Left field

from Photographers Blog:

“The Cruncher”

By Tim Shaffer

On paper it would be any Philadelphia area sports fans dream, The Bernard Hopkins/Chad Dawson boxing re-match sandwiched between the Phillies versus the Cubs and a Flyers versus Devils NHL playoff game.

In my mind I knew that this could very well be the final fight for the aging Bernard Hopkins. The Philadelphia native was dropped to the canvas and injured his shoulder in the first meeting in Los Angeles, which was declared a no-contest. After my arrival at historic Boardwalk Hall I found my spot, set up my laptop and my cameras and waited for the show to begin. Upon inspection of the undercard I noted a few of the fights and decided to do a little warm up for the main event.

I was interested in shooting the third fight on the card. The bout featured light heavyweight boxer Lavarn Harvell from Atlantic City, who was undefeated at 9-0, against Tony Pietrantonio from Sharon, Pennsylvania. This was only a four round fight and normally would not carry national interest. Early in the fight it appeared that Harvell was overpowering Pietrantonio and expecting a knockout. I paid close attention.

As the third round started Harvell cornered Pietrantonio and slugged him in the head for a knockout. Pietrantonio fell to the canvas, out cold. I patiently watched for movement as the medical professionals tended to the boxer. Thankfully Pietrantonio started to move and appeared stable as he left the ring. As I looked through my images from the fight I discovered a picture of the knockout punch at the moment of impact. I have documented a number of fights over the years but that peak action point shot of impact boxing had always avoided my camera. Not this time, and what a doozy.

I immediately loaded the image into the laptop, wrote a caption and filed the image to Singapore, notifying the editor that the image was not from the main event but I thought it should be considered for distribution. To my amazement the picture from the four round fight has captured the attention of many. I wonder how Tony Pietrantonio feels about it. Hey Tony, thanks, I couldn’t have made the picture without you.

from Photographers Blog:

The fight of their lives

By Kai Pfaffenbach

Steve Marcus, our Boxing expert in Las Vegas, is maybe the one and only photographer within the company who has shot more World Championship title bouts than I have throughout the last couple of years.

I shot “Iron” Mike Tyson in Copenhagen, South Africa’s “White Buffalo” Francois Botha on several comebacks, I got my picture taken with Lennox Lewis after a fight I photographed and I followed the untouchable Klitschko brothers on their way to dominate the heavyweight class as only “The Greatest of All Times” (Muhammad Ali) did before!

But it was an IBF cruiserweight re-match which fascinated me the most. Steve “USS” Cunningham challenged Yoan-Pablo Hernandez from Cuba to get his title-belt back. Cruiserweight is as fast as middle-weight but the punch power is almost as much as heavyweight.

From the first second those two men delivered an absolutely top-level fight with clean technique, accurate, fast hits and the ability to take those punches. It was in the fourth round when a combination and a straight right hand sent Cunningham on the deck twice within a minute.

Pacquiao could damage reputation by fighting Mosley

Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be first pick, Juan Manuel Marquez wouldn’t be a bad choice either but Shane Mosley is certainly not the man the world wants Manny Pacquiao, the undisputed pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet, to fight next.

However, it appears very likely that Pacquiao will announce a May 7 bout with the 39-year-old former welterweight title holder during his birthday celebrations in the Philippines on Friday.

Mosley was booed during his woeful September draw with reality television celebrity Sergio Mora following a unanimous points loss to Mayweather in May.

However, he appears to be first choice for Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, who is in the Philippines and has said the choice of opponent will be down to Pacquiao.

Mexican Marquez looked back to his best in defeating Juan Diaz and Michael Katsidis this year following a defeat by Mayweather. Marquez’s two previous fights with Pacquiao, a draw and a split decision victory for the Filipino, were nothing short of thrilling and a third fight would be attractive.

Pacquiao’s reputation has gone through the roof following his jolly up the weight divisions. His ability to bring with him the power he had at featherweight to leave opponents at light-middleweight in trouble is phenomenal but he could possibly damage that reputation by taking a fight with Mosley.

What is there to be gained in bashing another inferior opponent for 12 rounds other than a shed load more money to throw in the bank?

Mitchell could overshadow Khan’s U.S. debut

WBA Light-welterweight champion Amir Khan makes his U.S. debut on Saturday when he faces Paulie “Magic Man” Malignaggi in the American’s hometown of New York but perhaps the better fight involving a British fighter on the night will be occurring some 3,000 miles away.

Undefeated lightweight Kevin Mitchell faces Australian Michael Katsidis in what could be one of the fights of the year. The last time the Australian was in Britain three years ago he stopped local Graham Earl in five rounds after one of the most punishing rounds of boxing I have seen in a long time.

The Aussie loves a tear-up and only comes forward to attack but he has been through a number of wars recently and might just be a bit battle-worn. After beating Earl he lost tough fights against Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz in the States before a sluggish win over Vicente Escobedo in September.

For that reason I fancy Mitchell to prevail at London’s Upton Park, the home of his beloved soccer team West Ham United.

The Essex native is also a come-forward fighter but he displayed some canny boxing skills in claiming a unanimous decision in December over the heavy-handed Breidis Prescott, the man who destroyed Khan in a matter of seconds nearly two years ago.

Mitchell, 25 and Khan, 23, spoke this week of a possible future fight which would be a fascinating all-British contest but one I can’t see happening.

Will Mayweather take on Pacquiao after Mosley?

For a moment in round two it appeared the incredible was going to happen — Floyd Mayweather was going to get knocked out — but somehow he hung on and kept his unbeaten record intact with a commanding points win over Shane Mosley.

Mosley’s crushing right hand in that second round hurt Mayweather and I couldn’t help but feel if it had been Manny Pacquiao in the ring with Mayweather the fight would have been stopped shortly afterwards. Mosley just didn’t press home his advantage.

Maybe it was because he hadn’t fought in 15 months or that he was in shock at what he had done, but Mosley genuinely had Mayweather on the ropes, his legs unsteady, and that does not happen very often and when it does you need to take advantage.

Mayweather prides himself on his defence, he may be the greatest defensive boxer ever, certainly of his generation, but Pacquiao will have seen enough chinks in the American’s armour to believe he can do what no man has ever done before and knock down Mayweather.

One result of Mosley’s right hand was that it brought about a more aggressive approach from Mayweather, something we haven’t seen all that often. The attack-minded philosophy worked well and he overcame the lapse to swarm all over Mosley and seal a unanimous points victory. Perhaps it is a tactic he should employ more often.

His two displays since coming back from retirement have been well above expectations. I gave him 9 out of 10 for his performance on Saturday, his hand speed was devastating but was it as quick as Pacquiao’s?

Mayweather remains, arguably, the sport’s pound-for-pound number one. His only problem is finding someone good enough to give him a challenge.

Pacquiao against Mayweather should still take place

It was all going so well, everything running smoothly and then, someone mentioned drug testing.

The proposed super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr is off, for now, because the Filipino won’t agree to Olympic-style testing that the American wants.

Pacquiao has offered to be drug-tested before his training camp and after the fight but Mayweather’s team are asking for random blood and urine testing to take place throughout the pair’s training camps.

It is a tedious point that threatens to scupper a fight that will determine where the pair stand among the greats of the sport.

The thing to remember is that despite this hitch, which Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told Reuters resulted in the fight being called off, the showdown will take place. There is simply too much money at stake for it not too.

But what Mayweather has done is score the first tactical victory.

Pacquiao – Mayweather fight moves closer

The news that Bob Arum has flown to Manila to meet Manny Pacquiao and discuss a contract offer to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr is a good sign that next year’s super fight is close to being signed.

Roy Jones Jr’s surprise first round defeat to Australian Danny Green on Wednesday means his expected rematch with old rival Bernard Hopkins scheduled for March 13th is unlikely to go ahead, and with the major U.S television networks looking for a fight to fill the void, step in Pacquiao and Mayweather.

Negotiations between Pac Man and Pretty Boy were expected to be tough, with both renowned for driving hard bargains but the news Arum is in the Philippines would suggest talks are at an advanced stage.

Figures showing Pacquiao made more money in television pay-per-view sales in his victory over Miguel Cotto last month than Mayweather did over Juan Manuel Marquez in September strengthens the Filipino’s hand in negotiations as the American needs this fight more than Pac Man.

By claiming his latest world title, the WBO welterweight belt from Cotto, at a record seventh different weight, Pacquaio returned to his rightful place as the sports pound-for-pound king.

Should the pair both retire tomorrow, Pacquiao would be lauded for his conquering of so many weight divisions whilst Mayweather, rightly or wrongly, would be criticised for dodging another opponent.

Time for Mayweather to enter the ring with Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Jr destroyed Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez with a ruthlessly clinical display in Las Vegas at the weekend but the non-title welterweight bout ended with an overall feeling of dissatisfaction.

The controversial weigh-in on the eve of the eagerly anticipated fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena raised the biggest question mark of all.

Marquez, a gutsy five-times world champion in three different weight classes, conceded four pounds to the bigger and faster Mayweather after tipping the scales at 142.

Because the 12-round bout was initially contracted as a welterweight contest with a catch weight limit of 144 pounds, Mayweather was heavily fined for coming in two pounds over the limit.

Fight insiders later confirmed the undefeated American was penalised $600,000, a relatively small sacrifice for a significant advantage on fight night.

By the time the two boxers entered the ring on Saturday in front of a non-sellout crowd of 13,116, the difference was probably close to 10 pounds.

Marquez weighed in at 148 moments before the fight but Mayweather refused to disclose his own weight.

Who’s the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter?

Saturday’s welterweight clash in Las Vegas between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez could well be the first leg of three to settle the mythical title of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

As things stand, most boxing fans would give that tag to either Mayweather, 39-0 (25 KOs), or Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37 KOs).

However Pacquiao’s next bout will be in November when he challenges Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title.

Only after that, assuming both Mayweather and Pacquiao have lived up to their respective billing as strong favourites and triumphed, will the argument-ending contest between the American and the Filipino be able to unfold.

Mayweather has repeatedly said the notion of regaining the mythical pound-for-pound tag no longer appeals to him, but the idea that he would spurn the chance to take on Pacquiao seems ludicrous.

In an interview with Reuters, Mayweather played down the Filipino’s most recent fight, a stunning second round knockout of Britain’s Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light-welterweight title.

“Pacquiao went out there and did what he had to do,” said Mayweather, who is returning to the ring on Saturday after a 21-month retirement.

Fame, fortune and the death of Steve McNair

Sixty years after former baseball star Eddie Waitkus survived being shot by a 19-year-old female stalker (his life story became the template for Bernard Malamud’s 1952 novel “The Natural”), police suspect former NFL quarterback Steve McNair and former world boxing champion Arturo “Thunder” Gatti were slain by women they were once intimate with.

Less than two years after retiring from sports that brought them fame and fortune, McNair, 36, and Gatti, 37, are dead. McNair, who was married with four kids, was shot to death by Sahel Kazemi, his 20-year-old mistress who worked as a waitress at Dave & Buster’s.

According to news reports, Kazemi enjoyed the good life McNair introduced her to, driving around Nashville in a 2007 Cadillac Escalade SUV he bought her. Her family told reporters she was so confident McNair was divorcing his wife of 12 years that she was preparing to sell her furniture and move in with him.

Police say she was worried about money. “We think in the last five to seven days of her life many stresses were affecting her, with one of those doubts whether her relationship with Mr. McNair was unraveling,” Police Chief Ronal Serpas told reporters.

A week after McNair’s murder, former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti, a crowd favorite for his ability to inflict and absorb a tremendous amount of punishment, was found strangled to death in a hotel room in Brazil. Police have charged his 23-year-old wife with his murder.

McNair’s death is reminiscent of the 2000 case of Fred Lane, an NFL running back who was contemplating divorcing his wife over her spending habits. As Lane came home to pick up a motorcycle he wanted to sell to free up some much-needed cash, his wife fired multiple rounds with a shotgun. Police believe Deidra Lane shot her husband for the $5 million in life insurance he carried.

McNair: how much of a role did fame and fortune play in his death?