Got the KO, But What Is Next For Sergio Martinez?

After witnessing the KO of the year from Sergio Martinez one would believe he is guaranteed to get a mega fight. Well maybe not so quick. After beating Kelly Pavlik and taking the Middleweight title, Martinez had a hard time getting another fight. After Pavlik turned down the option for an immediate rematch, many names were tossed around but HBO only wanted to see Martinez fight a rematch with Paul Williams. Williams and his camp seemed very slow to sign on for the rematch with Martinez. After HBO basically said you two fight a rematch or don’t fight again this year the deal got done. So the rematch took place this past weekend on HBO. After what many considered to be one of the best fights of 2009, many were expecting that type of fight again in the rematch. However Martinez, who felt like the decision last year was taken from him, decided to become his own judge when he landed a clean vicious left hook to the face of Paul Williams. The once self-proclaimed most avoided fighter went down face first with his eyes open but no movement. It was at that time Sergio Martinez proved he was a true boxing star and a force to be reckoned with. But who or what is next for Sergio Martinez?

The options for Sergio Martinez are not as plentiful as he would like. The first two names that come up whenever a huge fight is mentioned are Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. Both would have to move up in weight to fight Martinez who would be the naturally bigger and stronger man. Mayweather could claim a title in his 6th division if he won and Pacquiao could claim a title in his 9th division if he won. The history is there for both fighters if they won, but is the risk of fighting Martinez too great for both men? Martinez is not going to be the easy picking made to order fighter both fighters have been accustomed to fighting in recent years. Martinez is not slow and against moving his head in order to not get hit like Ricky Hatton and Antonio Margarito. Martinez is in good condition and wouldn’t be fighting in a weight division he doesn’t belong in like Juan Manuel Marquez and Oscar De La Hoya. Martinez is not weight drained and full of ring rust like Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley. Martinez is the legit middleweight champion and he does not plan on just laying down for the sake of saying he lost to either Mayweather or Pacquiao. He is not coming just to get a payday and moving on. Sergio Martinez wants to show he is the best fighter in the world and I’m not sure Mayweather or Pacquiao really wants to see him in the ring.

Martinez has even stated he would fight at super middleweight for the right deal; however most of the best of the division is tied up with the Super Six World Classic and Lucian Bute just signed a deal with HBO rival network Showtime. Felix Sturm and Sebastian Slyvester, two of the other middleweight titlists are not big draws in the United States and I doubt either would want to fight Martinez. Both are content holding their belts hostage in their country and making good money fighting mandatories and bums. The only middleweight titlist left is WBO middleweight titlist Dmitri Pirog, who KOd young prospect Danny Jacobs to claim the vacant title in July. Pirog essentially came out of nowhere and KOd Danny Jacobs sending a shock through the middleweight division. A fight between Martinez and Pirog would be an action pack fight but it still wouldn’t net Martinez the super payday he deserves. However, with a new year coming up and a fresh budget, HBO should be able to muster up a good payday for Sergio Martinez. It would be nice to see HBO give a Lou Dibella fighter, not named Berto, a great payday that he actually earned and deserves. Well the pressure is on HBO because Martinez has done everything asked of him and more. Martinez fought the rematch HBO begged for against the reluctant Paul Williams and scoring the KO of the year. Martinez supposedly took the shorter end of the money as well. Not to mention he was placed in the opponent’s corner during the fight and announced first which is total disrespect to the champion. Even through all of the disrespect Martinez remained humble and professional while getting the job done. Now he deserves to be treated like the champion he is. The only question that remains is what is next for Sergio Martinez?

Why Golden Boy Promotions Needs The Golden Boy Back In The Ring?

As the rumor and of course the denial of Oscar De La Hoya coming out of retirement has arisen in the last few days many ask is it a good move. For the future of Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya needs to fight soon. De La Hoya was and still remains the biggest pay per view attraction in our time. Even though he lost most of the major fights he had on PPV, he still managed to draw huge PPV ratings. However, for Golden Boy he was their biggest star with no one in their roster to replace even half of the revenue he could generate.

The biggest stars on Golden Boy; Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, and Juan Manuel Marquez are each future hall of famers but not PPV stars. People will point out they did over a million PPV buys for Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Shane Mosley, but most of the money went to Mayweather. Mayweather was the attraction, not Mosley as was shown in the horrible PPV numbers for his fight with Sergio Mora. Also Mosley is trying to land a fight with Manny Pacquiao and is stating he is a free agent. Bernard Hopkins had a huge disappointing fight as well as even more disappointing PPV buys for his way over the hill fight against Roy Jones Jr. Hopkins has never been a big PPV draw and with his style of boxing, he will never become a demand on PPV. Marquez had a million PPV buy fight last year, but again that was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is not signed to Golden Boy. Marquez’s PPV fight with Juan Diaz put up lackluster numbers and was highly overlooked. The rest of the stars on Golden Boy are either not PPV main event worthy or don’t pull in big ratings. The number one attraction is Floyd Mayweather Jr. and he just uses Golden Boy to set up his fights since Mayweather Promotions is not a legalized promotional company. Golden Boy rival Top Rank has Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and may soon be using Shane Mosley against some of their fighters. These fighters have all been used interchangeably with other fighters in the Top Rank roster to put up high PPV numbers for the budget. So who does Golden Boy have lying around who could blow life back into their PPV revenue easily…the owner himself Oscar De La Hoya.

De La Hoya was boxing’s biggest attraction win or lose before he retired in April 2009. For all of the De La Hoya haters, he had plenty of fans and made a lot of money for a lot of different fighters. If you fought De La Hoya you became more marketable especially if you beat him. The fights De La Hoya had with Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao single handedly turned them both into PPV attractions that drew over one million PPV buys. The charm and charisma De La Hoya had always drew in the fans. After his horrible loss to Pacquiao, you know the competitive spirit of De La Hoya is not sleeping well with that loss. His company has no huge attraction on the roster and he is still able to at least give a decent fight. He is the best chance under the Golden Boy banner to meet or exceed the PPV numbers of Manny Pacquiao. The curiosity of boxing fans everywhere would tune in to see what the Golden Boy has left especially with all of the publicity and promotion his fight would get.

The proposed comeback fight for De La Hoya is against recently fallen of grace fighter Ricky Hatton. Hatton, who has had issues with drugs and infidelity come to the public eye in recent months, would be a huge attraction to fight against. Hatton’s England following is a force to be reckon with as they sing and chant for Hatton through his entire fight. They travel by the thousands to the U.S. for Hatton’s fights and love their champ to the end. If De La Hoya and Hatton could meet at Wemberly Stadium in England, the fight could draw 100,000 fans and be a huge PPV attraction in both England and the U.S. The fact that Golden Boy is also Hatton’s U.S. promoter, Golden Boy promotions will cash in like a casino during fight week in Vegas. If both fighters look competitive, they will milk themselves into another PPV attraction in the future. Remember money talks and when the name Oscar De La Hoya comes up in a fight you better believe the money will be screaming. I can hear it loud and clear, can you?

Time to Take a Stand!

As I am watching Manny Pacquiao destroy Antonio Margarito I keep thinking, this is not the fight I really want to see. Yes I paid for it and I am watching it, but I don’t care to see this. The fight I would rather see is Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao. I am by far not the only one who felt this way on Saturday night. Yes Pacquiao was beating up a bigger man, but I saw that beatdown coming from light years away. Most of us have followed the recent career of Pacquiao and his rise up the weight division kicking ass and taking names later, but the one fight we all crave for just can’t seem to happen. But why hasn’t it happened? It has not happened because of a blood test, yes a blood test. Sounds silly doesn’t it? Oh but why is that the reason?

Well Mayweather has strong belief in his heart that Pacquiao is taking something illegal in the sport of boxing in order to move up in weight so fast and not lose any effects. To some it sounds like jealousy, but to many others it sounds like a legit concern. Mayweather has requested that Pacquiao as well as anyone he fights in the future submit to Olympic style drug testing. Olympic style drug testing includes no predetermined amount of random blood and urine samples up till the day of the fight. It is not part of the standard state commissions’ tests which include pre and post fight urine samples. It is a request of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Earlier this year Shane Mosley agreed to the test before his fight with Mayweather and there were no complaints. However Pacquiao has refused. We have heard the excuses from the Pacquiao camp, Manny is scared of needles. Manny does not like to see his blood drawn and he feels the loss of blood will make him weak. The only thing weak in these excuses are the excuses themselves. Manny has multiple tattoos and as far as him feeling the loss of blood will make him weak, I’ve seen him bleed a lot in his fights and he still wins. Despite what certain people say, Pacquiao and his camp have yet to agree to random tests all the way up to the fight.

Now let’s look at this from another perspective. This past weekend the Pacquiao camp suspected Margarito of taking an illegal substance in the locker room before the fight. The demand the Pacquiao camp immediately made at that moment was a pre-fight drug test. Now many will say they had reason to suspect Margarito and they didn’t want Pacquiao to be endangered in the fight. I agree, but Mayweather feels the same way in regards to Pacquiao. Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered to be the two best boxers in the world and therefore they are looked upon as leaders. As a leader you are called upon to begin new trends and set examples for the good of all who follow after you. Pacquiao himself should understand that concept since he is a Congressman in the Philippines and hopes to be the President. Leaders make sacrifices to set precedents in the future for others who follow in their footsteps. Leaders do what is right. Sports, boxing included, has issues with athletes using illegal substances in order to gain a competitive edge and honestly it will never end. However, it is the job of the commission to stay on top of the drug testing in order to prevent those things from happening. Unfortunately they can’t get it right every time and to many fans and fighters they are failing us. So it is up to the fighters to take a stand and say lets help the sport we love by going the extra mile.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has begun to take a stand to try and clean up the sport.People will say he is using it to duck Pacquiao and you know what that could be true. However, look at the positives from what he is doing which is putting fighters on notice that we need to step up to the plate and do our part. Mayweather is not saying others take the test and he will not. He is asking his opponents to take the tests as well as himself. Despite all the negative press he has received for many things, his stance on this matter is the quality of a leader. I’m not accusing Pacquiao or anyone else of using anything illegal, but I am saying we need our leaders in the sport to take a stand. If you are clean you should not have any issues taking random drug tests. So to Manny Pacquiao, eight division world champion, take a stand and agree to the random drug testing so I and others can be blessed with the biggest fight of our time, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao.

Does The Road Warrior Have One More Road To Cross?

Big money, he is there. Short money, he is there. In the U.S., he is there. Outside of the U.S., he is there. Several months notice, he is there. Short notice, he is there. Never gives less than his all, that is him. In a boxing world where many fighters use money and promoters as an excuse not to make fights, this man never turns down a fight. This guy once gave an honest assessment of himself stating "I'm not the best. I'm just the guy willing to fight the best." Who is it that I speak of; none other than the Road Warrior Glen Johnson. Whenever you hear the name Glen Johnson, you know you are in for a good fight against a fighter who won't quit. He has been there and done that, taken the good and the bad in a career that has spanned over 17 years. After his last fight against Tavoris Cloud that saw Johnson take Cloud through hell before losing UD, you began to think you may not see the 41 year old Johnson again. However like the saying goes, you can't keep a good man down. In the past few days reports are saying the Road Warrior is being considered as a replacement for Mikkel Kessler in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. The tournament put together by Showtime features six of the best Super Middlweights(168lb)in the world. For over nine years, Johnson has been fighting in the Light Heavyweight (175lb) division where he was a former champion and 2004 Fighter of the Year. Where most fighters would say they probably can't make the weight after years outside of the weight division, Johnson says no problem. If accepted into the tournament, Johnson would fight Allan Green as soon as November 6th. The tournament is based on points; 3 points for a KO win, 2 points for a decision win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss. Green, the replacement for Jermain Taylor, lost his fight against tournament point leader Andre Ward giving him a total of 0 points. Johnson would not assume the 2 points that Kessler was awarded for his win against Carl Froch. With Green and Johnson both having 0 points, a win could advance either fighter to the Semi-Finals depending on the results of the other Stage 3 fights. Although the odds would be stacked against Johnson, he still has a chance to win the whole tournament.Where most fighters would view this as a waste of time, Glen Johnson sees this as an opportunity to prove he still belongs among the elite. For Glen Johnson the Road Warrior, he feels his work is never done as long as there is one more road to cross.If rumors are correct, it appears the next road for him to cross is against Allan Green in Stage 3 of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Been Down, But Can He Bounce Back Up?

When you think of Sugar Shane Mosley, you think of a true warrior in the ring and a gentleman outside of it. A fighter who is willing to fight anyone and give his all the entire fight. Mosley is strong, fast, and always goes for the KO. However after his last two fights, a decisive decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a dismal draw to Sergio Mora last week, many think the end is here for the future Hall of Fame fighter. But is it???

After blazing up the lightweight and welterweight ranks by winning his first 38 fights, mostly by KO, Mosley ran into an old amateur foe in Vernon Forrest. Forrest handed Mosley the first knockdown and loss of his career. Mosley who never backs down, had an immediate rematch with Forrest and again was defeated by UD. After back to back losses, Mosley had a NC against Raul Marquez. After going over 2 years without a win, Mosley bounced back in the win column in a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. It was a good win for Mosley and showed many that Sugar Shane Mosley was still a force in the boxing game. Never one to back down from a challenge, Mosley challenged Winky Wright to unify the Junior Middleweight division. Wright the naturally bigger man, proved to be too big, strong, and akward for Mosley. As always, Mosley could not deal with the defeat and took an immediate rematch with Wright again losing a decision. The warrior in Mosley didn't complain, he simply went back to what he knew. Mosley got back in the gym and popped up on the undercard of an ESPN PPV fight where he fought David Estrada. It was not the HBO headlining fights Mosley had become accustomed to, but it was the sacrifice the warrior in Mosley was willing to do to rise back to the top. Another win against a relative unknown in Jose Luis Cruz, helped set Mosley up for a HBO PPV headliner against the always popular Fernando Vargas. Mosley got in shape and ended up winning back to back fights both by TKO against Vargas. Once again Mosley was back near the top of the Pound 4 Pound lists. In 2007, Mosley got another HBO PPV headliner against then undefeated WBA Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto. Mosley lost a close decision to Cotto, but many believed Mosley did enough to win. In September 2008, Mosley went back to Junior Middleweight and scored a spectacular last second KO of Ricardo Mayorga. The win against Mayorga set Mosley up for one of the biggest wins in his career against Antonio Margarito. Margarito was considered to be the #1 welterweight after TKOing Miguel Cotto in July 2008. Mosley, the underdog, came to win that January night. When he walked into the ring you could feel his determination to prove he was still the best in the world. Mosley stopped the iron chinned Margarito in nine rounds.

After not being able to land a quality fight and having a fight against Andre Berto fall through, Mosley finally got his big chance. Mosley got the biggest fight in boxing, against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Many viewed Mosley as possibly the biggest test of Mayweather's career. However after 15 months out of the ring and being 38 years of age people had their concerns. Mosley appeared to be in great shape and fought well for the first two rounds before being dominated the rest of the way. The warrior in Mosley did not let the loss get to him as he quickly agreed to go back up to Junior Middleweight and face Sergio Mora. The fight with Mora was a boring one and a horrible clash of styles for the action packed Mosley ending in a draw. Many thought Mosley did enough in the fight to deserve the decision and others thought Mora did. However the consensus did believe Mosley began to show his 39 years of age in the fight and should call it a career. But should he? Mosley has shown a pattern throughout his career of having ups and downs; wins and losses. Mosley wins and shines and then he goes through a couple fight rough spell. Without a doubt you know Mosley can't fight forever but his history proves that he bounces back up even when the odds are against him. The question many are wondering is after 54 professional fights, hundreds of amateur fights, and many years of sparring can Sugar Shane Mosley prove to still be sweet? Right now we don't know but if history is any indication look for Sugar Shane Mosley to bounce back up one more time.

Hearns KTFO Duran

Fighthype.com

I just started doing interviews for Fighthype.com. I will continue to post articles on my personal blog but my interviews will be posted on Fighthype.com. I would love to thank Fighthype for giving me the opportunity to open myself to a bigger market. We are doing big things and I look forward to growing with them. Below is a few of the things I have had posted on Fighthype.com

http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content8489.html
http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content8468.html

Around the Ring

Alfredo Angulo turned down a career high purse of $750,000 to fight Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez. Angulo wanted a million dollars for the fight citing that Martinez would make way more. Since Martinez is the Champion I am not sure what Angulo is really complaining about especially since the amount offered is still more than double his highest purse. Gary Shaw, promotor for Angulo, was disappointed in Angulo turning down the fight and stated Angulo would not fight again until 2011.

Since Angulo turned down the fight against Sergio Martinez, HBO has once again forced the rematch between Martinez and Paul Williams. Williams won a very close decision against Martinez last year however their next future after that fight has been different. Martinez won the Middleweight title from Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams won an ugly akward technical decision against Kermit Cintron in May. Although Williams won, he didnt look very good in the fight and many have question if Martinez exposed Williams in their fight. HBO is looking to air the rematch between Martinez and Williams November 20 if everything is agreed to.

Lou Dibella is looking to get a tripleheader on HBO on October 2nd with Andre Berto, Sergei Dzinziruk, and Celestino Caballero fighting on the card. WBC Welterweight Champion Andre Berto could either fight Andrei Kotelnik who just gave Devon Alexander all he can handle in a loss this past weekend. Berto could also move up and challenge new IBF Junior Middleweight Titlist Cornelius Bundrage. WBO Junior Middleweight Titlist Sergei Dzinziruk would likely fight former Welterweight Titlist Luis Collazo. WBA Super Flyweight Titlist Celestino Caballero may fight Jason Litzau. If secured this could be a great HBO card with three World Titles on the line.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. appears to be cancelling his September 11 fight against Pawel Wolak and going straight for the Miguel Cotto fight December 4. Wolak's manager said he received a call from Top Rank stating Chavez was not in shape and was going to go through with the fight.

Future Hall of Famer boxer James "Lights Out" Toney is just a little over 2 weeks shy of his UFC debut against Randy Couture. Toney, never shy for words, is saying he is going to KO Couture.

Ike Ibeabuchi KTFO Chris Byrd

Around The Ring

Junior Middleweight Contender James Kirkland is getting released from prison on September 17. He is looking to get back into the ring as soon as possible. Golden Boy Promotions is looking to get him maybe two tuneup fights and get Kirkland right back in the title mix.

47 year old four time Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield is continuing his quest to be a five time champion. Holyfield is going to return to the ring on November 5th against Sherman Williams. Holyfield is hoping that a victory will lead to a fight against Vitali Klitschko in early 2011.

It appears the megafight between IBF/WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Devon Alexander and WBO Junior Welterweight Champion will be signed next week for a fight date of January 29, 2010.

Bob Arum is meeting Wednesday with Jerry Jones about staging the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito fight at Cowboy Stadium November 13. The last Pacquiao fight, March 13, brought in over 47,000 people. Arum expects Margarito to be licensed in Texas so the fight can happen at Cowboy Stadium.

Top Rank has discussed the idea of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr challenging WBA Junior Middleweight Titlist Miguel Cotto in December if Chavez Jr wins his fight in September.

Catchweights Cheat The Sport

Boxing has had weight limits for years and if you weigh over a particular limit you were considered to be out of that weight class. For instance if you fought in the Welterweight Division the weight limit is 147lbs. If you weigh anything over 147lbs but less than 154lbs you are considered a Junior Middleweight. However in recent years catchweights are coming up more and more. Catchweights came about to have two fighters who are in different divisions meet in the middle to make the fight happen, sort of like a win-win situation. The thing I hate about catchweights is the fact that fighters are trying to use catchweights in Championship fights. Last year, Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi fought at a catchweight of 139. So the fight was fought in the Junior Welterweight division just one pound under the Junior Welterweight weight limit of 140. There was no major championship on the line and it was a decent fight so no issues. Floyd Mayweather Jr. came out of retirement to fight Juan Manuel Marquez at a catchweight of 144lbs. Marquez came in at 142lbs and Mayweather came in at 146lbs. Mayweather paid a $600,000 fine as stipulated in their contract and proceeded with the fight. Many people were upset because Mayweather had an unfair weight advantage that went against the contract. However I had no issues with that because why should a fighter give in to a catchweight when he is still under the weight division limit? Why should a fighter drain himself in order to make someone else happy.The Mayweather-Marquez fight was not for a championship so not a lot of drama came after. The issue I and many other true boxing fans are having is catchweights in Championship fights. The king of catchweights is Manny Pacquiao. As Pacquiao has gone up in weight he has began to request catchweights in order to fight the bigger guys in bigger fights. December 2008, Pacquiao fought Oscar De La Hoya at the Welterweight limit of 147 and won by KO. No issues there except Oscar killed himself to make weight, but that was his choice saying he could make that weight. Pacquiao goes back down to 140lbs in May 2009 to fight Ricky Hatton and again he won by KO. No issues with that fight because Pacquiao fought within the weight limit. However, November 2009 Pacquiao challenges Miguel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight Title. In the contract Pacquiao and his team requested that Cotto weigh 145lbs, a clear two pounds under the Welterweight limit of 147lbs. Then in the contract there are penalties if the fighter does not meet the catchweight even if he is under the weight limit of the division. Now less than a year ago, Pacquiao fought De La Hoya and had no issues fighting at the full weight limit, but against Cotto he couldn't. After a lot of back and forth Cotto agreed to come in at 145lbs. Cotto ended up getting KOd in that fight and many believe part of the reason was due to his weight loss. Cotto, who was already having issues making 147lbs, was contractually required to come down an additional two pounds when the Welterweight limit is 147lbs. In March 2010, Pacquiao fought Joshua Clottey but did not ask for a catchweight and he won the fight with no issues. However the issue that is approaching again is Pacquiao is going to fight Antonio Margarito in November for the WBC Junior Middleweight Title and require a catchweight. Junior Middleweight limit is 154lbs but Pacquiao wants the fight to be fought at 150lbs. 150lbs is four pounds under the limit. Why are sanctioning bodies allowing catchweights to happen? The weight limits that each division has are the catchweights. If we didn't have pre-existing weight limits then we would have guys 200lbs trying to fight guys 140lbs. So if we already have weight limits why are fighters trying to give themselves unfair advantages? Why are these catchweights being allowed especially in Championship fights? Weight limits are the catchweights and should be treated as so. Never should a fight be contracted for a World Title under the weight limit of that weight division. If the fighter weighs in above the weight limit, the sanctioning bodies already have penalties along with the atheltic commission in the states where these fights take place. Someone needs to take a stand and stop these catchweights from cheating the sport. If you can't fight at the limit of a weight division and if you dont want the other fighter to do so then you shouldn't be fighting in that weight division. Simple as that. Lets abide by the rules and limits set in place and not cheat the sport. Weight limits = Catchweight. Any Questions?

A Great Win With A Sad Loss

This past Saturday, Cornelius K9 Bundrage KOd Cory Spinks in 5 rounds to claim the IBF Junior Middleweight Title. It was a long road many people didn't think would come for Bundrage. Bundrage has come a long way from the double knockdown KO he suffered to Sechew Powell as well as the Contender. Many remember K9 from being the last picked for teams on the Contender. He never understood why he was picked last, but he continued to say last should be first. Isn't it funny the last one picked was the first World Champion from that group of guys on Contender Season 2. K9 always said on that show God had something in store for him. K9 won third place on Season 2 of the Contender and gained a lot of popularity from the show. After several years, and postponements of fights, Saturday K9 got his chance for the title. K9 did not let the chance for the title slip by. He attacked Cory Spinks from the first bell and did not let up until it was over. Cornelius K9 Bundrage became a World Champion by KOing Cory Spinks. A dream was realized and it is what boxing was made for.

However for every winner there is a loser. In this case Cory Spinks was the loser of the fight. Spinks is the son of former Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks and nephew of former Champion Michael Spinks. Cory was fighting for the first time since claiming the IBF title in April 2009. Spinks has had a lot of inactivity in the last few years which has led to his obvious decline in ability. He has become slower and with a lack of power is not a good thing. Along with the inactivity, Cory was not staying in shape and came into camp at like 200lbs not to mention he got a DUI earlier this year. Looking at the picture here it is a sad sight to see Spinks who was a great boxing talent seemingly finished at 32 years of age. Spinks was a quick slick southpaw who could make you miss and still hit you. Spinks didn't have any much power but if you appreciated the art of boxing you enjoyed his fights. As a loser of 3 of his last 4, with his win somewhat controversial it maybe the end for him. If this is the end for Cory Spinks, I hope that the rumors of his drinking and other bad vices are just rumors. If they are not just rumors then I hope he can bounce back and find peace in himself. There is life after boxing.

Too Much Hype, Too Soon????

This past Saturday Devon Alexander beat Andreas Kotelnik in front of his hometown fans in St. Louis. Leading to the fight Alexander's face was everywhere from local television to a full page article in the New York Times. That is huge for a 23 year old from the streets of St. Louis. The lights were shining bright for Alexander, he was getting star treatment with promises of a lot more to come if he wins. Another HBO date in January against Timothy Bradley to further clean up the hottest division in boxing, the Junior Welterweight division. All Alexander has to do is win. Easier said than done. With all the pressure on many were forgetting he had to fight Kotelnik. Kotelnik is relatively unknown, so he couldn't be an issue right, wrong. Kotelnik came to fight and he came to win. Fighting for the first time in the United States Kotelnik gave Alexander all he can handle. Alexander came out with a Unanimous Decision but he it came at a price. Alexander was cut, said his leg cramped up and appeared very tired. Was Alexander exposed in this fight? Could his next fight, likely against Bradley be the Felix Trinidad-Fernando Vargas fight? You remember a young lion in Vargas had showed so much heart and was hyped to be the next great thing and then ran into the experienced champion Trinidad. Bradley is not the hard puncher that Trinidad was but he is fast and accurate. After watching a slower fighter in Kotelnik constantly connect on Alexander, one has to wonder if he was exposed. Fernando Vargas had other big fights after his loss to Trinidad, but he was a shot fighter before the age of 30. Was Devon Alexander exposed or was it just a bad night with too much attention on a young fighter? Was it too much hype too soon? Guess in time we will find out.

Relaunch

Relaunch is coming soon. Follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/pound4poundisme

Around The Ring

WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Devon Alexander and IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Juan Urango are scheduled to fight in unification bout on HBO March 6.

Los Angeles Prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Mike Tyson after his confrontation with a photographer at LAX airport.

Evander Holyfield's next fight against Frans Botha in Kampala, Uganda has been moved to February 20.

Former Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs has been suspended 90 days for testing positive for a banned substance after his fight last month in New York. The substance has not been identified to the public. Due to this suspension, Briggs will not be fighting this Friday.

Mayweather-Pacquiao: We Just Want The Fight!!!

I have really been disappointed in the breakdown of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight. Depending on your favorite fighter and your logic you can put the blame on either fighters camp. Both camps are at fault in my opinion and have made a history making fight a circus. Most people thought the breakdown would come down to money, but wow were we all wrong. The breakdown has come down to blood tests and and possible performance enhanced drugs. Pacquiao is almost blantantly being accused of being on PEDs. I am not saying I believe that Pacquiao is on something, but I do wish he would just take the tests to prove he isn't. I am a firm believer if I have nothing to hide I will prove you wrong then make you apologize to me. However, Pacquiao does not feel that way. Does that admit guilt, no but it makes people question him. Sure Pacquiao has never failed a drug test but neither did Shane Mosley and he was on PEDs at one time. I do think we need better drug testing in all sports if PEDs are going to be truly tracked. My issue is I heard about the Olympic style drug testing when the contracts were first discussed and it did not become an issue until we were almost at the time of signing. Now devil advocates think this is a ploy to get free publicity and promotion for a fight that is going to happen sooner than it should as far as promotion. Pacquiao has now filed a lawsuit against the Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions for defamation. Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been very quiet during all of this. Rumors have been going around that Mayweather and Pacquiao may take fights against other opponents since they cannot get this resolved. HORRIBLE IDEA!!!! If the next fight these guys have is not against each other they both will feel heat from fans. No one cares about the money, blood test, venue, or anything else. The fans and media just want to see this fight. Possibly the biggest fight ever between the two best fighters in boxing. Two future hall of famers who have made history and are both in their primes. I have heard that both sides are going to meet before a mediator on Tuesday. I am sad that it has come down to this but if it gets the fight done then do it. But to Mayweather, Pacquiao, Golden Boy, and Top Rank: GET THE FIGHT DONE ASAP!!!

Miguel Cotto Sr Dies Of A Heart Attack

Today Miguel Cotto Sr., father of former world champion Miguel Cotto, died from a heart attack. The passing of Cotto Sr. comes as somewhat of surprise. He had been using a breathing machine for his asthma but other than that was fine. Our prayers go out to the Cotto family.