Joshua Clottey will be a worthy adversary for Manny Pacquiao posted by Colin Linneweber

WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao will defend his crown versus former IBF welterweight titlist “The Hitter” Joshua Clottey Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) was initially scheduled to fight “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on the identical date.

Unfortunately, the two childish camps were ridiculously unable to agree to terms on a matchup that was expected to pay both prizefighter’s in excess of $30 million.

So, after the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown disintegrated, Top Rank boxing promoter Bob Arum quickly arranged a fight for his client versus Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs).

Pacquiao, 31, the first boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions, deserves his rating by Ring Magazine as the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“Pac-Man” is tough, agile, quick and incredibly powerful for a man of his diminutive frame.

Pacquiao, a Filipino who is also the Ring Magazine and IBO light welterweight titlist, is arguably one of the greatest pugilists in the history of the sport.

“The Fighting Pride of the Philippines” will enter his encounter with Clottey as a decided favorite to emerge victorious.

However, Clottey, 33, is a legitimate prizefighter and he should ultimately prove to be a very difficult opponent for Pacquiao in the ring.

Last June, Clottey was defeated by Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) in a controversial split-decision at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Devon Alexander Will Be the Best Pound-For-Pound Boxer within Five Years posted by Colin Linneweber

WBC light welterweight champion Devon Alexander defeated Juan “Iron Twin” Urango by an eighth round TKO to successfully defend his crown and capture the IBF title Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncansville, Connecticut.  

Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs) was narrowly leading Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs) on the judge’s scorecards before he rocked “Iron Twin” with a thunderous uppercut in the eighth round. 

Urango, 29, courageously managed to get off the canvas despite being obviously dazed. 

However, Alexander landed yet another vicious uppercut on Urango moments later and the referee halted the contest with a tad more than a minute remaining in the fateful round. 

“Our whole training camp we practiced that uppercut,” said Alexander, 23, a three-time PAL national champion who hails from the gritty streets of St. Louis. “Speed kills. I had too much speed for him.” 

Alexander is extremely quick and powerful, and his southpaw stance will inevitably create problems for all of his future opponents. 

“I’m ready for anybody now,” said Alexander. “I’ll take on Zab Judah (38-6, 26 KOs) or Tim Bradley (24-0, 11 KOs), whoever they put in front of me.” 

Barring any unforeseen events, Alexander will become the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world within the next five years. 

Alexander has all the necessary tools and abilities to dominate any pugilist that he encounters in the ring. 

Devon “Alexander the Great” is “ready for anybody” and he is one prizefighter who will have a long and supreme reign in multiple divisions.    

Former Rocky Balboa Opponent Busted For Reefer posted by Colin Linneweber

Former WBO heavyweight champion Tommy “The Duke” Morrison was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession Thursday evening in Wichita, Kan.  

Morrison (48-3-1, 42 KOs), who defeated George Foreman (76-5, 68 KOs) in June 1993 to capture his title, previously served 14 months in the pen after he was convicted on drugs and weapons charges in 1999.

Morrison, the owner of an impressive combined professional and amateur record of 343-24-1, was an enormously powerful puncher and he seemed destined for greatness as a prizefighter during the formative stages of his career. 

“The Duke,” already popular among fans because of his entertaining fighting style, gained even more prominence once he starred as Rocky Balboa’s opponent in the 1990 film Rocky V. 

Morrison’s career began to unravel after he was defeated by Ray Mercer (36-7-1, 26 KOs), Michael Bentt (11-2, 6 KOs) and Lennox Lewis (41-2, 32 KOs). 

Sadly, Morrison, 41, tested positive for HIV in 1996 and he was prohibited from boxing again until he earned a second round TKO over John Castle (4-3, 2 KOs) in West Virginia in February 2007. 

Despite his notable pedigree, Morrison was a genuine waste of talent. 

When properly trained and focused, Morrison was an extremely formidable foe. 

Unfortunately, instead of becoming a true legend in the ring, Morrison instead concentrated his efforts towards alcohol, drugs and sexual promiscuity. 

Tommy Morrison is simply an unsettling case of failure. 

Manny Pacquiao would never "wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather" posted by Colin Linneweber

WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao will defend his crown versus Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. 

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions, made it clear this week that he is not overlooking the formidable Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs). 

“Joshua Clottey is taller and bigger than me, and you can not underestimate him,” said Pacquiao, 31. “Because he is a former world champion also.” 

Nevertheless, Pacquiao and members of his camp couldn’t resist the urge to chastise “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) for the disintegration of their proposed March 13 showdown over drug testing protocol for the fight. 

“We don’t have to be geniuses to know what they were trying to do. They were trying to get into Manny’s head so he’d be discombobulated,” claimed Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. “Mayweather against Manny is a no-contest, no contest. Manny would wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather.” 

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, also chimed in with his sentiments. 

“Manny, sometimes when he’s shadowboxing, he shows me how Mayweather fights and how he’ll take care of the problem, and I’ve never seen that before,” said Roach, a native of Dedham, Massachusetts. “We want to fight him (Mayweather) and knock him out.” 

Roach, a former professional fighter who now suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has been voted Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America four times and it is evident that he is a true pugilistic mastermind. 

Manny Pacquiao's injured leg is "nothing serious" and "he'll be ready" to fight Joshua Clottey posted by Colin Linneweber

WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao’s adviser said Wednesday that his fighter does not have an injured leg and he is prepared to battle Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. 

“It’s nothing serious, just cramps,” said Michael Knocz. “Relax, don’t worry. He’ll (Pacquiao) be ready for the fight.” 

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), Ring Magazine’s number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world, has long been regarded as one of the elite prizefighter’s in the sport. 

However, Pacquiao’s recent demolitions of solid scrappers Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs), and Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) have elevated his status to a newfound level of superiority. 

Pacquiao has been blessed with every necessary tool to become an outstanding prizefighter, and he has aptly used those abilities.  

“The Fighting Pride of the Philippines” was tentatively slated to battle former WBC welterweight champion “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on the identical date that he will now fight Clottey (35-3-0-1, 20 KOs). 

Unfortunately, the glamorous matchup pathetically disintegrated when the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps could not agree on a drug testing protocol for the contest. 

“I know Floyd is the best,” said Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr. “But when your opponent uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt.” 

"Sugar" Ray Leonard Would Have Dominated Manny Pacquiao posted by Colin Linneweber

If they had fought at the peaks of their respective careers, “Sugar” Ray Leonard would have soundly defeated current WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), the first fighter to capture seven world titles in seven different divisions, is currently rated by Ring Magazine as the preeminent pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“Pac-Man” has long been regarded as one of the elite boxers in the sport.However, Pacquiao’s recent demolitions of solid scrappers Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs), and Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) have elevated his status to a newfound superiority.

Pacquiao has been blessed with every necessary tool to become an outstanding prizefighter, and he has aptly used those abilities.

Nevertheless, Manny Pacquiao is not nearly as skilled as Leonard was and “Sugar” Ray would have taunted and embarrassed the Filipino great until the referee halted the bout.

Leonard (36-3-1, 25 KOs), named Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s by Ring Magazine, captured world titles at multiple weight classes.

The International Boxing Hall of Famer managed to trump legendary fighters Wilfred Benitez (53-8-1, 31 KOs), Thomas Hearns (61-5-1, 48 KOs), Roberto Duran (103-16, 70 KOs) and Marvin Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs) among others.

Leonard, the winner of a gold medal as a light welterweight at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, possessed blinding speed and deft agility in the ring.

Furthermore, the smiling and charismatic Leonard was a deceptively powerful puncher who could badly hurt an opponent with either one solid shot or a combination of flurries.

Statue Erected In Alabama For Boxing Great & Enemy of Hitler posted by Colin Linneweber

An eight-foot bronze statue of “The Brown Bomber” Joe Louis will be unveiled Saturday in the International Boxing Hall of Famer’s hometown of LaFayette, Alabama.  

Residents of the town of approximately 3,000 people managed to raise nearly $60,000 over a span of three years to pay for the sculpture to be built. 

The statue of Louis, which has a base of Alabama red granite, will be situated outside of the Chambers County Courthouse in LaFayette. 

Louis (65-3-0-1, 51 KOs), who in 2005 was named the greatest heavyweight ever by the International Boxing Research Organization, was born six miles northwest of LaFayette in 1914. 

“The Brown Bomber” transcended boxing and he is widely considered to be the first black man that the American public openly supported. 

Louis, who volunteered to enlist in the United States Army in1942, possessed keen footwork and agility and he was blessed with tremendous power in both of his fists. 

As the boxing-obsessed character, Mendy Ripstein, empathically declared in the movie Undisputed, “Joe Louis was the best heavyweight that ever fought under the modern rules. No discussion, the best.” 

In a matchup that had both athletic and political implications, Louis battled German pugilist Max “Black Uhlan of the Rhine” Schmeling (56-10-4, 40 KOs) in June 1936 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. 

Despite the fact that Schmeling never endorsed the Nazi regime, he was viewed by many American’s as an enemy because he happened to hail from Germany. 

The best quotes by athletes in the 2000s posted by Colin Linneweber

February is widely recognized as the dimmest and most lackluster of all the months on the sports calendar. 

Considering the relative dearth of interesting storylines (sorry, Winter Olympics), I decided to rank the seven most entertaining quotes uttered by athletes over the course of the past decade. 

I chose to incorporate seven quotes because we are a mere seven weeks into the new year.  

1)      “Iron” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) demolished Lou Savarese (46-7, 38 KOs) by TKO just 38 seconds into their fight in Glasgow, Scotland. 

In a ringside interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray shortly after the massacre, Tyson went on a inane tirade against Lennox Lewis (41-2-1, 32 KOs). 

“I’m the best ever. I’m the most brutal, vicious and most ruthless champion there’s ever been. There’s no one can stop me,” said Tyson, who remains the youngest boxer to ever capture the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles. 

“Lennox (Lewis) is a conqueror? No. I’m Alexander. He’s no Alexander. I’m the best ever. There’s never been anybody as ruthless. I’m Sonny Liston. I’m Jack Dempsey. There’s no one like me. I’m from their cloth. There’s no one that can match me. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable. And I’m just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah.” 

When they finally met in Memphis in June 2002, Lewis battered Tyson before he earned a decisive eighth round knockout. 

Jewish Champ Will Lose To Puerto Rican Icon at Yankee Stadium posted by Colin Linneweber

Provided that a bar mitzvah doesn’t prohibit it from occurring, WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman is expected to defend his crown against former WBO welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto on June 5 at Yankee Stadium. 

“The Yankees want to make a deal, we know we can make a deal, they’re just working through a problem at Yankee Stadium,” promoter Bob Arum told the Associated Press on Tuesday.  

“But you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. They’ve leased out some lounges for this bar mitzvah and part of the deal was for a half hour or so, they could use the big screen in center field to show pictures and all that sort of stuff. Obviously you can’t do that if there’s a fight going on.”

Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) last fought on Nov. 14 when he relinquished his belt to Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) by a brutal 12th round TKO.

On the undercard of the Pacquiao versus Cotto bout, Foreman (28-0, 8 KOs), who is ironically an aspiring rabbi, defeated Daniel Santos (32-4-1-1, 23 KOs) by unanimous decision to become Israel’s first ever world boxing champion.

Foreman, 29, the winner of the New York Golden Gloves in 2001, was considered as a potential opponent for Pacquiao after the WBO champion’s proposed matchup with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) deteriorated earlier this month.

However, Pacquiao rejected the offer mainly because Foreman, at five feet and eleven inches, is quite tall for a welterweight.

As evidenced by his paltry knockout percentage, Foreman does not possess tremendous power in either of his fists.

The five most skilled fighters since 1985 posted by Colin Linneweber

Unfortunately, very little news of interest has emerged so far this week in the world of boxing.

Considering the relative dearth of recent activity in The Sweet Science, I decided to rank the five most skilled boxers to enter the ring over the course of the past quarter-century.

It is imperative that I emphasize the word “skilled.”

The forthcoming list is not comprised of the most accomplished or decorated pugilists since 1985.

Rather, I ultimately nominated the five fighters below based strictly on their physical gifts and their overall pugilistic capabilities.

1)      “Sugar” Ray Leonard- Leonard (36-3-1, 25 KOs), named Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s by Ring Magazine, captured world titles at multiple weight classes.

Leonard managed to defeat legendary fighters Wilfred Benitez (53-8-1, 31 KOs), Thomas Hearns (61-5-1, 48 KOs), Roberto Duran (103-16, 70 KOs) and Marvin Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs).

Leonard, the winner of the gold medal as a light welterweight at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, possessed blinding speed and deft agility in the ring.

Furthermore, Leonard was a deceptively powerful puncher who could badly hurt an opponent with one solid shot.

“Leonard was a great fighter,” said promoter Rich Cappiello from Brockton. “But, above all, he was a tremendously gifted athlete.”

“Sugar” Ray, who was rightfully inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, is the most skilled boxer since Reagan’s second term.

Clottey savors arduous journey to title fight (Yahoo! Sports)

Joshua Clottey's road to a bout against the world's best pound-for-pound fighter was neither fast nor easy. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Grand jury may get Mayweather friend shooting case (AP)

A prosecutor served notice Wednesday that a grand jury may hear evidence that an associate of boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. shot at a man who police said argued with the boxer last August at a Las Vegas skating rink. Ocie Harris, 27, made a brief initial court appearance in a Las Vegas court on felony attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon charges. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Pacquiao calm, confident for fight vs Clottey (PA SportsTicker)

By JAIME ARON AP Sports Writer [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

1 charge dropped in Roger Mayweather battery case (AP)

A court clerk says a judge dismissed a felony coercion charge against boxing trainer Roger Mayweather, who faces trial June 1 on allegations that he beat and choked a female boxer at a Las Vegas apartment he owned. The 48-year-old Mayweather still faces battery-strangulation and battery causing substantial bodily harm charges carrying the possibility of up to 10 years in prison. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Hooks 'n' Jabs (Yahoo! Sports)

Short shots about the world of professional boxing. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports