Fight Preview: Hopkins vs. Pascal

On Saturday, December 18, 45-year-old Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KO's) will attempt to become the oldest fighter in boxing history to obtain a major world title when he battles WBC and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (26-1, 16 KO's). The fight will take place in Quebec City, Canada at the Pepsi Coliseum. Within 48 hours of tickets being placed on sale, more than 15,000 were purchased for an arena that holds 16,333 seats. The fight will be broadcast LIVE on Showtime in the United States, and distributed on pay-per-view in Canada on Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV, and Viewer's Choice in French and English.

What does a fight against Pascal mean to Hopkins at this stage in his career?

"He brings belts to the table," said Hopkins. "He's a guy that's confident because he's champion. And when you're home, you're confident and you're also nervous. He wants to impress everybody, but he's only human. I just want to promote this 46-year-old, 45-year-old man beating up a young guy."

Hopkins added, "There's a lot of 40-year-olds running around here now and older, who are going to be dropping their cane and putting their teeth in rooting for me. At the end of the day, I am the poster boy for longevity if you do the right things early."

Hopkins has won five of his last six fights, his only loss in that time span emerging from a controversial twelve round split decision against Joe Calzaghe. In that same duration, Hopkins owns victories over Antonio Tarver, Ronald "Winky" Wright, Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik, Enrique Ornelas and the renowned Roy Jones, Jr., all of which came by twelve round unanimous decisions. Hopkins' last knockout win was against Oscar De La Hoya in 2004. Yet, despite his age, this crafty veteran is still on top of his game. Hopkins, already the oldest fighter in boxing history to hold the middleweight title, is looking to accomplish the feat now at light heavyweight, which would also place him in boxing history as the oldest fighter ever to win a noteworthy title. Previously, Hopkins holds the record as the longest reigning middleweight champion, making 20 consecutive defenses of his titles from April 29, 1995 - July 16, 2005.

"You cannot alter history, you cannot downplay history," exclaimed Hopkins. "That's what I thrive off of right now; That's my motivation."

Hopkins added, "There are fighters that are not the same anymore. That's the risk you take when you're going in there, because being young is a blessing. Being young has a lot of benefits, but being experienced and also having a young mind and a young body is a double threat that your going up against. That's what I represent. I represent that."

Pascal, 28, was born in Haiti, but now resides in Laval, Quebec, Canada. He will have a raucous, hometown crowd supporting him in his toughest challenge to date. After losing by a twelve round unanimous decision to Carl Froch in a super middleweight clash, Pascal went on to win five consecutive fights, most recently defeating the heavily favored Chad Dawson by an 11th round technical decision. Two fights after his only professional loss to Froch, Pascal captured the WBC Light Heavyweight title when he beat Adrian Diaconu by a twelve round unanimous decision. Now, a vastly improved Pascal looks to secure a win against Hopkins, a fighter who has never been thoroughly beaten in a fight, nor was he ever knocked out.

"His biggest problem is his inexperience," stated Naazim Richardson, Hopkins' head trainer. "We're going to be able to trap him in certain exchanges, and he won't be able to take advantage of it."

Richardson believes Pascal will immediately attack Hopkins from the opening bell.

"For a young man, that's the advantage a young man takes," added Richardson. "Youth is always going to jump on the old - that's for sure. He's not going to be able to sit back and play a chess game with Bernard."

Pascal has youth on his side, but Hopkins has the edge in experience, battling a long list of A-level fighters, many of which fought him much later in his career. And still, Hopkins virtually dominated all of them, including Glen Johnson, Antwun Echols, Felix Trinidad, as well as others mentioned above. Hopkins handed Johnson (TKO 11) and Trinidad (TKO 12) their first professional defeats, and was the first fighter to knockout Oscar De La Hoya, stopping him with a perfectly timed left hook to the body in the ninth round.

Look for Hopkins to deceive Pascal by luring him into close range, so he can quickly counter him. On the other hand, Pascal owns a solid right hand, and will need to dictate the pace of this fight by utilizing his left jab and hand speed. Can Pascal overwhelm Hopkins with his swift hands? Will Pascal be able to land enough punches against an extremely clever Philadelphia boxer-puncher? Hopkins is a master at setting the tone of his fights, as he has successfully proven for countless years against practically everyone. Although he is in the twilight of his career, Hopkins knows exactly when to throw and where to place his punches effectively. Hopkins has also shown the proficient ability to fight particularly well in close quarters, something that Pascal has not displayed yet.

"I am a risk-taking guy, but I take the right, educated and smart risks," said Hopkins. "I am not a risk-guy just to say that I am going to do something that I have no shot of accomplishing. A lot of people are going to have to adjust their books after this fight, after this one-sided fight!" 

It's an intriguing match-up with many questions to be answered. How much improved and polished is Pascal after beating Dawson? Will Hopkins school another young fighter rising in the rankings, like he did to a previously unbeaten Kelly Pavlik in Atlantic City, N.J.? Can Hopkins capitalize on the defensive flaws Pascal exhibited against Dawson?

No one seemed willing to take on Pascal in his backyard except Hopkins, who knows he must be at his absolute best to acquire a decision victory, if he cannot knockout Pascal. Every time Pascal's fans cheer after he lands a punch will surely have a profound effect on the judges' scorecards, as it will maximize the actual damage Pascal's punches produce. Knowing the situation of fighting in an opponent's hometown, Hopkins was more than eager to accept the challenge, which exemplifies the belief he has in himself to succeed. Hopkins' conditioning level cannot be disputed, because he has dominated fighters much younger than him for several years. Yet, Pascal is a young lion in his prime, and is keen on adding a legend's name to his growing resume. At some point, Hopkins will not be able to sustain the level of success he has demonstrated in recent years. Will he come to that point in his career on December 18th?

11-30-2010: Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins' Media Workout Photos From Joe Hand's Boxing Gym In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

Nonito Donaire: "I want to feel I belong in the elite category."

Ward Decisions Bika, Retains WBA Super Middleweight Title

Andre "S.O.G." Ward (23-0, 13 KO's) defeated Sakio "The Scorpion" Bika (28-5-2, 19 KO's) by a twelve round unanimous decision, retaining his WBA Super Middleweight championship. Official scores were 120-108 (Marty Sammon) and 118-110 (Jon Schorle & Hunter Walton) twice.

In the first round, Ward and Bika exhibited extremely quick hand speed. Bika, 31, showed no fear, and violently charged at Ward from the opening bell.

Ward, 26, connected with a short left hook to Bika's body early in round two. Both fighters tried to establish their jab to initiate the exchanges, but it was Ward who displayed better balance after unleashing his shots.

Ward opened round three by landing an overhand right. Then, Bika connected with a series of rights during a clinch. After that, Ward responded by hitting Bika in the head with a left hook. Bika was very unpredictable, and threw shots from many unexpected angles. As a result, Bika was off-balance at times, which enabled Ward to land left hooks when Bika pulled straight back.

In round four, Ward was busier than Bika with the jab, and momentarily wobbled Bika after countering Bika's left jab with a sharp left hook. Clearly, Ward's punches demonstrated more pop at this point.

Bika briefly dazed Ward with a short right late in round five, although Ward fought back furiously, nailing Bika with an onslaught of left hooks and short rights.

Both men landed swift, well-placed body shots during round six in close quarters.

In round seven, Ward, showing that he was the more composed fighter, landed his punches with great accuracy. Bika's unorthodox, wild shots, which was reminiscent to Ricardo Mayorga's style versus the late Vernon Forrest, disrupted Ward's rhythm in the beginning of the fight, but by now, Ward had adjusted to it. 

Round eight brought out Ward's true character, as he dug deep and traded with Bika in close range. Late in the round, it was Bika who was connecting, although his punches were not as effective as in the previous rounds.

Ward roughed up Bika in the ninth round, landing an overhand right and scoring with fast body shots.

Again, Ward connected with an overhand right in round ten. Then, Bika tied Ward up shortly, however, Ward attacked Bika's body with vicious shots in succession.

Ward was initiating most of the action by round eleven, and caught Bika, who was bleeding from his left eye, in the face with a clean left hook.

Ward, displaying a cut on the bridge of his nose, was throwing wide shots with Bika when they got out of the clinches. Once again, Ward showed he is a complete fighter by adapting to yet another style tonight.

In his next bout, Ward will continue in Showtime's "Super Six" Tournament when he collides with Arthur Abraham, who lost by a wide margin on the scorecards to England's Carl Froch earlier in the night. Froch will now square off against Glen Johnson, who replaced Mikkel Kessler and recently defeated Allan Green.

Bika's style somewhat emulated what Ward can expect to see from Abraham. Abraham is a strong, pressure fighter, although Bika is known to be more fluid with his hands. At the moment, Ward seems well-prepared for a clash with the Armenian warrior. So far, Ward has proved he can acclimatize to any style, and is quickly rising to stardom in the boxing world.

Froch Defeats Abraham

Carl "The Cobra" Froch (27-1, 20 KO's) easily outpointed "King" Arthur Abraham (31-2, 25 KO's), reclaiming the vacant WBC Super Middleweight title at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Official scores were 119-109 (Burt Clements) and 120-108 (Max DeLuca & Oren Schellenberger) twice. 

In the first round, Froch established his range with a sharp left jab, as Abraham assertively pressed the action with a high defensive guard. Froch struck Abraham repeatedly with hard rights to the body. 

Abraham, 30, closed the gap in round two, however, Froch connected more with his right hand behind a stiff left jab.

With a little over a minute left in round three, Abraham hit Froch in the head with a powerful left hook. Still, Froch, 33, dictated the pace of the round and displayed a solid chin. 

Abraham stepped up his punch output in round four, but Froch threw and landed more punches. Froch also started to put his punches together more in combination than the previous rounds.

In round six, Froch scored with a left hook at 1:50, and continued to frustrate Abraham with his superior lateral movement. 

Abraham was much more aggressive in round seven, striking Froch in the face with a potent left jab. Yet, Froch utilized his left jab, and kept using the ring to his advantage. 

Both men picked up the action in round eight. Froch backed Abraham into the corner, unloading a barrage of punches to the body and head. Abraham countered with an overhand right. Then, Froch closed the round by landing his overhand right.

Between rounds nine and ten, Abraham spit blood into a bucket in his corner, which most likely resulted from Froch peppering Abraham consistently with clean left jabs.

In round ten, Froch broke through Abraham's high defensive guard with an extremely accurate left jab. After scoring with a left hook to the body, Abraham momentarily grimaced. Abraham absorbed the shots, but Froch sent him back into the ropes when he landed a right to the body followed by a right to the head. To his credit, Abraham continued to charge forward, although he kept getting nailed by Froch's crisp left jab. Just as the round ended, Abraham struck Froch with a left hook to the head, and followed up with an overhand right. 

After feeling he was hit by a low blow in round eleven, Abraham briefly complained to referee Frank Garza. 

During round twelve, Abraham landed a grazing overhand right, but by this point, Froch had him enormously frustrated. Froch stuck to his plan of circling and firing his left jab. Froch moved in and out exceptionally well, baffling the tough Armenian fighter. Throughout the fight, Abraham very rarely got his punches off before Froch, which ultimately led to his defeat.

Broadway Boxing Returns December 1st

On Wednesday, December 1, Lou Dibella's Broadway Boxing series returns to the famed B.B. Kings Blues Club in Manhattan with another entertaining card.

In the main event, junior welterweight prospect Gabriel "Tito" Bracero (12-0, 1 KO) battles Hector "The Mongoose" Alatore, 29, (16-11, 5 KO's) in an eight round bout. Bracero, 29, will be making his 6th career appearance at B.B. Kings, and 3rd in a row. Bracero, a slick boxer, scored an eight-round, unanimous decision victory over Terry Buterbaugh in his last fight. 

In a clash of unbeaten super featherweights, Javier Fortuna (12-0, 9 KO's) squares off against Victor Valenzuela (8-0, 1 KO) in the co-main event. Four of Fortuna's last six fights have ended by a technical knockout. Just 20-years-old, Fortuna will be making his U.S. debut. Valenzuela, who resides in nearby Passaic, N.J., is looking to use his smooth boxing skills to score an upset. The bout is scheduled for eight rounds.

Also, Sonya Lamonakis (2-0, 1 KO) takes on Tiffany Woodard (3-3, 2 KO's) in a six-round, heavyweight contest. Lamonakis, a 35-year-old school teacher, won her last fight by a four-round, unanimous decision, which was a complete slugfest from the opening bell at B.B. Kings versus Alysia Williams-Stevenson.

In addition, the card will feature New York's heavyweight prospect Tor Hamer (12-1, 9 KO's), undefeated Jersey City, N.J. welterweight Alex Perez (12-0, 7 KO's), unbeaten Bronx, N.Y. junior middleweight sensation Steven Martinez (6-0, 6 KO's) and Brooklyn's lightning-quick, junior middleweight Delen Parsley, Jr. (3-0, 2 KO's) against opponents to be announced.

Tickets for Broadway Boxing are on sale now through Dibella Entertainment, and start at only $55.00. VIP Ringside tickets are $125.00, Floor Seat tickets, $75.00 and General Admission are $55.00. Tables for groups of five are also available. Tickets can be purchased by calling Dibella Entertainment: (212) 947-2577, and more information can be obtained by visiting www.dbe1.com.

Juan Manuel Marquez: "Margarito looked like an amateur!"

Martinez KO's Williams In Rematch

Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KO's) scored a sensational one-punch, 2nd round knockout against Paul "The Punisher" Williams (39-2, 27 KO's) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. With the victory, Martinez retained his WBC Middleweight title. Official time was 1:10.

Martinez, 35, used his first-class ring generalship to avoid Williams' brief attack in round one. Williams came out swinging, but did not land more cleaner punches in the round than Martinez. Martinez was able to get inside of Williams' 82-inch frame to connect with multiple straight left hands. Williams, 29, took Martinez' shots well, however, Martinez' left hands proved to be a sign of what was to come.

While Williams came out aggressive again to open the 2nd round, Martinez continued to counter Williams' aggression with his own. Martinez showed no fear, and would lets his hands go quickly every time he was within range. Besides Williams 82-inch reach advantage, he stands at 6' 1" tall, which leaves him vulnerable to be hit. As Williams attempted to throw a straight left, Martinez stepped forward and delivered a straight left hand to Williams' jaw that sent Williams face-first to the canvas instantly. As soon as Martinez connected with that left hand, Williams was out cold. It was one of the greatest one-punch knockouts in the history of the middleweight division, perhaps in the history of the entire sport.

The win puts Martinez in conversations for a potential bout with either Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather, Jr., possibly at a catch weight. Tonight, Martinez' bout with Williams took place at a catch weight of 158 lbs., two pounds under the middleweight limit. At 35-years-old, Martinez is younger than most 35-year-old fighters simply because he has not engaged in the brutal wars many other fighters have had by that time in their respective careers. In the meantime, Martinez without a doubt is more popular today and will be talked about now as one of the best fighters in the world, although some have already began the discussion prior to tonight's bout.

For Williams, he is still a very talented fighter who just got caught with a devastating punch. Yet, there are many reasons why that punch was able to land, and have the impact it did. If Williams is to return and make a significant impact, he must vastly improve his defense, which was a defense that had numerous holes in it prior to the rematch versus Martinez. Many in the media, in addition to countless fight fans, chose to ignore Williams' flaws beforehand when discussing where he ranked among the elite. Fighters can get away with their errors only so long before they encounter a fighter that can capitalize on all their mistakes. Williams met his match tonight. It was quite clear that Martinez studied Williams' tendencies from their first battle, made adjustments and the outcome spoke for itself. Hopefully, Williams can recover some of the momentum he had to salvage a once promising career.

Nonito Donaire Discusses Chavez Jr. vs. Gomez

Adamek Prepares For War Against Maddalone, Answers Questions About Klitschko Brothers, David Haye & Roy Jones, Jr.

Today, Tomasz Adamek (42-1, 27 KO's) held an open workout for the media at the World Boxing & Fitness Center in Jersey City, New Jersey, as he prepares for his upcoming fight on Thursday, December 9, at the Prudential Center against Vinny Maddalone (33-6, 24 KO's). The fight is being distributed in North America by Integrated Sports Media for LIVE viewing at 8pm EST/5pm PST on both cable and satellite PPV via iNDemand, DIRECTV, Avail-TVN and DISH Network in the United States, and Viewer's Choice and Bell TV in Canada for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

Tickets priced at $53, $78, $103, and $253 (ringside) can be purchased at Prudential Center Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or visiting www.prucenter.com

Adamek feels his preparation is right where it should be at this time.

"I've been training hard for 7 weeks with Roger," said Adamek. "I'm ready to fight."

While Adamek seems extremely focused on Maddalone, questions continue to arise about a possible match-up versus Roy Jones, Jr. in March 2011. Adamek made the situation quite clear.

"We're in negotiation with Klitschko, David Haye and Roy Jones, Jr.," claimed Adamek. "Next year, I want a title fight. I'm ready."

Adamek added, "If we don't get a title fight, I will fight Roy Jones."

Adamek knows that his supreme conditioning has contributed to his successful career. He has also made it a priority to focus more on head movement during this training camp.

"If I am quick, I can beat everybody," declared Adamek.

Roger Bloodworth, Adamek's trainer, believes his fighter is much faster in this training camp than his previous one.

"He's a little more relaxed when he's throwing his punches, so he's faster," stated Bloodworth. "His foot movement is a little bit better than it was. He's getting a little bit better each camp. After this fight, we'll assess where he is."

Bloodworth added, "The only way you get more pop in your punch is with speed. He's coming along; He's doing it here. We'll see if he does it in the fight."

Kathy Duva, Main Events C.E.O., is really impressed by Adamek's consistency in each fight.

"Some fighters fight on emotion, sometimes they rise to the occasion, and he's just been on a straight line, which is needed for a long, fruitful career," said Duva. "He's somebody who has a very sure sense of who he is and what he wants; He is a very stable individual in every way."

Duva also addressed possible fights for Adamek if he gets past Maddalone, as well as the probability that David Haye battles a Klitschko brother in the near future.

"David Haye did 15 million on PPV in England," acknowledged Duva. "That's more money than the Klitschko brothers can generate in their own country. We're ready to go to England anytime."

Duva further commented, "His (Haye's) position, from what I've seen and heard through the media, is that he brought in 15 million in his country in his last fight, and a Klitschko brother brings in 4-5 million. The Klitschko brothers want a 50/50 split. I don't think they (Haye's team) have any right to accept that, not when you look at those economics."

Duva also stated, "Their (Klitschko brother's) team decided to keep them in Germany. They decided to completely destroy the pay-per-view market in the United States for him (Wladimir Klitschko), which would have been leverage he would have had. They basically put a ceiling on their earnings. Haye is now in the driver's seat. If they can't make a deal, and that would only happen if the Klitschko's bend tremendously in this situation, I believe his (Haye's) next best alternative is Tomasz. We would be more than happy to fight him in England. It's arguably the most competitive fight that could be made on paper. Why not do it? We're willing to be completely reasonable here."

Interview With Nonito Donaire

Pacquiao Wins 13th Straight, Damages Eye Of Tijuana Tornado

Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KO's) captured the vacant WBC Light Middleweight title, defeating Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KO's) by a one-sided, twelve round unanimous decision at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Official scores were 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110. It was Pacquiao's 13th consecutive win, 2nd in a row at Cowboys Stadium.

Pacquiao, 31, opened the first round fast, circling to his left and scoring with a straight left to the body followed by a right hook to Margarito's head. Margarito, 32, never hit Pacquiao cleanly in round one, and could not get his punches off before the Filipino superstar.

In round two, Pacquiao kept fighting at a fast pace, but Margarito got more into a rhythm. He hammered Pacquiao with left and right uppercuts, and struck him with a hard right to the body. Pacquiao quickly countered with a straight left to Margarito's stomach. Then, he caught Margarito with a right hook to the head. The superior hand speed of Pacquiao continued to keep Margarito off-balance.

Margarito persisted to apply pressure in round three, although he lacked the presence of a strong left jab. Pacquiao, who found his range early in round one, blitzed Margarito with three-punch combinations from various angles.

In round four, Pacquiao hurt Margarito with a potent straight left to the body. As Margarito slowed, Pacquiao moved in with his whirlwind attack, damaging Margarito's right eye. Margarito sustained immense swelling under his right eye, along with a cut that started to bleed.

While Pacquiao was striking Margarito from a number of different angles in round five, Margarito closed the distance between them. However, Pacquiao absorbed Margarito's body and head shots.

With less than a minute left in round six, Pacquiao's left hand got caught under the top rope as he attempted to fire a straight left. As a result, Margarito briefly hurt Pacquiao with a left hook to the body. After that, Margarito landed a multitude of shots, but Pacquiao survived the assault.

In round seven, Pacquiao continued to find ways to break through Margarito's defense and land his dominant, straight left hand. At times, Margarito trapped Pacquiao and struck him with rights to the body and head.

The most competitive round in the fight was round eight. Both men exchanged sharp, accurate punches at high speed. Margarito connected with his body punches, in addition to landing hard right hands to Pacquiao's head. Margarito momentarily stunned Pacquiao with a left uppercut. Yet, Pacquiao answered quickly with precise combinations.

After going blow-for-blow with Margarito the previous round, Pacquiao used more lateral movement in round nine. Still, Margarito experienced swelling under his left eye, as he was unable to stop Pacquiao's left hand from penetrating his guard.

Just as round ten began, referee Laurence Cole asked Margarito, "How many fingers am I holding up?" Margarito gave the correct answer and the bout kept going. Next, Pacquiao unleashed a right hook that almost floored the Mexican warrior. Then, Pacquiao landed a punishing straight left to Margarito's head, but Pacquiao could not knock him out.

Margarito's right eye was now completely swollen shut. The swelling was so severely large that the bruise could quiver.

In round eleven, Pacquiao moved in and out energetically, picking Margarito apart with a barrage of punches. Subsequently, it appeared that Pacquiao was unwilling to trade shots in round twelve, choosing instead to move and stay out of any heated exchanges. Clearly, Pacquiao understood he was up on the scorecards, and elected to coast in the final round.

What's next for Manny Pacquiao after another dominating performance? Will he and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. eventually come to an agreement to give all fight fans what they want? It remains to be seen, but there is always hope.

After taking a savage beating tonight, Margarito's career as a top contender seems over. While Margarito put forth his best effort and had Pacquiao hurt a few times during the bout, he was still handled quite easily despite showing a ton of courage. It's hard to imagine Margarito back on this stage, especially when many people felt he did not deserve the opportunity he received tonight.

Whether one believes Margarito should have even been allowed to fight again after ingredients for plaster of Paris were found in his hand wraps before his bout with "Sugar" Shane Mosley on January 24, 2009, the fact remains that Margarito served the suspension handed to him by the California State Athletic Commission.

Nazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, discovered a white substance on Margarito's hand wraps prior to the bout, and brought it to the attention of the California State Athletic Commission. Margarito re-wrapped his hands three times before finally stepping into the ring to face Mosley. Meanwhile, the California State Athletic Commission seized the original hand wraps. Later, sulfur and calcium were found on the wraps, which turn into plaster of Paris when combined with oxygen. As a result, the commission revoked Margarito's license, as well as his trainer, Javier Capetillo. Margarito has vehemently denied using these tainted wraps deliberately, and has severed ties with Capetillo. Capetillo claimed the hardened pads were inserted by accident. It is unknown if Margarito used loaded gloves in previous fights. However, stains have been found on other hand wraps used by Margarito in past fights that appear very similar to those found on the tainted ones.

Prior to battling Pacquiao, Margarito defeated Roberto Garcia by a ten round unanimous decision in Mexico on May 8, 2010. In August 2010, Margarito was denied a license in California after re-applying when his one-year suspension ended. The California State Athletic Commission denied Margarito on a 5-1 vote, although Texas granted him a license without a hearing.

 JONES EDGES KARASS 

Philadelphia's Mike Jones, 27, (23-0, 18 KO's) remained unbeaten, defeating Jesus Soto Karass (24-5-3, 16 KO's) by a ten round majority decision in an extremely competitive welterweight match-up. Official scores were 94-94, 95-94 and 97-93.

Both fighters started round one by trying to impose their will. In round two, Jones opened a cut above Karass' right eye. Then, Jones unleashed a flurry of punches with Karass against ropes. Karass protected himself as well as he could, but took many clean shots. The most damaging punches that got through the guard of Karass was Jones' right uppercut and left hook. Jones exerted a great deal of energy going for the knockout, and he would pay the price in the next round for not finishing him. 

Karass sustained an additional cut over his left eye in round three. Conversely, Jones was gassed from his attempt at trying to knock out Karass the previous round. Karass kept charging forward, hammering Jones with a series of rights and lefts to the body, which significantly slowed him down. 

In round four, Karass pressed the action at a slightly slower pace. Jones started to bleed from his mouth. Karass viciously attacked Jones' body, although Jones got a second wind and managed to land numerous clean shots.

Karass outworked Jones in the fifth round, exhibiting a higher punch output. As the fight moved into the sixth round, Jones displayed the effects of Karass' steady body assault. Nevertheless, Jones bounced back with a strong seventh round, landing his right uppercut and quickly countering Karass as he circled around the ring. Still, Karass kept coming at him, unleashing countless body shots followed by a hard right hand.

Karass sent Jones stumbling into the ropes after he connected with a straight right hand in the eighth round. Jones' left eye became extremely swollen. As the fighters walked to their respective corners when the bell rang, Karass gave Jones a long stare.

The ringside doctor examined Karass during round nine, but let the fight continue. Karass had blood pouring out of his two cuts above each eye, while Jones' two eyes were enormously swollen and he was still bleeding from his mouth.

For being in a toe-to-toe war with Karass, Jones moved around the ring exceptionally well in the tenth round. He snapped Karass' head back a few times with his right uppercut, and landed the crisper punches in the round. In spite of this, a solid left hook by Karass slowed Jones a bit in the final thirty seconds. In the end, it was amazing that both fighters managed to stay on their feet throughout this brutal war.

RIGONDEAUX WINS SPLIT DECISION

In super bantamweight action, Guillermo Rigondeaux (7-0, 5 KO's) won a twelve round split decision versus Ricardo Cordoba (37-3-2, 27 KO's). Official scores were 114-112 for Cordoba, and 117-109 and 114-112 for Rigondeaux.

Rigondeaux, 30, floored Cordoba in the fourth round with a vicious, well-timed straight left to the body. After that, Rigondeaux went for the knockout, although Cordoba managed to survive. 

In round six, Cordoba, 28, registered a knockdown when Rigondeaux' right glove touched the canvas after Cordoba struck him with a right jab. After getting to his feet, Rigondeaux immediately nailed Cordoba with a straight left.

Rigondeaux connected with a sharp right uppercut in the seventh round, but Cordoba took the punch well. Throughout most of the fight, Rigondeaux showed his superior ring generalship, defensive mastery and a sound, natural coordination. Cordoba had a tremendous amount of trouble striking Rigondeaux with clean, effective punches. The score of 114-112 was utterly ridiculous in favor of Cordoba. Rigondeaux, a southpaw, clearly controlled the pace of this fight and never encountered any significant danger. 

RIOS TKO's LOWTHER

Lightweight contender Brandon Rios (26-0-1, 19 KO's) scored a fifth round TKO against Omri Lowther (14-3, 10 KO's). Official time of the stoppage was 2:17. 

The 24-year-old from Oxnard, California hurt Lowther, 26, with under a minute to go in round three when he landed an overhand right. Moments later, Rios struck and dazed Lowther again with a powerful left hook to the head, but Lowther made it out of the round.

Rios hurt Lowther many times with left hooks in the fourth round. Finally, Rios wobbled Lowther with consecutive right hands in round five. When Rios snapped Lowther's head back with another right hand, referee Raul Caiz Jr. promptly stopped the fight.

Rios applied steady pressure in each round. As the rounds progressed, it was evident that Lowther's punches lacked the power to hurt Rios. Rios placed his punches precisely, patiently created and looked for openings, and hurt Lowther every time he landed.

See Antonio Margarito's Response When Asked About Luis Resto

Jimmy Lennon Jr. Picks Pacquiao Over Margarito

TFB Talk: Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal Fighting Words in NYC

Judah Takes Split Decision Over Matthysse

Zab "Super" Judah (40-6, 27 KO's) captured the NABO Junior Welterweight title by an extremely close twelve round split-decision over previously unbeaten Lucas Matthysse (27-1, 25 KO's). Official scores were 114-113 for Matthysse, and 114-113 twice for Judah.

In rounds one and two, Judah used a great deal of lateral movement. He circled and fired his right jab to keep Matthysse from getting in close range. Yet, Matthysse was using quick feints and matching the tempo Judah was trying to set. Both fighters displayed a tremendous amount of respect for each other, and used extreme caution before exchanging punches.

Judah caught Matthysse with a swift left uppercut in the third round, snapping the Argentinian's head back. Later, Judah tagged Matthysse with a distinct straight left.

In round four, Judah sustained a cut in the corner of his left eye. Judah landed a clean right hook in the fifth round, but Matthysse kept pursuing him. The 28-year-old stayed in front of Judah, never taking a backward step, shadowing his every movement.

In round six, Matthysse's effective aggression started to show its rewards. He closed the distance and struck Judah with straight rights. Then, he hammered Judah's body with a series of potent left hooks.

Judah landed a counter-straight left in the seventh round, but Matthysse kept unleashing his blazing right hand. In the eighth round, Judah took control again by landing well-timed, straight lefts in succession.

By the ninth round, Matthysse's confidence reached new heights. He was staggering Judah with multiple body and head shots.

In the tenth round, Matthysse floored Judah with a flush right hand. When Judah got up, he was met with a barrage of rights and left hooks from Matthysse. Then, Judah landed a sneaky left uppercut, but was holding Matthysse.

By the eleventh round, it was quite evident that Matthysse's punches were much crisper and harder than Judah's punches. Matthysse kept unloading a sequence of right hands. Judah opened up with some right hooks and straight lefts, but got in trouble on the ropes.

In the twelfth round, the cut on Judah's left eye was bleeding. Once again, Matthysse kept charging Judah and unleashed sharp, accurate right hands and left hooks. Judah answered with a string of straight lefts.

Matthysse was unable to finish Judah due to Judah's ring intelligence and supreme conditioning. Judah keenly understood when to hold and when to box after he got into some trouble in the later rounds.

After the fight, Matthysse was adamant that he should have been victorious.

"In Argentina, I definitely would have won the fight," stated Matthysse. "Over here, I won the fight. If I go worldwide, I win the fight. I'm the winner."

Judah completely disagreed with Matthysse's assessment of the fight, but did acknowledge the toughness and skills Matthysse displayed.

"You can't win four or five rounds of a fight and say you've won a whole fight," claimed Judah. "He couldn't do anything to me at the beginning of the fight."

Judah added, "He is the strongest fighter I ever fought. It felt like he was punching with cinder blocks in his gloves."

GUERRERO DOMINATES ESCOBEDO

Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (28-1-1, 18 KO's) beat Vicente Escobedo (22-3, 14 KO's) convincingly by scores of 100-88, 98-90 and 96-92 to seize the vacant WBO Intercontinental Lightweight title. 

Guerrero attacked Escobedo relentlessly from the beginning of the bout, landing numerous straight lefts and right hooks. Throughout the majority of the fight, Guerrero got his punches off before Escobedo. 

In the first round, an accidental headbutt occurred that left Escobedo with a huge gash on the left side of his head. Escobedo was able to overcome the cut and close the gap in round two, however, Guerrero was still controlling the pace by using quick lateral movement and fast counter punches.

By the third round, the pace really started to pick up. Guerrero floored Escobedo with a left - right combination. Then, Guerrero landed a flush left uppercut. After that, Escobedo countered with a series of hard rights.

After a highly competitive fourth round, Escobedo slipped twice in the fifth and suffered a cut near his right eyebrow. 

In round six, Guerrero floored Escobedo with a pulverizing left uppercut.

Guerrero started to establish complete control of this fierce battle, but he sustained an injury during the seventh round.

"I hurt my left hand and couldn't throw it much," declared Guerrero.

In round eight, Guerrero was unleashing his punches and simultaneously stepping on Escobedo's left foot with his right foot, stopping Escobedo from pivoting and countering. Guerrero increased his attack in the closing moments of the round.

Guerrero and Escobedo exchanged furiously in round nine, but Guerrero possessed a little more power behind his punches and got the better of the exchanges. Escobedo kept charging forward, scoring with a short right hand. Guerrero sustained a cut on his left forehead. 

Bleeding from the corner of his right eye and left side of his head, Escobedo struck Guerrero with some ferocious body shots. Guerrero, who was bleeding himself under his right eye, kept countering quickly until the fight ended.

After the fight, Guerrero acknowledged that Escobedo was a warrior.

"He was coming to fight," said Guerrero. "He came well-prepared, but he didn't hurt me at all."

ALI WINS AGAIN

Brooklyn, New York's Sadam Ali (10-0, 6 KO's) continues to improve with each fight, winning by a second round technical knockout against Gary Bergeron (12-7, 7 KO's) in a welterweight contest. Time of the stoppage was 2:17.

Ali floored Bergeron in the opening moments with a sweeping left hook to the head. Next, Bergeron covered up, while Ali assaulted his body with a barrage of punches.

Bergeron started round two by landing a left hook, however, Ali countered by unloading a devastating overhand right. Then, Ali opened up his arsenal, throwing and landing a series of uppercuts. After a left uppercut dropped Bergeron, Ali struck him with a right - left hook combination. While Bergeron was on the ropes, referee Randy Neumann halted the action.  

BRONER TKO'S JULIO

Lightweight sensation Adrien "The Problem" Broner (18-0, 15 KO's) continued his winning ways, terminating Ilido Julio (40-20-1, 35 KO's) at 1:34 of the first round. Broner, a Cincinnati, Ohio native, dropped Julio with a quick left - right combination. After that, Broner floored Julio again with a rock-solid right hand. Julio got up, but displayed unsteady legs and the bout was immediately stopped.

"I thought this kid would have given me at least four rounds, but he made a lot of mistakes," stated Broner at the post-fight press conference.

CONCEPCION GETS 3RD VICTORY

In light heavyweight action, Angel Concepcion (3-0) took a four-round, unanimous decision win over Maurice Amaro (1-3). Concepcion won by scores of 40-36 on all three judges' scorecards.

BROOKS OVERWHELMS HILL

Long Island, N.Y. native Mike Brooks (3-0, 1 KO) captured a four-round, unanimous decision victory over Kywayne Hill (1-6, 1 KO) in a junior welterweight bout. Brooks, a southpaw, stalked Hill and staggered him repeatedly with an arsenal of straight lefts to the body and head throughout the contest. All three judges scored the fight 40-36 for Brooks.

LUCKEY OVERCOMES ADVERSITY

Junior lightweight Tyrone Luckey (2-0, 2 KO's) recovered from an early first round knockdown to stop Alex Montes (1-2) at 2:55 of the third round. 

Montes floored the Middletown, N.J. native with a blazing left hook in the early moments of round one. However, Luckey finished the round strong, scoring with his own left hooks in very fast-paced round.

In round two, Luckey dropped Montes with a straight left. Next, Luckey floored Montes again after he threw a swift left hook that landed on top of Montes' head.

Luckey sent Montes to the canvas a third time when he connected with consecutive left hooks to the head. Finally, with Montes' back against the ropes, Luckey hurt him with another left hook that prompted the bout to be halted.

PEREZ DESTROYS HERRERA

Lightweight prospect Mike Perez (10-0-1, 5 KO's) stopped Hevinson Herrera (14-7-1, 12 KO's) at 1:02 of round one. First, Perez wobbled Herrera with a powerful left hook to the head. After that, Perez dropped him with a double left hook combination to the body and head.

ZEWSKI TOO STRONG FOR BUTLER

In super welterweight action, Mikael Zewski (5-0, 3 KO's) captured a four-round, unanimous decision win versus Ardrick Butler (5-3, 2 KO's). All three judges awarded Zewski a score of 40-36.

Butler tried to establish his left jab early in round one, but Zewski hurt him with multiple body shots and was picking his spots efficiently.

Zewski continued scoring with the left hook in round two, however, Butler struck him with his left hook, which landed extremely low.

In round three, Butler connected with an overhand right, although he lacked the power to hurt Zewski. Zewski was strong, durable and possessed a little more pop on his punches. Zewski never retreated, and kept pressing the action throughout the entire fight.

Zewski peppered Butler with a series of rights and lefts in the fourth round. Then, Zewski followed up on his flurry by landing a sharp right uppercut that momentarily stunned Butler. Butler continued to fight aggressively until the final bell.

SAMIR REMAINS PERFECT

Middleweight prospect Bastie Samir (6-0, 6 KO's) scored an impressive 1st round technical knockout against Damion Reed (2-4, 1 KO). Official time of the stoppage was 2:47. Samir, a native of Accra, Ghana now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, scored three of his four scintillating knockdowns with vicious left hooks to the body.

An Inside Look At Manny And Team Pacquiao Before Margarito Bout

Complete Weigh-In Results, Photos From Prudential Center

Lucas Matthysse (140 lbs.), Zab Judah (139 lbs.)

Vicente Escobedo (134 lbs.), Robert Guerrero (133 lbs.)

Gary Bergeron (143 lbs.), Sadam Ali (145.5 lbs.)

Mariusz Wach (263 lbs.), His opponent, Kevin Burnett, did not show up at the weigh-in

 Adrien Broner (134.5 lbs.), Ilido Julio (136.5 lbs.)

Michael Perez (136 lbs.), Hevinson Herrera (135 lbs.)

Michael Brooks (140.5 lbs.), Kywame Hill (139 lbs.)

Tyrone Luckey (130 lbs.), Alex Montes (126 lbs.)

Maurice Amaro (173 lbs.), Angel Concepcion (179 lbs.)

Mikael Zewski (151 lbs.), Ardrick Butler (150 lbs.)

Damion Reed (163 lbs.), Bastie Samir (162 lbs.)

Press Conference Quotes

Lucas Matthysse talks about Zab's hand speed: "I trained for speed working with Sergio Martinez. I've never seen a fighter train like Sergio. I will benefit from the experience of working with him. Zab's speed will not be an issue on Saturday night."

Lucas Matthysse discusses whether or not fighting in front of a crowd heavily favoring Judah is a distraction to him: "No, because I trained very hard. I feel no pressure whatsoever. It's only Zab and myself come Saturday night. No one can help him."

Lucas Matthysse on his biggest strength in the fight:
"I'm going to hurt him with my body shots." 

Zab Judah's response to Matthysse's comments: "Everyone has a plan. He has to step to me. My hands aren't slow, and I don't lack power. Inside the ring, I feel very comfortable. We're prepared for everything."

Zab Judah on fighting at the Prudential Center: "It's a great arena. I'm thankful to God to put me back into this position. We're in Newark, N.J. and I'm from Brooklyn, so it's great to be back!"

Zab Judah expresses his happiness to be fighting once again on HBO: "This is why God is good. People count you out, but he's the one that says when you need to pick it up and get going."


Marshall Enzer, Judah's official cutman: "After seeing how hard we have worked in this training camp, I predict that Lucas Matthysse will not stand a chance to touch Zab, let alone touch his body." 

Enzer added, "Sergio Martinez is a good fighter, however, Zab is a great, spectacular fighter. He's in a totally different class than Matthysse; He's had more fights on TV than Matthysse has had in his whole career."

Judah - Matthysse Press Conference (11-3-10)

Photos From Judah - Matthysse Press Conference

Vicente Escobedo, Robert Guerrero

Vicente Escobedo, Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah, Robert Guerrero

Zab Judah

Zab Judah and his father, Yoel Judah

Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah