First off, I want to say that I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday weekend here in the States, and I'll even go so far as to wish the Redcoats a happy and safe normal weekend, too.
- James McGirt, Jr., really does deserve some credit for coming back from his first career loss with a scheduled ESPN2 headliner against good veteran Raymond Joval on July 25. He could've backtracked and taken an easier fight, and it would've been par for the course. Instead, he takes a legitimate challenge.
- Representatives for IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi sent out an update on his health status, and the good news is he's ready for Ricky Hatton in November -- well, he will be anyway. Everyone staring ahead at 2009 and a potential Hatton-Pacquiao clash is not giving Malignaggi's ability the respect it deserves. It's an intriguing fight because we'll see how the seemingly-aging Hatton handles the defensively-minded Malignaggi's hand speed, and we'll also see if Paulie is really for real. His first two 2008 bouts have been a bit disappointing.
- You may have seen that Alexander Povetkin and team contracted a bus to ride around Germany and call out Wladimir Klitschko. This mandatory is very similar to the one Amir Khan currently holds against Nate Campbell, though Khan's team seems to accept that he's a couple more fights away from being ready for a fight like that. Povetkin would get slaughtered by Klitschko. Bet on it. David Haye plans on confronting Klitschko, too. Maybe Haye should fight at heavyweight first. If he gets beaten up at heavy, we'll remember him as one of the all-time great talkers that couldn't walk.
- Vernon Forrest keeps on pushing for an unwanted rematch with Sergio Mora, and the WBC keeps on pushing for Mora to face mandatory challenger Sergio Martinez. Neither fight is very interesting; Martinez's record is built on bums and nobodies, and Forrest-Mora was a rather boring fight that is only memorable for its upset status. Forrest-Mora II is not desired by anyone but Vernon, and is a great cause for the end of mandatory rematches. Forrest chose to fight Mora, who wasn't even boxing at 154 pounds. His mistake.
- The guy that upset Zahir Raheem in South Africa? Ali Funeka? That guy? He's a lightweight -- and he's 6'0". Funeka could be a stylistic nightmare for a lot of guys, the same as Celestino Caballero has been at 122.
- The half-year Fighter of the Year is obviously Manny Pacquiao, isn't it? Last year, I wondered if Manny was starting to show some signs of losing a step. After a brilliant performance in a brilliant fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and a dominant thrashing of David Diaz, it doesn't appear that he really has. A re-focused Pacquiao looks as good as ever.
- Has anyone yet alerted Jim Lampley of the fact that Edwin Valero is not a featherweight? And never has been?
- Top Rank has no plan for it yet, but I think we really deserve to see a third fight between Kendall Holt and Ricardo Torres. I'm also glad Torres isn't harping on the totally unintentional headbutt that started his fall.
- Speaking of Top Rank, they've signed Demetrius Hopkins. Can't wait to see him back in the ring.
- Edgar Santana and Dmitriy Salita are trying to get a fight on the undercard of Calzaghe-Jones. Will someone just make this fight already? This is about the 200th time I can remember the two of them trying to get this fight going.
- Good news for those that are fans of either guy: Rocky Juarez and Jorge Barrios have had their fight rescheduled for September 6 in Houston, underneath the B.A.D. main event of Juan Diaz versus Michael Katsidis. That could really be a hell of a show, definitely worth staying in on a Saturday.
- Going back to fights that are apparently desired but never get made: that David Tua-Chris Arreola rumor is back again. How many rounds can that one possibly last? Four? Tops? It's the perfect sink-or-swim fight for Arreola, and a good fight to potentially get Tua back into the mix, too. Considering how entertaining both are, either result would be welcome.
- For as much as some want to give Tony Thompson stylistic hope against Wladimir Klitschko, does anyone but me get the impression that the somewhat raw Thompson will just get steamrolled by Wlad?
- If Amir Khan really hired Freddie Roach, just how good might he get? Also, if you missed Khan's most recent win over gutsy Michael Gomez, find a way to see that one. Hell of a good fight.
- Is anyone really looking forward to $100 combined (or close to it, at the least) for Casamayor-Marquez and Mosley-Mayorga? Even if you want to see both fights, which I do, that's a lot of money for a couple of fights that HAVE to have a good undercard, which neither will have. On the subject of bad undercards, the Cotto-Margarito bout sheet is really, really weak. Come on, Bob. Sell me more than a main event. I already paid to see your boy Tye Fields get creamed by a journeman.