The Neutral Corner

La Romana, Dominican Republic -- This is what's great about the Dominican Republic. A lot of the arenas are named after athletes. Unlike Citi Field or Tropicana Field, you have Coliseo de Boxeo Pedro Julio Nolasco. It's in La Romana and it's a small open-air venue with a gym attached. It's dedicated to the memory of Nolasco, who won a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics, the first medal ever won by a Dominican boxer.

My friend Anthony Bobring took us to La Romana, where we saw the gym and spoke with Hector Julio Avila, who once fought Joan Guzman, and Johnny Nolasco, Pedro's nephew. A few miles away, next to the baseball academy shared by the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays, was a 20,000-seat arena named after Eleoncio Mercedes, the former WBC flyweight champion from La Romana.

To this corner, Manny Pacquiao is in the driver's seat. He's on top, he should dictate terms. He is wildly popular at home and in the States. If he fights Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Sugar Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto, it's big business.

Manny Pacquiao, AP

1. Manny Pacquiao wants to fight again in October. We suggested here that Pacquiao should fight that bout in the Philippines. One thing for certain, Mayweather -- win or lose in July -- won't be ready to fight Pac Man in October.

2. Making a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight even more difficult to happen is PBF's demand that he get a 60-40 split. Bob Arum told the Philippine Star, “You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum said he’s delusional... Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd’s got no idea what he’s talking about... Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense.”

OK, moving right along.

3. A Miguel Cotto (should he get by Joshua Clottey) and Pac Man fight is very intriguing. They are both promoted by Arum so there would be few obstacles. When you add the Latino market to the PPV audience, numbers should jump. The catch here is that Cotto has already intimated he's not too interested in fighting at a catch weight of say, 144. Remember, he was more than happy to leave 140 and stop sucking weight, so why go back? Well, money will do that to you.

4. Now enter Sugar Shane Mosley. Dan Rafael quoted Sugar Shane on ESPN.com as saying,
"I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now," Mosley said. "I'm willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen. I know this is what [Pacquiao trainer] Freddie Roach wants as well, as he has previously stated this to press. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter."

The bottom line is that Mosley needs either Mayweather or Pac Man. Yes, the obvious fight is Pac Man vs. Mayweather. But how many times has the obvious fight not been made? Too many. Mosley has also attempted to bait Mayweather into a fight, but PBF has never seemed interested in fighting Shane. Why is that?

Which leads us to ... October 17, 2009, Manila, Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley.

Neither of these guys are ever in a dull fight. Please, someone make it happen.

CLICK HERE to read all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of Manny Pacquiao

The card is set for Broadway Boxing - Long Island at the Capital One Bank Theater (Formerly the Old Westbury Music Fair) on Friday June 5th.

Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak will fight Jamaica’s Vinroy Barrett in the main event.

The card will also feature Kasim Howard, Mike Ruiz and Joe Smith, undefeated New York-based light heavyweight Will Rosinsky, Steve Ormond of Ireland and Lambros Karalides of Cyprus.

For tickets contact DiBella Entertainment 212 947 2577 or
http://www.dbe1.com.

- MARCUS HENRY

It was a win-win tonight for promoter Lou DiBella. His undefeated WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs) retained his title with a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision over Juan Urango (21-2-1, 16 KOs) Saturday on HBO's Boxing After Dark. Berto, the son of Haitain immigrants, won by scores of 117-111, 118-110, 118-110.

Also, in a mild upset, in a WBC junior middleweight title-eliminator, former welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (31-2-1, 27 KOs) (also promoted by DiBella) beat previously unbeaten junior middleweight contender Alfredo Angulo (15-1, 12 KOs) over twelve rounds.

Helsinki (AP) -- Ruslan Chagaev failed a "medical requirement" on Friday, forcing his challenge for Nikolai Valuev's WBA heavyweight title to be called off a day before the fight. Finnish officials said "Chagaev has been unable to fulfill the Finnish Boxing Federation's medical requirements" but gave no further details.

"It was a big shock for us today," said Wilfried Sauerland, Valuev's manager.

Federation president Pertti Augustin and press spokesman Pekka Kaidesoja refused to offer explanations, saying "it's against Finnish law to do so."

It's the third time their rematch has been canceled since Chagaev gave the 7-foot Russian his only pro defeat in April 2007. The previous two rematches were called off because Chagaev ruptured an Achilles' tendon in training. After Chagaev, as WBA titleholder, withdrew from the two scheduled rematches he was named "champion in recess," and the WBA vacated the title.

Don King -- who promotes Valuev -- has asked the WBA to recognize Valuev as champion and had this to say in an email to The Neutral Corner:

“The World Boxing Association should act swiftly and unequivocally to designate Nikolai Valuev as its undisputed heavyweight champion,” King said. “Nikolai has been patient in waiting for Chagaev to become medically fit to fight. We applaud the WBA for making every effort to allow Chagaev to return, but it is clear now that we must move on.”

With Floyd "Money" Mayweather it really is about the money. There are two reports that carry quotes in which Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he will never enter into a fight with Pacquiao with a 50-50 purse split.

"Pacquiao will never get 50/50. It'll be a cold day in hell before that happens," he said in this report.

(Here's the other report)

Pacquiao's camp wants a 60-40 split, but, so too, does Mayweather.

Here's a quote from Mayweather explaining why he deserves more money: "We deal with facts," the undefeated Mayweather said in an article appearing on Philstar.com. "When he fought with Oscar, he did 1.24 (million buys). When I fought Oscar, we did 2.5 (million). Against Hatton, they did 800 (thousand) and change. I did 930 (thousand) for the same fight. I did over a million in the (United Kingdom for the Hatton fight) and they did less than half of that," he added.

There are two trains of thought here. Either, Bob Arum won't agree to Floyd's terms so he can be the good guy (and with Floyd that's usually pretty easy) and line up a Cotto-Pacquiao fight (as we suggested here). Or Floyd doesn't really want to fight Pacquiao and is conveniently pricing himself out of the fight. A tactic used more than one would think.

This corner feels that it's Pacquiao who deserves the purse advantage on this one. Floyd needs him a lot more than Manny needs Floyd. This will most certainly be continued.

More Coverage -- Read: Manny Pacquiao should demand to fight in Philippines

-- CASSIDY

As much as reporters tried to get him to talk about Manny Pacquiao during yesterday's conference call, Miguel Cotto focused solely on his next opponent, Joshua Clottey. Cotto defends his WBO welterweight crown against Clottey, out of the Bronx via Ghana, at Madison Square Garden on June 13.

Here is part of what Cotto had to say during the call:

On his first training camp without his uncle, Evangelista Cotto, as the trainer: "Training camp is running really good, I’m pretty happy to be here and I am excited for the fight... Training camp is running normal, everything is running better."

On Joshua Clottey: "I train for everything, if he wants to move, I am ready for him, if he wants to face me in the middle of the ring , I am ready for him … I never expect an easy fight from any kind of fighter. I always train hard for any kind of fighter. I am ready for anything that Joshua Clottey brings me."

On fighting on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade (for the fourth time) in New York: It means a lot to me because I am a big part of the Puerto Rican weekend in New York. Being a part of that, means a lot for any person."

On why he has not challenged his defeat to Antonio Margarito, since Margarito and his trainer have subsequently been suspended for using illegal substances in Margarito's hand wraps against Shane Mosley: "We committed the mistake of not sending anyone to Margarito's dressing room to check the way (his trainer) wrapped his hands. We didn’t check, so we can’t talk about something we didn’t know."

-- CASSIDY

Yes, Oscar De La Hoya likes golf. He tells a funny story in his book about the first time he met Richard Schaefer. (It was on a golf course, Schaefer crashed the golf cart, buy the book).

On June 1, Oscar hosts his 10th Annual Oscar de la Hoya Celebrity Golf Classic. All proceeds will benefit the Oscar De La Hoya Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life for the people of East Los Angeles. Cerveza Tecate is the title sponsor. Some of the celebs scheduled to attend are Michael Strahan, Andy Garcia, Brian Baumgartner, Dennis Haysbert and a bunch more.

The event takes place at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, CA.

It has been three years since Manny Pacquiao defeated Oscar Larios in Araneta Coliseum, in Manila. A lot has happened in those three years. Manny Pacquiao has become the best fighter in boxing and a brand name that has gone global.

Now, it's time for him to defend his junior welterweight belt and pound-for-pound title in front of his loyal fans in the Philippines. Pacquiao has fought at home before, but has not engaged in a world title fight in the Philippines since 2002.

Pac Man has expressed a desire to fight in October, which creates a window of opportunity for Manny because there is no way Floyd Mayweather Jr. (if he beats Juan Manuel Marquez) will fight JMM in July and then turn around and fight again in October. Odds are, Floyd won't fight in the Philippines anyway.

Every great Filipino champion -- Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, Flash Elorde, Luisito Espinosa -- has defended the strap on their home turf in their prime. The great Jack Dempsey even refereed one of Garcia's title fights in the Philippines. Now it's Pac Man's turn. Can you imagine the job HBO will do profiling Manny in his hometown? Imagine how the atmosphere of the fight will translate on television? Remember how atmosphere was always such a big deal to the TV executives?

Pacquiao also has expressed a desire to run for political office. What says more to his potential voters -- following the lure of money back to Las Vegas, or demanding a fight in the Philippines before his people? -- CASSIDY

CLICK HERE to read all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of Manny Pacquiao

Miguel Cotto had a conference call with reporters today. And while it was just Miguel Cotto on the call, the presence of Manny Pacquiao was a constant. Reporters asked Cotto in a variety of ways whether or not he would fight Pacquiao. Cotto wasn't biting, continually stating he is focused on his next opponent, Joshua Clottey. (Which is not an easy fight, by the way.)

If it should happen, a Pacquiao-Cotto fight would be a fantastic action fight, while Mayweather Jr., the man most people expect Pac Man to fight next, generally engages in dull fights.

All Cotto would say about Pacquiao, when asked about the Hatton fight, was this: "It was a very strong moment for Pacquiao."

But sometimes, silence is louder than actual words. Consider this:

1. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are both promoted by Bob Arum. Arum made it a point to say that Pacquiao will be in attendance for the Cotto-Clottey fight. Cotto vs. Pacquiao is a win-win for Arum.

2. While the entire world knows the obvious fight is Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao refused to commit to his next opponent when he was repeatedly asked about it after the Hatton fight.

3. Will Pac Man be happy to sit on the sidelines and wait for Floyd? Mayweather Jr. fights Juan Manuel Marquez in July. It will probably be six months before Floyd fights again -- if he wins. Is that too long for Pac Man to wait? Pac Man has already stated he wants to fight in October.

4. Both Cotto and Pacquiao are not talking about fighting each other. But when two guys -- promoted by the same promoter -- start saying they don't want to fight each other, well that gives us just enough reason to be just a little suspicious. -- CASSIDY

CLICK HERE to read all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of Manny Pacquiao

The “Main Event Boxing Series” brings world championship boxing back to Newark’s Prudential Center on Saturday, July 11th as IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz “Goral” Adamek, of Jersey City, defends his title against Hackensack's Bobby “The Celtic Warrior” Gunn.

This will mark the third title fight for Adamek at "The Rock."

The card will also include: Paterson welterweight Henry Crawford, (21-0); Morganville, N.J.’s promising middleweight prospect Denis “The Momma’s Boy” Douglin, (2-0, 2 KO’s) and undefeated Polish standouts Piotor Wilczewski, (22-0, super middleweight) and 13-0 cruiserweight Mateusz Masternak.

Manny Pacquiao, named Fighter of Year for 2008 by the Boxing Writers Asscociation of America, has confirmed that he will be on hand in New York on June 12 for the BWAA's 84th annual dinner.

Joe Calzaghe, honored as Best Manager, will also be in attendance.

Freddie Roach, Pac Man's trainer, won the Trainer of the Year award and Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst, will pick up the award for Long and Meritorious Service.

The dinner will take place at the Capitale, at 130 Bowery, New York, NY. For more info, visit bwaa.org.

The news turned from sad to tragic. Our deepest sympathies to the Tyson family:

PHOENIX (AP) -- Police say the 4-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson has died a day after her neck accidentally was caught in a treadmill cord while she was playing at home.

Phoenix police spokesman Andy Hill said Exodus Tyson was pronounced dead in a hospital just before noon Tuesday. Police have said an investigation showed it was a "tragic accident."

Police say the girl was playing on the treadmill Monday when her head apparently slipped inside a cord hanging under the console. Exodus' 7-year-old brother found her and alerted his mother. Former heavyweight champion Tyson was in Las Vegas at the time of the accident and flew to Phoenix on Monday.

Sad news being reported by the AP:

PHOENIX -- Police in Phoenix say boxer Mike Tyson's 4-year-old daughter is on life support after she was found with her neck on a treadmill cable.

Police Sgt. Andy Hill said the "tragic accident" happened Monday morning at Tyson's home when the girl's 7-year-old brother found her on a treadmill with her neck on a cable attached to the exercise machine.

The boy told the girl's mother from another room. She took the girl off the cable, called 911 and tried to revive her.

Hill said the girl is now in "extremely critical condition" and on life support. Hill said Mike Tyson was out of town but returned to Phoenix immediately after learning of the accident.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux won his pro debut with a third-round TKO over Juan Noriega on Friday night in Miami. Rigondeaux, who defected from Cuba in February, was not as busy with his punches but still wore down Noriega in their junior featherweight bout.

Rigondeaux, 28, scored a knockdown earlier in the bout but seemed content to casually feel his way through his debut. An Olympic gold medalist in 2000 and 2004, Rigondeaux defected from Cuba with Yudel Johnson and Yordanis Despaigne, teammates on the country's amateur team. Johnson and Despaigne also won their debuts on Friday.

A fourth Cuban, Erislandy Lara, improved to 6-0 with a knockout on the same card.

Friend of The Neutral Corner, Gary Morgan, was our eyes and ears at the Empire State Building for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez presser. Here are some observations from Gary, addendums by us and quotes fed to us by the good folks who work for Kelly Swanson:

Continue reading "Random Thoughts: Mayweather-Marquez presser in NY" »

Before Andrei Arlovski was starched by Fedor, Oscar De La Hoya said he had already signed him to a boxing promotional contract. Since then, there has been much talk about Arlovski turning pro as a heavyweight. The Freddie Roach-trained fighter has apparently postponed those planes.

Arlovski will face unbeaten heavyweight Brett “The Grim” Rogers in an MMA bout on Saturday, June 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and it will be televised by Showtime. That bout will be the main support to the MMA showdown between Ruthless" Robbie Lawler and Jake Shields.

Given the manner in which Arlovski was knocked out by Fedor, the decision not to pursue boxing was probably the right one. -- CASSIDY

The Long Island Amateur Boxing Championships drew over 200 fighters from flyweight to heavyweight to the Five Towns Community Center last year.

The tournament is making its return to the Five Towns Community Center this summer and will run August 12 through August 15. In an effort to promote the event, tournament director Michael Carryl announced a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded at a local amateur boxing show on July 18 at Kennedy Park in Hempstead.

Details on eligibility for the scholarship and the tournament will be available in the coming weeks on www.usaboxingmetro.com.

- MARCUS HENRY

Floyd Mayweather Jr. hit the Big Apple today to hype his return bout against lightweight champ Juan Manual Marquez.

“I’m expecting the best Floyd Mayweather ever,” Marquez said at today's news conference, on the 80th floor of the Empire State Building. “I’m putting in my mind that he never retired, so I’m expecting the best.”

The two will meet July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They’ll fight at a catch-weight of about 143 pounds, eight more than Marquez has ever fought and the lightest that Mayweather has been since 2005. Mayweather hasn’t fought since knocking out Ricky Hatton in December 2007. Since then, he has appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” and WrestleMania.

While Marquez is a considerable talent and a formidable opponent, Mayweather couldn't resist talking about Manny Pacquiao, the man who took his place as pound-for-pound champion.

“I respect him for what he does, I respect him in the fight game, but I’ve never been beat,” Mayweather said of Pacquiao, who’s lost three times. “Nobody has the antidote
for Floyd Mayweather.” -- CASSIDY

Mayweather, Marquez photos courtesy, Gary Morgan

24/7 is back and so is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Love him or hate him, Floyd makes great TV.

Here's the release from HBO:

NEW YORK, May 19, 2009 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured seven Sports Emmy® Awards, will return with MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7, an all-new four-episode, all-access series, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Debuting SATURDAY, JUNE 27 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), the series spotlights a host of intriguing storylines, with Floyd Mayweather, the sport’s most irrepressible superstar, returning after a year-and-a-half absence to face Juan Manuel Marquez, one of boxing’s most accomplished performers, as they prepare for their July 18 welterweight pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas.

Noted Greenburg, “This latest edition of ‘24/7’ features all the ingredients that we look for in greenlighting the ‘24/7’ franchise: big-time boxing stars, engaging storylines and in Floyd’s case, a larger-than-life personality that is tailor-made for reality television. This fight is sure to generate a lot of interest, and we hope to present another compelling television program.”

Episodes two and three of MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 debut on subsequent Saturdays – JULY 4 (9:45-10:15 p.m.) and 11 (10:00-10:30 p.m.) – while the finale debuts FRIDAY, JULY 17 (9:30-10:00 p.m.), just one night before the fight. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the series will also be available on HBO On Demand.

MAYWEATHER/MARQUEZ 24/7 will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as these determined warriors prepare for the second mega-fight of 2009. This is Mayweather’s third “24/7” appearance, while Marquez is making his HBO reality series debut.

Inbox Item: From the Boxing Hall of Fame:

CANASTOTA, NY –MAY 13, 2009 - The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced today former WBO heavyweight champion “Merciless” Ray Mercer will attend festivities planned for the 20th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend set for June 11-14th.

“Ray Mercer was a hard-punching heavyweight and was involved in some truly exciting bouts,” said Hall of Fame director Edward Brophy. “We’re looking forward to welcoming him to Canastota for the first time.”

Mercer compiled an 85-6 amateur record and captured the 1988 Olympic heavyweight gold medal. He turned pro in 1989 and wins over Garing Lane, Ossie Ocasio, Kimmuel Odum and Bert Cooper set up a WBO title clash with Francesco Damiani in 1991 (KO 9). In his first defense he scored a dramatic 5th round TKO over Tommy “The Duke” Morrison. Stripped of the title in 1992, he went on to score wins over Jesse Ferguson, Tim Witherspoon and Darroll Wilson among others. In 1996 he engaged in a rugged back and forth battle with 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee Lennox Lewis (L 10). He was unsuccessful in a 2002 WBO title bid against Wladimir Klitschko. Mercer’s pro record stands at 36-7-1 (26 KOs).

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.

According to a story by Laz Izada at Insideboxing.com, a press conference was held today in Miami introducing the latest crop of boxers to defect from Cuba.

The story reads in part ... The most popular of the four is bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux which compiled an amateur record of 243-4, he is considered as the best amateur boxer of all time. He is a former bantamweight Olympic Gold medalist (2000 and 2004). As a professional his manager Luis De Cubas predicts that he will win a championship belt quicker then Davey Moore did years ago winning a championship belt at a 7-0 start.

Among the other fighters introduced in Miami were Yudel Johnson, a southpaw who won the Olympic silver medal in 2004 as a Light Welterweight, and Gold in the 1999 Pan Am games as a Featherweight. ... Light heavyweight Yordanis Despaigne, who defeated Andre Dirrell, Jean Pascal, and Karoly Balzsay in the amateurs ... and... light heavyweight Yunier Dorticos.

Rigondeaux, Johnson, and Despaigne will be making there pro debuts on the under card at the May 22, 2009, Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, “Night of Legends” honoring Roberto Duran and Jake Lamotta card. The card will be televised by ESPN 2 Friday Night Fights. The co-main event will feature former Cuban defector Erislandy Lara and the main event will be a showdown between Richard Gutierrez against Antwone Smith for a WBA Regional Welterweight title.

Here's some video from YouTube of the Manny Pacquiao victory party. It's a little shaky at times, but Manny does an interview and then sings with the crowd. Enjoy:

On May 15th Joe DeGuardia's Star Boxing brings boxing back to Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City, with a six-bout card. In the main event, the WBA #5, WBC #10, IBF #13 rated heavyweight Kevin "Kingpin" Johnson (21-0-1, 8KO) is set to square off against 2004 Olympic Team Captain Devin Vargas (17-0, 7KO) in a ten-round bout.

The co-feature marks the Star Boxing debut of Jorge "The Truth' Teron (22-1-1, 15KO) as he looks to avenge the only loss of his career when he takes on Aldo Valtierra (25-10, 13KO). Teron vs. Valtierra is scheduled for ten rounds in the lightweight division. Both the co-feature and main event of the evening will be broadcast live on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights".

On the undercard, former WBA heavyweight champion Bruce "The Atlantic City Express" Seldon (39-7, 35KO) takes on Gabe "Big G" Brown (18-9-4, 12KO) in an eight round heavyweight fight. And light heavyweight prospect Chuck "The Professor" Mussachio (12-0-2, 5KO) meets former WBA light middleweight champ Carl Daniels (50-16-1, 32KO) in a six-rounder.

The Irish Arts Center is featuring a one-night showing called Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration in film featuring a documentary called "A Bloody Canvas" and also the BBC special that was filmed at the Irish Arts Center in the fall of 2006 and features the Fighting Irishmen exhibit with interviews of Liam Neeson, Barry McGuigan, Jay Tunney and curator Jim Houlihan.

The screening is on May 19th at 8 p.m. at the Irish Arts Center.

"A Bloody Canvas," is Andrew Gallimore’s 2007 account of the 1923 world championship fight in Dublin, in which a Senegalese heavyweight champion and a journeyman boxer from Clare met in the ring. Set against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War, the fight was a sensation attracting the attention of the world’s sporting press. But the story behind it, and its impact on the newly formed Irish Free State, is fascinating.

The exhibit -- Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration of the Celtic Warrior -- had two successful runs in New York City, then moved to Boston College and is now displayed at the Ulster American Folk Park (Omagh) in Ireland.

Roy Jones Jr. has already promoted a boxing-mma card and there has been a lot of chatter about him fighting Anderson Silva.

Now, this came in the Inbox from mmaclassics.com:

Perennial top ranked MMA superstar, Frank 'Twinkle Toes' Trigg, has answered the boxing legends' call for an MMA fight and is actively pursuing putting an MMA match up together. Trigg, a former collegiate wrestling star from the University of Oklahoma - turned MMA champion - believes that if the former boxing champion is serious about fighting MMA, then
this fight has the possibility to shift the combat arts landscape.

"Roy, welcome to my world... where the business model severely limits an individual athletes prospects for competition and commerce unless you tow the party line. If you want to be taken seriously in the MMA game, step into the cage with me and see where you stand - literally.
Make your case to the powers-that-be who say that you are not qualified. You're a real athlete, in fact one of the best combat artists ever ... if you'd like to challege yourself and your 'sweet
science', now is the time."

Trigg says there is a promoter in Florida willing to promote the bout.

"Let's do this Roy," he says in the release. "Give the power back to the athlete & the fans. Let's find out how your science matches my up to my art."

Our good friend over at Newsday's MMA blog caught up with Phillipe Nover as he prepared for UFC 98. Nover, out of Brooklyn, is also a Filipino. He has lots of talent and lots of heart. Check out the video here.

Manny Pacquiao has never been more popular. He has never fought better. His string of recent, impressive victories has lifted the tough southpaw to mythical status in his home of the Philippines. But where does Pac Man rate among the all-time great fighters in history.

We asked three experts their opinion. Here they are:

Continue reading "Is Manny Pacquiao an all-time great?" »

Oscar de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and AEG announced today the launch of "Fight Night Club", a monthly boxing series at the new Club Nokia at LA LIVE across the street from STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles. "Fight Night Club" will feature some of Golden Boy's best up and coming professional boxing prospects in an upscale and intimate Club setting. The monthly series will kick off on June 11th and will be televised nationally on VERSUS at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT and streamed live (and archived) on RingTV.com and Yahoo! Boxing. In addition to the fights, fans will also get a chance to hear great music and enjoy the atmosphere and ambiance of one of LA's newest premier night club destinations.

Lou DiBella and Joey Winters will have their first joint promotional venture on June 5th at Capital One Bank Theater at Westbury (formerly the Westbury Music Fair). Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak will meet Vinroy Barrett in the main event.

“I am truly looking forward to the fights on June 5th,” said Joe Winters. “My dad created something special for Long Island and I’m looking to continue his legacy”

Continuing Jimmy Winters Sr.’s legacy of promoting Long Island fighters, the card will also feature rising Long Island pugilists Kasim Howard, Mike Ruiz and Joe Smith. The card also features undefeated New York-based light heavyweight Will Rosinsky and Steve Ormond of Ireland and Lambros Karalides of Cyprus.

Ruiz (Left) with Nikolay Valuev

An open letter from John Ruiz

To America’s “Top” Heavyweight Boxers:

I’ve been told I’m not the most fan-friendly fighter in the world, my style often criticized as being ugly, but I’m proud to say I’ve never ducked a worthy opponent. For the past month or two, though, I’ve read and heard a lot BS about how I shouldn’t be the WBA mandatory title challenger. A few totally unproven, so-called contenders have whined about them deserving a world title shot more than I do.

Why? Who have Chris Arreola, Eddie Chambers, Kevin Johnson or Brian Minto beaten to deserve a world title shot? Nobody! Just compare my list of victories to yours. You guys haven’t come close to doing what I’ve accomplished.

I’ve been where you’re trying to get – 11 world title fights (2 WBA titles) -- and I’m even willing to risk my WBA mandatory title shot next year against the Chagaev-Valuev II winner just to show everyone that I’m entitled to another world championship fight. Prove me wrong. Stop all of the smack talk, try and beat me in the ring – the only place it really counts -- to be the real No. 1 American heavyweight. Next year, I’ll be fighting for the crown again unless one of you pretenders step-up and change my schedule.

Show the boxing world that you’re a true contender, not a pretender. You want it, come and get it – put your money where your mouth is. No more excuses, just contact my attorney Tony Cardinale (your promoters know how), and let’s make it happen.

AP Photo

Tommy "The Razor" Rainone will fight the recently-crowned New York State Welterweight champion Daniel Sostre on May 8 at the Plattduetsche Park Restaurant in Franklin Square, NY.

"We came close to fighting a few times in the last year or so but things didn't quite pan out," Rainone, 29, of Plainview, Long Island says. "They wanted to have the fight in Monticello but it made no sense since the fans wouldn't be able to make the trip. We've waited a bit and now we're fighting with something important on the line."

Rainone is 12-2 with four knockouts. Sostre is 8-3 with three knockouts and is known as "The Hudson Valley Kid". Hailing from Highland, New York, Sostre is five years younger than the challenger. Sostre won the New York State title in a mild upset over Mike Ruiz this past January, earning a majority decision victory.

Rainone is based at Westbury's Winters Boxing Club and trained by Jorge Gallardo. He has been sparring with world-rated Yuri Foreman for the fight. The Plattduetsche Park Restaurant is located at 1132 Hempstead Turnpike in Franklin Square, Long Island, NY. The fight will headline a boxing event promoted by Ring Promotions.

This info comes thanks to PR maven, Ryan Songalia.

Here is an interesting report from UPI: "Jewish boxer Salamo Arouch, who honed his skills against fellow prisoners at the Auschwitz death camp, has died in Israel at the age of 86, his daughter says... Arouch's daughter, Dalia Ganon, confirmed her father died near Tel Aviv, Israel, of unspecified causes on April 26 after seeing his health steadily decline since last year, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday."

Arouch was made to fight other prisoners at the concentration camp strictly for the amusement of the Nazi guards. In 1989, a film, "Triumph of the Spirit," was made about Arouch's experiences. Willem Dafoe starred in the movie and was trained by Teddy Atlas at Gleason's Gym for the role. -- CASSIDY

Now that the smoke has cleared from the latest “fight of the year”, what’s next for Manny Pacquiao?

A battle with Floyd Mayweather Jr. seems the most likely scenario. But what if Mayweather can’t hack it against Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18? If he loses, where does that leave Pacquiao?

You’d think a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature would draw everyone in the 140- and 147-pound divisions, especially since Pacquiao got $12 million and Hatton $8 million. But this isn’t the 1960s where everyone would fight everyone. Money and promoters usually gum up the works.

Continue reading "What does the future hold for Manny Pacquiao?" »

Really interesting story from the Telegraph, in the UK. Apparently, the Muslim guerillas and the Philippines Army put their weapons down to watch the fight.

It now becomes an interesting question. Manny Pacquiao has won world titles in six weight classes. He's beaten a slew of fighters who will probably end up in the hall of fame. He has looked completely dominant in his last two fights. So where does the Pac Man rate on the all-time, pound-for-pound list?

Does he rank up there with Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and Willie Pep?

Is he the best fighter of his generation, but not an all-time great? We'll let you decide.

Click to vote on where Pacquiao ranks

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

Click to see photos from the fight, and previous Manny Pacquiao fights and training

For the second straight fight, Manny Pacquiao has completely dominated a bigger fighter.

In this fight against Ricky Hatton, and his last one against Oscar De La Hoya, that makes a total of nine straight rounds that Manny Pacquiao hasn't even been threatened. He hasn't lost a round in either fight, it could be argued that he didn't lose a second of either fight. And that's against two pretty good fighters.

This is Manny's fourth straight fight in a different weight class.

What is amazing is that he seems to be getting stronger -- he dropped Hatton with both the right and left hands -- as he gets older (and as he climbs in weight).

At the presser Manny says: "Nothing personal, I'm just doing my job in the ring. I hope you all liked the fight."

Pac Man vs. The Hitman. We now know who the "man" is. Consider this, Pacquiao landed 73 punches in 5 minutes 59 seconds of fighting. Hatton threw 78.

Pacquiao has now won 10 in a row and a sixth title.

ESPN is showing live highlights of the fight. Remember the days during PPV fights when the news outlets, including ESPN, were forced to show still pictures of a PPV fight?

Click to see photos from the fight, and previous Manny Pacquiao fights and training

Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao dominates Ricky Hatton" »

This just hit the inbox. HBO Sports presents MANNY PACQUIAO VS. RICKY HATTON, the exclusive replay of their junior welterweight showdown, this SATURDAY, MAY 9 (9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will call all the action. The replay will be available in HDTV.

The Pacquiao-Hatton replay will be paired with the previously announced live HBO presentation of the light heavyweight title fight featuring Chad Dawson and challenger Antonio Tarver. It’s the second meeting between the two accomplished competitors.

Click to see photos from the fight, and previous Manny Pacquiao fights and training

OK. We're less than an hour away from the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight. We have one more undercard fight to watch (or endure). Think about it, this is like boxing's Super Bowl. Now, imagine if on Super Bowl Sunday you had to watch three football games first -- with teams of varying talent. Some undercards are good, this one, not so much. But hang in there, we'll be back with the main event.

(Quick note -- Soto just scored a knockdown, maybe we'll get to the main event sooner.)

We're here with IBC, Richie from Levittown, Casspix and JP, so look for plenty of comments.

Also, check in with Newsday's Wallace Matthews, who is blogging over at the Final Score.

Click to see photos from the fight, and previous Manny Pacquiao fights and training

Continue reading "Round-by-Round -- Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton " »

Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his return to boxing today at a press conference in Las Vegas.

"When I made my decision to retire last year, I felt like it was time for me to go as I had been boxing my whole life and felt like I had done all that I could do," said Mayweather. "But after I had time to rest, enjoy life with my family and friends, I started to miss the competition and my fans. I am ready to return to boxing and give people another dose of the Mayweather experience."

Mayweather's last fight -- 16 months ago -- was a 10th-round knockout over the previously undefeated Ricky Hatton.

"Fighters were constantly calling me out and fans would stop me all the time and ask me to make a return," said Mayweather. "It feels good to be back and trust me, I will deliver the same electrifying performances I always have throughout my career."

Mayweather makes his return against the dangerous and highly-touted five-time world champion in three weight divisions Juan Manuel Marquez. The bout will take place on Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on HBO pay-per-view. -- CASSIDY

Many news outlets -- and the ESPN crawl -- are reporting that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will end his 17-month retirement and announce a July 18 fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Apparently HBO and Golden Boy Promotions have scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference on the day of the Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao fight. What else could they announce?

The final episode, here we go:

Best Spoken Line: From Ricky Hatton: "I'm snarling right now, I don't want to be tickling and kissing," during the segment in which Hatton is reunited with his fiancee after a 5-week absence. They both observe that age old, unwritten rule, made famous by Mick in the Rocky series -- Women Weaken Legs.

Best Spoken Line: From Ricky Hatton, part 2: "Moments like that make you try harder." Getting extra motivation from a phone call with his son.

Best Written Line: Really, the entire closing segment, but particularly, when describing the sport of boxing, "at it's heart is an expression of all that man is capable of."

Best Supporting Cast: Las Vegas. HBO's cameras did an amazing job capturing the city and the narration that accompanied it -- "a place that if nothing else makes you feel alive."

Freddie sez: to Manny, "They think that Manny Pacquiao is just a puncher, you're the best boxing in the world too."

I love that ... my four-year-old son knows the theme music to 24/7. When it comes on, his head snaps to the TV and he says, "I like that music."

I loved that ... HBO used "Bring on the night," by The Police.

Interesting ... Michael Moorer talking about seeing the fire in Manny Pacquiao. One of the most frustrating things about Moorer's own career was his lack of fire at times... And .. did HBO really cut in footage from the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh-in? It took place on Friday, same day the episode aired. It could have been footage from other press conferences, but sure looked like the actual weigh in... Lastly, in the Oscar-Manny 24/7 series they showed Freddie Roach going to a high-end salon for grooming. In this series, he goes from his normal, slightly shaggy hair to a crew cut. And no explanation.

All four episodes will air again on HBO, Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton junior welterweight title fight will be televised live on HBO PPV, the card starting at 9 p.m.

If you like 24/7, check out this story on HBO's web site, it goes behind the scenes of 24/7.

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

Click through a gallery of Manny Pacquiao photos

-- CASSIDY

Here are the weights from Las Vegas:

Manny Pacquiao -- 138 pounds
Ricky Hatton -- 140

Humberto Soto -- 130
Benoit Gaudet -- 129

Daniel Jacobs -- 163
Michael Walker -- 162

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

Click through a gallery of Manny Pacquiao photos