Pavlik TKO's Espino, Retains WBC & WBO Middleweight Titles

Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KO's) returned to the ring and looked impressive, stopping Miguel Espino (20-3-1, 9 KO's) at 1:44 of the 5th round in front of his hometown fans in Youngstown, Ohio. Pavlik had not fought since February 21st, after he suffered a staph infection on his left hand. Both fighters elected to battle toe-to-toe the entire fight without taking a backward step.

In the 1st round, Pavlik was landing a lot of rights and lefts to Espino's body. Pavlik was willing to stand and trade with Espino, but suffered swelling under his right eye. Espino was deducted a point from referee Steve Smoger for throwing a left hook at Pavlik after the bell had sounded.

In the 2nd round, both men continued to exchange blows in close quarters. Pavlik snapped Espino's head back with a rock-solid, right uppercut after he hit Espino with a right to the body. In round three, Pavlik was dishing out and landing some pretty hard punches. Espino was tough and kept the fight in close range. Pavlik did not mind fighting inside as he delivered some effective combinations.

Espino had a tendency to lean too far forward when he was battling Pavlik in close range. Pavlik made him pay for it. In the 4th round, on a delayed reaction, Espino dropped to one knee after Pavlik hammered him with a right uppercut to the head. After absorbing two more right uppercuts from Pavlik, Espino went down again. Espino showed his durability once more when Pavlik connected with a right to the body-right uppercut combination. Espino made it out of round four, but would not get out of round five. Pavlik hit Espino in the body with a ferocious left hook. Then, Pavlik nailed Espino with a series of rights and left hooks. Finally, Pavlik put Espino down for a third time when he landed another right uppercut to the head. Espino rose to his feet, but referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout.

Paul Williams decided to face Sergio Martinez, as opposed to waiting for Pavlik's staph infection to properly heal and fighting him. Well, after winning a 12 round majority decision over Martinez, Williams has another chance to step in the ring with Pavlik, if he wants the fight. Pavlik vs. Williams could take place early in 2010.

Cermeno KO's Valdez In 11th

In a bantamweight showdown, Nehomar Cermeno (19-0, 11 KO's) remained undefeated after stopping a resilient Alejandro Valdez (22-4-2, 16 KO's) in the 11th round. A 30 year old Venezuelan, Cermeno was aggressive early, but ultimately used his boxing skills in the later rounds to come out victorious. Valdez fought hard, although he had difficulty landing combinations against Cermeno.

In the 1st round, Valdez suffered a cut above his right eye, resulting from an accidental clash of heads. However, Valdez fought assertively and landed some counter lefts. Yet, in the 2nd round, Valdez did not fare so well. Cermeno floored him with a counter left hook. Valdez got up and appeared to be dazed. Then, Cermeno landed a flush right. The second knockdown occurred when Cermeno landed another right hand.

Valdez showed heart and the ability to take a clean punch. In the 4th round, he hit Cermeno with some counter lefts. Valdez was still wide with his shots and did not land many in succession. A series of lefts stunned Cermeno in the 5th round and Cermeno seemed to be baffled by Valdez in the 6th round. Valdez got a surge of energy and started to attack more. Cermeno made the mistake of standing in front of Valdez too long.

In the 7th round, Cermeno went back to fighting on the outside, using his lateral movement to stay away from Valdez's attack. Valdez absorbed a solid overhand right from Cermeno, but kept coming forward. With Valdez still chasing in the 8th round, Cermeno connected with a left uppercut. Then, Valdez landed a straight left, but Cermeno countered with a left hook. Heading into the 9th round, it was evident that Valdez was going to have to put his punches together, if he was going to win this fight. Cermeno kept boxing in the 10th round, but Valdez hit him with a straight left - right hook combination. Cermeno was deducted one point by the referee for using his knee in the 11th round. Next, Cermeno buckled Valdez with a big right hand. Lastly, a right uppercut-overhand right combination knocked Valdez to the canvas. The referee stopped the action at 2:40 of round eleven when Valdez could not beat the ten count.

Soto Defeats Chavez By 10 Round Decision

Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32 KO's) won his sixth consecutive fight by outpointing a sturdy Jesus Chavez (44-7, 30 KO's). All three official  ringside judges scored the bout 100-87 for Soto. Yet, the fight appeared to be closer.

Soto floored Chavez with an overhand right in the 1st round. After the knockdown, Chavez tried to work his way inside using the jab. With his back against the ropes, Soto caught Chavez with a counter left uppercut. Chavez attempted to attack Soto's body. Soto was patient and when Chavez stopped throwing the jab, he would land right hands on his head. In the 2nd round, there was a clash of heads. Chavez seemed bothered by Soto's jab. Soto continued to hit him with right hands off his jab. Chavez was willing to take a punch to deliver one, but Soto would step back and land sharp left uppercuts that had a serious impact. Yet, Chavez kept pressing forward. Toward the end of the round, Chavez appeared to land a left hook to the body that dropped Soto. However, the referee was in a bad position and thought Soto had slipped. As Soto, went back to the corner, he appeared hurt.

In the 3rd round, Soto connected with a piercing left uppercut as Chavez charged forward recklessly. Chavez got Soto on the ropes and landed a solid right to the body in round four. Then, Soto landed another left uppercut and followed it with a double left hook to the body that slowed Chavez's attack. Chavez continued to take a punch to deliver his own. In round five, both fighters exchanged blows in the middle of the ring. Soto hit Chavez with a hard body shot. Next, he started to catch Chavez with right hand leads. Chavez was deducted a point for throwing Soto through the ropes. When the action continued, Chavez tagged Soto with a left hook to the head.

In round six, Chavez hit Soto with a left hook that was below the belt line. Soto was down for a about a minute. Subsequently, when Soto got back up, he exchanged bombs with Chavez. Soto nailed Chavez with a flush right uppercut and followed it with an overhand right. Chavez backed Soto up in the 7th round when he connected with a right - left hook combination. As Soto moved back, he unleashed a sharp right that hit Chavez.

The 8th round had continuous action. First, Chavez struck Soto with a left hook to the body. Soto countered with a right to the head. Next, Soto landed a left uppercut-overhand right combination. Then, Soto nailed Chavez with punishing right hands. Chavez attempted to work the body, but Soto stepped back and landed an uppercut. Soto nailed Chavez with a another right just before the end of the round. In round nine, Chavez was still coming at Soto strong, but Soto continued to land left uppercuts and right hands. Soto boxed more in the tenth round and used his jab, while moving laterally around the ring. Both fighters connected with right hand leads. With 30 seconds to go in the bout, Soto made an effort to knock Chavez out by throwing a series of right hands, but he was unsuccessful. Chavez weathered the storm, although he lost the decision.

Garcia Stopped Herrera

In a featherweight bout, 22 year old Miguel Angel Garcia remained unbeaten (18-0, 15 KO's) after stopping Yogli Herrera (22-11, 15 KO's) in the 3rd round. Garcia connected with a clean left hook early in a slow paced first round. Garcia was the aggressor and was seeking to land combinations. In round two, Herrera was moving a lot and connected with a left hook. Garcia was jabbing, but not hitting Herrera with much after it. When Herrera backed into the ropes, Garcia landed a left hook - right hand combination.

Garcia nailed Herrera with a solid left hook to the body in the 3rd round. Then, Garcia threw and landed another left hook that floored Herrera. After Herrera got to his feet, he was standing in the corner. Garcia moved in and hit Herrera with a left hook to the body and followed it with an overhand right to the head. A left jab-right hand combination sent Herrera down again. The referee stopped the bout.

Martirosyan TKO's Lee

In a junior middleweight clash, Vanes "The Nightmare" Martirosyan (26-0, 17 KO's) remained undefeated with a 3rd round TKO victory over William Lee (17-6, 11 KO's). Martirosyan connected with left hooks and a right uppercut early in the 1st round. Martirosyan was very selective with his punch output. A southpaw, Lee was stunned by a big right hand. Lee absorbed some serious rights and left hooks, but still pressed forward on wobbly legs. As the round came to a close, Lee caught Martirosyan with a straight left. In the 2nd round, Martirosyan continued to hit Lee with effective right hands. Lee jabbed and tried to force Martirosyan back. Next, Martirosyan was successful when he landed a series of rights to the body. Then, Martirosyan floored Lee with a solid right to the head after he previously knocked Lee's mouthpiece out with a right hand. When Lee got up, Martirosyan blistered him with a series of rights and left hooks. After that, Martirosyan sent Lee down again when he landed a hard right hand to Lee's head. Time of the stoppage was 2:13 of round three.

Martirosyan has been boxing since he was 12 years old. As an amateur, he represented the United States at the 2004 Olympics as a welterweight, but lost to Cuba's Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros. He is trained by Freddie Roach and is moving up the junior middleweight ranks quickly.

In other action on Top Rank's card: Samuel Peter (TKO 4) over Gabe Brown, Omar Henry (TKO 1) over Jessie Davis and Matt Korobov (TKO 3) over Ken Dunham.

Guerrero, Porter & Lane Win By Knockout

In a welterweight showdown, Philadelphia's Lanard Lane remained undefeated (10-0, 7 KO's) after scoring a blazing 2nd round TKO over Said El Harrak (8-1, 3 KO's). Lane came out explosive in the 1st round and was relentless, throwing and landing right hand leads. El Harrak was looking to land his right, but never hit Lane flush. Lane connected with a series of rights and left hooks to the head. Then, Lane floored El Harrak with a hard overhand right. El Harrak was dazed, but continued to fight. El Harrak took another clean right from Lane. After that, Lane scored another knockdown when he connected again with his overhand right. Somehow, El Harrak managed to hold on and make it into round two. However, Lane would end it quickly. Early in the 2nd round, Lane utilized his jab. He continued to hit El Harrak with left hooks to the head and rights to the body. Next, Lane jabbed to the body and swifty fired another right to Harrak's head. As he lunged forward with a right and missed with a left hook, the referee stopped the fight at 1:38.

Showtime's Steve Farhood and Antonio Tarver felt that the referee had stopped the bout too soon. I disagree with them because Lane was repeatedly hitting El Harrak with very clean, accurate punches. Sometimes, a fighter can show great heart and a strong chin, but is still taking damaging shots. El Harrak was just getting hit too often and it was only a matter of time before Lane would be victorious.

Porter TKO's Patterson in 4th round

In a junior middleweight bout, Shawn Porter stopped Jamar Patterson in the 4th round. Heading into the fight, Shawn Porter had an edge in amateur experience with 276 fights to Patterson's 50. Porter also had a superior edge in hand speed, which combined with his aggression, was just too much for Patterson to overcome.

Porter attacked Patterson furiously from the opening bell. Toward the end of the 1st round, Porter landed an overhand right and consecutive left hooks. However, Patterson showed he could take a rock-solid punch. In the 2nd round, Porter jabbed and was more fluid with his combination punching. The combinations overwhelmed Patterson, but he fought courageously. In round three, Patterson suffered a cut above his right eye, as Porter continued to beat him to the punch. Porter was hitting Patterson with left uppercuts, jabs and overhand rights in round four. Porter feinted and connected with a hard, lunging left hook that dropped Patterson flat on his back. Patterson got up, but Porter continued his assault. Porter nailed him with consecutive left hooks to the head and the referee stopped the bout.

Porter, a 22 year old Ohio native, lived up to his nickname "Showtime" by winning impressively. He remains unbeaten at (12-0, 10 KO's) and is scheduled to face Damian Frias in Cleveland, Ohio on February 19, 2010. Jamar Patterson falls to (8-1, 4 KO's). Polo Double Black By Ralph Lauren For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 oz

 Guerrero Stops Nicklow

23 year old Fernando Guerrero (17-0, 14 KO's) remained undefeated, stopping the brave and bold Jessie "The Beast" Nicklow (19-2-2, 7 KO's) in the 4th round in ShoBox's main event. A southpaw, Guerrero used his edge in hand speed to batter Nicklow with sharp, accurate punches. Nicklow attempted to work the body, but he had a rough time because Guerrero could counter him so instantly. Nicklow was stunned by a big right hook from Guerrero in the 2nd round. Also, in the 2nd round, Guerrero was walking Nicklow down with his high volume of punches. However, Nicklow was daring and tried to time Guerrero right after he unleashed his punches. Nevertheless, Guerrero kept coming at Nicklow, landing a series of rights and lefts to the body and connecting with a vicious left uppercut. Then, Guerrero trapped Nicklow in the corner and tagged him with brutal right hooks and straight lefts to the head. Nicklow had a durable chin, but it was getting tested often.

In the 4th round, Nicklow was about to throw a punch and slightly dropped his left hand. Guerrero timed Nicklow perfectly with a monstrous right hook that sent him down and into the ropes. Nicklow got up, but just kept absorbing punishing right hooks and straight lefts. After peppering Nicklow with a ton of clean shots, Guerrero appeared to momentarily punch himself out. Yet, Guerrero continued to pound Nicklow with right hooks and straight lefts that prompted the referee to stop the fight at 2:09 of the 4th round.

Hasegawa Scores 5th Straight Knockout

Hozumi Hasegawa scored an impressive 4th round TKO over Alvaro Perez in Japan. It was Hasegawa's 5th consecutive knockout victory in 4 rounds or less. Hasegawa has dominated the bantamweight division and may be looking to move up to 122 lbs. or 126 lbs. for his next bout. If he does so, Hasegawa would vacate his WBC title that he has successfully defended ten times.

In the first round, Hasegawa connected with two solid lefts to Perez's body. Perez landed a clean right hook to the head, but Hasegawa took the punch well. Perez fired and landed a straight left over the right jab of Hasegawa. Then, Hasegawa came forward aggressively, unleashing straight lefts off his right jab.

In round two, both fighters started fast and were firing quick jabs. Hasegawa landed a hard left to the body. Perez countered with a right hook-straight left combination. Next, Perez landed a flush left hand. Hasegawa retaliated with a furious attack. He landed vicious lefts to the body and head of Perez with a minute to go in the round. Hasegawa momentarily stunned Perez with a sharp left to the head. As the round was about to end, Perez landed an overhand left. After that, Perez threw a right hook and Hasegawa fell down, but the referee ruled it a slip.

In the third round, Perez connected with a right hook and charged forward, but Hasegawa nailed him with a straight left. Hasegawa hit Perez with another left off his right jab that pushed him back. Perez got close again, but Hasegawa hit him with a fast left uppercut. Toward the end of the round, Perez missed with a right hook and Hasegawa made him pay for it by landing a big overhand left.

Finally, in the fourth round, Hasegawa closed the show. A minute into the round, Hasegawa struck Perez with a right hook to the head. Then, Perez fired a left to the body. Hasegawa countered with his own left to the body. With 30 seconds to go in the round, Hasegawa landed three punishing lefts in succession that left Perez face down on the canvas.

Hasegawa improves his record to 28-2, 12 KO's. Hasegawa just turned 29 years old. In 2005, he won the WBC Bantamweight title from Veeraphol Sahaprom with a 12 round unanimous decision. Alvaro Perez falls to 18-2-1, 12 KO's.

Malignaggi Outclasses Diaz In Rematch

Paulie Malignaggi stayed true to his word. He said he had a "magic trick" in store for Juan Diaz. It seemed that the game plan was to provide Diaz with a target he thought he could hit. Then, hit Diaz with the jab, keep him turning and do not fight as much in close quarters like the first encounter. Paulie executed the strategy perfectly. He successfully utilized his boxing skills more this time around and the judges scored the fight fairly. All three official ringside judges scored the bout 116-111 for Malignaggi. I had it scored slightly better for Malignaggi at 117-110.

From the 1st round, Malignaggi's hand and foot speed bothered Diaz. Malignaggi used his superior boxing skills and jabbed Diaz repeatedly. Then, Malignaggi connected with a clean overhand right. Diaz landed a left hook to the head in the 2nd round, but Malignaggi was doing an excellent job of controlling distance. His feints got Diaz off his game, and he connected again with a clean right. Malignaggi was boxing beautifully, but Diaz hurt himself by not throwing the jab enough to work his way into close range. However, Diaz did a better job during the exchanges in the 3rd round, connecting with left hooks and an overhand right. Yet, Malignaggi was getting his punches off first. Diaz did not move his head well and Malignaggi continued to strike him with his quick, accurate jab.

In the 5th round, Diaz did manage to get close and land some body shots. Diaz hit Malignaggi with an overhand right and left hook. At this point, it was Diaz's best round. Diaz started to work his jab in the 6th round. He was able to nail Malignaggi with a left hook to the body and follow it with a right to the head. Malignaggi fired back. He hit Diaz with a right uppercut in close quarters and followed it with a left hook. Subsequently, Diaz was stunned when Malignaggi unleashed another right uppercut. Malignaggi went back to boxing more in the 7th round, while Diaz's punch output dropped. Diaz appeared to suffer a cut above his left eye in the 8th round. Malignaggi was unrelenting and connected with right uppercuts and overhand rights.

In the 9th round, Malignaggi really worked his jab efficiently. Diaz could not get his punches off. Malignaggi kept snapping the jab and in the 10th round, landed an overhand right that knocked Diaz off balance. Apparently, Diaz's glove touched the canvas and the referee ruled it a knockdown. In the 11th round, Malignaggi was still effectively using the jab to control range, but Diaz started to land his jab and some left hooks.

Diaz got much closer in the 12th round and landed an overhand right. Diaz was aggressive and outworked Malignaggi in the last round. Diaz got the better of the exchanges when Malignaggi chose to battle more. However, Malignaggi did enough to win the fight.

When Malignaggi boxed on the outside, Diaz could not touch him. With little head movement and a lack of an operative jab, Diaz was thoroughly outclassed. At times, Diaz was successful in close range when Malignaggi selected to stand and trade with him. Still, Malignaggi fought well in close quarters.

After the fight, Malignaggi called out Juan Manuel Marquez and stated that the winner could fight Ricky Hatton. Malignaggi also said that he is willing to travel to England for a rematch with Hatton. Malignaggi is a very slick boxer, who would be a favorite against Marquez should the fight take place. Marquez has shown problems when he's faced boxers in the past, most notably against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his previous fight. Freddie Norwood and Chris John were also able to outbox Marquez easily. Malignaggi could be victorious in a rematch with Hatton, if he executes his fight strategy the way he did against Diaz. Diaz left the ring and did not conduct an interview with HBO's Max Kellerman.

Bradley Impressively Outpoints Peterson; Darchinyan KO's Rojas

In what may have been his best performance as a professional fighter, Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley (25-0, 11 KO's) fought a sensational fight and took a 12 round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Lamont Peterson (27-1, 13 KO's). With the victory, Bradley retained his WBO Junior Welterweight title. The official judges scored the bout 118-110, 119-108 and 120-107. I had the fight scored 119-108 for Bradley as well.

In the 1st round, Peterson displayed a strong body attack and backed Bradley up with an effective jab. Bradley got better as the round went on, and connected with a hard left hook to the body. Then, Bradley landed a solid right on Peterson's chin. Bradley timed the punch perfectly because he threw it right over Peterson's jab as he was bringing his left hand back.

In round two, Bradley started where he left off in the first round. He was timing Peterson and connected with a big right hand. Then, Bradley scored with a hard left hook to the body and landed a vicious left uppercut. Bradley was throwing and landing his combinations beautifully. All of the punches that hit Peterson were coming off his jab. When he finished throwing a combination, Bradley fired the jab again to make sure Peterson was not in range to hit him.

Peterson was not moving well laterally in the 3rd round and Bradley made him pay. He hit Peterson with a volume of rights and lefts to the body. After that, Bradley dropped Peterson with a solid overhand right that landed above Peterson's left ear. However, Peterson would come back strong. As they were exchanging a series of blows, Peterson started to hurt Bradley with his body punches. Bradley was momentarily stunned by a left hook to the body. In a very competitive 4th round, both fighters continued to attack the body furiously. Bradley backed up Peterson when he landed a sharp, right uppercut. As the bell sounded to end round four, Bradley connected with a left hook.

Bradley is a very durable junior welterweight, and showed it when he absorbed a flush right hand from Peterson in the 5th round. However, Bradley landed more meaningful punches and was able to place his shots more efficiently than Peterson. In round six, Peterson continued to fight bravely, but Bradley was hitting him with some real crisp combinations.

Bradley proved that he was the more technically sound fighter as he continued to beat Peterson to the punch in the 7th and 8th rounds. Bradley repeatedly utilized a well-timed jab and skillfully moved around the ring. He continued to finish his combinations with jabs or hooks. When Peterson was in close range, Bradley would catch him with overhand rights. Bradley kept Peterson turning, and rarely stayed in his range to be countered. Peterson wanted to turn the fight into a brawl, but Bradley was smart. He just kept boxing Peterson, and would not let him get set to land meaningful punches.

As the fight moved into the 10th round, Bradley had the higher and more thriving work rate. When Peterson's punch output dropped, it enabled Bradley to connect with a vicious left hook. Bradley did a nice job of mixing up his combinations to the body, and then attacking Peterson's head. Bradley preferred to box, but when he was hit, he aggressively fought back. Showing no fear when exchanging blows, Bradley just kept punching and slowed Peterson with body shots.

Peterson came out ferociously in the 12th round, but Bradley remained poised and a step ahead of him. As he did for most of the fight, Bradley unleashed his punches when he was at a safe distance from Peterson. However, knowing it was his last opportunity to pull out a win, Peterson applied enormous pressure, which resulted in both men slugging it out until the bell rang to end the fight.

After his dominating performance, Bradley has some options at 140 lbs. Bradley could face Amir Khan, who just kayoed Dmitriy Salita in the 1st round. Another opponent could be Paulie Malignaggi, since he outpointed Juan Diaz over 12 rounds convincingly in their rematch. Juan Urango, Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana and even Ricky Hatton present more possibilities. Timothy Bradley has clearly improved with each fight and would be a handful for any future challenger.



Also, on the undercard, 33 year old Vic "The Raging Bull" Darchinyan (33-2-1, 27 KO's) scored a devastating 2nd round knockout over Tomas Rojas (32-12-1, 22 KO's). With the victory, Darchinyan retained his WBA & WBC super flyweight titles.

Again, Darchinyan appeared to have some trouble with a tall, rangy fighter. In the 1st round, Darchinyan started a bit slow. Rojas connected with a solid overhand left that surprised Darchinyan. Rojas, a southpaw as well, was trying to control range with his right jab. Darchinyan answered with a lunging right hook to Rojas' head. Darchinyan also hit Rojas with a left uppercut and followed it with a strong left to the body. Then, in the 2nd round, Darchinyan missed a left uppercut, but landed a clean overhand left to Rojas' face. Next, Rojas made a gesture with his gloves, signaling Darchinyan to keep bringing it. Well, with the very next punch, Darchinyan delivered the knockout blow. Rojas got nailed with a crushing left that snapped his head back and dropped him to the canvas. The time of the knockout was 2:54.

After the fight, Darchinyan noted that he would like to avenge his only professional losses to Nonito Donaire and Joseph Agbeko. First, he would like a bout with Donaire, but Donaire needs to win his upcoming bout in February against Gerson Guerrero. If Donaire is successful, expect a possible match up in the middle-end of 2010.

Klitschko Continues Dominance

Vitali Klitschko has emerged victorious again, as he took a one-sided, 12 round unanimous decision victory over Kevin Johnson. The official judges scored the bout 120-108 twice and 119-109. With the win, Klitschko improved to 39-2, 37 KO's. Since 2000, Klitschko has won 12 of 13 bouts, with the only loss coming against Lennox Lewis (TKO 6), when he suffered a severe cut above his left eye and the bout was stopped. Kevin Johnson falls to (22-1-1, 9 KO's).

In the 1st round, Klitschko pressed forward and threw a blinding left jab. For the duration of the fight, Johnson was hesistant to let his hands go. Johnson is known to be a defensive fighter, but Klitschko still imposed his will on him. Klitschko connected with a right hand lead as Johnson was leaning back against the ropes. In the 2nd round, Johnson caught Klitschko with a right, but Klitschko continued to pop his jab. Then, Klitschko landed a right hand and followed it with left hook leads. He also hit Johnson with right hands behind the jab.

Moving ahead to the 6th round, Klitschko landed a hard right to the body and continued to get his punches off first. Johnson was trying to dodge many of Klitschko's punches, and could not land many of his own. In the 9th round, Klitschko caught Johnson again with the overhand right. Heading into the 11th round, Klitschko was in total control of the fight. He was dominating Johnson with the jab and firing rights. Klitschko's height and reach advantage was too much for Johnson to overcome. Johnson lacked a solid offensive output, which led Klitschko to dominate the fight.

Who will challenge Vitali next? Will he ever be defeated again? Is there anyone out there, who poses a dangerous risk to him? Fans and sports betting entities alike are dying to find out. Odlanier Solis could be Vitali Klitschko's next opponent. Solis is 15-0, 11 KO's and has 231 amateur fights to his credit. Solis is a six-time Cuban National Champion (1999-2004). In 2004, Solis won Olympic gold in the heavyweight division in Athens, Greece. Solis is listed at 6' 1" inches tall with a 73" inch reach. However, Klitschko is 6' 7 1/2" inches tall with an 80" inch reach advantage. How would Solis plan to battle Klitschko?

Q & A With Paulie Malignaggi

MALIGNAGGI VS. DIAZ II
December 12th On HBO's Boxing After Dark
DON'T MISS IT!!!
http://www.hbo.com/boxing

Paulie Malignaggi was born to Sicilian immigrant parents in Brooklyn's Bensonhurst neighborhood. He is an outstanding, resilient fighter, who had an exceptional career as an amateur and won a national title. Before he heads out to Chicago, Paulie took some time out from training to discuss his upcoming rematch with Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz.

Q: You are a very slick boxer with exceptional hand speed. Did you ever try to emulate anyone’s style?

A: Thanks for the questions. Honestly, I just go out there and be myself, and put on the best performance Malignaggi can put on for the crowd.

Q: I had the privilege to sit ringside for your fight on June 10th, 2006 against Miguel Cotto. It was the first fight card I attended at Madison Square Garden. You fought a very courageous fight, but lost by a 12 round unanimous decision. What did you learn from that experience that helped you become a better fighter today?

A: I tested my ability that night, and of course, I wanted to win that fight, but it showed a lot about me. It showed that I can hang with the best 140 pounders in the world, and that I am an elite fighter. Cotto was a tough fighter, and we put on a great show that night. I showed you that I can be a slick boxer and still put on a great performance.

Q: You returned in 2007, and defeated Edner Cherry by a 10 round unanimous decision. Then, you captured the IBF junior welterweight title when you outclassed Lovemore N’dou, earning a 12 round unanimous decision victory. I thought this was the best performance of your career. N’dou brought out your best boxing skills and you dominated the fight. You won “Comeback of the Year” award from Ring Magazine. Can you describe how you felt at this point in your career?

A: I just won a world title. Everyone doubted Paulie Malignaggi, but once again, I proved the critics wrong. It was one of the best days of my life. It’s been what I wanted since I got into boxing. I always wanted to be a world champ and it came true. If you believe in yourself, great things can happen.

Q: Did the cheering and singing of all the fans from England, who came to support Ricky Hatton, affect your performance that night? If an opportunity presented itself, would you like to face Ricky Hatton again? If so, what adjustments would you make?

A: Of course, that night I fought Ricky Hatton was a bad night for Paulie Malignaggi. Wasn’t the best performance I put on, wasn’t my night. Everything was going wrong up to that night. I had bad training etc. But the fans were great, and that just gets you more pumped.

Q: On August 22nd, 2009, many fight fans including myself, felt that you should have been awarded a 12 round unanimous decision victory over Juan Diaz. You were very vocal about the loss after the bout. Gale Van Hoy scored the bout 118-110 and Judge David Sutherland scored the bout 116-112 for Diaz. In my eyes, this was just not possible. At the least, I had you winning 8 rounds to 4. I thought Diaz landed his share of clean punches, but you appeared to be outworking him for the majority of the minutes, in almost every round. You landed clean punches inside, and you were also doing a good job of utilizing your jab from the outside, to set up your punches as Diaz charged toward you. When HBO's Max Kellerman asked you about a possible rematch, you said, “You know, I'm not getting a rematch.” Now that you are fighting Diaz again December 12th on HBO, are you going to change your strategy at all?

A: Everyone is going to have to tune in on DECEMBER 12^TH to see what’s in store for Juan Diaz. If you like Magic, then come watch the greatest disappearing trick of all time!

Q: I never saw Diaz ever make any adjustments in a fight. He knows how to fight one way – going straight forward with pressure. Do you expect him to do anything different in the rematch?

A: He might switch it up a little, but we're ready for anything Juan Diaz presents.

Q: How did the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois become the site for the rematch? What other cities were being explored?

A: Of course, we wanted New York or New Jersey. Vegas was an option as well, but that wasn’t neutral at all, and they definitely wouldn’t go to the east coast. So, people came up with Chicago and it’s a great place. A lot of fight fans love this sport, so I am looking forward to being in Chicago.

Q: Did you ever fight in Chicago? How do you think the fans will react to you? Will many of your friends and family be making the trip from Brooklyn?

A: Well, I fought there once when I was younger, but not on a big stage like this. Yeah, we're getting tons of support and feedback from fans all over the world, who are flying in for this fight. It’s crazy! But Malignaggi fans are going to be there supporting, which is great! Can’t get any better then this!!!

Q: Where did you decide to train for the rematch with Diaz? How are things going in training camp?

A: In New York, its home. Didn’t want to go no where else! Things went perfect.

Q: If you are successful over Diaz, who would you like to face next? What is the next goal you are aiming to accomplish in boxing?

A: Hatton rematch would be great. Amir Khan just got a big victory, so there's options at 140, but we'll see who wants it after December 12^th.

Q: At 29 years old, you have some years left in boxing to continue to showcase your skills. Have you thought about what you would like to do after boxing? Did you ever think of commentary? Or training fighters in the gym back home in New York?

A: We'll see. Hopefully, Hollywood is ready for a Brooklynite!

Q: You have been outside the ring doing print clothing ads that have been featured in such magazines as Esquire and Playboy. What made you get into fashion? Are you currently working on anymore ads?

A: We got some things in the works. I’m from the fashion capital of the world! LOL

Q: Finally, what is the world going to see from the “Magic Man” on December 12th? Do you have any surprises for Diaz?

A: Paulie Malignaggi always has tricks up his sleeves! So, when December 12^th comes, Diaz will get a personal magic trick of his own!

Williams Wins Majority Decision Over Martinez

Can you say "Fight of the Year"? Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez gave everything they had, and then some more, in front of a ecstatic crowd in Atlantic City, NJ. If you had to sum up this fight in a few words, you could say both fighters showed tremendous heart and courage, with Williams being the busier fighter and Martinez landing the harder shots.

From the opening bell, Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez fought at a rapid pace. Early in the 1st round, Martinez connected with a solid right hook, but Williams took the punch well. Then, Williams knocked Martinez down with a grazing straight left to the head. Martinez appeared to be slightly off-balanced as Williams landed the punch. After he got up, Martinez rocked Williams with a hard, straight left. Next, Martinez sent Williams down and into the ropes with a powerful right hook just as the 1st round was coming to an end.

Martinez continued to fight soundly in the 2nd round, stunning Williams again with a right hook off of his right jab. Martinez also connected with a left uppercut to the body. Williams was more aggressive in the 3rd round, hitting Martinez with right jabs and straight lefts. Martinez took the punches and fired back a right hook and straight left combination. After that, Williams struck Martinez with another straight left.

As the 4th round began, Williams was stunned again when Martinez hit him with consecutive straight lefts. Next, Williams landed a thunderous right hook to Martinez's head. Martinez took the shot and threw his right jab. Martinez snapped Williams' head back with a right hook-straight left combination. Williams showed a good chin and hit Martinez back with a straight left. Following that exchange, Williams hit Martinez with another vigorous left hand.

Williams landed a right hook-straight left combination to start the 5th round, but Martinez would counter back yet again. This time, Martinez connected with a violent straight left that stunned Williams. Somehow, Williams took another rock-solid punch from Martinez and came back with right hooks and straight lefts. The fight would continue at this pace through rounds 6 and 7. Moving into the 8th round, Williams landed a straight left, but Martinez started to attack the body frequently. He landed some fierce, straight lefts to Williams' right side. A right hook to the head sent Williams back.

Martinez continually hammered Williams with flush, straight lefts to the head and body in the 10th round. Williams was busy and kept coming forward, throwing his right jab. He landed a grueling right hook to Martinez's head. Martinez would start fast in the 11th, connecting with straight lefts and a right hook. Throughout the fight, Martinez hit Williams flush with the right hook. Williams never made an adjustment.

As the bell rang to begin the 12th round, Williams ran across the ring and fired a straight left. In close range, Martinez got in another straight left to the body. Subsequently, Williams came back again, connecting with a left uppercut and followed it with a right hook. Finally, Williams landed a straight left-right hook combination.

Julie Lederman scored the bout a draw at 114-114. Lynne Carter scored it 115-113 for Williams. Both of these scores were reasonable. However, Pierre Benoist scored the bout 119-110 for Williams. There is absolutely no possible way that anyone could rationally argue that Martinez only won one round. Was Pierre Benoist trying to make a mockery of boxing in this potential "fight of the year" match up? It taints Paul Williams' victory tonight. Julie Lederman resides in New York, while Pierre Benoist and Lynne Carter are from New Jersey.

This fight was very difficult to score. I thought Williams was busy and at times, forced the fight more. However, Martinez delivered the harder blows and landed the cleaner shots. Both men absorbed harsh punishment from each other throughout the 12 rounds. I scored it 116-115 for Martinez. I had rounds 1, 9 and 12 even. With the victory, Paul Williams improves his record to 38-1, 27 KO's. Martinez drops to 44-2-2, 24 KO's. Anyone want to see Williams-Martinez II in 2010?

Arreola KO's Minto In 4th Round

In a rugged toe-to-toe battle, Chris Arreola scored a 4th round knockout over Brian Minto. Both fighters were able to connect with many flush right hands throughout the bout. In the 1st round, Minto hit Arreola with a right hand that landed just over Arreola's jab. Arreola countered with an overhand right. At that moment, Minto nailed Arreola with a left hook-overhand right combination. Overall, Arreola utilized the jab better during the round.

Minto struck Arreola with a clean, right uppercut in the 2nd round. Arreola fired back with an overhand right. Minto was successful going to the body. Arreola connected with a hard left hook, but Minto showed he could take a solid punch. Then, Minto nailed Arreola with an overhand right. Arreola landed another right that caused swelling to appear under Minto's left eye when the round ended. Stay pretty with MMA headgear.

As he did in the 1st round, Arreola started to work his jab again. Early in the 3rd round, both guys connected with right hand shots. The action in the 4th round intensified when Arreola hammered and dropped Minto with a left hook-overhand right combination. Both guys were unleashing their shots at the same time, but Arreola's got to the target quicker. Minto got back to his feet and continued to fight hard. He landed a right, but Arreola hit him again with his right. Minto started to walk right into Arreola's overhand right, which is his best punch. Arreola put Minto down again with another left hook-right hand combination. This time, referee Eddie Cotton counted to ten and the fight was over.

Arreola bounced back nicely following his hard fought loss to Vitali Klitschko. Yesterday, Arreola weighed 263 lbs. If Arreola can control his weight issues better, he may be able to have more of an impact in the heavyweight division.

Chris Arreola improves his record to 28-1, 25 KO's. Brian Minto's record now stands at 34-3, 21 KO's.

Khan KO's Salita in the 1st Round, Retains WBA Title

Amir Khan knocked down Dimitriy Salita 3 times in the 1st round to retain his WBA junior welterweight title. Khan first floored Salita with a left hook-overhand right combination 1o seconds into the fight. After trapping Salita in the corner, Khan dropped him again when he connected with a barrage of punches. With Salita's back against the ropes, Khan finished him with a hard left hook to the head. The official time of the stoppage was 1:16.

Amir Khan improves his record to 22-1, 16 KO's. Dimitriy Salita suffered his first professional loss and falls to 30-1-1, 16 KO's. In the Lightweight class at the 2004 Olympics, Khan captured a Silver Medal. It looks like Manny Pacquiao has one great sparring partner in Amir Khan, as he prepares for his potential fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13, 2010.

Jones KO's Brunson 12-04-09 SHOBOX

In SHOBOX's junior middleweight main event, Carson Jones (24-7-1, 15 KO's) knocked out previously undefeated Tyrone Brunson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (21-1-1, 20 KO's), in the 3rd round. Brunson set a boxing record of 19 straight victories to start a professional career, in which he won them all by 1st round knockout. Jones was going to be Brunson's first big test as a professional and Brunson failed. Before the bout began and as they were about to touch gloves, Jones said to Brunson, "You fighting a real fighter tonight baby!"

Jones could not have been anymore correct with his pre-fight statement. However, Brunson started strong in round one and controlled the fight by employing his left jab. Jones did not throw many punches this round. Brunson clearly had the edge in hand speed and won the round easily by repeatedly firing his jab as he moved around the ring. In the 2nd round, Brunson continued to fight efficiently from a safe distance. He started to hit Jones with rights to the body. In the later part of the round, Brunson really fired often to the body. Brunson was trying to make Jones' lower his hands, with the hopes of landing some clean head shots. Next, after attacking Jones' body further, Brunson landed a stinging overhand right. Jones threw more punches than the previous round, but did not land anything solid.

After Brunson jabbed, he had a tendency to bring his hand back low. In the 3rd round, Jones made him pay for it when he connected with a hard overhand right-left hook combination to Brunson's jaw that floored him. It was the first time in his professional career that Brunson was knocked down. Brunson was badly hurt and Jones knew it. He went for the knockout after Brunson got back on his feet. Jones chased Brunson around the ring, throwing left hooks and overhand rights as he moved along the ropes. Then, Jones nailed Brunson with a sharp right uppercut. Brunson was stunned yet again. With his gloves held high and his back against the ropes, Brunson was hit with a barrage of punches from Jones and had no answer for them. Jones seriously hurt Brunson when he landed a right to the body and followed it up with a left hook to the head. Jones just kept unleashing punishing rights and lefts to Brunson's body and head, until the referee stopped the fight.

Anchondo Wins Controversial Split Decision

Also, in a welterweight bout, Mike Anchondo gave Mauricio Herrera his first lost as a professional when he won an 8 round split decision. This victory did not come without controversy. The official judges scored the bout 79-73 for Herrera, but 77-75 twice for Anchondo. Herrera appeared to land the cleaner punches in the fight. I had the fight scored 78-74 for Herrera.

Herrera was effective in the first round because he established his jab and landed many punches off of it. Anchondo had a tough time getting in close range without utilizing his jab. Anchondo did hit Herrera in the body with some solid punches. In the 2nd round, both fighters unleashed some heavy punches at each other. Herrera connected nicely with a solid right in close quarters. Then, Herrera hit Anchondo with a left hook and landed some crisp combinations behind the jab.

Anchondo could take a clean punch well, but he got hit a lot after he delivered his punches. Anchondo leaned forward with his head too much as he pressured a moving Herrera. In the 3rd round, Herrera repeatedly connected with flush right hands to Anchondo's head. Anchondo landed a hard left hook to the body, but he stayed in front of Herrera too long. Herrera tagged Anchondo with an inside left uppercut and followed it with another right hand. Herrera continued to beat Anchondo to the punch in the 4th and 5th rounds. In the beginning, Anchondo was forcing the action. Now, Herrera dictated the pace and unloaded many more punches.

Anchondo's punch output appeared to slow down in the 6th round. Herrera connected frequently with 3 or 4 punches at a time as he moved around the ring. Then, Anchondo landed his best punch of the fight when he hit Herrera with a powerful left hook that may have broke Herrera's nose. Herrera was bleeding and Anchondo attacked him with an overhand right and left hook to the body.

Anchondo hit Herrera with a right uppercut in round seven, but was still getting hit too often because he was putting on pressure, and not using a jab to work his way into close range. The 8th round contained non-stop action. First, Anchondo fought back aggressively subsequent to taking a solid right on the chin. Anchondo attacked Herrera's body, while Herrera continued to land head shots. Just as the bell rang to end the fight, Herrera took a solid punch from Anchondo on the chin.

Afterward, Herrera's face appeared very damaged, but Anchondo took a lot more punches from Herrera and they were effective shots too. Anchondo possessed a quality body attack and may have been able to inflict additional damage, if he would have worked behind the jab better. Mike Anchondo improves to (30-2, 19 KO's) and Mauricio Herrera falls to (13-1, 6 KO's).

Hopkins Wins, Green Upsets Jones

Hopkins Decisions Ornelas

At 44 years old, Bernard Hopkins can still dish out a beating. Tonight, Hopkins won a 12 round unanimous decision against Enrique Ornelas, who had previously been a sparring partner to the living legend not too long ago. The official judges scored the bout 118-110, 120-109 and 119-109. I had it scored 119-109 for Hopkins.

Hopkins started at a slow pace, but finished the fight very strong. In the 1st round, Hopkins showed a skilled defense as he slipped many of Ornelas' shots. The crafty veteran was successful in making Ornelas come to him, so he could land quick, clean shots. At the end of round 2, Ornelas caught Hopkins with a solid left hook, but Hopkins, as he has showed his whole career, can take a solid punch and took it well. Both fighters picked up the pace in the 3rd round when they were exchanging and landing clean punches in close quarters. Hopkins was doing a lot of holding and hitting.

Ornelas was more aggressive in the 4th round, but Hopkins had a strong 5th round. He caught Ornelas with a flush left hook. Then, Hopkins hammered Ornelas with a big right when Ornelas rushed toward him. Hopkins delivered his counter punches quicker as each round passed. Ornelas connected with a right in round 6, but Hopkins beat Ornelas with speedy counter punches for most of the round. Hopkins was very accurate placing his shots in the 7th round, and momentarily hurt Ornelas when he connected with a right to the head. Hopkins started to beat Ornelas to the punch much faster and more precisely than in the previous rounds. Hopkins snapped Ornelas' head back in the 8th round with series of right crosses and right uppercuts.

Ornelas became frustrated because he was having difficulty landing his punches in succession. Hopkins' superior athletic ability was not helping him. In the 11th round, Hopkins nailed Ornelas with a sequence of right hand leads. Ornelas had no answer for them. Hopkins was landing perfect counter punches and fighting very smart in spots. In the 12th round, it seemed as if Hopkins was headed to a unanimous decision victory. You would expect Hopkins to box, right? No, Hopkins started to attack and go for the knockout. He landed a series of body shots and connected with a sharp right uppercut. Ornelas could not match Hopkins' hand speed in the exchanges.

Hopkins stays one step ahead of his opponents. He creates his offensive output by illusions. Hopkins' opponents think they are in a range to counter him or to land their punches, but never really are that close to landing multiple punches in a series. He's out thinking them the whole time as Ornelas found out. Hopkins will sometimes tie his opponent up, hit them in close quarters or throw right hand leads and connect from a surprising distance. He also baits the opposition in by using a lot of head and shoulder feints. Hopkins uses his jab more for a range finder than to hurt opponents. For instance, Hopkins lets Ornelas chase him around the ring. Ornelas starts to move where Hopkins wants him to go without realizing it. Then, Ornelas gets frustrated when he cannot land clean punches. Finally, Hopkins starts to inflict damaging blows.

Hopkins was hoping to acquire a rematch with Roy Jones Jr., but Jones lost earlier today to Danny Green when he was stopped in the 1st round. However, Hopkins was optimistic a fight can still be made when he stated the following: "Roy Jones Jr. lost on his feet, not on his back. A knockout and TKO is totally different. It was a TKO and there were punches thrown. I've seen more of them miss than hit. It was more of a flurry...Let the man at least defend himself, when he's going down or basically quit."

What's next for Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KO's), who turns 45 years old in January? Hopkins has other options besides a fight with Roy Jones Jr. He could fight undefeated super middleweight Lucian Bute, who is a big draw in Montreal and just defeated Librado Andrade by a 4th round knockout. Also, David Haye was mentioned because Hopkins has set a goal to win a heavyweight title in 2010. Haye captured the WBA belt from Nikolay Valuev in November. After the fight tonight, Hopkins also went onto say, "I am going to be the heavyweight champion of the world in 2010." Tomasz Adamek presents another possible big pay day for Hopkins because he can sell out the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ with his Polish fanbase. With Hopkins hailing from Philadelphia and Adamek now training in Jersey City, NJ, after moving to the states from Poland and recently moving up to the heavyweight division, this fight would be intriguing as well. Finally, there's undefeated light heavyweight Chad Dawson. He presents a big challenge to Hopkins because he is in his prime, possesses great hand speed and is a southpaw.

Garcia KO's Colin

Danny "Swift" Garcia improves his record to (15-0, 10 KO's) with a sensational 2nd round knockout over Mexico's Enrique Colin (23-5-3, 19 KO's). Colin's size appeared to make Garcia a little tentative to throw early in the 1st round. However, in the final seconds of round 1, a left hook-right hand combination by Garcia floored Colin. Colin was able to make it out of the round. In round 2, Garcia stunned Colin with a big right. Colin was hurt and Garcia sensed it. Garcia feinted with his left and fired another huge right hand that dropped Colin again. This time, Colin could not get back to his feet. Garcia, a 21 year old from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, defeated a tough veteran and is quickly moving through the ranks in the junior welterweight division.

De Leon Defeats Wilson

In a 4 round featherweight match, 30 year old Guadalupe De Leon (8-9, 4 KO's) defeated previously unbeaten Derrick Wilson (5-1-1, 2 KO's) by a split decision. All 3 judges scored the bout 39-37, two of them in favor of De Leon. Prior to his victory over Wilson, De Leon had lost 7 consecutive fights.

Green Upsets Jones

Once upon a time, Roy Jones Jr. was the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Now, he is seriously endangering his health if he continues boxing. It what was supposed to be a tune-up bout before engaging in a potential rematch with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr. was knocked out in the 1st round by Australia's Danny Green (28-3, 25 KO's). Green nailed Jones with an overhand right that dropped the former 4 division world champ. Jones rose to his feet, but was in a daze. Green pounded a stunned Jones with a barrage of punches until the referee stopped the bout. Green retained his IBO cruiserweight title and has now won his last 7 bouts. The official time of the stoppage was 2:02.

After accumulating an impressive career record of 49-1, 38 KO's, (only loss coming by disqualification to Montell Griffin and was avenged with a 1st round knockout) Roy Jones Jr. is 5-5 in his last 10 bouts, with 3 of the losses coming by knockout. Jones' overall career record now stands at (54-6, 40 KO's). In 2004, Glen Johnson kayoed Jones in the 9th round with an overhand right that looked eerily similar to the punch Green landed. Both punches hit Jones on the top of his head. Jones also lost a one-sided decision to Joe Calzaghe in 2008, but won two consecutive fights prior to facing Green.

Jones' most notable victories have come against Jeff Lacy (TKO 10), Felix Trinidad (W12), Anthony Hanshaw (W12), Antonio Tarver I (MD 12), John Ruiz (W12), Clinton Woods (TKO 6), Eric Harding (TKO 10), Richard Hall (TKO 11), David Telesco (W12), Reggie Johnson (W12), Lou Del Valle (W12), Virgil Hill (KO 4), Montell Griffin (KO 1), Mike McCallum (W12), Eric Lucas (TKO 11), Vinny Pazienza (TKO 6), James Toney (W12) and Bernard Hopkins (W12).

It is very difficult for an athlete to admit when his or her career has come to end. It is even harder for a fighter to walk away from the sport of boxing, especially when you dominated the competition for years. All boxers are full of courage, heart and pride. Some fighters possess and exhibit these traits more than others. It is always much harder for the great ones to call an end to their careers. In his prime, Roy Jones Jr. was magnificent. He possessed blazing hand speed, solid punching power and was so quick, accomplished fighters had a lot of trouble countering him. In the past, a fighter would be lucky to hit Jones with one solid punch or even win a round against him. Jones always fought intelligent fights. At 40 years old, let's hope Jones makes another intelligent decision and chooses to hang up his gloves.

Breaking News: Danny Green TKO's Roy Jones Jr. In 1st Round

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