War

New York, NY- For the fourth time in almost a decade, “pound for pound” elite fierce competitors Manny Pacquiao (53-4-2, 38 KOs) and Juan Manuel Marquez (54-5-1, 39 KOs) will once again battle over 12 or less welterweight (147) rounds at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday at 9 PM ET on HBO PPV.

MANNY’S PATH OF DESTRUCTION

Since his “coming out party” massacre against Marco Antonio Barrera (W TKO 11), Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win a staggering eight world titles in eight different weight divisions. Considering the level of opposition he has faced: thrice scrapping with Erik Morales (L UD 12, W TKO 10, W KO 3), three times going to war against Juan Manuel Marquez (D 12, W SD 12), and by pounding out one sided drummings over world renowned pugilists such as Oscar De La Hoya (W TKO 8), Ricky Hatton (W KO 2), Miguel Cotto (W TKO 11), Joshua Clottey (W PTS 12), Antonio Margarito (W UD 12), and Shane Mosley (W UD 12), Manny’s ring endeavors have proven to be credible accolades in support of his status as an all-time great and living legend. Yes, even factoring in his last effort; a horridly scored 12 round controversial points loss to Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao (right) rips Cotto (left)

CLOSER LOOK AT PAC MAN

Many of “Pac’s” victims have been systematically broken down by “master” trainer Freddie Roach’s pre fight observations. Roach’s fight plans consist of strategies and tactics which are usually executed with relative ease by Pacquiao resulting in emphatic victory for the Filipino phenomenon. During such conquests, Manny has shown his own brilliant ring intellect by displaying an ability to control a foe by making an opponent fight his type of fight. On the contrary, (as seen in the early rounds in his bout against Cotto), Manny, (on occasion) can get caught up in the heat of the moment, become distracted, deviate from his predetermined fight plot, (but to his credit) make the adjustments necessary to beat his opponent at their own game. Pacquiao’s unique style is a hybrid of aggressively fast paced boxing accompanied with sound defense. In consideration of his overall attributes of speed, power, movement, and genius boxing IQ, (at his best) Manny Pacquiao may not only be the game’s most complete fighter, he may be the most dangerous. Albeit as suggested by several commendable media outlets in regard to his involvement in movies, music, religion and politics, Manny may be “burning the candle at both ends” and possibly losing some focus toward the hurt business of boxing. With his lackluster performances of late, evidence of that theory is beginning to show.

MARQUEZ: STILL AMONG THE BEST?

Prior to his failing bid at “pound for pound” greatness against the mighty Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L UD 12), Juan Manuel Marquez fought two epic wars with Manny Pacquiao. During that display of violent pugilistic brilliance, Marquez survived a total of four knockdowns, three of which happened in the very first round of their first encounter. Amazingly; Marquez fought back and managed to earn a draw. Knockdown number four came in the second bout, which ultimately led to Juan losing by just a point. In his next affair with Pacquiao, the popular consensus was: if Juan was able to do what he did best in the previous bouts without hitting the canvas, he’d win easily. It happened. Marquez put forth a stellar performance, however (to most experts and fans) the Judges made a huge gaff and awarded Manny the victory (L MD 12). Despite the disappointment to Marquez, throughout the 36 hellacious rounds that spanned three fights with Pacquiao, Marquez became the only boxer to really give the “Pac-Man” issues over the past decade. In addition, Juan Marquez is a vastly experienced craftsman who holds a multitude of impressive wins over such warriors as Marco Antonio Barrera (W UD 12) Joel Casamayor (W TKO 11), Rocky Juarez (W UD 12) Juan Diaz (W KO 9, W UD 12) and Michael Katsidis (W TKO 9).

Marquez (right) thrashing Casamayor (left)

A CLOSER LOOK AT MARQUEZ

Many of Marquez’s “big fights” have turned out to be “old school” brawls displaying intestinal fortitude which  produced drama unparalleled to just about anything else seen in life. Juan is a consummate professional and master at his Mexican style of boxing. Like his counterpart, Marquez also enjoys the brain trust of one of boxing’s most dedicated scientific trainers in Nacho Bernstein. In addition to all of those aforementioned attributes, one of the more astonishing qualities of Marquez is that he comes to fight equip with what I call the “Hell code”: meaning Juan tries to take you to Hell and if need be, he’s willing to go there with you and is well aware that only one of you will make it out. The “Hell code” is a rare trait not possessed by many in the difficult sport of boxing. The legends that have fought successfully with this code of conduct are a special breed of animal; Marquez is surely one of them.

THOUGHTS AND PREDICTION

Over 20 pounds gained in weight since their first encounter, both men have offered new approaches to their already cemented craft of destroying their adversity. The question that looms here is how much these adjustments will affect the outcome of this battle. Training camp footage of Marquez has shown that perhaps this time at the 147 pound limit, a win against a “top dog” in the division looks more feasible then the first time he traveled north against Mayweather (where Marquez was visibly smaller than his opponent). Preparation coverage of Pacquaio in the media has displayed a more focused and concerned version of Manny coupled with a sense of urgency from his team to prepare for war unlike recently seen in his last couple of affairs. In other words; Pacquiao and his camp are not taking Marquez lightly. On the technical side of things, in their first three contests: Pacquaio has shown to be the more powerful boxer while Marquez has shown to be the better tactician in the ring. But this time around, Marquez may be the overall stronger man due to his recently documented intense preparation and hunger. Based on that evaluation; I feel if Marquez brings his vastly educated boxing skill to the “dance” while being able to call upon his seemingly newly found strength to stay on his feet (and possibly take Pacquaio off of his): I feel Marquez has a great shot here to not only beat Pacquiao, but knock him out.

John Signorella

Big weekend of scraps

New York, NY- Another action packed boxing weekend is upon us, as always first; let’s delve into the storied attraction!

HBO DELIVERS AN ENTICING 140 POUND TITLE TILT

In an intriguing light welterweight (140) unification tiff, WBA champ Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KOs) meets WBC strap carrier Danny Garcia (23-0, 14 KOs) in a proposed 12 frame contest hosted at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, televised Saturday at 11 PM ET on HBO.

A MERE CON OR AMIR KHAN?

Three bouts removed from his exhilarating war against fierce scrapper Marcos Maidana in which Britain’s Amir Khan proved his “nay sayers” wrong in regard to his “heart” and chin, Khan returns to the spotlight for his sixth attempted title defense. Prior to his recent triumphs, Khan won his first 18 bouts, whacking out 14. Going into his 19th professional bout against unbeaten contender Breidis Prescott, the buzz was high for Amir to rise to prominence. However, Khan got starched by a right hand from Prescott and lasted just 54 seconds in the bout. Removed from the embarrassment against Prescott, Amir had won eight straight (3 KOs) and managed to pick up the WBA and IBF straps. That win streak was highlighted with victories over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (W TD 5), Paulie Malignaggi (W TKO 11), Zab Judah (KO 5) and the aforementioned Marcos Maidana (W UD 12). In his most recent encounter against Lamont Peterson, Khan lost via controversial unanimous decision. Postmortem, the two combatants were to rematch in the spring, however a pre-fight drug test failed by Peterson (due to detected steroid use) killed the scrap and rewarded Khan the belt he lost months prior. Come Saturday, an impressive win against Garcia could open the door for more lucrative paydays for Amir at 140 against Juan Manuel Marquez or Brandon Rios, or move up in weight and earn massive purses against world elite combatants such as Manny Pacquaio, Floyd Mayweather, and recent lottery winner Timothy Bradley.

WHO IS DANNY GARCIA ANYWAY?

Danny Garcia’s claim to fame in the world of pugilism came by way of a victory he recently achieved over fading former multi division champion and Mexican legend Erik Morales (W UD 12). Be that as it may, Danny has fought and beaten world class talented in Kendall Holt (SD 12) and Nate Campbell (W UD 12). Albeit, those previously mentioned wins were against aging warriors of the game as well; Garcia’s work ethic in all those affairs should not be undermined as he has potential to compete at a world class level and is in position to make some noise in the division if he can rise to the occasion Saturday against Khan.

David Haye (right)

EPIX RETURNS FOR THE SECOND WEEK IN A ROW WITH A HEAVY SHOW

Rival heavyweights David Haye (25-2, 23 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (15-3, 9 KOs) lace’em up to settle some beef that popped a few months back at a press conference after Chisora got spanked by Vitali Klitschko (L UD 12). Coverage for this scheduled 12 rounds of pound from London begins Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on Epix.

HAYE JUST TRYING TO EARN SOME PAY?

Unlike his counterpart, David Haye impressively burst out on the scene displaying a furious opus of carnage. Beginning his career as a cruiserweight (200), Haye wrecked shop by compiling an unbeaten record of 10-0 with 9 knockouts. In his 11th challenge, David laced up the gloves for a “crossroads” battle against savvy veteran Carl Thompson. In a bout which pitted experience versus youth, experience prevailed and resulted Thompson with a TKO victory in the fifth. In the aftermath, Haye fought on, valiantly winning nine in a row (8 by KO) and earned a shot at the title against Jean Marc Mormeck. Standing opposite of Mormeck, Haye out hustled and broke down the durable champion (W TKO 7). After winning Mormeck’s WBC and WBA trophies, Haye clashed with, and destroyed battle tested WBO king pin Enzo Maccarinelli (W KO 2) and became only the second man history to be undisputed champ at the weight class. After such accolade, Haye sought after bigger challenges and moved up to the heavyweight ranks. After just two fights, David picked up the WBA belt. Afterwards, Haye had defended his strap twice by knockout, but fell from grace and lost his established bravado in a one sided humbling ass beating against Wladmir Klitschko (L UD 12).

CHISORA AIN’T ALL THERE

An awkward dude to put it kindly, Dereck Chisora may be one of those pugs that boxes because he’s somewhat crazy and a bit “off” rather than do it for love of the game. In other words, he isn’t much of an athlete, but is a capable fighter of taking shots and hurt you. However, while an argument could be made for a win in favor of Chisora by his supporters due to Dereck’s demonstration of a solid chin and decent power in recent fights, it should also be taken into consideration that he lost to two “boxer type” battlers that don’t have half the skills Haye has and usually gets out pointed easily by those that have talent.

ESPN JOINT

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated show features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases former light heavyweight (175) belt holder Glen Johnson (51-16-2, 35 KOs) pitted against hungry winner of 9 in a row by KO thug Andrzej Fonfara (21-2, 12 KOs) in a proposed 10 rounder from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois, Friday at 10 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- With a few boxing cards, some controversy as well seeing Victor “The Dog” Ortiz barking his way out of another fight, this time against unheralded Josesito Lopez. We’ve got other results, upcoming bouts, and some news and a little gossip to talk about with our staff writer Johnny Signorella. There are plenty of MMA results to over as well as the UFC went Friday in New Jersey and Brazil on Saturday.
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Chavez (left) cracking another bum

New York, NY- After the horrid “show” that transpired last Saturday (in both decision and “combat”) boxing moves on and gets ready to begin a heated summer lineup of intriguing match ups. Lucky for us, this weekend’s main event has potential to be hot enough to burn down the barn. Let’s take a look.

CHAVEZ TO FACE TOUGHEST FOE!

In what is expected to be a sold out crowd, the undefeated “son of a legend” Julio Cesar Chavez (45-0-1, 31 KOs) will attempt to defend his WBC middleweight (160) trophy against rugged brawler Andy Lee (28-1, 20 KOs) in a scheduled 12 rounds of pound at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, Saturday at 10 PM ET on HBO.

IS “JUNIOR” THE GOODS OR JUST HYPE?

At the tender age of just 27 years old, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has already competed in 46 fights without knowing defeat. However, his level of opposition has left much to be desired. Since his professional debut in 2003, Chavez opponents have commonly been comprised of “C” class battlers with losing records. During that span Chavez went “life and death” with two (at best) “B” class fighters and barely crossed the finish line in each. To his credit, Chavez has displayed proven boxing ability; especially in the educated way he varies his punch selection. In addition, by recently hiring Hall of Fame bound boxer/trainer Freddie Roach, Chavez has shown a willingness to continue to learn his craft. At the end of the day, the acquisition of a legendary trainer can only help. Plus: Julio can bang some.

Lee (right) bringing the pain!

ANDY WHO?

A non-household name to the laymen, make no mistake folks: Andy Lee is a solid scrapper who is equipped with “lights out” type power and possesses a quality I consider to be the most important facet to have in the “hurt business”: “The Hell Code”. To those not familiar with my coined phrase “Hell Code”, let me enlighten you with the definition. The Hell code is when a fighter tries to take you to the pits of  Hell and (if need be) he’s willing to go there with you, fully aware that only one of you will make it out alive. The “Hell code” is a rare trait not possessed by many in the difficult sport of boxing. The legends who have fought successfully with this code of conduct are a special breed of animal (see: Arturo Gatti, Mikey Ward, Juan Manuel Marquez, Orlando Salido, Isreal Vazquez, Diego Corrales, Johnny Tapia, and Jake LaMotta for a taste of that sort of madness). While Lee is not nearly close to being in that elite class of celebrated warriors as of yet, on the contrary; his willingness to fight in the same “kill or be killed” spirit as those aforementioned warriors could tell the tale to see if Chavez is really the goods.

NBC GOT SOMETHING FOR YA’ AS WELL!

Now in it’s 4th installment, the new fight series brought to you by the “suits” at NBC offers a pair of heavyweight showdowns headlined by former heavyweight title challenger and former WBO and IBF light heavyweight (175) belt holder Tomasz Ademek (45-2, 28 KOs) pitted against one time title challenger Eddie Chambers (36-2, 18 KOs) in a slated 12 frames or less contest. Opening up the show of “big men”, unbested but untested pug Bryant Jennings (13-0, 6 KOs) throws hands with unheralded thug Steve Collins (25-1-1, 18 KOs) in a proposed 10 round tilt. Live coverage from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey begins Saturday at 9 PM ET on NBC Sports Network.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- Due to some technical difficulties this is a one-hour show in which we combined parts of the “Ring Talk Boxing Hour” and the “Ring Talk MMA Hour” and put them into one hour. WBA 154 lb. champion Austin Trout was my guest as he and I talked boxing news, results and upcoming fights, before I expanded on the world of the UFC/MMADave Meltzer, and all the news of the MMA world.

Tarver (left) strafes Roy Jones (right)

STAR-STUDDED SATURDAY

After stopping highly regarded Australian bomber Danny Green (W TKO 9) in a dazzling performance, 43 year old former undisputed light heavyweight (175) kingpin and current IBO light cruiserweight (200) belt holder, Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (29-6, 20 KOs) takes on another commendable challenge when he faces young and dangerous pug  Lateef “Power” Kayode (18-0, 14 KOs) over 12 scheduled rounds of championship pound at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Saturday at 9 PM ET on Showtime.  The co-feature brings you “come backing” former middleweight (160) strap carrier Ronald “Winky” Wright (55-5-1, 25 KOs) returning
to the ring for the first time in three years standing opposite of rough and tough contender Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (26-0, 20 KOs) in a proposed 10 rounds of throw down. Also, this highly intriguing show will showcase a possible barn burner between ferocious WBA jr. middleweight (154) belt holder Austin Trout (24-0, 14 KOs) squaring off against warrior spirited fierce competitor Delvin Rodriquez (26-5-3, 14 KOs) in a slated 12 round affair. The card’s opener presents a nice looking possible 12 round battle for the vacant IBF bantamweight (118) crown pitting unbeaten charge Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KOs) versus south African slugger Vusi Malinga (20-3-1, 12 KOs).

FOX SPORTS JOINT

In his fifth attempted defense of his trophy, fun to watch WBA light heavyweight (175) titleist Beibut Shemenov (12-1, 8 KOs) engages heavy handed vastly experienced thug Enrique Ornelas (33-7, 21 KOs) over 12  rounds or less of combat at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday at 10 PM ET on Fox Sports Network.

NBC SPORTS KICKS IT OFF WITH A POTENTIAL MAIN EVENT BANGER

In attempt to satisfy our thirst for blood, the “suits” at NBC offer a solid show topped by entertaining youngster Gabriel Rosado (19-5-11 KOs) rumbling with seasoned veteran Sechew Powell (26-4, 15 KOs) in a scheduled 12 frame jr. middleweight (154) tiff at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Friday at 9 PM ET on NBC Sports Network.

John Signorella

Froch (left) Bute (right)

NEW YORK, NY- An intriguing fight is on the horizon when IBF super middleweight (168) kingpin Lucian Bute (30-0, 24 KOs) takes on rough and dangerous banger Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KOs) in a proposed 12 rounds of throw down at a sold out Nottingham Arena in Nottingham, United Kingdom, Saturday at 6 PM ET on EPIX.

BAPTISM UNDER FIRE

In an all action affair, Lucian Bute burst on the scene against rugged pug Librado Andrade. Going into the 12th round and trailing on all three judges scorecards, a desperate Andrade fired a barrage of punches on a tiring Bute. The plethora of shots sent Lucian reeling as Librado continued to stalk and throw. Andrade eventually nailed the broken down Bute with a devastating blow dropping him to the canvas with less then five seconds remaining in the bout. The referee administered a count in which he stopped at seven to warn Librado for prematurely coming out of his assigned corner. Because of the extended lapse in time, Lucian was able to get up and finish the fight on his feet. Had it not been for the referee’s “long count,” most ringside observers felt Andrade would have been awarded a knockout win. Postmortem, because of much debate and speculation to what should have been the result at the end of their first bout, Bute and Andrade would meet again. This time, the result was much clearer as Lucian ruled out any doubt by finishing Librado within just four rounds compliments of a monstrous body shot (W KO 4). Since, after a series of smashing victories in front of his adoring fans in his adopted country of Canada against formidable opposition against the likes of Edison Miranda ( W TKO 3), Jean Paul Mendy (W KO 4), and Glen Johnson (W UD12), Romanian born scrapper Lucian Bute is looking to continue his success. A spectacular performance for Bute on Saturday could garner him greater international appeal and possibly rank him among the elite “pound for pound” fighters in the world.

FROCH IS NO JOKE FOLKS

In his break out performance against Jermain Taylor, Froch showed tremendous heart and resolve as he recovered from two knockdowns in the second round leading him to a dramatic 12th round knockout win. After the victory over the once highly decorated champ Taylor, Froch entered the critically acclaimed Showtime super middle tournament. Referred to as the “Super Six”,  a tournament that pitted some of the best 168 pound fighters in the world against each other in a “round robin” type bracket, Carl entered the competition with much swagger. However in his tourney debut, Froch would turn in a somewhat lackluster performance against a nonthreatening version of Andre Dirrell (W SD 12). Carl then went on to duke it out and fall short of victory in an all out war against Mikkel Kessler (L UD 12). Froch then regrouped, and in his next bout standing opposite of Arthur Abraham, Carl’s hybrid of strength and courage showcased in previous triumphs surfaced to earn a unanimous nod by the judges. In his next effort, Froch bested seasoned former champion and veteran of the game, Glen Johnson via 12 round verdict and secured a spot in the Super Six Finale standing opposite of Andre Ward. In a one sided drumming, the supreme boxing skills of Ward thoroughly dominated Froch over 12 rounds (L UD 12).

PREDICTION: PAIN.

Underneath Andre Ward, Bute and Froch are considered to be the two best and most deserving warriors at 168 to earn a shot at Ward. Albeit very different pugilists stylistically, both fighters have a style that can successfully compete against any fighter at 168 and cause them fits, so it will be very intriguing to see which discipline prevails in this encounter. Either way it goes, expect to see a highly entertaining fierce match up of boxer/puncher type world-class athletes battling at the highest level of the sport.

ESPN JOINT
As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated show features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases a solid lightweight (135) main event when free throwing madman thug Ji Hoon Kim (23-7, 18 KOs) faces unbeaten Russian Alisher Rahimov (23-0, 12 KOs) in a slated 10 rounder at the Ameristar Casino in Saint Charles, Missouri, Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- In a mini-photo album of brutal knockouts, take a look and you’ll be left shaking your head! We also have a feature story on WBA champ Guillermo Rigondeaux and how his being avoided like a disease! Lastly, there is a story on Saturday’s “Super Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto. That and the latest “Ring Talk Boxing & MMA” radio shows at RingTalk.com

"Ring Kings"

“SUPER FIGHT” BOXING FINALLY RETURNS!

New York, NY- Millions around the world will be in anticipation of an intriguing battle when WBA super middleweight (154) champion Miguel “Junito” Cotto (37-2-2, 30 KOs) engages top ranked “pound for pound” elite pugilist Floyd “Money” Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) in a proposed 12 round showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, Saturday at 9 PM ET, on HBO PPV.

BAPTISM UNDER FIRE

After Miguel was violently stopped at the (suspect) hands of Antonio Margarito (L TKO 11), unlike most young fighters who administered a terrible beating at the highest level of the sport, a galvanized Cotto rebounded with two impressively fought wins. Just 16 months removed from the Margarito affair, in effort to reclaim the number one “pound for pound” status he was close to capturing before his setback, Cotto agreed to fight one of the sport’s best combatants: Manny Pacquiao. In a commendable effort against Pacquiao, Miguel competitively stood “toe to toe” with the Filipino superstar for as long as he could. Due to the relentless assault reigned upon him, mixed in with the “catch weight” he agreed to fight at (145 lbs), Cotto eventually broke down and was stopped by the hands of  boxing’s most committed banger (L TKO 12). In the aftermath, Miguel had only fought two times in the past two years. Albeit picking up wins and knockouts in each contest against respectable foes, due to the dull fashion in which these battles were fought, questions (from the public) loomed in regard to how much desire and passion Miguel still had for the “sweet science” when he entered the ring in his most recent encounter; a rematch with Antonio Margarito. In an eagerly awaited oncore against Antonio, Miguel beat on Margarito’s left eye like Jon Bonham (drummer of Led Zepplin) pounding a snare drum in the 70’s awarding Cotto his revenge (W TKO 10).

Cotto (left)

A CLOSER LOOK AT COTTO

Fundamentally, Miguel Cotto doesn’t do one thing great but overall he does everything extremely well. Miguel showcases a hybrid of facets that are important to survive in the pugilistic world. Cotto has the ability to take a punch, has power, decent hand speed, above average foot movement, a savvy boxing I.Q., and greatly timed counter-punching skills. However, Miguel often has a tendency to let emotion dictate his tempo, interrupt his game plan, and allow the war of attrition to take play. This usually is to his undoing and can be extremely hazardous against an opponent such as Mayweather. Conventional wisdom suggests that Cotto will have to call upon his poised brawn in effort of easing his way into convincing Floyd that he is the better man.

LOVE’ EM OR HATE’ EM, NOBODY’S BEATEN FLOYD

Before his first true test at top-level competition against former champion Diego Corrales, Mayweather emerged on the boxing scene destroying his first 24 foes with 18 wins by way of flashy knockout. During his dismantling of the warrior spirited Corrales (W TKO 10), Mayweather commanded the show and demonstrated a virtuoso of brilliant artistic assault. Floyd then went on to easily defend his title two more times before earning a controversial point’s decision victory in a struggle to the finish against veteran brawler Jose Luis Castillo. Immediately thereafter, the boxing public demanded a rematch and Mayweather met and dominated Castillo eight months later (W UD 12). Over his next nine bouts, Mayweather took on formidable opposition, highlighted by a knockout win over gladiator fan favorite Arturo Gatti (W TKO 6). Because of the ease in which Mayweather blasted out his seemingly over matched adversaries, outcry from the boxing world ensued for Mayweather to step up and face a more dangerous and bigger fighter; a demand which brought life to one of the richest fights in the history of the sport. In an intriguing bout on paper, Oscar De La Hoya accepted Floyd’s challenge. The fight failed to live up to expectation, and saw Mayweather win a close boxing exhibition against a seemingly faded once great champion (W SD 12). In the aftermath of the Oscar encounter, Mayweather pursued one of boxing’s biggest attractions Ricky Hatton for a mega fight. In a closely contested bout, Mayweather nailed an overly aggressive Ricky Hatton with a perfectly timed “check hook” which handed Hatton his first defeat and knockout loss (W TKO 10). After a brief retirement, Mayweather commendably came out of a two-year hibernation to easily outpoint one of the sports best competitors; Juan Manuel Marquez. Floyd then went onto to start the “beginning of the end” of the once great “Sugar” Shane Mosley (W 12) and expose naïve former champion Victor Ortiz as a fighter who still has a lot to learn about “protecting yourself” at all times (W KO 4).

Mayweather (right)

A CLOSER LOOK AT “MONEY”

Despite only having fought four professional rounds in the past 2 years, Mayweather brings an enormous amount of attributes to the dance. Floyd possesses exceptional hand and foot speed, accompanied by superb youthful reflexes and tremendous defensive movement. Mayweather’s from a family of decorated fighters and from this he has obtained a brilliant boxing I.Q. that has garnered him consideration to one of the most gifted fighters to ever step into a boxing ring.

PREDICTION:

I do feel it will a competitive scrap for as long as it lasts. However, at the end of the day; speed kills. Even though Floyd is boxing at the highest weight of his carrer, I feel his natural advantage of being the significantly faster athlete in both the foot and hand speed department will separate him for his opponent as it so often does. Mayweather ( KO 7).

AWESOME CO-FEATURE!

Having an unheard of 40 bouts and capturing a major world title (WBC 154) at just the tender age of 22, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KOs) looks to keep pounding toward world rank supremacy when he faces former belt holder and future “Hall of Famer”, “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) over 12 or less light middleweight  rounds.

Note: The sport needs to have more co-features of this nature in the future! What has taken the “suit’s” this long to put together a very worthy appetizer for ta solid main event?

Stay tuned for more exclusive coverage leading up to this exciting event all week long right here at Ring talk!

 John Signorella

HBO Championship Boxing

New York, NY– 2012‘s stacked  schedule of intrigue continues this weekend and is highlighted with 47-year-old “Hall of Fame” bound WBC light heavyweight (175) champion Bernard ‘the Executioner” Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) attempt to defend his crown against former belt holder “Bad” Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) in a rematch of their dud from last year. Coverage from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey begins Saturday at 10:15 PM ET on HBO.

SAME OL’, SAME…OLD?

Before stinking out the joint due to a shoulder injury prompting a no contest verdict in his last bout against Chad Dawson, Bernard Hopkins became the oldest man in the history of “athletic” sports (sans golf) to win a championship. During that historic accomplishment, Hopkins showed the brilliance that highlighted his career by systematically dethroning former light heavyweight (175 lbs) belt holder Jean Pascal in a rematch of their original controversial scrap (Draw 12). Before establishing such accolade, for the better part of the past 23 years, Hopkins has been calling out the biggest names in the sport while most of the time defiantly kicking their ass in the process. The boxing world took notice of the bombastic talents of Hopkins when he displayed a masterpiece performance against Felix Trinidad (W KO 12).

Hopkins (right)

LIST OF GUYS ‘NARD BEAT LOOKS IMPRESSIVE

After his artistic beat down over Trinidad, Bernard’s take no prisoners back alley brawling style had allowed him to go “toe-to-toe” with (and whip) world elite combatants such as Oscar De La Hoya (W KO 9), Antonio Tarver (W UD 12), Winky Wright (W UD 12), Kelly Pavlik (W UD 12), and Roy Jones (W UD 12) with relative ease. On the contrary, as seen in performances where he had elected to fight in spurts against the likes of Joe Calzaghe (L SD 12), Jermain Taylor (L SD 12, L UD 12), and Roy Jones (L UD 12, in their first fight); Bernard has a tendency to become complaisant, over analyze his foe, and get out hustled. Coming into Saturday’s fight, Hopkins has eight wins against four losses, one draw, and one no contest in his last 14 bouts (1 KO).

Dawson (right)

CHAD’S GOOD BUT HE NEEDS TO GET BAD

Possessing a difficult to deal with southpaw style, Chad Dawson lit up the light heavyweight ranks and broke into top contention. Dawson then responded to the challenges of competing at the highest level of the game in impressive fashion by defeating admirable foes such as Eric Harding (W UD 12), Tomasz Adamek (W UD 12), Glen Johnson (W UD 12, twice), and Antonio Tarver (W UD 12, twice). Having walked away from such insurmountable tasks unsaved, Chad showed he was human in a controversial losing effort against Jean Pascal (L TD 11). Postmortem; in a lackluster performance, Dawson out boxed formidable tough guy Adrian Diaconu (W UD 12). Chad’s most recent affair was the aforementioned  waste of everyone’s time against Bernard Hopkins (NC 2).

SIZING ‘EM UP & PREDICTION

In consideration of Bernard’s experience, knowledge, athleticism, attitude, determination, and accomplishments, one would figure this should be a “no brainer” and history in the future will favor for the “old man”. However (as mentioned earlier), Hopkins can at times perform listless and flat. Luckily for Bernard that on those occasions where he seemed “off”, he wasn’t facing young power punchers or the type of fighters that can “pull the trigger” when they “smell blood” and “go for the kill”. Make no mistake, I’m not comparing Dawson to the type of assassin that a prime Mike Tyson was; by all means he is not. But Chad is young, powerful, hungry, and eager to redeem himself from previous disappointments in the ring.  While strength isn’t everything in the ring (especially when facing such an adversary as Bernard who most believe enjoys the better crafted boxing ability than Dawson); I feel that raw youthful strength is Chad’s only serious chance at a win here which I think he will achieve Dawson (W TKO 10).

HEAVYWEIGHT “HOPEFUL” UNDERNEATH

Entertaining up and coming American heavyweight scrapper Seth “Mayhem” Micthell  (24-0-1, 18 KOs) battles veteran Chazz “the Gentleman” Witherspoon (30-2, 22 KOs)  in a scheduled 10 rounder.

TONS OF “OTHER” ACTION TO TRANSPIRE

Folks, there are a plethora of other cards to check out this weekend as well, below is list of boxing action commencing Friday and typified on Sunday.

Friday, April 27^th ESPN2 @ 10 PM ET: Power punching light heavyweight’s  Ismayl Sillakh (17-0, 14 KOs) and Denis Grachev (11-0-1, 7 KOS) collide in a slated 10 rounds of pound.  

Friday, April 27^th Showtime @ 11 PM ET:  Dangerous Thomas Oosthuizen (18-0-1, 13 KOs) squares off against slick Marcus Johnson (21-1, 15 KOs) in a proposed 10 round clash in the super middleweight (168) division.

Sunday, April 28^th PPV @ 1 PM ET: WBA welterweight (147) strap carrier Vyacheslav Senchenko (32-1, 21 KOs) looks to defend his title against former belt holder Paulie Malignaggi (30-4, 6 KOs) over 12 or less rounds.

John Signorella

HBO Boxing

New York, NY- After a two-week lull in what has been a solid first quarter of 2012, televised pugilistic warfare returns this weekend! First, let’s look into the top story.

MARQUEZ BACK ON SCENE AFTER BEING “JOBBED”

Three time belt holder Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KOs) returns to the ring after seemingly being  robbed of victory in last appearance against global elite fighter Manny Pacquiao (L SD 12). This time around, Juan will be facing unheralded light punching scrapper Serhiy Fedchenko (30-1, 13 KOs) in a slated 12 rounds of pound in the jr. welterweight (140) division at the New Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday at 9 PM on HBO PPV.

JUAN MANUEL STILL AMOUNG THE BEST

Prior to his failing bid at “pound for pound” greatness against the mighty Floyd Mayweather Jr. (L UD 12), Juan Manuel Marquez fought two epic wars with Manny Pacquiao. During that violent display of pugilistic brilliance, Marquez survived four knockdowns, three of which happened in the very first round of their first encounter. Amazingly, Marquez fought back and managed to earn a draw. Knockdown number four came in the second bout, which ultimately led to Juan losing by just a point. Spanning 24 hellacious rounds over two fights with Pacquiao, Marquez became the closest boxer to dethrone the living legend in eight years. Juan Marquez is a vastly experienced artisan who holds a multitude of impressive wins over such warriors as Marco Antonio Barrera (W UD 12) Joel Casamayor (W TKO 11), Rocky Juarez (W UD 12) Juan Diaz (W KO 9, W UD 12) and Michael Katsidis (W TKO 9). In his last showing and third stanza against “Pac-Man”, Marquez put forth a valiant effort in a tremendous scrap which most fans and experts felt he deserved the nod.

Marquez (left) strafes Pacquiao (right)

A CLOSER LOOK AT MARQUEZ

Many of Marquez’s “big fights” have turned out to be “old school” brawls displaying intestinal fortitude which produced drama unparalleled to just about anything else seen in life. Juan is a consummate professional and master at his Mexican style of boxing. Also, Juan enjoys the brain trust of one of boxing’s most dedicated scientific trainers in Nacho Bernstein. In addition to all of these aforementioned attributes, one of the more astonishing qualities of Marquez is that he comes to fight equipped with what I call the “Hell code”.  The “Hell Code” is when a warrior tries to put you through Hell and (if need be) he’s willing to go there with you and is aware (and comfortable) that only one of you will make it out. The “Hell Code” is a rare trait not possessed by many in the difficult sport of boxing. The legends that have fought successfully with this code of conduct are a special breed of animal, Marquez is surely one of them.

WHO THE HELL IS SERHIY FEDCHENKO?

Serhiy Fedchenko is a descent pug who was unbeaten against frivolous opponents in his first seven contests as a pro before stepping up to stiffer competition in his 24^th bout against Kaizer Mabuza (L MD 12). Postmortem the set back at the hands of Mabuza, Fedchenko has won seven straight contests standing opposite of scrubs my 6 year old niece could kick the shit out of.

BRANDON RIOS SHOWCASED BENEATH

Exciting madman banger Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 22 KOs) engages in combat against lightly regarded lightweight (135) Richard Abril (17-2-1, 8 Kos) over 12 or less rounds of throw down.

Brandon Rios (right)

SHOW US WHAT YA GOT KID

By turning the lights out of 9 of his last 10 opponents; youthful power punching charge Brandon Rios has dazzled his audience. Possessing a highly entertaining “TV friendly style” accompanied by a controversial personality, success on Saturday at the “big show on HBO” could result in a lucrative clash with Juan Manuel Marquez.

WHO THE HELL IS RICHARD ABRIL?

Similar to Fedchenko, Abril is an average boxer who can beat on below average fighters but struggles when he faces people on his level or better. Since his last loss to Henry Lundy (L SD 10) Richard has fought five times over the past year and a half and has not lost. But again, against bums that couldn’t punch their why out of a wet paper bag.

ESPN JOINT

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated show features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card pits former title challenger Michael Katsidis (28-5, 23 KOs) squaring off against rugged battler Albert Mensah (24-3-1, 10 KOs) in a scheduled 10 frame lightweight affair (135) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Friday at 11 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- I originally had three guests planned for the one-hour Sunday edition of “Ring Talk Boxing and MMA” radio that airs on the Sports Byline Broadcast Network at 11 AM PT. But once RingTalk.com staff writer John Signorella got on a roll, my producer Scott Cutty and I decided to let Johnny keep rolling. We covered the weekend results, some fighters in the top ten, regardless of weight class, (and no, Manny Pacquiao was not at the top of the list) the not-so exciting Klitschko brothers, Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., to put it simply, Johnny and I covered a lot of ground! We also touched on the world of MMA and the two Ultimate Fighter TV shows, the American version on FX Cable Friday nights and the Brazilian UFC show which airs online Sunday night at 9 PM PT on UFC.TV. To LISTEN NOW click on the red lettering above and you’ll be tuned. Don’t forget our NEXT show will be live this coming and every Saturday at 11 AM PT and will be two hours in duration. The Sunday show is one hour long, also at 11 AM PT!

Showdown for the alphabet marbles

New York, NY- In what has been an incredibly busy few weeks in the ring of late; boxing action slows down a bit this weekend. However, rest assured recently spoiled fight fans; there are a few scraps on the horizon worth tuning into, let’s take a look!

EPIX NETWORK GOES “HEAVY” AGAIN

For the third straight week, the “new kid” on the televised boxing block brings you a heavyweight showdown. This time around, the man most media outlets consider to be the “baddest man on the planet”, “Dr. Steelhammer” Wladimir Klitschko (56-3, 49 KOs) will almost certainly defend his IBF, WBA and WBO titles against lightly regarded former cruiserweight (200 lbs) belt holder, now gone heavyweight challenger Jean- Marc Mormeck (36-4, 22 KOs) over 12 or less rounds of combat at the ESPRIT Arena in Germany, Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on EPIX.

Wladimir Klitschko (left)

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT. DOIN’ IT AGAIN?

Beginning his career with a perfect record of 24-0 with 22 whacks, Wladimir Klitschko showed tremendous promise as the “heir apparent” to win a heavyweight crown before being exposed of having a vulnerable chin against lightly regarded journeymman Ross Puritty (L KO 11). After the setback, (to his credit) Klitschko showed resolve as a competitor and won 16 in a row (15 KOs) against decent adversity and managed to pick up the WBO strap. However, the tables would turn again. In Klitschko’s 6th attempted title defense against rugged journeyman Corrie Sanders, another life altering moment of disgrace surfaced as Sanders punished a very complaisant version of Wladimir over just two rounds en route to a (glass jaw?) stoppage. Again showing charismatic resilience, Wladimir regrouped after the loss and won two straight contests by KO. Although once again showing promise, in his next encounter; Wladimir was starched against a very spirited Lamon Brewster (L TKO 5). Since removed from numerous setbacks, albeit usually in boring affairs of late; Klitschko has blasted out nine of his last eleven opponents and appears better than ever. Hence, as a result, Klitschko; a 15 year veteran of the game, has proven to not only be one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division, but also in the world.

Mormeck (left)

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, BUT WHERE’S IT GOIN’?

Usually fighting against hapless scrappers at light heavyweight and cruiserweight rank, former WBA cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck finally garnered some respect and  notoriety when he fought in a series of entertainingly battles against the likes of Virgil Hill (twice: W TKO 8, W UD 12), Wayne Braithwaite (W UD 12), and O’Neil Bell (twice: L KO 10, W UD 12) to capture, defend, lose, and recapture his (and their) respective titles. Since his greatest triumphs in whipping the aforementioned formidable battlers, Mormeck lost his belts during his last stand at cruiserweight in an ugly affair against listless thug David Haye (L TKO 7). Postmortem the Haye encounter, Jean bulked up to the heavyweight division and has won three straight, knocking out none.

ESPN JOINT

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated show features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card features former WBO 122 & 130 lb. guy and ex-IBF lightweight (135) lightweight titleholder Joan Guzman (38-0-1, 18 KOs) against frivolous fighter Jesus Padon (17-2, 11 KOs) in a slated 10 rounds of pound from the Westin Diplomat Resort, in Hollywood, Florida at 9 PM ET, Friday on ESPN 2. As a side note, Pedro Fernandez has followed Guzman since the late 1990s, and says the Dominican is by far the most wasted boxing talent in that time span.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- Occasionally, we will run a “Special Sunday” edition of “Ring Talk” on the Sports Byline Broadcast Network and Facebook.com/RingTalk on the Ustream Live video channel. Yesterday we had our own Johnny Signorella and HBO’s resident judge Harold Lederman. We usually air Saturday’s at 11:05 AM PT.

HAROLD & JOHNNY PUT FORTH A GREAT SHOW!

Talking about mainly Cotto-Margarito “post fight,” Harold and I went through a year of HBO boxing, discussed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, the 154 lb. weight class and more. Signorella was ringside at the Cotto fight and offers some interesting insight. From 1-10, this show was a solid 9. You can listen by clicking on the arrow above. Remember, in 26+ years, “Ring Talk is often imitated, but never duplicated.” Listen and find i why! Show is available in itunes, or on browser near top of page. Don’t forget to check out radio archives which date back to 2008. We’ve had some great guests over the years and we would like to thank them all!

Hopkins (left) Dawson (right)

New York, NY – 2011‘s stacked boxing schedule of intrigue continues this weekend as 46-year-old “Hall of Fame” bound WBC light heavyweight (175) champion Bernard ‘the Executioner” Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs) attempts to defend his crown against former belt holder “Bad” Chad Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Saturday at 9 PM ET on HBO PPV.

SAME OL’, SAME…OLD?

In his most recent affair, Bernard Hopkins became the oldest man in the history of “athletic” sports (sans golf) to win a championship by systematically dethroning former light heavyweight (175 lbs) belt holder Jean Pascal in a rematch of their original controversial scrap (Draw 12). Before establishing such accolade, for the better part of the past 23 years, Hopkins has been calling out the biggest names in the sport while most of the time defiantly kicking their ass in the process. The boxing world took notice of the bombastic talents of Hopkins when he displayed a masterpiece performance against Felix Trinidad (W KO 12).

LIST OF GUYS ‘NARD BEAT LOOKS IMPRESSIVE

After his artistic beat down over Trinidad, Bernard’s take no prisoners back alley brawling style had allowed him to go “toe-to-toe” with (and whip) world elite combatants such as Oscar De La Hoya (W KO 9), Antonio Tarver (W UD 12), Winky Wright (W UD 12), Kelly Pavlik (W UD 12), and Roy Jones (W UD 12) with relative ease. On the contrary, as seen in performances where he had elected to fight in spurts against the likes of Joe Calzaghe (L SD 12), Jermain Taylor (L SD 12, L UD 12), and Roy Jones (L UD 12, in their first fight); Bernard has a tendency to become complaisant, over analyze his foe, and get out hustled. Coming into Saturday’s contest, Hopkins has eight wins against four losses and one draw in his last 13 bouts (1 KO).

Dawson (left)

CHAD’S GOOD BUT HE NEEDS TO GET BAD

Possessing a difficult to deal with southpaw style, Chad Dawson lit up the light heavyweight ranks and broke into top contention. Dawson then responded to the challenges of competing at the highest level of the game in impressive fashion by defeating admirable foes such as Eric Harding (W UD 12), Tomasz Adamek (W UD 12), Glen Johnson (W UD 12, twice), and Antonio Tarver (W UD 12, twice). Having walked away from such insurmountable tasks unsaved, Chad showed that he was human in a controversial losing effort against Jean Pascal (L TD 11). Postmortem; in a lackluster performance, Dawson out boxed formidable tough guy Adrian Diaconu (W UD 12).

SIZING ‘EM UP & PREDICTION

In consideration of Bernard’s experience, knowledge, athleticism, attitude, determination, and accomplishments, one would figure this should be a “no brainer” and history in the future will favor for the “old man”. However (as mentioned earlier), Hopkins can at times perform listless and flat. Luckily for Bernard that on those occasions where he seemed “off”, he wasn’t facing young power punchers or the type of fighters that can “pull the trigger” when they “smell blood” and “go for the kill”. Make no mistake, I’m not comparing Dawson to the type of assassin that a prime Mike Tyson was; by all means he is not. But Chad is young, powerful, hungry, and eager to redeem himself from previous disappointments in the ring.  While strength isn’t everything in the ring (especially when facing such an adversary as Bernard who most believe enjoys the better crafted boxing ability than Dawson); I feel that raw youthful strength is Chad’s only serious chance at a win here. However having said that, and in consideration of Dawson’s “younger” attributes, I feel Chad isn’t bad enough and doesn’t have the mettle to get the job done. I got Hopkins frustrating and pounding the hell of this kid. (W KO 7) for the Executioner.

Malignaggi (left)

DECENT UNDER CARD UNDERNEATH

Entertaining scrapper Antonio DeMarco (25-1-1, 18 KOs) meets former strap carrier Jorge Linares (31-1, 20 KOs) for the vacant WBC lightweight (135) title in a scheduled 10 rounder.

In a “crossroads” type affair “up and coming” light welterweight (140) Danny Garcia (21-0, 14 KOs) squares off against savvy former titlest Kendall Holt (27-4, 15 KOs) in a proposed 12 round showdown.

One time jr. welterweight (140) kingpin Paulie Malignaggi (29-4, 6 KOs) continues his come back quest for grandeur against rugged Mexican combatant Orlando Lora (28-1-1, 19 KOs) in a slated 10 frame stanza.

John Signorella

New York, NY – In what has been an unusually busy summer for the sport, mainstream action slows down this weekend. However, rest assured fight fans; the limited televised offering isn’t light on the punch.

Andrade (right)

ONE LAST TILT & BOXING’S “VOICE” OF 2011 GOES SILENT FOR A BIT

For the past several months, the decorated series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” has kicked off the boxing weekend in emphatic fashion. More often then not, there were highlight reel knockouts and wars of epic proportions; prompting this year’s offerings of fistic savagery to go down as one of the most brutal seasons in the history of the franchise. For those out there new to the series, each episode features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests, and competitive scraps. This week’s main event features reality T.V.’s “Contender” star  Grady Brewer (28-12, 16 KOs) standing opposite of unbeaten power punching charge Demetrius Andrade (13-0, 9 KOs) over 10 scheduled rounds of light middleweight (154) action at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. The co-featured bout showcases an intriguing 10 round match up between former WBC lightweight (135) belt holder David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) against battled tested savvy veteran Henry Lundy (20-1-1, 10 KOs). Televised coverage begins at 9 PM ET on ESPN 2.

Note: WBA super middleweight (168) champion Andre Ward will co-host.

John Signorella

New York, NY- In what was suppose to be another unusually busy summer weekend for the sport, due to yet another cancellation by former middleweight champion and admitted alcoholic Kelly Pavlik; mainstream action slows down a bit this weekend (thanks again Kelly as the entire Showtime card was scrapped). However, rest assured fight fans; the limited televised offering isn’t light on the punch.

Vernon Paris (right)

ESPN RESCUES THE WEEKEND

Each installment of the decorated series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases a ruckus twin bill as unbeaten “T.V. friendly” charge Vernon Paris (24-0, 14 KOs) squares off against slick light welterweight (140) craftsmen Tim Coleman (19-1-1, 5 KOS) in a scheduled 10 round main event. In the opener; undefeated featherweight (126) Art Hovhannisyan (14-0-1, 8 KOs) steps up his level of opposition when he enters the right against former champion Cristobal Cruz (39-12-2, 23 KOS) over 10 rounds or less.

FIRST BELLS RINGS AT 6 PM IN CALIFORNIA, 9 PM IN NEW YORK

Televised action from the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California begins at Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN2.

John Signorella


 

Charlotte, NC- I had a reader ask me what was the most common mistake I see fighters making today. I thought, “I don’t have that much column space to answer that question.” But after mulling it over for a couple of weeks, I believe I have distilled it down to the manageable essentials. Here they are:
1. Get a real trainer/coach who knows what they are doing!
2. See number 1.

NOBODY IS TEACHING GUYS TO PUNCH CORRECTLY

But to honestly answer the readers question, when it comes to offense, I see too much arm punching. When you throw a punch (with the rare exceptions being certain jabs) you need to turn your whole body into the punch. The power of your punch begins in your legs and hips, travels through your torso and back, through your shoulders and out your arms and into your fists. Now, if you are slow afoot, punching a little slower will actually give you more power than trying to “out punch” your feet. Use your whole body and not just your arms to punch.

NOT EVERY SHOT NEED BE A HOME RUN

Remember, you do not have to swing for the fences every time to throw a punch. You are not Ernie Shavers or Babe Ruth, so you don’t have to try for a knockout with every punch. Mix lighter and harder punches in combinations, and use head and shoulder movements to feints opponents into countering. Use the hard punches when you have the best chance of landing them, like when you are actually in range. And what’s with the leaping left hooks all of a sudden? That only worked for Floyd Patterson, and then only about half the time! Here is a news flash! You aren’t Patterson, either! Throw short left hooks, pivot off the back foot, and keep your chin tucked in. Also, throw short uppercuts and short right hands (for orthodox stance fighters), but let that left jab reach on out there, but snap it out, and snap it back quickly. Don’t throw the jab and just leave it dangling out there.

THE LOST ART OF “BODY & FENDER’ WORK!

And for the love of all that’s boxing, don’t forget to go to the body! The old trainer’s adage “kill the body and the head will die” is true. Try a jab upstairs, followed by a right to the body. As you work your way inside your opponents defense, lean in toward his chest, keeping your head up, and throw 2,3,or 4 punches to the body, and work your way out. Keep your combinations within the three to five punch range. I don’t care how fast you think you are, you are not Muhammad Ali! You don’t need and can’t pull off ten punch combo’s. All that will do is drain your energy and leave yourself open to counter punches.

CONCENTRATION IS ALSO LACKING TODAY

Also, don’t look at the canvas! I don’t care how many ads they have screen printed down there, when you are fighting, keep your eyes on your opponent. He is in front of you. If you keep your head down, you will eat a steady diet of uppercuts. And for goodness sake, keep your eyes open! And finally, let your hand go. You will never hit your opponent if you do not throw a punch!

BACK TO THE A,B,C’S OF PUGILISM

Now when it comes to defense, keep your hands up, elbows low, and please, move your head. Don’t waste energy running around the ring. This is a boxing match, not a track meet, also don’t waste a lot of energy jumping up and down on your toes, unless you are a kangaroo. The only time you need to do any jumping is if you have been tagged hard and are groggy, step back, jump up on your toes, and land on your heels hard. That will help clear your head, and you won’t hear that from today’s trainers. (That tip was passed on to me from my trainer Lou Kemp!) To avoid you opponent take a step and pivot out of the way. That way you will save energy, and be in a position to counter. Also, don’t lean back. and don’t close your eyes or look away when your opponent is punching. Again, you are not Ali! Establish your ground, defend it, pivot to avoid punches and counter.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO THROW AT INCOMING FIRE

And, it is not chiseled in stone that you have to wait until your opponent finishes punching before you start punching back. You have as much right to establish your will as he does! Interrupt his punching and hit him.

MY GODFATHER IN BOXING WAS THE GREAT LOU KEMP

My trainer, Lou Kemp, used to teach me that if I can avoid blocking a punch with my gloves, do so. Slip inside, slip outside, or slip under it and counter punch. Because if i am busy using my hands to defend myself, I might not be able to hit my opponent fast enough with a counter. now, that doesn’t mean I never block punches with my gloves. I’ve got to use common sense. But if at all possible, slip a punch and keep your hand free to punch.

HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE INTERROGATORIES

Well, that’s the Cliff Notes version of the most common mistakes I see fighters make in the ring today. Your thoughts?

Professor Chuck Marbry

Paul Williams (left)

New York, NY- An array of fights await us this weekend, below is a short chronological “Reader’s Digest” style lay out of the action.

FRIDAY NIGHT ACTION
ESPN 2 at 9 PM ET: the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases super middleweight (168) southpaw pug Jesus Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) pitted against power punching thug Francisco Sierra (24-3-1, 22 KOs) in a scheduled 10 rounder from the US Airway Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

SATURDAY’S JOINTS
Showtime kicks it off at 10 PM ET with trash talking WBA lightweight (135) belt holder Brandon Rios (27-0-1, 20 KOs) facing battle tested seasoned former strap carrier Urbano Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs) over 12 proposed rounds of championship throw down for the crown at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Brandon Rios (right)

SHOW US WHAT YA GOT KID
By turning the lights out of 9 of his last opponents; youthful power punching charge Brandon Rios has dazzled his audience. Possessing a highly entertaining “TV friendly style” accompanied by a controversial personality, success on Saturday at the “big show” against a formidable opponent such as Antillion could result in major notoriety for Brandon.

SHOW STOPPER?
Having fought solidly as a consummate professional for the better part of ten years, Urbano Antillion has faced and often beaten some of the best scrappers in his division. In his last contest, a “fight of the year candidate” against Humberto Soto, Antillion showed moments of brilliance in a very commendable effort which resulted in Urbano losing a very close decision.

HBO joins the party at 10:15 PM ET featuring the return of former middleweight (160) title holder Paul “Punisher” Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) matched against undefeated rising star Erislandy Lara (15-0-1, 10 KOs) in a slated 12 round affair at Broadwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Erislandy Lara (right)

PROOF BE IN THE PUNISHMENT?
Before his brutal knockout loss against Sergio Martinez, Paul Williams was one of boxing most celebrated and feared fighters. Prior to his humbling experience against Sergio, Williams compiled a stacked resume of wins against the “who’s who” in two weight classes. After a near 8 month lay off for Paul going into Saturday, obvious concerns loom about “ring rust”. However, the biggest concern should be if Williams has recovered from being a victim in one of the most devastating knockouts that has ever happened, not just in boxing; but in life in general.

BRING THE PAIN
In just three short years as a professional, Erislandy Lara has already fought fifteen times. Lara’s feverishly paced assualt usually results with his victims being floored in highlight reel fashion. Since his biggest win to date against Grady Brewer (W TKO),  Lara’s has garnered mainstream appeal by whacking out four of his last five opponents.

John Signorella

12 rounds of throw down for the crown

New York, NY – This weekend’s action is typified by an uncommon entity in the modern world boxing; a meaningful heavyweight title bout! Let’s take a look.

DOES THE GIANT & THE PUNK EQUAL GIANT PUNKS???

After a near two year postponement from the bout’s original date which was put on the shelf due to an injury sustained to David Haye (25-1, 23 KOs), finally; 6’7, 245 pound IBF and WBO belt holder Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs) gets trash talking WBA strap carrier Haye to participate in a scheduled 12 round championship unification. Televised coverage of this highly anticipated affair from the luxurious sold out Imtech Arena in Hamburg, Germany begins on Saturday at 4:45 PM ET on HBO.

Klitschko (left)

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, DOIN’ IT AGAIN?
Beginning his career with a perfect record of 24-0 with 22 whacks, Wladimir showed tremendous promise as the “heir apparent” to win a heavyweight crown before being exposed by having a vulnerable chin against lightly regarded pug Ross Puritty (L KO 11). After the set back, (to his credit) Klitschko showed resolve as a competitor and won 16 in a row (15 KOs) against decent adversity and managed to pick up the WBO strap. However, the tables would turn again. In Klitschko’s 6th attempted title defense against rugged journeyman Corrie Sanders, another life altering moment of disgrace surfaced as Sanders punished a very complaisant version of Wladimir over just two rounds en route to a stoppage. Again showing charismatic resilience, Wladimir regrouped after the loss and won two straight contests by KO. Although once again showing promise, in his next encounter; Wladimir was starched against a very spirited Lamon Brewster (L TKO 5). Since removed from numerous set backs, albeit usually in boring affairs of late; Klitschko has blasted out nine of his last ten opponents and appears better then ever. Hence, as a result,  Klitschko; a 15 year veteran of the game,  has proven to not only be one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division, but also in the world.

Haye (left)

HAYE JUST TRYING TO EARN SOME PAY?
Like his counterpart, David Haye impressively burst out on the scene displaying a furious opus of carnage. Beginning his career as a cruiserweight (200), Haye wrecked shop by compiling an unbeaten record of 10-0 with 9 knockouts. In his 11th challenge, David laced up the gloves for a “crossroads” battle against savvy veteran Carl Thompson. In a bout which pitted experience versus youth, experience prevailed and resulted Thompson with a TKO victory in the fifth. Postmortem, Haye fought on, valiantly winning nine in a row (8 by KO) and earned a shot at the title against Jean Marc Mormeck. Standing opposite of Mormeck, Haye out hustled and broke down the durable champion (W TKO 7). After winning Mormeck’s WBC and WBA trophies, Haye clashed with, and destroyed battle tested WBO king pin Enzo Maccarinelli (W KO 2) and became only the second man in history to be undisputed champ at the weight class. After such accolade, Haye sought after bigger challenges and moved up to the heavyweight ranks. After just two fights, David picked up the WBA belt. Since, Haye has defended his strap twice by Knockout.

WHAT TO EXPECT
After all the hype and (not so) pre fight pleasantries, the fact of the matter is that these two guys both need to be cognizant of the fact that they to not only win, but entertain and give the masses a reason to follow heavyweight boxing. I feel the one who possesses the most passion in consideration of what’s at stake will prevail. Having said that, knowing the skill and intestinal fortitude instilled within the two combatants; it’s going to be a spirited affair resulting with David slaying the giant within five frames.

Melligen (left)

ESPN JOINT

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases entertaining Filipino southpaw Mark Melligen (24-2, 14 KOs) against experienced, but limited Sebastian Lujan (37-5-2, 23 KOs) in a 10 round welterweight (147) tilt at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, Friday on ESPN 2 at 11 PM ET.

John Signorella

New York, NY

HBO LOOKS TO GET B.A.D.

By delivering an seemingly action packed twin bill featuring crowd pleasing rising stars and battle tested veteran pugs putting it all on the line, H.B.O.’s “Boxing After Dark” goes back to it’s roots in attempt to recapture the magic of the legendary series. In an  In the main event; WBC light middleweight (154) Mexican young blood Saul Alvarez (36-0-1, 26 KOs) engages in combat against United Kingdom’s heavy handed former WBO title challenger Ryan Rhodes (45-4, 31 KOs) over 12 or less rounds of throw down at the Arena VFG in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Jalisco, Mexico. Televised coverage begins Saturday at 10:30 PM ET on HBO.

CANELO (CINNAMON) POUNDING HIS WAY TO THE TOP

Having an unheard of 37 contests at just the tender age of 20, (amazingly) Saul Alvarez is able to boast a perfect record. More impressively, by knocking out seven formidable opponents in his last ten affairs, Alvarez continues to improve on his craft.

WINDING RHODE
Since his last loss to experienced veteran Gary Lockett in 2006 (L UD 12), 34 year old Rhodes been impressive winning 10 of his last 10 contests by knockout. Albeit against some of the more unsung frivolous combatants in the sport; Ryan has shown admirable grit and determination by dismantling those put in front of him.

SOLID UNDER CARD
Highly entertain former IBF title challenger “The American Boy” Jason Litzau (28-2, 21 KOs) battles powerful unbeaten pug “The Problem” Adrien Broner (20-0, 16 KOs) in scheduled 10 round featherweight (128) affair.

ESPN JOINT
As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases undefeated T.V. friendly scrapper Fernando Guerrero (21-0, 16 KOs) pitted against former reality T.V. “Contender” series star Grady Brewer (27-12, 15 KOs) in proposed 10 round jr middleweight (154) tilt from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, Friday at 9 PM ET on EPSN 2.

John Signorella

Manny Pacquiao

New York, NY- Over the past couple of years there has been plenty of disappointment in both Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) for not finding common ground and settling terms for a mega bout. Whether some feel that Mayweather is avoiding Pacquiao by manipulating an escape route with unnecessary demands, or if Pacquiao is simply afraid to get caught ‘cheating’, makes little difference.

NO ONE WANTS TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE!

What does matter, is that the fight actually does take place before both pugilists become geriatric and lose their greatness. Although there have been plenty of reasons to doubt that this fight takes place, I’d like to point out a few reasons that it will happen barring that 2012 isn’t actually the end of the world.

Floyd Mayweather

It’s no secret that Floyd Mayweather believes that he’s the best fighter of his era. He has even grossly assumed that he is the best boxer of all time and relies heavily on his undefeated record to back the claim. But if he wants others, including his own uncle to start believing that, he will need to do a little more in the ring. The logical route in making his claim realistic (to some) would be in defeating Manny Pacquiao. Unless he addresses the 400 lb. elephant in the room from General Santos City, there is little chance he will be taken seriously, even as the best of his era. It’s doubtful that Mayweather can even convince himself that he’s the best, unless he conquers Pacquiao. Because the Pac-Man has uprooted him as ‘pound for pound’ champ and is now seen by some as the better fighter and biggest threat to him in the ring.

EGOCENTRIC PACQUIAO

Although fans generally see Pacquiao as a mild mannered, humble individual, we can also note that he also has an ego of his own. When asked on television show, 60 minutes who he thought was the best fighter of all time, without hesitation his response was, “me.” Of course Manny doesn’t boast as loud as Mayweather but he honestly feels the same way about his all time status as Mayweather does. To erase any doubt in his mind, it is necessary that he defeats Mayweather decisively so he can confirm that he was the greatest to ever lace them up. Many of Manny’s detractors have said that his attempts to capture titles at catch-weights and his selection of aging less than prime opponents remove luster from his victories. But Mayweather can naturally answer all of those questions in one bout. Manny will know without a doubt that he is the greatest by decisively besting Mayweather.

FLOYD’S RETIREMENT MUZZLE

Although Floyd has been out of the ring for long stints at a time, he has not mentioned retirement since the conclusion of his bout with De La Hoya in 2007. He’s only fought three times in the past four years but has not explicitly stated that he is through fighting. This alone gives at least some degree of hope that Manny Pacquiao will likely be a forthcoming opponent. In the recent past, there was at least one serious round of negotiations. Although team Mayweather denies the second round, the topic is inescapable and will continue to be unless either fighter decides to hand them up. The consideration has been there for quite some time with both camps, and with only one major conflict in the way. But could that conflict have already been resolved?

MANNY SHOULD AGREE TO TESTING OLYMPIC STYLE

There is a video that has been floating around for a few months and in it Pacquiao appears to state that he is willing to concede and take the Olympic style drug tests that Mayweather is requesting. If this is accurate, then the main obstacle in the way of this fight has already been resolved. Manny originally would not budge off a 24 day testing window, but according to Bob Arum, he moved to seven days (what is he scared of?) in the last round of failed negotiations and now has opened to window to full testing. Possibly after seeing Shane Mosley get an 18 day testing window versus Mayweather in May (based on a conclusion that he was clean), Manny will gamble with no cut off date, hoping that he is not adversely affected by unannounced testing.

MAYWEATHER’S LEFT HANDED ENIGMAS

And then there is Floyd’s comeback opponent. There were rumors a few months back that Floyd was looking at facing undefeated ex-lightweight (135) Paul Spadafora (45-0-1 19 KOs), who happens to be a southpaw. At some point, left-handed fighters became a perceived kryptonite to Floyd Mayweather’s style, mainly because they have been the only ones to give Floyd serious problems in the ring. He was badly hurt by southpaws, DeMarcus Corley (37-18-1 22 KOs) and Zab Judah (41-6 28 KOs), in respective bouts. There was also a rumor that Floyd’s father called from jail at one point and requested that Floyd be kept clear of lefties to preserve his career. Whether it’s true that Floyd has Problems with lefties or not, there is still irony in the choice of Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) for his September comeback fight. Victor is a very hard puncher and also a lefty, traits that he shares with Manny Pacquiao. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer has even stated that in facing Ortiz, Floyd is really getting ready for Manny.

THE MONEY & THE FAME COMBINATION

With offers reportedly coming in as high as $65 and $75 million dollars, there is no doubt that a bout between Mayweather and Pacquiao gets bigger by the second. There is no event in sports that could equal it on the world stage. When Mayweather reportedly asked for $100 million dollars to fight Manny, it was seen as a joke. But today it is really starting to look more like a shrewd business move than an unrealistic demand.

PEOPLE, EVEN THE SQUARES WANT THIS ONE!

Unlike the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya promotion, the world truly awaits THIS bout and the winner could not only be the biggest name the sport has produced since Muhammad Ali, but might even be considered better. That’s an opportunity that’s far too tempting for any man, yes that includes Manny Pacquiao, to pass on or take for granted over a blood test. And barring some unforeseeable event, nothing else really stands in the way.

Jarrad Woods

New York, NY

COMING UP THE HARD WAY
By facing four unbeaten opponents in his first ten bouts as a professional (unlike most modern up starts), super featherweight (130) Genaro “Chicanito” Hernandez’s climb up the ranks saw the young charge pitted against formidable opposition straight out of the gate. Over his next 13 affairs, Genaro remained perfect and earned his first title shot. On that evening, Hernandez dazzled the audience in attendance and captured the WBA crown by scoring a 9th round knockout over veteran brawler Daniel Londas. Genaro then went on to successfully defend his title nine times before meeting a young, hungry, and vicious Oscar De La Hoya. Against De La Hoya, Oscar was able to out box and stop Genaro handing Hernandez his first pro loss. Seven months removed from his setback to Oscar, a galvanized Genaro climbed back between the ropes in emphatic fashion to knock out Javier Pichardo in just five rounds. Thereafter, Hernandez went on to win five straight. During that win streak, after just two comeback fights; Genaro managed to pick up the WBC title against always tough customer Azumah Nelson (W SD 12). After earning another belt, Hernandez continued to impress the masses by upsetting promising “up and coming” talents Carlos Hernandez (W UD 12) and Carlos Gerena (W UD 12). Always eager to take on the best, Genaro agreed to fight (at the time) rising star Floyd Mayweather Jr. As a battle tested 14 year veteran of the game matched against the supreme talents of a young and powerful featherweight version of Mayweather, Genaro was stopped in the eighth round and retired from boxing.

SANS RING, “CHICANITO” WAS NOT FAR FROM THE ACTION
As any boxing enthusiast knows, it’s almost impossible to abandon the “sweet science”, and Genaro was no exception. Hernandez’s offerings to the fight game post combat was as pivotal as his illustrious endeavors within the “squared circle”. Genaro was a well respected commentator for Spanish speaking networks, ringside Compubox data supervisor, radio personality,  occasional trainer, and mentor to many. At the end of the day, any offerings from the brilliantly vast mind of a decorated two time champion such as Genaro Hernandez is something that will surely be missed and our sport is less great with out him. May he rest in peace.

John Signorella

ESPN STARTS THE FIRE
As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card showcases heavy handed record padded Puerto Rican charge Kenny Galarza (14-1, 14 KOs) pitted against hapless scrapper and loser of three straight Irving Garcia (17-6-3, 8 KOs) over 10 or less rounds of jr middleweight (154) combat at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, NY, Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN 2.

SHOWTIME OWNS THE WEEKEND WITH TWIN DOUBLE HEADERS
The critically acclaimed series “Shobox” delivers two explosive cards this weekend. First up: power punching madman Lateef Kayode (16-0, 14 KOs) takes on vastly experienced cruiserweight (200) journeyman Matt Godfrey (20-2, 10 KOs) over 10 proposed rounds of throw down from the Chumash Casino & Resort in Santa Ynez, California. Televised action begins with talented bantamweight (118) Chris Avalos (18-1, 15 KOs) taking on unbeaten pug Khabir Suleymanov (11-0, 5 KOs) Friday at 11 PM ET. Action continues the next day as undefeated ruthless banger Luis Orlando Del Valle (12-0, 10 KOs) looks for his 8th straight knockout when he faces light fisted featherweight (126) Dat Nguyen (17-1, 6 KOs) in a slated 10 rounder. The broadcast opens with devastating striker Jonathan Gonzalez (13-0, 13 KOs) squaring off against battle tested but (of late) often bested vet Richard Gutierrez (26-6-1, 16 KOs) in a scheduled 10 round middleweight (160) tilt from the Roseland Ballroom in New York, New York, Saturday at 10:35 PM ET. All aforementioned bouts in this paragraph will be seen on Showtime.

John Signorella

Chuck Minker

MY TWO GOOD FRIENDS STARTED THIS

Both Spagnola is and the late Minker are both honorable men. Each yeart I never forget the month Chuck passed and what he said to ne before he died. Back to boxing, Bob needed to get Frank on a scale sooner rather than later because Tate had ballooned to around 200 lbs., and he was for all intents and purposes a walking dead man from shedding the weight. Then Jose Sulaiman, the President for life of the World Boxing Council, was of the opinion that fighters were less likely to get hurt in a fight if they had 24 hours (which has turned into more like 30 hours) to rehydrate themselves before a fight.

A FEATHERWEIGHT HASN’T FACED A FEATHERWEIGNT IN DECADES!

What I’m trying to say is that a featherweight (126 lbs) hasn’t fought at featherweight, a light heavyweight (175) has not fought at light heavyweight, I can on and on, but outside of the heavyweight division the current system of weighing fighters in is a fraud, an injustice, and as was the case with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Saturday, a crime against boxing which in California should be 245 A PC, Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

REMEMBER WHEN ARCE BELONGED TO JOSE SILLYMAN?This same sanctioning group, the WBC, they would weigh current WBO 122 lb. king Jorge Arce in on a Friday afternoon at 112 lbs. and he’d weigh as much as 129 3/4 come fight time. Why in the **** do we even go through the process of weighing fighters when they are not weighing anything close to the title they are either defending and or challenging for?

TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH SHOULD BE INDICTED, IF NOT ASHAMED!

On Friday, Chavez Jr. hit the scale at 160, as did defending champ Sebastian Zbik. Having not scored a KO in over three years and with 10 whacks in 30 wins, you think that the WBC and Chavez would have had enough of an advantage over the punch less German that they were assured victory, but that was not the enough as Zbik weighed 165 come fight time while Chavez, the current WBC poster boy, scaled 180 lbs.

THIS IS NOT FAIR, IT’S CRIMINAL & AN INSULT TO THE PUBLIC

Obviously, Chavez was not a middleweight, yet the ring announcer announced him after a Majority Decision as the new WBC middleweight, again a 160 lb., champion. Had things been on equal terms, Zbik would have fared much better on the two scorecards that had him losing.

WEIGH INS AS FRAUDULENT AS A THREE DOLLAR BILL!

This occurs nearly every time a title fight takes place. The only man with the balls in this business to call for same-day weigh ins is Greg Sirb of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission. Sirb and myself have cited the NCAA Wrestling rules in regards to weigh ins, and they are held some two to three hours before a match. Like before they implemented this riule, nobody is dying in NCAA matches and when they meet in the center of the mat, they are within a couple of pounds if not ounces of one another.

CHALLENGE TO PACO & PEOPLES TO RIGHT SULAIMAN’S WRONGS

Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, the President of the WBO, the sanctioning body with the least amount of scoring controversies, this according to HBO judge Harold Lederman. Harold says this is because when Paco knows boxing and when he sees a bad judge, take for example Gale Van Hoye of Texas, he won’t use him again. Valcarcel takes and puts forth his best officials period.

IBF GUY PEOPLES HAS TO SHOW HE HAS SOME BALLS TOO

Daryl Peoples, the President of the IBF, both he and Valcarcel need to separate themselves from Sulaiman, a man once indicted for stealing Mexican artifacts from the Aztec era, smuggling them into and trying to sell them in the United States. What they need to do is to go back to early morning-same day weigh ins, this in attempt to make the sports resemble fair sporting contests.

MEXICAN FANS AT RICKY’S THOUGHT THE SAME

Not knowing their weights at the start of the fight, I commented on how much bigger Chavez looked than Zbik at Ricky’s Sports Theater last night in San Leandro, CA. At that point, a Mexican fan told me the weights of 180 and 165 and then went on to say. “Chavez is my guy. But this is not a fair fight. Anybody who out weighs the other guy by that much an unfair.

PEOPLE AND PACO MAY TRY AND B.S THE MEDIA HERE

Following the bullshit put forth by Jose, often times Jose Sillyman and not Sulaiman, if fighters are struggling to the extent that they are draining their body and brain of fluids to make a weight, they are fighting in the wrong division and need to move up. For to see a flyweight champion weighing 112 and fighting near 130 lbs., and Chavez a middleweight at 160 fighting at 180 lbs., is it any wonder why people don’t take boxing seriously.

LIKE A 8 CYLINDER CAR VS. A 4 CYLINDER VOLKSWAGON

I think that if Chuck Minker were still alive, and he saw the unfairness that these day before weigh ins have become, I’m sure I could convince him to change things back to same-day early morning weigh ins. As for manager Bob Spagnola, he isn’t too keen on day before weigh ins anymore either.

CHALLENGE TO PACO, PEOPLES, EVEN MANAGER SPAGNOLA

In closing, and this is to my good friends Francisco Valcarcel and Bob Spagnola. Bob, if your guy Austin Trout, the current WBA 154 lb. champion was to weigh 154 to fight some monster, and then to find out the next day that the monster gained 15 lbs. and as a result Austin was hurt as a result, how would you feel then? And Paco, if a Arce weighed 122 along with an opponent, one who later gained 15 lbs. and the challenger got hurt, how would you feel? It’s time for the people in charge to take charge and not adhere to ESPN or HBO, managers, promoters, it’s time for Paco, Peoples, and even managers like Bob Spagnola to admit that the current system is not only unjust, it’s dangerous!

Pedro Fernandez

San Francisco, CA- In addition to boxing writer Kevin Perry, “K.P.” to those that know him well, MMA expert and resident scribe Sammy Perez talking about the “full contact” fights, the great Johnny Bos, a New Yorker now making matches in Florida, “The Bos Man” offers a solid explanation as to why Americans are no longer ruling the boxing world. Oh, and the comic known as Earthquake will leave you in stitches when you hear what he says about Roy Jones Jr.
Click and listen NOW to Johnny Bos, "Slammin' Sammy\" & Kevin Perry

Zab Judah

New York, NY- Jr. welterweight (140 lb.) champ, Amir Khan (25-1 17 KOs) is currently one of the U.K.’s biggest boxing stars and is scheduled to fight on July 23rd. But he is currently without an opponent as his championship counterpart Timothy Bradley has dropped out of the Khan sweepstakes to pursue other options. Khan, didn’t look great in his last fight against the game European, Paul McCloskey and probably needs better opponents and performances if he wants to continue to build his star power. Currently, the biggest name on Amir’s resume is a much less than prime Marco Antonio Barrera, and that wasn’t without controversy. The bottom line is he could really benefit with some fresher competition.

Amir Khan

Zab Judah (41-6 28 KOs) is a good choice as he has been engaging in an ongoing Twitter ‘beef’ with Khan and has indicated interest in facing Khan next. Judah knows that with Bradley out of the picture there are still options that Khan’s promotional company, Golden Boy are considering. They include Robert Guerrero and even the faded Erik Morales. But, even as both opponents are recognizable to fans, they honestly don’t pose the same threat or excitement as Judah. They are neither natural Jr. welterweights nor necessarily bigger live gate options than Zab. Morales is also coming off a loss to Marcos Maidana so it’s likely that team Khan is only looking at him as another soft touch.

NEW YORK VET WOULD BOOST KHAN’S STOCK VALUE

Although Judah has a few losses and has come up short in big bouts, he is still a very dangerous and marketable fighter who makes for good match ups. Judah is on a five fight winning streak and hasn’t lost since facing a decidedly bigger and game Joshua Clottey at welterweight (147) in 2008. It appears that Judah has somewhat resurrected his career by dropping back down to 140 and certainly won’t be seen as a walk in the park for anyone in the loaded division. If Amir were able to best Judah, he would add more authenticity to his suspect beard and would silence skepticism from his doubters.

JUDAH MAKES SENSES TO BOTH SIDES

A win over Judah would do a lot more for him to gain the favor of American fans than what was attempted with Paulie Malignaggi. Like the Malignaggi fight, a bout with Judah could become a big event here at Madison Square Garden. Amir has a solid fan base and many would recognize Judah from his past bouts with Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather and others. Even in losing, Khan would presumably give a game effort and be part of an entertaining equation that would revitalize the fans. So, while there are other fights out there for Amir, right now this one makes the most sense.

Jarrad Woods

ARREOLA USUALLY JUST TOO BIG TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY?

Possessing a charismatic personality and pulverizing 24 out of his first 27 adversaries, Chris Arreola’s popularity was growing fast and hopes where high for him to be the heir apparent American to restore interest in heavyweight boxing. But it was not be as an very under trained Arreola’s bid at a heavyweight title resulted with a violent one sided beating at the heavy hands of Vitali Klitschko (TKO 10). Just two short months after the drumming, brawler Arreola returned with a back alley mugging over always-game but limited Brian Minto (W TKO 4). Four months later, Chris returned to the “big show” on HBO against Tomasz Adamek. Although eager to prove himself as a serious threat in the division, Arreola was outpointed by the Polish Star (L SD 12). Since, Chris had fought 3 times in 9 months going 3-0 with 2 knockouts and “on paper” has looked impressive. However, truth be told; these wins were against frivolous jokers. Friday’s fight will be Arreola’s second fight in just three weeks. In his last match, Chris weighed in at 238, the second lowest weight of his career with his highest being 263.

KENDRICK SHOULDN’T QUIT HIS DAY JOB
After a streaky start to his sub par career, Kendrick Releford’s 18th bout marked a “funk” spanning 12 bouts which he lost eight, drew once, and only won three times (1 KO). Albeit against half dead vapid scrappers, to his credit of late; Releford managed to win 9 out his last 12 (4 KOs).

CURTAIN RAISER HAS A BATTLE OF HEAVYWEIGHT VETERANS
Former IBF title challenger Tony Thompson (35-2, 23 KOs) squares off against battle tested, but been bested pug Maurice Harris (24-14-2, 10 KOs) over 12 scheduled rounds of throw down.

John Signorella

San Francisco, CA- With the exception of a few people like tennis star Arthur Ashe who got it from a bad blood transfusion, and people who shoot up drugs with tainted needles, AIDS is a Sexually Transmitted Disease. One of the easiest ways to prevent infection is to use a condom. That being said, the newly proclaimed God of both the Philippines and boxing, whose birth name was Manny Pacquiao, the welterweight champion and Philippine Congressman, yesterday announced that, “The use of condoms is sinful.”

LISTEN NOW

I discussed this with all three of my guests, Genaro Hernandez, Sammy Perez, and Kevin “KP” Perry. Each had their own take on it. In addition, we covered boxing & MMA from A to Z. Genaro also gives us a “health” update that wasn’t all that positive, this seeing he just got out of the hospital. We cover a lot of ground, and I hope you can keep up with the longest running fight show in history, “Ring Talk Worldwide,” 26+ years now, as we take you on a one hour journey through the world of boxing and MMA.

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SAME OLD, SAME…OLD?

For the better part of the past 22 years, Bernard Hopkins (while defiantly kicking ass in the process) has been calling out the biggest names in the sport. The boxing world took notice of the bombastic talents of Hopkins when he displayed a masterpiece performance against Felix Trinidad (W KO 12). After his artistic beat down over Trinidad, Bernard’s take no prisoners “back alley” brawling style had allowed him to go toe-to-toe with (and beat) world elite combatants such as Oscar De La Hoya (W KO 9), Antonio Tarver (W UD 12), Winky Wright (W UD 12) and Kelly Pavlik (W UD 12) with relative ease. On the contrary, as seen in performances where he had elected to fight in spurts against the likes of Joe Calzaghe (L UD 12) Jermain Taylor (L SD 12, L UD 12), and Roy Jones (L UD 12, in their first fight); Bernard has a tendency to become complaisant, over analyze his foe, and get out hustled. Coming into Saturday’s contest, Hopkins has seven wins against four losses and one draw in his last 12 bouts (1 KO). In his most recent bout, Bernard recovered from two early round knockdowns and fought valiantly en route to a hotly disputed 12 round draw against Jean Pascal.

PASCAL SEEKS VALIDATION & WORLD RECOGNITION

Facing durable opposition, Pascal was unbeaten in 21 previous contests before lacing up the gloves with current WBC super middleweight (168) belt holder Carl Froch. In that affair, Froch handed Jean his first defeat (L UD 12). After the setback to Froch, Pascal regrouped, moved up a class in weight, and in a stellar performance against then unbeaten champion Adrian Diaconu; Pascal captured the light heavyweight crown (W UD 12). After picking up the WBC strap, Jean has thrice defended his title. In his first defense, Pascal blasted out  Silvio Branco (W TKO 10), out pointed Adrian Diaconu in their rematch (W UD 12) and in his third title defense; managed to earn a technical decision victory over then undefeated former IBF champion Chad Dawson (W TD 11). Seeking bigger paydays and more notoriety, Jean then called out ring legend Bernard Hopkins. In a highly entertaining affair of youth versus experience; Pascal enjoyed success early and became one of the select few fighters to drop Hopkins to the canvas. However as the fight pressed on, Pascal became seemingly winded and appeared in the eyes of most experts to have been bested by Bernard down the stretch. Despite such belief, Jean was able to retain his belts via draw verdict.

SIZING ‘EM UP & PREDICTION
In consideration of Bernard’s experience, knowledge, athleticism, attitude, determination, and accolades, one would figure this should be a “no brainer” and history will be made in favor of the old man. However (as mentioned earlier) Hopkins can at times perform listless and flat. Luckily for Bernard that on those occasions where he seemed “off”, he wasn’t facing young power punchers or the type of fighters that pull the trigger when they “smell blood” and “go for the kill”.  I’m comparing Pascal to a prime Mike Tyson, (by all means he is not) but he his young, very powerful, and angry at his opponent.  While strength isn’t everything (especially when facing an adversary such as Bernard who most believe enjoys the better crafted boxing ability than Pascal); one fact that shouldn’t be taken lightly is that Jean did in fact score a meaningful knockdown of Hopkins in there first encounter. That occurrence could perhaps be very telling to the result of the sequel. I feel that if Pascal can pace himself a bit better this time around and keep his wind, he’ll gradually put the hurt on Hopkins over the first half of the fight and make history as the only fighter to ever stop the aging Warrior that is Hopkins. W PASCAL KO 6.

UNDER CARD GOT SOMETHIN’ FOR YA

In what can potentially be an electrifying start to a night at the fights; former WBC light heavyweight (175) champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (29-1, 17 KOs) squares up against rugged two time world title challenger Adrian “Shark” Diaconu (27-2, 15 KOs) in a scheduled 12 round co featured bout.

ESPN JOINT
As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card features power punching  former light middleweight (154) world title challenger Joel Julio (36-4, 31 KOs) pitted against prone pug Anges Adjaho (25-5, 14 KOs) over 10 proposed rounds of throw down at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

New York, NY – After an intense display of combative savagery in the first quarter of 2011, boxing begins the second quarter of the year hopefully with a bang whentop “pound for pound” ranked eight time world champion and international icon Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao attempts to defend his current WBO welterweight title (147) against three division champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-6, 1 KOs) over 12 or less rounds of throw down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, Saturday at 9 PM ET on Showtime PPV.

MANNY’S PATH OF DESTRUCTION

Since his “coming out party” massacre against Marco Antonio Barrera (W TKO 11), Boxing Writer’s Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win a staggering eight world titles in eight different weight divisions. Considering the level of opposition he has faced by thrice scrapping with Erik Morales (L UD 12, W TKO 10, W KO 3), twice going to war against Juan Manuel Marquez (D 12, W SD 12), and by pounding out one sided drummings over world elite combatants Oscar De La Hoya (W TKO 8), Ricky Hatton (W KO 2), Miguel Cotto (W TKO 12), Joshua Clottey (W PTS 12), and Antonio Margarito;`Manny’s ring endeavors have proven to be credible accolades in support of his status as an all time great living legend.

A CLOSER LOOK AT PACMAN

Many of “Pac’s” victims have been systematically broken down by “master” trainer Freddie Roach’s pre fight observations. Roach’s fight plans consist of strategies and tactics which are usually executed with relative ease by Pacquiao resulting in emphatic victory for the Filipino Phenom. During such conquests, Manny has shown his own brilliant ring intellect by displaying an ability to control a foe by making an opponent fight his type of fight. On the contrary, (as seen in the early rounds in his bout against Cotto), Manny; on occasion, can get caught in the heat of the moment, become distracted, deviate from his predetermined fight plot, (and to his credit) make the adjustments necessary to beat his opponent at their own game. Pacquiao’s unique style is a hybrid of aggressively fast paced boxing accompanied with sound defense. In consideration of his overall attributes of speed, power, movement, and genius boxing IQ, Manny Pacquiao may not only be the game’s most complete fighter, he may be the most dangerous. However, as suggested by several commendable media outlets in regard to his involvement in movies, music, and politics; Manny may be “burning the candle at both ends” and possibly losing some focus toward the hurt business of boxing.

MOSLEY’S ROAD TO BECOMING SUGAR SWEET

Shane Mosley exploded on the scene recording an outstanding perfect 34 victories with 32 knockouts before facing Oscar De La Hoya. In a career defining fight for Mosley, he and De La Hoya fought at an excruciatingly violent pace and typified their act of madness with a memorable 12^th round of reckless abandonment to the finish. Mosley proved to be the better man, winning a split decision handing Oscar his first true defeat. In the wake of his newly found super-stardom, Mosley successfully defended his titles three times before meeting a prime and hungry Vernon Forrest. Forrest shockingly handled the smaller Mosley with ease and managed to send him to the canvas twice in round two. The courageous Mosley was able to get up and fight valiantly to the finish. Despite losing the bout on all scorecards, Mosley won the admiration of fight fans world wide. Six months later, Mosley and Forrest would do it again, and a better version of Mosley showed up on that night, however the result would read the same (L UD 12). Being the competitive enforcer that he his, Mosley regrouped and returned to earn a pair of wins, most notably against old rival Oscar De la Hoya (W UD 12), but in postmortem, Shane would then go on to be upset in a couple of scraps against defensive wizard Winky Wright (L UD 12, twice). Removed from the aforementioned setbacks to Wright, again, Shane would bounce back, and the Mosley of old surfaced by scoring two consecutive back-to-back TKO wins over former belt holder Fernando Vargas (W TKO 10, W TKO 6). After dispatching of Vargas and winning his next fight, Shane went onto face Miguel Cotto. In a closely contested scintillating war of action fighters, Mosley dropped a unanimous decision to Cotto. Always a good sportsmen, Mosley didn’t make excuses or complain about the unfavorable verdict and fueled another comeback. In his next bout, Shane knocked out madman thug Ricardo Mayorga with a blistering hook in the 12th round. After trashing Mayogra, Mosley scored his most impressive win in years by pounding the hell out of boxing’s latest feared bad boy Antonio Margarito (W KO 9). After the collapse of what would have been the biggest fight of all time between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Shane, who had been calling out Mayweather for years, was given his opportunity to finally meet Floyd. With exception of Shane staggering Mayweather in round two, Mayweather won virtually every round against Mosley (L UD12). In Mosley’s most recent appearance, he fought to a listless draw against former Contender TV champ Sergio Mora.

A CLOSER LOOK AT SUGAR

Mosley brings action, intensity, passion, heart and drama to the show. Despite his advanced age, Shane still has great hand speed and has serious power that can turn your lights out at any moment, especially in the late rounds. In facing some of the best fighters of the past 20 years, Mosley also enjoys a highly keen boxing IQ and has been celebrated as one of the sports best fighters for the nearly a dozen of years.

SIGNORELLA WANTS TO KNOW!

Ring Talk readers: Who do you have winning the fight; how and why? My prediction is that the bout will be a highly competitive contest involving a multitude of physical battering in which we see Pacquiao getting hit (and possibly hurt) more than we are accustom to seeing. Having said that, I believe that Shane will succumb to Manny’s overall speed and skills. Hence; I see the aging warrior Mosley being stopped for the first time in his illustrious career via 8th round TKO in a war.

UNDERCARD ACTION

Fighting for the first time since being man handled by Sergio Martinez, come backing former middleweight (160) strap carrier Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 22 KOs) returns to the ring after a year absence to battle heavy handed pug Alfonso Lopez (21-0, 16 KOs) in a proposed 10 round affair.

Recently knocking out 8 of his last 10 opponents, pulverizing power punching WBO super bantamweight (122) belt holder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (20-1, 17 KOs) scraps against colorful former champ Jorge Arce (56-6-2, 43 KOs) over 12 scheduled rounds. Exciting junior welterweight’s (140) Mike Alvarado (29-0, 21 KOs) and Ray Narh (25-1,, 21 KOs) will engage in a slated 10 round show opener.

ESPN JOINT

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week’s card features unbeaten super featherweight (130) Diego Magdaleno (18-0, 6 KOs) against unheralded veteran Gilberto Leon (31-8-2, 11 KOs) in a possible 10 round main event from the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, Friday at 10 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

Rodney King: Will Mosley Mirror This After Pacman Fight?

San Francisco, CA- Having sources in both the Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley training camps, I’m getting is rave reviews on both men for the most part. That being said, Pacquiao is a near 3-1 betting favorite in the Las Vegas sports books. But are those numbers warranted? Take into consideration that the last time Mosley looked super was when he was on Steroids & EPO for his second fight with Oscar De La Hoya. As for his stoppage of Antonio Margarito in 2009, I think that had more to do with the Mexican being caught before the fight after inserting a plaster of Paris-like block in his hand wrap in the dressing room at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With the fight De La Hoya set at 154 lbs., ex-BALCO Lab guru told Victor told me me that Shane personally approached him and asked for EPO.

MOSLEY IS A CONFIRMED AND ADMITTED CHEATER!

Victor Conte

THE NEVADA TESTING METHODS WERE NOT ADEQUATE

The problem was that the Nevada Commission did not know of, or how to test for the Clear & Cream Steroids, nor the EPO, all three to which Mosley admitted to taking prior to De La Hoya II, this when deposed by Conte’s lawyers years later. Being an admitted cheat, Mosley adhered to Floyd Mayweather’s demands and took random blood testing leading up to their fight of May 2010. Looking old and slow against Floyd, Shane didn’t look much better when he faced Sergio Mora in his next fight. What I’m trying to say is that outside of his admitted use of banned drugs, and the mental meltdown Margarito was facing after being caught trying to “load” his hand wraps, Mosley hasn’t looked good in years. That being said, it appears there is a great possibility that Mosley will be a sitting duck for Pacquiao, a fighter who has been suspected, but never caught, nor ever admitted to using banned drugs like Mosley.

DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER RODNEY KING?

Even if both of these fighters were “juiced” up (or not) for this fight, I’d have to go with the younger and faster Filipino phenom. When it comes to common opponents, one in particular being Miguel Cotto, although there will always be an asterisk with Pac’s win over Cotto, this seeing he made Miguel scale 145 for a welterweight (147 lb) title fight, this looks like it is a Pacquiao victory. At the end of the night, Shane Mosley will more than likely look like the victim of a beating a gang of police officers much like Rodney King after he tried to evade the cops in a car chase many years ago.

Pedro Fernandez

San Francisco, CA- The Saturday (4-23) edition of “Ring Talk Worldwide,” the longest running, 26 years, fight show in history, featured HBO’s resident Godfather Larry Merchant. As is the norm with Larry, he held nothing back. Also appearing was “Slammin’ Sammy” Perez doing his MMA thing.

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New York, NY

SHOWTIME’S “OTHER” GROUND BREAKING TOURNEY IN SPOTLIGHT

Last winter, by pitting four of the top bantamweight (118 lbs) fighters in a two bout, single-elimination “winner takes all” tournament to determine supremacy in their respective weight class, another innovative concept from the “suits” at Showtime surfaced and a great night of boxing ensued. Here’s the low down of the throw down that transpired on that eve: In a rematch of their 2009 war, Yonnhy Perez won a rematch over Joseph Agbeko (UD 12) while Abner Mares earned a unanimous nod from the judges against Vic Darchinyan over 12 rounds. The finale was slated for this Saturday matching Mares against Agbeko for the championship bout of the tournament. However, a back injury sustained to Agbeko forced him to postpone. Despite the main event being put on the shelf; the card will go on with lower tier combatants Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan (35-3-1, 27 KOs) and Yonnhy “El Colombiano” Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs) in the limelight in a scheduled 12 round affair from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California at 10:30 PM ET on Showtime.

IS THE BULL JUST BULL?

Before being dropped by Nonito Donaire by a single shot in the fifth round of their championship encounter, vicious puncher Vic Darchinyan won his first 28 fights (22 by way of knockout) and was viewed by many experts to be “the real deal.” After the crushing set back at the hands of Donaire, a determined Darchinyan made changes in his game and went on to impressively win against formidable opposition. However, Vic eventually suffered another setback against former champ Joseph Agbeko (L UD 12). After the loss, Vic would again mount a comeback, and look impressive by showcasing controlled aggression by dismantling Tomas Rojas in just two rounds. Since, Vic has won two out his last three, most recently losing on points to Abner Mares.

YONNHY DANGEROUSLY

A murderous puncher; Yhonny Perez burst on the scene winning an impressive 18 straight bouts with 14 knockouts. In his 19^th contest; Perez was offered a shot at the IBF crown. In his first world title affair; Yonnhy beat on the always game Silence Mabuza like a rock drummer en route to a 12 round stoppage. Thereafter, Perez earned a decision in a “toe to toe” war against Joseph Agbeko (W UD 12). Since, Yonnhy retained his belt in a draw against Abner Mares then lost his crown to Joseph Agbeko in a 12 round decision.

A PLETHORA OF POWER AT PLAY

Albeit very different in styles, these pugs have much in common. Both throw massive amount of punches and statistically have 41 knockouts in 61 fights. Darchinyan has turned the lights out of five of his last ten opponents while Perez has whacked out the same. If Vic and Yonnhy bring their best game to the dance one can expect a fiery display of fistic combat.

ESPN JOINT TONIGHT!

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week; Amir Khan conqueror Breidis Prescott (23-2, 19 KOs) squares off against rugged thug Bayan Jargal (15-1-3, 10 KOs) over 10 or less welterweight (147) rounds of thrown down at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN 2.

John Signorella

 HBO CONTINUES TO BRING DA’ PAIN

In the sixth defense of his WBC welterweight (147) crown; Andre Berto (27-0, 21 KOs) squares off against once promising contender Victor Ortiz (28-2-2, 22 KOs) over 12 or less rounds at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, Saturday at 9:45 PM ET on HBO.

MOVING ON PAST TRAGEDY

As a nine year unbeaten veteran of the sport; Haitian born champion Andre Berto had establish himself as one of the sport’s most promising talents. From his accomplishments; Andre found himself on the cusp of engaging in a bout that could have potentially boosted him to superstardom. However, last January, in what was to be the biggest challenge of his career against Shane Mosley, Berto was forced to withdraw from the contest due to the devastating earthquakes that rocked Haiti. The tragedy cost Andre family members and obvious (and understood) time away from the sport. Since the unfortunate circumstance suffered to his homeland, a galvanized Berto has fought twice, knocking out both opponents.

HEADED FOR THE BIG TIME, ORTIZ QUIT DURING TEST!

In a “life or death” battle against tough champion Marcos Maidana, Ortiz floored Maidana in the first stanza. Maidana recovered, beat the count and rose to the occasion as an over confident Ortiz moved in for the kill. A clear-headed Maidana railed sending Ortiz flat on his back to the canvas. Ortiz quickly got up and a memorable war ensued. After six back and forth action filled rounds, Maidana hit the canvas once more, got up, and so did Ortiz. After rising to his feet, a weary Ortiz got drilled by a few more shots, took a knee on his own admission, and quit. Since committing” boxing’s biggest sin”, Ortiz picked up a few wins against “club fighters” and now finds himself back at the “big show” on HBO.

OPENING BOUT IS NOTHIN’ TO SLEEP ON

WBA light welterweight (140) strap carrier Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) faces undefeated challenger Paul McCloskey (22-0, 12 KOs) in a scheduled 12 rounds of throw down from the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom.

KHAN’S GOT POWER AND GUTS

Fresh off an exhilarating war against fierce scrapper Marcos Maidana in which Britain’s Amir Khan proved his nay sayers wrong in regard to his chin, Khan returns home for his third title defense. Prior to his recent triumphs, Khan won his first 18 bouts, whacking out 14. Going into his 19^th professional bout against unbeaten contender Breidis Prescott, the buzz was high for Amir to rise to prominence. However, Amir got starched by a right hand from Prescott and lasted just 54 seconds in the bout. Since the embarrassment against Prescott, Amir has won six straight (2 KOs) and managed to pick up the WBA strap. Khan’s recent win streak is highlighted with victories over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera (W TD 5), Paulie Malignaggi (W UD 12), and the aforementioned Marcos Maidana (W UD 12).

PAUL McWHO?

Despite being a mandatory challenger with a perfect record, Paul McCloskey, outside of his home turf of the United Kingdom, is a relative unknown. Be that as it may, against limited European opposition; Paul has done what has been asked of him and has complied an impressive perfect record and has improved in the power department of late, knocking out five in a row.

“JUAN MA” JOINT ON SHOWTIME

Juan Manuel Lopez (30-0, 27 KOs) puts his WBO featherweight (126) title on the line against rugged 15 year veteran Orlando Salido (34-11-2, 22 KOs) in a proposed 12 rounds of championship boxing from the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Saturday at 10:30 PM ET on Showtime.

NATURAL BORN SLUGGER

Boasting a knockout percentage of 90 percent, free-spirited combination throwing Juan Lopez has shown “lights out” type power. Contrast to his barrage of terror, Juan has shown a multiplicity of craft and intestinal fortitude; attributes which were highlighted by answering the final bell in his “life and death” battle with Rogers Mtagwa (W Lopez, UD 12). By displaying “heart”, which is a scarce trait of many of today’s prize fighters, “Juan Ma” is a rare breed. Since his blistering epic with Mtagwa, by knocking out 3 straight top featherweights in Steven Luevano (W TKO 7), Bernabe Concepcion (W TKO 2), and the great Rafael Marquez (W TKO 8), Lopez has been nothing short of menacing.

BEEN THERE DONE THAT, BUT WHERE IS IT GOIN’?

Streaky former IBF belt holder Orlando Salido’s career has seen many ups and downs. Even though his record suggests him to be somewhat of “a has been, never will be” type of fighter, it should be noted that most of his defeats came by way of some of the best fighters in his division. During those setbacks, for the most part, Salido gave a valiant effort resulting with him answering the final bell.

CURTAIN RAISER GOT SOMETHING FOR YA

Perfect record “somebody’s 0 gotta go” pugs Mike Alvarado (29-0, 21 KOs) and Vernon Paris (24-0, 14 KOs) square off in a scheduled 10 round welterweight (147) affair.

ESPN HOOKS IT UP TONIGHT!

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the boxing weekend. Each installment of the decorated series features news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week; heavy handed light welterweights (140) Ivan Popoca (15-0-1, 10 KOs) and Ruslan Provodnikov (18-1, 12 KOs) are pitted in combat over 10 slated rounds at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, tonight on ESPN 2 at 9 PM ET.

John Signorella

New York, NY

On the comeback trail after losing his belt to skillful banger Giovanni Segura (26-1-1, 22 KOs), feather fisted but gifted pug Ivan Calderon (34-2, 6 KOs) will once again meet his aforementioned nemesis over 12 scheduled rounds of throw down in a WBO title showdown to claim supremacy in the light flyweight (108 lb) division. Coverage from Auditorio del Estado in California, Mexico begins Saturday night at 9 PM ET on Intergrated Sports PPV.

GOT THE GOODS, BUT IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?

Having dealt with adversity by avenging his lone loss to Cesar Canchila by way of 4^th round disposal in their rematch, and by warring with (and blasting out) his highly regarded foe Ivan Calderon; heavy-handed thug Giovanni Segura is no stranger at stepping up to a challenge. Even though Segura boasts 10 knockouts in his last 10 wins and now holds a major belt he earned via 8 round KO over Calderon, despite such accomplishments; questions still loom as to how well his “free swinging” style of reckless abandon will hold up against his tactical counterpart.

SHOW ME SOMETHING KID

Aside from not capturing a knockout win since 2006, Ivan Calderon is a spirited craftsman who controls his opponents with effective lateral movement and superb technique. Even though he held the WBO title for over two years, Calderon hasn’t dazzled fans in a fashion to be credited as a “must see” fighter. Aware of his critics, to gain positive public appeal; Ivan not only seeks revenge against adversary on Saturday, but looks to deliver an impressive performance in effort to change his publicly labeled lackluster imagine.

ESPN STARTS THE PARTY

As per usual, the popular fight series “ESPN Friday Night Fights” kicks off the pugilistic weekend. Each installment of the decorated series offers news, analysis of upcoming bouts, interviews, celebrity guests offering insight into the world of boxing, and competitive scraps. This week; entertaining lightweight (135) prospect Henry Lundy (19-1-1, 10 KOs) meets rugged east coast brawler Patrick Lopez (20-3, 12 KOs) over 10 or less rounds at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, Friday at 9 PM ET on ESPN2.

John Signorella

Joe Louis

Philadelphia, PA- The USA seemingly always had one outstanding heavyweight boxer. If we look back through history, from the first american heavyweight champion and last bare knuckle fighter John L. Sullivan, champion from 1885 to 1892. The last American to hold any belt was the asthmatic Shannon Briggs (51-6-1, 45 KOs) in 2007. In total, we have had 52 different American champions to only 23 boxers from other countries. In the last ten years we have had seven different Americans with heavyweight gold compared to 11 from other countries. That being said, I don’t see anybody remotely capable in the near future! Where in the hell are our heavyweights?

DEMPSEY WAS A LEGENDARY CHAMP THAT WOULDN’T FIGHT BLACK HARRY WILLS!

Almost every American that’s loves boxing or not, knows of great American champions like Jack Dempsey (66-6-11, 51 KOs) also known as “The Manassa Mauler,” Dempsey was champion from 1919 to 1926. Fans liked him because of his aggressive style and punching power. For the record, Jack was the first to fight before a million dollar gate in attendance. Joe Louis, (65-3-1-51 KOs) also known as the “Brown (never say Black in those days) Bomber,” Joe had the longest title run in history going 12 years (1937-1949) with 25 successful “undisputed” title defenses. When he smoked Max Schmeling in their rematch, this helped Joe empower an entire nation during WW II. Next is a man who changed the sport of boxing forever. Next up in my opinion was the man born Cassius Clay who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali (56-3, 37 KOs). Ali would become the first three-time heavyweight champion. He was both loved and hated throughout the world. Next came a man who was full of controversy Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) the youngest heavyweight champion, “Iron Mike” was always captivating.

AMERICAN CHAMPS WERE HEROS TO MANY!

Those men were not only champions, but heros to many and garnered a lot of attention for the sport. They gave us fights to remember. Not only they came out to beat their opponent, but they wanted the knockout. For the last ten years there has not been an American heavyweight who has even come close to being entertaining or dominating the division.

KLITSCHKO BROS. TURN AMERICAN STOMACHS!

Now the belts are held by two Russian born fighters in WBC champ Vitali klitschko (42-2, 39 KOs) and his brother Wladamir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KOs) who has the WBO champion both Ukrainians, and British big mouth David Haye (25-1, 23 KOs) is the WBA titleholder. The Klitschko’s style of fighting is not fan friendly, unless you are from Germany or Russia, thus I feel they are hurting the sport more than helping it. David Haye’s style is far more pleasing, but can he take a heavyweight punch? On the bad side, I don’t see anybody else making noise in the heavyweight division because the nearly unbeatable brothers have huge size advantages over everybody. With the fighting style of the Klitschko’s, NO major boxing network will even air their heavyweight championship figths.

WE NEED TO LOOK UNDER ROCKS!

For the sake of boxing we need to find an American heavyweight champion. Someone who will want to be great and woun’t be afraid to give fans what we want, knockouts! Through the history of boxing we always had great American heavyweight champions and the lack of it is what’s hurting the sport. We cannot let the Klitschko brothers keep doing what there doing with the belts. HBO, Showtime, they both need to scour our boxing gyms for the next great American heavyweight champion. My advice before things get any worse, start looking!

Manny Caballero

San Francisco, CA- Few men will admit impotence. But if you gave me two doses of your favorite erectile dysfunction drug, I still couldn’t get it up to watch either Vitali or Wlad Klitschko! Thus, it is NO SURPRISE that not Comcast, not ESPN, no lower level cable firm wants anything to do with the heavyweight championship of the world if it involves the Klitschko’s.

IS IT JUST ABOUT “WHITE” PRIDE?

Aryan pride aside, what do they do for non-white fans?

Pedro Fernandez

Klitschko-Solis

Los Angeles, CA- Saturday night in the German city of Cologne, decorated Cuban Amateur star and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Odlanier Solis (17-0, 12 KOs) gets his shot at the WBC heavyweight crown held by 6’8′ Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko (41-2, 38 KOs). The 6’2′ Cuban who has been criticized for his lack of conditioning and soft body, weighed 246 pounds for this fight, his lightest weight in years. The question here is even at that weight, is he maximizing his chances for victory?

CAN “FATHER TIME” BRING VITALI DOWN?

It may be a fact of catching the 39 year old Klitschko at the right time. Solis, who possesses quick hands, underrated defensive ability and footwork has a legitimate shot. The Ukrainian who’s at times awkward, sometimes fights sloppy, and that can be taken advantage of. However, the drawback on Solis is his perceived lack of desire when in the squared circle, and his lack of activity and professional experience. Vitali throws a lot of punches. However the Cuban fights in spurts and is a superb counter puncher and must take advantage of opportunities at all costs.

FIGHTING BIG IS WHAT THE KLITSCHKO’S DO!

What does Vitali need to do to win? Basically what he always does. Control the fight from a distance and tie up his foe when they get on the inside. Solis is a good body puncher and will need to be active on the inside, and the much stronger Klitschko must stop those advances. This has the makings of being an interesting prizefight, and the Cuban presents one of the most difficult assignments of his career.

I LIKE THE CUBAN……A LOT!

This is a tough fight to predict even though Vitali is as high as an 8-1 favorite. The Cuban, who is unknown to most American boxing fans has a real shot to make a statement. The biggest question mark is his chin. Can he withstand punishment and can he stay out of the way of the majority of the fireballs that will consistently be thrown his way?

SOLIS WILL NEED TO WORK ENTIRE FIGHT

One can imagine an upset, however Solis is not that big a puncher and would need to dominate the cards to win in Vitali’s adopted home of Germany. Expect the Cuban to put up a valiant effort, but the champion gets the nod here. The fight will be aired live on EpixHD.com at 6pm EST, Saturday.

Kevin Perry

San Francisco, CA- Before I get into the unbeaten super middleweight IBF champ Lucien Bute, let me spend a sentence or two on challenger Brian Magee. Seeing I type about 30 words a minute, I’m not expecting the Irishman to last longer than 300 words. Overall, Magee is 34-3-1, 24 KOs.

CANADIAN A TRANSPLANTED ROMANIAN

Now that I’ve written off Magee and any chance of his winning when Showtime goes live from Montreal, Canada Saturday night, let’s talk about the IBF titleholder. At 27-0, 22 KOs, the $64,000 question is how good is Bute? He beat Edison Miranda, but the Colombian was shopworn by the time they fought a year ago.

SHOWTIME AND THE 168 LB. WILD CARD

Bute’s claim to fame is a KO 12 of Librado Andrade in a 2009 rematch. His last foe, overrated and over achiever Jesse Brinkley of NBC & The Contender fame, lasted nine frames in October.

NEEDS TO FACE WINNER OF 168 LB. TOURNEY

The real test for Bute is WBA champ Andre Ward who faces Arthur Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) in May. Until he faces someone of that ilk, the jury is out. In closing, I still like the under of 300 words (AKA under five rounds).

Pedro Fernandez

Donaire KOs Fernando Montiel

San Francisco, CA- For years I complained about the manner in which Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire was being mishandled by his promoter Top Rank. Even after Nonito drilled betting favorite Vic Darchinyan in 2007, a Showtime main event fighter, Donaire appeared almost exclusively on Top Rank’s PPV (Latin Fury) cards. Sometimes in the main event, but more often than not he was in the position of supporting the Latin fighters on the top of the bill.

“THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY HAD”

Those were the words of Hall of Fame promoter Don Chargin during the “prime time” Thursday 6 PM PT edition of “Ring Talk Worldwide” that airs on the Sports Byline USA Broadcast Network & the American Forces Network. “They misused him, they didn’t know what they had.”

NOBODY COULD HAVE DONE DONAIRE WORSE!

Donaire KOs Vic Darchinyan

What Top Rank had was pretty obvious since the 7/7/07 KO of Darchinyan, a ‘pound for pound’ top ten fighter until Nonito knocked him all but dead. But instead of making him a “superstar” and putting him on fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao’s cards, Top Rank forced Nonito to play second fiddle to a bunch of Mexican fighters that couldn’t carry his jock.

WAS PUTTING DONAIRE ON BACK BURNER A PLOT?

I’ve always asked why Manny Pacquiao refused to put Nonito Doniare on any pedestal that might have elevated him to seven figure paydays? The only reason I can come up with is that Manny, oh and his wife Jinkee, were so jealous of Nonito’s looks, skills, and his beautiful wife Rachael, that Manny all but shunned his fellow countryman.

MANNY’S “BLOCKING” DAYS ARE OVER!

With the promotional firm, Golden Boy Promotions, run by Oscar De La Hoya now representing “The Filipino Flash,” Manny can’t cock block Nonito anymore as Golden Boy will treat Nonito like a superstar, not some schmo supporting a B fighter the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Pedro Fernandez

HBO CARD WITH FOUR SOUTHPAWS

Mashantucket, CT- Sergio Gabriel Martinez, (158.8 lbs), Oxnard, CA TKO 8 Serhiy Dzinziruk, (158.8), Hamburg, Germany. A cocky Martinez (46-2-2, 26 KOs) began showboating early but in doing so by controlling Dzinziruk (37-1, 23 KOs) with a steady diet of jabs.  It was all Martinez as he started landing “punches in bunches” in round five, decking Dzinziruk with a three punch combination late in the round.  More of the same in rounds six and seven as Dzinzirik had no answer for Martinez.  The end came at 1:43 of the eighth after three telling knockdowns, five in total.

LEE COMES BACK FROM BRINK OF LOSS!

Andy Lee, (162.6), Detroit, MI TKO 10 Craig McEwen, (161.4), Hollywood, CA. After a feeling out first minute of round one, McEwen (18-1, 10 KOs) slowly began to take control with good punches to the body and head, stunning Lee (25-1, 19 KOs) in both rounds five and six.  Lee came alive in rounds seven and eight taking them both as McEwen tired. Smelling blood in the water, Ireland’s Lee countered with shots knocking McEwen down with one late in round nine.  Lee came out ready to end things in round ten and he did with a left hook at the 0:56 second mark.

SHOWTIME PPV HAD COTTO-MAYORGA

Las Vegas, NV- Miguel Cotto, (154) Caguas, Puerto Rico TKO 12 Ricardo Mayorga, (154), Managua, Nicaragua (WBA 154 lb. title) Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs) beats Mayorga (29-8-2, 23 KOs) into a state of submission.  While both landed big shots in an exciting round one, Cotto fought a very focused fight, dismissing Mayorga’s showboating and macho tactics.  Both fighters threw big shots with the edge in power going to Cotto.   Mayorga‘s best round was the seventh, but Cotto stayed very controlled and finally floored Mayorga in the twelfth.  Mayorga quit claiming a hand injury ending the fight at 0:53.

Miguel Vazquez, (135), Guadalajara, Mexico UD 12 Leonardo Zappavigna, (135), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. (IBF 135 lb. title) Vazquez (28-3, 12 KOs) in control through out, easily outpointed previously unbeaten Zappavigna (25-1, 17 KOs) by scores of 117-111 and 118-110 twice.  Vazquez was in complete control throughout.

YURI FOREMAN SUCCUMBS IN CORNER

Pawel Wolak, (154), Mount Arlington, NJ TKO 6 Yuri Foreman, (155), Brooklyn. NY. Wolak (29-1, 19 KOs) impressed in dominating and stopping former WBA 154 lb. champion Foreman (28-2, 8 KOs). Wolak was the more aggressive fighter with his relentless pressure. Never allowing Foreman to get on track, a frustrated Foreman didn’t come out for round seven.

Matt Korobov, (160), St. Petersburg, FL TKO 1 Michael Walker, (161), Chicago, IL. Korobov (14-0, 9 KOs) looked invincible with a devastating left hook that sent Walker (19-7-2, 12 KOs) into a drunken stupor.  He got up on spaghetti legs and referee Russell Mora saved him at 1:31.

Glasgow, Scotland- Ricky Burns, (129), Coatsbridge, Scotland TKO 7 Joseph Laryea, (127.75), Accra, Ghana. (WBO 130 lb. title) Burns (31-2, 8 KOs) guts out a hard earned win over Laryea (14-5, 11 KOs) to retain his belt.   Although Laryea won round four, Burns took over quickly making a tiring Laryea quit on his stool with a hand injury after round seven.

Friday, March 11, 2011

DID 15 PEOPLE BUY THIS PPV?

Las Vegas, NV – Michael Grant, (252), Blue Bell, PA KO 3 Tye Fields, (278), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Grant (47-4, 35 KOs) did what a heavyweight should do with a one-punch knockout over Fields (45-3, 41 KOs).  Both fighters landed thudding blows in round two.  Grant ended Fields’ night in round three.  Time was 1:06.

Joel Casamayor, (143), Miramar, FL SD 10 Manuel Levya, (144 lbs), Ensenada, Mexico.
Old timer Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KOs) takes a razor thin decision over late sub Leyva (18-2, 10 KOs).   Casamayor’s knockdown of Leyva with a body shot in round five was the difference as Casamayor was up 97-92 and 96-93 on two cards.  Leyva was up 95-94 on the third card.

Edwin “Ace” Ayala

ROBERT “THE GHOST” GUERRERO ON GUEST LIST!

Often immitated, never duplicatd, host Pedro Fernandez’s guests include #1 lightweight (135 lbs.) contender Robert “The Ghost” Guererro, Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward. The Kronk Gym “Goldfather” will talk his guy Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga tonight on HBO. “Slammin’ Sammy” on MMA.

VIDEOS & JOIN OUR CHAT ROOM AT JUSTIN.TV/RINGTALKWORLDWIDE

Watch the show live with added videos via Justin.TV Click to watch "Ring Talk" LIVE On Justin.tv

LIST OF LIVE RADIO AFFILIATE STATIONS @ 11:05 AM PT OR 2:05 PM ET!

KILT 610 AM Houston
KTRB 860 AM San Francisco
KXDP 87.7 FM Denver
KBGG 1700 AM Des Moines
WJKB 950 AM Charleston, SC
KELA 1470 Centralia, WA
KOAL 750 AM Price, UT
KSHP 1400 AM Las Vegas
KASR 92.7 FM Little Rock, AR

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV
(PPV) Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) vs. Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) (WBA 154 lb. title) Odds/Prediction: Cotto 2 1/2 to 1. Close fith might be won in corner as Emanuel Steward in with Cotto. Betting on Manny first, Cotto, second………….$500 to win $200.

Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KOs) vs. Leonardo Zappavigna (25-0, 17 KOs) (IBF 135 lb. title) Odds/Prediction: 6-5 pick em.

Yuri Foreman (28-1, 8 KOs) vs. Pawel Wolak (28-1, 18 KOs) Odds/Prediction: Foreman 7-5. Non puncher Yuri bores me.
Matt Korobov (13-0, 8 KOs) vs. Michael Walker (19-6-2, 12 KOs) Odds/Prediction: Southpaw Matthew 5-1. Human wrecking ball should wreck Walker.

Braehead Arena, Glasgow, ScotlandRicky Burns (30-2, 9 KOs) vs. Joseph Laryea (14-4, 11 KOs) (WBO 135 lb. title) Odds/Prediction: Burns 6-1. Willing to drop$1,800 to win $300 here.

Pedro Fernandez

EMANUEL “MANNY” STEWARD TOPS GUEST LIST!

Often immitated, never duplicatd, host Pedro Fernandez’s guests include Hall of Famer Emanuel Steward. The Kronk Gym “Goldfather” will talk tonight’s fights, his current crop of fighters and more. We will also go into the March 1971 match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and how the entire world stopped to watch a world heavyweight championship fight. “Slammin’ Sammy” on tonight’s two televised MMA cards and writer Rizwann Zahid, they both will be part of the mix.

VIDEOS & JOIN OUR CHAT ROOM AT JUSTIN.TV/RINGTALKWORLDWIDE

Watch the show live with added videos via Justin.TV Click to watch "Ring Talk" LIVE On Justin.tv

LIST OF LIVE RADIO AFFILIATE STATIONS @ 11:05 AM PT OR 2:05 PM ET!

KILT 610 AM Houston
KTRB 860 AM San Francisco
KXDP 87.7 FM Denver
KBGG 1700 AM Des Moines
WJKB 950 AM Charleston, SC
KELA 1470 Centralia, WA
KOAL 750 AM Price, UT
KSHP 1400 AM Las Vegas
KASR 92.7 FM Little Rock, AR

(HBO B.A.D.) Saul Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KOs) vs. Matthew Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KOs) (WBC 154 lb. title) Odds/Prediction: Alvarez 5-1. Harrin has lost to “ham & egg” types four times. Saul is a work in progress that looks head and shoulders above Matt Hatton. Dropping $1,000 to win $200.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (41-2, 34 KOs) vs. Adrien Broner (19-0, 16 KOs) Odds/Prediction: de Leon 7-1. Looks like mismatch. Ponce has lost only to Juan Ma and Celestino Caballero. Ponce beatable, just not in this instance.
James Kirkland (25-0) vs. Ahsandi Gibbs (10-2, 4 KOs) Odds/Prediction: Recent jailbird Kirkland 15-1. Stone cold set up for Kirkland.

Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
(PPV) Zab Judah (40-6, 27 KOs) vs. Kaizer Mabuza (23-6-3, 14 KOs) (IBF 140 lb. title) Odds/Prediction: Zab 4-1. Odds would be longer, but worry about Zab making 140 lbs. again. Hands down the disparity in talent is vast. Dropping $800 to win $200.
Tarvis Simms (26-1-1, 11 KOs) vs. John Mackey (13-5-2, 6 KOs) Odds/Prediction: Tarvis 6-1. Looks like an easy win for come backing Simms.

Tepic, Mexico
Humberto Soto (54-7-2, 32 KOs) vs. Fidel Munoz (25-2. 20 KOs) (WBC 140 lb. belt) Odds/Prediction: Soto 4-1. Soto looks the better man here.

Pedro Fernandez

In the main event between welterweights (170 lbs.) B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch, the outcome was as even as the stare down between the two at the weigh-ins (pictured above). In a fight full of twists and turns, ebbs and flows, or whatever other term you want to use, Fitch closed the show in dominating fashion, which we now know served as his saving grace. The smaller Penn had a game plan that appeared to be working until Fitch caught onto it and did the same to Penn, only worse.

B.J. PENN WANTED TO GROUND FITCH

Penn’s game plan was simple, take down the much larger wrestler first and work his superior jiu -jitsu, before the wrestler took him down. In the first two rounds it seemed to be working as in both rounds Penn secured impressive takedowns and then worked his way to Fitch’s back. It was there that it appeared Penn, on a few occasions was going to secure a rear naked choke on Fitch and end the fight. However, as I predicted, three rounds were just not enough as Fitch was able to avoid the choke attempts and inevitably reverse position on Penn, where he would work some ground and pound for the last minute of each of the first two rounds.

SCORING RILED SOME FOLKS! 

This is where things get tricky. Do you score the first two rounds for Penn, where he secured takedowns and had Fitch in serious trouble with possible submission attempts or do you score it for Fitch based on escapes, reversals and strong finishes? In his mind, Fitch was taking no chances as in round three he immediately took Penn down and with over four minutes left, he pounded on Penn unmercifully, giving him no room to breath, let alone escape. As soon as the round was over I turned to my buddy and said, “I would not be surprised if this fight is scored a draw, if Fitch’s third round was scored a 10-8 based on his dominance.”

FITCH BEAT ON “HONEST” B.J. LIKE A DRUM IN THIRD

I only wish my predictability was this good the rest of the night as the scores read 29-28 Fitch and 28-28 on the other two judge’s scorecards for a majority draw. When asked after the fight if he think he won, a humble honest Penn told Joe Rogan, “no.” “In the first two rounds, I was able to secure dominant position, but in round three Fitch kicked my a**,” Penn said. With champion Georges St. Pierre tied up with a title defense in April and then a possible showdown with middleweight (185) champion Anderson Silva, I wouldn’t be surprised if a rematch is imminent. When asked about it, Penn said, “if Fitch wants to do it again, I’m down.”

UK’S BIG MOUTH GETS CONTROVERSIAL WIN 

That wasn’t the only letdown of the night as in the co-main event where an absolute war was expected between middleweights Michael Bisping and Jorge Rivera, we got what we wanted, I think. Bisping won via TKO due to a second round ref stoppage after pummeling Rivera to the ground with punches in bunches, but was it fair? Everything about the decision to stop the fight was without question, except was it a round too late?

 CAN YOU SPELL FOUL?

In round one, when both fighters were measuring each other and trading back and forth an incident occurred during a scramble that changed the complexion of the whole fight. During a sequence that found Rivera on the ground underneath Bisping, he was able to work his way back to his hands and knees and looked like he was about to get up. That is when Bisping, while Rivera was clearly on both knees, leveled a knee of his own to the face of Rivera. Under U.S. MMA rules, you cannot kick or knee a downed opponent to the head and in this case Rivera was clearly down. The question is, was the blow from Bisping blatant or in the heat of action?

 REFEREE MAY HAVE GAFFED HERE

According to the ref, it was the latter and only enough to warrant a point deduction and warning to Bisping. Now the other question, should Rivera have been allowed to continue? After a grace period allowed recovering, he chose to continue. However, he was obviously not the same after that and it showed in his performance the rest of the way. Some knowledgeable people I know suggested he should have stayed down and got the disqualification win. However, my response is, while that seems logical, in the heat of the moment it’s not plausible.

RIVERA GOT JOBBED IN MINDS OF MANY

If he stayed down people would have accused him of faking it and taking the easy way out. He chose to stand and continue and we see what outcome that got him; Rivera was in a no win situation. In that moment, a true fighter will always continue because his heart will not allow him to think rationally. Pride is a great thing, but it can also be your worst enemy and in Rivera’s case, it appears it may have been just that. Alas, another disappointing finish.

 UNDERCARD RESULTS FOIR UFC 127

In two other bouts, the so-called obvious wasn’t so predictable. Dennis Siver, the lightweight (155) kickboxer from Germany, spoiled the homecoming for Australian George Sotiropoulos. Siver avoided all of the Aussie’s takedown attempts and won a unanimous decision, thus snapping Sotiropoulos’s eight-fight win streak. In the process, he also took away a possible shot Sotiropoulos had at the winner of Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard III.

LATE SUB PULLS OFF UPSET

In other welterweight action, Chris Lytle, who was riding a four-fight win streak of his own, lost an unexpected decision to last minute replacement Brian Ebersole. Ebersole, a veteran of over 60 fights, finally got his chance in the octagon and did he ever make the most of it. Over three rounds, he outgunned and outlasted the veteran Lytle, even surviving numerous submission attempts. UFC 127 was definitely a night of upsets and disappointments.

“Slammin’ Sammy” Perez

#1 Boxing Website BoxRec.com

San Francisco, CA- While in the middle of Saturday’s (Feb. 26) edition of “Ring Talk Worldwide,” I got an email asking me, “What is the best boxing website?” Although I didn’t answer this on air, it didn’t take me but a few seconds to realize that BoxRec.com reigns supreme! When they first started breaking out, somebody connected with the Assn of Boxing Commissions wrote a not so flattering piece on the site that was published here.

NO SITE DOES MORE FOR SPORT PERIOD!

That being said, BoxRec.com is the 2010-2011 Most Valuable Player when it comes to boxing sites. Simply put, nobody comes even close! That being said, we honor and thank the people at BoxRec.com for all of their hard work and dedication to boxing!

Pedro Fernandez