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.