Mikey Garcia still has a lot of questions that need to be answered

Barros media day_121107_002a By Bill Phanco: If you looked at Mikey Garcia’s 8th round technical decision win over WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, you might have focused mainly on how Garcia was able to hurt Salido on a number of occasions while knocking him down four times in the early going. However, if you paid close attention to how Garcia was starting to slow down in the 7th and 8th rounds and losing his power, you’ll have noticed that Garcia might be showing the hints of problems that other fighters can take advantage of in the future.

The 8th round was especially significant because you saw Garcia actually looking worried as he was standing against and taking big shots from Salido. Garcia was no longer able to hurt Salido with his single power shots, and he wasn’t able to stop Salido’s attacks by pushing his head away like he’d done in the earlier rounds. Garcia had been warned about the pushing of Salido but he had continued to use this move with great effectiveness to blunt many of Salido’s attacks. But by the 7th and 8th, Salido was able to duck under Garcia’s attempts at pushing him to land solid shots.

Orlando Salido to move up to super featherweight, targeting Roman Martinez

By Bill Phanco: Former WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido (39-12-2, 27 KO’s) will be opting to move up to super featherweight to go after a title in that weight class against WBO super featherweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez in September, according to fightnews.com. Salido, 32, wants to fight a 10 round bout in May against a still to be determined opponent in Mexico, and then from there move on to face Martinez for the World Boxing Organization super featherweight title.

Mare’s manager working with Arum on Donaire-Mares fight for April 13th

mares34 By Jeff Sorby: Frank Espinosa, the manager for unbeaten WBC super bantamweight champion Abner Mares (25-0-1, 13 KO’s) is reportedly working with Top Rank promoter to put together an April 13th fight between Mares and WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire.

This is the big money fight that Donaire and Mares both want and Espinosa is the contact person for Arum in trying to work a deal with Mares’ promoters at Golden Boy Promotions
According to the LA Times, they’ll know whether the fight can be put together within the next couple of weeks.

Part of the deal will be that Donaire gets a little more money than Mares, but if Mares defeats Donaire, then in a rematch Mares will be the one that gets the bigger purse. Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, doubts that Arum will agree to this deal because Schaefer feels that Arum suspects that Donaire will lose the fight.

Malignaggi-Mosley negotiations falling apart; Paulie wants Maidana

By Kevin Chittenden: WBA World welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi may not be facing Shane Mosley on April 27th, according to fightnews.com. There’s been a snag in the negotiations between Malignaggi and Mosley, and the fight might not happen now. Paulie says he’s interested in facing #2 WBA Marcos Maidana, according to Steve Kim.

Canelo to fight on May 4th, possible opponents Angulo, Kirkland or Trout

By Jeff Sorby: It was confirmed by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Tuesday that WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo”Alvarez will be fighting on the same card as Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 4th at the MGM Grand, but not against Mayweather. According to the LA Times, Canelo will face one of the following fighters: Alfredo Angulo, James Kirkland or Austin Trout.

Schaefer isn’t mentioning who the leading candidate is for the fight but the fact that Angulo and Kirkland are both Golden Boy fighters would seem to suggest that one of those two will ultimately get the fight with Canelo. Schaefer hasn’t seemed all that interested in a Trout-Canelo fight when asked about it in the media. He feels that Trout hasn’t done enough yet for the fight, although if Angulo or Kirkland is selected, you have to wonder exactly they’ve done in their careers to get the fight.

Broner vs. Rees: Gavin will have problems with Adrien’s power

By Michael Collins: Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 18 KO’s) is going to have to dramatically alter his normal fighting style next month if he doesn’t want to get bludgeoned into submission within the first three rounds of the fight against WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (25-0, 22 KO’s) in their fight at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The reason for this is because Rees is a brawler 100 percent and he doesn’t focus too much attention on his defense as he plods in to slug against his opposition.

Bradley-Gamboa still haggling over Catchweight for March 16th fight

By Jeff Sorby: WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (29-0, 12 KO’s) and super featherweight Yuriorkis Gamboa (22-0, 16 KO’s) are still trying to negotiate the weight for their proposed March 16th fight. Gamboa, 31, is moving up in weight three divisions to take the fight with Bradley. According to the LA Times, Gamboa’s team is shooting for a catch weight of 143 lbs, whereas Bradley is willing to fight Gamboa at a catchweight of 145.

You can see Gamboa’s side for wanting to fight Bradley in the middle between 141 and 147. It’s a lot harder on Gamboa because he’s moving up in weight from the 130 lb. division to take the fight. Bradley would be asking Gamboa to fight 15 pounds above that weight. It may not sound like a lot but it’s pretty significant. Bradley rehydrates up over 150 and that’s going to give him a pretty big weight advantage over Gamboa, who will be lucky if he weighs much more than 140.

Arum: The taxes are too high in U.S for Pacquiao to fight there

By Rob Smith: Manny Pacquiao may have fought for the last time in the United States last December in his 6th round knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum is railing against the high taxes in the United States now, which Arum feels is making it impossible for Manny – and other foreign fighters – to compete in the United States.