In the scheduled 12-round main event, to be televised by HBO, Kelly Pavlik of Youngstown, OH, defends his WBC/WBO middleweight titles against Sergio Martinez, of Buenos Aires, Argentina..

Jones, 26, scored the biggest win of his career Feb. 27 when he earned a unanimous 10-round decision over former world-title challenger Henry Bruseles, of Gurabo, Puerto Rico, in front of a standing-room-only crowd in the Grand Ballroom of Bally’s Atlantic City.

A pro since 2005, Jones is 20-0, 16 K0s. He was ranked No. 8 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 11 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 16 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) prior to the win over Bruseles.

Munoz, 31, has a record of 18-2-1, 11 K0s. In his last fight, Munoz was stopped in the 12th round by undefeated top contender (No. 3 WBA, No. 2 WBO) Antonin DeCarie, of Montreal, Canada.

Tickets for this blockbuster card are priced at $50, $100, $200 and $350. They are on sale at the offices of Peltz Boxing Promotions (215-765-0922) and all Ticketmaster outlets (1-800-745-3000). Tickets also can be purchased online at www.peltzboxing.xcom and www.Ticketmaster.com.

New York State heavyweight champion Darrel “King David” Madison (14-1, 3 KOs), coming off of an 8-round split decision win last July against Nagy Aguilera, now rated No. 12 by the IBF, defends his title belt against dangerous southpaw Robert Wiggins (20-7-1, 12 KOs) in the 8-round main event.

Rosedale’s (NY) unbeaten light heavyweight Ronson Frank (13-0, 7 KOs), by way of Guyana, recently signed a promotional contract with O’Shea Brothers Boxing Promotions.

“Ronson has rich bloodlines and a lot of potential,” promoter Brian O’Shea said. “His older brothers, Steve (1984 Olympian) and Raul, are both former world title challengers. We’re showcasing Ronson on this card and have big plans for him in the future. With Madison-Wiggins on top, Ronson fighting in the co-feature, and a solid undercard, our March 12th show is loaded from top to bottom with some of the best, most entertaining fighters in the New York area.”

Bronx featherweight Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea (13-2, 7 KOs) is off the card due to a minor injury, but fellow Bronx featherweight Nydia “Da Phnominal” Feliciano (2-0-1, 0 KOs) faces national kickboxing champion Jennifer Han (0-1) in a 6-round bout.

In other 6-round bouts, undefeated Bronx super middleweight Hajro Sujak (5-0, 2 KOs) fights Rondu Campbell (2-4-1), while Astoria (NY) light middleweight (by way of Cyprus) Lambros “Lionheart” Karaolides (5-0, 4 KOs) tangles with Ashantie “Volcano” Hendrickson (1-5).

On the undercard in 4-round bouts are Bronx bantamweight Raul Lopez (2-0-1, 2 KOs) against Reinaldo Cintron (1-1, 1 KO), and Yonkers featherweight favorite Chazz McDowell (1-0, 1 KO) versus Filberto Nieto (1-5, 1 KO).

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets, priced at $50.00 (General Admission) and $75.00 (Ringside), are available to purchase by calling 914.216.9381. For more information go on line at www.osheabrosboxing.com or call 914.216.9381. Doors open 6:30 PM/ET, first bout 7:30 PM/ET.

Joshua Clottey drops his gloves and heads to the red corner. He curses about something under his breath–a misfired punch, maybe? No one at ringside could tell. He looked sharp, sounded sharp. “Take it easy,” the manager, Vincent Scolpino, quietly urges. Clottey’s face tightens. Clottey is a man on a mission: he is fighting Manny Pacquiao in a few days. He has something to prove.

Clottey Working the Pads, Courtesy of Tony Mangia

Clottey’s skin is beaded with sweat. The manager squirts water into Clottey’s mouth and towels the perspiration from his face. Nothing is said. Clottey breaks away and paces the ring. Camera flashes burst and Clottey has the presence of mind to give everyone surrounding the ring a frontal shot. He doesn’t smile or frown. His sweatpants and three layers of tee-shirts are soaked through. There is nothing flashy or phony about about this 32 year-old fighter who has 39 pro bouts under his belt.

What drives a man to step into the ring–millions of dollars now–but what compels him to step in for the first time? Respect, vengeance or maybe necessity? Joshua Clottey’s story begins as a member of the “Ga” tribe in Accra,Ghana. The streets of Ghana have produced top-ranked boxers like Azumah Nelson and Ike Quartey. They trained in Bukom and that’s where Clottey laced up his first gloves. Ghanian fighters are known to fight in a patient, methodical manner, knowing how and when to attack. Clottey epitomizes this style and says,”Ghanians are by nature, proud and polite. They perform their tasks neatly, down to woman carrying a car battery on her head.” Don’t let this analogy fool you. Clottey has an agressive style and good movement. He is strong, has punching power, and can wear you down in the late rounds.

Clottey’s opponent is Manny Pacquiao, 31, of the Philippines, widely considered the best ‘pound for pound’ boxer in the world. The Boxing Writer’s Association of America recently called Pacquiao the ‘Fighter of the Decade, 2000-2009.’ Not bad credentials considering that Bernard Hopkins and Floyd Mayweather Jr. come from that same era.

Clottey may be concentrating on Pacquiao now but, possibly, in the back of his head is his fight with Miguel Cotto last June at Madison Square Garden. Many felt that the Puerto Rican, Cotto, won a favorable home crowd split decision against Clottey by hanging on for the final three rounds, which were pretty much dominated by the Ghanian. Clottey, now a Bronx resident, was on the cusp of superstardom in the fight world. Now he is only known as a good fighter. If that match was still on his mind, Clottey didn’t show it while running on the treadmill.

Clottey, surrounded by cameras and tape recorders at Kingsway Gym in Midtown Manhattan, ran at a steady gait and gave curt answers. “It’s past,” and “I’m fine,” he answered reporters in his thick accent. Still, he never cracked a smile or a pained face. “Done,” was all he said as he hopped off the treadmill and got laced up by his trainers.

No posse, loud music or theatrics. Clottey’s team is all business.

“I can beat anyone: Zab, Timothy Bradley, you name it. I want to come back to St. Louis and sell out the Scottrade center. I’m coming back to good old St. Lou with two world titles. This is very sweet..

Juan Urango: “I’m very happy and satisfied with my performance tonight. Devon is a great champion and he came out and did his job. I performed well but Devon won tonight.”

Derric Rossy: “Page is a crafty, veteran fighter that can take a punch, no doubt about it. He knew how to take away the space I need to land my best shots. I dropped a big right hand on him in the sixth round and had him down and almost out. I think I tried too hard for the knockout instead of just letting it come.

“I could have let my hands go more in the closing rounds, but, like I said, he’s a crafty guy.”

Zack Page: “I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be tonight. I wasn’t in my best condition. I know that now. Rossy is a good fighter. He deserved the win tonight.”

Ryan Coyne: “I had him [Paul Jennette] hurt and almost out four of five times. I wish I could have knocked him out, but my power is getting better. I’ve been working with a strength and conditioning coach and it’s starting to come. I’m undefeated with 14 wins, so I’m happy.

“He [Jennette] came to fight, had a good chin and was in condition, but so am I.”

In addition, two alphabet titles will be unified—at least until one of them is stripped from the winner—and a future showdown with Timothy Bradley might be in the balance.

Alexander, 140 pounds of potential, is a classy boxer who works off of his jab and looks to run off flashy combinations that occasionally verge on slaps.  Despite his apparent lack of power, Alexander, 23, is not necessarily the footloose type.  Now and then, he likes to move in behind his southpaw jab and throw rapid-fire punches in close.  If he stays on the inside too long against Urango, however, he might get caught by a UFO.  Then, some of the real prerequisites of prizefighting—for example, the ability to “take it” as Jack Dempsey once put it—will have to surface.

Urango, Cooper City, Florida via Monteria, Colombia, is as unrelenting as a haboob, and has the kind of power that can turn a skill deficit into an afterthought in a nanosecond.  In his last fight, he rose from a thudding early knockdown to stop veteran power puncher Randall Bailey in 11 rounds.  Even when things looked bleak, Urango came forward, churning hard punches, forcing Bailey to retreat.  He has also faced much better competition than Alexander.  Among the fighters Urango has swapped pleasantries in the ring with are Ricky Hatton, Andre Berto, Mike Arnaoutis, Herman Ngoudjo, Sergey Sorokin, and Naoufel Ben Rabah.

On the other hand, aside from Witter, Alexander has faced a slew of journeymen and clubfighters, none of whom woke up with get-up-and-go on the day of the fight.   Faded “Chop Chop” Corley, on a three bout losing streak at the time, was the only semi-respectable pug Alexander faced over the first five years of his career.  This is not the kind of c.v. you want to bring into the ring with a grizzled pro like Juan Urango.  But Alexander, St. Louis, has so much natural talent, it might not even matter.  Hand speed, foot speed, and defense all belong to Alexander.  Urango, 22-2-1 (17), has the edge in power and experience, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to cope with the technique of “Alexander the Great,” whose smooth moves were perfected over the course of a stellar amateur career whose record stands, almost absurdly, at 300 wins against 10 losses.

Nothing that happens in a boxing ring involving master junkball artist Junior Witter can be considered a gauge, but Alexander looked tentative with his jab against his fellow southpaw and did not rattle off his usual scorching combinations. If Alexander repeats this cautious performance against Urango, it could prove costly.  When he is in the groove, Alexander, 19-0 (12), can throw uppercuts with either hand, bang right hooks to the body, and, with his nimble footwork, switch angles instantaneously.

In order for Urango, 29, to win this fight, he will have to try to break Alexander down physically with sustained body work and, perhaps, mentally, with relentless pressure.  It remains to be seen whether Alexander will cooperate by exchanging in the trenches.  If he decides to box at a distance and counterpunch, Urango may have trouble landing more than a handful of effective blows all night and from time to time will probably look like his feet are fettered in chains.

Unfortunately, whenever Urango steps into the ring with a boxer, images of Ricky Hatton come to mind.  Hatton, the mauling ruffian, turned Fancy Dan against Urango and cruised to a decision over 12 rounds.  If Hatton, not exactly Nijinsky in the ring, can outmaneuver Urango, then Alexander, it stands to reason, ought to be able to turn cartwheels at will in the ring.  After all, Urango, as tough a competitor as can be found in boxing today, was completely outclassed at welterweight by Andre Berto in his last appearance as an HBO fall guy.

At this point, the only questions about Alexander—due to his relative inexperience in the pro ranks—concern chin, heart, and durability.  Urango, no doubt, will make sure to provide the answers.  He does not want to become a professional gatekeeper in the most pitiless of vocations. No one does. In the end, the likeliest outcome is Alexander by decision with a few rough moments along the way.

Check out more of Carlos’ work at: http://www.thecruelestsport.com

The Armenian Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) currently leads the Super Six point standings with three points by way of his last-second knockout against American Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor Oct. 17 in Berlin, Germany. The former middleweight bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics from Flint, Mich. Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) dropped a close 12-round decision to Carl Froch for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Championship the same night in Nottingham, England.

The event is being promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Sauerland Event.

ARTHUR ABRAHAM

“This is a really big chance for me to be a big star in America. It’s what I’ve been looking for. I really feel that there is so much interest from America and from SHOWTIME and from the journalists in the Super Six. I’m just really happy to be here and this is a great chance for me.”

“I guess it will be a little bit of an advantage for him to fight in front of his home fans, but inside the ring we are all just by ourselves and you have to fight on your own, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

“I never really expect the KO. If you have that kind of attitude you don’t get it and you won’t win. All I’m expecting is a win for myself and that is the most important thing.

“My sparring partners copy  Dirrell’s style every day and they run away a lot. So, I’m prepared for that. If you compare Dirrell and (Jermain) Taylor they have different styles. Taylor is more a fighter and more aggressive while Dirrell is more of a technical guy who is very fast.”

On having to move his training camp from California back to Berlin:

“It’s not been a problem at all. It’s all about attitude. We had a very good time training in California. It was sunny. We had a good, hard training camp there. Now, we’re back in Germany and next headed to Detroit, so it shouldn’t be any problem at all. I’ve never really been bothered by the jet lag.

“It would have been nice to fight in Palm Springs because there would have been more Armenian fans than in Detroit, but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is what happens inside the ring.

“The super middleweight division is so much better for me. I can eat more and I can punch harder and I can train harder.

“I’ve watched Andre’s fight against Froch several times now. He’s more of a technical fighter. That is what he does, so you have to be prepared for that. You have to pick your sparring partners to copy his style and that’s what we’ve done. We have a game plan and that’s what you will see once we step into the ring.”

Is there any added pressure fighting with an unbeaten record?

“There’s always pressure when I’m fighting because I always want to win.

“I expect him to be running a lot because that is his tactic. He will be running around. That’s what he likes to do. At times he will come to fight but it’s tough to say right now. We will see.”

ANDRE DIRRELL

“It’s unfortunate I hurt my back, but I’m 90 percent back and still pushing forward and getting everything ready with preparations for my victory over Arthur Abraham.

“Fighting at home is going to be a real confidence booster for me. I call it a do-or-die situation for me. I’m training harder than I ever did and even smarter than I ever did because I always train hard. I’m highly prepared for battle on the 27th.”

How did the back injury occur?

“I was sparring with one of my sparring partners and I turned and when I stepped to the side of him before I turned all the way to face him I took a punch across my body and that’s how I threw my back out.

“I’ve trained with many guys that fight like Arthur Abraham. He has awesome defense, he’s very explosive and has dangerous weapons he brings into the ring.”

On his last fight with Carl Froch:

“It was a championship fight. It was in his hometown. I had a game plan but it unfolded when he started using dirty tactics. But I’ve learned from that. Going into the late rounds my mind was kind of wondering if I could go 12 rounds. By the ninth round I figured 12 would be a cinch. And I finished strong. But as far as the holding went it wasn’t part of the game plan. I wasn’t meant to hold that much, but because of the dirty tactics, he threw me off my game plan. When I got on the inside I clenched a little too much, and so I’m working on that right now. I’m prepared for anything now. When Arthur Abraham steps into the opposite corner as me I’ll be ready to get busy and get this win.

“Winning is everything right now. I already have one loss and I can’t lose again or I’m out of the tournament. So, I’m coming off a loss and looking for that victory. I’m just working hard to get that victory and if the knockout comes it comes.

Is Abraham looking past you?

“I’ve heard a few comments in the media where he’s said Dirrell will be easy but hey, who’s to say. He’s says he’s going to go into the ring with a game plan and I believe that. And I’m going to do the same thing.

“This isn’t just big for Detroit or for Flint but for all of Michigan. Detroit is one of the legendary spots in boxing so that’s why I wanted to bring the fight there — to show the Detroit boxing fans that boxing is not dying. It’s coming here and it’s here to stay.

“Like I’ve said before you just can’t stand in front of Arthur Abraham. His power is right there in front of him and he’s got strong hooks. He’s very explosive. I’ve seen the Taylor fight and I saw Jermain stand in front of Arthur. That’s something that you just can’t do.

“The Froch fight put me in great position for where I currently stand mentally and physically. Froch was a tough fight. It was his hometown and for a world title and my first 12-rounder. So all that experience came into one and let’s me know where I stand in this boxing game. Not just in the Super Six but in the boxing game in general. Hopefully I’ll become world champion very so

If you are able to peel back the layers of stigmatism and stereotypes engulfed around two of the world’s most fascinating sports, you would find that the carnage, bloodshed and brutality is often what draws the general public in.

There is an element of violence in all of the most popular contact sports, whether it’s the impact on the line of scrimmage in a football game, the elbows in the paint on a basketball court, the collision at home plate on a baseball diamond or the sounds of the boards crashing in a hockey rink. The underlying theme to the sports we love can be found directly in Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing.

If you don’t frequent Youtube.com or other viral video blogs or websites and are unfamiliar with the “Epic Beard Man”, then you might want to sign in enter “AC Bus Transit Fight” into the search box and see for yourself. You will come across a massively popular video featuring the Epic Beard Man involved in a fistfight with another much younger man on a bus in Oakland, California.

Epic Beard Man, a 67 year old, Vietnam Veteran, who also happens to be a bit out of touch with reality, responds to being taunted and struck by the other gentleman by striking him four to five times, leaving him bloody on the floor before exiting the bus and going on an inaudible rant.

The viral video was viewed over 2 million times in just under three days, leading to a brief but intriguing stint of interviews in the blogosphere for the Epic Beard Man. This only proved the depth of his psychological “issues.”

In an odd subplot, the “knocked out” party was able to procure a few interviews for himself. This provided an even odder subplot to this story. Post-fight, the “knocked out” party, who actually initiated the confrontation, appears apologetic, sympathetic and even rational. Meanwhile, any interview with Epic Beard Man features him discussing polishing shoes, his mother and getting murderers off of the street. Lesson here: be wary of senior citizens on public transportation.

The popularity of the participants illustrates the general public’s draw to not only physical violence, but the back-story behind it. This is the reason for countdown/hype promos featured before the actual fight. People want to know WHY you’re fighting

HBO commentator Max Kellerman, in speaking with 60 minutes, said: “Boxing is in fact, everybody’s favorite sport. If you come to an intersection and on four corners you see the following. On one corner, there are a couple of kids playing stickball. On the other corner, there are some guys that are shooting hoops. On a third corner, there’s a guy just standing there putting a golf ball. And on the fourth corner, there’s a fist fight. There are 100 people at the intersection. How many people are watching anything but the fist fight?”

So then why isn’t Boxing or MMA the world’s most popular sport? I’ve narrowed this down to three reasons:

1.)   Frequency/Availability: One million people were willing to pay $49.95 to watch Floyd Mayweather beat Juan Manuel Marquez. How many do you think would have been willing to watch for free on CBS? The premier boxers are unavailable for view from the general public on a regular basis. Football comes on every Sunday. Basketball and Baseball games come on so frequently that you are bound to turn on the television and find a game. Boxing is in a much different situation.

Now, ESPN returned with Friday Night Fights, but if you were attempting to get your friend into basketball, would you turn on a Memphis Grizzlies-Detroit Pistons game? Or would you wait for Cavaliers-Lakers? I appreciate the return of boxing to cable television, but it’s only for the diehard fight fan because the general public has no idea who these guys are (remember, the back story is almost as important as the actual fight).

2.) Disparity of Income: There was a time, prior to the Heavyweight title being exported to Europe, when the Heavyweight champion was among the richest athletes in the world. Boxers generated princely sums and were recognizable throughout the world. Thus, you found many children aspiring to be boxers, and the pool of talent to choose from was vast.

Now, the average boxer makes somewhere between $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Sure, you have your Mosleys and Mayweathers, who eat well at the top of the food chain, but for every Mayweather, there is a Martin Honorio. In comparison, the average NFL salary was $770,000 in 2009. Now, quick, how many NFL players can you name off of the top of your head? Now, how many boxers? Pursuing the NFL appears more fiscally responsible.

3.) Rivalries: Rivalries matter in life, therefore they matter in sports. Cowboys fans hate Redskins fans and vice versa. Lakers vs. Celtics is no longer about Bird & Magic, but the hate still looms.

At one time, boxing had its share of rivalries, and it helped elevate it to the top of the sports world. No matter whose side you took, Ali or Frazier, you hated the other guy. It’s what made the sport so intriguing. Boxing is missing this variable right now and it has hurt the fighting world’s grip on its fan base.

These variables change the quotient in the equation when one is attempting to figure out the world’s most popular sports. But the Epic Beard Man helps bring us back to what “we” appreciate most, and that’s confrontation, a winner, and a story.  These elements are Pugilism at its essence.

And this reminds us that although Friday Night Fights may not bring in the casual consumer and Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez was one of the best fights few cared about, with all variables being equal, all eyes are on the pugilists… even the most critical ones.

Rigondeaux (5-0, 4 KOs ) has been on the fast track to professional stardom since turning pro last May. As a two time Olympic gold medalist for his native Cuba , Rigondeaux has had no problem testing himself during his young career. In just his third pro fight he knocked out Giovanni Andrade, who came into the ring with a 60-11 record and having won five straight.

Rigondeaux has also proven himself to be quite the philanthropist, donating the entire purse from his last fight, a first round knockout over Adolfo Landeros, to the Haitian relief efforts. This makes him a natural for “Fighting for Haiti ” where a portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the Berto Dynasty Fund in an effort to help to victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti .

“I am pleased to showcase Cuban amateur legend Guillermo Rigondeaux on another DBE card,” said Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment. “The large Cuban-American population will get the opportunity to see one of the greatest products of Cuban amateur boxing. Guillermo showed his concern for the people by donating the purse of his last televised fight to Haitian relief. It’s appropriate that he be given the opportunity to display his talents as a part of this great event.”

Whether fighting Floyd is a “win-win” proposition:

“I think so. After sitting on the shelf for more than a year, I got kind of frustrated. I’m like, ‘why am I not getting these fights?’ I love to fight. I love to be in the gym and always training, so why am I not getting these fights? Everybody was matched up with everybody else, and they were afraid to get in the ring.”

“I’m the Welterweight champion of the world. Why am I struggling to get a fight? I didn’t understand. I didn’t know what to think.”

 On why Mayweather took this fight:

“This is the biggest fight he has out there.”

Whether he was surprised that Mayweather took the fight: 

“I was a little bit surprised, but Mayweather’s name is ‘Money Mayweather’ for a reason. He only fights for money. Being that I’m the second option on the money, he had no choice but to fight me.”

Is agreeing to blood testing your way of making a statement: 

“I would have agreed to it in 2003 when {the BALCO scandal} happened. I would have agreed to a drug test before and after because the way I am, I don’t live my life that way. I live my life clean.”

“When you have bad people who come to your camp and want to try and improve you and do different things… then now there is a big blemish on my record and career from a mistake that an employee made.”

On dealing with ring rust: 

“The way I counter all my ring rust is staying in the gym. I love to fight. I love to box.”

“This has been my sport for 30 years. This is what I know. This is what I live for.”

On whether he’ll call on Oscar De La Hoya for training help: 

Oscar’s style probably doesn’t resemble Mayweather’s like mine. Probably, you’ll have to ask {trainer} Naazim {Richardson}, but it will probably be somebody similar to Mayweather in style that I’ll be using.

Today, at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, Mayweather hyped his May 1 showdown with Shane Mosley. More than that, Mayweather did what he does best: hype himself.

Before Mosley and Mayweather met the assembled press, they met at center stage. Some pushing and shoving ensued, guaranteeing the assembled fans a good time.

Once peace was restored and the myriad sponsors were thanked repeatedly by Golden Boy Promotions’ Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, Mayweather held court.

As comfortable as Floyd appears in the ring, you can tell he feels at home with microphones and tape recorders planted in front of his face

“Anytime I can go out and generate 25 or 30 mill,” Mayweather told a group of print reporters. “I can generate that with you {referring to me… I highly doubt that, Floyd}.”

In reference to Mosley’s drawing power, Mayweather proved dismissive.

“I made more money in my last two fights than this kid {Mosley} made in his whole career.”

There were questions about the fight at hand. Mostly, Mayweather instead chose to focus on issues from Mosley’s past.

“We know when he was on steroids, he was fast. We do know that.”

Mosley’s implication in the BALCO scandal has tarnished his legacy to a certain extent. After Mayweather’s proposed superfight with Manny Pacquiao fell apart over blood testing protocol, both he and Mosley agreed to random blood tests throughout training camp.

In typical Mayweather fashion, many of the questions highlighted the massive chip that appears to be permanently resting on his shoulder.

“I’m the only one that’s in a no-win situation,” Mayweather said. “When I beat {Mosley}, they are going to say, ‘you’re supposed to beat him. You’re the best fighter in the world.’”

When asked whether he will be in more “thrilling” fights as he aged, Mayweather shot that notion down.

“There is nothing cool about taking punishments, getting beat up, getting a bloody lip and then collecting a check,” he said.  The coolest thing I can do is dominate you, shut you out and make crazy money.”