Welterweight

Miguel Cotto and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will square off in the ring Nov. 21 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for a chance at the middleweight title.

Before that fight takes place, boxing fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at the how the fighters are preparing for the bout, on HBO's award-winning 24/7 series: Cotto/Canelo.

The two-part series includes in-depth interviews with both fighters. Below are listings of when and where you can watch the mini-series:

	Date	Time	TV	Online
Episode 1	Saturday, Nov. 7	11:45-12:15 p.m. ET/PT (approx.)	HBO	TBA
Episode 2	Thursday, Nov. 19	11:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT	HBO	TBA

Preview

Rick Bernstein, executive producer of HBO Sports, is excited for fans of the sport to see this documentary, per BoxingNews24.com:

The intensity, rivalry and significance of Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico versus Canelo Alvarez of Mexico will make for great storytelling in this all-new edition of ‘24/7.’ This is a mega-fight that will generate tremendous interest, and we look forward to documenting the multiple storylines generated by this red-hot showdown.

This will be the fifth HBO 24/7 series Cotto has appeared in, and the first for Alvarez, per Dan Rafael of ESPN. More importantly for the fighters, it will be the first fight between the two and will crown the middleweight champion.

The 35-year-old Cotto is 40-4 (33 KOs), and 25-year-old Alvarez is 45-1-1 (32 KOs). Neither are used to losing, and the mini-series will show viewers how these successful fighters prepare for their matches, with perhaps some good ol' fashioned boxing trash talk.

Per BoxingInsider.com's Twitter account, Cotto recently inferred Alvarez better be in top shape if he wants to win:

Miguel Cotto: “I don’t care how Canelo is doing in training camp. I hope he can get in his best shape"

— Boxing Insider Promotions (@BoxingInsider) November 5, 2015

Below is the trailer for the documentary:

The backdrop of the match will provide plenty of drama for the HBO special. Cotto is the reigning WBC, lineal and The Ring world middleweight champ, while Alvarez is the up-and-comer who has only been defeated once—via Floyd Mayweather Jr.—in 47 fights.

Alvarez held the WBA (regular) and The Ring light middleweight title until he lost to the undefeated Mayweather in Sept. 2013. He is a formidable foe for Cotto, and this documentary will be great insight for fans who want more than just the action in the ring.

Canelo is one of the faces of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Productions. The former champion boxer broke down the match Thursday for ESPN. He said the buildup is strong two years after this fight nearly happened in 2013.

Making The Rounds: @OscarDeLaHoya breaks down #CottoCanelo with @danrafaelespn & @BCampbellESPN https://t.co/YrnOap3pvL @GoldenBoyBoxing

— ESPN Boxing (@ESPNBoxing) November 5, 2015

One of the main points De La Hoya made is that when Alvarez fought Mayweather he was still inexperienced, and has matured since then. It will be interesting to see if the film tries to play off the age difference between the two.

Cotto seems poised and ready to defend his title, while Alvarez is hungry and trying to make a claim as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today.

HBO always does a great job with its 24/7 series, and this should be a real treat for boxing fans considering the skill of each fighter and the difference in where each fighter stands in their respective careers.

*Immediately following the World Championship Boxing doubleheader that begins at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT)

WBO welterweight champion Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley Jr. (32-1-1, 12 KO) is a fighter's fighter.

He's chiseled out of granite, skilled, tough and flawed. The combination makes him one of the most compelling fighters to watch in the sport of boxing. Fans will get their latest opportunity to watch Desert Storm in action when he defends his title against the equally intriguing Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios (33-2-1, 24 KO) Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Rios doesn't have the champion's physique or his boxing acumen. But Bam Bam is just as tough, and he packs the punch that is absent from Bradley's game. This could be the formula for a memorable fight.

   

When: Saturday, Nov. 7, at 9:30 p.m. ET

Where: Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas

TV: HBO

Live Stream: BoxNation

Last Time Out

Bradley Survives Vargas

June 15, 2015, in Carson, California

For 11 rounds, Bradley gave Jessie Vargas a boxing lesson; however, in typical Bradley fashion, he got a little too comfortable, fell off his game plan and started trying to trade shots on the inside. 

Late in the 12th round, Vargas caught Bradley with a mammoth right hand that would have floored most men. As we've seen in previous Bradley fights, he isn't most men. Bradley wobbled backward into the ropes—somehow maintaining his balance—and tried to survive Vargas' last-ditch effort to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

There were only about 12 seconds remaining in the fight when Vargas began to close in for what he hoped would be the finish. The 10-second-warning sound went off, and referee Pat Russell inexplicably mistook it for the final bell.

He jumped in to call an end to the bout, thinking that time had elapsed in the final round. Vargas and Bradley thought he was stopping the fight and awarding the former a TKO victory. When the dust settled, the fight was ruled to have gone the distance, and Bradley's work through 11-plus rounds was more than enough to secure the win and to take Vargas' interim WBO Welterweight Championship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDGeYu0ljc

In the past, we've witnessed Bradley's indomitable spirit, but we've also come to expect some measure of controversy with many of his fights. His unwillingness to stick to his boxing is usually at the root of the problem.

Throughout his career, Bradley has been guided by trainer Joel Diaz, but prior to the fight with Rios, the 32-year-old from Cathedral City, California, made a surprising switch. After more than a decade with Diaz in his corner, Bradley fired his trainer and hired Teddy Atlas.

Per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael, Bradley said the switch was not because of anything Diaz had done wrong.

"Good things come to an end. It's not a bad thing," Bradley said. "I'm looking for change. A lot of guys change trainers. It's nothing bad about Joel. Sometimes you just need a change."

InstantBoxing.com has this classic black-and-white photo of Bradley, per Lina Baker, with the champion's basic but poignant objective:

@Timbradleyjr "My game plan is to stay totally focused for 36 minutes of fighting"

Photo @Lina_baker pic.twitter.com/kAPUeHjLyu

— Under the Hand Wraps (@UTHWBoxingMedia) October 28, 2015

For once, Bradley isn't going into a fight talking about getting a stoppage. Perhaps that's an indication he has finally accepted that he's not a big-time slugger. Maybe he's willing to embrace the fact that he's one of the best pure boxers in the sport.

Rios Punishes Listless Alvarado

Jan. 24, 2015, in Broomfield, Colorado

The third battle between Rios and rival "Mile High" Mike Alvarado was supposed to be a good fight. It wasn't. Rios had won the first fight back in 2012. It was an epic battle that many considered the Fight of the Year.

Rios and Alvarado would rematch in March 2013. The latter put on the performance of his career, mixing in boxing with slugging en route to a unanimous-decision win. He would not bring the same effort or spirit into the third fight.

From the opening bell, the more prepared and rejuvenated Rios pounded Alvarado until the latter quit on his stool between the third and fourth rounds. It was an anticlimactic end to what could have been a legendary trilogy of fights. 

What was lost in Alvarado's poor showing was Rios' rededication to the sport. In previous fights, he had struggled with weight and perhaps not taken his overall conditioning as seriously as he needed to. Against Alvarado in January and against Diego Chaves in August 2014, Rios looked as good as he ever has in the ring.

He was svelte. His punches were more accurate, and his stamina was also improved. He'll need to be at his best to take down Bradley.

What's at Stake

Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Rios talked about the possibility of losing this all-important clash with Bradley:

If I lose, this could be it for my career. I'm not going to fight for $30,000, or fight on TruTV, Telefutura, Fox, whatever … they won't pay me what I want. … All I've ever done is boxing, so it's a scary thing to think about. My wife and I talked about this two months ago. She asked what would happen if I lose. I was thinking, thinking, thinking … honestly, I don't even know what I'd do. I'm scared. I can't think about it.

A win for Rios would get him his third world title, and that would secure another big-money fight in 2016. When you've reached the level that Rios has in the sport, it's difficult to ponder starting over or not being considered a major cable-network draw.

To escape the ranks of the mediocre pugilist, Rios must at least put on a strong performance against Bradley.

Desert Storm is also firmly in the running for a major fight in 2016. As the reigning champion, he clearly has the inside track. He's also generally a bit more highly thought of over Rios.

Losing to Rios would be a major drawback in his career. Beyond losing the title and a shot at a bigger payday in 2016, Bradley would have to answer legitimate questions about the erosion of his skills after multiple in-ring wars.

Prediction

Bradley has me convinced he'll use his speed, quickness and boxing ability to execute a game plan. Quite honestly, if he does that, he can make this fight look rather easy. A motivated Rios will keep coming for the entire 12 rounds, but the speed and skill advantages are drastically in Bradley's favor.   

Barring another macho approach from Bradley, he wins this fight by unanimous decision.

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Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.

Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather will not be making a return to the sport, according to the chief executive officer of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe.

Money claimed he was to hang up the gloves for good following a comfortable victory over Andre Berto in September, but many—including Gennady Golovkin and Sugar Ray Leonard, per Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com and TMZ, respectively—have predicted he'll be back.

However, Ellerbe took to social media to confirm Floyd’s words should be taken at face value:

Floyd Mayweather is RETIRED, end of discussion.

— Leonard Ellerbe (@LEllerbe) October 26, 2015

Admittedly, there are few things left for Mayweather to accomplish in the sport of boxing. Although he was often accused of cherry-picking opponents during his career, the unbeaten American fought some of the very best fighters of this generation, including Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya.

Mayweather, while still imperious against Berto, will also be wary about hanging around in the sport for too long. His reflexes, defensive skills and counter-punching were razor sharp in his last outing, but in boxing, one lapse in judgement can quickly blemish a stellar legacy. Now 38 years old, the American will know it’ll be tough to preserve such astonishing levels for much longer.

His last few fights haven’t been particularly entertaining either, most notably the bouts with Berto and Pacquiao. As noted by FightNights.com, a lot of fans have lost faith in the big occasions because of the moribund nature of the much-hyped Mayweather-Pacquiao:

You have to wonder how bad Mayweather-Pacquiao destroyed the PPV market. Cotto-Canelo is a good test to find out.

— The Boxing Zone (@boxing) October 22, 2015

There will be factors that could tease Floyd into a return eventually, though. A career record of 49-0, just one win away from surpassing Rocky Marciano’s longstanding landmark, does feel a little incomplete. As a proud fighter, Mayweather will surely feel a little underwhelmed by his last bout against Berto.

There are big challenges around too. Amir Khan is a fighter who has continually made his intentions clear to go up against Mayweather, while the boxing stratosphere would love to see the American pitted against the big-hitting WBA, IBF, WBC and IBO middleweight champion, Golovkin.

ESPN’s Skip Bayless thinks if Floyd wants to bolster his bank balance even more, then there are hugely lucrative fights still out there:

Money Mayweather should fight Triple G ... then a healthy Pacquiao. Talk about MONEY.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 20, 2015

However, as we can see courtesy of the retired fighter’s Instagram account, he seems to be enjoying his time away from the sport:

For how long that satisfaction continues will be intriguing to see. Mayweather is a man that has had a competitive edge in his life for almost two decades and finding something to replace that void will be tough, especially with many options still potentially there for Floyd should he come back to the ring.

Ellerbe is a man who knows Mayweather better than most, meaning his assessment of the situation should be considered pretty seriously. So while rumours will continue to swirl about a possible return to action further down the line, it doesn’t look as though Money has any immediate intentions on lacing up the gloves any time soon.

WBA welterweight champion Keith "One Time" Thurman will reportedly defend his title against fellow American Shawn Porter on December 12.

ESPN's Dan Rafael all but confirmed the long-rumoured clash on Wednesday:

I'm told we'll be seeing @keithfthurmanjr vs. @ShowtimeShawnP on @SHOsports on Dec. 12. Bring it on! #boxing

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) October 7, 2015

Both fighters boast great power in their punches, and a potential matchup between the pair is an exciting prospect for boxing fans.

Should it be confirmed, it is a difficult clash to call.

The 26-year-old Thurman won the interim WBA welterweight title against Diego Chaves in 2013.

Per Dan Ambrose of Boxing News 24, One Time was elevated to become the WBA's "regular" world titleholder earlier this year ahead of successful defences against Robert Guerrero and Luis Collazo—although he remains below the WBA's "super" champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A clash with Porter presents the undefeated Thurman (26-0) with a genuine challenge for his title. 

"Showtime" Porter (26-1-1) has lost just once in his professional career—to Britain's Kell Brook in 2014—and is a previous IBF titleholder.

Since his defeat to Brook, the 27-year-old has knocked out Ecuador's Erick Bone and won a unanimous decision against former WBA welterweight titleholder Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Both Porter and Thurman are genuine candidates to fill the gap in the welterweight division left by the recently retired Mayweather.

Although neither can likely hope to dominate the division in the same way Money has over the last decade, they are both talented fighters.

Whichever boxer comes out on top in December 12's prospective fight would massively boost his reputation and make him the man to beat at 147 pounds. 

Floyd Mayweather has reiterated his desire to remain retired, insisting he is happy playing a much more significant role in promotion rather than thinking about a landmark 50th fight.

The undefeated American was speaking on Premier Boxing Champions: Toe-to-Toe Tuesday on Fox Sports 1 and insisted he will not be making a return to the ring following his final fight against Andre Berto (h/t Jake Donovan of BoxingScene.com).

“I'm not coming back, but…” teased Mayweather when quizzed on the prospect of one more bout by Mauro Ranallo, who was on the broadcast panel. “I'm just happy to be on the other side.”

The 38-year-old has little to prove at this juncture. His final fight against Berto was hopelessly lopsided and it was a bout that wasn’t befitting of his immense talent, but the 48 that preceded it allowed Money to forge a reputation as a defensive master. Indeed, beating outstanding fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao is a measure of his quality.

Tom Craze of Bad Left Hook doesn’t think Mayweather has any more worthy foes to go up against anymore and should stay away:

Honestly, I hope Floyd Mayweather retires and stays retired. Nothing more to prove. All the money anyone could dream of. Retires undefeated.

— Tom Craze (@TomCraze) September 12, 2015

Still, there are few who think Mayweather has genuine intentions of walking away from the sport for good. After all, it was clear against Berto that Money is still in remarkable shape, still possesses incredible instincts and could feasibly fight on for a lot longer yet. So it’d be peculiar if he didn’t step back into the ring one more time at least.

ESPN’s Skip Bayless certainly can’t foresee a permanent retirement, as he revealed in the aftermath of Mayweather’s win over Berto:

Floyd Mayweather Jr. says it's official he is retiring. Sorry, Floyd, not buying it.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 13, 2015

The incentives for Floyd to return are huge too. Currently he stands level alongside the great Rocky Marciano with a career record of 49-0. If he could surpass that standard, Mayweather would have a potentially more legitimate claim to being one of the greatest fighters of all time, a mantle he claims he holds already, but few really agree with.

In addition, although Floyd may not be to everyone’s taste, he’s a huge figure in the sport and a massive character. Laceupboxing thinks a lot of fans will miss his presence more than they anticipate:

Boxing fans:

Today: Thank god the Floyd Mayweather era is over

Next year: Boxing is dead since Floyd Mayweather retired.

— Laceupboxing (@Laceupboxing) September 13, 2015

Mayweather has done this dance before, having claimed to have retired after beating Ricky Hatton in 2007, before returning 21 months later to go up against Juan Manuel Marquez. Granted, Floyd is older and wiser now, with a lot more fights under his belt, but there’s something not quite right about the 49-0 mark.

The man himself will surely agree and the lure of the 50th fight, accompanied by the prestige it would bring and the lucrative sums involved will surely be too tantalising to turn down. Fans will be divided on whether or not they want to see Mayweather lace up the gloves again, but should he fight a credible opponent, there are few who love boxing that’ll decide not to tune in.

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard has claimed Floyd Mayweather should postpone his retirement in an attempt to move to a career record of 50-0.

Speaking with TMZ Sports, Leonard suggested the undefeated American must come back in an attempt to surpass Rocky Marciano’s record, which Mayweather drew level with after beating Andre Berto in his 49th professional bout. “He has to go for 50, he has to go for 5-0,” said Leonard. 

Leonard was also asked who his top three fighters of all time were, and left Mayweather out at the expense of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and himself. Here’s a look at the interview with Leonard in full, per TMZ:

Mayweather has previously claimed he is the best fighter to ever step foot inside a boxing ring and after a glittering career, he has a case. The American has beaten some big names in Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya, and secured clinical wins in the overwhelming majority of his bouts. But his defensive fighting style has won him few admirers from boxing aesthetes.

Still, as noted by Tom Craze of Bad Left Hook,  Mayweather has achieved pretty much everything he possibly could have:

Like him or not, it's very hard to argue that Floyd Mayweather has anything left to prove, or that there's anything left for him to achieve.

— Tom Craze (@TomCraze) September 13, 2015

His record may place him as one of the best ever professional fighters, but there are others, like the names mentioned by Leonard, who would also have a genuine claim to be considered as more entertaining and a lot braver in their selections of opponent.

The likes of Ali, Robinson and Leonard all took on top competitors at the peak of their powers on a much more regular basis, making for gripping fights for fans to savour. Leonard, as we can see here, was a very special fighter at his best:

Perhaps Leonard considered Mayweather’s own choices for the top five fighters of all time when making his own picks. The 38-year-old chose himself, naturally, as the greatest boxer to have ever lived, but he opted for Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Roberto Duran and Ali trailing him in the top five, with Leonard excluded. 

Mayweather was a great fighter without any great fights. Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran are remembered for their FIGHTS.

— Sups (@supsterjnr) September 14, 2015

Mayweather is certainly up there with the greats and going ahead of Marciano with one more fight against a credible opponent would certainly enrich his case to be considered as the best of all time. At the moment, there’s an underwhelming feeling about the finish to Money’s career, with Berto nowhere near the standard to appropriately test him.

Mayweather is a fierce competitor and the chance to go clear on 50-0 will be a tantalising prospect, as will the lucrative payday that'll accompany another fight. So as Leonard suggests, it would be a big surprise if Floyd was able to stave off those instincts and stay away from the ring for good.