278 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Robert Morales byline.
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Richard Schaefer on Tuesday said that "Sugar" Shane Mosley has agreed in principle to a fight with welterweight world champion Antonio Margarito. If Margarito does likewise, the deal should be done in the next day or two.
By Robert Morales - Anyone got a pencil sharpener? According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, that was the figurative question posed him by "Sugar" Shane Mosley on Tuesday when the two were discussing a potential fight with welterweight world champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico. Schaefer said he met with the Mosleys - Shane and his wife, Jin - for several hours to try and put the finishing touches on this fight, which would likely take place in January. "He said, 'Let's see if maybe we can sharpen the pencil,' "Schaefer said, meaning Mosley is hopeful the current offer on the table can still be sweetened. "I told him, 'We have already sharpened it quite a bit.' " Bob Arum, Margarito's promoter, on Monday said that there is definitely reason to be optimistic. "I think we are going to make a Margarito fight (with Mosley)," Arum said. Arum said that Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank Inc. as well as Arum's stepson, was in New York on Monday to discuss money matters with HBO executive Kery Davis.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, on Tuesday dismissed in its entirety the rumor that De La Hoya was beaten up by Victor Ortiz during a camp sparring session last week in Big Bear Lake, Calif.
By Robert Morales - "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Richard Schaefer, CEO of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, on Friday will meet with HBO executive Kery Davis to see if financial considerations can be worked out for a fight between Mosley and welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. Schaefer and Bob Arum, Margarito's promoter, on Tuesday confirmed that this sit-down will take place in Atlantic City, site of Saturday's fight between Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins. As things stand right now, the money is not there to make Mosley-Margarito. "HBO doesn't have enough money on the table," Arum said. "So it looks like that fight can't happen. If they put more money on the table, I think that fight can happen." Arum said just last month that if Mosley wanted to fight Margarito, he would have to wait until after the rematch between Margarito and Miguel Cotto that is tentatively scheduled for June. Arum said that return fight would take place providing Margarito and Cotto win their next fights in January and February, respectively. Arum was asked at the time why Mosley - who is promoted by Golden Boy - would not be considered for Margarito's January fight. Arum's response was that he wasn't sure the money would be there, and that he didn't want to take any real risks that would ruin a rematch between Margarito and Cotto, both of whom are promoted by Arum. But in the days following Mosley's 12th-round technical knockout of Ricardo Mayorga on Sept. 27, suddenly there was talk of Mosley fighting Margarito in January.
By Robert Morales - Richard Schaefer, CEO of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, walked over to press row after "Sugar" Shane Mosley knocked out Ricardo Mayorga with one second left in their super welterweight fight Saturday at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Speaking with Tim Smith of the New York Daily News and yours truly, Schaefer was asked what is next for Mosley. Mosley has been calling out welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. But Margarito's promoter, Bob Arum, last week said that Mosley would have to wait until Margarito fights a rematch with Miguel Cotto in June. Schaefer has another plan. He said he is going to speak with Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe, both of whom are advisers for the "retired" Floyd Mayweather Jr.
By Robert Morales - "Sugar" Shane Mosley has never shied away from fighting the toughest hombre available. He lost for the first time against Vernon Forrest in January 2002, a fight in which Mosley was decked and absorbed more punishment than he had ever taken in losing by five, nine and 10 points. Many fighters would have been leery about a rematch, but Mosley fought Forrest again six months later. Mosley did better, but lost a closer unanimous decision. In March 2004, Mosley fought and lost a wide decision to Winky Wright. Undaunted, Mosley squared off with Wright again eight months later and lost a much closer majority decision. In other words, Mosley is not easily discouraged. That's why if he gets past Ricardo Mayorga a week from Saturday at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Mosley next wants welterweight champion Antonio Margarito. Margarito is coming off an 11th-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto in July. Like Forrest and Wright, Margarito is taller and longer than Mosley. At 30, Margarito is also seven years Mosley's junior. But it's not in Mosley's nature to take the easy road. "I've definitely always had that fire in my belly, even when I was a young kid," Mosley said Wednesday, during a telephone conversation from his training camp in Big Bear. "It's the competitive nature in me. If I can be the best, I am going to give myself a shot to be the best out there."
By Robert Morales - Manny Pacquiao is more popular than Floyd Mayweather Jr. was before he fought Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007, promoters Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum said this week. That's why they believe that Pacquiao-De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas has a good chance of breaking the record of 2.4 million pay-per-view buys set by De La Hoya-Mayweather. “Mayweather really became a celebrity after the (HBO) 24/7 show with Oscar and then with the Ricky Hatton fight (seven months later),” said Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. “Mayweather really used those platforms very wisely. He is a very clever guy. He really became the star he is today, who really transcends the sport and is known in general households. But that is really not the way it was before he fought Oscar.” The numbers bear that out. Prior to fighting De La Hoya, Mayweather had sold 325,000 pay-per-view buys for his fight with Carlos Baldomir, 365,000 for his bout with Arturo Gatti and a high of 375,000 for his riot-marred fight with Zab Judah.
By Robert Morales - Carlos Palomino is dumbfounded. For the life of him he can't figure out why Oscar De La Hoya would even entertain the thought of fighting Manny Pacquiao. Palomino, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004, was reached at his Los Angeles-area home on Tuesday. He reacted with disgust when the subject of De La Hoya-Pacquiao - which is still very possible for Dec. 6 - was broached. "It's ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned," said Palomino, who was born in Mexico but has lived in Southern California since he was 10. "Oscar is in a no-win situation. I have no idea why he would want to fight Manny Pacquiao. If he beats him, everybody is going to say, 'What the hell is that all about?' " Like all critics of this proposed matchup, Palomino noted that Pacquiao began his career at 106 pounds. Palomino said he is not even convinced that Pacquiao is a terrific lightweight. Yes, Palomino said, Pacquiao did move up in weight in June to take David Diaz's lightweight title via 9th-round technical knockout. But Diaz was not considered the top lightweight in the world. That honor would probably go to Nate Campbell.