Mayweather Training for July Return?
March 18, 2009
According to Dan Rafael at ESPN.com, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is not only back in training, but he has spoken to HBO about returning to the ring on July 11 on HBO Championship Boxing. Mayweather would return to fight a tuneup on regular HBO, then possibly face the winner of Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao in the fall.
Rafael’s source said that not only is Floyd considering the Hatton-Pacquiao winner, but he is also interested and willing to fight Shane Mosley or Juan Manuel Marquez. The only fight he is not interested in is Oscar De La Hoya.
Mayweather’s return to the ring has been expected since the day he “retired,” but has been becoming more and more imminent in recent months. Sources have spied Mayweather training at his Las Vegas gym, and he recently canceled an appearance at a gala in Ohio for unknown reasons pending an “announcement,” fueling more speculation.
The July 11 date is also the date that HBO was working with for a proposed bout between Bernard Hopkins and Tomasz Adamek, putting HBO in a tough situation. They would obviously love to have the Hopkins fight on HBO, but at the same time, they don’t want to lose the opportunity to score a Mayweather fight.
While the source said that Mayweather is interested in fighting anyone, he knows that the fight he needs to make, the Godzilla, as it was written, is Manny Pacquiao.
If Pacquiao beats Hatton in May, boxing will settle for nothing less than Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. If Hatton beats Pacquiao, then Floyd’s options are greater, but fans will demand he fights one of the fighters mentioned before the end of the year.
With more and more big fights being made, and more and more fights moving from pay-per-view to cable, the timing couldn’t be better for a Mayweather return to the ring.
Khan Beats Barrera by Technical Decision
March 14, 2009
Amir Khan scored the biggest win of his career, beating Marco Antonio Barrera by technical decision, after the fight was stopped due to a bad cut on Barrera’s head. The fight was stopped midway through the fifth round, with Khan prevailing by scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44.
Barrera suffered a bad cut from a headbutt in the first round, resulting in an inch-long gash at his hairline over his left eye. His corner was unable to control the cut, as blood poured down his face for the next four rounds. With the blood dripping into his eye, Barrera was hardly able to mount much of an attack, and had even less success stopping Khan from landing.
Khan was certainly the busier and faster fighter, throwing flurry after flurry of punches. He never hurt Barrera, but was scoring at will. As for Khan’s questionable chin — he was able to keep it untested for one more fight.
Barrera landed two solid punches on Khan during the fight, both of which drew gasps of worry from the home crowd, but Khan took them pretty well.
All in all, it was a tough fight to gauge Khan on, since Barrera was fighting the blood as well as Khan from the first round on. Nevertheless, Khan showed great hand speed and improved boxing skill, but was still able to be hit on multiple occasions.
Barrera has now suffered two terrible cuts in as many fights, and will likely be inactive for a while as this cut heals.
The fight looked eerily reminiscent of Oscar De La Hoya’s first defeat of Julio Cesar Chavez, as the young superstar bloodied the aging future Hall of Famer. With blood streaming from his hairline all over his face, you couldn’t help but see De La Hoya landing punches the same way Khan was, with both Chavez and Barrera helpless and blinded. Of course, this was a cut from a headbutt, but looking at the scene from the outside, it looked like Oscar and Chavez.
Khan improves to 20-1 with 15 knockouts, while Barrera falls to 65-7, with 42 wins by knockout.
Taylor-Froch Officially Set For April 25
March 10, 2009
Saturday, April 25, LIVE on SHOWTIME® at 9 p.m. ET/PT From MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino
NEW YORK (March 10, 2009) – A household name in his native England, talented, undefeated Carl Froch will look to make a major statement — and enhance his reputation in America — when he defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight title against one of the most highly regarded and recognizable fighters of this generation, former undisputed middleweight belt-holder Jermain Taylor, Saturday, April 25, on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
A formal announcement was made by Ken Hershman, Senior VP and General Manager of Sports and Event Programming for SHOWTIME.
“Jermain Taylor is a great fighter and I am excited to have him make his SHOWTIME debut on April 25,” said Hershman. “He’s the more accomplished fighter and the better-known guy right now, but in Froch, he’s facing the naturally bigger fighter and a man that has never lost. Our viewers have come to expect competitive fights month-in, month-out on SHOWTIME and this fight should be no different.
“The 168-pound weight division is one of the deepest and most exciting in boxing,” Hershman continued. “Froch-Taylor is just one of many compelling matchups that this division has to offer.”
The telecast will air live at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) from MGM Grand Theater at MGM Grand at Foxwoods. The fight card is being co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Hennessy Sports.
“I expect fireworks in this matchup,” said DiBella Entertainment President Lou DiBella. “There is an aggressive, straight-ahead, rugged champion fighting a seasoned athletic warrior. It is a can’t-miss fight and the title will change hands.”
“This isn’t a case of a young fighter on the way up taking advantage of a big name on the way out or two old timers cashing out with a big payday – this is a real fight. You’ve got two of the world’s finest fighters, both at the peak of their powers and out to prove that they are amongst the best pound for pound fighters in the world,” said Mick Hennessy, President of Hennessy Sports.
“We are honored to be hosting the WBC World Super Middleweight Championship in association with DiBella Entertainment and SHOWTIME,” said Joseph Jimenez, Senior Vice President of Casino Marketing for MGM Grand at Foxwoods. “We are excited to showcase our beautiful property and magnificent theater at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods.”
Tickets are on sale now and priced at $200, $100, $75 and $50. Tickets are available at www.mgmatfoxwoods.com, your local Ticket Master and MGM Grand Box Office 866-646-0649.
Froch (24-0, 19 KOs), of Nottingham, England, will be making the first defense of the vacant 168-pound crown he gained in his last outing with a unanimous 12-round decision over Jean Pascal on Dec. 6, 2008. He earned the title shot after registering a fourth-round TKO over Albert Rybacki on May 20, 2008, on ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME.
The six-foot, 31-year-old Froch, who has fought all but one of his fights in the UK, is one of 30 Shobox alums to become a world titleholder. A victory over Taylor would provide Froch instant stardom. The winner on April 25 will perhaps have the opportunity to unify against the IBF champion, the winner of this Friday’s Lucian Bute vs. Fulgencio Zuniga bout.
Taylor (28-2-1, 17 KOs), of Little Rock, Ark., has had a prolific pro career since winning a bronze medal for the United States in the 2000 Olympic Games. The six-foot-one-inch, 30-year-old Taylor is the only boxer to twice defeat future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins.
In a WBC title eliminator last Nov. 15, Taylor dominated Jeff Lacy en route to taking a unanimous decision. Taylor also has defeated former champions Cory Spinks, Raul Marquez and William Joppy.
When he outpointed Hopkins the first time, Taylor became 160-pound world champion in the WBC, World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein will call the action with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins Jr., with Bob Dunphy directing.
For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video and photo galleries, complete telecast information and more, please visit the SHOWTIME Sports website at http://www.sho.com/sports.
Caballero To Return April 24
March 10, 2009
Via Press Release
Fresh off a smashing victory over Steve Molitor in a world title unification fight last Nov. 20 on SHOWTIME, exciting southpaw Celestino Caballero (31-2, 22 KOs) of Panama will defend his WBA/IBF junior featherweight belts against mandatory challenger Jeffrey Mathebula (22-1-2, 12 KOs) of South Africa in the main event on a special World Championship edition of ShoBox: The New Generation Friday, April 24, on SHOWTIME.
The event, which will air live at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast), will originate from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
The lone two-belt-holder in a talent-laden division, the tall and powerful Caballero has won 12 in a row, including both of his starts on SHOWTIME, and has stamped himself as the one to watch at 122 pounds.
Caballero, who is also the WBA Super Champion and 2008 Panama Fighter of the Year, turned what most expected to be a competitive matchup into a rout as he totally outclassed and dismantled then-IBF kingpin Molitor en route to an impressive fourth-round TKO. It was Caballero’s fourth consecutive win inside the distance.
Mathebula, who has been victorious in seven straight and is unbeaten in his last 10 (9-0-1), earned the No. 1 ranking and a shot at Caballero by taking his last outing on a 12-round unanimous decision over Julio Zarate in an IBF title elimination bout on Aug. 29, 2008.
If victorious, the once-beaten Mathebula, who owns a win over former 122-pound world champion Daniel “Ponce” De Leon, will join IBF 130-pound titleholder Cassius Baloyi as the only current world champions from South Africa.
With so many talented prizefighters at or around 122 pounds, the winner of Caballero-Mathebula sets up himself for another major fight in the near future.
Marquez Knocks Out Diaz in Brutal War!
February 28, 2009
February saved the best for last, as Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz turned in a Fight of the Year caliber performance in Houston, with Marquez winning with a ninth round knockout.
The fight got off to an extremely fast pace from the opening bell, with Diaz smothering Marquez and unloading punches in large quantities. The first two rounds were old fashioned toe-to-toe brawls, with Diaz seemingly getting the better of the older fighter.
In the third round, Marquez seemed to be able to avoid getting stuck on the ropes, where Diaz was doing most of his damage, and Marquez started to control the middle of the ring.
As the rounds went on, Marquez did a better job of boxing than he was doing early in the fight, but Diaz was still controlling the bulk of the action.
With each passing round, Marquez became a little more accurate, but also was getting more and more tired.
As Marquez seemed to be slowing down in the eighth round, he landed a series of left hands that both opened a vicious gash over Diaz’s left eye, and later wobbled him. Diaz was able to land a left hand of his own to keep Marquez from trying to finish him off and survive the round.
In the ninth, Diaz came out with his legs back under him and proceeded to pick up where he was in the seventh round, but a perfect right hand to the temple from Marquez wobbled Diaz, and this time he could not help but go to the canvas after a few more Marquez punches found their target.
Diaz beat the count, but with his legs gone and no ability to clinch, Marquez peppered him with combinations, hitting the body and the head, until a perfect uppercut sent Diaz straight down to the floor. The fight was waived off at 2:40 of the ninth round with no count from the referee needed.
No doubt this is the leader in the clubhouse for Fight of the Year, and as HBO’s Jim Lampley said, “good luck to the rest of boxing topping that.”
After the fight, Marquez chose to call out the retired former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, saying that Manny Pacquiao isn’t interested in a third fight and Marquez wants to fight the best.
On the undercard, Chris John seemingly outboxed Rocky Juarez for the majority of their bout, but all three referees saw the fight as a 114-114 draw. John outclassed Juarez all night, but Juarez was more aggressive and threw far more power punches. Coupled with the Houston crowd roaring at everything Juarez did, John got the short end of the stick in a fight that he probably won.
Adamek, Johnson Both Big Winners
February 27, 2009
Glen Johnson took the headliner of Friday Night Fights with an impressive unanimous decision win over Daniel Judah, and Tomasz Adamek was a big winner over on SHOWTIME against Johnathon Banks via brutal eighth round knockout.
Johnson avenged a 2003 draw with the win, a fight that nearly ended quite early. Johnson dropped Judah with a straight right hand in the first round and had him hurt. Luckily for Judah, the knockdown happened very late in the round and he was able to survive the round.
From then on out, Johnson took control of the fight with his effective aggression and coasted home to the decision victory. According to ESPN’s stats, Johnson out threw Judah and landed nearly 100 more punches.
Scores were 99-89, 99-90 and 99-90 as Johnson goes to 49-12-2 with 33 knockouts.
Adamek was fighting less than three months after his epic battle with Steve Cunningham, and took a few rounds before finding his rythym against the previously undefeated Banks. Banks landed some big shots early as Adamek seemed to be reluctant to engage on the inside. Banks used his jab well in the first two rounds, and seemed to get Adamek’s attention several times with big blows.
Adamek turned the tide of the fight in the fifth round as he started to work the body. At this point, Banks started to lose his legs and abandoned his jab. Adamek picked up the pace through the sixth and seventh round, while doing hellacious body work.
In the eighth, Banks landed a huge right hand in the first minute, but was unable to follow it up with anything. Adamek then landed a perfect right hand on the chin and followed it up with a sweeping left hand to send Banks to the canvas. Banks beat the count, but Adamek quickly put a flurry together, sending Banks to the floor in a heap against the turnbuckle.
Adamek improves to 37-1 with 25 knockouts, while Banks falls to 20-1.
On the Adamek-Banks undercard, Giovanni Lorenzo gave us a Knockout of the Year nominee with a perfect one-punch stoppage of Dionisio Miranda. After landing a few solid shots to loosen him up, Lorenzo landed an absolutely perfect shot that dropped Miranda like a ton of bricks in the final minute of the second round.
An Open Letter To Vitali Klitschko From Oleg Maskaev
February 27, 2009
VITALI KLITSCHKO: STOP WHINING, STOP LYING, STOP CRYING
Dear Vitali,
Let’s stop the nonsense. When I fought you for the CSCA (Centrum Sports Club Army) Military Championship, I stopped you in the 1st round. You were badly hurt and your corner threw in the towel. Stop making excuses, stop lying and be a man and admit it. That was our 1st fight.
I became Heavyweight Champion in August ‘06 and made my 1st defense in December ’06 in Moscow before a sellout crowd in the 1st Heavyweight Championship bout in the history of Moscow. Your people contacted my promoter, Dennis Rappaport, and said that the WBC had designated you Champion Emeritus; and as such you had the right to immediately face me for the Heavyweight Championship. I agreed to fight you despite the fact that you were inactive for about 4 years and that you cancelled your last 4 fights due to injury. After months of negotiations surrounding the controversy as to who had the 1st right to fight for the Championship, Samuel Peter or you, I stood firm and supported your position. In return for my loyalty, you and your people started double-talking and procrastinating. On or about April ’07 HBO became disgusted and gave us a deadline for the contract to be signed. I signed the contract and was told that my promoter would receive your executed contract the next day. Vitali, your contract never was signed and you gave some ridiculous excuse that you wouldn’t have enough time to train. What were you doing for 4 months, getting a suntan and not training? I had very serious surgery for my elbow, due to injuries I suffered in my fight Dec. ’06. I went for rehabilitation after the surgery and was still ready to fight.
You claim that you shouldn’t have to fight 2 successive mandatories, but that’s exactly what the WBC had ordered me to do. You never complained or suggested that it was unfair or the WBC didn’t have the right. Of course not! It benefited you Vitali. Life is a two way street, there aren’t 2 sets of rules, one for you and one for everyone else.
You say you want to fight Arreola, Haye, or Dimentrinko, I don’t blame you….none of them have ever beaten a top ten contender.
Remember the words of Joe Louis, ‘you can run but you can’t hide’. For whatever the reason you have done everything humanly possible to avoid fighting me. I don’t know if it is psychological or what. Sometimes a fighter has another fighter’s number…like Mosely had DeLaHoya’s and Forrest had Mosely’s. These fighters won in the amateurs and also scored and won big upsets in the pros. Vitali, I know how to beat you. I stopped you in the amateurs and I’ll stop you whenever you have the courage to face me in the ring.
Prior to my fighting Peter I suffered a devastating back injury, the 1st in my professional career, I knew that if I had to postpone the Peter fight again, my title would have been stripped from me. There were strange and bizarre circumstances, surrounding the Peter fight, perhaps even bordering on the criminal. The truth of which will eventually come out. Suffice it to say that the real Oleg Maskaev was not in the ring that night. Today I am 100% healthy….and a 100% healthy Oleg Maskaev is a dangerous man. I respect you as a sportsman, so do whatever you choose; go to mediation, go to court, say your prayers, but remember if you defeat Gomez, you can’t fight anyone before you fight me. Vitali, stop the whining and let’s start fighting. I’ll fight you in Russia, in the U.S., or even in your own backyard. Let’s get it on.
Oleg Maskaev
Cotto, Pavlik Score Knockouts in Returns to Ring
February 21, 2009
No surprises tonight as middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and welterweight star Miguel Cotto both rebounded from their first career losses with dominant knockout victories. Cotto scored a fifth round TKO win over Michael Jennings, while Pavlik defeated Marco Antonio Rubio when Rubio’s corner had seen enough after nine rounds. The night was broadcast on a split-location pay-per-view with both fighters headlining cards in New York and Ohio.
Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs)came out very patient against Jennings, allowing the Brit to box with him and choosing to not press the action. Jennings tried to work his jab and control the fight from the outside, while tying up Cotto on the inside. Cotto, however, continued to land solid punches, slowly breaking his opponent down.
In the fourth round, Cotto unleashed a flurry of devastating body shots, dropping Jennings twice. Had the round been 20 seconds longer, it likely would have ended there, but Jennings managed to survive the round.
Cotto continued to press Jennings in the fifth, getting more ane more aggressive with each exchange. Jennings at this point was fighting for survival, but to no avail. Cotto was all over Jennings, dropping him again after a series of great left hands. Jennings got beaten into the corner before finally going to the canvas. He got up at the count of nine, but clearly had no desire to take more punishment and the referee waived the contest off at 2:36 of the fifth round.
Cotto was fighting for the first time since getting knocked out by Antonio Margarito in the 11th round of their title fight in July of 2008. Margarito has since been suspended for one year, having been caught with an illegal substance in his hand wraps prior to his knockout loss against Shane Mosley. This has led to speculation that perhaps Margarito was fighting with loaded hands against Cotto as well. Both fighters are represented by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions, and Arum’s unwaivering support of Margarito and his desire to land him a fight in Mexico while suspended has led Cotto to imply that he will be leaving Top Rank when his contract expires at the end of the year.
Cotto is in line for any of a number of big fights at welterweight, including potential bouts with Andre Berto, a rematch with Shane Mosley, or even a showdown with Manny Pacquiao should he defeat Ricky Hatton in May.
After the Cotto bout, the card switched Pavlik and a raucous crowd in his hometown of Youngstown, OH, where they were anxiously awaiting their hometown hero’s first fight in Ohio since 2006 and only the third time in his career.
Pavlik (35-1, 31) came out swinging early and appeared to be the only one interested in throwing punches. Rubio was all too willing to eat punches, with no real strategy to win the fight. Pavlik was able to pick his spots in the first few rounds, having complete control while putting himself at minimal risk.
By the third and fourth rounds, it was clear that Pavlik was the superior fighter, as Rubio was unwilling to trade with the bigger man. In the middle rounds, Rubio started to let his hands go some, with some success. But it just wasn’t enough to keep Pavlik off of him.
In the eigth round, Pavlik landed a great right hand that hurt Rubio, but he was unable to finish him off. Rubio survived his way through the ninth round, as Pavlik continued to land at will on him.
At the end of the ninth round, Rubio’s corner and the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight.
Pavlik was also making his first return to the ring since suffering his loss, a one-sided decision loss at the hands of Bernard Hopkins. Since that loss was at the light-heavyweight limit, Pavlik still entered this fight as the middleweight champion of the world.
The middleweight showdown that boxing fans really want to see is Pavlik against Germany’s Arthur Abraham, but it appears that that fight just won’t get made. Both fighters and their promoters are equally to blame, both looking for high-pay, low-risk fights rather than the biggest and best fights. More than likely, Pavlik will square off with Ireland’s John Duddy, in a fight that is sure to be a ratings success, while likely offering Pavlik little more than a punching bag in return.
On the undercard bouts in New York, Duddy stayed unbeaten with a solid decision win over Matt Vanda. Duddy improves to 26-0 with 17 knockouts. Scores were 98-91, 97-93 and 98-91.
Also on the undercard in New York, undefeated Olympian super middleweight Matt Korobov (4-0, 4) kept his perfect record intact with a knockout as time expired, junior middleweight Pawel Wolak (23-1, 16) earned a win with a third round KO, and female super featherweight Kina Malpartida (9-3, 2) pulled off the upset with a tenth round TKO over previously undefeated fan favorite Maureen Shea (13-1, 7).
Meanwhile, over in Youngstown, Dallas Vargas (22-4, 16), Brian Camechis (18-2, 8), Andres Taylor (5-0-1, 2), Mark Salser (9-0, 9), Jake Giuriceo (1-0, 1), Willie Nelson (11-0, 7), and Billy Greenawalt (2-4, 1) were all winners.
*****
On a side note, I thought the Top Rank PPV production was solid, but obviously not at the level of HBO or Showtime. More importantly, I think Charlie Steiner calls a fine fight. He’s a pro’s pro and is never less than completely prepared. The pairing of Steiner and Al Bernstein was a good one and I give Top Rank a solid B+ for the broadcast. It would have been an A, but Ray Mancini knocked it back a notch. Nick Charles was good as usual on the Youngstown half of the card, but Mancini just doesn’t speak well enough to get away with having a speaking job. Not to mention the bias that came through from the Youngstown native.
**
The fans at MSG should be ashamed of themselves for booing “God Save the Queen” from start to finish. Clearly it was the Puerto Rican fans (based on their Jonas Brother-esque treatment of the PR anthem singer), but it was disgraceful. I don’t care where you’re from or what you believe, show a little respect.
Friday Night Bites!!!
February 20, 2009
Bringing back memories of Tyson-Holyfield II, Humberto Toledo was disqualified against Breidis Prescott for biting him on the neck.
The fight was rather one-sided, with Prescott clearly in control, when Toledo took a chunk out of Prescott’s neck in the 10th round.
During a clinch, Prescott was walking Toledo back towards the ropes, when Toledo’s face disappeared into the junction of Prescott’s shoulder and neck, at which time he bit him. There were clear bite marks on Prescott, and the referee made a prompt, correct decision to halt the fight and award Prescott the victory.
Watch it here. Not great quality, but all I could find so far.
***
On the undercard, Yuriorkis Gamboa needed just 35 seconds to handle Walter Estrada, catching him with a perfect right hand that put Estrada down for the count.
Pavlik-Abraham Talk Heats Up; Fight Still Unlikely
February 20, 2009
Arthur Abraham and Kelly Pavlik both say that they want to fight each other. They are clearly the top two middleweight in the world. Abraham has traveled to the United States before and Pavlik has shown himself to be willing to fight the best. Sounds like a fight that should happen, right?
Wrong.
Abraham and Pavlik both say they want to fight each other, but we’ve reached a point where is becoming more and more clear that one or both of them is just throwing around words, with no intention of making a fight happen.
Pavlik’s camp says they have made offers to Abraham’s camp and gotten no response.
Abraham’s camp called B.S. on that claim and say they have been in constant contact with HBO and Showtime, and have had direct talks with Pavlik’s people. They claim that Top Rank has lost any interest in making the fight.
telling FightHype.com, “The money definitely has to be right. The HBO and Showtime networks definitely have to travel there. I really do want to fight Abraham. We just gotta make it happen for the right reasons.”
Call me old fashioned, but I still have a hard time with fighters passing up the only major fight they have, in order to fight a punching bag that gets a bigger paycheck.
That punching bag I’m referring to is none other than Ireland’s John Duddy. Pavlik is likely to face Duddy in his next fight, simply because it provides a better paycheck than a potential bout with Abraham, with just a fraction of the risk.
Am I the only one who remembers Pavlik and trainer Jack Loew vowing to never again chase a paycheck after the beating he got from Bernard Hopkins? That’s exactly what they’ll be doing if they choose to fight Duddy over Abraham. Sure, it lacks most of the risk, but it’s once again choosing the wrong fight over the right fight, based solely on money.
That’s not to say that all blame would fall on Pavlik if the Abraham fight doesn’t happen.
If Abraham thinks he can just fight cupcakes in Germany and be handed a major fight with Pavlik, he just doesn’t get boxing business. Instead of fighting tomato cans like Lajuan Simon, Abraham should be fighting names we know and deserving opponents. Get yourself on American television, even if it’s an undercard, and pretty soon the fight will make money, as well as sense.
Both fighters are to blame if this fight doesn’t happen, but neither of them will be much worse off in their careers if they don’t meet. They will end up just moving on and having giant question marks, while fight fans are denied another great middleweight matchup.
Having seen Bernard Hopkins fight Felix Trinidad and Jermain Taylor, among others, then Taylor fight Hopkins twice, Winky Wright and Pavlik, these two have some big shoes to fill as far as showing a willingness to fight the best.
Pavlik defeated Taylor twice, but since then has fought only Gary Lockett at middleweight. Both of these fighters must prove themselves against the other in order to claim middleweight supremacy.
It’s on both of them if the fight doesn’t happen, but if they know what’s good for their careers and their legacies, they’ll find a way to make the fight happen.
Until then, don’t hold your breath.