It’s been reported from my fellow Examiner Michael Marley that the March 13th Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather contest is close to being signed and should be a ‘done deal’ by next week.
Marley believes fans are about to get what he feels is an ‘early Christmas present’ with news that all sides will come to agreement on the bout within a week’s time. Marley would go on to state that both sides seem to be on agreement as far as money as that the weight issue isn’t a concern in the slightest.
Always outspoken, you can’t deny that Marley has come through with his share of ‘scoops’ in his day and I have faith that he will be correct with stating the contest will be official in a short period of time.
That in itself is good news for all parties involved, from the fighters, their camps, and especially the fans who have been dying to see this thing take off.
Dibella Drops Taylor
When Jermain Taylor was starched cold from a right hand from Arthur Abraham on October 17th at the O2 Arena in Berlin, Germany, it marked the third time that the Arkansas fighter had been brutally stopped in his career. The instant everyone got a sight of the former Middleweight champion lying on his back many began whispering that it was time for him to call it a day and remove himself from the ‘Super Six’ tournament that he was participating in.
Taylor would insist that he would fight on however and he is next lined up for an April clash with newly crowned WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward in Stage 2 of the tournament. Taylor’s insistence to fight on is admirable but it has also lead his promoter Lou Dibella to issue the following statement that he will be dropping Taylor from his stable of fighters.
“I have just been informed though numerous press reports that Jermain Taylor has elected to continue his participation in The Super Six: World Boxing Classic tournament, and will face Andre Ward in April. It is with a heavy heart, but strong conviction, that I will recuse myself and DiBella Entertainment as Jermain’s promoter.
“Jermain’s career has been outstanding, and it has been a pleasure and honor to promote him. His victories against Bernard Hopkins remain the highlights of my career as a promoter. Jermain is not only a great fighter, but a good and decent man with a wonderful family. It is out of genuine concern for him and his family that I am compelled to make this decision.
“I informed him, as I do all my contracted fighters, that my goal was to help his secure financial stability for his family, maximize his potential, and leave our unforgiving sport with his health intact.
“It is my belief that the continuation of Jermain’s career as an active fighter places him at unnecessary risk. While he is undoubtedly capable of prevailing in future bouts, I cannot, in conscience, remain involved given my assessment of such risk.
“I wish Jermain all the best in his future endeavors. All of us at DiBella Entertainment hold Jermain close to our hearts and consider him and his family part of our family. We wish him Godspeed and continued health.”
One can only imagine what is going through Taylor’s head at the moment. The victim of back to back heartbreaking defeats, Taylor now has lost one of the most important figures in his career. We can only hope that he can somehow muster the mental strength to keep pressing forward despite the recent news.
Bradley and Peterson make weight, ready to fight tomorrow night
There hasn’t been as much talk as you would expect about tomorrow night’s WBO Jr. Welterweight title fight between champion Timothy Bradley and challenger Lamont Peterson. One of the reasons in particular is due to the fact that both men are pretty fond of one another and haven’t had anything negative to say about one another.
Former friends from the amateurs, both men have gone about the pre fight routine with much respect and admiration towards the other. While it goes to show the class both men have it certainly hasn’t created for the type of headlines or tension that would stand out.
Still, both men are fighters at the end of the day and when they set foot inside the ring at the Aqua Caliente Resort in Rancho Mirage, California their friendship will most likely go out the window. Recently both men looked very impressive at their weigh in, with Bradley coming in at 138 pounds and Peterson 139.
The pre fight theatrics have been less than memorable but gut feeling is that we’ll be in for an honest and competitive scrap tomorrow night.
Victor Ortiz looks to bounce back against Antonio Diaz
In June of this year young Victor Ortiz found himself in one of the year’s wildest fights and he went toe to toe with interim WBA Jr. Welterweight champion Marcos Maidana. The action was fast and fierce, with both men hitting the canvas early and it was obvious that it was going to be a test of the Oxnard, California fighter’s will and determination.
After six heated rounds Ortiz would opt not to continue and in doing so he would lose his first fight in over four years as well as the support of many who had pegged him the future in the sport. The feedback in the sport of boxing is often harsh and unruly and Ortiz was the victim of some scathing remarks. After the contest Ortiz took some time off to regroup and looks to return impressively as he goes up against former title challenger Antonio Diaz this weekend on HBO at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.
At this point in his career Diaz is past his best but he has won his last four bouts since making as return to the sport in July of 2008. Diaz has faced a variety of opponents in his career such as Shane Mosley, Ivan Robinson, Antonio Margarito, and Micky Ward. A bout against the still green Ortiz is nothing new to him and if anything it should make for an interesting fight.
