2010 Official Boxing Thread: Soto/Antillon, 2010 Fight of the Year.

Watching this little Fight Camp preview and the Kessler/Froch recap has got me HYPED for Saturday.



Shah Khan, the father of WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, says lightweights Michael Katsidis and John Murray are asking for too much money to fight his son. Shah confirms to hometown paper, The Bolton News, that his son will fight the winner of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz rematch, taking place on July 31 in Las Vegas.

Murray and Katsidis have been attacking Khan in the press. Shah says they approached their team for a fight and now attack Amir for fighting smaller boxers. 

“They approached us and now they are saying these things,
Click to expand...
 
Wish I could go to the fight on Saturday
smh.gif
 
Who is the world's best fighter regardless of weight class? See my top 20 below.







And don't forget to check out the divisional rankings, which are updated weekly.





For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here.





Note: Results are through June 15.








[table][tr][td]1[/td][td]
box_ap_pacquiao_65.jpg

Manny Pacquiao

Welterweight titlist
Age: 31 | Record: 51-3-2, 38 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: When Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather tried to negotiate a March fight during December and January, the talks ultimately blew up over a single deal point -- they could not agree on a cutoff date for blood testing, which Mayweather had insisted upon, in advance of the fight. Now Pacquiao has reconsidered. He has made it clear that he wants to fight Mayweather and publicly declared that he has agreed to the 14-day cutoff window that Mayweather was agreeable to last time. It is a step in the right direction and shows Pacquiao is willing to compromise in order to make the biggest fight in boxing.

Misses: Not a word to say as long as he fights Mayweather in the fall.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]2[/td][td]
box_g_mayweather_65.jpg

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Welterweight
Age: 33 | Record: 41-0, 25 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: For years, all we wanted to see was Mayweather face a legitimate top welterweight foe. Not only did he finally do it when he fought Shane Mosley in May, but Mayweather weathered an early storm and looked sensational as he rolled to one of the most dominant victories in his outstanding career. Mayweather talked the talk and finally walked the walk. Now bring on Pacquiao.

Misses: Does anyone really believe the recent comments from Mayweather suggesting he is headed for another long layoff or retirement? Please. Enough with that nonsense. But if -- a big if -- Mayweather really does retire again, nobody can possibly argue that he isn't blatantly ducking Pacquiao.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]3[/td][td]
box_f_williams_65.jpg

Paul Williams

Middleweight
Age: 28 | Record: 39-1, 27 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Williams and his handlers have maintained for the past few years that Williams could fight at middleweight, junior middleweight or welterweight, where he is a former two-time titleholder. Now, after all the talk, Williams' promoter, Dan Goossen, says "The Punisher" will indeed return to 147 to fight in the fall. Not sure who he will face, but Williams is determined to at least prove he can still fight at welterweight, the idea being to put himself in the mix for a big fight with the likes of Pacquiao or Mayweather. Both of those bouts are unlikely to take place, but Williams is going to do his best to put the pressure on them, and you have to respect that.

Misses: Although Williams got the win against Kermit Cintron in May after a bizarre ending in which Cintron flew out of the ring, Williams didn't look all that good during the three-plus rounds that the fight lasted. Maybe the war Williams had with Sergio Martinez in December took something out of him?
[/td][/tr][/table]

[table][tr][td]4[/td][td]
box_a_dawson1_sw_65.jpg

Chad Dawson

Interim light heavyweight titlist
Age: 27 | Record: 29-0, 17 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Credit must be given to Dawson for his willingness to go to Montreal to challenge titleholder Jean Pascal on his turf Aug. 14. It's the most interesting fight that can be made in the light heavyweight division at the moment, and a win will set Dawson up to face the big names at super middleweight when they eventually begin trickling into the 175-pound weight class.

Misses: If Dawson could draw a crowd in his hometown of Hartford, Conn., maybe Pascal would make the trip to the United States for the fight. But considering how poorly Dawson drew there for his November rematch victory against Glen Johnson, it was never even a remote possibility.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]5[/td][td]
box_sergio_martinez_65.jpg

Sergio Martinez

Middleweight champion/junior middleweight titlist
Age: 35 | Record: 45-2-2, 24 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: It took some convincing but, according to promoter Lou DiBella, HBO is finally on board and has promised a fall date to Martinez, who looked tremendous outpointing Kelly Pavlik to win the middleweight title in April. To Martinez's credit, he is not looking for a soft touch. HBO prefers a rematch with Paul Williams, which Martinez would do, but Williams is apparently headed down to welterweight. Martinez has offered a lengthy list of other opponents he would fight, including Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Alfredo Angulo, Kermit Cintron, Antonio Margarito, Vanes Martirosyan, Sergio Mora, Luis Collazo, Alfonso Gomez, Felix Sturm, Cory Spinks and the winner of the June 26 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-John Duddy bout. Sure doesn't sound like Martinez is ducking anyone at middleweight or junior middleweight.

Misses: One sanctioning organization, the appalling WBO, stripped Martinez of its belt because he hadn't decided which weight division to keep a title in. Now the disgusting WBC is pressuring him too. It's a damn shame.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]6[/td][td]
box_marquez_65.jpg

Juan Manuel Marquez

Lightweight champion
Age: 36 | Record: 50-5-1, 37 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Marquez has never ducked anyone. Just look at the tremendous level of opposition he has faced over the past several years from featherweight to welterweight: Manny Pacquiao (twice), Floyd Mayweather Jr., Joel Casamayor, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Diaz, Rocky Juarez and Chris John. Now Marquez is set to go back into battle with Diaz on July 31 in a rematch of the 2009 fight of the year. A win could lead to a big fall fight with junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan.

Misses: As entertaining as the rematch between Marquez and Diaz figures to be, it's a shame that it is on HBO PPV for $49.95 instead of regular HBO like the first fight. At least Golden Boy has a strong undercard in place to give fans value for their money.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]7[/td][td]
box_cotto_weighin_65.jpg

Miguel Cotto

Junior middleweight titlist
Age: 29 | Record: 35-2, 28 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Although some had written Cotto off as a shot fighter following his brutal knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao last fall (not to mention his rough knockout loss to Antonio Margarito in July 2008), he showed he had an awful lot of fight left in him with an excellent performance against Yuri Foreman on June 5. Cotto, who has new trainer Emanuel Steward in his corner, looked sharp and accurate with his punches en route to a ninth-round knockout that gave him a title in a third weight class, which was set to the incredible backdrop of Yankee Stadium hosting a fight for the first time in 34 years.

Misses: It's a shame that what should have been a big night for Cotto to bask in the glow of an important victory was partially overshadowed by the controversy caused by referee Arthur Mercante's call to continue the fight after the corner of Foreman, who had suffered a knee injury in the seventh round, threw in the towel during the eighth.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]8[/td][td]
box_g_hokins3_65.jpg

Bernard Hopkins

Light heavyweight
Age: 45 | Record: 51-5-1, 32 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: It's already mid-June, which means the memory of Hopkins' lopsided decision victory in his ill-advised and horrific rematch with Roy Jones (which came about five years too late) on April 3 is finally beginning to fade.

Misses: Now that Joe Calzaghe has said he doesn't plan to exit retirement for a rematch with Hopkins -- a sequel that wasn't all that interesting anyway -- there really isn't anything notable on the horizon for Hopkins. And don't say a fight with super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute, because that has no significant appeal either.
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]9[/td][td]
box_g_ndonaire1_65.jpg

Nonito Donaire

Interim junior bantamweight titlist
Age: 27 | Record: 23-1, 15 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Donaire hasn't lost since his second professional bout in 2001, an excellent run that includes a memorable knockout against Vic Darchinyan to win a flyweight title in 2007 and subsequent wins over several quality opponents, including future titleholder Moruti Mthalane and then-undefeated Raul Martinez.

Misses: For whatever reason, Donaire has not gotten a marquee fight, including a much-talked about rematch with Darchinyan, which was supposed to take place this summer but blew up when Darchinyan walked away. Instead, Donaire has been relegated to fighting on small shows. A Showtime undercard fight in July against Hernan "Tyson" Marquez, an opponent who is coming off a loss, means absolutely nothing. When will see Donaire in a fight that we actually care about?
[/td][/tr][/table]




[table][tr][td]10[/td][td]
box_fw_bradley_65.jpg

Timothy Bradley Jr.

Junior welterweight titlist
Age: 26 | Record: 25-0, 11 KOs
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hits: Bradley, the No. 1 junior welterweight in the world, fights in a deep division. But since he is unable to make a major fight with the likes of Devon Alexander, Amir Khan or Marcos Maidana, for example, he is going to test the waters at welterweight against dangerous slugger Luis Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs) in his HBO debut July 17. All things considered, it's an interesting move as a win potentially opens the door to a major fight at welterweight but more likely leads to a return to junior welterweight so he can take care of the plethora of unfinished business in that weight class.

Misses: You have to figure one of the big 140-pound fights will eventually happen, particularly Bradley against Alexander. It is just a drag having to wait, even if that is what makes the best business sense for the fighters since the bout hasn't marinated long enough.
[/td][/tr][/table]







The next 10





11. Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon
12. Sugar Shane Mosley
13. Chris John
14. Celestino Caballero
15. Andre Ward
16. Lucian Bute
17. Andre Dirrell
18. Juan Manuel Lopez
19. Fernando Montiel
20. Arthur Abraham

Click to expand...
 
Super middleweight titlist Andre Ward is the favorite to retain his title when he meets Allan Green in their Group Stage 2 bout of the Super Six World Boxing Classic on Saturday night (Showtime, 10 ET/PT) at the Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland.
So say three of the four fighters in the field who will be watching closely -- Mikkel Kessler, Andre Dirrell and Arthur Abraham.

Only former titlist Carl Froch is picking Green to win. Green is making his Super Six debut after coming on board as the alternate following Jermain Taylor's withdrawal after suffering a brutal knockout to Abraham in the opening round of the tournament.

"It's too close to call, and in a close one, I always lean towards the puncher and Green is a big puncher and Ward isn't,'' England's Froch said. "The Americans are so pro-Ward and Dirrell that I'd like Green to win. I think it would spice things up if he knocked Ward out."

Kessler, who lost his title to Ward in their first-round meeting and claimed another belt when he beat Froch in the second stage, is picking Ward, although he is rooting for Green (29-1, 20 KOs).

"I think this will be a great fight," Denmark's Kessler said. "Every Super Six fight promises exciting action and their meeting will be no different. Having been in the ring with Ward, I know it will be very difficult for Green. I think Ward will be able to outsmart Green. My prediction is a points victory for him. However, I really hope Green wins. That would give me a great chance to win back my WBA belt. I really look forward to the fight."

Kessler and Green are scheduled to meet in Group Stage 3 regardless of the outcome of Saturday's fight.

Dirrell is also going with Ward (21-0, 13 KOs), his 2004 U.S. Olympic teammate whom he will face in Group Stage 3.

"Green is a dangerous fighter, but I'm eager to see what he brings to the tournament," Dirrell said. "Overall, I feel Ward is a smarter fighter and a better boxer who possesses more ring generalship. Ward is a faster puncher. He can wear down Green and possibly take him out."

And Germany's Abraham, the tournament leader with three points, rounds out the picks for Ward, saying, "I think Ward will win. He looked very impressive against Mikkel Kessler. He is not the Olympic champion for nothing. He is experienced, technically very strong and tactically very good. I am really looking forward to this fight. Green will pose a threat, though. He is very strong and a powerful puncher. It will be a very interesting fight."

Food for thought: Through the first five bouts of the modified round robin tournament, the hometown fighter has won each time, which would appear to be a good omen for Ward. If he wins, he clinches a berth in the semifinals. However, no fighter has won his first two fights of the tournament and since Ward won his opener against Kessler, maybe that's a plus for Green.

 
Sergio Martinez has made his decision. He is staying at middleweight.

Martinez won the middleweight championship on April 17 in Atlantic City, N.J., by outpointing Kelly Pavlik with late-fight surge. But Martinez was also a reigning junior middleweight titlist when he challenged Pavlik, and the rules of boxing's sanctioning organizations prohibit a fighter from holding belts in multiple divisions.

Martinez had already been stripped of the WBO's middleweight belt on May 29 because he had not yet told the organization of his decision. Faced with a deadline from the WBC, whose belts he held in the 160- and 154-pound divisions, Martinez made his decision on Wednesday, informing the organization via e-mail that he would keep the middleweight title, Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez's adviser, told ESPN.com.

"Sergio didn't like to do it, but he gave up the junior middleweight title," Lewkowicz said. "He's fought twice at 160 pounds and he built up muscles. He thought maybe he will have to sacrifice too much to be at 154 again."

At middleweight, Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) also holds the Ring magazine title as well as the lineal championship. If a major fight presents itself, promoter Lou DiBella said Martinez would consider dropping down to defend his title at a catch weight between 155 and 160 pounds.

"By keeping the middleweight title, he would also have an ability to drop down to fight a big fight at a catch weight," DiBella said. "He bulked up for Pavlik and he knows his body. He said he would have a problem going all the way down to 154 and there is no mega fight for him in that weight class. If there is an economic reason to go down as low as 155, he'd probably do it, but he's a middleweight now."

As a middleweight, Martinez is 1-1, beating Pavlik for the title and losing a majority decision to Paul Williams in December in one of the most action-packed fights of 2009, a bout many observers thought could have gone either way.

There was another reason for Martinez's decision to vacate the junior middleweight title rather than the middleweight championship.

Martinez, 35, who lives in California, is from Argentina, whose greatest fighter was Hall of Famer Carlos Monzon, the longtime middleweight champion in the 1970s.

"What Sergio told me was that he preferred to stick at 160 because he wants to follow in the footsteps of his great idol, Monzon," Lewkowicz said. "It means a lot to him to have the same title as Monzon and there is more prestige he believes in being middleweight champion than in the junior middleweight division."

Martinez won the WBC's vacant interim title at junior middleweight with an eighth-round knockout of Alex Bunema in 2008 and defended it once when he was given a draw against Kermit Cintron in a February 2009 fight most believed Martinez had won easily. After the murder of titleholder Vernon Forrest last summer, Martinez was elevated to full titleholder. But he went up to middleweight to face Williams in a nontitle bout before making a defense.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
nvm he gave up the belt at 154

maybe this means him and his team was told PBF VS Pacman was going to be made?
 
[h4]
[h4]Shot at title a long time coming for Green[/h4]







Allan Green was 23-0 and steaming his way toward a super middleweight title shot as one of boxing's hottest contenders when he was seriously derailed by a unanimous decision loss to Edison Miranda in March 2007.

Making his HBO debut on a Miguel Cotto undercard, Green had dropped Miranda in the eighth round but didn't have the energy to put him away. Miranda stormed back to drop Green twice in the 10th and final round and came away with a clear unanimous decision.

A few months later, Green had 85 percent of his colon removed because of an ongoing problem he had been dealing with even before the Miranda fight. Clearly Green should not have fought Miranda, but he didn't pull out because of the opportunity to fight on HBO. Green has maintained he was not even at 50 percent strength for the fight, yet he made it to the final bell and had his moments.

Green is 6-0 since the loss, but it's taken him three years to get back into position to fight for a world title, which he'll do against Andre Ward on Saturday night (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET/PT) at the Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

[h4]Super Six Scoreboard[/h4]
Standings for Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic. The final bout of three Group Stage 2 bouts takes place Saturday with the Ward-Green fight in Oakland. Fighters are awarded three points for a knockout win, two points for a decision win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss. The top four fighters advance to the semifinals following the three-fight Group Stage 3, which begins in the fall:
[table][tr][th=""]Record[/th][th=""]Fighter[/th][th=""]Points[/th][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1-1[/td][td]Arthur Abraham[/td][td]3[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1-0[/td][td]Andre Ward[/td][td]2[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1-1[/td][td]Mikkel Kessler[/td][td]2[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1-1[/td][td]Carl Froch[/td][td]2[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1-1[/td][td]Andre Dirrell[/td][td]2[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]0-0[/td][td]*Allan Green[/td][td]0[/td][/tr][tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]* Green replaced Jermain Taylor, who withdrew after Group Stage 1.[/td][/tr][/table]

The bout, the final one of Group Stage 2 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic modified round-robin tournament, marks Green's debut in the event.

Getting into the tournament was not easy. Green came on board as an alternate to replace Jermain Taylor, who was knocked out by Arthur Abraham in the first stage in the fall before formally withdrawing earlier this year.

Green (29-1, 20 KOs) was miffed that he wasn't among the original inclusions in the tournament, which also includes Ward, Abraham, Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell.

Before the tournament was put together, Green and Taylor fought on the same Showtime card. Taylor was knocked out in the 12th round by Froch in the main event, while Green destroyed Carlos De Leon Jr. in two rounds on the undercard.

But Taylor, the former middleweight champion, was a much bigger name and he got in when Showtime put the event together.

"I think I belonged in the tournament originally," said Green, 30, of Tulsa, Okla. "As far as Dirrell goes, I don't think he was ready. The thing I didn't understand was Jermain Taylor getting into the tournament. No offense against Jermain, but we fought on the same show and I won my fight and he lost his fight. I got pushed back to [Showtime's lower-level series] 'ShoBox,' and he got put into the tournament. That's what I didn't understand."

[h4]Heavy Hitting Boxing Podcast[/h4]
Kieran Mulvaney looks back at the Hall of Fame induction weekend and looks ahead to the latest installment of the Super Six super middleweight tournament.

More Podcasts »







But now Green is in, although he comes into the tournament at a bit of a disadvantage when he faces Ward (21-0, 13 KOs), who is making his first title defense.

Without the benefit of a Group Stage 1 bout, Green has zero points. He needs to pick up the two points that go with winning (three if he scores a knockout) if he is to have a reasonable shot at making the semifinals following Group Stage 3. Ward will clinch a semifinal berth with a victory.

"I'm not coming into this tournament thinking about points," said Green, who will face titleholder Kessler in his next fight regardless of Saturday's outcome. "I'm thinking about victories. With victories come points. I don't want to put any more pressure on myself than I already have. The only points I'm worried about are the points in the fight. And that's up to the judges. So I can't worry about that. I can't put pressure on myself like that."

Ward has two points based on his title win in the opening round against Kessler, who claimed another title by beating Froch in the second stage.

Even though Ward, the betting favorite to win the tournament, is positioned well in the standings, he's a fanatical trainer and said he is not taking Green lightly.

"I think a lot of people think I'm coming in here really well rested and really enjoying the fact that I've got a championship," Ward said. "But it's been all work. For me, I try to say as little as possible before a fight. I'm not going to stand there and get pushed down or get bullied. but at the end of the day I just shut my mouth, work hard and take care of business. So that's what I plan on doing."

[h4]Lopez-Marquez in the works[/h4]

box_g_rmarquez_576.jpg
Chris Cozzone/Fightwireimages.comRafael Marquez might be assigned to defend Mexico's honor if a fight with Puerto Rico's Juan Manuel Lopez is finalized.

Although Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Gary Shaw couldn't finalize an August rematch between Nonito Donaire and Vic Darchinyan, they haven't been stopped from trying to work out a Showtime fight that would pit featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez and Rafael Marquez on Sept. 18 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand.

The match, which would instantly become part of boxing's traditional Puerto Rico (Lopez) vs. Mexico (Marquez) rivalry, would take place on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day.

"The only thing disputing it is the kid holding it up," Arum said, referring to Bernabe Concepcion, whom Lopez would have to defeat July 10 on Showtime. "If he whips 'Juanma,' goodbye Marquez fight. But otherwise, I'd say it would happen. It's a huge weekend for Mexicans and a really good fight."

Marquez, who is coming off his third-round knockout win in May against Israel Vazquez in the fourth fight of their epic rivalry, would not have an interim bout.

Although Arum said he and the Lopez camp want the fight, he has yet to finalize with Showtime. Shaw, who co-promotes Marquez with Fernando Beltran, Arum's close associate, said their side already has agreed to terms.

"I have an offer on the table from Showtime, and I have accepted the offer. We are good to go on our side," Shaw said. "I think we knock 'Juanma' out. I don't think he's as talented as everyone thinks he is. He's not Trinidad or even Cotto, and I have all the confidence in Marquez. He's always been underrated and in the shadow of his brother [lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez]."

[h4]Golden Boy to celebrate Mexico's bicentennial[/h4]

box_g_alvarez_b1_576.jpg
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesSaul Alvarez could be part of a Golden Boy-promoted Mexican Independence Day card in September.

There is usually a Hispanic-themed pay-per-view card in mid-September to coincide with Mexican Independence Day, and this year won't be any different. As Mexico readies for its Sept. 16 bicentennial, Golden Boy is planning a Sept. 18 split-site PPV with fights from Mexico City and either Las Vegas or Los Angeles, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said. He said the company is planning several days of festivities because of the significance of Mexico's 200th birthday.

In the works, Schaefer said, is a mariachi festival from the U.S. site a few days before the card, a dinner open to fans featuring many of Mexico's all-time boxing greats and a Telefutura card the night before the pay-per-view.

If junior middleweight Saul Alvarez (32-0-1, 24 KOs), the rising Mexican star now with Golden Boy, comes through July 10 against Luciano Cuello in Mexico, he'd be on the card from the U.S. site. Junior welterweight Victor Ortiz could also be on.

The show's card is still fluid, but Schaefer said he wants to include at least two title bouts. Golden Boy has ties to German promoter Universum, and Schaefer said fights being tossed around include junior lightweight titlist Vitali Tajbert against Daniel Ponce De Leon, interim middleweight titlist Sebastian Zbik against Sergio Mora and light heavyweight titleholder Jurgen Brahmer against Librado Andrade.

"These fights aren't set, but they're the kinds of fights we're talking about," he said.
Click to expand...
[/h4]

 

[h4]
[h4]QUICK HITS[/h4]

box_g_vklitschko1_65.jpg
Klitschko

• With heavyweight titlist David Haye avoiding a showdown with unified champion Wladimir Klitschko, whom he's called out for the past couple of years, in order to fight English countryman Audley Harrison instead -- British media is reporting that Harrison has agreed to an offer for a Nov. 13 fight -- Klitschko intends to go forward with his mandatory defense against Alexander Povetkin. The IBF would have allowed Klitschko to delay the mandatory in order to make the unification bout, but Haye declined an offer that would have seen him get a 50-50 deal without having to yield options on future bouts. Klitschko's camp asked the IBF this week to order a purse bid for the Povetkin fight. The IBF set the bid for June 29. The fight must take place within 90 days of the bid.

box_g_gamboa_65.jpg
Gamboa

• Although HBO and Top Rank finally came to terms on the money for a July 24 "Boxing After Dark" doubleheader from Las Vegas, to include Yuriorkis Gamboa against Orlando Salido in a featherweight unification fight and a lightweight eliminator between Anthony Peterson and Brandon Rios, the card was postponed Thursday. HBO won't have boxing that night. Top Rank's Carl Moretti told ESPN.com the reason for the postponement was because Salido suffered a cut during his May title win against Cristobal Cruz that hadn't completely healed yet. Top Rank and HBO are talking about moving the card to the fall. "Having come off a very physical battle, the last thing Salido or Top Rank wanted for the fans and HBO is a cut opening up immediately and having an impact on the potential result," Moretti said. "By pushing the fight back, it ensures the quality of the unification match."

box_sergio_martinez_65.jpg
Martinez

• Promoter Lou DiBella, whose frustration with HBO boiled over last week because middleweight champ Sergio Martinez hadn't been assured of a fall date, said the network has come around. DiBella said HBO's "clear preference" is for a rematch between Martinez and Paul Williams, who edged him in December, one fight before Martinez beat Kelly Pavlik for the middleweight title. However, DiBella said if it can't be made (Williams' side says he's going down to welterweight) it's possible the fighters will appear together on a doubleheader. DiBella has given HBO a lengthy list of fighters Martinez is willing to face, including Williams. "HBO is trying to create economic incentives to make the rematch, but they're not leaving Sergio with nothing if it can't be made," DiBella said. "I had conversations with [HBO Sports president] Ross Greenburg and [HBO Sports senior vice president] Kery [Davis] and they indicated their preference for Williams, but they also indicated that if the fight wasn't happening they would entertain a doubleheader with Sergio against a reasonable opponent. They absolutely stepped up for Sergio and said he'd either be fighting Williams or an opponent we can agree on. Sergio is very happy to continue his career on HBO and appreciates everything they've done for him."

box_g_pacquiao_65.jpg
Pacquiao

• Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said nothing would be determined related to the next fight new junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto until the situation with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather plays out, one way or the other. If Pacquiao-Mayweather isn't made, Arum said a Pacquiao-Cotto rematch was possible, adding that so too is an Antonio Margarito-Cotto rematch. "Nothing is going to happen in that world until we see what's happening with Pacquiao-Mayweather. I can't talk about it, but that's the fight we are trying to make. Arum and Pacquiao want it to happen. That's all I can say." Whether Pacquiao, who will be sworn in to office as a Filipino congressman on June 30, fights Mayweather or not, Arum said Pacquiao is fighting Nov. 13. "It will be his first fight as the fighting congressman and we want Mayweather," Arum said.

boxing_a_barrera_65.jpg
Barrera

• Top Rank has finalized the televised undercard for next Saturday's "Latin Fury 15" pay-per-view card from the Alamodome in San Antonio, which is headlined by middleweights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and John Duddy. Marco Antonio Barrera faces Adilton DeJesus in a 10-round lightweight fight in the co-feature. In an all-San Antonio grudge match, junior bantamweight Raul Martinez faces rival Gabriel Elizondo in a 10-rounder. Featherweight Salvador Sanchez, the nephew of the late Hall of Famer with the same name, meets Tomas Villa in an eight-rounder. There will also likely be highlights of blue chip junior welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez's bout. Junior welterweight Mike Alvarado was supposed to be on the card but is off because he was in jail this week on a probation violation. "I was shocked when I heard about it," Top Rank's Arum said. Alvarado recently got out of a Colorado jail for a previous probation violation and won his comeback fight in April after an 11-month layoff.

box_f_arreola01_65.jpg
Arreola

• Heavyweight Cris Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs), looking to get back on track, could be headed for an August fight on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights." Promoter Dan Goossen and the network are discussing a potential fight, according to the network. "He's in the gym, but waiting to hear," trainer Henry Ramirez said. "We're fighting in August. Who it will be against? It's a mystery to you, me and everybody else." The main hang-up is coming up with an opponent acceptable to both sides. One potential opponent is Friday Ahunanya. Arreola has lost two of his last three fights, including an upset decision loss to Tomasz Adamek in April and a 10th-round TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko in a title fight.

box_f_holt_65.jpg
Holt

• Former junior welterweight titlist Kendall Holt, scheduled to face Jesse Feliciano in a welterweight bout on the Ward-Green undercard, withdrew from the fight. Promoter Lou DiBella, who said he is finalizing a promotional deal with Holt, said Holt "knew he was heavy. He was trying to come down in weight and couldn't come down to where he was comfortable in time. He'll fight again soon. He knows he can't mess around, that he has to be in shape and in his best shape every time he gets in the ring." Holt has lost two in a row: a decision to Timothy Bradley in an April 2009 unification bout followed by a sixth-round TKO loss to Kaizer Mabuza in a major upset in a title eliminator in February. "Kendall knows he can't afford another bad night," DiBella said. "His weight had ballooned, so he made the decision to not fight."

box_f_angulo_65.jpg
Angulo

• Promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com that Alfredo "Perro" Angulo will vacate his interim junior middleweight belt. Angulo was ordered to face full titlist Sergei Dzinziruk, whom Shaw co-promotes, in a mandatory fight, but has no intention of doing so. Angulo is already scheduled to face ex-titleholder Joachim Alcine July 17 on HBO. … Doug Jacobs' Integrated Sports has secured the rights to the David Tua-Monte Barrett heavyweight fight in Atlantic City, N.J., on July 17 and will offer the card as a $24.95 pay-per-view … Ex-heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman (46-7-2, 37 KOs) looks for his second consecutive win since Wladimir Klitschko destroyed him in seven rounds in a December 2008 title defense when he faces Shannon Miller (16-4, 9 KOs) in Niagara Falls, N.Y., on Saturday. … With talks for a summer fight with Erik Morales falling through, 2004 U.S. Olympian Vicente Escobedo (22-2, 14 KOs) faces Raymundo Beltran (23-4, 15 KOs) in Denver on July 9 (Telefutura) in a junior lightweight bout. … Junior bantamweight titlist Hugo Cazares (31-6-2, 22 KOs), who defeated Nobuo Nashiro in Japan to win the belt in May, returns home to Mexico for his first defense July 3 against Everardo Morales (34-14-2, 23 KOs).

[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]

box_a_alexander_65.jpg
Alexander
"Kotelnik is a good, solid fighter, but I'm a better fighter. His time has come and gone. He was a champion, but he's not anymore, and he's certainly not going to be champion after this fight." -- unified junior welterweight titlist Devon Alexander, at a news conference announcing his Aug. 7 (HBO) defense against ex-titleholder Andreas Kotelnik

[h4]QUOTABLE[/h4]

box_g_kotelnik_65.jpg
Kotelnik
"They say it's a long way to come for an %*+ kicking, but I have a question for Devon Alexander after his people have made all these boasts. Will Devon come back and fight me in a rematch in the Ukraine after I kick his %*+? There will be an %*+ kicking, but St. Louis will be surprised who will be doing it." -- Kotelnik, following some harsh remarks from Alexander trainer/manager Kevin Cunningham, at a testy news conference announcing the fight
Click to expand...
[/h4]
 
headed to the Coliseum right now. don't know much about Allan Green but i'm more than confident in Andre, looking forward to a great fight. i hope the crowd is as energetic and into the fight as they were back in November
 
Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

I dont see Green layin down.

Greens a tough customer and has heart and a Huge punch. Ward should outbox him.
Click to expand...

I don't have as much confidence for Green as you do...
I feel Ward is gonna show why he's the favorite tonight, and dismatle Green.
 
I'm hoping for a Green victory. Make it more interesting than it already is. Arthur with 3 points and the rest with 2 would be awesome going into the last round.
 
This is a BS fight. Just give Ward his belt back already. The ref is letting him hold the entire fight and push Green's head down with his left hand. Then he wants to tell Green not to push off. Meanwhile Ward is digging elbows into Green.
 
swear to god, Allan Green hasnt even attempted to throw an effective punch in 3 rounds.

I could complain about the ref but as long as Green aint tryin, theres no complaint. Green has no chance and she ould be  kicked outta the super 6 after this performance
 
Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

swear to god, Allan Green hasnt even attempted to throw an effective punch in 3 rounds.

I could complain about the ref but as long as Green aint tryin, theres no complaint. Green has no chance and she ould be  kicked outta the super 6 after this performance
Click to expand...

I told you man, he's a level below everybody in the Super 6.
laugh.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest News

View All News

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

Site contents may not be incorporated into AI training data or any other derivative works without prior express written consent.

Links to participating merchants may generate referral or affiliate commissions that help support our community. See our policies for details. NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom