Photo Gallery: Fernando Guerrero vs Brian Norman

Photographer Cheryl Nemazie was ringside at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury Maryland to capture all the action from Friday night's Prize Fight TV show.

We've got the key moments from the main-event that featured exciting middleweight prospect Fernando Guerrero's stoppage victory over Brian Norman, plus a selection of shots from the undercard bouts.

Fernando Guerrero vs Brian Norman

Photos © Cheryl Nemazie / cherylnemazie.com - Click on the images to enlarge. Norman had the better of the opening round, but in the second frame Guerrero started to find the range with sharp uppercuts and digging body shots. After a hard right hand to the body strayed a little low, Guerrero hurt Norman with a combination along the ropes. A series of power shots, culminating in a right hand eventually put the tough veteran down. Despite never fully regaining his legs, Norman tried to slug it out and was quickly in trouble again. Guerrero unloaded with a series of clean power shots that had the visiting fighter on the canvas for the second time. Guerrero waits in a neutral corner, as referee Kenny Chevalier picks up the count. Norman managed to make it to his feet, but Chevalier didn't like what he saw and stopped the fight. The time was 2:35 of the second round. The Undercard... Highly touted super-middleweight prospect Dominic Wade stopped Anthony Cannon at 1:45 of the second round. The 19 year old former amateur star improved his record to a perfect 3-0. Fighting in his pro-debut, cruiserweight Alex Guerrero (pictured above left throwing a right hand) used an effective jab to take a close majority decision over Rodrika Ray. Shawn Porter made quick work of late substitute Brandon Wooten. It was clear shortly after the two fighters touched gloves that the bout wouldn't last long - and it was over in just 2:08. The 2007 National Golden Gloves champion turned pro less than a year ago and has quickly jumped out to a 9-0 mark.

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Fernando Guerrero Stars in PrizeFightTv.com's Debut Show

Andrew Fruman reviews last night's PrizeFightTv.com's debut PPV webcast show.

Photos © Cheryl Nemazie

Despite a busy schedule of televised fights including the light heavyweight battle between Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu, the only option I had last night to watch a live event was the $4.95 PPV from Prize Fight TV featuring the up and coming Fernando Guerrero against Brian Norman.

What about ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights? Not shown live for those of us north of the US border. And the aforementioned big fight from Montreal between Pascal and Diaconu? Surely that was available in Canada? Not unless you had Bell ExpressVu. Viewer’s Choice, the Canadian PPV provider for cable subscribers didn’t offer the event.

With my choices limited, I happily forked over the modest cost of the Prize Fight TV show.

Now as most potential viewers are in the US, my first instinct is to wonder why put the show up on a Friday night up against two other televised boxing cards. But after hearing that a big live crowd regularly shows up to the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury for all of Guerrero’s fights, I’d assume catering to the local market is the main concern when it comes to scheduling.

I’ll get to Guerrero’s performance in a minute, as well as the other fights, but first a couple comments regarding the online broadcast.

The audio was clear, but it was limited to the commentary and ring announcer, as all the fight sounds that viewers are used to hearing were not picked up. No sounds of thudding punches landing, or the crowd cheering or the bell ringing. It wasn’t a huge deal, but it was definitely noticeable and as a result the overall atmosphere of the show didn’t fully come across.

The picture was good, although there were moments when the screen froze, and others times when the feed wasn't smooth and for this reason there were a few rounds that were a little difficult to watch.

It's not realistic to expect HBO quality production values, but I'm sure both those issues could be improved upon.

Now onto the fights...

Fernando Guerrero was impressive.

Brian Norman’s no walk in the park. This is a fighter who gave Jean Pascal a solid run over 10 tough rounds 18 months ago and he showed his physical strength early last night when he managed to push Guerrero back steadily during the opening frame.

Norman kept pressing forward and working the body early in the second round, until the kid from Salisbury by way of the Dominican Republic took over. Showing his full repertoire of punches, Guerrero deposited Norman on the canvas twice, prompting referee Kenny Chevalier to call an early end to the night’s fistic activities.

The first knockdown (pictured left) came about a minute and a half into the round after Guerrero hurt Norman with a heavy combination, and followed it up with an array of power shots. A right hand was the blow that eventually put the 30 year old from Georgia down along the ropes.

After taking the count, Norman bravely waded back in for more and Guerrero reciprocated with a torrid assault that included some heavy body shots, and vicious uppercuts. Finally after a number of clean shots found the mark, a left-right combination sent Norman to the canvas for the second and final time.

Explosive stuff from the big punching 22 year old.

On the undercard…

Opening the show was Dominic Wade, who showed some nice skills in a win over Anthony Cannon in moving his record to 3-0. The 19 year old super-middleweight did a great job of working the body while pounding Cannon with combinations until referee Bill Clancy stopped the bout mid-way through the second round.

Up next in a 4 rounder and making his pro-debut was Alex Guerrero – the older brother of Fernando. The lanky 190 pound cruiserweight took on 201 pound Rodrika Ray, and despite tiring quickly managed to do enough to take a majority decision by scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38.

The next bout was a bit of a disappointment as 2008 US Olympic alternate Shawn Porter’s (pictured right) scheduled opponent Dion Savage never made the trip to Maryland from Florida. In his place, taking the fight on only 24 hours notice and arriving in town at 3 AM was journeyman Brandon Wooten.

Wooten did his best under the circumstances, but was no match for the quick handed 2008 Olympic alternate, lasting only 2:09 seconds while tasting the canvas 3 times. Porter, who turned pro a little over 10 months ago improved his record to 9-0. He's looked sharp each time I've seen him and he's definitely someone to keep an eye out for.

The final supporting bout featured Philly fighter Farah Ennis taking on Norfolk’s Bobby Jordan in a competitive 8 rounder. The 29 year old Jordan started slow, but got himself back in the fight with surge over the middle rounds. Overall though, Ennis was just a little sharper in a bout were both fighters turned it up in a very exciting final round. The scores were 79-73 twice - which I felt was too wide - and a much more reasonable 77-75 for Ennis who moves to 10-0. The previously unbeaten Jordan dropped to 6-1-1.

Was it worth the $5?

Yes, I'd say so. This was the first online PPV I've purchased, and I appreciated the opportunity to watch a smaller show that I otherwise would not have had the chance to.

Guerrero himself goes a long way in making it worth the money. Anytime you get a chance to see one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport in action, I think forking over a few bucks for the privilege is small price to pay. Throw in a few more talented youngsters, on a full card of five fights and I think $5 is pretty reasonable.

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Live Blog: Wladimir Klitschko vs Ruslan Chagaev

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of Wladimir Klitschko vs Ruslan Chagaev. Coverage will start at 5 PM EST.

Check out Jeff Pryor's preview of the show: "Ruslan Chagaev, Dr. Steelhammer Will See You Now"

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 4:55 PM... Updates will start in 5 minutes. 5:01... The largest indoor crowd to ever watch a fight in Europe is in attendance according to commentator Robert Flores. B.J. Flores is the other commentator. The fighters are already in the ring, and Michael Buffer is doing the intros. 5:04... The national anthems have finished. 5:05... Eddie Cotton will be the referee. 5:06... "The undefeated Ruslan Chagaev..." Met with some scattered cheers/boos. 5:07... "Dr. Steelhammer... Wladimir Klitschko..." Much bigger reception for Wlad. 5:08... Cotton has just given his final instructions, and we are second away from getting underway. 5:08... Wlad has a 5 inch heigh advantage. The ring looks huge, but maybe that's just the camera angle. 5:11... Chagaev tries to work his way inside, and eats a jab, but managed to get a right hand home. Wlad is pawing with the jab. Chagaev with his hands up, head tucked a little, trying to look for an opening. Action very tentative so far. Wlad hasn't opened up with anything, just the jab, while Chagaev is cautiously looking to see where he can attack. He eats a stiff jab, and a few minutes later tries to come forward with a right hand, but he's short. There's the bell to end an uneventful opening frame. 5:12... B.J. gave the first round to Wlad. 5:15... Chagaev trying to get in range, but he's having difficulty. He just tries to launch an overhand left, but was short. Now he comes in behind his jab, and throws another left, but he's short again. Wlad is keeping his distance, flicking out the jab. Chagaev is again short with a couple more lefts, as Wlad evades the charge. Now Wlad catches Chagaev with just about the first good right he's landed, and down goes Chagaev. He's up quickly, and takes the eight count... 5:16... Chagaev didn't look hurt, but it was a clean shot. Wlad didn't jump on him, and the round comes to a close. B.J. commented that Chagaev has to do something to disrput Wlad's jab, which set up the right hand. It landed on the chin. 5:16... B.J. has it 20-17. 5:20... Chagaev comes charging forward, but Wlad manages to smother him as he threw a left. Chagaev has his gloves up high, trying to block Wlad's jab and then throw his own shots. He managed to just got a straight left in to the body, but he's getting slowly peppered with jabs for his trouble. B.J. comments that Chagaev's movements are putting him in range for Wlad's right hand. Wlad just managed to smack home a hard straight right... and another. Chagaev is now backing up into the ropes. Wlad with a jab, and just missed with another right hand. Chagaev now on the defensive as Wlad is edging closer, and just as I say that, Chagaev jumps in with a left. There's the bell. 5:21... Round 4 is underway. All Wlad so far. 5:21... "Chagaev has no chance to win this fight unless he starts forcing Klitschko to do things he doesn't want to do." - B.J. 5:24... Wlad with a solid 1-2, and B.J. comments that you just can't stand right in front of a bigger, longer man. Wlad popping the jab home. Wlad with 1-2. Wlad with a jab. This is easy stuff here for Wlad. Chagaev is edging forward, trying to gt inside, but he's having no luck. He's just eating hard jabs. Now Chaagev lunges in with a left hand that lands. Wlad immediately gets back to popping the jab home. Wlad is circling to his left here, sticking the jab home as Chagaev follows. Wlad with a right hand. Wlad in complete control here as round 4 comes to a close. 5:25... Round 5 is underway. 5:25... B.J. comments that Chagaev's body language doesn't look good. He has the look of a frustrated fighter. 5:28... Wlad is now starting to edge forward a little and back Chagaev up. He lands a jab and follows up with a right hand. Another jab. And another. Chagaev tries to come back with a left, but he's short. Now Chagaev tries to get inside, and they clinch. Wlad sticking home the jab. Chagaev trying to duck under these shots, and look for an opening, but he just can't get close enough. Wlad's keeping his distance, sticking the long jab out there and controlling the fight. Not thrilling, as it looks like Wlad could open up and really do some major damage, but he's got things firmly in control here. There's the bell. 5:29... "A clinic by Wladimir Klitschko." - Robert Flores 5:29... "Chagaev looks absolutely befuddled out there." - B.J. Flores 5:32... 50-44 on B.J.'s card. Wlad sticking the jab home. Chagaev just can't get close enough without eating jabs. Chagaev throws a left, but he's short. He throws another left to the body and manages to land it. He's lunging though with these shots, and not much steam on them when they do land. Chagaev tries to come forward again, and Wlad ties him up. Wlad with a 1-2. Chagaev with a left to the body. Wlad sticking the jab out there, but not really throwing many rights this round, which has been a better one for Chagaev. There's the bell. 5:36... B.J. has it 60-53, but he comments that what people really want to see is a heavyweight champion that wants to go in and takes his opponents head off. So far, Wlad hasn't shown an inclination for that. He's got things under control, but he's not taking any chances. Just the jab, and the right hand... and he just landed a good one as I type that. Chagaev edging forward, and throws a jab and a left to the body. Wlad responds with a jab and a right hand. Wlad with a right hand. B.J. says he would like to see Wlad step on the gas a little. Wlad with a right hand. Chagaev continues to follow Wlad around, now he jumps in and tries to land a right, but Wlad ties him up. Wlad with a right hand. Chagaev tries to throw his left, but is short. Chagaev looking a little more urgent for a moment as he moves forward and throws a left. He throws another. There's the bell. 5:37... Chagaev landed a decent left at the end of the last round, which was just replayed. He's definitely upped his intensity a little. 5:41... Wlad sticking out the jab, and fires a right hand into Chagaev's gloves. Chagaev throws a left. Wlad sticking jabs out there. Wlad with a right hand. Wlad with a hard 1-2. And another. Chagaev tries to respnd, but Wlad sticks him with a jab. Chagaev comes forward again, but Wlad manages to allude his rush. It's really a very big uphill climb for Chagaev. He doesn't have the range, or the speed to close the gap, and he's forced to eat jabs constantly for his troubles. Chagaev lands a right. He's pressing forward here, and throws a right and a left, but both are short as Wlad backs up. B.J. comments that he's not getting enough leverage on his shots. There's the bell. 5:41... Chagaev has a long cut over his left eye. A bit like the one that Miguel Cotto suffered last Saturday. 5:42... B.J. Flores has done a good job by the way. He doesn't say more than he needs to. I wouldn't mind seeing him regularly in the broadcast booth. 5:45... Wlad is edging forward here. He sticks his jab home. He follows it up with a 1-2. Chagaev is now backing up along the ropes. Wlad is following now, but not opening up much. Now Chagaev gets off the ropes. He's looking for an opening, but coming up short when he throws. He's short with a left, and with jab. Now he lunges with a left hand, but not much on it. Wlad responds with a jab. Another jab, and a right hand, and Chagaev has his back on the ropes again. Wlad pawing with the jab, and following it up with right hands now. Chagaev backs up into the corner. Wlad with a jab. Wlad now throws a right hand. Chagaev trying to get out of there, but Wlad with another jab and a right hand. Now Chagaev lands a right hook, and eats another right hand. And Wlad fires another one. There's the bell. Things are not looking good for Ruslan. 5:46... The doctor is taking a look at Chagaev's cut in the corner, and that's it. This one is over. 5:47... There was so really no sense in this one going on. Chagaev took a beating at the end of the 9th round. 5:51... A very happy Wladimir Klitschko is going from one corner of the ring to the other and standing on the ropes to acknowledge the crowd. 5:52... Michael Buffer with the announcement..."Referee Big Eddie Cotton realizes the challenger could no longer continue, winner by TKO, and now Ring Magazine champion... Dr. Steelhammer, Wladimir Klitschko." 5:53... Wlad moves to 53-3. 5:53... There's a shot of Vitali chatting with Chagaev. 5:55... Well that's it for The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of today's fight. Thanks for joining us, and come back again next week, as we'll be back for another live blog covering both the HBO show and the Top Rank PPV. Check out Michael Nelson's previews of next weekend's HBO show: Chris John vs Rocky Juarez II Victor Ortiz vs Marcos Rene Maidana

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Wladimir Klitschko vs Ruslan Chagaev Predictions

It's Ruslan Chagaev instead of the former cruiserweight knockout artist David Haye, but at least we're getting a meaningful heavyweight match-up today. ESPN Classic is doing the broadcast for the American audience, with TSN2 carrying the fight in Canada and Sky in the UK.

The Boxing Bulletin writers give their predictions...

Klitschko weighed in at 240 yesterday. Chagaev came in at 225.

There is going to be some major holding going on from both sides. Wlad will jab before he joins Chagaev in one never ending clutch after another. Ruslan will probably land a few pitter pats to the body while they cling to each other like lint on socks. In the end, Wlad will win a decision in a horrific fight to watch. I'll be watching golf, enjoy. - Mark Lyons

It took awhile, but I'm over the disappointment of David Haye's withdrawal and while Chagaev isn't the most thrilling of fighters, it's hard to argue that he isn't worthy of the opportunity. However, he didn't look at all impressive in his last outing and despite the overall quality of his resume, he doesn't have the style to give Klitschko problems. I'll be shocked if this is any closer than a 10-2 type fight for the Klitschko. - Andrew Fruman

I think Chagaev is a good late replacement for Haye, I was expecting a lot worse. Chagaev is a reasonable boxer and should be fired up for what will be the biggest fight of his career. That said, I can’t see him being able to get past Wlad’s jab and I don’t think he’s got the power to knockout Klitschko. I believe Klitschko will jab and clutch his way to a wide points decision victory. - Dave Oakes

While it's a decent sign that Chagaev is coming in at 225, his lowest weight in years, I'm not sure he'll be able to revert back to the Chagaev that took Valuev to school. He looked lackluster and slow against Carl Drummond in February, in a bout that has to be the leading candidate for worst fight of the year. Here's hoping he can regain some of his old form and at least make a fight out of it. As it stands, I see Klitschko winning a wide, boring decision. - Michael Nelson

Chagaev-Drummond was the worst fight I have ever seen and Wlad has had more than his share of stinkers. There's no way I'm watching this. Wlad by horribly boring decision. -Lee Payton

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Jean Pascal Introduces Himself With Style

Michael Nelson gives his thoughts on last night's terrific light-heavyweight battle between Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu as well as looking ahead at what might be in store next for the victorious Pascal.

Photo © Justin McKie

The 175 pound division has a new player at the table.

Pascal went all in and came away a big winner, snatching the WBC light heavyweight title after surviving some rough moments to gut out a unanimous decision over Adrian Diaconu in a scintillating bout. It was one of the best fights of the year, just six months after Pascal engaged in one of the best fights of 2008 with Carl Froch. The 26 year old Canadian is quickly gaining the reputation of providing guaranteed action and drama.

The action comes from his fighter's mentality. Diaconu found cutting off the ring difficult against his moving target, which opened a door for the quicker Pascal to stink the fight out by potshotting, clinching, and running. Pascal didn't walk through it. Instead, he consistently ripped into Diaconu's midsection and responded with combinations every time he ate a flush punch.

The drama comes from his vulnerabilities. After dropping Diaconu in the 5th, Diaconu rallied in the final seconds of the round and staggered Pascal with an overhand right. But as Pascal showed in at least three previous bouts, while he can be hurt, stopping him is an entirely different story. He hung on and had a strong 6th round, denying his aggressive opponent the momentum needed to retain his title.

Following a rough 11th, Pascal could have gone the safe route and simply looked to survive the final stanza. The 13,000+ at the Bell Centre didn't come to see 'safe' though, and were treated to a number of frenzied exchanges through the last minute of the fight. At the end, Pascal's gutsy effort was rewarded with scorecards of 116-111, 116-112, and 115-112.

Although it was a clear win, it was heated and competitive throughout and no one would object to a rematch. Pascal was ducking Diaconu's looping right hands for much of the night; Adrian can give himself a solid shot at regaining his belt in a return bout if he added an uppercut to his repertoire and a consistent left hook to the body.

If not a rematch, there are a number of light heavyweights who would make excellent fights with the new champ. The winner (or loser) of the Chad Dawson-Glen Johnson rematch immediately comes to mind, as does the victor of the July 10th bout between Shaun George and Chris Henry. The explosive Yusaf Mack would be a thrilling first defense. And of course, unification with whoever grabs Dawson's vacated IBF title, likely to be determined in a bout between Clinton Woods and Tavoris Cloud, is fireworks.

The options are many and the potential is high. Most importantly, as the old guard of Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins continue to inch towards retirement, the new guard is becoming more vibrant. The glow of this exciting new entrant should permeate through the division for years to come.

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Adrian Diaconu vs Jean Pascal Predictions

Versus will be in Montreal tonight for the clash between local light-heavyweights Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu. For Canadian fans, the fight is available on Bell ExpressVu PPV.

The Boxing Bulletin writers give their predictions on what promises to be an action packed match-up.

This is a very interesting fight, the only one of the weekend. I have only seen Diaconu fight twice, so I'm going in a tad bit blind. But I think Pascal's speed will carry him to a very close decision, maybe a split. He is going to have to use some movement, because the compact champion will be tough to catch inside. Pascal showed a lot of toughness against Froch, and that loss looks better by the day. - Mark Lyons

Pascal is a little bit better in terms of overall skills, but I don't think he's crafty enough to avoid getting into a slugging match, and Diaconu appears to be the harder hitter. That said, the way Diaconu struggled with his stamina against Henry has to be a big concern, and if he doesn't do some real damage early (which he's more than capable of) Pascal should have the better of things as the fight moves into the later rounds. It's a tough call on who's going to win. A year ago, I would have picked Diaconu, but Pascal showed enough against Froch that I'm leaning ever so slightly (so slightly that I might change my mind by fight time) towards him in this one. - Andrew Fruman Check out Andrew's preview: Adrian Diaconu vs Jean Pascal Preview

I really like this fight and I'm surprised it's not been picked up by Sky over here. Pascal is the quicker, more skilled fighter and probably has the edge in stamina. Whilst Diaconu doesn't have one quality that stands out, he's a very good all-rounder and has looked a strong and determined character in the handful of fights I’ve seen of him. I think the move up to light-heavyweight will suit Pascal, who will also have height and reach advantages over Diaconu. I sense the early rounds will be very close but I believe Pascal’s body punching will have an effect on Diaconu late on and Pascal will finish strongly in the last four rounds to edge an enjoyable and close fight around the 116-112 mark. - Dave Oakes

I think the styles will mesh in a very entertaining way. Both are going to have to bring their biggest guns to the dance. I'm not sure either is going to exactly out man the other, but I guess I'll take Pascal's flash to snatch the very close decision. - Lee Payton

Also on the card will be this past season's Contender winner Troy Ross. He'll be taking on Michael Simms in a scheduled 10 rounder.
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Mark's Top 40 at 40: 3

Mark Lyons is back with the latest installment of his top 40 list.

Few fighters have managed to produce the kind of drama that this man gave us night in and night out. Combined with excellent skills, he had an unbreakable will and remarkable ability to absorb whatever was thrown his way. He was must-see TV, and he comes in at #3 on Mark's top 40 list.

Photo courtesy of The CyberBoxingZone

4. Matthew Saad Muhammad Career Record: 39-16-3 (29) Three favorite fights: All of them Mandatory Viewing: Youtube Clip Quite frankly, he was the greatest warrior I have ever had the privilege to watch. His fights were so exciting he made Arturo Gatti look like Paulie Malignaggi. He wasn't comfortable in the ring until he was getting his ass kicked. It must have been horrifying to wail him 20 consecutive times in the face only to see the fury start building up until he was on you like a raging fire. His fire was the product of a gut wrenching youth. What leads to that type of determination and will? How about your mother dying when you're 5 years old, you have no father. Your older brother and you are sent to live with your Aunt. They can't afford to keep you both so they tell your older brother to get rid of you. He takes you to a park in a bad spot in Philly and just runs away. You try and keep up with him , but are too young. That was Matthew Franklin's youth, and after that no punch would ever hurt him. He stood in front of every man and said give me everything you have, because there is nothing in this world that I can't take. There were fights on every weekend afternoon when I was growing up. One of the highlights of the week was getting either the TV Guide or the guide in the Sunday paper to see who was fighting. There wasn't advanced nationwide promoting except for the major bouts. Sometimes it would just say TBA and when you flipped on your set it would be Wilfred Benitez vs. Carlos palomino. My father remarried when I was 6 and my step mother was fascinated by day trips on Sundays. My dad and I always watched the fights together and I would sulk at these trips when I was missing fights like Benitez/Weston 2. On 4/22/79 I checked the TV Guide in the Sunday paper and Marvin Johnson was defending his light heavyweight title against Matthew Saad Muhammad. I hadn't seen their first fight, but I had read about what a war it was. Shortly thereafter my step mother stated that we were going to some ridiculous tourist attraction and I exploded into tears and threw a massive fit. My dad tried to calm me down and I screamed, "but it's Saad Muhammad!" He thought about it, turned to her and said "Go wherever you want, my son and I are watching the fight!" And what a war it was. I can go on and on about them. Kates, Lopez x2, Johnson x2, Conteh x2, Gregory, even Sutherland, Martin and Vonzell Johnson. You will notice if you watch that highlight vid the most wicked left uppercut you've ever seen. Lotte Mwale was the recipient of that. Saad had skills, but he hungered for war and if you couldn't give him war, you went to sleep early. He just couldn't possibly do boring and was possibly the greatest entertainer the sports world has ever known. I teared up again when he lost his gold to Dwight Muhammad Qawi. They just don't make men like that everyday. I'm not one to trump the era I grew up in over the current scene. I love the sport as much as I ever have and there are plenty of fantastic fights. But you will never see a guy atop the most stacked division in boxing, taking on anyone who wants it and defying them to break his will with one sledgehammer blow after another. Just for a comparison, I saw Saad take infinitely more punishment than Cotto did against Margarito in 5 or 6 of his wins. The eighth round of the Lopez rematch was the greatest round I have ever seen. Laying on the ropes eating flush shot after flush shot(same thing happened in the first fight) yet 6 rounds later, there was Saad standing over his vanquished challenger. That was just what a Saad Muhammad fight was like. They rivaled sex for pleasure and love for emotion. He was that damn good. I really could go on forever. His fights were like a roller coaster ride that lasted anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Never a dull a moment and you were guaranteed to get your money's worth. He may not have been the greatest fighter in the world, but he was damn sure the toughest and the most exciting. Philadelphia is known for the "never say die" mentality of their boxers. Saad sits side by side with Joe Frazier as the epitome of a Philly warrior. I think that means more to him than any all time ranking. I'll just finish with, Matthew Saad Muhammad: gladiator of the highest stature and man among boys inside the ring and out. I miss you champ.

Mark's previous entries: Intro, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, 15-13, 12-10, 9-8, 7-6, 5 & 4.

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British Scene: Ricky Burns vs Kevin O'Hara Preview

Tomorrow night in Glasgow, Commonwealth super-featherweight champion Ricky Burns makes the 3rd defence of his title against challenger Kevin O'Hara.

Dave Oakes has the preview.

Make sure to check back in with us on Monday for our recap of this show.

Saturday June 13 Ricky Burns vs Kevin O'Hara (Sky) By Dave Oakes The ever improving Ricky Burns makes the third defence of his Commonwealth super-featherweight title on Friday night against former amateur star Kevin O’Hara. O’Hara was a top class amateur but has so far failed to reproduce that form in paid ranks. He turned pro just over six years ago and has amassed a disappointing record of 16-4 with only five of those victories by stoppage. All four defeats have come in fights where he’s taken a step up from fighting journeymen. There’s no disgrace in losing to Willie Limond or Choi Tseveenpurev, who are both very good fighters, but his defeats against Henry Castle and Eddie Hyland are much more worrying. Castle is entertaining to watch but is nothing more than a crude slugger, and whilst Hyland has talent, he’s got very little ambition and doesn’t punch with any authority; they’re the kind of fighters that are made for O’Hara, yet he managed to let himself get outworked by them and lost both fights on points. Burns is coming off a career best win against an old but always dangerous Michael Gomez. Burns was on top form that night, controlling the pace of the fight with a ramrod jab and keeping his hands held high and his chin tucked down. He kept Gomez off balance all night and I was really impressed with his hand-speed as well as the patience he showed before turning up the tempo in the sixth and seventh rounds to stop Gomez. Burns’ only defeats have come against Alex Arthur and Carl Johanneson but he’s improved greatly since those fights. Those defeats have improved him as fighter and it goes to show that an undefeated record in a young fighter doesn’t mean anything other than they’ve been well matched. Burns has won by stoppage in both of his title defences and is showing improved power. However, I’d be surprised if he stopped O’Hara, who’s got a very solid chin and knows how to slip away from punches to minimise the effect. O’Hara is a lovely boxer when he’s allowed to settle into a rhythm, so Burns must use his jab to full effect to stop that happening and to set up his own attacks. I think he will do just that and will control the fight from start to finish to take a wide points decision in front of his hometown fans at the Bellahouston Sports Centre, Glasgow. Former world champion Alex Arthur makes his long awaited return on the undercard. Arthur hasn’t boxed since losing his world title to Nicky Cook last year and will be looking to shed some ring rust against little known Frenchman Mohamed Benbiou. e-mail Dave Oakes

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Victor Ortiz vs Marcos Rene Maidana Preview

Yesterday, Michael Nelson previewed the main event of the June 27th HBO double-header (John vs Juarez II Preview). Today, he takes a look at the opening bout between Victor Ortiz and Marcos Rene Maidana.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Victor Ortiz is an undefeated 22 year old knockout artist that HBO is looking to push. He's coming off a surprisingly easy victory over the normally tough Mike Arnaoutis - blowing him out in two - following dominant knockout wins over the likes of Emmanuel Clottey, Jeffrey Resto, and Carlos Maussa. Next Saturday night, he'll be facing an Argentinian fighter who has never been on American television and is coming off a loss.

Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of this event

Smells like another Boxing After Dark showcase for a young talent, right?

Not so fast. Marcos Rene Maidana is no "opponent". A young man himself, the 25 year old has knocked out 24 of his 25 victims. While those victims aren't exactly a who's who at light welterweight, some of them are hard nosed journeymen that he dispatched much easier than other players in the division. Arturo Morua beat Cosme Rivera, Carlos Maussa and Emmanuel Augustus, and went the distance with Ricardo Torres a year before he fought Maidana. Maidana destroyed him within three rounds. Manuel Garcia beat Maussa and controversially lost to Juan Lazcano before suffering a lopsided defeat to Timothy Bradley. Maidana took him out in eight.

His only blemish is the split decision loss to Andriy Kotelnik in February. The WBA World light welterweight title match was a hotly contested bout that could have gone either way. But as opposed to Kotelnik's bout with Junior Witter - in which Kotelnik swept the last several rounds and looked as if he could easily go 15 - he had to use every bit of grit and heart inside him to survive his encounter against Marcos. At the end, Kotelnik had a disfigured face featuring a badly swollen jaw, a twisted, bloodied nose, and a knot under his right eye.

In other words, we have two explosive, young bangers who are capable of ending a fight at any moment. Remember the pre-fight hype amongst the boxing faithful over James Kirkland against Joel Julio? This looks to be an even better matchup.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20. Kirkland-Julio failed to produce many thrills, as James proved too strong for Julio, whose game plan was to awkwardly leap around the ring like a gimpy gazelle. But the free-swinging Maidana is unlikely to take many backward steps and will provide plenty of counter opportunities for Ortiz, who like Kirkland, is a strong, aggressive southpaw. And while he's more patient than James, he lets his hands go in combination and will swarm when the smell of blood is in the air. There will be violence in spades. In all likelihood, there will be a knockout.

Given that both men are only into their fifth year as a professional boxer (and neither have exactly been on the fast track), both are bringing something into the ring that the other has never seen before. Ortiz has never faced a slugger with the power and durability of Maidana. Nor has he faced Maidana's crave to fillet a rib cage with slashing right hands and sharp left hooks. Meanwhile, Maidana has never faced a fighter with the power of Ortiz, or a southpaw nearly as talented as Ortiz.

The Kotelnik fight alone gives Maidana the definitive experience edge. Facing a tough, technically proficient titlist, Maidana opened the bout strong before getting soundly outboxed during the middle portion of the fight. As the waters began getting deep, he answered an examination that Ortiz hasn't been close to being challenged with by sucking it up and furiously rallying in the championship rounds. He showed enough stamina, heart, and bullheaded determination four months ago to be sure that he's not going to be intimidated by Ortiz at any point in their fight. He's coming to put the young lion to sleep and he'll walk through hell to do it.

Another learning experience Maidana can take from Kotelnik is how to deal with a fighter that has a tight guard. Ortiz' defense isn't dissimilar to Kotelnik's, keeping his hands near his cheeks at all times and exploding out of his shell with compact combinations. Maidana nailed Kotelnik with a number of uppercuts; he'll look to penetrate Victor's guard the same way while mixing in wide shots around the gloves and elbows.

Nevertheless, Victor has the clear edge in technique. His straighter punches should allow him to effectively counter the Argentinian and win most of the exchanges. Ortiz has shown solid footwork in the past as well; expect him to move around the ring in spots to lure Maidana into traps. He'll try to land powerful lead lefts inside of Maidana's looping right hands.

How many flush left hands and right hooks can Maidana take to the chin? And how will young Ortiz react if Maidana is still in his face after several rounds, ripping shots into his midsection and launching uppercuts between his guard? These type of questions don't make for a showcase, they make for vintage Boxing After Dark chaos.

I for one can't wait to find out the answers.

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Chris John vs Rocky Juarez II Preview

Michael Nelson previews the June 27th featherweight rematch between Indonesia's Chris John and Houston's Rocky Juarez.

Photo © Tim Barry / timbarry.wetpaint.com

February 28th was one of the more memorable nights of boxing in recent years.

Preceding the leading fight of the year candidate between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, Rocky Juarez and Chris John fought a heated, closely contested bout that featured wild swings in momentum. After a tense first couple of rounds, John took control before a battered Juarez came roaring back with a late round rally. Both men were commended for their testicular fortitude and tenacity.

But despite fighting to a draw, Chris John will come into the ring as the definitive betting favorite June 27th.

There's some sense to it. For starters, while the draw verdict was more than reasonable, you can just as easily make the case that John won seven or eight rounds if you were to give him the close ones. You can't make such a case the other way around. The middle rounds were dominant ones for the well-schooled Indonesian.

Secondly, it's well known that Chris John was fighting a flu virus in the days leading up to the bout. How close he was to full strength on fight night is unknown, and you have to wonder if he would have faltered down the final stretch if the tail end of his training camp was a healthy one. Without the illness, would John had continued his mid-round success?

Moreover, Juarez' eyes have become increasingly susceptible to swelling and laceration as he enters the 8th year of his professional career. Chris left him with a badly swollen and cut left eye along with a bruised right eye; it's fair to assume that Rocky's going to have to deal with compromised vision at some point again next Saturday. Issues such as double vision is an impediment that Rocky says was fixed through surgery following his loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2007. But I suspect damage around the eyes will continue to be an obstacle for the remainder of Juarez' career.

For the same reasons the draw was a sensible verdict (despite the misleading CompuBox numbers) though, Rocky has a great chance at snatching his elusive first world title in the rematch. He's a far more resolute puncher than John. And while John is largely a head-hunter, Juarez works the body well; he landed quite a few left hooks to the liver that made Chris back up and take a deep breath. Problem is, there were too many times when John was allowed to reset himself and take the play away from Juarez with two or three eye catching blows in between or around Juarez's guard. Rocky had his best success when punching in combination, particularly following the left hook to the body with either a right hand or another left hook up top. Concentrating on putting the exclamation mark on a damaging body blow with something hard to the chin may eventually get him the stoppage he needs to ensure victory over his flashier opponent.

Don't be surprised if Chris John took note of Barrera's uneventful rematch against Juarez in September of 2006. Barrera learned his lesson from the violent first encounter by making sure to grab and spin, or simply clinch, every time the shorter man got inside. John did this to great effect in spots four months ago, but to the chagrin of trainer Craig Christian, there were times he labored inside and let Rocky go to work. Expect a more concerted effort in using his advantages in height, reach, and foot speed to keep Rocky on the outside and limit the inside battles as much as possible.

Whatever the case, Juarez knows that his future as a prizefighter will be cloudy if he suffers a loss. This may be his last chance at his day in the sun. We should see Rocky follow up his most determined effort to date with another gutsy performance. Likewise, Chris John should be applauded for returning to the states to stamp his claim on the division. He could have easily taken the safer, and perhaps more profitable, route by defending his title against non-descript opponents in his home country. The man's a true fighter. He'll be coming to Los Angeles to win and win convincingly.

Here's hoping for another spectacular night.

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British Scene Weekend Recap

There were two shows featuring title contests this weekend in British rings.

On Friday, Ajose Olusegun put his 140lb Commonwealth crown on the line, as well as going for the vacant British title against Nigel Wright. The following night, Scott Lawton had a chance to claim the British 135lb title against John Murray, after Murray failed to make weight the previous afternoon.

Matt Chudley and Dave Oakes have the recaps.

Check out our previews of the show: Olusegun vs Wright & Murray vs Lawton

Friday June 12 Olusegun Tops Wright Again By Matt Chudley In an unexpected rematch with Nigel Wright at the Liverpool Olympia, Ajose Olusegun successfully defended his Commonwealth title and claimed the British title this past Friday In their previous encounter, Wright had surprised Olusegun early but faded down the stretch to lose 116-113 on all three cards. This time, after being afforded the opportunity on only two weeks notice due to a pullout by Barry Morrison, a more apprehensive Wright failed to let his hands go and was outworked and outclassed by the London based Nigerian. While both southpaws tried to establish their jab early, the few attacking flurries were contributed by Olusegun, who despite being unable to find a home for his favoured and rather wild overhand left hand, clearly had the better of the first few rounds. With things going Olusegun’s way in the 4th, he dropped his hands and mocked Wright’s reflexes, but went back to work in raising the pace of the contest the following round. Finally, in the second half of the 6th round, with the gulf in speed and reflexes not allowing him to counter-punch effectively Wright began to show some signs of life by coming forward and letting his hands go and pushed Olugsegun back with persistent 1-2s. Wright’s sense of urgency though was only fleeting as he went back into his shell for the next few rounds, and when he chose to again come forward in the 10th, was picked off by his crafty opponent. With his corner urging him on, Wright managed to land a few decent punches over the last couple of rounds but it wasn’t nearly enough. The final scores were 117-111, 117-112 and 116-113 all for Olusegun. Now a British citizen and Lonsdale belt holder, Olusgeun may find himself in line to fight the winner of the July 3rd European title match-up between Paul McCloskey and Soulymane M'Baye. Still unable to sell tickets and stylistically an unattractive proposition, Olusegun will undoubtedly have to force someone’s hand when it comes to a World title fight, but he might not be far from a final eliminator given his previous high standing. On the under-card… In the pick of the under-card action, 7-0 local fighter Steve Williams bettered the 18-4-2 Polish welterweight champion Slawomir Ziemlewicz over 8 fast paced and exciting rounds. Rising 154lb prospect Grzegoz Proska faired much better than his countryman, posting a career best win in 3 rounds over 17-4-1 former British title challenger Jaime Coyle. Former Commonwealth featherweight Champion Paul Truscott kept busy ahead of his rematch with John Simpson with a routine 60-54 win over Russian Andrey Kostin. Debuting former amateur star Carl Frampton put down the overmatched 0-1 Hungarian Sandor Szinavel 3 times before the end came at 2:03 into the 2nd round. e-mail Matt Chudley

Saturday June 13 Murray Wins But Loses Title By Dave Oakes The weigh in for a fight is usually the calm before the storm but it was the complete opposite for John Murray this weekend. Having arrived barely minutes before the cut off point for weighing in, Murray quickly jumped on the scales only to find out that he was two ounces over the lightweight limit. The officials gave Murray just five minutes to lose the weight but it made no difference as a sweating Murray weighed exactly the same second time around. Murray and his team complained bitterly that they weren’t given enough time to shed the extra weight but rules are rules and they only had themselves to blame for turning up late to the weigh in, if they’d turned up an hour earlier, they would’ve had enough time to lose the extra weight easily. Murray was stripped of the title but the fight went ahead with Lawton still capable of winning the now vacant title if he could defeat Murray. Unfortunately for Lawton, it became evident within the first minute that he didn’t stand a chance of winning, as a pumped up Murray flew out at the bell. Murray is always a fast starter and an aggressive front foot fighter but even by his own standards this was a ferocious start to a fight. He was trying to take Lawton’s head off with every punch, throwing wild hooks non-stop. Lawton was getting caught with some big shots but wasn’t hurt until there was twenty seconds of the round remaining when Murray caught him with a right hook that made Lawton’s legs dip. Murray followed up with a barrage of punches and eventually sent Lawton sprawling to the canvas with what was more of a shove than a punch. Lawton got to his feet unsteadily and looked relieved when the bell sounded before Murray could get the chance to finish proceedings. Lawton has always been a courageous fighter and he showed that yet again in this fight, he could’ve easily reverted into safety mode for the rest of the fight but he came out fighting in the second round. Murray was still fighting at a phenomenal pace in the second but Lawton was countering him well and landed two powerful uppercuts that stopped Murray in his tracks. Despite having a much better round, Lawton still lost the round due to Murray’s work-rate and heavier punching. Murray slowed the pace slightly in the third and fourth rounds but was still dominating the fight with the more accurate and heavier looking punches. Lawton was beginning to feel the pace towards the end of the fourth, which was immediately picked up upon by Murray. Round five was the beginning of the end as Murray started to look for the body attack to break down an already tiring Lawton. A huge left hook under the ribs had Lawton in serious trouble towards the end of the round but he clung on bravely to see the round out. Murray, sensing the end was in sight, started the sixth round as fast as he’d started the first. He was pushing Lawton back and was bullying him against the ropes. He had Lawton in trouble yet again with a left hook to the body and followed it up with another two vicious body shots, one of which was a right hook that nearly folded Lawton in half, the following punches rocked Lawton’s head back leaving the referee with no alternative other than stopping the fight. Murray is now unbeaten in 27 fights and is starting to fulfil the potential he showed in the early stage of his career. A potential fight against Jon Thaxton may have been ruined by him losing his title on the scales but he could still challenge European champion Anthony Mezaache in his next fight in September. His promoter, Mick Hennessy, remained optimistic that the Thaxton fight could still happen and also revealed he’s been in discussions with Juan Diaz about a possible fight towards the end of the year. e-mail Dave Oakes

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Cotto Gets Nod Over Clottey

By Lee Payton

The fight lived up to expectations. Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey both fought through adversity to make a legitimate case for themselves after 12 tense rounds of boxing. They pushed hard during every stanza in search of a working margin that would never really materialize.

It was a tight contest that saw the combatants battle for center ring in the first half and take more pronounced approaches during the final six rounds. Clottey pressed the action, moving forward steadily behind his responsible guard. Cotto circled on the outside to keep out of harms way, while also looking for the right times to explode with a flurry. In the end, both men thought they had done enough to win, and it's hard to argue with them after their efforts under pressure.

Cotto was handicapped by a clash of heads which produced a long, nasty gash over his left eye in the third round. It was the kind of cut that could have easily ended things early. And perhaps it was the cut, and not his opponent's hunger, that made him shift into reverse for large portions of the fight.

Clottey was the victim of a very slippery canvas. He was tossed off balance in the middle of an assault on more than a few occasions because of the slick advertisements under is feet. In the 5th, a nifty little shove sent him down awkwardly and seemed to damage his knee. It was awhile before he had his legs back, which cost him at least a round on the cards.

He also gave up a 10-8 in the first when he was knocked down by a Cotto jab. The punch didn't hurt, but the early deficit made getting a decision victory even less likely than most assumed going in. The fact that he was clearly winning the round was salt into an already annoying wound.

In the ring, neither man was done any favours. It turned out to be a different story on the ring apron however.

Judges Don Trella (116-111 Cotto) and John McKaie (115-112 Cotto) did not have great nights. Trella's card is particularly bad. No, not just bad, inexcusable. I'm not familiar with his past work,and I don't want to become familiar with anything he does from here if that is his honest opinion of the fight. We don't need to see him for some time.

In my opinion, if that fight was 8-4 or 7-5 for anyone, it was for the man from Ghana. The fact that he didn't have a chance of winning the fight with a 10-9 12th round is unfair. Period.

Honestly, the only reason 6-6 is acceptable to me is because Cotto did more in what I thought was going to be a crucial final round. Even though it didn't matter, he did a very good job of keeping his man handcuffed with movement while getting off first, but that isn't what happened for the majority of the night.

When one guy lands more punches, does more damage, presses the fight and lands the cleaner punches on a retreating opponent... I usually give him the fight. And if Clottey didn't do enough to win the fight, I don't see how Cotto did either.

We all knew it was Miguel's house. We knew he would be a little busier and that the crowd was going to make a lot of noise whenever he did anything, but those things shouldn't come into play with professional judges at this level. Crowd noise isn't part of the criteria they are supposed to use, and clean punches should get the nod over those taken on forearms.

Just because a round could be scored one way doesn't mean it should. I don't know why, but I expect better.

While I was disappointed with the final tally, the guys between the ropes came out of this elevated, in my mind. Clottey showed everyone that he belongs. Cotto showed that he's moved on from the Margarito nightmare. It's probably on to something bigger for the winner, but damn, it would be a shame not to see these two do it again at some point.

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