Roach belittles Floyd

There was one guy out there who was hardly moved by Floyd Mayweather’s masterful beating of Juan Manuel Marquez over the weekend at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Mayweather beat the best lightweight in the world,” said top trainer Freddie Roach, who didn’t even bother to watch the 12-round bout on pay-per-view, insisting that he knew what was going to happen.

“That’s exactly what happened,” said Roach, referring to the lopsided victory posted by Mayweather over the relatively smaller and much slower Mexican.

A noted observer of the fight game, Pacquiao conditioning coach Alex Ariza, said there was no way Mayweather was light when he answered the bell for Marquez.

“He was 158 (or even) 160 lbs),” said Ariza, stressing that even if Mayweather was three divisions heavier, “he couldn’t knock Marquez out.”

Ariza said that while Mayweather was hardly challenged by Marquez and Pacquiao went through rough times with Marquez, it doesn’t follow that Mayweather is going to pick Pacquiao apart.

“It’s different and you can’t compare,” said Ariza.

Ariza said the Mayweather-Marquez bout was a product of “poor matchmaking.”

Meanwhile, Roach and Ariza will arrive at 5:55 a.m. on Tuesday on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles.

From Manila, Roach and Ariza will be brought to Baguio City so they could be there in time for Pacquiao’s afternoon workout at the Cooyeesan Hotel, where a well-equipped gym will play host to the fighter’s four weeks of training in preparation for the November 14 clash with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

MARQUEZ LACKS REACH: Mayweather impresses Pacman

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao was pretty impressed with Floyd Mayweather Jr. yesterday and said he can do better than what Juan Manuel Marquez could offer against the flamboyant American.

“Magaling pa din. Mabilis pa din (He’s still good. He’s still fast),” said Pacquiao from his hotel room in Baguio City where he watched the 12-round fight between Mayweather and Marquez.

The fight was entering the third round on the ABS-CBN telecast when The STAR got hold Pacquiao through his cell phone. By that time, he knew Mayweather had won via unanimous decision.

“Walang panama si Marquez (Marquez had nothing to land),” said Pacquiao who watched the fight with his friend Chavit Singson, adviser Mike Koncz and trainers Roger and Buboy Fernandez.

“Hindi niya maabot. Hindi talaga mananalo (He can’t get to him. No way he could win),” said Pacquiao of Marquez, who went down in the second round, and was cut and beaten hard the rest of the way

Pacquiao said Mayweather always looked good in his fights because he hardly gets hit, just waiting for the opening. In this case, Marquez learned it the hard way as he took one of the worst beatings in his boxing career.

“Naghihintay lang (He just waits),” said Pacquiao of Mayweather.

Asked if he can do better than Marquez or the 39 others who failed against the unbeaten ex-pound-for-pound champion, Pacquiao paused longer than usual The STAR thought he already hung up.

“Kaya abutin,” Pacquiao answered back in Filipino. He could have meant Mayweather was reachable or can be hit if and when a fight between the great superstars takes place sometime next year.

Pacquiao said last week when he staged a whirlwind press tour with Miguel Cotto, his opponent on Nov. 14, that if he and Mayweather win their fights then they’re bound to meet head-on.

If that happens, Pacquiao stands to receive no less than $25 million.

He said talks are on but did not state whether it would be for his next fight. Top Rank’s Bob Arum said Pacquiao can fight on March 15 then will have time to campaign hard for the May 2010 elections.

Pacquiao is seeking a congressional seat in his hometown in Saranggani and he can use a fight, not necessarily against Mayweather, that he can win as a boost to his campaign.

Pacquiao arrived in Baguio yesterday morning, and in the country’s summer capital he would train for the next four to five weeks before moving to the US for his Nov. 14 fight with Cotto.

Pacquiao left Manila at 4 a.m. for the five-hour drive to Baguio. He was on board his black Hummer, towed by three police motorcyle escorts and tailed by three back-up vehicles.

Jake Joson, Pacquiao’s buddy, said the boxer went straight to his hotel room at Coyeesan and slept. He got up just before noon, in time to watch the Mayweather-Marquez fight.

Trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza are flying in this week to supervise the training that will be conducted under tight security provided by Singson, the deputy National Security adviser.

The eight-week training starts today — under the Fernandez brothers until Roach comes in. Arum, the Top Rank president, is coming over as well. He plans to be in Baguio from Oct. 1 to 4.

Pacquiao welcomed the sight of Baguio, which should serve him in good stead while training.

“Maganda ito. Matindi jogging ko dito (This is nice. This will make my jogging tougher),” said Pacquiao of the city which is 1,500 meters above sea level.

“At hindi masyado crowded (And it’s not too crowded),” said the boxer, adding that while he’s in Baguio there will be no distractions, no breaks to film a movie or commercials.

“I need to focus,” he added. .....source

MAYWEATHER IN MASTERFUL PERFORMANCE OVER MARQUEZ

The fight that boxing experts say was a mismatch turned out to be exactly like that as Floyd Mayweather, Jr asserted his superiority over the smaller Juan Manuel Marquez in terms of speed and technical skill to carv out a masterful shutout victory over the proud Mexican during the Mexican Independence Day weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).

First round action saw Marquez take the offensive but Mayweather's defense was just too good to give any meaning to Marquez's punches as these were either deflected, blocked or waved by the wily self-professed world's greatest boxer but every Mayweather counter punch seemed to find its mark. The first round action established the blueprint for the remainder of the night as Marquez -- tried as he might -- could not do anything from within his power to counter Mayweather's supreme boxing skill. A short left by Mayweather in the second round that landed squarely on Marquez's jaw sent Marquez to the canvas. Mayweather, however, failed finish Marquez in the second round or at any round after that as he refused to get away from his comfort zone and stick to his play-safe first stance at all times.

Mayweather now looks forward to making more megafights -- against the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto on Nov. 14 or with Sugar Share Mosely who climbed the ring after the fight to personally challenge Mayweather. Mayweather remains undefeated at 40 and 0 while Marquez dropped to 50-5-1. Top photo: Floyd Mayweather, Jr (L) tags Marquez with a left as Marquez was on the way down on the canvas. Photo by Dr Ed de la Vega.

NUMBER ONE/NUMERO UNO WEIGHIN RESULTS...MAYWEATHER 146; MARQUEZ 142

Moments ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez made weight for their anticipated clash tomorrow night, September 19th, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez, moving up from lightweight, weighed in at 142. Mayweather, who hasn't fought in nearly two years, tipped the scales at 146.

Surprisingly, or not, there were quite a few boos in the crowd when Golden Boy partners Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya were introduced to the crowd. Although there were a number of fans in attendance for the weigh-in, there were also several empty seats; it definitely wasn't as packed as it was for Pacquiao vs. Hatton earlier this year. At one point, when D.L. Hughley, co-host of the weigh-in, asked the crowd if there was one Floyd fan in attendance, all that could be heard were boos. WWE superstar Triple H was in attendance and in form as he took the mic, stared at the audience and stated, "I just want to know one thing. Are you ready? I said, are you ready to see the greatest fighter in the world, the pound-for-pound greatest fighter on this planet Floyd Money Mayweather take back his throne at the top of boxing...tomorrow night, the only one laughing is going to be Floyd Mayweather." More Boos from the crowd. As both men took the stage, Marquez received a chorus of cheers while Floyd garnered more boos from the crowd. Floyd did some shadowboxing as he waited to step on the scale and wooooo did he look sharp and ready to fight.

Marquez looked solid weighing in at 142. Floyd looked ripped as usual at 146. Surprisingly, Marquez didn't appear to be too much smaller than Mayweather. "That's the weight we wanted to weigh...we're very happy," stated Marquez. "It's a very difficult fight, but not impossible," he continued. "Marquez knows what he has to do...Mayweather's like, you know, those little puppies, all bark and no bite," stated De La Hoya. "I feel tremendous...my dad played a major part...I'm going to go out there and be the same Floyd Mayweather," stated Mayweather. "I'm a well-rounded fighter. I feel good. Camp went good...key to the fight is just be smart, be me," he added.

Prior to the weigh-in, there was much speculation as to what weight the two fighters would be meeting at. Lightweight champion Marquez fought his last bout at 135 pounds so many assumed that Mayweather, who last fought in the 147-pound division, would meet the smaller man at a catchweight. Despite the fact that the bout was being billed as a welterweight clash, there was speculation that both men had agreed to meet at 144 pounds. Today, Mayweather's weight of 146 pounds put the rumors to rest. Judging from the lack of concern by Team Marquez regarding Floyd's weight, the two sides must have previously agreed that the bout will indeed be fought at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. It will be extremely interesting to see how much both fighters unofficially weigh on fight night.

YAHOO! SPORTS POLL SHOWS MAYWEATHER VS. MARQUEZ VERY CLOSE TO CALL

Looks might be deceiving but they can't fool everyone. A yahoosports.com poll (Who will win Mayweather vs Marquez?) published last week showed the public is nearly split down the middle as to who will win the September 19 super fight between Floyd "Money" Mayweather, returning to the ring after an 18-month layoff and and Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez,the number one Mexican fighter in the world right now and moving up in weight to face the dangerous Mayweather.

With close to 55,000 (54524 total votes) fans participating, 51% think Mayweather will win; 46% say Juan Manuel Marquez will win and 3% think it will be a draw.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Marquez is coming to fight and fight hard Saturday night," said Mayweather. "The fans have known all along this is going to be a great fight and their votes tell it like it is. But I can tell you right now that the 51% of them that are picking me are the ones that are right."

"I am happy to see the people believe in me and my abilities and they will witness a great upset September 19," said Juan Manuel Marquez. "I am bigger, stronger and faster, all of which I will bring to the ring with me Saturday night to beat Mayweather."

"Floyd has no doubt that he is fighting the best guy out there and that is why he picked him," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions. "He wants to comeback right where he left off and give the people another great performance and memorable boxing moment too. But certainly don't let the poll fool you either, as Floyd is in the best shape of his life and plans on destroying this guy."

"The people believe that Juan Manuel has a great shot at pulling off the upset and so do I," said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. "Mayweather is coming back from a big layoff and happens to be fighting Marquez, who is the most intelligent fighter in the game today. I wouldn't be surprised to see the odds get even closer this week too."
Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, Quaker State, Dewalt Tools, Affliction Clothing and Southwest Airlines. The 12-round bout will take place Saturday, September19 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.

Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets previously purchased for the July 18 date will be honored.

HBO Sports' all-access reality series "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7" returns with the premiere of the finale on Friday, Sept. 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. HBO will replay episodes #1, #2 and #3 consecutively prior to the premiere of episode #4. The replays begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Sept. 18. Episodes #1-3 are also available on HBO ON DEMAND.

WEIGHIN RESULTS FROM NAYARIT

WBO minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes (L) and Interim champion Manuel Vargas pose during today's weighin Recinto Ferial in Tepic, Nayarit. Nietes and Vargas both came in at 105 lbs, the minimumweight division weight limit.


Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr (R) and Jason LeHoullier pose during today's weighin Recinto Ferial in Tepic, Nayarit. Chavez and LeHoullier both came in at 154 lbs.


WBO Interim champion Fernando Montiel (R) and Alejandro Valdez pose during today's weighin Recinto Ferial in Tepic, Nayarit.


Z Gorres (L) and Cruz Carbajal pose during today's weighin at Recinto Ferial in Tepic, Nayarit. Gorres came in at 199 lbs while Carbajal was 2 lbs over in his first try but came back 2 hours later to also make 119 lbs.


Chavez, Jr flexes his muscles after making weight.


Nietes signs a kid's shirt for autograph.


Gorres signs autographs.

Photos by Reiver Rodriguez.

Weights from Puerto Rico

Ivan Calderon 107.4 vs Rodel mayol 107.3
(WBO light flyweight championship)
Rocky Martinez 129.4 vs *Feider Viloria 129.2
(WBO jr lightweight championship)
Juan Mercedes 115.2 vs Robert DaLuz 116.5
Carlos Negron 185 vs Larry Carter 184.8
Venue: Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico
Promoter: PR Best Boxing

*Martinez (will now defend against former world title challenger Feider Viloria of Colombia (22-4-1,15 KOs). Viloria lost to former world champion Oscar Larios in a bout that he fought competively for the WBC interim featherweight title in 2008. Martinez’ original opponent, Vincente Martin “El Mono” Rodriguez (25-2-1, 13 KOs), was unable to obtain his visa to enter into Puerto Rico in time for Saturday’s event.
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“Undefeated Champions” is being distributed in the United States by Integrated Sports for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand and DirecTV for a suggested retail price of only $29.95. For more information about the “Undefeated Champions” PPV show, go on line to www.integratedsportsnet.com.

Cotto in NYC

WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto arriving in New York City on the eve of the FIREPOWER kick off press conference for his showdown with Pound for Pound King Manny Pacquiao. Cotto and Pacquaio will tour four cities in two countries over the next 6 days. Tomorrow’s press conference will take place at Yankee Stadium at noon. Fight fans are invited.

Two Great Heavyweight Fights Added to Klitschko-Arreola World Title Event

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 9, 2009) – Two spectacular heavyweight fights were added to the highly anticipated event featuring the world title showdown between World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Vitali “Dr. Iron Fist” Klitschko and WBC No. 1 contender Cristobal “The Nightmare’’ Arreola on Saturday, September 26 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Tom Loeffler, of K2 Promotions, was excited to announce the addition of these fights. “These two heavyweight fights are a great compliment to our Heavyweight World Championship main event. It will be an exciting display of Heavyweight talent where the six fighters have an amazing record of 155 wins with only 8 losses”

Fast rising star, the hard-hitting, undefeated heavyweight Alexander Ustinov (17-0, 14 KOs), of Minsk, Belarus, will take on once-beaten Cedric Boswell (31-1, 24 KOs), of Atlanta, Ga. This will be a 12-round championship fight for Ustinov’s World Boxing Association (WBA) European title, where the winner is guaranteed to rise to the top of the division.

The other compelling heavyweight match features two talented American brawlers. Once-beaten Johnathon Banks (21-1, 15 KOs), of Detroit, Mich., will take on Javier Mora (22-4, 18 KOs), of Anaheim, Calif., in a scheduled10-round fight.

Tickets are on sale at all TicketMaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the STAPLES Center Box Office. Tickets are priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25.

The remaining undercard fights will be announced soon. The event will be promoted by K2 Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions.

Ustinov, who won the vacant WBA European title with a fifth round TKO of then-unbeaten Maksym Pedyura on Feb. 26, 2009, has climbed through the world heavyweight ranks this year to No. 13 in the WBA and has knocked out 82 percent of his opponents.

The 6-foot-seven, 32-year-old Ustinov will face his toughest challenge to date in the veteran Boswell, who’s only loss came against world title-tested Jameel McCline in 2003. Since the loss, the 6-foot-3, Boswell has knocked out eight of his nine opponents, all but one of which came inside of three rounds.

Banks will be fighting for the second time since moving up from cruiserweight. The sole blemish on his record came in a fight for the IBF cruiserweight title against current champ Tomasz Adamek on Feb. 27, 2009. Since the loss, the 6-foot-3, 27-year-old Banks scored a seventh round TKO over Paul Butlin in his heavyweight debut and hopes to contend for another title in his new division.

The 6-foot-2, 28-year-old Mora is experienced against top opposition, having fought former World Boxing Organization (WBO) champ Sultan Ibragimov on March 10, 2007. Mora scored a first round TKO in his next fight, and the Anaheim resident will enjoy a hometown crowd when fighting against Banks at STAPLES Center.

Klitschko will return to the famous site of two of his most memorable fights when he defends his WBC crown against the unbeaten Arreola, who is trying to become the first heavyweight champion of Mexican decent.

Klitschko brings a record of 37-2 with 36 knockouts into what will be an exciting, hotly contested 12-round showdown. The dangerous-punching Arreola, of Riverside, California, via East Los Angeles, is 27-0 with 24 KOs.

The Ukrainian heavyweight has been involved in the only two heavyweight world title fights to emanate from the internationally-known home of the NBA Champion Lakers, STAPLES Center. He is 1-1, but both matches were unforgettable. The first – against then-champion Lennox Lewis on June 21, 2003 – was a bloody, exhilarating slugfest that resulted in a hotly disputed victory for Lewis.

TOO MARVELOUS FOR WORDS: MARVIN SONSONA IS CHAMP!

"Marvelous" Marvin Sonsona and Jose "Carita" Lopez took turns battering each other for twelve action packed rounds but in the end it was the 19 year Filipino who emerged victorious and wrested the WBO superflyweight world title.

The 37 year old 49 fight veteran from Puerto Rico gave up too much in terms of height and reach to the relatively inexperienced southpaw from Gen. Santos City. Sonsona's sharp right jab as in Lopez' face from the opening round. Lopez countered with the textbook way to fight a left hander - right hand lead and left hook. Lopez' left hook to the body kept him in the fight. He showed his excellent survival skills every time Sonsona would stun him with a straight left.

The southpaw jinx struck in the fourth as a powerful left to the temple from Sonsona ruined Lopez' equilibrium. He fell and was visibly dazed when the referee started the count. Lopez showed the heart of a champion as he got up and fought back stunning Sonsona with a powerful right.

In the fifth and sixth rounds Lopez staged a fiery rally and hurt Sonsona on several occasions. His body shots were sapping the Filipino's strength. Lopez took Sonsona's best shots and kept firing back with powerful rights. This was now unfamiliar territory for Sonsona who has never been past the fifth round in his pro career.

The seventh round was highlighted by a breathtaking exchange of bombs at the center of the ring. In the eighth, Lopez landed a powerful left hook. Sonsona was now back pedaling. Lopez then was deducted a point for low blows which also disturbed the momentum of the fight. In the ninth Lopez' investment in body punching was visibly paying off as the tide was turning in his favor if it wasn't for the low blows.

In the final three rounds, Sonsona showed the ring generalship of veteran and shifted to smart boxing.

The boy became a man and the man is now a world champion.

The scores were unanimous: 114-111, 115-110 and 116-109. Sonsona and his cornermen, Jun Agrabio, Nonito Donaire, Sr. and manager Rajan Yraola erupted in a marvelous celebration. Marvin Sonsona is now 14W-0L with 12 KO's. He is the second youngest Filipino world boxing champion after Morris East.

POSTSCRIPT:

This would be a vindication of sorts for the people who made this fight possible. There were those who criticized the promoters and Team Sonsona - both publicly and privately- for prematurely sending a teenager into a title fight.

In the end, it was Sonsona who gave a magnificent performance well beyond his years. It was he who did the weeks of training and it was he who did not wilt under pressure.

Congratulations also to the two trainers, Donaire and Agrabio. It is very refreshing to see my countrymen working as a team instead of trying to pull each other down. Our elected officials can learn a thing or two from these two gentlemen.

Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines reacts after being announced the winner over Jose Lopez of Puerto Rico in their WBO Junior Bantamweight World Title match at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario September 4, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA SPORT BOXING)

.......source

Mayweather is fresh for Marquez

Floyd Mayweather is confident there will no ring rust when he returns to action after a long lay-off against Juan Manuel Marquez on 19 September.

The former five-weight world champion, 32, is back after retiring in December 2007, after he beat Ricky Hatton.

"I feel fast, strong and my timing is there," said the American.

"I feel the same way as before I left. Actually I feel a little better. I think the break helped because I haven't had a break since 1987."

Mayweather, who has won all of his 39 fights with 25 knockouts, faces the formidable Marquez for The Ring welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

And Mayweather said maintaining his unbeaten record had been the key motivating factor in preparing for the fight.

"When you go out there [against a fighter] with an undefeated record, there is no pressure on these fighters because they have nothing to lose," he said.

"If Marquez gets beat in 12 rounds or he gets knocked out, they are still going to love him in his country because he had the chance to face the best. They will say: 'You lost but you lost to the best'.

"But in the US it doesn't work like that so we have to work that much harder to stay on top.

"If I win, it's normal. If a guy gives me a tough fight or even comes close to winning, that's abnormal. Everybody expects me to dominate.

"It's extremely important for me to go out there to perform well and dominate.

"I've got to go out there and be smart, be intelligent and listen to my uncle Roger [Mayweather, Floyd's trainer]. If I do that, we will come out 'A' OK."

Mexican Marquez, 36, is a former three-weight world champion, but has only ever fought as high as lightweight before.

However, he has 50 wins from 55 professional encounters, with 37 knockouts, and has drawn once and lost narrowly to Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

"He is Mexico's numero uno," said Mayweather. "He's one hell of a fighter with over 50 wins and champion in more than just one weight class.

"Believe me, Marquez is not going to lay down. There's going to be blood, sweat and tears on 19 September."

...source

VILORIA RETAINS IBF WORLD TITLE

Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria used his excellent technical skills and hand speed to outlast a tough Jesus “Azul” Iribe in their twelve round title bout for the IBF light flyweight crown.

Viloria was doing well in the first six rounds as he baffled Iribe with his combination punching. In the fifth and sixth, Viloria rocked the Mexican with one two combinations to the head. But in the seventh, the tide seemed to turn as Iribe fought back.

Iribe was a lot tougher than what his pre-fight 15 wins 5 losses and 5 draws record would suggest. In the ninth and tenth he continued to take Viloria’s best punches. In the twelfth and final round both fighters chose to throw caution to the winds and slug it out.

The judges scored the bout 118-110, 117-112 and 117-111 all in favor of Viloria who successfully made his first title defense.

Viloria, who traces his Filipino roots to the Ilocos Region, also wants the WBO lt.flyweight belt of Ivan Calderon. But Rodel Mayol may beat him to it as the Mandaue City boxer will be fighting the Puerto Rican champ in a rematch this September.

Postscript:

Pinoys went three for three : AJ Banal showed he can also box with his impressive unanimous ten round win over Jose Angel Beranza.

Dennis Laurente’s unanimous decision win over Mexican Zaid Zavaleta was not shown in the free TV Philippine broadcast of this Hawaii fight card. Pinoy fight fans still hope to that they will show it on a delayed telecast.

Top photo: IBF light flyweight champion Brian Viloria (L) tags challenger Jesus Iribe with a left straight during their fight Saturday night at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

....source

Viloria Attempts to Elevate Himself and Hawaiian Boxing

Tonight at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, native son Brian Viloria makes his return to the state to defend his IBF Light Flyweight title against Mexican challenger Jesus Iribe. Their twelve-round title bout headlines an eight-fight card, dubbed “Island Assault,” which marks the most significant event to take place in the state for over thirty years. A potential unification bout against WBO 108-pound ruler Ivan Calderon could hang in the balance for Viloria. Fighters weighed in on Friday at the venue where they will clash tonight.

Viloria (25-2, 15 KOs) of Waipahu, Hawaii developed as a young aspiring boxer at the Waipahu Boxing Club, eventually ascending to the upper echelon of amateur boxing and representing his country in the 2000 Olympic Games. In the years since he has carried the hopes of boxing aficionados in a state that was once a boxing hotbed but has not hosted a world championship fight since 1976. While there are currently a handful of Hawaiian amateurs highly ranked by USA Boxing, Viloria is the face of professional boxing for the state and much of their future rides on his success both in the ring and at the ticket window. Tonight he makes the first defense of his IBF title, his second reign as a 108-pound champion. Viloria had no trouble making weight on Friday, scaling 107 ½ pounds.

Iribe (15-5-5, 9 KOs) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico will make his first ring appearance outside of his native country and take his second stab at grabbing a world title. In February of last year, Iribe went the twelve-round distance with WBC Light Flyweight titleholder Edgar Sosa, only to drop the unanimous decision. The bout was nearly a shutout on the scorecards for the defending Sosa, who won his title with a victory over Viloria in 2007. Iribe did have to battle a bit with the scales on Friday as he originally came in at 108 ¼. Iribe’s team insisted that he was right on weight on a different scale just before the weigh-in. After jogging in a suit for a bit, Iribe returned to the scale in the nude to weigh in right on weight to ensure the title bout.

Three high profile bouts will round out the television broadcast for Philippine network Solar Sports’ broadcast. Former title challenger A.J. Banal (19-1-1, 16 KOs) of Ermita, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines will take on venerable Mexican journeyman Jose Angel Beranza (32-15-2, 25 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a ten-round bantamweight bout. Banal has won two straight in his native Philippines since suffering a knockout defeat to Rafael Concepcion in a failed try at the Interim WBA Super Flyweight title just over a year ago. Banal weighed in at 118 ¾ pounds. Beranza, coming off of an upset win over highly regarded prospect Juan Carlos Velasquez, came in at 118 ¼ pounds.

Former title challenger Alfonso Gomez (19-4-2, 9 KOs) of Whittier, California will meet Raul Munoz (20-12-1, 15 KOs) of Topeka, Kansas in a ten-round light middleweight fight. Gomez, an original cast member of The Contender, is coming of a thrilling eight-round knockout of Juan Manuel Buendia in May. Gomez weighed in at 154.2 pounds. Munoz, who has dropped three of his last four to previously undefeated foes, weighed in at 156.3 pounds.

Streaking Filipino contender Dennis Laurente (31-3-5, 16 KOs) of Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines will meet Zaid Zavaleta (18-5-2, 11 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a ten-round light welterweight bout. Laurente, a victor in his last eight consecutive bouts, weighed in at 142 pounds. Zavaleta, who challenged Edwin Valero unsuccessfully for the WBA Super Featherweight title in 2007, weighed in at 141 pounds.

Local Hawaiian fighters will get a rare opportunity to fight on a big stage in the four remaining bouts on the card. Michael Balasi (7-1, 5 KOs) of Honolulu will meet Toby Misech (1-0) of Hilo in a four-round welterweight fight. Balasi weighed in at 149 ¼ pounds, while Misech came in at 149 ½.

Justin Mercado (1-0) of Honolulu will take on Richard Barnard (1-1) of Makakilo City in a four-round light welterweight fight. Mercado weighed in at 144 ½, while Barnard scaled 141 ½ pounds.

Isaac Arasato (4-0, 3 KOs) of Honolulu will take on Donald Gonzalez (0-1) of Hilo in a four-round welterweight fight. Gonzalez, weighing in at 149 ½, will have a sizable weight advantage over his opponent. Arasato scaled only 131 ½ pounds Friday.

In the featured women’s contest, Kuulei Kupihea (3-1) of Mililani will face debuting Shalae Padilla of Kona in a four-round welterweight fight. Kupihea weighed in at 148 ½ pounds, while Padilla scaled 147.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Tom Moffatt Productions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

IBF Light Flyweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Viloria 107 ½
Iribe 108

Bantamweights, 10 Rounds
Banal 118 1/4
Beranza 118

Light Middleweights, 10 Rounds
Gomez 154.2
Munoz 156.3

Light Welterweights, 10 Rounds
Laurente 142
Zavaleta 141

Light welterweights, 4 Rounds
Mercado 144 ½
Barnard 141 ½

Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Balasi 149 ¼
Misech 149 ½

Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Gonzalez 149
Arasato 131 ½

Welterweights, 4 Rounds
Kupihea 148 ½
Padilla 147

Undefeated Champions set to defend

San Juan, P.R.-Undefeated titlists Juan Manuel López and Yuriorkis Gamboa were present yesterday to promote their respective October 10 bouts at the Madison Square Garden Arena in New York City. The card will also feature undefeated Cuban heavyweight Odlanier Solis and also undefeated super welterweight Vanes Martirosyan.

Jaunma López (26-0, 24KO’s) will defend his WBO Jr. Featherweight title against tough but somewhat unaccomplished Rogers Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18KO’s) of Tanzania. López showed respect for his opponent citing the fight against Tomas Villa as a testament to his toughness. Still, it appeared as if López as well as most of the media was looking past this bout and into future fights. When asked about these upcoming bouts López quickly mentioned Panamanian IBF and WBA titlist Celestino Caballero as a very possible fight and a fight he would like. About Cabalelro, Juanma expressed his desire to beat the belt holder for all Puerto Ricans.

Mtagwa said very little but his manager, Joe Parello made statements and answered questions for the press. Most of the questions made regarded Mtagwa’s chances and what made him deserve the title shot. About this, Parello indicated that his fighter has never ducked anyone and cited the most famous names on his fighter’s record which includes losses against fighters such as Martin Honorio, Agapito Sánchez, Orlando Salido and Billy Dib and his tenth round KO victory over Tomas Villa.

Gamboa on his turn expressed his confidence in victory against Whyber Garcia (22-6, 15KO’s) of Panama City, Panama and his desire to fight the best at the division. This included a possible future match up against Juanma who said it was no secret he was moving up to 126 next year. 15rounds.com asked the former Olympian Champion what he missed the most about his homeland and the young champion was quick to point out he misses the warmth of a homecoming welcome after a victory.

The card billed as “Island Warriors” will be presented live on Pay-Per-View and will include four televised bouts. Opening the transmission will be former US Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16KO’s) of Glendale, Ca. against Brazilian Carlos Nascimento (24-1, 20KO’s) followed by former Cuban Olympian and WBC #7 rated Odlanier Solis fighting against WBC, WBA, and WBO top ten rated Kevin Johnson. Both fights are set for ten rounds.

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Urango stops Bailey in 11th round TKO

Making his 1st defense of his IBF light welterweight title, champion Juan Urango (22-1-1, 17 KO’s) stopped number #1 International Boxing Federation challenger Randall Bailey (39-7, 35 KO’s) in the 11th round on Friday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, in Hollywood, Florida. Urango, 28, survived a 6th round knockdown and a bad cut under his right eye to come back and knock Bailey down two times in the 9th and one more time in the 10th. Bailey, 34, soon to be 35 next month, had nothing left after knocking Urango down in the 6th round. From then on, Bailey only rarely threw any big right hand shots and pretty much stopped throwing punches altogether.

This allowed Urango to take over the fight with his solid power shots. After knocking Bailey down in the 9th, Urango spent much of the remainder of the fight chasing Bailey around the ring at a full gallop. Normally, a fighter moving quickly like this would be asking for trouble, but Bailey was far too tired to make Urango pay for his lack of boxing basics and let him get away with it.

Although knocking Urango down in the 6th, Bailey looked every bit of his 34 years and then some. Most of the fight, Bailey tapped Urango with a lazy jab and measured him constantly for right hands. Bailey seemed to wait far too long while preparing to throw his right hands and wasted a lot of time waiting for Urango to be at the proper distance for him to throw his rights.

Going into the fight, Bailey had to have known that Urango had an iron chin and that he was almost impossible to knock out. The smarter thing for Bailey to have done, in hindsight, is to have worked on his jab and movement instead of putting so much focus on his right hand. The way to beat Urango is through movement and a jab, not by trying to bang him out of there the way that Bailey was trying to do.

In the 6th round, Bailey landed a short right hand that put Urango down flat on his back on the canvas. On the knockdown, Bailey blinded Urango temporarily by throwing a pawing jab and then came directly behind it with a hard right hand that Urango never saw. The right hand cut Urango under his right eye, opening up a huge gash that leaked blood everywhere.

Luckily for Urango, the cut was underneath the eye and not above it, because this allowed the blood to leak down his face rather than into his eye. Urango’s right eye would later swell up as the rounds went by, and had Bailey continued to land heavy shots beyond the 6th, Urango’s right eye would have likely closed.

At the start of the 9th round, Urango knocked a tired Bailey down with a left hand in the opening seconds of the round. Bailey was badly hurt by the shot and tried clinching his way out of the round. However, there was far too much time in the round to clinch all the way through.

Moments later, Urango ran at Bailey and knocked him down for a second time in the round with a left to the head. Urango got a little too impatient at that point and missed with a ton of punches as Bailey stood covering up in the corner. In the 10th round, Urango knocked Bailey down with a right hand to the side.

Bailey was exhausted at that point in the fight and not throwing any punches back at Urango. Somehow, Bailey’s corner allowed the fight to continue even though he was no longer even remotely competitive. In the 11th, Bailey’s corner finally stepped in and let the referee know that they wanted the fight to be stopped. Bailey was taking a terrible beating in the round and not firing back any punches. The referee stopped the bout at 1:51 of the round.

Overall, it was a good performance from Urango. He did what he had to do to get the victory. However, Urango looked as one dimensional and slow as he always looks. He’s fortunate that his opponent was Bailey and not someone like Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt or Devon Alexander, because Urango would have likely been beaten by a lopsided decision against skilled fighters like them. Urango is good when matched against stationary sluggers like Bailey. However, if Urango is presented with a fighter that can move a little, he has major problems.

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Cotto vs. Pacquiao: The One True Superfight Of The Year

By Matthew Hurley: The upcoming bout between Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao on November 14th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas holds so many intangibles that boxing fans are champing at the bit for the opening bell to ring. Every year there is one fight that defines the sport whether or not the match-up itself warrants such scrutiny. Cotto – Pacquiao is this year’s high water mark. (Don’t let Floyd Mayweather’s diarrhea of the mouth concerning his comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19th fool you.) Whether Cotto – Pacquiao lives up to expectations remains to be seen but most insiders speculate that for however long it lasts this bout, because of the respective styles and temperaments of the fighters, will be fan friendly from first punch to last. And then there are the questions surrounding both fighters. Is Miguel Cotto damaged goods? After his brutal loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008, in a fight of the year candidate, many wondered if the beating Cotto took over the second half of the bout robbed him of his prime. Fighters are so vulnerable, no matter how skilled and how courageous, that even one vicious encounter can take away bits and pieces of his physicality and his will. For Cotto, the Margarito fight was his foray into hell. We don’t quite know if he’s come all the way back. Cotto fought masterfully for six rounds but Margarito’s imperviousness to pain or fatigue overwhelmed him in the bout’s final rounds. Cotto, his face battered and his will depleted, took a knee in the eleventh round and suddenly his future as an elite fighter was in question. Can he come back from such a wicked beating, many wondered. Cotto rebounded with an easy victory over the limited Michael Jennings in February to take the WBO welterweight title and then he took on the rugged Joshua Clottey in June. The razor thin victory over Clottey seemed to split opinion on Cotto right down the middle. He suffered a hideous gash over his left eye early in the bout but his resolve remained firm and he battled through it. Some saw the close victory as an indicator of wear and tear on a body subjected to several taxing fights over the years. (To his great credit Cotto has sought out and taken on tough competition over his last several fights.) Others applauded his courage, fighting through injury and closing the show strongly. It seems with Cotto everything is open for debate. Everything, including his loss to Margarito, which came into question when the Mexican fighter’s hand wraps were discovered to have been padded with hardened bits of a plaster-like substance before he entered the ring to take on Sugar Shane Mosley. Had Margarito and his team done the same thing prior to his dismantling of Cotto and simply gotten away with it? It’s a legitimate question, but the damage done in that fight is done. It can’t be wiped away from Cotto’s mind and body. All questions regarding the past are actually moot now that the biggest fight of Cotto’s career is on the horizon. His future, and perhaps his legacy, will be determined on the outcome of this one big fight. As for Pacquiao, his legacy is already secure. Few, if any, will question the legitimacy of his greatness as a fighter. He is already a lock for the Hall of Fame. But a win over Cotto, particularly if it comes in dramatic fashion, will elevate him into the pantheon of the all time great fighters. Pacquiao’s star quality began to change when he broke apart David Diaz in June of 2008 for the WBC lightweight title. That perfect performance, against the perfect opponent, led him to a showdown with Oscar De La Hoya. Going in, many assumed Oscar’s size and strength would be too much for Pacquiao. But the Filipino used speed and angles to dominate a weight drained De La Hoya who, on that night, was more tin than gold. With that signature win under his belt Pacquiao’s popularity exploded. Even marginal fans of the sport, and non-fans as well, took notice of the diminutive fistic titan.

He then solidified his standing as boxing’s most popular figure with his most emphatic performance yet – a second round stoppage of junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. The knockout of Hatton was so conclusive that it could actually serve as the only highlight reel necessary in years to come to define Pacquiao’s career. However, skeptics – and they are out there – point out that in these three key victories Diaz was a marginal foe at best, De La Hoya came in too light and was probably shot and the popular Hatton was a wide open target and arguably overrated to begin with. There’s a bit of truth in all of that, but hindsight justifies the brilliance in us all. Going into the fights with Hatton and particularly De La Hoya, many people picked Pacquiao to lose. Well, not only did he not lose he embraced his moment on center stage like all great performers do and simply killed. In fact Pacquiao hasn’t lost a round since his 2008 rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez. Cotto is a different animal altogether. He is either at or a little past his prime. And though not a one-punch knockout artist he has very heavy hands, good boxing skills and a tremendous will to win. He’s also a natural 147-pound fighter and at some point in Pacquiao’s rise in weight classes size will make a difference. Will this be that fight? Should Pacquiao win in impressive fashion his status as an all time great fighter will be fully realized. It will also mark the closing act of a brilliant career, as Manny has stated that he only intends to fight two or three more times. Should Cotto win all the questions surrounding him since the loss to Margarito will be brushed aside and he will have also reestablished his lofty standing in the pound-for-pound rankings. He can then look forward to further big time match ups down the line. A rematch with Sugar Shane Mosley, whom he defeated by a close decision in 2007, to decide preeminence in the welterweight division is a natural. Whatever the outcome, because these two fighters always come to do damage and never fail to entertain, Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao is the most anticipated fight of 2009 and should the fight exceed expectations and the surrounding hype boxing fans are in for a treat on November 14th.

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Valero vs Soto is Being Pushed For Pacquiao-Cotto

Bob Arum of Top Rank is pushing for the fight between WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero and WBC super featherweight champ Humberto Soto to take place on the November 14 undercard to Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto. Ricardo Jiminez of Top Rank said Arum wants the fight but bothe fighters want the right kind of money and talks are ongoing.

"Arum aready began the negotiations. It is the fight that wants Arum. It's a bit complicated because we have to accommodate both fighters financially based on what they want because it's going to be a great fight," Jiminez told The Record.

Valero is still medically suspended in every state except for Texas. New exams are being submitted and hopefully he gets cleared for a ring return. Valero was medically suspended in 2004 when an MRI revealed a brain bleed that stemmed from an motorcycle accident.

"We are going to put in some quick exams and God willing, I will be ready to fight in Las Vegas against the best. I consider Soto one of the best so it should be a good fight," Valero said.

Soto has a title defense in September but he wants to face Valero in November.

"My first objective is to get past my next defense that is set for September 15 in Monterrey and then we will see about Valero. It is a fight that I would like but we will have to see," Soto said.

Viloria Returns Home to Defend Title

On Saturday night Hawaiian native Brian Viloria will defend his IBF Light Flyweight title for the first time against Jesus Iribe at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Viloria’s title defense headlines the event, dubbed “Island Assault,” which marks the return of world class boxing to the state.

High hopes and heavy expectations were held for Brian Viloria when he emerged from the 2000 U.S. Olympic team. Many in the business had hoped that “The Hawaiian Punch” would be the one to regenerate American interest in the lower weight classes of boxing. Surely boxing fans in Hawaii had hoped that their native son could be the one to bring back the sport’s popularity in the state. The marketable and well-spoken Viloria looked to be en route to achieving some of those lofty goals when he demolished Eric Ortiz in a single round to win the WBC Light Flyweight title in 2005.

Two fights removed from his title-winning effort, Viloria was stunned by unheralded Omar Nino in a bout televised nationally by Versus. Nino outworked the champion over twelve rounds on his way to the unlikely decision win. Viloria fought Nino to a majority draw in the rematch, which was later changed to a no decision when the Mexican failed a post-fight drug test. Five months later, Viloria, entering the bout as the favorite again, was upset by previously little known Edgar Sosa in a bout for the vacant title he had lost two fights before.

The road back to prominence for Viloria was long and without any fanfare. Fighting without the benefit of much television exposure, Viloria strung together five consecutive victories and found himself back in a title fight. Entering the bout as an underdog, Viloria stopped well respected Ulises Solis in the eleventh round of an exciting fight, in the Philippines no less, to win the IBF Light Flyweight title.

Now Viloria (25-2, 15 KOs) finds himself in a familiar position, as he defends his title against an unheralded Mexican challenger. This time however, Viloria seems to be better prepared to meet the high expectations placed on his shoulders. “This fight is very important,” Viloria told 15rounds.com on Tuesday. “Every fight I need to look good to establish myself as a dominate fighter in my weight class.” Viloria vows to not make the same mistakes he did in his first go around as a world champion. “Now that have the title again, I don’t want to be complacent like I was when I first won a world title,” said Viloria. “I want to keep the intensity that I had when I fought Solis.”

Viloria, who joined forces with renowned trainer Robert Garcia about a year ago, held camp at the La Colonia Boxing Club in Oxnard, California, before arriving in Hawaii on Monday. “I’ve had an excellent camp,” says Viloria. “Two and a half months of training. It is the final week until fight night on Saturday and I just have to maintain. I’ve been in shape since my last fight. I just took a couple weeks off and got right back to training and preparing for this fight.”

Opposing Viloria in his homecoming bout is Mexican veteran Jesus Iribe (15-5-5, 9 KOs) of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Iribe has gone 3-0-1 since dropping a decision to reigning WBC Light Flyweight Champion Edgar Sosa in February of last year in a failed title try. “He is durable and resilient,” said Viloria of his challenger. “He went twelve rounds with Edgar Sosa and gave him a tough fight. I expect to go twelve hard rounds.” Viloria studied the Sosa fight and hopes to put what he saw to good use. “He doesn’t like pressure or combinations. If I stick to my game plan in this fight I should come out with the win.”

Adding additional intrigue to his title defense, Saturday’s bout marks the first time Viloria has fought in his native state since April 2003. The last time Hawaii saw a world title bout, Honolulu’s Ben Villaflor fought to a fifteen-round draw against Samuel Serrano in defense of his WBA Super Featherweight title in April 1976. “There is no pressure,” claims Viloria. “The excitement to be in front of my friends and family helps with my preparation. There is no difference in pressure whether I am fighting in the Philippines or at the Alameda Swap Meet.”

While Viloria is focused on Iribe, the talk is that his handlers are angling towards a fight against WBO Light Flyweight Champion Ivan Calderon, should both men take care of their immediate business. Calderon is set to defend his title against Rodel Mayol in a rematch on September 12th. While their potential pairing could not be labeled a “superfight” by most standards, a Viloria-Calderon clash would be the closest thing to one at the 108-pound weight class. “I am taking things one fight at a time,” said Viloria. “I don’t want to look past any fighter. Should I get past Iribe, there’s been talk about the possibility of a unification match with Calderon or a rematch with Edgar Sosa. But right now my world championship fight is this Saturday versus Jesus Iribe.”

MONEY MAY, GREEN WITH ENVY

A month from now, the apathetically anticipated boxing match between Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will be a reality.

Or is it?

Most boxing fans, pundits and talking heads have pretty much ignored and stayed away from discussing or being enthusiastic about this inappropriately titled boxing match; Number One-Numero Uno. Of course, it is the right description, if we are talking about whiners and not about the best pound for pound boxers.

Lil’ Floyd is so befuddled by the obvious lack of excitement about his fight while Pacquaio-Cotto’s Firepower is creating an incredible degree of anticipation even beyond the boxing world, that he is doing his arrogant best just to get some semblance of attention. He has injected the race card. He sparred with ESPN and anybody else who disagree with him. He has essentially proclaimed himself as boxing god to anybody who would listen. Sadly for him, nobody seemed to be really listening. His bloated ego is hurting enormously for the apparent snub.

It must be heart wrenching for Lil’ Floyd to accept that the only time he gets somebody to listen is when he talks about Pacquaio. During the Numero Uno-Number One press conferences, Pacquaio is mentioned so many times, one would think Pacquiao is the main protagonist. Poor Juan Manuel Marquez, he has become practically invisible during these promos.

For the past year, Freddie Roach has been pretending to be Carmac the Magnificent, accurately predicting that the great Oscar De La Hoya would succumb to Pacquaio in eight rounds and boldly sticking his neck out that Hatton would go down in three. OK, he was wrong. Hatton was sent to dreamland at the end of two. But are we going to be picky?

In one of his interviews, he thinks that the Numero Uno-Number One bout may end up canceled.

Mr. Freddie Roach may be on target once again. There are writings on the wall that point to an outright cancellation. Although Lil” Floyd is trying very hard to be at his obnoxious best and hype up the fight including falsely claiming he grew up in a ghetto and a guest appearance at WWE, still nobody seems to be interested. A potential criminal case involving one of Floyd’s employees in a shooting incident could also pose a problem.

Tickets have been on sale for more than 2 months now but sales remain as cold as the Alaskan Tundra, while Firepower almost sold out in less than 2 days.

Interestingly, there are reports that the 5,000 rooms at the MGM Hotel are all booked during the November 14 weekend, while there are plenty of rooms available during the weekend of September 19. What a contrast!

Juan Ma and Floyd fans, if you are out there, worry no more. The fight will go on.

Although maintaining a positive façade, massive jolt of reality has caught up with Lil Floyd and Golden Boy CEO. Mr. Schaefer. They finally recognized that Lil’ Floyd cannot draw boxing fans on his own. It is well known that Juan Ma cannot even get the Mexicans excited, so he is not even in the equation. Although it was a bitter pill to swallow, Junior is clever enough to make financial concessions to pack the under card with good and exciting fighters who on their own merits can be main event headliners.

Whiners: Numero Uno – Number One will be saved from box office disaster not by Juan Ma, not by Lil Floyd but by first-rate and marketable boxers fighting in the under card. It is well known that Katsidis, Chris John, Rocky Juarez, and Zab Judah have enough name recognition and fan base that Sept 19 will not end up a catastrophic failure. However, knowing that the mere addition of a good undercard, not seen in many years, may not be enough to attract a lot of paying fans, Schaefer is resorting to smart corporate sponsorship to drive up more revenue to help offset the projected substantial losses.

Regardless, Numero Uno-Number One will be a box office and PPV disappointment. 200,000 PPV buys will be an overly generous estimate. Golden Boy will be lucky to fill the arena with enough warm bodies even with tickets selling under face value.

What would this mean for Manny Pacquaio?

After successfully prevailing over Cotto in a thrilling and action packed fight with a blockbuster box office receipts and decent PPV numbers that would be in the vicinity of 700,000, he will definitely be in the driver’s seat in any future negotiations with Money May or Juan Ma.

Although a Manny vs. Money fight will generate obscene payday for both fighters, a Manny-Juan Ma bout would not be far behind. Either man Manny fights, the Filipino Pound for Pound King would not only win in the ring but also would amass a financial windfall.

Lil Floyd must really be crying inside seeing Pacquaio having the upper hand and getting all the attention.

Money May is simply too green with envy.

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Ward and Kessler double bill on Showtime Sept. 12!

Undefeated super middleweight Andre Ward will share the stage with his first Super Six World Boxing Classic opponent Mikkel ‘Viking Warrior’ Kessler on a special Saturday primetime edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, on Showtime.

Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) will tangle with Shelby Pudwill (22-3-1, 9 KOs) of McGlauglin, S.D., in a 10-round super middleweight scrap live from Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 12. The Ward fight will air immediately following Kessler’s World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight mandatory title defense against No. 1 ranked Gusmyl Perdomo (16-2, 10 KOs) of Turmero, Venezuela, which will air on same day tape delay from MCH Messecenter Herning – Herning, Denmark and be shown live at Pechanga. Sharing the stage with Ward in Temecula will be former two-time Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and multi-division world champion James ‘Lights Out’ Toney, who will be featured in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

“There was no way we were going to allow Mikkel Kessler to have a showcase fight preceding his Super Six showdown with Andre, and not have the viewers on SHOWTIME and the fans at Pechanga witness our 2004 US Olympic gold medalist in action the same night,” Ward’s promoterDan Goossen said. “Kessler may be the champion, but Andre Ward is coming to take that title and making history.”

Goossen is referencing the Group Stage 1 matchup of Ward vs. Kessler in the celebrated Super Six World Boxing Classic, Nov. 21, 2009, live on SHOWTIME. Ward-Kessler promises to be one of the most exciting fights of the year, pitting Team USA’s only Olympic Games gold medalist from Athens 2004 against Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs), of Copenhagen, Denmark, an early favorite in the tournament.

In his last fight on Dec. 6, 2008, Pudwill, 34, beat Anthony Osbourne in Mandan, N.D., with an eighth-round knockout. Inactive in all of 2007, Pudwill suffered a loss in his fight before Osbourne to John Duddy at Madison Square Garden in 2006.

Pudwill took eight straight wins into the Duddy fight and didn’t lose for almost five years in a time-span that dated from June 2001 to March 2006.

Sharing the stage with Ward in Temecula will be former two-time Ring Magazine “Fighter of the Year” and multi-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney, who will be featured in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout. The 40-year young native of Ann Arbor, MI now living in Sherman Oaks, CA, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, either in the ring or out of it, remains steadfast in his belief that he can become heavyweight champion of the world.

Toney (71-6-3, 43 KO), who won a hard-fought decision against rugged veteran Fres Oquendo in his last ring appearance back in December, is no stranger to Pechanga. He has turned in three impressive performances there, including a knockout victory over Jason Robinson (2002) in an IBF Cruiserweight Eliminator; a 12-round unanimous-decision verdict over Rydell Booker (2004) for the Vacant IBA Heavyweight Title and a WBC Heavyweight Elimination bout; and had former WBC Heavyweight Champion Hasim Rahman (2007) out-boxed and in big trouble when “Rock” informed the ringside physician that he could no longer see out of one eye and a TKO win for Toney was eventually overturned and ruled a “No Decision.”

“I love fighting and I especially love it at Pechanga,” Toney offered. “None of the Russian chumps who are posing as champions want to fight me. I am the best heavyweight boxer in the world and I will do whatever it takes to get one of those titles. But first I am going to kick some a** on September 12.”

Goossen, who also promotes Toney, said: “James believes he will not let another opportunity slip through his fingers again — even at the age of 40 — and has recommitted himself to getting into great shape. If in fact he can go into his bag of tricks and pull out a few good performances, there is no doubt that he will place himself back into the Heavyweight World Championship picture in 2010. We shall see.”

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