ESPN Boxing

Imagine demanding that your city add a stop sign on your corner and then, after local officials relent, blowing through the intersection at your first opportunity. A weak analogy, perhaps, but you get the idea why ESPN.com's Dan Rafael is so confounded by Lamont Peterson and Andre Berto, who sought random drug testing ahead of their recent scheduled bouts and then proceeded to get popped for banned substances. For more on Rafael's thoughts on performance enhancers and drug testing in boxing, check out the clip above.

Junior welterweight titlist Marcos Maidana is ready to put February's lopsided decision loss to Devon Alexander behind him.

Maidana moved up to welterweight for the fight, as did Alexander, and was toyed with. Now back at junior welterweight to defend his belt, Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs), the big puncher from Argentina, has been in Oxnard, Calif., working with new trainer Robert Garcia and looking forward to a return to action later this summer against an opponent to be determined.

"I've felt very good in my first week training with my new team," Maidana said through translator (and adviser) Sebastian Contursi. "There are great fighters and a great atmosphere around here. Obviously, it will take me some time to adjust and get [into] great physical condition, but we'll get there with hard work."

When Andre Berto failed a drug test and was bounced from his June 23 welterweight rematch with Victor Ortiz, Maidana's name was at the top of the list as a possible replacement, according to Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer. Maidana, after all, made Ortiz quit in the sixth round of a sensational, knockdown-filled junior welterweight brawl in June 2009.

Golden Boy and Showtime are keeping the show in place, but Berto has been replaced by Josesito Lopez. With Maidana only a week into his new training camp, he said he wouldn't have had enough time to get ready for the date.

"The news caught me by surprise, of course," Maidana said. "My advisor, Sebastian Contursi, let me know that Golden Boy Promotions asked him whether it was possible for me to be ready for June 23. But, of course, I cannot do it in only five weeks. It's a shame that the time frame does not fit, as I would've loved to face Ortiz again.

"I know this is the second postponement [of the Berto fight] for Victor, and I feel bad for him. Maybe if Golden Boy Promotions can secure a new date, then we could talk about the rematch, because I know people want it."

Former junior welterweight Amir Khan is also looking for a new opponent after the cancellation of his May 19 fight against titleholder Lamont Peterson, who also flunked a random urine test. Maidana pushed Khan to the limit in a December 2010 title bout before losing a decision in a fight that was voted fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Khan likely will fight a new opponent on his rescheduled date of July 7, and Maidana's name has been raised for that spot, too.

"That's another rematch that I'd love to take," Maidana said. "Everybody knows that I've been asking to face Amir again, for more than a year now. But again, time-wise it does not work, as apparently Khan needs to fight on July 7. In any case, if either Ortiz or Khan are willing to fight me, I'll be ready for any of them by the end of July. I know Amir Khan is looking for his former belts to be given back to him after the Peterson case. If he wants a belt, let's move his date two or three weeks and try to get it from me in the ring."

Many suggested that because Khan and Ortiz were both looking for new opponents that they ought to have faced each other. Great fight, but it wasn't going to happen, at least not in their next bouts. Ortiz is locked into Showtime for the June 23 date. Khan, who has said quite clearly that he is planning for his next fight to be at junior welterweight before moving up in weight, is under contract to HBO. That rendered the possibility of an Ortiz-Khan fight this summer impossible.

Besides, even if they were free, it would make absolutely zero business sense for Golden Boy. Each date is worth seven figures, so why in the world would Golden Boy give up one of them?

Can't get enough boxing programming around the big fights? If that's the case, HBO and Showtime have the latest installments of their reality shows to go along with the promotion of major fights.

HBO kicks off the promotion for Manny Pacquiao's welterweight title defense against Timothy Bradley Jr., which takes place June 9 (HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with the debut of "Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley" on Saturday night -- well, really Sunday morning -- at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT.

Kellerman is the moderator for the interview session with both fighters, who sit face to face while answering his questions. They also have a chance to address each other. There are a slew of replays of the 15-minute program available on HBO and the HBO2 service, as well as availability on HBO On Demand.

Over on Showtime, the network is gearing up for the rescheduled welterweight rematch between former titleholders Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto, with a three-part "Fight Camp 360º: Ortiz vs. Berto II" reality series.

Ortiz and Berto first squared off in April 2011 in one of the best fights of the year, which Ortiz won by decision to claim a world title. The rematch is scheduled for June 23 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was originally scheduled for Feb. 11 in Las Vegas but was postponed when Berto suffered a torn biceps.

"Fight Camp" debuts June 13 on Showtime (10 p.m. ET/PT). Episode 2 premiers June 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The first two episodes are 30-minute shows, with the third episode being a 15-minute show that will wrap up the fight on June 30 (9 p.m. ET/PT).

Besides replays being available on the Showtime Extreme platform and Showtime On Demand, episodes will also be replayed on Showtime sister network CBS Sports Network.

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.

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."

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Six weeks after Andre Berto lost a decision and his welterweight belt to Victor Ortiz in their four-knockdown (two apiece) slugfest in April, Berto lashed out at him on Twitter.

In a series of remarks, Berto accused Ortiz of using performance-enhancing drugs to help him in his victory.

"Let me clear the air now!! You're right there is a reason why Ortiz had so much energy, a reason he could take my heavy shots and keep ticking," Berto wrote.

In another post, he wrote, "There is a reason why he came into the ring 165 pounds. I know people close to him and his camp and I know exactly what he was taking. It wasn't Flintstone vitamins!! But it is what it is. I should of beat him anyways, but it wasn't me that night. Ortiz wasn't him either."

Berto (28-1, 22 KOs), of course, had no proof and Ortiz has never been linked to any illegal substances, so it came off as simply a case of sour grapes -- even though these kinds of accusations can damage a reputation. Berto later tried to apologize via Twitter by saying he was only joking, but it sure didn't come off that way.

As they get ready for their much-anticipated rematch Feb. 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in Showtime's first major fight of 2012, there should be no cries of foul play. Both fighters will subject themselves to random blood and urine testing throughout their training camps. It will be administered by the Las Vegas-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which focuses primarily on testing in boxing and mixed martial arts.

Berto asked for the testing provision in the contract, and Ortiz said he accepted without hesitation.

"We've just got to make sure everything is a level field of play," Berto said during a roundtable discussion with boxing writers before Saturday's Andre Ward-Carl Froch Super Six World Boxing Classic final. "I'm gonna work hard and he's gonna work hard. And we're going to just make sure everything is the same level field."

Berto has the support of his promoter, Lou DiBella, who has long been an advocate of more rigorous random testing.

"It will be testing of blood and urine," DiBella said. "I feel we need it across the board. I think that it should happen, period."

Ortiz went through random testing at the insistence of Floyd Mayweather Jr. before their Sept. 17 fight, so he said it's no big deal to do it again.

"Getting blamed for usage of illegal enhancement drugs, that was uncalled for because I don't do that kind of stuff," Ortiz said a half-hour after Berto's media session ended. "Definitely, I'm all for [testing]. No problem. We have nothing to hide. It's good."

Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KOs) said his experience leading up to the Mayweather fight was fine.

"It was just another day. They take your blood. You use the bathroom quite a bit," Ortiz said.

Then he made light of the situation.

"The only different thing is that there are people looking at you when you use the bathroom. I had to get used to it. It was kind of like, I'm trying to concentrate and [the sample collector] is looking at me.

"I'd be talking to him," said a laughing Ortiz, "saying, 'How's it going?'"

Your random thoughts ...

• The last-minute, circus-like way that the New York State Athletic Commission handled the Antonio Margarito licensing situation, including forcing him to break camp in Mexico for an exam of his surgically repaired right eye less than two weeks before his Dec. 3 rematch with Miguel Cotto, at least lent itself to some good humor. On Twitter, the Fight Freaks offered some impressive, witty lines, including:

-- Can't Margarito just use some of that plaster to protect his eye?
-- Is the fight being sanctioned by the WB See?
-- Who sanctioned the exam? The Eye BF?
-- Will Margarito's camp have the doctor's gloves examined prior to the exam?
-- So is this a diamond eye exam or an interim eye exam?
-- Do they charge a sanctioning fee per eye or one fee for both of them?

At least the NYSAC, which should never have allowed the licensing to be drawn out to the 11th hour, came to its senses and licensed Margarito. But it doesn't excuse the fact that it created the mess by waiting until less than two weeks before the fight to handle the situation instead of doing it months ago.

• Speaking of Cotto-Margarito II, how freaking good was the first episode last week of HBO's "24/7 Cotto/Margarito"? Perhaps the single best episode in the history of the series. If you missed it, make sure you watch a replay. The opening few minutes set the stage for an enthralling half-hour as Cotto, for the first time that I have heard, said plainly that he believed Margarito wore loaded hand wraps in their first fight and called him a "criminal."

• I get asked all the time about the best atmospheres of fights I've covered. There have been so many great ones, but a few jump to mind immediately: Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Ricky Hatton at the MGM in Las Vegas (hands down the best, so far), Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward III at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., and Felix Trinidad-William Joppy and Cotto-Zab Judah, both of which were held at Madison Square Garden. I am quite certain I will have another to add to the list after next week because I fully expect that Cotto-Margarito II at the Garden promises an incredible atmosphere. There will be 20,000 (mostly Puerto Rican Cotto fans) rocking the joint. I cannot wait.

• With HBO losing the Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto rematch to Showtime, it looks HBO will aim to kick off its new season with a possible Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight in late January or February. One possible opponent for Chavez is Andy Lee, according to Lou DiBella, Lee's promoter. DiBella told me that Top Rank's Bob Arum, Chavez's promoter, has called him about possibly making that fight. DiBella said he and Arum are planning to meet in New York next week when Arum is in town promoting Cotto-Margarito II. As for my thoughts on Chavez-Lee? Thumbs up. I like that fight.

• If David Lemieux rebounds to defeat Joachim Alcine on Dec. 10, another fight I'd like to see is Lemieux eventually challenging Chavez Jr. for his middleweight belt.

• Although Showtime bought Ortiz-Berto II, it is highly unusual that it's the only fight on the 2012 calendar for HBO or Showtime thus far. I know both networks are going through major changes at the top, with Stephen Espinoza having just started running Showtime Sports and Ken Hershman not due to take over the vacant job at HBO Sports until Jan. 9, but it's still unusual.

• Reflecting on the Thanksgiving holiday, I'd like to mention a few things I'm thankful for in terms of boxing: Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather. I want to see them fight each other as much as the next guy, but even apart, they are the biggest boxing stars in a sport that needs as many as it can get. … YouTube.com. Unable to watch many of the fights that go untelevised in the United States? YouTube is your friend. Usually within 24 hours of the fight being over, somebody somewhere on the planet has posted the video. … Heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Some say their dominance is bad for boxing. I couldn't disagree more. I enjoy domination. If you want them out of boxing, the solution is simple: Find someone to beat them. Besides, they're true professionals, always show up in shape and are class people, which is something boxing could use more of. … Guys who come to rumble, such as Cotto, Brandon Rios, Jorge Arce, Tavoris Cloud, James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo, Marcos Maidana, Erik Morales, Michael Katsidis and Giovani Segura. … The fans in Montreal and throughout Quebec. They turn out to support their fighters like nobody else, which is why fighters such as Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal wield impressive economic clout and fill up arenas north of the border.

• Congrats to Kathy Duva and her crew at Main Events for landing a deal for NBC Sports Network to buy fights from the promoter next year. Hopefully, Main Events will put the approximately $100,000 per-show license fee toward legitimate fights that will provide action and are meaningful. She should be able to accomplish exactly that with a budget double that of Showtime's "ShoBox," which regularly gives us very good fights. It's important for boxing that Duva does not fail.

• This is one of the weakest years I can remember when it comes to legitimate candidates for fighter of the year. Usually, there's an obvious choice, or even two. Not this year.

• Although it hasn't been announced yet, HBO and broadcaster Jim Lampley, the network's voice of boxing and a future International Boxing Hall of Famer, are developing a boxing studio show that Lampley will host and is supposed to begin in the first half of 2012. You can count on news from around boxing and discussion about the latest issues in the sport. It's set to begin as a quarterly program but could expand. This has been a long time coming. Despite a massive involvement in boxing, it has always perplexed me why HBO didn't support its coverage with this sort of show. Considering HBO has skin in the game, it's about time it backs it up with -- knowing Lampley -- what I expect to be intelligent boxing discourse.

• In light of the fact that Joel Casamayor tested positive for marijuana after his one-sided drubbing at the hands of junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., I guess we now know why he needed two trips to the scale to make weight. Probably had the munchies.

• This is much cooler than going down to Target or hitting JCPenney for a new pair of shorts, but also a lot more expensive. At a recently concluded auction filled with numerous pieces of incredible sports memorabilia, an unidentified buyer bought the trunks that Muhammad Ali wore in his first fight with Joe Frazier for $173,102. Hey, at least they are signed in three places by Ali.

• DVD pick of the week: Last Tuesday, I recalled one of the most significant anniversaries in boxing history by breaking out my DVD of a fight from 25 years ago -- Nov. 22, 1986 -- at the Las Vegas Hilton. That was when Mike Tyson destroyed Trevor Berbick on an ultra-memorable second-round knockout to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history and fulfilled the prediction of his late trainer and mentor, Cus D'Amato. Tyson was just 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old when he steamrolled Berbick to advance to 28-0 with 26 knockouts. The knockout was sweet. Berbick survived a knockdown in the opening moments of the second round before Tyson landed the title-winning left hook. The shot resulted in essentially three knockdowns: Berbick dropped from the punch, beat the count but fell again because he was disoriented; he then tried to get up again before falling across the ring, completely out of it, as referee Mills Lane called it off. That prompted then HBO announcer Barry Tompkins to rightfully proclaim, "And we have a new era in boxing!"