Ines Sainz weighs in on Pacquiao-Margarito (Los Angeles Times)
Ines Sainz, who became widely-known earlier this year thanks to frat boy behavior from some New York Jets, has been doing interviews for Top Rank's web site. Todd duBoef doesn't mince words: "Ines is obviously pleasing to the eye, and we're repositioning our sport to hit all markets, to make us more contemporary." Ines Sainz might not be the key hire those of us hoping boxing catches up with the times were looking for, but my God, I think duBoef actually has his finger on the pulse.
Audley Harrison’s quit threat (The Sun)
Audley Harrison is saying he'll quit if he wins on Saturday against David Haye. Or maybe he will. He says he has no dreams to unify the heavyweight division, which I kind of appreciate since it's basically impossible anymore given that sanctioning bodies will strip you of a title for daring to take good fights against fellow titlists. But, you know...this all depends on Harrison scoring a massive upset at age 39.
The Prestige: Haye vs Harrison Preview & Prediction (Safe Side of the Ropes)
Andrew Harrison breaks down Haye-Harrison. Guess who he picks? Still, I can't argue with any preview that starts with the line, "Audley Hugh Harrison probably over-egged the pudding in act one."
Oakland's Andre Ward likes fighting at Oracle Arena (San Francisco Chronicle)
"We're not going to apologize for fighting at home. We should be respected for building a home base. We paid our dues." That's what Andre Ward says about criticism that he fights only in his hometown. It makes one wonder if "paying dues" has simply turned into words that are often said together rather than something that actually means anything, but that is neither here nor there. (I am not saying Ward is spoiled, but when I think of fighters in the sport who have "paid their dues," Andre Ward does not leap to the top of the list. Neither does would-be rival Lucian Bute, to be fair. Hey, where would they fight?) I respect that they've built a fan base, but at some point this becomes exactly the same as European fighters who are often criticized for not fighting away from home. Ward also weighs in on his fight with Sakio Bika on Nov. 27.
'The Fighter' becomes a contender (Los Angeles Times)
Early reviews are looking pretty good for the Micky Ward biopic The Fighter.
Super Six Scenarios (MaxBoxing)
Just in case you missed our link to this the other day, Steve Kim broke down the Super Six scenarios for MaxBoxing.
Kendall Holt Returns on December 3, Inks With Shaw (BoxingScene.com)
Longtime junior welterweight contender Kendall Holt is returning to the ring on December 3 after signing a promotional deal with Gary Shaw. Holt (25-4, 13 KO) hasn't fought since February, when he was obliterated by then-unknown Kaizer Mabuza in Atlantic City. There was talk earlier this year from Holt of stepping up to 147 pounds, but he's also not dismissed fighting at 140 still. Best of luck to Holt in this comeback bid, he's always been a fun fighter to watch.
Two More Things: Junior Witter Now Wants Matthew Hatton, and Edwin Rodriguez Will Spar With Carl Froch
Both from press releases, wanted to touch on both a little bit. The fact that Witter (37-3-2, 22 KO) is now looking for a clash with Matthew Hatton is wonderfully unsurprising. Witter hasn't fought in over a year and he had tumbled from the top of the junior welterweight ranks, where he'd been stalking Ricky Hatton for years. But I still thought he fared not-so-poorly against both Devon Alexander (his last loss) and Timothy Bradley. At 36, Witter needs a name opponent for a comeback, and Hatton (40-4-1, 15 KO) now holds the European welterweight title, which he'll be defending on November 26 against unbeaten, feather-fisted Roberto Belge (25-0-1, 4 KO) of Switzerland. OK, so it's not the Hatton-Witter fight so many felt would have been an interesting clash of styles when Ricky and Junior were at their peaks, but I'd watch it. The bad blood is definitely there. For the record, if Witter's in any kind of shape, I'd favor him to beat Matthew.
Also of note, recently-victorious super middleweight prospect Edwin Rodriguez is heading to the UK to spar with Carl Froch as Froch prepares for Arthur Abraham on November 27. Rodriguez sparred in Australia with Daniel Geale before his last bout, so he's getting some very big calls right now, and getting some great work in. It seems like his team is really handling him well so far.