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Written by Michael Woods
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Tuesday, 20 December 2011 18:35
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 The laundry list of legal troubles for the world's best pound for pound boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr., just shrunk considerably. Mayweather struck a plea deal with Las Vegas prosecutors, and will enter a guilty plea in Clark County (Nevada) on Wednesday, to charges of battery domestic violence and two counts of harassment, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The paper also said that the fighter will next week plead no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge, stemming from a beef with a security guard in November 2010, and be fined $1,000. That will squash his two remaining criminal cases, and will give fight fans some hope, that a considerable hurdle to the skilled pugilist meeting Manny Pacquiao in 2012 has been removed. The fighter, age 34, faces $3,000 in fines and up to 18 months in jail, the paper reported, for the domestic situation.... Read more...
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Written by David A. Avila
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Tuesday, 20 December 2011 09:59
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.jpg) Three stories up the J.W. Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles area known as LA Live, both former welterweight world champions Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto rumbled in with their entourages on Monday under some cold, gloomy skies. Golden Boy Promotions, Lou DiBella Promotions and Showtime announced their intentions for a big 2012 with the rematch of the fight between Ortiz and Berto that many are tabbing the best Fight of 2011. Count me among those who agree. Berto (28-1, 22 KOS) and Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs) exploded on each other like mad kamikazes last year and when you look and listen to the pair speak, what other predictions can one make but that expectations are high. “We’re starting this year with a bang,” said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer without a hint of hyperbole. “It’s the biggest way to kick off 2012.” The last time these... Read more...
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Written by The Sweet Science
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Monday, 19 December 2011 19:49
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 The NBC Sports Network is starting a boxing series, which kicks off on Jan. 21, and I am rooting for the venture to succeed. Main Events, run by Kathy Duva, is the promoter in charge of putting together Fight Night Series, and I am hoping that the endeavor is a success for them as well. This is not because I happen to think Kathy Duva is a decent soul who does business the right way, and is a promoter who actually promotes the sport and the fighters the old school (read: correct) way. I do think that, but that is beside the point. I root for NBCSN and Main Events to make a splash with the four shows which are slated to run in 2012 because I want the sport as a whole to succeed, and the more avenues boxers have to show their stuff, the better off the sport will be. Ideally, boxing gets back where it belongs, on terrestrial TV. That issue came up on a Monday conference call, featuring Jon Miller,... Read more...
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Written by The Sweet Science
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Monday, 19 December 2011 18:10
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 REMATCH OF ONE OF 2011'S FIGHT OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES SET AS "VICIOUS" VICTOR ORTIZ AND ANDRE BERTO PREPARE TO FACE OFF ON FEBRUARY 11 AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS SHOWTIME® & CBS Join Forces with Golden Boy Promotions & DiBella Entertainment to Promote Event SHOWTIME to Televise Live on Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 p.m. ET/PT (Delayed on West Coast) LOS ANGELES (December 19, 2011) - In April 2011, Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto gave boxing fans one of the best fights of the year, with both men hitting the canvas twice before Ortiz rallied to victory and captured Berto's WBC Welterweight World Championship. On Saturday, February 11, these rugged and determined fighters will meet once again, this time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., in a highly anticipated 12-round welterweight rematch live on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed... Read more...
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Written by Raymond Markarian
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Monday, 19 December 2011 10:28
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 Great boxing is relative to the beholder. Some enjoy exciting fighters like Manny Pacquiao, or give and take sluggers. Others take pleasure in watching pure boxers like Floyd Mayweather do their thing. There is no clear answer for pound for pound supremacy in boxing because unless the best fighters fight, the argument is an exercise in pure opinion. Yet the fundamental purpose for any boxer seeking victory is to hit and not get hit. Historically, thrilling, blood splattering type exchanges have not been a prerequisite for victory. In this sport, those that succeed at being hard to pin down with the greatest amount of skill typically win. In that case, on Saturday, Carl Froch deserved no shame in losing to the second best fighter in the world. Moving directly behind Mayweather and ahead of Pacquiao, Marquez, or anyone else because of his ability... Read more...
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Written by Michael Woods
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Saturday, 17 December 2011 22:21
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 Ward looked close to great til the midpoint and then faded a bit, but still, all in all, Ward is a pound for pounder. How does he do against Bute? After two plus years, the world has determined who the best super middleweight in the world is. Andre Ward had his way with Carl Froch, showing skills that will make fans mention him more when they are discussing the pound for pound best, in the main event at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday night, which served as the finale of Showtime’s Super Six super middleweight tournament. Ward looked like he might pull away from Froch midway through, as his hand speed and defensive excellence made Froch look semi subpar. Froch hung tough, however, and made Ward work, but still lost out, by scores of 115-113, 115-113, 118-110. I liked the 118-110 score as being most representative of what I saw. After, Ward said that his speed... Read more...
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Written by David A. Avila
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Saturday, 17 December 2011 18:02
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 Welcome Bangkok to L.A. The Los Angeles Matadors introduce the Bangkok Elephants to the media capital of the world on Sunday Dec. 18, at the Music Box Theater in Hollywood. World Series of Boxing returns with East Meets West. Led by Rau’ Shee Warren, the Matadors (2-2) meet the Elephants (0-4) whose record of no wins came because of four forfeits as floods postponed all of their previous scheduled matches. Other members of the Matador team include Raynell Williams, Sean Turner, Javier Torres, Eric Fowler, Vyacheslav Shabransky, Edwin Sandoval, Jason Quigley, Sijoula Shabazz, Fernando Martinez, Russell Lamour, Zaal Katchatadze, Leonid Malkov, Siarhei Karneyeu, David Imoesiri and Levan Guledani. Last year the Matadors were one of the top teams in WSB which included multiple teams in the U.S. This year the Matadors are the sole U.S. team with the remainder of the 11 teams coming from around... Read more...
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Written by Michael Woods
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Friday, 16 December 2011 17:09
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 Andre Ward and Carl Froch both made weight on Friday, ahead of their Saturday clash at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The Oakland-based Ward was 168 on the dot, while the Brit Froch was 167 1/2. TSS Universe, please tell us what you think will go down in AC. Do you see Ward as being a bit better athlete, as being blessed a bit more with better reflexes, which will serve him both offensively and defensively? Do you like his rounds one through twelve focus, his not-overly-scintillating, but always on-message manner in the ring? Ward (24-0 with 13 KOs) usually doesn't rip off more than three punches in a combo, he isn't prone to doing too much, to leave himself open to making a mistake. Many folks think he'll have to make a mistake for Froch (28-1 with 20 KOs) to capitalize on, for the Brit to exit AC with a win. Many figure Ward is the better boxer, but that Froch could carry the day with... Read more...
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Written by The Sweet Science
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Thursday, 15 December 2011 20:23
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.jpg) BIG-TIME BOXING DOUBLEHEADER LANDS IN THE LONE STAR STATE TO KICK OFF 2012 AS MEXICAN LEGEND ERIK "EL TERRIBLE" MORALES FACES UNDEFEATED RISING STAR DANNY "SWIFT" GARCIA ON JANUARY 28 FOR THE WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE AT RELIANT ARENA IN HOUSTON LIVE ON HBO BOXING AFTER DARK PLUS, TEXAS NATIVE JAMES "MANDINGO WARRIOR" KIRKLAND FACES HARD-HITTING "KING" CARLOS MOLINA IN A JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CO-FEATURED BOUT HOUSTON, TEX. (December 15) - To kick off the 2012 boxing year, Golden Boy Promotions and Box Latino Promotions will deliver a night of boxing that no fight fan will want to miss when future Hall of Famer Erik "El Terrible" Morales defends his WBC Super Lightweight title against unbeaten Philadelphian Danny "Swift" Garcia and James "Mandingo Warrior" Kirkland, fresh off of his thrilling fight against Alfredo Angulo, battles "King" Carlos... Read more...
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Written by Michael Woods
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Thursday, 15 December 2011 09:36
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 It was good to see Johnny Tapia, one of my all time ring faves, at the Tuesday Ward-Froch press conference in NYC. Tapia was doing interviews for Showtime, asking boldface names what they thought would go down on Saturday in Atlantic City. Frankly, with his history, it's simply good to see Tapia alive. I'm not being flippant in saying that. He's long had a jones for cocaine, and has had a devil of a tough time kicking the monkey off his back. The former five-time champ admitted he used cocaine back in 1990, two years after he debuted as a pro. The flashy-fisted banger was suspended from the ring between 1990-1994 for testing positive. He then concentrated on his ring work, and became quite the known entity. A rivalry with Danny Romero, and UD12 win over Romero in July 1997, made Tapia that much more of a buzzed about pugilist. In June 1999, he fought the fight of the year, with Paulie Ayala,... Read more...
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