Boxing News (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/31/08

1. Arthur Abraham's first fight in the US maybe June 21 against Edison Miranda??? Miranda is free after Mikkel Kessler pulled out of their fight. Showtime is loving the rematch between Abraham and Miranda. Some of you may remember Abraham defeated Miranda by UD in a very unusual fight where Abraham's jaw was severely broken and bleeding profusely. Miranda was deducted 5 points for fouls.

2. Vitali Klitschko is once again going to run for Mayor of Kiev. He ran for Mayor back in 2005 losing to Leonid Chernovetskiy , who has become the subject of corruption with the government calling for an early election. Vitali will be campaigning until the May 25 election. It is believed that if Vitali wins the election he will not pursue his fight with Samuel Peter. Ok update, Klitschko has stated win or lose the election he will still pursue his fight with Samuel Peter. The fight is looking to take place in September or October.

3. It appears another old-timer wants to come back to the ring. Jorge Paez, the former IBF Featherweight and Super Featherweight Champion, is scheduled to return to the ring in Mexico on June 28. Paez is 42 and has not fought since 2003. Paez is just another one of many names who have made or about to make their returns to the ring. Others as of late who are making comebacks are Iran Barkley, Saul Mamby, Tommy Morrison, Jeff Fenech and Azumah Nelson. I guess you can't forget Evander Holyfield who just will not quit.

4. Not to be outdone, Joe Mesi has stated he will be announcing his campaign to run for the soon to be vacant 61st District New York State Senate at a news conference on April 5. Mesi is not announcing a retirement from boxing but will be working on his campaign full-time. Mesi has also said he is a loyal democrat and always has been.

5. You have got to love how boxing works. Darnell "Ding-A-Ling Man" Wilson who lost in his last fight against BJ Flores will be getting a title shot against WBA Cruiserweight Champion Firat Arslan. Flores won a UD over Wilson on February 8 yet Wilson gets the title shot first. This is another example of why people try to talk bad about boxing. There is no reason why Wilson should get a title shot before Flores. The fight between Wilson and Arslan will take place in Germany on May 3.

Mayweather KOs Big Show Highlights

Breaking News!!!!!!!! Floyd KOs Big Show

#1Pound4Pound Fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Paul Big Show Wight at Wrestlemania XXIV. Floyd was being overworked by the 7 foot Big Show. Mayweather's handlers tried to pull Floyd out of the ring but Big Show followed. Big Show finally got a hold of Mayweather and threw him back in the ring. When Big Show was about to finish Mayweather with a chokeslam, Mayweather's handlers interfered again. As Big Show was distracted, Mayweather hit him with a chair. Mayweather then hit him low and dropped him to his knees. It was at that point Mayweather took off his protective mitts and then dropped the Big Show with a right hand. Floyd was wearing a brass knuckle when he landed the punch. I am sure a lot more drama will arise from this. Stay Tuned.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/29/08

1. It looks like IBF Middleweight Champion Arthur Abraham is ready to come to the US to fight after stopping Elvin Ayala in the 12 round today. Abraham has wanted to come to the US and said he would after this fight. Well after his impressive 12th round KO it seems the time is right.

2. Could there be a reason behind the madness of Mikkel Kessler??? Rumor has it Kessler is looking to move up to the Light Heavyweight division. It is rumored that Kessler pulled out of his fight with Edison Miranda after WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Danny Green announced his retirement. Since the WBA Title will become vacant, Kessler would move up in weight, get a decent ranking by the WBA and fight for the vacant title. If Kessler wins the title then he becomes a major player in a division with Roy Jones Jr., Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Chris Byrd and a few more. So maybe he was not scared of Miranda at all, just was truly weighing his options.

3. It appears the WBO is giving newly crowned WBO Interim Lightweight Champion Joel Casamayor until April 4 to decide to take a fight with Nate Campbell. Casamayor has said several times he does not want the fight with Campbell since he defeated him in the past. With that being said, it appears Casamayor will be stripped of the WBO Interim Title and Anthony Peterson will then become the mandatory for Nate Campbell.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and The Big Show Wrestlemania XXIV Official Rules

The official rules for the Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs. Big Show match at WrestleMania® XXIV have just been announced: There MUST be a winner and anything goes. The match can be won by pinfall, submission, or knockout.

Let the drama begin!!!!

K-9 Defeats Ouma In A Crossroads Fight

Tonight on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, Cornelius K-9 Bundrage earned a UD over former IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Kassim Ouma. The official scores of the fight were 96-93 twice and 95-94. It was a close fight that was not very interesting in my opinion. Ouma, who has been on the downside for a few fights, just did not have the energy he used to have. Ouma has always been known as a volume puncher throwing 100+ punches a round. Tonight he did not throw 100 punches in a round. The reason he would throw so many punches is because he did not have a lot of power in his punches. He put some pressure on K-9 in rounds 3 and 4 after an accidental headbutt caused a cut on K-9. The blood flowed heavily from the left side of K-9's face but his corner eventually stopped the blood. K-9, who looks like a bodybuilder trying to box, was able to land some decent right hands on Ouma. Nothing spectacular about K-9's performance, he just simply outworked Ouma for the win. For Ouma, this is his 3rd loss in a row and he has an even longer road back to the top. Even at 29, with the way he fought tonight, I don't see him getting back to the top. For K-9, it was a decent win on his record but I don't see much happening for him. He is too stiff in the ring and does not have a lot of movement. K-9 may get another decent payday fight or two, but he just does not appear to have world class skills in the boxing ring. At 34, if he does not have the skills by now, I doubt if he will ever get them.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/28/08

1. Junior Witter has said he is tired of chasing a fight with Ricky Hatton. He said to make it easier since Hatton's camp has accused Witter of pricing himself out he will fight for free. Witter just asked that his training expenses and camp be paid, but he will not take any compensation. He said he would fight Hatton for free to prove he could always kick his ass.

2. The national anthems will not be performed for either Bernard Hopkins or Joe Calzaghe when they meet on April 19. Promoters feel to avoid a potential situation it will be best to just not have either anthem performed. This stems from the Floyd Mayweather Jr-Ricky Hatton fight when the British booed during the performance of the United States national anthem.

3. It may happen. Roy Jones Jr. and UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva may actually fight. Talks have began between the camps, but there is several things that must happen in order for this fight to happen. Silva has to get a release from the UFC, get a boxing license from the state the fight happens, along with other details that go with a fight such revenue split, venue etc. This fight will definitely be on PPV whenever it happens.

4. At first there were some technical difficulties in the telecast of the Cory Spinks-Verno Phillips fight, but by the time the 2nd fight started it was a clear telecast. Don King has done it again and look for more fights to be brought exclusively on the web. The next fight that may happen on donkingtv could feature Ricardo Mayorga. Be on the lookout.

5. There is some talk about a fight between Jeff Lacy and Allan Green taking place on the undercard of Shane Mosley-Zab Judah.

6. Lightweight Contender Zahir Raheem is no longer fighting on the April 18 edition of Friday Night Fights. Raheem is taking some time off from the gym after getting in a car accident. No replacement fight has been announced yet.

7. The Junior Witter-Timothy Bradley is official for May 10 in England. The co-feature will be Carl Froch against Denis Inkin in a Super Middleweight eliminator which was re-scheduled from March 29. Now the big news is Showtime is trying to show these two fights on a Special Addition of ShoBox. Hopefully that will work out.

8. The stitches for the cut over the right eye of Manny Pacquiao have been removed. The cut is healing and does not look to affect the scheduled June 28 date for Pacquiao to challenge WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz.

9. It appears that Jeff Wald, Contender Promoter and promoter of Brian Vera, does not want a rematch between Vera and Andy Lee. Last Friday, Vera upset Lee on ESPN2 Friday Night Fight and talks of a rematch began. However Wald said there is no way a rematch will happen because win or lose there is no upswing for Vera. I guess we will need to see how much money comes their way to make them say yes.

10. Speaking of Andy Lee, he is looking to officially sign with Top Rank real soon. Top Rank and Lee had agreed to terms but Lee had not officially signed the contract. Bob Arum said he still wanted to sign Lee to Top Rank but needed to modify the contract since Lee was no longer undefeated.

11. In a huge deal for all of you classic fight watchers, ESPN and Showtime have struck a deal to show some classic fights from Showtime exclusively on ESPN Classic. The fights will be on ESPN Classic on Thursdays at 8pm EST with a replay at midnight EST. This series began last night (Damn I missed it) with Corrales-Castillo I.

12. Unbeaten super featherweight sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (9-0, 8 KOs) will now be fighting Darling Jimenez (23-2-2, 14 KOs) on May 17. The fight will still take place on HBO Boxing After Dark. Jimenez will be replacing Marcos Ramirez who decided he did not want the fight after all.

The Pride Of St. Louis Is Broken Tonight!!!! Spinks Loses His Title By Split Decision!!!!

Oh my goodness, Cory Spinks lost his IBF Junior Middleweight Championship to Verno Phillips. This is a total upset. The commentator who called the fight somehow saw a blowout in favor of Spinks. I did not see that. I had Spinks winning 115-113. The official scores were 115-113 Phillips, 115-113 Spinks, and 116-112 Phillips. I am in shock because I never thought Phillips would win. Spinks did not land very many power shots and that is what probably cost him the fight. Most of the rounds were very close and although I had Spinks winning by a close score I could see him losing. Phillips was the more aggressive fighter and when he got in on the inside he caught Spinks a few times. At the end of round 7, Phillips caught Spinks with 2 hard left hands that stunned Cory. In round 8 I saw a change in momentum towards Phillips as he was landing a little more. In round 9 Spinks tried to fight on the inside and got caught with 2 hard lefts that really got his attention. Round 11, I felt Spinks finally got some urgency in his system and brought the fight to Phillips a little more. However in round 12 you could feel Phillips putting pressure on and landing a few more shots on Spinks. When the decision was announced, Spinks was in total shock as was his corner. For the third time in the month of March the older fighter(Phillips, Nate Campbell and Joel Casamayor) beat the younger fighter (Spinks, Juan Diaz, and Michael Katsidis).

Disappointed by the loss, Cory Spinks immediately left the ring without an interview. Phillips was excited about his victory. He stated he knew there were doubters out there because of his age, but if Bernard Hopkins could do it so could he.

Where does Cory Spinks goes from here? He was already having a difficult time getting fights because he is a slick southpaw without knockout power. This is his 2nd title fight loss in his hometown of St. Louis. The first loss was to Zab Judah when he was TKOd in the 9th round for his Undisputed Welterweight Title. He then barely beat Roman Karmazin to win the IBF Junior Middleweight Title that he ended up losing tonight. Many will say, including myself, that the switch of trainers may have had some effect on Spinks. This is not an excuse, but when I watched the fight I did not see the intensity in Buddy Shaw like I did with Kevin Cunningham in the corner. No matter how well Spinks would win or lose a round, Cunningham always lit a fire in his ass to keep him going. Shaw did not instill any urgency in Spinks and Spinks did not fight with any fire. The whole time I was watching the fight I kept wondering if the close rounds were going to Spinks. I am sure some of the close rounds I gave to Spinks, probably were going to Phillips. I am sad this evening because I was hoping Spinks would put on a dominating performance but he did not. I take nothing away from Verno Phillips because he was game. He fought hard and aggressive. He landed the harder shots and won a lot on the inside. I am still a Cory Spinks fan because I am from St. Louis and because I appreciate good boxing skills. However tonight he just did not show the skills and desire I thought he should have shown. The Pride of St. Louis is broken tonight. The Spinks (Michael, Leon, and Cory), the die hard St. Louis fans, myself and everyone from St. Louis, our pride was broken this evening. We will come back though, we always do. Goodnight.

Devon Alexander-Miguel Callist Fight Result!!!

Devon Alexander put on a boxing clinic against Miguel Callist. Callist was game but never really in the fight. I personally had the fight 120-107 for Alexander. Right from round 1, Alexander established the jab and followed up with some left hands. Alexander moved on his feet very well and avoided a lot of punches. Callist from the 6th round on was in retreat mode for the most part, rarely throwing any punches. Callist backed away and ran from Alexander most of the fight. Every once in awhile Callist would throw a punch back in return, but he really was not impressive. Alexander threw some good combinations as the fight went on and had Callist stunned in rounds 7 and each round from 9-12. In round 12 Alexander finally knocked Callist down with a hard right hand, but still could not finish him. The official judges scorecards were 120-105, 120-106, and 120-106 which indicates how much Alexander dominated this fight.

When interviewed, Devon Alexander gave himself a C- and said he would like to dominate a little more. His trainer Kevin Cunningham said they want to fight the best. He believes Devon Alexander is ready for a title shot this year.

My advice for Alexander after a fight like this, is to learn to cut off the ring a little more. If he could have cut the ring off, he could have finished this guy. The other thing is watch when you lift your feet off the ground to throw your power punches. Alexander got out of position a little bit and it could cost him in the future against better fighters. However this young man has a bright future and I look forward to him fighting again real soon. I enjoyed his dominating performance and I can't wait to say I saw this young man when he was coming up the ranks. Congratulations.

Spinks Family

The Spinks Family. Michael Spinks, Don King (no relations at all) Cory Spinks and Leon Spinks. This is history people and you will see all three Spinks tonight on www.donkingtv.com, when Cory Spinks defends his IBF Junior Middleweight Championship against Verno Phillips. The telecast begins at 7pm CST.

Kelly Pavlik And Gary Lockett Face Off

Kelly Pavlik and Gary Lockett face off for the first time at today's press conference to announce their June 7 fight on HBO at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

Floyd Mayweather and The Big Show On Larry King Live

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/27/08

1. Hold up wait a minute. It appears Carlos Quintana is not happy with the date or the money being offered in his rematch with Paul Williams scheduled for June 7. Quintana, who is now the Champion in this fight, wants the fight to be on June 14 instead of June 7 and he also wants more than the $250,000 he is being offered. The $250,000 is the same amount he received in the first fight as the challenger. I have to admit since he is the champ he should get a little more say in the fight this time.

2. It appears Wladimir Klitschko's next opponent will be Tony Thompson this July in Germany. Thompson is Klitschko's WBO mandatory and at 6'5 with a record of 31-1, he appears to be a big test for Klitschko. Thompson is the last top American Heavyweight for awhile until someone else starts to step up. It is all on you Tony to bring back the Heavyweight Title back to the US.

3. Cory Spinks is favored to retain his IBF Junior Middleweight Title against Verno Phillips tonight. The fight will be shown live on http://www.donkingtv.com/. The telecast will begin at 7pm CST.

4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to have plans working for him. It appears that Mayweather-Hatton II may happen in 2009. Hatton who has blamed referee Joe Cortez for his loss is targeting Mayweather for a rematch in England in 2009. Mayweather is very interested in the rematch. Of course Mayweather has a wrestling match this weekend against 7 foot 440 pound Big Show. Then if Oscar wins in May, Mayweather is scheduled to fight him September 20. Then if Mayweather wins and Hatton wins his two fights he is scheduled to have this year, he and Mayweather will meet in 2009. I guess a Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight will never happen????

5. The May 17th edition of HBO Boxing After Dark will be slightly altered. Marcos Ramirez (25-0, 16 KOs) has been pulled simply because Ramirez has decided not to take the fight against Yuriorkis Gamboa (9-0, 8 KOs). The card will not be cancelled as the search for a replacement opponent for Gamboa is on now.

6. The Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch sold about 400,000 PPVs and made about $20.2 Million in revenue. Those are great numbers for any fight especially for one in the lower weight divisions. Sounds like the based on public demand and now money we definitely need to have a 3rd fight.

The Pride Of St. Louis: TONIGHT!!!!!!

Alright boxing fans, tonight is the night. Live from St. Louis, Missouri at the Scottrade Center it is The Pride of St. Louis. In the co-feature you have one of St. Louis's own in Devin Alexander taking on Miguel Callist. The main event will feature 2 Division Champion and current IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Cory "The Next Generation" Spinks defending his title against Verno Phillips. Cory will have his uncle Michael Spinks as well as his father Leon Spinks in his corner for this fight. All three are from St. Louis which adds a spark to this fight. As a St. Louis bred man, I don't think this fight should be missed. If you can't make it to the fight, like unfortunately I can't, then watch it live on www.donkingtv.com starting at 7pm. I may not be there in physical presence but please believe my spirit will be there. Do not miss this fight especially since it is free on www.donkingtv.com. There is no excuse to miss this fight. Watch one of the best pure boxers in the sport, Cory Spinks, fight along with his father and uncle who are former Heavyweight Champions in his corner. This is truly the Pride of St. Louis tonight. Don't Miss It!!!!!

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Big Show Wrestlemania XXIV

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Big Show WWE Press Conference

The Pride Of St. Louis: Weigh-In

Cory Spinks 153 vs Verno Phillips 153

(IBF junior middleweight championship)

Devon Alexander 137 vs Miguel Callist 140

(WBC C/A and WBA Fedelatin 140lb titles)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and The Big Show On The Today Show

This morning, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Big Show were on the Today Show promoting their Wrestlemania fight. The fight is going to take place on PPV this Sunday for those of you who are interested. Also Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Big Show will be on Larry King Live at 9pm EST on CNN.

Video of Brian Vera Upset Of Andy Lee

Below is the 7th and last round of the Andy Lee-Brian Vera fight from last Friday. You will see that Lee is definitely hurt, but also see how the stoppage may have been a little premature. However if the ref did not stop it then, he would have stopped it a moment or two later. As I stated in Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/26/08, a rematch of this fight may happen in July. After watching this and knowing the prospect of Andy Lee, it should be interesting.

Legendary Knockout: Foreman KO Moorer

Below is a few minutes from the HBO Legendary Night of George Foreman-Michael Moorer. This is one of my favorite KOs of all time, probably because of the history that came with it. George Foreman became the oldest man ever to win the Heavyweight Title. I laugh at this segment because Michael Moorer says Foreman is lying about him setting up the KO. What is really funny is Moorer's trainer, Teddy Atlas, tells him to not stand in front of Foreman. Moorer seemed a little bitter in the interview but says he wasn't. I don't know, his corner told him to not stand in front of Foreman, when George sees the footage he describes it as it happens, and even Jim Lampley says George said what he was going to do before the fight. Seems Moorer was the only person of interest who did not see it coming. Oh well.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/26/08

1. The May 24 fight between Edison Miranda and Mikkel Kessler is OFF!!!!!! Kessler who had refused the fight several times before they actually made the fight pulled out. No reason was given at all. Showtime had announced it was going to show the fight, so Kessler has definitely left a bad taste in their mouth. Miranda promoter Leon Margules of Seminole Warriors Boxing and promoter Lou DiBella, who brokered the deal on behalf of Kessler's Danish promoter Mogens Palle are all upset because they worked hard to make the deal work. Everything that Kessler requested was in the deal. I doubt if this is the last we hear about this situation. To see all the demands of Kessler check out this link here http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=14992&more=1


2. Andy Lee-Brian Vera rematch????? Most likely yes. Due to the fact it was an upset by Vera in the eyes of most, the demand for a rematch is high. Lee wants it, his manager and trainer Emmanuel Steward wants it and so does the promotor of the fight. Promoter Lisa Elovich of Pugnacious Promotion - who promoted the first Vera-Lee matchup has a July 25 ESPN2 Friday Night Fight date and would love to present a rematch. The drama is set already for the rematch and that particular weekend happens to be the annual "Future Night of Champions" at the Saratoga Springs City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York.

3. Edwin Valero, who was just approved for a license in Texas, is in need of a US promotor. Teiken Promotions, based out of Japan, is Valero's promoter. Teiken Promotions is looking for a partner in the US to help Valero get the name opponents, US television and big money fights.

4. One of my favorite referees, Joe Cortez, will be the third man in the ring for the Bernard Hopkins-Joe Calzaghe fight on April 19. Cortez, known for his saying "I'm fair but I'm firm," has been in the ring for 138 world title fights.

5. Tonight on Larry King Live, which airs on CNN, the topic is behind the WWE. Vince McMahon, Big Show, and Floyd Mayweather Jr along with others will be the featured guests on the show. Larry King Live comes on CNN at 9pm EST.

6. Laila Ali stated in the May issue of Essence Magazine that her and her husband, former NFL Player Curtis Conway, are expecting their first child. This will be the first child for the couple who got married this past July. Congratulations to them both.

Cory Spinks and Verno Phillips Face Off

Verno Phillips faces Cory Spinks at the final press conference before their IBF Junior Middleweight fight this Thursday. For more info go to http://www.donkingtv.com/.

Also an added bonus for you true boxing fans, Leon and Michael Spinks both will be in the corner of Cory Spinks. Leon is the father of Cory and Michael is the uncle of Cory. So if you watch the fight you get to see a family affair in the corner of Cory Spinks.

Watch How Classless Zab Judah Is!!!! Ignorance At Its Peak

Below is the press conference of Sugar Shane Mosley and Zab Judah. Notice how disrespectful Judah is when Mosley was talking. Judah then wanted to argue about who fought Cotto better. Both guys lost and Judah lost by TKO and he acted as if he did not. Dude, we all saw you crying because you got hit low. First of all dude, that first so called low blow was not low, it was a body shot. The second low blow was low but it still made me laugh because payback is a b*tch. Then you took a knee because you were getting beat up by Cotto so bad. And finally he dropped you flat on your back. Do you remember??? I do not remember Shane getting beat up like that at all. I don't remember him touching the canvas once. The ref stopped your fight because he was tired of seeing you get beat up. If I was the ref I would have sat on the ropes and continued to watch you get beat up.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/25/08

1. Golden Boy Promotions signed former Lightweight Champion Juan Diaz to a promotional contract. This was expected for quite some time but was delayed when Diaz lost to Nate Cambell earlier this month. The first fight under this contract will be announced soon.

2. Calvin Brock, who has not been heard from since his loss to Eddie Chambers in November, stated he had surgery in December 2007 to repair retinal damage in his right eye. Brock said once the damage heals he will resume training and return back to the ring. Until then he will rest to ensure his eye is 100% healed.

3. WBA Super Featherweight Champion Edwin Valero has been approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for a boxing license. Valero has not fought in the US in four years after he was medical suspension. He had sustained a blood clot on the brain after being in a motorcycle crash. When he was supposed to fight in the US, his MRI came back with irregularities and he was suspended indefinitely from fighting in the US. Now after passing all the medical tests in Texas, Valero has a real chance at possibly fighting elsewhere in the US. However he has to take it one fight and state at a time.

4. Chicago referee Gerald Scott will be the third man in the ring for the Cory Spinks-Verno Phillips fight this Thursday in St. Louis. The judges will be Jerry Griffin, Robert Hoyle, Robert Paolino. For more info on this fight please go to http://www.donkingtv.com/.

5. Zab Judah has asked that Sugar Shane Mosley be tested for steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. As you may know, Mosley was linked to having used these products in the past. Mosley admitted to unknowingly taking some performance enhancing drugs back in 2003. Mosley said his trainer gave it to him, but he did not know what it was. So hopefully this will all be worked out and Mosley will take the test and prove he is clean today of all drugs.

6. It is being said that Junior Witter will defend his WBC Junior Welterweight Title against his mandatory challenger Timothy Bradley on May 10. The fight is looking to take place in the US but the venue is unknown at this time.

7. Teddy Atlas and Everlast Worldwide Inc have come together to launch the Teddy Atlas Workout System. This workout system will be available this spring online at http://www.everlast.com/ as well as select retailers. For more info on this product please refer to http://www.everlast.com/teddy-atlas-landing.html

Something That Made Me Laugh!!!!

I was reading on Boxingtalk.com an interview Brad Cooney did with Shannon Briggs and I couldn't help but laugh. Several times in the interview Briggs mentioned having asthma and pneumonia before his last fight. Now I have never had asthma but I heard it can be quite the b*tch. Anyway the reason I laughed is because Briggs kept mentioning he had asthma as if he deserved a special award for being a fighter with asthma. Why I laugh is because Briggs who is like 6'4 270 is a huge man, yet everytime something happens he mentions his asthma. What he never mentions is the fact he gained a lot of weight since he first started boxing. He fought George Foreman in 1997 at a weight of 227 but in his last fight against Sultan Ibrigramov he fought at 273. If ashtma is such a big concern, then he should keep his weight down. I know from many people that being overweight and out of shape does not help those with asthma. Talk to your doctor Shannon. Plus I have heard Teddy Atlas tell Shannon he needs to lose some weight on Friday Night Fights. Briggs mentioned he is the first Heavyweight Champion with asthma and states Tyson, Ali and even Jack Johnson did not have asthma. Well he is right, but why is he mentioning these names? When anyone thinks of great heavyweights regardless of condition, Shannon Briggs name does not come up. Isn't it funny how people always like to have an excuse ready so that if they lose they can use it and if they win they can play on it? Shannon Briggs is not the first fighter to fight sick or with some form of condition. Sam Langford fought while he was partially blind, but he did not speak of it at all. Fighters have fought with broken bones and many other injuries and conditions. So if you are going to fight, keep all of your excuses out of the ring otherwise just hang it up. If you would like to read the entire Briggs interview, please go to http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article15307.html.

Sugar Shane Mosley-Zab Supa Dupa Dumb Judah

Yesterday Sugar Shane Mosley and Zab Judah met at the ESPN Zone in NYC to announce their May 31 HBO PPV fight at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. As usual Judah could not wait to run his mouth to prove he is classless and ignorant. Desperate for attention as most class clowns are, Judah said he was going to bet $100,000 that he would KO Mosley in their fight. Well I doubt if Judah even wins the fight let alone KOs Mosley. Of the two fighters, Judah is the one who has danced like a chicken in the ring and been on his back the most. Mosley has stood the test of times with the best fighters and only been knocked down once and never stopped in a fight. If it is not obvious, I am rooting for Mosley to win this fight. I hope Shane times Zab perfectly and knocks Zab out of the ring. Shane has fought the better opposition, is the better fighter as well as the better person. Zab has won some good fights and disgraced himself in others. So I am going to put my undisclosed amount of money on Sugar Shane Mosley to pull out a victory on May 31. I am sure most will do the same. I will give a detailed preview when it gets closer to the fight. I will work hard to say something nice about Zab but believe me my eyes will be closed when I do it.

Cory Spinks-Verno Phillips Preview

Cory Spinks will win. I believe this because I am from St. Louis and because it is true. Verno is a tough former 2 time Junior Middleweight Champion. However when he steps up in competition, he is outclassed. The cycle of being outclassed by better boxers will not change in this fight either. I feel Cory Spinks is a level above Phillips especially at this stage of Phillips career. Spinks who is a very quick and slick southpaw will utilize his right jab and shoot straight left hands down the line at Phillips all night long. Phillips is tough so he will never give up and I doubt if he is seriously hurt in the fight. However I do see Phillips being dominated by the better boxer in Spinks. Spinks has a new trainer in his corner for this fight, Buddy Shaw, but I do not see too much of a change. Spinks has already developed a style that has worked for him and not much will change because of a new trainer. He will still display the teachings of Kevin Cunningham, which is the stick and move methods that has helped him become a 2 division champion. I can see Phillips trying to outmuscle Spinks to make it a real fight, but the clean effective punching will land by Spinks. Spinks is more precise with his punches and does not engage. The fact that Spinks moves so much makes him a hard target to hit. So I see a 12 round UD in favor of Cory Spinks. For Phillips I see him giving a game performance that you would expect from a champion, but he will fall short. To see this fight live, log on to http://www.donkingtv.com/ at 7pm CST.

Cory Spinks Representing St. Louis

Here is a video of some Cory Spinks highlights. Cory Spinks will be defending his IBF Junior Middleweight Title this Thursday in St. Louis at the Scottrade Center. I am trying to make it to St. Louis to represent my hometown hero. For those of you who may not make it, please watch the fight live on http://www.donkingtv.com/. Cory is a great boxer who is very underrated for the craft he has. Respect the man for what he does and support him, especially if you are from St. Louis. Represent for the Lou Cory. One Love from #1Pound4Pound.

Webisode #3: The Buildup: Cotto-Gomez

For more on the Buildup go to http://www.alfonsosgomez.com/.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/24/08

1. WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Danny Green has suddenly decided to retire. Green stated he wanted to spend more time with his family and avoid any health issues. This comes as a surprise because Green had a fight coming in May and a potential big money rematch with Anthony Mundine. However when you feel it is time to leave the sport, you should leave the sport. Good luck to Green and his family in the future.

2. Ricky Hatton's fight against Juan Lazcano will be televised live on Versus on May 24. The undercard fight between Paulie Malignaggi and Lovemore N'dou will also be televised. The fight will take take place live in the afternoon on Versus as it will be in the evening over in England.

3. Unbeaten Super Featherweight sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa (9-0, 8 KOs) will be fighting on HBO Boxing After Dark on May 17 against WBO #2 Ranked Marcos Ramirez (25-0, 16 KOS). This fight looks to be an explosive fight as both fighters are undefeated.

4. Thursday, March 27 Fox Sports is going to air the tape delay of Andre Ward's fight against Rubin Williams. Check your local listings for the airing.

5. Lennox Lewis may return....???? Rumors are circulating that Lennox is personally hinting at a return to the ring. Stay tuned for more info on this one.

Long Lost Family????

Friday as I was watching Friday Night Fights with Andy Lee as the main event, I thought I saw two. Then it hit me, Andy Lee looks like he could be a younger Teddy Atlas or Atlas's long lost son. These two pictures above give you some idea but if you can look at Friday Night Fights from March 21, 2008 you will really see the obvious. Teddy if you happen to see this, don't be mad. I am a huge fan of your, but I really thought you two favored.

Casamayor TKOs Katsidis In A War!!!!

Not the result I wanted in this fight but a good fight it was. Joel Casamayor TKOd Michael Katsidis in the 10th round of their fight Saturday night. In what appeared in the first round to be an easy night for Casamayor turned out to be a war. Casamayor knocked Katsidis down twice in the first round with the left hands. The first knockdown appeared to be more of a quick left that landed and ended in a flash knockdown. Casamayor who loves to break the rules hit Katsidis while he was down with another hard punch. Moments later Casamayor threw out a right jab and then hit Katsidis with a extremely hard and clean left hand. This time Katsidis looked really hurt. However Katsidis weathered the storm and made it to round 2. In round 2 Katsidis seemed to have gotten his legs back but was still bothered by lefts hands from Casamayor. Honestly Katsidis looked very uncomfortable with southpaws. I had heard he was having a difficult time in sparring with southpaws too. By the third round, Katsidis was more aggressive as Casamayor slowed down. Katsidis began landing more of his punches such as the hard right hands. In round 4 Katsidis caught Casamayor with a 3 punch combination that made Casamayor stumble. In the 6th round, Katsidis caught Casamayor with a hard right hand to the midsection that led to Casamayor retreating. Katsidis landed a right hand and as Casamayor was laying on the ropes he caught another right hand. At this point Casamayor fell completely out of the ring, but got back in to beat the 10 count. In rounds 7 and 8, Casamayor continued to look somewhat fatigued and landed some blows here and there. However those rounds belonged to Katsidis. Round 9 was interesting because Casamayor was deducted a point for a low blow which was helping Katsidis who was becoming slightly ahead on the scorecards. Things were looking good for Katsidis especially after the horrible first round. In round 10 Katsidis raced out to put pressure on Casamayor and as Katsidis was about to throw his punch, Casamayor caught him with a left hook he never saw. Katsidis got on his feet but his legs looked horrible. They appeared to be like jello, but the ref let the fight continue. Katsidis got back in there but after a few more punches from Casamayor, the ref stopped the fight at :30 seconds of the 10th round. I have no arguments about the stoppage but I would have let it continue because Katsidis was still fighting at that time. Not saying he would have lasted but I would have given him a little more time.

For Casamayor this fight was redemption for his terrible performance in November. I am still no Casamayor fan, but he surprised me with his left hand. At 36, it is obvious he has to fight in spurts, but can still take some good punches. He also can still throw a good punch too. As the Ring Magazine Champion, Casamayor is still considered to be the Champion of the Lightweight Division. When asked if he wanted to fight Nate Campbell, Casamayor stated he had beat him in the past and wanted to look forward to big money fights. Casamayor mentioned big money opponents such as Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales. The funny thing about those three names is none of these guys are true Lightweights. However we all know money talks.

For Katsidis, he fought a great fight and showed the heart of a champion. Sure he got careless and lost but he is young and will bounce back. Hopefully he will learn a little more about control in the ring as well as about southpaws and come back. Honestly I would not be opposed to seeing a rematch of this fight, but I doubt it will ever happen. Entering the tenth round, Katsidis was ahead 84-83 on two cards, while Casamayor was ahead 85-82 on the third card. This is an indication that although Katsidis was knocked down twice in the first round, he still had some control in the fight. So for true boxing we would see a rematch, but since it is for money the rematch will not happen. Oh well, this fight is another example of why I am still a true boxing fan.

Casamayor-Katsidis Weight

Joel Casamayor 134.25

Michael Katsidis 133.75

(Ring Magazine Lightweight Championship Title and

WBO interim lightweight title)

Let it be known #1Pound4Pound does not want Casamayor to win.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/22/08

1. Don King is going to telecast the IBF Junior Middleweight Championship between Cory Spinks and Verno Phillips live on the internet on http://www.donkingtv.com/. The fight takes place live from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Thursday March 27. The telecast will begin at 8pm EST. This is a huge event so please check it on the internet.

2. According to Bob Arum, if Manny Pacquiao fights a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez then Pacquiao deserves $8-10 Million. However Arum does not think the fight should happen immediately.

3. Boxing meets MMA???? Former Pound4Pound King Roy Jones Jr. has been mentioned by current MMA Pound4Pound King Anderson Silva. Silva ,who is the UFC Middleweight Champion, has said he wanted to try his skills in boxing. Having cleared out his division for the time being, Silva has said he would love to fight Jones. At first I ignored this rumor but it is coming up more and more. Jones is looking for a fight that would draw lots of interest and money. This could be that fight. MMA people want to prove they are better than boxers and vice versa. It could be an interesting fight because Silva is similar to Tarver, a tall slim southpaw with great speed, punching power and punching ability. Tarver as you know has 2 victories over Jones. If money starts yelling don't be surprised if this fight happens.

Too Much Hype Too Soon!!!!

In what many would say is a huge upset, Brian Vera TKOd Andy Lee in the 7th round of their fight on Friday night. Lee, who is trained and managed by Hall of Famer Emmanuel Steward, just did not seem to have it going on in the fight. All of the things he was supposed to have such as a strong right jab, good movement, good defensive skills, and great combinations were all a no-show in the fight. Lee knocked Vera down in the first round and it seemed like it would be a short night of work for Lee. Then as the fight went on, Vera was landing his rights hand more and more consistently. Vera, best known from Season 3 of the Contender, is a tough fighter who can take some punishment. I doubt if he will ever be a World Champion but showed a lot of heart in beating Lee. Steward who takes a personal relationship with many of his fighters such as Thomas Hearns, Wladimir Klitschko, and Lennox Lewis to name a few is probably very devastated at this moment. When the fight was stopped, slightly premature as Lee was throwing a punch at the time of the stoppage, Steward did not argue. Lee had been hit with many clean shots and even cut over his right eye. He looked to be a beaten fighter; bleeding, breathing hard, tired, and just plain defeated. So yes Andy Lee was not really to fight for the Middleweight Championship as Steward had proclaimed. However Lee is young and still has a lot to learn. He should take this fight and watch it several times and critique his mistakes. Maybe it was the bright lights on US television that got to Lee, you never know. What we do know is, he needs to go back to the drawing board and make the changes necessary to win. He can still be a champion, just not as quick as many had hoped.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/21/08

1. Yesterday I said Floyd Mayweather Jr. had given his uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather an ultimatum about training Steve Forbes. Well Roger Mayweather is no longer the trainer of Steve Forbes. Forbes was contacted by his promoter Jeff Wald who informed Steve about Floyd's comments. Forbes in turn called Roger who said he would speak to Floyd and call him back. Roger never called Forbes back and never showed at the gym. Forbes then called Jeff Mayweather and asked him to be his new trainer. So Jeff will be training Steve Forbes beginning today. Talk about drama.

2. For those of you who know boxing, Andy Lee will be fighting on ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights tonight. That's right, the fighter Emmanuel Steward has deemed as the next great fighter is going to be fighting tonight against Brian Vera. Andy Lee is very powerful and known for some great KOs in his short career so check him out tonight.

3. More Floyd Mayweather Jr. news. It has been said that Mayweather and his friend 50 Cent got into a fight over a bet and some money. Someone from 50 Cent's camp said they came to blows but the fight was broken up. They squashed the beef and are on good terms. Because both guys have such huge egos neither one backed down which started the fight.

4. Roy Jones Jr., who is looking for a fight wherever he can find one, has now set his sights on the winner of the Clinton Woods-Antonio Tarver fight. Jones has a TKO victory over Woods from 2002 and has lost 2 of 3 to Tarver. Jones thinks Woods will win and prefers to fight Woods. Personally if Roy wants to redeem himself he should either fight Tarver or Glen Johnson because both have KO wins over him. I love Roy but if he wants to prove his greatness he needs to fight the guys who KOd him, beat them then yell his greatness again.

5. Yesterday Don King appeared in Broward County, Florida courthouse in regards to his $2.5 Billion (Yes Billion) lawsuit against ESPN filed in 2005. The defamation lawsuit was filed by King in response to a ESPN Sports Century documentary in which King was portrayed as a con artist and bully who has ripped of millions of dollars from fighters. The documentary also had statements saying King had made death threats to journalists and fighters he promoted. King said all of these statements were false and defamed his character. Of course ESPN denied these allegations and said most of the information in the documentary had been said years prior to their documentary.

Joel Casamayor-Michael Katsidis Preview

Saturday night will be the Lightweight Championship between Ring Magazine Champion Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis. This fight should be very interesting. Last time Casamayor was in the ring(November 10, 2007), he received a gift SD over Jose Armando Santa Cruz. Yes I said a gift decision, because he did not win that fight and I have watched it several times and still do not see how he received the decision. Casamayor had been out of the ring for over a year when he fought Santa Cruz, so ring rust may have played a big part in his performance that night. Katsidis is a tough fighter who has a never say die style. Last time he was in the ring(July 21, 2007), Katsidis won a UD in a blood and guts type of fight. He suffered cuts over and under both eyes.

So what to look for in the fight between Casamayor-Katsidis is an ugly fight. Casamayor is slick southpaw who rarely makes a good fight. He slips punches and grabs a lot. He tends to lean in with his head creating headbutts. Casamayor can also get a little dirty on the inside. For a guy like Katsidis who has been cut a lot, he is doomed to cut again in this fight. Casamayor does not have great power but he can punch. Age and lack of activity have appeared to slow Casamayor down. Katsidis is a young lion willing to give his all in the ring, and blood and cuts does not bother him. This fight will be an ugly one. Casamayor is going to try and establish his jab and move around. As a southpaw Casamayor is going to try and use odd angles to get inside and punch Katsidis. I expect a few headbutts caused by Casamayor because of his akward southpaw style. I expect several clinches too. Casamayor does not have the power to KO Katsidis but could possibly get a TKO due to cuts. Now Katsidis on the other hand he is going to be very aggressive. He is going to want to make Casamayor expend his energy. Do not let Casamayor make this into a slow boring fight. Katsidis loves action and he is going to have to take the fight to the older slightly slower Casamayor. He will need to establish a jab on Casamayor and then follow up with his power punches especially the uppercut. Casamayor is not as quick as he used to be and the uppercut would work well in this fight. The issue for Katsidis is he is going to have to watch the dirty tactics from Casamayor such as headbutts and low blows. Casamayor is an older fight with dirty tricks and is not afraid to use them. Katsidis will have to watch for the left, right, and head in this fight. If Katsidis can put the pressure on Casamayor and tire those old legs of Casamayor I expect Katsidis to win. Personally after seeing Casamayor in his last fight not to mention some of his other controversial fights, I would love to see his get KOd. I am not a fan of Joel Casamayor and I think he is a dirty cocky a$$hole. So I am rooting against him and I think Katsidis can get the job done if he just focus.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/20/08

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr., who seems to always be on the radar nowadays, is unhappy with his trainer and uncle Roger Mayweather training Steve Forbes. Forbes, as you know is going to fight Oscar De La Hoya on May 3 and if Forbes wins the rematch between Floyd and Oscar would possibly not happen. Floyd says by training Forbes that Roger is taking money out of both of their pockets. Floyd even went as far as to say if it does not stop he may have to pay his dad, Floyd Mayweather Sr, more money than Oscar is paying him. The Mayweather family drama continues.

2. In other Floyd Mayweather Jr. news, Mayweather has defended his $20 million payday. Many have stated Floyd inflated the figure to boost his ego and publicity for the fight. It has been believed that Floyd will only make $1 million but at most $4-5 million. Floyd has stood firm that he is going to be paid $20 million and that he deserves every penny.

3. Showtime has announced some big fights for the upcoming months. Starting with the April 11th edition of ShoBox, a doubleheader featuring junior welterweights Josesito Lopz against Edgar Santana, and super middleweights James McGirt Jr. against Carlos De Leon Jr. Then on May 2, Andre Dirrell and Anthony Hanshaw will fight in this Super Middleweight attraction. On a Showtime fight night special edition, Edison Miranda and former champ Mikkel Kessler will fight on May 24. Finally on June 7 Vernon Forrest will defend his WBC Super Welterweight Title against Contender Season One Champion Sergio Mora. In the main event of this telecast is the immediate rematch between new WBO Welterweight Champion Carlos Quintana and former WBO Champ Paul Williams.

Classic Fight: Hearns-Duran June 15, 1984

Here is a classic fight for you real boxing fans out there. I hope you enjoy it.

Knockout Rewind!!!

Kelly Pavlik KO's Jose Luis Zertuche

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/19/08

1. Sycuan Ringside Promotions has re-signed WBO Super Featherweight Champion Joan Guzman to a multi-fight/multimillion dollar contract. Guzman is currently training in Las Vegas for his May 3 fight against Alex Arthur.

2. Former world champion Reggie Johnson was indicted on a second-degree felony charge of theft yesterday. A corporation run by Johnson received at least $120,000 in grant money for boxing camps and never held one. The boxing camps were to be held last summer for children displaced by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. If convicted Johnson could face sentences ranging from probation to 20 years in prison. Johnson, 41, last fought against Julio Gonzalez in February winning by a disputed decision.

3. Former IBF/WBA/WBO Lightweight Champion Juan Diaz has signed a long term agreement with Everlast Worldwide Inc. Everlast which is legendary in boxing equipment will allow Diaz to exclusively wear their products in Diaz's professional fights as well as Everlast sponsored events. Also as part of the contract with Diaz, Everlast has agreed to donate to a cause related to education.

4. The other day I spoke about Victor Burgos and the donation that he was going to be given this past Saturday. Well here is a good article about Burgos that I found on Boxingtalk.com. Please take a look. http://www.boxingtalk.com/pag/article15264.html Also please keep Burgos and his family in your prayers.

5. Here comes the drama. I mentioned that Floyd Mayweather Jr. was suing Bob Arum and Top Rank for not paying him in full. Well Bob Arum said it is true that he did not pay Mayweather all of his money, but stated that Mayweather and some of his associates owe him lots of money. Arum claims Mayweather and his associates owe him and his Top Rank promotional company millions of dollars. Arum is planning to countersue Mayweather and his associates. I told you this would get ugly.

6. In an interview with Percy Crawford, Floyd Mayweather Sr. made the comment that he may retire at the end of the year with Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather Sr. said he does not want to work himself to death and if no fighter can pay him what he feels he deserves he may just pack it up. Time will tell if this happens.

7. Kevin Cunningham, former trainer of IBF Junior Middleweight Cory Spinks. has opened up his own Bar and Grill in St. Louis Missouri. Knockouts Bar and Grill is a 6400 sq. ft Bar and Grill that is another avenue for Cunningham to help his community by providing jobs to people, just like he has provided guidance through boxing with the Hyde Park Boxing Club. So Congratulations to Kevin Cunningham and his efforts to help his community. I will be stopping by to show some love in the near future.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/18/08

1. The Joan Guzman-Alex Arthur fight originally scheduled for April 26 has been moved to May 3 at the Meadowbank Arena, Edinburgh.

2. Over the weekend Antonio Margarito had a surprise birthday party for his 30th birthday. Antonio's wife Michelle, his management team, Sergio Diaz Jr. along with Francisco "Pancho" Espinoza arranged the surprise party for the Margarito at Pepe's Mexican Restaurant in El Monte California.

3. The WBC has stated it will rate Juan Manuel Marquez #1 in the Super Featherweight division despite his loss. The WBC is also hoping there is a rematch between Marquez and Pacquiao.

Webisode #2: The Buildup: Cotto-Gomez

It is Webisode #2 of The Buildup. For more about Alfonso Gomez, go to http://www.alfonsosgomez.com/.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/17/08

1. Universum Box-Promotion won the right to promote the rematch between WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev and seven-foot former champion Nikolai Valuev. Universum won the right with a purse bid of $4,354,840. The fight is scheduled to take place on May 31.

2. Kevin Cunningham in no longer the trainer for WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Cory Spinks. Cunningham is still the manager of Spinks. Cunningham said it was time for the two to go there seperate ways and he did not state who was replacing him as trainer.

3. Gary Shaw said he would release Vivian Harris if Harris bought out his contract. Harris has agreed but nothing has happened yet.

4. Tye Fields-Hasim Rahman fight may soon come true. Bob Arum and Top Rank are hard at work on this fight, so don't be suprised if this fight happens soon.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/16/08

1. Bob Arum has stated that Manny Pacquiao will indeed move up to Lightweight (135 pounds) to challenge David Diaz for the WBC Lightweight Championship on June 28 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

2. It appears that Ricky Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi fight is very close to being signed. Of course they both would have to win their fights on May 24. Hatton against Juan Lazcano and Malignaggi against Lovemore N'Dou.

3. In other Ricky Hatton news, 45,000 tickets have been sold in about 36 hours for Hatton's next fight on May 24. The fight is going to take place at the City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester England.

4. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is suing his old promoter Top Rank for backpay. In the lawsuit filed in Las Vegas, Mayweather claims he was shortchanged for his fights against Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah. In his fight deal for those two fights, Mayweather was supposed to receive 85% and 80% respectively of Top Rank's revenues for both fights. It also states that Top Rank has never released any accounting of its income. This lawsuit can get ugly very quick because Bob Arum and Mayweather and Al Haymon (Mayweather's advisor) do not get along at all.

Pacquiao, By An Extremely Close Split Decision!!!!!

In one of the closet fights I have seen before, Manny Pacquiao slipped by Juan Manuel Marquez by Split Decision. Scores were 115-112, 114-113 Pacquiao, 115-112 Marquez. Had it not been for the knockdown Pacquiao had on Marquez in the 3rd round this fight would have been a draw, AGAIN!!!!. This fight saw both guys get cut badly, both guys wobbled, both guys bleeding, and both guys give their all. It was not quite the fight of the year because that is clearly going to Vasquez-Marquez III thus far, but it was a great fight. I personally had Pacquiao winning by one point which was because of the knockdown. So 114-113 would be my score as well. I had the fight even based on rounds. It was just that close of a fight. Pacquiao appeared to be the stronger fighter as he came into the the ring at 145 pounds unofficially. At 145 pounds, that means Pacquiao gained 16 pounds since the weigh in on Friday afternoon. The punches that landed for each fighter was the left hand for Pacquiao which floored Marquez in the third and the right hand landed for Marquez at ease. To be honest Marquez landed more right hands than Pacquiao. The difference in this fight was discipline in my opinion. Pacquiao was not as wild in this fight as he was in the first fight and he did block more punches than before. Marquez was the same consistent fight he has always been, continually to be cool under pressure landing right hands. Marquez and Pacquiao both were cut by unintentional headbutts in the 7th round. Then Marquez opened a real bad cut over Pacquiao's eye in the 8th round. In the 9th and 10th rounds, Pacquiao hit Marquez repeatedly with left hands that opened up a real bad cut over Marquez's right eye. When the 12th round came you could sense it was a close fight and Marquez came out as the aggressor. Now the HBO announcers were all on Marquez's side saying he was doing so much, but Pacquiao was more off balance than anything. He blocked many of Marquez's punches in the 12th. However I still think Marquez could have won that round too. This was a very good fight. They boxed and the brawled and we need both in a good fight. Marquez of course felt he did not lose the fight and Pacquiao felt he won the fight. As stated I had Pacquiao winning by one point but a draw would have been just fine. I think this fight needs to happen again. I still did not see a clear cut winner between these two guys. The fans would love it and it could generate some good money. I guess time will tell what happens.

After the fight Marquez stated he felt like he won and wants a rematch. Pacquiao has said he is ready to move on to other fights. Lets see how much money talks in the form of a rematch.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/15/08

1. Jorge Arce has challenged Israel Vasquez????? Apparently Arce has told his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, to make this fight happen. Arce plans to fight on May 17 in Mexico and again in August to prepare for Vasquez. Then if all goes accordingly Arce and Vasquez will fight in November.

2. Humberto Soto has gotten back in the win column with a 6th round TKO over Carlos Urias. Plans are for Soto to challenge IBF Super Featherweight Champion Mzonke Fana on May 17.

3. Golden Boy Promotions will promote their first fight card in the Philippines on April 6. The card will take place at the Araneta Coliseum with “INVASION: Philippines vs. The World. WBO World Bantamweight Champion Gerry Penalosa (52-6, 35 KOs), who will defend his belt in a rematch against former champ Ratanachai Sor Vorapin (71-9, 47 KOs), of Thailand will be the main event.

Early Results From Las Vegas

WBO Featherweight Champion Steven Luevano defeated Terdsak Jandaeng in a battle of two southpaws. Luevano was dropped in the 4th round but for most of the fight he controlled the fight and picked his shots. Scores were 118-109, 119-109, 119-109.

David Diaz had a harder than expected fight against Ramon Montano in a 10 round non-title bout. However Diaz pulled through and won a MD, scores were 95-95, 99-91, 97-93. Diaz, fulfilled his part of the deal for a future summer fight with Manny Pacquiao, by beating Montano. Time will soon tell what Pacquiao gets done tonight.

NABO bantamweight titleholder Abner Mares had no trouble getting rid of Diosdado Gabi. Gabi was supposed to be a tough test for Mares on paper, but that is where the toughness ended. Mares dropped Gabi twice in the 2nd round and the fight was stopped at :49 of the 2nd round.

Roy Jones Jr. In Germany!!!

Roy Jones Jr. and Markus Beyer in Germany after Beyer's fight. It appears that Jones Jr. and Beyer are going to fight in Germany this summer. More details on this will come as soon as I know.

Unfinished Business: The Weigh-In

Juan Manuel Marquez: 130 Pounds

Manny Pacquiao: 129 Pounds

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 3/14/08

1. Who said trash talking does not work? It appears Mikkel Kessler will be fighting Edison Miranda on May 24 at a venue to be announced on Showtime. It was said Kessler turned the fight down on at least two occasions in the past. Then Miranda started trash talking Kessler. Now it is said the fight will now happen. Hopefully this is a lesson to Ricky Hatton who continues to say as long as Junior Witter talks trash about him he will never fight Witter. Sometimes the best way to shut the bully up is to take it straight to him and whoop his a$$, if you can LOL.

2. The Carlos Quintana-Paul Williams rematch is getting closer and closer to becoming complete. It could come as early as May 24 on HBO, however Quintana prefers the fight to be more in the mid to late June range. HBO and Showtime both have interest in showing the fight so it will be televised, but the date and network need to be worked out.

3. In a slight contrast to rumor #2, it has been mentioned that HBO and Showtime will once again collide with fights on June 7 this time. HBO is going to televise a tripleheader on June 7 with Kelly Pavlik-Gary Lockett as the main event, Daniel Ponce De Leon-Juan Manuel Lopez, and Andy Lee-Marco Antonio Rubio. Showtime has moved Vernon Forrest fight against Sergio Mora from May 10 to June 7 and is going to pair it with Carlos Quintana-Paul Williams rematch to form a doubleheader. Should be interesting to see which rumor is right, #2 or #3!!!!!

4. It appears that Paulie Malignaggi will be fighting his contractual mandatory rematch against Lovemore N'dou on the undercard of Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano on May 24 in England. If Hatton and Malignaggi both win they will then fight each other in the fall in the United States. As far as the May 24 date, Golden Boy is still trying to work out those fights being televised. However at this time it appears if it is televised in the United States it will not be on HBO or Showtime.

5. The Lightweight Title eliminator between Zahir Raheem and "Kid Diamond" Almazbek Raiymkulov for April 18 on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights is OFF!!! The IBF, which was going to sanction the fight as their eliminator, decided not to after Kid Diamond did not go to the doctor to clear up an old medical suspension. Since Kid Diamond missed the deadline to qualify for the fight, Raheem's camp is now trying to talk to Ali Funeka of South Africa about fighting. Funeka is next in line on the IBF rankings. The winner would become the mandatory for newly crowned Lightweight Champion Nate Campbell.

6. Markus Beyer won an 8 round UD today in Germany to set up a potential fight with Roy Jones Jr. Jones Jr. was at the fight and said he is looking to possibly do some business with Beyer in Germany. Should be interesting to see if Roy Jones Jr. will indeed fight outside of the United States. As many know, since Roy Jones Jr. got robbed of a decision in Seoul Korea in 1988 of his well deserved Gold Medal, he has had no desire to fight outside of the US.

7. Miguel Cotto weighed 159 pounds at his 30 day weigh in. Cotto as you know will be defending his WBA Welterweight Title on April 12 against Alfonso Gomez. Be sure to check out The Buildup on http://www.alfonsosgomez.com/.

8. Peter Manfredo Jr. got back in the win column tonight beating Shane "The Irish Hitman" Benfield via 6th round TKO. Manfredo's body attack took a toll on Benfield and the fight was stopped at 2:30 of the 6th round.