Roger Mayweather is still facing serious battery charges from last August. (Photo by Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

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Pacquiao-Clottey Fight: One Bout Away from Mayweather? (TIME)
TIME, like most mainstream publications, isn't much interested in anything to do with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., except for a fight between the two of them.

1 charge dropped in Roger Mayweather battery case (USA Today)
A felony coercion charge was dropped against Roger Mayweather in his battery case against Melissa St. Vil from last August. He still faces battery-strangulation and battery causing substantial bodily harm charges. He could be looking at up to 10 years in prison.

Mayweather 'associate' arrested in Vegas shooting (Associated Press)
Ocie Harris, an alleged associate of Floyd Mayweather Jr., was recently arrested in Chicago and extradited to Las Vegas in that Crystal Palace Skating Center shooting case from last August.

Filipino media reps were on time but Mayweather stiffed them (Examiner.com)
Two Filipino media guys were supposedly snubbed by Floyd Mayweather Jr., which caused a minor online stir. Michael Marley discusses the situation.

Allegations of Mayweather Racism Are Irresponsible and Juvenile (Inside Fights)
Paul Magno of Inside Fights also discusses the Mayweather/Filipino media dispute. It's really not the biggest thing in the world, but it's entertaining reading on both sides.

UFC: Toney lowers the MMA tone with spectacle not sport (Telegraph)
Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph has had one of the strongest reactions to James Toney signing with UFC, calling it "pointless" and "ridiculous." Davies has covered both sports for a good while, and knows the games. Just to add my own thoughts, since we've talked about it a bit but I wanted to mull it some before really saying much, I really hate the move. I find the signing a bit despicable simply because Dana White and UFC know what they're getting. Dana's talked to Toney, which was caught on video posted to YouTube, and knows he's not getting some dedicated guy that's going to really give it a go. He's getting a name patsy who, if he ever even steps in a cage (which I still doubt), will not be properly prepared. So it's a cherry-picking thing. Say what you will about Kimbo Slice, but he worked hard to try and learn the game. I'll guarantee James Toney will not. Toney and Ricardo Mayorga are two really egotistical guys with massive "personality" flaws, at least in terms of professionalism. And those are the boxers going to MMA. It's not a coincidence.

Mills Lane to be honored by boxing writers (AP)
Longtime boxing referee Mills Lane will be honored with the James A. Farley Award by the Boxing Writers Assocation of America. Let's get it on!

Mike Tyson’s Return to Boxing: Still Coming in 2010 (Ringside Report)
Geno McGahee of Ringside Report is still adamant that Mike Tyson will fight again in 2010. If Tyson fights, he's going to get run the f**k over. Does anyone remember that Tyson couldn't handle Danny Williams and Kevin McBride? It wasn't just the greatest Lennox Lewis knocking out Tyson and then it ended. He kept going, and it got really sad. Mike has done a lot to get his life in order, has emerged with a second celebrity life, and a boxing comeback where he gets creamed by Mike Mollo or somebody is about the last thing he needs. He turns 44 in June and is more than just the concrete 20 years removed from his ferocious prime. It just will not go well.

And this, just because I found it funny:

Ricky Hatton doesn't seem like his mind is quite made up about returning or retiring. (Photo by Clive Brunskill / Getty Images)

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Speaking with Sky Sports News (via Terence Dooley of BoxingScene.com), Ricky "Hitman" Hatton debunked the rumors that he'd decided to retire, which came in like a tidal wave last night. He says he's in training for a return, and is talking with Golden Boy Promotions about fighting Juan Manuel Marquez sometime this year.

Hatton, 31, has apparently gone back and forth on the decision to return or retire, so much that it's worth wondering if he's still truly sure what he's doing.

But even with the news last night that Ricky was going to hang 'em up, it seemed unlikely that he was really going forever. I know I still suspected we'd see him fight again, and many must have felt the same.

This isn't over, either. Hatton (45-2, 31 KO) has no opponent named for a rumored summer return in Manchester, and there's really been no serious discussion of that either. His weight has been reported at around 200 pounds at his heaviest during his last 10 months out of the ring, which is 60 pounds over his optimum fighting weight.

• According to Boxing Scene, the news of Ricky Hatton's impending retirement has been greatly overstated. In an interview with Sky Sports, he's told the network that not only isn't he retiring, but he's hard in training.  Per the Scene, people close to his camp say he's still waffling about whether he wants to come back, but he's at the very least trying to take off some of his excess baggage.  Hatton should be getting in shape anyway, before the only comeback fight he can make is against Naseem Hamed at cruiserweight.
• Ricky Hatton the promoter, however, has managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat for his little brother.  Matthew Hatton now has a shot lined up for the European welterweight title, against Gianluca Branco, in only two weeks.  This will be on the Anthony Small-Sam Webb undercard on March 26.  Branco was the European light welterweight champ, but moved up to challenge for the vacant welterweight belt.  He was slated to face former paper titlist Yuriy Nuzhnenko, but when they couldn't secure a TV date, Hatton stepped in.
• With the news that Vitali Klitschko will be facing Albert Sosnowski, that leaves gold medalist Audley Harrison without a dance partner.  If they can get an opponent, he should still be fighting on April 9 for the now vacant European title.  The fight has been offered to Alexander Dimitrenko, although it seems unlikely that he would step in on such short notice.  The other top contenders for the title are Alexander Povetkin (a possibility if he doesn't suffer any damage this weekend), Nicolai Valuev (hard to imagine he'd take it for short money), Tomasz Adamek (not in training), Francisco Pianeta, Denis Bakhtov and Sam Sexton.  Most likely is Michael Sprott, who's already training for a fight at the end of the month, and is ranked 8th, despite losing 4 of his last 5.

European heavyweight titleholder Albert Sosnowski will get the chance of a lifetime on May 29. He faces Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title. (Photo via www.starboxing.com)

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If this is indeed Vitali Klitschko's final year as an active boxer, he's sure starting with a whimper. After talks with Nikolai Valuev fell apart and a deal with Odlanier Solis apparently couldn't be reached, WBC titlist Klitschko (39-2, 37 KO) has agreed to a fight with European titleholder Albert Sosnowski (45-2-1, 27 KO). They will meet May 29 in Germany.

Sosnowski was scheduled to face Audley Harrison in London on April 9, but has pulled out of that fight for the chance at bigger money and obviously greater glory against Klitschko.

Before anyone starts considering whether or not the 31-year-old Pole has a chance against Vitali, let me deflate that balloon quickly. We're talking about a fighter in Sosnowski who was shut out over eight rounds two years ago against Zuri Lawrence, the heavyweight oddity best known for his stunning record (24-15-4, 0 KO). Sosnowski was routed by Lawrence, who had in his previous two fights been knocked out by the shell of Hasim Rahman and then decisioned by non-prospect Darrel Madison. After Sosnowski, Lawrence was knocked out by Jason Estrada, another guy who can't punch.

Said Sosnowski of the opportunity, "A dream comes true. Because of the Harrison fight I am already in training and suddenly comes the once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight Klitschko. I want to thank him and his team to give me that opportunity which I will definitely take. For me, Klitschko is already over the hill. I know that I am the underdog for everybody, but I tell you, Klitschko will regret that he picked me. Many Polish and Germans with Polish roots live in the Gelsenkirchen area and I hope that they will support me. I will be the first Polish heavyweight champion of the world!"

Well, he's not lacking for enthusiasm. We can give him that.

Klitschko's biggest problem here is a win over Sosnowski adds absolutely nothing to his legacy, to his current standing, to anything. It just keeps him busy, but that's also sort of important when you're 38 with a balky back and are trying to secure a fight with David Haye later in the year. The last thing Klitschko would need going into a Haye fight is heavy rust or his body being off.

It is what it is, and I can't call it anything more than that. It's nothing but a tune-up. It's a nice opportunity for Sosnowski, and the fight could make OK money. Klitschko is a big draw in Germany, and Polish fight fans are very dedicated. Sosnowski isn't exactly Tomasz Adamek or Andrew Golota in name (or talent), but he's getting a shot at a major title.

If you're wondering what becomes of Audley Harrison, no word yet.

Joshua Clottey is a lot of things, but he's not everything the hype sound bites are making him out to be. (Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank)

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A lot of times in boxing, hype is just hype. And in a lot of ways, that rings very true this week for Joshua Clottey, who in just four days will share the ring with Manny Pacquiao in the biggest, richest and most important fight of his career.

Truth be told, the fight hasn't generated the usual big fight buzz. This is nowhere near what we saw for both of Pacquiao's 2009 fights, against Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. Those were massive events. This fight -- called "The Event," no less -- just isn't that sort of matchup, and there's a big reason for that.

The casual fans don't know who Joshua Clottey is. The mainstream writers and TV talking heads that don't really know boxing past a few names don't know who Joshua Clottey is, either. They're either counting him out, doing their ignorant "Who is THIS bum?" jive talk, or they're admitting that they don't really care about this fight.

That affords Top Rank, HBO and the other people responsible for selling this fight the opportunity to exaggerate some of Clottey's assets, if not flat-out lie about what he is as a fighter. Top Rank's 30-second TV spot calls Clottey a "devastating brawler." If you're a Comcast customer, you can go into your On Demand menu and find the Ghana-born New Yorker being hyped as a big-punching action star.

These things are just not true.

Of course, that's not to say that Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) isn't a challenge for Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO). He is an elite-level welterweight, a physically strong, defensively excellent, rugged and extremely durable fighter who will almost certainly be the biggest man (weight-wise) that Pacquiao has ever fought. Clottey likely will come into the ring anywhere from 156 to 160 pounds. Pacquiao has never weighed over 149 once he's actually stepped into the ring for fight night.

But for the genuinely curious, let's tell the truth about Joshua Clottey and what kind of fighter he is.

Past Big Fights

Clottey, 32, has had more hard luck than good or bad luck in his career. He's had a few chances to really emerge as a major player in the welterweight division, and while you can argue he took advantage in all three of his biggest fights, he officially went just 1-2 in those bouts. (His first loss in 1999 to Carlos Baldomir is widely accepted as having been a robbery disqualification. Clottey was leading on the cards at the time the referee called it off.)

The first came against Antonio Margarito in December 2006. Margarito was seen by many as a fierce, unstoppable force, but Clottey won a toe-to-toe battle early on in that fight, before suffering injuries to both hands that took him out of the contest. Judges' scorecards for that fight were wide (116-112 twice and an awful 118-109 card), but it was Clottey who generated a lot of discussion from his performance that night.

Almost two years later, after running through overmatched competition, Clottey got another shot at the big-time, meeting Zab Judah in a Boxing After Dark main event for the vacant IBF welterweight title. Judah looked to start fast, and as usual faded fairly quickly. As Clottey began to take over the fight, a punch cut Judah. Last anyone knew, Judah and his father/trainer Yoel will claim a headbutt opened the gash that had Judah pull out after nine rounds. Clottey won a well-earned technical decision.

10 months later, Clottey met Miguel Cotto. It was pretty well-known that Cotto had to beat Clottey, and then he was looking at a fight with Manny Pacquiao for late in 2009. Cotto escaped with a very narrow victory in a rough-and-tumble fight that saw Clottey knocked down on a jab in the first round, and then later bodyslammed in the corner by the Puerto Rican. A bad cut half-blinded Cotto, and the two both fought hard for most of the night.

Those who feel Cotto deserved the win will point to Clottey's single terrible habit: he gives rounds away. I scored the fight 114-113 for Cotto, personally, and if Clottey hadn't given a couple of rounds to Miguel, it would have been a different story on my card, too.

Power?

A lot of folks are talking about Clottey's power. I don't know if it's a general misconception or owes to the hype being put out there right now, but it's not near what it's being made out to be. Clottey is not Paul Malignaggi or Ivan Calderon. He can punch a little. But Clottey is nowhere near a one-punch KO artist, and really his power is more something the other fighter has to respect rather than something they need to fear.

The 1999 fight with Baldomir was really the first time Clottey faced a legitimate opponent, and after that debacle he faced a good amount of straight-up bums again. A lot of Clottey's stoppage wins are negligible when talking about an opponent like Pacquiao; frankly, a lot of Clottey's record is fairly meaningless. That goes for a lot of guys, but Clottey's record is very heavily padded in the early days.

Clottey, to be honest, only has one notable stoppage win on his entire sheet. That came in 2008 against Jose Luis Cruz, and some argued that that stoppage was a bit premature. It's Clottey's only stoppage win in the last 5 1/2 years, though to be fair, a lesser-regarded warrior than the late Diego "Chico" Corrales might have been saved by a referee during the beating Clottey gave him in 2007.

Excitement?

I wouldn't go so far as to call Joshua Clottey boring, but he's not thrilling by any stretch of the imagination. He keeps his hands up and is often content to wait, wait, wait for counter-punching opportunities. He's promising to be aggressive against Pacquiao, but it would be well out of the norm for him to actually come looking to pressure Pacquiao, so even if he starts out with that, expect him to return to what he's known for the first 15 years of his professional boxing career. "Deliberate" might be the best term to describe Clottey's offensive pace.

But...

I realize that this might sound like a bunch of reasons to count Clottey out, or at least some reasons that might temper your expectations. But there's also the fact that Clottey will on occasion really start fighting hard. He did it some against Cotto, and did it against Judah.

Judah, a fast lefty with good movement, is the only guy he's been in with that even closely compares to Pacquiao, and the 2010 Manny and 2008 Zab aren't that much alike. For one thing, I can't see Manny getting weary, frustrated and quit-happy the way Judah did. Clottey will have to really beat Pacquiao to beat him. For another thing, Judah just doesn't have Pacquiao's offensive firepower, and nobody really fights quite like Pacquiao. He's hard to duplicate.

Clottey can fight, and he's more than just a warm body to put in there with Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is a major favorite and deserves to be one. But don't ignore Clottey or count him out. If Pacquiao and Freddie Roach are looking past Clottey, they could find themselves in their first real fight since the rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008.

Since we shut down our pick'em game last year because it became such a hassle to keep tabulating week in and week out, we've been asked many times if or when we'd bring it back. Well, we're not going to.

But good news. Our friends at the SB Nation boxing blog The Boxing Bulletin have picked up the slack, and are starting a more in-depth version of the game, starting this week with three fights from the Pacquiao-Clottey clard, plus the British super middleweight title fight between Paul Smith and Tony Dodson.

For those who haven't signed up at TBB yet but are BLH members, it really could not be simpler. Since you already have an SB Nation account, all you have to do is click to join over there. You'll keep the same username and password and all that that you have here. TBB features some excellent analysis, so it's a win-win situation for you.

Ricky Hatton is reportedly set to retire from boxing within the next week. (Photo by Al Bello / Getty Images)

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Despite Richard Schaefer's idea to talk to Ricky Hatton about fighting Juan Manuel Marquez later this year, and his own rumored plans to stage a comeback fight this summer, the latest news is that Ricky "Hitman" Hatton will officially announce his retirement from professional boxing soon.

Hatton, 31, reportedly told friends and family this weekend that he would be hanging up the gloves, 10 months after a brutal second round knockout loss to Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

The move is both surprising and not very surprising at all. Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) had a fantastic run and became a massive international star in boxing, fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao in two of the bigger fights of the 2000s. But he is seen by almost everyone now as damaged goods. The brawling Mancunian has also damaged his own career by ballooning up in weight between fights, earning him the nickname "Ricky Fatton."

But like most things, Hatton took that mocking nickname in stride, and made a joke of it. It was that sort of everyman, laid-back, well-humored personality that made Hatton a major star. Unlike many in boxing, Ricky Hatton never did a lot of bragging about how tough he was, never really went on about kicking asses, never talked a ton of trash. He is a unique personality, one that has connected with a lot of people.

If Hatton does indeed retire, I'll miss him. He was the flagship star for a generation of British boxing, a rough-and-tough brawler who bashed his way past a true great in Kostya Tszyu, and put up the best fight he could against Mayweather later in his career. He beat a lot of good fighters, and he often beat the odds. When you look back at the pre-Tszyu version of Ricky Hatton, it's not all that easy to see how he would become the sort of sensation he did. But through a great rapport with fans and a willingness to fight the best, he became one of the biggest boxing stars of the decade.

We'll have more as it develops, and if Hatton does make an official announcement, a look back at the career of Ricky "Hitman" Hatton.

Juan Manuel Marquez will defend his lightweight championship this summer, but really wants a fight at 140 against Ricky Hatton. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)

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Speaking with FanHouse's Lem Sattefield, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer says he's getting back to work trying to set up a fight between Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez. Schaefer says that Marquez will defend his lightweight world championship in June on HBO (no opponent named), and he believes Hatton plans to fight this summer in Manchester. Then, says Schaefer, the two could meet in Manchester late in the fall.

Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO) won the lightweight championship from Joel Casamayor in 2008, and defended it last year in the Fight of the Year against Juan Diaz. He then moved up to welterweight to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., and was easily beaten in September. There were discussions for Marquez to fight Amir Khan on May 15, but it didn't happen.

He's willing to move up to 140 or even "slightly higher" to face Hatton, which is his No. 1 priority right now.

Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) hasn't fought since being knocked out in two rounds last May by Manny Pacquiao.

There is, of course, no guarantee that Marquez and Hatton -- or either -- escapes a summer fight without a loss, which could kill interest in them fighting each other in the fall. Right now, rumors seem to indicate that Juan Diaz would be in the lead to land a rematch with Marquez for June, as Michael Katsidis is set to fight Kevin Mitchell on May 8 in England and there are few other viable options at 135 that HBO would be interested in televising. Marquez-Diaz II could be another fabulous fight, and even with Diaz struggling twice with Paulie Malignaggi in his last two fights (you can argue he should have three straight losses on his sheet, and he's lost three of his last five officially), the momentum of their first bout being named 2009 Fight of the Year across the board is big. There'd be plenty of interest in seeing them match up again.

We conclude this three-part series on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard with the main event's chief support. Earlier in the day we looked at John Duddy-Michael Medina and Jose Luis Castillo-Alfonso Gomez.

Humberto Soto (50-7-2, 32 KO) v. David Diaz (35-2-1, 17 KO)
Lightweights - 12 Rounds - For the Vacant WBC TItle

(Photos by Nick Laham and Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Different fighters and different hype means that I look at fighters in different ways. While I might find something positive to take from Jose Luis Castillo beating up on a bunch of gatekeepers, journeymen and scrubs in recent times, the recent career of Humberto Soto leaves me cold.

A lot of times with a guy like Soto, we say that he's better than his record, and Soto got that tag for a while. He lost a fight in 1998, four days after he turned 18 years old. He lost another one the next year. He lost two more when he was 20. He lost a majority decision in 2002 against Kevin Kelley. And in 2008, referee Joe Cortez made an awful decision to disqualify Soto against Francisco Lorenzo, whose face Humberto had turned into a bloody disfigurement.

That's six of his seven losses accounted for. Then there's the seventh, which came in November 2007 in a highly-anticipated fight against Joan Guzman. Guzman didn't make it pretty, but he made it very decisive, routing Soto over 12 rounds and outboxing him pretty easily.

Even if you don't totally ignore the "loss" to Lorenzo (and you should), Soto has gone 28-2 since that 2002 loss to Kelley. But really, it's a fluffed-up record, and his grassroots legend has been built very nicely.

There is really just one win that truly sticks out. In 2005, he won a narrow decision against Rocky Juarez, taking the hyped Texan's "0" and turning some heads. But since then, almost everyone he's fought and beaten has been cut from the same cloth. Guys like Oscar Leon, Ivan Valle, Humberto Toledo and Antonio Davis are all credible fighters and no pushovers, or at least weren't coming in, but they're not wins that really make you go, "Wow!"

Last year, Soto stayed active, fighting four times. In March he plowed through Davis (TKO-4), then about six weeks later beat a very tentative Benoit Gaudet (TKO-9) on the Hatton-Pacquiao show.

On Mexican Independence Day he was matched against Colombian Aristides Perez, which was a disgrace of a fight approved by the WBC as a title-worthy bout. Perez was 15-0-1 coming in, but the fighters he'd faced had a combined record of 13-93-4 (two of them were making their pro debuts), and he had never fought outside of the very forgiving rings of his home country. Soto predictably laughed his way through a two-round bashing.

Then in December, Soto moved up to lightweight and beat the shadow of Jesus Chavez.

Which brings us to David Diaz. The Chicago native Diaz also beat Chavez last year, though he had a rougher go of it than did Soto. That can be at least partially chalked up to ring rust, as Diaz hadn't fought in 15 months after being blasted by Manny Pacquiao in June 2008. Diaz, 33, beat Chavez by majority decision in his hometown.

Diaz's only pro loss besides Pacquiao came in 2005 against Kendall Holt. For the most part, his record is somewhat unimpressive. The affable Diaz did stop Jose Armando Santa Cruz to win the interim WBC lightweight belt in 2006, and a year later retired Erik Morales, at least for a couple of years. His tune-up to face Pacquiao revealed many chinks in his armor, as he struggled with known sparring partner Ramon Montano in what was supposed to be an easy, attention-grabbing non-title bout on the Marquez-Pacquiao II undercard.

Diaz is slow, doesn't have much pop, and isn't exactly versatile. Pacquiao's speed and power destroyed him, but Soto isn't Pacquiao. Soto, though, is a pretty relentless pressure fighter when he's on his game, and one wonders if Diaz has the tools necessary to combat that.

Frankly, I can't see it. Diaz rather easily falls in line with the rest of the marks that Soto has been buzzsawing his way through in recent years, a competent fighter who just isn't strong enough, fast enough, or durable enough (or some combination thereof) to neutralize Soto for an entire fight.

For years, it seemed like Top Rank was keeping Soto in reserve to face Pacquiao if needed. Now, they've "been trying" to set up a fight between Soto and Edwin Valero. The first fight never happened. The second looks like it won't ever happen either. So now they just have Humberto Soto, and he'll beat another guy on Saturday night. Soto TKO-9

Erislandy Lara returns to the ring on April 2, in Golden Boy Promotions' first crack at a ShoBox card.

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Erislandy Lara (10-0, 6 KO) will return to the ring on April 2, facing veteran Danny Perez (34-6, 17 KO) on a ShoBox broadcast from Las Vegas. The event will be Golden Boy's first-ever ShoBox card, as strange as that might seem. Lara last fought on January 29, co-featured on the Campillo-Shumenov II card, which was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. That night, he wore down and stopped the awkward Grady Brewer.

Perez, 33, lost his last fight to Carlos Molina via very wide decision in Miami. Two of his six losses came against Antonio Margarito in 1999 and 2002. In some ways, he's a perfect fit for Lara right now as an opponent, but the loss to Molina does take some steam out of Perez. Molina isn't a bad fighter, but he's not Lara.

Also featured on that card will be Puerto Rican featherweight prospect Carlos Velasquez (11-0, 9 KO).

In another April edition of ShoBox, Fernando Guerrero (17-0, 14 KO) will look to continue his rise up the middleweight ladder when he once again headlines at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland. He's built a very impressive following in Salisbury, and may soon be ready to take that a bit more regional than simply local. Guerrero has long been one of Bad Left Hook's favorite prospects. No opponent has been named, but Team Guerrero told WMDT-47 that the fight would take place on April 16, and that Guerrero would be defending the NABO trinket he won last year.

For now, it's again looking like Hozumi Hasegawa-Fernando Montiel is off. Montiel is unhappy with the money.

The March 19 Friday Night Fights will be headlined by the Deandre Latimore-Sechew Powell rematch at the Choctaw Gaming Center in (I assume) scenic Durant, Oklahoma. Added as the undercard featured fighter that night is super middleweight prospect Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (13-0, 9 KO), who will take on George Armenta (13-5, 11 KO).

The next week on FNF (3/26) is the Cunningham-Godfrey IBF cruiserweight title fight, and it's now been confirmed that Don King has managed to co-main event the show with Cory Spinks defending the IBF junior middleweight belt against Cornelius Bundrage, giving FNF a very rare double world title show.