Saturday, May 7, 2011
Pacquiao won against Mosley
Manny Pacquiao won against Shane Mosley today. The fight went the distance and Manny defeated Shane by unanimous decision. The scores were 120-107, 119-108, 119-108 all in favor of the Filipino ring icon.
Pacquiao vs Mosley Free Live Stream Channel 1
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LIVE STREAM VIDEO NO LONGER AVAILABLE
Above is a free live streaming of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley. No copyright violations intended. The video is owned by a third party video sharing website.
View in full screen to avoid advertisements from popping-out. If video pauses, hit F5 or click refresh in your browser or try other channels located in the sidebar.
Please Share!!!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Preview of Fight Camp Episode 2
Watch this video below for the preview of the 2nd episode of Fight Camp 360 which features Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley. The Pacquiao-Mosley fight will happen on May 7 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fight Camp 360 Episode 2 is brought to you by Showtime, a sister company of CBS.
Fight Camp 360 Episode 2 is brought to you by Showtime, a sister company of CBS.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Arum: Pacman ready vs Mosley
By Olmin Leyba
MANILA, Philippines - Top Rank boss Bob Arum is so pleased with how Manny Pacquiao looks and moves in training camp that a good six weeks before fight night, he already declared the Filipino icon ready to mix it up with Shane Mosley.
“He looks terrific. He looks very, very good,” said Arum, who flew in to Baguio to check on the high-altitude training of the pound-for-pound superstar under Freddie Roach at the Cooyesan Hotel’s Shape Up Gym.
“This is so early, and look how great he is. He can fight next week, probably,” exclaimed the 79-year-old promoter.
The fighting congressman from Sarangani is set to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Arum said he’s quite impressed with how the 32-year-old Pacquiao, a feared southpaw with tremendous KO power, is fast developing a new weapon – his right hand.
“I like the way he’s been using that right hand, because I really believe that the right hand is gonna tell the story of the fight,” said Arum.
“Everybody knows that the left hand is his power hand, so Mosley’s gonna be looking for that left hand. But I think he’s using his right hand tremendously and that’s gonna be his big weapon,” he added.
Arum arrived in the Philippines early Monday accompanied by step daughter Dena Duboef, and two of Pacquiao’s sparmates, Shawn Porter and David Rodela.
From Manila, they were flown to the City of Pines on board the private plane of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, just in time for the public workout of Pacquiao yesterday.
Arum said Pacquiao’s Baguio training camp, now on its second week, is running smoothly, unlike the previous build-up for the Antonio Margarito fight in which the Pacman looked sluggish.
“He’s just incredible. He’s really looking very, very good,” said Arum, leaving for the US on Wednesday night with no concern whatsoever on the way Pacquiao gears himself up for the showdown with Mosley.
Meanwhile, Shawn Porter and David Rodela, Pacquiao’s sparmates, arrived yesterday although Roach said the sparring sessions will only start next Tuesday.
While expressing satisfaction with the progress of Pacquiao’s training early in the camp, Roach said the Filipino icon remains far from reaching peak form to let him go sparring with Porter and Rodela, who have been with Team Pacquiao in past campaigns.
“He’s been off for a while, he still has some bad timing,” said Roach. “We’re not ready to fight yet.”
Sparring is scheduled every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with two more sparring partners, who fight like Mosley, on standby in Los Angeles and ready to join the camp any moment.
Source: philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines - Top Rank boss Bob Arum is so pleased with how Manny Pacquiao looks and moves in training camp that a good six weeks before fight night, he already declared the Filipino icon ready to mix it up with Shane Mosley.
“He looks terrific. He looks very, very good,” said Arum, who flew in to Baguio to check on the high-altitude training of the pound-for-pound superstar under Freddie Roach at the Cooyesan Hotel’s Shape Up Gym.
“This is so early, and look how great he is. He can fight next week, probably,” exclaimed the 79-year-old promoter.
The fighting congressman from Sarangani is set to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Arum said he’s quite impressed with how the 32-year-old Pacquiao, a feared southpaw with tremendous KO power, is fast developing a new weapon – his right hand.
“I like the way he’s been using that right hand, because I really believe that the right hand is gonna tell the story of the fight,” said Arum.
“Everybody knows that the left hand is his power hand, so Mosley’s gonna be looking for that left hand. But I think he’s using his right hand tremendously and that’s gonna be his big weapon,” he added.
Arum arrived in the Philippines early Monday accompanied by step daughter Dena Duboef, and two of Pacquiao’s sparmates, Shawn Porter and David Rodela.
From Manila, they were flown to the City of Pines on board the private plane of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, just in time for the public workout of Pacquiao yesterday.
Arum said Pacquiao’s Baguio training camp, now on its second week, is running smoothly, unlike the previous build-up for the Antonio Margarito fight in which the Pacman looked sluggish.
“He’s just incredible. He’s really looking very, very good,” said Arum, leaving for the US on Wednesday night with no concern whatsoever on the way Pacquiao gears himself up for the showdown with Mosley.
Meanwhile, Shawn Porter and David Rodela, Pacquiao’s sparmates, arrived yesterday although Roach said the sparring sessions will only start next Tuesday.
While expressing satisfaction with the progress of Pacquiao’s training early in the camp, Roach said the Filipino icon remains far from reaching peak form to let him go sparring with Porter and Rodela, who have been with Team Pacquiao in past campaigns.
“He’s been off for a while, he still has some bad timing,” said Roach. “We’re not ready to fight yet.”
Sparring is scheduled every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with two more sparring partners, who fight like Mosley, on standby in Los Angeles and ready to join the camp any moment.
Source: philstar.com
Pacquiao’s battleplan vs Mosley a work in progres - Roach
By Roy Luarca
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—For chief trainer Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao’s fight strategy against Shane Mosley on May 7 is a work in progress.
While doing the mitts with Pacquiao, Roach noted every punch thrown, avoided and absorbed. He conferred with Pacquiao from time to time and took suggestions from the world’s only eight-division world champion.
Then the trainer and the fighter tried to put these plans into motion.
While he used to complain about the many training distractions, Roach was all praises this time for Pacquiao’s newfound enthusiasm.
“Last week was really great, he’s very motivated,” said Roach, who gave Pacquiao a passing mark in their first week of training here. “He knows it’s not an easy fight and I love it that he knows that. I expect him to get better.”
Roach said Pacquiao’s first week of training was the best he had with his ward since 2001, when they first teamed up, but he was inclined to follow their original training calendar.
“He’s been off for a while, he still has some bad timing,” the trainer said. “We’re not ready to fight yet, but we’re getting there.”
Roach said sparring has been set for Tuesday, when Pacquiao’s training partners—super welterweight Shawn Porter and lightweight David Rodela—have already acclimatized to the Baguio weather. The two planed in from the United States late Sunday night.
Apart from Porter and Rodela, who shook off jet lag with a light workout on Monday, Roach said he would add two more spar mates during the second half of training camp at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
“One is from San Francisco, who fights like Shane,” said the five-time Trainer of the Year.
Roach also announced that Pacquiao would not spar with WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, who has been training at the Cooyeesan Hotel here, due to conflict in schedules.
Source: inquirer.net
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—For chief trainer Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao’s fight strategy against Shane Mosley on May 7 is a work in progress.
While doing the mitts with Pacquiao, Roach noted every punch thrown, avoided and absorbed. He conferred with Pacquiao from time to time and took suggestions from the world’s only eight-division world champion.
Then the trainer and the fighter tried to put these plans into motion.
While he used to complain about the many training distractions, Roach was all praises this time for Pacquiao’s newfound enthusiasm.
“Last week was really great, he’s very motivated,” said Roach, who gave Pacquiao a passing mark in their first week of training here. “He knows it’s not an easy fight and I love it that he knows that. I expect him to get better.”
Roach said Pacquiao’s first week of training was the best he had with his ward since 2001, when they first teamed up, but he was inclined to follow their original training calendar.
“He’s been off for a while, he still has some bad timing,” the trainer said. “We’re not ready to fight yet, but we’re getting there.”
Roach said sparring has been set for Tuesday, when Pacquiao’s training partners—super welterweight Shawn Porter and lightweight David Rodela—have already acclimatized to the Baguio weather. The two planed in from the United States late Sunday night.
Apart from Porter and Rodela, who shook off jet lag with a light workout on Monday, Roach said he would add two more spar mates during the second half of training camp at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
“One is from San Francisco, who fights like Shane,” said the five-time Trainer of the Year.
Roach also announced that Pacquiao would not spar with WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, who has been training at the Cooyeesan Hotel here, due to conflict in schedules.
Source: inquirer.net
Roy Jones on Pacquiao vs. Mosley 2009-2011
By Vitali Shaposhnikov: Between 2009 and 2011 a lot of significant things have occurred in boxing. Some fighters retired, while others elevated their careers to new highs. For Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2), this two year gap has been nothing but triumphant. Starting with the brutal knockout of Ricky Hatton (45-1-0) in mid 2009, and ending with a dominating win over Antonio Margarito (38-6-0) at the end of 2010, Pacquiao went through Miguel Cotto (34-1-0) and Joshua Clottey (35-3-0) in-between like butter.
Going up in weight and facing the top opposition proved to be something that the “dream team” of Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao had no trouble dealing with. Now, on May 7, Manny Pacquiao will attempt to claim another win over a living legend in Shane Mosley (46-6-1). Probably a few years back the odds would have been very different, but today, after Pacquiao’s “Pacman-style” progress, having him as an underdog is simply implausible.
Even the veteran and former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. (54-7-0) changed his mind between this two year spread.
In 2009, Jones advised Pacquiao to steer clear of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley. He saw both of them as being too big and too fast for Pacquiao. (http://www.boxingnews24.com/2009/06/boxing-news-roy-jones-jr-advises-pacquiao-to-steer-clear-of-mosley-and-mayweather/)
The latest news from Jones on this very same topic came about in early 2011, where Jones seems to have shifted his views. Now Jones seems Pacquiao as a clear winner in his bout against Mosley on May 7, 2011. “Pacquiao has been beating guys in bigger weight classes, and he’s hot right now,” said Jones in a recent interview. (http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/01/roy-jones-jr-picks-pacquiao-to-beat-mosley-but-thinks-shane-could-give-him-some-problems/)
Jones still thinks that counting out Mosley is not wise, as veteran boxers are almost always able to make adjustments in the ring. I find it very interesting, and see it as a big deal that Jones Jr. modified his opinion about the Filipino superstar. Jones Jr. and Mosley have always been friends, and have spoken mostly good things of each other. For Jones Jr. to pick Pacquiao to win, shows the tremendous respect and admiration for his boxing skills.
At first I was skeptical of this match-up, siding with the “Mosley is too old for this” crowd. But lately, my excitement had been steadily building up. At this point, I am simply thrilled to see this fight, and think that it has the full potential to be a blockbuster event.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Going up in weight and facing the top opposition proved to be something that the “dream team” of Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao had no trouble dealing with. Now, on May 7, Manny Pacquiao will attempt to claim another win over a living legend in Shane Mosley (46-6-1). Probably a few years back the odds would have been very different, but today, after Pacquiao’s “Pacman-style” progress, having him as an underdog is simply implausible.
Even the veteran and former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. (54-7-0) changed his mind between this two year spread.
In 2009, Jones advised Pacquiao to steer clear of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley. He saw both of them as being too big and too fast for Pacquiao. (http://www.boxingnews24.com/2009/06/boxing-news-roy-jones-jr-advises-pacquiao-to-steer-clear-of-mosley-and-mayweather/)
The latest news from Jones on this very same topic came about in early 2011, where Jones seems to have shifted his views. Now Jones seems Pacquiao as a clear winner in his bout against Mosley on May 7, 2011. “Pacquiao has been beating guys in bigger weight classes, and he’s hot right now,” said Jones in a recent interview. (http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/01/roy-jones-jr-picks-pacquiao-to-beat-mosley-but-thinks-shane-could-give-him-some-problems/)
Jones still thinks that counting out Mosley is not wise, as veteran boxers are almost always able to make adjustments in the ring. I find it very interesting, and see it as a big deal that Jones Jr. modified his opinion about the Filipino superstar. Jones Jr. and Mosley have always been friends, and have spoken mostly good things of each other. For Jones Jr. to pick Pacquiao to win, shows the tremendous respect and admiration for his boxing skills.
At first I was skeptical of this match-up, siding with the “Mosley is too old for this” crowd. But lately, my excitement had been steadily building up. At this point, I am simply thrilled to see this fight, and think that it has the full potential to be a blockbuster event.
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Tecate Offering a Heavy Pour of Promotion for Pacquiao vs. Mosley
Tecate has established a wide presence for itself in the boxing arena, sponsoring many of the biggest fighters and events. For Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley, they'll be offering an even heavier pour of promotion for the May 7th fight. As reported by Bill King of the Sports Business Journal, Tecate is putting together it's largest and farthest reaching retail promotion ever, centered on this fight.
The beer company will be putting out over 100,000 cases of commemorative cans of beer for Pacquiao vs. Mosley. That means well more than 1.2 million 24-ounce cans, featuring promotional images of the fight and the participants. The cans will be sold in retail locations in California and other western U.S. states, in addition to Texas and Illinois.
All told, they will be reaching roughly 20,000 stores, with a total of over 50,000 stores through other promotions that include the Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight, and the Cinco De Mayo holiday, which is one of its busiest and most successful periods. In the past, other promotions for fights have reached 10,000 stores with 80,000 cases.
Tecate will also be offering its typical Pay-Per-View rebate on the purchase of Pacquiao vs. Mosley in states where it's allowed. With appropriate purchase, a $25 rebate on the PPV price will be given.
Source: proboxing-fans.com
The beer company will be putting out over 100,000 cases of commemorative cans of beer for Pacquiao vs. Mosley. That means well more than 1.2 million 24-ounce cans, featuring promotional images of the fight and the participants. The cans will be sold in retail locations in California and other western U.S. states, in addition to Texas and Illinois.
All told, they will be reaching roughly 20,000 stores, with a total of over 50,000 stores through other promotions that include the Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight, and the Cinco De Mayo holiday, which is one of its busiest and most successful periods. In the past, other promotions for fights have reached 10,000 stores with 80,000 cases.
Tecate will also be offering its typical Pay-Per-View rebate on the purchase of Pacquiao vs. Mosley in states where it's allowed. With appropriate purchase, a $25 rebate on the PPV price will be given.
Source: proboxing-fans.com
Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: Don't Believe the Hype
By James Foley
Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao.
How often have you heard that since the reigning pound-for-pound champion decided to take a fight with a guy coming off of a stink-fest draw and a decisive loss to the pound-for-pound No. 2 guy?
"Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao," uttered by some as a disclaimer and others as an endorsement, but it's basically like saying "in a boxing ring, anything can happen." Hell, a guy parachuted into the ring once. Bizarre scenes unfold in boxing rings ALL the time. So why can't we suggest that Mosley, a solid puncher in his prime who knocked out many worthy foes in the past, has something more than the hopeless "puncher's chance" that his last two performances suggest?
Because it's cheap, that's why.
Anyone can say "I wouldn't rule him out, if he hits Manny with a big right, he could hurt him." It's a low-risk, high-reward argument to make. If the odds hold up, and Manny lives up to his billing as a 7-to-1 favorite and growing, then you say "Shane just couldn't connect on a clean shot, oh well." No one calls you out. But if Mosley pulls the miracle, then you're the guy who just predicted the impossible. You're a genius! Well, not me. I pretty much ruled out Shane Mosley in this fight the minute I heard it was made.
First of all, the Pacquiao-can-be-hurt-by-a-big-guy argument has been made in several of his last few fights.
De la Hoya didn't have as much left as we thought he did. Cotto landed some big hits in the first couple rounds, but Manny absorbed them and took advantage of his offensive-minded opponent's vulnerability and landed with some vicious counters, dropping Miguel twice. Hatton was supposed to be a big-hitter. Margarito "could hurt" Manny was an oft-heard refrain leading up to that fight. And what happened? Margarito hit Manny with solid shots on a few occasions. And Manny gave him a violent beating in return.
I respect Shane Mosley immensely for what he's accomplished in the ring. He's a sure-fire Hall of Famer, one of the best of his generation and one of the classiest gentlemen outside of the ring that the sport has ever produced. But in my mind, the Mayweather fight was, or should have been, the last hurrah for Sugar Shane. Floyd's supreme defensive skills and speed turned that affair into a one-sided romp, with Mosley either too tired or too slow to engage Floyd beyond the second round.
Watching the Mora fight, which I actually thought Shane narrowly won, it seemed clear that Mosley was not at the peak of his powers. I don't see what he brings into this fight with Manny that makes this a competitive bout.
Experience? Manny's been fighting on a world-class level for almost a decade.
Power? Mosley might throw a bigger punch, that's debatable, but Manny throws a lot of them, and usually connects from all angles with overwhelming accuracy.
Speed? If the Mosley who was in the ring against Floyd and Mora shows up on May 7th, Manny will run circles around him.
So...why bother even watching it? Because I'm a boxing addict, Manny Pacquiao is fighting—the best in the world and always a pleasure to watch—and yes, Shane Mosley could hurt Manny Pacquiao.
It's a boxing ring, anything can happen. Don't say I didn't tell you so, when it does.
Source: bleacherreport.com
Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao.
How often have you heard that since the reigning pound-for-pound champion decided to take a fight with a guy coming off of a stink-fest draw and a decisive loss to the pound-for-pound No. 2 guy?
"Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao," uttered by some as a disclaimer and others as an endorsement, but it's basically like saying "in a boxing ring, anything can happen." Hell, a guy parachuted into the ring once. Bizarre scenes unfold in boxing rings ALL the time. So why can't we suggest that Mosley, a solid puncher in his prime who knocked out many worthy foes in the past, has something more than the hopeless "puncher's chance" that his last two performances suggest?
Because it's cheap, that's why.
Anyone can say "I wouldn't rule him out, if he hits Manny with a big right, he could hurt him." It's a low-risk, high-reward argument to make. If the odds hold up, and Manny lives up to his billing as a 7-to-1 favorite and growing, then you say "Shane just couldn't connect on a clean shot, oh well." No one calls you out. But if Mosley pulls the miracle, then you're the guy who just predicted the impossible. You're a genius! Well, not me. I pretty much ruled out Shane Mosley in this fight the minute I heard it was made.
First of all, the Pacquiao-can-be-hurt-by-a-big-guy argument has been made in several of his last few fights.
De la Hoya didn't have as much left as we thought he did. Cotto landed some big hits in the first couple rounds, but Manny absorbed them and took advantage of his offensive-minded opponent's vulnerability and landed with some vicious counters, dropping Miguel twice. Hatton was supposed to be a big-hitter. Margarito "could hurt" Manny was an oft-heard refrain leading up to that fight. And what happened? Margarito hit Manny with solid shots on a few occasions. And Manny gave him a violent beating in return.
I respect Shane Mosley immensely for what he's accomplished in the ring. He's a sure-fire Hall of Famer, one of the best of his generation and one of the classiest gentlemen outside of the ring that the sport has ever produced. But in my mind, the Mayweather fight was, or should have been, the last hurrah for Sugar Shane. Floyd's supreme defensive skills and speed turned that affair into a one-sided romp, with Mosley either too tired or too slow to engage Floyd beyond the second round.
Watching the Mora fight, which I actually thought Shane narrowly won, it seemed clear that Mosley was not at the peak of his powers. I don't see what he brings into this fight with Manny that makes this a competitive bout.
Experience? Manny's been fighting on a world-class level for almost a decade.
Power? Mosley might throw a bigger punch, that's debatable, but Manny throws a lot of them, and usually connects from all angles with overwhelming accuracy.
Speed? If the Mosley who was in the ring against Floyd and Mora shows up on May 7th, Manny will run circles around him.
So...why bother even watching it? Because I'm a boxing addict, Manny Pacquiao is fighting—the best in the world and always a pleasure to watch—and yes, Shane Mosley could hurt Manny Pacquiao.
It's a boxing ring, anything can happen. Don't say I didn't tell you so, when it does.
Source: bleacherreport.com
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Cotto vs Mayorga Full Fight Replay
Photos: Cotto vs Mayorga Fight
Below are the photos of Cotto vs Mayorga during their fight on March 12, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Miguel Cotto won by TKO in the 12th round. All photos below are owned by Top Rank Promotions/Chris Farina.
Patient and calculated Miguel Cotto breaks down Ricardo Mayorga for late TKO
Chris Robinson
Moments ago inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Miguel Cotto successfully defended his WBA junior middleweight crown with a 12th round TKO over game but outmatched Ricardo Mayorga. This fight wasn't electric but Cotto did his part and can now look towards a prosperous future.
The first two rounds of the fight were fought at a calculated pace from each man as Cotto took the lead and landed more consistently. Many expected Mayorga to come roaring out of the gates but he actually was very timid.
In the third a visibly irritated Mayorga baited Cotto, motioning him to come to the corner and swing away, but Miguel kept his composure and continued fighting a disciplined fight. The fight wasn't nearly as action-packed as many expected as Cotto seemed content on slowly picking Mayorga apart.
Mayorga began to open up a little bit in the 4th although many of his punches were blocked by Cotto. Towards the end of the round Mayorga had his best moments as he swung wildly at Cotto, landing a few grazing shots. Cotto took the punches well and simply smiled at his foe.
The fifth was pretty entertaining as Mayorga again motioned for Cotto to come and get him by leaning against the corner. Cotto obliged and began cracking the Nicaraguan with some fine uppercuts that definitely caught the 38-year old's attention. Mayorga would attempt to answer back but his punches didn't land with the same frequency.
Round six was another Cotto round but in the seventh Mayorga woke up, at least towards the end, staging a hellacious onslaught towards the end of the stanza. Cotto was copping some clean shots and began noticabely backpedaling for the first time in the fight.
Mayorga started strong and finished strong in the eighth but the two minutes and forty seconds in between was all Cotto. Mayorga was showing every bit of his age and Cotto again had success picking him off with stinging uppercuts.
As the championship rounds approached the fight began to seem like a replay as Cotto controlled the action for the majority of the time while Mayorga would occasionally swing for a home run shot without much success.
In the twelfth round Cotto ended the night by landing a crippling left hook that caught Mayorga flush on the chin. Mayorga was shaken and seemed to have a delayed reaction as he took a knee moments later. He would rise but Cotto jumped on him to finish the contest just moments later as Mayorga opted not to continue.
Continue now can set his sights on rematches with either Antonio Margarito or Manny Pacquiao, the only two men to defeat him. Margarito was in attendance and was greeted with a cheer of boos when he was flashed on the overhead monitors.
Cotto and Margarito appear to be headed for a July face off in either New Jersey or Las Vegas.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com
Source: examiner.com
Moments ago inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Miguel Cotto successfully defended his WBA junior middleweight crown with a 12th round TKO over game but outmatched Ricardo Mayorga. This fight wasn't electric but Cotto did his part and can now look towards a prosperous future.
The first two rounds of the fight were fought at a calculated pace from each man as Cotto took the lead and landed more consistently. Many expected Mayorga to come roaring out of the gates but he actually was very timid.
In the third a visibly irritated Mayorga baited Cotto, motioning him to come to the corner and swing away, but Miguel kept his composure and continued fighting a disciplined fight. The fight wasn't nearly as action-packed as many expected as Cotto seemed content on slowly picking Mayorga apart.
Mayorga began to open up a little bit in the 4th although many of his punches were blocked by Cotto. Towards the end of the round Mayorga had his best moments as he swung wildly at Cotto, landing a few grazing shots. Cotto took the punches well and simply smiled at his foe.
The fifth was pretty entertaining as Mayorga again motioned for Cotto to come and get him by leaning against the corner. Cotto obliged and began cracking the Nicaraguan with some fine uppercuts that definitely caught the 38-year old's attention. Mayorga would attempt to answer back but his punches didn't land with the same frequency.
Round six was another Cotto round but in the seventh Mayorga woke up, at least towards the end, staging a hellacious onslaught towards the end of the stanza. Cotto was copping some clean shots and began noticabely backpedaling for the first time in the fight.
Mayorga started strong and finished strong in the eighth but the two minutes and forty seconds in between was all Cotto. Mayorga was showing every bit of his age and Cotto again had success picking him off with stinging uppercuts.
As the championship rounds approached the fight began to seem like a replay as Cotto controlled the action for the majority of the time while Mayorga would occasionally swing for a home run shot without much success.
In the twelfth round Cotto ended the night by landing a crippling left hook that caught Mayorga flush on the chin. Mayorga was shaken and seemed to have a delayed reaction as he took a knee moments later. He would rise but Cotto jumped on him to finish the contest just moments later as Mayorga opted not to continue.
Continue now can set his sights on rematches with either Antonio Margarito or Manny Pacquiao, the only two men to defeat him. Margarito was in attendance and was greeted with a cheer of boos when he was flashed on the overhead monitors.
Cotto and Margarito appear to be headed for a July face off in either New Jersey or Las Vegas.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com
Source: examiner.com
Undercard: Zbikowski vs Bryant Highlights
Watch this Zbikowski vs Bryant highlights video. This is one of the undercard fights of the Cotto vs Mayorga championship match.
Undercard: Powal vs Wolak Highlights
This is the highlights video of Pawel Wolak vs Yuri Foreman an undercard in the Cotto vs Mayorga fight.
Hall of Fame trainer rejuvenates Cotto's career
By Steve Carp
In the bowels of Yankee Stadium, Miguel Cotto was getting dressed, having just beaten Yuri Foreman to win the WBA super welterweight title.
As Cotto finished dressing, his trainer, Emanuel Steward, came by, put his hand on Cotto's shoulder and said to him, "You're back!" Cotto looked at Steward, winked and said, "We're back!"
After being trained by his father and uncle for his most of his career, Cotto brought in Steward, the Hall of Fame trainer whose Kronk Gym in Detroit turned out dozens of great fighters, most notably Thomas Hearns, to get him back to the top.
Cotto had taken savage beatings the past few years, and after almost every fight, his routine included a trip to the emergency room. With Steward in his corner, Cotto looked like a new fighter.
He had renewed speed, and he dominated Foreman on June 5. Cotto didn't have to go to the hospital after beating Foreman, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say Steward might have saved and extended Cotto's career in the ring.
Steward will be in Cotto's corner again tonight when he defends his WBA title against Ricardo Mayorga in the 12-round main event of the Top Rank-Don King Promotions fight card at the MGM Grand Garden.
"He is a great trainer, and we work very well together," the 30-year-old Cotto said. "Having Manny Steward on our team, he doesn't just work with Miguel Cotto. He works with the whole team. We are grateful to Manny for the way he teaches us to be better."
The 38-year-old Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 knockouts) said he will start a new streak tonight and send Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) to University Medical Center.
Steward said that will not happen.
"No more hospitals," he said. "We'll be partying after we knock Mayorga out."
Steward said he didn't want to change Cotto. Instead, his plan was to get him back to using the skills that made him a feared fighter at 140 and 147 pounds.
"The first time I met with him was in Dallas before the (Manny) Pacquiao-(Joshua) Clottey fight" last March, Steward said. "I couldn't believe how slow he was on his feet. I got him to drop his hands and just move around. He moved good, and I said, 'Maybe we got something here.'
"What he did against Foreman was just scratching the surface. Someone showed me a clip on YouTube when he was 17 years old, and he was moving like a young Sugar Ray Leonard. He was unbelievable. He said to me, 'I want to box that way,' and he's back on his toes, using that footwork. He obsessed with moving."
When he agreed to train Cotto for the June fight with Foreman, Steward demanded complete control of the training camp. No one interfered, and the result was one of Cotto's best performances in his 10-year pro career. Things have gotten better as Cotto prepares for Mayorga.
"I trust him," Cotto said. "When he tells me something, I listen because I know he knows what he's talking about."
Steward said the key to Cotto's success is using his left jab and coming in with the hook. "Everything works off the jab," Steward said. "We've got him throwing that jab, and he's got speed, power and precision."
Cotto, who is a 10-1 betting favorite at the MGM properties' sports books, said he's not sure how much longer he'll continue to fight. But with Steward in his corner, he might stick around awhile.
"I feel like I've had a great career," he said. "It's been very productive. I know it's near the end, but I feel like it's the beginning. I feel great, and I feel like I have a lot left before I go."
■ NOTES -- According to Nevada Athletic Commission figures, Cotto's purse tonight is $1 million while Mayorga's is $50,000. Mayorga is making $500,000 for the fight, but he owed his promoter, Don King, money from a lawsuit King had won against him a couple of years ago. ... Both fighters weighed in at 154 pounds Friday. There were no incidents at the weigh-in. ... Also on tonight's card, Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KOs) defends his IBF lightweight title against Lenny Zappavigna (25-0, 17 KOs). Vazquez-Zappavigna is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
Source: las vegas review-journal
In the bowels of Yankee Stadium, Miguel Cotto was getting dressed, having just beaten Yuri Foreman to win the WBA super welterweight title.
As Cotto finished dressing, his trainer, Emanuel Steward, came by, put his hand on Cotto's shoulder and said to him, "You're back!" Cotto looked at Steward, winked and said, "We're back!"
After being trained by his father and uncle for his most of his career, Cotto brought in Steward, the Hall of Fame trainer whose Kronk Gym in Detroit turned out dozens of great fighters, most notably Thomas Hearns, to get him back to the top.
Cotto had taken savage beatings the past few years, and after almost every fight, his routine included a trip to the emergency room. With Steward in his corner, Cotto looked like a new fighter.
He had renewed speed, and he dominated Foreman on June 5. Cotto didn't have to go to the hospital after beating Foreman, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say Steward might have saved and extended Cotto's career in the ring.
Steward will be in Cotto's corner again tonight when he defends his WBA title against Ricardo Mayorga in the 12-round main event of the Top Rank-Don King Promotions fight card at the MGM Grand Garden.
"He is a great trainer, and we work very well together," the 30-year-old Cotto said. "Having Manny Steward on our team, he doesn't just work with Miguel Cotto. He works with the whole team. We are grateful to Manny for the way he teaches us to be better."
The 38-year-old Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 knockouts) said he will start a new streak tonight and send Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) to University Medical Center.
Steward said that will not happen.
"No more hospitals," he said. "We'll be partying after we knock Mayorga out."
Steward said he didn't want to change Cotto. Instead, his plan was to get him back to using the skills that made him a feared fighter at 140 and 147 pounds.
"The first time I met with him was in Dallas before the (Manny) Pacquiao-(Joshua) Clottey fight" last March, Steward said. "I couldn't believe how slow he was on his feet. I got him to drop his hands and just move around. He moved good, and I said, 'Maybe we got something here.'
"What he did against Foreman was just scratching the surface. Someone showed me a clip on YouTube when he was 17 years old, and he was moving like a young Sugar Ray Leonard. He was unbelievable. He said to me, 'I want to box that way,' and he's back on his toes, using that footwork. He obsessed with moving."
When he agreed to train Cotto for the June fight with Foreman, Steward demanded complete control of the training camp. No one interfered, and the result was one of Cotto's best performances in his 10-year pro career. Things have gotten better as Cotto prepares for Mayorga.
"I trust him," Cotto said. "When he tells me something, I listen because I know he knows what he's talking about."
Steward said the key to Cotto's success is using his left jab and coming in with the hook. "Everything works off the jab," Steward said. "We've got him throwing that jab, and he's got speed, power and precision."
Cotto, who is a 10-1 betting favorite at the MGM properties' sports books, said he's not sure how much longer he'll continue to fight. But with Steward in his corner, he might stick around awhile.
"I feel like I've had a great career," he said. "It's been very productive. I know it's near the end, but I feel like it's the beginning. I feel great, and I feel like I have a lot left before I go."
■ NOTES -- According to Nevada Athletic Commission figures, Cotto's purse tonight is $1 million while Mayorga's is $50,000. Mayorga is making $500,000 for the fight, but he owed his promoter, Don King, money from a lawsuit King had won against him a couple of years ago. ... Both fighters weighed in at 154 pounds Friday. There were no incidents at the weigh-in. ... Also on tonight's card, Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KOs) defends his IBF lightweight title against Lenny Zappavigna (25-0, 17 KOs). Vazquez-Zappavigna is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
Source: las vegas review-journal
Mayorga mocks 'half gay' Cotto at weigh in
Miguel Cotto's trainer Manny Steward has lifted the lid on their approach to tonight's opponent Ricardo Mayorga.
Steward believes that the 37-year old Nicaraguan throws wild, looping punches that Cotto can exploit with faster, shorter punches.
But underlined that his charge must not be intimidated by the bully-style that the 29-7 orthodox danger man brings.
"I do not want to see Mayorga make Miguel run, like he does with his bully type style and so its very important that to let him him force you to run. Cotto does not fight so good of the ropes, so it's important he takes the centre of the ring." said Steward.
During their weigh in yesterday, many felt Mayorga was in the best shape of his career to date. Both he and Cotto came bang on the 154lb weight limit - but as usual Mayorga was up to his old tricks, by handing Cotto a red rose as he stood on the scales.
Earlier this week Mayorga claimed Cotto was half-gay and the people of Puerto Rico should get behind him.
"I don't care what he (Mayorga) is saying about me," said Cotto (35-2, 28ko)
"He's always going to be talking, but as everyone knows, the fight starts when you enter the ring and that's where I'm going to win the fight, in the ring."
"I'm going everywhere," he said. "I'm going to the body, I'm going upstairs. I just want to give the fans the best fight possible."
Source: livefight.com
Steward believes that the 37-year old Nicaraguan throws wild, looping punches that Cotto can exploit with faster, shorter punches.
But underlined that his charge must not be intimidated by the bully-style that the 29-7 orthodox danger man brings.
"I do not want to see Mayorga make Miguel run, like he does with his bully type style and so its very important that to let him him force you to run. Cotto does not fight so good of the ropes, so it's important he takes the centre of the ring." said Steward.
During their weigh in yesterday, many felt Mayorga was in the best shape of his career to date. Both he and Cotto came bang on the 154lb weight limit - but as usual Mayorga was up to his old tricks, by handing Cotto a red rose as he stood on the scales.
Earlier this week Mayorga claimed Cotto was half-gay and the people of Puerto Rico should get behind him.
"I don't care what he (Mayorga) is saying about me," said Cotto (35-2, 28ko)
"He's always going to be talking, but as everyone knows, the fight starts when you enter the ring and that's where I'm going to win the fight, in the ring."
"I'm going everywhere," he said. "I'm going to the body, I'm going upstairs. I just want to give the fans the best fight possible."
Source: livefight.com
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Can Pascal Make Hopkins Feel His Age?
By Martin Mulcahey
Bombastic World War II General Douglas MacArthur said of age, “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.” He could just as well been commenting on Bernard Hopkins. Apart from fellow future Hall-of-Famer Joe Calzaghe, no boxer has been able make the negatives of MacArthur’s quote pertain to Hopkins. Since reaching the milestone of 40, Hopkins has beaten the young (Kelly Pavlik) and old (Antonio Tarver) alike but in Jean Pascal, he faces the most athletic opponent since Roy Jones Jr. in 1993. The same Roy Jones whom Pascal idolized growing up, never imagining he could one day duplicate his hero’s victory.
This is a matchup filled with incongruity, beginning with a reversal of the usual scenario featuring an aging champion fighting off the attack of a brash young challenger. Tonight, we have an elderly veteran who managed to finagle a fight against the linear champion in his prime. Forget about getting older, Hopkins is old. However, Hopkins dedication to the sport and certitude of victory has allowed this old warhorse to remain a relevant threat to anyone in the light heavyweight division and, once again, forcing fans and boxing insiders alike to ask themselves: who wins? The young man possessed of athleticism or an old man with a larger bag of tricks? The pressure sits squarely on Pascal, with the only prize awaiting him at the end of 12 rounds the right to claim he was the man who sent Bernard Hopkins into retirement.
Of course, when discussing this fight, the subject of age must be raised because the 18-year difference in age is such a compelling statistic. The question of age has been a constant with Hopkins for more than a decade, as present as his shadow during interviews. Pascal is nearly two decades Hopkins junior (five years old when Hopkins turned pro), a statistic so egregious as to be comical. It is an aspect that threatened to overshadow the event but is also historical since Hopkins can become oldest champion ever besting George Foreman by 38 days. Hopkins showed his firm grasp on boxing history. “The difference between me and Foreman is that most people didn’t think Foreman could do it. Not only do people think I can win, they think I can win big and I plan on proving them right.”
Many observers have doubts as to the entertainment value of this matchup. I will come right out and say it; if this fight is boring, Hopkins will have had his way and won. When was the last time Hopkins was in an entertaining bout he won or, for that matter, a compelling fight? The way Hopkins took Kelly Pavlik apart was beguiling and his inability to unnerve Joe Calzaghe gave it a tension lacking in other performances. Hopkins’ putrid PPV performance against Roy Jones in his last fight left a blind spot in any fan’s eye unfortunate enough to have witnessed it. Pascal is the opposite of Hopkins, a fighter whose physical talent and willingness to battle has created memorable moments against Carl Froch, Adrian Diaconu, and even fellow Hopkins bore-boxer Chad Dawson. Therefore, the excitement factor is directly tied to Hopkins ability to employ his stagnating game plan.
Because of the distinct probability this fight has to turn into a stinker, fans should be thankful Showtime stepped in to prevent it from going the PPV route. In the process, the network has made this potentially historical fight available to a wider audience. Chris DeBlasio, Director of Sports Communications, is happy to be the bearer of the spectacle. “The goal of ‘Showtime Championship Boxing’ - as many of you have heard and know - is to televise the most competitive, significant and compelling fights that boxing has to offer in every weight class. This light heavyweight world title fight does fit perfectly into that strategy.” DeBlasio made a compelling argument for the significance of the fight. “It's an important crossroads fight, we know, for both men. There's tremendous upside for Jean Pascal to vanquish the longtime champion in Bernard Hopkins. For Bernard Hopkins, he was first featured back on Showtime in 1994 when this network was looking to establish its brand identity in the sport.” A historical detail lost on most covering the fight.
The event has international flair, marking the third time Hopkins traveled outside of America to engage in a fight. Though it has to be said, the culture, language, and culinary gap are not what are usually expected from an “away” fight. Nor as intimidating as locales in Mexico, South America, Asia, or Europe. As for Pascal looking for any edge tried to drive his perceived advantage home. "Listen, when I go to the States, you guys speak English. I've got to speak English. There's no translation. Now, you're in my country. You're not home. This is my territory. In this town, we speak French." To that point, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is not worried about the environs. “I personally had a discussion with Jose Sulaiman and with Mauricio Sulaiman (the father and son duo running the WBC) to ensure that we have a fair panel of judges and a fair referee. A bad decision might ruin it for Canada forever because nobody will come to Canada any more if they're going to hear that in Canada, you get bad decisions.” An overly dramatic viewpoint considering Showtime aired Lucian Bute’s controversial first victory over Librado Andrade two years ago.
Not to be outdone, Bernard Hopkins tried to win ground by taking Pascal’s championship belt from Quebec’s mayor, an invited VIP, as Pascal spoke. Hopkins then played keep-away with it, holding the belt behind his back and switching hands to make Pascal reach for it like a big brother would tease his younger sibling. Pascal quickly got in Hopkins's face, spat a couple terse words and pushed Hopkins before the pair was separated. The scuffle had the intensity of two declawed kittens squaring off but Hopkins got the better of the situation by goading Pascal into reacting to him and wasting valuable mental focus. Weeks earlier, Pascal told boxing writer Anson Wainwright of 15Rounds.com, “I am aware that Hopkins likes to engage in mind games. Inconsistent behaviors tend to throw some boxers for a loop. In that regard, Hopkins has been a teacher and an educator to many great names in the sport.” Point proven and round zero to Hopkins.
What was an amicable promotion has degenerated into callous verbal skirmishes. Yvon Michel, Pascal’s promoter, noted the unexpected turnaround. “Two months ago, Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins were like school friends. Now it looks like that’s finished. They’ve had warriors’ faces since they walked in here this morning. No matter what happens Saturday, this fight will have a colossal impact on the career and the life of these two guys.” Pascal went from complimenting Hopkins, “Bernard Hopkins is one of the biggest names in the sport today. His name is synonymous with excellence. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to fight against such a great well-known boxer,” to a final sentiment, “Bernard Hopkins says that the smartest guy will win. He says he is the intelligent man and I am the idiot. After the fight, everyone will know who the dummy really is.” Perhaps this has piqued fans curiosities; after all, they have bought all 16,495 available tickets.
As for what those fans will witness, it is largely up to Bernard Hopkins as he will have to make the most dramatic adjustments. Hopkins does sport a height and reach advantage (three inches in both departments) that was telling in the obligatory press conference staredown. Jean Pascal is a peculiar fighter to get a handle on stylistically, leading unexpectedly with hooks or darting in and out of range employing quick bursts of punches. Hopkins is a thinking man’s boxer, who expects opponents to fight by the book he has memorized and perfected. Thus, Hopkins was caught off-guard by the athletically gifted Roy Jones and awkward southpaw Joe Calzaghe. Pascal is a B-level amalgamation of Jones and Calzaghe, which works in his favor if Hopkins reacts to Pascal’s punches as he would a regular foe. How quickly Hopkins adjusts or figures out the puzzle before him is key to how the fight unfolds.
The dueling trainers went with automotive metaphors to describe their boxers and roads to victory. Marc Ramsay, Pascal's trainer, spoke out first. "Be ready to see my athlete. He is ready like a powerful F-1 car. When the fight starts, you will see a jalopy on the other side of the ring and my F-1 will run him over." Don’t mistake Ramsay’s humor; he is to be taken seriously, given game plans he devised for Pascal to follow to victory over all but one opponent. Well-respected Naazim Richardson was put off by Ramsay’s lack of deference for his vehicle. "As you watch my athlete, please give him his due respect. Please understand this man's age, what he has accomplished and what he has been able to do for years. He is exceptional and I want him to get his just due. Trust me; if he wasn't prepared, I wouldn't be here." Michel made the most poignant observation on the fights meaning to Pascal. “He's trying to beat Bernard Hopkins but he's trying to match Sergio Martinez or Manny Pacquiao to take aim as the ‘Fighter of the Year.’”
Relatively neutral observers weighed in, as part of a Showtime survey. Glen Johnson’s opinion was especially noted, given his age and loss to a prime Bernard Hopkins. “I think just being in Canada really helps Pascal and that will be the difference. It’s going to be great fight and very close and based on the crowd’s reaction, Pascal wins. It’s hard for me to give a definite answer on who is going to win, based on what I saw when Hopkins fought Roy Jones. I guess I would have to pick Pascal.” Carl Froch, also notable as the only man to defeat Jean Pascal, was his usual honest self. “Pascal is on the way up and Hopkins, while not really on the way down, has definitely hit a ceiling, with regards to work rate. I think the wily fox has a few gray whiskers now and he may be cute in the opening rounds but Jean Pascal’s sheer will to win can be what seals the deal.”
The most unbiased opinion, from a boxer who has not shared a ring with either man and is not in their weight class, came from loquacious former champion Paulie Malignaggi. “Pascal is younger and brings a high-energy level, plus the crowd backing him will motivate him a lot. I think this will be a close fight with Bernard definitely frustrating Pascal in spurts and with Pascal having success as well while pushing Hopkins to fight at a pace faster than he would like. I honestly think it will be very close and I think Bernard will get the decision up there.” It was a person with a lot to lose, Pascal’s promoter, Michel, who surmised, best incorporating the promotion’s tagline of “Dynasty.” “It' is the beginning and it's the end. No matter what happens Saturday, this fight will have a colossal impact on the career and the life of these two guys.” If those 36 “Dynasty” minutes do the same for boxing fans, essentially, it all comes down to Bernard Hopkins.
Source: doghouseboxing.com
Bombastic World War II General Douglas MacArthur said of age, “You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt, as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear, as young as your hope, as old as your despair.” He could just as well been commenting on Bernard Hopkins. Apart from fellow future Hall-of-Famer Joe Calzaghe, no boxer has been able make the negatives of MacArthur’s quote pertain to Hopkins. Since reaching the milestone of 40, Hopkins has beaten the young (Kelly Pavlik) and old (Antonio Tarver) alike but in Jean Pascal, he faces the most athletic opponent since Roy Jones Jr. in 1993. The same Roy Jones whom Pascal idolized growing up, never imagining he could one day duplicate his hero’s victory.
This is a matchup filled with incongruity, beginning with a reversal of the usual scenario featuring an aging champion fighting off the attack of a brash young challenger. Tonight, we have an elderly veteran who managed to finagle a fight against the linear champion in his prime. Forget about getting older, Hopkins is old. However, Hopkins dedication to the sport and certitude of victory has allowed this old warhorse to remain a relevant threat to anyone in the light heavyweight division and, once again, forcing fans and boxing insiders alike to ask themselves: who wins? The young man possessed of athleticism or an old man with a larger bag of tricks? The pressure sits squarely on Pascal, with the only prize awaiting him at the end of 12 rounds the right to claim he was the man who sent Bernard Hopkins into retirement.
Of course, when discussing this fight, the subject of age must be raised because the 18-year difference in age is such a compelling statistic. The question of age has been a constant with Hopkins for more than a decade, as present as his shadow during interviews. Pascal is nearly two decades Hopkins junior (five years old when Hopkins turned pro), a statistic so egregious as to be comical. It is an aspect that threatened to overshadow the event but is also historical since Hopkins can become oldest champion ever besting George Foreman by 38 days. Hopkins showed his firm grasp on boxing history. “The difference between me and Foreman is that most people didn’t think Foreman could do it. Not only do people think I can win, they think I can win big and I plan on proving them right.”
Many observers have doubts as to the entertainment value of this matchup. I will come right out and say it; if this fight is boring, Hopkins will have had his way and won. When was the last time Hopkins was in an entertaining bout he won or, for that matter, a compelling fight? The way Hopkins took Kelly Pavlik apart was beguiling and his inability to unnerve Joe Calzaghe gave it a tension lacking in other performances. Hopkins’ putrid PPV performance against Roy Jones in his last fight left a blind spot in any fan’s eye unfortunate enough to have witnessed it. Pascal is the opposite of Hopkins, a fighter whose physical talent and willingness to battle has created memorable moments against Carl Froch, Adrian Diaconu, and even fellow Hopkins bore-boxer Chad Dawson. Therefore, the excitement factor is directly tied to Hopkins ability to employ his stagnating game plan.
Because of the distinct probability this fight has to turn into a stinker, fans should be thankful Showtime stepped in to prevent it from going the PPV route. In the process, the network has made this potentially historical fight available to a wider audience. Chris DeBlasio, Director of Sports Communications, is happy to be the bearer of the spectacle. “The goal of ‘Showtime Championship Boxing’ - as many of you have heard and know - is to televise the most competitive, significant and compelling fights that boxing has to offer in every weight class. This light heavyweight world title fight does fit perfectly into that strategy.” DeBlasio made a compelling argument for the significance of the fight. “It's an important crossroads fight, we know, for both men. There's tremendous upside for Jean Pascal to vanquish the longtime champion in Bernard Hopkins. For Bernard Hopkins, he was first featured back on Showtime in 1994 when this network was looking to establish its brand identity in the sport.” A historical detail lost on most covering the fight.
The event has international flair, marking the third time Hopkins traveled outside of America to engage in a fight. Though it has to be said, the culture, language, and culinary gap are not what are usually expected from an “away” fight. Nor as intimidating as locales in Mexico, South America, Asia, or Europe. As for Pascal looking for any edge tried to drive his perceived advantage home. "Listen, when I go to the States, you guys speak English. I've got to speak English. There's no translation. Now, you're in my country. You're not home. This is my territory. In this town, we speak French." To that point, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is not worried about the environs. “I personally had a discussion with Jose Sulaiman and with Mauricio Sulaiman (the father and son duo running the WBC) to ensure that we have a fair panel of judges and a fair referee. A bad decision might ruin it for Canada forever because nobody will come to Canada any more if they're going to hear that in Canada, you get bad decisions.” An overly dramatic viewpoint considering Showtime aired Lucian Bute’s controversial first victory over Librado Andrade two years ago.
Not to be outdone, Bernard Hopkins tried to win ground by taking Pascal’s championship belt from Quebec’s mayor, an invited VIP, as Pascal spoke. Hopkins then played keep-away with it, holding the belt behind his back and switching hands to make Pascal reach for it like a big brother would tease his younger sibling. Pascal quickly got in Hopkins's face, spat a couple terse words and pushed Hopkins before the pair was separated. The scuffle had the intensity of two declawed kittens squaring off but Hopkins got the better of the situation by goading Pascal into reacting to him and wasting valuable mental focus. Weeks earlier, Pascal told boxing writer Anson Wainwright of 15Rounds.com, “I am aware that Hopkins likes to engage in mind games. Inconsistent behaviors tend to throw some boxers for a loop. In that regard, Hopkins has been a teacher and an educator to many great names in the sport.” Point proven and round zero to Hopkins.
What was an amicable promotion has degenerated into callous verbal skirmishes. Yvon Michel, Pascal’s promoter, noted the unexpected turnaround. “Two months ago, Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins were like school friends. Now it looks like that’s finished. They’ve had warriors’ faces since they walked in here this morning. No matter what happens Saturday, this fight will have a colossal impact on the career and the life of these two guys.” Pascal went from complimenting Hopkins, “Bernard Hopkins is one of the biggest names in the sport today. His name is synonymous with excellence. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to fight against such a great well-known boxer,” to a final sentiment, “Bernard Hopkins says that the smartest guy will win. He says he is the intelligent man and I am the idiot. After the fight, everyone will know who the dummy really is.” Perhaps this has piqued fans curiosities; after all, they have bought all 16,495 available tickets.
As for what those fans will witness, it is largely up to Bernard Hopkins as he will have to make the most dramatic adjustments. Hopkins does sport a height and reach advantage (three inches in both departments) that was telling in the obligatory press conference staredown. Jean Pascal is a peculiar fighter to get a handle on stylistically, leading unexpectedly with hooks or darting in and out of range employing quick bursts of punches. Hopkins is a thinking man’s boxer, who expects opponents to fight by the book he has memorized and perfected. Thus, Hopkins was caught off-guard by the athletically gifted Roy Jones and awkward southpaw Joe Calzaghe. Pascal is a B-level amalgamation of Jones and Calzaghe, which works in his favor if Hopkins reacts to Pascal’s punches as he would a regular foe. How quickly Hopkins adjusts or figures out the puzzle before him is key to how the fight unfolds.
The dueling trainers went with automotive metaphors to describe their boxers and roads to victory. Marc Ramsay, Pascal's trainer, spoke out first. "Be ready to see my athlete. He is ready like a powerful F-1 car. When the fight starts, you will see a jalopy on the other side of the ring and my F-1 will run him over." Don’t mistake Ramsay’s humor; he is to be taken seriously, given game plans he devised for Pascal to follow to victory over all but one opponent. Well-respected Naazim Richardson was put off by Ramsay’s lack of deference for his vehicle. "As you watch my athlete, please give him his due respect. Please understand this man's age, what he has accomplished and what he has been able to do for years. He is exceptional and I want him to get his just due. Trust me; if he wasn't prepared, I wouldn't be here." Michel made the most poignant observation on the fights meaning to Pascal. “He's trying to beat Bernard Hopkins but he's trying to match Sergio Martinez or Manny Pacquiao to take aim as the ‘Fighter of the Year.’”
Relatively neutral observers weighed in, as part of a Showtime survey. Glen Johnson’s opinion was especially noted, given his age and loss to a prime Bernard Hopkins. “I think just being in Canada really helps Pascal and that will be the difference. It’s going to be great fight and very close and based on the crowd’s reaction, Pascal wins. It’s hard for me to give a definite answer on who is going to win, based on what I saw when Hopkins fought Roy Jones. I guess I would have to pick Pascal.” Carl Froch, also notable as the only man to defeat Jean Pascal, was his usual honest self. “Pascal is on the way up and Hopkins, while not really on the way down, has definitely hit a ceiling, with regards to work rate. I think the wily fox has a few gray whiskers now and he may be cute in the opening rounds but Jean Pascal’s sheer will to win can be what seals the deal.”
The most unbiased opinion, from a boxer who has not shared a ring with either man and is not in their weight class, came from loquacious former champion Paulie Malignaggi. “Pascal is younger and brings a high-energy level, plus the crowd backing him will motivate him a lot. I think this will be a close fight with Bernard definitely frustrating Pascal in spurts and with Pascal having success as well while pushing Hopkins to fight at a pace faster than he would like. I honestly think it will be very close and I think Bernard will get the decision up there.” It was a person with a lot to lose, Pascal’s promoter, Michel, who surmised, best incorporating the promotion’s tagline of “Dynasty.” “It' is the beginning and it's the end. No matter what happens Saturday, this fight will have a colossal impact on the career and the life of these two guys.” If those 36 “Dynasty” minutes do the same for boxing fans, essentially, it all comes down to Bernard Hopkins.
Source: doghouseboxing.com
The Bernard Hopkins Era Will Continue Against Jean Pascal
Brian McDonald
Bernard Hopkins is the best fighter of his era. Now he seeks to extend that era even further by taking a fight with the Canadian champion Jean Pascal. I’m calling for Hopkins to win by unanimous decision.
Why? Because, like the executioner, I’ve got nothing to lose by it.
His defense is the thing that has made Hopkins nearly untouchable for all these years, and a defensive fighter only gets better with age, cagier, to compensate for the inevitable losses of speed and endurance. Parenthetically, announcers never tired of pointing out that at the height of Roy Jones Jr.’s career he lacked sound boxing fundamentals; rather, he relied on his freakish athleticism. After he moved up to heavyweight to fight for a belt, it seems that he slowed down and he never did regain that edge in speed and reflexes that had put him on top. The style that made him great was not meant for longevity. Bernard Hopkins’ style, on the other hand, is the paradigmatic formula for a long and great career.
With all due respect for my colleague, I have to disagree with an article recently appearing on this website. It’s time for a defense for Hopkins. While great fighters like Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield have made us cringe in the last decade with their attempts to crawl back into the ring, the Executioner has inspired awe.
Hopkins is an undersized light-heavyweight, really a natural middleweight. He probably didn’t start at a lighter weight (as boxers brought up well by managers and coaches do) because by the time he started boxing he was a bit older (prison time) than guys like Trinidad and De La Hoya were when they started. So it seems unfair to me to dismiss his victories over those two fighters and Winky Wright for reasons of size advantage. Those three wins are monumental on any resume, especially because at those moments in boxing people were ducking Wright left and right, and Trinidad was the scariest name in the game.
As far as avoiding Jones, I think it was a lack of interest on all sides: Hopkins, Jones and the fans. The first loss to Jones was the most boring fight in the history of big name fights. Roy Jones landed 3 punches, Hopkins landed 1 (exaggerating). So what is the point in seeking a rematch? I know I never wanted to see it, and I’m sure Jones wouldn’t have taken it if Hopkins had pushed. The rematch was, in the end, a sort of coming home for both fighters. The outcome is revealing: at the end of their careers it was Hopkins, not Jones, who came out on top.
The Jermain Taylor fights were, according to my scoring, close but all should have gone to Hopkins. As Hopkins pointed out, Jermain was younger, more marketable as a champion and better looking than Hopkins (Hopkins went on to add “I know I’m no Denzel, but damn”). It reminded me of Hagler/Leanard, but instead of retiring and moving to Italy, Hopkins went on to become the best 40+ fighter ever, defeating a list of fighters who in their moments were very good. Their moments passed, usually in culminating losses to Hopkins. The executioner finished off the careers of Kelly Pavlik, Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright. Their moments collectively add up to make the last stretch of The Hopkins Era.
Hopkins is the last of an old school mold of fighter. He fights like a true Philly fighter. He may no longer be in the argument of best pound for pound on earth, but he’s still in the ring, still boxing for the love of the sport, yes, for the money as well, but more just to prowl, to be the old veteran: tough, wily and there to prove that he’s afraid of no youngsters. On the contrary, they should be afraid of him.
Source: myboxing.com
Bernard Hopkins is the best fighter of his era. Now he seeks to extend that era even further by taking a fight with the Canadian champion Jean Pascal. I’m calling for Hopkins to win by unanimous decision.
Why? Because, like the executioner, I’ve got nothing to lose by it.
His defense is the thing that has made Hopkins nearly untouchable for all these years, and a defensive fighter only gets better with age, cagier, to compensate for the inevitable losses of speed and endurance. Parenthetically, announcers never tired of pointing out that at the height of Roy Jones Jr.’s career he lacked sound boxing fundamentals; rather, he relied on his freakish athleticism. After he moved up to heavyweight to fight for a belt, it seems that he slowed down and he never did regain that edge in speed and reflexes that had put him on top. The style that made him great was not meant for longevity. Bernard Hopkins’ style, on the other hand, is the paradigmatic formula for a long and great career.
With all due respect for my colleague, I have to disagree with an article recently appearing on this website. It’s time for a defense for Hopkins. While great fighters like Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield have made us cringe in the last decade with their attempts to crawl back into the ring, the Executioner has inspired awe.
Hopkins is an undersized light-heavyweight, really a natural middleweight. He probably didn’t start at a lighter weight (as boxers brought up well by managers and coaches do) because by the time he started boxing he was a bit older (prison time) than guys like Trinidad and De La Hoya were when they started. So it seems unfair to me to dismiss his victories over those two fighters and Winky Wright for reasons of size advantage. Those three wins are monumental on any resume, especially because at those moments in boxing people were ducking Wright left and right, and Trinidad was the scariest name in the game.
As far as avoiding Jones, I think it was a lack of interest on all sides: Hopkins, Jones and the fans. The first loss to Jones was the most boring fight in the history of big name fights. Roy Jones landed 3 punches, Hopkins landed 1 (exaggerating). So what is the point in seeking a rematch? I know I never wanted to see it, and I’m sure Jones wouldn’t have taken it if Hopkins had pushed. The rematch was, in the end, a sort of coming home for both fighters. The outcome is revealing: at the end of their careers it was Hopkins, not Jones, who came out on top.
The Jermain Taylor fights were, according to my scoring, close but all should have gone to Hopkins. As Hopkins pointed out, Jermain was younger, more marketable as a champion and better looking than Hopkins (Hopkins went on to add “I know I’m no Denzel, but damn”). It reminded me of Hagler/Leanard, but instead of retiring and moving to Italy, Hopkins went on to become the best 40+ fighter ever, defeating a list of fighters who in their moments were very good. Their moments passed, usually in culminating losses to Hopkins. The executioner finished off the careers of Kelly Pavlik, Antonio Tarver and Winky Wright. Their moments collectively add up to make the last stretch of The Hopkins Era.
Hopkins is the last of an old school mold of fighter. He fights like a true Philly fighter. He may no longer be in the argument of best pound for pound on earth, but he’s still in the ring, still boxing for the love of the sport, yes, for the money as well, but more just to prowl, to be the old veteran: tough, wily and there to prove that he’s afraid of no youngsters. On the contrary, they should be afraid of him.
Source: myboxing.com
Age no barrier for Hopkins
Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins turns 46 on January 15 but the former undisputed middleweight champion insists retirement is not on his agenda.
A decade after his career-defining knockout of Felix Trinidad, and long after most of his contemporaries have hung up the gloves, Hopkins is still defying Father Time.
On Sunday night, he takes on 28-year-old Canadian Jean Pascal at Quebec's Pepsi Coliseum for the WBC light-heavyweight championship of the world - and Hopkins will make history just by making it to the ring.
At 45 years and 337 days old, Hopkins is the oldest world title challenger in boxing history - 38 days older than George Foreman was when he regained the heavyweight title from Michael Moorer in 1994.
The Philadelphia-born fighter said opportunities to create history were the reason he was still pulling on the gloves.
"I get a chance to be the oldest fighter in history to win a title. I get to continue to make history," Hopkins told ESPN.
"How many times can an athlete do that?"
"The difference between me and Foreman is that most people didn't think Foreman could do it. He was the underdog of all underdogs when he faced Moorer. "
"Not only do people think I can win, they think I can win big, and I plan on proving them right."
"Pascal hasn't faced someone like me. He hasn't faced a legend. He is hosting me in his country, on his turf, defending his title. He has a lot to be nervous about on top of the fact that when he looks in the opposite corner on fight night, he is going to see greatness."
"Saturday night you will see something unique. A 45-year-old man in a young man's body is an amazing thing. I am here to prove that I can still compete and that I am something special."
Pascal, who will be making the fourth defence of his light-heavyweight title, said he would not be intimidated by his decorated opponent.
"I don't see a legend in the ring; I see a piece of meat, and I'm a hungry dog," Pascal said.
"This is my time. I belong with the elite boxers. To be the best in the world, you have to face the best. Bernard Hopkins is a legend. Bernard knows what time it is. It's about time for a new era."
Source: sportal.com.au
A decade after his career-defining knockout of Felix Trinidad, and long after most of his contemporaries have hung up the gloves, Hopkins is still defying Father Time.
On Sunday night, he takes on 28-year-old Canadian Jean Pascal at Quebec's Pepsi Coliseum for the WBC light-heavyweight championship of the world - and Hopkins will make history just by making it to the ring.
At 45 years and 337 days old, Hopkins is the oldest world title challenger in boxing history - 38 days older than George Foreman was when he regained the heavyweight title from Michael Moorer in 1994.
The Philadelphia-born fighter said opportunities to create history were the reason he was still pulling on the gloves.
"I get a chance to be the oldest fighter in history to win a title. I get to continue to make history," Hopkins told ESPN.
"How many times can an athlete do that?"
"The difference between me and Foreman is that most people didn't think Foreman could do it. He was the underdog of all underdogs when he faced Moorer. "
"Not only do people think I can win, they think I can win big, and I plan on proving them right."
"Pascal hasn't faced someone like me. He hasn't faced a legend. He is hosting me in his country, on his turf, defending his title. He has a lot to be nervous about on top of the fact that when he looks in the opposite corner on fight night, he is going to see greatness."
"Saturday night you will see something unique. A 45-year-old man in a young man's body is an amazing thing. I am here to prove that I can still compete and that I am something special."
Pascal, who will be making the fourth defence of his light-heavyweight title, said he would not be intimidated by his decorated opponent.
"I don't see a legend in the ring; I see a piece of meat, and I'm a hungry dog," Pascal said.
"This is my time. I belong with the elite boxers. To be the best in the world, you have to face the best. Bernard Hopkins is a legend. Bernard knows what time it is. It's about time for a new era."
Source: sportal.com.au
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Khan vs Maidana Results Replay Download Video Stream
Watch the Full Fight Video Replay of Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana.
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Friday, December 10, 2010
Khan admits learning from only pro loss
By Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- Looking back, maybe it really was a blessing in disguise. At least that's how junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan views his stunning first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott a little more than two years ago.
That shocking loss is now well behind him, and Khan has elevated his game significantly since. He believes it is in part because the defeat taught him a lesson.
But on that night in September 2008, in front of his hometown crowd in England, Khan, then a lightweight, was crushed by unheralded Prescott. Khan was done in a violent and devastating 54 seconds after being hammered to the canvas twice.
It was a shock of shocks.
Khan had been a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics at age 17, had moved quickly up the ranks as a professional and had been named 2007 ESPN.com prospect of the year. A loss at that stage of his career was practically inconceivable, but suddenly that career was in tatters.
Khan, however, picked himself up, dusted himself off and has come back as strong as possible.
He hooked up with renowned trainer Freddie Roach two fights later, has won five fights in a row since the loss -- all in dominant fashion (including three by knockout) -- and won a 140-pound world title.
"I've come along a lot," said Khan, who turned 24 on Wednesday. "I think that defeat was probably what helped me to get so far in my career. Maybe I wouldn't be fighting here if I didn't lose that fight. The defeat gave me a wake-up call because my training was different and the focus wasn't there, whereas now, I'm totally isolated when I go to training camp. I'm 100 percent focused.
"I listen to instructions and listen to my trainer. I train a lot harder. That [loss] was a blessing in disguise. If that didn't happen, like I said, I don't think I'd be in this position now."
The position Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) is in now is that of a world titleholder, one of the most significant fighters in boxing and just days from a serious confrontation with Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs), the hard-punching interim titleholder from Argentina. They meet in a much-anticipated fight at Mandalay Bay in the final "World Championship Boxing" card of the year Saturday (HBO, 9:30 p.m. ET).
Opening the telecast in another meaningful junior welterweight fight are contenders Lamont Peterson (28-1, 14 KOs) and Victor Ortiz (28-2-1, 22 KOs), who meet in a scheduled 10-rounder with a possible shot at the winner of the main event at stake.
Besides physical maturity, the realization that he was better suited to fight at junior welterweight than lightweight and the change of trainers, Khan's rebound from such a surprising knockout loss can be attributed to his mental outlook.
"Mentally, you look back at your previous fights and the mistakes you made in those fights. You don't want to make those mistakes again," Khan said. "That's what drives me. That's what keeps me focused and keeps me on the edge because we know in boxing things can go wrong and one punch can change a fight. We don't want that to happen again, so we're 100 percent focused and more professional."
Part of that professionalism was going to work with Roach. Not only did Khan seek him out but he showed the maturity to leave England behind and relocate to Southern California so he could train at Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood, when preparing for fights.
Khan also has had no issue traveling wherever he had to go to train with Roach, whose schedule can be hectic.
That's because Roach, of course, also trains pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. So when Pacquiao was preparing to fight Antonio Margarito in November, the two training camps overlapped.
What did Khan do? The young fighter packed his bags for Pacquiao's camp in the Philippines to join Roach.
When Pacquiao returned to Wild Card, Khan was with him. And when the crew left for Dallas for the fight, Khan spent the week there working with Roach before returning to California to finish training for Maidana.
It has been a whirlwind couple of months of travel for Khan. Most fighters simply hunker down in one spot for the duration of training. Instead, Khan found himself flying from England to Los Angeles, then to the Philippines, back to Los Angeles, on to Dallas, back to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas.
Khan, with his youthful exuberance, said it was no big deal.
"Yes, I've done a lot of traveling, but I think it's been a good thing because I've kind of enjoyed it because you don't get bored in one place," he said. "You see the same faces, normally you get in the same ring every time and same sparring partners. This time it's been different because when I was in Dallas, we had new sparring partners down there. It was a different gym. New faces to see. Then, when I was in Baguio [in the Philippines], that was totally different. Training in high altitude, that was different and also training alongside Manny Pacquiao. It doesn't seem like I've been traveling, and I don't feel tired from it."
Said Roach, "The travel was a little bit hectic at times, and we get a little tired at times and so forth, but Amir is a traveler. He's young. He never complained once. I take my hat off to him. He did a great job.
"Everything's really gone smoothly. We're ready for the fight. We know Maidana's a good right-hand puncher. He has knockout power. We do respect that, but we're ready for what he has."
Roach can be a harsh critic, but with Khan, he has liked what he has seen since their first fight together, a dominant five-round technical decision against faded all-time great Marco Antonio Barrera in March 2009.
"He knows how to set things up now," Roach said. "He just doesn't go in there and look for a one-punch knockout. He knows how to break a person down, and he knows how to work behind his jab. He's just become a completely different fighter. We haven't lost a round since we've been together. I mean, we haven't lost one round."
Roach looks to Khan's fight with Andriy Kotelnik, from whom he won his belt in July 2009. Khan won virtually every round in the blowout decision. Maidana's only loss was a tight split decision to Kotelnik in a title fight.
"The Kotelnik fight, I feel that was a great fight for us because we beat this guy for every round," Roach said. "So I think there are some very good comparisons in the way Maidana fought him to when we fought him. We dominated him every round. I feel that we'll do that in this fight, too. I don't see us losing a round here, either."
One of the reasons for Khan's supreme confidence is because he trained alongside Pacquiao. This is the second camp they've worked together. They've gotten to know each other and sparred.
While Pacquiao was training for Margarito and Khan was getting ready for Maidana, they sparred about 20 rounds against each other. There's nothing like learning from the best.
"It was just good to spar with him, to share the same ring as him," Khan said. "For confidence, I think it's brilliant because we all know that Manny's the best fighter in the world pound for pound. I think if you can do really well against him, then I'm sure you'll do well against anybody. If you can catch Manny, then I'm sure that someone like Maidana is going to be a lot easier to catch. Manny's got great footwork and great speed. We had some great rounds."
Roach said Khan handled himself well against Pacquiao. There were some rounds in which Roach said Khan even got the better of the pound-for-pound king.
"It's explosive," he said of watching them spar. "It's like a cockfight. One day, they both step it up. The thing is, I believe in good work. It's just when you're sharp, you're sharp. He helped Manny get sharp for his fight and brought his speed back up to the level I wanted it at, and Manny helped Amir with just being a sharp, all-around fighter. It was great work for him. Getting in there against the best and doing very well with him is always a great confidence builder, also."
Khan has grown to look up to Pacquiao after spending so much time with him the past two years. He hopes his own career plays out like Pacquiao's.
"We all fight for the purses and I want to walk out of this game financially comfortable, but when people ask me a question -- 'Do you want to walk out of this game filthy rich or walk out of this game having a legacy?' -- I want the legacy and to be known as a champion like Manny Pacquiao. Manny's a great role model to look up to, and to train with him makes me more hungry. Manny is on top of the world. He makes the biggest purses in the world, but still he's very humble and he still loves boxing, and keeps on fighting and fighting. And I want to follow his footsteps."
Beating Maidana, 27, who owns a TKO win against Ortiz in his coming-out fight 18 months ago, would be good start.
There was a time when some accused Khan of trying to avoid Maidana, perhaps because he is a big puncher and Khan did not fare well against heavy-handed Prescott.
Khan said he never tried to avoid Maidana. Rather, he was being a good businessman. Instead of facing Maidana in May, as so many hoped, he instead made his American debut against former titleholder Paulie Malignaggi.
Khan looked sensational stopping Malignaggi in the 11th round. The performance made the inevitable showdown with Maidana a bigger fight.
In other words, just as Khan had planned.
"Sometimes, you have to look at the options," Khan said. "When the Malignaggi option came, I knew six months down the line, or maybe nine months down the line, the fight with Maidana would be a bigger fight, so why fight him early and beat him and you miss that bigger purse in the future?"
Khan's Nevada contract calls for $975,000, but he will make considerably more once the British pay-per-view is taken into account. Maidana will make a career-high $550,000.
"This is a fight we both wanted. A lot of people think I was avoiding him. But financially, the fight was not making sense," Khan said. "It was nowhere near what we're getting paid now. I said to Golden Boy, 'I think the fight's worth more.' I got a bigger purse fighting Malignaggi, so I took that. Boxing is a business at the end of the day, and I knew down the line the fight against Maidana was going to get bigger. And look: Six months down the line, it's a bigger fight."
And with a victory, Khan can push his star even higher and put that night against Prescott further into the rearview mirror.
"Since I was a young kid, I wanted to be the best in the world, and I've been following that path. These are the fights that are going to make me an even better fighter," he said. "I'm in a division where you have the likes of Victor Ortiz, [Devon] Alexander, [Timothy] Bradley, myself, Maidana, and it's a division everyone is focusing on. And I think, in the next 12 months, I will be on top of the division."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
Source: espn.com
LAS VEGAS -- Looking back, maybe it really was a blessing in disguise. At least that's how junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan views his stunning first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott a little more than two years ago.
That shocking loss is now well behind him, and Khan has elevated his game significantly since. He believes it is in part because the defeat taught him a lesson.
But on that night in September 2008, in front of his hometown crowd in England, Khan, then a lightweight, was crushed by unheralded Prescott. Khan was done in a violent and devastating 54 seconds after being hammered to the canvas twice.
It was a shock of shocks.
Khan had been a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics at age 17, had moved quickly up the ranks as a professional and had been named 2007 ESPN.com prospect of the year. A loss at that stage of his career was practically inconceivable, but suddenly that career was in tatters.
Khan, however, picked himself up, dusted himself off and has come back as strong as possible.
He hooked up with renowned trainer Freddie Roach two fights later, has won five fights in a row since the loss -- all in dominant fashion (including three by knockout) -- and won a 140-pound world title.
"I've come along a lot," said Khan, who turned 24 on Wednesday. "I think that defeat was probably what helped me to get so far in my career. Maybe I wouldn't be fighting here if I didn't lose that fight. The defeat gave me a wake-up call because my training was different and the focus wasn't there, whereas now, I'm totally isolated when I go to training camp. I'm 100 percent focused.
"I listen to instructions and listen to my trainer. I train a lot harder. That [loss] was a blessing in disguise. If that didn't happen, like I said, I don't think I'd be in this position now."
The position Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) is in now is that of a world titleholder, one of the most significant fighters in boxing and just days from a serious confrontation with Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs), the hard-punching interim titleholder from Argentina. They meet in a much-anticipated fight at Mandalay Bay in the final "World Championship Boxing" card of the year Saturday (HBO, 9:30 p.m. ET).
Opening the telecast in another meaningful junior welterweight fight are contenders Lamont Peterson (28-1, 14 KOs) and Victor Ortiz (28-2-1, 22 KOs), who meet in a scheduled 10-rounder with a possible shot at the winner of the main event at stake.
Besides physical maturity, the realization that he was better suited to fight at junior welterweight than lightweight and the change of trainers, Khan's rebound from such a surprising knockout loss can be attributed to his mental outlook.
"Mentally, you look back at your previous fights and the mistakes you made in those fights. You don't want to make those mistakes again," Khan said. "That's what drives me. That's what keeps me focused and keeps me on the edge because we know in boxing things can go wrong and one punch can change a fight. We don't want that to happen again, so we're 100 percent focused and more professional."
Part of that professionalism was going to work with Roach. Not only did Khan seek him out but he showed the maturity to leave England behind and relocate to Southern California so he could train at Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood, when preparing for fights.
Khan also has had no issue traveling wherever he had to go to train with Roach, whose schedule can be hectic.
That's because Roach, of course, also trains pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. So when Pacquiao was preparing to fight Antonio Margarito in November, the two training camps overlapped.
What did Khan do? The young fighter packed his bags for Pacquiao's camp in the Philippines to join Roach.
When Pacquiao returned to Wild Card, Khan was with him. And when the crew left for Dallas for the fight, Khan spent the week there working with Roach before returning to California to finish training for Maidana.
It has been a whirlwind couple of months of travel for Khan. Most fighters simply hunker down in one spot for the duration of training. Instead, Khan found himself flying from England to Los Angeles, then to the Philippines, back to Los Angeles, on to Dallas, back to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas.
Khan, with his youthful exuberance, said it was no big deal.
"Yes, I've done a lot of traveling, but I think it's been a good thing because I've kind of enjoyed it because you don't get bored in one place," he said. "You see the same faces, normally you get in the same ring every time and same sparring partners. This time it's been different because when I was in Dallas, we had new sparring partners down there. It was a different gym. New faces to see. Then, when I was in Baguio [in the Philippines], that was totally different. Training in high altitude, that was different and also training alongside Manny Pacquiao. It doesn't seem like I've been traveling, and I don't feel tired from it."
Said Roach, "The travel was a little bit hectic at times, and we get a little tired at times and so forth, but Amir is a traveler. He's young. He never complained once. I take my hat off to him. He did a great job.
"Everything's really gone smoothly. We're ready for the fight. We know Maidana's a good right-hand puncher. He has knockout power. We do respect that, but we're ready for what he has."
Roach can be a harsh critic, but with Khan, he has liked what he has seen since their first fight together, a dominant five-round technical decision against faded all-time great Marco Antonio Barrera in March 2009.
"He knows how to set things up now," Roach said. "He just doesn't go in there and look for a one-punch knockout. He knows how to break a person down, and he knows how to work behind his jab. He's just become a completely different fighter. We haven't lost a round since we've been together. I mean, we haven't lost one round."
Roach looks to Khan's fight with Andriy Kotelnik, from whom he won his belt in July 2009. Khan won virtually every round in the blowout decision. Maidana's only loss was a tight split decision to Kotelnik in a title fight.
"The Kotelnik fight, I feel that was a great fight for us because we beat this guy for every round," Roach said. "So I think there are some very good comparisons in the way Maidana fought him to when we fought him. We dominated him every round. I feel that we'll do that in this fight, too. I don't see us losing a round here, either."
One of the reasons for Khan's supreme confidence is because he trained alongside Pacquiao. This is the second camp they've worked together. They've gotten to know each other and sparred.
While Pacquiao was training for Margarito and Khan was getting ready for Maidana, they sparred about 20 rounds against each other. There's nothing like learning from the best.
"It was just good to spar with him, to share the same ring as him," Khan said. "For confidence, I think it's brilliant because we all know that Manny's the best fighter in the world pound for pound. I think if you can do really well against him, then I'm sure you'll do well against anybody. If you can catch Manny, then I'm sure that someone like Maidana is going to be a lot easier to catch. Manny's got great footwork and great speed. We had some great rounds."
Roach said Khan handled himself well against Pacquiao. There were some rounds in which Roach said Khan even got the better of the pound-for-pound king.
"It's explosive," he said of watching them spar. "It's like a cockfight. One day, they both step it up. The thing is, I believe in good work. It's just when you're sharp, you're sharp. He helped Manny get sharp for his fight and brought his speed back up to the level I wanted it at, and Manny helped Amir with just being a sharp, all-around fighter. It was great work for him. Getting in there against the best and doing very well with him is always a great confidence builder, also."
Khan has grown to look up to Pacquiao after spending so much time with him the past two years. He hopes his own career plays out like Pacquiao's.
"We all fight for the purses and I want to walk out of this game financially comfortable, but when people ask me a question -- 'Do you want to walk out of this game filthy rich or walk out of this game having a legacy?' -- I want the legacy and to be known as a champion like Manny Pacquiao. Manny's a great role model to look up to, and to train with him makes me more hungry. Manny is on top of the world. He makes the biggest purses in the world, but still he's very humble and he still loves boxing, and keeps on fighting and fighting. And I want to follow his footsteps."
Beating Maidana, 27, who owns a TKO win against Ortiz in his coming-out fight 18 months ago, would be good start.
There was a time when some accused Khan of trying to avoid Maidana, perhaps because he is a big puncher and Khan did not fare well against heavy-handed Prescott.
Khan said he never tried to avoid Maidana. Rather, he was being a good businessman. Instead of facing Maidana in May, as so many hoped, he instead made his American debut against former titleholder Paulie Malignaggi.
Khan looked sensational stopping Malignaggi in the 11th round. The performance made the inevitable showdown with Maidana a bigger fight.
In other words, just as Khan had planned.
"Sometimes, you have to look at the options," Khan said. "When the Malignaggi option came, I knew six months down the line, or maybe nine months down the line, the fight with Maidana would be a bigger fight, so why fight him early and beat him and you miss that bigger purse in the future?"
Khan's Nevada contract calls for $975,000, but he will make considerably more once the British pay-per-view is taken into account. Maidana will make a career-high $550,000.
"This is a fight we both wanted. A lot of people think I was avoiding him. But financially, the fight was not making sense," Khan said. "It was nowhere near what we're getting paid now. I said to Golden Boy, 'I think the fight's worth more.' I got a bigger purse fighting Malignaggi, so I took that. Boxing is a business at the end of the day, and I knew down the line the fight against Maidana was going to get bigger. And look: Six months down the line, it's a bigger fight."
And with a victory, Khan can push his star even higher and put that night against Prescott further into the rearview mirror.
"Since I was a young kid, I wanted to be the best in the world, and I've been following that path. These are the fights that are going to make me an even better fighter," he said. "I'm in a division where you have the likes of Victor Ortiz, [Devon] Alexander, [Timothy] Bradley, myself, Maidana, and it's a division everyone is focusing on. And I think, in the next 12 months, I will be on top of the division."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
Source: espn.com
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