Tomas Rojas will face Evans Mbamba before his December date with Vic Darchinyan. (Photo via suljosblog.com)

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Tomas Rojas has decided to take a risky October 24 fight with undefeated Evans Mbamba ahead of his December fight on Showtime with Vic Darchinyan, a surprising move that may well not pay off.

Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KO) has been seen by most as a rebound opponent for Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KO), who is coming off of a loss to Joseph Agbeko in a step up to bantamweight. Back at junior bantamweight, Darchinyan is the heavy favorite, but Rojas is a fairly live dog, too, a good scrapper who would have a three-inch height advantage.

This new bout is also no easy fight for Rojas. Mbamba (16-0, 8 KO) is a South African who knocked out Devid Lookmahanak in the seventh round last December, his last bout. Lookmahanak is best known as an opponent for Jorge Arce in one of his "pad the record" periods, with Arce being awarded a decision disputed by many.

Not only isn't an easy fight for Rojas, but it's dangerous even if he wins. A bad cut or any minor injury could knock him out of the December 12 fight, and leave Darchinyan and promoter Gary Shaw searching for new opponent on short notice.

The Rojas-Mbamba fight will take place in Veracruz, Mexico. Should Rojas come out of it the winner and uninjured, Darchinyan-Rojas will be a co-feature on Showtime's December 12 card main evented by the Timothy Bradley-Lamont Peterson 140-pound title fight.

Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will square off on November 14. It's just one of many compelling fights closing out the 2009 boxing year. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

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With one million people having bought last Saturday night's Mayweather-Marquez fight, the hope now is that a few more eyes might be on the boxing world right now. Frankly speaking, other recent superfights (Hatton-Pacquiao, de la Hoya-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Hatton, de la Hoya-Mayweather) haven't helped feed the idea that too many fans stick around past the casual event. The machine that is the UFC has done a phenomenal job not just bringing fans in, but keeping them interested.

Boxing, while far from the struggling sport it's made out to be often (it's a niche sport), hasn't been able to do that on a large scale. But there's an incredible slate of fights to close out 2009, and don't be fooled into thinking you should only pay attention to the big event fights. There's a lot more out there than just your Mayweathers and Pacquiaos.

September 26: Vitali Klitschko v. Chris Arreola, Heavyweights, HBO

Tomorrow night, Klitschko (37-2, 36 KO) and Arreola (27-0, 24 KO) will battle it out for some form of heavyweight supremacy. Yes, yes, it's hard to keep track of the titles. Vitali's brother, Wladimir, is currently the world heavyweight champion, but with Wlad on the shelf, Vitali is the best out there (and some will argue it's that way even when Wlad is healthy). Arreola is a gutsy, wild-swinging brawler that hopes he has the punch and chin to stand up to the powerful, technically-sound, but 38-year old and creaky Klitschko. It might not last long, and it might not be pretty, but chances are, someone's getting knocked out.

October 17: Arthur Abraham v. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch v. Andre Dirrell, Super Middleweights, Showtime

The Super Six World Boxing Classic is shaping up to be a breakthrough way of promoting fights, and it's an idea anyone can get behind. Showtime, other major TV networks across the world, and several promoters all pitched in to get six of the best 168-pounders in the world together for a tournament, starting with a round-robin phase, then taking the top four and putting them into a single elimination format. These two fights will be the tournament's first.

Abraham (30-0, 24 KO) will meet what promises to be his toughest test yet from former undisputed middleweight champion Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KO). Taylor's had a rough go of it in recent times, but every one of his three losses have come in good fights, one of them (his first loss to Kelly Pavlik in 2007) a classic. He's as hungry as ever, partially because he knows he needs a good showing. Froch (25-0, 20 KO) keeps defying the skeptics who say he's too slow, having beaten two faster men (Taylor and Jean Pascal) in his last two outings, both in fantastic fights. Young American Dirrell (18-0, 13 KO) is untested but highly skilled.

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Reigning WBO junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley will get a 60-40 split in his favor against Lamont Peterson. The two undefeated Americans meet on December 12. (Photo via i2.cdn.turner.com)

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The weird, head-scratching issue between WBO junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley and his December 12 challenger, Lamont Peterson, has been resolved, according to BoxingScene.com's Rick Reeno.

You might recall that when the fight went to purse bird and Gary Shaw (Bradley's promoter) won the rights, there wound up being some funky stipulations regarding the purse split for the fighters.

In short, if the fight wound up in California (Bradley's home state), Peterson got a 60-40 advantage; if in Nevada, Bradley got 60-40; anywhere else, the split would be 50-50.

After that, Bradley's team appealed, and they wound up with a 78-22 split. Top Rank (Peterson's promoter) appealed that, seeking 50-50 or at least 60-40 Bradley, and now it looks like the fight is 100% good to go with a 60-40 split in Bradley's favor.

This has been the oddest bunch of crap ever to get to a totally easy decision: Bradley, the defending titlist, should get a 60-40 split. No kidding.

This fight may also benefit from the talk that Peterson (27-0, 13 KO) was wearing out Floyd Mayweather Jr. when the two sparred in Las Vegas prior to Mayweather's fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley (24-0, 11 KO) is coming off of an August no-decision with Nate Campbell, a fight that ended after three dominant rounds from Bradley due to an injury suffered by Campbell as the result of an accidental headbutt. Those two later almost got into a fistfight after the hearing to change the original ruling from a Bradley TKO victory.

A July loss to Joseph Agbeko hasn't discouraged Vic Darchinyan. The 115-pound titlist plans to come back strong in December and have a big 2010. (Photo via www.hyefighters.com)

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In a Brisbane Times interview, Vic Darchinyan talked about upcoming opponent Tomas Rojas, July opponent Joseph Agbeko, and the man who handed him his first career loss in 2007, Nonito Donaire.

Against Agbeko, Darchinyan believes he made a simple tactical error:

A candid Darchinyan still believes he lost that fight due to a tactical error by trying to take out the Ghanaian with one punch rather than using the skills which overwhelmed Mexican superstars Christian Mijares and Jorge Arce in his two previous bouts.

He's 100% correct. I still think he could and should have won that fight. Agbeko had a lot of advantages, and Darchinyan made a lot of mistakes, yet it was still quite a close fight. No one argues with the Agbeko victory, but a better, smarter Darchinyan does beat him, I think. He got away from the boxing that had made his run of dominant wins over Mijares, Arce and Dmitry Kirilov so impressive, and it hurt him against a bigger guy.

December 12 opponent Tomas Rojas presents a challenge, or at least Darchinyan is giving that possibility lip service:

"He (Rojas) is much taller than me and in the last two years after Arce he has won nearly all his fights by knockout," Darchinyan told AAP.

"He was winning every round of his fight against Arce until he got hit with a good shot in the liver."

Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KO) has won most of his post-Arce fights by knockout, but it's a lot of fluff. His post-Arce record:

So, y'know, big whoop. Darchinyan-Rojas is a rebound fight to get Vic back on TV with what likely will amount to an impressive win. Rojas has lost to Gerry Penalosa, Mijares, Luis Maldonado and Anselmo Moreno, too. He will have about a three-inch height advantage, though.

So what does Vic want to do after Rojas? He wants a rematch with Nonito Donaire:

While Darchinyan's promoter Gary Shaw has consistently ruled out a rematch after an acrimonious split with Donaire, Darchinyan revealed that was no longer an obstacle.

"Gary Shaw was with me in Armenia and we talked about that and I told him how much I wanted the fight and I think he's OK with it now and he's going to make the fight for me," Darchinyan said.

If Donaire can't be tempted into a rematch, Darchinyan said he would like to challenge Mexico's WBO interim bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel.

If Shaw will sign off on it, I'm almost certain Donaire-Darchinyan can be made. This bollocks they've tried to spin before about TV networks not being interested is a pure load. Shaw has gotten Darchinyan on Showtime against far worse opponents, and even less marketable opponents like Agbeko. It's not like Agbeko was some big star, or is now. Showtime is loyal to Shaw and Darchinyan, and if they say, "How about a Donaire rematch?" it will probably happen. And considering Vic's ego got a bucket of water poured on it in July, the money probably won't be an issue now.

Did Lamont Peterson more than hold his own against Floyd Mayweather in sparring? via www.boxinginsider.com

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Leave it up to Rick Reeno to dig up the dirt, and he appears to have gotten it good this time.  It may just be an internet rumor, and it may just be a smokescreen from one fighter or another, either to build up hype for Mayweather-Marquez or to build up hype for Bradley-Peterson, but this is certainly interesting from the perspective of both fights.

Reeno is reporting that in sparring, Lamont Peterson did his thing and stayed even with Floyd Mayweather in one day of sparring, and pretty much kicked his butt in another.  It's interesting, because Mayweather's camp put out information that Floyd had made Peterson quit in sparring.  Evidently, this was enough for Peterson to fire back.  From Peterson's trainer, Barry Hunter:

Keep in mind, Lamont was out of shape with 18 ounce gloves on.  I have to tell you, it was unbelievable to watch.  I wish I had a tape to show you.  They thought after the first day we weren't coming back but we went right back.  THe second day, Lamont was off the chain.  It was raw, uncut and the things they said to each other you certainly wouldn't want to say in a church.  They, meaning the uncle and father, thought it was the best work Floyd ever got.  The combinations, the skill, it was unbelievable to watch those two.

Of course, Mayweather has had some problems in sparring before, and that's never hurt him on fight night.  There is that famed sparring session between Floyd Mayweather and Paul Spadafora that many believe led to Floyd never facing Spadafora, despite being the other prominent undefeated fighter in his weight class.

For whatever it's worth, former real warrior come-internet warrior Anthony Thompson is saying that he spoke with Lamont himself (who was in Vegas specifically to see Thompson's aborted fight with Grady Brewer), as well as another guy who was at the gym, and that Floyd got his butt kicked. 

For all the hard work and puffery we see on 24/7, there sure are a whole lot of horror stories floating out of both camps for next week's huge matchup.  And if Peterson is beating Floyd Mayweather in sparring, then Timothy Bradley might be in serious trouble.

Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson will meet on December 5 at a site to be named. Showtime will broadcast the 140-pound title bout as the headliner of a triple-header. (Photo via www.boxnews.com.ua)

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The Puerto Rico purse bid for the WBO junior welterweight title fight between Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson went through today, with Bradley's promoter Gary Shaw winning on a bid of $575,000. Top Rank (Peterson's promoter) put up $402,000.

Bradley-Peterson will take place on December 5, headlining a three-fight card on Showtime.

Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com reports that the WBO had some odd stipulations for the purse bid. Shaw was apparently planning the fight for California, Bradley's home state, but that may now change thanks to these conditions:

• If the fight lands in California, the split is 60-40 for Peterson;
• If the fight lands in Nevada, the split is 60-40 for Bradley;
• If the fight lands in any other U.S. state, the split is 50-50.

This is a deal that both hinders Shaw's ability to put the show at its best drawing location (Bradley is no big draw, but he is from California, at least) and makes it favorable for he and his fighter to take this to Nevada, where it will likely have trouble drawing flies. Both are very talented young fighters, but neither has much of a following.

The other two fights on the card, whatever they may be, could help of course, but the biggest name that could be on the show is Vic Darchinyan, and Gary Shaw just might not have the money to meet his pay demands for this show, even against a lackluster opponent.

Lamont Peterson will get his first crack at a major title when he faces Timothy Bradley later this year. The only question left is who will promote the bout. (Photo via www.boxinginsider.com)

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Timothy Bradley's mandatory defense of the WBO junior welterweight title against Lamont Peterson will head to a purse bid, according to Rick Reeno. No deal could be reached between Bradley's promoter Gary Shaw and Peterson's promoters at Top Rank. The bidding is scheduled for today at 1pm in Puerto Rico, where the WBO's offices are located.

Bradley (24-0, 11 KO) has fought twice this year, and will get a third bout in before the calendar turns to 2010, it would appear. He beat Kendall Holt in an exciting, overlooked fight in April, and went to a no-contest with Nate Campbell on August 1, a fight in which he appeared dominant for the three rounds of action, but that may have been aided by the eye injury Campbell suffered from a headbutt.

Peterson (27-0, 13 KO) has been sitting on his mandatory since overwhelming Frenchman Willy Blain in April, which netted him the "interim" WBO title, yet another in the endless line of completely unnecessary "interim" boxing titles.

I think it's a really interesting fight, and honestly I'm more excited to see this than I am a Bradley-Campbell rematch, so I'm glad that Bradley is doing this first. Bradley, at 26, would have some disadvantages in there against Peterson, who has three inches of height (5'9" to 5'6") and a full five inches of reach (74" to 69") on the titleholder. Both Peterson brothers have come along rather quietly, and have not been rushed into anything. Lamont's brother, Anthony, is an emerging contender at 135 pounds. (Anthony is the "FWAH!" brother for longtime BLHers.)

Reeno says that if Top Rank wins the purse bid, there's a chance that Bradley-Peterson could wind up on the November 14 undercard to Cotto-Pacquiao. If Gary Shaw wins it, he's already working with Showtime on a triple-header for December 5, and this would be the headlining bout. The Shaw-time tripleheader, in theory, would go head-to-head with HBO's Pavlik-Williams show, giving fans an intriguing choice, as unwelcome as those situations always are.