James Kirkland Stops Alfredo Angulo

Photo Courtesy of HO Boxing

By Randy De La O

As anticipated, Saturday night's fight on HBO between Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo and James Kirkland, in Cancun, Mexico, was a real barn burner. Kirkland immediately took the fight to Angulo and thirty seconds into the round he was dropped and hurt by a right hand.  Angulo looking to finish Kirkland never stopped punching. He should have, or at least stepped back a bit and been a little more selective with his punches.

So sure was Angulo of a first round KO victory that he punched himself out. You could almost see it coming. Many of the shots missed their mark. Near the end of the round Angulo was knocked down, almost as much from exhaustion as from Kirkland's punches.

In the second round Angulo's legs were unsteady and his punching lacked any real zip. It was the beginning of the end for Angulo as Kirkland, 100% back in the fight, dominated the rest of the fight. Angulo was taking a beating. You got the sense that both fighters were willing to die in the ring. When the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round, it was unchallenged. It was a great, hard fought victory for Jame Kirkland. He attributed his win to his hard training and preparation. It gives credence to the old boxing adage, "Fights are won and lost in the gym". Regardless of the outcome both men proved their mettle Saturday.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs Alfonso Gomez

Photos by Gene Blevins/Hoganphotos

By Randy De La O

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Alfonso Gomez will be fighting on the undercard (sort of) tonight. Alvarez vs Gomez will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their fight is the main event at that sight but on the HBO PPV their fight will be on the undercard, so to speak. I think it will be a good fight.

I happen to like both of these guys, though I do think at this point in his career, regardless of his age, "Canelo" is a bit overrated and over protected, but that's not his fault (yet). He still needs a lot of work, especially on defense but that should come with time.

Gomez is a guy you just can't help but like. I mean, how can you not root for Gomez? Now here is a guy that, more than anyone else, has made the most of his appearance on NBC's boxing reality show, "The Contender", a few years back, and here is a guy that could have griped to Kingdom Come when, after beating Peter Manfredo Jr on the fair and square, he was forced to fight him a second time after another contestant left the show and Manfredo was called back. Manfredo won the second fight. If they ended their fights with one and one, why was Manfredo allowed to fight Sergio Mora for the Contender title? The fair and honest thing to do would have been to make it two out of three. Gomez got screwed. I'm not saying Gomez would have beaten Mora but I do think he's the one that should have been given the chance. I'm digressing, I know, but I had to get that off my chest.

Gomez to be fair, is a limited fighter and most likely would have languished in obscurity if not for the "Contender", but it's his huge heart that has made me and just about everyone else a fan. He's my kind of fighter. He's always plugging away, always trying, always giving a 100%. I'm hoping that somewhere along the line, maybe tonight, he'll have a "Rocky" like moment in his career. He's fought and beat a few good guys, like the late Arturo Gotti, though to be fair to Gotti, he was at the end of a great career. He never fought again. He's stepped into the ring with Miguel Cotto, Jesus Soto Karass and Jose Luis Castillo. Castillo, like Gotti, was caught at the end of his career. Gomez is a deserving guy.

That's not to say that Canelo isn't a deserving guy. Like Gomez, I think he has his limitations but with the backing this guy has, he might as well have won a gold medal. His career is moving along like a juggernaut against mediocre opponents and he is not quite 100% deserving of his place in the upper echelon of boxing, someday maybe, just not yet. Still, his future looks bright.

Tonight, I'm throwing common sense, logic and conventional wisdom out the window and I'm going with my heart. It seems like the right thing to do! I'll be rooting for Gomez.

Star Power: Mayweather vs Ortiz

Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Victor Ortiz

Photo courtesy of HBO Boxing and Will Hart

By Randy De La O

Victor Ortiz. will be defending his WBC Welterweight title this Saturday, September 17, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Floyd Mayweather Jr..The fight will be shown on HBO PPV.

I would like to see Ortiz win this one but I'm not entirely sure he can. He looked good against Andre Berto in his last fight, and while Berto is a decent enough fighter and was/is considered one of the up and coming stars of this generation, he is not Floyd Mayweather Jr, not by a long shot. Logic and Common sense says that if he couldn't handle Marcos Maidana he won't be able to handle Mayweather. Still, there has to be a part of Ortiz that has vowed to himself, regardless of circumstances or opponent, that he will never again quit. That's just speculation on my part but it's one that makes sense. Hoever he did it, Ortiz has positioned himself for a fight with one of the two best pound for pound fighters in the world. He has a huge mountain to climb. The time for talk is over.

 Mayweather on the other hand, regardless of what you or I might think of him, has yet to be beaten and has yet to show signs of aging. I don't think Ortiz will have anything new to show him. Mayweather has seen it all before. However, he has not been without some close calls. His first win against Jose Luis Castillo was considered somewhat of a robbery but he did removed all doubt in the second fight. He earned a split decision in his 2007 fight against a tired and aging Ocar De La Hoya. During that fight Oscar had some great moments but just could not sustain it. When Oscar used his jab he had his way with Mayweather. That may just be the blueprint for beating him, that and a truckload of intestinal fortitude.

 My hope for tomorrow night? That Victor Ortiz reaches deep inside of himself and finds it within himself, win, lose or draw, to produce the fight of his life. I'd like to see the kid redeem himself.

HBO PPV: Mayweather vs. Ortiz - Fight Preview

Saul Alvarez vs. Alfonso Gomez

Face Off: Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Victor Ortiz Promo

Brandon Rios KO's Urbano Antillon, Paul Wlliams Loses to Erislandy Lara but gets the "Win"

Chris Farina/Top Rank

By Randy De La O

Kudos to Showtime. Saturday night's fight at the Home Depot Center between WBA Lightweight Champion Brandon Rios and Challenger Urbano Antillon represented everything that is good about boxing; good matchmaking, a real rivalry, two likable opponents, great action -while it lasted - and a definitive, no-nonsense and indisputable win, a spectacular third round knockout of Antillon by Rios. It just doesn't get any better than this. Both fighters had an old school persona about them. Neither guy is afraid to mix it up, both can punch and both can take it. Last night though, Rios just took it better.

Going into the third round, it was still a close fight and living up to everyone's expectations, until Rios landed a right hand that put Antillon on the canvas. He did it again a little later in the round. Antillon got up and was about to resume fighting, until he started to stagger across the ring, prompting referee David Mendoza to halt the fight at 2:49 of the third round.

It's hard not to like a guy like Rios. He never stops fighting but he does get hit a lot. I hope he tightens up his defense, even a little bit. Guys like Rios never come out of the fight game undamaged over the long haul. I don't really expect Rios to fight any other way. It's not in his nature to fight any other way. Rios is my kind of fighter.

Congrats to Carlos Molina on his upset of Kermit Cintron last night. It was his will to win and his big heart that won the fight for him.

Photo: Emily Harney

If the Rios vs Antillon fight showed the best side of boxing, than the Paul Williams vs Erislandy Lara fight, at the Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey, showed the worst side. Not so much the fight itself, which, while not spectacular and certainly anti-climatic after watching the Rios vs Antillon fight, was at least a good performance by Lara, who dominated Williams for most of the fight. What was bad, and bad for boxing was the judging. In a fight that was clearly and indisputably won by Lara, the judges awarded the fight to Williams. The judges should be called to the carpet for this fight and than tarred and feathered. Judge Al Bennett had the fight even at 114-114, Judge: Hilton Whitaker III had it115-114 in favor of Williams and Judge: Donald Givens had it116-114 for Williams. .

Williams had absolutely no answer for Lara's left hand. Lara, a southpaw, almost couldn't miss. Kudos to the HBO broadcasting team of Max Kellerman, Bob Papa and Roy Jones Jr. for making it clear that Lara was the real winner of the fight. I don't expect Williams to give Lara a rematch but overall I don't think the "loss" will hurt Lara's career.

Credits:
Brandon Rios vs Urbano Antillon photo courtesy of ESPN
Paul Williams vs Erislandy Lara photo courtesy of Fightnews.com

HBO Boxing: A Look Ahead

HBO: Erik Morales and Marcos Maidana

Erik Morales

Marcos Maidana

Erik Morales vs Marcos Maidana

Fight Preview

Erik Morales vs Marcos Maidana

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

Interim WBA Junior Light Welterweight Title

Golden boy Promotions

HBO Boxing

April 9, 2011

By Randy De La O

Erik Morales of Mexico, was one of the most exciting fighters of his era and certainly ranked high on anyone's pound for pound list but it has been a while. Morales is three for three in his comeback that began last year with a win over Jose Alfaro in March of 2010,  winning a 12 round unanimous decision. He followed up with two more wins;  stopping Willie Limond in September and a unanimous decision win in December over Francisco Lorenzo. Mediocre opponents at best but a good starting point for an aging former champion. Still, it's hard to tell how much Morales has left in the tank.

Morales, one half of one of boxing's greatest trilogy, Marco Antonio Barrera being the other half, was as exciting as it gets. His big heart and reputation for throwing caution to the wind made him a crowd pleaser and a fan favorite. Nearing the end of his career he beat Manny Pacquiao in their first fight but lost the last two, getting stopped in both fights.

Morales fought the best fighters of his era, including; Daniel Zaragoza,  Wayne McCullough, Kevin Kelly, Junior Jones, Paulie Ayala, Hector Acero Sanchez, Jesus Chavez and Carlos Hernandez. His last fight before retiring was a losing effort, in 1997, against WBC Lightweight champion David Diaz of Chicago (Diaz would lose the title to Manny Pacquiao the following year). The only fighter missing from his resume is the great Juan Manuel Marquez. I don't know why that fight never happened.

Argentinian boxer Marcos Maidana, at 27 and seven years younger than Morales, appears to be at his peak right now. Maidana is coming off a close and exciting loss to Amir Khan last December. Like Erik Morales, and like every other Argentinian fighter that I have ever seen,  there is no shortage of courage and heart in this fighter. He proved that in his fight last year with Victor Ortiz, coming back after being knocked down three times in the fight and getting the worst of it before taking control of the fight and severely testing Ortiz' resolve as a fighter, forcing him to quit in the 6th round. Over all, Maidana has not fought the same quality of fighters that Morales has fought.

Morales will certainly have his hands full this Saturday night when they square off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the WBA Interim Junior Welterweight Championship. My heart will be pulling for Erik Morales. While I would have rather seen him stay in retirement, he has chosen to fight again and I'm hoping to see him beat the odds. It will be an uphill battle for him.

Related articles

• Morales Vs. Maidana: Who Will Succeed on April 9th? (bleacherreport.com)

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs Matthew "Magic" Hatton

Photo Courtesy of Yahoo Sports

By Randy De La O

Saturday’s fight, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Matthew “Magic” Hatton, for the WBC Junior Middleweight title was not a great fight, it was however, a great showcase for Canelo’s talent. Canelo pitched a near perfect shutout over Hatton. I say near perfect because a point was taken away from Canelo in the 7th round for hitting after the break.

It was obvious from the start that Hatton was in over his head. He had neither the fire power nor the skill level to seriously challenge or hurt Alvarez. What he did have was grit and plenty of it. Each round was almost a carbon copy of the one that preceded it, with Canelo having his way, and with Hatton looking like he was ready to cave in and then coming back again and again with punches of his own, absolutely refusing to lay down. Still, the gutsy Brit took a lot of punishment.

Matthew Hatton was looking to step out of the shadows of his older brother, former champ Ricky Hatton, and I think to some degree he succeeded. Hatton’s style can be somewhat ugly, with all the holding, hitting behind the head, hitting after the break and hamming it up on the floor on two occasions. However, he is a survivor and he does possess a fighter‘s heart. Despite what even he must have sensed during the fight he never stopped trying to win. . Can’t fault a man for that type of thinking.

I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade and I do agree with Max Kellerman, Bob Papa and Roy Jones Jr, that Alvarez is something special, but I do disagree that he is the complete package. Someday maybe but just not yet. That’s no knock on Alvarez either, he is after all only 20 years of age. He may one day be an all time great but at this point the kid still has a few things to learn.

In the later rounds, he became frustrated by his inability to put Hatton away and it showed. Another fighter, a better one than Hatton, might have capitalized on it. It’s one thing to take a good punch but it’s another thing altogether to take a punch foolishly. Without any defense Alvarez will never be a “Complete Package”. The history of boxing is replete with fighters with big punches, no defense and short careers. The really great fighters, the ones that hang around a while, regardless of style or punching power know enough to move their head just a little.

Canelo strikes me as a smart kid and I think he’s the type of guy that will learn from his mistakes. There was nothing I saw that couldn’t be tweaked and adjusted. Maybe I’m just nitpicking, I don’t know. Still, I know what I saw. In the post fight interview I thought both men handled themselves with grace and dignity. In Hatton’s case he was an extremely good sport about losing and made no excuses. That’s the way it should be.

Alvarez won the fight via a unanimous decision. All three judges had it 119-108 for Alvarez.

One final note. I thought Lou Moret, normally a fine referee, was asleep at the wheel during the entire fight. He seemed lost and a step or two behind the action and he almost gave the impression of not wanting to get too involved. In the long run it really doesn’t matter because the fight was so one sided. I thought Hatton got away with too much holding and hitting behind the head, and I thought the wrong guy got the point taken away form him in the 7th.

Related articles

• Alvarez wins first world title by dominating Hatton (tsn.ca)
• Boxer Alvarez dominates Hatton to stay unbeaten (cbc.ca)

Abner Mares Humbles Vic Darchinyan and Amir Kahn Beats Marco Maidana

By Randy De La O

Last night was the first time I've seen Abner Mares fight. The kid is unbelievable. In the first fight of Showtime's Bantamweight Tournament, taking place at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, Mares beat Vic Darchinyan in a absolutely thrilling battle. It was no easy task for Mares who fought through adversity from the onset, including a clash of heads that resulted in  a large gash above the left eye, on the hairline, a flash knockdown in the second round, a point taken away for a low blow, and an incompetent referee that allowed Darchinyan to get away with several fouls during the fight. Several of the low blows were cause by Darchinyan who continually pulled Mares head down.

Darchinyan, ever the bully met someone who refused to be bullied. Mares took the fight to Darchinyan like a seasoned veteran and imposed his will and heart on Darchinyan, who for the first time displayed some good boxing ability. my guess is, he didn't have what it takes to stand up to Mares. Mares fought with a Chavez like determination. There have been so many great fights over the last couple of months. No one has impressed me like Abner Mares.

I can honestly say that I have never liked Vic Darchinyan. I think he is an arrogant loudmouth but you can add cry baby to the list now. I thought Pernell Whitaker was a whiner back in the day but this guy takes the cake. He blamed his loss on referee Bobby Howard, the same referee who let him get away with everything during the fight and took a point away from Mares. Darchinyan liked to boast that no Mexican could beat him, well, last night he got his ass whupped good, by a Mexican. I love it when justice is served. Mares won a split decision.

Showtime Boxing Fight Night Photo Slideshow

Over at HBO, at the Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas, there were two contrasting fights. In the first fight there were no surprises, as  Victor Ortiz, trying hard to erase the memory of his "fight: with Marcos Maidana, took a half step back in a dismal showing against Lamont Peterson. They fought to a draw. The less said about the fight, the better.

It didn't take much for Amir Kahn and Marcos Maidana to erase the memory of the Ortiz-Peterson fight. In the beginning seconds of the fight Kahn caught Maidana with two crisp body shots and dropped and for a minute it looked like it was over for Maidana. With intestinal fortitude that is the trademark of Argentine fighters battled his way back into the fight, to make things worse, he also had to battle Joe Cortez, who continually nagged at him and took a point away from him when his elbow connected with Cortez' chest. There was no merit for the point deduction.

Kahn for his part was following his game plan, using his speed and combinations but nothing would deter Maidana who was relentless in his pursuit of Kahn. In the middle rounds Maidana took control of the fight, almost stopping Kahn at one point, but Kahn, determined to prove that he had a sturdy chin fought on. Kahn had built an early lead but still it wasn't a sure bet going into the last round. I'm not 100% sure Kahn won that last round but he won their fight by unanimous decision. Both men proved their mettle last night.

Related articles

• Both Vic Darchinyan And Yonnhy Perez Go Home Without Belts (bleacherreport.com)
• Abner Mares, Joseph Agbeko win bantamweight semifinals in Tacoma (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Amir Khan-Marcos Maidana Live From Mandalay Bay: Follow on Twitter: KINGJ323 (bleacherreport.com)
• Freddie Roach wants Floyd Mayweather fight for Amir Khan after points win over Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas (telegraph.co.uk)

A Night at the Fights for my Daughter and Friends

Meranda De La O and Oscar De La Hoya

A few weeks ago my daughter Meranda won some tickets to the Juan Manuel Marquez vs Michael Katsidis fight on the 27th of last month, via a contest on Twitter (Marquez won by a 9th round KO). Oscar and Golden Boy Promotions gave Meranda the VIP treatment. My daughter and her gal pals as well as the husband of one of her friends were all given good seats, and my daughter got to spend some time with Oscar and attend the post fight press conference. They all had a great time. These are a few of the photos she took. My thanks to Golden Boy  Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya for being a true gentleman with my daughter.

Meranda (center) and friends

Oscar De La Hoya

Marquez and Katsidis moments before the fight
was stopped by Referee Kenny Bayless

Marquez speaking at the post fight press confrence

Andre Berto at the post fight conference.
Berto stopped Freddy Hernandez in the 1st round

Juan Manuel Marquez Stops Michael Katsidis in the 9th Round

Juan Manuel Marquez catches Michael Katsidis with a left jab
Photo By Meranda De La O  

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Michael Katsidis

MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada

WBA Super World Lightweight Title

WBO Lightweight Title

Marquez KO’s Katsidis Round 9

Press Conference Photo By Meranda De La O

By Randy De La O

I was unable to see the fight last Saturday between Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico and Michael Katsidis of  Australia but I did catch the replay on HBO the next day. I’m not surprised at the way the fight went or how it ended. Katsidis, like every Aussie I have ever seen fought like a true warrior. That was a given. A big heart and an exciting fighter. Despite a fairly high knockout ratio none of them came against top quality opponents , still a guy with a big punch is always dangerous.

Katsidis proved that when he knocked down Marquez in the third round with a quick left hook that hurt Marquez. Marquez, true to form, shook off the punch, fought back and by the end of the round was back in command of the fight. With each round Marquez continued to dominate and it was his experience as well as his amazing durability that won the day for him.

The fight, a likely candidate for the fight of the year,  though mostly dominated by Marquez was exciting. At 37 years of age, part of the drama of watching Marquez fight is wondering if this is the fight where he shows his age. The thought was that over the long haul, that maybe Katsidis’ youth would kick in against an aging Marquez. It never happened. Instead referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight in the ninth round after Katsidis was hurt from a series of punches thrown by Marquez. Some of the fans didn’t like it but Katsidis didn’t argue the stoppage.

Marquez always finds a reserve to draw upon. He has such a strong will to win. This is what makes him such a great champion and one that could have fought in any era. Fighting at a time when most fighters are afraid to take a real risk, Marquez continues to fight the best available fighters out there. Marquez, though has only one fighter in mind, it is his “Magnificent Obsession “, a third fight with Manny Pacquiao. It is his belief, a belief that is shared by many, that he won both of his fights with Pacquiao. This is what propels him.

I can’t say why Pacquiao refuses to give him a third fight and I honestly don’t know if at this point in time Marquez can still beat Pacquiao, but even if you feel, to be fair, as some do, that Pacquiao did win his two fights, the fact remains that the difference between the two is razor thin. There is no other better qualified or deserving opponent for Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez can’t go on forever. A fighter his age in the lighter weights is an anomaly. Don’t miss another of his fights. He doesn’t get the attention of Floyd Mayweather Jr or Manny Pacquiao just as earlier in his career, he fought in the shadows of his countrymen Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales but Marquez is a true boxing legend. Maybe when it is all said and done, he may just emerge as the best of all of them.

Related articles

• Boxer Juan Manuel Marquez stops Michael Katsidis (reuters.com)

Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams II: Williams KO'ed in 2

Middleweight King Sergio Martinez

Getty Images

2010-11-20

Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams

WBC Middleweight Title

Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
HBO Production

Getty Images

2010-11-20

By Randy De La O

Saturday night’s fight at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey was short and sweet. It was 1:10 into the second round when Sergio Martinez saw his opening and threw an explosive left hook to the side of Paul Williams jaw. It connected and then some. The ending was so sudden, so complete it was almost surreal, It was the type of knockout that scares you. “I was waiting for a mistake, but I was surprised that it came so soon, I didn't want the judges to rob me this time" said Martinez

The fight itself was expected to be a continuation of the first fight which ended in a controversial majority decision in favor of Williams. That fight never materialized. Martinez got his revenge quickly and decisively in a fight that started out competitively. The knockout is almost certain to be the knockout of the year and could end up being the knockout of the decade. I can’t remember the last time I saw such a devastating one punch knockout. “I got caught” said Williams “I just got caught”. Boy, did he ever.

There is a primal savagery in the way that Martinez fights; skilled but with a sort of reckless abandonment. He evokes memories of a time when the middleweights were king.This champ is not afraid of taking risks. He wanted to make his mark here in the United States and he did. It’s hard to believe that Martinez won’t have a following after this knockout. With one single punch he stole the thunder from last week’s fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. It has to shake up the pound for pound rankings.

Message to Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.; Make your fight with each other and quick. There is a new sheriff in town that realistically doesn’t need either one of you. Martinez is the kind of guy that can make both of you an after thought. Come to think about it, that fight is becoming less important by the minute. Better hurry!

Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams II

By Randy De La O

Ed Hernandez and I were at the Home Depot Center in July of 2007, when Paul Williams took Antonio Margarito’s WBO title by 12 rounds unanimous decision. It was a close, hard fought battle and despite the angry response from the crowd, Williams deserved the win. He’s the real deal and I think it’s fair criticism when most boxing writers and boxing fans say that both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao want nothing to do with him, though maybe a little more Mayweather than Pacquiao, especially after last Saturday’s shutout by Pacquiao over Margarito.

In his very next fight, Williams lost his title to the once highly regarded Carlos Quintana, a fight he avenged with a first round stoppage a few month later in the rematch. He has been on a six fight winning streak since the loss to Quintana.

One of Williams “victims” was Sergio Martinez, and I use the term “victim” loosely , in fact if Martinez was a victim that night, it was of bad judging. The fight at best could have been a draw but I thought Martinez edged out the fight and I’m not the only one. Still, it wasn’t a robbery , some fights just come down to opinions.

Martinez, an athlete and former soccer player from Argentina, made the transition from soccer player to professional boxer without the benefit of ever having fought as an amateur. Wasting no time after the loss to Williams, Martinez took on tough Kelly Pavlik for Pavlik’s WBC and WBO Middleweight titles. Pavlik’s only loss up to that fight was a twelve round loss to Bernard Hopkins. It was an exciting fight that Martinez won in spectacular fashion in twelve rounds.

That brings us to tonight’s fight in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Williams has proven he can win a rematch and Martinez has shown himself to be a legitimate fighter with skill and speed. Sometimes rematches turn out to be boring duds. Every once in a while though, we get a Gotti-Ward, Barrera-Morales or a Marquez-Vasquez. That’s my hope for tonight

Williams, a tall and rangy fighter needs to use his height and jab to set up his punches. Show some patience before going on the inside. Martinez, an excellent counterpuncher, has to keep in perpetual motion, not be a stationary target and find a way to get inside of Williams jab, which might not be quite as easy as the first fight.

This fight is a toss up but maybe the mental edge goes to Martinez. He was a contender in the first fight, Now he’s a champion. My father would tell me that a fighter really gains confidence once they win a title. They believe in themselves in a way they never did before, becoming a champion improves them. If that’s the case and Martinez is an improved fighter, Williams will have his hands full tonight. On top of that, Martinez feels he got screwed in the first fight. He wants revenge.

The fight will be televised by HBO. As always, may the best man win.

Related articles

• Williams, Martinez ready to brawl at Boardwalk Hall (nypost.com)
• Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams II May Differ From First Fight: Here's Why (bleacherreport.com)

HBO Ring Life: Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams

Ring Life: Sergio Martinez

Ring Life: Paul Williams

Mosley - Mora Post Press Conference

MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY POST FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE

"Well, you know, I tried, but it was a good fight and I was that close; that close to getting him, but he's a hell of a fighter."..Sugar Shane Mosley