Dan Rafael
1,538 articles · USA Today
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Vazquez-Marquez IV not in the cards
Maybe it's best that we are left with our memories of their incredible trilogy, because a fourth fight between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez is just not in the cards right now,…
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Haye runs his mouth, then just runs
Your weekly random thoughts … • Although the way David Haye and trainer/manager Adam Booth went about snubbing Vitali Klitschko in favor of Nikolai Valuev was underhanded and unprofessional, it may turn…
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Cotto, Pacquiao to meet Nov. 14
A deal has been completed for boxing's biggest fight of the fall: a showdown between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao and Cotto, two of boxing's most popular…
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HBO to pay tribute to Gatti
The death of Arturo Gatti on Saturday hit the boxing community very, very hard. He was a special fighter who provided fight fans (and writers) with more thrills than anyone in recent…
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Super middleweight tournament scuttlebutt
Your weekly random thoughts … • First things first: I love the idea of the six-man super middleweight tournament being spearheaded by Showtime. I wish other divisions had similar plans. Imagine the…
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Mosley moves on from Pacquiao dream
Welterweight champ Shane Mosley fought the good fight in trying to convince pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao to fight him this fall. He launched a vigorous campaign to get Pacquiao into the ring,…
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Pacquiao-Cotto stays on track
Shane Mosley's disappointment notwithstanding, the big fight of the fall -- welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto against pound-for-pound king/junior welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao -- remains on track. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum intends…
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Bruised fighters: Let’s call the whole thing off
Your weekly random thoughts. ? ? I was thinking of pulling out of this blog because I have a sore hand from so much typing. But in light of all the fight…
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Updates on Cotto, Pacquiao and Pavlik
While Top Rank promoter Bob Arum spent part of Thursday in Los Angeles trumpeting his July 25 "Latin Fury 10" pay-per-view -- which is headlined by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and will…
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Mosley breaks out big guns in bid for Pacquiao
In any campaign, it always helps to have the big gun ready to fire. When Barack Obama was going head-to-head with John McCain last fall in the fight for the White House,…
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Calderon retains title via tech. decision
NEW YORK -- For the second consecutive fight, Puerto Rico's Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon saw his bout end inside the distance. But it wasn't because the light-hitting Calderon scored a knockout. Instead,…
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Cotto comfortable with corner change
Throughout his career, Miguel Cotto had always heard one voice in the corner during his fights. It was that of his uncle, Evangelista Cotto, the only trainer he ever knew. But despite…
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Roach to train Rigondeaux, Johnson
Freddie Roach liked what he saw of acclaimed former Cuban Olympic medalists Guillermo Rigondeaux and Yudel Johnson. He'll be seeing a lot more. Roach, who will pick up his 2008 Boxing Writers…
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Mayweather out to reclaim mantle as boxing’s best
Love him or hate him, the mere mention of Floyd Mayweather's name elicits a strong reaction from boxing fans. His mainstream profile has also grown bigger than any other fighter's because of…
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Drawing power of “24/7” lives up to its name
Although I enjoy "American Idol" and "Dancing with the Stars" as much as anyone, the best reality show on television, by far, is HBO's "24/7." Besides having television's best theme music and…
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Diaz’s graduation a feel-good story for boxing
Your weekly random thoughts ? ? It's easy sometimes to get caught up in the bad news in boxing. This boxer was arrested. That boxer is punch drunk and broke. And that…
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Pacquiao-Hatton PPV numbers something to celebrate, even if Arum refuses
For the past two weeks I've been asked constantly about the pay-per-view numbers for the May 2 Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight, boxing's biggest fight of the year so far. The eagerly anticipated…
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There’s only one … Ricky Flattened
Your weekly random thoughts return ? ? How about these new lyrics to the Ricky Hatton song? "There's only one Ricky Flattened!" If he decides to continue fighting -- which you know…
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My postfight sit-in with Pacquiao
LAS VEGAS -- The day began like so many other Sundays after a big fight: I woke up in my MGM Grand room a bit weary after a long week, and not…
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Pacquiao chases sixth title, history
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king, stands on the precipice of history. In his way stands junior welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton. But if Pacquiao, fighting for the first time…
