Trainer Freddie Roach says he’s going to tell Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) to retire if he loses to former WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) in their fight on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.
Roach says he already has an agreement with Pacquiao that he’ll hang up his gloves when he tells him he’s no longer got it and needs to retire. Roach doesn’t say whether Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank knows about this deal or if he’d agree with it if Roach told his #1 money fighter he needs to retire.
GHANA is engulfed in a festive mood as it host yet another major IBF title. This time around the vacant “IBF International Welterweight Title” is up for a grab. The rivalry is between two of the finest boxers from Africa and Eastern Europe. Pitting the “IBF Continental Africa Welterweight King” and number #5 IBF I/C Fredrick Lawson (20(19)-0-0) on the one hand and the Georgian strongman George Ungiadze (22(10)-14(3)-0) on the other hand respectively. The duos meet next weekend July 20, 2013 and their rumble has already been rated a 4 stars by the boxing pundits.
British heavyweight Dereck Chisora (16-4, 10 KO’s) will be trying to turn around his struggling career this Saturday night in a scheduled 10 round bout against unbeaten American Malik Scott (35-0-1, 12 KO’s) at the Wembley Arena in London, England. Scott, 32, is the world class contender in this fight, while Chisora is a 2nd tier fighter trying to turn his career around after having lost four out of his last five fights. 
by Robert Uzzell: I keep having this eerie feeling that Floyd Mayweather is going to go for it in the final fights of his career. I’ve never subscribed to the fact that Mayweather has ducked or dodged opponents in the past. For every time someone has mentioned this, one merely has to look at Mike Tyson not fighting Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield at times in his career. We can look at the fact that Ray Leonard ignored Aaron Pryor’s and Mike McCallum’s pleas for fights many years ago.
Mario R. (Atlanta, GA): HBO put pressure on Arum to make the Donaire/Rigondeaux fight, but have somewhat distanced themselves from Rigondeaux after he defeated the fighter they strongly supported? I know this is a sensitive issue, but would you attribute this to race, considering how difficult it has been to promote certain fighters?
By Shaun Campbell: Kell Brook impressively closed a chapter on his career Saturday night by stopping the durable Carson Jones in their 152 pound rematch. Brook now moves in to the elite level by beating the gatekeeper Jones. It was a good performance from “The Special One”, although he himself claimed it was “nothing to get excited about”. The fight started off much like their first encounter with Brook dominating behind the jab, while Jones kept plodding forward. But the Sheffield fighter couldn’t seem to miss with his sweeping right hook and in the 2nd round he sent Jones to the canvas. 
(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KO’s) says he won’t be overlooking the 22-year-old WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) in their fight on September 14th despite Canelo being on 22-years-old and not nearly as experienced as Mayweather Jr. as far as important fights go. Mayweather Jr. says he’s taking this fight very seriously and he plans on winning it and then moving onto his last four fights of his 6-fight contract with Showtime/CBS.
Nonito Donaire (31-2, 20 KO’s) said the other night that he’s walking around at 145 lbs. right now, and he’s going to see if he can drop the weight to take a fight against Vic Darchinyan in October or November. However, he’s not really sure if he can take that much weight off without being brittle for his next fight, and he prefers that not happen. 
Unbeaten Kell Brook put a frustrating number of months behind him last night in Hull, in stopping tough rival Carson Jones in the 8th-round of a largely one-sided fight. Looking “Special” indeed at times, Brook – who impressed with his left jab and his right hooks to the head – advanced to 30-0(20). Perhaps more importantly, is the “big name” an “excited” Eddie Hearn spoke of having lined up for Brook in Sheffield in his next bout in September.
Undefeated Kell Brook (30-0, 20 KO’s) took out his frustration at missing a title shot against Devon Alexander by destroying #8 IBF, Carson Jones (35-10-3, 25 KO’s) by an 8th round TKO tonight at the MS3 Craven Park in Hull, England. The fight ending was marred when referee Michael Alexander stepped in and stopped the fight while Jones was still fighting back in the 8th.