Miguel Cotto defends his WBO welterweight title tonight against challenger Manny Pacquiao in a hotly anticipated clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Pacquiao, 49-3-2 (37), comes into the bout riding a four year, 10 bout win streak at super feather, lightweight and light welter with the most recent victory coming against Ricky Hatton for the IBO 140 lb crown in May.

Cotto, 34-1 (27), a former WBO light welter and WBA welter champ, has bounced back from his sole career defeat to Antonio Margarito last year to win the vacant WBO welter crown against Michael Jennings and then defend in a difficult contest against Joshua Clottey in June.

If Cotto is to win this clash he will have to come into the ring as a fundamentally different fighter than he has shown himself to be in the past, and that is not likely to happen.

The difference between the two combatants in this bout will be Pacquiao’s movement and ring generalship, backed up with his incredible stamina and power in both hands.

Cotto’s fundamentals as a fighter are strong, however, he needs to be set to order to punch and when forced on the back foot he is vulnerable. He comes to opponents in a straight line, bobbing and weaving, and against a constantly moving target such as Pacquiao, the Puerto Rican star could be exposed the same way Oscar De la Hoya was in his fight against "Pac Man". More...

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Ricky Hatton's younger brother, Matthew Hatton, takes on former IBF light welter titleholder Lovemore N’dou tonight at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke, England for the IBO welterweight title.

The last us Brits would have seen of both of these fighters would have been on the undercard of the Ricky Hatton vs Juan Lazcano fight in May of last year.

N’dou fought IBF light welter champ at the time Paul Malignaggi in a rematch, losing via a split decision while Hatton faced Craig Watson for the Commonwealth welter title, losing via a unanimous decision.

Since that loss, Hatton has had four fights, one of them being Ted Bami, another, South African hardman and older brother Ricky's former victim Ben Tackie. More...

A five star matchup in anyone's eyes takes place tonight when Puerto Rican WBO welterweight champion defends his crown against multi-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

For Cotto, himself a two weight world champion, it's the second defence of the title he won back when stopping Michael Jennings in five back in February.

The 29 year old Cotto has only one defeat in 35 fights. That loss came in controversial circumstances in July last year when he was stopped in 11 by Antonio Margarito.

Cotto, like his opponent tonight, has taken on all comers in his title reigns at 140 and 147 pounds.

His first world title sucesss came in September, 2004 when he won the vacant WBO light welterweight championship stopping Kelson Pinto in six in an exciting scrap. More...

© SE / Photo Wende

After what seems like an eternity, David finally meets Goliath when David Haye challenges Nikolai Valuev for his WBA Heavyweight Championship in Nuremberg, Germany tonight.

For Haye, this fight ends a year of inactivity.

After unifying the World Cruiserweight championship in March last year, Haye set his sights on heavyweight honours.

His first serious outing came 12 months ago against American veteran Monte Barrett. In an exciting fight, Barrett was finally stopped in the fifth round. More...

Tonight at Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas, NV, IBF bantam champ Joseph Agbeko faces the challenge of Yonnhy Perez in what should turn out to be an epic battle.

Agbeko, 27-1 (22), of Ghana, came out of nowhere in 2004 to lose a narrow IBF title challenge to Wladimir Sidorenko in Germany before capturing the vacant Commonwealth crown later that year.

After a two and a half year absence from the ring, Agbeko returned with three bouts in 2007, the last of which won him the IBF bantam crown when stopping Luis Alberto Perez in the seventh.

After a difficult majority decision victory against William Gonzalez last December, Agbeko really hit the limelight when soaking up everything multi-weight champ Vic Darchinyan had to offer in July, banging out a unanimous decision after 12 absolutely furious rounds.

Tonight, the 29 year Bronx resident puts his IBF belt at risk for the third time, facing undefeated Colombian Yonnhy Perez, 19-0 (14). More...

IBF light middle champ Cory Spinks returns to the ring this Saturday as the slick southpaw squares off with challenger Carlos Molina at Treasure Island Casino in Las Vegas, NV on the undercard of the Joseph Agbeko vs. Yhonny Perez IBF bantam title clash.

Spinks, 37-5 (11), a former unified welterweight champion, recaptured the IBF 154 pound crown in April by winning a tough split decision against younger crosstown rival Deandre Lattimore.

At 31, Spinks may have lost a step but should still have it together enough to get past the challenge posed by Molina.

However, Molina is fresher at age 26 and has been much more active than the champion, with this being the sixth bout he's performed in since December of last year. More...

A mouthwatering and fascinating clash takes this place this tonight at the Bolton Arena in Bolton, England when Salford's Jamie Moore defends his European 154 pound title against Sheffield's Ryan Rhodes.

As well as being a clash for European honours, it is also probable that the winner will fight an official eliminator for the WBC title currently held by Sergio Martinez.

Rhodes is a 14 year veteran of the squared circle. Beginning his career as a light middleweight, he won the British title at only 20 years of age, defeating the equally prodigious Paul Silky Jones in eight back in 1996.

Just one year later, Rhodes moved up to middleweight and came so close to winning the WBO title in December 1997, losing a narrow 12 round decision against Otis Grant. This is the same Grant who would go on to challenge a peak Roy Jones Jnr a year later for the light heavyweight crown.

After such a promising start to his pro career, things went downhill for the Spice Boy when he was KO'd in two rounds by Jason Matthews in another bid for WBO honours in July, 1999.

After that, Rhodes seemed to have disappeared altogether from the world scene. In reality, the next six years were largely spent fighting four and six rounders either on undercards or small boxing shows. More...

Tonight, Nathan Cleverly defends his British and Commonwealth Light Heavyweight titles against Courtney Fry at York Hall in London's Bethnal Green.

This should be a run of the mill defense for Cleverly, who recently just got pipped to the post by British welter titlist Kell Brook for the Boxing Writer's Young Boxer of the Year award, where apparently it was the closest ballot in the award's 57 year history.

Brook has to get past former beltholder Michael Jennings next month, no easy task.

The same thing cannot be said for Cleverly, who has an easier job this Friday. The Welshman's opponent Courtney Fry, now at 13-2 (5), does not have a wealth of experience.

The only recognisable name Fry has been in with is former Commonwealth, British and WBU Light Heavyweight champion Tony Oakey, and that was three rounds in February of this year in a Prizefighter tournament, albeit in the semi-final…and Fry lost.

Other than that, some of the keener fans may remember Ovill Mackenzie winning the last cruiserweight Prizefighter tournament, more because of the lack of talent in that particular round robin, but Fry has gone 1-1 with him in two three rounders. More...

© Lawrence Lustig

The successful Prizefighter series continues tonight at London's Excel Arena when eight of the country's top heavyweights go head to head in an elimination tournament.

Amongst the eight attempting to bag the £32,000 prize fund are bitter rivals and former opponents Danny Williams and Audley Harrison.

Both men boast one win apiece over each other and should both men win their opening two bouts, they are scheduled to meet in the final.

The beauty of this tournament is that the matches are held over three consecutive three minute rounds. Seedings in tournaments like this tend to go out of the window, so one shouldn't be surprised if a lesser known fighter upsets the odds. More...

Tonight at Staples Center in Los Angeles, the WBC heavyweight title is up for grabs as Vitali Klitschko defends against undefeated Cristobal Arreola over 12 scheduled rounds.

During the media buildup to this one, a lot has been made of the power of Arreola, 27-0 (24), by his promoters and while it's true that their man does have a very good punch, it pales in comparison with that of Klitschko.

Towering Vitali, 37-2 (36), has belted out every one of his victims with the exception of fellow 6'7 tall Timo Hoffman when the two clashed for the European title in 2000.

And that's what this fight comes down to in a nutshell; can Arreola take Klitschko's punches for all 12 frames?

Most of Klitschko's stoppages over the last 10 years have been in the later rounds. Since losing a controversial bout to Lennox Lewis in 2003, four of Vitali's five finishings have been in the eighth or ninth rounds. More...

The O2 in Dublin, Ireland hosts a big occasion later today when local hero Bernard Dunne meets Thailand's Poonsawat Kratindaenggym.

On offer will be Dunne's WBA super bantam crown, won six months ago in the very same venue against Panama's Ricardo Cordoba in a major upset.

Can Dunne, 28-1 (15), turn the trick again and send another more experienced operator home from Dublin empty-handed?

It'll be a tough assignment.

The 28 year old from Sakon Nakhon won the PABA bantam belt in just his fourth pro contest and kept it over 17 defenses against mostly obscure competition until an Interim WBA title shot came up in 2005. More...

© Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos

The moment of Floyd Mayweather's return to a boxing ring has finally arrived tonight as the top boxer on the planet faces Juan Manuel Marquez over twelve rounds at welterweight at Las Vegas' MGM Grand.

There isn't much that hasn't already been said or written about this pairing and it's obvious that Mayweather is the favorite heading into tonight's clash.

But there are variables to the accepted wisdom of Mayweather having the advantage in size and speed, not the least of which is the former multi-weight champ having been away from pro boxing since stopping Ricky Hatton in December, 2007. More...

© Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos / Golden Boy Promotions

Headlining a big show tonight at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX is former lightweight champion Juan Diaz's move up to light welter to face Paulie Malignaggi in a 12 rounder.

Diaz, 34-2 (17), barely broke the lightweight limit during the weigh-in yesterday and former IBF 140 pound titlist Malignaggi, 26-2 (5), hit the scales at his lightest weight since 2002.

Both fighters have only two losses and both came against top competition; Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton for Malignaggi and Juan Manuel Marquez and Nate Campbell for Diaz. More...

WBO super middle champ Karoly Balzsay makes the second defense of his title when he faces off against Robert Stieglitz at the Syma Sport Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

Hamburg based Hungarian Balzsay, 21-0 (15), won the WBO belt with a surprising unanimous decision over favored opponent Denis Inkin in January and KO'd aging but still dangerous ex-WBA middleweight champ Maselino Masoe in April.

German based Russian Stieglitz, 35-2 (21), was stopped in a rematch against Alejandro Berrio in 2007 for the vacant IBF super middle crown and suffered the same fate against Librado Andrade in an eliminator for the same title a year later.

Tonight in Budapest, southpaw Balzsay is the definite favorite to keep his WBO strap and the advantage of an adoring home crowd won't hurt either but Stieglitz has nothing to lose as this bout represents what is likely to be his last crack at a world title.

Balzsay should box his way to a unanimous decision but Stieglitz could upset the applecart if the champion suffers any defensive lapses.

Ex-WBO super feather champion Jorge Rodrigo Barrios makes the move up to lightweight tonight when he faces Moises Castro for the Interim WBO crown at Polideportivo Carlos Cerutti in Cordoba, Argentina.

Barrios, 47-4-1 (34), fought everyone at super feather and now wants the world's hardest puncher at any weight, WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero, but first, "La Hiena" has to take care of Panamanian foe Castro, 27-11-4 (13).

The Tigre based Argentine hero has only lost in hard fought affairs to Acelino Freitas, Joan Guzman and Rocky Juarez over the last 12 years and the 33 year old has definitely traded in much more experienced company than has Castro.

11 year pro Castro started at super flyweight and came up the hard way in Managua, battling it out up through successive divisions in relative obscurity but the tall southpaw is coming off a good performance during a 10 round loss to former WBA lightweight champ Jose Alfaro and "La Cobrita" could definitely make things difficult for Barrios or even cause an upset.

The undercard sees lightweight Israel Hector Enrique Perez, 22-2 (13), square off with Alberto Leopoldo Santillan, 15-2 (4), over ten rounds. More...

© Tom Casino / Showtime Boxing

The big fight this weekend sees Nate Campbell stepping up to light welter tonight for a crack at Timothy Bradley's WBO belt at Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA.

At 37 years of age, Campbell, 33-5-1 (25), has had a long and winding career with many ups and many downs. He comes into this bout after having won the two biggest fights of his career, a thrilling split decision over Juan Diaz for the IBF, WBO and WBA lightweight belts in March, 2008 and a hard fought majority decision against big punching Ali Funeka in February for what was to have been a lightweight title fight except Campbell couldn't make weight.

Having outgrown the 135 pound division, Campbell will try his hand at light welter and challenge Bradley, 24-0 (11), who won the WBC title in May, 2008, defended it against Edner Cherry before taking Kendall Holt's WBO strap by decision in April. More...

Tonight at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT, it's a battle of the nearly men as Isaac Hlatshwayo and Delvin Rodriguez rematch for the vacant IBF welterweight title.

The two clashed last November in Hlatshwayo's homeland of South Africa in a draw and now things move to Connecticut resident Rodriguez's territory.

Both fighters have good records and have impressive achievements on their resume with Hlatshwayo having been in the bigger fights to date but of course that won't mean anything once the bell rings for this anticipated return bout.

Hlatshwayo, 28-1-1 (10), won the South African lightweight title in 2002 and made five successful defenses before winning the IBO belt in 2005 with a points verdict over future IBF champ Cassius Baloyi.

The biggest win of Hlatshwayo's career came one fight later when he won a split decision in America against future unified champion Nate Campbell in an IBO defense.

In 2006, Hlatshwayo stepped up to light welter but was canvassed three times enroute to losing on points to future world champ Kendall Holt for the NABO crown before going up another weight division to win the IBO welter trophy against Joseph Makaringe. More...

For every young fighter trying to make their ascension up the rankings ladder, there is a crafty and hard hitting veteran looking to make their name by knocking him down.

This is exactly the stage that is set for the lightweight bout tonight at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA, as the highly touted Mexican prospect Marvin Quintero, 16-1 (12), attempts to take a step up that rankings ladder against the heavy handed Tyrone Harris, 23-5 (12).

Many in the boxing community have been drawing comparisons between Quintero and future Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera.

While that may be a bit premature, his most recent victories over Wes Ferguson, 20-4-1 (6), and Nick Casal, 19-4 (15), have shown that Quintero is maturing as a fighter and utilizing both his power and boxing abilities in the same manner that his fellow countryman did in the early stages of his career.

Quintero is riding high off of twelve straight victories since his lone defeat; however his opponent will be far and away the toughest test to date.

Although Harris was stopped in his last bout, his resume reads like a who’s who of some of division's top fighters. With bouts against names like Urbano Antillon, 26-1 (19), Damian Fuller, 30-6 (14), Koba Gogoladze, 20-3 (8), and former world titlist Stevie Johnston, 42-6 (18), Harris is far and away the more experienced fighter. More...

The Interim WBA light welter strap is up for grabs tonight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as native son Victor Ortiz is in the spotlight against Marcos Renee Maidana.

Both guys can bang and aren't used to losing so the contest should be a superb fight for as long as it lasts.

Southpaw Ortiz, 24-1-1 (19), has rubbed out eight opponents in a row including former world champ Carlos Maussa and highly regarded contender Mike Arnaoutis, proving his power and abilities at a very high level.

Committed body puncher Maidana, 25-1 (24), pounded his way out of Argentina to land in Germany where he has been based for the last two years.

Maidana took a big leap in competition to contend for the WBA title in February but Ukrainian stylist Andriy Kotelnik turned him back. The 25 year old from Santa Fe now gets to once again go for the WBA bauble tonight. More...

Saturday night's alright for fightin' this evening south of the border as there are two WBA title clashes taking place.

WBA super feather champ Jorge Linares is in action at the Plaza de Toros in Nuevo Laredo, meeting the challenge of unheralded opponent Josafat Perez.

Linares, 26-0 (17), a former WBC featherweight titlist from Venezuela, will be making the first defense of the crown he won last November with a stoppage of Whyber Garcia in the fifth.

The lanky 23 year old will be making just his second appearance in Mexico, having fought most of his contests in his adopted homeland of Japan. More...