Manny Pacquiao: good enough to compete, but should now retire

After watching his performance last Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao should probably retire.
Make no mistake, Timothy Bradley officially and rightly lost by unanimous decision. But the real loser that night, however, was Juan Manuel Marquez.

His emphatic 2012 victory over Pacquiao was dampened by a subsequent loss to Bradley. And now Pacquiao’s convincing win over Bradley has put the final nail in the coffin for him. Why couldn’t he just retire after knocking Pacquiao out? From being on top of the world, he now sees himself sliding down the ladder of relevance.

Now, in the aftermath of his latest victory, Manny Pacquiao now finds himself at a similar crossroad. No doubt, he gave a career-resurrecting performance, with a legitimate, credible win over a previously undefeated Tim Bradley. The question the people are now asking is; who next? Floyd? Marquez V?

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Boxing Cheat Sheet: Breakdown of Hopkins-Shumenov

By Paul “Paparazzi“ Jones & Justin Jones — Washington, DC —There is a longstanding debate as to whether experience is the best teacher or whether youth trumps experience. Given the age gap between Bernard Hopkins (IBF) and Beibut Shumenov (WBA/IBA), it stands to reason that the outcome of Saturday’s Light Heavyweight Unification bout may help to explain this question.

In the sections that follow, we breakdown the Hopkins-Shumenov match-up, consider their respective strengths and weaknesses, and offer keys to victory for each fighter.¹

BERNARD “THE ALIEN” HOPKINS

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Bernard Hopkins Vs. Beibut Shumenov: Preview And Prediction

On March 9, 2013, Bernard Hopkins (54-6-2 with 32 KOs), then 48 years old, broke the world record for the oldest boxer to win a world title. Whose record did he break? His own.

On April 19, 2014, the self-proclaimed Alien will step into the ring to set yet another world record. Bernard Hopkins will fight to become the oldest boxer in history to unify two major world titles. His opponent is Kazakh lawyer-turned-pugilist Beibut Shumenov. In a sport filled with unique and inspiring backstories, Shumenov’s stands head and shoulders above the rest.

ABOUT THE FIGHTERS

As a child, Shumenov was inadvertently poisoned by his aunt. As his parents took their blue, shriveling child to the hospital, they were informed that their boy would not survive. Doctors managed to save the boy after running an IV through his skull. Subsequent to these life-saving measures, doctors told Shumenov’s parents that he would always be small and that he should avoid physically taxing activities. The 6’2” WBA Light Heavyweight Champion has spent a lifetime proving that those doctors were dead wrong. In his 30 years on this planet, Shumenov has gone from begging relatives for food to becoming a millionaire attorney and a champion fighter.

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The Pound-for-Pound Top 10

The recent Manny Pacquaio vs Tim Bradley rematch was another rare chance for boxing fans to see two certified members of the fabled pound-for-pound top 10 compete.

The result of the fight did much to change the mythical rankings that only exists in people’s heads. And despite only being opinion, the pound-for-pound rankings are given more credence than any title, making these opinions as valuable as anything in sport today.

Of course, fighters can only earn the right to seriously be considered members of this elite club that so many never reach. Only through consistency, quality and bravery will a fighter ever be considered a pound-for-pound top 10 fighter. For this reason, the following list may have a few omissions that will raise a few eyebrows.

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Provodnikov-Algieri / Andrade-Rose World Title Fights at Barclays Center

World Championship boxing returns to Barclays Center when the “The Siberian Rocky” RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV makes the first defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight title and his Brooklyn debut against undefeated world-rated contender and New York product CHRIS ALGIERI. Provodnikov vs. Algieri will take place Saturday, June 14 and will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The co-main event will feature undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion DEMETRIUS “Boo Boo” ANDRADE making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger BRIAN “The Lion” ROSE.

These four gladiators boast a combined record of 87-3-1 (44 KOs)– a 96 percent winning percentage, with more than half of their total victories coming by way of knockout.

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Photos: Marcos “El Chino” Maidana cool and confident

OXNARD, Calif. (April 16, 2014) – Approximately 200 fans and media that included several television camera crews, newspaper and online reporters, photographers and video bloggers turned out to watch WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana during his media day on Tuesday, April 15 at The Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard.

The Argentine Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) is winding down final preparations as he gets set for the biggest fight of his career when he faces undefeated boxing superstar, 10-time world champion and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather in the main event of “THE MOMENT” on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

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Photos: Simon Barclay Spars With Wladimir Klitschko

Red hot cruiserweight prospect Simon Barclay made his professional debut on Saturday night and 48 hours later he was sharing a ring with WBO/IBF/WBA Super World Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko!

The Corby talent, a two-time and two-weight ABA Champion, is at Klitschko’s Austrian training camp to help the Ukrainian great with preparations for his title defences against Alex Leapai on April 26 in Germany.

Barclay got his professional career off to a great start with a four-round points win over tough and experienced Lithuanian Igor Borucha, who last time out took former Midlands Area Cruiserweight Champion the distance.

Now the 24-year-old is getting valuable experience against one of the greatest heavyweights of the modern era and here he explains in his own words what his day is like.

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Mayweather Vs. Maidana: Preview And Prediction

On May 3, 2014, the hungry heart of Marcos Maidana (35-3 with 31 KO’s) will attempt to dethrone the unofficial Pay-Per-View and Pound-for-Pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather (45-0 with 26 KO’s)

ABOUT THE FIGHTERS

Floyd Mayweather Jr., the American fighting out of Las Vegas, NV, is the current WBC Super Welterweight Champion, WBA Super Middleweight Champion, Ring Magazine pound-for-pound Champion, Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion, and Ring Magazine Jr. Middleweight Champion.

A native Michigander, Mayweather has a stellar amateur career as a three-time Golden Gloves Champion and a 1996 Olympic Medalist. Since turning professional, Mayweather has achieved World Champion status in five weight classes, ranging from Super Featherweight to Jr. Middleweight, and is a two-time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year. Most notable about Mayweather’s career is the caliber of opponents faced. He has fought, and beaten, twenty world champions. His list of victims reads like a who’s-who of boxing, including Oscar De La Hoya, Zab Judah, the late great Arturo Gatti, Carlos Baldomir, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz, and Saul Alvarez.

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Chisora: I´ll Be Too Hot For Fury To Handle

Dereck Chisora says rival Tyson Fury won’t stand the heat when they collide in their big heavyweight showdown on Saturday 26th July at the Phones 4 U Arena in Manchester.

Chisora meets Fury in a crucial WBO World Heavyweight Title Eliminator with his European title and the Vacant British title on the line, and today he met with the media at Fredericks restaurant in Islington, North London, before commencing his training camp for the bitter clash.

The Finchley puncher displayed his culinary skills by flambéing a rabbit, controlling some intense flames and saying that he’ll do the same to undefeated Fury who brings the same kind of fire to the ring.

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Mayweather Jr. to fight Pacquiao on May 7th, 2016?

I recently read an article that quoted Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, claiming that if the eagerly-awaited Mayweather-Pacquiao super-fight does happen, it could be as a career finale for both men.

During the Pacquiao-Bradley II post-fight interview with Larry Merchant of HBO Boxing, Manny stated that he thought he had two years left as a professional boxer, which means his career would come to a close around May 2016.

Intriguingly, Mayweather has three more contests remaining on his contract with Showtime beyond the Maidana bout. Assuming that Floyd remains undefeated and fights every May & September each year, his final bout under the Showtime banner would be September 2015… and a victory on that date would equal Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 professional record.

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