March 10th, 2010 
Brad 
RSR is currently seeking Entertainment Writers to cover the entertainment world. From music to movies to your favorite TV show, RSR is interested in bringing the readers commentary about the goings on in the world of entertainment. If you are interested, please contact Managing Editor Geno McGahee.
Email Geno McGahee About This Exciting Position Now
Popularity: 4%
March 12th, 2010 Brad 
Compiled by Brian Wilbur
Manny Pacquiao is the best boxer in the world, holding the pound for pound crown with an iron fist. He is an active, fighting champion, set to step in the ring again this Saturday just four months after dispatching of Miguel Cotto. Four months may seem like a long time, but we live in an era where we are lucky if a championship level fighter fights twice in one year.
Pacquiao is not taking any easy routes either. He is set to take on top rated contender Joshua Clottey. Clottey has fought an excellent level of competition, including giving the likes of Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito very tough fights that went the distance. Clottey has never been stopped and is a former IBF Welterweight Champion.
Despite Clottey’s solid reputation as a world class boxer, he is considered a large underdog in this fight. Odds makers peg Joshua as approximately a 5 to 1 underdog. The reason has more to do with Pacquiao being an amazing talent in his prime rather than a knock on Clottey’s skill or merit. This Saturday night, we will find out if the odds makers were correct in making Pacquiao such a large favorite despite being the smaller man.
Popularity: 28%
March 12th, 2010 Brad 
By Geno McGahee
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38 KO’s, headlines this weekend’s boxing as he defends his WBO Welterweight title against the very capable and dangerous Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20 KO’s.
Pacquiao is at an all time high in his career and has quite the following. He is a national hero in the Philippines and has a large fan base just about everywhere else. His continued improvement and likable nature have made him a pay per view smash. He is willing to take on just about anyone and has destroyed most of his opposition, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and David Diaz. He has struggled with Juan Manuel Marquez in recent years, a fighter with good defense and the ability to control the ring, which is something that Clottey is able to do. The difference is: Clottey is a natural welterweight.
Pacquiao has to use his speed and movement in order to beat Clottey. Clottey has a history of beating up smaller guys. He battered and destroyed Diego Corrales, pounded Zab Judah into submission, and chased Miguel Cotto around the ring, before losing a controversial decision. He has a great chin, packs a decent punch, and keeps a tight defense. Clottey is a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao and one that he may not be able to get beyond.
A win is a win and you can’t take anything away from the recent victories of Pacquiao, but when you look at the big names that were destroyed, you have to analyze it realistically. Oscar De La Hoya was spent, Ricky Hatton wasn’t an elite fighter, and Miguel Cotto’s psyche was broken. Clottey is a much bigger test for Pacquiao the welterweight, despite the fact that he isn’t as well known as the fighters mentioned above. He will try to walk down and pound Pacquiao to the floor in the later rounds. It should be a fun show.
Popularity: 34%
March 11th, 2010 Brad 
By Geno McGahee
“Unlike other journalists, I did my research and made a phone call,” Dan Rafael smugly noted on a recent episode of Friday Night Fights and then proceeded to dismiss the comeback of Mike Tyson and the report here on RSR. Now, I don’t know how one phone call to one person that may have a vested interest in denying something counts as good research, but this is TV and most people believe what they are told, especially from a powerhouse like ESPN.
In a recent article by Ron Borges, he noted King saying very recently: “It would have been a surprise (announcement) were it not for somebody’s indiscreet comments,’’ King said of a twitter report from a Tyson “friend’’ claiming he was reuniting with King for a possible Holyfield fight. “We would have dropped the bomb that he’s here but we got premature exposure so now here they come! The midnight ramblers and the four day walkers are all coming out.”
As I said in my very first report concerning Mike Tyson, he is on a collision course with Evander Holyfield and it will happen, even if “The Real Deal” should lose to Frans Botha. Don King, with all of the press, can no longer keep a lid on it and may not want to. A Tyson-Holyfield bout has captured the imagination of the public and there is a lot of money to be made.
According to my source, King has spoken to two fighters and their teams about a future bout with Iron Mike. As reported in my first article, Derric Rossy and Tony Grano are top candidates as the first or possibly second opponent for the Tyson return. Mike is working very hard to get back into shape and has dropped a dramatic amount and is focused and ready to return.
Evander will be in the ring with former title challenger, Frans Botha, on April 10th and is expected to come out on top, although Botha is a live dog in the fight. Holyfield who has denied reports of a third Tyson bout has once again misled the public and is eagerly awaiting the paycheck and the high profile showdown. King has a lot of things already in place and is just working out the specifics. Look for an announcement sooner rather than later.
Popularity: 54%
March 11th, 2010 Brad 
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Popularity: 2%
March 11th, 2010 Brad 
RSR CEO/Publisher, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt’s first book: “Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime” has caused quite a stir and has gotten a reaction rarely seen. The Washington Post did a four page spread on it titled “Book Is Talk of the Boxing World”.
Boxing Writer Julius Stecker called it: “The Best Boxing Book of this Boxing Generation,” and it’s not difficult to see why. Featured within the 450+ pages of exclusive and rare interviews, you find not only discussions with the biggest names in boxing, both past and present, but also entertainers that have had pugilism effect their lives. This is not just for the boxing fan. This is for everyone that wants to learn more about the sport from the eyes of the men that lace up the gloves and courageously step into the ring to the people of the entertainment world that have become addicted to this sport and enthusiastically share their memories.
As you read through the pages, you realize just why this sport has attracted so many celebrities and fans. This is a book that may change your perception on the cruelest game and is a must for your library. Boxing Interviews of a Lifetime comes out of the corner swinging and doesn’t let up until the last page.
Purchase Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime
Popularity: 2%
March 11th, 2010 Brad 
By Gina L. Caliboso
It was only a matter of time. The inevitable happened.
It was the KO that rocked the boxing world. This past Saturday, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao suffered a KO in the 10th round against Clottey. My keyboard is filled with tears at reporting this upset.
That’s it – Clottey’s headbutt in the 3rd round with no point deduction prevented the Filipino fighter from fully seeing the power cross to the chin. The punch rocked him and he was stunned, wobbly, and unable to find his legs. Roach and Buboy screaming to get up. No chance. Referee Kenny Bayliss counts to 10. Pacquiao is still not up.
Clottey wins by KO.
Fight fans, let’s step away from the Twilight Zone (insert shameless plug for RSR Review of series here) for a moment. I simply created out of my imagination, the possibility of Pacquiao getting KO’d by Clottey. Now boxing and RSR fans key in here, it’s called imagination. It’s called possibility. There are no guarantees in the crazy mixed up business sport world of boxing.
All it takes is one single solidly landed punch and Pacquiao getting KO’d is a possibility. It’s never a good thing to think about loss – especially as I am the resident Filipino flag waver, I’ll take Pacquiao over everyone period. But my Editor thought it’d be fun to think about what might happen should and if Pacquiao gets knocked out by Clottey.
Being raised by Filipino parents, I know sarcasm does not translate well, and I await the many emails. I might even catch the same amount of heat that Brian’s Mailbag gets, minus the requests for certain other favors (Writer’s note: Sorry Brian, I just had to mention that however subtle). Regardless, here’s my hypothetical, strictly imaginative scenarios of the boxing world asunder should the pound for pound Pacquiao get knocked out by Clottey.
Right after the loss, with Clottey’s hand held high in victory, Pacquiao, the consummate and humbled fighter, congratulates Clottey and his corner on a well-fought fight. Larry Merchant eventually tracks down Pacquiao and asks, “So, you came here to Texas and like Davy Crockett, met your Alamo and he went by the name Joshua Clottey.”
Pacquiao simply says, “He knocked me out. He fought a good match and he knocked me out.” No words necessary really. But Pacquiao humbly thanks the fight fans, his corner, Clottey, and heads back to the locker room. But Roach steps in with Merchant and soon says, “I think we’ve got one more fight. And it’s the fight that will happen. We’ll get Mayweather.” Roach leaves the ring quickly with Merchant left to interview Clottey.
Clottey goes back to Ghana a national hero. There is a sudden increase in the amount of fighters out of Ghana in the ranks once dominated by Filipino and Mexican fighters. As a quick follow-up to his Pacquiao victory, Clottey gets a match against Mosley and loses in a 12 round split decision.
Popularity: 40%
March 11th, 2010 Brad 
By Joe Wilson
April 24, 2010, will headline a clash between former IBF Cruiserweight and WBC Light Heavyweight Champion Tomasz Adamek, 40-1, 27 KO’s, against Mexican-American heavyweight contender Chris Arreola, 28-1, 25 KO’s. Promoters Dan Goossen and Kathy Duva are calling this bout “Ring of Fire.” With the lack of excitement lately in the heavyweight division, some are viewing this match-up as a potential “Heavyweight Fight of the Year.”
Many voices around the sport can see why. If both fighters bring to the table what they normally bring, it could become a reckless slugfest. Just enough reckless abandon to make this bout, an interesting fight. The heavyweight division has been on a long vacation in the eyes of many. This fight could be just what boxing fans have been waiting for in this division.
Tomasz Adamek just recently put on a solid performance against Jason Estrada the United States super-heavyweight representative. Adamek came in weighing a solid 220 pounds and dominated this fight at a fast pace. Estrada showed up weighing 237 pounds, which was 10 pounds less than his previous bout. Dropping weight for that bout gave Estrada more stamina to at least stay competitive during the early part of that match. As the fight went on, Adamek controlled the rounds.
That event brought in over 10,000+ fans, which packed the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Most of the fans were Polish-Americans who were supporters of Adamek. It’s not often that a fighter from another country have that many supporters already living here in the United States.
Even though, there are Polish-Americans all over the United States, Adamek will not have that same following when he steps in the ring with Chris Arreola. This time the event will be held on the West Coast, around the Los Angeles area, (the home of Chris Arreola). When a fighter fights in his or her own hometown, it usually poses as an advantage for that fighter. Arreola will definitely have that advantage come fight night.
Can a good small man beat a good unfocused big man?
Well… let’s see here. First of all, the good small man (Adamek) has had to change trainers. Due to a serious illness of his former trainer, he has had to call on world-class trainer, Ronnie Shields. Shields has worked with some of boxing’s elite…fighters with names such as; Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Jermain Taylor and (RIP) Vernon Forrest, to name a few. Ronnie Shields was also a world-class fighter himself, before he became a trainer.
Will changing trainers in such a short notice have an affect on Adamek? He and Shields will have about seven weeks to establish a good working relationship. It can be done! A good trainer usually doesn’t go in and try to change a seasoned fighter. What a good trainer usually does is… help sharpen the skills a fighter already has. He does not try to change the way the fighter already fights. It’s too late for that!
Popularity: 4%
March 10th, 2010 Brad 
Interview by Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
“You win and you lose. I was just honored to be a part of history” – Hector “Macho” Camacho
When the opportunity to interview Hector “Macho Man” Camacho presented itself, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only was he arguably the pound per pound best the sport had to offer about the time he won the WBC super featherweight title, his heyday was during one of the richest and most competitive periods our sport has ever known. In fact, the career of Hector Camacho reads in a way that is mostly forgotten today; put it all on the line and meet the best, risk be damned.
More than just a hotshot fighter with God-given attributes and ability, the “Macho Man” moved through several divisions over the span of years, taking on the best and most celebrated talent available despite the laws of probability. Discussing his views on the Edwin Rosario match, the grueling encounter with undefeated Mexican ring icon Julio Cesar Chavez, his victories over the two greats from “The Brawl in Montreal” or his challenge of two great Hispanic welterweights from yet another era, I could not help but marvel at how much ring history this great multi-division former world champion has lived through. Amazingly, with 87 career bouts to date, Camacho is on the cusp of yet another ring campaign when he looks to embark on a world tour later next month at an age where most fighters are looking back as opposed to looking forward. As a fan, it was indeed a pleasure to represent RSR and sit down with the “Macho Man” and go over a career that although not yet over, is already one for is one for the ages.
MP: Beginning in October 1982 and with a record of 17-0, you whipped four talented contenders over a period of six months, three of which had previously been undefeated; Melvin Paul, Greg Coverson, John Montes and “Cubanito” Perez. Did you feel destined for a world title unstoppable by this point?
Oh yeah. At that point I felt ready to fulfill my call to become a three-time world champion and after all, not only three world champions I went on to win ten world championships. I’m probably one of the only legends out there live and kicking, still active. I’m going after my eleventh title on March 26th.
Popularity: 20%
March 10th, 2010 Brad 
By Daniel “Tex” Cohen
Business is never finished in Boxing.
There’s always an upstart, old foe, grizzly veteran, stylistic complication, or personal vendetta left on the table when a fighter retires. Lennox Lewis never had a second fight with Vitali Klitschko. Marco Antonio Barrera will probably never get another shot at Amir Khan. Jesse Feliciano and Alfonso Gomez will probably never have a fourth, tiebreaker fight.
If Floyd Mayweather, JR., beats Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao beats Joshua Clottey, both men will still have to face one another to close the books. Even then, there will still be the prospect of a fight with Paul Williams, or Sergio Martinez, or whoever else is the flavor of the month.
The Super Middleweight Division, teamed up with Showtime, is doing everything it can to finish business within the Super Middleweight Division. By tabbing six of the best fighters in the division for a round robin, points-based tournament, the Super Middleweight Super Six Tournament is looking to close the books (at least temporarily) on the question of who “es mas macho” in the division.
So far, we have seen that Andre Ward has a grip of dominance over Mikkel Kessler, and Arthur Abraham, as well as the rest of the top fighters in the division, have the ability to knock out a highly competitive yet overmatched Jermain Taylor.
In spite of the ambitious goal of the tournament, the above results were the only solidified evidence of… anything at all. Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch fought to an ugly and debatable decision (in favor of Froch). The tournament is also missing the only other truly dominant super middleweight prospect to have performed with any gusto in recent fights: Lucian Bute.
Aside from those obvious issues, we have yet to see what we will get from Allan Green in his tournament debut in place of Taylor.
As if that weren’t enough reason to maintain the openness of the division, even after the tournament reaches its eventual, inevitable end, there are plenty of fighters not usually considered in the super middleweight mix that could instantly enter the fray with a few changes of fortune.
Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez will scrap April 17th. Given the proximity of that fight to the next round of the tournament, either of those guys could instantly decide to angle for the winner of the tournament by challenging leftovers. Martinez, who fought Paul Williams at middleweight and will face Pavlik at the same weight, could decide to try his hand at the divisions above him. At 35, the Argentinean will want paydays.
Those paydays could come from somewhere higher up.
As for Pavlik, the Hope of Youngstown may be interested in moving up. Bernard Hopkins may have dissuaded him from considering the light heavyweight ranks for the time being, but there’s no reason he couldn’t try his hand at 168, just a few pounds above where “The Ghost” met Taylor in their catch weight rematch.
Popularity: 5%
March 10th, 2010 Brad 
By Gina L. Caliboso
There is a whole month of highly anticipated bouts this month. As I look to March, there are two bouts that I wouldn’t mind being ringside for – the Super Six Middleweight bout between Andre Dirrell vs. Arthur “King Arthur” Abraham on March 27th, just an hour and a half away from me. And of course, there is the Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey bout on March 13th in Arlington, Texas.
I’ve already written on Clottey’s chances and I just made a return to my Filipino Boxer Report. So what am I doing now? Before I even had a chance to blink and think of making my way ringside to bouts next month, I am happy to discover that on April 17th, my man Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute, 25-0, 20 KO’s, has been scheduled to take on Edison “Panther” Miranda, 33-4, 29 KO’s.
Bute’s solid fighting ability and undefeated record speak for themselves. The Romanian/French Canadian southpaw’s undefeated record is hardly padded and filled with bouts that he earned wholeheartedly. But it’s always good to look back at his stellar performance in 2009. He handily defeated Fulgencio Zuniga in March 2009 with a 4th round TKO. Nearly 8 months later, Bute would follow up with a KO of Librado Andrade in the 4th round.
Bute’s 2008 fight performance was successful in two ways. First, he did successfully defend his title twice. Second, he learned a little something to contribute to his overall success. He fought and defeated former title holder, William Joppy with a 10th round TKO. He followed up his win over Joppy with a fight against Librado Andrade. This fight against Andrade taught Bute a lesson.
He had been winning the fight all the way up to the 12th round, but nearly lost the battle against Andrade in the end. He held on to win with a 12 round unanimous decision. Bute successfully defeated Andrade and retained his belt, but he promised himself he wouldn’t allow that to happen again, especially in the closing rounds.
The result?
Two quick victories in 2009 in the fourth round – both against Zuniga and Andrade. Lesson learned all in Bute’s favor!
Popularity: 5%
March 9th, 2010 Brad 
By Geno McGahee
Last week, I wrote an article entitled: “Done Deal: The Return of Mike Tyson to Boxing,” which was picked up by USA Today, FOX Sports,NESN, and many others. I was somewhat surprised that ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights ran a piece on the situation but didn’t cite the source and claimed to do an investigation. Dan Rafael of ESPN dismissed the other publications because of the fact that he called Don King. Rafael noted that King stated that there were no plans to fight Evander Holyfield, but opted to ignore the fact that King confirmed everything else in my piece.
Evander Holyfield, whether or not he or anyone else in the “inside group” wants to admit it, was and is considered as a potential opponent in the Mike Tyson comeback. I had written in my prior article concerning this that the “initial plan is to have Tyson-Holyfield III,” and it is, but that does not mean that it happens first. You see, like Rafael, I could take any article and easily tear it apart, taking things out of context and mold it and shape it the way that suits my needs.
Holyfield stated in a recent interview that he had no plans to fight Tyson and was only seeking a title shot, and if you have followed Evander’s career, you will realize that you have to take everything that he says with a grain of salt. He had said in an earlier interview that he would fight Tyson again if the money was right and that for ten million dollars, he’d give “Tyson the other ear.”
The fact that Holyfield denies any talks of a potential third encounter shows that the talks are not going well and that he is trying to get a larger share of the purse when it comes through or that they don’t want anyone knowing, at this time, that “Iron Mike” is coming back to the ring.
There are those now claiming that there is “no truth” in the Mike Tyson comeback for 2010, based mainly on the skewed report from Rafael. Tyson will return to the ring and just because he is over the hill shouldn’t stop him from doing so. The recent media frenzy surrounding my scoop and his return proves that boxing needs him back. His funny appearance in THE HANGOVER and his appearance on SNL along with his movie “TYSON” have proven that this is a big moneymaker and Don King knows it. King will have him back in the ring in the near future.
Popularity: 35%
March 9th, 2010 Brad 
Interview by Jeff Stoyanoff and Mike Zepeda
“People see boxing as a brutal sport, but at the same time they need to see the opposite side where it helps a lot of guys get off the streets.” – John Ruiz
Even John Ruiz himself is aware that he is likely coming to the end of a long and winding road in a difficult yet gratifying boxing career that has spanned nearly 18 years. The former 2-Time Heavyweight Champion even referred to his upcoming title bout with WBA Champion David Haye as possibly the “last hurrah” in a career that Ruiz himself likened to a roller coaster ride. The terminally underrated Ruiz holds win over the likes of: Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman, Jameel McCline, Andrew Golota, as well as wins over many other notable names. In addition, he will always hold a special place in boxing history as the first fighter of Latino heritage to ever win a Heavyweight Championship.
Still, as he prepares for his April 3rd fight with the newly crowned WBA Champ David Haye, Ruiz appears mindful of the timing of things, while predictably remaining deeply determined to secure one last big win to finish off his fine career. These solemn, yet somewhat intriguing realities were clearly on his mind as Ruiz took some time to talk about his upcoming fight, his future, and the state of boxing in a recent interview with Ringside Report.
RR: One of the striking differences in this fight lies in the experience level of both fighters against top competition. How important might experience be in this fight? And, how might that experience play out in the fight itself?
You never know in fights like this. You have the younger guy and the older guy and one guy has a lot more fights and the other is hungry to gain that experience. It all depends on who has the stamina and the heart to go out there and take the fight to the other person. You can never tell which way the fight will go; it’s all about who is hungrier.
Popularity: 8%
March 9th, 2010 Brad 
By John Pitroff
Whether or not you can tell by the columns I write about pro wrestling, in only a few months I will be 25 years old. I realize most of the time I sound like a fifteen your old mark, but that is beside the point. Complaining about champions, groaning about talent, and acting as if I could write better storylines than the WWE writers is something I need to get over. I’ve been doing that since I was 15. My life character has grown less than the AJ Styles character has grown since the beginning of TNA. It will be soon time for my heel turn
But, with age comes thought, and I have started thinking about a lot of things lately. What is going on with my life, what have I done of consequence, what more could I have done, where am I going, what will the rest of my life consist of? Why do my wrestling columns always seem to be more about life than wrestling? Why do the beginnings of my columns always ask so many questions, and why do I even ask about why I ask so many questions? I guess it isn’t a bad thing I ask questions. WWF forgot to ask questions when they gave the Phantasio character the green light to appear on national television. What am I saying? That character was awesome, and I’m sort of angry I never got to see more of him. He seemed to just disappear. Disregard that lame joke and please continue reading.
Is wrestling going to be part of all that is to come? One reaches an age where they first feel like an adult, and I have reached it this last year of my life. One question that just came to my mind about this whole adult process is one in which I am not so sure I want to directly confront. Like Vince McMahon to Steve Austin circa 1998. Here it is: Am I now that old weird adult wrestling fan? I must be. What other adult spends hours every week writing two columns about wrestling just for the fun of it? Old? Yes. Weird. For sure. Wrestling fan? Of course. As Ron Simmons would say before his recent retirement: “Damn.”
I never wanted to be that adult wrestling fan alone at shows going insane because it is all I have left. Hell, I already have been doing that my entire life. But, at least before I had the excuse of, “I was young and stupid, we have all been there.” Bringing signs to independent wrestling and house shows is something I need to stop, regardless of age. At what point does growing up become relevant here? At what point does it just become creepy to be a wrestling fan? At what point do I realize that when I beg Hulk Hogan to stop stepping foot in the ring to wrestle, that perhaps I should stop marking out when does. Who needs to grow up Hulk Hogan, or me? Hogan growing up? How much older can that man get?
Don’t get me wrong, wrestling fans of all sizes, shapes, colors are cool to me. As I mentioned in a previous column, wrestling fans are just people, and just as diverse a group. Somehow I likened fans of wrestling to Snickers (don’t ask me how, I have no clue). Bite size, King size, regular size, fun size. The fact is that I have just come around to the idea of older, adult wrestling fans. Just like I have only recently enjoyed the King size Snickers. Age teaches you things…
Sometimes one forgets to learn from the words in his own columns, because I was still myself living with the stigma that older wrestling fans need to do something better with their lives. I have to admit, I’m still having trouble understanding these adult Star Trek dorks, although I am sure they feel the same way about me. They like shows and movies about humans flying around in spaceships, I like watching shows where 80 year old women give birth to hands. The is a schism here, and we have to attempt to understand one another. Let’s understand that we will most likely never understand each other. Understand? Me either. Star Trek and wrestling fans do have something in common, and no, it is not the fact that they don’t have sex that often. William Shatner recently was a guest host on Raw…we might be more alike than at first glance.
Only recently have I opened my mind to the fact that these adult wrestling fans are just as cool as the rest of the wrestling fans of the world. I used to think they were totally out of their minds, needed to grow up, and needed to find some sort of hobby to fill up their day. Now that I think about it, all of this is still true, but it is these things that make them as cool as they are.
Popularity: 6%
March 9th, 2010 Brad Reviewed by Geno McGahee
Little Henry has a big one. Should I end the review here and leave it open so that you can draw your own conclusions? Probably not. I’m more responsible than that. Little Henry has a big wish that he has made. He has a friend…a much older friend named “Bolie Jackson.”
Bolie (Ivan Dixon) is a boxer on the tail end of his career, destined to lose and pitted against a younger up and comer that will certainly send him packing in a couple of short rounds. This is not going to be pretty, especially when you figure in that Bolie has broken his right hand right before the fight, making him easy pickings. Only a super wish could stop him from losing.
In the first round, down goes Bolie and the referee counts, but Henry (Stephen Perry) wishes as hard as he can and time freezes. Suddenly, Bolie’s opponent is on the mat and the count is on ten and we have a major upset. Bolie is back! Holy Molie, way to go Bolie!
Popularity: 5%
March 8th, 2010 Brad 
By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt
This past Saturday night, I attended a pre fight party with my lady Valarie at the classy Hogates Café at 800 Water Street, SW DC located on the waterfront. Cassandra White (CEO of Babie Girl Productions) and the 2009 USA Promoter of the Year, an honor bestowed upon her by the World Boxing Federation (WBF), officially announced her boxing card that takes place Friday April 2nd at the DC Convention Center. In the crowd were many of the boxers appearing on the card to include local fan favorite and undefeated heavyweight contender, Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, 15-0-1, 9 KO’s, who is headlining in the main event against Danny Batchelder, 25-7-1, 3 KO’s.
Also scheduled to appear on the card are: Tony Jeter, Henry “Sugar Poo” Buchanan, Thomas Snow, Molly McConnell and making his professional debut, Thomas Williams. The card is billed as “Fighting the Irish” and from past cards that BGP has put on, you can be sure this one will not disappoint.
In an article I wrote back in December 2008, when I made my comeback to covering local boxing after an extended departure, you will recall that it was Cassandra’s fight card from the Burr Gymnasium I attended on the campus of Howard University. That night, I saw a lady who is committed to bringing the boxing fans the very best matches/locations she can and from subsequent cards after the one I covered in 2008, she has done just that.
As I have said many times over the years on Sports Talk TV Show with Host Glenn Harris when callers would call in and ask when is boxing coming back to this area? It has never left, and in order to keep it here, you must come out and support these local cards. You get your chance to do just that on April 2nd from the DC Convention Center. I suggest you get your tickets now because no doubt, it will be sold out.
To find out more information and purchase your tickets now you can visit: www.babiegirlproduction.net or call (202) 365-5061.
Popularity: 6%
March 8th, 2010 Brad 
By Brian Wilbur
Hello and welcome faithful RSR readers to my boxing mailbag. Lately the boxing game has been a bit flat, with a long gap in between major fights. The fight game comes back with a mighty roar next weekend with the return of boxing biggest star, Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao will be defending the WBO Welterweight title that he won from Miguel Cotto against top contender Joshua Clottey. As solid and intriguing as this fight is, it was a consolation fight because the super fight against Floyd Mayweather fell through. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington will be the site of this Championship battle.
I am glad to see that Pacquiao continually seeks out the best opponents who are willing to fight him. Clottey is one of those fighters who is frequently avoided because his skills far exceed his marketability. Arum must have figured that Pacquiao has enough marketability for the both of them.
I am also glad to see a major fight that is going to be held at a football stadium, to be attended by real fans instead of ending up at a Las Vegas casino. Pacquiao vs. Clottey is going to be a rare treat for boxing fans in Arlington and the surrounding areas in Texas. This time, real fans will be able to buy tickets instead of all of the tickets being bought by the casinos and given to high rollers.
As many aspects as this fight that has hardcore fans excited, one still has to admit that Pacquiao vs. Clottey is a letdown for two reasons. First, everyone was expecting the best case scenario of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. Second, Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto was a bigger event than Pacquiao vs. Clottey because Cotto was a big marketable name. These types of letdown fights are dangerous for the top dog. Pacquiao clearly is the favorite, but he has to be prepared mentally and physically or he could let one slip by.
Pacquiao has effectively dealt with potential let down situations in the past. Word from his training camp is positive and that Manny is in great shape. Freddie Roach is confident as always, predicting a knockout win. Is Pacquiao letdown proof? We’ll find out Saturday.
We move onto the mailbag this week which includes my take on how the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight will play out, my take on the quality of the undercard, some mythical matchups, and a few other topics. Enjoy!
Clottey/Pacquiao Undercard
Yo Brian,
I respect your opinion when it comes to pay per view undercards. Mainly because you always talk (censored) about them so I know you aren’t in the pocket of the promoters, hyping up crappy undercards like a yes-man, just like almost every other boxing website.
So be real with me. Is this undercard going to be any good? I ask because I am deciding whether or not I want to buy this fight since I’m not sold on the main event, meaning I’m not all that interested in Clottey.
Let me know,
-Grawg69
Grawg69,
I appreciate you complimenting my journalistic integrity. I make it my duty to be honest to my readers and point out the garbage when I see it. And yes, 95% of the PPV undercards that HBO has been churning out lately are disgustingly bad. Even for marquee events, like Pacquiao fights, instead of taking advantage of the spotlight to showcase the best of boxing, they give us nothing.
The Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey undercard is as follows:
Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz
Alfonso Gomez vs. Jose Luis Castillo
John Duddy vs. Michael Medina
My verdict: not bad actually. This undercard does not make me want to do back flips in anticipation, but does enhance the card and is one of the better undercards in recent years.
Soto vs. Diaz is between two world rated lightweights who most boxing fans should be familiar with. Soto has been a staple of Top Rank undercards for a while now and at one point was being touted as a potential Pacquiao opponent. Diaz actually was a former Pacquiao opponent and a former World Champion. Diaz is trying to win back the WBC Lightweight title that he lost to Manny, since this match is for the vacant belt. My prediction: I think Humberto Soto’s edge in boxing skills gives him enough to win a close decision after a couple rough rounds against the hard-hitting Diaz.
Gomez vs. Castillo is an interesting crossroads bout. Gomez has had a charmed career thus far despite modest skills because he was a fan favorite on “The Contender” the TV show. He has been matched favorable, most notably when he was given a shot against the badly faded former champion and super star Arturo Gatti. He is matched up against another badly faded former champion in Castillo. This should be a war while it lasts because of the fighting style of both men. I am curious for this one only because I want to see how much Castillo (a favorite of mine) has left in the tank. My guess is that he doesn’t have much and is stopped by Gomez, further (and artificially) inflating the reputation of Gomez.
Duddy vs. Medina, which will likely open the telecast, features John Duddy, who has a huge fan base in the Irish community despite, well…not being that good of a fighter. To his credit, Duddy is an exciting action brawler who is very fun to watch. I don’t ever see him becoming a world champion but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one of his fights. He is matched pretty tough here, going against Medina, a 23 year old hard hitting prospect from Mexico. I saw Duddy lose to a lesser opponent in Billy Lyell so I will predict a Medina victory, disappointing the enthusiastic Duddy fans.
Overall, I recommend buying this card because at least Bob Arum is trying this time. You have a world title bout between two recognizable names, a crossroads fight between two recognizable names, and a fan favorite is being matched tough. Again, this is much better than the undercard fodder that fans have been treated to recently so the prelim fights for Pacquiao vs. Clottey have my seal of approval.
Popularity: 83%
March 8th, 2010 Brad 
By Geno McGahee
We are already nearly three months into 2010 and the boxing future looks bright. We have some tentative agreements between good fighters to meet inside the ring in the near future, some signed super fights, some overhyped novelty fights, and some overlooked gems all scheduled for this year.
RSR examines the year 2010 to come and we see if the showdowns are worth your time.
Manny Pacquiao – Joshua Clottey
WBO Welterweight Title
March 13th
The Filipino superstar, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao continues to fight on a regular basis. When Floyd Mayweather, JR., could not come to an agreement with him to fight on March 13th, Team Pacquiao found a replacement: Joshua Clottey. Clottey is a tough customer, never knocked out, and has only lost once cleanly, but even that is in dispute. The fight with Miguel Cotto, a fight he lost via split decision, could have gone either way, he lost to Carlos Baldomir while ahead on points when he was disqualified, something he contended to be unjust. In 2006, he lost to Antonio Margarito by decision, but knowing the cheating history of Margarito, I tend to throw out all of his victories. The point is that Clottey has never been definitively beaten and presents one hell of a challenge for the #1 P4P best.
Grade: A. It is a wonderful showdown, PPV worthy, where we will see how Manny deals with such a durable and consistent guy in Clottey.
Floyd Mayweather, JR. – Sugar Shane Mosley
WBA Super World Welterweight Title
May 1st
With the Manny Pacquiao fight not materializing, Floyd too had to find a replacement. Yuri Foreman and Matthew Hatton were rumored, but when Andre Berto pulled out of his fight with Shane Mosley, the match could be made between two long time rivals. Mosley was nearly off the map until he was given an opportunity to fight Antonio Margarito, a man coming off his biggest win over Miguel Cotto. Unfortunately, the story of that fight was how Margarito was exposed as a cheater, using plaster of Paris in his hand wraps, taking away from the explosive knockout win for Mosley. Sugar Shane has a lot left and he is very strong. Floyd is a defensive dynamo with good power and great technique and has never lost.
Grade: B+. Although Mosley brings a lot of name value to the ring, the Margarito fight could be misleading. It may have been more of a case of what Margarito wasn’t when he didn’t load his gloves then what Mosley was. Prior to that fight, Mosley struggled with a shot Ricardo Mayorga, pulling out a final round stoppage in an even fight up to that point, and a shopworn Fernando Vargas. Mosley won’t lie down for Floyd, but does he had enough reflexes left to catch the elusive Floyd? We’ll see.
Bernard Hopkins – Roy Jones, JR. II
April 3rd
In 1993, Roy Jones, JR., defeated Bernard Hopkins via unanimous decision for the IBF Middleweight Title. Since that point, they both went different ways, Hopkins ruling the middleweight division, Jones moving up and dominated the light heavyweight division. They continually argued and came close to having a rematch on several occasions, but the greed of the combatants proved too much for the fight to occur, until now. This fight is at least 9 years too late. Roy brings in a record of 5-5 in his last 10 bouts, and he lost his last fight via first round stoppage. Hopkins recent record is 4-3. What is this fight doing on PPV?
Grade: F. This fight is a joke being played on the public with the sole goal to line the pockets of the two fighters involved. They are trying to charge for something that they shouldn’t be able to give away and hopefully the public doesn’t buy into it. They are spending a pretty penny on the advertising and trying to make this seem important and attempting to give the illusion that there is bad blood. This is a money fight. Neither man cares about victory or defeat. They are merely looking to screw over the public for as much change as they can get.
Popularity: 48%
March 8th, 2010 Brad 
By Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett
The best boxing-based website in the world has returned with an updated look and a whole slew of new user enhancements that will make your time spent interacting with some of the most knowledgeable hardcore fans from around the globe truly a remarkable experience.
In the coming weeks look for compelling discussion threads and fight polls that are worth your times and cents. Names like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather JR, Devon Alexander, Yuri Gamboa and Wladimir Klitschko are but some of the key points discussion certain to grab your interest, not to mention the “look back” links to articles and interviews that are as certain to stimulate as they are to inform. Watch for our new and improved RSR Prediction League for the month of April to be posted shortly, easily the most demanding prediction league to be found anywhere on the web. For those of you that are not currently a member of RSR and would like to take part in the various forums and fight polls, or put your powers of pugilistic prognostication to the test in the soon to be posted April 2010 Prediction League, act now using the link to submit your request.
Contact Mike “Rubber Warrior” Plunkett To Sign Up For The RSR Message Board and Join In On The Fun
Popularity: 7%
March 7th, 2010 Geno 
By Geno McGahee
SHOBOX
Vic Darchinyan, 34-2-1, 27 KO’s, successfully defended his WBC/WBA Super Flyweight Titles with a workmanlike decision win over Rodrigo Guerrero, 13-2-1, 9 KO’s, with scores of 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111. Darchinyan maintained a steady pace, punishing his challenger over the course of the fight, but couldn’t stop him. Guerrero showed a lot of grit but couldn’t do anything to stop the champion. It was a good performance for Darchinyan.
HBO: Boxing’s After Dark
Devon Alexander, 20-0, 13 KO’s, defended his WBC Super Lightweight Title while capturing the IBF Title with an eighth round stoppage of Juan Urango, 22-3-1, 17 KO’s. Urango showed the power and aggressiveness but would run into a right hand and have to climb off the floor. Urango was done and a further attack by Alexander would end it and crown a new unified champion.
Popularity: 8%
March 7th, 2010 Geno 
By Gina L. Caliboso (At Ringside)
On ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights, Martin “El Brochas” Honorio, 28-4-1, 14 KO’s, successfully defended his NABO Lightweight title by defeating Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario, 12-1-1, 9 KO’s, in a 12 round unanimous decision. Both Goossen Tutor Promotions and Pechanga Resort & Casino put together a great night of boxing. Here’s a breakdown of the night’s bouts:
Main Event: Honorio vs. Hilario
Round 1 through 4:
Both fighters were lackluster in the opening round, still trying to figure out what the other could do. Hilario showed a good uppercut to the body and both fighters put together some combinations. In round 2, Honorio showed an effective lead hand when he used his jab. Hilario showed a promising short overhand right, but displayed a tendency to lead with his head and received a warning by ref. In round 3, Honorio showed technical ability by keeping off Hilario’s attack by his reach and made Hilario miss. Hilario continued to go forward but failed to put together any attack that showed he could box.
He continued to try and find his way inside, but Honorio’s reach and continued use of his jab made this difficult. Finally, in round 4, Honorio really started to open up and pulled off a flurry of punches to the body and the head of Hilario. Hilario connected with an overhand right, but still didn’t put together any effective combinations
Rounds 5 – 9:
In round 5, Honorio picked up the pace and both fighters exchanged but Honorio landed more punches and he easily took the round. Hilario just kept missing with no combination and showed he can take punches, but failed to counter and come up with any sort of offense. In round 6, Honorio continued to make Hilario miss and he connected with a hook that caught Hilario solidly. Hilario got knocked down twice in the round but managed to survive to the sound of the bell. In round 7, Honorio continued his momentum and didn’t let up. Again, Hilario showed he can take punches, but had no defenses and in one effective shot, connected, but it really wasn’t enough to hurt Honorio at this point of the bout.
Round 8 continued action in Honorio’s part and he did not relent on his attack. Hilario remained tentative and continued to take more punches. In round 9, Honorio worked a brilliant round of combinations at will, in a flurry, and shoe-shined to Hilario’s body. Hilario did not fight back at all, except against the ropes as he tried to get inside. As the bout reached the final rounds, the ref continued to stick close to Hilario’s corner because of the amount of punishment Hilario had taken.
Round 10 through 12:
In the closing rounds, Honorio continued to build points in his favor. In round 10, he continued to attack and put together more effective punch combinations to the head and body. Hilario failed to counter against Honorio. Hilario, knowing the fight was not going to be won on points, started to head hunt and look for an opening to get the KO. In round 11, Honorio had a cut above his eye that may have affected his vision, but still managed to pull off an effective offense in the round. Hilario continued his efforts to get the KO, especially with the uppercut, but seemingly grew frustrated with himself. Finally, in the 12th round, Honorio put the finishing touches on the fight and came away with the unanimous decision.
The night’s action started with a quick win by John Molina, JR., 19-1, 15 KO’s, over Ricardo “El Rayo” Medina, 31-36, 17 KO’s. In the first round, Molina and Medina exchanged on the inside when Molina connected with a left hook. There were 2 knockdowns in the opening round and the ref called an end to the fight at 1:48 in the first round. Molina declared winner by KO.
Popularity: 9%
March 6th, 2010 Geno RSR Press Release
The recent article “Done Deal: The Return of Mike Tyson to Boxing,” by Geno McGahee has started a media frenzy. A source close to the Tyson Camp gave RSR an inside tip concerning the return of the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion and the comeback is launching later this year. An Internet source contacted Don King to validate this story and King was evasive and with good reason. Tyson-King have been reunited and they will be coming back to boxing together.
RSR thanks the publications for their professionalism and shame on the way ESPN2 Brian Kenny and Dan Rafael handled this report on ESPN2 FNF which misrepresented the story published on RSR, claiming to investigate the story when they based their entire report on their speculation and one interview where the subject said very little.
Popularity: 10%
March 5th, 2010 Brad By Jeff Stoyanoff
One of the perks of being a superstar in boxing is that you no longer have to take fights against the likes of Joshua Clottey. Floyd Mayweather, JR., is well aware of the rule no doubt. It is beyond unlikely that Mayweather would ever choose to fight Clottey. Not because Mayweather doesn’t believe he would win, one can be sure he does. But rather because Clottey is the ultimate high risk/ low reward opponent. Pacquiao has clearly ascended beyond the point where he needs to take on a Clottey, realistically it could easily be argued that Pac could fight anyone he wanted up to and including a walkover and it would still be hard to question his willingness to meet the best in the ring. So, why fight Joshua Clottey? And, why do it now when the stakes are still so very high?
The potential fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather turned into a savage PR war with Mayweather openly calling into question the legitimacy of Pacquiao’s recent wins and Pacquiao responding with legal action himself. Perhaps the choice of Clottey was a PR punch by team Pacquiao. After all, fair or not, there are many out there who now wonder if Pacquiao has something to hide in the wake of his refusal to submit to random blood test any time up until two weeks before their proposed fight. As has been covered Ad nausea, Pacquiao is not required to undergo such testing and has never tested positive, but that won’t stop those who question his motivation in refusing the terms offered and walking away from tens of millions of dollars. The reality is, Pacquiao couldn’t take on just any fighter; he needed an opponent that left no doubt of his continued willingness to meet literally anybody in the ring. If ever there was a fighter who fit under that banner, it’s Joshua Clottey.
The Dangers of Clottey
Clottey has a long, heavy jab and he uses it relentlessly as he presses forward behind a solid defense. Moreover, Clottey certainly seems to take a punch well. The flash knockdown he suffered in the first round with Miguel Cotto was the first of his outstanding career. Clottey is not possessed of sensational power; his knockout percentage of just 51% aptly demonstrates his relatively average power. Yet, the KO percentage only tells part of the story. What Clottey does have is sufficient power to slow opponents down and earn their respect and that is often all one needs. Despite his excellent jab, Clottey appears to prefer fighting at a fairly measured pace. Clottey often dominated the action against Cotto when he took the time to engage. However, all too often, Clottey seem to take time off and wait on Cotto. That was just the opening that Cotto needed to steal that fight. Yet, Clottey is a solid fighter, with an excellent chin and an outstanding jab. And, he is fighting a smaller man whose one weakness, it would seem, is that he is not a defensive wizard. All in all, Clottey has to like his position as he attempts what would have to be considered a titanic upset.
Amazingly, the news gets better for Clottey. Pacquiao has forced himself into a quick turnaround after dispatching Cotto only last November. Freddie Roach has suggested that the quick turnaround will be good for Pacquiao as down time is generally bad for a fighter. Still, it was a physical fight against a tough opponent and now another durable and talented opponent follows right behind. But, the situation is potentially even more dangerous. Pacquiao was close to getting THE mega fight with Floyd Mayweather JR.; the fight that was to represent the pinnacle of his career. Instead, he gets Clottey; a letdown has to be considered a possibility. Of course Pac will arrive in great shape and ready to fight, but what if he is just the tiniest bit flat? This seems like exactly the kind of scenario that produces major upsets; a hungry and talented underdog and a huge talent whose mind just might be somewhere else. It is hard to envision that Pacquiao can lose right now, but some of the ingredients for an unexpected result are present and that should make for high drama on March 13th.
Popularity: 10%
March 5th, 2010 Brad 
By Geno McGahee
SHOBOX
This Saturday, the charismatic super flyweight power-puncher, Vic Darchinyan, 33-2-1, 27 KO’s, will defend his WBC and WBA Titles against challenger, Rodrigo Guerrero, 13-1-1, 9 KO’s. Some of you may be asking just who Rodrigo Guerrero is…and you are in the majority. Guerrero has only had fifteen fights and the only fighter of note on his record is a shopworn Luis Maldonado, a fight he won via unanimous decision. In his last fight, he stopped Rey Lopez, who brought in the impressive record of 0-0-1. He is an unknown coming into this Saturday’s SHOBOX main event.
Darchinyan is a southpaw with a big punch and can certainly draw a crowd. He has been in and out of the pound for pound listings, and is currently on the outskirts after a disappointing defeat to Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight title. He rebounded with a squashing of Tomas Rojas in his last fight and comes into this one with a full head of steam.
Darchinyan has been featured on Showtime on several occasions and has rebounded well from his sole knockout defeat to Nonito Donaire in 2007. We will have to see if Guerrero can take a punch because there will be many hard ones thrown in his direction.
Popularity: 8%
March 5th, 2010 Brad 
By Gina L. Caliboso
Tonight ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights and Goossen Tutor Promotions, brings boxing from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California. In the main event, Mexico’s Martin “El Brochas” Honorio, 27-4-1, 14 KO’s, will defend his NABO Lightweight Championship against Wilton “Pretty Warrior” Hilario, 12-0-1, 9 KO’s of the Dominican Republic. For Honorio, he makes his return to the Grand Ballroom when he first defeated John Molina, JR., back in November.
At 30, Honorio comes to the ring with a lot of ring experience. In his 11 year career, Honorio notably fought and defeated featherweight champ Steven Luevano. Back in 2005, Honorio handed Luevano a loss in a 10 round unanimous decision.
In 2009, Honorio fought twice and handed his opponents losses. In October, he defeated Ricardo Medina with a 5th round TKO. Later, in November, he defeated John Molina, JR over 10 rounds in a unanimous decision for the vacant NABF WBO Lightweight titles.
Popularity: 8%
