Sun Nov 29, 2009 5:11 pm EST
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Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Last up is the top five stories of the 2000s. Whatever your opinion on the issues which engulfed the sport, these are the storylines that generated the greatest controversy and speculation over the past decade.
5. Margarito's illegal hand-wraps
Antonio Margarito headed into his Staples Center matchup with Shane Mosley as one of boxing's favorite sons; an iron-chinned superstar beloved for his bravery and competitive fire.
But the events of January 24, 2009, and their aftermath have turned Margarito into a boxing pariah. Margarito's hand wraps were found to have on them calcium and sulfur, which would have hardened into a Plaster of Paris-like substance.
Eagle-eyed Mosley corner man Nazim Richardson spotted the unusual nature of Margarito's wraps in the locker room prefight and immediately alerted officials. With new wraps, Margarito was smashed up by Mosley before being stopped in the ninth round.
The California State Athletic Commission handed down bans a month later - a ludicrously brief one-year suspension for both Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo.
4. Diego Corrales dies in a motorcycle crash
Corrales was one of boxing's most colorful characters, a man who lived and fought at full speed.
His spectacular wars with Jose Luis Castillo cemented his popularity, but he was unable to handle the resulting fame and battled constantly with personal problems.
Many friends said afterward it had been inevitable that Corrales' tumultuous life - he had served 14-months in prison for abusing his pregnant girlfriend - would end in tragedy.
Despite limited motorcycle experience, Corrales insisted on riding down a busy residential street in Las Vegas on the second anniversary of his classic victory over Castillo. His blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, Corrales collided with the back of a vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
3. The continued fall of Mike Tyson
Tyson's life and career had already plummeted downhill in the 1990s, but a new decade didn't bring any better fortune for the former undisputed heavyweight champ.
Iron Mike has become an increasingly forlorn figure, with most of the millions he earned during his career having been squandered away.
The early part of the decade offered an opportunity for him to scale the heights of the heavyweight division once more, but he was demolished by Lennox Lewis in eight rounds and followed up with shocking defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride before, mercifully, hanging up his gloves.
2. The FBI raids Top Rank's offices
Has boxing ever seemed sicker than when federal agents stormed into Top Rank's Las Vegas HQ in the first week of January 2004 and seized computers, contracts and financial documents?
The most salacious part of the investigation was that Oscar De La Hoya's rematch with Shane Mosley had been "fixed," and the fight game winced from this latest controversy as Bob Arum's company came under scrutiny.
More ugly details filtered out, that the investigation was part of an ongoing probe into organized crime, rumors of fixing, tampered medical records and deep-rooted corruption.
The investigation eventually was dropped in 2006 with no charges filed, but it was an episode that took boxing to the top of the news bulletins for all the wrong reasons.
1. Top Rank/Golden Boy lawsuit over Manny Pacquiao
Pacquiao was on his way to becoming the world's most exciting fighter in 2006, and promotional giants Top Rank and Golden Boy both wanted a slice of the action.
Bob Arum claimed he had Pacquiao signed to a contract, but Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy also insisted he had him tied to a deal after handing over a satchel of cash during an airport meeting.
The two parties went head-to-head in an acrimonious courtroom battle that was eventually settled when the judge warned Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer that neither may like the final judgment.
The upshot is that Arum continues to promote Pacquiao, while Golden Boy also receives a sizeable cut every time he fights.
Honorable mentions: Despite lacking a definitive incident like these other stories, there were a couple of issues that were a constant theme during the 2000s.
• What happened to the heavyweights? The decline of the heavyweight division has been lamented for much of the decade. Lennox Lewis' retirement left a void, while Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson both faded from the world scene. Instead, a generation of big Russian and Ukrainian fighters came to the fore, led by the Klitschkos, Vitali and Waldimir, but none were really able to capture the public imagination.
• Boxing v MMA The emergence of mixed martial arts and the UFC has presented boxing with some significant challenges. MMA's deep undercards for pay-per-view events and the relative lack of bluster surrounding its fighters won over some supporters who had previously gravitated towards boxing. However, the huge PPV numbers generated in recent times by fighters such as Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather suggests boxing is not ready to roll over just yet.
Posted Feb 6 2010
Posted Feb 6 2010
Pacquiao on Mayweather, Clottey
Posted Jan 20 2010
202 Comments
1 - 25 of 202
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Face it "g e", the UFC has been serving turd sandwiches since this summer, and what big fights are on the horizon? Couture vs Coleman is a main event, say what? and Kimbo is by far the most well known MMA fighter, which is sad.
So yeah, keep beating the UFC/MMA is taking over the world drum. MMA fans are some delusional, crazed cult members. Just yesterday Kameda vs Naito obliterated combat sport viewing records in a country that is the #2 MMA marketplace in the world.
Lets see what happens if Mayweather-Pac ends up on May 1st and goes against Machida-Shogun II. Floyd already doubled the UFC numbers this past September, but a fight against Manny would get 2 million MORE buys then the UFC on the same night.
On topic, I don't agree with some of the choices...but honestly who cares. Its nice to see someone write in the boxing blog who doesn't have an agenda and has grasped basic English skills unlike Cofield..
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Boxing vs MMA, LOL, no contest I enjoy watching MMA but prefer watching Boxing any day of the week!!!! Boxing = stand up fighting, MMA = stand up or a whole lot of humping and holding.. I favor stand up!!!! Does any one have updates on Antonio Margarito, the one-year suspension should be over by now???
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What do you guys think???
http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=23814
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all the ( payperview money ), (live gate money, sponserships money, / merchindising money,
foreign sales p.p.v. money. and then (floyd mayweather) would know if (manny pacman)
and (bob aurm) is serious about fighting him. (floyd mayweather) is like (moses) in
the (10-commandments) to boxing moses over threw (farooo). (floyd mayweather) is the
(gladiator) in the ring, the man who will finish off (bob aurm) and (destroy) the (pac-man).
this fight for floyd mayweather is more than just money to him, (mayweather) fights for the former
(slaves) who never had a chance in life. (mayweather) fights for all of the (civil rights) fighters when
(blacks) could not (eat) at the same (resturants) as (white folks), (mayweather) fights for (blacks) who
could not use (bathrooms) in public places in the 1960's. (mayweather) fights for the (poor people) of
(all race). this is beyound the world. (mayweather) biggest fight is for (god) and (his kids) and for his
(parents) because he love putting (smiles on their faces). everyday feels like heaven to (mayweather).
if (bob aurm) and (manny pacman) really wants to fight, then let it be winner take all. (mayweather) will
put it all on the line because (mayweather) is cut like that, (mayweather) is one of a kind. god made
(mayweather) special in life and i beleive that (floyd mayweather) knows it. (mayweather) will take this
fight and help the president (obama) feed every homeless people that are in shelters and homeless
all around the world. mayweather is a young man that wants tol help the young kids anyway he can
but mayweather knows that he cant do it all by himself, this is why mayweather calls for the
president (obama) on this fight because this fight is part of what (muhammad ali) was talking about
its a fight for freedoom to bring the troops home where they belongs and this fight is to help feed and
cloths the homelesss pooor people all around the world and the (phillipaines) where (pacman) is from.
to (mayweather) this is a global freedoom fight to bring home the troops. and a global fight for food
and cloths for people all around the world. it is a world fight to help the people thats why
(mayweather) should fight winner take all. this is a (billion dollar) fight if (mayweather) dont rush
into it with out at least speaking to the president (obama) about helping the country and helping other
countries. god made (mayweather) and (obama) special in life and now its time for the both of them to
come together and give back and help the world not just the country. like i said this is a (billion dollar)
fight. there is not a fighter out there that can beat (floyd mayweather) from (106-pounds to 160 pounds. this
kid (floyd mayweather) will go down as the greatest fighter ever. (m.ali), (m.tyson), (g.foreman), (j.frazier),
(j.louis), (sugar ray), (ray lenard), (j.dempsey), (s.liston), (a.pryor), (r.jones), (a.moore), (r.duran), (m.hagler),
(r.marciano), (t.hearns), and all the great fighters that came before and after cant touch
( floyd mayweather ). only a fool or a hater will bet against ( floyd mayweather ). (mayweather) made
(HBO 24/7) what it is today. (mayweather) should make at least ( $100.million) dollars or more and
if (mayweather) fights winner take all he dont need nobody cutting side deals or deals for their best
intrest and not his and he's the fighter. it hurts me when i does see ( oscar dela hoya ) and
(richard schaffer) beating mayweather for his ( money talent ) (mayweather) should be making money
with (mayweather promotions). this kid ( mayweather) is keeping boxing alive, so he should to
me get the most money with out a doubt.
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...stop this things u r sayin' this isn't the forum for it.... if u have hate in yourself do it somewhere else...!!!
...this is a boxing blog, not a politcal blog... !!!
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I think the fall of the heavyweights and the death of Chico are bigger stories then the #1 or #2 but atleast they're mentioned.
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