The Neutral Corner

BY MARCUS HENRY

HBO's much talked about 24/7 series featuring Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya and the most recent one with Mayweather and Ricky Hatton gave boxing fans a deeper look into the fighters.

IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi is hoping to catch some of the same fire and notoriety when his life documentary premieres Sunday, December 30 on Showtime.

The documentary chronicles the life of Brooklyn's Malignaggi. “Magic Man” first premiered at the Hoboken International Film Festival in New Jersey, where the film won the 2007 Audience Award. The documentary will air until Malignaggi’s title fight, which will be televised live on Showtime on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Malignaggi (23-1, 5 KO’s) looks to defend his title against Herman Ngoudjo (16-1, 9 KO’s) at Bally’s Main Ballroom in Atlantic City on January 5.

Maybe there is a filter on the news they get in Pensacola, hometown of Roy Jones Jr. Maybe he doesn't understand just how bad the Knicks really are. After attending a practice session today, why else would Jones say:

“I’ve had my ups and downs over the last three years so I came out here today to let coach Thomas and the Knicks know they just need to hang in there, do the best they can, and their time will come. I know it will.”

Their time will come?

I know. Roy fights Felix Trinidad at the Garden on Jan. 19 and its all part of the promotion. But there are not too many people aligning themselves with the 8-20 Knicks right now. Not only are they bad on the court, their public image is at an all-time low. Diehard fans are having trouble getting behind this team.

Jones is a pretty good basketball player, having spent an entire season in the USBL. In fact, he once competed in a USBL game in the afternoon and later that evening he defended his super middleweight title with a 12th-round TKO over Eric Lucas.

When Jones showed up at the practice, he was invited by coach Isiah Thomas to participate in some drills.

“It was a dream come true for me to get on the court and shoot around and do some drills with the Knicks," he said. "I was a little rusty but I wasn’t going to say no to coach Isiah. What a thrill it was to be on the court with the Knicks to see up close and personal how good they really are."

Wow. Someone surely spiked his Gatoraide. -- CASSIDY

BY MIKE ROSE

Roy Jones Jr. fighting Felix Trinidad in a 12-round bout in Madison Square Garden on Jan. 19.

Why doesn't that sentence excite me?

I covered Trinidad and Jones when they were both world champions and in their primes. But this isn't 1997 and both fighters are not what they used to be.

That's why I'm having all sorts of trouble getting pumped for this fight. I simply don't see this fight being very good.

Big names. Big hype.

Big deal? No.

Trinidad turns 35 on Jan. 10. He hasn't fought since May 14, 2005, when he lost a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision to Winky Wright in Las Vegas. So this will be Trinidad's comeback fight. Actually, this will be his first fight as a light heavyweight. Trinidad weighed 160 when he fought Wright, the heaviest he's been for a fight. Trinidad apparently has tacked on an additional 15 pounds to fight Jones. I'm not looking forward to a heavier Trinidad.

Jones, who turns 39 on Jan. 16, has lost three of his last five fights. Jones, however, has won his last two fights, most recently beating Anthony Hanshaw for the IBC light heavyweight title in July.

You can't blame MSG or Don King for hyping a Jones-Trinidad fight. That's their job. But seeing a preview show on MSG and then hearing commercials on 1050 ESPN promoting this fight is a bit excessive. My favorite radio commercial is the one where the guy describes being in the Garden for Ali-Frazier I and how Jones-Trinidad will be another great chapter in boxing at MSG. Those aren't the exact words, but that's the tone of the message.

Wow!

Oh, I'll watch this fight and I'll be interested in who wins, simply because I'm a boxing fan.

But I won't get excited until Feb. 16 when Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor have their rematch.

BY MARCUS HENRY

We've all heard this before. A boxer ready to leave the sport after capturing a major title. Joe Calzaghe told the Daily Mirror he is ready to hang up the gloves. But he doesn't want to leave without a bang. And he's hoping to have his one last hurrah against Bernard Hopkins. He's even willing to move up to light heavyweight to do it.

"I have got two fights left - tops," the WBC, WBA and WBO super middleweight champ told the Daily Mirror. "I might even have one more and then decide to pack it all in and then get on with the rest of my life. Who knows?"

He says making money is not a motivating factor. We'll see, especially if he gets his wish and mixes it up with Hopkins. Floyd Mayweather said he was ready to retire after the De La Hoya fight. That "retirement" lasted for all of three months as Mayweather put his John Hancock on a contract to fight Ricky Hatton. A fight in which he made $10 million.

Money talks...

BY MARCUS HENRY

The easy way out would be to say Floyd Mayweather is the fighter of the year. It's easy because all he did was set a new Pay-Per-View record raking in 3.3 million buys in back-to-back fights with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. All he did, with each victory, was prove that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game. But is that enough? De La Hoya, although the biggest name in the sport, is nowhere close to the fighter Floyd is. The same for Hatton. Hatton is better than De La Hoya at this point, but he is not on Mayweather's level.

In terms of drawing fans to the sport and giving it a shot in the arm, Mayweather deserves kudos for that. HBO's 24/7, coupled with the excellent promoting by De La Hoya's company, Golden Boy Promotions, made Mayweather a household name. He made boxing a sport to be talked about again.

All of that notwithstanding, Mayweather isn't my choice for fighter of the year. That honor goes to Miguel Cotto. His fight against a game Zab Judah, which drew over 19,000 to MSG, and his most recent bout against Shane Mosley showed why he could be the man that takes down Mayweather (assuming the two ever mix it up). So why does Cotto get the nod over Floyd? Cotto's three opponents in 2007, Oktay Urkal, Judah and Mosley, were clearly a cut above Mayweather's counterparts De La Hoya and Hatton.

Kelly Pavlik comes in a close second to Cotto.His wins over Edison Miranda and Jermain Taylor for the WBC and WBO middleweight titles trump anything any other fighter did this year. Except for Cotto.

My choice for Fighter of the Year aside, 2007 was a banner year for boxing. The fights were great, the promoters stepped up their game and HBO did its part with the 24/7 series. Who could forget the Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler tilt? Over 50,000 showed up to Whales for that fight. Juan Diaz, who took out Julio Diaz for the WBA, WBO and IBF Lightweight titles, and Ivan Calderon had great years. The Pavlik-Taylor fight was certainly one of the best bouts of the year. And you can't talk about great fights without mentioning Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Marco Antonio Barrera. I can't wait for Marquez-Pacquiao II in March.

Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron are poised to lead the welterweight division into a golden age. Old pros Vernon Forrest and Roy Jones are still showing the world they still have some gas left in the tank.

I must thank the sport for keeping me on the edge of my seat this year. Hopefully 2008 is just as exciting.

BY MIKE ROSE

Dan Rafael and Marc Stein of ESPN.com have a story about WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. making a possible jump to mixed martial arts.

Is it possible?

According to the story, yes it is.

Rafael and Stein report that Mayweather developed a friendship with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban during their participation on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." The story goes on to say that Cuban also owns HDNet Fights, an MMA promotional company that airs its bouts on Cuban's HDNet. Mayweather and Cuban even met on Thursday.

I'm taking this story seriously. MMA is wildly popular and the money potential for Mayweather is great. Mayweather is always looking for challenges and this would be a great one.

Plus, I'm convinced that Mayweather is bored with boxing. He shattered boxing and television revenue records in 2007 in fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, both wins.

What other challenges are left?

Well, Mayweather needs to fight Miguel Cotto in a mega fight in 2008 before he makes a jump to MMA. That's the one fight out there that would be a major challenge, and the fight boxing fans want to see. But there's no deal in place for a Mayweather-Cotto fight -- at least not at this moment. I believe a Mayweather-Cotto fight will take place, probably in late spring or early summer. And if Mayweather beats Cotto, I believe he'll give MMA a try.

What do you think about Mayweather making a possible jump to MMA?

Boxing fans, this one is just for you. Starting on Christmas night, HBO will replay its five best fights from 2007. It will be one fight per night and each was a classic matchup.

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, Dec. 25 at 11:00 PM -- Jermain Taylor vs. Kelly Pavlik

Wednesday, Dec. 26 at 11:00 PM-- Joe Calzaghe vs. Mikkel Kessler

Thursday, Dec. 27 at 11:00 PM -- Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather

Friday, Dec. 28 at 11:00 PM -- Miguel Cotto vs. Shane Mosley

Saturday, Dec. 29 at 12 midnight -- Floyd Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton

Some more news from HBO. The Mayweather-Hatton bout generated 850,000 pay-per-view buys and $47 million in PPV revenue. That helped make 2007 HBO's best year in Pay-Per-View history -- 4.8 million buys and more than $255 million in revenue across eight boxing events. The previous high for HBO PPV in boxing was in 1999 with four million buys and $200 million in revenue. The top seller of 2007, was, of course, the Oscar De la Hoya-Mayweather fight, which shattered all records. That drew 2.4 million buys and $134 million in revenue. -- CASSIDY

BY MARCUS HENRY

No more excuses. Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) blamed his loss to Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) on September 29, at least in part, on his struggle to make 160 pounds. As a result the two will hook up on February 16 at the MGM Grand at 166 pounds.

Pavlik, who scored a seventh-round TKO over Taylor, called it a "mistake" for him to take the fight at 166 pounds. Although I agree with Pavlik, he can't go into this fight thinking Taylor will make the same mistakes he did the last time.

"I don't see too much of a difference," Pavlik told the Vindicator. "He's going to come fight the same way and I'm going to fight the same way I did."

It's that type of thinking that could get Pavlik into trouble. Taylor has a penchant for fighting ugly, but that style has gotten him wins over Bernard Hopkins (twice), Cory Spinks, Kassim Ouma and Winky Wright.

Taylor will certainly make the proper adjustments. The question is will Pavlik be able to counter.

Yuriorkis Gamboa, former Olympic gold medalist and amateur world champion, will fight on the undercard of the IBF Jr. Welterweight title fight between champ Paulie Malignaggi and Herman Ngoudjo, Jan. 5 at Bally's in Atlantic City. The card will be televised on Showtime.

Gamboa defected in December 2006. He and fellow Olympic champions Yan Bartelemí and Odlanier Solis left a team training camp in Venezuela and ultimately wound up in Germany.

The junior welterweight is 7-0 with six knockouts and has already drawn comparisons to Hall-of-Famer Aaron Pryor. He made his U.S. debut in October and knocked out Adailton De Jesus, who came in with a record of 19-2. He takes another huge step up in A.C. when he fights former world champion Freddie Norwood (42-2-1, 23 KO's).

"An indication of how good this kid is and how much he has progressed, he'll be fighting former world champion Freddie Norwood in just his eighth pro fight," said promoter Lou DiBella. "I think this is going to be a great opportunity for people to see Gamboa, and I think Gamboa's a future star." -- CASSIDY

BY MIKE ROSE

It was good to read last week that Larry Holmes will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June.

Holmes definitely deserves it.

I was lucky enough to cover Holmes in 1997 when he won a split decision over Maurice Harris in Madison Square Garden’s Theatre. I also wrote a column after that fight saying Holmes should retire for good. I wanted to remember Holmes from his heyday of the 1970s and 80s.

Holmes held the world heavyweight title for nearly seven years (1978-85) and made 20 successful defenses.

But the comments from boxing experts and historians would suggest that despite what he did in the ring, Holmes has never gotten the respect he clearly earned. Two words were common themes in last week’s stories about Holmes - “underrated” and “unappreciated.”

The Associated Press story has Hall of Fame referee Arthur Mercante including Holmes in his top 5 heavyweights of all time. But Mercante also calls Holmes underrated in that same story.

Why?

Well, let’s break it down, examining three key areas:

-- Following a legend. As my colleague Bobby Cassidy wrote in a previous post, Holmes had to follow Muhammad Ali as champion of the heavyweight division. Obviously, Ali is a tough act to follow. Ironically, Holmes was a sparring partner for Ali in the early 1970s. Then Holmes had to fight his mentor in October 1980. He beat the aging Ali decisively, causing Angelo Dundee to throw in the towel after the 10th round. Some people still remember the vivid image of a beaten and battered Ali on his stool in the corner after the 10th round. But give Holmes credit. It was a very emotional fight for him. During the later stages of the fight, Holmes looked over at the referee, almost pleading with him to stop it.

-- The era of no-names. Holmes never had a Joe Frazier. Or a Sonny Liston. Or a George Foreman. When you examine Holmes’ record, which opponent’s name really stands out? Holmes beat the very tough Earnie Shavers twice, once in a WBC eliminator bout in 1978 and then as world heavyweight champion in 1979. Holmes easily beat Shavers in a unanimous decision the first time, but was knocked down in the seventh round the second time before rallying for a TKO win in the 11th. Holmes did beat champion Ken Norton, who gave Ali big trouble in their three fights, by split decision to win the WBC title in 1978. The 15th round of that fight is considered one of the best in heavyweight history. But after that, the list of title-defense opponents reads like a who’s not of contenders - Scott LeDoux, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Lucien Rodriguez and Ossie Ocasio to name a few. In other title defenses, Holmes won a split decision in an unexpectedly tough fight against Tim Witherspoon, and was knocked down by Renaldo Snipes before winning by TKO. Not exactly big-time wins against that kind of competition. The signature win of his championship reign – or at least the most hyped – was his TKO victory over Gerry Cooney in 1982. It’s not his fault, but Holmes simply came along when the heavyweight division wasn’t filled with big names.

-- The Michael Spinks factor. Holmes will always be remembered for losing his heavyweight title to Michael Spinks, the world light heavyweight champion, in September 1985. It was a big upset. Spinks, who would vacate the light heavyweight title after this fight, won a 15-round unanimous decision. Holmes then fought Spinks again in April 1986, this time losing a controversial split decision. (I thought Holmes won the rematch). Unfortunately, people remember what you did last.

When his career is analyzed, I think those factors hurt Holmes in the eyes of some.

But I personally don’t pay attention to any of that. For me, Larry Holmes was a great champion.

I will always remember a dominant Larry Holmes, with a sharp left jab, one of the best in boxing history, and a thunderous overhand right and uppercut.

The eclectic collection of boxing photography and artifacts including the legendary John L. Sullivan 's fur coat; a blazer specially made for Jack Dempsey and the late, great Irish fighter Dan Donnelly's mummified right arm – yes, your read that right -- will be on display until the end of the year at the South Street Seaport Museum.

Curator Jim Houlihan has amassed a wonderful collection of items, all of which pertain the Irish fighters. The exhibit began last year at the Irish Arts Center before moving to a much larger space at the Seaport. If you are in the city for the holiday and venture downtown, it's definitely worth stopping in. A century's worth of Irish fighters -- from here and across the pond -- are represented.

The museum sits near the East River, where pre-Ellis Island Irish immigrants first landed in New York. During a recent restoration of old seafaring buildings along the docks, a wall of Irish graffiti was uncovered, dating back to the Great Famine. That has also been incorporated in the Fighting Irishmen exhibit. -- CASSIDY

BY MARCUS HENRY

Is there anyone out there who thinks boxing doesn't do well on PPV anymore? If so, check out the following:

HBO Sports announced today that the Dec. 8 Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton welterweight title bout generated 850,000 pay-per-view buys and $47 million in PPV revenue. That total caps off the highest performing year in HBO Pay-Per-View history. In 2007, HBO PPV recorded 4.8 million buys and more than $255 million in revenue across eight boxing events. The previous high for HBO PPV in boxing was in 1999 with four million buys and $200 million in revenue. In 2006, HBO PPV registered 3.7 million buys and $177 million in revenue. The banner year included the record-setting Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather May 5th mega-fight that produced the highest performing pay-per-view event in history with 2.4 million buys and $134 million in revenue.

HBO will certainly have a nice Christmas.

* WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto is the next obvious choice as an opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr. But don’t be surprised if Cotto is lured into a fight against Oscar de la Hoya in May at Dodgers Stadium. It would bring more money to him because Oscar always brings in more money. If the winner faced Mayweather Jr., it just might eclipse all the financial records set by De la Hoya-Mayweather.

* Every great fighter has something they get away with. Greg Long, boxing aficionado at Newsday, reminds us that Ali grabbed opponents behind the neck. Tyson used his elbows and Holyfield led with his head. With Floyd, his left elbow and forearm are an integral part of his defense. It was more obvious in this fight because Hatton pressed Floyd more than any previous opponent. Nonetheless, referee Joe Cortez did a lousy job of getting Mayweather to stop. He threatened to take points, but never did.

* HBO’s 24/7 series is the best marketing tool to hit boxing since the explosion of the Internet. Fans that would otherwise ignore boxing are familiar with Mayweather and Hatton because of that series. And most that I’ve spoken with actually watched the fight because the series piqued their interest.

* One thing I can do without, though, when it comes to 24/7 is uncle Roger Mayweather’s excessive use of “m-----f-----er.” I cringe every time I hear him say it. He said it an awful lot in the corner on fight night too.

* It is boxing tradition that the referee stands at ring center, between both fighters, and raises the winner’s hand once a decision is announced. A variation on that theme still exists, even after knockouts. But somehow, the image of Mayweather, one arm slung around the shoulders of Cortez, after the fight seemed inappropriate. Both men were beaming for the cameras. Does the umpire pose with the winning pitcher after a game? Does the referee stand at the 50-yard-line and hand the game ball to the star running back?

* Nice to see a departure from Floyd’s 24/7 persona after the fight. He is as humble in victory as any athlete I can recall. Couple that with the emotional bear hug he threw around his three children after the fight and it makes you wonder which is the real Floyd?

* It was revealing that Hatton said Floyd was a bigger welterweight than he expected. Floyd's first title came at 130 pounds. Hatton has never fought under junior welterweight (140). That would presumably rule out Hatton ever fighting De la Hoya, who walks around as a middleweight. You got the sense from Oscar last month in New York that he was angling for a match with Hatton.

* To me, one indicator of greatness is a fighter’s ability to adapt. Floyd has been able to defeat any style he encounters. No matter what the opponent does, Floyd has an answer.

* So Floyd spoke about a “long vacation,” after this bout. I never thought I’d say this, but please Floyd, not too long. -- CASSIDY

BY MARCUS HENRY

To be honest, what Floyd Mayweather does next is anyone's guess. He's proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Miguel Cotto backers will certainly protest that last statement. And rightfully so. But right now, it's Mayweather. There isn't a fighter in the game that makes people miss like Mayweather. And no one does it as effortlessly as he does. He also showed some power in his 10th TKO victory over Ricky Hatton.

The question is what is next for him. Believe or not a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya is not out of the question. Not sure why either fighter would even entertain that idea. I covered the May 5th tilt between them. And Mayweather is too young and too elusive for De La Hoya, who would be pushing age 36 by time the fight is made. A more logical slate of opponents would be Antonio Magarito, Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams, Shane Mosley or even Kermit Cintron. Truthfully, a fight against one of the aforementioned five fighters would be better for boxing.

The only fighters amongst them who has enough of a name to draw big money are Cotto and Mosley. But some boxing experts will argue that Cotto might be too big for Mayweather. And Mosley's age (he's 36) would be a big issue.

The bottom line is money talks. Mayweather got $20 million for the De La Hoya fight. If De La Hoya came calling again and the money is right, don't be shocked if you see the two mix it up again. I'd be lying if I said that fight wouldn't be a waste of time.

RIP longtime boxing writer and historian Hank Kaplan. He will be missed.

If you worked this side of the ropes in the boxing business, you relied on Hank Kaplan. He was an historian who was generous with his time and his collection of photos, magazines and clips. He could often be a writer's greatest resource.

Hank passed away early this morning at his home in Kendall, Florida following a brief battle with cancer. He was 88.

A native of Brooklyn, Kaplan began doing publicity work for Angelo and Chris Dundee at Miami’s Fifth Street Gym in the 1950s. He was the founder and editor of World-Wide Boxing Digest magazine and served as consultant to Sports Illustrated and HBO. For over a decade he was The Ring’s Florida correspondent. He was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

It's been said that Kaplan will donate his massive collection and archives to Brooklyn College.

Appropriately, today, the flags will fly half-staff at the Hall.

If ever a fighter needed a moment like this, it's Larry Holmes. This June, Holmes will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. He was heavyweight champion from 1978-85 and had one of the best left jabs in boxing history. Yet, when you think back about his career, what do you remember?

That Michael Spinks became the first light heavyweight champion to upset the heavyweight king at the expense of Holmes?

That endearing quote, "Rocky Marciano couldn't carry my jockstrap?

Or, Holmes pummeling an aged Muhammad Ali?

Maybe it's all of the above. Holmes had the misfortune of following Ali as heavyweight champion. Even if you are good, it's difficult replacing a legend. Ask Tino Martinez and let's ask Joe Girardi the same question in October.

The problem was, Holmes tried too hard to be liked. And when it became clear that he wasn't going to be embraced in the same manner as Ali, he began to resent it. Every slight -- real or imagined -- became a tremendous issue. Usually, the coverage that followed was not flattering.

Remember the classic Ali interview with Howard Cosell when Howard asks, "You seem truculent today champ?" Ali answer goes something like this, "Whatever truculent means, if that's good, I'm that."

Holmes was good, and at times, truculent. But few are as deserving as Holmes for induction into the Hall of Fame. He won the title from Ken Norton and heading into the final round the score was even. Two of three judges voted for Holmes and one of the greatest reigns in heavyweight history was underway. It's just too bad he didn't always seem to enjoy the ride.

Larry, in June you'll be driven through the streets of Canastota for the Hall of Fame's wonderful parade. Please, finally, enjoy the ride.

To read more about Holmes and the Hall of Fame, visit the hall's web site, ibhof.com.

The son of former middleweight contender, "Irish" Bobby Cassidy," Robert was born into the boxing beat. He was reading The Ring magazine when most kids are still reading nursery rhymes. He officially began cover the sport in 1987 and his coverage of boxing has appeared in Newsday, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, Timeout New York and The Ring. Cassidy's work has been recognized by the Press Club of Long Island, the Boxing Writers Association of America and the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing.

Cassidy is Newsday.com's Deputy Editor of Multimedia.

Marcus Henry began working for Newsday’s city edition in April 2003. He’s been a part of the Newsday high school/local college sports desk since then, covering both Long Island and New York City high schools. He has also covered the WNBA’s New York Liberty the past two seasons. Prior to coming to Newsday he spent four years working for PA SportsTicker, a real time sports newswire service. Marcus has also freelanced for the New York Amsterdam News, College and Pro Football Weekly, and the National Sports Weekly. In addition to his work on the local desk, Marcus is also a huge boxing fan. He has covered several fights for Newsday, including the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight and the recent Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley battle.

Mike Rose covered professional and amateur boxing for The Journal News of Westchester County, N.Y., from 1995-98.

He has covered a wide range of boxers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr. and Evander Holyfield. Rose is Newsday's Deputy Sports Editor/Cross Media.