The Neutral Corner

Here are some predictions on the much anticipated Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight, tomorrow night, live, on HBO PPV.

Continue reading "Predictions: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton" »

Inbox item: From Canastota

CANASTOTA, NY – APRIL 23, 2009 - Former world heavyweight champions Ken Norton and Leon Spinks will attend festivities planned for the 20th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend scheduled for June 11-14th in Canastota, NY.

“Ken Norton and Leon Spinks were two key players in the heavyweight division of the 1970s,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “They took part in some truly memorable heavyweight fights.”

Norton was the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion in 1978. A 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist, Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978 to win the world heavyweight title in only his 8th pro bout.

New inductees to be honored are bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell, matchmaker / publicist / promoter Bob Goodman, promoter Akihiko Honda, journalist Hugh McIlvaney and broadcaster Larry Merchant. Posthumous inductees will also be honored.

Carl Froch's spectacular knockout of Jermain Taylor will re-air on Showtime 2 on Wednesday, April 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. (That's tonight!).

Yesterday we laid out a scenario in which Ricky Hatton could beat Manny Pacquiao. Today, we lay out the way Pacquiao will beat Hatton.

It's very simply. Speed. There is a cliche in many sports that says, there is no substitute for speed. The same in boxing. A great fighter must have at least one of these traits -- speed or power. Manny Pacquiao has both.

As we've seen in his previous fights -- most notably against Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Hatton does not cope well with speed. And all the training and technique that Floyd Mayweather Sr. teaches him will not help. To neutralize Pac Man's speed, Hatton would have to overwhelm him with his own attack. It's a nice theory, but no one has been able to accomplish it thus far.

As the fight enters the later stages, the combination of Pac Man's speed and power will begin to take a toll on Hatton. That is how Pac Man could win a decision, or, very possibly, stop Hatton in rounds 11 or 12.

Click here to see all of The Neutral Corner's coverage of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight. -- CASSIDY

HBO Sports' reality series, "24/7," the best sports program on TV as far as this corner is concerned, has won four Sports Emmy awards. They are:

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SERIES / ANTHOLOGIES -- De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7

OUTSTANDING EDITED SPORTS SPECIAL -- Calzaghe/Jones 24/7

OUTSTANDING EDITING -- Calzaghe/Jones 24/7

OUTSTANDING POST PRODUCED AUDIO/SOUND -- Calzaghe/Jones 24/7

On April 28th, Joe DeGuardia's premier installment of "VIP Boxing" gets underway at the elegant Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, with a doubleheader featuring Star Boxing's Vinny Maddalone (31-5, 22 KO) and Curtis "Showtime" Stevens (19-2, 14 KO). Maddalone will be taking on Benji Baker (18-6, 9KO) in an eight-round heavyweight bout, while Stevens squares off against Dan Mouton (9-3-1, 8KO) in an eight-round super middleweight contest.

You can contact Star Boxing for tickets at 718- 823-2000 or by visiting www.starboxing.com. Russo's On The Bay is located at 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd, Howard Beach, NY 11414.

Rising middleweight star and one of boxing's hottest prospects, Daniel "The Golden Child" Jacobs,who hails from Brooklyn, has been added to the much anticipated May 2nd pay-per-view undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The highly touted prospect will be featured in the third of four pay-per-view undercard bouts against former two-time world amateur champion Mike Walker.

"I'm very excited that I have the opportunity to fight again this week," said Jacobs. "I'm in shape and coming off a big knockout win, so I'm ready for the fight with Walker. It's an honor for me to get this type of exposure on the undercard of the year's biggest card. I promise that no one will be disappointed with my performance on May 2nd."

Continue reading "Brooklyn's Daniel Jacobs on the Pacquiao-Hatton undercard" »

Greg Page, who had been in a wheelchair since suffering a brain injury in a 2001 fight, has died at his home in Louisville, Kentucky. Page was a lightning quick boxer who won the title in 1984 but never fully realized his potential. He later became a sparring partner and is remembered for dropping Mike Tyson during a sparring session before Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas.

Here's the AP obit on Page:

Continue reading "Former heavyweight champion Greg Page has died" »

Are we still intoxicated over Manny Pacquiao's demolition of Oscar De La Hoya? Probably. Was it a great performance? Yes. Was it the kind of performance that should elevate Pacquiao to the level of Sugar Ray Robinson? No.

Maybe, it was just time. It was time for Oscar to get spanked and Pacquiao was in the right place. In boxing, fighters get old fast. And that's what happened to Oscar. He got old all at once and Manny did a wonderful job exploiting it.

But this is what Manny will have in front of him when he faces Ricky Hatton -- a young, strong, relentless fighter. Kind of like himself, right? The difference is that Hatton is naturally bigger. I expect to see two guys going toe-to-toe in this fight. Two guys who have always been crowd-pleasing fighters. After you wash away all the talk from their respective trainers about how much better their defense has gotten and how much better they've become at the art of boxing, they are still the same fighters. When the bell rings, they will fight and they will fight hard. They throw caution to the wind. It's like Hatton has said, "Me and Manny don't exactly tip-toe around the ring."

It's a dangerous fight for Pacquiao. The one thing he can't change is that he is physically, the smaller guy, and when all else is equal, the victory usually goes to the bigger guy. It's going to be a great fight and one that Hatton can certainly win.

Click here to see all of The Neutral Corner's coverage of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight. -- CASSIDY

The fight is approaching, the training is more intense, but these guys seem extremely comfortable on camera. Let's get to the episode:

Best Spoken Line: From Ricky Hatton: "Floyd, turn down your suits, I can't hear the phone." I loved how he laughed at his own joke.

Best Spoken Line: From Ricky Hatton, part 2: "Me and Manny don't exactly tip-toe around the ring."

Best Spoken Line: Floyd Mayweather Sr.: "Speed isn't what you think it is, it's the way you use it." I seemed to understand it better when he said it. It makes sense ... I think.

Best Written Line: "Yes, he can throw a punch better than anyone else in the world, but what about a baseball?" It should be noted that the show's writer is Aaron Cohen, a graduate of Manhasset High School, right here on Long Island.

Best Supporting Cast: Young Campbell Hatton, showing off his soccer (err, football) moves in the backyard.

Training Days: Best workout sequence is Mayweather slamming Hatton in the midsection with a medicine ball.

Freddie sez: When asked what he thought Hatton's strength's were, he said he didn't think Hatton had any.

I loved that ... Manny didn't bounce it from 60-feet 6-inches before the Giants game.

I loved that ... Floyd Mayweather Sr. drinks Kool Aid.

I loved that ... they showed the Hatton crew watching last week's episode of 24/7.

Roger, over and out: An appearance was made by Roger Mayweather, Floyd's brother and Floyd Jr.'s trainer. They said he's best known for training Floyd Mayweather Jr. Maybe that's true right now. I remember the Black Mamba, though, as a darn good junior welterweight champ who beat a lot of good fighters, but lost twice to Julio Cesar Chavez.

He's the Manny: The more I get to know Manny Pacquiao (thanks to 24/7), the more I like him. He is the antithesis of so many American athletes. His appearance at the Giants game made me think about my experience with a current member of the Giants, pitcher Randy Johnson. When Johnson was with the Yankees I was sent to Tampa to shoot video at the team's spring training complex. Johnson and several Yankee pitchers were stretching on a side field. I approached the group and announced, in general, so they knew what I was doing, that I was shooting video for Newsday's web site. I did not ask to interview anyone, I was merely shooting B-roll. Johnson repsonded by saying, "I don't want to be on your f----ing web site," and walked away. I've often thought about that day and how Johnson embarrassed himself, his sport and his team. He lives in a country that pays athletes obscene amounts of money to play a game but he'll never get it. It's sad. Just contrast that behavior with what you've seen from Manny on 24/7. And that's why boxer's are the most approachable athletes. I've covered boxing since 1987 and never had a fighter curse at me. (A manager and a couple of promoters, yes, but never a fighter.)

The next -- and final -- episode airs this Friday.

The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton junior welterweight title fight will be televised live on HBO PPV on May 2.

Click here to see all of The Neutral Corner's coverage of the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight.

-- CASSIDY

At first, I liked the idea of David Haye. He was brash, talkative and, most importantly, talented. He seemed comfortable in the role of the bad boy, which had once been the permanent domain of Mike Tyson. Boxing needed another bad boy, right? Boxing needed some attention, right? Not this kind.

I heard about the t-shirt Haye wears which depicts the beheading of heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko inside a boxing ring. Bad idea. Boxing has been home to numerous cretins, felons and all-around misfits. We should all pass on this fool. In era during which innocent civilians are beheaded by terrorists, Haye's shirt is not acceptable. He should not be tolerated, no less given the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight title. Kinda makes old Iron Mike seem warm and fuzzy.

It's a safe bet that people will continue to write books and produce movies about what Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier did inside the ring over the course of three fights and 41 rounds. It was that special. It is perhaps the greatest rivalry in sports. Yes, greater than the Yankees-Red Sox simply because it transcended sport.

If the documentary about Ali and George Foreman ('When We Were Kings') won an Oscar, than the 'Thrilla In Manila,' directed by John Dower, deserves one too. I know it's not eligible for one, but it's a better film. To me it was better because it so clearly depicted what two great athletes were willing to sacrifice in order to win and the price they are paying today for making those sacrifices. Seeing current footage of Ali can be alarming. But is Frazier any better off? The hours these filmmakers spent with today's version of Joe Frazier is what makes the film. You want to smile when you see him taping his hands, tapping the speed bag. (Did you see his left hand? The same hand that was the exclamaition point of that thunderous left hook?) But you lose that smile when you realize that he lives in a small room inside the gym that bears his name.

The film is told from the Frazier perspective and while the theme is Ali's belittlement of Frazier as a man, there is so much more to it than that. It does a wonderful job of taking the viewer inside the life of Frazier -- then and now.

Here are some thoughts:

Continue reading "A look at HBO's Ali-Frazier documentary" »

Oscar De La Hoya's book -- 'American Son' -- will be available in paperback beginning in May. Published by HarperCollins, the best-selling book is worth the read, whether you're a sports fan or not. When Oscar was promoting his book the first time around, we shot video of him at the Book Revue in Huntington. Here's that video:

It was just 14 seconds. That's how much time was left in the fight. That was the difference between Jermain Taylor winning a second world title and now wondering where his career goes now. Taylor was on his way to victory until getting stopped by the unbeaten Carl Froch.

Here's the AP report of the fight:

Continue reading "Carl Froch stuns Jermain Taylor with 12th-round TKO" »

Junior middleweight contender James Kirkland was scratched from the May 2 Manny Pacquiao - Ricky undercard, according to ESPN.com.

Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs), considered one of boxings young stars, was set to take on Michael Walker in a 10-round bout on HBO PPV at the MGM Grand.

Kirkland was arrested Friday after a traffic stop in his hometown of Austin, Texas on Friday. He was charged unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to ESPN.

The judge presiding over the case refused to allow Kirkland to go to Las Vegas for his with the guarantee that he would return to Texas on May 3, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

"We were going to assume the responsibility and guarantee the judge that James would come to Las Vegas on Wednesday or Thursday, fight on Saturday and return home on Sunday under the strict supervision of an off-duty police officer," Schaefer said. "The judge wouldn't allow it."

Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- the respective trainers of Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton -- held a conference call with the media this week. Mayweather proclaimed a Hatton victory, saying:

"We're gonna win the fight and whatever's needed that's what we're going to do. If he has to box, he can box. If we want to brawl, we are gonna brawl. Whatever he wants to do. Because whatever it is that we do we can do better than Manny anyway. We can box better than Manny. He can box better than Manny. He definitely is stronger than Manny on the aggressive tip. Ricky is definitely going to back him up...Soon as Ricky touch him with one good shot, if he's able to run, that's what he's gonna do the rest of the fight. So, he'll run the rest of the fight. That's what he's going to do."

But the best moments of the conference call came when the trainers attacked each other. Here's a partial transcript:

Continue reading "Mayweather says Ricky Hatton will make Manny Pacquiao run" »

Here's the report fro the AP: Former world boxing champion Kendall Holt has pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge in New Jersey.

Prosecutors say the charge against Holt, of Woodland Park, stemmed from drug deals made by his manager, Henry Cortes. In February, Cortes pleaded guilty to drug charges. In court Friday, the 27-year-old boxer admitted that several times in 2007 and early 2008 he picked up bags of money and delivered them to Cortes. Holt told the judge he knew the money was from drug transactions.

Holt will be allowed to enter a pretrial intervention program. The charge could be dismissed if he completes it. Holt won the WBO light welterweight title in July and defended it once before losing to WBC champ Timothy Bradley on April 4.

Heavyweight contender David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs), who will take on Wladimir Klitschko (52-3, 46 KOs) in a 12-round bout on June 20 in Germany, has made waves with both his mouth and his wardrobe the last few weeks.

At Thursday's press conference at B.B Kings in Manhattan, Haye wore a tee shirt that depicted himself holding Klitschko's severed head with his body down on the canvas.

His disrespect for Klitschko didn't stop there as the former WBO, WBC, WBA cruiserweight champion didn't shy away in giving his opinions, even going so far as to use profanity when describing both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.

"Wladimir's style is very negative," Haye said. "He doesn't hold his feet well and he doesn't engage in battle."

We could go on, but what's the point. Haye was deliberate and non-stop in his harsh criticism of Klitschko. "The fight sold 47,000 tickets in under two days," Haye said. "It certainly was not because people want to see him throw 200 jabs."

Haye has also vowed to make the heavyweight division something to watch again. "This division is sh--," he said. "No one knows who has what belt."

As for Klitschko, he doesn't need the money and he's not looking for the glory. Klitschko, the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champ, says he boxes for the love of the sport.

'I just love the training the atmosphere," he said. "We are privileged to do this."

Wladimir's last fight resulted in a seventh-round TKO of Hasim Rahman last December. As for Haye, it could be an uphill battle. A career cruiserweight, Haye has one heavyweight fight in his career, a fifth-round TKO of Monte Barrett last November.

- MARCUS HENRY

It looks like the only belt that will be on the line in the Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey fight on June 13 will be Cotto’s WBO welterweight title. Joshua Clottey was stripped of his IBF welterweight title earlier this week for failing to beat the deadline to defend his title against the IBF’s No.1 ranked contender Isaac Hlatshwayo of South Africa.

Clottey didn’t meet the IBF deadline because Cotto’s camp delayed signing the deal for their fight. Although Clottey has said he would love to keep the IBF title, fighting Hlatshwayo is a lose-lose situation. Fighting Cotto would open more doors.

Hlatshwayo will fight Rafael Jackiwicz for the vacant IBF title.

- MARCUS HENRY

A pair of New York fighters will appear on ESPN's Friday Night Fights tonight. El Paso's Antonio Escalante (18-2, 12 KO's) will be taking on Gary "Kid" Stark Jr. (22-2, 8 KO's) from Staten Island, NY in the featherweight matchup that headlines the card. The co-main event will feature former Two-Time National Golden Gloves Champion and hard hitting middleweight prospect Daniel "Golden Child" Jacobs, (14-0, 13 KO's), from Brooklyn, taking on Jose Varela (22-5, 15 KO's) of Chinandega, Nicaragua.

Also on the card is 2008 U.S. Olympian Deontay, "The Bronze Bomber" Wilder, (3-0, 3 KO's) who was the only United States Boxing Medalist of the 2008 Beijing Games and looking to improve upon his unbeaten record against Joseph Rabotte (3-5, 1 KO) of Long Beach, California.

Carl Froch defends his WBC 168-pound title against former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor this Saturday on Showtime (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

Those who participated in a Showtime Media Prediction Poll gave a clear edge to Taylor, who was tabbed to triumph on 29 of the 44 predictions.

Here's what they had to say:

Continue reading "Media predictions: Jermain Taylor vs. Carl Froch" »

It's been said that he's misunderstood. Well, here's your chance to understand Mike Tyson. Because in the new documentary, "Tyson," the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world speaks for himself. This is all Tyson, all the time. In it's review, the AP wrote:

"Actually, calling it a documentary suggests many voices and sources contributing to paint an objective, balanced picture of the larger-than-life former fighter. You won't see that here. Instead, you get wall-to-wall Tyson and nothing else — an extended monologue, a stream-of-consciousness couch confessional — which makes for riveting viewing."

"Tyson," a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated R for language including sexual references. Running time: 88 minutes. It's directed by James Toback. The AP gave it three stars out of four. Here's a trailer:

World-ranked, undefeated super middleweight Andre Ward is picking Jermain Taylor to beat Carl Froch this weekend in their 168-pound title fight on Showtime.

"This is a very interesting fight,'' said Ward. "I admire Froch for coming to the United States to fight. He could have stayed in the UK and become a draw but he knows that at age 31 his time is now... Stylistically speaking, it's a hard fight to call. Both fighters have their pros and cons. But if I have to pick, I'd say Taylor will win a very close fight. I think his speed, experience and athleticism will pull him through.''

Ward meets hard-hitting Colombian Edison Miranda May 16 on a special Saturday primetime edition of ShoBox: The New Generation live on Showtime at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. A win in that fight could land Ward a shot at the Taylor-Froch winner.

HBO Sports will present "Assault In The Ring," a documentary about the ill-fated bout between welterweights Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto in 1983 at the Garden. It debuts Saturday, August 1, on HBO.

“This film will revisit one of boxing’s saddest days,” said HBO's Rick Bernstein. “But it’s a compelling story that we feel needs to be told, because so many lives were changed forever on that night at Madison Square Garden. This is an in-depth, comprehensive examination of that tragic event.”

On June 16, 1983, the undefeated Collins Jr. set out to fulfill every boxer’s dream of fighting in the world’s most famous arena – Madison Square Garden. Collins’ opponent, Luis Resto of the Bronx, had his own dream of rising to the occasion in front of hometown fans. But what began as a match that Nashville native Collins was favored to win changed both athletes’ lives – ending Collins’ career dreams and landing Resto in prison.

Resto seemingly reached a fighter’s ultimate goal by upsetting Collins, but his post-fight victory celebration was short-lived when it was discovered that the padding had been illegally removed from Resto’s gloves by his trainer, Panama Lewis, before the fight. Resto was subsequently incarcerated and banned from the sport, while the brutally beaten Collins went into a tragic downward spiral.

It's Earth Day, and middleweight John Duddy, who fights Friday at the Prudential Center in Newark, is trying to get a little pub while helping the environment. Here are the fighter's Earth Day tips:

1.) Unplugging appliances that aren’t in use: So when you are at the Duddy vs. Lyell Fight this Friday, April 24th at Prudential Center in Newark at 8pm, do your part. Unplug the toaster.

2.) Fix leaky faucets: Don’t let water go to waste! Clean water is a precious resource that not everyone on the planet is able to enjoy. Fix leaky faucets, turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth and don’t leave it running when you are at the Duddy vs. Lyell fight this Friday!

3.) Plant a tree: Trees absorb carbon dioxide and create oxygen, making our air cleaner and reducing green house gasses. Name the tree “Irish John.”

4.) Carpool: To the Duddy vs. Lyell fight at the Prudential Center in Newark this Friday! The more friends you bring, the more you’ll be saving the planet.

5.) Take mass transit instead of driving: you could take the Path train, for example, to the Duddy vs. Lyell fight this Friday night at 8pm at the Prudential Center in Newark, it’s an easy ride!

Pretty clever marketing strategy.

Inbox Item: From Golden Boy.

LOS ANGELES, April 21 - After capturing the world's attention, "The Battle of East and West", the mega-fight between Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao and Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton on May 2nd at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, has officially sold out. For those not as fortunate as the thousands of fans who will be in the arena that night, there is still a chance to experience the action in Las Vegas as closed circuit tickets are still available at Mandalay Bay, Mirage, TI, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Luxor and New York-New York.

"Given that the live gate for this event is sold out, coupled with the sellout of tonight's San Francisco Giants baseball game where Manny is the guest of honor, indicates to me that 'The Battle of East and West' is on track to break all existing pay-per-view records," said Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank.

The fight will be produced and distributed by HBO-Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

This Friday, April 24th, the Main Event Boxing Series will continue at Prudential Center in Newark with an exciting card that has middleweight contender John Duddy in the main event against Billy Lyell. The co-feature pits former world junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma against Gabriel Rosado. Przemyslaw Majewski and Patrick Ferrell are scheduled for undercard bouts.

Tickets are still available and priced at $38, $53, $78, $103 and $253, and can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office or by calling TicketMaster at 201-507-8900. Doors open at 8:00pm. A terrific multi-ethnic, Fan Festival will be held 6:00 – 8:00pm at Entry Plaza, corner of Mulberry and Edison Streets with food, beverages and entertainment.

This series of 24/7 may be HBO's best yet. It is delving much deeper into the lives of the fighters away from the ring.

Best Spoken Line: From Ricky Hatton: "If someone asked me to write down on a piece of paper how I would like my son to be, I think it would be everything that my son is."

Best Spoken Line part 2: From Mark Wahlberg, speaking about the Wild Card Gym: "Anyone can come in here and everyone gets treated the same."

Best Written Line: At the close, "The best teachers have often absorbed the most punishment themselves."

Best Written Line, part 2: "But among the city's 600,000 residents Floyd Mayweather Sr. is a character who would be hard to make up."

Best Supporting Cast: Normally, it would have been the candid Mickey Rourke, but how could it not be Shane Langford, who works and sleeps at the Wild Card Gym and takes notes on how to become a trainer by studying Roach. His notebook? A post-it pad.

Training Days: Best workout sequence is Mayweather-Hatton on the hand pads.

Freddie sez: About Manny: "He's more of a complete fighter now than I ever expected him to be."

I loved that ... it's still -- two bedrooms, three bathrooms, 10 men -- for Manny's entourage. You get the idea that Turtle, E. and Drama would live under the same conditions if they had to.

I loved that ... Freddie Roach's trophy from the Boxing Writers Association of America for "Trainer of the Year," is used for holding apples in his kitchen. At least it's not collecting dust.

Celebrity: You have a gym in Hollywood, celebs will come. Christian Bale, who was born in Wales, showed up in Pacquiao's camp. Wonder if he's a Hatton fan? Or a Joe Calzaghe fan? And from what we can see, he didn't scream at anyone. But then again, there wasn't a director of photography around. Just fighters.

The next episode airs this Saturday, April 25 at 9:35 p.m.

The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton junior welterweight title fight will be televised live on HBO PPV on May 2. -- CASSIDY

Former undisputed middleweight champion and 1993 Hall of Fame Inductee Marvelous Marvin Hagler will attend festivities planned for the 20th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend scheduled for June 11-14th in Canastota, NY.

“It’s very exciting to have Marvelous Marvin Hagler return to Canastota for the Hall of Fame Weekend,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “He's a legend and a fan favorite.”

New inductees to be honored are bantamweight champion Orlando Canizales, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, junior lightweight champion Brian Mitchell, matchmaker / publicist / promoter Bob Goodman, promoter Akihiko Honda, journalist Hugh McIlvaney and broadcaster Larry Merchant. Posthumous inductees will also be honored.

For more information on the Hall of Fame’s 20th Annual Induction Weekend please call (315) 697-7095 or visit www.ibhof.com.

HBO's 24/7 series is the best sports program on television. Period. End of story.

Well, actually, there is more to the story. Here it is.

Here's this corner's take on the first episode of 24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton.

Best Spoken Line: When Ricky Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. described himself as the greatest trainer of all time. He borrowed the line from Muhammad Ali, but then took it further by adding, "not this time, that time, full time or part time -- all time!"

Best Written Line: In the opening, over footage of Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao and Michael Moorer in the gym -- "teaching from textbooks that are invisible."

Best Supporting Cast: Michael Moorer and Billy Graham. Moorer shows us what's great about boxing, that Freddie Roach takes his former fighter in and makes him part of the biggest fight of the year. But Graham represents the harsh reality of boxing, as he talks about getting fired by longtime pupil Hatton and says it was "the last time I've seen him."

Training Days: Mayweather Sr. says that boxing is all about hitting and not getting hit and that Hatton is too aggressive. This corner feels it would be a huge mistake to tamper with Hatton's style or change his approach. Stick with what got you here.

I loved that ... Manny plays basketball.

I hated that ... I had to see Ricky Hatton in a thong, even if it was a joke.

I loved that, part 2 ... HBO used the Rolling Stone's "Paint it black."

Question: If Manny Pacquiao is so beloved in his native Philippines and remains close to the slums where he grew up, showing his people love and respect, why all the heavily armed guards around his compound?

The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton junior welterweight title fight will be televised live on HBO PPV on May 2. -- CASSIDY

I've been away. So let me catch up. Here are some thoughts in and out of the world of boxing.

Ready, set ...

Continue reading "Random Thoughts: Oscar De La Hoya, Arturo Gatti, Manny Pacquiao, Yuriorkis Gamboa and David Caruso" »

In addition to what should be a great matchup between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton on May 2, the undercard will feature WBC super featherweight champ Humberto Soto (47-7-2) against Canada's Benoit Gaudet (20-1, 7 KOs).

The pay-per-view broadcast will also feature undefeated top-rated contender James Kirkland (25-0, 22 KOs) against Mike Walker (19-1-2, 12 KOs) in a middleweight bout.

Other bouts include, Russia's Matt Korobov vs. Rodrigo Aguiar and Erislandy Lara against Chris Gray.

- MARCUS HENRY

I’ve been asked over the last couple of days where Oscar de la Hoya’s place is in boxing history. Is he an all-time great? Is he a hall-of-famer? Is he overrated?

There are a lot of pundits and fans who think de la Hoya was overrated. I’m here to make the case that de la Hoya might have been a little underrated.

Continue reading "Oscar de la Hoya underrated" »

Famed boxing champion and future Hall of Fame fighter Oscar de la Hoya, one of the most decorated pugilist in the history of the sport, retired as a professional today during a noon press conference in Nokia Plaza LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.

"After heartfelt discussions with my family and my closest friends, it is with deep gratitude and appreciation that I announce my retirement from professional boxing," said De La Hoya, who retires from the ring with a 39-6, 30 KOs record. "Boxing has been the single, most consistent part of my life and although I will miss the ring, I know that it is time for me to step away from the sport competitively and become more active in the other aspects of it that are already in place and ready for me to pursue."

Continue reading "Oscar de la Hoya retires from boxing" »

HBO is expected to get a nice boost Saturday, June 13.

In addition to the welterweight title bout between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey on HBO Championship Boxing, the network will premier the hit movie Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger at 8 p.m.

Aside from giving boxing fans a break from paying $50 for pay-per-view, cable customers who don't have HBO will get a free preview the entire weekend, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The free preview is contingent on cable operators agreeing to it, the source said.

- MARCUS HENRY

Landing a mega-fight with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is exactly what IBF welterweight champ Joshua Clottey is looking for.

"I'm so happy. I can't believe he accepted the fight," said Clottey. "I respect him for that."

Clottey (35-2, 21 KOs) will face Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) on June 13 at Madison Square Garden on HBO Championship Boxing.

Clottey has an impressive track record, with wins over Zab Judah, Diego Corrales and Shamone Alvarez. Clottey went the distance in a unanimous-decision loss to Antonio Margarito in December of 2006.

A win would certainly put Clottey in line for a big-money fight sometime in November or December against one of several opponents. Shane Mosely, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather and even a rematch with Margarito (assuming he gets is license back) are all possible opponents.

"This is going to do a lot for me," he said. "[When I win] I'll be thinking about Shane Mosley."

- MARCUS HENRY

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto has had a lot on his plate lately.

In addition to agreeing to face IBF welterweight champ Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden on June 13, Cotto recently fired his uncle and longtime trainer Evangelista Cotto after a physical altercation.

Continue reading "Miguel Cotto to move on with new trainer" »

Oscar De La Hoya will announce whether or not he will fight again on Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles when he holds a press conference spelling out his future. The press conference takes place at noon at the Nokia Plaza, across from Staples Center. The event will be open to the public. -- CASSIDY

The International Boxing Hall of Fame is preparing for its 20th anniversary this year. Many events are being planned to celebrate the occasion, including the Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, June 11-14th, in Canastota, New York.

Continue reading "Boxing Hall of Fame prepares for 20th Anniversary" »

The fight looked easy. So easy in fact, one has to wonder when and if Winky Wright will fight again. That's how dominant Paul Williams was.

Williams' high punch volume was too much for Wright as he cruised to an easy unanimous decision win. The judges scored the bout 119-109, 119-109, 120-108 in favor of Williams.

So what's next for Williams? HBO's Jim Lampley suggested possible matchups with Kelly Pavlik or Arthur Abraham. Williams' size and high-punch volume has all but chased away the top welterweights.

Fighting at 154 or 160 pounds on a permanent basis is a different story. There are an abundance of fighters available at those weights. The aformentioned Pavlik and Abraham would be a major step up for Williams. Jermain Taylor, Bernard Hopkins and even Kassim Ouma could all end up on Williams' wish list.

Shane Mosley's name was also mentioned, but it is doubtful that Mosley would move up to 154, especially if he is looking to take on Floyd Mayweather or the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton winner. But if the money is right, who knows?

WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto will fight IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey will fight Saturday, June 13, at Madison Square Garden. This is Cotto's annual pre-Puerto Rican Day Parade fight at the Garden. The bout will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:35 P.M.

Cotto walked through Michael Jennings in his last Garden appearance. But Clottey is extremely tough. He lost a unanimous decision to Antonio Margarito in 2006, but it was a very close unanimous decision. He also has wins over Diego Corrales and Zab Judah. -- CASSIDY

Winky Wright has been out of the ring for nearly two years. In addition to caring for his 22-month old son, fighters have been ducking him like the plague.

His awkward, defensive fighting style is the main reason. This time around, Wright says he will be throwing blows in his super middleweight bout with Paul Williams on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay. The fight will be broadcast on HBO's Championship Boxing.

"There won't be any playing around. I won't be just blocking, I'll be throwing a lot of punches, a lot of hard punches on Saturday night," Wright said at the final press conference. "No one can win a fight by just blocking...I'm going to win this fight."

Continue reading "Winky Wright promises to fight" »

Months of negotiations have come to an end and the highly expected heavyweight title fight is on. IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko of the Ukraine (52-3, 46 KO's) will defend his titles against David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) of London on June 20.

The venue will be announced soon.

Continue reading "It's official: Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye on June 20" »

Timothy Bradley (24-0) recovered from a first-round knockdown for a unanimous-decision victory over Kendall Holt (25-3) at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night. It's a big win for Bradley, the WBC 140-pound champ, who added the Holt's WBO title to his mantle place.

Holt caught Bradley in the first round with a mix of punches, sending him to the floor. But that was it from Holt as Bradley controlled the bulk of the fight. Holt had Bradley on the ropes in the 12th round, so much so that referee Mike Griffin had to give Bradley a standing eight count. But he held off Holt for the win.