You’re not likely to find a community as stubborn as the town of Atrisco, which hugs Albuquerque’s west side just south of Route 66. Settled by Spaniards in 1598 and fortified by a 1692 land grant that still continues to legally challenge the system, Atrisco is a living, breathing throwback of a town. Within its winding streets, over and around the ditches for which it is known, lives and trains another throwback, with a throwback name . . . More

Biologist Thomas Huxley once wrote, “Misery is a match that never goes out.”

Huxley was, of course, referring to the sort of match that lights a candle or a powder keg, and definitely not a boxing match, but, lacking any sort of potential pop and with bouts unending, uneventful, last night’s local smoker at Crowne Plaza in Albuquerque just plain bombed.

That’s bombed, as in tanked, and not in any sense of a word related to a display of fireworks . . . More

Bidding adios to boxing after more than a decade and marking the end of an era, on both local and global fronts, Holly Holm left an emotional sold-out crowd, last night at Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, with a final-but-furious victory.

Relinquishing all claims to pound-for-pound supremacy, Holm securely stepped down from her throne in a safe scrap by dominating oversized, overwhelmed Mary McGee, of Gary, Ind., through ten rounds. It might not have been the showdown fans have been clamoring for – Holm vs. Cecelia Braekhus, of course – but the 3,000 in attendance at the Fresquez-promoted card wholeheartedly cheered on the champ that has reigned at the local box-office since 2005 . . . More

Book review by David Finger of Fightnews.com:

Boxing fans can be forgiven if the idea of another regional boxing history book doesn’t excite them right off the bat. Most tend to fall into two categories: an overglossed pamphlet that rehashes well known boxing stories or a book long on facts but short on drama. A book that people buy only to look in the index to find what page “Uncle Charlie” appears on. But to lump the newest regional boxing book in that category would be a tremendous mistake. Boxing in New Mexico 1868-1940 isn’t just the best regional boxing history book to come out this century…it may very well be the best boxing history book period . . . |more|

Ringside by Chris Cozzone

Thirty-six-year-old Floyd “Money” Mayweather may yet grow old.

But last night was not his time to do so.

Needing just two rounds to expel the specters of rust and age, Mayweather proved the naysayers wrong, yet again, by defending his pound-for-pound crown and one of the welterweight belts with a one-sided spanking of Robert “Ghost” Guerrero. The challenger proved dreadfully ineffectual against the drearily masterful, transforming what was a hoped-for war, into something of a sparring session, which evoked sporadic waves of boos from an anxious crowd.

The fight, billed as “May Day,” became less about a billing and more of a distress signal for Team Guerrero, as the rounds progressed. Despite two rounds of effective aggression behind an eager left hand, the Gilroy southpaw mounted a charged attack. That lasted as long as it took Mayweather to perfect a flawless plan. Once that happened, faith, family, not even the firearm that got him in hot water in New York last month, was going to stick a victory in Guerrero’s pocket, Floyd’s crown upon his head and another belt around his waist . . . More

In what should cement him a high pound-for-pound ranking, and the man to beat in the 120s, three-division world champ Abner Mares, 26-0-1, 14 Kos, moved up to 126 to dethrone WBC Featherweight Champ Daniel Ponce De Leon, 44-5, 35 Kos. Weathering the champ’s battering ram of a left hand, Mares unraveled his sparmate and friend, dropping him not once but twice en route to a knockout win in round nine . . . More

Postfight presser by Chris Cozzone

A new, old blueprint might’ve blackened the hopes of a war and bored a crowd to booing, but no one could deny that age-defying Floyd Mayweather Jr. had retained his pound-for-pound supremacy with yet another virtuoso performance.

Before a crowd of 15,880 at the MGM, the unbeaten Mayweather, 44-0, 26 Kos, pulled on Robert Guerrero’s strings, pot-shotting him repeatedly throughout most of the fight, resulting in a lopsided unanimous decision scored 117-111 across the board. Surprised, disappointed and somewhat shell-shocked, the “Ghost,” 31-2-1, 18 Kos, endured a phantasmagoric evening, losing for the first time in eight years . . . |more|

A boxing fan knows they’re in for a night of predictable pugilism when one-half of a line-up is comprised of undefeateds with the opposing corner, a motley collection ranging from merely game to barely challenging . . . More

War can be so ugly, it’s beautiful.

Ask any boxing fan who watched last night’s epic, and, for once, you won’t hear about snoozefests or robberies, politics or the UFC. You’ll hear about blood and guts warfare and the names of two youngsters who just may keep the sport going once the obvious elders have called it a day.

You’ll also hear satisfaction.

Bypassing both last year’s original epic and the recent Bradley-Provodnikov war, Saturday night’s rematch between Mike “Mile High” Alvarado and Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios was a classic battle that will leave fight fans remembering 2013 as the year they began mumbling, “Manny who? ‘Money’what?” . . . More

Initial shots from Saturday night’s classic at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios. Stay tuned for full photo gallery later today.

Report from Friday night in Albuquerque: Mark Twain once wrote, “A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.”. . . So went the lesson learned last night at the Wool Warehouse in Albuquerque, N.M., where big hearts and big appetites did not, alas, equate to chomping away at more than one can chew . . . More

The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) has announced the winners of its annual Bernies (formerly “Barneys”) contest, which each year recognizes the best writing about boxing by BWAA members. The strong field of prize-winning works appeared during 2012 in a wide range of print and online outlets and shows that boxing journalism is as vital as ever.

Tying for second in the column category was Chris Cozzone’s “Requiem for a Hometown Champion,” published in Fightnews.com and NewMexicoBoxing.com on June 1, 2012. The column praises the life and career of Johnny Tapia, who passed away last year on May 27.

Cozzone also received an honorable mention for his photography in the feature category. It is the second year that Cozzone has placed in, both, writing and photography. He remains the only journalist to do so since the BWAA started their awards in 1972.

Anyone looking to pick up a copy of “Boxing in New Mexico: 1868-1940,” by Chris Cozzone and Jim Boggio, can do so at Friday night’s fights at the Wool Warehouse. Cozzone will have a table in the lobby in the hour before first bell. As a special for fight fans attending Friday’s card, the usually $45 price will be dropped to $36. Cozzone says he’s more interested in circulating the book than making the few bucks each copy yields. He also says that a minimum number of books must be sold before his publisher agrees to move forward with the second volume. Volume II, says Cozzone, will go from WW2 to the present era.

Finally out! “Boxing in New Mexico: A History 1868-1940.” Books are now shipping!

About the Book
On June 28, 1868, a group of men gathered alongside a road 35 miles north of Albuquerque to witness a 165-round, 6-hour bare-knuckle brawl between well-known Colorado pugilist Barney Duffy and “Jack,” an unidentified fighter who died of his injuries. Thought to be the first “official” prizefight in New Mexico, this tragic spectacle marked the beginning of the rich and varied history of boxing in the state. Oftentimes an underdog in its battles with the law and public opinion, boxing in New Mexico has paralleled the state’s struggles and glories,through the Wild West, statehood, the Depression, war, and economic growth. It is a story set in boomtowns, ghost towns and mining camps, along railroads and in casinos, and populated by cowboys, soldiers, laborers, barrio-bred locals and more. This work chronicles more than 70 years of New Mexico’s colorful boxing past, representing the most in-depth exploration of prizefighting in one region yet undertaken.

Amazon is offering a deal on pre-sales – the book should be in their hands on March 15 – for just $30. Or you can order directly from the publisher at McFarland Press.

Author Chris Cozzone will also have some copies in the very near future. Email him for more info.

After 13 years of full-time boxing coverage, I’m downshifting to take care of business in other areas.  Call it what you will – boredom, a decline in the overall sport that doesn’t satisfy the way it used to, or the need to re-broaden my focus. While I will continue to cover some the bigger fights in Vegas, and the local shows where I’m, once again, residing, that being Albuquerque, N.M., expect to see my byline with less frequency.  New projects, a return to full-time teaching and grad school may keep me from every night at the fights, but my pen, camera and smart-ass comments will not gather rust.

Photo above: Prince Naseem Hamed makes his ring entrance against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001.

Black/white shots from Friday night’s local show in Albuquerque . . . |more|

For Cozzone’s written report, see report on Fightnews/NewMexicoBoxing.com

Lightweight title hopes, an emerging local and the first win for New Mexico’s perennial “Hard Luck Kid” brought out close to 800 fight fans, Friday night at the Indian School’s “Pueblo Pavilion” in Santa Fe, N.M. . . . |more|

from last night’s card at Texas Station in Las Vegas, headlining Jessie Vargas vs. Vito Gasparyan . . . |more|

At the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV weigh-in at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. For a gallery of all the shots from today’s weigh-in, visit Fightnews … |more|