278 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Robert Morales byline.
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It's been four months since Sergio Martinez rocked the world of Paul Williams with a left cross that put Williams face-down on the canvas in the second round of their middleweight championship fight at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
By Robert Morales - If the Mayweather family or Golden Boy Promotions thought the defamation civil lawsuit filed against them by Manny Pacquiao was somehow going to go away, they experienced a sobering reminder Monday it is not when a judge in a Nevada federal court refused to dismiss the suit. Daniel Petrocelli is best known for winning a wrongful death civil lawsuit against O.J. Simpson on behalf of Fred Goldman, the father of Ronald Goldman, who along with Nicole Brown was murdered June 12, 1994. Simpson was found not guilty during his criminal trial, but Petrocelli helped the Goldman family get $8.5 million by getting a guilty verdict in the civil suit. Petrocelli may have twice lost battles with the California State Athletic Commission when he represented Antonio Margarito, but the cards were more than stacked against him. The UCLA graduate is a seriously good lawyer, and a conversation he had with BoxingScene.com on Tuesday indicated just how serious his client is about making sure no one ever again accuses him of using performance enhancing drugs. "This suit was filed because these defendants made false accusations in suggesting Manny Pacquiao took, and is taking, performance enhancing drugs," Petrocelli said. "And nothing could be further from the truth. They have no evidence to back that up. They tried to get out of the case by saying their statements were merely opinion. The law didn't support their position and the court denied their request to dismiss the case."
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, confirmed that Michael Katsidis did indeed suffer a small cut during sparring this week, but that Katsidis will be able to make his fight with Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, which will take place on the undercard of the Marcos Maidana-Erik Morales bout April 9 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).
By Robert Morales - "Sugar" Shane Mosley on Tuesday returned a call from his training camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif. He sounded very relaxed, as if the serenity of the 7,800-foot mountain resort had helped him find some kind of psychological utopia. But it could be that Mosley was in tremendous spirits because of everything he can look forward to in the coming years - both while he's still fighting, and afterward. A solid frame of mind is for good anyone, but especially for Mosley, who will need every ounce of physical and mental strength he can muster in two months when he takes on Manny Pacquiao for his welterweight world title on May 7 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view). Mosley's divorce from his wife, Jin, has been highly publicized. He didn't use what has been an agonizing process as an excuse for his recent loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and draw with Sergio Mora, but he did admit it has taken its toll.
Anaheim, California - Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is only 20, yet he has begun to take the boxing world by storm. It's been quite different for Matthew Hatton, who has always fought in the shadow of his much more famous brother, Ricky. Alvarez and Matthew Hatton will tangle for the vacant WBC super welterweight championship tonight at the Honda Center (on HBO). It will be the first major title shot for both fighters, yet their treks indeed have been vastly different.
By Robert Morales - One thing about Bob Arum, the 79-year-old chairman of Top Rank Inc. can ruffle feathers with the best. He was in rare form recently when he started taking pot-shots at the proposed April 16 welterweight title fight between champion Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz. Arum beefed that Berto should be defending against the winner of last Saturday's Mike Jones-Jesus Soto-Karass fight instead of a 140-pounder (meaning Ortiz) coming off a draw with another 140-pounder (Lamont Peterson). Welterweight is 147. Lou DiBella, Berto's promoter, countered by saying this comes from a man promoting a fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and a fighter ("Sugar" Shane Mosley) coming off a draw with Sergio Mora, who turned around and lost to Brian Vera. DiBella also basically suggested Arum mind his own business.
When promoter Bob Arum first announced Manny Pacquiao would defend his welterweight world title against "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 7 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the match was met with quite a bit of resistance.
By Robert Morales - Oscar De La Hoya on Tuesday stood on the dais at the Conga Room in downtown Los Angeles. A news conference promoting the finals of Showtime's bantamweight tournament had just culminated and De La Hoya was rapidly approached by a reporter who wanted to know what he thought of the picture taken at the Super Bowl depicting promoter Bob Arum, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and actor Jamie Foxx smiling big as if they were good buddies. De La Hoya was asked specifically if he was concerned that somehow Arum and Mayweather could re-connect in a way that would allow Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao without Golden Boy Promotions or anyone else representing Mayweather. "No, no no," De La Hoya said. "I mean, it was just a friendly picture. "Both were at the Super Bowl." It was of no consequence whatsoever, said De La Hoya, who has promoted Mayweather's past few fights under his Golden Boy Promotions banner. "Not at all," De La Hoya said. "It put a little smirk on my face, but that's about it." De La Hoya said he has not been in contact with anyone from Team Mayweather. "No, Richard Schaefer is the lead guy there," De La Hoya said. "He can give you all the information. Obviously, Richard Schaefer talks to Al Haymon. But again, at the end of the day it's Mayweather's decision." Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, also was on hand Tuesday. He laughed when the subject of the photo of Arum, Mayweather and Foxx was broached. "It's funny, I was asked the same question when I saw Mayweather eating lobster with Don King," said Schaefer, when asked if he was worried Mayweather - who was promoted by Arum for many years - might reunite with Arum to make the Pacquiao fight. "So I wonder if there was any lobster or not."
Alexis Arguello won world titles in the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight divisions. He tried for a fourth division title, but twice was stopped by junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor. With a thrilling style that combined power, beautiful technique and smarts, the late Arguello was one of the all-time greats.
Top Ranks' CEO Bob Arum is stoked about the beginning of the press tour for the May 7 welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and "Sugar" Shane Mosley at MGM Grand.