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Contributing Writers
Australia:
Tony Nobbs
Srithar Visuasam
Asia:
Benjie Varella
Canada: Shawn O'Donnell
Paul McCreath
Europe:
James Slater
Mike Casey
Andrew Harrison
Christine Maynard
Adeyinka Makinde
Michael Klimes
Jim Dorney
Andrew Walker
John Wight
United States:
Vivek Wallace Geoffrey Ciani
Coach Tim Walker
P.H. Burbridge
Paul Strauss Frank Gonzalez Jr
Wray Edwards
Pavel Yakovlev
Scott Kraus
Robert Jackson
Errol Hyppolite
Thomas Scherr
Charles White
Yero Moody
Trish Kilcullen
Taj Eubanks
Karl E. H. Seigfried
Mike Dunn
By Brandon Desmond - Paying close attention to the developing negotiations between Boxing’s two best and brightest superstars, I was surprised to learn that the principle terms to the contract were agreed upon so quickly. Early in the negotiation process, the purse split, the gloves, the ring size, the contract weight (all points that I expected would be contentious) were agreed upon. I, like many boxing fans and media, expected a long, up-hill battle to get this fight made. When it looked like all there was to settle on was the venue of the fight, it seemed like it went too easy. I don’t know about anyone else, but the quickness with which it appeared to be shaping up almost took some of the luster off of the fight!
I can’t help but remember negotiations for Pacquiao vs. Hatton, where Hatton demanded a 50/50 split, finally forcing Pacman to acquiesce by threatening to walk away from the fight. Of course, that fight did extremely well on Pay-Per-View, and we all know what the outcome was. But to me, there was never any real hype leading up to that fight. continue l
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Edison ‘Pantera’ Miranda, who was scheduled to fight for the WBO belt against Robert Stieglitz, on Jan 9th in Germany has unfortunately been struck with the flu and had to cancel the bout. “For the past two weeks Edison has been fighting this thing but he just couldn’t shake it” says renowned trainer Joe Goossen. “We have been monitoring his health very closely and trying to get him through this. We had to pull the trigger and do what was right.” This fight would have been Miranda’s second title fight, losing his first encounter to Arthur Abraham in a very controversial war in what has become known as the Battle of Wetzlar. Edison was very much looking forward to returning to Germany and fighting in front of his many European fans. continue l
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by James Slater - Ultra-exciting puncher Juan Manuel Lopez will have his featherweight debut on January 23rd, as he challenges WBO 126-pound ruler Steven Luevano. The bomber who blasted out around 20 of his super-bantamweight opponents on the way to becoming the WBO ruler at 122-pounds, had a much tougher time than expected last time out, as he barely survived the determined challenge of Rogers Mtagwa (who, of course, faces future-planned Lopez foe Yuriorkis Gamboa on the Jan. 23rd bill in New York). continue l
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This New Years Day instead of taking a well deserved break from training, former IBF Cruiserweight Champion of the World, Steve 'USS' Cunningham will instead be lacing up his running shoes to take part in the AngerWear sponsored Stanley's Dream 5K run in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Steve, who is passionate in his belief of helping others less fortunate than himself, jumped at the opportunity to help raise funds for Stanley's Dream, a fund for the Chester County Foundation, which provides college scholarships to graduating seniors and supports childhood brain cancer research grants to hospitals. continue l
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SARANGANI, PHILIPPINES (Dec. 29)—Boxing’s pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao became more incensed at Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Sr. and executives of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) for twisting facts and coming up with false statements that intended to cover up the mess that they created even as they put the blame on the Filipino and his team for the snag of talks to make the projected biggest fight in history from happening.
“I can’t believe these guys can lie without batting an eyelash and they would even make it appear that I am the culprit for the delay of the fight and saying that I don’t want it to happen,” said Pacquiao in Tagalog, as he released part of the information that he has been keeping—proof that Mayweather Jr. directly accused him of performance enhancement drugs (PED) use.
“Liars go to hell. They should be man enough and own up to their words,” said Pacquiao, as he recalled information that pointed out to Mayweather Jr. categorically stating that “the Philippines has the best (performance) enhancement drugs,” supporting what his father, Mayweather Sr. and his uncle Jeff Mayweather, have openly claimed in past interviews. They all claimed that Pacquiao was into some kind of “roids” (steroids) or has used other banned substances. continue l
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by James Slater - The big fight card taking place on January 30th - with "Sugar" Shane Mosley defending his WBA welterweight title against the unbeaten Andre Berto, the WBC champ, in the main event and light-heavyweight contenders Glen Johnson and Yusaf Mack also colliding - could have another very intriguing fight added to it. According to BoxRec.com, punchers Daniel Ponce de Leon and Daud Cino Yordan will meet for the interim version of the WBA featherweight crown.
A tough fight to pick, de Leon-Yordan could either see the birth of a new star, or the re-emergence of an already well known name. continue l
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By Per Ake Persson: Dzinziruk: Sergey Dzinziruk, WBO jr middle champ but inactive since November 08, continues to claim that his contract with Universum is over, but what does Universum say? Well, today Universum have for the first time commented on the case and confirmed a contractual dispute but state that a court in Hamburg ruled in their favour already in November. Universum claims that planned fights in the US against Paul Williams and James Kirkland fell through due to a lack of interest from US TV and due to Dzinziruk´s financial demands. Universum do open the door for Dzinziruk to buy himself out of the contract. continue l
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Kevin Mitchell says he wants Aussie power-house Michael Katsidis. Mitchell will make the first defence of his WBO Intercontinental lightweight title on Frank Warren's blockbuster show at Wembley Arena on February 13, following a faultless performance over Amir Khan conqueror Breidis Prescott earlier this month. And the Dagenham Destroyer knows that victory could pave the way for a clash with the WBO Interim champ Katsidis, who may even have the full WBO belt before long if current champion Juan Manuel Marquez decides to vacate. Katsidis was last seen on these shores in 2007 in a barnstormer against Mitchell's former gym-mate Graham Earl. continue l
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Photo by Mike Gladys: Tomasz Adamek (37-1, 27 KO), IBF Heavyweight International Champion and Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Champion hosted a “Meet and Greet” at Jersey Gardens Mall, Elizabeth, NJ. In anticipation of his upcoming fight against Providence Rhode Island’s, Jason Estrada, (16-2, 4 KOs) on February 6, 2010 at Prudential Center in Newark, Adamek signed autographs and posed for photos with excited fight fans. Three of the 2/6 undercard fighters also participated in the event. Fighters from left to right, Patrick Farrell, Jersey City, NJ (4-0, 3 KO’s), Tomasz Adamek, Denis Douglin, Morganville, NJ (6-0, 3 KO’s), and Sadam Ali, Brooklyn, NY (4-0, 2 KO’s). Two lovely NJ Devil’s Dancers were on hand to greet fans also. continue l
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By Michael Herron - The most highly anticipated match-up in recent memory is on the verge of collapse due to Team Mayweather’s insistence and Team Pacquiao’s refusal to submit to Olympic style drug testing which include blood and urine analysis. Both camps are standing firm on the matter but the ripple effects have cast a cloud over the boxing world.
The term that has garnered all the attention and has thus become the focus of the negotiation is “random,” as in random dates and times for the procedure to be conducted. According to Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe, “random is random. The whole purpose of doing something random is for surprise. We’re not backing off.” The surprise however, for boxing fans around the world, is that Manny Pacquiao has flat out refused to submit to random testing instead preferring to know exactly what date and times the test will be conducted. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum has routinely iterated that Pacquiao is willing to submit to testing 30 days before the fight and immediately afterwards. This proposition however has been rejected by the Mayweather camp as it conveniently removes the concept of “random.. continue l
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LOS ANGELES (December 28, 2009) . . . After a Christmas weekend filled with comments and reports related to the potential mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are issuing the following statement in order to set the record straight. Let the record be clear: Manny Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum are threatening to walk away from the largest fight in history.
The fact is that random blood and urine testing was one of the many deal points and was listed along with the others, such as the financial split, the weight, financial penalty for being overweight, the appointment of the foreign sales agent, the production of the marketing assets, the gloves and many more. Team Mayweather made major concessions in many of these areas and we were optimistic that Team Pacquiao would do the same as it related to the request for random blood and urine testing, which Floyd Mayweather agreed to immediately. continue l
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by James Slater - While some fans may well groan when they read how yet another DVD, movie, documentary or book on Muhammad Ali has been released, the new DVD "Facing Ali" that was released this week is well worth watching. As with the books Facing Ali and Facing Tyson, the film, directed by Pete McCormack, gives the guy on the other side of the ring to the legend a chance to speak. In this case, ten men who shared the ring with Ali at least one time get to tell their story.
Sir Henry Cooper, Ernie Terrell, George Chuvalo, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton George Foreman, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks and Larry Holmes are the ten fighters that make up the list (no Joe Bugner or Chick Wepner sadly) and each fighter who is a legend in his own right has plenty of time devoted to him.
Over the course of the ninety-plus minutes, thirteen key fights in Ali's career are given attention - from his first fight with Cooper right up to Ali's sad fight with Holmes. In addition, all ten fighters talk about their early days, their start in the sport and their eventual meeting or meetings with the great man. Compelling viewing throughout, the sections with Chuvalo, Lyle and Spinks were particularly interesting to me. continue l
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by James Slater - With promoter Bob Arum's deadline issued to the Mayweather team regarding the struggling mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao rapidly approaching, fans everywhere are wondering if the fight everyone wants to see will actually happen. There surely can't be anyone who hasn't heard about the blood test quarrelling that has been going on for the past few days, and fight fans also know how Arum's plan-B, if the fight cannot be saved, is for Pac-Man to face New York's Paulie Malignaggi.
No disrespect to the talented and hard working "Magic Man," but we all know how much of a drop a Pacquiao-Malignaggi fight would be compared to what was originally planned. The question is, IF "Money" Vs. Manny cannot be saved, how badly will the sport of boxing suffer?
Back in the days leading up to the "World Awaits" clash between Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya, some members of the media went as far as to say how that super-fight was all that could "save" the dying sport of boxing. Such talk was way overboard, but boxing could well take a real hit if the pencilled-in March 13th blockbuster - a genuine event that really has got the world awaiting it - falls apart, never to be seen. continue l
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Reginald W. (Los Angeles, CA): I saw your latest video about the Mayweather/Pacquiao controversies and must admit, it left a lot to consider. I've heard you play both sides, but I want you to just say it. What do you think is really going on?
Vivek W. (ESB): I make a very concerted effort to be neutral at all times, so the process of leaning to one particular side for me can only be supported by hardcore, non-circumstantial facts. At this point, my position is very clear. Look at the events of the last few weeks, follow that trail, and suddenly you read it like braille. Think about it.....It went from "any test, any where, anytime", to "no test within 6 weeks of the fight", to "no test at all during the fight camp". From that sporadic point, it evolved to "USADA can't be used for the testing because Pacquiao doesn't trust them", to now that we've agreed on NSAC, "let them decide if there should be blood testing involved". continue l
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Sebastian Sylvester (32-3, 15 KOs) will make a first defence of his IBF Middleweight Title on January 30 when he takes on Pablo Navascues (24-1, 16 KOs). The Hurricane returns to the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg where he edged Giovanni Lorenzo on September 19 to win King Arthur Abraham´s vacated title in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,000 enthusiastic fans. “I am looking forward to making my first defence,” Sylvester said. “I expect a tough bout. Navascues is a strong fighter but I will do my best to keep him at bay.. continue l
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Jaime Castro Núñez - After three intense years, Edison Miranda returns to Germany in order to challenge WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz. From his bitter experience against Arthur Abraham in 2006, he knows that an extra effort will be required to win. The unfair circumstances under which he fought at Wetzlar’s Rittal Arena that finally led to Abraham’s highly controversial victory, taught Miranda that confidence in a foreign land is something that simply cannot be afforded. continue l
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by Geoffrey Ciani - Last week’s edition of On the Ropes featured three exclusive interviews. Paul Malignaggi sounded off with suspicions that Manny Pacquiao is using illegal substances to enhance his performance and Micky Ward discussed his famous trilogy with Artuo Gatti, but before that, highlighting this episode was a very interesting interview with the man widely regarded as the best junior welterweight in boxing, Timothy Bradley. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
On his recent victory over the previously undefeated Lamont Peterson:
“Tough battle. Real tough battle as you guys could see, but I did what I had to do and won that match and am just looking forward to 2010.”
On rating his own performance in that fight:
“I’m my worst critic. I reviewed the tape and I made a lot of mistakes in there. I did a lot of good things, but I made a lot of mistakes. It was an all around good performance. I showed a little bit defensively, I showed a lot with my movement and my boxing ability, and plus I showed that I’m still the champ and that I can fight no matter if it’s brawling or it’s boxing. I can pretty much do it all in the ring. continue l
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By Anthony Tibbs - In what appeared to be a night of former well regarded professional boxers turned trainers showing off their proteges, three up and coming professionals garnered victories recently on a card held in Tennessee. On Saturday, December 19 at Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, fans were treated to a nine bout card headed up by local heavyweight Alonzo Butler's two round technical knockout over William Perryman to hike his record to 28 wins with only one defeat.
Touted "Jazzi" Jeff Mayweather-trained prospect Mickey Bey also scored a victory on the card as did "Iceman" John Scully-trained up and comer Joseph "Chip" Perez, a talented looking junior lightweight out of Connecticut. continue l
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by James Slater - With it now looking as though Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior will only be meeting up for a fight in a courtroom, there has been much talk of "Pac-Man" moving on and fighting someone else on March 13th in Las Vegas. Wanting to box on the same date that was set for what would have been one of the biggest and possibly greatest fights in modern day boxing history, due to how his time will be taken up by his political goals later on next year, Pacquiao's name has now been linked with that of the recently rejuvenated Paulie Malignaggi.
Bob Arum has reportedly (via a number of sources) offered the fight to Malignaggi's promoter, Lou DiBella, and Team-Malignaggi is interested in taking the March bout. But how will the fans react if the pound-for-pound king does indeed wind up facing "The Magic Man" instead of "Money" next year? Obviously more than something of a letdown of a match-up compared to the two pound-for-pound rivals going at it with the entire world watching, Pacquiao-Malignaggi would likely struggle at the box office. continue l
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by Harold Kupelle: According to Yahoo Sports, Floyd Mayweather's adviser and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Yahoo that they have declined promoter Bob Arum's final proposal for the drug testing methods to be brought to the Nevada Athletic Commission for them to decide next month. Arum, who promotes Manny Pacquiao, had set a Monday deadline for the offer to be accepted or declined, saying that if it was declined, he would begin negotiations for a fight between his fighter Manny Pacquiao and former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi.
Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions want blood testing to be done for both fighters randomly up until the fight. However, Pacquiao and his team want the blood testing to be conducted three times - once at the kick off, and then 30 days before the fight and the day after the fight. continue l
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by James Slater - For all those "boxing junkies" out there who are missing their regular fight action due to the fact that it's a quiet time for boxing during the Christmas holiday season, rest assured the action will soon restart. The first "world" title fight set to take place in 2010 is the intriguing and likely to be explosive WBO 168-pound title clash between champ Robert Stieglitz and the always fan-friendly Edison Miranda.
As hard as it's been for the boxing nuts to have gone without seeing any fights for the past week-and-a-half or so, spare a thought for these two guys, who have had to train and remain focused over the Christmas period; instead of enjoying themselves as we have all been doing. continue l
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by Edgar D. Macabasa - After adamantly reiterating and stressing for several days the stand that Olympic-style drug-testing for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is NON-NEGOTIABLE and Pacquiao should undergo the USADA testing or the fight is off, Mayweather’s camp is now singing a vastly different tune.
This is the latest twist in the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight negotiations which has taken the boxing world in a vise grip these past six weeks. Not that this move is totally unexpected. continue l
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by James Slater - 2009 is almost over, and overall it was a good 12 months for boxing. However, as many great fights as were made in 2009, many potential match-ups sadly went unsigned. In this year-end article, I list ten fights that I'd love to see made in the coming 12 months.
From a purely selfish standpoint, the following (randomly listed) are the ten rumbles I want to see in 2010. See if you agree!
1: Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Junior. An obvious choice, and hopefully a super-fight that will still go ahead despite the mess the hugely sought after fight is currently in. This one would be massive in terms of hype and it's highly likely the action would match the pre-fight stuff. If the welterweight mega-match doesn't happen, our sport will have severe problems living it down. continue l
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One the eve of Christmas Holiday, IBF World Champion Juan Urango, just back from a visit with family and friends in his Colombia, homeland, had this to say about the Junior Welterweight Division,”There are many exciting fighters in my weight class, and many compelling fights that can be made for the fans. I implore the HBO and Showtime television networks to get behind a series of fights that will result in a unified, undisputed Champion..The WBC Champion is Devon Alexander, the WBO Champion is Timothy Bradley, Urango is the IBF Champion and Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana both have the WBA Titles. continue l
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SARANGANI, PHILIPPINES (Dec. 25)—Saying that his character and person has been questioned, maligned, damaged and tarnished by baseless and false accusations, pound-for-pound boxing king Manny Pacquiao and promoter Top Rank Inc. announced today the filing of a lawsuit within the next few days against the Mayweathers, Floyd Sr. and Jr., et al, and Golden Boy Promotions.
“Enough is enough. These people, Mayweather Sr., Jr., and Golden Boy Promotions, think it is a joke and a right to accuse someone wrongly of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. I have tried to just brush it off as a mere pre-fight ploy but I think they have gone overboard,” said Pacquiao in Tagalog while celebrating Christmas with his family here. continue l
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By Vivek Wallace: The sport of boxing now sits on the cusp of a moment more monumental than arguably any other moment in the history of sports. Time has found a way to separate legends of the past, preventing the world from seeing epic showdowns such as a prime Jordan versus a prime Kobe, or a prime Tyson versus a prime Ali. For once, it appears that history got it right, as arguably one of the best offensive fighters ever has come at the precise moment in time dominated by a man who some would argue serves as potentially the best defensive fighter ever. With the lights dimmed, the audience awaiting, and the stage set, rather than having the curtains pulled, it appears the rug itself was, directly from below the feet of the public. With so much at stake and so many anticipating, the long-awaited Mayweather/Pacquiao showdown is believed to be dead in the water without hope to survive. The finger pointing goes in every direction possible, yet buried somewhere deep beneath the veil of excuses stands a rather small source with the ability to step up and do big things, as evidenced in his past ring escapades.
Forever known as an amazing fighter, the battle that Manny Pacquiao now finds himself in is for far more than his voice could sing, his fist could break, or his money could buy. continue l
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by Ali Mehar - “I chose my path, you chose the way of the hero. And they found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you.” ~ ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)
Over the past few years, Manny Pacquiao has been sweeping across the boxing world like a tempest, laying waste to all who stand in his way. Even Marquez -- the man many view as the perfect foil for the cat-like southpaw -- has never been able to avoid being quite literally floored by the startling ability of Pacquiao. Pacquiao has become an anomaly in the ancient machine of boxing; he achieves feats that laugh in the face of mere logic again and again, with his recent triumph over the dangerous Cotto being, perhaps, one of the most unbelievable in recent memory. continue l
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By Paul Strauss - There's nothing new under the sun. It's not unusual in the least for certain types to make wild charges or allegations, and hope they're repeated enough to cause confusion and belief on the part of the naive. Mayweather and his clan are of that ilk. More often than not they get away with their "ullbay itshay". Their hope is some will stick to the proverbial wall. This time Manny and Freddie ought to call their bluff and leave them hanging without the big purse. If the kings of dysfunction really want the fight, they should be made to grovel in reality for it. continue l
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Commentary by P.H. Burbridge - Well, if you were counting the days to March 13th 2010 then you’re probably scratching your head today with the latest news of the fight hitting a bump in the road. To be absolutely honest when this date was announced and both fighters appeared to agree in principal it just felt too easy. As fans we’ve grown accustomed to negotiations involving Floyd and Manny taking at least a couple of months to finalize. Remember Floyd’s deal with Arturo Gatti or Manny’s deal with Ricky Hatton? Those fights eventually did come to fruition but not before there were numerous starts and stops amidst countless statements from the participating promoters that “the fight was off”! It’s the normal blame game that we’ve seen a million times before. We probably should have figured that the initial “WOW, both guys agreed that quick!?!” was just an illusion. Too good to be true!
So, what’s the jam up today? Olympic style drug testing to be administered by The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency or “USADA” insisted on by Team Mayweather. Now, this whole thing started with what appeared to be an off the wall suggestion from Floyd Mayweather Sr in which he stated that Manny Pacquiao was using a some kind of performance enhancing drug and THAT explained his recent success over bigger and many assumed STRONGER opponents. When Floyd Sr made that statement many of us including yours truly blew it off as just another slight directed at upsetting Freddie Roach while at the same time minimizing Manny’s recent accomplishments. It’s just part of his normal and EXPECTED rap. continue l
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Undefeated World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY is ready to enlist in a war against Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao should their fight against each other fall through. “Timothy is happy to defend his world boxing title or move up to welterweight to challenge Pacquiao or Mayweather should their fight fall through,” stated Gary Shaw, Bradley’s co-promoter with Thompson Boxing Promotions. “There isn’t an active world champion who has been seen more on premium TV than Timothy. Since the day he won his first world title he has proven he is the goods. The shellacking he gave undefeated interim champion Lamont Peterson earlier this month proved Timothy is one of boxing’s elite fighters and a Top-10 pound for pounder. He’s ready, willing and able to fill the breach.. continue l
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British heavyweight title challenger Sam Sexton has enlisted the help of one of Norwich's biggest stars to get him ready for Danny Williams. Sexton will be following the ultra-healthy recipes of celebrity chef Delia Smith in a bid to be in better shape than ever before when he tackles Williams on February 13 at Wembley Arena. And the Commonwealth champion has got one message for Williams - "Let's be havin' yer". "Until a year ago I couldn't boil an egg," said Sexton. But I've taken up cooking as part of my new training regime. continue l
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by James Slater - Even though all the fighting has been done in the ring in 2009, and even though there is no boxing action scheduled for at least a week or so, this week has been a most newsworthy one for the sport of boxing. Two huge stories broke, both of which are shocking and upsetting in their own way.
First of all, as has been reported all over the place, the mega-match between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather Junior is on the rocks, due to the refusal on Pac-Man's part to comply with the blood testing demands of his pound-for-pound rival. Fans know all about this; about how the Filipino hero has a serious phobia of needles and of having his blood taken, and about how the southpaw has gone on record as saying he is quite willing to be tested both before and after the fight as is the case usually in the sport.
Yesterday, Manny's trainer, Freddie Roach, and his promoter, Bob Arum, spoke to Sky Sports News and The Grand Rapids Press, respectively - as they gave us an update on the fight that may now never take place. continue l
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LAS VEGAS, NEV. (December 23, 2009) – To bleed, or not to bleed -- is that really the question? “More like Team Mayweather doth protest too much, methinks,” said Bob Arum, chairman of Top Rank, the promoter of seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. In response to the release sent out Tuesday by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions which stated that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was “in jeopardy,” Arum had the following to say:
“Let’s be very clear on the real issues we differ on. It’s not about being tested. Manny is onboard with that since it’s such a major concern of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. It’s about who does the testing and the scheduling of the procedures. Manny will submit to as many random urine tests requested. Regarding the blood tests, he will subject himself to three tests; one given in January during the week the fight is formally announced, one thirty days from the fight, no later than February 13, and the final one immediately following the fight, in Manny’s locker room. continue l
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By Ron Hansen: Heavyweight contender Tomasz Adamek (39-1, 27 KO’s) is looking to move up the heavyweight ranks with a fight against Chris Arreola (28-1) on April 24th. Adamek, 33, knows he has his work cut out for him in this fight. At 6’1” 214, Adamek is little bigger than Arreola’s last victim, Brian Minto. Arreola may not have the boxing skills that Adamek possess, but at 6’4” 250, Arreola will have a huge size and strength advantage and may end up crushing the smallish Adamek. It looks like Adamek is in a real hurry to get a title shot. Adamek might be sorry for his rush if he gets crushed by Arreola. continue l
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Interview by Chip Mitchell - I recently had the opportunity to interview one of the best trainers in boxing, Mr. Floyd Joy Mayweather, Sr. Here is PART I of the interview….
Chip Mitchell: Mr. Mayweather, let’s jump right into it. One of the sanctioning bodies may soon introduce a rule to banish fathers from working their son’s corners in boxing. Let’s hypothesize that your brother Roger has to do prison time. This rule could prevent you from training or co-training your own son in the biggest fights of his career. Do you think some shenanigans are going down to freeze you out? If so, should we refer to this as the Mayweather, Sr. rule?
Floyd Mayweather: That’s probably what it is, you know, because anything that Floyd learned he learned from me anyway. I fought like that, Roger didn’t fight like that. I’m the only one that fought and blocked shots with my shoulder and countered back. Roger never fought that way. continue l
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SARANGANI, PHILIPPINES (Dec. 29)—Boxing’s pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao became more incensed at Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Sr. and executives of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) for twisting facts and coming up with false statements that intended to cover up the mess that they created even as they put the blame on the Filipino and his team for the snag of talks to make the projected biggest fight in history from happening.
By Michael Herron - The most highly anticipated match-up in recent memory is on the verge of collapse due to Team Mayweather’s insistence and Team Pacquiao’s refusal to submit to Olympic style drug testing which include blood and urine analysis. Both camps are standing firm on the matter but the ripple effects have cast a cloud over the boxing world. 
LOS ANGELES (December 28, 2009) . . . After a Christmas weekend filled with comments and reports related to the potential mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are issuing the following statement in order to set the record straight. Let the record be clear: Manny Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum are threatening to walk away from the largest fight in history.
" that was released this week is well worth watching. As with the books Facing Ali and Facing Tyson, the film, directed by Pete McCormack, gives the guy on the other side of the ring to the legend a chance to speak. In this case, ten men who shared the ring with Ali at least one time get to tell their story.
by James Slater - With promoter Bob Arum's deadline issued to the Mayweather team regarding the struggling mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao rapidly approaching, fans everywhere are wondering if the fight everyone wants to see will actually happen. There surely can't be anyone who hasn't heard about the blood test quarrelling that has been going on for the past few days, and fight fans also know how Arum's plan-B, if the fight cannot be saved, is for Pac-Man to face New York's Paulie Malignaggi.
Reginald W. (Los Angeles, CA): I saw your latest video about the Mayweather/Pacquiao controversies and must admit, it left a lot to consider. I've heard you play both sides, but I want you to just say it. What do you think is really going on?
by Geoffrey Ciani - Last week’s edition of On the Ropes featured three exclusive interviews. Paul Malignaggi sounded off with suspicions that Manny Pacquiao is using illegal substances to enhance his performance and Micky Ward discussed his famous trilogy with Artuo Gatti, but before that, highlighting this episode was a very interesting interview with the man widely regarded as the best junior welterweight in boxing, Timothy Bradley. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
by Harold Kupelle: According to Yahoo Sports, Floyd Mayweather's adviser and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Yahoo that they have declined promoter Bob Arum's final proposal for the drug testing methods to be brought to the Nevada Athletic Commission for them to decide next month. Arum, who promotes Manny Pacquiao, had set a Monday deadline for the offer to be accepted or declined, saying that if it was declined, he would begin negotiations for a fight between his fighter Manny Pacquiao and former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi. 
by James Slater - 2009 is almost over, and overall it was a good 12 months for boxing. However, as many great fights as were made in 2009, many potential match-ups sadly went unsigned. In this year-end article, I list ten fights that I'd love to see made in the coming 12 months.
By Vivek Wallace: The sport of boxing now sits on the cusp of a moment more monumental than arguably any other moment in the history of sports. Time has found a way to separate legends of the past, preventing the world from seeing epic showdowns such as a prime Jordan versus a prime Kobe, or a prime Tyson versus a prime Ali. For once, it appears that history got it right, as arguably one of the best offensive fighters ever has come at the precise moment in time dominated by a man who some would argue serves as potentially the best defensive fighter ever. With the lights dimmed, the audience awaiting, and the stage set, rather than having the curtains pulled, it appears the rug itself was, directly from below the feet of the public. With so much at stake and so many anticipating, the long-awaited Mayweather/Pacquiao showdown is believed to be dead in the water without hope to survive. The finger pointing goes in every direction possible, yet buried somewhere deep beneath the veil of excuses stands a rather small source with the ability to step up and do big things, as evidenced in his past ring escapades.
Commentary by P.H. Burbridge - Well, if you were counting the days to March 13th 2010 then you’re probably scratching your head today with the latest news of the fight hitting a bump in the road. To be absolutely honest when this date was announced and both fighters appeared to agree in principal it just felt too easy. As fans we’ve grown accustomed to negotiations involving Floyd and Manny taking at least a couple of months to finalize. Remember Floyd’s deal with Arturo Gatti or Manny’s deal with Ricky Hatton? Those fights eventually did come to fruition but not before there were numerous starts and stops amidst countless statements from the participating promoters that “the fight was off”! It’s the normal blame game that we’ve seen a million times before. We probably should have figured that the initial “WOW, both guys agreed that quick!?!” was just an illusion. Too good to be true!
by James Slater - Even though all the fighting has been done in the ring in 2009, and even though there is no boxing action scheduled for at least a week or so, this week has been a most newsworthy one for the sport of boxing. Two huge stories broke, both of which are shocking and upsetting in their own way.
Interview by Chip Mitchell - I recently had the opportunity to interview one of the best trainers in boxing, Mr. Floyd Joy Mayweather, Sr. Here is PART I of the interview….