, 27 KOs) said his attorney is reviewing a contract from Valuev promoter Sauerland Event for a fight that would take place Dec. 20 in either Germany or Switzerland.

"It's solid. They asked if I will take the fight for the offer they made and if everything is straight up, I will take that fight," Holyfield said. "My lawyer is looking at it."

If Evander Holyfield does fight Nikolai Valuev and win the world heavyweight title, he would be the oldest champion since George Foreman.

Although Holyfield will turn 46 on Oct. 19, he said other people make more of a big deal about his age than he does. If he wins the fight, Holyfield would become the oldest heavyweight champion in history, even older than George Foreman, who was 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994 in one of boxing's greatest upsets.

"They said I was too old when I was 34 and was getting ready to fight Mike Tyson for the first time," said Holyfield, who knocked out Tyson in a huge upset to win a title. "There's nothing new with what people say. I have a desire and I am the one who got to train and I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be the best. Just imagine a 46-year-old guy being heavyweight champ of the world?"

It would be Holyfield's first fight in 14 months. In his last bout, he lost a unanimous decision in Moscow to Sultan Ibragimov for a version of the title in October 2007.

Many figured that would be Holyfield's last shot at a championship, but he said he never lost faith.

"I felt that I would get another opportunity," Holyfield said. "I don't believe in that fight with Ibragimov that I did enough to take the fight. He moved a lot and I didn't take the title from him. It was what it was. I was hoping I would get another opportunity and here it is. I'm thankful to God. Nobody mentioned my name about nothing, but this opportunity is here now."

Holyfield, who is 6-foot-2 and about 215 pounds, will be at a massive size disadvantage in the fight, like most of Valuev's opponents.

Russia's Valuev (49-1, 34 KOs), who regained a vacant belt by outpointing John Ruiz in a rematch on Aug. 30, is the biggest titleholder in history. He is 7-feet and weighs about 320 pounds. Holyfield, a light heavyweight in the 1984 Olympics and former cruiserweight world champion, said the size difference doesn't bother him.

"Of course, he will be the biggest guy I have fought but it's something that could be very interesting," Holyfield said. "I will have a big target. I have to do the things I believe he can't do. He can't move laterally. I got to get in quick, fight and don't stand still too long. I just have to be in tremendous shape to outmaneuver him."

Holyfield said he was looking for a new trainer to prepare him for the fight after working most recently with Ronnie Shields.

"I always keep myself in shape," he said. "I'm probably looking for another trainer. Ronnie left after Ibragimov. I haven't made arrangements yet on a trainer. I hadn't really thought of who would be the right person."

Holyfield made news in July when his financial problems were made public after the mother of one of his children took him to court over missing child support payments. There were also threats of foreclosure on his sprawling, 54,000-square-foot suburban Atlanta estate.

Holyfield would not disclose his purse for the bout, although it is less than $750,000.

"Whatever it is, I'm honored to get the opportunity," he said. "It is the lowest amount I ever made for a championship fight, but I am just appreciative I got the opportunity."