Not sure if we're talking about the same thing but Kellerman has some scarring on his left side of his lip that happened from a childhoodaccident.
| Super middleweight Lucian Bute KO4 Librado Andrade Bute, 25-0, 20 KOs; Andrade, 28-3, 21 KOs |
| Records: Bute, 25-0, 20 KOs; Andrade, 28-3, 21 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Long before this fight, Bute was a star in Canada, where the native of Romania has lived for several years and been embraced, as evidenced by the huge crowds he regularly draws in Montreal. But now, after such a stellar performance against Andrade on HBO, Bute's star power should extend well beyond Canada's borders. Taking his show on the road to Quebec City (because Montreal's Bell Centre was occupied by an NHL game), Bute drew 16,500 fans for a much-anticipated rematch that sold out in an hour, and he didn't disappoint in making his fourth title defense in sensational fashion. Bute and Andrade first met 13 months ago in a mandatory fight in Montreal. Bute dominated the first 11 rounds before Andrade closed very strong. He battered Bute in the 12th round and scored a very hard knockdown in the final seconds. However, Montreal referee Marlon Wright gave Bute an exceptionally long count (21 seconds by some estimates), which he stopped to order Andrade farther back into the neutral corner. When the wobbly Bute staggered to his feet, the bell rang and the fight was over. Bute and Andrade each won fights since then to set up the mandated rematch. This time, however, there was no controversy about the outcome. Bute, who had vowed to fix the "little mistake" that led to his near-knockout in the first meeting, thoroughly dominated Andrade before ending the fight in style. The 29-year-old southpaw scored repeatedly with his left hand and had much, much faster hands than Andrade, 31, who lives in La Habra, Calif., but was born in Mexico and was bidding to become the first Mexican super middleweight titleholder. Andrade looked as though he was just trying to pick up where he left off in the 12th round of the first fight as he tried to go right at Bute. But Bute picked him apart. In the fourth round, Bute landed a fast left hand to Andrade's usually granite chin and dropped him with a little more than a minute left in the round. Andrade, who never saw the punch coming, got to his feet. Perhaps looking to protect his face a little more after taking the shot, Andrade left his body a little more exposed, and Bute took advantage. Late in the round, Bute cracked Andrade with a left hand to the body, and Andrade went down again grimacing in pain as he took referee Benji Esteves' full 10-count for a surprising knockout. Although the Super Six World Boxing Classic going on at Showtime has six of the best super middleweights in the world participating in the modified round-robin tournament, the winner won't be able to proclaim himself the No. 1 168-pounder in the world. That's because Bute, who was not invited into the tournament, is making his own case as No. 1. If he keeps winning, a showdown with the Super Six winner would be the only way to crown the best in the deep division. |
| Lightweight Ali Funeka D12 Joan Guzman For a vacant lightweight title Scores: 114-114 (twice), 116-112 Funeka |
| Records: Funeka, 30-2-3, 25 KOs; Guzman, 29-0-1, 17 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: There are controversial decisions. There are bad decisions. And then there is this -- a highway robbery. Maybe this was not as high-profile a fight as the first one between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield or the showdown between Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez, both of which were absurdly ruled draws. This, however, was equally horrific. The 6-foot-1 Funeka, who is clearly one of the best lightweights in the world, simply beat the crap out of Guzman and should have won a landslide unanimous decision. A 4-year-old who had never seen a boxing match could have looked at this fight and told you who won. Frankly, it was not even a hard fight to score because virtually every round was so clear-cut. Guzman, 33, of the Dominican Republic, won the first two rounds by outboxing the slow-starting Funeka, 31, of South Africa. Thereafter, it was all Funeka, who might have lost one more round along the way. Maybe two if you were really, really generous like judge Joseph Pasquale, who had the fight for Funeka. His 116-112 scorecard was acceptable, even though it could easily have been 117-111 or even 118-110. But then there were judges Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel, both of whom somehow found six rounds to give to Guzman. They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves and forced to explain their disgusting scorecards. What did Funeka have to do to get the decision? Knock Guzman's head clear off his neck, maybe? Besides the hideous sanctioning organizations, it is these kinds of blatant bad decisions that have severely hurt boxing. Funeka had an opportunity to win a belt in February but lost a majority decision to Nate Campbell, who was overweight, stripped of the title and not eligible to win it in their fight. That fight was close, but Campbell, with the weight advantage, eked it out. Now fighting for the vacant title again, Funeka did everything you can do to an opponent other than knock him down or out, which is a credit to Guzman's heart. Funeka cut Guzman on the left eyebrow in the second round. He gave Guzman a bad bloody nose in the third; it bled for the rest of the fight. He cut Guzman over the right eye in the fourth. Replays seemed to indicate that the cut came from an accidental head butt, although referee Jean-Guy Brousseau ruled it was from a punch. Guzman also had his head rocked repeatedly by jab after jab. Late in the eighth round, Funeka badly rocked him with a short right hand to the jaw. Funeka was punishing Guzman, whose face was a mess, so severely in the late rounds that there was talk in the corner of stopping the fight. If you needed any more evidence to make the case that Funeka should have been the clear winner, let's take a quick look at the CompuBox punch statistics, which judges do not have access to. While the stats are not gospel, they at least provide a decent window into how the fight was going. Funeka dominated statistically, landing 248 of 903 punches, while Guzman, fighting for the first time in 11 months in a chronically inactive career, was limited to landing just 163 of 493. The crowd booed the decision, even though it had no local fighter involved. Funeka co-promoter Gary Shaw called for an investigation. One thing that should be certain despite the draw, which left the alphabet belt still vacant, is that there shouldn't be a rematch. This fight was definitive enough. Besides, Funeka deserves better, and Guzman, a former junior featherweight and junior lightweight titleholder who looks like he has very little power at 135 pounds, doesn't deserve one. Nor should he want one after the beating he absorbed. |
| Lightweight Martin Honorio W10 John Molina Jr. Scores: 99-91, 98-92 (twice) |
| Records: Honorio, 27-4-1, 14 KOs; Molina Jr., 18-1, 14 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: There comes a time when every prospect faces that step-up opponent who poses a serious risk and allows us to see if the guy is for real. If the prospect wins, it can be a springboard to greater glory. If the prospect loses, he is knocked a few rungs down the ladder and must regroup. Molina, the exciting 26-year-old for Covina, Calif., was the prospect in this case with Honorio, 29, the battle-tested veteran from Mexico. Molina had scored five knockouts in a row, all inside five rounds, including a crushing 34-second first-round knockout of veteran Efren Hinojosa on Sept. 26. Molina was gaining attention with his performances on Showtime's "ShoBox" and now was headlining on the series. Honorio, a pro for 10 years, was vastly more experienced, although had been a career featherweight until a few fights ago. He also owns a first-round knockout of featherweight titlist Cristobal Cruz. Honorio also is the only man to defeat titlist Steven Luevano. But in Honorio's only world title shot, then-featherweight titlist Robert Guerrero iced him in the first round in 2007. Since that loss, Honorio won two in a row above featherweight and was signed to test Molina, only a pro for three years and having never been past six rounds. Molina showed that he simply wasn't ready for a fighter of Honorio's experience and was easily outboxed in an entertaining fight. Honorio dictated the pace, landed combinations against Molina's woeful defense and moved well against his bigger, harder punching opponent. Molina, who would like a rematch, said he entered the bout battling flu-like symptoms but he didn't use it as an excuse, saying instead that he "couldn't pull the trigger. I couldn't do what I wanted." While Honorio set himself up for a bigger fight, it's back to the drawing board for Molina. |
| Junior featherweight Rico Ramos W8 Alejandro Perez Scores: 80-71 (twice), 78-73 |
| Records: Ramos, 14-0, 8 KOs; Perez, 14-2-1, 9 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: In a blazing action fight, Ramos, the 22-year-old prospect from Los Angeles, made his television debut in the "ShoBox" opener with an exciting victory. Ramos, who had a deep amateur background and won multiple national tournaments, scored knockdown with a short right hand in the waning seconds of the second round on his way to the victory. Ramos, who has been busy with his 14th fight since turning pro in March 2008, could not finish Perez off because the round ended. Ramos hurt Perez again in the third round with a right hand that turned Perez's legs to jelly, but he couldn't finish his badly hurt man off even though Perez looked ready to go for the last 90 seconds of the round. It was good news for the viewers that Perez survived, and even made a comeback, because this turned into a terrific fight, even though the scores make it look like Ramos dominated Perez, 23, who is from Mexico but living in Los Angeles. They exchanged punches countless times in the slugfest, but Ramos, who went past six rounds for the first time, was the sharper, quicker fighter and countered Perez very well. This was a coming out party for Ramos and we're looking forward to seeing again soon. |
| Welterweight Javier Molina TKO2 Miguel Garcia Scores: 80-71 (twice), 78-73 |
| Records: Molina, 3-0, 3 KOs; Garcia, 1-1-1, 0 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Molina, 19, was a 2008 U.S. Olympian who turned professional in March and is being brought along slowly but surely by promoter Dan Goossen. Molina, from Commerce, Calif., bloodied Garcia's nose in the opening round and continued the attack in the second until Garcia's corner threw in the towel with 18 seconds in the round, causing referee Lou Moret to call it off. |
| Middleweight Carlos Baldomir TKO4 Jairo Jesus Siris |
| Records: Baldomir, 45-12-6, 14 KOs; Siris, 19-15-1, 18 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Look who's still fighting: Yes, it's Baldomir, the former undisputed welterweight champ. Fighting in his hometown, Baldomir, 38, was in the ring for the first time in 11 months since losing a majority decision in a welterweight title eliminator to Jackson Bonsu. It's been a been a long time since Baldomir's storybook 2006, when he started the year by upsetting Zab Judah to become the undisputed welterweight champ and followed it with an upset ninth-round knockout of Arturo Gatti before ending the year in a big-money fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who easily outpointed him. Now, Baldomir is up at middleweight, where he routed Siris, 40, of Colombia. Baldomir was all over Siris in the fourth round, battering him with a two-fisted attack. After Siris ate several flush shots, referee Diego Linari gave him a standing eight-count. When the bout resumed, Baldomir continued to punish Siris until Linari called it off. Baldomir is now 2-3 from the Mayweather fight until now. Siris dropped to 4-7 in his last 11, with each loss coming via knockout inside six rounds. |
| Flyweight Luis Concepcion KO4 Roberto Leyva Retains an interim flyweight title |
| Records: Concepcion, 19-1, 14 KOs; Leyva, 26-10-1, 21 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Denkaosan Kaowichit, who is uninjured and defended his title twice this year, is the WBA's flyweight titleholder. But, as has become the norm, the wretched WBA authorized an interim belt in the division to pick up additional fees. Panama's Concepcion, 24, and his handlers fell for the scam, and he picked up the vacant interim trinket via 12th-round knockout of Omar Salado in September. For his first defense, Concepcion faced Mexico's Leyva, 30, a totally undeserving challenger. At one time, Leyva was a good fighter who held a strawweight belt in 2001 and 2002. But those days are long gone. After being knocked out with a left followed by a flush right to the jaw, Leyva fell to 1-5 in his last six fights, including a knockout loss challenging Edgar Sosa for a flyweight belt in 2007. Even more impressive than the knockout punch was Concepcion doing two back flips off the top rope in celebration of his knockout victory. |
| Welterweight Rafal Jackiewicz W12 Delvin Rodriguez Title eliminator Scores: 116-112, 115-112, 114-112 |
| Records: Jackiewicz, 35-8-1, 18 KOs; Rodriguez, 24-4-2, 14 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: If Rodriguez didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all. In the first significant fight of his career, Rodriguez, 29, who is from the Dominican Republic but lives in Danbury, Conn., went to South Africa and got a draw against Isaac Hlatshwayo last November in a title eliminator that could have gone either way. In a rematch in Connecticut in August, Rodriguez lost a split decision for a vacant belt in another close fight. Rodriguez then went to Poland to face hometown fighter Jackiewicz in an eliminator with a title shot against Hlatshwayo at stake. Rodriguez fought his heart out but came out on the short end of the stick in a fight that he probably deserved to win. But it does depend on what you favor when you score a fight. Did you like Rodriguez's busier workrate but with fewer clean connects, or did you prefer Jackiewicz's throwing far fewer punches but landing ones that, for the most part, were perhaps a bit more effective? If you like Rodriguez's style, you could certainly give him the fight by a wide margin. Rodriguez and his team, of course, were bitterly disappointed with the outcome. Jackiewicz, who did have the home advantage, extended his unbeaten streak to 20 fights over the past five years. Several of the early rounds were very close, but Rodriguez used a nice jab while Jackiewicz landed some solid right hands. One of them rocked Rodriguez in the fifth round, but he came storming back to hurt and eventually drop Jackiewicz with a flurry of blows in the sixth round. However, Rodriguez could not put his hurt opponent away, which he paid the price for when the decision was rendered. Jackiewicz now awaits the winner of the Dec. 11 fight between Hlatshwayo and Jan Zaveck. Jackiewicz owns a 2008 split decision win against Zaveck in a European title fight. |
| Strawweight Oleydong Sithsamerchai W12 Juan Palacios Retains a strawweight title Scores: 116-114, 115-114, 114-114 |
| Records: Sithsamerchai, 33-0,12 KOs; Palacios, 26-3, 21 KOs |
| Rafael's remark: Thailand's Sithsamerchai, 24, used nice counterpunching to maintain control against Palacios, 29, of Nicaragua, to claim the majority decision in the mandatory fight. Sithsamerchai, a southpaw making his fourth defense, knew he was ahead on all three scorecards after the fourth and eighth rounds because of the WBC's awful open-scoring rule and hung on despite Palacios' efforts to stalk him. Palacios came into the bout with the ridiculous interim title, which the WBC made available for no apparent reason other than a desire for additional sanctioning fees. Palacios claimed the interim belt in August 2008 and defended it twice until the WBC finally forced the mandatory against Sithsamerchai. How long until the WBC approves another interim title? |
Funeka robbery can't be swept under the rug
Sunday, November 29, 2009 | Print Entry
Bad decisions don't happen just in the United States and Germany. You can add Canada to the list.
Lightweight Ali Funeka dominated Joan Guzman so severely that the reading of the scorecards at the end of 12 mostly one-sided rounds appeared to be a mere formality on Saturday night at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City.
Gary Shaw, who co-promotes Funeka with Cedric Kushner, was inside the ring after the final bell with a huge smile on his face, congratulating his man on what appeared clear as day -- that Funeka would win a unanimous decision and a vacant lightweight belt in his second shot at a 135-pound title.
Then came the horror as Michael Buffer read the scores. Judge Joseph Pasquale had it 116-112 for Funeka (and even that was too close if you ask me), but Alan Davis and Benoit Roussel, incredibly, each had it 114-114, two of the worst scorecards you will ever see, making the fight an absurd draw.
Funeka stood with a blank look on his face. Guzman, whose face had been smashed into a bloody mess, also looked surprised.
HBO's broadcast team of Bob Papa, Max Kellerman and Lennox Lewis -- who knows a thing or two about horrible draws after what happened to him in his first fight with Evander Holyfield 10 years ago -- also panned the decision. Papa called it "curious and absurd." Harold Lederman, HBO's unofficial ringside judge, had it 117-111 in favor of Funeka and blasted the scores.
After the fight, I received multiple calls, e-mails and texts from people in the business outraged by the decision, including promoter Lou DiBella, Top Rank matchmaker Brad "Abdul" Goodman, Star Boxing matchmaker Ron Katz and manager Shelly Finkel. All are very experienced, smart boxing people. None of them had a dog in the fight. Each of them was disgusted by the decision.
But nothing compares to Shaw's outrage.
Not long after the fight, Shaw e-mailed me to say that Funeka was robbed and that there "needs to be an investigation."
An hour later, he dashed off another note, which he copied to several people in the business.
"These judges were corrupt," Shaw wrote in part.
Shaw is an emotional sort, but I can certainly see where he's coming from, especially since his fighter fought exceptionally well only to be completely hosed.
"Let me put it to you this way," Shaw said Sunday. "Ali got robbed. As one reporter told me, 'This decision was so bad it made the [Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi] decision look legitimate.' This may be the worst decision since Lewis-Holyfield I, and it needs to be addressed with a formal investigation by the IBF and Interpol. I implore the Promoters Association to issue a formal statement in support of such an investigation. At the very least, the IBF should make Funeka its interim lightweight champion so that no matter who he fights next, it's world title fight. We must stop robbing fighters, sending them home with nothing but shattered dreams instead of the rewards they earned in the ring."
Shaw and I don't usually agree on a whole lot, but we do this time.
Didnt Guzman just sign with GBP? Looks like a Golden Boy job to me
Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Last up is the top five stories of the 2000s. Whatever your opinion on the issues which engulfed the sport, these are the storylines that generated the greatest controversy and speculation over the past decade.
5. Margarito's illegal hand-wraps
Antonio Margarito headed into his Staples Center matchup with Shane Mosley as one of boxing's favorite sons; an iron-chinned superstar beloved for his bravery and competitive fire.
But the events of January 24, 2009, and their aftermath have turned Margarito into a boxing pariah. Margarito's hand wraps were found to have on them calcium and sulfur, which would have hardened into a Plaster of Paris-like substance.
Eagle-eyed Mosley corner man Nazim Richardson spotted the unusual nature of Margarito's wraps in the locker room prefight and immediately alerted officials. With new wraps, Margarito was smashed up by Mosley before being stopped in the ninth round.
The California State Athletic Commission handed down bans a month later - a ludicrously brief one-year suspension for both Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo.
4. Diego Corrales dies in a motorcycle crash
Corrales was one of boxing's most colorful characters, a man who lived and fought at full speed.
His spectacular wars with Jose Luis Castillo cemented his popularity, but he was unable to handle the resulting fame and battled constantly with personal problems.
Many friends said afterward it had been inevitable that Corrales' tumultuous life - he had served 14-months in prison for abusing his pregnant girlfriend - would end in tragedy.
Despite limited motorcycle experience, Corrales insisted on riding down a busy residential street in Las Vegas on the second anniversary of his classic victory over Castillo. His blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, Corrales collided with the back of a vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
3. The continued fall of Mike Tyson
Tyson's life and career had already plummeted downhill in the 1990s, but a new decade didn't bring any better fortune for the former undisputed heavyweight champ.
Iron Mike has become an increasingly forlorn figure, with most of the millions he earned during his career having been squandered away.
The early part of the decade offered an opportunity for him to scale the heights of the heavyweight division once more, but he was demolished by Lennox Lewis in eight rounds and followed up with shocking defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride before, mercifully, hanging up his gloves.
2. The FBI raids Top Rank's offices
Has boxing ever seemed sicker than when federal agents stormed into Top Rank's Las Vegas HQ in the first week of January 2004 and seized computers, contracts and financial documents?
The most salacious part of the investigation was that Oscar De La Hoya's rematch with Shane Mosley had been "fixed," and the fight game winced from this latest controversy as Bob Arum's company came under scrutiny.
More ugly details filtered out, that the investigation was part of an ongoing probe into organized crime, rumors of fixing, tampered medical records and deep-rooted corruption.
The investigation eventually was dropped in 2006 with no charges filed, but it was an episode that took boxing to the top of the news bulletins for all the wrong reasons.
1. Top Rank/Golden Boy lawsuit over Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao was on his way to becoming the world's most exciting fighter in 2006, and promotional giants Top Rank and Golden Boy both wanted a slice of the action.
Bob Arum claimed he had Pacquiao signed to a contract, but Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy also insisted he had him tied to a deal after handing over a satchel of cash during an airport meeting.
The two parties went head-to-head in an acrimonious courtroom battle that was eventually settled when the judge warned Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer that neither may like the final judgment.
The upshot is that Arum continues to promote Pacquiao, while Golden Boy also receives a sizeable cut every time he fights.
Honorable mentions: Despite lacking a definitive incident like these other stories, there were a couple of issues that were a constant theme during the 2000s.
• What happened to the heavyweights? �The decline of the heavyweight division has been lamented for much of the decade. Lennox Lewis' retirement left a void, while Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson both faded from the world scene. Instead, a generation of big Russian and Ukrainian fighters came to the fore, led by the Klitschkos, Vitali and Waldimir, but none were really able to capture the public imagination.
• Boxing v MMA The emergence of mixed martial arts and the UFC has presented boxing with some significant challenges. MMA's deep undercards for pay-per-view events and the relative lack of bluster surrounding its fighters won over some supporters who had previously gravitated towards boxing. However, the huge PPV numbers generated in recent times by fighters such as Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather suggests boxing is not ready to roll over just yet
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First up is upsets of the decade - and if you even think about arguing that the decade doesn't really end until next year then we're going to send Corrie Sanders 'round to have some harsh words. Now you're scared.
5. Danny Williams beats Mike Tyson
Tyson already was well past his prime by the time he took on British journeyman Williams in Kentucky in July 2004. Even so, "Iron Mike" had dispatched Clifford Etienne inside a round in his previous contest and was expected to have little trouble in disposing of Williams in similarly quick time.
It was even suggested that a Tyson victory could put him back in the title picture following Lennox Lewis' retirement. However, Williams silenced that talk with a fierce flurry toward the end of the 4th, to which Tyson had no answer and was counted out.
4. Glen Johnson beats Roy Jones Jr.
Jones was still one of boxing's biggest stars when he took on Johnson in Memphis in September 2004, despite having being knocked out by Antonio Tarver four months earlier.
His bout with Johnson, who was 35 and had lost nine times, was supposed to get his career back on track - but instead ended with him flat on his back once more. A huge right hand from Johnson put Jones out cold in the 9th, and Jones hasn't been the same since.
3. Corrie Sanders beats Wladimir Klitschko
The younger of the Klitschko brothers was unbeaten in five years and was defending his WBO heavyweight title for the sixth time when he faced South African southpaw Sanders in Hannover, Germany, in 2003.
Klitschko was an overwhelming favorite but got tagged by a big left hand in the first round and never recovered. Big Wlad went down twice in the opener before being saved by the bell, but the Sanders assault continued and he finished it off less than 30 seconds into Round 2.
2. Bernard Hopkins beats Felix Trinidad
Few gave Hopkins a chance against Puerto Rican superstar Trinidad, who was 40-0 going into the final of Don King's 2001 middleweight unification tournament. Hopkins taunted Trinidad mercilessly before the fight, and even placed a $100,000 wager on himself to emerge victorious.
Once the contest started, Hopkins swiftly assumed control, fighting brilliantly on the outside and never giving Trinidad a chance to settle. He was at least five points up on each scorecard going into the final round, but capped it off in style by knocking Trinidad out midway through the 12th.
1. Hasim Rahman beats Lennox Lewis�
Lewis was the dominant heavyweight on the planet when he took on unheralded Rahman in South Africa in 2001. Even though the Brit had spent some of his precious training time filming on the set of "Ocean's Eleven," it was expected that he would be too big and too strong for Rahman.
But Lewis looked jaded and sluggish in the ring and was never able to generate any serious momentum. Even so, the fight was still even until the fifth round, when Rahman sent Lewis crashing to the canvas with a monstrous right hand that turned the heavyweight division on its head.
�ahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives.
Next up is fighters of the decade�- and if you even think about arguing that the decade doesn't really end until next year then we're going to send Pacman 'round to have some harsh words. Watch out.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez
Marquez has put together a spectacular decade, racking up 20 victories while operating mainly at the elite world level.
His only defeats have come against Chris John in Indonesia, Manny Pacquiao and a much bigger Floyd Mayweather, with the Pacquiao defeat subject to a contentious points decision.
He also fought to�a draw with Pacquiao in their classic 2004 encounter and has been a regular presence near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
4. Bernard Hopkins
It is amazing to consider that 10 years ago Hopkins was already considered to be in the twilight of his career.
Years of successfully defending his IBF middleweight title had not garnered him widespread recognition�- but that all changed in September 2001 when he cut down Felix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden to become the undisputed champion.
His middleweight reign, which included a spectacular body-shot knockout of Oscar De La Hoya, was brought to an end by two defeats to Jermain Taylor, but even into his 40s Hopkins was far from finished, punishing then-rising star Kelly Pavlik with a superb display in 2008.
3. Joe Calzaghe
Calzaghe came into the 2000s already a champion as holder of the WBO super middleweight title, and he continued his dominance before retiring undefeated at the end of 2008.
His last three fights were the ones that defined his career�- a unification bout with Mikkel Kessler, and trips to America to beat Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.
Calzaghe's conditioning and work ethic were second to none, although he was criticized in some quarters for not testing himself in the States earlier in his career.
2. Manny Pacquiao
Just a few months before the turn of the decade, Pacquiao was fighting at 112 lbs and the boxing world could not imagine the future impact he would have on the sport.
He has risen through the divisions to win officially sanctioned belts in five divisions while being considered champion in seven, and elevated himself to the level of genuine superstar by trouncing Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao drew with Agapito Sanchez in 2001, with Marquez in 2004 and lost a tight decision to Erik Morales in 2005. Apart from those setbacks, he has put together a perfect decade. No man has had a greater impact on boxing in the past two years.
1. Floyd Mayweather
No fighter has owned the 2000s like the Pretty Boy, whose sublime boxing skills have protected his perfect record and established him as the sport's leading star.
That status has come under threat thanks to the emergence of Pacquiao, and a 2010 bout between those two could be one for the ages.
Mayweather announced his retirement after beating Ricky Hatton in December 2007, but that was short-lived and he is back to cement his legacy.
Criticism that he has failed to fight the best out there persists, yet no one can question Mayweather's ability, with exceptional defense and phenomenal hand speed.
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Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Next up is the fights of the decade, featuring five sensational bouts that electrified the sport.
Share your thoughts and comments below.
5. Israel Vazquez beats Rafael Marquez, August 4, 2007�- WBC super bantamweight title.
This was one of the most anticipated rematches in recent history, following a classic encounter in March 2007 that ended when Vazquez suffered an injury to his nose.
The second version did not disappoint, as Vazquez and Marquez put together another bout featuring all-action intensity and a frenetic pace at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, five months after their first fight.
This time it was Vazquez who came out on top, despite being cut above both eyes in another torrid slugfest.
Vazquez floored Marquez with a left hook early in the sixth round and forced a stoppage with a blistering subsequent attack.
4. Juan Manuel Marquez draws with Manny Pacquiao, May 8, 2004�- WBA and IBF featherweight titles.
This fight did plenty to boost the reputations of both fighters, but it almost came to an end within the first round.
Pacquiao started like a steam train, unleashing flurries of punches upon Marquez in the opening exchanges and had his opponent on the canvas after only 90 seconds.
Two more knockdowns followed in the same round, but Marquez survived and gradually worked his way into the fight.
The scorecards caused controversy, with one judge scoring it 115-110 for Pacquiao, another 115-110 for Marquez, and a third, Bert Clements, 113-113. It later emerged that Clements had erroneously scored the first round 10-7 to Pacquiao, when it should have been 10-6 due to the three knockdowns.
3. Erik Morales beats Marco Antonio Barrera, February 19, 2000�- WBC and WBO Super bantamweight titles.
The first great bout of the 2000s also marked the start of a storied trilogy between a pair of modern greats.
Morales and Barrera refused to take a backward step, pummeling each other for 12 exhausting and thrilling rounds in a matchup that brought the Mandalay Bay crowd, and surely a fair share of the HBO viewing audience, to its feet.
In the end it was Morales who claimed a split decision, controversially, with many observers insisting that Barrera's efforts in the final round, when he knocked Morales down in the final minute, should have earned him the victory.
2. Micky Ward beats Arturo Gatti, May 18, 2002.
Two of boxing's biggest crowd-pleasers went head-to-head at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in what quickly would turn into a battle for the ages.
Ward and Gatti both withstood a tremendous amount of punishment, pounding away with astonishing ferocity.
An amazing ninth round saw Ward knock Gatti down with a vicious left to the body and he appeared to be on course for a knockout. But Gatti refused to wilt, finding incredible reserves of strength to fight back to keep the contest alive.
Ward went on to win a majority decision, but the rousing ovation the fighters received meant there was no real loser on this night.
1. Diego Corrales beats Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005�- WBO and WBC lightweight titles.
The crowd was sparse at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, but those in attendance and watching on television saw 10 rounds of boxing they would never forget.
All throughout the contest, Corrales and Castillo stood toe-to-toe, slugging it out in an epic battle of willpower and tenacity, culminating with an epic comeback and dramatic conclusion.
Both gladiators entered what would be the decisive 10th round exhausted and roughed up, with swollen eyes and bloodied faces. Castillo appeared ready to seal the victory when he twice sent Corrales sprawling to the canvas, both times courtesy of brutal left hooks.
However, Corrales regained his footing and his composure, gaining extra recovery time by spitting out his mouthpiece (even though it cost him a point). Then Corrales somehow produced a devastating right hand that turned the fight on its head. Following up with a flurry of punches, he backed Castillo on to the ropes, and with the Mexican unable to defend himself, referee Tony Weeks had no choice but to step in and call the fight.
Corrales was killed in a motorcycle accident exactly two years after the fight. And although Castillo won a rematch against Corrales five months after their first fight, he has never been the same fighter since.
On this night, though, they were kings, and they combined to put together a contest that will live on in boxing history.
preach
The same Kessler who just got his @*@ handed to him. A 43 year old Hopkins who he lucky to get a SD against and was made to look like an amateur in the process and beating a shot Jones who hasn't had a significant win in years. How impressive.Originally Posted by Jagshemash
Calzaghe #3 ahead of Hopkins
Yessir.
