Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

By Dan Ambrose: According to Fightnews.com, World Boxing Association light welterweight interim champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KO’s) will be training for his next bout against WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will enable the 27-year-old Maidana to be right at the location for where his December 11th fight with Khan will be taking place, so there won’t be any issue of Maidana having to get acclimated to the environment.

Khan, for his part, will be training in Los Angeles, California, with his trainer Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym. This is kind of a make or break fight for both fighters, especially Khan, who has had problems in the past when facing big punchers like Maidana. Without having faced any big punchers since being flattened in the first round two years ago by Breidis Prescott, Khan is being seen by some boxing fans and writers as a future star in boxing. It remains to be seen whether these people are correct in their perceptions or if Khan is just another one of the many glass-jawed media hype jobs that are created but then quickly crumble when they face their first real test.

Khan hasn’t been tested since being knocked out by Prescott, and has been carefully matched against weak punchers and some past their prime fighters. Maidana is a crude fighter without the hand speed or boxing skills of some of the best guys in the division, but he makes up for it with his raw punching power and high pressure offense. He’s the type of fighter that can cut right through the skills of his opponents and turn a fight into a war. Khan clearly has the better boxing skills, but the question is does he have the chin or the heart to beat a warrior like Maidana? Khan was matched against the soft punching former IBF light welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi in his last fight in May.

Khan got the win by an 11th round knockout, but was badly marked up in that fight. The same was true in his win over the light hitting Andriy Kotelnik last year in winning the WBA light welterweight title. Against Maidana, Khan is really going to be getting hit and unless he’s able to score a quick knockout like he did against Dmitri Salita, Khan is likely going to be taking a massive amount of punishment against Maidana, even if he runs for his life for the full 12 rounds. Running won’t endear him to boxing fans that he’s trying to win over, but that may be Khan’s only chance of surviving this fight without getting knocked out again.

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LAS VEGAS - Oscar De La Hoya has fought Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. He lost to them all - Mosley twice.

But what De La Hoya saw Mayweather do to Mosley in a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision on Saturday night convinced him that Mayweather is the best of this generation and possibly of all time.

“Mayweather is special. We have to respect that,” De La Hoya said.

Mosley rocked Mayweather in the second round and looked to be on the verge of saying to him, “The buck stops here.” But Mayweather survived the round and then shut down Mosley for the next 10.

It was a masterful display by Mayweather. He answered the critics who said he hadn’t ever beaten a legitimate welterweight with the victory over Mosley, a three-time welterweight champion and the current WBA champ.

He answered those who said he couldn’t weather a storm if his chin was tested. After getting hurt by Mosley, Mayweather didn’t fold. And he proved that there isn’t an opponent that he can’t completely shut down.

Even so, Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) knows it wasn’t enough to please all of his critics.

“I’m in a no-win situation, because no matter what I do it’s never good enough,” Mayweather said.

Mayweather came up with his fight strategy with his uncle and trainer, Roger, and his father, Floyd Sr. The things he did to neutralize Mosley were in-fight adjustments.

“Mosley has very fast hands, but he doesn’t have a jab,” Roger Mayweather said. “He has tremendous hand speed, but it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t hit the target. He’s fast if he fights somebody who’s slow. How was he going to win if he couldn’t outbox my nephew? I just told him (Mayweather) to keep him in the middle of the ring and box his ears off.”

Mosley said he wanted to end matters in the second round, but his neck tightened up and couldn’t finish the job. As his trainer Naazim Richardson noted, Mayweather gives you a brief window of opportunity to get the job done. If you don’t take advantage, then it’s curtains for you.

Richardson said Mosley was making excuses in the dressing room after the fight, but he told him to stop because no one but his mother wanted to hear them.

Even though he still has the WBA welterweight title, the 38-year-old Mosley (46-7, 39 KOs) said he didn’t know what he was going to do. He said he would go on vacation and think about his next move.

After the fight, most of the questions were about a possible bout for Mayweather against Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather said if Pacquiao is interested in fighting him, then he will agree to Olympic-style testing. If not, then Mayweather said he will move forward without him. Pacquiao turned down a proposed fight with Mayweather back in December because he wouldn’t agree to the testing.

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There are telltale signs in the life of a fighter that should not go unnoticed.

When lawsuits begin to accumulate as easily as knockout victories, when a fighter’s headlines can be equally divided between the sports and police sections, when every fight is preceded by a laundry list of legal run-ins — that’s when things can take a turn for the worse, when the steering wheel starts to veer toward the curb and a crash is imminent.

Edwin Valero, who died Monday in a jail cell in Caracas, Venezuela, knew all this. He had hit that curb more than once, sometimes literally. The former Central and South American amateur champion had amassed an 11-0 record (all by first-round KO) when a routine MRI revealed a small blood clot on his brain, the result of a motorcycle accident that occurred years earlier — a condition that initially kept him from being sanctioned to fight in the United States.) One of his last legal problems was a DUI charge that was still pending trial. Fast cars and lots of booze in the life of a boxer? Nothing new.

But Valero had other demons, as well.

The left-handed Venezuelan power puncher was driven by urges he seemed unable to control. His boxing style serves as an example: Valero couldn’t settle for simply defeating his opponents. He had to overpower them, overwhelm them, attack them with blazing combinations loaded with explosive power from all angles, to the point of neglecting his own defense (arms low, mouth open, eyes popping out of their sockets, high-pitched screams with every punch). The fury in his expressions was the fuel for his successes — but was also at the heart of his failures, including his tragic demise.

Valero’s appetite for excess was prodigious, and his struggles with substance abuse (and depression) came to be common knowledge. His troubles ranged from denied visas and pending jail sentences to DUI charges and allegations of having punched or threatened to punch multiple family members. (Valero’s mother and sister were among the victims of his rage, according to a report.) After being charged with harassing his wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera, last month, Valero was arrested Sunday when, local police said, she was found dead in a hotel room where the couple had been staying. On Monday, Valero hanged himself in his jail cell, according to police.

As tumultuous as Valero’s personal life was, his career was equally vertiginous. After being denied a boxing license to fight in the States, Valero became a traveling act, and his services were rendered all over the world. He traveled to Panama, Japan, France, Mexico and Argentina, putting his all-out style to work toward one purpose only: the destruction of his rivals, with the intent of leaving an indelible mark in the minds of his growing number of fans.

Watching Valero fight was a task in itself. He quickly became boxing’s first Internet legend, a cult hero among hard-core fight fans. The KO artist who was barred from fighting in Las Vegas and New York, the fighter with the power to crush his opponents with frightening ease, became the subject of countless forums and chat sessions. The underground peer-to-peer live broadcasting websites that thrive today overflowed with fans from all over the world. It wasn’t unusual for 20,000 fans to connect to a single site to watch Valero fight.

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Evander Holyfield, who has had fights canceled in Uganda, South Korea and Ethiopia, finally has secured his next bout in the most foreign land of all: Las Vegas.

Holyfield, who hasn’t fought in Las Vegas since a loss to James Toney in 2003, will meet Frans Botha at the Thomas & Mack Center April 10, manager Ken Sanders said Friday. Details of the long-rumored bout were finalized Friday, with Holyfield guaranteed about $1 million.

Holyfield, 47, and Botha, 41, were scheduled to fight in Uganda in Feb. 20, but the bout was canceled due to lack of financing. Both recently received one-fight licenses from the state of Nevada. Botha holds the heavyweight title for one of the lesser sanctioning bodies, the World Boxing Federation.

Sanders also shot down recent reports that a possible third fight between Holyfield and Mike Tyson was in the works.

“It’s not going to happen, not with [promoter] Don King involved, and I don’t think it’s going to happen, period,” Sanders said. “Nobody has talked to Evander or me. All we heard was Don King wanted to do it, and we wouldn’t do that with him for $50 million. Let me say this: I don’t think Tyson is ever going to fight again. But I wish he would. I think that fight would make a lot of money, but I don’t think that will happen.”

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After his potential megafight with Manny Pacquiao stalled, Las Vegas boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. has agreed to fight “Sugar” Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand May 1, according to multiple reports.

Mayweather last fought in September, when he won a unanimous decision against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mosley was scheduled to fight Alberto Berto on Jan. 30, but the latter pulled out after he lost several family members in the Haiti earthquake. Mosley’s last fight was in January 2009, when he defeated Antonio Margarito.

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It’s the biggest fight of the year – and you could be there thanks to Sky Box Office.

Ricky Hatton returns to Las Vegas for his highly anticipated fight against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Metro has teamed up with Sky Box Office to offer someone the chance to take a friend to watch the Hitman take on the man recognised as the best boxer on the planet.

Ricky Hatton

Ricky’s IBO light-welterweight belt will be on the line but Hatton will also be chasing the pound-for-pound title held by Pacquiao, four-weight world champion and national icon of the Phillipines.

The prize includes flights to Las Vegas, accommodation and a pair of top tickets in some of the best seats in the arena.

The winner will also receive a signed Ricky Hatton boxing glove.

If you’re not lucky enough to win, the next best place to watch the fight will be live on SKY BOX OFFICE or in high definition on SKY BOX OFFICE HD.

To order the fight, call 08442 410 888 or you can book via the ‘box office’ button on your Sky remote control.

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The wait is over and the fight is on. . .Olympic gold medalist and 10-time world champion “The Golden Boy” OSCAR DE LA HOYA will face current Ring Magazine No. 1-ranked pound for pound champion MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO on Saturday, December 6 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in a bout that will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View. Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, Inc., the bout will be a 12-round, non-title fight contested at the 147-pound welterweight limit.

This exciting and intriguing match-up pits two of the most recognizable and popular talents in the sport today in what will surely be the grand finale of the 2008 boxing calendar year. “Manny Pacquiao is considered the best fighter in boxing today and I always want to fight the best,” said De La Hoya. “I am glad we were able to make this fight happen because while Pacquiao is at the pinnacle of his success and has defeated all of the top fighters he has faced, I am going to show the world that it stops with me. December 6 can’t get here soon enough.”

“This is my greatest challenge,” said Pacquiao. “When I take that walk to the ring to fight Oscar, I will carry all the people of The Philippines - the entire country - on my shoulders. I promise I will fight with all of my heart and that I will give everything I have. Like my trainer Freddie Roach says, I have what it takes to win the biggest fight of my life.” After several weeks of amicable discussions between De La Hoya’s company, Golden Boy Promotions, and Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, Inc., a deal was struck this week ensuring fans around the world the opportunity to see this dream match-up.

Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, Golden Boy Promotions said, “This fight will have the whole world talking and will be a fantastic night for boxing. Oscar’s career has always been defined by taking on the biggest challenges and fighting best names in boxing. This fight against a great champion like Manny Pacquiao is just another testament to his readiness to face the strongest competition and continue his legacy as one of the greatest fighters boxing has ever seen.” Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, Chairman of the Board, Top Rank added, “This fight is what all sports fans are looking forward to, a contest between two champions who come to fight and who are the most popular names in boxing today. Manny Pacquiao is taking on a major task in facing the legendary Oscar de la Hoya, but we at Top Rank are very confident Manny will handle himself extremely well.” Richard Sturm, President of Sports and Entertainment, MGM MIRAGE said, “MGM MIRAGE has hosted the greatest names in sports and entertainment and this event will certainly continue that tradition. We look forward to presenting one of the most exciting promotions in the history of boxing and there is no question this fight will have a major impact on fans worldwide.” Mark Taffet, HBO Pay-Per-View said, “De La Hoya-Pacquiao is a dream match-up which will capture the imagination of sports fans everywhere. It’s the pay-per-view king vs. the pound-for-pound king and an event in which both fighters’ popularity clearly transcends the sport.” Oscar de la Hoya has been a fan favorite and the most successful pay-per-view attraction in the history of the boxing.

A 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist for the United States, de la Hoya (39-5, 30 KOs) is a champion in every division he has competed in from 130 to 160 pounds and has faced boxing’s elite for over 15 years, including Floyd Mayweather, Julio Cesar Chavez, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, Pernell Whitaker, Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas, Arturo Gatti, Genaro Hernandez, Jesse James Leija and Hector Camacho Sr. In his fight against Mayweather on May 5, 2007, he fell short via a close split decision, but set records with the fight having the most pay-per-view buys and grossing the most revenue in the history of boxing. In his last fight against Steve Forbes on May 3, 2008 De La Hoya registered a dominating unanimous decision victory, winning nearly every round of the fight which took place in suburban Los Angeles at the outdoor Home Depot Center soccer stadium, another first for boxing’s star attraction. Manny Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 KOs) is recognized by most knowledgeable observers as the best fighter at any weight in the world today. Pacquiao, 29, has held world titles in four weight divisions, winning the WBC flyweight world title two weeks before his 20th birthday in December of 1998, the IBF junior featherweight world title at age 22 in 2001, the WBC super featherweight world title in March of this year and most recently the WBC lightweight world title in his last fight on June 28 against defending champion David Diaz.
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