super six round 2 already set,vasquez-marquez 4 set,mayweather-pacquiao almost done.

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Dates have been set for the second batch of bouts in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN.com on Friday.

Shaw is one of the five promoters with fighters involved in Showtime's revolutionary modified round-robin tournament featuring six elite super middleweights.

Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs), who is promoted by Shaw, will face tournament leader Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) of Germany in the pre-determined opener of Group Stage 2 on March 6 at the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

The other two bouts of Group Stage 2 will take place on April 17. Showtime will air a doubleheader on that date, opening with taped coverage of Carl Froch's title defense against former titlist Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) from a site to be determined in Europe -- either Froch's home country of England or Kessler's native Denmark.

Then the action will shift to the United States for live coverage of titleholder Andre Ward's first defense against Jermain Taylor, or another opponent should Taylor drop out of the tournament, as some expect he will do.

Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs), the former undisputed middleweight champ, has lost four of his last five fights and has been brutally knocked out in three of the losses, including back-to-back 12th-round knockouts to Abraham Oct. 17 in Group Stage 1 and Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) in April.

Ward (21-0, 13 KOs), who thrashed Kessler for a lopsided unanimous 11-round technical decision in an upset on Nov. 21 to win a title, likely will have his April bout in his hometown of Oakland, Calif, site of his victory against Kessler.

Abraham leads the tournament with three points -- two for the win against Taylor and an extra point for the knockout. Ward and Froch, who outpointed Dirrell on Oct. 17 in Group Stage 1, each have two points. Kessler, Taylor and Dirrell have no points.

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Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez have already waged an epic trilogy consisting of 25 rounds of furious, non-stop action. Now, the Mexican warriors will clash for the fourth -- and final -- time, the promoters for both fighters told ESPN.com on Friday.

The deal for the much-discussed fight was completed following a final conference call between Marquez's promoter Gary Shaw, Vazquez's promoter and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer and Showtime executive Ken Hershman, Shaw said.

The scheduled 12-round featherweight fight will take place May 22 on Showtime from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"We are done. We have agreed on everything. We're excited about it," Schaefer said. "We have May 22 and the date has been cleared with Showtime and Staples. Staples is really where I think the fight belongs."

The first three Marquez-Vazquez junior featherweight championship fights in 2007 and 2008 are considered one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history, with fights II and III each winning fight of the year honors.

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MANILA, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao likely will fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13 after agreeing to a proposal from promoter Bob Arum on Friday.

Arum presented "what he thought was the best proposal he can bring" during a two-hour breakfast meeting with Pacquiao in Manila, said Michael Koncz, an adviser of the Philippine boxing idol.

"Manny has some additional requirements, requests, which Arum didn't think was a problem," Koncz said. "The requests of Manny were so realistic that Arum doesn't feel it's a problem and it's pretty much a done deal."




Pacquiao


Mayweather

He said the contract still needs "fine-tuning," declining to elaborate.

"We all believe that it will be done," Koncz said.

In an interview with GMA television, Pacquiao said, "March 13 is OK."

"The difference between Floyd and others I have fought is that Floyd makes a lot of trash talk that should not be imitated by young people," he said.

Arum could not be reached for comment.

If the deal is completed, the bout would be contested at 147 pounds for the welterweight title, a source told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

Koncz, who is in charge of Pacquiao's boxing promotion company in Nevada, said Pacquiao is "very comfortable" with the date.

Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in May 2010 elections and official campaigning won't start before April.

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guess nobody cares lol

[Pharoahe]

We've definitely got a great year of boxing ahead of us. The Super Six was a great idea and definitely draws a little bit more mainstream attention to good fighters who aren't really well known outside of boxing circles. Props to Showtime.


Can you imagine if Pac/Floyd is a good and close fight that warrants a rematch within 2010? Maybe even a trilogy if that rematch goes the other way.


Oh, and they say that Izzy/Rafa 4 will be the last fight... So are they going to be content to leave it tied at 2-2 if it goes that way?

[Dambala]

I can't believe it, they're fighting again! They gonna kill each other. I'm rooting for Marquez again.

[jrosales13]

The first 3 months on paper it looks awesome. Plus you also got Mosley-Berto, Junma-Luevano, and Klitshcko-Chambers,

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yep we got it good fellas.dont forget bernabe concepcion vs mario santiago that could be really good.

[miron_lang]

Those 3 fights are enough. What are these 2 guys thinking.

There are other GOOD fighters in their division.

[Toney Loc]

I can't believe it, they're fighting again! They gonna kill each other. I'm rooting for Marquez again.

Yes and Yes.

I don't this fight to happen, though.