HBO 24/7 Pacquiao –Margarito

Manny Pacquiao squares off with three-time world champion Antonio Margarito of Tijuana, MX during a Top Rank studio photo shoot for their upcoming mega fight. Pacquiao and Margarito will battle on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, for the WBC’s vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) title.

Its back HBO’s 24/7. The first of a four 30-minute episodes will start October 23.

“’24/7′ excels when there is great drama, and this fight has it. Manny Pacquiao continues to conquer new challenges in the ring and in his life, while Antonio Margarito returns to the ring having been through a very controversial episode that polarized many in the boxing community,” said Ross Greenburg, HBO’s president of sports.

“’24/7′ will examine all aspects of what has taken place since the night Antonio Margarito fought Shane Mosley,” said Greenburg. “We will chronicle the suspension handed down to Margarito and the subsequent reinstatement process.”

Photos: Sugar Shane Mosley Media Workout

Five-Time World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley poses on September 1, 2010 in Los Angeles, California during a media workout in preparation for his September 18, 2010 fight against former World Champion Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

All Photos by Gene Blevins – Hoganphotos/GBP

Bob Arum’s Son is Missing

Bob Arum suddenly has a much more pressing matter than hyping the November showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. The boxing promoter’s

son, a devoted hiker, was reported missing on Sunday after going on a trek in mountains near Seattle.

John Arum is an environmental lawyer. Top Rank VP Carl Moretti told the Daily News that a rescue party had found John’s tent, along with binoculars and sunglasses, at a camp area but had not located the hiker. Arum and wife Lovee departed by plane for Seattle right after Los Angeles presser.

The press tour is scheduled to land in New York today where Top Rank president Todd duBoef, who is Arum’s stepson, will preside over the proceedings in his absence.

Photo: Washington Environmental Council

Pacquiao & Margarito’s Beverly Hills Blitz!

Fighting for the WBC Super Welterweight Belt

The big blitz is on!

For all you MyBoxingFans readers, here’s a quick look at today’s news conference announcing the mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito taking place on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Held at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel, the fighters were flanked by their promoter, trainers and managers and surrounded by a huge turnout that came out to welcome the boxers on this very first stop of their media tour.

Promoted by Top Rank, along with Cowboys stadium and MP Promotions, the upcoming clash is already building steam at an extremely rapid pace. I could already feel the buzz and excitement that this match has created from media and fans alike at today’s luncheon. It’s a good thing that HBO will be doing their “24/7″ series on the two since the next ten and a half weeks will be filled with non-stop Pacman-Tijuana Tornado talk–24/7!

“Kassim the Dream” Airs TONIGHT!

Ouma’s story is one worth watching

At an age when most children are starting first grade and playing with crayons, boxer Kassim Ouma was forced to become a child soldier and shoot real guns. Not exactly “child’s play.”

I have seen the riveting film “Kassim the Dream” a couple times now and I encourage you to catch the cable broadcast TONIGHT on the Sundance Channel at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), also airing Tuesday 1:50 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Kidnapped at age six by the NRA rebel army, this is Ouma’s intense and heartbreaking true life story. The middleweight, by way of East Africa and Florida, is now living and training in Southern California. Stay tuned for a future column as I caught up with the Ugandan-born fighter who has managed to leave this tragic life behind him while he continues to fight in the boxing ring–not in the war zone.

What an Embarrassment!

This past Saturday, James Toney got his ass kicked in the co-main event of UFC 118. Randy Couture in a heart beat dropped Toney with a shot for a single leg takedown. Toney wasn’t able to get a single punch off before finding himself in trouble within the first 20 seconds of the round.

Couture locked up an arm triangle and began to squeeze the lights out of Toney. Couture simply moved in to side control to finish the fight. Within seconds of getting side control, with the arm triangle locked in, Toney began “waving” for the tapout just 3 minutes and 19 seconds of the first round.

Many UFC fans were giving credit to Toney for actually going into the Octagon, an eight-sided mat and cage, but for us boxing fans, it was a embarrassment, supposedly he dropped 40 pounds just to enter the Octagon at a bloated, bubbly 237.

Giovanni Segura KOs Iván Calderón

Giovanni Segura (25-1, 21 KOs) scored a punishing eighth round KO over previously unbeaten WBO mini-flyweight Iván Calderón (34-1-1, 6 KOs) to unify the 108lb championship on Saturday night at the Coliseo Mario “Quijote” Morales in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Calderon boxed beautifully early on, but Segura turned the tide and had him in trouble in rounds five and six. Calderon weathered some difficult moments, and regained his form in the seventh. Segura, however, continued to pressure the 35-year-old ring legend and floored him for the count with a devastating liver shot in round eight. Time was 1:34.

Vitali Klitschko vs Shannon Briggs

Vitali Klitschko (L) of Ukraine and Shannon Briggs of US pose for photos during their press conference in Kiev on August 30, 2010. WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko will defend his title against Shannon Briggs in Hamburg, Germany, on Oct. 16, 2010.

Photo by Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images

Maidana Wins Braw with Corley

In front of 11,000-crowd, Interim WBA World light welterweight champion Marcos Maidana (29-1, 27 KOs) retained his title over former world champion DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley (37-14-1, 22 KOs) by way of a very tough unanimous decision. The bout took place at the Estadio Luna Park, in Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina. The official scores were 117-110, 115-112, and 116-110 all in favor of Maidana. The 36-year-old Corley fought his best fight in years giving the 27-year-old Maidana all he could handle in the fight.

After the fight on Saturday night Maidana stated that now that he won his return fight he is willing and ready for Amir Khan. “I will saying as many times as necessary ‘cause I don’t want the boxing fans to be tricked by Khan’s team’s statements. I always want to face Khan and they ran away from me. Now it’s the time, so let’s make it,”

James Toney’s Big Debut on Saturday

Heavyweight boxer fights MMA’s Randy Couture!

Boxer James “Lights Out” Toney wants to prove that “the lights are still on and somebody’s home” when he takes on mixed martial arts icon Randy “The Natural” Couture Saturday night on the “UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2″ card at the TD Garden in Boston.

Will it be a Beat Down in Bean Town for the sweet scientist versus wrestler?

This marquee matchup is Boxing vs. MMA.

It’s the ultimate Cage vs. Ring contest.

It’s Stand Up vs. Ground and Pound.

It’s Randy at 6′ 1″ vs. James at 5′ 10″.

It’s age 47 (Couture) vs. age 42 (Toney just celebrated his birthday on Tuesday).

It’s the former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champ vs. the cigar-smoking, colorful six-time World Titlist with a 72-6-3 and 44 KOs record.

Expect the fans to cheer on these champs, even though Couture remains the big favorite.

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