Timothy Bradley gives thoughts on Cold War, Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy

Timothy Bradley gives thoughts on Cold War, Richard Schaefer leaving Golden Boy
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
June 2, 2014


When Timothy Bradley accepted his Fight of the Year Award at the BWAA Awards in Las Vegas for his March 2013 bout against Ruslan Provodnikov, he also gave a message to the assembled attendants. It is time for the Cold War to end and for the best fights available to be made.

With members from HBO, Showtime, Golden Boy Promotions, and Top Rank all under one roof for the dinner that took place a few days before Floyd Mayweather would face Marcos Maidana, it was as good a time as any for a top fighter to be vocal about boxing’s Cold War.

Monday afternoon, it was announced that Richard Schaefer has left Golden Boy, the company he was the CEO to and an integral part of the southern California company’s success in recent years. Behind The Gloves reached out to Bradley and spoke with him briefly on his thoughts about the development and whether or not he thinks it will be a building block to making fights with his promoter Top Rank in the future.

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J’Leon Love looks for a fresh start on ShoBox: The New Generation

J’Leon Love looks for a fresh start on ShoBox: The New Generation
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
February 27, 2013

Though he has already recorded one win in the books since dealing with a suspension for using a banned diuretic prior to his May fight against Gabriel Rosado, super middleweight J’Leon Love looks at 2014 as an opportunity to start fresh.

Love (16-0, 1 NC, 9 knockouts) meets lightly regarded Vladine Biosse (15-2, 7 KOs) in tonight’s 10-round main event at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, N.Y. The bout tops a Mayweather Promotions tripleheader edition of Showtime's ShoBox: The New Generation and Love sees the fight as a step towards securing a world title later in the year.

“I’m looking to graduate from a prospect to a contender in the super middleweight division,” Love told RingTV.com in a phone interview on Thursday.

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Ten Best Things in Boxing in 2013

Ten Best Things in Boxing in 2013
Mark E. Ortega
January 3, 2013

 At the end of last year, I pessimistically counted down the list of ten of the worst things that happened in boxing during the calendar year. Here I take a more positive look at the sport and examine things that really worked out greatly for the sweet science.

Ten Worst Boxing Moments of 2013

Ten Worst Boxing Moments of 2013
Mark E. Ortega
December 20, 2013

Although many consider 2013 to have been a banner year for boxing, it wasn't always smooth sailing. The sport suffered from its fair share of scandal and controversy, not to mention in a few cases just some poor judgment and bad taste. Here I count down the ten worst moments the sport dealt with in 2013.

Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things

Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 19, 2013


There's Pete Rose's 4,256 career hits. Cal Ripken Jr.'s "iron man" streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points in a single game. All of these records are considered largely unbreakable.

But perhaps the record least likely to be broken resides in the sweet science. It doesn't have to do with the guys landing the blows, either, but the man calling them.

Colonel Bob Sheridan has called 952 world championship fights through this past Saturday’s huge pay-per-view card headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Saul Alvarez. Even in an era where world titles are handed out like call-girl flyers on the Las Vegas Strip, the likelihood of anyone approaching that number is extremely slim.

Sheridan has endured a number of ups and downs, most of them related to his health. The Colonel has bounced back nicely from his sixth heart attack and has a new lease on life after undergoing a triple bypass in mid-July. He now has his sights set on calling an unprecedented 1,000 championship fights.

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Mayweather Jr. takes young Alvarez to school

Mayweather Jr. takes young Alvarez to school
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 17, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. was so dominant against Saul Alvarez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena that he may have cost himself some money down the line.

Though the official verdict will be recorded as a majority decision, there’s no question that Mayweather (45-0, 26 knockouts) was masterful in his victory over Alvarez.

Billed as the biggest fight in a long time, Mayweather overcame the youthful Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) with much ease. That has erased a possible rematch from the immediate future, leaving a gaping question as to who will step up next when Mayweather elects to return, which could come as early as next May.

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Vegas insanity: Fans flock to Mayweather-Alvarez weigh-in

Vegas insanity: Fans flock to Mayweather-Alvarez weigh-in
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 13, 2013


Saturday’s pay-per-view card headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez has been generating an unbelievable buzz in Las Vegas since early in fight week. The turnout for Friday’s weigh-in is something that had to be seen to be believed.

Passionate boxing fans camped out at the entrance to the MGM Grand Garden Arena as early as midnight and the line stretched well into where the food court sits, about half a football field away.

“We haven’t been asleep for 27 hours,” said a Mayweather fan named Tiffany, who was wearing shirt emblazoned with "The One." “It’s pure adrenaline that’s keeping us awake.”

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Getting ready for Mayweather & Alvarez

Getting ready for Mayweather & Alvarez
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
September 12, 2013


LAS VEGAS – If Tuesday’s grand arrivals are any indication of what’s in store later in the week, Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn’t know what he was signing up for when he agreed to face 23-year old Mexican superstar Saul Alvarez this Saturday at the MGM Grand.

Mayweather and Alvarez’s fight takes place on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day. Mayweather has a long history of fighting Mexican fighters, usually around the time of either that holiday or Cinco de Mayo.

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Commentary: Boxing is dead? Again?

Boxing is dead? Again?
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 6, 2013


Boxing fans who tuned in Thursday afternoon to ESPN’s debate show Pardon the Interruption collectively shuddered when hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon declared the sport one fight away from being dead.

It should come as no surprise, though. Whenever a big fight looms the way next Saturday’s bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez does, casual followers of the sport kick in their two cents on the state of the game.

“He’s the last headliner out there in professional boxing,” stated Wilbon about Mayweather.

“What other names do you know? You know the Klitschko name, that’s it. Who else do you know,” said Kornheiser.

“He’s the last guy out there for a sport that’s all but dead,” said Wilbon. “This is it. It’s over for boxing after this.”

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More humble, maybe, but still the same Mayweather

More humble, maybe, but still the same Mayweather
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 4, 2013


It’s true that ever since he served his 87-day jail sentence, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has seemed much more humble.

For his fight this past May, Mayweather was more accommodating to the media than most veterans ever recall him being. That has carried over to his fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, which takes place next Saturday.

But whatever gains have been made in humility, there are still remnants of the old Mayweather. During his media day in August, he took his time getting a haircut before jumping into the ring for his workout. On Wednesday’s conference call, he held things up for about fifteen minutes, and then dropped off the call a number of times while answering a question. He also took off a few minutes early after Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe claimed his phone had died.

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No problem with judges selected for Mayweather-Canelo

No problem with judges selected for Mayweather-Canelo
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 4, 2013


The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced the officials for next Saturday’s junior middleweight championship between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez.

The referee will be respected veteran Kenny Bayless, a selection the boxing public responded to positively.

The three judges will be Dave Moretti, CJ Ross and Craig Metcalfe. Moretti and Ross both hail from Las Vegas while Metcalfe is the neutral judge from Alberta, Canada.

When asked about the appointed officials on Wednesday’s conference call, Mayweather seemed fine with the selection.

“Kenny Bayless is a great referee who’s going to let us fight,” said Mayweather. “He’s not for the bulls__t. He treats every fighter fair.”

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Q&A: Merchant on Mayweather-Canelo, Zou Shiming

Q&A: Merchant on Mayweather-Canelo, Zou Shiming
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 3, 2013


After a quiet Labor Day weekend, RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega got in touch with legendary analyst Larry Merchant on Tuesday afternoon via phone. Merchant gave his thoughts on the highly anticipated fight next Saturday between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez, along with his thoughts on Chinese amateur star-turned-pro Zou Shiming and his impact on the sport.

RingTV: Obviously, there’s a pretty big fight coming up between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez. I’m curious, if Canelo were able to pull off the victory, where would you rank that among the biggest wins in Mexican boxing history?

Larry Merchant: It would certainly be a major earthquake for many fans, and for Mexican fans it would be a huge event because prizefighting is so important to them. They, in fact, discovered and anointed Canelo to be their next superstar, so it would be a very big deal.

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September West Coast Prospect of the Month: Luis Arias

September West Coast Prospect of the Month: Luis Arias
Mark E. Ortega
BehindTheGloves.com
September 1, 2013

Super middleweight prospect Luis Arias has a bit more weight on his shoulders than most fighters with less than ten professional fights.

Arias is a member of Mayweather Promotions, also know as "The Money Team". He's one of the youngest members of the stable and will be the first fighter they attempt to build from professional debut to world champion.

Basically, he's their trial and error. Building a champion isn't easy. To put into perspective, it took Golden Boy Promotions nine years for Abner Mares to become their first homegrown champion.

To his credit, Arias doesn't seem bothered by the task.

"Being part of Mayweather Promotions is its own pressure," Arias told Behind The Gloves last week.

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Mayweather-Canelo media day notes

Mayweather-Canelo media day notes
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 29, 2013


RingTV.com contributor Mark E. Ortega attended both the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez media days this week, compiling the following notes on their anticipated mega-fight, now just two weeks away. Alvarez opened his camp in Big Bear to the media on Tuesday while Mayweather's gym in Las Vegas was open the next day. Here are some notes from those two days.

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A day at The Doghouse

A day at The Doghouse
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 28, 2013


LAS VEGAS – Two Mondays ago, I spent the afternoon at the Mayweather Boxing Club. I’ve made plenty of stops at the gym since moving here in November, but had yet to take in a Floyd Mayweather sparring session. That changed on this day, as Mayweather would go four rounds in preparation for his Sept. 14 pay-per-view fight against Saul Alvarez.

I showed up to the gym around 1:00 p.m., knowing Mayweather wouldn’t show up until around 4:00 or so. Nicknamed “The Doghouse,” the gym is usually hotter indoors than what the Las Vegas sun feels like outside, but on this day, it wasn’t as sizzling. This was perhaps due to the fact that Showtime Sports was there shooting some footage for their All Access documentary series, and in the past, they’ve made the conditions more bearable for those handling the heavy equipment.

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Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame inducts inaugural class

Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame inducts inaugural class
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 9, 2013



With states having their own boxing halls of fame, it seemed odd that Nevada – where so many high-profile prize fights have taken place over the decades – was without one of its own.

Boxing commentator Rich Marotta set out to fix that, announcing the formation of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame late last year. The Reno, Nev., resident, along with a board of directors and a lot of work from his son Joey, will see the fruits of their labor reach its satisfying completion, with Saturday marking the induction of the inaugural class.

The gala at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas sold out a week ago and promises to be a memorable night for a state that has produced so many historic moments in the sport.

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Theophane signs with Mayweather Promotions

Theophane signs with Mayweather Promotions
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 7, 2013


Ashley Theophane has been coming to the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas for two years now. After going to train in New York last year, he thought he would swing by Las Vegas to see what it was like to work in the same gym as Mayweather, regarded as the sport's best fighter pound for pound.

Theophane detailed that experience in the May 2012 edition of renowned British boxing publication Boxing Monthly, as he shared details of being in awe of the dedication Mayweather possesses.

Tweets over the last few days seemed to indicate that Theophane became the newest addition to Mayweather's promotional stable, Mayweather Promotions. RingTV.com caught up with the British junior welterweight, who confirmed he has signed.

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Julaton readies for tune-up on brink of bigger things

Julaton readies for tune-up on brink of bigger things
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
August 1, 2013


There's a reason Ana Julaton's name is at the center of rumors about the appearance of women's boxing on one of boxing's premium networks.

A few reasons, actually.

Julaton, a former junior featherweight titleholder, has never ducked a fight. On many occasions, the Filipino-American boxer has traveled to her opponent's territory. She fought Kelsey Jeffries in San Jose, Calif. Lisa Brown in Canada. Jessica Villafranca in Mexico. Yesica Marcos in Argentina.

Julaton also draws. In San Jose, she outsold Jeffries, who was from Gilroy, Calif., about a 10-minute drive from where the fight took place. Julaton, from the nearby Bay Area, brought Filipino fans in droves. Her follow-up fight against Donna Biggers in San Jose also drew well. Those two cards each drew nearly 4,000 fans, which outdid shows that major promoter Goossen-Tutor put on at the HP Pavilion the year before.

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Bits & Pieces: Russell Jr.'s opponent named

Bits & Pieces: Russell Jr.'s opponent named
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
July 20, 2013


Golden Boy Promotions put on a fight card (in association with Mayweather Promotions) in Las Vegas this weekend, as John Molina stopped Mickey Bey in the final round of their 10-round main event. Mark E. Ortega gathered news and notes during the course of the evening.

Russell Jr.'s opponent named 

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer announced that highly touted featherweight Gary Russell Jr. would return on the Aug. 9 undercard to Deontay Wilder-Sergei Lyakhovich. The card takes place at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, Calif.

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Molina, Goossen hope third time is the charm

Molina, Goossen hope third time is the charm
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
July 19, 2013


Friday night, John Molina's career is more or less on the line as he meets unbeaten Mickey Bey in their ShoBox-televised ten-round main event in Las Vegas.

Coming off a close decision loss to Andrey Klimov just north of a month ago, Molina has switched trainers, from Oxnard, Calif.'s Robert Garcia to 45-minutes east in Van Nuys with Joe Goossen.

This will mark the third time Molina and Goossen have linked up. The two have been more on-again, off-again than Ross and Rachel of '90s sitcom Friends fame.

"I didn't watch Friends, so I'm not familiar with that reference, but how about more than Liz [Taylor] and Dick [Burton]?" asked Goossen on Wednesday, when asked about the renewed vows.

"I've got an eight-month old at home and the back-and-forth to Oxnard was tough on me," shared Molina on why he switched from Robert Garcia back to Goossen.

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