American boxing superstars are few and far between these days.
Sure there are some. Bernard Hopkins has a mainstream name, but he is 46 and must be close to the end, even though he continually defies Father Time. Shane Mosley, who is 39, is limping toward the finish line of a brilliant career.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is clearly the biggest name in American boxing, but at 33, he's not getting any younger. Besides, he rarely fights anymore and faces several serious criminal charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident in September.
So who else is there?
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Maybe super middleweight titlist Andre Ward, the 26-year-old 2004 Olympic gold medalist, who is on the verge of stardom, especially if he wins the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Another possibility is 27-year-old welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who is fast and skilled, but has been roundly criticized for his lackluster opposition.
The two other best bets are junior welterweight titleholders Devon Alexander, 23, and Timothy Bradley Jr., 27, who are widely regarded as the best two junior welterweights in the world.
They want to prove that they can take the mantle as America's next big thing in the ring, which is why they will meet in a much-anticipated unification showdown at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., on Saturday night (HBO, 10 ET).
"The winner of these fights, and I say these fights because there are so many guys at 140 pounds, we are going to be the new faces of boxing," Bradley said. "The older guys in their 30's are on their way out. We are going to be the new breed. We need to come in and take the throne."
Alexander-Bradley is that rare matchup of the best against the best. That rare matchup of young, undefeated American champions.
"This is a fight just like the old days," said St. Louis' Alexander. "They used to want to fight the best. They would be itching to fight the best. They used to say, 'He's the best, let me get in there with him.' It brings back a lot of the roots in boxing and it means a lot to have two undefeated champions [fighting]. It's a major thing."
"You see these two undefeated American world champions going into the high-risk zone. The greater the risk the greater the reward," Don King, Alexander's promoter, said. "They both have something to lose but they both have something to gain, showing in this sport that the best fight the best. That's how you get the acclaim of a Muhammad Ali, a Joe Frazier, a Roberto Duran, a Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard. Those are the ones that come in there and fight the best. We have an opportunity to establish the heroes in boxing by claiming 'I am the best.' Saying and doing. Talking the talk and walking the walk."
Gary Shaw, Bradley's promoter, has a reputation in boxing for consistently matching his fighters tough. He is doing it again with Bradley.
"Boxing will always survive if we can put the best against the best all the time," Shaw said. "It should be the end of an era where a fighter fights one tough fight then two easy fights. If you have a tough day at work you have to come back tomorrow and work again. You can't tell the boss you want an easy day. This is more than just a fight. This is two young, undefeated American world champions willing to step up."
Much has been made not only of the fact that Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) and Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs) are undefeated Americans squaring off, a rarity these days, but also that they are African-Americans.
"This fight is not only good for the African-American race, it is good for boxing," said Bradley, of Palm Springs, Calif. "In every interview, I hear that boxing is dying and MMA is taking it over and it's not the same anymore. Well here you have two African-American fighters -- I just like to say Americans -- two undefeated guys who are champions, young and in their prime [and they] are going to go at it. It doesn't get any better than this. We both are undefeated. He doesn't know how to lose and I don't know how to lose. Somebody's '0' has got to go and that's the bottom line. It's great for boxing. It's great for the African-American race. It's great for our careers. It's great for the public. Period."
It took quite some time put the fight together. That does not come as much surprise considering how much both fighters have at stake.
Their title belts.
Their undefeated records.
A possible July showdown with the cash cow of the division, titleholder Amir Khan of England.
And, further down the road, a move up to welterweight, where the winner figures prominently in the sweepstakes to land a possible fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao or Mayweather.
"We both have our entire professional career riding on this one," Alexander said. "The winner moves on to another big fight."
The undefeated record in boxing is something special, but sometimes it overtakes a fighter as he becomes obsessed with retaining it, often at the expense of facing the best competition.
That has been the albatross around Mayweather's neck for years and a reason why many believe he won't sign to fight Pacquiao in the boxing's biggest fight.
The zero on Alexander's record is important to him, but it wasn't enough to deter him from taking the fight with Bradley.
"My zero means a lot. It means that I have a perfect record and I have been victorious every time," Alexander said. "I want it to be like my name says: Alexander 'The Great,' warrior. He was undefeated like the record says. Right now they cannot call me a Hall of Famer because I have not done enough yet, but no one has beaten me."
Bradley confesses that at one time he was a bit obsessed with his perfect record.
"Last year, I was asked what I wanted for 2010 and I said I wanted to remain undefeated," Bradley said. "This year, I just want the best fights. The zero on my record doesn't matter to me. My biggest goal in boxing is just to be remembered. I don't want to be forgotten about. Whether I win seven or eight world championships, that will be in the history books and I just want to be remembered. That is my biggest goal. You do that by fighting the best."
Both men know that Khan likely looms for Saturday's winner.
"The winner will definitely have to fight Amir Khan," Bradley said. "If they don't do it, the media should put the pressure on them because I think that's the way it should go."
Alexander is not opposed to fighting Khan, but doesn't believe it must be next.
"Khan is an OK fighter. He's no big deal," Alexander said. "People are really making big hype about Amir Khan. I don't know what all the hype is about but he has a little power behind him. People think he is more than what I think he is. The winner of this fight doesn't have to go after Amir Khan. The winner of this fight is going to be No. 1 in the division. [Lightweight champ Juan Manuel] Marquez is a bigger fight than Khan, so it's not about chasing him.
"Amir Khan is not the cash cow at 140. I have a bigger following in St. Louis, just like he does in the UK, so we shouldn't be dwelling on Khan. I am seeking greatness. Whoever they think is the best. The question is: Will Khan take the fight? That's the problem. I think he's being pampered."
Beyond the winner possibly facing Khan, there is also the possibility of huge fights down the road with Pacquiao or Mayweather.
Bradley spent a lot of time last year trying to entice Pacquiao. Bradley only fought once last year, and when he did, he didn't defend his junior welterweight title. He moved up to welterweight as a test run to show the big names he could handle the weight, and he won a unanimous decision against Luis Carlos Abregu.
But Bradley returned to junior welterweight after that uneven performance and is focused on taking care of business in the deep junior welterweight division before eventually moving up.
"Not even thinking about [moving up]," Bradley said. "I want to seize the 140 pound titles. There is so much business to take care of at 140 before I would think about the Pacquiaos and the Mayweathers, which I would like to do. Each weight class needs one King and that's what we are going to do at 140."
Alexander is thinking the same way.
"As of right now, I'm taking care of business at 140 pounds," he said. "I am 23 and I'm starting to build muscle and getting stronger and stronger. Right now I am staying here but it would be up to my coach [Kevin Cunningham] and my promoter [Don King], and we'll take it from there."
Besides the whole young unbeaten/American/unification angle to the fight, most expect it to be a darn good fight.
Alexander and Bradley are both fast. They had strong amateur careers. They have skill and have shown heart. And while neither is a murderous puncher, each cracks enough to keep any opponent honest.
"I think it is going to be a very high-paced fight," Bradley said. "I throw a lot of punches and I know Devon throws a lot of punches. He throws about 80-100 punches per round. We are both going to be battling for position and dominance in the ring. The first couple rounds may be 'feel out' rounds and then it will start to get interesting toward the middle of the fight.
"Win or lose, the fight is going to be that great that I don't think anybody is going to lose out. The fact that we are willing to fight each other proves that we are willing to put our undefeated records on the line for the sake of boxing. I feel I am the best, he feels he is the best, so let's put these guys together and let them fight. Win or lose in this fight, I feel we are both going to be superstars after this fight."
Chris Farina/Top RankA lot to lose: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has put his time into training camp.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is one step away from challenging for a middleweight belt, but must first defeat former title challenger Billy Lyell of Youngstown, Ohio, on Saturday night's edition of "Top Rank Live" (Fox Deportes, 10 ET).
Chavez (41-0-1, 30 KOs) will be at home in Culiacan, Mexico, to face Lyell (22-8, 4 KOs). The fight will be Chavez's first fight at home since December 2006, and he is looking forward to being in front of his hometown crowd.
"I remember that night very well," Chavez said of his last bout in Culiacan. "I had a lot of support from the fans and it was a very special night. It was my first main event in a big fight at home and I was very excited. I hope that it will be like it was back in 2006. I know that the fans will support me like they did back then and I want give them a fight they will remember for a long, long time."
Said Lyell, "I know that we are fighting in his hometown and everyone will be rooting for him, but inside the ring it will only be the two of us, and I come to win and will do everything I can to get the victory."
Chavez, who is going into his second fight with trainer Freddie Roach, has not fought since his unanimous decision victory against John Duddy in June. Chavez was supposed to headline a Dec. 4 Top Rank pay-per-view card in Anaheim, Calif., but he came down with the flu and withdrew a week before the fight.
If Chavez defeats Lyell, he will likely face titlist Sebastian Zbik in May in Mexico. Zbik, who had held an interim title, was handed a full title when the WBC stripped Sergio Martinez earlier this month.
"I want to show everyone that I am ready to fight for a world championship and to do that, I need to look great against Billy Lyell, a tough guy who has fought for a world title and was the first man to defeat John Duddy," Chavez said.
Roach and strength coach Alex Ariza have been with Chavez training in Mexico. Although Chavez's work ethic has been questioned by many, even his own team, he said he is working hard with them.
"Freddie and Alex are great. They are making me into a world-class athlete and have learned so much from them," Chavez said. "I know I will be better than when I fought John Duddy and will prove that I am ready to fight for the world championship next."
[h3]Mormeck-Rahman title eliminator[/h3]
AP Photo/Remy de la MauviniereFormer cruiserweight titlist Jean-Marc Mormeck, right, is gunning for a title at heavyweight.
Former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck and former heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman have agreed to meet in a title eliminator May 12 in France, Mormeck promoter Joe DeGuardia and Rahman promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
The winner would become the mandatory challenger for titlist David Haye of England. Haye has a mandatory due against Ruslan Chagaev, but it is unclear if that fight will ever happen because of Chagaev's problems with hepatitis B, which make it unlikely he would be medically cleared to fight in England. He has been cleared to fight in Germany, but Haye would have no reason to go there to fight him.
So Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs) and Rahman (49-7-2, 40 KOs) would meet for the shot to become the next mandatory.
"We've done the contracts. Rahman is not leaving it up to the judges," Cohen said. "Rahman is very motivated and excited. He's not getting a lot of money for this fight. He's doing it for the opportunity. This is it. Either win and go on and fight for a title, or retire."
Rahman, 38, who reigned as heavyweight champ for seven months in 2001 after knocking out Lennox Lewis (before being knocked out in the rematch), has won four fights in a row against low-level competition since heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko crushed him in seven lopsided rounds in December 2008.
Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs), 38, retired for two years after Haye knocked him out in the seventh round to take the cruiserweight title in 2007. Mormeck followed Haye up in weight when he came of retirement in December 2009. Mormeck has fought three times at heavyweight, going the eight-round distance with journeyman Vinny Maddalone, getting a highly questionable 10-round decision against Fres Oquendo and winning a split decision against Timur Ibragimov in a struggle.
There has been some speculation in the French and British media that Haye and Mormeck will meet in May, but DeGuardia said there have been no discussions between the camps and that Mormeck intends to face Rahman.
"They called but there haven't been any kinds of conversations about the fight," DeGuardia said. "It's a fight that could potentially happen in the future."
[h3]Klitschkos looking ahead?[/h3]
AP Photo/Frank AugsteinTwin powers: Like it or not, brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are in position to call the shots.
When heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko finalized a deal this week for one of them to face top contender Tomasz Adamek in September at a soccer stadium in Adamek's native Poland it was contingent on the Klitschkos and Adamek winning interim fights. If both Klitschkos defend their titles, they will then decide which one of them will face Adamek.
The deal has upset Arena Box promoter Ahmet Öner because he feels like Vitali Klitschko is disrespecting his fighter, Odlanier Solis, 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist and the mandatory challenger Vitali will defend against on March 19 in Cologne, Germany.
"This is just another example of the Klitschkos' arrogance," Öner said. "Both Klitschkos have world title fights coming up and it's a long, long time until September. How can they make a deal that assumes that they are still world champions at that time? At best, this is extremely disrespectful and bad style.
"I wonder what [Wladimir's April 30 opponent] Dereck Chisora thinks about his opponent making deals to defend his titles against Adamek when he's the challenger. How do they want to explain to anybody that Wladimir is taking Chisora serious? Why should anybody watch that fight? It's ridiculous. Honestly, I think Adamek will fight Solis in September in Poland -- or at least they will have to negotiate with us about it. Because after Solis' knocks out Vitali and ends his career, we all can imagine what will happen: Little brother Wladimir will try to take revenge for his brother, and then Solis will beat Wladimir as well. So as far as I am concerned Adamek can either fight any of the Klitschkos in September or fight for a world title. But we will certainly not start negotiations with him because we don't count our chickens before they hatch."
•Junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs), who is moving up to middleweight to challenge champion Sergio Martinez on March 12 (HBO) at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., will be trained by Buddy McGirt for the fight, although longtime trainer Alexander Palishuk will remain in the corner as an assistant. "Buddy's going to come in and see what we can add to the picture," Harry Kazandjian, Dzinziruk's manager, told ESPN.com. McGirt, a former welterweight champ who has trained numerous top fighters, has been watching Dzinziruk do strength work and will begin full training camp with him next week in Los Angeles. "Sergei's very good, very technical, but he needs a little more than that to beat Martinez because Martinez is tricky," McGirt said. "I'm not going to change anything, just make some little adjustments."
•Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan continues to hunt for an April 16 opponent after Lamont Peterson and Paul McCloskey rejected offers in the low six figures for a fight that will generate millions between the British pay-per-view and HBO license fee in the United States. However, Khan still is unwilling to fight Breidis Prescott in a rematch even though Prescott scored a 54-second knockout of Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) in September 2008. But Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) is continuing his verbal assault to get Khan to look his way again. "Is he really so unconcerned about his legacy and reputation that he'll continue this sad campaign to shame unknown fighters into the ring with him for chump change? Does he read what the boxing world is saying about what he's doing," Prescott said. "I've been saying I'll be reasonable about money from the start. None of the other opponents he's been chasing after will make for a fight half as intriguing and lucrative as our rematch would be." Then Prescott turned his comments directly to Khan: "Amir, you still don't have an opponent. Stop these games and act like a champion. If you're having so much trouble making fights that no one cares about, call me and you'll have an easy time making a fight the entire world wants to see."
•Junior welterweight contender Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs), who is coming off a decision loss to titleholder Amir Khan on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas in a fight voted 2010 fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, may return to the ring in his native Argentina in the spring before returning to the United States, Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer said. "I think he might do a fight in Argentina and then idea is for him to fight the loser of Saturday's [Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley Jr. unification] fight. HBO is very excited to have Maidana back. He can be a threat against anyone in the weight class." The Alexander-Bradley winner is likely going to face Khan in July in the United States.
•Golden Boy and German promoter Universum recently came to an agreement for Golden Boy to co-promote its fighters like it previously had done with junior welterweight contender Marcos Maidana. Two of the fighters Golden Boy will be co-promoting -- Denis Boytsov (28-0, 23 KOs), a 24-year-old Russian heavyweight contender, and cruiserweight Rakhim Chakhkiev (8-0, 6 KOs), 27, a 2008 Olympian gold medalist -- are both headed to the United States for their next fights, Schaefer said. Boytsov is in position for a possible fight with titleholder David Haye, but Schaefer said if he does not land that fight, which is unlikely, Boytsov will fight on either Golden Boy's April 9 pay-per-view undercard in Las Vegas or on the undercard of the April 16 fight in the works between welterweight titlist Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. Schaefer said Chakhkiev will make his American debut March 5 in Anaheim, Calif., on the untelevised portion of the HBO card headlined by the Saul Alvarez-Matthew Hatton junior middleweight fight.
•Golden Boy has also penciled in Brooklyn, N.Y., middleweight Daniel Jacobs (21-1, 18 KOs), the 2009 ESPN.com prospect of the year, for an appearance on the March 5 Alvarez-Hatton undercard, according to matchmaker Eric Gomez. Fighting for a vacant belt, Jacobs suffered his first loss in July, an upset fifth-round knockout to Dmitry Pirog. Jacobs made his return in December to stop Jessie Orta in the fifth round on the Jean Pascal-Bernard Hopkins undercard in Quebec City. The March 5 card could also feature the return of junior middleweight James Kirkland, now that he is out of prison, and heavyweight prospect Seth Mitchell.
•Former junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi (28-4, 6 KOs), who made the move up to welterweight in for a rare sixth-round knockout of Michael Lozada on the Pascal-Hopkins undercard on Dec. 18, will "most likely" fight on the undercard of the pay-per-view card Golden Boy is planning for April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Gomez told ESPN.com. No opponent yet.
•Although the WBC simply handed interim titlist Sebastian Zbik (3-0, 10 KOs) its middleweight title when it stripped Sergio Martinez, Germany's Zbik is hopeful to land a significant fight. Martinez was stripped because HBO would not accept Zbik as an opponent for his March 12 date. "I've always said that I wanted to fight Martinez," Zbik said. "I've defended the interim title three times and haven't avoided anyone. … Now I'm looking forward to my first defense. I want move forward with the WBC, but I can also visualize a title unification. Two middleweight world champions live around the corner [in Germany] with Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester, but both have avoided fighting me. But with this belt, I now have a good argument on my side. Felix Sturm has always claimed he's the best boxer in the division. So why didn't he box against me instead of no-names like [Giovanni] Lorenzo and [upcoming opponent Ronald] Hearns? These aren't world-class opponents. The reason can't be the distance. He knows the route to Hamburg very well."
•Junior middleweight Austin Trout (21-0, 13 KOs) is headed to Mexico to face Rigoberto Alvarez (26-2, 19 KOs) for a vacant title on Feb. 5, a week after it was originally scheduled to take place in Guanajuato. Now the fight will take place in Guadalajara. Either way, Trout, of Las Cruces, N.M., will be on enemy turf. Trout says he will be ready for Alvarez (26-2, 19 KOs), the older brother of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year and one of the most popular fighters in Mexico. "This is my first world title shot and I'm going to leave everything in the ring come fight night," Trout said. "My training camp has shifted to the high altitude mountains of Ruidoso, N.M., where the elevation approaches 7,000 feet. My timing is on and I'm happy with the way this camp has been going. I just want to get in the ring with Alvarez and show the world that I belong with the elite fighters in my division."
•Tickets for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 7 (Showtime PPV) go on sale Monday at 1 p.m. ET, promoter Top Rank announced. Tickets are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or the MGM Grand. Tickets are limited to 10 per person with the tickets in the $150 range limited to two per person.
[h3]Quotable[/h3]
"I am very happy. I would like to thank the Klitschko's for being very generous with the percentage offer. I am looking forward to this fight. It doesn't make a difference to me which Klitschko I fight. Right now they are both the biggest stars in the boxing world and I want to fight the biggest stars. I'm grateful for the opportunity." -- heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek, on the creative deal he signed this week under which he will fight either heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko or his title-holding older brother, Vitali Klitschko, in September at a soccer stadium in Poland, depending on what happens in their interim bouts.
American boxing superstars are few and far between these days.
Sure there are some. Bernard Hopkins has a mainstream name, but he is 46 and must be close to the end, even though he continually defies Father Time. Shane Mosley, who is 39, is limping toward the finish line of a brilliant career.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is clearly the biggest name in American boxing, but at 33, he's not getting any younger. Besides, he rarely fights anymore and faces several serious criminal charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident in September.
So who else is there?
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Maybe super middleweight titlist Andre Ward, the 26-year-old 2004 Olympic gold medalist, who is on the verge of stardom, especially if he wins the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Another possibility is 27-year-old welterweight titlist Andre Berto, who is fast and skilled, but has been roundly criticized for his lackluster opposition.
The two other best bets are junior welterweight titleholders Devon Alexander, 23, and Timothy Bradley Jr., 27, who are widely regarded as the best two junior welterweights in the world.
They want to prove that they can take the mantle as America's next big thing in the ring, which is why they will meet in a much-anticipated unification showdown at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., on Saturday night (HBO, 10 ET).
"The winner of these fights, and I say these fights because there are so many guys at 140 pounds, we are going to be the new faces of boxing," Bradley said. "The older guys in their 30's are on their way out. We are going to be the new breed. We need to come in and take the throne."
Alexander-Bradley is that rare matchup of the best against the best. That rare matchup of young, undefeated American champions.
"This is a fight just like the old days," said St. Louis' Alexander. "They used to want to fight the best. They would be itching to fight the best. They used to say, 'He's the best, let me get in there with him.' It brings back a lot of the roots in boxing and it means a lot to have two undefeated champions [fighting]. It's a major thing."
"You see these two undefeated American world champions going into the high-risk zone. The greater the risk the greater the reward," Don King, Alexander's promoter, said. "They both have something to lose but they both have something to gain, showing in this sport that the best fight the best. That's how you get the acclaim of a Muhammad Ali, a Joe Frazier, a Roberto Duran, a Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard. Those are the ones that come in there and fight the best. We have an opportunity to establish the heroes in boxing by claiming 'I am the best.' Saying and doing. Talking the talk and walking the walk."
Gary Shaw, Bradley's promoter, has a reputation in boxing for consistently matching his fighters tough. He is doing it again with Bradley.
"Boxing will always survive if we can put the best against the best all the time," Shaw said. "It should be the end of an era where a fighter fights one tough fight then two easy fights. If you have a tough day at work you have to come back tomorrow and work again. You can't tell the boss you want an easy day. This is more than just a fight. This is two young, undefeated American world champions willing to step up."
Much has been made not only of the fact that Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) and Bradley (26-0, 11 KOs) are undefeated Americans squaring off, a rarity these days, but also that they are African-Americans.
"This fight is not only good for the African-American race, it is good for boxing," said Bradley, of Palm Springs, Calif. "In every interview, I hear that boxing is dying and MMA is taking it over and it's not the same anymore. Well here you have two African-American fighters -- I just like to say Americans -- two undefeated guys who are champions, young and in their prime [and they] are going to go at it. It doesn't get any better than this. We both are undefeated. He doesn't know how to lose and I don't know how to lose. Somebody's '0' has got to go and that's the bottom line. It's great for boxing. It's great for the African-American race. It's great for our careers. It's great for the public. Period."
It took quite some time put the fight together. That does not come as much surprise considering how much both fighters have at stake.
Their title belts.
Their undefeated records.
A possible July showdown with the cash cow of the division, titleholder Amir Khan of England.
And, further down the road, a move up to welterweight, where the winner figures prominently in the sweepstakes to land a possible fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao or Mayweather.
"We both have our entire professional career riding on this one," Alexander said. "The winner moves on to another big fight."
The undefeated record in boxing is something special, but sometimes it overtakes a fighter as he becomes obsessed with retaining it, often at the expense of facing the best competition.
That has been the albatross around Mayweather's neck for years and a reason why many believe he won't sign to fight Pacquiao in the boxing's biggest fight.
The zero on Alexander's record is important to him, but it wasn't enough to deter him from taking the fight with Bradley.
"My zero means a lot. It means that I have a perfect record and I have been victorious every time," Alexander said. "I want it to be like my name says: Alexander 'The Great,' warrior. He was undefeated like the record says. Right now they cannot call me a Hall of Famer because I have not done enough yet, but no one has beaten me."
Bradley confesses that at one time he was a bit obsessed with his perfect record.
"Last year, I was asked what I wanted for 2010 and I said I wanted to remain undefeated," Bradley said. "This year, I just want the best fights. The zero on my record doesn't matter to me. My biggest goal in boxing is just to be remembered. I don't want to be forgotten about. Whether I win seven or eight world championships, that will be in the history books and I just want to be remembered. That is my biggest goal. You do that by fighting the best."
Both men know that Khan likely looms for Saturday's winner.
"The winner will definitely have to fight Amir Khan," Bradley said. "If they don't do it, the media should put the pressure on them because I think that's the way it should go."
Alexander is not opposed to fighting Khan, but doesn't believe it must be next.
"Khan is an OK fighter. He's no big deal," Alexander said. "People are really making big hype about Amir Khan. I don't know what all the hype is about but he has a little power behind him. People think he is more than what I think he is. The winner of this fight doesn't have to go after Amir Khan. The winner of this fight is going to be No. 1 in the division. [Lightweight champ Juan Manuel] Marquez is a bigger fight than Khan, so it's not about chasing him.
"Amir Khan is not the cash cow at 140. I have a bigger following in St. Louis, just like he does in the UK, so we shouldn't be dwelling on Khan. I am seeking greatness. Whoever they think is the best. The question is: Will Khan take the fight? That's the problem. I think he's being pampered."
Beyond the winner possibly facing Khan, there is also the possibility of huge fights down the road with Pacquiao or Mayweather.
Bradley spent a lot of time last year trying to entice Pacquiao. Bradley only fought once last year, and when he did, he didn't defend his junior welterweight title. He moved up to welterweight as a test run to show the big names he could handle the weight, and he won a unanimous decision against Luis Carlos Abregu.
But Bradley returned to junior welterweight after that uneven performance and is focused on taking care of business in the deep junior welterweight division before eventually moving up.
"Not even thinking about [moving up]," Bradley said. "I want to seize the 140 pound titles. There is so much business to take care of at 140 before I would think about the Pacquiaos and the Mayweathers, which I would like to do. Each weight class needs one King and that's what we are going to do at 140."
Alexander is thinking the same way.
"As of right now, I'm taking care of business at 140 pounds," he said. "I am 23 and I'm starting to build muscle and getting stronger and stronger. Right now I am staying here but it would be up to my coach [Kevin Cunningham] and my promoter [Don King], and we'll take it from there."
Besides the whole young unbeaten/American/unification angle to the fight, most expect it to be a darn good fight.
Alexander and Bradley are both fast. They had strong amateur careers. They have skill and have shown heart. And while neither is a murderous puncher, each cracks enough to keep any opponent honest.
"I think it is going to be a very high-paced fight," Bradley said. "I throw a lot of punches and I know Devon throws a lot of punches. He throws about 80-100 punches per round. We are both going to be battling for position and dominance in the ring. The first couple rounds may be 'feel out' rounds and then it will start to get interesting toward the middle of the fight.
"Win or lose, the fight is going to be that great that I don't think anybody is going to lose out. The fact that we are willing to fight each other proves that we are willing to put our undefeated records on the line for the sake of boxing. I feel I am the best, he feels he is the best, so let's put these guys together and let them fight. Win or lose in this fight, I feel we are both going to be superstars after this fight."
Chris Farina/Top RankA lot to lose: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has put his time into training camp.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is one step away from challenging for a middleweight belt, but must first defeat former title challenger Billy Lyell of Youngstown, Ohio, on Saturday night's edition of "Top Rank Live" (Fox Deportes, 10 ET).
Chavez (41-0-1, 30 KOs) will be at home in Culiacan, Mexico, to face Lyell (22-8, 4 KOs). The fight will be Chavez's first fight at home since December 2006, and he is looking forward to being in front of his hometown crowd.
"I remember that night very well," Chavez said of his last bout in Culiacan. "I had a lot of support from the fans and it was a very special night. It was my first main event in a big fight at home and I was very excited. I hope that it will be like it was back in 2006. I know that the fans will support me like they did back then and I want give them a fight they will remember for a long, long time."
Said Lyell, "I know that we are fighting in his hometown and everyone will be rooting for him, but inside the ring it will only be the two of us, and I come to win and will do everything I can to get the victory."
Chavez, who is going into his second fight with trainer Freddie Roach, has not fought since his unanimous decision victory against John Duddy in June. Chavez was supposed to headline a Dec. 4 Top Rank pay-per-view card in Anaheim, Calif., but he came down with the flu and withdrew a week before the fight.
If Chavez defeats Lyell, he will likely face titlist Sebastian Zbik in May in Mexico. Zbik, who had held an interim title, was handed a full title when the WBC stripped Sergio Martinez earlier this month.
"I want to show everyone that I am ready to fight for a world championship and to do that, I need to look great against Billy Lyell, a tough guy who has fought for a world title and was the first man to defeat John Duddy," Chavez said.
Roach and strength coach Alex Ariza have been with Chavez training in Mexico. Although Chavez's work ethic has been questioned by many, even his own team, he said he is working hard with them.
"Freddie and Alex are great. They are making me into a world-class athlete and have learned so much from them," Chavez said. "I know I will be better than when I fought John Duddy and will prove that I am ready to fight for the world championship next."
[h3]Mormeck-Rahman title eliminator[/h3]
AP Photo/Remy de la MauviniereFormer cruiserweight titlist Jean-Marc Mormeck, right, is gunning for a title at heavyweight.
Former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck and former heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman have agreed to meet in a title eliminator May 12 in France, Mormeck promoter Joe DeGuardia and Rahman promoter Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
The winner would become the mandatory challenger for titlist David Haye of England. Haye has a mandatory due against Ruslan Chagaev, but it is unclear if that fight will ever happen because of Chagaev's problems with hepatitis B, which make it unlikely he would be medically cleared to fight in England. He has been cleared to fight in Germany, but Haye would have no reason to go there to fight him.
So Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs) and Rahman (49-7-2, 40 KOs) would meet for the shot to become the next mandatory.
"We've done the contracts. Rahman is not leaving it up to the judges," Cohen said. "Rahman is very motivated and excited. He's not getting a lot of money for this fight. He's doing it for the opportunity. This is it. Either win and go on and fight for a title, or retire."
Rahman, 38, who reigned as heavyweight champ for seven months in 2001 after knocking out Lennox Lewis (before being knocked out in the rematch), has won four fights in a row against low-level competition since heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko crushed him in seven lopsided rounds in December 2008.
Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs), 38, retired for two years after Haye knocked him out in the seventh round to take the cruiserweight title in 2007. Mormeck followed Haye up in weight when he came of retirement in December 2009. Mormeck has fought three times at heavyweight, going the eight-round distance with journeyman Vinny Maddalone, getting a highly questionable 10-round decision against Fres Oquendo and winning a split decision against Timur Ibragimov in a struggle.
There has been some speculation in the French and British media that Haye and Mormeck will meet in May, but DeGuardia said there have been no discussions between the camps and that Mormeck intends to face Rahman.
"They called but there haven't been any kinds of conversations about the fight," DeGuardia said. "It's a fight that could potentially happen in the future."
[h3]Klitschkos looking ahead?[/h3]
AP Photo/Frank AugsteinTwin powers: Like it or not, brothers Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are in position to call the shots.
When heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko finalized a deal this week for one of them to face top contender Tomasz Adamek in September at a soccer stadium in Adamek's native Poland it was contingent on the Klitschkos and Adamek winning interim fights. If both Klitschkos defend their titles, they will then decide which one of them will face Adamek.
The deal has upset Arena Box promoter Ahmet Öner because he feels like Vitali Klitschko is disrespecting his fighter, Odlanier Solis, 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist and the mandatory challenger Vitali will defend against on March 19 in Cologne, Germany.
"This is just another example of the Klitschkos' arrogance," Öner said. "Both Klitschkos have world title fights coming up and it's a long, long time until September. How can they make a deal that assumes that they are still world champions at that time? At best, this is extremely disrespectful and bad style.
"I wonder what [Wladimir's April 30 opponent] Dereck Chisora thinks about his opponent making deals to defend his titles against Adamek when he's the challenger. How do they want to explain to anybody that Wladimir is taking Chisora serious? Why should anybody watch that fight? It's ridiculous. Honestly, I think Adamek will fight Solis in September in Poland -- or at least they will have to negotiate with us about it. Because after Solis' knocks out Vitali and ends his career, we all can imagine what will happen: Little brother Wladimir will try to take revenge for his brother, and then Solis will beat Wladimir as well. So as far as I am concerned Adamek can either fight any of the Klitschkos in September or fight for a world title. But we will certainly not start negotiations with him because we don't count our chickens before they hatch."
•Junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs), who is moving up to middleweight to challenge champion Sergio Martinez on March 12 (HBO) at Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., will be trained by Buddy McGirt for the fight, although longtime trainer Alexander Palishuk will remain in the corner as an assistant. "Buddy's going to come in and see what we can add to the picture," Harry Kazandjian, Dzinziruk's manager, told ESPN.com. McGirt, a former welterweight champ who has trained numerous top fighters, has been watching Dzinziruk do strength work and will begin full training camp with him next week in Los Angeles. "Sergei's very good, very technical, but he needs a little more than that to beat Martinez because Martinez is tricky," McGirt said. "I'm not going to change anything, just make some little adjustments."
•Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan continues to hunt for an April 16 opponent after Lamont Peterson and Paul McCloskey rejected offers in the low six figures for a fight that will generate millions between the British pay-per-view and HBO license fee in the United States. However, Khan still is unwilling to fight Breidis Prescott in a rematch even though Prescott scored a 54-second knockout of Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) in September 2008. But Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) is continuing his verbal assault to get Khan to look his way again. "Is he really so unconcerned about his legacy and reputation that he'll continue this sad campaign to shame unknown fighters into the ring with him for chump change? Does he read what the boxing world is saying about what he's doing," Prescott said. "I've been saying I'll be reasonable about money from the start. None of the other opponents he's been chasing after will make for a fight half as intriguing and lucrative as our rematch would be." Then Prescott turned his comments directly to Khan: "Amir, you still don't have an opponent. Stop these games and act like a champion. If you're having so much trouble making fights that no one cares about, call me and you'll have an easy time making a fight the entire world wants to see."
•Junior welterweight contender Marcos Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs), who is coming off a decision loss to titleholder Amir Khan on Dec. 11 in Las Vegas in a fight voted 2010 fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America, may return to the ring in his native Argentina in the spring before returning to the United States, Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer said. "I think he might do a fight in Argentina and then idea is for him to fight the loser of Saturday's [Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley Jr. unification] fight. HBO is very excited to have Maidana back. He can be a threat against anyone in the weight class." The Alexander-Bradley winner is likely going to face Khan in July in the United States.
•Golden Boy and German promoter Universum recently came to an agreement for Golden Boy to co-promote its fighters like it previously had done with junior welterweight contender Marcos Maidana. Two of the fighters Golden Boy will be co-promoting -- Denis Boytsov (28-0, 23 KOs), a 24-year-old Russian heavyweight contender, and cruiserweight Rakhim Chakhkiev (8-0, 6 KOs), 27, a 2008 Olympian gold medalist -- are both headed to the United States for their next fights, Schaefer said. Boytsov is in position for a possible fight with titleholder David Haye, but Schaefer said if he does not land that fight, which is unlikely, Boytsov will fight on either Golden Boy's April 9 pay-per-view undercard in Las Vegas or on the undercard of the April 16 fight in the works between welterweight titlist Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. Schaefer said Chakhkiev will make his American debut March 5 in Anaheim, Calif., on the untelevised portion of the HBO card headlined by the Saul Alvarez-Matthew Hatton junior middleweight fight.
•Golden Boy has also penciled in Brooklyn, N.Y., middleweight Daniel Jacobs (21-1, 18 KOs), the 2009 ESPN.com prospect of the year, for an appearance on the March 5 Alvarez-Hatton undercard, according to matchmaker Eric Gomez. Fighting for a vacant belt, Jacobs suffered his first loss in July, an upset fifth-round knockout to Dmitry Pirog. Jacobs made his return in December to stop Jessie Orta in the fifth round on the Jean Pascal-Bernard Hopkins undercard in Quebec City. The March 5 card could also feature the return of junior middleweight James Kirkland, now that he is out of prison, and heavyweight prospect Seth Mitchell.
•Former junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi (28-4, 6 KOs), who made the move up to welterweight in for a rare sixth-round knockout of Michael Lozada on the Pascal-Hopkins undercard on Dec. 18, will "most likely" fight on the undercard of the pay-per-view card Golden Boy is planning for April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Gomez told ESPN.com. No opponent yet.
•Although the WBC simply handed interim titlist Sebastian Zbik (3-0, 10 KOs) its middleweight title when it stripped Sergio Martinez, Germany's Zbik is hopeful to land a significant fight. Martinez was stripped because HBO would not accept Zbik as an opponent for his March 12 date. "I've always said that I wanted to fight Martinez," Zbik said. "I've defended the interim title three times and haven't avoided anyone. … Now I'm looking forward to my first defense. I want move forward with the WBC, but I can also visualize a title unification. Two middleweight world champions live around the corner [in Germany] with Felix Sturm and Sebastian Sylvester, but both have avoided fighting me. But with this belt, I now have a good argument on my side. Felix Sturm has always claimed he's the best boxer in the division. So why didn't he box against me instead of no-names like [Giovanni] Lorenzo and [upcoming opponent Ronald] Hearns? These aren't world-class opponents. The reason can't be the distance. He knows the route to Hamburg very well."
•Junior middleweight Austin Trout (21-0, 13 KOs) is headed to Mexico to face Rigoberto Alvarez (26-2, 19 KOs) for a vacant title on Feb. 5, a week after it was originally scheduled to take place in Guanajuato. Now the fight will take place in Guadalajara. Either way, Trout, of Las Cruces, N.M., will be on enemy turf. Trout says he will be ready for Alvarez (26-2, 19 KOs), the older brother of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year and one of the most popular fighters in Mexico. "This is my first world title shot and I'm going to leave everything in the ring come fight night," Trout said. "My training camp has shifted to the high altitude mountains of Ruidoso, N.M., where the elevation approaches 7,000 feet. My timing is on and I'm happy with the way this camp has been going. I just want to get in the ring with Alvarez and show the world that I belong with the elite fighters in my division."
•Tickets for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 7 (Showtime PPV) go on sale Monday at 1 p.m. ET, promoter Top Rank announced. Tickets are priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or the MGM Grand. Tickets are limited to 10 per person with the tickets in the $150 range limited to two per person.
[h3]Quotable[/h3]
"I am very happy. I would like to thank the Klitschko's for being very generous with the percentage offer. I am looking forward to this fight. It doesn't make a difference to me which Klitschko I fight. Right now they are both the biggest stars in the boxing world and I want to fight the biggest stars. I'm grateful for the opportunity." -- heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek, on the creative deal he signed this week under which he will fight either heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko or his title-holding older brother, Vitali Klitschko, in September at a soccer stadium in Poland, depending on what happens in their interim bouts.
