BoxingBB - All Forums

Mayweather-Mosley, Hopkins-Jones To Hit Movie Theaters

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:39:53 -0500

Mayweather-Mosley, Hopkins-Jones To Hit Movie Theaters
Posted by: NCM Fathom on 03-17-2010.

Centennial, Colo. – NCM Fathom, a division of NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology, has reached a new agreement with Golden Boy Promotions to continue presenting live world championship boxing on the big screen in high definition throughout 2010. The first bout in the 2010 series will be The Rivals: Hopkins vs. Jones II featuring Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins vs. Roy “The Terminator” Jones, Jr., presented in more than 150 select movie theaters in high definition LIVE from Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday, April 3 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern / 6:00 p.m. Pacific. The new agreement follows the highly successful cinema presentation of the Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez fight on the big screen in September 2009 – the first fight to be shown in movie theaters in over 20 years.

Tickets are available to The Rivals: Hopkins vs. Jones II special in-theater event at http://www.FathomEvents.com and presenting theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“Our experience of bringing big-time boxing back to the movie theaters was a great success for everyone – especially the fans!” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Along with our partners at NCM, we look forward to building on that momentum and offering the best fights in the business in a spectacular hi-def environment.”

After 17 years, the wait is over as Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) and Jones (54-6, 40 KOs), two of boxing's most decorated and recognizable fighters, will put it all on the line and leave no doubts as to who gets the bragging rights. On May 22, 1993, Hopkins and Jones fought for the vacant IBF middleweight belt, the first shot at a world title for both fighters. The fight, which Jones won by unanimous decision, was a hard fought contest that set the stage for both fighters' respective paths to boxing stardom. Jones went on to win titles in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and his historic heavyweight championship. Hopkins, who claimed Jones' vacated IBF middleweight title in 1995, didn't lose another fight for 12 years following his battle with Jones. While Jones ruled as pound-for-pound best for the better part of a decade, Hopkins took advantage of his middleweight crown by setting a record of 20 defenses and solidifying his place as one of the greatest middleweight fighters in the history of the sport.

“Tens of thousands of boxing fans around the country proved they have an appetite for seeing boxing on the big screen as they enjoyed the larger-than-life, ringside experience of the Mayweather vs. Marquez in-theater event last September,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of Fathom. “This exclusive partnership with Golden Boy Promotions allows Fathom to continue to present the biggest boxing events of 2010 to communities of fans nationwide and Hopkins vs. Jones promises to be a true classic to start the year.”

Broadcast live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, The Rivals: Hopkins vs. Jones II will be shown in more than 150 select movie theaters including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Marcus Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as the Carolina Theatre, Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

At 45 years young, Hopkins is still rated among the top pound for pound best in boxing. After his victory over Segundo Mercado in 1995 for the IBF middleweight title, Hopkins' momentum began to build as he scored victories over quality contenders. The 2000s defined Hopkins' career starting with his win over Keith Holmes in April of 2001 in the opening round of the Middleweight Unification Tournament followed by a stunning 12th round stoppage of Felix "Tito" Trinidad on September 29, 2001 at Madison Square Garden. Following four more defenses of his middleweight crown, Hopkins faced Oscar de la Hoya in 2004. His ninth round knockout of "The Golden Boy" allowed Hopkins to attain his 19th title defense - setting a record and making him the first fighter to hold the belt of all four major sanctioning organizations at the same time, as well as the Ring Magazine title. In 2006, Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight for the first time in his career to defeat Antonio Tarver for The Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight World Championship. With his most recent win, a dominant performance over Enrique Ornelas, Hopkins showed the world that age is nothing but a number.

Roy Jones Jr.'s storied career has had countless defining moments which have catapulted him to being a household name. Jones was unstoppable in the 90's as he stunned his opponents with incredible speed and relentless power. He made history on March 1, 2003, when he thwarted then-heavyweight champion John Ruiz to become the first former middleweight champion to win the heavyweight title in more than 100 years. After taking John Ruiz' heavyweight crown, Jones dropped down to light heavyweight in order to take on Florida rival Antonio Tarver on November 8, 2003. He captured a split decision victory, but suffered consecutive defeats to Tarver and a surprising loss to Glen Johnson. Jones came back to score wins in his next two fights, setting up a highly-anticipated dual with Felix "Tito" Trinidad at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2008. A renewed Jones looked sharp and focused, flooring an overmatched Trinidad twice, breezing to a unanimous decision win. Jones returned to Madison Square Garden later that same year and after 12 hard fought rounds came up short against future Hall of Famer Joe Calzaghe. Jones defeated his next two opponents but suffered a devastating first-round knock-out loss on December 2 against Australia's Danny Green. As Jones is disputing the loss, he remains confident he can overcome this recent defeat, and take on Hopkins with that same boxing prowess that he has been known for throughout his record-setting career.

Through this new agreement, Fathom in conjunction with Golden Boy Promotions will also present Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. “Sugar” Shane Mosley in the welterweight championship fight on Saturday, May 1. Tickets will be available beginning Friday, April 2.

The hot first half of 2010 has cooled down.

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:34:56 -0500

What appeared to be a loaded first half of the year is quickly turning into disappointment. Pull outs, greed, contract disputes , injuries and natural disasters have all wreaked havoc on a once promising boxing schedule for early 2010.

The mega fight that should have been signed and still being hyped will never happen. Throw in the Haiti disaster that canceled Berto vs Mosley. Two super six fights have been postponed and one of the participants has pulled out completely. The best ESPN2 card on paper in over a year is now off. Don't forget King was also behind Cloud mysteriously getting injured and pulling out of the HBO Johnson fight. Last and maybe least Nonito Donaire's original opponent also was scrapped and had to be replace last second.

To top it off this weekend we have the Heavyweight champion of the world defending his title and its nowhere to be found on American TV. Klitschko's camp has announced that the fight will be available in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico exclusively at http://www.klitschko.com.

Don King is quickly moving back up the ranks as worst promoter in boxing. The past few years Arum has easily held this title but with King single handily preventing four solid fights this spring. King jumps back to the top two on my list.
Cloud vs Johnson , The solid ESPN2 Doubleheader & the ridiculous demand that Valuev be paid 4 million instead of taking the 2.5 million for the Vitali fight are four fights that King prevented.

Don't get me wrong all is not lost and we still have a solid schedule to look forward to(barring anymore cancellations). But things could have been alot brighter so far.

You know why doesnt Hopkins vs Jones PPV or Erik Morales comeback get canceled? Just our luck.

Which fighter of recent years would you like to have seen fight in the past?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:19:56 -0500

If you could take a modern day fighter and throw him in the past which fighter would it be and which era?

I would love to have seen Tyson fight in the late 60s/early 70s against the likes of Liston, Foreman, Frazier, Ali, Patterson, Norton etc.

I'd love to have seen both Floyd and Pacquiao fight in the 70s/80s. It would've been great to have seen them both fight against the likes of Zarate, Chavez, Olivares, Napoles, Nelson, Gomez, Sanchez, Arguello, Pryor, Taylor etc. Aswell as the likes of Duran, Leonard and Hearns. Hagler would've been a bit too big i think. If any two guys could fight this lot it is Floyd and Pacquiao. Floyd has fought in 5 weight divisions and Pacquiao has fought up 10 (fought in 8 of them as he jumped past superflyweight and bantamweight).

Also, i'd like to have seen RJJ fight in the 40s/50s in the era of tough middleweights like SRR, Olsen, Graziano, LaMotta, Fullmer, Zale, Basilio and great light-heaviyweights like Moore, Charles, Maxim.

Who wins among Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:40 -0500

Who wins among Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao?

The three most-talked-about fighters in the world might be Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, for obvious reasons.

Mayweather was supposed to have fought Pacquiao this month in a mammoth promotion but negotiations collapsed over drug testing. Mayweather then chose to fight Mosley in what will be the biggest fight of the year. And, if there’s any common sense in the world, the winner will fight Pacquiao next.

Who wins these fights, either real or speculative?

RingTV.com asked four respected trainers -– Joe Goossen, Ronnie Shields, Buddy McGirt and Robert Garcia -- to give their thoughts on the three possible matchups: Mayweather-Mosley, Pacquiao-Mayweather and Pacquiao-Mosley.

Here’s what they had to say.

MAYWEATHER vs. MOSLEY

Joe Goossen: I like Shane Mosley in this fight. He’s quick handed and fast on his feet. Mayweather is quick handed and fast on his feet except he’s half the man Shane is sizewise. Shane Mosley has fought 160 pounders and fared quite well. He beat (Oscar) De La Hoya when he was De La Hoya. He took on a giant Antonio Margarito and beat him at his own game, the inside, Mexican-style game. And no one does that against Margarito. I know everyone thinks Mayweather will win. Well, everyone thought Margarito would beat Shane. I just think Mayweather doesn’t punch enough. He can pop you here and there, move here and there, play cat and mouse and wear you down against a good or very good opponent. But Shane is a cut above.

Ronnie Shields: I think Mayweather is going to win a close decision. Shane will come at Floyd. Floyd won’t have to look for him. Shane has to put a lot of pressure on Floyd to win; he has to throw a lot of punches to try to outwork Floyd. I don’t see that happening. I think Floyd will hold him, walk him around, stand on the ropes, let Shane thrown punches and catch them on his arms and then counter punch him all night long. It might be a different story if Shane moved around the ring like he used to. He’s older now, though; he can’t do that. The only way Shane can catch him and hurt him would be with the left hook and Floyd never drops his right hand. Shane won’t hurt him with his right. It has to be the left hook. And I don’t see him touching Floyd with it.

Buddy McGirt: I go with Mayweather because of his speed. Guys with speed have given Mosley a little trouble. I think Shane will try to come in and try to overpower him. That’s a mistake. Mayweather has a way of getting you to dance to his beat. What happens when Mosley comes in? Mayweather strips and counters. You can’t stand in front of Shane; he’ll kill you if you do that. He has trouble with fast guys, though, guys like Vernon Forrest. If they fought eight, nine years ago, it would be a different ball game. Margarito was tailor-made for him, like me fighting a heavy bag. Shane can still fight. And he has an experienced trainer in Naazim Richardson. I’m quite sure he’ll have very good strategy. Floyd will make adjustments, though. He’s very good at that. He’s just a natural fighter.

Robert Garcia: I like Shane as a person. He’s been a friend of mine since the amateurs. I would love to see him win. But this is a difficult fight. Mayweather is very, very difficult to hit. He’s a great defensive fighter and very quick at the same time. It all depends on which Mosley shows up. The Mosley who fought Margarito looked great. He fought the perfect fight and showed he’s still one of the best pound for pound in the world. The one who fought (Ricardo) Mayorga didn’t look so good. I think he’ll give Mayweather a hell of a fight but I still give the edge to Mayweather. His defense, his speed, he’s awkward. I think Mayweather will win a decision.

PACQUIAO VS. MAYWEATHER

Joe Goossen: Mayweather wants nothing to do with Pacquiao. Certain guys give other guys the willies. I think Pacquiao gives him the willies. He’s Professor Moriarty to Sherlock Holmes. No. 1, Mayweather isn’t enamored with fighting southpaws. No. 2, Manny Pacquiao is very hard to discourage. And No. 3, Manny Pacquiao does not stop punching. He hits you in the arms, the ribs, the hip, anywhere he can. And he’s very accurate. He’s constantly on you, like a barnacle. You can’t get rid of him. No one respects Floyd Mayweather like I do but I call it as I see it. Mayweather can crack but I don’t think his punches come often enough. It might’ve been different when Pacquiao didn’t use his right hand. It’s too late for that, though: Pacquiao has learned how to fight.

Ronnie Shields: I just think Mayweather’s defense is too good. Manny throws more punches but he’s not going to land more punches. This’ll be a close fight either way it goes. Do you go with the aggressor, Pacquiao, or do you go with the guy landing the cleaner, harder punches, Mayweather? I think I’d go with Mayweather. Manny will have to make the fight, to come through Floyd, and that could play right into Floyd’s hands. Floyd will block and counter effectively. Floyd will stand and wait, wait, wait, and when Manny comes in, Floyd will hit him. I think Manny’s defense is a little better than Shane’s. You can’t miss Shane. It’s a pick ‘em fight. It depends what kind of fighter you like.

Buddy McGirt: I think Mayweather will win if he has the right strategy. You gotta punch when Pacquiao punches. (Juan Manuel) Marquez showed the way to beat Pacquiao. If you wait for him to get done punching, he’ll be gone. Floyd is very smart, though; so is Pacquiao. I just think Floyd is better. And he’s very fast. You don’t know how fast until you’re in the opposite corner. I was in Arturo’s (Gatti) corner. His speed is unbelievable. I think Pacquiao would run into counters. And once Floyd gets you to dance to his beat, he’s got you. A perfect example is Zab Judah. Judah won the first four, five rounds. Once Floyd figured him out, though, it was over.

Robert Garcia: I think Pacquiao beats Mayweather. Pacquiao throws a lot of punches. I don’t think he would knock Mayweather out. Mayweather is a good defensive fighter. Mayweather doesn’t throw as many punches as Pacquiao, though. I think Pacquiao will outpunch him three, four punches to one. I don’t think it’ll be like the (Joshua) Clottey fight; it won’t be easy. But I think Pacquiao wins a decision. I think Pacquiao will throw three-, four-punch combinations and move side to side. Mayweather doesn’t throw that many punches. I think there’ll be times he’ll take the combinations and not throw anything back. That should give Pacquiao the rounds.

PACQUIAO vs. MOSLEY

Joe Goossen: That’s a tough one. Mosley can punch. You saw where Clottey landed a couple of left hooks and right hands on Pacquiao. And he may have buzzed him a bit once or twice. Mosley would probably have to beat Mayweather to fight Pacquiao, which means he’d be coming in with a whole new set of confidence. And Shane has had some experience with southpaws, more than Mayweather. Pacquiao wouldn’t overwhelm Mosley. Shane isn’t a shrinking violet himself when it comes to throwing punches and Pacquiao knows it. A big, fast, strong guy like Mosley will be the biggest, fastest, strongest guy Pacquiao has fought and he really fights. Do I pick Mosley? I might if I were assured he hasn’t lost anything since his last fight. I can tell you this: Someone will get knocked out. Who? (Laughs.)

Ronnie Shields: That’s hard to pick. They really have the same style, although one is a southpaw (Pacquiao) and one is right handed. Again, though, Pacquiao’s defense is better than Mosley’s. I would have to go with Pacquiao for that reason. If this were Mosley at 135 pounds, I would say Shane Mosley any day of the week. At 147 pounds and … what is he, 38? … I have to go with the younger fighter because of defense and foot speed. This is a very entertaining fight. These guys both throw a lot of punches. I don’t think there’s a better fight in boxing right now than Manny Pacquiao against Shane Mosley.

Buddy McGirt: I think this would be a great fight. I don’t want to pick a winner. I just want to sit back and watch that one. Shane can still fight. He’s not the Shane of seven, eight years ago, though, so I lean a little toward Pacquiao. Shane is known for pulling upsets, though. So who knows? I know what Floyd does. He tries to out-slick you. Shane is going to bring it, and Pacquiao is going to bring it. I think Pacquiao’s edge is his speed. But if he sits in front of Shane too long, he could pay a price. Great fight.

Robert Garcia: I pick Pacquiao but I think it’ll be very close. Shane fights with his heart. He still wants to prove that he’s one of the best. He’s still hungry. He can stand in front of you, make you miss and then land counters. And Mosley can take a good punch, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mosley pulled it off. I know it’d be the best fight for the fans. It’s a more-interesting fight than Mayweather-Pacquiao, a real fight for true boxing fans.
_______________________________________________________________

I found this to be pretty interesting.

ESPN/DKP Dispute Kills doubleheader for March 26

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:23:06 -0500

ESPN/DKP Contract Dispute Kills Spinks/Bundrage Card

By Ryan Burton & Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com has confirmed that ESPN's scheduled doubleheader for March 26 is off. The show was going to feature one of the bigger doubleheaders to appear on the network in some time. In the main event, Cory Spinks was going to defend his IBF junior middleweight title against mandatory Cornelius Bundrage, and cruiserweights Steve Cunningham and Matt Godfrey were going to battle in the co-feature for the vacant IBF title.

From what BoxingScene was told, the ever lovable, and huggable, Doug Loughrey, the boxing program director for ESPN, had set a deadline of March 12 to finalize the terms for the show. Don King booked the event at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and the veteran promoter believed that everything had been agreed upon with the network. Very unexpectedly, Loughrey sent a list of contract revisions earlier this week, which came after the very deadline he set, and the show fell apart when a contractual dispute broke out between both sides.The doubleheader will be rescheduled to a later date.
---------
Damn, this promised to be a good card.

Tyson on Animal Planet

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:49:42 -0500

Heavyweight to featherweight: Tyson races pigeons

(AP)—Former world heavyweight champ Mike Tyson will take flight on Animal Planet with a new sport—pigeon racing.

The network this week announced a new reality show that will pit Tyson, a novice pigeon racer, against serious competitors.

The show is currently titled “Taking on Tyson” and promises to bring audiences inside this “intensely competitive and bizarrely fascinating world.”

Tyson has raised pigeons all his life but will take to the rooftops as a racing rookie. The network says he’ll be assisted by a colorful team of pigeon experts as he rears, trains and races them.

The show is scheduled to be taped this spring in New York City and air early next year.

Animal Planet is owned by Discovery Communications.

On the Net:

Animal Planet: http://www.animalplanet.com
------------

Clottey vs Azumah Nelson

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:42:17 -0500

Clottey Fires Back at Azumah Nelson Over Criticisms
By Mark Vester

Ghanaian Boxing Legend, Azumah Nelson, who is now the technical director of the Ghana Boxing Association, had a lot to say about the work of Joshua Clottey's corner during last Saturday's title fight. Speaking with Citi FM, he said Clottey's trainer Lenny de Jesus failed to do his job by not giving clear instructions to Clottey on how to beat Manny Pacquiao.

Clottey took offense to the comments. Speaking with Peace FM, Clottey said Nelson did nothing to help him; not even a phone call to wish him luck in the fight. Clottey told Nelson to shut his mouth because at this point his advice is no longer needed.

"Wouldn’t it have been nice for Azumah Nelson to call me and give me hope or advise me ahead of my fight? Even the ring announcers asked me whether any of them had called me to advise me or give me hope and I said no. None of them called me," Clottey said.

“As a technical director of boxing for a country, you failed to call your boxer and advise him or wish him luck ahead of his fight, then after the fight you start making your comments…I don’t need his opinion."
-----------

Yeah a phone call would have done a lot of good

Season V: Week 9 March 20

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:31:51 -0500

4 fights this week.

12 heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko 53(47)-3- vs Eddie Chambers 35(18)-1
~ IBF heavyweight title ~
~ WBO heavyweight title ~

12 heavyweight Johnathon Banks 23(16)-1 vs Travis Walker 34(28)-3-1

10 heavyweight Odlanier Solis 15(11)-0 vs Carl Davis Drumond 26(20)-2

12 light middleweight Deandre Latimore 20(16)-2

SC Sechew Powell 25(15)-2

Soto vs Peterson on Cotto-Foreman Undercard, on HBO?

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:19:09 -0500

Soto vs Peterson on Cotto-Foreman Undercard, on HBO?
Posted by: Mark Vester on 03-15-2010.

According to reports in Mexico, Humberto Soto will defend his WBC lightweight title against undefeated mandatory Anthony Peterson on the Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman undercard on June 5 at Yankee Stadium in New York. Soto won the vacant title last Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He won a unanimous twelve round decision over former champion David Diaz.

One report mentioned Soto-Peterson as being the possible "HBO televised" co-feature. Top Rank is talking with HBO about the possibility of adding that fight as the televised opener.

Happy Birthday bojado71 on your 37th Birthday!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:12 -0500

Its been 37 years!!! Happy Birthday bojado71 on your 37th birthday today! Enjoy!

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip.

~ BoxingBB Staff ~
http://boxingbb.com

Happy Birthday marvdave on your 42nd Birthday!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:09 -0500

Its been 42 years!!! Happy Birthday marvdave on your 42nd birthday today! Enjoy!

If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come true, because you deserve it all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

~ BoxingBB Staff ~
http://boxingbb.com

Happy Birthday bojado71 on your 37th Birthday!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:09 -0500

Its been 37 years!!! Happy Birthday bojado71 on your 37th birthday today! Enjoy!

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. -Reverend Larry Lorenzoni

~ BoxingBB Staff ~
http://boxingbb.com

Drunken Thugs

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:56:11 -0500

As some of you may know that i am currently training for my re-enrty into the British Army again, i was out last week on my daily run when i came across a gang of 8 drunken youths who for no reason when i passed them hit me with a bottle of vodka in the face and attacked me, when i realised what had happend i said to them ' what have you done that for ' then all of them came running towards me so i ran as fast as usain bolt to get away as there was too many of them, as i was running away i dropped my brand new i-phone which they later found, its just shows what people are like these days, all i was doing was getting fit to fight for my Queen and country !

Alice in Wonderland in 3D

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:54:41 -0500

I like this movie. My kid wanted to go 3D, so I agreed. I would recommend skipping the 3D becuase the visual gets lost in it. I thought it was a very interesting take on the classic tale. Johnny Depp was great as usual and the newcomer that played Alice was also very good. I wouldnt recommend it to a bitterman like saad. (LOL), but other than that, go check it it out

I give it a strong B

Happy Birthday Colombian Slugger on your 36th Birthday!

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:27 -0600

Its been 36 years!!! Happy Birthday Colombian Slugger on your 36th birthday today! Enjoy!

If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come true, because you deserve it all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

~ BoxingBB Staff ~
http://boxingbb.com

Nice video of Huck lol.

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:04:41 -0600

http://www.kombat.ro/box

Sam Peter vs Nagy Aguilera

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:14:32 -0600

Happy Birthday Paul on your 41st Birthday!

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0600

Its been 41 years!!! Happy Birthday Paul on your 41st birthday today! Enjoy!

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. -Reverend Larry Lorenzoni

~ BoxingBB Staff ~
http://boxingbb.com

Timothy Bradley vs Luis Abregu on HBO

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:12:13 -0600

Bradley reaches agreement with HBO

Dan Rafael

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., the No. 1-rated 140-pounder in the world since pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao's exit from the division, has been fighting on Showtime while rival HBO has been putting together fight after fight between all of his most significant potential opponents.

That left Bradley on the outside looking in at the big matches in his division -- until Thursday, when HBO reached an agreement with Gary Shaw, Bradley's co-promoter with Thompson Boxing, to bring him to the network, Cameron Dunkin, Bradley's manager, told ESPN.com.

Bradley's HBO debut will come June 26 on "Boxing After Dark" in a nontitle bout over the 140-pound division limit against welterweight brawler Luis Carlos Abregu (29-0, 23 KOs), who has been approved by the network. The fight will likely take place at the Agua Caliente resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif., just a few miles from Bradley's hometown of Palm Springs and where he has had his last two fights.

"Tim wants to fight the best 140-pounders in the world -- Amir Khan, Devon Alexander, [Marcos] Maidana, you name it," Dunkin said at the Gaylord Texan hotel, the fight headquarters for Saturday's Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight at Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington. "Hopefully, this is the start of getting those big fights."

It is, as long as he wins. HBO's intention is to put Bradley squarely into the mix of major fights at junior welterweight, where it has what amounts to an informal tournament going on.

Last week, HBO aired an Alexander fight for the first time and he scored a sensational eighth-round knockout of Juan Urango in a title unification bout, and it has plans to air Alexander's next fight, a possible showdown with Zab Judah this summer.

HBO also has three other important bouts in the division already on its schedule: March 27, when Maidana defends his interim belt against hot contender Victor Cayo and May 15, when Khan defends his belt against former titleholder Paulie Malignaggi with Victor Ortiz facing Nate Campbell in the co-feature. HBO is also talking with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum about a summer junior welterweight bout between undefeated former lightweight titlist Edwin Valero, who is moving up in weight, and Lamont Peterson.

Now, with Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) in the mix, HBO hopes a series of bouts can eventually crown a top dog at 140 pounds.

Dunkin said Bradley's title won't be at stake against Abregu because a top opponent was not available for the date, so he'll face Argentina native Abregu, who has also fought on Showtime, including his 10-round decision win against Richard Gutierrez in a slugfest last month.

"He's a really strong guy with a good chin and he's bigger than Tim. He's physical and puts on great fights," Dunkin said of the 27-year-old Abregu.

Said Sean Gibbons, Abregu's agent, "It's a great opportunity for Abregu to be on HBO. He's a bigger, stronger guy than Bradley and he's got nothing to lose by taking the fight. We can't wait."

Bradley, 26, outpointed England's Junior Witter to win a title in 2008. He unified two belts last April by surviving two knockdowns to win a unanimous decision against Kendall Holt, but was forced to vacate one of the belts.

In his most recent fight, Bradley scored a near-shutout of previously undefeated mandatory challenger Peterson in December.

Bradley had appeared numerous times on Showtime, including in his last five fights. However, Dunkin said the network did not have a contract with him, which allowed Shaw to make the deal with HBO.

"Timmy did not sign a thing with Showtime," Dunkin said. "He certainly appreciates what they have done for him and he loves Showtime, but he has to take this opportunity."
---------------

It looks like HBO has all the top 140 guys and Bradley was missing from the list. This makes for a great tourney even if they don't call it that. I am looking forward to Bradley vs Abregu because it will have fireworks. If anyone saw Abregu vs Gutierrez you know you are in for a treat because they guy is tough but flawed BUT he can bang. Of course the better boxer will win but it will be exciting.

7 rich athletes who lost their fortunes.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:29:39 -0600

Saw this on yahoo today. Two of these where boxers so thought I would post this here.

Seven costly pro athlete screw-ups

By Mark Riddix, Investopedia.com Mar 10, 1:58 pm EST

*

Almost 80 percent of National Football League players are flirting with bankruptcy two years after they retire, according to Sports Illustrated. NBA players aren’t faring much better. 60 percent of former National Basketball Association players end up broke within five years of retirement. Athletes squander millions of dollars due to bad decisions, lavish spending and poor financial planning. Here is a list of athletes that have lost their fortunes through some of the biggest financial blunders of all time.

Scottie Pippen

Known more for his on court defense than his off court business sense, former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen lost $120 million in career earnings due to poor financial planning and bad business ideas. Air Jordan’s sidekick blew $27 million on bad investments and spent $4.3 million on a Gulfstream II corporate jet.
More from Investopedia.com

Evander Holyfield

Four-time boxing champ Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield reportedly made over $250 million in cash during his boxing career, but despite this he reportedly is flat broke. Holyfield lost all his money by making “smart” business decisions look really foolish. You thought buying a house was a smart move? It normally is, but not when you buy a house the size of Rhode Island. Holyfield bought a $20 million house with over 54,000 square feet and 109 rooms. The house has 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, a movie theater, a bowling alley and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Imagine how much it must cost to cut the grass on all 235 acres! You could buy a Range Rover with the electric bill payment alone.

Lenny Dykstra

Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies star Lenny “Nails” Dykstra was a success on the baseball diamond, but in the business field Dykstra has struck out. Dykstra’s failed businesses include car washes, a magazine company, real estate investing and a stock trading website. According to Dykstra’s July 2009 bankruptcy filing, he owed more than $30 million to creditors, including his $18.5 million purchase of Wayne Gretzky’s home. The amazing part is that after two foreclosed homes and numerous failed businesses Dykstra is offering the investment advice that led him into bankruptcy for a mere $899 a year! In the investment world, it is often said that past history does not dictate future performance. Nevertheless, it’s pretty clear Dykstra isn’t the guy to go to for advice.

Latrell Sprewell

Look up the word “shortsighted” in the dictionary and you will see a picture of Latrell Sprewell. He famously turned down a $21 million contract because he said it wasn’t enough money to feed his family. Sprewell, who made over $96 million during his career, lost his $1.5 million dollar Italian yacht, named “Milwaukee’s Best”, in 2007. According to MSNBC, a U.S. marshal seized the yacht after Sprewell defaulted on his mortgage. His $5.4 million house went into foreclosure in May 2008. Don’t blame Sprewell for turning down the three-year, $21 million contract though. I mean really, who could live off a measly $7 million a year?

John Daly

Two-time PGA major champ John Daly gambled away between $50 and $60 million in career earnings, according to his 2006 autobiography. Daly once lost $1.65 million in five hours playing the slot machines at a casino. If you think that’s impressive, there’s more. Daly blew $1.2 million in a mere two hours and 30 minutes at a casino in Las Vegas. He just had his $1.6 million house foreclosed on. Did Daly quit gambling after blowing so much cash at the casino tables? Not by a long shot. Instead, he decided to downgrade from the $5,000 slot machines to the $100 and $500 machines. It looks in John Daly’s world, that is considered sound financial planning.

Jack Clark

Former professional baseball slugger Jack Clark was driven into bankruptcy in 1992 by his appetite for luxury cars. According to his bankruptcy filing, he owned 18 luxury automobiles, including a $700,000 Ferrari and a Rolls Royce. Clark was trying to pay 17 car notes simultaneously, and whenever he got bored with a car he would get rid of it and just buy another one. He ended up losing million-dollar homes and his drag-racing business because of his extravagant spending habits, but despite one of the most publicized bankruptcies in baseball, Clark reportedly got back on his feet in the late ’90s.

Mike Tyson

The king of them all is boxer Mike Tyson, who squandered a $350 million to $400 million dollar fortune. So what did “Iron” Mike spend his fortune on? Everything. He dropped half a million dollars on a 420-horsepower Bentley Continental SC with lamb’s wool rugs, a phone and a removable glass roof. It is one of only 73 Bentley Continental SCs ever built. The sad part is that’s not even the only Bentley that Tyson owned! He spent over $4.5 million dollars on cars alone. Throw in a $2 million dollar bathtub and $140,000 for two Bengal tigers and you can see why Tyson’s fortune is down for the count. He filed for bankruptcy in 2003.