Dan Rafael
1,538 articles · USA Today
-
Roach is front-runner to train De La Hoya
Junior middleweight titlist Oscar De La Hoya will announce who will train him for his May 5 mega fight with world welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. during a teleconference…
-
MGM Grand site for De La Hoya-Mayweather bout
? First, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. agreed to fight May 5. Now, we know where they will do battle. Although it was one of boxing's worst-kept secrets, Golden…
-
Pacquiao-Morales trilogy combines for $49.5 million
The memorable trilogy between junior lightweight stars Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales concluded with the rubber match generating an estimated 350,000 pay-per-view buys and $17.5 million in revenue, HBO Sports announced Wednesday.…
-
Visa issues force cancellation of Marquez-Jaca fight
Featherweight Jimrex Jaca of the Philippines was knocked out before interim titlist Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico could ever lay a glove on him. Jaca was supposed to challenge Marquez in the…
-
Nino upsets Viloria for junior flyweight title
LAS VEGAS -- The stage was set for Brian Viloria to shine. He was defending his junior flyweight championship on national TV on OLN's new "Fight Night" series and hoping to set…
-
Raheem hopes win over Freitas means marquee status
From the moment Zahir Raheem turned pro, his career has been a struggle. Not in the ring, mind you. Rather, a struggle getting meaningful fights. The reason: Few top fighters want to…
-
Pacquiao-Morales III might be in a football stadium
It didn't take long for Erik Morales to make up his mind. He wants a third fight with Manny Pacquiao and has exercised his contractual option, handlers for both fighters told ESPN.com.…
-
Morales more motivated to beat Pacquiao again
LAS VEGAS -- The first fight between junior lightweight stars Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao here last March had been a spectacular brawl and a commercial success, generating almost 350,000 pay-per-view buys.…
-
Suite life for Pacquiao as he prepares for bout
For the first time in a long time, junior lightweight star Manny Pacquiao will enter a fight with no distractions. His managerial and promotional situations finally are stable, training camp is serene…
-
Failure to stage mandatory bout costs Marquez
Juan Manuel Marquez's featherweight title reign ended with the hum of a fax machine, not the thud of a fist, on Monday. Marquez, who unified the IBF and WBA titles in 2003,…
-
If pair wins earlier fights, December rematch on tap
Junior lightweights Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao, who waged a sensational brawl in March, are steamrolling toward a rematch. The two action stars will fight separate 12-round bouts Sept. 10 on an…
-
‘Explosive’ matchup in store
Expectations will be sky high when Erik Morales faces Manny Pacquiao in the sort of fight hard-core fans have fantasized about. Both rank among the top 10 fighters pound for pound, and…
-
Barrera vs. Morales III claims title for best bout
Marco Antonio Barrera W12 Erik Morales: A raging, passionate personal hatred helped fuel the third, sizzling installment of one of the all-time great trilogies. Even the most hardened ringside observers could only…
-
Morales-Barrera III almost a done deal
Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera already have waged two magnificent fights in the ring. Another one is going on outside the ring as they work to make a rubber match reality.…
-
Featherweight bout could be classic
Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao are not household names in the USA, and their fight hasn't drawn the kind of attention of other A-level matchups. However, on paper at least, their…
-
Best vs. best
Manny Pacquiao is Ring magazine's featherweight champ based on a knockout of former king Marco Antonio Barrera in November. But Juan Manuel Marquez holds two of the major sanctioning organization titles. Both…
-
Barrera trying to head off brain surgery flap
Featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera is unfazed by the firestorm surrounding his fight with junior featherweight champ Manny Pacquiao. For Barrera (No. 1 USA TODAY, 57-3, 40 KOs), it's business as usual.…
-
Barrera targets tough foe Pacquiao
In his last two fights, featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera took on well-known opponents in Johnny Tapia and Kevin Kelley. Both were first-rate champions at one time, just not when Barrera faced…
