Archive for the ‘Boxing News’ Category

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Video, 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.

Eight-division king Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) will defend his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against three-division, five-time champion, Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) in a May 7, Showtime pay per view televised clash that is being promoted by Top Rank Promotions from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

NBA Superstar LeBron James of the Miami Heat and his Filipino coach, Eric Spolstra, weigh in, as do rapper Drake and actress Niecy Nash.

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Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

LAS VEGAS — On February 12, less than a month after his 37th birthday, five-time titlist Marco Antonio Barrera of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, scored a knockdown in each round on the way to a second-round stoppage of 43-year-old journeyman Jorge Arias of Providence, R.I.

The win represented the 44th knockout, and the 67th victory overall against seven losses for Barrera, who ended a nine-fight winning streak by Arias (15-2, nine KOs) that had included seven consecutive knockout wins for a man who was stopped for the first time in his career.

Barrera had ended a 15-month layoff with June’s lightweight, unanimous decision over Brazil’s Adailton De Jesus, his first opponent since losing a five-round, technical decision to current WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) titlist Amir Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) of England in March of 2009.

Barrera trailed Khan on all three cards when their fight was stopped — this, after Barrera suffered a severe cut on the left side of his head following a clash of heads.

The Khan match would have been declared a no-contest if it had been stopped in the fourth round, automatically forcing a rematch. Barrera had been similarly cut following a clash of heads in his previous fight, a January, 2009, third-round disqualification victory over Freudis Rojas.

On Friday, Barrera was in attendance at the weigh-in at the Mandalay Bay Hotel for Saturday night’s HBO televised bantamweight (118 pounds) championship clash featuring WBO and WBC titlist Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs), of Mexico, and, WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) king Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), who are being promoted by Top Rank Promotions.

The 31-year-old Montiel and Barrera are among five Mexican fighters to have won world titles over the course of three divisions — the others being WBA and WBO lightweight (135 pounds) titlist Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs), Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (107-6-2, 86 KOs) and Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KOs).

Montiel is riding an 11-0-1 unbeaten streak that includes nine knockouts, four straight stoppages and a mark of 5-0-1, with five knockouts in his past six fights. The 28-year-old Donaire, of the Philippines, enters his second-ever and second straight bantamweight match up in pursuit of his 25th straight victory and his 10th stoppage in his past 12 fights.

In April, Montiel trailed on the cards when he scored a sensational fourth-round knockout over Hozumi Hasegawa (29-3, 12 KOs), a man who was in search of his sixth straight stoppage during a 25-fight winning streak that had included 11 knockouts.

Barrera is most known for winning two fights in his trilogy with Morales, one whose legendary status, for Mexicans, rivals the one between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. In addition, Barrera remains the only man to have defeated former WBO and IBF featherweight (126 pounds) King Prince Naseem Hamed of England, who was 35-0, with 31 knockouts before losing a unanimous decision to Barrera in April of 2001.

Always a warrior, Barrera has twice defeated Rocky Juarez, fallen by unanimous decision to Marquez, and lost, respectively, by 11th-round knockout and decision to eight-division king and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Manny Pacquiao (53-2-1, 38 KOs).

Barrera spoke to FanHouse concerning his legacy as well as his future in this Q&A.

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Fanhouse Boxing

Filed under: WBO, Boxing Video, 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.

Eight-division king Manny Pacquiao will pursue his 14th consecutive victory and his ninth knockout during that run on May 7 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas when he defends his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against three-division, five-time titlist, Shane Mosley, in a Showtime televised, Top Rank Promotions clash.

Five-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach has expressed that his biggest concern regarding Pacquiao is the champion’s focus.

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Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, IBO

LAS VEGAS — In Saturday night’s Top Rank Promotions, HBO televised welterweight (147 pounds) rematch at the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Jesus Soto-Karass (pictured above, at left), of Mexico, will try to avenge November’s disputed unanimous decision loss to unbeaten Philadelphia prospect, Mike Jones (pictured above, at right).

The 27-year-old Jones (23-0, 18 knockouts) was declared the winner against the 28-year-old Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs) following their first match up at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, that, being on the under card of an HBO pay per view televised unanimous decision win by eight-division king and WBO welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao (53-2-1, 38 KOs) over ex-champion Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) for the WBC’s vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt.

Soto-Karass absorbed more than 50 punches during a second-round in which he appeared to be nearly knocked out by Jones, who was physically gassed and out of energy throughout much of the bout’s remainder.

Overall, “Mike Jones threw 116 punches in that second round, including 90 power punches,” according to ringside CompuBox statistics provided by HBO’s the senior vice president of sports programming, Kery Davis.

Jones-Soto-Karass II takes place on the under card of a bantamweight (118 pounds) main event featuring former WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs) against WBO and WBC king Fernando Montiel (44-2-2, 34 KOs) of Mexico.

In this Q&A, Soto-Karass spoke to FanHouse concerning his shot at redemption.

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Fanhouse Boxing

Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Video, 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.

When eight-division king Manny Pacquiao enters the ring opposite 39-year-old three-division, five-time champion, Shane Mosley, in defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt on May 7, in a Top Rank Promotions, Showtime pay per view televised clash, the 32-year-old champion won’t be with a man who is past his prime, according to Mosley.

Pacquiao is coming off of November’s unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 knockouts) that earned him the WBC’s vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt, which he has since vacated, but Mosley stopped Margarito in the ninth round in January of 2009.

Call his critics “Crazy,” Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) believes that he is not too old to end the run by Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) of 13 straight victories that includes eight knockouts during that span.

Other than present WBA junior middleweight king Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) and six-time titlist Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs), who decisioned Mosley, respectively, for the WBA welterweight crown in November of 2007, and, in a May of 2010 non-title bout, Mosley’s only troubles have come against taller boxers with good defensive skills.

Mosley was unbeaten before twice losing his WBC welterweight belt to the late, 6-foot tall, Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs) in January and July of 2002, and, also suffered back-to-back decision losses in March and November of 2004 to the nearly 5-11 southpaw Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs) when Mosley was dethroned as WBA and WBC junior middleweight champ.

In September, Mosley battled to a junior middleweight draw with 6-foot, ex-champion Sergio Mora (21-2-2, six KOs), a man who has split bouts with Forrest, who floored Mosley for the only time in the latter’s career in their initial fight.

Prior to facing Mora, against whom many observers felt that Mosley looked old, he staggered Mayweather and appeared to be on the verge of a knockout during their battle in May, only to lose a lopsided decision.

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Fanhouse Boxing

Filed under: WBA, WBC, WBO, Boxing Video, Boxing Rumors, HBO, 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 visited the Goossen Gym in Van Nuys, Calif., to speak with trainer, Jorge Diaz, concerning some upcoming bouts, as well as whom he believes to be the premiere Mexican boxer in history.

Among them could be WBO and WBC bantamweight (118 pounds) champion Fernando Montiel (pictured at right), of Mexico, who has Saturday night’s HBO televised affair that is being promoted by Top Rank Promotions from the Mandalay Hotel in Las Vegas against WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire.

The 31-year-old Montiel (44-2-2, 34 knockouts) is riding an 11-0-1 unbeaten streak that includes nine knockouts, four straight stoppages and a mark of 5-0-1, with five knockouts in his past six fights.

In addition, Montiel is among five Mexican fighters to have won world titles over the course of three divisions — the others being WBA and WBO lightweight (135 pounds) titlist Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs), Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (107-6-2, 86 KOs), Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KOs) and Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs).

Another Mexican great was the late former world champion, Salvador Sanchez Jr., who earned the WBC featherweight (126) title with a 13th-round knockout of Danny Lopez in February of 1980 and defended it nine times.

Salvador Sanchez Jr. died in a car accident shortly after stopping previously unbeaten Azumah Nelson in the 15th round of their July, 1982 match up.

Diaz also commented on upcoming bouts between Mexico’s 20-year-old WBC silver belt titlist Saul Alvarez and England’s Matthew Hatton for the WBC’s junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt in an HBO televised, March 5 clash, as well as a Showtime pay per view televised May 7 match up featuring eight division king, Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) defending against three-division, five-time titlist Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs).

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Filed under: WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

LAS VEGAS — Earlier this month, top Rank CEO Bob Arum spoke to FanHouse concerning the May 7, Showtime pay per view televised, WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense of by eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, against three-division, five-time titlist, Shane Mosley.

The 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts), Arum and Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, have taken some cricitism for chosing to face the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) over options that also included a third bout with 37-year-old WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) king Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 38 KOs), or, unbeaten, 27-year-old WBC welterweight king Andre Berto (26-0, 21 KOs).

Marquez has battled Pacquiao to a draw, and, lost to on a disputed, split-decision, respectively, in May of 2004, and, March of 2008.

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Filed under: WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Showtime, Top Rank Promotions

Mexico’s 20-year-old WBC silver belt titlist Saul Alvarez will compete for the WBC’s junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt in an HBO televised, March 5 bout that is being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in Los Angeles against England’s Matthew Hatton, the younger brother of former world champion, Ricky Hatton, this, in accordance with Wednesday’s announcement by the WBC.

Eight division king, Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) had earned the vacant belt with a November unanimous decision win over ex-champion Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) in an HBO pay per view televised bout at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

But Pacquiao relinquished the crown in favor of making a defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title in a May 7, Showtime pay per view televised Top Rank Promotions bout against three-division, five-time titlist Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs).

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Filed under: WBC, WBO, Golden Boy Promotions, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Showtime, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

NEW YORK — Riding on a train destined for Washington, D.C., from New York, and sitting across from his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao, on Valentines Day, eight division king, Manny Pacquiao, was nearing the end of a long day — the third of an eventual four as part of a promotional tour touting his May 7, Showtime pay per view televised WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title defense against three-division, five-time titlist Shane Mosley.

Throughout much of the three-hour trek, the 32-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) had answered questions ranging from whether or not his role as a congressman in the Saragani Province of his native Philippines would interfere with his ability to prepare for the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs), to the strategy he hoped to employ against his opponent, to, how long he planned to continue fighting.

Pacquiao was, afterall, accompanied by some 40-or-so media personnel, including those from CNN, CBS, National Public Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, Playboy, and The Examiner.

An earlier in the day event had featured 150-or-so media members at a New York press conference at the Chelsea Pier No. 61.

On Thursday, Pacquiao and Mosley were greeted by 300 or so reporters who attended a similar affair at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and, on Saturday, another was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The tour is to conclude with the visit to Washington, D.C., during which Pacquiao was welcomed on the floor of the United States Senate as a guest of Nevada Senator, Harry Reid, with the hopes that Pacquiao and Jinkee can later meet president Barack Obama.

But just as Monday’s ride slowly pulled into its final destination, the Union Station of the nation’s capitol’s public subway system, Pacquiao was asked exclusively by FanHouse the inevitable and inescapable question about the prospect of a mega fight with unbeaten, six-time champion, Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs).

“You know, I’m not picking my opponents. But if that fight were to happen, that would be good. And I will fight. I will fight,” said Pacquiao.

“That would not only be good for me, but it would be good for the sake of the people,” said Pacquiao. “People want that fight. The fans are always asking me about that fight.”

Mayweather turned pro with Top Rank Promotions in 1996, but angrily severed ties with Arum’s company in 2006.

Since then, Mayweather has aligned himself with rival promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, which has worked his past four victories comprised of those over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Mosley.

Starting with De La Hoya, Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, told FanHouse that Mayweather “has made over 0 million” with the promotional company.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum, told reporters in Las Vegas that he is also keen on making the bout with Mayweather, perhaps in November, should Pacquiao defeat Mosley.

“Floyd is still our number one priority,” said Arum. “We want to find out if he’s available or what his legal status is,” said Arum. “Right now I have no idea.”

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

Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, are in a luncheon meeting with president Barack Obama and his wife, Michele, “as we speak,” the adviser of the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) titlist, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse moments ago.

“We’re standing at the entrance way to the White House right now waiting for him to come out. Manny was very excited about it,” said Koncz.

“They will have probably been in there for about an hour or more before they’re done, him and Jinkee,” said Koncz. “Just him and Jinkee, and that’s all who were allowed in there. They’ve been in there for 10 or 15 minutes already.”

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