RSSTop Rank
Thursday, February 08, 2007
EEC - February 8, 2007
If you enjoyed yesterday’s rankings, I’m sure you will also like the fight predictions we will be coming out with in the next few weeks…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- As of right now, the June 9th showdown between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto is apparently off...
So what exactly is happening here? Mark Vester breaks it down better then I can:
Last week, the WBO held a purse bid for a bout between their welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (34-4, 24KOs) and the mandatory challenger, Paul “The Punisher” Williams (32-0, 24KOs). Dan Goossen of Goossen-Tutor Promotions beat out Golden Boy Promotions for the right to promote the fight. Goossen bid $1.5 million to secure the promotional rights to stage the bout in either late May or early June, in either Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
Arum told scribe Robert Morales of the Press-Telegram that he did not participate in the purse bid because Margarito and his team told him that he was going to fight Cotto in June. Earlier this week it was revealed that Margarito signed to face Williams, instead of Cotto. Arum, who owns full promotional rights to Margarito, says that he never gave him permission to sign a contract for the fight.
Goossen-Tutor Promotions isn’t permitted to sign a contract making a Margarito-Williams bout since Margarito is under an exclusive contract with Arum and Top Rank…
“He has a contract with us, an exclusive contract with us,” Arum said of Margarito. “We didn’t participate in the purse bid because they (Margarito’s co-managers) told us not to because they were fighting Cotto. It (Margarito-Williams) may be a done deal as far as (Goossen) is concerned, but these people have no authority to sign a contract because they’re under an exclusive promotional agreement with us.”
You know what that means. Arum says he will be filing litigation by the end of the week, meaning he will now be in separate legal battles with Goossen-Tutor and Golden Boy Promotions at the same time.
- IC Wales is reporting that WBO Cruiserweight Champion Enzo Maccarinelli wants to come over to America and take on WBA, WBC, and IBF Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell in an attempt to unify all four major cruiserweight titles.
Maccarinelli will defend his WBO title against Vincenzo Cantatore on April 7th. Because Bell fights the month before, a summer fight could work out great for the both of them:
“Bell is the one recognized as the undisputed champion, but he can’t call himself that until he beats me,” Maccarinelli told IC Wales. “That’s the fight I’m aiming for. He’s said he’s got a lot of admiration for me and that he wants my belt. I want to fight the best straight away and I definitely feel that I’ll get him.”
“He’s got a fight in March and I’m fighting in April, so it could work out. There’s talk about Joe going over to the States in July or there’s a lovely stadium (Liberty) down in Swansea which would be happy to hold the event. Home or away doesn’t bother me whatsoever. When that bell goes it’s only me against him, the crowd’s not going to help either of us.”
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: Greatness demands political incorrectness
The Sweet Science: Is Boxing Dead? Ask Mr. Computer
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
EEC - February 6, 2007
After a little hiatus that extended into the beginning of the week, we are back once again with the Early Eight Count…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The April fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jin Chi has been postponed until at least October according to Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum yesterday.
Arum informed ESPN that Pacquiao would still be fighting in April, but now he would be lacing up the gloves on April 21st against an opponent that has yet to be named. The fight will take place in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“Manny will fight in San Antonio and we’ll have an announcement on the opponent in a couple of days,” Arum said.
Arum also announed that Jorge Arce and Jose Navarro will face off in the co-main event. Other fighters who could also possibly be added to the card in the near future are Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa.
So what was the reason for the change? It’s hotel problems…
“We found out that because of certain delays there are only about 4,000 decent hotel rooms in Macau, and that is not enough to handle demand for this event,” Arum said. “They have a whole group of properties that are coming on line that we were expecting to be open by the end of April, but they aren’t going to make it. By the fall there will be 10,000 rooms. There will be plenty to handle the people in the fall.”
- Yet another boxer arrested…
Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell was arrested in Big Bear, California after assaulting his training partner, Larry Slayton.
37-year-old Larry Slayton, was helping Bell train for his March 17 rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France. Slayton claims that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods, and threw a hatchet at him. Bell was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears. At that point Slayton ran as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks. Arden Wiltshire, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said that Deputies found Slayton with cuts from running through the brush and “fearful for his life.”
He is currently out on bail…
- Miguel Cotto has been named fighter of the year by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: From gridiron to ring, Rossy’s rising fast
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Margarito-Cotto Set for June
Bob Arum and Top Rank announced earlier today that WBO Welterweight Champion Antonio Margarito will challenge Miguel Cotto for his WBA Welterweight Title on June 9th at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“This is the biggest fight out there for me,” Margarito said. “I am anxious to get into the ring against Cotto.”
One interesting thing to note about this fight: Cotto is scheduled to make a mandatory title defense against Oktay Urkal on March 3rd. Will this fight still go on as planned even if Cotto loses?
Even more important: Will Cotto overlook Urkal in a big way? I’m sure that Urkal is loving the fact that his opponent has scheduled two fights in the next five months…
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Monday, January 22, 2007
EEC - January 22, 2007
A little bit of news for you as we start a brand new week. For those who haven’t read up on the results of this weekend’s fights, be sure to scroll down and check our latest posts to find out for yourself…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Controversial promoter Dan Goossen sent out a press release last week that ripped Bob Arum and Antonio Margarito because Magarito did not give Paul Williams his mandatory title shot, instead choosing for a showdown against Miguel Cotto on June 9th.
Arum said that he is willing to setup the mandatory fight between the two, but the fight cannot happen before June unless Cotto loses when he takes on Oktay Urkal on March 3rd.
Margarito was originally supposed to return to the ring on the undercard of Cotto-Urkal but he is still recovering from a wrist injury that will keep him out of action for a few more weeks.
“(Margarito) can’t fight until (May at the earliest), and why should he fight Williams for no money when he’d have a big-money fight with Cotto there for him in June?” Arum said to Iole. “But if Cotto loses (to Oktay Urkal on March 3), then, sure, (Margarito) wouldn’t blow the title. He’d fight him then.”
Williams can still become the champion however. How? The WBO may decide to strip Margarito of his belt for not meeting Williams in the coming months.
- Former Manny Pacquiao manager Shelley Finkel is apparently warning his former client that the result of the lawsuit between Top Rank and Golden Boy over his contract may not have the result he is hoping for…
- The Las Vegas Review Journal is reporting that Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda may take on each other this summer in a matchup that would bring together two of the hardest-hitting middleweights in boxing.
The fight will only go down however if Pavilk sucessfully defeated Jose Luis Zertuche on January 27th as part of an HBO televised card.
Both Top Rank and Warriors Boxing have had several meetings discussing a possible matchup between the two and everything seems to be set in stone if Pavlik wins this weekend.
“I really believe Kelly Pavlik is going to be the next big thing in the middleweight division,” he said. “... He’s exciting. People want to see that,” Arum said.
There is another unusual reason why this fight could also not happen - If Jermain Taylor wants to challenge Miranda this summer according to Miranda’s camp. Why they think Taylor would want him when he still has other top middleweights to rid of in beyond me…
Some Good Reads:
Doghouse Boxing: The Re-Education of the Boxing Fan
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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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Thursday, January 11, 2007
Morrison Awaits Fate
The Arizona Republic is reporting that Tommy Morrison is waiting for the results of a blood test he recently took for the Arizona State Boxing Commission in an attempt to get a license to fight.
Even if the results are negative for HIV, ASBC boss John Montano still wants to watch Morrison workout in a gym to prove he is still physically fit to compete. This will be followed by multiple commission meetings featuring boxing experts, doctors, and various other officials.
Morrison’s possible return could actually happen on January 19th as promoter Peter McKinn would like to compete on a Top Rank and Bob Arum card to start things off.
If the blood work produces a negative result, commission head John Montano wants to watch Morrison sparring in the gym.
Local Phoenix promoter Peter McKinn is shooting to have Morrison return in a four-round bout on a Jan. 19 Top Rank-promoted card and two opponents are apparently ready to fight him on that date if necessary.
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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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Saturday, September 30, 2006
Golden Boy Signs Yet Another
Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions have made yet another transaction: the acquisition of former WBC Flyweight Champion Gerry Penalosa.
Penalosa signed the contract at De La Hoya’s office in downtown Los Angeles this past week. The contract is a seven-fight deal that will most likely get Penalosa a title shot in the near future.
Penalosa also announced that he will be managed by famous trainer Freddie Roach and the recently signed Manny Pacquiao, who made headlines last week in signing with Golden Boy over Bob Arum and Top Rank Inc.
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Oscar Confirms Manny Signing
“Yes, we have signed Manny Pacquiao,” Golden Boy Promotions boss Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.com from his home in Puerto Rico on Monday.
That pretty much confirms all of the reports that are floating around out there. Even though there are other fighters with Golden Boy Promotions who Pacquiao may eventually fight, De La Hoya reassures that this is a great decision…
“It was basically us out-thinking the competition,” De La Hoya said. “I had a goal and that goal was to sign Manny Pacquiao. We strategized and we figured it out and we were willing to do whatever it took to sign him.”
This whole ordeal is far from over however, especially with Bob Arum in the mix. If you don’t already know, Arum and Top Rank were heavily banking on being able to resign Pacquiao without a problem. Now that they have lost him, Arum is claiming that him signing with Golden Boy is a violation.
“If he signed with Golden Boy, it violates the contract we have with Manny for this fight,” Arum said. “I have a specific provision against it. It says you can’t sign until after this fight with any other promoter. It’s specific and says it clearly.”
“Golden Boy has torturously interfered with our contract. Under the specific language of the contract, they had to wait until after the fight was over to sign,” Arum said. “I’m not going to let it slide. What we do is up to the attorneys. I don’t like my contracts to be violated. Manny’s lawyer [Jeng Gacal] went through my contract with a fine-toothed comb. I negotiated with him and specifically this paragraph.”
The worst that could come out of this is Arum continuing to press the issue and De La Hoya having to agree to some kind of settlement, possibly in court. The bottom line - Pacquiao is with Golden Boy now and after the fight. Top Rank can go through whatever legal troubles they want, but at the end of the day, Pacquiao won’t be signing with them again…