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Monday, January 15, 2007
EEC: January 15, 2007
As you probably noticed by the lack of posts yesterday, it was a pretty slow day in the boxing world. Even so, I still think I found some interesting tidbits to share with everyone…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Floyd Mayweather Sr. told the Grand Rapids Press this past weekend that there still isn’t a deal in place for him to train Oscar De La Hoya for the May 5th mega-fight against his son, Floyd Jr.
What’s the most amazing thing about all of this? Mayweather Sr. hasn’t signed a deal to train Oscar yet not because his is unsure whether or not he wants to train De La Hoya against his own son, but rather because he wants $2 Million because the figh purse is so high. Remarkable…
- This weekend is highlighted by three big fights, one of which isn’t being televised. It’s a heavyweight title bout of all things. I realize that Nikolai Valuev and Jameel McCline might not put on that great of a fight, but the ramifications are still huge for the division and boxing itself.
- Joel Casamayor’s next opponent is said to be down to two canidates: Juan Diaz and Acelino Freitas
- Jermain Taylor’s next title defense may happen on the weekend of April 21 in Atlantic City to coincide with the annual Boxing Writers Association of America dinner which always has a big boxing match take place the day after. So far no possible opponents have been thrown out there…
- Rising Star Delvin Rodriguez has signed with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing according to ESPN. Rodriguez’s manager says the contract is a three-year deal with has multiple extension options based on Rodriguez’s performance in the ring. Rodriguez became a free agent last week after voiding his contract with Northeast Promotions. Don King and Golden Boy Promotions also made offers but were turned down surprisingly.
Some Good Reads:
Some pimpage is in order for The Sweet Science and their daily This Day in History post which has become a daily routine for me.
So what did happen today in history?
On this day in 1983, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) declared that boxing should be banned in all civilized countries.
The notion of banning boxing was discussed even during the sport’s golden age. However, this was the first occasion that the American Medical Association (AMA) had made such a statement. George D. Lundberg, the editor of JAMA, cited the high prevalence of brain damage in professional boxers who have had a substantial number of fights as part of the basis of the AMA’s position.
Since then, other medical organizations have supported this position and the AMA and Lundberg have revisited this issue several times since 1983. An argument could be made that the initial report helped lead to some boxing reforms, such as shorter fights and quicker referee stoppages.
However, it is highly unlikely that boxing will ever be banned in the United States.
Some other nice articles for you…
Doghouse Boxing: A View from the Galaxy: The Road Back for Antonio Tarver
Maxboxing: No More in 2007
Boxing Scene: Jose Luis Castillo: Such Is Life
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Sunday, January 14, 2007
EEC - January 14, 2007
Early Eight Count - It’s catchy isn’t it?
Basically this is going to be a daily morning post focusing on a variety of boxing news, gossip, articles, videos, and whatever interesting things myself or David will be able to find.
I’m going to try my best to post it every morning at 8:00 AM, genius I know… However if you don’t see it up one day for some reason, please don’t uppercut me too hard.
We’re doing something similar over on our sister site, MMA on Tap as well.
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Ricky Hatton seems to be taking Floyd Mayweather Jr. off of his radar screen because of Mayweather’s future plans for this year which include a superfight with Oscar De La Hoya in May and possible retirement right after the bout. That didn’t stop Hatton from discussing alternate plans for this year however…
“I have no problem with fighting up at welterweight again. But the only fight I’ll probably look at that might tempt to me to welterweight would be certainly Floyd Mayweather, maybe Miguel Cotto. I’m not soon to be back on the welterweight division even though I’ve made back down to junior welterweight. I have got to put on an exciting performance against Juan Urango. Hopefully win my title back which I’m confident that I can do, and hopefully lead to a fight against José Castillo and then if Floyd is still fighting, if he chooses not to retire then that would another fight I’d love.”
I’m sure that Hatton won’t be the only one voicing their displeasure about Floyd opting to retire soon, crushing the hopes of many welterweights out there that wanted a crack at him.
- Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer will be traveling to Florida next week to visit with Roy Jones Jr. and attempt to get him to sign a contract that will allow him to fight Bernard Hopkins in July. According to Hopkins, he is already signed for the fight and it is now up to Jones Jr. to make the fight happen.
- Just like I reported yesterday, Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent will most likely be Jin Chi as Top Rank’s Bob Arum is supposed to be finalizing the contract for the fight at some point this week.
One thing I’m considering is moving the usual ‘Weekend Fights’ and ‘Weekend Results’ posts to the EEC post for that day. I think it will work out a lot better and allow more time for news and events that occur which deserve more coverage. As always, feel free to leave a comment or contact us with your opinion about this decision or anything else that your little heart desires…
Weekend Results:
- Travis Simms won the WBA Super Welterweight Title on Saturday night, stopping Jose Antonio Rivera in the 9th round. Simms was in control for the entire fight, dominating Rivera in every aspect until the referee halted the bout in the middle of the 9th round after Rivera was knocked to the canvas for a second time.
Simms actually held the WBA Super Welterweight belt from December 2003 until June 2005 when he was stripped of the belt due to inactivity. Simms was holding out because he wanted a fight with Winky Wright who obviously had other plans. However Simms now guarantees that his mind is set on defending his title:
“I’m coming back, and I’m looking to get back in the mix with the top champions in the divison,” Simms said. “I cannot be denied. I stayed in the gym, stayed diligent, stayed focused.”
Don’t believe in newspapers? Don’t worry, I have you covered…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Dan Rafael’s January Division Rankings
I actually plan on starting some rankings of our own by next month possibly so stay tuned…
FOX Sports: Unified heavyweight title can save boxing
MaxBoxing: When to Hold and When to Fold: Toney’s March Memorable, but Uphill from Here
The Sweet Science: Looking For More In The New Year
Last but not least, Jim Amato (neverlast on this site) will have a new piece being posted at some point this afternoon for those of you looking to check back in later on for new material…
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Friday, January 12, 2007
The Barrera-Pacquiao Fiasco Continues
Well while I was gone, Top Rank and Golden Boy apparently sued the shit out of each other…
Anyone want an update?
Well even though there is a lawsuit currently between the two sides, they still tried to come to some kind of agreement to have Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao. That didn’t work out.
Yesterday Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer announced that they have come to terms on a fight between Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez that will take place on March 17th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
So what about Pac-Man?
The WBC is stating that Pacquiao most likely will take on Jin Chi, who is moving up from featherweight to super featherweight, in Macau on April 28th.
The WBC has also decided not to get in the middle of things between Top Rank and Golden Boy since they could run into litigation problems. The expectations after the two fight is that talks will start up again attempting to pair Pacquiao and Barrera together again.
WBC President Jose Sulaiman breaks it down for us:
Sulaiman said he will allow “both fighters to have the opportunity to have one fight.” He said that once those fights are done the WBC will “immediately proceed with free negotiations, purse offers and all of that” setting a three-week deadline for a purse offer should negotiations fall through even in the midst of the legal battle between contending promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank.
Sulaiman also added that the fighters are eventually going to have to fight or else there will be consequences. What kind of consequences?
If Barrera is victorious over Marquez and decides that he no longer wants to fight Pacquiao, he will be stripped of his title. If Pacquiao no longer wants to fight Barrera, he will no longer be the mandatory challenger for Barrera’s belt.
I’m glad to see the WBC taking action and making things a bit clearer among all of this mess. Hopefully things can be settled quickly in court between De La Hoya and Arum’s promoting monsters…
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Monday, November 20, 2006
What’s Next For Pacquiao?
What is next for the recently victorious Manny Pacquiao? A lot more than people might think…
Before Pacquiao can even contemplate his next opponent, he needs to fight out who is going to be promoting him next year: Top Rank or Golden Boy?
So let’s break down the facts…
Top Rank promoted Pacquiao for Saturday night’s fight - it should have been the last fight under the Top Rank banner for Pacquiao, who signed with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions in September.
However Bob Arum and Top Rank have already stated that Pacquiao signing with Golden Boy before his contract with Top Rank was up is a violation and needs to be dealt with. The matter where mostly likely end up in court with a hearing that will determine who exactly Pacquiao will be working for next year.
Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see how things turn out. Pacquiao’s contract with Top Rank is over the minute the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. Even if his current contract with Golden Boy is terminated, it’s almost certain that he will just go ahead and sign a similar one as soon as he can in 2007.
Well hold on a minute here… Arum has thrown a wrench into the mix…
When asked about the situation last week, Arum has said that he should have a say in Pacquiao’s future as well and that Manny tried returning the check for his signing bonus back to Golden Boy, who wouldn’t accept it.
Is Pacquiao running back to Top Rank? Only time will tell at this point…
So who might be his next opponent?
Well right now two names are being thrown around: Marco Antonio Barrera and Edwin Valero.
Pacquiao signed with Golden Boy earlier in the fall with the idea that if he was victorious against Erik Morales, he would take on Barrera in a rematch at some point in 2007. Arum however wants Pacquiao to take on Edwin Valero.
A lot will be riding on a judge’s decision, there’s no doubt about that…
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Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Mayweather-De La Hoya is Official
I don’t think you can get a bigger matchup in boxing right now besides the one that will now happen on May 5th. Yes that’s right, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Oscar De La Hoya for Oscar’s WBC Light-Middleweight Championship.
Needless to say, Oscar is pumped…
“Done deal, baby! Done deal,” an excited De La Hoya said. “I wanted it. How could I not be excited? I took this fight because, like always, I always want to take on the best, and Floyd is considered the best in the world. Here we go again.
“My thinking wasn’t financial. It had to do with it being the biggest event out there and wanting to fight the best and be the best.”
What’s interesting about all of this is that talks between the two sides had been ongoing for a long time, way before Mayweather Jr. even defeated Carlos Baldomir last weekend. However after Floyd’s victory, talks began picking up pretty quickly…
So quickly that De La Hoya gave Mayweather Jr. a deadline of 7 PM PT yesterday to take the fight or Oscar would start looking for another opponent.
One of the biggest storylines going into this bout is the fact that Mayweather Jr’s father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. is De La Hoya’s trainer.
Oscar plans to sit down with his trainer and talk about the fight, whether or not Mayweather Sr. wants to train De La Hoya to defeat his son among other things…
“I will sit down with him and talk about this,” De La Hoya said. “I want to see how he feels. I want to look into his eyes and see if he is going to be as passionate as I am when we are in training. I want us both to be comfortable with the situation. I don’t want him to come to Puerto Rico to train me for the fight and have it be awkward. I want to make sure we are on the same page.”
If Floyd’s father decides that he does not want to partake in training Oscar for this fight, De La Hoya will be forced to find a replacement:
“Floyd Mayweather Sr. should be my trainer until the day I retire,” De La Hoya said. “I don’t think there is any reason to change trainers. He gets me going and he gets me motivated. But I am prepared if he says no to me. I am prepared to move on and get somebody else. That somebody else, though, I am not sure who it is.”
This fight is expected to be one of the biggest money-making events in history. The purse that will be spit between the two fighters is already being estimated at $50 million dollars.
Where will the fight take place? It has not yet been determined but it has been narrowed down to two venues according to Golden Boy Promotions: the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
I’m sure the media will be all over this fight - I’ll have a little roundup of everything later today…
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Saturday, October 21, 2006
Corrales Signs With Golden Boy
Golden Boy Promotions is on quite a roll…
Their latest signing - former Lightweight champion Diego Corrales
“I know that Diego always gives it his best in the ring, and our promise to him is that Golden Boy Promotions will give him our best outside the ring,” Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya said in announcing the signing.
Things haven’t been going so well for Corrales lately - He has lost his last two fights and was stripped of his Lightweight title when he failed to make weight for a recent bout against Joel Casamayor.
However just like many of Golden Boy’s recent signings, their is a dispute between Corrales and his former promoter Gary Shaw:
“I still have a contract with Diego,” Shaw said. “It isn’t over yet and I will be forced to sue.”
Is Golden Boy legally signing fighters or not? I guess we will find out in the coming months when the cases start to go to court…
When asked about joining Golden Boy, Corrales didn’t even mention what was going on with the Shaw ordeal:
“At this point in my career, it is important that I can go into a fight knowing that the business outside is taken care of,” Corrales, 29, said. “I wanted to be with a promoter who understands us fighters and who I can be with for the rest of my career. To be part of Golden Boy Promotions feels great. I feel happy, energized, and ready to take on all challenges and make another run at a world championship.”
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Ponce De Leon-Seeger Becomes Main Event
Even though Juan Manuel Marquez’s title defense against Jimrex Jaca has been cancelled, Saturday night’s Golden Boy Promotions show will still go on as planned.
What’s the new main event? Daniel Ponce De Leon will put his WBO Junior Featherweight Championship on the line against Al Seeger.
A replacement opponent for Marquez was obviously not able to be found…
Two other bouts will now be televised as well…
In addition, the new TV lineup will include El Paso junior featherweight prospect Antonio Escalante (13-1, 8 KOs) facing Omar Adorno (16-7-1, 10 KOs) in a 12-rounder and former junior bantamweight titlist Gerry Penalosa (50-5-2, 33 KOs)—a Filipino who had no visa issues—facing former bantamweight titlist Mauricio Martinez (31-6-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round bantamweight bout.
“Of course we’re disappointed that Juan Manuel Marquez won’t be defending his title against Jimrex Jaca on this card,” said Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya. “But we’ve decided to make sure fight fans get the most for their money by adding two fights to the card, which may just steal the thunder from the co-main events.”
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Marquez-Jaca Cancelled
This Saturday’s scheduled bout between Interim WBO Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez and Jimrex Jaca has been cancelled because of visa issues involving Jaca according to Golden Boy Promotions Eric Gomez.
“He’s been there three times,” Gomez said. “He showed up at the American embassy for a special stamp three times and they turned him away. Supposedly, they are backed up and there’s a big waiting list. They tried getting the mayor of Manila involved, government officials and they didn’t help him.”
The rest of the bouts on the card will go on as planned.
A possible replacement for Jaca is currently being sought for Marquez but the general feeling is that no one will be found. If a replacement is unable to be found, it is rumored that Marquez will return to the ring on November 25th on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Maskaev-Hopkins Becoming A Possible Reality?
For those of you who live under a rock or have spent the last couple of months in space, Bernard Hopkins has stated that he would be willing to come out of retirement if he could fight WBC Heavyweight Champion Oleg Maskaev.
We’ve already gone through the obstacle course that they would have to go through in order to make this fight official but let’s go through it again one more time, shall we?
Maskaev first has to defend his title and retain it against Peter Okhello on December 9th. If Maskaev is victorious he then must somehow convince the WBC to allow him to take on Hopkins against of the winner of the Samuel Peter-James Toney rematch in January.
Maskaev has already gotten around facing Samuel Peter once, can he do it again?
Hopkins has already said that he won’t take on Maskaev if it’s not for the title so Maskaev must retain it in December.
Dennis Rappaport, Maskaev’s promoter, said in a recent interview that Hopkins’ challenge is nothing more than a publicity stunt.
However Rappaport has also confirmed that Oscar De La Hoya has contacted him about setting up the fight…
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Wright-Ouartey Was Almost in Vegas
Yes, the December fight between Winky Wright and Ike Quartey was originally supposed to be in Las Vegas. Oscar De La Hoya (Winky is with Golden Boy Promotions too in case you forgot) wanted to bring the fight to Vegas as he already had a venue and television deal all lined up.
However Winky thought differently...
Wright had strong feelings about wanting the fight in his hometown of Tampa Bay. Lucky for him, De La Hoya stopped and listened:
“I have to admit, my idea was: Okay, we’re going to take this fight to Las Vegas, to the MGM, because this is that type of fight, that type of event. And then Winky convinced me it should be here.
As a fighter, that’s when I step in and say, ‘Yeah, I understand that. Now, if I was just a promoter and only a promoter, then we’re going to take it to Vegas and make all the money in the world.”
I think it’s good to see that Winky is very focused on the fight and not on the money or anything outside of it for that matter…