>> Check out the ‘Fight Party!’ pics from the 2008 NY Daily News Golden Gloves, Madison Square Garden, NYC. Enjoy! (Photos by Christy Cappillino 4/17-18/08.)

(Photos by Christy Cappillino)

WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and longtime Reno Gazette-Journal boxing writer Steve Sneddon head the list of honorees who will be recognized at the 83rd annual Boxing Writers Association of America Awards Dinner May 1, 2008, in Los Angeles. • Mayweather, widely recognized as boxing’s finest pound-for-pound performer, will receive the Edward J. Neil Award as 2007’s Fighter of the Year. Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs), who scored a split decision over Oscar De La Hoya (in the highest-grossing pay-per-view fight of all time) and knocked out the previously undefeated Ricky Hatton in 10 rounds in his two ring appearances last year, narrowly staved off WBC/WBO middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, whose 2007 resume included victories over Jose Luis Zertuche (KO8), Edison Miranda (TKO7) and Jermain Taylor (TKO7)— 2007’s Fight of the Year. • Other BWAA awards go to Nigel Collins, the longtime editor of The Ring magazine (the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service to boxing); Enzo Calzaghe (the Futch-Condon Award as Trainer of the Year); Cameron Dunkin (the Al Buck Award as Manager of the Year); Teddy Atlas (the Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award); Nick Charles (the Sam Taub Award for excellence in broadcast journalism), and Lamont and Anthony Peterson (the Pat Putnam Award for perseverance in overcoming adversity). —Source, www.bwaa.org

I personally would like to congratulate my associates and friends of ROUND1 for their achievements— Ron Borges, Nigel Collins, Steve Farhood, Zach Levin, Don Steinberg, Thomas Hauser, Dan Rafael and Ed Mulholland. Best in ’08! —Lamar

De La Hoya Eyes Cotto For Finale Oscar De La Hoya’s exit strategy isn’t hard to decipher. It’s as simple as an old line: Follow the money. —Norm Fraunheim, The Arizona Republic

All Set Up For An Oscar Victory It was late Thursday morning and Steve Forbes was about to play host to a conference call promoting his welterweight fight next Saturday against Oscar De La Hoya at Home Depot Center in Carson. • Before Forbes addressed reporters, Richard Schaefer and Jeff Wald did their best to convince those on the line that this is going to be a competitive fight. —By Robert Morales, www.presstelegram.com

World-Renowned Ref Ready To Rumble VANCOUVER— His dream when he first became a third man in the ring was to referee just one world title fight. • More than 170 title bouts later, Joe Cortez is still employing his now-trademarked “fair, but firm” style as one of the most respected boxing officials in the world. —Gary Kingston, www.nationalpost.com

>> Check out the ‘Fight Party!’ pics from Hopkins vs Calzaghe, Planet Hollywood, LV (4/19/08.) Enjoy!

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Boxing Memorabilia & Collectibles

Original Mini Museum Collection • LE of 3K • $20.00 • 

adidas Original Store/SOHO NYC

 Ring Magazine, September 1933 • $90.00 • www.josportsinc.com

Floyd Patterson & Ingemar Johansson Signed Photograph • $85.00 • www.antekprizering.com                 

Jones And Pavlik Top Calzaghe Hit-List Joe Calzaghe has insisted he wants one more fight…but who is good enough to give his glittering career the finale it deserves? • Realistically, it comes to a straight shoot-out between the multi-weight legend Roy Jones Jr and America’s rising star, Kelly Pavlik. — Blair Wood, icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

(Photo by John Gichigi/Getty Images)

(Photos by Ethan Miller and John Gichigi/Getty Images)

Entourage Economics As welterweight boxing champion Floyd Mayweather showered fans with fistfuls of $100 bills two weeks ago at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, seven men, some in sunglasses, shadowed his every move. But this wasn’t the stereotypical athlete posse, best known for freeloading and waking up at noon. • Mr. Mayweather’s right-hand man, Leonard Ellerbe, is chief executive of a $140 million company, Mayweather Promotions, and starts his days at 5:15 a.m. Underperforming security guards, personal assistants and coordinators can be fired for offenses like ogling women or falling out of shape. “It’s no different than working for Xerox,” Mr. Ellerbe says. —HANNAH KARP, online.wsj.com 

Hopkins: I’m A Legend Bernard Hopkins believes he will deserve a special place in the annals of sporting history for his achievements in the ring. • The 43-year-old dominated the middleweight division before his back-to-back defeats to Jermain Taylor - only for Hopkins to bounce back and destroy Antonio Tarver in the light-heavyweight division. —Source: www.skysports.com

Joe Calzaghe Ready For Las Vegas Bout With Hopkins LAS VEGAS- Joe Calzaghe said he would show America what he was made of when he makes his Las Vegas debut on Saturday against light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins. • “It’s the icing on the cake,” the 36-year-old undisputed world super-middleweight champion told reporters… — Kieran Mulvaney (www.reuters.com)

(Ellerbe: Photos by John Locher; Hopkins/Calzaghe: Tom Hogan/Golden Boy Promotions.)

Pre-fight preview with boxing journalist Steve Kim (Maxboxing.com) and Kevin Iole (Yahoo! Sports).