– Although it was pretty clear that Floyd Mayweather Jr’s retirement was a sham, his hiatus from boxing ended when he accepted the challenge from Ricky Hatton. Both men are undefeated. The fight will take place in Las Vegas on Dec 8th and will be fought at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. Hatton is very likeable but Mayweather Jr should not have much trouble disposing of the Brit and continuing his claim as the greatest person ever to do anything.
– Another welterweight mega-fight will pit Miguel Cotto against Shane Mosley. Madison Square Garden will host this November 10th bout. It’s a battle of young versus old and perhaps the fight I am most looking forward to in the second half of 2007. The welterweight division is the most stacked and exciting division in boxing and these two fights are prime examples as to why.
– Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Dan Rafael of ESPN that the Hopkins-Wright pay-per-view generated between 300,000 and 330,000 buys. I’m surprised that many people paid for a boring main event but they were treated to two excellent undercard fights. It is the second-highest watched boxing PPV of the year behind the unattainable De La Hoya-Mayweather Jr offering.
– Dan Rafael also reports that Antonio Tarver is close to making a deal to fight light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson in September. It’s another intriguing fight amidst many others that round out 2007.
August Fight Schedule
Aug 4 – Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vazquez II WBC Super Bantamweight Title (Showtime)
Aug 4 – David Diaz vs. Erik Morales WBC Lightweight Title (HBO PPV)
Aug 11 – Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Rey Bautista WBO Super Bantamweight Title (HBO)
Aug 11 – Jhonny Gonzlaez vs. Gerry Penalosa WBO Bantamweight Title (HBO)
Aug 17 – Jason Litzau vs. Emmanuel Lucero (ESPN2)
Aug 19 – Riddick Bowe vs. Paul Phillips
Aug 24 – Delvin Rodriguez vs. Chris Smith (ESPN2)
