905 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Chris Robinson byline.
Every story follows our editorial policy. To report a mistake, use our corrections form; for anything else, contact us.
It was about this time last year that tensions boiled over between strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza and veteran trainer and cut man Miguel Diaz, during the lead-up and aftermath of the Amir Khan-Marcos Maidana bout at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 10th, 2010.
If you speak with North Philadelphia’s Naazim Richardson, he will tell you that Antonio Margarito has embraced the villain role bestowed upon him in recent years. Strangely enough, it’s Richardson who has played a big part towards the perception of Margarito changing.
WBA and IBF junior welterweight champion Amir Khan entertained the media during a conference call ahead of his upcoming December 10th bout. Khan is getting ready for a defense of his titles in Washington, D.C. against hometown favorite and proven contender Lamont Peterson and will then likely be eyeing a move up to the welterweight division afterwards.
Earlier this week I spoke with Las Vegas-based trainer Jeff Mayweather, who gave his thoughts on the recent trilogy bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez as well as his feelings if we will ever see a fight between his nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao.
On Tuesday night I spoke with trainer Tony Morgan, known best for his work with former champion Andre Berto. I was curious as to Morgan’s take on the recent news surrounding a possible rematch between Berto and Victor Ortiz, and whether random drug testing would play a role in the fight.
It was a little over a year ago that I first started corresponding with veteran HBO color analyst Larry Merchant. In the twelve months since we have kept an ongoing column running between us while touching on several mainstream topics in the sport. Merchant has always shown a great appreciation towards WBC junior middleweight titlist Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, even stating in early December of last year that he would one day be interested in seeing the Mexican star face off with Manny Pacquiao if he progressed properly. But while Alvarez has continued to win in commanding fashion, reeling off three wins in 2011, the latest being his 5th round stoppage over Kermit Cintron this past weekend, Merchant doesn’t seem as eager to see the 21-year immediately jump into the fire.
As initially reported by BoxingScene.com, it appears that an attractive matchup between former champion Devon Alexander and WBA junior welterweight titleholder Marcos Maidana is on tap for January of February of next year. The bout would be contested in the welterweight division and would present an interesting contrast in styles given Maidana's all-action, pressing nature and Alexander’s boxing skills.
Take a visit to the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas these days and you will find trainer Jeff Mayweather working his star pupil, WBA featherweight champion Celestino Caballero. At the moment Caballero is getting ready for a December 31st defense of his belt in Kanagawa, Japan against local favorite Satoshi Hosono and he and Mayweather have a little over three weeks left in camp before venturing overseas.
Mexican star and WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez looked solid last night in disposing of former champion Kermit Cintron in under five rounds at the Monumental Plaza De Toros in Mexico City. After a slow first couple of rounds, Alvarez eventually began to open up, dropping Cintron with a crisp right hand in the fourth and finishing him off along the ropes one round later.
At the moment there seem to be conflicting reports as to Manny Pacquiao’s next move. The WBO welterweight champion of the world defended his belt on November 12th with a tougher-than expected majority decision over his rival Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas but after a performance that was less than stirring, it remains to be seen as to who we will be seeing him facing off with next.