Boxing Info (please stick)

[Complex]

Is Cotto battle-tested or battle-scarred?

Is Cotto battle-tested or battle-scarred?

WBO junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto was on the fast track to super stardom. Wins over quality fighters with names like Bazan, Maussa, Sosa, N'Dou, Pinto and Bailey only furthered his growing legend.

Cotto is too talented to waste his time with the Brancos and Malignaggis of the world. If he wants to be his country's next Wilfredo Gomez or Felix Trinidad, he will have to fight the best as they did, not become a paper champion more concerned with impressing himself and less concerned with living up to his talent.

[Complex]

Hopkins outpoints Ramos; Mosley, Figueroa draw

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=2353757

PHILADELPHIA -- Demetrius Hopkins unanimously outpointed Marios Jose Ramos to capture the U.S. Boxing Association junior welterweight title Friday night.



Hopkins (23-0-1), of Philadelphia, took control of the fight in the third round. He hit Ramos (16-2-1), of Phoenix, with a flurry of powerful right hands throughout the fight, although none sent him to the canvas.



"I felt I could've taken him out a couple of times, but he had a hard head," said Hopkins, the nephew of former undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins. "Once I got in a groove, I was throwing the right hand like a jab."



In the other featured bout, Miguel Figueroa (24-5-2), of Camden, N.J., and Larry Mosley (15-1-1), of Los Angeles, fought to a draw in a bout for the vacant North American Boxing Organization welterweight title.



Figueroa was the aggressor throughout the fight, despite badly injuring his right hand on an uppercut punch in the third round.



"I was only able to throw lefts. I couldn't even use my right hand," Figueroa said, his bruised hand soaking in ice. "I was more effective when we were boxing inside but I couldn't do a lot with my right hand."



Mosley's strategy was to counterattack and land shots to Figueroa's body. He landed some of the biggest blows of the fight, including a right hook in the eighth round of the twelve-round fight that appeared to stagger Figueroa.



"I'm disappointed because I thought I did enough to pull it out, but it's hard coming into his territory and getting a decision," Mosley said.



In other bouts:

• Chazz Witherspoon (10-6, 7 KOs), of Philadelphia, stopped Rodney Ray (4-4), of New York, in the second round of their heavyweight bout.

• Kaseem Wilson (2-0, 1 KO), of Philadelphia, stopped Gary Drayton (4-13-1), of Philadelphia, in the first round in a welterweight bout.

• Charles Cavallo (8-0, 2 KO), of Trenton, N.J., stopped Jason Medina (1-6), of Moline, Ill., in the second round of their welterweight bout.

• Mike Jones (2-0, 2 KO), of Philadelphia, stopped Cris Gray (1-2), of Vero Beach, Fla., in the second round of their welterweight bout.

• Rock Allen (6-0), of Philadelphia, outpointed Arthur Brambilla (8-6), of Phoenix, in a junior welterweight bout.

[Complex]

Re: Boxing Info (please stick)

Brewster...

Lamon Brewster, the poor schmuck. He’s set to defend his title for the fourth time – doesn’t it just figure? – on April Fool’s Day. After nearly two years as a champion, he still can’t get any respect.

What he gets instead are endless raspberries from the media and fight fans.

And why not? It’s easy to rib the current bearer of the lightly regarded WBO crown as “Lame-O” Brewster or “Lemon” Brewster. Maybe even “Punky” Brewster. In fact, the man who calls himself “Relentless,” who has somehow come through despite the whuppins he’s taken, has also endured so many licks outside the ring as to be rechristened “Beat Senseless.”

When Brewster won the vacant WBO title in a mild upset of the Wery Weary Wladimir Klitschko, people at first compared the fight to “Buster” Douglas’ coming out of nowhere to upend Mike Tyson.

At first, anyway.

Once the sweat on the canvas had dried – oh, within say 10 minutes – boxing writers were already having their fun. One said the bout “hurt Wladimir Klitschko’s career more than it helped Lamon Brewster’s.” Another pointed out that though Brewster won, he “showed he could be outboxed.” Even HBO, which broadcast the fight, described the Indianapolis native as “willing, if not entirely able.” Long-time boxing writer John Gregg might have said it best: “Brewster is one of those guys blessed by the boxing gods. Seemingly, what he lacks in talent he makes up for with an abundance of ‘lady luck.’”

Soon enough, Brewster had become to the heavyweight division what Team Canada is to North American hoops. What Royal Crown is to the cola wars. What the Mazda Miata is to sports cars – he has the right body size and type, but without either the sex appeal or the get-up-and-go.

Certainly Brewster’s first title defense did nothing to dispel the notion that he wasn’t on the fast track to Contenderhood. His former sparring partner and good buddy Kali Meehan outhustled and outpunched him throughout their fight and clocked him good in the 8th before dropping a tight split decision.

It wasn’t the sort of victory that commands respect.

Still, Brewster has somehow insinuated himself into the top 10 of legitimate contenders, and his last two fights have – surprise! – increased his stock. How can a guy come out of nowhere when he’s been hanging around at the edge of contention for close to two years?

For starters, though we keep expecting him to lose and go away, Brewster keeps winning. And winning against fighters who should have made better use of the numerous chances they had to take him out, but didn’t.

To wit: Wladdie gave Brewster a beating for four rounds, staggering him once, then flooring him with a long and wicked right cross. Unfortunately, the Kazakh Ph.D. once again ran out of G-A-S before he could make good on the promise of his power. Meehan, too, put the hurt on Brewster, with literally dozens of pounding rights, only to let his rival back into the fight. Again versus Luan Krasniqi in Sept. 2005, Brewster survived a severe beating and came out the winner when the Kosovar stopped boxing him and started slugging. Up until the 9th round, when he was decked for a second time by an exhausted Brewster, Krasniqi had led on all cards.

Only against a washed up Andrew Golota did Brewster look convincing in the ring.

The truth is that everyone Brewster’s met in the ring in the last two years should have had a cartoon bubble over his head that said, “D’oh!”

Here’s the thing, though: The real reason we don’t want to give Brewster the benefit of the doubt is that we find the entire heavyweight division at this point to be suspect. Then tagging along behind them comes the “2005 WBO Fighter of the Year”? Talk about material for Jay Leno.

And if we’re not ready to hail the best of this class (James Toney, Chris Byrd, maybe Hasim Rahman), and do our best to stifle a snicker over others among the top 10 (John Ruiz, Wladdie and, especially, Nikolay Valuev), how could we ever take Lamon Brewster seriously?

And why should we? He can’t box. His defense hasn’t improved one iota. He’s been rocked in the early rounds by everyone in sight. (This may make his bouts more exciting, but if Brewster were an NCAA team, his high RPI would have him balancing precariously on the bubble at this point in the season.) He hasn’t got much technique to speak of other than to lean on his chin and left hook. He’s nearing 33, but was achingly slow even in his prime. And in terms of his wider appeal, he can’t get a fight with his own cousin, WBC titleholder Chris Byrd, because such a match-up doesn’t speed anyone’s pulse. Even he calls himself “boring.”

His April 1 duel with Sergei Liakhovich isn’t likely to jumpstart anyone’s heart either. In a fight that’s being promoted by Don King Productions and which will air on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET from the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, the Belarusian isn’t anything for Brewster to crow about should the champ successfully defend his title. Miraculously ranked at No. 14 by the WBO, Liakhovich hasn’t fought since Dec. 2004 – when he somehow pulled out a Brewster-style win versus No. 32-ranked Dominick Guinn. The “White Wolf” was soft-bellied and out of shape then; what’s he going to look like now, after a 16-month layoff? Also Liakhovich is a slow starter – and, with his dangerously low punch counts, looks like a slow finisher as well. The best that has been said about him is that he wakes up once he’s hit and can throw good, judge-friendly combinations in counter mode.

If Brewster is looking for respect – and maybe bigger money before someone comes along and tilts him – taking on Liakhovich maybe wasn’t the best choice. Respect comes from upping the ante and winning, not from hedging your bets. Not ready to face Toney or Rahman, and can’t convince Don King to set you up with Byrd, which is even less likely now since he flew DK’s coop? Look no further outside the rankings than Calvin Brock or Samuel Peter or the supposedly returning David Tua, who at least has the name recognition to sell tickets in Cleveland.

Up until now, “Relentless” had been climbing up the ranks. Klitschko didn’t have our respect, he was (and, heaven help us, still is) a top-10 contender. Meehan currently sits at 44th, but one can argue that plenty of great fighters have defended their titles for the first time against who-dats or has-beens; and the New Zealander was a good deal better than that. Golota hadn’t yet slipped out of contention by the time he met Brewster, and not only was he a dangerous opponent, but the fight was on the Pole’s adopted home turf in Chicago – which made the first-round KO at least a smidgen more significant. Even better, to knock off the No. 8-ranked Krasniqi, Brewster traveled all the way to Hamburg, Germany, where over 10,000 fans showed up to root long and loud for their home boy. The defending champ shut them up, and came home looking a little more respectable.

Brewster has been willing to take some chances – more, I think, than we’ve given him credit for. (Certainly more than his better-respected and higher-ranking cousin has taken in the last two years.)

Also, it strikes me that what Brewster’s been able to pull off is to learn as he goes – which just seems crazy in boxing at this level! Conventional wisdom dictates that a fighter either has it at this point or he doesn’t. But very quietly Brewster has learned some lessons on starting faster and landing more authoritative punches sooner. The urgency with which he strikes has improved, at least enough that he doesn’t look like he’s waiting to be handed the fight any longer. And while Brewster’s saving grace remains that steel jaw he’s got, his winning edge looks less like Lady Luck and more like a bona fide ability to ferret out, wait for and detonate on his opponent’s weaknesses.

In the end, you might look at Brewster this way: Maybe he hasn’t grown much past mastering a couple basic strokes, to make an analogy to swimming – and he’d never touch a Mark Spitz or a Michael Phelps in a race. But, then again, the pool he’s competing in isn’t exactly full of sharks.

When fighting among his contemporaries, being the least technically accomplished or polished won’t necessarily keep Brewster from winning.

As Brewster himself has said, “Boxing isn’t a beauty contest. It’s not the Olympics, where you get points for style and grace. It’s all about winning, and all I do is win.”

As an Indiana native, I support Brewster. I would love to see him take on Sam Peter.

[Complex]

Re: Boxing Info (please stick)

Cotto....

Since escaping from defeat against DeMarcus Corley, it is clear that Miguel Cotto has lost something as a fighter that he may never retrieve.

Before the events of the Corley fight, master plans were afoot to elevate Cotto into the highest echelons of world boxing. He was to become one of boxing's new superstars, and though reluctant to assume the role himself, an obvious heir to Felix Trinidad.

However, Cotto is damaged goods, and in being so, he places Top Rank, his promoters, in a difficult position to which they have responded with the implementation of a damage-control strategy to subdue the complete exposure of Cotto's frailties, thus prolonging his earning potential.

Cotto remained a champion on that infamous night in Puerto Rico by the grace of an inept referee and now enjoys protection through the art of matchmaking. The strategy began by matching Cotto with former amateur rival Mohamad Abdulaev after the Corley fight. The fight's promotion hinged upon the pre-professional victory that Abdulaev inflicted upon Cotto. Elements such as these make for interesting side notes, but not the basis of an entire promotion.

In truth, Abdulaev turned professional late, was once-beaten at the time of the Cotto fight and showed conviction only in conceding defeat in the ninth round.

Ricardo Torres was meant as an extension of the strategy, but the Colombian failed to interpret his role in the proceedings and almost made himself an overnight star before Cotto managed to rally towards a seventh-round stoppage win. Clearly, the option to move things forward with Cotto was no longer available.

Enter Gianluca Branco. Last Saturday night, Branco appeared every bit of what he was: A 35-year-old European-level boxer, lucky to be fighting for a title while lacking the will or the firepower to make good on the opportunity. A specimen heaven-sent as the next component in the Cotto preservation cause.

Branco seemed wounded and unwilling from the onset and became increasingly so as the fight progressed, remonstrating with the referee over Cotto's apparent infraction of throwing punches. Still, before this feeble obstacle Cotto stood mute compared to the fighter he was two years ago; the fighter that would have ended Branco's misery without hesitation, and long before the eighth round in which the tedium finally concluded.

Then came the hard sell, which for Cotto meant speaking English. Cotto does not appear to embrace boxing with the passion of his peers and has long deferred the responsibility of selling his fights. He is not a quotable fighter and until now has not acknowledged the importance of connecting with the English-speaking fan base. His willingness to do so now, along with the adoption of a more cautious boxing style, seems born of necessity rather than desire.

It is also clear that billing Cotto as an event headliner alone is not advisable. Having him fight in his home country, or as the chief support to a major fight are some of the few instances in which he is guaranteed to draw. Therefore, the next phase of his career, as with the Abdulaev fight, will be fought against the backdrop of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. Cotto's opponent on June 10 will be Paul Malignaggi.

In boxing, if it makes money, it makes sense, and when you consider the cultural demographic of New York, little imagination is needed to appreciate the financial benefits of matching a Puerto Rican world champion with an Italian-American from Brooklyn at Madison Square Garden.

As talented as Malignaggi is, his title shot against Cotto is happening because he is a viable alternative for a fighter of Cotto's vulnerability. Malignaggi is fast, skillful and has been selling the fight long before its confirmation, but there's nothing in his armory that can hurt Cotto due to Malignaggi's own frailties.

It is no secret that Malignaggi's porcelain hands may lead to his premature retirement, but not before his title shot in the Garden, at least.

So the calculations are made and Cotto stands as a world champion treading an uneasy path as the walls close in around him. His participation in fights against the likes of Ricky Hatton or Jose Luis Castillo might once have been considered as epic contests. Now it is hard to reckon that Cotto could live with such fighters.

We are witnessing the protection of a world champion, but one day soon, the negotiations and maneuverings will run their course, and when they do, so will the championship reign of Miguel Cotto.

[Complex]

Sturm defeats Masoe in unanimous decision

Sturm defeats Masoe in unanimous decision



HAMBURG, Germany -- Germany's Felix Sturm took away Maselino Masoe's WBA middleweight title Saturday in a one-sided fight.

The German won a unanimous decision, taking control of the fight when he staggered the Samoa-born New Zealand fighter with a straight right in the sixth round.

Masoe (26-3, 25 knockouts) took a lot of punishment until the later rounds, when the German chose to backpedal to preserve his victory. That was booed by the spectators.

"I can understand the spectators," Sturm said. "But it was tactical against a fighter that can decide a fight with one punch. I'm not Mike Tyson, I'm a boxer."

The judges ruled the fight 117-111, 117-111 and 115-113 for Sturm.

The only loss for the German (25-1, 11 knockouts) came two years ago when he dropped a controversial decision to Oscar De La Hoya, costing him the WBO belt.

Masoe won the title with a two-round knockout of Kenya's Evans Ashira.

"I don't know why the spectators were unhappy," said Masoe, whose right eye closed steadily during the bout. "He [Sturm] fought very well. My corner told me I could only with a knockout."

The best moment for Masoe, 39, came when he jarred Sturm on the ropes with a right uppercut. But the German moved outside and proved too fast and slick.

[Complex]

Hatton tells Calzaghe: "We can break the States"

RICKY HATTON last night issued Joe Calzaghe with a call to arms, saying: 'Let's break America together.'

Hatton is all set to be a standard bearer for Britain's resurgent boxing fraternity in the coming months.

He's hoping to prove once and for all to the US audience that Brits don't cross the pond simply to make up the numbers.

But Hatton would love to be joined on his American adventure by reinforcements - and who better to have at your side than a fearsome gunslinger like Joe Calzaghe?

Joe's profile has sky-rocketed Stateside after his annihilation of Jeff Lacy, a man previously hailed as 'the next Mike Tyson'.

Now Hatton is challenging Calzaghe to join him for a double strike on the big hitters of US boxing.

"The Americans might realise us Brits can fight a bit now," Hatton told Wales on Sunday.

"They look on British boxing with contempt. They seem to think we win world titles then defend them in our country before coming unstuck against an American. It's a very arrogant and unrealistic view.

"So, after Joe demolished Lacy it was nice to see the Americans go home with their tails between their legs. The Lacy camp have treated Calzaghe with disrespect.

"They didn't look closely at the videos to see how good he was.

"The Americans have this tunnel vision on British fighters; they think it'll be a walk in the park. So Lacy's defeat made it rather embarrassing for them.

"I remember all the Americans seemed to think that Gerald McClellan would knock Nigel Benn clean out in under three minutes.

"But we saw how good Nigel could be over the years, at his best, and knew it was a 50/50 if he could produce his best.

"McClellan couldn't figure out the low style of Benn. He had the perfect tactics to beat McClellan: get under his long punches and come up with hooks.

"Lacy and his people had no answer to Joe's tighter, faster hooks on the inside and judgement of distance. It was exactly what I predicted beforehand.

"Joe made a very good fighter look like a novice. It was nothing short of a boxing master-class.

"It has been a long time since we've seen a British fighter win such a big fight in such a convincing fashion. I'm sure it won't happen again for a while.

"Lacy was totally outclassed and outgunned."

Unbeaten Welsh hero Calzaghe is set for a Cardiff homecoming at the Millennium Stadium on July 8 and he'll be dreaming of flooring an opponent with the kind of stature in keeping with such an event. Four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jnr would be ideal. Light-welterweight world champion Hatton - himself dreaming of world domination and a unification showdown with the awesome Floyd Mayweather - believes Calzaghe is right to reward his Welsh fans with a big show at home. But then it's got to be time for inroads into the lucrative American market.

"It's never a mistake fighting in front of your home crowd," said Hatton, who will begin his American assault against Juan Lazcano on May 13 in Connecticut.

"When I fight in Manchester, it's not just a boxing match but a great occasion. And it should be the same for Joe in Cardiff now.

"He's a champion and I'm sure the Welsh know what a sporting legend they've got on their hands.

"Great sportsmen like Joe Calzaghe don't come along very often. But we've both got ourselves into a very fortunate position and should be looking at the States.

"I don't want to hang up my gloves without having topped a bill at Madison Square Gardens or one of famous arenas like the MGM Grand or Caesars Palace. I've taken it upon myself to make that happen. I've worked too damn hard to get to this position and not reach the very top. Fighting at one of those world famous venues is when you've made it.

"I'm sure Joe is from the same mould as me. I'd love for us to jointly top the bill. Joe is a great mate; we've jointly topped bills twice before and it would be great if us two pals could go over there together.

"But I'm sure Frank Warren would have a view on that."

To say that Calzaghe's promoter Warren and Hatton aren't best of pals right now is an understatement.

'The Hitman' left British boxing's highest-profile promoter to 'go it alone' after beating Kostya Tszyu last summer and the well-documented fall-out has, as Hatton so eloquently puts it, 'gotten messy'.

Warren is suing Hatton's old man and trainer Ray for alleged breach of contract. But 'The Hitman' is desperate to ensure his issues with Calzaghe's promoter do not impinge on his friendship with the record-breaking Welsh boxer.

And as a friend Hatton wants the best for Joe.

The undisputed super-middleweight king has ruled his division for a world-record eight-and-a-half years. But Calzaghe has made no secret of his ambition to be a two-weight world champion.

Roy Jones Jnr would be an ideal fight for Calzaghe as it would be a gigantic pay-day against a fallen hero, a fighter whose career is on the wane. Warren has tried to make the big fight with Jones Jnr many times over the years, but it's fair to say that the American wasn't too keen on clashing with Calzaghe. But that option now might represent the quickest path to wider acclaim for Calzaghe, a less-pressured step forward than tackling light-heavyweight hardman Antonio Tarver or Glen Johnson.

While Jones Jnr has kudos in the boxing world, he doesn't bring any titles and that's why Warren has been looking at a potential match-up with German WBA super-middleweight champ Markus Beyer. Hatton's advice is simple.

"I'd move up to light-heavyweight; there's nothing left for him at super-middleweight," he said. "Beyer is a southpaw and that won't make for an entertaining fight. I can't see American TV being interested.

"Joe needs a statement of intent to fight one of America's big boys. If he fights a Mr Average then American TV may lose interest in him.

"There's no real big names in the super-middleweight division and I can't see Joe being interested in any of the other champions; they're not in his class. Joe has dealt with the most dangerous fighter in that division by beating Lacy, so a move up to light-heavyweight is what he needs now to keep challenging himself.

"And if Joe loses to an average super-middle fighter, all the hard work to beat Lacy could be for nothing. He needs to capitalise.

"It's funny because no-one was bothered about light-heavyweight a few years ago, but now it's among the best divisions."

[Complex]

IBF Orders Rabah-Hatton Fight!

IBF Orders Rabah-Hatton Fight!

IBF Orders Rabah-Hatton Fight!

Rabah trainer/manager Craig Christian praises IBF's actions

On September 19, 2005, Naoufel Ben Rabah defeated Arturo Morua to become the #1 mandatory challenger for Ricky Hatton's International Boxing Federation (IBF) title. In accordance with the IBF rules, Hatton would be obligated to defend against Rabah either before or on March 5, 2006.

Due to Hatton's pending court case pertaining to the WBA title, the IBF respectfully decided to hold off notifications. However, with the case still pending and Team Hatton recently considering fighting someone other than Rabah on May 13, the IBF has rightfully now taken action.

On March 21, the eminent IBF Championship Chairman Lindsey E. Tucker, Jr. ordered for negotiations to commence immediately between both parties. We appreciate and applaud Mr. Tucker and the IBF for holding to their word.

It is now time for Team Hatton to enter talks with our Las Vegas-based representative and the Picasso of boxing, Mr. Sampson Lewkowicz.

In the event a Hatton-Rabah fight is not negotiated by April 21, the IBF will order for a purse bid to be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2006.

We know Ricky Hatton is a respectable gentleman that would rather lose the title in the ring than in the office. He is a true champion and we hope his handlers allow him to be a man of honour.

[Complex]

Mayweather-Judah Card is Loaded

Mayweather-Judah Card is Loaded

"Sworn Enemies' on April 8 featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr and Zab Judah is loaded underneath with two world championship bouts and with the the Son of the Legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Here is how Top Rank's big fight card is shaping up at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas:

Jorge Arce vs. Rosendo Alvarez, 12 Rds., WBC Interim Flyweight Title - Arce and Alvarez had a 'bad encounter' in the ring following Arce's last fight Jan 28 in Cancun, Mexico. After Arce had his hand raised for victory, Alvarez got into the ring, got into Arce's face and told him off to flame this riveting showdown. "Alvarez knows I am the man, the best in this division," said Arce, the champion. Arce is promoted by Top Rank; Alvarez fights for Don King Productions. Arce is 43-3-1; Alvarez, 37-2-2.

Juan 'El Torito' Diaz vs. Jose Miguel Cotto, 12 Rds., WBA Lightweight Championship - Tremendous matchup of undefeated fighters. Diaz, 28-0, of Houston is the world lightweight champion. Cotto, older brother of Miguel, is 27-0 and fights out of Caguas, Puerto Rico. Diaz: "I want to be the best in my division - that motivates me." Cotto, a tremendously skilled challenger who strikes with power, boxed for Puerto Rico in 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Diaz is promoted by Main Events; Cotto by Top Rank.

Special Attraction - Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 24-0-1 - The Son of the Legend, Julio just turned 20 years old. "I'm young, a rookie in this great sport. I want to be a champion like my father and I'm going to work hard to get there." Julio Jr. fights out of Culiacan, Mexico. He is scheduled to box six rounds and his bout will be on the HBO Pay Per View telecast.

Chavez Jr. will open the PPV telecast followed by Diaz vs. Cotto and then Arce vs. Alvarez.

Mayweather vs. Judah 'Sworn Enemies' is promoted by Top Rank, Don King Productions in association with Caesars Palace and Wynn Las Vegas at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas. Mayweather vs. Judah will be on HBO Pay Per View.

[Complex]

Mayweather vacates junior welterweight belt, steps up

Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, focused on bigger fights at heavier weights, vacated his junior welterweight title this week, Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com.

Mayweather, who has held belts at junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight, moved up to welterweight late last year and beat Sharmba Mitchell but was considering a return to 140 pounds to defend his title in marquee fights.

However, Mayweather instead decided to take a second consecutive fight at 147 pounds against Zab Judah on April 8 (HBO PPV).

Ellerbe said that because Mayweather didn't plan to go back to 140 pounds, he felt the right thing to do was to vacate the WBC belt and give other contenders a chance to win the title.

Ellerbe said he sent a letter to the WBC informing the organization of the decision.

Junior Witter of England, who has been the mandatory challenger, is expected to face former titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley of Washington, D.C., for the vacant belt this summer.

The only significant fight for Mayweather at junior welterweight would have been a unification fight with division kingpin Ricky Hatton, "but he's not even looking Floyd's way until at least 2007," Ellerbe said. "So there's no need to hold up the belt and the division. The only reason to keep the title would be to make a big fight at 140 in a unification fight with Hatton, but that isn't in the cards right now. So Floyd has given up the title. This way guys like Witter and Corley will have the opportunity to fight for the title and the opportunity to reach their dream."

Hatton, the recognized division ruler, is also planning to go up to welterweight for a May 13 fight with titlist Luis Collazo.

Mayweather won the 140-pound belt with a dominant sixth-round TKO of Arturo Gatti in June 2005 and never defended it.

Witter, of England, hoped to fight Mayweather but is happy to get a shot at the vacant belt.

"I would have happily fought Mayweather for the title," Witter said. "He is one of the biggest names in boxing, but this will mean I don't have to hang around for anything. Things are mapping themselves out nicely for me."

Witter said he intends to defend his European title against Giuseppe Lauri in Italy in April and then expects to fight Corley for the vacant WBC belt this summer.

"I have seen a few of Corley's fights on tape," Witter said. "I was down to fight him once when he had the WBO title, and although it never came about, I took a look at him. He's a decent fighter, but he doesn't scare me at all. I see opportunities. He's going down."

I hate to see him not fight Hatton, but moving up makes sense and dollars.

[Complex]

Cotto on pay-per-view

Cotto on pay-per-view: After listening to offers from both HBO and Showtime, promoter Top Rank has decided to move forward with plans to go it alone on pay-per-view June 10 with a card headlined by junior welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto vs. Paulie Malignaggi at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The card, which will go head-to-head with HBO PPV's Antonio Tarver-Bernard Hopkins light heavyweight championship card, figures to draw well in New York given that Malignaggi is from Brooklyn and Cotto is Puerto Rican, and the fight is in the New York the night before the annual Puerto Rican Day parade.

Official announcement of the fight is scheduled Wednesday at a news conference at the Garden.

Top Rank plans to air at least five live bouts on the pay-per-view, including junior lightweight Carlos Hernandez vs. Kevin Kelley as well as bouts involving hot middleweight prospect John Duddy -- who recently sold out Madison Square Garden's Theater -- and prospects Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Juan Manuel Lopez. Top Rank is going to add a sixth fight to the broadcast -- doubling the amount of fights planned for the Tarver-Hopkins pay-per-view, which will cost more.

Had Top Rank accepted HBO's offer of about $1.4 million, Cotto-Malignaggi would have aired live on the network June 9, a Friday night. However, the offer didn't meet Top Rank's financial expectations, and neither did Showtime's.

Showtime was prepared to add a second card to its March schedule even though the network's Championship Boxing series normally airs only on the first Saturday of the month.

Cotto and Top Rank can go to ....... you know

[Complex]

Just wanted to post a pic of B-Hop....

[Complex]

Griffin Dominates Jones!!!



Griffin Wins...

The name of the game in the sport of boxing is not necessarily to knock out your opponent, but rather hit your opponent and stay away from getting hit yourself. On Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, CT, Montell Griffin (48-6, 30KO’s) put on a boxing clinic by scoring a one sided unanimous decision victory over Norman Jones (28-15-3, 9KO’s) on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights, and in the process captured the vacant USBA light heavyweight belt. Scores of the bout were 118-110 twice and 119-109.

[Complex]

Mayweather/Arum Conference Call Transcript

This is just an excert....go here for the whole convo..

CHUCK JOHNSON: So it sounds to me like you’re saying that basically Judah looked up to you with envy more or less than a friendship.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER: Like when he – like he’s really – in his heart, he’s really a fan. I mean, I’ve seen this guy sit many days at the gym and watch me even when he was fighting Kostya Tszyu. I said, Zab, let me go over the game plan, which I gave him the game plan on how to beat Kostya Tszyu. If he had just stuck to the game plan. He was playing to the crowd, wanting to be playing games and playing to the crowd. And this is a business. You can’t – that’s what – it’s not about that. It’s about winning.

[Complex]

Hatton's big 2005 honored by boxing writers

Hatton's big 2005 honored by boxing writers

Ricky Hatton of England made it a clean sweep Wednesday, winning his third fighter of the year award for his breakout 2005.

Despite never fighting a major bout in the United States, Hatton won the Edward Neil Fighter of the Year Award in a vote by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The results were announced on Wednesday.

Previously, Hatton (40-0, 30 KOs) was named 2005 fighter of the year by ESPN.com and Ring magazine.

Hatton had a big 2005. In June, he scored an upset 11th-round TKO of long-reigning 140-pound champion Kostya Tszyu, forcing him to quit on his stool. Then Hatton unified titles with a ninth-round knockout of Carlos Maussa in November.

Hatton is the first British fighter to win the BWAA award since former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Hatton now plans to come to the United States to fight, and will move up to welterweight for his next bout on May 13, when he will face beltholder Luis Collazo in Boston.

Hatton is expected to miss the 81st annual BWAA awards dinner on May 5 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, due to the close proximity to the Collazo fight.

[Complex]

Less talk from Judah plays into Mayweather's hands

For months, Zab Judah has done nothing but slam pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. in anticipation of their "Sworn Enemies" welterweight showdown.

Even coming off a humiliating title loss to unheralded Carlos Baldomir in January, the talkative Judah continued his braggadocious, in-your-face ways.

But now that the April 8 fight (HBO PPV) in Las Vegas is growing closer by the hour, it seems as though Judah (34-3, 25 KOs) suddenly has lost his stomach for verbal warfare, going silent at crunch time.

There was a time when you couldn't get Judah to shut up about what he would do to Mayweather. Now, you can't even find him.

It seems as though Mayweather already has won the psychological war.

Instead of facing the press corps on a long-scheduled national conference call this week to discuss the heavily hyped fight, Judah was a no-show.

Instead, he sent his father/trainer Yoel Judah, promoter Don King and publicist Alan Hopper to talk for him.

Their excuse for Judah's refusal to participate in the promotion was that he was training and trying to remain focused on the fight.

"No, he's training right now," Yoel Judah said when asked whether Judah would answer questions. "He's focused now, you know what I'm saying."

Over and over, Yoel parroted the party line.

"No disrespect to nobody, no reporter, or commentator, or matchmaker, or nobody," he said. "We're just not talking. He's focused. He's training. And, we're going to do what we've got to do in the ring come April 8."

Added King, "The guy is mad, I guess. He don't want to talk. He's so upset and he's so focused that he's going to do what he's got to do. And, some of the reporters should take this as a hint. A word to the wise -- Zab is going after Floyd with a relentless dedication and commitment to destroy him."

Mayweather (35-0, 24 KOs), meanwhile, couldn't appear more relaxed. In his second major pay-per-view fight, he is becoming a seasoned veteran of the intensity of the process.

He said during his own conference call that he loved the media and was available for all interview requests. Then he even took the unusual step of inviting the media personnel -- and their families! -- to watch him train any time he was at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas.

He ripped Judah for ducking the media and not doing his part to promote a fight in which both boxers can earn money on top of their base purses depending on how well the pay-per-view sells.
"It's not cool that his father had to get on the phone with you guys," Mayweather said. "If talking to the media on a speakerphone from a couch throws you out of your focus, you'll never get focused.

"He don't understand business. He's gotta learn. It takes two. I sold this fight. This guy hasn't cooperated from the beginning."

Mayweather didn't buy Judah's "training and focus" reasons for suddenly going silent.

"You can't lose focus talking on speakerphone for a half hour," Mayweather said in one of his many digs at Judah. "I'm going to do this call and then go right to the gym. I told everybody I will shut Zab Judah up. I'm just surprised it happened this early. Every night, I know he can't sleep. He's tossing and turning. He knows he is fighting a better fighter than Baldomir and a tougher fighter than [former junior welterweight champ] Kostya Tszyu," who knocked Judah out in two rounds in 2001.

PBF makes a point...is Judah scared?