Paulie Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner is for the WBA welterweight championship, set for June 22nd at Barclays Center on Showtime.

Alright, let’s start this off by talking about your next opponent, Adrien Broner. You have mentioned that he has looked good mostly due to the fighters that have been hand picked to face him. So is it safe to say that you view Broner as a product of careful matchmaking?
 
PM- Definately! Broner is more so a product of connections, In life and in general, a lot of times, it comes down to who you know. And in boxing it’s no different and he is lucky to have Al Haymon in his corner. It’s careful matchmaking and a product of connections. And a lot of the boxing media believes this hype, they buy into it. It’s ridiculous.
 
So with that being said, does it make you feel that Broner and his team picked you as being a safe bet, as someone that they feel that he can walk through, and in the process pick up another strap in a different weight class? If so, how do you feel about that?
 
 PM- Yeah, you’re right, they think that I’m a careful pick. They figure that since I didn’t look so great in my first defense that they are catching someone that is slowing down. Now usually someone else gets the opportunity, but once again it seems to be ”Haymon’s World”, so that is really why Broner is even in position to have this shot.  
 
I feel that you have an extremely high boxing IQ, so you are going to force Broner to think and look for adjustments to make. Making super key adjustments is something that we have yet to see Broner do. So from that standpoint, I just don’t understand the logic in picking a fight in a new weight class against a real student of the sport. Do you see anything in Broner’s boxing style that you look at and say, ok, he does that very well? And would I be correct in assuming that Steve Forbes’s slick slippery style and Karim Mayfield’s grind down and body you style are the reasons as to why they were selected to help give you that certain look that is needed?

PM- Yes, that’s exactly right. We wanted grinders for sure because if he thinks of attempting to walk through me because they say that I quote on quote ”can’t punch”, so then let him try. Go ahead and lift them weights all you want. We are preparing for anything that he brings to the table, so that is also why we got slick slippery fighters in there as well and we are going to be bringing in a few more guys. As far as my boxing IQ, you are right it is very high. So as you mentioned, Broner has never had to really think in there, he hasn’t had to make adjustments. And what is he going to do once he finally finds an adjustment to make and then I make another adjustment to what he is doing? You see, he is going to have to really think in there.  
 
You two have had some pretty entertaining confrontations, he has called you a clown, has tried changing your name to Paulette, has even brought in one of your side chicks into the build up of your fight. I mean talk to me, out of all the things that he says and does, what annoys you the most? Or is he simply just adding fuel to the fire at this point?

PM- What annoys me is that he acts like he was born with money, this clown really believes that he earned that money that he flashes around. You either have it or you don’t. He also along with the media, bought into this ”Haymon Hype”. Go ahead and believe that you earned that money, keep lying to yourself.  
 
Now I understand that you wanted VADA to do the testing for this fight, but in return you were told that USADA would be doing the testing instead. Now I could be totally wrong, so please correct me if I am. But wasn’t USADA that busted Morales in his rematch against Danny Garcia, and was still allowed to fight anyway? I mean, what’s the point of testing if you are going to still allow the fighter that got caught to still go on and fight? I also heard that VADA is also a lot cheaper in cost than USADA. Who will cover the costs associated with it?  VADA from what I have researched on also has more strict testing that’s involved, so it’s a no brainer for me. In knowing all this, doesn’t raise concern as to why they are so bent on wanting to only use USADA?

PM- Yes, it raises a lot of concern. But from the start until the end of the day, I did complain about it. But what can you do you know, I mean I signed the contract so we got to go with USADA. I just hope that they are a testing organization that takes this real serious. That’s all I can do at this point. But once again, it all goes back to who is calling the shots in all this. And you and I both already know. 
 
I just saw the Matthysse/Peterson fight, now from my couch, Matthysse looks like he punches like a smaller version of Golovkin. But I feel that Garcia’s ability to punch with his opponent will make it interesting. But you are the pro and you just had a very up close and personal look at Matthysse, you have also called a Danny Garcia fight. If a Garcia/Matthysse fight is to get made, how do you see it playing out?

PM- I think that pound for pound Lucas Matthysse is the hardest puncher actually. Golovkin has freakish power as well, but Golovkin more so has to grind you down. It’s really an interesting fight, a solid fight. Both Lucas and Danny have good chins and Danny’s punching power must also be respected. I hope we get to see it happen, that fight has fireworks written all over it. 
  
You have had some beef in the past with Devon Alexander, you just called his fight against Purdy. How did Devon look to you? And I understand that we can not over look Broner, but if both are on the table, would a fight against Alexander interest you in the future, or if Khan makes a jump to 147, would you jump at the chance to avenge your loss and want to face Khan again instead?

PM- Alexander looked good, Purdy was durable but looked to be out there just trying to survive. So it’s hard to stop someone that is in survival mode. I would love to get either of those guys but first thing is Broner, so after Broner then we can sit down and discuss it a bit more.  
 
Alright bro, thanks so much for your time. Is there anything that you would like to say in closing?

PM- Thanks to all my fans out there for the support. Follow me on twitter @PaulMalignaggi. 

If you like that fresh shirt and hat on the photo above, go to www.theundergroundclown.com and check out Future Legend clothing and other official gear as well.

When Iron Boy 7 was first announced, it was announced that hard hitting Joel Diaz Jr. would be headlining the show. So as soon as I heard this news, I was extremely excited to see him in action. But then soon after, I was informed that Diaz Jr. would no longer be on the card due to opting out for a spot on an upcoming ESPN Card. I was then later told that tough as nails featherweight Guy Robb would be replacing Joel Diaz Jr. on the card.
 
As I then took a deeper look at the bout sheet, I got excited all over again when I noticed the names of action fighters that will be displaying their skills, such as the fierce warrior Chris Lopez, local elusive fan favorite Juanito Garcia, the pro debut of Panchito C De Vaca, the explosive Carlos Castro, the beast and younger brother of Jose Benavidez Jr., David Benavidez, Slick and smooth Beaver Santiago, and the aggressive Sulem Urbina. (Castro, Beaver, and Sulem’s fights ended up being scrapped due to injury and unforeseen events) Reading over those names became an instant reminder that we were going to be in for quite a night of fan friendly fights.
 
The night was also extra special for the simple fact that some of the young fighters are supporters of the fight against Breast Cancer. These young fighters should be applauded for being so humble and generous at such a young age. I was told that De Vaca will donate his purse from his professional debut fight and Iron Boy Promotions will match the boxer’s contribution.
 
Members of the Cancer Society were on hand to witness this great event. It was another job well done by Robert Vargas and his Iron Boy promotions team, matchmaker Mike Sanchez, publicist Emily Pandelakis, all the participating sponsors and vendors, the fighters and trainers, and by our great Valley of the Sun fight fans that came out to support our growing local talent.
 
And now, on to the action.

Amateur Bout#1- Lupita Navarez and Rosa Orozco fought an entertaining scrap to open up the night. Navarez went on to take the decision.

Bout#2- Luis Espinoza packs a punch and landed a bit more heat on the showman Alejandro Dominguez. This Dominguez kid is something else, at one time he tied up his opponent and began to blow kisses towards the fans. Espinoza cruised by to take the nod.

Bout#3- Ariel Arismendez and Alejandra Cardoza came out swinging from the jump. Good action fight with fierce exchanges. Arismendez and her dynamite power went on to win the fight.

Bout#4- The beast, David Benavidez came in and proved to be too much for the game Gustavo Esparza by blitzing him with rights and hooks to the body and stopped his foe in one.

Pro-Bout#1- 130 pounders, Bedo Carbajal and Wilber Lopez put on a fun clash and were both determined to end things fast. Carbajal took the first 2 rounds for me, but in the third round, Lopez hit Carbajal with a nasty right hand that dropped Bedo. Lopez went on to hunt Bedo down and let his hands go. Lopez wins by 3rd round TKO.

Bout#2- Major props to The Mongoose Xavier Montelongo for coming out DMX “X gonna give it to ya” for his fight against Miguel Armendariz. Xavier showed good hand speed, and knocked down and went on to stop his foe in the 3rd round. X reminds me a bit of Juan Diaz.

Bout#3- Jesse Adame and Fernando Samaniego were up next and exchanged heavy leather. Adame was wide open for the over hand right shot, and got clipped a few times. Samaniego wins it by unanimous decision 60-54.

Bout#4- 108 pounders Alejandro Solorio and Eduardo Valenzuela were up next and they put on a very exciting slug fest. Valenzuela wins by majority decision.

Bout#5- The much anticipated debut of Panchito C De Vaca was now upon us as the crowd went crazy. Robert Alcazar, best known as Oscar De La Hoya’s first trainer, now trains Panchito. Martin Mendez did his very best to rough up Panchito, but his opponent was just too quick. De Vaca knocked Mendez down in the first and then jumped on him like a storm. Panchito stopped Mendez in the second with a clean upper cut. Jesse Vargas was in attendance in Panchito’s corner.

Intermission- Jesse Vargas announces that he will be fighting on the Marquez/Bradley card in September. Ray Beltran also said a few words thanking the fans for the support. Orlando Salido and Jose Benavidez Jr. were also in attendance greeting the fans.

Bout#6- Next was Guy Robb, a fighter from Sacramento that I was very much looking forward to seeing. John Herrera tried his best to circle out, but Rob came after him like a hunter hunting his prey. Robb takes it 60-54 by unanimous decision.

Co-Main Event- Juanito Garcia one of Phoenix’s favorites, came out looking very strong and boxed a smart fight and dusted off Jeremiah Torres in the second round by tko.

Main Event- The Arturo Gatti of Phoenix, Chris Lopez came out and put hands on Pablo Batres. Both fighters exchanged bombs from close range as the fans went nuts. I am convinced that Lopez can never find himself in a boring fight. The kid sweats out blood and doesn’t have much power, but his will is incredible. What an incredible war, Lopez gets the nod by unanimous decision.

It was another great show put on by Iron Boy Promotions and the next one will be here at the Celebrity Theatre on July 20th. Do not miss the next show.

Yesterday at the breath taking Raven Golf Course in Phoenix, the first annual CRC celebrity Golf Classic was held. A few current, former, and celebrity friends came out to show love and support for Calais Campbell’s CRC Foundation.

The CRC Foundation is a non-profit, organization established in 2010 to teach skills that are not typically learned in a traditional classroom setting that are necessary for real life, such as accounting, budgeting, drug and alcohol awareness, cooking, diversity awareness, and writing. Future CRC classrooms will use the facilities as an alternative to negative activities in the community. Students will also have the opportunity to shadow mentors from the community, participate in sports and develop creative talents. So as you can see, the CRC Foundation is truly an amazing charity that will help provide important tools to kids in your community into becoming great leaders as they step into a brighter future.

I had a few words with Calais as to what are some of his hopes leading into his first annual CRC Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic and this is what Calais had to say:

“CRC Foundation has received great support in the Phoenix community, and it means so much to me,” said the defensive linemen Campbell, who is entering his sixth season with the Cardinals. “I’m looking forward to bringing together my friends from the Hollywood and sports to enjoy a fun day of golf. I know some of these celebrities take the game pretty seriously, but I’ve been working on my short game so I’m up for the challenge. I’m looking to have a lot of fun out there with family and friends and it’s for a great cause so you can’t beat that.”

The star-studded two-day event was presented by the Diamond League. Personal jewler, Ricky Miller was out there with some very stunning eye catching jewlery out on display. Go to www.DiamondLeagueInc.com so you can all see it for yourselves.

Other great sponsors were also out there having a blast, such as Massage Envy, LNW Athlete Marketing,  FoxSportsAZ, and Muscle Milk. Athletes and actors such as Kirk Morrison, Drew Stanton, television and movie star Omar Benson Miller, Ryan Lindley, Mike Gibson and a few others were out there having a lot of fun stopping by the sponsor booths.

And who could forget the Team NFL United Way booth. They were also out there getting as many volunteers to sign up for Team Calais.

I strongly encourage everyone to go to http://www.unitedway.org/team-nfl/players/Calais-Campbell/ and Pledge with Calais Campbell to help cut the dropout rate in half by becoming a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor and you could win cool prizes on top of that. Let’s all go out there and help make a difference, let’s Live United!

Photo Credit: Jimmy Lujan(Who by the way signed up to become a United Way volunteer for Team Calais, while there at the event. Way to go Jimmy!)

McDonough has spent the past three seasons helping Celtics general manager Danny Ainge assemble a championship caliber team and now has a chance to do the same on his own in Phoenix. At 33 years old, McDonough is one of the youngest general managers in all of professional sports.

McDonough was a finalist for the job along with Milwaukee Bucks assistant general manager Jeff Weltman and San Antonio Spurs assistant general manager Scott Layden.

The Suns have many issues they need to address and McDonough will now be the guy in charge. The next position that must be filled is the head coaching vacancy. Based on interim coach Lindsey Hunter’s performance during the second half of the season it is doubtful that he will return to be the permanent coach.

Mayweather takes Guerrero to school, wins by unanimous decision- Floyd once again produced another boxing clinic by defeating Robert Guerrero this past Saturday night. Guerrero, early on was countering Floyd’s lethal right hand by touching Floyd down stairs each time that the right hand would zoom out. Floyd as always, then made a few adjustments by stepping in then out after turning the right leads into right hooks. In all honesty, the fight played out exactly how I thought it would play out. I knew it was a complete mismatch, the second the ink dried up on that fight contract. I am such a boxing geek with it, that it’s not even funny. I studied tape on the Ghost, and his fight against Yordan told me right away that the straight right hand would be way too much for him to handle. So excuse me if I am not going out of my way to praise Floyd for this performance. For me, it was expected, you don’t get extra credit for doing what you are supposed to do.

It was a good quality win against a tough fighter, nothing more, nothing less. Floyd’s record remains perfect at 44-0, and will now more than likely look to feast on junior welterweights. I for one, hope that Floyd looks to challenge himself a bit and will decide to fight foes at 154. Tougher challenges await at 154, opposed to what is currently available for him at 147. For Guerrero(31-2-1), I would love to see him in against Victor Ortiz, the Malignaggi/Broner winner, or the winner between Marcos Maidana/Josesito Lopez clash.

Extra credit for Abner Mares- For 2 fights in a row now, Mares has beaten two fighters in Anselmo Moreno and now Daniel Ponce De Leon that presented real challenging threats to Mares. Now that is what you call daring to be great. Taking tough fights that deep down remind you that you might possibly lose. Mares was so on point in his performance, that it forced De Leon to just employ the left hand out of fear of getting caught with a bomb if he were to fire out more rights. Mares is a straight up beast.

Leo Santa Cruz, a punching machine- Speaking of beast, Wow, this kid is an animal. Leo is a storm, a meat grinder, a walking torture chamber, and a Mexican mauler all wrapped into one fighter. What a fighter, I want to see a lot more of this kid.

Rosado gets no LOVE from one particular judge- Gabe Rosado and J Leon Love to me fought a good, somewhat close fight. At one time, I mentioned out loud that I had Rosado up by 2 points, but I could very well see it going 1 or 2 points either way, or quite possibly even a draw. But by no means was this a 97-92 type of fight, the judge that turned in that score for Love, had either too much love for Love, or is an undercover member of the money team. Whatever the case, that judge should never be allowed to judge any type of contest, I don’t care if it’s a hot dog eating contest or a pie eating contest. I tell you what, if Rosado can get back to 154, I see Rosado making some real noise in that weight class. Austin Trout, Miguel Cotto, the winner of Smith/Molina are all there at 154. At 160, I would go after Sergio Martinez or Daniel Geale. As for J Leon Love, my 2012 prospect of the year displayed a lot of heart by getting himself back up after being dropped, but if I were him, this very un popular decision would not sit well with me.

Saturday, May 4, 2013
Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather(43-0) vs. Robert Guerrero(31-1-1) (WBC welterweight title)- I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I sat here and told you that I wouldn’t mind seeing the Ghost shock the world, this coming Saturday night on Showtime Pay Per View. I mean, who wouldn’t like to see an under dog story play itself out and serve the king a huge slice of humble pie? But reality is the mother of everything with in our grasp. It honestly feels strange to me to get so deep into something that is as clear as night and day.

When I see Guerrero, I see him as having to feel that he must hate his opponent so stubbornly, but only because he senses that once the hatred is gone, that it will be then that he will be forced to deal with pain. It is ok to enter the ring with anger, just as long as the anger can be controlled.

The Ghost is going to have to kill the space between both fighters, and he must then bring Floyd’s guard down and punch when he is at close range. He must also not allow for Floyd to frustrate him so much that Guerrero will then look towards the door of desperation. Use your south paw stance to your advantage, aim for his forehead instead of his chin, and punch where he is going to be, opposed to where he is currently at. Point blank, the Ghost is going to have to fight the perfect fight in order to shock the world.

I strongly feel that Guerrero is going to make the mistake of thinking that Berto is much stronger than Floyd. He will figure that since he was able to move Berto around and beat the dog poop out of him, that he will be able to do the same against Floyd. Big mistake. Floyd’s core is much stronger and his lead right hand will shoot out like a dagger on speed. I see Floyd fighting Guerrero the same way that he did when he fought Victor Ortiz. Mayweather is going to fight aggressive and will sneak in a few looping left hooks that will make Guerrero think twice about attempting to sneak in through the side window.

If you feel that I am exaggerating with my fast ball pitch, all you have to do is study the Guerrero vs. Yordan fight. Go to youtube and check it out for yourself. If Guerrero couldn’t adjust to that minor league pitch, then how is he going to be able to adjust to the major league pitch that awaits him? I could be very wrong, but I see Mayweather beating up Guerrero and earning a unanimous decision. I would be far from shocked if Mayweather ends up stopping Guerrero late.   

Canelo(42-0-1)/Trout(26-1) wrap up- While watching the fight, I felt that Canelo was leaning in too much when throwing his right hand. If Trout was in better position, he could have timed it and made things real interesting. Trout did fight a good fight, but my eyes told me that the placement of his feet were a bit off. To me it looked as if Trout was firing shots from a different area code a lot of the time. Trout needed to step into his punches, by not doing so, it allowed for Canelo to have complete control of the real estate. Best way to sum this fight up is, Trout trained for a totally different Canelo, and Canelo made an adjustment before the fight even began.

Fury(21-0)/Cunningham(25-6) wrap up- I honestly thought that Cunningham had Fury out of there early in the fight. Cunningham had Fury looking like the London Bridge for a minute or so there. Here is the thing though, Cunningham was facing a giant that outweighed him by over 40 pounds. Now I understand that weight does not win fights, but I feel that a lot of the times, weight can surely dictate. My honest feelings in all this is that, if a fighter is floating around 210-215 pounds or so, then that tells me that the fighter should be boxing at cruiserweight. I understand that there is a lot more bread and bigger names at heavyweight, but at what cost? It’s just not worth it to me, why place your health on the line facing these super sized heavyweights? Fury showed a lot by getting himself back up and did a great job at using his weight to rest all that weight on his foe to wear him out.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY Live from Showtime

Danny Garcia(25-0) vs. Zab Judah(42-7) (WBC/WBA super lightweight titles)- Danny Garcia is an extremely brave young fighter. The kid is one of the best at punching with his opponent, that is how he was able to blitz Khan and Morales. He punches with you, and that will spell doom for Judah. Judah must use every square inch of that ring and must keep Garcia turning. I’m going with Garcia to knock out Judah inside 8 rounds.

 Also, from the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England

Amir Khan(27-3) vs. Julio Diaz(40-7)- Khan is going to be way too quick for Diaz to deal with. It’s going to be hard for Diaz to get his shots off. If Khan jabs, then this fight will be easy for him, if Khan decides to show off too much, well, you know the rest. Diaz is going to feel as if he is getting hit by 2 guys in there. I am picking Khan to beat Diaz by unanimous decision.

And on HBO, Saturday, April 27, 2013

From Estadio Jose Amalfitani in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sergio Martinez(50-2-2) vs. Martin Murray(25-0-1)- Murray is a tough fighter that knows how to fight from safe range, he knows how to pick his spots. But I have a feeling that he will look to be too brave against Martinez. That may be his down fall, Martinez will launch his shots from different angles that will slice up Murray. I am picking Martinez to stop Murray by t.k.o late in the fight.

King Gabriel Rosado Media Day:

Just now, at Central Boxing Gym in Phoenix, was the Open Media Workout For King Gabriel Rosado(21-6). Middleweight Gabriel Rosado, of Philadelphia, PA, will take on J’Leon Love(15-0) for the NABF title on Saturday, May 4th at the MGM Grand Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The bout will be televised on Showtime PPV.

Michelle Rosado, Marketing Manager for “King” Gabriel Rosado, and President/CEO of Raging Babe Events, mentioned that she was completely overwhelmed with excitement when Gabe reached out to her about relocating his camp to Phoenix. Gabe Rosado prepared for his fight against Charles Whittaker last year here in Phoenix, and Gabe looked very sharp in that match against Whittaker which resulted in a 10th round knockout for Rosado. Gabe and Billy enjoy coming out here to Phoenix to focus 100% on just boxing, there is no doubt about it that both fighter and trainer are on the same page and their dedication is on a whole nother level.

Media day was a complete success, as usual, Billy Briscoe(Rosado’s trainer) has Gabe looking fast, fierce, and very strong. So you can completely throw out the notion that they are over looking their young and hungry opponent.

Gabe advised me that the heat out here is nothing to play with, but that he loves coming out here to Phoenix to get that work in. And plenty of work was definitely completed, Briscoe had Gabe out here chopping wood, and mountain trail roadwork. These old school boxing techniques will help out tremendously come fight night by utilizing the entire body to bring out the very best out of the fighter.

There were Team Rosado t-shirt giveaways, photo ops, autographs, official MAY DAY posters, and mouth watering BBQ wings catered by Phil The Grill, Phil can be reached at WWW.PHILTHEGRILLCATERING.COM.

Gabe Rosado media day was brought to you by NATIONWIDE AUTO WARRANTIES and Raging Babe Events.

This season was a disaster from the very start when they lost three of their first four games, including a blowout loss to the Orlando Magic. The Magic finished the season with the worst record in basketball. They suffered through a seven game losing streak in the beginning of December. They went on a stretch of winning two of 15 games that ultimately resulted in the firing of Suns coach Alvin Gentry. A coach that led the Suns to the Western Conference Finals just 3 seasons ago, but was stripped of talent little by little every year.

After the firing of Gentry, the Suns went through a public relations nightmare when they passed on the ultra-popular Dan Majerle to be the interim coach. Majerle refused to stay on the coaching staff when the Suns hired Lindsey Hunter to be the interim coach. The Majerle debacle was just another controversy in a season of many.

Lindsey Hunter actually fared worse than Gentry as the Suns went 12-29 under Hunter. The Suns had a season high losing streak of ten games and a home losing streak of seven during that stretch under Hunter. It is unknown if Hunter will return next season as the coach.

With all the negative events that went on throughout this season, there were some memorable games and players who stood out. The best Suns win of the year came when Steve Nash made his return to Phoenix with the Lakers at the end of January. The Suns made a furious 13 point comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat the Lakers 92-86. Michael Beasley, who badly struggled with the Suns for the majority of the season, had one of his few bright moments scoring 27 points, including the go-ahead basket.

Another memorable win came in the beginning of the year against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Suns came back from a 26 point deficit to beat the Cavaliers 107-105. Goran Dragic had 26 points and Shannon Brown scored 12 4th quarter points to key the comeback win. Of course, the win ended up costing them ping pong balls as the Suns finished one game ahead of the same Cavs in the standings due to this win.

Goran Dragic was one of the very few Suns who can be proud of their individual numbers for the year. Dragic averaged 14.7 points and 7.4 assists in 77 games. He also had 20 games of having double digit assists, including a season high of 18 in a 102-98 win on the road in Portland. Dragic was one of the few consistencies for a team with many inconsistencies.

The Suns have now missed the playoffs for three consecutive years and have very little talent on the roster. The 2013 draft will give the Suns a huge chance to pick the right player to start the rebuilding project. Selecting the right coach will also be one of the bigger decisions of the off-season. Lindsey Hunter’s audition as coach was very unspectacular and I would be shocked if he returns. The Suns need to clean house this off-season and try to erase this misery season as quickly as possible.

Donaire(31-2, 20 KOs)/Rigondeaux (12-0, 9 KOs)after thoughts- Going into the fight, I felt that Donaire’s pro experience would out weigh Rigo’s amateur scoring style. I also felt that it would be Donaire that would be the quicker fighter because of that. Boy oh boy was I ever so wrong, dead wrong feels more like it. It was Rigo who controlled the pace and had Donaire guessing all night long by constantly turning his opponent and never allowing him to have his feet set.

I also mentioned in my prediction that the fighter that had the quickness advantage would be the one to win this high speed chess match. Quickness from the eyes and mind, and right from the jump, it was Rigo’s eyes and mind that seemed to be 3 to 4 steps ahead of Donaire. Nonito failed to adapt, he allowed to get too comfortable with his skill set and didn’t feel the need to further his boxing education.

Roy Jones Jr. was the very same way, Roy got used to dominating his opponents on pure athletic ability, hand speed, and incredible reflexes, that he failed to sharpen his mind on other important aspects of the sweet science. Take a deep look at Jones’s arch rival, Bernard Hopkins. Roy was and is more naturally gifted, but Bernard continued to sharpen his mind and because of that, Hopkins is the better skilled fighter. Bernard’s commitment, dedication, and not being afraid to expand his mind to sharpen his craft and boxing IQ, are more than enough reasons as to why the man today at 48 is still performing at a high level.

Another thing that I noticed, was that Donaire tasted Rigo’s power early, and became gun shy because of that. Aside from Rigo’s masterful boxing performance, what Rigo did last night is what I like to call,”Eliminating the Questions”, top fighters absolutely love to make an excuse for themselves by saying,”every time I win, it’s always something, that I beat someone old, or someone that was too young, it’s always something new”..well, those type of comments are gonna always come if you give them reason to come!

What Rigo did last night was dominate a top fighter in his prime, making it impossible to question. All top fighters, must take note of that. I also want to add that I felt that Nonito would beat Abner if they ever fought one another, but I always felt and still feel that Mares has the best chance of beating Rigondeaux. Abner took the wheels off of Anselmo Moreno quite easily, and Moreno is a pure boxer. Right now, I would pick Rigo to beat Mares, but Mares’s dog fight mentality is what is needed to put that heat on Rigo.

Saturday, April 20, 2013 Live from the
Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Showtime

Saul Canelo Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KOs)vs. Austin Trout (26-0-0, 14 KOs)- I can’t seem to call this one. I keep going back and forth on this pick, and just when I feel comfortable with my pick, something then comes right back to me like a boomerang. My early pick has always been Trout, I just feel that Trout has a lot of range and knows how to do the subtle small, yet eye catching things that steal rounds.

Canelo on the other hand, usually wins his rounds by landing forceful loud thudding shots that leave a big impression on the judges. In saying that, I strongly feel that Trout must knockout or knock Canelo down a couple times in order to win this blood feud clash in Texas. Point blank, Austin must think of this line, Trout must leave ”No Doubt” and knockout.

Outboxing Canelo in this one will not spell victory, Austin has got to know that. The extremely loud crowd will sway the judges into giving rounds to Canelo each time that Canelo unloads his combinations. And let me tell you this, that young red headed kid places his punches very well from top to bottom. Man, I hate doing this, but I got to change my pick . I am now picking Canelo Alvarez to beat Austin Trout by very possible argumentative split decision.

The Minnesota Wild with 46 points and the Detroit Red Wings with 44 points currently have hold of the final two spots in the West. The teams outside looking in as of now are the Coyotes with 42 points, Dallas and Columbus with 41 points each. Dallas has nine games remaining, while the rest of the teams have eight game left on their schedules.

The best chance for the Coyotes to sneak into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year will probably be to catch the Red Wings. It is very possible that we could have a tie for the eighth spot this evening, if everything goes according to plan tonight. The Coyotes have a road game against the Calgary Flames, one of the worst teams in the league. The Red Wings travel to Chicago on the back end of a back-to-back tonight.

This is a game the Coyotes must have tonight because their schedule does not do them any favors down the stretch. They play five of their final eight on the road. They play six games against teams that will be playing in May including road games at Chicago and at Anaheim, the top teams in the West. Their biggest game will be against the Red Wings on April 22nd in Detroit. That game could very well decide who will be advancing to the playoffs.

The Red Wings will be battling to keep their 21 year playoff streak alive. Yes, the Red Wings have not missed the playoffs since I was born 21 years ago. The amazing thing about this streak is that they have never even been close to missing the playoffs. The worst seed they have been has been the sixth spot and they have been fourth or higher in 18 of the 21 years. The Wings schedule gives them the slight edge as they only play three games against teams guaranteed to go to the playoffs and three of their final four games are at home.

The Coyotes main focus has to be on the Red Wings because I do not see them catching the Wild with their cupcake schedule and a four point cushion. Other teams in the hunt are the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets as they sit a point behind the Coyotes. The Stars just had a fire sale of their team and the Jackets are a very young team that I do not think is ready for playoff hockey. That leaves the Coyotes and Red Wings battling for that last playoff spot.

The Coyotes always seem to rise up when the adversity increases. This team has thrived on adversity for each of the last three seasons and they are well equipped to handle these final eight games. Mike Smith has only given up two goals in his last three games and is playing like he did during the Coyotes playoff run last season. Smith may have to be this good the rest of the way for the Coyotes to get in.

IF the Coyotes do sneak into the playoffs, then they will probably be matched up against the Chicago Blackhawks for a rematch of last year’s first round match-up. Just think… the Blackhawks would have all the pressure on them to live up to their regular season record and they already know Mike Smith can win a series all by himself. The Coyotes won’t be scared of Chicago and this could be a series the Coyotes can steal just as they did last season. Is it too early to dream of another playoff run in the desert? Probably,but it is fun to dream of the possibilities though.