By George!

Five questions for Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer

June 30, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Richard Schaefer is the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who will be the lead promoter for the WBC welterweight championship bout between the champion Victor Ortiz and challenger Floyd Mayweather Jr.,... Read on

Richard Schaefer is the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who will be the lead promoter for the WBC welterweight championship bout between the champion Victor Ortiz and challenger Floyd Mayweather Jr., who will trying to win his seventh world title. The pay-per-view bout is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
	 
Q: After the loss to Marcos Miadana two years ago, Ortiz himself questioned his future in boxing. How has he bounced back from that?
	 
A: When you have that upbringing as a kid and you have to deal with what he had to deal with; the parents leaving and getting into foster care, he turned out a very good young man and he has channeled that negativity into a positive and made something out of his life. That’s a Victor Ortiz that has an unbelievable will power.
	 
Even after the Miadana loss we believed in Victor. He was 22 years young. We all makes mistakes and said stuff or did stuff we probably wouldn’t do or say today. Victor said some things and made some statements that I’m sure he regrets now. But he learned from that.
	 
Q: Do you think Victor Ortiz is ready to fight someone with the talent of Floyd Mayweather Jr.?
	 
A: When you watched that Andre Berto fight from the first second he stepped into the ring you knew he was not going to be denied. He was not going to leave that ring without the belt. Today Victor Ortiz mentally is in a better place than he ever was. He so motivated, he’s so fired up. He’s 10 years younger than Floyd. He has fought regularly, he’s a southpaw and he has unbelievable power.
	 
“Victor is ready. Victor is as ready as you can be. He’s been through the ups and downs and this is his chance. I’m really impressed with the way he’s approaching this fight. This guy’s ready and Mayweather better be ready.
	 
Q; Ortiz is a Golden Boy fighter, but you also have promoted Mayweather’s last four fights when he could have worked with any promoter.
	 
A: It’s a relationship we have. It’s a strong relationship. Floyd Mayweather has made in his last four fights with us record numbers which no one fighter in a span of four fights has made including Tyson including Oscar. He’s making money. What do you want to fix if it’s not broke?
	 
When Mayweather wants to fight, he’s going to let us know. It’s going to be up to us to put the right fight together and the right structure in place to ensure it’s the biggest fight of the year again and that’s what you’re going to see here.”
	 
Q: You said this will be the biggest fight of the year, bigger than Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III in November. Why are you so confident Mayweather-Ortiz will do so well?
	 
A: I have no doubt this will be the most heavily promoted fight in the history of boxing. I’m really excited about it. I think the sky is the limit and the beneficiary is the sport of boxing and those two athletes.
	 
We have the most skilled athlete of our generation and you have a young man I think America will fall in love, who has an amazing story and an amazing personality. Whether it can break the (pay-per-view) record for Mayweather-De La Hoya at 2,480,000 homes, I don’t know. But I have no doubt this will be the biggest fight of the year.”
	 
Q: Why should the public view this as a compelling fight? 
	 
A: The question is can a Mayweather after 16 month of being inactive with a lot of distractions outside the ring; can he keep Victor Ortiz off for 12 rounds? And can Victor’s power connect? Can he hurt Mayweather? And when Mayweather gets hurt, how is he going to react? We know Floyd is great. He fought Shane (Mosley) after Shane had beaten (Antonio) Margarito. He fought (Ricky) Hatton when (Hatton) was undefeated and he fought Oscar when everybody said Oscar was too big because Oscar said the fight had to be at 154. I still don’t think Floyd gets the proper credit from the media as it relates to who he fights. Floyd Mayweather is not afraid of anyone and he proves that again by taking on young, hungry strong, powerful, southpaw in Victor Ortiz.”

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Puerto Rican boxers showcase talents

June 09, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Miguel Cotto began a tradition of boxing being part of the Puerto Rican Day weekend. That tradition continues this year when area promoters Lou DiBella and Gary Shaw stage two nights of boxing... Read on

Miguel Cotto began a tradition of boxing being part of the Puerto Rican Day weekend. That tradition continues this year when area promoters Lou DiBella and Gary Shaw stage two nights of boxing featuring some of Puerto Rico’s top prospects.
	 
Fighting under the moniker “Team Puerto Rico,” the touted prospects will be spread over two nights at the Roseland Ballroom. Seven bouts are scheduled for Friday night. Among those scheduled to appear are Kenny Galarza (14-1, 14 KOs) of Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico; Thomas Dulorme (13-0, 11 Kos) of Carolina, Puerto Rico; and Jose Pedraza (2-0, 2 Kos) of Cidra, Puerto Rico. Area boxers on the card, include Steven Martinez (9-0, 7 KOs) from the Bronx; Alex Perez (13-0, 7 KOs) from Newark and Boyd Melson (3-0, 1 KOs) from White Plains.
	 
Saturday’s card features Luis Del Valle (12-0, 10 KOs) of Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Jonathan Gonzalez (12-0, 12 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Gabriel Bracero (15-0, 1 KOs) of Brooklyn.
	 
“If you look at the top four or five championship prospects from Puerto Rico, they’re all on these cards,” DiBella said. “Puerto Rico is a tremendous hot bed of talent right now. You go into the gyms in Puerto Rico and the level of sparring in a Puerto Rican gym is mind boggling because they’re such a talent pool there.”
	 
Added Shaw, “You’re going to see the next huge Puerto Rican star come out of this group. I really believe that.”
	 
Friday night’s card will be televised on ESPN2, while Saturday’s bouts will be part of the Shobox: New Generation broadcast. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster or by calling DiBella Entertainment at 212-947-2577.

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Mayweather will return to ring vs. Ortiz

June 08, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

When Floyd Mayweather sat ringside at Andre Berto’s WBC welterweight title defense against Victor Ortiz last April, the crowd at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods chanted, “Fight Manny…Fight Manny!”The... Read on

When Floyd Mayweather sat ringside at Andre Berto’s WBC welterweight title defense against Victor Ortiz last April, the crowd at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods chanted, “Fight Manny…Fight Manny!”
	 
The chants were aimed at Mayweather as the crowd pleaded for him to accept a much-anticipated fight with Manny Pacquiao. But those requests have fallen on deaf ears. Instead of fighting Pacquiao, Mayweather will challenge Ortiz for the title he took from Berto that night. The site of the Sept. 17 pay-per-view bout has yet to be determined.
	 
"I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there and for me, that is Victor Ortiz," said Mayweather, who will not have fought in 16 months. "He is the current champion and an extremely talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto. At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me. Like the rest of my opponents, he is going to try to prove that he can beat me. I commend him for accepting the fight, but on September 17, Ortiz is just going to be another casualty, the 42nd one who tried and failed. Trust me, I will be ready."
	 
Meanwhile, former two-time junior lightweight champion Genaro Hernandez died Tuesday after a three-year battle with a rare form of cancer. He was 45. Hernandez died at his home in Mission Viejo, Calif. He fought professionally from 1984 to 1998 compiling a record of 38-2-1 with 17 knockouts. One of his losses came against Oscar De La Hoya in 1995.

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MMA bill passes New York senate

May 23, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Mixed martial arts is one step closer to being legalized in New York. A bill to make New York the 46th state to sanction MMA passed the State Senate on Monday with a vote of 42 to 18. The bill needs... Read on

Mixed martial arts is one step closer to being legalized in New York. A bill to make New York the 46th state to sanction MMA passed the State Senate on Monday with a vote of 42 to 18.
	 
The bill needs to get through a final Assembly floor vote to finally regulate MMA in New York.
	 
"It's time to bring the fastest growing sport in the world to New York," UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta said. "With every passing month, our sport gets more and more popular around the country and in New York.
	 
"We want to thank the State Senate, and we're confident that when Assembly members take an objective look at our safety record, our popularity with their constituents, and the economic benefits and jobs we would bring to the State, they will take the same action and UFC fans will finally be able to see live UFC events in their home state."
	 
Current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones said, "We're so close to the time I'll be able to fight in my home state of New York.
	 
"Growing up in Rochester it's always been my dream to compete in front of family and friends in the greatest state and biggest media market in the country."
	 
A recent study estimated that holding two Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events in the state (one at Madison Square Garden and one in Buffalo) will create roughly $16 million in revenue.

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Hopkins becomes oldest boxer to win title

May 22, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Bernard Hopkins made boxing history Saturday night, becoming the oldest man to win a legitimate world title when he captured the WBC light heavyweight championship dethroning Jean Pascal in Montreal... Read on

Bernard Hopkins made boxing history Saturday night, becoming the oldest man to win a legitimate world title when he captured the WBC light heavyweight championship dethroning Jean Pascal in Montreal.
	 
Hopkins, 46, had the energy of a 26-year-old in overwhelming the 28-year-old Canadian with his experience and ring savvy. After their first fight last December ended in a majority draw, Hopkins earned a easy 12-round unanimous decision despite fighting on Pascal’s home turf.
	 
The three judges from outside Canada and the United States had Hopkins winning 115-113, 116-112 and 115-114. The Post scored it 116-112 for Hopkins, who surpassed George Foreman, who was 45 when he regained the heavyweight title by beating Michael Moorer in 1994.
	 
Hopkins wobbled Pascal with a big right hand in the third round. The Canadian’s legs turned to jelly, but he survived the round. Hopkins’ own legs would buckle in the fourth when Pascal caught him clean with a looping right hand.
	 
Hopkins was clearly stunned, but easily survived the finish of the round. It became a street fight from there with quick burst of exchanges with neither fighter shy about throwing punches.
	 
The animosity had built up since their first fight. Pascal made it personnel by accusing Hopkins of using performance enhancing drugs. “You’re a cheater. You’re a cheater,” Pascal yelled at Hopkins during the initial press conference to announce the rematch.
	 
The fight got dirty in the middle rounds as the fighters did more wrestling than boxing and exchanged, low blows, kidney shots, head butts and even a thumb to Pascal’s eye by Hopkins in the sixth. It was just the kind of fight, Hopkins wanted.
	 
Pascal was no match for the wise sage. Hopkins’s experience, savvy, ring skills and excellence at fighting dirty overwhelmed the young Canadian.
	 
“If my record goes down you want to see it go down that way,” Foreman said. “If it was the Olympics, Bernard gets the Gold Medal and breaks the record for the World Championship. This was the best I've seen, the way Bernard took charge of the fight with a young strong champion like Pascal. Long live the king."

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Andre Ward advances to super six finals

May 15, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Andre Ward retained his WBA super welterweight championship and advanced to the finals of the World Boxing Classic with a unanimous decision over Arthur Abraham Saturday night at the Home Depot... Read on

Andre Ward retained his WBA super welterweight championship and advanced to the finals of the World Boxing Classic with a unanimous decision over Arthur Abraham Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
	 
Ward used a stinging jab, smart footwork and just enough punching power to hand Abraham his third loss of the super middleweight tournament. Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) advances to the finals where he’ll face the winner of a June 4 semifinal between Carl Froch of England and Glen Johnson of Jamaica at Atlantic City.
	 
“I think it’s a 50-50 fight,” Ward said of Froch-Johnson. “You can’t count Glen Johnson out. Carl Froch is a warrior. I’m just looking forward to the winner in the finals.” A date and site for the finals has yet to be determined.
	 
Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) was competitive for the first three rounds, but then Ward began to score with his jab and short snapping hooks. Abraham retreated behind a peek-a-boo defense without firing back many punches. He became a standing target for Ward, who pounded Abraham with jabs, hooks, and uppercuts.
	 
“I knew Arthur was very strong,” Ward said. “Everybody I talked to that fought him said he was a hard hitter. They were right. The referee did a good job. I just wish he would have let me work more inside. But we showed we can win ugly and we showed we could win with other than our original game plan.”
	 
It was the third victory in the tournament for the 2004 Gold Medalist and third successful defense of the WBA middleweight title he won from Mikkel Kessler of Denmark in the tournament’s opening round.
	 
Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) was an unbeaten middleweight champion when he moved up from 160 pounds to compete in the 168-pound tournament. But after opening with a 12-round knockout of Jermaine Taylor, he lost by disqualification for late hit against Andre Dirrell and was thoroughly dominated by Froch and now Ward.
	 
“I fought hard and I gave it all,” Abraham said. “I came to fight. I don’t think the verdict was as (one sided). He didn’t hit me clearly.”
	 
Clear enough to win 120-108, 118-110 and 118-111 on the judges scorecards. The Post scored the fight 118-110. “I’m happy with the victory,” Ward said. “We’re going to the finals.”

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Lesnar withdraws from UFC 131

May 12, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has suffered a recurrence of diverticulitis and has pulled out of his June 11 fight with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131 in Vancouver. Lesnar announced... Read on

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has suffered a recurrence of diverticulitis and has pulled out of his June 11 fight with Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131 in Vancouver.
	 
Lesnar announced Thursday dealing with the disease has hampered his training, forcing him to pull out of the mixed martial arts bout.
	 
“When you have a 12-week training camp and I’m not able to be where I should be, it’s not a very smart decision to step into the Octagon on June 11,” Lesnar said during a conference call. “I’m no where I need to be for a No. 1 contenders fight. I’ve got more doctor appointments to follow up with. I’m looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.”
	 
Lesnar, 33, was first diagnosed with diverticulitis in 2009 and managed the disease through diet and medication. He fought twice in 2010 successfully defending his title against Shane Carwin before losing it to Cain Velasquez last October. But Lesnar said the recurrence of an abdominal infection became too much to endure during his current training camp. He said he’s still contemplating whether to have surgery or continue to treat it with medication as he has in the past.
	 
“There’s a solution to every problem,” Lesnar said. “I just have to find a right solution to fix this problem. This isn’t the end of Brock Lesnar. This is a speed bump in the road.”
	 
Dos Santos (12-1) will now fight Carwin (12-1) in the main event.
	 
“I wanted more than anything to win this fight and get a shot at (Cain) Velasquez,” said Lesnar (5-2). “But my health and my family are more important.”

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Arum says Pacquiao won't work With Golden Boy

May 10, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum went out of his way in Las Vegas last weekend to make clear it’s Manny Pacquiao that has a beef with Golden Boy Promotions and not Top Rank.Pacquiao’s defamation suit against... Read on

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum went out of his way in Las Vegas last weekend to make clear it’s Manny Pacquiao that has a beef with Golden Boy Promotions and not Top Rank.
	 
Pacquiao’s defamation suit against Golden Boy executives Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer and others is the main reason Pacquiao will not face a Golden Boy backed fighter in the ring.
	 
“His aspiration is to finish up his boxing career and run for President of the Philippines,” Arum said of Pacquiao, who won an easy decision over Shane Mosley last Saturday at the MGM Grand to retain the WBO welterweight championship. “He doesn’t want that stain on his record. For no reason they defamed him. He’s suing them in federal court. The judge refused to throw out the case. It will be decided by the jury.”
	 
Pacquiao is suing De La Hoya, Schaefer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., Floyd Jr. and Roger Mayweather alleging they accused him of using performance enhancing drugs.
	 
“They can fix everything by making a true, contrite apology and then Manny being Manny might not object to them being involved in a promotion,” Arum said. “But it has nothing to do with me.”
	 
Arum said that with a straight face though a day earlier he was talking about “outsiders” coming into boxing from other fields like “a banker.” He was not being complimentary, knowing Schaefer comes from a banking background.
	 
The two promotional companies are currently battling over Juan Manuel Marquez. Top Rank has sent Marquez a contract to be Pacquiao’s next opponent. Golden Boy has the right of first refusal on Marquez, which means if they choose to match the offer, they’ll have to pay Marquez the negotiated amount on his next fight regardless whomever he faces. It won’t be Pacquiao, who won’t do business with a Golden Boy fighter.
	 
If no apology is offered and Marquez stays with Golden Boy, Arum said Pacquiao will be matched against either Timothy Bradley or Zab Judah.

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Pacquaio OK After Fender Bender

May 07, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

LAS VEGAS--Manny Pacquiao emerged without injury after being involved in a fender bender today coming back from mass. A car in which Pacquiao was a passenger was bumped from behind by another car... Read on

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Klitschko, Haye trade verbal jabs

April 26, 2011 , ι By GEORGE WILLIS

Wladimir Klitschko says he won’t be convinced David Haye will actually fight him until he sees him in the ring July 2 in Hamburg, Germany. Klitschko, the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion, was... Read on

Wladimir Klitschko says he won’t be convinced David Haye will actually fight him until he sees him in the ring July 2 in Hamburg, Germany. Klitschko, the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion, was set to face Haye, the WBA champion, in 2009 before Haye pulled out of that fight.
	 
“I will not believe this fight until I see David Haye in the corner July 2,” Klitschko said Tuesday during a luncheon in Manhattan where the two fighters discussed their heavyweight unification bout. “Thank God, he is going first. Then I’ll see, OK, he’s there, then I’ll come in.’“
	 
Haye promised to be there, then pointed out Klitschko has pulled out of his past two fights because of injuries.
	 
“As much as he’s worried about me, I’m also worried about him,” Haye said. “We’re both going to turn up. I’ve got a feeling you want to win this fight. I know I do. I truly believe I’m going to knock you out and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion you feel the same. We’ll both turn up and we’re both going to have a great fight and the fans are going to be happy.”
	 
Haye (25-1, 23 KOs) reiterated that his preference between fighting Wladimir or his brother Vitali, the WBC champion, was Wladimir (55-3, 49 KOs).
	 
“He’s the guy the public wants me to fight,” Haye said. “If there was a poll, 90 percent of the people would say Wladimir. I’m boxing for the biggest and this is it.”
	 
The fight will be held at a 57,000-seat stadium and televised to the United States on HBO, which will broadcast the bout live in the afternoon and replay it at 10 p.m. that night.
	 
“This fight now is a whole lot bigger than it was two or three years ago,” said Haye, the former cruiserweight champion. “Whatever the reasons were or whatever happened, we’re here today and it’s bigger and better. I’m a better athlete than I was two or three years ago and I’ve got more experience against bigger guys. I’m looking forward to showing the world what the 'Haymaker' is all about.”
	 
Klitschko called Haye a “wannabe” and said he wasn’t impressive in recent bouts against Audley Harrison and Nikolay Valuev. Haye didn’t take kindly to Klitschko’s assessment.
	 
“You boring,” Haye told Klitschko. “I’d rather watch paint dry. The reason why I’m here is people want you to get knocked out so there’s some excitement in the heavyweight division. You and your brother have killed the heavyweight division and I’m here to save it.”
	 
Klitschko, a native of the Ukraine, kept telling Haye, “You are my creation,” adding the Englishman would “eat the jab for 12 rounds.”
	 
Haye scoffed at that notion, saying, “Sure, I’m going to stand there and let you jab at me for 12 rounds.”
	 
Haye said a victory over Klitschko would solidify his legacy.
	 
“He’s the main man. People will realize I’m better than him and that’s what I want," Haye said. "I’ve always wanted to prove that I’m the best. This is my chance to prove that I’m the main man in the world. The boxing fans deserve this fight.”
	 
Klitschko remains confident.
	 
“I will roll over this guy," he said. "It’s not about my legacy. I enjoy the challenge and I care about the performance.”
	 
Haye said he still plans to retire when he turns 31 in October.
	 
“I’ve set that date from when I was young and I always try to stick to my goals,” he said. “You have timelines and if you achieve what you want to achieve in those timelines why not stick to your goals?”
	 
Haye said he hoped to become a bigger star in the United States, but has yet to fight here.
	 
“It hasn’t gone that great,” he admitted. “I was anticipating some young hungry Americans would be on the horizon. But the only hungry American you’ve got is Cris Arreola and he’s hungry in the kitchen and not the ring. Unfortunately, that’s the state of American heavyweight boxing.”