Juan Manuel Marquez Stucked?

A fighter who has unquestionably made his mark in the minds of hardcore fight aficionado's, yet failed to cement that legacy by decisively winning those ring moments which many viewed as career defining. When you take a look at the ledger of historical Mexican fighters in the sport over the years, an intriguing contingent would actually argue that he is possibly one of the most fundamentally blessed of them all. How has that translated during his 50 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, and 37KO's, spanning over a long 16 year tenure? Apparently not enough to remove questions from the equation. At 36 years old and having 3/4 of his career already in the rear-view mirror, oddly enough, the biggest question surrounding him relates to his peak. Critics feel as though he has passed it, supporters feel as though he hasn't reached it, radicals feel as though he has yet to even truly define it. The interesting thing is that depending on which fights you take into consideration, each of those answers hold a certain amount of weight.

For those that take into account the second Pacquaio fight, where he performed well enough to make it interesting, yet not well enough to seal the deal, left many feeling that perhaps his better days are truly behind him.. If you take into account his latest victory over the always 'game' Juan Diaz, you may subscribe to the theory that perhaps, maybe, he has finally reached it (his peak). Then you have the first fight against Pacquiao, where he tasted the canvas three times and still found a loophole to claw his way back into the fight. After walking through the fire to nearly steal that show, those who covet this fight close to their heart may argue the performance was a great example which supports the possibility of him not even really defining his greatness - as there surely seemed to be quite a bit more where that came from when all was said and done. Each of those fights provide a different insight, but when you look at the total and complete body of work, the consistency versus inconsistency argument truly opens space for a great debate. In 2006, Marquez squared off against a fighter (Chris John) who only seems to crack my personal pound for pound list - (for few others appear to have taken note). Leading up to that fight, I thought it would be an excellent guage for Marquez to see how he would handle himself against an opponent who's fundamental skills parallel that of his own. Few have looked at this particular fight when studying the worth of Marquez, but I think it provided a very solid glimpse into a trend that hasn't seemed to go away.

That trend was the fact that Marquez has routinely performed quite well, but to echo the sentiment of his biggest critics, he has often failed to have his hand raised when the final bell rang in a marquee showdown. That particular trend is a very curious one, because his next opponent brings a blueprint to the ring that remains easy to read, yet invariably hard to comprehend. The shoulder rolls, the careful precision, the precise knack for knowing when and where to show how and why. Floyd Mayweather jr. will undoubtedly serve as a very stiff task for Marquez, challenging everything he has ever stood for and providing every trap he ever fell against. A win over Mayweather opens the door to a few future grand opportunities, while a loss would mean both, a huge mountain to climb, and an exclusive residence in the proverbial 'middlegrounds'. Meaning that he wouldn't be quite relegated to the basement venues of the world, but he would clearly no longer attract the Mayweather/Pacquiao type opposition. Such a middlegrounds could be fruitful for the sport. That middleground would place him within range of a very loaded jr. welterweight division that would keep him in the company of other greats trying to reach that mega fight status....guys like Campbell, Bradley, Khan, and Devon Alexander, to name a few. So what happens going forward for Marquez will have a lot to do with what he does in the present (against Mayweather), and perhaps even a lot to do with what he has done in the past (the countless amount of wars he has encountered over 16 years). So, as we wait to see whether it'll be forward progress or another backwards decline, Marquez once again remains stuck in the moment.. But on the morning of Sunday, September 20, when the headlines go to print, one way or the other, this moment too shall pass.

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto - November 14, Vegas

Promoter Bob Arum had Miguel Cotto firmly on his list of potential next opponents for pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao - even before Cotto's win over Joshua Clottey this past Saturday night. Now that Cotto has won and is still the holder of a world title, it seems as though Arum is keen to get the fight made a done deal. There was reportedly a short list of possible opponents for Pacquiao's next fight (originally thought to be set for October) and it sure looks like Cotto is at the top of that list now.

Pacquiao doesn't seem keen on taking on "Sugar" Shane Mosley, at least not yet. Floyd Mayweather has just pulled out of his July fight with Juan Manuel Marquez with an injured rib, meaning those two greats will have to wait a while - possibly until September - before finally getting it on.. This leaves just Edwin Valero and Cotto from the list we heard about pre-June 13th. Box-Rec already have the Pacquiao-Cotto fight up on their site as happening at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14th, and moments after his Top Rank fighter won via a somewhat debatable split decision on Saturday, Arum spoke to some members of the press about a possible fight between the two huge names.

"Cotto-Pacquiao is the fight I want to make," said Arum. "It's the fight I really want to make."

Cotto, understandably, needs and is going to take a vacation. But if the fight takes place on November 14th, some five months away as it is, Cotto could surely be ready for "Pac-Man" by then. There will be the not too small matter of the bout's weight to be agreed on, and from what Arum reportedly said post-fight on Saturday, a catch-weight affair at somewhere around the 142 to 145-pound mark is what he'll shoot for.

If it does happen, at a weight both guys are happy with (143 sounds as fair as can be) what can we expect?

Fans are still arguing as to whether or not Cotto deserved the win he was awarded over the dangerous Clottey. Hit plenty in the 12-rounder and content to back-pedal his way to the final bell over the bout's last four-rounds, Cotto impressed some and disappointed others. Some fans have even gone as far as to suggest the Puerto Rican star may be finished. Although that's going way too far, it does certainly seem as though Pacquiao will be the fresher man in the ring on November 14th (if they meet).

"Pac-Man," too, has been in his share of tough fights, but his last two wins have been pretty easily acquired ones - De La Hoya offering next to nothing over 8 one-sided rounds, and Hatton making things easy for Manny by discarding all defence on his way to being starched in the 2nd round. Ready for another fight that will test his greatness, Pacquiao definitely has plenty in the tank for a prospective fight with Cotto.

Then again, would even a 143-pound (on the scales) Cotto be too big for the Filipino sensation? By fight time it's possible Cotto would hold something like a ten pound weight advantage over the southpaw. When it comes to speed, both guys are very fast punchers. Power? The edge has to go to Pacquiao.

Aside from Pacquiao-Mayweather and "Pac-Man"- Mosley, Cotto-Pacquiao is the most attractive fight involving the superstar from Manila that can be made right now.

Let's see if Arum - who calls the fight "Dead-Even" - gets to see the fight he is seemingly desperate to make happen.

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.

Manny Pacquiao wants Mayweather

In the report on the local television news program, world boxing champion and pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao was interviewed about his schedules on at the ring.

While Floyd Mayweather admires Manny Pacquiao's fighting style but re-assured himself that the latter cannot knock him down, Manny Pacquiao then takes the challenge. Manny said he wants to have Mayweather since he was really challenging, he wants him because people are talking this fight. He wants to prove something on Floyd Mayweather.

The tentative schedule was set on October 17, 2009 and he will challenge whoever wins between Mayweather and Marquez fight on July this year. The popular Filipino boxer who recently scored a second round knock out against Ricky Hatton of England said that he is willing to face Mayweather at any weight between 142-145 pounds.

A Worthy Semi-Final

With every great performance always comes the demand for an encore. Sports fans often wax poetic about their heroes going out on top, but it’s never truly enough. The more they succeed, the more we want to see them tested at least one more time.

Naturally, the moments following Manny Pacqauiao’s devastating second round knockout of Ricky Hatton were filled with the obligatory two word question that always follows every major event – “Who’s next?”

The possibilities are endless for Pacquiao, who makes it that much easier to mix and match with his penchant for weight jumping. His amazing career has spanned ten weight classes, collecting belts in six of them, including an unprecedented four lineal world championships.

His past four fights have come in four separate weight classes, resulting in five knockdowns, four wins, three knockdowns and three championships. If the plan is to continue to maximize his earning potential – and by that, the realization that fighters are paid in dollars and not percentages – then the next trip will presumably come at welterweight.

There’s Shane Mosley, who deliberately sat on the sidelines following his upset thrashing of Antonio Margarito earlier this year for no other reason than to wait out the winner of Saturday’s monster event.

There’s Miguel Cotto, whom promoter Bob Arum is already threatening to stand at the head of the pack in the Pacquiao sweepstakes, though still lying ahead is a dangerous showdown with Joshua Clottey in New York City, next month.

Both fights are intriguing, and ones where Pacquiao enjoys the best of both worlds – clearing the lion’s share of the available license fee for the fight, which will undoubtedly net him a third straight eight-figure payday.

But thanks to the timely return of boxing’s previous pound-for-pound king, as well as the bravery of a former adversary, there’s only one future opponent that truly matters – the winner of the July 18 super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez.

It borders on hysteria that people are already finding reason to nitpick at this fight, obviously missing the forest for the trees.

Mayweather, who hasn’t fought since stopping Hatton in 10 rounds in December 2007, foregoes a traditional tune-up match in agreeing to a catchweight against one of the very best in the sport today.

Marquez steals a page out of his rival’s playbook, moving up 1 ½ divisions for what amounts to a win-win scenario: he collects by far the biggest payday of his career, and is already the considerable underdog going in, making a potential win all the more sweeter.

Both fighters could’ve gone the traditional route in chasing the money. Mayweather could’ve cherry picked from the Contender alumni directory in seeking a high-profile tune-up bout in which he’s able to keep 99% of the money. Marquez could’ve pursued a mandatory lightweight title defense, and would’ve certainly been forgiven for such a path considering the savage nature of his all-out war with Juan Diaz earlier this year.

Had either of the two traveled in such a direction, boxing fans (and media members) would’ve complained that their decisions lack originality, and is little more than marking time when bigger fights could’ve been made.

Instead, they face each other, in a rare superfight that produces far more than short-term results no matter the outcome.

The fear among those not exactly overcome with anticipation is that they believe an old boxing axiom to be true – a good big man always beats a good little man.

Oscar de la Hoya tried to alleviate such fears at Saturday’s press conference, pointing to his own career-ending knockout loss to Pacquiao as proof that fights don’t always play out as they’re suggested on paper. Of course, such a reference was met with the correction that in his case, a shot bigger fighter usually falls to a streaking smaller fighter.

It’s entirely possible that things play out as expected, and that Mayweather is simply too much for Marquez, whose as great as they come but has never before fought above lightweight, a division he only recently entered last fall. Mayweather left lightweight in 2004, fighting three times at 140 before spending his last five fights at welterweight or higher.

The only true wild card in this fight is how much Mayweather will have left at age 32 and coming off of a 19-month layoff. The undefeated former five-division titlist (including three lineal championships) is always in tip-top physical shape, but how sharp he will be against one of the very best technicians in the game remains to be seen.

Of course, the multi-million dollar question is how effective Marquez will be at a career-high weight. No matter how great a fighter may be, almost everyone eventually hits a ceiling. Winky Wright was regarded as one of the very best in the world thanks to his body of work at 154 and 160, but proved to be a fish out of water in his 170 lb catchweight bout with Bernard Hopkins a couple of years ago.

Though on the wrong side of his prime, Marquez appears to be every bit as effective at lightweight as he was years ago as a featherweight. The reason: he’s not only one of the best fighters, but also one of the smartest in the game, always showing a penchant for adapting on the fly. A case could be made that he should still be undefeated, with his three losses and draw all heavily disputed to this very day.

Considering the date, it’s hard to reason that Mayweather could’ve secured a better choice of opponent for a pay-per-view event.

Miguel Cotto is already facing Joshua Clottey a month prior.

Fights with Andre Berto, Paul Williams or even Vernon Forrest aren’t happening so long as they and Floyd remain under the advisory umbrella of Al Haymon

Shane Mosley has already made it clear that he intends to wait until at least the third quarter of 2009 for his next fight, believing that he could entice either Pacquiao or Hatton to move up to welterweight.

Looking immediately above and below welterweight, there are plenty of intriguing options, but none that make a bit of difference at the box office.

With Mayweather-Marquez comes a fight where the next move can be planned no matter the outcome. Should Mayweather come out on top, fans will immediately call for a showdown with Pacquiao, a bout the boxing world has craved since well before Mayweather pondered a break from the sport.

Many a fan already craves a third fight between Pacquiao and Marquez. Just think of the buzz that would come with such a fight should Marquez upset the odds and become the first to hang a loss on Mayweather’s career.

Regardless of what comes out of July 18, the winner will be in direct line for a year-end banger with Manny Pacquiao. It’s the most lucrative fight that can be made today, not to mention one that once and for all cements the claim for the sport’s very best fighter in the world.

Perhaps “Number One/Numero Uno” borders on false advertising in describing Mayweather-Marquez, but it’s certainly the path the winner will travel, making their July 18 super fight as remarkable a semifinal act as you can ask for in the sport today.

CHECK YOUR FACTS – AND YOURSELF, MR. MERCHANT

When news first came down of HBO looking to replace long-time color commentator Larry Merchant with Max Kellerman in 2007, critics spoke out en masse against the move. Even Kellerman himself went to bat for Merchant, clearly (or at least publicly) uncomfortable with forcefully replacing a boxing personality whom he’s admired for so long.

There’s no question that when he’s on his game, Merchant as good as they get behind the mic. There are few as witty as the longtime boxing scribe-turned-announcer, who can turn a phrase better than just about anyone in the game today.

But then there also those moments where the more he talks, the more you wish the HBO brass ignored the public outcry and simply sent the Hall of Fame broadcaster packing.

Saturday night was an occasion for the latter.

As lead commentator Jim Lampley gushed over the aforementioned summer clash between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez, Merchant didn’t hesitate to take shots at the former pound-for-pound king for whom he’s rarely had a kind word.

First came the quip that at age 32, Mayweather is only coming off his second retirement. Then as discussion picked up surrounding the fight, Merchant took it upon himself to dissect Mayweather’s knack for selecting opponents, and also for those whom he elects to not fight.

One of the names claimed to reside on the “avoid at all costs” list is Shane Mosley. Merchant claimed that Floyd once wanted such a fight when the three-division champ was thought to be at the end of his career, but now suddenly wants no part of a rejuvenated Mosley.

It would be a compelling observation – if there were any truth to it.

The point at which Mayweather passionately pursued a Sugar Shane showdown was in 2006, when Mosley scored back-to-back stoppage wins over Fernando Vargas, both at junior middleweight. Mosley was a mere 3-4-0-1 NC over a four-year stretch prior to 2006 and hardly on Mayweather’s mind at the time. It wasn’t until there was genuine worth in such a fight did he begin to pursue it.

Plans for such a match were eventually squashed when Mosley cited a toothache as cause to sit out the rest of 2006. Talks resurfaced in 2007, but two different bouts were instead made – Mayweather-Hatton and Cotto-Mosley.

Fast forward to 2009. Mosley destroys Antonio Margarito and is once again regarded as the best welterweight in the world. Rumors were already swirling of a Mayweather comeback.

Mosley-Mayweather, mid-2009. Sounds like a plan, right?

Not so fast.

Instead, it was Mosley who went on record for anyone who would listen (including these very Boxingscene.com pages - http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=18951 ) that a Mayweather fight didn’t interest him anywhere nearly as much as enticing either Pacquiao or Hatton to move up in weight. If that couldn’t happen, then perhaps a rematch with Cotto, provided that it takes place on the West Coast.

Mayweather? Mosley instead played Golden Boy stakeholder and campaigned for Marquez to land that fight.

In that vein, Mosley actually received his wish, or at least part of it. His guy received the fight of his dreams, leaving Shane free and clear to negotiate a fight with Pacquiao.

Perhaps it can be argued that the HBO production crew was pressed for time, and didn’t afford Merchant or anyone else on the broadcast to elaborate.

Then there’s the more likely scenario, where Merchant couldn’t stomach the thought of anyone, least of all his own broadcast partner, to heap any amount of praise in the direction of Mayweather, and instead took the opportunity to remind boxing fans how bitter he can be when given the space.

Whatever the case, shame on HBO for not curbing his enthusiasm, especially on a night when we’re supposed to be celebrating everything that was right with the sport. Merchant could’ve ignored the comment altogether, and demand that his broadcast partners to instead focus on the evening’s main event, the year’s first true super fight.

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.

Mayweather vs Marquez Tickets On Sale May 22

Floyd "Money" Mayweather has returned to the sport of boxing and will put his undefeated record on the line when he faces the dangerous and highly touted five-time world champion Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez in MAYWEATHER vs. MARQUEZ "Number One/Numero Uno" Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. PT. Ticket sales at $1,000, $750, $600 and $300 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person, with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800)745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com..

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd "Money" Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the best fighters of his era. In just his 18th pro fight, Mayweather won his first world title at the age of 21 by stopping Genaro Hernandez for the WBC world super featherweight crown in 1998. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native defended that title eight times before moving up to lightweight and taking the 135-pound belt from Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, but "Money" Mayweather wasn't done yet, as he defeated Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah for the junior welterweight and welterweight world titles, respectively. Despite these impressive achievements, it wasn't until he defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May of 2007 for the world junior middleweight championship in a record-setting super-fight where the world truly got to see what Mayweather was all about. In his last fight, on December 8, 2007, Mayweather made another statement to the world when he knocked out Ricky "Hitman" Hatton in the tenth round, handing the British superstar his first professional defeat. After the bout, Mayweather - who has achieved crossover fame as a contestant on the hit show "Dancing with the Stars" and as a participant in WWE's "Wrestlemania XXIV" - announced his retirement from boxing. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself, and on July 18th, the 32-year-old Las Vegas resident comes back to face Juan Manuel Marquez.

In an era of great Mexican fighters such as Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, Mexico City's Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO's) has made it clear over the last few years that he is truly the greatest of the bunch. Long revered by boxing purists as one of the best, Marquez won 29 of his first 30 pro bouts, before finally getting a world title shot in 1999. Marquez would lose that opportunity controversially to Freddie Norwood and in response, he didn't lose for the next seven years, winning the IBF world featherweight title against Manuel Medina in 2003. In November 2003, Marquez unified the titles when he defeated Derrick "Smoke" Gainer and captured the WBA world featherweight title. His second title defense in 2004 against Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao may be his most memorable, as he rose from three first-round knockdowns to roar back and gain a draw in a fight that many observers believe he won. Marquez would lose his belt via decision to Chris John in 2006, but he returned to form almost immediately, scoring a 12-round win over Barrera in March of 2007 to win the WBC 130-pound world title. In 2008, Marquez and Pacquiao would meet again in another memorable bout however Marquez dropped a disputed 12-round split decision to the Filipino superstar. Undeterred, "Dinamita" moved up to the 135-pound weight class in September of 2008 and stunned the boxing world by handing Joel Casamayor his first knockout defeat to win the Ring Magazine world lightweight championship. It was hard to top such a victory, but in the 35-year-old Marquez' most recent fight on February 28, 2009, he did just that as he stopped former Three-Time World Champion Juan Diaz in the ninth round to add the WBO and WBA World Lightweight belts to his trophy case. On July 18th he looks to further cement his legacy with a win over Mayweather.

Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. The 12-round bout will take place July 18th at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9pm ET / 6pm PT.

The Mayweather vs. Marquez pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Marquez fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena is also home to the annual FOX Billboard Music Awards, the annual Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA).

Marquez and Mayweather, at the Right Time- "De La Hoya"

Oscar De La Hoya believes that WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez is catching Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the right time. De La Hoya promotes Marquez under his Golden Boy Promotions banner. The fight takes place on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
De La Hoya believes Mayweather has taken off for too long, and Marquez has the style to win. Mayweather last fought in December 2007, stopping Ricky Hatton in ten rounds. The fight will take place at a catch-weight below 145-pounds.
"Marquez will win thanks to his conditioning and his combination punching, especially his counter-attacks. This it is the perfect opportunity for Juan Manuel because Mayweather has been out of the ring for [almost] two years," De La Hoya was quoted by El Nuevo Dia.
"He will handle Mayweather's jab to the body. Marquez will be able to throw his uppercut. It is a strong and unique weapon for him"
De La Hoya lost a close decision to Mayweather in May 2007. He says the jab was winning the fight for him in the early rounds. He is advising Marquez to depend on the jab.
"During the first six rounds, I was dominating him easy thanks to the jab. I advised Marquez to utilize the jab, but with more aggressiveness. Mayweather does not like to get hit. I am positive that Juan Manuel will win", De La Hoya said.

Marquez vs. Mayweather

According to the latest boxing news, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs) may be coming out of retirement for a September bout against boxing’s new number #1 Pound-for-pound star lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs), who recently stopped Juan Diaz in the 9th round this past weekend at the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. Marquez, 35, called out Mayweather after the fight with Diaz on Saturday, saying that he’d like to move up to welterweight to face him there.

Oddly enough, Marquez said little about a third fight with Manny Pacquiao, other than to say that he’s going after Mayweather because “Pacquiao doesn’t want to fight me.” In that, it looks as if Marquez speaks the truth because since losing a controversial 12-round split decision to Pacquiao in March 2008, Manny hasn’t shown any interested in fighting him again, instead going after the soft Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

Mayweather reportedly wants to return to the ring by the end of the year and what better way to do it than to face a much smaller Marquez instead of a bigger, arguably more dangerous fighter like Miguel Cotto. Even against a smaller fighter like Marquez, Mayweather would be faced with a very difficult fight because Marquez specializes in counter punching much in the same way that Mayweahther does and he will no doubt make Mayweather pay for any shots he wants to land in the fight.

Source: boxingnews24.com

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

HBO Upcoming Boxing Fights

After the big fight of Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton and Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, another boxing sport game will be held and will be shown by the HBO on Saturday, May 9 at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT.

First fight will be Andre Berto, 24 wins, 0 loss with 19 Knock outs against Juan Urango, 21 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw with 16 Knock outs on the records.

Second bout is scheduled for Alfredo Angulo, 15 wins, no loss with 12 Knock outs verus
Kermit Cintron, 30 wins, 2 loss, 1 draw with 27 Knock out records.

Alfredo "Perro" Angulo

ALFREDO “Perro” (Dog) ANGULO (14-0, 11 KOs)
World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1 contender at 154 pounds/Latino champion
World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 1 contender at 154 lbs/WBO Inter-Continental champion
World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 6 contender at 154 pounds
International Boxing Federation (IBF) No. 7 contender at 154 pounds
2004 Olympic representative for Mexico at 165 pounds

At the age of 26, Alfredo Angulo is a four-year pro who is a stablemate of International Boxing Federation (IBF)/International Boxing Organization (IBO) Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson. The undefeated prospect at 154 pounds is a former amateur star and 2004 Olympic representative for Mexico.

Angulo faces his toughest opponent when he takes on two-division world champion Ricardo Mayorga February 7, 2009 on HBO. Mayorga, a power-punching machine boasts victories over world champions Vernon Forrest (2), Andrew Lewis, and Fernando Vargas.

Angulo has won his last 10 bouts by knockout. His last three opponents – Ricardo Cortes, Richard Gutierrez and Andrey Tsurkan -- had a combined record of 72-5-1 and a 92% winning percentage when he fought…and knocked them out. Despite each test being more difficult than the last, Angulo has passed each one with flying colors.

On Nov. 30, 2007, Angulo scored a first-round TKO over Archak Ter Meliksetian. Ter Meliksetian was two inches taller than Cortes, but was a natural 154-pounder.

After the fight, Dan Rafael wrote on ESPN.com, “The ShoBox co-feature was another wickedly exciting fight for as long as it lasted, which was all of 79 seconds. Angulo and Ter Meliksetian charged at each other from the opening bell and swung away, both doing damage. Ter Meliksetian rocked Angulo early, but he survived and dropped Ter Meliksetian twice. Ter Meliksetian was in bad shape after the second knockdown and referee Lou Moret called it off.

“Angulo...is exciting, has great power in his right hand and scored his second quick knockout ion a row on ShoBox. He has some flaws -- he could keep his hands up more -- but watching him develop is going to be a lot of fun.”

In his last bout on Sept. 7, 2007, Angulo stepped up his class of opposition and scored a second-round knockout over Emmanuel Gonzalez in Santa Ynez, Calif.

During his preparation for the fight, Angulo stepped into the ring against some illustrious fighters.

“I sparred against Jesus Soto-Karass, Antonio Margarito, Roy Jones Jr., and Fernando Vargas,” Angulo said

Fightwriter.com’s Graham Houston reported after the bout that Angulo “looks like a fighter with world championship potential.”

Currently residing in Coachella, Calif., Angulo trains at the Maywood Boxing Club and has worked with trainer, Clemente Medina, since he turned pro.

“I have been training at Maywood but I’ve been going over to the Mora gym whenever there’s sparring over there,” Angulo explained. Right now, I have been going to the Wild Card Gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Roman Karmazin and some other fighters.”

The undefeated fighter describes his style as very aggressive.

“I can knock an opponent out quickly or box,” Angulo said.

Angulo said he is pleased with his promoter, Gary Shaw, and manager, Mike Criscio.

“They are moving me very well,” Angulo said. “I have been fighting a lot.”

Angulo said he received his nickname, “Perro,” when he was on the Olympic team because of the way he fights.

Fight by Fight – 2008 - in his last fight on 10-04-08 in Temecula, Calif., Angulo methodically broke down top-10 contender Andrey Tsurkan (26-3 going in), leading on scores of 90-81 on all three judges’ cards before referee Tony Krebs stopped the fight at 2:27 of the 10th round for a TKO victory

On 5-17-2008 in Primm, Nev., Angulo stopped Top-10 contender Ricahard Gutierrez (24-1 going in) with a fifth round TKO.

On 2-22-08 in Hinckley, Minn., Angulo, in what was his toughest test to date, knocked out Ricardo Cortes (22-1-1 going in) at 2:58 of the first round, ending his four-year, 12-bout winning streak.

2007 – - on 11-30-07 in Santa Ynez, Calif., Angulo TKO’d Archak Ter Meliksetian (16-5 going in). After Ter Meliksetian rocked Angulo with several right hands early in the first round, Angulo stunned his opponent with a left hook. Angulo then scored two knockdowns with right hands and the referee stopped the fight without a count at 1:19.

“I came out with my strategy to work calmly,” Angulo said. “I knew it was going to be a difficult fight. Ter Meliksetian surprised me because I thought he was going to box more. I was able to land a right cross for the first knockdown, and then I landed another to end the fight.

“I am simply a fighter who works hard in the gym. I am never in an easy fight and Ter Meliksetian was no different. People wondered why I would take a fight against a dangerous fighter. I only hope that this performance shows that I could step up in the level of competition.”

On 9-7-07 in Santa Ynez, Calif., Angulo TKO’d previously undefeated prospect Emmanuel Gonzalez (9-0 going in). In his “ShoBox” debut, Angulo defeated Gonzalez for the second time (and first as a pro) by stopping the Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, resident in less than five minutes.

Midway through the second round, Angulo floored his counterpart with a right hand to the jaw. Moments later, Angulo landed a punishing combination that sent Gonzalez to the canvas for the second time. Referee David Mendoza decided he had seen enough and stopped the bout at 1:56 of the second.

“This fight was actually longer than our first meeting in the amateurs because that was a first-round stoppage,” Angulo said.

On 8-4-07 in Hidalgo, Texas, Angulo TKO’d Taronze Washington. The fight was on the undercard of the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez rematch. Angulo scored one knockdown in the first round and another in the third with left hooks to the body. Washington did not continue after the round.

On 6-1-07 in Santa Ynez, Calif., Angulo KO’d Israel Garcia. Angulo rocked Garcia several times, and the fight was stopped at 2:23 of the fourth round.

On 4-7-07 in Springfield, Mo., Angulo knocked out Lance Moody. The fight was on the undercard of the Joshua Clottey-Diego Corrales main event. Angulo knocked Moody down in the first round, and was counted out at 1:06.

2006 – On 9-1-06 in Mexicali, Mexico, Angulo knocked out Raymundo Valenzuela at 2:21 of the second round.

On 7-14-06 in Mexicali, Angulo TKO’d Javier Arce (making his pro debut) in the first round.

On 3-3-06 in Maywood, Calif., Angulo recorded a four-round decision over Manuel Mada.

2005 - On 8-25-05 in Irvine, Calif., Angulo recorded a six-round split decision (59-55, 59-56 and 56-58) over Danny Jevic. The bout headlined at the Marriott and drew a capacity crowd of 1,410.

On 5-5-05 in Tucson, Ariz., Angulo TKO’d Jonathan Taylor (6-1 going in) at 2:09 of the third round.

Angulo made his pro debut at age 22 on 1-6-05 in Tucson, and earned a four-round majority decision (40-36, 39-37 and 38 apiece) over Tomas Padron. Angulo was cut over his right eye in the opening round, but fought through it to gain the victory.

AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Born in Mexicali, Baja, California. Angulo has three sisters and two brothers.

Angulo started boxing when he was 17 years old after he watched the second Oscar De La Hoya- Julio Cesar Chavez fight. During his amateur career, Angulo compiled an 80-15 record and won the Mexican national title four consecutive years from 2000-04.

Angulo, who is a full-time boxer, lives with his girlfriend and their two-year-old daughter in Coachella.

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS: 2004 Olympics, Athens, Greece, 165 pounds: I his first fight on 8-24-04, Angulo lost a 38-23 decision to Andy Lee of Ireland.

2004 Olympic Americas Qualifier, Tijuana, Mexico, 165 pounds – SILVER MEDALIST: In the quarter-finals on 3-16-04, Angulo stopped Kirt Sinnette of Trinidad in the third round In the semi-finals on 3-18-04, Angulo recorded a 27-23 decision over Jean Pascal of Canada. In the finals on 3-20-04, Angulo dropped a 37-18 decision to Andre Dirrell of the United States.

2003 Pan American Games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 152 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: In the quarter-finals on 8-10-03, Angulo won an 11-10 decision over Omar Coffi of Venezuela. In the semi-finals on 8-12-0, Angulo lost on a corner retirement in the fourth round against Juan McPherson of the U.S.

2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, San Salvador, E l Salvador, 156 pounds – BRONZE MEDALIST: In the quarter-finals, Angulo stopped Hector Arreola in the second round. In the semi-finals, Angulo lost a 14-7 decision to Juan Ubaldo of the Dominican Republic.

STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style, good skills and movement...Has good punching power...Tough and durable...Had a strong amateur background.

WEAKNESSES: Still developing and gaining experience against more experienced opponents.

Juan Urango

At the age of 26, Juan is a 4 1/2 -year pro. A hard-hitting lefthander, he won the vacant IBF jr. welterweight world title in his last fight in June, 2006.

The title was vacated when Ricky Hatton, who beat defending champion Kostya Tszyu for the title in June, 2005, did not make his mandatory defense against IBF No. 1 ranked Naoufel Ben Rabah, and Ben Rabah fought No. 3 ranked Juan for the vacant title.

It was Juan's first fight in 10 months, the longest layoff of his career. He had surgery on his left hand on January 31, 2006, and was cleared by his surgeon to resume training on April 3, 2006.

Co-manager Luis Navarro said, "It wasn't a break. His middle knuckle on his left hand, over time, built up some cartilage and scarring from hitting. It turns in almost like a scab, like a calcium deposit, but underneath your skin. So when he would hit, it would just rub and cause a light stinging. So, the doctors recommended that he remove the build-up and he decided to have it done."

Juan said through an interpreter, "I'm an aggressive fighter, a crowd-pleaser. I keep coming forward. I never watch tapes, because everybody trains different for each opponent. I take one round to figure a guy out, I'll study him in the first round. I have a plan right after that. I know what I know in the ring, I'm ready for anybody. It's just about working hard, fighting, wearing down my opponent and beating him.

"This has been a much anticipated opportunity for me. I've been waiting for this for my whole life, and with the glory of God and the guidance of God, I feel that I will reach the heights that I need to reach."

Juan has now won four fights in a row, all by knockout, since fighting to a draw against Mike Arnaoutis in August, 2004.

Regarding his nickname, literally translated as "Twins of Iron," Juan said, "I've been called that since I was an amateur. I have an identical twin brother, Pedro Manuel. He's a pro fighter, too, in Colombia."

Juan said, "I was born in Monteria, Colombia. I have three sisters and four brothers. My twin brother and I are the only boxers in the family. My father was a farmer, I grew up on a farm. I used to work the fields, bring in the crops and all that. We grew corn.

"When I was little, I had a couple of cousins that boxed and I started going to the gym with them. I was 10 years old, I just fell in love with it. I was 14 when I had my first amateur fight. I had 160 amateur fights. I lost about 25.

"I won the national championship in Colombia five times, starting in '97, all at lightweight. I didn't make the 2000 Olympic team. I was eliminated. "I lived in Madrid, Spain, for almost two years. My former manager is from Spain, and he took me over there. Then I moved to Florida in 2004."...

Juan and his his wife Elizabeth were married on October 13, 2005, and live with her 15 year-old son and nine year old daughter; Juan has six other children who live in Colombia with his mother, sister, aunt, and ex-wife...


Source: HBO

Kermit Cintrón

Kermit Cintrón (born October 22, 1979) is a Puerto Rican boxer who is from Carolina, Puerto Rico. Cintrón is trained by Ronnie Shields and managed by Josh Dubin. DiBella Entertainment is his promoter.

Cintrón had a tough childhood. He witnessed as his mother lay in bed for months before she died of cancer. Unable to care for Cintrón and his siblings, Cintrón's father sent him to the United States, with Cintrón's uncle, Benjamin Serrano, a former Middleweight contender who had fought Frank The Animal Fletcher among others. Cintrón's father, however, kept regular contact with his kids. But when Cintrón was 13, another tragic blow shook him: His father died of a heart attack, leaving him and his siblings orphaned on both sides. He is married to María Cintrón, the couple has three offsprings. Two daughters, Denali and Savannah and a son.

In early 2008, Cintrón was trained by Emanuel Steward, who focused his training in boxing and counterattacks.[2] He decided to finish this partnership, based on the fact that Steward's time was limited due to several other compromises. Despite this, both conserved a close friendship. During this timeframe, Cintrón abandoned Main Events, signing a promotional contract with Lou DiBella. His next trainer was Ronnie Shields, who emphasized on a faster training pace. hields preferred a more aggressive style, reminiscent of the one presented during the early stage of Cintrón's early career. Brian Caldwell was employed as conditioning coach, in the process modifying his weight routines.

nvolvement in other combat sports

Cintrón found wrestling and boxing to be an outlet from his personal troubles, so he started spending more and more of his time practicing those sports. While attending William Tennent High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania, he became an accomplished high-school wrestler on the same team as actor Mike Vogel. The University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ohio State University offered him full wrestling scholarships, but an injury to his knee prevented his inclusion on these programs. Consequently, Cintrón he began boxing full time.

In April 2007, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. publicly claimed that any boxer could make the transition into mixed martial arts and win. In response, Ultimate Fighting Championship's president, Dana White, issued him a challenge to fight the promotion's lightweight champion, Sean Sherk. Mayweather later retracted and apologized, expressing that he did not wish to compete in the discipline. However, Cintrón stated that he was willing to fight Sherk in his place. "I want the fight," said Cintrón, who is 27-1 with 25 KOs. "I can wrestle. I can box. I can beat those UFC fighters at their own game. Tell Mr. White to make me an offer and I'll take on his guy...."

Source: Wikipedia

Andre Berto

Andre Mike Berto (born September 7, 1983) is a Haitian American welterweight professional boxer, who represented Haiti at the 2004 Summer Olympics. On June 21, 2008, Berto became the WBC welterweight champion by defeating Miguel Rodriguez by seventh round technical knockout.

Berto was an odds-on favorite to breeze through the 2004 Olympic Trials and qualify as a member of the US Olympic boxing squad. Those dreams were dashed in the opening round of the trials, when he was disqualified for throwing Juan McPherson to the canvas. Berto was winning the fight, before McPherson bumped into him before being pushed to the canvas, and was deemed in no condition to continue. The act was ruled a flagrant foul, and Berto was disqualified. A protest was ruled in his favor, as he was declared the winner and advanced to the next round. Berto won that bout as well and prepared for the finals before a follow-up meeting the night before reverted back to the initial ruling, eliminating Berto from the tournament. Because his parents emigrated from Haiti, Berto was able to keep his Olympic hopes alive, qualifying for Team Haiti, and subsequently granted Haitian citizenship alongside his American nationality, an exception the island country awarded the Olympian.

From December 2004 to October 2006, Berto won 15 fights, with 13 coming by way of knockout. On December 12, 2006, at the Alltel Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Berto stepped up in competition and fought Miguel Figueroa. Berto put together a one-sided destruction of Figueroa, eventually forcing the referee to stop the fight in round six. He was named ESPN.com’s 2006 Prospect of the Year. His next fight took place on February 17, 2007, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, New York, against Norberto Bravo of ''The Contender (TV series)|The Contender''. Berto defeated Bravo by first round technical knockout after Bravo was knocked down three times, triggering the three knockdown rule. On May 19, 2007, Berto defeated Martinus Clay by seventh round technical knockout.

Source: Wikipedia

Pacquiao vs Hatton Rematch Fight

After the May 2, 2009 "Battle of the East and West" fight, where Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao wins by TKO over Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton in just 2 rounds, do you think that the fight will have a rematch?

We knew that it was a short fight and Ricky Hatton have not really showed off his skills deserves an avenue to prove his ability to match up again with Manny Pacquiao. Looking into his boxing records, he has to seek for a chance to claim his win over Manny Pacquiao, afterall what is a 2 lost records? He can still re-claim what was taken from him, I mean his belt when Manny took it from him. He is only 30 years, too young for him to resign from the boxing profession. In a local news, Hatton was advised to resign and proceed with the promotion instead. Well, I guess he can do both just like what the "Golden Boy" did, fighting inside the ring as well as doing the promotion. That could double his profit for sure.

On the other hand, while Manny Pacquiao still waits for his next bout between Cotto and Mayweather, he can enjoy his long period of vacation and be with his family. At present, Manny Pacquiao has 49 wins and 3 loss, 2 of which was a knock-out. Who knows maybe Hatton can make it 4 losses for Manny Pacquiao.

So stay tune, we might hear surprising news proposing the rematch fight between Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton, I hope it would be sooner.

Pacquiao vs Hatton: Fighting For Boxing Legendary

Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao matches his speed and deceptive moves against the superior size and power of British star Ricky Hatton today in a long-awaited boxing showdown.

Both 30-year-old fighters are trying to cement their spot in ring history in the junior welterweight matchup, with Pacquiao, 48-3 with two drawn and 35 knockouts, a slight oddsmakers favourite over Hatton, 45-1 with 32 knockouts.

“I’m confident I will win,” Pacquiao said. “I’ve worked hard for the past eight weeks, looked at a lot of his fights, and I’m ready to fight.”

Pacquiao could match the all-time record by becoming a champion in his sixth different weight class by lifting Hatton’s International Boxing Organisation junior welterweight world title after dispatching now-retired six-division champion Oscar de la Hoya.

“It’s very important to me to win a sixth different title,” Pacquiao said. “If it happens, people will put me on the list of the greatest boxing legends.”

Hatton seeks the pound-for-pound crown now held by Pacquiao after dominating the division. The Englishman’s only defeat came in 2007 when he moved up to welterweight and was stopped in the 10th round by US star Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

“One thing fighting Floyd Jnr taught me is you can’t steamroll everybody,” Hatton said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. With my added speed, jab movement, head speed, other things, I’m confident I’m going to win.”

Hatton says he has never been more relaxed or confident before a fight.

“As long as I do what I do best, I believe I’m going to be too much in all areas for Manny,” Hatton said. “I couldn’t be any more positive about the outcome.”

Pacquiao will take home US$12mil from the bout while Hatton is set for an US$8mil payday. Pay-per-view income alone for the megafight is expected to be at least US$40mil.

Well aware of the challenge Hatton presents, Pacquiao said he has never trained harder for a fight in his career.

“Ricky Hatton is a different fighter from what I have fought before,” said Pacquiao. “I expect him to be fast and strong.

“It’s going to be a hard fight.”

“His style is to come at you and throw a lot of punches. He has a strong left hand. I have to take care of that and focus on that.”

Hatton is very familiar with Pacquiao’s elusive footwork and ability to connect quickly and often.