Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 6/13/08

1. Talks are going on between Jeff Wald and Golden Boy to possibly stage a fight between Sergio Mora and Sugar Shane Mosley on October 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This should be very interesting because Vernon Forrest has exercised his immediate rematch clause. So this one could get ugly because Forrest says he refuses to take any step aside money or anything else. Forrest says the Mosley-Mora fight won't happen. Then Lou DiBella is on the radar ready to sue because his fighter Sergio Martinez is the mandatory for the WBC Junior Middleweight Title Mora holds. The WBC wants negotiations between Mora and Martinez to take place asap. DiBella says he will move towards getting Mora stripped of the title if Mora does not fight Martinez next. This could get very ugly.

2. James Toney has vowed to be in shape when he faces Hasim Rahman July 16. Rahman says he is going to be the first to KO Toney and then retire him. This fight has lost a lot of luster since both have been losing and Toney has been suspended. However for those who watch the fight, it may be pretty good.

3. Tentatively here are the fights Golden Boy has lined up for th fall. Juan Diaz-Michael Katsidis on September 6 in Houston at the Toyota Center on HBO with possibly Rocky Juarez challenging WBA Junior Lightweight Champion Edwin Valero. Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand September 13 on HBOPPV. Hatton-Malignaggi will take place either on November 15 in Las Vegas or New York or November 22 in Las Vegas. Either way the fight will be on HBO. David Haye vs TBA in London November 29.

4. Big props to Showtime. In the buildup to the Arthur Abraham-Edison Miranda II fight, Showtime has acquired the rights to their first fight. The first fight has never been seen on US television. We always heard about all the controversy and maybe saw bits and pieces on youtube. Well no more, because on June 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime 2, again on Thursday, June 19, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime 2 and on Saturday, June 21, at 6 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime. Showtime announcers, Al Bernstein and Steve Albert revoiced the fight.

5. Samuel Peter will not fight a tune-up before his fight against Vitali Klitschko. Peter, who is visiting family in Nigeria, will begin training July 1. The date, location, and network for the fight should be finalized by the end of June according to Dino Duva.

6. Joe Calzaghe says it would not be of his best interests to fight Kelly Pavlik. He said he prefers the fight with Roy Jones Jr instead.

7. It appears Jeff Lacy will be fighting Epifanio Mendoza on the July 23 version of ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights. Mendoza was last seen being stopped by WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson last fall. If Lacy wins, there is a strong possibility he will face Jermain Taylor later this year.