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According to WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch, negotiations are ongoing for a unification showdown with IBF champion Lucian Bute. Several names have been discussed for Froach's next fight and Bute appears to be the frontrunner. The fight would take place in the fall.
WBO/WBC middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, speaking for the first trime since his title defense against Sergio Mora was postponed last week, says that he was well enough to move forward with the fight. The fight was cancelled last week after Top Rank claimed that Pavlik was suffering from a staph infection in his hand. The fight was scheduled to headline a Top Rank pay-per-view on June 27 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Top Rank is looking to replace the Pavlik fight with Juan Manuel Lopez defending his WBO super bantamweight title.
According to Fernando Montiel, he was crowned the full WBO bantamweight champion when Gerry Penalosa moved up on April 25 to challenge WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez. It was initially thought Montiel, the interim-champion, would fight Eric Morel for the "full" vacant title. Instead, Montiel tells ESTO that he plans to make the first defense of the full title against Morel on June 27 in Atlantic City
Former three division champion Marco Antonio Barrera appears to have put retirement aside. He is trying to get early clearance to begin training for his next ring return. Barrera suffered a very deep gash during his March bout with Amir Khan. The fight had to be stopped in the fifth round due to the heavy flow of blood that masked Barrera's face. He was told that at least eight months were needed for the recovery but he wants to return a bit earlier.
According to father and trainer Ray Hatton, former champion Ricky Hatton should have withdrawn from his May 2 bout with Manny Pacquiao. Hatton was knocked out in two rounds. Ray says the training camp for the fight was so chaotic that Ricky should have pulled out and postponed the fight to another date. There were pre-fight rumors that trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. was at odds with Ricky and assistant trainer Lee Beard. During a recent interview with BoxingScene.com, Beard denied that he and Ricky have issues with Mayweather.
During a recent interview with GMA News TV in the Philippines, pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao admitted that he is seriously thinking about retirement before the end of the year to pursue his political career. Pacquiao is looking to return to the ring in October in what may be the final bout on his record. He plans to make a final decision after the fight.
Undefeated junior middleweight star James Kirkland is still being detained for gun charges. A few weeks ago, Kirkland was arrested by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, who found a loaded .40-caliber Glock pistol in the center console of his Cadillac. Kirkland's care was followed by agents after he left a gun show in Austin. He was still on probation for a 2003 arrest for armed robbery.
UK lightweight star Amir Khan is looking to follow in the footsteps of other UK-based fighters who recently won major titles, like David Haye and Carl Froch. Khan, at age 22, is focused on achieving the task even quicker than his countrymen. Khan goes for the WBA junior welterweight on June 27 against Andreas Kotelnik at London’s O2 Arena.
Lee Beard, the assistant trainer for Ricky Hatton, was very impressed with the performance of Manny Pacquiao. He, along with head trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr, had a plan in place to overtake Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas. The Filipino fighter exploded in the first round, sending Hatton down twice, and followed up the second by knocking Ricky out cold.
Former three-divison champion Erik Morales has revealed that it's almost a lock for him to return to action in the month of August in Tijuana, Mexico. Morales has not fought since a decision loss to David Diaz in 2007. He returned to training camp last week and is preparing for a final run at a fourth world title in a fourth weight class.