Recently by Chris Iorfida
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CBC Sports
Cotto will make Mayweather sweat
Few boxing observers expect the admirable Miguel Cotto to upset Floyd Mayweather on Saturday, but maybe we're at the point where the American won't cruise so easily to victory as in the past.
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Hockey
Phoenix-Nashville: Bettman vindicated?
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman helped prevent Nashville and Phoenix from relocating per the wishes of a certain Canadian businessman, and now one of those teams will be in the Western Conference final.
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Hockey
5-on-5 strength is where it's at
Maybe goaltending or power-play prowess are the biggest determining factors of a strong playoff team, but you could do worse than making the case that 5-on-5 scoring ratio is the most key.
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Hockey
In praise of 'Wizard' Whitney, latest 1,000 point man
Ray Whitney's reaction to his 1,000th point, as well as a look at his interesting career and players drafted before him in 1991.
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Hockey
3-point games more common when East meets West
For the second straight season that we've tracked it, games go beyond 60 minutes at a much higher rate when featuring clubs from opposing conferences than those from the same conference.
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Hockey
Trade history: Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers gained a future captain in one memorable 1994 deal, and lost a captain in a heartbreaking trade 13 years later. Here's a look at some significant second half transcation involving the Oilers.
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Hockey
Trade History: Vancouver Canucks
You can make a strong case that no other Canadian NHL team has done as well with second-half trades over the last three decades as the Vancouver Canucks.
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Hockey
Trade history: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have done quite alright with second half trades over the last 30 years, obtaining the likes of Rick Vaive, Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk, Dion Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul. Of course, there was that Larry Murphy "trade."
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Hockey
Trade history: Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens have historically made their biggest and best deals in the offseason. A review of their deals near the trade deadline highlights a decidedly mixed bag through the years.
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Hockey
Goalie talk often hot air at deadline
Jonathan Bernier of the Los Angeles Kings may be a desired commodity, but promising young backups tend not to move too much at the deadline.
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Hockey
Trade history: Calgary Flames
To whet the appetite for trades that may come on Feb. 27, or to mistily remember what once was if this year's activity turns out to be uninspiring, we'll run through some significant past trades for all of the Canadian teams. Here's a look at some significant deals made by Calgary after the calendar turned in a particular season (yes, we're not adhering to a strict trade deadline day/week definition).
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Hockey
Trade history: Jets/Thrashers
As part of the extended trade coverage leading up to the Feb. 27 deadline, we look at the deals made down the stretch over the years by the current Canadian teams. This entry looks at the Winnipeg/Atlanta history.
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Hockey
Trade history: Ottawa Senators
As part of a Canadian "greatest hits" series with respect to the NHL trade deadline, we look at 10 significant trades involving the Ottawa Senators.
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Hockey
Defending Tim Thomas from trite 'tradition'
To suggest that Tim Thomas should have attended a White House "tradition" that has only been going on for 20 years, and is increasingly trite and laughable, is to suggest that it's groupthink or the highway, writes Chris Iorfida.
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CBC Sports
Big fight, big talk, plus boxing in skirts
Chris takes a look at the latest in the endless non-fight saga between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, and pokes a little fun at the issue of skirt-wearing boxers.
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CBC Sports
Big Brother's 2011 Boxing Awards
This year, we give the floor for the 2011 Boxing Awards to a very special guest who may or not be related to the regular author.
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Hockey
Canadian teams after 20 games
Now that all Canadian NHL teams have played at least 20 games, here's a list of their three stars for your debate, as well as the biggest individual disappontment of each team and a recurring team issue that needs to be addressed.
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CBC Sports
Marquez's boxing clinic doesn't sway judges
Manny Pacquiao was given a reputation decision over nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas on the weekend, despite a terrific performance from the Mexican.
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CBC Sports
Frazier walked among giants
Joe Frazier, part of the greatest rivalry in sports history, was usually defined by what, and who, he wasn't. He wasn't Muhammad Ali, wasn't particularly articulate nor a defining athlete for a generation. He was Smokin' Joe inside and outside of the ring, often complaining bitterly about injustices real and perceived.
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CBC Sports
Bute-Johnson: From friends to foes
It is not unusual for friends to meet in the boxing ring, and that will be the case on Saturday when Quebec boxer Lucian Bute will tackle the toughest assignment of his career, veteran fighter Glen Johnson.
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CBC Sports
Mismatches & controversies
There have been some tremendous upsets, knockouts and a couple of ridiculous thrillers this year in boxing, but the biggest bouts of the year have been completely lacking,
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CBC Sports
Mayweather revels, for one more night at least
Floyd Mayweather might be the least likeable person in boxing - nay, in all of sports - but he was the least culpable for the bizarre ending in Saturday's win over Victor Ortiz.
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CBC Sports
Age not just a number for Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather seemingly has his mind on only one man as he prepares for his first fight in 15 months on Saturday. And that man isn't Victor Ortiz, who'll be occupying the other corner come fight night at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
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CBC Sports
Sulaiman adds late career offering to greatest misses compilation
World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman is in his twilight years, but that hasn't stopped him from engaging in arbitrary decisions that benefit favourite sons.
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CBC Sports
Everything and the kitchen sink
It was a boffo weekend in the world of boxing, chock full of highlight reel knockdowns and knockouts, a three-round war, an absolute bloodbath, and a robbery of the highest order.
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CBC Sports
Haye easy to mock against so-so Klitschko
David Haye couldn't back up his constant barrage of words with his fists, but Wladimir Klitschko also missed out an opportunity in their heavyweight unification bout.
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CBC Sports
Haye has written a cheque with his mouth, but Klitschko has pressure too
The biggest heavyweight boxing match in at least eight years will take place in front of over 50,000 fans this weekend and it will be a defining moment for Brash Briton David Haye.
- CBC Sports Canadian-raised heavyweight thrust into the spotlight It doesn't take much to make a splash in the heavyweight division these days and Montreal-raised boxer Bermane Stiverne has a real opportunity Saturday to get tongues talking.
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CBC Sports
Don't get too pumped about Mayweather-Pacquiao possibility
Floyd Mayweather is coming back, but for how long?
Mayweather continued his flirtation with boxing and its fans this week, announcing he'll fight World Boxing Council welterweight champion Victor Ortiz in mid-September. That will represent nearly 16 months since his last fight, a significant layoff but much less than the 2 ½ years he took off from 2007 to 2009.
Some of the tea leaves would indicate that this could mean the unbeaten fighter has an eye on Manny Pacquiao in 2012 in what would be the most lucrative bout of all time.
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CBC Sports
Hopkins gets the best of Pascal, Jones Jr.
What can you say about Bernard Hopkins that hasn't been said before? All-time great, student of the game, iconoclast, royal pain in the ass, street philosopher, proud and worthy carrier of the Philly fighter lineage, provocateur. Now you can add the title of oldest boxing champion of all-time after the 46-year-old beat Laval native Jean Pascal by unanimous decision at Bell Centre on Saturday night. The pair had fought to a draw in Quebec City in December, a bout that divided opinion.
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CBC Sports
Ward in boxing's good books
Can Manny Pacquiao fight 168 pounders? That was my first thought as Andre Ward was combination punching his way to an impressive decision over Arthur Abraham in the Super Six super middleweight tournament bout on Saturday. It's an absurd thought, but the contrast was striking.
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CBC Sports
Pacquiao-Mosley well worth watching
Just one week after a requiem for boxing was written in Canada's "national newspaper" the most lucrative fight in the sport in a year's time will take place Saturday when Filipino phenomenon Manny Pacquiao takes on Shane Mosley.
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CBC Sports
Technique, savvy versus youth, strength
Montreal middleweight boxer David Lemieux will have to go back to the drawing board after he was taken into deep water and couldn't swim his way out of trouble last week. Lemieux, 22, was stopped in seven rounds at the Bell Centre by Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio in a middleweight bout after stopping 24 of his first 25 opponents.
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Hockey
Hard to know what to make of the Bruins
Some Boston Bruins have a preference as to their first-round playoff opponent. But maybe they'd be better served by shoring up some of the inconsistencies that have prevented the team from reaching elite status this season.
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Hockey
Price gets by with less & other goal support facts
Montreal's drought of historic proportions has been extreme, but the Canadiens haven't given Carey Price great goal production to work with at a lot of points this season. Find out in today's NHL Wraparound which goaltenders should sue for lack of support and which have a more comfortable existence.
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Hockey
Standings done my way
In NHL Wraparound we look at what the playoff matchups would like look today if the proper points-per-game measurement was used to break down the standings.
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Hockey
Ducks line up OT wins in a row
Anaheim has been on quite a noteworthy run considering they've been without their top goalie since just after the all-star break and played several games without power forward Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne.
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CBC Sports
Bute, Klitschko beat on lesser foes
Now on to the main course. Lucian Bute put forth another dazzling display in Quebec on Saturday, drubbing Brian Magee in the 10th round in his debut on Showtime, but now, finally, he will take on an opponent worthy of his stature.
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Hockey
Pacific teams earning their way
Anaheim is now technically in eighth over Calgary, meaning all five Pacific Division teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
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Hockey
Fewer snipers, but decent goal dispersion
The NHL could conceivably finish without a 50-goal scorer this season, but there are several new, younger names on the 20- and 30-goal list.
- Hockey New tiebreaking system could be quirky The NHL GMs wanted to reward teams who don't feast on shootout wins, but did they create some unintended consequences that could be quirky, or even negative, in the final playoff race days?
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Hockey
Capitals casting away doubts?
The Washington Capitals will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday and they'll be gunning for their seventh consecutive win.
There was a time midway through the season where the Caps were looking like one of the more disappointing teams in the league.
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Hockey
Flames need to solve Coyotes, Ducks
After taking a look at the battle near the bottom of the East playoff standings, today we take a look at the much more tangled West web, and how the remaining schedule plays out for Calgary and the other teams fighting for one of a number of spots up for grabs.
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Hockey
Rangers have fewer games, but decent schedule
The New Jersey Devils suffered a setback in their climb up the Eastern Conference standings, but their remaining schedule might be an obstacle in the team turning an amazing comeback into a playoff spot.
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CBC Sports
Boxing as global as ever but somehow dying
One of the criticisms of boxing is that fighters with glistening records too often take on opponents who are overmatched.
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Hockey
Canada's teams as the deadline approaches
With the Feb. 28 NHL trade deadline just around the corner, here's a look at the questions and possibilities surrounding the six Canadian teams.
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Hockey
Has trade deadline day changed for good?
It could be that we'll ultimately look back on 2009-10 as the turning point as far as NHL trade deadline day is concerned, as general managers seem to favour standing pat over disrupting chemistry or mortgaging the future for any number of reasons.
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CBC Sports
Mexico-Philippines boxing rivalry heats up with great matchup
The first great big fight of 2011 could take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday when Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel clash for the bantamweight title. The two little men will try and do what Tim Bradley and Devon Alexander failed at in a junior welterweight unification bout a few weeks ago - provide excitement. There is so much to love about this bout, starting with the fact that on paper it is the classic boxer-puncher matchup.
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Hockey
Expensive vets & a royally named team from the past
In today's NHL Wraparound, we look at a number of players who are probably going to take a salary hit if they are going to keep playing in the league next season.
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Hockey
Versteeg's shot & goalie workload
Kris Versteeg wasn't the elite forward Toronto hoped for, but he could join elite company after getting traded Monday from the Leafs to Philadelphia.
Versteeg was sent to the Flyers for a pair of draft picks. Joining a deep Philadelphia team, Versteeg has a chance to win Stanley Cups in consecutive seasons with different clubs.
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Hockey
Notes from a wacky weekend
It was an NHL weekend filled with many strange occurences, but the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings continued the trend of Western teams being a cut above their Eastern counterparts in head-to-head meetings.
- Hockey Deal before the deals Mike Fisher and Francois Beauchemin join a notable list of players in the 2000s who were traded in the weeks or days leading up to the actual NHL deadline.
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CBC Sports
Pacquiao machine gears up again
Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley will begin to beat the drum Thursday for their welterweight fight with the press tour for the May 7 bout kicking off in Los Angeles.
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Hockey
Sharks circling Pacific Division lead again
The San Jose Sharks seem to be bonding on the road, winning the first four of an eight-game trip to complete a 9-0-1 span and also again shine the light on Antti Niemi, the goalie that Chicago let walk.
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Hockey
The Cooke case file
Stars Alexander Ovechkin, Marc Savard, Vincent Lecavalier and Andrei Markov are among the number of players who've felt the pain of a Matt Cooke hit. Today's NHL Wraparound runs down the long list of Cooke incidents in the last several seasons.
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Hockey
Thrashers losing their grip
The Atlanta Thrashers demonstrated the hallmarks of their recent play again on Monday - an inability to hold a lead, bad giveaways and poor third period play.
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Hockey
Sittler's magical night & Detroit fires blanks
These days, the Toronto Maple Leafs typically take about four games to score 10 goals, but it was 35 years ago Monday that franchise legend Darryl Sittler racked up that many points in one game.
- Hockey Brodeur makes best of the bad - at Rangers' expense The rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers may have lost some luster this season, but Martin Brodeur tried to spice it up ahead of Thursday's game at Madison Square Garden. Check the latest news and stats in NHL Wraparound.
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Hockey
Several candidates to buck Adams trend
Be sure to check http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/ every day for the latest news, internet humour, history and more in the NHL Wraparound.
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Hockey
Moulson part of select company
Matt Moulson of the Islanders waited a long time to hear his name called, and to establish himself as an NHL player, but he's one of three significant names taken in the last round of the 2003 draft.
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Hockey
NHL East: No movement clause
In today's NHL Wraparound, we look at how much - and how little - the conference standings have changed over the course of the first half of the season, and shine a light on an interesting statistic.
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Hockey
Just call Ryan Smyth Captain Power Play
Be sure to check http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/nhlwraparound/hockey/ every day for the latest news, Twitter humour, history and more in the NHL Wraparound.
Congratulations to Ryan Smyth, who became the 128th player in league history to reach 350 career goals in a 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night.
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Hockey
Saku's homecoming
In today's NHL Wraparound, former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu makes his long-awaited return to la belle province and how did a couple of NHL builders fare in their careers over 40 years ago? Not so well.
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Hockey
The Giguere questions
For veteran Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who faces his old team on Thursday, all questions about his future take a backseat if he can't stay healthy. And the question needs to be asked: Is he realistically a trade commodity?
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Hockey
Shootout goalies & Semenko lore
In today's NHL Wraparound, we take a look at the best and worst goalies when it comes to the shootout, and look back at the one of the first instances of Edmonton Oilers bruiser Dave Semenko defending Wayne Gretzky.
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Hockey
Panthers puzzling again
The Florida Panthers are once again hard to get a read on as the second half of the season is underway and the trade deadline looms.
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Hockey
Matinee hockey on Monday
John Tavares looks to follow up his second career hat trick as the New York Islanders are one of six NHL teams in action on a holiday Monday afternoon in the United States. Get the details in our new daily feature, NHL Wraparound.
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Hockey
Lehner & the NHL teen goalie
Robin Lehner of the Ottawa Senators is set to join a fairly exclusive list on Thursday night: The ranks of the NHL teen goalies to start a game.
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Hockey
Some possible all-star team names
We offer some, ahem, constructive suggestions as to what the NHL all-star sides should be named, and what other formats the NHL should consider.
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Hockey
Flyers Army now includes Russians
Rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has made a welcome contribution to the Flyers this season, but Russians weren't always welcome in the City of Brotherly Love. On Jan. 11, 1976, the Philadelphia Flyers battered and dominated a Red Army team that hadn't lost to any other NHL teams on their tour.
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CBC Sports
CBCSports.ca 2010 Boxing Awards
Juan Manuel Lopez, Sergio Martinez, Joseph Abeko and Manny Pacquiao were some of the fighters who helped boxing finish with a bang in the final weeks of 2010, providing hope for the year ahead.
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CBC Sports
No controversy in Pascal-Hopkins
The first thing you need to know about the Jean Pascal-Bernard Hopkins bout was that it wildly exceeded expectations.
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CBC Sports
Khan, Mares come through fire to win
It wasn't a banner first half of the year in boxing, but the last several weeks have produced much excitement, with two bouts on Saturday among the best of 2010.
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CBC Sports
Weekend preview: 4 out of 5 ain't bad
I had occasion recently to talk to a friend who will remain nameless, one who's been a pretty avid fight fan since I've known him.I was disappointed to find out that he was on a "boxing boycott" because the best don't fight the best in the sport, unlike in the UFC.But many in the boxing business have clearly understood that the top fighters should engage sooner than has happened in the past.
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CBC Sports
Donaire could be boxing's most exciting puncher
Filipino-American Nonito Donaire showed this past weekend why he's one of the most exciting fighters in the game.Donaire destroyed Sidorenko in four rounds in a bantamweight bout, scoring knockdowns with both hands and turning his face into an unsightly mess.
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CBC Sports
Martinez shocks Williams
For a round and a half, it seemed that Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez were going to give us another fight of the year instalment.
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CBC Sports
Pacquiao takes some, dishes out many more
Manny Pacquiao wasn't the first boxer ever to give away nearly 20 pounds by the time the opening bell rang, but none have dominated a bigger man the way he did against Antonio Margarito on Saturday night in Dallas.
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CBC Sports
Margarito a hard villain to like
There may finally be some fireworks at Cowboys Stadium, but it'll be up to boxers Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito to produce them.
- CBC Sports Marquez-Lopez will bring it, Manny sings it When Rafael Marquez and Juan Manuel Lopez meet on Saturday, it will be the first of at least three legitimate Fight of the Year candidates this month. It's a can't-miss fight. The only x-factor is how long the 126-pound battle will last.
- CBC Sports De La Hoya tries to stand his ground They held the Toronto stop of the press tour to announce Laval native Jean Pascal's light heavyweight title defence against ring legend Bernard Hopkins on Tuesday.
- CBC Sports On Canada's amateur boxing struggles With boxing at the Commonwealth Games beginning on Tuesday, it's a good time to do a little crystal ball gazing.
- CBC Sports On popularity and boxing coverage In the week leading up to Chad Dawson's defeat in Montreal in mid-August, there was a lot of pondering in the boxing press as to why the African-American fighter wasn't known to a wider sports audience.
- CBC Sports 60,000 Pacquiao-Margarito fans can't be wrong? It came as no surprise when the negligible Texas commission licensed Antonio Margarito and paved the way for a big bout at Cowboys Stadium against Manny Pacquiao.
- CBC Sports Pascal's victory warrants national attention Becoming a world champion takes hard work, perseverance, poise, a good game plan and bit of luck, and they were all working for Laval's Jean Pascal on Saturday night when he defeated the previously unbeaten Chad Dawson.
- CBC Sports 2 peak fighters + 1 big crowd = ? I cannot wait to be at Bell Centre on Saturday when Laval's Jean Pascal takes on Chad Dawson in a light heavyweight match-up of two boxers at their peak. I'm especially excited because it's my first really big fight in a couple years, and it's an important moment for the sport in Canada.
- CBC Sports Marquez, Diaz hold up their end again Here's hoping the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz rematch on Saturday is the start of a good stretch for boxing in the coming months, much like their first bout helped kick off a memorable 2009 for the sport.
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2010 World Junior Track and Field Championships
Getting an Edge
Top-level coaches are key to success as Athletics Canada searches for ways to be more competitive on the global stage
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2010 World Junior Track and Field Championships
Taylor made
London's Taylor Stewart won Canada's first medal at the world junior track and field championships on Wednesday night.
- CBC Sports Mercante was 1st man in ring at Yankee Stadium, not 3rd Boxing returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton engaged in a much-debated bout 34 years ago, and befitting the sport, a bizarre night was in store for over 20,000 fans.
- CBC Sports Mares, Perez pour it all out There's a lot to catch up on since the last blog as boxing is in the midst of one of its typically busy periods.
- CBC Sports Mosley likely to get Mayweather out of comfort zone The welterweight superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley on Saturday in Las Vegas has few peers in modern history when it comes to overall athletic ability and boxing skill level.
- CBC Sports Valero's shocking, puzzling life Edwin Valero's life and career had already been strange even by boxing standards, but the macabre events of last weekend took it to a surreal level.
- CBC Sports Bute featured in top-notch boxing doubleheader Given that it's Stanley Cup playoff time and battles on the ice dominate the sports mind share, let's call this Lucian Bute's "trap fight", to use hockey parlance.
- CBC Sports Unnecessary sequel The fight on Saturday between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. will be shown in some U.S. movie theatres, but unfortunately the competitors won't be taking a dip in the Hot Tub Time Machine beforehand.
- CBC Sports Pacquiao lone highlight in long night It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey card on Saturday brought out over 50,000 to Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.
- CBC Sports The return of Pacman Manny Pacquiao is a singular fighter, so it shouldn't be surprising that he's taking his act to the big stage. Pacquiao will return to the ring for the first time since his destruction of Miguel Cotto on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas against Joshua Clottey in front of an expected crowd of 40-45,000 people.
- CBC Sports Boxing's greatest one-hit wonder As we switch into Vancouver Games overdrive, spare a moment for the 20th anniversary on Feb. 11 of a truly Olympic feat in sports history, the shocking upset win by James (Buster) Douglas over Mike Tyson for the heavyweight title. Yes, it's been 20 years. For myself, and my equally fight-obsessed brother, Tyson-Douglas was the one that got away.
- CBC Sports Mayweather-Mosley no consolation prize Boxing fans have been beseeching Floyd Mayweather to step up the level of competition for years, so it's a little hard to fathom that in the same calendar year he could potentially face Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather signed on Wednesday to face Mosley on May 1, shifting gears after negotiations with the Pacquiao camp for the most lucrative fight of all time fell through after a dispute involving Olympic-style blood testing.
- CBC Sports Taylor comes to his senses It would have been great if Jermain Taylor made like hockey’s Curtis Joseph and officially retired on Tuesday, but he did the next-best thing. Taylor, 31, dropped out of Showtime's Super 6 super middleweight tournament, saying it was the "smart road" after suffering consecutive knockout 12-round losses. "It's important that I give my body and mind some much needed rest, because I have been boxing for nearly 20 years," Taylor said in a statement he released to the media. He had been dropped last month by his promoter Lou DiBella, who worried for his safety.
- CBC Sports The fight before the fight is taking its toll By now you've read the report. Floyd Mayweather got into a flap with rapper Rick Ross at the opening of Vanity in Las Vegas, until the helpful mediation of P. Diddy cooled heads, according to TMZ. OK, but it was too good not to pass on. You can't make this stuff up. You've probably heard Bob Arum indicate that the Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao superfight is dead. Arum said Mayweather won't back off his demand for full Olympic-style blood testing, which has never been used before for a big bout.
- CBC Sports Banner year for Pacquiao, Pascal It is time for the third annual CBCSports.ca boxing awards. Be sure to comment, praise, slam or add your own picks for memorable boxers and events during 2009.
- CBC Sports Pre-fight drug testing lacks substance Blood thicker than bull? It's pretty sad how many "Manny Pacquiao refusing to comply with drug testing" variants currently abound on the web and sports TV in the wake of Tuesday's announcement that a superfight with Floyd Mayweather is in jeopardy. To sum up as shortly as possible, there is word the fight will not happen if Pacquiao doesn't agree to blood and urine testing standards similar to those followed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and that he is apparently not interested in doing so.
- CBC Sports Different motivations for Pascal, Diaconu in rematch About a year ago this time, Jean Pascal suffered the first loss of his career. The Laval, Que., fighter is in a different, better place 12 months later, but he'd do well to remember the relative lean times in his pro career as he prepares to defend his title Friday at Bell Centre in a rematch against Adrian Diaconu.
- CBC Sports Williams-Martinez battle exceeds expectations What makes a great fight? In my mind, a healthy dose of much of the following: Knockdowns, surprises, suspense, changes in momentum, fighters changing styles and a good mix of great technical skill and all-out sloppy action. The middleweight clash on Saturday in Atlantic City between Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez had all of it.
- CBC Sports Opportunity beckons for Bute Quebec fighter Lucian Bute may have been left off the dancecard for the Showtime super middleweight tournament, but he'll have a chance to forge his own path if he's successful in a rematch Saturday night against Librado Andrade. It's a moderate-sized if. Bute is the favourite, and should be, but was literally out on his feet at the end of the first bout between the two men in October 2008. He outboxed the rugged Mexican Andrade impressively for the first 11 rounds but found himself gassed in the final round. Had the bout gone another 20 seconds even, he would have been done.
- CBC Sports Buzz begins for Mayweather-Pacquiao Let the gamesmanship begin. In the wake of Manny Pacquiao's destruction of Miguel Cotto, the drums are beating for Pacquiao to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a meeting of the fighters all boxing observers agree are at the top of the pound-for-pound list (though the order is up for debate).
- CBC Sports Breaking down Pacquiao-Cotto The wait is nearly over for biggest fight of the year, Manny Pacquiao against Miguel Cotto in a 145-pound bout in Las Vegas on Saturday. Both usually bring power and excitement, and neither goes into a defensive shell like the man the winner could very well face in 2010, Floyd Mayweather. I'm hard-pressed to remember a major fight in which the smaller and older fighter is favoured to the degree Pacquiao is.
- CBC Sports Pair of title bouts kick off boxing's second season Boxing takes place year round, but there are two distinctly busy time frames. One takes place between late January and June, and the second occurs late in the calendar year. Generally speaking, the sport's biggest bouts don't compete directly with the championships taking place in the major pro sports. There's a host of fights that will help shape the sport's landscape in 2010. Here's the skinny on the top bouts on the calendar to round out the year.
- CBC Sports Win for Froch a crock At the very least, the super middleweight tournament that kicked off this weekend had tongues talking in the boxing world. But there were a couple of unfortunate aspects.
- CBC Sports Vitali makes heavyweights vital again The heavyweight division boasts its first dominant champion since Lennox Lewis, and as many expected, it is Vitali Klitschko. But it didn't exactly happen the way everyone thought.
- CBC Sports Klitschko-Arreola won't be fancy The heavyweight title fight Saturday night in Los Angeles may not last long, but it figures to bring much-needed excitement to the division, and boxing, while it lasts. Vitali Klitschko returns to Staples Center, the scene of his gutsiest performance, to take on undefeated Chris Arreola (HBO Canada, 10 p.m. ET).
- CBC Sports Marquez no easy mark for Mayweather Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Saturday will for once in recent months make headlines for what he ostensibly does for a living, when he faces the great Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Mayweather (39-0, 25 knockouts) will be taking on one of the best in the business after a layoff of nearly two years, although Marquez should be anywhere from eight to 12 pounds heavier than he's ever been come fight time.
- CBC Sports Boxing brings the power in 2009 The year promises to end with a bang in boxing with a series of intriguing fights, beginning with Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming back to test his unbeaten mark against tricky Juan Manuel Marquez next month. Later in September, Vitaly Klitschko returns to the scene of his gutsy loss to Lennox Lewis, taking on undefeated American Chris Arreola at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto battle in what should be an action-packed fight, and Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik clash in a high-stakes bout.
- CBC Sports Cutting to the chase No one knows how a boxer will react when his own blood flows, but it is usually prudent to just fight on. While UFC types herald the ability for a fighter to "tap out", that kind of thinking is absolute anathema in boxing. The mantra in boxing is to "go out on your shield". Just last month, Victor Ortiz went from being ahead in a tough fight to having one eye swollen and another cut within a span of two minutes. He was soon defenceless for Marcos Maidana's right hand.
- CBC Sports Cotto-Pacquiao already creating buzz Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will meet on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, it was announced last week, a legitimate superfight that has divided opinion among boxing fans. Yes, online polls are unscientific, but the degree to which Pacquiao seems to be a favourite is a bit of a surprise. Cotto's troubles in two of his last three fights have many believing that Pacquiao will be able to land without too much difficulty and, after some tough spots, eventually add a 38th KO win to his record.
- CBC Sports Canada's Bute on the outside of important event Showtime on Monday announced a super-middleweight boxing tournament of unprecedented proportions in the sport.
- CBC Sports Remembering Alexis Arguello If you’re a boxing fan of a certain age, the great Alexis Arguello ranks pretty much near the top among the seminal figures in the sport. Arguello mayor of Managua, was found dead of a gunshot wound on July 1. Some reports indicated it was a suicide. The 57-year-old’s life outside the ring was much more complex than the majority of other athletes.
- CBC Sports Molitor not happy, but a win's a win Steve Molitor was understandably not thrilled with his comeback performance, but he can be legitimately pleased with the way he closed the show. Molitor (29-1, 11 knockouts) won a hard-fought split decision over Heriberto Ruiz on June 25 in Rama, Ont., his first bout since suffering his lone loss, a one-sided knockout.
- CBC Sports Pascal-Diaconu battle for Quebec pride Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu will headline a month that might be in unprecedented in the modern history of Canadian boxing. Pascal and Diaconu meet in a 12-round World Boxing Council light heavyweight battle on June 19 at Bell Centre in Montreal, the first time two Quebec fighters meet in a world title fight. It is one of at least three fights involving Canadians in June with world title implications.
- CBC Sports Talking boxing docs The hard scrabbled and colourful characters that populate the world of boxing have often made for great books and film. Until the recent tragedy involving his daughter, Mike Tyson was garnering attention for the documentary that bears his name. While I found it so-so, predictably most movie critics less familiar with the ex-heavyweight champ have taken to it. But there are several more compelling figures whose stories would make for great documentaries. Some, amazingly, even had tougher roads and upbringings than Tyson.
- CBC Sports Pacquiao so hot, Hatton getting short shrift For a fighter with only one defeat in a 12-year career - against the top fighter in the game - Briton Ricky Hatton is not getting a ton of respect ahead of his highly anticipated fight Saturday against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, the first megafight of the year. Sure, a few boxing writers are picking Hatton to win and most expect him to put up a tremendous struggle in the 140-pound fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but they ultimately think he'll fall short against the current pound-for-pound champ.
- CBC Sports Tyson doc underwhelms Tyson, directed by James Toback and which lists NBA star Carmelo Anthony as one of its producers, has been feted at Sundance and Cannes and will be released in the U.S. on Friday. I tried my best to assess Tyson as just a general sports fan or even an avid documentary watcher who doesn't know anything but the most obvious details about the ex-heavyweight champ's life.
- CBC Sports De La Hoya should retire, but will he? Oscar De La Hoya was last seen competitively in a boxing ring on Dec. 6, appearing little more than a shell in a shockingly one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao had climbed two weight divisions for the bout but it showed how little that can mean when one fighter is at his absolute peak and the other on the downside of his career. De La Hoya, through his Golden Boy Promotions company, has promised a "major announcement" on Monday.
- CBC Sports Montreal not just for local boxers Montreal fight fans have just about carried boxing in Canada in recent years as it has fallen off the map elsewhere, and their loyalty to the sport will be put to the test on Saturday. Bell Centre will play host to a good looking card, but one in which the two marquee bouts on the bill do not include fighters from the area.
- CBC Sports Bute motivated to prove critics wrong Super middleweight boxer Lucian Bute returns to defend his title on Friday night to Bell Centre, the scene of what was his greatest performance until the taint of controversy took hold. Bute (23-0, 18 knockouts) takes on Fulgencio Zuniga (22-3-1, 19 knockouts) in a scheduled 12-round bout at the 168-pound limit. The Montreal-based fighter boxed well over 11 rounds in October against top-notch Librado Andrade and was on his way to a one-sided decision when the Mexican's relentless pressure caught up to him in the final two minutes of the fight.
- Sports Uber Blog Gaborik passes physical The Star Tribune in Minnesota reports that forward Marian Gaborik passed a physical on the weekend and is expected to resume skating sometimes this week. The unrestricted free agent underwent surgery on his hip and has missed the bulk of this season, complicating plans for the Wild to re-sign him and for teams wondering if he'd be healthy enough to join their club for the playoffs. The paper also reported that the Wild and UFA goalie Niklas Backstrom's reps are still talking, but no word beyond that.
- Sports Uber Blog Winnowing the Guerin suitors Pittsburgh, Carolina, Buffalo, Montreal, Florida, Boston and New Jersey all told Hockey Night in Canada they weren't the teams looking to acquire Bill Guerin, who was scratched before Saturday's game and didn't practise with the New York Islanders on Sunday. The contending teams in the East not on that list are Washington, the New York Rangers and Philadelphia.
- CBC Sports Arum's advocacy reaches absurd levels Antonio Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo were sanctioned earlier this week for the use of illegal hand wraps in his one-sided loss to Shane Mosley in last month's bout at Staples Center in Los Angeles, but once again it was Bob Arum who made a bid for most shameless. The octogenarian promoter let loose a string of ridiculous statements and threats after the penalty was handed down on his fighter, par for the course for the man who in the past has admitted to a less-than-faithful relationship with the truth.
- CBC Sports Big crowd, high drama Imagine in next week's Super Bowl, if the hard-hitting and unyielding Steeler defence is riddled by the hand of 37-year-old Kurt Warner, with Larry Fitzgerald plowing over the likes of Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu at will. Warner throws six touchdowns passes, with the game effectively over by the third quarter. If you didn't see it, that will give you some idea of the stunning tone of the welterweight fight on the weekend in Los Angeles between Shane Mosley - three months younger than Warner - and Antonio Margarito. Boxing takes a lot of knocks, many deserved, but the bout at Staples Center demonstrated it's often unmatched terms of dramatic storylines and unpredictability.
- CBC Sports BALCO dealings complicate Mosley's legacy Shane Mosley is viewed in such high standing in the boxing community for his nice guy ways that he's hardly received any flak for using the (already) old "flaxseed oil" excuse. Mosley (45-5, 38 knockouts) gets what could be his last kick at the can at being a major player in boxing when he takes on welterweight champion Antonio Margarito on Saturday in Los Angeles.
- CBC Sports Changing times for Canadian boxing fans The new HBO Canada network has made a point of promoting the fact they'll begin showing championship boxing that originates south of the border on HBO. HBO Canada will air this weekend's Andre Berto-Luis Collazo clash and next week's bigger matchup between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley. This figures to be mostly a win for Canadian boxing fans, especially if all HBO fights will be shown live.
- CBC Sports The 2008 CBCSports.ca Boxing Awards There was a lot to offer in 2008 in the fight game, and without further ado here are the 2nd annual Final Bell awards. FIGHTER OF THE YEAR Manny Pacquiao Who else could it be? The only comparable for what Pacquiao did was legend Henry Armstrong holding three titles simultaneously nearly 70 years ago. The Pacman dropped Juan Manuel Marquez en route to winning a narrow decision at junior lightweight, pounded David Diaz relentlessly for a lightweight stoppage, and jumped up nearly 10 pounds as a welter to effectively retire Oscar De La Hoya as a serious entity.
- CBC Sports Heavy dose of not much at all The heavyweight fight on Saturday between seven-foot Russian Nikolai Valuev and ever-present Evander Holyfield was not one of the better moments for the sport, and for a fight that had very little action, it sure has inspired a lot of talk in boxing circles. Many are calling it a travesty that Holyfield, 46, lost a majority decision. Holyfield was fighting to get a piece of the heavyweight title for a fifth time and some said the bad decision denied him in a place in history.
- CBC Sports Time to recognize Pacquiao as one of the best athletes Manny Pacquiao's eight-round beatdown of Oscar De La Hoya was as surprising a ring development as there's been in a long while. Not just because he proved about 80 per cent of the boxing press (including me) very wrong by winning against the bigger man. It was the manner in which he did it that was really eye-opening.
- CBC Sports De La Hoya-Pacquiao: Little big man or Big little man? The fight on Saturday night in Las Vegas between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao pits boxing's biggest draw in recent years against the guy many believe is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Yes, the same was said about last year's matchup between De La Hoya and since-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr., but unlike that bout, this one promises pretty good action as long as it lasts.
- CBC Sports Sportswriters pile on after Canadian boxer's 1st defeat Steve Molitor's resounding loss on Friday night to Celestino Caballero in a title unification fight on Friday was devastating, but not necessarily the end of the road for the Canadian fighter. The result showed why boxing can be the most dramatic of sports. It can all change in an instant and you don't get the chance to meet the opposition again next season, if ever.
- CBC Sports The other big fight Canadian boxer Steve Molitor failed in his attempt to win a second boxing title in front of his home crowd on Friday night, but it's not the only big fight of the weekend. Mancunian Ricky Hatton will head back to Las Vegas for the first time since losing his unbeaten mark there to Floyd Mayweather last December, as he takes on Brooklyn's Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday.
- CBC Sports Bleak times for boxing The economic forecast is grim and the sport of professional boxing is not immune to the troubles gripping the broadcasting industry. To the degree that there was any buzz last week for the New York bout between Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jr., it came largely from the other side of the Atlantic, where Calzaghe is a star. The fight came on the heels of a Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik bout that generated just 190,000 pay-per-view buys in the U.S., with 300K considered the goal. Bob Arum can take a lot of blame for offering a worthless undercard, but Pavlik was being billed as one of boxing's next generation stars, so it was a blow.
- CBC Sports Obama spurs Roy Jones Jr. Roy Jones Jr. long reigned supreme over the boxing world and this week he's looking to feed off the good vibes emanating from the election victory of the potential leader of the free world. "That made me feel so good to be an American again and I'm so proud to be an American," Jones said earlier this week of Barack Obama's win. "This country's about change and I'm about change." The first statement is understandable, with the second at least a bit questionable given Jones's age.
- CBC Sports Youth gets served in Atlantic City When he was 43, legendary pitcher Nolan Ryan fended off a charging Robin Ventura, 26, with a headlock and some noogies to the skull.
- CBC Sports Boxing's next star? It wasn't a fight Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins or boxing fans were particularly clamouring for, but Saturday's bout between the two could be significant all the same.
- CBC Sports Double dose of intriguing fights on tap this weekend It's not quite Sugar Ray Leonard returning after three years away to fight Marvin Hagler, but Vitali Klitschko has given himself quite a task in his return to the ring on Saturday. Klitschko was last seen in a ring nearly four years ago, toying with former Mike Tyson conqueror Danny Williams. He appeared primed to succeed Lennox Lewis as the consensus heavyweight champion, but an almost comical assortment of injuries ensued and he retired, dabbling in politics and charitable works.
About the Author
Chris Iorfida
Chris has been writing about professional and amateur sports for CBCSports.ca since 2002, and previously worked for Global Television, the Niagara Falls Review, and The Team Sports Radio.
Since the early 1980s he has attended dozens of bouts in Canada, the Northeast U.S. and Nevada. You can send boxing questions or comments to Chris at chris.iorfida@cbc.ca.
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