09 Boxing Thread:: 12/12 Diaz.vs.Malignaggi HBO/Bradley.vs.Peterson Showtime

[daprescription]

There's 4th row seats available.

 

[gunna get it]

Kevin Johnson: The Klitschkos Are A Temporary Mistake
Posted by Ryan Bates on 11.19.2009

The 22-0-1 WBC #6 heavyweight doesn't care if other people are convinced -- he is; and he believes he will pull off the upsetover Vitali Klitschko.

Kevin Johnson believes he has the stuffthat it takes to beat Vitali Klitschko.

That puts him in a very small minority.

"These so-called critics can say what they want, but bottom line is my time is now," says the man who calls himself "The Kingpin." "Iam in the prime of my career, none of the other top contenders or prospects want to fight me, so what should I do, sit around and pad my record withmeaningless wins like most of these other guys do? I have studied Vitali for a long time and I've watched him destroy a lot of guys, but in each of thosefights, I've seen him show a lot of flaws. Despite what everyone says I know what I can do and how I'm going to do it. I know I'll be the underdoggoing into this fight and that's fine with me."

Johnson faces "Dr. Ironfist" in Germany at the PostFinance Arena on December 12. Vitali Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, have ruled thedivision in dominance.

Johnson dismisses that fact.

"The Klitschkos are a temporary mistake and I'm going to fix that mistake for good." Johnson claims. "Winning the World Championship and bringing thebelt back to America, where it rightfully belongs, will be a huge step in that direction. I will restore the shine to heavyweight boxing."

Only 22-0-1, with 9 knockouts, Johnson holds the WBC and WBA number-six ranking as hishighest chart notch. In contrast, Chris Arreola, whom Vitali Klitschko easily turned into win number 38, was ranked in the top three by the WBC.

Johnson doesn't care.

"There are always going to be people that hate on me, but just as much as my supporters motivate me, the haters motivate me too. I love proving peoplewrong," admitted Johnson. "I have done it for my entire career, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Muhammad Ali had haters too, it didn'tstop him from being considered 'The Greatest of All Time.' Ali shocked the world when he beat the 'invincible' Sonny Liston and it won'tstop me from beating the 'invincible' Vitali Klitschko."

"Shocking" will be the mildest way to put it if Johnson does manage to get through Klitschko, who is now listed according to some online oddsmakersat -2000, making him nearly a 20-to-1 favorite.

Johnson isn't listening.

"My game plan going into this fight is to win, it's as simple as that. No matter what, I'm not leaving Switzerland without that WBC belt around mywaist. I see the fight playing out whatever way I want it to play out. If I have to box him then I'll box him. From a pure boxing standpoint he is no wherenear on my level. People talk about his jab, but there is no heavyweight in the world with a better jab then me, and certainly not Vitali Klitschko. Peoplemight not know, but I actually have a longer reach than him. When it comes to jabbing he can forget it. If he tries to jab with me, his mouth will be wide openand his eyes will be closed by the middle of the fight."

On the flip side, "If he wants to fight, I'll go toe-to-toe with him and use my speed to knock him out. I want to make things clear for everyone;I'm not Cristobal Arreola, or Sam Peters. If he stands in front of me with his hands down, I'll hit him ten times before he can land once. It'sgoing to be a short night for him if he tries that amateur stuff with me."

That "amateur stuff" has led Vitali to victories over Juan Carlos Gomez, Corrie Sanders, SamuelPeter, and the other man believed to be able to bring back the heavyweight belt to America, Chris Arreola. Johnson's resume is significantly less shiny,with the biggest conceivable name being May's defeat of Devin Vargas.

Johnson isn't paying attention.

"I can already hear the announcer saying, 'and the new heavyweight champion of the world, Kevin"Kingpin" Johnson!' My long-awaited reign of the heavyweight division finally begins, starting with Vitali Klitschko on December12th."

 

[bigmike23]

he is going to get beat the !*+@ down

 

[el producto79]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

paul wanted a rematch before the cheater took the mosley fight and he and arum said no because "paul was a no name"

Didn't he get less to fight Shane than what Goosen/Paul offered him too?

 

[gunna get it]

yes.

 

[proshares]

Yea yea he ducked Paul Williams so the hell what so did everyone else

Paul was still a little sloppy and had those Chad moments where he'd get lazy for a few rounds back then. He'd annihilate Margarito now.

Proshares1 is my twitter.

 

[proshares]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this..

[h2]Kessler camp peeved with judges, ref[/h2]

Comment Email Print Associated Press


WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler's camp is unhappy about the assignment of local judges and a California referee to his Super Six tournament bout against Andre Ward in Oakland on Saturday.

The WBA might refuse to sanction the bout as a title fight unless the California State Athletic Commission finds judges and a referee who aren't from Ward's native state, Kessler's representatives told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs) agreed to travel from his native Denmark to the hometown of Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), the undefeated Olympic gold medalist, for a lucrative payday in their first bout in the high-profile 168-pound tournament.

The contracts signed by each of the tournament's six fighters set out very specific requirements for the nationality of the officials, requiring two judges and the referee to be "from a neutral territory."

Wilfried Sauerland, Kessler's promoter, was told a referee and two judges from California have been assigned to the fight, along with well-known South African judge Stanley Christodoulou.

"Not all the judges can be from California," Sauerland said after a news conference in downtown Oakland. "If it stays like this, definitely there won't be a world championship on Saturday. We have a really serious problem."

Neutrality in boxing officiating has been a popular topic in recent months, particularly after Paulie Malignaggi's loss to Juan Diaz in August in a 140-pound fight that ended with at least one baffling scorecard favoring Diaz in his native Houston, Texas.

The first two bouts in the Super Six tournament adhered to the contracts; requirements of no more than one judge from each fighter's "home territory," along with a neutral judge and a neutral referee, said Sauerland Event attorney Scott Shaffer.

On Oct. 17, Arthur Abraham stopped Jermain Taylor in Germany, Abraham's adopted homeland. Later that night, two non-British judges awarded a split decision to Carl Froch over Andre Dirrell in Froch's native Nottingham, England.

"It's just very frustrating, because we put this in the contract, and everyone agreed to it up front," Shaffer said, noting that Sauerland fighter Abraham didn't have German judges at ringside. "Mikkel Kessler is a huge star in Denmark, and we're taking a huge risk bringing him to fight an Olympic gold medalist in his own backyard. We thought we protected him in the contract, and now we find out it's just being ignored."

Shaffer stressed that Sauerland has no grudges or suspicions about any of the officials assigned to the fight, but merely wanted its contract stipulations honored.

"If it's a close fight, we don't want there to even be the appearance of somebody getting a hometown decision," Shaffer said.

Sauerland's protests have reached the California commission, which is addressing them.

"We are aware of the concerns of the promoter, and so we have been working with both the promoter and the sanctioning body to address those concerns, and that process is ongoing," Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for the athletic commission, told the AP.

Heimerich said the commission hopes to "come to an understanding" with Sauerland by Thursday.

Kessler has been the WBA 168-pound champion for most of the past five years. He lost the belt to Wales' Joe Calzaghe in March 2007, but reclaimed it last year and made two title defenses before agreeing to meet Ward at Oracle Arena.

Ward is about to get his first major title shot after a deliberate five-year climb from the amateur ranks. He is the only American gold medal-winning boxer to come out of the past three Olympics.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
And today's update...

[h2]Judge appointment could save fight[/h2]

Comment Email Print Associated Press


The California State Athletic Commission has assigned a Swedish judge to Andre Ward's fight against Mikkel Kessler, clearing up a dispute over the neutrality of the officiating crew at Saturday's WBA super middleweight title bout.

Kessler's camp was unhappy this week about the assignment of two judges and a referee from California to the Super Six tournament bout in Oakland, Ward's hometown. The WBA might not have sanctioned the bout for Kessler's 168-pound title if the California commission hadn't addressed the fight's contract stipulations regarding the nationalities of its officials.

The commission replaced one of the California-based judges with Sweden's Mikael Hook. South Africa's Stanley Christodoulou and California's Steve Morrow will remain the other judges, and California-based Jack Reiss is still the referee.

Commission spokesman Russ Heimerich described the change as "a compromise" to address Kessler's concerns, and Kessler promoter Wilfried Sauerland was satisfied.

"The situation is now OK with us," Sauerland told The Associated Press in an e-mail. "We checked the background of the ref, and he seems to be a fair and competitive ref. The fight will now go ahead as planned."

The contracts for the Super Six bouts require no more than one judge from each fighter's "home territory," along with a judge and a referee from a "neutral territory."

The tournament's first two fights last month met those requirements. On Oct. 17, Arthur Abraham stopped Jermain Taylor in Germany, Abraham's adopted homeland; later that night, two non-British judges awarded a split decision to Carl Froch over Andre Dirrell in Froch's native Nottingham, England.

Ward promoter Dan Goossen was pleased to iron out the final wrinkle in the biggest fight of his Olympic gold medalist's career. Ward will get his first major title shot in front of his home fans after a deliberate five-year climb from the amateur ranks.

Kessler has been the WBA 168-pound champion for most of the past five years. He lost the belt to Wales' Joe Calzaghe in March 2007, but reclaimed it last year and made two title defenses before agreeing to meet Ward at Oracle Arena in both fighters' first bout of the Super Six tournament.

Goossen still wasn't entirely thrilled with the commission's choice, noting Hook was a judge in Kessler's last fight in his native Denmark.

Goossen claimed the commission attempted to speak with the WBA for several months about the requirements for the fight's officials, but got no response. Goossen also said the officials were assigned nearly two weeks ago, but the commission heard no complaints until the last two days from Sauerland.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

 

[sloane kettering]

Dude confident but comparing yaself to Ali?

we shall see but my gwop won't be on him...

 

[whoknows28]

cant wait til saturday
i think SOG is the sleeper in the tourney

 

[ezln1]

ticketmaster is doing a 2 for 1 promotion for saturday's fight...you can get pretty good lower level seats for $75 (originally 150)....going to go, butunsure if ward will prevail against kessler

 

[marionthebarberian]

is chris arreola's fat butt also fighting this weekend?

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

is chris arreola's fat butt also fighting this weekend?

naw he is on the paul williams card

and i guess im one of the few ward fans on here. dude about to beat kessler down

 

[dako akong otin]

i'm a newbie ward supporter. should be an exciting fight. both fighters should be trading

 

[kicks4days]

Zab talking about Pac and his next bout with Urango

 

[edword]

Originally Posted by kicks4days


Zab talking about Pac and his next bout with Urango

urango bout to get outclassed,EDIT: IS MY MAN ABOUT TO FIGHT FOR THE IBF!!!!!!???? confirm?

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

is chris arreola's fat butt also fighting this weekend?

naw he is on the paul williams card

and i guess im one of the few ward fans on here. dude about to beat kessler down

Well at least Rob can't lose anymore money to you

 

[proshares]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Ward writes off Kessler's advantages ahead of Super Six fight[/h1]

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: November 20, 2009, 11:04 AM ET

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Tom Casino/Showtime

America's Super Six hopes rest on the shoulders of Andre Ward, right.
[h3]Ward ready to fight for title[/h3]
The opening two bouts of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic were not kind to the Americans.

Germany's Arthur Abraham brutally knocked out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round, and England's Carl Froch took a split decision from Andre Dirrell to retain his 168-pound belt in the first two bouts of the six-man modified round-robin tournament Oct. 17.

Now the final bout of Group Stage 1 is at hand, the first bout of the tournament on American soil, and American Andre Ward aims not only to win his first world title but also to save face for the Americans. Ward meets tournament favorite and titleholder Mikkel Kessler at the Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif., on Saturday (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET/PT).

"Even though the Americans fought well, unfortunately we were unable to get a victory in the first two fights," Ward said. " I'm definitely inspired to bring America their first victory in the Super Six tournament.

"If I beat Mikkel Kessler it will send shock waves into the tournament and throughout the boxing world because it's just something they cannot fathom happening," Ward said. "They just don't see it happening. They won't believe it until it happens. I think people's minds will change after this for sure."

Some young fighters might feel double the pressure, but not Ward, who has been groomed for this moment since turning pro after winning a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He is America's most recent boxing gold medalist.

"I don't look at it like pressure. I look at it like it's a privilege," Ward said. "I've been here before with the Olympics and it's something that I relish. There's always going to be pressure. It just depends on how you deal with the pressure. It was unfortunate that both Americans lost their fights but it's just added more motivation. I did take it personal because that's what everyone expected. Even Carl Froch said everything is going as scheduled. And I take that personal. I'm a proud American and it's time for the super middleweight champion to be an American.

"They've dominated over there for a long, long time, but I want to do my part to bring back the belt here on American soil."

Said Dan Goossen, Ward's promoter, "This is just like Andre's run to the gold medal, but in the pro ranks. On his path to gold, no one gave him a shot, everyone else was the favorite, and this is the same situation. They are all picking Kessler, and for good reason -- he's a great, experienced champion. We have all the confidence in the world that Saturday night we'll make history."

Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) has the opportunity to win his biggest pro fight at home. He's only fought once before in Oakland. In May, he earned a lopsided decision against Edison Miranda, and he's happy to be back.

"It's incredible to have this fight at home," Ward said. "A lot of people say that boxing is dead in Oakland. There used to be two or three gyms full of boxers here. Boxing was a huge thing, and to see the excitement for this fight here in Oakland and in the Bay Area and to give them something positive to support, I'm excited about that."

Said Goossen, "We'll see Andre bring the title not only home to Oakland but to American soil."

Kessler-Ward will the first world title bout in Oakland in 42 years. The last time it hosted one was Oct. 2, 1967, when Hall of Famer Curtis Cokes stopped Charlie Shipes in the eighth round to retain the welterweight title.

Denmark's Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), however, has no intention of giving up his title. He's been training in Sacramento for three weeks to allow himself plenty of time to get accustomed to the climate and time change.

"I am ready to fight," said Kessler, whose lone loss was a decision to Joe Calzaghe in a 2007 unification bout. "I didn't come all the way from Denmark to lose, and I am fully prepared and 150 percent ready."

One of the many things in Kessler's favor is that that he's vastly more experienced than Ward against better opponents. Kessler, 30, has twice held a world title and owns notable victories against Librado Andrade and former titleholders Anthony Mundine, Markus Beyer and Eric Lucas.

Kessler has 12 more knockouts than Ward has fights.

"I think my strengths are also speed and my experience," Kessler said. "I have double the fights he has, and I have had a lot of big fights."

"We have a formidable task in front us," said Virgil Hunter, Ward's trainer. "Kessler's a real champion. All accolades he gets, he deserves. We know what's ahead of us. We know we got a real champ in our way."

Kessler, however, said he's not taking Ward lightly, having seen Ward fight several times.

"I see Ward as a very difficult fighter," Kessler said. "He doesn't know how it is to lose. But I have more experience than he does. I have seen many of his fights and I know he is desperate to win. He can change his style from right-handed to left-handed, so I have a lot of respect for him."

Despite his talent, Ward's résumé is thin on name opponents, but he said he's been training for this moment for years. He's moved steadily through the pro ranks, even though his rise was slower than other American Olympic gold medalists such as Oscar De La Hoya and Sugar Ray Leonard.

"It's something you dream about," Ward said. "The best words I can give you are I'm very impatient and I'm ready to fight. I've haven't been training for this for five or six weeks. I've been training for this for most of my life. I've been doing this since I was 9 years old and I'm 25 now so it's time. It's just time to go after this world championship."

"It's been a long road with Andre to get here," Goossen said. "[But] it's the perfect time."
[h3]Hatton-Marquez in works[/h3]

Chico Sanchez - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions

Juan Manuel Marquez will have to get past Ricky Hatton if he wants another shot at Manny Pacquiao.

Former junior welterweight champ and lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez, both coming off one-sided losses but still with big names, likely will return against each other in a junior welterweight match in Hatton's native England, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

Hatton was blitzed in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao in May and hasn't fought since. Marquez, who moved up to welterweight to face unretiring Floyd Mayweather in September, dropped a lopsided decision.

Marquez would prefer a third fight with Manny Pacquiao, against whom he has a draw and a one-point split-decision loss, but since that bout is unlikely, he's after Hatton.

"Hatton wants to fight again, and Marquez is ready, willing and able to pack the bags and travel to Manchester," Schaefer said. "I saw him Monday and he said on top of his hit list is Pacquiao. He doesn't care what weight, he just knows he has the style to beat Pacquiao. He said try to get the fight done and I said I'm sure you know there's a tremendous interest in a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and most likely that is what's going to happen and that the third fight with Pacquiao will always be there. The other offer we did get is if he would be interested to fight Hatton and he immediately said yes."

Schaefer said he talked to Hatton's attorney, Gareth Williams, about the fight for late spring or early summer. It would likely take place at the City of Manchester Stadium, where Hatton drew more than 50,000 for a 2008 win against Juan Lazcano.

"I've also had some discussions with HBO and they're interested," Schaefer said. "I will talk to HBO and see what kind of numbers they're thinking about. I think we can get this done."
[h3]Pacquiao inspires Khan[/h3]

SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images

Manny thanks: Amir Khan finds inspiration in Manny Pacquiao's performances.

Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan, who is trained by Freddie Roach and was in training camp with Manny Pacquiao, is inspired by the PacMan as he heads into his first defense against Dmitriy Salita on Dec. 5 in Newcastle, England.

"I've worked with Manny for the last year or so and I have learned so much from him," said Khan, who claimed the title in July with a decisive points victory against Andreas Kotelnik. "For me, he is definitely the best fighter in the world at the moment and just watching him in the gym, let alone when he is fighting, is an inspiration. I was ringside at the MGM Grand on Saturday, and seeing Pacquiao's performance up close makes me want to train even harder and get to the level he is at right now.

"[Miguel] Cotto is a tough, tough fighter but Manny made it look easy in there. He took everything that Miguel threw at him and came back with twice as many punches. He's at the very top right now, and I would like to congratulate him on all that he has achieved."

Roach didn't have a lot of time to celebrate Pacquiao's victory. He's headed to England with Khan this weekend for to finish training for the fight. Then Roach will return to America and finish training junior middleweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan for his Dec. 19 bout on the Kelly Pavlik-Miguel Espino undercard in Youngstown, Ohio.

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

[h4][/h4]

[h4]QUICK HITS[/h4]

Mayweather

• Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com that he's gotten the thumbs-up from Floyd Mayweather that he'll represent him in negotiating the fight against Manny Pacquiao. "They said I will be representing them, so I am going to give [Pacquiao promoter] Bob [Arum] a call [Friday] and see when we can meet," Schaefer said of the Top Rank boss, who was in New York on Thursday. "There are a whole list of things to discuss and then to take them back to Team Mayweather. I've had conversations with [Mayweather advisers] Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe. Floyd wants to see if the fight can be made, so that's what I am going to do. I am going to put my best effort forward to see that a fair deal can be structured so sports fans can get what they want. How often in any sport do you have the two best of an entire generation in their prime and able to challenge each other?"

Jones

• Although light heavyweight stars Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins both have interim fights they need to win Dec. 2 (Versus), when Jones faces Danny Green in Australia and Hopkins meets Enrique Ornelas in Philadelphia, they have a date now for their expected meeting. Schaefer told ESPN.com that he has the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on hold for the fight, which would take place March 13.

Vazquez
• The long-proposed fourth fight between featherweights Israel Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs), who waged an all-time trilogy of junior featherweight title fights in 2007 and 2008, is getting closer to being finalized. "We got an offer from Showtime and the Vazquez side has agreed to it," Schaefer said. "Our side is OK. Gary Shaw [Marquez's promoter] said he can deliver Marquez." Schaefer said he has Feb. 27 on hold at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the fight.

Guerrero

• Junior lightweight titlist Robert Guerrero (25-1-1, 17 KOs), caught in a tug-of-war between promoters Golden Boy and Dan Goossen, will remain with Golden Boy after the sides came to a financial settlement following a second round of arbitration, made necessary when Goossen protested the original ruling in Golden Boy's favor because of irregularities in the initial proceeding. "It was amicably settled," Goossen told ESPN.com. Said Golden Boy's Schaefer, "It went through re-arbitration and the arbitrator suggested the sides talk. We came to a financial settlement. Guerrero is a Golden Boy fighter. Everything is settled. The lawyers are putting the paper work together, but everything was agreed upon in front of an arbitrator." Guerrero, a former two-time featherweight titlist, claimed a junior lightweight belt Aug. 22, easily outpointing South Africa's Malcolm Klassen on HBO.

Mora

• Former junior middleweight titlist Sergio Mora (21-1-1, 5 KOs), who won the first season of "The Contender," has agreed to terms on a promotional contract, Schaefer said. "We're going to sign Sergio" he said. "If you look at his weight class, he's certainly one of the biggest names. I think there are some interesting fights for him. He went through a bit of a dry spell so I think he's hungry and motivated. He knows he has to prove himself and that's the kind of fighter I like. I think he fits in perfectly. I think we can give him the opportunities." Schaefer said Mora -- who hasn't fought since September 2008 when he lost his title via decision in a rematch with the late Vernon Forrest -- could make his Golden Boy debut Jan. 30 on the Shane Mosley-Andre Berto undercard. The deal hasn't been signed but manager Cameron Dunkin said they've accepted the three-year deal with an option for a fourth year plus an undisclosed signing bonus. Dunkin, who signed Mora in September, said they also had an offer from Top Rank, but Golden Boy's was better. "Sergio wants to be with Golden Boy, and I'm fine with that. That's what we're going to do," Dunkin said. "Everybody is happy. I think it's a good deal. He got a bonus and will get paid well."

Briggs

• The final live boxing show on the Versus network under its deal with Tournament of Contenders -- the company responsible for "The Contender" reality series -- will take place Dec. 3 in New York after promoter Joe DeGuardia bought the date from TOC. In the main event, junior welterweight Mike Arnaoutis (22-3-2, 10 KOs) faces Tim Coleman (16-1-1, 4 KOs) in a 12-rounder. Also on the card, welterweight prospects Ray Robinson (11-0, 4 KOs) and Brad Solomon (8-0, 3 KOs) meet in a six-rounder. Former heavyweight titlist Shannon Briggs (48-5-1), idle since losing his belt to Sultan Ibragimov in June 2007, likely also going to be on the card, DeGuardia told ESPN.com. DeGuardia said he is finalizing a promotional agreement with Briggs and, if completed, his first bout of the deal would be on the card. Briggs had been scheduled for his comeback in October, but the fight was called off when his opponent failed a pre-fight medical exam.

Quintana

• Ex-welterweight titlist Carlos Quintana (26-2, 20 KOs) -- who had his Dec. 5 HBO fight with Joshua Clottey canceled when the Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams main event was canceled and the card turned over to Williams promoter Dan Goossen -- will still fight on that date, albeit off television in a far lower-profile bout. Williams will meet Lou DiBella-promoted Sergio Martinez in the main event and DiBella secured some undercard slots, one of which went to Quintana for a junior middleweight bout. Williams, whose only loss is to Quintana, has been sparring with him in preparation for the Martinez fight. Quintana has also been using the sessions to get ready for his fight against tough guy Jesse Feliciano (15-7-3, 5 KOs), who has lost two in a row by knockout and been idle since April 2008. Quintana hasn't fought since a fourth-round knockout of Joshua Onyango in October 2008, his only fight since Williams knocked him out in the first round of their rematch. "Carlos has to get back in there. He's had his share of cancelations and injuries," DiBella said. "Between 147 and 154, he's one of the elite guys, so this is an effort to get him busy. This is a great opportunity. I think the reason he took the opportunity to spar with Williams is because he hasn't been in with a world-class guy since he fought Williams and it ain't a first-round knockout in sparring. He feels like he's getting back on his game, and we'll see in the fight."

• Heavyweight Kevin Johnson, who challenges titleholder Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37KO) on Dec. 12 (HBO, same-day tape) in Bern, Switzerland, is determined to bring the title back to the United States, which has not boasted a heavyweight beltholder since Shannon Briggs held a slice of the title in 2007. "Bringing the heavyweight championship back to America is more important to me than anything," Johnson said. "For the entire 20th century there wasn't a bigger prize in all of sports than being the heavyweight champion of the world. Since the Europeans took over the heavyweight division, boxing lost some of its appeal. The average American walking down the street couldn't tell you who the champ is. When I think of great fighters I think of Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. When these guys were champs, they were icons in this great nation. The Klitschkos are a temporary mistake, and I'm going to fix that mistake for good."

[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]

Diaz

"I'm not going to dwell on the past. The past is the past. This time around, it's a different city and a new and different game plan. To be honest, fighting Paulie after coming off fighting future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez, I was not taking Paulie seriously and thought it was just another fight. This time, it's personal, and on Dec. 12, the whole world will feel my anger." -- former lightweight titlist Juan Diaz, on fighting Paulie Malignaggi in a rematch on neutral territory in Chicago after Diaz's controversial decision win in his hometown of Houston in August

[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]

Malignaggi

"I'm really happy I got the rematch. I made enough of a stink after the first fight to help get me the rematch. We are going to clear everything up on Dec. 12." -- former junior welterweight titlist Malignaggi, on fighting Diaz again

[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]

Wright

"Just like Columbus discovered Puerto Rico hundreds of years ago, Dec. 11 will be the day that I discover victory once again and show the world that I am still one of the best fighters in the sport." -- middleweight Winky Wright, who is preparing to face Grady Brewer on Dec. 11 (PPV) in Puerto Rico

Lots of stuff to be excited about in boxing

 

[gunna get it]

Vazquez
• The long-proposed fourth fight between featherweights Israel Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs), who waged an all-time trilogy of junior featherweight title fights in 2007 and 2008, is getting closer to being finalized. "We got an offer from Showtime and the Vazquez side has agreed to it," Schaefer said. "Our side is OK. Gary Shaw [Marquez's promoter] said he can deliver Marquez." Schaefer said he has Feb. 27 on hold at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the fight.

 

[proshares]

Who holds the IBF at 168? I know Froch got WBC, Kessler the WBA and Bute the WBO...

Froch pulling for Kessler in Super Six showdown with Ward

Thursday, November 19, 2009 | Print Entry

The eyes of the boxing world will be on Oakland, Calif., on Saturday (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET/PT) when super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler defends his belt against hometown fighter Andre Ward.

It's the final bout of Group Stage 1 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, the modified round-robin tournament featuring six of the top super middleweights in the world.

One person who will be paying particularly close attention to the fight is England's Carl Froch, who owns one of the super middleweight titles.

He won his opening round match on Oct. 17, taking a split decision from American Andre Dirrell to retain his title.

Regardless of what happens in Kessler-Ward, Froch is due to face Kessler in Europe in Group Stage 2 of the tournament, probably in March.

Froch is rooting for Kessler to defeat Ward.

"I'm looking forward to it because it's a fight that has major implications for me in the Super Six tournament," Froch said. "I'm hoping that Kessler wins because then he'll still have the WBA belt. I'm fighting him in my next fight in the Super Six, so if he beats Ward then it means that our fight becomes a massive WBC and WBA unification clash and I can get my hands on his belt."

Although Froch is rooting for Kessler to preserve a unification fight, he's giving Ward a good chance to win.

"Obviously, Andre Ward has that terrific amateur pedigree, winning the gold medal at the Athens Olympics [in 2004]," Froch said. "He's had some good wins in the pros but we will only find out how good he really is when he steps in there with Kessler. Ward will also have the benefit of home advantage as well, which I'm sure will play it's part. But Kessler is very experienced and has won on the road before so I'm sure he won't see it as an issue."

So who's Froch picking?

"In a fight like this you generally have to back the experienced and proven fighter," he said.

"Kessler has proven time and time again throughout his career that he is a great world champion and, for me, Ward is still very much untested at the highest level, so I think it could be difficult early on for Kessler, but his experience should see him through in the end."

Here is how the other participants see Saturday's Kessler-Ward showdown:

"I'm going with Ward. Ward has the ability to win. This is his biggest fight so he'll have to stick to his game plan but I'm going with him," Dirrell said.

Jermain Taylor, who was knocked out in the 12th round by Arthur Abraham on Oct. 17 in their opening-round fight, also likes Ward.

"I'm pulling for the U.S. guys," Taylor said. "I can't say why from a boxing standpoint, but we are all U.S. Olympians. It's a matter of those guys [European fighters] being cocky. Carl Froch has been very cocky and he knows his boxing skills are nowhere close to mine. Kessler is a pretty relaxed guy. He's not too cocky by any means. I like him a lot but I am still going for our guys."

Abraham is sticking with his European roots and picking Kessler.

"Because I have not ever seen an Andre Ward fight live or on tape, I cannot say much," Abraham said. "But Kessler is the favorite in this fight nevertheless. I have seen Kessler fight many times and he is very clever and very strong. I have to give the advantage to Kessler because of his strength, experience and cleverness.

"Andre Ward is not to be underestimated. He is very good. He is technically very sound and can also punch hard as he has shown in previous fights. But I hope that my new stablemate, Mikkel Kessler, wins. He is very versatile, very experienced and he has a great vision/anticipation in the ring. And most importantly, the 'Viking Warrior' is a true fighter. If you ask me for a prediction, I would go with a points victory for Mikkel."

[h6]Gene (Washington)[/h6]


D$, did you feel that Bob Arum was out of line when he flipped you off after the Foreman fight or was it good natured fun!
[h6]Dan Rafael[/h6]
[h6] (12:16 PM)[/h6]



It sure wasn't good natured fun. He vigorously gave me the finger after the fight. He was out of line, but whatever. If he takes my opinions andcommentary so seriously, then good for me. Bob was just being Bob. A few hours later, all was well as I had a bite to eat with Arum after the fight.
[h6]Kyle (South Plainfield, NJ)[/h6]


If a fight between mayweather and pacman where and when do you believe it would take place
[h6]Dan Rafael[/h6]
[h6] (12:05 PM)[/h6]



I believe it will happen in May 2010. Where is open for discussion. I know there is serious interest from the Dallas Cowboys about having it at theirstadium. There is also serious interest from Los Angeles and you know Las Vegas is always in the mix on a mega fight.
[h6]Brian (Toronto)[/h6]
Any chance Paq/Floyd happens at Yankee Stadium ?
[h6]Dan Rafael[/h6]
[h6] (12:07 PM)[/h6]

Zero chance because of the very heavy New York tax burden.
[h6]State Penitentiary (Texas)[/h6]
Don't ask, still here
[h6]Dan Rafael[/h6]
[h6] (12:09 PM)[/h6]

Thank you for the weekly James Kirkland update.
[h6]E.L. Trujillo (Mile High City)[/h6]
DTM - The word around the camp fire is that Hopkins may move up in weight to challenge David Haye. If true, how would this work out in 2010? thx.,
[h6]Dan Rafael[/h6]
[h6] (12:23 PM)[/h6]

Long way to go for that. BHop was on a media call yesterday talking about the possibility. Furst, he would have to beat Ornelas and Jones. Then maybe hecould fight Haye, who would also have to defeat Ruiz in the mandatory. It's great to talk about but it's a long way from reality.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Vazquez
• The long-proposed fourth fight between featherweights Israel Vazquez (44-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs), who waged an all-time trilogy of junior featherweight title fights in 2007 and 2008, is getting closer to being finalized. "We got an offer from Showtime and the Vazquez side has agreed to it," Schaefer said. "Our side is OK. Gary Shaw [Marquez's promoter] said he can deliver Marquez." Schaefer said he has Feb. 27 on hold at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the fight.

i guess im the only one that doesnt want to see that fight?

 

[proshares]

Khalil (Atlanta, GA)


Dan, if signed, Hatton-Marquez would be on regular HBO (not PPV), correct?

Dan Rafael (12:42 PM)


Regular HBO is what they are talking about.

Matt (Las Vegas)


Dan, I ran into Zab out in Vegas during fight week, and like he told you he said their sights are on Urango. I think that would be an awesome fight for FNF,any chance of that happening?

Dan Rafael (12:53 PM)


I also talked to Zab in Vegas and that was the fight he mentioned to me as well. It's probably not doable on ESPN2 because of the money. So unless Showtimeor HBO picked it up, I would see them putting it on PPV if the fight got made.

 

[ham city]

I can't wait for tomorrow. Haven't been this excited for a fight in years.

 

[sir rob a lot]

I don't want to see Vasquez/Marquez IV either...

 

[proshares]

Who else do they have to fight though?

They'll both get handled by the top of the 122 and 126 IMHO. I guess the injury factor is where you and Mike are coming from.

 

[edword]

Originally Posted by Proshares

Who else do they have to fight though?

They'll both get handled by the top of the 122 and 126 IMHO. I guess the injury factor is where you and Mike are coming from.

how bout my fighter of the year candiddate Juan Manuel Lopez