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Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquiao fight at Cowboys Stadium in jeopardy
10:30 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 18, 2010
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
bhorn@dallasnews.com
His application to have his boxing license restored by the California State Athletic Commission denied Wednesday, Antonio Margarito will turn to the national Association of Boxing Commissions in hopes it will recommend that Texas still license him for a Nov. 13 bout against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.
Margarito is expected to contact the ABC and apply for his Texas license today.
The California commission voted 5-1 against re-licensing Margarito after a five-hour hearing streamed on the Internet by Top Rank, the company that promotes him. The commission made it clear that it felt Margarito continued to violate rules after his suspension.
Commissioners repeatedly questioned his simply training in the state without a license. The Mexican-born Margarito, speaking through a translator, said he was unaware that a boxer had to be licensed to spar in a gym.
High profile attorney Daniel Petrocelli represented Margarito. Petrocelli once represented former Enron chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling and won a wrongful death civil verdict against O.J. Simpson,
Coincidentally, Margarito frequently trained in a gym in Oxnard where the Cowboys are training. Asked at the afternoon practice for his reaction to the California ruling, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declined to comment. Jones has hoped that a Pacquiao-Margarito WBC 154-pound title bout would draw a crowd larger than the 50,994 fans who attended the inaugural card that featured Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey in March.
A positive recommendation from the Association of Boxing Commissioners could weigh heavily on a licensing decision from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which overseas boxing in the state. In the past, states have frequently relied on the ABC's recommendations. William Kuntz, the Texas department's executive director, was not available for comment Wednesday night.
Margarito's license was revoked after the California commission ruled both of his hands had been illegally wrapped to include a foreign object before a January 2009 fight at Los Angeles' Staples Center. The wrapping was discovered in pre-fight inspection. Margarito then went out and lost the WBA 154-pound title fight in lackluster fashion to Shane Mosley.
At the hearing, Margarito continually denied that he knew his hands had been improperly wrapped. He said he couldn't feel anything different. Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, took responsibility for the illegal wraps at the suspension hearing in February 2009. He no longer trains Margarito. The California commission voted 7-0 to suspend Margarito for at least one year.
Margarito fought outside the jurisdiction of the boxing commissioners association in May when he won a 10-round unanimous decision in a 154-pound bout in Mexico.
Once California's one-year suspension ended, Margarito and his promoter, Top Rank, were free to shop around the United States for a license. They thought it would be proper to start in California. Texas and Nevada are believed to be the only two other states with interest in hosting a major fight that includes Pacquiao.
Bob Arum, Top Rank's boss, visited Jones in Dallas last week to discuss preliminary plans for the Nov. 13 fight. Both men described the visit as "positive."
Staff writer Todd Archer in Oxnard, Calif., contributed to this report.
• • •
10:30 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 18, 2010
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News
bhorn@dallasnews.com
His application to have his boxing license restored by the California State Athletic Commission denied Wednesday, Antonio Margarito will turn to the national Association of Boxing Commissions in hopes it will recommend that Texas still license him for a Nov. 13 bout against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium.
Margarito is expected to contact the ABC and apply for his Texas license today.
The California commission voted 5-1 against re-licensing Margarito after a five-hour hearing streamed on the Internet by Top Rank, the company that promotes him. The commission made it clear that it felt Margarito continued to violate rules after his suspension.
Commissioners repeatedly questioned his simply training in the state without a license. The Mexican-born Margarito, speaking through a translator, said he was unaware that a boxer had to be licensed to spar in a gym.
High profile attorney Daniel Petrocelli represented Margarito. Petrocelli once represented former Enron chief executive officer Jeffrey Skilling and won a wrongful death civil verdict against O.J. Simpson,
Coincidentally, Margarito frequently trained in a gym in Oxnard where the Cowboys are training. Asked at the afternoon practice for his reaction to the California ruling, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declined to comment. Jones has hoped that a Pacquiao-Margarito WBC 154-pound title bout would draw a crowd larger than the 50,994 fans who attended the inaugural card that featured Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey in March.
A positive recommendation from the Association of Boxing Commissioners could weigh heavily on a licensing decision from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which overseas boxing in the state. In the past, states have frequently relied on the ABC's recommendations. William Kuntz, the Texas department's executive director, was not available for comment Wednesday night.
Margarito's license was revoked after the California commission ruled both of his hands had been illegally wrapped to include a foreign object before a January 2009 fight at Los Angeles' Staples Center. The wrapping was discovered in pre-fight inspection. Margarito then went out and lost the WBA 154-pound title fight in lackluster fashion to Shane Mosley.
At the hearing, Margarito continually denied that he knew his hands had been improperly wrapped. He said he couldn't feel anything different. Margarito's trainer, Javier Capetillo, took responsibility for the illegal wraps at the suspension hearing in February 2009. He no longer trains Margarito. The California commission voted 7-0 to suspend Margarito for at least one year.
Margarito fought outside the jurisdiction of the boxing commissioners association in May when he won a 10-round unanimous decision in a 154-pound bout in Mexico.
Once California's one-year suspension ended, Margarito and his promoter, Top Rank, were free to shop around the United States for a license. They thought it would be proper to start in California. Texas and Nevada are believed to be the only two other states with interest in hosting a major fight that includes Pacquiao.
Bob Arum, Top Rank's boss, visited Jones in Dallas last week to discuss preliminary plans for the Nov. 13 fight. Both men described the visit as "positive."
Staff writer Todd Archer in Oxnard, Calif., contributed to this report.
• • •
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Updated: August 19, 2010, 1:26 AM ET
Antonio Margarito denied boxing license
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
The California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday denied former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito a boxing license on a 5-1 vote after a nearly six-hour hearing in Los Angeles.
Margarito was seeking a license from the commission that revoked his license in February 2009 following his knockout loss to Shane Mosley the previous month.
The denial throws into question Margarito's proposed fall fight against Manny Pacquiao, which would be for a vacant junior middleweight belt.
In the dressing room before Margarito faced Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, illegal inserts were discovered in each of his hand wraps after Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, objected to the way his hands had been wrapped. The wraps were cut off and the illegal pads, which were coated in a plaster-like substance, were discovered. Margarito's hands were re-wrapped. The fight went off with Mosley knocking Margarito out in the ninth round to win the title.
[+] EnlargeAntonio Margarito
AP Photo/Reed SaxonPlans for Antonio Margarito's reinstatement took a heavy blow Wednesday in Los Angeles, when athletic commissioners denied his license to box in California.
California's denial means Margarito cannot reapply there for at least one year. However, now that he has asked California regulators for a license, other commissions in the United States can make the decision on their own about whether he should be granted a license.
Earlier this summer, Margarito applied to the Nevada commission for a license, but it tabled the request and said he should first go back to California before it would consider his application. The Association of Boxing Commissions, which oversees state commissions nationwide, suggested he do the same thing.
Margarito is expected to ask Texas for a license in the hopes of being granted one in order to fight Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in an HBO PPV fight on Nov. 13. HBO had a camera at the hearing to record it for potential use in the "24/7" reality series it is planning for the build-up to the fight.
Asked for a reaction to California's ruling at practice on Wednesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "I'm aware of it but have no comment."
Although states typically uphold rulings in other states on licensing issues, that is not always the case. Mike Tyson, for example, was denied a license in Nevada in 2002 before he fought Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight title. After the denial, Tyson was licensed in Tennessee and the fight took place.
Bob Arum's Top Rank, which promotes Margarito and Pacquiao, anticipated a denial in California, issuing a statement immediately after the hearing ended.
"Top Rank has complied with the wishes of the ABC and other states. Top Rank will soon make an announcement about Antonio Margarito," Top Rank's statement read.
Arum, on a cruise, was unavailable for comment.
Margarito's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, who gained fame for winning a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Ronald Goldman's family against O.J. Simpson and for representing former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, was disappointed with the decision.
"We are very disappointed in the ruling," Petrocelli told ESPN.com. "We thought the evidence was indisputable and that the license should have been granted. Almost to a person, the commission expressed the view that Tony was honest and sincere and the chairman [John Frierson] voted to grant the license, and [Frierson] is only one of two commissioners who were on the commission for the revocation hearing.
"The government tried unsuccessfully to convince the commission that Tony knew about the wraps and they failed because there has never been such a finding either today, or at the previous hearing. They want to see another year go by for Tony. I thought that was unreasonable."
The commission never found Margarito knew about the illegal inserts, instead holding Margarito accountable because he is the head of his team.
"I would like first to ask for another chance," Margarito said through a translator during his testimony. "Guarantee this will never happen again. Had I known that there was something illegal in my wrapping, I would not have stepped into the ring. I am glad it was discovered before [the fight]."
Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) told the commission the same thing he said during his license revocation hearing last year -- that he knew nothing about the illegal pads, which trainer Javier Capetillo took the blame for. Capetillo's license was also revoked.
"I think anything in the wrapping that is illegal would be an unfair advantage," Margarito said. "All I am saying is I did not know. I am being completely honest with you and all of the boxing world. That's why I broke my relationship with Capetillo. It was hard but that's what I had to do. They are my hands and whatever is on them, I am responsible."
"If it's going to take him coming back one day and saying, 'I did it, I did it,' he will never have a license because that's not what happened and that is not the evidence of the case," Petrocelli said. "He took his punishment for being the captain of the ship when someone on the ship did something wrong. He can't admit to knowing because it's not true. He'd be lying and you might not even believe that. He's not about to say it, not now, not ever."
Margarito, 32, severed his relationship with Capetillo, a father figure to him, not long after the revocation and last fall hired Robert Garcia to train him for his comeback fight. Margarito defeated Roberto Garcia (no relation) in Mexico in May, but purposely waited to fight him until after the one-year revocation period in California had expired.
Petrocelli argued that Margarito waited as a show of respect to the commission even though he could have fought outside the United States and made "hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars" because he supports so many people in his extended family.
Arguing on behalf of the commission, deputy attorney general Karen Chappelle, who also argued against Margarito when his license was revoked, hammered Margarito for not apologizing or showing adequate remorse or rehabilitation in seeking a new license.
"A boxer like Mr. Margarito makes a living with his fists," she said. "He knows what is in the wrappings that go on his fists. His fists are his livelihood. His fists are weapons."
Petrocelli argued against that, saying that the hiring of Garcia as the new trainer showed Margarito was serious, and Garcia, a former world champion and a well-respected trainer, appeared at the hearing to testify on Margarito's behalf.
"You have to be clean. It will never happen again because now I am on top of it," Margarito said, adding that he pays close attention every time Garcia wraps his hands. "I didn't know then. Now I am completely involved in it. I am on top of the wrapping and everything else."
Chappelle tried to discredit Margarito's efforts to strictly follow California's rules, as he said he would, by citing an obscure rule that Margarito and his team were unaware of. If somebody who is unlicensed by California wants to spar, he needs a "sparring permit." Margarito sparred in California in preparation for his fight with Roberto Garcia without having a permit.
Chappelle said that showed that Margarito was not on top of things because he broke that rule.
"I did not know I had to have a permit for sparring," Margarito said. "Had I known that, I would not have done it."
Petrocelli argued that the rule did not apply to Margarito because he was sparring for a fight that did not take place in California.
"You're the CEO of your enterprise. Your attorneys work for you, your trainer works for you," commissioner Gene Hernandez said to Margarito before the vote. "Use them as a resource, but like when you get a drivers license, you need to know all the rules of the road."
"This was a sorted incident in California history," Chappelle said during her closing remarks. "This commission should send a message with its decision. It strains credulity that he didn't know anything about the illegal hand wraps. He still comes before you unwilling to admit any wrongdoing. He says he's sorry because he didn't know what his trainer did. Who stood to benefit from winning that fight? It was Mr. Margarito, not the trainer. ... He hasn't demonstrated any remorse. He has failed to meet his very heavy burden."
All but one of the commissioners agreed.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn. Information from ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins was used in this report.
Antonio Margarito denied boxing license
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
The California State Athletic Commission on Wednesday denied former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito a boxing license on a 5-1 vote after a nearly six-hour hearing in Los Angeles.
Margarito was seeking a license from the commission that revoked his license in February 2009 following his knockout loss to Shane Mosley the previous month.
The denial throws into question Margarito's proposed fall fight against Manny Pacquiao, which would be for a vacant junior middleweight belt.
In the dressing room before Margarito faced Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, illegal inserts were discovered in each of his hand wraps after Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, objected to the way his hands had been wrapped. The wraps were cut off and the illegal pads, which were coated in a plaster-like substance, were discovered. Margarito's hands were re-wrapped. The fight went off with Mosley knocking Margarito out in the ninth round to win the title.
[+] EnlargeAntonio Margarito
AP Photo/Reed SaxonPlans for Antonio Margarito's reinstatement took a heavy blow Wednesday in Los Angeles, when athletic commissioners denied his license to box in California.
California's denial means Margarito cannot reapply there for at least one year. However, now that he has asked California regulators for a license, other commissions in the United States can make the decision on their own about whether he should be granted a license.
Earlier this summer, Margarito applied to the Nevada commission for a license, but it tabled the request and said he should first go back to California before it would consider his application. The Association of Boxing Commissions, which oversees state commissions nationwide, suggested he do the same thing.
Margarito is expected to ask Texas for a license in the hopes of being granted one in order to fight Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in an HBO PPV fight on Nov. 13. HBO had a camera at the hearing to record it for potential use in the "24/7" reality series it is planning for the build-up to the fight.
Asked for a reaction to California's ruling at practice on Wednesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, "I'm aware of it but have no comment."
Although states typically uphold rulings in other states on licensing issues, that is not always the case. Mike Tyson, for example, was denied a license in Nevada in 2002 before he fought Lennox Lewis for the heavyweight title. After the denial, Tyson was licensed in Tennessee and the fight took place.
Bob Arum's Top Rank, which promotes Margarito and Pacquiao, anticipated a denial in California, issuing a statement immediately after the hearing ended.
"Top Rank has complied with the wishes of the ABC and other states. Top Rank will soon make an announcement about Antonio Margarito," Top Rank's statement read.
Arum, on a cruise, was unavailable for comment.
Margarito's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, who gained fame for winning a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Ronald Goldman's family against O.J. Simpson and for representing former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, was disappointed with the decision.
"We are very disappointed in the ruling," Petrocelli told ESPN.com. "We thought the evidence was indisputable and that the license should have been granted. Almost to a person, the commission expressed the view that Tony was honest and sincere and the chairman [John Frierson] voted to grant the license, and [Frierson] is only one of two commissioners who were on the commission for the revocation hearing.
"The government tried unsuccessfully to convince the commission that Tony knew about the wraps and they failed because there has never been such a finding either today, or at the previous hearing. They want to see another year go by for Tony. I thought that was unreasonable."
The commission never found Margarito knew about the illegal inserts, instead holding Margarito accountable because he is the head of his team.
"I would like first to ask for another chance," Margarito said through a translator during his testimony. "Guarantee this will never happen again. Had I known that there was something illegal in my wrapping, I would not have stepped into the ring. I am glad it was discovered before [the fight]."
Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) told the commission the same thing he said during his license revocation hearing last year -- that he knew nothing about the illegal pads, which trainer Javier Capetillo took the blame for. Capetillo's license was also revoked.
"I think anything in the wrapping that is illegal would be an unfair advantage," Margarito said. "All I am saying is I did not know. I am being completely honest with you and all of the boxing world. That's why I broke my relationship with Capetillo. It was hard but that's what I had to do. They are my hands and whatever is on them, I am responsible."
"If it's going to take him coming back one day and saying, 'I did it, I did it,' he will never have a license because that's not what happened and that is not the evidence of the case," Petrocelli said. "He took his punishment for being the captain of the ship when someone on the ship did something wrong. He can't admit to knowing because it's not true. He'd be lying and you might not even believe that. He's not about to say it, not now, not ever."
Margarito, 32, severed his relationship with Capetillo, a father figure to him, not long after the revocation and last fall hired Robert Garcia to train him for his comeback fight. Margarito defeated Roberto Garcia (no relation) in Mexico in May, but purposely waited to fight him until after the one-year revocation period in California had expired.
Petrocelli argued that Margarito waited as a show of respect to the commission even though he could have fought outside the United States and made "hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars" because he supports so many people in his extended family.
Arguing on behalf of the commission, deputy attorney general Karen Chappelle, who also argued against Margarito when his license was revoked, hammered Margarito for not apologizing or showing adequate remorse or rehabilitation in seeking a new license.
"A boxer like Mr. Margarito makes a living with his fists," she said. "He knows what is in the wrappings that go on his fists. His fists are his livelihood. His fists are weapons."
Petrocelli argued against that, saying that the hiring of Garcia as the new trainer showed Margarito was serious, and Garcia, a former world champion and a well-respected trainer, appeared at the hearing to testify on Margarito's behalf.
"You have to be clean. It will never happen again because now I am on top of it," Margarito said, adding that he pays close attention every time Garcia wraps his hands. "I didn't know then. Now I am completely involved in it. I am on top of the wrapping and everything else."
Chappelle tried to discredit Margarito's efforts to strictly follow California's rules, as he said he would, by citing an obscure rule that Margarito and his team were unaware of. If somebody who is unlicensed by California wants to spar, he needs a "sparring permit." Margarito sparred in California in preparation for his fight with Roberto Garcia without having a permit.
Chappelle said that showed that Margarito was not on top of things because he broke that rule.
"I did not know I had to have a permit for sparring," Margarito said. "Had I known that, I would not have done it."
Petrocelli argued that the rule did not apply to Margarito because he was sparring for a fight that did not take place in California.
"You're the CEO of your enterprise. Your attorneys work for you, your trainer works for you," commissioner Gene Hernandez said to Margarito before the vote. "Use them as a resource, but like when you get a drivers license, you need to know all the rules of the road."
"This was a sorted incident in California history," Chappelle said during her closing remarks. "This commission should send a message with its decision. It strains credulity that he didn't know anything about the illegal hand wraps. He still comes before you unwilling to admit any wrongdoing. He says he's sorry because he didn't know what his trainer did. Who stood to benefit from winning that fight? It was Mr. Margarito, not the trainer. ... He hasn't demonstrated any remorse. He has failed to meet his very heavy burden."
All but one of the commissioners agreed.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn. Information from ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins was used in this report.
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Updated: August 11, 2010, 3:51 PM ET
Evander Holyfield to fight in November
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
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Evander Holyfield will fight Sherman "The Tank" Williams on Nov. 5, just a few weeks after the former four-time heavyweight champ turns 48.
Ken Sanders, Holyfield's manager, told ESPN.com Wednesday that he had received a signed contract from Williams, 37, for the 12-round bout.
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Sanders said the fight "most likely" will take place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. He said Holyfield and a business associate were going to meet with arena officials next week to finalize the deal.
Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Francois Botha on April 10 in Las Vegas in which Holyfield claimed a minor title. It was Holyfield's first fight since a controversial decision loss to then-titleholder Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland in December 2008.
Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs), of the Bahamas, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to prospect Manuel Charr in October in Germany, but has faced several name opponents, including losses to former titlist Ruslan Chagaev and former title challenger Jameel McCline.
"We've been working on who to get and there were several fighters we were talking to, but Williams was the one who accepted the fight. It's a good fight for TV," Sanders said.
Television plans for the fight, however, have not been determined. Sanders said they might go the pay-per-view route like they did for the fight with Botha.
Despite his age, Holyfield is still aiming for a major fight, and Sanders said a victory over Williams could pave the way to a fight with titleholder Vitali Klitschko.
"What we are going to do is have this fight and then either in January or February, we hope to be able to fight Vitali Klitschko for the WBC belt," Sanders said. "I have spoken already to the WBC and [president] Jose Sulaiman has already blessed it for me. I am speaking to the Klitschko people and I think they will do it."
Klitschko first defends his title Oct. 16 against an opponent to be determined, although former champ Shannon Briggs is the leading candidate, according to the Klitschko camp.
Holyfield, a 1984 U.S. Olympian, is in his 26th year as a professional fighter.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Evander Holyfield to fight in November
* Comments184
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Evander Holyfield will fight Sherman "The Tank" Williams on Nov. 5, just a few weeks after the former four-time heavyweight champ turns 48.
Ken Sanders, Holyfield's manager, told ESPN.com Wednesday that he had received a signed contract from Williams, 37, for the 12-round bout.
Rafael's Boxing Blog
Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.
Sanders said the fight "most likely" will take place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. He said Holyfield and a business associate were going to meet with arena officials next week to finalize the deal.
Holyfield (43-10-2, 28 KOs) is coming off an eighth-round knockout of Francois Botha on April 10 in Las Vegas in which Holyfield claimed a minor title. It was Holyfield's first fight since a controversial decision loss to then-titleholder Nikolai Valuev in Switzerland in December 2008.
Williams (34-11-2, 19 KOs), of the Bahamas, is coming off a unanimous decision loss to prospect Manuel Charr in October in Germany, but has faced several name opponents, including losses to former titlist Ruslan Chagaev and former title challenger Jameel McCline.
"We've been working on who to get and there were several fighters we were talking to, but Williams was the one who accepted the fight. It's a good fight for TV," Sanders said.
Television plans for the fight, however, have not been determined. Sanders said they might go the pay-per-view route like they did for the fight with Botha.
Despite his age, Holyfield is still aiming for a major fight, and Sanders said a victory over Williams could pave the way to a fight with titleholder Vitali Klitschko.
"What we are going to do is have this fight and then either in January or February, we hope to be able to fight Vitali Klitschko for the WBC belt," Sanders said. "I have spoken already to the WBC and [president] Jose Sulaiman has already blessed it for me. I am speaking to the Klitschko people and I think they will do it."
Klitschko first defends his title Oct. 16 against an opponent to be determined, although former champ Shannon Briggs is the leading candidate, according to the Klitschko camp.
Holyfield, a 1984 U.S. Olympian, is in his 26th year as a professional fighter.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
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Updated: August 17, 2010, 4:12 PM ET
Vitali Klitschko to fight Shannon Briggs
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
For years, former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs has called for a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers. Now, he'll have his opportunity.
Vitali Klitschko will defend his title for the fifth time when he meets the New Yorker on Oct. 16 at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany, Klitschko adviser Bernd Boente told ESPN.com on Tuesday.
"Contracts are signed, everything is done," Boente said, adding that there will be news conferences to make the formal announcement in Klitschko's native Kiev, Ukraine, on Aug. 30 and another in Hamburg, his adopted hometown, on Aug. 31.
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"I am very happy that I am finally fighting in Hamburg again. I started in Hamburg as a pro [in 1996]," said Klitschko, who hasn't fought there since a 1999 knockout of Obed Sullivan. "The O2 World is a fantastic arena and the fans in Hamburg know their boxing, and a great atmosphere is guaranteed."
Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) has been dominant since exiting a nearly four-year, injury-induced retirement in 2008, beating Samuel Peter to reclaim the belt he gave up when he retired.
He stopped Juan Carlos Gomez and Cristobal Arreola before shutting out Kevin Johnson in a decision in his first three defenses.
In his most recent fight, Klitschko, 39, dominated Albert Sosnowski en route to a 10th-round knockout on May 29.
"Shannon Briggs is an unbelievable trash-talker, but he is definitely a very strong challenger," Klitschko said. "He has huge experience, has way more professional fights than I have and is one of the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division. I know I will have to prepare myself with my coach [Fritz Sdunek] very intensely."
Said Boente: "It's a very interesting matchup. Vitali has to be prepared very well because Briggs is very dangerous for the first six or seven rounds and you can't underestimate the guy. Vitali knows this not a walkover. You know Briggs. He can show up as a really good fighter and perform on world-class level, or he can show up like he did in the [Sultan] Ibragimov fight and just walk around the ring."
Briggs, 38, claimed the lineal championship with a controversial decision win against George Foreman in 1997 before losing his claim when Lennox Lewis knocked him out in his next fight in 1998.
In 2006, Briggs trailed on all three scorecards when he knocked Sergei Liakhovich out of the ring with one second left in the fight for a dramatic comeback to win an alphabet belt.
Briggs made his first defense against Ibragimov in June 2007 and sleepwalked through a desultory decision loss.
After a 2½-year layoff following the loss, Briggs returned and has gone 3-0 with a no contest. The no contest was originally a first-round knockout against Marcus McGee in December, but Briggs later tested positive for a banned substance and had the result changed in addition to being briefly suspended and fined by the New York commission.
With such a dearth of opponents to fight, Klitschko, the older brother of fellow heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko, is giving Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) the shot he's wanted for years.
"I tried for a long time to get into the ring with one of the Klitschkos. Now it's time to write history," Briggs said. "Most of their opponents [expletive] in their pants before they enter the ring. But I will put a lot of pressure on Klitschko. Klitschko can look at his WBC belt for a couple of more weeks. After Oct. 16, it belongs to me."
Boente said plans for American television coverage have not been finalized, but he said he has been in touch with ESPN, which is covering Wladimir Klitschko's Sept. 11 defense against Samuel Peter in Germany.
"I have been in touch with [ESPN programmer] Doug Loughrey and hopefully we can work something again for Vitali's fight," Boente said.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow Dan on Twitter: danrafaelespn.
Vitali Klitschko to fight Shannon Briggs
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
For years, former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs has called for a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers. Now, he'll have his opportunity.
Vitali Klitschko will defend his title for the fifth time when he meets the New Yorker on Oct. 16 at the O2 World Arena in Hamburg, Germany, Klitschko adviser Bernd Boente told ESPN.com on Tuesday.
"Contracts are signed, everything is done," Boente said, adding that there will be news conferences to make the formal announcement in Klitschko's native Kiev, Ukraine, on Aug. 30 and another in Hamburg, his adopted hometown, on Aug. 31.
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"I am very happy that I am finally fighting in Hamburg again. I started in Hamburg as a pro [in 1996]," said Klitschko, who hasn't fought there since a 1999 knockout of Obed Sullivan. "The O2 World is a fantastic arena and the fans in Hamburg know their boxing, and a great atmosphere is guaranteed."
Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) has been dominant since exiting a nearly four-year, injury-induced retirement in 2008, beating Samuel Peter to reclaim the belt he gave up when he retired.
He stopped Juan Carlos Gomez and Cristobal Arreola before shutting out Kevin Johnson in a decision in his first three defenses.
In his most recent fight, Klitschko, 39, dominated Albert Sosnowski en route to a 10th-round knockout on May 29.
"Shannon Briggs is an unbelievable trash-talker, but he is definitely a very strong challenger," Klitschko said. "He has huge experience, has way more professional fights than I have and is one of the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division. I know I will have to prepare myself with my coach [Fritz Sdunek] very intensely."
Said Boente: "It's a very interesting matchup. Vitali has to be prepared very well because Briggs is very dangerous for the first six or seven rounds and you can't underestimate the guy. Vitali knows this not a walkover. You know Briggs. He can show up as a really good fighter and perform on world-class level, or he can show up like he did in the [Sultan] Ibragimov fight and just walk around the ring."
Briggs, 38, claimed the lineal championship with a controversial decision win against George Foreman in 1997 before losing his claim when Lennox Lewis knocked him out in his next fight in 1998.
In 2006, Briggs trailed on all three scorecards when he knocked Sergei Liakhovich out of the ring with one second left in the fight for a dramatic comeback to win an alphabet belt.
Briggs made his first defense against Ibragimov in June 2007 and sleepwalked through a desultory decision loss.
After a 2½-year layoff following the loss, Briggs returned and has gone 3-0 with a no contest. The no contest was originally a first-round knockout against Marcus McGee in December, but Briggs later tested positive for a banned substance and had the result changed in addition to being briefly suspended and fined by the New York commission.
With such a dearth of opponents to fight, Klitschko, the older brother of fellow heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko, is giving Briggs (51-5-1, 45 KOs) the shot he's wanted for years.
"I tried for a long time to get into the ring with one of the Klitschkos. Now it's time to write history," Briggs said. "Most of their opponents [expletive] in their pants before they enter the ring. But I will put a lot of pressure on Klitschko. Klitschko can look at his WBC belt for a couple of more weeks. After Oct. 16, it belongs to me."
Boente said plans for American television coverage have not been finalized, but he said he has been in touch with ESPN, which is covering Wladimir Klitschko's Sept. 11 defense against Samuel Peter in Germany.
"I have been in touch with [ESPN programmer] Doug Loughrey and hopefully we can work something again for Vitali's fight," Boente said.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow Dan on Twitter: danrafaelespn.
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Updated: August 16, 2010, 11:41 PM ET
Zab Judah to fight Michael Clark
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
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Zab Judah, who made a successful return to the junior welterweight division last month, would like to fight one of the top 140-pounders, but can't get any of them to get into the ring with him. So Judah will fight somebody who will, Michael Clark.
Judah (39-6, 27 KOs), a former two-time junior welterweight titlist and the former undisputed welterweight champion, will meet Clark on Oct. 2 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"I know he's coming to win," Judah told ESPN.com on Monday from Las Vegas, where he's training with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. "I'm just excited. I'm back in training. Me and Eddie have been in the gym putting in the work. I am looking to go in there and show the world that I am back and that I am the best 140-pounder in the world."
Brooklyn, N.Y., native Judah, 32, fought at the Prudential Center on July 16 in his first fight since reuniting with his original promoter, Main Events, and knocked out Jose Armando Santa Cruz in impressive fashion in the third round.
It was Judah's first fight since deciding to return to the junior welterweight division after several years as a welterweight. He weighed 141 pounds against Santa Cruz for the non-title match. The contract for the scheduled 10-rounder against Clark is 142 pounds, but Judah said he plans to weigh 140 to show others in the division that he is serious about fighting in the weight class.
"I felt great in the Santa Cruz fight," Judah said. "For this fight here, I will come in at 140. I'm feeling good. Whenever I step in the ring, it will always be an exciting night. I'm making a promise that it will be a dynamic performance. I am mentally and physically ready."
Judah would like to fight one of the titleholders -- Devon Alexander, Timothy Bradley or Amir Khan -- but they have not shown interest. Alexander and Bradley might fight each other Jan. 29.
"With the performances of Bradley and Alexander [in their recent fights], I consider myself the best guy in the division," Judah said. "Those guys know with me back at 140 that my eyes are set on them, Devon, Bradley and Khan. I don't know when or which order they will be taken in, but there will be order in the court. I am looking to be undisputed champion at 140 pounds."
Main Events promoter Kathy Duva said she tried to sign several name opponents to face Judah and also let HBO know that he was willing to fight any of the titleholders, all of whom have been fighting on the network. She said she was rebuffed by all of them.
"We offered the fight to Juan Urango, Victor Cayo, Paulie Malignaggi, Lucas Matthysse, Julio Diaz, Kendall Holt and Joel Casamayor," Duva said. "None of them were interested."
Besides Alexander, Bradley and Khan, Duva said Judah was willing to fight interim titlist Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero and lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez or former titlist Juan Diaz if they wanted to move up to junior welterweight.
"HBO knows we are willing to fight any of them, but I was told the only way I was going to get Zab on HBO was to fight on one of Golden Boy's dates since they have the dates and they have most of those fighters," Duva said.
Duva also said she got a call from Lou DiBella, promoter for welterweight titleholder Andre Berto, offering Judah a fall fight.
"Zab came down from welterweight because he had been fighting in a division he was too small for for a long time and he isn't going to make that mistake again," Duva said. "I told Lou if Berto wants to come down to 140, we can make the fight right now. But that isn't something he's interested in, which is fine. But we are not going to wait until these guys are willing to fight Zab. We went after just about everyone in the top 10, so it's frustrating. So we give Michael Clark a lot of credit because he's willing to fight Zab. He should be given credit. People want to fight Zab at 147, but not at 140, so that's where we are."
Duva is confident that with a strong performance against Clark, Judah will eventually land another big fight.
"Zab needs to just keep putting together wins like he did in July with the idea to get a fight against one of the big guys in the division and eventually his marketability will trump their reticence to fight him," said Duva, who added that television plans for the Oct. 2 card were in the works. "Outside guys who have belts, he's the best in the division and we'd like guys to fight him. That's what this is supposed to be about, fighting the best fights, not looking for an easy fight."
Clark (40-5-1, 18 KOs), 37, of Columbus, Ohio, fought for a lightweight belt in 1999 and was knocked out in the fifth round by Artur Grigorian. In 2006, he was on "The Contender" reality series and eliminated after losing a welterweight bout to future junior middleweight titlist Cornelius "K9" Bundrage. Clark is 4-0-1 with a no contest in his last five bouts since suffering a wrist injury in a first-round loss to Mike Alvarado in December 2007.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
Zab Judah to fight Michael Clark
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Zab Judah, who made a successful return to the junior welterweight division last month, would like to fight one of the top 140-pounders, but can't get any of them to get into the ring with him. So Judah will fight somebody who will, Michael Clark.
Judah (39-6, 27 KOs), a former two-time junior welterweight titlist and the former undisputed welterweight champion, will meet Clark on Oct. 2 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
"I know he's coming to win," Judah told ESPN.com on Monday from Las Vegas, where he's training with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. "I'm just excited. I'm back in training. Me and Eddie have been in the gym putting in the work. I am looking to go in there and show the world that I am back and that I am the best 140-pounder in the world."
Brooklyn, N.Y., native Judah, 32, fought at the Prudential Center on July 16 in his first fight since reuniting with his original promoter, Main Events, and knocked out Jose Armando Santa Cruz in impressive fashion in the third round.
It was Judah's first fight since deciding to return to the junior welterweight division after several years as a welterweight. He weighed 141 pounds against Santa Cruz for the non-title match. The contract for the scheduled 10-rounder against Clark is 142 pounds, but Judah said he plans to weigh 140 to show others in the division that he is serious about fighting in the weight class.
"I felt great in the Santa Cruz fight," Judah said. "For this fight here, I will come in at 140. I'm feeling good. Whenever I step in the ring, it will always be an exciting night. I'm making a promise that it will be a dynamic performance. I am mentally and physically ready."
Judah would like to fight one of the titleholders -- Devon Alexander, Timothy Bradley or Amir Khan -- but they have not shown interest. Alexander and Bradley might fight each other Jan. 29.
"With the performances of Bradley and Alexander [in their recent fights], I consider myself the best guy in the division," Judah said. "Those guys know with me back at 140 that my eyes are set on them, Devon, Bradley and Khan. I don't know when or which order they will be taken in, but there will be order in the court. I am looking to be undisputed champion at 140 pounds."
Main Events promoter Kathy Duva said she tried to sign several name opponents to face Judah and also let HBO know that he was willing to fight any of the titleholders, all of whom have been fighting on the network. She said she was rebuffed by all of them.
"We offered the fight to Juan Urango, Victor Cayo, Paulie Malignaggi, Lucas Matthysse, Julio Diaz, Kendall Holt and Joel Casamayor," Duva said. "None of them were interested."
Besides Alexander, Bradley and Khan, Duva said Judah was willing to fight interim titlist Marcos Maidana, Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero and lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez or former titlist Juan Diaz if they wanted to move up to junior welterweight.
"HBO knows we are willing to fight any of them, but I was told the only way I was going to get Zab on HBO was to fight on one of Golden Boy's dates since they have the dates and they have most of those fighters," Duva said.
Duva also said she got a call from Lou DiBella, promoter for welterweight titleholder Andre Berto, offering Judah a fall fight.
"Zab came down from welterweight because he had been fighting in a division he was too small for for a long time and he isn't going to make that mistake again," Duva said. "I told Lou if Berto wants to come down to 140, we can make the fight right now. But that isn't something he's interested in, which is fine. But we are not going to wait until these guys are willing to fight Zab. We went after just about everyone in the top 10, so it's frustrating. So we give Michael Clark a lot of credit because he's willing to fight Zab. He should be given credit. People want to fight Zab at 147, but not at 140, so that's where we are."
Duva is confident that with a strong performance against Clark, Judah will eventually land another big fight.
"Zab needs to just keep putting together wins like he did in July with the idea to get a fight against one of the big guys in the division and eventually his marketability will trump their reticence to fight him," said Duva, who added that television plans for the Oct. 2 card were in the works. "Outside guys who have belts, he's the best in the division and we'd like guys to fight him. That's what this is supposed to be about, fighting the best fights, not looking for an easy fight."
Clark (40-5-1, 18 KOs), 37, of Columbus, Ohio, fought for a lightweight belt in 1999 and was knocked out in the fifth round by Artur Grigorian. In 2006, he was on "The Contender" reality series and eliminated after losing a welterweight bout to future junior middleweight titlist Cornelius "K9" Bundrage. Clark is 4-0-1 with a no contest in his last five bouts since suffering a wrist injury in a first-round loss to Mike Alvarado in December 2007.
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
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Share Updated: August 24, 2010, 11:12 PM ETJuan Manuel Marquez mulls optionsEmail Print Comments2 By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
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Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez turned 37 on Monday. Now, he's thinking about a belated birthday present: His next fight.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer flew to Mexico City on Tuesday and will meet with Marquez on Wednesday to go over plans for his next match, Schaefer told ESPN.com before departing.
Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) dominated Juan Diaz on July 31 to retain the 135-pound world title in a rematch of Marquez's ninth-round knockout win in the 2009 fight of the year. The victory set the stage for another marquee fight for Marquez in the fall. However, he must decide which division he wants to fight in -- lightweight or move up to the 140-pound junior welterweight division.
"We'll discuss what direction he wants to go and then circle back with HBO to see what will happen," Schaefer said. "Juan would like to fight in November or December, so that is what part of the plan is."
And who will he fight?
"The two most logical opponents are [Amir] Khan or [Michael] Katsidis," Schaefer said. "It depends on the weight he wants to fight at."
Marquez has said repeatedly that he is interested in facing Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), the flashy Brit who holds a junior welterweight belt, so he can have a chance to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions. Marquez has already won titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight.
But Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), the brawling Australian who holds an interim belt and is one of Marquez's mandatory challengers, is also an intriguing fight that would match two of boxing's most exciting fighters.
"Either one is a serious fight that I would be looking forward. Either one is a fight that would be a highlight of the fall/winter boxing calendar," Schaefer said. "It comes down to what Marquez wants to do."
The fight Marquez wants most is a third bout with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, but that is unlikely. They drew in their first meeting and Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles Pacquiao, is not interested in the fight. He is making plans to match Pacquiao with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium, assuming Margarito is licensed in Texas, which is expected.
"Juan really wanted to fight Pacquiao again," Schaefer said. "We tried. I know Marquez wants it. I know we at Golden Boy want it and the fans and media are also behind it, but we can't make [Pacquiao] fight Marquez. So we have to be prepared to go in another direction."
Eventually, Schaefer said he would like to match Marquez with Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), the faded Mexican star who ended a 2 1/2-year retirement in March by outpointing Jose Alfaro in a welterweight bout.
Morales, who won titles in three divisions, is scheduled to fight Willie Limond at junior welterweight on Sept. 11.
"Marquez and Morales is a fight I would love to do," Schaefer said. "We've had some conversations with Erik Morales."
Marquez-Morales is the one match that never happened among the featherweight/junior lightweight quartet of stars of the 2000s that also included Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
ESPN.com
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Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez turned 37 on Monday. Now, he's thinking about a belated birthday present: His next fight.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer flew to Mexico City on Tuesday and will meet with Marquez on Wednesday to go over plans for his next match, Schaefer told ESPN.com before departing.
Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) dominated Juan Diaz on July 31 to retain the 135-pound world title in a rematch of Marquez's ninth-round knockout win in the 2009 fight of the year. The victory set the stage for another marquee fight for Marquez in the fall. However, he must decide which division he wants to fight in -- lightweight or move up to the 140-pound junior welterweight division.
"We'll discuss what direction he wants to go and then circle back with HBO to see what will happen," Schaefer said. "Juan would like to fight in November or December, so that is what part of the plan is."
And who will he fight?
"The two most logical opponents are [Amir] Khan or [Michael] Katsidis," Schaefer said. "It depends on the weight he wants to fight at."
Marquez has said repeatedly that he is interested in facing Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), the flashy Brit who holds a junior welterweight belt, so he can have a chance to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions. Marquez has already won titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight.
But Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), the brawling Australian who holds an interim belt and is one of Marquez's mandatory challengers, is also an intriguing fight that would match two of boxing's most exciting fighters.
"Either one is a serious fight that I would be looking forward. Either one is a fight that would be a highlight of the fall/winter boxing calendar," Schaefer said. "It comes down to what Marquez wants to do."
The fight Marquez wants most is a third bout with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, but that is unlikely. They drew in their first meeting and Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles Pacquiao, is not interested in the fight. He is making plans to match Pacquiao with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium, assuming Margarito is licensed in Texas, which is expected.
"Juan really wanted to fight Pacquiao again," Schaefer said. "We tried. I know Marquez wants it. I know we at Golden Boy want it and the fans and media are also behind it, but we can't make [Pacquiao] fight Marquez. So we have to be prepared to go in another direction."
Eventually, Schaefer said he would like to match Marquez with Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), the faded Mexican star who ended a 2 1/2-year retirement in March by outpointing Jose Alfaro in a welterweight bout.
Morales, who won titles in three divisions, is scheduled to fight Willie Limond at junior welterweight on Sept. 11.
"Marquez and Morales is a fight I would love to do," Schaefer said. "We've had some conversations with Erik Morales."
Marquez-Morales is the one match that never happened among the featherweight/junior lightweight quartet of stars of the 2000s that also included Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
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Updated: September 4, 2010, 1:58 AM ET
Floyd Mayweather: 'I'll cook that chump'
[video]http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5527403[/video]
Floyd Mayweather: 'I'll cook that chump'
[video]http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5527403[/video]
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Updated: September 4, 2010, 8:59 PM ET
Floyd Mayweather apologizes for rant
A day after Floyd Mayweather Jr. used a video sharing website to go on a profanity-laced rant filled with racist and homophobic statements aimed at Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather apologized.
"I do want to apologize for what happened the other night," Mayweather said. "I want to apologize to everybody because everybody felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don't have a racist bone in my body, you know."
On Thursday night, Mayweather took to the UStream site to launch a verbal assault on Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king from the Philippines, whom Mayweather has refused to fight.
“
Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn't really mean it. Nothing in a bad way. So let's stay on this roller-coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It's all love.
” -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. regarding racist Internet rant
The rant, in which Mayweather also reasserted claims that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs, came while Pacquiao was in the midst of a three-city media tour to promote his Nov. 13 HBO PPV fight with Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The video created an immediate backlash against Mayweather, who took to UStream again Friday night to offer an apology near the end of an approximately 40-minute video, during which he is seen hanging out, apparently in his Las Vegas home, with members of his entourage.
After about a half hour of frivolous banter, Mayweather, seated at a table and looking into the camera, turned more serious, although he never apologized directly to Pacquiao.
"I love everybody," Mayweather said. "Some of my guys are Muslim. Some of my guys are Jews. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, white, it doesn't matter. There's nothing but love in my heart, you know what I'm saying? So I heard this from a few people. The only thing I want to say is, if anybody who was affected by what I said the other day, I apologize as a man. I apologize.
"Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn't really mean it. Nothing in a bad way. So let's stay on this roller-coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It's all love."
The Pacquiao and Mayweather camps have already had two rounds of failed negotiations for the fight that looms as the biggest money fight in boxing history. When the second round failed, Pacquiao signed to fight Margarito instead while Mayweather decided to remain on what he has called a year-long vacation following his win against Shane Mosley in May.
Mayweather also sent a message to Pacquiao's legion of fans.
"To all the Manny Pacquiao fans, stand behind him, stand behind him," Mayweather said. "Even one day when we meet up and I beat him, I want him to believe in his self and believe in his skills, and I want him to believe he's going to win. Of course, he's supposed to believe he's going to win."
In the original video, Mayweather shredded Pacquiao, whom he referred to as "Poochiao."
"I'm on vacation for about a year, about a year," Mayweather said Thursday. "As soon as we come off vacation, we're going to cook that little yellow chump. We ain't worried about that. So they ain't gotta worry about me fighting the midget. Once I kick the midget ass, I don't want you all to jump on my d---. So you all better get on the bandwagon now. ... Once I stomp the midget, I'll make that mother f----- make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice."
[+] EnlargeFloyd Mayweather Jr.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesFloyd Mayweather Jr. apologized Friday for the verbal jabs he threw at Manny Pacquiao on Thursday in a racist Internet rant.
Mayweather also said, " 'Poochiao' got three losses and two draws and been knocked out twice," Mayweather said. "So, like I said before, once I beat him it's going to be a cakewalk and it's on to the next. ... We know Pacquiao made $6 million in his last fight and Floyd Mayweather made $65 million in his last fight. Three losses, two draws. Ohhh, hell no, this is America baby. We built on winning. Step your game up, f----t. ... That mother f----- Pacquiao, he can't speak no English. He never seen a contract he didn't like. Mother f----- signed with two companies [Top Rank and Golden Boy]. Look it up. And then this mother f------ with Nike only got 70 Gs. How stupid can a mother f----- be? Reebok gave me a million dollars for three weeks. I wore Reebok s--- for a week for a million dollars. ... This mother f------'s name is Emmanuel. He got a fake name, taking power pellets."
Mayweather also broke out into a bizarre song in which he called Pacquiao a "whore" and added, "When we do come back, we'll kick Poochiao's ass. I'm gonna fight the Pacman when he gets off the power pellets."
Besides apologizing for his remarks, Mayweather also offered his condolences to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, whose eldest son, 49-year-old John Arum, was found dead Friday after an apparent hiking accident the North Cascades National Park outside of Seattle.
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, promoted Mayweather for most of his career. But their relationship was often rancorous and has been especially bad in the years since their split. Their acrimonious relationship is considered one of the reasons why a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight has yet to be made.
"God bless Bob Arum and his whole family, because I heard that Bob Arum's son had a bad accident," Mayweather said. "So it's all love to the whole Arum family. I wish you guys nothing but the best."
Floyd Mayweather apologizes for rant
A day after Floyd Mayweather Jr. used a video sharing website to go on a profanity-laced rant filled with racist and homophobic statements aimed at Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather apologized.
"I do want to apologize for what happened the other night," Mayweather said. "I want to apologize to everybody because everybody felt it was a racist comment that came from me. I don't have a racist bone in my body, you know."
On Thursday night, Mayweather took to the UStream site to launch a verbal assault on Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king from the Philippines, whom Mayweather has refused to fight.
“
Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn't really mean it. Nothing in a bad way. So let's stay on this roller-coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It's all love.
” -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. regarding racist Internet rant
The rant, in which Mayweather also reasserted claims that Pacquiao uses performance-enhancing drugs, came while Pacquiao was in the midst of a three-city media tour to promote his Nov. 13 HBO PPV fight with Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The video created an immediate backlash against Mayweather, who took to UStream again Friday night to offer an apology near the end of an approximately 40-minute video, during which he is seen hanging out, apparently in his Las Vegas home, with members of his entourage.
After about a half hour of frivolous banter, Mayweather, seated at a table and looking into the camera, turned more serious, although he never apologized directly to Pacquiao.
"I love everybody," Mayweather said. "Some of my guys are Muslim. Some of my guys are Jews. Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, white, it doesn't matter. There's nothing but love in my heart, you know what I'm saying? So I heard this from a few people. The only thing I want to say is, if anybody who was affected by what I said the other day, I apologize as a man. I apologize.
"Forgive me for saying what I said. I was just having fun. I didn't really mean it. Nothing in a bad way. So let's stay on this roller-coaster ride and keep riding, baby. It's all love."
The Pacquiao and Mayweather camps have already had two rounds of failed negotiations for the fight that looms as the biggest money fight in boxing history. When the second round failed, Pacquiao signed to fight Margarito instead while Mayweather decided to remain on what he has called a year-long vacation following his win against Shane Mosley in May.
Mayweather also sent a message to Pacquiao's legion of fans.
"To all the Manny Pacquiao fans, stand behind him, stand behind him," Mayweather said. "Even one day when we meet up and I beat him, I want him to believe in his self and believe in his skills, and I want him to believe he's going to win. Of course, he's supposed to believe he's going to win."
In the original video, Mayweather shredded Pacquiao, whom he referred to as "Poochiao."
"I'm on vacation for about a year, about a year," Mayweather said Thursday. "As soon as we come off vacation, we're going to cook that little yellow chump. We ain't worried about that. So they ain't gotta worry about me fighting the midget. Once I kick the midget ass, I don't want you all to jump on my d---. So you all better get on the bandwagon now. ... Once I stomp the midget, I'll make that mother f----- make me a sushi roll and cook me some rice."
[+] EnlargeFloyd Mayweather Jr.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesFloyd Mayweather Jr. apologized Friday for the verbal jabs he threw at Manny Pacquiao on Thursday in a racist Internet rant.
Mayweather also said, " 'Poochiao' got three losses and two draws and been knocked out twice," Mayweather said. "So, like I said before, once I beat him it's going to be a cakewalk and it's on to the next. ... We know Pacquiao made $6 million in his last fight and Floyd Mayweather made $65 million in his last fight. Three losses, two draws. Ohhh, hell no, this is America baby. We built on winning. Step your game up, f----t. ... That mother f----- Pacquiao, he can't speak no English. He never seen a contract he didn't like. Mother f----- signed with two companies [Top Rank and Golden Boy]. Look it up. And then this mother f------ with Nike only got 70 Gs. How stupid can a mother f----- be? Reebok gave me a million dollars for three weeks. I wore Reebok s--- for a week for a million dollars. ... This mother f------'s name is Emmanuel. He got a fake name, taking power pellets."
Mayweather also broke out into a bizarre song in which he called Pacquiao a "whore" and added, "When we do come back, we'll kick Poochiao's ass. I'm gonna fight the Pacman when he gets off the power pellets."
Besides apologizing for his remarks, Mayweather also offered his condolences to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, whose eldest son, 49-year-old John Arum, was found dead Friday after an apparent hiking accident the North Cascades National Park outside of Seattle.
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, promoted Mayweather for most of his career. But their relationship was often rancorous and has been especially bad in the years since their split. Their acrimonious relationship is considered one of the reasons why a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight has yet to be made.
"God bless Bob Arum and his whole family, because I heard that Bob Arum's son had a bad accident," Mayweather said. "So it's all love to the whole Arum family. I wish you guys nothing but the best."
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Updated: September 4, 2010, 9:25 AM ET
John Arum, 49, found dead
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By Dan Rafael
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A search team in a helicopter in North Cascades National Park outside of Seattle located the body of John Arum, the eldest son of Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum, on Friday.
John Arum's body was discovered at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT at the 7,700-foot level of the north face of Storm King Mountain, which rises 8,815 feet, according to Kerry Olson, public information officer for the park.
Olson said Arum's body was discovered about 300 feet below where his backpack had been found on Thursday.
"We don't know where he was on the mountain when he fell, but we know it was at least a 300-foot fall, but we don't know how far he fell," Olson said.
Arum, an experienced hiker, was 49. The search began on Monday after he failed to return from the hiking trip. He was hiking alone.
According to family members, Arum's goal was to reach the summit of the 100 highest peaks in Washington state. He had hiked more than 80 at the time of his death on the mountain about 85 miles northeast of Seattle.
Olson said Arum's body has not been retrieved.
"It's a very steep location and unstable with loose rock," Olson said. "It's an area where we can't rappel down to it or climb up to it. We are working on a recovery plan and reaching out to see if we can get some help to bring his body back to his family."
Olson said the aerial search began on Wednesday when rainy and cloudy weather cleared.
"His body was in an area that had previously been covered with snow," she said. "[Friday] we had very warm weather and the snow melted and he was visible from an aerial search."
Bob Arum, along with other family members, were notified in person shortly after the discovery, Olson said. She said the family had been staying at a compound where the search was being co-coordinated in the park.
Bob Arum was in Los Angeles on Tuesday to kick off this week's three-city media tour to promote Manny Pacquiao's fight with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Arum left the tour after Tuesday's news conference in Los Angeles and the tour continued to New York and Dallas without him.
Olson said there is an average of one hiking death a year at the park and Arum's was the first of the year.
"We've had six other search and rescues this year where we were able to find and save the others," Olson said.
John Arum, one of Bob Arum's three adult children, was a Seattle environmental attorney.
Bob Arum and his spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com; follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
John Arum, 49, found dead
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
A search team in a helicopter in North Cascades National Park outside of Seattle located the body of John Arum, the eldest son of Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum, on Friday.
John Arum's body was discovered at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT at the 7,700-foot level of the north face of Storm King Mountain, which rises 8,815 feet, according to Kerry Olson, public information officer for the park.
Olson said Arum's body was discovered about 300 feet below where his backpack had been found on Thursday.
"We don't know where he was on the mountain when he fell, but we know it was at least a 300-foot fall, but we don't know how far he fell," Olson said.
Arum, an experienced hiker, was 49. The search began on Monday after he failed to return from the hiking trip. He was hiking alone.
According to family members, Arum's goal was to reach the summit of the 100 highest peaks in Washington state. He had hiked more than 80 at the time of his death on the mountain about 85 miles northeast of Seattle.
Olson said Arum's body has not been retrieved.
"It's a very steep location and unstable with loose rock," Olson said. "It's an area where we can't rappel down to it or climb up to it. We are working on a recovery plan and reaching out to see if we can get some help to bring his body back to his family."
Olson said the aerial search began on Wednesday when rainy and cloudy weather cleared.
"His body was in an area that had previously been covered with snow," she said. "[Friday] we had very warm weather and the snow melted and he was visible from an aerial search."
Bob Arum, along with other family members, were notified in person shortly after the discovery, Olson said. She said the family had been staying at a compound where the search was being co-coordinated in the park.
Bob Arum was in Los Angeles on Tuesday to kick off this week's three-city media tour to promote Manny Pacquiao's fight with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Arum left the tour after Tuesday's news conference in Los Angeles and the tour continued to New York and Dallas without him.
Olson said there is an average of one hiking death a year at the park and Arum's was the first of the year.
"We've had six other search and rescues this year where we were able to find and save the others," Olson said.
John Arum, one of Bob Arum's three adult children, was a Seattle environmental attorney.
Bob Arum and his spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com; follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
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Buy Pacquiao-Margarito Tickets Sept. 18
Posted by rphillips at 9/3/2010 5:26 PM CDT on truebluefanclub.com
A second mega-fight in eight months is officially set for Cowboys Stadium: pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito will vie for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship Nov. 13 in the Cowboys' new $1.2 billion venue.
Pacquiao, Margarito and their representatives attended a formal press conference at Cowboys Stadium on Friday. In the first professional boxing match in Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao successfully defended his WBO welterweight title March 13 over Joshua Clottey.
"Cowboys Stadium was built for Super Bowls and super fights. Pacquiao vs. Margarito combines the best elements of both," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "The fans of North Texas embraced Manny Pacquiao as boxing's No. 1 pound for pound attraction when he fought here in March and we cannot wait to extend our hospitality to him again and to fellow world champion Antonio Margarito.
"This is a great fight, and it is one we can showcase to the fullest in Cowboys Stadium."
Tickets go on sale Saturday, Sept. 18 and can be purchase in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, Texas, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Posted by rphillips at 9/3/2010 5:26 PM CDT on truebluefanclub.com
A second mega-fight in eight months is officially set for Cowboys Stadium: pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito will vie for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship Nov. 13 in the Cowboys' new $1.2 billion venue.
Pacquiao, Margarito and their representatives attended a formal press conference at Cowboys Stadium on Friday. In the first professional boxing match in Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao successfully defended his WBO welterweight title March 13 over Joshua Clottey.
"Cowboys Stadium was built for Super Bowls and super fights. Pacquiao vs. Margarito combines the best elements of both," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "The fans of North Texas embraced Manny Pacquiao as boxing's No. 1 pound for pound attraction when he fought here in March and we cannot wait to extend our hospitality to him again and to fellow world champion Antonio Margarito.
"This is a great fight, and it is one we can showcase to the fullest in Cowboys Stadium."
Tickets go on sale Saturday, Sept. 18 and can be purchase in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, Texas, by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
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Updated: September 15, 2010, 7:54 PM ET
Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana finally fight
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
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LOS ANGELES -- In a year in which so many fights that boxing fans have wanted to see have not been made -- Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather, for example -- one of them is being delivered.
Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan and interim titlist Marcos Maidana have reached agreement to meet on Dec. 11, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes both of them, told ESPN.com Wednesday. The HBO-televised fight will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
"We came to an agreement [Tuesday] night. Khan is on board. Maidana is on board and I am finalizing everything with Mandalay Bay," Schaefer said outside of Staples Center during a news conference promoting Saturday night's Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora HBO PPV card.
Rafael's Boxing Blog
Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.
It had been a hard negotiation with Khan preferring to fight in his native England and Maidana, of Argentina, wanting to fight on neutral ground in the United States. Schaefer said Maidana was willing to go England for a bigger payday, but Khan was unwilling to accommodate that.
So under the threat of a WBA-ordered purse bid on Sept. 21, which Maidana had asked for due to their impasse, the fight was finally agreed to.
"Amir wanted to have this fight in the U.K. and Maidana wanted the fight to be in the United States, but we worked on things and I was informed by Amir's lawyer that he would fight in the U.S.," Schaefer said. "There was some urgency for us to make a deal because of the purse bid coming up, but now we have a deal and I will inform the WBA that the fighters have reached agreement."
Had the fight gone to a purse bid, any promoter registered with the WBA could have won control of the fight, which Golden Boy did not want to happen, nor did Khan, who would have been entitled to 55 percent of the winning bid with 45 percent going to Maidana.
"We worked it out financially where everyone was happy," Schaefer said. "It was a difficult fight to put together but this was the fight I kept hearing from fans and media that they wanted to see. Golden Boy made some concessions and we got the fight done."
"I want this fight and the fans want to see this fight," said Khan, who had called Schaefer's cell phone from England and spoke to ESPN.com. "It's two explosive styles meeting up. It's the explosive puncher [Maidana] against the quick and explosive boxer. They say Maidana has a style to beat a boxer, so let's see how good he is. Maidana wants to stop me from having my legacy, but that is not going to happen. But let him try."
Khan, who will be making his third defense, will get at least $1.5 million, plus revenue from the television rights in the United Kingdom. Maidana will earn $550,000 plus an undisclosed bump if he wins the fight.
Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), 23, won an Olympic silver medal in 2004. In 2009, Khan claimed a 140-pound world title by easily out-boxing Andriy Kotelnik, who had handed Maidana his only loss, a decision, in the fight before losing the title to Khan.
Khan's first defense was a 76-second demolition of mandatory challenger Dmitriy Salita in December. In May, Khan made his American debut with a dominant 11th-round knockout of Paulie Malignaggi in New York, Malignaggi's hometown.
Khan said he has no problem coming back to the U.S. to fight Maidana.
"I'm coming to fight him where he wants to fight. But I want this fight, so I am going where he wants to fight," Khan said. "That's how much I want this fight."
Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs), 27, stopped Victor Ortiz in the sixth round in June 2009 to claim the interim belt. He's defended it three times, including a difficult decision win against former titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley in Argentina on Aug. 28.
Schaefer said a second televised bout will be added to the card. He said it could involve Ortiz, if he wins his fight with Vivian Harris on Saturday's Mosley-Mora undercard. Another possibility, Schaefer said, could be a match involving fast-rising middleweight Gennady Golovkin, who is promoted by Universum, Golden Boy's partner on Maidana's contract.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana finally fight
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
LOS ANGELES -- In a year in which so many fights that boxing fans have wanted to see have not been made -- Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather, for example -- one of them is being delivered.
Junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan and interim titlist Marcos Maidana have reached agreement to meet on Dec. 11, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes both of them, told ESPN.com Wednesday. The HBO-televised fight will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
"We came to an agreement [Tuesday] night. Khan is on board. Maidana is on board and I am finalizing everything with Mandalay Bay," Schaefer said outside of Staples Center during a news conference promoting Saturday night's Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora HBO PPV card.
Rafael's Boxing Blog
Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.
It had been a hard negotiation with Khan preferring to fight in his native England and Maidana, of Argentina, wanting to fight on neutral ground in the United States. Schaefer said Maidana was willing to go England for a bigger payday, but Khan was unwilling to accommodate that.
So under the threat of a WBA-ordered purse bid on Sept. 21, which Maidana had asked for due to their impasse, the fight was finally agreed to.
"Amir wanted to have this fight in the U.K. and Maidana wanted the fight to be in the United States, but we worked on things and I was informed by Amir's lawyer that he would fight in the U.S.," Schaefer said. "There was some urgency for us to make a deal because of the purse bid coming up, but now we have a deal and I will inform the WBA that the fighters have reached agreement."
Had the fight gone to a purse bid, any promoter registered with the WBA could have won control of the fight, which Golden Boy did not want to happen, nor did Khan, who would have been entitled to 55 percent of the winning bid with 45 percent going to Maidana.
"We worked it out financially where everyone was happy," Schaefer said. "It was a difficult fight to put together but this was the fight I kept hearing from fans and media that they wanted to see. Golden Boy made some concessions and we got the fight done."
"I want this fight and the fans want to see this fight," said Khan, who had called Schaefer's cell phone from England and spoke to ESPN.com. "It's two explosive styles meeting up. It's the explosive puncher [Maidana] against the quick and explosive boxer. They say Maidana has a style to beat a boxer, so let's see how good he is. Maidana wants to stop me from having my legacy, but that is not going to happen. But let him try."
Khan, who will be making his third defense, will get at least $1.5 million, plus revenue from the television rights in the United Kingdom. Maidana will earn $550,000 plus an undisclosed bump if he wins the fight.
Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), 23, won an Olympic silver medal in 2004. In 2009, Khan claimed a 140-pound world title by easily out-boxing Andriy Kotelnik, who had handed Maidana his only loss, a decision, in the fight before losing the title to Khan.
Khan's first defense was a 76-second demolition of mandatory challenger Dmitriy Salita in December. In May, Khan made his American debut with a dominant 11th-round knockout of Paulie Malignaggi in New York, Malignaggi's hometown.
Khan said he has no problem coming back to the U.S. to fight Maidana.
"I'm coming to fight him where he wants to fight. But I want this fight, so I am going where he wants to fight," Khan said. "That's how much I want this fight."
Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs), 27, stopped Victor Ortiz in the sixth round in June 2009 to claim the interim belt. He's defended it three times, including a difficult decision win against former titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley in Argentina on Aug. 28.
Schaefer said a second televised bout will be added to the card. He said it could involve Ortiz, if he wins his fight with Vivian Harris on Saturday's Mosley-Mora undercard. Another possibility, Schaefer said, could be a match involving fast-rising middleweight Gennady Golovkin, who is promoted by Universum, Golden Boy's partner on Maidana's contract.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
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Updated: September 16, 2010, 2:46 AM ET
Jhonny Gonzalez tops Aussie for crown
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Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico City stopped Australia's Jackson Asiku in the fifth round Wednesday night to capture the IBO featherweight title.
In the fifth, Gonzalez put together a flurry of punches to the head that forced the champion into the corner and rendered him helpless.
Gonzalez, the former WBO bantamweight champion, dropped Asiku with a series of combinations to the head in the fourth round and with left hooks to the head two times in the fifth.
Asiku was transported to a hospital for examination after the bout.
Gonzalez improved to 46-7 with 44 knockouts, while Asiku fell to 26-4 with 14 KOs.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
Jhonny Gonzalez tops Aussie for crown
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Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Jhonny Gonzalez of Mexico City stopped Australia's Jackson Asiku in the fifth round Wednesday night to capture the IBO featherweight title.
In the fifth, Gonzalez put together a flurry of punches to the head that forced the champion into the corner and rendered him helpless.
Gonzalez, the former WBO bantamweight champion, dropped Asiku with a series of combinations to the head in the fourth round and with left hooks to the head two times in the fifth.
Asiku was transported to a hospital for examination after the bout.
Gonzalez improved to 46-7 with 44 knockouts, while Asiku fell to 26-4 with 14 KOs.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
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One of top reasons boxing is dying is the Klitschko's. They killed the heavyweight division. Their fights don't have that big fight feel to them.
I'd rather watch MMA than The Boring Brothers of Commieville(ex)
I'd rather watch MMA than The Boring Brothers of Commieville(ex)
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? Go add a MMA thread, good idea.
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Updated: September 16, 2010, 6:39 PM ET
Floyd Mayweather charged
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906
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was hit Thursday with three more felony charges in a domestic violence case that already had him facing a theft charge.
Clark County District Attorney David Roger significantly raised the ante in the case alleging that Mayweather hit and threatened the life of his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, and threatened to beat two of their children during a pre-dawn argument at the woman's home a week ago.
Mayweather, 33, is one of boxing's most recognizable figures, with a record of 41-0 and 25 knockouts. The welterweight goes by the nickname "Money" and earned more than $20 million in May in one fight in Las Vegas against "Sugar" Shane Mosley
Mayweather remained free on $3,000 bail pending arraignment Nov. 9 following his arrest last Friday on a felony grand larceny charge.
Authorities alleged he took cell phones belonging to Harris and two of their children following the altercation. That felony charge carries a possible sentence of five years.
The new criminal complaint filed Thursday added two felony coercion and one felony robbery charge along with one misdemeanor domestic battery and three misdemeanor harassment charges.
Convictions on all eight charges would increase the possible penalty Mayweather could face if convicted of all charges to 34 years.
Mayweather's lawyer, Richard Wright, told The Associated Press he hadn't seen the new complaint and declined immediate comment.
Wright has previously denied wrongdoing on Mayweather's behalf.
Police initially labeled the scuffle with Harris a domestic battery case after she told police Mayweather was angry about her relationship with another man when he confronted her at the Las Vegas home where Harris and the children live.
Mayweather wanted to evict her from the house, which he owns, Harris said.
The new charges name the couple's 10-year-old and 9-year-old sons as victims of coercion, for alleged threats to beat them if they called 911 or left the apartment during the scuffle.
Under Nevada law, coercion is when a person compels or forces someone to do something they have a legal right to do.
The harassment charges allege that Mayweather threatened Harris and the two children, and the battery charge alleges Mayweather grabbed Harris by her hair, hit her and twisted her arm.
The couple had three children, now ages 7 to 10, during what Harris characterized for authorities as a 15-year relationship. She said she lived with Mayweather for seven years before separating in May.
Mayweather also made headlines earlier this month with an online video laced with expletives and racial rants against boxing rival Manny Pacquiao.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
Floyd Mayweather charged
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906
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was hit Thursday with three more felony charges in a domestic violence case that already had him facing a theft charge.
Clark County District Attorney David Roger significantly raised the ante in the case alleging that Mayweather hit and threatened the life of his ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, and threatened to beat two of their children during a pre-dawn argument at the woman's home a week ago.
Mayweather, 33, is one of boxing's most recognizable figures, with a record of 41-0 and 25 knockouts. The welterweight goes by the nickname "Money" and earned more than $20 million in May in one fight in Las Vegas against "Sugar" Shane Mosley
Mayweather remained free on $3,000 bail pending arraignment Nov. 9 following his arrest last Friday on a felony grand larceny charge.
Authorities alleged he took cell phones belonging to Harris and two of their children following the altercation. That felony charge carries a possible sentence of five years.
The new criminal complaint filed Thursday added two felony coercion and one felony robbery charge along with one misdemeanor domestic battery and three misdemeanor harassment charges.
Convictions on all eight charges would increase the possible penalty Mayweather could face if convicted of all charges to 34 years.
Mayweather's lawyer, Richard Wright, told The Associated Press he hadn't seen the new complaint and declined immediate comment.
Wright has previously denied wrongdoing on Mayweather's behalf.
Police initially labeled the scuffle with Harris a domestic battery case after she told police Mayweather was angry about her relationship with another man when he confronted her at the Las Vegas home where Harris and the children live.
Mayweather wanted to evict her from the house, which he owns, Harris said.
The new charges name the couple's 10-year-old and 9-year-old sons as victims of coercion, for alleged threats to beat them if they called 911 or left the apartment during the scuffle.
Under Nevada law, coercion is when a person compels or forces someone to do something they have a legal right to do.
The harassment charges allege that Mayweather threatened Harris and the two children, and the battery charge alleges Mayweather grabbed Harris by her hair, hit her and twisted her arm.
The couple had three children, now ages 7 to 10, during what Harris characterized for authorities as a 15-year relationship. She said she lived with Mayweather for seven years before separating in May.
Mayweather also made headlines earlier this month with an online video laced with expletives and racial rants against boxing rival Manny Pacquiao.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
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Updated: October 4, 2010, 9:08 PM ET
Mike Tyson on HOF ballot for 1st time
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By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and all-time great Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. are among three fighters on the International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
Joining them in their first year of eligibility is former undisputed junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu of Australia.
Full members of the Boxing Writers Association of America began receiving ballots Monday. They are due back to the Hall of Fame by Nov. 1. Results of the balloting will be announced on Dec. 7 with the annual induction ceremony at the Canastota, N.Y, shrine scheduled for June 12. Fighters must be retired for five years before they become eligible for election.
The trio of Tyson, Chavez and Tszyu, all popular fighters around the world, being on the ballot for the first time gives the Hall of Fame the potential for a star-studded class.
"Like in any sport, there are various years where some names are more popular than in other years, but we look at each inductee equal to each other for their achievements in the ring," Ed Brophy, the executive director of the Hall, said. "The 2011 ballot has some high-profile names on it, which generates a lot of interest and excitement with boxing fans."
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), one of the most famous and feared fighters in history, was just 20 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round in 1986 to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever. Tyson made nine defenses, including unifying the three major titles, during his four-year reign of destruction.
He knocked out former champion Larry Holmes in 1988 and blew away Michael Spinks, unbeaten at the time and owner of the lineal title, in a memorable 91-second demolition in 1988. At the time, it was the biggest money fight in boxing history. Tyson was dethroned by Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in a shocking 1990 upset.
Tyson would later go to prison on a rape conviction, but eventually won two more belts in 1996, knocking out Frank Bruno in the third round and Bruce Seldon in the first round before losing back-to-back fights to Evander Holyfield in fights that set box office records.
Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KOs), regarded by many as the best fighter in Mexico's rich boxing history, was a three-division champion and long reigned atop of the pound-for-pound list. He claimed titles at junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight in a career that spanned 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.
Chavez won his first title, the WBC junior lightweight belt, in 1984, stopping Mario Martinez in the eighth round, and made nine defenses. In 1987, he stopped Edwin Rosario in the 11th round to win the WBA version of the lightweight title and eventually unified belts by defeating Jose Luis Ramirez via 11th-round technical decision in 1988. In his next fight, Chavez stopped Roger Mayweather in the 10th round to claim WBC junior welterweight title.
Chavez's third defense of that title was perhaps his most memorable fight. He met Meldrick Taylor in the 140-pound unification fight in Las Vegas in 1990 and was trailing on all three scorecards entering the 12th and final round. But Chavez rallied to drop Taylor, and referee Richard Steele, in one of the most controversial calls in boxing history, stopped the fight with two seconds left. The fight was later named fight of the year by Ring magazine.
Chavez reigned until Oscar De La Hoya dethroned him in 1996.
Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs), who was born in Russia but moved to Australia after his standout amateur career, had two junior welterweight title reigns during his 13-year professional career. He stopped Jake Rodriguez in the sixth round in 1995 to claim the IBF 140-pound title and defended it five times until suffering an upset knockout loss to Vince Phillips.
But Tszyu's second title reign is where he made his mark as he collected three major titles to become undisputed champion. He stopped Miguel Angel Gonzalez in the 10th round to claim a vacant belt in 1999 and made eight dominant defenses, including stopping an aging Chavez. Tszyu also scored knockouts against Sharmba Mitchell and Zab Judah in title unification bouts to become undisputed champion.
Tszyu eventually was stopped by Ricky Hatton in the 11th round of their 2005 showdown, and although Tszyu never announced his retirement, he has not fought since.
The rest of the field on the 45-man ballot are holdovers from previous years, including former featherweight champion "Prince" Naseem Hamed, former welterweight champ Donald Curry, former super middleweight titlist Sven Ottke and former three-division titlist Wilfredo Vazquez.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
Mike Tyson on HOF ballot for 1st time
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22
By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and all-time great Mexican icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. are among three fighters on the International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.
Joining them in their first year of eligibility is former undisputed junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu of Australia.
Full members of the Boxing Writers Association of America began receiving ballots Monday. They are due back to the Hall of Fame by Nov. 1. Results of the balloting will be announced on Dec. 7 with the annual induction ceremony at the Canastota, N.Y, shrine scheduled for June 12. Fighters must be retired for five years before they become eligible for election.
The trio of Tyson, Chavez and Tszyu, all popular fighters around the world, being on the ballot for the first time gives the Hall of Fame the potential for a star-studded class.
"Like in any sport, there are various years where some names are more popular than in other years, but we look at each inductee equal to each other for their achievements in the ring," Ed Brophy, the executive director of the Hall, said. "The 2011 ballot has some high-profile names on it, which generates a lot of interest and excitement with boxing fans."
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), one of the most famous and feared fighters in history, was just 20 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round in 1986 to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever. Tyson made nine defenses, including unifying the three major titles, during his four-year reign of destruction.
He knocked out former champion Larry Holmes in 1988 and blew away Michael Spinks, unbeaten at the time and owner of the lineal title, in a memorable 91-second demolition in 1988. At the time, it was the biggest money fight in boxing history. Tyson was dethroned by Buster Douglas, who knocked him out in a shocking 1990 upset.
Tyson would later go to prison on a rape conviction, but eventually won two more belts in 1996, knocking out Frank Bruno in the third round and Bruce Seldon in the first round before losing back-to-back fights to Evander Holyfield in fights that set box office records.
Chavez (107-6-2, 86 KOs), regarded by many as the best fighter in Mexico's rich boxing history, was a three-division champion and long reigned atop of the pound-for-pound list. He claimed titles at junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight in a career that spanned 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.
Chavez won his first title, the WBC junior lightweight belt, in 1984, stopping Mario Martinez in the eighth round, and made nine defenses. In 1987, he stopped Edwin Rosario in the 11th round to win the WBA version of the lightweight title and eventually unified belts by defeating Jose Luis Ramirez via 11th-round technical decision in 1988. In his next fight, Chavez stopped Roger Mayweather in the 10th round to claim WBC junior welterweight title.
Chavez's third defense of that title was perhaps his most memorable fight. He met Meldrick Taylor in the 140-pound unification fight in Las Vegas in 1990 and was trailing on all three scorecards entering the 12th and final round. But Chavez rallied to drop Taylor, and referee Richard Steele, in one of the most controversial calls in boxing history, stopped the fight with two seconds left. The fight was later named fight of the year by Ring magazine.
Chavez reigned until Oscar De La Hoya dethroned him in 1996.
Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs), who was born in Russia but moved to Australia after his standout amateur career, had two junior welterweight title reigns during his 13-year professional career. He stopped Jake Rodriguez in the sixth round in 1995 to claim the IBF 140-pound title and defended it five times until suffering an upset knockout loss to Vince Phillips.
But Tszyu's second title reign is where he made his mark as he collected three major titles to become undisputed champion. He stopped Miguel Angel Gonzalez in the 10th round to claim a vacant belt in 1999 and made eight dominant defenses, including stopping an aging Chavez. Tszyu also scored knockouts against Sharmba Mitchell and Zab Judah in title unification bouts to become undisputed champion.
Tszyu eventually was stopped by Ricky Hatton in the 11th round of their 2005 showdown, and although Tszyu never announced his retirement, he has not fought since.
The rest of the field on the 45-man ballot are holdovers from previous years, including former featherweight champion "Prince" Naseem Hamed, former welterweight champ Donald Curry, former super middleweight titlist Sven Ottke and former three-division titlist Wilfredo Vazquez.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.
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Updated: March 22, 2011, 10:46 AM ET
Emanuel Steward trains Tom Zbikowski
ESPN.com news services
The NFL lockout has allowed Tom Zbikowski to pursue his passion for boxing. He already has won one fight this year and now he's being trained by a Hall of Famer for his next bout.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
Emanuel Steward told SI.com that he is training the Baltimore Ravens safety and will be in his corner for his fight Saturday night in Atlantic City, N.J., on the Yuri Gamboa-Jorge Solis undercard. He is training Zbikowski in Detroit at the Kronk Boxing Gym.
"He told me boxing was his first love," Steward told SI.com. "I don't know where this is going to go right now but he seems committed to it."
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has no problems with Zbikowski boxing during the lockout.
"I think it's awesome," Bisciotti told The Baltimore Sun. "I wanted to walk him into the ring but I'm not allowed to communicate with him. I would get the Don King hair going."
Fighting for the second time as a pro, Zbikowski barely broke a sweat earlier this month when he stopped Richard Bryant at 1:45 of the first round of a scheduled four-round fight on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga 154-pound title fight.
Steward told SI.com that he watched tape of Zbikowski's victory and was impressed, saying his movements were "beautiful."
The former Notre Dame star had a stellar amateur boxing career, going 75-15 and reaching the finals of the Chicago Golden Gloves, where he had to withdraw because of a family emergency.
He turned professional before his senior season with the Fighting Irish, and knocked out Robert Bell in the first round at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2006. He then shelved his boxing ambitions when it became apparent that he would be a high NFL draft pick.
Baltimore selected him in the third round in 2008, and he's made 10 starts in 39 games.
Before his first fight this month, Zbikowski said he believes he has the Ravens' support based on his previous boxing experience.
Steward says Zbikowski looks like he belongs in the ring.
"He has such beautiful balance. He has a great natural rhythm and he's always in position when he is punching," he told SI.com. "He doesn't box like a football player. He boxes like a boxer."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Emanuel Steward trains Tom Zbikowski
ESPN.com news services
The NFL lockout has allowed Tom Zbikowski to pursue his passion for boxing. He already has won one fight this year and now he's being trained by a Hall of Famer for his next bout.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
Emanuel Steward told SI.com that he is training the Baltimore Ravens safety and will be in his corner for his fight Saturday night in Atlantic City, N.J., on the Yuri Gamboa-Jorge Solis undercard. He is training Zbikowski in Detroit at the Kronk Boxing Gym.
"He told me boxing was his first love," Steward told SI.com. "I don't know where this is going to go right now but he seems committed to it."
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has no problems with Zbikowski boxing during the lockout.
"I think it's awesome," Bisciotti told The Baltimore Sun. "I wanted to walk him into the ring but I'm not allowed to communicate with him. I would get the Don King hair going."
Fighting for the second time as a pro, Zbikowski barely broke a sweat earlier this month when he stopped Richard Bryant at 1:45 of the first round of a scheduled four-round fight on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto-Ricardo Mayorga 154-pound title fight.
Steward told SI.com that he watched tape of Zbikowski's victory and was impressed, saying his movements were "beautiful."
The former Notre Dame star had a stellar amateur boxing career, going 75-15 and reaching the finals of the Chicago Golden Gloves, where he had to withdraw because of a family emergency.
He turned professional before his senior season with the Fighting Irish, and knocked out Robert Bell in the first round at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2006. He then shelved his boxing ambitions when it became apparent that he would be a high NFL draft pick.
Baltimore selected him in the third round in 2008, and he's made 10 starts in 39 games.
Before his first fight this month, Zbikowski said he believes he has the Ravens' support based on his previous boxing experience.
Steward says Zbikowski looks like he belongs in the ring.
"He has such beautiful balance. He has a great natural rhythm and he's always in position when he is punching," he told SI.com. "He doesn't box like a football player. He boxes like a boxer."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Manny Pacquiao suit moves forward
Updated: March 22, 2011, 2:16 AM ET
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit against longtime boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others rests on firm allegations and can continue, a Nevada federal judge said in a court order Monday that denied a motion to dismiss the case.
U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks said Pacquiao has sufficient evidence to continue his lawsuit that alleges Mayweather and others acted with malice by accusing the Filipino boxer in a series of interviews of using performance-enhancing drugs.
"Moving defendants argue that Pacquiao has failed to sufficiently allege malice because moving defendants could not have known one way or the other whether Pacquiao had actually taken PEDs when they made the alleged defamatory statements," the order reads. "However, the court finds that Pacquiao has sufficiently pled malice in the amended complaint."
The truth did not stop [Floyd] Mayweather and the others. That is because they are motivated by ill will, spite, malice, revenge and envy.
Pacquiao claimed in the suit that he has never tested positive for any performance-enhancing drugs, but that Mayweather, Mayweather's father and uncle, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer embarked on a campaign to make people think he used drugs.
"The truth did not stop Mayweather and the others," the suit contends. "That is because they are motivated by ill will, spite, malice, revenge and envy."
Mark Tratos, a Las Vegas lawyer who represents Mayweather Promotions LLC, said the lawsuit was without merit and he would continue to fight for its dismissal. He said the defendants merely questioned Pacquiao's reluctance to submit to drug testing, but stopped short of declaring Pacquiao a drug user. Statements of defamation must consist of facts, not opinions.
Tratos said Pacquiao would also have trouble proving the defendants acted with malice, which is required because the famous boxer is a public figure.
"The malice standard is very, very high," Tratos said. "We do not believe it can be met by the plaintiff."
Schaefer declined to comment on the court order. De La Hoya's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Pacquiao's attorney, Dan Petrocelli, said his client's professional career would suffer if boxing fans believe he used steroids or human growth hormone to win titles in seven weight classes.
"Manny has an unblemished reputation and has earned all of his achievements through hard work and his natural-born talent and to call him a cheater is something he cannot and will not tolerate," Petrocelli said. "None of these defendants have had any evidence to back up the assertion that he has taken performance-enhancing drugs because he didn't. It's very false."
Pacquiao's suit cites various interviews given by the defendants in which they intimated that Pacquiao's strength and power were not natural. Among the interviews cited was an October radio interview in which Mayweather Jr. allegedly said Pacquiao's physique was different "cause we know the Philippines got the best enhancing drugs."
Pacquiao claimed comments by Mayweather, his father, Floyd Sr., and trainer, Roger Mayweather, were part of a defamation campaign against him.
"Mayweather Jr. and the others set out on a course designed to destroy Pacquiao's career, reputation, honor and legacy and jeopardize his ability to earn the highest levels of compensation," the suit contends.
The 2009 suit came as both sides were battling to reach an agreement for a proposed fight between the champion boxers. The negotiations fell apart over demands by the Mayweather camp that both fighters submit to random blood and urine tests leading up to the bout. Mayweather wanted blood tests up to 14 days before the fight, while Pacquiao claimed he feels weak after drawing blood and would not agree to testing within 24 days.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Updated: March 22, 2011, 2:16 AM ET
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit against longtime boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others rests on firm allegations and can continue, a Nevada federal judge said in a court order Monday that denied a motion to dismiss the case.
U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks said Pacquiao has sufficient evidence to continue his lawsuit that alleges Mayweather and others acted with malice by accusing the Filipino boxer in a series of interviews of using performance-enhancing drugs.
"Moving defendants argue that Pacquiao has failed to sufficiently allege malice because moving defendants could not have known one way or the other whether Pacquiao had actually taken PEDs when they made the alleged defamatory statements," the order reads. "However, the court finds that Pacquiao has sufficiently pled malice in the amended complaint."
The truth did not stop [Floyd] Mayweather and the others. That is because they are motivated by ill will, spite, malice, revenge and envy.
Pacquiao claimed in the suit that he has never tested positive for any performance-enhancing drugs, but that Mayweather, Mayweather's father and uncle, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer embarked on a campaign to make people think he used drugs.
"The truth did not stop Mayweather and the others," the suit contends. "That is because they are motivated by ill will, spite, malice, revenge and envy."
Mark Tratos, a Las Vegas lawyer who represents Mayweather Promotions LLC, said the lawsuit was without merit and he would continue to fight for its dismissal. He said the defendants merely questioned Pacquiao's reluctance to submit to drug testing, but stopped short of declaring Pacquiao a drug user. Statements of defamation must consist of facts, not opinions.
Tratos said Pacquiao would also have trouble proving the defendants acted with malice, which is required because the famous boxer is a public figure.
"The malice standard is very, very high," Tratos said. "We do not believe it can be met by the plaintiff."
Schaefer declined to comment on the court order. De La Hoya's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.
Pacquiao's attorney, Dan Petrocelli, said his client's professional career would suffer if boxing fans believe he used steroids or human growth hormone to win titles in seven weight classes.
"Manny has an unblemished reputation and has earned all of his achievements through hard work and his natural-born talent and to call him a cheater is something he cannot and will not tolerate," Petrocelli said. "None of these defendants have had any evidence to back up the assertion that he has taken performance-enhancing drugs because he didn't. It's very false."
Pacquiao's suit cites various interviews given by the defendants in which they intimated that Pacquiao's strength and power were not natural. Among the interviews cited was an October radio interview in which Mayweather Jr. allegedly said Pacquiao's physique was different "cause we know the Philippines got the best enhancing drugs."
Pacquiao claimed comments by Mayweather, his father, Floyd Sr., and trainer, Roger Mayweather, were part of a defamation campaign against him.
"Mayweather Jr. and the others set out on a course designed to destroy Pacquiao's career, reputation, honor and legacy and jeopardize his ability to earn the highest levels of compensation," the suit contends.
The 2009 suit came as both sides were battling to reach an agreement for a proposed fight between the champion boxers. The negotiations fell apart over demands by the Mayweather camp that both fighters submit to random blood and urine tests leading up to the bout. Mayweather wanted blood tests up to 14 days before the fight, while Pacquiao claimed he feels weak after drawing blood and would not agree to testing within 24 days.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
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Updated: April 16, 2011, 11:59 PM ET
Victor Ortiz upsets Andre Berto
LEDYARD, Conn. -- Victor Ortiz rode three knockdowns to a stunning upset victory over previously unbeaten Andre Berto in a World Boxing Council welterweight title fight in the MGM Grand at the Foxwoods Resort Casino Saturday night.
Ortiz (29-2-2) won a unanimous decision despite having a point taken away for hitting behind the head. The three judges scored it 114-112, 114-111 and 115-110.
Berto had made five successful title defenses since he took the WBC welterweight crown in June 2008, when he knocked out Miguel Rodriguez in the seventh round.
On Saturday night, Berto (27-1) was nearly knocked out in Round 1. Ortiz came out firing combinations from the bell, stunning Berto with a right hand followed by a left hook that put the champion on the canvas.
With Berto clearly dazed, Ortiz tried to finish his rival off. He produced another knockdown, but Berto made it out of the round.
Ortiz appeared to be in command in Round 2, when out of nowhere, Berto connected with a short right hand that sent Ortiz backpedaling. He didn't go down, but took a brief count from referee Michael Ortega.
The brisk pace continued in Round 3 with Ortiz continuing to apply the pressure. Ortiz continued to stalk Berto in Round 4. Berto kept waving at his opponent to keep coming forward, and Ortiz was happy to oblige.
Berto, 27, came alive in Round 6 and was pummeling Ortiz.
He knocked Ortiz down with a right hand. But just seconds before the round ended, Ortiz flattened Berto with a left hook. Berto got up with no trouble just before the bell sounded to end the round.
After three uneventful rounds, Berto landed a good right to begin Round 10. Ortiz, who had been warned earlier about hitting in the back of the head, had a point taken away by Ortega. That seemed to motivate him, and he finished the round with a solid combination.
Ortiz clearly had the better of it in Round 11.
Ortiz, 24, now has a six-fight winning streak. He hasn't lost since June of 2009, when he was knocked out in the sixth round by Marcus Maidana.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Victor Ortiz upsets Andre Berto
LEDYARD, Conn. -- Victor Ortiz rode three knockdowns to a stunning upset victory over previously unbeaten Andre Berto in a World Boxing Council welterweight title fight in the MGM Grand at the Foxwoods Resort Casino Saturday night.
Ortiz (29-2-2) won a unanimous decision despite having a point taken away for hitting behind the head. The three judges scored it 114-112, 114-111 and 115-110.
Berto had made five successful title defenses since he took the WBC welterweight crown in June 2008, when he knocked out Miguel Rodriguez in the seventh round.
On Saturday night, Berto (27-1) was nearly knocked out in Round 1. Ortiz came out firing combinations from the bell, stunning Berto with a right hand followed by a left hook that put the champion on the canvas.
With Berto clearly dazed, Ortiz tried to finish his rival off. He produced another knockdown, but Berto made it out of the round.
Ortiz appeared to be in command in Round 2, when out of nowhere, Berto connected with a short right hand that sent Ortiz backpedaling. He didn't go down, but took a brief count from referee Michael Ortega.
The brisk pace continued in Round 3 with Ortiz continuing to apply the pressure. Ortiz continued to stalk Berto in Round 4. Berto kept waving at his opponent to keep coming forward, and Ortiz was happy to oblige.
Berto, 27, came alive in Round 6 and was pummeling Ortiz.
He knocked Ortiz down with a right hand. But just seconds before the round ended, Ortiz flattened Berto with a left hook. Berto got up with no trouble just before the bell sounded to end the round.
After three uneventful rounds, Berto landed a good right to begin Round 10. Ortiz, who had been warned earlier about hitting in the back of the head, had a point taken away by Ortega. That seemed to motivate him, and he finished the round with a solid combination.
Ortiz clearly had the better of it in Round 11.
Ortiz, 24, now has a six-fight winning streak. He hasn't lost since June of 2009, when he was knocked out in the sixth round by Marcus Maidana.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press