Dan Rafael
1,538 articles · USA Today
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Pacquiao fights for place in history
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao was just 16 years old, a frail 106-pounder, when he turned pro in obscurity in the Philippines and won a long-forgotten four-round decision against Edmundo Enting Ignacio…
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Cotto confident he has moved past Margarito debacle
LAS VEGAS -- The image likely is seared into the minds of those who saw it: Miguel Cotto, his face a swollen mask, with blood pouring from cuts around his eye, his…
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Arum’s view of Pacquiao, Cotto training camps
Top Rank's Bob Arum has promoted dozens of boxing stars, and he has never been afraid to match his guys against each other. He'll do just that Nov. 14 when Top Rank's…
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Pavlik-Williams destined never to happen
Your weekly random thoughts … • The Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams middleweight championship fight was a giant tease. Unfortunately, it's off again and unlikely to be rescheduled. First came the knockdown, drag-out negotiations…
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Super Six: Who do you like?
So just who is the favorite to win Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic, the modified round-robin tournament involving six elite super middleweights that will play out over the next 18 months…
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Former Olympians Lopez, Gamboa headed for showdown
Junior featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez, Puerto Rico's emerging star, has been steadily built as a fighter and an attraction by promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank since he signed with the company…
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Backing out is (sometimes) hard to do
Here are a few things that I've heard in recent days, plus your weekly random thoughts … • Nothing is finalized yet, but Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer told me the other day…
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Mayweather fight yields 1 million buys
The return of welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr., who easily outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez after 21 months in retirement last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, generated an astonishing 1 million…
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The top 3 pound-for-pound fighters
Who is the world's best fighter, regardless of weight class? See my top 20 below. And don't forget to check out the divisional rankings, now updated weekly. For a list of the…
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Mayweather disrespected Marquez, boxing
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn't take nearly enough grief for not making weight for Saturday's fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Missing weight happens from time to time for fighters. It's never good,…
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Kirkland gets 2 years in prison
Junior middleweight contender James Kirkland, who pleaded guilty in July to gun possession by a convicted felon, was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison in U.S. federal court in his hometown…
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Marquez unfazed by underdog status
LAS VEGAS -- Few question the credentials of lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. His accomplishments speak for themselves. He's widely considered Mexico's No. 1 active boxer and ranks No. 2 on most…
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Pacquiao, Cotto next up for ’24/7′ treatment
There are still two episodes remaining in HBO's "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7" series, which is building up to next Saturday night's Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas,…
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Marquez steals show from Mayweather on “24/7”
Like many of you, I've been watching HBO's "Mayweather/Marquez 24/7" on Saturday nights as the program builds up to the Sept. 19 pay-per-view fight between the returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan…
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Jones-Hopkins II resurfaces, vanishes again
Sixteen years have passed since Roy Jones Jr. won a ho-hum yet clear unanimous decision against Bernard Hopkins to claim the middleweight belt vacated by James Toney when he moved up to…
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Big fights in the works: An update
How about an update on some fighters and fights being discussed? MOSLEY-BERTO or MOSLEY-CLOTTEY Let's start with welterweight champ Shane Mosley, whose desperate search for a fall opponent has been agonizing. Talks…
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Donaire thinking (and fighting) bigger
Nonito Donaire knows a bit about boxing history, and would like to make some more of his own. "The Filipino Flash" grew up in General Santos City, the same Philippines city in…
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Pavlik-Williams bolsters strong fall fight schedule
The fall boxing season just went from really good to great now that it includes the "The Ghost" facing "The Punisher" for all the middleweight marbles. The Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams middleweight championship…
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Cotto-Pacquiao tickets and title? We’ve got answers
Since the day the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao showdown was announced in late July, I have been inundated with questions about when tickets will go on sale for the Nov. 14 superfight at…
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Schaefer in Big Apple to wheel and deal
Your weekly random thoughts. … • Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer has come East to make deals. When it comes to closing a deal, Schaefer is one of the best in the…
