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UPDATED SUN. AM: TMZ Says Mayweather and Pacquiao “Came To An Agreement”

THURSDAY UPDATE: Thought it, The Fight, was DOA, did ya? And you thought they wouldn’t make anymore “Friday the 13th” movies, lol. Floyd Mayweather met with Manny Pacquiao today, and took to Shots to tell us about it.
“I set up this meeting with Manny Pacquiao to get this fight done but they will continue to tell the public it’s us and that’s NOT TRUE.” He then put in a plug for Shots, and FightHype…
SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: You have been conditioned to expect the unpexpected, and this sport of ours being the theater of the unexpected, you show wisdom in your comprehension that anything can happen in boxing, and usually does. Some, maybe many of you, are hoping we get The News we’ve craved, that The Fight, #MoneyVsManny or #MannyVsMoney for my friends in the Sarangani Province region, announced during the Super Bowl this evening.
It kicks off after 6 PM ET, from a stadium in Arizona…so you Arizonans might want to be on the lookout for plane-jumpers who might parachute in during halftime with news that the fight is signed, sealed and will be delivered for May 2.
Or not…Maybe better not…
May I remind you that Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza told me on Saturday that, “There won’t be any announcements this weekend.”
Now, could things change on a damned dime. Right on, tampon…Absolutely…
But I’m guessing they won’t. So enjoy the Super Bowl, tip your waitress excessively, and check back often for updates on this ludicrous and wondrous and annoying and addictive situation we’re all monitoring.
Also, a note: Pacman advisor Michael Koncz told me late Saturday night that he thinks all parties involved in negotiations should better adhere to a loose lips sink ships mindset, and “spend less time giving information and stories in the media (whether factual or fictional) and devote our time, energies and efforts in coming to an amenable resolution of the outstanding issues if possible.”
So make of that what you will, friends.
Be well…
SATURDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: You were thinking we were at that home stretch, you could see the finish line in the near horizon, that our long national nightmare, the years-long period of optimism dashed and resurrected ad neauseum, was over.
Sorry, sirs and madams.
The Fight, #MannyVsMoney, #MoneyVsManny, TBE vs. The Fighting Congressman, it isn’t a done deal, no matter what our friends at TMZ told us yesterday. Of course that could change in the blink of an eye, but for now, no done deal…
I checked in with Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza, onsite in Arizona for the Super Bowl, which makes sense as he oversees “Inside the NFL,” a Showtime property. I put it to the executive/attorney:
Is this thing of ours nearing the finish line? Can you see it without squinting?
“We continue to make progress,” Espinoza told me, “but there are meaningful issues to resolve before an agreement is reached.”
Floyd himself offered an update on the Shots app: “Laying back, relaxing, enjoying good weather, palm trees and pina coladas. While they continue to lie about making the fight….I’m just going to continue to travel and explore the world on my private jet.”
That dropped around 3 PM ET, and to be honest, gave me pause, as the language betrayed a hostility that we hadn’t seen in, lol, a couple days. When he uses the “L” word, that conjures a spirit of enmity, potentially, which could push this train off the tracks. So…if you have been feeling this deal is imminent, maybe you and me should consider dialing “imminent” back a notch….
There ya have it. Continue to be like me, check Twitter with OCD regularity, and at some point, hopefully soon, maybe Monday, we will get the all clear…
Follow Floyd and Manny on Twitter, and me too https://twitter.com/Woodsy1069
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The Fight is on, or so said gossip site TMZ, early Friday evening, and word spread like lice at a grade school. Yep, the story of the fight that has been negotiated five separate times, and been built up and trashed and resurrected like the “Rocky” franchise, was ON, said TMZ: “Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao … multiple sources tell TMZ Sports … who say the two finally came to an agreement moments ago.”
They followed up a bit after that, with: ?
6:27 PM PT — A source involved in the negotiations tells TMZ Sports both fighters have agreed to fight and a date and location (Vegas) have already been set. The source says…everyone expects the signatures “soon.” Negotiators are putting “finishing touches” on the deal.
They say a lie can make it around the world three times before the truth gets its arse up off the coach, and that popped into mind when Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza took to Twitter to respond to a tweet I sent out.
?@StephenEspinoza
TMZ usually has good sources. This time, not so much. “?@Woodsy1069?: ?http://m.tmz.com/#Article/2015/01/30/floyd-mayweather-vs-manny-pacquiao-fight-boxing-deal-done-fight-set …?”
Yep, the done deal was no deal, said the Sho exec. He threw a bit more cold water on the bubbling cauldron of gossip?…misinformation?…guesstimate?…early leak?…by saying that the fight would not be announced Sunday, getting the rub off Super Bowl buzz, and further iterated, “There is no deal right now.”
Note the “right now.” The hustle and bustle had accelerated when Pacman promoter Bob Arum told the NY Post and George Willis late Friday afternoon, “Everybody is doing the right thing,” Arum told The Post. “We’re looking to complete the paperwork. Everything is moving in the right direction. Hopefully, the next couple of days it will get done.”
I reached out to Pacman advisor and deal facilitator Michael Koncz, apprised him off that comment, and heard him indicate that he wasn’t that optimistic as Arum.
The frenzy on Twitter reminded us of Tuesday night’s hubbub, when Pacman and “Money” chatted at the NBA Heat-Bucks game, and everyone went into lip-reading mode. This time, the TMZ tipoff set boxing heads into a tizzy…until word filtered out that the gun was jumped. Or was it? Did somebody look to maybe snag a little cashish for a story tip, and let the cat out of that bag? Or did TMZ just catch wind that the parties were getting thisclose to wrapping up all the deets, including important matters like foreign money and such, and figured they’d drop the news…which maybe wasn’t so on target at that moment, but would be by, say, Monday…in which case they could say, “We were first.”
Me, I think it’s safe to stop the Twitter monitoring and get back on the bus maybe Monday morning. As Espinoza told me, “There won’t be any announcements this weekend.”
It’s the new normal in media, friends, get used to it, get over it, get with it. And enjoy the football…
Follow Woods on the Twitter:
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welter Week in SoCal

Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.
One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.
Take your pick.
The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.
Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.
Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.
If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.
He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.
During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.
Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.
Fundora
Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.
Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.
Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.
Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.
Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?
When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.
This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.
Commerce Casino
Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.
UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.
Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.
It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.
Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?
That’s a question for another day.
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).
Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).
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TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

The Boxing Writers Association of America has announced the winners of its annual Bernie Awards competition. The awards, named in honor of former five-time BWAA president and frequent TSS contributor Bernard Fernandez, recognize outstanding writing in six categories as represented by stories published the previous year.
Over the years, this venerable website has produced a host of Bernie Award winners. In 2024, Thomas Hauser kept the tradition alive. A story by Hauser that appeared in these pages finished first in the category “Boxing News Story.” Titled “Ryan Garcia and the New York State Athletic Commission,” the story was published on June 23. You can read it HERE.
Hauser also finished first in the category of “Investigative Reporting” for “The Death of Ardi Ndembo,” a story that ran in the (London) Guardian. (Note: Hauser has owned this category. This is his 11th first place finish for “Investigative Reporting”.)
Thomas Hauser, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2019, was honored at last year’s BWAA awards dinner with the A.J. Leibling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing. The list of previous winners includes such noted authors as W.C. Heinz, Budd Schulberg, Pete Hamill, and George Plimpton, to name just a few.
The Leibling Award is now issued intermittently. The most recent honorees prior to Hauser were Joyce Carol Oates (2015) and Randy Roberts (2019).
Roberts, a Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University, was tabbed to write the Hauser/Leibling Award story for the glossy magazine for BWAA members published in conjunction with the organization’s annual banquet. Regarding Hauser’s most well-known book, his Muhammad Ali biography, Roberts wrote, “It is nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of the book to our understanding of Ali and his times.” An earlier book by Hauser, “The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing,” garnered this accolade: “Anyone who wants to understand boxing today should begin by reading ‘The Black Lights’.”
A panel of six judges determined the Bernie Award winners for stories published in 2024. The stories they evaluated were stripped of their bylines and other identifying marks including the publication or website for which the story was written.
Other winners:
Boxing Event Coverage: Tris Dixon
Boxing Column: Kieran Mulvaney
Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 Words): Lance Pugmire
Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words): Chris Mannix
The Dixon, Mulvaney, and Pugmire stories appeared in Boxing Scene; the Mannix story in Sports Illustrated.
The Bernie Award recipients will be honored at the forthcoming BWAA dinner on April 30 at the Edison Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. (For more information, visit the BWAA website). Two days after the dinner, an historic boxing tripleheader will be held in Times Square, the logistics of which should be quite interesting. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez share top billing.
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Mekhrubon Sanginov, whose Heroism Nearly Proved Fatal, Returns on Saturday

To say that Mekhrubon Sanginov is excited to resume his boxing career would be a great understatement. Sanginov, ranked #9 by the WBA at 154 pounds before his hiatus, last fought on July 8, 2022.
He was in great form before his extended leave, having scored four straight fast knockouts, advancing his record to 13-0-1. Had he remained in Las Vegas, where he had settled after his fifth pro fight, his career may have continued on an upward trajectory, but a trip to his hometown of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, turned everything haywire. A run-in with a knife-wielding bully nearly cost him his life, stalling his career for nearly three full years.
Sanginov was exiting a restaurant in Dushanbe when he saw a man, plainly intoxicated, harassing another man, an innocent bystander. Mekhrubon intervened and was stabbed several times with a long knife. One of the puncture wounds came perilously close to puncturing his heart.
“After he stabbed me, I ran after him and hit him and caught him to hold for the police,” recollects Sanginov. “There was a lot of confusion when the police arrived. At first, the police were not certain what had happened.
“By the time I got to the hospital, I had lost two liters of blood, or so I was told. After I was patched up, one of the surgeons said to me, ‘Give thanks to God because he gave you a second life.’ It is like I was born a second time.”
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened in any city,” he adds. (A story about the incident on another boxing site elicited this comment from a reader: “Good man right there. World would be a better place if more folk were willing to step up when it counts.”)
Sanginov first laced on a pair of gloves at age 10 and was purportedly 105-14 as an amateur. Growing up, the boxer he most admired was Roberto Duran. “Muhammad Ali will always be the greatest and [Marvin] Hagler was great too, but Duran was always my favorite,” he says.
During his absence from the ring, Sanginov married a girl from Tajikistan and became a father. His son Makhmud was born in Las Vegas and has dual citizenship. “Ideally,” he says, “I would like to have three more children. Two more boys and the last one a daughter.”
He also put on a great deal of weight. When he returned to the gym, his trainer Bones Adams was looking at a cruiserweight. But gradually the weight came off – “I had to give up one of my hobbies; I love to eat,” he says – and he will be resuming his career at 154. “Although I am the same weight as before, I feel stronger now. Before I was more of a boy, now I am a full-grown man,” says Sanginov who turned 29 in February.
He has a lot of rust to shed. Because of all those early knockouts, he has answered the bell for only eight rounds in the last four years. Concordantly, his comeback fight on Saturday could be described as a soft re-awakening. Sanginov’s opponent Mahonri Montes, an 18-year pro from Mexico, has a decent record (36-10-2, 25 KOs) but has been relatively inactive and is only 1-3-1 in his last five. Their match at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, is slated for eight rounds.
On May 10, Ardreal Holmes (17-0) faces Erickson Lubin (26-2) on a ProBox card in Kissimmee, Florida. It’s an IBF super welterweight title eliminator, meaning that the winner (in theory) will proceed directly to a world title fight.
Sanginov will be watching closely. He and Holmes were scheduled to meet in March of 2022 in the main event of a ShoBox card on Showtime. That match fell out when Sanginov suffered an ankle injury in sparring.
If not for a twist of fate, that may have been Mekhrubon Sanginov in that IBF eliminator, rather than Ardreal Holmes. We will never know, but one thing we do know is that Mekhrubon’s world title aspirations were too strong to be ruined by a knife-wielding bully.
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