The First Time: Seeing Mayweather live

The First Time: Seeing Mayweather live
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 3, 2013


Saturday night will mark the 44thtime that Floyd Mayweather has stepped into a professional boxing ring. For this writer, it will be the first time seeing Mayweather fight live and in person. Last month, RingTV.com began a monthly feature calledThe First Time, which asks different people in the boxing community about various firsts for them in the sport.

Last month’s topic was about the first time traveling abroad for a fight. This month, with Mayweather fighting Robert Guerrero in a Showtime PPV main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it was fitting to find out when a number of people in the sport saw man now known as “Money” fight for the first time.

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Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame kicks off

Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame kicks off
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 3, 2013


LAS VEGAS -- Thursday night, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame kicked off their first official fan event during the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Robert Guerrero fight week, and it was a major success, thanks in large part to the hard work of CEO Rich Marotta and his team.

The event took place at Diego’s Mexican restaurant inside the MGM Grand, which was across the way from the press room for Mayweather-Guerrero. Christened, “A Night with Boxing Legends,” in attendance were many prominent names from the sport’s past and present.

A number of those who were part of the inaugural induction class showed their support, including Oscar De La Hoya, Mike McCallum, Freddie Roach, as well as Michelle Corrales, the wife of the late Diego Corrales, and Hall of Fame trainer Eddie Futch’s wife Eva. Also in attendance was referee Joe Cortez, who was honored alongside them, as well as former Nevada athletic commissioner Marc Ratner and commentator Al Bernstein.

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Showtime beat HBO in April 27 boxing ratings

Showtime beat HBO in April 27 boxing ratings
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 2, 2013


Showtime had higher viewing numbers than HBO for last Saturday's boxing broadcasts, which went head to head, a Nielsen ratings source confirmed to RingTV.com.

Showtime's broadcast, which was headlined by 140-pound champ Danny Garcia's tough unanimous decision win over Zab Judah and opened with Peter Quillin's seventh-round stoppage of Fernando Guerrero, drew a 1.4 average rating during the broadcast. The peak point of their show drew a 2.1 rating. The live viewing drew 850,000 viewers and the two following broadcasts drew a combined 100,000 viewers, putting the number at 950,000.

"We knew that Garcia versus Judah and Quillin versus Guerrero were going to be two, compelling fights," said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime sports. "We're very happy that the audience agreed with us."

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Rosado tells Love “careful what you wish for”

Rosado tells Love “careful what you wish for”
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 2, 2013


It isn't often that a fight between an unbeaten but largely untested fighter and an opponent who has six losses is looked at as perhaps the most compelling fight on a pay-per-view undercard.

But Gabriel Rosado's scheduled 10-round middleweight bout with prospect J'Leon Love on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero is a crossroads bout that is anticipated by most hardcore fans. Rosado is coming off a hard-fought TKO loss to WBA titleholder Gennady Golovkin that was televised on HBO in January while Love is looking to cement himself as a bona-fide contender in the middleweight division.

This isn't new territory for Rosado. A tough luck fighter early in his career who was brought in as “the opponent” on more than a handful of occasions, Rosado has blossomed into an extremely mature 27 year old. While nobody likes to lose, Rosado has learned something from each of his six losses and he hopes to teach his undefeated 25-year-old opponent his first lesson.

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Love, Rosado nearly come to blows

Love, Rosado nearly come to blows
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 1, 2013


LAS VEGAS – On Tuesday afternoon, fighters from Saturday's big pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas made their “grand arrivals” to the host hotel. For two undercard fighters, the spectacle of the event elevated their competitive spirit to animosity, as J'Leon Love and Gabriel Rosado nearly came to blows when the two met face to face.

Rosado, an experienced former title challenger, was brought on stage first and waited patiently as nearly the entire roster of Floyd Mayweather's promotional company were brought to the stage. Love, an undefeated prospect who fights Rosado on Saturday, made his way last, and as soon as the Michigan native got on stage he began jawing at Rosado.

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Sturm-Soliman ruled no contest

Sturm-Soliman ruled no contest
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 29, 2013


After just shy of three months of deliberating and waiting for the process to play itself out, the Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer (BDB) have suspended Sam Soliman for nine months stemming from the illegal supplement he tested positive for after his fight with Felix Sturm on Feb. 1.

The bout, which Soliman initially won, has been ruled a no contest.

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Bits & Pieces: May Day

Bits & Pieces: May Day
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 20, 2013


RingTV.com was in attendance at the recent Floyd Mayweather media day workout, which took place at his gym, the Mayweather Boxing Club, in North Las Vegas. Here is an assortment of comments and notes gathered during that event.

Floyd: “I was the pioneer” of drug testing 
RingTV.com was in attendance at the recent Floyd Mayweather media day workout, which took place at his gym, the Mayweather Boxing Club, in North Las Vegas. Here is an assortment of comments and notes gathered during that event.

Mayweather's time was scarce Wednesday as over 50 media members packed his gym in order to talk to him a few weeks out from his Showtime Pay Per View fight with Robert Guerrero.

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Jones willing to step in to challenge Alexander on May 18

Jones willing to step in to challenge Alexander on May 18
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 18, 2013


For the third time, Devon Alexander's mandatory defense of his IBF welterweight title against Kell Brook will be postponed after British challenger’s promoter Eddie Hearn announced that Brook suffered a stress fracture in his foot.

Alexander-Brook has been set to happen in three different months already in 2013. A Jan. 19 date was sunk when Brook suffered an ankle injury, and a Feb. 23. date was wrecked when Alexander suffered strained triceps. The most recent May 18 date, which is headlined by the Lucas Matthysse-Lamont Peterson fight, is now in jeopardy.

Kevin Bizier, an IBF approved challenger, recently declined the sanctioning organization’s offer to be a substitute challenger for Alexander on the Showtime-televised card.

However, one fighter willing to step into that May 18 date is Carson Jones, who gave Brook all the Sheffield native could handle in a fringe fight-of-the-year candidate last July. Jones came up just short, losing a 12-round majority decision as he assumed a late rally in the fight.

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Mamadjonov upsets Santana on ShoBox

Mamadjonov upsets Santana on ShoBox
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 13, 2013


In his last appearance on ShoBox: The New Generation, Angelo Santana looked impressive as he disassembled Juan Garcia in five rounds last November. It was so exciting that Showtime producer Gordon Hall, who is at the helm of the prospect-based series, sought out Santana for a return bout on the program.

Though Santana was in another exciting bout on Friday, it wasn't the kind the Cuban standout and his promoter Don King were hoping for when they went in against Uzbeki spoiler Bahodir Mamadjonov, who scored an upset ninth-round stoppage.

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Spadafora keeps hope alive with decision over Frankel

Spadafora keeps hope alive with decision over Frankel
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 7, 2013


It was ten years ago next month that Pittsburgh's favorite boxing son, Paul Spadafora, engaged in an HBO Boxing After Dark Fight of the Year candidate with Leonard Dorin. Their twelve-round war ended in a draw, with both unbeaten fighters walking away with their alphabet straps at 135 pounds.

Spadafora would never fight at 135 pounds again, and a plethora of issues outside the ring derailed his career from the promising path it was on.

Though Spadafora (48-0-1, 19 KOs) hasn't fought on major television for the past decade, or beaten a legitimate contender in the junior welterweight division where he now plies his trade, he is ranked by all four of the major sanctioning bodies.

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Nugaev upsets Maicelo, stops Peruvian star on FNF

Nugaev upsets Maicelo, stops Peruvian star on FNF
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 6, 2013


SANTA YNEZ, Calif. – In his native Peru, Jonathan Maicelo's celebrity is on par with Justin Bieber's in the United States. Out there, he has a national Coca-Cola commercial, as well as one with Frito-Lay. According to his manager Nelson Fernandez, his fights are viewed by 49 percent of the country and men allow their wives to kiss him.

On Friday night, in front of a small crowd at Santa Ynez, Calif.'s Chumash Casino, Maicelo fought in his first televised bout in the United States, meeting tough Russian Rustam Nugaev in the ten-round main event of ESPN2's Friday Night Fights.

Maicelo fought a toe-to-toe battle with Nugaev, eventually getting caught by a massive right hand in the eighth round, and will now be famous stateside due to the highlight reel knockout he was on the losing end of.

When the initial main event between Marvin Quintero and Ammeth Diaz fell out just a few weeks ago, Maicelo jumped at the opportunity to make American television for the first time.

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Teddy Atlas on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board

Teddy Atlas on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board
Mark E. Ortega
April 5, 2013

Last Friday, ESPN2 Friday Night Fights commentator Teddy Atlas talked about the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board on the air. I talked to Atlas prior to them going on the air tonight and this is what he shared with me.

“Boxing needs help in those areas,” said Atlas, when I asked him why he got behind the TBRB. “They're legitimate guys, caring guys. Honest writers, pros, with a commitment to bettering boxing in those areas.”

Maysonet Jr. hopes to continue where his father left off

Maysonet Jr. hopes to continue where his father left off
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 5, 2013


On Feb. 18, 1989, in a fight televised by CBS Sports, Puerto Rico's Jorge Maysonet fought the fight of his life as he went for his first world title.

Unfortunately for Maysonet, on that night, he ran into the buzzsaw that was Simon Brown when the welterweight was at the top of his powers. Maysonet was impressive (and fearless) as he bounced a number of power punches off Brown's dome without any reaction from the champion. This, despite Maysonet having scored 19 knockouts in 19 victories at the time.

Maysonet, like many other opponents, would eventually find Brown's power too much, as he was knocked out in three rounds. He would never get another opportunity to fight for a world title and retired five years later.

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N'Jikam looking for American promoter

N'Jikam looking for American promoter
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 4, 2013


Former middleweight titleholder Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam is in search of an American promoter, according to Francisco Diaz of Asventure Promotion, the French-based promotional outfit who until now had guided the Cameroonian fighter’s professional career.

N'Jikam's contract will expire with Asventure in the next few days, Diaz told RingTV.com via e-mail, and the entertaining middleweight contender is looking for an American promotional company to represent him.

N'Jikam came to the United States for the first time last October to defend his WBO title against Peter Quillin at the inaugural boxing card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, which was televised by Showtime. Despite hitting the canvas a total of six times, N'Jikam won the crowd and the viewing audience over with his heart and grit as he easily provided Quillin with his toughest test to date.

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Bits & Pieces: Alvarado's future

Bits & Pieces: Alvarado's future
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
April 1, 2013


An immediate rematch between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios does not look to be in the cards, despite Rios’ very vocal demands about getting one just moments after Alvarado's hand was raised after their thrilling rematch, according to Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.

Though it was another action bout, one that will be a frontrunner for Fight-of-the-Year honors, Arum said he'd like to see the two of them take a minute apart and face some fresh faces.

According to multiple sources close to the situation, Top Rank would love to take Alvarado (34-1, 23 KOs) to his hometown of Denver and see if they have a ticket seller there following his recent run of consistently action-packed fights. The level of opponent they have indicated to RingTV.com they'd like to match with him is not of the level of his last few.

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