Arum in no hurry to pick Pacquiao’s next opponent for November 22nd

06/23/2014 Rob Smith

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is reportedly going to take his time and wait until possibly August before he selects the lucky candidate for his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s next fight on November 22nd at the Venetian Casino & Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.

It’s possible that the longer Arum waits the better the chances are that he can get a big name some the likes of Golden Boy Promotions. But if not, then his options aren’t quite as good with Chris Algieri and Luis Carlos Abregu being two of the candidates to get the fight.

Guerrero decisions Kamegai; Lomachenko defeats Russell Jr; Alexander and Dawson both win

06/22/201406/21/2014 Rob Smith

Former two division world champ Robert Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KO’s) may have misjudged the talent of his opponent Yoshihiro Kamegai (24-2-1, 21 KO’s) tonight because he took a real beating from the Japanese fighter in winning a 12 round unanimous decision on Golden Boy Promotions’ card at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Guerrero was hit with a great deal of very, very hard head shots in the fight by the fringe contender Kamegai. As a result of all the punches to the head that Guerrero took, he ended up with a badly swollen eye that was closed from the 9th round on.

Martin Murray beats Bursak; Kalenga outworks Masternak

06/22/201406/21/2014 Rob Smith

In a gritty performance, former two-time world title challenger Martin Murray (28-1-1, 12 KO’s) grinded out a 12 round unanimous decision tonight over the tough but limited Max Bursak (29-3-1, 12 KO’s) to win the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title at the Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

The victory moves the 31-year-old Murray a little closer to another world title shot, which he hopes will be against WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in the near future. Murray won on the judges’ cards by the scores 117-112, 119-109, and 119-109.

Soto Karass: I have to put a beating on Devon Alexander

06/19/2014 Rob Smith

(Picture credit: Hogan Photos) 31-year-old Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18 KO’s) plans on taking the fight to former IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander (25-2, 14 KO’s) in their scheduled 10 round fight this Saturday night at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Soto Karass has a good blueprint to follow in how to beat the 27-year-old Alexander by following what Shawn Porter did by coming at Alexander and mugging him on the inside for 12 rounds. #6 IBF Alexander is a good fighter on the outside, but Porter exposed him as having just rudimentary skills on the inside in giving him a pounding in the process of winning a 12 round last December.

Froch knocks out Groves in London – Boxing Results

12/09/202205/31/2014 Rob Smith

Donaire defeats Vetyeka; Walters destroys Darchinyan

05/31/201405/31/2014 Rob Smith

In what appeared to be a robbery tonight, Nonito Donaire (33-2, 21 KO’s) was given a 4 round technical decision victory over WBA Super World featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka (26-3, 16 KO’s) in a fight where the victory should have been given to Vetyeka at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.

Donaire was cut over the left eye at the end of the 1st round from what the referee ruled was a clash of heads. But in looking at the replay of where the cut occurred there was no head clash where contact was made by Donaire’s left eye. Instead it was a right hand from Vetyeka that hit Donaire on his left eye, causing him to go down on all fours on the canvas.

Pacquiao’s options are few if Marquez says no to November fight

05/27/201405/25/2014 Rob Smith

Bob Arum of Top Rank needs Juan Manuel Marquez to agree to face his fighter WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in order to pump up his pay-per-view numbers, if only for this one fight. But if Marquez says now, and that’s a real possibility, Arum has very little to offer Pacquiao with the limited fighters in his stable.

The only real option that Arum has for Pacquiao is a fight against WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov. While hardcore boxing fans might like to see a Pacquiao-Provodnikov fight, casual boxing fans likely won’t be too eager to pay $70 to see Pacquiao fight a former ESPN fighter like Provodnikov.

Marquez targeting Pacquiao for fifth fight

05/14/201405/13/2014 Rob Smith

40-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KO’s) has his eyes on a fifth fight against Manny Pacquiao if he can get past Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO’s) in their HBO televised fight this Saturday night at the Forum, in Inglewood, California, USA. Marquez wants the Pacquiao fight because he’s the WBO welterweight title holder, and Marquez wants the opportunity to win a fifth division world title.

For him winning fifth world title will somehow validate his long 21-year pro career. You can’t help thinking that even if Marquez beats Pacquiao to capture his WBO title, Marquez will continue on and have some other goal that will keep him fighting. Hopefully, Marquez doesn’t get it into his head to try and capture a junior middleweight title, because that would be really pushing it.

“We all want the fifth title. It’s very important to all of us,” Marquez said. “That’s the motivation now to keep going. The first thing is Alvarado, but we know that the fifth fight with Pacquiao is a possibility.”