It was no way to treat a person who never disrespects you in the first place. And writers lost whatever respect left they have on him. Floyd is 33 years old but thinks like a 6th grader who craves attention he just hates Manny’s limelight so much that he went low ball against him. So far he only has two choices he either fights Manny Pacquiao to end all doubts or he shuts his mouth up.
Manny never took Mayweather’s rants seriously even saying it’s just an uneducated message which never should have given attention in the first place.
I never like Antonio Margarito as Pacquiao’s next opponent in the first place because of the hand wrapping incident where Margarito was found having plaster of Paris on his hand wraps but I think Antonio is still the perfect matchup for Pacquiao. He is the tallest fighter Manny will face in 5-foot-11 inches who is just half an inch taller than Oscar De La Hoya. And he can certainly hurt Manny with his crisp jabs and brawler type attitude. He may have no business against Manny’s speed and accuracy but he can still create problems with his height and power. Years ago when Margarito and Miguel Cotto were the kings on the welterweight division Floyd went on hiding he decides to have a pre mature retirement than risking his immaculate record.
There’s no one in boxing history that made legacies out of talking and trashing opponents.

Mayweather maybe an apple but he is still a rotten apple, Pacquiao would rather make lemonades out of the lemons he got. Because people like Floyd should never be given any attention and most of all a fight in which he doesn’t have guts to say yes anyways. Hope he retires soon because he is a disgrace to boxing. Well Floyd, that midget you mentioned just kick your ass by fighting Margarito…

Carlos recently signed with the Chicago Bulls for an $80 million 5 year contract and will be bringing his toughness and experience to a young and versatile roster.
In paper the Bulls automatically is a playoff contender team. The Bulls last season fought out to earn the eight spot in the Eastern conference playoffs and lost only two key players in Kirk Hinrich and Brad Miller then adding up two Utah Jazz starter in Carlos Boozer and Ronnie Brewer and also adding up a streak shooter in Kyle Korver, Kurt Thomas and CJ Watson.
When Boozer told ESPN about his expectations on his new team, new coach and new environment he simply said “A championship, anything shorter than that we’re setting ourselves up to be shorter than what we can reach. I think [we have] potential to be a championship-level team.”
Championship is still is such a big word to utter especially if you belong in a conference with three big power house teams in Orlando, Boston and Miami and not to mention the defending champions Lakers in the West. It wasn’t biting more than what Boozer can chew but it’s simply setting up goals that no matter how big anything is possible just like the boy years ago shooting hoops on a small town under the Alaskan weather who became one of NBA’s most decorated post player.

Boozer knows it’s a long shot in winning a championship this year. Almost half of the roster is new and with Tom Thibodeau as their new head coach who takes pride on his defensive prowess it would be a totally different team with Derrick Rose orchestrating their offense. Healthy or not it’s still a long and bumpy road ahead.

And beyond those slumps, losing streaks and cold nights will see Boozer shining out, after all that’s what the Bulls signed him for…

His been there long before anybody knew.

Joel Anthony the Miami Heat’s undersized power forward/center is looking forward to the beautiful promise of Autumn and aside from the FIBA international competition where Canada has not yet won a single game (beaten by Lebanon, France and Lithuania) he is also looking forward in playing alongside Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh as the NBA season is growing near. Miami will always be about the big three and Joel has no qualms about it. This is his opportunity to play along with them and win as much games he could ever imagine. He is the perfect complement to Miami’s fire power a hard nose worker who picks up the garbage and doesn’t need to make his own shots in return.

Joel’s career is slowly falling into place like a jigsaw puzzle slowly finding the right pieces. Aside from being undersized as a center. No one really paid much attention on Joel, having been cut from his college basketball squad in Dawson College and had to work doubly hard in order to get in UNLV where he led his team to a 30-7 record on his senior year. And inspite finishing second in the NCAA in shot blocking he was still undrafted.

You have to marvel on how Joel can defend 7 footers and out-rebounded each one of them. But it doesn’t follow that if you tower everyone you will become a good rebounder it’s still all about speed, timing, effort and establishing a good position towards the ball. And that can only be done by hard work and tons of time practicing repetitive steps in the gym making it effortless in actual game. Joel knows it’s his work ethic that could make a difference. That’s why Miami signed him to a 5 year deal worth $18 million and a chance to win a championship with the big three.

Canada is the best place to see autumn and amidst the yellow and the red covered mountains, towers the 6-foot-9 Anthony, a product of hard work and perseverance after a productive summer comes the fruitfulness of a promise.

It was his vaunted speed and fast reflexes that made him through a lot of fights on his career and came out undefeated. He fought former welterweight champion and now the WBA super Welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on their amateur days when Cotto was still campaigning in the light flyweight division. He sparred with Shane Mosley who is a welterweight mainstay in preparing for his fight against Cazares. He sparred with Oscar De La Hoya when Oscar was preparing for his mega fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and yet he still came out unharmed and unscathed.

At 35 years old Ivan’s prime was just a thing in the past. He knows he lost a step or two in the process and his only refuge would be to fight wisely and avoid punches by solely not engaging. Sooner or later his “O” has got to go and he knows at the back of his head it would come to the most deserving fighter he will soon face.
Giovanni Segura the 28 year old WBA champion fought Ivan Calderon on a unification bout last Saturday right in front of Ivan’s home crowd. It was a good boxing match from start until the 8th round. It was the first time I saw the “Iron boy” got a beating with swollen eyes in the middle rounds. It was on the eight round with 1:34 seconds left when Ivan took a knee after a barrage of body shots. As the referee started the count I saw something on Ivan’s eyes. It wasn’t the same champion who wills himself to win fights, it wasn’t the same fiery eyes that was hurt and bloodied and yet continued to fight… After 34 wins and the boxer who is one of the most decorated talented fighter in the history of boxing finally is tired of winning…He can still fight but somehow he saw something in Segura that made him took a knee. Maybe it was the punishment he took on all those body shots but maybe he saw the same dedication the same fiery eyes he saw himself way back while he reign in his division. A simple passing of the torch and Calderon took the lone defeat on his career like a great champion. Sometimes the longer you play the better and younger player has the bigger chance of winning and this time Segura came out the deserving winner. Ivan will always be one of the most skilled boxer in history and one of the best boxer to came out in Puerto Rico and that legacy will be forever be etched in boxing.

When Charles Schulz the American cartoonist who made snoopy and a comic strip called peanuts once said “Once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed. ” There is always life after boxing and for champions and philantrophist like Calderon there is more than what he expected awaits.

Kimbo remembered his first fight when he was still 13 years old. He fought the school bully defending his friend and took the kid out with one powerful left hook. He was always the over protective type growing up on rough neighbourhoods and having to stand for his 10 siblings being the eldest of the family. He was a football star in high school as a middle line backer but when Hurricane Andrew destroyed his home and school, his hopes of earning a scholarship for football goes with it. He called his 1987 Nissan Path finder his home and the fountains and oceans as his shower room. He remembered the time when he was working as a limo driver and a body guard for porn productions before he became an internet sensation. Life was hard back then but nothings really change so far. It’s still a struggle but this time on a bigger stage.
Respect is not ask, if you want respect then you have to earn it and Kimbo has been fighting for respect for most of his life. It was through those street fights that he earns the respect of men and at 36 years old there is nothing much out there for him.

Gary Shaw clearly understands Kimbo. The boxing promoter who once was the events president of the defunct EliteXC knows Slice pretty well. He was the one who gave Kimbo the chance to show his wares in front of thousands of fans. Kimbo was the face of EliteXC but when Seth Petruzelli dominated Kimbo in their matchup the company shuts down. Gary understands Kimbo and he offered him to try boxing.
Boxing needs someone like Kimbo who could inject new blood in the boring heavy weight division. A new sport but same fight, same conviction… It’s still all about respect. He doesn’t care if he fights the Klitschko brothers or David Haye he just wants a fight.

“I am fighting for a reason. I am fighting for my family. I am fighting for myself. I am fighting never to go back to the gutter again. I am fighting to raise my kids up to be in a different environment. There’s a lot I am fighting for.”

One door closes another one opens…

Toney never respected Couture throughout their pre fight hype, he never considered him a legend because of his 10 losses but Randy never went into a war of words against Toney. He is confident in his training and when the time comes he will do all the talking in the octagon. He heard about how Toney man-handled his sparring partners hitting them with strong body shots and having trouble maintaining them. Randy already has the perfect strategy for boxers such as Toney… Never stand around and trade punches with them…
Couture knew Toney’s weakness is covering leg kicks, grappling as well as ground skills but he can never be reckless when he comes in because Toney has more than a punchers chance against Randy.
Couture sometimes got into trouble fighting hard punchers such as Chuck Lidell and Brock Lesnar and his chin is always susceptible to Toney’s hooks and uppercuts.
When everyone doubted if Couture can take a bigger and heavy handed Tim Sylvia in UFC 68, Randy dominated Sylvia onward to a unanimous decision. Randy is not known for his strikes or his knockout power he was always known for his good defense in standing up.

Randy’s punches and strikes have been done with conviction. Boxing or MMA everything comes down to conditioning and James is fighting in an unfamiliar territory. Win or lose Randy feels he still can fight two or more in the octagon. Age is just a number and a bend in the road doesn’t necessarily means it’s the end of the road… This Saturday the MMA world will find out who is the “Natural” winner or the fighter who got the end of the beating “Lights out”.

9 years after Brown was a disappointment throughout his career. He was the biggest bust draft in NBA history a raw project that we never get to see its true potential. Looking back you just have to wonder if the Wizards could have stick to Tyson Chandler or even drafting Pau Gasol in that matter. It was painful to see Kwame missing a lot of shots closed to the basket and those entire misdemeanors outside the court with the rape allegations and interfering with police investigation and all those feuds when he was still in Washington against his coach Eddie Jordan, Gilbert Arenas and other teammates.

Michael Jordan owned the Charlotte Bobcats and once again the infamous decision way back in 2001 had a repeat performance as he signed Kwame Brown to a one year deal for $1.3 million after the Bobcats traded Tyson Chandler to the Mavericks for Eric Dampier (talk about irony). This is the time you ask why then all together you scratched your head… Brown is already 28 years old and if he wants redemption he could have gotten it in the span of his 9 year career. Everybody thought he was a diamond in the rough but it came out he was just an ordinary stone that looks like a diamond.
Michael Jordan knows he would once again be criticized for making the same mistake 9 years ago. But Michael knows what he had seen on that very day when the 19 year old 6-foot-11 Brown was standing on the sideline waiting for his turn. He saw the fire, he saw the competitive nature and he saw a little something of himself.

Nobody seemed to understand Kwame having been through a traumatized childhood when his father would readily beat them and his 8 siblings including his mother. He was always a lost soul that needs guidance and the Charlotte Bobcats presented him a new life, redemption and an inspiration to be better… to renew the fire way back 9 years ago when he played against Chandler for that number one spot. Michael has been on this business for such a long time. He wasn’t a failed NBA executive it was just that all of those players involved failed to live up to expectations but he knows talent when he sees one.
Everybody deserves a second chance and Michael only asks one thing for Kwame… To hold up the end of their bargain and hope this time Brown won’t came out a disappointment.

Spain played against team USA on a tune-up match last Sunday and Ricky displayed maturity beyond his years. He played very good defense, pressuring the backcourt and played with crafty passes including a pass on a driving Felipe Reyes to put Spain on its first lead in the game with 90 seconds remaining. He was always a pass first point guard and even at 19 years of age he was already a veteran playing professional basketball while he was still 14 years old.

He went toe to toe with Derrick Rose and was able to hold his own against him though Rose had the edge of their matchup when he drove to the basket against the out stretch arms of Marc Gasol with the clock winding down. The Americans escape with a precarious one point lead after Kevin Durant block two attempts on the dying seconds in regulation. It was a non bearing game but it delivered a strong message… USA is beatable.

Ricky Rubio already encircled the date they will face the US in the world basketball championship in Turkey. He knows this would be a bigger stage, a bigger lime light that requires a bigger performance. Ricky knows that if the right buttons are push anything can really happen. He was always ready for the big stage and that’s why long before he was drafted he is already NBA ready. He wanted to play but he also wanted to let the hype died down. He knows people are giving him a lot of expectations an extra baggage where it was heavier for an 18 year old rookie to carry. All he needs are just two years to make him more ready. Regardless of the outcome in Turkey, somewhere down Minnesota, along an oversize chair… the 40 something David Khan is smiling.

He was glad Rubio made that decision in extending his stay in Europe and next season he will be reaping the fruits of his labor.

Earl was an All-Mid-American conference first team honor in his junior and senior year. He held the career record assists in East Michigan University (624) and was second in scoring in the NCAA men’s division I basketball championship but he was never drafted in the NBA. He thought he had done enough to get NBA teams nod but it seems time and time again he had to prove to them that he is worth the risk and he can be a valuable asset rather than a liability on the team. In 2004 Boykins scored 32 points against the eventual champion on that year the Detroit Pistons making him the shortest player to ever score 30 or more points in a single game.

The Washington Wizards signed Earl Boykins in November last year after Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were facing suspensions for the remainder of the season on a gun incident.
On a game against the Milwaukee Bucks Flip Saunders placed Boykins as a decoy with Arenas, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood on the floor. Saunders instinctively knew that if given the chance Boykins will surely deliver. 10.5 seconds left and Earl knows this is the time to shine with Brandon Jennings guarding him tightly and he knows nobody expects him to take a shot or go straight to the basket. It was always been like that for the entirety of his career. He was too little and too risky but Boykins only wants that chance to prove himself and this is one instance he gets everybody’s attention. And redemption came on a pick and roll play when Haywood rolled and the ball stayed on Boykins hands as he pump faked and drew a foul against Jennings with only a second left in regulation. He sank two pressure pack free throws with ease and the Wizards won that game 104-102.

The Milwaukee Bucks recently signed Earl Boykins to a one year contract after losing Luke Ridnour to free agency. The 11 year veteran who played with 11 different teams in the NBA and overseas finally got the respect he wanted. Sometimes it’s not about the size that we look into it’s also all about how big the heart is. At 133 pounds who can bench press twice his size at 315 pounds somehow I’m not all surprise. Earl Boykins carry more than his diminutive size because he carries a bigger heart.