5/30/09 HBO - ANDRE BERTO WINS 12 ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER JUAN URANGO

Round 1: Berto demonstrates his hand speed early in the fight. Urango moves his upper body well and keeps his chin low. Berto fires straight rights. Urango moves forward throwing his right jab.

Round 2: Berto jabs quickly and lands an overhand right to the head. Urango lands a straight left to the head. Berto lands an overhand right. Urango lands a right hook to the head. Berto fires and lands a right uppercut. Berto is seeking an opening to land a straight right. Urango has good upper body movement as he comes forward. Berto is not hitting him cleanly.

Round 3: Berto is very fast, but he is looking to land one punch at a time rather than putting his punches together. Urango went down due to a slip. Berto is flashy; lands one punch and then ties Urango up.

Round 4: Urango plows forward and throws more punches. Berto lands a straight right. Both fighters exchange clean shots on the inside. Urango lands a right hook to the head. Berto fires a straight right followed by a left hook to the head. Urango lands a left to the body.

Round 5: Both fighters land some good punches. Berto lands a left hook to the head. Berto jabs then lands a right uppercut to the head. Urango lands some body shots.

Round 6: Berto jabs quick, but stands flat footed in front of Urango. Urango lands a straight left to the head. Berto lands a straight right, left hook combination to Urango's head. Berto rips a right uppercut as Urango presses forward. Urango lands a right hook to the body.

Round 7: Urango lands a straight left as Berto is in the corner. Berto lands another right uppercut. Urango cannot catch him. Urango charges forward and Berto lands a straight right. Urango fires, but cannot hit Berto.

Round 8: Berto circles and fires his jab. Urango traps Berto in the corner and lands a few punches. Berto lands a left with Urango's back touching the ropes. Urango jabs as he moves forward. Urango lands a right hook.

Round 9: A straight left lands by Urango. Berto is circling too much and not throwing enough punches. Urango fires and lands a straight left to Berto's head. Berto jabs and fires a straight right. The crowd is booing at the end of the round.

Round 10: Berto lands a straight right as Urango is chasing him. Straight left, right hook combination lands by Urango. Urango lands a left to the body. Berto counters with a right to the body. Good exchanging toward the end of the round.

Round 11: Berto flurries and lands a right uppercut. Urango is moving his head less as he comes forward. Berto's hand speed is overwhelming Urango.

Round 12: Berto circles as Urango puts pressure. Urango cannot get close to Berto. Urango lands two right uppercuts on the inside. Urango lands a right hook to the body. Berto lands a left hook to the head. Urango lands a right hook to the body.

Overall Summary: Andre Berto displayed exceptional hand speed, but continues to stand in front of opponents too long. Against opponents with a harder punch, Berto may have a problem in the future. He has good balance and agility, but needs to box more and put his punches together.

Juan Urango never really got close to Berto. When Urango did get close, he did not let his hands go enough. Throughout the fight, Berto seemed a step ahead of him and moved out of harm's way consistently.

Urango has trouble with boxers. The hand speed of Berto made Urango hesistant to throw punches. Berto would land a few clean punches and then clinch with Urango. It will be interesting to see how Berto looks against a puncher who can exchange with him or a skilled boxer. Juan Urango was solid opposition tonight, but it remains to be seen if Berto can put all his skills together to become one of boxing's elite and complete fighters. Berto improves to 25-0, 19 KO's, while Juan Urango drops to 21-2-1, 16 KO's.

5/30/09 HBO - CINTRON UPSETS ANGULO, WINS 12 ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION

Round 1: Cintron tries to establish his jab and find his range. Cintron lands a right to the body. Cintron hits Angulo with a left hook to the head. Angulo misses a right to the body. Cintron lands a left hook to the head. Angulo tags Cintron with a right to the head. Angulo comes forward; landing his jab followed by a right to the head. Cintron is a bit stunned as Angulo finishes the round strong.

Round 2: Angulo lands a jab to the head, then a right to the body. Cintron lands his jab followed by a flurry to Angulo's body. Angulo hits Cintron with an overhand right to the head. Angulo lands a left hook to the body. Angulo is throwing and landing a hard left jab. Cintron counters with a right uppercut. Angulo continues to press forward.

Round 3: Cintron lands a jab and hits Angulo with a good overhand right to the head. Cintron lands a combination and Angulo lands a right to the body. Cintron fires and lands a right to the head. Angulo comes forward and Cintron tags him with a right to the head. Cintron is boxing better this round and hits Angulo with a left hook to the head. Cintron lands another overhand right followed by a left hook to the head. Angulo did not throw as many punches this round.

Round 4: Cintron lands two left hooks to Angulo's head. An overhand right stuns Angulo. A right, left combination to the head rocks Angulo. Cintron nails Angulo with a right to the head.

Round 5: Cintron boxes as Angulo continues to press forward. Angulo jabs, but his jab is slower than Cintron's jab. Cintron lands a right to the head. Cintron slows a bit as the round heads to a close. Angulo presses forward and lands a combination.

Round 6: Both fighters exchange overhand rights to the head. Cintron rocks Angulo's head back with a left hook to the head. Angulo lands a jab to the head, but Cintron lands another left hook to the head. Cintron is boxing well and appears to have found his range, but Angulo is very tough as he presses forward.

Round 7: Referee tells Cintron to keep his punches up. Cintron lands a left hook to the head. Angulo is throwing punches as he continues to come forward. An overhand right lands by Angulo. Cintron fires and lands a right uppercut. Angulo lands punches as Cintron's back is to the ropes.

Round 8: Cintron lands a good overhand right to Angulo's head. Both fighters exchange overhand rights. Angulo is applying more pressure and lands a left hook to the body. Angulo lands an overhand right to the head. Cintron hits Angulo with a right uppercut. Cintron lands a left hook to the head as Angulo's back is to the ropes. Angulo gets nailed by another overhand right from Cintron.

Round 9: Angulo lands a right to the body. Cintron lands a right uppercut to the head. Angulo lands a left hook to the body and Cintron lands a left hook to the head.

Round 10: Both fighters exchange overhand rights as Angulo charges forward. Cintron lands a left hook to the head. Both fighters exchange good punches the last 20 seconds of the round.

Round 11: Cintron fires and lands a right then left hook to the head. Angulo gets hit with another left hook to the head. Cintron lands a straight right to Angulo's head. Angulo is tiring and Cintron is boxing well using his jab.

Round 12: Cintron jabs as Angulo gets closer. Cintron ties up Angulo. Angulo lands an overhand right to the head. Angulo lands a right to the body. Cintron ties him up again. Cintron jabs then fires and lands a straight right to the head. Angulo keeps landing punches as he presses forward. Cintron lands another right. Cintron keeps moving as Angulo applies more pressure.

Overall Summary: Kermit Cintron boxed very good in this fight. Angulo had his moments when he momentarily stunned Cintron a few times. Angulo placed his punches well, but did not land enough of them. Cintron stayed mostly on the outside and used his jab effectively. He continually beat Angulo to the punch and landed the cleaner punches in the fight. Toward the end of the fight when Angulo was applying more pressure, Cintron wisely tied him up to hold onto a 12 round unanimous decision victory. Alfredo Angulo suffers his first professional defeat of his career and drops to 15-1, 12 KO's, while Cintron improves to 31-2-1, 27 KO's. Cintron will probably take on Sergio Martinez in a rematch in his next fight. Their first fight was a 12 round majority draw.

HBO 9:45pm EST 5/30/09

Andre Berto

Juan Urango
Alfredo Angulo
Kermit Cintron

I'm picking Andre Berto to overwhelm Juan Urango and Kermit Cintron to upset Alfredo Angulo. Check back after the fights tonight to see the results!

MIGUEL COTTO - JOSHUA CLOTTEY PREVIEW

Miguel Cotto takes on Joshua Clottey in a welterweight showdown at Madison Square Garden on June 13.

Miguel Cotto is a very physically strong welterweight. He has one of the best left hooks to the body in the sport. As his fights go on, he wears out his opponents with a ferocious body attack. He can go toe-to-toe, but has a tendency in recent fights to lean inside and get tagged with uppercuts. He is a decent boxer with a good jab and underrated hand speed. Cotto's lone defeat came in a war with Antonio Margarito (TKO'd 11). Cotto's record is 33-1, 27 KO's.

Joshua Clottey always comes to the ring in great shape. He can take a great punch and looks to counter his opponents. He has never been stopped. Clottey has shown to counter opponents well with uppercuts on the inside and has a good straight right. Clottey is solid defensively and covers up well to weather the storm against fighters who throw a high volume of punches. He waits and tries to land his punches in spots. Clottey has won 8 of his last 9 fights. His record is 35-2, 20 KO's.

What to look for?

Clottey will pressure forward and Cotto will box early on in the fight. Cotto will try to land stiff left jabs and try to attack Clottey's body with combinations as Clottey covers up. The middle of the fight will possess good exchanges with hard punching. When they exchange in close quarters, Clottey will throw punches in spots, especially his uppercut. Cotto will land shots to his body. Clottey may not land as much as Cotto in this fight, but he will make his punches count and may stun Cotto a few times. Cotto probably will try and box Clottey if the fight goes on into the later rounds.

Prediction: Cotto will out land Clottey with mostly body shots, use his jab and box well enough in the later rounds to come away with a 12 round unanimous decision victory.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Squares Off with ESPN's Brian Kenny

Article by Alex Piccirillo

"Floyd Mayweather is the next step, I want Floyd. The only reason Pacquiao is there at number one is because Floyd retired. I want Floyd. It would be a great event, a great challenge."

- As stated by Juan Manuel Marquez after defeating Juan Diaz

Juan Manuel Marquez is a very good fighter with a lot of pride and is willing to move up 2 weight classes to see how great he is by facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. on July 18th. Although Mayweather is coming out of retirement, it will be a very difficult task for Marquez to defeat him. Mayweather has now filled into a welterweight and will square off with Marquez at a catch weight of 144lbs.

Mayweather shows great balance, coordination and agility. He possesses exceptional hand speed and lands pin point, accurate punches. Boxing is not always about punchning power, but where you land a punch that counts. Great fighters always find their range. So far, Mayweather has been the total package as he continually lands his great combinations.

Brian Kenny put Mayweather on the spot when he asked him, "Why are you returning to fight the lightweight champ of the world, who is 2 weight classes lighter?" Kenny was implying that Mayweather has chosen to fight a smaller guy. Everybody wants to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, but wasn't Marquez the guy that gave Pacquiao fits in the ring on two occasions?

Brian Kenny asked, "Why not face the winner of the Pacquiao - Marquez fight?" Floyd replied, "Bob Arum is Manny Pacquiao's boss and Floyd Mayweather is his own boss." Floyd also pointed out that Marquez called him out and Pacquiao did not.

"Floyd... Pacquiao just faced the last two guys you also faced. Who was more impressive?" Kenny asked. Mayweather replied, "Me, of course." De La Hoya did not come out to face Pacquiao for round 9 and Pacquiao KO'd Hatton in 2 rounds. Mayweather won a 12 round split decision over De La Hoya and KO'd Hatton in 10 rounds. Pacquiao defeating De La Hoya and Hatton quicker does not necessarily indicate he is more impressive. Is it more impressive that Mayweather defeated them first? What if we consider De La Hoya and Hatton as Mayweather's left overs for Pacquiao? If Mayweather and Pacquiao match up, the outcome of their wins over De La Hoya and Hatton have no bearing at all when comparing them because styles make fights.

Why is Floyd Mayweather facing Juan Manuel Marquez instead of Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley or even Miguel Cotto? Mayweather needs a tune up fight, but Marquez is not a tune up type of fighter. Marquez will be a formidable opponent, but Mayweather needs to get his timing back from his brief retirement. All the training in the gym will not prepare Mayweather for a possible meeting with Pacquiao, Mosley or Cotto like having a real fight first. Styles make fights and it is believed that as good as Marquez is, Mayweather will still be able to outbox him. A second tune-up would never hurt Mayweather if he is looking to fight a tornado punching Manny Pacquiao.

If Floyd is victorious over Marquez, will he face Pacquiao next? Or Mosley? If Cotto wins June 13, will Pacquiao face him instead of Mayweather? A Cotto victory over Clottey will probably lead to a clash between Cotto and Pacquiao because they both are promoted by Bob Arum. Mayweather may have to wait to face Pacquiao or may opt to face Shane Mosley instead if he wins on July 18th.

Will Mayweather and Pacquiao ever meet? There may be some barriers in making the fight happen. Who will be getting the lion share of the purse? Will they split 50/50? Floyd retired, but is currently undefeated. Pacquiao's popularity arguably makes him the bigger draw. Most fight fans and media feel the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is either Mayweather or Pacquiao. There's only one way to settle the most talked about debate in boxing..........in the ring!

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 5/22/09

ANTWONE SMITH WINS 10 ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER RICHARD GUTIERREZ

Round 1: Both fighters exchange punches in close quarters. Gutierrez is bringing the fight to Smith. Smith counters in close range. Gutierrez lands body shots. Smith is using a shoulder roll and starting to counter Gutierrez well. Smith is throwing more punches as the round goes on.

Round 2: Left hook to the head lands by Gutierrez. Gutierrez lands some more body punches. Gutierrez is throwing and landing more than Smith. Smith is waiting to pick his spots. They are fighting on the inside again. Smith steps back and lands some punches. Smith lands a right to the body. Smith hits Gutierrez with a left hook to the body. Both fighters start to jab. In close range, both fighters land a right uppercut. Smith lands a right and is coming on strong with more punches toward the end of the round while Gutierrez's back is against the ropes.

Round 3: Gutierrez is landing hooks inside. Lots of exchanging, Smith is being patient and is landing the harder, cleaner shots. Gutierrez lands a right to the body. Smith is showing more confidence. He is landing combinations with Gutierrez in the corner. Smith is putting his punches together better this round.

Round 4: The fighters are going toe-to-toe. Smith is placing his shots better and they are having more of an effect than Gutierrez's punches. Smith lands a right uppercut. Left hook to the head and body land by Smith. A solid right lands flush on the jaw of Gutierrez. Gutierrez is against the ropes. Gutierrez is getting hit more with the cleaner punches.

Round 5: Smith comes forward with his jab. Smith is nailing Gutierrez with faster, harder shots inside. The tempo of the fight increases with Smith continuing to land the better punches. A left hook to the head lands by Gutierrez. Smith counters with a combination. Gutierrez lands punches with Smith against the ropes. Now Gutierrez is against the ropes with Smith punching in volume. Gutierrez lands a straight right hand to the head. Smith counters with a left hook to the body. Gutierrez lands a shot to the body and head as round ends. Gutierrez is looking a little stronger toward the end of this round.

Round 6: Smith has a cut above his left eye. Gutierrez misses with a wild left hook to the head. Gutierrez comes forward landing punches. Smith is fighting Gutierrez in the corner. Good exchanging - Gutierrez will land some decent punches, but Smith is throwing his combinations in spots. Smith his placing his punches very well.

Round 7: Toe-to-toe action inside with both fighters landing good shots. Smith has the harder punch. Gutierrez is wide with his punches. Smith is trying to catch Gutierrez with straight punches as he comes forward. Gutierrez is a little reckless, while Smith is showing good composure.

Round 8: Gutierrez is boxing as Smith is coming toward him. Smith takes Gutierrez's punches and fires a combination back. Smith lands clean shots to the head. A straight right to the head lands by Smith. Gutierrez is against the ropes. Smith is outworking Gutierrez. A right uppercut by Smith lands inside. He is countering Gutierrez very well. The doctor looks at Smith's cut and he is okay to continue fighting.

Round 9: Gutierrez lands a left hook to the head. Smith picks up the pace and throws more combinations. Smith lands a straight, flush right to the head of Gutierrez.

Round 10: Gutierrez hits Smith with a left hook to the body. Smith lands a straight right to the head. Gutierrez comes forward as Smith waits and tries to time him. Smith lands a combination as Gutierrez is against the ropes. Smith is using the shoulder roll effectively in the center of the ring. Smith lands a left hook to the head and flush right to the jaw. Gutierrez fires a right to the body. Smith lands some body shots.

Overall Summary: Antwone Smith fought a very composed fight. He let Gutierrez throw a lot of punches to tire himself out and then countered in spots. Smith was the harder puncher and landed the cleaner shots throughout the fight. Gutierrez was game and landed good body shots, but Smith fought better in close quarters. Smith was patient and countered effectively because Gutierrez had a tendency to fire wide punches. Also, Gutierrez put a lot into his punches, but did not always put them together. Smith seemed to always counter Gutierrez's shots with fast combinations. Antwone Smith improved to 16-1-1, 8 KO's while Gutierrez dropped to 24-3-1, 14 KO's.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX TKO'S JUAN NORIEGA IN 3 ROUNDS IN PRO DEBUT

" I am here to show what I am made of and win a world championship."
-Guillermo Rigondeaux


Round 1: Rigondeaux landed a left to the body and then a combination. Noriega gets hit with a straight left and went down. Rigondeaux was ripping vicious lefts to the head and body. Rigondeaux landed a right hook to the head. He was stalking Noriega and started throwing his right jab. A left by Rigondeaux lands to the body and head. Another straight left stuns Noriega.

Round 2: Rigondeaux lands a straight left to the head and then to the body. The southpaw has explosive hand speed. Noriega throws a right that misses. Noriega's punches look so slow compared to the offensive output by the Cuban. Rigondeaux lands a right hook to the head. Rigondeaux jumps on top of him with shots to the body. Noriega is very hesistant to let his hands go. Rigondeaux lands another right hook to the head.

Rouund 3: Rigondeaux was taunting Noriega a little bit like Roy Jones Jr. used to do to his opponents. Rigondeaux looks for an opening. Noriega looks frightened to throw punches. The referee stops the fight due to Noriega absorbing too many head shots.

Overall Summary: This was a major mismatch, but one can still see the great skills and credentials Guillermo Rigondeaux possesses. Rigondeaux has great balance and coordination along with sharp punching. The 2000 and 2004 Olympic Gold medalist prefers to counter punch opponents rather than initiating the action. He was standing in front of Noriega trying to bait him inside so he could land his combinations.

There is no professional boxing in Cuba. Rigondeaux fled for the United States to begin a professional career leaving behind his wife and son."El Chacal" was not allowed to box anymore when it was rumored he defected after he failed to appear at the weigh-in for the July 2007 Pan-Am games. Rigondeaux returned to camp the next day and stated that he was at a bar all night, but was kicked off the national team.

Rigondeaux was very impressive in his pro debut in Miami. This focused and determined 122lb. fighter is on the fast track to world a title.

ERISLANDY LARA TKO'S EDWIN VAZQUEZ IN 4 ROUNDS

Round 1: Lara lands a fast left uppercut under the chin of Vazquez. Lara lands three straight lefts. Vazquez comes forward and lands some body shots. Lara lands another straight left behind his right jab. Lara lands a strong body shot while Vazquez is against the ropes. Vazquez is having all kinds of trouble dealing with Lara's hand speed. Lara lands another straight left and is overwhelming Vazquez with his punch output.

Round 2: Both fighters exchange blows. A straight left from Lara pushes Vazquez back. Lara takes his time and looks for an opening. Vazquez throws an overhand right, but misses. Lara throws a right jab and then connects with a straight left to floor Vazquez. Vazquez gets up and Lara hits him with a straight left to the body. Vazquez lands a left hook to the body. Lara counters with a left uppercut. Both men exchange shots on the inside.

Round 3: Vazquez lands a few punches. Lara lands a straight left. Vazquez lands some body shots with Lara's back to the ropes. Lara counters to the head with a quick combination. Lara lands another straight left. Vazquez counters with a body shot. Lara is using his range, but is also banging Vazquez's body.

Round 4: Vazquez lands straight right to the head. A three punch combination lands by Lara. He overwhelms Vazquez with a left uppercut-right hook-straight left. Referee stops the fight.

Overall Summary: Lara overwhelmed Vazquez with his hand speed. Vazquez never had an answer for Lara's straight left. The 26 year old Cuban southpaw threw quick combinations on the inside and controlled distance from the outside. Vazquez's best opportunities in the fight came on the inside. Lara took the lead at times, but also let Vazquez throw his punches and countered effectively. Vazquez's punches were too slow for the slick southpaw. Lara consistently beat Vazquez to the punch. Lara improves to 6-0, 4 KO's.

Don't miss the debut of Cuba's Guillermo Rigondeaux tonight on Friday Night Fights on ESPN2!

Who Is Boxing's Pound-For-Pound King?

Let's settle this debate right now! Manny Pacquiao is currently # 1 on the Boxing Ledger's pound-for-pound list. Floyd Mayweather Jr. would still be at # 1 had he not retired. No one has ever defeated Floyd. If Floyd Mayweather Jr. is victorious over Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th, he will reclaim the # 1 spot on this site's pound-for-pound list. How could another fighter be atop the pound-for-pound list if Floyd returns to beat Marquez on July 18th? Marquez gave Pacquiao two tough fights and the decisions could have gone either way. A victory over Marquez should end this discussion until Mayweather and Pacquiao potientially meet in the ring!

SHOWTIME 5/16/09

WARD DOMINATES MIRANDA, EARNS 12 ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION

Round 1: Ward starts throwing his jab. Ward is the aggressor, jabs Miranda to the body. Miranda jabs Ward, Ward's back touches the ropes as Miranda lands a right hand to the head. Accidental headbutt occurs. Ward is bleeding a lot over his left eye, but the cut is small. Ward throws a leaping left hook and ties up Miranda. Both men exchange jabs. Ward throws good combination to the body. Miranda throws a right. They tie up. Ward jabs to the body. Ward lands a jab and right hand. Ward throwing a lot of jabs. Miranda throws a body shot. Ward backs into corner. Ward switches to southpaw stance for first time in the fight. Ward throwing a right jab. Miranda throws right, but misses. Ward continually fires and lands straight lefts to Miranda's head.

Round 2: Miranda comes forward with a jab. Ward counters with a left hook. Ward changes to a southpaw stance and lands a straight left to Miranda's body. Ward double jabs with his right hand and lands a straight left to Miranda's head. Miranda lands right to the head. Ward ties up. Ward goes back into a conventional stance and lands a couple jabs. They tie up. Ward lands a good right over the top. Miranda comes forward with a jab. Ward jabs and ties up. Jab to the body by Ward. Right lands on the head of Miranda. Jab to the body by Ward again. Ward lands another right. Ward is back in the conventional stance. Miranda throws a leaping left hook, Ward blocks it. Both men fire jabs. Miranda lands two good rights to Ward's head. Ward counters with left hook. Ward fires a combination and lands left hook. Miranda lands right, Ward backs into ropes. Ward jabs to body. Ward lands left hook to Miranda's chest. Straight left lands by Ward.

Round 3: Ward starts to throw jab from a conventional stance. Miranda fires own jab. Ward fires left hook jabs and keeps circling. Miranda tries to push him back with a jab. Miranda lands left hook. Ward fires a combination and lands a left hook to Miranda's body. They tie up. Ward jabs. Miranda throws right, but misses. Ward lands left hook to the body. Ward jabs to the body and they tie up. Ward lands a vicious right to the body. Miranda chases and throws right, but misses. Left hook misses by Ward. They tie up. Right hand to the body lands by Miranda. Ward's back touches ropes. Ward fires straight right. Ward lands a good right to the body and left hook to the head.

Round 4: Ward jabs to the body. Miranda presses forward and lands a right hand to Ward's head. Ward ties up. Ward backs into the corner and Miranda lands a right. Ward lands a strong right to the body. Ward fires a left hook to the head. Ward throws a straight, lead right. Ward doubles his jab. Ward jabs to the body. Ward lands a left to the body and switches to a southpaw stance. A straight left and right hook lands to the head of Miranda.

Round 5: Ward fires a straight left from the south paw stance. Miranda comes forward and throws a right. Miranda is trying to time Ward and land his big right hand. Miranda lands a straight right. Ward lands a left uppercut. Ward lands two straight lefts. Straight left to the body and right hook to the head land by Ward. Miranda presses forward and Ward throws his right jab to keep him at bay. Miranda lands a right cross. Ward hits Miranda in the stomach with a straight left. Miranda's back is to the ropes. Ward fires a flurry of straight rights and lefts to his head as the bell sounds to end the round.

Round 6: Miranda comes forward with the jab. Ward jabs from the conventional stance. Miranda lands an overhand right. As Miranda is against the ropes, Ward lands a left hook to the body and head. Miranda lands a right body shot. Ward counters with a left to the body. Ward is pushing and forcing Miranda into the ropes. Ward initiates some inside fighting. Ward fires and lands two jabs. Miranda hits Ward with an overhand right. Ward counters with a lead left hook. Miranda hits Ward with another clean, right hand to the face. Ward bangs away as he is in close quarters with Miranda against the ropes.

Round 7: Miranda hits Ward with an overhand right. Ward throws a flurry to the head and body. Miranda lands another overhand right. Left hook to the head lands by Ward. Another left hook lands to Miranda's chest. They battle in the corner. Ward jabs. Miranda is throwing his jab more this round. Left hook to the head lands by Ward. Ward is boxing well.

Round 8: Miranda throws and lands a lead left hook to the head of Ward. Ward jabs. Ward starts to smother Miranda's punches by getting close to him. Ward tries to prevent Miranda from landing his big right hand by keeping the fight in close quarters. Ward lands an overhand right. Ward fires and lands a left hook to the head and body. Ward hits Miranda with a right uppercut and then continues to push him toward the ropes. Ward is smothering Miranda and forcing him to fight on the inside. Ward hit him with left hooks to the body followed by a left uppercut. Miranda is throwing short punches trying to hit Ward inside.

Round 9: Chasing Ward, Miranda lands another overhand right. A left hook lead lands by Ward. Ward fires a combination to Miranda's head. Miranda hits Ward with a right uppercut driving him into the ropes. Miranda nails Ward with another right and Ward ties up. Ward stuns Miranda with left hooks.

Round 10: Ward is boxing well. He is landing left hooks and throwing his jab. Ward lands a flush left hook to Miranda's face. Ward continues throwing his left hook. Ward hits Miranda in close and is pushing him back. A powerful lead left hook hits Miranda's head. Ward switches to a southpaw stance. A straight left hits Miranda's forehead and another lands flush to the right side of his face. Ward slipped, but got up.

Round 11: Boxing in the southpaw stance, Ward is just consistently nailing Miranda with straight lefts to the head. Ward is constantly beating him to the punch.

Round 12: Ward switches back to conventional stance. Miranda lands a right to Ward's face. Ward boxes and is using the jab. Ward throws a combination and hits Miranda with a left uppercut. Miranda lands a right uppercut to Ward's body. Ward ties up and throws a shot in close range.

Overall Summary: In front of his hometown fans in Oakland, California on Saturday night, Andre Ward showed that he is now among the top fighters in the super middleweight division. This was a real step up in class for the 2004 U.S.A Olympic Gold Medalist. He outboxed Edison Miranda from both the conventional and southpaw stance. Ward found his range well and he repeatedly beat Miranda to the punch. He pummeled Miranda with left hooks from the conventional stance and straight lefts when he was in the southpaw stance. Surprisingly, Ward brought the fight inside at times and was beating Miranda to the punch there too. By getting closer to Miranda, Ward limited the effect of being on the end of one of Miranda's big right hands that has done a lot of damage in the past to other opponents.

Miranda fought better during the fight when he pressed forward and threw the jab more. He was trying to get set to throw his right hand, but Ward's boxing ability bothered him most of the night. When Miranda did not throw his jab and was just trying to time Ward for an overhand right, Ward was successful with his combination punching.

Ward improves to 19-0, 12 KO's, while Miranda drops to 32-4, 28 KO's.

SHOWTIME 5/16/09

JOHN MOLINA STOPS FRANKIE ARCHULETA IN 2 ROUNDS

Round 1: Good pace from the bell. Archuleta lands a left uppercut. He throws a wild right, but misses. Molina lands a right uppercut. Archuleta lands a left hook. Molina fires an overhand right and follows with a left hook to the body. Molina backs Archuleta into the corner. Archuleta lands an overhand right. Molina gets hit with a right to his body and Archuleta follows with a left to the body. Left hook lands to the head of Molina. Archuleta lands a jab. Molina tries to impose his will on Archuleta and fires a stiff, left jab as the bell rings.

Round 2: Archuleta jabs, then double jabs. Molina lands two jabs of his own. Archuleta throws a combination and lands a hard left hook to the body. Molina jabs to the body and continues to stalk forward. Good exchanges occur with Archuleta landing an uppercut. Molina momentarily stuns Archuleta with a right. Archuleta ties up briefly, but then fires back. Archuleta lands quick combination on Molina as Molina's back is to the ropes. Molina lands a right to the head followed by a right to the body. Archuleta is stunned and Molina jumps on him with a flurry. Down goes Archuleta. Archuleta stands up, but the referee stops the fight.

Overall Summary: Frankie Archuleta was winning the fight. He was landing quick combination punches. He kept beating Molina to the punch. Molina came forward a lot without using a jab. Archuleta just got caught by some punches from a guy that hit harder. Molina is a good offensive fighter, but needs to drastically improve his defense if he is going to take it to the next level. Molina improves to 17-0, 13 KO's.

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 5/15/09

JORGE TERON WINS 10 ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION IN REMATCH OVER ALDO VALTIERRA

Round 1: Teron bursts out of his corner throwing a double jab followed by a sweeping hook. Teron than throws and lands jab-right-left hook. Teron lands some body shots and starts to shoot his jab again. He's not reckless and is placing his punches well. Valtierra was caught a bit by surprise by the younger fighter's energy early on in the fight. Valtierra landed an overhand right. Teron found his range early and kept the pressure on the rest of the round.

Round 2: Teron continued to snap his jab, keeping the pace he set in round 1. Valtierra hit Teron with a right. Teron landed two left hooks to the body. Valtierra landed a right to the body. Valtierra leaned in too much on the inside and Teron caught him with a left hook. Valtierra lands a right to the body and Teron answers with a combination.

Round 3: Valtierra goes strong to the body. Teron sets and throws a combination. Teron lands a left hook to the head. Valtierra lands a right to the body. Teron lands another left hook to Valtierra's head. Teron lands a right cross. Valtierra throws a combination. Another left hook lands to the head of Valtierra.

Round 4: Teron lands a jab. Valtierra lands a right cross to Teron's head. Teron places a good left hook to the body. Teron kept finding a home for his left hook. A right cross to the head and a left hook to the body lands by Teron. Valtierra starts to slowdown with his output of punches. A good right cross lands by Teron. Teron comes forward and shoots his jab. Valtierra is hesitant to trade on the inside with the sharper punching Teron.

Round 5: Valtierra starts to let his hands go more and Teron starts using his jab again. Valtierra lands a combination and Teron lands a left hook to Valtierra's head again. Valtierra lands a short left hook to Teron's head. Teron nailed Valtierra with a left hook and right uppercut combination.

Round 6: Teron continues pressing forward. Valtierra's punches are not having the same effect as early on in the fight. Valtierra seems a little off balanced after he throws the last punch of his combinations. Teron lands straight right.

Round 7: Valtierra comes back stronger this round and charges forward. Teron covers up as Valtierra throws and lands more punches. Valtierra lands a left hook to Teron's head. Teron steps back to find his range and starts to jab again. Teron hits Valtierra in the body with a left hook.

Round 8: Teron hits Valtierra with a left hook. Lunging forward, Teron nails Valtierra with another left hook to his head. Teron unloads a left hook - right cross combination to Valtierra's head. Valtierra jabs to the body. A good, solid right hand lands flush on Teron's chin and momentarily stuns him. Teron's mouth piece fell out. That right hand was the best punch Valtierra landed in the fight.

Round 9: Valtierra lands a right to the body. Teron lands consecutive left hooks to Valtierra's head. Teron goes back to his jab. Teron lands another good left hook to Valtierra's head. In close quarters, Valtierra lands a right to the body. Teron lands two jabs. Valtierra lands a right cross.

Round 10: Valtierra presses forward and lands a right cross to the head of Teron. Valtierra hits Teron with a right to the body. Valtierra starts throwing wild, hard punches. Teron stayed on the outside and tried to land combinations when Valtierra leaned inside. Teron landed a good left to the body and followed it with a clean, hard left hook to Valtierra's head.

Overall Summary: Teron, a lightweight from the Bronx avenged his only defeat and improved his record to 23-1-1 with 15 KO's. Teron found his range early on in the first round and used his jab effectively. At times, he got into close quarters with Valtierra and took some clean shots to his face. Teron used his height, range and superior quickness to outbox Valtierra and get the better of most exchanges. Teron found a home for his left hook all night. WhenValtierra threw a right to the body, Teron countered with a left hook to Valtierra's head. When Valtierra threw his right to Teron's face, Teron countered to the body with vicious left hooks. Against stiffer opposition, Teron may want to avoid exchanging in close quarters. Valtierta tagged him a few times and Teron took the punches well, but future opponents with more punching power could pose more of a risk for Teron if he chooses to fight on the inside.

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 5/15/09

KEVIN JOHNSON DEFEATS DEVIN VARGAS BY TKO 6

"I'm not even going for a knockout. I just want to see him quit...It's more brutal."

- Kevin Johnson (Before his fight with Devin Vargas)

Round 1: The hand speed edge goes to Vargas. He came forward landing fast combination punches. Johnson is the bigger, more solid of the two.The punches Vargas landed did not seem to do any damage to Johnson. Johnson looked as if he was feeling Vargas out. Johnson covered up a bit, but started to use a jab. When he landed his punches on Vargas, you could see that Johnson was the heavier puncher.

Round 2: Vargas boxes and lands an overhand right and left hook. Johnson begins to trade shots with Vargas and takes Vargas' punches well. While Vargas had his back on the ropes, Johnson lands two rights and a left hook to the body. It looks as if Johnson can impose his will on Vargas whenever he chooses. Johnson lands a left hook to Vargas' head. When Johnson lands, the force of his punches drive Vargas back.

Round 3: Vargas pressures forward to start the round and lands two good overhand rights followed by 2 left hooks to Johnson's head. Vargas is initiating the exchanges. Using his fast hands, Vargas makes Johnson back up. Johnson lands a strong overhand right. Vargas is now bleeding from his nose. Consecutive left hooks land to Vargas' head followed by more right hands from Johnson. Johnson lands a left hook to the head and Vargas takes a knee. Vargas' mouth is open as he walks to the corner as the bell sounds at the end of the round.

Round 4: Good exchanges - Left hook by Vargas, but the heavier and harder punches are coming from Johnson. Johnson patiently stalks forward. Vargas lands an uppercut and left hook to Johnson's head.

Round 5: Left hook to the head lands by Johnson. Vargas is still coming forward and trying to use his handspeed to slow Johnson. Left hook to the body lands by Vargas. Johnson gets Vargas against the ropes. Johnson lands a left hook to Vargas' head, than an overhand right. Johnson lands two left hooks to the head. Vargas goes down and lost his mouth piece. He looks over to his corner. Action resumes with Johnson throwing and landing a barrage of punches. Vargas exchanges with him. Johnson gets him in the corner and lands a left hook and right hand to Vargas' head.

Round 6: Johnson doubles his jab. He lands an overhand right with Vargas against the ropes. Vargas fires a left hook. Vargas loses his mouth piece. Action continues with Vargas unleashing a combination. Johnson lands a left hook to the head. Johnson doubles his jab and lands an overhand right. Vargas gets tagged with two big left hooks from Johnson. Vargas stumbles to the ropes. Johnson unleashes a barrage of punches. Vargas' corner throws in the towel.

Overall Summary: Kevin Johnson is someone to keep an eye on in the heavyweight division. He has won his last 16 fights. Vargas was tough throwing combinations throughout the fight, but he did not have the power Johnson possessed and he could not take a punch as well as him.

Johnson is one of three American heavyweight contenders that potentially pose a threat to one of the Klitschko brothers. The other two are Eddie Chambers and Chris Arreola. Johnson is a tough matchup for any heavyweight out there. He has a solid chin and uses his quick hands when he feels he gets an opponent in the right position to unleash his combinations. Kevin Johnson improves to 22-0-1, with 9 KO's.

DAWSON-TARVER II HBO 5/9/09

TOO MUCH SPEED FOR THE “MAGIC MAN”

Chad Dawson wins 12 round unanimous decision over Antonio Tarver

Round 1: Dawson started shooting his jab and then threw a quick combo landing a left. The speed difference was evident very early in the fight. Fast combinations by Dawson made Tarver hesitant to throw punches. Tarver was waiting too long to let his hands go. He was trying to pick his spots to counter Dawson, but the hand speed of Dawson was too much.

Round 2: Trainer Buddy McGirt told Antonio Tarver in between rounds to throw a right hook. Tarver did what McGirt told him and landed a few of them. Dawson became a little more cautious, but was still more fluid with his punches than Tarver. Dawson landed some good body shots. Tarver lands left. Two more body shots land by Dawson. Dawson flurries. Tarver still is a little hesitant to let his hands go more, but he did land more punches this round.

Round 3: Tarver puts on more pressure. Dawson was back on the ropes and Tarver landed a good body shot. Dawson with his superior hand speed lands a right than left.
A straight left than right hook by Dawson lands. Tarver is circling and unleashes a combination. Tarver switched from a southpaw stance to conventional momentarily.

Round 4: Dawson threw a combination to Tarver’s body and head twice. Tarver not throwing punches immediately after Dawson lands his. Dawson backs him up with the jab. Dawson lands big left that really slowed Tarver. Dawson was cautious and did not rush toward him.

Round 5: Dawson unloads a flurry to start round. Tarver lands an overhand left and three shots to the body. Dawson lands a left uppercut. McGirt was yelling from the corner “step to him,” and Tarver responded with a combination. Tarver lands a left uppercut. Dawson lands a left uppercut in close range. Good pace to the round with Tarver taking more chances and exchanging with Dawson.

Round 6: Dawson lands a right hook followed by a straight left. Tarver lands a combo to the body and than head. Tarver lands right hook and Dawson counters with a right uppercut. Dawson lands a left uppercut. Both guys were really looking to counter each other.

Round 7: Dawson lands good left to the body. Tarver is throwing more punches. He lands a left and stuns Dawson with an uppercut.

Round 8: Tarver uses his jab to set up some shots. Dawson flurries on Tarver with a lot of speed. Tarver landed a good left, outworked him and used his jab well.

Round 9: Dawson throws a good combination landing a solid right hook. Tarver lands a straight left to the body. The speed of Dawson’s punches controlled the flow of the round. Dawson lands combination as Tarver’s back was on ropes just before round ended.
Round 10: Both fighters circling in the middle of the ring. There were good exchanges with Dawson landing a strong, solid body shot and Tarver lands a straight left to the head.

Round 11: Dawson uses his speed more efficiently and Tarver was not throwing punches as much. Dawson fires a right hook and straight left to Tarver’s head. Tarver fires a few jabs. Tarver lands a left uppercut.

Round 12: Dawson ripped a vicious right hook to Tarver’s body. Tarver lands a good right hook to Dawson’s head.

Overall Summary: At 40 years old, Antonio Tarver fought a better fight than many fans anticipated. Tarver battled well in exchanges despite the overwhelming hand speed of the 26 year old Dawson. At times, Tarver was hesitant to fire shots because Dawson would throw fast, blistering combinations to his body and head. Dawson favored using his right hook to the body and straight left to the challenger’s head.

Chad Dawson fought a more disciplined fight this time with Tarver. He was not careless throwing his punches and was cautious not to get nailed with Tarver’s straight left hand. His overall athleticism, speed and quickness were too overwhelming for Tarver.

Dawson is a good, young fighter with tremendous hand speed for a light heavyweight. He is a force to be reckoned with and his southpaw style is an added bonus. He throws ferocious combinations to the body and head that puts fear into opponents wanting to let their hands go. Dawson throws combinations in spots throughout the rounds. He could be a little more consistent each round throwing his punches in bunches. At times, he tends to tire a little during the middle-to-later rounds. Overall, he is really starting to look like a more complete fighter.

Possible next opponents for Chad Dawson are 168lb. WBC champion Carl Froch or light heavyweight Glen Johnson. In his last fight, Carl Froch recovered from a 3rd round knockdown to stop Jermain Taylor in the 12th round in their battle on April 25, 2009. Glen Johnson would pose a great challenge in a rematch with Dawson. He gave him his toughest challenge to date.

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 5/8/09

Adrien Broner defeats Fernando Quintero by 8 Round Majority Decision

Round 1: Both started out trying to find their range. Broner demonstrated the superior hand speed. He was a little anxious and settled a bit as the round went on. Broner tried to catch Quintero with a left hook and lead rights.

Round 2: Quintero charges forward with a flurry. Broner found range and tried to keep Quintero at bay with the jab. Broner takes a left hook from Quintero as he throws a flurry of punches. Quintero charges forward trying to land more punches, but becomes a little hesitant because of Broner’s quick hands. Broner was having trouble putting punches together as Quintero brought more fight in this round.

Round 3: Broner looks to counter punch as Quintero continues to bring the fight. Broner got closer with his jab, but Quintero landed some body shots and then an overhand right. Quintero is getting his punches off first and Broner waits too long to let his punches go. Quintero lands more punches and just as the round ends, Broner throws a quick flurry.

Round 4: Competitive closer round. Quintero still getting close to him, but Broner threw more punches this round. The hand speed of Broner is bothering Quintero less because he lacks power.

Round 5: Quintero starts the round strong. Broner backs him up with a quick flurry. Broner starts circling and jabbing. Quintero rushes in trying to land body shots as soon as Broner stops punching. Quintero charges forward and lands more punches. Quintero was out working him in the last minute.

Round 6: Broner started to use his speed more efficiently. Quintero placed his punches well. He had Broner against the ropes and was landing body shots.

Round 7: Broner initiates more action at the start of the round. He tries to overwhelm Quintero with his quickness. Quintero was trying to land punches while Broner is against the ropes. Broner was trying to time Quintero coming in. Broner lands a good over hand right to Quintero’s head.

Round 8: Broner throws a flurry of punches and then lands a flush right to the head of Quintero. Quintero gets Broner in a corner and lands some effective punches. Broner becomes wild with his punches to back Quintero off. Then, Broner started throwing a jab.

Overall Summary: Quintero landed the cleaner, more effective punches in the bout. His pressure reduced slightly in the last two rounds. Broner possesses speed, but is a raw talent. He needs to keep his feet closer together when throwing punches, so he does not become off balanced. He needs to put together a better game plan starting with utilizing his jab more. With Broner’s speed, this fight may not have been as difficult for him if he let the flow of his punches come off the jab. Broner lacks power, but is only 19 years of age. He improved to 9-0 with 6 KO’s. This was Quintero’s first loss as a professional.

Charles Hatley TKO’s Carlos Garcia in Round 1

Round 1: Hatley was trying to make Garcia open up to throw a right hand. Hatley successfully landed a flush right that dropped Garcia. Garcia got to his feet, but Hatley landed another right and then a left hook. The referee stopped the fight at 55 seconds.

Overall Summary: Welterweight prospect Charles Hatley improved his record to 3-0 with 3 KO’s. All his knockouts have come in the 1st round.

Craig McEwan wins 10 Round Unanimous Decision over Brian Vera

Round 1: Both fighters circle and try to set the pace with their jabs. McEwan landed some straight lefts to the head of Vera. Vera was trying to get inside. He threw and landed a few looping punches.

Round 2: Vera tried to land the big right hand and was throwing wide shots all round. McEwan landed some straight lefts to end round.

Round 3: Vera continues to work his way inside, but still throwing wide punches. McEwan landed the more accurate punches. Good back and forth pace to the round.

Round 4: Vera brought on the pressure to start the round. McEwan switched frequently from southpaw to a conventional stance. Vera throwing many punches and backs McEwan into the ropes. McEwan landed a few punches as round draws to a close. Vera was making McEwan work. However, when the fight was in the center of the ring, McEwan was more effective moving and landing shots.

Round 5: McEwan starts to land the straight left more often. He used his range well and landed the cleaner shots in the round.

Round 6: Vera landed some good shots on McEwan while he was against the ropes, but he was still wide with his punches. McEwan landed another straight left and than as Vera went back into the ropes, he got nailed with a straight left again.

Round 7: Vera chased McEwan around the ring and was pressing forward hard. McEwan continued to beat Vera to the punch. He landed big shots to Vera’s head.

Round 8: McEwan timing Vera well. Vera tried to rough up McEwan on the inside. He landed a few shots while McEwan’s back was on the ropes.

Round 9: Vera was still pressing forward, but with less effort now. He started to tire. McEwan lets Vera throw his shots and then follows by landing straight lefts and a right hook.

Round 10: Vera went back to throwing wild punches. McEwan continued to do well timing him coming inside because he was throwing straight lefts. Vera’s punches are not having the same effect as earlier in the fight.


Overall Summary: McEwan may have had an easier time fighting Vera if the fight stayed in the center of the ring, but the fighter from Scotland fought well. He timed Vera coming in with straight lefts most of the night and circled well when he was fighting in the center of the ring. Vera was aggressive, but not effective. He threw a lot of looping, wide punches which left him open for McEwan’s counters. Vera’s a tough fighter, but needed to put his punches together more often. Vera has lost each time he’s steeped up in class. He’s lost to Jaidon Codrington, James Kirkland and now McEwan. Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, has another good south paw up and coming. McEwan has had over 300 amateur fights and improved to 15-0, 9 KO’s.

SHOBOX 5/1/09

Marvin Quintero defeats Wes Ferguson by 8 Round Unanimous Decision

Round 1: Ferguson came out trying to establish his jab. The southpaw Quintero was closing the gap and landing straight left crosses to Ferguson’s midsection. Quintero forced him to a corner, landing a big straight left. Quintero finished the round strong with his punches having more of an effect.

Round 2: Ferguson was having trouble keeping the pressure off from Quintero. Ferguson started to time Quintero coming in without moving his head and was able to land some clean punches. Ferguson landed a big right hand. He finished the round strong by landing more punches and making Quintero pay when he missed.

Round 3: Ferguson started doubling his jab, but Quintero was able to close the gap again with a big flurry of punches. Quintero was coming forward a little too straight up. Quintero started chasing Ferguson, landing a left cross. Ferguson took it well, but stayed in front of the bigger punching Quintero too long.

Round 4: Quintero landing good combinations and really pressing forward. He landed another straight left to Ferguson’s body. He stunned Ferguson in the corner and landed another straight left to Ferguson’s body. Quintero closed the round very strong.

Round 5: Ferguson gets hit with a left and Quintero is landing the cleaner shots. Ferguson is not busy enough throwing his jab. Quintero pressing with a little slower aggression as Ferguson starts to tire. Ferguson came back with some punches toward the end of the round with a left hook to Quintero’s head and right to the body.

Round 6: Quintero lands a left uppercut. Ferguson slips. He gets up and starts throwing his jab again. Quintero has found a home for left crosses to Ferguson’s midsection and lands another one. Right hook by Quintero rocks Ferguson to the ropes. Ferguson lands a left hook. Left cross lands by Quintero. He lands two more. Ferguson tires more, but lands a body shot. Ferguson slips again. Quintero lands another straight left to the body.

Round 7: Ferguson starts to throw more punches. Another straight left by Quintero lands again. Ferguson lands a flush right, but Quintero kept pressing forward. Quintero yet again lands another straight left to Ferguson’s midsection and began chasing Ferguson around the ring.

Round 8: Quintero lands a combination. Ferguson comes swinging forward and Quintero backs into a corner. Ferguson begins slugging it out with Quintero. A flush left lands by Quintero. Both men are tired as they are still swinging at the bell to end the fight.

Overall Summary: The Mexican super featherweight is a good young fighter. The southpaw pressed the action well from the first bell and found a home for straight lefts to the body of Ferguson. Ferguson never got into a rhythm, partly because his jab was ineffective. He could not go punch-for-punch with Quintero, though he tried at times. Ferguson just could not keep Quintero away. As the fight went on, Quintero closed the gap and landed more of the clean punches. Quintero improved his record to 16-1 with 12 KO’s. Ferguson dropped to 20-4-1 with 6 KO’s.

Carlos Abregu KO’s Irving Garcia in 4 Rounds

Round 1: Abregu circles throwing a slow jab. Garcia floors Abregu with a hard right hand thrown over Abregu’s left. While pressing the action, Garcia lands another right. Garcia’s feints were good as he controlled the pace of the round.

Round 2: Abregu lands a big right upper cut and Garcia staggers. Abregu starts to pressure landing a left hook and then smothering Garcia’s right hands. Garcia comes back with a hard right. Abregu pushes Garcia to the canvas.

Round 3: Both fighters exchange right hands. The pace slowed a bit, but they continue to exchange punches. Garcia lands an overhand right.

Round 4: Garcia lands an overhand right. Abregu lands a left hook. Garcia throws and lands a jab. Garcia floors Abregu with a massive left hook. Abregu dazed, ties up Garcia. Abregu lands his own right that dazes Garcia. Abregu opens up with a barrage of punches and knocks down Garcia. Garcia cannot beat the ten count.

Overall Summary: Good action packed fight from the beginning bell. Both showed little defense. Abregu was the harder puncher. Garcia was able to land clean punches due to Abregu’s inability to move his head. Abregu needs to work on his defense and not coming forward with his head straight up before he takes it to the next level in the welterweight division. Abregu improves to 27-0 with 22 KO’s. Garcia falls to 17-4-3 with 8 KO’s.

Mayweather Hammers Gatti in Atlantic City

Will Mayweather - Pacquiao Ever Happen?

“Floyd Mayweather Jr., if you want a piece of the little Filipino, be my guest,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said.

Can boxing fans take Bob Arum’s post fight comments after Pacquiao-Hatton seriously? Will the super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao ever take place?

Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent will be determined after June 13th when Miguel Cotto squares off against Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden. A Cotto victory could lead to a great match up against Manny Pacquiao in November or December perhaps at the World’s Most Famous Arena. This would be a mega fight matching two of Top Rank’s fighters, but this is not the super fight boxing fans around the world are demanding to see. It’s Mayweather – Pacquiao.

Where does that leave Floyd Mayweather if he gets past Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th should Pacquiao end up facing Cotto? Will Mayweather face Mosley instead? Both Mayweather and Pacquiao would not have an easy time fighting Mosley and Cotto respectively and should just fight each other immediately if Mayweather gets past Marquez.

Who is the man? Just who is boxing’s pound-for-pound best?

On July 18th, Floyd Mayweather Jr. attempts to reclaim the throne as boxing’s pound-for-pound king as he makes his return to the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to face Juan Manuel Marquez at a catch weight 144lbs. Mayweather, who odds makers have as an early 4-1 favorite, retired from boxing after defeating Ricky Hatton by TKO in the 10th round on December 8, 2007. The distinction of #1 pound-for-pound fighter now belongs to Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino phenom has 7 stoppages in his last 10 fights and does not look like he’s slowing down anytime soon. His destruction of Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds on May 2 has some people believing Mayweather will not step in the ring with him.
Both fighters want to prove they are the best and by fighting each other, it would leave no doubt to who is boxing’s pound-for-pound king. However, there are a few obstacles standing in the way of this super fight. Let’s look into the possible reasons this fight will occur or perhaps not.

It will not take place

Juan Manuel Marquez is more than a viable opponent for Mayweather. He pushed Pacquiao to the brink of defeat twice with some ringside observers giving him the edge in those fights. Marquez is a very good boxer puncher and will pressure Floyd. He needs to use his jab effectively. Not many people are giving Marquez a chance, but how will Floyd respond after this layoff? Does he still have the legs to outbox opponents like he used to or will he be forced to fight Marquez in spots more than his past opponents. If he has to, will his hand speed be effective enough to get him the victory? As great as Floyd has been, being away from the ring will definitely at the least have an effect on his timing. A Marquez victory would more than likely lead to Pacquiao – Marquez III.

Bob Arum does not seem to be that eager to make the fight with Floyd. He likes the options out there for Pacquiao and if a deal cannot be made with Mayweather he would move on quickly. Maybe he thinks Floyd poses a serious threat to Pacquiao? Bob has stated that Pacquiao is the top draw now and negotiations could be tough because Floyd is undefeated and feels that he is the top draw and should get the lion’s share of the purse.
Without a 50/50 split, this fight may not happen. Both sides seem to want too much of the purse. Also, there is the issue of a catch weight. Freddie Roach feels 140lbs. is Manny’s best weight. “At the right weight? No problem. At 147? Forget it,” Roach said. “Why? Manny doesn’t need it. Manny’s best weight is 140. He should take some time off and make a good decision. He needs some time off.” Would Floyd fight him at 144lbs.?

A Cotto victory over Joshua Clottey and maybe Pacquiao chooses to fight Cotto instead of Floyd. This would also be a big fight and they could put Floyd on hold. Maybe the thinking here would be let Mayweather get a little older before we fight him if he gets past Marquez. Again, a fight between Cotto and Pacquiao could be made a lot quicker and easier as both fighters are promoted by Top Rank.

It will take place

There is too much money to be made for everyone as fight fans are clamoring for Mayweather – Pacquiao. The fans want it and they are talking about it. The time would be best right after Mayweather beats Marquez especially if it’s a very convincing victory over a fighter who Pacquiao had fits in the ring with on two occasions. If Mayweather has kept himself in shape, he should be able to take care of business on July 18th. He is the bigger fighter and Marquez has only 2 career fights at 135lbs. Now, he is jumping to 144lbs. Clearly, Mayweather has an added advantage given his hand speed and phenomenal ring generalship at the higher weight.

Marquez has struggled with boxers. His two defeats outside of the split decision loss to Pacquiao have come to Chris John and Freddie Norwood. Chris John is a very good boxer and the best at 126lbs in the featherweight decision. He defeated Marquez by a 12 round unanimous decision on March 4, 2006 in Indonesia. Also, Norwood did the same back on September 11, 1999. Marquez is a much better fighter now than when he fought Norwood, but the fact remains that he has struggled with boxers and now he will be stepping in there with arguably the best boxer in the world right now. Marquez’s lone other loss was a DQ in the 1st round of his 1st pro fight.

A Cotto victory over Clottey will not be easy. Most of Clottey’s fights have come above 144lbs. and he is the naturally bigger of the two. He has won his last five fights and this will be Cotto’s toughest fight since Antonio Margarito. Clottey has never been knocked out while Cotto has and Clottey takes a better punch. However, sometimes Clottey does not let his hands go and that could lead to some vicious body shots by the Puerto Rican welterweight. As we know, Cotto is a very good body puncher and it should be a grueling fight in front of a raucous pro-Cotto crowd at the Garden.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is out to prove he is still boxing’s pound-for-pound king. He seemed agitated and irritable at the press conference to announce his comeback. He acts a bit shocked that the media and fight fans do not believe that he is still the best out there. He has a chip on his shoulder yet again and is looking to prove to the world that he is the best and Pacquiao should not be regarded as the reigning pound-for-pound king. This is setting up a great fight. Marquez is going to bring out Floyd’s best in his return to the ring. Mayweather may not use his defense to create offense this time around. One gets the sense that Floyd is extremely motivated to make a bold statement that he was always the best and still is among boxing’s elite. Do not be surprised if he uses his hand speed to display a strong offensive output in an attempt to stop Marquez. He will have made a strong claim to being boxing’s pound-for-pound king again with a convincing victory.

The consensus here is that Mayweather – Pacquiao will happen in the near future.