The Super Six Aids Boxing's Continued Revitalization

Pictured in Germany are: Front (l to r) Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham. Back (l to r) is Andre Dirrell, Jermain Taylor and Andre Ward.

For too long in this game they call boxing – the best have not fought the best.

But the tide has slowly begun to change in the sweet science.

Everyone involved in the sport; from the television networks to the sanctioning organizations to the myriad of promoters, managers, booking agents and even the fighters themselves have come to the realization that in order for the sport to prosper – and survive – the best fighters on the planet need to fight one another.

This weekend will see another bout in Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament in which a couple of the sport's top fighters will square off. Tonight at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California has WBA titlist Mikkel Kessler facing off against 2004 Olympic gold medal winner Andre Ward.

Denmark's Kessler, who has a ledger of 42-1, 32 KOs, is the odds-on-favorite to be the last man standing when the dust settles and all of the fights in the six-man tournament have been completed. Ward, an improving and evolving young fighter with a record of 20-0, 13 KOs is the true wild card in the series. He has demonstrated flashes of possible brilliance, but questions linger regarding his ability and whether he can live up to his potential.

As Kessler and Ward prepare to duke it out, one fact is obvious - without this high-profile tournament - tonight's fight and others like it, are ones that likely would never have been made. Ward's promoter, the magnanimous Dan Goossen, agrees with that sentiment.


Promoter Dan Goossen is happy to be one of the promoters involved in the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

“It's always been the promoters that usually have caused big fights from being made,” Goossen told BoxingScene.com. “Because they don't want to risk their titleholder against their competitor's titleholder and lose control, possibly, of that championship. That has definitely hurt our sport.”

The World Boxing Classic is an innovative (some say radical) idea within the sport. However, its development helped to foster an environment which motivated all-involved to realize the long-term benefit of matching titleholders and contenders against one another in significant bouts. In the recent past, the notion of an undefeated fighter risking a pristine record in a match-up they were not guaranteed to win was considered heresy. A promoter or manager that would ever have advocated such a strategy was considered a misinformed miscreant.

It was protectionism at its worst.

“These are the best fighters at 168-pounds and the winner is just going to be the winner,” explained Goossen, who is taking a big risk tonight with Ward, whom he has promoted since he became a professional. “No matter who's the promoter, no matter who's the manager, no matter who's the trainer - it's going to be one single champion out of this World Boxing Classic - and that's the beauty of it.”

With so many competing self interests in the sport, it has been the fighters and boxing fans that have been ignored the most. By nature, most elite fighters have always desired the opportunity to match skills with their peers in an an effort to prove themselves. Boxing fans have always craved the mega-fights that involve the most well known stars.


Kessler and Ward weighed in on Friday afternoon and both were in tremendous physical condition.

But what became the norm in the sport of boxing is that the collective pleas of fighters and the fans often fell on deaf ears. For years, promoters and managers moved their fighters like pieces on a chess board – very carefully with much debate and anxiety. It created gridlock and essentially paralyzed the sport. It alienated those that were once mainstream followers. The toxic mess allowed the UFC to flourish and pretty soon when half empty arenas and casino ballrooms began to become routine, the boxing powers-that-be recognized they had a crisis on their hands.

There is no question that the five different promoters participating in the World Boxing Classic, especially Americans Lou DiBella, Gary Shaw and Goossen realized that their extremely conservative strategy of risk management was leading down a ruinous path. The sanctioning organizations reached the same conclusion and they also signed off on the idea and promised not to impede with the progression of the series of fights.

It is unprecedented that this many of the sport's top power brokers could come together in agreement. Quite simply, their egos are not accustomed to self-inflicted bruises and over the years they have always done everything in their power to ensure they emerge from any negotiation unscathed. But there is no question that in this tournament - one or more of them will advance their agenda while others will be relegated to the back of the line.

“Having these five promoters working together, having the fighters willing to move forward with this – there's no options, there's no gimmicks, there's no trick weights, there's no trick sizes. These are the best,” claims Goossen. “That's the beauty of it and that's what the fans are going to get behind.”



Goossen made a nice analogy when he compared the World Boxing Classic to the structure that exists in major league and college sports. The eventual outcome is such that the cream will rise to the top. Something akin to a Super Bowl champion or a World Series champion or a conference champion will be crowned. As a result, by the time the tournament concludes, the real winners will be the fans and the entire sport.

“You take a tournament like this and you've got that same type of set-up,” Goossen said. “That's what the fans get excited about, that's what the fighters get excited about. And that's why I think you've got six of the best super middleweights in this tournament – because they all realize the consequences of being able to win something like this.”

For the first time in a long time, those that control boxing are doing what they should always do - place the collective interests of the sport ahead of self preservation. Not only do the fighters realize the consequences of this tournament – we all do.


November 2008

Roy Jones, Jr. Believes He Has More to Prove

Jones has been fighting for two decades and is destined for the hall of fame. But he fights on in an effort to accomplish more.

Because of the recent preoccupation by the boxing media with Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and this weekend's upcoming fight between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward in Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic – many other promotions and somewhat newsworthy events have been relegated to the back burner.

One of the events neglected from coverage is that Roy Jones, Jr. will fight outside the friendly confines of the United States for the first time when he meets Australia's Danny Green for a minor cruiserweight title on Dec. 2 in Sydney.

Jones, 40, turned pro way back in 1989. Yet despite several attempts over the years by various promoters, managers and fighters to lure him overseas, Jones never made the journey. In fact, the furthest he has performed from his native Pensacola, Florida was a 2002 bout versus Clinton Woods that took place in Portland, Oregon.

“It's going to be unchartered territory for me,” says Jones in regards to fighting on a different continent. “It's a big event for me because it's the first time I will have ever fought as a pro abroad. This will be a fight that is virgin territory for me.”

After being robbed of the gold medal in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea – Jones vowed to never fight overseas again. But he claims one of the reasons for the decision to fight halfway around the world after all these years is to quell the critics and settle a question in his own mind.

“I'm still hungry and I've still got things to prove,” said Jones. “I want to prove that I can go outside the country and win. My job is to try and knock Danny Green out.”

Jones has struggled since 2003 when made history by thrashing Johnny Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title. He became the first middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in over 100 years, but since that victory he has lost 4 of his last 10 fights and was knocked out twice.

“To me, fighting in Australia is very exciting,” said Jones of his continued motivation. “Some people asked why I still fight and it's to participate in events like this and also because I wanted to get my body back to being right. I wanted to get back to being my old self...get back to where I was with my body.”

Jones attributes his losses and lackluster performances to the fact that his body was somehow damaged by the weight fluctuation he endured in between his 2003 fights against Ruiz and Antonio Tarver. Jones weighed 193 for Ruiz. But eight months later struggled mightily to scale 175 for the first Tarver fight – a fight he barely won. He then lost his next three fights in a row.

“I really feel right now that I'm back...my body is back and I feel good,” said Jones. He has scored two stoppage wins in a row over Omar Sheika in March and Jeff Lacy in August. He has rebounded nicely since a decision loss to Joe Calzaghe last November. The Sheika win was the first time Jones had stopped an opponent in almost seven years and he was impressive in his recent dismantling of Lacy.

“I really needed to bet back to being right,” says Jones. “I needed to get my old self back. Once I get to feeling like this, if somebody can beat me when I feel like this I can accept it. But until I got back to being my old self I wasn't able to accept those defeats because I knew I wasn't right. If someone can beat me when I feel like this, then I could accept it and walk away.”

Should Jones prove victorious against Green, he is tentatively scheduled to face Bernard Hopkins early next year in a rematch of their 1993 bout.


November 2009

Pacquiao's Star Shines Brighter Than Ever

The magnificent Manny Pacquiao celebrates after stopping Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round of their welterweight championship bout.

LAS VEGAS – In a night that saw big Hollywood stars from Mickey Rourke to Mark Wahlberg to Will Ferrell turn out for one of the most anticipated fights of the decade - it was Manny Pacquiao's star that shone brightest of all.

In a brilliant display of speed, precision punching, movement and determination, Pacquiao scored another in a long line of big wins with a 12th round stoppage of WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. The end came at 55 seconds of the final round before a sell-out crowd of over 16,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Referee Kenny Bayless stepped in to halt the the bout and save Cotto from further punishment. At the time of the stoppage, Pacquiao was ahead on the three official scorecards by 109-99, 108-99 and 108-100.

CompuBox had Pacquiao ahead in punches thrown 780 to 597 and punches landed 335 to 172. In the most telling statistic, Pacquiao landed 49% of his power punches to 31% for Cotto.

Cotto's only bright spot was in the first round, but after that it was all Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino spitfire dominated from the second round on and although he was hit with some solid punches by Cotto, there was never a point in the fight that Pacquiao appeared to be in any sort of danger.

Cotto was down in the third and fourth rounds of the fight and as the bout progressed he was gradually broken down. By the end of the fight he was swollen, bleeding from cuts around the eyes and he was spitting blood. Cotto was clearly attempting to survive as he backed and moved away. As the fight wore on, he often refused to engage Pacquiao in meaningful exchanges.


Pacquiao used speed, quickness and a potent right hand to usurp Cotto's WBO welterweight title.

By all accounts, the fight will be a financial blockbuster. A standing-room only crowd roared in approval for both fighters and it is estimated the fight will exceed 1 million pay-per-view buys.

“There was approximately 18,000 closed-circuit sales in Las Vegas,” said promoter Bob Arum. “Pay-per-view tracking is extremely, extremely strong. We'll have to wait until Tuesday to get an accurate number.”

Cotto was never really in the fight and he landed only sporadically. It was Pacquiao who was more consistent, busier and who came ahead for most of the bout. Pacquiao fired right jabs from his southpaw stance and mixed in uppercuts and hooks to keep Cotto on the defensive.

While Pacquiao was marked slightly after the fight, Cotto was taken to University Medical Center for a complete body scan. The Nevada State Athletic Commission erred on the side of caution in demanding that he be fully checked out before being given the all clear.

Pacquiao, who improves to 50-3-2, 38 KOs and adds the WBO welterweight title to his list of championships said, “I was looking for a knockout shot.”

In a statement released by Lee Samuels and Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank, Cotto, who drops to 34-2, 27 KOs said: “I'm cut, I'm swollen, but that's what I'm supposed to do. I did my best. I fought the best fighter I have ever fought. I hope the fans enjoyed a great fight.”

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, who was outspoken for his man in the weeks and months leading up to the fight said, “I thought we had to break him down, which we did. I was worried. He fought a great fight. But Manny was fighting very smart and once he started getting into his rhythm it was no problem.”


Prior to the fight, Cotto was thought to be the stronger man. But it was Pacquiao that bullied Cotto to the ropes and punished him.

Bob Arum and HBO sports television network chief Ross Greenburg indicated that negotiations will begin immediately for a 2010 bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. In fact, both men expected that very scenario to play out in the coming days and weeks.

What is clear is that after this win, Manny Pacquiao should be cemented as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport. Without question - in any potential negotiations in a fight with Mayweather – it is Pacquiao that will have the upper hand in the talks.

“It all depends what we can get Mayweather for,” said Arum.

What has now become crystal clear is that Pacquiao is far and away the most exciting fighter in the sport – and perhaps the most exciting athlete in all of sports.

“It was amazing and I can't believe it,” said Pacquiao of his win.

Pacquiao was delayed in making it to the post-fight press conference because he had to have his right ear drained of blood. He had a large bandage wrapped around his ear.

“Another great night,” said Roach. “After the first couple of rounds he had me worried because he wasn't sticking to the game plan. But after that he settled down and you all saw what happened.”

Indeed we did.


November 2009

Pacquiao-Cotto Las Vegas Notebook

LAS VEGAS - Lots of activity here in the city in the run-up to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto title fight that will happen tonight.

What is clear is that Miguel Cotto is clearly playing second fiddle in this big fight. The talk around here is all about Manny Pacquiao. He is in the newspapers, the newscasters are talking about him on on television and the disc-jockeys love him on the radio. While there is no scientific evidence to support the number of people that have come here to see the fight – it appears most that are milling about are here to see Manny.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – then Pacquiao must be a happy man. There was a Manny Pacquiao impostor walking around the MGM Grand immediately after the weigh-in and he looks remarkably like Pacquiao. He was a close enough representation of the real thing to fool fans and one television network from the Philippines. He even fooled me for a second. Uncanny.

Pacquiao didn't have any problem making weight on Friday afternoon. He was ripped and ready at 144 pounds and he looked very healthy. His skin had a healthy glow to it and he was energetic and pumped. I was only a few feet from him and he looks very, very strong. I was surprised at how easygoing he is. He doesn't appear to be suffering from any case of the jitters.

Here's a tidbit of information for you regarding how easy it was for Manny to make weight: On Wednesday night, two days before the weigh-in, the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper reported that Pacquiao was at the Picasso restaurant the Bellagio and he was eating like a king. Dining with camp members he put away a large lobster, some Kobe beef and a host of vegetables as well as an entrée. Clearly, there was no concern whatsoever that he was not going to make the 145-pound weigh limit.


Pacquiao and Cotto are fit and ready to go for tonight's big fight in Sin City.

Rumors abound in the days leading up to a big fight here. The one bit of information that continues to make whispers around the MGM Grand is that Miguel Cotto has had to strain quite a bit to make the 145-pound catch-weight. Cotto weighed in on the button.

I was witness to his weigh-ins against both Zab Judah and Joshua Clottey and to me, Cotto looks a bit washed out. Just a bit, nothing drastic, but he does not have the same muscle tone and mass that Pacquiao did, which is surprising considering he is universally regarded as the bigger man. I would say he dried out to make the weight and when he spoke afterwards his voice sounded somewhat forced.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach and Cotto trainer Joe Santiago nearly came to blows at the weigh-in. Santiago looked at Roach and said, “145-pounds, asshole” which was in reference Cotto making the weight. A fight very nearly ensued as the two trainers appeared very close to exchanging punches. My money would have been on Roach in that one.

In terms of the betting odds around town, Pacquiao is the favorite no matter which sports book you decide to visit. He opened as the favorite when the fight was first announced and he is still the favorite – overwhelmingly so for a fight that is believed to be a competitive one.

At the MGM he is a minus 330 favorite which means that you would have to risk $3.30 to win $1 with a bet on Manny. Cotto is listed as a plus 250 underdog. There are other lines around town that offer slightly better odds for Cotto. The over/under will-go/won't/go is 9 1/2 rounds.

Shane Mosley who will fight Andre Berto here on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay said Friday morning that of all the weight divisions he has fought in “that 147 pounds is perfect for me, just with my height and everything. '54 is too big for me.”

In terms of tonight's big fight, Mosley is going against the grain and picking the Puerto Rican destroyer to upset Pacquiao.

“I think Cotto is the bigger person, the bigger welterweight and I think he'll give Pacquiao a lot of trouble. I think Cotto is going to be a little bit too big for him and walk him down and probably beat him.”

Mosley also gave his thoughts on the Wednesday incident involving Mike Tyson at LAX airport in which Tyson was arrested after being involved in a minor skirmish with a photographer.

“Mike is a real good person,” said Shane who has known the former heavyweight champion for a number of years. “I think lot of times paparazzi and people with the camera mess with him a little bit. It's hard for him to walk away, you know, being where he's from and what he's been through. I've known him and he's not vicious or aggressive. It's usually the people with the camera trying to get something out of him or get a reaction out of him. He feels disrespected and feels as though he has to respond. Mike does a lot for a lot of people, with charity.”

The line of fans to witness the weigh-in at the MGM Grand began forming Friday morning just after 6:00am, which was nine hours before Pacquiao and Cotto hit the scales.

I spoke to an MGM security guard who was flustered at the mass of people.

“Something has to be done here,” he said. “This is crazy and this is going to get out of hand. There's too many people and they're all going to be fighting for a place in line. It's crazy is what it is. And the rest of the security doesn't show up until noon-time.”

I spoke to Zab Judah's father, Yoel on Friday morning and asked him for his opinion on who was going to win on Saturday. Remember that Zab fought Cotto in June 2007 at Madison Square Garden in New York and that he put up a strong performance before ultimately being knocked in the 11th.


Roach, Pacquio and Arum pictured at the annual Boxing Writers Association of America dinner this past June in New York City.

“I think that Pacquiao will look real good early in the fight,” said Yoel, who was wearing a T-shirt with Zab's picture on it. “But I think Cotto is going to come on late and stop Pacquiao. He's too big, he's too strong and he punches too hard.”

Alfonso Gomez was posing for pictures with fans outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday morning. Gomez will face Jesus Soto-Karass as the opening bout on the pay-per-view undercard tonight . Gomez looks to be in phenomenal physical condition at 145 ½ pounds and he has really boiled himself down to fighting trim. He looks very light, chiseled and ready to go.

In the main lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel they have a ring set-up with a gold plated lion parked right in the middle. Next to that is a booth that is hawking all kinds of Pacquiao-Cotto fight memorabilia and trinkets. Everything from key chains to T-shirts to posters to gloves with the likeness of each fighter painted on them. I asked one of the ladies working at the booth how sales were going.

“It's as busy as all the other big fights,” she claimed. She has worked the booth for other fights. They began selling the merchandise on Tuesday and things have changed since then.

“At first it was all Manny Pacquiao stuff,” she said. “But now there's a lot more Cotto stuff that is moving and selling. It's as busy as it has been for other big fights – maybe busier,” she said.

How big a star is Bob Arum? Well, Arum showed up at the MGM media room on Friday morning and as he walked by fans waiting in line for the weigh-in he was swarmed with picture and autograph requests from Pacquiao fans.


Earlier in the week, the two fighters displayed the hardware they will be fighting for.

“Oh my God! It's my birthday!” shrieked one young lady as she rushed to get her arm around Arum so her friends could snap a picture. Then more fans began to swarm and crowd around the 77-year-old idol. Security eventually had to usher Arum to a side door to avoid the crush.

An informal poll of sportswriters and others that are here to cover the fight reveals that most are picking Pacquiao to win. However, most are guarded in their predictions and can see things going for Cotto, too.

For my money, I'll say Pacquiao by decision. Most of the talk here has already begun to center around a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather, Jr. fight for next year. There is too much money and too much to be lost if a close decision goes to Cotto. I don't think Pacquiao can hit hard enough to knock Cotto out and I think Cotto is too far past his best to put Manny away. I think Pacquiao can win enough early rounds to come out ahead in the end. But it will be close.

Inside the press room at the MGM also saw Arum and HBO shot-caller Ross Greenburg gazing over recent Pacquiao-Cotto fight coverage in The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times print editions.

Arum and Greenburg were positively glowing that The New York Times finally found it's way to cover a big fight in their pages. I sat beside The Times Sports Editor Tom Jolly at the weigh-in and he seemed to be enjoying himself. As Arum and Greenberg looked at the paper they looked like two kids who had just opened a package that contained what they always wanted for Christmas - or Hanukkah.


November 2009

Roach Developing Khan to Fill Pacquiao's Void

Freddie Roach and Amir Khan work on the finer points of throwing a straight right hand at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

LOS ANGELES – If it is true that Manny Pacquiao will only fight one more time after facing Miguel Cotto, then the sport of boxing will have a huge void to fill.

Pacquiao is the recognized world's best pound-for-pound boxer and he is beginning to transcend the sport in a way that few do. When he leaves boxing for a career in politics in the Philippines, his absence will be felt from the casinos of Las Vegas to the halls of HBO to the steps of Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym.

In boxing, as in the entertainment industry that thrives only a few blocks from Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym here in Hollywood, the sport is always on the lookout for the next big star.

Enter Amir Khan.

Khan is poised to one day step into the role that Pacquiao currently fills. He is a 2004 Olympic silver medal winner and currently holds the WBA junior welterweight title. Still a youngster at age 22, with a record of 21-1, 15 KOs, Khan still has a long way to go to ever match what Pacquiao has accomplished.

However, Khan is a developing and improving fighter. And perhaps the biggest ace he has up his sleeve is that he and Pacquiao share the same trainer - Freddie Roach.

Roach is considered the finest trainer in the sport. Fighters from around the world seek him out for the answers that he can help bring them when it comes to the complexities of strategy and training that will take them to the next level.

It is why Khan has come all the way to Hollywood, California from his home in Bolton, England. It is inside the small, crowded gym up above a laundromat, that Khan hopes he will find the answers that will lead him to the notoriety, fame and fortune currently enjoyed by Pacquiao.

“He has a long way to go, but anything is possible,” said Roach on Monday morning when asked if he thought there was a chance for Khan to match what Pacquiao has accomplished. “He's a young kid, still. But when Manny walked in here few years ago there wasn't too many people that thought he would go on to become what he is now.”

Khan has already developed quite a following in his native Great Britain. He will meet Dmitriy Salita on Dec. 5 in Newcastle, England and with only a few weeks to go before that fight happens, the arena where the fight will be held is virtually sold out.

Khan has the type of popularity that routinely makes headlines in the British newspapers and television crews from England have followed him here to California. Frank Warren, the most influential and well-known promoter in Great Britain is helping to direct his career.

Certainly all of the pieces seem to be in place for Khan to one day achieve what Pacquiao has. The biggest piece is of course whether Khan will ever develop the skills and the tenacity that has seen Pacquiao become a superstar in the sporting world.

“Most people don't know the type of dedication that it takes to get to the level that Manny is at,” said Roach. “People come in here to the gym everyday and they look around and they don't think this stuff looks that difficult. But they try it and they see how hard it is. Guys like Manny, obviously, are at the top and he's different. Amir is below him in terms of ability. But when I say he has a ways to go, some people think I'm crazy.”

Khan worked out Monday at the Wild Card. After he was finished, he stood outside on the steps of the gym to talk to a news crew from Sky Sports. It was a bright and warm day and he mingled with fans and others that were coming and going.


Khan has a chance to one day become an elite fighter. However, it will mean many more hours spent in Roach's gym.

Khan certainly has the personality to become a star. He is friendly and engaging and he likes to talk, joke with fans, pose for pictures and sign autographs. One day, after Pacquiao is gone, it is easy to envision Khan as the next big thing in the sport. He has all of the components in place outside the ring.

However, inside the ring can often be a different story. Khan was starched in the first round by the unknown Breidis Prescott last year. The critics say that he doesn't have the chin to take a world-class punch and ultimately that will prove to be his undoing.

While that point is still yet to be proven - Khan is dedicated to his craft. He has sacrificed an easier life in England for a more Spartan existence here in Los Angeles. It is here, half a world away, that Khan and his advisers believe he needs to be. Here is the place, they are certain, that will take him to the next step in a career that is at a stage where he could soon fill arenas on this continent, too.

“If you're asking me do I think Amir can do what Manny has done, I think he can,” says Roach. “Manny has shown anything is possible. Nobody would have thought that a guy from the Philippines, a little guy, could ever do what he has done. He couldn't even speak English when he first got here. Now he's beat De La Hoya. He beat Hatton. A little guy, who used to be a flyweight. If Manny could do all that, maybe Amir can, too."


November 2009

Roach and the Wild Card Crew Ready for Cotto

On Monday at the Wild Card, Freddie Roach was doing what he always does -train fighters to fight.

LOS ANGELES – You wouldn't have known it by the looks on the faces of Freddie Roach and the various people that make the Wild Card Gym operate – but there is going to be a big fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Roach was calm, cool and relaxed on Monday morning as his gym hummed with activity. You would never have known that his man, Manny Pacquiao, was going to be in the biggest fight of his life in only a few more days.

“Everything is good and we're in a good place right now,” said Roach as he watched some fighters spar. “Manny is ready to go and this is one of the best training camps we've ever had. It was long and there was some challenges to it, with having to train in Baguio and now here, but it all worked out and Manny is ready to go.”

Amir Khan was milling about this morning and he seemed very happy to be at the Wild Card as he prepares for his WBA title defense against Dmitriy Salita on Dec. 5.

“Manny has been looking very, very sharp,” said Khan as he stood on the steps that lead up to the gym. “There's no question that I think he will win and he will win impressively.”

On a day that saw the temperature in Los Angeles at a sunny and balmy 76 degrees everybody was doing their jobs and taking care of business at 1123 Vine St. Many Filipinos crowded around the gym parking lot clutching pictures of Manny in their hands with hopes of catching a glimpse of their hero. Spectators were wall-to-wall in the gym and every available seat was taken.

Pacquiao bodyguard and parking lot watchdog Rob Peters helped to direct traffic and keep the fans from parking their cars where they weren't supposed to.



“You can't park there, c'mon, man!” barked Peters at the Pacquiao fans that pulled into the small and cramped parking lot.

What is clear is that Manny Pacquiao is a huge celebrity in this city. Just a few blocks up from the gym on the corner of Selma Ave. and Vine St. is a massive billboard with Pacquiao's picture that is promoting Nike. It is actually in front of a billboard featuring Los Angeles Lakes star Kobe Bryant.

Pacquiao has become a crossover star here. People around the city are talking about the fight, talking about buying the fight on pay-per-view and talking about how they think things will go on Saturday night.

The mail is delivered to the Wild Card each day around 11:30am by a Korean woman that is the mail lady for area where the gym is located. She was delivering a box today that was simply addressed to 'Manny Pacquiao, Wild Card Gym.'

She was a bit taken aback at the television crews and the people that flooded the area around the gym. She had to sidestep Amir Khan as she made her journey up the steps to ensure that the mail got through. Today she only had one package that was addressed to Pacquiao. She trudged up the stairs that lead into the gym and handed the box to Freddie's brother, Pepper.

“Sorry about all this,” said Pepper about the crowd of people that filled the stairway. “But I'll take that one and make sure that he gets it Thanks.”

“I know who Manny Pacquiao is,” said the mail lady. “But this is the busiest as I have seen it here before one of his fights. All kinds of mail gets sent here for him. Some of the letters and packages just have 'Manny Pacquiao, Wild Card Gym' written on them, but I always make sure to bring it here. I know where it is and what the people mean. They have no street number and no zip code but I just bring it all here.”


British sensation and Roach protege Amir Khan was also at the Wild Card on Monday morning.

The star of the show, which was of course Manny, had not shown up yet but the television crews from the Philippines, Great Britain and elsewhere had. Along with the fans, they were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the man that has become boxing's biggest star.

Veteran trainer Jesse Reid was standing next to Roach as he supervised some fighters training on the speed and double-end bags. He was also confident that Pacquiao would win on Saturday night.

“Oh yeah, Manny is ready,” said Reid. “He's peaking right now, he's finely tuned and he'll get the job done on Saturday night. Trust me on that one,” as he nodded his head and gave the thumbs up.

It was a confident, jovial and relaxed atmosphere at the Wild Card this morning. There was no sense of doom or worry in the air - which means only one thing – Manny Pacquiao and his crew are ready for Miguel Cotto.


November 2009

Harry Joe Yorgey is Coming to Win

Harry Joe Yorgey was a star running back at Upper Merion High School in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He was so good in fact; that he had 34 scholarship offers to play college football.

He ultimately did go on to play college ball, but only for a short time.
"I used to weigh two-hundred pounds, believe it or not," says the likable Yorgey who will meet Alfredo "Perro" Angulo tonight in Hartford, Connecticut for the interim WBO 154-pound title.

"But when I was in college playing football, I was away and I called my Dad and told him I was coming home," he explains. "I wasn't doing what I wanted to do."
What Harry Joe Yorgey wanted to do, was fight.

And so far, the 31-year-old prizefighter has proven to be as good in the squared circle as he was on the gridiron. He's undefeated at 22-0-1, 10 KOs, is ranked in the top-10 by the various boxing sanctioning organizations and he's fresh off the biggest win of his career – a ninth-round knockout win in March over Ronald Hearns.

"We just went into that fight and grabbed the opportunity by the throat," said Yorgey of the Hearns fight. "Nobody gave me a chance, but I knew that I was going to win it."

The road hasn't been easy for Yorgey, as the seedy business side of boxing has sometimes forced him to go through long stretches of inactivity. Disputes with the managerial and promotional side of things have limited his progress. Scheduled fights have fallen apart at the last minute and the combination of those issues limited him to a solo appearance in 2008. Tonight’s fight against Angulo will be only his second of 2009.

"I was supposed to have fought Carlos Quintana on July twenty-fourth, but that fight fell apart," explains Yorgey. "They mentioned Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., but I looked too good against Hearns and they backed out. He actually pulled out of that fight. Then there was talk of a Cory Spinks fight, but that didn't happen either."

The one time Yorgey did make it into the ring earlier this year against Hearns, he made it count. He put on a career best performance and he gutted out the upset victory over Thomas Hearns’ son. The fight was televised by the Showtime network and although he had been a professional for seven long years it wasn’t until this fight that many boxing fans had a good chance to see what Yorgey was really capable of.


Yorgey came into prominence when he knocked out Ronald Hearns earlier this year.

Since the Hearns fight, a little more attention has been paid to the young man from Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, which is situated just north of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River. It was Yorgey’s second win in a row over an undefeated fighter as in 2008 he defeated Jason LeHoullier by way of a majority decision. Although he hasn’t yet met with the monetary success and notoriety that boxing can bring, he has managed to pick up a collection of hardware in the form of "championship" title belts. The IBU Intercontinental, the IBF International and the IBA Intercontinental belts all line the shelves of his trophy case

But tonight in Hartford, before a live crowd at the XL Center and before an HBO television audience, Yorgey will take a shot at the brass ring and get his first shot at a world championship. It has been a long slog to get here, but the fight with Angulo will represent the culmination of a lifetime spent in the sport.

"I've been boxing since I was a kid," says Harry Joe, who has a positive attitude that is positively infectious. "I made my pro debut at the Blue Horizon and that was really something else. It's always something special when you fight there. They brought me back there seven times and I sold it out every time."

Yorgey has a throwback quality about him. Bridgeport is an old-time sort of place that was built upon the backs of men that worked in the brickyards, cotton mills and steel foundries. Even the name "Harry Joe" seems to have a ring to it that exudes rough and tumble. He will need all of the roughness and old-time spirit he can muster against Angulo who is one of the top Jr. middleweights in the sport. Yorgey is being brought in as the opponent and he is the betting underdog. To say that he has the deck stacked against him in the fight would not be an understatement.


Harry Joe has managed to sell out Philadelphia's legendary Blue Horizon on more than one occasion.

"He's a good fighter and he comes with pressure," says Harry Joe of Angulo, whose nickname "Perro" means "dog" in Spanish. "He comes straight at you. To be honest with you, I like the way he fights."

The fight card is headlined by the interim WBC light heavyweight title bout between Connecticut’s Chad Dawson who has the same promoter (Gary Shaw) and manager (Mike Criscio) as Angulo. HBO has also spent much time, effort and money in marketing both Dawson and Angulo as the next big things. In short, the night has been designed as a showcase for the "house" fighters. So Yorgey will have to overcome not only the bite of Angulo's punches - but also the bias of the judges, the network and the fans.

"I'm a student of the game, I'm a professional," Yorgey rationalizes. "I think I'm in a good position right now because the junior middleweight division is one of the top divisions in the sport. I'm strong at this weight, I'm excited about being here and this fight will catapult me. I know I'm the underdog, but I don't care, because I'm coming to win."

And whether it’s been on the football field or in the boxing ring, that’s the one thing Harry Joe Yorgey has always done. Win.


November 2009