"InterBox, Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) hereby confirm that antidoping tests are in place leading up to their fight scheduled on May 25th at the Montreal Bell Centre. All parties have agreed on all procedures and both fighters have approved the antidoping program," read a joint statement released on Tuesday.

This statement confirms the strong speculation that was hovering all week in Montreal that both fighters would be tested for performance enhancing drugs.

The upcoming fight between former light heavyweight champion, Jean Pascal and ex-super middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute has the entire city exited to see which of these fighters is the one true champion of Montreal. A bout of this magnitude needed to have some barometer to keep both fighters honest.

According to the joint press release, the testing will be administered by an undisclosed organization, which is a little troubling. Who knows how honest this organization actually is?

When questioned about this, Yvon Michel declined to comment saying that the organization that will be administering the test is very reputable.

On May 25, HBO will air a Memorial Day weekend double-header, starting with 6:30 p.m. live coverage of the super middleweight rematch between IBF super middleweight beltholder Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, who decisioned Froch in April of 2010, from the O2 Arena in London.

Over nine years ago, Senator John McCain and Representative Peter King began a campaign for a posthumous Presidential pardon for the legendary heavyweight pugilist Jack Johnson.

During that time, the resolution, though it has gained some publicity, has not garnered the attention of either American presidents it has gone before.

Mike Tyson, along with Senator Harry Reid, are now working together in an effort to change that.

Tyson has recently launched and cosigned a petition to pardon Jack Johnson on the website Change.org and announced his efforts via Twitter. “Sign my petition to the @barackobama,” Tyson tweeted. “We can make a difference.”

Jack Johnson was born in Texas, he was the first African-American boxing champion and held the title for seven years. He defeated many fighters that were white. The most memorable fight of Johnson's career came in 1910 against Jim Jeffries in a bout called "The Fight of the Century." Johnson retained the title and his win set off deadly race riots in 50 cities around the country.

Later on in his life, Johnson was convicted under the Mann Act of “transporting a white woman across state lines for immoral purposes,” based on the testimony of a former girlfriend of Johnson’s who worked as a prostitute.

But then and since, many have argued that prosecutors were looking for any excuse to drum up charges against Johnson, a famous, charismatic black man who publicly dated white women during the height of the Jim Crow era. More...

It goes without saying that Lucian Bute vs. Jean Pascal is the fight that boxing fans everywhere in Canada have been waiting to see for a long time now.

Even if there is no title belt on the line for this fight, both fighters have been vocal in the past few years that they are the best boxing product out of the great white north. On May 25th, both fighters will try to prove that they are the true champion of Canadian boxing.

Hall-of-fame boxer turned television analyst, Roy Jones Jr., was in Montreal on Tuesday to help promote the bout for HBO. According to Jones Jr., this fight will be explosive because both fighters hail from the same city, and that usually leads to a more explosive battle because of the hometown rivalry.

"It's like two brothers in a household. Nobody fights harder than two brothers," said Jones Jr.

During the press conference, both Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute spoke about the possibility that this fight might surpass in terms of popularity, the famous bout between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran held in Montreal in June 1980.

Both fighters were extremely humble in their speeches regarding who is considered to be the favourite going into this fight. Both fighters actually joked around that they consider themselves to be the underdog for this fight.

Out of the two fighters, Bute has faced more world level competition. He holds victories over the likes of Sakio Bika, Librado Andrade, Edison Miranda and Glen Johnson. The only loss of his career was via fifth round TKO to Carl Froch, an opponent that Bute and Pascal has both faced and lost to.

Bute has not been the same fighter he once was after the KO from Froch. His key to victory against Pascal will be to push Pascal into aggression, as Hopkins did, and make Pascal into a one dimensional fighter which will be easy for the technical Bute to constraint. More...

On April 20th, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will take on Austin Trout for the WBC light middleweight title and the WBA Super light middleweight title. According to Canelo, the Trout fight is a personal matter.

"Of course it is personal. He is a great fighter, an undefeated world champion, a difficult opponent who won't be easy [to beat]... I'll be ready and I'll fight him perfectly for the victory," said Alvarez, talking about his upcoming fight with Trout.

To understand why the undefeated rising star of Mexico has such a stake in this bout we must look back to February of 2011. It was then that Austin Trout defeated Rogoberto Alvarez, Canelo's older brother, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This fight will give Canelo an opportunity to avenge his brother's loss.

"He defeated my brother and, honestly, I really liked this fight... That's why I wanted Austin Trout because this is something personal," said Canelo.

To prepare for this fight that will be held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Canelo has said that he will be sparing with Oscar de La Hoya and he will be looking at the previous Trout vs. Cotto fight which will help his camp come up with a strong game plan come this April.

This fight will be a showcase for Canelo who hopes that the American public will embrace him as the Mexican fans already do. It will be a tough battle for Canelo however as Trout is a speedy strong undefeated fighter who has surprised many good fighter.

One thing is for sure, this fight will be dynamic and have great external elements as Floyd Mayweather Jr. will surely be watching this bout closely.

You can purchase this fight on pay-per-view.

There was a high level of excitement from boxing enthusiasts when the announcement was made that Nonito Donaire would meet Guillermo Rigondeaux in the ring on April 13.

However, none of us expected this fight to bring boxing out of the dark ages and into a modern infrastructure where fighter should be tested by independent doping agencies.

Top Rank announced that the bout would take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, putting on the line the WBO super bantamweight title and the WBA super world super bantamweight title.

With so much on the line for both fighters, there was a decision made with the support from both camps that the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association and the United States Anti-Doping Agency would be involved in keeping this fight clean.

When the disccussions first began, Rigondeaux reportedly wanted to have USADA test both fighters while Donaire reportedly favoured VADA. There was also a disagreement regarding the time frame when these tests should be administered.

Regardless of all the disputes that occurred during the negotiations surrounding the testing, the fight is going to happen. Both fighters have now agreed on the fight and reportedly the contracts includes USADA and VADA testing. More...

Last week, several sources broke the news that former world champion Jean Pascal's camp, Groupe Yvon Michel, and Lucian Bute's camp, Interbox, were working on a possible fight that would take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal on May 25th.

This is an intriguing thought as both boxers had separate bouts scheduled for this spring. First and foremost, Jean Pascal was scheduled to fight Chad Dawson for the WBC Light heavyweight title on May 25th. The Canadian new agency QMI was first to break the news that the Pascal vs. Dawson II fight scheduled to air on HBO was postponed because of injuries.

As for Lucian Bute, this fight against Pascal makes more sense at the moment than a rematch with Carl Froch because of the financial reward involved. This is an ironic twist because in the recent past, Pascal has accused Bute of dodging him in favour of bigger paydays against the likes of Carl Froch and a potential matchup with Andre Ward.

For this fight, both Bute (31-1, 24 KO) and Pascal (27-2-1, 16 KO) should earn around $2 million each.

"Everyone here [in Canada] has wanted the fight for a long time. It will be the biggest event in boxing history in Canada," said Jean Bedard of Interbox in an interview on February 18. More...

At age 21, Saul Alvarez is an up-and-coming young boxer who has the potential to become one of the greatest fighters that this sport has ever seen in the light middleweight division.

Already in his young career, Alvarez has headlined two separate HBO broadcasts in the last year. After a dominating win against the heavy hitting Kermit Cintron, the boxing world is speculating about who the next opponent for Alvarez could be?

Let's try to see if we can figure out who his next opponent could be and who his next opponent should be.

There has been widespread speculation that World Boxing Association champion Miguel Cotto is interested in a possible fight with Alvarez.

This clash is reportedly being negotiated but nothing has been finalized yet. If these two fighters do meet, it would make for an incredible power puncher's duel.

Most likely this fight would take place in New York City and Cotto would be getting the bigger purse share. However, I'm not so sure this fight would take place as I think, and possibly so does Cotto, that Alvarez is a much stronger and technical fighter than he is used to.

At 5'9, Alvarez is a slightly taller than the Cotto, who stands at 5'7; Alvarez could have too much youth and power which means that we could see Cotto take another beating.

I would be surprised if Cotto took this fight because he hasn’t fought a really dangerous opponent since his bout with Manny Pacquiao in 2009. Also, there have been reports that Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, has confirmed that a Cotto and Pacquiao rematch is currently being discussed. More...

This is an editorial piece on the five most wanted fights for 2012. I will include for each fight the potential outcome, as I see it. The list will be undoubtedly topped by the prospective mega-showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., though no-one that covers boxing is holding their breath.

1. Manny Pacquaio vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Depending on whom you wish to believe, this fight might or might not take place any time soon. Mayweather, at the moment, seems to be calling out Pacquiao for the mega-fight to happen, however he is still demanding all these drug testing rules be met.

Pacquiao at this point is either going to accept Mayweather’s terms or he will just choose to look elsewhere, which is unfortunate for all of us because the clock is ticking on Pacquiao’s career in the ring.

Verdict: Pacquiao by split decision.

2. Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson II
Khan's controversial defeat to Peterson in Washington at the tail-end of 2011 came amid much finger-pointing, but did not obscure two plain facts: that it was a fine fight, and that Khan had no-one to blame for the close call but himself. A rematch is likely for the spring or the end of the year.

Verdict: Khan by unanimous decision. More...

Bernard Hopkins made history earlier this year when he became the oldest fighter to win a championship belt. At age 46, Hopkins is trying to continue his historic run when he will be defending his title against one of the best fighters in the light heavyweight division, Chad Dawson.

Hopkins, 52-5 with two draws and 32 knockouts, is living proof that men can and do get better with age. To be a peak performer at this age is impressive but Hopkins says it’s all about the right conditioning. “First of all its longevity because of life style,” said Hopkins when he addressed a group of reporters immediately following a press conference in Los Angeles to promote the fight against Chad Dawson.

According to Hopkins: “You go to the bank. Whatever you put in and whatever interest comes off that principle is what I did in the twenties and thirties about maintaining a healthy life style. It’s called investment. Now, I am fortunate enough to be around this late in the game, age wise. It’s not late for me, because why? Right now I am getting the interest, never mess with the principle and I am working off the interest now.

"The business mentality that I’ve been known for, added to my life, not yesterday but twenty years ago, right out of penitentiary in eighty eight; that’s 24 or 23 years ago and I said if I can invest my money the way I live than I should be able to go back to the bank when I need it. And that’s where we are at. I am only getting investments, the interest off of how I took care of myself.”

“You all see the way I look,” said Hopkins who trained with his trusted coach Nazim Richardson in Philadelphia for this fight. “You all see my weight. I am right on the mark, but I got to get it up. We’ll maintain it, watch it, depending on how I work, because I work hard and if they don’t stop me I burn up. More...

He is the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, he has the highest knockout percentage in heavyweight boxing history and he has a huge fight lined up on September 10 against Tomasz Adamek; but does anyone really care about Vitali Klitschko?

The heavyweight division has been losing its staple as the most exciting and dangerous brand of boxing. Not since the days that Mike Tyson was storming through the division have boxing fans and television networks cared enough to showcase the heavyweight product.

Not HBO nor Showtime has paid much attention to Vitali Klitschko or his brother Wladimir Klitschko. The perception seems to be that contemporary heavyweight fighters have no personalities and are not as skilled as heavyweight fighters of a few years ago; the likes of George Foreman, Mike Tyson and even Lennox Lewis.

In fact, Vitali Klitschko's last defeat in the ring came at the hands of Lennox Lewis in 2003.

While the heavyweight division seems to have stumbled out of favor with boxing fans, the welter and light middle divisions are striving and taking over as boxing's premier product.

Among them, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto to name a few; are the central figures in boxing that fans relate to and the names that sell pay-per-view events. More...

There have been reasons to discredit Miguel Angel Cotto in the past few years, especially after his first encounter with Antonio Margarito.

However, the fighter from Puerto Rico is looking for a chance at redemption and revenge against Margarito on December 3rd, 2011. There are many factors that will come into play but in the end, Cotto should be the clear favourite going into this fight.

First of all, Top Rank president Todd duBoef has announced that the much anticipated rematch will happen in New York’s Madison Square Garden. On every occasion that Cotto has fought in New York, he has been successful.

His fights at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium have meant huge ticket sales for the 30 year old. His huge fan base will no doubt overwhelm the arena and make life very difficult for Margarito.

The second factor to consider is that under his new trainer, Emanuel Steward, Cotto has improved significantly since the brutal beating at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. The Puerto-Rican fighter has faster footwork, movement and his defence is much improved. More...

He was named Fighter of The Year by the Boxing Writers of America and he has captured the imagination of fans on boxing forums from HBO to ESPN. But is Sergio Martinez the next savior that boxing desperately needs?

Lets`s face it, since Oscar De La Hoya, Mike Tyson and now Manny Pacquiao, there is no real crossover superstar to help propel boxing back into the mainstream. With UFC and other MMA leagues knocking at the door, boxing is in desperate need of more fighters that can help sell the sport.

The southpaw has earned the nickname 'La Maravilla,', which means 'The Marvelous'. Martinez had been fighting in Spain and England until 2007 when he finally made the jump over to the United States. His last six fights were all showcased on HBO; which is impressive for a fighter who couldn't find a promoter when he first arrived to America.

He fought good caliber fighters in Kermit Cintron, Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams. His current record is an astounding 47 wins with only 2 losses and 2 draws in his 51 fights as a professional. His recent knockout of Paul Williams and his last victory against Serhiry Dzinziruk has propelled him among the most top contenders in the middleweight division.

On June 14, the middleweight from Argentina signed a new multimillion-dollar contract with Lou DiBella. At age 36, this contract secures Martinez for six fights which will most likely see the boxer end his career with DiBella as his promoter. When asked about Martinez, DiBella said: "He's probably the best fighter I've ever promoted along with Bernard Hopkins, who I used to promote and who is a legend."

The knock on Martinez is that although he is considered the third best fighter at the moment behind Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao, the Argentinian has yet to accomplish as much as other fighters from his native country such as Carlos Monzon or Pascual Perez. More...

A re-match is on, according to United States Senator John McCain and Representative Peter King, to secure a Congressional pardon for the first black heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson.

The first resolution was introduced in 2009 but President Barack Obama refused to pass the act that would pardon Johnson from his criminal conviction.

There is great significance here as Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion a century before Obama was elected the nation's first black president.

Johnson was convicted of violating the Mann Act, a law that made it illegal to transport women across state lines for the purposes of immoral acts. His flamboyant lifestyle, his world heavyweight title and his marriage to a white woman made Johnson the perfect target for a white population of the times, boiling with racial resentment.

In a written statement, Arizona Senator McCain said that he and New York Representative King, would be reintroducing the resolution to rectify this historical injustice.

McCain believes that only a full pardon would help future generations fully grasp what Johnson was able to accomplish in the face of bigotry and prejudice.

There was no comment issued by the White House.

© Jose Espinoza / Saddo Boxing

A 46 year old fighter stepped into the ring on Saturday night and emerged a champion.

It was a moment that very few in the city of Montreal will ever forget. Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins beat out a young, strong and skilled Jean Pascal to become the IBO and WBC light heavyweight world champion.

Hopkins now becomes the oldest champion in the history of boxing, which dates back hundreds of years. George Foreman, who was 45 when he won the world heavyweight championship, called Hopkins after the fight and George expressed happiness that his record was broken in such a great manner.

It is an incredible story with humble beginnings. Growing up in North Philadelphia, Hopkins did what he felt he needed to do in order to survive.

Unfortunately, the decisions the young Hopkins made led him to Graterford State Penitentiary at age 17. Hopkins took up boxing in prison as a way to help turn his life back around; it was this sport that enabled him to leave the street life that haunted him. More...

Andre Ward dominated Arthur Abraham with power and speed throughout the fight on his way to a unanimous decision victory on Saturday night. In the process, Ward defended his WBA super middleweight title and became the first finalist in the Super Six semifinals. The question is should boxing fans really care about a tournament that is never-ending and has lost most of its luster?

Some will argue that this tournament displays the best talents of the middleweight division but if that were true why has Lucien Bute been excluded? Bute currently holds the IBF super middleweight title and is undefeated but yet is not part of this prestigious tournament? In fact, the only fighter who saves the Super Six from obscurity is WBA Super World super middleweight champion, Andre Ward.

I do believe that Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic is trying to give the sport of boxing what it desperately needs: great match-ups and an exciting tournament that has a purpose, to crown a super middleweight king. However, the main problems are the length of the Super Six and its lack of viability in the U.S. market.

The tournament is perceived as much too long to capture the attention of the casual boxing fan. In the first stage of the competition, each fighter has to compete in three bouts. The next stages has a faster rhythm but still takes time which makes the tournament excessively long.

Adding to the problem is that the Super Six has a small impact on boxing in the United States. The reason why this is such an important element is because, boxing needs to have a revival in the United States. On U.S. soil, fans have turned a blind eye to the sport unless a major name is competing, which doesn't happen often. Whereas in Europe and in Asia, boxing remains one of the major sports and doesn't require a much needed boost.

So far, the Super Six is turning out to be a great event for Ward. Only time will tell, however, if it`s going to be just as good for boxing.