V. Klitschko vs. Arreola: Round by Round

The replay of Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez just ended, so it should only be a few minutes until Vitali Klitschko and Cristobal Arreola make their way to the ring.

Now Jim Lampley has Floyd for a live interview from his house. Mayweather says that he was happy with his performance last week, but he knows he can get better. He thanks all of the fans who tuned in and bought the PPV. Lampley asks him about the interview being hijacked by Shane Mosley. He says that he's willing to fight anyone, but he offered to fight Mosley almost 10 years ago. He finished the interview apologizing to HBO for his behavior last week. Lampley forgives him and says that they have enjoyed following his career.

HBO now airs a short documentary of Arreola's life and career. They have footage from yesterday's weigh-in. Arreola stepped on the scale with his t-shirt on and weighed in at 276, but then revealed that he was wearing a 25-pound weighted vest. So he actually weighed in at 251.

Larry Merchant is back on duty for tonight's fight.

Now an overview of Vitali's career. Still waiting for the fighters to come out.

Chris comes to the ring first. He walks out to "Run This Town" by Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rihanna. The crowd sounds completely behind him.

Vitali follows to a chorus of boos. The commentators have to yell to be heard over the crowd.

Arreola is 27-0 with 24 KOs. Klitschko is 37-2 with 36 KOs.

Here we go...

Round 1

The two meet in the middle with no glove touch. Arreola starts the action first and is showing good upper body movement. Arreola establishes the jab. He lands a right to the body and Vitali gets out of the way. Vitali is landing his jab and left hook very cleanly. The size difference is clearly evident. Arreola is trying to get Vitali against the ropes, but Vitali is moving around well. Klitschko is keeping his gloves below his waist. This has been a good round for Vitali.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 2

Klitschko is getting the jab in again. Arreola matches the jab output. Vitali lands a right hook, and Arreola steps on the gas and gets in a good right hand and combos to the body. Klitschko is doing serious damage with his jab and right hand; now an overhand right. Vitali is throwing way more punches than we are used to seeing. Arreola gets tagged by two big punches.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 3

Arreola is showing good defense and is blocking a good amount of Klitschko's onslaught. Arreola is still having trouble getting on the inside. Vitali tags him while he comes in with a left-right combo. Chris lands a jab to the body that sends Vitali back. Arreola is focusing on the body while Vitali has been aiming for the head exclusively. Arreola gets two shots to the body in before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 4

Arreola's face is getting red. Chris rushes the inside again and grazes a few punches. Vitali responds by getting out of there quickly. Vitali lands a stiff jab. Chris lands two great punches while Vitali is stuck in the corner. This has been Arreola's best round yet. Chris sends Vitali back with a jab. Vitali throws two jabs that are partially blocked. Arreola lands two hooks to the body.

Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola

Round 5

Arreola goes to work with a four-jab combo. Vitali lands a hard right straight. Vitali lands another. Arreola is fighting with more aggression now as he knows he's probably down on the scorecards. Vitali gets two more hooks in. This has been a Vitali round all the way. Chris just can't get inside to do any damage, but he is trying.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 6

Arreola tries to get inside the massive reach of Vitali. So far it hasn't worked well. Arreola stumbles into Vitali and backs him into the ropes. Vitali nearly misses with a big right hand. Arreola gets in two punches to the body. Vitali continues to move around the ring very well. Vitali punctuates the end of the round with a big right hand.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 7

Chris is starting to headhunt now. He rushes out for the seventh round and tries to land some power shots upstairs. He lands one cleanly. Vitali is winning these rounds, but it doesn't look like the punches are doing much damage to Arreola. He's in no danger of being KOed. Vitali lands a right hook to the body and one upstairs. Vitali lands two more hooks to Arreola's head. Chris lands a right hand right at the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 8

Vitali gets backed against the ropes early. He ties up and Arreola gets in a few hard body shots in the clinch. Chris lands a big left hand and the fans get on their feet. Vitali ties up. Vitali does look like he's getting tired. Arreola is stepping on the gas in this round. He lands another big right hand. Now he gets tagged while closing the gap again. There is some blood coming from Chris' nose.

Spartan117: 10-9 Arreola

Round 9

Arreola is fighting with a new sense of urgency. He gets Vitali against the ropes again, but Vitali uses good defense to block Arreola's offense. A Klitschko chant starts but is quickly silenced by boos. Arreola has been on the offense the entire fight but hasn't been able to land anything that has put Vitali in danger. Klitschko is landing more punches now as Arreola's defense is being broken down.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

Round 10

Klitschko lands a jab and straight right. Arreola continues to come forward. Arreola throws a couple more shots, but Vitali gets out of dodge quickly. Vitali looks like he's on autopilot now, throwing jabs, then a power punch, then backing away from Arreola's punches. The routine has repeated itself from Round 1. Klitschko lands another power right hand before the bell.

Spartan117: 10-9 Klitschko

The ref visits Arreola's corner and decides that he's seen enough. He stops the fight.

The winner by TKO, Vitali "Dr. Ironfist" Klitschko.

Arreola is very emotional after the loss and is shown weeping in his corner with his trainer.

In the post-fight interview, Vitali says that the city should be proud of Arreola, who showed great heart and will. He says that Chris has an amazing chin. He says he feels great, and he would like to break the record of George Foreman.

Arreola is choked up during his interview. He says that Vitali is tough, and if it were up to him, he would have never quit. He apologizes to the fans. He promises that he will be back.

Posted by spartan117

Live V. Klitschko-Arreola Round By Round Updates Tonight

Can we please get a referendum on how to write the short version of Cristobal Arreola's first name?

I mean, I can understand how Cris might be the preferred spelling, since it's a shortened version of his full name. Yet for years I've seen it spelled Chris, and some sites (I'm looking your way, ESPN.com!) have it both ways in different articles. It makes things tough for hard working boxing writers and bloggers everywhere.

Now that I have that little rant out of the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm looking forward to Arreola's heavyweight title fight with Vitali Klitschko tonight. He deserves to be a big underdog, and I believe big brother Klitschko will win. But I think Chris/Cris at least has a chance to pull off the upset, and that's more than I can say about numerous recent heavyweight bouts.

If you can't tune in to HBO tonight, consider joining us here for live round by round updates by one of our intrepid bloggers. We'll do up a new post for the fight on the home page shortly after 10 pm Eastern time tonight, and then the simple act of refreshing your browser will have you keeping up with the action in no time.

'Til tonight...

Posted by The Franchise

Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins Rematch Signed for Early 2010

While Roy Jones has been staying busy fighting anyone he could line up, Bernard Hopkins has had his name attached to various potential opponents over the last few months. Though there had been talk of the two of them fighting each other a second time - the first time was back in 1993, when Jones won by unanimous decision - it was tough to tell how serious that possibility really was.

Turns out it was plenty serious. ESPN's Dan Rafael is reporting that Jones and Hopkins will meet again during the first three months of 2010. The article states the two boxing icons will split the purse right down the middle unless there's a KO, in which case the winner will get 60 percent.

For Jones, this is an undeniable coup. It's his best, and almost definitely last, shot at fighting someone relevant, and assuming the two names involved lead to decent sales (which I think they will), it will make him more money than anyone else he'd be likely to face.

Except for the opportunity to avenge the earlier loss, this appears less exciting for B-Hop, who even at age 44 is still fairly close to the elite level of the sport. But he was having trouble putting together a meaningful fight, and I suppose the prospect of another big payday can't be ignored.

Also of interest is that Rafael states that the fight hinges on Jones beating Danny Green on Dec. 2. I'm not exactly sure why Hopkins and Golden Boy would care about that, because it's not like one more loss ruins the enthusiasm for seeing two guys who will be a combined 86 years old on fight night face off. Unless Green destroys Jones, that is...

Posted by The Franchise

Mayweather-Marquez Tops 1 Million PPV Buys

The numbers are in for the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view. And those numbers are good.

Multiple mainstream media outlets are reporting that the Mayweather-Marquez did over 1 million PPV buys. The card took in $52 million as a result, making it the leader in the clubhouse thus far for 2009.

It's a truly astonishing number for several reasons:

• It was up against UFC 103: Don't forget how much the media made of this fact. I'm not sure what numbers UFC did, but it's safe to say they didn't top 1 million buys. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports claims industry sources say the boxing card won by a two-to-one margin. It's not apples to apples, as the UFC card was pretty weak compared to some of its other offerings of the past year or so. But it's still interesting, to say the least.
• Floyd and JMM don't have long histories as top PPV draws: Sure, Floyd was involved with the biggest PPV event of all time, but he was up against arguably the top draw of all time, Oscar De La Hoya. Marquez has fought Manny Pacquiao and not come close to this number.
• Ticket sales didn't set the world on fire: Guess we'll never know how slow sales were for the original summer date, but reports were that they weren't good. And the announcers were still touting available tickets during the weigh-in. Yet plenty of people shelled out money to watch on TV.
• The economy is still in the crapper: You know, just in case you forgot.

If Floyd's retirement was an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" gambit, it's safe to say it worked. Assuming the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight that fans everywhere are dreaming about eventually gets to the negotiating table, Team Mayweather's position in any proposed split just got quite a bit stronger too.

Posted by The Franchise

Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola: Predictions

The Franchise says...

On the surface, making a prediction for this weekend's WBC heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Chris Arreola should be pretty easy. The elder Klitschko is taller, has a reach advantage and may have more power too. He has many more rounds boxed against top competition, and there's a nearly 100 percent chance his conditioning will be better than the usually cardio-averse Arreola.

So case closed, right? Yes... probably. I think Arreola has a shot to win, albeit not a huge one.

The Nightmare isn't without his own power, having knocked out 14 of the last 15 guys he's faced. He has a good chin, so it's not like Klitschko is going to send him to the canvas the first time he lands a power shot, and he has legit boxing skills - he's not a mere brawler.

There's also the fact that Vitali is 38 years old. Even though he has looked great in his two fights since returning after a hiatus from the sport that lasted nearly four years, boxers that age can get old at any time (except for Bernard Hopkins!).

You'd like the younger guy to be able to outlast the older one if that happens, but Arreola has never gone further than eight rounds, and rarely looks like he's trained to do so. That doesn't bode well for his upset hopes.

Arreola has a chance, but he's going to need to get in Dr. Ironfist's face early and shake him up. Assuming that doesn't happen, I see Klitschko winning by mid-round TKO.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: If Manny Pacquiao Isn't Next for Floyd Mayweather, Then Who Is?

I have a confession to make: I haven't seen the Mayweather-Marquez fight.

It's not because I didn't want to, as I really was curious about how Floyd would look coming off his hiatus. I had to work, though, and had to head in right after the John-Juarez bout.

I've heard from several reliable sources that I missed nothing. Money was too good - on top of being too big - for JMM. End of story.

Even before Saturday's fight, fans and media members alike have been speculating about the possibility of Mayweather facing Manny Pacquiao some time next year. That talk is accelerating now, with some folks acting like it's practically a done deal.

I'm not as certain of that. For starters, Pac-Man has a big fight of his own coming up in November against Miguel Cotto, and even though I favor him to win, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. Cotto is tough, craftier than he's often given credit for, and there's an excellent chance he'll be the strongest man Pacquiao has ever fought. I'll be surprised if Cotto wins, but I won't be shocked.

For what it's worth, if Cotto does beat Pacquiao, I think Mayweather may re-injure his ribs running to sign to face him. That's because Cotto is a big draw, meaning big bucks, and yet I could see Floyd seeing him (perhaps incorrectly) as an easy puzzle to solve. A large payday and a perceived low risk? That's right up Money May's alley.

Speaking of money, the sheer amount to be made from a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight means it makes the most sense for both parties if Manny gets by Miguel - but it could easily prove a sticking point too. Each man is going to see himself as the A side and negotiations aren't going to be easy. Bob Arum has already made that pretty clear with some of his comments.

Weight is another potential hurdle, as Team Pacquiao isn't going to allow the same hijinks that the JMM camp agreed to. Or, if you believe this guy, perhaps Freddie Roach will just throw up his hands, say "We can't beat him!" and that will be that.

Obviously, Mayweather isn't planning on heading right back into retirement, so if he doesn't agree to a fight with Pacquiao (or Cotto), what's his next move? Tim Starks recently laid out some possibilities at TQBR, but he's almost using too much logic in doing so, and we all know logic and the sweet science have a connection that's tenuous at best.

Because of that, I can't rule out Mayweather fighting yet another guy coming up in weight, though there isn't as obvious a candidate as Ricky Hatton or JMM once were. Assuming he's actually on fighting a welterweight at 147 pounds (crazy idea, I know), here are three names I'd expect to see kicked around, along with my thoughts on their chances of actually stepping in the ring with Floyd:

Shane Mosley: Sugar Shane just went from figuratively begging for a fight with Mayweather to literally begging for one. It was uncharacteristically crass for Mosley, and that's coming from one of his biggest fans.

Mayweather would probably let that affront slide if Shane was a big draw, but history has suggested that he's not. On top of that, for reasons Starks explains in that post I linked to above, Mosley is still good enough to pose at least a bit of a challenge for Floyd.

Shane probably didn't help his chances with his post-fight stunt, but I could still see this one coming together. Yet I could also see Mayweather pushing it off until Mosley is another six months to a year older.

Paul Williams: Even if The Punisher wasn't scheduled (I guess) to fight Kelly Pavlik in December, do you really think Floyd wants to subject himself to fighting someone with a ten-inch reach advantage who throws 100-plus punches a round? Williams is also even less of a household name than Mosley, despite his talent.

I'll never say never in boxing, especially after some of the match-ups we've seen over the past few years, but I'm not going to hold my breath for this one. I love Williams and would be thrilled if he got the shot, but in this case I wouldn't even fault Floyd for thinking the risk/reward ratio was all wrong.

Andre Berto: I'm surprised he isn't getting more consideration. Yes, he's less established than even Mosley and Williams, but he's likely to be considered less of a threat than either of them while still having accomplished enough to appear a credible opponent. In Floyd's world, those things count for a lot.

As the youngest fighter on this list, I'd guess Berto would be the most amenable to a lopsided split in favor of Money May, so if Floyd feels like his name would sell the fight (and really, that's not much of a stretch) he'd be okay with getting a super-sized slice of whatever pie there would be. If the Pacquiao-Cotto winner is out, Andre could get himself in the mix.


I honestly don't see anyone else at 147 who jumps out. If you think I've missed someone obvious, leave a comment and enlighten me.

Posted by The Franchise

Ricardo Mayorga to Try His Hand at MMA

Ricardo Mayorga hasn't been seen in a boxing ring since getting knocked out by Shane Mosley a year ago. As it turns out, we may see him back in action before too long, but it could be in a cage instead.

The AP is reporting that Mayorga has announced he will compete in MMA, with his first bout likely to come early in 2010. He also added that he has not retired from boxing, but can't continue that career until he reaches a resolution in his contract stalemate with Don King.

With MMA's popularity continuing to rise, I expect to see more of this kind of announcement over the next few years. Mayorga's situation is a bit different due to the King issue, but I believe boxers who feel their careers have hit a wall will see a similar move as a viable way to keep fighting.

It's also utter foolishness. To think that someone at age 35 can learn all the nuances of the ground game in MMA in a short period of time is ridiculous, and it's even more so for Mayorga since he never even mastered the fine points of the sweet science.

Perhaps his brawling style will translate to decent stand-up, but that's about it. I did like his quote about one thing he finds attractive about MMA: "Boxing has many more rules."

That sounds like something I'd expect to hear from El Matador. Have fun getting choked out Ricardo.

Posted by The Franchise

Mayweather vs. Marquez Movie Theater Report

Over the years, I have paid for a pay-per-view fight to watch by myself, such as Paulie Ayala vs. Erik Morales, and Jones-Tarver II, gotten a bunch of people to split the price, like when Tyson fought McNeely and Holyfield, or gone over to the family's house. But over the last few years, I have watched the majority of the PPV fights at a local bar/restaurant. I have never, however, watched a fight in a movie theater until Number One/ Numero Uno.

The broadcast started at 9 pm my time, so I arrived at the theater at ten of 9, not really knowing what I would find when I got there. There hadn't been any advertising anywhere I had been or seen outside of the boxing media, so I was expecting the theater to be empty. As I approached the theater complex, there were no posters or advertisements for the fight on the outside. I had pre-purchased my tickets, so I didn't have to go to the box office, but I snuck a peak at the board, and one theater had the description "Mayweather" on the box office sign. The tickets were only $15 a piece, which is a great deal, at least in my opinion. And they were rated PG-13, for what it's worth.

I walked into the theater area, and this complex has approximately 20 theaters. Only one theater was showing the fight, and it was all the way towards the back of the complex. As I walked all the way to the rear, I once again saw no posters or ads for the fight, so I was expecting no one to be there. Security was extra tight for the fight's theater. There were three ticket takers/staff employees at the door checking tickets. I got my ticket punched and entered the hallway.

I looked up at the screen on the way in, and there wasn't the usual pre-movie nonsense, trivia and ads and such, but a still, poster-like shot of the two fighters. I turned the corner and was shocked to see a nearly completely full theater. There were next to no empty seats, except for scattered singles and seats in the first two rows. I ended up having to take the aisle seat in row two.

This was a shock to me to see not only the number of fans, but how early they were. At the fights themselves in person, the ticket-buying public doesn't even arrive earlier than the broadcasted fights. In my bar-going experiences, the crowd only shuffles in around 11, and most of the people who are there are still watching football and baseball games that haven't ended yet.

The fight-watching experience itself was quite amazing. Obviously, the HD screen in the theater is much larger than any screen you will find in a home or bar. The detail was incredible, especially in the close-ups like when they zoomed in on Katsidis' cut above the eye. Also, since I was in a theater and not a bar, I found myself able to watch the undercard fights much more closely than I could at a bar. I had my own seat, bar patrons were not bumping me around, there was no meal to eat, and there were no other screens to distract me. Also, at least in my local bar, they don't turn every TV to the fights until the main event. Here, there was only one screen, and it was all boxing.

There was a major difference between watching a movie in a theater and a fight in a theater as far as the overall atmosphere. You can actually talk to other people in the theater with you, because it is not as rude to talk during a fight as it would be during a movie. The sound was so loud anyway that you couldn't really hear anything but the broadcast team and the person right next to you, but it was a bit more relaxed in the theater than it would be for a movie.

On the downside, four hours is a long time to be in a theater. The seats aren't overly comfortable, and the bathrooms are usually far away, making a trip to the bathroom a little bit more time consuming. Also, there's no alcohol, and the food choices are much sparser than in a restaurant. Still, even with inflated movie theater snack prices, you can easily get a ticket, a large soda and a large popcorn for below the home price of a $50 PPV.

The crowd inside the theater was fairly vocal, cheering every time there was a major blow landed by any fighter, even during the undercard fights. I was surprised at how attentive the crowd was to even the Chris John-Rocky Juarez fight, which had its slower points. The crowd really perked up when Juarez wobbled John in the 12th, as they had been somewhat starving for action. Also, as mentioned before, they didn't have anything else to do or anywhere to go, so their attention was on the fights themselves, and probably their Blackberries.

The broadcast itself moved at a brisk pace, aided greatly by the two lead-in fights to the main event going the full 12 rounds. There weren't the usual lengthy gaps in the action when the undercard fights only go a few rounds each. My crowd was extremely pro-Money May and thus had a lot to cheer about. I was also pleasantly surprised that the theater allowed us to watch and hear the entire broadcast, even the interviews at the end. The bar I go to immediately blasts loud music after the decision is announced in an attempt to clear people out, which annoys me to no end as I never get to hear Larry Merchant grill people or Max Kellerman get zany.

So all in all, it was a great experience. A person going to watch a fight by themselves, or with only one other person, or just wanting to watch on the largest HD screen they will ever get to a see a fight on, should go this route for sure. Otherwise, even with the affordable $15 ticket price, it only takes but a few friends to make the $50 price just as affordable, and with the Tecate rebate, even less.

I was defintely impressed with both the number of people at the theater and their level of engagement with the fights. On a side note, I was also very fortunate to have a theater showing the fight literally only five minutes from my house. I took a look at the theater list, and in a city like New York City, for instance, there was only one theater showing the fight in the entire city as far as I could tell. I really lucked out in that regard. If you have a long way to go to find a theater, it may dampen your enthusiasm to go there.

Aside from the food and beverage choices, the movie theater experience beat the bar experience in every other way. Hopefully the boxing industry continues to explore this distribution mechanism. You figure though, if all 170 theaters had 100 seats, and they all sold out at $15 a ticket, that's still only $255,000. That's a nice amount, sure, but when one fighter is willing to voluntarily forego over two times that in order to keep two pounds, this revenue is but a drop in the bucket. And if you spread over too many theaters, and the fight isn't a big enough draw, you are exposing yourself to some risk there. Still, I am no boxing promoter, and those that are are much smarter than I am in regards to the business details, so I am sure they will figure it all out.

I have to give the overall experience a solid and enthusiastic A.

Posted by uatu

Mayweather v. Marquez: Round by Round

The wait is over. It's time for the main event. Both fighters are about to make their way to the ring. They just started the first of two national anthems. Tyrese is in the ring to sing the American National Anthem.

Marquez is coming to the ring first. The crowd is hyped. Mayweather follows now. He is escorted by Triple H. Can't clearly hear the music that he is entering to. The commentators said that the music was so low that you could barely hear it.

Now with the entrances. Marquez is 50-4-1 with 37 KOs. Mayweather is 39-0 with 25 KOs.

Here we go.

Round 1

Mayweather sports a big smile during the instructions as they touch gloves. They meet in the center. Mayweather throws the first jab. They feel each other out. Mayweather throws a jab to the body. Marquez gets in there with a jab as well. Nobody has landed much of anything thus far. Marquez jumps inside and Floyd counters. Mayweather lands a quick left hook. Marquez gets a left hook in of his own. Marquez hesitates to throws a left uppercut but pulls back. Floys throws the quick left hook and dips away. Marquez misses with a wide left hook. Mayweather lands a straight right. Marquez throws a combo that is blocked by Floyd. The crowd erupts. Mayweather lands two more crazy-fast left hooks. He's not showing any signs of ring rust.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 2

Marquez starts the action first with a quick jab and a left hook. Mayweather dodges a left hook. Marquez lands a great right hook, the best punch of the fight. Mayweather lands his left hook again and Marquez goes down. Marquez didn't even see the punch. He makes it up but he doesn't look to be in great shape. Mayweather lands another left. Marquez is more timid now. Floyd lands another left hook. Marquez is choosing his punches.

Spartan117: 10-8 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-8 Mayweather

Round 3

Mayweather goes to work with the jab now. Marquez counters with a right hand. Marquez throws the jab and follows with a straight right that Floyd dodges. Floyd is easily dodging Marquez's punches. Marquez lands an overhand right. It doesn't look like Marquez's punches will hurt Mayweather. Marquez comes in and eats a jab. Marquez tries to get inside and Mayweather is punishing him every time. Marquez is landing some good right hands but Mayweather is winning these rounds pretty easily.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 4

Marquez is trying to get inside again and is taking more chances. Floyd is using his shell defense that has worked so well for him. Marquez rushes inside and throws a combo that doesn't land. He's starting to let his hands go. Mayweather is against the ropes now. Marquez lands a big right hand and a left easily his best of the night. A cut has opened at the side of Marquez's eye. Mayweather's punches are incredibly accurate.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 5

Mayweather lands his trademark left hook again and again. Mayweather goes back to the jab. The crowd starts to chant Marquez's name. Mayweather gets backed into the ropes and Marquez goes on the offensive and throws a wild combo. Mayweather slips away easily. Mayweather keeps getting his jab between the gloves of Marquez. Mayweather gets against the ropes again and dodges Marquez's punches again.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 6

Mayweather keeps landing his jab and left hook and Marquez has no answers. Marquez is still choosing his punches well. Mayweather is starting to use his right hand. He staggers Marquez with a power straight right. Marquez gets Floyd against the ropes and throws a flurry to the body. Mayweather lands a jab to the body. Marquez lands a left to the body. Mayweather has Marquez in the corner and goes to work landing punches upstairs at will.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 7

Mayweather establishes the jab again. Floyd goes to the body again. Mayweather lands his fast left hook again. Marquez hasn't been changing his style at all to win any of these rounds. Marquez lands a counter right hand. Mayweather goes back to the jab. Marquez gets Mayweather in the corner and Marquez lands another nice flurry punctuated with a right hand. Mayweather lands a right hand.

Spartan117: 10-9 Marquez

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 8

Mayweather throws the jab and left hook. Marquez hasn't been able to do much of anything in this round. I gave him the last round due to activity and aggression. Marquez gets a jab in. Mayweather lands a right hand while Marquez is in the corner. Mayweather lands the jab again. Marquez lands a grazing right hand. Marquez throws a combo and Mayweather waves him in.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 9

Marquez is starting to throw more now that he needs a knockout to win this fight. Marquez sneaks in a right hand that gets around Mayweather's glove. Mayweather is on the defensive in this round. Now he throws the left hook again. He lands a jab to the body. Mayweather is letting his right hand go now. He lands a great right hand. Mayweather lands an amazing left-right combo. Marquez starts to take some chances in order to win some rounds. Marquez lands a hook to the body.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 10

Mayweather looks like he wants to finish off Marquez now. Floyd lands 2 big right hands. Now he lands a couple jabs followed by a right hand. Marquez lands a right hand. Mayweather gets Marquez against the ropes and lets his hands go once again. Mayweather lands a huge left-right hook combo. He looks quite comfortable. Marquez gets a right hand in to end the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 11

Mayweather lands a couple jabs. Marquez tries to get an uppercut in there but misses. Marquez gets beaten to the punch with every exchange. Marquez is against the ropes and Mayweather goes to work. He lands a huge combo and Marquez is showing off a strong chin. Mayweather could end this easily if he would take more chances but why risk it.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Round 12

Marquez throws some jabs. Mayweather lands the jab at will. Marquez lands a hook to the body. marquez lands a right hook. Mayweather is still trying to knock Marquez out but to his credit Marquez isn't making it easy. Mayweather waves Marquez in. Marquez throws a combo that is easily blocked. Mayweather dances to an easy victory.

Spartan117: 10-9 Mayweather

Uatu: 10-9 Mayweather

Spartan117: 119-108 Mayweather

Uatu: 120-107 Mayweather

The judges score the bout 118-109, 120-107 and 119-108 all to the winner by unanimous decision "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather

After the fight Mayweather says he was happy with his performance but he can get better. Max Kellerman asks him about the weight and Floyd completely dodges the question. He says that Marquez is tough and he gives him credit. Max asks Mayweather about fighting Shane Mosley. Mosley appears from off screen and hijacks the interview along with Bernard Hopkins. The exchange gets heated and Mayweather yells at Mosley for not respecting his interview. Kellerman tries to push Mosley away. Kellerman tries to ask him about Manny Pacquio. Mayweather tells him that he's going to talk cause "you talk to much". Kellerman ends the interview.

Marquez comes out of the ring to do his post-fight interview. Marquez says that Mayweather's speed wasn't too much for him but it was actually the weight. He adds that he wishes he had a few more fights at this weight before he faced Mayweather. He dedicates his fight to all of Mexico.

Posted by spartan117

Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez II: Round By Round

We're set for the co-feature of tonight's pay-per-view, which is the rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez, who fought to a draw in February. Michael Buffer is on hand to do the introductions, and Joe Cortez is the referee in charge of the action.

Juarez is 28-4-1 with 20 KOs, while John is 42-0-2 with 22 KOs. This is scheduled for 12 rounds for John's WBA featherweight title. And away we go...

Round 1

Rocky is stalking early and both men are cautious. John tests Juarez's defense. Juarez charges but John backs off. Both men try hooks and they tie up. Rocky goes to the body and John flicks his jab. John's movement is very sharp. Cortez steps in as they wrestle. Uppercut by John and more jabs. Right hand by John and they do more holding. Juarez tries to work his left hand free for hooks.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 Juarez
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 2

Juarez landed less than 10 percent of his punches in Round 1. John finds the range early with a few right hands. He smacks the body too before backing up, but Juarez connects with a right hand over the top. Right-left combo by John before they tie up. John sticks and moves; Rocky is trying hard to land his left hook. John's accuracy is really good right now. He doesn't waste many shots. Left-right by John as Juarez tries to establish his jab. Good right hand counter by Rocky.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 3

More combo punching by John and he's quick to hold when Juarez moves in. He scores and slides back again. Both men club each other inside, and John smacks home a left. Juarez just isn't busy enough, as Emanuel Steward thinks John is there to be hit. John's wide right almost lands behind Rocky's head. John uses jabs to set up a body shot, and Juarez lands his own in response. Juarez has his best moment so far with a left hook.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 Juarez
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 4

Lederman did give that last round to Juarez. Rocky gets inside but John covers up well. Juarez is doing a good job dodging more punches in this frame. Nice one-two combo by John, and Rocky's left eye is starting to swell. John is racking up plenty of light punches and Juarez still can't find any consistency.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 5

We see the instructions in Floyd Mayweather's locker room between rounds. More of the same here with John controlling the distance from the outside. Right-left combo by John and more wrestling. John is great at holding whenever Rocky gets too close. Three-punch combo by John and Cortez has his hands full.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 Juarez
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 6

Jim Lampley discusses the weigh-in deal from yesterday. Rocky comes out with a little more aggression, but John is still staying mobile. An interesting side note to the main event is that Mayweather would not allow HBO to weigh him today. JMM put on six pounds overnight. The crowd isn't feeling the action right now. The fighters work their way free, and John delivers wide shots around Rocky's guard. Nice left by John coming out of a break.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 Juarez

Round 7

This is where Rocky started to come on back in February. John is still outworking his foe by a wide margin. If he had any power, Rocky would be in big trouble. John scores on the inside and circles all the way around the ring. More combo punching by John as he bounces in both directions. Multiple jabs by John keep Rocky at bay. Juarez shows some bravado in the closing seconds but he's almost definitely losing by a lot on the cards.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 8

Juarez lands a left hook to the body right off the bat. He will need a knockdown or KO to win if Lederman's card is close to the official scores. Rocky jabs and makes John miss a bunch of punches. Two rights and a left land for John. Juarez goes to the body but eats some to the head from close range. Both men miss some big swings in the center of the ring.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 9

Juarez is actually having some success with his jab; he may have wanted to try that earlier. John is staying busy but his accuracy has decreased somewhat. John's head is snapped back but he's still landing some light punches. Juarez bulls forward and continues attacking the body. Juarez pays for missing a home run swing as John's counters find the mark.

Franchise: 10-9 Juarez
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 10

It's never good when the announcers have been talking about the main event for the last three or four rounds of this one. Lederman has Rocky down eight rounds to one. John is having a much easier round here, still sticking and moving. Juarez ducks inside and gets his left hand working, but John is landing two punches to one even at that range. John's left eye is still swelling but he should be able to make it to the end.

Franchise: 10-9 John
Spartan117: 10-9 John
Uatu: 10-9 John

Round 11

Rocky's corner tries to spur him on for the final six minutes. John works the head and body; Juarez seems to be stuck with a single plan that just hasn't worked tonight. They lean on each other and trade shots, with John getting the best of it until Rocky lands a short left hook. John may be tiring a bit but he doesn't have far to go.

Franchise: 10-9 Juarez
Spartan117: 10-9 Juarez
Uatu: 10-9 Juarez

Round 12

I don't see how Rocky can win this fight without a KO. Juarez lands a left hook but John fires right back. Rocky complains about a head butt and they get back to work. Nice uppercut by John inside. Ninety seconds to go. Juarez lets his hands go and John retaliates with another uppercut. They slug it out along the ropes and Cortex has to stand in. Rocky lands a mean left hook and John is wobbly. The fans finally wake up with 20 seconds to go. Rocky with an uppercut but John makes it to the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Juarez
Spartan117: 10-9 Juarez
Uatu: 10-9 Juarez

Franchise: 117-111 John
Spartan117: 115-113 John
Uatu: 117-111 John

The judges score it 114-113, 119-109 and 117-111, all for the winner by unanimous decision... and still WBA featherweight champion... Chris "The Dragon" John.

Posted by The Franchise

Mayweather-Marquez Undercard Live Blog

We're all set for Floyd Mayweather's return to the ring against Juan Manuel Marquez. There's a full slate of boxing action before we get to the main event, though, including a compelling rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez.

First up is a 10-round featherweight bout between Orlando Cruz and Cornelius Lock. Michael Buffer is in the ring for the introductions as usual.

Lock is 18-4-1 with 11 KOs but lost his last time out. Former Puerto Rican Olympian Cruz is 16-0-1 and is younger and heavier. Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Emanuel Steward are the announce team this evening.

Lock sends Cruz down with about 40 seconds left in the first round with a right hook followed by a left over the top. Cruz had to hold on for dear life to avoid another late knockdown.

Cruz seems like he has his legs back under him, and late in the second round he finally starts landing some of his own shots. A right hand early in the third round gets Lock's attention, and Cruz complains about some low shots as well. Both men are throwing some bombs for guys who don't have a lot of KOs on their records.

Harold Lederman has Lock up by four points through three rounds. Cruz has definitely settled in, but you wonder if he has given away too many points in a 10-round fight. Cruz is doing some nasty body work but is getting countered, and a right hook sends him down in the fifth. That's it for Cruz, as Lock wins by TKO at 2:08 in Round 5.

Video is shown of Floyd's arrival, and he showed up real early for tonight's card. Steward says he doubts we'll see any rust on him tonight. Steward gives his keys to victory for Mayweather: make Marquez lead, be physical and throw right hand leads down the stretch.

Now we see JMM coming into the arena, once again decked out with Rockstar energy drink apparel. Emanuel's keys for Marquez: start fast, cut off the ring, don't waste punches and finish strong.

I'll go round by round for Michael Katsidis and Vicente Escobedo. Both men weighed in right at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds.

Escobedo is 21-1 with 13 KOs. Katsidis is 25-2 with 21 KOs, but the Aussie has dropped two of his last four. The introductions are done, the instructions are given, and we are ready to go.

Round 1

Escobedo scores early with the jab. Katsidis digs in and comes forward. He doubles up on body shots and tries some shots upstairs. Escobedo settles himself and works off the jab again. As usual, Katsidis is swinging for the fences on the inside. Counter left by Katsidis, but he's already cut over his left eye. Escobedo covers up as Katsidis flurries. Nice action in the final 10 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 2

Katsidis walks through jabs and tries to back Vicente into the ropes. He's bulling his way forward with his hands covering his head. The fight is definitely being contested at his distance right now. Nice right by Katsidis, and he tries three straight uppercuts. Escobedo tries a right and gets smacked right back. The announcers are impressed with the continuing development of Katsidis' defense.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Escobedo

Round 3

Escobedo has a little more luck creating distance in the first minute of this round. Vicente steps into two straight one-two combos. Katsidis backs his man into the ropes and smothers him. He lands a hook and pushes Escobedo back. Vicente retreats and lands a few jabs. Escobedo does his best sustained work right before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Escobedo
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 4

Lederman has given every round to Katsidis, for what it's worth. He tries to hook his way inside as Escobedo lands more jabs. Right hand upstairs by Katsidis. He lets some shots go to the body as he leans in. Escobedo is doing a good job not getting trapped along the ropes. Right hand by Escobedo but he eats multiple shots in return. Katsidis' eye is streaming more blood. Left by Katsidis knocked Escobedo back a step, but Vicente gets fired up and throws his own punches down the stretch.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 5

Katsidis unleashes about an eight-punch flurry downstairs. Escobedo stands his ground and scores with an uppercut. He reaches with a right hand to the head. Katsidis actually lands a few jabs, but Escobedo is keeping good distance right now. Katsidis chases him across the ring and misses some wild shots. Escobedo lands a one-two and Katsidis tries the body again. Escobedo is bouncing on his feet and scoring from the outside.

Franchise: 10-9 Escobedo
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 6

Escobedo really has to hustle to avoid some early trouble along the ropes. Katsidis is just relentless as far as trying to get in tight. Vicente lands an uppercut and pivots away from the ropes again. Lots of feinting and Katsidis grazes a big right. Escobedo works more jabs and stays mobile. Clubbing left hook to the head by Katsidis. The Aussie charges forward but doesn't land much cleanly. Escobedo is momentarily smothered but he's still letting his hands go.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 7

It's going to be really interesting to see how the official judges have this right now. Katsidis almost runs out of his corner to start the round. He tries uppercuts and hooks as Escobedo covers up. Vicente tries body shots, which have been rare from him. His jab has been a weapon but he still needs more power shots behind it. Katsidis lands a right and then flurries along the ropes. Both men stand and throw in the center of the ring. Escobedo lands a quick combo and backs away.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 8

Lederman has it 7-1 for Katsidis. He lands a left hook and lowers his head to move in. Escobedo dodges more big shots and circles back. The announcers wonder if Vicente is starting to get discouraged. The jab isn't stopping Katsidis from advancing, that's for sure. Rough stuff on the inside that favors Katsidis.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 9

Nacho Beristain asked Escobedo if he wanted the fight stopped, but we move on. He comes out swinging, but Katsidis wades through and scores with two big shots upstairs. The ref calls a quick timeout for a low shot by Katsidis. A left snaps Escobedo's head back and the ref has to break up a clinch. Body shots connect for Katsidis and Escobedo has to lean on him to catch a breath. Vicente lands a right hand right before the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 10

CompuBox has Katsidis landing three times as many body shots, and they are starting to take their toll. Right hand by Katsidis and he tries to pour it on. Escobedo gets out of trouble but has to constantly keep moving backward. Katsidis is scoring as he rushes forward. The ref warns Katsidis about hitting behind the head, and an exchange breaks out when they resume fighting. Escobedo lands right at the last second, but it's too little, too late in this frame.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 11

Escobedo is really dancing for all he's worth, trying to create an opening for himself. He's definitely in great shape to keep this up for this long. Escobedo keeps his gloves down as Katsidis tries flurrying to the body. Lots of wrestling, which works against Vicente. Both men seem content to stand and trade for the last 15 seconds.

Franchise: 10-9 Katsidis
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Round 12

Nacho asked Escobedo for uppercuts. Katsidis unloads a big uppercut, but Escobedo digs deep to keep firing. He deserves credit for fighting to the final bell. A left from Katsidis makes Escobedo's right eye bleed, but the Aussie's face is swelling badly on the right side too. Katsidis keeps the pressure up as Escobedo smacks him with a hard right.

Franchise: 10-9 Escobedo
Spartan117: 10-9 Katsidis

Franchise: 117-111
Spartan117: 119-109

The judges score it 116-112 Escobedo, 115-113 Katsidis and 118-110 Katsidis. The winner by split decision, Michael Katsidis.

They show Floyd in the locker room as Lampley wonders if tonight's fight is really about Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather, of course, says no. JMM paces in his room in his Remetee shirt.

We'll do a separate post for the co-feature between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Lampley and Steward give us a quick walk back through their first meeting.

Posted by The Franchise

Mayweather-Marquez and John-Juarez II Live Round By Round Updates Tonight

Boxing fans rejoice! That big fight feel is in the air again, courtesy of Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. And while several factors (Floyd's possible rustiness, Juan's big jump up in weight) increase the risk that the bout itself might not live up to the hype, Money and Dinamita are unquestionably two of the best around.

In a rarity over the past few years, there's actually an undercard match worth caring about, as Chris John and Rocky Juarez face off again after battling to a draw in February. Good stuff.

There's still plenty of time to order the pay-per-view or look into seeing it in HD on a huge screen at a theater near you. For those of you who can't take advantage of either one of those options, we're here to help you follow the action.

Spartan117 and I will be blogging live during the PPV, with separate posts for the first two undercard fights, the John-Juarez rematch and the Mayweather-Marquez main event out on the home page. Join us for round by round recaps as they happen, shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.

Posted by The Franchise

Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: Weigh-In Report

It's weigh-in time in Las Vegas. It looks like we may have to wait about half an hour for the main attractions, Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. "The Colonel" Bob Sheridan and Dave Bontempo handle broadcast duties, and it looks like a pretty nice crowd on hand.

Michael Buffer kicks off the actual weighing with Cornelius Lock. He comes in at 125 pounds. His opponent, Orlando Cruz, hits 126-pound featherweight limit right on the button. Their fight will be the first one on the televised portion of the pay-per-view. They do a little bit of trash talking when they get face to face.

Next up are lightweights Michael Katsidis and Vicente Escobedo. It's Escobedo on the scale first, and he comes in at 134 pounds. Katsidis looks good at 135 pounds. There is some chanting for Escobedo as Katsidis does some talking. Sheridan mentions that some tickets are still left for tomorrow night.

The co-feature on the card will be the rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Before they come up, Buffer introduces Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya, who are all smiles. Radio host Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo grabs the microphone and leads a soccer-style chant for Marquez. Comedian D.L. Hughley comes out to support Floyd, humorously calling the hype show "24 Hours." Uh, that's "24/7" D.L.

Sheridan and Bontempo run down some highlights of the first John-Juarez bout. They talk about how John started quickly but Juarez came on down the stretch.

Buffer is finally ready for Juarez and John. Rocky is sporting a mohawk as he weighs in at 126 pounds. John gets down to his briefs and hears it a bit from the crowd. He is also right at the limit at 126. De La Hoya and Hopkins stand behind them as they pose, and the fighters shake hands after the staredown.

We get a little bit of a video hype package for Mayweather-Marquez. Hughley makes a urine joke, and Sotelo responds with a Kanye West joke. Hughley asks if there are any Mayweather fans in the house. Sounds like a few, anyway. Sotelo gives D.L. business cards for the dentist and the plastic surgery and Hughley gives him some more crap about the pee-drinking incident.

They continue to go back and forth as Hughley bemoans the fact that Mayweather doesn't have a catchy chant or song. Then we cut to Mayweather-Hatton highights.

Back to Buffer, who introduces WWE superstar Triple H. The Game gets kind of a mixed reaction from the assembled boxing fans.

Sheridan and Bontempo speculate about whether tomorrow's winner will face the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto winner next year. In the interest of equal time, we see highlights from JMM-Juan Diaz.

The announcers throw it back to Buffer so we can get the main event fighters on the scale. Sheridan makes one more plea to sell the remaining tickets. Roger Mayweather and Floyd's cutman come out on stage.

At last, Buffer brings out Juan Manuel Marquez, decked out in full Rockstar energy drink gear. Floyd Mayweather joins him, bouncing up the steps in a sweatsuit. There's a short delay as other TV networks from around the world cut in to join the fun.

JMM is first onto the scale, stripping off his Remetee shirt. He weighs 142 pounds, which of course is as heavy as he's ever been for a fight.

Money gets down to his boxers and looks to be in terrific shape despite his brief retirement. He weighs 146 pounds.

There's a brief staredown as a "Mexico" chant rings through the crowd, but no verbal sparring or shoving.

Bontempo moves in for a word with JMM through his translator. Marquez says he's happy with his weight, and it's exactly where they planned. Asked how he will get inside, Juan says it will be difficult but not impossible. De La Hoya moves in and says his man knows what he has to do to win, and he downplays the importance of the weight difference.

Mayweather gets his turn to talk, and he says he feels tremendous. He gives both his uncle and his dad credit for getting him ready to be the same Mayweather we've seen before. Floyd brushes off the suggestion that the fans are mostly in JMM's corner and promises the fight will be explosive.

Posted by The Franchise

Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez II: Predictions

The Franchise says...

A number of fights have come together over the last year or two that I never would have imagined I'd be seeing in my wildest dreams. Floyd Mayweather versus Juan Manuel Marquez certainly falls into that category, yet in a few days, that's exactly what we'll be watching.

I think JMM might be the best all-around boxer in the world at any weight, and by that I mean that while he might not be the fastest, toughest or most skilled, he's above average in every category. Though the prospect of his biggest payday ever can't be discounted, Marquez deserves all the credit in the world for agreeing to his fight, because he's in as tough as he's ever been.

For Floyd, there's really only two questions in my mind: will he be rusty after his brief retirement, and will he somehow feel like he needs to prove something and expose himself to more harm than usual? In order, my answers are doubtful, and he never has before.

Marquez is so savvy that I feel like he will be able to get to Mayweather, perhaps more often than many people suspect. But I can't get past the whole weight issue. Yes, Manny Pacquiao has been able to keep knocking people out while making rapid jumps through divisions, but JMM doesn't possess the same uncanny blend of speed and power that Pac-Man has. Even if his surgical counterpunching is in full evidence, I just can't see him hurting Floyd.

On the flip side, I see Money touching Marquez more often and wearing him down as the rounds pile up. JMM will leave everything in the ring, but ultimately Mayweather will get the victory via late TKO.

The card has another fight worth anticipating in the rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Their first meeting was a close one, though I scored it for John and felt he should have won.

The early rounds will be key to any Jaurez upset chance, because John was strong in the early going back in February. John has the height and the know-how to control the fight from the outside, and I expect he'll have success in doing so.

I can see this one turning out close again, but I like John to come away with a somewhat more decisive win. Since neither man has huge KO power, I feel John by unanimous decision is how it's going down.

Uatu says...

I agree all the way, except I am unsure whether or not I think JMM makes the final bell. I think JMM will keep trying to win and put pressure on no matter what the odds or situation in the fight, and he's going to have to eat punches to make that happen. But I see him applying that pressure more effectively than say, Ricky Hatton did, so maybe JMM loses by unanimous decision instead. Either way, I like Money May to win.

And I too like John by decision.

WWE Superstar Triple H Will Walk to Ring With Floyd Mayweather

Along with his usual entourage, Floyd Mayweather will be bringing another intimidating figure to the ring when he walks out to face Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday: a 13-time pro wrestling world champion. Triple H will walk out with Floyd on Saturday, according to 411mania.com.

One can only assume that Money and The Game hit it off during Mayweather's several WWE appearances over the last 18 months. Floyd was the guest host on Raw just a few weeks ago when the show hit Las Vegas.

He was also one of the headliners of WrestleMania 24, which was held during Money's boxing retirement last spring in Orlando. You can follow this link for a firsthand account from yours truly of his appearance on that show.

Posted by The Franchise

Mayweather-Marquez on the Big Screen: Movie Theater Locations

If you want to catch the Mayweather-Marquez fight in the company of other boxing fans - or you just want to see it on a really big screen - might we suggest seeing it at a theater near you?

Fathom Events is putting the pay-per-view in over 160 theaters across the U.S., with at least one participating location in 40 of the 50 states. You can click here to see a list of the theaters showing the fight.

In my mind, this is a wonderful idea that I hope does well enough to warrant revisiting for two or three of the biggest boxing matches every year. Short of being at the fight in person, seeing it in a theater seems like the next best way to have a communal experience, and the huge screen and primo sound are nice bonuses.

If I wasn't on blogging duty on Saturday, I'd think about buying a ticket myself (only $10 at the theater closest to me). As it is, we're sending our own Uatu into the field to check it out, and hopefully he'll report back on how it goes.

Posted by The Franchise

Boxer Clothing and Gear: Mayweather-Marquez Edition 2

So I've already pointed out how you can gear up for the big Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight this weekend. I know what some of you are thinking, though. You're thinking, "I really don't want to give Floyd any more of my money. How can I buy something that just shows off my support for JMM?"

Well, if you've got a spare $86, Remetee has just the thing for you: a Juan Manuel Marquez Signature Series Tee:



Not too shabby, and the skull reminds you that Remetee is the cousin of Affliction. For that price, it would be nice if you'd get the pay-per-view with it too, but alas, it's not to be.

Posted by The Franchise

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: In-Depth Preview

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr.

Birthplace: Grand Rapids, MI
Resides: Las Vegas
Height: 5' 8"
Reach: 72"
Current Titles Held: None
Former Titles Held: WBC Super Featherweight (130 lbs.), WBC Lightweight (135 lbs.), WBC Super Lightweight (140 lbs.), The Ring Magazine, WBC, IBF Welterweight (147 lbs.), WBC Super Welterweight (154 lbs.)
Professional Record: 39-0, 25 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 18-0, 9 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 10-0

Notable Wins: TKO10 Ricky Hatton, SD12 Oscar De La Hoya, TKO10 Diego Corrales

Juan Manuel Marquez

Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Resides: Anaheim, CA
Height: 5' 7"
Reach: 67"
Current Titles Held: The Ring Magazine, WBA, WBO Lightweight (135 lbs.)
Former Titles Held: WBA, WBO, IBF Featherweight (126 lbs.), WBC Super Featherweight (130 lbs.)
Professional Record: 50-4-1, 37 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 9-4-1, 4 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 8-3-1

Notable Wins: TKO11 Joel Casamayor, UD12 Marco Antonio Barrera, TD7 Derrick Gainer
Notable Losses: SD12 Manny Pacquiao II, UD12 Chris John, UD12 Freddie Norwood

Analysis:

Does boxing need Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Or did the man who dubbed himself Money need the sport (or the fame or the financial benefits) too much to stay away?

Whatever the reason, Mayweather surprised very few people when he announced his return to the ring after less than two years of retirement. He did raise a few eyebrows with his choice of opponent, though, as multi-division Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez was last seen campaigning at lightweight, two divisions south of where Floyd had settled in.

Weight issues aside, the match-up is one that's right up the alley of boxing purists, with each man able to make a convincing argument that he's the finest pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Mayweather possesses a unique combination of learned skill and natural talent, flashing incredibly quick hands while proving maddeningly difficult to hit squarely in return. Though he'll also enjoy a rare size advantage, his main obstacle will be shaking off any rust that's accumulated since December 2007.

Marquez can counterpunch with surgical precision, and he's also shown surprising power as he's gone up in weight and an iron chin to boot. As noted above, he will be carrying more bulk than ever for his first foray north of 135 pounds, raising the spectre of giving away both speed and pop. JMM is also on the wrong side of 35 and has logged many more tough rounds in the ring than his younger foe.

Since the bout will be taking place on the weekend after Mexican Independence Day, Marquez will carry his banner of national pride into what's certain to be a raucous crowd at the MGM Grand. But Mayweather won't be lacking in motivation either, as he's eager to reclaim his spot atop the sport and prove the many detractors that he cultivates with his "me against the world act" wrong for doubting he can do it.

Mayweather's Winning Strategy: Fight Your Fight

There probably isn't a more polarizing figure among boxing fans than Mayweather. In a way, he's similar to the WWE wrestlers he's occasionally performed with, as fans are never quite sure how much of Floyd is a character he's created and how much is the real man.

For most of his career, Mayweather hasn't cared much for other peoples' opinions of him. He's been happy to keep winning whether he's looked good doing it or not, and he's been able to brush off criticisms that he hasn't fought the most threatening competition. Only now the derogatory salvos coming at him have increased, swelled by charges that he faked an injury that postponed the fight from its original summer date and that he's having - in more than a small bit of irony - money problems.

Mayweather has to ignore any temptation to prove anything to anyone and focus on what he does best: hit people without getting hit back. Floyd should be able to use his height and reach to dictate the action from the outside, and his hand speed should allow him to get off first if he so chooses. And even though Marquez will be waiting to counter, Mayweather's ability to move laterally could give the Mexican warrior fits and prove to be the most important tool at his disposal.

It may not make for the most fan-friendly game plan, but that's never stopped Money before.

JMM's Winning Strategy: Take Mayweather Out of His Comfort Zone

When it comes to Marquez, timing is everything. His uncanny ability to throw punches at exactly the right split-second has been cited by everyone from promoter Oscar De La Hoya to trainer Nacho Beristain as the antidote for Mayweather's speed.

Still, JMM can't simply sit back, as he'll risk getting picked apart by an opponent who will be more than happy to land and retreat out of harm's way. He'll have to successfully accomplish something that Ricky Hatton was unable to do, which is to keep the fight in Floyd's face.

If Marquez can force Mayweather to back up and throw punches just to gain space, he may find the countering opportunities that suit his style. If he has to eat a shot or two to pull it off, so be it. After all, JMM has taken 24 rounds of power shots from Manny Pacquiao and lived to tell about it.

Posted by The Franchise

Ward v. Pudwill: Round by Round

It's time for tonight's main event. Andre Ward and Shelby Pudwill are in the ring. Pudwill is 22-3-1 with 9 KOs. Ward is undefeated with a record of 19-0 with 12 KOs.

Here we go.

Round 1:

Ward starts the action first. The ring is small, only 19 feet. Ward is throwing some strong punches, clearly going for a early KO. Ward lands a thunderous body hook. Ward is throwing hard to the body. Pudwill's defense is sound but it hasn't blocked all of Ward's haymakers. Pudwill tries to counter but misses. Great round for Ward.

Spartan117: 10-9 Ward

Round 2

Ward comes out throwing hooks and uppercuts. Pudwill is on the defensive. Pudwill gets warned for low punches. He lands a great right hand, his best of the night. Ward is committed to the body. Ward lands a left haymaker to the body. Ward gets a jab between the gloves of Pudwill. Now he lands a perfect two-punch combo. Ward lands another big right hand.

Spartan117: 10-9 Ward

Round 3

Ward goes back to throwing the jab to set up stronger punches. Pudwill is showing a great chin. Ward lands a left hook. Ward lands a huge 2 punch combo on the inside and Pudwill is hurt. He goes down to a knee. He attempts to get up but goes back to the knee. He makes it up by the 8 count but he is badly cut under his eye. Ward goes to work and is landing punishing shots at will. He pleads with the ref to stop it but the fight continues. After some more vicious shots the ref calls it.

The winner by TKO in the 3rd, Andre "SOG" Ward

Kessler v. Perdomo: Round by Round

Kessler versus Perdomo is the first fight of the supermiddleweight double header. Showtime is wasting no time getting started. Sidenote, Antonio Tarver has officially joined the broadcast team.

Round 1:

Perdomo comes forward first throwing jabs and combinations. Perdomo looks tall and lean and may have a slight reach advantage. Kessler lands a a great straight. The crowd is really into the fight chanting Kessler's name. Perdomo has been quite busy in round one. Kessler gets a few jabs in and Perdomo stays busy and reddens Kessler's face with his jabs. Kessler lands a good right hand to end the round, the best punch of the round.

Spartan117: 10-9 Perdomo

Round 2:

Perdomo continues to stay busy in the second round. Kessler lands a stiff jab upstairs, and another. Kessler's is landing at a higher percentage now. Perdomo's southpaw stance is landing him so good jabs but not many power punches. Kessler counters with a left-right combo. Perdomo lands an overhand left. Kessler loads up the right hand but misses.

Spartan117: 10-9 Perdomo

Round 3:

Perdomo comes forward gain and works the body. Kessler is throwing some mean power punches now and is getting more aggressive. Perdomo is staying active and using some great upper body movement. The ref stops the action to warn Perdomo for a low blow. Kessler backs Perdomo against the ropes and unleashes a combo of power punches. Kessler lands a power punch on the shoulder and Perdomo goes down. Perdomo isn't hurt. It looked like the force of the punch pushed Perdomo down.

Spartan117: 10-8 Kessler

Round 4:

Kessler is finding his rhythm now. The force of his punches is amazing. Kessler catches Perdomo on the chin and Perdomo goes back to the ropes in trouble. Kessler smells blood and goes in for the finish throwing right and left power hooks. The ref stops it. It's over. It may have been a quick stoppage but I don't think Perdomo could have done much else.

The winner by TKO in the 4th, Mikkel "The Viking Warrior" Kessler

In the post-fight interview Kessler says he knew he had him hurt and had to step on the gas for the KO. He added that he can't wait for the Super Six Tournament.

Live Kessler-Perdomo, Ward-Pudwill Round By Round Updates

Hey all. If you're new here, welcome. And if you've visited before, welcome back.

Here's what we're going to do tonight: we're going to make sure that everyone who can't watch the doubleheader on Showtime, featuring Super Six World Boxing Classic participants Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward in tune-up fights, knows what's going on as it happens.

How will we do that? Well, we'll have our very own Spartan117 blog live during the fights to give you the round by round scoop. We'll have new posts for Kessler-Perdomo and Ward-Pudwill out on our home page. The fun begins shortly after 10 pm Eastern.

Oh, and yes, technically the Kessler fight won't be live, but will instead be the dreaded "same day coverage." Just stay off the internets until tonight and you can act like it's live, just like us.

Posted by The Franchise

Boxer Clothing and Gear: Mayweather-Marquez Edition

Have a burning desire to gear up properly for the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight? Still have money burning a hole in your pocket after setting some aside for the pay-per-view (and if you do in the current economic times, congratulations!)?

Affliction has cooked up not one, not two, but three different shirts to commemorate the bout. And they're skull-free! Well, mostly skull-free anyway.




This was the first one and has a warbird theme going on. It also has gold foil highlights, which are on their way to being played out, I fear, but not there yet. This shirt is also available in black.








Okay, this shirt has skulls. You didn't think Affliction would make three shirts for one event and not use any skulls, right?









This one is my personal favorite, complete with black metal studs. I'd think about picking one up myself, except that at $58, this is more expensive than the actual PPV.






So order now and you could get your shirt before the fight, as Affliction shipping is pretty fast. Or don't, we don't make any money off pointing these out. I just like seeing cool shirts getting made for boxing matches instead of exclusively for MMA.

Posted by The Franchise

Kelly Pavlik Not Yet Cleared to Train, Dec. 5 Date for Fight With Paul Williams in Jeopardy?

A week ago on this very blog, I made a little joke about not rearranging my work schedule to be able to attend the Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams fight on December 5. At least I intended it as a joke, because I really would like to see that fight sooner rather than later.

Despite Bob Arum's happiness with the progress Pavlik and his troublesome staph infection are making, it appears we still shouldn't save the date just yet. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Pavlik hasn't been cleared to train.

As per Mike Pavlik, official big brother of Kelly, Team Pavlik is "still looking at Dec. 5" but nothing could be made concrete until The Ghost received medical clearance. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the fight could get pushed back. Again.

If that happens, Pavlik could be looking at nearly a year of inactivity since he retired Marco Antonio Rubio this past February. Call me crazy, but I'm not sure I'd want there to be any chance I'd have ring rust when I stepped in against The Punisher.

Let's do some Shoe Shining...

SHOE SHINING

The always hilarious Michael Marley (often unintentionally so) spun a whole column, kind of, out of Freddie Roach's reaction to Juan Manuel Marquez drinking his own urine on 24/7. Somehow I doubt Manny Pacquiao will be downing a glass of his own pee any time soon...

In the wake of Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto making appearances at Yankee Stadium to promote their upcoming bout, the AP ran a story about the attempt to return boxing to the venue. Okay, it wouldn't technically be a return at this version of Yankee Stadium, but you get the idea. Also of note: Arum's comments that a meeting between the Pacquiao-Cotto winner and the Floyd Mayweather-JMM winner would be "unlikely." Just posturing, or something else?...

Could the continued rise of MMA as the hip combat sport make it difficult for aspiring boxers to find places to train? A boxing club in Sarasota, Florida is getting pushed aside so that the gym can be used for MMA training. As I've said numerous times, I enjoy both sports, but it would be a real shame if this kind of thing would become a trend.

Posted by The Franchise

Weekend Predictions: Kessler-Perdomo, Ward-Pudwill, Calderon-Mayol

The Franchise says...

If you've never seen Mikkel Kessler fight or you just want to get yourself psyched up about Andre Ward's chances in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, you may want to tune into Showtime on Saturday. Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be much of a compelling reason to watch both top super middleweights tune up for the tournament.

On paper, Ward should have the easier time. His opponent, Shelby Pudwill, is almost a decade older, has little power (nine KOs in 22 career wins) and has fought just once since John Duddy knocked him out in the first round three and a half years ago. Yikes.

Unless Ward is looking past his foe to a greater degree than anyone in recent memory, he should have a short night. S.O.G. wins by KO in four rounds or less.

And what do we know about the man Kessler will be facing, Gusmyr Perdomo? Well, he's a lefty with some pop. He's never been knocked out, and he has a cool nickname: the Azucar Torpedo.

I've never seen Perdomo fight, but he hasn't faced anyone with the Viking Warrior's combination of skill and toughness. Just taking a stab at this one, but I see Kessler winning by TKO, thought it may take him longer than Ward.

If you feel like ponying up for a pay-per-view, you can skip the super middleweight tune-ups and watch Ivan Calderon's rematch with Rodel Mayol. The first fight ended as a technical draw, which was fortunate for the undefeated Iron Boy because he looked like he was on his way to his first 'L.'

Having finally seen footage of the first go-round, I can say that Mayol was younger, busier and bigger. None of those things have changed in the last three months.

Calderon has had an incredible run, making double digit successful title defenses at 105 before moving up to 108 and embarking on a nice run there as well. He's crafty enough that you feel like he'll find some answers to the problems that Mayol gave him last time. As we all know, though, Calderon doesn't have the power to end things early, meaning he'll have to be virtually perfect to win.

I hate picking against him, but all things come to an end. Mayol wins by unanimous decision.

Posted by The Franchise

Olympics Change Boxing Weight Classes... But That's Not What Really Needs Changing

I'm going to go on a bit of a rant here. Consider yourself warned.

One of the boxing-related stories that broke over the holiday weekend was that the IOC was consolidating weight classes for the 2012 London Olympics. There will be 10 divisions instead of 11 in order to keep the total number of boxers the same but allow women to compete for the first time.

I'm all for women getting a chance to fight. They should enjoy the same right to punch each other for self and country.

Since I thought it was the more the merrier when it came to the Olympics, I'm a little confused as to why that chance had to involve less men boxing. Taking away from one gender to give an opportunity to another smacks of Title IX, a controversial way for doing something similar with college sports here in the U.S.

But that's secondary to the real issue with Olympic boxing, which is its ridiculous scoring system. Until the IOC or the AIBA or whoever has the power to do something about it, boxing at the Games will continue to be somewhat farcical.

Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the current Olympic scoring system:

Pros: Boxers have a chance to come from behind, even in the final round
Cons: Everything else

Particularly galling is the judges not scoring body punches. Boxing without being rewarded for body work isn't real boxing, it's... well, it's whatever they have in the Olympics.

Since the Games are one of the few events that still has the power to capture huge chunks of an increasingly fractured audience, boxing could really benefit from a higher profile every four years. Unfortunately, I can't even get non-fans to watch Olympic boxing for five minutes before they decide it's silly, and that's largely because the scoring doesn't reflect what they see with their own eyes.

Next time I see a headline about changes being made to Olympic boxing, the scoring system better be what I read about when I click on the headline.

Rant over. I feel a little better getting that out of my system.

Posted by The Franchise

Report: Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams Rescheduled for Dec. 5, Shane Mosley to Fight Joshua Clottey on Christmas Weekend?

We've heard this one before, so we'll have to take it with at least a tiny grain of salt. But ESPN's Dan Rafael reported in his Notebook column today that Bob Arum expects the on-again-off-again-on-again fight between Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams to take place on December 5 in Atlantic City.

Hopefully it sticks on that date longer than last time, when the scheduled date of October 3 lasted roughly a week before Pavlik's staph infection, a problem that's been lingering pretty much all year, forced it to be pushed back. On a personal level, I'm happy that the fight will likely still be in A.C., as that is within driving distance of BoxingWatchers HQ. You'll have to excuse me if I don't rearrange my schedule at my day job just yet though.

You may recall that HBO was originally thinking Shane Mosley would fight someone in Las Vegas on Dec. 5, assuming he could get someone to fight him. Sugar Shane's name had been mentioned in conjunction with just about every possible opponent around his weight, and he even campaigned publicly - and unsuccessfully - to try to land Manny Pacquiao.

The ever-hustling Rafael has news on that too, getting Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer to state that he's given up that date for Pavlik-Williams and is looking to possibly match Mosley with Joshua Clottey in Los Angeles on December 26. Though Rafael correctly expresses surprise at that date, I think it could be a stroke of genius. People are always looking for things to do after they've finished their family obligations on the holiday weekend, and though there are college football bowl games going on, it's still well before the important ones.

I like Mosley to beat Clottey, especially if it's the same Sugar Shane that showed up in the Antonio Margarito fight, but it won't be an easy night. I'm also an unabashed Mosley fan and will readily admit to having trouble keeping my personal bias out of the mix.

Is fighting Clottey really just Shane settling for whatever he could get? There certainly seems to be at least a little truth to that, but at least one man whose opinion I really respect - Tim Starks at The Queensberry Rules - says Mosley has never been afraid to fight dangerous opponents for less money than he would prefer.

Posted by The Franchise

Quick Thoughts on September's Boxing Schedule

We're in a bit of a holding pattern right now as far as big boxing weekends go, as there's nothing of interest on Labor Day weekend. After that though, September is shaping up to be a pretty busy month. Here are my quick thoughts on each Saturday for the rest of the month:

September 12 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Gusmyl Perdomo, Andre Ward vs. Shelby Pudwill (Showtime); Ivan Calderon vs. Rodel Mayol (PPV)

All I have to say is that with all the anticipation that Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic has stirred up, Kessler and Ward better take care of business in these tune-up fights. You have to think some parties (say, HBO) wouldn't mind a stumble before the thing even starts, but I think I can safely speak for all true boxing fans and say I hope both gentlemen have quick nights.

As for Calderon, I didn't see his first fight with Mayol (stopped after six rounds due to a cut caused by an accidental headbutt), but it's clear Iron Boy had his hands full. He's always been pretty amazing to me because his lack of power means he can almost only win on the cards - and he always does. At 34, you wonder if his long streak of excellent boxing is about to come to an end.

September 19 - Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez, Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez (PPV)

I'm not sure if I can remember a huge fight in the last few years that had more questions surrounding it that featured two guys who are still at or near their primes than Floyd-JMM. Right now I'm not sure I can even say with any confidence who the aggressor will be. I hate picking against both guys, so come fight week it's going to be a tough call. I'm leaning toward Floyd right now.

I like John in the rematch with Juarez, though it will be interesting to see who is more fired up: Chris because he feels like he was jobbed in Houston, or Rocky because everyone still thinks he can't win the big one.

September 26 - Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola (HBO)

There's no reason not to think Vitali will win, perhaps easily. Does Arreola have a chance? I can't say until I see how seriously he's taking his conditioning. And given his history, there's not much reason to be optimistic.

Posted by The Franchise