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

[gunna get it]

2 very bad fights in a row for Devon alexander, hes lost all of his luster IMO

 

[proshares]

I agree 100% but those are two fighters where it's very hard to look that good against. Kotelnik darts inside and takes away the speed and works pretty good outside to stay at bay. No one ever looks good against Timmay. Which is why I'm hoping Khan runs him out of the ring.

 

[proshares]

I agree 100% but those are two fighters where it's very hard to look that good against. Kotelnik darts inside and takes away the speed and works pretty good outside to stay at bay. No one ever looks good against Timmay. Which is why I'm hoping Khan runs him out of the ring.

 

[proshares]

Your random thoughts ...

• Looks like giving heavyweight titlist David Haye the nickname "The Ducker" worked, as he finally signed to fight champion Wladimir Klitschko in the most significant heavyweight fight boxing has to offer.

Seriously, it's about time the sides came to terms, even if it was Haye who was mostly responsible for dragging this out for the better part of two years. They are due to meet at a European site to be determined June 25 or July 2.

Of course, we must keep in mind that this is not the first time Haye signed to face Klitschko. They were supposed to fight in the summer of 2009, but Haye, citing a questionable back injury, pulled out a couple of weeks before the bout. The real reason, most believe, was because the television network he was tied to in England at the time, Setanta, was on the verge of bankruptcy and he wasn't certain he would be paid the bulk of his purse. He never could bring himself to admit that.

Nonetheless, a couple of months later Haye agreed to challenge Vitali Klitschko for his belt, but he didn't sign because he had secretly negotiated behind Klitschko's back for a fight with Nikolai Valuev, against whom Haye won his belt. So now he has finally signed again. That's great news for boxing and boxing fans around the world.

I give Haye credit for finally manning up and signing on the dotted line, and for also agreeing to face Vitali in the event that Wladimir's nagging abdominal injury isn't healed in time. Haye against either Klitschko is an important fight, one that so many of us have been looking forward to for ages.

Haye, of course, will trash-talk until the cows come home. He has already started (continued?): "I always believed we'd one day fight and I am glad we have cut through the nonsense and put together the most important fight in the heavyweight division. This is an inevitable fight with an inevitable conclusion: Wladimir Klitschko is getting violently knocked out."

Klitschko hasn't been a big talker, even though it's clear that Haye has gotten under his skin in recent months. When the fight was announced, Klitschko said, "I am happy that a fight has finally been realized. It is my brother's and my dream to unify all four belts in the Klitschko family. I will not let this chance go by. Haye has twice dropped out of a fight with us and now he has already started to do a lot of trash talking again. It is time to let our fists speak!"

I couldn't agree more. And I will believe it when the bell finally rings.

• Oh, the delicious opportunities the woeful sanctioning bodies offer to expose them for their absurdity. They don't even pretend that any of this makes sense anymore. On April 9 in Germany, super middleweight titlist Robert Stieglitz will face fellow titlist Dimitri Sartison in what is being billed as a unification bout. Here's the problem: Sartison owns the WBA's regular title, a belt he was allowed to fight for when Andre Ward, the No. 1 168-pounder in the world, was "elevated" to super champion.

When the WBA began its use of the miserable "regular" and "super" titles about a decade ago, they were supposedly meant for unified titleholders to have more time to make mandatory defenses (even though anyone with a brain knows it was merely a way to bill for more sanctioning fees). The WBA would "promote" unified titleholders to "super" champions and then sanction a "regular" title fight. Then the WBA simply ignored that and began naming "super" titleholders who had only one belt, while also sanctioning "regular" title bouts. That's what happened with Ward, a one-belt titleholder. That means the winner of Stieglitz-Sartison will become the first unified regular titleholder! Or maybe the winner will be named "super" titleholder and Ward will be named "super super" titleholder. Or how about "super duper" titleholder? The madness never ends.

• Props to Showtime for finally doing something I have advocated be done by the premium channels for a long time: Use one of its multiplex outlets to beef up its boxing coverage. On Friday, Showtime will use its Showtime Extreme channel to televise live coverage of the Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga weigh-in ahead of their junior middleweight title bout on Showtime PPV on Saturday night. The half-hour weigh-in show from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be produced by promoter Top Rank and hosted by Ines Sainz of TV Azteca and ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.. It airs at 6 p.m. ET (taped delayed on the West Coast, unfortunately) and will feature the weigh-in for all eight fighters on the pay-per-view portion of the show: Cotto, Mayorga, Yuri Foreman, Pawel Wolak, Miguel Vazquez, Lenny Zappavigna, Tommy Zbikowski and Richard Bryant.

"Showtime continues to explore different ways to expand the reach of boxing, and televising the weigh-in of a major pay-per-view card is just one of the many innovations we will be exploring," said Showtime Sports chief Ken Hershman. "Earlier this year, Showtime Extreme re-launched as the place to find Showtime Sports telecasts after their original airings on Showtime. By adding live content for the first time, we are bolstering the channel's value to our subscribers even more."

I couldn't agree more with Hershman. Showtime and HBO have several multiplex stations apiece, and it's great to see them being put to use for worthwhile boxing programming (which, by the way, is very inexpensive). Next, I'd like to see one of the networks use its outlets to air additional undercard action from pay-per-views or network cards. Showtime's weigh-in show also will be available in HD and streamed on sports.sho.com and www.toprank.com/TRLivestream.

• I'm looking forward to seeing Sugar Ray Leonard on "Dancing With the Stars." Bet he can still move, oh-so smoothly.

• I really like the prospect of a summer fight between Devon Alexander and Lucas Matthysse.

• Last month was the WBC's 48th anniversary of its creation. That's about 48 years too many.

• Do we really have to wait until May for the Super Six semifinals? How long is this thing going to drag out?

• So Joshua Clotty tripped in a pothole running and injured his ankle and wrist, forcing him to pull out of Saturday's fight on the Cotto-Mayorga undercard. Guess we have to add Clottey's pothole to similar prefight dangers, such as Alexander Povetkin's tree root and Zab Judah's shower door.

• We're only in early March, but Robert Garcia has to be the early favorite for trainer of the year honors. He has had a big year already, guiding two of his charges to significant wins: Nonito Donaire's crushing second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel to earn Donaire a pair of bantamweight belts; and Brandon Rios' come-from-behind 10th-round stoppage of Miguel Acosta for a lightweight belt.

• I am happy to see that Donaire will get back in the ring fairly quickly after his win over Montiel. He's due back May 28. The names that have been mentioned to me as potential opponents are titleholder Anselmo Moreno in a unification match and junior bantamweight titlist Hugo Cazares. I'm hoping the fight with Moreno gets done. He's one of the best fighters in the world that most American fans haven't seen.

• Big couple of weeks for birthdays. Shout-outs to super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute (31), junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk (35), Montiel (32), former super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler (32) and trainer Freddie Roach (51), who celebrated their day.

• Paging Alfredo "Perro" Angulo.

• DVD pick of the week: How could it be anything else on this day? I delved into the archive for a supreme copy of the closed circuit version of the fight from March 8, 1971, at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. Forty years ago today, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier squared off for the heavyweight championship in one of the biggest sporting events ever. Ali (31-0), recognized by many as the legitimate champion despite having been stripped of his title for refusing induction into the army, was fighting for the third time since a 3½-year banishment. During Ali's time on ice, Frazier (26-0) had won various belts, and his showdown with Ali was as big as it gets in boxing history. It lived up to the hype, too, as they waged a tremendously exciting fight, the first of their legendary trilogy. Frazier rocked Ali in the 11th round, but the biggest moment came in the 15th and final round when he dropped Ali with a big left hook to seal a comfortable unanimous decision in an unforgettable fight.

 

[proshares]

Your random thoughts ...

• Looks like giving heavyweight titlist David Haye the nickname "The Ducker" worked, as he finally signed to fight champion Wladimir Klitschko in the most significant heavyweight fight boxing has to offer.

Seriously, it's about time the sides came to terms, even if it was Haye who was mostly responsible for dragging this out for the better part of two years. They are due to meet at a European site to be determined June 25 or July 2.

Of course, we must keep in mind that this is not the first time Haye signed to face Klitschko. They were supposed to fight in the summer of 2009, but Haye, citing a questionable back injury, pulled out a couple of weeks before the bout. The real reason, most believe, was because the television network he was tied to in England at the time, Setanta, was on the verge of bankruptcy and he wasn't certain he would be paid the bulk of his purse. He never could bring himself to admit that.

Nonetheless, a couple of months later Haye agreed to challenge Vitali Klitschko for his belt, but he didn't sign because he had secretly negotiated behind Klitschko's back for a fight with Nikolai Valuev, against whom Haye won his belt. So now he has finally signed again. That's great news for boxing and boxing fans around the world.

I give Haye credit for finally manning up and signing on the dotted line, and for also agreeing to face Vitali in the event that Wladimir's nagging abdominal injury isn't healed in time. Haye against either Klitschko is an important fight, one that so many of us have been looking forward to for ages.

Haye, of course, will trash-talk until the cows come home. He has already started (continued?): "I always believed we'd one day fight and I am glad we have cut through the nonsense and put together the most important fight in the heavyweight division. This is an inevitable fight with an inevitable conclusion: Wladimir Klitschko is getting violently knocked out."

Klitschko hasn't been a big talker, even though it's clear that Haye has gotten under his skin in recent months. When the fight was announced, Klitschko said, "I am happy that a fight has finally been realized. It is my brother's and my dream to unify all four belts in the Klitschko family. I will not let this chance go by. Haye has twice dropped out of a fight with us and now he has already started to do a lot of trash talking again. It is time to let our fists speak!"

I couldn't agree more. And I will believe it when the bell finally rings.

• Oh, the delicious opportunities the woeful sanctioning bodies offer to expose them for their absurdity. They don't even pretend that any of this makes sense anymore. On April 9 in Germany, super middleweight titlist Robert Stieglitz will face fellow titlist Dimitri Sartison in what is being billed as a unification bout. Here's the problem: Sartison owns the WBA's regular title, a belt he was allowed to fight for when Andre Ward, the No. 1 168-pounder in the world, was "elevated" to super champion.

When the WBA began its use of the miserable "regular" and "super" titles about a decade ago, they were supposedly meant for unified titleholders to have more time to make mandatory defenses (even though anyone with a brain knows it was merely a way to bill for more sanctioning fees). The WBA would "promote" unified titleholders to "super" champions and then sanction a "regular" title fight. Then the WBA simply ignored that and began naming "super" titleholders who had only one belt, while also sanctioning "regular" title bouts. That's what happened with Ward, a one-belt titleholder. That means the winner of Stieglitz-Sartison will become the first unified regular titleholder! Or maybe the winner will be named "super" titleholder and Ward will be named "super super" titleholder. Or how about "super duper" titleholder? The madness never ends.

• Props to Showtime for finally doing something I have advocated be done by the premium channels for a long time: Use one of its multiplex outlets to beef up its boxing coverage. On Friday, Showtime will use its Showtime Extreme channel to televise live coverage of the Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga weigh-in ahead of their junior middleweight title bout on Showtime PPV on Saturday night. The half-hour weigh-in show from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be produced by promoter Top Rank and hosted by Ines Sainz of TV Azteca and ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr.. It airs at 6 p.m. ET (taped delayed on the West Coast, unfortunately) and will feature the weigh-in for all eight fighters on the pay-per-view portion of the show: Cotto, Mayorga, Yuri Foreman, Pawel Wolak, Miguel Vazquez, Lenny Zappavigna, Tommy Zbikowski and Richard Bryant.

"Showtime continues to explore different ways to expand the reach of boxing, and televising the weigh-in of a major pay-per-view card is just one of the many innovations we will be exploring," said Showtime Sports chief Ken Hershman. "Earlier this year, Showtime Extreme re-launched as the place to find Showtime Sports telecasts after their original airings on Showtime. By adding live content for the first time, we are bolstering the channel's value to our subscribers even more."

I couldn't agree more with Hershman. Showtime and HBO have several multiplex stations apiece, and it's great to see them being put to use for worthwhile boxing programming (which, by the way, is very inexpensive). Next, I'd like to see one of the networks use its outlets to air additional undercard action from pay-per-views or network cards. Showtime's weigh-in show also will be available in HD and streamed on sports.sho.com and www.toprank.com/TRLivestream.

• I'm looking forward to seeing Sugar Ray Leonard on "Dancing With the Stars." Bet he can still move, oh-so smoothly.

• I really like the prospect of a summer fight between Devon Alexander and Lucas Matthysse.

• Last month was the WBC's 48th anniversary of its creation. That's about 48 years too many.

• Do we really have to wait until May for the Super Six semifinals? How long is this thing going to drag out?

• So Joshua Clotty tripped in a pothole running and injured his ankle and wrist, forcing him to pull out of Saturday's fight on the Cotto-Mayorga undercard. Guess we have to add Clottey's pothole to similar prefight dangers, such as Alexander Povetkin's tree root and Zab Judah's shower door.

• We're only in early March, but Robert Garcia has to be the early favorite for trainer of the year honors. He has had a big year already, guiding two of his charges to significant wins: Nonito Donaire's crushing second-round knockout of Fernando Montiel to earn Donaire a pair of bantamweight belts; and Brandon Rios' come-from-behind 10th-round stoppage of Miguel Acosta for a lightweight belt.

• I am happy to see that Donaire will get back in the ring fairly quickly after his win over Montiel. He's due back May 28. The names that have been mentioned to me as potential opponents are titleholder Anselmo Moreno in a unification match and junior bantamweight titlist Hugo Cazares. I'm hoping the fight with Moreno gets done. He's one of the best fighters in the world that most American fans haven't seen.

• Big couple of weeks for birthdays. Shout-outs to super middleweight titlist Lucian Bute (31), junior middleweight titlist Sergei Dzinziruk (35), Montiel (32), former super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler (32) and trainer Freddie Roach (51), who celebrated their day.

• Paging Alfredo "Perro" Angulo.

• DVD pick of the week: How could it be anything else on this day? I delved into the archive for a supreme copy of the closed circuit version of the fight from March 8, 1971, at New York's famed Madison Square Garden. Forty years ago today, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier squared off for the heavyweight championship in one of the biggest sporting events ever. Ali (31-0), recognized by many as the legitimate champion despite having been stripped of his title for refusing induction into the army, was fighting for the third time since a 3½-year banishment. During Ali's time on ice, Frazier (26-0) had won various belts, and his showdown with Ali was as big as it gets in boxing history. It lived up to the hype, too, as they waged a tremendously exciting fight, the first of their legendary trilogy. Frazier rocked Ali in the 11th round, but the biggest moment came in the 15th and final round when he dropped Ali with a big left hook to seal a comfortable unanimous decision in an unforgettable fight.

 

[lesgodsonc0]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

2 very bad fights in a row for Devon alexander, hes lost all of his luster IMO

I'm still gonna reserve judgement. When has ANYBODY looked decent against Bradley? The man trains at the Sergio Mora school that specializes in UGLY fights.
  

 

[lesgodsonc0]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

2 very bad fights in a row for Devon alexander, hes lost all of his luster IMO

I'm still gonna reserve judgement. When has ANYBODY looked decent against Bradley? The man trains at the Sergio Mora school that specializes in UGLY fights.
  

 

[thacapt]

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

 

[thacapt]

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

 

[yoppa guevara]

Originally Posted by thacapt

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

meh , he's 23 . would rather him actually take some time off and actually learn how to box and go to the body....maybe something crazy like SWITCHING UP YOUR PUNCHES every now and then!!!!! lol dudes OD talented but he throws the same 2 punches over n over.

 

[yoppa guevara]

Originally Posted by thacapt

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

meh , he's 23 . would rather him actually take some time off and actually learn how to box and go to the body....maybe something crazy like SWITCHING UP YOUR PUNCHES every now and then!!!!! lol dudes OD talented but he throws the same 2 punches over n over.

 

[gunna get it]

Zabnd his people are looking to make the next fight vs JMM

 

[gunna get it]

Zabnd his people are looking to make the next fight vs JMM

 

[proshares]

That'd be pretty interesting. Wanna see how the promotions are handled if it gets made, I know JMM is still waiting for his contract to expire.

 

[proshares]

That'd be pretty interesting. Wanna see how the promotions are handled if it gets made, I know JMM is still waiting for his contract to expire.

 

[thacapt]

Originally Posted by Yoppa Guevara

Originally Posted by thacapt

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

meh , he's 23 . would rather him actually take some time off and actually learn how to box and go to the body....maybe something crazy like SWITCHING UP YOUR PUNCHES every now and then!!!!! lol dudes OD talented but he throws the same 2 punches over n over.

He can still learn new things while fighting tough opponents.

 

[thacapt]

Originally Posted by Yoppa Guevara

Originally Posted by thacapt

I'm really liking that potential Alexander-Matthysse fight.

Atleast Alexander ain't takin no easy fights.

meh , he's 23 . would rather him actually take some time off and actually learn how to box and go to the body....maybe something crazy like SWITCHING UP YOUR PUNCHES every now and then!!!!! lol dudes OD talented but he throws the same 2 punches over n over.

He can still learn new things while fighting tough opponents.

 

[yoppa guevara]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Zabnd his people are looking to make the next fight vs JMM

random , i see JMM touching the canvas once (word to every fight) speed won't be a huge factor cus marquez has good timing which offsets things a bit. for all or marquez's great foot work he's never really had great head movement. would make for a great summer fight

 

[yoppa guevara]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Zabnd his people are looking to make the next fight vs JMM

random , i see JMM touching the canvas once (word to every fight) speed won't be a huge factor cus marquez has good timing which offsets things a bit. for all or marquez's great foot work he's never really had great head movement. would make for a great summer fight

 

[gunna get it]

Al Bernstein:"Neither Joseph Agbeko nor Abner Mares can beat Nonito Donaire right now, and that'staking nothing away from Agbeko or Mares. I think our tournament is terrific and I thinkthe two fights we had were great. Mares ekes out a victory over Darchinyan that could havegone either way. Agbeko fought a brilliant fight against Perez. I don't think anybodyat 118 pounds could touch Nonito Donaire. I thought that ever since he beat Darchinyan and that same statement may be true at 122 pounds as well," stated Showtime commentator Al Bernstein, who shared his thoughts on newly crowned WBC & WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire. Speaking to FightHype's own Percy Crawford during a recent interview, Bernstein explained that Donaire's skills are so advanced that the only person below 126 pounds who can beat him is Donaire himself."Nonito Donaire, there is only one thing standing in between Nonito Donaire and his potential greatness and that's himself. Will his issues with his family mentally ever work on him and will he mentally make sure he stays in shape for every fight?Those are the only issues preventing Nonito Donaire from dominating every human being up to 126 pounds.What he will do with Juan Manuel Lopez or even moreso Yuriorkis Gamboa, that's a different story. But up to 126 pounds, there is not a human on this planet that can beat Nonito Donaire," Bernstein added.On May 28th, reigning WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno will look to prove Bernstein wrongwhen he faces Donaire in a highly anticipated unification bout. Should Donaire win, he'll hold 3 of the 4major titles and the only person standing in the way of him unifying the entire division will be the winner ofShowtime's Bantamweight Tournament, which will be either Agebeko, the current IBF bantamweight champion,or Abner mares.

 

[gunna get it]

Al Bernstein:"Neither Joseph Agbeko nor Abner Mares can beat Nonito Donaire right now, and that'staking nothing away from Agbeko or Mares. I think our tournament is terrific and I thinkthe two fights we had were great. Mares ekes out a victory over Darchinyan that could havegone either way. Agbeko fought a brilliant fight against Perez. I don't think anybodyat 118 pounds could touch Nonito Donaire. I thought that ever since he beat Darchinyan and that same statement may be true at 122 pounds as well," stated Showtime commentator Al Bernstein, who shared his thoughts on newly crowned WBC & WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire. Speaking to FightHype's own Percy Crawford during a recent interview, Bernstein explained that Donaire's skills are so advanced that the only person below 126 pounds who can beat him is Donaire himself."Nonito Donaire, there is only one thing standing in between Nonito Donaire and his potential greatness and that's himself. Will his issues with his family mentally ever work on him and will he mentally make sure he stays in shape for every fight?Those are the only issues preventing Nonito Donaire from dominating every human being up to 126 pounds.What he will do with Juan Manuel Lopez or even moreso Yuriorkis Gamboa, that's a different story. But up to 126 pounds, there is not a human on this planet that can beat Nonito Donaire," Bernstein added.On May 28th, reigning WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno will look to prove Bernstein wrongwhen he faces Donaire in a highly anticipated unification bout. Should Donaire win, he'll hold 3 of the 4major titles and the only person standing in the way of him unifying the entire division will be the winner ofShowtime's Bantamweight Tournament, which will be either Agebeko, the current IBF bantamweight champion,or Abner mares.

 

[proshares]

High praise from Al 

The only person I'd like to see him fight at 122 before hopping to 126 is Wilfredo Vasquez Jr.

Former light heavyweight titleholders Chad Dawson and Adrian Diaconu have agreed to terms and will meet on May 21, Dawson promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

The scheduled 12-round bout will air on HBO as the opening bout on the card headlined by the rematch between light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and former champ Bernard Hopkins.

Shaw said that he and Diaconu's co-promoter Yvon Michel had struck a deal and that he was awaiting the signed contract.

"This is no walkover fight for Chad," Shaw said. "Diaconu is a tough fighter, a good fighter. But Chad is with a new trainer now in Emanuel Steward and I think that will make a big difference in Chad's fight game and his strategy. I think you'll see a whole new Chad, a guy that can finish off his opponent."

Dawson lost an 11th-round technical decision to Pascal, of Laval, Quebec, in an August title match, but had a rematch clause. However, under the terms of the rematch clause, Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KOs) was allowed to take an interim bout. In that interim bout, he fought to a controversial draw against Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) on Dec. 18.

Between the WBC ordering an immediate rematch and HBO's preference for Pascal-Hopkins II instead of Pascal-Dawson II, Dawson (29-1, 17 KOs) stepped aside. Dawson was given a contractual assurance that if he beats Diaconu, he will get a mandatory shot at the main event winner in his next fight. Shaw said HBO has also agreed to buy that fight.

If Diaconu (27-2, 15 KOs), a native of Romania living in Montreal, defeats Dawson, of New Haven, Conn., however, the main event winner is not obligated to fight him.

The site of the May 21 card still has not been determined. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Hopkins' promoter, who can make the ultimate decision because he won a purse bid to gain promotional control of the fight, is working on the site with Michel, Pascal's promoter.

The card is expected to take place in either Quebec City, site of Pascal-Hopkins I, or Montreal, site of Pascal-Dawson. Hopkins and Schaefer have also mentioned Los Angeles as a possibility.

 

[proshares]

High praise from Al 

The only person I'd like to see him fight at 122 before hopping to 126 is Wilfredo Vasquez Jr.

Former light heavyweight titleholders Chad Dawson and Adrian Diaconu have agreed to terms and will meet on May 21, Dawson promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com on Wednesday.

The scheduled 12-round bout will air on HBO as the opening bout on the card headlined by the rematch between light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and former champ Bernard Hopkins.

Shaw said that he and Diaconu's co-promoter Yvon Michel had struck a deal and that he was awaiting the signed contract.

"This is no walkover fight for Chad," Shaw said. "Diaconu is a tough fighter, a good fighter. But Chad is with a new trainer now in Emanuel Steward and I think that will make a big difference in Chad's fight game and his strategy. I think you'll see a whole new Chad, a guy that can finish off his opponent."

Dawson lost an 11th-round technical decision to Pascal, of Laval, Quebec, in an August title match, but had a rematch clause. However, under the terms of the rematch clause, Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KOs) was allowed to take an interim bout. In that interim bout, he fought to a controversial draw against Hopkins (51-5-2, 32 KOs) on Dec. 18.

Between the WBC ordering an immediate rematch and HBO's preference for Pascal-Hopkins II instead of Pascal-Dawson II, Dawson (29-1, 17 KOs) stepped aside. Dawson was given a contractual assurance that if he beats Diaconu, he will get a mandatory shot at the main event winner in his next fight. Shaw said HBO has also agreed to buy that fight.

If Diaconu (27-2, 15 KOs), a native of Romania living in Montreal, defeats Dawson, of New Haven, Conn., however, the main event winner is not obligated to fight him.

The site of the May 21 card still has not been determined. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, Hopkins' promoter, who can make the ultimate decision because he won a purse bid to gain promotional control of the fight, is working on the site with Michel, Pascal's promoter.

The card is expected to take place in either Quebec City, site of Pascal-Hopkins I, or Montreal, site of Pascal-Dawson. Hopkins and Schaefer have also mentioned Los Angeles as a possibility.

 

[proshares]

Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is in something of a no-win situation.

If the consensus 2010 fighter of the year -- and author of the knockout of the year when he put Paul Williams to sleep in the second round of their November rematch -- defeats Sergiy Dzinziruk on Saturday night (HBO, 10:30 ET) at the MGM Grand Arena at the Foxwoods resort in Mashantucket, Conn., he will have done what he was supposed to do against an opponent who is virtually unknown in the United States.

In other words, if Martinez wins, he won't receive the avalanche of credit and respect he garnered for destroying Williams, who was universally ranked in the top five on the pound-for-pound list at the time of their showdown.

And if Argentina's Martinez, who lives in Oxnard, Calif., loses to Ukraine's Dzinziruk, a junior middleweight titleholder who is moving up and fighting in the U.S. for only the second time, most will view it as a stunning turn of events because so few have heard of him.

But make no mistake, Martinez, 36, is in harm's way. He knows it.

"I never want an easy fight. I want to fight the best," Martinez said through translator and adviser Sampson Lewkowicz. "[Floyd] Mayweather cannot fight me. Manny Pacquiao cannot fight me. So, I need to fight somebody very challenging, and the best opponent, or the best challenger, is Sergiy Dzinziruk. Nobody else is left. The fight was officially made by HBO, and HBO got the best available opponent, Dzinziruk, because he has the credentials."

Dzinziruk, 35, has defended his 154-pound title six times since outpointing Daniel Santos in 2005. He is a no-frills, quality boxer with one of the best jabs in the business. But Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs) is also a defense-oriented fighter, so even if Martinez wins, it probably will be hard for him to look good in victory.

Simply put, Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) is in a tough spot.

He had hoped to face mandatory challenger Sebastian Zbik, but when HBO refused to approve him, Martinez -- the lineal champion -- was stripped of his alphabet title. Martinez was essentially forced by HBO to fight Dzinziruk, who was the only opponent the network would buy (for a stunning $850,000, an incredible amount for a fighter with zero recognition in the United States and far more than double than he has ever earned) because it had promised his co-promoter, Gary Shaw, a spot for Dzinziruk as part of the deal to close the January fight between Timothy Bradley Jr., Shaw's fighter, and Devon Alexander.

In the co-feature, middleweights Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KOs), a 2004 Irish Olympian, and Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs) of Scotland battle in a scheduled 10-rounder with the winner improving on his chances to land a shot at the main event winner.

Lou DiBella, Martinez's emotional promoter, has been lamenting the Martinez-Dzinziruk fight since it was finalized.

He never wanted the fight. He hates the fight. He hates how HBO forced it on him. And he's not shy about telling folks.

http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=3417875&story=6200594">http://sports.espn.go.com...417875&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=6200594#">[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Eckehard SchulzSergiy Dzinziruk's consistency and technical style make him a tough outing for any opponent.

"Since the beginning I've said I didn't like this fight," DiBella said. "Technically, he [Dzinziruk] is one of the best I've seen. This is his toughest fight and probably the toughest fighter Sergio has faced. Sergiy isn't well-known here, but he is the top 154-pounder. It's a terribly difficult fight for Sergio. I'm worried, but I have faith in my champion, who understands the challenge."

The reason DiBella is so concerned is he respects Dzinziruk's talent and knows how dangerous he is.

"The fact that this fight is happening is a tribute to the type of champion Sergio Martinez is," DiBella said. "In a lot of ways this is a no-win fight. This is the best fighter in the world, Dzinziruk, that no one knows. He is a very difficult guy to fight because of his defensive style, because of his great jab, his movement, and he's a very skilled guy. He's really unknown in this country, but this is the fight HBO wanted.

"They wanted Sergio in a difficult matchup, and it's typically Sergio Martinez's way. Sergio said, 'Put him in front of me and I'm going to fight him,' and he is. He is the boss, and that's why he's become the people's champion. He's fighting the best, and this is why he has captured the imaginations of so many boxing fans."

"Lou and Team Martinez have reasons to be worried. Everybody knows Lou doesn't say something like that lightly," said Josh Roy of Artie Pelullo's Banner Promotions, Dzinziruk's co-promoter. "Sergiy is the best junior middleweight in the world. He's never lost. He doesn't know how to lose. And it's not like he's been protected. He's 7-0 in world title fights. He has made a concerted effort to come [to the U.S.]. Sergio didn't take a soft touch after fighting Paul Williams. He's going all out."

DiBella tried to get Martinez a fight with junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was not interested. So Cotto will face Ricardo Mayorga, who has a puncher's chance, on a $50 Showtime PPV card that will directly compete with the Martinez-Dzinziruk telecast.

"Obviously, Sergio is looking for the biggest fights possible," DiBella said. "We pursued the possibilities with Cotto and had conversations with Arum, but the fight didn't materialize. But this is the most difficult fight. This is the toughest fighter out there. I said it's a no-win situation, but if Sergio knocks this guy out, at least intelligent people in boxing, and the people who've seen Dzinziruk fight, will know what an accomplishment it is.

"It's just unfortunate that with a fight of this degree of difficulty, that the public doesn't know the opponent. The opponent is a champion in his own right. He's a very, very good fighter. And this is consistent with Sergio's pattern -- from Kermit Cintron to Paul Williams, to Kelly Pavlik, to Paul Williams [again] and now to Sergiy Dzinziruk. There's not a single fighter in the sport, not one, that's gone through a murderer's row like that in recent fights. And like I said, that's a credit to the greatness of Sergio Martinez."

While DiBella stewed over the making of the fight, Martinez, at least publicly, took it like a trouper.

"His attitude was, 'If they think this is the hardest guy, put him in front of me.' There haven't been guys like that I've had," DiBella said. "I've promoted guys before that don't shy away from challenges, but I've never had a guy like this whose attitude is if you think this guy is the hardest, then that's who I want to fight.

[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.

"If HBO holds true with that as their principal goal, going forward through the rest of the year and holds everybody to the same standard, then you'll never hear a peep out of us about them insisting on us fighting anybody. And the truth is, what Sergio said is 100 percent the reality, because he didn't make a peep out of fighting Dzinziruk because he realized that's who they wanted him to fight, and when he knew he was going to be paid appropriately, he was gung-ho to do it."

For his part, Dzinziruk, who brought on co-trainer Buddy McGirt to work with him for this fight, is just pleased to have the opportunity for a major television fight in America against a top-tier opponent no matter how he got it.

After splitting with Universum, his promoter in Germany, he came to the United States, signed with co-promoters Shaw and Pelullo and defended his title in California in May with a strong performance in a 10th-round TKO of Australia's Daniel Dawson. Facing Martinez will be his first fight since.

"It makes me very excited to know they think that highly of me. I want to thank HBO for making this fight happen," Dzinziruk said through translator Harry Kazandjian, his adviser. "It's a lifetime opportunity for me. I'm looking forward to fighting Sergio Martinez.

"Fighting is my life, my world. All I know is how to box. I love fighting and want to win a few more titles."

 

[proshares]

Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is in something of a no-win situation.

If the consensus 2010 fighter of the year -- and author of the knockout of the year when he put Paul Williams to sleep in the second round of their November rematch -- defeats Sergiy Dzinziruk on Saturday night (HBO, 10:30 ET) at the MGM Grand Arena at the Foxwoods resort in Mashantucket, Conn., he will have done what he was supposed to do against an opponent who is virtually unknown in the United States.

In other words, if Martinez wins, he won't receive the avalanche of credit and respect he garnered for destroying Williams, who was universally ranked in the top five on the pound-for-pound list at the time of their showdown.

And if Argentina's Martinez, who lives in Oxnard, Calif., loses to Ukraine's Dzinziruk, a junior middleweight titleholder who is moving up and fighting in the U.S. for only the second time, most will view it as a stunning turn of events because so few have heard of him.

But make no mistake, Martinez, 36, is in harm's way. He knows it.

"I never want an easy fight. I want to fight the best," Martinez said through translator and adviser Sampson Lewkowicz. "[Floyd] Mayweather cannot fight me. Manny Pacquiao cannot fight me. So, I need to fight somebody very challenging, and the best opponent, or the best challenger, is Sergiy Dzinziruk. Nobody else is left. The fight was officially made by HBO, and HBO got the best available opponent, Dzinziruk, because he has the credentials."

Dzinziruk, 35, has defended his 154-pound title six times since outpointing Daniel Santos in 2005. He is a no-frills, quality boxer with one of the best jabs in the business. But Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs) is also a defense-oriented fighter, so even if Martinez wins, it probably will be hard for him to look good in victory.

Simply put, Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) is in a tough spot.

He had hoped to face mandatory challenger Sebastian Zbik, but when HBO refused to approve him, Martinez -- the lineal champion -- was stripped of his alphabet title. Martinez was essentially forced by HBO to fight Dzinziruk, who was the only opponent the network would buy (for a stunning $850,000, an incredible amount for a fighter with zero recognition in the United States and far more than double than he has ever earned) because it had promised his co-promoter, Gary Shaw, a spot for Dzinziruk as part of the deal to close the January fight between Timothy Bradley Jr., Shaw's fighter, and Devon Alexander.

In the co-feature, middleweights Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KOs), a 2004 Irish Olympian, and Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs) of Scotland battle in a scheduled 10-rounder with the winner improving on his chances to land a shot at the main event winner.

Lou DiBella, Martinez's emotional promoter, has been lamenting the Martinez-Dzinziruk fight since it was finalized.

He never wanted the fight. He hates the fight. He hates how HBO forced it on him. And he's not shy about telling folks.

http:///sports.espn.go.com/espn/gallery/enlargePhoto?id=3417875&story=6200594">http://sports.espn.go.com...417875&...idth=640,height=550,scrollbars=no,noresize'); return false;" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=6200594#">[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Eckehard SchulzSergiy Dzinziruk's consistency and technical style make him a tough outing for any opponent.

"Since the beginning I've said I didn't like this fight," DiBella said. "Technically, he [Dzinziruk] is one of the best I've seen. This is his toughest fight and probably the toughest fighter Sergio has faced. Sergiy isn't well-known here, but he is the top 154-pounder. It's a terribly difficult fight for Sergio. I'm worried, but I have faith in my champion, who understands the challenge."

The reason DiBella is so concerned is he respects Dzinziruk's talent and knows how dangerous he is.

"The fact that this fight is happening is a tribute to the type of champion Sergio Martinez is," DiBella said. "In a lot of ways this is a no-win fight. This is the best fighter in the world, Dzinziruk, that no one knows. He is a very difficult guy to fight because of his defensive style, because of his great jab, his movement, and he's a very skilled guy. He's really unknown in this country, but this is the fight HBO wanted.

"They wanted Sergio in a difficult matchup, and it's typically Sergio Martinez's way. Sergio said, 'Put him in front of me and I'm going to fight him,' and he is. He is the boss, and that's why he's become the people's champion. He's fighting the best, and this is why he has captured the imaginations of so many boxing fans."

"Lou and Team Martinez have reasons to be worried. Everybody knows Lou doesn't say something like that lightly," said Josh Roy of Artie Pelullo's Banner Promotions, Dzinziruk's co-promoter. "Sergiy is the best junior middleweight in the world. He's never lost. He doesn't know how to lose. And it's not like he's been protected. He's 7-0 in world title fights. He has made a concerted effort to come [to the U.S.]. Sergio didn't take a soft touch after fighting Paul Williams. He's going all out."

DiBella tried to get Martinez a fight with junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto, but Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was not interested. So Cotto will face Ricardo Mayorga, who has a puncher's chance, on a $50 Showtime PPV card that will directly compete with the Martinez-Dzinziruk telecast.

"Obviously, Sergio is looking for the biggest fights possible," DiBella said. "We pursued the possibilities with Cotto and had conversations with Arum, but the fight didn't materialize. But this is the most difficult fight. This is the toughest fighter out there. I said it's a no-win situation, but if Sergio knocks this guy out, at least intelligent people in boxing, and the people who've seen Dzinziruk fight, will know what an accomplishment it is.

"It's just unfortunate that with a fight of this degree of difficulty, that the public doesn't know the opponent. The opponent is a champion in his own right. He's a very, very good fighter. And this is consistent with Sergio's pattern -- from Kermit Cintron to Paul Williams, to Kelly Pavlik, to Paul Williams [again] and now to Sergiy Dzinziruk. There's not a single fighter in the sport, not one, that's gone through a murderer's row like that in recent fights. And like I said, that's a credit to the greatness of Sergio Martinez."

While DiBella stewed over the making of the fight, Martinez, at least publicly, took it like a trouper.

"His attitude was, 'If they think this is the hardest guy, put him in front of me.' There haven't been guys like that I've had," DiBella said. "I've promoted guys before that don't shy away from challenges, but I've never had a guy like this whose attitude is if you think this guy is the hardest, then that's who I want to fight.

[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.

"If HBO holds true with that as their principal goal, going forward through the rest of the year and holds everybody to the same standard, then you'll never hear a peep out of us about them insisting on us fighting anybody. And the truth is, what Sergio said is 100 percent the reality, because he didn't make a peep out of fighting Dzinziruk because he realized that's who they wanted him to fight, and when he knew he was going to be paid appropriately, he was gung-ho to do it."

For his part, Dzinziruk, who brought on co-trainer Buddy McGirt to work with him for this fight, is just pleased to have the opportunity for a major television fight in America against a top-tier opponent no matter how he got it.

After splitting with Universum, his promoter in Germany, he came to the United States, signed with co-promoters Shaw and Pelullo and defended his title in California in May with a strong performance in a 10th-round TKO of Australia's Daniel Dawson. Facing Martinez will be his first fight since.

"It makes me very excited to know they think that highly of me. I want to thank HBO for making this fight happen," Dzinziruk said through translator Harry Kazandjian, his adviser. "It's a lifetime opportunity for me. I'm looking forward to fighting Sergio Martinez.

"Fighting is my life, my world. All I know is how to box. I love fighting and want to win a few more titles."