Bob Velin
249 articles · USA Today
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Bob Arum: Loss to Jessie Vargas would be ‘devastating’ for Manny Pacquiao
By Bob Velin
Bob Arum is a Hall of Fame promoter and certainly among the best in the business, so when he talks about his fighters and the fights he promotes, well, you have to…
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Manny Pacquiao builds and gives away 1,000 houses in Philippines to poor and homeless
By Bob Velin
Manny Pacquiao knows what it?s like to have nothing. He once lived it. Eating was never a given for Pacquiao while growing up with his dirt-poor family in the Sarangani Province in…
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For Manny Pacquiao, first year in Philippine Senate was very busy, controversial
By Bob Velin
Manny Pacquiao?s first year in the Philippines Senate saw the boxing legend and former two-term congressman make his mark on the country?s powerful legislative body by being a member of countless committees,…
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Manny Pacquiao leaves behind grueling schedule to head to U.S. for Nov. 5 title fight
By Bob Velin
With a little more than two weeks left before his first fight since his retirement in April, and with the Philippines Senate now in recess, Manny Pacquiao is winding down his training…
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Dylan and Pacquiao: The day the Nobel Prize winner met the noble prize fighter
By Bob Velin
Manny Pacquiao, the first-term senator from the Philippines and legendary eight-division boxing champion, has not yet won a Nobel Prize. And Bob Dylan, the legendary songwriter and newest winner of the Nobel…
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Stephen A. Smith to debut as boxing analyst for Pacquiao-Vargas PPV card Nov. 5
By Bob Velin
ESPN?s controversial commentator Stephen A. Smith will make his debut as a boxing analyst on Nov. 5 with a quadruple title fight, pay-per-view card headlined by Manny Pacquiao?s return against WBO welterweight…
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HBO says no, so Top Rank will go it alone for Nov. 5 Manny Pacquiao PPV card
By Bob Velin
Top Rank President Todd duBoef looks at it as an opportunity, empowerment. A free pass perhaps. Those are a few of the positives duBoef lists for his company coming out of HBO?s…
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Canelo Alvarez fractured right thumb; December return on HBO scrapped
By Bob Velin
New WBO junior middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez said after defeating Liam Smith by ninth-round TKO on Saturday at AT&T Stadium that he hurt his right hand in the second round, and was…
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Canelo Alvarez KOs Liam Smith with punishing body shots in ninth round
By Bob Velin
Canelo Alvarez, USA TODAY/Boxing Junkie?s No. 7-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, handed England?s Liam Smith his first career loss and took the WBO 154-pound title from Smith (23-1-1, 13 KOs) at AT&T Stadium in…
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Filipino delight: Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire on same card for first time, both title fights
By Bob Velin
The two biggest boxing stars to come out of the Philippines will be fighting on the same show for the first time on Nov. 5. And both are involved in title fights…
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Chocolatito wins hard-fought decision over Carlos Cuadras for historic title in fourth weight class
By Bob Velin
INGLEWOOD, Calif. ? Roman ?Chocolatito? Gonzalez accomplished what he set out to do Saturday night. He moved up to super flyweight ? 115 pounds ? and took down the champion Carlos Cuadras…
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Champ Jessie Vargas tired of disrespect, has ample inspiration to beat Manny Pacquiao
By Bob Velin
LOS ANGELES ? He knows he still has so much to prove. Yet Jessie Vargas wants the media and fans to know he?s awfully tired of being disrespected every time he steps…
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Three-division world champ Abner Mares eyes career revival under trainer Robert Garcia
By Bob Velin
With his on-the-job training as an Olympic boxing analyst in his rear-view mirror, former three-division world champion Abner Mares can concentrate on getting his once-thriving boxing career back on track. Just don?t…
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Errol Spence’s PBC on NBC knockout bout attracts more than 6 million viewers
By Bob Velin
Sure, it had a lead-in of the Olympic basketball gold medal game between the USA and Serbia. But even so, Errol Spence Jr.?s sixth-round knockout of Leonard Bundu on Sunday afternoon delivered…
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Oscar De La Hoya’s Olympic formula for professional stardom
By Bob Velin
The Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, has a simple formula for matriculating from Olympic boxer to professional superstar. A compelling back story and a gold medal. Piece of cake, right? There?s…
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Junior welterweight king Terence Crawford: Does he have what it takes to be the face of boxing?
By Bob Velin
LAS VEGAS ? After his thorough thrashing of undefeated Viktor Postol Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, new unified 140-pound champ Terence Crawford thanked God, thanked his fans who made…
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Terence Crawford scores near shutout victory against outclassed Viktor Postol
By Bob Velin
LAS VEGAS ? Terence Crawford showed why he is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world as he made easy work of Viktor Postol Saturday night and came away with…
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Terence Crawford vs. Viktor Postol: Five things you need to know about title unification bout
By Bob Velin
Terence ?Bud? Crawford and Viktor ?The Iceman? Postol, the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked fighters in the junior welterweight division, will square off Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to…
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For Terence Crawford, upset of Breidis Prescott in 2013 was springboard to stardom
By Bob Velin
LAS VEGAS ? In March 2013, acclaimed boxing manager Cameron Dunkin got a call from Top Rank chairman Bob Arum asking him to offer his young, little-known-but-unbeaten fighter Terence Crawford as a…
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Gennady Golovkin vs. Kell Brook: GGG’s promoter says Eddie Hearn ‘very creative’ in suggesting matchup
By Bob Velin
Tom Loeffler, the promoter for undefeated middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, said Friday that it was Eddie Hearn, the promoter for both Chris Eubank Jr. and Kell Brook, who suggested that Brook could…