Well, Freddie Roach is Oscar De La Hoya’s trainer for the May 5 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The announcement was made Tuesday on an International conference call with 140 media members. I confess that despite the persistent rumors I am mildly surprised. Somehow I just felt that the legal situation of Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao with Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank would put the kibosh on that assignment. But, in spite of several recent denials by Roach, the lure of a spot in O$car’$ corner proved to be too good of an opportunity for the trainer to reject.
Floyd Sr. comments on Oscar
January 31, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Floyd Mayweather Sr. didn’t pull any punches Tuesday night when assessing Oscar De La Hoya’s choice to use Freddie Roach as his trainer for his May 5 mega fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas. They will get it on at MGM Grand.
TIME-WARNER AND HBO STAND BY THEIR MAN
January 30, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Presumption of Innocence:
“One of the most sacred principles in the American criminal justice system, holding that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. In other words, the prosecution must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, each element of the crime charged.”
Naughtiness, Ghostliness, and Elote
January 28, 2007 By 1 Comment
There are few things more pleasing to boxing aficionados than a Mexican pugilist committed to his countrymen’s style of fighting: marching straight forward, trading two right hands for a left hook, and bleeding when he wins. Part-time boxing fans, meanwhile, enjoy the spectacle of long ring entrances, taunting of opponents, and telegraphed haymakers. That is why Jorge “El Travieso (The Naughty One)” Arce is a rare prizefighter able to please both camps.
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Mosley readies for Collazo
January 24, 2007 By 1 Comment
“Sugar” Shane Mosley and his father/trainer Jack sat at a table at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel recently. They were talking with reporters about Shane’s Feb. 10 welterweight interim
title fight with Luis Collazo at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Then they began to argue, but they had smiles on their faces.
A NIGHT IN PARIS
January 24, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Last week I had the pleasure of joining some 3000 or so Englishmen, along with Lord knows how many British journalists for fight week at the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. (Merci to the Paris for their savior-faire.) We were all there to be a part of Hattonmania, Ricky Hatton’s second American fight, and his first in Las Vegas, the reigning fight capital of the world.
Duke’s Up?
January 22, 2007 By 42 Comments
Twenty-six of us in a Days Inn conference room. That was the turnout for last Thursday’s announcement by thirty-eight year old former WBO heavyweight champion Tommy “The Duke” Morrison that he is now HIV negative and ready to begin an eleven-years-in-the-making comeback. Tommy Morrison’s gathering included other prizefighters, Top Rank personnel, a handful of reporters, a few cameramen, and one person who was present in 1987 at George Foreman’s comeback debut.
SHELLY FINKEL: MILD MANNERED MANAGER
January 17, 2007 By 45 Comments
Shelly Finkel has probably been the premier manager of fighters since he broke into the professional boxing scene in 1980, certainly at least in name recognition. He has represented some of the biggest names in the sport during that time, including Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, Michael Moorer, Mike McCallum, Manny Pacquiao, and many, many more. Finkel was selected by the Boxing Writers’ Association of America as manager of the year in 1990 and 1993.
Oscar to decide on Floyd Sr.
January 17, 2007 By 1 Comment
Oscar De La Hoya has a big decision to make: Use Floyd Mayweather Sr. as his trainer for his May 5 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., or go in another direction.
Desert Capitalism
January 14, 2007 By Leave a Comment
To quote disgraced market analyst Henry Blodget recently paraphrasing Winston Churchill, “Capitalism is the worst economic system, except all the others.”
Still Plenty of Fights Left in Kathy Duva and Main Events: Part Two
January 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment
This is part two of our two part series on Kathy Duva and Main Events. Click here for Part one. In part one we discussed the rumors of a sale of the company, the departure of Carl Moretti, Fernando Vargas’ return in June under his own promotional banner in which he had no apparent intention of including Main Events, the merits of Vargas’ fight with Ricardo Mayorga, and the free agency of Rocky Juarez. We begin today by examining the talent in the remainder of their roster.
STILL PLENTY OF FIGHTS LEFT IN KATHY DUVA AND MAIN EVENTS: PART ONE
January 10, 2007 By Leave a Comment
For a company said to be a downhill slide, Main Events has managed to be in the news and boxing gossip circles quite a bit of late. Not too long ago it was even rumored that CEO Kathy Duva was going to be selling her 29 year old company by spring.
Hatton and Urango : A tale of two fighters
January 10, 2007 By 1 Comment
England’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton has fought four times in the U.S., but only one of them was meaningful because the first three were contested during the first three years of his 9
1/2-year career.
SUCCESS IS GETTING UP ONE MORE TIME THAN YOU FALL
January 3, 2007 By 1 Comment
This time last year Gary Shaw was the toast of the boxing world, at the top of most journalists’ list as the top promoter of 2005. And why not? Shaw had the promotional rights to Manny Pacquiao, Winky Wright, Jeff Lacy, and Diego Corrales, all on the top 10 pound for pound list or at least very close to it in the case of Lacy. Shaw also had a stable of promising young prospects in his stable, led by Chad Dawson, and there seemed no reason to doubt his continued success.
Barrera – Marquez a done deal
January 3, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, told this reporter on Friday that he
Friday that he remained hopeful that a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera could still happen, in spite of the ongoing promotional problems surrounding Pacquiao.