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The Official BGOL Boxing Thread

Bob Arum: Floyd Mayweather will never agree to fight Manny Pacquiao

If you are a boxing fan and wanting to read some important news about the rumored fight of the century between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao, you will surely say Bob Arum is really the right person to talk to because he is the PacMan’s promoter aside from the fact that he is working so hard just to make it happen. Incidentally, he had an interview with The Telegraph, and the good news is, you can read some of his revelations on gmanews.com because of JM Siasat, the man behind the article posted on gmanews.com today, Sept. 29, 2014.

Bob Arum informed everyone that a mega fight between "PacMan" and Floyd is impossible to happen because he believes that Floyd will never agree to fight the Filipino ring icon in the ring despite the fight fans’ appeal. “I don't think Mayweather will ever agree to fight Pacquiao, particularly while he has a cushy deal with Showtime. He makes money fighting anybody," Bob Arum said.

You guys knew that their fans and supporters are very much eager to see them fighting in the ring, but because of Floyd Mayweather’s alibis according to Manny Pacquiao, the fight is still not happening. For some observers, the rumored lucrative fight or the biggest fight of the century should happen next year if not this year to determine who the real pound for pound king between Manny and Floyd is. They insisted that sooner or later, these two fighters will hang-up their gloves because they are not getting any younger.

But while the boxing fans are wishing to see them fighting in the ring, Floyd and Manny, two of the best fighters of this generation are throwing scathing words on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The latest reports say the "PacMan" called Mayweather uneducated.
 
Al Haymon is making a power move to bring boxing off of premium cable and back to network TV.



http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/10/2/6895105/al-haymons-ultimate-power-move-could-take-big-time-boxing-back-to

Al Haymon reportedly has a deal with NBC to return major league boxing to network TV, but will it work? It's a lot more complicated than simply taking name fighters and putting them on NBC.

If a report via Kathy Duva is to be believed, Al Haymon may soon be truly changing the boxing landscape, and not just by signing a bunch of fighters in his increasingly confusing role as manager/adviser/ promoter, or by strongarming premium cable networks.

Duva says that Haymon has a deal with NBC for 24 fight dates, offering NBC around $20 million total. At least four dates, it is said, would be prime time network events, with one coming the week after the Super Bowl.

That said, at $20 million total for 24 dates, it's worth wondering how many actual big fights can be made. On paper, it would seem as though the vast majority of that money would have to go toward the four or so big primetime events, while the rest of the shows would be lower-level, probably most of them on NBC Sports.

That's not the full budget for the shows, of course, but that's what Haymon would pay NBC to air the fights. The question then is, without Showtime or HBO paying the premium for the fights, where does the money end up coming in? Marquee advertisers might be hard to find. Gate revenues aren't going to cover much most of the time. There are other streams of revenue, but right now that would be the biggest question I have.

All said, though, that's not really a bad thing, other than this could be a knockout blow to Showtime Sports in the boxing world. Floyd Mayweather still has two fights left on his deal with Showtime and CBS Sports, but we're already seeing a domino effect from Richard Schaefer's departure at Golden Boy Promotions, as Oscar De La Hoya has taken Bernard Hopkins back to HBO for a fight with Sergey Kovalev, and Canelo Alvarez recently signed a long-term deal with HBO, too.

Showtime's only two fight cards scheduled for the remainder of 2014 are a pair of also-ran events on October 4 and November 1, promoted by second-tier companies. Haymon has some fighters on those cards, but they're not in particularly interesting fights, which has, of course, long been the main criticism levied against Al Haymon and his fighters, dating well back to when HBO was still doing business with Haymon.

Here's what Duva said:

"He's promised NBC that he's going to take his fighters off premium cable...he's going to put Showtime and HBO out of the puzzle and he's going to do away with pay-per-view and create an over-the-top network."

Showtime may indeed be in trouble with this news, unless something else opens up for them (and it likely would, somehow), but it's hard to see what serious impact this has on HBO Sports, at least in the short-term. HBO, as mentioned, does not work with Al Haymon unless the situation is dire and Andre Ward needs an opponent. The bulk of HBO's business is done with Bob Arum's Top Rank, a promotional company that doesn't work with Haymon unless it's something like Vanes Martirosyan-Erislandy Lara, a fight unattractive to TV that went to purse bid and got stuck on an undercard.

With Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy seemingly migrating back to HBO to work with Top Rank down the road for some big fights, HBO's foundation looks strong heading into 2015. Showtime is another story, as beyond Floyd Mayweather and the Mayweather Promotions fighters, it's totally up in the air right now who they have to work with, who will be fighting on their network. The Haymon/NBC talk makes that even more of a mystery, because it immediately would impact them, if what we're hearing is the real deal.

Of course, this will take time to shake itself out, but the Haymon/NBC rumors have been going around for months now, and it sounds like all we're really lacking is an official announcement. If it all works out, big-time boxing could be back on network TV sometime in 2015, and if that proves profitable for everyone, we could indeed see a migration back to the networks and away from premium cable and pay-per-view.

My gut feeling, for whatever it's worth (not a lot, even though my gut is huge), is that boxing has become such a niche sport that it's going to take some serious effort, maybe more than a collective group will be willing to put in. It will take someone like Al Haymon with the money and the fighters, but also promoters (since Haymon is not officially a promoter) working with him, and then a patient TV partner. Boxing has so devalued itself for so long, crushingly abusing its own image constantly for decades now, that it's not going to be the easiest sell to bring people back. Just saying "we're on network TV now!" doesn't guarantee eyeballs, and thus, revenue and money to keep the whole thing moving forward.

It's all a lot more complicated than just "boxing is back on network TV!" But if this happens, it'll be interesting at the very least. And like Duva, all any of us could really do is hope Haymon and NBC don't blow it, and that everyone finds the magic to make it work, because it could revitalize the sport if everyone gets it right.






Maaaaaaaaan..... If he pulls this shit off, that will change EVERYTHING.
 
Fighter that y'all need to pay attention to:

Artur Beterbiev
images


Born: January 21, 1985 (age 29), Khasavyurt, Russia
Height: 6' 0" (1.84 m)
Weight: 179 lbs (81 kg)
Division: Light heavyweight

This dude DEMOLISHED Tavoris Cloud in just over a round... Keep in mind that Cloud had never been knocked down before, but Beterbiev knocked him down FOUR times. Now he's calling out Andre Ward (not a very smart move, but ballsy). He's only 6-0, but he is coming off of a stellar amateur career, and his professional career is outstanding so far.

I gotta say, I am enjoying this Soviet invasion that is happening in boxing right now. Every former Soviet nation seems to have a guy that can whoop some serious American ass right about now, especially in the heavyweight division. It's been a long while since American dominance has really been challenged like this.... I'm liking the way that this is all unfolding.
 
Floyd Mayweather's Dad Says Mayweather-Pacquiao Super-Fight Is 'Definitely Going To Happen'

Floyd Mayweather Sr. told FightHype.com that a mega-fight between his son Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is "definitely going to happen."

Mayweather has two fights left on a six-fight, $250-million deal with Showtime. He says he'll retire when the deal ends. That leaves only two opportunities for the two camps to settle their differences and organize what would be the biggest fight of this generation.

Floyd Sr. says it's happening, though he doesn't seem to be going on hard evidence (via FightHype):

"That fight's gonna happen. Trust me. That fight's definitely gonna happen. It's a fight for the world, man, right there. It's the biggest fight that has ever been in life, so like I said man, that fight's gonna happen. I'ma tell you right now, he never told me the fight's gonna happen, but I'ma tell you, the fight's gonna happen. You mark my words and we'll see. And it needs to happen. Just like Ali and Joe Frazier, or Ali and George Foreman, something like that, man, it's one of those fights like that. The world wants to see it and they'll want to see it again when Floyd beats Pacquiao. I'm pretty sure Floyd is gonna make it look where people are going to want to see it again, because I'm just saying, Floyd's gonna pick Pacquiao apart, man."

Mayweather's biggest recent fight was against Canelo Alvarez. He made $41.5 million on the fight. A Pacquiao super-fight would trump that amount, even if he has to give a larger percentage of the purse to Manny.

Mayweather Sr.'s proclamation comes after Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum suggested that the fight could happen early in 2015.

Still, there's more reason to be pessimistic than optimistic. The two camps couldn't make this fight happen in 2010, when both fighters were at the peak of their powers and the money involved would have been off the charts. The bad blood hasn't cooled. In 2012 Arum accused Floyd of turning down $100 million to fight Pacquiao, and said the fight would never happen. As recently as September, Mayweather was antagonizing Pacquiao on Instagram.

As with every Pacquiao-Mayweather rumor in the last five years, it's best not to believe it until the two actually step into the ring.
 
What a joke of a fight...and for a title:lol:



In a fight that may have set boxing safety standards back a hundred years, Jermain Taylor captured the IBF middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory against Sam Soliman, who fought the second half of the fight with a balky right knee.

The narrative heading into the bout on Wednesday was whether Taylor- out on bail for allegedly shooting his cousin - should be allowed to challenge for a world title and whether he would incur serious damage.

Taylor was found to have bleeding on his brain following a brutal knockout loss in 2009.

Instead it was the 40-year-old Soliman who required medical attention with his corner and a ringside physician scrutinizing his leg to determine if the bout should be stopped.

Taylor, 36, dropped Soliman four times and won by scores of 116-111, 115-109, 116-109 in Biloxi, Miss., at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino to win a world middleweight title for a second time in his career.

“I heard it before now I’m hearing it again,” Taylor said of the decision in the ring afterward on ESPN. “He’s a warrior. He did the same thing that I would have done. He’s a warrior,” he said of Soliman’s leg injury. “I want whomever [adviser] Al Haymon wants. I never dodge anyone in my whole career.”

Soliman said after the fight that he injured his knee in training and nearly had to pull out of the bout.

“No excuses,” Soliman said. “If he wasn’t a good fighter then I would have been able to take the title back home to Australia. The knee was fresh during the fight. It wasn’t because of the knee. It was because of the performance of Jermain.”

Of course a question could be raised if Taylor should have even been permitted by the IBF and the state commission to challenge for a world title given his legal issues.

Taylor is currently free on $25,000 bail after he was detained at his suburban home in Little Rock, Ark. in August.

And Taylor had to receive permission from a judge to travel to Florida to train with Pat Burns and then to Mississippi for the bout.


Taylor was arrested on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault in the alleged shooting of his cousin, Tyrone Hinton, on Aug. 26.

Taylor, who reportedly has a court appearance next week, pleaded not guilty.

He also sustained a brain bleed following a loss to Arthur Abraham in 2009, when he was stopped in the 12th round.

Yet after passing a battery of neurological tests at the Mayo and Cleveland Clinics, Taylor was licensed to box again by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, giving him the green light to launch a comeback in 2011.

After a 26 month absence, Taylor won four straight fights against pedestrian opposition, all by knockout, setting up the questionable title shot on Wednesday.

Taylor is advised by the sport’s top power broker, Al Haymon.

The matchup was widely condemned in the media and even Teddy Atlas, tasked with calling the fight for ESPN2, questioned the wisdom of letting Taylor fight.

“No matter what happens here,” Atlas said during the broadcast before the bout, “if I’m training Taylor and he had a brain bleed, I’m not letting him fight again. Once the brain is compromised, I don’t think you should be in the ring taking punches ever again. Once somebody sustains that kind of injury, I’m not having them get in the ring again.”

But Taylor proved that he still has the physical tools to compete. And after a sluggish first half of the fight, he came alive to dominate Soliman, dropping him in the seventh round with a left hand.

Taylor wobbled Soliman again to end the round with a right hand.

Soliman was dropped again by a right hand midway through the eighth round, causing him to go barreling to the edge of the ring and seemingly spraining his right leg.

Soliman went again from a slip in the eighth round and appeared unstable on his right foot when he rose.

Soliman went down again in the same round from another slip. He got up but appeared to be hopping on one leg for the rest of the round.

His corner told Soliman in between the eighth and ninth that he had one more round to box, otherwise they would stop it.

It got worse as Taylor leveled Soliman with a big right hand in the ninth. Soliman smiled and got up once again.

With nearly a minute left in the ninth, the round was stopped to allow a doctor to examine his right leg. The bout was permitted to continue.

Despite his corner’s statements, Soliman came out again for the start of the tenth round.

However, Taylor dropped Soliman again in the 11th round with a short left hand.

While Soliman went down, it appeared it was more due to the unsteadiness of his leg and Taylor pushing him than the force of the blow.
 
Mikey Garcia is coming for Pacquiao!!!

Mikey Garcia targets 140 pounds

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/11706275/mikey-garcia-vacates-junior-lightweight-title-orlando-salido-elevated-full-champion

Mikey Garcia vacated his junior lightweight world title on Tuesday, and interim titlist Orlando Salido was elevated to full titleholder.

Garcia, who has won world titles in two weight classes but has not fought since January because he is embroiled in a dispute with promoter Top Rank, which he is suing, was due to face Salido in a mandatory fight. But with no plans to fight anytime soon and Garcia also facing problems getting down to 130 pounds, he vacated.

Garcia sent the WBO a letter letting the organization know about his decision, according to WBO president Paco Valcarcel.

Valcarcel told ESPN.com that the organization and Garcia have been in regular contact "because he was supposed to fight Salido, as per our interim requirements. His response was that he was unable to defend it because he has trouble making weight and wished to move to 140. Finally, they asked [that] we rank him at that division."

So when Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), 26, of Oxnard, California, eventually does return, he plans to do so at junior welterweight, meaning he will skip over the 135-pound lightweight division.

In January 2013, Garcia won an eighth-round technical decision against Salido to take his featherweight world title, and Salido has wanted a rematch.

"It's disappointing that Mickey left 130 because Orlando still believes he had unfinished business with Mickey. But he is happy to look forward to 2015 and fighting the biggest names at 130 pounds," Sean Gibbons, Salido's manager, told ESPN.com.

With Garcia on the shelf because of the promotional issues, the WBO approved Salido (42-12-2, 29 KOs), 33, of Mexico, to fight for its interim belt.

He faced Terdsak Kokietgym of Thailand on Sept. 20, and they put on a sensational slugfest that is the leading fight-of-the-year candidate. Salido got knocked down three times, but he dropped Kokietgym four times in an 11th-round knockout victory.

Garcia won the junior lightweight belt by eighth-round knockout of Roman "Rocky" Martinez in November 2013. In his only defense, Garcia won a lopsided unanimous decision against Juan Carlos Burgos on Jan. 25.
 
In case, y'all didn't know, Mikey Garcia had been talking about coming up and fighting Pacquiao for a while now...

And since Pac is moving down to 140, well.....

Manny Pacquiao will move down to junior welterweight, says Roach

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/359735-manny-pacquiao-will-move-down-to-junior-welterweight-says-roach

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – After ascending the scales in record fashion, Manny Pacquiao will most likely take a step down in weight next year.

The 35-year-old WBO welterweight titleholder will face Chris Algieri on Nov. 22 at The Venetian in Macau at a catchweight of 144 pounds to test out how he feels at a lighter weight, with his next fight to be at junior welterweight, says head trainer Freddie Roach.

“That’s the only reason we’re going to ‘44, that’s our choice, not theirs,” Roach said Monday at the Pacman Wild Card Gym.

Roach says that a move to junior welterweight would open up new fight possibilities, mentioning first a clash with RING champion Danny Garcia.

“There’s a lot of competition in the 140-pound division, a lot of them are going to 147 because they want to fight Manny for the bigger money but as soon as Manny goes to 140 all of those will come back down,” said Roach.

The eight-division titleholder last fought at junior welterweight in 2009, whenhe knocked out lineal champion Ricky Hatton in two rounds. He hasn’t scored a knockout since scoring a 12th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto that year.

“He’s never been a big puncher at 147,” said Roach. “I don’t think he’s lost his punch or his killer instinct; he’s just been fighting bigger, stronger guys. I think the knockouts will still start coming again at 140.”

Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 knockouts) is still in the early stages of camp for his bout with Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), which will be his first defense of the welterweight title he won back from Timothy Bradley in their rematch earlier this year.

Pacquiao worked four rounds in sparring on Saturday with California-based lightweight Stan Martyniouk and will work with Martyniouk plus welterweight Mike Jones on Tuesday. Viktor Postol, THE RING’s No. 9-rated junior welterweight, is also expected to join but is being delayed due to visa issues, says Roach. Unbeaten junior welterweight prospect Jose Ramirez is on standby to join camp should the need arise.

Former WBC lightweight titleholder Antonio DeMarco and former IBF super middleweight beltholder Lucian Bute are also in camp training with Roach.

Conditioning coach Justin Fortune, who has been in the Philippines for two weeks working with Pacquiao, says that his conditioning is strong already.

“He’s right on schedule. If anything, I have to pull him back a little bit,” said Fortune. “Manny’s always very fit anyways, so it gives us a good base to work off of. So we have to be careful to make sure he doesn’t do too much.”

Roach says he has given Pacquiao permission to play limited minutes in the season opening game of the Philippine Basketball Association on Saturday, where he plays with the Kia Sorentos as a point guard and coach. Pacquiao will have to sit out the remaining games, however, with all basketball activities to cease four weeks out from the fight.

“He likes to do it and it helps his conditioning but doesn’t replace his roadwork,” said Roach. “He told me he’s going to go into the game, make an appearance and coach most of the game. As long as that’s the way it is, I told him he can do that, I have no problem.”
 
Bruh....

Manny Pacquiao

Mikey Garcia

Danny Garcia

Lucas Matthyse

Lamont Peterson

Ruslan Prodnikov

All in the same weight class? Not to mention that Bradley, Alexander, Maidana, or Porter could easily come down and get some?

Only issue is that most of these guys are Al Haymon guys, which means that he could easy fuck up a REALLY great time that could be had at 140.
 
Klitschko floors Pulev in 5th round

HAMBURG, Germany (AP) -- Wladimir Klitschko knocked out the previously unbeaten Kubrat Pulev in the fifth round to retain his four heavyweight belts on Saturday.

Klitschko sent the Bulgarian flying back with a huge left punch to his jaw, leaving him sprawled on the canvas and giving referee Tony Weeks no option but to end the bout.

Klitschko, taller with a longer reach, dominated from the start and had the IBF's mandatory challenger down twice in the opening round, first with a left jab. Pulev stood up again, stuck out his tongue and stood on one leg to show he was OK, but the Ukrainian knocked him down again straight away.

Klitschko dropped him to the canvas again in the third, which Pulev did well to finish with a bloody left eye.

Just when the challenger seemed to be improving, Klitschko finished the bout abruptly, 2 minutes, 11 seconds into the fifth.

Klitschko recorded his 54th KO in 63 wins, with three defeats, and he dedicated his latest victory to the Ukrainian people, ''who are going through tough times.''

''To Pulev's fans I want to say, you have to be sporting, Pulev fought a good fight,'' the 38-year-old said. ''It was hard to work, the left jab. Pulev prepared well.''
 
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight at AT&T Stadium

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Jerry Jones has no inside information. He says he isn’t privy to any discussions, however serious they may or may not be, between the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather on the possibility of their long-awaited fight occurring in 2015.

Jones, standing inside the Dallas Cowboys’ locker room here late Sunday night, was only certain about two things:

As a boxing fan, he wants the bout made. And as a businessman, he believes a mega-fight like that demands a grand stage on which to shine, and nothing will do the trick like his own AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
If the fight is made, Jones promised an aggressive bid that would push the benefits of fighting in front of more than 100,000 fans, in a big media market, on the 50-yard line of what has become in just a little more than five years America’s premier sports venue – home to a Super Bowl, a Final Four and the upcoming inaugural college football title game, among other things.

Jones wants the fight at his place and he promised to take on what would be big money bids from casino interests in Las Vegas and perhaps Macau to get it.

“But I don’t want the headlines to say, ‘Jones says he’s got more than Vegas has got if we got into a throw-down,’” Jones told Yahoo Sports before breaking into a laugh. “I don’t want to say it’s impossible, but I don’t want anything like that.

“I do know there is no question that we can have the largest gate in boxing.”

Mayweather (47-0) and Pacquiao (57-5-2) have been the two best boxers and two biggest commercial draws in the sport for years. They’ve repeatedly negotiated to stage a fight that could produce some $250 million in revenue, mostly from pay-per-view buys, only to have things fall apart for myriad reasons and rivalries.

As both fighters age (Pacquiao is 35; Mayweather 37) a now-or-never vibe has taken over. Neither is quite as good as he was, even as both roll through overmatched also-rans.

Promoter Bob Arum, who is aligned with Pacquiao, repeatedly floated the idea recently that the two sides were getting closer in talks arranged via CBS Corporation president/CEO and entertainment powerhouse Les Moonves.

What that produces is anyone’s guess. It’s been close before only to end bitterly. There is, if nothing else, increased chatter from the Pacquiao camp, including trying to shame Mayweather into the fight.

Jones can only hope that the possibility of staging the fight at AT&T Stadium can increase the appeal for both sides. It’s a different option to consider than the traditional route.
Vegas casinos can bid high for the right to stage the fight, underwriting some ticket costs with the belief they will win the money back from high rollers at gaming tables and the sports books. There is also the immense promotional benefit of staging such an event at a Vegas casino.

The majority of major fights take place at the MGM Grand, where the Grand Garden Arena has a capacity of about 16,000 for boxing. Mayweather, a Grand Rapids, Mich., native but longtime Las Vegas resident, has fought exclusively there since 2006.

The MGM could also construct a temporary outside facility in a parking lot of one of its properties that could seat 30,000-plus in an effort to meet ticket demand.

Neither would compare to the spectacle of AT&T, however, which is what Jones is counting on to off-set a potentially higher bid from Vegas.

Pacquiao fought twice at AT&T in 2013 to positive fan reviews, which give Jones confidence in the venue (and its big screen televisions) as well as the marketplace of Texas.

“We’re perfect for it because of numbers,” Jones said. “We’re a proven boxing venue. Our venue would really extend ourselves in every way imaginable, financially or otherwise.”

He believes the idea of taking the big fight out of Vegas and to Middle America, where football is played, would increase the appeal. A week of hype or planned fan and promotional events around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex would help boost interest in the sport.
The state’s large Mexican and Mexican-American populations are a boon because boxing remains immensely popular in those markets, and even though this bout, between an American and a Filipino, lacks a Mexican fighter, it would be huge. The gate, with so many tickets bought and so many concessions sold, would surpass anything Vegas could offer.

Then there is the sheer spectacle of a six-figure crowd watching a fight. The visual alone might attract additional customers watching at home, Jones said.

“I think we can even add a few people on television,” Jones said. “We’re vain enough to think someone might want to watch it if it’s being staged at AT&T Stadium.”

Whatever comes from the negotiations, the owner and general manager of an 8-3 NFL team was more than happy to carve out a moment in a victorious Sunday night locker room to talk some boxing. That’s the power of Mayweather-Pacquiao.

Jones built his place to stage the biggest sporting and entertainment events in the world and here he believes is boxing’s chance to go mainstream and join the ranks.

“I feel on sound footing on how to bid it,” he said. “And I know we can give them the best venue. We’re the place to be.”

Mayweather-Pacquiao: Deep in the heart of Texas? Just one more reason to get the fight made.
 
Trout, Grajeda Headline ESPN Boxing Special in Honor of Late Boxing Promoter Dan Goossen

In honor of the late boxing promoter Dan Goossen, ESPN2 will televise live a three-hour ESPN Boxing Special presented by Corona Extra on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 10 p.m. ET. Goossen, who passed away September 28, was a longtime promoter for ESPN's boxing coverage. Most notably, Goossen promoted the WBC World Heavyweight Championship between Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola televised on ESPN in May. Thursday's telecast will include a tribute from some of Goossen's colleagues in the boxing world.

"We wanted to do something special in honor of Dan and we thought of no better way than to put on a great night of boxing just like he had done for so many years on ESPN," said Brian Kweder, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions. "Dan's contributions to the sport of boxing are well documented, but he was also a joy to work with and be around. I'm hopeful that he has a ringside seat wherever he may be for these fights."

Headlining Thursday's card will be a 10-round Jr. Middleweight matchup between former Jr. Middleweight titlist Austin "No Doubt" Trout (27-2, 14 KOs) of New Mexico and Mexico's Luis Grajeda (17-3-2, 13 KOs). The bout from the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif., will also be televised live on ESPN Deportes' Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra and will be available via WatchESPN. The card is promoted by Goossen Promotions.

Commentators: Todd Grisham and analyst Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2, while Pablo Viruega and analyst Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for ESPN Deportes. Claudia Trejos and Leopoldo González will anchor the ESPN Deportes studio, while bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will present live reports and interviews for both shows.

Main Event: In his last fight, Trout closed out the ESPN Friday Night Fights season on Aug. 22 with a 10-round unanimous decision win over Daniel Dawson. Grajeda, who also last fought on Friday Night Fights, is looking to get back to his winning ways following a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Willie Nelson.

Undercard: Thursday's show will include three fights in addition to the main event. Undefeated 2012 U.S. Olympian "Sir" Marcus Browne (12-0, 9 KOs) of New York, and Maryland's Henry "Sugar Poo" Buchanan (21-4, 14 KOs) will meet in an eight-round Light Heavyweight contest. Former Light Heavyweight titlist Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver (30-6, 21 KOs) of Florida and former Cruiserweight world title challenger Johnathon Banks (29-2-1, 19 KOs) of Detroit will meet in a 10-round Heavyweight bout. Contenders Oscar "El Guerrero" Escandon (23-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles and Tyson "Prince of Hali" Cave (24-2, 8 KOs) of Canada, will square off in a 12-round WBA interim Super Bantamweight title fight.
 
Canelo agrees to fight Miguel Cotto
By Wil Esco on Dec 10 2014, 10:00a 213


Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Canelo and Golden Boy have come to an agreement with Top Rank to make an Alvarez-Cotto fight, targeting Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Oscar De La Hoya has confirmed to RingTV yesterday that Canelo Alvarez has agreed to a deal to fight Miguel Cotto. Though Miguel Cotto has technically been a free agent the past couple of years, he pretty much has always worked with Top Rank to set up his fights. Oscar has been primarily working with both Todd duBeof and Cotto's legal adviser, Gaby Penagaricano to come to an agreement. But when things got to a sticking point, Oscar reached out to Bob Arum to work past certain issues.

"My side is done and dealt with. We have agreed. So now, I'm waiting on Bob to get their side done," said De La Hoya.

"Bob and I talked about the major issues that were a possible concern. But after our conversation, we found out that this fight will get made relatively sooner than anticipated. So we're getting closer. We are getting closer. I have no doubt in my mind that we will get Canelo-Cotto done for the May 2 of next year."

Bob Arum also commented on the negotiations:

"I am not the one who is negotiating," said Arum. "What happened was, there was an impasse, and Oscar reached out to me and I met with him, and we discussed how to solve the impasse and it was a very productive meeting. But the idea that I'm involved in conducting the negotiations with him is just not correct. I was called in to help out and to help to move the negotiations along. I believe that we had a very productive meeting, Oscar and I.

"We're still negotiating. Miguel has not been informed yet of various details of the negotiations, and everything is progressing favorably. But it has to take a little bit more time. We have to go through the process."

Oscar then goes on to talk potential locations for such a fight. Conventional wisdom would suggest Madison Square Garden would be a great site, but it doesn't seem to be even amongst the top two choices. This may be because although Cotto can pack MSG with Puerto Ricans, Alvarez can do the same with Mexicans in Texas, and that's certainly a more desirable environment for Canelo and Golden Boy.

"Las Vegas is a consideration. Texas is a consideration, especially with Jerry Jones wanting to host big fights, and especially with the Alamodome, which there is no doubt in my mind we will break the Julio Cesar Chavez-Pernell Whitaker record," said De La Hoya, referring to the Sept. 10, 1993, fight which attracted 58,891.

"In terms of attendance, I am sure that will happen. New York is not out of the question, but our priorities are Las Vegas and Texas for this fight. So the venue still is open as to where we're going to bring it, but first things first, and that's that we have agreed on some major points, which is a huge step in the right direction. So I have no doubt in my mind that Canelo and Cotto will be fighting on Cinco De Mayo, and we're moving in the right direction."

If Cinco de Mayo is truly the targeted weekend, as Canelo insists to us, that puts them directly in the line of fire for Mayweather's typical PPV date. Floyd will have to come up with a good opponent (*cough cough* Pacquiao) to give them a run for that date and maintain his position. OR, he can hope that Cotto doesn't end up signing off on the fight, which seems pretty unlikely. Anyways, whenever and wherever it takes place, it'll be sure to stir up the Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry. Sign the papers Miguel!!! Trust me, it's much better than the prospect of fighting GGG.
 
Rollie_Fingaz said:
Canelo agrees to fight Miguel Cotto
By Wil Esco on Dec 10 2014, 10:00a 213


Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Canelo and Golden Boy have come to an agreement with Top Rank to make an Alvarez-Cotto fight, targeting Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Oscar De La Hoya has confirmed to RingTV yesterday that Canelo Alvarez has agreed to a deal to fight Miguel Cotto. Though Miguel Cotto has technically been a free agent the past couple of years, he pretty much has always worked with Top Rank to set up his fights. Oscar has been primarily working with both Todd duBeof and Cotto's legal adviser, Gaby Penagaricano to come to an agreement. But when things got to a sticking point, Oscar reached out to Bob Arum to work past certain issues.

"My side is done and dealt with. We have agreed. So now, I'm waiting on Bob to get their side done," said De La Hoya.

"Bob and I talked about the major issues that were a possible concern. But after our conversation, we found out that this fight will get made relatively sooner than anticipated. So we're getting closer. We are getting closer. I have no doubt in my mind that we will get Canelo-Cotto done for the May 2 of next year."

Bob Arum also commented on the negotiations:

"I am not the one who is negotiating," said Arum. "What happened was, there was an impasse, and Oscar reached out to me and I met with him, and we discussed how to solve the impasse and it was a very productive meeting. But the idea that I'm involved in conducting the negotiations with him is just not correct. I was called in to help out and to help to move the negotiations along. I believe that we had a very productive meeting, Oscar and I.

"We're still negotiating. Miguel has not been informed yet of various details of the negotiations, and everything is progressing favorably. But it has to take a little bit more time. We have to go through the process."

Oscar then goes on to talk potential locations for such a fight. Conventional wisdom would suggest Madison Square Garden would be a great site, but it doesn't seem to be even amongst the top two choices. This may be because although Cotto can pack MSG with Puerto Ricans, Alvarez can do the same with Mexicans in Texas, and that's certainly a more desirable environment for Canelo and Golden Boy.

"Las Vegas is a consideration. Texas is a consideration, especially with Jerry Jones wanting to host big fights, and especially with the Alamodome, which there is no doubt in my mind we will break the Julio Cesar Chavez-Pernell Whitaker record," said De La Hoya, referring to the Sept. 10, 1993, fight which attracted 58,891.

"In terms of attendance, I am sure that will happen. New York is not out of the question, but our priorities are Las Vegas and Texas for this fight. So the venue still is open as to where we're going to bring it, but first things first, and that's that we have agreed on some major points, which is a huge step in the right direction. So I have no doubt in my mind that Canelo and Cotto will be fighting on Cinco De Mayo, and we're moving in the right direction."

If Cinco de Mayo is truly the targeted weekend, as Canelo insists to us, that puts them directly in the line of fire for Mayweather's typical PPV date. Floyd will have to come up with a good opponent (*cough cough* Pacquiao) to give them a run for that date and maintain his position. OR, he can hope that Cotto doesn't end up signing off on the fight, which seems pretty unlikely. Anyways, whenever and wherever it takes place, it'll be sure to stir up the Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry. Sign the papers Miguel!!! Trust me, it's much better than the prospect of fighting GGG.
Click to expand...

This is going to be a solid fight, but I'm not buying the Cotto being new and improved because he's with Freddie Roach shit.

I pick Canelo to stop him late.

The best thing about this is that it now forces Mayweather to fight Pac, which is the only big fight out there that could possibly compete with this one, if he wants to keep his date and PPV crown title.

If him and Pac don't make that fight for some reason the Mayweather brand will take an even worse hit than Pac even if it isn't his fault because nobody outside of Pac is going to give him numbers to rival a fight between two stars especially considering the Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry that has always existed.

If Mayweather either has to give up that date or fight on that date with an opponent that can't draw selling his fights after that will be extremely difficult.

If he fights Khan or someone like that I doubt he gets 500,000 PPV buys.

In a way Pac is in a better position since he can go down to 140 and find attractive fights.

Floyd is now too little for 154 on a regular basis and too big to compete at 140.

Brother Blues said:
Damn....Austin Trout done fall a long ways:smh:

After he beat Cotto,he looked to be a star.
Click to expand...

Rollie_Fingaz said:
He got the win, but yeah his stock has fallen.
Click to expand...

Nah, I mean I like Trout and he's a solid fighter but he was never going to be a star or a draw.

Even if he'd pulled out the win against Canelo he just doesn't have that crossover style. He's solid for people like us who actually watch boxing but to maintain where he was at, where he was going without being someone elses opponent and them being the major draw was always an uphill battle.
 
OutlawR.O.C. said:
If Mayweather either has to give up that date or fight on that date with an opponent that can't draw selling his fights after that will be extremely difficult.

If he fights Khan or someone like that I doubt he gets 500,000 PPV buys.

In a way Pac is in a better position since he can go down to 140 and find attractive fights.

Floyd is now too little for 154 on a regular basis and too big to compete at 140.
Click to expand...

Paulie's take:

 
Rollie_Fingaz said:
Paulie's take:

Click to expand...


I don't disagree with him at all, in fact this is the same argument I've been making since they initially spoke of making the fight in 09-10.

I absolutely think Floyd will kill him. Pac being a KO artist is bullshit and very overated.

He hasn't really been knocking anyone out since he moved up to 147, maybe even 140. His only chance of beating a pure defensive boxer like Maywearther is a KO and outside of a lucky shot I don't see. Everyone who's fought him, even Algieri recently, said he isn't powerful its his speed, accuracy and work rate that bothered them.

Floyd has comparable speed thats negated, and Floyd's defense is such that he isn't going to take that amount of punishment from Manny for it to accumulate and cause his issues.

I agree easy fight for Floyd.

But my point was outside of all of that, both have essentially run out of opponents that the public wants to see them against.

There are live guys out there that will be good fights for those of us who really watch the sport, but fights as big as Floyd and Manny have become accustomed to aren't sold to us they're sold to the novice, casual fight fans who only watch big fights. Thats where the million plus buys have to come from.

Floyd has run out of that (I don't think either fight with Maidana passed 1 million) and Pac is in even worse shape, I think his fight with Algieri didn't even crack 500,00.

So both fighters have run out of options, but what I do think and my point was that if Pac moves down to 140 which is a loaded division he has the chance to make some big fights agains because there are a lot of potential big fights there. Floyd, I don't see his next big fight. The only possibility is Garcia, maybe Thurman but I don't see either of those being big.
 
OutlawR.O.C. said:
I don't disagree with him at all, in fact this is the same argument I've been making since they initially spoke of making the fight in 09-10.

I absolutely think Floyd will kill him. Pac being a KO artist is bullshit and very overated.

He hasn't really been knocking anyone out since he moved up to 147, maybe even 140. His only chance of beating a pure defensive boxer like Maywearther is a KO and outside of a lucky shot I don't see. Everyone who's fought him, even Algieri recently, said he isn't powerful its his speed, accuracy and work rate that bothered them.

Floyd has comparable speed thats negated, and Floyd's defense is such that he isn't going to take that amount of punishment from Manny for it to accumulate and cause his issues.

I agree easy fight for Floyd.

But my point was outside of all of that, both have essentially run out of opponents that the public wants to see them against.

There are live guys out there that will be good fights for those of us who really watch the sport, but fights as big as Floyd and Manny have become accustomed to aren't sold to us they're sold to the novice, casual fight fans who only watch big fights. Thats where the million plus buys have to come from.

Floyd has run out of that (I don't think either fight with Maidana passed 1 million) and Pac is in even worse shape, I think his fight with Algieri didn't even crack 500,00.

So both fighters have run out of options, but what I do think and my point was that if Pac moves down to 140 which is a loaded division he has the chance to make some big fights agains because there are a lot of potential big fights there. Floyd, I don't see his next big fight. The only possibility is Garcia, maybe Thurman but I don't see either of those being big.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree that they have no one else to fight that will pull down big PPV numbers. Where I disagree with people is when they say it's all FLoyd's fault. Paulie mapped my sentiments when he said take the fight, beat Floyd then you have say over the rematch.

And Dontae (from Dontae's boxing Nation) brought up a valid point: Pacman could fight FLoyd's leftovers (Guerrero, Canelo) or fight Khan or Danny Garcia, so he does have options...just not ones that will see big numbers anymore.

FLoyd however has no one to fight that will make money. Maybe Khan because the UK crowd would buy it but there are no other Hispanic fighters he can fight to get those numbers up.
 
Rollie_Fingaz said:
I don't disagree that they have no one else to fight. Where I disagree with people is when they say it's all FLoyd's fault. Paulie mapped my sentiments when he said take the fight, beat Floyd then you have say over the rematch.

And Dontae (from Dontae's boxing Nation) brought up a valid point: Pacman could fight FLoyd's leftovers (Guerrero, Canelo) or fight Khan or Danny Garcia, so he does have options...just not ones that will see big numbers anymore.

FLoyd however has no one to fight that will make money. Maybe Khan because the UK crowd would buy it but there are no other Hispanic fighters he can fight to get those numbers up.
Click to expand...

Yeah people who have been saying that shit is on Floyd are full of shit.

They conveniently forget that it was Manny who refused to take the random drug tests when the paper work was signed (that was the only the that stopped the fight) only to implement random testing in his own fights after getting KO'd by Marquez, yet when the Floyd negotiations were happening his team said he couldn't because he was afraid of needles. :rolleyes:

Truthfully its not Floyd or Manny's fault, its Bob Arum. Arum knew had that fight happened back then it would cost him millions because the likelihood of Manny beating Floyd was slim, and as long as Bob has been around he knew that.

Think about it, both Floyd and Manny until recently have been getting PPV buy rates of over 1 million until about this year (Manny's probably declined after his KO). They both fight about 2 times per year and were pulling those numbers against much less famous competition.

Which means they could get over a million, give the other guy shit, keep winning and doing those same numbers with little to no actual threat.

But had that fight went off, and Manny lost like we believe he would, that means that those easy, guaranteed PPV buys are gone. Not only that even though its the biggest fight in history and people estimated it would do between 2 and 2.5 million buys you still have to split that between two equally big draws as well as two seperate promotional companies.

And that was in 09. So for as big as that fight would have been, considering the run they both went on with 1 million plus ppv numbers, one of them was going to lose big money after that loss.

But, without that fight going off and neither taking that hit to drawing power, they've sold far beyond what one fight would have brought in with all the fights they've had since, only really had to pay Manny or Floyd any real money, and the promoters keep all the rest to themselves without having to share it.

Bob was never going to take that risk.

As far as the Khan fight, it might do decent but it won't be big. Even he complained about the lack of love he gets in the UK. It would draw simply because its Floyd but I can't see it doing shit in the states which where it counts.

Plus even with a win I don't see him looking good against Devon, and even if he does look spectacular a win over Devin isn't getting anyone pumped to see him against Floyd.
 
Rollie_Fingaz said:
:eek: @ Keith Thurman talking greasy about Floyd at the weigh in.
Click to expand...

gamersfuel said:
i like thurman, but he's just trying to get that payday IMO
Click to expand...

basically

But out of all potential up and comers hes the one I most would want to get a fight with Floyd.

Perfect scenario would Floyd vs Pac in May and then Floyd vs Thurman in September.

That would also give them time to get Thurman a couple more fights for experience and exposure.
 
OutlawR.O.C. said:
basically

But out of all potential up and comers hes the one I most would want to get a fight with Floyd.

Perfect scenario would Floyd vs Pac in May and then Floyd vs Thurman in September.

That would also give them time to get Thurman a couple more fights for experience and exposure.
Click to expand...

Im down with that. Let Thurman fight the khan/alexander winner in May then sept they can get a Floyd fight
 
WBA, WBC AGREE ON NAMES FOR 17 WEIGHT CLASSES IN AN EFFORT TO ALLEVIATE CONFUSION

The World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council have reached an agreement to narrow down the many different boxing weight classes.

The announcement was made on Tuesday.

In 2015 there will be 17 different weight classes and was done in an effort to alleviate confusion that having so many weight classes brings. The International Boxing Federation will likely only acknowledge these also, but has yet to make a ruling.

Boxing Weight Divisions in 2015:

1. Minimumweight - 105 pounds
2. Light flyweight - 108 pounds
3. Flyweight - 112 pounds
4. Super flyweight - 115 pounds
5. Bantamweight - 118 pounds
6. Super bantamweight - 122 pounds
7. Featherweight - 126 pounds
8. Super featherweight - 130 pounds
9. Lightweight - 135 pounds
10. Super lightweight - 140 pounds
11. Welterweight - 147 pounds
12. Super welterweight - 154 pounds
13. Middleweight - 160 pounds
14. Super middleweight - 168 pounds
15. Light heavyweight - 175 pounds
16. Cruiserweight - 200 pounds
17. Heavyweight - 200+ pounds
 
Fight off,Jermain is an official dumb-ass....



Middleweight titleholder Jermain Taylor's defense against Sergio Mora, scheduled to headline the Feb. 6 edition of ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights" at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, is off and unlikely to be rescheduled.

Taylor has two serious problems that will keep the fight from happening -- one boxing-related (an injury) and one not (an arrest).

The fight was about to be canceled Monday because, according to Taylor promoter Lou DiBella, the fighter suffered a broken rib in a sparring session a few days ago. DiBella said they had hoped to keep the fight together but that X-rays showed a fracture.


However, even if Taylor had not suffered the injury, the fight would have been canceled after Taylor was arrested and charged with eight felonies and one misdemeanor over an incident Monday in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Taylor was charged with five felony counts of aggravated assault for allegedly discharging a gun, three felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana), Pulaski County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Carl Minden told ESPN.com.

Allegedly, Taylor discharged the weapon five times Monday afternoon on a Little Rock street corner after pointing it at his wife, children and another bystander. When Taylor was arrested, police said, they found him in possession of a bag with marijuana in it.

Taylor was in custody Monday night at the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility in Little Rock awaiting a bail hearing, Minden said.

"We learned a few days ago that Jermain suffered a rib injury in sparring, and we were getting another opinion and seeing how Jermain felt, and then this incident happened," DiBella told ESPN.com. "His fight on Feb. 6 was going to be canceled due to a legitimate injury, a rib fracture, but this obviously is a shocking development no matter what the exact details are, and it leads myself and his management [Al Haymon] to be more concerned with his well being, his mental health and his future than his boxing career.

"Right now there aren't any plans to reschedule anything or think about his future in the ring until the events surrounding his legal issues are dealt with."

Taylor already was facing significant legal issues stemming from an incident in his home on Aug. 26, when he allegedly shot his cousin Tyrone DaWayne Hinton multiple times and fired a gun at (but missed) another person during an altercation.

The 36-year-old Taylor (33-4-1, 20 KOs) was charged with first-degree battery and first-degree terroristic threatening, and faces up to 26 years in prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty in December and is supposed to go to trial in June.

Hinton survived, and Taylor, out on bail, received permission from the court to travel to Florida to train for an Oct. 8 fight against titleholder Sam Soliman, whom he knocked down four times and won a unanimous decision against to reclaim a belt he had held in 2005 when he outpointed Bernard Hopkins to win the undisputed 160-pound world championship.

Taylor was training in Little Rock for his first defense, which was to come against former junior middleweight titlist Mora in a fight that originally was supposed to take place in 2007, when Taylor was still undisputed champion. However, Mora passed on the fight because he was unhappy with the deal, a decision he has long regretted.

"Do I have bad luck, or do I have bad luck? I am getting so used to this," Mora told ESPN.com about having his title shot canceled. "If I didn't have Lou and [adviser] Al Haymon scrambling for me to get another opponent, I would be panicking. But I'm in a good place. I have a good team, and they are going to take care of things."

Mora said DiBella told him Saturday that Taylor had suffered a rib injury but that he was unsure whether the fight would be called off because Taylor was receiving treatment and getting a second opinion.

"But I felt the bad news coming even before what happened [Monday]," Mora said. "I was training my ass off, but this is not the first time this has happened. I'm gonna keep training like I am fighting on Feb. 6 and headlining a card on ESPN2."

DiBella said he was on the hunt to line up a new opponent for Mora (27-3-2, 9 KOs), 34, of Los Angeles.

The fight with Mora was supposed to be Taylor's sixth since coming back in December 2011 amid the controversy of being relicensed following a 26-month layoff after he suffered a brain bleed in a brutal 12th-round knockout loss to Arthur Abraham in Berlin in the opening stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic in October 2009.

After Taylor decided to fight again, he passed a battery of neurological tests administered by some of the world's top doctors from the Mayo Clinic to the Cleveland Clinic.

With all of his tests normal and medical professionals saying he was at no greater risk of injury than any other fighter, the Nevada State Athletic Commission -- which has some of the most rigorous licensing standards in boxing -- gave him a license.
 
:smh::smh:

Troubled two-time middleweight titlist Jermain Taylor is a champion no more. The jailed boxer was formally stripped of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight belt, due to his current legal troubles standing in the way of honoring his mandatory obligations.

"We had to vacate the title," IBF Championship Chairman Lindsay Tucker told BoxingScene.com [Click Here To Read More]

http://www.boxingscene.com/jermain-taylor-officially-stripped-ibf-middleweight-belt--87139


 
BOXING: GENNADY ‘GGG’ GOLOVKIN EXTENDS KNOCKOUT STREAK TO 19 IN MONTE CARLO

One of boxing’s brightest, most popular stars was able to remain unbeaten as Gennady Golovkin put a beating on Martin Murray in the main event of HBO Boxing's Saturday telecast.

Golovkin upped his consecutive knockout streak to a whopping 19 in Monte Carlo as he pummeled the Brit from pillar to post. Murray hung tough for as long as he could, but he eventually succumbed to the ruthless punching power of “GGG.”

It seemed as though the mauling was going to end in the fourth when Murray was raked by a vicious right to the stomach and dropped to his knees. He crawled back to his feet and once he was allowed to continue, the Englishman was welcomed with a ferocious onslaught of punishment until a crumbled heap along the ropes was the result.

Murray was able to survive the stanza and stood his ground for several more rounds; his jab and movement kept him afloat in the shark-infested waters. But late in the 10th, a bloodied and swollen Murray was force-fed two powerful right hands, the second of which slammed him onto his back. Again, Murray showed the resilience of titanium and crawled back to his feet.

Thankfully the mugging came to end the following frame when veteran referee Luis Pabon pulled Golovkin off after administering two more lethal right hands. Murray never protested as he sagged into the corner, the official time of the TKO coming at 2:10 of the 11th, allowing Golovkin to bolster his remarkable pro ledger to 32-0 (29 KOs).

It’s been no secret that the rest of the elite fighters in and around GGG’s middleweight division aren’t too keen on tangoing with him, but considering how long it took the knockout artist to take out Murray -- now 29-2-1 -- maybe some will think they see a chink in the armor.

“I hope Miguel Cotto [is next],” Golovkin declared after the bout. “I want Cotto because he has the WBC belt. Then I want to fight all the other middleweights and get all the belts in the middleweight division.”
 
Is anybody watching PBC on Spike tonight?

They got Joe Calzaghe up here saying that he is the best super middleweight of all time.

He DUCKED all these dudes, but he's trying to convince everyone that he would have beat everyone had he stayed.

For real?
 
Deontay Wilder vs. Eric Molina fight a sellout

Saturday night's WBC heavyweight championship fight in Birmingham between Tuscaloosa's Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina is a sellout, organizers said Friday.

Gene Hallman, president and CEO of the Bruno Event Team, said prior to Friday's weigh-in at Birmingham City Hall that all 8,508 seats for Saturday's fight at Bartow Arena on the campus of UAB had been sold. It is Wilder's first title defense and the first world championship boxing event to take place in the state of Alabama.

Wilder (33-0, 32 knockouts) will put his WBC belt on the line Molina, a Texan who comes in 25-2 with 17 KOs. Wilder won the title in January by beating Bermane Stiverne in a unanimous 12-round decision in Las Vegas.

The 6-foot-7 Wilder weighed in at 229 pounds Friday, while Molina checked in at 6-4, 239.25.

Saturday night's fight will be broadcast live on Showtime beginning at 8 p.m. Central.
 

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