Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that IBF Welterweight champion Andre Berto will relinquish his belt and pursue a rematch with former WBC champion Victor Ortiz.

“It’s a fight that I want more than a world championship,” Berto told ESPN.com. “I love my title, but then again, I want to give the fans what they want to see.”

Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter, told ESPN.com that Bello gave up the title begrudgingly.

“He didn’t want to and he doesn’t understand why HBO would turn down Randall Bailey as an opponent, but he also wants revenge against Ortiz,” DiBella said. “The fact is there is no American TV money to make Berto-Bailey so it couldn’t be made. We are trying to make the Ortiz rematch.”

“I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night going the other route and just skimming through,” Berto said. “Knowing who I am, and how I was brought up, and my passion for the game, that’s the route I need to go. It’s just me. I’m the type of kid that if I got in a schoolyard fight, I’m gonna see that guy and we will have to fight every day until I beat him. I know we’re going to have to scrap again.”

The report said DiBella is eyeing January 28th.

“Joe Frazier passed (Monday) night and he is remembered as a great person who fought in some of the most monumental fights,” Berto said. “He will always be remembered. I believe that’s the reason I got into the sport, by watching monumental fights. These guys have a passion for the sport and I want to continue that.

“I think that the rematch will be a tremendous fight. The first one was a fight of the year and it’s only right for me just knowing that I got into the game to be in great fights. It’s the fight everyone wants to see. We have a short time span in this game, so I every time I step in this ring I want it to be remembered, and I want people to remember me for that.”

“I definitely want it more than any other fight in my career right now,” Berto said. “I had an off night and (Ortiz) capitalized on it. It was a wake-up call for me to refocus. I’m just ready to go and lock myself in a dungeon and focus and get ready.

“Everything happens for a reason. This fight right here a second time around will be a lot bigger than the first one and a win will make me a lot bigger star. You got two fighters, Bailey and Ortiz. They are both risks, but a there’s a bigger reward to fight Ortiz, so I am ready to go.”

“My guy is coming off a title win, Ortiz is coming off a knockout loss and their first fight was terrific, so we just need to make a fair deal,” DiBella said. “It took two to make a fight of the year candidate. So I have no problem with equal footing for this fight, but I won’t be dictated to by Richard or by HBO. I’m sure when Richard and I get past the fact that we are quibbling, we can get a deal done.”

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

Former Heavyweight champion, “Smokin” Joe Frazier passed away from Liver cancer on Monday night.

Frazier was at his home in Philadelphia.

Frazier, who basically is responsible for being coined the term “Philadelphia Fighter” is best known for his trilogy with Muhammad Ali, which most sports writers and historians believe is the greatest rivalry in sports.

Frazier won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1968.

Frazier won the title when he defeated Jimmy Ellis in 1970 and defended against Bob Foster before the first of his three bouts with Ali.

In that bout, which was the most anticipated boxing match off all time, Frazier defeated Ali via 15 round decision.

Frazier defended the title two more times before being dropped six times in two rounds in losing the crown to George Foreman.

Frazier lost the second and third fights to Ali with the third fight being the famous “Thrilla in Manila”

Frazier would receive one more shot at the title as he was sopped in five to Foreman. he took a five year hiatus and fighting to a draw with Floyd Cummings in 1981.

Frazier finished his carer with a mark of 32-4-1 with twenty-seven knockouts.

In what will go down as one of the top fights of 2011, James Kirkland stopped Alfredo Angulo in round six of a scheduled twelve round Jr. Middleweight bout in Cancun, Mexico.

It started off good for Angulo as the two came out and and just threw bombs from the opening bell. Kirkland backed Angulo against the ropes but Angulo landed a short right hand that deposited Kirkland on the canvas. The only seemed to wake up Kirkland as he came back to bludgeon Angulo for the rest of the round and event scoring a knockdown with a hard accumulation of punches just before the end of the opening stanza.

It was pretty much all Kirkland for the rest of the fight but Angulo was able to land some hard shots that momentarily gave him hope but Kirkland just kept coming and coming by landing some thudding shots.

In round six, Kirkalnd backed Angulo up and landed hard shots that had the referee stop the fight.

Kirkland, 153 1/2 lbs of Austin, TX is now 29-1 with twenty-sevn knockouts. Angulo, 154 lbs of Mexico is now 20-2.

Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin threw his name into the Middleweight contender ship ring as he stopped Craig McEwan in round six of a scheduled ten round Bout.

Quillin boxed decently early until he gained control by landing some good shots in round four the reddened the eyes of McEwan. In round six, Quillin landed a big over hand right and left that hurt McEwan and the fight was suddenly stopped by the referee at 2:23 of round six.

Quillin, 159 3/4 lbs of Grand rapids, MI is now 26-0 with twenty knockouts. McEwan, 160 lbs of Edinburgh, Scotland is now 19-2

Lucian Bute was flawless in defending the IBF Super Middleweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over former Light Heavyweight king Glen Johnson at the Pepsi Colisei in Quebec City, Canada.

Bute showed why he just may the best Super Middleweight in the world as he dominated Johnson round after round with what could be the most diverse offensive arsenal in the Super Middleweight division.

Bute was consistent with everything from jabs to uppercuts. Bute kept the normally aggressive Johnson. Bute seemingly had Johnson in trouble in several rounds as he was cheered on by his massive fan base that was over 16,000.

Johnson was game but Bute has too much for the nearly forty-three year old Johnson and won by scores of 120-108; 120-108 and 119-109.

Bute, 167 1/2 lbs of Montreal, Quebac is now 30-0. Johnson, 166 1/2 lbs of Miami is now 51-16-2.

When asked if he was disappointed that he was unable to close out his seventh straight title defense via stoppage, Bute responded, “No, I’m very happy. This is a great experience. Fighting Glen Johnson is an honor for me. I needed a fight like this.”

Johnson felt the bout was closer than the statistics or the scorecards indicated. “I thought I won the fight. I don’t think he was landing anything.”

Regarding his hesitation to throw more power shots, Johnson said, “My right arm swelled up in about the fourth round so I couldn’t throw my big right hand. I basically beat him with one hand.” Johnson displayed the swelling on his upper right forearm to the SHOWTIME cameras to help support his claim.

With the looming Dec. 17 showdown between Super Six World Boxing Classic finalists Andre Ward and Carl Froch, Bute told SHOWTIME ringside reporter Jim Gray that he plans to attend the fight and predicted that Ward would win by decision. When asked if he wants to fight the tournament’s victor, Bute said, “Of course. It’s my dream.”

Pier Olivier Cote scored an emphatic second round stoppage over Jorge Teron in a scheduled twelve round Jr. Welterweight bout.

Cote rocked Teron in round one from a huge right. Cote was all over Teron only to get hit with a flush counter right that sent Cote back. Cote started round two with a perfect left right combination that sent Teron to the canvas. Teron got to his feet only to have Cote land a right to the body that was followed by a devastating left hook that plummeted a prone Teron to the canvas. Teron began squirting blood out of his nose and the fight was waved off at thirty-three seconds of round two

Cote, 140 lbs of Quebec City is now 18-0 with twelve knockouts. Teron, 139 1/4 lbs of Las Vegas is now 25-3-1.

Mariusz Wach remained perfect by scoring a sixth round stoppage over late replacement Jason Gavern in a scheduled twelve round Heavyweight bout at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

Wach dropped Gavern in round’s one and two with hard left hooks in the corner. he continued to pound Gavern until the fight was stopped with Wach landing unanswered blows on the ropes.

The time of the stoppage was 1:03 of round six.

Wach, 248 lbs of North Bergen, NJ is now 26-0 with fourteen knockouts. Gavern, 248 1/4 lbs is 21-9-4

Jose Torres knocked Patrick Majewski from the ranks of the undefeated with a sixth round stoppage in a scheduled ten round Middleweight bout.

Torres flattened Majewski with a flush left-right combinations that sent Majewski, bloodied and flat on his back.

Torres, 159 1/4 lbs of Miami is now 23-5 with twenty knockouts. Majewski, 160 lbs of Atlantic City is 17-1

Borngod Washington pulled off a mild upset when he stopped previously undefeated Rick Dawson in the final scheduled round of their four round Super Middleweight bout.

Washington, 166 lbs of Queens, NY is 3-9 with one knockout. Dawson, 168 lbs of New Haven, CT is the brother of former Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson is 4-1

Former Super Welterweight champion Sergio Mora stopped former title challenger Jose Flores after round seven of a scheduled ten round Middleweight bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, CA.

Mora battered Flores and was more aggressive then his usual counter punching style.  Mora landed hard combinations and battered Flores at the end of round seven and he did not come out for round eight.

Mora, 161 lbs of East Los Angeles, CA is now 23-2-2 with seven knockouts.  Flores, 158 3/4 lbs of Sonora, MX is now 43-12.

Hugo Centeno remined perfect by scoring a six round unanimous decision over Hector Orozco in a Jr, Middleweight bout.

Centeno, 151 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 59-55; 58-56; 58-56 and is now 10-0.  Orozco, 150 1/2 lbs of Minneapolis, MN is now 4-9.

Jose Vargas scored a six round unanimous decision over Oscar Chinchilla in a Lightweight bout.

Vargas, 131 1/2 lbs is now 7-1-2. Chinchilla, 131 lbs is 2-2

Former world champion Manny Siaca scored a ten round unanimous decision over George Rivera in a Middleweight bout.

Siaca is now 24-7. Rivera is 13-7

In an exciting slugfest, Anthony Sanchez defeated John Figueroa in a six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

The two waged war and rocked each other several times during the bout.

Sanchez is 6-1. Figueroa is 7-11-3.

In an exciting slugfest, Anthony Sanchez defeated John Figueroa in a six round Jr. Welterweight bout.

The two waged war and rocked each other several times during the bout.

Sanchez is 6-1. Figueroa is 7-11-3.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Floyd Mayweather will fight May 5th and would like to the biggest fight possible and his adviser indicated a fight with Manny Pacquiao could loom for that date.

Mayweather’s opponent has not been determined but Mayweather’s adviser Leonard Ellerbe said, “We’re looking to make the biggest fight possible and everyone knows what that fight is, the little fella.”

“Floyd made it very clear that he wants to give the fans the biggest fights that are out there. He wants to stay active,” Ellerbe said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make the biggest fight out there for the fans and we all know what the fight is.”

“We had a discussion, Floyd, me and Al,” Ellerbe said. “Floyd made it very clear to us what he wanted to do. He told us he is looking to make the biggest fight that is out there and to make it in May.”

“I’m very excited that the sport’s biggest pay-per-view star is going to be back on May 5,” Schaefer told ESPN.com. “We have informed the pay-per-view industry and I have the arena on hold. I’m excited to continue my relationship with Floyd and his team. It’s always fun to work with Floyd.”

“We have to plan any time you’re the biggest star in the sport,” Ellerbe said. “You have to plan in advance because his fights are events. In order to maximize the exposure you want to plan as far in advance as you can to make your event as big as possible. May 5, that is the date Floyd is fighting on. We have secured May 5 at the MGM. Floyd is excited to make his return.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the IBF has named Tony Thompson the mandatory challenger for champion Wladimir Klitschko after Eddie Chambers deemed himself unavailable to take on Thompson.

Chambers was due to fight Thompson on October 28th but couldn’t fight due to a back injury and when he could not fight on the proposed December 17th date, The IBF elevated Thompson to the top spot to rematch Klistchko of a fight that saw the champion stop Thompson in the 11th round in July of 2008.

“I was borderline sappy. I really felt I was going to start bawling like a baby because I wanted this opportunity so bad,” Thompson told ESPN.com on Monday.

“Knowing I wasn’t at 100 percent has been eating away at me for the past three years,” said Thompson, who fought with an injured knee that required surgery following the fight. “Now to have another opportunity at the ripe old age of 40, I will be at my best in terms of conditioning and my knowledge of the game. This means everything to me.”

“Eddie, in essence, forfeited his opportunity and felt he was wasn’t going to be prepared physically or mentally for the rescheduled date,” said Dan Goossen, who promotes Thompson and Chambers. “So the IBF obviously took the position, which we certainly agreed with, that there was a box-off to get to the final eliminator and anything other than naming Tony the mandatory wasn’t right. Tony did everything he was supposed to do, including prepare himself for Oct. 28 and begin preparing himself for Dec. 17 if Eddie was going to participate.

“We would have all preferred that the fight occurred to establish the mandatory, but it didn’t work out that way. I was one of the voices to Eddie telling him this was an opportunity that very few people get. I told him, ‘I would give it careful consideration to make sure you make the right decision.’ When things get down to it, it’s always up to the fighter. I’m not going to talk a fighter into it if the fighter doesn’t feel like he is physically or mentally ready for whatever reason. We are in very rough sport. You can get hurt when you are physically and mentally prepared to fight and the chances are even more so if you are not.”

“As down as Tony was when he heard Eddie wasn’t fighting, obviously he is excited for the chance to fight Wladimir again,” Goossen said. “He told me on the phone when he found out he was the mandatory, ‘Dan, I promise you I’m gonna knock out Wladimir Klitschko and become heavyweight champion of the world.’ I just have that belief that Tony can surprise a lot of people when that opportunity happens.

“He has eight kids and works his butt off to take care of them. He knows what hardship is and what’s in front of him. He’s gotten better and better as the years have gone on. He doesn’t like to talk about it, but he had a bad knee in the first fight and he never complained about it.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to me to make me fight a guy who didn’t have a preliminary fight (in the box-off), so I feel the IBF made a fair decision and I’m thankful,” Thompson said.

“He was always leery of the fight and the purse he was being offered when all this started, but to come this late in a training camp and then pull out I was surprised,” Thompson said. “But he called me and assured me he does have a legitimate injury. He wanted to assure me he wasn’t pulling the wool over my eyes and wanted to assure me as a buddy.

“Had he put me through another training camp and then pulled out (before the rescheduled date) that would have been worse. Now I can start preparing for Wladimir right now. Yes, I was angry I didn’t get to perform on Showtime (on Oct. 28) and bring a fight to the public, but I’m always a glass half-full guy. I am where I wanted to be — in position to fight Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight championship of the world.

Number-one ranked Super Welterweight Vanes Martirosyan scored a ten round unanimous decision over veteran Richard Gutierrez at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

Martiosyan boxed well as he used a good jab and mixed off a good arsenal of punches that never let Gutierrez into the fight.

Martirosyan, 158 1/2 lbs of Glendale, CA won by scores of 100-90;100-90 and 99-91 and is now 31-0. Gutierrez, 153 1/2 lbs of Miami, FL is now 26-8-1-1.

Casey Ramos survived a second round knockdown to score an eight round unanimous decision over Joselito Collado in a Super Featherweight bout of undefeated fighters.

Ramos was dropped with a left hook in round two and was cut around the eye. He came back to land the the better punches over the next several rounds as the two stood toe to toe in the entertaining battle.

Ramos, 130 lbs of Austin, TX won by scores of 78-74; 78-73 and 77-74 and is now 15-0. Collado, 128 3/4 lbs of Queens, NY is now 12-1.

Luis Zarazua needed just twenty-eight seconds to dispose of Jorge Flores in Zarazua’s pro debut.

The bout was a scheduled four round Featherweight bout. Zarazua caught Flores with a straight right and followed with a perfect left hook that sent Flores down. Flores got to his feet but was wobbly and the fight was waved off.

Zarazua, 125 1/2 lbs id 1-0 with one knockout. Flores, 125 lbs is 0-3

World ranked Jr. Lightweight Eloy Perez stopped Ira Terry Jr. in round six of their scheduled ten round bout in Salinas, CA

Perez dominated and began to batter Terry before the fight was stopped.

Perez, 131 lbs of Salinas, CA is now 23-0-2 with seven knockouts. Terry, 129 lbs of Memphis, TN is now 24-7

Paul Mendez scored a six round unanimous decision over Loren Myers in a six round Light Heavyweight bout.

Scores were 60-54 on all cards for Mendez, 172 lbs of Delano, CA and is now 7-2. Myers, 174 lbs of Fresno, CA is 8-14-1.

Rudy Puga Jr. dropped Jose Hurtado twice in round one and scored a first round stoppage in a scheduled four round Light Heavyweight.

The time was 1:51 of round one for Puga Jr., 170 lbs of Salinas, CA and is now 2-0 with two knockouts. Hurtado, 172 lbs is now 3-4.

Carina Moreno scored a six round unanimous decision over Sharon Gaines in a womens Flyweight bout.

Brandon Gonzales received an eight round split decision over Ossie Duran in a Middleweight bout at Ballys in Atlantic City.

It was Duran who controlled the action off of his jab that set up a variety of punches that ranged from flush overhand rights to good body work. Duran was not known a left hook artist actually landed a decent amount of those punches. Gonzales did have some solid moments in the bout but they were sandwiched in between the more consistent output of Duran.

Gonzales, 161 1/2 lbs of Sacramento, CA won by scores of 77-75 on two cards and is now 15-0-1. Duran, 161 lbs of Accra, Ghana won the third card by a 78-74 tally but is now 26-9-2.

“We expected an all-out brawl coming in,” said Gonzales. “The 10-month layoff didn’t make it any easier. Virgil (Hunter) said I had to step it up those last three rounds and that’s exactly what I did. I listened to my corner and stayed compose and let my hands go first. I think it was a great victory tonight. I hired the best trainer in boxing in Virgil Hunter. We pulled it out.”

Artemio Reyes scored an eight round unanimous decision over previous undefeated and former U.S. Olumpian Javier Molina in a Welterweight bout.

It was evident from the second round on that it was going to be a rough night for Molina as Reyes continuously beat Molina to the punch. The two waged war inside for just about the whole fight where Reyes landed some hard body shots and was diverse with his attack by landing over hand rights and solid uppercuts. Molina fought well but Reyes was more effective in this active fight.

Reyes, 146 lbs of Colton, CA won by scores of 78-74; 77-75 and 77-75 and is now 14-1. Molina, 147 lbs of Norwalk, CA is now 9-1.

Reyes’ father has been in a coma since a tragic car accident in 2008 left him in a vegetative state. “Fighting 4 Pops” is his life statement and those words are written into his trunks.

After his emotional win, Reyes said of the fight, “We trained hard, ridiculously hard. It was insane, man. I didn’t stop punching the entire time. We knew it was going to be a long fight, you know, eight rounds. It was a good fight. We trained hard.”

Alfonso Blanco remained undefeated by scoring a six round unanimous decision over LaShon Sims in a Middleweight bout at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

Blanco put his punches togeter and kept Sims on the outside. The two fighters had some nice exchanges in the final round with Blanco landing the better shots.

Blanco, 155 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, CA won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 7-0. Sims, 155 3/4 lbs of Fontana, CA is now 5-10.

Ernest Ocon remained perfect with a six round beatdown over Ricardo Malfavon in a Jr. Middleweights bout.

Ocon was very effective with body shots, especially with the right hand.

Ocone, 149 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 60-54 on all cards and is now 5-0. Malfavon, 148 1/2 lbs of Santa Ana, CA is now 1-7.

In a battle of pro debuting Jr. Lightweights, Santiago Guevara scored a for round round unanimous decision over Naphi Mohhmad.

Guevara landed the more telling blows against the tough Mohammad

Guevara, 131 lbs of Montebello, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Canadian based Middleweights David Lemieux will take on Joachim Alcine on December 10th in Montreal.

“We are finalizing the paperwork and we are supposed to have a press conference on Monday,” said Lemieux’s promoter Yvon Michel, adding that the bout will be available on pay-per-view in Quebec. “It’s not a fight that will draw 15,000, but this is a big local rivalry and we should draw around 5,000.”

“For Lemieux, he needs to prove he made a good move to change trainers,” Michel said. “He has to prove what happened against Rubio was just an accident in his career and that he has grown and learned from that. He will definitely want to show it against Alcine.”

“I let him go because I didn’t want him to fight in December,” Lemieux’s former trainer Russ Anber told ESPN.com last week following their split. “What I wanted from him was a four-month commitment to boxing. Train, get his weight down, do a lot of conditioning and then go to a training camp. We spent the last five months trying to get him to commit to training. I realized I’m banging my head against the wall. I want him to see what you need to do to be an elite middleweight, to prepare for a career, not just one fight, and we weren’t going to see eye to eye.

“We just don’t see eye to eye on the way he should be preparing for fights. Instead of him being miserable in the gym, and for my mental sanity, it’s better to go separate ways than butt heads. Marc has my blessing. He trains his fighters in my gym. So this split with David is not a hateful split or about money. It’s just we are on a different philosophical plane on what it takes to succeed in the elite world of boxing.

“Marc (Ramsay) keeps telling me everything that he asks David to do he has done with intensity and no complaint at all, that he is very dedicated and focused,” Michel said. “Maybe David and Russ, that relationship had just run its course. I know David has a lot of talent, charisma and power. He has all the tools to succeed.”

“It’s a crossroads fight, no question about it,” Said Alcine’s promoter Lou DiBella. “Lemieux is coming off the big loss and Alcine is at the stage of his career where he has to see if he can still compete. If he can pull off an upset he’s a star again in Canada and if he can’t, he can’t. It’s a fight he wanted and I was able to get him a fair purse. For the Canadian audience this is a very meaningful fight.”

Lightweight prospect Fidel Maldonado scored an eight round unanimous decision over Eric Cruz in an eight round bout in Pharr, Texas.

Scores were 77-74; 76-75 and 76-75 for Maldonado, 134 1/4 lbs of Albuquerque, NM and is now 12-0. Cruz 132 3/4 lbs of Puerto Rico is now 13-8-3.

Jorge Suarez survived a first round knockdown to comeback to win a six round unanimous decision over Larry Smith in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

Smith landed a right while Maldonado leaned in and Maldonado fell to the canvas. It was a flash knockdown as Maldonado came back to be more active over the next five rounds.

Suarez, 149 lbs of San Antonio, TX won by scores of 58-54; 57-55 and 57-55 to go to 5-0. Smith, 151 1/2 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 11-7

In a battle of pro debuting teenagers, Jose Garcia and Javier Rodriguez fought to a majority draw by scores of 39-37 Rodriguez and 38-38 on two cards

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA regular Heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin will make his first defense against Cedric Boswell on December 3rd in Finland.

Also on the card will be top contender Robert Helenius.

“Winning (a) world title was like a dream coming true for me,” said the 32-year-old Povetkin, who is trained by ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas. “Now I need to prove myself against quality contenders out there. I look forward to fighting Boswell. He is a tough opponent. But I have worked so hard to become champion there is no way I will allow him to take the belt away from me. I can promise my fans an exciting fight in Helsinki on Dec. 3.”

“This is going to be a true night of heavyweight explosions,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “Alexander Povetkin is one of the most exciting and fastest heavyweights since many years. He will prove his worth against Boswell, a world-class contender with an excellent record. This being a Heavyweight title fight, the should be plenty of Online Betting for this fight.

“On top of that, KO specialist and world-ranked No. 1 challenger Robert Helenius has set the bar very high for another massive performance after KO’ing three former champions. It is going to be a real advertisement for heavyweight boxing.”

“My entire life I have been waiting this moment,” Boswell said. “Now the big day has finally come. Povetkin is a good kid but he is a kid and he will be in trouble once we are in the ring. I have the experience and the strength to beat him. I will shock the boxing world on Dec. 3 when I take home the (belt) to America.”

In a battle of undefeated Super Middleweights, Edwin Rodriguez won a ten round unanimous decision over Will Rosinsky at the MGM Theatre at Foxwoods in Connecticut.

The two fought an up-tempo fight with both guys wailing away landing hard combinations. Rosinsky was backing Rodriguez up with combinations but Rodriguez was able to score off the back foot with some solid power shots.

Rodriguez scored the best shot of the fight when he buckled Rosinsky with a wicked left hook as he was getting baked up towards the ropes.

Somehow all three judges scored the bout 100-90 for Rodriguez, 171 lbs of Worcester, MA and he is now 20-0. Rosinsky, 171 lbs of Queens, NY deserved a lot better in terms of the scoring and is now 14-1.

Gabriel Bracero remained perfect by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Daniel Sostre in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

Bracero consistently backed Sostre up and landed hard combinations with straight shots. Sostre was game and tried to fight back but he had little success as Bracero was very solid throughout the fight.

Bracero, 140 lbs of Brooklyn, NY won by scores of 100-90; 100-90; 99-91 to remain perfect at 18-0. Sostre, 138 lbs of Vega Baja, PR is now 8-5-1

Unbeaten super lightweight prospect Ray ‘Tito’ Serrano (17-0, 8KOs) kept his unbeaten record with a tougher than expected unanimous decision win over the very tough Angel Rios (9-8, 6KOs) after ten heated rounds. Both combatants fought at close quarters, but it was Serrano’s superior technique and defense that prevailed. Rios was the aggressor, stalking his faster and mobile opponent and occasionally landed effective shots to the body. Serrano controlled the action in the early rounds by timing his jab and exploited his openings by landing swift combinations. Rios had his best round in the fourth when he landed a hard overhand right, but Serrano quickly recovered and continued to box in and out to befuddle his shorter and slower foe. Things heated up in the eighth when Rios verbally taunted Serrano and both fighters landed clean shots to the chin. Rios, knowing that he’s behind, fought with determination in the ninth, but Serrano’s technique was the factor. Both guys fought hard to the finish and Serrano held the edge in landing cleaner shots. Scores were initially announced incorrectly, but Serrano wins regardless via unanimous decision.

In a shocker, unheralded Doel Carrasquillo (16-18-1, 14KOs) upset local hero Shamone Alvarez (21-5, 12KOs) after five punishing rounds scheduled for eight in a welterweight contest. The Atlantic City native wasted no time taking it to his opponent, charging with hard shots to the body in the opening seconds, but walked into a hard left hook that dropped him for an eight count. Alvarez rose back, but on shaky legs and was hurt again with an onslaught of left overhand rights and hooks by Carrasquillo. A series of uppercut dropped Alvarez again in the second, but the veteran managed to get up and survive the round. Alvarez, who’s had many of his fights here in Atlantic City, used all of his experience to stay in to remain competitive. In rounds three and four, he was able to stick and move and appeared to be outboxing his one-dimensional foe. Every punch Carrasquillo landed seemed to matter, stunning Alvarez with every punch that found its mark. However, Carrasquillo unleashed another attack in the beginning of fifth, landing hard hooks to the head that again dropped Alvarez. The ref allowed the fight to resume, but Alvarez was hit and staggered again, prompting his corner to alert the ref to stop the fight. The official time of the stoppage was 1:16.

Union City, NJ’s Jason Escalera (12-0, 11KOs) quickly disposed of Kansas City, MO’s Mickey Scarborough (6-4, 6KOs) in two rounds. Escalera virtually landed the same right hands three times, which each punch sending his mismatched opponent to the canvas. Scarborough somehow beat the count each time, but was blasted out in the second round when he was again hit by a right hand.

Also in action, popular heavyweight Vinnie Maddalone pleased the Atlantic City crowd with an exciting first round KO over West Vrginia’s Mike Sheppard. Maddalone was quick to find his mark and hurt Sheppard with a right hand. Smelling blood, Maddalone went for the finish with a crippling left hook to the body that dropped Sheppard for a full ten count at the 1:22 mark.

Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (29-2, 21 KO’s) took out an overmatched Tyson Cobb (14-3) in round three of their scheduled eight round Heavyweight bout. Witherspoon dropped Cobb with three times in round two with hard combinations. The third knockdown came from vicious body punch at the end of the round. Witherspoon didn’t waste time as he landed a booming right that sent Cobb plummeting to the canvas as 1:07 of round three .

Photos by Ed Diller/Star Boxing

NEW YORK–Nonito Donaire always dreamed of fighting at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tonight, his dream came true when he faced Omar Navarez. Donaire sported a record of 26-1, 18 KO’s and weighed in at 116 1/4lbs, while Omar Navarez had a record of 35-0-2, 19 KO’s amd weighed in at an even 117lbs.

The fight started slow, with each fighter establishing their range. Donaire was definitely the stronger fighter in the ring, but was giving Navarez a lot of respect. Navarez did well in using his southpaw stance to his advantage. Despite Donaire being in control, neither fighter made a lasting mark in the first quarter of the fight.

Things heated up a bit in the fourth, as a combination from Donaire briefly stunned Navarez. Both fighters exchanged quick combinations after that, but it was Donaire in control. Navarez, fighting out of a defensive shell, was able to control the pace of the fifth round, seemingly frustrating Donaire. The sixth round of the fight saw the pace swing right back in Donaire’s favor with his flashy combination fighting.

Unfortunately for the fans, Navarez stopped throwing punches I’m the seventh round, making the fight very dull. Entering the tenth round, Navarez’ offense was still a no-show. In the eleventh, Navarez finally decided to throw, but it was too little too late.

In the twelfth and final round, the crowd chanted, “This is bullshit.” They were not entirely wrong, but at least Donaire tried to fight. The final scores read 120-108 on all three scorecards, giving Donaire a shutout victory.

The co-feature of the evening saw Miguel Angel Garcia (26-0, 22 KO’s, 125lbs) look to continue his unbeaten record against journeyman Juan Carlos Martinez, (18-12-1, 6 KO’s, 125lbs). Despite his less than stellar record, Martinez started the fight throwing nice combinations, but they did not seem to phase Garcia. Garcia, on the other hand, just seemwd overly patient. Occasionally, he would land a powerful right hand just as a reminder of what he is capable of. Finally, towards the end if the third, Garcia landed a picture perfect counter left hook that dropped Martinez hard. Martinez beat the count and managed to survive the round, but not before eating another left hook right before the bell. Instead of starting the fourth round strong, Garcia went back to his rigid game plan and waited for the opening. This time it was a right hand. Martinez was down again, but not out. With so much time left in the round, the end was inevitable, and another hard combination forced the referee to call the fight at 2:46 of the fourth round giving Garcia a TKO victory. Garcia is unbelievably economical with his punches.

The popular Tommy Rainone (14-4, 3 KO, 150) faced off in a tougher than expected bout against Brad Jackson (13-6-1, 7 KO’s). Rainone is a fighter that likes to fight from a distance amd work his way inside with combinations. Jackson, on the other hand, is a tangy fighter himself, but also happens to be much taller than Rainone. This combination amounted to an extremely boring fight that saw fans booing the fighters and cheerig the final bell. The scores of the bout read 60-54, 59-55, 58-56 all for Tommy Rainone, giving him a unanimous decision victory.

In a match-up scheduled for four rounds, Jonathan Gonzalez (4-0, 4 KO’s, 113 1/4 lbs) squared off against Jose Rivera (3-3-2, 113 lbs). Gonzalez’ speed was too much for Rivera. After scoring a second round knockdown, Gonzalez continued to coast through the fight despite Rivera constantly being in his chest. In the end, the scores read 60-53, 60-53, and 59-54.

The popular Sean Monaghan (9-0, 5 KO’s, 174 1/4lbs) took to the ring against Anthony Pietrantonio (7-7, 6 KO’s, 174 1/4 lbs) in a fight scheduled for six rounds. Both fighters showed early that they wanted to make a statement with their power punches. Pietrantonio learned quickly that you so not trade punches with Monaghan, a he was met with lots of leather over the course of the fight. By the fifth round, Monaghan had his opponent winded, and sensed a stoppage. A garage of power punches followed, and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight at the 2:51 mark if the fifth round, giving Monaghan a TKO win.

Michael Zewski (10-0, 6 KO’s, 148lbs) looked to keep his unbeaten record intact against Keuntray Henson (4-3, 1 KO, 147lbs). It wasn’t hard work, and Zewski looked impressive showcasing his range and smarts at such an early point in his career. Henson came out aggressive in his southpaw stance, and Zewski remained pissed behind his jab and sneaky left hook. Soon afterwards, Zewski unleashed his right hand, and Henson went down. He barely beat the count, making it up at the count of nine. Zewski went right back to work and smashed Henson with a left hook, knocking him out. The referee called the fight at 1:27 of the first round, and Zewski is credited with a spectacular TKO.

The opening bout of the night featured Long Island native, Cletus Seldon (3-0, 1 KO, 146 1/2 lbs) against Jose Segura (2-2-2, 1 KO, 146 1/4 lbs) of Miami. Seldin showcased his power early, scoring a knockdown off a right hand. Segura was able to regain his senses quickly, but Seldin’s overwhelming style dominated the rest of the fight. Segura started the second round landing some combinations, but that only caused Seldin to shift gears and turn up the pressure. A fierce combination had Segura reeling and finally down. He beat the count, but was immediately met with a powerful left that sent him right back down. The referee waved off the fight at 2:52 of the second round, giving Seldin a TKO victory.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that the WBC has overturned the decision of last Saturday night;s controversial Light Heavyweight championship where Chad Dawson shoved Bernard Hopkins to the canvas and the bout was ruled a stoppage win for contest. The Mexico based sanctioning body ruled on Thursday that the bout should never have been ruled in Dawson’s favor and the title was returned to the forty-six year old legend.

“I feel very happy. I feel that justice was done,” Hopkins told ESPN.com.

“I’m disappointed that the WBC saw fit to call it a technical draw,” Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, told ESPN.com. “I’m sure, as sure as I can be, is that the WBC will put Chad as the No. 1 mandatory again. I don’t think it was the right decision. We believe Hopkins committed the first foul by going on Chad’s back. Chad did what anyone would do and tried to get him off his back. I accept their ruling but I don’t agree with it.”

“I said all along that Bernard Hopkins did not lose that fight, there is no question about it,” said Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter. “I am happy that Bernard continues to be the light heavyweight champion of the world.”

“The head offices of the WBC sent videos, medical reports and the WBC corresponding rules to the Board of Governors, that unanimously declared a technical draw on the fight. Therefore, Bernard Hopkins is still the WBC light heavyweight champion of the world,” WBC president Jose Sulaiman wrote in the ruling.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Sulaiman and the board for looking at the tape and just for taking the time to look at the tape,” Hopkins said. “They came up with what I think is the right decision. Like me or hate me, I think most people will think it’s the right decision that they made.

“I’m a little surprised it was this soon and now I am hoping the commission in California can (have a hearing) sooner than Dec. 13. But if not, I can wait. I’m normally on the end of bad decisions, like in the Joe Calzaghe fight or the Jermain Taylor fights. It feels good to be on the right end of a decision.”

“The WBC respects and cannot intervene in the decisions of the boxing commissions where the fights happen, but it does intervene in regards of the recognition of a WBC title,” Sulaiman wrote. “We hope that the California commission will review our ruling on their next meeting in December.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. will continue his now floundering career when he takes on Max Alexander on December 10th in Atlanta.

“Roy is going to do a little tuneup fight, get back in the ring and see how he feels,” said Mcgee Wright who advises Jones. “He’s been training for the fight for about six weeks already.”

“I think Roy just doesn’t want to go out on a loss,” Wright said. “He wants to see how he feels and see if he wants to go any further. With Lebedev, he was in the fight until the last 10 seconds and Lebedev is the No. 1 contender. It ain’t like Roy can’t compete.”

“We sent him to the Mayo Clinic and he got a clean bill of health,” Wright said. “Had a full physical, everything they do, and they said he was fit to fight, perfect condition. We wanted to see if he was able to fight, or if he had anything wrong with him, and they said no.”

Wright’s view of the match for Jones is simple.

“If you can’t beat him, you need to stop,” he said.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Mexican Sensation, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will defend his WBC
Super Welterweight title against former Welterweight champion Kermit Cintron on November 26 in Mexico.

“It’s finalized. It’s a great fight, another dangerous fight for Canelo and another step up for him,” Said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.

“There is no question about it that Cintron is a very dangerous guy,” Schaefer said. “That’s what you need to do with Canelo. He’s 21 years young and this is about building up to the bigger names and bigger fights. Canelo is well on his way. I think our matchmakers, Eric (Gomez) and Roberto (Diaz), along with (Golden Boy president) Oscar (De La Hoya), who is closely involved in this, have done a very good job on the matchmaking side. To tell you the truth, I’m a little worried because Cintron is a tough, tough, tough guy and a good puncher.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that “Former” Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins has filed an appeal with the California Athletic Commission to not only over turn his controverisal second round loss to Chad Dawson past Saturday but to have Dawson disqualified for launching Hopkins to the canvas and injure his left shoulder.

“Dawson should be disqualified because that was no accident,” Hopkins said. “I think it should be a DQ because it was intentional. He intended to hurt me, period. I’m asking for a disqualification because of the intent. I leaned over because I missed a punch, that’s normal. What’s not normal is when a guy raises you up a couple of inches and throws you to the canvas, which caused me to hit my elbow, which sent a shock up to my shoulder, which caused the dislocation.

Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, Hopkins’ promoter, said he thought the result of the fight will at least be changed to a no contest pending the commission’s review.

[+] EnlargeBernard Hopkins
Stephen Dunn/Getty ImagesBernard Hopkins is seeking a disqualification win after dislocating his shoulder in a controversial loss to Chad Dawson on Saturday.

“Based on the feedback we’ve gotten from so many people it seems pretty clear that it should be overturned,” Schaefer said. “The fact is, everybody I have talked to says this was a wrong call. So that is what we are filing for, a disqualification. The fact is, lifting Bernard up by the legs is not just something that happened like a push. You lift someone up to make them lose their balance, and that is what happened here.

“That to me is flagrant, and it should be ruled as such.”

Stephen Espinoza, the attorney for Golden Boy Promotions, told ESPN.com that he filed the formal protest with the California commission on Tuesday night.

“We reviewed the appeal with Bernard and his attorney so we could forward it to the commission,” Espinoza said. “It’s an appeal letter explaining our position.”

“I’m in a sling and it’s not comfortable,” Hopkins said. “I’ve been taking the Motrin they gave me, but I’m a vitamin guy, not an aspirin guy. They’re like 500 milligram pills, but I’m only taking half at a time.

“I got to keep a pillow under my arm, so I don’t move so much when I sleep. I’ve been battling that, but I can deal with it. I can’t get my jacket on without hurting my shoulder. I got my daughter helping me get my arm in my damn jacket. I just hope when I hear the MRI results that I don’t have to go under the knife and that there is no tear or anything. Whatever it is, I just want to get started on my rehab and set up what I’m going to do next.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that IBF has ordered an immediate rematch between newly crowned champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez and former two-time champion Steve “USS” Cunningham.

The first bout, which took place on October 1st saw Hernandez take the belt in controverisal fashion as the bout was stopped after six round due to a cut suffered by Hernandez.

The cuts did not seem severe at the time of the stoppage with Cunningham coming on after digging himself in hole after being knocked down in the opening round.

“We just appreciate the IBF’s consideration of this matter and believe their ruling is the correct one,” John Hornewer, Cunningham’s attorney, told ESPN.com. “Hernandez and Cunningham should both want the chance to settle this in the ring, and a rematch is the way to do that. This is the fairest result for everybody.

“I don’t think the decision (to stop the fight) sat well with anyone. I don’t think Hernandez felt good about the way he won the title.”

“Hernandez boxed the entire fourth round with no significant bleeding from the cut that he had received in the third round. During round six there was another clash of heads that was also ruled accidental. This clash of heads produced a cut above the left eye of Hernandez. At the conclusion of the round, Dr. Wegner got on to the ring apron to examine the cut above Hernandez’s eye. At the conclusion of Dr. Wegner’s examination, he called the referee to the Hernandez corner and recommended that the fight be stopped.

“Based on the recommendation of the doctor, the referee stopped the bout and indicated that since both of the cuts that Hernandez sustained were caused by accidental fouls, a decision would be rendered based on the judges’ scores. It appeared that the bleeding from Hernandez’s cuts had been stopped. There was no blood on Hernandez’s face.”

LOS ANGELES – Chad Dawson held up his gloved hands in celebration. Bernard Hopkins held his left shoulder in pain. Fans, an endangered species, held their noses. It stinks.

Stinks all over again.

Within one month after the controversy over the when, where and motivation for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. combination that knocked out Victor Ortiz while Ortiz wasn’t looking or defending himself, boxing has to explain another pay-per-view fight that ended in boos.

Dawson was credited for a victory, although it wasn’t clear whether it would stand. Here’s why: At 2:48 of the second round of a fight for Hopkins’ World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title at Staples Center, Dawson went under a right from Hopkins and picked him up like a linebacker. Dawson dropped him on the canvas, on to his left shoulder and under a bottom rope. He got more than a sack. Instead, referee Pat Russell gave him a victory.

Russell ruled that Dawson won by technical knockout.

“It was not a foul,’’ Russell said. “It’s a TKO. He could not continue because of injury.’’

Russell could not continue either. Pat Dodd of the California State Athletic Commission ordered him to shut up.

“At this time, it’s a TKO, for now,’’ said Dye, who didn’t need an interpreter to tell everybody that this fight’s result has yet to be decided.

A frustrated Hopkins didn’t need to look at the film. His opinion was immediate.

“It should have been no contest,’’ the 46-year-old Hopkins said. “He asked me if I could continue. I said, yeah, with one arm.

“They want me to leave boxing. This is one way to do it.’’

Dawson behaved as though he hopes he never sees Hopkins again. In the crazy aftermath at the center of the ring, Dawson walked toward Hopkins corner, pointed at him and shouted insults.

“I’m sorry for the disappointment for the fans,’’ Dawson said. “B-Hop disappointed a lot of fans. He’s been running from me for three years. He likes to run around and talk like he’s a Philadelphia gangster. He’s no gangster. Gangsters don’t quit.

“He wouldn’t fight. I gave him the shoulder.’’

For fans, it was a cold shoulder. Another one.

If you want to know why it’s called blood sport, download a photo of Jorge Linares (31-2,20 KOs) after a loss to Mexican Antonio DeMarco (26-3-1, 19 KOs) for the World Boxing Council’s vacant lightweight title. Linares’ face is there, somewhere, behind all that blood. It dripped from a deep wound at the bridge of his nose and from one above his right eye. Both were suffered from blows seemingly uninterrupted from round to round. It ended, perhaps, because Linares, of Venezuela, could bleed no more. He led on all three score cards when Raul Caiz Sr. stopped it at 2:32 of the 11th round..

Philadelphia junior-welterweight Danny Garcia (22-0, 14 KOs) improved his chances at a title shot with a split decision over Kendall Holt (27-5, 15 KOs) of New York in a WBC/IBF title eliminator. Garcia employed a thorough array of punches – head to body, body to head – in winning a fight that was curious only the scorecards. “I got out-hustled,’’ said Holt, who must have been surprised to hear that one judge, Wayne Hedgepeth, had him winning, 115-113.

The card’s first televised bout included Paulie Malignaggi, who is in a battle to get back into the welterweight picture. His battle almost ended when it started. Malignaggi ((30-4, 6 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., was rocked by Mexican Orlando Lora (28-2-1, 19 KOs) in the first round. Malignaggi staggered, yet held on long enough to rally in the second and score often enough in the remaining nine rounds for a victory by unanimous decision.

In the final bout on the non-televised portion of the undercard, junior-featherweight Manuel Avila (5-0, 2 KOs) of Fairfield, Calif., scored a third-round knockdown, dropping David Reyes (2-1) of Los Angeles with a beautifully-executed left hook. Avila needed it. He won a split decision.

Dewey Bozella, wrongfully convicted of murder in 1983, won a unanimous decision over Larry Hopkins in a four-round cruiserweight bout on the Bernard Hopkins-Chad Dawson undercard.

Bozella, released from New York’s Sing-Sing Prison in 2009 after serving more than 20 years, fought for decades to pro his innocence. He needed only a couple of rounds to prove he was a fighter than Hopkins (0-4) of Houston.

“I used to lie in my cell dreaming about this,’’ Bozella said. “My dream came true.’’

The 52-year-old Bozella, who got a call from President Barack Obama and was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, looked nervous and stiff in the opening round. The quicker Hopkins rocked him with right hands. But Bozella employed the patience and determination he had acquired over his two-plus decades in prison. He walked forward, hitting Hopkins with body punches and just about anything else he could throw. Hopkins began to tire. In the fourth, he was done.

Hopkins spit out his mouthpiece five times. He was penalized point for the second time. He tried to catch it in midair as it popped out of his mouth for the first and final time. As he juggled it, Bozella rocked him with a right hand. Call it a punch for freedom.

If Nick Casal of Niagara Falls, N.Y., needed target practice, he got some in the third round of a welterweight fight, the third on the card, against Michael Anderson of Newark, N.J. Casal (22-4-1, 17 KOs) dropped Anderson (11-1-1, 9 KOs) once with a left-right combination and again with another combo before referee Ray Corona stopped it at 2:54 of the round and Anderson hanging on the ropes.

In the card’s second bout, a body shot from Mexico City junior-middleweight Freddie Hernandez put Luis Collazo, of Brooklyn, N.Y., onto one knee in the eighth round. Collazo (31-5, 16 KOs), best known for losses to Andre Berto, Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton, looked like he was praying. His prayers weren’t answered. The more aggressive, quicker Hernandez (30-3, 20 KOs) won a unanimous decision.

Middleweights Donyll Livingston and Kurtis Colvin were the warm-up act, one of eight before Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson entered the ring Saturday night for the main event at Staples Center.

Livingston’s speed, perhaps a good sign for Dawson, prevailed.

Livingston (6-0, 3 KOs), of Palmdale, Calif., started fast, staggering Colvin (6-1, 5 KOs) with right hand in the closing moments of the first round. But Colvin, of Austin, Tex., held on, recovered and rocked Livingston with some wicked uppercuts in the fourth and again in the fifth. But when he needed the speed, it was always there for Livingston, who in the end finished with six-round victory by unanimous decision.

According to TMZ.com Manny Pacquiao’s former accountants claim they’ve discovered the boxer’s BIGGEST WEAKNESS … he sucks at paying his taxes … this according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ.

The number crunchers claim they were called in to save PacMan’s ass last year … because, according to the suit, Manny’s tax issues “seriously affected [his] ability to fight.”

The accountants claim they straightened out his money problems — and even let Pacquiao borrow some cash — but Manny never paid the them back and totally ignored the bill.

Now the pencil pushers are suing for their jack — $649,016.95.

Calls to Manny’s people have not been returned.

Michael Perez remained perfect as he stopped Tyrone Harris in round two of a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout in Puerto Rico.

Perez dropped Harris three times in round two with mostly hard body combinations. The referee allowed Harris to continue but the fight was quickly stopped as Perez jumped on Harris.

Perez, 135 1/2 lbs is now 15-0-1 with nine knockouts. Harris, 136 3/4 lbs of Lansing, MI is now 24-9.

Jayson Velez remained perfect as he stopped Jonathan Arias in round five of a scheduled ten round Featherweight bout.

Velez dropped Arias from a right hand at the end of round two and then dropped him in the opening seconds of round five from a right/left/right combination and the fight was stopped twenty-three seconds into the round as Arias got to his feet.

Velez, 125 1/2 lbs of Juncos, PR is now 17-0 with thirteen knockouts. Arias, 123 1/4 lbs of Mexicali, MX is now 16-6

Angel Cruz scored a six round split decision over Juan Herrera in a Bantamweight bout.

Cruz, 117 1/2 lbs dropped Herrera in the first round and that proved to be the difference and he is now 6-1-1. Herrera is 5-4.

LOS ANGELES – Bernard Hopkins kept it light. He also kept his sunglasses on. Then again, it was Hollywood and he is the designated star for his fight Saturday night against Chad Dawson at Staples Center, just a few freeway miles from the scales Friday at Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Hopkins, always more Captain Defiance than Father Time, was at 173.4 pounds, nearly two pounds under the light-heavyweight limit. Middle-aged men are supposed to struggle with their weight. But 46-year-old Hopkins doesn’t. He has only the age and none of the middle so common to most in his generation.

Dawson (30-1, 17 KOs) has fewer years and nearly one more pound than Hopkins (52-5-2, 32 KOs). Dawson, who is 17 years younger than Hopkins, tipped the scale at 174.2 pounds. Will it matter after opening bell? Probably not. But it was good theater on a warm afternoon at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, where a Hopkins has been memorialized in wax.

Waxed, of course, is what each intends to do to the other in a bout for the World Boxing Council title that Hopkins won in rematch victory over Jean Pascal in May. Differing style have generated some worry that the HBO-televised fight could be deadly dull. Hopkins’ best chance is believed to be on the inside against the swift Dawson, who swift feet and boxing tactics could keep him on the perimeter.

“I want you to bring the best out of me,” Hopkins said to Dawson Wednesday at the formal news conference. “I am challenging Chad Dawson to try to knock me out. I want to see the best Chad Dawson.’’

The Dawson who Hopkins wants to see, however, might not be the smartest Dawson, whose youthful energy and proven endurance might be his best weapon over the scheduled 12 rounds. But the calculating Hopkins has talked other opponents into a lot of traps over the many years. Dawson doesn’t say much, so it’s hard to know if any of Hopkins words are about draw him into another one.

“I just want prove I’m the best light-heavyweight in the world,’’ Dawson said. “It was Bernard Hopkins. But now it will be me.’’

Undercard weights

Antonio DeMarco 134.4 pounds versus Jorge Linares at 134.6 for the WBC’s vacant lightweight title.

Kendall Holt 139.4 pounds versus Danny Garcia 139.4 in a junior-welterweight eliminator for the WBC/International Boxing Federation titles.

Paulie Malignaggi 147.4 pounds versus Orlando Lora 147.5 in a welterweight bout.
Dewey Bozella 190.6 pounds versus Larry Hopkins 192.5 in a cruiserweight bout.

In a surprising move inside the boxing industry, Ken Hershman who ran Showtime sports will take over just a few blocks up the road at HBO replacing Ross Greenburg.

“Richard [Plepler, HBO co-president] and I believe that Ken is a perfect fit for HBO Sports,” HBO co-president Michael Lombardo said in a statement announcing Hershman’s hiring. “He has a deep and thorough understanding of the sport of boxing and that background will be invaluable as he transitions to his role at HBO. Ken has demonstrated a capacity to think outside the box, and the combination of his experience and reputation make him the ideal executive addition to HBO’s already stellar sports department.”

“Working at Showtime was an amazing experience, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have developed countless friendships and relationships across the organization,” Hershman said in a statement. “While I am sure that I will miss them all, I am excited by the opportunity to join the team at HBO and contribute to one of television’s most dynamic companies.”

“I think Ken Hershman is a very accomplished executive,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who has done regular business with HBO for years but also has worked with Hershman on fights he delivered to Showtime. “I think he’s done a fantastic job at Showtime and I have the highest regards for him.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, WBO Super Featherweight champion Ricky Burns has vacated his title to move up to face Michael Katsidis for an interim Lightweight belt on November 5th in England.

I’m motivated by challenges and facing a top name like Michael Katsidis has really got me excited,” Burns said. “He’s been in the ring with some of the best in the business like Juan Manuel Marquez and he’s well known to the fans (in England) after his wins against (Graham) Earl and (Kevin) Mitchell.

“Katsidis comes to have a war, but so did Roman Martinez when I won the world title. Against a fighter that comes to have a fight, I put on my best performance.”

“The time is right for me to move up a division as I have been making (130 pounds) for years and it was getting more and more difficult, so when the opportunity to fight Katsidis for the (interim) title came up it was an offer I didn’t want to miss,” Burns said.

“He’s seen what Katsidis has done to Earl and Mitchell over here so he’s got to really prepare for him,” Said Frank Warren, who will promote the bout. “Katsidis, who comes in (wearing a) gladiator (costume) and fights like one too, has got a perfect record against the Brits so Ricky could cause a big upset.”

“England is like my second home now and it’s great to come back to the Wembley Arena where I had a fantastic battle with Graham Earl,” Katsidis said. “I’ve beaten the two English guys in Earl and Kevin Mitchell, so now Scotsman Ricky Burns is stepping up to fight me and I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“Ricky’s a good strong world champion at (junior lightweight), but he’s in for a whole new world against me. He’s never faced anyone like me who will be coming at him all night, constantly throwing punches.”