What's Wrong with Brock Lesnar?: UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has been hospitalized and is battling serious health problems related to a bout with mononucleosis, said president Dana White cryptically. "He doesn't want to talk about it publicly, but he's in bad shape. He's not well and he's not going to be getting well anytime soon," said White. "We're going to have to send him to the Mayo Clinic or to Scripps, or one of those really good hospitals to figure out what's wrong with this guy." The MMA site Fightline quotes White dropping more hints: "He's got mono and he's got something else wrong with him. I know what's wrong with him, he just doesn't want me talking about it. He doesn't have cancer or AIDS or anything like this, [but] he's got some problems, man."

posted by rcade to boxing at 11:32 AM - 7 comments

Pacquiao’s amazing run continues: Maybe the best pound for pound fighter ever. Began at 106, first title at 112 and now 145. Very imperssive win, should have been stopped earlier.

posted by gfinsf to boxing at 06:42 AM - 0 comments

Rumble in the Circus: Standing snarling over Sonny Liston? Shadow boxing on the bottom of a swimming pool? Leaning into the ropes as George Foreman pummels his kidneys? Stooping, shaking, to light the Olympic flame? How about Ali flapping about on the canvas while an 18 stone wrestler sits on his face? Who wants to remember Ali that way? There are some things a person should never have to see happen to a man like Ali. This is the story of one of them. [from Andy Bull in today's Guardian - a look back at the 1977 contest between Muhammad Ali and the Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki]

posted by JJ to boxing at 12:14 PM - 7 comments

Mike Tyson Gets Emotional During Oprah Interview -- Talks Career, Controversies and More: During his first appearance on Oprah's daytime talkshow, the former heavyweight champ got emotional, as he spoke about the controversies that plagued him throughout his career.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 07:08 AM - 2 comments

Boxer Calls Opponent 'the Ugliest Person I Have Ever Seen': The pre-match photo of World Boxing Association champion Nikolai Valuev and challenger David Haye shows the enormous task ahead of Haye, who is 11 inches shorter and 103 pounds lighter than the 7-foot-tall, 320-pound Russian. But Haye has a bigger mouth. "He is the ugliest person I have ever seen!" Haye told Bild. "I have seen the Lord of the Rings films and there are some characters in those movies who look quite strange. But for a human being to look like him is really shocking." They fight Nov. 7.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:20 AM - 5 comments

Herschel Walker Begins MMA Career: Herschel Walker, the former Heisman Trophy winner, Dallas Cowboy, Olympic bobsledder, Tae Kwan Do black belt, ballet dancer and dissociative identity disorder sufferer, has signed a multi-fight, mixed martial arts contract with promoter Strikeforce.

posted by rcade to boxing at 03:25 PM - 8 comments

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Earns Unanimous Decision Over Juan Manuel Marquez: Despite a 21-month layoff, Floyd Mayweather Jr. earned a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden, improving his perfect record to 40-0 as he fights back from retirement.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 10:11 AM - 3 comments

Boxing Promoter Bob Arum Slams Mixed Martial Arts: In an interview with AOL FanHouse, longtime boxing promoter Bob Arum responded to a question about a UFC bout by blasting the sport of mixed martial arts and its fans, calling them "a bunch of skinhead white guys watching people in the ring who also look like skinhead white guys." Arum dug himself deeper by adding, "For me, and people like me, it is not something they ever care to see. They've watched it. It's horrible. Guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground. It is not a sport that shows great, great talent." Thems fightin' words.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:25 PM - 24 comments

Boxer Drinks Own Urine: As revealed by the HBO documentary series 24/7, Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez ends every workout session by making his own energy drink. "That's where a lot of proteins and vitamins are," said Marquez, whose sponsors include Tecate. "Why not drink them again instead of wasting them?" Before you try this yourself to pee all you can pee, experts say it doesn't help.

posted by rcade to boxing at 06:24 PM - 16 comments

Pretty Boys No More: Boxers before and after their fights.

posted by justgary to boxing at 05:41 PM - 7 comments

Finnish MMA Fighter Sports White Supremacist Tattoos: Finnish mixed martial arts fighter Toni Valtonen has tattoos of a Swastika and the words White Pride, Fanhouse blogger Michael David Smith noticed during a recent HDNet telecast of a Valtonen fight. "I had a crazy and rebellious youth, I made some faults in my past and I am not proud of these marks," said in a statement. "I regret that I ever had these tattoos made. Nowadays, I am a dedicated family man and professional athlete, and I am not involved in any politics whatsoever."

posted by rcade to boxing at 07:12 PM - 44 comments

UFC 101: Anderson Silva makes quick work of former lightweight champ Forrest Griffin while B.J. Penn returns to old form and dominates Kenny Florian.

posted by sgtcookzane to boxing at 02:52 PM - 2 comments

Kimo Leopoldo Is Not Dead: Contrary to what you might have read on TMZ.com, the New York Daily News, Orange County Register, Las Vegas Sun and numerous mixed martial arts sites, former Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Kimo Leopoldo is not dead. "Kimo woke up to reports of his death," said publicist Bob Trieger. TMZ.Com pulled its "confirmed" story offline, which was reprinted by Huffington Post and others, but never published a retraction admitting the mistake.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:35 AM - 3 comments

Arturo Gatti Found Dead At Age 37: Foul play suspected in Gatti's death: Former boxing champion Arturo Gatti, one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, was found dead in a hotel room in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas early Saturday.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 07:32 AM - 1 comment

MMA Fighter Rampage Jackson Dry Humps Interviewer: Because it's Friday: UFC fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, responding to a suggestion by reporter (and aspiring actress) Heather Nichols that they do a romantic movie together, proceeded to dry hump Nichols for an uncomfortably long amount of time as cameras rolled. "I should have thought of that," Joe Namath said when reached for comment. (Not really.)

posted by rcade to boxing at 03:06 PM - 14 comments

MMA the new boxing?: As UFC 100 approaches, the audience for MMA is as large and diverse as it has ever been. Is this something boxing won't be able to overcome? The superstars in UFC are bigger than ever (No pun intented, Lesnar) and coming from all parts of the world. Boxing will never be dead, but do they need to do something to get back into the main stream audience?

posted by sgtcookzane to boxing at 06:10 PM - 9 comments

And what of events in Kinchasa?: In 1971, Alistair Cooke enjoyed the outcome of Ali-Frazier I:
It is not enough for a lifelong Methodist* to wait for justice on Judgment Day. He preserves a deep yearning to see sinners get their comeuppance here on earth. And last night all the rumbling warnings of his boyhood came meanly, beautifully true.
Not the first time he wrote about The Greatest, either.
* who apparently skipped Proverbs 24:17-18: Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

posted by Uncle Toby to boxing at 03:26 PM - 9 comments

Pacqui-ow!: Manny Pacquiao needed just two rounds to dispatch Ricky Hatton. Sky Sports is in a state of mourning.

posted by jjzucal to boxing at 11:40 AM - 4 comments

Oscar De la Hoya Retires from Boxing: Oscar de la Hoya has announced his retirement from boxing at age 36. De la Hoya, one of the biggest draws in the sport for 15 years, won 10 world titles and a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. "When I cannot compete at this level, I have come to the conclusion that it is over," he said. Mark Kriegel of Fox Sports writes that it was time for him to go. "The legacy of Oscar De La Hoya is two-fold," Kriegal writes. "First, he managed to avoid the fate and temptation of all those like Bobby Chacon. This Golden Boy never stepped foot in Palookaville. Second, and most notably, he kept the American fight game alive in the absence of a compelling heavyweight."

posted by rcade to boxing at 05:04 PM - 2 comments

McCain Seeks Pardon for Boxer Jack Johnson: Sen. John McCain is seeking a presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, the legendary black heavyweight boxing champ convicted in 1913 of transporting a white woman across state lines. Johnson, who won the the world heavyweight title on Boxing Day 1908, fled the country for seven years after the conviction, only returning after reaching a deal to serve his sentence. "It was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks," the prosecutor said after the trial.

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:56 AM - 14 comments

Holyfield, in a shocker.... loses?: SI.com's Graham scored the fight at 118-110 to Holyfield, but the judges speak otherwise, giving the win to Valuev by majority decision.

posted by boredom_08 to boxing at 05:57 PM - 5 comments

Writer: Oscar De La Hoya 'Never Truly Great': "Oscar De La Hoya was a very good fighter, but throughout his career he has never lived up to the hype," John Rawling argues in The Guardian. "He was a great interviewee, photogenic and, to his credit, he never ducked anybody."

posted by justgary to boxing at 01:17 AM - 6 comments

Cotto-Margarito: It Was That Good : Yes, it was that good. Going into the welterweight showdown between WBA champion Miguel Cotto and challenger Antonio Margarito boxing fans were salivating over a match up that guaranteed fireworks.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 06:20 AM - 5 comments

Ahh yes Great success!!!!: Most people who are familiar with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko know that he's Ukranian. What's less widely known is that Klitschko was actually born in Kazakhstan. What are his views on Borat

posted by Debo270 to boxing at 01:37 PM - 12 comments

Kimbo Slice is Going Primetime: A sport that was once derided as "human cockfighting" and banned in most U.S. states is airing live on CBS Saturday night. Mixed Martial Arts fighter Kimbo Slice will face James "The Colossus" Thompson in the first live bout on one of the big four networks, a sign the brutal sport has gone mainstream. "Anyone who thinks CBS will not come out of this with some kind of black eye is fooling themselves," says sports consultant Marc Ganis.

posted by rcade to boxing at 08:13 AM - 52 comments

De La Hoya wins easy decision: "But fighters have been known to change their retirement plans as easily as they change gloves, and the only thing for certain is that De La Hoya will add many more millions to his already fat bank accounts before he finally hangs the gloves up for good. Mayweather has yet to sign for the rematch, though De La Hoya expressed confidence that the money would be too great for him to refuse."

posted by brandy to boxing at 01:01 PM - 10 comments

MMA Fantasy Draft: If every fighter in the world was suddenly declared a free agent, what order would they be selected in?

posted by tron7 to boxing at 12:56 PM - 10 comments

UFC Fighter Knocked Out in Eight Seconds: In a Colorado ring thronging with his fans last night, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Houston Alexander was knocked out by James Irvin in eight seconds, the shortest bout in the sport's history. "Houston Alexander has been utterly exposed," Michael Rome declared on the blog Bloody Elbow. (See the video.)

posted by rcade to boxing at 08:05 AM - 40 comments

Pavlik beats Taylor. Again.: Kelly Pavlik won a unanimous decision over Jermain Taylor. This was the second time they fought.

posted by Clevelander32 to boxing at 12:27 PM - 6 comments

For The Love of Sport: The Sweet Science: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton will attempt to knock a little bit of the tarnish off of boxing’s image on December 8, 2007 when they clash for the WBC welterweight title in Las Vegas. The latest in a weekly series by sportsfilter member kyrilmitch_76.

posted by justgary to boxing at 11:20 AM - 32 comments

It's More Than 30 Years Ago: But the older I get, the better I was, even in a bar brawl. Legendary cricketers (Sir) Ian Botham and Ian Chappell still slugging it out.

posted by owlhouse to boxing at 12:32 AM - 1 comment

The answer to the only obvious question is.: The man has two ex-wives, eleven children (thats right 11), and the IRS to take care of. However, those could be the least of his concerns.

posted by jojomfd1 to boxing at 02:18 AM - 38 comments

James Oyebola's life support to be switched off. : On Monday, after asking 3 men to stop smoking, ex-British Heavyweight champion James Oyebola was shot. In the face. Today, after doctor's pronounced him brain dead, his life support is to be switched off.

posted by Fence to boxing at 04:34 AM - 16 comments

No Longer Jermain to the Middleweights: Middleweight champ Jermain Taylor will give up his title and move up a weight class after one more fight at 160 pounds.

posted by BlueCarp to boxing at 11:18 PM - 1 comment

George Foreman claims he was doped prior to the "Rumble in the Jungle": Here are some exerpts from an interview on Hannity and Combs via East side Boxing.com. Big George also claims it took quite a long time to recover from it.

posted by jojomfd1 to boxing at 11:53 PM - 17 comments

Boxer Diego Corrales Dies in Vegas Crash: Diego "Chico" Corrales, who won titles in two weight classes and was involved in one of the most memorable fights in recent times, died Monday in a motorcycle accident, his promoter said. He was 29.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 04:50 AM - 5 comments

Down Goes De La Hoya: "When I was boxing him, I said, 'Damn, it's easy hitting him in the face,'" said Floyd Mayweather Jr. after his split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya in one of the most anticipated title fights in years. "How'd he beat all those guys when it's so easy to him in the face?"

posted by rcade to boxing at 10:07 AM - 22 comments

Buzz for De La Hoya-Mayweather: There's a buzz in this gambling town, where the events of next weekend are making some remember boxing's better times. The city is sold out, the beautiful people are on their way, and Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are acting as if it's 1985 all over again.

posted by BornIcon to boxing at 09:54 AM - 13 comments

“I’ve already died four times": The story of boxer Johnny Tapia, who is to step into the ring one last time on Friday, is one that is a "little too dark" for Disney, what with the suicide attempts and overdoses.

posted by Fence to boxing at 04:28 AM - 8 comments

Tommy Morrison Cleared to Fight: More than a decade after he was indefinitely suspended following a positive HIV test on the eve of a 1996 fight in Las Vegas, that day is here. He has been cleared to return to the ring after passing a battery of medical tests.

posted by Bishop to boxing at 05:49 PM - 60 comments