Minggu, 06 Mei 2012

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Defeats Miguel Cotto By Unanimous Decision

LAS VEGAS -- When people look back at the Hall of Fame-worthy careers of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto, the boxers' fight on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be the one they probably remember.


It was a barnburner, one of the most exciting fights of Mayweather's career; Cotto, of course, is typically in exciting fights. But as usual, it was Mayweather who put his punches together and evaded enough to win, taking a unanimous decision and a junior middleweight title for the second time in his career.

"You're a helluva champion," Mayweather said to Cotto in the ring after the fight. "You're the toughest guy I ever fought."

Now Mayweather -- headed to jail on June 1 for an 87-day sentence at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas for a domestic battery conviction -- can offer a new mantra: 43 have tried and now 43 have failed.

"Look, when fights are on pay-per-view, you want to give the fans what they pay for, and that's excitement," said Mayweather, who elected to do an in-ring interview with HBO's Larry Merchant after threatening not to following their blow-up during a postfight interview after Mayweather's September victory against Victor Ortiz.

Cotto didn't go down without a fight. He pressed and pushed and cracked Mayweather with many hard punches, probably as many punishing shots as Mayweather has ever been hit with.

Mayweather is 35 now, and maybe the pound-for-pound king has lost just a step, so he is a little easier to hit. But he still got the job done and, for a change, in very exciting fashion.

In picking up his eighth world title belt in five weight classes, Mayweather looked good in victory. But Cotto, 31, a three-division champion in his own right, also looked good. In fact, Cotto gave Mayweather a tougher fight than he gave Manny Pacquiao in their 2009 welterweight title bout, a 12th-round knockout for Pacquiao.

"The judges said I lost the fight. I can't do anything else. I have to take my defeat," Cotto said. "I brought my best and I did my best every morning in training camp and I did my best tonight."

Mentally reborn following his emotional victory against Antonio Margarito in their December rematch, Cotto fought as well as he has in years.

"I'm happy with my fight and with my performance," he said. "So is my family. I can't ask for anything else."

With most of the crowd of 16,047 cheering for Puerto Rico's Cotto, he was able to bull Mayweather into the corner and make him fight back round after round. And Mayweather was happy to oblige.

Most of the rounds appeared competitive, but Mayweather pulled away to win 118-110 on judge Robert Hoyle's scorecard, while Dave Moretti and Patricia Morse Jarman each scored it 117-111. ESPN.com had it 116-112 for Mayweather.

Mayweather (43-0, 26 KOs) sat down on his punches and rocked Cotto in the fourth round, turning over his right hand to land several of them flush.

Cotto (37-3, 30 KOs), who made $8 million plus a percentage of the pay-per-view profits, got Mayweather's respect in the sixth round when he landed a pinpoint jab to his nose, drawing blood. After the punch, Mayweather nodded his head to Cotto out of respect.

"When you come to fight and are in the heat of the battle, those things happen," Mayweather said.

Every time Cotto trapped Mayweather on the ropes -- which he did often and had some success with it -- the crowd would go wild. But Mayweather would eventually escape the trouble.

Mayweather closed strong with a huge 12th round, hurting Cotto with a nasty uppercut and right hands.

The fans had gotten their monies worth, and Mayweather had a satisfying victory. HBO will replay the memorable fight, along with the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Shane Mosleyundercard fight, on May 12 (10:15 p.m. ET/PT).

"He's a tough competitor," Mayweather said. "I knew I was going to have to come in the ring to fight hard and execute the game plan. Cotto is a future Hall of Famer and he is no pushover. We fought at his weight class. He came to fight. He didn't come to survive, he came to fight. So I dug down and fought him back."

Mayweather, who earned a boxing-record guarantee of $32 million (plus a hefty percentage of the pay-per-view profit), was focused on the fight throughout the promotion, never seeming to let the looming jail sentence unnerve him. He kept up the brave front after the fight, as well.

"You're dealt obstacles in your life," Mayweather said. "You have to take the good with the good and the bad with the bad. When June 1 comes, the only thing I can do is accept it."

Mayweather said he plans to fight again this year after his release from jail. The fight the world wants is to see him face Manny Pacquiao.

Once again, like a broken record, Mayweather made it sound like that won't happen, despite protests to the contrary.

"Bob Arum is in the way," Mayweather said of the Top Rank promoter who represents Pacquiao (and once promoted Mayweather). "He's stopping the fans from getting what they want. Let's give the fans what they want."

Mayweather, however, has demanded more than 50 percent of the money in the fight, which has been a nonstarter. He didn't acknowledge that fact after the Cotto fight. "I've been trying to make the Pacquiao fight," Mayweather said.

Then he turned to his demands for blood and urine drug testing for the fight. Pacquiao has repeatedly agreed, which Mayweather won't acknowledge.

"Cotto didn't have the problem taking therandom blood and urine tests," he said. "Why shouldn't Pacquiao? If he's the best, take the test."

That is the same old argument -- but for another day. On this night, Mayweather took the test from Cotto inside the ring.

Dead Body Found Close To Derby Winner's Barn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Police say a body has been found in the backside area at Churchill Downs, a few barns away from where Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another is kept.
Louisville police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley says authorities were called early Sunday morning to a barn on the backside of the track where the derby took place the night before.
Smiley says police are conducting a death investigation, and a coroner had been called to the scene. She says the body is believed to be a man.
The investigation is under way at barn eight, just four barns away from where I'll Have Another is kept.
About a week after the Kentucky Derby last year, jockey Michael Baze's body was found in a vehicle near the stables at the famed Louisville track. His death was ruled an accidental overdose.

Eli Steals The Show On SNL!!! Pokes Fun At Peyton, Favre & Tebow

Take that, big brother!
On a night when Eli Manning Tebowed, took some indirect shots at Brett Favre’s texting habits and even poked fun at his own manhood, he saved his best shot on “Saturday Night Live” for his older brother, Peyton.
The Giants quarterback scored big with a hilarious commercial spoof for a fictional “Little Brothers” charity, striking a blow for tortured brothers everywhere.
In the skit, the two-time Super Bowl MVP pledged to help kids deal with adversity “especially when that adversity is an older sibling.”
He then told a young boy’s older brother “I’m your worst f----ing nightmare.”
Eli, in a skit reminiscent of the classic United Way spoof Peyton did when he hosted in 2007, went on a rampage. He held one older brother’s head in a toilet, gave another a wedgie, and shot another with an arrow.
“We know that big brothers can be real d---heads,” Eli said.
That’s not a side the usually calm, polite and sometimes awkward Manning has ever shown publicly, but he was clearly willing to step way out of character during his star turn on SNL.
He was dressed in a black unitard for his first skit, showing off some purposely awkward touchdown celebrations for a videogame production. He even “Tebowed” for the skit — getting down on one knee in prayer, in imitation of now-Jets quarterback Tim Tebow’s famous move.
In one of his funnier skits, Manning played a man on trial for murder whose Favrelike “sexts” were read into evidence. That included a picture of Eli in his underwear with a large, well-placed banana between his legs.
Just as he promised, Eli let loose and seemed remarkably comfortable joking and poking fun at himself on stage. He moved seamlessly through his roles, which included an angry Occupy Wall Street protester, a game-show contestant whose new girlfriend was the host and a sketchy male guest on a foreign TV show wearing a platinum blonde wig.
Near the end of the show, he even took a page from Derek Jeter’s “SNL” playbook, appearing in a skit dressed as a woman, wearing a bright yellow dress and another big, blonde wig.
He was even surprisingly animated during his opening monologue, joking about being converted into a true New Yorker. For proof, he offered that the best Italian food in the city can be found at an Olive Garden in New Jersey, and that his favorite musical is “Cats.”
He even said “Fugheddaboudit!” in his lispy Southern drawl.
He joked early that “after the two Super Bowls, this is definitely the third-most exciting night of my life."

Faith Evans Hit W/ B.I.G. Tax Lien, Notorious’ Ex-Wife Owes $60,000

R&B singer Faith Evans is making weekend headlines with reports claiming she owes just over $60,000 to the state of California for debts dating back four years ago.

According to reports, Evans is required to address the tax lien to avoid losing any assets.

Faith Evans, the former wife of rapper Notorious BIG, is becoming quite notorious herself … at least according to the State of California, who just issued a GIANT sized tax lien against the R&B singer. The State of California Tax Franchise Board filed papers recently … claiming Evans failed to fully pay her taxes to the Golden State for the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 … to the tune of $60,357.17. If Evans doesn’t cough up the cash soon, the state could go after any assets she owns — like homes, cars and bank accounts. (Your Black World)

Back in 2010, the renowned singer’s financial woes emerged online.

The IRS filed a $36,360 lien against Evans on March 4 with the New York City Register’s office. The IRS filed a $119,821 lien against Evans on Feb. 16 with the Los Angeles County Recorder of Deeds. The state of New Jersey filed a $204,000 lien against Evans on Oct. 30, 2008, with the New Jersey State Superior Court. (Detroit News)

Around February 2010, the crooner was sued for over $1 million in relation to unreleased Biggie Smalls videos.

It’s all over private home videos of Christopher Wallace — videos that a company called Kaushi Entertainment wanted to use in a documentary. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in L.A. County Superior Court, Kaushi claims they struck a deal, approved by Faith Evans, in which they would fork over $30k for all of the movies. Kaushi claims they paid up — but Faith Evans, along with several associates, never handed over the goods. Long story short — Kaushi claims they got screwed and want more than $1,000,000 to make things right.

Cash Money Records In Bidding War For Chicago's Newest Star???

Looks like Baby is yet again looking to expand the YMCMB roster. After adding Mystikal, Limp Bizkit and a few other heads to his already huge rap fam, the hype surrounding 16-year-old spitter Cheif Keef has the Birdman rubbing his hands at the possibility of the Chicago native joining the squad.

During a recent interview with MTV, Birdman said the kid would be a perfect fit with Cash Money.Chicago rapper Chief Keef has already built a solid following in the Midwest, but Kanye West gave him a national platform when he decided to remix the 16-year-old's hit "I' Don't Like" for G.O.O.D. Music. Still, a co-sign from 'Ye is only the beginning, as Keef is now being courted by Birdman and Cash Money Records.
Keef got national shine after Kanye remixed his "I Don't Like" track, alongside his G.O.O.D. Music family.On the same night Kanye West tweeted that he would be remixing Keef's single "I Don't Like," the Chi-town rapper tweeted that he was fielding calls from several parties interested in signing him, including Birdman. "Birdman Just Called He Say He Wanna Sign Me Wit #CMB," he wrote in April. And during Wednesday's episode of "RapFix Live," Birdman revealed that he is, in fact, working on adding Chief Keef to the ever-expanding roster at Cash Money. "I like him, he kinda reminds me of us," Birdman told host Sway Calloway, referencing his all-star YMCMB team. "[He's] out the streets, I think he's swagged up and I'm definitely talking to his people and I'd like to see if we can make it pop, see if I can see if I can get him to be down with the team."

Lamar Odom Responds to Upset Twitter Followers

NBA veteran Lamar Odom has had a rough past few months, as his stint with the Dallas Mavericks didn't quite work out.

He recently took to Twitter to let his over 3 million followers know that he was attempting to get his life back on track.

"being the best basketball player i can possibly be will allow 2 become the next P.Diddy i know whats fly! Dis the Year . ThecomeBackKid!", Odom tweeted.

But one fan in particular didn't feel like Lamar would ever be the athlete he used to be as he tweeted to the 7'1" basketball player.

"@RealLamarOdom Maybe you shouldve thought about "being the best" when you were collecting a check from the mavs instead of sulking like a b!", as tweeted by @tjat10.

Lamar thusly proceeded to reply, but on a much more concerning note. He mentioned that the shooting death of his cousin and being present in a car accident in which another individual lost his life was a tough pill to swallow.

"@tjat10 it was hard 2 get the picture of my cuz who was 24 was shot in the head out of my mind ! thanks 4 support".

Then he gave some friendly advice to the fan.

"use your platform 2 speak wisely and be an honorable fan not a fan-atic. there is a difference . just look u follow me. luckyU!LuvYa".

Lamar may be looking to get things back on the right track as he and his wife, Khloe Kardashian, recently cancelled their reality television show.

Lil B – Mmmmmmm Damn