A dispute over doping test rules for the planned showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather has jeopardised the long-awaited welterweight showdown, promoters claimed. It’s uncertain, however, whether the testing issue is simply an over-hyped negotiating ploy aimed at Pacquiao or truly a deal-breaker that could scuttle a fight with the potential to be the biggest boxing moneymaker of all time.
Floyd Mayweather’s camp have claimed the American’s planned fight with Manny Pacquiao is “in jeopardy”. Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said Pacquiao’s promoters Top Rank have stated that the Filipino fighter will not agree to blood-testing in the 30 days prior to the fight, which has been expected to take place in March.
Heavyweight hitters Derek Chisora and Matt Skelton are both promising explosive performances when they meet in a classic crossroads fight on February 13th at Wembley Arena. The pair will slug it out for the Vacant Southern Area title on Frank Warren’s first action-packed show of the new decade featuring British Champions Kevin Mitchell and Kell Brook.
Floyd Mayweather Jr has promised to knock Manny Pacquiao out when boxing’s biggest stars clash next year. Unbeaten American Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) and Philippines hero Pacquiao (50-3, 38 KOs) are set to meet in 2010, subject to the fighters finalising contracts for a March 13 welterweight clash at a venue to be decided.
Espino nails Pavlik with a nice left hook when Pavlik tries to shake hands. Espino comes forward but it taking punishment from Pavlik, hooks to the body and head and a left. Pavlik drills a left hook to the body that Espino feels. Espino, meanwhile, has been going to the body himself. Jabs and rights are moving Espino. Pavlik drills a left to the body and a right to the body. Espino has his hands held high around his ears as he walks forward.
Edwin Valero retained his WBC lightweight title by stopping Hector Valzquez on Saturday night. The challenger failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, the first time he has failed to go the distance since a TKO by Manny Pacquaio in 2005.
Kelly Pavlik retained his WBC and WBO middleweight titles with a fifth-round stoppage of Miguel Espino at his hometown Beeghly Centre in Youngstown, Ohio on Saturday. Pavlik, whose record is now 36 wins and one defeat from 37 fights, with 32 knockouts, forced Espino’s corner to throw in the towel.
Amir Khan made a hugely successful first defence of his WBA light-welterweight title by crushing the unbeaten Dmitriy Salita in just 76 seconds in Newcastle on Saturday night. The 22-year-old from Bolton won the title with victory over Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in July less than a year after his shocking first-round defeat by unknown Colombian Breidis Prescott.
Former Olympic light-heavyweight champion Andre Ward won Mikkel Kessler’s WBA super-middleweight title with a technical decision over the Dane in California. The fight, part of the Super Six tournament, was stopped in the 11th round because of a cut to Kessler’s face.
Manny Pacquiao delivered yet another astonishing performance on Saturday night to batter Miguel Cotto to defeat in Las Vegas and win a title in a seventh weight division. The Filipino phenomenon (now 50-3-2) claimed the WBO welterweight belt by reducing Cotto to a bloody mess with a blistering display before referee Kenny Bayless rescued the Puerto Rican and waved the bout off 55 seconds into round 12.
