Boxing's Alive and Well

So did you hear about Manny Pacquiao? He got knocked out cold by a right hand from his arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez.

Of course you heard about it. It was literally the shot heard around the world. The fourth installment of the Marquez/Pacquiao saga was the most rewarding re-re-rematch we have ever seen. While most people complain about having to see the same guys fight for the fourth time, I was ranting and raving about it because I have never felt like I wanted my money back after watching one of their three previous fights. The two pugilists were made for each other just like peanut butter and jelly. The same way legions of fans were lined up for the fifth and final installment of the Twilight saga, I will line up and wait to see them go at it again.

It's a fight I will watch, even if they do it annually into their 70's, sure as night and day, you can expect fireworks when they meet. Marquez was determined to show the world he can beat Pacquiao, and Pacquiao was "determined" to prove to the world he hasn't lost a step. Has he lost a step? Sure he has, he has 17 years of professional bouts to his name, eventually skills begin to diminish. Not just is time a factor in Pacman's decline, but his focus is just so scattered around between being a congressman, his wife's political venture, his change on religion among other things. Now I'm not condemning Pacquiao for changing his ways for the sake of his family, but being a Boxer is a profession that requires undivided attention and dedication. He has seemed to have lost the fire in his eyes when he was mowing down fighters, pulverizing guys like my idol Erik Morales, Antonio Margarito, and Ricky Hatton.

As for the fifth fight, Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum has said there is a plan for another chapter to the rivalry in the works for possibly June or September.

June seems to be the more logical choice as Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather have announced tentative dates for the Pound for Pound King to make his return to the ring in May and September. Top Rank can't afford to compete head to head with Floyd Mayweather's possible showdown with Saul Alvarez on one of Boxing's most important weekends, Mexican Independence weekend. Top Rank has also unofficially announced a September rematch between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. There is too much going on in that month for a mega-fight between Pacquiao and Marquez to be showcased also, that is why the June date makes the most sense.

Pacquiao fought Tim Bradley in June this year and the PPV sold just under 1 million buys. There is no reason this fight can't hover around the 2 million buys after the world wants to see how Pacquiao will bounce back after brutally being knocked out. When Pacquiao was knocked out last week, so was everyone's hopes to see Pacquiao and Mayweather finally square off. The fight lost my interest years ago, it was clear the fight would never happen. I'm glad that can finally be laid to rest, well at least for the time being.

Back to Mayweather, the announcement of two fights in 2013 is odd to say the least. He hasn't fought twice in a year since 2007, let alone just four months apart. If the reports about this are true, I see an "eliminator" style card happening in May. Robert Guerrero will finally get his shot at Mayweather and on the same card Canelo will face somebody he can easily beat setting up the money showdown (no pun intended) in September between Mayweather and Alvarez.

Boxing is alive and well, Boxing will see a magnificent 2013. There are so many fights that we are primed to see. We will see a possible fight of the year candidate between Orlando Salido and up-and-coming Mikey Garcia, a heated showdown between Danny Garcia and Zab Judah, a likely rematch of the 2012 fight of the year between Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios, Josesito Lopez is waiting in the wings for the winner of this week's bout between Amir Khan and Oscar Molina, and my favorite.... The return of the enigmatic Victor Ortiz and whomever he chooses to fight in his return to action since suffering a broken jaw at the hands of Lopez. Those are just the few fights or possible fights that come to mind now in anticipation of 2013.

2012 will end with a bang with a star studded Saturday afternoon and night of great fights.

As mentioned earlier, Khan will take on Molina is Khan's quest to bounce back after back to back losses to Lamont Peterson and being knocked out by Garcia this summer. Khan has since fired trainer Freddie Roach and has started working with Virgil Hunter (Hunter's most notable fighter is Andre Ward). Molina is a green unbeaten hometown fighter looking to make a name for himself when he will be on the big stage this Saturday on Showtime. Something tells me Khan will lose for the third time in the span of a full calender year as Molina drops him in the middle rounds, exploiting Khan's glass jaw and makes the Brit consider other options other than Boxing. Khan has his eye's on Paulie Malignaggi's WBA Welterweight championship, and may be looking past the hungry Molina. If Khan survives the fight a rematch for Malignaggi may be a reach with Malignaggi confirming that the rumors of a showdown against Shane Mosley are accurate and is being considered  for a April return to the Barclays in Brooklyn. Khan with a win on Saturday may find himself as a serious candidate to face Mayweather in May if Golden Boy chooses to skip on Guerrero.

Over on the HBO side of things, the replay of last week's Pacquiao/Marquez fight will air and so will the awaited bout between Nonito Donaire and Jorge Arce. We last saw Donaire in October and is making a quick return to fight the Mexican slugger "El Travieso". Arce's prime years are long behind him, but he is still a good fighter who has the will and courage to engage the Filipino Flash in a slugfest. Will Donaire masterfully outclass Arce? That seems likely, but I wouldn't be surprised if Arce gives him a run for his money in what could be a great bout.

Also on Saturday night, it will mark the end of an era. Longtime color commentator Larry Merchant will call his final fight for HBO. While the 81 year old Merchant didn't say he was retiring, rather he will take a break and consider other options. I have always liked Merchant's analysts, while sometimes quirky, but always on point with his words. He had a knack for bringing out the best of Mayweather as he did after his victory over Ortiz last year. How can we forget when he looked Mayweather in the eyes and said, "I wish I were 50 years younger, and I'd kick your ass". Merchant was great, and was a staple of my home on Saturday nights, but as we unfortunately lost another HBO voice in Emmanuel Steward, HBO will have an empty feel to it. That is not a knock on Max Kellerman, I love him, he is probably my favorite commentator, but I just grew up listening with Merchant, Steward, and Jim Lampley ringside.

Back in Action

"Camacho could fight. As a lightweight, he was blazing fast and he had great, great skills. People don't realize he was one of the signature guys that helped build the boxing brand back in the '80s. CBS loved him. Anybody he fought they put him on CBS, and he invariably got them good ratings." - Bob Arum (Source USA Today)

It's been a while since we here at TheSoCalSportsGuys have been active blogging. Truth be told I'm going through quick pace changes in my life. Started a new job, which is a challenge to say the least. I'm a new guy at a place with guys that have been there for years, and I have a bit of power over them. It's hard for them to take me serious only being there a couple weeks. Enough of that, I'm trying to escape all that by doing what I love. Write about sports. I'm still contributing my weekly fantasy column to the Daily Press, but this blog has taken a bit of a backseat to it all.

 

Since I last blogged, so much has happened in the world of Boxing. I might have last blogged when Emmanuel Steward passed. Since then, we have seen the tragic loss of one of the brightest and game changing individuals we have seen in the squared circle, Hector "Macho" Camacho. The former champion was wounded by a gunshot in his native Puerto Rico and had initially been expected to recover. Then we heard of spine damage and the chances of him being paralyzed. Then in a tragic turn of events we found out his own mother had to take him life support. 

A big loss to to the Boxing community, as he inspired so many of today's fighters. He was a cocky, arrogant, self centered, egoistical, flamboyant, the consummate guy you love to hate. Macho Camacho oozed of charisma, and it was evident when HBO aired clips of him as young champion on the broadcast of the Robert Guerrero/Andre Berto slug fest (which I will get to in a minute). Camacho's influence has been imprinted in guys like Roy Jones Jr, Naseem Hamed, Paulie Malignaggi, and hell even the ever so original Floyd "Money" Mayweather. It was one thing to be cocky and flashy with your craft in the ring, but Camacho had a swagger about him that you loved to hate. I for one didn't ever have the chance to see him fight, but I have seen enough videos of him on YouTube over the years to know he was one bad motherfucker. He was a tactician in the ring that wasn't afraid to brawl. He had heart, he had guts, he had the will to stare down somebody down and take whatever punishment they dished out. He was quick and effective with his craft, and had a chin that could withstand the blow of a sledgehammer. 

Steward said it best when he told Oscar De La Hoya he wouldn't knock him out when they fought in 1997 - "You are not going to knock him out, his chin is made of granite and his heart is twice the size."

That was Macho Camacho, the guy that people tuned into to see get his ass beat, but they wound up falling in love with after the show. Camacho was among the names in the 80's that boosted Boxing's popularity much like the UFC and MMA has experienced in the last decade. Boxing in the 80's was probably the best time to be a Boxing fan, Heavyweights weren't main attractions, guys like Camacho, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler were gluing eyes to television sets across the world. What I would give to find Doc. Brown's Delorean and watch those prizefights in person. 

But Boxing is still alive and kicking. We have hit the final stretch of the year where great cards are on a week by week basis. Nov. 10 we were dazzled by Abner Mares' and Anselmo Moreno's display of courage in the ring. We saw the long anticipated showdown between them and it delivered and catered fans whom have been waiting for that fight to finally happen. It wasn't even the most anticipated Mares fight, we're still waiting for the day Mares and Nonito Donaire finally cross paths. And if De La Hoya (Mares' promoter) is sincere, we may just see this fight happen soon. He went to twitter saying that he is willing to work with long-time rival Bob Arum to make the fight happen. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. 

November 17, we saw Adrien Broner take a leap in class and handles Antonio DeMarco with ease. Broner proved to the Boxing world he is for real, and much like people prayed to see Camacho get his arse kicked...... I'm waiting for the day somebody floors Broner. He has phenomenal talent, but has been sniffing too much of Mayweather's jock strap. His style in the ring is a come forward version of Mayweahter. Both use the same shoulder roll technique, both have quick hands, both have significant power, but Broner seems to love to brawl. His fights intrigue me, but his person is force fed as he tries way too hard to be a carbon copy of Mayweather, but this guy has what kids call "swag". 

This past weekend we witness the return of Ricky Hatton. Hatton made his return to the ring after a 3 and half year layoff riddled by drug and alcohol abuse and alleged suicide attempts. It was very heart warming seeing The Hitman get the kind of ovation he did in his hometown of Manchester. Listening to 20,000 Brits chanting in unison "There's only one Ricky Hatton" gave me goosebumps as Michael Buffer was doing the fighter introductions before his fight with Vyacheslav Senchenko. 

Hatton looked good for a pugilist that has been out of action for so long. He was quick and crisp with his combos, landing effective shots on Senchenko early. Hatton dictated the fight the first half of the 10 round bout. Then he seemed to hit a wall, the fatigue caught up to him, the long span of inactivity took a toll and Senchenko pulled up even in the second half of the fight. Then in the ninth round, Senchenko tagged Hatton with a liver piercing body shot that sent the former champion to his knees wincing in pain and could make the 10-count. After being counted out, he laid on the canvas still trying to recover from the picture perfect body blow by Senchenko. Hatton announced he was heading back to retirement after the fight, he said he felt he didn't have it anymore. I think that's crazy. He sure had it for five rounds. A tune up fight before a rematch against Malignaggi would certainly help him on his way back into the ring. I'm hoping Hatton fights again because he didn't look like just a fighter coming back for a paycheck. 

Later that night we saw Guerrero vs. Berto in what looked like a sure mismatch early in the fight. Berto was hurt, rocked, and hit the canvas twice in the first two rounds. It was a fight, the commentators said it reminded them of a street fight with the constant holding and semi-dirty antics each fighter used to gain the upper hand. Berto fought back valiantly also stunning Guerrero with heavy shots that didn't seem to phase his opponent. Berto's both eyes were swollen shut after being cut open in the second round but he willed his way through the fight. Guerrero himself had his lead right eye swollen shut also. This reminded me of a pit bull fight, as both mercilessly kept clawing until the end. If not for the Brandon Rios/Mike Alvarado fight from October, we might have called this the fight of the year. Guerrero proved he is a damn good Welterweight, he proved he has every right calling out Mayweather out by beating Berto. (I actually won a bet on this fight when I bet a certain someone that Guerrero would "whoop Berto's ass". I never win bets when it comes to Boxing. And to top it off, I still haven't collected my winnings.) Guerrero has been lobbying for a fight with the Pound for Pound Champ since early this year and was rumored to have his wish granted before Mayweather took the May showdown against Miguel Cotto. Guerrero cemented his status as a legit contender at 147 and has a bright road ahead of him. 

Speaking of Cotto, he is back in action this weekend against the up and coming Austin Trout. Trout is a young raw talent that pose a significant threat to Cotto. This is Trout's moment on the big stage as he has never been on HBO or Showtime, let alone a main event. Cotto had a small list of possible opponents after a very competitive fight against Mayweather in May. It seemed to be he would have his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but negotiations fell through when an agreement couldn't be reached on the terms of weight. Cotto should win this fight at Madison Square Garden setting up a possible Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Tune in this Saturday on Showtime and enjoy the fireworks. 

---- Jose

The Break Up Heard Around the World

If you have any kind of social media, I'm sure you're aware of the Twitter and Instagram ramblings between former power-couple Floyd "Money" Mayweather and 50 Cent. The relationship is over, the honeymoon was been over since 50 has been in business talks with Mayweather's rival, Manny Pacquiao.

"Hello! Do you not see me standing right here?"

For the past month or so, it's been reported 50 and Pacquiao were in talks of starting SMS Promotions. The short lived TMT Promotions disbanded and rumors were running rampant about the drama between the best friends. Rumors of 50 sleeping with Mayweather's girlfriend "Miss. Jackson" during Money's incarceration was the topic of discussion on the internet. Nothing has been confirmed, we're still not sure exactly what happened between the two.
But Friday night, we were given a nice little viral squabble with 50 actually hinting that Money has been dodging Pacquiao all along. 50 even pleaded that Mayweather fight Yuriorkis Gamboa, here are the exact tweets.

- "Gamboa wants to fight Floyd. I will put up a extra 20 million for the winner. He don't like it that Floyd pulled out."
- "Ellerbee you a broke bum. Gamboa want to fight Floyd tell him lace up. Lol"
- "Gamboa is the truth, Floyd no that, stop tricking and fight"
- "If you say Floyd a kill Gamboa tell him fight."
- "Gamboa moving up in weight Floyd. You should have know not to go against me punk"
- "I can't hang with Floyd no more, I'm tired of running from Manny Pacquiao"

Strong words to say towards a former domestic partner. Mayweather responded with posting pictures of 50 with a few comebacks. In on picture, he called 50 a "male boxing groupie" as he posted pictures of 50 carrying his title belts and money. More nonsense ensued, I'm sure you get the point, but it had me scratching my head and wondering something.

We've seen this same thing happen before. Remember in Twilight when Bella was Team Edward and then she was Team Jacob?

No, I'm just kidding.

But I have seen this episode before, and I'm pretty sure it will end up happening as so. This whole situation has a WWE feel to it. 

Ironically enough, Mayweather has worked with WWE in the past when he had a short lived feud with the Big Show after legitimately breaking his nose a month before Wrestlemania 24.

This has a different Wrestlamania vibe to it. Back in 1998 Mike Tyson was still the baddest man on the planet, he made an appearance on WWE Raw and formed an alliance with D Generation-X. Shawn Michaels had Tyson in his corner heading into the big main event against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
On the night of Wrestlemania 14, Tyson turned his back on Michaels. The referee was knocked out and Stone Cold hit Michaels with the Stone Cold Stunner. Tyson hopped into the ring and hit a fast three count giving Austin the win. Everybody was shocked. As soon as Michaels got up, he got in Tyson's face and gave him a bit of a shove. Tyson did what he knew best, knocked Michaels out cold. 

So do you have a mental picture of what happened?

I personally wouldn't be surprised if this is all a plot to get Pacquiao and Mayweather in the ring. 50 and Mayweather are luring Manny into the fight and possibly will work out something to rid him of Bob Arum. If the fight happened, here's what you could expect to happen.... Unofficially.

If I was your best friend, I'd want you around me all the time.

Pacquiao and 50 build a friendship that goes past just the business partnership. 50 will be the quintessential male Boxing groupie that Mayweather called him. Mayweather will be the bad guy as always, using the same tired and rehearsed phrases. We can even do a over/under as to how many times Money will use phrases like; "Like I said before", "At the end of the day", "Helluva", "43 have tried, 43 have failed", or "43 had a game plan, all of those didn't work". I can even piece together a quote that you can expect Mayweather to say.

"At the end of the day, it's gon' be a helluva fight. Manny Pacquiao know he can get it. There ain't no blueprint to beat Floyd Mayweather. 43 had a game plan, none of those didn't work. 50 want it he can get it too. Like I said before, 43 have tried, 43 have failed."

Come fight night, Manny will have 50 escort him out and Bob Arum (let's call him Vince McMahon) will appoint 50 as the special enforcer, just as Tyson was. Floyd will have his posse of Justin Bieber and  in a eerily funny coincidence, former D Generation-X member Triple H.

The fight will start and for this comparison's sake, Pacquiao will have Mayweather in trouble through out the fight (I personally think Mayweather handles Pacquiao with ease). The drama will pick up in the 12th round, 50 Cent will hop into the ring with a steel chair in hand and act like he is going to hit Mayweather. As he goes to hit Floyd, he makes a full 180 and bashes Pacquiao over the head. Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman will go insane over the HBO broadcast, just like Jim Ross does for WWE. The world will be hit with that unexpected twist and Michael Buffer will announce Mayweather as the winner of the bout.
Obviously this is unlikely, but it would be entertaining to watch. All joking aside, I don't know how serious to take these latest turn of events. I don't know how credible SMS Promotions really is. At the end of the day, Mayweather Promotions was never really credible, it was a "company" that had a mere three fighters under it's belt. TMT Promotions didn't even put together a single card, most of it's action came on the internet with the rampant rumors of Curtis Jackson hooking up with Mayweather's girlfriend. I'm sorry Miss. Jackson *oooh* I am fo' real. 

- Jose

Emanuel Steward

When I woke this morning I looked on BadLeftHook.com to see if anything has happened in Boxing since last night. I usually do that, wake up and check my SB Nation app. I seen a story about legendary trainer  and analyst Emanuel Steward's death. After texting a few people that care about Boxing about it, I see an update to the story that Steward's family is stating he is still alive. So I get back on twitter and I see a tweet from Andy Lee. Lee is currently trained by Steward. The tweet said that Steward's sister informed him that she is by Emanuel's side and he is seriously ill but is still fighting strong. A report from WXYZ CH. 7 in Detroit is shared mentioning the Steward family disheartened by the reports of his death. It has been a roller coaster ride trying to keep up with the series of events. Early in the a.m. Wladimir Klitschko (another fighter trained by Steward) posted a statement on Facebook about Steward's death and posted a black and white image of the two. A few hours later, both items are removed from the site leading to speculation he is still alive. Well I'm under the impression Steward is still alive, and am glad to hear that. I hope to soon hear him on HBO talking about this day and his fight to stay alive and beat the 10 count.

When I initially read the news, I was heartbroken. I immediately started thinking about all the fights I have heard with him on commentary.

Then the ninth round of Micky Ward-Arturo Gatti I, instantly popped in my head. I could hear Steward screaming at Ward to keep attacking Gatti's body after Ward hurt him early in the "Greatest Round in the History of Boxing".

Here is what Steward said during the round:

"This is it, it's not like a head punch." - After Ward dropped Gatti with a wicked left hook to the bod
"And Ward is going to go back down there again. Right to the body again." - After Gatti beat the 10 count.
"He's (Gatti) is still hurt from the body punch, in addition to the head" - As Ward is throwing combinations staggering Gatti.
"But Ward should go back to the body again!" - Gatti is rallying back into the fight with pure heart and wiillingness to fight.
"Unbelieveable!"
"Now, Gatti is trying to get a break, Ward should go back to the body.... That's where he needs to go! GO TO THE BODY!" - After Gatti wore himself out from throwing and Ward starts to get his punches in, most notably to the body.
"You know, you dream of fights like this. But very seldom do they live up to the expectations, but this is even more than you could dream of." - As the men exchange blows with 30 seconds left.
"And Ward is tired, and here comes Gatti back!" - In the final 10 seconds of the fight as Gatti rallies back
"This should be the round of the century."  As the men walk to their corners at the finale of the greatest round I've seen as a Boxing fan.

This moment stood out to me like no other, I remember watching this fight and specifically telling my dad, Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward are giving this fight so much more feel to it with their emotions.
Often times we take things for granted. We don't realize what it would be like to lose something we love. In this case it was the voice of Steward on HBO. He has been a staple in my home on Saturday nights and late at night when I watch old fights on YouTube because I would rather watch Boxing than sleep.

Take a moment and think about the blessings of being alive. Cherish everything and those you love. Tomorrow isn't promised to us. If it was, life wouldn't be such an interesting journey.

- Jose

Erik Morales/Danny Garcia II

This weekend Erik "El Terrible" Morales (52-8; 36 KO) and Danny "Swift" Garcia (24-0' 15 KO) headline a star-studded card by Golden Boy Promotions.

WBA Welterweight Champion, Paulie Malignaggi (31-4; 7 KO) will make a homecoming title defense against the up and coming Pablo Cesar Cano (25-1-1; 19 KO) in a 12 round bout for Malignaggi's WBA Welterweight Championship. Malignaggi is coming off his finest moment as a professional, traveling to the Ukraine and beating Vyacheslav Senchenko vio TKO. Not many gave "The Magic Man" a chance against the undefeated Senchenko but Malignaggi dug down deep to shock the Boxing world. Malignaggi is not known for being much of a puncher with only seven knockouts of his 31 victories. But on that night Malignaggi was masterful with counter punches and combinations keeping Senchenko in check before finally ending the bout in the ninth round. Malignaggi was rewarded with his first title defense in his backyard of Brooklyn, NY at the brand new Barclays Center against Cano.

Cano burst on the scene on the under card of the Mayweather/Ortiz card when he took on Morales. Cano gave Morales trouble early in the fight but the veteran adjusted and taught the youngin' a Boxing lesson winning by decision. Cano comes into the bout looking to spoil a special night for Malignaggi. Cano is hungry and seems to have the fire and fight in his eyes. It's a tough one to call before the bout because we have seen what a determined young fighter can do to a experienced veteran in the past. But Malignaggi still has years of fights left in him at the age of 31 and I feel will start a lengthy title defense reign starting with Cano.

Randall Bailey (43-7; 37 KO) and Devon Alexander (23-1; 13 KO) will finally get it on after the original date of September 8 at The Joint in Las Vegas was scratched due to Bailey suffering a back injury while sparring in preparation for the fight. The Bout will be for Bailey's IBF Welterweight Championship as Alexander looks to win his second title in two different weight classes.

The challenger, Alexander is coming off a display of dominance over Argentinian Marcos Maidana in his first fight as a welterweight. Alexander overwhelmed Maidana with power and speed almost seemingly landing his lead right hook at will.

The last time we saw Bailey, he viciously knocked out Mike Jones in a snooze-fest of a fight, winning the vacant IBF Welterweight title. The two will finally get it on and Bailey is looking to add another KO to his record as Alexander is out to prove to the world that the win over Maidana at 147 pounds wasn't a fluke.
In the main event of the fight, Morales looks for a bit of revenge against Garcia. The two fought back in March 24, Garcia won the bout via unanimous decision. Morales had gallbladder surgery in December, forcing him to withdraw from the original date of January 28. El Terrible recovered, but didn't really look in the best of shape we have seen the fearless Mexican warrior in before. He weighed in two pounds over the the 140 weight limit the day before the fight. Since he failed to make weight, he was stripped of his WBC Junior Welterweight Championship.

The fight started slow and Morales was able to dictate the pace, even busting Garcia's nose and face with his trademark combinations of a stiff jab and straight right hand. But speed was in Garcia's favor the whole night, in the later rounds, Garcia would even keep Morales at bay by forcing him on the ropes and delivering shots that made us wince watching Morales taking the shots. Garcia went on to knocking down El Terrible, but he got back up and finished the fight on his feet. Garcia won the fight by landslide margins on the scorecards. I personally had the fight much closer than the judges did.

Garcia's performance earned him a shot at Amir Khan's WBA Super World Light-Welterweight Champion in a unification bout. Garcia was the underdog coming into the fight as many people gave the edge to Khan. Khan seemed to outclass Garcia in the first two rounds, utilizing his speed. Then late in the third round, Garcia caught Khan with a counter left hook, and knocked him down. Khan was able to survive the round as he was saved by the bell. In the next round, Garcia dropped Khan two times prompting the referee to step in and stop the bout.

This fight has a few implications that could affect the future of Boxing. If Garcia wins, that would be his third victory this year and would easily propel him into the marquee group of the Junior Welterweight division with names like Lucas Matthyse, Brandon Rios, and Juan Manuel Marquez. A big fight with any of those names could be on the horizon, with a fight against Matthyse the most likely as they share the same promoter. I wont even get into the Golden Boy/Top Rank fiasco.

If Morales wins, where does he go from here? Will he retire, and exit the sport on top and at his own will? Will he make one final championship run and fight somebody like Matthyse (whom he was supposed to fight, but injury forced him to fight Cano) or Marquez. A fight between the two has been rumored since their days of sharing the featherweight division during the glory days when Marco Antonio Barerra, Manny Pacquiao, Marquez, and Morales were the cream of the crop. Negotiations have broken off a few times before between the camps, and looks more difficult now with Marquez worrying about a December bout with Pacquiao and Morales' eyes set on Garcia this Saturday.

If you're a Boxing fan, you may not want to miss this fight. The action will certainly make this fight a Fight of the Year candidate and for all we know, it could be the last time we ever see Morales lace up the gloves in a Boxing ring.

My Predictions

- Devon Alexander will outbox the free swinging Randall Bailey and overcome a knockdown to win via unanimous decison.

-Paulie Malignaggi will retain his WBA belt by withstanding a young and hungry Pablo Cesar Cano. I want to say Malignaggi wiins via TKO, but I'll go the safe route and say majority decision.

- I'm really hoping Erik Morales knocks out Danny Garcia.

Jose's second volleyball article.

Home Court Pays Off for the Silver Knights
APPLE VALLEY - The Riverside Prep girls volleyball team didn’t need an actual home court to stay undefeated in league play. They didn’t need the game to start on time either.
Thursday’s home matchup against Cross Valley League rival University Prep was played 11 1/2 miles from Riverside Prep and UP showed up an hour late because they couldn’t get a bus to Sitting Bull Middle School, where the match was played.
Despite the difficulties, the Silver Knights defeated the Jaguars 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-15) to remain atop the CVL standings.
“Normally we do our home games at their gym,” Riverside Prep coach Amy Sarkesian said. “Last year we did that, and I’m convinced that was part of the reason we lost against them. They have so much support there that we were the vistors even for our home game. I told the athletic director, please, this year give us our home game against UP at Sitting Bull.”
The Silver Knights (6-2, 3-0 CVL) beat the defending league champion Jaguars (6-6-1, 2-2 CVL) for the second time in as many matches. Riverside Prep won this time without Ofa Moa Samfong, whom Sarkesian called their star. SamFong is on vacation and out of action for two weeks.
With SamFong out of action, a pair of seniors stepped up for the Silver Knights.
“Destiny Fernandez and Vanessa Keyes both did an excellent job tonight picking up the slack,” Sarkesian said.
Fernandez had 12 kills, three aces, two blocks, and one dig to lead the Silver Knights. Keyes added
University Prep took the first set 25-19, in large part due to 16 errors by Riverside Prep.
Both teams committed more than 15 errors in the second set, but the Silver Knights were able to grab a 25-21 victory.
“I don’t think we changed (anything) at all,” University Prep coach Heather Martin said. “RP stopped making mistakes they were making, and we just started making a few more.”
The Silver Knights grabbed the lead when they won a back-and-forth third set 26-24, punctuated by a kill by Chelsea Baker.
Riverside Prep and Baker carried the momentum into the fourth set. Baker had three straight aces for at one point and 10 of the senior’s serves resulted in points for the Silver Knights.
“We came back strong,” Sarkesian said. “The league that we’re in, there is not a lot of competitive teams. They get really flustered with UP especially beacuse they’re our rival school. I was really proud of them tonight.”
University Prep is still looking for the mojo it had last season. The Jaguars have a new look after losing four starters from last season’s league championship team.
“RP stepped up their game a little bit,” Martin said. “Overall, I’m not displeased with them. There were some long games, some long rallies, and they kept through it pretty well.”
Marissa Rados led the way for the Jaguars with seven kills and 27 digs.

Jose's First Volleyball Game

Fun is Key for Apple Valley

The Apple Valley volleyball team is using the banner hanging in their gym as motivation to add a league championship to the school’s volleyball banner. The school hasn’t accomplished that feat since 1996. 

The Sun Devils beat Serrano 3-1 in a Mojave River League match. The Diamondbacks took a 1-0 lead after winning the first set 25-20. Apple Valley didn’t have answer for Serrano’s Savannah Ekis. Ekis led the team with seven kills, Annie Smolenski added three in the first set. 

A bit of controversy in the second set tied the score at 24-24, when a point was awarded to Serrano (3-1) after the Sun Devils’ Morgan Lyneis was ruled a late substitution. Apple Valley took the lead after a kill from Lyneis. Lauren Coffee won the set after scoring an ace to even the match 1-1.

The Sun Devils (4-0 MRL) rode the momentum with a 25-23 third-set win capped with a kill from Courtney Klein.  

Apple Valley didn’t let up in the fourth and final set after taking a 4-3 lead. Klein managed four straight aces to put the Sun Devils up 15-8, sending the home crowd wild.  

After a game winning spike from Sydni Ulibarri, the Sun Devils celebrated at center court. The team and their coach Casie Brooks did something not many teams do with their coach — they were having fun, while still keeping the competitive edge. The team gathered up and did a special dance inspired by the Green Bay Packers.

“I watch football, and everyone knows Aaron Rodgers’ ‘Discount Double-Check’. And they know (B.J.) Raji State Farm (commercial)” said Brooks. “We’ve been having problems with our energy, and just having fun, and them getting serious with working out. So I kind of wanted to make it fun for the girls and I brought in the ‘Discount Double-Check’ and the Raji dance. I told them they better do it tonight. It brought some fun and we’re going to keep doing it.”

The Sun Devils had fun playing, and their hard work paid off. Ulibarri and Lyneis ended the match with double digit kills, Ulibarri with 14 and Lyneis with 11 — Klein ended with nine kills, one block, and and five aces.

Serrano’s Elers ended her night with 14 kills, Nohelly Brown led the D-Backs with 19 kills in a game where the team commited 19 errors — four more than Apple Valley.

The win was huge for the Sun Devils in their quest for the league championship. It was the first victory for Apple Valley over the Diamondback in the last six contests. 

“To have that win makes all the work that we’ve put in all these years, the late-night practices, working at home practicing, all come together,” Klein said. “It feels so good to have that win.”

“It was all mental in our head, and we wanted this. We wanted the game, we all knew we wanted it and came together as a team.”

Serrano looks to rebound when the travel to face Sultana on Thursday. Apple Valley hosts Hesperia on Thursday in the hopes to keep the quest for the league championship alive. 

House Rules

"Cause the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes. The house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along, you bet and you bet big, then you take the house.” -Danny Ocean from the film Oceans 11 

The NFL is the most popular of all American sports due to the fact that it draws so much wagering. Gambling wether legal or illegal has become very popular from the office pools, to the straight up bets amongst friends, even the common fantasy league has some kind of cash prize at the end of the season. I can be sitting down on a Sunday watching multiple games needing someone to cover a four-point spread, but keep the total under 45 all while rooting for players on my fantasy league to come up big. It’s turned the game into a chaos of mixed emotions, all while making it much more exciting. 

I’m writing this to open up your eyes to the world of gambling, not to turn you into a degenerate. I plan to give you enough knowledge to add another element to your football experience. With Las Vegas a few hours away from SoCal, sometimes I like to take a trip and lay some bets down and enjoy what the sportsbooks have to offer. So if you’ve never placed a bet in a casino this what you will need to know in order to place a few dollars on your favorite team.

The Spread

The point-spread at first glance can be confusing and difficult to understand.The point-spread was created to level the game out. Sometimes a team is clearly far superior to their opponent, by giving a favored team a negative start to the game-essentially what is being created is a coin flip. When betting against the spread you are gaining points or losing points to start the game. In all instances where points are involved, the “favorite’ is losing points at the start of the game or it can be interpreted as the “underdog” is gaining points to start the game. In some instances there is not a spread and the line is left at 0 known as a “Pick Em” because essentially all you are doing is just picking a winner straight up, with no points involved. 

EXAMPLE

Green Bay	-	8:30 PM ET	Green Bay -3.5 (-120)
Seattle	-		Seattle +3.5 (-110)

Here, Green Bay is a three and a half point favorite. The best way to understand, the game starts off Green Bay down by three and a half points. Let’s say the final score was Green Bay 27, Seattle 24 - Seattle would be the winning outcome, since they got the half point to cover in their favor. So really the betting outcome is Green Bay 27 Seattle 27.5 

Another example, if the line wasn’t -3.5 for Green Bay, rather it was
just minus-three, and the same outcome of Green Bay 27, Seattle 24, it's neither a win or a loss. Since the actual outcome results Green Bay 27, Seattle 27, this is known as a push - exactly like in BlackJack when the dealer and the player hold the same outcome. Here, you don’t win any money nor do you lose any money. In order to bet Green Bay -3.5 or minus-three and win, Green Bay just needs to cover by four points so any outcome of Green Bay winning by four points is a win. One thing to remember the bookmakers always make you bet at a price which is what they call, "juice above". If you bet on Green Bay -3.5 the (-120)
indicates you will have to bet $120 to make $100. If you bet Seattle +3.5 the (-110), you will have to bet $110 to make $100. The juice can vary depending on how much is coming in on either side.

THE OVER/UNDER 

Green Bay	-	8:30 PM ET
Seattle	-		Over/Under 45.5 Over-110 Under-125

The OVER/UNDER is the easiest of the lines to understand. It is a line predicting where both teams combined points will result in. Again, for example, Green Bay 14, Seattle 21, the total combined points of both teams is 35. The line is 45.5 so 35 is considered under. As shown above, over 45.5 indicates that you can bet on either over 45.5 total points or under. So if you bet on the over, any total of 46 and above will result in a win. If you bet the under, any total of 45 and lower will result in a win. When the line has a half point as the one above does the outcomes are only a win or loss. When the over/under line doesn't have a half point (for example, the line is at 50) outcomes can be a win, loss, or push.

Betting on the over/under line can very fun as you are rooting for either a high score or a low score. It is very easy to be burned by this, as occasionally some teams score a meaningless touchdown at the end of the game that can ruin your bet. Also, keep in mind that over/under bets have a juice on them as well.

The MONEY LINE 

(EXAMPLE OF WHAT A MONEY LINE MIGHT LOOK LIKE)

NEW ENGLAND -160

BUFFALO     +140

The money-line is basically a pick 'em. You pick who you believe is going to win the game, straight up, no point-spread. Seems easy. Right? However there is a catch because sometimes it is easy for us to just pick a favorite. Usually, the probability of winning would be high, bookmakers aren’t going to just give money away. That would be too simple and flat out dumb on their part. That is where the money-line kicks in, which means you can pick the winner, but the risk is higher. Above New England -160 indicates that you will be paid $100 for every $160 you bet on New England to win. Buffalo however is +140, which means you will be paid $140 for every $100 you bet on Buffalo. On heavy-favorites, the lines can reach -500 and even higher. Making it a bit more discouraging to bet huge dollar amounts just to make 100. This benefits bookmakers because if they get large amounts of dollars on the favorite and the underdog pulls off an upset, they stand to make large amounts of money. If the favorite wins essentially they are only paying out cents on the dollar.

Now that I have explained the three common bets on a football game, these bets also
apply to other sports. The money-lines vary and the spreads accordingly for each sport's scoring systems. Other things that can be bet on are what's called a "proposition bet", better known as “props”. You can bet on an individual players performance. For example, Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver, OVER/UNDER 97.5 Yards. Prop bets are most popular on bigger games like playoff games and particularly the Super Bowl.

Ridiculous props such as - How long will Christina Aguilera hold the note on "brave" while singing the National Anthem, or what color Gatorade will the winning coach get showered in. Yes, this stuff exists. I will be doing more articles on gambling. I just wanted our readers to get familiar with gambling. I love to do predictions and will start today with my pick for tonight - Green Bay by 3 over 45.

-Daniel 

A Small Biased Weekend Recap

First and foremost, I want to say may Corrie Sanders rest in peace. The former heavyweight champion was shot to death in South Africa during a robbery. Sander's finest hour in the Boxing ring came in 2003, when he upset and knocked out Wladimir Klitschko. Say "hello" to Bert Sugar and Joe Fraizer for us, Corrie.

Tragedy aside, what an eventful weekend of sports. The San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds clinched their respective divisions. The New Orleans Saints are now 0-3 in a season without head coach Sean Payton. Kansas City Chiefs' running back Jamaal Charles quieted the naysayers with a brilliant 233 rushing yards on 33 carries performance. The Baltimore Ravens rallied to beat the New England Patriots by a last minute field goal. I wonder if Billy Cundiff was watching the prime-time game?

Ravens' wide receiver Torrey Smith put on a performance of a lifetime on what was a painful night for him and his family. Early Sunday, morning Smith received a call letting him know his brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. Smith rushed to his family and let his team know he wanted to play tonight. It was a performance that brought back memories of the game Brett Favre played in after his father's death against the Oakland Raiders. Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. His 5-yard touchdown pulled the Ravens to within a score at 30-28 in the fourth quarter. After the game an emotional Smith was consoled by Ray Lewis on the field. A very heart warming image. 

Speaking of dramatic finishes, the Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans went into overtime. Titans' kicker Rob Bironas kicked a 26-yard field goal to give the Titans a 44-41 victory. Tennessee blew a 20-9 halftime lead and became the first NFL team to score five touchdowns of 60-yards or longer in a game. Shaun Hill filled in for Matt Stafford after Stafford left the game with a strained right leg muscle. Hill tied the game after a 46-yard "Hail-Mary" that was tipped from Titans' linebacker Akeem Ayers into the hands of Titus Young at the end of regulation. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Raiders game lacked the emotion of the prime-time game, but was a nail biter. Daaaaa Raaaaaidaz (you have to say that in a Chris Berman voice) upset the Troy Polomalu-less Steelers with a 34-31 victory. Oakland's WR Darrius Heyward-Bey was carted off the field after taking a hard shot to the head from Ryan Mundy. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that doctors do not believe Heyward-Bey suffered a concussion, rather a neck injury that will require further testing Monday. Let's hope Heyward-Bey's playing days are not over.

I wont even get into my damn Philadelphia Eagles' shellacking. The Cardinals improved to 3-0 after a 27-6 clipping of the Eagles.

Over on the MLB side of things, The Los Angeles Dodgers salvaged the series in Cincinnati with a 5-3 victory. Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw returned to the mound and was effective if not shaky in five innings of work. The southpaw gave up five hits, five walks, five strikeouts, all in five innings. What an odd night of work. Adrian Gonzalez' bat finally showed signs of life with a two home run night. The Dodgers' offense displayed it's depth in the seventh inning when they scored four runs, started by a lead-off home run from Gonzalez. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez fouled a pitch off his left leg in the inning, after shaking off the hit, Ramirez singled to left only to hobble down to first base. Dee Gordon pinch ran and replaced Ramirez. Gordon made a costly error in the eighth inning sailing a throw into the first row of stands on a routine grounder. The error led to a massive-shot off the bat of Dennis Phipps, making his second career start. 

With the win, the Dodgers keep pace in the NL Wild Card race, trailing the St. Louis Cardinals by three games with nine games left on their schedule. The Dodgers head to San Diego on Tuesday for three games against the Padres, they head home for the final home stand against the Colorado Rockies and Giants. 

My Night Covering a High School Football Game

"What a success story, when the film plays it gets less gory." - Joe Budden

6:15 p.m. - I arrived to Oak Hills High School earlier than usual since I had never been there. I realize, I got there far too early when kick-off is at  7 p.m. So I hang out in my car and text back somebody special. (Yes, you)

6:30 p.m. - I make my way into the stadium, get in for free with my press badge, use my charm when the Mom in charge of the booster club didn't want to give me a free program. I found both head coaches and made my way to introduce myself to them. Tonight, I happened to run into my old coach from my short-lived playing days in high school. 

6:45 p.m. - I make sure i have my rosters, my stat sheets, my notebook, different color pens (when I keep play-by-play, I use different color pens to show which team has possession of the ball), make sure I have all my "tools of the trade". I posted a picture via Facebook and gave my prediction of the outcome of the game. I predicted - Oak Hills would win the game by 35. 

7 p.m. - As kick-off approaches, I met up with a co-worker who happens to be covering the game for the Daily Press (I cover games for the Sun, but intern at the Daily Press). Chat about the game and wait for the kick-off. 

7:13 p.m. - A.B. Miller jumps out to a 7-0 lead, wide receiver Kieth Moorefield caps off a 79 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. 

7:19 p.m. - Miller promptly scores again, this time on a 26-yard pass from Michael Watkins to Rashaun Moore. 14-0 Miller.

7:25 p.m. - Well, what do you know? Miller is up 21-0 after Watkins connected with Moorfield with a 57-yard pass. Boy am I looking silly picking Oak Hills, and with a margin of 35 points. 

8:14 p.m. - Halftime. I shake my head wondering where is the relentless Oak Hills defense I had heard so much about entering tonight's game?

8:19 p.m. - I tally up my first half stats, and I start writing out my capsule. I have found the easiest method to writing my capsule is to start as much of it I can as a draft in my email and use my phone on the sidelines to fill in as the game progresses. I tally up my stats and Miller's quarterback already has 227 throwing yards.

8:40 p.m. - Oak Hills gets on the board four minutes into the second half. Gino Masandrea muffs a punt, then picks it up at his team's 41 yard line. He shakes and bakes, gets a few blocks, and burns the punter as he sprints into the endzone, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. 21-7 Miller.

8:44 p.m. - Oak Hills' strong saftey, Phillip Hernandez picks off Watkins. 

8:53 p.m. - Sophomore running back DeZhontaey Flecher finds the end-zone after a one yard run to chip Miller's lead to seven. 21-14 Miller

9:01 p.m. - Masandrea reels in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Nolan Brammer to tie game at 21

9:09 p.m. - Watkins finds his favorite receiver, Marte Witt for a 18-yard touchdown after driving the Rebels from their own 20-yard line. 28-21 Miller.

9:14 p.m. - Two plays into the Bulldogs' following drive, Flecher burns through the Rebels' defense for a 74-yard TD run, tying the game at 28 with  9:13 left on the play clock. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a football game here.

9:20 p.m - Watkins tries to run the ball but is tackled by Kennedy Emesibe, the football comes loose, and Austin Beltrame runs back the fumble 36 yards, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the contest. 35:28 Oak Hills.

9:25 p.m. - With 7:41 left on the clock, Hernandez completes his second pick of the game at the Rebels' 25 yard-line.

9:27 p.m. - The first play of the drive, Flecher carries the ball into the endzone, only to have the play called back due to a block in the backfield.

9:32 p.m. - Josh Goodman connects on a 33-yard field goal with 4:50 left on the clock, cushioning the Bulldogs' lead. 38-28.

9:38 p.m. - Watkins leads the Rebels down to the Oak Hills' 21-yard line. He throws his fourth pick of the game, and third to Phillip Hernandez. 

9:39 p.m. - with 2;06 left on the clock, and the ball on the Bulldogs' own 3-yard line, Flecher bounces off his tackle, and torches the Rebels' defense again. This time setting a school recored, the 97-yard TD run is the longest in the school's short history. Suddenly the game is out of the reach of the Rebels. 45-28 Oak Hills.

9:44 p.m. - with 3 seconds left on the clock, Watkins connects with Witt again for a 32-yard TD, ending the game with a score that sounds better than losing by 17. Final score - Oak Hills 45, Miller 34.
     
9:46 p.m.  - now is the time I start to tally up my stats, and start piecing together my capsule together in my head. My final numbers for the game were; The Rebels' QB, Michael Watkins threw for 471 yards including four touchdowns. Wide receiver Marte Witt reeled in 11 passes for 213 yards - The Bulldog's sophomore RB Fletcher ran the ball for 221 yards and three touchdowns, including a school-record 97-yard TD. Senior strong safety Phillip Hernandez ended the game with three interceptions.

9:52 p.m. - Once Oak Hills' coach Robert Kistner addressed the team it was time to interview him. I came away with this interesting quote. "At halftime we told our boys, we have to go out there and see how much heart we have and come out as a team. Down by 21, it would be easy to fold our tents, but these guys showed how much heart they have tonight. Our defense made adjustments,and we battled through injuries. Our back-ups of the back-ups were playing. We had the sophomores Flecher and Gino both step up big tonight. We have a saying, 'start them young, raise them right'. That's what we did tonight."

9:58 p.m. - I rush back to my car and start on my capsule. My deadline of 10:15 is quickly approaching. I realize I'm not going to make my deadline, but I realize I got to watch a great game. So what if my capsule doesn't make tomorrow's paper, it will be online anyways. I bust my but, looking through my important stats, scoring plays, key moments. Anything that will give my capsule some personality. (My editors don't happen to like personality in the capsules. They want it direct, bland, and to the point.) I don't know if you can tell by reading my previous blog entries, but I'm not bland and I feel my writing never lacks personality. 

10:21 p.m. - I missed my deadline by six minutes. I didn't feel like it was my best work, I felt rushed, but I got the job done. I look up and realize I'm sitting in a dark and empty parking lot. Mostly everybody has left. I get a call from my sister, she needs a ride home. Lucky me, brotherly duties. And to top it off, my phone dies just as I hang up with her. I have a long drive home, and no Pandora to listen to. I turn up the volume on my cd player and guess what is blaring through the speakers. If you guessed Taylor Swift, you know me far too well. 

-Jose