Champ Delivers on KO Promise

Hugely popular pair to duke it out Saturday

(NEWSER) - Saturday will see a boxing matchup sure to draw countless diehard fans: Filipino Manny Pacquiao, considered the sport’s “pound-for-pound best,” versus Britiain's Ricky Hatton, the current International Boxing Organization junior welterweight champ. “When Manny fights, everything stops in the Philippines,” a Manila journalist tells the Wall Street Journal. And a million Brits got up at 4am to see a Hatton match in Las Vegas, said a promoter. More»

Pacquiao holds onto welterweight title, but Marquez protests decision

(NEWSER) - Manny Pacquiao narrowly survived his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in last night's battle for the welterweight title, winning two out of three scorecards to retain his championship, reports the AP . Pacquiao's aggression was evenly matched by Marquez's counterpunching, and many thought Marquez deserved the win—the results were greeted with boos and bottles and cans flying at the ring. More»

Pacquiao fight raises excitement in the sport

(NEWSER) - Last night's big fight between Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosely turned out to be a dud, with Pacquiao winning an easy decision, reports AP . But the fight had generated much buzz, leading Atlantic to ponder whether the sport might be ready to burst back into the mainstream. Some pros:

• Sports are global now: Sure, there aren’t any dominant Americans, but these days American fans follow English soccer teams and root for baseball stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols.
• The Internet: Newspapers don’t cover boxing anymore, but you can get plenty of news—and video—online.
• Pacquiao: He’s at the top of the sport, he’s exceedingly likeable, and has a rapid-fire style that’s a joy to watch. As his biographer once said, Pacquiao “has essentially been carrying the sport on his back.”

'The Viper' shot after gunpoint robbery: police

(NEWSER) - Former pro boxer Vernon “the Viper” Forrest was shot and killed Saturday night in a skirmish after he was robbed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Forrest had stopped at a gas station to fill his tires with air when a man robbed him at gunpoint. The armed ex-fighter chased the mugger, and was shot seven to eight times in the back in an ensuing gunfight. Evidence suggested Forrest also used his weapon, police said. More»

Welterweight fighter collapsed in the ring after 10 rounds

(NEWSER) - Boxer Oscar Diaz remains in a coma after undergoing surgery to relieve swelling on his brain after he collapsed during a match, ESPN reports. Although his vital signs are good, Diaz is relying on a ventilator to breathe and his condition is "touch-and-go, very critical," said fight organizer Ron Katz. Diaz crumpled to the ground in his corner following the 10th round in his match against Delvin Rodriguez Wednesday night. More»