Good question. I think it might have to do with that fact that the heavyweight division has already been the glamor division in the sport thoughnot so much these days. Therefore the cruiserweight division is used sometimes as a stepping stone before fighters reach their goal of making it to theheavyweight division and they don't stick around too long and in turn great champions aren't made there.
Originally Posted by Dam itz Lou
It's sad what the heavyweight division has become. All these heavyweights are heavyweights cuz they fat.
But historically Cruisers are not as celebrated as the heavies and light heavies. Just my guess, but is it because its a tweener division. TheJoe Forte of boxing weightclasses, if you will. Too big to make weight at light heavy's, but can't hang with the big boys in heavys.
[font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Pacquiao and Antillon Begin Their Weekly Battles with a Bang[/font]
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ByGabriel Montoya[/font][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular](Mar 25, 2009) Photo [emoji]169[/emoji] German Villasenor
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"We sparred 3 years ago, "Antillon told me beforehand. "But he's gotten better and I think I have, too. I'm really looking forward to this."
Antillon is a veteran of the excellent sparring that can be had in the hotbed of boxing that is Southern California boxing. Kevin Kelley, Edwin Valero (when the lightweight was just coming on the scene), and Manny Pacquiao are just a few of the many top-notch fighters he has given or gotten good work from over the years from the Wild Card o Maywood's tough gym, to L.A. Boxing in it's heyday.
"I was 16 and was fighting two-time champions," says Antillon. "I like to think I gave as good as I got. I got beat up early on but as I kept going and got better, I held my own."
Today would be no different.
Pacquiao entered the gym followed by his entourage and began to warm up with his strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza. Stretching with Ariza using both standard exercises and elastic tubing, Pacquiao seemed relaxed and business as usual. Antillon, who seemed a bit eager before Pacquiao arrived, got right to work, wrapping his hands and jumping in the ring for some shadowboxing. Last week, Jorge Linares was here as Pacquiao's sparring partner as Antillon was recovering from being sick. Seemingly to most to be the antithesis of Ricky Hatton, a slick junior lightweight champion now moving up to lightweight, Linares is an orthodox fighter who prefers boxing and trickery to stalking and pressuring. Antillon is just what the doctor ordered to prepare for Hatton. A hard-hitting, intelligent pressure fighter who can fight from either stance and in possession of a solid chin, Antillon, who is ranked #2 in the WBO, #3 WBA and #3 in the WBC, is no sparring partner. He is a man on the verge of getting a crack at the cream of the junior lightweight and lightweight division.
"We figure that if Manny can look sharp against a sharp fighter like [Linares], he can look sharp against anyone in the world," said Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach. "Good work is good work. I don't care what style it is. Linares makes Manny think and not many fighters can do that. Ricky Hatton is very basic. Linares is a thinker and it rises the level of [Pacquiao's game]."
"[Antillon] is more of a Ricky Hatton type of style than Linares," Roach would say before the session began. "He'll be back next week. Manny is doing well. He's sharp. He's boxing really well. We've got the game plan all worked out and I'm really happy with where he is at."
Pacquiao, as of last Saturday, was 147 pounds, right on weight.
Hatton, who is a straight forward, mauling type of fighter has recently employed Floyd Mayweather, Sr as his lead trainer. It was a move that proved successful in their first fight together against Paulie Malignaggi. Roach however, doesn't think Mayweather, Sr. can help the veteran fighter much this late in his career.
"I mean, he can tell him some poems," Roach says with a wry smile. "That's all [Mayweather, Sr.] is good at that I know of. He's going to try and make him a better boxer but obviously it's hard to make change someone at this late stage of their career. I've been with Manny eight years and I've never tried to change him. Just improved on what we do. And so Ricky Hatton and Floyd are like black and white. Their styles are totally different. I think the best way for Ricky Hatton to fight this fight to fight like he does. If he tries to box Manny, he'll get killed."
Not one to shy away from a prediction, Roach is quick and adamant in his reply when asked for one.
"We're going to knock him out in three rounds," Roach says in all confidence. "I told Manny that if it goes past three rounds, I'd be mad at him."
With both fighters warm and ready, the room's cell phones turned off, and the door to the gym locked for good measure, it was time to get it on. Before the first bell sounded for their six round session, an eerie silence fell over the room. Sessions like this are a rare pleasure. A feeling that we were all in for a treat permeated the air. There was electricity in the air as the bell for round one sounded.
Antillon immediately began stalking Pacquiao who danced with his back against the ropes, matching his opponent jab for jab as both men got comfortable and found their range. The man from Maywood dug in with body shots immediately and Pacquiao popped his jab and escaped the ropes. The action moved center ring as Pacquiao turned Antillon and popped his jab in rapid succession. He tried working his lead left but Antillon, with a high and tight guard picked off his jabs and pressed forward, getting in a sneaky lead right to the head and body. Pacquiao was having none of that as he opened up with a flurry of lead lefts and a right hand to head and body of his own. Antillon came back with a body attack as Manny backed off and lay against the ropes. Antillon go t in some solid shots. A hard right and a left to the body thudded through the room. Pacquiao again spun out and popped the jab as the bell sounded. A close, even round.
Round two saw Pacquiao moving smoothly along the edges of the ring with Antillon not far behind him digging in a body shot. Pacquaio worked his elusive defense, slipping shots, moving his head side to side and using fancy footwork to get out of range. Pacquiao would spin Antillon, the first of a new, aggressive tactic, grabbing his hips and moving him into place as he dug shots to the body before snapping a left upstairs before his opponent could get set. Antillon pressed forward at center, shooting to Pacquiao's ribs. But what sounded and looked like a good shot, only spurred Pacquaio on.
"More" he implored. And Antillon obliged as Pacquiao guarded his head and took some brutal body shots.
"More," Pacquiao repeated and again took a body blow in reply.
At this, Pacquaio was on the move again, ripping body shots of his own in a blur. He even managed a double hook with each hand to the head of Antillon who walked straight ahead into the punches but took them well. Again, the spin move catches Antillon along the ribs as round two came to a close.
Antillon opened up with a brutal uppercut to start the third. Pacquaio took it well and worked hard behind the jab, jab, and more jab. Pacquiao moved along the ropes and as he spun out against an advancing Antillon, he stumbled and fell to the canvas.
He would rise quickly and take an uppercut for his trouble along with a follow up right hand as he moved to the ropes once again. Antillon continued sneaking in his lead right with vicious aplomb but Pacquiao, who seems to relish preparing his body for punishment in this manner, took it very well. A body shot from Antillon only got Pacquaio talking again.
"I like the body shot," Pacquiao exclaimed behind his guard. "Go! C'mon," he implored.
Pacquaio would get in a low blow during the follow up exchange but both would touch gloves and continue to work. At the thirty-second mark, Antillon opened up and Pacquaio urged him on again as they traded to the bell.
The fourth round started to look more and more like a Hatton fight as both men tied up quickly and wrestled from center ring to the ropes. Pacquaio trapped Antillon's left arm but the Maywood native got going with his right hand. Pacquaio worked tight right hooks in answer. The action was getting even hotter. Antillon shot a hard right hand and Pacquaio went to the body. Pacquaio seemed to be bullying a bit, imposing his size. A new move he implored was similar to a Tito Trinidad's shoulder move. As Antillon got in close, Pacquiao turned to the side and crooked his arm and pushed off with it, giving him distance to work in close as his opponent was off balance. But Antillon is game as hell as he pressed forward and went back to the body. Both guys started really letting them go now. But Pacquaio seemed to be getting the best of it, shouldering Antillon off and throwing and landing punches in bunches. At the thirty-second mark, Pacman again commanded, "Go! Go!" to Antillon but the young warrior didn't respond this time, biding his time and then getting in a right hand that got an "Oooh" from someone at ringside. Antillon opened up and just before the bell landed a right, two body shots from either side and another left and right up top. Nice round.
After the fourth, it was decided that more rounds were needed and so and fifth began and Pacquaio takes a right from Antillon. Pacquaio tries a double right jab but Antillon shoots his lead right in over the top. A left-right to the head and a left-right to the body lands for Antillon as Pacquaio is on the ropes. This only incenses Manny and he opens fire with a brutal assault of lefts rights and too many shots to count to the head and body. He seems to take over at will and Antillon, who holds steady, is unable to get his offense going as he catches and waits to shoot back. It's Antillon on the ropes now as Manny lends left after left and then backs off, commanding "Go! I like the body! Go!" Antillon obliges and lets loose to the body but seems a bit weary from the storm that just passed and eats a right hook to the end the round.
Pacquaio started the final round with left right left right to the head and body and then gets in the double punch again as Antillon comes forward. Antillon presses Pacquaio to the ropes again but this time, Manny uses his yardstick (a right hand held straight out) to keep him at bay and keep distance. Pacquaio traps his arm and uses his other to work as they tie up in close. A rough exchange ensues, as Antillon gets loose and tears into Pacquaio with left, right, left right to the head. It's phone booth action with both men taking and giving with equal measure. The action moved center ring and Pacquiao takes over at range with his right jab-left hand. They both exploded down the stretch and trade all the way to the bell, leaving everything in the ring. Applause broke out as the final bell sounded.
Antillon laughed and joked with Manny afterward, saying he was owed the standing offer of $1,000 for the "knockdown" in the second round. Manny laughed good-naturedly.
It was everything it had been billed as and as the first of several more in the weeks leading up May 2; it set the bar extremely high. Following the session, both men continued their workouts side by side, laughing and joking in the breaks. The camaraderie of the day's battle already growing and the knowledge that this was the first of many more to come pushing them forward.[/font]
Lopez made-to-order for Peñalosa?
SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin Henson Updated March 27, 2009 12:00 AM
Although WBO superbantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez is unbeaten and boasts an intimidating record of 24-0, with 22 KOs, challenger Gerry Peñalosa said the other day he's confident of wresting the crown when they face off at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, on April 25.
Lopez was only five years old when Peñalosa turned pro in 1989 and is making the third defense of the title he took from Daniel Ponce de Leon on a first round knockout last year.
Peñalosa, 36, said Lopez' come-forward style suits him just fine.
"He's made-to-order for me," he noted. "He's a southpaw and so am I. I think it's easier for me to fight a southpaw. I won my first title (WBC superflyweight) by beating a southpaw (Hiroshi Kawashima) and Ponce de Leon, also a southpaw, couldn't hit me. I will be patient against Lopez who's very inexperienced. I'll wait for him to get careless. I'll use a lot of head and lateral movement. The key is stamina."
Peñalosa is now training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles with Freddie Roach. He reports for workouts at 11 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m. when Manny Pacquiao checks in to train until 3 p.m. Roach takes care of his other fighters, like Bernabe Concepcion who challenges WBO featherweight titlist Steve Luevano on May 2, from 3 to 5 p.m.
"Lopez is a little slow and I'll exploit that," continued Peñalosa. "I'll use my quickness to keep him from landing. He doesn't have much of a jab because he likes to brawl. My defense will be tight. I'll adjust during the fight. If Plan A doesn't work, I'll go to Plan B. My advantage is experience."
Peñalosa said he's not averse to mixing it up.
"I know I'm the challenger," he said. "This is the fight I've been waiting for. I don't have much time left as I plan to retire at the end of the year. After I beat Lopez, I'll do one defense or fight a big money bout against either Rafael Marquez or Israel Vazquez."
What may hold Peñalosa back is lack of activity. Lopez has logged 10 fights the last two years compared to only four for Peñalosa. But Lopez has hardly been tested as his last three fights ended in the first round. Of his 22 wins by stoppage, 10 came in the opening round.
Peñalosa's most recent outing ended in a 10-round decision over German Meraz last Feb. 21 while Lopez disposed of Sergio Medina last December. After losing in 98 seconds, Medina claimed he took a dive, fearing for his life. But the Argentinian subsequently recanted.
"I watched Lopez being interviewed before he fought Ponce de Leon and I found him cocky," said Peñalosa. "I'll try to teach him a lesson. This is a big test for me, considering he's 25 and I'm 36. But if I can take him to 10 rounds or more, I'll have a good chance of winning. I like my chances. He might be stronger but if he can't connect, it won't matter."
Peñalosa has never been knocked out. Of his five losses on points, three were by split decision. He's not only durable but extremely hard to hit.
Only two fighters went the distance with Lopez. One was Mexican Gilberto Bolanos who was knocked out by Rey (Boom Boom) Bautista in six three years ago. The other was equally unheralded Sergio Mendez.
Former WBC secretary-general Rudy Salud said he would be surprised if Lopez knocks out Peñalosa.
"Gerry's too slick," said Salud. "Even if he fights Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis, he'll still be hard to hit because he moves so well. You'll miss more than often than you'll connect. Of course, there's such a thing as a lucky punch but against Gerry, that will come once in a blue moon."
Salud said Peñalosa uses different tactics to throw off an opponent's rhythm.
"I've seen Gerry bury his head on an opponent's chest so there's no way he'll be hit," said Salud. "Even as he's now 36 with 62 fights, he's not banged up. It won't be an easy defense for Lopez."
yeah.. its written by a Pinoy thats why its biased towards Gerry
[h1]Handlers still picking and choosing Chavez's opponents[/h1]
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: March 27, 2009, 11:49 AM ET
AP Photo/Mario Armas
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is being moved along slowly -- and his promoter wouldn't have it any other way.
[h3]Chavez moving at own pace[/h3]
Junior middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is undefeated in 39 fights and has a loyal fan base in Mexico and a passionate following among Mexican-Americans, which is the reason he's headlined several pay-per-view cards despite facing, to be nice, soft opposition.
Yet even with so many fights, Top Rank's Bob Arum and Zanfer's Fernando Beltran, Chavez's co-promoters, are in no particular hurry to move the son of Mexico's greatest boxing icon, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., into a fight with a top contender.
They don't yet see a reason.
"As long as he's entertaining and in competitive fights, there is no hurry," Arum said. "When he ceases to be entertaining and the fights become one-way blowouts or the fans stop supporting him, then we have to move him up. We'll move him up in the later part of the year, but right now we are content to do things the way we've been doing them."
The way they've been doing things is for Chavez (38-0-1, 29 KOs) to fight once per quarter headlining pay-per-views from different places in Mexico.
Although Chavez's opponents are not well known -- Matt Vanda, Giuseppe Loriga, Jose Celaya and Ray Sanchez are not exactly murderers' row -- Arum says he has requests from more cities in Mexico wanting to host a Chavez fight than he can accommodate. That gives Arum and Beltran license to match Chavez with not-so-threatening opponents.
Chris Farina/Top Rank
Like father, like son: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is widely popular in Mexico.
"These are hugely successful shows. They have huge support in Mexico," Arum said. "That means that people want to watch them. We sell out buildings all over Mexico and do really nice numbers on pay-per-view [in the United States]. It's the public that's buying these shows and we'll keep doing them as long as they stay interested in them."
The latest stop on the Chavez gravy train comes Saturday night (Top Rank PPV, 9 ET), when he faces obscure Luciano Cuello (23-0, 9 KOs) in the headline fight of a four-bout telecast at the 22,000-seat Plaza de Toros Monumental bullring in Tijuana, where the government is involved in the fight and fans will be admitted free.
Although there are world title bouts on the card featuring junior lightweight Humberto Soto and bantamweight Fernando Montiel, two of Mexico's finest active boxers, Chavez generates the buzz.
Chavez, though, is getting a little itchy to step up his level of competition.
"I feel that [my career] has gone very well," Chavez said. "I had time to learn and to make myself a better fighter. But like everyone else, I want to see myself against tougher opposition and see what I can do. Like every fighter, I want to be a world champion and I truly feel that I'm ready to face a higher level of opponent. I'd like to fight for a world championship this year."
Arum said although he believes Chavez may eventually develop into a world-class fighter, he won't be pushed to put him in a fight he can't handle.
"His two fights with Vanda [in '08] were both really good, entertaining fights," Arum said of Chavez's decision wins. "If he knocked Vanda out in the first or second round, then you'd think about moving him up. But you continue on the path. The fans liked the fights and they were competitive. I wouldn't schedule a whole series of first- or second-round Chavez knockouts because that would be a disservice to Chavez as well as to the audience. But as long as he's competitive and he makes entertaining fights with the opponents we're matching him with, you continue doing it."
In other words, Arum, who admits he's making good money on these shows, doesn't want to fix what ain't broke. He points to Chavez's lack of amateur experience as a reason why he's moving him so slowly. That and because he's only 23, although Arum doubts that.
[table][tr][th=""]Tijuana Thunder[/th] [/tr][tr][td]TV lineup for the Top Rank pay-per-view card Saturday night (9 ET, $39.99) at the Plaza de Toros Monumental, in Tijuana, Mexico • Junior middleweights: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (38-0-1, 29 KOs) vs. Luciano Cuello (23-0, 9 KOs), 10 rounds
• Junior lightweights: Humberto Soto (46-7-2, 29 KOs) vs. Antonio Davis (26-4, 13 KOs), 12 rounds, for Soto's title
• Bantamweights: Fernando Montiel (38-2-1, 28 KOs) vs. Diego Silva (24-1-3, 12 KOs), 12 rounds, for a vacant interim title
• Welterweights: Antonio Diaz (44-5-1, 29 KOs) vs. Javier Castro (19-1, 17 KOs), 10 rounds
[/td] [/tr][/table]
"He's supposedly 23 but I don't believe it," he said. "I think he's younger. I think he's 21. I don't think his birth certificate was real when he turned pro. He's just beginning to grow into his body."
If Chavez is successful Saturday, Arum said the show will roll on in July with another fight in Mexico.
In the fall, Arum said he will consider stepping him up. He has let Golden Boy Promotions know that Chavez is available to face Oscar De La Hoya if he elects to fight again.
"If there is no De La Hoya fight, Chavez will fight someone like John Duddy, which will be a step up but a good fight and not a killer," Arum said. "Chavez is a kid I think can be a world-class fighter but if I was saying he was a world-class fighter now and then it wouldn't be truth in advertising. Julio is happy with the way things are right now, but he's beginning to show a little impatience."
Chavez, of course, would love to face De La Hoya, who stopped his father in two TKO victories, the first to win the junior welterweight title and the second to retain the welterweight championship.
"But just to clear something up -- I'm not chasing Oscar De La Hoya," Chavez said. "I would like to face him, of course, but if he's not interested so be it.
"I believe the Mexican fans would love to see me fight De La Hoya because of the history with my father, and it would be a dream come true for me. But if it doesn't happen it is not the end of the world. He was a great champion and to fight against him would be great for the fans and, after all, that's why we fight, for the fans."
Even if he doesn't get a chance to face De La Hoya, Chavez still wants to step up his competition after Saturday.
"There are many fighters out there that I like to face from [titlist] Vernon Forrest on down," he said. "But in order to do that I have to not only win on Saturday, but do it well enough to show Fernando Beltran and Top Rank that I'm ready for bigger challenges."
Chavez may be ready, but are his promoters?
[h3]On the move[/h3]
Junior featherweight titleholder Celestino Caballero (31-2, 22 KOs), who blew out Steve Molitor in four rounds on Showtime's "ShoBox" to unify 122-pound belts in November, was due to return to the network to defend April 24 against mandatory challenger Jeffrey Mathebula (22-1-2, 12 KOs) of South Africa. However, there has been a change of plans.
Caballero was supposed to headline at the Hard Rock resort in Hollywood, Fla., but that was before the government of his native Panama stepped up and made him a far more lucrative offer. The fight will still take place April 24, but in Panama City without Showtime coverage.
Chris Cozzone/Fightwireimages.com
Celestino Caballero would rather fight in Panama City for more pay than fight in Hollywood, Fla., with televised coverage.
To replace the fight, Showtime is working out a deal with promoter Don King to air Cory Spinks against Deandre Latimore for a vacant junior middleweight belt from St. Louis, their hometown, King spokesman Alan Hopper told ESPN.com. Junior welterweight prospect Devon Alexander, also of St. Louis, will also fight.
Initially, King and co-promoter Lou DiBella were planning the card for May 2 without television, but with Showtime interested, they're happy to move the fight up one week, Hopper said.
As for Caballero, "He's fighting in Panama because the government offered more money than I could pay him. He's going to make about three times the money, so what can I do," said Seminole Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules. "I'm upset about it because my casino wanted the show and Showtime wanted him on the network."
However, Margules found a silver lining. Had the show gone on, his company would have lost between $30,000 and $50,000, he said.
"I was basically doing the card and going to take the loss as part of my deal with the fighter and as part of him signing an [18-month] extension with me," Margules said. "Now, I'm off the hook and he still signed the extension."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
50 comments on "Handlers still picking and choosing Chavez's opponents"
[h4]QUICK HITS[/h4]
Berto
• Junior welterweight titleholder Juan Urango wants more money or he won't take a fight with welterweight titlist Andre Berto, which is supposed to headline a May 30 HBO card at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. The fight was in jeopardy Thursday when Urango changed his mind, according to Seminole Warriors Boxing promoter Leon Margules. Margules said he made a deal for $300,000 with Berto promoter Lou DiBella. Under Margules' 70-30 deal with Urango, the fighter would receive $210,000. When HBO slashed its fee to DiBella, he cut the fee to Warriors to $275,000, although Margules said he would eat the difference and still pay Urango $210,000. However, Margules said Urango's attorney called him Thursday and said Urango wanted $300,000. However, Friday morning Margules said he was hopeful that he'd be able to work a new deal with Urango if he could secure "a few more dollars" from DiBella/HBO. If the fight isn't repaired, it will leave DiBella looking for a replacement to fight at a backup site in Palm Springs, Calif. However, if Urango falls out, HBO prefers Berto to face Zab Judah or Carlos Quintana while the Berto camp wants Delvin Rodriguez, a fighter HBO has no interest in.
Pavlik
• Kelly Pavlik's middleweight title defense against Sergio Mora will take place June 27 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. Arum said that although he had originally considered doing a split-site telecast with Pavlik in Atlantic City and other bouts from Mexico, the card will emanate entirely from Boardwalk Hall. Arum's initial thoughts for the undercard include bouts involving junior welterweight contender Mike Alvarado (perhaps against Paulie Malignaggi), junior middleweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan and middleweight prospect Matvey Korobov. The other title bout Arum wants to do would pit bantamweight Fernando Montiel against Eric Morel. That would be contingent on Montiel claiming a vacant interim title Saturday night against Diego Silva.
Abraham
• Arum has sung this song before but he's singing it again: If Pavlik beats Mora and middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham wins a summer bout they could meet in the fall. Arum said he's talking to Abraham promoter Sauerland Event about the showdown between the world's top 160-pounders. "We're working on it," Arum told ESPN.com. "Kelly will fight Mora and Abraham has a fight this summer. Then hopefully we can bring them together. Abraham wants it and the Pavlik people say they can't wait to do the fight." Arum wants it on HBO or Showtime, not on pay-per-view. "We'll try to do it on one of the networks," Arum said. "It's the fight that all the sportswriters [want]. It's probably the most enticing fight conceivable for premium cable."
Forrest
• Junior middleweight titlist Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs), who owes a mandatory defense to Sergio Martinez but has been avoiding him for months, will face instead Jason LeHoullier (21-1-1, 8 KOs) in a nontitle fight April 24. Forrest will fight LeHoullier, 0-1-1 in his past two bouts, on the undercard of the Carl Froch-Jermain Taylor super middleweight title bout at the Foxwoods resort in Mashantucket, Conn., Forrest promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com. According to Showtime, the 10-rounder will air as the opener on a tripleheader that also includes super middleweight Alan Green against Carlos De Leon Jr.
• Forrest's camp had been in talks with middleweight titlist Abraham for a June fight on Showtime, but they fizzled, leading Forrest to take the April 24 bout. Abraham, meantime, instead plans to fight this summer in Germany against Giovanni Lorenzo, his mandatory challenger. "We've been discussing the fight with [Sauerland Event's] Chris Meyer. Giovanni is excited to get his opportunity to fight for a world title," Main Events' Kathy Duva, Lorenzo's promoter, told ESPN.com.
Lopez
• The deal being negotiated for the past couple of months between ESPN and Golden Boy, which would result in Golden Boy having at least seven of the remaining dates on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights" this season -- and possibly an eighth with options for a slew of dates next year -- was finally agreed to Wednesday. One of the keys to the deal is Golden Boy helping secure a significant sponsor package from beer maker Tecate. Golden Boy's first card under the deal is April 10, when junior middleweight David Lopez faces Ossie Duran in Tucson, Ariz. The second show is April 24 in Chicago. Junior featherweights Antonio Escalante and Gary Stark meet in the main event.
Russell
• Featherweight Gary Russell (2-0), a 2008 U.S. Olympian, was supposed to open a "ShoBox" tripleheader in Miami, Okla., Saturday night (Showtime, 11 ET/PT), but he withdrew because of illness. Super middleweight Andre Dirrell (17-0, 12 KOs), a 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, faces Derrick Findley (13-2, 8 KOs) in the main event and junior middleweight Ronald Hearns (21-0, 17 KOs) faces Harry Joe Yorgey (21-0-1, 9 KOs) in the opener.
Klitschko
• The Klitschko brothers may not be able to gain much traction in the U.S., but the heavyweight title-holding brothers are stars in Germany, their adopted home country. Vitali Klitschko's title defense last Saturday, a ninth-round knockout of Juan Carlos Gomez in Stuttgart, was a huge hit in Germany. Besides a sellout crowd of 12,500, an astonishing 11.5 million television viewers watched it on RTL. That translates to 55 percent of the people watching TV at that time in Germany, Team Klitschko announced. To put it in perspective, HBO's Feb. 28 broadcast of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz lightweight championship fight drew about 1.6 million viewers in the U.S.
Diaz
• Golden Boy doesn't promote Julio Diaz, so it considered dropping the ex-lightweight titlist from its April 4 "Lightweight Lightning" pay-per-view card after former champ Joel Casamayor, whom it does promote, withdrew because with a back injury. However, Golden Boy decided it was only right to keep Diaz (36-4, 26 KOs) on the card and signed Rolando Reyes (30-4-2, 19 KOs) as a replacement. Also on the card in Austin, Texas: Edwin Valero fights Antonio Pitalua for a vacant lightweight belt; hometown fighter Jesus Chavez faces Michael Katsidis; and Carlos Hernandez meets Vicente Escobedo.
Molitor
• Former junior featherweight titlist Steve Molitor is ready to return following his fourth-round knockout loss to Celestino Caballero in a November unification bout. Molitor was ringside at Ontario's Casino Rama last Friday to watch Heriberto Ruiz win a decision against former bantamweight belt holder Mauricio Martinez, a victory that earned Ruiz a fight with Molitor on June 26 back at Casino Rama, Molitor's base.
Hurtado
• Former junior welterweight titlist Diobelys Hurtado, who had memorable fights with Kostya Tszyu and Pernell Whitaker, is making a comeback. Hurtado, 36, a Cuban defector who has most recently been living in Spain, will return to the United States to face Arturo Morua (25-11-1, 14 KOs) in Miami on April 3 (Telemundo) for his first bout in 13 months. Hurtado retired in 2004 before taking a pair of six-rounders, in late 2007 and early 2008.
Anchondo
• Former junior lightweight belt holder Mike Anchondo (27-2, 19 KOs) will end a two-year retirement when he returns April 16 to face Hector Alatorre (15-6, 5 KOs) in a six-round bout at 142 pounds at the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland, Calif. Anchondo, who turns 27 the day before the fight, hasn't fought since being stopped in three rounds by Darling Jimenez on April 27, 2007. Anchondo briefly held a 130-pound title but lost it on the scales when he didn't make weight for his first defense against Jorge Barrios, who stopped Anchondo in four rounds to win the vacated title in April 2005.
[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]
Froch
"Taylor says he is going to take me into deep waters, but I can swim. I like it when opponents come forward and say stuff like that." -- Super middleweight titlist Carl Froch, on Jermain Taylor, whom he defends against April 25 (Showtime)
[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]
Taylor
"To be honest, I didn't know who Carl Froch was. I would tell people all the time here in the States that I was fighting Carl Froch and everybody was saying, 'Who?' It was kind of embarrassing. … I predict a victory and already have decided on the place on my arm where I am going to have 'Two-time Champion' tattooed." -- former middleweight champ Taylor, on Froch
[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]
Roach
"I told Manny I would be very disappointed in him if his fight with Hatton lasted longer than three rounds." -- Trainer Freddie Roach, on his expectations when pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao challenges Ricky Hatton for the junior welterweight world championship May 2 (HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
Duva said she asked for a 60-40 split in Adamek's favor, although she said that she was willing to work with Schaefer on the split.
Ya'll know damn well Hopkins ain't fightin' unless the split is in his favor.
That was a crappy deal for Adamek, though. Offer at least a million...it would be in Newark, and they love Adamek over here in Jersey.
Would've loved to see this fight go down, but I don't blameHopkins only. Both sides are to blame...
I guess with July 11th open again, wouldn't that make things sweeter for Floyd? Ya'll know he loves sole attention...
Is his team still denying that he's even coming back?
