Tag Archives: las

Posted on 11/06/2016

Top Rank PPV Round by Round Results: Manny Pacquiao Wins by Clear Decision Over Jessie Vargas
By: William Holmes

Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2) met Jessie Vargas (27-1) in the main event of tonight’s Pay Per View Card for the WBO World Welterweight Title.

Photo Credit

In a bit of a surprise, Floyd Mayweather Jr. attended the fight and took his seat before the start of the main event right behind the announce crew.

The Mexican National Anthem and United States National Anthem was performed by Bridget Gonzalez. The Filipino National Anthem was performed by the Word Choir.

The challenger, Manny Pacquiao entered the ring first to a loud chorus of cheers. Jessie Vargas entered second and was met with a mixture of cheers and boos.

Michael Buffer served as tonight’s announcer, Kenny Bayless was the referee, and the three judges were Glenn Feldman, Dave Moretti, and Glenn Trowbridge.

The following is a round by round recap of tonight’s main event.

Round 1:

Pacquiao and Vargas meet in the center of the ring and Vargas has a big height advantage on Pacquiao. Pacquiao showing good head movement early on. Vargas with a quick jab. Vargas lands another short jab followed by a right cross to the body. Vargas lands a check left hook. Vargas barely misses with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a short left cross. Pacquiao misses with a left cross and Vargas misses with his counter. Vargas misses with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand that was partially blocked by Vargas. Pacquiao misses with a jab and Vargas ducks under it. Pacquiao rushes in and misses with a two punch combination.

10-9 Vargas

Round 2:

Pacquiao lands a short jab, Vargas misses with his. Pacquiao connects with his straight left hand. Vargas misses to the body and a two punch combination. Vargas misses with a jab to the body. Pacquiao lands a right jab. Pacquiao throws a left cross to the body. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand to the chin. Good jab by Vargas. Vargas misses to the head and lands a low blow. Pacquiao with a three punch counter combination. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand and puts Vargas on his butt. Pacquiao lands another straight left hand when Vargas gets back to his feet.

10-8 Pacquiao; 19-17 Pacquiao

Round 3:

Pacquiao showing good head movement again. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand and follows it with two jabs. Vargas lands a good right hand to the head of Pacquiao. Two straight left hands from Pacquiao followed by a two punch combination. Vargas sneaks a right hand past the guard of Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good left hand on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a good right hook followed by a sharp jab. Pacquiao ducks under a hook by Vargas and then gets hit with another low blow. Vargas slips and touches the mat with his glove. Good right hand by Vargas.

10-9 Pacquiao; 29-26 Pacquiao

Round 4:

Pacquiao bangs two jabs off the gloves of Vargas. Vargas lands a quick jab. Vargas lands another jab. Pacquiao misses with a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good straight left hand. Pacquiao lands another two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a lead left hand. Pacquiao lands another straight left but takes a hard straight right hand from Vargas. Pacquiao is stalking Vargas and lands a lead straight left hand. Pacquiao misses with a two punch combination. Quick straight left hand by Pacquiao, Vargas responds with a straight right hand.

10-9 Vargas; 38-36 Pacquiao

Round 5:

Pacquiao with a short quick jab on Vargas. Pacquiao misses with a straight left. They exchange and land jabs. Pacquiao lands a hard lead left cross to the head of Vargas. Vargas’ right side of his face is starting to swell. Pacquiao lands a cross to the body. Vargas misses a sweeping right hook. Vargas’ jabs are pretty crisp. Pacquiao lands a short left and Vargas responds with a right cross. Pacquiao lands a left to the temple of Vargas. Vargas misses with a combination and Pacquiao lands a counter left. Close round.

10-9 Vargas; 47-46 Pacquiao

Round 6:

Vargas looks like he is getting more confident. Pacquiao lands a short jab. Good straight left hand by Pacquiao. Good straight right hand by Vargas on Pacquiao’s nose. Pacquiao throws a double jab but misses. Vargas lands two straight right hands in a row. Pacquiao lands a straight left hand. Vargas lands another good right hand. Pacquiao rushes in and connects with another straight left on the right eye of Vargas. Pacquiao lands a shot to the body and Vargas responds with a combination. Pacquiao with another straight left hand, but Vargas answers with a good jab. Good straight lead left by Pacquiao, Vargas lands a good straight right hand.

10-9 Vargas; 56-56

Round 7:

Vargas lands a jab and Pacquiao answers with a straight left hand. Pacquiao is stalking Vargas. Good right jab by Pacquiao. Pacquiao with a hard jab followed by another jab on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a left hook on Vargas. Good two punch combination by Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands another jab on Vargas. Vargas is warned to keep his punches up. Vargags is short with his jab. Left hook partially blocked by Pacquiao. Pacquiao misses with a straight right jab but connects with a follow up jab.

10-9 Pacquiao; 66-65 Pacquiao.

Round 8:

Pacquiao showing good head movement. Pacquiao lands a jab. Vargas and Pacquiao not throwing a whole lot in the first minute. Pacquiao lands a jab but Vargas ducks under a follow up left hook. Vargas lands a jab and right cross to the body. Pacquiao lands a short left cross. Pacquiao lands a counter straight left hand. Pacquiao lands a good right jab and Vargas responds with a straight right hand. Pacquiao lands a right hook on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a two punch combination on Vargas. Pacquiao lands another straight left. Vargas connects with a jab. Vargas is bleeding badly. Pacquiao lands a short left hand followed by a good jab. Good action round.

10-9 Pacquiao; 76-74 Pacquiao.

Round 9:

Pacquiao is still pressing the action. Pacquiao lands a straight lead left hand on Vargas. Clash of heads when Pacquiao moves forward. Pacquiao lands a reaching right jab. They both land right hands at the same time, but Pacquiao lands a good straight left hand afterwards. Another clash of heads by the boxers. Vargas lands two jabs. Pacquiao lands a good lead left hand. Pacquiao connects with a hard right jab. Pacquiao connects with a check right hook. Vargas connects with two straight right hands. Pacquiao connects with another lead left hand.

10-9 Pacquiao; 86-83 Pacquiao

Round 10:

The cut over Vargas’ eye was ruled from a punch. Vargas lands two shots to the body. Pacquiao lands a three punch combination followed by a short uppercut. Pacquiao with a left hook and a jab on Vargas. Pacquiao has a lot of energy still. Pacquiao with a good straight left on Vargas. Pacquiao lands two good right hands on Vargas and Vargas smiles after getting tagged. Good exchange with both boxers landing punches. Vargas barely misses with a right hand. Pacquiao lands a jab and Vargas answers with a hook. Pacquiao lands a lead straight left hand. Pacquiao with another lead stragith left hand.

10-9 Pacquiao; 96-92 Pacquiao

Round 11:

Vargas opens up the eleventh round with a lead left hand and follows it with a hard jab and a two punch combination. Pacquiao lands a good jab. Vargas lands a good right cross counter. Vargas connects with two jabs and a straight right hand. Pacquiao misses with two jabs. Pacquiao lands a left hand and Vargas connects with a good straight right hand. Pacquiao lands a short left hand on Vargas. Pacquiao lands a right hook and Vargas touches the mat, but the referee rules it a slip.

10-9 Pacquiao; 106-101 Pacquiao.

Round 12:

Vargas probably needs a knockout to win. Pacquiao’s fans are chanting loudly for him. Pacquiao with a good jab on Vargas. Pacquiao dodges a combo by Vargas and answers with a combination. Hard straight left by Pacquiao. Vargas lands a body shot, and Vargas makes him pay with a short left uppercut. Pacquiao with a three punch combination and turns Vargas. Vargas with a straight right to the body of Pacquiao. Pacquiao lands a good right hook on Vargas. Pacquiao is very accurate this round. Vargas lands a left but the referee rules it a slip again.

10-9 Pacquiao; 116-110 Pacquiao.

The official scores were 114-113, 118-109, 118-109 for Manny Pacquiao.

Posted on 11/03/2016

Top Rank PPV Preview: Pacquiao vs. Vargas, Shiming vs. Phaprom, Donaire vs. Magdaleno, Valdez vs. Osawa
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Philippine Senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring and chase another world title as he faces Jessie Vargas for Vargas’ WBO Welterweight Title.

Pacquiao has long been a mainstay with HBO Boxing and nearly all of his pay per views were distributed by them. However, HBO has chosen to go forward with the Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev PPV bout in the month of November and is letting Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing distribute Pacquiao’s PPV on their own.

Top Rank has wisely decided to stack their card with four world title fights in what should be an entertaining night of fights. The card will be held at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The following is a preview of all four world title bouts.

Zou Shiming (8-1) vs. Prasitsak Phaprom (39-1-2); WBO World Flyweight Title

This is a rematch of a bout that happened on November 23rd, 2014 in which Shiming defeated Phaprom by decision.

Zou Shiming was supposed to be Top Rank’s vehicle to grow the sport of boxing in China and establish a strong foothold there. He was successful in helping Top Rank break into the Chinese market, but he has lost some of his luster since losing to Amnat Ruenroeng in an IBF Flyweight Title fight in March of 2017.

Shiming is a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and won the Bronze in 2004. He’s the most decorated amateur boxer to ever come out of China and is currently trained by Freddie Roach. Phaprom does not have the amateur accolades that Shiming possesses.

Both boxers are thirty five years old and neither can be considered to be in the midst of the physical prime. Shiming will have a two and a half inch height advantage as well as a two and a half inch reach advantage.

Shiming is not known for his power and many pundits question whether his amateur abilities can translate to the profressional stage He only has two stoppage victories on his resume while Phaprom has stopped twenty four of his opponents.

Phaprom has been very active and has fought five times in 2016. However, Phaprom has fought almost exclusively in Thailand and has only fought outside of it once, when he first faced and lost to Shiming. He also doesn’t have any big name victories on his resume, but has fought thirteen more times since losing to Shiming.

This will be Shiming’s third fight in 2016, and he has defeated the likes of Phaprom, Jozsef Ajtai, Natan Coutinho, and Luis de la Rosa. His lone loss was to Amnat Ruenroeng.

This rematch should play out in a similar fashion to their first bout, with Shiming ending the fight as the winner.

Nonito Donaire (37-3) vs. Jessie Magdaleno (23-0); WBO World Junior Featherweight Title

Nonito Donaire is the second most Filipino boxer in the world today, but this will be the first time he has ever fought on the same card as Manny Pacquiao.

Donaire’s best days might be behind him. He’s thirty three years old and will be nine year older than Magdaleno come fight night. However, he will be about one inch taller than Magdaleno and will have about a two inch reach advantage.

Both boxers have had successful amateur careers. Donaire was a National Junior Olympics Flyweight Champion, a National Light Flyweight Champions, and a Silver Gloves Champion. Magdaleno was a US National Champion in the bantamweight division and a National Golden Gloves Champion in the bantamweight division.

Both boxers come from a family of boxers and have brothers who compete or have competed professionally. However, Donaire is a former title holder in the flyweight, bantamweight, super bantamweight, and featherweight divisions while Magdaleno is still chasing his first world title.

Donaire has been in the ring with some of the best the sport has to offer. He has defeated the likes of Zsolt Bedak, Cesar Juarez, Vic Darchinyan, Jorge Arce, Toshiaki Nishioka, Jeffrey Mathebula, Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Omar Narvaez, and Fernando Montiel. His losses were to Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nicholas Walters, and Rosendo Sanchez in the second fight of his career.

This will be a big step up for Magdaleno, and he has never fought someone as a professional on the level of Donaire. He has defeated the likes of Rey Perez, Erik Ruiz, and Roberto Castandeda.

This might be the last swan song for Donaire. There’s been a noticeable drop in his speed and power since he lost to Rigondeaux and he was stopped, quite brutally, by Walters. He’s still a good boxer and is experienced enough to give Magdaleno a tough time inside the ring, but Magdaleno is just entering his prime and should be able to defeat the older Donaire.

Oscar Valdez (20-0) vs. Hiroshiga Osawa (30-3-4); WBO World Featherweight Title

Oscar Valdez is one of the most promising young champions on the roster of Top Rank Promotions. He’s also featured in one of the biggest mismatches of the night.

The one, and perhaps only, advantage Osawa will have on Saturday night is that he is about an inch and half taller and four inches longer than Valdez. However, Valdez is the better technical boxer, the more powerful puncher, the quicker fighter, and will be about six years younger than Osawa.

Valdez has an impressive eighteen knockouts and has stopped four of his past five opponents. Osawa stopped nineteen of his opponents but is currently riding an eight fight stoppage victory streak.

Valdez has a deep amateur background and represented Mexico in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Osawa has no such amateur background.

Both boxers have been fairly active in the past two years. Valdez fought four times in 2015 and fought twice in 2016. Osawa fought three times in 2015 and once in 2016.

Osawa has fought exclusively in Asia and his resume does not include any big name victories. He has losses to unheralded boxers such as Mitsuya Omura, JR Sollano, and Daiki Koide. Valdez only recently won WBO Featherweight title, and has impressive victories over Evgeny Gradovich, Matias Rueda, Chris Avalos, Ruben Tamayo, and Jose Ramirez.

Valdez is the most likely boxer to score a stoppage victory on Saturday night.

Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2) vs. Jessie Vargas (27-1); WBO World Welterweight Title

Manny Pacquiao, despite being a Senator for the Philippines, is still considered a top talent in the welterweight division and one of the sport’s biggest draws.

He’s publically stated his desire to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a rematch, but he first has to get past a tough, young, opponent in Jessie Vargas.

Pacquiao, at the age of thirty seven, is ten years older than his opponent and considered by many to be past his physical prime. Pacquiao will also be giving up four and a half inches in height as well as four inches in reach to his younger opponent.

The one thing that Vargas does not have is power. He’s only stopped ten of his opponents, but he did stop Sadam Ali in his last bout. Pacquiao has stopped thirty eight of his opponents, but his last stoppage victory was in 2009, twelve fights ago, against Miguel Cotto.

Vargas has an impressive amateur background. He’s a two time Mexican National Champion and a two time US Junior National Champion. Pacquiao turned professional as a teenager and does not have the amateur accolades that Vargas has.

Vargas has a good professional resume but it still pales in comparison to Pacquiao. He has defeated the likes of Sadam Ali, Antonio DeMarco, Anton Novikov, Khabib Allakhverdiev, Ray Narh, Aaron Martinez, Steve Forbes, and Josesito Lopez. His lone loss was a close bout to Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao, clearly, has a hall of fame resume. His notable victories include Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Brandon Rios, Chris Algieri, Shane Mosley, and Lehlo Ledwaba. His losses were to Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Timothy Bradley, and three losses early on in his career to Singsurat, Torrecampo, and Erik Morales.

Pacquiao had erased any concerns about his demise in his last bout with Timothy Bradley Jr., which he won fairly convincingly. Vargas’ age and reach may give Pacquiao some problems early on, but it’s not something that Pacquiao hasn’t handled before.

Pacquiao should walk away with another decision victory, but it will be a tougher than expected fight.

Posted on 10/04/2016

Manny Pacquiao begins training for Vargas Title fight:
By: Matthew N. Becher

​Eight Division world champion Manny Pacquiao has begun training for his November 5th fight against WBO Welterweight champion Jesse Vargas.

Pacquiao, who is a current Senator in the Philippines, will be training exclusively in his native country, as to not interrupt his public duty. The 37 year old is coming off of a Unanimous Decision victory over Timothy Bradley Jr. in April. It was his best showing against Bradley, who he fought three times, but many concerns have been starting to arise with Pacquiao’s overall look as he trains alongside being a new member to the senate.

​Freddy Roach, Pacquiao’s long time Hall of Fame Trainer recently told the Manila Standard:

“I think he is getting a little tired. He looked a little flat.

The Work in the Senate is starting to get to him, so we’ll have to re-arrange
His schedule a bit and give him two days off a week instead of one.”

Pacquiao is sparring exclusively with Jose Ramirez, an undefeated up and coming fighter in the Top Rank stable. Ramirez agreed with Roach, in Pacquiao looking less than stellar in their recent training preparations. Is Pacquiao just too tired to compete as a top level boxer with his new duties as a senator or has age finally caught up to the legendary fighter?

​Videos were released yesterday of Pacquiao training on heavy and double-end bags, and most people saw a very different Manny than the one that Roach was describing a few days earlier. Pacquiao seemed to be his old self, moving quickly in and out and flashing the speed and powerful hands that have made him a force in the boxing world for the last decade.

​Eventually every boxer slows down, and Pacquiao may just be doing that. Working a full day as a Senator and then going to train for a top level boxing match at night would be almost impossible for any other person. But this is Manny Pacquiao and I believe we give him the benefit of the doubt until we see otherwise. His retirement was less than 3 months, and he will still have fought more times this year than other champions in the same weight class who are almost ten years younger than him. Time will tell, and we hope that the Pacquiao of Old is still inside this Old Pacquiao.

Posted on 08/04/2016

Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Return of Manny Pacquiao
By: Matthew N. Becher

​It is official, Manny Pacquiao is no longer retired. Pacquiao, who said he was leaving the sport after beating Timothy Bradley earlier this year has an official fight date of November 5th against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas.

​Pacquiao’s longtime adviser Michael Koncz told the LA Times “Retirement doesn’t suit Manny right now…Boxing is in his Blood.” Pacquiao, who has since become a Senator in his native Philippines is fighting for the 2nd time this year, which is more than almost any other major fighter in the sport today. Which doesn’t really even make this a comeback or a retirement.

​Many suitors were in the mix for this fight. Four time division champion Adrien Broner was said to have priced himself out. Newly crowned lineal Jr. Welterweight champion Terrence Crawford seemed to be the top guy for the fight, until Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach spoke up about not wanting his man to fight Crawford, claiming that Manny would not be at 100%, since a majority of this camp would take place in the Philippines and take place around and after Pacquiaos senatorial duties.

​Koncz and Bob Arum will be headed to the Philippines this week to speak with Pacquiao about where the actual fight will take place. Supposedly it will take place in Vegas or Dubai. Koncz said, “That’s the essence of the meeting (choosing location)….Not choosing the opponent. That’s already been done.”
​Now the question comes into play, why did Manny even make this announcement of retirement. He is still on his normal schedule of fighting twice a year. He will take a pay cut from his normal $20+ million dollar payday from Arum. The fact that this is a Pay per view fight is another issue that people are taking up arms about. After a ppv of Algieri, Rios, and Bradley 3 all doing worse and worse, how can Top Rank look to make money on this fight?

​Here is the point. Pacquiao is 37 and still one of the best in the division. He beat the brakes off Bradley for a third time only a few months ago. Most likely he will be a big favorite in this fight against Vargas and win another major title in the welterweight division. The end game is most likely a rematch with Mayweather in May of 2017, but, why Mayweather would take on an active Pacquiao after two years out of the game, with no tune up fights. Sure a lot of money will be on the table, but so will Mayweathers undefeated record, and a 50th win at that.

​This is both a lead up to fight Crawford next year and set up Top Ranks new star. The Pay per view game is not doing well. The era of the Mayweather and Pacquiao paydays are over, but promoters still need to find the cash cows to keep them in the black, and Crawford may have been passed this time around, to set up his future next spring.

Posted on 07/21/2016

HBO PPV Boxing Preview: Valdez vs. Rueda, Crawford vs. Postol
By: William Holmes

Terence Crawford is one of boxing’s best talents and one of Top Rank’s most prized assets. Continued success will likely lead to future and bigger pay per view bouts, but Saturday night will be the first time that he’ll test the waters of pay per view. He will take on Golden Boy Promotions’ Viktor Postol, a credible challenger and a current undefeated title holder, for the WBC and WBO Junior Welterweight Title.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Promotions

Top Rank tried to place WBO Super Middleweight Champion Gilberto Ramirez in the co-main event of the evening in an effort to attract Mexican fans, but an injury to his middle finger on his right hand forced him to withdraw.

However, two time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez will fight in the co-main event when he takes on Argentinian Matias Adrian Rueda for the WBO Featherweight Title and is one of Mexico’s best young fighters.

The following is a preview of both of the world title fights on the HBO Pay Per View Card, televised live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Oscar Valdez (19-0) vs. Matias Adrian Rueda (26-0); WBO Featherweight Title

Oscar Valdez was electric in his victory over Evgeny Gradovich in his last bout. He took on, an easily and badly defeated the former world champion in only four rounds.

He has seventeen stoppage victories and has stopped four of his past five opponents.

Rueda is also known for his power and has stopped twenty three of his opponents and is currently riding a ten fight knockout streak.

Neither boxer should have a significant edge in either reach or power. Valdez, however, has a much deeper and successful amateur backgroundValdez is a former bronze medalist in the World Amateur Championship and a Gold Medal Winner at the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. He also qualified for the Olympics in 2008 and in 2012.

Valdez also has the better profressional resume. He has defeated the likes of Evgeny Gradovich, Chris Avalos, Ruben Tamayo, Jose Ramirez, and Alberto Garza. He has also been active and fought four times in 2015 and this will be his second fight in 2016.

Rueda has also been active and fought four times in 2015 and this will also be his second fight in 2016. However, his professional record is void of any impressive wins. This will only be the second time he has fought in the United States and has beaten a large list of unknown boxers in Argentina.

Oscar Valdez was very impressive in his last bout and he will likely steamroll through Matias Adrian Rueda.

Terence Crawford (28-0) vs. Viktor Postol (28-0); WBC/WBO Junior Welterweight Title

This is the best fight that could be made in the junior welterweight division. Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions put aside their differences to match up their two best junior welterweights.

Terence Crawford dominated the lightweight division before jumping up to the junior welterweight division, and the difference in size will likely show as he will be giving up three inches in height and three and a half inches in reach to Postol.

Both boxers were successful on their respective national circuits in the United States and in the Ukraine, but neither experienced major success on the international amateur stage.

Crawford fights out of an orthodox stance, but also switches stances constantly while fighting and confuses his opponent while doing so. Postol fights out of an orthodox stance and has been improving in using his reach to hurt his opponents.

Postol’s best wins were against Lucas Matthysse and Selcuk Aydin. He has also beaten Henry Lundy and DeMarcus Corley.

Postol is good enough to beat most junior welterweights, but this writer does not think he is good enough to beat Crawford. Crawford will have to be slick and get within range while avoiding the jabs of Postol, but Crawford has shown his in-ring savy and intelligence are the best weapons he has.

As long as Crawford remains focused and doesn’t look past Postol towards a possible fight with Pacquiao, he should emerge victorious.

Posted on 07/18/2016

Terence Crawford’s Stepping Stone Pay-Per-View?
By: Brandon Bernica

​Whenever I watch Terence Crawford step through the ropes, I get this feeling. It’s a sensation that resides in the pit of my stomach telling me I’m about to witness an extraordinary talent at work. His slick counterpunching and punctual knockouts affirm that belief – Terence Crawford’s ceiling truly knows no bounds.
​Of course, the equation in boxing that encompasses the journey from prospect to star features many variables. Not only is talent essential but personality, promotional backing, activity in the ring, and luck all play roles in defining the faces of the sport. Most fighters maintain little control over these factors, paving a challenging road to bright lights and notoriety.

​Terence Crawford is unquestionably gifted. He headlines his first PPV Saturday night against fellow belt holder Viktor Postol. The thing is, sales for the fight are projected to be low. While much of the blame for that prediction can be attributed to a weak undercard, it does point to Crawford’s stardom being far from a finished product.

​Crawford suffers from boxing’s long-term struggle to cultivate stars out of potential. Very few fighters actually rise to “household name” status. Bob Arum – Crawford’s promoter – has said the desert is bleached with the bones of failed promoters; in the same way, many fighters’ careers flounder in obscurity due to failed promise. What makes matters worse is that the system often rewards fighters who are less-skilled but come from backgrounds or have stories that are more marketable.

​Arum’s biggest challenge is to usher Crawford in as Top Rank’s new centerpiece. Since Manny Pacquiao’s retirement, a massive void remains as to which fighter will now carry the banner for the company. Crawford is the logical choice for this role, but is Saturday really the first step in that direction for his career?

​Crawford holds a large following from his town of Omaha, Nebraska. Fight after fight, he’s sold very well in that city, galvanizing the hometown faithful with spectacular performances. The challenge with Crawford is to build his brand outside of that region. He doesn’t demean his opponents enough to market him as a heel. Still, he portrays the hard-working, underdog nature of the Midwest, which could hit a demographic that has historically supported boxing for years.
​Crawford’s style backfires on himself, as well. You could categorize him as a counterpuncher with excellent power and timing. Usually, he knocks his opponents out with accurate blows, but there are times where the build up to those KO’s is slow and measured. If he desires the spotlight, he will need to consistently finish his fights in style. While it may seem unfair to hold him to such a high standard, it’s unfortunately the game boxing has devolved into, prioritizing style over substance.

​If there is anything to expedite Crawford’s rise, it’s a good foil. Postol will undoubtedly test Crawford Saturday night, but Crawford’s true ascent will require a Goliath. Perhaps Manny Pacquiao comes out of retirement to fight him or Timothy Bradley finally agrees to a match with his close friend Crawford. These established fighters hold the esteem that Crawford wants. Which adds to why the PPV might flop: stars are not conceived from the ashes but enthroned by victory. Crawford just hasn’t had that opportunity yet, and it isn’t his fault. While Saturday might not be his coming-out party, it will serve as one last filter until we (hopefully) see him match up with the adversary he needs. For the sake of this talent, let’s hope someone steps up to the plate.

Posted on 06/17/2016

Kovalev vs Ward is Happening
By: Jordan Seward

The much anticipated light-heavyweight fight between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward is reportedly on.
Kovalev (29-0-2-KO26) is scheduled to defend his WBA Super, IBF and WBO world titles against Ward (29-0-KO15) in Las Vegas on November 19.

The American has only recently stepped up to 175lbs after he dominated the super-middleweight division. Since stepping up to the light-heavyweight scene Ward and Kovalev have been on a collision course with fans around the world pleading for the pair to meet in a super-fight.

S.O.G has only fought at light-heavyweight once and made his debut back in March, ending Sullivan Barrera’s (17-1-KO12) undefeated record with a unanimous decision victory.

Before the pair meet in this blockbuster fight the Russian is due to defend his light-heavyweight belts against Isaac Chilemba (24-3-2-KO10) on July 11 and Ward is expected to be in action soon after, in preparation for his bid to become a two-weight world champion.

Kovalev was last in action back in January when he retired Jean Pascal in the 7th round. The ‘Krusher’ as he is known, is well famed for his power, with 26KO’s on his record and with the exception of Bernard Hopkins, the Russian has not gone the distance in any 12-round professional contest.

Both Kovalev and Ward will come into the fight with unbeaten records on the line as power meets skill in what is surely one of the biggest fights of the year.

Posted on 05/29/2016

Mosley Is Still A Warrior, But Can’t Get Past Avanesyan
By: Sean Crose

The Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona hosted the biggest fight of the legendary Shane Mosley’s comeback on Saturday evening. For Mosley 49-9-1 was, at 44 years of age, fighting an eliminator against the 21-1-1 David Avanesyan. Sure enough, the winner of the fight was going to be the mandatory for a title shot against the winner of this summer’s Shawn Porter-Keith Thurman WBA welterweight title showdown. Indeed, this bout was relevant.

First, however, the CBS Sports Network presented cruiserweights Dimar Ortuz, 10-0-2, and Ricardo Campillo 9-9-1. Clearly, Ortuz was the favorite, but he wasn’t able to finish his man off after hurting Campillo in the first. Still, Ortuz went on the dominate the fight. It was a boring affair to be sure, though Campillo certainly seemed happy to be hanging in there round after round. By the 6th, however, Ortuz was finally able to stop Campillo with a somewhat wild attack.

Afterwards Mosley’s son, Shane Jr, 6-1-0, took on Roberto Yong, 5-7-2, in a super middleweight throwdown. The fight was at times a somewhat chaotic affair, with both men tagging each other wildly. That being said, Mosley Jr effectively kept his range and was skilled enough to take the fight by majority decision. The younger Mosley isn’t a bad fighter, but his last name and pedigree may simply lead to expectations that exceed his talent.

Assured that at least one Mosley would walk away from the night with a victory in tow, Mosley Sr. finally entered the ring to face his Russian opponent (who was the “interim” WBA world welterweight champion – for what that’s worth). Mosley climbed through the topes with the legendary Roberto Duran (who looked pretty good for his age, thanks very much) in his corner. He may have been an advanced 44 years old, but Mosley most certainly looked to be in prime condition.

Mosley also appeared sharp and in control during the first, his jab allowing him to keep distance. Avanesyan was able to land a few times cleanly in the second, yet Mosley remained disciplined, his movements practiced and smooth. It was a tough round to call. Avanesyan continued to land in the third, however, before being taken down by a Mosley low blow. By the end of the third it was clear that the fight was becoming a rough affair.

Mosley picked up the pace to start the fourth. After Mosley appeared to take the first half of the round, however, Avanesyan began coming on strong, landing hard and pushing forward. It was a close fight, a good fight, but Avanesyan was clearly landing the harder shots. A more energetic Mosley rolled through the fifth, however, thus continuing to make things interesting. Mosley then owned the sixth, though he almost lost it due to a late rally by Avanesyan. Still, it appeared the aging legend had done enough to take the chapter.

With the first half of the fight essentially even, things moved into the 7th round, which Mosley dominated. Avanesyan retaliated by chopping his way through the 8th through grinding aggression, though the 9th was far tougher to call (I gave Avanesyan the slightest of an edge). Then, in the 10th, possible disaster struck for Mosley when the referee deducted him a point for hitting low.

Both men went for broke early in the 11th with an explosive flurry of punches. This had become more action fight than chess match. Mosley ended up going back to his corner breathing heavily, however, as Avanesyan had clearly tough guyed his way through the chapter. After getting clinical instructions from Duran, Mosley went out for the 12th and final three-minute clip.

Long story short, Mosley fought gamely until the end. It appeared, though, as if the old warrior was simply too far past his prime to earn the win. Or was he? Whaling away, the former champion landed hard on his foe, making it clear that he wasn’t there to lose. Indeed, I gave Mosley the last round. Who would the judges give the entire fight to, however?

Ultimately, it went to Avanesyan, who won by scores of 114-113, and, inexplicably, 117-110 on two of the judges’ cards. Avanesyan claimed afterward he could best Keith Thurman. Mosley, on the other hand, was a class act in defeat.

Posted on 05/24/2016

Replace UFC’s Conor McGregor with Reptile & Floyd Mayweather Match Gets Interesting
By Ivan G. Goldman

Floyd Mayweather in a cross-sport showdown with MMA scrapper Conor McGregor? Nah, I’ve got something better. Why doesn’t Floyd wrestle an alligator?

Gators, being lizards, are pretty dumb and you could probably find one who’d settle for only 30 or 40 percent of the pay-per-view money. And as my colleague Matthew Becher pointed out to me in an email, if Floyd gets himself a Chinese alligator it would have even more trouble reading all those contract clauses.

Also, Chinese alligators, I’m told, weigh about 80 pounds while U.S. gators can get up to 500 – quite a lot for any welterweight to handle.

Whatever gator you choose, the match puts Floyd back on the sports pages where he wants to be and also a little change in the pocket of his advisor Al Haymon, who’s besieged with legal fees while his grand idea of a PBC empire collapses all around him.

Not that I’m praying for a PBC collapse. I like the PBC. I look upon it as a Robin Hood-tinged organization that takes money from the fat-cat investors of investment colossus Waddell & Reed and distributes a lot of it among prizefighters and their teams (with a nice little slice going to boxing godfather Haymon). But I digress.

Apparently some media agitator named Colin Cowherd has announced that his sources indicate Mayweather-McGregor is all set for September. His sources are so dug in and important that he labels them as “intel.” And an MMA site says rumors of the match – this is an exact quote now – are “running rampant.” Wow.

Clearly these MMA folks have never tried to get Mayweather to sign a contract. They’re in for quite an experience. But I say let’s put a stop to this madness while we consider the benefits of substituting a gator for McGregor. McGregor, my Wikipedia intel informs me, is a UFC champion from Ireland who’s a big, trash-talking draw and has never defended his featherweight title.

And apparently he’s smart enough to know that his income might rise astronomically if he could get the retired Mayweather into a ring or cage or something, Mayweather being, of course, the best-paid fighter of all time, a guy who earned some $400 million to defeat Manny Pacquiao in a dull contest the world looked forward to for years. Not that the world wanted the contest to be dull. But let’s not get into that again.

The proposed McGregor match would apparently be fought under prizefighting rules, making him a goner. Mayweather reportedly said once that MMA is a sport for white boys who couldn’t make it in boxing, but I will not comment on this beautifully crafted thought. McGregor isn’t the first MMA champion to offer a circus challenge to Mayweather. So did Ronda Rousey before she got knocked out by Holly Holm.

Superbly skilled prizefighter James Toney, aging and down on his luck, entered a cage against Randy Couture and lost toot sweet under MMA rules.

Muhammad Ali once opposed a Japanese wrestler named Antonio Anoki and Anoki spent much of the night scuttling around the canvas like a turtle on his back and kicking at Ali’s legs. Ali circled him and didn’t throw a punch until round seven. The event went the distance of 15 rounds, was called a draw and was one of the biggest entertainment duds of the 20th century.

Boxing is a special sport, as is MMA, and trying to mix them gets you into all sorts of quandaries about rules and such. It’s like trying to blend football and baseball.

Which is another reason I prefer an alligator. An alligator doesn’t give you any arguments. It doesn’t even care who enters the ring first, though it may demand some kind of national anthem. But these details are easily ironed out – as long as the gator doesn’t bite off more than he can chew.

Ivan G. Goldman’s 5th novel The Debtor Class is a ‘gripping …triumphant read,’ says Publishers Weekly. A future cult classic with ‘howlingly funny dialogue,’ says Booklist. Available from Permanent Press wherever fine books are sold. Goldman is a New York Times best-selling author.

Posted on 05/22/2016

Showtime World Championship Boxing Results:
By: William Holmes

Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions televised three title fights in the junior middleweight division as the WBA, IBF, and WBC belts were up for grabs. Five the top six fighters in the junior middleweight division competed on tonight’s card.

Showtime networks televised the bouts live from the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, despite the fact three world titles were on the line a lot of empty seats were seen inside the venue.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime

Jermell Charlo (27-0) and John Jackson (20-2) opened up tonight’s broadcast with for the WBC Junior Middleweight Title.

Charlo, a large favorite, was giving up a few inches in height to Jackson. Jackson used his jab effectively in the opening round and even had Charlo briefly caught in the corner. Jackson attacked more to the body in the second round and was able to end the round with a strong counter right on a forward moving Charlo.

Charlo continued to have trouble finding his rhythm in the third round as Jackson was the more accurate puncher and was landing some good shots to the body. Charlo tried in vain to chase Jackson around the ring and trap him, but Jackson was throwing and landing more combinations than his opponent.

Charlo landed his first hard clean shot of the night in the fifth round with a sweeping left hook in the fifth round that got the attention of Jackson. Charlo was also able to put together a good body head right hook combination near the end of the round.

Jackson was able to go back to his lateral movement in the sixth round and was able to touch Charlo often with quick jabs and crosses before moving out of the way. Charlo was much more aggressive in the seventh round and was able to land some hard right crosses to the chin of Jackson, but Jackson was still able to land combinations of his own.

Charlo was able to get in close to Jackson in the opening minute of the ieghth round and blasted him with a right hook that had Jackson frozen and unable to defend himself, and he then followed it up with a left hook that hard Jackson falling back into the corner and out on his feet.

The referee quickly jumped in and stopped the fight before Jackson could get hurt any more. Jermell Charlo won by TKO at 0:51 of the eighth round.

Jermall Charlo (23-0) faced Austin Trout (30-2) in the co-main event of the night for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title.

Trout has been in the ring with high level competition such as Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto, but he was in the ring with a taller and younger boxer with a high level ceiling.
Jermall Charlo is considered by many to be the stronger puncher of the twin brothers.

Charlo had a strong jab in the opening round and Trout was throwing his jab to the body and connected with a left uppercut to the chin. Their feet got tangled up and Trout slipped to the mat. Charlo was able to land a good straight right lead in the final minute of the round.

The second round was close to call, but Charlo landed the hardest punch of the round with a short left hook. Trout however, was able to land more punches, especially to the body. The difference in power was evident in the third round, as Charlo was able to land several hard right hands to the cin of Trout which got the crowd roaring in approval.

Trout showed good head movement in the fourth round and was able to pepper Charlo from the outside. Trout stunned Charlo in the fifth round with a lead right hook, and he remained elusive enough to avoid the hard shots of Charlo. Charlo came on in the second half of the fifth round and was able to cause some swelling around the right eye of Trout.

It was clear that Charlo was not afraid of Trout’s power in the sixth round and he continued to come forward and was able to land some clubbing right hands.

Trout was able to land some solid counter left crosses and short uppercuts in the seventh round, but you could tell that Trout was very cautious of the power of Charlo. Charlo was able to land a hard straight right hand in the final seconds, but still, the seventh round was a good round for Austin Trout.

They both stepped off the gas pedal a little bit in the eighth round, but Trout was looking more confident in throwing and landing his combinations. Charlo stepped up his aggression in the ninth round and was effective with his heavy jabs.

A cut opened up over the right eye of Austin Trout in the tenth round, and boxers landed their fair share of punches, but Charlo was definitely landing the harder shots.

Trout likely needed a knockout in the final two rounds to win the bout. But he fought well and could have won these rounds on some of the judges’ scorecards.

Unexpectedly, the judges scored the bout in favor of Jermall Charlo with scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 116-112.

The main event of the night was between Erislandy Lara (22-2-2) and Vanes Martirosyan (36-2-1) in a rematch for the WBA Junior Middleweight Title.

Lara, a southpaw, was using a lot of up and down movement and was active with his jab in the opening round. Martirosyan was most effective when he threw to the body, but Lara landed more to the head.

The second and third rounds were slow, but the slow pace favored the style of Lara who was able to pop shot Martirosyan and move safely out of the way.

Lara was aggressive at the start of round, and a hematoma started to form on the head of Martirosyan. Martirosyan was warned again in the fourth round to keep his body punches up.

The fifth round featured more action than the previous round, with Lara’s best punch being the straight left to the head and Martirosyan’s best punches being the hooks to the body. The same theme repeated itself in the sixth round, but Martirosyan’s body punches were beginning to land with more frequency.

In the sixth round, Lara’s high guard was getting banged by the shots of Martirosyan and some were sneaking through. Martirosyan’s activity was much higher than Lara in this round.

The seventh round was close but Martirosyan was able to land some good body shots. Lara opened up the eighth round with quick combinations and more aggression. Lara landed clean to the nose of Martirosyan with a hard straight left hand near the end of the round.

Martirosyan fought a good ninth round but constantly coming forward and attacking to the body and threatening the chin with short quick uppercuts. Martirosyan had Lara fighting while moving backwards in the tenth round by pressing the pace and banging hard hooks to the body and head of his opponent. A clash of heads occurred in the tenth and Martirosyan hit Lara with a low blow and received a hard warning for the referee.

Martirosyan hit Lara with another low blow in the eleventh round and was deducted a point by the referee. Martirosyan was infuriated, and fought with fury for the remainder of the round but was unable to hurt Lara. Martirosyan went hard for the knockout in the final round and likely won it, but Lara fought defensively and safely and was never in danger of getting knocked down.

Erislandy Lara retained his title with scores of 115-112, 116-111, and 116-111.

Posted on 05/05/2016

HBO PPV Preview: Herrera vs. Gomez, Tapia vs. Lemieux, Khan vs. Canelo
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Golden Boy Promotions will partner up with HBO to broadcast at least three fights on pay per view.

The brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada will be the host site for this card in which Canelo Alvarez will defend his WBC Middleweight title against Amir Khan. Two other fights are on tap for the card as David Lemieux looks to bounce back from his loss to Gennady Golovkin when he takes on “Jersey Boy” Glen Tapia in the middleweight division. The opening bout on the card should be between Mauricio Herrera and Frankie Gomez in the welterweight division.

The following is a preview of all three televised bouts on the pay per view.

Mauricio Herrera (22-5) vs. Frankie Gomez (20-0); Welterweights

The opening bout of the night should be a coming out party for Frankie Gomez.

Freddie Roach once called Frankie Gomez his most prized prospect in the Wild Card Gym, and he has the amateur pedigree to back up that claim. Gomez won the 2009 US National Championships as an amateur in 2009 and has yet to taste defeat.

Mauricio Herrera will be a major step up in competition for Gomez and he is a crafty and tough veteran. Herrera however, is thirty five years old and will be eleven years older than Gomez. Gomez will be about a half an inch taller but will be giving up about an inch and a half in reach. Herrera has spent most of his career fighting in the lightweight division and fought in the junior welterweight division in his last fight.

Gomez’s biggest concern should be his recent lack of activity. He only fought once in 2016 and in 2015, and twice in 2014. His only big victories have come against Vernon Paris and Jorge Silva.

Herrera has beaten the likes of Hank Lundy, Johan Perez, Ji Hoon Kim, and Mike Dallas Jr. His losses have come to Jose Benavidez, Danny Garcia, Karim Mayfield and Mike Alvarado.

Herrera is the perfect test for Gomez at this stage of his career and it’s a test that Gomez should pass. Gomez’s past three wins have come by decision and Saturday should be no different.

David Lemieux (34-3) vs. Glen Tapia (23-2); Middleweights

This is a crossroads fight for both Lemieux and Tapia and both are coming off of tough stoppage losses. However, both boxers are under the age of thirty and have plenty of time to make another title run.

Lemieux is known for his incredible power and has stopped thirty one of his opponents. Tapia only has fifteen stoppage victories. Tapie will have an edge in height and reach, as he is an inch and a half taller and will have a three inch reach.

Lemieux won several Canadian Amateur Championships but did not compete in the Olympics. Tapia placed in several golden gloves tournaments as an amateur, but did not enjoy success on the international level.

Lemieux has the better resume as a professional. He has defeated the likes of Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, Gabriel Rosado, Fernando Guerrero, Hector Camacho Jr., and Elvin Ayala. His losses were to Gennady Golovkin, Joachim Alcine, and Marco Antonio Rubio.

Tapie has defeated the likes of Daniel Dawsom, Abraham Han, and Ayi Bruce. He has lost to Michel Soro in a mild upset and James Kirkland.

Tapia’s chin has been exposed as suspect in recent fights and he will have a difficult time avoiding the power of Lemieux. A victory for Lemieux in combination with his drawing power in Montreal will likely lead to another future title shot for him.

Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1) vs. Amir Khan (31-3); WBC Middleweight Title

Amir Khan has been chasing a mega fight with either Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao and has come up short. He surprised everyone by signing on the dotted line to fight the current WBC Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez.

Amir Khan will be jumping up two weight classes to take on the bigger Canelo. Khan is four years older than Canelo and has the faster hands. He will be giving up about a half an inch in height but will have about a half an inch reach advantage.

Canelo does have a clear advantage in power and has the stronger chin. Canelo’s lone loss was by decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and two of the three losses for Amir Khan were by knockout. Canelo has stopped thirty two of his opponents while Khan has only stopped nineteen.

Canelo has also been the more active boxer. He fought twice in 2015 and in 2014. Khan only fought once in 2015 and 2013, but did fight twice in 2014.

Khan does have the edge in amateur experience. Khan won the silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics and Canelo won the gold medal at the 2005 Junior Mexican National Championships and then turned pro at the age of fifteen.

Khan’s losses were to Danny Garcia, Breidis Prescott, and a disputed decision loss to Lamont Peterson. He has beaten Chris Algieri, Devon Alexander, Louis Collazo, Julio Diaz, Carlos Molina, Zab Judah, Marcos Maidana, and Paul Malignaggi.

Canelo has defeated the likes of Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Erisandy Lara, Alfredo Angulo, Austin Trout, Shane Mosley, and Miguel Vazquez.

Khan’s speed could give Canelo problems, but it will be essential for him to stay out of the range of Canelo’s punches. Canelo looked very good in his last bout against Miguel Cotto and he has more power in his hands than Garcia and Prescott, both boxers that were able to stop Khan.

The most likely scenario is that Canelo will use his size to his advantage and trap Khan by the ropes and stop him before the championship rounds.

Posted on 05/04/2016

Boxing Insider Notebook for Canelo vs. Khan
By: William Holmes

The following is a special edition of the Boxing Insider notebook of the upcoming Canelo vs. Khan PPV Bout that is currently scheduled for May 7, 2016.

ESPN and ESPN Deportes to Present Extensive Coverage Around Canelo Alvarez vs. Khan

ESPN and ESPN Deportes offer extensive pre- and post-fight multi-platform coverage of the anticipated middleweight championship between defending title Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez and Amir Khan, including special bilingual production led by ESPN Deportes’ A Los Golpes and One Nación to air on Friday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Hosted by Bernardo Osuna and Claudia Trejos from the ESPN studios in Los Angeles, the 30-minute pre-bout show goes behind the scenes the anticipated fight with a unique look at Alvarez and Khan’s training, and the analysis of Mexican world champion Julio Cesar Chavez alongside special guests commentator Max Kellerman and boxing trainer Abel Sánchez.

In addition, ESPN Deportes will present weeklong multimedia coverage beginning Monday, May 2, at 6 p.m. ET, with a special edition of A Los Golpes, hosted by the network’s experts David Faitelson, Osuna and Chávez, and featuring special guest, Oscar De La Hoya.

The network will also present special segments from Las Vegas, Nevada, on SportsCenter, Capitanes, Nación ESPN and #Redes; followed by a live edition of Golpe A Golpe from the weigh-in on Friday, May 6, starting at 6 p.m. ET.

On Sunday, May 7, Golpe a Golpe will lead the pre- and post-fight live coverage from the Arena, with the analysis of Osuna, Faitelson, Juan Manuel Marquez, Chavez, Trejos, Joe Cortez and Jorge Eduardo Sanchez, starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Oscar De La Hoya Challenges Donald Trump to Come See Firsthand ‘What Mexicans and Muslims Can Achieve’

Laying down the gauntlet against Presidential Candidate Donald Trump for his disparaging comments about Mexicans and Muslims, Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO today offered the GOP frontrunner two free ringside seats to watch the Canelo vs. Khan super-fight showdown on May 7 in Las Vegas during a live interview on Fox Business News TV’s “Cavuto Coast to Coast.”

On Cinco de Mayo weekend, De La Hoya will bring together Mexican superstar, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British Muslim boxing star Amir “King” Khan (34-3, 19 KOs) at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for an international boxing event that will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

“I want to take this opportunity to invite Mr. Trump to the Canelo vs. Khan fight on May 7 in Las Vegas,” said Oscar De La Hoya during his interview with Neil Cavuto on “Cavuto Coast to Coast” today. “I have Amir Khan, a Muslim fighter from the UK, fighting against the most popular boxer in Mexico, Canelo Alvarez, opening up the new T-Mobile Arena. We have an opportunity to show Mr. Trump just what Mexicans and Muslims can achieve — and in a city that screams America: Las Vegas. Trump, let me invite you so that you can see what a Mexican and a Muslim can generate.”

Raised in East Los Angeles by Mexican immigrant parents, De La Hoya named Trump when asked how he came up with the Canelo vs. Khan match, citing Trump’s controversial comments of Mexican immigrants and Muslims as an incentive to bring these two popular and diversely cultural fighters together in the ring.

Tecate Offering Several Promotions for Canelo vs. Khan

Tecate, the fight’s presenting and exclusive beer sponsor, is launching several digital activations to bring fans 21+ closer to the May 7 international mega fight. Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) is set to face former two-time world champion, Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) in an action-packed event at the new-state-of-the-art T-Mobile Arena produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

In February, Tecate, Golden Boy Promotions and boxing’s biggest star, current WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Champion Canelo Alvarez, announced they were partnering and would feature the prizefighter in the brand’s upcoming national English and Spanish advertising broadcast campaign which debuted on April 11.

Today, Tecate and Golden Boy Promotions are releasing the free Bold Punch iOS app which integrates fans 21+ into all the fight week activities starting on Monday, May 2 via live streams and virtually in the ring during fight night. The knockout app, demonstrated here by the Tecate Chicas, features five unique types of content for fight fans including, for the first time ever, the ability to feel one of Canelo’s power punches:

Punches – Don’t just see the punches, feel them. Every time Canelo lands a bold punch, your phone will vibrate to reflect the bold intensity of the match.
Behind-the-scenes-video – Live streams and exclusive pre-fight locker room content.
See Fight – All of the ways to see the fight – from where to buy tickets to how to watch the fight live on HBO or in theaters via Fathom Events.
Tecate – Check out the latest national television campaign featuring Canelo Alvarez and the brand’s iconic black eagle.
Fighters – A quick tale of the tape that highlights the fighters’ important stats ahead of the fight.

“Tecate is synonymous with both legendary fights, and the experiences we create for consumers surrounding our partnerships,” said Felix Palau, Vice President of Tecate Brand Marketing. “Unlike past physical activations, our goal here is to leverage Canelo’s international star power, creating digital experiences that can be felt by the masses – whether you’re heading to Vegas or planning to enjoy the fight at home with friends.”

Starting Wednesday, April 27, Tecate is launching a dedicated Twitter promotion giving fans 21+ the opportunity to win their very own version of the WBC world championship belt by following @Tecate and clicking the button “#BoldestBeltSweeps” from the brand’s latest tweet featuring Canelo. By entering, users are agreeing to the promotion’s terms and conditions and a tweet is automatically generated, alerting their followers that they want to win the #BoldestBeltSweeps. Five winners will be announced by the Tecate Chicas through the brand’s Twitter live stream on Friday, May 6 before the fight’s 2:30 pm PDT weigh-in.

To date, Tecate’s promotion of Canelo vs. Khan includes a national English and Spanish advertising broadcast campaign featuring Canelo in ‘Flashy’; the popular, national, no purchase necessary mail-in-rebate program; extensive media buys across Las Vegas from bus and building wraps to digital billboards; an aggressive national retail program across 6,000+ stores; and will be prominently featured on Canelo’s trunks and at the center ring, around the mat and throughout the arena.

Canelo vs. Khan Closed Circuit Tickets on Sale

Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts of Canelo vs. Khan are priced at $60, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and are ON SALE NOW at each individual property’s box office outlets or by phone with a major credit card at 866-431-7111.

HBO Sports is the Fight Fan’s Destination for Canelo vs. Khan

HBO Sports is the fight fan’s destination for Canelo vs. Khan fight week news and information, providing viewers with an in-depth look across television, digital and social platforms at the blockbuster middleweight championship showdown set for Saturday, May 7 from the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Fans will have access to original programming, specials, updates from HBO Boxing Insiders and exclusive videos leading up to fight night. There will also be behind-the-scenes photos, videos, live streams and other customized content available.

The HBO Boxing Podcast will have daily episodes throughout fight week, including live episodes on the ground at the MGM Grand. You can listen to the HBO Boxing Podcast on iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hbo-boxing/id847703257?mt=2, SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/hboboxing and Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/hbo-boxing-podcast
Monday, May 2
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #1 – 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #2 – 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2
HBO Boxing Podcast – “Stat Chat”

Tuesday, May 3
Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan – 3:15 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #1 – 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #2 – 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO2
HBO Boxing Podcast – “Official Fight Preview”

Wednesday, May 4
Final Press Conference streamed live – 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Link: https://youtu.be/oPBS0vwmeXk
Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan – 5:00 p.m. (ET/PT) HBO
HBO Boxing Podcast – “Canelo-Khan Mailbag”

Friday, May 6
Official Weigh-In streamed live – 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT
Link: https://youtu.be/Uy8PWiKjOz8
Canelo/Khan Programming Stacks on HBO
Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan 6:45 p.m. (ET/PT)
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #1 – 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #2 – 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT)
HBO Boxing Podcast – “Post Weigh-In Discussion”

Saturday, May 7
Canelo/Khan Programming Stacks on HBO
Face Off With Max Kellerman: Canelo/Khan 3:00 p.m. (ET/PT)
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #1 – 3:15 p.m. (ET/PT)
24/7 Canelo/Khan episode #2 – 3:45 p.m. (ET/PT)
Preliminary Undercards streamed live – 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT
Link: https://youtu.be/Jgpi-suSp0A
HBO Boxing Podcast – “Live Post-Fight Discussion”
Boxing fans can also view “Cotto vs. Canelo 2015” and “Khan vs. Maidana 2010”. These classic fights are available on HBO On Demand, HBO GO, HBO NOW, HBO.com and YouTube.com/HBOBoxing.

Posted on 04/10/2016

Las Vegas and the Final Fight of Manny Pacquiao
By: Matthew N. Becher

Entering the MGM grand, opening the lobby doors to see a full sized ring with Golden Lion statue situated in the center, you knew that something was going on. Little else gave any indication to that. In years past, when the “Pride of the Philippines” Manny Pacquiao was set to fight in Las Vegas, the buzz surrounding the event was almost always at a fever pitch. For his final fight last night against former foe Timothy Bradley Jr. you hardly seemed to hear a whisper or any talk among patrons.

In the decade of the 2000s, when Pacquiao was named the BWAA “Fighter of the Decade”, people traveled in droves. The Filipino community would travel well for his fights. The “High Rollers” would also be present, as well as Hollywood celebrities that loved the fighter were constantly seen at his training sessions at the Wild Card gym would show up front row. Manny was a top seller in the business, whose tickets were hot and pay per view sales were among some of the greatest of all time. This time not so much. Most of the people we encountered were wearing shirts and hats from the previous night’s Guns n Roses reunion concert. What happened?

The box office announced that ticket prices would be dropped early yesterday morning in Vegas. Talks of Pay per View doing under 400 thousand buys were being circulated and people were wondering how an event that cost $24 million dollars would be able to see any of that money back. After speaking with ESPN writer Dan Raphael, we asked “how do you explain this fights Buzz compared to previous Pacquiao events”, his response “you can’t, this one doesn’t have it”.

As we watched the “No Trump” undercard that Bob Arum and Top Rank put together, it was very noticeable how empty the MGM Grand Arena was, Turquoise seats everywhere. Fights usually fill up the closer it gets to the major fights, but this was empty and that was consistent all the way up to the co-main event, a Title fight between legendary Arthur Abraham and newly crowned champ Gilberto Ramirez.

It was all a sad way to see the great Manny Pacquiao go out. After all he has given to the sport, a bad performance against Mayweather ruined all of this? No celebrities were ringside, most likely because of the anti-gay statements Manny had made a month ago, they could not take the chance of having their names connected with supporting Manny. It didn’t seem fair that a man who gave so much to the sport of boxing was just being given up on.

As the second to last fight ended and the ring was cleared, you could see that more and more people started arriving. People wearing the Philippine flag like capes. People of all walks of life, color and nationality wearing Pacquiao shirts began to take their seats. They may have been die hard boxing fans, or merely casual ones, but they were, without a shadow of a doubt, Manny Pacquiao fans, and they were there to see their favorite fighter, do what he does best in his final time in the ring.

From the ring walk, it happened. The place returned to that Buzz that was missing. People forgot all about the Floyd fight, they didn’t care about his remarks, all they cared about was watching a man that always puts on a great fight do his thing. Manny did do his thing, looking as good as he ever has in his previous three fights against Bradley, even scoring two knockdowns in the process. The arena was on its feet for almost the entire fight, screaming and chanting “Manny, Manny, Manny”. They cheered for his flurries, and took photos of the action, they waited to hear his “retirement” speech with Max Kellerman on HBO. They gave him the proper sendoff he deserved and in turn they were all treated to a great performance by a boxer that may only come around once in a generation. The Fighting Pride of the Philippines got his final victory in unanimous fashion last night, and it was just how it should have been.