March 19, 2010 (Düsseldorf, Germany) - - IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko weighed in at 244 pounds (111 kg) for Saturday’s title defense against mandatory challenger Eddie Chambers on Saturday night at the 51,000-seat Espirit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany. Chambers scaled in at 209 pounds (95kg).. continue

BOB ARUM: These are very exciting times for Top Rank. Last Saturday we presented THE EVENT at Cowboys Stadium this Saturday we are proud in another way. We’ll be staging a fight card in the beautiful Florida Keys. It’s going to be a tremendous setting and a very good card and for the people that can’t get down to the keys can watch it on FOX and it is going to be a spectacular show. continue

Sam Sexton has told Danny Williams to stop hiding and turn up for their British heavyweight title fight on May 15 - so he can knock him out. Commonwealth champion Sexton is set for a unification fight with Williams at West Ham's Upton Park. But with Williams becoming increasingly eccentric as he nears the end of his career, Sexton wants to be the man to end the Brixton Bomber career and hopes he turns up on the night. If he doesn't, Sexton's promoter Frank Warren will call for Williams to be stripped of his title, and for Big Sam to fight for the vacant belt.

"I just hope Danny comes out from hiding and is there on the night because I want his name on my record," said Sexton, who has recovered from the hand injury which ruled him out of challenging Williams in December.

"He's a great boxer with some great names on his record and I desperately want to scalp him.

"I know Danny has only got a couple of fights left in him, but he's a very dangerous customer. continue

By Stuart Cornwell - Saturday night’s 12-round main event at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany pits Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko, the foremost claimant to the world heavyweight championship, against Eddie Chambers of the USA. With boxing enjoying great popularity in Germany reminiscent of the days of Max Schmeling, and with virtually everyone over there aware of the exploits of the Klitschko brothers, the fight by stark contrast is not even on the radar of sports fans in the United States, where it will apparently go untelevised. For an American heavyweight, who fights out of a city with as rich a boxing history as Philadelphia, to go abroad to attempt to reclaim what was once the most the prized possession of American sports, amid such an acute lack of coverage, indicates exactly how far the status of boxing in the USA has fallen. It is also an indication of how low a chance of success Eddie Chambers is given.

Wladimir Klitschko is sure to enter the ring an overwhelming favourite. Although 33, he is not considered to be far past his peak, if at all. Always in superb condition, and methodical and disciplined in his boxing to the point of monotony, he is soberly assessed as being just too much of an obstacle for Chambers. He also dwarfs Chambers, both in physical stature and in terms of top-flight experience. For a fighter whose career looked to have been spirally downwards into the abyss of unfulfilled potential six years ago (following knockout defeats to Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster, in 2003 and 2004 respectively), his current standing in the division represents a remarkable turnaround. There were many boxing scribes in those dark days who were hurriedly writing him off. I was one of them. It takes a certain type of courage to hastily downgrade a 28-year-old heavyweight to has-been status, or dismiss him as an overrated hype-job, while he staggers to his feet distressed and beaten. It takes a far greater courage for a boxer to rebuild his career and his confidence to the degree Wladimir Klitschko has done. continue

By Vivek Wallace - This weeks 'CEO-Fridays' segment places a man under the microscope that definitely deserves a second look. Some would question the term 'second look', but a glimpse at reality proves this could be no closer to the truth, as he has seen the center stage before, only at a time when no one happened to be watching. Fast forward a few years and a couple hard fought victories later, and the stage is set for ole 'Fast' Eddie Chambers to do something that few thought he'd be the one to do. That near impossible task, one might ask? Dethrone a Klitschko and bring a portion of the heavyweight hardware back America.

When we think of Eddie Chambers, we think fast....we think slick....maybe even fundamental. An American dream? Probably not to most, but in an odd play on words, when you consider the weak state of heavyweights in America, to those outside the country, the only way the heavyweight strap could possibly land back in this neck of the woods would have to be a script that could only be written in a dream somewhere in America; a place known for making the impossible possible, even when it isn't possible. Now, humor aside, once the night falls and the curtains rise, regardless of innuendo's associated with the mere thought, this American 'dream' could be closer to reality than we're led to believe, and the only contender on American soil with a chance is the one that now stands in Germany, eager to test his luck at this fortune.....again! continue

by Geoffrey Ciani - This past week’s edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured exclusive interviews with Arthur Abraham, Matt Godfrey, and “Iceman” John Scully. Highlighting this week’s episode was a nice chat with former IBF middleweight champion and current Super Six participant Arthur Abraham. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

Regarding preparations for his upcoming March 27 fight with Andre Dirrell:
“It’s going very well. We trained everyday twice a day and basically we’re doing what our trainer tells us, following his instructions and gradually getting prepared.”

On the three week delay resulting from a back injury sustained by Dirrell:
“ No one is going to get in our way, nothing’s going to interfere with us. I think my opponent Dirrell has more of a problem in the head or of the heart and not on his back."

On what he views as his biggest advantage against Dirrell:
“I’m bigger. We’ve been training hard and I don’t really think there’s much of anything he can do to me. We’re trying hard and we’ll see what happens in the ring—that will tell the tale.. continue

Commonwealth light-welterweight champion Ajose Olusegan will defend his title against former European titleholder Colin Lynes in Manchester on Saturday, April 3rd. The scheduled 12-round contest will act as one of the chief-support attractions to David Haye’s WBA world heavyweight title showdown against John Ruiz, televised live and exclusively on Sky Box Office.

Olusegan and Lynes agreed to meet at the Manchester Evening News Arena, following an injury withdrawal by Scotland’s Lee McAllister. ‘The Aberdeen Assassin’s proposed Commonwealth lightweight title bout with Ben Murphy has since been cancelled. continue

Tickets are now on sale for Kevin Mitchell's historic world lightweight title clash against Michael Katsidis at West Ham United's world famous Boleyn Ground on Saturday 15th May. 'Hammer Time' is set to be the sporting event of the summer as Mitchell aims to be crowned world champion at the ground where football legends Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff Hurst plied their trade.

Undefeated Mitchell faces his toughest test yet against the power-punching Australian who is well known in England from his thrilling fight against Graham Earl. A quality packed undercard includes the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship between Danny Williams and Sam Sexton; Olympic Gold medallist James DeGale challenges for the first title in his career - the WBA International Super-Middleweight Championship; unbeaten heavyweight star Derek Chisora; and Britain's hottest young prospects Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders. Plus more fights to be added. continue

LOS ANGELES, CA, March 18, 2010 — Following three epic battles, three-time World Champion Israel Vazquez and two-division World Champion Rafael Marquez will face off in the fourth installment of what is perhaps the greatest boxing trilogy of all-time on Saturday, May 22, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). In the co-feature, Yonnhy Perez will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) Bantamweight World Title against unbeaten top contender Abner Mares. continue

LOS ANGELES (March 18) . . . Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will begin the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) gold standard anti-doping program on Monday, March 22 as they continue to prepare for Mayweather vs Mosley "Who R U Picking?" set to take place on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View ® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It is the first time in history that athletes from any U.S. professional sport have reached out and demanded World Anti-Doing Code compliant drug testing, setting both a boxing and sport precedent. continue

by James Slater - Though he is understandably upset at not having won the biggest fight of his pro career on Saturday (against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, if anyone needed reminding!), former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey was kind enough to give me the following interview earlier today. Speaking on the distance fight with Pac-Man, his own future in the sport and what he feels may happen if and when Pacquiao faces Floyd Mayweather Junior in the ring, "The Grand Master" had the following things to say today:

James Slater: It's always a pleasure to speak with you, Joshua; especially so soon after the fight with Manny Pacquiao. Though you of course wanted the win, many people give you great credit for the way you toughed it out to the very end. Are you proud of your performance?

Joshua Clottey: Well, I wouldn't say I am proud of what I did, because I expected to win the fight. You know, boxing a lot of times is all about what goes on behind the scenes. I had the runs going into the fight. I had an upset stomach and I had to go to the bathroom twice in the dressing room. I felt weak on the way to the ring and it wasn't my day - I have to take the fight as a bad day for me. continue

by James Slater - Heavyweight legend "Big" George Foreman, the two-time heavyweight king who lit up the 1970s and 1990s like few other fighters at any weight, has launched a quite scathing attack on both of the Klitschko brothers. Foreman, now aged 61 and years into a happy retirement, spoke to German newspaper The Berliner Morgenpost recently, and the oldest heavyweight champion in history said neither Wladimir, the Ring magazine, IBF and WBO ruler, nor WBC king Vitali, have had a worthy opponent in the past five years!

Foreman is an admirer of the two brothers and he has some good things to say about the pair as a result, but he says that since Vitali's great losing fight with Lennox Lewis back in 2003 neither brother has had what he calls a "pressure" fight.

"The Klitschko brothers are definitely good boxers," Foreman told the German daily. "They have had a top education, are big, heavy and pack a powerful punch. But where are their opponents? Since Lennox [Lewis] there has been no-one else, there has been a lack of pressure. continue

RENO, Nev. (March 18, 2010)-- It was called the “Fight of the Century.” July 4, 1910, Jack Johnson, the first African-American World Heavyweight Champion, took on Jim Jeffries, the undefeated former heavyweight champion and racist America’s “Great White Hope.” Johnson won and the rest is well, history. Now, 100 years later, Reno will spend America's biggest holiday weekend celebrating the legacy of Jack Johnson and what Nevada historian, Guy Rocha calls “one of the greatest events in Nevada history.. continue

LAS VEGAS (Mar. 18, 2010) – Living legend and 5-time world heavyweight champion, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield, challenges World Boxing Federation heavyweight title-holder Frans “The White Buffalo” Botha in the 12-round main event April 10, headlining “The Legend Returns” pay-per-view event, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. “The Legend Returns,” presented by Crown Boxing, is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, Viewer’s Choice and Bell TV, for a suggested retail price of only $29.95.

The 47-year-old Holyfield (42-10-2, 27 KOs), fighting out of Atlanta, is coming off of a controversial 12-round majority decision loss December 20, 2008 to then World Boxing Association champion Nicolai Valuev, in which most observers felt Holyfield deserved the victory in Switzerland. continue

Montreal, March 18th, 2010: For the 4th time, GYM (Groupe Yvon Michel) will present its highly-touted “Boxing Under the Stars” gala at the spectacular Uniprix Stadium in Jarry Park during the Montreal Grand-Prix weekend. The eagerly anticipated event will take place on June 11th, 2010, the Friday before the world-famous Grand Prix of Canada. Presented by the Casino de Montreal, this event has become a staple of one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. The success of the first 3 events has been sensational. continue

by James Slater - Well travelled 35-year-old British heavyweight Michael Sprott, the former British, Commonwealth and European Union belt holder, has agreed to step in at short notice to fight Audley Harrison on April 9th, in a fight that will decide the European title Poland's Albert Sosnowski vacated so as to challenge WBC king Vitali Klitschko in May. continue

by Phil Rice - In the immediate post-Ali days of the 1980s, televised boxing had no shortage of flashy dancers trying to grab the attention of a boxing public starved for the sort of entertainment the self-styled “Greatest” had provided for twenty years. Unfortunately, none could match Ali's superlative ability to combine theatrics with athleticism, and few—very few—could even come close. As trainers were quick to point out, Ali's speed and reflexes enabled him to get away with going contrary to boxing axioms, but mere mortals were better advised to stick to the proven fundamentals.

As a viewer of the televised fight cards—and in the 80s there were frequent opportunities to watch entire boxing cards on the tube—I found myself bored by the obnoxious braggarts who seemed to think that boasting and dancing were the essence of boxing. A little flash, a little style, fine, but stick to the business at hand. To do otherwise, in my mind at least, was to cheapen the sport itself, to overemphasize the entertainment aspects. So the fighters who caught my eye were more often the ones who demonstrated a solid work ethic in and out of the ring. Sometimes these were champions, such as Alexis Arguello or Marvin Hagler, but the working-class guys filling out the cards were what really kept the sport alive.

Among the multi-dimensional glare of the televised boxing theatrics there resided—as there has always resided in the prize-ring—a core group of fighters who were driven by something beyond glory, beyond fame, beyond even money. continue

by James Slater - Call him crazy if you want (and it's a certainty a good number of fight fans will), but legendary Mexican warrior Erik Morales has made it known how he very much wants a fourth fight with reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The 33-year-old former three-weight world champion known as "El Terrible" makes his return to the ring this coming March 27th, when after a two-and-half-year layoff he will face the much younger Jose Alfaro in his homeland up at welterweight. continue

Exclusive Interview by Geoffrey Ciani - When Deandre Latimore and Sechew Powell first met inside the squared circle Powell was the IBF’s number one ranked junior middleweight. Latimore scored an upset knockout victory in Powell’s backyard and the win paved the way for a shot at the vacant IBF championship in a fight with Cory Spinks. Latimore lost a close decision that some observers felt he deserved to win. Friday night, Latimore is set to square off against Powell for a second time in an IBF eliminator at the Choctaw Gaming Center in Durant, Oklahoma. I recently had a chance to have a quick talk with the former title challenger and here is what he had to say:

Q: Deandre, last time you fought Sechew Powell you were going in as an underdog and fighting in his backyard but you still managed to score the upset. Can you tell me a little bit about that experience?

A: I mean it was a good experience for me. I went into his hometown, I guess I was a big underdog, but I didn’t let the pressure get to me. I just did what I had to do to get the win. continue

CANASTOTA, NY –MARCH 18, 2010 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame will host the 21st Annual Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in Canastota, New York on June 10-13th. With many exciting events planned, there will be something for everyone in “Boxing’s Hometown.” The Hall’s staff and team of volunteers in Canastota have been busy planning details for the celebration. According to Hall of Fame officials, nearly 300 volunteers and many community organizations will contribute their time and effort to make the annual Hall of Fame Weekend a success. continue

NEW YORK (Mar. 18, 2010) – Unbeaten middleweight sensation Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin will headline a Jed Weinstein-promoted show April 15 at the famed Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. Quillin (21-0, 15 KOs), fighting out of New York City, faces an opponent soon to be announced in the 10-round main event. Last month, “Kid Chocolate” returned after an 18-month layoff to decision veteran Fernando Zuniga. continue

by Juan 'West Coast' Alvarado - For the man known as Andre ‘The Matrix’ Dirrell, a matrix of sorts will be put in front of him in the form of IBF middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham. On March 27th of this year, the man known as the King will present Dirrell with a puzzle of his own in the first bout of the second stage of the Showtime Super Six World Boxing Classic.

The test put in front of Dirrell is one that no other fighter to date has been able to solve. Thirty one men have tried and thirty one have been sent home with pencil, paper and a non-passing grade in hand. Dirrell will be the 32nd man to take the challenge and for a fighter essentially in a must win situation in this tournament, he is in a non-enviable position.

Abraham brings to the table a very difficult style to fight against. His defensive posture referred to by many as a peek-a-boo style defense has been nearly impossible to penetrate. The last time anyone got through with any success was Edison Miranda who on September 23rd, 2006 went to Germany and engaged Abraham in a brutal war. continue

BERLIN (March 18, 2010) - King Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) will return to the USA on Saturday, March 20, to continue his preparation for the eagerly-anticipated Super Six World Boxing Classic showdown with Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs). The two super-middleweights lock horns at the famous Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, March 27 (LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT - delayed on the west coast). Tickets may be purchased at www.OlympiaEntertainment.com, the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, at all Ticketmaster locations and www.Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000. Boxing-Online.com caught up with the tournament point leader in his training camp in Kienbaum, 20 miles east of Berlin. continue

Sport and events channel Primetime will now be available on Virgin TV via On Demand > Live Events. Since Primetime launched on the Sky platform in October 2009 with the Super Six Super middleweight boxing tournament there has been great demand for Primetime to expand onto Virgin by both boxing fans and promoters alike. The deal sees Primetime’s reach expand by over a third. continue

Exclusive Interview by Geoffrey Ciani - Undefeated San Francisco welterweight Karim “Hard Hitta” Mayfield is all set to square off against Mario Ramos this Friday at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. The 29 year old pugilist has a professional record of 11-0-1 with seven wins coming by way of knockout. I was recently afforded the opportunity to have a nice chat with the young prospect and here is what he had to say:

Q: Karim, how are you preparations going for your March 19 fight with Mario Ramos?

A: Everything is going well. The camp was good, I’m feeling strong, and I’m ready to go.

Q: Now you were originally slated to face Jason Davis. Has the switch in opponent had any effect on your training and preparations?

A: Not necessarily. I was in Houston and had a southpaw to work with so I just made a few adjustments and now I pretty much figured out a way to adjust to a southpaw. Not to mention, I got some good work in with Zab Judah in my time as a pro so yeah, I’m ready to go.

Q: You’ve been training with Virgil Hunter in the Andre Ward camp in Houston. How specifically has Virgil been able to help you in your game?

A: Well, he has a lot of wisdom, a lot of knowledge in the game and he’s also an innovator. He’s definitely helped me out and pretty much just getting me ready for the bout and help to adjust my style—helped actually for me to adjust my style to just be stronger, and faster, and quicker, and everything else. continue

NEW YORK (March 17, 2010) – As reported, WBA World Champion Andre Ward has suffered an injury and is unable to fight Allan Green on April 24. The scheduled Group Stage 2 tournament matchup between WBC world championship Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler will take place as planned on Saturday, April 24, from Herning Denmark, airing on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/PT as a one-fight card (same-day delay). The Ward vs. Green bout, a Group Stage 2 matchup of the Super Six World Boxing Classic and Ward’s first world title defense, will be rescheduled. continue

There's an old saying that "getting to the top is tough; staying there, tougher." Perhaps nobody currently active in the sport of boxing knows that any better than Samuel Peter. However, by virtue of his two-round destruction of Nagy Aguilera last Friday night's IBF Heavyweight Eliminator in Grapevine, TX, the former WBC World Heavyweight Champ known as "The Nigerian Nightmare" served notice to the heavyweight division that he is back in the world title picture as the #2 IBF mandatory challenger after current mandatory Alexander Povetkin accepts -- or passes up -- his opportunity to fight for the title.

"We have basically blocked out all challenges to Wladimir Klitschko with the exception of his long overdue mandatory against Alexander Povetkin, who's been the #1 contender since January of 2008," Peter's longtime manager Ivaylo Gotzev disclosed. "Povetkin has been in that position for over two years and three months. Wladimir's next defense has to be for his IBF title. That's a must! And Samuel is ready for either of them!. continue

By GM Ross - Friday evening at the Palace Banquet Center in Edmonton, Alberta, Canadian Olympian Adam Trupish claimed the vacant Canadian Boxing Federation (CBF) middleweight crown in just his fifth contest as a professional. His opponent was the rarely active Michael Walchuk of Kitchener, Ontario via Regina, Saskatchewan. Walchuk was ranked fifth by the CBF coming into the fight, despite having fought only twice in the past four years (according to boxrec.com). Prior to 2006, however, Walchuk fought regularly, against high quality Canadian opponents. In February of 2005, he earned an eight round unanimous decision over the very tough Jason Naugler of Nova Scotia and earlier in his career won a close split decision against recent Nicholson Poulard victim, Larry Sharpe. Trupish, on the other hand, has been remarkably busy, fighting four times since entering the pro-ranks last October. All three judges – Cameron Quwek, Usman Ali, Craig Metcalfe – scored the fight 97-93 in favour of Trupish. It was far from a clean sweep for the Olympian, but nonetheless represents the most impressive victory of his fledging professional career. continue

AMIR KHAN, Current WBA Super Lightweight World Champion "Its always been my dream to fight here in the U.S. and I know there will be a lot of pressure on me not fighting in front of my U.K. fans, but I made a name over there and now I'm ready to come make a name for myself here.

"I have a test in front of me on May 15 at Madison Square Garden, the 'Mecca of Boxing.' On May 15, Paulie's New York fans will become my fans when I beat him here.

"I'm very excited for my U.S. debut, at first they told me it would be against Marquez, but he pulled out and Malignaggi's name came up and I wanted the fight. I think all things happen for a reason and I'll be ready for him.

"I have watched tapes of Paulie and I think it is a style we can beat. We are both great fighters, both fast and tricky. Styles make fights and this is a great matchup. continue

Montreal, Monday March 17th 2010 – It is with much pleasure that InterBox unveils the bouts that will headline the undercard at the Bell Center in Montreal. The Main Event final, presented in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions and Warriors Boxing will feature IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute (25-0-0, 20 K.O.) vs. #9 rated mandatory contender Edison Miranda (33-4-0, 29 K.O.), on Saturday, April 17th 2010. The bout will be live on HBO World Championship Boxing and Canadian PPV (Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw and Viewer’s Choice).

The undercard will feature InterBox fighter Renan St-Juste (20-1-1, 13 KO) defending his WBC Continental of Americas and NABA Middleweight titles against Colombian Dionisio Miranda (20-5-2, 18 KO). The Repentigny, Quebec fighter, who last fought on Friday, March 13th (W KO 8 Roberto Hernan Reuque), will be looking to add the 21st victory to his record. Dionisio Miranda is one tough customer, having participated in two recent IBF Eliminators, including an outstanding fight against Roman Karmazin last January on ESPN. Dionisio is no stranger to Montreal, having beaten local top 10 fighter Sebastien Demers at the Windsor Station in Montreal in August 2008 and capturing the NABA title with the split decision win. continue

HOBOKEN, N.J. (Mar. 17, 2010) – Three-division world champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales, the last opponent to defeat Manny Pacquiao, returns from a 2 1/2-year layoff March 27 to headline “The Champion Returns” pay-per-view event, live from Monterrey, Mexico. Morales (48-6, 34 KOs) may have his sights set on a fourth fight against Pacquaio in the not too distant future, but the iconic Mexican warrior must first get past former WBA lightweight champion and Nicaraguan KO specialist, Jose “Jicaras” Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs), Mar. 27 in the 12-round main event for the vacant WBC Intercontinental welterweight crown. continue

by James Slater - I must confess to not knowing how well the tickets are shifting for the upcoming April 3rd rematch bout between old rivals Roy Jones Junior and Bernard Hopkins, but if the tickets sales have been lukewarm up until now, fans may feel more inclined to buy this card if they take a look at the scheduled under-card for the April gig at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. continue

by Pavel Yakovlev - This summer, the World Boxing Council will hold its “Night of Champions 2010” event in Cardiff, Wales. The WBC’s selection of Wales as the host country draws attention to the long and rich history of Welsh boxing. In connection with the upcoming Cardiff event, ESB will celebrate Welsh boxing history by exploring the careers of prominent Welsh fighters of the past and present. In this feature, ESB focuses on Tommy Farr, Steve Robinson, Robbie Regan, and Percy Jones.

TOMMY FARR
British and British Heavyweight Champion, 1930s

Tommy Farr was born in Blaenclydach in 1913. Known as the “The Tonypandy Terror”, Farr is regarded as the greatest Welsh heavyweight in history, and one of the best heavyweights ever produced by Great Britain. Most famous for his gritty losing effort to Joe Louis in 1937, Farr was a top contender from 1936 to 1940. He held the British and British Empire heavyweight championships, and was never knocked out during his prime. continue

The World Boxing Council today is officially appointing Vitaly Tajbert of Germany as the undisputed WBC super featherweight world champion. Tajbert won the WBC interim super featherweight championship by defeating Humberto Gutierrez of Mexico last November 11. Humberto Soto was ordered to meet interim champion Tajbert, but requested the WBC’s permission to remain super featherweight champion until he climbed into the ring to fight for the WBC lightweight world championship, which he won last Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. continue

by James Slater - As fans know, unbeaten cruiserweight contender B.J Flores has been craving a fight with Marco Huck, the reigning WBO 200-pound champion, for quite some time. However, for one reason or another, the 31-year-old known as "El Peligroso" has been unable to get the fight, and it seems he must now look elsewhere for a title shot.

Next up for Flores, according to BoxRec, is a June 26th date with 27-year-old Eric "Danger" Fields, the big puncher from Oklahoma with the 14-1(12) pro record. continue

by Pavel Yakovlev - This July, the World Boxing Council (WBC) will hold its “Night of Champions 2010” convention in Cardiff, Wales. The three-day event is scheduled from July 29-31, to be held at the Cardiff International Arena. This is the second WBC “Night of Champions” convention; the first was held in Cancun in 2006.

The Cardiff event will feature the largest gathering of world champions in boxing history, with over 100 current and former titleholders scheduled to attend. The convention will include a Civic Ceremony for the champions and public, an amateur boxing card pitting Great Britain’s best amateur boxers against select opponents from around the world, and a WBC Awards Ceremony for the champions. Featured also is the premier of the soon-to-be released film “Risen”, a biography of Welsh boxing champion Howard Winstone. continue

Following his successful return to the ring last December, Éric Lucas (39-7-3 15 K.-O.) will be looking to add a 40th win to his outstanding pro record on Friday, May 28th in Quebec City. Considered a Quebec boxing hero, Lucas will be lacing up the gloves against the ever popular Librado Andrade (28-3-0, 21 KO). Andrade (photo by Tom Casino) is no stranger to Quebec boxing fans, having fought 4 times in this province and showing a record of 2 wins (vs Otis Grant and Vitaliy Tsypko) and 2 losses (both to Lucian Bute, the last by sensational KO last November 28th at the same venue). continue

By Coach Tim Walker – Stage one of what fans are hoping is a lead up to an eventual showdown between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao boxing’s two most dominating figures is finally done. It came to a close when Pacquiao dismantled yet another bona fide fighter and WBO welterweight champion Joshua Clottey this past Saturday. Seemingly now the only thing standing in the way of the perennial pound for pound kings meeting in the ring is for Mayweather to come up victorious against Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1, 2010. continue

Pensacola, FL--USBA and NABA Heavyweight Champion “Fast Fres” Oquendo 32-5 (31 KOs) has signed an exclusive promotional agreement with Square Ring Promotions and will face former two-time world champion Jean Marc Mormeck 34-4 (22 KOs) on May 6, 2010 at the Halle Carpentier arena in Paris, France. continue

NEW YORK, (March 16) - With less than two weeks before their group stage 2 bout, Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KO's) and Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KO's) will clash in the SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC showdown on March 27 from Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., at 10:30 pm ET/PT on SHOWTIME®. The Measurement Of A Fight or as most would refer, The Tale Of The Tape gives you the physical measurements of a fighters advantages and disadvantages over the other. Only one will prevail when Dirrell pits his greater size, speed and athleticism against Abraham's accurate counter punching, defense and versatility. But there is one thing that the Tale Of The Tape cannot give you, the size of a fighters heart, determination and will to win. And that's where this fight will be decided. continue

By P.H. Burbridge - In a corner he struggles to his feet wavering ever so slightly back and forth both gloves gripping the top rope trying to steady the earth’s rotation. He finds himself somewhere between total exhaustion and wondering what it would feel like to die. BUT, he’s up. He made it up and he’s able to make that all important eye contact with the referee who is now shouting “6, 7” directly in his face. His appearance has been altered in a manner that could have only been fashioned by a professional prize fighter. His youthful pre-fight features have been reconfigured and replaced with a bloody swollen mask with slits in place of his eyes. His orbital bone has been shattered. His head is pounding like a John Bonham drum fill and the cut inside his mouth suffered in training camp has been pumping blood down his throat since the second round. Blood drips out of the corner of his mouth splattering the white section of his red, white and blue trunks with a sickening pink tint. He doesn’t know it but he’s experiencing the most pivotal event of his entire career. He struggles to regain his senses after being dropped by a perfectly set up yet improbable right hand. In the corner, he wavers and the blood continues to flow, the crowd noise is so loud its as if he standing on the run way at LAX and to add to the chaos he’s now being distracted by a commotion just off to his right side as one of his corner men, Lou Duva shouts out instructions from the ring apron. Trying to process all of this coupled with Duva’s ruckus forces him to take his eyes off the referee for just the briefest of moments and just as his focus returns something unimaginable happens!

It’s over!! It’s OVER!! BUT, I beat the COUNT?!! continue

AN opponent for Audley Harrison’s latest clash will be announced in the next 24 hours. Harrison will fight for the vacant European Heavyweight Championship on April 9 at London’s Alexandra Palace. ormer Olympic Games gold medalist Harrison, who saved his career by winning Prizefighter Heavyweights 3 in October, had been scheduled to meet Poland’s Albert Sosnowski for the title. owever, Sosnowski will now face WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko in May and is set to vacate the European belt. Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn revealed two men in the frame are old adversaries Danny Williams, the current British Champion, or ex British and Commonwealth title holder Michael Sprott. continue

Reading, PA (March 16, 2010) - Heavyweight prospect Travis Kauffman will return to his hometown of Reading, PA in his first title fight against Chris Koval of Youngstown, OH on May 22 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. The bout is scheduled for ten rounds and will be contested for the WBF and UBO Heavyweight championships. The Kauffman-Koval title fight will headline King's Promotions' "Pain on Penn Street", an exciting night of boxing action featuring seven (7) professional fights and five (5) amateur fights. continue

By Beth Sarafraz Freelance Reporter/Photojournalist: Despite statements by the recently appointed New York City Police Athletic League Director Felix Urrutia that boxing is "barbaric" and despite the resultant closing of at least five city gyms (some of them operated by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation officials who agreed with Urrutia's anti-boxing stance) and despite the sudden scarcity of places where young amateur boxers could afford to train [the P.A.L. was free; private gyms like Gleason's charge at least $85/per month], the esteemed NY Daily News 2010 Golden Gloves boxing tournament blasted off in January and continues through March with all the passion and excitement that it always had....

At Brooklyn's Tropical Paradise Ballroom, it's Golden Gloves fight night (week four) and the judges have just proclaimed Travis Peterkin of the Kingsway Boxing Club winner by decision, over Cops N Kids' contender, Rafael Chevalier. Chevalier, exiting the ring bruised and sweat soaked, faces the cameras and crowds dead on grim-faced but head held high. Young boxers like this one come back to fight another day, because boxing teaches "even when you lose, you win" if you prove to be a guy with "heart" -- which means getting up before the ten count unless you're really dead, not dying of embarrassment dead. Fight fans put great faith in the boxer who stands and faces defeat but vows to return and sting like a bee and Chevalier said all this and more with his eyes and body language.

No surprise there, because after all, Chevalier is a member of Pat Russo's Cops N Kids, a boxing program that Russo founded to rescue the young, desperate and stranded P.A.L. fighters who, he says, "were practicing in garages" by themselves, without benefit of coaches, trainers or equipment, after all the gym closings. continue

LAS VEGAS (March 16, 2010) – Legendary sports performance management specialist Mackie Shilstone (www.mackieshilstone.com) has a unique perspective into the April 3 Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones, Jr. rematch at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Shilstone has worked closely with both boxers and knows better than anyone what makes each man tick. continue

He has a sensational knock out rate of 85 percent: Cruiserweight hopeful Alexander Alekseev (19-1, 17 KOs). On Saturday the Universum fighter watched the title defence of WBO world champion Marco Huck and in an interview with boxing.de he made comments on this fight.

Mr. Alekseev, have you watched the fight Huck vs. Richards?

Alexander Alekseev: „Sure I have seen this awkward fight on TV as it was in my weight division and they were fighting for the world title I want to win. I’m currently rated #2 of the WBO rankings.. continue

By Paul Strauss: Sadly, long time television and movie star Peter Graves just passed away from a heart attack. He was just a few days shy of his 84th birthday. Graves was a former Minneapolis resident and brother to James Arness (Gunsmoke). He was best known for his starring role as Mr. Phelps in the long running television series called Mission Impossible. There's an old saying that life imitates art (Oscar Wilde), and Fast Eddie Chambers is facing what many believe is an impossible task in trying to conquer Wladimir Klitschko. However, Eddie Chambers undoubtedly would feel more comfortable being identified with someone like Mr. Phelps than with the character Fast Eddie Felson of The Hustler. He isn't trying to hide his talent from the public or to sucker them, but he will be using the "art of the con" with scientific boxing to get his mission done. . Chambers firmly believes he has the brains and skill to pull off what many think is an impossible task.......to beat Dr. Steelhammer.

The truth is not many believe Eddie Chambers has much of a chance against Wladimir "Dr. Steelhammer" Klitschko come March 20th. That's when Wlad will be defending his IBF, WBO and IBO titles. Why should anyone think Fast Eddie has much of a chance? The Klitschko brothers have handled everyone with ease so far, and most think there's no good reason to believe that will change. continue

Brian Landry - At what point will boxing promoters understand what they are missing?

After another expectedly underwhelming undercard prior to Clottey- Pacquiao, it is becoming increasingly frustrating having to dish out the $49.95 to watch PPVs that incorporate such awful preliminary matches.

Let's take a look at this weekend's undercard, shall we? continue

Johnathon Banks will fight Travis Walker as the co-feature on the Klitschko/Chambers World Heavyweight Championship show. The fights will take place in the 51,000 seat ESPRIT arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Tom Loeffler, managing director of K2 Promotions, officially announced the fight today at the fight week press conference. “We are excited to have Johnathon Banks fighting Travis Walker for the NABF heavyweight championship on this big show. This is a risky and tough fight for both fighters, but the winner will secure the NABF title and move a step closer to a world title shot.. continue

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK/LONDON, March 16 - Their war of words has captivated the boxing world, but on Saturday, May 15, the time for talk will be over when two of the brightest stars in the super lightweight division - WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Amir Khan and former world title holder Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi - finally settle their score at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The bout, which will be televised live on HBO's Boxing After Dark in the United States, also marks Khan's United States debut which will be taking place in the back yard of Brooklyn's Malignaggi.

In the evening's co-feature, it's a true crossroads fight when former World Champion Nate "The Galaxxy Warrior" Campbell tries to halt the rapid rise of hard-hitting rising star "Vicious" Victor Ortiz in a 10 round super lightweight showdown.

"Paulie Malignaggi did a great job of talking his way into this fight and I commend him for that," said Khan. "But on May 15he'll have to pay for the things he's said about me and I will have no problem teaching him a lesson in his own hometown. I'm excited for my United States debut and plan on giving the great fans of New York an exciting show on May 15.. continue

by James Slater - Mexican warrior Librado Andrade, last seen being stopped for the first time in his eleven-year pro career by a wicked Lucian Bute body shot, is set to return to action on May 28th, six months to the day from his rematch loss to the reigning IBF 168-pound ruler. The 31-year-old former three-time world title challenger will face 38-year-old veteran and former WBC super-middleweight champion Eric Lucas. The fight, scheduled for 12-rounds at 168-pounds, will take place in Quebec, Canada on May 28th. continue

Hispanic America's Most Popular Boxing Series Is Back For Another Round And Will Thrill Sports Enthusiasts with More Live, Heart-Pounding Action Starting April 30

MIAMI/LOS ANGELES, MARCH 15, 2010 - TeleFutura, one of the largest Spanish-language networks in the U.S. and the ideal entertainment alternative for Hispanics across the nation, and Oscar de la Hoya'sGolden Boy Promotions announced today the return of the popular boxing franchise "Solo Boxeo Tecate" (Just Boxing Tecate) on April 30, 2010. continue

by James Slater - Depending on your opinion, WBC super-middleweight champion and "Super-Six" participant Carl Froch is either supremely confident ahead of his rapidly approaching shootout with Denmark's Mikkel Kessler, or he is supremely arrogant. Never one to mince his words, the unbeaten Nottingham warrior known as "The Cobra" has launched his most outspoken attack yet on the former two-time world titlist.

In an interview with BBC Sport, the 32-year-old went as far as to claim "The Viking Warrior" will have no chance against him when they meet in the ring in Herning, Denmark on April 24th. Not only that, but Froch vowed to become the first man to KO the 31-year-old.

"He hasn't got a chance against me," Froch said to BBC Sport. "Kessler is going to be knocked out for the first time in his career, unless he's a lot tougher than I already think he is. Kessler's a great fighter, don't get me wrong, he's got a lot of things going for him; a lot of experience and he's strong and tough and he knows how to box. continue

It’s a special edition of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING when HBO Sports presents MANNY PACQUIAO VS. JOSHUA CLOTTEY, the exclusive replay of their welterweight title fight, this SATURDAY, MARCH 20 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live event at the $1.2 billon Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex., calls all the action. The replay will be available in HDTV. continue

by James Slater - Supporting Manny Pacquiao's win over Joshua Clottey on Saturday night were Mexico's Humberto Soto and Ireland's John Duddy, and both guys, exciting fighters in their own right, won in pretty impressive fashion. 29-year-old Soto improved to 51-7-2(32) in winning the vacant WBC lightweight title with a commanding UD over the tough David Diaz, while 30-year-old middleweight contender Duddy won a ten-round split decision over Michael Medina in improving his record to 29-1(18. continue

by Jenna J -- Click here to listen to the show -- As always, this week's 64th edition of On the Ropes will start at its regularly scheduled time, 6pm Eastern Time. You can listen live by clicking “play” on the player or to enter our chat on the blogtalk message board; you can also call into the show at (646)716-5404.

On the Ropes is back to bring you the latest and greatest in the world of boxing! Join me Jenna J, the Hostess, along with my amazing Producer and Co-Host, Geoffrey Ciani (aka-Rummy).

Topics for Discussion

Manny Pacquiao’s dominant decision victory against Joshua Clottey
Where does Manny Pacquiao go from here?
Vitali Klitschko scheduled to face Albert Sosnowski. continue

by James Slater -Former "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez, 22-4-2(11) ended the career of the man who may well have been the most exciting fighter of the 2000s when he stopped the late, great Arturo Gatti back in the summer of 2007, and this past Saturday, on the under-card of the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, the 29-year-old almost certainly ended the career of another sensational crowd-pleaser, in Jose Luis Castillo.

Forcing the way-past-his-best 36-year-old to remain on his stool at the end of the 5th-round in their all-Mexican showdown, Gomez conformed what we all pretty much knew anyway; Castillo is a shot fighter with nothing left to offer. continue

by Coach Tim Walker - I love boxing! Later this week I will be blessed with the opportunity to go to a fight card in Fort Walton Beach, FL at the Emerald Coast Conference Center promoted by John Piper and Chase Massingill. I had hoped to take an early peak at Ibahiem King who recently upset Ashandi Gibbs but he's no longer on the card. I attend as many small to mid size boxing cards as possible. Sometimes driving up to 150 miles. On cards of this size there are usually no big name fighters but for a guy like me who loves boxing there couldn't be anything better.

Most fans of the sport are casual and that's okay. continue

By Paul Strauss: One of the biggest attractions of the night was Cowboys Stadium itself, located in Arlington, Texas. Those in attendance and the ringside announcers were wide-eyed about it and gushing over it's size and tres cher.

Max Kellerman had the cameraman follow him up into the far reaches of the huge facility, so he could illustrate how small the ring looked from the "standing room only" area where folks shelled out about $85 for parking and the privilege to stand around! They were on the ends of the oval too, so they didn't even get to view the enormous television screen. But, according to Max, they were happy.

The lineup for the night seemed to hold promise. It started with John Duddy versus Michael Medina. At one time Duddy symbolized action and excitement, and many times ingredients of his fights included knockouts or at least some blood. That wasn't the case Saturday. Almost the entire night lacked intensity, and that seemed to carry over into the other bouts as well. continue

Alan W. (London, UK): You've been critical of Manny Pacquiao in the past and I noticed that you actually predicted him to win this fight. What were your thoughts on his performance?

Vivek W. (ESB): The name Manny Pacquiao has become a very prestigious one in the industry, and to be quite honest, based on that 'brand value' associated with his name I find myself holding him to a higher level of critique than I would probably any other fighter outside of Mayweather. When you hear the name Pacquiao, you immediately think perfection - as it relates to the ring. Speed, power, artistry, mechanics, heart, and the list goes on. That being said, not only do you respect that greatness, but you find yourself asking "IS ANYTHING IN LIFE TRULY PERFECT" as well. Judging from a positive perspective, I thought that he basically did all that you could expect of him, given the circumstances. continue

In preparation for his April 24th fight against Chris Arreola, (28-1, 25 KOs). Tomasz Adamek, (40-1, 27 KO’s), is in Houston, training with Ronnie Shields. Shields, no stranger to making cruiserweights into heavyweight champions, was a key part of the training staff that guided Evander Holyfield to his heavyweight titles.

Shields had this to say about his first weeks of training Tomasz, “I like Tomasz. I am very impressed with his work ethic. When it comes to training Tomasz is determined to give you his all, 100% of the time.” When asked if he could compare Adamek to Holyfield in any way, Shields said the similarity was not in boxing style, but in the way they both like to work hard. continue

by James Slater - First of all, as all those fans who saw last night's fight will surely agree, Ghana's Joshua Clottey deserves a huge amount of praise for the way he was able to tough out the full 12-rounds with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. The way the 32-year-old former IBF welterweight champ was able to take the vicious body shots Pac-Man was landing on him all night was quite remarkable - indeed, Clottey showed not so much an iron chin as an iron midsection!

Still, despite his toughness, Clottey never came close to winning last night, losing every single round on one of the official scorecards ( 120-108 being the way I had it for what it's worth). Concentrating almost purely on defence against the lethal southpaw, Clottey managed to let only a few good shots go; his left jab, left uppercut to the chin and the occasional right hand to the face bringing cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. Other than that, it was Pacquiao's night all the way, and the question now is what next for the Filipino and also what does the future hold for the man from Accra?

Pacquiao has spoken of perhaps retiring from boxing so as to go into politics full time, while after the soreness he is no doubt currently feeling in his body wears off, Clottey may well opt to call it quits also. continue

by James Slater - News has been broken by Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com that says Andre Ward's scheduled "Super Six" title fight defence against Allan Green has had to be postponed. The problem is the unbeaten Ward's right knee, which has been giving the WBA 168-pound champion problems in training camp.

Ward's right knee, already surgically repaired, has affected his ability to do proper running and roadwork and the April 24th bout will now take place at an as yet unknown later date, most likely in the summer. continue

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 14, 2010) – “Irish” Joey McCreedy is back being trained by “Irish” Micky Ward and Ward’s brother, Dicky Eklund, who worked with fellow Lowell (MA) resident McCreedy back when McCreedy was an amateur boxer and for McCreedy’s first six pro fights. McCreedy (11-4-1, 6 KOs), the reigning EBA and New England super middleweight champion, made the switch back to Ward and Eklund after the Rivera Brothers Gym in Lynn (MA) was recently closed. The commute is much closer because Chelmsford is much closer to Lowell than Lynn. continue

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (March 14, 2010) – World Middleweight Champion KELLY “The Ghost” PAVLIK returns to his old haunt, Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, on Saturday, April 17, to defend his titles against World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight champion SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTINEZ. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with DiBella Entertainment and Caesars Atlantic City, Pavlik vs. Martinez will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10 p.m. ET /7 p.m. PT.

Combined, these two sluggers boast an incredible record of 80-3-2 (56 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 70%!

Remaining Tickets, priced at $350, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster (800) 736-1420 or online at www.Ticketmaster.com. continue

By Sean Ocampo: Pound for Pound King Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KO) successfully defended his WBO Welterweight Championship with a dominant twelve round decision victory over former IBF Welterweight Champion Joshua “Grandmaster” Clottey (35-4-0, 20 KO) of Accra, Ghana in front of a massive crowd of 50,994 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The scores were 120-108, 119-109, and 119-109 all in favor of Pacquiao. continue

by Coach Tim Walker - We've all seen the results by now. The sensational Manny Pacquiao did to Joshua Clottey what I didn't imagine was possible. He didn't knock him out in stellar fashion like he did Ricky Hatton. He didn't make him quit like he did Oscar De La Hoya. He didn't even beat him till he couldn't take anymore like he did against Miguel Cotto. Not at all. What he did to Clottey was far worse in my opinion. He made Clottey do...nothing. continue

by Geoffrey Ciani: This past week’s edition of On the Ropes featured an exclusive interviews with Devon Alexander, Travis Simms, Steve Forbes, and Edwin Rodriguez. Highlighting this week’s episode was a nice chat with the WBC/IBF unified junior welterweight champion. Here are some excerpts from that interview:

On his performance in his recent victory against Juan Urango:
“It was a great performance—the best performance I’ve ever had. People who know me know I’m my own worst critic and I consider this a good performance for myself.”

On becoming a unified champion with that victory:

“Now that I got a chance to think about what I just accomplished, I mean it’s big. It’s a blessing. To see where I came from, north St. Louis, and now it’s just amazing. Who, let alone, wins one belt—I won two belts, so it’s amazing.. continue

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Ten U.S. boxers have signed on to participate in the World Series of Boxing, the new professional league created by AIBA, which allow boxers to maintain their Olympic eligibility and compete in a modified pro set-up. Two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) headlines the list of U.S. athletes joining the World Series of Boxing. continue

By Joseph Herron: On the eve of what is being billed as “The Event”, boxing was on center stage in Grapevine, TX at the beautiful Gaylord Texan Hotel & Resort. The co-main event featured the best of both worlds: Flyweights and Heavyweights. Sam Peter participated in an IBF title eliminator bout with the young and crafty Nagy Aguilera. Both men came into the ring wanting to make a statement for Heavyweight supremacy. Aguilera, who was coming off of a spectacular knockout victory over former Heavyweight title holder Oleg Maskaev, looked very motivated during his walk towards the ring. continue

by James Slater: Last night in Germany, a few hours before Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey did their thing in Dallas, WBO cruiserweight boss Marco Huck and challenger Adam "Swamp Donkey" Richards engaged in a short but lively rumble. 25-year-old Huck, making the second defence of his belt, proved to be way too classy for the gutsy, have-a-go challenger from Tennessee; getting the win at 2-minutes and 30-seconds of the 3rd-round.

Richards was down in the 3rd-round, when a right hand followed by a shove sent him to the mat, whereupon the third man in the ring issued a count, while moments later Richards was under heavy fire and as he was on his way down a second time the ref dived in and took a tumble with the challenger as he attempted to stop the fight.

Huck is now 28-1(21). Richards, AKA Swamp Donkey, is now 23-3(15). continue

Marco “Captain” Huck (28-1, 21 KOs) defended his WBO Cruiserweight Title with a spectacular third-round TKO victory over Adam Richards (23-3, 15 KOs). The 25-year-old German champion started to land his trademark power punches in the second round before dropping his opponent in the third. Huck followed it up with another firework that sent his opponent down again, prompting the referee to call the one-sided contest off. “I am never pleased with my performance because I can always improve but I am happy that I defended my title in front of my fans in Berlin,” Huck said. “I really wanted to put on a good show to please everybody. I am happy with the result.. continue

FRANK MALONEY will continue to rely entirely on British based fighters when he stages his next promotion at Leigh Sports Village promotion on Friday 19th March. Maloney exclusively used British boxers when he staged a show in Nottingham last month, and is hoping to repeat that feat again on next week's Sky Sports televised show.

The promoter said: "The fans appreciate fights between British fighters and know exactly what sort of test house fighters are having. continue

by James Slater - With practically all the other top names in the currently talent-rich 140-pound division busy over the coming months, it looked as though unbeaten Timothy Bradley, the reigning WBO champ at light-welterweight, would perhaps be unable to find a worthy opponent to get it on with in the summer. The 26-year-old known as "Desert Storm" told this writer only a week or so ago, how "everyone at 140-pounds has a fight but me!."

Indeed, with names like Amir Khan, Paulie Malignaggi, Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana, Nate Campbell, etc all having big fights set up, the undefeated Bradley's chances of getting a big fight, or any fight, looked poor for the immediate future. However, as the man with all the news, Dan Rafael, has reported over at ESPN.com, Bradley, 25-0(11) has at last found a dance partner. Set to face the undefeated Luis Carlos Abregu on June 26th (venue still to be made official), Bradley will box a scheduled 12-rounds against the 29-0(23) Argentine, yet the bout will not contest the champion's WBO belt.

The fight will also mark Bradley's HBO debut, Tim having previously been a Showtime fighter, and the fight with Abregu will appear on the network's Boxing After Dark show. continue

Dusseldorf, Germany (March 14, 2010) – American heavyweight “Fast Eddie” Chambers – rated #1 in the WBO – arrives in Dusseldorf, Germany with his team a week before his scheduled World Championship bout against WBO/IBF Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko.

“I am on a mission to beat Wladimir Klitschko and bring those titles back home to the United States. This is serious business and I am going for it, but I also know that I want to take in this experience and enjoy the ride. I am not going to make any fancy predictions. I’m just going to win.. continue

by James Slater - On the day of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight - Pacquiao being the last man to share a ring with him - news has broken that says Ricky Hatton will hold a press conference next week to officially announce his retirement from boxing. This is the word that is currently doing the rounds on the net, and Sky Sports News is where the story came from.

Reportedly, Hatton, 31, began training for his planned summer return against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez, but was simply unable to push himself through another camp. continue

By Jody Kohn - Welcome to the second of my weekly updates and interviews with Super Bantamweight Champion Celestino Caballero. In doing this project, I hope to offer more than a series of interviews that have the same questions and answers that you can read in almost any other interview you come across. Instead, I want to give the reader insight into the life of a boxing champion both in and out of the ring. As I go forward, I will start to focus more on Pelenchin's desire to promote himself in this market, as well as sharing his experiences living in a new country that does not offer him the same level of recognition he enjoys in Panama.

Talking to Pelenchin inside of a cheesy Las Vegas souvenir shop as our wives looked for some trinkets to take back to Panama on their upcoming return home, I realized something about him that is hard for most Americans like myself to understand. I told him that winning his upcoming fight with Duan Yordan would surely get him much bigger paydays in the very near future. He agreed, but immediately said that what it would really mean to him is that he would get more opportunities to prove to the world that he is the best. He has said repeatedly in interviews and in casual conversations that to him it is not about the money. Sure the money is nice, but he is doing it to prove that he has put in the work necessary to be among the best in his craft. He is doing it for himself, his family, and his country. He wants the world to know that he came from a ghetto in Colon and he has made himself into a world champion. That all sounded great, and it wasn't that I didn't believe him, but it just never really rang home until then. continue

by James Slater - Samuel Peter may be on the verge of another crack at a major title. Looking back to his best last night in destroying Nagy Aguilera inside two-impressive rounds in an IBF heavyweight title fight eliminator, the 29-year-old former WBC heavyweight ruler looked trim, pretty fast and, above all powerful!

Peter dropped the man who shocked another former WBC heavyweight titlist in Oleg Maskaev back in January, with a brutal right hand to the head in the 2nd-round, and his follow-up attack left Aguilera pinned on the ropes. continue

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. (March 12, 2010) – Fan favorite Tony “TNT” Grano gained revenge for his only loss as a pro, winning a unanimous 10-round decision last night against Mark “Oak Tree” Brown in the main event on the “Brace For Impact” card, promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports, Inc., (CES), in a sold-out Fox Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino. continue

by James Slater - With his May 15th fight with the respected Paulie Malignaggi fast approaching, WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan has been talking about this fight and his big plans for the future should he win in New York in what will be his American debut. And the 23-year-old who left Frank Warren and signed with Golden Boy earlier this year sure has set some lofty goals for himself. Or at least Golden Boy have the confidence required to set their latest fighter some lofty goals.

Speaking today, as quoted by The Times, Khan gave away Golden Boy's plans for him over the coming 18 months or so.

"They have laid out a plan that over the next 18 months I will be fighting the likes of Manny Pacquiao or [Floyd] Mayweather - big, big names," Khans told The Times. "If they are seeing me with those guys, they must see something in me. Time will tell if they are right.. continue

CHICAGO, IL (March 12, 2010) Bob Arum’s Top Rank Incorporated in association with Dominic Pesoli’s 8 Count Productions will present the Chicago debut of “TOP RANK LIVE”, the critically acclaimed boxing series on Saturday, May 29th at the UIC Pavilion. Advance tickets priced at $101, $51 and $31 are now on sale through Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com), the UIC Pavilion Box Office (312-413-5740) and the 8 Count Productions’ Office (312-226-5800). Said Bob Arum, “Top Rank has been promoting shows in Chicago since the 70’s and we’re thrilled to bring this outstanding series to their great sport fans. Along with the pro debut of Mike Lee from Notre Dame and sensational featherweight prospect Salvador Sanchez II, nephew and namesake of the legendary Mexican champion, we are putting together a fantastic card for May 29th.. continue

Steve Janoski: When I first heard that Manny Pacquiao’s next fight would be against Joshua Clottey, I have to admit that I was surprised. After the entire debacle with Floyd Mayweather, I was surprised the man even wanted to fight again— most would be so jaded by the entire affair, which was handled poorly on all sides (but the worst on Mayweather’s), that they’d want to be done with the grimy shadyness that is the boxing “business.”

But Pac came back, and is fighting a real welterweight even though he’s not actually one himself, something that its taken Mayweather oh, about two decades to do. continue

by Jenna J: Following tonight’s fight we will be having a special edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio. Be sure to tune in and feel free to call the show and share your thoughts on the fight.

Call-In Number: (646)716-5404

Showtimes:
Berlin: 7:30am
Dallas: 12:30am
London: 6:30am
Manila: 2:30pm
New York: 1:30am continue