Hopkins and Jones debate their April 3 encounter, a fight most people perceive as meaningless!

Press Release: Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins and Roy "The Terminator" Jones stayed true to their reputations as outspoken boxers as they announced The Rivals: Hopkins vs. Jones II, which will take place April 3 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be broadcast live on pay-per-view. The debate style format allowed the two aging lions to prove why their nearly two-decade long rivalry is worth paying $49.95 to see.

BERNARD HOPKINS:

"To not watch this fight would be a disservice because we will be making history.

"Roy Jones Jr. had nothing to do with my legacy and career up until now, but I will be the final chapter [of his]. We probably would have been here earlier if he would have taken the fight when we were debating through the media.

"My statement is simple. This fight is very important to me because it is personal. We have 17 plus years of on and off history. I want to show the world that when our legacy is put together and analyzed, this fight will be the reason. So to me, not only am I a better fighter today, I will prove my legacy on April 3rd. I have a lot of incentive to win. I have waited 10 plus years to come to this debate.

"Everyone has it in their spirit to get somebody back. Whether it is justified or unjustified. This fight is redemption in a lot of ways - to finish him once and for all.

"I can't speak for Roy, but my name is 'The Executioner.' I execute. I am going for his head.

"He (Jones) won that fight. I have watched that tape a million times. What Roy has to understand is that I got better. I have a resume to show that I have gotten better. That is the difference between then and now. Come April 3, Roy Jones Jr is going to realize that his worst nightmare has come true.

"It is important to get the knockout. There is a financial incentive. I want to finally close a chapter personally. This is a 17 year rivalry.

"I am going to kick his ass."

ROY JONES:

"Now, 'Big Head' (Hopkins) has got to get it in his mind. We both went on to do good things in this sport. Mine was great early. His was great late. The facts wont change I am still going to beat him.

"I only hit with one hand last time. I've got two hands now. With two hands, I'm going to beat the hell out of this old man.

"I never have dodged 'Big Head', and I never will. That is why this fight is so important to me.

"We are long time rivals. We waited a long time to fight again. We went our separate ways. I haven't had a rival as long as I have had 'Big Head' sitting around.

"This is like putting on an old pair of pants that still fit after a bunch of years. They probably look better on me now too.

"Have you ever seen somebody run from somebody who he has already whooped? Does that even make sense? Duh!

"I have been trying to fight the bastard for five years. I know Bernard Hopkins. I know him very well. I have never taken anything lightly [and given him reason] to say he hopes I am ready.

"I don't duck and dodge anyone [Editor's Note: Dariusz Michalczewski does not agree]. I was the test he had to pass to get out of high school. He didn't pass that test. Now he wants to retake the test!

"Like I said I am still me. I can care less about how much better he has gotten. My job is to knock him out on April 3 and that is what I am going to do."

The Rivals: Hopkins vs. Jones IIis set for Saturday, April 3 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will be broadcast live on pay-per-view beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets are on sale now at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or http://www.ticketmaster.com/.

The Hopkins vs. Jones II pay-per-view telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and has a suggested retail price of $49.95. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. The main event will begin live immediately following the college basketball semi-finals. For Hopkins vs. Jones II fight week updates, log on to http://www.goldenboypromotions.com/.

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Results from the weekend

Saturday, February 6

Edwin Valero TKO9 Antonio Demarco...This past weekend in Monterrey, Mexico, undefeated WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero overcame deep lacerations on his cheek and forehead, product of an unintentional blow from an elbow in the second round, to stop challenger Antonio Demarco in the ninth round.  Valero improved his record to 27-0 with 27 KOs.  Is there anyone out there who can last the full distance with Mr. Valero??  I must say, nine rounds is pretty far and beyond the average distance of a typical Valero fight thus far.  This commentator thinks it might be time for Valero to step up the competition.

Carlos Abregu W10 Richard Gutierrez...Welterweight Carlso Abregu kept his undefeated record in tact on the undercard, winning a unanimous decision over Richard Gutierrez.  Abregu was floored in the second round, but came back to knock Gutierrez down in the third round, rallying from that point on to win a decision by scores of 98-90 and 97-91 (twice).

television: Showtime Championship Boxing

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Alexander vs. Urango, Khan vs. Marquez, Ortiz vs. Campbell, and the 140lb landscape!

Boxingchronicles.com readers know by now that the 140lb title unification between WBC champion Devon Alexander and IBF titlist Juan Urango is set for March 6.  The title fight will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT and will be televised as an HBO Boxing After Dark headliner.  This would appear to be the beginning of the super lightweight house cleaning that this commentator had previously proposed should take place.

Last year, following Paulie Malignaggi's unanimous decision win over Juan Diaz in December, I stated that HBO should have a tournament at 140lbs not unlike the super middleweight tournament that Showtime is currently in the process of hosting.  While the matchup between Alexander and Urango bares significance, Alexander remains a substantial betting favorite to win the contest. Urango has only lost to Ricky Hatton, who at the time was the universally recognized undefeated champion of the junior welterweight division, and WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto in May of 2009, but he remains a volatile force in the 140lb landscape. Although he is a brawler who can punch hard with either hand, Urango remains technically limited in terms of his skillset.

Before I begin discussing the fighters and future fights at 140lbs, let me start off by saying that undefeated WBO super lightweight champion Timothy Bradley is currently the best 140lb fighter in the world today.  Following his upset win over Junior Witter in England in 2008 to capture the WBC strap, Bradley has not taken a single back step.  He successfully unified the WBC and WBO belts when he defeated New Jersey native Kendall Holt by unanimous decision in Canada back in March of 2009. 

Since the win over Holt, Bradley vacated the WBC title which Alexander currently possesses.  Following the no-contest with Nate Campbell in August of 2009, Bradley showed the boxing world that he has become a complete fighter when he impressively outpointed previously undefeated Lamont Pearson in December.  Alexander, who won the vacant WBC title in August of 2009 with an 8th round TKO of Junior Witter, is undefeated and would appear to be the second best fighter in the division right underneath Bradley.

Boxingchronicles.com recently learned that WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan will likely sign on to face Hall of Famer and lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on May 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Victor Ortiz taking on former lightweight champion Nate Campbell on the undercard.  The card will likely be televised on HBO.  Khan's style appears to be a nightmare for Marquez, who is coming off a one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr back in September of 2009.  Therefore, I'm not quite sure about Marquez accepting such a dangerous fight so soon.  Marquez may have been better suited fighting Hatton, in what would have been a battle for continued contention at a 140lbs.  Perhaps a doubleheader featuring Khan against interim WBA champion Marcos Maidana and Marquez vs. Hatton would have been more sufficient.  Nonetheless, this commentator will certainly be tuning in. 

In regards to the Ortiz vs. Campbell match up, many observers view it as a mismatch in favor of the young Ortiz.  For the record, I do not view this fight as a mismatch.  This is actually an interesting crossroads fight. Campbell is by no means an easy fight for the twice beaten 23 year old fighting out of Oxnard, CA. Although Campbell did not look good for three rounds against Bradley in August of 2009, the fight was stopped as a result of a cut before anybody could come to a solid conclusion. Also keep in mind that Ortiz is no Bradley, as Bradley has shown considerable improvement with each an every outting and has ascended to the top of the junior welterweight rankings. A win over Campbell is far from a lock for Ortiz.

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Golden Boy Promotions officially announces Mayweather vs. Mosley

Press Release: Floyd "Money" Mayweather made his upcoming fight with Sugar Shane Mosley official today when he signed the contract that pits the two fighters against each other on Saturday, May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Mayweather is undefeated with world titles in five weight classes (130, 135, 140, 147 and 154), while Mosley has world titles in three weight classes (135, 147 and 154) and currently reigns as the WBA weltwerweight champion. Mosley's title will be at stake.


"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," said Mayweather. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

"I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true," said Mosley, who signed his side of the deal last Friday in Las Vegas. "I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

In addition to the fight being one of the most competitive and talked about contests in each of the fighters' careers, Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes of world champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO's) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career and at 38 years old, the Pomona, Calif. native seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2005, Mosley has defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory also was one of his most spectacular -- a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.

The 12-round welterweight battle is a highly competitive match-up that already has sports fans across the world buzzing to see two of the sport's biggest names meet in the squared circle in the premier boxing match-up of 2010.
More information on Mayweather vs. Mosley, including ticket prices, HBO Pay- Per- View information and press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

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The ever lasting presence of John Ruiz

His nickname is the Quiet Man, but I am not entirely sure if quiet is the term I would use to label the former two-time heavyweight titlist from Chelsea, Massachusetts who continues to resurface through thick and thin in the heavyweight division.  On April 3 Ruiz set to square off with WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. 

Back in March of 1996, when David Tua practically decapitated Ruiz in the first round of the opening bout on HBO's Night of the Young Heavyweights card, one would have suspected that the boxing world would not be seeing much more of him on the world class stage.  After all, that was was a devastating knockout.  To his credit, Ruiz was able to rebound from the loss to Tua and managed to win the WBA heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Evander Holyfield in March of 2001.  The win over Holyfield was the second of their three fights, with Holyfield winning the first by way of a controversial unanimous decision in August of 2000, and the rubbermatch ending in a draw in December of 2001. 

Following the trilogy with Holyfield, Ruiz successfully amassed a number of significant victories, including a DQ win over Kirk Johnson, a TKO win over Fres Oquendo, and decision wins over Hasim Rahman and Andrew Golota.  He also lost an embarrassing, one-sided decision to former middleweight champion Roy Jones Jr in March of 2003, in what was considered a historic victory for the Pensacola, FL native.  Quite an embarrassing set back for Ruiz, knowing that such a feat had only been achieved once, back in 1897 when Bob Fitzsimmons, also a former middleweight champion, knocked out Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the heavyweight championship of the world. 

In April of 2005, Ruiz lost his title in a unanimous decision to James Toney, but was later reinstated as the WBA champion when Toney's post-fight drug test returned with a positive result.  Ruiz lost his title by way of majority decision to Nikolay Valuev in his next fight in December of that year.  After losing a title elimination to Ruslan Chagaev, Ruiz got another shot at Valuev and lost a unanimous decision.

It is no wonder that most pugilists hold the Olympic Games to a higher regard than they do the professional ranks. Winning medals in the Olympics is a greater achievement to most boxers than winning world titles as a professional. While professionals get multiple shots at world titles, thousands of athletes around the world fiercely and passionately compete in extensive trials to make the Olympics knowing that they will only get a single opportunity to do so. One can only hope it stays that way.

This commentator is still trying to figure out how a guy, who lacks both the crowd pleasing fighting style and the sufficient fan base to keep an ailing heavyweight division on life support, gets so many title shots for doing nothing!  Ruiz loses to Toney, but the decision is overturned because Toney's drug test is positive.  Ruiz loses to Valuev. Ruiz loses to Chagaev. Ruiz loses to Valuev again.  Now he is preparing for his next fight on April against Haye as an unlikely challenger. 

To be fair, Ruiz did score a win over Jameel McCline in 2008, but it is appropriate to mention that McCline had seen better days and was coming off a decision loss to Samuel Peter as well as his own disappointing title challenge against Valuev in which he broke his leg in the third round!  Most of Ruiz's notable, career-defining victories were scored in the first half of the previous decade, from 2000 up until about 2004.

Such an ever lasting presence reminds me of the villains from the classic horror films of the past.  Ruiz reminds me of Michael Myers in the original Halloween, after Dr. Loomis shoots him six times and he just gets up and walks away! Yes, that's Ruiz.  You can defeat him over and over again.  At times, you can practically tear his head right off his body, as Tua seemingly attempted to do in scoring that memorable first round knockout 14 years ago.  Other times, you can beat him and it will still get overturned because you tested positive for drug use. 

When it's all said and done, you may very well legitimately defeat the guy, and he will still be fighting for the same exact title a year later.  He may even be fighting you again in a rematch.  Yours truly is finally convinced that The Quiet Man may never go away.

photo courtesy: boxingnews.com.ua

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Hopkins vs. Jones II: HBO PPV....without HBO broadcast team?

According to Evan Korn of Fighthype.com, Dan Rafael recently reported that the HBO broadcasting team will not be calling Hopkins vs. Jones II.  Although HBO will be distributing the PPV, production of the event is in the hands of Golden Boy Promotions. 

There have been rumors of adding the WBA heavyweight title between champion David Haye and recycled former heavyweight titlist John Ruiz to the telecast.  The fight will take place in the UK, but Golden Boy has expressed interest in adding same day coverage to the PPV telecast.  Such a proposition, however, has not yet been confirmed.  Could this event get any worse??

Lets face the facts: this rematch is happening at least ten years too late and its relevance was rapidly reduced to a dead fish out of water when Danny Green embarrassed Jones in December of 2009 by scoring a shocking first round knockout in Australia. Therefore, who could really blame Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Max Kellerman for not wanting to cover such a fiasco? 

Would you like to know just how well my memory serves me?  I still recall Merchant's sentiments following a dreadful HBO Jones/Mosley doubleheader that took place in January of 1999 at the Civic Center in Pensacola, FL.  Jones, making an appearance in his hometown, defended the light heavyweight championship with a 2nd round TKO of the vastly overmatched civil service worker and part-time boxer Richard Frazier, while Mosley posted a 7th round knockout of Golden Johnson to retain his IBF lightweight title. 

At the conclusion of the telecast, Merchant boldly exclaimed to the HBO subscribers watching worldwide, "We brought you junk tonight."  Following the announcement of the Hopkins vs. Jones rematch, HBO echoes those precise sentiments eleven years later.  This time, however, they react appropriately by quietly stepping aside and turning their heads in shame.

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Mayweather vs. Mosley done deal for May 1

It should come as no suprise to Boxingchronicles.com readers that the WBA welterweight title fight between champion Shane Mosley and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr is a done deal.  This was second fight that Team Mayweather had been considering all along, prior to the fallout of the Pacquiao fight as well as after. 

Mosley was originally slated to face WBC champion Andre Berto in a title unification bout on January 30, but Berto withdrew due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding family members of his involved in the Haiti earthquake disaster.  For Mosley, this has been a blessing in the making considering the fact that Mosley has been calling for this fight for years.  Money May deserves praise for signing on to fight Mosley, who himself is also a consensus top five pound for pounder and is regarded as the universally recognized welterweight champion of the world. 

This commentator has absolutely no problem with a Mayweather vs. Mosley fight. Following Mayweather's win over Marquez, I went on record stating that I wanted to see Mayweather against either Pacquiao, Mosley, or Cotto in his next fight. Pacquiao stopped Cotto in November of 2009 and is now scheduled to face former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey in his next fight on March 13, so that leaves Mosley. Admittedly this is not quite on the plateau of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, but I am still looking forward to seeing this fight in May.

Mosley hasn't fought since January of 2009, when he knocked out Antonio Margarito to win the WBA welterweight championship.  Mayweather successfully returned from a 21 month hiatus, winning a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in his last outting in September of 2009. The title fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV and will be televised on HBO PPV.

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