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June 10th, 2010 | by Tony Mangia
CALDERON DEFENDS TITLE AT GARDEN
Ivan Calderon walks into the mid-Manhattan gym at noon, surrounded by a posse of four. Kingsway Gym is full of reporters and photographers and if it wasn’t for the boxer’s shiny blue sweatsuit—emblazoned with his nickname “Iron Boy” on the back—you wouldn’t notice him at all. Diminutive is the only word to describe him. Such is the plight of a 108 pound fighter; even one who is defending his world title against Jesus Iribe Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
 Ivan Calderon defends title. Photo by Tony Mangia Calderon, the WBO jr. flyweight world champion, is no stranger to title defenses. This will be the southpaw’s 18th title defense (17-0-1) since 2003. Even at 35, Calderon (33-0-1) shows no signs of letting up. He is coming off a seventh-round technical decision in a rematch against Rodel Mayol in September 2009. Calderon was outboxing Mayol throughout the fight until a bloody head butt stopped the fight and Iron Boy won on the scorecards.
The Puerto Rican Calderon is being cautious of Mexico’s Iribe (17-6-4, 10 KOs). “I saw video of him and he is a strong fighter,” the soft-spoken champ says, ” he throws a lot of punches.” Iribe is ten years younger than Calderon and is no stranger to top competition. He moves good and is tough and determined. This should be a good fight.
Calderon looked sharp at the workout. The leftie’s hand speed is incredible—he looks
 The challenger: Jesus Iribe. Photo by Tony Mangia like a smaller version of Manny Pacquaio—and he is proud to say he’s trained very hard to put on a show for the people. “For our weight class to be a main event at the Garden is a great honor,” he proudly states.
The often overlooked lower flyweight divisions–a few classes below featherweight–offer a refuge from all the mediocre fights in the higher—more visible—weight classes. The speed of the smaller fighters and the action in the ring never stops. The nine-year pro, Calderon, is routinely recognized as one of the best pure boxers in the game today. His trainer even had a hard time keeping the hand pads in time with the fighter’s combinations during the workout.
For now, Calderon will stay focused on this fight, but has no plans of quitting the fight game. “I plan to move on up to 112 after this fight,” he confessed, “Or even dare to go to 115.” Either way, what these fighters lack in stature they make up in undaunted courage and skills.
The WBO junior flyweight championship is this Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden and will be televised on the FSN Network and Fox Sports Espanol. The under card includes the pro debut of Steven Badgley, a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, who jokes he used to fight in the “ghetto ring”, a makeshift boxing arena in the desert of Kirkuk, Iraq.
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May 6th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
Paul Williams and veteran Kermit Cintron lock horns on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, in a fight with considerable implications for the junior middleweight division. The winner might be in line for a rematch with red-hot Sergio Martinez in the future.
As it is, Williams-Cintron should be a corker, since Williams is rarely anything but action hero material, and Cintron has the kind of sledgehammer power that can change the course of a fight in a nanosecond. Williams, 38-1 (27), is coming off of a spectacular brawl with Sergio Martinez, scoring a Velveeta-thin decision over the Argentine in a close bout that was a firefight from bell to bell. Against Martinez, Williams suffered a knockdown, took punches that a Koni shock absorber might have struggled with, and bled freely from a cut above his left eye, but he never stopped charging and hailing punches.
For his part, Cintron, 32-2-1 (28), demolished Juliano Ramos in a forgettable tune-up last October in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Before that, Cintron scored a mild upset when he outboxed hyped Alfredo Angulo over 12 rounds on HBO. Somehow, the far more experienced Cintron was a 3 to 1 underdog going into that bout, but he moved well, picked his shots, and fought through exhaustion in the late rounds to earn the decision.
It was a nice win for Cintron, 30, who has been written off and downplayed several times over the years despite facing superior opposition. His last three opponents on HBO have been Alfred Angulo, Sergio Martinez, and Antonio Margarito. By facing Williams on Saturday night, Cintron will bring the combined record of his last five HBO opponents to 158-8-2. Because he has never been on the HBO gravy train, Cintron has had to take risks and maximize his earning potential by regularly entering the ring as an underdog. He does not always win–nor does he always look good–but his track record, losses and lucky draws included – -is more impressive than the pristine ledgers of folks who routinely duck between the ropes against forty-somethings, journeymen, or “Asterisk Specials–” good fighters coming off of long layoffs or fighting out of their natural weight classes. Cintron has always face legitimate competition.
And Williams, 28, is as legitimate as it gets in the junior middleweight division right now. Williams comes out at the sound of the bell, throws punches with abandon, and usually outworks and works over his opponents. When he presses behind his jab, Williams can be an especially difficult proposition. With an absurd wingspan of 82” inches, Williams is the boxing equivalent of a condor with gloves on. His physical advantages make spatial ability that much more important for his opponent. Misjudging distance against Williams can be a painful error. Cintron boxed well from the perimeter against Angulo, popping his jab, hooking off of it, and throwing neat straight rights down the middle, but, compared to Williams, Angulo resembles a man who fights with one arm in a sling. If Angulo is a snowfall, then Williams is a blizzard.
Williams, Augusta, Georgia, never stops throwing punches in combination and he has the kind of indefatigability that can shred nerves in the ring. There is very little time to think or breathe when Paul Williams is pursuing you. In addition, Williams is a southpaw, and this might make his barrages all the more difficult to handle.
Cintron has faced only one quality southpaw in his career–Sergio Martinez–and he did not fare particularly well against “Maravilla.” In fact, Cintron was knocked out by Martinez, but referee Frank Santore Jr. inexplicably changed his mind after counting “10” and allowed the fight to resume after a delay. To top it all off, Cintron was awarded an undeserving draw after Santore Jr. randomly docked a point from Martinez in the last round. Cintron, Houston, Texas, looked woeful against Martinez, but Williams is not the tricky southpaw type. Instead, Williams is a whirlwind puncher who looks to lay as much leather on his opponent as possible. For Cintron, who looked shaky under pressure against Antonio Margarito, and, at times, against Jesse Feliciano and David Estrada, it remains to be seen whether or not a cutie is preferable to a high-volume puncher like Williams. Probably not.
In the end, unless his power comes into play, Cintron does not seem to have the tools to handle a peak Williams. It seems unlikely that he will be able to adjust to the hellish pace Williams sets and go blow-for-blow the way Antonio Margarito did, nor does he have the footwork or quickness to keep “The Punisher” at bay from the outside. Although Williams looked shaky a few times against Margarito and was dropped by Martinez early, it looks like his ability to take punishment is not an issue. Barring a chin short-circuit on the part of Williams or a stoppage via cuts, Williams ought to be able to wear down Cintron for a TKO in the late rounds.
For more from Carlos Acevedo, visit The Cruelest Sport.
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May 5th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
LOS ANGELES/PHILADELPHIA, May 4 – ‘The City of Brotherly Love’s’ finest will be back home and ready to fight on Friday, May 7 when Danny Garcia and the Dargan brothers – Karl and Mike – step through the ropes at The Arena (formerly The New Alhambra) in Philadelphia in featured bouts on the next edition of TeleFutura’s “Sólo Boxeo Tecate”.
In the 10 round main event, welterweight Danny “Swift” Garcia looks to keep his unbeaten record intact when he takes on veteran Christopher “Kid Kayo” Fernandez. The co-featured bout of the evening will see lightweight Karl “Dynamite” Dargan in a six round bout against Miami’s Jorge Ruiz, and in a junior middleweight battle scheduled for four rounds, Mike “Sharp” Dargan battles Jason Montgomery.
Garcia vs. Fernandez is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Joe Hand Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate. Doors open at 7:00pm, the first bell rings at 7:30pm and the TeleFutura broadcast begins at 11:30pm ET/PT.
Perhaps the top junior welterweight prospect in the game today, 22-year-old Danny Garcia (16-0, 10 KO’s) has passed all his tests since turning professional in 2007. He has gone 6-0 in since the beginning of 2009 with big wins over Pavel Miranda, Enrique Colin and Ashley Theopane. Now, he returns home on May 7 to dazzle his Philly fans once again.
Salt Lake City’s Christopher Fernandez (18-9-1, 10 KO’s) has been the measuring stick to determine which of today’s top young fighters can graduate to the next level. Having already faced world champions Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi, the 34-year-old “Kid Kayo” is looking for a win on May 7 and to show the world that Danny Garcia is not ready for prime time.
Seen by many boxing insiders as a future world champion, Karl Dargan (7-0, 3 KO’s) is back in Philadelphia to show his hometown fans what he picked up while training in the camp of a current Welterweight World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley. One of the nation’s top amateurs for years, Dargan is staying busy and ready to make his move on the best at 135 pounds in 2010. In the opposite corner on Friday will be Miami veteran Jorge Ruiz (7-11-1).
Back in action after a nearly five year layoff, 27-year-old Mike Dargan (1-1) is also returning from an intense training camps with future Hall of Famers, Bernard Hopkins and Mosley. Dargan has a renewed determination to make it to the top, and the junior middleweight standout is sure to be trouble for Hayward, California’s unbeaten Jason Montgomery (1-0).
In off-TV action, Philadelphia will also be well represented by middleweight Latif Mundy (8-2, 3 KO’s) and debuting 154-pounder Julian Williams, who will take on Trenton, NJ’s Joshua Onyango (15-18-1, 9 KO’s) and Brockton, MA’s Antonio Fernandez (0-4) respectively.
A cruiserweight four round bout will see unbeaten Reading, Pennsylvania prospect Julio Matthews (9-0, 5 KO’s) putting his perfect record on the line against an opponent to be named.
Two light heavyweight bouts are on tap, with unbeaten Utica, NY native Andy Mejias (5-0, 1 KO) taking on Dover, Delaware’s Todd Eriksson (1-3-1, 1 KO), and Morristown, New Jersey’s Andre Espeut facing Philly battler Charles Hayward (2-2, 1 KO). Both fights are scheduled for four rounds.
Opening the show will be a four round junior lightweight fight between New Jersey’s own Jose Ortiz (3-2, 1 KO) and Jason Sosa (2-0, 1 KO).
Tickets, priced at $100, $65, and $45, are on sale now at The Arena Box Office and by calling 215-364-9000.
For more information, please visit www.univision.net, www.goldenboypromotions.com, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or on Facebook.
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April 30th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
Floyd Mayweather Jr. puts his undefeated record on the line when he meets veteran powerpuncher Shane Mosley tomorrow night over 12 rounds at the MGM arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the biggest fight of the year so far. Mosely is also being touted as the toughest fighter Mayweather has ever faced.
Saddled by perhaps the stupidest tagline in all of boxing history–Who R U Picking?–Mayweather-Mosley features two of the biggest names in boxing facing off for the kind of glory most fighters only dream of. Both fighters have won an assortment of alphabet trinkets in various weight classes over the years–too many to keep track of without the help of the Cray Jaguar Supercomputer–and both fighters have been near the top of the sport for over a decade. In a sense, they will also be fighting for the potential right to face Manny Pacquiao in a super event whose financial implications rival that of a Powerball jackpot.
As it is, Mayweather-Mosley will be a blockbuster fight, with staggering pay-per-view projections and a general interest so high that the fight was front page news for The New York Times. Floyd Mayweather, Las Vegas, Nevada, has transcended boxing by becoming a crossover celebrity. His outrageous persona, a perfect fit for the crass reality-show crowd, has made him a bona fide sports star. Over the last few months, Mayweather has insulted Mosley with the kind of impunity one imagines a loopy third world despot like Idi Amin Dada or Jean-Bedel Bokassa might have shown to one of his cowering subjects. Nothing has been off-limits for Mayweather. Mosley, Pomona, California, has been castigated for everything from steroid abuse to his taste in clothing to his recent divorce to his relationship with his father to his nickname. Even his nose has come under scrutiny.
Now, like the narrator of The Cask of Amontillado, who coolly states, “The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as best I could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge,” Mosley has the chance, unique in boxing, to make Mayweather, who doubles as Fortunato in this case, pay for his insolence. Mayweather appears to enjoy being a public spectacle so much that it seems hard to believe that he trains in a gym and not an odditorium, and that he lives in a mansion instead of a panopticon. His brash persona has been played to perfection, however; for facing off with Mosley, Mayweather, 33, is guaranteed a minimum of $22 million.
Nor should his antics take away from the fact that Mayweather is inordinately skilled, practically the archetype of the natural or born fighter. Fast hands, tight defense, quick feet, a preternatural sense of timing, and precise combinations are reinforced by an astonishing work ethic.
For his part, Mosley, 38, last fought 16 months ago when he resembled a rogue wave in smashing Antonio Margarito into splinters for a 9th round TKO. In retrospect, knowing what we now know about Margarito and his Renfield-like trainer Javier Capetillo, it was one of the most satisfying knockouts in recent history.
After the Margarito flaying, however, Mosley sat idle for months before signing to fight Andre Berto on January 30. Soon after Berto withdrew from that bout for personal reasons, Mosley was announced as the opponent for Mayweather. This means that Mosley has been training, for one bout or another, for nearly half a year. There are two possibilities here: either Mosley enters the MGM Grand on Saturday night fitter than a decathlete, or he enters it with gym staleness in his bones. No one will know for sure until the bell rings and Mosley finds himself swapping leather with one of the best fighters of the last decade or so.
Nothing less than a peak Shane Mosley will be able to rattle Floyd Mayweather tomorrow night. The question here is whether it will be a peak, or at least near-peak, Shane Mosley who enters the ring against Mayweather. If it is the fellow who showed up against blowhard Ricardo Mayorga or shot Fernando Vargas (in their first bout), then Mosley may resemble an astral projection of himself going through the motions against a gifted boxer. Age and inactivity are not the first things you want to pack in a go-kit on the way to a fight with Floyd Mayweather.
By thrashing Margarito, Mosley also managed to overshadow the spotty nature of his career over the last few years. He hit a 1-4-1 NC streak only a couple of fights after beating De La Hoya in 2000 and has a 8-5-0-1 record over his last 14 bouts. His biggest win over that stretch, against Oscar De La Hoya in a rematch, a fight in which Mosley admitted to using performance enhancing drugs, could easily have been a loss.
Mosley, 46-5-0-1 (39), looked good winning a decision over Luis Collazo, stopping worn out Fernando Vargas, and pummeling Antonio Margarito. He was also impressive in dropping a unanimous decision against Miguel Cotto in 2007. But if you remove Margarito from the equation, then Mosley has not exactly been blazing a trail of glory over the last seven or eight years. His destruction of Margarito has been viewed by some as a return to form and seems to have instantly erased nearly a dozen performances of varying quality. Indeed, against Margarito, Mosley resembled The Blue Diamond, Captain Marvel, and Shock Gibson all rolled into one. Maybe it was a return to form in 2009, but now, over a year later, it looks like he will have to return to form all over again to truly test Mayweather.
Basically, Mayweather is faster, younger, better defensively, and the more skilled boxer. Since both fighters are among the most dedicated athletes in boxing, conditioning, stamina, and durability are non-starters as far as an edge goes. The only significant advantage Mosley has going into the ring tomorrow night is power. Mosley is a damaging puncher with either hand and from bell to bell. He has scored several brutal late-round knockouts in his career. A case can be made that Mosley is also the stronger man in the ring, but unless Mosley decides to change tactics and start roughhousing, this advantage seems relatively insignificant.
In order for Mosley to win, he will have to hope that his hand speed, or what remains of it after nearly two decades as a pro, can eventually catch Mayweather while Mayweather is on the ropes or in the middle of a combination. Mosley may toss a few decoys –throwaway punches–to set up some big shots, but will Mayweather be there to take them? Mosley has fast hands, but he is probably a tad slower than he was a few years ago, and he is a step or two behind Mayweather. After all, his speed did not exactly overwhelm Ricardo Mayorga, Jose Luis Cruz, Miguel Cotto, and Fernando Vargas, fighters who virtually crawl in comparison to Mayweather.
According to Roger Mayweather, Mosley does not jab enough to trouble Mayweather, and it is true Mosley often neglects his jab. He also has a habit of throwing it out from too far away and bringing it back low. But Roger Mayweather is cagey enough to make this public criticism in order to get Mosley to actually use it more, and thus leave Mosley open for counter rights over the top. Besides an iffy jab, Mosley is not nearly as clever defensively as Mayweather is, and if Mayweather starts to connect with regularity will the exasperation Mosley showed against Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright resurface? If Mosley and his trainer, Naazim Richardson, have mapped out a strategy, it will be costly if Mosley deviates from it early out of frustration.
Maybe Mosley decides to play juggernaut at the sound of the bell and charges Mayweather early, applying pressure in an effort to open Mayweather up. If so, and if he can maintain the pace for a significant stretch of time, then Mosley can make a fight of it early. With less time to react, Mayweather may have difficulty using his exquisite counterpunching skills and may be forced to exchange with a far bigger puncher. The defensive posture Mayweather, 40-0 (25), often adopts in center ring will only serve as an invitation for Mosley to rattle off combinations that will keep Mayweather occupied and influence the judges. Most likely, though, Mayweather will box defensively, pick his spots, use his speed and quickness, and open up in the late rounds.
By far the likeliest outcome tomorrow night is a points win for Mayweather, and unless Mosley lands one big shot that short circuits a chin that has rarely been rattled, then it is hard to imagine Mosley outworking or outboxing Mayweather. He will, however, try his damnedest to win. Even so, Mayweather ought to be able score a decision in a competitive bout and look forward to the looming shadow of Manny Pacquiao.
For more from Carlos Acevedo visit The Cruelest Sport.
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April 29th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
Manny Pacquiao is currently busy campaigning for a congressional seat in the province of Sarangani in the Philippines. From all accounts, the political process in Sarangani can be a wild and wooly adventure, but Pacquiao will take time out from the stump to work as an analyst for the Mayweather-Mosley television broadcast in the Philippines. Needless to say, Pacquiao, whose proposed bout with Mayweather imploded earlier this year over drug testing demands seen by many as a clever Mayweather smokescreen, will be more than just an interested observer. In fact, his next step, at least as far as boxing goes, may very well be determined by who wins the bout on Saturday night. Freddie Roach has already stated that Pacquiao will fight again regardless of the outcome of the election, so Pacquiao will be searching for an opponent and Mayweather-Mosley has been seen by some as a box-off for the right to face Pacquiao. Not exactly the kind of prize most would hope for–the possibility of being vivisected in the ring by the greatest fighter in the world–but some might appreciate it more than others. But what about Pacquiao? What outcome is he hoping for on Saturday night?
Pacquiao has gone on record and has given Mosley more respect than most who have weighed in on the bout recently. “I think Mosley has a great chance to win,” Pacquiao told The Ring. “He’s a fighter. Mayweather is a boring fighter but I think, Mayweather-Mosley will be a good fight.” There seems to be an air of wish fulfillment to his outlook on the fight, as if Pacquiao, like many others put off by the obnoxious behavior of “Money,” would just like to see Mayweather knocked through the ropes and into press row. But there might be other reasons for Pacquiao to hope Mosley wins.
If Mayweather, as expected, wins, then Pacquiao will be at the mercy of Floyd, Roger, Floyd Sr., and Leonard Ellerbe. Flapdoodles over drug testing and whispering campaigns about steroids will now also be combined with new, vice-like financial demands. Because his pay-per-view numbers against Mosley will far exceed those Pacquiao pulled in against Joshua Clottey last March, Mayweather feels that he is, as usual, in the boss chair. Judging from his recent comments regarding his pay-per-view prowess, Mayweather will look to add financial acrimony to any new negotiations. As one might imagine, this will not go over well with Bob Arum or Team Pacquiao. In other words, as far as Pacquiao-Mayweather is concerned, things are going to get worse before they get better.
In addition, Mayweather is such a polarizing figure that he virtually guarantees blockbuster success regardless of who gloves up against him. No matter where Mayweather breaks ground, so to speak, he will hit paydirt. “With or without Pacquiao,” he allegedly told BoxingScene.com, “I’m still going to go out and make $20 or $30 million a night.” He is, more or less, correct. With a toxic persona calculated to draw the casual fan who confuses vulgarity with glitz, Mayweather can–and has–called his own shots in boxing. Pacquaio may be his equal (if not his superior) between the ropes, but he is no match for Mayweather outside of the ring. Unassuming and soft-spoken, Pacquiao has earned his fame based solely on his fistic merits. Mayweather, on the other hand, has developed a shtick that often overshadows his measured style in the ring. This “superstar status” makes it easier for Mayweather to pick and choose his opponents.
If Mosley, a 3-1 underdog on most books, can spring the shocking upset, then a fight with Pacquiao is nearly automatic, since Mosley simply wants to fight the best and there would be few, if any, hardline stances on his part. Compared to most fighters, Mosley is a breeze to deal with. Because he is determined to solidify some sort of lasting legacy, Mosley has agreed to fight almost anybody without rancor or fanfare. Immediate rematches with two foes who beat him easily–the late Vernon Forrest and southpaw nightmare Winky Wright–certainly prove that much. If not for unforeseen circumstances, Mosley would have faced Andre Berto and Zab Judah as well. Simply put: Mosley wants to fight the best and always has. It would be no surprise at all if Mosley waived “Olympic style” drug testing procedures–talked up not only by Mayweather but by his de facto promoter, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. Mosley has also learned to put his financial ego in check ever since his stringent demands for an direct rematch with Oscar De La Hoya went nowhere fast in 2000.
For Pacquiao, a Mosley victory will mean his blood pressure level will not rise significantly during negotiations. The same cannot be said if Mayweather wins the fight, especially if he wins impressively. An avalanche of insults, some witty, some merely vulgar, a flashy lifestyle of the rich and infamous vibe, and an unruly family that puts the “dys” in dysfunctional have combined to make Mayweather the only mainstream American fighter currently extant. Over the next few months, if Mayweather beats Mosley, the heckling, dickering, kvetching and retching–partly legitimate and partly contrived for branding purposes–will hit radioactive levels and the only possible innocent bystander, other than the concept of good taste, naturally, will be the superfight itself. Who do you think Pacquiao wants to see win on Saturday night?
For more from Carlos Acevedo visit The Cruelest Sport.
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April 28th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
Is Shane Mosley At His Best?
Shane Mosley is as good as any 38 year-old has a right to be in the ring, but is that enough to beat one of the best fighters in the world? Only five years separate Mayweather, 33, and Mosley, but in fighting years, Mosley appears to be much older, having taken punishment from Vernon Forrest, Winky Wright, and Miguel Cotto in his career. In addition, Mosley has been erratic for nearly a decade at this point. He stopped a shot Fernando Vargas in 2006 and looked good against Luis Collazo a few months later, but Mosley has not exactly been setting the world on fire over the last eight years. Since starting his career at 38-0, Mosley has gone 8-5 with one no-contest. Among his wins over that span is a ludicrous decision over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003. Mosley admitted taking PEDs prior to that fight, but still looked like a sure loser before the preposterous scorecards were announced. Some will argue that he fared well in losing a decision against Miguel Cotto, and it is hard to dispute that, although a loss is still a loss. So we have an aging fighter whose recent record is fairly spotty with the exception of one spectacular upset, against Margarito, a win that could be skewing his run of ordinary performances. At this point, it might be safe to assume that Mosley is slightly past his peak.
Will Inactivity Affect His Performance?
Mosley watched as the momentum he kickstarted with a vicious KO over Margarito in front of thousands at the Staples Center sputtered to a halt. There is no logical reason for Mosley sitting out for a year after a dramatic showing against one of the biggest names in boxing, although Golden Boy Promotions, along with its defenders in the press, is always at the ready to offer excuses. Dull Joan Guzman gets on HBO twice in roughly four months, but somehow Mosley is forced to take an exaggerated siesta and becomes the boxing equivalent of Rip Van Winkle. When Mosley finally steps into the ring on May 1, he will be breaking nearly 16 months of inactivity. This is a difficult situation under any circumstances, but to return to the ring needing Rustoleum against a fighter as good as Mayweather might prove to be decisive.
Will Shane Mosley Be Stale?
Not only can inactivity be a factor for Shane Mosley going into this bout, but add staleness–cruel second cousin to inactivity–to the list, and you have the makings, perhaps, of a fighter who might not be all there when the opening bell sounds. Mosley was deep into preparation to face Andre Berto when Berto withdrew from the bout. Soon after the Berto fight collapsed, however, it was announced that Mosley would be facing Mayweather. What this means is that Mosley has basically been training for nearly six consecutive months. Will he leave some of himself in the gym and come out flat in the fight?
Is Mosley the Fastest Fighter Mayweather Has Ever Faced?
Many have recently made the case that Mosley is nearly as fast as Mayweather is. Even into his mid-30s, Shane Mosley retained his quickness, but his speed did not give much trouble to two fighters light years slower than Mayweather: Miguel Cotto and, until the last thirty seconds of their bout, woeful Ricardo Mayorga. Comparing Mayorga to Mayweather is like comparing a rickshaw to a Ferrari Enzo. Still, Mosley is the fastest opponent Mayweather has faced since he scored a decision over quick-fisted Zab Judah in 2006. Mayweather was troubled by Judah during the early rounds, but Judah has an asterisk next to his “Speed” attribute: He is, after all, a southpaw. Although Mosley has switched stances often throughout his career, it looks like switch-hitting is a thing of the past for him. Mayweather will only have to worry about his orthodox quickness then, so to speak. Head-to-head, Mayweather has the edge in hand speed over Mosley, and it looks like Mosley might be throwing fewer combinations these days, which may make it easier for Mayweather to adjust to his quickness.
Will Nazim Richardson Be A Significant X-factor?
Nazim Richardson has become a celebrity of sorts due to his memorable appearances on the HBO countdown series “24/7.” But he has also been tabbed a virtual “secret weapon” by several prominent writers. Best known for training Bernard Hopkins (after taking over for Bouie Fisher) over the last few years, Richardson is now recognized for pithy aphorisms and a sense of righteousness not often found in boxing. But will he really make that much of a difference for Shane Mosley? After all, Mosley has been a pro for nearly two decades, and unless his opponent is loading his gloves with foreign objects, Richardson will most likely have the same effect as any other presence in the corner. Richardson is not the only trainer Mosley has used over the last few years. Respected trainers like Joe Goosen and John David Jackson have also worked with Mosley without proving themselves to be secret weapons.
For more from Carlos Acevedo visit his site, The Cruelest Sport.
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April 27th, 2010 | by Jesse Campbell
We all wear some sort of mask from time to time. Wearing a mask, whether literally or figuratively, is simply a means of concealing one’s true emotions or feelings in order to compensate for an unstable or uncomfortable situation. For some, it’s a defense mechanism to cope with reality, or in some instances, maintaining a sense of their self-image.
With his Welterweight fight against “Sugar” Shane Mosley looming, and the critically acclaimed “hype-machine” known as HBO’s 24/7 in effect with its usual cast of characters, Floyd Mayweather Jr., has taken every interview as an opportunity to wear his “masks” in addressing topics like Shane Mosley and his legacy.
Mayweather’s “masks” have come in the form of very public and controversial comments made in order to bolster an already narcissistic personality that was created in order to entertain the general public in a way that his boxing style does not. His “keyfabe” personality (seen as the suspension of disbelief necessary for various forms of entertainment such as films and soap operas) is no different than the over-the-top persona Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson created in the WWE. It is an ego-driven, talk first, think-second character that simply helps its creator formulate more income.
Read the rest of this entry »
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April 26th, 2010 | by Press Release
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. (April 26, 2010) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization junior welterweight champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY and World Boxing Association interim super lightweight champion MARCOS “El Chino” MAIDANA will host a news conference, open to the public, Next Tuesday! May 4, in The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa (32-250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage, Calif. 92270) to announce their World Championship rumble. Media report time is 11:30 a.m. PT with the news conference beginning at Noon PT. Bradley and Maidana will be joined by their respective promoters, president of Gary Shaw Productions Gary Shaw, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer, President of Thompson Boxing Promotions Ken Thompson and Dietmar Powza of Universum Box Promotions. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 25th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
Mikkel Kessler salvaged his Super Six ambitions last night by scoring a 12-round unanimous decision over Carl Froch at the MCH Messecenter in Herning, Denmark. Official scores were 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113.
With the win, Kessler, who improved his record to 45-2 (32), earned his first points and created a logjam for second place in the World Boxing Classic, where four participants currently sit with two points apiece. Arthur Abraham remains the leader in the standings with three points.
Kessler bounced back from a thrashing by Andre Ward last November, but did not look particularly sharp, and the margins of the scorecards seemed slightly exaggerated. Surprisingly, Froch came out counterpunching and allowed the judges at ringside to be overly impressed by Kessler, who came forward throwing rights to body and doubling his jab, but was mostly inaccurate during the early rounds. From time to time Froch would score with a right hand and his jab was often pinpoint, but retreat mode on the road is always an iffy proposition if the Fancy Dan is not completely dominating. A crowd of over 10,000 in Herning cheered every time Kessler so much as bit down on his mouthpiece.
For the first four rounds, the bout was fairly tactical, with Froch, now 26-1 (20), counterpunching and boxing well. Kessler, Monaco via Copenhagen, was in good shape and seemed determined to win, but he has not, as you will read elsewhere ad infinitum, “turned back the clock” or “returned to form.” Despite the fact that Kessler, 167, was easy pickings whenever the two fighters got close, Froch did little work on the inside, and it was inexplicable to see an obvious Kessler weakness go unexploited. Read the rest of this entry »
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April 24th, 2010 | by Carlos Acevedo
The volcanic ash cloud that has covered Europe over the last week or so seems like an apt metaphor for the Super Six Tournament, which has been pursued by furies from the moment Jermain Taylor was brutally knocked out by Arthur Abraham in the opening bout last September. One thing is certain, however: when Taylor withdrew from the World Boxing Classic and was replaced by Allan Green, every possible subsequent matchup turned into a potential pick ‘em fight, and the Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler Group Stage II bout, set for the MCH Messecenter in Herning, Denmark, is no exception.
Froch, currently in a three-way tie for second place with two points, has a chance to vault into the lead with a win tonight. Kessler is looking to earn his first points in a must-win situation. The tournament structure awards three points for knockouts, two points for decisions, and one point for draws.
This bout, practically even on paper, seems to hinge on a couple of x-factors. First, there is the question of what, if anything, Kessler has left. He is coming off of a whitewashing at the hands of Andre Ward so thorough that it left many speculating that Kessler might be finished. But Ward has the kind of flashy style that would tie almost anybody up in Gordian knots between the ropes. Even so, the guess here is that Kessler is on the downside, and the only question is how far he has slipped. Long before he became a piñata for Ward, Kessler was a mainstay at or near the top of the super middleweight decision for years, with his only loss a points defeat to Joe Calzaghe in 2007. But now he might be slowing down. “Two years ago I would not have hesitated in picking Mikkel Kessler to beat Carl Froch” veteran U.K.>trainer Brian Hughes says. “However, I honestly believe that the Dane has gone back slightly, while Froch is a very awkward battler.” Read the rest of this entry »
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