Ring Tones

Funeka beats up Guzman....but only gets a draw

In the wake of Manny Pacquiao's demolition of Miguel Cotto - and some very real signs that boxing is emerging from a decades-long stupor - things have been looking pretty positive for the sweet science lately.

Leave it to a bad decision to remind us how boxing sank so low in the first place.

Despite outpunching and outslugging Joan Guzman in a battle for the vacant IBF lightweight title, Ali Funeka came away with only a draw to show for it Saturday in Quebec City, Canada. It was easily the most impressive performance of Funeka's career, as the South African put a hurtin' on the smaller Guzman early, ripping the native Dominican with every punch in the manual: jabs, right hands, left hooks and uppercuts.

Guzman, undefeated going in, was cut early and had the look of a man who knew he was outgunned in this one. He showed a ton of heart by lasting the distance, and Funeka certainly did not help himself by ignoring the body. But the decision was obvious.

One look at Guzman's battered, bloodied face made it apparent.

Judge Joseph Pasquale - the only recognizable name on the voting panel - had it right, scoring it 116-112 for Funeka. But the anonymous duo of Benoit Roussel and Alan Davis scored it 114-114.

It was a bad end to what had been a very good fight - and a night when it appeared Funeka - who bares a resemblance to the late Diego "Chico" Corrales - had emerged as an elite 135 pounder.

It was the second tough call for Funeka, who lost a controversial decision to Nate Campbell in February. He didn't look nearly as impressive in that one as he did Saturday, however.

Hopefully, Funeka will get the opportunity to set the record straight in a rematch.

A Star is Born: Ward dominates Kessler to win 168-pound title

Andre Ward - thought to be too green for veteran champion Mikkel Kessler - turned in the performance of a lifetime Saturday, cutting up and dominating the Danish star to register an 11th-round technical decision and win the WBA super middleweight title in his hometown of Oakland, Calif.

It was the conclusion of the first stage of the "Super Six" World Boxing Classic 168-pound round-robin tournament. It was also the first victory by an American in the tourney, as United States fighters Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell lost to Germany's Arthur Abraham and England's Carl Froch, respectively, on Oct. 17.

Ward, who improves to 21-0 (13 knockouts), gets two points in the tournament for a decision victory. He is now scheduled to face Taylor in 2010.

You also have to figure that the Oakland fighter - a relative unknown coming in despite winning a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens - is now a favorite, along with Abraham, to win the tournament.

He certified himself as a star, outpunching Kessler with superior speed and boxing skills - and even hurting Kessler on several occasions with his surprising punching power. It was a superb performance. The decision was unanimous for Ward. 

WIth Cotto conquered, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather should be made....now!

Manny Pacquiao's bruised, battered face after his 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto Saturday proved that, while the fight dubbed "Firepower" was a convincing win for "Pac-Man," it was anything but easy.

Cotto was bigger than Pacquiao, and was probably the strongest fighter the Filipino superstar had ever faced. The Puerto Rican's punches hurt Pacquiao when they connected - which the new welterweight champion admitted - and Pac-Man's body showed the effects: a severely reddened and swollen face and bandages over one of his ears and hands.

It was one of the more demanding outings of Pacquiao's career.

Which only bolsters the argument that Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. needs to be made now.

Pacquiao is 30 years old, and the challenges are getting tougher and bigger. And while fights against the likes of Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez would be interesting, a showdown with Mayweather is  the only fight that really matters.

Mayweather claims that, after a brief retirement, he - and not Pacquiao - is the undisputed pound-for-pound champion, and many of his backers agree. He is 40-0, afterall, and also a fighter who has conquered several divisions.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is an all-time great matchup pitting two future Hall-of-Famers and a pair of the greatest boxers to ever step into a boxing ring.

There's talk of having this superfight of superfights in the new Texas Stadium in Dallas, which would be appropriate for an event of this magnitude. Not only would it be the biggest fight of 2010....it would be the biggest fight of the new millennium, and probably the biggest pay-per-view moneymaker of all time.

Mayweather beat Marquez in September and now Pacqiuao defeated Cotto. Sure, there will be endless hours of negotiations regarding who gets the most money, whose name is listed first on the fight promotion, etc, etc.

But the path has been cleared. The wait should be over, and there should be no more hurdles for either superstar to clear.

It's time to make Pacquiao vs. Mayweather happen. Now.

Pacquiao dominates Cotto, registers 12th-round TKO

Manny Pacquaio, in perhaps his best-ever performance, dominated Miguel Cotto Saturday in Las Vegas, winning the WBO welterweight title with an impressive 12th-round knockout at the MGM Grand.

Superfight history dictates that Pacquaio-Cotto won't go as expected

Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao are set to swap punches Saturday in Las Vegas, and it's obvious that the international showdown between the Pride of Puerto Rico and the Filipino Fireplug is the biggest - and probably the most lucrative - fight of 2009.

Whether or not "Firepower" lives up to expecations, however, is up for debate. Most experts think it's a can't-miss war while it lasts. But, when it comes to a boxing "superfight," the rule of thumb is "expect the unexpected."

Some notable superfights of the past...and their results.

1980- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran: Dubbed "The Brawl in Montreal," the first Leonard-Duran duel more than lived up to expectations. Leonard stood toe-to-toe and a brawl indeed ensued. It was entertaining for the fans, and played into Duran's hands, as he won an upset 15-round decision.

1981- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns: "The Showdown" is the superfight by which all superfights are judged. The puncher (Hearns) turned boxer and the boxer (Leonard) turned puncher in a classic role-reversal. Behind on points, Leonard stopped Hearns in the 14th round.

1982- Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney: Nothing excites boxing fans more than an intriguing heavyweight fight, and the "Pride and the Glory" pitted two undefeated superstars. The champion, Holmes, had too much experience, but the challenger Cooney gave a good account of himself.

1983- Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Duran: One of the more unlikely superfights, a reborn Duran - a natural lightweight - challenged the much bigger middleweight champ Hagler. Surprisingly, he came within two rounds of winning as Hagler took a 15-round decision.

1984- Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Duran: After a long power shortage, the "Hitman" returned in spectacular fashion - flattening the iron-chinned Duran in two rounds. Watching Duran hit the canvas for the final time was one of the more shocking scenes of the year.

1985- Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns: People expected a great fight in "The Fight." But they didn't expect all-out warfare from the opening seconds. Both fighters were rocked in what is widely regarded as the greatest first round in boxing history. Hagler went on to knock out Hearns in three.

1986- Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi: "The Beast" from the east was undefeated and powerful, but his chances against seemingly unbeatable middleweight king Hagler seemed slim. Surprise! He gave Marvelous one of his toughest fights before Hagler prevailed via 11th-round knockout.

1987- Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard: In a superfight dubbed "The Superfight," Leonard was returning from a three-and-a-half year retirement to challenge Hagler. In one of the greatest upsets of all time, Leonard won a controversial 12-round decision in a fight that is still debated 22 years later.

1988- Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks: "Once and For All" pitted the undefeated terror Tyson against the undefeated linear champ Spinks for all the heavyweight marbles. Tyson was favored, but no one expected him to massacre an all-time great in 91 seconds.

1989- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas  Hearns II: The "War" was a rematch eight years in the making, and it pitted heavier old rivals Leonard and Hearns - 17 pounds heavier to be exact. The weight was more natural for Hearns, who surprisingly dropped Leonard twice but was forced to settle for a draw.

1990- Buster Douglas vs. Evander Holyfield: Douglas was coming off his shocking upset of Tyson, and facing undefeated top contender Holyfield in the "Moment of Truth." Douglas, reverting to his pre-Tyson days, turned in a miserable performance and was stopped in the third round.

1991- Evander Holyfield vs. George Foreman: The "Battle of the Ages" was indeed - as 27-year-old Holyfield defended his newly-won title against 42-year-old former champ Foreman. Foreman, viewed more or less as a joke going in, wasn't a joke coming out. Holyfield escaped with the 12-round nod.

1992- Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe: Both fighters were undefeated, but Bowe enjoyed a distinct height and weight advantage. "Big Daddy" used his physical attributes to his advantage - and showed guts that no one knew he had - in outlasting Holyfield via 12-round decision.

1993- Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez: Set in the Alamodome in San Antonio, unbeaten Mexican legend Chavez was given a slight edge to annex Whitaker's welterweight title. But "Sweet Pea" proved too slick - confusing and outboxing Chavez over 12 rounds. He had to settle for a disputed draw.

1994- James Toney vs. Roy Jones Jr.: The "Uncivil War" was a juicy, intriguing meeting on paper, pairing another undefeated duo that brought different strengths to the fray. But Jones proved too quick and lightning-fast for "Lights Out," and he easily won a 12-round decision.

1995- Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield III: The final chapter of a classic trilogy, Bowe - despite losing their second meeting two years prior - was expected to beat a fading Holyfield. He did - via eighth-round knockout - but not before very nearly getting knocked out himself.

1996- Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Oscar De La Hoya: The battle dubbed "Ultimate Glory" had the legendary, past-his-prime Chavez defending against Olympic sweetheart De La Hoya. It was no contest, as the "Golden Boy's"  youth and speed paved the way to a fourth-round TKO.

1997- Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II: The "Sound and the Fury" was a rematch of Holyfield's stunning 11th-round knockout seven months earlier. Holyfield was dominating when Tyson turned maniac and chomped his ears in frustration. Tyson was disqualified in the third-round of an infamous fight.

1998- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Julio Cesar Chavez II: Stopped on cuts in the first fight two years prior, Chavez was determined to test De La Hoya this time. And while "J.C. Superstar" performed better and got in his licks, the result was no less emphatic. De La Hoya scored an eighth-round TKO.

1999- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad: Called the "Fight of the Millennium," De La Hoya vs. Trinidad was supposed to be the 90s answer to the classic first Leonard-Hearns battle. It was not. De La Hoya played it safe before running in the late rounds, as Trinidad won a controversial 12-round decision.

2000- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Shane Mosley: Staged at Staples Center in Los Angeles, "Destiny" featured two, well-acquainted Californians with considerable amatuer pedigree. De La Hoya started fast before Mosley caught up and edged him down the stretch for a 12-round upset decision victory.

2001- Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad: Fought just a little more than two weeks after 9/11in NYC's Madison Square Garden, the undefeated Trinidad was trying his luck against middleweight king "B-Hop." Trinidad bit off a little more than he could chew, as Hopkins won via 12th-round knockout.

2002- Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson: "It's On" featured the current heavyweight king, Lewis, against the former heavyweight king, Tyson, in an inevitable battle. But Tyson had very little left, and the shell of "Iron Mike" was finally flattened in the eighth round of a one-sided massacre.

2003- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Shane Mosley II: De La Hoya tried his luck again against old rival Mosley, who had seemingly lost a step over the previous year. In a close, nip-and-tuck affair, De La Hoya thought he had done enough to win, but Mosley upset him again via 12-round decision.

2004- Bernard Hopkins vs. Oscar De La Hoya: Supposedly the new millennium's answer to Hagler-Leonard, De La Hoya stepped up to the unnatural weight of 160 pounds to battle all-time great middleweight Hopkins. De La Hoya was doing okay before a body shot ended his night in the eighth round.

2005- Erik Morales vs. Manny Pacquiao: Pacquiao had already earned a reputation as the "Mexicutioner" with a knockout of Marco Antonio Barrera and a draw with Juan Manuel Marquez. He was expected to roll through Morales, but "El Terrible" turned in his last great performance and won a 12-round decision.

2006- Ricardo Mayorga vs. Oscar De La Hoya: In De La Hoya's first outing since his disappointing knockout loss to Hopkins, he wanted to respond in kind to Mayorga's considerable pre-fight trash talk. He did, dropping "El Matador" in the first round before going on to a dominant sixth-round knockout.

2007- Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Oscar De La Hoya: In a showdown dubbed "The World Awaits" and set up by De La Hoya's victory over Mayorga, Mayweather-De La Hoya remains the highest-grossing fight of all time. After a strong start, De La Hoya faded and Mayweather won a close 12-round decision.

2008- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao: The "Dream Match" was a strange matchup between a guy thought to be too big for a natural flyweight like "Pac-Man." But Pacquiao - in a shocker -  destroyed De La Hoya in stunning fashion, registering an emphatic eighth-round knockout and retiring Oscar for good.

2009- Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquaio: Pacquiao, almost unversally recognized as boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter, is expected to blow away the slower, fading, cut-prone Cotto even though the Puerto Rican is the naturally bigger fighter. But, as superfights have shown us in the past, we should expect the unexpected.

Abraham flattens Taylor; Froch outpoints Dirrell in Stage One of 168-pound tourney

The "Super Six" World Super Middleweight Classic is off and running, with the two hometown fighters emerging victorious Saturday.

Arthur Abraham, the former IBF middleweight champion, knocked out American Jermain Taylor in the 12th round in his native Berlin, Germany, while WBC super middlweight king Carl Froch outpointed American Andre Dirrell in his backyard of Nottingham, England.

Abraham scored the maximum of three points for the knockout victory in the 168-pound round-robin tournament, while Froch scored two.

As has been his pattern recently, Taylor started out strong before fading in the late rounds against the stronger, hard-charging Abraham. Taylor's attack seemed to lack creativity, and Abraham took advantage in the late rounds with a typical, non-stop attack. Taylor lost a point for punching low, but he never seemed to have a definitive gameplan. As usual, he had too much wasted motion and didn't throw enough left hooks or body shots.

The end came when Abraham connected with a short, stunning right hand that sent Taylor down and out. The win was so emphatic for Abraham that you have to wonder whether Taylor can even continue in this tournament.

Meanwhile, Froch had all kinds of problems with the quicker Dirrell. For most of the fight, the boxers traded as many illegal fouls as legitimate shots, and both fighters were warned repeatedly for extracurricular activity. Froch, however, appeared to be the stronger fighter, as Dirrell often flopped to the canvas - out of ideas. It was close, but Froch was too strong and too relentless.

Stage One continues Nov. 21 when German Mikkel Kessler meets Andre Ward in Oakland.

Tyson was terrible 22 years ago against Biggs

Perhaps it was fitting that Mike Tyson was back in the news this week - appearing on "Oprah" twice, the second time with former ring rival Evander Holyfield.

For it was 22 years ago Friday that "Iron Mike" turned in one of his most ferocious performances, a 7th-round knockout of Tyrell Biggs in Atlantic City.

Going in, many of the experts at the time figured Biggs had a chance against the undefeated world heavyweight champion. He was seven inches taller, possessed a sterling jab and flaunted world class boxing skills. His size and his overall talent - hand and foot speed, tremendous reflexes - were expected to give Tyson some difficulty.

For a round, Biggs lived up to expectations. He flicked the jab, boxed and handled the champion quite easily. But that would be the extent of Biggs' success.

After that, Tyson's power and pressure proved too much for the Philadelphian and, at one point, cornerman George Benton implored Biggs to "fight the man if you don't have any legs." By the 7th, the ending was predictable, and Tyson dropped Biggs twice to remain king of boxing. Coincidentally, it was a man with Biggs' dimensions and physical gifts - Buster Douglas - who handed Tyson his first loss three years later.

Meanwhile, items in the press about the Tyson-Holyfield "Oprah" appearance claimed it was the first time the two heavyweights had come face to face since their infamous "Bite Fight" of June 28, 1997. And while there is no concrete evidence to prove otherwise, it is hard to believe the two have not met up at least once in the last 12 years. They still frequent the same circles, afterall.

Sounds like a made up public relations stunt to boost ratings for the show.

Golden Boy phenom Linares destroyed in Tokyo

Jorge Linares - recently acquired by Golden Boy Promotions and hyped as Oscar De La Hoya's heir apparent - was knocked out in the first round Saturday in Tokyo by unheralded Mexican Juan Carlos Salgado. Linares, a native of Venezuela who was unbeaten going in, lost his WBA super featherweight title in the process.

Salgado, though unknown, turned out to be legit - proving his undefeated record (21-0, 15 knockouts) no joke. The 24-year-old challenger pressed the attack from the opening bell, forcing Linares back and into a defensive posture. A little less than a minute had passed when Salgado hit paydirt with a fantastic left hook that dropped Linares in a heap. 

The champion rose, but seemed badly hurt. A Salgado followup flurry put Linares down again, and referee Luis Pabon immediately stopped the massacre. Linares, now 27-1 (18 KO's), left the ring under his own power, but seemed dazed. He must now try to pick up the pieces of what seemed like a golden career.

Salgado, meanwhile, suddenly becomes a player in the crowded 130-pound division. Humberto Soto and Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero both reside at the weight, and a rematch with Linares is a possibility - though the Venezuelan might think twice about jumping in the ring with Salgado immediately.

Linares was ranked #7 by "The Ring" Magazine going into Saturday's fight.

It's been a bad year for De La Hoya and Golden Boy. It started with Manny Pacquiao's destruction of De La Hoya last December, and has continued through last month's loss by Juan Manuel Marquez to Floyd Mayweather. Two of Golden Boy's premier fighters, Vicente Escobedo and Rocky Juarez, also both lost on that Sept. 19 Mayweather-Marquez card. It was that morning that De La Hoya announced the signing of Linares.

Watch the fight here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uyHDB87Aa0

Mayweather dominates Marquez; Mosley may be the only challenge left for "Pretty Boy" Floyd

Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominated Juan Manuel Marquez Saturday in Las Vegas. And though "Pretty Boy" Floyd was bigger, it was more about skill than it was physical dimensions.

Mayweather was just too fast and smart, actually toying at times with a fighter that is widely regarded as the second best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing. Marquez, a natural counterpuncher, tried to fight his fight and force Mayweather into mistakes through smarts and experience. But it never came close to happening.

Mayweather - besides being abundantly gifted - is brilliant in the ring. He never let Marquez close enough to do any serious damage. At the end of 12 rounds, it looked like Floyd hadn't even so much as broken a sweat. After a 21-month retirement, Mayweather is back, and back in a big way.

Afterwards, Mayweather had a brief confrontation with welterweight champ Shane Mosley, who barged in on Floyd's postfight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman. Mayweather can be annoying, but he deserved his time in the spotlight after such a tremendous performance. Mosley - spurred on by Golden Boy Promotions partner Bernard Hopkins - probably should have shown some restraint.

Regardless, it appears that Mosley is the only fighter with a chance against Mayweather. Even Manny Pacquiao, the guy most people think is boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter, may not have the size to compete with Mayweather.

Quality undercards to big fights harken back to primes of Chavez, King

Back in the early 1990s - when Don King lost cash cow former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to prison - the wily promoter switched gears and concentrated his efforts on Mexican junior welterweight Julio Cesar Chavez.

But Chavez -as popular as he eventually became - needed some help in filling seats and delivering the amount of pay-per-view receipts that Tyson did. So King matched Chavez with the likes of Hector Camacho, Frankie Randall and Meldrick Taylor - and loaded the undercard with magnificent matchups.

For the 1994 Chavez-Randall 2 card - dubbed "Revenge: The Rematches" - King delivered three additional mouth-watering return matches: Terry Norris-Simon Brown 2; Gerald McClellan-Julian Jackson 2; and Azumah Nelson-Jesse James Leija 2. 

It was just an example of the quality pay-per-view shows that boxing fans regularly received from King and others. In other words, spending money on PPV didn't seem like such a ripoff. You felt like you got your money's worth.

Lately, though, PPV cards have been dreadful. For every superb main event, there has been a lackluster undercard. In some ways, it's contributed to boxing's steady decline.

Now, though, it appears promoters are returning to the days when great shows - not just great main events - were the norm

Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions recently announced a sterling undercard to his scheduled Sept. 19 mega-fight featuring Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez. WBA featherweight champ Chris John will defend against Texan challenger Rocky Juarez - a rematch to a thrilling fight back in February. Australian lightweight Michael Katsidis - coming off a tough loss to Juan Diaz last year - will meet up-and-coming Vicente Escobedo in a classic crossroads showdown. And former welterweight champ Zab Judah will face comebacking contender Antonio Diaz.

Top-notch show. And that may not be all.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum recently said he is strongly considering adding a sensational lightweight showdown between Venezuelan powerpuncher Edwin Valero and reigning junior lightweight champ Humberto Soto to his Nov. 14 card featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and welterweight champ Miguel Cotto.

It's amazing how one additional quality fight can so enhance a PPV card.

Let's hope it's a trend that continues.