Mayweather VS Marquez Fight Continues

Floyd Mayweather Jr. insists it's not all about the money.

Not totally, anyway.

"I guess I just missed boxing," Mayweather said Saturday. "Somebody's got to keep the sport up and running. Why not me?"

That was the question Mayweather asked himself as he took a break from the sport that has consumed his life from the time he learned to walk. He wasn't gone long, but his 11-month retirement was enough to make him realize that he wanted to fight -- and fight a lot more.

"I'm still the biggest draw in boxing," Mayweather said. "Everybody wants to fight me because they know I'm the cash cow."

Mayweather, 32, will return to the ring July 18 in a fight against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who will move up two weight classes to get his share of the riches a Mayweather fight can produce. It will be his first fight since he stopped Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their December 2007 bout.

"I left on top, and I came back on top," Mayweather said. "I'm here to fight and reclaim what's mine."

Indeed, when Mayweather announced his retirement last June he was generally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, an honor now mainly given Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather's decision to retire instead of fighting a rematch against Oscar De La Hoya led to Pacquiao getting the shot that he capitalized on.

Mayweather announced his comeback plans in a theater at the MGM Grand hotel, just hours before Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton were to meet in a 140-pound fight in the hotel's arena.

Mayweather, should he beat Marquez, could get the winner of Saturday's fight in the fall, but he wasn't planning to stick around and watch it.

"I'm taking my daughter bowling tonight," he said.

Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 39 fights, brushed off questions about the state of his finances, saying he made $8 million last year without having a fight and that the rumors he was in financial difficulty were just that. But the lure of many more millions was in the back of his mind as he began sparring once again in recent weeks, the itch to fight returning.

Mayweather was always well known in boxing, but it was the HBO reality series "24/7" featuring his dysfunctional family before his fight with De La Hoya that really cemented his fame. He took advantage of it to appear as a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars," made an appearance as a wrestler in Wrestlemania and currently appears in an AT&T television commercial.

"I bring the most controversy to the sport," he said. "The others are too nice. This is a brutal sport."

Mayweather and his advisers were coy about the contract weight for the Marquez fight, saying it would be a welterweight bout. But De La Hoya, who will be promoting the fight, said it calls for a 143-pound limit instead of the 147-pound welterweight limit.

That was a concession to Marquez, who just last year weighed 129 pounds for a fight against Pacquiao and has only fought twice as a lightweight. Though moving up in weight, Marquez is still considered a dangerous opponent, and many thought he won both his fights against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao - Mosley Boxing Fight

Rampant rumors recently suggest the possibility of an October 17 showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley, but will the bout really happen? Odds are, probably not. The rumored match-up is theoretically slated to take place at an unknown catch weight somewhere between 140 and 147 pounds. According to reports, Pacquiao has agreed to fight Mosley and all that is left is working out the details of the contract. Even still, I believe the odds of this fight coming to fruition are very slim, mainly because of the looming interest in a proposed mega bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior.

Two things jump to mind as a result of these recent reports. First, Shane Mosley really wants this fight. In fact, he seems almost “desperate” to make this happen . Not only as he agreed to meet Pacquiao at an unidentified catch weight, but he has also eagerly conceded a 60-40 purse split favoring Pacquiao and has insisted that Pacquiao get an immediate rematch clause in the event of a Sugar Shane victory. Such concessions lead me to the other thing that jumps to mind—since Mosley is doing everything in his power to try and lure Pacquiao into the ring, he must be extremely confident that he can beat him .. Why else would he be willing to give up so much? Such a victory would almost certainly ensure a later date with Floyd, so with or without a Pacquiao rematch, Mosley is seemingly counting that, in the long run, a win over Pacquiao will be more lucrative for both bank account and legacy.

While Mosley's motivation is clear, Team Pacquiao's motivation is still unknown. There are several possibilities. On one hand, they might be genuinely interested in fighting Mosley, and perhaps this really is the prelude to a negotiations process that will give the fans a real treat in October. On the other hand, this might just be a way for Team Pacquiao to gain leverage for future negotiations with Mayeather, or perhaps even Juan Manuel Marquez. Another option still might be that they are simply hedging their bets so they can make the most lucrative deal possible in the aftermath of the July contest between Mayweather and Marquez. Whatever the underlying motive really is, at the very least, I suspect nothing will be set in stone until after Mayweather and Marquez do battle.

The one wild card in all of this is Manny Pacquiao. He himself has stated that he is willing to fight Mosley. Since Manny has always seemed to be a man of the highest honor and integrity, it is conceivable that he really intends to fight Mosley next, but even if this is true, it is entirely plausible that Freddy Roach might be able to convince him otherwise. After all, unlike Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Roach knows that Mosley is a major threat to Manny. Roach is very perceptive when it comes to making match-ups that are favorable to his pride and joy fighter. He knew that Oscar was past it and unable to pull the trigger and he knew that Manny would have a field day with Hatton's defensive deficiencies.

Sugar Shane Mosley poses an entirely different type of opponent and Roach is fully aware of this. That is why Roach has refused to allow Manny to face Mosley at 147 pounds like he did Oscar. He is smart enough to realize the threat posed by Mosley, ergo, his insistence on Mosley coming down below 147. That Mosley is even willing to openly concede a 60-40 purse split and an immediate rematch clause for Manny probably makes Roach even more weary of allowing Pacquiao to square off against him . Unlike his last three opponents, Shane is still a very fast fighter, and he also posses a great deal of power and accuracy in his right hand—a punch that Manny has proven susceptible to in the past. Even still, Manny is a very special fighter and he would certainly have a good chance to beat Mosley, even if Shane does present several obstacles that were lacking in Pacquiao's last few opponents.

At the end of the day, I still think the prospects of a Manny-Floyd showdown will probably win the day, much to the dismay of Mosley. The number of casual fans who are already actively talking about the potential of this fight is truly amazing. I have never heard so many casual fans speak so enthusiastically about any fight, let alone a fight that has not even been signed yet. This indicates a strong probability that Mayweather-Pacquiao would generate more money than Mosley-Pacquiao, which probably means more money for Pac-Man. For Roach, the bottom line might become a matter of how Mayweather looks when he returns to the ring. At that point, Roach has to decide whether he believes Manny has a better chance against Floyd, the technically superior fighter, or against Mosley, the aging fighter with superior size and strength.

Personally, I would much prefer seeing Mosley and Pacquiao do battle. These two warriors have each represented something admirable amongst modern day fighters, and that is a constant desire to continuously prove himself against the best opposition available. In light of that, Mosley-Pacquiao is the fight with the best potential for excitement, so even though I have my doubts that this will happen, I have made my preference known. Will Pacquiao really fight Sugar Shane Mosley? Only time will tell.

Juan Manuel Marquez: First World Title

By the time of his second attempt at a world title Juan Manuel Marquez was in a peculiar position: he was one of the most respected fighters in the sport yet had never held a major belt. He was mentioned in quite a few top 20 pound for pound lists (like Maxboxing founders Steve Kim and Doug Fischer) and was considered, along with Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins as one of the best ring technicians in the sport. Yet superstardom eluded him. 

Though he was a fixture at the old Great Western Forum in Los Angeles and impressed with his devastating combination of defense and offense, he was still poorly managed and he was seen as a high risk-low reward boxer, which resulted in many of the top fighters in the sport not wanting to step into the ring with him (most notably Prince Naseem Hamed refused to fight him even though he was his WBO mandatory). However, after years of victories Marquez finally got his shot at a world title when he took on WBA Featherweight champion Freddie Norwood.. It was his chance to finally earn what many thought was his destiny, but in the end it wasn’t meant to be as Freddie Norwood won a unanimous decision in a fight that Marquez probably won. The loss was bad enough but the major problem lied in the fact that even though he was deserving of the belt he got knocked down then proceeded to give the audience a cautious and pedestrian performance in an utterly god-awful fight. In summary: Marquez not only didn’t hold a belt, but didn’t gain any fans which allowed him to be shut out from the big names around the lower weight classes. From that point he had to earn his way back to the top and went on a string of impressive victories, culminating in stopping future world champion Robbie Peden in 9 rounds to earn a shot at the vacant IBF Featherweight title against former world champion Manuel Medina. Three and a half years after laying an egg in his first title try, this was Marquez’s chance to not only win a world title and lead to bigger title fights. He not only needed to win, but show the world why he was indeed, as some were already proclaiming, one of the best pugilists in the game. And Marquez made the most out of his opportunity. 

When the bell rang to begin the fight both went directly towards center ring and spent the first couple of seconds waiting the other out, yet it was Marquez who was the more aggressive of the two, starting off with firing straight right crosses and hooks to the body. Medina remained cautious in the opening stanza firing mostly a slow rangefinder jab. The problem was for all of his caution; Marquez was already beginning to solve him. He timed his occasional right cross with his head movement, and then when Medina went to the jab he would counter with his own jab followed directly behind a right cross. A minute into the fight Medina threw a jab, but Marquez immediately fired off a rocket fast left-hook-to-the-body, right-hook-to-the-body, and-a-double-left-hooks-to-the-head combination. The first punch was partially blocked but the last three landed flush and the last punch stunned Medina for a half second. Ten seconds later Marquez countered a Medina body-jab with a straight cross to the head then lead and connected with two lead left hooks to the body. With a minute left in the round Marquez’s offensive arsenal was beginning to fully emerge as he was countering to the head and the body with left hooks, right crosses, double jabs and uppercuts. The first round wasn’t even completed yet Marquez wasn’t having any problem countering and landing with his crisp combinations. The bell finally rang and gave Marquez a very easy round, and for Medina the worst was yet to come. 

The second round began and nothing of note happened for the first seconds until Medina threw a right cross. Marquez blocked it then turned his knuckles to land a follow up left hook that badly stunned Medina, then followed up with a massive right cross that sent Medina falling yet he was unfortunate to still be standing and Marquez connected with a left uppercut to the head. Medina fell over like he had been hit by a baseball bat. Yet event though badly hurt, he was able to regain his senses and got up at 8. Marquez began to advance trying to end it early, while Medina for a few seconds got on his bicycle. However, Medina made a massive mistake: he decided to fight. Instead of continuing to run or at least tie up Marquez, he elected to stand at center ring. This played directly to the hands of Marquez as he was able to play target practice. 

Marquez now back at center ring landed a lead left hook to the head followed by a right cross. Medina threw a jab, and again Marquez landed a left hook and a right cross then punctuated it with a left hook that slammed Medina’s head backwards. Medina then went into retreat against the ropes, but Marquez landed another right handed uppercut then a right cross. Medina was able to survive the onslaught and went back into center ring yet whenever he threw a punch, Marquez was able to counter him. And that round Marquez was seemingly landing with everything to all parts of his opponent’s body. The last minute of the round featured very little offense as Marquez, seemingly tired, going into a prevent offense while playing defense on the ropes. This allowed Medina a chance to get off on his offense, but Marquez was able to avoid most of his power shots by using his deft head movement and was still able to land some counters on his own. The second round ended with Marquez achieving a 10-8 round and assuming complete control of the fight. However, despite being totally dominant in the first two rounds of the fight, Marquez took his foot off of the gas pedal to start the third. 

For the entirety of the third round it featured Marquez intentionally going into a shell while Medina becoming the aggressor. The former champion began throwing more one-twos and was showing tremendous resolve and poise after taking so much punishment in the first two rounds. But there was a major problem: his aggression wasn’t effective. 

While he pressed forward and tried to get something flowing, Marquez, even in defense, was still landing the harder more devastating shots. Instead of a “second wind,” this was merely just an example on how even when he isn’t going at 100 miles an hour, Marquez was a legitimate ring artist. Then in the fourth round it was time for Marquez to get back to bringing the pain. 

Medina was playing the aggressor and landed his best punch of the fight, a right cross to face of Marquez, but in the mid point of the round Marquez landed a right cross that badly wobbled Medina. Medina tried to run away but then fell straight in line with Marquez’s follow up right hook. Both men were able to get back at the center of the ring, and again Medina regained enough of his senses to continue coming forward and throwing….and continually eating Marquez’s counters. Then when fifteen seconds to go in the round Marquez landed another counter right cross and was staggered yet again, but this time Marquez was going in for the kill. He landed a three punch combination while Medina was teetering on the brink of collapse. God only knows what kept him from getting knocked down, but he was able to hold on and survive the round, but when it was over his nose was pouring blood and his eyeballs were swelling. Marquez was now fully in control and his world title was in his sights. 

The next two rounds turned into a repeat performance as it was Marquez putting on an amazing performance. He was using the ring, spinning Medina around, using head movement to slip punches then firing back with those counters that always landed flush with damaging results. For people who had never seen him fight it was the proof why so many were afraid to fight him. As for Medina he was game and courageous, but he was getting the shit kicked out of him. That is how a lot of these title winning efforts seems to go for the pound-for-pounders; while the challenger is putting on an awesome show, the former champ or (other challenger for the vacant crown such as Medina) usually is forced to taken a brutal ass kicking. Medina was following that script to near perfection as he wasn’t even competitive. Round five was another clear Marquez round and round six was so one sided in favor for the soon-to-be-champ that it could have been scored a 10-8 even without a knockdown. At the end of the sixth, Medina’s right eye was totally shut and the end was near. 

Round seven began with Marquez and Medina being very tentative while the exchanged punches from a distance. Then Marquez went directly into the ropes, and Medina began throwing punches for ten seconds. But then Marquez spun the former champion around with a grazing left hook, then the follow up left hook landed flush, and sent Medina down again for a second time. Medina got up and was ready to fight on, but the referee, Robert Byrd walked Medina to the ring doctor to take a look at his swollen right eye. The doctor didn’t even hesitate and called the fight over and Marquez had earned a TKO in seven rounds and laid claim to his first world title. Yet more than the world championship that he won it was the culmination of a long road for the Mexican stylist. 

Nearly four years after laying an egg in the Norwood fight and three years of not getting his much deserved title shot at Prince Naseem Hamed, Marquez put forth the most dominant performance of his career when it mattered the most. Make no mistake either, while the fights with Marquez and Pacquiao were more significant, this was JMM at his most complete in terms of offense and defense. From that point on he was a legitimate star and the best was yet to come.

Bob Arum Says No Way Mayweather Will Get Even A 50/50 Purse Split For Pacquiao Fight

It seems there will be a long, hard road of tough negotiating ahead if we are ever to get the much sought after modern day dream fight that is Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Junior. Both fighters and their teams feel that they are the star attraction and the greater fighter, thus both Manny and Floyd argue they should be paid the lion's share of the bout's purse when and if the match-up takes place.

Reportedly, Mayweather Junior has said it will be "a cold day in hell" before he agrees to a 50/50 split with the man who took over his reign atop the pound-for-pound rankings. And Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum have rejected all talk of a 50/50 fight, Arum going as far as to say Mayweather would have to take much less. This may not be a case of greed, more a case of ego. Will this ongoing feud stop one of the best and most important bouts of the decade from taking place?

Usually in boxing, common sense comes to the fore in the end, when all parties concerned realise that the fight has to happen due to the sheer size of the event and of the money to be made from it. Let's hope this turns out to be the case with Pacquiao-Mayweather just as it was with Hatton-Pacquiao - another fight that looked to be off for a while due to disagreements over the monetary share the two fighters were to be paid. In the end, both sides came to their senses, but in an interview today with The Philippine Star, Arum made it clear Mayweather and his team will have to make a big concession if the fight we all want to see is actually made.

"You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum says he's delusional," Arum said. "Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd's got no idea what he's talking about. Floyd must be hallucinating when he said he wants the bigger purse and wouldn't agree to a 50/50 split. Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense."

As firm as he is with his refusal to budge, Arum is basically putting the ball in Mayweather's court; but will Floyd ever allow himself to be paid less than any fighter he feels he is superior to? No date has been mentioned for the huge fight, but it won't be happening this year according to Arum.

In the article, Arum said Pacquiao will likely fight either Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Edwin Valero in his next fight, scheduled for October 17th. Arum also confirmed that Julio Cesar Chavez, once a possibility for "Pac-Man," has been ruled out.

"But I'm not gonna come up with a name until after June 13th (the date of Cotto-Joshua Clottey)," Arum said. "Then he'll [Manny] be back in Los Angeles and I will meet him and Freddie [Roach] there. We will discuss all the options, and get everybody's input. There's no rush. There's Cotto, Mosley and Valero. We're not including Julio Cesar Chavez Junior because of the weight (Chavez Jr. can get no lower than 150) and he's fighting soon."

Despite the long series of negotiating ahead, as long as Pacquiao and Mayweather win their next fights the demand will go on for a clash between the two greats. Hopefully this demand will be satisfied.

eastsideboxing.com

Mayweather Talks About Pacquiao, Hatton

The Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez hype show rolled into London yesterday, and as usual 32-year-old "Money" Mayweather had plenty to say. Speaking primarily about two fighters, in Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton - the former being a potential rival for the future, the latter being a conquered foe - Mayweather had some interesting stuff to say.

Floyd knows only too well the majority of fans worldwide want him to meet up with the man who took over his spot at the top of the pound-for-pound pile, and the 39-0(25) master said yesterday that if and when he and the Filipino superstar do meet he will beat him.

"If the Pacquiao fight presents itself after this one [Vs. Marquez], then I'll lay the blueprint on how to beat him," Mayweather said yesterday.. "Pacquiao's a good fighter but he can be got. He was knocked out twice before and I'm a slick, smart boxer. I would tie him up. There's a science to this game and I could adapt to any style. Pacquiao was out-boxed by Erik Morales."

Pacquiao may well have been stopped twice before, but on both occasions the southpaw was still very much a work in progress and fighting in a much lower weight class. Mayweather is right when he says "Pac-Man" was out-boxed by Morales, though. Clearly that fight makes the unbeaten great believe he can do the same thing to Manny. It would be an entirely different fight though. Let's hope we do get to see it. At least Mayweather is talking about the possibility.

As he was in Britian, the subject of Ricky Hatton was bound to come up. Mayweather pulled no punches while discussing "The Hitman's" fighting future - he said he has not got one.

"Ricky's career was over in 2007 when he met me," Floyd said. "He was a gutsy, tough champ but there's a time in every boxer's career when they must hang it up. He was knocked out twice - by me and Pacquiao. They were two devastating defeats. He's been in a lot of tough fights and taken some big shots.

"Gaining weight and drinking - you can't have that sort of lifestyle in boxing. You have to take your job seriously. I don't think Ricky should fight again. I wouldn't fight him again, even at Wembley. It would be like picking on a guy we call gun shot. His head won't be the same."

Hatton, as fans know, was very much dreaming of having an opportunity to get revenge over Mayweather, very possibly at Wembley some time next year; but this was ruined when Pacquiao destroyed him in just two rounds.

Speaking on the May 2nd fight, Mayweather said his father, who trained Hatton for the fight, of course, should not be in any way blamed for what happened.

"I don't want everyone over here ripping my father to shreds," Floyd said with regards to Hatton's quick KO loss. "It wasn't my dad's fault. My dad told him to go out, relax, use his jab and be smart. There's this other trainer, Lee Beard, and Ricky was listening to him. No disrespect to Lee but has he fought? A lot of the time trainers try to tell fighters what to do without having been in combat. My dad has been in combat before."

Speaking respectfully about his father as he did, Floyd made a lot of sense. The word is the two Mayweathers are back on good terms. Maybe Senior will work Junior's corner in the fight he is currently hyping up?

Marquez-Mayweather: The Weight is Over

In anticipation of the July 18th clash between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez, many boxing fans and sports writers have become transfixed with the number 147. Of course 147 refers to boxing’s welterweight division where Mayweather reigned as lineal champion before retiring unexpectedly in 2008. Considered the best pound-for-pound fighter when active, Mayweather returns to face #2 ranked Juan Manuel Marquez; at stake is not simply a win or loss but a claim for the pound-for-pound title and perhaps a chance to face the current best fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao.

Though the boxing world is energized for Mayweather’s return the agreed upon weight of 143-144 has dominated the headlines. Throughout many online boxing communities which include websites, forums, and message boards, Marquez supporters have made their displeasure with the weight agreement heard. They argue that Marquez is too small for 144, he is too short, never fought above lightweight, unproven at welter, or that his power would be diminished at the higher weight.. In addition, boxing writers like Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal has focused on the weight issue in the aptly titled article “Marquez's Disadvantages Are Increasing.” In the report he states that the fight will in fact be held at 147 however that could simply be a misinterpretation. His reasoning is that the fight will be held at welterweight which has a 147 lb. limit, however even if the fight were held at 143-144 it would still be considered a welterweight fight. The match was originally announced at a catchweight below 147 and that is where it likely will remain.
Amidst the concern for Marquez’s perceived disadvantages boxing media has lightly considered his overall skill and abilities. Marquez has often been described as a natural 130 lb. fighter yet he moved up to lightweight (135) and scored knockouts of former champions Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, two of the best fighters in the sport. In contrast, he did not stop and even struggled with Rocky Juarez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Manny Pacquiao, fighters he fought at his so-called natural weight of 130 lbs. It can be argued, based on these two impressive wins, that Marquez actually has more power at the higher weights and will likely carry his power with him to welterweight. In general, writers and fans are shortchanging Marquez and they have readily offered weight as the culprit for his fan anticipated loss. Perhaps a simple answer would be that Mayweather is just that good. Weight advantages have never been the secret to his or Marquez’s success and it is doubtful that weight will be the determining factor in this fight. Skill, ability, heart, and determination will always be the real reasons a fighter succeeds and though both guys possess a ton of skill, ability, and determination, only Marquez has consistently shown his heart.

So why have fans, writers, and reporters raised so many objections to the weight agreement? Would it be different if Marquez was moving up to face a different opponent? What if he was fighting Manny Pacquiao at 140 or moving up to fight Oscar De La Hoya at 147? What if he was chosen to be Ricky Hatton’s final opponent or landed a fight with Miguel Cotto at 144? How would the argument change? A cynical view suggests that weight is only an issue because he is fighting Mayweather and as mentioned in my previous article there is a double standard when it comes to him. Versus any other opponent the higher weight would be acceptable because Marquez would be seen as having a better chance against a less-skilled fighter. The reality however is regardless of opponent, Marquez from this point onwards will move up in weight. There are no more big fights or better yet, no big money opportunities left at lightweight and if he wants to stay relevant he moves up. He is not alone, former lightweight champions Nate Campbell, Joan Guzman, and of course his arch rival Manny Pacquiao have already made the leap.

For a fighter, jumping divisions and competing at higher weights is a personal challenge and fans, writers, and reporters can not save them from their boxing destiny. Whether they succeed or fail is up to how well they prepare and execute the task at hand. There have been many instances were the smaller man has been victorious and even in cases where they were not it is hard to target a fight where a catchweight has come under as much fire as this match-up. Pacquiao-De La Hoya initially comes to mind but Oscar moving down to 147 was viewed as a neutralizer. In most cases however, there is not a sustained attack on the heavier fighter as there has been on Mayweather. Bernard Hopkins was not vilified for fighting middleweight opponents Winky Wright and later Kelly Pavlik at 170. No one is criticizing heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko for significantly outweighing cruiserweight David Haye. Also no media proponents seemed to have had a problem with Mayweather being outweighed by De La Hoya at 154. What the majority of these fights have in common is that it is often the smaller fighter who voluntarily moves up and issues a challenge to a larger foe; Juan Manuel Marquez is no exception.

There are many examples of overcoming the odds decorating boxing history but in the end this is why pound-for-pound champions are celebrated and distinguished above the average fighter. Marquez understands that defeating Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will make him an all-time great and fans, writers, and reporters fixed on weight should realize that you can not stop, change, or prevent boxing history; let Marquez determine his own fate. The weight is over.

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After the stunning victory of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao against Ricky "Hitman" Hatton, Saturday night, May 2, 2009. Pacquiao vs Hatton, the retired undisputed and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his come back in the world of boxing and tries to claim his crown as the king of the ring. Mayweather will start his come back by an opening fight on July 18 against the mexican Juan Manuel Marquez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas where they will be fighting on 143 or 144 pounds weight category.

The same bragging mouth of the last Mayweather is still dominating in his every interview today and he is not really convinced that Pacquiao is the best fighter of all time. He claims that he have never been lost ever and the fighter that can produce millions in every fight. This fight between them will be the trigerring device for the coming future Pacquiao vs Mayweather match, if ever he wins this July fight against the Juan Manuel Marquez which is also aiming to fight again Pacquiao.

Edison Miranda vs Andre Ward

On Saturday May 16, at Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, USA, Andre Ward and Edison Miranda will see who's the strongest, bravest and best of the fighters between the two of them. The fight is set at 9:00pm ET. To be sponsored by the local TV station. So sit down and reserve a ticket from the ticketing office to enjoy and watch the fight between the two fighters.

Andre Ward

Ward made his pro debut on December 18, 2004 by scoring a second round TKO over Chris Molina. Ward dropped Molina in the first round with a straight left cross to the chin that drove him into the ropes and down on the second strand. Ward, continued to dominate the action and dropped Molina for the second and final time with another sharp left hook to the jaw. The referee waved off the bout at 40 seconds of the second round.

On February 5, 2005 Ward fought in his second pro fight against Kenny Kost. Ward overcame a rocky second round, in which he was hurt by a left hook, to win by unanimous decision. Ward defeated Roy Ashworth on April 7, 2005 by disqualification, after Ashworth committed numerous fouls on Ward, including shoving Ward to the canvas and hitting him in the back of his head.

Ward won his next three fights, all by knockout, before going up against Darnell Boone on November 19, 2005. Ward was knocked down for the first time in his career in round four. Despite the knockdown, Ward went on to win by unanimous decision.

After the fight with Boone, Ward went on to win his next six fights, including TKO victories over undefeated Andy Kolle and Francisco Diaz. On November 16, 2007 Ward beat undefeated Roger Cantrell by fifth round TKO in Saint Lucia.

On March 20, 2008, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, Ward defeated Rubin Williams by seventh round TKO. Ward hit Williams with jabs and straight left hands almost at will, opening a bad cut over Williams' left eye in the process. The cut would force the referee to stop the fight.

Ward faced Jerson Ravelo on June 20, 2008,in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, for the vacant WBO NABO super middleweight title. Ward dominated Ravelo for the majority of the fight en route to a TKO victory in the eighth round, claiming the vacant WBO NABO super middleweight title.

Edison Miranda

Edison "Pantera" Miranda has been a fighter his entire 26 year life. At just one month old, his mother gave him to a family friend to be raised. Edison was both physically and mentally abused by this person. At nine years old, he decided to search for his mother all by himself. He traveled all across Colombia and finally found her; however, she rejected him again. He was now all alone on the tough streets of Colombia at the young age of nine. He spent the rest of his childhood working hard in the plantain and yucca fields of Tumaco and sweeping up for street vendors in the neighboring town of Buenaventura. He ate whatever he could find on the streets in order to survive. By the time Edison was 12, he was already working a grown-man's job in construction. Just two years later, he worked as a cattle butcher in Barranquilla, where he would soon begin pursuing his dream of becoming a champion boxer.

With only five months of training and barely 16 years old, Edison fought his first amateur boxing match on April 17, 1997. The strength and passion that had seen him through the past 15 years became his greatest weapons in the ring ? helping him to a first-round knockout against his first ever opponent. After only four more amateur fights, Edison found himself in the ring with the best fighters in the country, only to succeed with first-round knockouts again and again. He quickly rose to be the National Champion from 1998 to 1999 and was the Champion of the National Games in 2000.

152 fights later, Edison became a professional boxer, but his journey was only halfway over. March 2002 saw the promising young boxer's arrival in the Dominican Republic. Having been promised a shot at going to the United States to fight the top middleweight fighters in the world, Edison continued with what he's best at ? fighting ? both in and out of the ring. Struggling to make ends meet, left homeless and hungry by an unfair contract, Edison left the Dominican Republic and returned to Baranquilla, Colombia on December 24th, 2004. With the support of friends, he fulfilled his dream of making it as a boxer in the United States when he signed with Warriors and then had his first American fight in Hollywood, FL on May 20th of 2005. "I am God's warrior," Edison says, "I've always put my trust in Him, and he's always protected me. God is the reason I'm here today? and he's the reason I fight. Because I know it's His plan that I be a champion."

Edison's keys to success are discipline, faith and hard work. His training regimen includes only jogging, the stationary bike, jump rope, punching the bag and sparring. He doesn't lift weights, doesn't drink alcohol, and always goes to bed early. When asked about his greatest goal as a boxer he replies, "I want to be the kind of champion that helps others? to help children that were like me, homeless, with nowhere else to go.

* Won 16 of his first 23 professional bouts by 1st Round KO.
* 2001-03-16 - Won his first professional fight with a 1st Round KO victory over Jose Chiquillo.
* 2005-06-16 - Defeated Jose Varela by Unanimous Decision to claim the vacant WBO Latino middleweight title, vacant NABA middleweight title and the vacant IBF Latino Middleweight Title.
* 2006-09-23 - Received his first loss by Unanimous Decision to the undefeated champion Arthur Abraham for the IBF Middleweight Title.
* 2007-03-03 - Won a Unanimous Decision over then undefeated contender Allan Green.
* 2007-05-19 - Lost by 7th Round TKO to ranked Kelly Pavlik (29-0) in a WBC Middleweight Title Eliminator.

Figthing Words From Taver

He has never been a shrinking violet, a wallflower, a supporting character content with his secondary role. Instead, he has been charismatic when cast as the hero, defiant when dubbed the villain, and loquacious whenever the cameras are on, the microphones are near and the topic involves him.

And so it was his quiet that spoke volumes.

There was little of the usual bluster, less of the verbal swagger from Tarver in the months before his rematch with light heavyweight beltholder Chad Dawson. That was not the case when the two first met, when Tarver had a title around his waist and could still claim to be of consequence in their division.

It was Dawson who had given up a title belt of his own to challenge Tarver, Dawson who sought to capture the shine off one of the men who had ruled the division. That recognition had been traded between Tarver, Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins, Glen Johnson, and Roy Jones Jr., five fighters who took in the large paydays but were either approaching 40 years old or already past it.

While they reigned, Chad Dawson rose through the ranks, first as a prospect plying his trade at middleweight and super middleweight, then as a talented young fighter who would jump to 175, defeat veteran Eric Harding and then go on to do the same against Tomasz Adamek. The Adamek victory earned Dawson his world title. Beating Tarver, he thought, would bring him to the next level.

Tarver bristled at the notion of being Dawson’s stepping stone. He thought himself still to be the mountain looming over the land.

In their first meeting, Dawson, 14 years Tarver’s junior, was faster of hand and fleeter of feet, strafing him with combinations and then moving out of harm’s way. Even in rounds when Dawson was clearly taking a break, he would let Tarver throw at will and then mock him for his inability to hurt him.

Younger. Faster. Better.

Tarver, suddenly, was quieter.

He had leverage at the bargaining table. For the right to face him once, Tarver had the option of facing Dawson again. Soon after the October unanimous decision loss, Tarver exercised his contractual rematch. They would meet again.

Perhaps Tarver’s seeming civility came from a case of humility. Or maybe he was coolly confident, intent to let his fists do the talking, as they had three times before in such situations.

Harding. Jones. Johnson. Each defeated Tarver by decision once. They would not do so twice.

Tarver avenged the Harding loss in 2002, two years after the fact, via stoppage. He erased the Jones defeat in 2004, half a year after they first met, with a one-punch knockout. And he outpointed Johnson in 2005, six months after their initial bout, outworking him over 12 rounds.

Every time Tarver had a chance at a rematch, a shot at revenge, he came through. His reputation preceded him. Could he succeed once again?

Not this time.

After 12 rounds, the scorecards had Dawson ahead by nearly the same margins as before. In October, they read 118-109 and 117-110 (twice). This time, the judges’ tallies came to 117-111 (twice) and 116-112.

The fight itself looked similar. In their first meeting, Dawson had thrown 657 punches, landing 236, while Tarver connected with 226 of his 897 shots. Again, Tarver threw more punches than Dawson, sending out 749 shots but landing just 121. Dawson put forth 677 punches, landing 209.

After Tarver’s first fight with Roy Jones, he admitted to being caught occasionally watching his opponent’s hand speed. Against Dawson, Tarver often would wait to throw until his foe was finished. Dawson did the same, strategically avoiding exchanges.

But Dawson’s shots were crisper and harder. He dug into the body and then followed up top. Dawson dictated the pace early, landing more telling blows, while Tarver would throw as much but, through three, had only connected with 16 shots.

There would be no single-punch knockout, no reliance on power. But Tarver wasn’t about to roll over and surrender. He would not go out with a bang, but he would not go out with a whimper either.

There were a few rounds Tarver clearly won, when he found the energy within his 40-year-old body to go for a full three minutes. Yes, he had already been throwing more punches than Dawson. But he also needed to apply enough pressure to close the gap, to slow Dawson down.

He didn’t do enough.

When the verdict was read, Tarver remained standing, like a defendant who had just heard the sentence and now understood his fate. He walked away without comment – the cameras and the microphones were on Dawson.

There was little shame in losing. It was but a defeat, not a drubbing.

Others leave boxing too late, taking too much punishment, falling short against fighters who previously never belonged in the same ring as them, embarrassing themselves as shells of what they once were because they either do not know that it is over or cannot accept that they’ve reached the end.

If this is the end for Tarver, then it’s a fitting conclusion.

He began his run through the division at the turn of the century, working his way toward a shot at Jones until he was unavoidable. Jones returned from capturing a heavyweight title to take on Tarver, then, after winning closely and with controversy, faced Tarver again. Tarver took his fate into his own left hand and was on top from there.

He earned a role in Rocky Balboa, playing Mason “The Line” Dixon, essentially a version of himself, opposite Sylvester Stallone’s title character. Then he returned to reality, handing over the reins of the division with a loss to Bernard Hopkins.

Tarver stuck around since then, winning three fights before the pair of losses to Dawson. His return to contention meant he hadn’t stuck around for too long. That may not be true if he attempts to rise again.

To retire now would be the quiet way out. No one expects Antonio Tarver to do anything quietly. But there are plenty of outlets with cameras and microphones. And there’s always room in boxing for a man who can speak.

Source: Boxing Scene