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Unbeaten middleweight prospect, David Lemieux, of Canada, has a long-range goal of landing a 2011, title bout against WBC king Sergio Martinez, according to Lemieux's promoter, Yvon Michel. Lemieux, who turned 22 on Dec. 22, has a mark of 25-0 with 24 knockouts, including stoppages in his past four bouts.
Bernard Hopkins got the ball rolling when he questioned the lack of African American opponents on Manny Pacquiao's record. A few weeks later, Pacquiao reached an agreement to face Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley and Hopkins are good friends.
Top Rank is putting together their own internal lightweight elimination style tournament. The first part will begin on February 26, when lightweight star Brandon Rios(26-0-1, 19 KOs) will challenge WBA king Miguel Acosta in a Showtime televised clash at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Acosta (28-3, 22 KOs) has a 19-fight winning streak the includes 12 knockouts, and stoppages in his previous three bouts.
Top Rank Promotions CEO, Bob Arum, is expecting a wild media tour to promote a junior middleweight collision between WBA champion Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28KOs), and challenger Ricardo Mayorga (29-7, 22KOs). Arum reached an agreement with fellow 79-year-old rival promoter, Don King, to match the fighters in the main event of a March 12 pay-per-view card from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
WBA and IBF featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (19-0, 15 KOs) could return for an HBO televised bout in March, according to Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum. There plans to match him against WBA champion in recess, Chris John (44-0-2, 22 KOs), but Arum says the Indonesian star "is unavailable" for Gamboa. As a result, Gamboa is considering southpaw super bantamweight Ricardo Cordoba (37-3-2, 23 KOs) and super featherweight contender Jason Litzau (28-2, 21 KOs).
Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum feels the public is underestimating Shane Mosley's abilities. The former three division champion will challenge WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
According to Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum, WBO featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez will likely face Philadelphia's Teon Kennedy on April 16 in Puerto Rico. Showtime will televise the fight. Lopez (30, 27KOs) returns from a November TKO win over Rafael Marquez. Kennedy (16-0-1, 7KOs) is 3-0, 2KOs since a September 2099 draw with Lante Addy.
Top Rank is planning a huge undercard for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley pay-per-view, which takes place on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The main support that Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, is looking to stage on that card, is the lightweight rematch of Humberto Soto vs. Urbano Antillon. Soto (54-7-2, 32 KO), of Tijuana, Baja, Calif., Mex., and Mexican-born, Antillon (28-2, 20 KOs) of Maywood, Calif. fought on December 4 in a potential Fight of The Year candidate. Soto retained his WBC title with a close twelve round decision.
According to Top Rank's CEO, Bob Arum, he expects to finalize a deal with promoter, Don King, that will match former world champion Ricardo Mayorga against WBA junior middleweight champio Miguel Cotto in the main event of a March 12 pay per view card from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez was left as the odd man out when Manny Pacquiao finalized a deal to face "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Besides the difference in weight, and the large purse demand, Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is not convinced that Marquez is capable of hanging with Pacquiao at 147-pounds. Their previous two meetings took place at featherweight and super featherweight.