Boxing News and Notes from across the globe

If you haven't heard the horrible news, the Winky Wright-Michi Munoz fight, scheduled for Dec. 4 on Vs., has been cancelled due to a left hand injury sustained by the inactive Winkster. His last fight was in July 07, an agonizingly dull decision loss to Bernard Hopkins (press conf pictured above). Way to go.

But the good news is that the 2009 schedule starting to shape up, headlined by the signing of Antonio Margarito vs. Sugar Shane Mosley for 1/24 on HBO. Good to see Margarito (of Larry Merchant's Vodka Breath fame) come back with a quality fight and definitely nice that they didn't throw this on a PPV....hopefully a sign of things to come. Should be a nice nice fight. Cotto is also reportedly coming back in January and I think they're trying to build up to the Margarito-Cotto sequel this summer.

Also on 2/14, HBO brings us a quality doubleheader of Alfredo Angulo vs. Ricardo Mayorga and Nate Campbell vs. Ali Funeka. Household names, I know. But I think these will be a couple of action-packed fights. You might remember Mayorga, who put on a clown-like performance, getting KO'd by SS Mosley in the very last second of their fight back in September. And Campbell holds 3 lightweight belts, but he will have gone almost a full year without a fight since winning the titles back in March vs Juan Diaz.

Don't forget this Saturday, Paul Williams will be fighting Verno Phillips on HBO, as he attempts to bring Simply Juanderful to a 5-0 mark.

And a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, from everyone here at flyweight.blogspot.com.

ps. De La Hoya-Pacquiao is in only 10 days. Who's gonna take it and how??? Vote on the poll.

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The Hitman helps The Hitmen

Ricky Hatton completely outmuscled Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday night in Las Vegas, finally winning by 11th round TKO. Malignaggi's trainer, Buddy McGirt, unexpectedly waved the white towel and called the fight with Malignaggi down big on points but still boxing and moving in a competent fashion. The stoppage was a bit strange but helped Jay's Hitmen gain a few extra points. OPTION A = 2 pts. OPTION B = 3 pts. OPTION C = 17 pts.

In the weekend's other big fight, Celestino Caballero KO'd Steve Molitor in round 4, capturing 2 of the belts at 122 lbs.

Big Fights at 122 and 140 this weekend

...that's pounds, baby, pounds. Friday night on ShoBox, 2 junior featherweight titlists look to unify, when WBA champ Celestino Caballero takes on IBF champ Steve Molitor. The winner of this fight is said to be the potential next opponent for WBC champ Israel Vazquez upon his return in 2009. A 4th installment of the great Vazquez-Rafael Marquez series is said to be off for the time being, according to promoter Gary Shaw, so they will be looking for opponents. The other 122 lb champion is Simply Juanderful's own Juan Manuel "JuanMa" Lopez. This is definitely one of the hottest weight classes in boxing in terms of making exciting fights.

My pick: Caballero pulls out in the win in Molitor's homeland of Canada (he's from somewhere near Toronto I think). Most boxers this light don't have names like Steve Molitor. Sounds like he should be batting 2nd for the Blue Jays instead of boxing. Plus, Caballero is 5'11". For a 122-lber that is ridiculous!!!! That is like 1/3rd of me. I have chunks of guys like that in my stool. And he's 5'11". So extremely lanky and tough to fight. It could be an ugly fight but could be exciting. Caballero TKO10

On Saturday night, HBO brings us yet another installment of tasteful sports programming with Ricky Hatton vs. Paulie Malignaggi. This bout is not for an official 140 lb (jr welter) belt, if you will, but instead for what is considered the linear championship, the Ring Magazine belt. Whatever. Hatton has had a stranglehold on this division for a while now. If you recall, he stepped up to welterweight last Decemeber for a mega-PPV event and was KTFO'd by Floyd Mayweather. So back he goes to jr welter to take on another guy who's been near the top for a while, Paulie Malignaggi. So it's the Brit Drunkard vs the Brooklyn Greaseball. This fight has been brewing for sometime, and it's a rare white guy vs. white guy fight.

My pick: I think it will be an underwhelming UD win for Hatton in a fight where he probably has to chase Malignaggi down a little bit. Both guys have shown greatness at times, but have also been lackluster as of late.

The best fight of the weekend may be the HBO lidlifter on Saturday, between junior middleweights James Kirkland and Brian Vera. Look out.

David Haye and Jermain Taylor Score Wins

Jeff's Impregnable Impetuous Children Eaters moved to 4-0 as David Haye scored a 5th round knockout in London over Monte Barrett. Haye was a bit sloppy as a heavyweight but was able to overwhelm Barrett with power shots. Barrett hit the canvas 5 times during the fight, beefing up Jeff's point total. OPTION A= 2 pts OPTION B = 1.5 pts OPTION C = 21 pts.

Across the pond, Jermain Taylor returned to action as a Super Middleweight with a solid performance, winning a 12-round decision over former champion Jeff Lacy. Taylor had the faster hands as he easily outlanded the power-punching, one-dimensional Lacy. Taylor earns OPTION A = 1 pt OPTION B = 2 pts OPTION C = 15 pts with the victory. Larry Merchant's Vodka Breath moves to 2-0.

Rankings by Record:

1. Impregnable Impetuous Children Eaters 4-0

2. Simply Juanderful 4-0

3. Larry Merchant's Vodka Breath 2-0

4. Knuckle Sandwich 1-0

5. The Hitmen 1-1

Children Eaters Add a Win; A Legend Suffers Defeat

Jeff's Impregnable Impetuous Children Eaters added a 3rd victory to their stable with Arthur Abraham's 6th round TKO over Raul Marquez. Reports out of Germany indicate that Abraham controlled the bout with effective aggression and body punching. Abraham earns: OPTION A= 2 pts, OPTION B = 3 pts, OPTION C= 17 pts with the win.

In other boxing action, Free Agents Joe Calzaghe and Roy Jones Jr. tangled for the Ring Magazine Linear Light Heavyweight Championship last night at Madison Square Garden. Jones started strong, flooring Calzaghe in the 1st round with a sharp one-two combination. However, Calzaghe bravely battled on and systematically overtook Jones with speedy combinations and constant aggression and won a unanimous decision victory, 118-109 on all three judges' scorecards. The win moves Calzaghe to 46-0, and he is considering bowing out of the sport with his record unblemished. For Jones (52-5), who suffered a bad cut during the fight and looked his 39 years of age as he struggled to land punches and find openings, the defeat could spell the end of a spectacular career which saw him win titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and even heavyweight (defeating John Ruiz in 2003). Both men have earned the right to say that they left everything they had in the ring.