Terence Crawford States His Case For Fans Buying Postol PPV

By Keith Idec

Based on their promotional and network affiliations, the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol fight ideally would be televised live on HBO.

But based on what Crawford and Postol expected to be paid to fight each other July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, pay-per-view was the route promoter Bob Arum decided to take to ensure that their 140-pound championship unification fight was scheduled for this summer. Official pricing hasn’t been announced, but the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Crawford-Postol fight is expected to cost $50 in SD and $60 in HD if purchased through most cable and satellite companies.

While slightly cheaper than most boxing pay-per-view shows these days, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) has encountered backlash from fans who’ve told him they want to see the Omaha, Nebraska, native face Ukraine’s Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), yet don’t want to pay extra than their HBO subscription to watch it.

The unbeaten WBO super lightweight champion has tried his best to reason with those skeptical about Crawford-Postol being offered on pay-per-view.

“A lot of people say this fight shouldn’t be on pay-per-view because me and Postol are not known to the casual fans,” Crawford said. “But I say to the people that do know us, instead of trying to downgrade the fight, why not up it? This is the fight everybody said they wanted to see. This is the fight everybody said they wanted me to fight, want him to fight, so why not pay for it? You’ve got the two best in the division, one versus two. You’ve got the WBC champion [Postol] versus the WBO champion [Crawford]. You’ve got The Ring magazine title on the line. What more could you ask for in a fight?”

He had some success, but Crawford couldn’t convince some reluctant consumers.

“They don’t even understand boxing, really,” Crawford said. “So they wouldn’t understand the things that go on behind [the scenes in] boxing to get fights made. They’re just looking at the big picture. ‘Oh, I’ve got to pay $50 for this fight.’ That’s the main thing they’re thinking about. You don’t have to pay $100 to see people hold. And you watch certain fights, you know who’s going to win. You’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna watch this dude beat such and such because we know he’s gonna win.’ It’s a blowout. You don’t have that in this fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-states-his-case-fans-buying-postol-ppv–105752?print_friendly=1

By Miguel Rivera –

World Boxing Organization super middleweight world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (34-0, 24KOs) will defend his belt for the first time on the 23rd of July at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as part of the HBO Pay-Per-View undercard to Terence Crawford vs. Viktor Postol.

Ramirez captured the world title at the same venue on April 9th with a twelve round decision over longtime champion Arthur Abraham on the Pacquaio-Bradley undercard.

According to Ramirez’s co-promoter, Jesus Zapari – he really wants to get in the ring with WBA/IBO/IBF middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs).

Ramirez’s other promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, is fully on board to make that fight.

“We just need to see the opponent, but the date is July 23 in the co-feature of Crawford and Postol on HBO Pay-Per-View,” said Zapari to ESPN Deportes. “I think there’s enough time for a good preparation. I think 12 to 13 weeks is a good timeframe, and we’re expecting nothing other than Bob Arum telling us the opponent.”

Golovkin is the mandatory challenger to the WBC middleweight title held by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. If Canelo defeats Amir Khan on May 7th, and the refuses to fight Golovkin, then Ramirez is ready to step in there for a fight.

Golovkin says Ramirez needs to raise his profile with a few more fights. The upcoming July date will be Ramirez’s second fight on HBO PPV.

“If he wants it. We’re ready to go ahead. We are ready to fight him and right here is a true Mexican,” Ramirez said.

Zapari says Ramirez will raise himself to a new level by facing someone like Golovkin.

“We like that fight, it is what we want. I definitely do not see it as an easy fight for Golovkin. I think which it is one of those fights that would launch Ramirez to great heights,” Zapari said.

www.boxingscene.com/gilberto-ramirez-golovkin-right-here-true-mexican–103903?print_friendly=1

By Dan Ambrose: Undefeated #1 WBO Gilberto “Zurdo’ Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs) won a surprisingly easy 12 round unanimous decision victory over WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (44-5, 29 KOs) to become the first Mexican to win the 168lb world title in their fight on HBO Boxing PPV from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final judges’ scores were an identical 120-108, 120-108 and 120-108.

I didn’t agree with those scores. I had Abraham winning three rounds in the fight. The judges didn’t give Abraham much credit. However, it was a very one-sided fight though, as the 6’2 ½” Ramirez was simply too tall for the shorter, older 5’9” Abraham.

Ramirez was constantly moving around the ring, peppering Abraham with jabs and hooks the entire three minutes of every round. When Abraham did land some solid shots, Ramirez was sure to fire back with counter shots.

In the 2nd round, Ramirez hurt Abraham with a left to the head that had him holding on. It was a good shot from Ramirez that caught the 36-year-old Ramirez when he was coming forward trying to land one of his own shots.

Ramirez nailed Abraham with a clubbing right hand to the head in the final seconds of the 4th round, and then gave him a hard shoulder when he attempted to come forward to retaliate with a punch of his own. It was a good move by Ramirez, but clearly a dirty move on his part. The referee didn’t do anything about it other than warn Ramirez.

In the 5th round, Ramirez hit Abraham with a hard low blow while he was coming forward. The action stopped for a bit while Abraham recovered. Before the round ended, Ramirez nailed Abraham with a rabbit shot to the back of the head. Ramirez was clearly getting dirty in this round, but Abraham kept his cool and didn’t start getting dirty with his own rough stuff.

Abraham landed two solid left hands to the head of Ramirez in the 6th round that drove him to the ropes. That was arguably Abraham’s best round of the fight, even though Ramirez still landed more punches.

From the 7th round on, Ramirez began to move much more around the ring, changing directions and throwing light hooks. The constant movement and incoming punches kept Abraham from being able to set his feet to throw his own power shots.

Ramirez dominated the last four rounds of the contest with his movement and high volume shots. Abraham looked defeated by that point in the fight, and he wasn’t trying hard to land anything the way he needed to.

Overall, it was a good effort from Ramirez. He boxed well, and kept out of the way of Abraham. It was kind of boring to watch, however. Compared to some of the more entertaining super middleweights in the division, Ramirez is decidedly boring due to all the movement that he uses. If his promoter Bob Arum wants to turn him into a star, he’s going to need to keep him a little more stationary because the constant movement is not interesting to watch. When you compare Ramirez’s performance to the other fighters on the card like Oscar Valdez and Jose Ramirez, he was very dull to watch.

Arum wants to lure IBF/IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin up to super middleweight so that he can fight Gilberto Ramirez. I don’t see that happening ever. Ramirez is a very, very big super middleweight who could clearly fight in the light heavyweight division if he wanted to.

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/04/gilberto-ramirez-defeats-arthur-abraham-wins-wbo-title/

Date:  Saturday – September 12, 2015

WBO JR. LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:  Mayweather Promotions

Supervisor:  Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Vic Drakulich

Judges:  Patricia Morse Jarman (113-115); Burt A. Clements (115-113); Glenn Feldman (114-114)

Results:   Roman “Rocky” Martinez retained the WBO Jr. Lightweight Championship title with a split draw against Orlando Salido.

TV:  Australia Main Events; USA Showtime

By Dan Ambrose: WBO super featherweight champion Roman “Rocky” Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) plans on taking the fight to #3 WBO challenger Orlando “Siri” Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs) this Saturday night in their rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Martinez, 32, had a great deal of success in slugging with the 34-year-old Salido in their fight last April in beating him by a 12 round unanimous decision by the scores of 114-111, 115-110 and 116-109.

Martinez knocked Salido down in the 3rd and 5th rounds. Salido also had a point deducted for throwing a low blow in the 11th. Without the knockdowns and the point deduction, Martinez would have clearly lost the fight. He definitely struggled in many of the rounds from the pressure from Salido, but the knockdowns saved his hide.

“Everyone saw that the first fight against Salido was a true war. This time around, I’m planning to give my fans the same type of fight,” Martinez said, via ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael. “I predict a nonstop action slugfest.”

It’s definitely in Martinez’s best interest to try and turn the fight into a war from the 1st round on, because if he can get another knockdown or two in the first six rounds of the contest, it might be enough for him to cruise the rest of the way.

Salido is a slow starter, and that’s when Martinez has the chance to drop him and build a commanding lead that puts him well behind. Salido is good at rallying from behind, but not when he’s as far behind as he was against Martinez last April. That was simply too far behind for him to be able to come back from.

Salido needs to be cautious in the first five rounds of the contest by keeping his chin tucked, and not taking too many chances. Martinez will be looking to take advantage of every mistake Salido makes in this fight. Martinez is definitely not unbeatable, as we saw in his losses to Mikey Garcia and Ricky Burns in the past.

Martinez looked very flawed in those fights. He had both of them down early in the fights, but once they got up off the canvas, they were able to dominate the action to get the victories. Salido just needs to make certain that he doesn’t get knocked down in the first six rounds because the last thing he needs to do is give Martinez a big lead the second time around.

“I am very happy we are fighting in a neutral territory for our rematch, not in Puerto Rico again,” Salido said. “I was very prepared for the first fight but the referee wouldn’t let me fight my fight. It seemed the referee was talking to me the whole 12 rounds. I was trying to focus only on my opponent, but I couldn’t.”

A loss here for Salido would be his third defeat in his last six fights, and it would be a sure fire sign that he might need to hang up his gloves. Salido can’t afford another loss at this point.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2015/09/roman-martinez-to-bring-war-to-orlando-salido/

Date:   Saturday, May 2, 2015

WBO FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter: Top Rank (Bob Arum)

Supervisor:  Richard De Cuir

Referee:  Robert Byrd

Judges:   Patricial Morse Jarman; Jerry Roth; John McKaie

Results:    WBO Featherweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko successfully defends his title against challenger Gamalier “Gammy” Rodriguez with a knockout in the ninth round.

TV: USA Showtime – USA HBO PPV – Mexico Televisa – Mexico Azteca – United Kingdom SKY – Hungary Sport 1 – Australia Main Event

Date:   Saturday, May 2, 2015

WBO/WBA/WBC WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter: Top Rank (Bob Arum) / Mayweather Promotions (Floyd Mayweather)

Supervisor:  Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Kenny Bayless

Judges:  Burt A. Clements (112-116); Dave Moretti  (110-118); Glenn Feldman (112-116)

Results:   The WBA/WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather won against WBO Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao by UD.   It was agreed beforehand that should he win, WBO title would be vacant.

TV: USA Showtime – USA HBO PPV – Mexico Televisa – Mexico Azteca – United Kingdom SKY – Hungary Sport 1 – Australia Main Event

The countdown has begun, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is now set for May 2nd and the two fighters will meet in the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even though it took over five years to come together, boxing fans are still looking forward to what will be the biggest fight in boxing history. Besides the fans and media, sports books have also been eagerly awaiting this bout as it’s sure to bring a new wave of bettors looking to make some money placing a bet on their favorite boxer. For those who can’t make it out of Vegas to lay their bets, here is a guide showing how easy online betting can be http://www.gamblingsites.com/sports-betting/online/.

Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) opened as a -240 betting favorite, while Manny Pacquiao is currently listed at +200 underdog. Regardless of the betting line, most fans are split down the middle on who they believe will win this fight, as Mayweather has shown some signs decline in recent years, while Pacquiao has looked as dominant as ever in his last few bouts. Mayweather, who turns 38 tomorrow, has been hit more in his last two bouts than people are used to seeing and his footwork has appeared to slow down. Pacquiao, who is now 36, still looks to have the same speed and athleticism that made him an eight division world champion.

While the years have brought the two fighters closer in terms of ability in the ring, Floyd Mayweather will still carry in a tactical advantage as he is one of the best defensive fighters in the sport and certainly one of the best counter punchers — something that has caused issues for Pacquiao in the past in his four bouts with Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao on the other hand is one of the fastest, most athletic fighters Floyd has faced, and also brings a southpaw style that has shown to give Mayweather some issues, as was evident early in his fight with Zab Judah.

Beyond the strengths of both fighters, this bout stands to break the box office records, as currently the PPV record holder is Mayweather-De La Hoya at 2.4 million, and the upcoming Mayweather-Pacquiao bout is expect to shatter that with over 3 million PPV buys. The event truly will be the Super Bowl of boxing, and rewards for each fighter go beyond the belts that they will win in the fight. Mayweather currently holds the WBC/WBA welterweight belts and Pacquiao has the WBO welterweight strap, three of the four belts will be unified with the winner, but the real reward will be the estimated $120 million and $80 million pay checks Mayweather and Pacquiao are set to make, respectively.

The fight is now less than ten weeks away, and there will be no promotional tour, and no 24/7 series to promote it. All the promotion that this fight has ever needed was the names Mayweather and Pacquiao, and now that both have signed on the dotted line, the only thing left to do is to see these two titans of this generation step in the ring and decide once and for all, who really is the best boxer in the world today.

http://ontheropesboxing.com/floyd-mayweather-vs-manny-pacquiao-how-all-roads-lead-to-the-two-fighters-facing-each-other-at-the-perfect-time/

By Miguel Rivera –

WBO bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda (29-0, 18KOs) is training very hard for the upcoming defense of his title against Pungluang Sor Singyu (46-2, 31KOs) on July 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The card will be headlined by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara.

Kameda and Sor Singyu have a common opponent in Paulus Ambunda. The unbeaten Japanase boxer won his title from Ambunda, who holds a decision over Sor Singyu.

Kameda is currently training in Mexico with Cuban trainer Osmiri “El Moro” Fernández.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-kameda-training-hard-canelo-lara-bill–78547

LONDON  – Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao believes his role as challenger in his world title bout with Tim Bradley this weekend will inspire him to victory.

The Filipino superstar has cut a calm and relaxed figure throughout fight week as he looks to avenge his controversial 2012 loss to the Californian Bradley, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

It was the 30-year-old Bradley who wrestled the WBO welterweight championship away from the claws of the eight-weight world champion Pacquiao on that fateful night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

But now, ‘Pacman’ is ready to thrive in his position as the challenger, as he looks to show that he can reach the heights of his illustrious past on his way to winning an unprecedented eleventh world title.

“There are a lot of people who doubt I can fight the same way I fought when I knocked out Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera,” said Pacquiao.

“I want to prove to them that I am the best. I am inspired. I am the challenger. I know I will need to outbox and outspeed Bradley. And that is what I will do. This is the first time I have challenged for a world title that I lost. Do I want it back? You bet I do; and I want it back from Tim Bradley,” he said.

Accusations have been levelled at Pacquiao questioning if he still has the hunger and desire for prizefighting.

The man himself admitted he was too cordial in the initial meeting with Bradley, stating he won’t play the nice guy this time around, with the American needing to lay him out to win.

“The only way Bradley can beat me this time is to knock me out. He cannot outbox me. I will be the aggressor. I will throw a lot of punches at him – more than I threw against [Brandon] Rios – and I will land them,” Pacquiao said.

“Last time I was too nice. This time, I will finish what I start. I want to get back that belt he won off of me. Boxing has always been fun for me. This time the fun is secondary. This is a mission to prove I am the best.

“In my fight against Rios I proved I can still fight at the high level everyone expects from me. I showed I can still control a fight as well as I ever have,” he said.

Juggling his role as a boxer and Congressman back home in the Philippines hasn’t been an easy one for the 35-year-old.

He has seen the progress that Bradley has made over the past two years, overcoming WBO light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Marquez, to cement his place amongst the elite in the 147 pound division.

Pacquiao is honest enough to declare he overlooked Bradley the first time, but there will be no chance of that this time around.

“I remember last time believing that I won the first fight against Tim Bradley. I thought I was leading after every round. I thought I won the fight easily. I controlled the fight every round. I had a feeling in training camp that he would run from me once he felt my power and he did after the third or fourth round,” said Pacquiao.

“I was very surprised by the decision. But that’s part of the game. He got the decision and my title. But to be honest, I wasn’t as motivated when I was training for our first fight. I guess I didn’t take him seriously enough,” he said.

“I am impressed with what Bradley has done since our fight. He is a different fighter now since we fought. He has more experience at this level and as a welterweight champion. He fought extremely well against Marquez. I knew Tim would beat him utilizing his speed. But in the end I am still faster than Bradley,” Pacquiao said.

The rematch between the pair kicks-off a mega next couple of months on BoxNation with a host of world title fights including Floyd Mayweather’s ring return against Marcos Maidana on May 3rd, with British star Amir Khan also featuring that night against the skilled Luis Collazo.

http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-tim-bradley-only-win-by-knocking-me-out–76602

Las Vegas,Nevada   —  Superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated WBO World Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley pose during the final press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Wednesday for their eagerly-anticipated rematch, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.   — Photo Credit : Joel Colon.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-pacquiao-bradley-ii-final-presser-mega-gallery–76536

LONDON – Pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao will be back on British screens next month when he battles WBO welterweight world champion Tim Bradley live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The world’s biggest and best dedicated boxing channel will air the eagerly anticipated rematch taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 12th, adding yet another mega showdown to its jam-packed roster.

The news comes hot on the heels following the announcement that the ‘Channel of Champions’ will also screen Floyd Mayweather’s May showdown with Marcos Maidana, which also features Amir Khan’s ring return against the highly respected Luis Collazo.

The initial clash in 2012 between ‘Fighter of the Decade’ Pacquiao and Californian Bradley, ended in much controversy with the American winning a highly contentious split decision.

Both fighters went their separate routes following the bout, with Filipino Pacquiao sensationally knocked out against Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth meeting before bouncing back in style against the unrelenting Brandon Rios late last year.

Bradley on the other hand has grown since the pair’s first encounter, recording a win over the electrifying Ruslan Provodnikov, in the 2013 Fight of the Year, followed by a split decision victory over the Mexican legend Marquez.

Their April showdown will go a long way to answering the many questions that have arisen since they locked horns two years earlier, with the eyes of the boxing world set to be fixated on two of the very best pound-for-pound fighters when they do battle once again.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Marquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Marquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive superfight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

Pacquiao-Bradley 2 joins BoxNation’s April schedule which also features the man known as ‘The Alien’ – Bernard Hopkins – who, at 49, puts his IBF light-heavyweight world title on the line in a unification matchup with WBA Super champion Beibut Shumenov.

Plus, the exhilarating Carl Frampton returns to the ring as he takes on Hugo Cazares in a WBC super-bantamweight world title eliminator with the victor facing off against Mexican kingpin Leo Santa Cruz.

Juergen Braehmer and Enzo Maccarinelli also go head-to-head in April for the WBA light-heavyweight world title, before BoxNation brings you the stacked Mayweather-Maidana bill which, in addition to the main event and Khan-Collazo, will see Adrien Broner take on Carlos Molina and rising star J’Leon Love against Marco Antonio Periban.

Even more top action features on BoxNation with heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury taking on the sturdy Dereck Chisora in a WBO world title eliminator on July 26th.

http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-bradley-ii-pay-per-view-on-boxnation–76038

By Edward Chaykovsky –

WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (31-0, 12KOs) is relishing the opportunity to make things right on April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when he takes on Manny Pacquiao in a rematch of their controversial June 2012 clash. Bradley won the first meeting, with a controversial split decision victory.

Their mutual promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, was so irate over the scoring that he contacted the Nevada State Attorney General to conduct an investigation.

Since their fight, Bradley won a Fight of The Year battle with Ruslan Provodnikov and a twelve round split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth fight in December 2012 and then returned to outclass Brandon Rios over twelve rounds in November of last year.

“Now I’m not the little dog on the block. I’m a top dog,” Bradley said to his hometown paper The Desert Sun. “I’m a lot more mature as a fighter, as a man. I’m a little older, Pacquiao is a little older, so it’s different. I’ve had some great wins in those two years and I feel I’m more than ready.

“It’s almost like I spar someone the first time. OK, you get a few shots. The second time, it’s much easier, because I know what to expect. Pacquiao can say the same thing about me. But Pacquiao only fights one-way guys. Only one way, and that’s the Pacquiao way.”

“I think Manny Pacquiao will get aggressive until he gets hit. People are going to laugh about this, and it’s OK, they can laugh. But like I said, if I was a non-puncher, if I didn’t have anything, guys would walk completely straight through me.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/bradley-pacquiao-easier-second-time-around–74060