Boxing News: Amir Khan Refused Ricky Hatton

Boxing world was a bit shock when Ricky Hatton, in an interview at Sky Sports, offered to promote WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan, saying “I am certain with my help he can become the big star that his talent deserves.”

The 23-year-old Khan was quick to respond to Ricky Hatton, saying in an article at the Dailystar.co.uk, “Ricky is a good friend, but I already have Golden Boy Promotions behind me and my own company Khan Promotions. If I needed some help, I would phone him for advice, but things are going well for me right now.” Indeed, Amir Khan is working with Golden Boy Promotions now in an effort to try and become a huge mega star in the United States like his hero Manny Pacquiao.

It’s a gamble but Amir Khan is going to give it a try. Chances are, Khan will fail to become a huge star in the U.S. like Manny Pacquiao, but he will likely become as popular as Paulie Malignaggi, whom he recently defeated by an 11th round TKO last Saturday. If Khan wants to become a bigger star, he needs to step it up a couple of levels and start facing guys like his mandatory WBO light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana, and other top guys like Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander. Those are all tough fights for Khan but ones he needs to win for him to at least get to the level of popularity of Malignaggi.

Beyond that, Khan will need to face a huge star like Floyd Mayweather Jr. to become a big mega star. Manny Pacquiao won’t likely ever fight Khan because he sees him as a friend and not someone that he would like to fight. Khan, if he does get a fight against Mayweather, would have very little chance of beating him unless the fight takes place many years in the future when Mayweather is in his 40s. 

Right now, Mayweather would likely embarrass Khan and instead of Khan becoming a huge mega star like Mayweather, he would just another one of Floyd’s victims. You don’t become a huge mega star by getting trounced by Mayweather, unfortunately. It just doesn’t work like that.

A good start for Khan in becoming somewhat popular in the U.S. would be for him to step up and fight Maidana instead of a small lightweight. There is talk of Amir Khan possibly fighting WBO lightweight interim champion Michael Katsidis next instead of Maidana or some other top fighter from the light welterweight division. 

Amir Khan says “I would love to fight Maidana next. He can punch but is slow and can be hit. I would love to shut him up.” I wasn’t aware that Maidana was doing a lot of talking in the media.

At any rate, this is good news that Khan is interested in fighting Paulie Malignaggi. Of course, Khan said he was interested in fighting Maidana before his bout with Malignaggi, but instead of fighting Maidana, Khan said he wasn’t popular enough in the U.S. for him to fight him right now. Khan then opted to fight Malignaggi. 

Amir Khan needs to show boxing fans that he’s not afraid to fight Maidana, because more than a few think that Khan is running from Maidana and afraid to fight him. Amir Khan could quiet his critics if he stepped up and chose to fight him rather than the lightweight Katsidis.

Amir Khan wants to fight on July 31st, so he’s going to have to make a decision pretty soon about who he will be fighting next. Paulie Malignaggi would be the best opponent if Khan wants to win respect among the hardcore fans, but his promoters want him to fight the better known Michael Katsidis, even though he’s a lot smaller than Amir Khan and fights at a lower weight class.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao: The Next Bout After Mosley?

You could literally see some of these boxing fighters getting excited just thinking about Pacquiao vs. Maywweather. This fight has the potential to be the superfight of the decade. For the integrity of the sport of boxing, for the natural evolution and future of our great sport, CALL Mayweather out and publicly make him take this fight, force Floyd Mayweather to get off his pompous, handpicking ass, and make him fight the fight you and everyone wants to see – Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. If you let Floyd Mayweather hide behind his excuses to duck Manny Pacquiao you are all complicit in perpetrating the fraud known as Floyd Mayweather.

Boxing fans who were ecstatic before at the potential of a Pacquiao vs. Mayweather super-fight, are now even more eager than ever to witness the history-making boxing event. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are not only among the elite fighters between 135-147 pounds they are the best. This would be a far cry from the young hungry lion vs. the over-the-hill veteran that boxing assuredly produces on a yearly basis dressed neatly as drama. Nor would it be a fighter getting the experience he needs to compete at the next level. This would be a prime time boxer against prime time puncher.

Both fighters fully understand their bodies, their training, their skill levels, their range, the positives and negatives of their fight styles. They sit atop everything that makes their particular fight styles possible. Manny Pacquiao with his grit, power, thirst and passion. Floyd Mayweather with his speed, defense, boxing mind and zeal. What more could they attain to make the fight any better?

We are typically force-fed excuses when significant matches aren’t made. Its either he hasn’t fought anyone significant or that they aren’t a big enough name yet. On occasion, fighters have even taken stealthy positions behind their management/promoters to avoid fighters. That wouldn’t be the case here. Everything that they will possibly ever know about boxing they’ve learned and committed to memory. The time is primed for both fighters.

For Mayweather and Pacquiao there isn’t a higher level of training, another grade of boxing knowledge or frankly a bigger payday. Unlike many other fights this is that rare fight where money won’t be a hurdle. There will be millions upon millions to be carved up. Venues from Las Angeles to Las Vegas to New York to the Philippines would bid often and early. 

 

Stadiums, arenas, reservations and casinos alike would campaign for the opportunity to be the host site. Sponsorship dollars from the world’s largest and most lucrative corporations would pour in. Television and radio stations would line up for interviews. Media outlets from the four corners of the world would request media credentials. I would estimate the payday to be $25-35 million each!

According to Manny Pacquiao’s official website, he is “willing to consider” taking a blood test 14 days before the fight, as Floyd Mayweather insisted last year (Pacquiao previously refused to bend on the 24-day testing used at the Olympics). If Manny Pacquiao concedes to 14 days, it’s up to Mayweather to make this happen. He’d look like a giant fraud if he changed his demands to a week or the day of the fight.

Who R U Picking? Mayweather vs Mosley Fight

The most exciting boxing bout between undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley is scheduled on Saturday May 1, 2010. For Floyd Mayweather Jr. his fight against Shane Mosley next month on May 1st might just well be the pinnacle of his career. It’s sad to say, but I think this could be the final really large mega fight of Mayweather’s career. He’s not likely to face Manny Pacquiao in the near future or every because of Mayweather’s demands that Pacquiao take the Olympic style random blood tests, which Pacquiao is totally against and not likely to give into to satisfy Mayweather.

Without a fight against Manny Pacquiao taking place, there really isn’t anyone else with a big enough name to make a huge fight with Mayweather. Heck, it took Mayweather 14 years of his career before he finally faced Mosley. Mayweather probably won’t be taking on any other dangerous fighter like Mosley for the remainder of his career. There really isn’t any big names in the welterweight other than Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao. 

The Undercards

Before the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley happens there will be several top boxing contenders who will show us their skills inside the ring. In the welterweight division, unbeaten Saul Alvarez, 19 years old will fight against the veteran contender Jose Miguel Cotto, the brother of Miguel Angel Cotto in a bout of 10-rounds. In a featherweight match ex-World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon will fight against Cornelius Lock, also in a 10-round bout. Welterweight Hector David Saldivia will take on Said Ouali in another 10-round bout.

Mayweather - Mosley Score Cards

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a 40 wins 0 losses with 25 KOs record in 5 division championships while Sugar Shane Mosley has 46 wins, 5 losses and 39 KOs in 3 division championships. With their impressive records, the boxing fans are sure to get an exciting fight between two great fighters

For Floyd Mayweather Jr. always makes sure he has an edge on his opponents. If the guy has speed, he doesn’t have the willpower (Judah). If the guy is bigger, he had better be slower or rustier (De la Hoya and Baldomir). Best of all, Mayweather likes to fight guys his size or smaller. Shane Mosley is none of these things, although Mayweather is clearly banking that he is.

For his part, Sugar Shane Mosley might have lost to Cotto, but only two opponents have truly beaten him: Winky Wright and Vernon Forrest. What those two had in common were substantial advantages in height, reach and overall size coupled with a tight point defense. 

Mayweather is a defensive master, but he uses footwork, head movement and the shoulder roll to stay out of trouble. He also is not bigger than Mosley. Ergo, the two things that give Mosley the most trouble are not a part of Mayweather’s arsenal.

Mayweather - Mosley Tickets

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley tickets are available at www.mgmgrand.com and www.ticketmaster.com for $1250, $1000, $600, $300 and $150. Service charges are not included in the price so be sure to bring in some extra cash to your pocket. Tickets priced $300 and above are limited to be sold at 10 per person and those tickets that are priced at $150 are limited to 2 per person. You can also call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 if you want to charge the payment with a major credit card.

Edwin Valero Wants To Fight With Manny Pacquiao

Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero, who committed suicide on Monday in a jail where he was held for killing his wife, was a "sensational" fighter who was being groomed to fight the boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, promoter Bob Arum said who co-promoted Edwin Valero's last two bouts, told Reuters that Valero (27-0) would have made an outstanding opponent for world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, another of his fighters.

A 28 year old Edwin Valero was the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title though it had recently declared him "champion in recess" after being detained in March for mistreating his wife and then receiving treatment for alcohol abuse. Bob Arum said he did not know Edwin Valero very well, but despite hearing rumors of drug and alcohol troubles for the Venezuelan had not seen evidence of that himself during several meetings. 
 

"He was a sensational fighter, sensational, He was just electric. A complete crowd-pleasing style. I was grooming him as a great future opponent for Manny Pacquiao. That would have been a sensational fight." Bob Arum said in an interview from his Las Vegas office.

"The times I met with him, he was very polite, very reasonable, I had heard stories about drug and alcohol abuse ... but I never realized the magnitude of it. The few times I met with him he seemed perfectly normal." Promoter Bob Arum added.

 Some skeptics may suggest that it is a particularly convenient excuse as Margarito would provide extremely stiff opposition for Manny Pacquiao. Although, that is not the only contentious issue, there seems to be a difference of opinions between Freddie Roach which is Manny Pacquiao’s promoter and Bob Arum who was very keen on Manny Pacquiao meeting Margarito whose also promoted by Bob Arum’s “Top Rank” promotions as his next opponent.

As much as boxing fans have expressed their desperation to see Manny Pacquiao vs. Edwin Valero (27-0-0). However, Manny Pacquiao has a wealth of experience, has fought at the highest level for many years and Edwin Valero is still considered as being relatively untested. Edwin Valero’s last outing against Antonio DeMarco certainly showed his potential against a higher caliber of opponent, but Manny Pacquiao is the top fighter in boxing and Edwin Valero has a long way to go before he can consider himself a true contender to Manny Pacquiao’s Pound for Pound crown.

The Venezuelan boxer Edwin Valero boasts an incredible record, with all of his wins coming by way of knockout, no matter what is said about his potential frailties his record should not be taken lightly, regardless of the opponents he has faced to date.

Bob Arum may not be as enthusiastic about this fight as Freddie Roach, Edwin Valero is surely Arum’s future poster boy and having him systematically taken apart by Manny Pacquiao might not be the best idea. Having said that Edwin Valero has been very vocal in wanting to fight Manny Pacquiao and now that Roach has mentioned his name, the word will travel and I am positive Edwin Valero will pressure Bob Arum to make that fight happen.