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During a recent appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek, WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan admits that he and Ricky Hatton are good friends, but business is business. Khan is willing to fight Hatton if the promoters can put the fight together. Khan says the idea of fighting Hatton is not a joke on his end. He sees big dollar signs for the all-British showdown.
At the Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, one of the biggest boxing events on Japanese soil saw Koki Kameda (22-0, 14KOs) win a twelve round unanimous decision in a war to capture the WBC flyweight by unseating Daisuke Naito (35-3-3, 22KOs).
Bernard Hopkins tells BoxingScene.com that he doesn't think a Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao mega-fight will come off. He is convinced that Bob Arum of Top Rank, and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions will not reach a deal for the fight. He appears very sure that Mayweather will face Shane Mosley [should he beat Andre Berto on January 30] and Pacquiao will move up to 154 to chase an eight divisional title by taking on WBA champion Yuri Foreman.
At Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Quebec, Lucian Bute (25-0, 20KOs) knocked out Librado Andrade (28-3, 21KOs) in four rounds to retain his IBF super middleweight title. Bute erased last October's controverial win over Andrade.
At the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Quebec, Ali Funeka (30-2, 25KOs) and Joan Guzman (29-0, 17KOs) fought to a very disputed draw. Funeka appeared to win the majority of the rounds and battered Guzman down the stretch. The IBF lightweight title is vacant. The scores were 114-114 a draw, 116-112 for Funeka and 114-114 for the draw.
During a recent interview with Sport of The World, WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan placed a target on the back of former three division champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Khan's countryman, Ricky Hatton, is also plotting a fight against Marquez in 2010. Hatton wants to go directly to a fight with Marquez. Khan, who must first beat mandatory Dmitriy Salita on December 5, says Hatton is making a mistake by going directly to Marquez without a tuneup.
At the Brentwood Center in Brentwood, Essex, Darren Barker (21-0, 14KOs) retained his Commonwealth middleweight title and won the vacant British title with a one-sided battering of Danny Butler (18-3, 3KOs) in seven rounds. Butler was a late replacement for Wayne Elcock.
The confidence level of unbeaten Dmitriy Salita is growing by the day. He challenges WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan on December 5 in Newcastle. Salita is the underdog and even he admits that Khan is a big step up in class. But, he also sees it as a big step up in class for Khan. He is not impressed with Khan's record. Salita believes that Khan has never faced a young, hungry fighter. He doesn't see any way that Khan will win.
Bernard Hopkins, turning 45-years-old in January, has a three fight plan before he retires for good. The first is the December 2 tuneup bout against Enrique Ornelas. The second is a rematch with Roy Jones Jr. on March 13 in Las Vegas [provided Jones beats Danny Green on 12/2], and the third is a jump to the heavyweight division to face WBA champion David Haye.
In the opinion of retired boxing great Barry McGuigan, Ricky Hatton should avoid a possible clash with Juan Manuel Marquez in 2010. He says Hatton should stay away from the ring and avoid taking any further punishment. He doesn't think Hatton has anything more to prove and his legacy is already set in stone as fars his career accomplishments.