(KNOCKOUT NATION – JANUARY 19, 2009)
Monica Sears: Thank you. I’d like to welcome everyone today to the Margarito and Mosley conference call. We have a great site lined up for next week and at this time I’d like to turn it over to Chief Operating Officer of Golden Boy Promotions, Dave Itskowitch.
David Itskowitch: Thanks a lot Monica. Thank you everyone for joining us. Again, January 24 at Staple Center we’ve got a great fight which will be live on HBO is World Championship Boxing, 10 pm Eastern Time, 7 pm Pacific. If fan interest is any indication of what kind of a fight this is going to be, it’s going to be a great one, tickets are going fast. I urge you all if you’re going to write about the fight to tell everyone to get their tickets as soon as possible because they’re moving quickly and they start just at $25. Continue reading
(KNOCKOUT NATION – DECEMBER 10, 2008)
LOS ANGELES – The welterweight division’s two most exciting fighters, three-time welterweight champion ANTONIO MARGARITO and three-division world champion SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY, plan to open 2009 with an explosive world championship fight. Margarito’s World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title defense against Mosley, one of the era’s top pound-for-pound fighters, will take place on Saturday, January 24 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be televised live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.
Margarito vs. Mosley is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. Tickets priced at $300, $150, $75 and $50, go on sale This Friday! December 12 at 10 a.m. PT at all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 213-480-3232 and online at http://www.ticketmaster.com. STAPLES Center Box Office will begin selling tickets on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. PT.
“I have being looking for the biggest fights for a long time, and this one against Mosley is one of them,” said Margarito. “As I proved with Miguel Cotto, I have never ducked anyone in my career and I’m looking forward to showing the fans again why I am the best welterweight in the world. I fear no one. This fight will be my moment to shine and I will not let it pass by.”
“I’m glad Margarito decided to step up to the plate and fight me,” said Mosley. “If Margarito thinks he is the bigger puncher than I, he is delusional. I will definitely win this fight, especially with the type of fighter he is. He is going to end up getting knocked out because he’ll come right at me and I’ll catch him.”
“In his memorable fight against Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito proved his courage, ability and demonstrated that he is a true champion. His next test is against the dangerous future Hall of Fame champion Sugar Shane Mosley. We at Top Rank are convinced that Antonio will do well in this new challenge,” said Bob Arum
“I always say that great fights happen when the best fight the best,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “In Margarito vs. Mosley we are expecting a great fight because we have the two best welterweights in the world facing each other. Making a great fight even greater is the fact that it will take place in Los Angeles where both fighters have huge fan bases and that it will be broadcast on HBO rather than pay-per-view.”
“Margarito vs. Mosley is an exciting way to kick off a new season of World Championship Boxing on HBO,” said Kery Davis, senior Vice President of programming for HBO Sports. “It’s an action-packed showdown between two of the sport’s best fighters.”
“This world championship fight card features two great champions with strong ties to southern California, making it an ideal match-up for STAPLES Center,” said Dan Beckerman, Chief Financial Officer, AEG. “Hats off to Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum for putting together a fight that the fans have been asking for and that they deserve.”
Antonio Margarito (37-5, 27 KOs), from Tijuana, Mexico, returns to the ring on the heels of his career-defining victory over Miguel Cotto on July 26, 2008. Considered a major underdog when it was announced that he’d be challenging the undefeated WBA welterweight champion Cotto, Margarito withstood a firestorm of punches from the Puerto Rican superstar while retaliating with his own barrage of nuclear-like arms, stopping Cotto in the 11th round. The victory not only produced his third world championship belt in the welterweight division, but it also solidified his position as one of boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighters. Margarito’s first world title reign began in 2002, when he stopped Antonio Diaz in the 10th round to capture the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship belt. He successfully defended it seven times during his five-year term, including victories over current world champion Joshua Clottey, former world champion Andrew Lewis and top contenders Kermit Cintron and Danny Perez. He captured the International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title on April 12, 2008, by knocking out defending champion Kermit Cintron in the sixth round. Margarito vacated that title in order to challenge Cotto and now looks to further solidify his spot in boxing history with a win over Mosley on January 24.
Sugar Shane Mosley (45-5, 38 KOs) of Pomona, Calif. is arguably the most accomplished fighter of his era and certainly a shoo-in first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. He returns to the ring fresh from his 12th-round knockout victory of former world junior middleweight champion Ricardo Mayorga on September 27, 2008. Mosley, who has won six of his last seven bouts since 2005, boasts victories over world champions Mayorga, Fernando Vargas (twice) and Luis Collazo during that streak. Mosley first came to prominence when he defeated defending IBF lightweight champion Philip Holiday in 1997 to claim his first world title. He successfully defended that title eight times, all by knockout, before vacating the title to move up to welterweight two years later. In 2000, Mosley won an exciting 12-round split decision over WBC welterweight champion Oscar de la Hoya to claim his second world title in as many divisions. Mosley successfully defended his new crown three times before losing it 18 months later to Vernon Forrest in 2002. Just a year later, in 2003, Mosley once again moved up in weight and captured the WBC/WBA super welterweight titles in a rematch with De La Hoya, this time winning a unanimous decision. In addition to becoming a three-division world champion, he also became the only man to claim two professional victories over the legendary “Golden Boy.”
(KNOCKOUT NATION – NOVEMBER 28, 2008)
Last week, fight fans were disappointed to hear that Antonio Margarito turned down a two million dollar payday to face Shane Mosley on January 24th. It appears that after some more negotiating, and help from HBO, the fight is now officially on and will air on World Championship Boxing. Speaking to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Margarito’s promoter, Bob Arum stated, “It’s back together. Everybody got satisfied. Everybody was sensible,” We adjusted the purses as far as HBO putting more money in and it got solved.”
Also confirming that a deal had been reached, Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer stated, “The fight is done. I think it’s fantastic to end 2008 with a bang with Oscar De La Hoya against Manny Pacquiao and then for Golden Boy and Top Rank to start 2009 with a bang with Margarito-Mosley. It’s a fight that fans want. Now, it’s a fight the fans will get. It’s exciting.”
Although the amount has not been disclosed, HBO apparently offered more money to Margarito to entice him to make the fight. The extra amount offered was suitable to Top Rank and Margarito and now the fight is done. Arum stated, “Let’s just say that the gap has been overcome. We’re fine with everything. We’re happy we can do the fight. It’s a good fight for HBO and good for the fans to get a fight like that without having to dig into their pockets I think it’s a win-win situation.”
Margarito is coming off a devastating win over Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley is coming off a knockout win over Ricardo Mayorga. Arum has indicated that even if Margarito should lose to Mosley, he still intends on having Margarito face Miguel Cotto in a rematch in June. Mosley will hope to spoil those plans and get his on revenge on Cotto who he lost a close decision to. Both men will report to training camp right away with Mosley’s camp having a new face around. It was recently reported that Mosley has parted ways with his father as trainer, and will be replacing him with Nazim Richardson. Richardson is also Bernard Hopkins trainer and Mosley hopes that he can help him come up with an effective gameplan to be successful against the Mexican warrior.
This announcement comes as great news and is the perfect way to get the year started off right. Credit should be given to Margarito for taking such a risky fight with a huge payday with Cotto looming in June. Much credit should also be given to Shane Mosley, who continues to show that he is always willing to face the best, no matter how dangerous the opponent may be. The fight will officially be announced on December 6th at a press conference in Las Vegas.
Brown
Brownkn1@gmail.com
Filed under: Boxing | Tags: Bernard Hopkins, Fernando Vargas, Ike Quartey, Jermaine Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, Sam Solimon, Shane Mosley, Winky Wright
(Knockout Nation 6/07/08) Winky Wright, the Former Undisputed Jr. Middleweight champion of the world, is facing a serious dilemma these days: He is unable to pin down a worthy dance partner for his next fight. Wright, a highly skilled veteran who has fought worldwide, has lately found himself calling out any and everyone noteworthy in the middleweight division without any takers.
Fighting the best the Jr. Middleweight division had to offer, Wright earned his reputation as one of the most difficult fighters to face and look good against. As a southpaw with an educated jab and ultra tight defense, Wright was constantly avoided by the big names and had to earn his ranking for every title fight he fought for. In December of 1999, Winky faced Fernando Vargas for the IBF 154 pound title and was on the losing end of a very controversial decision. At the time, Vargas was expected to just steamroll through Wright. However, Wright gave Vargas the toughest lesson of his young career that night and showed boxing skills that demanded every one take note
Winky eventually won the IBF belt and went on to become the undisputed Jr. Middle champion by defeating Shane Mosley. After defeating Mosley again in a rematch, Wright moved to middleweight and faced Tito Trinidad. For 12 rounds, Winky put on a clinic against Trinidad, winning every single round. This performance was one that raised his stock in most Pound for Pound lists as one of the top 3 fighters in the world. After defeating Sam Solimon, Wright challenged Jermain Taylor for the undisputed middleweight championship. In an all action bout, Wright gave Taylor his toughest fight in what was hailed at the time as the best middleweight fight in the past 5 years. While many thought Wright won the fight hands down, the decision was a draw. Wright was outraged.
Jermaine Taylor and promoter Lou Dibella made an attractive offer of 5 million dollars for a rematch to fight Wright. However, Winky felt that he already beat Taylor, and was not keen on taking a lesser share than Taylor and the rematch never happened. The Boxing media began to criticize Wright for his decision, but Winky’s personal pride was apparently more important and he moved forward. After fighting and defeating Ike Quartey, Wright was challenged by former Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins. However, the fight was to take place at a catchweight of 170. The two veterans eventually faced off in a ugly fight filled with clinches and headbutts that was very hard to score. Some has it spilt down the middle, but the official decision was a decision for Hopkins. Recognizing he was not at his best fighting weight, Wright vowed to move back to 160….but therein lied a problem.
Wright has returned to a Middleweight division where fighters are not interested in fighting him, and those that will have promoters that wont let them. Now that Taylor is at Super Middleweight, the biggest names at middleweight are the lineal champion Kelly Pavlik, and title holders Author Abraham, and Felix Sturm. Neither of the three seem to have Winky on their radar right now, nor in the near future
Abraham and Sturm both have fights scheduled for this summer and Pavlik is now scheduled to face Gary Lockett in June. However, before the Lockett fight was made, Wright made it known that he was clearly interested in fighting Pavlik in what would be the best fight the division has to offer at this time. Wright and his promoters offered Pavlik a rumored, career high of 4 million dollars for the fight and would agree for the fight to take place in Pavlik’s home state. While Pavlik didn’t oppose the fight, his promoter Bob Arum would not buy in. It seems as if Arum wants to steer his middleweight champion clear of the potential threat that is Winky Wright. Arum insisted that Pavlik face Gary Lockett instead and has even scheduled Pavlik’s following fight against a clear underdog in Marco Antonio Rubio.
Realizing he cant make 154 pounds anymore, wont be as effective at super middleweight, and now unable to secure title fights with the lineal champ or two titlists at middleweight, Winky Wright has serious decisions to make. While Wright has stated he only wants big name, big money fights, he is closing in on a year of being inactive in the ring. Though he is no spring chicken in boxing years (36), he should have a few quality fights left in him. Winky has now come full circle. After reaching the mountain top, he now finds himself on the outside looking in just as he did when he was avoided by the big names when he was at 154. On the June 4th edition of ESPN Wednesday Night Fights, Winky stated that he hoped to be back in action in September and was looking to fight Pavlik or either Oscar De La Hoya. Well, Arum has Pavlik all tied up, and although there may be a glimmer of hope that De La Hoya may face Winky due to Mayweather’s sudden retirement announcement, it still seems unlikely. With masterful boxing skills and without the bargaining chip of a belt, most big name opponents are likely to avoid him due to the high risk factor he brings. Lately, Winky has been waiting around for those aforementioned names of his division to give him that shot. However, my advice to Wright would be to “Just Fight”.
Perhaps, he could follow the example of his former opponent Shane Mosley. After Mosley was defeated twice by Winky Wright in 2004, most had wrote him off. However, Mosley regrouped and in 2005, fought two lesser named opponents for less money (Estrada & Cruz) which eventually led him right back to the limelight with money fights against Vargas, Collazo, and Miguel Cotto. In the same manner, Wright should consider fighting opponents who may not have a big name or big money attached, but will help keep his skills sharp and keep him in the public eye. With victories, he will earn higher rankings in the sanctioning bodies and will eventually force his way into the manditory positions where the champions cannot deny him a title shot. It may take a year, but if he is willing to work his way back to the top, Im sure his skills can take him there. This position is not new for Wright and if he wants to remain on the mind of hardcore fight fans, he has to get back to doing what he does best. Just as he had to do once before to get to the the top, at 36 years old and counting, he has no choice but to prove he can do it again: Fight Winky….Just fight.
Filed under: Boxing | Tags: Carlos Baldomir, Corey Spinx, Demarcus Corley, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Kostya Tzu, Mickey Ward, Miguel Cotto, Roger Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah
Former Jr. Welterweight and Undisputed Welterweight champion, Zab “Super” Judah, is facing his biggest challenge to date on August 2, 2008. On that date he will face #1 IBF ranked contender, Joshua Clottey for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Don’t get me wrong, Zab has faced much bigger names like Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather, and Miguel Cotto. However, on August 2nd, Judah will be facing the challenge of proving that he can rise to the occasion and once again overcome his many career setbacks. After his most recent arm injury that caused the cancellation on his planned showdown against Shane Mosley, Zab is a man on a mission that is out to achieve the former glory he once held in the Welterweight division.
Judah, a former New York Golden Gloves Champion with an excellent amateur pedigree, is coming up on 12 years as a professional. As he rose to prominence, fans and media were amazed at the speed, agility, and KO Power of Judah. From a southpaw stance, using fluid combinations and timing, Judah was able to win 21 of his first 28 fights by KO or TKO. On his way up the ranks, Judah defeated a variety of fighters including the likes of “Irish” Mickey Ward, Terron Millet and Junior Witter while eventually earning the IBF welterweight championship. In some circles, Judah was being referred to as a true throwback fighter and the next big thing in boxing. However, Judah’s career momentum came to a crashing halt on November 3, 2001.
Facing WBA and WBC Jr. Welterweight Kostya Tszyu in a unification bout, Judah was drilled by Tszyu’s signature right hand at the end of Round 2. Judah hit the canvas hard and promptly jumped up while his equilibrium was off. In doing so, he had no control over his legs and stumbled half way across the ring in an attempt to keep his balance. Referee Jay Nady immediately called and end to the fight. In the immediate aftermath, Zab shoved his gloved in Nady’s throat and even threw a ring stool at him in protest of the stoppage. The following month, Judah was fined $75,000 dollars and suspended for 6 months by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Although his reputation was damaged, Judah dusted himself off after the layoff and got back to work. In a short period of time, he was able to defeat Demarcus Corley for the WBO Jr. Welterweight belt, and earn a shot against IBF, WBA, and WBC welterweight champion Corey Spinks. In an entertaining fight, each man was able to put the other on the canvas. In the end, the judges scored it a close decision for Spinks and Judah suffered the 2nd loss of his pro career. Undeterred, a year later Judah was able to stop Spinks in a rematch via TKO and become the undisputed welterweight champion.
Filed under: Boxing | Tags: David Haye, ESPN, Hasim Rahman, James Toney, Jin Mosley, Joshua Clottey, Juan Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Michael Katsidis, Paul Williams, Sergio Mora, Shane Mosley, Vernon Forrest, Zab Judah
– As boxing fans wait in anticipation, we still have no idea if the proposed match up between Joel Cassamayor and Nate Campbell will actually take place. Promoter Don King won the purse bid to stage the fight offering $1,220,000.00. King beat out Golden Boy Promotions who only bid $571,000.00 . So at this point the ball is in Cassamayor’s corner to decide if he will take the fight with Campbell or take on Golden Boy’s Juan Diaz who was just beaten by Campbell. It is reported that Cassamayor, who holds the Ring lightweight belt, will make more money fighting Diaz, however most fans and media are calling for him to face Cassamayor to truly prove who the best lightweight in the division is. Many are of the opinion that Golden Boy Promotions is attempting to keep the Ring Belt in their stable as proposed fights for Cassamayor have included Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, and Michael Katsidis – All Golden Boy promoted fighters. Nate Campbell has come on record saying that Cassamayor is avoiding him and regardless if it’s Cassamayor he is fighting, he looks to return to the ring sometime in July. KO Nation will keep you updated on the status of this potential fight.
Filed under: Boxing | Tags: Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson, David Diaz, Freddie Roach, James Toney, Joshua Clottey, Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Oleg Maskaev, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah
There has been word that talks are underway for a rematch between Hasim Rahman and James Toney sometime this summer. Toney and Rahman first clashed back in March of 2006 for Rahman’s WBC heavyweight title in a bout that was declared a draw. In their next fights, Toney then went on to lose a controversial decision to Samuel Peter and Rahman was beat by Oleg Maskaev for his title. Toney’s last fight was a little over a year ago against Danny Bachelder. Although Toney won, test results showed that he has illegal substances in his system and he was suspended by the athletic commission. After his loss to Maskaev, Rahman went on to rack up a few low key victories, but has not received the attention from fans as he once did. A rematch between the two would find the winner in a position to possibly get one more crack at the big names in the heavyweight food chain. However, for the loser, the loss may official seal the deal on their career. KO Nation will keep you updated on the status of this rematch.
At the recent Cannes Film Festival in France, boxing legend Mike Tyson received an standing ovation at the screening of “Tyson”. The film was directed by Tyson’s friend, James Toback and takes a deep look into the life of Mike Tyson. Consisting of interviews, video clips, and fight footage, the film covers Mike’s early years in Brooklyn, New York through his dominate rise in the heavyweight division. In the film, Mike is very candid and opens up about many of the mistakes and bad decisions he has made throughout his life. From his rise to stardom, to the death Cus D’mato, to his rape conviction, to the famous “ear biting “ incident, no details are spared. The film is receiving excellent reviews and even Tyson was shocked to see the type of love the film is getting. “I had no idea this thing was ever going to make it to this grand scale here,” Tyson said. “I feel totally overwhelmed. I’ve lived a wild and strange life. I’ve used drugs, I’ve had physical altercations with dangerous people, people were angry. I’ve slept with guys’ wives, they wanted to kill me. I’m just happy to be here. It’s just a miracle. I feel good about being here with you”. Whether you love him or hate him, this is a film all boxing fans should see when it is released.
In what could be a possible “Fight of the Year” candidate, WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is set to face and defend his title against Antonio Margarito on July 26th. The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada and is expected to draw a huge crowd. The buzz is very high for this one as both of these men are no nonsense warriors that truly come to fight. After dispatching of their recent opponents, Alphonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron, on the same HBO broadcast, Bob Arum immediately began making plans for a summer bout between these two. In speaking at the kick off press conference tour, Miguel stated, It’s going to be an exciting and really tough fight for both of us. I think the guy who comes to it in the best shape and who trusts in himself better will win, and this guy is Miguel Cotto. I’m going to take advantage of the mistakes he’s going to make during the fight. I’m going to do all the things I have to do to win this fight. I’m going for it round for round, and if I hit him pretty good, then I’m going for him. I’m one hundred percent confident in myself. Margarito has gone on record to state that he will indeed stop Miguel Cotto. “I have wanted this fight against Cotto for so long. I am going to make that ring a pressure cooker for him. I will be in one gear for our fight – forward. I will wear him down, break him down and knock him out. July 26 can’t come fast enough for me” stated Margarito. The winner of this fight should undoubtedly be the next opponent to get a crack at Ring Welterweight Champion, Floyd Mayweather.
It appears that welterweight contender, Joshua Clottey will finally get his shot at the IBF welterweight title this summer. The IBF belt was just won by Antonio Margirito with his recent stoppage of Kermit Cintron. Clottey has been the number one contender for the title since December of 07 when he won an IBF eliminator. As a condition of making his fight with Cotto, Margarito had to vacate his IBF title which now leaves it available to the winner of the match between the highest ranked contenders. It has been rumored that Clottey could be fighting Zab Judah. Judah, who we all know was preparing to face Shane Mosley this month, is in need of a high profile fight after the Mosley fight was completely called off. A tentative date of August 2nd has been set for the IBF title fight although nothing has been set in stone that Judah will actually be Clottey’s opponent. I for one sure wouldn’t mind seeing that fight as both men are hungry and on a mission to capture welterweight gold. Stay tuned.
With his recent loss against Shaun George, it appears that the career of Chris Byrd is now over. In a statement this week from Byrd’s wife, it appears that Byrd’s spirits are high but he is being encouraged by all of his loved ones to call it quits. On the flipside, Shaun George now seems to be right in the mix to get one of the big names at Light Heavyweight. George has come on record this week saying that he would be highly interested in a fight with Glenn Johnson, who is coming off a close decision loss to Chad Dawson. One thing is for sure, Shaun George seized the opportunity that was before him, capitalized on it and now has the attention of everyone in the division. Congrats to Shaun for his career best performance.
WBC lightweight champion David Diaz is completely focused on proving the naysayers wrong when he faces Manny Pacquiao on June 28th. Both fighters have began training for their PPV matchup taking place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. The defending lightweight champion states “Every fighter, no matter who he is, should want to fight the very best, and that’s what I’ll be doing against Pacquiao…I’m not going to lose. I don’t even think of it. I will win and bring the green belt back to my hometown, Chicago.” Pacquiao, not taking Diaz lightly states, “It’s a tough fight because of his style (left-handed) and because he has a will to win. Those are things I have to overcome in this fight. The one good thing is that Diaz likes to fight toe-to-toe, which is what I like too.” After concerns of many delays, Team Pacquiao is happy that Manny is now finally in the US training for this match under the watchful eye of Freddie Roach. If successful in this fight, many have been stirring up talk that Manny should look to have a unification match against Nate Campbell. Not likely, but one could only hope.
-Brown, KnockOut Nation
Filed under: Boxing | Tags: Andre Berto, Don King, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Glenn Johnson, Joe Calzaghe, Juan Lazcano, Junior Witter, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Roy Jones, Sam Peter, Shane Mosley, Steve Forbes, Timothy Bradley, Vitali Klitschko, Zab Judah
By Brown:
– With his recent victory over Steve Forbes, De La Hoya is moving forward with his rematch against Floyd Mayweather. A tentative date has been set for September 20, 2008 with the location most likely in Las Vegas. While most feel this fight won’t do the huge numbers the first one did, it could still easily be the top selling PPV this year. Other than De La Hoya trying to get revenge, most fans are certainly awaiting this fight because with it will come another excellent series of HBO’s 24/7. It will be interesting to see if the series will focus on the “Father vs. Son” and “Brother vs. Brother” aspect surrounding this rematch as Floyd Sr. is on board to train Oscar this time around. With one fight down, Oscar says he is still fighting two more times this year. His plan is to fight and defeat Mayweather and then face Miguel Cotto in a December match up.
– A deal has been reached for WBC Heavyweight champion, Sam Peter, to finally face Vitali Klitscho. According to the deal, the fight must take place before October of 2008. Many wonder if Vitali will even make it through training as his body has been plagued by nagging injuries the last few years. Vitali, who has not fought since 2004, was last supposed to fight former champion Hasim Rahman. However, after continuing to postpone the fight due to injuries, Vitali retired from boxing to concentrate on his political aspirations in his country. Supposing he makes it to fight night, most expect Vitali to be the underdog in this bout. In the meantime, there is early word that Peter may make a voluntary defense this summer against the man of 1000 title shots….Andrew Golota.
– Early Talks are underway for Ring Light Heavyweight Champion, Joe Calzaghe to possibly face Roy Jones Jr. in November. Don King has been having discussions with Calzaghe’s promoter Frank Warren about the details of the match. In the past, Roy has said he would be willing to fight Calzaghe overseas, but it is still yet undecided if the proposed match would take place in England or Las Vegas. The fight would be a huge box office attraction and certainly a good payday for both men. After suffering losses against Antonio Tarver and Glenn Johnson, Roy has been able to rack up some low key victories and one high profile win against Tito Trinidad this past January. With a victory, Roy could reclaim his status as Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion.
– Ricky Hatton’s comeback fight against Juan Lazcano is all set for May 24, 2008. Although he is coming off a loss to Mayweather at 147, Hatton is still recognized as the Ring Jr.Welterweight champion. On the undercard of the Hatton/Lazcano main event, Paulie Malignaggi will defend his IBF Jr. Welterweight title in a rematch against Lovemore N’dou. Should both Hatton and Malignaggi win their matches, they would face each other later in the year. There has been early talk that Ricky Hatton could face Floyd Mayweather in a rematch early next year if Mayweather is successful against De La Hoya. The only difference would be that the fight would possibly take face in England. However, most fans would have no interest in the bout as they are ready to see Mayweather actually defend his WBC welterweight title against a premier fighter in his own weight class.
– The June 21st edition of HBO’s Boxing After Dark will feature Welterweight contender Andre Berto facing Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a WBC Welterweight eliminator to get a shot at Floyd Mayweather’s WBC title. Although it is unlikely that Floyd will actually face the winner (not enough $$$$), the winner of the June 21st fight could possibly position themselves to get a fight with another big name at welterweight on one of the networks. In the co feature, undefeated heavyweights Chazz Witherspoon and Chris Arreola will face off against each other. This card, which is co promoted by Lou Dibella and Prize Fight Boxing, will be held at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.
– As of now, it appears that the Shane Mosley vs. Zab Judah fight has been completely called off. Zab and his team were trying to work with Golden Boy Promotions and HBO to reschedule the fight 3 to 4 weeks later. Not only was it looking to be a possibility, but the fight also would have been on HBO’s World Championship Boxing series and not PPV. According to reports, Shane’s business manager and wife, Jin Mosley, did not want the fight to be rescheduled and is content with Mosley moving on to find a different opponent. If true, this is a little puzzling. Regardless of no belt being on the line, this was to be a great throwback fight with two of the top names in the division throwing down. Lets hope that the Mosley camp will reconsider their decision and agree to reschedule the fight another month out after Zab heals up.
– With his upset victory over Junior Witter, it will be interesting to see if WBC Jr. Welterweight champion, Timothy Bradley, can now eventually get a crack at the goldmine of the Jr. Welterweight division, Ricky Hatton. Hatton, who had been called out by Junior Witter for years, now has an legitmate excuse not to face him. Now that Bradley holds the WBC belt, we will have to see if he if he picks up where Witter left off in calling out the Champ. With the rest of Hatton’s year seemingly tied up, there are still good names in the division like Torres, Holt, Urango and possibly a rematch with Witter that can keep Bradley occupied. Speaking of Witter, he will continue to fight on. Junior states, ” Timothy Bradley came out and fought and took some good shots. He caught me with a hell of a shot. But I was just a bit sloppy. It was a perfect shot. He’d been trying it all night, I knew he was going for it. But I won rounds before it. I won rounds after that. I’m still going to carry on, no way am I retiring after that. There’s a lot more in the tank. There are better nights for me to come and Junior Witter will be back – as a world champion”.
Knockout Nation 