Boxing, anyone?

[English Yankee]

I listed every single referee break from the first round and from the looks of it, most of them were perfectly fine. Would you care to prove me wrong?

Watch the Castillo fight and see the referee not break the fighters in endless similar situations to the ones you just described over the four rounds. If you still can't follow it watch it all again till you do.

[Rui]

Watch the Castillo fight and see the referee not break the fighters in endless similar situations to the ones you just described over the four rounds. If you still can't follow it watch it all again till you do.

I doubt that. I remember watching the fight and didn't see any times when Hatton had Castillo's head in between his arm and body and vice versa without Cortez intervening. If you can point out some examples like I did with the first round of Mayweather/Hatton, that would be great.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Anybody going to watch Wladimir Klitschko vs. Sultan Ibragimov tonight on HBO World Championship Boxing? 9:30 PM. ET/ 6:30 PM PT

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

Anybody going to watch Wladimir Klitschko vs. Sultan Ibragimov tonight on HBO World Championship Boxing? 9:30 PM. ET/ 6:30 PM PT

Definitely. WK wins by KO

[BroadwayBomber55]

Definitely. WK wins by KO

I pick Wladmir Klitschko via KO as well.

A lot of boxing fans question Klitschko's chin and his stamina, but the Southpaw Sultan Ibragimov doesn't have enough offensive versatility despite being a good defensive boxer. Ibragimov needs to be really perfect in order to win tonight in this unification Heavyweight Title bout in MSG.

However, Klitschko has more expeirence, more weapons, and a better jab.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Well, it was a snoozefest tonight at Madison Square Garden as Wladimir Klitschko defeats Sultan Ibragimov with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in the first unified Heavyweight championship bout in the World's Most Famous Arena since Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fought to a draw in 1999.

Scores were 119-110, 117-111, and 118-110 in favor of Klitschko as he adds the WBO title to his IBF title.

Kevin Iole's breakdown: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

Report: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

The only bright spot from tonight's boxing event: Irish middleweight John Duddy, the all-action fighter who won a decision on the undercard.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...v=st&type=lgns

[Rui]

When it's all said and done, I'll tell my grandkids that I was live at a Wladimir Klitscko heavyweight title fight. I just won't tell them it was Klitschko/Ibragimov so I'll only be guilty of lying by omission.

The crowd was quite electric last night, and by the end the majority of them were booing. By the way, I thought John Duddy was given a gift. Scoring it live, I had it 7-3 the other guy. There were tons of Duddy fans there (he was the co-main event) and when the decision was read, all you could hear were the boos and groans of the fans.

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

When it's all said and done, I'll tell my grandkids that I was live at a Wladimir Klitscko heavyweight title fight. I just won't tell them it was Klitschko/Ibragimov so I'll only be guilty of lying by omission.

The crowd was quite electric last night, and by the end the majority of them were booing. By the way, I thought John Duddy was given a gift. Scoring it live, I had it 7-3 the other guy. There were tons of Duddy fans there (he was the co-main event) and when the decision was read, all you could hear were the boos and groans of the fans.

I know the Brighton Beach contingent was in there heavy last night! HBO didn't show the Duddy fight, but from the highlights they showed, it looked like he was taking it all night. There was a massive cut over his left eye, and every highlight clip had Duddy getting his brains beat in.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Ok my fellow boxing fans,

Anyone going to watch another historic trilogy in boxing history: Israel Vazquez v. Rafael Marquez III for the WBC Super Bantamweight Title this Saturday, March 1 at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on Showtime?

I'm ready. Not bad for an appetizer leading up to Manny Pacquiao v. Juan Manuel Marquez II on March 15.

If you like the Marco Antonio Barrera v. Erik Morales trilogy, you will also like this trilogy between Vazquez and Marquez. I've seen both fights of this trilogy and a I gotta tell ya something, those two just keep banging with each other.

Fight #1 - March 3, 2007: Both Marquez and Vazquez traded blow after blow and Marquez won after Marquez forfeited the bout due to an injured nose after Round 7. Marquez had the bigger power of the two in the first fight.

Fight #2 - August 4, 2007: Vazquez knocked down and stopped Marquez in Round 6. Vazquez stepped up and was technically better and showed power against Marquez.

Here's the website: http://www.sho.com/site/sports/VazquezVSMarquezIII.do

And the preview: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=14589&more=1

[BroadwayBomber55]

Add this trilogy to the Top Ten of all time in boxing trilogies.

Israel Vazquez defeats Rafael Marquez via split decision to retain his WBC Super Bantamweight title.

Story: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

Round by Round Coverage from Yahoo! sports: http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

I agree with Iole. I also had it 114-111 in favor of Vazquez. Marquez may landed more shots, but I think Vazquez had more power in his punches.

Great fight. One of the candidates for fight of 2008.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Ok my fellow fight fans and pundits,

Everyone ready for Manny Pacquiao v. Juan Manuel Marquez II on Saturday March 15 at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on HBO PPV? I am.

WATCH THE WEIGH-IN WEBCAST, LIVE ON HBO.COM, FRIDAY AT 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT!

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/200...ouncement.html

Here's Bert Sugar's Pre-Fight analysis:

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/200...sugar_pre.html

STRENGTHS OF EACH FIGHTER

MANNY PACQUIAO -

- Pacquiao possesses speed and power, throwing quick and explosive punches.

- With the best punch south of the heavyweight division, the extra poundage moving up to the junior lightweight division should give his punches more "oomph."

- Under the tutelage of trainer Freddy Roach, has added a right hand to his skill package, making him a two-handed fighter, one capable of hurting an opponent with either hand, especially his newly discovered right hook.

- Is an aggressive fighter, one who keeps coming, coming, and coming, always throwing power punches.

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ -

- Marquez is a far better boxer than Pacquiao, with better balance, quickness and overall ring generalship.

- His is the perfect style to combat Pacquiao's aggressiveness, a style that had him throwing quick counter punches almost every time "The Pac Man" mounted a charge in the closing rounds of their last fight, hurting Pacquiao several times.

- Marquez possesses the greater "hunger" for their rematch, having waited four years, less than two months, to avenge his embarrassment of having been floored three times.

- He will be better prepared for Pacquiao's lightning-fast charges than he was the first time round, confessing "When the bell rang I began to connect with punches. What was going through my mind was 'Hey, this is an easy fight.' Just as I finished my thought process, he connected and there I was on the canvas."

WEAKNESSES OF BOTH FIGHTERS

PACQUIAO

- The southpaw Pacquiao comes straight in at his opponent with hands held too low and little head movement and rarely varies his attack or movement, even though trainer Freddy Roach has taught him how to use his right, especially to the body.

- After throwing a punch "The Pac Man" tends to bring his hands back in a low position and rolls his hands, leaving himself open to counters, a Marquez specialty.

- Pacquiao's style is one built for offense, not defense and he sometimes experiences trouble when his opponent moves out of range and doesn't stand directly in front of him.

- In previous fights there has been a question of Pacquiao's focusing on the fight, what with all his outside activities serving as a distraction.

MARQUEZ

- Marquez doesn't move his head well and is susceptible to straight punches thrown down the middle.

- He holds his hands up high to pick off punches, and is vulnerable to body punches.

- At the age of 34 and with 52 ring "wars" behind him, who knows how it will affect his quickness or the demands of a tough fight.

- As opposed to their first fight four years ago, Marquez now has to be concerned with Pacquiao's right hand as well as his left.

WHAT EACH MUST DO TO WIN

PACQUIAO

- Pacquiao cannot just rush in, as he did in their first fight, but must fight a more controlled fight, setting up his howitzer-like left with right-hand leads.

- He must move and force Marquez back into the ropes where it's his fight and not stand in the middle of the ring. - "The Pac Man" must keep his hands up to thwart Marquez's counters.

MARQUEZ

- Marquez cannot afford to make this an "all-out war," but must fight the smart fight he conducted in the last 10 rounds their last time out.

- He must move his head more and not move straight back, but move to his right to keep away from Pacquiao's left-handed bombs.

- Marquez should try to stay in close, almost burying his head into the chest of Pacquiao, all the better to throw short counters inside "The Pac Man's" wide punches.

- On the outside, Marquez has to make Pacquiao lunge at him, all the better to throw his quick counter shots.

In my mind, it will come down to which tactic will be the most successful: Pacquiao's aggressive, brawling style or Marquez's tactical, countering style.

This is a huge fight for the Pacman if he wants to have a big year in 2008. He already stopped two Mexican legends in "The Babyface Assassin" Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik "El Terrible" Morales via knockout. Now, the Pacman goes up in his biggest test against Juan Manuel Marquez in the 130-pound division.

As for Marquez, will he derail the Filipino Sensation and continue his WBC Super Featherweight Title reign? If he gets into a brawl with Pacquiao, will Marquez withstand the barrage?

It should be a great fight.

I think Manny wins by a late round KO. Pacquiao's speed, power, and effectively using both hands gives the Pacman the edge. Both fighters came in great shape. I look for Manny to set up the KO by going to the body early and often showing more of his versatility.

[trapper700]

I can't wait for the fight... and as a Filipino, I hope that Pacman can pull this one out, preferably by knockout.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Marquez, Pacquiao pass weigh-in, ready for rematch Saturday

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=3294307

Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao both easily made weight Friday before their rematch bout for the WBC super featherweight title.

Marquez weighed in right at the 130-pound limit, while Pacquiao weighed 129 pounds in front of a spirited, pro-Mexican crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Marquez and Pacquiao are the main event on Saturday night, nearly four years after their acclaimed first matchup ended in a draw.

Both fighters appeared to be in exceptionally good shape, even by their own lofty standards. Neither had any evidence of body fat as they flexed and shook hands while the crowd chanted rude slogans in Spanish at Pacquiao, who has beaten Mexican fighters in his last six bouts.

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

I think Manny wins this one by decision. Speed, power, and skill thanks to the tutleage of Roach gives Manny the edge. I like how the Mexican crowd is really getting behind Marquez for this one, it should make for a great atmosphere... something like how it was for the first Morales - Pac fight.

[BroadwayBomber55]

What a fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao tonight as the Pacman won by split decision.

Pacquiao landed some great combinations in the flurry exchanges, Marquez landed some nice, quick counters, both fighters had cuts on both eyes (Pacquiao was the worst), and cutmen from both corners did a great job sowing up cuts.

Judge Duane Ford favored Pacquiao 115-112 and Jerry Roth called it 115-112 for Marquez, while Tom Miller gave a 114-113 edge to Pacquiao. That knockdown by Pacquiao in Round 3 was the key. If there wasn't a knockdown in Round 3, Miller would've had it 114-114.

This fight could've gone either way. I thought Pacquiao won by scoring that knockdown in Round 3 and getting better of the exchanges in the later rounds. In another view, Marquez won the bout because he landed more shots and cut Pacquiao up. It's a debatable decision tonight. I had it 115-112 for Pacquiao with the Pacman winning Rounds 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, and 11.

Still, the big winner is the fans. They enjoyed three great fights so far in 2008 in boxing: Kelly Pavlik v. Jermain Taylor II in February, Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez III back on March 1, and now tonight, Marquez-Pacquiao II.

[Rui]

I thought Marquez clearly won this fight 115-112 and the fact that a judge actually gave Pacquiao the 12th round is awful.

[trapper700]

I thought Marquez clearly won this fight 115-112 and the fact that a judge actually gave Pacquiao the 12th round is awful.

, i don't watch that much boxing, so i can't really comment.
maybe the judges decided to make up for the fact that pacman should've won the previous fight....

[Blokee]

I had it 114-113 Marquez. I also thought that all the rounds were quite clearly won by one fighter or the other except the 7th which I gave to Manny but it was close.

[BroadwayBomber55]

I saw the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight again. The way the judges see it, Pacquiao was the one coming forward the most and Marquez kept backing up, which is not good in the judges eyes.

In one view of the judges, I agree with them. Juan Manuel Marquez JMM worked the ring but could have been more aggressive or added a little more fuel to his punches.

In another view, the Pacman could be the most aggressive fighter and fans want to see that, but that's not Juan Manuel Marquez's style. JMM is the best counterpuncher in the sport in any weightclass and last night was a perfect example. His counterstikes were very quick.

And lets not forget to mention his chin. Yeah he got caught in the third but like their first fight, it was amazing how he was able to blindly defend himself while recovering and once he recovers... it's like nothing ever happened. He also ate some vicious punches that would have dropped any other fighter, but not JMM. His mind, heart and will power is too strong. He also showed much discipline by resisting the urge to brawl with Manny.

Then there was Manny, despite having the power advantage and being tough as nails, being unable to finish off JMM. Last night, he had many chances to cut-off JMM but failed to take advantage. He needs work on that.

As the fight went on, the Pacman briefly went back into is straight-left-hand habbit until his corner reminded him to switch it back up again. He also shower discipline by not over brawling and leaving himself exposed when JMM gets rocked. He respects the fact the JMM is still dangerous. I believe both are great fighters with great corners and trainers. One thing i like too is that they listen to their corner and follow their instructions. I thought both cutmen did pretty well in taking care of both fighters cuts around the eyes. But last night I have to agree that though very very very slightly... Manny was the victor.

[Rui]

[BroadwayBomber55]

I saw the fight again and take a look at these cuts on the eye.

This is the nastiest one from Juan Manuel Marquez. WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/2...ng_nvej108.jpg

Here's Manny Pacquiao's eye

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/2...ng_nvib104.jpg

[BroadwayBomber55]

Here's the footage of the cutman fixing Juan Manuel Marquez's eyelid during the thrilling 12-round encounter between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odtW-vgJta8

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

You can't lose with a Pacman fight. He's got to be the most thrilling boxer out right now, I never feel like I got cheated after ordering one of his fights or spending the same amount of cash watching it at a bar. I had it 114-113 for Pacquiao.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Pacquiao joins Mayweather at top pound-for-pound spot

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage...StoryId=112638

Sulaiman: WBC to back Manny vs. Marquez III

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb...rquez.iii.html

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

Pacquiao joins Mayweather at top pound-for-pound spot

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage...StoryId=112638

He deserves to be in the same conversation as PBF, but I think Cotto is set to become pound for pound best. Pavlik should be in the discussion as well. While Floyd is busy putting on another overhyped 12 round intelligence insulting snoozefest with his fellow entertainer ODLH, I'm sure Cotto, Pavlik and Pac will feature in fights that the fans really want to see. I don't think PBF has tested himself recently, besides maybe Zab Judah.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Hatton-Mayweather part two?

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...354851,00.html

Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather look set to renew their rivalry at Wembley in Spring 2009.

The American, who is set to take on the Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV on Sunday night, is set for a rematch against 'The Golden Boy' Oscar de la Hoya first in September.

If the two US fighters meet and Mayweather emerges victorious then a showdown with Hatton could be on the cards.

[TheManKnownAsMecca]

I'll be in attendance for tomorrow's Friday Night Fights. I'll be in a suit and near someone in an all-white suit wearing a cowboy hat.

[johnmvp]

When is Mayweathers next scheduled boxing fight? (not against the Giant)

[BroadwayBomber55]

When is Mayweathers next scheduled boxing fight? (not against the Giant)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will have a rematch against Oscar De La Hoya in September.

[TheManKnownAsMecca]

Oh man, this handsome mug was all over ESPN2 last night.

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will have a rematch against Oscar De La Hoya in September.

Same for a proposed rematch with Hatton. I won't even pay the price of a beer at a bar to watch another glorified sparring session with ODLH or another beatdown of Hatton. True boxing fans want no part of this.

[johnmvp]

What happened to Mayweather and ODLH both stating they are going to retire?

[BroadwayBomber55]

Anyone saw Joel Casamayor v. Michael Katsidis on HBO Boxing After Dark this weekend?

Katsidis was winning the fight, but Casamayor knocked out Katsidis in the 10th Round.

And remember Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker? He's the second boxer that appeared on Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes

http://www.spike.com/episode/26435/st/2954097

[BroadwayBomber55]

What happened to Mayweather and ODLH both stating they are going to retire?

Guess not.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Upcoming events on HBO in April

HBO World Championship Boxing

Boxing fans will be treated to back-to-back welterweight championship bouts when World Championship Boxing: Miguel Cotto vs. Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron vs. Antonio Margarito is seen live Saturday, April 12 (10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT) from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/200...ouncement.html

HBO Sports presents a light heavyweight fight six years in the making when World Championship Boxing: Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe is seen live SATURDAY, APRIL 19 (9:45 PM ET/6:45 PM PT) from The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, exclusively on HBO.

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/200...ouncement.html

[BroadwayBomber55]

Knocked out: ESPN takes series "The Contender" out of the ring

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=3340702

I'm sad that ESPN and TOC didn't agree to terms. "The Contender" had two great runs on ESPN and created great stars while on NBC and ESPN.

Hopefully, the show can be picked up by another network and become a ratings bonanza again.

[JeffWeaverFan]

I'm pumped for Margarito vs. Cintron. I want to go out on a limb and predict Cintron will KO him, but Margarito is damn good... Tough call, but should be a great fight as I think Cintron has really improved since they last fought.

[JeffWeaverFan]

Anyone saw Joel Casamayor v. Michael Katsidis on HBO Boxing After Dark this weekend?

Katsidis was winning the fight, but Casamayor knocked out Katsidis in the 10th Round.

Yup, watched it. Great fight. Impressive victory for Casamayor and terrible loss for Katsidis.

[BroadwayBomber55]

I'm pumped for Margarito vs. Cintron. I want to go out on a limb and predict Cintron will KO him, but Margarito is damn good... Tough call, but should be a great fight as I think Cintron has really improved since they last fought.

I pick Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto Saturday night on HBO: World Championship Boxing.

[JeffWeaverFan]

I pick Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto Saturday night on HBO: World Championship Boxing.

Miguel Cotto? Way to go out on a limb there! The real question is whether Alfonso Gomez will last more than 5 rounds.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Fight breakdown: Cotto-Gomez

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

[BroadwayBomber55]

I saw the Antonio Margarito v. Kermit Cintron and Alfonso Gomez v. Miguel Cotto fights in a friend's house and I gotta tell ya, both Maragarito and Cotto put on a dominating clinic.

Margarito was relentless and Cintron had no answer. Margarito kept pounding the body and his knockdown/knockout punch to Cintron's ribs ended the fight.

Cotto dominated Gomez throughout the fight.

Can't wait for those two to tangle on July 26th.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns

[JeffWeaverFan]

The Cotto-Gomez fight went as expected. Cotto is really, really good. Margarito was just as impressive in his victory, given how much tougher his opponent was. Should be quite a fight when they meet. And hopefully, in the end, we'll finally see Cotto-Mayweather, although I still think Mayweather is too scared to agree to it.

[Blokee]

How pumped are you guys for Calzaghe v Hopkins? Hatton v Mayweather was always a mis-match but Calzaghe is a much better fighter than Hatton and the step-up in weight is not so noticeable at 168 to 175.

[PlsDontTearDownY.S.]

How pumped are you guys for Calzaghe v Hopkins? Hatton v Mayweather was always a mis-match but Calzaghe is a much better fighter than Hatton and the step-up in weight is not so noticeable at 168 to 175.

I'm excited for it. Intrigued as well. With Hatton, I didn't really know what to expect especially after watching a guy like Luis Collazo give him all he could take before going on to lose (unfairly) in their fight. But having seen Calzaghe destroy Jeff Lacy, I think this one will be a bit more even.

It's hard for an American fight fan to be able to tell what's what when it comes to Euro fighters, most of us just don't see them or know any of they guys they fought.

[JeffWeaverFan]

How pumped are you guys for Calzaghe v Hopkins? Hatton v Mayweather was always a mis-match but Calzaghe is a much better fighter than Hatton and the step-up in weight is not so noticeable at 168 to 175.

Not pumped at all. I think Calzaghe vs. Hopkins is going to be an incredibly boring fight, but I hope to be wrong and I'll watch it given that it's not PPV.

[Blokee]

Not pumped at all. I think Calzaghe vs. Hopkins is going to be an incredibly boring fight, but I hope to be wrong and I'll watch it given that it's not PPV.

Boring as in one-sided or boring as in a bad clash of styles?

[BroadwayBomber55]

BERT SUGAR'S PRE-FIGHT ANALYSIS: Bernard Hopkins v. Joe Calgazhe

http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/200...sugar_pre.html

STRENGTHS OF BOTH FIGHTERS

BERNARD HOPKINS

- Over the course of his career Hopkins has faced a better quality of opponents than Calzaghe, outboxing punchers and outpunching boxers.

- A classic old-school type of fighter, Hopkins stands right in front of his opponents, fighting from a wide stance with both hands held high and chin low, giving them little to hit, especially with a solid shot.

- Hopkins has an unusual way of getting inside. While most fighters step forward behind their jab, looking to throw power punches, Hopkins steps forward while throwing right crosses or left hooks, something that tends to confuse opponents.

- A rough, do-anything-to-win fighter, Hopkins fights on the edge of the rulebook, in a bend-but-don't-break fashion--resorting to holding and hitting while fighting on the inside, using head and left shoulder inside, and even hitting on the break.

JOE CALZAGHE

- Calzaghe is always in motion, throwing punches and always outworks his opponent.

- Possesses a good, long jab, and throws it constantly, landing a high percentage of his shots.

- Calzaghe likes to throw fast flurries of arm punches to opponent's head making opponent raise hands, then digging hard shots to opponent's body.

- Calzaghe moves very well and is excellent when standing in front of his opponent, landing punches then stepping away, either to his left or right.

WEAKNESSES OF BOTH FIGHTERS

HOPKINS

- Notoriously slow to start, a strategy that lost him both fights against Jermain Taylor, Hopkins cannot afford to sit back and let Calzaghe take early command of the action.

- Hopkins is slow to set up and get his punches off, a minor flaw, but one which could put him at a disadvantage against the much faster punching Calzaghe.

- Not a one-punch knockout fighter, Hopkins cannot afford to trade firepower with the naturally heavier and heavier-hitting Calzaghe.

- At 43-going-on-Social Security, Hopkins is so far past his prime he couldn't find it in his rear view mirror. And although he has rarely shown signs of age, there is always the possibility that he will become boxing's version of Dorian Gray and suddenly turn old right before our eyes.

CALZAGHE

- Calzaghe has never fought anyone like Hopkins before and never had to endure anything like Hopkins' trash-taking before--which may, before fight time, have gotten into his head.

- Most of Calzaghe's punches--crosses, hooks and especially jabs--are slaps or arm punches.

- Calzaghe tends to hold his hands low when he punches, leaving himself open to counters when he flurries.

WHAT MUST EACH DO TO WIN

HOPKINS

- Hopkins cannot cede the early going to Calzaghe, but must "get off the dime" early to ensure that Calzaghe doesn't win too many of the early rounds and force Bernard to play "catch-up" down the stretch where his 43-year-old legs might betray him.

- Hopkins must get inside Calzaghe's long reach, taking away Calzaghe's advantage on the outside and turning it to his advantage on the inside where he can engage in that voodoo he do so well, namely roughhousing.

- Hopkins needs to be mindful of the pattern of Calzaghe's attack, which is to pity-pat his opponents to death with slap-punch-after-slap-punch until they're almost lulled to sleep, then come across with his power punch.

- Hopkins must keep his head down and hands up, all the better to protect himself against Calzaghe's patented flurries, then counter.

CALZAGHE

- Instead of waiting to see what Hopkins will do, as so many of Hopkins' opponents have, Calzaghe must go after him from the "git-go."

- Calzaghe must outwork Hopkins, forcing him to use his 43-year-old legs.

- Calzaghe must step left, away from Hopkins' right hand, making it difficult for Hopkins to counter.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Ricky Hatton won't fight Manny Pacquiao this year

http://www.yehey.com/sports/full_art...10357&categ=11

Golden Boy Promotions’ chief executive Richard Schaefer said that Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton won’t fight Manny Pacquiao this year, because the Briton has two fights lined up.

Schaefer pointed out that Hatton is going to fight Juan Lazcano on May 24.

Assuming that Paul Malignaggi (24-1, 5 KOs), who also sees action on the same card against Lovemore N’dou ( 46-9-1, 31KOs), is victorious and Hatton beats Lazcano, then the Briton will battle Malignaggi in October or November, which will rule out a clash with Pacquiao.

But Schaefer left open the possibility of a Pacquiao-Hatton fight next year.

“We are planning a big Hatton pay-per-view for spring 2009, but it is too early to say against whom. Certainly, Manny [Pacquiao] would be one of the names and so are Oscar [de la Hoya], Floyd [Mayweather], Juan Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez. It really depends on what’s going to happen from now until the end of the year,” Schaefer said.

MANNY LIGHTENS UP THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION

http://philboxing.com/news/story-16202.html

I was about to submit this article weeks ago when I read another’s claim in another broadsheet that it is Joel Casamayor who has lightened up the lightweight division when he KO’d Michael Katsidis. While the writer of that article has some reasons to back up his claim, I still hold that it is the Pacman who lightens up the lightweight division.

With Diego Corales’ death and Jose Luis Castillo’s graduation to junior welterweight, Juan Diaz appeared to be the torch bearer in the lightweight division despite the presence of Casamayor. Well, Nate Campbell doused Juan’s torch.

Meanwhile, Manny wrested the WBC 130-lb crown from Juan Manuel Marquez and removed the stumbling block to his quest in the higher weight division. By giving JMM the sought for rematch and scoring a win, Manny’s now owes no one to prove further he is the man among the junior lightweights.

The simple announcement that Manny Pacquiao would be fighting David Diaz for the latter’s WBC 135-lb title brightened not only the division but more so David’s face. He reportedly earned only about 1/3 in his fight with Erik Morales of what he expects to earn exchanging leathers with “Money” Pacman. David’s purse could be in 7 figures which he does not and could not expect if he fights either Nate or Joel. Manny’s entry in the 135-lb division also brightens Casamayor’s, Campbell’s, Katsidis’ and Juan Diaz’s faces.

[JeffWeaverFan]

Boring as in one-sided or boring as in a bad clash of styles?

Bad clash of styles.