Floyd Mayweather Jr. to host Watson celebrity basketball game at CSUN

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Robert Morales

The 9th Watson Celebrity Basketball Game will be held Sunday at Cal State Northridge and the host will be none other than world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The game is played to benefit local charities and this year a portion of the proceeds will go to Lifedriven Foundation, an organization that works with children with cancer.

“It’s great to give back,” Mayweather said in a statement. “The Watson family has always been good to me. If it’s for a great cause, I am here to support it.”

Several boxers are among the celebrities expected to attend. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling 818-677-2488. They are priced at $10 for general admission and $25 for reserved seating.

TMZ reports Manny Pacquiao owes over $18 million in taxes to IRS

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Robert Morales

It was recently reported that Manny Pacquiao owes as much as $50 million in back taxes in his native Philippines. TMZ now reports that the Filipino icon owes $18,313,668.79 in taxes to the IRS for money made in fights in the U.S from 2006-10.

The TMZ report listed the money Pacquiao allegedly owes the IRS year by year, with 2009 carrying the heaviest bill of $8,022,915.87.

Pacquiao’s U.S. fights during these five years are at the center of his tax problems in the Philippines as well.

Report: Magomed Abdusalamov has come out of medically induced coma

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Robert Morales

Heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov of Russia has been taken out of a medically induced coma and is expected to be moved out of the intensive care unit at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, ESPN.com reported.

Abdusalamov sustained a serious brain during his Nov. 2 loss to fellow contender Mike Perez of Cuba at Madison Square Garden. He underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain and was put into a medically induced coma, during which time he also suffered a stroke.

Abdusalamov’s promoter, Nathan Lewkowicz, told ESPN.com that Abdusalamov is unable to speak, but is aware of his surroundings.

Felix Sturm takes Darren Barker’s middleweight title with second-round TKO

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Robert Morales

Darren Barker’s reign as middleweight champion didn’t last long. Having won the title less than four months ago with a split-decision over Daniel Geale in Atlantic City, Barker lost it Saturday when he was stopped in the second round by former champion Felix Sturm in Sturm’s native Germany.

Sturm decked Barker, of London, twice in the second round with the fight being stopped at 2:09 as Barker’s corner waved a white towel in surrender.

Sturm, 34, is 39-3-2 with 18 knockouts. Barker, 31, is 26-2.

Villa-Parke Boxing Club to play host to ‘Cops in My Corner’ show on Dec. 14

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Robert Morales

The Villa-Parke Boxing Club on Dec. 14 will play host to an amateur show dubbed “Cops in My Corner” at the Villa-Parke Community Center, which is located at 363 E. Villa St. in Pasadena.

A total of 20 bouts featuring boys and girls age 8 and older are on tap. Competition begins at noon and is scheduled to end at 6 p.m. A donation of $5 could be made by those 12 and older in lieu of admission.

The Pasadena Police Department, the South Pasadena Police Department as well as the Police Activities League have been long supporters of the Villa-Parke boxing program.

“PAL gives beginning boxers training classes, which is a fun way for youth to learn the fundamentals of boxing and fitness while being supported by dedicated professionals who emphasize sportsmanship and respect for others. I believe that every kid needs a PAL and a ‘Cop in their Corner’,” said Phillip Sanchez, Pasadena Police Chief, in a news release.

Guillermo Rigondeaux, Joseph Agbeko make weight for Atlantic City clash

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Robert Morales

Super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux of Cuba and Joseph “King Kong” Agbeko of Ghana both made weight for their title fight Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Rigondeaux, who holds two of the major titles, tipped the scales at 121 pounds, one under the limit. Agbeko, a former bantamweight champion, came in at 121.6 pounds.

Rigondeaux, 33, is a two-time Olympic gold-medal winner who did not turn pro until May 2009, when he was already 28. He is 12-0 with eight knockouts. Agbeko, also 33, is 29-4 with 22 knockouts.

The fight will be televised on HBO along with two other fights. James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KOs) will take on Glen Tapia (20-0, 12 KOs) in a junior middleweight bout and Matthew “Mack The Knife” Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs) will square off with Lamar Russ (14-0, 7 KOs) in the middleweight division.

Kirkland and Tapia are actually fighting at a catch-weight of 156, two pounds over the junior middleweight limit.

Oscar De La Hoya stoked about his induction into Hall of Fame

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Robert Morales

Oscar De La Hoya of East Los Angeles has had difficulty keeping his personal life together the past couple of years as he has twice checked himself into rehabilitation centers for treatment of substance abuse. But De La Hoya was stoked to hear Wednesday that he has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and will be enshrined June 8 in Canastota, N.Y.

“I am honored and appreciative to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and I thank everyone who has been a part of this journey with me,” De La Hoya said Thursday in a statement. “This is the dream of everyone who puts on a pair of gloves and steps between the ropes, and through the good and the bad, you always hope that when all is said and done, you put on good fights, entertained the fans and will be remembered for what you did in the ring. To know that I will be in the Hall of Fame with the greats of this sport is humbling. But it has also put a smile on my face that isn’t coming off anytime soon.”

De La Hoya, now 40, won titles in six weight classes. He went 39-6 with 30 knockouts fighting from 1992-2008.

Oscar De La Hoya to be inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Robert Morales

Oscar De La Hoya of East Los Angeles will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8, the Associated Press reported. De La Hoya won world titles in six weight classes and compiled a record of 39-6 with 30 knockouts from 1992-2008.

Also to be enshrined in Canastota, N.Y. are Felix Trinidad Jr. and Joe Calzaghe. Trinidad won a somewhat controversial majority decision over De La Hoya in a welterweight title unification bout in 1999 in Las Vegas. Trinidad, of Puerto Rico, had a record of 42-3 with 35 knockouts.

Calzaghe, of Wales, finished undefeated at 46-0 with 32 knockouts. He was a super middleweight champion from 1997-2007.

Cocky champion Adrien Broner tells us where he belongs pound-for-pound

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Robert Morales

Adrien Broner, about as brash a fighter as there is today, had an interesting response when we asked him during a conference call Tuesday where he would place himself in a pound-for-pound poll.

He started by saying that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Andre Ward would be No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Most experts would agree with that. As for the next three spots, well …

“I’d have to say Adrien Broner No. 3, No. 4 Adrien Broner and No. 5, I have to say Adrien Broner,” said Broner, of Cincinnati.

Broner, just 24, is a terrific fighter, to be sure. At his young age he has already won world titles in the junior lightweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions. He is 27-0 with 22 knockouts.

Broner will next defend his title Dec. 14 against heavy-handed Marcos Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) of Argentina at the Alamodome in San Antonio (on Showtime).

Gennady Golovkin to next take on Osumanu Adama on Feb. 1 in Monte Carlo

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Robert Morales

Gennady Golovkin, the hard-hitting middleweight champion from Kazakhstan, will make his next title defense against Osumanu Adama of Ghana on Feb. 1 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. At this time, there is no television deal in place for the fight.

Golovkin is trained by West Covina native Abel Sanchez at his gym in Big Bear. Sanchez on Tuesday via telephone talked about Adama.

“He fought Daniel Geale in the significant fight that I saw,” said Sanchez, alluding to Adama’s challenge to then-middleweight champion Geale in March 2012 in

Australia that Geale won by scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 115-113. “He gave Geale some problems and he went 12 rounds. But he’s a guy that is one of those spoiler types that no one really wants to fight, either.
“He does well against the good guys and loses against the bad guys. He gets up for the fights, I guess.”

Golovkin, 31, is 28-0 with 25 knockouts. Adama, 32, is 22-3 with 16 knockouts.He has won five of his past six, including the loss to Geale.

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Monthly Archives: December 2013