2011 Official Boxing Thread: 12/30 Jermain Taylor + Andre Dirrell return on ShoBox.

[night marcher01]

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

You said the samething in the other Pacquiao thread

you must really love him to be talking about his juices like that

*pause*.... But i'll just leave this one alone, NO POINT in arguing, Pacquiao is the World Champion in 8 different divisions. Enough said!


Tell me�HOW ARE YOU THE CHAMPION OF A WEIGHT CLASS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN FOUGHT IN

��


Lol this guy! You mad doggie? He the Champion, no matter what you say hahaha... Champion and ranked the BEST P4P Boxer. I didn't rank him the best, boxing experts did. So go ahead and give them a call or email them why you mad son!

 

[sammietheboss]

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

You said the samething in the other Pacquiao thread

you must really love him to be talking about his juices like that

*pause*.... But i'll just leave this one alone, NO POINT in arguing, Pacquiao is the World Champion in 8 different divisions. Enough said!


Tell me�HOW ARE YOU THE CHAMPION OF A WEIGHT CLASS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN FOUGHT IN

��


Lol this guy! You mad doggie? He the Champion, no matter what you say hahaha... Champion and ranked the BEST P4P Boxer. I didn't rank him the best, boxing experts did. So go ahead and give them a call or email them why you mad son!

Nobody is jelly son just answer the question
  

 

[sammietheboss]

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

You said the samething in the other Pacquiao thread

you must really love him to be talking about his juices like that

*pause*.... But i'll just leave this one alone, NO POINT in arguing, Pacquiao is the World Champion in 8 different divisions. Enough said!


Tell me�HOW ARE YOU THE CHAMPION OF A WEIGHT CLASS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN FOUGHT IN

��


Lol this guy! You mad doggie? He the Champion, no matter what you say hahaha... Champion and ranked the BEST P4P Boxer. I didn't rank him the best, boxing experts did. So go ahead and give them a call or email them why you mad son!

Nobody is jelly son just answer the question
  

 

[aepps20]

My favorite boxing video of my favorite boxer ever.  I know this was posted in the boxing thread back in 08 or 09 but I wanted to bring it back.

2:30 gets me every time

 

[aepps20]

My favorite boxing video of my favorite boxer ever.  I know this was posted in the boxing thread back in 08 or 09 but I wanted to bring it back.

2:30 gets me every time

 

[tcerda]

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

  

 

[tcerda]

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

  

 

[sammietheboss]

TCERDA wrote:

---

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

��
nah hes still on it

  

 

[sammietheboss]

TCERDA wrote:

---

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

��
nah hes still on it

  

 

[night marcher01]

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

You said the samething in the other Pacquiao thread

you must really love him to be talking about his juices like that

*pause*.... But i'll just leave this one alone, NO POINT in arguing, Pacquiao is the World Champion in 8 different divisions. Enough said!

Tell me�HOW ARE YOU THE CHAMPION OF A WEIGHT CLASS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN FOUGHT IN

��


Lol this guy! You mad doggie? He the Champion, no matter what you say hahaha... Champion and ranked the BEST P4P Boxer. I didn't rank him the best, boxing experts did. So go ahead and give them a call or email them why you mad son!

Nobody is jelly son just answer the question
��

Don't ask me son... ask the fighters agreeing to fight him in the first place! P4P Best!

 

[night marcher01]

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by sammietheboss

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

You said the samething in the other Pacquiao thread

you must really love him to be talking about his juices like that

*pause*.... But i'll just leave this one alone, NO POINT in arguing, Pacquiao is the World Champion in 8 different divisions. Enough said!

Tell me�HOW ARE YOU THE CHAMPION OF A WEIGHT CLASS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN FOUGHT IN

��


Lol this guy! You mad doggie? He the Champion, no matter what you say hahaha... Champion and ranked the BEST P4P Boxer. I didn't rank him the best, boxing experts did. So go ahead and give them a call or email them why you mad son!

Nobody is jelly son just answer the question
��

Don't ask me son... ask the fighters agreeing to fight him in the first place! P4P Best!

 

[thacapt]

 

[thacapt]

 

[tcerda]

sammietheboss wrote:

---

TCERDA wrote:

---

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

��
nah hes still on it

��
What is your reasoning behind the accusation? Because Floyd said So?? If so.........

  

  

 

[tcerda]

sammietheboss wrote:

---

TCERDA wrote:

---

sammietheboss wrote:

---

Night Marcher01 wrote:

---

Thought I'd share, love this video man! Thanks to this vid, i'm now off to the gym

Tell manny to put the juice down and brotha just say no

��
Man people still on this %%+!?

��
nah hes still on it

��
What is your reasoning behind the accusation? Because Floyd said So?? If so.........

  

  

 

[scott frost]

Both these dudes looking a little soft

 

[scott frost]

Both these dudes looking a little soft

 

[proshares]

Top Rank, already deeply involved in the talented featherweight division, added another 126-pounder on the verge of a significant fight Monday, announcing the signing of 24-year-old Matt Remillard.

"Matt is a skilled, exciting fighter. We are pleased he has joined our company," Top Rank's Bob Arum said in a statement.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

Remillard (23-0, 13 KOs), of Manchester, Conn., turned pro in 2005 and is headed toward a notable fight and some television exposure.

He is a possible opponent to face Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia (24-0, 20 KOs), one of the most heralded featherweight prospects in boxing, on March 26 on HBO. The network has approved the fight. If Garcia-Remillard comes off, it would take place on the televised undercard of featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa's next defense, which likely will come against Jorge Solis.

Top Rank's Carl Moretti told ESPN.com that there are two other possible spots where Remillard could make his debut for the company. One is on April 16, in an opening bout on a Showtime card headlined by featherweight titleholder Juan Manuel Lopez in Puerto Rico. The other possibility is as the main event of a "Top Rank Live" card March 19 on Fox Sports Net.

"It's a matter of locking things in this week," Moretti said. "He could be on any one of the three cards."

Remillard's signing adds depth to Top Rank's roster at featherweight. The company promotes Lopez, who is widely regarded as the No. 1 fighter in the division and is its biggest attraction. It also promotes Gamboa, Garcia, Solis -- an interim junior lightweight titleholder who is dropping down in weight -- and contender Bernabe Concepcion.

"Top Rank has some of the best fighters in the world," said Remillard, who had previously been promoted by financially-troubled TKO Boxing. "It's the best promotional company in terms of moving fighters and getting them big fights. I'm really excited about signing with Top Rank. I remember when I first started fighting that Top Rank was the best promoter and now I'm finally there with them. Bob Arum and his team will get me to the next level."

Remillard, who is known as "Sharpshooter," holds top-five rankings in two of the major alphabet organizations, although he has yet to face a contender. He fought three times in 2010, all at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., scoring early knockouts of Rafael Lora and Carlos Rivera and going the eight-round distance with Oscar Cuero.

"Dealing with Top Rank was very professional," said Bret Hallenbeck, Remillard's manager. "We're looking forward to working with a quality promotional company like Top Rank."

 

Winky Wright, the former undisputed junior middleweight champion, will end a two-year layoff by fighting European middleweight champion Matthew Macklin of England.

The nontitle bout is signed and will take place April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on a pay-per-view card Golden Boy is putting together, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com on Monday.

"The winner clearly is set up for a middleweight world championship fight," Schaefer said. "For each guy this is an extremely important fight."

Schaefer said he is working to finalize a main event that would pit lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez defending against Mexican countryman Erik Morales, who is seeking to become the first Mexican to win titles in four weight classes.

Although Morales is past his prime, the fight with Marquez is the only one that hasn't happened among the star foursome of the era that also includes Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

"We are meeting this week with Marquez," Schaefer said. "We met late last week with Morales, and he is on board. He wants to do this fight. Now we're going to meet with Juan Manuel and work things out with him and get him on board. What we want to do is put together another 'Fight Freak' card with great fights, entertaining fights and fights where there is a storyline behind it."

Last summer, Schaefer put together Marquez's fight with Juan Diaz, a rematch of the 2009 fight of the year, and promised to load the pay-per-view with attractive fights to appeal to hardcore fans, which he did. Schaefer is aiming to do the same thing with the Marquez-Morales card.

He believes Wright-Macklin is a compelling match. It's a bout that Schaefer tried to make last year.

"I think the story here is that you have Matthew Macklin, who has worked himself up the rankings and put together a pretty impressive streak of wins and now is considered one of the best contenders from Europe, so for him this is a big step up," said Schaefer, who said Golden Boy has also signed Macklin to a multi-fight promotional contract. "A win over Winky Wright will make him a serious contender for the one of the world titles.

"For Winky Wright to come back and fight against an opponent like Matthew Macklin shows he is serious about coming back. If he wins, he's in line for one of the middleweight world titles. Winky understands this won't be an easy fight, but he also knows if he wins, he is perfectly positioned. Winky didn't want just a tune-up fight. He wants a fight that would set him for a fight with [champion] Sergio Martinez or [titleholder Dmitry] Pirog. Winky would really like a shot at Martinez."

Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs), 39, of St. Petersburg, Fla., made his name in 2004 when he twice defeated Shane Mosley to become the undisputed 154-pound champion. A staple of the pound-for-pound list, Wright moved up to middleweight and defeated Felix Trinidad in 2005.

In June 2006, Wright fought to a disputed draw with then undisputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor. But Wright has been chronically inactive. He has not won a fight since December 2006, when he easily outpointed former welterweight titlist Ike Quartey.

In July 2007, Wright moved up to light heavyweight and lost a decision to then-champion Bernard Hopkins at a catch weight of 170 pounds.

After a long layoff, Wright returned in April 2009 and lost a lopsided decision to Paul Williams in a middleweight fight and has not boxed since.

Macklin (28-2, 19 KOs), 28, is riding an 11-fight winning streak. He hasn't lost since September 2006 when he was stopped by Jamie Moore in the 10th round of a junior middleweight bout.

Macklin won the vacant European middleweight title by stopping Shalva Jomardashvili in the sixth round in September and defended it in December.

Schaefer is also working on the other undercard fights for the April 9 card as well as filling slots he has on various HBO shows in the spring.

He was hoping to finalize a lightweight bout between top contenders Robert Guerrero and Australia's Michael Katsidis for a March 5 HBO card headlined by junior middleweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who will probably face Matthew Hatton, the younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton. However, Schaefer said Katsidis told him he would be unavailable for March 5 because of the massive flooding near his home in Australia.

"The floods have really affected him," Schaefer said. "His focus and his mind aren't there. He won't be mentally ready. He said the floods are absolutely devastating. So we will see if he will be ready for a month later."

Schaefer said if Katsidis was available he might move Guerrero-Katsidis to the April 9 pay-per-view undercard. If Katsidis isn't available, Guerrero may remain on March 5 and fight another opponent.

Another fight Schaefer mentioned for the pay-per-view is a lightweight bout involving Jason Litzau, who is coming off a major upset of Celestino Caballero in November. Schaefer said he has talked to Square Ring CEO John Writ, Litzau's promoter, about Litzau facing either Golden Boy blue chip lightweight prospect Adrien Broner or former junior featherweight titlist Daniel Ponce De Leon, a featherweight contender who would move up to junior lightweight.

"It would be a big step up for Broner, but we believe he is ready," Schaefer said of the 21-year-old from Cincinnati, who scored a first-round knockout on Saturday. "I think Adrien is one of most exciting young fighters in boxing. We spoke to Writ and made an offer. Whatever fights we make for the April 9 card, we're going to make some great fights. I am really pumped."

 

Middleweight titleholder Sebastian Sylvester's defense against Mehdi Bouadla was postponed Monday because Sylvester "felt ill and exhausted," said Chris Meyer of Sauerland Event, Sylvester's promoter.

Germany's Sylvester (34-3-1, 16 KOs) was due to make his fourth title defense against Bouadla (21-3, 10 KOs) of France on Saturday in Neubrandenburg, Germany.

Meyer said Sylvester has seen a doctor and that they are waiting for the medical report with the diagnosis of his specific ailment. However, Meyer said the card likely will be rescheduled quickly.

"Based on the result of the examination we will reschedule the card to as early as Feb. 5 or 12," Meyer said.

Sylvester was making an optional defense and Meyer said he would need "the approval of the IBF to fight [an optional] later than Jan. 22."

The entire card has been postponed, which also means cruiserweight titleholder Steve Cunningham (23-2, 12 KOs) of Philadelphia, who is already in Germany, also will have his undercard fight against mandatory challenger Enad Licina (19-2, 10 KOs) of Serbia delayed.

Sylvester is coming off an October title defense in which he scored three knockdowns against countryman Mahir Oral en route to a lopsided decision win.

Cunningham regained the belt he once owned by stopping Canada's Troy Ross -- a former winner of "The Contender" reality series -- in the fifth round in June to win a vacant title.

 

[proshares]

Top Rank, already deeply involved in the talented featherweight division, added another 126-pounder on the verge of a significant fight Monday, announcing the signing of 24-year-old Matt Remillard.

"Matt is a skilled, exciting fighter. We are pleased he has joined our company," Top Rank's Bob Arum said in a statement.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

Remillard (23-0, 13 KOs), of Manchester, Conn., turned pro in 2005 and is headed toward a notable fight and some television exposure.

He is a possible opponent to face Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia (24-0, 20 KOs), one of the most heralded featherweight prospects in boxing, on March 26 on HBO. The network has approved the fight. If Garcia-Remillard comes off, it would take place on the televised undercard of featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa's next defense, which likely will come against Jorge Solis.

Top Rank's Carl Moretti told ESPN.com that there are two other possible spots where Remillard could make his debut for the company. One is on April 16, in an opening bout on a Showtime card headlined by featherweight titleholder Juan Manuel Lopez in Puerto Rico. The other possibility is as the main event of a "Top Rank Live" card March 19 on Fox Sports Net.

"It's a matter of locking things in this week," Moretti said. "He could be on any one of the three cards."

Remillard's signing adds depth to Top Rank's roster at featherweight. The company promotes Lopez, who is widely regarded as the No. 1 fighter in the division and is its biggest attraction. It also promotes Gamboa, Garcia, Solis -- an interim junior lightweight titleholder who is dropping down in weight -- and contender Bernabe Concepcion.

"Top Rank has some of the best fighters in the world," said Remillard, who had previously been promoted by financially-troubled TKO Boxing. "It's the best promotional company in terms of moving fighters and getting them big fights. I'm really excited about signing with Top Rank. I remember when I first started fighting that Top Rank was the best promoter and now I'm finally there with them. Bob Arum and his team will get me to the next level."

Remillard, who is known as "Sharpshooter," holds top-five rankings in two of the major alphabet organizations, although he has yet to face a contender. He fought three times in 2010, all at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., scoring early knockouts of Rafael Lora and Carlos Rivera and going the eight-round distance with Oscar Cuero.

"Dealing with Top Rank was very professional," said Bret Hallenbeck, Remillard's manager. "We're looking forward to working with a quality promotional company like Top Rank."

 

Winky Wright, the former undisputed junior middleweight champion, will end a two-year layoff by fighting European middleweight champion Matthew Macklin of England.

The nontitle bout is signed and will take place April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on a pay-per-view card Golden Boy is putting together, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com on Monday.

"The winner clearly is set up for a middleweight world championship fight," Schaefer said. "For each guy this is an extremely important fight."

Schaefer said he is working to finalize a main event that would pit lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez defending against Mexican countryman Erik Morales, who is seeking to become the first Mexican to win titles in four weight classes.

Although Morales is past his prime, the fight with Marquez is the only one that hasn't happened among the star foursome of the era that also includes Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

"We are meeting this week with Marquez," Schaefer said. "We met late last week with Morales, and he is on board. He wants to do this fight. Now we're going to meet with Juan Manuel and work things out with him and get him on board. What we want to do is put together another 'Fight Freak' card with great fights, entertaining fights and fights where there is a storyline behind it."

Last summer, Schaefer put together Marquez's fight with Juan Diaz, a rematch of the 2009 fight of the year, and promised to load the pay-per-view with attractive fights to appeal to hardcore fans, which he did. Schaefer is aiming to do the same thing with the Marquez-Morales card.

He believes Wright-Macklin is a compelling match. It's a bout that Schaefer tried to make last year.

"I think the story here is that you have Matthew Macklin, who has worked himself up the rankings and put together a pretty impressive streak of wins and now is considered one of the best contenders from Europe, so for him this is a big step up," said Schaefer, who said Golden Boy has also signed Macklin to a multi-fight promotional contract. "A win over Winky Wright will make him a serious contender for the one of the world titles.

"For Winky Wright to come back and fight against an opponent like Matthew Macklin shows he is serious about coming back. If he wins, he's in line for one of the middleweight world titles. Winky understands this won't be an easy fight, but he also knows if he wins, he is perfectly positioned. Winky didn't want just a tune-up fight. He wants a fight that would set him for a fight with [champion] Sergio Martinez or [titleholder Dmitry] Pirog. Winky would really like a shot at Martinez."

Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs), 39, of St. Petersburg, Fla., made his name in 2004 when he twice defeated Shane Mosley to become the undisputed 154-pound champion. A staple of the pound-for-pound list, Wright moved up to middleweight and defeated Felix Trinidad in 2005.

In June 2006, Wright fought to a disputed draw with then undisputed middleweight champ Jermain Taylor. But Wright has been chronically inactive. He has not won a fight since December 2006, when he easily outpointed former welterweight titlist Ike Quartey.

In July 2007, Wright moved up to light heavyweight and lost a decision to then-champion Bernard Hopkins at a catch weight of 170 pounds.

After a long layoff, Wright returned in April 2009 and lost a lopsided decision to Paul Williams in a middleweight fight and has not boxed since.

Macklin (28-2, 19 KOs), 28, is riding an 11-fight winning streak. He hasn't lost since September 2006 when he was stopped by Jamie Moore in the 10th round of a junior middleweight bout.

Macklin won the vacant European middleweight title by stopping Shalva Jomardashvili in the sixth round in September and defended it in December.

Schaefer is also working on the other undercard fights for the April 9 card as well as filling slots he has on various HBO shows in the spring.

He was hoping to finalize a lightweight bout between top contenders Robert Guerrero and Australia's Michael Katsidis for a March 5 HBO card headlined by junior middleweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who will probably face Matthew Hatton, the younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton. However, Schaefer said Katsidis told him he would be unavailable for March 5 because of the massive flooding near his home in Australia.

"The floods have really affected him," Schaefer said. "His focus and his mind aren't there. He won't be mentally ready. He said the floods are absolutely devastating. So we will see if he will be ready for a month later."

Schaefer said if Katsidis was available he might move Guerrero-Katsidis to the April 9 pay-per-view undercard. If Katsidis isn't available, Guerrero may remain on March 5 and fight another opponent.

Another fight Schaefer mentioned for the pay-per-view is a lightweight bout involving Jason Litzau, who is coming off a major upset of Celestino Caballero in November. Schaefer said he has talked to Square Ring CEO John Writ, Litzau's promoter, about Litzau facing either Golden Boy blue chip lightweight prospect Adrien Broner or former junior featherweight titlist Daniel Ponce De Leon, a featherweight contender who would move up to junior lightweight.

"It would be a big step up for Broner, but we believe he is ready," Schaefer said of the 21-year-old from Cincinnati, who scored a first-round knockout on Saturday. "I think Adrien is one of most exciting young fighters in boxing. We spoke to Writ and made an offer. Whatever fights we make for the April 9 card, we're going to make some great fights. I am really pumped."

 

Middleweight titleholder Sebastian Sylvester's defense against Mehdi Bouadla was postponed Monday because Sylvester "felt ill and exhausted," said Chris Meyer of Sauerland Event, Sylvester's promoter.

Germany's Sylvester (34-3-1, 16 KOs) was due to make his fourth title defense against Bouadla (21-3, 10 KOs) of France on Saturday in Neubrandenburg, Germany.

Meyer said Sylvester has seen a doctor and that they are waiting for the medical report with the diagnosis of his specific ailment. However, Meyer said the card likely will be rescheduled quickly.

"Based on the result of the examination we will reschedule the card to as early as Feb. 5 or 12," Meyer said.

Sylvester was making an optional defense and Meyer said he would need "the approval of the IBF to fight [an optional] later than Jan. 22."

The entire card has been postponed, which also means cruiserweight titleholder Steve Cunningham (23-2, 12 KOs) of Philadelphia, who is already in Germany, also will have his undercard fight against mandatory challenger Enad Licina (19-2, 10 KOs) of Serbia delayed.

Sylvester is coming off an October title defense in which he scored three knockdowns against countryman Mahir Oral en route to a lopsided decision win.

Cunningham regained the belt he once owned by stopping Canada's Troy Ross -- a former winner of "The Contender" reality series -- in the fifth round in June to win a vacant title.

 

[bigmike23]

john duddy retired?

 

[bigmike23]

john duddy retired?

 

[proshares]

Yup.  Was really looking forward to Duddy/Lee.

John Duddy, the popular New York-based middleweight from Ireland who was the personification of a boxing blood-and-guts warrior, abruptly announced his retirement on Tuesday.

What makes the move so surprising is that Duddy had recently returned to training after agreeing to face Andy Lee on March 12 on an HBO undercard at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Conn., in an all-Irish fight on St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Duddy, 31, who had not yet signed a contract for the fight, would have earned a $100,000 purse plus a percentage of tickets he sold.

"After a great deal of soul-searching, I have decided to retire from boxing," Duddy said in a statement. "In many ways, continuing to fight would be the easy course of action. I have been offered the opportunity to fight Andy Lee on HBO for a purse in excess of $100,000. A win would put me in position to fight for a world championship. This is not an opportunity that I cast aside lightly.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

"I started watching my father train in the gym when I was five years old. I began fighting competitively at age 10. For more than 20 years, I loved being a boxer. I still feel that it's an enormous honor to be a boxer. But I don't love it anymore. I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honor the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it's a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don't. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won't return."

Duddy (29-2, 18 KOs) became an enormously popular fighter in New York, where he drew thousands of fans, especially Irish fans, to his fights at Madison Square Garden because of his all-action style. He was the kind of fighter who would take three punches to land one. He engaged in several slugfests and bled on a regular basis.

The biggest fight of Duddy's career came in his final bout last June, when he lost a 12-round decision to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a hard-hitting pay-per-view headliner in San Antonio.

Duddy's unanimous decision win against former junior middleweight titlist Yory Boy Campas in September 2006 was one of the most brutal and action-packed fights in recent years.

In 2008, Duddy was a leading candidate to land a shot at then-middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, but he was badly cut in a tune-up fight against Walid Smichet at Madison Square Garden. Even though Duddy won the fight on a majority decision, he did not perform well and suffered cuts severe enough to keep him out of action for several months, and he lost out on the title opportunity.

Not long after that Duddy had a falling out with Irish Ropes promoter Eddie McLoughlin and his manager, Tony McLoughlin, Eddie's brother. Duddy sued, claiming that Tony McLoughlin had breached his fiduciary duty to him and that Eddie McLoughlin had cheated him out of money due to him on several bouts.

Duddy turned to veteran manager Craig Hamilton to help him sort things out and they eventually settled with the McLoughlins.

Hamilton said Duddy first broached the idea of retirement to him a couple of months ago.

"We had talked about this at the end of last year," Hamilton said. "We had a conversation about this and I said, 'Look, if you want to retire be aware that if you do it, you will be leaving some good fights and money on the table and I don't want you to do it and then say, 'I made a mistake.' I said that to him again [Tuesday]. I said, 'Before you do anything, I just want you to be certain in your heart and head. Andy Lee is a winnable fight and a victory over Andy Lee would lead you into a title shot and you'd get paid a lot of money.' I didn't want him to come back three years down the road and say, 'what if?' He made his decision.

"I would hope he never comes back because to leave with opportunities in front of you, they won't be there when you come back."

The fight with Lee (24-1, 18 KOs), a 2004 Irish Olympian, was a chance to get back on the winning track, and might have propelled the winner into a possible title shot against champion Sergio Martinez, the 2010 fighter of the year who is slated to headline the card against junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk, although the deal is not done yet. But Duddy decided to leave that opportunity behind.

"It would be unfair to my fans, my trainer and manager, and everyone else involved in the promotion of my fights for me to continue boxing when I know that my heart isn't in it," Duddy said. "I've always given 100 percent in the gym and in my fights. I have too much respect for boxing and the people around me to continue fighting when I know that I can't do that anymore.

"I haven't accomplished everything that I wanted to achieve in boxing. But I've had a rewarding career. I've enjoyed the satisfaction of winning 29 professional fights and learned lessons from my two losses. I've experienced the thrill of fighting in Madison Square Garden, Cowboys Stadium, and, also, my beloved Ireland with crowds cheering for me. I look forward to finding future challenges that bring as much passion and joy into my life as boxing has over the past 20 years."

Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter who is putting on the March 12 card, has known Duddy for years. Initially, he was upset with the out-of-nowhere news of Duddy's retirement, especially after such a tough negotiation with HBO to get the network to agree to buy Lee-Duddy.

However, DiBella said he soon realized Duddy had done the right thing.

"As someone who has been Duddy's friend for a long time I respect his decision," DiBella said. "A lot of lesser men would have perpetrated a fraud on HBO and the public by showing up without any passion or fire, taking the paycheck and then quitting. I think on one hand it's upsetting that it went down this way, but on the other hand, I believe him that he's genuinely retired and there's a great honesty in what he did that I can't criticize. If the fighter knows he doesn't have it, he has to get out of the business. He has my best wishes and my respect."

DiBella said he was speaking to HBO about a replacement opponent for Lee. He said he would like for it to be Peter Manfredo Jr. of Providence, R.I., whom DiBella promotes. Manfredo (37-6, 20 KOs), best known for his stint on the first season of "The Contender" reality series and a 2007 knockout loss to Joe Calzaghe in a super middleweight title bout, fought last week. He scored a unanimous decision win against Daniel Edouard in an action-packed "Friday Night Fights" main event on ESPN2.

Another possibility is Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs), a native of Scotland living in Los Angeles. DiBella said he contacted Golden Boy, McEwan's promoter, about the fight and there was interest. DiBella said he still had to talk to HBO about it.

Duddy grew up idolizing former featherweight champion and Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan and said he thought about a quote from him when he made his decision to retire.

"His photograph was one of the first things that visitors saw when entering our home in Derry," Duddy said. "He had [a] great influence on me when I was a boy. Barry McGuigan once said, 'Fighters are the first people to know when they should retire and the last to admit it.' I know that it's time for me to retire from boxing, and I'm admitting it.

"I'm fortunate to have had the support of many good people throughout my career. To my fans, to the people in the boxing business who have been part of my team over the years, and most of all, to my wife Grainne and the rest of my family, thank you for your love and support. I give you my word -- I will not come back."

 

[proshares]

Yup.  Was really looking forward to Duddy/Lee.

John Duddy, the popular New York-based middleweight from Ireland who was the personification of a boxing blood-and-guts warrior, abruptly announced his retirement on Tuesday.

What makes the move so surprising is that Duddy had recently returned to training after agreeing to face Andy Lee on March 12 on an HBO undercard at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Uncasville, Conn., in an all-Irish fight on St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Duddy, 31, who had not yet signed a contract for the fight, would have earned a $100,000 purse plus a percentage of tickets he sold.

"After a great deal of soul-searching, I have decided to retire from boxing," Duddy said in a statement. "In many ways, continuing to fight would be the easy course of action. I have been offered the opportunity to fight Andy Lee on HBO for a purse in excess of $100,000. A win would put me in position to fight for a world championship. This is not an opportunity that I cast aside lightly.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

"I started watching my father train in the gym when I was five years old. I began fighting competitively at age 10. For more than 20 years, I loved being a boxer. I still feel that it's an enormous honor to be a boxer. But I don't love it anymore. I no longer have the enthusiasm and willingness to make the sacrifices that are necessary to honor the craft of prizefighting. I used to love going to the gym. Now it's a chore. I wish I still had the hunger, but I don't. The fire has burned out. And I know myself well enough to know that it won't return."

Duddy (29-2, 18 KOs) became an enormously popular fighter in New York, where he drew thousands of fans, especially Irish fans, to his fights at Madison Square Garden because of his all-action style. He was the kind of fighter who would take three punches to land one. He engaged in several slugfests and bled on a regular basis.

The biggest fight of Duddy's career came in his final bout last June, when he lost a 12-round decision to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a hard-hitting pay-per-view headliner in San Antonio.

Duddy's unanimous decision win against former junior middleweight titlist Yory Boy Campas in September 2006 was one of the most brutal and action-packed fights in recent years.

In 2008, Duddy was a leading candidate to land a shot at then-middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, but he was badly cut in a tune-up fight against Walid Smichet at Madison Square Garden. Even though Duddy won the fight on a majority decision, he did not perform well and suffered cuts severe enough to keep him out of action for several months, and he lost out on the title opportunity.

Not long after that Duddy had a falling out with Irish Ropes promoter Eddie McLoughlin and his manager, Tony McLoughlin, Eddie's brother. Duddy sued, claiming that Tony McLoughlin had breached his fiduciary duty to him and that Eddie McLoughlin had cheated him out of money due to him on several bouts.

Duddy turned to veteran manager Craig Hamilton to help him sort things out and they eventually settled with the McLoughlins.

Hamilton said Duddy first broached the idea of retirement to him a couple of months ago.

"We had talked about this at the end of last year," Hamilton said. "We had a conversation about this and I said, 'Look, if you want to retire be aware that if you do it, you will be leaving some good fights and money on the table and I don't want you to do it and then say, 'I made a mistake.' I said that to him again [Tuesday]. I said, 'Before you do anything, I just want you to be certain in your heart and head. Andy Lee is a winnable fight and a victory over Andy Lee would lead you into a title shot and you'd get paid a lot of money.' I didn't want him to come back three years down the road and say, 'what if?' He made his decision.

"I would hope he never comes back because to leave with opportunities in front of you, they won't be there when you come back."

The fight with Lee (24-1, 18 KOs), a 2004 Irish Olympian, was a chance to get back on the winning track, and might have propelled the winner into a possible title shot against champion Sergio Martinez, the 2010 fighter of the year who is slated to headline the card against junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk, although the deal is not done yet. But Duddy decided to leave that opportunity behind.

"It would be unfair to my fans, my trainer and manager, and everyone else involved in the promotion of my fights for me to continue boxing when I know that my heart isn't in it," Duddy said. "I've always given 100 percent in the gym and in my fights. I have too much respect for boxing and the people around me to continue fighting when I know that I can't do that anymore.

"I haven't accomplished everything that I wanted to achieve in boxing. But I've had a rewarding career. I've enjoyed the satisfaction of winning 29 professional fights and learned lessons from my two losses. I've experienced the thrill of fighting in Madison Square Garden, Cowboys Stadium, and, also, my beloved Ireland with crowds cheering for me. I look forward to finding future challenges that bring as much passion and joy into my life as boxing has over the past 20 years."

Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter who is putting on the March 12 card, has known Duddy for years. Initially, he was upset with the out-of-nowhere news of Duddy's retirement, especially after such a tough negotiation with HBO to get the network to agree to buy Lee-Duddy.

However, DiBella said he soon realized Duddy had done the right thing.

"As someone who has been Duddy's friend for a long time I respect his decision," DiBella said. "A lot of lesser men would have perpetrated a fraud on HBO and the public by showing up without any passion or fire, taking the paycheck and then quitting. I think on one hand it's upsetting that it went down this way, but on the other hand, I believe him that he's genuinely retired and there's a great honesty in what he did that I can't criticize. If the fighter knows he doesn't have it, he has to get out of the business. He has my best wishes and my respect."

DiBella said he was speaking to HBO about a replacement opponent for Lee. He said he would like for it to be Peter Manfredo Jr. of Providence, R.I., whom DiBella promotes. Manfredo (37-6, 20 KOs), best known for his stint on the first season of "The Contender" reality series and a 2007 knockout loss to Joe Calzaghe in a super middleweight title bout, fought last week. He scored a unanimous decision win against Daniel Edouard in an action-packed "Friday Night Fights" main event on ESPN2.

Another possibility is Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs), a native of Scotland living in Los Angeles. DiBella said he contacted Golden Boy, McEwan's promoter, about the fight and there was interest. DiBella said he still had to talk to HBO about it.

Duddy grew up idolizing former featherweight champion and Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan and said he thought about a quote from him when he made his decision to retire.

"His photograph was one of the first things that visitors saw when entering our home in Derry," Duddy said. "He had [a] great influence on me when I was a boy. Barry McGuigan once said, 'Fighters are the first people to know when they should retire and the last to admit it.' I know that it's time for me to retire from boxing, and I'm admitting it.

"I'm fortunate to have had the support of many good people throughout my career. To my fans, to the people in the boxing business who have been part of my team over the years, and most of all, to my wife Grainne and the rest of my family, thank you for your love and support. I give you my word -- I will not come back."

 

[proshares]

NEW YORK -- World Boxing Association junior middleweight champ Miguel Cotto is a fighter of few words. Ricardo Mayorga, his challenger for a March 12 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is a well known for his trash-talking.

So when Mayorga's taunts and insults started during their news conference at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, it was no surprise to see a stone-faced Cotto sitting a few yards down, listening.

"My pants are up higher than Cotto's. I'm going to be the man, and Cotto will be the woman," Mayorga said. "On March 12, Puerto Rico is going to be dressed in black for your funeral. I can see fear in your eyes."

The shocker came when Cotto stepped up to the microphone, dropped his trademark deadpan and had a little fun of his own.

"Welcome all of you to Ricardo Mayorga's first press conference for his circus," said Cotto, speaking even as Mayorga continued to taunt him. "When you spoke earlier, I kept my mouth shut, now you remain quiet. I am a professional and with these tiny pants and these tiny hands I beat Shane Mosley. Do you remember Shane Mosley?

"I am a gentleman, you are a joker and a clown. All your career you have run off at the mouth and in all the big fights you've failed. Just so you know who I am, I am a three-time world champion."

Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) is fighting for the first time in nine months since taking the title from Yuri Foreman during their fight at Yankee Stadium.

Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) has held titles in the welterweight and super welterweight divisions. He is coming off a nith-round TKO win on Dec. 17 against Michael Walker.

While he hasn't been active in recent years, Mayorga remains one of boxing's most well-known fighters. And before every fight, Mayorga tries to get under his opponent's skin.

"I didn't know that Miguel could get that upset and excited," promoter Don King said. "I'm proud of you, Miguel."

Mosley stopped Mayorga in 12 rounds on Sept. 25, 2008. Cotto beat Mosley by decision on Nov. 10, 2007 at Madison Square Garden.

Foreman (28-1-0, 8 KOs) returns to action on the undercard. It will be his first appearance since losing to Cotto. He faces Pawel Wolak in a super welterweight bout. Wolak (28-1-0, 18 KOs) is ranked No. 7 by the WBA and 10th by the IBF.

The Cotto-Mayorga card marks the first time King and Arum are co-promoting an event in five years.

For Cotto, not yet up for discussion are the possiblities of rematches versus Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, who handed him the only two losses of his career. Nor did Cotto want to discuss his potential fights down the road against Andre Berto or Sergio Martinez or his own uncertain future.

"That's to talk about later. Now I'm concentrating on Mayorga," he said.

His first hurdle, he said, is to recapture the spark that got him into boxing in the first place. For that, he is sticking with Emmanuel Steward, who trained him for the Foreman bout."We made a pact on the first day," Cotto said. "Emmanuel told me he wants me to go back to being the Miguel I was at the beginning. Not the fighter, but the person who enjoyed boxing."

Cotto insisted there was a time when he didn't like boxing.

"It was when all those problems started and the arguments with my uncle," said Cotto, in reference to a falling out he had with his uncle/trainer Evangelista Cotto in 2009.Steward, 66, said it was worth coming out of semi-retirement to train Cotto.

"I have found someone very dedicated to the sport. Don't rule him out. Miguel Cotto continues to be a star."

Junior middleweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the 20-year-old rising Mexican star, drew thousands of fans to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for an undercard fight in September, when he scored a massive one-punch knockout of former welterweight champ Carlos Baldomir.

Now, Alvarez will have the spotlight to himself as he takes the next step up toward a world title when he headlines HBO's "Boxing After Dark."

Alvarez, the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year, will face England's Matthew Hatton, the European welterweight champion and the younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton, on March 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

[+] Enlarge
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty ImagesSaul Alvarez, right, will face England's Matthew Hatton, the European welterweight champion, on March 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Golden Boy Promotions will formally announce the bout at a news conference Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.

"I think it's an exciting fight. It's exciting to have Canelo fighting a name," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. "So far, Canelo has dominated the name opponents he has faced, but he is well advised not to take Matthew Hatton lightly. Just remember -- there's only one Matthew Hatton."

Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KOs), who turned pro at 15 with no amateur experience, steadily increased the level of his competition during a 2010 campaign in which he won all five of his bouts, including four by knockout.

He was in some early trouble, but bounced back to score a ninth-round knockout of Jose Cotto in May on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley undercard. After a sixth-round knockout of Luciano Cuello in Mexico in July, Alvarez returned to the United States for the booming knockout of Baldomir.

Alvarez finished his year with a near-shutout decision against former junior welterweight titlist Lovemore N'Dou in Veracruz, Mexico, on Dec. 4.

Assuming all goes well, Golden Boy plans for Alvarez to fight four times, including three times in the United States, in 2011.

Golden Boy first tried to get Alvarez a welterweight title bout with Vyacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine, but they could not come to terms on the money. But Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KOs) was on the short list all along.

[h4]Rafael's Boxing Blog[/h4]

Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

Hatton, 29, has spent most of his career in the shadow of his more famous brother, but he has been on a strong run the past couple of years. Hatton is 8-0-1 in his last nine bouts and has not lost since dropping a decision to Craig Watson for the Commonwealth title in May 2008. He fought to a draw with N'Dou in November 2009.

In March, Hatton outpointed former world title challenger Gianluca Branco to win the vacant European title and has made two defenses.

"Matthew Hatton is not coming just to pick up a check," Schaefer said. "He is coming to Los Angeles to pick up a win. He is ready to show the young boy what a man can do. I think that Matthew Hatton has sort of stepped out of his brother's shadow since Ricky retired. Matthew has come into his own and has become a different and better fighter."

The HBO co-feature has not been signed yet, but Schaefer said he is working to finalize a junior lightweight fight for top prospect Adrien "The Problem" Broner (19-0, 16 KOs), 21, of Cincinnati.

The two opponents in the running to face Broner, according to Schaefer, are Mexico's Daniel Ponce De Leon, 30, a former junior featherweight titlist and top featherweight contender, and 27-year-old Jason Litzau.

Ponce De Leon (41-2, 34 KOs), who is with Golden Boy, would move up in weight for the bout. Litzau (28-2, 21 KOs), who is promoted by Roy Jones' Square Ring, is coming off a decision win on Nov. 27 against Celestino Caballero in one of the biggest upsets of 2010.

"I'd like to get Broner's fight done in the next couple of days," Schaefer said. "On this show, we'll have some young guys going against some very experienced fighters in big step-up fights. I think that's exactly what 'Boxing After Dark' is all about."

Originally, Schaefer hoped to match lightweights Robert Guerrero and Michael Katsidis in the co-feature. However, Katsidis said he would not be ready for the fight due to him the heavy flooding taking place near his home in Australia.

Guerrero-Katsidis could instead take place either on Golden Boy's April 9 pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or on a May "Boxing After Dark," Schaefer said.

Your random thoughts ...

Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan remains on the hunt for an opponent for an April 16 fight in his native England. HBO will air it in the United States, and it will be a pay-per-view on Sky Box Office in the U.K.

For the past few weeks, since Khan's exciting unanimous decision win against Marcos Maidana last month, Khan's camp and Golden Boy have been discussing potential opponents -- even though there is a blatantly obvious one, whom Khan says he's not interested in.

I have heard a litany of names, including Lamont Peterson, who got a draw instead of the loss he deserved against Victor Ortiz on Khan's last undercard; Irishman Paul McCloskey, the European champion with a thin résumé who is utterly unknown in the United States; and England's John Murray, the European lightweight champion with a great record (30-0) who has beaten nobody and also is unknown to the American audience.

Funny, but the one name in which the Khan camp refuses to genuinely show interest is the one that makes the most sense: Colombian banger Breidis Prescott. Maybe that's because he's the guy who knocked Khan stiff in 54 seconds in 2008 -- Khan's only defeat.

Why not fight Prescott again? Khan should want to tidy up that disaster and set the record straight by avenging his loss in what is supposed to be an "in-between fight" -- meaning a match with a slightly lesser opponent on the heels of the high-profile and tough fight with Maidana and before a potential summer blockbuster fight with the winner of next week's Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley Jr. unification fight.

Prescott and his people are rightly pressing for the rematch. He figures that he beat Khan once, he can do it again.

"What does it tell you that he'd go around me, the man who beat him, to instead face a much lighter-hitting and unknown fighter he thinks he can beat?" Prescott said of Khan possibly facing McCloskey. "Obviously, Amir Khan and his team realize I would knock him out if we fought again."

Said Leon Margules, Prescott's co-promoter: "This could become a public relations disaster for Khan. Lamont Peterson priced himself out of a fight with Khan, so instead of looking for redemption against my guy, Khan's team is trying to sell a probable mismatch victory for their guy against McCloskey to the television networks. Fighting Peterson instead of Prescott was questionable. Fighting McCloskey is just an obvious admission. They know they can't beat my guy."

Instead of looking to Prescott, Khan ridiculously claims that he has "slipped off his radar." The reality is that, after the way Prescott knocked him out, Prescott is probably never far from Khan's mind. Maybe that's the reason he seems to want nothing to do with him again.

Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) has won his last two fights, is known to American fight fans because of his numerous appearances on ESPN2 and is surely known to fans in England after wiping the floor with Khan. And there is the built-in revenge storyline that would undoubtedly drive media attention and the television audience, especially on pay-per-view in England.

"Amir, I remain ready, willing and able to give you a rematch," Prescott said. "I won't price myself out of the fight. You'll have no trouble selling it to TV. Stop this running and do what the fans want you to do and what your legacy as a great fighter demands that you do: Fight me."

I couldn't agree more.

Khan should look no further than what countryman Lennox Lewis, the great former heavyweight champion, did:. When he got knocked out by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, he faced them again in rematches and turned the tables.

Khan should do the same thing. Then, and only then, can he let Prescott slip off his radar.

• I am mildly intrigued by the talk of an HBO fight between titleholder Andre Berto and Ortiz, if for no other reason than Ortiz is a far more compelling opponent for Berto than any of his recent foes.

• Gotta give credit to HBO for what looks like a very strong start to 2011. Bradley-Alexander is next week, and the Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire bantamweight title bout headlines its second card on Feb. 19. If you asked me for a list of the top 10 fights I wanted to see in 2011, both would have been on it.

• Full respect to John Duddy for retiring when he felt he didn't have what it took anymore to give boxing his all. It's a tough sport. Better to get out a fight or two too soon than one too late. Duddy wasn't the best boxer in the world, but he always gave it his all. He was respectful to the fans, press, his opponents and the sport. If you bought a ticket to one of his fights, you never left feeling cheated out of your money.

• For the record, I happen to think Winky Wright-Matthew Macklin is a pretty interesting fight that adds depth to the April 9 pay-per-view card Golden Boy is putting on. Wright hasn't fought for two years, and because he's a little older now I think he'll have to stand and fight more than he usually has done. Macklin is a legitimate top-10 middleweight on an 11-fight winning streak. He's worth American fans taking a look at.

• The fight isn't made just yet -- and might not come off at all -- but I love the idea of the proposed "Friday Night Fights" junior middleweight main event between Joel "Love Child" Julio and Delvin Rodriguez. Terrific fight -- and probably the end of the road for the loser. I hope it gets made.

• How much more of the sanctioning-body nonsense must we take? Here's the latest example of the insanity that has overtaken these disgusting organizations: The WBO, challenging the putrid WBC and horrific WBA for pound-for-pound most-heinous honors, actually recognizes two interim titleholders in the junior flyweight division -- Ramon Garcia and Jesus Geles. And on Feb. 5, they will meet in what will be, as far as I know, a first: an interim unification bout. The madness continues. Vomit bags for everyone!

• Congratulations to my pal Steve Farhood for winning the Nat Fleischer lifetime award for excellence in boxing journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America. Now, if only he would take me behind the numbers. Most folks around boxing know Farhood for his role as a Showtime analyst, but he also has spent 32 years writing about boxing. He launched KO Magazine, served as editor of Ring magazine from 1989 to 1997 and still writes regularly for England's Boxing Monthly.

• Paging Dmitry Pirog.

• Why is Arthur Abraham taking a so-called "tuneup" fight next month before his Super Six semifinal against Andre Ward? Abraham has lost two fights in a row and looked terrible in both of them. Is beating a second-rate opponent supposed to make anyone believe he can beat Ward? And what if he loses again or gets hurt? I don't get it.

• What a star-studded couple of weeks for birthdays. Shoutouts to "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, who turned 69, and a trio of future Hall of Famers, all of whom had big days -- Bernard Hopkins (46), Roy Jones Jr. (42) and Marco Antonio Barrera (37).

• DVD pick of the week: For no apparent reason, I woke up at around 4 a.m. Wednesday. Couldn't even blame the cats. So I went downstairs to my office and randomly picked out a fight DVD to watch. I made a great pick. It happened to be of an HBO PPV fight I covered March 17, 2007, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I watched Juan Manuel Marquez move from featherweight to junior lightweight to win a unanimous decision and claim a title from Barrera, his Mexican countryman. They both let it all hang out in an outstanding fight. The seventh round was the most memorable. Marquez seemed to take command when he hurt Barrera and staggered him multiple times. He looked like he might get the knockout, but Barrera rallied and nailed Marquez on the chin with a right hand. He went down, and Barrera hit him while he was on his knees. Stunningly, referee Jay Nady did not call a knockdown after the perfectly clean shot, while docking Barrera a point for the foul. It turned out not to matter in the scoring. Marquez would go on to greater glory and eventually win the lightweight championship he still holds today. The fight was the last time Barrera -- who also lost his next fight, to Manny Pacquiao -- looked good.

 

[proshares]

NEW YORK -- World Boxing Association junior middleweight champ Miguel Cotto is a fighter of few words. Ricardo Mayorga, his challenger for a March 12 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is a well known for his trash-talking.

So when Mayorga's taunts and insults started during their news conference at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, it was no surprise to see a stone-faced Cotto sitting a few yards down, listening.

"My pants are up higher than Cotto's. I'm going to be the man, and Cotto will be the woman," Mayorga said. "On March 12, Puerto Rico is going to be dressed in black for your funeral. I can see fear in your eyes."

The shocker came when Cotto stepped up to the microphone, dropped his trademark deadpan and had a little fun of his own.

"Welcome all of you to Ricardo Mayorga's first press conference for his circus," said Cotto, speaking even as Mayorga continued to taunt him. "When you spoke earlier, I kept my mouth shut, now you remain quiet. I am a professional and with these tiny pants and these tiny hands I beat Shane Mosley. Do you remember Shane Mosley?

"I am a gentleman, you are a joker and a clown. All your career you have run off at the mouth and in all the big fights you've failed. Just so you know who I am, I am a three-time world champion."

Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) is fighting for the first time in nine months since taking the title from Yuri Foreman during their fight at Yankee Stadium.

Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) has held titles in the welterweight and super welterweight divisions. He is coming off a nith-round TKO win on Dec. 17 against Michael Walker.

While he hasn't been active in recent years, Mayorga remains one of boxing's most well-known fighters. And before every fight, Mayorga tries to get under his opponent's skin.

"I didn't know that Miguel could get that upset and excited," promoter Don King said. "I'm proud of you, Miguel."

Mosley stopped Mayorga in 12 rounds on Sept. 25, 2008. Cotto beat Mosley by decision on Nov. 10, 2007 at Madison Square Garden.

Foreman (28-1-0, 8 KOs) returns to action on the undercard. It will be his first appearance since losing to Cotto. He faces Pawel Wolak in a super welterweight bout. Wolak (28-1-0, 18 KOs) is ranked No. 7 by the WBA and 10th by the IBF.

The Cotto-Mayorga card marks the first time King and Arum are co-promoting an event in five years.

For Cotto, not yet up for discussion are the possiblities of rematches versus Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito, who handed him the only two losses of his career. Nor did Cotto want to discuss his potential fights down the road against Andre Berto or Sergio Martinez or his own uncertain future.

"That's to talk about later. Now I'm concentrating on Mayorga," he said.

His first hurdle, he said, is to recapture the spark that got him into boxing in the first place. For that, he is sticking with Emmanuel Steward, who trained him for the Foreman bout."We made a pact on the first day," Cotto said. "Emmanuel told me he wants me to go back to being the Miguel I was at the beginning. Not the fighter, but the person who enjoyed boxing."

Cotto insisted there was a time when he didn't like boxing.

"It was when all those problems started and the arguments with my uncle," said Cotto, in reference to a falling out he had with his uncle/trainer Evangelista Cotto in 2009.Steward, 66, said it was worth coming out of semi-retirement to train Cotto.

"I have found someone very dedicated to the sport. Don't rule him out. Miguel Cotto continues to be a star."

Junior middleweight Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the 20-year-old rising Mexican star, drew thousands of fans to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for an undercard fight in September, when he scored a massive one-punch knockout of former welterweight champ Carlos Baldomir.

Now, Alvarez will have the spotlight to himself as he takes the next step up toward a world title when he headlines HBO's "Boxing After Dark."

Alvarez, the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year, will face England's Matthew Hatton, the European welterweight champion and the younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton, on March 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

[+] Enlarge
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty ImagesSaul Alvarez, right, will face England's Matthew Hatton, the European welterweight champion, on March 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Golden Boy Promotions will formally announce the bout at a news conference Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.

"I think it's an exciting fight. It's exciting to have Canelo fighting a name," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. "So far, Canelo has dominated the name opponents he has faced, but he is well advised not to take Matthew Hatton lightly. Just remember -- there's only one Matthew Hatton."

Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KOs), who turned pro at 15 with no amateur experience, steadily increased the level of his competition during a 2010 campaign in which he won all five of his bouts, including four by knockout.

He was in some early trouble, but bounced back to score a ninth-round knockout of Jose Cotto in May on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley undercard. After a sixth-round knockout of Luciano Cuello in Mexico in July, Alvarez returned to the United States for the booming knockout of Baldomir.

Alvarez finished his year with a near-shutout decision against former junior welterweight titlist Lovemore N'Dou in Veracruz, Mexico, on Dec. 4.

Assuming all goes well, Golden Boy plans for Alvarez to fight four times, including three times in the United States, in 2011.

Golden Boy first tried to get Alvarez a welterweight title bout with Vyacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine, but they could not come to terms on the money. But Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KOs) was on the short list all along.

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Hatton, 29, has spent most of his career in the shadow of his more famous brother, but he has been on a strong run the past couple of years. Hatton is 8-0-1 in his last nine bouts and has not lost since dropping a decision to Craig Watson for the Commonwealth title in May 2008. He fought to a draw with N'Dou in November 2009.

In March, Hatton outpointed former world title challenger Gianluca Branco to win the vacant European title and has made two defenses.

"Matthew Hatton is not coming just to pick up a check," Schaefer said. "He is coming to Los Angeles to pick up a win. He is ready to show the young boy what a man can do. I think that Matthew Hatton has sort of stepped out of his brother's shadow since Ricky retired. Matthew has come into his own and has become a different and better fighter."

The HBO co-feature has not been signed yet, but Schaefer said he is working to finalize a junior lightweight fight for top prospect Adrien "The Problem" Broner (19-0, 16 KOs), 21, of Cincinnati.

The two opponents in the running to face Broner, according to Schaefer, are Mexico's Daniel Ponce De Leon, 30, a former junior featherweight titlist and top featherweight contender, and 27-year-old Jason Litzau.

Ponce De Leon (41-2, 34 KOs), who is with Golden Boy, would move up in weight for the bout. Litzau (28-2, 21 KOs), who is promoted by Roy Jones' Square Ring, is coming off a decision win on Nov. 27 against Celestino Caballero in one of the biggest upsets of 2010.

"I'd like to get Broner's fight done in the next couple of days," Schaefer said. "On this show, we'll have some young guys going against some very experienced fighters in big step-up fights. I think that's exactly what 'Boxing After Dark' is all about."

Originally, Schaefer hoped to match lightweights Robert Guerrero and Michael Katsidis in the co-feature. However, Katsidis said he would not be ready for the fight due to him the heavy flooding taking place near his home in Australia.

Guerrero-Katsidis could instead take place either on Golden Boy's April 9 pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or on a May "Boxing After Dark," Schaefer said.

Your random thoughts ...

Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan remains on the hunt for an opponent for an April 16 fight in his native England. HBO will air it in the United States, and it will be a pay-per-view on Sky Box Office in the U.K.

For the past few weeks, since Khan's exciting unanimous decision win against Marcos Maidana last month, Khan's camp and Golden Boy have been discussing potential opponents -- even though there is a blatantly obvious one, whom Khan says he's not interested in.

I have heard a litany of names, including Lamont Peterson, who got a draw instead of the loss he deserved against Victor Ortiz on Khan's last undercard; Irishman Paul McCloskey, the European champion with a thin résumé who is utterly unknown in the United States; and England's John Murray, the European lightweight champion with a great record (30-0) who has beaten nobody and also is unknown to the American audience.

Funny, but the one name in which the Khan camp refuses to genuinely show interest is the one that makes the most sense: Colombian banger Breidis Prescott. Maybe that's because he's the guy who knocked Khan stiff in 54 seconds in 2008 -- Khan's only defeat.

Why not fight Prescott again? Khan should want to tidy up that disaster and set the record straight by avenging his loss in what is supposed to be an "in-between fight" -- meaning a match with a slightly lesser opponent on the heels of the high-profile and tough fight with Maidana and before a potential summer blockbuster fight with the winner of next week's Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley Jr. unification fight.

Prescott and his people are rightly pressing for the rematch. He figures that he beat Khan once, he can do it again.

"What does it tell you that he'd go around me, the man who beat him, to instead face a much lighter-hitting and unknown fighter he thinks he can beat?" Prescott said of Khan possibly facing McCloskey. "Obviously, Amir Khan and his team realize I would knock him out if we fought again."

Said Leon Margules, Prescott's co-promoter: "This could become a public relations disaster for Khan. Lamont Peterson priced himself out of a fight with Khan, so instead of looking for redemption against my guy, Khan's team is trying to sell a probable mismatch victory for their guy against McCloskey to the television networks. Fighting Peterson instead of Prescott was questionable. Fighting McCloskey is just an obvious admission. They know they can't beat my guy."

Instead of looking to Prescott, Khan ridiculously claims that he has "slipped off his radar." The reality is that, after the way Prescott knocked him out, Prescott is probably never far from Khan's mind. Maybe that's the reason he seems to want nothing to do with him again.

Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) has won his last two fights, is known to American fight fans because of his numerous appearances on ESPN2 and is surely known to fans in England after wiping the floor with Khan. And there is the built-in revenge storyline that would undoubtedly drive media attention and the television audience, especially on pay-per-view in England.

"Amir, I remain ready, willing and able to give you a rematch," Prescott said. "I won't price myself out of the fight. You'll have no trouble selling it to TV. Stop this running and do what the fans want you to do and what your legacy as a great fighter demands that you do: Fight me."

I couldn't agree more.

Khan should look no further than what countryman Lennox Lewis, the great former heavyweight champion, did:. When he got knocked out by Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, he faced them again in rematches and turned the tables.

Khan should do the same thing. Then, and only then, can he let Prescott slip off his radar.

• I am mildly intrigued by the talk of an HBO fight between titleholder Andre Berto and Ortiz, if for no other reason than Ortiz is a far more compelling opponent for Berto than any of his recent foes.

• Gotta give credit to HBO for what looks like a very strong start to 2011. Bradley-Alexander is next week, and the Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire bantamweight title bout headlines its second card on Feb. 19. If you asked me for a list of the top 10 fights I wanted to see in 2011, both would have been on it.

• Full respect to John Duddy for retiring when he felt he didn't have what it took anymore to give boxing his all. It's a tough sport. Better to get out a fight or two too soon than one too late. Duddy wasn't the best boxer in the world, but he always gave it his all. He was respectful to the fans, press, his opponents and the sport. If you bought a ticket to one of his fights, you never left feeling cheated out of your money.

• For the record, I happen to think Winky Wright-Matthew Macklin is a pretty interesting fight that adds depth to the April 9 pay-per-view card Golden Boy is putting on. Wright hasn't fought for two years, and because he's a little older now I think he'll have to stand and fight more than he usually has done. Macklin is a legitimate top-10 middleweight on an 11-fight winning streak. He's worth American fans taking a look at.

• The fight isn't made just yet -- and might not come off at all -- but I love the idea of the proposed "Friday Night Fights" junior middleweight main event between Joel "Love Child" Julio and Delvin Rodriguez. Terrific fight -- and probably the end of the road for the loser. I hope it gets made.

• How much more of the sanctioning-body nonsense must we take? Here's the latest example of the insanity that has overtaken these disgusting organizations: The WBO, challenging the putrid WBC and horrific WBA for pound-for-pound most-heinous honors, actually recognizes two interim titleholders in the junior flyweight division -- Ramon Garcia and Jesus Geles. And on Feb. 5, they will meet in what will be, as far as I know, a first: an interim unification bout. The madness continues. Vomit bags for everyone!

• Congratulations to my pal Steve Farhood for winning the Nat Fleischer lifetime award for excellence in boxing journalism from the Boxing Writers Association of America. Now, if only he would take me behind the numbers. Most folks around boxing know Farhood for his role as a Showtime analyst, but he also has spent 32 years writing about boxing. He launched KO Magazine, served as editor of Ring magazine from 1989 to 1997 and still writes regularly for England's Boxing Monthly.

• Paging Dmitry Pirog.

• Why is Arthur Abraham taking a so-called "tuneup" fight next month before his Super Six semifinal against Andre Ward? Abraham has lost two fights in a row and looked terrible in both of them. Is beating a second-rate opponent supposed to make anyone believe he can beat Ward? And what if he loses again or gets hurt? I don't get it.

• What a star-studded couple of weeks for birthdays. Shoutouts to "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, who turned 69, and a trio of future Hall of Famers, all of whom had big days -- Bernard Hopkins (46), Roy Jones Jr. (42) and Marco Antonio Barrera (37).

• DVD pick of the week: For no apparent reason, I woke up at around 4 a.m. Wednesday. Couldn't even blame the cats. So I went downstairs to my office and randomly picked out a fight DVD to watch. I made a great pick. It happened to be of an HBO PPV fight I covered March 17, 2007, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I watched Juan Manuel Marquez move from featherweight to junior lightweight to win a unanimous decision and claim a title from Barrera, his Mexican countryman. They both let it all hang out in an outstanding fight. The seventh round was the most memorable. Marquez seemed to take command when he hurt Barrera and staggered him multiple times. He looked like he might get the knockout, but Barrera rallied and nailed Marquez on the chin with a right hand. He went down, and Barrera hit him while he was on his knees. Stunningly, referee Jay Nady did not call a knockdown after the perfectly clean shot, while docking Barrera a point for the foul. It turned out not to matter in the scoring. Marquez would go on to greater glory and eventually win the lightweight championship he still holds today. The fight was the last time Barrera -- who also lost his next fight, to Manny Pacquiao -- looked good.