Middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin isn't known in the United States by anyone other than the most freakish of Fight Freaks. But make no mistake, he's good. And if he has his way, he won't be unknown for long.
Golovkin was a decorated amateur. He claimed a silver medal for Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympics, beating Andre Dirrell on his way to the hardware. Other fighters you may have heard of whom he beat in the unpaid ranks: Lucian Bute (by stoppage), Andy Lee, Yordanis Despaigne and Matvey Korobov. Not a bad group is it?
As a professional, Golovkin had been based in Germany while fighting for promoter Universum, which is nearly out of business now. He has left the company and signed with K2 Promotions -- the company owned by heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. If Golovkin and K2 execute their plan, he will soon be fighting important fights on these shores.
Golovkin is already training in Big Bear, Calif., with trainer Abel Sanchez and hopes to make a splash in the U.S. this year.
In an effort to raise his profile in America, the 29-year-old Golovkin (22-0, 19 KOs) hit New York this week -- along with K2's Tom Loeffler and manager Max Hermann -- to try to drum up interest. He attended a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, where he dreams of fighting one day. He also met with the ambassador from Kazakhstan. But the more important meetings were business-related. Loeffler said Golovkin's group met with MSG executives, who are interested in having Golovkin fight at the Garden. Then were the meetings with the television networks. The fighter's group met with Epix on Wednesday and is slated to meet with HBO and Showtime on Thursday, Loeffler said.
"When he was with Universum, there was not much publicity for him, but he is really committed to fighting here, especially in New York -- and that's what we want to make clear to everyone, especially the television networks," Loeffler said of Golovkin on Wednesday. "He speaks Russian, German and his English is getting better. Now that he is signed with K2, part of our commitment to him was to bring him to the United States. Universum was keeping him in Europe.
"But we really believe in Gennady. He will fight anyone. We will make that clear to the networks, that he won't pick and choose his opponents. They'll have a fighter who will fight who they want him to fight. If that means Andy Lee or Daniel Geale or Dmitry Pirog or Peter Quillin or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Sergio Martinez, fine. They can pick. We just want the opportunity."
Golovkin hopes to fight in April. It could take place in Europe or possibly in the United States "if we can get backing from a U.S. TV network," Loeffler said.
Golovkin would like to fight titleholder Felix Sturm of Germany to clear up the issue of both of them holding versions of the WBA title. That's a fight that would make the most sense in Germany, but for anything else, Golovkin welcomes the chance to fight in America.
"I have this dream," said Golovkin, whose visit to New York this week is his first. "It is to fight in America, especially at Madison Square Garden, which has such a big history of boxing. My dream has always been to fight in the U.S. and Madison Square Garden because there is a lot of big boxing history."
Fight fans probably will take to Golovkin if they get a chance to watch him. He's a crowd-pleaser. In Germany in December, Golovkin made his third title defense, scoring a spectacular first-round knockout of Philadelphia's Lajuan Simon. In his previous defense last June, Golovkin had a terrific fight with former junior middleweight titleholder Kassim Ouma before stopping him in the 10th round.
"My style is that I'm aggressive, always going forward and putting big pressure on my opponents," Golovkin said. "What I'm doing now in Big Bear is trying to combine all the different styles -- the old Soviet style, the American style and the Mexican style."
Golovkin mentioned two famous fighters whose styles he most likes and tries to emulate: Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Robinson.
"I like Tyson's style, with the power, and I've see a lot of Robinson tapes and I like him," he said. "Tyson's style is what I look up to. My trainer and me go over old tapes. I also watch Terry Norris tapes, too."
If Golovkin can get the kind of fights he wants against the best-known middleweights and keeps adding to his undefeated record in the kind of exciting fights fans want to see, who knows? Maybe someday a young boxer in the future will talk to a writer about how he likes to watch Gennady Golovkin videos.
Golovkin was a decorated amateur. He claimed a silver medal for Kazakhstan in the 2004 Olympics, beating Andre Dirrell on his way to the hardware. Other fighters you may have heard of whom he beat in the unpaid ranks: Lucian Bute (by stoppage), Andy Lee, Yordanis Despaigne and Matvey Korobov. Not a bad group is it?
As a professional, Golovkin had been based in Germany while fighting for promoter Universum, which is nearly out of business now. He has left the company and signed with K2 Promotions -- the company owned by heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. If Golovkin and K2 execute their plan, he will soon be fighting important fights on these shores.
Golovkin is already training in Big Bear, Calif., with trainer Abel Sanchez and hopes to make a splash in the U.S. this year.
In an effort to raise his profile in America, the 29-year-old Golovkin (22-0, 19 KOs) hit New York this week -- along with K2's Tom Loeffler and manager Max Hermann -- to try to drum up interest. He attended a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, where he dreams of fighting one day. He also met with the ambassador from Kazakhstan. But the more important meetings were business-related. Loeffler said Golovkin's group met with MSG executives, who are interested in having Golovkin fight at the Garden. Then were the meetings with the television networks. The fighter's group met with Epix on Wednesday and is slated to meet with HBO and Showtime on Thursday, Loeffler said.
"When he was with Universum, there was not much publicity for him, but he is really committed to fighting here, especially in New York -- and that's what we want to make clear to everyone, especially the television networks," Loeffler said of Golovkin on Wednesday. "He speaks Russian, German and his English is getting better. Now that he is signed with K2, part of our commitment to him was to bring him to the United States. Universum was keeping him in Europe.
"But we really believe in Gennady. He will fight anyone. We will make that clear to the networks, that he won't pick and choose his opponents. They'll have a fighter who will fight who they want him to fight. If that means Andy Lee or Daniel Geale or Dmitry Pirog or Peter Quillin or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Sergio Martinez, fine. They can pick. We just want the opportunity."
Golovkin hopes to fight in April. It could take place in Europe or possibly in the United States "if we can get backing from a U.S. TV network," Loeffler said.
Golovkin would like to fight titleholder Felix Sturm of Germany to clear up the issue of both of them holding versions of the WBA title. That's a fight that would make the most sense in Germany, but for anything else, Golovkin welcomes the chance to fight in America.
"I have this dream," said Golovkin, whose visit to New York this week is his first. "It is to fight in America, especially at Madison Square Garden, which has such a big history of boxing. My dream has always been to fight in the U.S. and Madison Square Garden because there is a lot of big boxing history."
Fight fans probably will take to Golovkin if they get a chance to watch him. He's a crowd-pleaser. In Germany in December, Golovkin made his third title defense, scoring a spectacular first-round knockout of Philadelphia's Lajuan Simon. In his previous defense last June, Golovkin had a terrific fight with former junior middleweight titleholder Kassim Ouma before stopping him in the 10th round.
"My style is that I'm aggressive, always going forward and putting big pressure on my opponents," Golovkin said. "What I'm doing now in Big Bear is trying to combine all the different styles -- the old Soviet style, the American style and the Mexican style."
Golovkin mentioned two famous fighters whose styles he most likes and tries to emulate: Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Robinson.
"I like Tyson's style, with the power, and I've see a lot of Robinson tapes and I like him," he said. "Tyson's style is what I look up to. My trainer and me go over old tapes. I also watch Terry Norris tapes, too."
If Golovkin can get the kind of fights he wants against the best-known middleweights and keeps adding to his undefeated record in the kind of exciting fights fans want to see, who knows? Maybe someday a young boxer in the future will talk to a writer about how he likes to watch Gennady Golovkin videos.
One can criticize middleweight titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for a number of things. The caliber of opponents he has faced, for instance. His need for radical weight loss in the final days before a fight. The fact he was arrested and charged with drunken driving two weeks before last Saturday's defense against Marco Antonio Rubio in San Antonio, a fight Chavez wound up winning fairly easily.
But Chavez did not duck a postfight drug test after beating Rubio. Unfortunately, Rubio's team caused a stir when it claimed that Chavez "practically fled from the dressing room without leaving a sample."
Chavez did not flee. He was in his dressing room for more than a half-hour after the fight. He showered and waited for a Texas official to come for his sample. If he was fleeing the scene to avoid a urine test, would he have hung out in the dressing room and then spent another half-hour at the postfight press conference?
"It's no more Julio's responsibility to track down the commission so he can take a drug test than it was for Rubio to tell the referee to take a point after he hit Julio low for the fifth time," Billy Keane, Chavez's manager, said. "We abide by the rules. Nobody came to ask us for a sample, which he was ready to provide. We would abide by anything that the commission or sanctioning body asked us to do. No more and no less."
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation doesn't require boxers to be drug tested. The state, however, usually tests fighters, even if it means just some randomly selected fighters on a card. Texas will also test title-fight contestants at the request of a sanctioning organization.
The Texas rules (which should be changed to require testing, but that's a story for another day) state the following: "A person who applies for or holds a license as a contestant shall provide a urine specimen for drug testing either before or after the bout, if directed by the executive director or his designee."
That didn't happen in this case. Chavez was not tested. Neither was Rubio. And neither were co-feature fighters Nonito Donaire and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., facts that the Rubio camp conveniently forgot to mention.
In fact, of the 18 fighters on the card, samples were collected from only two: junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan and his opponent, Troy Lowry.
Texas had intended to collect samples from other fighters on the card, including Chavez, Rubio, Donaire and Vazquez. But Texas screwed up, not Chavez.
The WBC, which sanctioned Chavez-Rubio, screwed up, too. The WBC requires postfight testing in its rules, but says it must be conducted by the local commission. So that means the WBC can order testing but has no way to enforce it. The WBC dropped the ball by not making absolutely certain that Texas officials were prepared to properly administer the tests. Just talking about it at the prefight rules meeting wasn't good enough.
Checking with Texas officials would have derailed any gossip from the Rubio camp. I checked with Susan Stanford, the very capable and always helpful public information officer for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, who gave me the following statement:
"The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation did not book the drug testing laboratory for the Top Rank event on February 4, 2012. Specimens were taken from Lowry and Martirosyan, but in the absence of the independent testing laboratory the integrity of the samples could not be assured and they were destroyed. No further samples were taken. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regrets this oversight and is addressing the procedure going forward."
There are reasons why somebody might be suspicious of Chavez, who struggled severely to make 159½ pounds for Friday's weigh-in and then blew up 21½ pounds to 181 on fight night. The reason: After a November 2009 fight in Las Vegas, Chavez tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic. Diuretics are typically used to assist in weight loss or to mask steroid use.
Chavez should have been tested. So should have Rubio, Donaire and Vazquez. But they weren't. Chavez didn't avoid a drug test; he just fought his heart out.
Texas and the WBC messed up, and that shouldn't happen again. They, not Chavez, made a terrible blunder.
But Chavez did not duck a postfight drug test after beating Rubio. Unfortunately, Rubio's team caused a stir when it claimed that Chavez "practically fled from the dressing room without leaving a sample."
Chavez did not flee. He was in his dressing room for more than a half-hour after the fight. He showered and waited for a Texas official to come for his sample. If he was fleeing the scene to avoid a urine test, would he have hung out in the dressing room and then spent another half-hour at the postfight press conference?
"It's no more Julio's responsibility to track down the commission so he can take a drug test than it was for Rubio to tell the referee to take a point after he hit Julio low for the fifth time," Billy Keane, Chavez's manager, said. "We abide by the rules. Nobody came to ask us for a sample, which he was ready to provide. We would abide by anything that the commission or sanctioning body asked us to do. No more and no less."
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation doesn't require boxers to be drug tested. The state, however, usually tests fighters, even if it means just some randomly selected fighters on a card. Texas will also test title-fight contestants at the request of a sanctioning organization.
The Texas rules (which should be changed to require testing, but that's a story for another day) state the following: "A person who applies for or holds a license as a contestant shall provide a urine specimen for drug testing either before or after the bout, if directed by the executive director or his designee."
That didn't happen in this case. Chavez was not tested. Neither was Rubio. And neither were co-feature fighters Nonito Donaire and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., facts that the Rubio camp conveniently forgot to mention.
In fact, of the 18 fighters on the card, samples were collected from only two: junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan and his opponent, Troy Lowry.
Texas had intended to collect samples from other fighters on the card, including Chavez, Rubio, Donaire and Vazquez. But Texas screwed up, not Chavez.
The WBC, which sanctioned Chavez-Rubio, screwed up, too. The WBC requires postfight testing in its rules, but says it must be conducted by the local commission. So that means the WBC can order testing but has no way to enforce it. The WBC dropped the ball by not making absolutely certain that Texas officials were prepared to properly administer the tests. Just talking about it at the prefight rules meeting wasn't good enough.
Checking with Texas officials would have derailed any gossip from the Rubio camp. I checked with Susan Stanford, the very capable and always helpful public information officer for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, who gave me the following statement:
"The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation did not book the drug testing laboratory for the Top Rank event on February 4, 2012. Specimens were taken from Lowry and Martirosyan, but in the absence of the independent testing laboratory the integrity of the samples could not be assured and they were destroyed. No further samples were taken. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regrets this oversight and is addressing the procedure going forward."
There are reasons why somebody might be suspicious of Chavez, who struggled severely to make 159½ pounds for Friday's weigh-in and then blew up 21½ pounds to 181 on fight night. The reason: After a November 2009 fight in Las Vegas, Chavez tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic. Diuretics are typically used to assist in weight loss or to mask steroid use.
Chavez should have been tested. So should have Rubio, Donaire and Vazquez. But they weren't. Chavez didn't avoid a drug test; he just fought his heart out.
Texas and the WBC messed up, and that shouldn't happen again. They, not Chavez, made a terrible blunder.
I was very saddened to hear the news Wednesday night of the passing of Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee at age 90.
He wasn't just one of the nicest guys I've ever met in boxing, he was one of the nicest people I've ever met in life.
He had so much enthusiasm for everything, especially boxing. Sure, he is best known for his work in the corner of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman (in the second act of his career) and Carmen Basilio, but he also worked with more than a dozen champions overall and made his Miami gym one of the most famous in boxing history.
I knew him not so much as an active trainer, but just as a wonderful person who loved to talk boxing all the time and had more stories than he could possibly tell -- although he sure tried.
I had never met Angelo before I first started covering boxing in 2000. Maybe a month after I had started covering the beat for USA Today and had only a few articles appear in the paper, I received a hand-written letter from him at the office.
He introduced himself (as if I didn't already know who he was!) and wrote that he really enjoyed seeing the beefed-up coverage in the paper, liked the stories I had written and especially enjoyed the first edition of the monthly divisional rankings we had unveiled a couple of weeks earlier.
Angelo wasn't pushing one of his fighters or projects on me, wasn't looking for a story. Instead, he spent about three pages writing about how much he loved boxing, how happy he was to see coverage in a major newspaper and told me that if I ever needed anything to please give him a call, and he included his telephone number.
Over the years, I would call on him for his views of certain fights and fighters for stories I was working on. He was always very giving of his time, always had something interesting to say and a story to tell.
I had a chance to see him from time to time at fights he would attend. He was a joy to be around. Even into his late 80s he was still traveling around to fights, still working on one boxing-related project or another.
One of the most fun fights I ever covered was when Manny Pacquiao faced Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008. The reason was because Golden Boy Promotions had brought Angelo into the promotion as a "special consultant" to De La Hoya.
He was supposed to visit De La Hoya's training camp in Big Bear, Calif., and offer tips for the fight to De La Hoya and his trainer, Hall of Famer Nacho Beristain. Angelo was also supposed to watch tapes and assist in the strategy for the fight.
In reality, Angelo's main purpose in the promotion was to generate publicity, which he did. With the way he could talk and the stories he could tell -- and the reverence people in the business had for him -- it was a genius move. We all knew it was a publicity stunt, but so what? It was terrific to have him around during the promotion, especially as he held court daily in the MGM Grand media center.
Several years ago, Angelo was honored for his service to boxing at an ESPN2 card in Miami. My pal Jay Seidman produced a special program for the event. My job was to ghostwrite a piece by Foreman on what Dundee had meant to him. I met Foreman in a conference room at Caesars in Atlantic City, N.J., one evening after he had gone through his production meeting for the HBO fight that he would call the next night.
I sat with Foreman for about a half hour as he told me how much Angelo had meant to him when Foreman hired him to work in his corner and help him plot strategy for his fights -- including for his improbable victory against Michael Moorer to regain the heavyweight championship in 1994. He said without Angelo in his corner, he never would have regained the title.
Foreman got choked up at one point talking about Angelo; that's how much he had meant to him.
I'm sure Foreman will get choked up again now that Angelo is gone -- just like so many others who also knew him and loved the man.
Your random thoughts ...
Anyone who reads my work knows I'm no fan of the way the sanctioning bodies do business. Most of their rankings are pathetic, and most of them break their own rules with impunity. And then there are the multiple titleholders per division they crown, which is one of the cancers of boxing.
However, there are times when an organization does something right and deserves credit. Although the WBA, WBC and WBO regularly hand out multiple titles per division, including the dreaded interim titles, I'll give credit to the IBF for its judicious and appropriate use of them.
Interim titles should be used in only one scenario: when the titleholder is legitimately injured and will be unable to defend the belt for an extended period. It isn't fair to strip somebody because of an injury, but neither is it fair to keep a title tied up during a lengthy injury.
The IBF has a provision in its rules regarding when it can use an interim title, and it's going to use it now -- for the right reasons.
Junior flyweight titlist Ulises "Archie" Solis of Mexico is injured. He hasn't fought since August and likely will be out of action for several more months, which will take him at least three months past the time during which he would have been expected to make a mandatory defense.
So the IBF has agreed to allow its two highest-rated 108-pound contenders to vie for the interim title. That means former titlist Luis Lazarte of Argentina and Johnriel Casimero of the Philippines will meet Feb. 10 in Argentina for the interim belt.
And what makes the IBF's rule legit is that it won't mess around: When Solis returns, his next defense will have to be against the winner of the interim title bout -- the way it should be. This isn't the way it's handled by the other organizations, which have allowed titleholders and interim titleholders to go about making defense after defense without being ordered to face each other.
The only negative in this IBF situation is that Solis has already had to fight Lazarte, the dirtiest fighter in boxing, twice. In 2010, Solis was robbed in Argentina in a draw with Lazarte, in which the referee and scoring were so poor that the IBF ordered a rematch. The fighters met again in 2011, with Solis outpointing Lazarte in another terrible fight. It would be a shame if they had to meet again. That's one rule the IBF could stand to tweak -- dropping the loser in a mandatory fight low enough in the rankings so that an entirely unnecessary fight isn't foisted on the titleholder and public.
But the interim title usage by the IBF is exactly as it should be. IBF championships chairman Lindsey Tucker, who has served in his role since 2003, is a by-the-books guy. Under his watch, this will be only the third time the organization will employ the use of an interim world title. It used it in 2004 when junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu was injured and Sharmba Mitchell claimed the interim belt (and later got knocked out by Tszyu, upon his return). In 2006, Julio Diaz claimed the interim lightweight title when Jesus Chavez was on the shelf because of an injury, and when Chavez returned he lost to Diaz.
Anyone who reads my work knows I'm no fan of the way the sanctioning bodies do business. Most of their rankings are pathetic, and most of them break their own rules with impunity. And then there are the multiple titleholders per division they crown, which is one of the cancers of boxing.
However, there are times when an organization does something right and deserves credit. Although the WBA, WBC and WBO regularly hand out multiple titles per division, including the dreaded interim titles, I'll give credit to the IBF for its judicious and appropriate use of them.
Interim titles should be used in only one scenario: when the titleholder is legitimately injured and will be unable to defend the belt for an extended period. It isn't fair to strip somebody because of an injury, but neither is it fair to keep a title tied up during a lengthy injury.
The IBF has a provision in its rules regarding when it can use an interim title, and it's going to use it now -- for the right reasons.
Junior flyweight titlist Ulises "Archie" Solis of Mexico is injured. He hasn't fought since August and likely will be out of action for several more months, which will take him at least three months past the time during which he would have been expected to make a mandatory defense.
So the IBF has agreed to allow its two highest-rated 108-pound contenders to vie for the interim title. That means former titlist Luis Lazarte of Argentina and Johnriel Casimero of the Philippines will meet Feb. 10 in Argentina for the interim belt.
And what makes the IBF's rule legit is that it won't mess around: When Solis returns, his next defense will have to be against the winner of the interim title bout -- the way it should be. This isn't the way it's handled by the other organizations, which have allowed titleholders and interim titleholders to go about making defense after defense without being ordered to face each other.
The only negative in this IBF situation is that Solis has already had to fight Lazarte, the dirtiest fighter in boxing, twice. In 2010, Solis was robbed in Argentina in a draw with Lazarte, in which the referee and scoring were so poor that the IBF ordered a rematch. The fighters met again in 2011, with Solis outpointing Lazarte in another terrible fight. It would be a shame if they had to meet again. That's one rule the IBF could stand to tweak -- dropping the loser in a mandatory fight low enough in the rankings so that an entirely unnecessary fight isn't foisted on the titleholder and public.
But the interim title usage by the IBF is exactly as it should be. IBF championships chairman Lindsey Tucker, who has served in his role since 2003, is a by-the-books guy. Under his watch, this will be only the third time the organization will employ the use of an interim world title. It used it in 2004 when junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu was injured and Sharmba Mitchell claimed the interim belt (and later got knocked out by Tszyu, upon his return). In 2006, Julio Diaz claimed the interim lightweight title when Jesus Chavez was on the shelf because of an injury, and when Chavez returned he lost to Diaz.
• I was disappointed that President Obama took more than an hour to deliver his recent State of the Union address and couldn't find even a moment to bring up the national need for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight.
• I'm looking forward to my first trip to San Antonio later this week to cover the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Marco Antonio Rubio and Nonito Donaire-Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. doubleheader. Friday's weigh-in is scheduled to take place in front of the Alamo. That should be pretty cool -- and probably means I will remember the Alamo.
• Chuck Giampa ... um, I forgot what I was going to write.
• Has Rico Ramos thrown a punch yet against Guillermo Rigondeaux?
• I happen to think that the Edwin Rodriguez-Donovan George super middleweight bout can't possibly be a boring fight. Promoter Lou DiBella and HBO went with that fight to open the March 17 card headlined by Sergio Martinez-Matthew Macklin when they couldn't finalize a fight for Andy Lee. I'm not disappointed. Rodriguez-George is a more interesting fight than any of the opponents who were mentioned as possible Lee foes.
• So Andre Dirrell has left adviser Al Haymon and promoter Gary Shaw and has created his own promotional company. Delusion knows no bounds in this business.
• Poor Cornelius "K9" Bundrage. The junior middleweight titlist has been kept maddeningly inactive by promoter Don King and now is saddled with an absolutely horrible mandatory defense against Cory Spinks, who brings no fan interest and whom Bundrage already destroyed to win the belt in the first place.
• Congratulations to Amir Khan on his engagement.
• I really hope Top Rank and HBO can finish a deal for Brandon Rios and Yuriorkis Gamboa to go right into a fight with each other April 14 rather than wasting time on a card with each of them in interim bouts. Fingers crossed.
• The good news is that the Alexander Povetkin-Marco Huck heavyweight title bout was sanctioned. The bad news is that the winner must face Hasim Rahman next. Ewwww.
• British super middleweight prospect James DeGale, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, says he has left promoter Frank Warren and is a free agent. Warren says he still has DeGale under contract until April 14, 2013. This one should be fun to follow.
• Gotta be honest: It's hard to get excited for the April 28 rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson. But at least with it taking place in Atlantic City, N.J., I won't have to fly cross-country for it, as I did for the first fight in Los Angeles.
• Happy 28th birthday to junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson and 22nd birthday to welterweight Thomas Dulorme, one of the best prospects in boxing.
Shane Mosley, the former pound-for-pound king and three-division champion, is 40 now. He is 2-3-1 in his previous six fights, and he has looked particularly poor in going 0-2-1 in his past three since his upset knockout of plaster-less Antonio Margarito in 2009.
The last time we saw Mosley, he was knocked down in the third round and lost a shutout decision to Manny Pacquiao in their massively hyped -- and even more disappointing -- welterweight title bout last May.
Since then, Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) has kept a low profile. But now he says he is ready to return, that he is healthy and that his manager, James Prince, and attorney, Josh Dubin, have been approached by Golden Boy -- the fighter's former promoter before their falling out prior to rival Top Rank signing Mosley for the Pacquiao fight -- to gauge his interest in two potential bouts.
I talked to Mosley the other day, and he said he was asked a couple of weeks ago about his interest in a fight with junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who holds one of Mosley's old belts. In recent days, Mosley said, he was asked about his interest in facing former junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan.
"They offered me a fight with Canelo and I was like, 'Yeah, I'll take it,'" Mosley said. "Then they came back to me and said, 'What about Amir Khan?'"
Mosley said that fight was also of interest to him, although not at the weight that was suggested: 145 pounds.
Khan, who lost his two junior welterweight belts to Lamont Peterson in controversial fashion on Dec. 10, wants a rematch first and foremost. But Golden Boy knows there are issues there and is looking ahead because Khan had talked before the Peterson fight about moving up anyway.
"I said, 'No way at 145.' I might do it if it was at 147. I was thinking 149 or 150," Mosley said. "It's possible, but I would want to be sure everything is right. It's interesting, but it depends on the setting, the weight, what type of money."
Of the two names brought to Mosley's attention, he said he prefers Alvarez, who has been mentioned prominently as a potential May 5 opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr., who soundly outpointed Mosley in May 2010.
With Mayweather and Pacquiao trying to finalize opponents, because it seems very doubtful they will fight each other next, everyone else in the hunt is jockeying for position, including Mosley.
"I haven't fought in a while and would have to make weight properly if I was going to fight Khan," Mosley said, adding that he weighed about 168 when we spoke a few days ago. "Now that I am healed properly, I can get back to work again."
Mosley said he injured the Achilles tendon in his left foot several weeks before the Pacquiao fight and that it hindered him badly in the fight. He said he had issues with his other leg also. The injuries have taken some time to heal, but he said he would be ready for a fight in the spring, which is when Alvarez and Khan are both expected back in action.
"I wanted to take some time off and heal properly," Mosley said. "I'm feeling a lot better and ready to go. I'm not hurt. If Golden Boy is willing to put their guy, Canelo or Amir, up to fight me, so be it. I'm excited to get back in the ring. I want to prove to everybody what happens when I am 100 percent."
I don't see the Khan fight happening and remain hopeful a rematch with Peterson will come to fruition. It makes too much (dollars and) sense not to happen.
When I asked Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer about Mosley's claim that he is being considered for the fights, he said only, "My full focus in on the Peterson rematch."
I think Mosley is a long shot, at best, to face Khan. Besides, it remains to be seen if HBO or Showtime would be interested in either bout. But I'll say this: As disgusted as I was with Mosley's performance against Pacquiao -- and it was a fight I killed even before it took place, and wound up playing out even worse than I had predicted -- I think Mosley, even at this stage of his career, would be Alvarez's toughest opponent so far. Alvarez has been very protected.
"I'm better than anyone Canelo [has] fought," Mosley said. "By all means, put me in with him and let me knock him out. To me, Canelo is a warm-up for me to another fight. We can definitely do that."
The last time we saw Mosley, he was knocked down in the third round and lost a shutout decision to Manny Pacquiao in their massively hyped -- and even more disappointing -- welterweight title bout last May.
Since then, Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs) has kept a low profile. But now he says he is ready to return, that he is healthy and that his manager, James Prince, and attorney, Josh Dubin, have been approached by Golden Boy -- the fighter's former promoter before their falling out prior to rival Top Rank signing Mosley for the Pacquiao fight -- to gauge his interest in two potential bouts.
I talked to Mosley the other day, and he said he was asked a couple of weeks ago about his interest in a fight with junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who holds one of Mosley's old belts. In recent days, Mosley said, he was asked about his interest in facing former junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan.
"They offered me a fight with Canelo and I was like, 'Yeah, I'll take it,'" Mosley said. "Then they came back to me and said, 'What about Amir Khan?'"
Mosley said that fight was also of interest to him, although not at the weight that was suggested: 145 pounds.
Khan, who lost his two junior welterweight belts to Lamont Peterson in controversial fashion on Dec. 10, wants a rematch first and foremost. But Golden Boy knows there are issues there and is looking ahead because Khan had talked before the Peterson fight about moving up anyway.
"I said, 'No way at 145.' I might do it if it was at 147. I was thinking 149 or 150," Mosley said. "It's possible, but I would want to be sure everything is right. It's interesting, but it depends on the setting, the weight, what type of money."
Of the two names brought to Mosley's attention, he said he prefers Alvarez, who has been mentioned prominently as a potential May 5 opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr., who soundly outpointed Mosley in May 2010.
With Mayweather and Pacquiao trying to finalize opponents, because it seems very doubtful they will fight each other next, everyone else in the hunt is jockeying for position, including Mosley.
"I haven't fought in a while and would have to make weight properly if I was going to fight Khan," Mosley said, adding that he weighed about 168 when we spoke a few days ago. "Now that I am healed properly, I can get back to work again."
Mosley said he injured the Achilles tendon in his left foot several weeks before the Pacquiao fight and that it hindered him badly in the fight. He said he had issues with his other leg also. The injuries have taken some time to heal, but he said he would be ready for a fight in the spring, which is when Alvarez and Khan are both expected back in action.
"I wanted to take some time off and heal properly," Mosley said. "I'm feeling a lot better and ready to go. I'm not hurt. If Golden Boy is willing to put their guy, Canelo or Amir, up to fight me, so be it. I'm excited to get back in the ring. I want to prove to everybody what happens when I am 100 percent."
I don't see the Khan fight happening and remain hopeful a rematch with Peterson will come to fruition. It makes too much (dollars and) sense not to happen.
When I asked Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer about Mosley's claim that he is being considered for the fights, he said only, "My full focus in on the Peterson rematch."
I think Mosley is a long shot, at best, to face Khan. Besides, it remains to be seen if HBO or Showtime would be interested in either bout. But I'll say this: As disgusted as I was with Mosley's performance against Pacquiao -- and it was a fight I killed even before it took place, and wound up playing out even worse than I had predicted -- I think Mosley, even at this stage of his career, would be Alvarez's toughest opponent so far. Alvarez has been very protected.
"I'm better than anyone Canelo [has] fought," Mosley said. "By all means, put me in with him and let me knock him out. To me, Canelo is a warm-up for me to another fight. We can definitely do that."
HBO's "On Freddie Roach" isn't for everybody. It isn't "24/7," the network's flashy and highly produced boxing reality series that the famed trainer has co-starred in several times (mainly because he is Manny Pacquiao's trainer).
"On Freddie Roach" does not have Liev Schreiber narrating. In fact, there is no narrator at all, unless you count a couple of brief off-camera voiceovers by Roach. And there is no high-octane theme music or pulsating soundtrack, just some hauntingly low-key original music that is used only here and there.
But if you have time for a quiet yet compelling half-hour of viewing that is about more than just boxing -- although it is central to who the 51-year-old Roach is and, therefore, a heavy part of the show -- it will be worth your while.
Based on previewing the first two episodes of the six-episode cinéma vérité-shot series that debuts Friday night (HBO, 9:30 ET/PT), "On Freddie Roach" is an oddly engrossing show. It follows the daily life of the five-time trainer of the year (and newly elected International Boxing Hall of Famer) in his Hollywood, Calif., Wild Card Gym, on the road to Las Vegas for a big fight and at home, all while he battles Parkinson's disease, which many -- Roach included -- believe was caused by all of the blows to the head he took as a fighter.
The show is light on talk and exposition but filled with heart and interesting moments that are woven together to tell Roach's story. It's all captured by filmaker/executive producer Peter Berg, who has known Roach for years, back to the days when Roach used to train actor Mickey Rourke, a friend of Berg's. When I spoke with Roach last week, he said the show is as authentic as it could be. It's his life, raw and uncut, including shots of Roach's trembling arms that remind you his disease is always there.
Although it may sound morbid, including the part in one episode in which Roach pays a visit to his neurologist and has an MRI, it really isn't. What comes of it is ultimately uplifting because you see Roach, despite his frail look and dealing with a disease that is clearly taking its toll, thriving as one of the best in the world in his field -- despite the physicality of the job. The way this juxtaposition is presented is captivating.
As Roach says in the show, "I wouldn't trade my life for anybody's."
HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley, one of the executive producers who had the original idea for the series, and who sought out Berg, said he first conceived of it three or four years ago. He has known Roach for years because he has called so many fights involving Roach's fighters.
"I resolved in my mind that I wanted to know something about Parkinson's and his relationship to it, and I would go to him and ask him questions from time to time," Lampley said. "The way he answered me and shared information about it, I began to develop this understanding that he doesn't hide from anything and is an open person who will reveal himself to the world. My idea was just to watch him and see him as the amazingly human character he is. We're not here to make him look good. We're here to make him look like Freddie."
The series does just that. While Roach admits he enjoys being a bit of a celebrity, he also quickly pointed out that "sometimes it's hard to watch yourself on television," especially because what he sees is so real.
The first episode deals largely with Roach's preparing Amir Khan for his July fight with Zab Judah, but you also see Roach dealing with those around him, including assistant (and ex-girlfriend) Marie Spivey, who helps take care of Roach but finds herself on the wrong end of one of Roach's grouchy moods. Roach is a truly nice guy, but he has a dark side, like everybody, and we catch a glimpse of it at Spivey's expense.
"Freddie's story was complex and unusual, in that it would tell itself on camera if you shot it and covered it right, and that isn't something that happens in one episode," Lampley said. "That is something that happens over all six. I am hopeful people will take it all in and they will feel that it is like a movie that goes from one level to another level. Some things reverberate in such a way, you realize what is there. For instance, all the wiping and ordering and putting things in place that Freddie does. He surely isn't conscious of it in his mind -- how many times he is wiping the sink or putting the towels perfectly folded in the gym or the routine with the adhesive tape in the dressing room. In my view, he is applying the control he has in a universe that is beyond his control."
Given Roach's experience with "24/7" cameras following him around during training camps and his general good-natured attitude, he said he eventually stopped noticing that the cameras were always with him. (I believe him because, if you must know, we catch a glimpse of his bare rear end. Hey, it's HBO.)
"Freddie became so relaxed in our process that he fell asleep in front of the camera sometimes," Lampley said. "We were with him for a long time."
Lampley estimates his crew shot more than 1,500 hours, which was ultimately whittled down to what became three hours divided into six episodes.
"The editor is the hero of the story," Lampley said of Stephen Strout. "Any kudos that go to the show have to include the guy who viewed countless hours and found the nuances that illuminate Freddie's world."
In the second episode, we learn about the deep relationship between Roach and his older brother, Pepper Roach, and then see Freddie's almost clinical reaction to a serious medical issue involving Pepper, which is shockingly captured on film. It is unsettling, but this is real reality TV.
"I know our show is not for everybody," Lampley said. "This is a show that trusts the audience, and that is unusual, and a lot of viewers don't like that. But for viewers who want to watch and listen quietly and watch Freddie leak through the screen, by the end of six episodes you will say, 'That's a remarkable life."
It is. And it is one worth watching.
The news Tuesday night that Golden Boy Promotions and Amir Khan had dropped their appeal to the IBF, which they hoped would order an immediate rematch between Khan and new unified junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson, came as a surprise -- especially given how hard Khan protested the decision of their controversial Dec. 10 fight in Peterson's hometown of Washington, D.C., and that the hearing was less than 24 hours away when they dropped the case.
So although the IBF won't order a direct rematch -- the WBA already has, which the Peterson camp is vigorously protesting because it made the order without any kind of due process -- the sides are talking rematch, and Khan, who brings the bulk of the cash because of his TV deals, is willing to split profits 50-50. It's a deal that makes sense, so it seems that the big bone of contention, if they agree to fight, will be where the rematch will take place. Khan surely won't want to return to Washington, the so-called scene of the crime. But financially, D.C. -- specifically the city's main arena, Verizon Center -- makes the most sense.
So we'll see what happens there. I think we will ultimately see the rematch, probably in April. The one thing that could change that would be the unlikely event of Manny Pacquiao selecting Peterson as his next opponent. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has named Peterson among the possible opponents on the short list, but I see him as a long shot to actually get the fight.
In the wake of Khan's dropping his appeal with the IBF, Peterson and his manager, trainer and father figure, Barry Hunter, released statements about the situation on Wednesday. Here was Peterson's:
"I want to take this opportunity to thank the fans for all the positive things that I've read over the Internet and messages received via Twitter. I truly did not know how much support I had all over the world. Now that this is over I am ready to move on. As I said before, as champion I plan on representing both sanctioning bodies to the best of [my] ability and that means fighting the best fighters in the world in defending my titles."
Said Hunter:
"We are extremely pleased that Golden Boy and Amir Khan withdrew their protest with the IBF. As we have said all along, we were not going to be forced to make a decision by one person or entity and we will continue to do what is in the best interest of Lamont Peterson. The Peterson team continuously responded to each of Khan's accusations and the absurdity of the claims. Our reply addressed the rules and also Khan's inability to make adjustments and his performance in the ring, as opposed to placing blame on almost everyone associated with the bout.
"We have an open mind and look forward to Lamont's first title defense. We will discuss internally and assess every viable opportunity available. We will then make the best decision possible for the future of Lamont and his family."
• I get asked a lot about what referees and judges are paid for working world title bouts, and the paperwork related to Khan's appeal gave us a glimpse by making public what the officials were paid to work the December fight. Referee Joe Cooper, whose handling of the bout was at the center of the controversy because of the two points he docked from Khan for unheard-of pushing fouls (which cost Khan the fight), made $2,800 for his night of work. The three judges, George Hill, Valerie Dorsett (who both scored 113-112 for Peterson) and Nelson Vasquez (who had it 115-110 for Khan) made $2,000 apiece.
So although the IBF won't order a direct rematch -- the WBA already has, which the Peterson camp is vigorously protesting because it made the order without any kind of due process -- the sides are talking rematch, and Khan, who brings the bulk of the cash because of his TV deals, is willing to split profits 50-50. It's a deal that makes sense, so it seems that the big bone of contention, if they agree to fight, will be where the rematch will take place. Khan surely won't want to return to Washington, the so-called scene of the crime. But financially, D.C. -- specifically the city's main arena, Verizon Center -- makes the most sense.
So we'll see what happens there. I think we will ultimately see the rematch, probably in April. The one thing that could change that would be the unlikely event of Manny Pacquiao selecting Peterson as his next opponent. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has named Peterson among the possible opponents on the short list, but I see him as a long shot to actually get the fight.
In the wake of Khan's dropping his appeal with the IBF, Peterson and his manager, trainer and father figure, Barry Hunter, released statements about the situation on Wednesday. Here was Peterson's:
"I want to take this opportunity to thank the fans for all the positive things that I've read over the Internet and messages received via Twitter. I truly did not know how much support I had all over the world. Now that this is over I am ready to move on. As I said before, as champion I plan on representing both sanctioning bodies to the best of [my] ability and that means fighting the best fighters in the world in defending my titles."
Said Hunter:
"We are extremely pleased that Golden Boy and Amir Khan withdrew their protest with the IBF. As we have said all along, we were not going to be forced to make a decision by one person or entity and we will continue to do what is in the best interest of Lamont Peterson. The Peterson team continuously responded to each of Khan's accusations and the absurdity of the claims. Our reply addressed the rules and also Khan's inability to make adjustments and his performance in the ring, as opposed to placing blame on almost everyone associated with the bout.
"We have an open mind and look forward to Lamont's first title defense. We will discuss internally and assess every viable opportunity available. We will then make the best decision possible for the future of Lamont and his family."
• I get asked a lot about what referees and judges are paid for working world title bouts, and the paperwork related to Khan's appeal gave us a glimpse by making public what the officials were paid to work the December fight. Referee Joe Cooper, whose handling of the bout was at the center of the controversy because of the two points he docked from Khan for unheard-of pushing fouls (which cost Khan the fight), made $2,800 for his night of work. The three judges, George Hill, Valerie Dorsett (who both scored 113-112 for Peterson) and Nelson Vasquez (who had it 115-110 for Khan) made $2,000 apiece.
Many times over the years, Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer and I have talked about the fact that he would have an HBO or Showtime card coming up with some good fights or prospects on the undercard, but unless you were in the arena, you wouldn't have a chance to see those fights or fighters.
We agreed that it would make a lot of sense for everyone if the networks could find a way to televise those bouts on one of their multiplex channels prior to the beginning of the regular show on the main network.
Like most folks who subscribe to the premium networks, I receive numerous secondary HBO and Showtime networks as part of my package. Those channels are essentially dumping grounds for the same movies and shows to be repeatedly aired over and over. They have virtually no original programming.
But how cool would it be if a network would turn the cameras on early -- they're already there and set up -- and show some of the young fighters or solid matches that weren't ticketed for the televised part of the card?
It would be good for everyone. Good for true Fight Freaks, who want to see the bouts. Good for the undercard fighters, who could gain valuable exposure early in their careers. Good for the promoter, who is trying to build a young fighter into an attraction. Good for the network, which could feature original programming for one of its numerous channels that otherwise would be showing the 87th rerun of whatever movie was on.
Cost-wise, the additional money it would take to show the undercard would be minimal because the production would already be in place for the main bouts.
HBO has never shown the remotest interest in doing this, which I have always felt was a mistake. Showtime has been more open-minded and now has embraced it. Last week, for the first time, the network televised preliminary bouts on its Strikeforce MMA card on the Showtime Extreme platform, which is the regular home for replays of the network's various sports programming. Now Showtime will do the same for boxing, beginning with the first "Showtime Championship Boxing" card of the year.
On Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Showtime will televise a tripleheader -- the rematch between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, Erislandy Lara against Ronald Hearns and a fight involving 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year Gary Russell Jr. The broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT. But at 7 p.m. ET/PT, other undercard bouts -- which aren't yet set -- will air live on Showtime Extreme.
"This is huge," Schaefer said. "It's huge for the sport, for us, for the fans, for Showtime. It's really groundbreaking. It will help create a connection between the fighters and the Showtime audience much earlier on in their careers."
Top Rank, Golden Boy's promotional rival, has done a great job offering its undercard bouts via live stream on its website for the past couple of years. But Showtime's move to put the fights on television is another big step.
"Some of the people don't want to watch the fights on a computer, and now they can watch on TV from the comfort of their couch just by putting on Showtime Extreme," Schaefer said. "Watch and see -- HBO will follow."
The credit for Showtime finally taking this fan-friendly measure goes to Stephen Espinoza, who recently took over as executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports. This was one of his first acts in the new role. It showed me that he has the best interests of fans in mind.
"I can't say we will do this with every single card," Espinoza said. "It's incumbent on the promoters to provide compelling, attractive undercards. But as long as they do that, we will have air time for them on Showtime Extreme."
Espinoza said the decision was an easy one for him to make once he crunched the numbers with his bosses.
"Our production people are already there," he said. "You're just turning the cameras on a couple of hours early. It's an inexpensive opportunity for additional programming and it's all upside for everybody involved. It's a no-brainer. We're not expecting championship-level fights on the undercards, but something interesting. There is no reason we shouldn't expose the young fighters to our audience."
Espinoza said the usual Showtime announcers will call the undercard bouts and that the last portion of the Showtime Extreme telecast, maybe 20 or 30 minutes, would likely be used for prefight build-up and features ahead of the main televised card so that when the broadcast begins on Showtime proper, the network can get to the action more quickly.
Showtime's plan sounds like something that hard-to-please fight fans should have no problem embracing.
We agreed that it would make a lot of sense for everyone if the networks could find a way to televise those bouts on one of their multiplex channels prior to the beginning of the regular show on the main network.
[+] Enlarge
Marty Rosengarten/www.RingsidePhotos.comWhen Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto rematch on Feb. 11, some of the card's up-and-comers and lesser lights will enjoy valuable exposure on Showtime's multiplex channel.
Marty Rosengarten/www.RingsidePhotos.comWhen Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto rematch on Feb. 11, some of the card's up-and-comers and lesser lights will enjoy valuable exposure on Showtime's multiplex channel.Like most folks who subscribe to the premium networks, I receive numerous secondary HBO and Showtime networks as part of my package. Those channels are essentially dumping grounds for the same movies and shows to be repeatedly aired over and over. They have virtually no original programming.
But how cool would it be if a network would turn the cameras on early -- they're already there and set up -- and show some of the young fighters or solid matches that weren't ticketed for the televised part of the card?
It would be good for everyone. Good for true Fight Freaks, who want to see the bouts. Good for the undercard fighters, who could gain valuable exposure early in their careers. Good for the promoter, who is trying to build a young fighter into an attraction. Good for the network, which could feature original programming for one of its numerous channels that otherwise would be showing the 87th rerun of whatever movie was on.
Cost-wise, the additional money it would take to show the undercard would be minimal because the production would already be in place for the main bouts.
HBO has never shown the remotest interest in doing this, which I have always felt was a mistake. Showtime has been more open-minded and now has embraced it. Last week, for the first time, the network televised preliminary bouts on its Strikeforce MMA card on the Showtime Extreme platform, which is the regular home for replays of the network's various sports programming. Now Showtime will do the same for boxing, beginning with the first "Showtime Championship Boxing" card of the year.
On Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Showtime will televise a tripleheader -- the rematch between Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, Erislandy Lara against Ronald Hearns and a fight involving 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year Gary Russell Jr. The broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT. But at 7 p.m. ET/PT, other undercard bouts -- which aren't yet set -- will air live on Showtime Extreme.
"This is huge," Schaefer said. "It's huge for the sport, for us, for the fans, for Showtime. It's really groundbreaking. It will help create a connection between the fighters and the Showtime audience much earlier on in their careers."
Top Rank, Golden Boy's promotional rival, has done a great job offering its undercard bouts via live stream on its website for the past couple of years. But Showtime's move to put the fights on television is another big step.
"Some of the people don't want to watch the fights on a computer, and now they can watch on TV from the comfort of their couch just by putting on Showtime Extreme," Schaefer said. "Watch and see -- HBO will follow."
The credit for Showtime finally taking this fan-friendly measure goes to Stephen Espinoza, who recently took over as executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports. This was one of his first acts in the new role. It showed me that he has the best interests of fans in mind.
"I can't say we will do this with every single card," Espinoza said. "It's incumbent on the promoters to provide compelling, attractive undercards. But as long as they do that, we will have air time for them on Showtime Extreme."
Espinoza said the decision was an easy one for him to make once he crunched the numbers with his bosses.
"Our production people are already there," he said. "You're just turning the cameras on a couple of hours early. It's an inexpensive opportunity for additional programming and it's all upside for everybody involved. It's a no-brainer. We're not expecting championship-level fights on the undercards, but something interesting. There is no reason we shouldn't expose the young fighters to our audience."
Espinoza said the usual Showtime announcers will call the undercard bouts and that the last portion of the Showtime Extreme telecast, maybe 20 or 30 minutes, would likely be used for prefight build-up and features ahead of the main televised card so that when the broadcast begins on Showtime proper, the network can get to the action more quickly.
Showtime's plan sounds like something that hard-to-please fight fans should have no problem embracing.
Finally, after an interminable five-month hiatus, "Friday Night Fights" on ESPN2 is back -- with simulcasts on ESPN3 and ESPN Deportes in Spanish -- this week for the first of 30 cards in its 14th season.
It's about time.
Yes, I work for ESPN, and yes, I'm a regular contributor to the show, but this isn't me just writing to be a homer. I'm also a Fight Freak and genuinely pumped for the return of the show.
Last season was one of the best in the series, with strong fights week after week and numerous upsets, not to mention the all-time classic first fight between Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak.
The audience responded, too. FNF averaged 543,000 viewers a week, up 9 percent from 2010. It also saw gains among younger viewers, rising 19 percent in the 18-34 age group and 22 percent among viewers 18-49.
Entering this season, there will be one major change: Brian Kenny, who hosted the series and held down the fort in the studio from the show's inception and was so vital to its success, has left ESPN for a gig at MLB Network. He has been replaced by Bernardo Osuna, and I think the show is in good hands. I've known Osuna for years, and he's a true boxing guy. If you're a Fight Freak, you'll recognize him from his years of doing weekly ringside commentary on Telefutura's Spanish-language "Solo Boxeo Tecate" and his occasional appearances as a studio guest on FNF a couple of years ago. Now he's part of the ESPN team full time.
Osuna is bilingual, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about boxing, and he will bring that knowledge (and enthusiasm) not only to the FNF studio but also to his role as co-host of ESPN Deportes' weekly boxing news and analysis show "Golpe a Golpe."
"Being entrusted with the studio host position for 'Friday Night Fights' is a great honor and responsibility," Osuna said. "I plan to bring my knowledge and passion for the sport of boxing to every telecast, and to continue the tradition of credibility which has been the hallmark of those who have preceded me on this show."
He has big shoes to fill, but I think he'll be just fine.
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas return to their familiar roles of calling the fights at ringside, starting with Friday night's premiere (9 ET) from Mallory Square in Key West, Fla.
It's a good main event to kick off the season: a scheduled 10-rounder between super middleweights Dyah Davis (20-2-1, 9 KOs), the son of 1976 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis, and Alfonso Lopez (22-1, 17 KOs), who gave Kelly Pavlik a tough fight in a decision loss in May before rebounding with a win in September.
Davis, who has looked good in recent fights, wants to look great against Lopez.
"Friday night is very important for me because it's the first ESPN show of the year and my first fight on ESPN," Davis said. "I think ESPN has an even broader range of coverage than HBO or Showtime because everybody has it. It's my coming-out party. I'm looking forward to having a great 2012, so why not start things off with a great performance on a big stage?"
And if you like prospects being tested, the co-feature is right up your alley. Standout amateurs Steve Martinez (11-0, 9 KOs), 21, and Denis Douglin (13-1, 8 KOs), 23, meet in an eight-round junior middleweight bout.
ESPN boxing programming director Doug Loughrey, who has gotten massive bang out of his limited buck in recent years, has put together a solid schedule through February and is working on March. Here's a look at the other bouts on the board so far:
• Jan. 13: Junior featherweights Teon Kennedy and Chris Martin clash at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. Good style matchup. Junior middleweight prospect Yordenis Ugas, who was in my Super 25 prospect rankings for 2011 last month, will face Esteban Almariz.
• Jan. 27: Junior welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov, an FNF staple who is always in action fights, will face David Torres at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, Wash. Torres took the fight after former lightweight titlist Julio Diaz signed a contract and then bailed when he was rebuffed in his request for a heavier weight limit. Another brawler familiar to FNF viewers, lightweight Ji-Hoon Kim, will face Yakubu Amidu on the undercard.
• Feb. 3: Light heavyweights Edison Miranda and Yordanis Despaigne will meet in a grudge rematch in Las Vegas. They fought on FNF in July, when Miranda was controversially disqualified in the fifth round for supposed low blows. This bout should help set the record straight. Lightweight prospects Hylon Williams and Rances Barthelemy will meet in the co-feature.
• Feb. 10: Junior middleweight Demetrius Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and one of boxing's most talented prospects, has grown up on FNF. He'll be back to face Derek Ennis at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
• Feb. 17: Lightweight John Molina, who is always in good fights and nearing a world title opportunity, is scheduled to face Alejandro Sanabria in Arlington, Texas, with 2008 U.S. Olympian Shawn Estrada scheduled for a super middleweight undercard bout.
• Feb. 24: Junior lightweight contender Juan Carlos Burgos will face former featherweight titlist Cristobal Cruz in a regional title bout from the Galen Center on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum will travel to the Philippines on Sunday and meet next week with Manny Pacquiao to present him with four potential opponents to pick from for his next fight, which will take place in May or June.
You can cross Floyd Mayweather Jr. off the list because Mayweather is going to jail and won't be available to fight. Even if he gets out early for good behavior in mid-March -- no guarantee -- forget about the big fight in the first half of this year. So Arum's list is down to a fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez (who lost a controversial decision to Pacquiao in November), Miguel Cotto for a rematch or a match with one of the junior welterweight titleholders, Lamont Peterson or Timothy Bradley Jr.
Now, I'm not saying those are my four preferred opponents, because I'd love to see Pacquiao fight, say, Canelo Alvarez or James Kirkland or Marcos Maidana or Andre Berto or Victor Ortiz or Sergio Martinez.
However, one of the guys on Arum's list is getting the fight, so here is my order of preference of those four. If you don't agree, fine. Make your own list.
Cotto: A lot of people will strongly disagree with my choice. So be it. Yes, I'm aware that Pacquiao stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their 2009 welterweight title fight and that Pacquiao was fairly dominant in the second half of the fight after a competitive first half. But I'm still interested in this rematch more than the other three options, and I would give Cotto a reasonable chance to win.
First of all, you know it will be a good action fight. That's a given. Just look at the fighters' histories. Also, Arum knows they're both proven pay-per-view attractions who would definitely generate more money than Pacquiao against Peterson or Bradley, and would probably do at least as well as Marquez IV. If Arum makes the match, it also allows him to keep Cotto happy by delivering him a big fight when he has few other options.
As for the fight itself, keep in mind that when they met the first time, Cotto was forced to make a catchweight of 145 pounds. I think that hurt him. But Cotto now has a junior middleweight title and Pacquiao, according to Arum, would fight him above the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
If they structure a deal similar to Pacquiao's junior middleweight title bout against Antonio Margarito, it would mean a maximum weight of 150 pounds. Cotto could perhaps negotiate an additional pound or two. He seemed comfortable making 152 for his Dec. 3 rematch against Margarito. Any additional weight over 147 will help Cotto.
Also, Cotto has looked good and hasn't taken much punishment in his past three fights, against Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito. And don't underestimate the confidence Cotto must have now, especially after putting the Margarito demons to rest.
Something else to consider: Cotto had untested trainer Joe Santiago in his corner when he faced Pacquiao. Santiago was in over his head, and it was obvious. Now Cotto has Pedro Luis Diaz, a calm, experienced trainer who worked wonders with him for the Margarito rematch.
Based on those factors, I think Cotto has the capability to put on a much better fight in a second chance against Pacquiao. The gap is further closed in my mind because, as great as Pacquiao is, I believe he has lost at least a little bit in recent fights. Although he won easily, don't underestimate the physical toll fights with Joshua Clottey and Margarito took on the much smaller Pacquiao, who might not be quite as motivated in the absence of a Mayweather fight.
Marquez: Obviously, he and Pacquiao are made for each other. They've had three terrific fights, all of which could have gone either way. They probably could fight 10 times and each one would be filled with action and close. A fourth chapter would generate another big pay-per-view audience, especially if Arum plops it on May 5 -- Cinco de Mayo -- now that Mayweather won't be fighting on that date. But as much interest as there would be in Pacquiao-Marquez IV, we just saw this matchup. A fourth fight will always be there for Pacquiao if he wants it, but I'm not enthralled by revisiting it immediately.
Peterson: His upset win over Amir Khan a few weeks ago, controversial decision and bad refereeing aside, was one of the best fights of 2011. It also got a lot of publicity and drew a great crowd. Unlike Bradley, Peterson didn't duck Khan, and his reward could be Pacquiao. Even though Peterson lost to Bradley in 2009, I strongly believe that Pacquiao-Peterson would be a more entertaining fight than Pacquiao-Bradley. Plus, it's a more promotable fight given Peterson's backstory of struggles growing up in the streets of Washington, D.C. His personal narrative would be a gold mine for HBO's "24/7."
Bradley: I think this is clearly the least interesting fight inside the ring and would generate the weakest pay-per-view numbers of the four bouts Arum is considering. As good as Bradley is, he's the least known of the four possible opponents, the weakest ticket seller and would make for the blandest promotion. Furthermore, I just don't believe he deserves the fight with Pacquiao at this point, after he blatantly ducked Khan last summer. He should not be rewarded for doing so. He said beating Khan would do nothing for his career. He was wrong. Look what it might do for Peterson's.
You can cross Floyd Mayweather Jr. off the list because Mayweather is going to jail and won't be available to fight. Even if he gets out early for good behavior in mid-March -- no guarantee -- forget about the big fight in the first half of this year. So Arum's list is down to a fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez (who lost a controversial decision to Pacquiao in November), Miguel Cotto for a rematch or a match with one of the junior welterweight titleholders, Lamont Peterson or Timothy Bradley Jr.
Now, I'm not saying those are my four preferred opponents, because I'd love to see Pacquiao fight, say, Canelo Alvarez or James Kirkland or Marcos Maidana or Andre Berto or Victor Ortiz or Sergio Martinez.
However, one of the guys on Arum's list is getting the fight, so here is my order of preference of those four. If you don't agree, fine. Make your own list.
Cotto: A lot of people will strongly disagree with my choice. So be it. Yes, I'm aware that Pacquiao stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their 2009 welterweight title fight and that Pacquiao was fairly dominant in the second half of the fight after a competitive first half. But I'm still interested in this rematch more than the other three options, and I would give Cotto a reasonable chance to win.
First of all, you know it will be a good action fight. That's a given. Just look at the fighters' histories. Also, Arum knows they're both proven pay-per-view attractions who would definitely generate more money than Pacquiao against Peterson or Bradley, and would probably do at least as well as Marquez IV. If Arum makes the match, it also allows him to keep Cotto happy by delivering him a big fight when he has few other options.
As for the fight itself, keep in mind that when they met the first time, Cotto was forced to make a catchweight of 145 pounds. I think that hurt him. But Cotto now has a junior middleweight title and Pacquiao, according to Arum, would fight him above the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
If they structure a deal similar to Pacquiao's junior middleweight title bout against Antonio Margarito, it would mean a maximum weight of 150 pounds. Cotto could perhaps negotiate an additional pound or two. He seemed comfortable making 152 for his Dec. 3 rematch against Margarito. Any additional weight over 147 will help Cotto.
Also, Cotto has looked good and hasn't taken much punishment in his past three fights, against Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito. And don't underestimate the confidence Cotto must have now, especially after putting the Margarito demons to rest.
Something else to consider: Cotto had untested trainer Joe Santiago in his corner when he faced Pacquiao. Santiago was in over his head, and it was obvious. Now Cotto has Pedro Luis Diaz, a calm, experienced trainer who worked wonders with him for the Margarito rematch.
Based on those factors, I think Cotto has the capability to put on a much better fight in a second chance against Pacquiao. The gap is further closed in my mind because, as great as Pacquiao is, I believe he has lost at least a little bit in recent fights. Although he won easily, don't underestimate the physical toll fights with Joshua Clottey and Margarito took on the much smaller Pacquiao, who might not be quite as motivated in the absence of a Mayweather fight.
Marquez: Obviously, he and Pacquiao are made for each other. They've had three terrific fights, all of which could have gone either way. They probably could fight 10 times and each one would be filled with action and close. A fourth chapter would generate another big pay-per-view audience, especially if Arum plops it on May 5 -- Cinco de Mayo -- now that Mayweather won't be fighting on that date. But as much interest as there would be in Pacquiao-Marquez IV, we just saw this matchup. A fourth fight will always be there for Pacquiao if he wants it, but I'm not enthralled by revisiting it immediately.
Peterson: His upset win over Amir Khan a few weeks ago, controversial decision and bad refereeing aside, was one of the best fights of 2011. It also got a lot of publicity and drew a great crowd. Unlike Bradley, Peterson didn't duck Khan, and his reward could be Pacquiao. Even though Peterson lost to Bradley in 2009, I strongly believe that Pacquiao-Peterson would be a more entertaining fight than Pacquiao-Bradley. Plus, it's a more promotable fight given Peterson's backstory of struggles growing up in the streets of Washington, D.C. His personal narrative would be a gold mine for HBO's "24/7."
Bradley: I think this is clearly the least interesting fight inside the ring and would generate the weakest pay-per-view numbers of the four bouts Arum is considering. As good as Bradley is, he's the least known of the four possible opponents, the weakest ticket seller and would make for the blandest promotion. Furthermore, I just don't believe he deserves the fight with Pacquiao at this point, after he blatantly ducked Khan last summer. He should not be rewarded for doing so. He said beating Khan would do nothing for his career. He was wrong. Look what it might do for Peterson's.
The new year is upon us, so here are a few of my boxing wishes for 2012:
• As usual, the long-awaited showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. We can hope, can't we?
• For Mayweather to think long and hard about why he's spending the first part of this year sitting in a jail cell and how to avoid going back after he's released in the spring.
• The Super Six World Boxing Classic plus-one fight: Andre Ward against Lucian Bute for all the marbles at 168 pounds.
• Lasting and meaningful peace between Top Rank and Golden Boy, so that Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will make the slew of fights together that should be made. I have a feeling this will be on next year's list, too.
• For every fight freak to log on to YouTube and spend 40 minutes watching Akira Yaegashi-Pornsawan Porpramook, the epic 2011 fight of the year. You won't be sorry.
• That Ken Hershman at HBO and Stephen Espinoza at Showtime thrive in their new positions, and that they buy the best fights for the fans, not push the agenda of a particular promoter or manager.
• For some alphabet outfit to make me a diamond emeritus super-duper interplanetary regular interim champion in recess -- for a small sanctioning fee, of course.
• For Bernard Hopkins to get a fight that will allow him to bow out in style.
• For people outside Germany and Ukraine to appreciate just how good and dominant heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are.
• For the Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto rematch to be as good as their first fight.
• For fighters to stop touching gloves all the time. Do it at the start of the fight, maybe after a legitimate accidental foul and before the final round. That's it.
• Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the battle for Mexico (youth division).
• Juan Manuel Marquez against Erik Morales in the battle for Mexico (senior division).
• Marcos Maidana against Lucas Matthysse in the battle for Argentina. How could this not be the fight of the year?
• Worthwhile undercard fights on every single pay-per-view card.
• A big-money fight for Jorge Arce, one of my all-time favorite action fighters, who brings it every time, win or lose.
• For Sergio Martinez to defend the middleweight title against Miguel Cotto, even if it has to be at a catchweight to accommodate Cotto.
• No more boxing-versus-MMA nonsense. I repeat: They're different sports, and there's room for both to flourish.
• More action fights from James Kirkland, Brandon Rios, Juan Manuel Lopez and Abner Mares.
• Adrien Broner against Yuriorkis Gamboa at 130 pounds. I can dream, can't I?
• Nonito Donaire against Gamboa at 126 -- because we all know Broner-Gamboa ain't happening.
• For HBO to bring back the iconic "World Championship Boxing" theme music (in place of the mess it uses now) and a fresh batch of "Legendary Nights" episodes. It's time.
• An American heavyweight who matters. Is it Seth Mitchell? Either way it goes, hopefully, we'll at least find out.
• For "Friday Night Fights" to produce another season as terrific as last year's.
• Sobriety for Oscar De La Hoya and Kelly Pavlik.
• An HBO or Showtime fight for Delvin Rodriguez and an enjoyable retirement for Pawel Wolak.
• For promoter Frank Warren to match his fighters with worthy opponents, not stiffs. He can start with light heavyweight titlist Nathan Cleverly.
• A clean bill of health for Glen Johnson's battered elbows.
• Some American TV time for fighters such as Thomas Oosthuizen and Gennady Golovkin.
• Twitter rehab for Paulie Malignaggi. #tk
• For Robert Guerrero to show that his shoulder is healthy against a name opponent, then move on to a really big fight.
• Standardized medical requirements across the nation.
• A spot in the International Hall of Fame for Jim Lampley, who should have been inducted years ago.
• For Vic Darchinyan to return to junior bantamweight. It's clear he doesn't belong at bantamweight. It's only three pounds, but it has made a big difference in Darchinyan's case.
• A four-man tournament at flyweight involving Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Hernan "Tyson" Marquez, Brian Viloria and Roman Gonzalez.
• For prospects such as Gary Russell Jr. and Thomas Dulorme to live up to the hype.
• The abolition as soon as possible of the disgusting WBC, which breaks its rules regularly, makes up many new ones on a whim and produces rankings that are utterly laughable. Same for the wretched WBA, which insists on regularly recognizing three titleholders in numerous divisions.
• A complete recovery for Daniel Jacobs.
• For Tavoris Cloud to fight more than once and for promoter Don King to match him with a worthy opponent. May I suggest Jean Pascal?
• Better refereeing and judging. Assigning Steve Smoger or Kenny Bayless to referee every big fight wouldn't be a bad thing, either.
• For Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan to meet in a rematch, with a competent referee in charge.
• Retirement for Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Evander Holyfield and Shane Mosley.
• Title shots for Antonio Tarver (cruiserweight), Ismayl Sillakh (light heavyweight), Erislandy Lara (junior middleweight) and Mikey Garcia (featherweight).
• For David Haye, the laughingstock of boxing, to stay retired. He disgraced himself enough in 2011.
• Success for Main Events' Kathy Duva in her new boxing series on NBC Sports Network.
• More big fights at Madison Square Garden.
• No more fights at the Silverdome.
• For Denis Lebedev to stop picking on old men and fight legitimate cruiserweight contenders in their 30s, or even 20s.
• For Steve Cunningham to get fair officiating in his rematch with Yoan Pablo Hernandez in Germany on Feb. 4.
• For all the ignorant writers and TV and radio personalities to stop writing and saying that boxing is dead or dying. It's very much alive.
• For the fight freaks everywhere, great fights all year long.
• And, as usual, for peace on Earth -- but not inside the ring.
Happy new year.
• As usual, the long-awaited showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. We can hope, can't we?
• For Mayweather to think long and hard about why he's spending the first part of this year sitting in a jail cell and how to avoid going back after he's released in the spring.
• The Super Six World Boxing Classic plus-one fight: Andre Ward against Lucian Bute for all the marbles at 168 pounds.
• Lasting and meaningful peace between Top Rank and Golden Boy, so that Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer will make the slew of fights together that should be made. I have a feeling this will be on next year's list, too.
• For every fight freak to log on to YouTube and spend 40 minutes watching Akira Yaegashi-Pornsawan Porpramook, the epic 2011 fight of the year. You won't be sorry.
• That Ken Hershman at HBO and Stephen Espinoza at Showtime thrive in their new positions, and that they buy the best fights for the fans, not push the agenda of a particular promoter or manager.
• For some alphabet outfit to make me a diamond emeritus super-duper interplanetary regular interim champion in recess -- for a small sanctioning fee, of course.
• For Bernard Hopkins to get a fight that will allow him to bow out in style.
• For people outside Germany and Ukraine to appreciate just how good and dominant heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko are.
• For the Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto rematch to be as good as their first fight.
• For fighters to stop touching gloves all the time. Do it at the start of the fight, maybe after a legitimate accidental foul and before the final round. That's it.
• Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the battle for Mexico (youth division).
• Juan Manuel Marquez against Erik Morales in the battle for Mexico (senior division).
• Marcos Maidana against Lucas Matthysse in the battle for Argentina. How could this not be the fight of the year?
• Worthwhile undercard fights on every single pay-per-view card.
• A big-money fight for Jorge Arce, one of my all-time favorite action fighters, who brings it every time, win or lose.
• For Sergio Martinez to defend the middleweight title against Miguel Cotto, even if it has to be at a catchweight to accommodate Cotto.
• No more boxing-versus-MMA nonsense. I repeat: They're different sports, and there's room for both to flourish.
• More action fights from James Kirkland, Brandon Rios, Juan Manuel Lopez and Abner Mares.
• Adrien Broner against Yuriorkis Gamboa at 130 pounds. I can dream, can't I?
• Nonito Donaire against Gamboa at 126 -- because we all know Broner-Gamboa ain't happening.
• For HBO to bring back the iconic "World Championship Boxing" theme music (in place of the mess it uses now) and a fresh batch of "Legendary Nights" episodes. It's time.
• An American heavyweight who matters. Is it Seth Mitchell? Either way it goes, hopefully, we'll at least find out.
• For "Friday Night Fights" to produce another season as terrific as last year's.
• Sobriety for Oscar De La Hoya and Kelly Pavlik.
• An HBO or Showtime fight for Delvin Rodriguez and an enjoyable retirement for Pawel Wolak.
• For promoter Frank Warren to match his fighters with worthy opponents, not stiffs. He can start with light heavyweight titlist Nathan Cleverly.
• A clean bill of health for Glen Johnson's battered elbows.
• Some American TV time for fighters such as Thomas Oosthuizen and Gennady Golovkin.
• Twitter rehab for Paulie Malignaggi. #tk
• For Robert Guerrero to show that his shoulder is healthy against a name opponent, then move on to a really big fight.
• Standardized medical requirements across the nation.
• A spot in the International Hall of Fame for Jim Lampley, who should have been inducted years ago.
• For Vic Darchinyan to return to junior bantamweight. It's clear he doesn't belong at bantamweight. It's only three pounds, but it has made a big difference in Darchinyan's case.
• A four-man tournament at flyweight involving Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, Hernan "Tyson" Marquez, Brian Viloria and Roman Gonzalez.
• For prospects such as Gary Russell Jr. and Thomas Dulorme to live up to the hype.
• The abolition as soon as possible of the disgusting WBC, which breaks its rules regularly, makes up many new ones on a whim and produces rankings that are utterly laughable. Same for the wretched WBA, which insists on regularly recognizing three titleholders in numerous divisions.
• A complete recovery for Daniel Jacobs.
• For Tavoris Cloud to fight more than once and for promoter Don King to match him with a worthy opponent. May I suggest Jean Pascal?
• Better refereeing and judging. Assigning Steve Smoger or Kenny Bayless to referee every big fight wouldn't be a bad thing, either.
• For Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan to meet in a rematch, with a competent referee in charge.
• Retirement for Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Evander Holyfield and Shane Mosley.
• Title shots for Antonio Tarver (cruiserweight), Ismayl Sillakh (light heavyweight), Erislandy Lara (junior middleweight) and Mikey Garcia (featherweight).
• For David Haye, the laughingstock of boxing, to stay retired. He disgraced himself enough in 2011.
• Success for Main Events' Kathy Duva in her new boxing series on NBC Sports Network.
• More big fights at Madison Square Garden.
• No more fights at the Silverdome.
• For Denis Lebedev to stop picking on old men and fight legitimate cruiserweight contenders in their 30s, or even 20s.
• For Steve Cunningham to get fair officiating in his rematch with Yoan Pablo Hernandez in Germany on Feb. 4.
• For all the ignorant writers and TV and radio personalities to stop writing and saying that boxing is dead or dying. It's very much alive.
• For the fight freaks everywhere, great fights all year long.
• And, as usual, for peace on Earth -- but not inside the ring.
Happy new year.
Even though 2011 is history, the Fight Freaks wanted more awards, beyond last week's traditional winners. I handed out a batch yesterday, and even though my toe was injured, I'm a trouper and finished today's second batch. Hope these will tide you over until next January:
Upset of the year: There were so many to pick from, but one was more shocking to me than any other. Released from prison, working with new trainer Kenny Adams and having easily won his first two comeback fights by early knockout, junior middleweight James Kirkland was supposed to annihilate unheralded Nobuhiro Ishida on the Marcos Maidana-Erik Morales HBO PPV undercard in April. An Ishida victory wasn't even remotely contemplated by anyone other than maybe Ishida. Yet there Ishida was, bouncing Kirkland off the canvas three times for a first-round knockout. Absolutely stunning.
And don't forget about Orlando Salido's eighth-round knockout of Juan Manuel Lopez to take a featherweight belt; Marco Antonio Rubio taking a beating for most of his fight against rising middleweight star David Lemieux before rallying for a stunning seventh-round knockout; supposedly faded action star Jorge Arce moving up in weight and shockingly delivering a 12th-round knockout of Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to win a junior featherweight title; and Antonio DeMarco, trailing badly against Jorge Linares, being told by his corner that he needed a knockout before the 11th round and getting it to win a lightweight belt in dramatic fashion.
Outside-the-ring fight of the year: The never-ending battle between Bob Arum's Top Rank and Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, which continues to deny fans numerous great matches. Although there was a brief thaw as they managed to make Yuriorkis Gamboa-Daniel Ponce De Leon in September, it was temporary. The bad blood continues, and there seems to be no end to it in sight.
Outside-the-ring upset of the year: James Toney, who has always struggled with his weight, was 257 pounds for a February fight with Damon Reed. Toney's next fight was in November, and he shocked everyone by paring all the way down to 199 to face cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev.
Saddest display: Seeing the shot Roy Jones Jr., once the most untouchable force on earth, being knocked cold yet again, this time by Lebedev. It wasn't much better seeing the similarly shot Toney, a once-great three-division champ, reduced to stumbling around, missing punches and getting pointlessly brutalized by Lebedev in a shutout loss, after which Toney pathetically proclaimed, "I will see him again, trust me," as if he thought he would get a rematch.
Revenge of the year: Nothing was sweeter than Miguel Cotto, with his throng of Puerto Rican fans going wild at Madison Square Garden, battering Antonio Margarito's bad right eye en route to a 10th-round TKO to avenge his tainted 2008 loss against boxing's enemy No. 1.
Biggest business story: It turned out to be for only one fight, but when Top Rank's Arum and Todd duBoef took Manny Pacquiao from HBO to Showtime for his May pay-per-view fight with Shane Mosley, it marked a seismic shift in the boxing business and was one of the major reasons why HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg was forced to resign. It turned out to be one and done, as Pacquiao was back on HBO PPV for his next fight, with Juan Manuel Marquez. But the battle over Pacquiao was hot and heavy, and HBO wound up making all sorts of concessions to Top Rank to bring him back. And how's this for irony: Replacing Greenburg, effective Jan. 9, is Ken Hershman, who left a similar position at Showtime for the gig.
Winky Wright School of Boxing Business valedictorian: Congratulations to former lightweight titlist David Diaz. He turned down roughly $200,000 to fight Marquez in July and instead took an August fight with Hank Lundy for about $15,000 and got knocked out, essentially ending his career.
Anti-Winky Wright School of Boxing Business valedictorian: Congratulations to Lamont Peterson, who looked as though he had made a serious blunder when he turned down around $350,000 to fight Amir Khan in April because he didn't like the money or the terms of a rematch clause. Instead, he took a dangerous summer title eliminator for $10,000 against Victor Cayo and knocked him out to become Khan's mandatory challenger. That meant Peterson didn't have to give up options to Golden Boy, and he wound up getting Khan to come to his hometown of Washington, D.C., earning $650,000 and winning the fight. He remains in the enviable position of being a promotional free agent.
Old man of the year: Bernard Hopkins, who, at 46, broke George Foreman's record and became the oldest fighter to win a world title by outpointing Jean Pascal in their May light heavyweight championship fight. Hopkins showed his youthful spirit by doing a set of push-ups in the ring between rounds.
Most forgettable fight: Hopkins-Chad Dawson. Hopkins' encore to the historic Pascal fight went 0-for-4: 1) There was little public demand for it in the first place; 2) The live gate at Staples Center died (3,888 tickets sold, totaling a paltry $285,677); 3) The HBO PPV card suffered a similar death, drawing as little as 40,000 buys, according to Golden Boy; 4) The fight itself stunk. The bout lasted fewer than two miserable rounds and ended with Hopkins being thrown to the mat by Dawson and suffering a shoulder injury, forcing it to be called off and eventually ruled a no-decision two months later.
Most forgettable fight II: Timothy Bradley Jr.-Devon Alexander. HBO poured millions into this junior welterweight unification fight, which was supposed to make a star out of the winner. It didn't, and it turned out to be the network's "Ishtar." The fight stunk and didn't generate much viewer interest, which happens. But what exacerbated the situation were two things: HBO had insanely guaranteed the winners seven-figure return bouts, and promoters Gary Shaw and Don King took the fight to the antiquated Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., in the dead of winter after the owner threw a big site fee at them. The fight didn't belong there, and few showed up to a building that rival promoter Arum called a "decrepit barn."
Not-fair-and-not-firm, worst refereeing of the year: Nevada referee Russell Mora, who probably cost Joseph Agbeko his bantamweight title in his first fight with Abner Mares. First, he awarded Mares a questionable first-round knockdown that looked like a slip. Then he allowed Mares to repeatedly hit Agbeko below the belt. Mora warned him a few times, never took any points and then stopped warning him altogether. When Agbeko fell to the canvas from a blatant shot to the groin in the 11th round, Mora called it a knockdown instead of docking points from Mares. Perhaps the most abysmal refereeing performance I have ever seen.
Toughest year: Fighters from the United Kingdom, who got whipped like it was 1783. Although they had their share of triumphs, it didn't go well for most Brits at the top level. Losing their world titles: David Haye, Khan and Carl Froch. Others who lost in world title bouts: Irishman Matthew Macklin (albeit in a robbery against Felix Sturm), Matthew Hatton, Ryan Rhodes, Darren Barker, Brian Magee and John Murray.
Announcer hysterics of the year: The fight had been a barnburner, but during the sensational sixth round of Victor Ortiz's epic clash with Andre Berto, HBO's Emanuel Steward simply couldn't contain himself. After Berto dropped Ortiz and then Ortiz dropped Berto moments later, out of nowhere, Steward lost it, screaming out, "Ohhhhh, maaaaah gawwwwwd!" Can't say I blamed him.
Quote of the year runner-up: "You don't never give me a fair shake, you know that? So I'm gonna let you talk to Victor Ortiz, alright? I'm through. They [should] put somebody else up here to give me an interview. You never give me a fair shake. HBO needs to fire you because you don't know s--- about boxing. You ain't s---." --Floyd Mayweather Jr., losing his cool for no apparent reason during his postfight interview with legendary HBO commentator Larry Merchant following his knockout of Ortiz
Quote of the year: "I wish I was 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass." --The instant-classic response from the 80-year-old Merchant
Upset of the year: There were so many to pick from, but one was more shocking to me than any other. Released from prison, working with new trainer Kenny Adams and having easily won his first two comeback fights by early knockout, junior middleweight James Kirkland was supposed to annihilate unheralded Nobuhiro Ishida on the Marcos Maidana-Erik Morales HBO PPV undercard in April. An Ishida victory wasn't even remotely contemplated by anyone other than maybe Ishida. Yet there Ishida was, bouncing Kirkland off the canvas three times for a first-round knockout. Absolutely stunning.
And don't forget about Orlando Salido's eighth-round knockout of Juan Manuel Lopez to take a featherweight belt; Marco Antonio Rubio taking a beating for most of his fight against rising middleweight star David Lemieux before rallying for a stunning seventh-round knockout; supposedly faded action star Jorge Arce moving up in weight and shockingly delivering a 12th-round knockout of Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. to win a junior featherweight title; and Antonio DeMarco, trailing badly against Jorge Linares, being told by his corner that he needed a knockout before the 11th round and getting it to win a lightweight belt in dramatic fashion.
Outside-the-ring fight of the year: The never-ending battle between Bob Arum's Top Rank and Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, which continues to deny fans numerous great matches. Although there was a brief thaw as they managed to make Yuriorkis Gamboa-Daniel Ponce De Leon in September, it was temporary. The bad blood continues, and there seems to be no end to it in sight.
Outside-the-ring upset of the year: James Toney, who has always struggled with his weight, was 257 pounds for a February fight with Damon Reed. Toney's next fight was in November, and he shocked everyone by paring all the way down to 199 to face cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev.
Saddest display: Seeing the shot Roy Jones Jr., once the most untouchable force on earth, being knocked cold yet again, this time by Lebedev. It wasn't much better seeing the similarly shot Toney, a once-great three-division champ, reduced to stumbling around, missing punches and getting pointlessly brutalized by Lebedev in a shutout loss, after which Toney pathetically proclaimed, "I will see him again, trust me," as if he thought he would get a rematch.
Revenge of the year: Nothing was sweeter than Miguel Cotto, with his throng of Puerto Rican fans going wild at Madison Square Garden, battering Antonio Margarito's bad right eye en route to a 10th-round TKO to avenge his tainted 2008 loss against boxing's enemy No. 1.
Biggest business story: It turned out to be for only one fight, but when Top Rank's Arum and Todd duBoef took Manny Pacquiao from HBO to Showtime for his May pay-per-view fight with Shane Mosley, it marked a seismic shift in the boxing business and was one of the major reasons why HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg was forced to resign. It turned out to be one and done, as Pacquiao was back on HBO PPV for his next fight, with Juan Manuel Marquez. But the battle over Pacquiao was hot and heavy, and HBO wound up making all sorts of concessions to Top Rank to bring him back. And how's this for irony: Replacing Greenburg, effective Jan. 9, is Ken Hershman, who left a similar position at Showtime for the gig.
Winky Wright School of Boxing Business valedictorian: Congratulations to former lightweight titlist David Diaz. He turned down roughly $200,000 to fight Marquez in July and instead took an August fight with Hank Lundy for about $15,000 and got knocked out, essentially ending his career.
Anti-Winky Wright School of Boxing Business valedictorian: Congratulations to Lamont Peterson, who looked as though he had made a serious blunder when he turned down around $350,000 to fight Amir Khan in April because he didn't like the money or the terms of a rematch clause. Instead, he took a dangerous summer title eliminator for $10,000 against Victor Cayo and knocked him out to become Khan's mandatory challenger. That meant Peterson didn't have to give up options to Golden Boy, and he wound up getting Khan to come to his hometown of Washington, D.C., earning $650,000 and winning the fight. He remains in the enviable position of being a promotional free agent.
Old man of the year: Bernard Hopkins, who, at 46, broke George Foreman's record and became the oldest fighter to win a world title by outpointing Jean Pascal in their May light heavyweight championship fight. Hopkins showed his youthful spirit by doing a set of push-ups in the ring between rounds.
Most forgettable fight: Hopkins-Chad Dawson. Hopkins' encore to the historic Pascal fight went 0-for-4: 1) There was little public demand for it in the first place; 2) The live gate at Staples Center died (3,888 tickets sold, totaling a paltry $285,677); 3) The HBO PPV card suffered a similar death, drawing as little as 40,000 buys, according to Golden Boy; 4) The fight itself stunk. The bout lasted fewer than two miserable rounds and ended with Hopkins being thrown to the mat by Dawson and suffering a shoulder injury, forcing it to be called off and eventually ruled a no-decision two months later.
Most forgettable fight II: Timothy Bradley Jr.-Devon Alexander. HBO poured millions into this junior welterweight unification fight, which was supposed to make a star out of the winner. It didn't, and it turned out to be the network's "Ishtar." The fight stunk and didn't generate much viewer interest, which happens. But what exacerbated the situation were two things: HBO had insanely guaranteed the winners seven-figure return bouts, and promoters Gary Shaw and Don King took the fight to the antiquated Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., in the dead of winter after the owner threw a big site fee at them. The fight didn't belong there, and few showed up to a building that rival promoter Arum called a "decrepit barn."
Not-fair-and-not-firm, worst refereeing of the year: Nevada referee Russell Mora, who probably cost Joseph Agbeko his bantamweight title in his first fight with Abner Mares. First, he awarded Mares a questionable first-round knockdown that looked like a slip. Then he allowed Mares to repeatedly hit Agbeko below the belt. Mora warned him a few times, never took any points and then stopped warning him altogether. When Agbeko fell to the canvas from a blatant shot to the groin in the 11th round, Mora called it a knockdown instead of docking points from Mares. Perhaps the most abysmal refereeing performance I have ever seen.
Toughest year: Fighters from the United Kingdom, who got whipped like it was 1783. Although they had their share of triumphs, it didn't go well for most Brits at the top level. Losing their world titles: David Haye, Khan and Carl Froch. Others who lost in world title bouts: Irishman Matthew Macklin (albeit in a robbery against Felix Sturm), Matthew Hatton, Ryan Rhodes, Darren Barker, Brian Magee and John Murray.
Announcer hysterics of the year: The fight had been a barnburner, but during the sensational sixth round of Victor Ortiz's epic clash with Andre Berto, HBO's Emanuel Steward simply couldn't contain himself. After Berto dropped Ortiz and then Ortiz dropped Berto moments later, out of nowhere, Steward lost it, screaming out, "Ohhhhh, maaaaah gawwwwwd!" Can't say I blamed him.
Quote of the year runner-up: "You don't never give me a fair shake, you know that? So I'm gonna let you talk to Victor Ortiz, alright? I'm through. They [should] put somebody else up here to give me an interview. You never give me a fair shake. HBO needs to fire you because you don't know s--- about boxing. You ain't s---." --Floyd Mayweather Jr., losing his cool for no apparent reason during his postfight interview with legendary HBO commentator Larry Merchant following his knockout of Ortiz
Quote of the year: "I wish I was 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass." --The instant-classic response from the 80-year-old Merchant
Yes, 2011 is in the books, but as is usually the case, the Fight Freaks have been tweeting me for more boxing award winners than just those I handed out last week. I'm here to serve. Now that I've borrowed Adrien Broner's brush and styled my hair, here are a few more, with Part 2 coming tomorrow:
Trainer of the year: There were several good candidates, including Robert Garcia (who trains, among others, Nonito Donaire and Brandon Rios); Freddie Roach (Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Amir Khan), who has made the running for this award his personal playground in recent years; Barry Hunter (whose charge, Lamont Peterson, upended Khan); and Ann Wolfe, who deserves a ton of credit for the rebound of James Kirkland. But I'm going with Virgil Hunter, who led Andre Ward to unifying two super middleweight titles, the Super Six championship and fighter of the year honors. Hunter has trained Ward since he first picked up gloves as a kid, and they have climbed the mountain together. Now they can celebrate together.
Comeback of the year: You could certainly go with Kirkland, who returned to Wolfe and eventually outslugged Alfredo Angulo to rebound from a shocking first-round knockout loss to Nobuhiro Ishida. But I'm going with Erik Morales, whose return in 2010 from a 2½-year retirement looked like it would be spent fighting low-level opponents. But in 2011, Morales begged Golden Boy for a fight with Marcos Maidana, which everyone but Morales thought was a very bad, unhealthy idea. Many believed the Nevada commission shouldn't have approved the fight, calling it a death match. Instead, although Morales lost a majority decision, it was a massive upset that he was even still standing after a few rounds, much less that he made it an exceptionally competitive fight. Morales had turned back the clock. For good measure, he claimed a vacant junior welterweight belt (albeit a paper one, because it had been disgustingly stripped from Timothy Bradley Jr.) in his next fight.
Three Blind Mice robbery of the year: Three stand out -- junior middleweight Erislandy Lara getting ripped off against Paul Williams, Matthew Macklin being shafted in a middleweight title bout in Germany against hometown fighter Felix Sturm and heavyweight Dereck Chisora getting similar treatment against Robert Helenius in his native Finland. But Lara-Williams was the worst. While Williams was getting hammered so badly that HBO's announcers discussed the notion that he should retire, judges Hilton Whitaker (115-114), Don Givens (116-114) and Al Bennett (114-114) were tallying scorecards that were so abominable that the New Jersey commission suspended them indefinitely. They still haven't been reinstated.
Non-event of the year: Same as 2010. No Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. And the soap opera continues.
TruTV court story of the year: Mayweather dealt with multiple court cases -- none more serious than the eight charges (four felonies and four misdemeanors) related to a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend, the mother of three of his children. Mayweather eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge and no contest on two harassment charges. He was sentenced to six months in county jail in Nevada, three of which were suspended. Instead of arranging the monster fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather, one of boxing's two most famous fighters, will spend the early part of 2012 in the can. He's due to report to jail Friday. He could be out by mid-March, but surely he won't fight in May as originally planned.
TMZ scandal of the year: Oscar De La Hoya went to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Then he admitted to multiple affairs, suicidal thoughts and came clean about those bizarre photos of him that wound up on the Internet a couple of years ago -- the ones supposedly taken by a stripper he was partying with in a hotel room showing him in sexually suggestive positions while wearing fishnet stockings, a woman's wig, panties and high heels -- admitting that they were indeed authentic.
All bark, no bite award: David Haye, obviously. After a couple of years of ducking heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko and trash-talking him to no end, Haye finally manned up and got into the ring. Instead of actually fighting and trying to back up his stream of venom, Haye spent more time flopping to the mat looking for penalty points than fighting as Klitschko kicked his butt in a virtual shutout. Then Haye made himself the laughingstock of boxing when he complained that he lost because of a sore pinky toe, even taking off his boot to show off the digit after his shameful performance. Haye showed himself to be a classless buffoon. The only bigger joke than Haye was his toe-tally pitiful excuse.
Video of the year: After all the trash-talking Haye did, Klitschko responded with this brilliant Internet video shortly after his July victory.
Boxing body parts of the year: 1. Haye's toe; 2. Antonio Margarito's right eye; 3. Pawel Wolak's hematoma; 4. Bernard Hopkins' left shoulder.
Non-effort of the year (after Haye's): It's a tie. Shane Mosley spent 12 rounds trying to touch gloves with Pacquiao instead of fighting, and Omar Narvaez ran from Donaire for 12 rounds -- and hopefully had his visa revoked when he returned to Argentina so that we never have to see him fight on U.S. soil again.
Non-sanctioned fight of the year: Junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, with his 46-pound weight advantage, allegedly beating up junior flyweight titlist Ulises Solis in a street fight over a girl in Mexico.
Interview of the year: So upset by the decision after his fight with Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez didn't stick around in the ring to do an interview with HBO's Max Kellerman. So the cameras went to his dressing room, where Marquez agreed to talk. Having already stripped out of his ring gear, Marquez gave Kellerman an interview seated with a sombrero strategically positioned over his junk.
Faker of the year: Likar Ramos turned in an award-winning performance in his supposed first-round knockout loss to Marquez, who was using the fight as a tune-up for his third meeting with Pacquiao. Marquez landed a nice right hand, but you'd have thought Ramos got hit by Mike Tyson given the ridiculously exaggerated manner in which he went down. It looked like a tank job. I've seen better acting in the WWE.
Ducker of the year: Bradley. After repeatedly calling out Amir Khan for a junior welterweight unification fight, Khan accepted and HBO made deals with their promoters for a July fight. But Bradley, using the excuse of a feud with promoter Gary Shaw, refused. After Khan called his bluff and offered to do a 50-50 deal, including giving Bradley half of his British television money, which is unheard of, Bradley still balked. Then Bradley had the audacity to say that fighting Khan would do nothing for his career. Instead, he left Shaw, signed with Top Rank and beat the totally shot Joel Casamayor in a terrible fight. So what did that do for his career?
Most inspiring: Hands down, Dewey Bozella, who spent 26 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit and, at age 52, finally lived out his dream by making his pro debut in October. He won on the Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard at the Staples Center. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Biggest miracle: The Super Six World Boxing Classic actually reached its conclusion as Ward painted a masterpiece to unify super middleweight titles by easily outpointing Carl Froch.
Biggest bummer: Kelly Pavlik, who simply cannot get his life together as what little is left of his career circles the bowl.
In memoriam: Among those we lost in 2011 were Joe Frazier, Nick Charles, Genaro Hernandez, Gil Clancy, Bouie Fisher, George Benton, Bill Gallo, Ron Lyle, Henry Cooper, Gary Mason, Billy Costello, Butch Lewis and Scott LeDoux. Rest in peace.
Trainer of the year: There were several good candidates, including Robert Garcia (who trains, among others, Nonito Donaire and Brandon Rios); Freddie Roach (Manny Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Amir Khan), who has made the running for this award his personal playground in recent years; Barry Hunter (whose charge, Lamont Peterson, upended Khan); and Ann Wolfe, who deserves a ton of credit for the rebound of James Kirkland. But I'm going with Virgil Hunter, who led Andre Ward to unifying two super middleweight titles, the Super Six championship and fighter of the year honors. Hunter has trained Ward since he first picked up gloves as a kid, and they have climbed the mountain together. Now they can celebrate together.
Comeback of the year: You could certainly go with Kirkland, who returned to Wolfe and eventually outslugged Alfredo Angulo to rebound from a shocking first-round knockout loss to Nobuhiro Ishida. But I'm going with Erik Morales, whose return in 2010 from a 2½-year retirement looked like it would be spent fighting low-level opponents. But in 2011, Morales begged Golden Boy for a fight with Marcos Maidana, which everyone but Morales thought was a very bad, unhealthy idea. Many believed the Nevada commission shouldn't have approved the fight, calling it a death match. Instead, although Morales lost a majority decision, it was a massive upset that he was even still standing after a few rounds, much less that he made it an exceptionally competitive fight. Morales had turned back the clock. For good measure, he claimed a vacant junior welterweight belt (albeit a paper one, because it had been disgustingly stripped from Timothy Bradley Jr.) in his next fight.
Three Blind Mice robbery of the year: Three stand out -- junior middleweight Erislandy Lara getting ripped off against Paul Williams, Matthew Macklin being shafted in a middleweight title bout in Germany against hometown fighter Felix Sturm and heavyweight Dereck Chisora getting similar treatment against Robert Helenius in his native Finland. But Lara-Williams was the worst. While Williams was getting hammered so badly that HBO's announcers discussed the notion that he should retire, judges Hilton Whitaker (115-114), Don Givens (116-114) and Al Bennett (114-114) were tallying scorecards that were so abominable that the New Jersey commission suspended them indefinitely. They still haven't been reinstated.
Non-event of the year: Same as 2010. No Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. And the soap opera continues.
TruTV court story of the year: Mayweather dealt with multiple court cases -- none more serious than the eight charges (four felonies and four misdemeanors) related to a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend, the mother of three of his children. Mayweather eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge and no contest on two harassment charges. He was sentenced to six months in county jail in Nevada, three of which were suspended. Instead of arranging the monster fight with Pacquiao, Mayweather, one of boxing's two most famous fighters, will spend the early part of 2012 in the can. He's due to report to jail Friday. He could be out by mid-March, but surely he won't fight in May as originally planned.
TMZ scandal of the year: Oscar De La Hoya went to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Then he admitted to multiple affairs, suicidal thoughts and came clean about those bizarre photos of him that wound up on the Internet a couple of years ago -- the ones supposedly taken by a stripper he was partying with in a hotel room showing him in sexually suggestive positions while wearing fishnet stockings, a woman's wig, panties and high heels -- admitting that they were indeed authentic.
All bark, no bite award: David Haye, obviously. After a couple of years of ducking heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko and trash-talking him to no end, Haye finally manned up and got into the ring. Instead of actually fighting and trying to back up his stream of venom, Haye spent more time flopping to the mat looking for penalty points than fighting as Klitschko kicked his butt in a virtual shutout. Then Haye made himself the laughingstock of boxing when he complained that he lost because of a sore pinky toe, even taking off his boot to show off the digit after his shameful performance. Haye showed himself to be a classless buffoon. The only bigger joke than Haye was his toe-tally pitiful excuse.
Video of the year: After all the trash-talking Haye did, Klitschko responded with this brilliant Internet video shortly after his July victory.
Boxing body parts of the year: 1. Haye's toe; 2. Antonio Margarito's right eye; 3. Pawel Wolak's hematoma; 4. Bernard Hopkins' left shoulder.
Non-effort of the year (after Haye's): It's a tie. Shane Mosley spent 12 rounds trying to touch gloves with Pacquiao instead of fighting, and Omar Narvaez ran from Donaire for 12 rounds -- and hopefully had his visa revoked when he returned to Argentina so that we never have to see him fight on U.S. soil again.
Non-sanctioned fight of the year: Junior middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, with his 46-pound weight advantage, allegedly beating up junior flyweight titlist Ulises Solis in a street fight over a girl in Mexico.
Interview of the year: So upset by the decision after his fight with Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez didn't stick around in the ring to do an interview with HBO's Max Kellerman. So the cameras went to his dressing room, where Marquez agreed to talk. Having already stripped out of his ring gear, Marquez gave Kellerman an interview seated with a sombrero strategically positioned over his junk.
Faker of the year: Likar Ramos turned in an award-winning performance in his supposed first-round knockout loss to Marquez, who was using the fight as a tune-up for his third meeting with Pacquiao. Marquez landed a nice right hand, but you'd have thought Ramos got hit by Mike Tyson given the ridiculously exaggerated manner in which he went down. It looked like a tank job. I've seen better acting in the WWE.
Ducker of the year: Bradley. After repeatedly calling out Amir Khan for a junior welterweight unification fight, Khan accepted and HBO made deals with their promoters for a July fight. But Bradley, using the excuse of a feud with promoter Gary Shaw, refused. After Khan called his bluff and offered to do a 50-50 deal, including giving Bradley half of his British television money, which is unheard of, Bradley still balked. Then Bradley had the audacity to say that fighting Khan would do nothing for his career. Instead, he left Shaw, signed with Top Rank and beat the totally shot Joel Casamayor in a terrible fight. So what did that do for his career?
Most inspiring: Hands down, Dewey Bozella, who spent 26 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit and, at age 52, finally lived out his dream by making his pro debut in October. He won on the Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard at the Staples Center. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Biggest miracle: The Super Six World Boxing Classic actually reached its conclusion as Ward painted a masterpiece to unify super middleweight titles by easily outpointing Carl Froch.
Biggest bummer: Kelly Pavlik, who simply cannot get his life together as what little is left of his career circles the bowl.
In memoriam: Among those we lost in 2011 were Joe Frazier, Nick Charles, Genaro Hernandez, Gil Clancy, Bouie Fisher, George Benton, Bill Gallo, Ron Lyle, Henry Cooper, Gary Mason, Billy Costello, Butch Lewis and Scott LeDoux. Rest in peace.
Victor Ortiz's only date is with Andre Berto
December, 23, 2011
12/23/11
11:42
AM ET
Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce from Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant last week, and this week rumors spread across the Internet that she was dating former welterweight titleholder Victor Ortiz, who also lives in Southern California.
Apparently, some people care about this sort of gossip and make a big deal out of it, and Ortiz wasn't thrilled by the rumors. So he put out a statement Thursday night through spokesperson Bill Caplan addressing the issue.
"I would like to deny any and all rumors that I am dating Vanessa Bryant," Ortiz said. "In fact, Mrs. Bryant and I have never met. It is unfortunate that during her family's trying times in her relationship with Kobe, uncaring people start these rumors without any merit."
Ortiz went on to say that he was strictly focused on his upcoming rematch with Andre Berto, whom Ortiz outpointed in April in a sensational slugfest.
"The only date I have is with destiny on February 11, 2012, against Andre Berto," Ortiz said. "That is the only date I'm focusing on. Happy and healthy holidays to all."
Apparently, some people care about this sort of gossip and make a big deal out of it, and Ortiz wasn't thrilled by the rumors. So he put out a statement Thursday night through spokesperson Bill Caplan addressing the issue.
"I would like to deny any and all rumors that I am dating Vanessa Bryant," Ortiz said. "In fact, Mrs. Bryant and I have never met. It is unfortunate that during her family's trying times in her relationship with Kobe, uncaring people start these rumors without any merit."
Ortiz went on to say that he was strictly focused on his upcoming rematch with Andre Berto, whom Ortiz outpointed in April in a sensational slugfest.
"The only date I have is with destiny on February 11, 2012, against Andre Berto," Ortiz said. "That is the only date I'm focusing on. Happy and healthy holidays to all."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Dan Rafael
Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer. Rafael began writing for ESPN.com in March 2005 after working for five years as the boxing writer for USA Today. He can be reached on Twitter at danrafaelespn.