- by Robert Morales on 9 January 2008
One more run left for Roy
Here we are, 10 days from the Jan. 19 fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Felix Trinidad Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s going to be televised on HBO pay-per-view, so that would make one think that this is a high-profile fight. That’s more than a little debatable.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 2 January 2008
Arum sees a big 2008 for Pacquiao and Cotto
The New Year had just started and promoter Bob Arum was already having a happy one. Speaking by telephone from Cabo San Lucas in Mexico on Tuesday, Arum was thrilled that his recently concluded trip to the Philippines ended up bearing fruit. Arum may have been there to help Manny Pacquiao celebrate his 29th birthday, [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 19 December 2007
Twelve things of boxing that I want under my tree
You’ve heard of that holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Well, here are 12 things yours truly would like to see happen in our beloved sport:
Read more- by Robert Morales on 11 December 2007
Cotto prefers “Pretty Golden” opponents
It was about noon Saturday in Las Vegas. Reporters had gathered at Wolfgang Puck inside MGM Grand for promoter Bob Arum’s 76th birthday and for some access to his prized fighter – welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 27 November 2007
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Creeping out of the shadow
Promoter Bob Arum has never shied away from boasting about one of his fighters.
That’s his job, and he does it well. Arum, however, seems genuinely impressed with the way Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has dealt with being the son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez, who is not only one of the greatest fighters in [...]
- by Robert Morales on 20 November 2007
Kermit Cintron: Impressive in and out of the ring
Kermit Cintron on Tuesday was about to sit down with reporters at the Sheraton Hotel in Los Angeles to discuss his world welterweight title defense against Jesse Feliciano on Friday at Staples Center. (Showtime pay-per-view will televise).
Read more- by Robert Morales on 13 November 2007
ROY& TITO: LOOKING FOR REDEMPTION
There was Don King, on the dais inside a ballroom at the New Yorker hotel in New York City. He was dressed as Santa Claus, and, after saying “Ho, ho, ho,” he told us why.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 7 November 2007
Psychological Warfare before the fight
Jack Mosley is no dummy. He has learned a thing or two during his many years as trainer for his son, “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Psychological warfare is one of them, according to Bob Arum.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 31 October 2007
Cotto still fighting out of Trinidad’s shadow
Felix Trinidad Jr. has always had charisma. He has the kind of flamboyant personality that would take hold of any boxing fan, not just those adoring fans from Trinidad’s beloved Puerto Rico.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 24 October 2007
Margarito looks to rebound
It wasn’t long ago that Antonio Margarito was considered one of the most feared fighters in boxing. Then on July 14 at Home Depot Center in Carson, Margarito ran into Paul Williams, who took Margarito’s welterweight belt via unanimous decision.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 16 October 2007
Kelly Pavlik’s world-wind tour, his future and whats next for Pacquiao
Twelve days remain for Jermain Taylor to exercise his rematch option with KellyPavlik, who got up from a second-round knockdown to stop Taylor in the seventh round Sept. 29 in Atlantic City.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 10 October 2007
Oscar-Shane; Juice and scandles-Pacquiao-Barrera: Evander goes for a title
The first thought that came to mind when the “Sugar” Shane Mosley steroid scandal was recently revisited in an SI.com piece four years after the fact was, what does Oscar De La Hoya think about the idea that Mosley was juiced up prior to their second fight in 2003? Especially since Mosley won on a [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 3 October 2007
Inside Pacquiao-Barrera II
In Manny Pacquiao, we have a fighter who has not yet reached his peak. So says his trainer, the classy Freddie Roach. In Marco Antonio Barrera, we have a fighter who is a tick or two past his prime, but still possesses a combination of talent and courage that could give anyone fits on a [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 26 September 2007
Jermain Taylor: Looking for respect
Jermain Taylor is 27-0-1 with 17 knockouts, and he’s defended his two middleweight belts four times since he won them from Bernard Hopkins in July 2005.But he hasn’t exactly received a lot of kudos.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 19 September 2007
Mayweather-Hatton: Toe to Toe or Dancing With The Stars?
Ricky Hatton tried to hide it, but it was obvious that he was a bit perturbed at the sequence of events that unfolded Monday at Universal Studios Hollywood, where he and Floyd Mayweather Jr. began the promotional tour for their Dec. 8 welterweight championship showdown at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 12 September 2007
Miguel Cotto: Superstar
Every time I drive into Hollywood these days, I think of the news conference held there earlier this year in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre promoting the May mega fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 5 September 2007
Breaking down the big fights
So there we were, sitting at a table at a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles last week, talking shop. It was Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions; Eric Gomez, Golden Boy matchmaker; and lovely independent publicist Debbie Caplan, who does most of her work for Golden Boy.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 29 August 2007
Yo, Fernando. Just say adios.
Fernando Vargas has, by his own admission, accomplished everything he ever wanted to in boxing. That’s why he should take the postponement of his fight against Ricardo Mayorga that was scheduled for Sept. 8 in Los Angeles as a sign that now would be the best time to ride off into the sunset.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 22 August 2007
Thompson Boxing: Clubbing towards the big-time
Alex Camponovo stood inside the ring outdoors at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto,Calif., late last Saturday night. Staring up into a crowd of about 2,200 that was slowly dispersing, Camponovo had a smile on his face. He must have known that it was another job well done by he and Ken Thompson, president of Thompson [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 14 August 2007
Inside Camp Pacquiao
Amid all the hoopla created by the sudden departure of Manny Pacquiao from Los Angeles back to his native Philippines, none other than his trainer, Freddie Roach, said it is much to do about nothing.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 8 August 2007
Steroids in The Sweet Science
Sitting in on Monday’s meeting of the California State Athletic Commission was an eye-opener of sorts. Two boxers and four MMA fighters were scheduled to appeal their respective penalties for having tested positive for steroids after recent bouts.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 31 July 2007
Morales fighting for Mexican history
Erik Morales on Saturday will have a chance to do something no other Mexican national has ever done – win a championship in a fourth weight classes.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 24 July 2007
Arum and Top Rank preparing for big fights
Promoter Bob Arum was in Los Angeles on Tuesday. But since yours truly is suffering from a nasty case of the flu, it was best that a conversation with him took place via telephone.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 18 July 2007
Hopkins & Wright will be coming to fight
There we were, a group of reporters sitting at a table during the social hour phase of Bernard Hopkins’ retirement party last September in a banquet room at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 10 July 2007
Luevano and “Grandpa” Garcia looking for a title in England
Robert Garcia stood next to the ring inside La Colonia Boxing Club in Oxnard, where he trains fighters along with his father, Eduardo, and their assistant, Francisco Navarro.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 26 June 2007
Hopkins getting ready for Wright on the left coast
To say Bernard Hopkins has the gift of gab would be like saying the Yankees have baseball’s richest tradition. Both go without saying. Hopkins was at his entertaining best last Thursday at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, where Roach is training Hopkins for his 170-pound fight against Winky Wright on July 21 at [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 20 June 2007
Oscar will continue to fight while Hopkins & Wright are “Coming to Fight”
Oscar De La Hoya is in Los Angeles this week. But don’t expect him to let us in on his next move just yet, even though he will come face-to-face with several reporters Thursday when he takes part in Bernard Hopkins’ media workout at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Read more- by Robert Morales on 12 June 2007
Castillo looks for redemption
It’s a year ago this month that Jose Luis Castillo failed to make weight for the second consecutive time for a scheduled lightweight title fight in Las Vegas against the late Diego Corrales. Unlike the first time, when Castillo and Corrales fought anyway and Castillo knocked out Corrales in the fourth round of what became [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 6 June 2007
Margarito-Williams shaping up to be a Summer Sizzler
Paul Williams is one of those fighters you’re still not sure about. He has a beautiful record of 32-0 with 24 knockouts, he’s a southpaw and at 6-foot-1 he’s tall for a welterweight. But he hasn’t fought anybody, and often times those tall, lanky guys fall apart when they get in with a killer for [...]
Read more- by Robert Morales on 30 May 2007
Ruiz gets unexpected oppurtunity against Dawson
We’ve all seen how ridiculous boxing’s governing bodies can be when it comes to rankings. Actually, “ridiculous” is a word not harsh enough to describe some of the crazy goings on in this regard.
Read more
