Broadcast Boxing

Manny vs Marquez - The eyebrow-raising saga continues

2011-11-13T23:47:00.001-08:00

I got a chance to catch up with boxing judge, Robert Hoyle after Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez III. Hoyle was the only judge to score it a draw and I wanted to hear his take on the fight as well as what it's like to be a boxing judge...

Freddie Roach on Olympics, Amir vs Manny and what he's most proud of...

2011-08-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

I got to talk to Freddie Roach after his return to the Wild Card gym from the Olympic trials in Alabama. Amongst other things, I got his predictions on Agbeko vs Mares, Hopkins vs Dawson, Mayweather vs Ortiz and even asked him about the possibility of Khan vs Pacquiao.

Freddie also tells me what he's the most proud of as a trainer. I was a little disappointed with the answer (just kidding.)

Roger Mayweather on Zab Judah (kinda)

2011-07-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

Poor Roger - I constantly ask him stupid questions. You might not be able to see it because of the lighting, but he was laughing at this one - just didn't want to say anything I guess...a rare, speechless moment.

Ann Wolfe - back in Team Kirkland

2011-07-24T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ann is surprisingly soft-spoken, so it's a little hard to hear, but she is 100% BAD-ASS and was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for me after James Kirkland defeated Alexis Hloros by a monstrous TKO2 victory.

The Fall and Rise (?) of Paul Williams

2011-07-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 9th, 2011 - 9:25pm

Erislandy Lara has just defeated Paul Williams in what was to be Williams' comeback fight after a devastating knockout loss at the hands of Sergio Martinez. Lara masterfully timed his left hand against the taller south-paw and landed them seemingly at will throughout the 12-round bout.

The HBO commentators were pontificating on whether Paul Williams should retire after this embarrassing loss throughout the later rounds and the unofficial scorekeeper, Harold Lederman only found two rounds to give to Williams by the fight's end.

The collective disgust felt by boxing fans was almost palpable when a majority decision was announced in favor of.......Paul Williams.

W H A T ? !

I was already a little sickened when the first scorecard was read as 114-114, a draw. I couldn't fathom what kind of idiot saw that fight as close, much less a tie. Then as the other scorecards were read I felt a little relief, although they seemed a little too close as well, considering the one-sided victory for Lara that I had just witnessed. It turns out, the idiot who saw it as a draw was the smartest idiot of the group. How sad for boxing.

It is these such decisions that sour die-hard boxing fans and perpetuate the opinion by many that the sweet science is filled with fixed outcomes. We as fans should boycott heinous judges by being vocal about our dislike for them. Boo them at the fights - write letters to the sanctioning bodies - I don't know...something!!

A list of names that consistently get brought up when discussing horrible judges:

Glen Hamada (scored it 115-111 for Vic Darchinyan vs Abner Mares and had Katsidis beating Diaz, among his worst offenses)

Ken Morita (famously had Douglas losing to Tyson going into the 10th round)

Gale Van Hoy (Texan who has been accused many times of accepting bribery $$)

Adalaide Byrd (Hated equally in MMA)

Doug Tucker (thankfully retired)

Patricia Morse Jarman (Campillo vs Shumenov II - saw it as a Shumenov victory)

Jerry Roth (too many to mention)

and now, Hilton Whitaker III (Williams vs Lara, Judah vs Matthysse)

Somehow, boxing judges need to be rated, with points taken away for horrible decisions. Penalties, even. And eventual boycotts. The bad seeds are an embarrassment to the sport and need to be extricated. It's ridiculous.

Back to Paul Williams:

One friend offered a shared perspective by stating that the last legitimate win by Williams was against Winky Wright in April, 2009. Think about it - the first win over Sergio Martinez was shaky, although it was a close fight. He was behind in the scorecards when Kermit Cintron inexplicably dove out of the ring during their fight and did not return, resulting in a Technical Decision Win for Williams.

We all know what happened in Williams vs Martinez II

And now this very controversial decision against the previously undefeated Erislandy Lara.

Some might say the HBO commentators and unofficial judge, Harold Lederman influenced public opinion throughout the broadcast and are responsible for a misrepresentation of what was actually happening. This has certainly been known to happen in the past, but was this fight even close? Perhaps it is too late to watch the fight 100% objectively, even with the mute button engaged, but in the interest of posterity - I will definitely do so tomorrow morning.

Your opinions and viewpoints are appreciated.

Freddie Roach - UNCENSORED call-out to Timothy Bradley

2011-05-10T02:03:00.001-07:00

Chop Chop Corley chops it up with me at the Las Vegas Airport

2011-05-10T02:01:00.001-07:00

Interview with Freddie Roach

2011-04-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

My latest interview with Freddie Roach, fresh from his trip to England for Amir Khan vs Paul McCloskey. With Amir's victory in the books, Freddie continues with Manny Pacquiao's training camp for his fight with Shane Mosley and starts training with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Boxing: Before the Bell

2011-03-16T00:13:00.001-07:00

Boxing: Before the Bell

Nonito Donaire vs Fernando Montiel

2011-02-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be in Las Vegas to watch Nonito Donaire vs Fernando Montiel live at the Mandalay Bay. Having been a fan for years now, it was incredible to watch the ferocious bantamweight Donaire, top his knockout victory of Vic Darchinyan within two rounds against a formidable fighter such as Montiel.

Having watched the fight on television several times since, (the whole thing is under 7 minutes including the corner talk), I've learned three very important things:

1. Nonito Donaire is a beast.

2. Donaire is pronounced Doe-NAI-Ray and not Doe-NAIR.

3. Richard Steele may have been correct in his stoppage of Meldrick Taylor vs Julio Cesar Chavez I.

Let me explain.

I've long been of the mindset that with 2 seconds left in the round and with Taylor winning, it was highway robbery for Steele to stop the fight. Granted, Taylor had two swollen eyes and was bleeding from nose and mouth, barely hanging on for the last 3 rounds. Then in the final round, being served a vicious blow from Chavez, Taylor crumpled down to the canvas, seemingly unable to continue. Taylor rose at 6 seconds in the count and was resting on the ropes when referee Steele asked him if he was ok. Taylor became distracted and looked to his right, not responding to Steele's second request and so the fight was halted. I've watched that tape over and over again and have always been full of contempt for what was seemingly an incredible injustice to Meldrick Taylor at the hands of Richard Steele. There were only 2 seconds left! TWO! How could Steele live with such a seemingly unfair and irresponsible decision?!

After watching the devastating left hook that Nonito Donaire delivered to Fernando Montiel late in the 2nd round of their fight and seeing how Montiel crumbled to the canvas, convulsing with his hands and legs - I was pretty sure the fight would be over. Instead, Montiel rose to his feet at 6 seconds in the count, stumbled, fell and bounced back up right at 8 seconds. Though he looked dazed, he was astute enough to know exactly where he was in the count and chose to beat it. Referee Russell Mora asked him to take a step forward, which he did not, but the fight was resumed anyway, with Mora stopping the fight approximately 2 seconds later, but not before Donaire had a chance to land another brutal 1-2 combination that Montiel was seemingly too dazed to defend.

For Mora's part, Montiel was the current champion and it was only the 2nd round of the fight. We've seen warriors such as Juan Manuel Marquez get knocked down 3 times in a round only to get back up and come back stronger. I believe referee Mora wanted to give the young champion a chance, but it cost Montiel two hard and unnecessary blows and he sustained further physical injury as a result.

Fight fans were incredulous that Mora continued the fight.

Fight fans continue to be incredulous that Steele stopped the fight.

This begs the question: How long is 2 seconds?

Two seconds might seem insignificant at first thought, but if you really think about it, it can be the difference between making the train or missing it. A gold medal at the Olympics, or dead last. In boxing, 2 seconds can mean life or death. It's a long time when you're the one who is hurt (especially when your opponent can throw 8 hard punches within that time).

The important thing I realized was that when a fighter is done - he / she is done. Regardless of how much time is left on the clock, it's the referee's job as the only other person in the ring to look out for each fighter and know when to stop the fight. Ask any ref and I'll guarantee you not one would ever say that they enjoy stopping a fight and playing a factor in the outcome. They do it because they have to. Because it's in the best interest of the fighter.

As it turns out, Lou Duva, Taylor's trainer at the time, had jumped up on the ring apron, causing Taylor to look to the right at that crucial moment when Steele asked him for a second time if he was ok. His lack of response was what caused Steele to stop the bout. Never mind the fact that a trainer can't be up on the apron without getting his fighter disqualified, but because Duva was not in the frame of our televisions, Richard Steele has shouldered 100% of the blame for the unpopular outcome of that fight. Would things have been different if Taylor hadn't been distracted? Maybe. Maybe not. We will never know. I merely present it as a possible factor, lessening the burden for referee Steele.

I really wish Meldrick Taylor would have won that fight.

But I no longer blame Richard Steele for stopping it. He did what he thought was best for the fighter. He did his job, as hard as that must have been.

I certainly have even more respect for the referees who take on the responsibilities of officiating each fight. Please continue to keep our fighters safe. And stay out of the clinches - let them punch out. Come on.

Thank you to Greg, the ONTHEGRiND BOXiNG listener who inspired me to revisit this and to write about it.

~EXCLUSIVE footage of AMIR KING KHAN~

2011-02-23T01:18:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek into the 2nd week of training camp for Amir Khan's upcoming match against unbeaten Irishman, Paul McCloskey. Footage taken on location at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California.

Freddie Roach - Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to beat Sergio Martinez?!

2011-02-07T15:27:00.000-08:00

Seriously though - NO WAY.

Freddie Roach was quoted in the boxing media as saying he thought his new charge, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would beat Sergio Martinez. It sounded a little outlandish - even for Freddie, so I had to hear it from the man himself.

Sergio Martinez is anything but forgettable in my opinion, and I'm sure Paul Williams would agree with me there.

Freddie Roach Interview

2011-01-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to speak with Freddie Roach after his return to the Wild Card from Culiacan, Mexico, where Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. beat Billy Lyell. Freddie speaks candidly about Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander with regards to Amir Khan as well as confirming and denying certain rumors rolling around the internet lately...

I wanted to ask more questions and get a little more in-depth, but I was running out of battery. Sorry y'all.

2011-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

I just never get sick of this video. Larry Holmes is the MAN!

Joshua Clottey's trainer, Lenny De Jesus speaks candidly about what happened against Manny Pacquiao

2011-01-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Check out these excerpts from my interview with veteran cornerman, Lenny De Jesus. As a cutman and trainer, De Jesus has worked the corner assisting and attending to such legends as; Angelo Dundee, Eddie Futch, Al Gavin, Carlos Ortiz, Roberto Duran, Hector Camacho, Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfredo Benitez, Alexis Arguello and Carlos Santos. More recently, De Jesus has worked with Joel Casamayor, and served for three years under Freddie Roach as Manny Pacquiao's cutman. De Jesus stepped into the role of head-trainer for Joshua Clottey prior his bout with Pacquiao, creating another subplot in the Manny Pacquiao story that turned out to be more eventful than the actual fight. In the pre-fight build up, De Jesus made claims he had the "key to beating Pacquiao." In his interview with ONTHEGRiND BOXiNG, De Jesus revealed what the key is and shared his take on some of boxing's hottest topics. To listen to the entire interview with the entire gang, click 'play' on the box to the right.

Looking Back On Joshua Clottey vs Miguel Cotto...

“With the Cotto fight, I also worked in his corner and he made it close. I would go as far as saying he did enough to lose, not enough to win when he fought Cotto. Yet there, we were trying to push him to throw more punches and give Cotto more of a fight when we had Cotto cut. Even though it was an unintentional head-butt, when you have an individual who is cut, go for the jugular vein – the cut. And try to make more damage, and maybe the fight will get stopped and we get a TKO. 0

Joshua Clottey does not go all the way."

Claims of Possessing The Key To Beating Pacquiao & The Key Revealed...

“Well you know what happened was that I had a fighter (Clottey) that didn’t have the confidence that I was putting into him. In other words, when I trained him I said, 'If you do exactly what I tell you, we’ve got a win.' That’s how sure I was to beat Pacquiao.
I got an idea that we could beat him because we had the height, the strength and he [Clottey] had a bigger body than Pacquiao, you know, he had all the things to actually knock him out because that’s what my training was based on – to knock out Pacquiao. Because [if] we would have gone 12 rounds, and the decision would have been close, Pacquiao gets the nod, no matter which way you look at it.
When I said I had the key, it was to go for the body inside and try to do damage, because Pacquiao got knocked out by one body-shot many years ago. A lot of people don’t know that. But when he got stopped, it was a body-shot.
In this case, [Clottey], after the fight told me that he did not want to give Freddie Roach the satisfaction that Manny Pacquiao got him knocked-out because Freddie Roach had said in the [press] conference that this is the first time that my guy is going to get knocked out.

So that came into play – as an excuse, more or less – and this is why he said, ‘I wanted to last all 12 rounds."'

Pacquiao's Punching Bag & A Trip To The Bank...

"But I said, ‘This is not fighting because you went down the tubes, because a lot of people don’t want a guy to just be a punching bag.'

And that’s what he was. A punching bag.
At the end I was almost going to tell him, ‘Give me your gloves and I’ll get in there and I’ll beat the hell out of Pacquiao.'
He [Clottey] did not do exactly as I said, and yet he did enough damage to Pacquiao. You know, Pacquiao had more swelling in his face than my guy. My guy came out with no marks…but yet his stock, instead of going up, went all the way down.
I would have rather seen him get knocked-out than go the distance, so then maybe you could say, ‘Well at least he tried, but he got knocked out.’

There’s no shame.
Sometimes people can get on your inside and I think Freddie Roach is good at that. When he told him that, 'Pacquiao is gonna be the first guy that’s going to knock out Joshua Clottey,' that bothered him and that got into his game plan.
In the third round, I more or less knew already that we had sort of like, a chicken in the corner. I’m not afraid to say it. When you fight the way he did, I think we had a guy that was afraid to throw his punches…this is a hurting game. You throw punches, you do your best.
He [Clottey] went there, I would go as far as saying - to survive. And take his million dollars and go to the bank laughing."

On Joshua Clottey's Future...

“He is still good out there. He is still a product to be reckoned with. But which TV [entity]; HBO, ESPN, whoever, would want a fighter who didn’t…he didn’t earn his money, let me put it more blunt. You should do a little more to earn your money. I mean you go, you get a job for a million dollars and you sit down and you read a magazine and you chew gum? I mean, what is that? But if you go to the job and you did your role and you do everything, you earn the money.”

Media Day at the Wild Card

2010-12-03T23:16:00.001-08:00

Freddie Roach - 11.15.10

2010-11-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

Freddie Roach was back at the Wild Card first thing Monday morning. No rest for the weary, it appears. I got his thoughts on Manny's stellar victory over Antonio Margarito.

Brandon Rios - 11.13.10

2010-11-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it - I was pissed at Brandon Rios for his ridiculous impersonation of Freddie Roach on that video. I will not apologize for the anger and vitriol I felt towards him. I warned him about all of this before the interview, but promised he would get to explain his side of the story. He agreed to do it and I give him a lot of respect for that. I truly believe he is sorry and had no idea how bad it was until he watched that video.

Nonito Donaire - 11.13.10

2010-11-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Did you wonder why Nonito Donaire tried to go south paw for his last fight? Me too. I'm so happy I remembered to ask him about that when I got to interview him in Dallas...

Pacman Prevails

2010-11-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

November 13th, 2010 will go down in the boxing history books as the day we all got to witness David beat Goliath. And soundly. There were no actual slingshots involved this time however, though Manny Pacquiao's devastating combinations probably felt a lot like an arsenal of rocks being unleashed on the bewildered Antonio Margarito. Though Margarito was five inches taller than Pacquiao, with a six inch reach advantage as well as a 17 pound weight advantage come fight time, he gave validity to the old prose attributed to boxer, Robert Fitzsimmons, "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."

From the first bell, it was clear that Margarito's usual style of smothering his opponents with busy hands would fail. Miserably. Pacquiao was literally boxing circles around him, splitting his guard with a sharp jab every now and then. He would follow it up with lightning fast punch combinations, leaving Margarito left in his guard, not knowing where his opponent went.

Margarito's punches seemed to be laden with molasses in comparison to Pacquiao's blindingly fast hand-speed. But he did land a few. Most notably, in the sixth round, when a body shot combination wobbled the Pacman and had him on the bike for the rest of the round. He could easily have gone down and you could tell he wanted to, but for the grace of Lapu Lapu did he manage to stay on his feet and remain standing until the bell rang.

The rest of the fight was pretty much a Pacquiao boxing clinic. There were a few harried moments, where Pacquiao would lay on the ropes and take some shots from the Tijuana Tornado, (downgraded to a "gentle breeze" by this point,) but for the most part, Pac fans enjoyed a one-sided demolition of the taller, larger Margarito.

As the rounds went on, Margarito's eyes ballooned into veritable orbs surrounding each eye. The right eye seemed the worse for the wear, until the left eye decided to try and catch up. Laurence Cole, the referee of the evening (and son of Texas Licensing & Registration executive, Dickie Cole) paused the fight twice to check Margarito's vision, but did not ultimately stop the fight. Though Margarito's vision was most definitely impaired and he seemingly lost any likelihood of winning the fight by the 10th round, his trainer Robert Garcia did not stop the fight either.

Margarito showed a lot of heart, by staying in the ring and taking a beating - refusing to succumb to the physical ails and certain temptation of stopping the pain-train by admitting defeat. Nope. He stayed in there and took more karmic payback. Ironically, It was Pacquiao who ultimately showed mercy, carrying him through the last rounds instead of taking the KO. Margarito is not a man who will quit, but many of us are left wondering how Cole and Garcia could let him take such an unnecessary beating and risking his health like that.

When the final bell rang, the beautiful Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, TX erupted with Pacquiao fans cheering and screaming, the magnitude of this victory hitting the crowd all at once. The sound was deafening, somewhat of a sonic boom in the first instance after the bell. Even Margarito fans (at least in my section) congratulated the Pacquiao fans, saying it was a sound victory. One of the Pacman fans seated near me shook hands with the Margarito fan sitting behind him, the bane of his existence for the entire fight, and said "Your boy started out a Mexican, but now he looks Filipino!" and instead of a fight, like I had expected, laughter ensued.

Margarito went immediately to the hospital, where he was found to have a broken right orbital bone and a shattered cheek bone. He is reportedly doing well, and will go into surgery once the swelling goes down. Margarito was not the only one visiting the hospital that night, as it was reported that Manny Pacquiao's mother, Dionesia Pacquiao was taken to the hospital during the fight due to an anxiety attack. (My guess is that it was during the 6th round, because I almost succumbed to panic as well!) She was released later that evening.

As David vs Goliath is a reference from the Bible, Pacquiao vs Margarito was a battle of biblical proportions and will most certainly be remembered as a fight of the ages - perhaps the definitive line of when Manny Pacquiao crossed over from being a Great fighter to an All-Time Great fighter.

Congratulations MANNY!!!!!

Antonio Margarito is a piece of shit. FACT.

2010-11-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

Antonio Margarito attempts murder on Shane Mosley's life by having plaster of paris in his hand wraps, and that's only one attempt that we know of, then DENIES knowing that his gloves are loaded and seems to slink off to suspended purgatory...until his fairy Bob-father decides he can make a buck and ensures a license in Texas and gives him a title match against the best pound for pound boxer in the world, Manny Pacquiao. How the hell did this happen?

The first episode of HBO's documentary series, 24/7 shows a humbled Margarito, pleading his innocence and seemingly focusing on gaining the respect back of any fans he might have had during his heyday. This feel-good moment lasted for exactly a week until the second episode aired, showing a much different Margarito, calling Pacquiao a "bitch" and mocking the plaster of paris incident by having rookie trainer, Robert Garcia tape a cement block to his hand, while Margarito squeals in laughter, giggling that he won't look.

Just when you think things can't get worse, this video shows up:

It is an insult to the sport of Boxing that this piece of crap gets to continue making a living doing it. Much less a title fight against a good human being like Manny Pacquiao. This garbage Margarito doesn't deserve to be in the same state as Pacquiao, much less the same ring.

I hope Brandon Rios and Roberto Garcia, equally as disgusting in this video, get hit by lightning. Margarito will suffer enough at the hands of Pacquiao. (But I wouldn't be mad if there was an extra bolt of lightning reserved for him too.)

The Twat-pack later apologized for the video, stating that Rios, who was shown impersonating Roach after Margarito, did not know about Four-time trainer of the year winner, Freddie Roach's Parkinson's Disease. Instead, Garcia seemingly tries to plant a dig on Roach's professional boxing career by stating that Rios thought the condition was "because of the 13 losses" in Roach's career 40-13, with three losses by way of knockout.

According to Boxrec.com, Roberto Garcia has also suffered three knockout losses. Hmmmn.

I'll tell you who got a windfall of new fans from this whole mess; one Omri Lowther. Come November 14th, 2010, the crowd will be cheering for this unknown boxer to shut the mouth of twat-packer, Brandon Rios.

And rightfully so.

The Road Warrior RULES.

2010-11-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Glen Johnson is a beast. A BEAST.

Newest contender in Showtime network's Super Six tournament, Johnson defeats Allan Green on the undercard of Juan Manuel Lopez's super-match against Rafael Marquez.

Green, who previously lost to Andre Ward in his first fight in the Super Six tournament, looked game in the first few rounds, given the difficult task of fending off Johnson's persistent barrage of punches. It seemed Johnson got the upper hand early on, landing a great jab to the body and overhand right combination on Green multiple times.

Though Green's corner tried to convince him that Johnson was tiring, it seemed Green was the one losing gas in the mid-rounds until he got knocked out by Johnson early in the 8th round by two blind-side rights to the side of the head. Or was he losing heart?

Glen Johnson, aka "Road Warrior" is a throwback fighter who seemingly never turns down a fight and has heart aplenty. He earned his nickname because he would even agree to fight his opponents on their home turf, thus always being on the road. When asked on ON THE GRiND BOXiNG's show recently whether he has ever turned anyone down, Johnson admitted that he has said 'no' once in his 18 year career when he and his proposed opponent couldn't agree on the money split.

Notorious for having the deck stacked against him and being on the short end of quite a few decisions, it was still surprising to some that Johnson, (age 41 and a light heavyweight,) agreed to drop down to Super Middleweight (a division he hasn't fought in for 10 years) to join the Super Six tournament - which has been in progress for the better part of a year already.

He didn't disappoint, as he never does, against a younger, hard-punching Allan Green, who has concluded his presence in the Super Six tournament and whose career in boxing is now in question. Will Green ever be able to compete against A-level fighters? Will he gain the heart that he needs to succeed in the sweet science? One can only imagine the weight of such reflection on the once-promising Allan Green.

Congratulations are due to a truly lionhearted champion, on getting the win and 3 points going into the semi-finals of the Super Six tournament. Best of luck!

Freddie Roach on Manny vs Margarito

2010-10-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Freddie Roach, on his first day back at the Wildcard Boxing Club from his 5 week trip to the Philippines, talks about Manny Pacquaio's training thus far and gives us some candid views on Antonio Margarito...

Working on it!

2010-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

One of my final training sessions with Freddie before he left for the Philippines.

I am working on my left hook and now after watching this am working on a lot of things...

(and yes, Freddie is right - I telegraph my right. Again, working on it!!)

MMA vs Boxing

2010-09-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

by Kevin Blatt | Tue. Aug. 31, 2010

Rabbit Punches – 20 Chokes While The Ref Is Checking My Pulse!

1 – First off, a big thanks goes out to none other than UFC President Dana White who provided the means to make this special version of your favorite countdown happen! I bet when he tweeted out those fantastic tickets (props to OtG family member Snappa BTW), he didn’t think one of the winners would end up covering the night on a Boxing website? I was like a wolf in TapOut clothing (no, I really wasn’t though)!!!

2 – One thing I have to say, boxing to me is the greatest sport in the word, but when it comes to putting on an “event,” UFC dwarfs anything I have seen on a boxing card. Gigantic TVs all around the sold-out TD Banknorth Garden showing the fight live, montages of the fighters on the screens in-between fights, highlights of great moments in the sport during intermissions…it makes a live crowd even livelier! Kudos to everyone involved!

3 – The best way to describe the feeling inside the arena Saturday? Let’s put it this way…if douchebaggery were a drug, I may have just caught a contact high!

4 – Seriously though, the sellout crowd at Boston’s first foray into the UFC was phenomenal. They cheered at every big shot, every landed kick, every time there was even chance of a tapout. It was a fantastic thing to be a part of…even if I am pasty white and don’t own a thing with the name Affliction on it.

5 – And speaking of the crowd going insane, big props to up-and-coming local prospect Joe Lauzon, who dazzled hometown fans by stopping veteran Gabbe Ruediger by way of an armbar within the first few minutes of their fight.

6 – I wonder if the “Sorry for the loss” cake that Ruediger gave J Lau at their weigh-in tasted sweeter than the vicious elbows and punches Ol’ Gabbe ended up eating once the bell rang!

7 – I don’t know which surprised me more, how insanely tall Shaq is or how insanely short Joe Rogan is.

8 – I have to say, those on-screen montages they show in-between bouts featuring highlights and interviews of the two fighters got me BEYOND hyped! Even if one of them was for the Lentz – Winner fight. Is this what coming down off of a high feels like though, because that Ginger almost put me to sleep…?

9 – Speaking of asleep, I’m not sure who was more out of it - Markus Davis from an anaconda choke courtesy of Nate Diaz, or referee Yves Lavigne who allowed the choke to go on for far too long. With Davis laying on the mat unconscious, the entire crowd was screaming for him to put a stop to the bout. Thank goodness Markus was able to leave the ring with his own strength.

10 – I have to say, I’m not a fan of Diaz. He reminds me of that kid everyone knew growing up who started fights everywhere he went and let his friends bail him out. Only with Diaz, he can fight…damn can he fight!

11 – Bruce Buffer sure does get excited…

12 – Justin Beiber sighting!!! Oh wait, that’s Tom Brady sitting next to the toughest man in the arena, Wes Welker! The Golden Boy really needs a haircut…I almost threw my water bottle! Go Pats!!!

13 – Another local product, Kenny Florian was booed halfway into his loss to the bullishly strong Gray Maynard, for the lack of…well, anything. It was like 3 “feel out rounds”, to all the boxing fans reading this. Maynard moves on to a title shot at the BJ Penn – Frankie Edgar victor later in the night.

14 – BTW, who names their kid Gray anymore? Oh well…

15 – As for the co-main event…Penn who rightfully was billed as the greatest Lightweight in the history of the UFC got beaten in every possible way by the Jonathan Tucker lookalike (Google it). Edgar beat him to the punch, to the kick, and to the slam round after round after round. A truly dominating performance in every sense of the word.

16 – You gotta love the chants of BJ - BJ - BJ from all the ladies in the crowd…I'll leave that one alone actually!

17 – James Toney, you know we at OtG love ya…but 237? Really James?

18 – 11 seconds into the first round Randy Couture dropped Toney with a single leg takedown (which is almost impossible to counter with a punch), and at that moment every boxing fan watching knew it was over. An arm triangle soon followed, and roughly 3 minutes later the boxing icon waved for the ref to put a halt to the action. First round tapout or first round KO was what everyone expected - as a boxing fan, I was disappointed but not surprised by the outcome.

19 – Props to Couture for not only coming up with a game plan to take away Toney’s greatest asset, but for the way he conducted himself post-fight. Couture showed respect to not only the sport of boxing but Toney as well (resulting in a standing ovation from thousands for the first-time mixed martial artist). The classy way he “respectfully declined” promoter Dan Goosen’s offer to stage a boxing contest between Couture and Toney further demonstrated the kind of character Couture has. Like the multi-time UFC Champion said, if he were to box Toney he would be stopped in the first round.

20 – To sum this night up, I want to point out the most important thing. James “Lights Out” Toney deserves all of the credit and admiration in the world for having the fortitude to enter a sport he has never even tried at the most elite level. With only 9 months of preparation, Toney attempted to take on a legend with decades of training under his belt. Toney is the first truly great fighter in either boxing or MMA to attempt the transition - and for that...

Respect Champ - truly the utmost Respect!

If he sat in his punch - this would be a snuff film.

2010-08-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

Matthew Macklin talks about his upcoming bout with Darren Barker

2010-08-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Friday Night Fraud

2010-08-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone else want to call the police after Delvin Rodriguez got robbed on national television?

Rodriguez, (25-4-2) faced UK fighter, Ashley Theophane (26-4-1) for ESPN's Friday Night Fights on July 30th, 2010, taking place in Miami, (pronounced My-a-ma), Oklahoma.

Rodriguez looked great in the majority of the 10-round bout, using his jab well and timing his shots, while Theophane seemed more wild and undisciplined. Rodriguez was patient, counter-punching through Theophane's flurries and expertly kept his distance, while Theophane made several attempts to make it an inside fight.

Rodriguez faced difficulty in the seventh round, when he started slowing down and looking like he was running out of steam, though Theophane wasn't able to completely capitalize on it. The next two rounds saw Rodriguez increasing his work rate and dominating Theophane, though the 10th round saw a very depleted Rodriguez hanging in there and counter-punching Theophane rather than being the aggressor. The two traded hard for the last 30 seconds of the fight.

Teddy Atlas and Joe Tessitore seemed to think a Rodriguez win was a foregone conclusion, stating it to be "a formality" for Rodriguez to be announced the winner. The judges didn't seem to be watching the same fight, scoring it a Majority Decision in Theophane's favor. With understandable shock and disgust, Rodriguez left the ring immediately, only enduring Theophane's unsportsmanlike gloating briefly. Atlas and Tessitore were openly disgusted by the decision, with Atlas blaming these types of incidents as one of the reasons why fans are leaving the sport of Boxing.

Sadly, Rodriguez is no stranger to being robbed. In his first fight against Isaac Hlatshwayo, in Hlatshwayo's home country of South Africa, Rodriguez lost a close decision to the crowd favorite, which was later changed to a draw. Though the seeming bias in South Africa woul have left an indelible mark to most, Rodriguez agreed to travel to Poland just last year in an IBF title eliminator to fight Rafal Jackiewicz in his home country. Though Rodriguez had Jackiewicz going backwards most of the fight, out-punched him 1025 to 351 and knocked him "down", if not "out" in the 6th round, Jackiewicz got the decision in similar fashion.

This latest robbery in Miami, OK should raise a red flag for all boxing fans as well as for Delvin Rodriguez himself, whose career is ultimately on the line here. Something afoul is going on with the management of this fighter. Is it incompetence on his team? Or is Delvin Rodriguez the latest lamb being led to slaughter in the "business" of boxing?

On The Grind Boxing remembers Arturo Gatti

2010-07-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

An amazing remembrance by one of On The Grind's best writers.

by Greg Paterson | Sun. July 11, 2010

Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was unpredictable. His fights were wars, his life was colorful and his career had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. Still, he brought his heart and soul into every boxing ring he graced.

Since the days of John L. Sullivan and his aggressive take no prisoners style, boxing fans have preferred the slugger to the pure boxer. Boxers are appreciated while fighters are loved. Names like Jack Dempsey, Carmen Basilio and Mathew Saad Muhammad all carried the unofficial title of "boxing’s most exciting fighter," in days passed. During the late 1990’s and early 2000’s though, this mantle belonged to Arturo "Thunder" Gatti.

Gatti bursted onto the world class level with an upset points victory over IBF Super Featherweight Champion, Tracey Harris Patterson in July 1995. The young Gatti who had made his name as a hard puncher proved he had some boxing ability as well. As he out-jabbed the aging champion and utilized his youthful movement, Gatti's defensive flaws became evident - but a powerful offense and immeasurable amounts of courage out-weighed his shortcomings. HBO's live broadcast of the fight helped pave the way for Gatti to become an international super-star and cult figure. At the tender age of 23 with a world championship belt, an exciting style and a superb left hook, the world was truly Gatti’s oyster.

Gatti showcased what he was all about in his next fight and first title defense, a back and forth war with Dominican Wilson Rodriguez. The challenger surprised everyone by starting fast and closing the left eye of the young champion. The second round saw the champion dropped and battered. Maintaining his composure, Gatti fought back hard and started to get back into the fight with his hard-combinations and body work. The body work at times strayed low - earning Gatti a point deduction before he dropped Rodriguez with a pulverizing left-hook to the body in the fifth round. After weathering the early storm, Gatti finished the see-saw battle in dramatic fashion with a destructive left-hook to the head of the tough Dominican.

The boxing world had reason to celebrate as the legend of Gatti was born. The tough blood and guts warrior had arrived, and the spotlight was his.

Many wars followed such as the rematch with Patterson, and the superb slug-fest with Gabriel Ruelas, Ring Magazine's 1995 Fight of the Year. It was becoming clear, Gatti was not the next boxing superstar - but the next warrior-god of boxing. He began to rely less and less on his boxing skills and more and more on his power, tenacity and aggression. The world fell in love with his wicked power and iconic image! It became obvious that Gatti was never going to be a great champion, but he could provide thrills, drama and ratings. The fans loved him, the media loved him, and there weren’t many people in boxing who didn't like the irrepressible young man.

It all came crashing down when limited and unexpected underdog Angel Manfredy out-boxed Gatti, and stopped him due to cuts in eight rounds. Gatti was dropped in the third and his limitations as a fighter were exposed, yet he remained an exciting fighter who despite defeat still possessed a massive fan-base.

This new-found role as exciting brawler rather than champion, was firmly established in two back-to-back wars with Ivan Robinson in 1998. Their first fight was awarded Fight of the Year honors. Both fighters gave it their all flinging flurries of punches at one another with rapidity. Both men were hurt and the momentum of the bout swung in each man's favor many times. In the end Robinson proved a bit too much for Gatti, earning a close decisions victory each time. It seemed that Gatti had fizzled out as a serious threat in boxing, but he was still a viable to boxing fans. The man had never been in a dull fight, and with the power he possessed and penchant for punishment - he could thrill a crowd like no other. A step-up to 140lbs. came and after he stacked up a few wins, then Gatti was made a sacrificial lamb for Oscar de la Hoya. Gatti though would continue to make his name as the blood spattered warrior he was.

***

Mickey Ward was no ordinary journeyman. Ward was a tough pressure-fighter who troubled some contenders of the time with his own brand of grittiness, determination and a wicked left hook to the body. He was the equal of Gatti in heart. The two of them waged three unforgettable wars. The first is generally regarded as the best, but all three were great fights. The fights reignited the faltering flame of his career, and solidified Gatti's reputation as an undisputed blood and guts warrior.

Gatti - Ward I saw Gatti get off to a good start. His new trainer Buddy McGirt tried to get him to stick to his boxing skills, and generally tighten up his defense and technique. This approach worked well until Ward started to sucker Gatti into a brawl. Gatti, never one to turn down a fight, duly obliged Ward and they began to swap hard punches. Ward, a really devastating body puncher, licked his lips and traded back with a certain fierceness that is born only in great fights. The two traded back-and-forth, and this excitement culminated in a ninth round none will forget.

Both men continued the trading as the battle lines had been drawn. Ward was the first to do real damage as a brutal left-hook to the body dropped Gatti. He picked himself up off the canvas though and fought back. The combatants traded but were exhausted and exerting every morsel of energy they had left. The two exchanged punches back-and-forth until the bell rang. The tenth was similar, but both men were understandably spent. Ward escaped the bout with a narrow split-decision victory, and Gatti came away with his warrior image enhanced yet again.

It is understood Mickey Ward was never the best pure boxer. He was tough, rough, game and ready, but when faced with lateral movement and a nice jab he tended to struggle. This was not a fact lost on Buddy McGirt in Gatti - Ward II, who implored Gatti to stick to his boxing this time around and to stay low in order to avoid the body attack of Ward.

Gatti heeded the advice of his bespectacled sage and boxed his way to a wide unanimous decision win. The outcome of the fight caused many people to believe Gatti may be a viable contender again. Against second-tier opposition his boxing skills were clearly evident. At the top level though, Gatti was Gatti – a tough, hard nosed, exciting brawler.

With the score even at one a piece, and two epic battles behind them - a third match was a natural.

After cracking the code to beat Ward last time out, Gatti stuck to the plan early in their third fight - keeping Ward off-balance with nice movement and a snappy jab. The event would get the better of him though, as often happened when Gatti exchanged blows with an in-ring rival. The fighters thirsted for war.

Gatti broke his hand hitting Ward on the hip bone in the mid-rounds, but continued to trade punches in savage battle. They went at it with every ounce of their being in the final hurrah of one of the sport's most storied trilogies. This time Gatti came out ahead capturing a decision win.

***

Building on his fame from the trilogy with Ward, Gatti was once again in the hotseat. The fans knew and loved their hero, and he never gave them a dull fight.

Further successes and failures greeted Gatti in the ring after the Ward fights, but his iconic status and legacy as a warrior were secured. Perhaps his talent did not warrant the following he attracted, but his heart, determination and toughness did. A year after his untimely passing and beyond, these very attributes assure Gatti his place in history,

When future generations of fight fans are handed down stories of the timeless battles and warriors of yesterday - and the names Battling Nelson, Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano are echoed through history's hallowed walls, the name Arturo Gatti is sure to echo with the sound of THUNDER.

4 SURE

2010-06-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Ivan Calderon vs. Jesus Iribe was the main event on fight night, Saturday, June 13, 2010, the night before the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City. A night where Puerto Rican pride, Miguel Cotto usually fights, but since he fought Yuri Foreman last weekend for the WBA Light Middleweight championship, the main event went to lesser known Calderon.

Calderon gave his usual clinic on footwork, dodging Iribe's bombs and popping him with counter-shots all night long. Iribe became increasingly frustrated throughout the fight, putting everything into his punches and only getting air. The fight was a little lackluster overall and was completely outshone by a 4-round undercard fight between Takashi Okada (1-0-1) of Japan and McWilliams Arroyo (3-0-0) of Puerto Rico.

Arroyo, an exciting prospect, fought well for Puerto Rico in the amateurs, earning a silver medal in the 2005 Pan American Championship games, a gold medal in the International Junior Olympics held in Michigan in his division and being named Puerto Rico's Youth Boxer of the Year in 2003.

Okada, relocated to California from Japan, has most recently been a sparring partner for Rodel Mayol, one of main event fighter Ivan Calderon's two-time opponents.

Arroyo was favored to win because of his hard-hitting, aggressive style, but it was apparent from the first bell that this was not going to be a walk in the park for either fighter. Okada took control immediately, snapping jabs and dictating the pace. Arroyo was forced to box and play defense for the majority of the first round. Okada dropped Arroyo in the second round and though he got to his feet quickly, Arroyo was visibly wobbly. The third and fourth rounds saw an incredible see-saw of shots going back and forth, with Okada looking to be in trouble at one point, but bouncing back to be the aggressor and ultimately winning the decision. Arroyo suffered his first loss, though without shame, making his record 3-1-0 while Okada's record improved to 2-0-1.

This was the most exciting 4-round fight most fans, (including this one,) have ever seen. It was a toe-to-toe battle of will and ability - just the kind of fight we all want to see. I for one, cannot wait to see these two fight again. If it is a 10-round fight next time, I can easily foresee it being a contender for fight of the year.

Como Cotto Regresa

2010-06-07T22:01:00.000-07:00

As Cotto returns to former glory, his fans return to full pitch at Yankee Stadium.

It was a great site to behold; thousands of fans at legendary Yankee Stadium waiting to see the once bright up-and-comer, Miguel Cotto return to glory after suffering severe losses at the (loaded) hands of Antonio Margarito and the seemingly invincible Manny Pacquiao.

People had considered Cotto down for the count after those monumental losses and the injuries endured even during his winning fight against Joshua Clottey, but Cotto came to the ring with something to prove, and he knew he had to deliver. Perhaps it was the new trainer in Emanuel Steward or perhaps it was the shiny WBA Light Middleweight title belt on the line, but whatever it was, it worked. Cotto, fighting most recently at Welterweight, seemed a natural Light Middleweight, bossing Yuri Foreman around the ring for the duration of the fight. Foreman, a game yet arguably untested world title holder did little to stave off the aggressive and powerful Cotto. Emanuel Steward's training was evident right off the bat as Cotto's footwork and movement seemed vastly improved since his last fight against Pacquiao, (though Pacquiao can make anyone look like they're dancing in cement.)

It is clear that Cotto has come to fight as soon as the bell rings. Aggressively sticking his jab, Cotto turtles up only for a moment during the 1st round. The 2nd round sees more of Cotto's jab and also a more aggressive Foreman, working his jab as well. Cotto lands more punches, working Foreman's body with his left hook and takes the round. The 3rd round is more about the body and hooks from both fighters. Strangely enough, Foreman's mouthpiece falls out and referee Arthur Mercante Jr. demands Cotto's corner to clean it off while adamantly telling trainer, Emanuel Steward not to speak to the fighter.

The 4th round sees the best exchanges of the fight, with both fighters landing stiff jabs and powerful exchanges. Cotto's defense also seems to have improved under Steward's tutelage and it's a toss-up as to who wins the round. Foreman seems to weaken in the 5th and 6th rounds, though there are some good hooks landed by both fighters.

A slip in the 7th round has Foreman limping and Cotto rushing in to finish the job, but Foreman's heart wins out the round. Foreman falls and limps his way through the first half of the 8th round until a towel comes flying into the ring from his corner. Cotto's corner comes rushing in and starts celebrating their victory until referee Mercante announces that the fight isn't over and everybody needs to clear the ring. Apparently, Foreman's corner denies throwing the towel in, although it was clearly a corner towel, and so the fight goes back on. Mercante gets respect for taking control of the situation and clearing the ring so quickly, even though the fight should have been ended at that point.

Slightly confused, both fighters regain composure and continue fighting until it becomes blatantly obvious to referee Mercante that Foreman isn't in any shape to keep fighting, so the fight is stopped for real this time.

Miguel Cotto wins the WBA Light Middleweight Title and wins his fans the world over...again. Foreman gains new fans by showing incredible heart in the ring and can hold his head high. Where will each fighter go from here? Can't wait to find out.

Congratulations on an awesome victory Cotto!!!

Mayday

2010-05-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

No surprises here. Most boxing fans probably predicted the beginning, the middle and the end of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Shane Mosley quite accurately.

Sugar Shane gave it a go in the early rounds, while Mayweather patiently waited and timed his opponent. After a bit of a scare in the second round, Mayweather made a few adjustments and dominated the rest of the bout. By the seventh round, you could see the defeat on Mosley's face as he kept taking the beating that Mayweather delivered. Master counter-puncher, Mayweather always had a stern answer for Mosley's less and less frequent attacks and the big question was no longer "who would win," but whether Mosley would be able to finish the fight.

Mosley's punches seemed in slow motion compared to Mayweather's and though not a lot of angles were used, Mayweather effectively dismantled Mosley's offense completely. There was a LOT of hugging. To the point where referee, Kenny Bayless was practically omnipresent in this fight, where usually he takes a 'hands-off' approach.

Mayweather's athletic ability and strategy were both in full effect for this fight. His ring-generalship truly is that of legendary proportions. Like him or not, he's a smart and fast fighter, who rarely misses when he throws a punch and can change up his game plan without notice.

The silver lining for Mosley however, is that he finally got a big fight, which he has been begging for in every interview and post-fight interview (even if it wasn't his fight) for the past year. If there was a camera in his face, he was calling SOMEONE out. Also, he was able to keep his belt, since it wasn't on the line because Mayweather refused to pay the sanctioning fees, a particularly amusing (read: PIMP) move, in my opinion.

Should Sugar Shane hang up the gloves? At 38 years-old, he has had a great career, holds a title belt and certainly has nothing to be ashamed of. However, like any true fighter, his heart seems to want to go on, even if his body can't keep up anymore.

I'd love to hear your opinions on that one. What do you think?

Bernard Hopkins vs Roy Jones Jr.

2010-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

Embarrassing.

That is all.

Amir Interview

2010-03-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

I caught up with Amir Khan, who is starting his training at the Wildcard Boxing gym for his upcoming fight with Paulie Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden on May 15th.

Kenny Bayless Interview

2010-03-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

I got to sit with my favorite Boxing ref, Kenny Bayless and ask him some questions. His answers give such insight - enjoy!

Kelly Pavlik's prediction on Manny vs Floyd Jr.

2010-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to ask Kelly Pavlik one question, although I could have asked him a million...

Don't mess with Texas

2010-03-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

Although the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey wasn't as exciting as it could have been, one thing that didn't disappoint was Cowboys stadium. The big screen, in true Texas style, is BIG. I mean, HUGE. It practically runs the length of the football field!

Ok, back to boxing...John Duddy did well against Michael Medina to secure his split decision victory, but things were looking like they could go either way during the 6th, 7th and 8th rounds. Boxing well and scoring more points through the first 5 rounds, it looked like Duddy would win handily until Medina came alive in the 6th and also delivered a stunning right hand at the end of the 7th, causing Duddy to take his time getting to his corner. The 9th round was all Duddy, but he gassed himself out and Medina took advantage of that in the 10th.

Some fans were surprised at the outcome of Alfonso Gomez vs Jose Luis Castillo, but I was not one of them. Although Castillo looked pretty game right out of the gate, it seemed Gomez was timing him well and landed a number of brutal shots that eventually led to Castillo quitting on the stool after the 5th round. Some reports say that this was a career-ender for Castillo, who has fought the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Diego Corrales in the prime of his career.

Perhaps the hardest fight for me to watch was that between Humberto Soto and David Diaz. I just didn't want to see either of them lose! David Diaz has the heart that I wish every boxer had and a spirit that is unparalleled, but Humberto Soto truly had the edge in power. Diaz was knocked down twice during the bout and true to form, bounced right back up and kept punching. Though it was a lopsided victory for Soto, Pacquiao fans in particular gave high praise and applause to Diaz, who was a warrior throughout the fight.

Joshua Clottey fought Manny Pacquiao for the main event that evening. I am only telling you this, because perhaps you didn't see his face during the 12 round match-up. I saw glimpses of it between rounds, but didn't see much of it during the fight due to his gloves being up virtually the entire fight. I understand that this was a huge payday for Clottey and he may have been looking just to survive the fight on his feet, not wanting to be knocked out for the first time in his career, but come on, it was also a title fight and a little pride in his craft would have been in order. Although he threw a few hard punches, it never seemed Clottey was ever in it to win it. Pacquiao, who looked like he was in a sparring match at the Wildcard gym in Hollywood, even got so frustrated in the 6th round that he used both hands to box Clottey's ears in. Though it was surely meant to wake Clottey up, it only managed to awaken the crowd, who affectionately called it the "Wapakman!" and imitated the move for the rest of the night.

The mini WBO Belt that Clottey's trainer, Lenny de Jesus wore as a sweatband on his head, couldn't motivate the celebrated fighter from Ghana to do more than shell up. Clottey looked to be in serious trouble at the end of the 8th round, with Pacquiao unleashing several deadly combinations, causing him to wobble back to his corner. A knockout in the 9th seemed imminent even to Clottey's wife, crying in the front row until, much to the fans' surprise, Clottey started moving forward and throwing punches. Below are rounds 1 and 9 of the fight (check out my sweet seats!) just for comparison. You see Clottey's face maybe twice in the first round and see it much more in the 9th:

In the audience were a plethora of boxers, footballers and actors including Kelly Pavlik, Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders and Robert Duvall.

All in all, it was a really fun fight night, although you had to PAY to play, ladies and gentlemen. Bottles of Miller Lite beer were sold for $8.50 apiece and the food was exorbitantly overpriced as well. The parking situation was also a pricey nightmare at $70 per vehicle. I guess somebody's got to pay for that screen...

Getting Testy - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao

2009-12-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

The very latest scandal in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao super-fight is the demand by the Mayweather camp for Manny Pacquiao to undergo Olympic-style drug testing leading up to the fight March 13, 2010.

Perhaps the smartest thing Mayweather has done so far is to partner up with Golden Boy Promotions, allowing them to negotiate on his behalf and utilizing their substantial muscle and network. Mayweather's demand that the Olympic U.S. Anti Dopers Association (USADA) be the organization that conduct the tests is most likely because of Oscar De La Hoya's personal relationship with the head of this group. Considering that "Olympic-style drug testing" means the testing would be at random and as often as the USADA would like, the relationship with De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions is a huge advantage. Especially now that everyone knows Pacquiao is superstitious about getting blood drawn in general, much less right before a fight. (This superstition was born when Pacquiao was blood-tested before his first bout against Erik Morales, which he lost.)

Team Pacquiao has refused such random tests and instead, have offered to give blood directly after the fight. The USADA claims that a scheduled blood test would give Pacquiao's team the opportunity to shoot him up with a masking agent and thus render the test meaningless.

So it seems they are at an impasse and the fate of the super-bout hangs in the balance.

Is this a pressure tactic designed by Floyd Mayweather Jr. to ultimately avoid fighting Manny Pacquiao? There are many inconsistencies within Golden Boy Promotions' protocol that would make it seem so. While negotiating the PPV bout between Shane Mosley and Zab Judah in 2008 (the fight never got made,) Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaeffer refused the Olympic-style drug testing requested by the Judah camp, stating "Whatever tests they [the Nevada State Athletic Commission] want them to take, Shane will submit to that. We are not going to do other tests than the Nevada commission requires. The fact is Shane is not a cheater and he does not need to be treated like one."

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach has stated that they will adhere to the rules and tests enforced by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which includes extensive drug tests through urine analysis, a method that NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer considers less invasive than blood testing. "Urine tests are not only cheaper, they are more effective and there are no risks of nicking a blood vein or causing an infection," Kizer explains. "If blood tests are administered in the locker room, something like nicking a vein or excessive bruising would force us to cancel the fight, not to mention the risks of infection, administering a test in that kind of environment." Kizer states "Our goal is to deter the use of drugs [by athletes] in the first place." It is Kizer's belief that if drug tests aren't strictly enforced, the athletes who don't normally use performance-enhancing substances may feel compelled to do so in order to even the playing field. "Blood tests are not as effective as urine tests in most cases," Kizer says. "As far as I know, the only test that shows up better in blood is EPO (blood-doping), which is a long-term test that should be administered over the course of months and months in order to be accurate." When asked whether he thought Manny Pacquiao uses steroids, Kizer immediately answers "No. We've tested Manny Pacquiao several times, including the fights during his climb through the weight classes and he has always tested clean."

Roach has even proffered a letter from the NFL, arguably the strictest professional league when it comes to drug-testing, which would state that blood testing is unnecessary and less effective than urine or saliva tests. Though a blood test has been developed for human growth hormone (HGH,) the test has not been proven effective or reliable, as it has never detected HGH in any of the athletes tested, including all of the athletes at the Olympic Games of 2008.

A Brief History

Mayweather was accused of ducking the mega-fight in May, 2009, when he announced his first fight out of retirement would be against Juan Manuel Marquez. The announcement came on the day of Pacquiao's fight against Ricky Hatton. Fight fans and media outlets started calling Mayweather out for his apparent avoidance of fighting Manny Pacquiao, though claiming himself to be the true pound-for-pound king of boxing. Brian Kenny of ESPN went head-to-head against Mayweather in an on-air interview (click to see video clip,) being the first public figure to officially accuse the former pound-for-pound champion of dodging Pacquiao. Mayweather may have suffered his first comeuppance at the hand of Brian Kenny, but the real blow came when ticket sales to his comeback fight against Marquez were dismal. The fight got moved from July 18, 2009 to September 19, 2009 due to an alleged rib injury suffered by Mayweather, but many people have speculated that the real reason for the postponement was to build the fight and increase ticket and projected PPV sales. Mayweather dominated his fight against Marquez, who was forced to gain over 10 pounds for the bout. Mayweather even came in two pounds overweight, tipping the scales further in his favor. Instead of regaining the respect of fans for beating the pound-for-pound second best in Marquez, Mayweather suffered further criticism through the media and fans. Hip Hop icon, Eminem's Sirius radio station, Shade 45, had a phone interview with the tarnished former pound-for-pound champion on October 29th, 2009, attacking Mayweather for protecting his record and not fighting anyone who would test him. Hip Hop star "RA the Rugged Man", a guest on the show and a veritable boxing encyclopedia, did most of the talking in the no-holds-barred conversation (click to hear audio clip zSHARE - mayweather vs ra the rugged man.mp3)

Conversely, Pacquiao went on to fight one of the the welterweight division's most feared fighters, Miguel Cotto and in a stunning TKO victory in the 12th round, affirmed his position as boxing's pound-for-pound king. During Pacquiao's post-fight interview, fans chanted "we want Floyd!" repeatedly, begging Larry Merchant to ask who Pacquiao would like to fight next. Pacquiao gave the usual answer, stating he would fight whomever his promoter put in front of him. Mayweather immediately went on record, harping to anyone who would listen that Manny was avoiding the fight by not specifically calling Mayweather out when asked who he'd want to fight next. Mayweather stated "Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone including his loudmouth trainer, talk for him. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself." During coverage of Manny Pacquiao's LA victory party, days after the Cotto fight, a KTLA Los Angeles reporter asked Pacquiao "For the record, do you want to fight Mayweather?" to which Pacquiao simply replied, "for the record, yeah."

This may have forced Mayweather's hand as far as starting negotiations for the fight of the decade, but since then, fight fans are left wondering whether he will actually go through with it. The latest blood-testing hoopla only confirms the fans' worst fears that this much-anticipated fight may not get made as it seems Mayweather's camp is trying to find any feasible way to back out of the fight while saving face.

Freddie Roach states "I'm not going to let my fighter endure any kind of blood test so close to the fight. We don't work for Mayweather. I'm perfectly happy complying with whatever the Nevada State Commission asks of us." As it is, Mayweather insisted on having the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas instead of in Dallas, Texas, which would have been much more lucrative. Though Pacquiao didn't express a preference of where the fight should be located, Roach believes that having the fight at the MGM, or "Floyd's backyard" as he put it, was enough of a compromise.

Inside Scoop

Insiders say Golden Boy has tentatively agreed to use the tests enforced by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but only if the NSAC standards are also adhered to in the weight clause, reducing the $10 million penalty per pound over from the contracts to $600 thousand per pound over. Roach has no problem with this, stating "I don't care how much the penalty is. If Floyd shows up overweight - we won't fight him."

Roach goes on to say that negotiations are already underway with WBO NABO Light Welterweight champion, Paulie Malignaggi as well as WBA World Light Middleweight champion, Yuri Foreman. A win over Foreman would make Pacquiao a world champion in a record-breaking eight different weight classes, to which he already holds the record at seven titles, beating Oscar De La Hoya's six and besting Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s five.

Talk has also surfaced that Pacquaio plans to sue Mayweather for defamation of character.

In My Opinion

Will this fight get made? Many arguments can be made for either side, but I believe it will get made in the end. Mayweather has already succumbed once to holding negotiations after countless accusations that he is ducking Pacquiao and for the most part, the media and fans are still not backing him up even after this latest attempt to scandalize the fight. He is left with no leverage and no way out other than admitting cowardice, or sustaining (read: faking) an injury / infection that would prevent him from fighting for the next several months - which might happen. And if it does, you heard it here first.

2009-12-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

I hope I asked a lot of the same questions you all would have asked. I think he dishes a lot here about Manny vs Floyd, Amir Khan's future and what he thinks about the best of 2009 for Boxing...

Manny vs Amir

2009-12-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

For all of you who are excited about Amir Khan being Manny Pacquiao's chief sparring partner in training camp for Manny's (tentative) fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This sparring session took place during Manny's training camp for Oscar De La Hoya.

Enjoy!

Yes, we Khan

2009-12-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

Amir Khan sizzles as he retains his WBA light-welterweight title against Dmitry Salita.

It took Khan only 10 seconds to introduce Salita to the canvas for the first time in the fight and 76 seconds to dispatch of him completely. In a show of pure brilliance on the part of Khan, he took charge of the bout after the first bell, not affording Salita a chance to get settled. After Khan landed a crisp jab that set up a short, right hook to the jaw, Salita went down like a ton of bricks, never to fully recover.

You could see Khan getting excited and wanting to seal the deal, but he intelligently settled himself down and threw hard, clean punches while moving forward and trapping Salita in the corner, where he suffered his second knockdown. Tasting victory, Khan went for the kill after Salita dragged himself to his feet and in a flurry of punches, Salita went down for the third and final time. Puerto Rican ref, Luis Pabon wisely called the fight off while Salita lay helpless on the ropes.

Salita was heard complaining after the fight, stating that the ref called the fight too soon and that he could have continued. Most of those who watched the fight would wholeheartedly disagree, but he may have had a point, considering that in the past, he came back to win (UD) against Robert Frankel after getting knocked down in the first round as well as fighting back to a draw against Ramon Montano after being knocked down twice in the first round.

Although Amir Khan was a heavy favorite to win against the WBA #1 contender, few could have predicted such a quick victory. It indeed took him longer to leave the ring with all of the congratulations than it took him to defend his world title.

Much credit is attributed to Freddie Roach, who has trained Khan for his last four fights and has seemingly transformed Khan from a great up-and-comer to a veritable tour-de-force in the world of Boxing.

With plans to conquer America next, Khan looks to 2010 as an exciting year for him and for boxing, as he will once again join Pound for Pound king, Manny Pacquiao's training camp as a key sparring partner for Pacquiao's almost-finalized fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Roach emphatically stated that Khan was ready to take on the world and to expect great things from him.

As he stated in an interview after the fight, this victory was an early birthday present for the (almost) 23-year old sensation, Amir Khan. Happy Birthday, Amir and Congratulations. You were brilliant tonight.

In other boxing news, interim cruiserweight champion, Ola Afolabi lost in his title match against Marco Huck in Huck's home country of Germany. Afolabi, known for his showboating, entertained the crowd for 12 rounds, losing in a unanimous decision.

Chris Arreola won in his first fight back since suffering a brutal TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko at the end of September earlier this year. Arreola (6'4 - 2,630,000 lbs) dwarfed Brian Minto (5'10 - 218 lbs) and knocked him out in the fourth round. What was surprising about this fight certainly wasn't the outcome, as most boxing experts would have predicted an early round KO victory for Arreola. The surprise was the incredible show of heart and determination by Brian Minto. After getting rocked by a straight right hand, Minto hit the ground, but came back up fighting. While he could barely stand, he was still throwing punches, still trying to win, until his body finally wouldn't let him continue and he hit the canvas yet again. Though he wobbled to his feet again, referee Eddie Cotton would not allow the fight to continue.

Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez BATTLED. This was certainly one of the hardest bouts to score ever as they traded punches furiously and were toe to toe for the majority of the fight. Martinez, recently robbed of victory in his fight against Kermit Cintron, seemingly got robbed once more, at least by judge Pierre Benoist, who scored the fight 119-110 in Williams' advantage. Perhaps the only judge to truly get it right was Julie Lederman (Harold Lederman's daughter) who saw the fight 114-114, a draw.

Great night of boxing!

Man, oh, Manny

2009-11-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

Pound for Pound King, Manny Pacquiao victorious over heavy-hitter, Miguel Cotto.

And what a fight it was.

Although fight fans had Pacquiao favored 3 to 1 come fight time, most Boxing experts had it pretty even. Cotto's larger size, strength and comparable hand-speed made him a formidable opponent.

There was a lot of underlying drama leading up to this fight. Manny Pacquiao's training camp took place in Baguio City, Philippines for the first time ever, since new tax laws in California prevented him from training at his usual spot, the Wildcard Boxing Club. Known for being superstitious, Pacquiao didn't like straying from routine and choosing his home country, be it familiar, seemed like a bad choice considering his god-like status there and all of the distractions that his fame would entail. What they didn't know was that the fan adulation would offer little distraction compared to the 3 typhoons that would blow threw the islands during the few weeks they would be there. Concerned for their safety, Freddie Roach forced training camp to move to the capital city of Manila when the final storm was headed directly over Baguio City. Ironically, Vancouver, Canada was overlooked as a potential training spot due to its perennial rain.

Miguel Cotto also held his training camp in a new location. Instead of his home country of Puerto Rico, Cotto opted to hold this training camp in Tampa, Florida and though his camp didn't have to contend with typhoons (or a rainy day, for that matter), Cotto was adjusting to the absence of his seasoned, though contentious uncle and trainer, Evangelista Cotto. Joe Santiago, team Cotto's fitness and nutrition expert for only a short time, was surprisingly named the new head trainer in April of this year. Santiago, for his part meant well, but was highly criticized by fans, experts and certainly not in the least by Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach for being too "green" and inexperienced.

The drama continued at the weigh-in before the fight, where Joe Santiago and Freddie Roach got into a verbal confrontation while Cotto was on the scale. Apparently, reacting to the skepticism by the press and fans that Cotto may not be able to make the 145 lb weight limit, Joe Santiago viciously turned to Freddie Roach and stated "145, ASSHOLE". Roach took offense to this and went after Santiago. Cotto got involved for a second until Roach threatened him as well. Things cooled down quickly, but the tension continued between camps until the fight the following night.

As both fighters entered the ring, the energy of the crowd became palpable. During the first round, Miguel Cotto came out with fists blazing against the pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao. Surprisingly aggressive, Cotto executed a near-perfect round and when the bell rang, Cotto fans raised their hands in victory. In the second round, Pacquiao seemed to be timing Cotto and landed some game counter-punches. The third and fourth round saw Cotto being knocked down and the course of the fight had then been set. Cotto put up a good fight, flurrying with some strong combinations, but Pacquiao had taken control of the fight and dominated the remaining rounds, until referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight in the 12th round. What the television audience didn't see was that Cotto's father had tried to stop the fight at the end of the 11th round. The stoppage was an inevitable end, as Cotto had taken to the bike for the last few rounds, backing away from Pacquiao and trying to survive rather than win the fight.

I had the opportunity to to have a quick chat with Freddie Roach after the fight - right when he was about to leave for England, where he is training Amir Khan for his first title defense against Dmitry Salita. It's short and sweet, but you're going to enjoy this...

Congratulations, Manny on an unbelievable fight. You are truly a pound for pound champion to be proud of.

Floyd - admit it; You just don't want to lose your zero. You will continue to duck this fight by asking for too high of a percentage or you will silence your detractors by being reasonable in your negotiations. Until you take this fight at a reasonable weight and percentage, you will be thought of as a wuss by your peers, the media and boxing fans at large. Fact.

Mike Koncz is a total idiot

2009-11-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

Any doubts as to whether Mike Koncz is an idiot have been erased as of the airing of HBO's third installment of 24/7, a television series following the training camps for Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. This is a universal statement, I realize. And it's meant to be.

Mike Koncz's analysis of the relationship between Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao couldn't be more ignorant. (ig.no.rant: ig.ner.uhnt: Lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact). Having been in Manny's camp for five years, this ignorance must be chosen, for anyone who has been around Roach and Pacquiao for five minutes can recognize the symbiosis between the two. It is almost palpable. It is telling that Koncz chose the word "famous" to describe what Freddie Roach would NOT be if not for Manny Pacquiao. Perhaps his own need for attention and fame are at the crux of this blind antagonism for the venerable coach.

Ironically, it was Roach who introduced Koncz to Manny Pacquiao. Koncz had spent his life savings trying to get undefeated Nigerian heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi out of jail and back into the ring. Ibeabuchi had beaten Chris Byrd in 1999 and was on the path for a world championship when his career was abruptly halted. Ibeabuchi apparently tried to pay a Las Vegas prostitute with a check for her services. When she refused to accept this payment method, things got ugly. Ibeabuchi ended up pleading guilty to charges of battery with intent to commit a crime and attempted sexual assault in 2001. Koncz believed Ibeauchi would be paroled in August, 2004 and approached Freddie Roach to be Ibeabuchi's trainer, telling Roach that Ibeabuchi needed the best, and that Roach was the best. When parole for Ibeabuchi was denied, Koncz was left with nothing. His life savings were gone and his family had left him. It was in this state and at that this time that Freddie Roach introduced him to Manny Pacquiao. Manny took pity on him and hired him on as a consultant. Roach regrets the introduction as was intimated in his interview with HBO.

Koncz has positioned himself within Manny's camp strategically. He filters Manny's phone calls and correspondence, leaving promoter Bob Arum and Freddie Roach to wonder if Manny receives any of their messages. During the negotiations for Pacquiao's most recent fight against Cotto, Roach resorted to making statements in the press, hoping his most prized fighter would get his messages and contact him.

Team Pacquiao insiders reveal that Manny was very unhappy with Koncz after watching the controversial interview on television. Whether or not there will be consequences remains to be seen. For now, "Koncz" has become a name people avoid saying at the Wildcard Boxing club. Kinda like somebody else we know.

Super Six - Regal victory and Snakey win

2009-10-17T20:20:00.001-07:00

What a night of Boxing. "King" Arthur Abraham was in a battle against Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor until the last 15 seconds of the fight when he knocked Taylor out with a quick, but decisive right hand.

SIDE BAR: perhaps Jermain Taylor should change his nickname to something a little less passive-aggressive than "Bad Intentions". After all, t's one thing to have a bad intention, it's another thing to follow through with it.

Eerily similiar to Taylor's last fight against Carl Froch, his body bounced off the canvas with 15 seconds left on the clock. UNlike his fight with Froch, Taylor was losing this fight against the incredibly resilient and strong Arthur Abraham. I like Jermain Taylor and wish his career hadn't veered south like this. My prediction is that he will now be considered a high paid opponent for the rest of his career, IF he has one left. I'm not entirely sure he should finish the Super Six. It seems like his long-term health is in question. If he were to bow out, who should take his place? I'd love to see Allan Green get that spot. As a largely underrated fighter, I think Allan Green would gain recognition and get the respect that he deserves as a fighter were he to be in the Super Six Tournament. Showtime take note.

How disappointing was Dirrell's fight? I was cringing as he clinched his way through the early rounds and although I felt he got the timing right in the middle and late rounds, it was just too late. The judges saw Froch as the aggressor and, rightfully so, let him retain his belt. Other than the horrible clinching, Dirrell was beautiful to watch. He moved his feet well and landed clean, hard punches, but was backing up most of the fight and failed to "close it down". Comparatively, Froch was a throwback to the Jake Lamotta days in Boxing and brawled his way through every round. I didn't like that he kept punching Dirrell in the back of the head a number of times without much warning from the ref, even after Dirrell was penalized a point for clinching with very little to no warning from the same ref. Though I love old-school fighters, I find Froch's style to be a little annoying - with the hands down constantly and the wild punches without rhythm...Ultimately, if fighting styles were the only consideration, I'd rather watch Dirrell lose a fight than watch Froch win one. I also didn't like Froch's post-fight interview. He certainly didn't earn his boast.

Looking very forward to Mikkel Kessler vs Andre Ward on November 21st. I wonder if Ward's hometown advantage will be enough for him to beat the seasoned "Viking Warrior"...

Super Six

2009-10-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Super Six World Boxing Classic. How amazing. Boxing fans from around the world get to watch their favorite Super Middleweights duke it out in a round-robin style tournament. Genius! Thanks Showtime.

The tournament's first bout begins on Oct. 17, when Germany's Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 knockouts) takes on Arkansas' Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) from Berlin. On the same night, England's Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) puts his WBC title on the line against Michigan's Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) in Froch's hometown of Nottingham.

On Nov. 21, WBA champ Mikkel Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), of Copenhagen, Denmark, meets former Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) at Oracle Arena in Ward's hometown of Oakland, Calif.

And to make it even more salacious, fans can tune in to FIGHT CAMP 360 to watch all of the behind the scenes action on the fighters preparing for battle.

I've got to be honest. This is exciting. Things have been a little hum-drum in the Boxing world lately - with Mayweather blowing Marquez out of the water and Klitschko equally dominating Arreola, it's about time we had something to get excited about.

Jermain Taylor may have gotten the toughest draw, having to fight Arthur Abraham right out of the gate (not that there would be an easy draw in these six fighters). I mean, anyone who can still win a fight with a broken jaw hanging from his face from round 4 is the one to beat, in my book. Abraham is a brawler, with a semblance of defense, but he definitely throws some wild punches. WATCH TAPE JERMAIN!

I'm liking Andre Dirrell against Carl Froch, although I'd love to see Froch fight Taylor again. Dirrell has amazing footwork and will easily be able to out-point Froch, even with Froch's hometown advantage. Dirrell shouldn't go for the KO, because Froch's chin could withstand a freight train.

Mikkel Kessler is another elite athlete that is going to be tough for the comparatively inexperienced Andre Ward. Although Ward has a respectable 20-0 record, Kessler has fought over twice as many fights (43 fights 42-1), twice as many rounds (Ward 104 vs Kessler 222) and has almost three times as many KO victories (Ward 13 vs Kessler 32). That's a tough fight. Ward has the hometown advantage and a clean fighting style that may challenge Kessler's in-your-face forward style, although Ward will only be able to win on points as Kessler's head is rumored to be made of cement.

For Boxing purists, the SUPER SIX tournament is a dream come true. And to start off with the Super Middleweight division was a fantastic idea. I love this weight class. The fighters are big enough to pack a punch, yet small enough to be quick on their feet. I for one, am all-in. I will be watching the FIGHT CAMP 360 series as well as the actual fights. With Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto coming up on November 14th, this fall is shaping up to be amazing for the Sweet Science!

For those of you who will be joining me in watching all things SUPER SIX, please make note of the schedule below:

Air dates for FIGHT CAMP 360:

Saturday, Oct. 10 - 10:30 PM, Showtime
Monday, Oct. 12 - 11:30 PM, Showtime 2
Tuesday, Oct. 13 – 10 PM, Showtime 2
Wednesday, Oct. 14 – 11 PM, Showtime 2
Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10 PM, Showtime 2
Thursday, Oct. 15 – 10:40 PM, Showtime
Friday, Oct. 16 – Midnight, Showtime
Saturday, Oct. 17 – 6:40 PM, Showtime

Note: All times are ET/PT

A tearful Lucia Rijker comments on a historical moment in Women's Boxing

2009-08-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Famed female boxer, Lucia Rijker talks about Women's Boxing being included in the 2012 Olympics and what it means to her and to countless young girls who aspire for Gold...

Thunder only happens when it rains

2009-07-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Arturo "Thunder" Gatti, age 37, has been found dead in his rented apartment in Brazil. Apparently on a honeymoon with second wife, former exotic dancer, Amanda Gatti and their 10 month-old son.

Police reports indicate foul play, though there were no bullet wounds or stab wounds. Speculative reports indicate Gatti was bludgeoned to the back of the head, which caused his death. His wife and child were unharmed.

Arturo Gatti was never known for his 'clean-living'. Issues with drugs and women have always embattled this Boxing sensation. In April of this year, he was arrested at a Montreal strip-club after failing to appear in court for charges of assault against an ex-girlfriend (possibly Amanda). Several drunk-driving charges, assault charges (one against a police officer in Miami), have spelled a troubled life for a beloved Boxer. It comes as no surprise to some that Arturo Gatti has met an early demise. Unfortunately, it just comes with the territory when you're a total bad-ass.

Perhaps best known for his trilogy of fights against Irish Micky Ward, whom I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing earlier this year, Gatti was all heart when he was in the ring. He was most certainly in his best light when he was under stage lights. Though he will never be thought of as one of Boxing's most skilled or talented fighters by most, it may be universally agreed to that his importance to the Sweet Science surpasses a lot of more technically-skilled and celebrated fighers. He exemplified what we all wanted to see in our Pugilist heroes - he had heart. And he would do anything to win. He even won his third bout against Micky Ward one-handed after breaking the other in an early round. This is what we pay to see. We want to see bravery, courage and self-sacrifice. A far cry from many of the fighters who whine about toothaches or fall in the shower or cry for larger percentages, Arturo Gatti was a fan's fighter and in a different league than his coddled counter-parts. He will be missed.

R.I.P. Thunder.

You may now lean on the counters at Wildcard

2009-06-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

Michael Moorer, former Heavyweight Champion and trainer at Freddie Roach's Wildcard Boxing Club was relieved of his position recently.

Roach cited irreconcilable differences between some of the fighters and Moorer as the reason behind the dissolution.

Michael Moorer called Freddie Roach many times over the last year, telling him he would come to Los Angeles and asked to be Roach's Chief Assistant. Moorer showed up one day, shortly before Manny Pacquiao's training camp for Ricky Hatton, which took place May 2, 2009. HBO's series, 24/7 perhaps captured the regression of the relationship in the four episodes leading up to the fight; with the first episode showing a guarded, but enthusiastic Freddie Roach talking about Moorer's help in the ring with his number one fighter. By the fourth episode, it is revealed that Moorer bullies gym-goers by charging them money for merely leaning on the counter (which is exactly what a counter is for, in this writer's opinion) and has 'inter-personal issues' with some of the other trainers. And though Moorer claims during the series that he would send Roach home early on occasion because of Roach's exhaustion due to his continuous battle with Parkinson's disease, it is reported that this never happened once during camp. Wildcard insiders would concur that Moorer's role in training camp was widely exaggerated in the popular HBO series, to the detriment of Roach's reputation, leading viewers to believe that the veteran trainer could no longer handle an intense training camp. This couldn't be further from the truth. Roach continues to maintain a grueling 6 day per week, 12 hour per day schedule and has not shown any signs of slowing down.

Moorer brought a unique edge to the Wildcard, with his enviable boxing knowledge and experience (he beat Holyfield by Majority Decision after being knocked down in the second round!). It was an interesting dynamic to watch, between Former Champ and (perhaps) Future Champs working together. Seemingly, who would be a better candidate to serve as Chief Assistant to one of the best trainers in the world than a former World Champion?

If inter-personal issues are truly to blame for the demise of this relationship, one hopes Moorer will use this as an opportunity to reflect and recover. But for now, the Wildcard counters will be open for leaning - free of charge.

My Post-fight interview with Freddie Roach

2009-05-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Who should Manny fight next? Is his camp ducking Cotto? Should Ricky Hatton retire? What was Floyd Mayweather Sr's reaction after the fight? These are some of the questions I asked Freddie Roach...

Down, Down, DOWN

2009-05-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao stuns millions of Boxing fans on May 2, 2009. It wasn't his win that was so stunning, but the ease of his win over British brawler, Ricky Hatton.

What was inconceivable to the majority Hatton fans in the arena was the inevitable outcome according to Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. Hatton got knocked out within three rounds. At the sound of the bell in the first round, both fighters came out of their respective corners meaning business, both trying to land the first and hardest punch. It seemed Hatton was giving Pacquiao some trouble, getting him up on the ropes early and overwhelming him with punches, but the tables turned quickly. Manny seemed to be pacing himself and gauging his opponent for the first minute of the fight, but then quickly made the correct adjustments and started landing harder and more accurate punches, resulting in knocking Hatton down twice in the first round.

The crowd was on their feet for the entire match (all 5:50 of it) as it looked like Hatton had regained his poise and was going for the knockout himself. When the final knockout came, it was as definitive a win as any Boxing fan has ever seen. Pacquiao landed a light jab with his right (being a southpaw) and came upward with a left hook that could also be considered an overhand left. It was brilliant. And it did the job. He connected with the tip of the chin, or the "sweet spot" as it is called and Hatton's lights went out immediately. Sitting up in the stands, it almost felt like everything happened in slow motion. I saw Hatton's head swivel to the left, then I watched him get spun around as his legs stayed straight and his body fell backward onto the canvas. This to me, is a clear KO victory for Manny Pacquiao. I don't understand why it's being considered a TKO? Maybe you can answer that for me...

I don't know why I wasn't surprised, but I was truly shocked and appalled that Floyd Mayweather Sr didn't tend to his fighter after such a brutal knockout. He didn't go over to him once. Shameful. Also shameful is the fact that he showed up to the fight an hour late. (Perhaps there was a traffic jam in the Taco Bell drive-through). Apparently, Hatton wouldn't even speak to him in the dressing room. Not a great prelude to one of the biggest fights of your career. It is equally lame that neither Sr nor Oscar de la Hoya participated in the post-fight press conference. Oscar claimed that he wanted to go to the hospital with his fighter and Floyd Sr just sat in a corner with a few journalists and continued to trash talk Freddie Roach. What a heel. And a complete idiot. I'm sure he didn't participate in the press conference because of what the journalists would have asked him. I would have loved to ask him if he still thought Manny was "amateur" or a "mule" (although mules kick a lot harder than 'Italian stallions'...) Peesh.

However, Freddie told me that after the fight, he watched Floyd Sr. in the opposite corner and waited to make eye contact. It took a little while, but when Floyd Sr. turned around and looked him in the eye, Freddie simply smiled and thrust both hands above his head in victory. ha ha ha

Big props to the Ricky Hatton fans. They were fun, they were boisterous and they were all class. The brass band that was playing various songs and cheers for Hatton throughout the night gave Manny a proper champion's cheer song afterward. I thought that was unbelievably gracious.

It will be interesting to see if Floyd Mayweather Jr. will fight Manny after his 'tune up' fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. I don't think Freddie Roach would let the weight be above 143, so we'll have to see about that...

Good job, Manny! You did us proud!

Ricky Hatton...Royalty?

2009-04-28T22:20:00.001-07:00

Ricky Hatton has stated that this upcoming bout with Manny Pacquiao is his chance to gain the coveted title of Pound for Pound King, but I don't know how that could be possible.

The title of Pound for Pound King is reserved for those very few fighters who consistently beat the best and are universally considered the best all-around fighters. It's not like a belt, where you put it up for grabs and an opponent can take it from you. Rather, it's a recognition by fans, critics and peers and most certainly cannot be won from one fight.

I don't mean to disrespect Ricky Hatton - I actually really enjoy watching him fight, but it seems a bit arrogant and dare I say, hopeful-bordering-upon-desperate that he would hinge the Pound for Pound title on this fight. Beating the Pound for Pound King is certainly an achievement, but it doesn't mean anything other than a boost in bragging rights. I mean, would Oscar de la Hoya have been considered the Pound for Pound best had he beaten Pacquiao last December as almost everyone had predicted? Truthfully, it had never been discussed because it would have been a ridiculous conversation. (Although it may have been more likely in his case, since he owns 'The Ring' magazine...)

Ricky Hatton does not deserve to be recognized as the Pound for Pound King if he beats Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2009.

There. I said it.

But that's just my opinion.

The Golden Era

2009-04-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Oscar announced his retirement yesterday at a press conference in Los Angeles. Some speculated that he may fight one more time in order to exit with a Win, but the majority was correct in predicting his retirement announcement. Though he "promises" his family and supporters that he is indeed, done, I can't help but wonder if he'll come out of retirement to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. It would certainly be a poetic end to an illustrious career, no matter what the outcome.

Oscar De La Hoya can most certainly be credited with bringing the popularity of Boxing to new heights in America. Aptly named "The Golden Boy", his good looks and charm seemed in stark contrast to the barbarity of the sport he claims he was born to do, which was compelling to us. It made us want to see if this guy could fight. And it made us cheer him on.

Personally, I would have preferred he stayed more elusive and mysterious rather than constantly being in the public eye. His media training and business persona made him less human somehow when watching him on series' like HBO's 24/7. Just one aspect of how being a top promoter and top fighter can be confusing and contradictory, I suppose.

As tough as it must have been for Oscar to utter the words "retirement", I am very happy for him and optimistic about it. Unlike most fighters in the twilight of their careers, Oscar has built an empire for himself in Golden Boy Promotions and certainly will never need to struggle through his retirement. He will not need to face the impossible decision of needing to feed his family versus risking his health and life by fighting past his prime like most fighters do.

Congratulations on a stellar career, Oscar. And thank you for the memories.

P.S. Oscar's heartfelt retirement announcement reminded me of other iconic sports heroes who have retired and one stood out as my all-time favorite retirement speech --> Click here to watch Andre Agassi say goodbye like a true champion (to skip the preamble, FF to 6:25). The crowd gave him a 3 minute standing ovation and the words he chose to leave the court officially will be remembered always.

Interview with the one and only IRISH MICKY WARD!

2009-04-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

THE Irish Micky Ward is in town and training someone at Wildcard this week. He has kept himself in amazing condition. He's really fit. I was also struck by how shy and humble he is. He was really just there to do some work and go - so unassuming.

I've heard that Mark Wahlberg has (finally) got it all together to make the movie about Micky's life that he has been wanting to make for years now, which is why Micky is in town to begin with. Apparently Christian Bale is slated to play the coveted role of Dick Ecklund, Micky's brother, with Mark Wahlberg playing Micky Ward. Congratulations for getting that off the ground, Mark. Your perserverance and tenacity is what is making it happen.

I was honored to be able to chat with Micky Ward for a few minutes and watch him train. It got me to thinking...really, what other trilogy touches the Gatti vs Ward fights? Some might say Marquez vs Vazquez, which were amazing, but the crowd really did it for me in the Gatti/Ward trilogy. It was just different. Knowing they were good friends also added a unique element for me. There was so much heart from each fighter...they really make the Sweet Science proud.

I got to ask the Irish Thunder questions I've always wanted to ask...and I hope I got him to answer questions that you've always wanted to ask as well...enjoy!

Coaching Margarito?

2009-04-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Rumors have been abound about whether Freddie Roach will indeed be Antonio Margarito's new trainer. With the likelihood that Capetillo will be banned for life from training any fighters in the U.S. and most other countries, Margarito looks to redeem himself and what better way to do that than to hire one of the most credible Boxing trainers around?

Don't call it a comeback

2009-03-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

Amir Khan's battle with Barrera this weekend was quite surprising. From the fans booing Khan at the intro to the final outcome of the fight, the evening itself seemed to be cloaked in a bit of the surreal. Boxing fans have since been debating whether Barrera would have performed better had he not been caught on the unlucky end of an accidental head-butt in the first round, however it seems pretty clear that Khan came to win and was setting the pace for victory from the sound of the bell.

What was most surprising was Khan's defense. (He actually had one). Seems his training with legendary coach, Freddie Roach has been paying off in that department, though Barrera got through it and caught the young Khan with a nasty left hook towards the end of the second round. But other than a few flurries here and there from the veteran pugilist, it was pretty much the Amir Khan show until the fight was stopped after the 5th round by the doctor at ringside.

Although the fight was one-sided from the gate, criticisms still loom about Amir Khan's "comeback" from his devastating first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott six months ago. Perhaps a rematch is in order for fans to finally believe Khan has moved on and grown as a fighter, or maybe bouts with a higher level of opponent will prove to nay-sayers that Khan is on the path to greatness. Freddie Roach seems to think so, saying in an interview post-fight that Khan would be his next world champion, without a doubt.

What it comes down to is to what level Barrera's performance was hindered by the cut. Some say he couldn't get it going because he couldn't see, but in my opinion, he wasn't doing so well before the cut and it is without a doubt that Khan was going to win that fight regardless.

Just OK in San Jose

2009-03-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps it was in comparison to last week's incredible fight between Marquez and Diaz, but this week's fights certainly fell short of expectations.

The fight card listed three of Boxing's most promising athletes fighting game opponents - a rarity nowadays - and it's hard to believe just how mediocre the night really was.

Robert Guerrero (23-1-1) seemingly had the night's easiest fight in Daud Yordan from Indonesia. Yordan (23-0-0) is a relatively unknown Boxer with a spotless, but arguably 'built' record. Guerrero was in front of his home town crowd and was expected to dominate Yordan. Though Guerrero seemed effective in attacking Yordan's body in the first round, it became very apparent early on that Yordan came to fight. Speed was on the side of the young Indonesian, who found his target often, although his clinching defense left much to be desired for any fight fan. Guerrero seemed to get frustrated through round one, with his punches becoming wider and sloppier missing a lot of punches, though landing a number of ineffective punches. His game plan all but disappeared when Yordan landed a brutal right-left combo, ending the first round. Though the fight was ruled a no-contest in the second round due to an accidental head-butt that resulted in a cut above Guerrero's eye which he claimed was impairing his vision, I would be curious to see the judges' scorecards after round one. Some fans booed, no doubt thinking Guerrero had lost the fight, but some fans were probably booing because of a disappointing end to a disappointing fight from their hometown hopeful.

Victor Ortiz (24-1-1) fought a good, but short fight against Mike Arnaoutis (21-3-2), a Greek-born southpaw fighting out of New Jersey. Arnaoutis was considered by many to be a game opponent for Ortiz, who has been carving his way through the light welterweight division with a string of early KOs. Arnaoutis, whose most notable opponents include Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres, was on the defense most of the time, shielding himself from a storm of punches and landing very few. Ortiz caught him with a stiff left hook and then landed a brutal right uppercut after trapping Arnaoutis in the corner. It seemed like an early stoppage at first, but after watching the replay and seeing how flush that right uppercut landed, it certainly ended up being the correct call by referee Ray Balewicz.

The main event was brawl between James Kirkland (25-0-0) and Joel Julio (34-3-0). Kirkland came out punching and had Julio backing up the entire fight. Kirkland landed a barrage of crisp, clean punches early on and kept up a decent defense at first, though as the fight went on, Kirkland's defense waned and he was caught with some nice shots from the Colombian-born, Julio. Though the hits Julio landed looked like they would have hurt, Kirkland didn't seem fazed and continued his assault on Julio with great combos to the body and head. The ref called off the fight immediately after the 6th round. The low point in this fight was when Kirkland seemingly sucker-punched Julio after the ref had asked the fighters to touch 'em up and go. Although it wasn't technically a sucker-punch, it was certainly not sportsmanlike nor charming. Another good win for Kirkland though.

Raised Eyebrow Moment:

Did anyone else find watching the footage of Ann Wolfe catching mitts with Kirkland to be a little awkward? They didn't seem to have any rhythm or familiarity whatsoever. They are portrayed as being in a very close professional relationship, but it didn't look that way to me, watching them hit mitts.

Happy Birthday, Freddie Roach

2009-03-06T23:49:00.001-08:00

It was just another day at the gym when Freddie Roach celebrated his 49th birthday on March 5th. Sure, there were cakes, candles and cards, but it took former Heavyweight Champion, Michael Moorer to stop Freddie from catching mitts long enough to allow us to ceremoniously sing Happy Birthday and bestow our best wishes and gifts.

Fittingly, Freddie remained in the ring.

Though generally a shy guy, Freddie lit up when he opened his first gift, a group effort resulting in a display case showcasing Manny Pacquiao's gloves from his bout with Oscar de la Hoya, a program and two photos that captured the magic that was that fight. (Zoom in to see the caption under right photo)

The crowd was also pleased and took photos with the Trainer of the Year and his 'trophy' of perhaps was one of his favorite and most memorable achievements. I started to remember the weeks leading up to that fight and how the media and Boxing fans seemed to bash Freddie and Manny for taking the fight, much less supposing they could actually win it. Interview after interview, Freddie was on the defensive about Manny's talents and abilities and lambasted for predicting a 9th round KO. Teddy Atlas also received a raised eyebrow or two from co-host, Brian Kenny on Friday Night Fights for predicting a Pacquiao win (search YouTube for "Teddy Atlas on Manny vs DLH"). Everyone at the Wildcard Boxing Club never lost hope and never doubted victory (or at least never admitted to it). We became a closer-knit family, feeling like it was "us" against "them". "Them", being pretty much everyone else. It ended up being a one-sided fight as many predicted. However, the man left holding up his hands was not the Golden Boy, but Manny Pacquiao. It was more than a victory for all of us at the Wildcard - I don't know quite how to describe it. It was almost a tangible joy that became the sanctification of our little Boxing family.

Perhaps that's why we all took turns taking pictures with the display case - it captured the spirit of that fight and of the weeks leading up to it. It reminded us of the exhilaration and bliss we all felt for weeks afterward. And to see "the man with the plan", Freddie Roach with a big smile on his face, remembering the same things we were, but more intimately, made it even more amazing.

Happy Birthday, Freddie

Margacheato

2009-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

How the mighty have fallen.

Antonio Margarito has been caught loading his gloves with a 'foreign substance' that has yet to be determined, but is widely speculated as being plaster of paris. Plaster of paris is a form of mortar or cement that hardens when mixed with water (or sweat). How disgusting. This leads to much doubt as to whether he legitimately won any of his major fights against Cotto, Cintron or even Clottey. It certainly puts Paul Williams on a whole different level for beating him. And Shane Mosley's incredible performance against him only casts more doubt on Margarito's career wins.

For those who believe that this was a one-off and Nazim Richardson was just lucky to have found the 'error'...I am envious of your child-like innocence, but will have to tell you - THERE IS NO TOOTH FAIRY, EASTER BUNNY or SANTA CLAUS and ANTONIO MARGARITO DEFINITELY HAS DONE THIS BEFORE!

Watching the Cotto fight, I was in disbelief that any of Margarito's punches could actually hurt Cotto. He is an 'arm puncher' and doesn't pivot to increase power. Although his arms are long and would therefore produce more snap power, I still couldn't fathom why they were hurting Cotto so badly, especially in the later rounds. Well, now I'm pretty sure I know why.

Without the help of his loaded gloves, he was completely ineffective against Mosley, although in all fairness, his punch power could not be determined because he didn't really land any. I certainly don't want to take away from Sugar Shane's amazing performance - he truly looked like the champion he is on that night - but for Margarito to have such a bad night certainly causes me to mentally put an asterisk next to each of his career wins in the last several years.

The California State Athletic Commission has suspended Margarito and his trainer, Capetillo for one year and so the cheating duo will not be able to fight in a number of other countries that uphold U.S. suspensions. Though promoter, Bob Arum vies to stage fights in Mexico (which is one of the countries that doesn't give a rat's ass about U.S. suspensions), Margarito may have a tough time finding an opponent. Or a fan, for that matter. Although Tijuana mayor, Jorge Ramos has publicly invited the 'Tijuana Tornado' to come back to his home town to fight, it is widely speculated that other Mexican fighters won't be so quick to support their countryman. Margarito fans, at first supportive and compassionate towards Margarito, have started to sway with highlights from Resto vs. Collins being brought out from the archives and shown pretty much every time Margarito-gate has been covered on sports broadcasts.

Some Boxing fans are comparing this scandal to the scandals of a number of Pro-Fighters who have been caught using Steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

Not the same thing.

Performance-enhancers are just that. They enhance YOUR performance. Is it wrong? Absolutely. But in the way that U.S. laws are written, there are different degrees of wrong. Using the example of murder, there is manslaughter - which covers anyone who negligently, if not mistakenly causes the death of another human being. 2nd degree murder covers those who take the life of someone knowingly, but just didn't plan for it all to go down that way. 1st degree murderers are obviously those who plotted and followed through with their ill-will. Steroid-use to me, is like manslaughter. It's shady and a punishment is deserved, but loading one's gloves with plaster is like 1st degree shady to me. If the substance is in fact, found to be plaster of paris, I believe Margarito and Capetillo should both be banned for life from fighting / training in the U.S. at the very least. An argument can be made for the fact that this kind of act could be considered attempted murder , although I personally think that would be taking this a little far down the drama road, but those who believe that certainly have a point.

Cotto's loss could have been a career-ender. He also sustained serious injuries that night that may have caused permanent damage. Isn't he pissed?! If he is, he is not vocalizing it.

Margarito claims that this is "happening to him" only because he is from Tijuana. Right. Mexican fighters are some of the most celebrated and revered in the entire sport of Boxing - to discriminate against a fighter from Mexico would be like hating all African-American hip-hop artists. Nice try, CHEATER.

Please allow me to introduce myself...

2009-02-05T18:30:00.001-08:00

...I'm a Boxing fan, and a dame.

I work out at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, where I meet all kinds of interesting and relevant characters in the Boxing world. I'm going to pull a Tarantino here though and start from the beginning and work my way back to that...

My interest in Boxing started when as a child, trying to curry favor with my Stepfather, I would watch the fights with him on Saturday nights. He with the beer, me with the popcorn. My favorite Boxer at that time was Sugar Ray Leonard. Because I liked sugar. I am much more astute with my choices nowadays, but I was definitely on to something even way back then.

Mike Tyson is solely responsible for re-igniting my interest in Boxing in the late 80's and early 90's. I think it is a crime and a shame what happened to Iron Mike. He is such an iconic fighter and I am absolutely fascinated by him. I had the opportunity to meet him once, but chickened out because I was too shy (and if you know me for two minutes, you know that I'm not shy. AT ALL). He also knows more about Boxing than probably anyone else on the planet, which only further fascinates me.

I will admit that I became a fairweather fan after the glorious Tyson days, recognizing only a few names of the sport's fighters du jour. Oscar de la Hoya and Lennox Lewis are two names that come to mind from that time.

Then a friend of mine suggested I take Boxing as a way of getting some exercise. I've always been drawn to the 'macho sports', so naturally I was game to give it a shot. I had gotten a little 'jolly' after getting married, so I definitely needed an effective work out anyway. I was extremely intimidated by the Wildcard at first. There's a lot of testosterone there and I found it very difficult to blend in. Plus, the fact that I was an absolute beginner and looked like a Clydesdale running through deep snow while learning to jump rope didn't help much either. I must have fractured each hand in two or three different places in the first few weeks, but somewhere during that time, I got hooked.

Boxing is now my religion. I eat, sleep and breathe my beloved Sweet Science. I have come to love the Wildcard gym and all of it's characters, now counting Freddie Roach as one of my very good friends. I'm not as 'jolly' as I once was - turns out Boxing is as great of a work out as I could have imagined. I lost 38 pounds over the course of 10 months going from a welterweight to a light / junior flyweight.

I have a very active Boxing group on Facebook - join us if you'd like. It's called Boxing: The Sweet Science. (There are two groups by this name, but look for the one where I am the creator).

Best,

Natasha