By Francisco Salazar
As previously reported on krikya360.com, and confirmed by Golden Boy Promotions Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, Bernard Hopkins will challenge Tavoris Cloud on March 9th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The bout has been agreed to, pending approval from the IBF. Cloud is the IBF light heavyweight champion.
Hopkins lost a 12 round unanimous decision to Chad Dawson on April 28th. The bout was a rematch of their infamous October 2011 bout that ended in a no-contest. In his last bout, Cloud won a disputed 12 round split decision over Gabriel Campillo on February 18th.
Showtime will televise the Golden Boy Promotions card.
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Looks like Paul Malignaggi will return to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 27th. No opponent has been names, but it has been widely rumored that former world champion in three weight classes, Shane Mosley, will be the one who lands the fight. There are some financials issues that are being worked out. Malignaggi, who has received rave reviews for his color commentary on Showtime broadcasts, survived a 11th round knockdown to win a 12 very close round split decision over Pablo Cesar Cano on October 20th.
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krikya360.com was told on December 8th by a source that former welterweight world title holder Victor Ortiz would return to the ring in April or May. At Saturday’s Khan-Molina post-fight press conference, Richard Schaefer confirmed Golden Boy’s plans to bring the Ventura, CA resident back to the ring during that time period.
Ortiz, who has already been running and conditioning at the local beaches in Ventura, has been out of action since fracturing his jaw in two places on June 23rd at the hands of Josesito Lopez. Ortiz did not come out after the ninth round, giving Lopez the victory.
The loss to Lopez cost Ortiz a September 15th bout with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who stopped Lopez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, CA.
No word yet on who Ortiz would face when he comes back to the ring, but a source informed Boxingscene that a rumor going around that Malignaggi would face Ortiz was false.
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Manager Rolando Arellano told krikya360.com that super featherweight contender Vicente Escobedo will return to the ring in late February or March.
In his last bout on July 21st, Escobedo (26-4, 15 KOs) was stopped in the fifth round by then-WBO titleholder Adrien Broner. Escobedo was the only person eligible to win the title when Broner failed to make the weight limit.
No word yet on a location or possible network Escobedo would fight on.