Top Rank signed undefeated Welterweight Jesse Vargas on Wednesday.

Vargas was with Mayweather Promotions and appeared on Floyd Mayweather Pay Per View undercards before signing with famed manager Cameron Dunkin and going to Top Rank.

“I wanted to be with the Top Rank team, and here I am,” said Vargas, who became a promotional free agent recently when his agreement with Mayweather Promotions expired.

“Jessie Vargas is a top-10 welterweight who not only wants to win a world championship but is looking to be a star in the sport,” Dunkin said. “I talked to several people about signing him, but when it was all said and done, these guys [Top Rank] gave him a really good deal — financially and with the opportunities.”

“I think Jessie is still in the learning process, but he showed me a lot of willpower in a really tough fight with Lopez where I thought he pulled out the fight in the last two rounds,” Goodman said. “What impressed me the most was when he fought on ‘ShoBox’ and he easily beat a really rough, tough guy like Lanardo Tyner. He was a young kid fighting a man.

“Slowly and gradually, we’ll groom him until we think he’s ready to fight for a title. He’s just going to get better.”

“Everyone at Top Rank is very excited about Jessie,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said

“I am planning to be very busy, fighting three, four times a year,” Vargas said.

Quotes taken from espn.com

Carlos Molina remained undefeated by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Marcos Jimenez in a Lightweight bout out at the Mcallen Convention Center in Mcallen, Texas.

Molina was very workmanlike in pounding out the victory to the tune of 99-91 on all cards.

Molina, 135 lbs of Norwalk, CA is 17-0-1. Jimenez, 135 lbs of San Juan, PR is 18-4.

Victor Sanchez survived a first round knockdown to comeback and upset previously undefeated Jerry Guevara in a six round Jr. Featherweight bout.

Guevara dropped Sanchez in round one and it looked like he would be on his way to his eighth straight victory. Sanchez turned the tide and battered Sanchez at the end of round four and dropped him in round’s five and six.

Sanchez, 121 3/4 lbs of Houston, TX won by scores of 57-53, 56-54 and 56-54 and is now 3-3-1. Guevara, 121 3/4 lbs of Brownsville, TX is now 7-1.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. retained the WBC Middleweight title with a grueling seventh round stoppage over Irishman Andy Lee at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

Lee boxed well as he featured a solid right hook that Chavez tried to match with his patented body assault. It took Chavez a few rounds to figure Lee out but when he did he started the thudding body assault. The action was fought at an intense level with body giving their all.

In round seven, Chavez landed a huge right hook that spun the face of Lee and visibly hurt the Challenger. Chavez jumped on his prey and landed a four more huge shots that put Lee in a defenseless mode and referee Laurence Cole stopped the bout at 2:21 of round seven.

Chavez, 159 lbs of Culican, Mexican will now look for a fall date with lineal champion Sergio Martinez with a record of 46-0-1 with thirty-two knockouts. Lee, 159 1/4 lbs is now 28-2.

UNDERCARD REPORT WRITTEN BY BART BARRY

EL PASO, Texas – For its residents, this is “America’s Safest City” – as a promotional note read on the canvas – but it was something considerably less than that for the unfortunate man situated across from Oklahoma City welterweight Alex Saucedo in Saturday’s final off-television match from UTEP’s Sun Bowl Stadium.

That unfortunate man’s name was James Harrison (1-1-1, 1 KO), and after landing a few seeing-eye overhand rights in the fight’s opening, he was systematically brutalized by Saucedo (4-0, 3 KOs), who appears to posses power in both hands but, somewhat uncharacteristically for a Mexican fighter – Saucedo is from Chihuahua, originally – is particularly fond of throwing right crosses. Saucedo prevailed by three unanimous scores of 40-36.

Despite being overmatched in both power and class, though, Harrison fought back gamely and made Saucedo’s fourth career victory his hardest-fought yet, whacking the young prospect with more right hands than expected.

MIGUEL ANGEL VAZQUEZ VS. DANIEL ATTAH
It was another aesthetically tepid but otherwise successful outing for Mexican lightweight Miguel Angel Vazquez (31-3, 13 KOs) in the penultimate off-television match of Saturday’s nine-fight card. Keeping light-hitting but well-chinned Nigerian Daniel Attah (26-11-1-1, 9 KOs) on the end of his jab, measuring him then blasting him with right jabs, Vazquez won an all three scorecards by the wide margins of 100-90.

ADAM LOPEZ VS. RAUL CARILLO
Trying to meet the hype that preceded him into the pros, by way of an impressive amateur career, San Antonio bantamweight Adam Lopez (3-0, 1 KO) made his way through another hard four-round affair, Saturday, ultimately prevailing over local opponent Raul Carillo (1-6, 1 KO) by unanimous-decision scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37.

Lopez, who was knocked down in his last fight, continues to collect more punishment, from designated-opponent types, than a highly touted prospect should. Lopez is loading-up on both left hooks and right-cross leads and expecting to blow through the overmatched men in front of him, but he is getting tagged often by men who, after tasting his power, appear to forget they were brought in to lose.

UNDERCARD

Casey Ramos (16-0, 5 KOs) of Austin stopped Fort Worth super featherweight Arthur Trevino (7-8-3, 4 KOs) at 1:14 of round 5.

Local middleweight favorite Abie “El Koreano Mexicano (Mexican Korean)” Han (17-0, 11 KOs) brought the Sun Bowl Stadium crowd to its feet with a fourth-round knockout of New Mexico’ Joseph Gomez (18-6-1, 8 KOs).

Guadalajara’s Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. (12-0-2, 7 KOs) went directly through fellow Mexican super flyweight Leopoldo Gonzalez (12-7-1, 7 KOs), stopping him in one round.

In the evening’s opening match, Connecticut super bantamweight Tremaine Williams (2-0, 2 KOs) blitzed and stopped San Antonian Theo Johnson (0-2) in three rounds.

Opening bell rang on a hot and sunny Sun Bowl Stadium at 5:33 PM local time.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Former Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik will be back in action on July 7th against New Yorker Will Rosinsky in about that will be televised on HBO according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The bout became feasible after Brandon Rios had to pullout of his Jr. Welterweight bout with Mauricio Herrera due to an arm injury.

The card will be headlined by Nonito Donaire’s Super Bantamweight unification bout with Jeffrey Mathebula.

“We talked about various fights, and it just occurred to me,” said Rosinsky’s promoter Lou DiBella. “(Top Rank’s) Carl (Moretti) knew Rosinsky and said, ‘Helluva fight, let’s do it.’ I think we have a great chance to win. Rosinsky is hungry and fresh and a tremendous action fighter. What I like about the fight is they are both action fighters.”

“He’s been aching for an opportunity and now he has this and he is thrilled,” DiBella said of Rosinsky. “He believes he will go out there and win. And if he doesn’t he will have given it everything he has trying.”

“I think because of Pavlik’s performance on ESPN, the rating that was generated, the interest in the super middleweight division and Kelly’s willingness to come right back combined with Rosinsky winning his second in a row since the decision to Edwin Rodriguez, it was just a natural step for everybody,” Moretti said. “I think Kelly gets tested.”

“We’re ready to go,” said Pavlik’s manager Cameron Dunkin, who also manages Rios. “Rosinsky is a tough guy, was great amateur and he’s a big guy who makes good fights. He and Kelly just fought, so they’re both in shape. I feel bad for Brandon, but I feel good for Kelly.

“It’s a fight we didn’t plan on but this gives us a bigger fight now instead of waiting for another fight until September. Kelly was very excited about it and jumped all over it. He said, ‘I’m ready to go.’

“Kelly said he would get a flight and go right back. Love the attitude,” Dunkin said. “Kelly and Mike [his father] were like, ‘Let’s go.’ I like that Kelly got home and was willing to go right back to Robert in Oxnard. This whole thing is very positive.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Featherweight champion Orlando Salido will move up to Super Featherweight to take on Oscar Bravo on July 28th in Ciudad, Mexico

NEWARK, NJ–Tomasz Adamek scored a closer then the scores unanimous decision over Eddie Chambers in a a twelve round Heavyweight bout the featured recent world title challengers at the Prudential center.

It was a close fight that saw Chambers handicapped in the first round when he injured his left bicep. Chambers was forced to become a one handed fighter as he would pivot on his feet in order to throw jabs from a modified southpaw stance. Despite the disadvantage Chambers was able to get through with overhand rights as Adamek did not react well to the speed of Chambers.

Adamek got things rolling in the middle rounds as it was his pressure and volume to the tune of 919 to 462 punches thrown that caught the judges eyes yet Chambers out landed his foe 152-134.

A lot of the rounds were close but the judges chose the activity of Adamek over the accuracy of Chambers.

Adamek, 225 lbs of Gilowice, Poland won by scores of 116-112 on two card while a third card read an outlandish 119-109 tally. Adamek is now 46-2. Chambers, 202 lbs of Philadelphia is now 36-3.

Bryant Jennings remained undefeated and captured the USBA Heavyweight Title with a ten round unanimous decision over Steve Collins.

Jennings took a couple of rounds before opening up in round three. Jennings dropped Collins in round four from a combination that was started by an uppercut that ultimately pushed Collins into the ropes and the eight count was rendered. Over the next couple of rounds, Jennings landed some hard combinations and Collins showed a sturdy chin. Jennings continued to work the body and head with sots with both hands. Jennings rocked Collins at the end of round nine and cruised home with victory via 100-89 scores on each card.

Jennings,225 lbs of Philadelphia is 14-0. Collins, 244 lbs of Houston, TX is 25-2.

Jamaal Davis boxed his way to a eight round unanimous decision over hard punching Doel Carrasquillo in a Jr, Middleweight bout.

Davis, 154 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia won by scores of 79-73, 78-74 & 78-74and is now 14-8-1. Carrasquillo, 155 1/2 lbs of Lancaster,PA is now 16-20-1.

John Thompson remained perfect by boxing his way to a six round unanimous decision over John Mackey in a Middleweight bout.

Thompson used his decisive speed to pound out the decision by scores of 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56.

Thompson, 155 1/2 lbs of Newark is now 9-0. Mackey, 155 1/2 lbs of Washington, DC is 13-7-1.

Patrick Farrell dropped David Williams in round two and cruised home to afour round unanimous decision in a Heavyweight bout.

Farrell won by scores of 40-35, 40-35 and 39-36 and is now 7-1-1. Williams is 6-6-1.

Jose Mangu Peralta stopped Dontre King at 2:28 of round four of their scheduled six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Peralta dropped King in round’s three and four. Peralts, 140 lbs of Jersey City, NJ is 9-1 with five knockouts. King, 142 lbs of Cambridge, MD is now 6-11-2.

Former Olympian Taureano Johnson scored a six round unanimous decision over Roberto Yong in a Middleweight bout.

Johnson landed the harder blows which included several clipping over hand rights. Yong was game as he tried to fight back and did OK in spurts but it was the volume shots of Johnson that was the difference.

Johnson, 161 1/2 lbs of Nassau, Bahamas won by scores of 58-56 on all cards and is now 9-0. Yong, 162 lbs of Sacramento, CA is now 5-5-1.

EL PASO, Texas – In what may well prove to be the weekend’s largest upset, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. weighed a quarter pound less than Andy Lee, Friday, and did so on-time and looking good.

Inside the historic Plaza Theatre – originally opened in 1930 – made available for the early afternoon weigh-in because of overwhelming local interest and temperatures, Lee preceded Chavez to center stage and marked 159 1/4 pounds on a medical scale featured prominently. Then came Chavez, bearded and smiling, who strolled towards the scale with none of the apprehension he showed a similar arrangement in February.

Before a successful defense of his WBC middleweight title at Alamodome in San Antonio, Chavez was nearly 30 minutes late to the weighin and arrived with a drawn face and soaked in perspiration. He then required that a sheet be held beneath the scale, for decency’s sake, removed all his clothing and came in a half pound under the limit, before slumping on a chair and taking a prolonged pull of sportsdrink.

Friday brought no such suspense. Chavez took the scale at 1:05 PM and made 159, with his best physique yet. His skin was papery, and his musculature was improved too. Chavez is favored both to beat and outweigh Lee, Saturday, at Sun Bowl Stadium on the campus of UTEP.

15rounds.com will have full undercard coverage from ringside.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Former Lightweight champion Brandon Rios had to withdraw from his July 7 Jr. Welterweight fight with Mauricio Herrera according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“He was sparring and he threw a right hand and it got blocked and he heard something pop in his elbow area,” said Rios’ manager Cameron Dunkin.

Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. will take on Rafael Marquez in a battle of former world champions on August 4th in Puerto Rico according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It’s all set,” PR Best Boxing Promotions’ Peter Rivera said Thursday. “[They will meet] in another war between Puerto Rico and Mexico. Next week, we will have Marquez in Puerto Rico for a press conference and officially present the fight with the boxers.”

“I think that the winner opens himself up for a significant fight at 122 pounds,” said Carl Moretti of Top Rank, which is involved with both fighters

Pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather’s request for an early release from prison was denied by judge Melissa Saragosa.

“While the physical training areas and times provided to (Mayweather) may not be consistent with his prior regimen, he is indeed provided sufficient space and time for physical activity if he so chooses,” Saragosa wrote.

A mere 10 days after Mayweather turned himself in to begin his three-month sentence, his legal team filed an emergency motion Monday asking the court to put him under house arrest or move him into the general jail population — something that jail officials had avoided to protect the celebrity fighter. The motion claimed the undefeated champion might never fight again because he was getting out of shape in solitary confinement.

Mayweather’s legal team told the court this week that his personal physician, Dr. Robert Voy, visited the jail Friday and determined the fighter had lost muscle tone. Voy estimated Mayweather was consuming fewer than 800 calories a day instead of his usual 3,000 or 4,000 calories. Mayweather also wasn’t drinking enough because he wasn’t allowed bottled water and doesn’t enjoy tap water.

Prosecutor Lisa Luzaich scoffed at the complaints during a court hearing Tuesday.

“It’s jail,” Luzaich told the court. “Where did he think he was going? The Four Seasons?”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that last Saturday night’s controversial WBO Welterweight title bout that saw Timothy Bradley wrestle the title from Manny Pacquiao did 8.96 million dollars at the gate.

13,229 tickets sold.

Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, released the figures on Wednesday.

There were 2,070 unsold tickets for Pacquiao-Bradley and 925 complimentary tickets given away, according to the commission report. Also, the fight generated an additional $249,000 from 4,980 closed circuit tickets sold in Las Vegas.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

New York, NY (6/14/12) – Earlier tonight before a near capacity crowd at the Roseland Ballroom, DiBella Entertainment presented the latest installment of the Broadway Boxing series.

In the main event bout of the evening, before his army of fans, Long Island’s favorite son “Irish” Seanie Monaghan improved his record to a perfect 14-0, 9KO’s, winning the WBC Continental Americas Light Heavyweight title in the process with an eighth-round TKO over Romero Johnson.

The crowd went into an uproar as soon as the bagpipes sounded to signal Monaghan’s walk into the ring, and they didn’t let up for the entire contest. Monaghan jumped on Johnson from the opening bell, scoring with hard combinations to both the body and head. Johnson showed that he came to fight though, choosing to stand toe-to-toe with the heavy-handed Monaghan.

Monaghan, who is known for his aggressive nonstop action style, switched things midway through the fight, showing another dimension to his arsenal by boxing nicely from the outside behind a stiff jab.

Just when it looked as though Monaghan would cruise to an easy unanimous decision, a huge right hand rocked Johnson badly. Sensing his opponent was in trouble, Monaghan went in for the kill, jumping all over Johnson, landing heavy shots with both hands. Johnson showed a granite chin, refusing to go to the canvas, but there was just no stop in Monaghan as he continued to let his hands go.

With their fighter taking heavy punishment, Johnson’s corner summoned the ringside physician to call a halt to the contest. Official time of the stoppage was 2:30 of round number eight.

Super Prospect Thomas Dulorme remained perfect as he battered by scoring a stoppage after round seven of a scheduled ten round Welterweight bout over Alberto Herrera.

Dulorme was at least a few classes better then Herrera in every aspect and the fight was stopped on the advice of the ringside doctor in between round’s seven and out.

Dulorme, 146 lbs of Carolina, Puerto Rico and is now 15-0 with twelve knockouts. Herrera, 144 1/2 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 8-7-1.

Will Rosinsky was methodical in scoring an easy eight round unanimous decision over Aaron PryorJr. in a Super Middleweight bout.

Rosinsky boxed well and landed some solid right hands on the tall son of the Legend who was never able to mount any offense.

Rosinsky, 168 lbs of Ozone Park, NY won by scores of 79-73, 79-73 and 78-74 and is now 16-1. Pryor,168 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is 16-6

In what was a bloody contest, Gabriel Bracero was able to withstand the fists and head of Jermaine White to win a eight round unanimous decision in a Jr. Welterweight clash

The hadbutts started out from the first roundon as Bracero began to bleed from above his right eye from a clash of heads just moments into the bout. In between bouts with White’s head, Bracero was able to land hard shots as he featured some solid counter right hands over the first four rounds.

Bracero received six visits from the ringside physician and it with each appearance it seemed that the doctor gave Bracero a longer look as the blood continued to stream from under the left eye.

White was finally deducted a point in round four for the repeated headbutts.

Bracero was being cheered from ringside from not only he throngs of supporters but the only man to put a loss on his resume in DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley.

White was rugged and tried to press the action down the stretch but it was Bracero’s boxing ability that settled the sometimes sloppy fight down and come home with the victory

Bracero, 141 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 80-71, 79-72 and 77-74 and is now 19-1. White, 141 lbs of Las Vegas is 17-5.

Sonya Lomanakis and Tiffany Woodward battled to an entertaining six round draw in a female Heavyweight bout in what the third bout between the two ladies.

Lomanakis had success early with the left hook. Woodward started to come on in round four as she drove Lomanakis back with a flurry. The fifth and six saw toe to warfare with each getting in good shots that thrilled the fans at the Roseland Ballroom.

Each won a card at 58-56 with a third card read 57-57.

Lomanakis, 234 lbs of New York is 6-0-2. Woodward, 198 lbs of Wilson, NC is now 4-6-3

Floriano Pagliara scored a six round unanimous decision over Rynell Griffin in a Jr. Lightweight bout.

Griffin came out firing straight lefts from the southpaw stance. Pagliara got going at the end of the round and landed a nice combination. Pagliara continued to put his punches together until he really opened up in round five here his shots bloodied the nose of Griffin. In round six, Pagliara trapped Griffin in the corner and landed a big combination that had referee Harvey Dock standing close for a possible stoppage. Griffin survived that and even tried a late rally but it was too little as Pagliara got the decision by scores of 59-55 on all cards.

Pagliara, 132 lbs of Brooklyn via Italy is now 13-4-1. Griffin, 132 lbs of Las Vegas is 6-102.

Ivan Redkach destroyed Dedrick Bell in round one of their scheduled six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Redkach dropped bell from a flurry in the corner then dropped him a second time with a crunching left hand and referee Steve Willis stopped the bout at 1:55 of round one.

Redkach, 140 lbs of Los Angeles is now 11-0 with ten knockouts. Bell 137 lbs of Memphis is now 7-15.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

The World Boxing Orginization has decided to look into the controversial fight saw Timothy Bradley be awarded a split decision over Manny Pacquiao according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, who was ringside for the fight, said his organization’s championship committee will review the fight. He said that the committee “will meet soon” and “will examine [the fight] with five recognized international judges to evaluate the video of the match and agree to what emerges.

“I want to clarify that in no way does this say we are doubting the capacity of these judges, which we consider as honest and competent judges,” Valcarcel said.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com , Newly crowned WBO Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley will be in a cast after injuring his left his left foot in his controversial title winning effort against Manny Pacquiao.

“Timmy was told to keep it elevated, put ice on it and heat on it and stay off it,” said Bradley’s manager Cameron Dunkin said. “He thinks he [twisted it by stepping] on the referee’s foot.”

“The left foot was the one we were really concerned about because it had like a dip on the top of the foot and had really bad swelling. The whole foot was bad. So we didn’t know what was wrong,” Dunkin said. “When he went to the hospital in Las Vegas after the fight, they said it’s possible he had a fracture but they didn’t see anything on the X-ray. They said, ‘There’s definitely something wrong. You need an MRI.’ ”

Dunkin said the left foot was diagnosed with “pulled ligaments in it, but nothing was snapped or too bad. But they were strained and the ligaments were badly damaged. They said he needs to be off his feet for eight weeks. He’ll be in a wheelchair and eventually he’ll get crutches and his right foot will be OK, and he can hobble around while his left foot is in a cast.”

“He said the mat sunk about 3 inches, that it was really soft and hard to move around,” Dunkin said. “He thought maybe that was part of the problem he had with his feet. He’ll be in the cast for eight weeks and then have his [left] foot re-examined. He’s on anti-inflammatories. For him not to get knocked down by Pacquiao when he has no feet, that shows you the kind of fighter he is. Now we just want him to rest and heal properly.”

“I would like to thank all my friends, family, and supporters,” he said. “I finally had a chance to watch the fight [Monday] night and after watching it I felt just like I did the night of the fight. I won the fight! Pacquiao is a great man and great fighter. He will have a chance to get his title back. I will be able to get a more definitive win.”

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Victor Ortiz has been tabbed to take on WBC Super Welterweight champion Saul Alvarez provided he wins his June 23rd fight with Josesito Lopez.

“These are two young fighters in the prime of their careers fighting each other,” Said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said of the match.

Should Ortiz lose or be unavailable for the September 15 bout, Schaefer has an unknown Plan B.

“We have contingency plans in place, which we have worked out with Showtime, because you never know what will happen,” Schaefer said. “Of course, Josesito Lopez would be part of those contingency plans.”

Golden Boy Owner Oscar De la Hoya Said: “This fight June 23 does concern me because Josesito Lopez is no walk in the park. It’s a huge opportunity for him and it puts more pressure on Victor Ortiz to go out there and prove he deserves to be in the same ring with Canelo Alvarez. This June 23 fight is very important and people are expecting a very difficult and tough fight at the Staples Center.”

“Victor is the kind of guy who wants to fight everyone,” Schaefer said. “He mentioned to us that he wanted to fight Canelo. That was always something on his mind and when the opportunity presented itself he jumped on it and he knows he needs to win (on June 23). Josesito Lopez also knows what’s at stake.”

“Canelo Alvarez is one of the most entertaining and charismatic fighters in the sport and there’s nobody better to headline the card on Mexican Independence Day,” Said Showtime Sports CEO Steven Espinoza. “Canelo is one of the biggest superstars in Mexico and we have full confidence he will develop into one in the United States.”

“That is the kind of relationship we look forward to developing with Canelo,” Espinoza said.

“After this weekend, we wanted to put together a fight card where we can leave the judges at home,” Schaefer said. “‘Knockout Kings’ is the perfect title. Every fight we put on TV, even off TV, there should be no judges needed.”

“Sept. 15 (I hope) you can leave you’re scorecards at home. (I hope) you won’t need them,” said Schaefer, adding that the card would also be available in movie theaters around the country like most of his company’s major pay-per-view cards.

LAS VEGAS –Things did not go according to plan for Manny Pacquiao. He was more aggressive than he had been in years. He threw with abandon, luring his opponent into maniacal exchanges. He fatigued only slightly down the homestretch. And he lost for the first time since 2005.

In an enormous upset whose scorecards will remain hotly debated, Californian Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley (29-0, 12 KOs) decisioned the Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) by scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 113-115, Saturday at MGM Grand, to become recognized as the world’s best welterweight.

The 15rounds.com ringside scorecard concurred, marking 116-115 for Bradley – scoring rounds 1, 5 and 8 even.

While there were almost no rounds that one fighter won clearly on a neutral card – and only five rounds, of 12, were scored unanimously on the official cards – a number of patterns emerged early that appeared destined to favor Pacquiao. Las Vegas judges, long known to reward activity over effectiveness, were expected to see all close rounds for Pacquiao, who was nothing if not the more active fighter.

But Bradley, throughout the fight, landed the cleaner, and usually harder, punches. Most of the Pacquiao punches that brought feral howls from the partisan-Pacquiao crowd were grazing, at best, and clean misses at worst. Neither fighter was dominant. Either fighter might have won all but the final round, and that round, with the fight on the line, was Bradley’s, unanimously.

JORGE ARCE VS. JESUS ROJAS
The match intended to save Saturday’s undercard began well, with a knockdown in the first round, but ended in profound disappointment and ultimately a no-decision caused by an unintentional foul.

Mexican Jorge Arce (60-6-2, 46 KOs) versus Puerto Rican Jesus Rojas (18-1-1, 13 Kos), a 10-round featherweight scrap that started with Arce dropping Rojas in the opening minute, ended at 0:09 of round 2, when Rojas, lunging-in and trapped under Arce’s elbow, threw what became a low blow, and followed it with a crisp right hand behind the left ear of Arce’s turned head.

Arce went straight down, later citing disequilibrium, and remained on the mat for the entirety of what five minutes referee Kenny Bayless allotted for his recovery. The match was declared a no-decision when Arce was unable to continue. Both fighters expressed interest in a rematch afterwards.

MIKE JONES VS. RANDALL BAILEY
Mike Jones came to Las Vegas wearing the IBF welterweight belt and hoping to change people’s minds about what many considered a dull style. He took care of the dull part. But he’ll be going home without his belt.

In Saturday’s most dramatic knockout, Floridian Randall “The Knock-Out King” Bailey (43-7, 37 KOs) stopped Philadelphia’s Jones (26-1, 19 KOs) at 2:52 of round 11.

Jones began the fight in a fashion so timid that boos rained down from the half-full Garden Arena before the bell to end the first round h’d had a chance to clang. Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 saw more of the same, as neither Jones nor a man who calls himself “Knock-Out King” engaged one another in even a moment of sustained combat.

In round 6, having landed nary a telling blow between them, Jones and Bailey began to feint at each other – and react to one another’s feints – as though hard punches were somehow on the way. Finally, in round 9, Jones landed a balance-shot right hand that made Bailey appear to stumble, but rather than press his advantage, Jones quickly retreated, hands high, to ensure he didn’t get caught with any of the punches Bailey had not thrown for 26 minutes.

Everything changed at the end of round 10, though, when a perfectly leveraged right cross from Bailey stretched Jones on the blue mat. Jones leaped to his feet in time for the bell to ring and end the round and then came out moving tentatively in the 11th. But it took the “Knock-Out King” only 2 1/2 minutes to find him again, this time with a counter right uppercut that sent Jones, splayed and ruined, to the canvas.

Referee Tony weeks began a 10-count over Jones’ writhing, rising, falling and rolling body but soon saw the futility of it and waved the match off at 2:52 of round 11.

“I just put it in God’s hands,” Bailey said afterwards, choking on tears of joy, “and did what I had to do.”

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX VS. TEON KENNEDY
Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux appears to have every tool except fan-friendliness, and that’s nothing a few knockouts can’t cure.

Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KOs) took apart Philadelphian Teon Kennedy (17-2-2, 7 KOs) in the first fight of Saturday’s “Pacquiao-Bradley” pay-per-view telecast, dropping him several times with a left cross thrown from his southpaw stance, and eventually causing referee Russell Mora to wave an end to the WBA title match at 1:11 of round 5.

If Rigondeaux can continue blitzing good, if light-hitting, challengers like Kennedy, the Cuban may soon see his following get on track with his evident talent.

UNDERCARD
Doing his best to entertain what Filipino fight fans gathered hours before their hero’s arrival, General Santos City’s Ernie Sanchez (13-3, 5 KOs) decisioned Minnesota featherweight Wilton Hilario (12-3-1, 9 KOs) by scores of 78-74, 78-74 and 79-73. The fight was a lackluster affair that saw uneven contact and bursts of activity from Sanchez followed by long stretches of neither guy chancing anything.

Before that, undefeated Canadian welterweight Mikael Zewski (15-0, 11 KOs) turned an initially tentative affair into a decisive victory, stopping Coloradoan John Ryan Grimaldo (8-2, 5 KOs) at 0:59 of round 3.

Saturday’s second bout saw undefeated California junior welterweight Andrew Ruiz (2-0, 1 KO) stun but not stop Nevadan Taylor Larson (0-3-1) in a four-round match Ruiz won by unanimous scores of 39-36, 40-35 and 39-36.

Highly touted Top Rank prospect Jesse Hart (1-0, 1 KO), a middleweight Philadelphian, made a definitive debut in the evening’s first bout, drilling New Mexico’s Manuel Eastman (0-2) with a right cross that was followed by a few more right crosses, and brought referee Joe Cortez racing in to end Hart’s assault, at 0:33 of round 1.

Saturday’s opening bell echoed through MGM Grand Garden Arena at 3:17 PM local time.

LAS VEGAS – When Kelly Pavlik fought in March, his first time in a prizefighting ring in 23 months, the match was about seeing where he was. Friday, Pavlik was in a prizefighting ring for the second time in three months to answer the same question.

And the answer went: About the same place as before.

In the main event of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights,” broadcast from The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Pavlik (39-2, 35 KOs) put in solid work and went rounds with super middleweight Scott Sigmon (22-4, 12 KOs), a Virginia opponent who was initially afraid to punch but later proved himself possessed of a better chin, and heart, than set of fists. Ultimately, Pavlik did what was expected of him, if a little less, left-crossing and right-hooking his way to a second consecutive victory – this time a seventh-round technical knockout caused by his opponent’s profuse bleeding.

“He did a lot of good things,” Pavlik’s manager Cameron Dunkin said after the fight. “He just worked. He didn’t want to load-up.”

With little more than a timid punching bag before him in the fight’s opening round, Pavlik did initially load-up on left hook-right cross combinations – right wrist flipping back whenever he landed – and supplied a fair number of emotional moments for the Vegas fight crowd.

“I’m not heard-headed,” Pavlik said afterwards about stylistic adjustments made under new trainer Robert Garcia. “I’m learning.”

As the rounds grinded along, though, and Pavlik’s occasional left-hook leads to the body brought no decisive end to the fight, Pavlik’s mouth gradually opened, his spacing gradually worsened, and his punching power gradually lessened. Pavlik had too much of everything for Sigmon, in the end, but Pavlik did not show the same head-snapping power he once used in terrorizing the middleweight division.

“Any of the top guys,” Pavlik said about future opponents, after the fight. “As long as it’s a better guy.”

Time will tell if a better guy is what Pavlik’s career actually needs.

MIKE LEE VS. ELISEO DURAZO
Fighting before a crowd that was almost all his – a gaggle of ringside dwellers in navy blue and gold t-shirts – Chicago light heavyweight Mike Lee (9-0 5 KOs) was prepped to make a sensational statement against soft Mexican setup man Eliseo Durazo (3-3) in the opening bout of ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” program. But the statement Lee made was less than hoped for, winning by three unanimous-decision scores of 59-54, in a fight that exposed more defects in Lee’s attack than planned.

Appearing to struggle with a belly-jiggling opponent who nevertheless did not know he was there to lose by spectacular knockout, Lee committed well to his punches and defended best he was able throughout.

If Lee is destined to show himself as more than a novelty act, though, he did not bring himself any closer to doing so, Friday.

UNDERCARD
Friday’s last pre-television bout was its most entertaining, as undefeated California super middleweight Rudy Puga (3-0, 3 KOs) made a hellacious five-minute scrap with hardnosed Idahoan Tommy Turner (2-2, 1 KOs). Despite being dropped with right hands thrown from most every angle, Turner continued to rise and fight on until a Puga right uppercut violently ended his night at 2:19 of round 2.

Before that, in the card’s largest surprise, unheralded Kansas lightweight Gerardo Robles (18-10, 9 KOs) dropped Californian Roger Gonzalez (27-6, 18 KOs) in each of the first two rounds of a fight whose round count showed “8/6” on the night’s bout sheet, and sneaked his way to a majority-decision victory: 76-74, 76-74, 75-75. The match’s oddest turn came after round 6, when Robles, believing the fight had reached its conclusion, mounted the turnbuckle in triumph, only to be told he would have to fight two rounds more. Those rounds were ultimately academic, though, and Robles won an upset victory.

The evening began with a good four-round scrap between two undefeated super featherweights – Californian Saul Rodriguez (4-0, 3 KOs) and Washington’s Kevin Davila (1-1) – in a fight Rodriguez won by unanimous scores of 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37. Despite losing most rounds by narrow margins, Davila, trained by 2000 U.S. Olympic head coach Tom Mustin, caught Rodriguez with enough quality punches to make ringsiders speculate about what could happen the first time Rodriguez is matched with a heavier-handed foe.

Opening bell rang at The Joint in Hard Rock Hotel at 5:31 PM local time.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao is a heavy favorite. Heavier than ever.

Pacquiao was at 147 pounds, a career high, at the official weigh-in Friday for his welterweight fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand with a chiseled Tim Bradley, who looked bigger across the shoulders, yet was a pound lighter at 146.

It’s impossible to know whether Pacquiao’s weight was by design or just the result of a late snack.

“It just means he ate breakfast and ate lunch,’’ Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said. “That’s all it means.’’

In the never-ending rounds of gamesmanship in the hours before opening bell, however, one pound is worth tons of speculation. Perhaps, Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) intends to augment his power in an attempt to score an early stoppage of Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs). Maybe, Pacquiao is out of shape. Maybe, the white socks he wore on to the scale accounted for that pound. Before anybody calls Jenny Craig, maybe it’s all just 16 ounces of hot air.

Whatever the theory, the famed Filipino Congressman was two pounds heavier than at weigh-ins for Shane Mosley last May and Joshua Clottey in March, 2010. He was at 145 pounds both times. For Antonio Margarito in November, he was at 144.6.

“I’m happy,’’ said Pacquiao, who in his last appearance at the MGM Grand talked about “a not so happy fight” after his controversial decision over Juan Manuel Marquez last November.

Pacquiao, often enigmatic, can be hard to read before any opening bell. For those who like to interpret body language – and there are plenty of those up and down the Vegas Strip, there’s talk that Pacquiao is headed for a defeat, despite 4-to-1 betting odds that favor him over Bradley.

HBO commentator and Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward is one who expects an upset. He is picking Bradley, who will be fighting as a welterweight for only the second time in his career. Steward likes Bradley’s smarts, overall competence and ability to adjust.

“He is tough, tough, tough and, unlike a lot of guys Manny has fought, he’s his own man,’’ Steward said. “He thinks for himself.’’’

Pacquiao’s has had trouble against fighters who think and adjust from round to round. Just go back to November. In Pacquiao’s last fight, Marquez, a thinking man’s fighter, threw subtle change-ups at Pacquiao, an instinctive fighter who is at his devastating best once he is allowed to establish a rhythm. Marquez’ adjustments and counters forced Pacquiao to hesitate just long enough to keep him out of his comfort zone.

But if he’s worried, it wasn’t apparent when he flashed a friendly smile at Bradley during the stare-down in the ritual pose for the cameras after the weigh-in. Bradley wore the mask of an angry man. He urged the Pacquiao fans in the reported crowd of 4,000 to boo, please, boo some more. Bradley bounced his glistening head at Pacquiao menacingly, almost as if it will be a weapon, which is what it has been in many of his fights.

“I’m ready for war,’’ he said. “It don’t matter, these boos. I’ve been here before.’’

Truth is, however, Bradley really hasn’t. His bid to upset Pacquiao, the World Boxing Organization’s welterweight champion, is his first appearance on a major stage. His inexperience is a factor in the odds stacked against him. His inexperience also means he is a relatively anonymous. He has none of the star power possessed by Floyd Mayweather, Jr., or Miguel Cotto, or even Marquez. That might explain a somewhat subdued scene for the weigh-in. The crowd actually did the wave, which is often a sign of boredom in baseball or football. It also might explain why there were still about 1,500 tickets available late Thursday.

Doesn’t matter, Bradley said. At opening bell, only two people will count anyway, he said.

“That’s when I’m going to prove all these people wrong,’’ he said. “I’m going to shock the world, baby.’’

Pacquiao was asked why Bradley appeared to be so angry.

“I don’t know,’’ he said, almost laughing.

Then, Pacquiao pressed his hands together and looked up in an expression of his born-again faith. Bradley has called his training camp “hell,’’ as if that is where he intends to take Pacquiao throughout a scheduled 12 rounds. Pacquiao called his camp “heaven.’’ Maybe, that’s why he prayed at the weigh-in. He prays he’ll still be there late Saturday night.

Manny Pacquiao 147 -Timothy Bradley 146
(WBO Welterweight Championship)
Jorge Arce 123.5- Jesus Rojas 123.5
Mike Jones 146.5 – Randall Bailey 146
(IBF Welterweight championship)

LAS VEGAS — Antonio Margarito is retiring.

Margarito announced the decision Thursday on his Facebook page.

“After much thought and extended conversations with my family and team, we have all agreed that the time to hang up my gloves and begin a new chapter in life has arrived,’’ Margarito wrote in a nine-paragraph statement. “I always told my family and team that I would walk away from boxing when I felt I could no longer compete at the level I believed I needed to be, in order to be successful. Although the passion and drive are still there, I have to accept that my time to walk away has arrived.’’

Margarito is the third fighter to retire within the last week. Winky Wright and Shane Mosley retired on Sunday. The former welterweight champion had been considering the decision for several days. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to fight in a ceremonial farewell bout for his Mexican fans. His promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, said he heard last week that he wanted to walk away from the sport.

“He should be remembered as a real warrior, a guy who was afraid of nobody, whose athletic skills were limited, but never quit,’’ said Arum, who defended Margarito in the controversy about whether he knew his former trainer had tried to put altered wraps on his hands before a loss to Mosley in 2009. “I think he’s a great guy. I wish him luck with whatever he’s going to do.
Margarito had been scheduled for a fight on July 20 at Casino Del Sol in Tucson against Abel Perry of Colorado Springs in his first bout since a 10th-round TKO loss in December to Miguel Cotto, who left Margarito’s surgically-repaired right eye badly bloodied and swollen during a dramatic rematch at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The bout against Perry, which Margarito saw as a potential step toward a middleweight fight with fellow Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., had been postponed from May 26 to July 7 and then July 20 because of a reported injury to an Achilles tendon that Margarito sustained while training in Tijuana, his hometown.

There were also fears that his problematic right eye might sustain further damage, especially against Chavez, a 160-pound champion who reportedly has been as heavy as 180 pounds at opening bell for his last few fights. That could have given Chavez a powerful advantage of at least 20 pounds against Margarito, who has fought at 154 since 2008.

Margarito underwent surgery to correct the vision after the orbital bone was fractured in his 2010 loss to Pacquiao. But scarred skin surrounding the eye was vulnerable to further cuts, said his manager Sergio Diaz. In the Cotto rematch, those cuts led to a stoppage that Margarito and Diaz believed was premature.

Questions about the condition of the eye led to doubts about whether the New York State Athletic Commission would license him for Cotto. It finally did on Nov. 22, 12 days before the fight.

Margarito underwent surgery to correct the vision after the Pacquiao loss, but scarred skin surrounding the eye was vulnerable to further cuts. Those cuts led to the stoppage against Cotto. Arum had his family opthamologist do the surgery to correct any problems in the eye itself.

“The eye is 100 percent,’’ Arum said in a media room for the Pacquiao-Tim Bradley fight Saturday at the MGM Grand.

There was speculation that Margarito was considering retirement on May 26 when he accompanied his brother-in-law, Hanzel Martinez, to Tucson for a victory over Felipe Rivas for a minor bantamweight title, also at Casino Del Sol. Margarito did not make himself available for comment. His former trainer Robert Garcia, who was in Martinez’ corner, said he had spoken to Margarito, but had not been working with him. Garcia then hinted that retirement was a possibility. He said that “Margarito had a lot to think about.’’

Margarito earned about $22 million over a 46 fights (38-8, 27 KOs). His career as a tough, stubborn brawler took a controversial turn in January 2009 when altered hand wraps were found before losing to Mosley at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The California State Athletic Commission banned his trainer, Javier Capetillo, and revoked his license.

Margarito, re-licensed in Texas for the Pacquiao fight at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, has always said he didn’t know that Capetillo tried to tape his hands with the wraps – which reportedly included plaster-like inserts. There was never any evidence of altered wraps in any bout before they were discovered by Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson. Nevertheless, it was suspected that Margarito used altered wraps in his 2008 upset of Cotto, who got his revenge in the rematch.

“I’ve always strongly believed in his innocence,’’ Arum said. “So, I’m happy that I helped make him financially secure with the Pacquiao fight and then the Cotto fight. We feel like we did our responsibility for Margarito. ‘’

ShowDown Promotions still plans to stage a card at Casino Del Sol in late July, possibly with Top Rank junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. of Phoenix. If not July 20, the card might be scheduled for July 27.

LAS VEGAS – Born-again Manny Pacquiao has been more of a diplomat than a preacher for the last few days. He played the peacemaker Wednesday in an attempt to ensure a unified front instead of civil strife in his corner Saturday night against Tim Bradley at the MGM Grand.

After a formal news conference, Pacquiao planned to talk with trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza about their differences and how to get beyond them, at least for one night. It appeared that Ariza had been banished by Roach, who said Saturday on HBO’s 24/7 that he wouldn’t be in the corner. A few days after Roach’s comments signaled a significant shuffle and perhaps turmoil, Ariza was back.

“Manny’s call,’’ Roach said.

Pacquiao, who confirmed that it was his decision, made it clear that there won’t be any confusion. If you want democracy, go to a voting booth. In this corner, Pacquiao will listen to only one voice.

“Freddy’s,’’ he said.

Roach repeated his criticism of Ariza, who was seated on the stage for Wednesday’s news conference. The outspoken Ariza left Pacquiao’s training camp in the Philippines a few weeks ago to work with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who is in training for Andy Lee in El Paso, Tex.

“I thought it was a bad choice,’’ Roach said.

Another trainer was hired, Filipino Marvin Somodio, who was introduced Wednesday as Ariza’s assistant.

Pacquiao’s corner includes another subplot, also involving Ariza. Miguel Diaz will work as the cut man. Diaz and Ariza exchanged insults during a post-fight news conference following Amir Khan’s victory over Marcos Maidana in December, 2010. Diaz was Maidana’s trainer. Ariza, then Khan’s conditioning coach, called Diaz a “fraud.” Ariza repeatedly mocked Diaz, a former maître ’d at a Las Vegas restaurant, by yelling “table for four.’’

For Bradley, reports of potential discord in the corner represent just another distraction for Pacquiao.

“I knew, sooner or later, it would catch up to him’’ said Bradley, who was confident and relaxed despite being a 4-to-1 underdog just days before the biggest fight in his career.

Notes, Quotes, Anecdotes
· Bradley again said he has been working hard to eliminate the head-butt from his arsenal. “I definitely want to keep my head out of the mix,’’ said Bradley, who promises to win, yet doesn’t want a victory to be tarnished by controversy.

· Top Rank promoter Bob Arum introduced Bradley manager Cameron Dunkin as “Cameron Diaz” during the news conference. “I wish he looked like Cameron Diaz,’’ Arum in a quick comeback from his own misstep.

· Bradley is a practicing vegetarian, which he says gives him strength and endurance. He said he heard about the diet from a physician. “This doctor tells me, “You know, those 300-pound gorillas don’t eat meat,’ ‘’ he said. “That’s when I decided I’m going to go vegan. I’m going to eat grass, trees, bark, whatever.’’

· Roach is scheduled for induction to the International Boxing of Fame in Canastota, N.Y. Sunday, the day after Pacquiao-Bradley. “I rented a plane,’’ said Roach, whose overnight jet to nearby Syracuse will cost him $26,000. “I’m not happy about that.’’ Roach should be able to afford it after he collects his share of Pacquiao’s guarantee, $6 million, according to contracts filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Bradley is guaranteed $5 million.

· And Pacquiao has shed at least one diversion. Basketball isn’t exactly a distraction. But Roach said he has quit playing pick-up games after training. “I asked him why he gave up basketball,’’ Roach said. “He told me, ‘After training all morning, maybe I shouldn’t play basketball.’’ Maybe without the basketball, Pacquiao won’t suffer from further cramps in his calves. The cramping bothered him in his last two fights – a controversial decision over Juan Manuel Marquez and a one-sided decision over Shane Mosley. After hearing Pacquiao’s answer, Roach said “Thanks, Manny, that’s the best answer you ever gave me.’

Photo by Chris Farina / Top rank

Sadam Ali (14-0, 8 KO’s, 147lbs) unveiled the debut of his new promotional company, Worldkid Promotions, in his backyard of Brooklyn, NY with great success. He faced off against Franklin Gonzalez (15-9, 10 KO’s, 146lbs), who is no stranger to fighting in Brooklyn against a local favorite. Ali, with his amateur pedigree as a 2008 US Olympian, took a calculated approach to this fight. He hasn’t been in the ring in nine months (His longest layoff), and was not going to give away any openings to his veteran opponent.

Despite his extremely loud and boisterous fanbase urging him, Ali took his time finding openings. Gonzalez gave him those openings with right hands in an attempt to catch the elusive Ali, but the former Olympian did not give anything away. Ali worked the body, knowing that Gonzalez’ veteran tendencies wanted Ali to waste punches upstairs.

Throughout the fight, Gonzalez would duck low in order to avoid Ali’s blows. It didn’t seem to frustrate Ali much, but it did prevent him from throwing as many punches as he probably could have. Still, it was Ali in total control of the fight, as Gonzalez’ punches came few and far between. As the bout progressed, Ali’s plan of breaking Gonzalez down was working perfectly. Finally, in the eighth round, a right hand stunned Gonzalez. Ali followed up with a combination that sent Gonzalez down. After beating the count, Gonzalez fought hard to survive, but Ali was too quick and Gonzalez’ legs were too spent. Another combination saw Gonzalez go down, and this time the referee waved it off. Ali won with a TKO at the 2:22 mark of the eighth round.

Jennifer Santiago (119lbs) made her professional debut as the co-feature of the night. She took on Mikayla Nebal (0-1, 120lbs) in an entertaining scrap scheduled for four rounds. Both fighters fought very well and were able to showcase some impressive defensive head movement. It was Santiago who had the heavier hands, though, as she was able to back Nebal up frequently with her punches. The fourth and final round saw lots of action, but the final bell rang, and it came to the scorecards. Two judges had it 40-36, while one had it 39-37, all in favor of Santiago.

Steven Gamache (2-0, 1 KO, 151lbs) put in good work against a savvier than expected Willie Bryant (0-3-1, 152lbs). Gamache took his time and stalked Bryant into the ropes, where he put in his best work. By the third round, Gamache began utilizing an uppercut that was very effective against his tiring opponent. The final scores all read 40-36 in favor of Gamache for the unanimous decision victory.

Armin Mrkanovic (2-1, 1 KO, 189lbs) dominated Daniel Pietch (180), who was making his professional debut. Mrkanovic began the fight looking sharp with his counter punches. Despite his impressive physique, Mrkanovic does not utilize any brawling tactics. Instead, he takes a calculated approach at his craft, violently taking advantage of openings made by his opponent. Pietch did not seem too shaken by Mrkanovic’s punches early on, and even tried taunting to get Mrkanovic to make a mistake. That did not work well, and by the fourth round, Pietch was exhausted and not throwing any punches. Mrkanovic began landing combinations at will, with nothing in return, and the referee was forced to call a halt to the action. Mrkanovic was credited with a TKO victory at the 1:10 point of the fourth round.

Akil Frederick-Auguste (159lbs) and Jamil Gadsden (156lbs) made their professional debuts to open up the evening’s event. A talent differential was evident right away as Fredrick-Auguste landed an early overhand right that sent Gadsden crashing onto his back. Gadsden, utterly outmatched, somehow managed to make it out of the round, but it didn’t take much longer for Fredrick-Auguste to put him away. Two more knockdowns in the second forced the referee to end the bout at the 2:26 point in the second. Fredrick-Auguste received a TKO victory.

On the heels of his rival Winky Wright retiring on Monday, former three division world champion Shane Mosley followed suit in announcing his retirement on Monday.

“Good morning everybody. Just want to thank you for showing me so much love,” Mosley tweeted. “Had a great career and loved every moment of it, win, lose or draw.”

“I’m going to leave it alone,” Mosley, 40, told ESPN.com of fighting. “I’m good. I’m going into the promotional world, I’m training my son [21-year-old amateur Shane Mosley Jr.]. It was a helluva career. I’m happy for all the great memories and all the great fighters that I fought. Now it’s time give back. I’m ready to train my son full-time now.”

“That’s life, that’s getting older,” he said. “When you get older, you see what happens. You think you can do things. You see stuff that you think you can do, that you want to do, but you just can’t do it anymore.”

“I have to credit a lot of those wins to [the late] Genaro Hernandez and Zack Padilla,” Mosley said. “They were both world champions fighters and they sparred with me every day and molded me into the fighter I was. So did my father [Jack, who also trained him for most of his career]. I owe a lot to him.

“Being recognized as pound-for-pound, especially when Roy Jones was there at that time, was an honor. To be considered in the same breath as Roy was great for me. Not many people can say they were the pound-for-pound best, but I’m one of those people.”

“I remember [then-HBO boxing chief] Lou DiBella wasn’t very happy with the Holiday fight,” Mosley said. “I was under the weather for that fight and he told me he didn’t like the fight. I told Lou if there’s anyone you feel can beat me at lightweight, put ’em in front of me because I don’t want to have the belt if I’m not the best.”

“I always wanted to knock guys out. It was a mindset that I had when I tuned pro — knock everybody out and it’s never going to a decision,” Mosley said.

“That 2000 fight with Oscar was huge for me,” Mosley said. “He gave me the opportunity when he didn’t have to and I thank him for that. Everything from there was gravy for me.”

“I have no regrets in my boxing career. Vernon was a great fighter and I was ready to fight anybody,” Mosley said. “I gave Vernon that big chance because I got that big chance against Oscar. Vernon Forrest needed the chance and I said, ‘Let me give him the opportunity.’ I did the same thing with Winky Wright, who was a lot bigger than me. But I said let’s do it. No regrets.

Mosley invoked his immediate rematch right against Forrest and while the second fight six months was more competitive, Forrest won another unanimous decision. Mosley then moved up to junior middleweight and, in his second fight in the division, challenged champion De La Hoya in a big-money rematch. Mosley won a controversial decision and two title belts, although it came to light later that he testified before a grand jury that he had used BALCO mastermind Victor Conte’s undetectable steroids “the clear” and “the cream” during his training.

Mosley has said all along that he was unaware that what he took was illegal and that it was given to him by former conditioning coach Darryl Hudson.

“I wasn’t aware that it was ‘the clear’ or ‘the cream’ or other such craziness,” Mosley said. “If I knew it was illegal I wouldn’t have taken it. I’ve always lived my life clean. That whole situation made me upset and still has me upset to this day.

“I’m still upset with the people I had around me that led me into that. I was always a clean boxer. Never tested positive for anything. For them not to protect me — Darryl Hudson — it sickened me. In 2003, he put a blemish on me. He led me to something that wasn’t good. It wasn’t like I asked for it. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t need it.”

“Margarito was pretty big, especially with all the things going on in my life at the time,” Mosley said. “It was a big victory to be able to go out there and dominate and then knock him out.”

“My son is getting older. He’s 21 and after I fought ‘Canelo,’ I thought about that he was 21 and I thought I should spent more time training my son, getting the new generation ready,” said Mosley, who said he will also spend time trying to get his Sugar Shane Promotions off the ground.

“I hope they remember me as a great fighter, a great person and somebody that cares about boxing,” Mosley said. “I hope they remember that I loved to fight. It’s been fun.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, former Jr.Middleweight champion Winky Wright has retired following his ten round unanimous decision defeat to undefeated Middleweight Peter Quillin lasts Saturday in Carson, California.

“I’m gonna call it a day. I’m gonna chill out and play golf and live life,” the 40-year-old Wright told ESPN.com.

“I figured I’m 40 and if I can’t be champion again, I don’t want to do it anymore,” Wright said. “I’m not here just fighting to be fighting. Boxing is supposed to be fun and if it ain’t fun anymore I don’t need to do it so I am done for good. I had fun. I fought a good fight [against Quillin], I didn’t get hurt, I was in shape. My timing was off but I take nothing away from Quillin. He fought a good fight. He was strong. So I’m going to go ahead and get out of the game.

“I accomplished a lot. I want to be true to my fans. I don’t want to be fighting just to be fighting. I don’t need that. I got money, but if I can’t be champion again, I’ll do something else. I’m retiring from the ring. The ring didn’t retire me. If I wanted just to fight I would have come back with an easier fight. I always wanted to challenge myself which is why I took a tough fight like I did.”

“Being in fights on the road helped me to know I could fight anywhere against anyone, no matter what,” he said. “That overseas thing worked out great for me. I got a lot of European fans. If I wanted to, I could still fight. A lot of people have wanted me to come back over there to fight.”

Wright became a regular on HBO and then moved up to middleweight. Felix “Tito” Trinidad, one of boxing’s biggest stars, had ended a retirement by beating Ricardo Mayorga in his comeback fight. For his second fight of the comeback, Trinidad surprisingly picked Wright to fight in what was a major HBO PPV event.

“Tito had destroyed Mayorga and nobody gave me a chance. They thought he’d knock me out and we just did what we did,” Wright said.

What Wright did was put on a clinic in a virtual shutout that sent Trinidad back into retirement for nearly three years before he fought one more time against Roy Jones Jr.

“That fight with Tito was a big fight. That was No. 2 to me because it got me a lot of fans,” Wright said. “Tito was a good guy and everything worked for me in that fight. We still respect each other. Tito became good friends with me after that fight.”

“He came to my dressing room before and after the Quillin fight,” Wright said. “I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at if Shane didn’t give me a shot. So I thank him a lot for that. Before that nobody would fight me, nobody with a name would fight me, so I owe a lot to Shane.”

“I’m glad people know me and respect my accomplishments. It was a great career,” he said. “I always tried to carry myself like a champion and respect people.”

“I got my man, Jim Wilkes, my friend and my attorney who I do some business with. We’ll make sure my money is right and I’ll enjoy my life. I think I had a great career. I love my fans, I love how they stayed behind me no matter if the boxing world wasn’t behind me. They were behind me.

“That motivated me to want to beat everybody and become undisputed champion. But there is life after boxing. So you’ll see me around. You’ll still me at ringside. You’ll see me in Las Vegas. I can relax and watch all the young kids come up and do what they need to do.”

Beibut Shumenov scored a lopsided unanimous decision over Enrique Ornelas to retain the WBA Light Heavyweight bout at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas.

Shumenov was aggressive from the outset as he threw punches in volume and just about every round looked the same as Ornelas was clearly outclassed.

Shumenov won by scores of 120-108 on all cards and is now 13-1. Ornelas of Guanjato, MX is now 31-8.

Joseph Elegele scored an eight round majority decision over Lanard Lane in a fight featuring once-beaten Jr. Welterweights.

It was a good back and forth battle with each man having their moments. The difference on one card with the fifth round knockdown that Elegele scored.

Elegele, 143 lbs of Melbourne, FL won by scores of 77-74, 76-75 while once card read even at 76-76 and he is now 13-1. Lane, 142 1/2 lbs of Philadelphia is now 13-2.

Daquann Arnett scored a second round knockdown en route to a four round unanimous decision over Yosmani Abreu in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Arnett, 153 lbs of Pine Hill, Orlando Florida won by scores of 40-35, 39-36 and 39-36. Abreu, 154 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is 2-3-1.

Andrew Cancio scored the biggest victory of his career by scoring a ten round unaninous decision over former multiple time world title challenger Rocky Juarez in a Jr. Lightweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Hotel and Resort in Indio, California.

The two traded knockdowns as Juarez scored a hard knockdown when he dropped Cancio with a thudding three punch combination in round two. Cancio evened up the knockdown count in round five when he sent the usually iron chinned Juarez with a combination in round five.

Cancio dominated the rest of the fight as he was more active and landed the more telling blows and cruised to the 98-89; 97-90; 97-90 decision.

Cancio, 128 lbs of Blyth, CA is now 14-1-2. Juarez, 129 lbs of Houston, TX is virtually done and is now 28-10-1.

Hugo Centeno scored a fourth round stoppage over Rahman Yusubov in round four of a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

The time was 2:29 when Centeno was rocking Yusubov on the ropes and the bout was stopped.

Centeno, 158 lbs of Oxnard, CA is now 14-0 with eight knockouts. Yusubov, 157 lbs of Dallas, TX is 8-8.

Jose Cayetano scored a fifth round stoppage over Arturo Badillo in a scheduled eight round Bantamweight bout in Tijuana, Mexico.

Cayetano dropped Badillo in the first round and then again in the fifth for which Badillo didn’t beat the ten count.

Cayetano is now 12-1 with five knockouts. Badillo is now 20-4.

Jose Zepeda scored a sixth round stoppage over Abner Lopez in the sixth and final round of their Welterweight bout.

Zepeda is now 10-o with eight knockouts. Lopez is 6-2.

Jesus Badillo remained perfect by winning a four round unanimous decision over Jorge Sillas.

Badillo is 7-0. Siillas is now 1-8.

Sergio Ortega won a four round split decision over Ezequiel Avilez in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Ortega is 5-0. Alvilez is now 3-1.

Just a day after agreeing to a September 15th world title bout with Saul Alvarez, James Kirkland has bowed According to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“It was uncomfortable and he was concerned,” said Kirkland’s manager Cameron Dunkin said. he called me and said he wasn’t going to fight. The doctor said his shoulder was healing fine but James was afraid he was going to tear it again. He felt tightness and felt he shouldn’t fight. He said it feels bad, that he couldn’t use it properly. He said, ‘I can’t train right, so I won’t be ready by Sept. 15.’

“He is sick about it. He needs the money. He’s been doing rehab on the shoulder and the doctor said he was ahead of schedule, but the doctor also said you can’t tell how fast you’re going to heal. But he was ahead of schedule and his mobility was ahead of schedule. James told me how much he wanted the fight, the opportunity and the money.

“He’s been stretching it and doing his therapy, but when he began snapping punches, he said he felt a twinge and that it didn’t feel right and that he could tell it wasn’t right. That’s not going to change in a week or two. He said, ‘I can’t train 100 percent, and for a guy like this, I have to be 100 percent.’ He knew he was rushing it.”

“You have to trust the managers and doctors when they say he is OK to go,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said. “So now, he’s not going to be ready and the last thing we want is to start a promotion if the guy is not going to be 100 percent.”

Later on Thursday, however, Kirkland’s story began to change, according to Dunkin. Dunkin said he and co-manager Michael Miller were sent an email by Austin’s Curtis Meeks, a former professional fighter and friend of Kirkland’s who was 9-1-2 with three knockouts in his 2001 to 2008 career. Dunkin said Meeks recently began serving as an adviser to Kirkland and that in the email he told them that Kirkland “would sign the contract today for $2.5 million and that he is ready to go for the right money.”

“Our answer was that James is injured,” Dunkin said. “We won’t fight him if he’s injured, and said he’s obviously not going to be ready to fight Sept. 15. His answer was that James could fight later in the year, but that it would have to be for $2.5 million. This guy is obviously telling him he is getting screwed on the money, which is not the case.

“So James is out of the fight. I can’t get him $2.5 million. That’s ridiculous. I’d love to get him that much because I get a percentage, but it’s not reality. James is a great kid but he’s getting really bad advice. And if he can’t fight, he shouldn’t fight at any price. So it’s just crazy. It’s totally insane. We told James, ‘If you’re healthy, fight. If you’re not healthy, don’t fight.’ But don’t make it about the money because the money he was getting for the fight was very, very good money.”

“So Kirkland has a new adviser who told him not to take the fight unless he gets $2.5 million. That is what I was told. It is unbelievable,” Schaefer said. “I don’t get it. That’s not how we do business. We agreed to a deal with him and he was being paid very, very well.”

“Canelo is the big Mexican superstar and he will be fighting at the MGM Grand on pay-per-view and we will be looking at other names for him to fight,” Schaefer said. “The good news is there are other names out there. It’s a deep division.”

Gabriel Rosado continued his hot streak as he scored an impressive ninth round stoppage over Sechew Powell in a Jr. Middleweight bout at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Rosado landed some solid shots early but Powell matched him by using his experience and used an educated left hand to keep him virtually even on the scorecards.

The fight changed in round eight as Rosado came out in relentless fashion as he tried to jump all over Powell and landed some hard flurries. Rosado may have briefly punched himself and let Powell get in some offense with the left hand.

That would be Powell’s last stand as Rosado came out guns a blazing in the ninth and attacked Powell with some hard shots and was awarded a knockdown. Rosado closed the show in an action packed fashion as he continued to pummel Powell on the ropes which prompted referee Steve Smoger to stop the fight at 2:43 of the ninth frame.

Rosado, 154 lbs of Philadelphia will now look for a title opportunity with a record of 20-5 with twelve knockouts. Powell, 150 3/4 lbs is now 26-5.

Ronald Cruz remained perfect by scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Prenice Brewer.

Cruz was active and landed thudding body shots throughout the fight in an effort to slow down Brewer, who was using his legs in order to create angles. Cruz trapped Brewer several times on the ropes. In round nine,Cruz landed some hard shots and Brewer, who felt the affects of the body work was moving less. Brewer had a solid round eleven as he landed some quick combinations. Both guys fought hard down the stretch with Cruz being egged on by his raucous supporters as Cruz lives just blocks from the Sans Casino in Bethlehem.

Cruz, 147 lbs of Bethlehem won by scores of 118-110 on all cards and is now 17-0. Brewer,147 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 16-2-1.

According to Dan Rafael rising heavyweight contender Seth Mitchell will not be able to compete against Jonathon Banks on July 14th due to an injured hand.

“He injured his right hand in his last fight, which was five weeks ago, but he thought the (injury) would go away,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “He went to see the doctor and the doctor said that nothing is broken but he recommended that Seth not do any sparring or have any contact for the next 6 to 8 weeks. He is scheduled to see a hand specialist next week and he will be evaluated to see if anything additional needs to be done.”

“If the doctor says the hand needs to be in splint, obviously there is not going to be a fight,” Schaefer said. “You want to make sure he takes care of the injuries and comes back when he’s ready. So I informed HBO about what is going on and we will see what the best way is to replace the fight and take it from there. We have a very good stable of fighters and we will come up with a fight worthy of an HBO ‘World Championship Boxing’ opening bout for July 14.”

“This fight was a great opportunity for Seth in his progress, but our plan remains to get him, within the next 12 months or so, a heavyweight title shot. This is a setback, but it happened. It’s disappointing for the fans, for us and certainly for Seth Mitchell. But I think it is a momentary setback and as soon as he’s cleared to fight he’ll be back on TV.”

Earlier Thursday, Sharif Salim, Mitchell’s manager, denied there was any serious issue with Mitchell’s hand when asked about it by ESPN.com.

“We’re in camp and we’re moving forward,” he said. “Seth fights through a lot of things. There are always bumps and bruises from the last fight, but we are preparing for the fight on July 14. We’re not here to talk about injuries or make excuses.”