With each tick of the biological clock, Manny Pacquiao’s boxing career draws one second closer to an end.

In recent years, Freddie Roach always seems to think Pacquiao’s next fight might be his last.

Manny’s mother, Dionisia, said before Saturday night’s fight, that she expected it to be her son’s final bout.

Whenever Pacquiao does call it quits, I imagine it will be abrupt. I imagine him going out on top.

Fortunately for the sport, Pacman says he’s got “two to three” more fight’s left in his dynamite fists.

After disfiguring notorious Mexican, Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao told the media that he still has business to tend to within the ropes.

Roach added to that sentiment, telling AOL’s Fanhouse, that for the rest of Pacquiao’s career, he will not fight below 147 lbs.

With that said, we could seemingly rule out a Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy — seeing how much trouble Marquez had moving up in weight when he faced Floyd Mayweather.

The elusive fight with Mayweather still remains an option for 2011, but Money May apparently would rather tussle with his girlfriend, security guards, or Johnny Law instead of getting in the ring with the Filipino Congressman.

If any of the standouts at junior welterweight moved up to challenge Pacquiao, he’d win with ease. Although, Gary Shaw insists once Tim Bradley downs Devon Alexander in January (which by no means is a foregone conclusion), he’ll be ready to take on Pacquiao. I think otherwise.

Two possible fights for Pacquiao to take next would be a bout against the winner of the rematch between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, which takes place this Saturday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Both men would be present Pacquiao with an overwhelming size disadvantage. Further, they both possess lightning quick hands and thunderous power.

Perhaps it is a fight with Paul Williams that would finally be the fight where Pacquiao bites off more than he can chew. But in order for this fantasy to have a chance at becoming reality, Williams will need to successfully navigate past the crafty Argentinian on Saturday night.

Williams has insisted for the past two and a half years that he can make 147 lbs. whenever he needs to, but hasn’t weighed in for a fight less than 153 lbs. since November of 2008.

If the opportunity presents itself, the man who many consider the number three pound-for-pound boxer in the world, would have to put his money where his mouth is and come down in weight for a shot to knock off boxing’s best.

But unfortunately — besides a fight with Mayweather — the most money probably lies in a Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Pacquiao bout — a fight in which Pacman would surely disassemble the heavy-handed veteran.

The most important thing for fight fans, however, is that we recognize that no good thing lasts forever.

When Pacquiao relinquishes his post as boxing’s best, the torch he carried will not be passed down; there is no heir apparent.

It is for that reason that we should look past the fact that Pacquiao-Mayweather may never come to fruition. Whether you think Pacman’s relentless volume punching would overwhelm the defensive-minded Mayweather, or that Money May’s counterpunching would carry the day, let’s just enjoy what’s left of Pacquiao’s career before it’s over.

Let’s be grateful for the buzz Pacquiao creates around our sport every time he fights. And let’s marvel at the fact that a 5’6” man from Kibawe, Bukidnon, Philippines has steamrolled his way to a record setting eight divisional titles.

Savor the moment while it lasts; I highly doubt there will ever be another eight division champion. And one thing is for sure: there will never be another Manny Pacquiao.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

It hasn’t been the 2010 that British Middleweight Darren Barker was hoping for. While he’s maintained his undefeated record, he’s been bogged down with a persistent hip injury that has seen him fight just once this year back in April.

That win saw him pick up the Vacant European title against teak tough Frenchman Affif Belghechem, who he bested over twelve rounds. The longstanding hip injury however wasn’t getting any better and Team Barker decided that they could no longer continue to fight anything less than 100%.

So Barker underwent surgery, over the course of the summer it was announced that Barker would defend against British rival Matthew Macklin in one of the most anticipated domestic showdowns of recent years. The fight was scheduled to appear on the “Magnificent Seven” show in Birmingham on 18 September.

It seemed too good to be true, and sadly that proved true when less than a week from fight night Barker was forced to pull out. The hip injury hadn’t healed; he was still in pain when he made the heart wrenching decision to pull out of a fight he also couldn’t wait to fight in.

His trainer Tony Sims said of the injury “Every time he ran it was hurting him, it got to the point where he couldn’t walk properly, that’s why it was necessary to have the operation”

“We went to Tenerife to train and he did one run there and he was in agony, we were out there for 2 weeks in a place where you do road work, we’d flown all that way and he couldn’t run up the mountain. That was the whole reason we were there. We knew when we came back there was no way we could fight (The Macklin fight)”

As the old saying goes the show must go on, the honourable Barker relinquished his treasured European title that Macklin dually picked up on the aforementioned “Magnificent Seven” card. The proviso being that Barker would have a direct shot at the European title when he returned from injury. “When he tried to come back for the Macklin fight, he never gave it long enough”

Adding “He did the hip 2 year previous, in reality I wish he had got it done then. The runs were becoming smaller and smaller because of the pain, in the end he couldn’t even walk”

When asked about Barker wanting to fight Macklin, Sims offers this about his charge “For two years we were chasing Macklin. Barker should of fought Elcock when Elcock was (British) Champion but Hennessy didn’t want them to fight but then the board took it to purse bids Barker, Elcock, Macklin & McDermott and they made a strange decision to make Darren fight McDermott in a final eliminator and Macklin straight in with Elcock”

“We won the final eliminator, Macklin won, good luck to him but I think Darren would of done the same thing to Elcock anyway. We wanted him then, he was the one avoiding us at that time. The Amin Asikainen fight he won, but you have to remember Asikainen was 33 and had been knocked out twice before he fought Macklin”

Though remaining respectful of Macklin’s ability Sims says “I think the two best names he beat were over the hill and knocked out before, they weren’t undefeated”

While believing that the British showdown will happen eventually after both guys were forced to pull out of scheduled fights with each other through an assortment of injuries he hopes it’s for a world title when they can maximise one of the most interesting domestic fights possible at the moment.

Though he doesn’t think that they needed Macklin as much he he needs them “We sold 4,000 tickets for Darren’s European title fight while they can barely do 1,500, he needs us more than we need him”

It was just a waiting game and Barker along with his team including Sims had to sit tight and hope that given the time that the hip would get better and respond to physio and get back to normal. Like many things there is no exact science to it, it’s simply waiting. The doctor told them “With an ordinary person they’d be a 100% but with an athlete you never know”

There was a time when Barker and everyone around him thought he may have to hang the gloves up and retire from the sport he loves so dearly.

Last week Barker went back to the gym and after rigorous work outs seems to be getting back to where he wants to be. Thankfully the pain that existed for several months seems to of subsided allowing him to move freely. “The progress is good, he’s not in pain and that’s the main thing, we’ll just keep seeing how he goes” However he reasons “All the sparring aint going to be the same as an actual fight”

When asked how long it maybe until Barker can get back into the squared ring Sims offers “Where hoping for February, that will be 10 months then since he’s fought. It’ll be a ten rounder, until he fight’s his mind isn’t going to be 100% right. After that fight where we can shake of the rust we’re right back into things and ready for anyone”

Weekend thoughts: Full credit to Pacquiao, he looked sensational. Enjoy him while he’s here, a true all time great…Say what you want about Margarito but he took his licks like a man…It took Brandon Rios a few rounds but when he got into his grove he looked pretty good, especially for a guy who was called up at late notice…Back last September I headed to Miami and saw Guillermo Rigondeaux and thought he had the look of a Superstar, he was passive against Cordoba he looked more Erislandy Lara than Yuriorkis Gamboa, he can’t half throw a gut wrenching bady shot…Jones-Soto Karass was a war, rematch anyone?…I’m not sure what they feed them in Mexico but I wish I could bottle it Margarito & Soto Karass showed hearts the size of true warriors…While the Boxing world tuned into the happenings in Dallas, Britain had it’s Boxing business, in Wladimir Klitschko’s words “Heavyweight Championship of London” David Haye destroyed Audley Harrison. Hopefully now Haye will step up and fight one of the Klitschko’s don’t hold your breath though…Harrison reportedly earned in the region of £1 Million pounds, we really do live in an age of mediocrity. Word is the BBBC are looking into with holding some of his purse…While most British Boxing enthusiasts headed for Manchester, I headed 30miles or so east to watch the Britain’s next generation of top amateur’s, in the first Olympic Qualifier. The most impressive performance arguably came from former European champion Luke Campbell who put on a clinic over Ian Weaver by 23-6, there we also wins for Tom Stalker, Bradley Saunders, Anthony Ogogo & Simon Vallily…I also caught up with David Price who’s headed to spar with Dereck Chisora ahead of his fight with Wladimir Klitschko, he said he hopes to fight next early next year on the Sam Webb-Prince Aaron card in a step up fight.

Through out the 90’s one of the best fighters in the World Pound for Pound was “Terrible” Terry Norris. He finished with a record of 47-9(31) and was a career Light Middleweight winning the WBC & IBF titles in his twelve year career. Norris now 43, still keeps in shape and keeps himself busy with various activity’s. Here what Norris had to say on a variety of subjects.

Hello Terry, welcome to 15rounds.com

Thanks for having me!

Anson Wainwright – Firstly how are thing’s? It’s been 12 years this November since retired what have you done with your time?

Terry Norris – Well I’ve just been relaxing, enjoying life.

Anson Wainwright – Do you still get fight fans recognise you and come over and have chat with you?

Terry Norris – People still recognize me when I’m out. Its nice to be remembered. I always take the time to talk with them. People also often mistake me for Keenan Wayens. Haha!

Anson Wainwright – Are you involved in any capacity in Boxing these days?

Terry Norris – Yes! I am currently just excepted an offer from the WBF to be Regional Supervisor for California. I’m training a few fighters and celebrities in my home gym in L.A doing some private boxing sessions. I’m also putting together a Youth Boxing Program for summer and after school. I’m forming my own boxing team/club. My wife and I have founded “The Final Fight” a foundation for Pro Boxers new and retired. We will provide resources such as financial advice, medical, housing etc. As you may know there are a lot of fallen Champs. I feel its time the real truth be told about what’s going on with them. We will use our foundation to also work towards the formation of a UNION for pro-boxers. We are doing a Reality Show and Documentary about it Called “The Lady and The Champ” this will also be the Title of my book.

Anson Wainwright – You had a really good career winning the WBC Light Middleweight crown three times and the IBF title once. You also fought a who’s who of 154 pounders. What was your proudest moment in Boxing?

Terry Norris – I have to say it was winning my first world title.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about how you first became interested in Boxing and the path you took until you eventually turned pro?

Terry Norris – My mom was the one to push me to start boxing to get me off of the streets. My dad was training my brother at the time. I spared a lot with my brother. I fought 290 amateur fights

Anson Wainwright – Who would you say was the best fighter you ever shared the ring with?

Terry Norris – Ray is by far the best I have shared the ring with. Amazing man and friend till this day.

Anson Wainwright – You were a career Light Middleweight, how come you never moved up to Middleweight?

Terry Norris – My physical condition was and still is amazing. I sometimes can’t believe it myself. I never fought Middleweight because I could never gain the required weight.

Anson Wainwright – Was there ever a fighter who you wish you could of fought, going back i remember reading in the press that about you fighting Trinidad, Whitaker and even Chavez. How close did any of those fights come to being made?

Terry Norris – Well I would have liked to fight all of them. But the Trinidad fight was inked. I actually still have the contracts signed by Don King and Trinidad. I’m going to frame it and hang it in my gym.

Anson Wainwright – Through out your Boxing career you must of seen or been involved in some amazing things. Do you have a story that you could share with us?

Amazing story? Wow, I have so many. Hard to pick one. Hahaha!

Anson Wainwright – How is your brother Orlin doing these days? What’s he upto?

Terry Norris – My brother is good. Living the family life.

Anson Wainwright – You fought for much of your career for Don King, how did you find working with him?

Terry Norris – Don king? No comment.

Anson Wainwright – What fighters today would you of liked to of fought and how do you think it would of gone had you fough them?

Terry Norris – Fighters today? Well I’m a true warrior I would fight them all! But Floyd, yea I would have beat. To strong and fast for him.

Thanks for your time “Terrible” Terry

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

ARLINGTON, Tex. – There was a time when Antonio Margarito was my favorite story in boxing. He was humble, friendly, kind to fans and writers, and willing to absorb copious abuse to prevail. The night he defeated Miguel Cotto at MGM Grand remains a highlight of my time in boxing. But Saturday night, at about 10:20, I realized I don’t like the man anymore.

When the opening bell rang and I saw how much larger he was than Manny Pacquiao, my stomach tightened unexpectedly because at any moment in the next 36 minutes, Margarito might hurt Pacquiao. He might win. And I discovered a Margarito victory was a possibility that repulsed me.

Saturday at Cowboys Stadium, Filipino Manny Pacquiao did not allow Mexican Antonio Margarito to prevail. He clipped him, cut him, closed his eyes and whupped him. The judges scored the match 120-108, 118-110, 119-109 for Pacquiao. I had it 120-109, scoring 10 rounds for Pacquiao, with rounds 6 and 8 even.

Before you scoff at scoring anything for Margarito, consider what Pacquiao said about the sixth, in the post-fight press conference.

“I’m lucky to have survived that round.”

When have you ever heard Pacquiao say something like that?

It was a subdued conclusion to a night that was weird. The return to Cowboys Stadium went not as hoped. Attendance was announced at 41,734 – though we’ll not know the actual number till the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation reports on gate receipts. Still, that was 10,000 fans fewer than was announced for Pacquiao’s March fight with Joshua Clottey. It was 19,000 fans fewer than we’d been told to expect all week.

And while Pacquiao-Clottey was a subpar performance in a remarkable edifice, Pacquiao-Margarito was a remarkable performance in a subpar edifice. Cowboys Stadium, a billion dollars later, had no reliable WiFi; Ethernet cords abounded – just like 1998. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, ubiquitous in March, was hard to find all week.

The home team goes 1-7, in other words, and everyone, from the owner to the bus driver, stops caring about details.

I spent much of Saturday’s undercard on the East Side Plaza, asking Mexican fans about their unceasing loyalty to Margarito even after his 2009 banishment for wearing tampered-with inserts in his hand wraps. They almost had me convinced. Then allegations of ephedra use exploded from Margarito’s dressing room during Saturday’s undercard.

One camp said it was Hydroxycut – a dietary supplement that once contained the banned stimulant ephedrine. The other camp said that it was Splenda, a no-calorie sweetener, Margarito sprinkled in the four cups of coffee he drank in his dressing room. Though it was ultimately an irrelevance, it merits treatment.

The ECA Stack – comprising ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin – is more common in boxing gyms than you think. It is a powerful appetite suppressant that takes a remarkable effect on the central nervous system. Ephedrine races your insides while sending a signal to induce drowsiness. Caffeine ensures that signal never arrives at your brain. Aspirin, meanwhile, thins the blood to increase the duration of the stimulus. A fighter who used it to cut weight in training camp could easily become enchanted by its effect on hand-speed, timing and stamina.

It cannot make you a better fighter. But it can make you a more resilient one – with only a small chance of cardiac arrest.

And so my stomach tightened at ringside late Saturday night. To see Margarito’s size advantage and imagine it leavened with artificial speed and courage was hard to bear.

Margarito’s unofficial advantage was 17 pounds of weight and 4.5 inches of height. It was much more than that, though. Pacquiao is a 140-pound man who couldn’t weigh 160 after a sedentary month of rapacious grazing at a Las Vegas buffet. Margarito is a 190-pound man who, one way or another, weighs less than 150 pounds for a few hours of every year.

Oh, but size isn’t that important. Skill is. Combination punching is. Quickness and accuracy are. Right, right and right. But if size doesn’t matter, what was that scale doing at Cowboys Stadium, Friday?

When you are the much smaller man, see, every punch must be thrown with knockout power. In order merely to keep the larger man off him, a smaller fighter must forsake range-finding punches and deliver each blow with complete commitment. And that is positively exhausting. Even for Manny Pacquiao.

An hour after Saturday’s fight, in a makeshift media area under Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao was spent. This post-fight press conference was not the celebration others have been. Pacquiao said it was the hardest fight of his career. What he didn’t say, perhaps because he’s gracious, was that Margarito was the least-skilled prizefighter Pacquiao has faced in a championship match. Indeed, size mattered.

After cracking the orbital bone under Margarito’s right eye early in the fight and almost stopping the Mexican in round 4, Pacquiao was astonished to be hurt by him in the sixth. Margarito pinned Pacquiao to the ropes and hit him with sustained punches for the first time. Margarito dipped into his well of resentment – a disrespected Tijuana club fighter made good – and tried to break Pacquiao.

But for once, Margarito faced a man with a deeper well of difficult experiences from which to summon fortitude. Take that, marry it to once-in-a-generation speed and power, and well, you have something pretty special there.

So, thank you, Manny, for being the purest embodiment of what we love about prizefighting.

And now, say goodbye to us. The risk-reward ratio is all wrong for you, as you realized Saturday night: To make big purses you have to fight men who are too big. There is nothing left for you to do to burnish your legacy. There is nothing more for you to give to boxing but a happy ending.

It’s now time to retire a legend, wits and fortune intact, and serve your people in a more meaningful way.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

ARLINGTON, Tex. – In January of 2009, Mexican Antonio Margarito was caught with a plaster-like substance smeared on the knuckle pads of his hand wraps before a defense of his welterweight title. His license was revoked. He was banned from prizefighting for a year. But his countrymen did not abandon him. Why not?

To answer such a cultural question one would need a sociology laboratory. Fortunately, in the East Side Plaza of Cowboys Stadium, there was one.

Saturday night, at a match that Manny Pacquiao won by large-as-possible margins, Margarito did not want for fans. He wanted for class and endurance, perhaps. But not fans. How could his popularity not have waned?

With camera crews – local, national and international – lurking, there were plenty of Mexican fight fans from which to draw an opinion sample about that, in Spanish. And the sample came in the form of two questions, the first of which went: Have you forgiven Margarito for what he did, or do you think he even requires forgiveness at all?

“It happened a long time ago, and nobody told him what was on his hands,” said Marisol Manis, an attractive woman from the Mexican state of Veracruz, who dressed in GreenWhiteRed and held a handwritten sign encouraging Margarito. “In our culture, the Latin culture, the past is the past.”

Roberto Pantoja, a well-dressed man from Margarito’s hometown of Tijuana, thought the entire incident was questionable.

“It was a judgment brought by (a rival promoter),” said Pantoja. “It was doubtful.”

Pantoja, interestingly, was not the only Mexican who thought a certain Mexican-American fighter-cum-promoter was involved in what was found in Margarito’s hand wraps. Sergio, a Tijuanense who wore a Mexican flag knotted on the front of his forehead and draped over his shoulders like a turban-and-cape getup, also found the circumstances of Margarito’s banishment suspicious.

“There is no reason to forgive (Margarito),” he explained. “It was an injustice done by Oscar de la Hoya.”

While colorful, such conspiracy theories are discredited in the testimony heard by the California State Athletic Commission in 2009, testimony the CSAC used to revoke Margarito’s license, finding that even if Margarito’s trainer was the only one aware of the illegal inserts – as Margarito still claims – that was cause enough.

Other Mexicans gathered at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday were reticent about addressing what happened in that Los Angeles dressing room 22 months ago and more interested in the present.

“We are all humans, and we all make mistakes, Margarito, too,” said Carlos, a twentysomething guy from the Mexican state of Monterrey, dressed in a Mexican baseball shirt with the number 10 on the left breast pocket. “He’s a good boxer, and we always support Latin fighters.”

Which raised the second opinion-sample question: Did Margarito’s fans feel a personal connection with him, or did they gather in Dallas mostly to cheer the Mexican flag?

“I am here supporting him because he is a good boxer,” said Eric, a young man from the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi, who wore a Mexican flag round his neck like a cape. “And because he’s Mexican. Both.”

Jose, a middle-aged man from the Mexican state of Durango, wearing a dark leather jacket and drinking a beer at a table in the concourse, was firmer about his loyalty.

“We feel a real connection with Margarito,” he said. “We have followed him for years. We like his manner of fighting. Good fights.”

Perhaps, then, the last explanation is the best. Mexicans, in their proud fighting tradition, want a good scrap when they spend their pesos for a prizefight. Margarito, for all his questionable actions and judgment, has never failed to make the type of fights that enchant his countrymen.

Asked after his beating from Pacquiao, one in which he lost every round and had both eyes closed by cuts, if he ever considered quitting, Margarito spoke to his people’s heart.

“Not possible,” he said. “I am a Mexican. A Mexican never ceases in a fight.”

Laboratory closed.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

ARLINGTON, Tex. – He graduated near the top of his class at Notre Dame with a major in finance and a grade-point-average of 3.8, or just two-tenths-of-a-point short of perfect.

So what’s somebody with a resume stamped for post-graduate study doing in a place that smart guys avoid?

Stupid question, at least it is when put to Mike Lee.

“I love to fight,’’ said Lee, the smart guy with the Notre Dame degree, the 3.8 GPA and a light-heavyweight apprentice who figures to extend his record to 3-0 against Keith DeBow (0-2-1) of St. Louis Saturday night on the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito undercard.

It is fitting, perhaps, that Lee will fight in a ring on a football field beneath the big top at Cowboys Stadium. Notre Dame and football are synonymous, although success is a fading factor in that part of the Irish tradition.

Notre Dame is 4-5 with a home game Saturday against No. 15 Utah. Lee has a better chance in Dallas than his alma mater has in South Bend, Ind., Saturday.

Some of his fellow alums seemed to know that Friday at a Friday weigh-in on the East Pavilion at Cowboys Stadium, where Pacquiao is 1-0, or one more than the home team has won this NFL season. They surrounded Lee, dressed in Notre Dame colors. Only that acrobatic Leprechaun was missing.

“With the football team struggling, maybe I can give them to cheer for,’’ said Lee, who weighed in at 175.25 pounds in front of a noisy crowd of more than 1,000. “I’d love to do that.’’

Lee’s interest in boxing started as a 16-year-old in Wheaton, Ill. He hung around the gym, listened to the rhythms of the speed bag, hit a few bags himself and began to think he wanted to step through those ropes. By the time he reached Notre Dame after a year at the University of Missouri, he did. It didn’t take long for him to realize he liked the action as much as he liked those financials.

He won the Bengal Bouts, which like so much of everything at Notre Dame has a football tie. It was started about 80 years ago by Knute Rockne.

“I had a lot of opportunities to train with good coaches and in a great environment,” said Lee, who has been working in Houston with trainer Ronnie Shields in gym that includes former lightweight champ Juan Diaz and junior-featherweight prospect Guillermo Rigondeaux. “But the priority was always to get my degree. That was first.

“Once I did that, I wanted to pursue something I think I love and I think I can be great at. I can only find out whether I can accomplish that now. I can’t wait 10 years from now. I wouldn’t want to wonder then whether I should have tried now.’’

Give him another A for knowing himself and what he wants.

Sometimes when a fighter goes a year or two without a fight, we tend to assume he is either retired or at least taking a sabbatical from the sport. However, that is not always the case. When we last saw former prospect Lafarrell Bunting it was during his early exit from season three of The Contender series in 2007. Bunting will return to the ring for the first time in over three years this Saturday night at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington. However, it is not a comeback, because Bunting has been active in those three years, we just did not know it.

Bunting (16-3-1, 16 KOs) of Memphis, Tennessee was eliminated from the reality series in the first episode without getting the chance to fight. “On the show I actually got headbutted,” says Bunting. “That kind of put a dent in my career. That was a great big opportunity with The Contender show. I know if I would have made The Contender show I would have won the tournament.”

Though a precious opportunity had slipped through his grasp, another would come months later for Bunting. “What a lot of people in boxing don’t know is that I got the opportunity with to work a lot of great fighters and champions – Sebastian Sylvester, Arthur Abraham, Marco Huck, Alexander Frenkel,” recounts Bunting. “And I was on a journey.”

Bunting’s journey would turn into an invaluable learning experience as he was able to hone his craft, even though he did not compete in a sanctioned bout. “I had the luxury of getting the opportunity to spar with these guys to help them win these title fights, as well as help myself. At the same time, I was making decent money so therefore I went on that journey for a while. I went without a fight, but I could call over to Europe and get the opportunity to travel overseas and make good money. But to call it a return, or a retirement or something like that, I never did retire.”

His experiences against some of the top fighters in the world have only invigorated the competitive fires in Bunting, a former amateur star and professional prospect. “I think my travels and my experience against top opposition in the those champions has motivated me more so than anything else,” says Bunting. “I went by myself, without a team, held my own and did not come out punch-drunk or hurt. I would rather have did what I did than fight, because I had made many mistakes in training and fights and I think I am at point now where I have corrected a lot of my mistakes from the past and I am ready to show the world what Lafarrell Bunting, “the Memphis Fairway” is all about now.”

Bunting’s first opportunity to show the world takes place this Saturday when he takes on reigning Canadian Light Heavyweight Champion Junior Moar (8-2, 2 KOs) in a bout billed as a WBO NABO title eliminator. “I don’t know anything about him, but I don’t take anybody lightly,” said Bunting. “With my experience, with all of the sparring, and it goes beyond sparring because some of those sparring sessions were like fights, so I don’t worry too much about what he brings to the table. I worry about what I bring to the table, most importantly that I am a major puncher in the game. But it’s a good fight. The guy has a good record. He is not a slouch with an upside down record, so he is coming to win as much as I am.”

When we last saw Bunting he was campaigning at super middleweight, but Saturday’s fight takes place at light heavyweight. Bunting, who fought at light heavy and even cruiserweight early in his career, feels his power will be the difference in his fights at any weight. “I take it one fight at a time,” says Bunting. “Super middleweight, light heavyweight – whatever opportunity comes my way. Most importantly I know I can punch with power either way, so therefore it doesn’t matter which weight at which I get an opportunity. Win this fight, and then we move onto the next. Whenever that opportunity comes down the line, we will be ready for it.”

Although he boasted a stellar amateur background and won 16 of his first 18 fights, opportunities have been hard to come by in the career of Bunting, such as hooking on with a promoter. Now a more experienced veteran, Bunting has decided to take control of his future and make his own opportunity. “Instead of taking a bulldozer and knocking a wall down, sometimes you have get down with your hands,” says Bunting. “And I think where I’m at with my career right now, I am going to get down with the two hands that I have, beginning with the fight on Saturday night.”

NOTES

-The last time Bunting claimed victory, in August of 2006, he took on then once-beaten Jose Luis Herrera on a few days notice in the first round of the Shobox Super Middleweight Tournament and scored a fifth-round knockout. Bunting, who reportedly dropped fourteen pounds on the short notice, came in as a replacement for Sakio Bika. The season of The Contender reality series which Bunting had to exit from, without getting the chance to fight, ended being won by Bika. In two weeks, three years after winning The Contender, Bika will challenge Andre Ward for the WBA Super Middleweight title.

-Saturday’s fight between Bunting and Junior Moar, which is scheduled for eight-rounds, is billed as a WBO NABO Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. It is not clear what that actually will mean for the victor, since the title is currently vacant.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

Remember Antonio Margarito’s motivation for Manny Pacquiao? It was a fight to rehabilitate his reputation, knock out the cheato and restore his good name. Well, forget it. Marga-cheato became Marga-creepo with a video that could have been filmed, directed and produced by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Margarito could still beat Pacquiao Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. He is the bigger fighter. He has a vicious uppercut. He is as tough as he is strong. Don’t delude yourself, he has a legitimate shot. But the advertised chance at rehab is gone. Margarito has already lost that one with an AOL FanHouse video that, weak apologies aside, will forever be seen as obscene.

If Margarito’s shaking hands aren’t a gesture that mocks Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach’s deadly battle with Parkinson’s, what is it? At least, those hands aren’t wrapped in something illegal.

Unlike stablemate Brandon Rios who stood up Thursday and accepted responsibility for his role in the mockery, Margarito has tried to spin, spin and spin away from accountability. If it sounds familiar, remember the wraps. Margarito said he didn’t know, couldn’t know, never knew that former trainer Javier Capitello had loaded his gloves with a plaster-like substance before it was discovered in the furor that preceded his loss to Shane Mosley in January, 2009.

Margarito refused to apologize, until finally he was badgered by the media into saying he was sorry for at least not knowing. I guess he doesn’t know when a rock is in his shoe, either.

Thanks to a loyal and defiant defense that cost promoter Bob Arum a reported $500,000, a willingness to give Margarito benefit of the doubt grew among some in the media and many in the public. California wouldn’t give him a license. But Texas did. Acceptance wasn’t complete. But Margarito had a chance and a $3 million purse. He’ll still get the money, but his reputation has been infected by video gone as viral as the racist, homophobic rant that Mayweather dropped into the Internet and onto Pacquiao in September. By the way, Mayweather tried to apologize, too.

Margarito apologizes by saying that his shaking hands were misinterpreted and taken out of context in a video that he suggests was edited in a way designed to create controversy.

“I would never make fun of Freddie Roach or anyone with that disease,” Margarito said Thursday in surprise appearance at a news conference for Saturday’s undercard. “I have someone in my family who has it. I’ll tell you how it happened: There was a guy in the gym with a camera and he said, ‘Freddie Roach said you’re going to be knocked out.’

“I shook my hands and said, ‘Oh, I’m really scared now.’ ”

But the video, without any apparent editing at that point, moves directly to Rios. He begins to shake his head. That’s when Margarito trainer Robert Garcia says “Hey, there’s Freddie Roach.’’ No denials are heard on the video. And there were no denials from Rios Thursday.

“I take responsibility for what I did,” said Rios, a lightweight who fights Omri Lowther on the undercard. “I’m a man about it. It was wrong and I’m sorry.”

Meanwhile, Roach said he got a call Thursday from Garcia, who offered a sincere apology. Roach said he accepted. He said he was ready to move on. Roach also told Yahoo’s Kevin Iole that he “would shake (Margarito’s) hand to end this.’’

But those are hands few can ever trust.

GRAPEVINE, Tex. – Antonio Margarito is sorry. Brandon Rios is sorry. Robert Garcia is sorry. And all three would now like to move on.

Thursday in a convention room of the expansive Gaylord Texan Resort, some 25 miles north of the stadium where Pacquiao-Margarito will happen, promoter Top Rank hosted a press conference for the fighters who will be featured on Saturday’s undercard. Each received warm introductions from Bob Arum, approached the podium, and then said he was ready, felt strong.

Brandon Rios was an exception. He had a different statement to make.

“First of all, I want to get one thing off my chest,” began Rios, addressing the AOL Fanhouse footage of him, Margarito and Garcia making fun of Freddie Roach’s trembling hands and straining neck – symptoms of Roach’s Parkinson’s disease. “It was between camps and camps. It was a bad video from my behalf.”

Then Rios did what he and his camp probably should have done earlier.

“If Freddie Roach is out there, I’m sorry,” Rios said. “Things got heated up in the moment. And I’m sorry.”

Before the press conference could conclude, Arum ended with a surprise visitor. Margarito, who did not talk about the video at Wednesday’s main-event press conference, made an unplanned trip to Thursday’s undercard event. He took the podium and explained that the footage of him was contextually inaccurate.

“The video was edited,” Margarito said. “I never, never, would make fun of Freddie Roach with that disease.”

Then Margarito tried to recreate the scene that preceded the odd face and outstretched, trembling hands he showed a reporter’s camera.

“I was just arriving at the gym,” Margarito said. “Someone said to me, ‘Hey, Margarito, Freddie Roach says Manny Pacquiao is going to knock you out.’ I said, ‘Ooh, what fear!’ and shook my hands.

“I wish for the gentleman (Roach) to accept my apology if he was offended.”

Margarito then apologized to anyone else he might have offended.

“If they were offended, I ask for forgiveness from all of those who have that disease,” Margarito said. “Never, never, would I make fun of that disease.”

After the fighters left the podium, Brandon Rios stopped and spoke a bit more about the bad-faith that has accrued to him and the Margarito camp.

“Robert called me and said, ‘Hey, f–k, dude, this sh-t is getting big!’”Rios said about the way he found out from his trainer that the video had gone viral on the internet. “My wife is yelling at me. I feel bad for saying it. Nothing personal. I feel bad.”

Then his trainer appeared and added to the apologizing.

“I just got finished talking to Freddie Roach,” Robert Garcia said about a two-minute conversation he’d had with Pacquiao’s trainer during the press conference. “I told him, ‘Freddie Roach, I want to tell you that I’m very sorry for what happened. Now that I am talking to you, I feel much better.’”

When asked, Garcia confirmed that Roach had been receptive to Garcia’s call.

“I accept your apology,” Garcia said that Roach told him. “And best of luck this weekend.”

Fight week festivities will continue on Friday when all combatants take the scale. The weigh-in will be held at Cowboys Stadium at 5:00 PM local time and is open to the public.

Before Showtime had even formally announced the formation of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, shortly after the tournament’s match-ups were leaked to the press, one scheduled bout that many fight fans, especially those based in the U.S., looked forward to was the Group Stage 3 pairing of former Olympic teammates Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. Though the fight will not happen, at least not now or anytime soon, one of these Andres did suffer a damaging loss.

Rarely does a fight have a deeper, richer storyline than a match between the two Andres would have had. Casual friends, or at least acquaintances, since crossing paths at childhood boxing tournaments, Ward and Dirrell entered the Super Six as heavy underdogs and both had outperformed expectations while rooting for each other each step of the way. Ward surprisingly dominated tourney favorite Mikkel Kessler and then Allan Green in his two bouts. Dirrell lost a closely-contested, somewhat controversial decision to Carl Froch and then outboxed Arthur Abraham before getting hit late and taking a disqualification victory.

The match would not have only pitted friends, but the only two medalists from the 2004 U.S. Olympic boxing team. Dirrell took the bronze at the weight class Ward likely would have competed at, had it not been for his cousin DonYil Livingston’s attempt to make the squad in the same division or for his trainer Virgil Hunter’s foresight that his charge would do well to not have to worry about weight during the long preparatory period leading to the Athens Games. Ward of course left Greece with the gold.

The stakes were raised slightly when Kessler went down due to an eye injury, and the WBC title which he had held was added to the pot for the Ward-Dirrell clash. Dirrell had been previously been named the mandatory for the WBC belt due to the nature of his decision loss to Froch. The take by many in the media already was that Dirrell’s style may pose tournament frontrunner Ward his toughest hurdles to date.

Even though he had been brutally bashed while on one knee in the DQ win over Abraham, Dirrell was still expected to meet Ward this past September. Immediately after Ward’s one-sided schooling of Allan Green, Dirrell and his former teammate posed for pictures to seemingly begin the build-up to their eminent clash.

Slowly things got unexpectedly complicated.

The originally announced September 25th date was quickly approaching and no announcement regarding the fight had been made. Grumbles reverberated that the two sides were arguing over the location, something Ward promoter Dan Goossen acknowledged at a press conference in San Leandro, California Tuesday. “The only obstacle that we had, that I thought was going have any effect on whether or not the fight was going happen, since it was destined to happen, was where were we going to do it,” said Goossen.

“I was pushing for Oakland. It would have sold out Oracle Arena. It would have been a great storyline, a great fight, a great event for Oakland. They wanted to go to Detroit. The problem we had with Detroit wasn’t because it was his hometown, but I just didn’t think they could generate what Andre could do out here.”

Other rumors had Dirrell or Ward or both holding out for more money. Eventually the new date for the fight was announced as November 27th, but still no location was in place. Not too much later, Dirrell’s pullout was made official over the telephone during a conference call that Andre himself was not on the line for. The reason given was that he was suffering from neurologically-related symptoms since after the Abraham fight.

Ward of course is continuing on in the tournament, and will first meet the formidable Sakio Bika on the November 27th date – the fight for which Tuesday’s press conference had been held. Expect more on that fight in this space in the coming days. But at the moment, as was evidenced by the line of questioning offered up by the local fight media for a good percentage of Tuesday’s presser, the circumstances of the delays and eventually Dirrell’s pullout are very much still on some of our minds. Many jumped right out and called Dirrell’s injury a fake in recent weeks. Recently the validity of those questions gained steam.

Just over a week ago, Showtime’s Fight Camp 360º program seemed to suggest that maybe the network’s opinion, or at least that of the show’s producers, is very much in line with the those members of the skeptical media. The recent episode cuts to a quote from Dirrell team member, Leon Lawson Jr. “It’s not a guarantee that we fight Ward next. It’s not a guarantee…If they want to dance, get that money right.” Audio from the aforementioned Showtime-hosted conference call announcing the fighter’s pullout plays minutes later in the episode. Moments later, footage rolls of a Showtime-conducted interview with the Dirrell family, who did themselves no favor with their responses to valid questioning. Highlights included Dirrell not having the name of the doctor who treated him and his grandfather Leon saying he wanted to end the interview until their lawyer could be present.

Tuesday, Ward wished Dirrell a speedy recovery, which suggests he believes his friend’s injury was in fact the cause for the cancellation. Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen had joked about Mikkel Kessler’s pullout for double vision, but continuing to drive his 80,000 dollar vehicle, both on air and again Tuesday. However, Goossen refuses to question the injuries of Dirrell or Kessler. “I will tell you what I feel about any fighter’s injuries: I will never ever question it,” said Goossen. “That doesn’t mean I can’t tell a little joke or something.” .”

Though he wished Dirrell well, Ward made clear he was never at fault for either the delay or cancellation. “A lot of things were said in the media about me and Andre Dirrell, and how people felt like we were behind the scenes trying to undo the fight,” said Ward Tuesday. “I just want to let my fans know that was never the case with me. I understood what I was getting myself into when I signed the multi-bout agreement. I was always prepared to fight.” When a reporter asked if Dirrell had contacted him, Ward smirked and replied, “No he did not call me. I haven’t talked to Dirrell since the press conference after my last fight. That is the last time I talked to him.”

Dirrell’s problems may very well be legitimate, and if so I too wish him a full and swift recovery. While I personally refuse to question him in this instance, in part because I cannot figure what Dirrell’s motivation or benefit would be, many others have. Dirrell has lost a fight he never fought, at least in the court of public opinion. If and when the day comes when Dirrell returns to the ring, those questions will likely remain. Whether they are boxing scribes, fans or colleagues, Dirrell will have his doubters until the day he meets Ward in a ring. Hopefully for his sake, and for those of us who admire the sweet science and are suckers for a good storyline, that day comes sooner or later.

Oh and by the way, Ward’s fight against Bika in a few weeks may not be accompanied by the most intriguing back story, but based on styles it could provide viewers with more entertainment than the Dirrell fight would have. But again, more on that later.

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

At the recent WBC Convention Germany’s unbeaten Sebastian Zbik 30-0(10) and currently hold the Interim WBC championship was mandated to fight the winner of the upcoming Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams fight. He hopes to get the winner possibly as soon as March 2011. The 28 year old who resides in Schwerin, Germany debuted back in 2004 and has been busy ever since. He won the Interim title in 2009 beating Domenico Spada beating him by close unanimous decision, since then he has retained the title three times all on points including one of them when he bested Spada in a rematch. He’s what Zbik had to say when he spoke with us.

Hello Sebastian, welcome to 15rounds.com

Sebastian Zbik – Hi Anson, nice to talk to you. What about the weather on your island? In Hamburg we have a great autumn. Very sunny.

Anson Wainwright – Haha It’s getting very cold here but thanks for asking Sebastian.

Anson Wainwright – You last fought in July, do you know when and against whom you will fight against next?

Sebastian Zbik – My promoter confirmed that I will fight against the winner of Martinez vs.Williams. I’m looking forward to delete the word interim in my title.

Anson Wainwright – You beat unbeaten Jorge Heiland in your last fight what can you tell us about the fight and you performance?

Sebastian Zbik – Argentineans are tough guys. They never give up. Heiland had enough power to work 12 rounds. That was a good test for me. Martinez is also Argentinean.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?

Sebastian Zbik – My Dad is my manager. My promoter is Universum Box-promotion. I work at famous Universum Gym. I like the atmosphere. And I have a very good coach. Artur Grigorian was a long time world champion at Lightweight division. It’s great to work with him.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your amateur career? What titles did you win & what was your record?

Sebastian Zbik – I was one of the most successful German amateurs. I had 152 fights with 129 wins. 99 and 2002 I won a bronze medal at European championship.

Anson Wainwright – When you’re not fighting or training for a fight what is your walk around weight?

Sebastian Zbik – I don’t know, at the moment it feels like I’m a Cruiserweight! 😉

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing?

Sebastian Zbik – Music, Fishing, Soccer – what a surprise.

Anson Wainwright – Some people will say that your the Interim champion and would like to see you step up and fight the best around at 160 Martinez, Williams, Sturm, Macklin, Pirog etc what do you say to them?

Sebastian Zbik – I wanna fight all these names. Sturm made me an offer which was ridiculous. I asked him last week again, why he is avoiding me. He wants to fight big names, he can start in his neighbourhood! He lives 4 hours away from Hamburg. I would fight him in his living room. Let’s see what happens during the next weeks. I recently started training after a 2 months off-time.

Anson Wainwright – What do you consider the top 5 in order Middleweights today?

Sebastian Zbik – Martinez, Pavlik, Golvkin, Pirog and me anywhere between them. Everybody can beat everybody…

Anson Wainwright – Who do you consider your toughest opponent to date? What is your best performance?

Sebastian Zbik – Domenico Spada – he was my mandatory challenger twice. And it worked quite well for me. The first fight I was injured and I only had stamina for 5 rounds, but it was my first big title fight so I did it…

Anson Wainwright – Who was your hero growing up? Who do you rate as the best fighter in the World today?

Sebastian Zbik – Manny Pacquiao – I like his style of boxing.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing?

Sebastian Zbik – Umm let me think about it after my sports career. Maybe I visit a university in order to study sports science?

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for the Middleweight division?

Sebastian Zbik – Let’s make big bouts! I m ready for it.

Thanks for your time Sebastian.

Much appreciated!

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

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When sixty-five people make a Trans-Atlantic trip with the sole purpose of watching two fighters each make their professional debut, the fighters must have something special to offer the boxing world.

On Friday night, at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, New Jersey, identical twins Scotty “Spade Ace” Burrell and Deano “Bad Newz” Burrell will each forego their amateur status and start fighting for pay.

In a sport full of compelling stories, the Burrell twins’ tale can be found atop the list.

Born in Queens, New York, the brothers — who are of Jamaican descent — moved to London, England when they were just two years old. Twenty years later, after storming through the English amateur scene, they have returned to New York to pursue their fistic careers here in the States.

Once back in the city where they were born, the twins found themselves training in Brooklyn’s famous Gleason’s Gym under the tutelage of the great Hector Roca.

“Hector is a legendary trainer,” Deano said. “He’s helped us with the way we think, making sure we stay calm, different defenses, footwork, all around, he has tweaked a little bit of everything.”

Scotty chimed in, “He didn’t try to change our style, but he [corrects] the mistakes that we make.”

With Roca by their side, the two will embark on their professional journeys when they fight in two separate four round bouts at the featherweight division. Scotty Burrell is slated to square off with Sidell Blocker, while Deano will duke it out with Noel Escobera.

Though the sixty-five passionate fans traveling across the pond from England to North Bergen know just what to expect from the highly touted twins, most in attendance will be seeing the Burrell brothers for the first time.

What they should expect is a healthy mix of speed, power, and ring generalship.

“Both of us are boxer-punchers,” Scotty said. “We’re quick. We can move when we need to move and we can fight when we need to fight.”

Adding to that, Deano said, “We’re elusive. We’re poised. We hit and don’t get hit.”

When speaking with the Burrell twins, it is easy to see why they have garnered such a following overseas. Besides being well-spoken and personable, it is clear that they take great pride in their craft, understanding that hard-work and dedication outside of the ring will ultimately dictate one’s performance inside it.

“On Friday we’re going to give one-hundred percent,” Deano said. “We’re going to put on a good show and we’re going to win.”

“We’re both confident and in good shape,” Scotty proclaimed. “It’s going to be an entertaining night and hopefully we’ll get two knockouts.”

If that’s the case, for the sixty-five people making the journey from London to North Bergen, they can consider this trip money well-spent.

—

On Friday night November 12th, Paterson New Jersey’s “Ghanian Gladiator” Ossie Duran, 24-8-2, 9 KO’s will take on Matt “The Predator” Vanda, 43-11, 23 KO’s who fights out of Saint Paul, Minnesota. This 10-round junior middleweight bout will set the tone for a card featuring fighters who take great pride in the fact that they do not turn down fights and they come to fight 100% every time out. “Rumble in the Park” will take place at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, New Jersey.

The night of boxing will feature Newark, New Jersey’s Jr. middleweight prospect and 2000 Olympian Jersen “Superjerz” Ravelo, 20-5, 12 KOs, and “The Brick City Spoiler,” world ranked lightweight, Carlos Vinan, 10-8-4, 2 KOs. Exciting, well-known prospects will both make their pro debut, Deano “Bad Newz” Burrell and Scotty “Spade Ace” Burrell. Local favorite, KEA Boxing’s Juan Rodgriguez, 4-0, 2 KOs will also be fighting in addition to three other bouts. The girls of www.Roundcardmodels.com will also be featured.

Tickets for “Rumble in the Park” are priced at $100 and $45 and can be purchased by calling 201-774-1646. Doors open at 6:30 pm, first bout is at 7:30 pm.

ARLINGTON, Tex. – Unless the weekend’s combatants come to blows on the dais itself, Wednesday press conferences usually are dull affairs. Television executives, beer sponsors, secondary and tertiary promoters, personal trainers, all, read rehearsed remarks to writers who patiently await lunch. Business as usual.

The president of a sanctioning body, though, can be a refreshingly different story – as the media learned at Cowboys Stadium.

Wednesday afternoon in the final pre-fight press conference Filipino Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Antonio Margarito will have to attend before their Friday weigh-in, the president of the World Boxing Council, Jose Sulaiman, made his way to the podium and stole the show. More about Mr. Sulaiman in a bit.

Pacquiao and Margarito and their entourages gathered in the “House that Jerry Built” – though the builder, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, was not present – to say one last time that they were ready for one another.

Pacquiao, introduced by promoter Bob Arum as “the greatest credit, in our era, to the history of boxing,” presented his customarily likable self, filled with a gracious smile, words of thanks for everyone gathered, and a becoming humility that has not changed one bit throughout his rise to international prominence.

His opponent in Saturday’s superfight, Antonio Margarito, cut a grimmer figure. Exonerated fully by his promoter, if no one else, for the illegal inserts found in his hand wraps before a 2009 fight with Shane Mosley, Margarito and his team have recently acted several times in questionable taste. There was the footage of Margarito wrapping a piece of concrete over his knuckles during the second episode of HBO’s “24/7” series. And now footage of several people, from Margarito’s camp, imitating the effects of Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s disease has surfaced on YouTube.

Margarito trainer Robert Garcia spoke at the podium about this, Wednesday, saying that he had admonished his fighters about inappropriate behavior like that in his gym. He further explained that one of his fighters claimed not to know even that Roach has Parkinson’s disease. Garcia did not, however, simply turn a few degrees to his right and offer an apology to Roach.

Freddie Roach, for his part, did not address the Margarito camp at all, preferring to focus on Congressman Pacquiao’s initial distractions.

“Little bit of a different training camp this time,” Roach said from the podium. “Just a little bit mental at first. (Pacquiao) wasn’t 100 percent there.”

But things did apparently improve when the camp relocated from the Philippines to California, and Roach saw no reason for concern.

All of those statements, though, were preceded by Jose Sulaiman, president of the WBC. Dressed in a silver suit with a white shirt and blue tie, Sulaiman ambled to the podium, apologized for his English and then offered Wednesday’s most entertaining spectacle.

He asked who could have imagined, way back in a time of short pants, that his friend Bob Arum would grow to become boxing’s “greatest promoter.” When that title was inadequate, Sulaiman then announced the WBC’s annual convention had just voted, unanimously, to declare that “in the 300-year history of the WBC,” Arum was one of boxing’s “two greatest promoters.” And then Sulaiman presented to Arum a curious piece of hardware that appeared to be a gray figurine balanced on green felt.

Finding his stride, Sulaiman next explained the colors of his suit. In a nod to Cowboys Stadium, Sulaiman declared not just himself but also his family “Cowboys.” He raised his blue tie and waved it at the media for dramatic effect before proclaiming the depth of his clan’s loyalty to Dallas’ professional football team:

“We cry when they lose, and we get drunk when they win!”

Friday’s Pacquiao-Margarito weigh-in will take place at Cowboys Stadium at 5:00 PM local time and will be open to the public.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

For Zab Judah, Saturday night was supposed to showcase to the world that he had regained championship form; it was supposed to be a night that stamped Judah as a legitimate contender in boxing’s deepest division. But as his fight with Lucas Matthysse entered its latter stages, it was clear that “Super” Judah was going to have to grind this one out — not only for a win, but for his relevancy in the sport.

The Brooklyn native didn’t look as sharp as in his two past fights with Ubaldo Hernandez and Jose Armando Santa Cruz, fights that led many to believe there was a new, old Zab Judah on the boxing scene. Although racking up 10 point rounds early, mostly behind effective jab-work, Judah failed to find the same rhythm that he found in his recent bouts.

He had a hard time uncovering and creating openings that would allow him to throw the power punches many at ringside thought would end the fight in the mid to late rounds. In fact, Judah ended up throwing just 138 power punches to his counterpart’s 418.

For much of the fight, Zab kept his left-arm coiled and tucked at his side, waiting patiently for the right time to throw his signature left uppercut. Those times were few and far between, as “Super” Judah was left with no other choice but to continue scoring with snapping jabs.

Perhaps he was thrown off by the fact that Matthysse was actually boxing him, as opposed to looking for the fistic home run. Although Judah’s Argentinian counterpart threw plenty of ill-intentioned straight rights at him, many believed that would be the only thing Matthysse was going to do, throw punches in bunches and try to stop Zab. That wasn’t the case, however, as Matthyse moved around the ring, content with landing crackling body punches to Judah’s midsection whenever the opportunity presented itself.

If Judah was a bit surprised by Matthysse’s strategy, credit Gabriel Sarmiento for that. Sarmiento, who serves as the primary trainer of Sergio Martinez, was in Matthysse’s corner for the fight. While Luis “Cuty” Barrera holds the title as Matthysse’s head trainer, it was Sarmiento barking out the orders when the Argentinian returned to the stool during the one minute intermissions. He encouraged more movement and boxing, and assured his fighter that the body punches were going to pay off.

Matthysse’s plan from the get-go was to wear down Judah with a steady stream of body punches — he said so himself in the pre-fight press conference. On Saturday, Matthysse executed his strategy to the best of his ability and it was clear that Judah was fading during the later rounds.

The heavy-handed Argentinian stuck to his commitment to wail away at Judah’s body, a commitment that seemed to have paid off in round ten when Matthysse hurt Judah with a straight right then followed up with one more, dropping Judah.

Down to one-knee, Judah rose to his feet to beat the ten count, and within a matter of seconds, landed a few of his own power punches to momentarily stop Matthysse in his tracks.

Judah ate a few more straight rights, and absorbed some more punishment to the body before the final bell sounded, but all of Matthysse’s efforts in the second half of the fight were not enough to capture the victory in Newark. One judge saw the bout in the Argentine’s favor, scoring it 114-113 for Matthysse while two judges agreed on the score 114-113 for Judah, awarding the Brooklyn-bred fighter the split decision victory.

After the fight, Judah admitted that being on the receiving end of Matthysse’s punches was no walk in the park.

“He is the strongest fighter I’ve ever fought,” Judah said during the post-fight press conference. “The dude was punching like he had cinder blocks in his gloves.”

While Judah insisted that he was pleased with his performance and the successful training camp that enabled him to battle the full thirty-six minutes with Matthysse, he did acknowledge that this fight was not his best.

“Everybody boos and says whatever because they are so used to seeing me dominate guys for so long,” Judah said at the post fight press conference. “Can I have a bad day one time? I’m only human.”

The Judah hype train may have left the station prematurely. A performance like Saturday night’s against any of the A-List 140 pounders would undoubtedly have resulted in a loss for “Super” Judah. Amir Khan, Devon Alexander, Marcos Maidana, and Timothy Bradley all would have bested Zab on this night.

But while this performance didn’t turn any heads, it doesn’t mean his next one won’t. With another IBF title eliminator likely on the horizon versus Kaizer Mabuza, Judah will once again have the opportunity to convince the boxing world that he is back in championship form.

Whether his next fight is against Mabuza or not; whether it is Newark, New York, or South Africa, one thing is for certain: the 2010 version of Zab Judah will be fully prepared to fight. The days of two-week training camps are long gone. This version of Judah is more mature and humble; more focused and more determined. The new, old Zab will give it one hundred and ten percent.

And at the end of the day, that’s all we can ask of boxers, right?

Photo By Claudia Bocanegra

It’s been a busy year for Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios and it just got even busier. Originally scheduled to fight on the “In Harms Way” card on 4 December in Anaheim, Ca instead Rios has been promoted to fight on the huge Pacquiao-Margarito card in Dallas on Saturday. Rios 24, entered 2010 as a prospect and if he can secure his third win of the year he’ll exit it as a contender very much in line to face the winner of Humberto Soto-Urbano Antillon for the WBC title in early 2011. So far this year he has beaten Jorge Luis Teron KO3 & Anthony Peterson DQ7 who’s combined records were 53-1-1(36). Here’s what Rios had to say.

Hello Brandon, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – Things have changed for you over the last week, it seems now that you will face Omri Lowther on 13 Novermber. What can you tell us about this situation and how it came about?

Brandon Rios – Well Kelly Pavlik pulled out with an injured rib. I guess Bob Arum and the people at Top Rank who I’d like to thank for giving me the opportunity for mentioning my name and giving me the opportunity to fight on a card like this. So I’m blessed. I was ready for December 4, preparing myself but fortunately they brought up my name and they want me to fight on this card. I’m ready, I’ve been I the gym since my last fight with Anthony Peterson. So it’s not like I’m not in shape. I’m ready to fight.

Anson Wainwright – You had a terrific win back in September when you beat Anthony Peterson via Seventh round disqualification. What are your thoughts on that fight looking back?

Brandon Rios – I just did a tremendous job, I did what my corner told me to do. I just followed the game plan. From there I dominated the fight and I think I did it in good fashion and good way to show people I’m one of the Lightweight contenders out there. Hopefully i can fight for a world championship next year or something.

Anson Wainwright – Looking at Anthony Peterson in that fight, do you think he was looking for a way out and got himself disqualified because he knew on the night you were going to stop him?

Brandon Rios – I think that too, I think that was his way to get out of the fight. He hadn’t been knocked down or out before and I dropped him in the fifth round. He’d never been dropped or knocked out so he figured I’ve already been knocked down, I don’t want to get knocked out so I’ll take myself out of the game. So he threw low blows, low blows that’s what I think he did.

Anson Wainwright – It’s been a huge year for you, you’ve moved from prospect to Contender. What do you think has clicked for you?

Brandon Rios – What helped me out a lot too was finding my motivation in the ring and determination is my wife. She’s been helping me out a lot keeping me out of trouble a lot. Not only that, I’m taking training really serious this time. I’m not like I used to be. I messed around with people go home get in trouble. I’ve turned my life around and I see training pays off. If you train right you can make good adjustments in the ring and outside the ring. So lately I’ve done my work and my wife has helped me out a lot. I give everything up to her.

Anson Wainwright – Your next scheduled to fight against Omri Lowther what do you know about him?

Brandon Rios – I’ve seen some video’s of him the other day and we have tape of him. I know he’s an awkward fighter, quick hands and moves a lot. We’re going to be ready and prepare for that fight.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team. Who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym to you train at?

Brandon Rios – My manager is Cameron Dunkin. Robert Garcia is my trainer then I’m promoted by Top Rank. I have other team like my assistant Paco Navarro there part of my team and another guy Javier Garcia their all in the guy with me constantly helping me out. They help me with what’s wrong, what’s right, my weights, they help me with everything. My wife is my nutritionalist so she takes care of my food. I train at Robert Garcia Boxing Academy, Team Grandpa.

Anson Wainwright – You lived in Garden City, Kansas when you were young, can you tell us about your early days?

Brandon Rios – Well I was born in Texas but I grew up all my life in Garden City, Kansas that’s my home town and back there I had a lot of trouble. Now that stuff is over I’m looking forward to the future. I go back for a week or two then comeback before when I was getting in trouble I used to go back for a month or two get in trouble go to court, have to pay fines and stuff like that. Now I am looking to the future, my daughter is on the way. So I’m looking forward to being with her now.

Anson Wainwright – We touched on in in some of the other questions but getting married has helped you settle down in a big way. How is married life treating you?

Brandon Rios – Well today married life is going great. We still haven’t lost that love since we fell in love the first time. Everybody has different relationships but I can say I love being married right now. Everything she does for me is great. She loves the sport that I do, she’s in love with the sport that I do. She’s a great girl. She helped me out with a lot of things in the ring and outside the ring. I have no complaints, she’s an awesome girl. She’s very smart.

Anson Wainwright – What can you tell us about what you like to do away from Boxing?

Brandon Rios – When I’m not training I go to the gym and see the kids train. I stay at home and me and my wife we go to the movies or we’ll have a romantic dinner something like that. mainly just stay with my wife and family now we’re waiting for my daughter to come. Last time we were getting the nursery ready buying stuff.

Anson Wainwright – You have a big cross town rivalry with Victor Ortiz, what can you tell us about how that is today and about that situation?

Brandon Rios – Well I don’t know the situation today. What I said before is I’m still ready to do it if he is. It’s just a long story between me and him, it’s a blood bath. Bad blood between each other and you know hopefully they make the fight happen if they don’t we’ll see what happens in the future. If he keeps winning like he has been and if I keep doing what I’m doing you never know it could be Vargas-De La Hoya 2! Haha

Anson Wainwright – Which one would you be out of those two?

Brandon Rios – This time Vargas will come out with the victory!

Anson Wainwright – Your in camp with Antonio Margarito he’s fight Manny Pacquiao. What’s it like having someone like him to learn from?

Brandon Rios – It’s a blessing, I’m glad he came to the gym and show what it takes to be a champion and the way he trains is unbelievable. He trains like he’s never been a champion before and he wants to become one. He has so much desire to become champion again. It’s the same, if you see him work it’s crazy, he’s 110% in shape. He’s ready, he’s ready to rock and roll, he’s ready to be champ again. He’s ready to show the world who he was and all the false things they said about his hands. He’s ready to show the world Antonio “The Tijuana Tornado” Margarito is back again.

Anson Wainwright – How do you see the fight going?

Brandon Rios – A late round stoppage between 8 and 12 rounds. To me Margarito throws punches from ever angle, he keeps coming, he’s like a Tornado it’s the perfect name it suits him. He keeps throwing punches from different angles, different sides everywhere. It’s like there’s 3 guys in there fighting you.

Anson Wainwright – What fighters growing up did you look up to?

Brandon Rios – I always looked up to Julio Cesar Chavez Snr and I looked up to Marco Antonio Barrera and I looked up to Chico Corrales and Arturo Gatti. I resemble a bit of everybody I kept looking at there styles the way they fight. I was in camp with Barrera and picked up some stuff he taught me and they helped out a lot and I thank him for teaching me. I was in camp with them for like two months. It was awesome training with a World champion, being a sparring partner.

Anson Wainwright – Barrera is with Top Rank like yourself, is that a fight you would like? Or do you think this guy is one of my idols and it’s not something I’d like to do now?

Brandon Rios – It’s business in the ring. If we had a fight, I’d fight him. But outside the ring he’s my hero, one of the idols I look up too. I’ll be his friend no matter what. I have respect for him but when I’m in the ring that goes out of the window. It’s my career verses his career.

Anson Wainwright – What fight would you most like today?

Brandon Rios – The fight i want most today is Humberto Soto, “La Zorrita” he’s fights on December 4. He defends his title with Antillon. Hopefully we can make it happen instead of moving up in weight, i really want to fight him. If not there’s the winner of Marquez-Katsidis. I’m ready to take on these type of fights.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Brandon Rios – Thank you for the support, thank you for following my career. People who don’t know me hopefully can tune in on Saturday and see me fight.

Thanks for your time Brandon, keep up the good work.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Juan Manuel “Juanma” Marquez is a very strong featherweight. In the ring, the Puerto Rican has the power of two men. How do we know this? Because he managed to wobble two guys, Saturday, with the force of his left hook.

Trouble was, one of those guys was Lopez himself. The other, of course, was Mexican Rafael Marquez who challenged Lopez for the WBO featherweight title at MGM Grand in the main event of a standard-setting episode of Showtime’s “Championship Boxing.” Lopez prevailed by technical knockout when Marquez was unable to continue.

As the bell rang to begin the ninth round, Marquez waited long enough for Lopez to drop to his knees at center ring in celebration, and then Marquez rose from his stool and walked across the canvas touching his right shoulder with his left glove. Afterwards, Marquez would say his shoulder was too weak to raise his right hand. Should we believe him?

Damn right we should.

Forget Marquez’s pedigree. Forget his participation in one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history with Israel Vazquez. Consider, instead, where Marquez’s prized weapon was all night. The right cross, a punch Marquez used in a reign of terror over the bantamweight division for six years, was nowhere to be found in his fight with Lopez.

At the end of the second round, in fact, I asked my notebook a rhetorical question about it: “For some reason, Marquez doesn’t see any available right hands against a southpaw?”

Then the third round happened. Lopez, a larger man than Marquez, threw a short left cross from his southpaw stance that caught Marquez on the forehead. Marquez was off-balance when the punch landed and much more so after. He stumbled backwards across the ring, found his balance, planted and threw a right cross at Lopez’s onrushing jaw.

No he didn’t. Actually, Marquez found his balance, planted, cocked his right hand in front of his shoulder and pushed the weight of his body behind it. A first occasion of what became a regular occurrence in the fight: Marquez using Lopez’s own force to supply power. Lopez obliged, running into Marquez’s pushed right glove and halting a bit. The next round was more interesting still.

Rafael Marquez, much like his older brother Juan Manuel, struggles a bit against men who fight taller than he does. Accomplished as Los Hermanos Marquez are – probably prizefighting’s best brother tandem of all time – neither ducks punches well as he does everything else. Both put their chins in predictable places.

Marquez, then, would repeatedly duck Lopez’s lead right hook and drop his head to the red and black Dodge insignia on the waistband of Lopez’s trunks. While he was down there, though, he had occasion to make a surprising discovery: Lopez’s right glove, too, was even with that Dodge insignia.

How long do you think it took a fighter of Marquez’s caliber to realize that if Lopez’s right glove was even with his waistband, Lopez’s head was completely unguarded?

Quickly Marquez began to drop his shoulders, duck Lopez’s right hand, shift his shoulders leftward and rise on the other side – making a backwards U. Once there, he countered Lopez with light left hooks – light because, remember, despite Marquez’s Mexico City upbringing, he is a Nacho Beristain fighter, not a Julio Cesar Chavez knockoff, and so the left hook is not his Sunday punch.

But Lopez had another tactical mishap to complement his low lead hand. Annoyed more than deterred by Marquez’s counter hooks, Lopez began to square his feet and fire a left hook of his own behind his missed right hook. Now, lead hand low, Lopez entered in to a left-hooking contest with one of the best Mexican prizefighters in a generation. He’s lucky he survived it.

In round four, Marquez waited for Lopez’s lead right hook, made his U and threw his left hook. Lopez supplied half the power of the punch by snapping himself leftward with a hook of his own. Marquez’s hook landed first, and Lopez wobbled, eyes wide. Then Marquez pushed a right cross that knocked him into the ropes, and a fight ensued.

That was the end of the drama, if not the suspense. Lopez returned to his corner after the round, got a hold of himself and effectively put the left hook away. He began to throw left crosses, as he should have been doing all the while. Then he closed space, walked the smaller man down and began to brutalize Marquez. Within six minutes, order was restored, and Lopez ground Marquez to dust.

Marquez would not have finished the fight even if he hadn’t canceled it himself. Lopez was too big and too good. The question was not why Marquez stopped things after the eighth round but why he entered the ring in the first place.

“It had hurt me before (in training), but I didn’t want to cancel the fight another time,” Marquez said about a match he had already postponed once because of a hand injury. “But in the fourth and the fifth rounds, I couldn’t throw punches.”

Marquez then said as soon as his shoulder was better, he would like a rematch. He’s entitled to it, but: Shoulder and hand injuries in a 35-year-old’s training camp are Life speaking in short, declarative sentences about age.

And here’s a short, interrogative sentence for Juanma Lopez: What if those Marquez left hooks had come from Yuriorkis Gamboa?

Gamboa is a natural featherweight slugger who loads up on left hooks. Marquez, meanwhile, was a natural bantamweight whose best weapon was not a left hook. And yet look what Marquez did.

Bob Arum, who promotes both Lopez and Gamboa, says we may get the answer to that interrogative sentence in June. Until Saturday, frankly, I’d have bet the house on Juanma against Gamboa. But after Saturday, I’m filled with doubt.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

Zab Judah has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in a career filled with unpredictability.

Blessed with elite talent from the get-go, Judah’s speed, power, boxing ability and defense helped him win titles in two weight classes. The Brooklyn, NY bred southpaw was making his way up the pound for pound list after knocking out Cory Spinks to become the undisputed welterweight champion, but well documented miscues have at times overshadowed his success.

Judah has twice been suspended and fined after mental breakdowns caused him to spark riots in his bouts against Kostya Tszyu and Floyd Mayweather. He also suffered an embarrassing setback in what was supposed to be a hometown showcase against 16 to 1 underdog Carlos Baldomir in an uninspiring performance. In addition, the former three time New York Golden Gloves champion was involved in scuffles outside of the squared circle; but that was then and this is now.

A self defined born-again Christian, Judah is presently based out of Las Vegas, NV where he resides with his fiancé and son Zab Jr. Surprisingly, the 33 year old seems to have hit the jackpot in the same city where many have thrown away their life savings in a manner of hours.

Gone are Judah’s gold teeth, overzealous attitude and lavish lifestyle. Replacing them is a mature approach to his future in boxing and the realization of his mistakes. Accompanying his fresh outlook was the decision to move down to 140 pounds, where he’ll attempt to become the king of boxing’s hottest division.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Judah, 37-6- (27 KO’s), who takes on unbeaten power puncher Lucas Matthysse (27-0, 25 KO’s) tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ in the main event of an HBO double header.

Matt Yanofsky: Tonight you are going to face an unbeaten opponent who is a huge puncher, but is a bit untested. What are you expecting?

Zab Judah: First I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity. Matthysse is a great fighter he has an unbeaten record of 27 wins with 25 knockouts. It’s not easy to knock somebody out, so he (is a threat). I have seen him he has good speed and he is looking to make an impression in America so I am sure he is going to try and do what he has to do.

MY: This is going to be your second fight at the Prudential Center, which is one of the hottest new venues in boxing, and you had a decent crowd last time around against Jose Armando Santa Cruz in July. What do you like about the Prudential Center and do you hope to keep fighting there?

ZJ: Yeah definitely! The Prudential Center has been great to us. Super Judah Promotions and Main Events have a great plan in place. There is no reason we can’t make this into the new Madison Square Garden!

MY: There are a lot of great fighters at 140 pounds such as Devon Alexander, who you called out in March, Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana and Amir Khan amongst others. Who would you like to fight if you are victorious and why?

ZJ: Right now my eyes are set on Matthysse. After the fight we will figure everything out but.

MY: A lot of fighters don’t move down in weight, especially as they get older. How were you able to effectively cut weight after fighting at 147 for so many years?

ZJ: (Mentions Jesus Christ’s great influence on his life) anything is possible. I think Zab Judah’s career is still blossoming and this is a lesson that nobody can say (I can’t do something) except God.

MY: Being that Matthysse is a straight forward fighter, are you planning to box and move or are you going to look to get him out of there?

ZJ: I am moving at God’s speed! I’m going to go in there and do (what Zab Judah does). I will see what he has and (determine the pace from there).

MY: What can the fans expect from you?

ZB: Explosiveness, lightning (speed) and dynamite boxing. It’s going to be a great event!

MY: Zab, thanks for the interview. What do you have to say in closing to your fans worldwide?

ZB: I love you all, (stay focused on what is in front of you and) keep God first in your life.

LAS VEGAS – In a gambling Mecca full of whispered tips and inside information, there’s talk that Juan Manuel Lopez is worried. Only a fool wouldn’t be.

Lopez’ advertised potential as the face of boxing’s next generation of stars is about to be tested as it never has Saturday night at the MGM Grand in a dangerous encounter with one of the masters of the reigning generation. Rafael Marquez stands in his way, perhaps as formidable as ever and still feared by many.

There was no sign of fear in JuanMa at the weigh-in Friday or the final news conference Thursday. His charisma is as powerful as his punch. It knocks out everything else, including any hints of self-doubt.

He and Marquez left no doubt they were ready for the Showtime-televised clash Friday when stepping onto the official scale, both at 125.5 pounds, a half-pound under the featherweight division’s limit. They posed. They stared. The weigh-in ritual didn’t include a single blink or smile. Only potential fury waits in a fight that will result in more punches and fewer headlines than anything produced by jockeys Calvin Borel and Javier Castellano Friday in a Breeders Cup brawl at Churchill Downs.

But there were a couple of words Thursday, mostly from Lopez, who is defending his World Boxing Organization title. Marquez has seen film of Lopez, down in the opening round against Bernabe Concepcion, who will never be confused with Marquez. For the deliberate Marquez, that moment represents a weakness that has seen and exploited often. He mentioned it and Lopez countered.

“I read that the team of Rafael Marquez said that I have no chin,’’ said Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs), a 27-year-old Puerto Rican. “But the one who is undefeated is me. I know he has won a few fights by knockout, but on Saturday night you’ll see who really can take a punch and who can’t.’’

Lopez suggested that Marquez promoter Gary Shaw annoyed him by saying he had to prove himself against the 35-year-old Mexican (39-5, 35 KOs), who is the brother of better-known Juan Manuel Marquez.

“Shaw told me: ‘If you’re so good how come you don’t fight Rafael,’ ‘’ Lopez said. “I’m so good I’m going to beat Rafael Marquez on Saturday.”

The 35-year-old Marquez sounded as if he has experienced enough, learned more than enough, to withstand any storm.

“I will show that I can beat anyone at any point in their career,’’ said Marquez, whose bruising series with Israel Vazquez has left some wondering if he there is anything left of the brilliant bantamweight he was in his prime. “Experience and talent will beat youth. …Hard work and preparation will beat youth anytime.’’

Although there were no surprises on the scale from either Lopez or Marquez, there were a couple from super-middleweights Allan Green and Glen Johnson, tournament subs who will fight for a chance to advance to the semifinals of the shuffled Super Six.

Glen Johnson, who has been campaigning at light-heavyweight (175) for years, easily made the weight at 167, one pound under the 168 limit.

“I thought making the weight would be more difficult,’’ Johnson said. “I was at weight two weeks ago, so that was surprising.’’

In making weight, trainer Orlando Cuellar said Johnson might have learned something that could have worked a few years ago.

“I know a lot of people were concerned if he could make ‘68, much less be effective at ’68,’’ Cuellar said. “I guess you all get to find out Saturday. But if it is any indication what he has done at the gym I think he is faster, lighter on his feet. I think we discovered that maybe he should have been at this weight a few fights back.’’

For Green, the weigh-in wasn’t so easy. He was a half-pound too heavy in his first trip to the scale. In a quick strip-tease, Green stepped behind a blanket, took off his shorts and made the mandatory 168.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

This Saturday, Las Vegas, Nevada will be host to yet another installment in the long line of Puerto Rican versus Mexican fights. For long, the two countries have battled it out in the lower weight classes and the rivalry has given us plenty of classic and exciting fights. True, there have been some duds in the process (everyone would have liked to see Camacho fight more against Chávez instead of simply surviving) but the upcoming bout for Lopez’s WBO featherweight strap should be explosive while it lasts.

Both fighters carry more than enough pop to really hurt each other and both have a tendency to slug it out even when their boxing would fare better. Going into the first of his four fight extravaganza against Israel Vázquez, Márquez was deemed slightly better in terms of technique; still he would not back down from any exchanges throughout the four bouts that ended in two wins a piece. Against Silence Mabuza, Marquez also got in brawls where his boxing could have carried him to a victory without receiving as much leather. For a boxer of his pedigree, the fact that he has been stopped four out of the five times he has lost is proof enough that he is susceptible to getting knocked out.

Similarly, López tends to leave his chin out in the open and trade at times when there’s no need for it unless you call getting the crowd to their feet a “need”. Against journeyman Rogers Mtagwa, López easily dominated the first rounds but gradually fell into Mtagwa’s fight and had to survive the final two rounds out on his feet. Not only was he tired and hurt, he appeared unable to throw punches and stay up on his feet at the same time. Still, Juan-Ma would only clinch in the final round, a round that was correctly scored by many as a 10-8 round despite there being no knockdowns. In his latest outing, López had to get off the canvas in round one against to stop his out powered Bernabé Concepción in round two.

But enough about each fighter’s weaknesses. Their fortes are what will make for a spectacular bout. Both fighters bring an 89 percent knockout ratio into the fight. And these knockouts haven’t come against tomato cans and have beens. López’s (29-0, 26KO’s) resume includes stoppage victories over Daniel Ponce de Leon, Gerry Peñalosa and Steven Luevano. Ponce de León hasn’t lost since, and Peñalosa and Luevano both retired having only been stopped by López. Failing to hear the final bell against Márquez (39-5, 35KO’s) are Mark Johnson in their second fight, Israel Vázquez in their first and fourth matches and Tim Austin among others. Johnson wouldn’t get knocked out again for over two years and Austin would only get stopped in his last fight, three years after and way past his prime.

Both fighters are sound technicians and have great form in their boxing. Márquez may have an edge in the stamina department as he has proven he can fight twelve hard rounds while López has a tendency to loose power and form as the fight progresses. The Puerto Rican southpaw likes to punch first and can put two and three punches together very well while the two division Mexican champion is an excellent counter puncher who can land combos impressively well while staying in the pocket.
Although boxrec.com lists López with advantages in height and reach, these are minimal and when face to face, Márquez seemed the taller of the two. Still, at 126 lbs., López seems like the bigger man going into the fight.

Márquez has only fought twice at the featherweight limit. First against José Francisco Mendoza and then his fourth fight against Vázquez. He stopped both of them in the third round but Mendoza wasn’t on his level and too little of Vázquez was left for that fight to properly judge his performance at an elite level in the division. The Puerto Rican’s record at the weight consists of having stopped Luevano for the belt and a defense against Concepción. Against both men, López seemed the much stronger fighter and Luevano specifically was almost unable to hurt him.

Had this fight taken place a few years back, in a lower weight division or before Márquez had taken so much punishment, odds makers wouldn’t have López close to the three to one favorite he is right now. But the time is now, the weight is 126 lbs. and Márquez has fought 28 rounds with Israel Vázquez. If the Mexican veteran can’t hurt Juan-Ma or falls behind during the first half of the fight, he will most likely get stopped. If he can keep the fight even going into the final four rounds he’ll add another name to his already Hall of Fame worthy career.

For López, it remains to be seen if he can keep this fight in familiar territory. As a friend of mine wisely noted, the young champion has yet to enter the seventh round of a fight behind on the score cards or worse yet, loosing the physical aspect of the fight. Still, a superb straight left combined with a short tight right hook give López very good odds at hurting Márquez early on and a cut or swollen Márquez going into the seventh probably won’t make it to the final bell. Juan-Ma has to keep his composure and work off his jab if he wants to keep the “o” at the end of his record.

After much thought, I’ll say López wins by late TKO.

LAS VEGAS – After a dark month that didn’t include much more than the sad spectacle of watching Shannon Briggs endure a terrible beating from Vitali Klitschko, November dawns with fighters and a fight, Juan Manuel Lopez-versus-Rafael Marquez, with all of the elements that have been missing in action.

Lopez, a Puerto Rican, and Marquez, a Mexican, haven’t said much. They haven’t had to.

A Fight-of-the- Year possibility is real in a featherweight bout at the MGM Grand on Showtime Saturday night in a classic confrontation at the crossroads. There’s the 35-year-old old Marquez in a battle to extend his career before turning toward a retirement that is destined to take him into the Hall of Fame. In the opposite corner, there is the 27-year-old Lopez, who is eager to just move into a position that one day might allow him to be where Marquez is now.

“Without a doubt, I know he’s coming to prove that he’s still at the same level,’’ the fighter best known as JuanMa said on a conference call. “I’m out to prove that I’m at the same level he’s at. …I can’t see how it will not be a good fight. We both have a lot to prove. We’re willing to give up everything in the ring.”

Like any good fight, plenty of intrigue is offered by a collection of subplots. Lopez-Marquez looks as if it will be another chapter in a rivalry, Puerto Rico-versus-Mexico, as rich in tradition as any. Flags will fly. So, too, will the fists, some of which promise to result in knockdowns. Playing-it-safe is Chad Dawson’s game, which has never been played by JuanMa.

The unbeaten lefthander (29-0, 26 KOs) has been down, off his feet in the first round against Bernabe Concepcion and victorious in the second. Lopez courts trouble, which is part of the attraction. If the danger isn’t there and always imminent, there’s no reason to watch.

“I see how strong and powerful he is,’’ Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) said. “But I also see his weaknesses. I see that he has a weak chin. So we have to take advantage of that and put our punches together and use a lot of combinations. I have to use all of my experience and all of my power and all my intelligence in the ring to get to him. It’s a winnable fight, no question.’’

From this seat, Lopez-Marquez looms as the best of a loaded Holiday card, which includes Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex., the Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez rematch on Nov. 20 in Atlantic City, Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis on Nov. 27 and Amir Kahn-Marcos Maidana on Dec. 11.

There’s plenty on the plate, almost too much. Pacquiao’s crossover celebrity – he’s an intercontinental star – takes away some of the attention on Lopez-Marquez, which would have captured more of the headlines if it had happened on Sept. 18. But a postponement was forced by an inadvertent injury suffered by Marquez, who hurt his thumb in a car door. But it’s the first in a revival after a recession, an Octoberflop. After it’s all over, I suspect first will rank as the best.

It’s a lot easier to pick Lopez-Marquez as a Fight-of-the-Year contender than it is to pick a winner. Lopez has never encountered anybody with Marquez experience, smarts and instincts. Like his brother Juan Manuel, Rafael has a predatory eye for weaknesses and there are many in Lopez’ aggressive pursuit.

But there also are haunting questions about Marquez. How much is left? His battles with Israel Vazquez were as bruising as they are memorable. There had to be price. It was evident in May that Vazquez had paid in full when he fell within four rounds against Marquez. The bout hinted at two possibilities:

A) — With the victory, Marquez proved he has a lot more left than some thought.

B) — He looked so good simply because Vazquez is beyond his prime.

If it’s B, JuanMa moves forward on a path to the kind of Puerto Rican stardom enjoyed by his idol, Felix Trinidad.

If it’s A, expect a rematch.

The hunch here is that Lopez will temper some of his aggressiveness and win a late-round stoppage against an aging Marquez in a contender for Fight of the Year, which is the best pick of all.

NOTES, QUOTES
· It looks as if Filipino Congressman Pacquiao’s political punch is also potent. Five days after endorsing Nevada Senator Harry Reid at a Las Vegas campaign stop, Reid knocked out Republican challenger and tea-party darling Sharron Angle. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao’s appearance with Reid energized the Filipino and Hispanic vote. Vegas’ Filipino population is about 30,000. The city’s Hispanic community numbers about 130,000. Reid, a Democrat and the Senate’s majority leader, won by about 40,000 votes.

· An order-of-protection filed by Hall of Fame junior-flyweight Michael Carbajal and girlfriend Laura Hall against neighbors Josephine Carbajal, Michael’s niece, and Jose Espinal was upheld Tuesday at a Phoenix hearing. Josephine played a recording in an attempt to show a pattern of domestic abuse at Michael Carbajal’s home. But the recording was discredited in testimony from Hall. The voice of Michael’s son and the barking of his dog were heard on the tape. Neither was in the house at the time Josephine said the recording was made. Michael Carbajal is battling to gain ownership of 12 properties he says were purchased by brother and ex-trainer Danny Carbajal with money he earned in the ring. Danny is in prison for a conviction on charges he stole an estimated $2 million.

· And keep your day job, which is either in the ring, or the Filipino Congress, or both. Wherever it is, it’s not in music. At least, Margarito doesn’t think so. Margarito said he didn’t see Pacquiao join Will Ferrell in a rendition of the Beatles song, Imagine, the other night on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show. Apparently, he didn’t have to. “All I can tell you is that he is a better boxer than he is a singer,’’ Margarito said. “I think maybe he should dedicate himself more to boxing.’’

Twenty seven year old Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero is already something many great fighters never will be; a champion outside of the ring. Unlike numerous boxers who have failed to serve as a positive role model, Guerrero, a three time titleholder, isn’t just fighting for money, he’s fighting for a cause.

Guerrero’s wife Casey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2007 and has been undergoing treatment to help her overcome the dangerous disease that affects more than 250,000 Americans. The Gilroy, CA native is actively involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and is an integral part of a fundraising project to help combat the illness.

I had the chance to catch up with Guerrero, who battles fellow California Vicente Escobedo Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ as part of an HBO doubleheader.

Matt Yanofsky: This Saturday you will be taking on 2000 Olympian Vicente Escobedo. Many would agree that a poor performance by him will spell his days as a noteworthy fighter. Do you think that perhaps he will be tougher than you anticipate?

Robert Guerrero: I don’t know what the critics think of him, all I know is I’m preparing for a tough fight. Escobedo is an Olympian and you don’t get there by being an average fighter. He does a lot of good things in the ring and I expect him to be the best he’s ever been in any fight. He has a new trainer and he’s confident. He’s ready to go as am I.

MY: Escobedo definitely wasn’t the people’s choice for this fight, especially considering he was clearly out pointed in his last fight against Michael Katsidis and doesn’t really have a marquee win. Who else did they offer and why do you think those fights weren’t made?

RG: That question is for my management team. My job is to get in the ring and fight the person they put in front of me. I don’t look at an opponent, that’s my manager’s job. I never turn down a fight. Vicente is ranked #2 by the WBO so he’s a worthy opponent in my opinion.

MY: Your wife Casey has battled Leukemia during the last few years and I know her condition has been up and down. Has her condition made it harder for you to focus on training?

RG: It was very difficult juggling my career, her battle and taking care of the kids. Now that she is doing better, I can focus more on my boxing career and training. She’s doing great right now.

MY: You have been jumping around in weight a bit during the last few years. Are you planning to stay at 135 or also fight at 140?

RG: My goal is to win a championship at 135 then move up to 140. If a big fight presents itself at 140 then I’ll take it.

MY: Some critics would argue that you haven’t battled the top fighters at 126-135 and your best win is against an over the hill Joel Casamayor. Although you have had some decent showcases, what do you think the reason is that you haven’t fought an elite opponent that is in their prime, especially considering who Golden Boy has in their stable?

RG: Everything happens for a reason. I’ve had to go through some trials and tribulations in and out of the ring. I’m a big believer in Jesus Christ and I know God has a plan from me to do something special in boxing. I’m happy with Golden Boy, they treat my team and I very well. I’m just going to keep on trucking and do my best to keep winning. The big fight will be there as long as I continue to win.

MY: There has been some recent press about your documentary. What can you tell us about it?

RG: The documentary can be seen at www.theghostdocumentary.com. The film is being directed by Andrew Johnston who also films for the NY Jets. He’s a great talent and he’s telling my story about my comeback from vacating my title earlier this year. It’s coming along great.

MY: What is your game plan come Saturday night?

RG: I’m going to come with everything. I’m leaving everything in the ring on fight night.

MY: Who is on your radar if you are victorious?

RG: My only focus is Escobedo. But I have to say it would be an honor to fight the great Mexican champion, Juan Manuel Marquez if he can get past Katsidis.

MY: Thanks for your time and best of luck Saturday. Our prayers are with you’re family for Casey to regain full health. What do you have to say in closing to your fans all around the world and the readers of 15rounds.com?

RG: I want to thank all the fans of boxing, not just my fans. Like the late Chuck Bodak used to say, if it wasn’t for the fans there would be no boxing. Also, tune in this Saturday for a great night of boxing. Escobedo and I are going to war.

After a quiet fall so far things finally kick off in a big way with the Featherweight clash of Juanma Lopez against Rafael Marquez this Saturday. It presents us with a young up and coming fighter, who’s a two weight world champion against a older guy who’s place in the history books is already assured and looking to become a three weight world champion. Throw in the Puerto Rican, Mexico rivalry and this has all the makings a tremendous fight. It could be a changing of the guard if Lopez wins or it could be a reminder of just how good Marquez is if he wins. For his part Juanma has done all that has been asked of him so far going a perfect 29-0(26) which is a kayo ratio of nearly 90%. While Marquez boasts a 39-5(35) ledger with an almost equal kayo ratio. Showing both guys can clearly punch. Lopez has been down against Bernabe Concepcion & close to being stopped with Rogers Mtagwa while Marquez has been stopped in 4 of his 5 loses showing a chink in there armour. Of course you don’t go as far as these two guys if you can’t box, but a stoppage must be favoured in this battle of gunslingers. Here’s what Lopez had to say ahead of arguably his biggest fight to date.

Hello Juanma, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have a big fight coming up with Rafael Marquez, what are your thoughts on this fight?

Juanma Lopez – This is the greatest fight for me in my career. I think that I have to go in the best shape for this fight because I’m going to face a good fighter who’s also training hard for the bout. Marquez is a good champion and an experienced fighter.

Anson Wainwright – The fight was originally scheduled for 18 September but has been put back 6 weeks how has that effected you?

Juanma Lopez – The change had no effect for me because I came from a fight in July 10 and with the postposition I rested a little bit and continued my training as always. But with my family did affect a little because I would take my children to Disney World and now I have to take them after the fight.

Anson Wainwright – You gave your 30 day pre-weigh in how did that go? What do you normally weigh between fights?

Juanma Lopez – In the first pre-weigh in I made 136 pounds of a 144.9 maximum, I’m in a good way in this moment with this weight. Normally, when I don’t have fights, I’m in 144 or 145 pounds.

Anson Wainwright – This will be your third fight at Featherweight since moving up from Super Bantamweight, how much easier is it for you to make weight? Do you think you’ll stay at 126 for long?

Juanma Lopez – I’m very comfortable in this weight, it’s more easy to make the weight of 126. When I was in 122 for my latest fights I was dehydrated as the Rogers Mtagwa fight, my last in 122. I think that I’m going to fight in 126 for a year, always looking for the good offers.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?

Juanma Lopez – My manager is Orlando Piñero, who has been with me from amateur and is like a father, my trainer is Alex Caraballo and my promoters Top Rank and PR Best Boxing Promotions. I train in the Jose “Cheo” Aponte Gym in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Anson Wainwright – Much has been made of your rivalry with Yuriorkis Gamboa, what are your feelings on him and that potential fight?

Juanma Lopez – That is a fight it must be given, promoters have been talking about that for a long time. Both of us want the fight and if all goes well, it’s going to make in the summer of 2011. We are both hard punchers and there will be a good fight between Gamboa and me.

Anson Wainwright – The Featherweight is pretty strong at the moment along with Marquez & yourself you have Celestino Caballero, Elio Rojas & Chris John along with up and comers like Mikey Garcia & Juan Carlos Burgos. What are your thoughts on those guys & how strong the Featherweight division is?

Juanma Lopez – In this moment the division is one of the best. I want to face the best fighter and I’m ready for all of them, Chris John, Celestino Caballero, Gamboa, Rojas. There are a lot of talent in this 126 division right now.

Anson Wainwright – So far what fight do you think was your best performance & why? Also which KO of yours do you consider the best?

Juanma Lopez – I had good fights in my career, but one of my best performances was the Daniel Ponce de Leon KO. It was in my first title bout and I knocked out him in the very first round. He was downed three times, it was a great fight for me.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for Rafael Marquez ahead of your fight?

Juanma Lopez – The message is that he will be well trained for this fight because I’m training to do the best. I know he is a good boxer and I’m training for that, to box, to brawl, to everything will happen in that ring.

Thanks for your time Juanma keep up the good work.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Just less than a year and a half ago, a hard-hitting Argentinian made his United States debut on HBO. He was introduced to American audiences as a “knockout artist,” having won all but one of his twenty-four victories by way of knockout. The boxer: Marcos Maidana. The result: a sixth round TKO victory over then-unbeaten Victor Ortiz.

On Saturday night at Newark’s Prudential Center, another hard-hitting Argentinian “knockout artist” will make his American debut on HBO. The boxer: Lucas Matthysse. The task: derail the ‘comeback’ of Zab Judah, whose last three fights have led the boxing world to believe he has recaptured his championship form.

Matthysse will try to mirror the winning efforts of Maidana in his American and HBO debut, and if successful, will help avenge his brother, Walter Matthysse’s, HBO debut loss, which marked the beginning to the end of his career.

In late 2005, an undefeated Walter Matthysse easily won his first fight on American soil with a first round knockout against Xavier Tolliver. Less than a year later, the heavy-handed Argentinian found himself on HBO trading blows with fellow undefeated contender, Paul Williams.

In a spirited effort, Matthysse hung in with the “Punisher” for nine-plus rounds before the fight was stopped by referee Jack Reiss in the tenth. Matthysse never recovered from his loss to Williams, losing four out his next five bouts, three of them by knockout.

Having had two Argentinian “knockout artists” in their HBO debut’s blaze two very different trails before him, the importance of this fight with regards to the direction of Matthysse’s career is clear.

In preparation for Saturday night’s showdown with Judah, Matthysse set up camp at the World Crown Sports gym in Oxnard, California, where he trained alongside fellow Argentinian and middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez.

Matthysse, who sports both a ponytail, as well as a tattoo of his mother, is primarily trained by Luis Dionicio “Cuty” Barrera; but while in Oxnard, also worked with Martinez’s trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento.

Undoubtedly, with Martinez and Sarmiento will benefit the hungry Argentinian. A win over Judah would simultaneously propel Matthysse into title contention and all-but end Judah’s ‘comeback’ campaign.

There is little chance Matthysse outboxes “Super” Judah and an even slimmer chance he’d be awarded a close decision in Newark if he did.

It is for this reason that the Argentinian “knockout artist” will need to win in his usual fashion and do so by landing power punches with the precision of a da Vinci portrait.

With regards to his ponytail, Matthysse told AOL Fanhouse’s Elie Sechback through a translator, “It is a promise to myself that when I win a world a world title, I will cut it off.”

A win will put Matthysse’s hat in the ring of 140 lb. contenders, while a loss would sabotage any plans for a haircut.

For more on Argentinian boxing, I urge you to read Anson Wainwright’s comprehensive piece titled “State of the Game,” that first ran on 15Rounds.com on Oct. 27.

It’s been a tough year for Elio “The Kid” Rojas 22-1(13) it started well enough when he went to Mexico and soundly outpointed local Guty Espades Jnr over tweleve rounds in his first defence of his WBC Featherweight title. He was then scheduled to unify with the WBA Champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in July when that was postponed until September only for a troublesome shoulder injury to force Rojas out of the fight with the Cuban sensation. He has been on the shelf ever since, now thankfully he seems to be on the road to recovery and hopes to be back in action in early 2011 when he will be looking to make up for lost time. Here’s what the highly skilled Dominican Republic fighter had to say.

Hello Elio, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You are currently injured what can you tell us about the injury? How is your shoulder now & how long much longer do you think it will keep you out?

Elio Rojas – It started with stiffness on my left shoulder during camp training for the Sept. 11, 2010 Gamboa fight but the real concern was the constant swelling on my right hand when I was hitting the punching bag. As far as my shoulder it’s at 100% and the hand is healing nicely should be at 100% capacity by December and should be ready to defend my title by February 2011.

Anson Wainwright – How did the injury first happen?

Elio Rojas – The Guty Espadas, Jr. Fight, February 20, 2010 in Yucatan, Mexico.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team, who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at?

Elio Rojas – Team Rojas is comprised of people I look up to & respect for what they have done for me & who believe in me unconditionally namely: Manager- Antonio “Tony” Tineo, Trainer-Calvin Morgan, Corner & Cut Man-Manny Seaca, & Promoter-Don King/Don King Promotions.

Rojas manager Tony Tineo also wished to add “Elio “The Kid” Rojas has teamed up with the Reading Inner-City Boxing Club, Reading, PA. The popular Dominican WBC champion has committed to serving as a role model for the youth of the boxing club. Since being introduced to the gym Rojas is impressed with this citywide year round after school program at Baer Park, West Douglass and George Sts in Reading which follows an approach that has proven to work in cities around the nation in attracting at risk youth; in particular youth involved in gang behaviors. Rojas believes that the success of the program reflects the continual need to provide meaningful recreational opportunities delivered by volunteers who assist youth in their growth as healthy and productive individuals. He is excited about serving in a leadership capacity for these kids. Rojas will announce that he will schedule exhibition matches and future press conferences at the Reading Inner-City Boxing Club; which will also provide the facility opportunity for his own training needs”

Anson Wainwright – You won the WBC Featherweight title when you went to Japan and beat Takahiro Aoh in July 2009. What are your thoughts looking back on that fight and what it meant to you to win a world title?

Elio Rojas – In one word “Incredible”, but in many more “A Dream Come True.” Beating a champion or opponents, like I did with Guty Espadas, Jr. also, at their own backyard is always a great feeling because you have to earn the respect of the crowd and your opponent and that’s the encouragement and motivation I feed off on to even want to win the bout even more. Plus that fight was dedicated to my inspiration, my dad, may he rest in peace, who always wanted it just as much as I did. That’s why when I won the WBC Featherweight Championship Title Belt I lifted the belt in the sky to tell him “it was for you, because of you and for believing in me no matter what.” I saw the best way to honor him was by winning the championship.

Anson Wainwright – You then fought in Mexico and beat Guty Espades on points. What can you tell us about that fight & how happy were you with that performance?

Elio Rojas – It was my first title defense but now I was being respected, recognized and taken seriously among the boxing world as a true boxer, competitor and champion. And, to be forward with you I thrive off beating good competitors on their own playing field. It’s like when MJ use to beat the Knicks in MSG. If someone out there hasn’t seen me in action-follow me on You Tube and see that my conditioning and discipline is so at point that I can beat the best of them by my punching ability or go the distance without tiring out like a true champion. It wasn’t by a split decision it was by a unanimous decision that I won my first defense.

Anson Wainwright – How did you first get into Boxing in The Dominican Republic?

Elio Rojas – My father was the motivator. He was a Physical Education Instructor and Personal Trainer in the Dominican Republic and always stressed the importance of good and healthy physical conditioning and discipline in sports. That was instilled in me since the age of seven and since I always admired as a child the sport of boxing I embraced it as a means to a way to make my family, especially my dad proud of me.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your amateur career, what tournaments did you fight at & what was your final record?

Elio Rojas – My amateur career consists of 195 fights; 193 wins & 2 losses. 2001 World Championship Bronze Medallist in Belfast & 2002 Central American & Caribbean Games Gold Medallist. And, currently Professionally 22 wins, 1 lost & 0 draws.

Anson Wainwright – What do you like to do away from Boxing to relax? What are you hobbies & Interests? What other sports do you enjoy watching and what teams do you support?

Elio Rojas – My relaxation consists of listening to Tropical Music; Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton. My hobbies & interest is watching Baseball / Basketball & watching Boxing of course especially my future opponents. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees & the Los Angeles Lakers.

Anson Wainwright – If you weren’t a boxer what do you think you would be doing?

Elio Rojas – I would be a lawyer like my uncle or be playing baseball 2nd baseman next to Jeter & A-Rod.

Anson Wainwright – You were scheduled to fight Yuriorkis Gamboa before your injury, what do you think of him as a fighter? What about the other champions WBA Chris John & WBO Juanma Lopez?

Elio Rojas – Oh man that’s the fight the world wanted to see and that’s the fight I wanted so bad. He’s a good fighter but I’m better!!! But, I’m a smart fighter I have to look at my long term existence but because of the injuries I had to listen to my advisors recommendations and view it as a sound decision on my future in boxing. As far as Chris John & Juanma Lopez they are two good boxers but again I’m a better fighter and look forward to being in the ring with them one day but that’s left up to the promoters. My job is to be ready when the moment presents itself. But the fight I have my eye on is a Rojas vs. Lopez showdown in New York City, preferable in Madison Square Garden or better yet Yankee Stadium, because that’s what the public and the boxing world yearns for two islanders; the Dominican Republic Champion vs. Puerto Rican Champion united in the biggest Island of all NEW YORK CITY-Isla De Los Campeons it definitely would be a SRO event and a boxing classic for the books.

Anson Wainwright – What Boxer was your hero growing up & who do you enjoy watching today?

Elio Rojas – Growing up I loved watching film clip classics of the Legendary Boxers like; Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, and Bernard Hopkins. The boxers I really enjoy watching today are Roy Jones, Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Jhonny Gonzalez.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Elio Rojas – First of all I want to thank my biggest fan God, then you of course and to all my supporters who have embraced me as there champion in and out of the ring. I appreciate your unconditional continued support and rest a sure I will be back in the ring soon. And, that I miss them as much as they miss me. Watch out I will fight to become the next undisputed featherweight champion for 2011 and going forward.

Thanks for your time Elio, hopefully the shoulder recovers and we see you back in action soon.

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

North Bergen’s Mariusz Wach came quite a long way on his journey to the Garden State; from Krakow, Poland to be exact. The 6’7 260 lb heavyweight sports a perfect 22-0 record with 10 KO’s and was a crowd favorite in his native country, where he racked up 15 victories. This still wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

Wach, whose surname is pronounced vahk, entered the United States in September 2010 with his sights set on becoming the first Polish heavyweight champion. Dubbed as the “Polish Giant”, Wach is working tirelessly at becoming a more complete fighter under the watchful eye of Paterson’s Aroz “Terrific” Gist at Global Boxing Gym. I had the opportunity to catch up with the soft spoken big man, who fights this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ vs Kevin Burnett.

Matt Yanofsky: On Saturday you will be taking a fight against an experienced opponent in Kevin Burnett. What do you know about him?

Mariusz Wach: I know the basics about him such as his height and weight. I also know he has fought some good opponents.

MY: Have you seen any tapes?

MW: Yes I saw his fight with (Odlanier) Solis.

MY: You have had most of your fights in Poland however there is a large Polish community in North Jersey. Are you going to feel like you’re at home at the Prudential Center even though its more than 3,000 miles from Poland?

MW: Yes, I expect a lot of people to come to the fight because Polish people love boxing and sports in general.

MY: You’ve been boxing since 2005 and are closing in on becoming a contender. Do you think that a fight against a former world champion or contender type opponent will come in the near future?
MW: The most important thing right now is the fight against Burnett. After that, I will see what is next.

MY: Since moving to New Jersey from Poland you’ve been training at Global Boxing. A lot of guys come in and out of this gym to workout. Compare the training here to how it was in Poland.

MW: There are a lot of different boxers here so I have to train hard to prove how good I am. In Poland there were only a few different fighters to train with so (the training) wasn’t as hard. In Poland when you lose four fights it’s like the end of the road, but in the US, if you lose four fights against great opponent it’s not that big of a deal.

MY: Describe your style and why fans should look forward to seeing you fight.

MW: I would say I have a style a bit like Klitschko. The jab is a very important part of my fighting.

MY: I’m sure that you are well aware that Tomasz Adamek is widely regarded as the best Polish heavyweight. Adamek fought Andrew Golota in Poland and it was a huge fight. If the two fought in Newark, it would have been big as well. Can you see yourself fighting Adamek or do you two have a friendship that would prevent that?

MW: If they made me an offer to fight Adamek, I would take it! This is business and this is boxing. I think Tomasz is going to fight (one of the) Klitschko’s soon, so why would he fight me?

MY: What can fans expect from you against Kevin Burnett?

MW: I am very confident about this fight and am going to give the fans a good show. I hope all my fans are there to watch the fight.

For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

We begin with a Juanma Lopez story. It was January of 2007, and a few of us gathered in a Phoenix Days Inn conference room to hear Tommy Morrison announce his comeback. The press conference was scheduled to begin an hour before it began, but I arrived on time like a fool.

There was one other writer there, and he didn’t speak Spanish, so Top Rank’s Phil Soto motioned towards a group of Puerto Ricans in matching track suits and told me to be the first to interview Juan Manuel Lopez – the day before Juanma’s “ShoBox” debut.

Lopez has acquitted himself splendidly since then, of course, and faces the challenge of his career, Saturday, at MGM Grand against Mexican Rafael Marquez in a fight for Lopez’s WBO featherweight title. But that’s not the point of the story.

That day in the near-empty conference room, I strolled over to the guys in track suits, picked one who looked like a fighter and asked him how he got started in boxing. He was happy to tell me. His dad, or uncle, or somebody, took him to the gym and, why, he loved the sport and was excited to be in Phoenix – his first time. The guy beside him, a little younger and smaller, flashed a wide grin that didn’t leave his face for the next five minutes.

I was out of questions by then and began to move towards a seat from which I could watch Tommy Morrison spin his yarn. That was when the small kid with the big smile told me that, while his friend was indeed a Puerto Rican who loved boxing, he, Juanma, was the guy fighting on Showtime tomorrow, and would I like to ask him any of the same questions?

The following night, after Lopez looked fantastic against Cuauhtemoc Vargas, I hurried to escape an interview with Tommy Morrison. “The Duke” – as some doctor called him in a supposedly official medical document – wouldn’t be making his comeback fight that night because he’d hurt his wrist. This was no less believable than anything else Morrison would say in the months that followed, but it was already too much. I hustled up a back staircase at Dodge Theatre and came to an exit. There was Juanma, patiently knocking. I let him in, and he gave me a hug and told me to remember him because he was going to be a good fighter.

What struck me that week about Juanma Lopez was his poise. He was not in a hurry to become famous by manufacturing some cult-of-personality thing to get on American television. He was not trying too hard, in other words. He was relaxed and confident; he knew he was likable and good, and in time Americans would know that too.

He’s going to need that poise Saturday. The man who comes for his title, Rafael Marquez, has been in bigger fights against better fighters than Lopez has. Marquez has also been in the finest boxing trilogy many have yet witnessed, with Israel Vazquez. His right hand is arguably the most impressive weapon, pound-for-pound, boxing has seen in a generation.

And Lopez, for all his poise, hasn’t got boxing’s best chin. But neither does Marquez. And that’s why folks in the know are so excited about this fight.

When Marquez’s last match was announced, a fourth scrap with Vazquez, in Los Angeles, Marquez fans felt a touch of relief. Vazquez was a man of unmatchable will, but he was also a man with ruined flesh round his eyes. Their guy would cut him up before Vazquez could rend any wills. And that’s exactly what happened in May, though it happened quicker than expected. Vazquez did not last 10 minutes with Marquez.

In the euphoria of that post-fight press conference at Staples Center, Marquez, seated beside trainer Daniel Zaragoza, the man who’d replaced Nacho Beristain, mentioned Juanma Lopez, and we all gave the idea some thought. Far more thought than we might have given the same suggestion two years before – when Marquez was sent reeling across the ring in the 12th round of his third fight with Vazquez and needed 18 months to recover.

The idea of either Marquez or Vazquez moving up four pounds and challenging Lopez was not a serious one, then. It is now.

Lopez, a southpaw, has been felled by lesser men than Marquez. Rogers Mtagwa, a Tanzanian strongman who boxes about as well as Marquez did at age 10, had Lopez out on his feet not too long ago. And after his career’s most impressive showing against Steven Luevano in January, Lopez was in a thrilling match with Filipino Bernabe Concepcion in July. Too thrilling, actually. In two rounds, there were four knockdowns, and Concepcion’s trunks weren’t the only ones cleaning the canvas.

Both Lopez and Marquez can box. Quite well. And both have a tendency not to box until they’re very near unconsciousness. A firefight, you’d think, favors Lopez, the larger of the two men. But we can’t be too sure.

That’s why we’ll watch Showtime, Saturday. But it’s not the only reason. The undercard match, a super-middleweight fight between two subs – Allan Green and Glen Johnson – should be an entertaining way to do something that’s good for us and boxing, too: Support the “Super Six.” Boxing’s best idea has had a rocky go of things lately, so here’s hoping Green-Johnson will be a fitting good-riddance to Andre Dirrell.

The main event, though, is the reason to tune in. Two honest, exciting fighters who are respectful and admired by those who know them. Rumor is, Puerto Rican-versus-Mexican occasionally makes for a decent rivalry, too.

Give us a pick, then? Sure. Good as Marquez is, exciting as a victory by him would necessarily be, he’s not young enough or big enough to stop Lopez. So I’ll take Lopez by 10th-round KO – unless his eagerness runs him into a Marquez right hand.

Bart Barry can be reached at bbarry@15rounds.com. Additionally, his book, “The Legend of Muhammad Ali,” co-written with Thomas Hauser, can be purchased here.

The fight poster for a Top Rank-promoted card which took place in Texas this past April had the heading “Young Guns – The Undefeated” and featured the faces of five unbeaten prospects. Four of those faces would likely have been recognizable to those who closely follow the sport. Mike Alvarado, Jerry Belmontes, Mikey Garcia and Omar Henry have garnered national attention and been featured prominently on national television during their ascension through the ranks. The fifth face featured on the poster, that of light heavyweight Alfonso Lopez III, would likely go unidentified by fight fans based outside the Lone Star State, but that could soon change. Lopez, a gunslinger from Cut and Shoot, educated inside and outside of the ring, is on cusp of moving from prospect to contender and setting his sights on the upper levels of the 168 and 175-pound divisions.

The way in which Lopez (20-0, 15 KOs) found boxing as a profession is a unique story. Though he had a fondness for boxing as a youth, the pull of other sports kept Lopez out of ring until much later in life. “We had a couple uncles and my stepfather had fought in the amateurs,” recalls Lopez. “We would box in the backyards. I just never competed, because I was big into baseball and football.”

Lopez’ love for football led him to walk-on to the team while at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, where he played linebacker for two years. In 2005, Lopez eventually decided to participate at a college amateur fight night, which brought him to the Henry Harris Gym and brought trainer Felix Ramirez and eventually Henry Harris into his life. “He was already 20-years-old and had never fought before,” recalls Ramirez. “He just started training with us and it seemed like he picked up on everything. He fought at the fight night and knocked the kid out in the first round.”

Perhaps motivated by his immediate success, Lopez decided to return to the gym and eventually pursue boxing further. “He started to come back and train for real this time,” recalls Ramirez. “With that being said, he went to fight a couple amateur fights, then went to the Houston Golden Gloves, with only three amateur fights, and he won the Houston Golden Gloves. He went to the [Texas State Golden Gloves] with five amateur bouts under his belt, won the State Golden Gloves three days in a row.”

If you think qualifying for the National Golden Gloves after so few sanctioned bouts seems unusual, then you would be correct. “It is a rarity,” admits Ramirez. “I have never seen it really, must less in such a competitive area, such as the Houston area, in Texas on top of that. There are a lot of big heavyweights and light heavyweights [in the state.]”

The Harris boxing family is very much a part of the fabric of Cut and Shoot, Texas, which just happens to be the town from where Lopez is originally from as well. Roy Harris was a stellar amateur before turning professional, going on an unbeaten run which included a win over eventual Hall of Famer Willie Pastrano, before challenging Floyd Patterson for the World Heavyweight title in 1958. Henry was a solid amateur himself, a Texas State Golden Glove Champion several times over, and eventually took to coaching.

Even with all of his many years in and around the sport, Henry has been surprised by Lopez’ accelerated development. “It is kind of unusual for somebody in college to learn how to fight,” states Harris. “Most of them start when they are young, but he is an intelligent kid and worked real hard at getting things right and he’s developed really fast. It probably doesn’t seem fast to him, but to me it seems awfully fast for somebody that just starts out. Now he is as good a boxer as there is that is out there right now.”

Lopez takes great pride in the fighting tradition of Cut and Shoot, and in a way carrying on the legacy of the Harris boxing family. “Henry had a son, Trey Harris that fought to 14-0, but never really got to get on the big stage. I am coming up and trying to put Cut and Shoot back on the map, but the whole Harris family has just been a huge, great family,” says Lopez. “The way they took me in when I came down here to start fighting. They started teaching me the ropes, and Henry is just the master of boxing, he knows so much. Their whole family is very smart, and they took me in, and my whole family in, and adopted us. They have taken care of us, I am just so glad I am in the position that I am in to start my career as a professional. I don’t think I could have done it anywhere else. This is chosen for me. This is why I came to Sam Houston and this is what I should be doing. This is what God planned for me.”

Before making the leap to the pros, Lopez had a solid 2006 amateur campaign, which included another Texas State Golden Glove title and appearance at the National Golden Gloves. In March of 2006, competing in the 178-pound weight class, Lopez made it to the finals of the U.S. Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Lopez notched two victories in Colorado, including one over present day prospect Will Rosinsky, but came up short in the final against accomplished amateur Christopher Downs.

Though he did not take home the national title, the event itself provided Lopez with invaluable experience. “It was a great experience, because I met a lot of great guys,” says Lopez. “A lot of the top guys professionally now, I got to meet them and got to work out with them to see their work ethic. Just the facility, I was a little bit in awe just being there. It really helped my career and gave me more confidence just being there.”

During his 2006 amateur run, Lopez and his team decided they would turn professional the following year rather than attempt to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. “We thought, hey, the way the system runs now…If Alfonso wanted to, he could have gone to the [Olympic] Trials, and probably even won the Trials, because by then he already had the experience,” said Ramirez. “But I think at this point, we are ahead of the 2008 Olympic class if you look at who is out there. I think it was a wise decision now that we look back.”

Several factors went into the decision to go pro when Lopez did, one of which was the way the U.S. structures their training program. “He would have had to leave us for that entire camp,” explains Ramirez. “How are you going to have somebody just leave you like that? Somebody you trained and you just turn them over to somebody and say ‘Ok, here you go.’ And on top of that, he has a wife and kids. So you are going to leave them too, come on now. It would have been for a long period of time too, not just a couple of weeks. Based on the coaching and everything, he was not going to get the coaching he gets here. And that’s a bold statement. Argue with it, but I think we made the right decision in the end.”

Lopez agreed with his coach’s assessment and was on board with the decision to go pro in 2007. “I was waiting to finish up college,” says Lopez, who graduated from Sam Houston. “My wife was finishing up her Master’s, and I was getting my graduate degree. I finished mine, and we decided at the age I was, and I was married and had a little girl, they thought it was the best decision to turn pro. I went ahead and went with it, rolled the dice early and went professional. I think it was a smart decision.”

Lopez turned pro that March, and crossed over some difficult hurdles in that very first outing. “My pro debut was probably the toughest fight I have had to this point,” admits Lopez. “I just went in so green into it, and the nerves. I got headbutted in the first 30 seconds of the fight. I got cut bad and it just exploded everywhere. There was blood in my eyes. Things guys go through in a ten-year professional career, I learned in one day. In one four-round fight, I was cut, I was bleeding, I was exhausted, I was throwing way too many punches – like a 100 and something punches a round. I was so excited and so dehydrated. It was just a huge, huge learning experience.”

Lopez won every round against Bonnie Joe McGee that night and was ready to move forward in his career, while constantly applying his college work ethic in the gym. “He’s a smart fighter and he takes advantage of other styles,” says Harris. “And it is just hard for someone to start boxing late and learn all of that stuff. But he has been a great student.”

In the 19 fights since, Lopez has remained undefeated and in recent bouts turned back the challenges of stiffer competition. In May of last year, Lopez fought outside of Texas for just the second time as a pro and went the ten-round distance for the first time in a win over veteran Ronald Weaver. “It was a big learning experience for him, to go over there into someone else’s hometown, and show that you can do what you have to do to get the win,” said Ramirez. “In my opinion, he won every round in that fight. If you are the opponent and you got one of the scorecards saying 100-89, then you know what happened.”

In his most recent outing, Lopez stepped up against former title challenger Rubin Williams and scored a unanimous ten-round decision, winning every round on every official card. “That was a fight that really got me up, just because the name Rubin Williams – fought for a world title against Jeff Lacy,” says Lopez. “I knew he was an experienced guy that could give me a couple different looks. I knew he was going to do some things other guys haven’t done, adjust the range and try to control the pace. But I felt I dictated everything in the fight. I fought when I wanted to fight.”

Next up for Lopez is a move down to 168-pounds to take on Romero Johnson for the vacant WBC Continental Americas title this coming Thursday in Dallas, Texas. It is an important fight, because an impressive victory could vault Lopez near the top fifteen in the WBC rankings. “It does excite me to go for a minor title,” admits Lopez. “That was one of our goals before the year had ended, and it turned out for me. Romero Johnson, I don’t know much about him, but I am working with the best in Marcus Johnson and Brian Vera. I am working hard, so whatever he brings, I may need a couple rounds to figure him out, but I plan on taking it to him and getting the win. Then hopefully look for some bigger things next year.”

Bigger things are present on the mind of Lopez’ head trainer and co-manager, Henry Harris. “We are reaching the stage now where we need exposure,” says Harris. “We got him where he can fight, so he just needs the exposure and to fight somebody that is supposedly a good fighter. We are willing to fight anybody for that matter. It is just a matter of what makes more sense. We would like to be [ranked] number one, but we are not there, because we can’t get the fight to prove it. I think he is. I think he is the best fighter out there right now.”

There are easier ways for college graduates to make their living than inside a boxing ring, but Lopez is completely focused on becoming the best boxer he can, and will think about putting his diploma to work for him at a later time. “Boxing is not a sport where you can say I am going to work and get a job and go ahead and get my Master’s and become a dietician,” says Lopez. “Boxing has to be your job. It has to be your passion. You have to love what you do everyday. Even when fights are falling through and you are not making any money, you have to stick with it mentally. It has to be what you want to do. You have to give it your life. You have to give it your heart. There’s no looking back.”

Photo by John Giles

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

Hours from now Lenny Zappavigna will be fighting Ji Hoon Kim in an IBF Lightweight eliminator. It’s a huge fight for both men Zappavigna will put his unbeaten record of 24-0(16) on the line against the more experienced Kim 21-6(18) with the winner getting a shot at Miguel Vazquez. Zappavigna 23, who resides in Sydney Australia will have home court advantage fighting at the Olympic Park Sports Centre in Homebush as part of a double header with fellow Australian Daniel Geale against Roman Karmazin in an IBF Middleweight title eliminator. Having gone pro in 2006 on the back of winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth games Zappavigna impressively went about his work, honing his skills before Gary Shaw noticed him in 2009 and brought him to America where “Zappa” has since fought twice winning both. It promises to be a war of attrition between the hard hitters, neither who take a backward step.

Hello Lenny, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You have the biggest fight of your career on 31 October against Ji-Hoon Kim, what are your thoughts on the fight and what do you expect from him?

Lenny Zappavigna – I think it will be a good fight because we both come to fight, but I think I will be the stronger fighter because he is a natural junior lightweight and I am a natural lightweight, but no matter what the outcome, points or knockout, I will win, no doubt about it.

Anson Wainwright – In his last fight Kim lost to Miguel Vazquez in an IBF title fight what did you think of that fight?

Lenny Zappavigna – Vazquez boxed well and smart, I think he is a good champion and be looking forward to fighting him for the title.

Anson Wainwright – For those who perhaps haven’t seen you could you descrivbe your style?

Lenny Zappavigna – I’m a boxer puncher. I can brawl if I have to or box. I’m trying to settle a little with every fight that comes along.

Anson Wainwright – Can you tell us about your team who is your manager, trainer & promoter? Also what gym do you train at in Australia & when your in America?

Lenny Zappavigna – My trainer is Tommy Mercuri. I have been with him since I was a kid and I have trained at Westside Boxing Gym ever since. My manager is Tony Lacastro, who has been a great help with my career and marketing terms. My promoter is Gary Shaw from America who also is a great help to us and has a great stable of champions and I hope to be one of them in the future.

Anson Wainwright – What were your early years like, was it tough growing up? You were born in Australia but presumably your parents are from Italy?

Lenny Zappavigna – My early years were great; my parents have been really supportive with my career and we live in the luckiest country in the world. There is no hard ship growing up in Australia. Being Italian background is fantastic. We eat the best food in the world and I am proud of my Italian heritage and I look forward to my mum’s cooking after the weigh-ins.

Anson Wainwright – How did you get into Boxing?

Lenny Zappavigna – I was a fat little kid and just wanted to lose weight when I met Tommy in the gym and he told me I had a lot of talent to pursue the sport because I would be a world champion one day and my dream came true, so I fell in love with the sport and hoped to become a multiple champion one day.

Anson Wainwright – You had a good amateur career you won bronze at the 2006 Commonwealth games, can you tell us about that and what other tournaments you won and what your final record was?

Lenny Zappavigna – I really enjoyed the Commonwealth Games, it gave me a lot of worldwide experience and I also fought overseas a lot of times and I won bronze at the Junior World Games. I also won all my national titles. My final record was 105 fights with 95 wins.

Anson Wainwright – Did you fight any fighters who are doing well in the pro’s today? If so who and how did it go?

Lenny Zappavigna – I fought Frankie Gavin in the Commonwealth Games, who went on to win gold and the world titles, but I am not sure if he has turned pro. Editors Note. He has an is currently 8-0(7).

Anson Wainwright – Who was your Boxing hero growing up & what fighters do you enjoy watching now?

Lenny Zappavigna – Mike Tyson was my hero as I was growing up. Now, I enjoy watching Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the current Lightweight division? Who do you think are the top guys at 135?

Lenny Zappavigna – It’s a great division, one of the best and of course I think I am one of the best, haha. Guys like Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz and Humberto Soto which I would love to fight for the WBC championship belt.

Anson Wainwright – Your countryman Michael Katsidis will fight Juan Manuel Marquez what are your thoughts on that fight?

Lenny Zappavigna – I think it will be a very great fight. I would really like to see Michael win the fight, for it will be great to have two Australian lightweight champions and I think he has a very good chance of winning.

Anson Wainwright – Is a fight with Katsidis possible or are you good friends? How big do you think that fight would be?

Lenny Zappavigna – No, we’ve chosen our path and he’s got his. It would be a shame to destroy two great Australian fighters like they did with Lester Ellis and Barry Michaels. Why destroy two great Australian fighters?

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans?

Lenny Zappavigna – Just like to thank all my fans for supporting me after all these years, and keep supporting me because I promise all of Australia after Sunday I will become a champion and go on to unify the lightweight division.

Best Wishes Lenny, keep up the good work.

Anson Wainwright
15rounds.com

Special thanks to Brad Arnold for helping to arrange this interview.

CLICK TO ORDER THE FIGHT
Saturday night at the Bally’s Event Center in Atlantic City, Jeremy “Hollywood” Bryan (14-1 7KO), continues on his path for boxing stardom. Although he won his last bout, the Paterson based junior welterweight is still looking for redemption after suffering his first career loss against Vincent Arroyo last time he was in Atlantic City, mainly because his last opponent quit after one round. It could not have been satisfying enough for “Hollywood”, who looked visibly upset that Mitchell would not continue.

The two time light welterweight National Golden Gloves champion, will be squaring off with undefeated Puerto Rican prospect Ronald Cruz (9-0 6KO) fighting out of Bethlehem, PA. The much more experienced Bryan will be the favorite heading into the bout. Even though Cruz has only been fighting for approximately five years, his raw talent surfaced quickly and caught the eye of many boxing fans in the area. Bryan certainly will not be one to take this fight lightly as he does not want the same result as last time he was in Atlantic City.

The fight will appear on the undercard on the Jorge “King” Diaz vs. Emmanuel Lucero fight which is an excellent card featuring many great fighters from around New Jersey, including recent Manny Pacquiao sparring partner Glen Tapia of Passaic. Tickets are still available for the fights, by going to the Bally’s Event Center box office, or calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or Ticketmaster.com
For more New Jersey boxing news, go to gardenstatefightscene.com

The irresistible story about whether Manny Pacquiao is out-of-shape, or out-of-focus, or more politician than pugilist is either setting the stage for a monumental upset in a loss to Antonio Margarito or masterful spin in the promotional wizardry exercised by Bob Arum.

The guess is all of the above and maybe more. There’s nothing new about Pacquiao and distractions. If anything, they’ve become inseparable. Pacquiao almost seems to be energized by familiar chaos that surrounds him like a human typhoon.

It’s fair to wonder whether the storm will reach a tipping point and overwhelm the Filipino Congressman on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium against a bigger man who used to be called The Tornado and is anxious to prove he doesn’t need illegal hand wraps to be one all over again.

The hand-wrap controversy, which has haunted Margarito since a loss to Shane Mosley 22 months ago, has been shoved into the background. Glovegate is an afterthought and Arum made sure of it with his trip a couple of weeks ago to the Philippines for a look at Pacquiao’s training camp. The story’s emphasis shifted subtly, yet unmistakably onto the star, Pacquiao, and away from the controversy, Margarito, when Arum warned the Filipino that he was in danger of losing if he didn’t work harder. The next day, Arum said all was well. Pacquiao looked good.

With his early warning, Arum accomplished a couple of tasks. He motivated Pacquiao and he ensured that the attention moves toward and stays on the biggest attraction. That’s where it belongs. Pacquiao makes the money. Talk about a marquee fighter in a battle with distractions is as old as Muhammad Ali. It’s compelling enough to invest in pay-per-view. But controversy over what, when and if Margarito knew about altered wraps and whether he should be allowed to fight in Texas after a denial in California is just buzz-kill.

Intrigue about Pacquiao’s readiness gained momentum at the very moment he set foot at LAX Sunday. That’s when trainer Freddie Roach told the media that the Filipino part of the training camp was the worst he had ever endured.

Trainers, of course, are paid to worry. Roach sounded as if he were relieved to be away from Pacquiao’s many commitments and desire to stay close to his newfound position in the Filipino Congress. He blew off for a day to visit Filipino President Benigno Aquino. Roach also told reporters that Pacquiao told him that he missed his job. Pacquiao’s comment to Roach is curious, to be sure. If he had not been so good for so long at his job in the ring, he wouldn’t have one in politics. In the political ring, misplaced priorities are an argument. Against Margarito, they’re a loss.

If priorities are in fact misplaced, there are questions — further intrigue — about whether Pacquiao has enough to time to put them back in order. In comments during media day Wednesday at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Roach sounded as if two-to-three weeks were enough. Yet within a week after leaving the Philippines, Pacquiao planned to be back on the campaign trail for a quick trip Friday to Las Vegas where he is scheduled to appear with Nevada Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat and majority leader, who is a tough run against Tea Party darling Sharron Angle.

Just a couple days after Roach told the media that there were no politicians around to take Pacquiao away from the Wild Card Gym, the trainer has another reason to worry. But Arum, Senator Reid’s friend and loyal supporter, can’t be worried at all. Otherwise, Pacquiao wouldn’t be taking this trip in support of a fellow politician who might be in bigger trouble than he will be against Margarito.

All options still on the mat

Henry Cejudo, a freestyle-wrestling gold medalist at the 2008 Olympics and one of the best stories at the Beijing Games, is 2-0 as an amateur boxer. Cejudo, who began training alongside Top Rank prospect Jose Benavidez, Jr., at Central Boxing near downtown Phoenix not long after Beijing’s closing ceremonies, won his second amateur bout in a surprise appearance a week ago at a tournament during the Arizona State Fair.

Cejudo, who won his boxing debut during a smoker at Central, has told the wrestling media that he probably will return for another shot at Olympic gold at the 2012 Games in London. But boxing, which will perfect his punching know how, might also be one way of jumping into mixed-martial arts. That opportunity looms, especially since Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White announced Thursday that the UFC will merge with World Extreme Cagefighting.

The merger will include the addition of two weight classes, 135 pounds and 145. There also are plans for a 125-pound division. Cejudo, who grew up as a boxing fan, won Olympic gold at 55 kilograms, 121.25 pounds.

Notes, quotes
· Kelly Pavlik trainer Jack Loew is relieved that weight won’t be the biggest opponent when the former middleweight champion tries to resurrect his career against journeyman Brian Vera on the Pacquiao-Margarito undercard at catch weight, 164 pounds. “We were burning this kid out,’’ Loew said Tuesday of training before Pavlik loss to Sergio Martinez. “We were training four or five times a day and it was because of the weight. We trained more for the weight than we did for Martinez.’’
· Most of the talk is about Pacquiao-Margarito, but the Fight of the Year might happen on the Saturday before Nov. 13 when featherweights Rafael Marquez and Juan Manuel Lopez tangle on Nov. 6 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. Arum, Lopez’ promoter, called it a Fight of the Year candidate. There was no argument Monday from Lopez. “My expectation is the same, that it will be a Fight-of-the-Year-type candidate,’’ said Lopez, who also expects the bout to end in a later-round knockout.

Photo Chris Farina / Top Rank