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Once again, there is talk in the British press that Ricky Hatton is going to return to the ring. This time Hatton's home paper, the Manchester Evening News, has reported the comeback plans of the UK star. Hatton has been inactive since a May two-round KO loss to Manny Pacquiao.
According to Leonard Ellerbe, adviser to Floyd Mayweather Jr, a fight with Manny Pacquiao will not happen unless Manny agrees to use the United States Anti Doping Agency for random Olympic-style drug testing. Per the rules of the USADA, both fighters would have to take 3 to 5 bloods test and 10 to 12 urine tests over a 10-week period. Pacquiao refuses to subject himself to random testing, which allows the USADA to test him numerous times during his training camp or even on the day of the fight. He will not agree to numerous blood tests during his camp. Pacquiao has already agreed to take three blood tests. One prior to the press conference on January 6, another on February 13 [30-days before the fight] and the third would happen in the dressing room when the fight was over. Pacquiao has yet to agree to take any blood tests within the 30-day window of the fight.
During a recent press conference in Panama City, WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno (28-1, 10KOs) received the championship belt of a "Super Champion." The sanctioning body also ruled that Moreno must face the interim-champion Nehomar Cermeno (19-0, 11KOs).
Roy Jones Jr. has moved to reverse his first round TKO loss to IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green. On December 2 in Australia, Jones was dropped on a single grazing shot to what appeared to be the side of the head. The fight was stopped a few moments later.
The news has turned the boxing world upside down. The March 13 super-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is in serious jeopardy of being off after a dispute over the contract clause of "Olympic-style drug testing" 30-days before the fight. Pacquiao is only willing to go let his blood get drawn around the time of the January press conference to announce the fight - and after the actual fight is over.
IBO cruiserweight champion Danny Green (28-3, 25 KOs) is planning to destroy Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) if the two fighters ever lock horns. Green loves to end his fights by knockout. He knows Hopkins will try to slow down the pace and make it a boxing match. Green tells the Philadelphia Daily News that he wants find out the hard way on which strategy will play out.
Sonora, Mexico - Bantamweight contender Alejandro "Alex" Valdez was hospitalized after being knocked out in eleven rounds by WBA interim-champion Nehomar Cermeno. Valdez is being held for observation and appears to be doing better.
According to reports in Mexico, don't be surprised if Humberto Soto will attend, and scout, the February 6 clash between WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero and mandatory/interm champion Antonio DeMarco, taking place in Mexico. Soto, the current WBC super featherweight champion, made his move to the lightweight division last Saturday in Mexico, winning a decision over former champion Jesus Chavez.
WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is pushing for a shot at Paul Williams. Injuries and failed negotaitions have pushed the fight back for nearly two years. There had been some talk that Pavlik would test the waters at super middleweight but he plans to stay at 160 for the moment. There are two targets at the weight, Williams and WBA champion Felix Sturm. If Pavlik can't get Williams, he wants Top Rank to get him a unification with Sturm.
David Tua's promoter Cedric Kushner is confident the heavyweight boxer will fight five fights next year, despite cancelling his first bout in February just days after announcing it. Tua announed last week he was to fight the former WBA champion, Bruce Seldon, in the United States before fighting Nigeria Friday Ahunanya in New Zealand at the end of March. But the Seldon fight's been cancelled by Tua, because of family reasons which Kushner says made Tua reluctant to head to the United States after Christmas to train. Kushner's still optmistic Tua will still get a title fight next year despite Britain's WBA champion David Haye, WBC champion Vladimir Klitschko and his IBF, WBO and IBO champion brother Vitali already being committed to bouts. However Kushner says there will be greater options in the second half of the year. Copyright © 2009 Radio New Zealand