Boxing

Rarely do politics find a home on these pages but in the case of world-famous boxer Manny Pacquiao an exception has to be made. Not only is Pacquiao a member of Congress in his native Philippines, but he’s also addressed a number of matters in American politics over the year and even helped campaign for a Democratic Senator a few years back. This time around Pacquiao has taken aim at United States President Barack Obama in light of the nation’s chief executive coming out to support gay marriage. ...

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a tendency to make his opponents look inferior by comparison given the overwhelming amount of talent he possesses. However, a different situation unfolded last night in Las Vegas when “Money” Mayweather took on Miguel Cotto. The two mixed it up for twelve full rounds of intense action including a few flurries leaving the undefeated Mayweather bloodied. Though Mayweather came out of the bout with his hand raised due a Unanimous Decision he also exited the ring with a newfound respect for Cotto’s game, labeling the Puerto Rican stand-out as the “toughest guy I ever fought”. ...

The seemingly ageless Bernard Hopkins looked old this past Saturday night en route to losing a twelve-round Majority Decision to rival Chad Dawson, struggling to deal with the constant pressure put on by his adversary. The bout was a rematch of their 2011 meeting which saw Dawson win via TKO after slamming Hopkins down during a break against the ropes. The victory was soon ruled a No Contest and Hopkins’ WBC light heavyweight belt was returned to him. ...

The worlds of Mixed Martial Arts and boxing collided last week in Puerto Rico when former UFC light heavyweight champ Rashad Evans was in town for an open workout promoting his upcoming title-fight at UFC 145 with Jon Jones. During his time there, highly-decorated boxing legend Felix Trinidad showed up to take in the atmosphere and express his support for MMA. “The truth is MMA and UFC is something that’s taking over the world and we love it in Puerto Rico. We are what they call “hot blooded” - we love fighting and love watching UFC events,” said Trinidad of his countrymen. “I salute all the fans of MMA and UFC. The sport is getting bigger and bigger in Puerto Rico. This is going to be a hit. This will be a hit for real.” ...

One of true professors of the sweet science is unquestionably Freddie Roach, a multi-time award-winner from the Boxing Writers Association of America who is called on by the likes of Amir Khan, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and, of course, sensational superstar Manny Pacquiao. Simply put, the man knows his way around the squared-circle. Recently Roach was asked to list his Top 5 boxers in MMA while visiting Inside MMA. The list featured standard fare, such as BJ Penn and Nick Diaz, but was topped by a man who isn’t even necessarily known for his pure boxing – Anderson Silva. ...

The cultural phenomenon known as Kimbo Slice continued his unbeaten run as a boxer over the weekend, showing the world that the 38-year old apparently made the right decision to focus on a sport suited to his strike-centric style after a mediocre run in Mixed Martial Arts. While Slice’s past wins in the squared-circle thus far had featured fairly dominant performances from the Ultimate Fighter alumnus, this time around he was forced to battle back from adversity and narrowly avoided a likely decision defeat by knocking his opponent out in the bout’s final moments. Slice’s win came against Brian Green, who also has a MMA background, in Springfield, Missouri. Based on Green’s reaction entering the round he was clearly confident in how the fight was going but, in the end, he was reminded that rounds last three full minutes as an uppercut with less than ten seconds in the bout sealed the deal. ...

When Mike Tyson talks, people listen. The iconic boxer has never been afraid to share his opinion on any given matter, and though he’s certainly has a number of ridiculous soundbytes attached to his name, he also has an equal number of intelligent insights to his credit on the sport and life in general. Recently Tyson weighed in on the ongoing saga between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, two of the world’s top fighters who are relatively close in weight yet cannot work out the business end of a bout. Among the things thus far preventing boxing’s most anticipated pairing have been a failure to agree on drug testing procedures and the way the revenue would be divided up. However, as grim as the match-up being made has looked, Tyson remains hopeful the polished pugilists will come to an agreement in the near future. ...

Though popular pugilist Manny Pacquiao may have a squeaky-clean image in comparison to rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. it appears the decorated champion is not immune to an occasional brush with the law. Pacquiao recently had a charge of “contempt” filed against him by the Philippines’ Bureau for Internal Revenue after Pacquiao failed to submit paperwork pertaining to a tax investigation seeking information about his earnings. ...

Though UFC President Dana White’s core focus may be on Mixed Martial Arts and the organization he runs he has long been an avid fan of boxing, crediting his love of the sport with undoubtedly sparking the passion he currently has for MMA as well. A native Bostonian, one of the nation’s most fight-friendly cities, White has been extremely outspoken on unbeaten champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in particular both in terms of the boxer’s overwhelming amount of talent and shortcomings as a human being. White was back at it recently when asked about Mayweather’s refusal to fight rival Manny Pacquiao with a 50/50 split of the revenue in place, as “Money” Mayweather doesn’t feel the popular Filipino fighter deserves such a significant cut of the money (nor does anyone). ...

The much-anticipated bout between stand-out scrappers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao may not have materialized yet it appears the outspoken “Money” Mayweather isn’t done throwing verbal jabs at the Filipino. Mayweather, who recently labeled Pacquiao as a “yellow chump”, was back at it again this week during a press conference promoting his May 5 match-up with Miguel Cotto. “Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone, I mean, he's not one of the sharpest knives in the drawer. He faces Floyd Mayweather, he's not getting 50-50. Not at all. No one is getting 50-50,” said Mayweather to media in attendance. ...

One of the most beloved boxers in the sport’s recent history is Arturo Gatti, a hard-nosed, humble former champion perhaps best remembered for his classic clashes with Micky Ward. While UFC champion Frankie Edgar may not share Gatti’s penchant for partying outside of the ring, the talented lightweight certainly exhibits a number of the fan-favorite’s characteristics including a drive that won’t allow him to quit unless forced to by physical limitations. ...

Talented but polarizing boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. drew fire from UFC President Dana White once again this week after the outspoken executive took issue with some comments Mayweather Jr. had recently made regarding the success of New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin and Manny Pacquiao’s sushi-making potential. “First of all, what he said, I think, is racist. He’s made a couple of racist comments and, yes Floyd, you’re racist with the stuff that you said,” explained White on an episode of UFC Tonight, responding to a recent statement from Mayweather saying it was unfair for Lin to receive a ton of media attention for being Asian while African-American players in the NBA do the same things without receiving much notice. ...

The embarrassing actions of disgraced heavyweight Dereck Chisora continued last night after losing a Unanimous Decision to Vitali Klitschko whose face he spat water in during introductions. After the bout’s conclusion, Chisora got into a physical confrontation with fellow heavyweight (and former champion) David Haye who showed up at the post-fight press conference to taunt Chisora and challenge Klitschko to a rematch. Klitschko outpointed Haye in a 2011 meeting. ...

There’s no question Dana White is one of the more outspoken executives in the sporting world but even he may have crossed the line in recent comments addressing the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s treatment of Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to the UFC President, “Money” Mayweather, who is poised to fight in May despite a looming prison sentence, has been given preferential treatment while the UFC has not received the same considerations. ...

In a move capitalizing on one of the most memorable results in 2011, albeit not for the right reasons, boxing is ready to right any perceived wrongs and has matched Amir Khan with Lamont Peterson for a second time in six months after their original bout resulted in a number of strange events affecting the fight’s outcome. Peterson, who hails from Washington D.C., drew then junior welterweight champion Khan in a hometown situation with a hometown referee who docked the Brit points for pushing. Khan eventually went on to lose a Split Decision as a result of the rarely penalized foul. ...

In what has turned out to be one of the year’s biggest shows it looks like “Sugar” Shane Mosley will return to the ring in May to fight unbeaten junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez on the same card as the recently announced bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto. Mosley has struggled over the past few bouts, losing two and fighting to a draw in his last three outings, but remained competitive against the best in the world with the defeats to Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao involving a decision rather than strike-based stoppage. Mosley holds an overall record of 46-7-1 in his career and has held titles at multiple weights. ...

Fan-favorite welterweight Manny Pacquiao will put his impressive run in the ring on the line against fellow champion Timothy Bradley Jr. this summer in Las Vegas. In addition to risking his six-year winning streak, the 33-year old Pacquiao will also put his belt up for grabs against junior welterweight title-holder Bradley. While the June 9 fight isn’t quite official yet, both sides have verbally agreed to the match-up and are finalizing things with promoter Top Rank. ...

Two of boxing’s surging talents took to the ring this past weekend and were in fine form, as Nonito Donaire and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. took care of business in San Antonio and departed from Texas with titles in tow. Donaire, who hasn’t lost in a decade, improved his record to 28-1 via Split Decision against apt adversary Wilfredo Vazquez to add a junior featherweight belt to his mantle after already winning championships at flyweight and bantamweight. “The Filipino Flash” improved his overall record to 28-1 with the performance, though appeared to have suffered some sort of injury to his hand during the bout and could be on the shelf for awhile depending on what doctor’s find. ...

While fans (and even Floyd Mayweather Jr.) may have had their fingers crossed a long-awaited bout against Manny Pacquiao would materialize in May it appears that will not be the case. However, as fortune would have it, the outspoken 34-year old will still face a decorated champion with a title on the line, as a match-up between Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto has been announced for May 5 in Las Vegas. Adding to the intrigue, the pairing also means Mayweather Jr. will move up to meet Cotto at a heavier weight. ...

“Iron” Mike Tyson was once the most feared boxer in the sport and holds the distinction of not only being a longtime champion but the youngest heavyweight to ever hold the honor. Now he will be honored for his work in the ring…just not as a boxer. With his status in the International Boxing Hall of Fame already in place after joining the elite group this past summer, Tyson will be honored in late March by World Wrestling Entertainment with enshrinement in the Celebrity Wing of their Hall of Fame. WWE announced the news earlier today with an official reveal expected tonight on RAW. ...

The controversy surrounding the finish to a bout between light heavyweights Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson moved one step closer to being resolved today when it was revealed the two men would face off again in April in hopes of determining a clear-cut winner. Their original fight, an October 15 affair, ended after Dawson threw Hopkins down to the canvas during an exchange and injured the 46-year old’s shoulder. The contest was originally scored as a TKO win for Dawson but was overturned to a “No Contest” by the California State Athletic Commission. Hopkins vs. Dawson II will take place on April 28 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. News of the rematch was first reported by ESPN, citing sources from both camps. ...

Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be all about “the green” when it comes to his career but, at least for a short while, his mind was on the color pink after donating $100,000 to the Susan G. Komen organization, a non-profit specializing in breast cancer research. The contribution was made by Mayweather Jr. as part of a promise he made to the judge who sentenced him to 90 days behind bars this past December in relation to a battery case. ...

The roller-coaster ride in potentially pairing decorated champions Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao took a strange twist this week when it was revealed Mayweather Jr. called Pacquiao at his home. Even more intriguing, the two of them spoke for an undisclosed amount of time about the particulars of fighting on May 5 in Las Vegas. Mayweather Jr. has actively lobbied for the bout to take place before he starts serving a 90 day jail sentence in June. Pacquiao’s camp had come out to say their client was not interested in taking the fight based on money/timing. Previously hold-ups in the much anticipated fight have typically involved similar issues or drug testing procedures. ...

The debate between boxing fans and MMA fans in relation to whose sport is superior may wage on for years to come, but at least one man known for his PhD in the sweet science has decided to express his appreciation for those who take to the cage and throw down – Wladimir Klitschko. The 56-3 Klitschko, who currently holds five heavyweight championships and hasn’t lost in seven years, recently came forward to talk about Mixed Martial Arts in a positive light even if his opinion may not be popular amongst his supporters in the boxing community. While the 35-year old has no designs on ever attempting to leave boxing for MMA he has contemplated incorporating some related techniques into his training and generally appreciates the level of skill involved at the highest levels. ...

A new chapter in the ongoing saga between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was written this week when the notion of a May 5 match-up in Las Vegas was teased with “Money” Mayweather providing the bait, Tweeting a message to Pacquiao challenging him to the bout. However, Pacquiao’s camp isn’t biting, meaning fans will ultimately be left waiting even longer to see the long-anticipated fight materialize if it ever actually does. According to Pacquiao’s people the issue has to do with seating capacity as the MGM Grand, where the fight would take place, can only host about 17,000 people while a new 45,000 seat venue is in the process of being built right now. The difference, according to the popular Filipino’s financial manager, could be upwards of $30 million. ...

Heavyweight great Vitali Klitschko is tired of people worrying about his age. Though the 40-year old Russian certainly has fewer fights ahead of him than behind, an eleven-fight winning streak including eight in a row since returning to the ring in 2008 should be enough to silence the critics. And yet they remain. Klitschko addressed their unfounded concerns at a press conference yesterday promoting his upcoming bout with Dereck Chisora where he explained, “I am 40 but I feel 25. I am in great condition, great form and have great experience.” ...

A boxer doesn’t get to be 42-0 without an ability to elude damage or a well-rounded gameplan in each battle. In the case of decorated champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. those skills apparently carry over into the courtroom as well, as the polarizing pugilist saw his three-month sentence for assault pushed back until early summer rather than serving the time starting last week as had been originally mandated by a Las Vegas judge. According to Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa, Mayweather Jr. would be allowed to train for a May fight in Sin City based on having previously committed to the bout in addition to the economic impact the match-up would have. As a result the welterweight will start his sentence on June 1. ...

With Floyd Mayweather Jr. off the table due to not only his legal woes, not to mention the general difficulty in coordinating a deal with his camp, it appears fan-favorite champion Manny Pacquiao has four fighters to choose from as far as who he’ll face in his next bout and all appear to be solid selections. The 33-year old will be presented with the quartet of competitors by promoter Bob Arum who will visit Pacquiao in the Philippines this weekend. According to Arum, the names on the list are Lamont Peterson, Timothy Bradley Jr., Miguel Cotto, and a fourth fight with rival Juan Manuel Marquez. The match-up is expected to take place this summer. ...

Boxing fans in Houston entered the New Year with news of a title-fight on the horizon after watching one slip through their fingers last week when a January 28 defense from WBC junior welterweight king Erik Morales was cancelled. Fortunately it appears that very bout will now take place on March 24 after Golden Boy Promotions was able to book Reliant Stadium where Morales’ match-up with undefeated Danny Garcia (22-0) was originally scheduled to go down. ...

December has been a rough month for decorated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., though deservedly so based on a pair of incidents in 2010 involving the 34-year old physically attacking an innocent person. Fresh off being sentenced to ninety days in jail after pleading guilty in a domestic violence case where he punched a mother of his children in front of them, the outspoken title-holder’s name was back in a Las Vegas court room today stemming from a slightly less salacious situation involving a security guard who he assaulted over parking tickets. ...