Top welterweight (147 lbs.) Antonio Margarito responding to false rumors that he took steroids to beat Miguel Cotto: A reporter from Puerto Rico called me and I told him that the only thing I had before the fight was four gallons of milk! What? Is that a joke? If so, I don’t get it. Is […]

Oscar De La Hoya has indulged in a “this time, it’s personal” kick from from time to time, even on the flimsiest of excuses, like the kind he used as a motive to fight Manny Pacquiao, back when that fight looked like it was going to happen. Antonio Margarito, dead set on getting personal to […]

As I sit here and watch Joe Green engaging in a superb slugfest with Jose Torres I have to say that I am quite impressed with Nate Campbell’s role as guest commentator on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Fights while Teddy Atlas is in China covering the Olympics.¬† Not only are his observations spot on but I […]

First Fightnews.com*, then The Los Angeles Times and others, reported this afternoon that the December mega-fight/freak show betwixt Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao is off. Talks broke down over the purse split, according to sources on both sides. Hallelujah.

Mockery ensues! It’s downright juvenile, but screw it, nothing else is happening.

While we most certainly are in the midst of the “dog days” of boxing ESPN has been carrying the torch in providing us boxing junkies our fix.¬† Wednesday night we are treated to a showcase bout that features prospect Joel Julio battling Jose Varela in Hollywood, Florida.¬† Julio was a can’t-miss-prospect before being out boxed […]

It’s been a little light around here at Ring Report, to say the least, because it’s been a little light around the boxing world. Your options, until September, are some ESPN2 bouts of marginal significance or entertainment value, Olympic boxing — which is interesting this time around, and I’ll have more to say on that […]

The fine folks at Freakonomics — you know, the blog based on the book by an economist who applied the theories of his science to “the hidden side of everything” — have turned their attention to the Sweetest of Sciences. In this entry, they survey some students of the fight game about why boxing is […]

I advise you to contemplate the words of my sage colleague Sean for extensive examination of the Showtime card Saturday and the ESPN2 card Friday. I offer myriad thoughts on myriad fights up to and including those ones.

In the battle of Eastern European little men it was the Armenian Vic Darchinyan that emerged with the IBF junior bantamweight title after he bludgeoned Dimitri Kirilov into submission over five one-sided rounds. After Darchinyan lost his flyweight title to surging Nonito Donaire the heavy handed southpaw has changed trainers and is looking to correct […]

Well Andre Dirrell manages to win another fight in such a manner that we may soon forget his horrendous performance against Curtis Stevens a short time ago.¬† In Mike Paschall, Dirrell had the perfect aggressive foil but to all our surprise the Baltimore tough-guy made Dirrell work.¬† Paschall had some success early landing some good […]

Brooklyn vs. the Bronx. Erratic vs. steady. Flashy vs. basic. On the way out vs. on the way in. That’s Zab Judah vs. Joshua Clottey Saturday night on HBO, in a nutshell. It’s also the last potentially exciting fight until September, so savor it, unless you plan to shell out $35 to gamble that talented […]

I haven’t updated my list of best fighters in the world since April, and with an uneventful stretch ahead before September, now’s a pretty good time to do some revising. My criteria for evaluating the best of the best, regardless of weight, is a combination of career achievement, recent activity and all-around ability. Imagine it […]

Not sure if I am more surprised by the fact that Jose Luis Castillo actually made weight for his welterweight fight last night against Sebastian Lujan, or that in dropping a wide decision to the Argentinian, Castillo has just entered into “opponent” status.¬† It’s a hard pill to swallow for a fighter who gave so […]

I admit that I am unsure¬†what the ramifications will be regarding junior welterweight king Ricky Hatton’s split with longtime trainer Billy Graham.¬† It seemed to me that the two wise-cracking Brits were two peas in a pod and both have shown deep compassion and friendship toward each other so the news of the split came […]