Iron Fist Boxing: 2011-02-20

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Come-Backing Erik Morales Has Some Boxing Fans' Support

Filed under: WBA, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

A 34-year-old, three-division titlist, Mexico's Erik Morales (51-6, 35 knockouts) was the last man to hand a loss to eight-division and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) titlist Manny Pacquiao, doing so in March of 2005 by unanimous decision.

On April 9, Morales will face former WBA interim junior welterweight (140 pounds) titlist Marcos Rene Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs) of Argentina in a Golden Boy Promotions clash on HBO.

FanHouse spoke to fans in Los Angeles regarding the return to prominence of Morales.

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Goading Pacquiao with t-shirt, Marquez has a one-track mind

Juan Manuel Marquez arrived at last night's postfight press conference with one goal in mind - securing a third fight with the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. There's a long line of fighters who want in on the Manny Pacquiao gravy train. Marquez, who is 0-1-1 against the Filipino, says he should be at the front of the line.

The 37-year-old Mexican legend prodded Pacquiao with a t-shirt that said, "Marquez beat Pacquiao twice!!"

"I think I'm a broken record here .. Pacquiao, Pacquiao, Pacquiao, Pacquiao," said Marquez after answering a half-dozen questions about his future.

He made a strong case by brutalizing Michael Katisidis over nine rounds to retain his WBC and WBO lightweight titles. Marquez is 8-2 since 2006 with his only losses coming against Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

"I know there's other good fighters out there that are deserving of fighting me," Marquez said through his translator Eric Gomez. "But I feel like, without a doubt, I made my claim. I deserve a third fight with Manny Pacquiao. He keeps coming up with excuses. Why not fight me?"

Upon his return to the Philippines, after an easy win over Antonio Margarito, "Pac-Man" said he'd gladly fight Marquez, but fans don't want to see the match and the promotion would lose money. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach sounds more open to a third fight but insists that it's fought at welterweight.

"Let's be real here. He's fought at 147, but he's never made 147," Marquez said. "When he fought Margarito he fought at 144. We can do a catch-weight, 142 or even 140. I'm sure he can make the weight, unless he's scared."

Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) doesn't know if the fight will happen if Team Pac-Man sticks with its welterweight demands.

"It's just an excuse. It's just gonna be an excuse to get away from the fight," Marquez said. "It would be too much weight to accept it at 147. Let's make a catch-weight."

Marquez said a welterweight fight is silly.

"No, I think it's very bad. I think that they're just trying to come up with another excuse to not make the fight," Marquez said. "The fans deserve it. All the Mexicans deserve it. All the Filipinos deserve it."

Two of Pacquiao's last three fights have come at catch-weights. But in those cases, against Margarito and Miguel Cotto, he was moving up to fight bigger opponents.

Golden Promotion CEO Richard Schaefer said he'll spring into action tomorrow.

"I'll be reaching out to (Top Rank president) Todd (duBoef) on Monday and see if we can get together and get the fight done. Cause if I don't make the call, I guess we'll be waiting forever," Schaefer said sarcastically.

Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a draw in 2004 and Pac-Man took the 2008 rematch via split decision. That night, an unhappy Schaefer asked Bob Arum for a third fight.

"I remember I was upset about the results," Schaefer said. "Arum was there and I was asking for the rematch and he said, 'it will happen, but these things need time to mature.'"
"Well, I think it’s matured and the time is now to get this fight done. I realize everyone wants to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. But if that fight is not going to happen now, then first things first. I think Juan Manuel Marquez should get the fight."

Marquez really has no backup plan at 135 pounds. He mentioned Erik Morales as an option several times. The next best move for major fights would come at 140 pounds where elite fighters like Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana and Amir Khan are making a name for themselves. Maidana and Khan square off in Las Vegas on Dec. 11.

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Foreman's record in jeopardy: Hopkins shoots for WBC 175-pound title

Bernard Hopkins is living proof that 40 is the new 30. In fact, make that 46. The veteran boxer still hasn't hung up the gloves and is taking a shot at history tonight (Showtime - 10 p.m. ET/PT).

Less than four weeks away from his 46th birthday, Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC) is still close to the top. He's not just climbing into the ring for payday, Hopkins is actually challenging for a world title.

If Hopkins can pull the upset on 28-year-old Jean Pascal, he'll be the oldest fighter to ever win a world championship. He's 38 days older than George Foreman was when the grill master shocked Michael Moorer back in 1994.

Hopkins is proud of what he's doing. He can be mentioned in the same class as athletes like Mariano Rivera, Brett Favre, Randy Johnson and Chris Chelios.

"I want everyone to know this is unique," Hopkins told the AP. "Brett Favre got old. I'm by myself here."

Physically, Hopkins may not be what he was 15 years ago, but he's got other inherent advantages.

"Instead of looking at 45 as a negative, I'm proud to say that as of today, I'm an example of good fortune and also taking care of your yourself," Hopkins said. "And knowing the art of boxing. The art boxing is plain and simple: Hit and not get hit."

Hopkins says he'll have one demographic on his side.

"There's a lot of 40 year olds running around, dropping their canes, putting their teeth in and rooting for me," Hopkins said.

BHop better hope some of those Americans who are 40-plus show up tonight in Quebec City. The fight, just 165 miles from Pascal's hometown of Laval (just outside of Montreal), sold out in minutes. The 16,500 at the Pepsi Coliseum will be squarely behind Pascal.

Pascal may not think Hopkins is on top of his game anymore, but he knows the future Hall of Famer carries a name with a lot of weight.

"It's going to be a good start for me to beat a legend to become a legend one day," Pascal said. "Hopkins was the name out there, was the big name and that's why I chose to fight him because I want to fight the best to prove that I'm the best."

It is a huge fight for Pascal (26-1, 16 KOs). He's coming off an upset win over Chad Dawson, but didn't get the pop he deserved for that victory. Frankly, because Dawson's camp has done such a lousy job of promoting their guy over the years. A win for Pascal over Hopkins should resonate with casual fight fans.

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Gym Notes: I haven't seen it yet, but word is Margarito's looking good

Antonio Margarito (left) shares a laugh with new gym mate Brandon Rios, who is also trained by Robert Garcia. Margarito has been in a good mood during his camp for Manny Pacquiao, an indication that he's working well with Garcia. Photo / Crhis Cozzone-Fightwireimages.comThis column is usually a first-person account of what happens in one or more of the many professional boxing gyms of Southern California.For reasons that I'll detail later, this Gym Notes does not contain first-hand accounts of what I consider the "good stuff" of a gym visit, the sparring sessions that veterans and up-and-comers alike use to prepare themselves for high-profile bouts.Few bouts that take place this year will equal the attention that Manny Pacquiao's Texas showdown with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 will garner, which is why I was excited to watch Margarito go rounds in his new trainer Robert Garcia's gym in Oxnard, Calif.We all know the event will be driven in part by the controversy surrounding Margarito's hand-wrap scandal and the national backgrounds of the combatants, which promises to bring in droves of loyal Mexican and Filipino fans to Cowboys Stadium. Whether we get an actual fight -- for however long it lasts -- depends on the legs of the former welterweight titleholder-turned-boxing pariah.Margarito's legs were not under him the last time I watched him spar, which was during his camp for the Shane Mosley fight. The emerging Mexican star was easily pushed back on his heels by undersized prospects and rank journeymen in the sessions I witnessed. And we all know what happened once he got into the ring with Mosley. Did 15 years of training like an animal and catching hard shots with his chin like a human PEZ dispenser take its toll on Margarito? Is he spent bullet?I don't know. His comeback fight against Roberto Garcia (no relation to his trainer) in May was inconclusive. Margarito, who was understandably rusty after sitting out more than a year following his knockout loss to Mosley and license revocation, dominated his opponent. However, he didn't look like his old self in doing so. Margarito didn't try to walk down Garcia and beat the tough fringe contender into submission as he did all of his pre-Mosley opponents, which makes me wonder whether that fighter still exists. I thought the nine rounds of sparring I planned to watch on Wednesday would answer that question. If Margarito looked as sharp as he did during his camp for Miguel Cotto, I would go against the opinion of most boxing writers -- who dismiss the Mexican's chances to even compete with Pacquiao -- and maybe even give the underdog a shot at upsetting the reigning pound-for-pound king. However, if Margarito looked the way he did during the Mosley camp, I would seriously reconsider traveling to cover this event. Why bother to be ringside for a slaughter?I still don't know whether I'm booking that flight to Dallas because my 1994 Toyota Corolla stalled quite suddenly in the middle of the Ventura Freeway, just 10 miles outside of Oxnard. Margarito went three rounds apiece with Austin Trout, Cleotis "Mookie" Pendarvis and Ricardo Williams as I waited for a tow truck to transport my 16-year-old vehicle to a nearby auto shop. I thought about putting the column off for another day, but I'd come too far (in the pouring rain no less) to give up. After calling Garcia, my wife and AAA (in that order), I sent a text out to Sam Garcia (no relation to Robert).Sam and his father, Max, co-train junior lightweight prospect Eloy Perez, who has set up camp at Garcia's gym for his Oct. 15 Telefutura headliner against Dominic Salcido. I figured if they were at the gym, they could serve as my "eyes" as I tried to make my way there before Margarito left.Sam replied to my text immediately. I was in luck."We're next door eating lunch," the text read, "we are going back after we eat to watch a little sparring."I informed Sam of my plight and asked if Margarito had begun sparring."Oh damn, he is just warming up," was the reply. "He usually starts close to 2:15 and is done by 3, then begins (his) floor workout(s). I'll let you know."As my car was being towed to the auto shop, Sam shot me this tantalizing text:"He's looking good. We can't wait until the fight."I briefly considered asking the tow truck driver if he knew the location of Robert Garcia's Boxing Academy and talking him into dropping me off there if he did. I hate missing good sparring.Sam and his father are disciples of the most-astute boxing mind I've ever encountered, that of the late "Coach" Don Familton, so I trust their opinion of what they were watching. But I wanted to see it for myself.That will have to wait for another day, but thanks to the Garcias, I would catch the tail end of Margarito's workout and have the opportunity to talk to his trainer about the seemingly Herculean task they face on Nov. 13. Shortly after arriving at Airport Auto Repair on Oxnard Boulevard, Sam shot me the text I was hoping for:"My dad can go pick (you) up if (you) want."Twenty minutes later I was talking boxing in the back of Max Garcia's SUV while we waited in the parking lot for another tow truck to take my car to a transmission specialist in Ventura."Looks like it's time to buy a new car, Dougie," Sam said. "There's no excuse not to now that you've sold out for all that Golden Boy money."Funny guy. He reads my mailbags.Enough jokes. "How does Margarito look?" I asked."He doesn't look shopworn," Sam said."He's ripped," said Max. "He looks very strong, and he's big. They say he's only eight pounds over the contracted weight, but he looks like a light heavyweight. "Of course, it takes more than size and strength to beat Manny. You can tell Margarito is working on walking Manny down and hurting him with uppercuts and body shots, but he's so slow in comparison to Pacquiao, and man, he telegraphs those uppercuts. He lets you know when those body shots are coming."He doesn't have an easy time tracking down the fast guys who move on him like Mookie and Ricardo""True," Sam interjected, "but he does eventually slow them down. It takes him a few rounds but when he catches them, they have to fight for their lives. He does damage. Last Monday he hit Ricardo Williams with a body shot that shook the gym. Ricardo made a loud retching noise when he got hit with it. It looked so painful I almost took a knee. If Pacquiao is not on his A-game, he's going to be fighting for his life."Margarito was on the speed bag when we arrived at the gym. He sported a big, toothy grin as he loudly dribbled the bag. It was strange seeing Margarito smile as he trained. He didn't do much of that during workouts with his former-and-now-estranged trainer Javier Capetillo.I asked Margarito's co-manager Sergio Diaz whether this camp reminds him of any from the past."It's much different from his old camps," Diaz said. "It's not as -- how do I put it? -- it's not as military as Capetillo had it. It's work, but it's a relaxed atmosphere and he has fun. He likes it here in Oxnard. He likes being away from the city."I noticed Margarito's wife, Michelle, sitting on the ring apron, watching her husband train, even conversing with him a little. I don't recall ever seeing her around during any serious camps in the past."No, she never used to sit in workouts when Tony trained with Capetillo," Diaz said. "Capetillo believed the wives of fighters belonged at home getting dinner ready for their husbands."I think it goes without saying that Garcia has a different training philosophy than "General Cappy."Garcia marvels at Margarito's work ethic, but he says he keeps a close eye on him in order to ensure that the relentless fighter doesn't burn himself out.I'm glad Garcia is wary of Margarito overdoing it. I believe the Tijuana slugger was over-trained for many of his fights, including underwhelming performances against Daniel Santos, Joshua Clottey and Paul Williams. "Tony's like Brandon (Rios), he'll spar every day if you let him," said Garcia, comparing Margarito to the rough-and-tumble young lightweight contender he also trains. "You have to hold those guys back for their own good."Garcia says he's tracking every mile Margarito runs and every round of sparring, making adjustments to his meticulous training schedule as they go along."Last week was his first week of sparring, he went eight rounds with Mookie, Austin and K.C. (Karim Martinez) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday," Garcia said. "Today was the first day he went nine rounds. He'll eventually build up to 10 rounds, but he'll only go 12 rounds twice in this camp. We have six weeks until the fight, plenty of time to build up and taper down. We'll probably do 170 rounds of sparring in this camp, but we could do less."Last week his weight was good and he looked sharp in sparring, so I told him to take Thursday off."I still need to watch Margarito spar to gauge the sturdiness of his legs and the speed of his reflexes, but his body is every bit as ripped as Max Garcia said it was. Following traditional abdominal work in the center of the ring, Margarito's washboard stomach was put to the test during a bizarre stick routine that consisted of Garcia systematically whacking away at the fighter's midsection with a baton for three minutes. Rios, who tried the torturous exercise once, said it's more painful than it looks. It must be. Margarito, whose face turned beet red after about a minute, was in obvious agony. He let out a "Whooo!" and dropped into a squat near a corner the moment the three minutes were up.This was the only time he wasn't smiling while I was there. "I'll never do that again," Rios said. "It stung too much after only a few seconds. I was like, 'Hell no, that's enough!'"Eloy Perez gave it a try and quickly found out what Rios was talking about."How long did I last?" a winded Perez asked Garcia."Twelve seconds," Garcia said."This isn't one of my exercises," Garcia told me. "Tony was doing this in Tijuana before camp started. He brought this up with him."Margarito is a tough S.O.B., but I had to ask Garcia whether he seriously thought his fighter has a realistic shot at beating Pacquiao."I've been watching video of Pacquiao's fights every day since the last time you came by the gym (one month ago), and I'm telling you I see things," he said. "Every time I watch him the job we have seems a little bit easier. That sounds crazy to anyone who watched what Pacquiao did to Hatton and Cotto and Clottey. When you watch Pacquiao fight live, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement, because his speed and power is so unbelievable that you don't notice what he's doing. "He seems unbeatable. But if you really study him -- somebody that really knows boxing -- you see a lot of mistakes. And you see that his opponents, who didn't have it or didn't try like they should have, should get some credit in how incredible he looked. That's not going to be the case with Tony. "I think Tony is going to do what lately nobody's been able to do," Garcia continued. "The last one to do it was Erik Morales -- he beat Pacquiao when he did it -- and that's not show him any respect. He can be backed up. He backs up easy. When you do that, you put him on the defensive and there's a lot of things he does instinctively, like cover up as he goes to the ropes, that a strong fighter like Tony can take advantage of."I got really excited about Nov. 13 for the first time since the bout was announced as Garcia talked about his fighter's confidence and Pacquiao's perceived weaknesses.Perhaps it was just wishful thinking. I want to see a fight when Pacquiao and Margarito meet in that giant stadium, not a slaughter. Perhaps I'm subconsciously rooting for Garcia, a former fighter and a good man who seems to have found his true calling as a trainer.Or maybe I just have a soft spot for Margarito, as blasphemous as that notion is after the heinous crime he and his former trainer almost committed. I'll try to stuff that anticipation for now and be as cynical as the next internet boxing writer -- at least until I watch Margarito spar sometime next week.

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Miguel Acosta-Brandon Rios Final Presser

Before their WBA Lightweight Championship matchup this Saturday, Feb. 26 LIVE on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), champion Miguel Acosta (28-3-2, 22 KOs) and challenger Brandon Rios (26-0-1, 18 KOs) spoke with the media at the promotion?s final press conference today from the Key West room at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, just across the casino from Saturday?s venue, the Pearl Theater.

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Roger Mayweather: Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach 'Ain't (Crap)'

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Rumors, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

FanHouse was in the locker room moments after welterweight prospect Jesse Vargas (14-0 with seven knockouts) had earned a unanimous, eight-round decision over Cristian Favela (19-31-7, 10 KOs).

FanHouse spoke to Vargas and his trainer Roger Mayweather the uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

CAUTION: STRONG LANGUAGE

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Hulk Smash Vs. Judo Chop: Preview And Prediction For Brandon Rios Vs. Miguel Acosta

There's a little de facto tournament going on among Top Rank's stable of lightweights, and it isn't like all the other promotional xenophobia coming out of Bob Arum's shop of late. That's because there's nothing at all bad about it. It's given us the TQBR Fight of the Year for 2010 with Humberto Soto-Urbano Antillon, and Saturday on Showtime, it will give us what is widely expected to be a highly competitive affair between two men -- Brandon Rios and Miguel Acosta -- with polar opposite styles, except for the part where both of them are good at knocking out fools.

Rios very much has the feel of being one of the next big action stars in the sport, the heir to Antonio Margarito's mantle. Like his fellow Robert Garcia-trained boxer and sparring buddy, Rios comes forward, and comes forward, and comes forward some more and when you punch him he smiles; but unlike a lot of boxers who pull that trick to hide how bad it hurts, he genuinely seems to like it. Also like Margarito, he's acquired a villainous cloak, even earning it alongside Margs when the pair famously mocked trainer Freddie Roach for having Parkinson's disease in a much-discussed video last year (and Rios, for good measure, has thrown in homophobic epithets toward Victor Ortiz).

Acosta (photographed above by Tom Casino of Showtime) is a subtler fellow. He has snuck up on people with a couple upset wins, but he has earned his #1 ranking at 135 via Ring Magazine with them. He has power, like Rios, but he deploys it differently, relying on defense, footwork, counterpunching and a good jab as opposed to pure pressure.

And that, really, is the crux of why this match-up is fairly well anticipated. Soto-Antillon II this summer is a better pure brawl, but Rios-Acosta has a strategic dynamic that leave the outcome in great doubt. Can Rios catch Acosta and beat him down with his "Hulk smash" act, or will Acosta judo his ass and use all that brawn against him?

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Timothy Bradley beats Devon Alexander to win WBC super-lightweight title

? Bradley triumphs following accidental headbutt
? Judges give unanimous decision after 10 rounds

Timothy Bradley defeated a fellow American, Devon Alexander, by a technical decision last night to add the WBC super-lightweight belt to his WBO junior-welterweight title.

The scheduled 12-round contest in Pontiac, Michigan, went to the scorecards after it was halted in the 10th round, with Alexander unable to continue following an accidental headbutt. "I couldn't see," said the previously unbeaten Alexander. "I've never been headbutted like that. He's got a tough head."

The two men had earlier clashed heads in the third round, opening a cut over Alexander's right eye.

Although the contest had been much anticipated, it never exploded into life the way many had hoped. Alexander, 23, attempted to control the contest from a distance, circling Bradley, and firing fast jabs and southpaw left hands.

The shorter Bradley, 27, stalked his opponent, walking him down and landing hard rights to Alexander's head. A Bradley right rocked Alexander in the third round, as did several others in the ninth. Bradley's flurries of hard punches saw him build a lead on all three judges' scorecards when the 10th round began.

Ultimately, it was Bradley's head that caused the most damage. The newly unified champion was full of praise for his beaten opponent. "Devon Alexander is a great fighter," Bradley said. "I tip my hat to him. He's going to be a world champion in the future."

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Friday, February 25, 2011

British Beat: A Viking Saga ? Stephen Foster Jr. Defends European Title Against Ermano Fegatilli

Viking offspring will return to arms on Saturday as Stephen Foster Jr., the surprise winner of a European junior lightweight title in October, looks to repel Belgian raider Ermano Fegatilli in Bolton. The Salford man?s eyebrow-curling title triumph, a 3rd round levelling of Armenian-born puncher Levan Kirakosyan (a ?Great Odin?s Raven? moment if ever there was one), finally allowed him to peek out from beneath the shadow of his old man, a rough and tumble 90?s cult figure and folk hero best remembered for a failed world title challenge on home turf against the more sophisticated Ronald ?Winky? Wright.

Foster Sr. was a matchmaker?s dream ? a value for money scrapper and prolific ticket seller, he managed to transform his bouts into regional events after he put the Viking nickname afforded to him by his drinking buddies to better use as a ring moniker. Foster?s army of supporters would spill into arenas sporting horned helmets and fur coats with the arms hacked off, no doubt to the chagrin of the female populace of Greater Manchester. It was a hell of a carnival, one which would sail him atop the high seas all the way to the Wright fight and to a systematic beat down, back when ?Winky? spent a couple of semesters wiping out Britain?s cream at 154 lbs.

It?s hardly surprising that young Stephen followed his Pops into a sport which had permeated family life, only to be confronted with the all-knowing eyes which quickly had him marked as yet another watered down son of the father trading on his surname.

Foster ploughed his way around the circuit regardless, and went unbeaten through 22 outings until Scouser ?Dirty? Derry Matthews threw a spanner in his works, routing him over twelve rounds on the undercard of Joe Calzaghe?s grueller with Sakio Bika. After a couple of easy comeback victories he then went down to highly-rated Scot Alex Arthur after a competitive struggle in Edinburgh. Another rebound gimme over professional loser Jason Nesbitt pre-empted a sabbatical which lasted one year, two months and 15 days during which he considered walking away from the sport altogether. Largely forgotten yet persuaded to give his career another try by trainer Maurice ?Hard? Core, he clawed his way back into the limelight after a promotional switch gave him fresh impetus, culminating in the swashbuckling victory over Kirakosyan.

His mandatory challenger Fegatilli 22-4 (5) should provide a more straightforward assignment. His record indicates a modest-punching dance partner, one who has been feasting on easy prey of late. Since dropping a decision to German Vitali Tajbert in Dusseldorf, he?s put together eight wins on the spin against opposition with a combined record of 62-107-4. Yuck.

Foster is well favoured with bookmakers at 1/8 and whilst the form followers favour a stoppage victory, junior may have to settle for a unanimous thumbs up from the judges, one which can inch him ever closer to a bout with WBO titlist Ricky Burns.

The Hatton Promotions undercard features a pair of prospects worth keeping tabs on. The first, Richard Towers, a 6?8? ex-con who goes by the name of ?The Inferno,? is arresting enough (pardon the pun), yet when one considers that he?s also a heavyweight-sized enigma from the notorious Ingle fight factory, things get a whole lot more whoa-like. He should encounter few problems in whacking out Sao Paolo?s Daniel Bispo.

The other, Joe Murray, is the younger brother of lightweight contender John, another climber from Joe Gallagher?s unstoppable Moston sweat shop. More of a long-range boxer than his pugnacious sibling, he still holds a frail look commensurate with his age, yet has talent to burn. He looks to have a good test ahead of him against tough Togo born Frenchman Daniel Kodjo Sassou, one which should allow him to parade his full repertoire as it stands at present.

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Khan outlasts Maidana in Fight of the Year candidate

Entering a 140-pound showdown in Las Vegas, Amir Khan was on the verge of super-stardom, but he needed to exorcise his one demon - a first round knockout he suffered back in 2008. The Brit did much to quiet the critics by showing a granite chin and guts galore. He took the best shots from Marcos Maidana, the nastiest power puncher in the junior welterweight division, and landed plenty of his own.

It was far from easy, but Khan edged Maidana via unanimous decision, 114-111, 114-111 and 113-112 to retain his WBA 140-pound strap and answer a lot of questions about his ability to take a punch.

It's tough to find a fight this year that can match the power punching output that came from sides in this one.

"What a great fight it was, man," Khan said, before heading for a CAT scan. "I'm sure HBO are happy. I'm sure Sky are happy. This is boxing, and you have to fight the best. You can't take any shortcuts. Most people said to me, 'You've got no chin'. Well I've proved them wrong."

Khan was in control for much of the fight, but was always on the edge of eating that one big Maidana bomb. Towards the end of the fight, he did and it almost lost him the fight.

Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) tried to make it a short night. He floored Maidana with 29 seconds left in the first round, with a pair of vicious body shots. Maidana was in such pain on the ground, it prompted HBO announcer Jim Lampley, to say "he's not getting up" before recanting the statement.

Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs) fought hard and stalked Khan, but was outclassed badly over seven of the next eight rounds. Khan was comfortably in the lead and then the fight changed in the tenth.

With 1:50 left in the round, the Argentinian bomber cracked Khan with an overhand right that stopped the Brit in his tracks. He was on wobbly legs and Maidana poured it on.

It looked like there was no way Khan could survive, but he did. He took some hellacious shots, 23 in all and they all seemed like power shots.

"He was strong. I hit him with some big shots. And there were times in the fight when I got caught, but took it," Khan said. "I made a few mistakes that I won't make again. Sometimes I fight with my heart too much. But I'm young. I'm still learning."

Khan stayed clear of Maidana down the stretch and may have lost both rounds, but it was just enough to get by with the close decision.

It was a rough fight throughout. Referee Joe Cortez had trouble managing the fight. As Cortez stepped in to separate the fighters, Maidana often hit on the break.

He even had to take a point away in the fourth round when Maidana threw a back elbow as the fighters were being separated. The elbow hit a target, but not Khan. It actually caught Cortez in the shoulder.

Maidana showed off an amazing chin. Through six rounds, he was outlanded 161-60. Khan made good on 48 percent of his punches to that point. That included 135 to Maidana's head. Rounds seven and eight weren't much better.

Maidana looked tired in the ninth and appeared to go down. Cortes ruled it a slip. The replay showed the combination of Maidana falling forward along with getting nailed by a right uppercut and a left to the body, made for a real knockdown. Khan wasn't given credit.

Maidana's body language was terrible at the end of the round. He stood in place, looking dazed from exhaustion and actually took a few steps towards Khan's corner.

He looked even worse coming out for tenth, which is why the barrage he unleashed on Khan was such a shocker.

There should definitely be a rematch in future. Golden Boy has big plans for Khan, so don't count on Maidana on getting a second chance anytime soon.

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The Rest Of The Weekend's Boxing Schedule, Featuring James Toney, Antonio DeMarco, Juan Carlos Burgos, Julio Cesar Miranda And Others

I have nothing in the way of humorous photos to offer, so please enjoy the musical selection, as you peruse the week's boxing action outside of Brandon Rios-Miguel Acosta, which Tim Starks, who may have a humorous photo for you, will be previewing.

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Dougie's Monday Mailbag

MARGARITO'S SPARRINGHey Dougie,There's a lot of press out there on Manny Pacquiao's sparing right now, but since he's way less rusty, I'm more interested in Antonio Margarito's preparation. I feel like the amount of rust he's got to have built up rests a huge responsibility on the quality of his sparing leading up to the fight. I've read they're shooting for 150 rnds, but I haven't heard anything about with whom, or how the sessions have looked. Have you heard anything on this? Thanks. -- T-SmithI wrote a <a href="http://www.ringtv.com/blog/2406/gym_notes_i_havent_seen_it_yet_but_word_is_margaritos_looking_good/">Gym Notes</a> column on almost watching an Antonio Margarito sparring session last week. LOL. The not-so-unexpected breakdown of my 16-year-old Toyota on the way to Robert Garcia's gym in Oxnard, Calif., prevented me from providing an eye-witness account of Margarito's sparring session, but word from a couple unattached insiders (Max and Sam Garcia -- no relation to Robert) was that the former welterweight titleholder looked solid in his second week of sparring. I mentioned his sparring partners in that article but I'll list their names again: Austin Trout (a junior middleweight prospect from New Mexico), Cleotis "Mookie" Pendarvis (a quick and talented junior welterweight spoiler from L.A.), and Ricardo Williams (a 2000 Olympic silver medalist from Ohio who was once a ring savvy 140-pound standout).I sat in on an eight-round mitt session on Saturday and from that workout I can tell you that Margarito's very close to fighting weight, his mood is good and he definitely has his legs under him.I plan to watch him spar this week (God willing) for another Gym Notes column.DIRRELL PULLOUT BENEFITS JOHNSONHi Dougie,I don't want to spend much time debating in my own head (much less in email) the validity of Andre Dirrell pulling out of the Super Six. Am I skeptical? Somewhat... and I feel a little guilty about that. But either way it's a moot point because whether valid or not he's out. And truth be told I thought he was a bit of a bitch and it irritated me watching him and his whiny ass nature on the fight broadcasts and Fight Camp 360s documentaries. My therapist tells me I need to work on having empathy for others... is that what she's talking about?Anyhoo, let me put it like this: I'm disappointed in not getting to see a Ward-Dirrell fight as it delivered a dramatic story line, maybe (big maybe) a decent fight (although my gut tells me Ward mentally dominates Dirrell, wins a decision, and then we are left having to hear bitch ass Dirrell and troll-ass Gary Shaw whine and harumph about it) and an opportunity for Ward (who I am becoming a big fan of) to cement himself as top 1 or 2 in the division.So that fight is lost for now but what I find an interesting wrinkle is now the Johnson vs. Green fight is about 100 times more meaningful because the winner (hopefully Glen) most likely moves on and we are left with a four-man tourney of Abraham, Froch, Ward and Johnson. That's not too shabby and would be awesome for Gentleman Glen.Maybe I'm jumping the gun slightly on Glen being the guy... but still, to see this turn into that kind of opportunity for Glen really makes me happy.So I'm not gonna hang my head very much at all if this turn of events leaves me with Dirrell (who annoyed the f___ out of me anyway) out, Glen Johnson in, and those four (none of whom I think have any whiny ass bitch in them) left to duke it out.I'm still on board with the Super Six and excited.If there are others looking to focus on the negative then they are morons and can all go F themselves. -- ToddYou're starting to sound like your daddy, Todd. This is Todd duBoef, isn't it? Whoever you may be, I agree that a four-man single-elimination semifinal with Ward, Abraham, Froch and Johnson is worth watching. However, given Johnson's age, ring wear, and the fact that he will be fighting at his lightest weight in TEN years, I can't count Allan Green completely out the way most fans and media have. And I disagree that a victory over his buddy Dirrell would have "cemented" Ward's status as the "top 1 or 2" super middleweight. For starters, Ward already has that status (ESPN.com ranks him No. 1; THE RING rates him No. 2) depending on who you talk to. If the Bay Area Badass wants to be the division's undisputed numero uno he must not only best Abraham, Froch or Johnson, but he's got to beat Lucian Bute (provided the Quebec-based Romanian remains undefeated through the conclusion of the Super Six).Lastly, for her own safety, I sincerely hope your therapist never administers to you a Rorschach test with inkblots that resemble Andre Dirrell or Gary Shaw. You might go all Edwin Valero on the poor lady.RANDOM QUESTIONSTwo quick, late questions. What's up with Brandon Rios calling out Victor Ortiz at a catchweight of 138 pounds when he weighed in as a welterweight on the day of his DQ win vs Anthony Peterson?And what ever happened to Ricardo Torres? In his only two defeats he lost a great slugfest with Miguel Cotto, got headbutted and hooked vs Kendall Holt. Two acceptable losses vs world champions. Why hasn't he fought since '09? -- JabreI have no idea what happened to Torres. Last time I wrote about him was during the build up to his rubber match with Holt that was scheduled for December of 2008. Torres pulled out of that fight with a week or two to go, claiming an injury but the rumor was that he was way overweight in his camp in Colombia. Bob Arum, who promoted both fighters at the time, said "he can stay in Colombia as far as I'm concerned" during the conference call for Holt vs. Demetrius Hopkins (who served as a late sub for Torres in the Showtime-televised bout). I respectfully disagree with Obi-Bob Kenobi. I'd like Torres to venture out of Colombia if he can get down to 140 pounds and regain his form. I think the gutsy hard-punching former beltholder would make for some fun fights in the deep and talented junior welterweight division. Imagine Torres vs. Bradley, Alexander, Khan, Maidana and Ortiz. Imagine the seasoned slugger testing young up-and-comers like Danny Garcia (who looked good whacking out Mike Arnaoutis on Friday) and in the not-too-distant future prospects such as Jessie Vargas and Frankie Gomez. Torres is a welcome What's up with Rios and his catchweight challenge to Ortiz? Nothing really. It's just a good old-fashioned grudge. He doesn't like Victor and he wants to try to beat up on his former stablemate. Rios, who weighed over the welterweight limit the day of the Peterson fight, can make 135 pounds easy and he knows that Ortiz has to work hard to make 140, so he'd love to set a 138-pound catchweight for a future fight in the hopes that Vic drains himself making that weight (Bam Bam's not as dumb as he looks or sounds -- not quite, anyway). Ortiz isn't as spacey as he looks (not quite, anyway) and would never agree to weigh under 140 pounds for a fight. He has way too many options at 140 pounds to mess around with Rios at the present time, but I think those two Kansas kids will make for a hell of grudge match in about a year or two if they continue to win and impress. And don't forget that Rios said he'd be willing to fight at 140 pounds if Ortiz didn't take the catch-weight bait.DOES BRIGGS HAVE A PUNCHER'S CHANCE?hell no. he has the same chance as all of vitali's other opponents do - a 2% chance that vitali twists a knee or ruptures a disk in his back or some weird sh__ like that and loses by injury tko. i was worried about briggs and thought people were underrating him when the fight was signed because he is a huge puncher.however i watched a training video and realized he is the slowest thing going and can't move his feet at all around the ring. especially if vitali has a big ring (and im sure he will) there is no chance in hell briggs and his juiced up body (ya i'm accusing him of taking steroids a few years ago when he came back much heavier and ko'd 10 bums and ray mercer in a row) can keep up with vitali who will circle for two rounds and then beat the piss out of briggs. -- Matt in CanadaMatt, I'm shocked that it took a video of Briggs training for you realize that he has about a 2-percent chance of winning Saturday's fight with Vitali.I figured the only people who were "worried" about Briggs were those who were concerned for his health (and no, I'm not talking about fears that the Brooklyn native suffers an asthma attack, I mean being fretting that Klitschko knocks him clear out of the damn ring).WHAT ABOUT THESE TOP FIVES?good day mr. fischer!i'm wondering if you can answer these top fives... i thought this would be unique because i notice that some of your top fives were the "best." i hope this will appear in your mailbag.top 5 worst match-ups you've ever seen/covered/watched on tv (and why).top 5 boring boxing fights you've witnessed (and why)top 5 boxing events you wish never happened (and why)top 5 upsets you've watched/covered/watched on tv and you can't believe it (and why)Good job. God bless. -- Jarvis, PhilippinesThe five worst match-ups that immediately come to my mind are high-profile bouts where one guy obviously shouldn't have been in the ring with the opponent he was matched with:Lewis-Tyson (I know this event did record box-office and PPV numbers, but Tyson had nothing left and no business challenging a heavyweight champ as good as Lewis... the only people who thought Tyson had a shot were clueless casual fans, Tyson nut-huggers and Lewis haters... I thought Mike took an unnecessary beating in that fight)Tyson-McNeely (it was Tyson's first fight after spending almost 4 years in prison but McNeely, who had only faced old journeymen and rank ham-n-eggers, still had no prayer of even making it out of the first round... the "fight," which resembled a gang member beating up on a mentally challenged kid from the "special" class, did huge PPV numbers)Corrales-Clottey (the not-long-for-this-world Corrales, who was clearly a spent bullet going into this fight, shouldn't have been fighting anyone at 147 pounds much less a hard-nosed contender like Clottey)Lewis-Grant (poor Grant, who had been exposed in winning a tough fight with Andrew Golota in his previous fight, was practically hyperventilating on his way to the ring)Gatti-Gamache (Gamache beat a bunch of third-tier guys going into this fight, the HBO-televised co-feature to De La Hoya-Coley, but he was worn down by an aging Julio Cesar Chavez in his last loss... the Mexican legend put on a lot of weight after the weigh-in for that fight, which I attended in Anaheim, Calif., as a fan... if an old guy who put on a lot of weight after the weighin beat up on Gamache, what was going to happen to poor Joey when he fought a young guy who was notorious for putting on a ridiculous amount of weight after weighing in?)Top five boring boxing fight I've witnessed (and why):Why would anyone be interested a list of boring fights and want reasons why certain bouts made the list? You're not going to try to find these bouts and watch them are you? If so, you're a very strange individual. LOL. Ruiz-Oquendo immediately comes to mind. I watched most of it in fast forward and it still sucked. Lots of heavyweight bouts come to mind: Byrd-Williamson, Moorer-Bean, Klitschko-Ibragimov. Chavez Jr.-Rowland, which was sadly the main undercard support for Cotto-Pacquiao, was crap. It got so monotonous I left press row for a bathroom break and took my sweet time. My heart sank when I returned to the arena and saw that they were only in the sixth round. Is that five? Yeah, that's a enough; this is a pointless Top Five.Top five boxing events I wish never happened (and why):I wish any bout that resulted in a fatality or a serious head injury never happened. I'll just stick to those tragic bouts that occurred during my tenure as a boxing writer and on my beat (the U.S.).Levander Johnson-Jesus Chavez sticks in my mind and conscience. I had a horrible feeling about the matchup prior to the fight, which I didn't cover, but I didn't speak out enough against it apart from saying some stuff on The Next Round with Steve Kim. There's a Levander Johnson T-shirt in my dresser that members of MaxBoxing's message board created and sold to raise money for Johnson's family. I've never worn it and I have a hard time looking at it but I won't throw it out. Obviously the subject still bothers me.Montiel-Alcazar (fatality). Jones-Scottland (fatality). Viloria-Contreras (serious brain injury). Darchinyan-Burgos (serious brain injury).This has been a very depressing topic, Jarvis.Top five upsets I couldn't believe (and why):Brewster over Klitschko. (I believed in Brewster going into the fight -- and yes, he was my official pick by a fourth-round KO -- but after taking a frightful beating and going down late in the fourth round, I thought it was over for my man Lamon. Then he teed off on a bone-tired Wladdy in that surreal fifth round and forced a stoppage. I nearly lost my mind watching at home.)Douglas-Tyson. (I was rooting for Douglas because he was from Columbus, Ohio where I grew up. His TKO of Tyson was so shocking it probably saved me from being jumped on the train ride back to where I was staying in Boston during a college internship at the Boston Globe. A bunch a hoods surrounded me not long after I got on the "T" from my friend's house in Roxbury where I watched the fight. But they froze when I told them Tyson got knocked out and demanded the blow-by-blow account, which I delivered along with pretty darn good imitation of Iron Mike getting decked by my Ohio homeboy.)Honeyghan-Curry (I thought Curry was the pound-for-pound best in the sport and unbeatable at 147 pounds. I didn't think anyone but middleweight champ Marvin Hagler could beat the talented Texas technician -- and that showdown was supposedly in the works -- so you can imagine my shock when some unknown British dude with a what I thought was a quirky style served his ass. Honeyghan didn't just force Curry to stay on his stool after six, he hurt the American star in the fifth round and made him look ordinary.) Barkley-Hearns. (The disparity in talent was almost sickening. Barkley was a legit contender but I thought the Hitman would make him look like a club fighter and peel the Bronx bomber's head like an overripe orange with his jab and accurate power punches... that's just what the Detroit legend did -- as well as land numerous debilitating body shots -- for 2 rounds until BOOM! That monster right hand crashed upside Tommy's head. I don't know how Hearns peeled himself off the canvas but there was no way the fight should have continued -- it did, of course -- and the Blade chopped the Hitman down with a follow-up barrage.)Nunn over Kalambay. (It wasn't shocking that Nunn, an awesome talent, beat Kalambay but I couldn't conceive of the manner in which he won -- a one-punch KO in the first round... I liked Kalambay in that fight. I was just starting to become a hardcore fan around the time of this bout, so I didn't know that much about the finer points of boxing and how styles match up but from what I'd seen and read about the Italy-based Congo native I thought he had the ability to off-set and out-maneuver the 6-foot-2 southpaw. I thought Kalambay had the footwork of a 160-pound Muhammad Ali. Too bad he didn't possess Ali's iron chin.)TOP 5 AUSTRALIAN FIGHTERSHey Doug,Just interested in getting your top 5 all time Australian fighters? There have been so many great fighters coming out of Australia for years who either next to no-one outside of Australia know about, or simply aren't given their due (in my opinion anyway). Here are mine in no particular order:Dave Sands: This guy was so badass that neither Robinson nor Randy Turpin would go near him. Turpin wouldn't fight him after seeing his brother Dick iced in 2 rounds. Bobo Olson was another high profile victim. Unfortunately Sands passed away at a young age from a car accident and sadly there is nowhere near enough footage of his fights to do him any justice.Johnny Famechon: This guy was a killer who if not for an ill advised comeback would have retired as an undefeated legend.Les Darcy: A somewhat forgotten Australian icon, which is a damn shame considering his talent and tragic life.Lionel Rose: Another great Indigenous fighter whose fights with Fighting Harada were epic.Vic Patrick: An absolute pocket rocket who gets nowhere near the credit he deserves.Thanks for your thoughts. -- G., AustraliaThanks for your Top Five list. I'll have to research Patrick and Sands as I'm not familiar with either fighter. Anyway, here's my list:Young Griffo (won world featherweight title when there was only one to win and fought hall of famers Kid Lavine, George Dixon and Joe Gans to draws in a series of bouts from 1894 to 1897), Les Darcy (won Australia's welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight titles on way to compiling excellent 45-4 record before tragic, premature death), Lionel Rose (traveled to Japan and beat that nation's greatest fighter Fighting Harada to win world bantamweight title, which he defended against undefeated Japanese challenger Takao Sakurai in Japan before traveling to the U.S. to beat underrated Mexican badass Chucho Castillo at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., which might as well have been Mexico... no shame in losing to the unbeaten prime version of Ruben Olivares that KO'd him), Johnny Famechon (beat underrated Jose Legra for the WBC featherweight title and defended it twice against Harada -- the first win by controversial decision but the rematch by 14-round TKO in Tokyo -- and there's no shame in losing the title to underrated Mexican southpaw Vicente Saldivar), and Jeff Fenech (won titles at bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight in first 20 bouts and defeated aging future hall of famer Carlos Zarate, young future hall of famer Daniel Zaragoza, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Steve McCrory, as well as solid titleholders Samart Payakaroon, Greg Richardson, and Marcos Villasana... held the great Azumah Nelson to a draw that most observers thought he deserved to win.) FIVE BEST PERFORMANCES OF ALL TIMEDougie,How about top 5 performances of all time? Those who on the biggest occasions produced their best and executed a perfect gameplan. I'm thinking about the likes of Whitaker vs Chavez, Ali vs Liston, etc.Keep up the great work. - Ben, UKMy man, I'm 40! I can't tell you about the best performances of all-freaking- time. I haven't seen or studied enough to begin to even have an inkling of who's deserving of mention and why.This is a question for Bert Sugar or a bona fide boxing historian like Mike Silver. Or you can break out your Ouija board and try to reach the spirit of Hank Kaplan. Given your criteria, "on the biggest occasions produced their best and executed a perfect gameplan," I think the examples you gave are on-point. Clay over Liston featured a not yet mature 7-to-1 underdog, who had been dropped hard in his previous bout, outclassing a truly feared heavyweight champ that most of the media of the time rated as the most formidable since Joe Louis.Frazier over Ali in their first bout, Sanchez over Gomez, Leonard over Hearns in first bout, Leonard over Hagler, Duran over Leonard, and Duran over Barkley are some examples that occurred in my lifetime.Whitaker's "draw" with Chavez resonates with me because it occurred shortly after I'd become an official "boxing nutcase."I don't know if Whitaker was an underdog but Chavez held an 87-0 record at the time and Sweet Pea was willing to face the Mexican icon on his terms. It was a Don King-promoted event (that was carried by Chavez's network, Showtime) in San Antonio in front of 60,000 Mexican and Mexican-American fans. Like most observers, I thought he took Chavez to school.I'll give you my Top Five "best performances" since the Whitaker-Chavez fight:Jones over Toney, Barrera over Hamed, Hopkins over Trinidad, Mayweather over Corrales, and Mosley over De La Hoya (first fight).

Mike Tyson fight night

Froch's girlfriend likes her men tall, wants the 'Midget King' KO'd

Let's pull for the little guy is taking on new meaning after Carl Froch's gal pal dumped all over Arthur Abraham. Rachael Cordingley, a British model and Froch's girlfriend, said she wants a knockout when then the two fighters meet in Helsinki on Saturday.

"Carl's always confident and he knows he can bring the WBA championship belt back to its rightful place," Cordingley said. "Abraham is only a midget — Carl's going to dethrone the Midget King!"

Froch is 6-foot-1. Apparently, the 5-10 Abraham is sort of stumpy. His girlfriend isn't the one stepping in with the guy who's scored 25 knockouts in 32 fights, so Froch is showing shorty a little more respect.

"Abraham and I are fighting for a world title and we both believe we're going to win," Froch said. "Nothing will be left outside the ring and everything will be thrown inside it. I've got to stick and move — keep out of his way and out-box him. But you know what I'm like, there will come a stage when I decide to have a good old scrap on the cobbles instead!"

Froch and Abraham have already secured their spots in the Super Six semifinals. The WBA 168-pound strap is the motivator along with a chance to avoid tourney favorite Andre Ward until the finals.

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Group of Elite Puerto Rican Talent Has Big Night

Four of Puerto Ricos most promising young fighters were victorious on Friday night in Ponce Puerto Rico as Jonathan Mantequilla Gonzalez Thomas Dulorme, Jose Pedraza and Luis Orlando del Valle all kept their unbeaten records intact with intimidating displays of power. Making his junior lightweight pro debut, highly touted former Olympian Jose Pedraza destroyed Felix [...]

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Dougie's Friday mailbag

WILLIAMS-MARTINEZ IIHey Dougie,It's great that we all finally will get the chance to see possibly the most eagerly awaited rematch in boxing at the moment with Sergio Martinez expected to put his middleweight titles on the line against Paul Williams on November 20th. What I was wondering is, how much different is this fight going to be than the one last December? The reason I ask this is because both fighters actually have the chance to go through the entire training camps preparing for each other, rather than when Williams was preparing for Kelly Pavlik. I think it's such a tough one to call, I give Martinez the edge in technique and craft, however Williams has the edge in stamina, athletic ability, and hell be on top of Martinez the whole fight throwing 80 to 100 punches a round. I'm gonna go for Williams, partially because I love his style, by knockout in the championship rounds. What you think D?Much Respect. -- Eoin Casey, DublinI'm not sure I have a favorite in this fan-friendly matchup. I agree that Williams knows what to expect from Martinez this time and will try his best to be more prepared for the newly minted middleweight champ, but a possibility to consider is that 'the Punisher' may be one of those fighters who are always troubled by southpaws (which I know sounds strange given that he's a lefty himself).I think I'm feeling Martinez in this rematch. I scored the first fight a draw but if I had to pick a winner I would have gone with the gutsy Argentine because I thought he landed the harder, more damaging punches. I don't think Williams has the edge in athletic ability and I believe Martinez will be physically stronger for this fight than he was for the first bout, which was his first one above 154 pounds (against a world-class opponent). I think Martinez put on some lean, functional muscle during his camp for the Kelly fight and by the time the Williams fight comes around he will have had six months to further acclimate to the heavier weight (even at a 157-pound catch weight). So, my guess is that Martinez might be punching harder in this rematch than he was in December. We'll see. I'm expecting another good tussle because you can never count out the fighting heart of Williams.UNFAIR TO MOSLEY?Hey Doug,Long time reader, first time writer. I just wanted to say that I am somewhat baffled by the lack of agreement on the outcome of the Mosley-Mora fight. I didn't score it round by round, but to me (and the HBO broadcasters apparently) it looked like Mosley was winning comfortably. The CompuBox numbers kinda support that. Mosley outlanded Mora by 70 to 80 shots and was the aggressor for the entire fight... And I know, CompuBox numbers and work rate don't necessarily always determine the winner, but if one were to claim that Mora won on the basis that the fewer shots that he landed were more effective, then I don't know how that same person could also claim that Devon Alexander won his fight against Andreas Kotelnik. That fight to me was a far greater example of effective punching triumphing over work rate, but people were somehow OK with Alexander getting the nod... And now the same people won't give Sugar props for winning in the same way (more convincingly to me), and are calling for him to hang it up? Seems unfair. Your thoughts? (P.S. - And when I say "people" I am not talking about you specifically, it seems like this sentiment is somewhat common among journalists and forum posters) -- Nick, Austin, TXFor the record, I thought Kotelnik beat Alexander by a score of 116-112, and I seem to recall getting a lot of angry emails from fans who thought the Ukrainian veteran was robbed.I didn't see the fight that Lederman saw that night in St. Louis and I didn't see the fight the HBO crew saw this past Saturday in Los Angeles.What fight did I see? I think I saw the same thing that Naazim Richardson and Jack Mosley saw. I saw a listless, frustrated fighter go through the motions for nine rounds against a constantly moving but sharper-punching opponent.Because if "it looked like Mosley was winning comfortably" as you and others claim then why was there so much concern in Mosley's corner? If a fighter is "outlanding" his opponent "by 70 to 80 shots" and is "the aggressor for the entire fight" shouldn't that fighter's corner be happy -- or at the very least content -- with his work?Why was Richardson constantly pleading with his fighter to follow their basic strategy and then going over alternative plans if his guy was winning comfortably? Why would Richardson have to remind Mosley that he was in shape and try to convince him that he wasn't gassed out if everything was going his fighter's way? Why did Mosley's father get out of his seat, run halfway around the ring, position himself behind his son's corner and shout instructions over Richardson's shoulder? What were Richardson and Jack Mosley yelling about if everything was going well for Shane?Maybe I'm wrong -- and I seriously doubt either man will admit it now that the fight is over -- but I don't believe that Richardson and Mosley's father thought Shane was as effective as HBO's broadcast team and the majority of the ringside media did.Having said that, I have no problem with anyone who thinks Mosley won the fight. In fact, I'm fine with people who think Mosley won nine or 10 rounds. If there's someone out there who thinks Mosley won all 12 rounds easily and believes that Mora should be banned from boxing for life for the manner in which he fought, I'm happy for you. Folks, sometimes we get fights like this in boxing. De La Hoya-Mosley II, Forrest-Mayorga II, and many of Paulie Ayala's fights (most notably the first Bones Adams fight and the rematch with Johnny Tapia) come to mind. As for the calls for Mosley's retirement, I think it has more to do with his age and his many years in the sport than it does with his performance on Saturday. The way he looked as he fought Mora is part of the reason there are calls for Mosley to hand up the gloves but if he was Alexander's age I think most would jut chalk it up to him having a bad night. STEPPING STONE?You know you are my man, I read you think that Cotto and Shane would be stepping stones for Alvarez and Chavez? Are you f___ing kidding me? Now, I must say, I did not see Chavez's last fight or watch the Alvarez fight (got in late watched the DVR of all fights but Alvarez, but did watch the KO).I've not paid attention to more and more fights as the kid count mounts and been tired as hell and not paid close attention to fights. But groggily I saw Shane beating Mora, but you had it 117-111 for Mora, wow. Anyway, do you think Alvarez and Chavez are that much the goods or that Cotto and Mosley are just that shot?Speaking of shot, Harris makes RJJ look like Jake f___ing Lamotta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Laughing my ass off. -- JBI wasn't saying that I, personally, think Mosley and Cotto would be stepping stones in those matchups. I believe that's the role the promoters of the two veterans would see for them if those bouts were to be made (Cotto vs. Chavez Jr., which Top Rank was trying to make for December of this year, and Mosley vs. Alvarez, which I'm sure Golden Boy has in mind for the not-so-distant future). If those fights were made this year I'd pick Cotto over Chavez and I'd make Mosley a slight favorite over Canelo. (I'm not going to get overexcited about Alvarez's performance against the shopworn Baldomir. If Mosley fought "Boulder-head" he would looked like the 29-year-old version of Sugar Shane.)However, I won't be mad at Bob Arum or Richard Schaefer if they view Cotto and Mosley as eventual stepping stones for the younger fighters in their promotional companies. A good promoter is always looking at the future and what promoter doesn't want a young Mexican superstar on his roster?Regarding my scorecard for the Mosley-Mora bout, hey, it's not like I didn't want to score any of those close early rounds for the "old man." Shane's the first major boxer I ever wrote about. He'll always be a sentimental favorite of mine. However, despite his willingness to fight (I'd call it "aggression," but Mosley had about the same intensity he has when he spars with his son in those opening rounds), he did absolutely NO damage to Mora over the first half of the bout. I looked at it like this -- and by the way, I wasn't groggy; I had a few cups of coffee in me and I was seated right by the ring (same table as the official time keepers and HBO's crew) -- if Mosley, the stronger man and the harder puncher, was truly being effective in those early rounds that many observers (including the official judges) scored for him, Mora would have been beat f___ up. In my opinion, if Mosley was really doing all the work people are giving him credit for, Mora would have been a battered mess by the sixth round. He would have been knocked out or his corner would have thrown in the towel to spare him any more punishment by the eighth round if Mosley was really doing his thing.But he wasn't. He didn't hurt Mora at all.Mora didn't do any damage either, but he NEVER does damage! He can't punch. What I thought he did for the first nine rounds of the bout was absolutely contain a veteran fighter who had more experience and power than he did; and he did the best way he knew how -- with feints and footwork. I wish you could get a copy of the international broadcast, because Dave Bontempo noted on air during the fight that when a fighter has to rely purely on ring generalship to compete in a fight he seldom gets credit. I agreed with him and stated that without a hard consistent jab (like we see from the sport's best pure boxers of the past 10 years Floyd Mayweather Jr., Winky Wright and Ivan Calderon) it's difficult to rack up points while shutting down their opponent's offense. See B-hop's fights with Jermain Taylor for a high-profile example of this theory.Even with a consistent jab, a defensive fighter with almost no power is seldom going to be appreciated by all three official judges in a bout where he technically outboxes his opponent. See Taylor's title defense against Cory Spinks for a good example of this. Jim Lamply stated on air immediately after that fight that the one judge who scored it 117-111 for Spinks should have been banned from the sport, but I thought that judge's scorecard was the closest thing to what really occurred in the ring that night. I had it 116-112 for Spinks. Oh well. Like I stated earlier in the bag, fights like Mosley-Mora are part of boxing. If the fight in question wasn't compelling in some way we should all move on to discussing bouts that we know will deliver excitement, like this one: WILLIAMS-MARTINEZ IIDear Doug,Glad it's signed. I'll go with Sergio Martinez to get his revenge by close decision. If it's as good as #1, we've got the 2010 FOTY. And no, I could care less about the "catch-weight" issue, though I will say that those who've complained about Pacquiao's having fought at catch-weights should be infinitely more upset about this. They claim that "title" fights should be fought not at catch-weights. Well, Sergio Martinez is THE middleweight champion of the world. Paul Williams isn't, say, fighting Pirog or Sturm--unlike Pacquiao, who fought beltholder Cotto and is now fighting MargaCheato for a vacant belt. (Why Marg's got that shot is beyond me; more WBC stupidity.)Most writers have vociferously praised Williams as the avoided guy who just wants to fight anybody in that weight range. I (in the interest of intellectual honesty) hope that they're just as vociferous in their criticism of him as they have been of Pacquiao. Again, I could care less, as I'm generally a freedom of contract guy. Martinez agreed to it, and he'd have every right to do it on his own, so I see no reason why he can't contract to weigh in at 157. (P.S. I'll go with Maidana in a rematch with Ortiz. You don't grow heart. Chino has it. Ortiz proved to me that he doesn't.) Take care. -- PatrickI think Ortiz does have heart. He got it beat out of him last June because his mind wasn't right, but I believe he's matured since that setback and he will have his head screwed on straight for a Maidana rematch. Being the more technically sound boxer and the better athlete, I think Ortiz will have his revenge.I'm also leaning towards Martinez to gain some "get-back" in November. I don't think 157-pound catchweight will detract from his performance. Who knows? The lighter weight might make him lighter on his feet will which will help him outmaneuver Williams and set up his power shots. Does Pacquiao really get that much criticism? I'm not that aware of any serious anti-Pacquiao sentiment that may be out there. I guess I need to make time for message boards so I can keep up on this kind of s___. But seriously, are fans that bored? Are they really getting up in arms about a guy who fought at 130 pounds in early 2008 asking Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito to shed a few extra pounds before their fights?Whatever. If Cotto, Margarito and Martinez are OK with the catch-weight bouts, so am I.

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