Examining Max Kellerman's post fight interview of Mayweather!

Was Kellerman right or wrong in the way he conducted the post-fight interview with Floyd Mayweather Jr?  Boxingchronicles.com analyzes!

As of late, there have been many questions and debates as to whether or not HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman handled his post fight interview with Floyd Mayweather Jr adequately enough following his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Some would argue that the situation involving the entrance of welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions representative Bernard Hopkins caused the situation to get out of hand.

Others would contest that Kellerman prematurely freaked out when he turned the coverage over to Jim Lampley, illustrating a lack of experience in knowing how to control the situation with all of those participants involved in the post-fight interview process.  After all, Kellerman's interview of Mayweather may have been the precise moment at which Mayweather was about to clarify his willingness to answer Mosley's bold challenge to fight him, but Kellerman carelessly deprived Mayweather of such a golden opportunity and also deprived the fans and viewers of the answers that they may have been searching for from Mayweather.

First of all, let me say that I have the utmost respect for Kellerman as a young boxing historian who is loyally devoted to the sport of boxing which he would truly appear to love dearly.  He is the quintessential addition to the HBO broadcasting team, but this reporter still maintains that the interruptions and illogical questions asked on the part of Kellerman were completely unnecessary, agreeing with Mayweather that he talked too much as he often has a tendency to do during his interviews.

Ever since the post fight interview that took place involving the altercation between Mayweather and Mosley, Kellerman had a chance to share his thoughts with Boxingtalk's very own Michael Gonzalez, admitting that he should have given Mayweather more time to speak once he grabbed the microphone out of his hand.  Kellerman explains:

The reason I wanted to ask the Marquez-Pacquiao question first was because before the opening bell I had said, ‘21 months ago, Floyd Mayweather was the best fighter in boxing, can he make us believe that again tonight.’ And I think for many he did, he made people believe that again. So I wanted to ask that question about the comparison, because ostensibly that's the reason he fights Marquez and I just wanted to end by asking about Pacquiao as a future opponent. Before I could get to the question he took the microphone out of my hand and said you talk too much, and he was right about that, my questions were not short and open ended, and because of the way it went down with Mosley and Golden Boy, I was not giving him enough time to talk. In other words, if I were watching the interview on TV I'd be like 'come on, shut up' you know 'let the fighter talk.' I see Floyd's point of view, I see why he had the impulse to take the microphone out of my hand, but once he does that I have to throw it back to Jim, especially in that situation because you have to have control the microphone if you're conducting an interview and there was no way for me to get it back given the circumstances at the time. It was highly combustible and Floyd was agitated. So at that point I thought the smartest thing to do was throw it back to Jim.

Even before the interview got to that point, the discomfort displayed on the part of Kellerman throughout the entire post-fight incident seemed to demonstrate a lack of experience of his behalf. I do, however, stand firm in my belief that Mayweather was in the wrong to simply grab the microphone out of Kellerman's hand. There is not much that can be done once that happens, especially if HBO has a policy that dictates an announcer must turn the coverage over to Lampley once that has happened (as Kellerman implied in yesterday's interview at Boxingtalk). If that is in fact the case, than Kellerman had no other choice but to act as he did once Mayweather grabbed the microphone.

At this time, Boxingchronicles would like reflect upon Kellerman's course of action throughout the Mayweather interview, which would ultimately  lead to Mayweather's microphone grabbing fiasco.  Please take a moment to indulge Boxingchronicles.com in reviewing the sequence of events as they happened approximately a week and a half ago.

Once the prospects of a potential Mayweather vs. Mosley fight unfolded, Mayweather openly invited Mosley over to the interview that was ensuing, Mosley elected to challenge Mayweather to a fight right then and there, but that is when Kellerman decided to tell Mosley, "Shane, not now!" From this reporter's perspective, that was a major error committed by Kellerman. What elevated Kellerman's mistake to an even larger scale degree of misapprehension was his preferred line of questioning to Mayweather immediately following the incident, suggesting to Mayweather, "Floyd, lets discuss your selection of Marquez as the opponent."

Wait a second, allow me to pause for just one moment.  The Marquez fight had just happened. That fight was history! Mayweather had just clearly defeated Marquez and the fight was already over and done with at that point.  Nobody was particularly concerned about Mayweather's selection of opponent in Marquez, as that question had been repeatedly asked, most notably by ESPN's Brian Kenny, prior to the fight.

Boxing fans, as well as casual sports fans who are even vaguely familiar with Mayweather, were curious as to what Mayweather's future ring endeavors were going to consist of.  Considering the fact that Mosley is one of two fighters the world is eager to see against Mayweather in his next fight, Mosley's involvement in that interview should have much more concentrated than Kellerman allowed.  For Kellerman to tell a hungry, world class pugilist the likes of Mosley,  "Shane, not now," was an incompetent action to take, only to ask Mayweather a ridiculous question that was completely irrelevant to a post-fight interview. Who is Kellerman, simply a boxing analyst, to tell a professional fighter "not now"?

Prize fighters, such as Mayweather, Mosley, and Hopkins are the reason why people pay hard earned money to watch these high profile sporting events. Furthermore, these fighters are the reason why journalists and ringside announcers such as Kellerman get paid substantial salaries to sit at ringside and simply discuss to the viewing audiences across the globe what's happening inside the squared circle.

Love him or hate him, fellow HBO analyst Larry Merchant is not afraid to discuss or foreshadow what the future might bring for fighters during a post fight interview. Had Merchant, or even Kenny been present at that moment rather than Kellerman, such a scenario would have likely transcended into a group interview involving both Mayweather and Mosley. Highly anticipated super fights are often pre-meditated based on circumstances such as that one and Kellerman drained the moment of its essence, and even worse, followed it up with a totally meaningless question that appeared to irritate Money May.

Kellerman is still a young announcer who in the game, appears to recognize mistakes that he makes, and seems eager to correct those mistakes in order to become the best announcer that he can be.

video courtesy: triodeupac of youtube; HBO Sports
photo courtesy: NY Daily News

Read More

Jones vs. Hopkins II set for spring 2010!

But is it the sequel that came a few years too late?

According to the Examiner, former world champions and long time rivals Roy Jones Jr and Bernard Hopkins have reached an agreement to meet each other in a light heavyweight contest early next year.  After failed attempts on multiple occasions to come to an agreement at the negotiating table, both Jones and Hopkins have agreed to a 50-50 split, with one stipulation in the contract stating that the winner gets 60% if he wins by way of knockout. 

Jones also has a fight scheduled for December 2 in Australia against IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green.  There will be no Hopkins vs. Jones rematch if Jones is unable to secure a victory over Green in December.  Such a rematch is long overdue, but perhaps it is happening just a few years too late as Jones is now 40 years of age and Hopkins is 44. After all, a number of critics have already dispelled Jones as a world class fighter, claiming that he has been over the hill for a number of years. Furthermore, Jones has not scored a win over an elite level opponent since November of 2003 when he outpointed Antonio Tarver to regain the light heavyweight championship of the world.

Since the win over Tarver, Jones has twice lost to Tarver [the first of the two coming by way of a shocking 2nd round knockout], been brutally knocked out at the hands of previous Hopkins KO victim Glenn Johnson, and was soundly outpointed by Joe Calzaghe last November. Hopkins, on the other hand, went on to defeat Tarver by a wide unanimous decision in June of 2006 and also handed middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik his first professional defeat last October. However, Jones did score a relatively one-sided decision win over Hopkins in 1993 and many feel as though Jones still has the unorthodox fighting style to once again give The Executioner fits.

Risky business for Hopkins is that he is in fact a consensus top three pound for pound entrant in most respectable pound for pound rankings, and should he lose to a version of Jones many believe to be a shell of his former self, it could indeed harm Hopkins all-time legacy and once again elevate Jones to the plateau of one of boxing's best pound for pound competitors in the world today. Should the two fighters meet in the spring, it will be interesting to see what results in one of boxing's most anticipated rematches of the last 15 years!

photo courtesy: sports illustrated

Read More

Klitschko stops Arreola in 10 rounds!

Vitali Klitschko TKO10 Cristobal Arreola...WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko turned in a crafty and methodical performance,  retaining  his title with a tenth round TKO of previously undefeated Cristobal Arreola on Saturday night at Staples Center.  Klitschko was tactically in control of the fight from the sound of the opening bell, using lateral movement, left jabs, and right hands to keep the shorter Arreola at bay. 

As the rounds progressed, Klitschko's right hand was beginning to find its mark more and more frequently as he had bloodied Arreola's nose by the seventh round.  Throughout the fight, HBO ring side analyst Larry Merchant commented that the 38 year old Klitschko was performing much like a 34 year old fighter, as a result of the four years he was inactive from the ring product of the chronic injuries he had previously suffered in training. Klitschko's height and reach advantage really caused young Arreola quite a predicament, just as was the case for previous Klitschko victims.

At the end of round ten, a round in which Dr. Iron Fist painted Arreola's face and body with heavy right hand punishment, referee Jon Schorle advised Arreola's corner that he was stopping the contest. Arreola immediately responded with an emotional teary-eyed break down, feeling embarrassed not only by the fact that he believes he disappointed his Mexican California fans, but that he had lost via stoppage. The heart, courage, and relentless effort that Arreola displayed in the fight was quite impressive, given his limited experience and lack of sufficient physical attributes in the professional heavyweight ranks, as that is all that Arreola was able to bring into this fight with him.

Throughout the fight, this reporter recalls himself thinking, "I have much more respect for this guy now than I ever did before." He was able to last a few rounds longer than I expected [Boxingchronicles.com predicted a 7th round knockout for Klitschko]. Afterwards, Arreola's emotions had gotten the better of him, as he broke down into tears during the post-fight interview with Merchant and apologized to his Mexican fans who were in attendance. Arreola stated, through the sobbing, "He ran when he had to. He knew how to win. I knew he was f***ing me up, but f*** that, I'll be back."

Such a sad and pitiful display was coming from a man who has previously portrayed himself as a foul mouthed gangster before and after his fights prior to his defeat at the hands of Klitschko. One would not expect such a tough guy to have any business balling his eyes out on national television following a defeat. Nonetheless, young Arreola will be back and possibly even better than before as a result of this learning experience. Not every body Arreola faces is going to be as skilled or physically gifted as the Klitschko brothers.

When analyzing the talent, ability, and current status of the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, the younger Wladimir appears to be the more accomplished of the two champions. Wladimir is the Klitschko brother who has beaten all of the top contenders at heavyweight, regardless of the quality of the era it happened in. Wladimir gave Samuel Peter his first loss back in September of 2005 when he was perceived as a threat as well as the heavyweight division's greatest hope.

Wladimir also defeated defending IBF champion Chris Byrd [who at the time was considered the best American heavyweight, as well as arguably the best heavyweight in the world), gave contender Calvin Brock his first loss, gave undefeated WBO titlist Sultan Ibragimov is first loss in January of 2008, and handed Ruslan Chagaev his first defeat earlier this year. Just about all of those titlists and contenders were top five, maybe top ten, contenders in the heavyweight division. Such victories have propelled Wladmir into the status of universally recognized heavyweight champion of the world, particularly in the eyes of those at Ring Magazine.

The fighting styles of the Klitschko brothers are some what similar. Wladimir has the stiffer left jab and he is a bit more stationary, whereas Vitali is a little looser and moves around the ring more than his younger brother. Vitali has the more evasive style, but there is no question that he is more durable than Wladimir. Both brothers are pretty good.

Who exactly can beat Vitali Klitschko, and what style would it take to defeat the gifted giant? Logic says it is going to take someone who is comparable to Vitali in size, or at least pretty close, and has fundamental boxing skills with the stiff jab to set Vitali up for the big shots. Arreola kept trying to jab his way in but could never find the range to drop the right hand in behind. Left hand, left hand, that's all Arreola was capable of.

television: HBO World Championship Boxing
photo courtesy: chippewa.com

Read More

Klitschko vs. Arreola: Preview and Prediction!

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will make the second defense of his title against undefeated Mexican American number one contender Cristobal Arreola on Saturday September 26 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.  Klitschko is no stranger to headlining at Staples Center, as he has previously fought there in title fights against Lennox Lewis in 2003 as well as Corrie Sanders the following year. 

Let it be known to all fans of boxing as well as casual sports fans that Wladimir Klitschko is indeed the universally recognized heavyweight champion of the world, but there are some who feel that his brother Vitali may very well be the creme of the crop in the heavyweight division.

Klitschko won the title in October of 2008 with a dominating 8th round TKO of defending champion Sam Peter. Klitschko was last seen in in March successfully making his first title defense against former cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gomez, which ended by way of a 9th round TKO for Dr. Iron Fist.

Tonight Klitschko faces perhaps the most stern test of his current title reign, but it remains to be seen if Arreola is ready for a fight the caliber of Klitschko. Arreola, who had an impressive amateur background, has three most notable victories in the professional ranks against Chazz Witherspoon, Travis Walker, and Jameel McCline.  Walker was able to drop Arreola in the 2nd round, but Arreola showed heart and determination by rising from the canvas the knock his foe out the following round.

Throughout the week, when asked by members of the media how Arreola plans to defeat Klitschko or take his jab away, Arreola responded by saying he's coming to fight and he's not going to give Klitschko any time or space to pump his jab or get into a comfortable rhythm.  Arreola admitted that he may even have to eat some jabs to get on the inside of Klitschko's lengthy wing span, but insists his head will be in Klitschko's chest and he will fight him at close quarters.  

Tonight Arreola seeks star status as well as distinction a top a heavyweight division largely populated and dominated by Eastern European contenders and titlists. Additionally, Arreola hopes to become the first American heavyweight champion since Hasim Rahman knocked out Lennox Lewis to bring the heavyweight championship back to America in April of 2001. Is the relatively inexperienced Arreola ready for a fight of this magnitude and does he have any other plans if his primary game plan of coming to fight does not work out to his advantage?  Has Klitschko aged over night and will his age play a factor in tonight's championship fight when he takes on a younger challenger with considerably less mileage?

As this reporter predicts, I see Arreola hurting Vitali Klitschko in the first round, but Klitschko will be able to survive the moment. Klitschko will start to use his jab more in round two. From the first round on, this should become a rather one-sided fight. Right hands start to find their target and Klitschko will open a cut over Arreola's left eye with a big right hand. The punishment will gradually accumulate from rounds four through six. The cuts, the blood, and the punishment will all take a physical and psychological toll on Arreola, who is too inexperienced in the professional ranks for an opponent of Klitschko's caliber. Klitschko will put Arreola down for the count in the seventh round.

Prediction: Klitschko KO7 Arreola

Read More

Why boxing has thrived and continues to maintain its edge of appeal over MMA

Boxingchronicles addresses the haters and skeptics who claim the sweet science has fallen prey to MMA!

After Mayweather vs. Marquez outsold UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort as the two events went head to head in their respective PPV telecasts last Saturday night, there are still many observers who will debate that Ultimate Fighting (UFC) as well as the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) have surpassed the sport of boxing in mainstream popularity. 

Arguments that immediate come to the forefront are that UFC has generated a greater total PPV revenue than the sport of boxing has, most notably this past year.  Critics will also say that boxing only has a few stars carrying the sport at this time, those stars being Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, and probably to a lesser degree, Miguel Cotto.

Let's get right to this, shall we?? The reason why the UFC PPV totals for the year are as such is only because UFC televises practically all of their events on PPV, leaving fans no choice but to pay to see them. Cable and television networks such as HBO, Showtime, and ESPN all televise at least three live cards a month for an entire world, let alone a nation, to view and enjoy.

Athletes in boxing still get paid more, their events generate greater live gates, and in the time frame it takes for UFC to promote and televise their cards on PPV, boxing has already shown [between all the networks combined] about ten live fights. While boxing has not quite generated as much PPV revenue this year as the UFC has, there are still networks and other outlets to broadcast its events. Therefore, boxing is not going to stage nearly quite as many PPV telecasts as the UFC does. 

Skeptics of the sweet science's popularity also claim that PPV is what has killed boxing. Other sports like football and baseball are always on free television, nobody has ever witnessed a PPV Superbowl, and that is what makes those sports vastly more popular.  Yet, those sames detractors use the argument that MMA  has risen above boxing because there are more PPV events, and as a result, greater PPV numbers. So can somebody please clarify, how exactly does PPV kill boxing but help an entity such as the UFC, which is a relatively new addition to the enterprise of MMA??

There is a logical reason why a majority of the combat sports fans paid to see Money May's return to the ring rather than UFC 103; that is because they have been privledged to watch Money May, back when he was merely known as Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, when he fought on HBO World Championship boxing over the past 10 years as he was making a name for himself while racking up victories.  Therefore, fans have grown accustomed to watching Money May in action and they can relate to him whether it's a positive or negative vibe that is causing that attraction.  Oscar Delahoya made a name for himself much the same way by fighting on HBO World Championship boxing, just as stars such as Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Roy Jones, Felix Trinidad, and Shane Mosley have also done over the years.  As a result, when you put UFC against boxing on the same night, statistics have generally proven that boxing is the preferred viewing of choice.

UFC fans and experts contest that UFC 103 was a throw away card, featuring nothing more in the main event than a non-title affair between two fighters, Rich Franklin and Vitor Belfort, who are way past their respective primes, one of which has not fought in the UFC since before UFC Explosion.  What they won't tell you is that many considered Mayweather vs. Marquez a throw away fight itself, considering you had a former pound for pound king who is not exactly viewed by his critics as a crowdpleaser inside the ring, facing lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez [naturally two weight classes lighter], who is also a counter puncher by nature. Respectable boxing journalists and fans labeled this as a tune-up fight for Mayweather, complaining that he was a bully who was picking on the skilled, but nevertheless, smaller man. 

Everyone this reporter talks to, from die hard boxing fans to the average, casual sports fan, wants to see Mayweather against Pacquiao, Mosley, or Cotto.  Franklin vs. Belfort was not a super fight, but neither was Mayweather vs. Marquez. In fact, Team Mayweather originally expressed an interest in putting this fight on HBO World Championship Boxing on the basis that it was a tune up, come back type of fight. Due to Mayweather's demand and market value, the fight had absolutely no choice but to be distributed on PPV.

Given how frequently UFC PPVs have been sold, versus the number of boxing PPVs that are being shown, by now people should be well enough acquainted with UFC to the point at which Mayweather vs. Marquez should not have outsold the UFC 103 by over 600,000 PPV buys. Even for a card that was lackluster, yours truly surely would've expected the loyalty to the UFC to be strong enough to make this a closer race. The fact that UFC shows just about all of their events on PPV will actually spell their demise sooner or later.

Boxingchronicles is not here to diminish or disregard the reputation of MMA, but rather to silence the critics who claim that boxing is dying and has fallen prey to MMA.  Such sentiments clearly are not true and should be dismissed.  In response to those who claim boxing is boring and MMA is full of excitement, there have been plenty of UFC events which have also failed to live up to expectations. That happens in any sport; MMA is not exception.   Following UFC 97, President Dana White shamefully felt obligated to apologize to the press when UFC pound for pound king Anderson Silva turned in a less than stellar performance that was anything but crowd pleasing, unanimously outpointing Thales Leites in the UFC 97 PPV headliner.

White was quoted as saying:

I personally apologize for what happened tonight…You guys know this is not what the UFC was built on. This is not the way fights usually go…I’m personally unhappy with the whole fight…I did not like the fight at all, period, on either side…I’ve never not wanted to come to a press conference, and I didn’t want to come to this one…I’m in the business of selling fights, and I think I’m pretty good at it. But I’m going to have a hard time letting people know that, ‘I promise, his next one is going to be good.’ I need to talk to him (Anderson Silva) and figure out what’s going on and why this is happening…In Chicago (after the Patrick Cote fight at UFC 90), it was like, ‘Listen, everybody has a bad night…You name all the greats that have ever played any game in the history of playing games, every guy has an off night.’ That night, how upset [Silva] was and all the flak he got, I honestly thought he was going to come back strong…We run a fight company, and when guys don’t fight, we sit down (with them) and have a conversation on why they’re not fighting…This is what I do. It’s like having any other business and the guy doesn’t come out and perform at work…Anderson Silva has the talent and the skill, in my opinion – this is just my opinion – to stop anybody in the 185-pound division. When he’s on and lets his hands and feet go, there [aren't] too many things people can do about it…When he leg-kicks people, people spin around in circles. When he hits people, people don’t want to get hit again. When he lets these things go, people don’t like it. Again, I just don’t feel he has let them go like he can. You know me. You ask me a question, you’re going to get the answer whether you like it or not. That’s how I feel about it…He’s still the champ…There’s still no way you can deny that this guy is the best fighter in the world. I can honestly say I didn’t like his fight tonight. I was unhappy with it, whatever it is. But I’ll tell you right now, he’s the best…Fedor (Emelianenko) is not the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. These guys continue to fight the best. Fedor’s at a buffet somewhere in Russia. So until this guy decides to get in shape, take it serious and consistently fight the best in the world, for you guys to even think about calling him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is insane.”

One thing is certain.  Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer did not feel it was necessary to ridicule Mayweather for how he elected to fight enroute to his unanimous decision victory over Marquez, as he was too busy boasting about the statistics of the one million plus PPV buys that his event generated.  To those who continue to insist that boxing has seen its sunset, White is facing a serious up hill climb if he is going to charge $40 a piece for cards like UFC 103 and UFC 97 and stage press conferences to apologize for the boredom that his most skilled and successful performer caused the audience. UFC is too new for that type of negative press, so as a result, it can not afford black eyes like that when it's up against a sport that's thrived for over 100 years and has more memorable fights as well as more memorable athletes and champions. 

There are not that many Floyd Mayweather's, Manny Pacquiao's, Miguel Cotto's, Shane Mosley's, Oscar De la hoya's or Evander Holyfield's in MMA or any other sport for that matter.  MMA has a long way to go before it can produce a star, such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Joe Louis, or Marvin Hagler.  Those are recognizable names whose careers spanned across numerous eras on the basis that the sport was able to thrive that long.

Read More

Mayweather vs. Marquez outshines UFC 103 in PPV numbers!

Just the latest victory of many in the battle of appeal between boxing and UFC!

It is becoming painfully clear to this reporter that casual sports fans as well as some of the most respected boxing fans and analysts that I know and communicate with definitely do not give the sport of boxing enough credit.
According to Fighthype.com and Ring TV, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer has implied that the PPV numbers for Mayweather vs. Marquez have severely crushed that of the competing UFC 103 PPV event that also took place on the evening of September 19. 

Schaefer originally predicted that the event would do one million PPV buys.  Greg Leon at Boxingtalk.com has reported that the Mayweather fight did 800,000 plus buys, but could very well exceed one million.  Surely these numbers will put Mayweather in lofty position at the negotiating table, should a fight with pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao materialize at some point next year.  Nonetheless, we still have yet to see how the PPV numbers look like in November for the Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight and if the Phillipino sensation can out sell Money May. Boxing, beyond the shadow of a doubt, has a much broader fan base than any of the other professional combats sports today.

Latinos, African Americans, Puerto Ricans, South Americans, Phillipinos, Caucasians, Thais, you name it, they all have loyal fan bases endeared to a sport that has lived on for over a hundred years now.  Boxingchronicles, which I am proud to say is building up its own fan base of readers, recognizes that this author speaks the truth and perhaps that is the reason why the base is expanding as the months and years progress.  MMA simply does not have the type of following or fan base that boxing has consistently maintained through its ups and downs, rises and falls.

Boxing fans, and all other fans who follow this website, let's be truthful.  Prior to September 19, UFC 103 was heavily advertised all across the country.  UFC President Dana White's blood pressure probably went off the charts getting the card promoted as the main combat sporting event that was taking place that night. Mayweather vs. Marquez, at many sports bars and locations that were showing the boxing match along with the UFC fight, was listed in microscopic print somewhere beneath the UFC advertisement........... and guess what? Mayweather vs. Marquez still CRUSHED the UFC event in PPV numbers. That shows you what the people pay to see.

This was not even on the economic plateau of De la hoya vs. Mayweather, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, or Pacquiao vs. De la hoya. No, this was a fight featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr, who has previously been on the B-side of his record breaking PPV events [most notably against Oscar De la hoya in May of 2007] and was making his come back after a 21 month lay off against the lightweight champion of the world, in a fight that featured two counter punchers, and the event still generated almost a million buys as this post is being published. Statistics do not tell lies and longevity of boxing will keep the other combat sports honest. Boxing has been through ups and downs, just like any other sport, but it continues to maintain an abundant, multi-cultural fan base.

Right now UFC is comparable to the laser disc; it's a pretty cool thing that is happening right now, but unless it can draw the crowds of diverse ethnic backgrounds and generate appeal that is anywhere near the level of boxing, it will not be around for very long. Many of the critics and skeptics who have long claimed that boxing is dying must begin to give the sport more credit.  After all, the sweet science is older than most of you, it will likely out live you, and it's here to stay for many years. Decades. Perhaps centuries.  This is real talk and Boxingchronicles once again calls it like it is.

Read More

Pavlik vs. Williams officially rescheduled!

The middleweight title fight between world champion Kelly Pavlik and former two time welterweight champion Paul Williams is officially set and rescheduled for Saturday, December 5.  Readers may very well recall that December 5 is the exact date Boxingchronicles.com predicted this fight would be rescheduled for.  A news conference to announce the fight will be held on Tuesday of next week.  Pavlik, who won the title back in September of 2007 by way of a 7th round stoppage of Jermain Taylor, will be making his third defense against Williams.  The fight will be staged at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ and will be televised live on HBO.

Read More

Mayweather's size and skill set too much for Marquez. Who is next?

Boxingchronicles.com goes into depth about Money May's next potential opponent and the politics that are involved!

Floyd Mayweather Jr W12 Juan Manuel Marquez...  Greetings boxing fans.  As we all know by now, undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. made a successful return to the ring from his 21 month retirement, unanimously outpointing lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last Saturday night. The three officially judges scored the contest 120-107, 119-108, and 118-109 all in favor of Mayweather.  Boxingchronicles.com also scored the fight a shut out, 120-107. Late last week, I said I would be posting a prediction and I did not do so.  My apologies for not giving you my prediction on that fight. 

For the record, my final prediction was Mayweather by a 10th round TKO.  Credit to Marquez for being a game competitor who rose from a second round knockdown to fight hard and hang on until the final bell rang.  If there were any signs of ring rust with Mayweather, this reporter certainly did not see them.  Mayweather was as sharp and elusive as ever, ducking and dodging any offensive attacks that the great Mexican boxer had to offer, even though he did end up having to pay Marquez $600,000 for weighing in two pounds over the contracted fighting weight of 144lbs.  Final punch stat numbers showed that Marquez was reduced to a total of 69 connected punches over the course of 12 rounds, product of Mayweather's slippery defense. 

What is next for Mayweather?  The Pacquiao vs. Cotto welterweight fight is scheduled to take place of November 14 in Las Vegas, so perhaps Mayweather will take a rest and see who emerges victorious in that fight.  Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter and by far the biggest PPV attraction currently active that Mayweather could potentially face.  The biggest obstacle, of course, is the ongoing feud between Mayweather and Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.  Arum and Mayweather do not see eye to eye in the world of business.  Mayweather claims that Arum kept him in the dark, back when Oscar De la hoya was his bread and butter super star in the mid to late 90's, and failed to transcend him into the super star that he always felt he deserved to be when he was fighting for Top Rank. 

Arum, on the other hand, is reluctant to stage an event that features any of his fighters against the flashy, brash talking former pound for pound king.  According to Arum, Mayweather is a great defensive fighter who chooses not to engage his opponents.  Arum was quoted as saying, "Mayweather vs. Pacquiao would resemble that of a hunter going after a deer."  As long as Arum maintains those feelings about Mayweather, a fight with Pacquiao is going to be a challenge to put together anytime soon.

Welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley is eager to face Mayweather, to the point of getting up into the ring to call out Mayweather during his post fight interview with Max Kellerman immediately after the fight.  Kellerman's interview, at the point at which Mosley intervened became entertaining. Yours truly does agree with Mayweather that Kellerman does have a tendency to talk too much and his interviews are often longer than they need to be. Mayweather's not the only fighter who thinks Kellerman talks too much. Others, such as Victor Ortiz, have also gotten fed up over Kellerman's extended interviews.

On the other hand, Mosley was impressively bold in approaching Mayweather as he did and calling him out to his face. Let's be real here, boxing fans.  BoxingChronicles is all about real boxing discussion and legitimate boxing views based on factual information.  Mayweather has often said in interviews with journalists and broadcasters such as ESPN's Brian Kenny, Boxingtalk's Greg Leon, and HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant that he doesn't need to call anyone out; he's the one that gets called out. Mayweather has claimed that fighters need to chase him because he's the face of boxing, that is where the money is at, all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, and he is the Pound for Pound the best fighter in the sport. 

Ricky Hatton called Mayweather out in June of 2007 following his win over Jose Luis Castillo; Mayweather fought him in December of 2007. Marquez called Mayweather out in February of this year; Mayweather just fought him this past weekend. Mosley has now called Mayweather out.  How exactly did Mayweather respond?  A slighted and noticably irritated Mayweather replied to Mosley, "I don't come up here and interrupt you when you're doing your interview. Don't disrespect me.  Respect me as a man."  Mayweather's claim of an interruption would be credible, if Mayweather hadn't flagged Mosley over to him in the first place as the telecast clearly shows. 

In an interview conducted by Ben Thompson published today on Fighthype, Mosley accurately explained what happened during the post fight interview.

"Well, first of all, I heard my name being mentioned. Max Kellerman called my name and started walking towards him and I see Mayweather flagging me over.  I said, alright, maybe he wants to fight."

Fact of the matter is, Mosley has challenged Mayweather and it remains to be seen if Mayweather will be consistent in his response to that same tactic that was taken on the part of his previous foes.

Common sense clearly dictates that Money May's next fight should either be against Shane Mosley or the Pacquiao vs. Cotto winner. Any other fight for Mayweather would not make sense, monetarily or competitively, for the self proclaimed best pound for pound fighter in the sport and also the biggest money maker.  This reporter is inclined to believe that Mayweather's next opponent could potentially be the Pacquiao vs. Cotto winner, ONLY if Mayweather decides to wait on the winner of that fight [preferably if it's Pacquiao] rather than to fight Mosley in the interim. The Mosley fight should be pretty easy for Team Mayweather to put together, due to the fact that Mosley would have limited leverage at the negotiating table and he's with Golden Boy Promotions, just as Mayweather's last three victims have been.

Pacquiao is more of a problem in terms of negotiations because he, too, believes that he is entitled to the greater half of the pot, plus he fights for Bob Arum. Regardless, Mayweather knows he can make the most money with Pacquiao, it's the biggest event that the sport could offer right now due to the fact that people are split on who they think is the best in the world between the two.

At the end of the day, Floyd Mayweather did himself some good by looking sharp in the ring and performing as well as he did in his shut out unanimous decision victory over Marquez, dismissing the argument in the pound for pound race between the two best fighters in the world that Pacquiao, who twice struggled with Marquez, did a more impressive job against Mayweather's previous opponents Oscar De la hoya and Ricky Hatton. 

Easiest fight to make for Mayweather would appear to be Mosley.  The only fight that matters or that anybody really cares about is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.  Let's wait and see what happens on November 14 between Pacquiao and Cotto.  At this point, I would love to see Mayweather against either one of them.  No more blown up lightweights.

Read More

Fans and experts ready for Mayweather vs. Marquez!

Good evening boxing fans. I've been away for quite some time, as boxing has had a bit of down time ever since the Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi fight that took place last month.

At least on the main stream level, boxing has had some down time. This weekend, however, Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be returning from almost a two year hiatus to take on lightweight champion Juaz Manuel Marquez.

Expect a full pre-fight analysis as well as a prediction for the fight taking place this coming weekend, as well as the preliminary bouts scheduled to take place on the undercard. There are a number of friends acquainted with BoxingChronicles.com who are currently in Las Vegas, hanging out at the MGM Grand having fun and wondering who exactly they might run into on this big celebratory fight weekend.

Get ready fight fans, as we are only two nights away from Mayweather vs. Marquez. On HBO's website, 55% of the fans have voted for Marquez to pull off an upset over Money May! Expect a breakdown of the fight to be published tomorrow!

Read More

Here is the beginning of most post.And here is the rest of it.

Read More