Mora-Forrest II On Casamayor-Marquez Undercard

For those of you who have been so excited about seeing a Sergio Mora-Vernon Forrest rematch, your wish has come true. For those of you who have been saying the Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez fight needs more on the undercard in order for me to buy the PPV, well this could be it. Vernon Forrest strongly enforced his immediate rematch clause against Sergio Mora to the point that it is happening. Now their rematch is going to be on the undercard of the Casamayor-Marquez HBO PPV telecast on September 13. I still do not think this PPV should happen, but the Mora-Forrest rematch may bring in a few more viewers. Mora defeated Forrest by MD in June and Forrest has been pissed ever since. Hopefully for Forrest's sake he can win, but I am not sure I really see much difference in the fight.

Clottey Promises To Destoy Judah

Joshua Clottey has promised to destroy Zab Judah in their fight this weekend, and I am personally holding him to that. For those of you who do not know, I do not like Zab Judah. I try to be unbiased in my views when it comes to the fights which I did in the Clottey-Judah preview. However I do not like Judah. So when Clottey says he will destroy Judah, I take that serious. I like Clottey anyway, I think he is a very strong fighter. I know he is going to give his all in the ring every time. I was rooting for him to beat Antonio Margarito, unfortunately he hurt both his hands and could not finish the job. If Clottey destroys Judah, he will pick up the IBF Welterweight title and possibly get a rematch with Margarito. Margarito will be ringside for the Clottey-Judah fight with his eyes set on the winner for his next fight. If Clottey wins, it could set up a very nice rematch between two Welterweight titlists who happen to be very good pressure fighters. So Clottey, I fully expect you to seek and destroy Zab Judah this weekend. You said it and I hope you do it so you can be a man of your word.

Mosley-Mayorga With Berto-Forbes As The Undercard

The Sugar Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga fight is going to be live on HBO September 27 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The fight was moved from October 11. On the undercard will be Andre Berto making his first defense of his WBC Welterweight title against Steve Forbes. Forbes was last seen in May fighting Oscar De La Hoya. Although Forbes lost by UD, he busted De La Hoya a lot more than most expected. Berto tends to beat his opponents down, but not so sure he can do that against Forbes. Forbes has never been knocked down. Berto is only 5'8 1/2 which is better for Forbes who stands 5'7 1/2 but has fought a lot recently with taller guys. The Berto-Forbes fight will open up the telecast and then the Mosley-Mayorga fight will be the main event.

David Haye Is In Heavyweight Shape

David Haye has bulked up to 232lbs in his training to be Heavyweight Champion. Haye says he has just started seriously training, but is at a lean 232 lbs with only 12% body fat. Haye is supposed to re-introduce himself to the heavyweight division in November against an opponent to be named at the O2 Arena in London.

Trainer Billy Graham Retires!!!

Boxing Trainer Billy Graham is retiring. Graham is most known for training Light Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton. After Hatton lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year, it was rumored Graham was going to be fired. He was not fired then as he trained Hatton for his fight this past May. However speculation continued to arise that Graham was almost gone. Then Hatton's brother, Matthew, went to another trainer. When that happened, speculation grew bigger that Ricky and Graham would not be together anymore. So they had a meeting and Graham said he is retiring from boxing. Ricky Hatton is supposed to be using Graham's assistant Lee Beard to train him for his November 22 fight against Paulie Malignaggi. However word is going around that the next permanent trainer may be no other than Floyd Mayweather Sr. This could be very interesting.

Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy Is On!!!

We all knew the Jeff Lacy retirement was out of anger. We also knew it would not last. So when I heard that the Jermain Taylor-Jeff Lacy fight was on for November 15 on HBO, I was not surprised. This is a big fight for both guys. Taylor, coming off of back-to back losses to Kelly Pavlik, needs this win to get back on the good path. Lacy, who has looked horrible in every fight he has been in since March 3, 2006, needs a meaningful win to advance his dying career. Alas these two former Olympic teammates will meet in the ring in a crossroads fight. Although Taylor has lost two fights in a row, including one by KO, most think he is in way better shape than Lacy. So more than likely Taylor will be the favorite in this fight. Lacy who fought last Wednesday almost got KOd in route to a MD over Epifanio Mendoza. That fight was supposed to be good looking tune-up for Lacy that almost cost him the Taylor. Taylor has not fought or been seen from since his February rematch loss to Kelly Pavlik. Rumors have stated Taylor looked to be pretty heavy, as high as 220's. This fight should be very interesting.

Rahman-Toney Changed To No Decision

The Hasim Rahman-James Toney fight that was originally a 3rd round TKO victory for Toney has been changed to a No Decision. The fight was stopped due to an accidental headbutt that left Rahman bloody and with impaired vision. Somehow it was ruled a TKO victory for Toney when it should have been a No Decision from the start. It is sad it had to come to an appeal to be made correct, however it was made correct. Not sure what is next for these guys, maybe a third fight to settle the score once and for all. They have fought to a draw and now a no decision.

Golden Boy Pisses Lacy Off Into Retirement

Like most believed, Jeff Lacy was pissed off into retirement. Jeff Lacy was only offered $550,000 to fight Jermain Taylor November 15. This was an amount far less that what Lacy was expecting. I thought Lacy was going to get closer to a million dollars myself. Apparently Golden Boy accepted the monetary terms Wednesday afternoon without the consent of Lacy. Lacy stated he felt Jermain Taylor needed him more than he needed Taylor. Personally I do not think that is true. Yes Taylor has lost two in a row, but he has not lost as much in the ring as Lacy has appeared to. Taylor has other options, this is Lacy's only chance for a big money fight at this time. No one is calling out Lacy, no sanctioning bodies are saying they want Lacy in any title eliminators. I agree that $550,000 is a little low for a fight with Taylor, but Taylor does not need Lacy at all. I agree if Golden Boy accepted a deal without Lacy being involved that was wrong. I hope this can be worked out, I hate to see Lacy retire on a sour note. Yes I do think Lacy is done as an elite, but I never want to see someone leave the sport because of something like this. I am sure more is to come about this.

How Will Cotto Bounce Back???

Unfortunately Miguel Cotto came up short last night against Antonio Margarito. If Cotto fought like he did last night, he would have beaten 98% of all fighters. However he was in the ring with Margarito who happened to be in the 2% he could not beat. Cotto has nothing to be ashamed about as he fought a great fight. But with all fighters who take their first loss especially by KO you wonder how will they bounce back. Cotto is a warrior and that is without doubt. He has been hurt, down, cut, bruised, bloodied and looked out on his feet only to come back and win. Last night was the first time he did not win in his professional career. Most believe Cotto will take the rest of the year off to let his body rest after such a brutal fight. But will Cotto bounce back? Personally I think Cotto can bounce back and be a champion again. Will he fight Margarito again? Will he fight Zab Judah or Shane Mosley again to get back in the mix? Will this tough loss play tricks on his confidence? These are the questions many are wondering in regards to Miguel Cotto at this point. A loss in a big fight can hurt anyone, but how you bounce back is what is important. I think Cotto will bounce back and become champion again, but the question is does Miguel Cotto believe that too.

What's Next For Antonio Margarito???

After a classic fight and win for Antonio Margarito, what's next??? Disneyland maybe, but as far as his career. Margarito's defeat over Cotto was by far the biggest victory of his career. Most will not argue that Margarito is now the man to beat at Welterweight. So what is next??? Lets be honest right now, no matter how many times he says Oscar De La Hoya that fight ain't happening. Oscar wants a winnable fight not a brutal ass whooping. Margarito would destroy De La Hoya with all of that pressure. A rematch with Paul Williams is a very attractive fight. Williams holds the WBO title he won from Margarito last July and is currently available for a fight. Margarito had a very sour taste in his mouth about the loss to Williams. The fight could be a title unification fight with Williams who has the WBO title and Margarito who holds the WBA title. Truth be told, Margarito was getting the best of Williams at the end of the fight. Margarito just started too late and could not catch up. If Margarito puts the pressure on Williams from the beginning, maybe he could KO Williams. Margarito could fight the winner of the Zab Judah-Joshua Clottey IBF Welterweight title fight. If Clottey wins, which I predict he will, it would be a rematch of their close 2006 fight. Two hard punching pressure fighters could make for a wonderful fight as well as a title unification fight. I suspect a rematch with Cotto may happen down the line, but not right away. It was a brutal fight and I imagine Cotto will take the rest of the year off. Margarito could also go back up to 154 and fight against WBA Super Welterweight titleholder Daniel Santos. Margarito fought Santos twice, once at welterweight for the WBO Welterweight title and the second time at super welterweight for the WBO Super Welterweight title. The first fight was a NC inside of 1 round and the second fight was a loss to Margarito. The fight was stopped due to an accidental headbutt and Margarito lost on the scorecards. Santos just won the WBA Super Welterweight title July 5 and probably would welcome a fight against Margarito. Since Margarito is the WBA Welterweight Champion and Santos is the WBA Super Welterweight Champion, it would not be hard to get that fight approved to happen. With this huge win over Cotto, Margarito is officially the man to beat in the welterweight division. If anyone wants to claim to be the best, they will have to go through Antonio Margarito. He is not the biggest money draw out there, but he is the man to beat. It should be interesting to see who fights him next.

Judah-Clottey Preview

Saturday, August 2, Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey meet to fight for the vacant IBF Welterweight Title. This fight could be just like the Cotto-Margarito fight from last night. You have a skilled fighter like Zab Judah going up against a pressure fighter like Joshua Clottey. Honestly I expect it to be similiar to the Cotto-Margarito fight with Clottey breaking down Judah. Judah as well all know loses focus in a fight quickly. I highly doubt he will all of a sudden be able to focus through a whole fight. However if Judah can jab and land hard shots he has a chance to win a decision over Clottey. I do not think he will be able to hurt or knockout Clottey. Clottey is a very rock hard guy who can absorb hard punches as well as dish them. Judah will have to keep up a high rate of movement to keep Clottey from hurting him. If and when Judah slows down, Clottey will beat him to the head and body. After some of the last few big fights Judah has been in, I am not so sure he can take as much punishment. The fight between Cotto and Judah saw Judah get broken down. Judah took a lot of punishment to the body and head from Cotto. In a fight with Clottey, I think Judah will take more of the same. A loss for Judah at this stage of his career will put him more or less in the journeyman status. This is a must win for him that I am not sure he can win. For Clottey, this is second shot at the title. The first shot was against Antonio Margarito in December 2006. Clottey was winning the first half of the fight until he injured both of his hands. The lack of punches allowed Margarito to take over and win the decision. However Judah is not as tough as Margarito. Judah has been knocked down and knocked out. Clottey knows that and I expect him to put full pressure on Judah. Clottey will need to keep the pressure on Judah until he can't take it. Punish Judah on the inside and close the gap on him. Do not give Judah any space to throw his punches. I really see Clottey winning a decision if not stopping Judah. I think it can be similar to the Cotto-Margarito fight where Margarito wore down Cotto. I think Clottey can wear down Judah and I think he will. Could this be the end of the road for Judah???

Margarito Wins The War In 11!!!!

In what was a great fight full of action, Antonio Margarito stopped Miguel Cotto in the 11th to claim the WBA Welterweight Title. The fight started off real well for Cotto as he landed the harder cleaner shots and kept moving. Cotto was moving from side to side and ducking many of Margarito's punches. The problem was, Cotto never hurt Margarito enough to make him stop coming forward. Cotto landed with some good straight lefts and uppercuts, and blocked many of Margarito's punches. However as you watched you questioned if Cotto could keep that pace up for 12 full rounds. Margarito is used to coming forward for 12 full rounds, but Cotto was not used to moving and boxing 12 full rounds. Around the 7th you could tell Cotto was starting to slow down. He still was landing hard punches, but his movement was not the same. Margarito was landing at a more consistent rate too. Cotto did not use enough of his hard body shots to slow Margarito down. Cotto mainly kept going for the head. At the end of the 10th, Margarito stunned and hurt Cotto badly. Cotto was already bleeding from his mouth, nose, and cut over his left eye. Evangelista Cotto told Miguel he needed to win the last two rounds. However you could tell that Cotto was a beaten fighter and may not last much longer. So in the 11th Margarito came out and jumped on Cotto. He hit Cotto with a left uppercut that caused Cotto to retreat. Cotto's hands dropped and Margarito chased him. He hit Cotto a few more times and Cotto took a knee. When Cotto dropped to his knee, Margarito hit him again. As Cotto stood up, he was bloody all over his face and looked done. His legs were gone and the fight in him was gone. Moments later as Margarito came at Cotto, he fell to a knee on the otherside of the ring without a punch landing. As Kenny Bayless started to count again, Evangelista Cotto got on the apron with the towel. The fight was officially stopped at 2:05 of the 11th round. After the fight, Cotto congratulated Margarito and went straight to his locker room without an interview. Margarito welcomed a fight between him and Oscar De La Hoya saying it would be a great fight for Mexicans. Cotto more than likely will not fight again this year. Although he outlanded Margarito, Cotto took a brutal beating. Between the movement in the ring and the hard shots he took from the harder hitting Margarito, Cotto was brutally beaten. His face was swollen and bloody. This fight was a war and well worth the wait. Hopefully all who watched enjoyed.

Jeff Lacy Is Retiring???

Former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy has said he is retiring. Lacy last fought and won a very close MD on ESPN2's Wednesday Night Fights this past Wednesday. Lacy was scheduled to then fight Jermain Taylor on November 15 on HBO. Then abruptly said he was retiring. Lacy told the Tampa Tribune, "There will be no fight between me and Jermain, I'm just retiring," he said. "I'm done. This business is dirty. That's all I have to say. This is a very dirty business. I would advise anyone who has kids not to ever let them fight in this business." Now I have stated I thought Lacy was really done as an elite fighter. I have not kept my feelings a secret. Personally I see him going down the path of Riddick Bowe soon if he keeps fighting. I mean lackluster performances and possible unpredictable actions in the future. I am not sure what happened after his fight on Wednesday, but the announcement of retirement seems like a hasty one. It seems like a hasty decision possibly made out of anger. Winky Wright, a fighter and close friend of Lacy's, believes Lacy is upset over something and just said he was retiring. Winky does not believe Lacy is really done with boxing. Well if Jeff Lacy is serious about his retirement, I wish him the best of luck.

La Battla: The Battle Weigh In

Miguel Cotto: 147lbs

Antonio Margarito: 147lbs

(WBA Welterweight Championship)

La Batalla: The Battle Is Upon Us Cotto-Margarito!!!!

The battle is upon us fight fans, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. This is on paper the best fight of the year. This is a fight fan's fight. Two Mexican Warriors who come to fight in every fight. These two guys do not take a fight off or show any signs of giving less than their all. Blood, sweat, tears, cuts, nothing stops these two guys from fighting. So here we are approximately 49 hours from the walk in of these two fighters into the ring at the MGM Grand. Who is going to win? Well the slight majority says Miguel Cotto, but no one is counting out Antonio Margarito. Margarito has been avoided a lot in his career and Cotto has avoided no one. That statement right there makes this fight great already. Cotto has defeated Shane Mosley, TKOd Zab Judah and Carlos Quintana. Margarito has brutally KOd Kermit Cintron, not once but twice. I know but who is going to win. Not an easy answer. Last time we saw Cotto, he was moving on his toes and boxing. So now we know Cotto has officially mixed his style up and can box and throw power shots toe to toe. As a welterweight, he has not been as vulnerable as he was at junior welterweight. His defense has improved and he takes punches better. The key for Cotto in this fight is to of course work the body. The brutal body shots Cotto throws can slow anyone down. He needs to stay on his toes and not just go to a power shot war with Margarito. They will engage in hard exchanges, but Cotto should mix it up. Keep moving the head and not allowing Margarito to have a steady target. Cotto does not want to allow Margarito to bull him into the ropes. Margarito loves to get fighters in the ropes and go to work. Cotto needs to know where the ropes are, and avoid it by all costs. Cotto also can effectively switch to southpaw without being confused. This is a great tactic to land some great power shots on Margarito who has a slight weakness to southpaws. This weakness was exposed a little in Margarito's fight against Paul Williams. As for Margarito, he needs to use his reach advantage and jab. Keep Cotto on the outside of his jab. Margarito lands his best power shots when he has room to throw them, so he does not need to let Cotto smother him. Margarito maybe stronger than Cotto, so he should use that strength. Push Cotto into the ropes to wear him down. He needs to make Cotto use his legs and then wear them down by making it rough. When on the inside, work the body of Cotto. Cotto has shown tendencies to get winded throughout a fight, so help him out with those body shots. As I stated earlier, these guys will exchange power shots. Margarito could possibly have the harder punch, making an exchange his advantage. However anyone can be exposed by a power shot they did not see coming. Margarito wants to keep his hands up and make it rough on Cotto. Damn, I am getting goosebumps with anticipation and excitement over this fight. I do not in anyway think these fighters will let the real fans down. They come to fight, they have both trained extremely hard and they both realized the true importance of this fight. The winner of this fight will undoubtedly be considered the #1 welterweight in the world. Also this fight will be for Cotto's WBA Welterweight Title. Cotto is 32-0 and he does not plan on losing his 0. Margarito wants to win to get that glory his heart and career has so long desired. Lets see who gets what the want. Tune in this Saturday July 26 to HBOPPV to catch what possibly could be the fight of the year. You absolutely do not want to miss this fight.

Jeff Lacy Is No Longer An Elite!!!!

Not too long ago I posted about Jeff Lacy and the effects of a good beatdown. Last night on ESPN2 Wednesday Night Fights, I saw it again. Jeff Lacy is no longer an elite fighter. The beatdown Lacy took against Joe Calzaghe damaged his career more than he will ever admit. Lacy won a MD over Epifanio Mendoza but looked bad doing it. This fight was supposed to be a true tune-up for Lacy as he tries to get a fight with Jermain Taylor later this year. Mendoza is not an elite fighter by any means. I saw many flaws in his style last night. Lacy has always had flaws such as a wide punch and lack of defense. Well Lacy has not improved on either flaw yet. Mendoza hurt Lacy several times throughout the fight. In my opinion, in round 8 Lacy was almost out. Mendoza had hurt Lacy causing Lacy to stumble. As Lacy stumbled, he tackled Mendoza. After those few seconds on the ground, he got back up. Lacy appeared to be a beaten man. When the decision was read, Lacy was booed. Lacy promised a impressive showing, but he didn't. Yes it was a very good fight, but not the one you expect from a guy who swears he has not lost anything. And what was up with one side of his face shaved and the other side not??? Lacy looked in tremendous shape, his body is always that of a bodybuilder. However in boxing, your chisled chest does not win you the fight. Yes Lacy got the win, but those who know boxing know Lacy is no longer an elite fighter. I am starting to worry about the amount of blows he is taking because I feel he is shot. Lacy was shot in March 2006 and he is in critical condition. I don't think he will ever fully recover. He will be able to function but he will never be the same.

Hot Damn!!! Roy Jones Jr. Has A Plan

When the fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe was first announced, I kept wondering if they would fight for both the Super Middleweight Title and Light Heavyweight Title since Calzaghe has both. However I never heard any mention of it. Well now since the fight is being postponed to probably November 8, a dual title fight may happen. Joe Calzaghe expressed concerns about making 168 by September, but he can make it by November. Roy Jones Jr. who last fought in January, weighed in at 169 at that time. If the fight happens November 8, it would be 20 years and 1 day (November 7, 1988) from the date Sugar Ray Leonard beat Donny Lalonde for both the WBC Super Middleweight and WBC Light Heavyweight Title. So history can be made if Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe can get the WBA, WBC, and WBO to sanction the fight. Since Calzaghe only holds the Ring Magazine Title at Light Heavyweight that will be no problem. Calzaghe also holds the Ring Magazine Title for the Super Middleweight division, so this can be done. All the lights are shining it appears for Roy Jones Jr. to prove his ultimate greatness again. As a huge Roy Jones Jr. fan, I expect to see him pull off history again by winning two lineal division titles in one fight. When Roy Jones Jr. is focused and chasing history, watch out. Roy Jones Jr. is back!!!!!

Damn, Damn, Damn!!! Jones Jr.-Calzaghe Is Postponed

The super fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe has been postponed due to Calzaghe injuring his wrists in training. The fight is going to be postponed until November. Rumor has it the fight maybe postponed due to the lawsuit Calzaghe's former promoter Frank Warren has pending against Calzaghe. Whatever it is, the fight is postponed and I am highly upset. Besides this weeks Cotto-Margarito fight, there was not a fight I looked forward to more. Roy Jones Jr. is going to tear that ass up whenever they fight.

Crackhead Quote

Eric Gomez, longtime friend of Oscar De La Hoya as well as the Vice President and matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions made a crackhead statement. I never like to accuse people of being on drugs so I won't. However the quote below seems like a crackhead quote. I found this quote in an article by Mark Vester of Boxingscene. I am sure Mark has to be very professional, so I will say it for him. Eric Gomez made possibly the crackhead quote of the year.

"Manny is tricky," Gomez said. "Oscar's no longer young and a fight with Pacquiao will be a very dangerous fight for Oscar. Cotto will be an easier fight for Oscar than Manny because Cotto is one-dimensional."

No More Fantasy, Pacquiao-De La Hoya Is Almost Reality!!!!

It was brought up some months ago about what if Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya fought. Pacquiao is the most exciting fighter in boxing and now the #1Pound4Pound fighter. De La Hoya is the most popular fighter in the world. It seemed like such a fantasy because De La Hoya had last fought at 154lbs against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao was fighting at 130lbs. Then Pacquiao moved up to 135 and convincingly beat down David Diaz. Pacquiao weighed like 145 the night of the fight. De La Hoya last fought Steve Forbes at 150 and swears he can get down to 147. Hmm, not as big of weight difference as most had thought. Now that Oscar De La Hoya has named December 6 as the date of his last fight and is having difficulty finding an opponent, Pacquiao's name is coming up. Pacquiao, despite being so exciting, had horrible PPV numbers for his fight against Diaz in June. All of the possible opponents for Pacquiao are good fighters, but lack enough popularity to generate lots of revenue. De La Hoya had been saying he wanted to fight Miguel Cotto, but most suspected he was just running his mouth. Cotto is a beast and probably would damage De La Hoya. Felix Trinidad keeps acting like he can't fight below 165lbs because he is too lazy to train and lose the weight. Plus Trinidad is no longer a good fighter and De La Hoya would beat him. Pacquiao is highly popular, the #1pound4pound fighter, and is a lot smaller than De La Hoya. Pacquiao brings the whole Phillipines with him every time he fights and many more people who truly love him. De La Hoya, need I say more, he always generates lots of money against whomever he fights. However it is a fight that puts Oscar in a no-win situation. If De La Hoya KOs Pacquiao, he was supposed to because he is the bigger fighter. If he only gets a decision against Pacquiao, then that is a disappointment. If De La Hoya loses to Pacquiao especially by KO, his legacy in the eyes of many will be tarnished. Yes De La Hoya is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he will be remembered for losing to a small guy. Many will question even more his debatable decisions that he won by narrow margins and could have gone to the other fighter. If Pacquiao loses, he can say he just fought too high in weight. He will still be a hero in the Phillipines and it won't really hurt anything except his personal pride. However if Pacquiao wins, he will bascially own the world. Pacquiao would have started his career at 106lbs and went all the way up to 147lbs to beat the most popular fighter of our generation. His legend would expand beyond all worlds. Lets be honest, this fight is going to happen. It can be said it is just a rumor, but this fight is going to happen. Too much talk has began on this fight and it is not being let go of. Freddie Roach believes his fighter Pacquiao can KO De La Hoya. Manny Pacquiao wants this fight and De La Hoya loves the atmosphere this fight will bring. It will be a huge event and generate a lot of money.

Did Rahman Quit???

I am not a Hasim Rahman fan. Personally I think Rahman could have continued to fight. I have seen worse cuts. Speaking from personal experience of someone who has had extremely blurry vision, he did not appear to have blurry vision. Yes I know I do not have his eyes, but someone with blurry vision like he made it seem wants to sit down and be still. Rahman was not trying to be still at all. Toney was the one who was still and quiet. Now it was a clear accidental headbutt. However the issue is how Rahman's words perceived. Rahman stated multiple times he could not see. The doctor did not say the cut was so bad the fight could not go on. Rahman said I can't see. Apparently that was received as a retirement. If Rahman would have never said he could not see, the fight would not have been stopped. I still think the fight should have been a no decision or no contest even though I know Rahman could have continued. Rahman kept saying the blood was streaming in his eye, but he never came out after the cut. When a cut starts, blood comes out. When the cut is treated in the corner, the cutman should be able to stop the blood. Rahman said he would not fight Toney with one eye unless he has to. Well he opted not to by saying repeatedly he could not see. However judge for yourself what you think.

Prayers For Oscar Diaz!!!!

Please pray for Oscar Diaz who is in critical condition after his fight with Delvin Rodriquez last night. Diaz collapsed in his corner after the 10th round of his fight. He was taken to the hospital where it was discovered he had bleeding and swelling of the brain. Diaz had emergency surgery and is in critical condition. So please pray for the Diaz and his family.

Kelly Pavlik-Bernard Hopkins October 18???

Word is that Kelly Pavlik will fight Bernard Hopkins on October 18 on HBOPPV in a nontitle fight at a catchweight of 170lbs. This fight actually makes me laugh because Bob Arum has been saying Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. need to retire and let the young guys have the sport. Now Arum has struck a deal for Pavlik to fight Hopkins. I will say it was by far not Arum's first choice for Pavlik. Fights with Sergio Mora, Allan Green, Paul Williams, Marco Antonio Rubio and Joe Calzaghe all fell apart for various reasons and not in that order. This fight will be between the guy who beat Jermain Taylor twice in a row to win the Middleweight Title (Pavlik) and the guy who lost to Jermain Taylor twice in the row losing his Middleweight Title (Hopkins). This fight is not official but it is going to happen according to Bob Arum. Top Rank and Golden Boy will split the revenue 50/50 and the fight will be at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Since this fight is going to be on PPV, HBO is supposedly moving the Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga fight scheduled for October 11 to September 27 on regular HBO. Now if we can get HBO to take the Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez fight off of PPV, we may have a better fall.

Toney-Rahman Last Chance: Controversy???

James Toney won an extremely controversial 3rd round TKO over Hasim Rahman. An accidental headbutt caused a huge cut over the left eye of Rahman. The ring doctor asked Rahman about it and Rahman stated he could not see out of his eye. The ring doctor stopped the fight. Then the decision came out as a TKO for Toney. The unified rules clearly state if a fight is stopped due to an accidental headbutt before the end of 4 completed rounds the fight is declared a no decision. Rahman never said he quit. The ring doctor may have concluded based on Rahman saying he could not see as Rahman saying he could not continue. So that could be considered Rahman retiring on his stool. However it was clearly an accidental headbutt and the fight should have been a no decision. James Toney was starting to pick up the pace at the time of the stoppage. Toney was disappointed because he wanted to win in beautiful fashion. Of course he will take the win how it comes. Rahman of course is pissed off because he feels he got cheated. I can't disagree. Rahman feels because the fight was in California and promoted by Goossen Tutors,which is Toney's promoter, that he was cheated. Rahman's camp has stated on site that they are going to file a protest with the California State Athletic Commission and the NABO. The ring doctor got interviewed and said he stated that what Rahman said, which is he could not see. Then the CSAC made the decision to count the fight as a TKO. The fight in the ring is over, but the real fight has just begun.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/16/08

1. Contrary to what was believed, Joe Calzaghe is NOT vacating his WBO Super Middleweight Title. The WBO Title is the one Joe has had since longest. It was his first title and he is not vacating it. Calzaghe plans to fight at Super Middleweight again after his fight with Roy Jones Jr. The next fight Calzaghe has at Super Middleweight will be his 22nd defense of his WBO title. The purse bid for July 22 between #1 WBO ranked Karoly Balzsay and #2 ranked Jean Pascal will be for the interim WBO Super Middleweight Title.

2. Do not miss George Foreman's new reality show Family Foreman on TVLand at 10pm EST. The six 30 minute episodes will the behind the scenes life of George Foreman, from being a husband, father, Minister, businessman etc.

3. Manny Pacquiao has decided to vacate his WBC Super Featherweight Title and keep his WBC Lightweight Title. Pacquiao had until July 28 to make his decision, but did not wait till the last minute.

4. The Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito tickets are not selling as well as hoped. There are plenty of tickets left for those who may want to attempt to go to the fight. I wish I could. Go to ticketmaster.com to find out what is still available.

5. Other Joe Calzaghe news. Calzaghe said he may fight Kelly Pavlik after his fight with Roy Jones Jr. Calzaghe said he needs fights that motivate him and a fight with Pavlik motivates him.

Casamayor-Marquez Presser

Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez pose for a picture with Oscar De La Hoya at a press conference to promote their September 13 Lightweight fight. The fight, titled "The Challenge" will air live on HBOPPV, but many including myself expect it to do horrible numbers. First of all it is not a big enough fight for PPV and the very next weekend, September 20, Roy Jones Jr and Joe Calzaghe will fight. Not to mention with gas as expensive as it is, nobody wants to pay $50 back to back weekends. However, this is an interesting fight because Marquez is moving up to Lightweight and challenging the Lineal Lightweight Champion in Casamayor. Casamayor is coming off his best performance in years, a KO of Michael Katsidis. Myself and many are hoping something happens to take this fight off of PPV and on to regular HBO. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

James Toney-Hasim Rahman: Last Chance Weigh In

Hasim Rahman: 244lbs

James Toney: 226lbs

NABO Heavyweight Title

This fight will be shown live on FSN Best Damn Fight Night, Wednesday July 16 at 11pm EST.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/14/08

1. Ricky Hatton may split from his long time trainer Billy Graham. Hatton's brother Matthew has already split and moved to another gym. Ricky has not commented on who will train him for his fight against Paulie Malignaggi. Whispers of the split have been on going since Hatton's loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December. Somebody has to take the blame, why not the trainer.

2. The WBC has declared the Humberto Soto-Francisco Lorenzo fight a no contest and ordered a rematch. The rematch is to take place after Lorenzo's medical suspension is over. The suspension will not be over until December 26, 2008. Lorenzo is being fined $2000 for his unsportsmanlike behavior to influence the referee and get the win. The money will be donated to a children's hospital in the Dominican Republic, the home of Lorenzo. In the meantime, Soto can fight for the title as long as it is before the end of October, two months before Lorenzo's suspension is over.

3. Manny Pacquiao has until July 28 to decide which belt he is going to keep, the WBC Super Featherweight title or Lightweight title. If Pacquiao decides to keep the Super Featherweight title he must fight Humberto Soto with the winner fighting Francisco Lorenzo.

4. Marco Antonio Barrera and Golden Boy Promotions have agreed to amicable split with Barrera getting his release from Golden Boy and agreeing to give up his position as a partner in Golden Boy.

5. Zahir Raheem, who got KTFO by Ali Funeka in South Africa last week, is filing a protest over the fight. Raheem claims the KO punch came after the bell. Raheem who had already been down four times said he heard the bell and took his eye off of Funeka when he got KOd. Raheem claims he thought the referee may have been afraid to penalize or disqualify Funeka because of the hostile environment. The fight was mandated by the IBF as a Lightweight eliminator. Raheem is looking for the result to be changed to a no decision and a rematch ordered within 60 days. Good luck.

6. Yoel Judah will return to Las Vegas to work the corner of his son Zab on August 2nd. Zab takes on Joshua Clottey for the vacant IBF Welterweight belt. Yoel had his license revoked after his participation in the brawl his son started in a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on April 8, 2006.

7. Word has it that Kenny Bayless will be the referee for the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight on July 26. Dave Moretti, Jerry Roth, and Glen Hamada will be the three judges for the fight.

Kendall Gill: A Real Boxing Lover

This past Friday, former NBA All-Star Kendall Gill was the guest on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Gill has had 3 career fights as a Cruiserweight and is 3-0. I have to admit I was very impressed with his knowledge of boxing. So many times I see other athletes or celebrities who claim to know boxing but sound like they do not. Gill appeared to be a real student of the game which I truly respect. When asked if he would box again, he stated he would probably just stick to training and sparring. He said he realizes at 40 he is not young enough for boxing but loves the sport. His analysis of the fights that were on air that night was great. He stated his top 5 fighters which consisted of Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson, and Muhammad Ali. Gill stated that his collection of fights go back to the real old days. I was simply impressed by Kendall Gill's knowledge and love for the sport of boxing. As someone who truly loves boxing, I love to see others who love it too. Too many people are part-time lovers of boxing which is not what we need. Gill also agrees with me that Roy Jones Jr is going to beat Joe Calzaghe. Brian Kenny, who in my opinion talks too damn much, disagreed. This is also the same guy who thinks Joe Cortez affected Ricky Hatton when he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Forget the many punches Hatton took in the fight. However I just wanted to give a shot out to Kendall Gill. I respected him as a basketball player and now I have even more respect for him as a fellow boxing lover. Hope to see you doing some more boxing analysis on television.

Klitschko Stops Thompson In 11

Wladimir Klitschko took care of business as he KOd out Tony Thompson in the 11th round. Thompson, a 6'5 southpaw, was very akward for Klitschko. However Thompson never seemed to press hard enough to make anything happen in the fight. He caught Klitschko with a few good clean punches, but never pressed further. For a good portion of the fight, Klitschko looked like he was confused or nervous with Thompson. I believe the southpaw stance really bothers Klitschko. Thompson hit the body decently in the middle rounds, but nothing too effective. Klitschko's right hands started to take its toll on Thompson and slow him down. Thompson appeared like he was trying to possibly set a trap for Klitschko, but it never happened. Klitschko just kept getting stronger through the fight and started to push Thompson around. It appeared Klitschko said enough was enough and took control of the fight. Then finally in the 11th, Klitschko landed a hard right to the chin of Thompson. Thompson went down hard and did not beat the count. This fight was a lot better than the Klitschko-Ibragimov fight in February. Thompson came to fight, but after awhile fell into his sparring partner role. However he was still more aggressive than Ibragimov. Next for Klitschko is his IBF mandatory against Alexander Povetkin probably in the fall.

James Toney-Hasim Rahman: Last Chance!!!!

This is not the picture for the upcoming fight, but I cannot seem to find it. However Hasim Rahman and James Toney are going to fight again on July 16 in a fight titled Last Chance. The title is so right because both of these guys need a win for anyone to consider them in the heavyweight division mix. The last time these two fought, March 2006, it was a disappointing draw. Toney came in out of shape and fought just off of pure skill. Rahman acted nervous and did not put enough pressure on Toney to make him exert his energy. I was not sure who I was pissed off at more, Toney or Rahman. I was pissed off at Toney because if he had tried to get into decent shape he would have won. He was already making Rahman look bad just off of natural ability. I was pissed at Rahman because like usual he is lazy. It was obvious Toney was out of shape, and Rahman did not pressure Toney enough. If Rahman would have pressured Toney he could have won the fight. So Last Chance is right for both of these guys. Rahman is 35 and Toney will be 40 in August. Both fighters claim to be in great shape and all the good stuff you say leading up to a fight. If both fighters are in shape and come to fight who will win? Toney is by far the more skilled fighter. He has been doing it for years and even in his horrible shape he managed to almost beat Rahman who was in shape. Rahman has the power advantage, but tends to be outboxed and get tired. Rahman has been knocked out more, which I feel takes a toll on a fighter despite what the fighter believes. Toney is a throwback fighter, he loves to just flat out fight. The only thing I worry about with Toney is if age will catch up to him. He has all the natural ability you could want a fighter to have, but will the up and down in weight along with age hurt him? Rahman has not impressed me that much in his last few fights against journeyman. He has come in well above a comfortable weight and looked sluggish. In order for Rahman to be effective and win, he is going to have to come out aggressive. Establish his jab early and make Toney work. He does not need to let Toney lay on the ropes and counterpunch, that is how Rahman almost lost the fight last time. Toney is the master of laying on the ropes and letting the other fight exert energy and miss his punches. Rahman should try to work the body of Toney especially on the inside. Rahman needs to throw straight punches and not the wide ones he tends to throw. Do not use too much energy as Toney has a great chin. A KO would be nice, but let it come to you don't force it. In order for Toney to win, he has to be himself. Toney needs to be the slick quick counterpunching fighter he has always been. He needs to continue to move in akward ways to make Rahman exert lots of energy and miss. Rahman gets tired a lot in fights, so Toney needs to work that body. Rahman is the bigger man, but Toney still has a good jab he can use. Toney needs to use that jab to distract Rahman and then follow up with some nice body work. Toney does not have the power he used to have in the lower weight classes, but enough sting to keep Rahman away. However Rahman has been KOd at least 3 times to my knowledge, so Toney could possibly do it late in the fight. The only way Toney will get Rahman down is by wearing him down throughout the fight. This fight has a lot at stake here. It is not just a fight, it is for their careers. The winner should be able to move on to another good payday and the loser may need to retire. Will it be the puncher over the skilled fighter? Will it be experience over the not as experienced? Will it be age? Will it be ring knowledge? Will it be controversial? With James Toney and Hasim Rahman, you never know. So tune in Wednesday July 16 on FSN's Best Damn Fight Night telecast at 10pm EST live from the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. This fight will not be one you want to miss!!!

Chad Dawson-Antonio Tarver Face Off October 11

Chad Dawson has officially relinquished his WBC Light Heavyweight Title and is moving forward with fighting Antonio Tarver on October 11. The WBC is a little upset because they twice gave Dawson exceptions to fight other fighters with the promise of fighting Adrian Diaconu. The WBC feels Dawson was more influenced by television networks(Showtime) than by following the rules of the WBC. So the fight between Dawson and Tarver will be for Tarver's IBF and IBO Light Heavyweight Titles. The location of the fight is uncertain but looks to be at either the Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/11/08

1. Rumor has it that a deal has been reached for Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams for September 27 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The fight would be aired on HBO World Championship Boxing.

2. Rumor also has it that Antonio Tarver and Chad Dawson will finally fight on October 11 in Connecticut at either the Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods casino. Chad Dawson will be stripped of his WBC Light Heavyweight Belt because he will not be facing his mandatory Adrian Diaconu. A Dawson-Tarver fight will get Dawson more money than a fight with Diaconu.

3. It appears the Samuel Peter-Vitali Klitschko fight will take place October 4 in Berlin Germany at the new O2 World Arena there. Showtime will televise the fight.

4. Marco Antonio Barrera wants to fight again but not under Golden Boy Promotions. Barrera, who has a minority stake in Golden Boy, wants to fight as a free agent. Golden Boy claims Barrera owes them one more fight and of course Barrera says differently. They are supposed to meet and discuss the situation.

5. It appears Manny Pacquiao will be fighting Humberto Soto on November 15. Bob Arum said he did not want to get delayed waiting on the Nevada State Athletic Commission to give clearance to Edwin Valero. Arum said if Valero is cleared, he will put him on the undercard of the Pacquiao fight and if they both win then they can fight each other next year.

Klitschko-Thompson Weigh-In

Wladimir Klitschko: 241lbs

Tony Thompson: 247.5lbs

IBF/IBO/WBO Heavyweight Championship Fight

Live on HBO Saturday at 4:30pm EST and replay at 10pm EST

Klitschko-Thompson Preview

This Saturday live on HBO at 4:30pm EST and replayed at 10pm EST, IBF/WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko will defend his belts against WBO mandatory challenger Tony Thompson. Klitschko is coming off a very boring decision win over Sultan Ibragimov in which he took the WBO belt. Thompson has not fought since 2nd round TKO over Cliff Couser in September. Thompson has not lost a fight in 8 years and presents a challenge to Klitschko whether anyone wants to believe it or not. Thompson is a 6'5 southpaw with decent power. Klitschko may have to fight Thompson, unlike he had to do against Ibragimov in February. Klitschko and Thompson are very close in height and weight, the only question becomes he who executes better. Rumors of past sparring between Klitschko and Thompson vary between the fighters. Thompson has said he was beating Klitschko, but of course Klitschko remembers a different story. Whatever happened then, will not matter come Saturday. Now in order for Klitschko to win, he needs to establish his extremely powerful jab. He will need to keep moving because Thompson is a southpaw and will be coming at him. So Klitschko will need to jab and follow up with hard right hands. However he does not need to stand still and admire his work. Aim for the body with some of his punches, to slow the 36 year old Thompson down. Klitschko needs to keep the right distance between himself and Thompson. So he may have to work on the inside a little with Thompson, which is where good body shots can be effective. Klitschko needs to keep his hands up and not get hit on his weak chin. For Thompson to win, he needs to keep moving. Establish your jab from the beginning. Do not be still or allow yourself to be cornered by Klitschko. The fact that Thompson is very close in height to Klitschko can make it better for him to land his punches. He will be punching straight instead of up. Thompson needs to land some good body shots to help lower Klitschko's guard so he can tag his weak chin. Thompson needs to keep his distance, but work well when they are on the inside. Thompson may want to make Klitschko fight instead of box. Klitschko boxes nice, but can get a little unnerved with a fight. When he is fighting, he sometimes forget to keep his guard and can get caught. Thompson may want to explore this to possibly get a KO. As I stated this fight can be interesting because Thompson is not a small heavyweight like Ibragimov. Thompson has fought over in Germany before and is not nervous. He is confident he can win and has not lost in 8 years. We could have a good fight Saturday, check it out.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/10/08

1. Joe Cortez, who is in hot water about his last officiating job June 28, will be the ref for the Wladimir Klitschko-Tony Thompson fight this weekend.

2. The Contender is going to be televised on Versus beginning in December. This season the show will be focused on the Cruiserweight division. This season it will have American Cruiserweights against International Cruiserweights. Buddy McGirt is going to train the Americans and possibly Enzo Calzaghe will be training the International fighters. A few names in the mix to be on the show include former undisputed Cruiserweight Champ O'Neil Bell, BJ Flores, Darnell Wilson, Matt Godfrey, and Johnathon Banks.

3. It appears the Ricky Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi fight will be November 22 on HBO in Las Vegas.

4. Joe Calzaghe may be stripped of his WBO Super Middleweight Title soon since he is going to fight Roy Jones Jr. at Light Heavyweight. If that is the case, Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy may fight for the vacant belt this fall. Lacy, who has a fight July 23 against Epifanio Mendoza, has to win and be injury free in order to fight Taylor. There is a purse bid on July 25 for a fight between Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch for the vacant WBC Super Middleweight Title. However HBO is not offering very much money for that fight. They are offering a lot more money for a Taylor-Lacy fight. Time will tell who Taylor fights and for what title.

5. The Nate Campbell-Joan Guzman fight is almost complete. The fight will air on Showtime September 13 and may take place in Jacksonville Florida. On the undercard, WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley may make his first defense against either Juan Urango or Randall Bailey.

6. Hot Junior Middleweight prospect James Kirkland, who recently split with Gary Shaw Productions, seems to be headed towards a deal with Golden Boy Promotions. If that happens, Deandre Latimore who upset Sechew Powell is more than ready to take Kirkland on. Latimore has called on anybody and everybody since he scored an upset TKO over former #1 IBF Junior Middleweight Contender Sechew Powell.

It's Official: Roy Jones Jr-Joe Calzaghe Will Fight

Ladies and Gentleman the fight is on. Roy Jones Jr. is going to fight Joe Calzaghe September 20, 2008 live on HBO from Madison Square Garden. I am totally pumped up. I am a huge Roy Jones Jr. fan and I never stopped believing in him even through his downfall, 2004-2005. So I am telling everyone right now, I am going for Roy Jones Jr. to win in beautiful fashion. When it is time for the preview, I will be honest about both fighters and their chances. However, Roy Jones Jr is who I am rooting for and he will win the fight. I can hear the disagreements coming down the path, so bring them on. Anyway you put it, Roy Jones Jr. will be victorious on September 20, 2008 and prove why he is one of the best fighters we have personally seen lace up some gloves. He will be placed back on Pound 4 Pound lists as well. He is getting back what he had. To let you know how positive I am that Roy is going to win, today is my father's birthday and the fight is made official. September 20, is my mother's birthday and that is when the fight is going to happen. Two great days to my existence, so Roy is going to win. Unless he by some crazy chance loses, you cannot convince me Roy Jones Jr. will lose.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/8/08

1. It appears that the Roy Jones Jr.-Joe Calzaghe fight will take place at Madison Square Garden on September 20. Calzaghe wanted the fight in Wales, but HBO insisted the fight take place in the US.

2. Kelly Pavlik has been nominated for an ESPY award from ESPN.

3. The Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz fight has reportedly done horrible in PPVs. It is rumored to have done less than 200,000 PPVs. Ouch. That is really sad because it was the best Pacquiao ever fought. However it leads many to believe that the future PPV cards such as Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez on September 13 and the Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga fight on October 11 will both do horrible.

4. Word has it the IBF has ordered an eliminator for the Junior Middleweight mandatory between former IBF Champ Cory Spinks and Joel Julio. If this comes out to be true, Spinks-Julio will take place this fall and they will not get a chance to fight for the title until early 2009. Currently Verno Phillips holds the IBF title after defeating Cory Spinks in March.

5. Golden Boy Promotions has formed an alliance with USA Boxing under which they will collaborate on numerous marketing, media, broadcast and consulting efforts. This is special to Oscar De La Hoya is a 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist and has always expressed his love for Olympic boxing.

6. Hot prospect Devon Alexander has been named the #1 contender at Junior Welterweight by the WBC. Alexander is ready to fight new WBC Champion Timothy Bradley as soon as possible.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/7/08

1. Demetrius Hopkins has officially signed with Top Rank. Hopkins will soon be in action under Top Rank.

2. Paulie Malignaggi got his cast removed off of his hand. Now he says he is ready to rock and roll for his fight in November against Ricky Hatton.

3. Rocky Juarez will face Jorge Barrios on the undercard of the Juan Diaz-Michael Katsidis fight on September 6 live on HBO from the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. Both fights will air as part of the Boxing After Dark telecast.

4. Despite the rumors, John Duddy is not scheduled to face IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Verno Phillips. Yes it is an option but nothing is close to being official for that fight, if it takes place at all.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been in the news a couple times recently. He has lashed out and called out HBO for racism. Then in a documentary he is filming, he had some extremely harsh words for Oscar De La Hoya.

6. Zahir Raheem was knocked out cold in South Africa against Ali Funeka. It is considered a big upset and may be the end of Raheem's career, at least as top contender.

7. Lightweight contender Amir Khan has agreed to a contract extension with Frank Warren. Khan is also looking at getting an experienced American trainer, possibly Freddie Roach. However since Roach trains Pacquiao who is also a Lightweight and Roach's best fighter, I am not sure how that will work.

One Year Since Nonito Donaire Smashed On The Scene

Today is the one year anniversary of Nonito Donaire's KO of Vic Darchinyan. It was a sensational KO. I was watching it live on Showtime and it was great. Immediately I became a fan of Donaire's at the post fight interview. I found him to be a very gracious and respectful fighter. Since then he has continued to carry the same dignity that I love in great fighters. He is one of my favorite all around fighters without any doubt. I know I have posted the video of him knocking out Darchinyan before, but I have to do it again. Also good luck to Donaire as he has just signed with Top Rank and will be making his debut for Top Rank on July 26. He will be on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight fighting Jose Navarro. I can't wait to see Donaire back in the ring.

Holt KTFO Torres To Win WBO Junior Welterweight Title!!!

Whew!!! Wow!!! Exciting!!! Non Stop Action!!! Knockout of the year!!! Round of the year!!! All these words describe what happened in the Kendall Holt-Ricardo Torres rematch. They did not come to box, they came to fight. And fight they did. Ricardo Torres came right at Kendall Holt as soon as the bell rang. Eventually landing a hard right hand to drop Holt. Holt got back up quickly and Torres attacked him again. Torres landed a couple more shots and had Holt down again. Holt got up so quick that when Jay Nady was going towards Torres to get him in the neutral corner, Torres hit Holt again. Nady never saw Torres land the other left hook on Holt as he stood back up. So two knockdowns in less than a minute and it appears Holt would probably get KOd. Wrong!!! As Torres stalked Holt, Holt connected with a left hook to the body and accidentally headbutted Torres under his chin. The headbutt did some damage to Torres because as he backed up he dropped his hands. Torres was drove into the ropes and then Holt connected with a devastating right hand. Torres went down into the ropes and was not moving. Once Jay Nady saw Torres was not moving he waved it off and called for doctor's aid. At first I thought Torres was dead because he was not moving at all. When they laid him down his eyes were not moving either. That was a scary few moments there. I was wrong, because I thought Holt would get KOd. He still has a weak chin as he displayed getting knocked down twice. However he had the punch to end the fight. I knew he could hurt Torres as he showed in their first fight. However I did not see the KO coming last night, especially after Holt had been down twice. To see Holt KO Torres was a huge surprise, yet very exciting. That 61 seconds of action is most definitely the round of the year and perhaps the KO of the year. They should probably fight a third time. For those of you who did not see the accidental headbutt, it is hard to see unless you watch it on a replay. It happened so fast it was easy to miss. Anyway it goes, Holt got the job done.

Ricardo Torres-Kendall Holt Weigh In

Kendall Holt: 139lbs

Ricardo Torres: 139lbs

WBO Junior Welterweight Title

The fight is live on Showtime July 5, 2008 at 10pm CST

The Effects Of A Good Beatdown

March 4, 2006 undefeated IBF Super Middleweight Champion Jeff Lacy went to the U.K. to fight undefeated WBO Super Middleweight Champion Joe Calzaghe. For many in the United States we had heard of Calzaghe but had not seen much of him. Many of us, including myself, thought he was another hyped overseas fighter that would get exposed. Calzaghe would never leave his country to fight in the United States and always seem to have an injury when it was time to fight. Lacy, was a strong power punching fighter from the US that seemed destined to expose Calzaghe. Lacy was not the best boxer, but many felt his classic left hook would land at some point and end the hype of Joe Calzaghe. Damn, were we all wrong? Lacy went over to England trying to land his wide shots and he got exposed instead. Calzaghe hit Lacy with every punch in his arsenal. Not too often you see a beatdown like that without a knockout. Lacy was down in the 12th but got up. At the end of twelve rounds, actually before, Lacy look like a beaten fighter who was spent. I was very shocked at what had just taken place. Now here we are more than two years after this fight and I read where Lacy says he eventually wants a rematch with Calzaghe. When I read that, I immediately thought of the effects of the beatdown. Although I have never seen the actual punch stat numbers, I have read that Calzaghe landed over 1000 punches against Lacy. I did not say threw over a 1000 punches, but landed over 1000. Now I will say that Calzaghe is not the biggest power puncher, but he does hit hard enough that after a 1000 times you would be hurt. Lacy has not been the same since that fight by any means. Lacy came back 9 months later to win a controversial MD over Vitali Tsypko. In that fight Lacy suffered a shoulder injury which required surgery. He did not fight for a little over a year when he fought Peter Manfredo Jr December 8, 2007. Lacy won a very boring UD over Manfredo. Lacy did not have the punch he used to have or the aggressiveness. All the things that many thought would be good enough to beat Calzaghe, Lacy has lost that too. It appears he still has yet to learn how to box. He still throws those wide shots that leave him very open. If Lacy fights anyone with decent boxing skills they will expose him again. My concern really is after the beatdown he took from Joe Calzaghe, he thinks a rematch is a good idea. Since the beatdown, Lacy has fought twice and won two lackluster decisions. He is due to fight on July 23 against Epifanio Mendoza. For Lacy this is a do or die fight, no questions ask. Sure he only has one loss, but the effects of that beatdown have been horrible for him. It was not like losing a split decision or even getting KOd early. Lacy endured 12 long hard rounds of punishment. The punishment he received took a toll on his body that night in England and he will never get that piece of himself back. He can change trainers, promoters, gloves or whatever he thinks is the issue, but he will never get back the fight he lost in the ring against Calzaghe. There are rumors of a Jeff Lacy-Jermain Taylor fight. Oh how attractive that fight would have been a little over 2 years ago, but today it is not valuable. Taylor, who has lost two in a row, is still in better shape as a fighter than Lacy. Yes Taylor was KOd, but he did not take the total beating Lacy did. Lacy is a shell of himself. He swears he is not and he believes that. However those who know the sport know more than likely Lacy is spent and will never be the same. As beautiful as this sport is, it is also brutal. Losses occur in every fight whether it is scored a draw or not. In each fight, you just never know the true effects of a beatdown until it has passed by. For Jeff Lacy I think the effects of the beatdown he received from Joe Calzaghe may have been detrimental to his career. He has not comeback from it well and it appears he never will. Although Lacy will continue to fight, the effects of the beatdown may have ended his career with only Lacy being the last to know.

Ricardo Torres-Kendall Holt: No Excuses The Rematch

This Saturday live on Showtime as a Special Edition of ShoBox, Ricardo Torres takes on Kendall Holt in a rematch of their controversial fight from last year. The fight is for the WBO Junior Welterweight Title currently held by Torres. Their first fight was controversial due to lack of control by the referee and a wild crowd in Torres's country of Colombia. Holt claims he was hit in the head with a beer can among other things. Now put all that stuff in the past. This Saturday, the rematch will be televised on Showtime(American Television) at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas (United States). I doubt very seriously if the fight gets out of control in anyway as Jay Nady is the referee. So what do we have here but the two fighters. Ricardo Torres, who is a very dangerous puncher with 28KOs in his 32 wins. Then you have Kendall Holt who is a slick boxer with some power. Holt at this point has a lot of anger and emotion in his body. He may deny it, but it appears to be written all over him. He feels he was cheated in the first fight and wants to KO Torres to prove it. If Holt comes out trying for KO, I have a feeling he will be KOd. Torres is too powerful for Holt in my view. Torres appears to be in good shape too. Holt, has never really impressed me. He also seems to have a weak chin to me and both of his losses have been by stoppage. Sure his first fight with Torres was controversial, but him getting knocked down was not controversial. Torres has improved since his KO loss to Miguel Cotto back in 2005. In that fight, Torres took the fight on short notice and almost had Cotto out in the fight. Holt appears to be in shape for the fight but I think he needs to box. He does not need to exchange with Torres. Get in and get out, try to wear Torres down in the body. Maybe in the later rounds he can possibly get Torres out. However a KO should not be a first priority for Holt. Torres has the power to stop Holt without a doubt. In order for him to win, he probably needs to get in close and let his hands go. Do not let Holt keep him on the outside. Holt does drop his hands, and Torres needs to take advantage of that by landing his hard right hand. They have both knocked each other down in the first fight so it could happen again. However I think Torres has the better shot at knocking Holt down and possibly out. Honestly for some reason I see Torres stopping Holt again, probably with a punch he does not see coming. For Holt I would like to see him win so he can get the belt he desires, but I just don't see it happening that way. I see Holt giving in to his emotions and trying to trade with a puncher. I guess Saturday night we will see if I am wrong.

American Son by Oscar De La Hoya

I just got finished reading American Son by Oscar De La Hoya. I received the book on Monday and got into for real today. It was a very good book. The book dips into Oscar's life as a child and how he was raised, his close connection with his mother, amateur days, and his up and down lifestyle. It is not as dramatic as I thought when I received the book but still a good story. Oscar touches on how there was not a lot of communication in his household as he grew up. You always hear him talk about his mother, but the funny thing is they never said I love you. He speaks of his kids out of wedlock and how at first it did not settle him down like he had anticipated. The bad decisions he made as far as management early in his career is valuable information I think all up and coming boxers should learn from. Oscar speaks on how he did not realize at first how he was being misguided with his money. He thought what he was getting was fair and did not question much else. However he learned how a fighter needs to be in control of his money and business. I too found that information to be very valuable. He does not give direct advice but the lessons he learned and the way he speaks of it is good advice enough. Oscar speaks on how till this day how he feels his mother is watching over him still. He gives a very touching account of one incident in particular. I wished he had touched on it a little more, but you still got the idea. How he met his wife and how she treated him at first is actually very funny to anyone who has had to chase a woman. With all the money and popularity he had, it was funny to read the struggles he had to get Millie. I found his views on the trainers he has had over the years was good. Most people speculate on why there are changes in a fighters corners without ever really getting the true facts. I got a better view of Richard Schaefer in the book too. When you read it, you find out how much respect, admiration, and credit he gives to Schaefer. Honestly, it is well deserved based on what Schaefer did for Oscar in a personal and business standpoint. All in all I found this book to be pretty good. Personally I think he could have waited until he had fought his last fight to finish writing the book. However it is out and still a very good book to read especially if you are a fan of Oscar De La Hoya. It is not a hard book to read at all. If you followed his career, some of the things you are familiar with and learn a little bit more about. I sat and pretty much read the whole book in one day. So get yourself a copy and get a closer look at the man known as the Golden Boy.

Boxing Rumors (Maybe Hidden Truths) 7/3/08

1. Bob Arum has officially withdrew his offer to Sergio Mora to face Kelly Pavlik. Arum offered Mora $1.2 million and Mora's promoter Jeff Wald countered with $1.5 million. The reason for the higher counter offer is because out of that offer, Mora would have to pay Vernon Forrest step aside money. Forrest had an immediate rematch clause in his contract against Mora. Now Arum is trying to strike a deal with WBO Welterweight Champion Paul Williams to move up to Middleweight to fight Kelly Pavlik. If the fight happens it will occur on September 27 on HBO at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

2. Ruslan Chagaev will not be stripped of his WBA Heavyweight Title. He has been named Champion in recess giving him until June 26, 2009 to defend the title. Chagaev will be defending the WBA Title at that time against the winner of Nikolai Valuev-John Ruiz II. Valuev and Ruiz promoters are in negotiations for the fight. FYI Chagaev had successful surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon.

3. For those of you who actually cared, the Kosta Tsyzu-Jackie Chan exhibition fight has been cancelled. Since Chan is an Olympic ambassador for the Beijing Olympics, the officials did not think the exhibition was a good idea.

4. Allan Green has inked an advisory deal with Greg Leon. Leon is going to work with Tony Holden, Green's promoter, to help Green land some bigger fights. Hopefully this will lead to Green getting a title shot real soon.