Worcester's Edwin Rodriguez Fights Biggest Battle Outside Boxing Ring (Video)

Edwin Rodriguez had reason to believe he was going to be an Olympic boxer.

Rodriguez, a Worcester, Mass., native by way of the Dominican Republic, had established himself as one of the best super-middleweight boxers in the country and was a strong hopeful for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

But as he was preparing to do so, an event that usually brings joy to a man's life put his boxing career on hold and cost him an opportunity to fight in the Olympics.

That's because Rodriguez's wife, Stephanie Rapa, gave birth to the couple's twins, although she did so prematurely, only 23 weeks into her pregnancy in November of 2006.

The premature birth of the twins halted Rodriguez's training for the Olympic qualifying trials.

Rodriguez's manager, Larry Army, said that Rodriguez was "definitely one of the favorites to make the U.S. Olympic team."

But despite the young boxer's hopes and dreams of participating on the biggest stage, he knew what he had to do. He needed to be by his wife's side as their kids battled for their lives.

TO SEE THE VIDEO PLEASE GO TO NESN.COM

STADIUM SLUGFEST WAS A HIT(PUN INTENDED)

On a normal Saturday in June, Yankee Stadium is home to one of the best offensive teams in baseball. However, last Saturday, the fairly new ballpark may have boasted more hitting than all the Yankees' games thus far.

Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) squared off against Yuri Foreman (28-1, 8 KOs) in the first fight at the new Yankee Stadium, the first at a Yankees park in 34 years.

Entering this fight, many believed Cotto’s best days were behind him and Foreman’s awkward style would win out (this writer included). Instead, Cotto looked like the fighter of old -- the fighter that used to chop down his opponents with a vicious body attack, cut off the ring and suffocate his victim with punishment. Foreman did what he usually does -- dance, change direction and get off in quick bursts -- but he just didn’t have enough to keep the power-punching Puerto Rican off him.

Cotto had control from the opening bell. He cut the ring and he was scoring regularly with his jab, and he was successful landing hard-thudding shots throughout the night.

Foreman slipped in the seventh round and got up hobbling. According to The Associated Press, he tore his meniscus and stretched ligaments in his right knee.

His corner decided to continue with the fight into the eighth round only to suddenly have a change of heart partway through, throwing in the towel.

In a strange twist, referee Arthur Mercante Jr. decided that the towel was unjustified and the fighters could continue. So after ushering the crowd out of the ring, the fight went on.It was a strange move -- but not as surprising as when referee Frank Santore Jr. counted Kermit Cintron out against Sergio Martinez

TO READ THE REST VIST NESN.COM/BOXING

THREE FIGHTS FOR PACMAN

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT NESN.COM

It seems that, lately, Manny Pacquiao (51-3, 38 KOs) can't lose. It doesn't matter if he's fighting for a belt at 140 pounds, 147 pounds or a seat on the Philippines Congress. Even acid reflux is no match for this guy.

Now as happy as I am that Pacman has dreams outside the ring and is accomplishing them by getting involved in the Philippines political scene, I am also very saddened that the end of his boxing career is in sight. As the world watched to see if Pacquiao would get elected, Bob Arum was telling media outlets that he thought Pacquiao still had three fights left in him.

So that leaves us to make some decisions -- maybe not congressional decisions, but almost as important. What three fighters does Manny Pacquiao have to take on to close out his career?

Here are my choices.

1. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs)
OK, this is obvious. Bob Arum has said Pacquiao is fighting in November. A date of Nov. 13 has been pegged as a possible date for the superfight, and the world is collectively sending out good karma in hopes that it gets done. It's not often that the two all-around best boxers in the game are fighting around the same weight class. If this fight fails, it would not only be a huge money-making opportunity lost, but it would also open the floodgates for people to say, "It's another black eye on the sport of boxing."

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is coming off the best win of his career against Shane Mosley. Not only did Mayweather overcome a few rough moments in the third round after being wobbled by Mosley, but he also beat Mosley to the punch, walked the offensive fighter down and was somewhat entertaining. "Money May" looked so good against his 38-year-old opponent that the message boards, Twitter accounts and Facebook status updates were filled with boxing fans proclaiming what would happen to Pacman if a fight did indeed take place. To that, I reply with another boxing cliche: "That's why they fight the fight".

This fight needs to happen. It would be good for the sport, good for both fighters' legacies and, most of all, good for the fans who have stood by patiently while the two sides bickered like an old married couple.

2. Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs)
No matter the outcome of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight -- meaning win, lose, draw or doesn't happen -- I would like to see this matchup. Timothy Bradley is a no-nonsense, come-forward boxing machine. He first opened eyes when he took a split-decision victory over the awkward Junior Witter in enemy territory (England). He walked away with WBC light welterweight title and boatloads of respect from hardcore boxing fans.

Bradley has followed up that fight with nothing but impressive victory after impressive victory. He has beaten Edner Cherry, Kendall Holt, Nate Campbell and Lamont Peterson in the past two years. I would be willing to bet that there aren't many boxers who have faced that caliber of opposition lately, much less beaten them all. Bradley has also just joined the HBO ranks, which means he will start to get some recognition.

Bear with me as I toss out another one: "Pressure busts pipes." In the case of a Pacquiao-Bradley fight, I think "Pressure makes a diamond." Pacquiao doesn't back down, and neither does Bradley. Bradley seems to be built like the Energizer Bunny, never slowing down, never stopping and constantly banging away. You could name the fight after one of my favorite Tom Petty songs: "I Won't Back Down."

TO SEE THE REST OF MY LIST PLEASE GO TO NESN.COM/BRYAN-BRENNAN

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Has Speed, Youth on His Side for Bout With Shane Mosley

Going into a Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, the question for me isn’t about whether he will win. The questions are: Will he be tested? Will he start to crack? Will he be pushed to the point where he has to dig deep? Will I hear his trainer say, "We need these rounds"?

As a fight fan, you can’t help but love the fighters that can get through certain situations on nothing but heart and instinct. Guys who, for no good reason, continue to fight, claw and scratch their way to victory. Those are the guys who really touch you and make you so dedicated to supporting such a crazy sport. They make you believe that if they can overcome that insane adversity, then anything is truly possible.

Someone with the skill set of a Floyd Mayweather also makes you appreciate the finer points in a brutal sport like boxing. You see the chess match aspect of the sport come into play. You are at times mesmerized by the speed and finesse one human being can put on display. When I watch Mayweather fight, I am in awe of his talent, but that still isn't enough. I want to see the fight inside of him. He has achieved amazing things in this sport, and at times he has done it without breaking a sweat. I wouldn’t want Mayweather to fight in a different style, or try to become more fan-friendly in the ring. I just want to see him go beyond what we already know he can do.

Shane Mosley is easily one of the best fighters of this generation and arguably Mayweather's toughest opponent to date. He has the potential to take Mayweather to the limit, and he has the obvious tools and talent to beat the undefeated fighter. Can he be the guy who, as Nazim Richardson said, "forces Floyd to become a dragon?" Could he get the best out of Floyd? It all depends on Shane.

Let’s look at their last few fights: To Read The Rest Please Go To NESN.com

EDWIN RODRIGUEZ REEMERGES

I wrote a story on the Lowell Golden Gloves tournament at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in 2005 and had the privilege of meeting a few promising athletes. Danny O'Connor, Demetrius Andrade and Edwin Rodriguez were just three of the many boxers I spoke to that night. Because of their boxing skills, personality and potential, I kept an eye on their careers.

O'Connor went on to become an Olympic alternate at the Beijing Olympics and later turned pro in Manchester, N.H. He's now 10-0 with three knockouts and is headlining his first card Friday night at Twin River Casino in Rhode island.

Andrade was a medal hopeful in Beijing, but he bowed out of the Games unexpectedly. He is now a pro with a 9-0, seven-KO record, and has several national television appearances under his belt.

Even though I follow boxing pretty closely, I seemed to lose track, though, of Rodriguez, a smiley kid from Worcester who seemed so excited about the chance to go to the nationals.But when I finally caught up Rodriguez, I found out that between that Golden Gloves tournament and our latest meeting, it had been a long and bumpy road for the now 25-year-old fighter. But as difficult as it was, he says he wouldn't change it for anything.

Following the Lowell tournament, Rodriguez went on to win several national tournaments, including the U.S. Nationals that same year and the National Golden Gloves tournament in 2006. He seemed be on the same Olympic path as his fellow New Englanders O'Connor and Andrade. Then, in November of 2006, his fiancee, Stephanie Rapa, gave birth to twins, Edwin Jr. and Serena Lynn, 17 weeks premature. They were not in good health and had to be kept on life support. Edwin and Stephanie were faced with questions that no one should have to answer, especially new parents.

TO READ THE REST FOLLOW THE LINK....

HBO SPORTS PRESIDENT STILL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT A

MANNY PACQUIAO - FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. FIGHT

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey are squaring off on HBO pay-per-view on Saturday. It’s not for just a belt or payday, but for a much bigger future opportunity.

Pacquiao already had a gargantuan payday in his sights when a little squabble over needles crashed the party. The top pound-for-pound fighter eventually moved on and is slated to fight Clottey at the brand-new Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Sadly, no matter how good this fight might be, no one cares. All thoughts are still on a potential showdown between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

We caught up with HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg a few weeks ago. Greenburg was in Boston promoting a Larry Bird and Magic Johnson documentary, but he was more than happy to chat a little boxing and didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment that the superfight never came together.

"Again, we find ourselves in the scenario where we have to have a little bit of luck and both those fighters have to win," said Greenburg, who’s been at HBO since 1978.

This past winter, he was front and center for the collapse of what could have been the biggest fight in boxing. It was a present the television veteran wasn’t expecting.

"It ruined my Christmas vacation, to be honest with you." Greenburg said. "I was on the phone probably four or five hours a day trying to make it happen."

PLEASE READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT NESN.COM

JOHN RUIZ TAKES ON DAVID HAYE APRIL 3RD

Two-time WBA Heavyweight champion and Massachusetts native John Ruizis getting another title shot.

Ruiz will be taking on current WBA Heavyweight champion David Hayeon April 3rd in Manchester, England. It was Haye who defeated Nikolay Valuev for the WBA strap back in November after Ruiz (the No. 1 contender) agreed to step aside and fight the winner.

"The Quiet Man" stopped by the South Boston Boxing Gym for a quick workout but as I soon found out, he's not all that quiet once you get him going. And unlike some people, he has not lost faith in the Patriots, as we dished on everything from his upcoming fight to his first car.

NESN.com: How have you changed after fighting over in Germany the past few years?

Ruiz: Yeah definitely people haven’t noticed. People think I have retired already because they haven’t seen me fight; I’ve been fighting over in Germany the past three or four years. It was a good experience, the fans were great -- I just never got a break with the decisions. I’m looking forward to moving on and fighting David Haye in England.

NESN.com: Tell me a little bit about David Haye.

Ruiz: David Haye is definitely a quick guy, he’s not going to be easy to corner him. He likes to move around a lot. The main thing is try to cut the ring off, and stay on top of him. He’s a perfect style for me because his most difficult fights are the people who basically stay on top of him and make him fight. That’s my kind of style, and I think I have a good chance.

TO READ THE REST GO TO NESN.COM/BOXING...

New England sports fans are categorized several different ways. We are, of course, a Red Sox Nation and a hockey town, but we also happen to bleed green. Plus, as Robert Kraft put it, "We are all Patriots."

But people are forgetting that this area also has a great tradition of boxing.

New England has paved the way for some of boxing's greatest and most memorable athletes. Rocky Marcianois a legendary heavyweight, and the only champion to retire undefeated.Marvin Hagler is not only one of the best middleweights of all time, but his third round TKO over Tommy Hearns is a fight that will be talked about forever. We also have to give major props to Lowell's Micky Ward for giving us a splendid career as well as three devastatingly amazing fights against Arturo Gatti.

More recently, the Northeast has spit out quite a few promising pro prospects, including Matt Godfrey, Edwin Rodriguez, Peter Manfredo Jr., Jason Estrada, Danny O'Conner and Demetrius Andrade.

What do all these fighters have in common? They have all gone through the New England Golden Gloves tournament. The Gloves has been a tradition in New England since 1964 and sells out the Lowell Memorial Auditorium year in and year out.

Continue at nesn.com

Berto, Mosley, and Mayweather, Oh my!!

What happens next?

Pacquiao & Mayweather let boxing down.

A little over a month ago, I firmly believed the state of boxing was changing for the better. Thanks to the pressure of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), the demand from fans and the overall talent in boxing, great fights were being forced to happen, pay-per-views were diminishing and boxing fans were turning their frowns upside down.

The two best pound-for-pound fighters were planning to square off in March, and some fantastic fights were just over the horizon. I don't know about you, but my glass was full of optimism for the future of the sport.

Then, they did it to us again. Shame on us for falling for it.

Please read the rest of my article.

It's the year 2010 and there is no time to waste! Who do we need to see in the ring duking it over the next year?

I know we are focused on two people that refuse to get along, but I think there are a few fights that could happen in 2010 to take our mind off of the pound for pound knuckleheads.

Check out my list of 20 fights that I would like to see in 2010.....

Pacquiao - Mayweather off?

Last night Golden Boy Promotions sent out a press release stating that the Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight was in jeopardy due to the fact that Pacquiao was not willing to comply with certain areas of the Olympic style drug testing. According to the statement, Pacquiao doesn't want to have his blood taken too close to the fight (30 days) due to superstitions. The release made it seem as if this is a big sticking point and the fight could be ruined because of it.

In the release Mayweather added ""I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken, because frankly I don't know anyone who really does," said Mayweather. "But in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA."

Not one to be pushed around, Bob Arum has fired back, going as far as saying the fight is off and that "the plug is pulled."

"Mayweather proves that he’s a coward and he’s looking for a way out of the fight," Arum said. "The Nevada commission has been doing drug testing for the last 40 years. To appease Mayweather, we agreed they could do urine analysis any time they wanted. But Manny doesn’t want them to draw his blood when he’s in training because it weakens him."

Arum turned the blame completely around, saying the testing was only a way for Mayweather to find a way out of the fight.

"All they’re doing is harassing Pacquiao," Arum said. "I’m not going to allow it to happen. We’re willing to do urine analysis at random, even though we don’t have to do it under Nevada rules.

"I know deep down Mayweather doesn’t want the fight. He can take a walk."

To read my views and opinions please go to the main article........

Boxing's Naughty List of 2009

After going through some magazines and websites it seems like this is time of the year writers and fans give out their personal awards, make best of lists, and overall just recap anther year that just passed us by. I don't have any awards to give out and I feel like ten of something tends to be a bit too much, but five on the other hand is just right. So in celebration of Christmas I am going to make up a "Naughty and Nice" list of the sweet science in the year 2009. Usually when someone asks you what you want first, "Good news or the bads", I always start with the bad. Now as a boxing fan I usually don't like to get negative about the sport of boxing, but let's be honest... it is boxing. I promise though, I won't call dead or talk about how corrupt it is, there are plenty of other writers to bash the sport like that, I'm just going to cover the things that dissapointed me most this year.

The Naughty five of '09:

Honorable Mention:

Wasted Talent: As Robert DeNiro's character Lorenzo in A Bronx Tale said "the saddest thing in life is wasted talent". This year one of, if not the most exciting fighter to come up through the ranks over the past few year, James Kirkland was arrested on gun charges. In July Kirkland pleaded guilty to gun charges and was sentenced to federal prison for two years. I won't make a judgement on Kirkland because I know that we live in very different worlds, but that doesn't mean it isn't sad to see him sitting out his prime in a jail cell. Lorenzo was right, it truly is sad to see his talent wasted.

To see #'s 5 - 1 please check out the full article on nesn.com.........

DALLAS vs. VEGAS

So it has come down to Vegas or Dallas for the Manny Pacquiao - Floyd Mayweather showdown on March 13th. I am here to tell you that for the good of boxing this fight needs to be in Dallas. I completely understand that Texas has been known to have some bad decisions in the sport, but Vegas has had bad decisions too. What state hasn't?

As much as I loved watching the Miguel Cotto - Manny Pacquiao fight it wasn't as electric as a Ricky Hatton fight when he fought at the M.E.N Arena, or Lucian Bute when he fights in Montreal, and they don't even have to be taking on stellar competition. That because they have a decent following and have their fights in venues that actual fight fans can get tickets for. If you are putting on the biggest fight in the sport in years rational thought would be that you would want to put it in the biggest venue, right?

What does a boxing fan have to do to get in on a big time fight? Why do hardcore fans, the ones that pay the money and support the sport for years get punished when a big event comes around? True boxing fans deserve the chance to see this fight, and if it happens in Vegas you can forget about it. Cowboy Stadium is the only hope for Pac-maniacs and Floydians to see this fight in person.



Check out my full article on the subject.......

PACQUIAO IS WAPAKMAN!

As I've stated in previous blogs, I will never again go doubt Manny Pacquiao's boxing ability. On November 14th he showed the world what an incredible talent he is by dismantling a legitimate Welterweight champion in Miguel Cotto. Manny Pacquiao has to now be considered one of the best fighters of our generation, and he now lands himself in conversation about where on the list he is All-time.

I repeat, I will never doubt Manny Pacquiao in the ring ever again......... I will however laugh at his acting abilities all day long! Pacquiao's movie Wapakman is due to come out in the Philippines around Christmas, but I tend to believe he won't be getting very many offers from Hollywood after this. He looks like a cross between Great American Hero, and a little kid on Halloween, you know the kid that comes to the door and you feel bad for.

I guess it is a Sci-Fi comedy about an average man who develops super-powers. After watching the trailer I have to wonder if the comedy is intentional!

Check out the Wapakman trailer, let me know what you think.

Hype Hangover

IT'S UNFAIR TO TWO WORTHY FIGHTERS

As a die hard boxing fan it's not hard to get sucked up into the hype of a big time fight, especially one as solid as Pacquiao vs. Cotto. The difficult thing is dealing with the hangover. No not your typical booze induced headache of a hangover, more of a hype hangover.

If you are a boxing fanatic like me you spent the weeks leading up to fight just pouring yourself over every article, video, chat room, and friendly conversation that had anything to do with that fight. You watched every installment of HBO's 24/7, maybe even watched them twice. You wore out the Pacquiao - Cotto discussions with your girlfriend(probably didn't take long), you even bought bobble-heads of the fighters(I did, can't help it, I love both guys). The problem is that after the big night your brain is mush.

You have have done one of two things since Saturday: Gotten so obsessed with the fight that now all you care to read is recaps, and talk of a Pacquiao -Mayweather showdown, or you are just plain tired of reading about boxing. I understand how you feel, the hype to a big fight can wear any man down, but I am here to tell you it is unacceptable. Go splash some water on your face, take a nap, do some deep knee bends, whatever it is that you need to do to shake that hangover(perhaps eating something greasy can help in this instance too).

We have two fighters that need our support and attention now. Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler will square off in Oakland California Saturday night for the WBA Super-middleweight title. Almost any other month, or even week this would be a huge deal, but after the amazing performance that Manny Pacquiao put on in what was easily the most anticipated fight in years, this fight seems to have taken second fiddle. I have been referring to this fight as the "Christmas Baby Fight". I was born three days after Christmas, and because of that I have always been shorted on gifts, parties, and anticipation for my birthday. I feel for Ward and Kessler, I know what it's like to be the after thought to a bigger event(I like to think it has nothing to do with me as a person).

That should not be the case with this one. These are two of the best Super-middleweights in the world and they should not be ignored. This is the final fight of group stage one in Showtime's Super Six tournement, and these could be arguably the two best in the tourney.

Mikkel Kessler(42-1,32ko)

Monaco, Denmark

Kessler's rap sheet is much more impressive than that of Oakland's Ward. His only loss came at the hands of Joe Calzaghe two years ago(which is no shame, 46 others fell to Calzaghe too).Kessler has wins over Librado Andrade, Marcus Beyer, Eric Lucas, and Anthony Mundine. He has solid boxing ability, a granite chin, and what could be the best 1-2 in the biz.

Andre Ward(20-0,13ko)

Oakland, CA USA

Ward was the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, and started off his career at middleweight. He has yet to lose in his professional career, but the quality of names on his resume doesn't even close to the ones on Kessler's. Ward has wins against Rubin Williams, Jerson Ravelo, and his biggest win to date came against the brawling Edison Miranda. Ward is a smart fighter with fast hands, and outstanding athletic ability.

When Joe Calzaghe retired most thought Mikkel Kessler would be the heir apparent, but do to some promotional issues he ended up sitting out of the sport for most of 2009. He had one tune up fight back in September in Denmark before getting into the tournament. Ward on the other hand stepped up in 2009, taking on Edison Miranda; by far the toughest test of his career(he won by TKO in the 8th). Ward was pegged as a superstar after getting the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, but got wobbled a few times in early fights, took the slow road, and was beginning to test the patience of his fans. These days when it seems like too many fighters are in a hurry to fight for a title, Ward took his career slowly and carefully, now five years since he won his gold medal win Ward gets his first title fight.

THE FIGHT

The fight takes place in Ward's hometown of Oakland California, not a bad place to have your first title fight, just ask Carl Froch if being the hometown fighter has it's advantages(Froch beat Andre Dirrell in a close fight earlier this year in his hometown of Nottingham England). This is a tough fight to call, Kessler has the power to KO Ward, but Ward has the ring intelligence to move and box from the outside.

The questions: Can Kessler cut the ring down enough to corner Ward? Ward has the far superior hand-speed, but is that enough to keep Kessler off of him? Can Kessler win a decision in Oakland? Does Ward have the power to KO Kessler?

In the end I'm going to go with Ward to take a tight decision in what should be a great fight. I feel he will potshot the Dane from the outside and not let himself get caught against the ropes. I will say that if Kessler can force the fight and make Ward trade shots with him he could get the KO. Ward has shown a shaky chin at times and "The Viking Warrior" can drop that 1-2 combination like a hammer(just ask Marcus Beyer). That being said I don't think Ward will let Kessler set his feet and throw with as much pepper on his shots as he would like. Ward will use his superior hand-speed and outbox Kessler. Remember they are fighting in Oakland, so if it's close the fight is going to Ward. I also have to say I think this will be a much more entertaining fight than the Dirrel-Froch match-up. Dirrell at times fights as if he is afraid of fighting, while Ward doesn't mind mixing it up. I really think this could fight could go so many ways, but Ward is just so fast, and in his home town, that is a lot to overcome for the Dane. Either way I feel the winner Saturday could take the whole Super Six Tournament, and may very well be the best Super-middleweight in the world. If that isn't enough to shake your "Hype Hangover" I don't know what will, except maybe a Bloody Mary.

Two questions to close it out:

1. Who do you pick this weekend?

2. Who do you think will win the whole tourney?

Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr?

How did we get here?

I originally wrote this post back in May when Floyd came out of retirement, but I thought with a little updating it was perfect to repost.

Not too long ago it seemed like after every fight I watched the winning fighter would call out Floyd Mayweather Jr., while Experts and fans alike had differing opinions on who should get a crack at the reigning pound-for-pound champ. All signs now point to a show-down with the "little man that could" Manny Pacquiao. Did "Pretty Boy" actually help himself out by disappearing for a little while?


The names of Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Manny Pacquiao were all being thrown out there. Not to mention some thought Hatton deserved a second shot at the undefeated fighter. If Floyd hadn't retired would we have gotten to this point?

Here are some big fights that have lead to a Mayweather Jr. - Pacquiao showdown:


December 12th 2008: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ricky Hatton
Mayweather Jr. lands a perfect left hook on Ricky Hatton's jaw to knock him out in the 10th.

February 9th 2008: Carlos Quintana vs. Paul Williams
Quintana upsets Williams by unanimous decision, and takes his WBO title. We start to wonder if Williams was just a bit overrated.

March 15th 2008: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez II
In a spectacular fight Pacquiao walks away with a Split Decision win (many experts and fans thought it could have gone the other way, I had Pacquiao winning). It gives Pacquiao an edge against his arch nemesis with the win, either way I think most look forward to a third encounter.

April 24th 2008: Antonio Margarito vs. Kermit Cintron II
Margarito once again owns Kermit Cintron and KO's him 6 rounds. Cintron has lost a chance at Floyd with this outing. Margarito has the masses talking again.

June 6th 2008: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Retirement
The retirement would cancel the upcoming Delohaya-Mayweather II bout scheduled for September. Oscar is left without an obvious Mega-fight and has to look outside the welterweights.

June 7th 2008: Paul Williams vs. Carlos Quintana II
Williams erases the only defeat from his record with the one round destruction of Carlos Quintana, Williams is back in our good graces.

June 28th 2008: Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz
Pacquiao successfully moves up in weight and has arguably the best showing of his career by thoroughly dismantling 135lb champ David Diaz inside of 9 rounds. Word on the street is Paquiao is the new pound-for-pound champ.(Does that sound hip?)

July 26th 2008: Antonio Margarito vs. Miguel Cotto
Margarito stops Miguel Cotto in the 11th round of a spectacular fight. Cotto suffers his first loss, and is no longer seen as the unstoppable machine he had looked like in his past few bouts.

September 13th 2008: Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Joel Casamayor
Marquez takes on cagey southpaw veteran Joel Casamayor in his first fight at Lightweight, and takes him out in the 11th of a solid fight. Marquez continues his climb up the pound-for-pound ranks, and stalks a third fight with Pacquiao.

September 27th 2008: Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga
Shane Mosley KO's Ricardo Mayorga in the last seconds of surprisingly entertaining twelve round fight. The scorecards were pretty close, and it seemed as if Mosely was finally starting to show some signs of aging.

December 6th 2008: Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar Delahoya
Pacquiao man-handles the much bigger Oscar Delahoya, and gets the TKO in the 8th round. Pacquiao sends Delahoya into retirement, and is now widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. (Many considered him before, but after this fight there was no question).

January 24th 2009: Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito
Shane Mosley puts on one of the best performances of his career and goes almost untouched while delivering an embarrassing beating to Antonio Margarito, stopping him in the 9th. Previous to the fight Margarito was found to have padding in his hand-wraps, it was later revealed those pads were indeed Plaster-of-Paris. This puts into puts into question all of his previous wins.

February 28th 2009: Juan Manual Marquez vs. Juan Diaz
Marquez would put on a stellar performance in what would be a front runner for fight of the year, stopping Diaz in the 9th. Marquez continues his rightful quest to take on Pacquiao for a third time.

April 11th 2009: Paul Williams vs. Winky Wright
Williams completely out hustles and out classes the usually hard to handle Winky Wright, taking home a one-sided unanimous Decision. This was just the 3rd time Williams has fought over the Welterweight limit and his 2nd fight at Middleweight. Williams has been so good at Middleweight, do we really want him to move down again?

May 2nd 2009: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton
Pacquiao shows the world why he is now called the best fighter in the world. He may have sent his second superstar into retirement, this time with a flush left hook to the jaw in the 2nd round. Ricky Hatton can kiss his rematch with Floyd Jr. goodbye.

July 18th 2009: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Mayweather steps out of retirement and steps back in the ring to take on another pound for pound ranked fighter in Juan Manuel Marquez. Floyd was the much bigger fighter, but Marquez was still a tough test considering Floyd had been off for two years. Mayweather puts on an amazing display off boxing skill for twelve rounds. He completely out boxes another master technician and announces to the boxing world he is back and ready to reclaim his thrown as pound for pound king.

November 14 2009: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto
In a bold move Pacquiao stays at the around the Welterweight division and challenges for his record seventh world title against what is by most to be considered his toughest test.(I thought he would simply wait for Mayweather to beat Marquez). Pacquiao dominates and punishes the bigger fighter in Cotto, and proves to boxing fans that he is not just a great fighter, but an all-time great fighter. Pacquiao continues a streak unlike anything I've ever seen, stopping his fourth world class fighter in a row.


TBA: Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
I don't think I'm going out on a limb by saying that this one will get done. This is the fight that fans, fighters, and even my mom wants to see. There is too much money to be made for both fighters and evreyone involved in the event for this not to happen.

So there you have it, some of the big things that have happened in boxing between "Pretty Boy's" destruction of Hatton and Pacquiao's instant classic against Cotto. If I had said a few years ago that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. should fight people would have laughed at me, but now it's the only fight fans want to see.

Long story short, The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the only fight in boxing that MUST happen. All it took was a two year hiatus, a violent spree of KO's from Pacquiao, some crappy undercards, and few PPV's!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON PACQUIAO - COTTO

I fully apologize to the Pacmaniacs out there for underestimating their man; he put on quite a show and proved that he is truly an all-time great fighter. I have always had only one rule in boxing; never bet against Bernard Hopkins, well I think my second rule in boxing may have to be never bet against Manny Pacquiao. That may not be quite as big an honor as your seventh title in as many weight classes, but it’s the best I can do. So again, I’m sorry; I fully see the errors of my way.

I thought that Miguel Cotto’s corner completely let him down Saturday night. At several points in the fight I felt bad for Cotto starting around the 3rd round when all he was being told was “come on, box, come on”, I may be wrong but I would think you should have more to say to him than that. He needed some advice on what to do, and what to stay away from at that point. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it would have changed the outcome, but I’m sure it could not have hurt anything. I also thought letting the fight go past the ninth round was somewhat inhuman, Cotto was in full retreat mode, and it was obvious he was just trying to survive. He had taken quite a beating up to that point, as his corner it’s your job to protect the fighter, and take the decision out of his hands. Cotto is a proud fighter and he didn’t want to quit, it was Santiago’s job to say enough is enough.

I was actually entertained through out the Yuri Foreman – Daniel Santos fight. I was happy for Foreman and I’m glad he took the title, he deserved with his performance. Santos deserved to loose it just for coming in the way he did. I was sure that would be the worst fight of the night, instead Julio Cesar Chavez Jr gets that honor. I have always cut Chavez Jr. some slack for fighting less than stellar competition because he didn’t have much of an amateur background, but now it’s a little ridiculous. I wonder if a talked about fight between John Duddy and Chavez Jr will actually happen now.

I thought the scrap between Alfonso Gomez and Jose Soto-Karass was decent. It seemed like it was just starting to heat up when Gomez got the cut. I know that Gomez will never be a star fighter, but I would watch him on any undercard.

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MIGUEL COTTO

THE NEXT SUPER-FIGHT

Part 3: The Prediction

Ahhhh, the prediction, it is half the fun of a fight. It doesn't need to be a big fight, or even a hard one to predict, just as long as you can ponder, debate, and make the call. How many times have you sat down to Friday Night Fights and thought to yourself, "this is a recipe for an upset, I'm taking the little guy". When the fights get bigger it just means you have more research to do: who beat who, who looked good against what type of fighter, who's bigger, who's faster, which guy cuts, what shirt was I wearing last time he won? The prediction can lead to months of back and forth anguish, sleepless nights, and all sorts of mathematical equations. You read another person's prediction and think, "maybe they know something I don't". You ignore house chores, and procrastinate when it comes to anything that might take away from fight study. In the end it's all about bragging rights...telling people you knew all along what was going to happen...you are the Nostradamus of fistic fury. On the flip side, once it's out there you can't take it back. All your ranting and raving, all the fights you watched, and all the hours you spent reading on the internet were for nothing. Now you have catch up on bills you ignored, the laundry that hasn't been touched in a month, and that damn shed that you never finished building. Remember though, if you get it right, you will lifted through the city on the shoulders of others, parades will be formed in your honor, and there is no doubt that streets will be named after you.

I think I am looking forward to this fight so much because it seems like it's been so long since a PPV fight came along that people were actually split on their predictions. In the Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Juan Manuel Marquez fight, was there any real question as to who would win? Even if you were a big time Marquez fan you had to know that it was a long shot. When Manny Pacquiao took on Ricky Hatton I thought that it would be a tougher fight, but I always thought it would finish with Hatton on the canvas. The last PPV fight that had such a split opinion might be Miguel Cotto - Shane Mosley. (I'm obviously not referring to the minor PPV cards like Latin Fury and such).

I separated this series into three parts for several reasons: I have major respect for both fighters, I have respect for the massive fan base of both fighters, and I am just plain excited about this match-up. Each guy has a legitimate chance to win this fight. They both have giant hearts, solid resumes, and great boxing skill.

Manny Pacquiao has looked like a world beater as of late, steam rolling through David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ricky Hatton. Miguel Cotto looks as if he has seen better days, being stopped for the first time at the hands of Antonio Margarito, and pulling out the decision against Joshua Clottey by a thin margin. There are some questions left lingering with both of these fighters... Was Hatton made for Pacquiao? Was Joshua Clottey that good, or did Miguel Cotto lose a step? Does Pacman look better than he actually is? Did Cotto get a little fight taken out of him by Margarito? Can Pacquiao handle Cotto's body work? Can Cotto handle Pacquiao's speed?

MANNY PACQUIAO (49-3-2,37KO)

I firmly believe no matter what Jim Lampley and his cohorts wanted us to believe, Oscar De La Hoya didn't look good against Steve Forbes. I will fully admit going into his fight with Pacquiao all I paid attention to was the difference in size, not where the two were at in their respective careers, which as we all know turned out to be a mistake. With Ricky Hatton, I don't think he is as bad as people have made him out to be since his destruction at the hands of Pacman. He always had a habit of going in face first, he had done it his whole career. There were only a few guys who took full advantage of that: Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, and Louis Collazo. Collazo was a slick boxer who caught Hatton late in his fight with Hatton, but didn't have the explosiveness that Pacquiao has to finish him off. I think that Manny Pacquiao deserves to be rated as the pound for pound best these days because he is doing something that not many people in the sport are, stepping up. I don't mean that to say that other fighters are chicken, but Manny can make money without Cotto or Hatton. He wants to be the best, and fights like this are what puts him there.

MIGUEL COTTO (34-1, 27KO)

Miguel Cotto on the other hand is coming off of a decision over Joshua Clottey, and didn't look his best. My question to you is, has anyone looked good against Clottey? Clottey to me is a Winky Wright type fighter... even if you beat him, you'll never look good against him. Clottey was beating Margarito until he claims he hurt his hands. Either way he stopped fighting the same way he did against Cotto. So maybe that fight looks the same no matter when it happened(before or after Margarito).

I always felt going into fights that Cotto had finally bit off more than he could chew. Against Judah I thought uppercuts and speed could be a major factor, but Cotto weathered the storm, went to work and broke Judah down. Against Malignaggi I thought Cotto would have issue with his boxing skill and movement, but Cotto stuck to his game-plan, cut off the ring, and punished Malignaggi. Shane Mosley was a big, strong, fast, and skilled welterweight; I was sure Cotto was over his head, but he boxed, moved, and showed some skills I didn't know he had (keep in mind I never doubted Cotto, just questioned him).

I have always thought that Miguel Cotto's weakness was fast handed slick boxers like Paulie Malignaggi , Zab Judah, or Shane Mosley. Cotto disposed of three of those fighters, he cut off the ring, boxed beautifully, and broke each guy down as if he were chopping down a tree. (Mosley wasn't chopped down, but he did lose the fight).

In the end the two fighters that gave Cotto the most trouble were straight ahead rough and tumble boxers, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey. Two sturdy guys who come to fight, don't back up, and have granite chins.

BREAKING IT DOWN:

For some reason the fight that I think about most when trying to make a prediction is the Zab Judah vs. Miguel Cotto fight. A small, fast, hard hitting, skilled Junior Welterweight taking on Miguel Cotto. Cotto had some rough moments early on and eventually his size and strength was imposed on the smaller fighter. The major difference is that Pacquiao is a much smarter fighter than Zab Judah, and can punch from all angles. I also have zero questions about Pacman's heart, corner, or his ability to change game-plans in the middle of a fight.

I do think that Manny Pacquiao is explosive enough to hurt and perhaps even KO Miguel Cotto if he's not careful. I think back to Allen Green on Friday Night Fights talking about different kinds of knockout power, some have brute strength, and some speed from out of nowhere; Pacquiao seems to have the later. The early parts of this fight are very dangerous for Miguel Cotto.

I can see this fight going somewhat similar to the Zab Judah fight. Pacquiao will be very dangerous early with his hand-speed and what I consider explosive power, but I think Cotto will weather the Pacman tornado and take over in the later rounds. I feel that Cotto will take some punishment from Pacquiao's early movement and fast combinations, but will be doing what Teddy Atlas refers to as "putting money in the bank", as he works Pacquiao anyway he can to slow him down in the second half of the fight. Ricky Hatton said after his fight with Louis Collazo that he he could feel the force of the punches more at 147 pounds than he could at 140. Pacquiao is not only facing a harder puncher than Collazo, but he will also be facing a guy who will be able to hit him, unlike his last couple fights.

My official prediction is that the first half of the fight is all Pacquiao with Cotto's methodical style and bodywork taking it's toll late. I think Pacquiao's streak stops here.

PREDICTION: COTTO TKO 10

Hopefully I am correct because I really don't want to finish that damn shed!

I leave you with one final question, no matter who you pick in the Cotto-Pacquiao fight, who do you think has a better chance against Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

MANNY PACQUIAO vs. MIQUEL COTTO

THE NEXT SUPER-FIGHT

Part 2: Why I Love Manny Pacquiao

At this point I think most know that Manny Pacquiao is one of the most exciting fighters in combat sports. That's right, not just boxing, but in all of the sports where two people square off to prove who's best. If you don't see it this way, you are 1 of 3 types of people:

1. In denial: You are so for Miguel Cotto on November 14th that you refuse to admit that Manny Pacquiao is not only a formidable opponent, but also an exciting customer at the Cotto counter.

2. New to Boxing Guy: You have never really been a boxing fan and are just starting to check it out. You peruse a few websites, and have heard of this "Pac-Man", but figure he's over-rated, and you're not going to give in to the hype.

3. A Moron: You are just in general not too bright. You probably mope through life disagreeing with pretty much whatever people say just to make them angry. You are also probably the person that is always in front of me when I'm driving.

My advice is simple;

Denial Guy: I understand how you feel. I have my favorite fighters as well, and I know you just don't like anyone challenging your man, but please admit to yourself, this is a great fight, between TWO great fighters. Now go put on your Cotto shirt, cross your fingers, and get ready for a solid fight. Trust me, you will live a happier life if you just give in on this (life might be a bit dramatic, but it will make the week and a half easier).

New to Boxing Guy: Go to Youtube, look up Manny Pacquiao, watch some of his fights, or at least some of his highlights. Read a little about him, maybe check out his Wikipedia page, and watch 24/7 on HBO, which will give you a little insight into his accomplishments and personality. Then if you still don't agree follow the Moron's advice.

Moron: I'm not sure how you even got this far in the article! You and I obviously have nothing in common, and I'm pretty sure I don't like you. You should go watch a different sport because you obviously can't tell when a fighter is exciting, and fun to watch. You're probably the type of guy that would dis Arturo Gatti too. Shame on you. Also, get off the road... you are always holding me up. My commute would be much easier without you!

Now that those morons are out of the way I will continue. My point is that we all know that Pacquiao is entertaining, talented, and one of the best parts of the sport we all love so much. We know that he has great reflexes, fast hands, and what seems to be an endless amount of energy. We hope that November 14th will be an explosive show, and that Pacquiao will once again give us an entertaining night of boxing.That is why I want to tell you a few different reasons why I love Manny Pacquiao, something that maybe you can’t find somewhere else. I can only read so many articles about Manny and this fight before I start to get bored, but I am so excited for it that I can't help but write about it anyway! So here goes, I hope you enjoy it!

How I Love Manny Pacquiao, Let Me Count The Ways:

1. 106 pounds: I could honestly write that Pacquiao weighed 106 pounds in his first fight, and he is now fighting a guy at 145 pounds (a catch weight). That is amazing to me! How does a guy who once weighed 106 lbs. add that much weight and still be so good all along the way? (Or I could spell it weigh if I really wanted to be funny).

A fighter gets the most accolades when he moves up in weight to heavyweight, but this feat is as big an accomplishment, if not more. I will always be impressed by what guys like Chris Byrd, James Toney, and Roy Jones Jr. were able to do, start at Middleweight and win to heavyweight. (I picked these three because it's about the same amount of weight, and I personally watched them all do it. I’m not going to talk about Henry Armstrong because I was born in ’78 and I didn’t watch him fight). The difference is, Byrd took advantage of the fact that he was the smaller, faster guy in a land of slow giants. Toney could have been better if he would've backed away from the table. Jones didn't test himself after he won the title. Pacquiao is not only moving up, he looks as if he has been getting better all along the way.

When a fighter looks as good as Pac-man has his past few fights, it's easy for people to discredit his opponents, but it's always after he destroys them that they are discredited, not before. Ricky Hatton looked like a new man when he stopped Paulie Malignaggi, now people talk about him as if he were an average club fighter and it’s all because of how Pac-man ended the fight. Weight drained, washed up, shell of a fighter, these are all the things Oscar De La Hoya was AFTER he fought Pacquiao, NOT before. I am finding a common theme to Pacquiao's opponents lately! Even when he fought Morales a few pounds ago, Morales beat Pacquiao fair and square in their first fight, then suddenly was washed up over night for their next two. Is it out of the question that Pacquiao is one of those special athletes that raises his game as he continues his career? He is only thirty, it's not like he is an old dog that can't learn new tricks, which brings me to my next one.

2. Manila Ice: The Hayemaker is David Haye's go to punch... his heavy right hand, yet naming it is cocky, arrogant, and in someway desperate. Yet Manny Pacquiao names his right hook "Manila Ice", and for some reason I think he's the coolest boxer to step foot on the canvas. In all seriousness, I think it shows how much both he and Freddie Roach really enjoy doing what they do, and that translates to fans watching his fights. They are having fun in a sport that can at times wear down its fans with all of its B.S. Manila Ice is such a cool name too, it should be Pacquiao's fighting name it's so good. (I may have exaggerated on Hayemaker, I actually kind of like that one too, what can I say, I'm a sucker for theatrics).

3. Swagger?: When I think of someone having swagger I think of cool, calm, collected, and confident, almost to the point of being uncaring. I think Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Newman. I would even say Miguel Cotto has that classic swagger that I am referring to, but not Manny Pacquiao. He has something different. He has a swagger that's all his own, that of a hyper kid from your elementary school days. You remember that one kid growing up that could never sit in his seat, always got in trouble, and was still somehow the coolest guy in class? That's Manny Pacquiao to a T. He's not cocky, but still confident, caring. Not worrisome, but is definitely cool in his own way. Come on, how many other boxers can get away with having a singing career?

4. Piano Solo: You can show someone why boxing is such a great, beautiful, and amazing sport just by having them watch a Manny Pacquiao fight (especially lately). He embodies all the great things that a famous piano solo should have: finesse, grace, and when the time is right, aggression. If I had to turn Manny Pacquiao into a song it would be a combination of Fur Elise, and Flight of the Bumble Bee. He is so fluid in his motions, even though he has a staccato and somewhat choppy rhythm. I am always amazed at how well he combines all the elements of aggression, speed, and power in an almost wreck-less manor, but rarely crosses that line to sloppiness.

5. Fighter: At the end of the day Manny Pacquiao is a fighter. He can sing all he wants, mingle and dabble in politics, do movies, commercials, and even appear on a postage stamp, but at the end of the day he knows he's a fighter. He is always prepared, always puts on a good show, and never lets his fans down.

Manny Pacquiao is something special in boxing; a guy who is guaranteed to give you your moneys worth. I was a little upset that the Hatton fight didn't last longer, but that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. I wish the De La Hoya fight had lived up to expectations, but I was still amazed at what Pac-man had done. I was rooting for him in the first Morales fight, but was satisfied with the night of boxing in the end. I love Manny Pacquiao because in this day and age when I have to pay fifty bucks for the sport I love so much, he gives me an entertainment guarantee... a boxing warranty if you will, and on November 14th I wait to cash it in.

Stay tuned for Part 3: The Prediction