Chagaev vs. Meehan for interim title: Could the WBA sink any lower?

Fightnews.com has reported that the World Boxing Association ordered an interim title fight between former heavyweight titlist Ruslan Chagaev and former WBO title challenger Kali Meehan. The WBA, according to Fightnews.com, summoned up this not so brilliant idea at their annual convention in Medellin, Columbia.

Meehan earned the mandatory spot in the WBA when he defeated DaVarryl Williamson by a sixth round TKO at Madison Square Garden in October of 2007. Chagaev fought heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in his previous outting back in June, but was dominated and stopped in the 9th round of their title fight in Germany.

Call me crazy, but I always thought the purpose of an interim title fight is to have a champion ready to crown, in the event that the actual champion himself remains inactive or vacates. David Haye just won the WBA title by majority decision over Nicolai Valuev on November 7, so why has the organization already ordered an interim title fight? Why are they ordering Meehan to face Chagaev, a man who was just stopped in his last fight, for this ridiculous interim title?

This commentator says, the WBA should allow Haye to defend his title before they begin searching their ever so dense list of contenders for another champion. Haye is supposed to fight continuously recycled heavyweight contender John Ruiz in his next fight. How exactly is Ruiz granted so many opportunities, after losing in consecutive attempts for the sanctioning body's title?? That, too, is quite troubling and indicative of just how shallow the heavyweight division has truly become.

How about Meehan and Ruiz agree to fight each other in order to fairly cement the number one spot in the WBA, while Haye celebrates the title he just won a few weeks ago??? Such a scenario might be just a little too logical for the WBA to bring to fruition. We should all be well aware by now that the corrupt sanctioning bodies feel the need to have multiple champions in each weight class.

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Manny Pacquiao tests free of steroids!

Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao has once again, for the tenth time in the state of Nevada, tested free of steroids according to today's report at ABS-CBN News. According to Executive Director Keith Kizer of the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), Pacquiao underwent urine tests, before and after the fight, and both tests came back negative.

There have recently been rumors of steroid usage drummed up by disbelievers in the sport, such as world renowned trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., former IBF welterweight champion Kermit Cintron, and former IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi.

Of course Malignaggi shares two common opponents with Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton, but Malignaggi lost to both of those fighters in the two biggest fights of his professional career thus far. Pacquiao, on the other hand, dominated and stopped both of them in impressive fashion. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to anyone that Pacquiao's success would result in skepticism from the outspoken Magic Man of Bensonhurst Brooklyn.

Malignaggi was quoted by Fighthype.com, suggesting to the hosts of the radio podcast at Onthegrindboxing.com, "There's something fishy about Manny Pacquiao, man, for a lot of reasons...if the situation is what I think it is, God, Manny Pacquiao will not lose to any of these welterweights. It's unfortunate. The level of drug testing in boxing is not really that deep. I mean, we have urine tests on the day of the fight and we don't have much else... there's things that don't come up in drug tests. There's ways to beat drug tests."

No Paulie, forget about ways to beat drug tests for just a moment. In the sport of boxing, the name of the game is for one to find a way to beat opponents rather than beating drug tests. One can not test ten times and turn in negative results each and every single time if he is generally regarded as a dirty fighter. Not everyone who defeats Miguel Cotto is necessarily going to be committing foul play. Maybe, just maybe, the haters and skeptics should give the man some credit for his accomplishments.

Malignaggi continued, "I know a lot of people are going to hate what I think. But it's what I think. I'm not telling anybody that it’s a fact." Well the more important fact remains, Pacquiao has passed ten drug tests in Nevada. I doubt anybody is hating what Malignaggi thinks. In all due respect, perhaps it is Mr. Malignaggi who is the one spewing hate towards Pacquiao for defeating the foes, who have legitimately pinned two losses on the Magic Man's professional record, in such spectacular fashion.

As for Mayweather, Sr., he is well aware that the pride of the Philippines could very well be facing his son in one of the most hotly anticipated fights of all time, so this commentator would expect Mayweather Sr. to start talking trash especially if he is at all concerned about his undefeated son's chances of victory.

Mayweather Sr. was quoted as saying in a report by Nowboxing.com, "Full blown welterweights don’t take those types of punches from Miguel Cotto the way he (Pacquiao) took them with total disregard for his power nor do they hurt him with every punch they hit him with… There is something that seriously makes me feel weird about Manny Pacquiao. I am going to leave it at that." In all due respect, Pacquiao is not the first fighter to move up in weight and take punches better than he did in the lower weight classes. Perhaps somebody should remind Mr. Mayweather that Chris Byrd began his professional career at 160lbs, moved up to heavyweight years later, and went twelve rounds with current heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko [weighing 238lbs at fight time!] in October of 2000.

Felix Trinidad also got stronger as he moved up in weight, from 147lbs all the way to 166lbs. Trinidad, when he campaigned as a welterweight, was dropped by a number of lesser opponents. As he moved up in weight, he was able to take punches better than he did at the lower weight classes. Nobody in their right mind would've guessed that a man who was knocked down by welterweights Anthony Stephens, Luis Ramon Campas, Oba Carr, and Kevin Lueshing would go almost 12 rounds with middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, much less last the distance with former light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. at a catch weight of 166lbs.

Pacquiao, who for the tenth time turned in a negative test result for steroids in Nevada, has always dismissed the claims and has insisted that he is a clean fighter who has never taken any performance enhancing drugs. Pacquiao told Fanhouse.com, "Maybe all of them -- they're using the steroids, and not me. You know what? I don't even know what a steroid is. I've never done that."

Steroids will not enhance one's ability to take solid punch to the chin, nor do they necessarily boost a fighter's stamina. Steroids certainly did not help Shane Mosley in his September 2003 rematch with Oscar De la hoya, nor did they benefit Fernando Vargas in his September 2002 title unification against De la hoya. If anything, it appeared as though Vargas tired as the fight progressed before De la hoya inevitably stopped him in the 11th round. Hopefully this dispels any rumors of foul play by Pacquiao.

How many times will a fighter be expected to return negative test results before one rightfully accepts him as a clean fighter who competes fair and square? Can the haters finally accept Pacquiao for the great fighter that he has become through hard work, dedication, and a desire to continuously face the best fighters in the world as he moves up in weight? Regardless of the matter, rumors of Pacquiao using performance enhancing drugs should be discarded.

The boxing world will continue to await finalization of the much anticipated Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight, for which HBO has already reserved the date of May 1, 2010 should the epic showdown come to fruition as a reality. Mainstream media is already buzzing about the prospects of such an event taking place.

photo courtesy: pinayheaven.com

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Negotiations for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather have begun!

Dan Rafael of ESPN recently reported that negotiations for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather have recently begun.  On Monday morning, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer flew from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to meet with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum for lunch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.  Both parties have agreed to keep the negotiations private and out of the media. 

Schaefer was recently quoted as saying, "As part of the negotiations both Bob and I had to agree to keep all discussions confidential.  No further comments will be made until such time that we either have a deal or the negotiations fall apart."

While Schaefer does not currently have a promotional contract with Mayweather, the two maintain a friendly working relationship and have successfully worked together to negotiate Money May's last three fights.  Schaefer further elaborated, "Floyd and me want to see if we can get the fight done.  The fact that I am flying to Las Vegas to meet with Bob shows you how serious our side is about making the fight. Bob and I will approach this without egos and try to get it done under fair terms. Floyd gave me his marching orders and I will see today how it goes and report back." 
 
In his last outting on September 19 at the MGM Grand, Mayweather returned from a 21 month retirement to face Juan Manuel Marquez.  Mayweather unanimously outpointed Marquez, in a PPV event that generated approximately 1.05 million buys.  The Pacquiao vs. Cotto PPV produced 1.25 million buys and generated $70 million in revenue.  Arum also confirmed the meeting with Schaefer, as he informed ESPN, ""I can confirm I am meeting with Richard, but I'm not going to talk about the specifics.  It's a meeting where we will try to make the fight. Whether it can be made or not in this meeting, I don't know. We'll see what we will see."
 
As this commentator stated in a previous post, the idea of Schaefer negotiating this fight with Arum rather than Mayweather's advisors Leonard Ellerbe or Al Haymon, is an intelligent business decision.  Schaefer's job is to effectively communicate Team Mayweather's position to Arum as fairly and professionally as possible.  Talks between Schaefer and Arum, who have also developed a sound working relationship, are not likely to envoke as much ego or tension as talks between Arum and either Ellerbe or Haymon would.
 
However both sides end up spliting the money, this is still going to be the biggest pay day of both fighter's careers. As far as ideas for purse splits, how about adding the incentive of an additional bonus for the fighter who emerges as the victor?  Perhaps they split the initial purse 48/48 with the additional four percent being awarded to the winner?  How about 50/50, with a greater percentage of the PPV revenue being issued to the winner?  Mayweather probably maintains an edge in domestic popularity, whereas Pacquiao enjoys the greater international fan base.  I recently read the idea of an initial purse split of 50/50, with 55/45 of the domestic PPV revenue going to Mayweather and 55-45 of international PPV going to Pacquiao.  That is a brilliant idea. 

There are a number of reasonable ways to get this fight signed.  Let us hope that Schaefer and Arum realize them throughout their meetings with one another.  As a hardcore boxing fan, I sincerely hope they can find some way to get Pacquiao vs. Maywaether sealed and delivered. After all it is the first time, in God knows how long, that the top two universally recognized pound for pound best fighters in the world are campaigning at the same weight, in their respective primes, and could conceivably meet each other.   Remember, Mr. Schaefer and Mr. Arum - common sense, good faith negotiations while keeping the fans and the sport of boxing in mind. Find a way to make everyone happy.

Both combatants are already wealthier than Rockefeller.  The magnitude and significance of this event far outweighs the ever so common dollar sign. 
 
photo courtesy: golden boy

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Ward dominates Kessler to win WBA super middleweight title

Press Release: OAKLAND, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2009) — The United States is alive and well in the Super Six World Boxing Classic.
In a scintillating performance, undefeated hometown favorite Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KOs) captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight title with a dominant 11th-round technical decision over Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) in the Group Stage 1 Super Six World Boxing Classic bout for both boxers Saturday on SHOWTIME®.

An exciting, one-sided match was stopped at 1:42 of the 11th round by the ringside physician, Dr. Smith Ketchum, due to cuts around both of Kessler’s eyes. After 10 completed rounds, Ward was ahead by the scores of 98-92 on two of the scorecards and 97-93 on the other.

A raucous, pro-Ward crowd of 10,277, which included Heisman Trophy winner and NFL Hall of Famer Herschel Walker, Metallica drummer and Kessler fan, fellow Dane Lars Ulrich, Super Six fighter Andre Dirrell and Strikeforce Mixed Martial Arts stars Scott Smith, Josh Thompson and Gilbert Melendez, turned out at the Oracle Arena for what became a virtuoso performance by Ward..

Kessler entered the scheduled 12-round fight as a co-favorites to win the tournament and a 3:1 favorite to beat Ward, but after a career-best performance, Ward has perhaps stamped himself as the one to beat.
“This was my dream come true and right now I’m dreaming,’’ said an ecstatic Ward, who won an Olympic Games gold medal for the United States in 2004. “It may take a while for all of this to sink it, but I am enjoying it all. This is a moment I’ll never forget.’’

Heading into Saturday, the tournament had been an all European affair with Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch defeating Americans Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell in Germany and England, respectively, in their Group Stage 1 fights last Oct. 17 on SHOWTIME.

But the U.S. is now on the board, thanks to Ward, who made it three consecutive hometown favorites to win in the Super Six.

Standings after one round of the six-fighter, round-robin tournament: Abraham (three points), Ward and Froch (two points apiece) and Kessler, Taylor and Dirrell (zero points). Scoring in the first three Group Stages of the tournament are as follows: Win – 2 points (with a 1-point KO/TKO bonus); Draw – 1 point; Loss – 0 points.

Upcoming Group Stage 2 matchups (dates to be announced): Abraham vs. Dirrell; Froch vs. Kessler; and Ward vs. Taylor.

At the post-fight press conference, representatives from the city of San Francisco, speaking on behalf of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom officially presented a letter of proclamation that Saturday, Nov. 21, was officially Andre Ward day.

But this was Ward’s night, too, as he effectively switched from orthodox to southpaw, consistently beat Kessler to the punch, never gave the Dane a moment to relax and bloodied the defending champion around both eyes to the delight of the fans who chanted “USA, USA’’ on several occasions.
“He never hurt me,’’ Ward said. “I was a little surprised that they stopped it when they did. I had just connected with a big right hand and would like to have seen what would have happened if the round had continued.

“I felt like it was my time. We were not intimidated by Kessler's record. Everyone felt that we got the bad draw in the first round. We never believed that. We beat the top guy.

“This win is as much for me as it is for Virgil Hunter. He has an Olympic gold medal with me and now he has a world championship.
“There were two accidental butts. I am not a dirty fighter. Everyone knows that. I’m ready to go and take the next step.

Kessler, who’s only pro loss was to Joe Calzaghe, said, “He was the better man tonight, but I wish the fight could have gone on. I wanted to continue. The cuts were not dangerous.

“He was going in with his head all the time. He was punching in the clinch. I am not used to this and I got off my rhythm. I don’t know why he never received a warning.

“After the butt (in the eighth round) I could not see anymore. If I fight Andre Ward again, I cannot go straight forward or stay in the middle. I have to go side-to-side.’’

Regarding his next tournament fight, Kessler said, “I have to go back and see what I can improve and see if I still have it.’’

Gus Johnson (blow-by-blow), Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver (analysts) called the action from ringside with Jim Gray and Jenn Brown serving as roving reports. The executive producer is David Dinkins, Jr., with Bob Dunphy directing.

Saturday’s bout will re-air:

DAY CHANNEL

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 11 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME 2

The fight will be available On Demand beginning Tuesday, Nov. 24.

SHOWTIME Boxing Schedule: In seven days, promising undefeated lightweight John Molina (18-0, 14 KOs) will face Martin Honorio (26-4-1, 14 KOs) in the 10-round main event on a special Saturday edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on Nov. 28 (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). In the co-feature at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., Rico Ramos (13-0, 8 KOs) will be opposed by Alejandro Perez (14-1-1, 9 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.

On Friday, Dec. 4, at Chumash Resort Casino in Santa Ynez, Calif., hard-hitting, unbeaten junior middleweight Tyrone Brunson (20-0-1, 19 KO) will be opposed by Carson Jones (23-7-1 14 KOs) in the ShoBox 10-round main event. In the eight-round co-feature, undefeated Mauricio Herrera (13-0, 6 KOs) faces Mike Anchondo (29-2, 19 KOs) in a super lightweight bout.

In a terrific battle of unbeatens in the Saturday, Dec. 12 main event at Aqua Caliente Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif., on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast), World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm’’ Bradley (24-0, 11 KOs) of Palm Springs, Calif., will defend against Lamont “Havoc’’ Peterson (27-0, 13 KOs) of Washington, D.C. In the co-feature, Vic Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KOs) will risk his WBC and WBA 115-pound belts against Tomas Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KOs).

For information on all SHOWTIME Sports telecasts, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries from its events and complete information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at http://www.sports.sho.com/

photo courtesy: betus.com

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Kessler and Ward meet tonight in continuation of Super Six Tourney!

WBA super middleweight champion Mikkell Kessler will meet undefeated 2004 US Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward in a 12 round title affair at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.  In what is acknowledged as a home town fight for the challenger, Kessler has been in the ring with stiffer competition and has only one professional loss at the hands of Joe Calzaghe from November of 2007. 

Ward's claim to fame was his upset victory over the Russian world champion, Makarenko, to secure Olympic Gold in Athens Greece for the 2004 US team.  Early in his professional career, Ward had some question moments, when journeyman Daniel Boone managed to score a knockdown of Ward, but Ward went on to win that fight and has remained undefeated.  Kessler has fought  Calzaghe, as well as former super middleweight titlist Anthony Mundine, whom he managed to dominate.  Ward's biggest win came against Edison Miranda, whom he outscored to win win a unanimous decision this past May. 

Though one can never underestimate and undefeated young pugilist who brought a Gold medal back hom with him from the Olympics, this commentator believes Kessler holds a substantial edge in the experience as well as durability.  Both combatants have decent punching power, but Kessler carries the bigger wallup.  As mentioned previously, Ward has been hurt a few times before and was cut against Miranda in the first round of their fight.  Miranda was able to land some of his shots against Ward, yet Kessler's hand speed is classes above that of Miranda's.

Prediction: Kessler TKO 11.

Tonight's title fight will air on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.

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Team Mayweather will negotiate with Top Rank through Golden Boy Promotions CEO!

Floyd Mayweather Jr's lead advisor and confidant Leonard Ellerbe recently informed the Los Angeles Times that Team Mayweather is open to negotiating the Pacquiao fight through their co-promoter's CEO, Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer.

Ellerbe told The Times during a telephone interview, "Team Mayweather/Mayweather Promotions have been discussing our options and when we're finished, we'll let (co-promoter) Richard Schaefer express our position to Top Rank." This commentator supports that idea and believes that this is a fair and productive step, creating positive momentum that could possibly lead towards good faith negotiations in order to finalize this historic confrontation. Schaefer, who represents former super lightweight champion Ricky Hatton, is the gentlemen who effectively worked with Arum in arranging a deal to put together Pacquiao vs. Hatton.

Ellerbe continued, "It's no secret the camps don't see eye to eye, but this is bigger than boxing. We understand the magnitude of this." Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, whose relationship with Mayweather has deteriorated ever since their split in 2006, clearly does not see eye to eye professionally with Mayweather Promotions.  Ellerbe is correct in noting the magnitude of this fight; I believe he is sending a good message.  Such a potentially historical event is indeed considerably greater than any feud or discrepancy that might be ongoing. Golden Boy Promotions, on the other hand, has a constructive working relationship with Mayweather. Golden Boy has been successful in coming to terms with Top Rank, after a prolonged dispute between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De la hoya had been preventing those two promotional companies from doing business.

Ellerbe failed to disclose the purse split that Mayweather is requesting, but assured The Times that if a fight with Pacquiao can not be made, Team Mayweather would purse a match with welterweight champion Shane Mosley if he is successful against WBC welterweight titlist Andre Berto on January 30.

photo courtesy: Las Vegas Review Journal

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Are negotiations for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather over before they even began?

Following pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao's scintillating 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto this past Saturday night, the boxing world has shifted its attention to the prospects of the long-awaited clash between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. In a recently televised statement on KTLA, Mayweather was quoted as saying, “Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone including his loud-mouthed trainer talk for him. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself."

Forgive me if I'm mistaking, but didn't that same tactic fail previously for both Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley? In 2006, if memory serves this commentator correctly, Margarito challenged Mayweather to a fight during the De la hoya vs. Mayorga post-fight press conference in Las Vegas while Mayweather was doing an interview, but Money May dismissed the challenge, claiming that Margarito had to win a few big fights and establish a reputation for himself before such an event could become reality.

Exactly two months ago this very day, following Mayweather's come back win over Marquez, Mosley was in the ring with Mayweather during his post-fight interview with Max Kellerman and he also confronted Mayweather in front of thousands in attendance as well as 1.6 million PPV television viewers. Mayweather, in a defensive manner, hastily replied, "I don't come up here and interrupt you when you're doing your interview. Don't disrespect me. Respect me as a man."

Taking those hypocritical responses into consideration, how exactly will Pacquiao be any more successful in landing a fight with Money May, by categorically stating that he is eager to face Floyd Mayweather, whereas an identical approach failed for both Margarito and Mosley? Hypocrisy at its finest, ladies and gentlemen. As of Monday afternoon, there were reports in the Manilla Times that Pacquiao was fully aware of Mayweather's request that he express an interest in fighting him. Pacquiao called Mayweather's bluff, as he declared, "OK, let's do it."

Pacquiao once again articulated his interest in facing Mayweather, when interviewed by Cher Calvin of KTLA, as you can also see for yourself in the following video.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, has expressed his willingness to enter negotiations amidst his ongoing feud and soured relationship with the undefeated braggart. Arum admitted, “Maybe I prefer not to deal with him, but if your fighter wants a fight, you deal. Mayweather is not one of my favorite people, and I’m sure I’m not one of his. What difference does that make?” USA Today also reported on Monday that Mayweather would enter negotiations within 24 hours of Pacquiao's agreement to face him.

What exactly is the status of the negotiation process for Pacquiao vs. Mayweather at this time? According to Ben Thompson of Fighthype.com, Mayweather is already considering fights with Matthew Hatton (brother of Ricky), Dimitry Salita, and Carlos Quintana (whom Paul Williams knocked out in less than a round last year). Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Salita have a fight coming up with WBA super lightweight champion Amir Khan? Isn't Quintana penciled in for a meeting with former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey on December 5 in Atlantic City, on the under of Williams vs. Martinez?

When questioned by a member of the media about a possible meeting with Mosley at the post-fight press conference following the Marquez fight, Mayweather replied, "Mosley has a fight scheduled. He should be in training right now." That being the case, why is Mayweather wasting his time considering other opponents who also have fights scheduled on the horizon? More importantly why are those options not Manny Pacquiao, less than 24 hours after both parties agreed to come together in good faith to produce the showdown that the world is clamouring to see? One can only hope that this is a petty ploy on behalf of Mayweather to gain greater leverage at the bargaining table for the Pacquiao fight.

Earlier this year, you may recall a post I published on this website, questioning Mayweather's willingness to face Pacquiao when the time came for the two superstars to meet in a big showdown to determine boxing's best pound for pound competitor. During that period of time, many may have felt as though I was being too critical of the former pound for pound king. Noticing the sequence of events that have unfolded over the past four days, perhaps the question once again resurfaces. Is Floyd Mayweather, Jr going to avoid a fight with Manny Pacquiao?

Boxingchronicles.com will continue to follow this story as it develops.

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Pacquiao sensational in 12th round stoppage of Cotto!

Last Saturday night Boxingchronicles.com was once again on hand at Miami Mike's Sports Zone in East Hanover, NJ, when pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao scored a 12th round TKO over defending champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV to claim the WBO welterweight title. Pacquiao's triumph could best be described as historic, as the pride of the Philippines has risen from 110lbs, and has now become a volatile force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division.

Criticism that Pacquiao is a little lightweight who can not take a powerful welterweight punch has been dispelled. In the first round, Cotto was able to keep Pacquiao at bay with his jab and land a number of telling blows that had the Pacquiao contingent concerned. From the second round on, Pacquiao turned up the tempo and began to find his punching range as he settled into a rhythm.

Pacquiao scored a flash knockdown of Cotto with a right hand in round three, but Cotto was not seriously hurt. In fact, Cotto seemed to be winning the fourth round, when Pacquiao stunned him with a left uppercut with only ten seconds remaining in the round. From that point forward, Pacquiao proceeded to gradually wear the Puerto Rican down with brutal power shots, particularly when he had Cotto on the ropes.

By the eighth round, it was apparent that the bloodied and battered Cotto had put forth a courageous effort, but at that time he was in complete retreat and trying his best to play out the clock and survive until the final bell. Pacquiao reigned a series of explosive flurries on his beaten foe in the twelfth and final round, prompting referee Jay Nady to call a hault to the contest 0:55 seconds into the round. With the monumental win, Pacquiao picks up his seventh world title.

The attention of the boxing world now turns to the long awaited clash between Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

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Hopkins faces Ornelas on December 2; televised on VERSUS!

Press Release: PHILADELPHIA, PA - Long synonymous with the fighting city of Philadelphia, future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins' remarkable career will continue in his hometown on Wednesday, December 2, when "The Executioner," who will be fighting in Philly for the first time since 2003, faces hard-hitting Enrique Ornelas at theLiacouras Center at Temple University. The 12-round light heavyweight bout will be televised live on VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, at 8 p.m. ET.

In addition to fighting for his fans, Hopkins will be fighting for charity as he has committed to donating one dollar from each ticket sold to three select charities. Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Philadelphia & Susquehanna Valley, to which Hopkins will donate in memory of Shaun Negler, one of his biggest fans, whose last wish was to attend Hopkins' fight against Joe Calzaghe before succumbing to brain cancer in late 2008 at the age of 18, will be one beneficiary. The second recipient of the fight's proceeds will be The Hero Thrill Show, an annual day of events designed to raise money for the education of relatives of deceased police and fire personnel killed in the line of duty while protecting Philadelphia. Finally, one dollar will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. in memory of Hopkins' deceased mother Shirley who suffered from breast cancer and in recognition of all those who are currently battling the disease.

"I'm thrilled about the opportunity to once again bring a fight to the city of Philadelphia," said Hopkins, the former middleweight champion who owns a perfect 10-0 record in Philly. "A lot has changed in my career since I fought here six years ago and I want to give my fans the chance to see me fight again at home. To top it off, a portion of the proceeds from this fight will go to three charities that are extremely important to me. December 2 is going to be a great night for boxing and a great night for Philadelphia."

"Fighting Bernard Hopkins is an honor and I thank him for the opportunity," said Ornelas. "But once the bell rings, I'm going to do everything in my power to beat him and show the world what I can do when the spotlight is shining brightest."

"Broad Street Brawl": Hopkins vs. Ornelas is presented by Golden Boy Promotions East and will be televised live on VERSUS beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first bell rings at 6 p.m. ET.

Tickets, priced at $200, $100, $75, $50 and $25, will go on sale on Thursday, October 15 at 10 a.m. ET exclusively through ComcastTIX on line at ComcastTIX.com, by calling 1-800-298-4200 or in person at the Liacouras Center box office.

A man who needs no introduction to fight fans, Philadelphia native Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KO's) already assured himself a spot in the boxing Hall of Fame with his more than 10-year reign as champion atop the middleweight division with a record 20 successful title defenses. Never one to rest on his laurels, in 2006 Hopkins moved up in weight and recorded a huge win over Antonio Tarver to win the light heavyweight title. With his subsequent win over Winky Wright and his destruction of the younger and then undefeated Kelly Pavlik in his most recent bout in October of 2008, Hopkins is showing the world that life begins at 40. Now 44 years young, Hopkins is back in action and eager to continue to show the young guns how it's done.

Hard-hitting, Enrique Ornelas (29-5, 19 KO's) has emerged from the shadow of his older brother, super middleweight contender Librado Andrade, and carved out his own niche in the fight game with his aggressive style and fight-ending power. Fresh off of a fourth round stoppage of Roberto Baro in July, the 29-year-old Los Angeles based native of Jesus Del Monte, Guanajuato Mexico is eager to put his mark in the history books by becoming one of the few fighters to own a win over Bernard Hopkins.

Despite being home to such legendary fighters such as "Smokin" Joe Frazier, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Meldrick "The Kid" Taylor, Jeff Chandler and Tommy Loughran, Philadelphia may be known to fight fans mainly for the great middleweights it has produced over the years, including Bernard Hopkins, Bennie Briscoe, Willie 'The Worm' Monroe and Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts. These 160-pound warriors made their names in such storied venues as the Blue Horizon and the Spectrum and with their never surrender attitude in the ring, they let the world know just what it meant to be a "Philly Fighter". Hopkins is modern day Philadelphia boxing's link to that tradition and will look to prove it on December 2 in front of his hometown fans in what could be his last fight in the City of Brotherly Love.

A full slate of exciting undercard bouts will be announced shortly.

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Diaz vs. Malignaggi December 12 rematch close to a done deal!

Boxingchronicles.com has been informed that Diaz vs. Malignaggi is very close to being a done deal. While the fight is not yet officially set, it has been determined that the agreed upon weight is 139lbs, the date will be December 12, and the fight will be televised on HBO.

In terms of venues at which the rematch will take place, it comes down to Las Vegas, NV and Chicago, IL. Should both parties agree to have the fight in a neutral location, they'd be better served to put it in Chicago.

Las Vegas is probably a little too close to Houston to suit the comfort of Team Malignaggi. According to reliable sources, Team Malignaggi is waiting on a signed contract from the Diaz camp. Stay tuned for more to follow.

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Can Taylor spoil Abraham's debut at super middleweight?

Over two years ago, Jermain Taylor was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world enjoying his lofty status in the top ten of most pound for pound ratings.  All of accolades would come to a crashing halt in the 7th round of his title defense against Kelly Pavlik at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, when he was beaten the canvas by Pavlik and mercifully saved by the referee. 

Since the knockout loss to Pavlik, Taylor has gone 0-2 in his last couple of fights, including a dramatic knockout loss to WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch in the final seconds of his last fight in April. Tayler, ahead on the judges scorecards, was merely seconds away from victory before it was painfully snatched away from him. Funny how such a scenario could literally be taken as déjà vu, as yours truly recalls another memorable fight with a shockingly similar conclusion, involving another fellow named [Meldrick] Taylor. Leading on two of the official ringside judge's scorecards, Meldrick was also knocked out by the great Mexican champion Julio Cesar Chavez in the closing seconds of their classic title fight in March of 1990! 

This Saturday night at the O2 World Arena, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany, Taylor will attempt to revive his career when he takes on undefeated former IBF middleweight champion King Arthur Abraham who is making his debut in the super middleweight division. Abraham vs. Taylor is one of the opening bouts, in a series of intriguing matchups that will be taking place in Showtime's Super Six Classic tournament. The tournament is intended to match the best super middleweight titlists and contenders against one another, in what will hopefully produce the universally recognized super middleweight champion of the world - the first since Joe Calzaghe defeated Mikkell Kessler for the distinction back in November of 2007.

Abraham had been a middleweight titlist for nearly four years, winning the vacant IBF title belt with a fifth round knockout of Kingsley Ikeke in December of 2005.  Since winning the title, Abraham has scored a series of title defenses against the likes of Kofi Jantuah, Edison Miranda, and Lujuan Simon.  In the last two years, three of Abraham's victories have been stoppages that occurred in the final three rounds [KO 11 Khoren Gevor; KO12 Elvin Ayala (brutal); TKO 10 Mahir Oral in his last fight].

 Following the announcement of the Super Six Classic, as well as the contenders who were to be involved, this reporter did not view Taylor as worthy candidate.  Cynics had endlessly criticized Taylor for his performances throughout his title reign, in his title winning effort over Bernard Hopkins as well as his less than stellar title defenses, claiming that he failed to live up to the tradition of great middleweight champions before him.

What many had dismissed was the notion that he faced his two biggest threats immediately upon winning the title, which happened to be Hopkins in a rematch and Wright immediately following.  What remains in question is how successfully the battle-tested Taylor will be able to perform, following two devastating knockout defeats, when entering the much anticipated and highly competitive super middleweight tournament.

Such statistics are sure to pose a concern to Team Taylor, realizing that their charge has shown a tendency to tire in the late rounds. While Abraham is favored to defeat Taylor on Saturday night, one can not deny that Taylor has faced far more credible opposition in Pavlik, Hopkins, Wright, and Cory Spinks.  One can not count Taylor out, not in this fight or the tournament in general, as he may very well be the Super Six Classic's dark horse.  Taylor has faced the best opposition of all the candidates, but he has also taken the most punishment and suffered the most humiliating experiences of all of them as well. 

There are many questions to be asked:  Can Abraham carry his punching power up with him eight pounds north of his previous weight class? How much does Taylor have left following the knockout loss to Froch?  Have the knock out losses to both Pavlik and Froch taken a toll on Taylor psychologically as well as physically?  Such questions will be answered on Saturday night when these two fighters meet in Germany on Showtime Championship Boxing. 

Logic tells this reporter that Abraham should be able to break Taylor down in the later rounds, as he has done against previous opponents, after experiencing some nervous moments of his own in the early rounds.  A precise prediction is soon to follow.

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Salgado stops Linares in first round; scores upset to win title!

Juan Carlos Salgado TKO1 Jorge Linares...Over the weekend in Tokyo, Japan, Juan Carlos Salgado won the WBA super featherweight championship, upsetting the previously unbeaten Jorge Linares by way of a first round technical knockout. Salgado dropped Linares with a quick left-right combination less than a minute into the round. Linares seemed to hit his head as he fell to the canvas from the first knockdown, which discombobulated him when he rose to his feet and beat the initial eight count. As the action resumed, Salgado wasted no time as he sprinted across the ring and fiercely attacked Linares, prompting the referee to stop the contest 1:13 into the first round.

Such a loss spells devastation early in the career of Linares, who joins Amir Khan and Victor Ortiz in the latest of young fighters who have suffered disappointing upset losses by way of stoppage. Perhaps what is most unfortunate about this defeat is the fact that this was Linares' Golden Boy Promotions debut, as the 24 year old was recently the latest of a series of prize fighters to sign with the promotional power house.

Linares had been showing promise as a young titlist and rising young star in the game, ever since his 10th round TKO of Oscar Larios in July of 2007. Where Linares goes from here, and how well he is able to rebound, remains to be seen. Possibly with careful matchmaking and an ability to learn from this set back, Linares will be able to fight his way back into contention and garner another title shot down the road. Others have lost fights in a similar fashion and have been able to climb back into contention to win world titles.

Khan, the current WBA super lightweight champion who was stopped in 52 seconds by the power punching Columbian Breidis Prescott in September of 2008, has since been able to sustain a successful return to prominence under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. Khan scored a five round technical decision over Marco Antonio Barrera last March, further adding to the foundation of that win by securing his first world title with an impressive unanimous decision over Andriy Kotelnik this past July in Manchester.

Years ago super bantamweight Oscar Larios was hurt and stopped in similar fashion when he fought Israel Vasquez, who is currently one of the best pound for pound fighters in the sport of boxing. A few years later, Larios and Vasquez would have a rematch in which Larios exacted revenge by beating up Vasquez and stopping him in the 12th and final round of a sensational fight that was televised on ESPN Friday Night Fights. Therefore anything is possible in rematches, should a rematch between Salgado and Linares materialize in the future. After all, it was not as if Salgado issued an extended beating to Linares or even knocked him out in brutal fashion.

This was a case of Linares being caught cold and stopped early. What remains to be seen is how well Linares is able to recover from such a loss, moreso mentally than physically.

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