The Mayweather vs Marquez Big Screen Experience

Last night's HBO PPV show played live at movie theaters across the United States, and Jeff Pryor was one of the many boxing fans that witnessed the larger than life action on the big screen.

Mayweather's gleaming smile 20 feet wide. Marquez's cup of urine, ten feet tall. The fever dream of a punch drunk fisticuffs fanatic? Not if you were at one of 170 or so theaters on fight night.

Sometimes harkening back to an earlier era can seem entirely new... even innovative. This past Saturday night for "Number one, Numero Uno", the Mayweather-Marquez mash up, Golden Boy Promotions went old school with a twist and brought a live boxing event back to the cineplex just as it used to be in the days before cable, satellite, pay per view and internet streaming.

Before these modern accouterments of boxing viewing, there was a period of time in postwar Hollywood where an invention emblazoned "Theater Television" came about as a secondary source of income for boxing promoters. In this case filmed events were presented at a later date within the theaters, bringing a whole new audience that otherwise may not have had the opportunity to see the spectacle. Later, these re-broadcasts would go live...

On March 28th 1958, Sugar Ray Robinson's second bout with Carmen Basilio was screened at 174 theaters in 140 cities, with 364,876 attendees bringing in over 1.4 million dollars in revenue. This was by most reports the first live closed-circuit boxing broadcast. The new revenue stream was a portent of things to come for boxing promotion.

As things evolved and widespread live broadcasts became easier to deliver, Patterson-Liston's first go around in 1962 was a record setter which drew over 563,000 spectators to the screens and netted 4.5 million dollars. Most notably Ali and Frazier's "Fight of the Century" was a closed circuit smash where it has been estimated that more than 300 million watched the bout.

During this period in the fifties, sixties and seventies the chief idea of closed circuit was largely to expand the available "gate audience" by setting up satellite locations, whether it be theaters, arenas, or even community halls in which to sell more tickets. Fans enjoyed the atmosphere, bigger screens and feeling like they were a part of the event.

Actor Burt Lancaster remarked that the crowd was so into the Bonavena-Ali Closed-circuit broadcast he attended that some of the fans were yelling at the screen "Shut up, Howard. Let us watch the fight!" Towards the always loquacious Howard Cossell's commentary.

Promotors, who originally charged $5-$10 per seat for closed circuit broadcasts, slowly ratcheted up the price to $25 and higher by the eighties. At $30 a pop, the prices caused one fan, Johnny Carlstom, who was among the 2000 who attended the infamous "No Mas" bout at the closed circuit location of Harrah's casino in Reno, to exclaim "I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to pay to see a fight again." Would that you hadn't Johnny... would that you hadn't.

As the economics of the sport shifted, and the networks, ABC, NBC and CBS started getting priced out of bigger fights, closed circuit became a necessity as opposed to a luxury for promoters. By the end of the eighties, with the boxing fan base tapering off, closed circuit locations gave way to closed circuit in your living room... pay per view, at even more exorbitant prices.

Flash forward to September 19th, 2009. Boxing's return to movie theaters.

With the HD Pay Per View broadcast of the Mayweather-Marquez card clocking in at $60, a new, less expensive, alternative was a welcome sight. The ticket I bought to watch bludgeoning on the big screen was $12.50, though reportedly tickets were $15 elsewhere.

The broadcast started at 7:30pm, with the half hour PPV hype show and continued with the entire HBO broadcast to credits.

The city I watched from has a population of about 60,000. I'd wager one citizen for every thousand showed up. For the mathematically challenged, of which I am one, that's about sixty people who sat in the cinema for four and a half hours to watch the men fight.

The crowd came to life at times with Locke and Cruz exchanging in the opener, with Katsidis' peppering Escobedo on the ropes, when Juarez summed up his entire career by falling short in the explosive, but frustrating waning seconds of his rematch with Chris John, and in moments when Marquez clipped Mayweather clean or Mayweather blitzed Juan with flashy salvos.

In short, it was a good crowd, with a little cheering, a little clapping, a little cat calling; and overall an enthusiastic atmosphere and a great way to watch a fight.

My only previous "Closed-Circuit" experience was earlier this year in February at Madison Square Garden, when after Miguel Cotto's bout with Michael Jennings they screened Kelly Pavlik's fight against Marco Antonio Rubio on the jumbo-tron for those of us in attendance.

Like that experience, this one gave me a nostalgic flash point for what it might have been like to watch one of those classic bouts of the seventies with a roomful of other boxing mavens; removed from the location, but somehow still a part of the spectacle together.

Really, the only problem I had, was that the projector of the theater I was at was lacking it's blue gun. Broadcast signals are made up of blue, green and red image feeds. Without the blue, for instance, the image looks overly red and muted. Chris John's trunks were Gatti's favorite color, blue? Not for us. They were a pale teal green.

For me that's a major issue, but I doubt it bothered most. Aside from isolated instances like that, the technology infrastructure across the United States these days likely means that doing a large scale event broadcast like this went off relatively flawlessly.

Depending on what deal Golden Boy worked out with the third party theater distribution company they used to get the fight to theaters, one would think this was a profitable venture for them and hopefully enough so that others will follow suit and offer major boxing events in theaters on a regular basis.

The bottom line is that seeing Marquez and Mayweather, larger than life playing before us on the big screen was pretty great. The price was right, and I wouldn't hesitate to forego my living room, for the cinema again should another big fight get the hollywood treatment.

To re-coin an old phrase; A good fight seen bigger, beats a good fight seen smaller.

It could be a winning strategy for boxing in the coming years.

e-mail Jeff Pryor Read more!

Live Ricky Hatton vs Manny Pacquiao Blog

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of the much anticipated mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.

If you joined us last week for our live blog of the Froch/Taylor & Lopez/Penalosa fights, we appreciate you coming back. If this is your first time with us (it's only our second time doing this) then thanks for checking us out, and we hope you enjoy our coverage.

Coverage will start at 9 PM EST. Please refresh this page often, as I'll be doing regular updates throughout the undercard fights and will update the main event after each round. If you're here early, please check out some of our preview stories on tonight's fight, along with analysis from last weekend's big fights, and if you're a British fan, please click the image to the right to check out our weekly previews and recaps of all the action from UK rings. Ricky Hatton's Second Chance by Dave Crellin Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton Preview by Jeff Pryor Carl Froch and the Fun at 168 by Lee Payton JuanMa Keeps Getting Better by Michael Nelson

9:04...The show is underway. The first fight fight of the night is Erislandy Lara vs Chris Gray. Both fighters have rehydrated to 162 pounds. Michael Buffer is doing the intros. 9:07... Larry Merchant just mentioned that Lara got married yesterday. The HBO crew is singing Lara's praises. Steward says he has a very good professional style. 9:08... Steward says that Lara is always in a position to execute, and never over-extends himself and leaves openings when he punches. 9:11... Lara had things mostly his way in the first round. Gray backed up, while Lara followed. The Cuban managed to get several punches through Gray's guard, but Gray managed to escape the round mostly unscathed. 9:12... Steward praises Gray for making an attempt to fight considering how overmatched he is. Lara's stalking and mixing up his punches nicely. "Gray does not know what to expect," says Steward. 9:13... Steward just said that some of the top middleweights in the world including Kelly Pavlik would have problems with Lara. 9:14... Another round in the books. Pretty much all Lara. 9:15... Lampley asks Steward about his remark that Lara could give any middleweight in the world problems, "Even Paul Williams?" "Yes." 9:16... I should mention that Steward is talking about a "short fight". 9:17... With a chuckle, Larry pokes a bit of fun at Steward's excessive praise of Lara, "Are you sure you didn't get him to defect?" 9:18... Round 3 in the books. All Lara. 9:22... Round 4... More of the same. Harold has it 40-36. Not a big surprise. "4 very decisive 10-9 rounds." 9:24... All 3 judges have it a shut-out, and Lampley is now rattling off compubox numbers. 9:26... Hatton is chatting away with Oscar while he warms up in his dressing room. 9:27... According to Larry, yesterday's weigh-in was so packed that 5,000 people were turned away. 9:28... Next up is Matvey Korobov vs Anthony Bartinelli. Korobov has rehydrated to 170, while Bartinelli is 166 tonight. 9:29... Fight is about to get started. Buffer has finished with the intros. 9:30... Steward and Lampley comment on the pro-style we're now seeing from countries that used to focus mainly on the amateur game. 9:31... I should mention that Korobov is a southpaw. 1 minute into the round, and he's having things all his own way. 9:34... Not surprisingly, Korobov is tagging Bartinelli at will. Bartinelli's mouthguard just went flying after getting caught on the button with a right hook. It happened with about 15 seconds left in the round. I have a feeling this isn't going the full 4 rounds. 9:34... Steward estimates the mouth-guard flew about 30 feet. 9:35... Korobov's corner told him to work the body this round. 9:37.... Referee Robert Byrd stops this one with about a minute left in the second round. Bartinelli was just getting tagged at will. He was put down early in the round with a straight left on the button, but got up for more punishment. Korobov was very patient about putting the finishing touches on. He mixed in some nice body work, before forcing Bartinelli into the corner, where after a barrage of power shots, Byrd jumped in. 9:39... Official time is 2:15 of round 2. Matt Korobov moves to 5-0, all 5 coming by stoppage. 9:42... As impressive as Lara and Korobov are, I got to say that I would rather see some well matched action fighters on the undercard. These opening two bouts were about as exiting as casual sparring sesssions. There are a lot of second tier fighters that could provide good entertainment for a reasonable price, and I think giving them some airtime on a night like this would be better entertainment. 9:45... Lampley is interviewing Ann Wolfe regarding the James Kirkland situation. Ann's disappointed in Kirkland, but she's sticking by her fighter and says she hopes he gets the opportunity to keep going with the work they've been doing. 9:46... Next up is Daniel Jacobs vs Michael Walker. Both fighters have rehydrated to 169 pounds. 9:50... Jacobs-Walker is underway, and Lampley informs us that Jacobs is a budding chef. 9:51... Lampley informs us that Jacobs sometimes switches to southpaw and has power in both hands. Larry just asked Steward how Korobov would do against Lara, and Steward says he likes Korobov a little bit better. 9:53... Jacobs came on strong at the end of the first round, and had Walker covering up along the ropes. 9:56... Steward comments the most effective punch for Jacobs has been the left hook to the body. Steward comments that while Walker's skill level isn't that high, he's very determined. He's standing in and trading with Jacobs and trying to make the most of his chance tonight. 10:00... Walker just threw Jacobs to the canvas, dislodging Jacobs' protective cup, and we've got a time-out while Jacobs is getting fixed up. 10:02... Walker is giving a spirited effort here and really making Jacobs work hard. Early in the round, he managed to force Jacobs into the corner and landed a looping right hand, although Jacobs turned the tables by spinning out of trouble and tagging Walker with several shots in the same corner. 10:02... Harold has it 3-0 for Jacobs... "Beautiful ring generalship." - Harold 10:03... Steward comments that Walker is starting to walk through some of Jacobs shots and is becoming more effective. 10:06... Walker is bulling forward, backing Jacobs up. A nice combo from Walker seem to make Jacobs rethink his approach, as he became more patient, looking to pick his spots the rest of the round. Jacobs has been landing some very nice body shots. He's also had a lot of success finishing up to the body after flurrying upstairs. 10:10... Steward comments on the differntial in size here. Jacobs is about 6 inches taller. There was just an accidental clash of heads, but thankfully no damage done, although Walker got the worst of it. Jacobs is doing a good job firing off combos and moving. Walker is undeterred and keeps pushing forward and Lampley comments that Walker has really earned Jacobs respect, although Jacobs is winning all the round. 10:11... Harold has it 5-0. 10:13... 6 rounds now in the book. I think Jacobs is looking a bit tired, but he's got this well in control. He's jabbing and moving, and then throwing in the occasional flurry, but not with much on it. He seems content to be just scoring points here. 10:16... Not much happening here. Larry and Steward are debating whether or not Jacobs is a puncher. 10:17... Steward is enthusiastic with his praise of Jacobs, although not quite to the level that he raved about Lara and Korobov. 10:20... "Jacobs trains in Coney Island and looks like he's not going to be a day about the beach for anyone for some time." - Larry (not that you had to ask). 10:22... That's it. Harold has it 8-0. That's what all 3 judges will have it too. Walker never stopped coming forward and gave a good effort, but he was just outclassed. Jacobs boxed nicely, and picked his spots well. Steward comments on how well he switches from jabbing to stopping and letting loose with a power shot. 10:24... Up next will be Humberto Soto vs Benoit Gaudet. 10:30... Soto weighs 141 tonight while Gaudet is only 137. 10:32... This one is underway. 10:35... Soto went right after Gaudet early and caught the Canadian with a left hook as he was moving backward that dropped him. Gaudet was up quickly and Larry and Steward say it was more of a balance knockdown. Larry says that Gaudet's plan is try and outbox Soto the way Guzman was able to. Gaudet is using the whole ring, jabbing and moving and changing directions. Steward had a feeling Gaudet won't be strong enough physically and mentally to cope with Soto down the stretch. 10:37... Soto is patiently stalking, while Gaudet is doing his best to stay on the move. 10:38... Steward comments that Gaudet has fast hands and is very swift on his feet and Soto is going to have to really step it up and put more pressure. 10:39... Two rounds in the books. Steward feels that Soto will step things up as he realizes that Gaudet can't hurt him. 10:40... Soto's corner is telling him that he's got to chase Gaudet down. 10:40... 2-0, 20-17 on Harold's card for Soto. 10:41... Gaudet is moving left, then moving right. He's doing a good job of not letting Soto load up, but he's not offering too much offense. 10:43... Round 3 in the books. Soto stepped up the pressure and managed to close the gap on several occasions. He landed some decent right hands in the process. Gaudet had a few moments as well, catching Soto with a couple right hands. 10:45... "Benoit Gaudet has some good skills, there's no doubt about it, but he doesn't pack a punch." - Harold 10:46... Gaudet is hanging in there. He's always fighting in reverse, but he's stopped and landed his right hand a few times. 10:47... 4 rounds complete. Soto constantly moving forward, Guadet going side to side, jabbing and throwing the occasional right hand while trying to slip shots and tie Soto up. Not thrilling to watch. 10:48... Harold gave round 4 to Gaudet. 10:49... Lampley comments that Soto has been unable to land his left hook to the body so far. 10:50... "I don't know what happened, but something happened to Soto in the early part of this round. I don't know if it was an injury, but he looks uncomfortable." - Steward 10:51... Soto closed the round strong, although it wasn't a great round for him until the last 40 or so seconds. 10:52... Harold has it 49-45 after 5. 10:53... Steward comments that Gaudet is looking comfortable. No word on whether or not anything's wrong with Soto. Steward might have been reaching with that one. 10:55... This is not tremendously entertaining, but it's competitive. 10:56... Harold gave round 6 to Gaudet. He's got it 4-2, but a 3 pound gap in total because of the early knockdown. 10:57... Accidental clash of heads to start round 7, but no damage done. 10:58... Gaudet is keeping out of range, and picking his spots effectively early in the round. Soto is following, but he's just not doing too much. Yikes. Gaudet just caught Soto VERY low and down goes Humberto, and we'll have a bit of break here. 10:59... Jay Nady won't be taking a point. Soto takes about a minute, and we're underway again. 11:00... Soto with a burst of aggression with about 40 seconds left in the round, but Gaudet takes it nicely and slips out of trouble. 11:00... Soto's corner is telling him to finish to the body and work the uppercuts inside. "You're not going to rip off his head, work the body, work the sides!" 11:01... Harold gave the 7th to Soto. 11:03... Lampley comments on how Gaudet has made a bigger commitment to the body than Soto, and Steward comments on how well Gaudet has taken Soto's power shots when they've landed. 11:04... Soto landed a very nice right hand with about 7 or 8 seconds left in the round, but Gaudet took it very well. Over the last minute or so of the round, Soto wasn't fighting with much fire at all and there are moments now, where he's backing away. 11:05... Harold gave the 8th to Soto. He's got it 78-73. 11:06... Soto's sitting back again here to start the round. Looks like he wants Gaudet to open up and come to him a bit, which he's doing a bit, but there's not really a whole lot happening. Just as I said that, Soto catches Gaudet with a big uppercut and sends him down. He's up, and trying to hold on. 45 seconds left in the round. 11:07... Soto lands a hard right hand, and another clean shots sends Gaudet down and Nady stops it immediately. Gaudet opens his arms up in protest, but that's it. 11:08... The uppercut that hurt Gaudet was a nice clean right hand. Landed flush and sent Gaudet toppling backwards. 11:10... Soto finished matters with a right hand that sent Gaudet into the ropes and to the canvas. The official time 2:25 of round 9. 11:13... The main-event is next. HBO is showing some gym highlights to hype it. 11:15... For those watching on TV that are following along with the live blog, feel free to throw out your scores for the main-event in the comments down below. 11:18... I'll use this downtime to complain for a moment at HBO not picking up the Glen Johnson - Tomasz Adamek fight. WHY!? Guaranteed classic! Yeah, yeah, budget reasons. Screw that. This would have been epic, and now we're not going to see it! 11:20... The anthems have just started, so I think we're still at least another 10-15 minutes from seeing the fighters enter the arena. 11:25... Hatton is 152 tonight, while Pacquiao is 148. 11:27... Hatton is about to enter. He's elected to come out first because according to what he told Larry Merchant, he's the challenger tonight fighting for the P4P title. Not sure I agree with Ricky there, but that's his reason. 11:28... Hatton is now in the ring. By the way, in case you're wondering, he's not wearing the "Fatton" suit that he entered the ring for last time against Malignaggi. 11:29... Pacquiao is about to make his way in. 11:32... Pacquiao is now in the ring. Michael Buffer with the intros. 11:33... Kenny Bayliss is the man in charge. 11:34... From Manchester England, the 3 time world champion, etc, etc... Ricky Hitman Hatton. 11:35... From the Philippines, the 5 time world champion, currently recognized as the P4P #1 fighter in the world, Manny Pacman Pacquiao. 11:36... They are face to face in the middle of the ring receiving their final instructions. 11:37... "They are warrior kings with armies of fans that follow them to the battle, but now they will be alone in the battle." - Larry 11:37... Hatton immediately comes forward and tries to get inside. Manny with the first good punch, a right hook that lands clean, and now they clinch. 11:38... Pac manages to tie Hatton up and Ricky roughs him up in the clinch. Manny with a couple nice right hooks. Hatton comes forward and Manny slips under a hook. "Hatton's face is already red." - Larry. "Pacquiao's landed 3 significant right hooks already." - Lampley. Pac lands a nice straight right hand! 11:39... Down goes Hatton! 45 seconds left. He was caught with a clean conter. Pac with another hard right hand, and Hatton manages to tie him up along the ropes. Pac on the attack here. Another right hand. Hatton is in big trouble. Pac pouring it on. Down goes Hatton! He's up at the count of 8 as the first round ends!!!! 11:40... Here's[ the replay of the first knockdown. A right hook on the button as Hatton was coming forward. 11:41... Lampley is rattling off "utterly devastating" compubox numbers. 11:41... Hatton just landed a hard left hand and forced Pac backwards. They clinch. Hatton has his legs back here in the second round. 11:43... Pac with a hard left hand. Steward says that Hatton needs to smother Pac. Pac lands a nice clean right, and Hatton digs a low blow to Pac's hip and is warned for hitting and holding. Hatton is just walking into a lot of shots, but he manages to catch Manny with a left, but immediately Manny comes roaring back and backs Hatton off. 11:43... Lampley comments that Pac's got a little wild. Steward comments that Ricky needs to move his head, and as soon as he finishes saying that, Pacquiao catches Hatton with a HUGE shot and puts him down and out. This one is over. Hatton is completely out. 11:45... Hatton is being attended to by medical personal. He's now moving his head and is starting to come around. 11:45... The knockout blow was a huge left hand that landed flush. Hatton looked like he was out before he hit the canvas, and landed very hard. 11:46... That was absolutely devastating. 11:47... Hatton is sitting down on a stool. He's alert. 11:48... The official time 2:59 of round 2. 11:52... Larry is asking Pacquiao about Floyd. "If he beats Marquez, is that a fight you want?" "I can fight anybody." - Pac 11:53... Freddie Roach tells Larry that based on watching tapes of Hatton, he doesn't have the ability to adjust. 11:54... I'm not sure if we'll get a chance to hear from Hatton as that was a very rough finish. 11:56... Lampley just said that Hatton will not be interviewed. The camera is following Ricky as he walks from the arena to his dressing room. At least he's walking about okay so that's good news. 11:59... Thank you to everyone for stopping by and thanks to those that commented. Glad you enjoyed our coverage tonight and please tune in next time.

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Ricky Hatton vs Manny Pacquiao Predictions

Ricky Hatton. Manny Pacquaio. Tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Who's going to take it? The Boxing Bulletin writers make their picks.

Hatton should have his way inside, but he is going to have to fins his way past nukes to get there, and Manny isn't the type to just sit back and allow himself to be manhandled. Ricky will be faster and stronger than anyone Pacquiao has faced, but he has also beaten better. I've really tussled with my initial feelings on this one. I'm going with my gut. Ricky's ability to get inside quickly takes Pac by surprise and he builds an early lead. Manny fights back and the middle rounds are on even terms. Manny pours it on late and Hatton survives some major trouble in one of the final rounds to eek out a split decision. - Mark Lyons

I have the feeling Ricky will look better than ever and his speed, especially early, will be eye opening. As the fight goes on I believe that Pacquiao will do a better job of adjusting to Hatton, than Hatton will to Pacquiao. Over the course of the fight I think the newly honed boxing skills the Manchester grappler has been working on will begin to fall away as he finds it difficult to corral Manny. To me there are a lot of variables, and it's a toss up fight that either guy can win with a special performance, but that said I think Pacquiao's speed, movement and motor allows him to pull away and win a comfortable, but impressive and entertaining fight reminiscent of what Morales did to him in their first fight. - Jeff Pryor

The recent trend with Hatton against top-tier opposition is that he comes out guns blazing in the first three or four rounds, throwing vicious combinations to the body. As some point, his opponent starts making adjustments and begins touching him up. Hatton then becomes a guy who throws one or two punches and grabs, which works fine against someone who doesn't utilize fast feet. Pac's gotten very good in the last few years at taking a half-step back and countering a charging opponent with a right hook or short left hand. Diving in with single shots and grabbing won't work against him. I think Hatton has his moments in the first third of the fight, but it becomes a countdown to a stoppage win for Pac after that. I look for Pac to stop him in rounds 7-9. - Michael Nelson

I think this is a real 50-50 fight and a hard fight to pick. I’ve got a hunch that Hatton might be too strong on the inside for Pacquiao to cope with; Hatton is definitely the physically strongest fighter Pacquiao has fought. I envisage both fighters starting at a frantic pace and exchanging heavy shots early on. At some point during one these exchanges I think Hatton will hurt Pacquiao to the body and put him down. If Pacquiao gets up and starts fighting more intelligently then I think the fight will be mightily close come the final bell, but I believe that Pacquiao will try to fight his way out of trouble and will get caught again. I’ll go against all conventional wisdom and say Hatton wins inside six rounds. - Dave Oakes

First off, let me point out that I think Manny Pacquiao is the superior fighter. Stylistically, I think he creates a lot of issues for Hatton. The overall speed of the Pac-Man gives everyone hell. And Ricky is used to having the faster feet in there, but I think he's in against an athlete who can match him in that department. The southpaw stance seems to be another advantage for the Filipino star, given that Hatton seems to have trouble with them. Most left hookers tend to have a hard time finding the target upstairs. I think Hatton would be better served to jump in with his right hand lead and then work from the clinch. He does throw some very hard punches when he lets go, and he could land a hook to the liver that would change things around. If I'm going with what I think is the most likely scenario, I'll take Pac by hard-fought, but clear unanimous decision. He should be able to tag Hatton coming in here and there, but also, I don't see what the Brit can do if Manny decides to shoot forward with his speed. Manny Pacquiao should win, but when the stakes are this high, and when it comes down to ONE night, anything can happen. I am glad Kenny Bayless is handling things. Just hope that a clash of heads doesn't go a long way in deciding this one. Here's to a fair fight. Manny 9-3, 8-4, 8-4 with both men being stunned along the way. - Lee Payton

If Pacquaio can withstand Hatton's early assault, especially those hooks to the body, and still be fresh by the 6th or 7th round - which is no guarantee but I'm leaning 70/30 that he can - I think he'll win going away. - Andrew Fruman

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Bailey Tops Figeuroa with Highlight Reel KO

Andrew Fruman recaps last night's FNF main event.

Randall Bailey can still crack.

Just ask Frankie Figueroa. The southpaw battler was the victim of a picture perfect straight as an arrow right hand. The punch landed flush on the jaw and sent Figueroa crashing backwards to the canvas where he was counted out at 1:46 of the 4th round. He was down for several minutes, before being helped to his stool and eventually to his feet.

It was a spectacular finish to an entertaining fight that saw both fighters floored during the opening two frames.

Bailey scored the first knockdown less than a minute into the 1st round, catching Figueroa with a straight right hand along the ropes. Luckily for Figueroa, the punch was only a glancing blow, and he was up almost immediately.

Despite tasting the canvas early, Figueroa showed no fear of his power punching rival, and stood in there looking to land his own shots. His moment came a little before the halfway mark of round two, when he caught the taller Bailey with a glancing right hook on the side of the head. Bailey stumbled into the ropes, before going down and while he wasn’t badly hurt, he didn’t look completely steady when he got up.

Figueroa tried to follow up, but the experienced Bailey slipped a hook and forced a couple clinches. If there were any ill-effects from the knockdown, they didn’t last long, and after a relatively uneventful 3rd round, Bailey ended matters midway through the 4th with the stunning straight right.

With the highlight reel knockout, the resurgent 34 year old has earned himself another shot at a strap, as he’s now owns the mandatory spot for Juan Urango’s title. With the rugged Colombian moving up to challenge Andre Berto next month, just who Bailey might face for that belt is very much up in the air.

e-mail Andrew Fruman
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Timothy Bradley vs Kendall Holt Predictions

Tomorrow night on Showtime, up and coming star Tim Bradley puts his undefeated record on the line against talented fellow title holder Kendall Holt.

While two belts will be at stake in the junior welterweight unification clash, the real prize for the winner could be a big money fight in the not too distant future.

The Boxing Bulletin writers make their picks...

I expect a very tactical fight. Bradley has a bit more physical strength & Holt carries more pop. Timmy will have to assume the role of the aggressor and Holt will be moving. I really don't have a strong opinion. I'm expecting a fight that is closer and more significant than it is exciting. I'll take Holt by SD, but I'm not betting on it. - Mark Lyons

I think Holt will be cautious early on but will be forced to take more chances as the fight progresses. I expect Bradley to control the fight in the first six rounds by using educated pressure before weathering a late charge from Holt to take a comfortable points decision around 117-111. - Dave Oakes

Holt's biggest assets going into the fight lie in his height and reach advantage over Bradley. I don't think he'll make full use of those advantages, and expect him to throw about half the jabs Bradley's going to throw. I look for Bradley to concentrate on putting his jab to Holt's stomach and set him up for overhand rights, particularly along the ropes. Holt will have rounds where he counters well and starts to time Bradley as he comes in. Bradley's better at making adjustments from round to round though, and won't allow Holt to have success for a sustained period of time. I see Bradley either winning a comfortable decision in which he decks Holt, or knocking Holt out in the late rounds. - Michael Nelson

To me, it's the explosive bursts of Holt against the steady work of Bradley. Usually, I'd go with the more consistent fighter, but in this case, I'll take the more talented fighter. Even if Holt is losing a round by getting outworked, I believe he can turn it around at any point with his superior speed and power. I also noticed that Bradley drops his left hand when he's trying to close the distance which creates an opening for a straight right that he won't see coming. We've never seen Tim get hit on the chin too hard, so his ability to take a shot is still a mystery to me. He could be the new Marvin Hagler, but I'm not sure there is a 140 lber out there who can take Holt's very best shot on the button. Very tough fight to pick... Holt gets a KD and is awarded a split decision in a fight that could have gone either way. - Lee Payton

I'm picking Bradley to win convincingly. He's the more complete fighter and I expect him to consistently be doing the better work. Plus, in terms of who's more likely to land something damaging, I think that's Bradley as well. - Andrew Fruman

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Timothy Bradley vs Kendall Holt Preview

While much of the talk in the boxing world has focused on the junior welterweight mega-fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquaio, another big fight in the division is quickly approaching.

Michael Nelson analyzes the "other" upcoming junior-welterweight showdown between belt holders, Timothy Bradley and Kendall Holt.

Photo © Justin McKie

The WBC and WBO light welterweight title unification bout taking place at the Bell Centre in Montreal on April 4th should provide some clarity in a division that is quickly gaining steam.

Several players have emerged since the new year: Juan Urango stamped his foothold with a dominant victory over Herman Ngoudjo in January, Andriy Kotelnik and Marcos Maidana both made statements in their hotly contested bout the following month, and Victor Ortiz announced to the boxing world that he’s for real when he blew out the normally durable Mike Arnaoutis in early March. With former lightweight champion Nate Campbell throwing his hat in the mix, the winner on April 4 will have a full plate in front of them.

Neither man would have it any other way.

It’s evident that 23-0 California native Timothy Bradley set his eyes on ruling the division well before he traveled to Nottingham and snatched the WBC title from Junior Witter last May. An avid student of the game, Bradley said he studied Witter for years knowing that one day he would clash with him.

He passed his exam, snapping more jabs to the pit of the stomach than to the head, setting the heavily favored southpaw up for several overhand rights (pictured below, © Justin McKie), including one that deposited him on the seat of his pants at the end of the 6th round. He’d go on to win a split decision in a fight that most observers saw as wider than the judges scored it.

Four months later, he fought Edner Cherry on what was supposed to be the undercard of a match between Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman. After the main event was scrapped at the last minute due to Guzman’s struggles to make weight, the card became a showcase for Bradley, who easily outboxed Cherry en route to a lopsided decision.

The 8th round was especially instructive for future Bradley opponents; after Edner’s trainer Pete Fernandez cursed him out in the corner, Cherry came out recklessly aggressive and ran into a right hand that put him on the canvas, deterring any thoughts of a late round rally. Bradley is not a fighter you can make too many mistakes with.

But ask Ricardo Torres and he’ll tell you the same about the man Bradley’s about to face.

The former WBO titlist figured he had Kendall Holt finished in the first round of their rematch last June. He dropped Holt twice within the opening 30 seconds of the bout. Becoming a bit too overzealous, he ran into the top of Holt’s head as he rushed in to finish his stunned opponent and staggered backwards. With more power than his 25-2 with 13 KOs record would indicate, Holt took advantage by landing a right hand that rendered Torres completely unconscious, sitting awkwardly, half-Indian style against the ropes. It was one of the most devastating knockouts in years, but the head butt preceding it created a demand for a third fight.

The first bout between the two adversaries ended in controversy as well. Going into the 11th round, Holt was well on his way towards winning a comfortable decision in front of a hostile crowd in Barranquilla, Columbia, knocking Torres down in the 6th with a right hand. After referee Genaro Rodriguez ignored what was a clear knock down early in the 11th when another right hand sent Torres chest-first into the middle rope, Holt got caught with a crushing left hook late in the round and went down himself.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Holt got up on shaky legs as the crowd pelted the ring canvas with ice and beer cans. He looked as if he was going to survive the round when Rodriguez suddenly stopped the bout after a few glancing blows from Torres. Furthermore, Holt claimed that someone from the Torres corner grabbed his leg as he attempted to escape Ricardo's onslaught.

The WBO denied the Holt camp's formal request for either a reversal of the decision or an immediate rematch, but kept Holt high in the rankings in order to set up the rematch that happened the following year.

A rubber match was supposed to erase the question marks on who the better man was. It was not to be, as Torres pulled out due to sickness, leaving Demetrius Hopkins to step up in his place a week before the fight. A slightly more aggressive Holt edged out a competitive decision; Hopkins was on the move, too much to land many serious punches, as Holt played the cautious stalker.

Holt will be forced to throw more punches against Timothy Bradley. Bradley’s jab is consistent and varied, pumping it to the head and chest of his opponent, snapping it from a variety of angles. Holt, an accomplished counter puncher, will be looking to time right hands over Bradley’s stick.

Easier said than done. Using constant head movement, Bradley is a difficult man to hit. It makes him slightly more responsible than Holt defensively, as Holt tends to keep his head in one place while he’s rattling off combinations, making the exchanges violent and unpredictable. Bradley almost always ducks and weaves underneath after he delivers his punches.

Nevertheless, while Witter’s speed and power is similar to Holt’s, Bradley has never faced a combination puncher as dangerous as Holt. If he has a mental lapse that allows Holt to land 2 or 3 consecutive blows on his chin, he can be in trouble for the first time in his career. In a recent media conference call, Bradley astutely pointed out that Holt fires off a string of punches whenever he gets cornered or trapped on the ropes. It’s where he’s most dangerous, and Bradley will have to stay low and keep his gloves around his jaw.

Holt, for his part, has a solid jab that he only uses sparingly. Edner Cherry had his best moments against Bradley when he made a concerted effort to jab with him. Holt will have to step out of character and use his stick energetically to give himself the best chance at keeping his shorter opponent at bay.

The stakes are high, so expect high drama out of a highly volatile mesh of styles. When the dust settles, the man with his hand raised will have two belts in a hot division and enough competition around him to make a run towards the top of the pound for pound list in the upcoming years. If Ricky Hatton remains king, there will be a power hungry prince at his doorstep. If Pacquiao knocks Hatton off his throne and steps back up to the welterweight division, Hatton will be compelled to reestablish his reign through a fight with the WBO and WBA unified champ.

The hush of the new era is quickly becoming a roar. The boxing world will be listening on April 4th.

e-mail Michael Nelson
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Topic Of The Week: Nate Campbell at 140

With his lightweight belts gone, and no real incentive left to keep draining his body down to 135, Nate Campbell has decided to move up to the junior welterweight division. Naturally, that begs the question of how he will do against the top fighters at 140, such as Manny Pacquaio, Ricky Hatton, Timothy Bradley, etc.

Here's what The Boxing Bulletin writers have to say on Nate's 140 pound prospects...

(Potential future Campbell opponents, Kendall Holt & Ricardo Torres - pictured right © Ray Kasprowicz)

Nate Campbell has a sturdy chin and is very good defensively, so I believe he can do well at 140. Off the bat, I'd make him a favorite over most of the top 10, particularly Ricardo Torres, Kendall Holt, Junior Witter, Paulie Malignaggi, and Andriy Kotelnik (who impressed me against Maidana, but still leaves his body too open). One opponent that I don't think bodes well for him is Juan Urango. It may be a natural fight to make since both men come out of Florida, but if I was Nate's matchmaker, I wouldn't make that his introduction into the division. The way to beat Urango is to take advantage of his heavy feet, and Campbell doesn't fight well backing up. In a war inside the trenches, I feel that Juan would be too strong and too difficult to hurt for Campbell to beat decisively. If there was a man Nate should "duck", at least initially, it would be Juan. The risk/reward doesn't add up. I consider bouts against Ricky Hatton and Timothy Bradley 50/50. I would especially want to see him against Bradley, and I think that's an easy fight to make. If somehow his name got dropped into the Pacquaio sweepstakes, I would solidly favor Manny to win a decision, but not before getting roughed up. Regardless, time is not on his side. He can make his mark at 140, but he needs to dive in right away. I'll be watching with interest. - Michael Nelson

Nate's a tough old pro. And even though age looks like it might be creeping up on him he won't be an easy out for anyone. Ricky Hatton is far from invincible. A Pacquiao fight is highly unlikely, so it's not worth discussing. Timothy Bradley looks solid, but he's still green and doesn't appear to have overwhelming talent. There's a few other notables at 140, but Nate is right in the mix even if I don't see him dominating due to age and having moved up two weight classes. - John Vaci

Nate's fighting attitude, chin and power will keep him in any fight, but at his age, I'm not sure he should be fighting too many contenders or title holders, in order to make the big score. There simply isn't time. Really, he just has to hope that either Pacquiao or Hatton gives him a call when they finish their business. His chances at snagging the winner or loser of that one may be better than anyone else at 140 because of the wins he has on HBO. As far as how he matches up with the other players in the division, I think he makes interesting fights with nearly all of them. A shootout with Ricardo Torres jumps out at me, in particular, but I'd watch him scrap it out with anyone in the top 10. Realistically, Campbell has about a year to make something big happen for himself. He's going to need a little luck. -Lee Payton

Nate is a good fighter, sound defense, excellent body puncher and I don't think carrying the weight will be a problem. He is also inconsistent and I would worry about him looking for bigger purses than will be available. It really comes down to activity and matchmaking. I don't see more than two years left for him, if that. He would have an excellent chance against Judah, Malignaggi, Holt and Torres. I see trouble for him against Bradley, Hatton, Pacquiao and Ortiz. If he goes through another long layoff my guess is it's a wrap. If they can't get a big fight, he needs to just remain active on ESPN & Versus and avoid ring rust. He didn't look good to me against Funeka, but ring rust and a less than stellar camp gets him another shot before I would point to declining skills. One thing is for sure, the time is not for talking, action and activity is the only way. My educated guess is Nate will come in focused and get a big win if matched properly. But the success will be short lived and he will squander his standing as quickly as he achieves it. - Mark Lyons

Due to Nate's physical style, I'd be much more confident in his chances at 140, if he was a little younger. Plus, I think he'll be a little undersized against the elite of the division, nearly all of whom are natural junior welters. Of the current Ring Top 10, I think Hatton, Bradley and Urango would beat him. Urango's not on the same level talent wise, but as mentioned already, that's just not a good style match-up. Against the rest of the top 10, I think Nate would win more than he'd lose. I'd love to see him against any of Kotelnik, Torres, Ngoudjo or Maidana. I think all of those match-ups would be terrific fights. - Andrew Fruman

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Ricky Hatton's Second Chance

by Dave Crellin

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there's only one Ricky Hatton. The real truth, in fact, is that Hatton is the next in line to Frank Bruno and Henry Cooper, the plucky everyman who wins the hearts of people well beyond the normal boxing public.

Hatton fights are, at least to British eyes, exciting. And he's got genuine wit: the public which lapped up Bruno's self-deprecating jollity and simple catchphrases are putty in the hands of Ricky Hatton, accomplished speaker and budding stand-up comedian. He's a one-man variety show and he epitomises so many of the characteristics which the nation holds dear. The world wants to buy him a pint (and most of them have) and the world, more importantly, will pay to watch him box.

Hatton is probably Frank Warren's last (or most recent) great triumph. By the time his first 'proper' world title bout came round he was able to pull a sell-out crowd of 20,000, with plenty more clamouring for spares. Given that Hatton was also the first British boxer to be built to this level solely on the back of pay-TV exposure the manner in which the Hatton express has steamrollered into the hearts and wallets of Britain is even more remarkable.

The Tszyu fight was probably the point at which his following achieved a critical mass: the ingredients of Hatton being an underdog in front of a massive home crowd against, of all things, an Aussie, made for an electric atmosphere. A man who can generate that much excitement is a valuable commodity. The trouble is, people then start believing in his invincibility.

The thorough derailment of Hatton was a slap with a wet haddock in the collective faces of those people who, in true British spirit, believed in the triumph of hope over expectation (and the triumph of Red Bull over the collective impact of 12 hours of best bitter). Mayweather was the perfect pantomime villain and everyone knows that, in pantomime, the villain never wins. Even people who had Mayweather as favourite (there was one guy, I think) were surprised at the manner in which Hatton was so comprehensively dismantled after having been worked out. Naturally the referee had a shocker. Had there been a different ref, Hatton could maybe have lasted another round or so.

Just as Tszyu was the zenith of Hatton's career so did Mayweather become the nadir. The rehabilitation process has, however, been well-managed. So strong was the affiliation between Hatton and his fan base that the Mayweather fight quickly became an explicable annoyance. He was, after all, the best in the world. And the second most memorable thing about the fight, after the ending? Undoubtedly Hatton asking Joe Cortez whether he was looking for Hatton to admit erotic intimacy from Mayweather. That was straight from the Sunday morning football pitches of Manchester, and it was great.

So, as Brits, we love Ricky Hatton. And because we love Ricky Hatton (and because we're Brits) we'll support him anywhere and whatever the barriers. We've watched his career for years, seen how as his opponents have increased in class they've learned to grab him on the way in to try to smother his work. Hatton, of course, never initiates a clinch. We've got to know him, his family, the jokes he trots out with endearing regularity, his love for all things Manchester and his loyalty to what he is.

Thing is, we've got no idea about Manny Pacquiao. It is one of the anomalies of boxing in the UK that big international fights tend to be screened with very little fanfare some time around fight time but often at odd times in the schedule. Unless you went looking for Pacquiao, the chances are you wouldn't have found him with any regularity. The one exception, of course, was the De La Hoya fight, an embarrassing exhibition of the decaying effects of age and weight loss. Pacquiao looked good, but only in the same way that Joe Calzaghe did against Roy Jones – the winners gained more status with casual fans than they did with the cognoscenti.

It takes a very good argument, though, to make the case for Pacquiao not being the best in the world. And given how strong and effective he looked against De La Hoya he seems to be able to handle the additional weight well. So then it comes down to what tools the two guys have, and this is where it gets interesting.

Hatton fans love the pace, they love the toughness and sheer output of their fighter. In Pacquiao he faces a guy who could well stand in the middle of the ring and beat Hatton at his own game. It makes for a hell of a fight, but it also makes for the potential of the unmasking of a hero.

This as much as anything is the factor behind the nervousness for Hatton fans. Deep down, Mayweather was always going to be too good a boxer and the shame of defeat was emotionally managed in this way. Aside from the omnipresent physical risk there is a genuine danger that Hatton could be mugged in the way he has been mugging opponents all his career. Unthinkable. Match that up with the buzz of a genuine big fight and this is an enormous bout for British fans.

Hatton and Calzaghe are comfortably the two names with the highest public recognition; as Calzaghe sails into the sunset it would be a sea change to simultaneously watch Hatton out-matched and out-fought. There are as many different views as to how this fight will go as there are different British media pronunciations of 'Pacquiao'. After having seen their hero come unstuck once before against the very best, perhaps the only certainty for the British fight fan is that there is indeed only one Ricky Hatton. Read more!

Berto vs Collazo Preview

by Lee Payton

When Andre Berto takes on mandatory challenger, Luis Collazo, January 17, he will be taking a significant step up in competition. The New York based veteran southpaw has proven his worth in tussles with elite fighters like Shane Mosley and Ricky Hatton, and should provide some answers for the many questions surrounding the untested youngster.

What's At Stake

For Berto, keeping his undefeated record and momentum should be motivation enough, but there is also pressure to keep the interest of those who call the shots at HBO. They sign the big checks and have shown some interest in him at this early stage in his professional career. A slip against a lower top ten welterweight, who is solid, but mostly unheralded, would set him back considerably and raise doubts about his standing as a top fighter. I suppose I should mention that his title belt is also on the line.

For Collazo, it's a chance to make a name for himself as something more than just a stern test for the best guys out there. He's never been the favourite going into a fight with a name guy, and was only ever really an option because he once held a strap himself. His title is now gone, he hasn't had a significant fight in 2 years and a loss would just throw him back into the shuffle where there aren't too many opportunities for tough lefties to make any real money. He needs this one.

The Styles

The Floridian, Berto, is a squat, thickly-muscled fighter who does his best work on the inside with his quick hands and tight delivery. He has average power, but can deliver blazing combinations in close with some pop. That's what we know about Andre. What isn't as clear is how he handles southpaws. Especially one with the seasoning of the guy he's about to face. Will he be able to find his comfort zone against a left hander who can fight on the inside and at range? Is he mature enough to adjust on the fly if something isn't working? How will he react if he finds himself behind at some point?

Many fans of the sport have described the young man's chin as fragile based mostly on a knockdown he suffered at the hands of fringe contender, Cosme Rivera, but that shouldn't be much of an issue here, as Collazo's record isn't that of a banger. That said, I'll bet Ricky Hatton remembers the left hands he tasted. Actually, he'd probably like to forget that fight ever happened.

Collazo is tough, strong and well schooled to go with the trickery of his backward fighting stance. He's proven to be a fearless fighter who can do a little bit of everything in there, but for this fight he may just have to make up his mind. I've seen him go forward all night, like he did with Mosley. I've seen him get rough and bang, like with Hatton. I can also recall times, against lesser fighters, when he got cute in there. You never really know what you're going to get from Luis, other than an honest effort.

What To Expect

It's a tough fight to pin down, because the style match-up is a bit awkward and we don't have a ton of footage from either guy on the world class level. However, I think we can count on the more experienced man to take the fight to the upstart early on to see just how wet he is behind the ears. I don't expect Berto to back down from a fight, so we could see a real scrap on Saturday night.

I'll say that Collazo's southpaw stance, quickness and will are enough to open Berto's eyes and welcome him to a higher level of boxing. It will be Andre's own speed, energy and flash that will make this fight a virtual toss-up on the cards after 12 rounds. I'm looking forward to a pretty good fight between two real fighters. Let's hope the winner gets the "W" because he won the clash of wills and not the clash of heads.

prodigious1@hotmail.com
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