Clottey Set To Face Mosley » Welterweight challenger Joshua Clottey of Accra, Ghana, will train in Las Vegas at the Top Rank gym for his upcoming bout against Sugar Shane Mosley… Source: www.fightnews.com

Mayweather Not A PPV Draw? Not According To Floyd » If anyone is tired of hearing that they aren’t a good pay-per-view draw, it’s Floyd Mayweather Jr…. Marcus Henry, www.newsday.com

Pacquiao Overrules Roach: Trainer Has No Choice But Join Baguio Camp » Manny Pacquiao is bringing Freddie Roach to the country whether he likes it or not… Source: Manila Bulletin

Mayweather won’t look past Marquez »

The Way It Was: Marciano Went Out On Top » During the steamy summer of 1969, the former heavyweight champion of the world visited the District on what turned out to be a less than memorable business trip… Dick Heller, washingtontimes.com

Yes, Marquez Believes He Can Beat Mayweather With Speed » It’s a very interesting strategy considering that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has the fastest hands since Meldrick Taylor. And he’s a better fighter than Taylor… Bobby Cassidy, www.newsday.com

Clinton Woods Set To Retire After Defeat To Tavoris Cloud » Clinton Woods will spend the next few days coming to terms with the idea that his career may be over… Ron Lewis, www.timesonline.co.uk

Marciano painting by David Levinson

Boxer’s Widow Sues Top Rank For $1 Million » LAS VEGAS (CN) – The promoter and widow of former world boxing champ Diego Corrales demand $1 million from Top Rank for a nonchampionship pay-per-view bout that they say cost them income because the competitor failed to make weight… NICK DIVITO, www.courthousenews.com

WWE Aside, Mayweather Focused On Marquez » Haven’t we seen this movie before? • In Rocky III, while Rocky Balboa is busy enjoying the spoils that come with being a champion — including fighting a wrestler played by Hulk Hogan for charity — hungry challenger Clubber Lang toils away in relative obscurity knocking out chumps left and right as he waits for his opportunity to dethrone the king… Patrick Gutierrez, msn.foxsports.com

Abner Mares’ Life Has Been A Fight From The Start » Always poor and sometimes homeless as a child, Mares found success as a boxer, then suffered health setbacks. Now, with trainer Joe Diaz in his corner, he’s trying to get his career back on track… Kevin Baxter, www.latimes.com

Five Key X-Factors Hang Over Floyd Mayweather As Clock Ticks On Comeback Fight » As Floyd Mayweather’s comeback bout against Juan Manuel Marquez hits its 30-day countdown, here are the five most important things to watch… David Mayo, www.mlive.com

“Baby Bull” Diaz Prepared For War » It’s an all-too-familiar story, really. • A young boxer goes from prodigy to prospect, from prospect to contender, from contender to champion. • When his career is over, however, whether or not he has fulfilled his aspirations in the ring, he often ends up going somewhere else: From paycheck to paycheck. Or worse, penniless and out on the street. • Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz is not going out like that… Patrick Gutierrez, insidefights.com

Instant Replay OK’d For Boxing, MMA • NAC Approves Using Technology To Confirm Calls » The Nevada Athletic Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to institute instant replay on a limited basis for boxing and mixed martial arts events… STEVE CARP, www.lvrj.com

Official Mayweather “He’s Back” Music Video »

By Lamar Clark

Call me a hater, because I wish I owned and published The Ring magazine, but can anyone explain to me why Floyd “Money” Mayweather is placed behind Juan Manuel Marquez on the August 2009 cover?

You may think I’m petty for even noticing the placement, but I’ve worked in the publishing industry for over 10 years, and the mission has always been to sell as many magazines on the newsstand as possible. You do that by placing a recognizable star to lead (left to right) on your cover.

Mayweather may not be the self proclaimed ‘Pay-Per-View Cash-Cow’ he boast about in his infamous ESPN interview with Brian Kenny, but there’s no denying his worldwide popularity. He’s not the ‘PPV King’, but I’m sure he can sell more magazines on the newsstand than Juan, a glimmer next Floyd’s star power.

“The Bible of Boxing” was purchased in 2007 by Sports and Entertainment Publications, a company under the umbrella of Golden Boy Enterprises, Oscar De La Hoya’s holding company whose assets include Golden Boy Promotions who promotes Juan Manuel Marquez. The August cover is a total flip-flip in presentation from the original HBO/Golden Boy promotional poster (see above.) Why the switch-a-roo? Has the boss’s influence rubbed off or did The Ring’s editorial team simply like this set up better? Remember the mission…

De La Hoya said he understood the skepticism that would come when he purchased The Ring, “We’ll have no say over the editorial content of the magazine. We’re promoters who are going to be fair to everyone. That’s the responsibility we carry. I’m sure we’re going to read the magazine one-day and we will be criticized. Our fighters won’t be on the cover every month. You’ll be seeing Top Rank fighters on the cover.”

We all know and understand why Floyd was placed in the forefront of this boxing promotion. But why is he placed in the background on The Ring?

Part 1 »

Where Did The Great Heavyweights Go? » If a heavyweight goes down in the ring, and no one is around to see it, does it count as a knockout? • I ask because on Saturday, for the second time in 25 months, the WBA will present another “stirring” matchup between its heavyweight “champion-in-recess” Ruslan Chagaev and the man he took the title from two years ago, Nikolai Valuev… Patrick Gutierrez, msn.foxsports.com

Light Heavyweight Champion Dawson Vacates IBF Belt To Pursue Richer Fight » PANAMA CITY, Panama — Light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson has decided to vacate his IBF title after the organization refused to grant an exception to an immediate defense against mandatory challenger Tavoris Cloud… The Canadian Press

It’s Official: Pacquiao Wants Mayweather » It’s the fight that everybody in the boxing world wants. Even casual fans of the sport – hell, even people who don’t know the first thing about boxing – seem to want this fight… Dave “Large” Larzelere, www.sportingnews.com

(Nikolai Valuev Photo by Oleg Zotov)

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