New Yorker Collazo also weighed in on the button for a fight which he believes will put his name up in lights with victory over Hatton.

Collazo said: 'This is a fight which is going to put me on top of the boxing world and while Ricky might say he is going to become a world champion in two divisions, it is not going to happen at my expense.'

STORY WAS A "RING TALK" EXCLUSIVE!

New York, NY-After a two-year investigation into allegations of fight fixing and other crimes inside Top Rank, one of boxing's leading promotional companies, federal prosecutors have convened a grand jury in Las Vegas and are looking to return indictments in the case, according to a defense lawyer and a witness who has testified.

The lawyer, Bill Zuhde of Oklahoma City, said in a telephone interview yesterday that he accompanied Buck Smith, a former welterweight from Oklahoma City; and Verdell Smith, a journeyman from Bartlesville, Okla.; to give testimony before the grand jury in Las Vegas on May 2.

Both boxers, Zuhde said, exercised their Fifth Amendment rights to avoid self-incrimination. In a telephone interview yesterday, Buck Smith, who retired after a 16-year career and became a promoter, confirmed that he had testified before the grand jury and planned to testify again this month. Smith, 40, denied any wrongdoing and declined to comment on the specifics of the case. Verdell Smith, 42, could not be reached yesterday.

Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the United States attorney's office in Las Vegas, said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she could not comment on whether a grand jury had been convened for the case.

Bob Arum, the president of Top Rank, has denied any wrongdoing. Richard Wright, a lawyer for Arum, did not return a call yesterday.

GEOFFREY GRAY
NY Times

Pedro Fernandez www.ringtalk.com

FAMILY GIVES CONFIRMATION!

New York, NY-The first man to ever win, lose, and then regain the World heavyweight championship, Floyd Patterson, has died at 71. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Prostate Cancer, and other maladies associated with the residual effects of professional boxing. A 1952 Olympian, Patterson became champion when Rocky Marciano vacated in 1956 with a KO 5 over Archie Moore.

CUS D’AMATO KEPT FLOYD AWAY FROM SONNY!

With his opposition “hand picked” by manager Cus D’Amato, Floyd’s legacy has him defending against Tommy Jackson, a debuting Olympic champ in Pete Rademecher, Roy “Cut & Shoot” Harris and Brian London, before losing by KO to Ingemar Johansson by TKO 3 in June 1960. Regaining the title with a pulverizing KO 5 of Ingemar in 1961, Floyd defended the belt against Tom McNeely, the father of the 1995 Mike Tyson opponent Peter Mc Neely.

FINALLY FOUGHT THE “UNCROWNED” CHAMPION!

Having been dogged by the media for his years of ducking Sonny Liston, D’Amato was finally forced to fight Liston in 1962. Floyd didn’t fare well either time as the rematch lasted four seconds longer than the initial encounter. It ended in 2:09. Going into hiding, Patterson wore a beard, glasses and a hat. His career resumed, and fought 22 times after Liston-Patterson II, going 17-4-1. Included in this post title run were Muhammad Ali, Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo, and Oscar Bonavena. His last good fight was A Draw with once beaten Jerry Quarry in 1967.

FLOYD, PEDRO, & JOHN RUSSELL IN KANSAS CITY!

My last sit down with Floyd came in 1995, as we were at a weigh in for the Tommy Morrison-Razor Ruddock undercard. We were sitting at a table with Buster Douglas’s co-trainer, John Russell. In closing, Floyd Patterson was as gracious a man as you’ll ever meet. Nobody will call him the greatest champion of all time, but when it came to being a champion at being humble, human, and honest, Floyd was numero uno!

Mayorga Tests Positive For Diuretic

From AP Reports

LAS VEGAS -- Former WBC super welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga tested positive for a banned substance after losing his title Saturday to Oscar De La Hoya, officials said.

Mayorga could be fined by the Nevada Athletic Commission after traces of the diuretic Furosemide, also known as Lasix, were found in his system, commission lawyer Keith Kizer said Thursday.

Kizer said boxing regulators notified Mayorga of the violation Wednesday. The Nicaraguan boxer has 20 days to respond before the commission decides whether to hold a hearing on the matter.

Mayorga's Miami-based lawyer, Tony Gonzalez, did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.

Another Nicaraguan boxer, Rosendo Alvarez, tested positive for the same substance last month. The Nevada Athletic Commisison suspended Alvarez's license until the end of the year and he was fined $2,000.

"We're thinking there must be a trainer or physician in Nicaragua that is recommending this for boxers," said Alan Hopper, a spokesman for Don King Promotions, which represents Mayorga.

Diuretics are taken to lose weight quickly or to mask steriod use, Kizer said. Mayorga weighed in for the Saturday fight at 153½ pounds, or 4½ pounds lighter than his fighting weight in October 2002 against Felix Trinidad.

Mark Taffet, senior vice president of HBO Sports, said Wednesday that De La Hoya's technical knockout victory at the MGM Grand Arena sold 875,000 subscriptions and generated $43.8 million in pay-per-view revenue.

Mayorga earned a guarantee of $2 million and a share of each pay-per-view sale above 600,000.

Hamed sentenced for crash in 2005

HE was known simply in these parts as 'Marvelous' - and Marvin Hagler believes Ricky Hatton can be just as awesome as he sets about cracking America.

Hagler is delighted to welcome Hatton to his old Boston stomping ground where the former undisputed world middleweight champ was in the last big title fight in the city's famous Garden back in 1981.

Hagler, 51, was raised in nearby Brockton - home of heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano - and he can only see Hatton triumphing over WBA welterweight champion Luis Collazo on Saturday.

He has followed Hatton's career closely as he splits his time between Milan and the United States, dabbling in acting and counting his millions, and he is even backing the Hitman to go on and beat 'Pretty Boy' himself, Floyd Mayweather.

"I saw Ricky beat Kostya Tszyu to win the IBF light-welterweight title last year and for me the kid's got everything," said Hagler.

"I don't know that much about Collazo, but I know enough about Hatton to know he's going to win and keep winning - and I include Floyd Mayweather in that.

"He's got the lot and he's a hungry fighter. He's also got that streak of nastiness in the ring and bags of talent and that makes a winning combination. I don't think there's any limit to what he can achieve."

Although the Garden, now known as the TD Banknorth Garden, has hosted greats like Joe Louis, local hero Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson, it has been overlooked for big fights in recent years.

Hagler's win over Vito Antuofermo 25 years ago was the Garden's last major world title fight and the American, champion from 1980 until he controversially lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987, is pleased Hatton, 27, is putting Boston back on the map.

"I couldn't think of a better person than Ricky to bring big-time boxing back. It's been a long time coming," he said.

"You have to go back to my clash with Antuofermo to find anything that compares. That finally confirmed me as the world's best middleweight after I had beaten Alan Minter to take the title."

Legendary trainer Manny Steward agrees Hatton can crack America - in the same way his former champs Lennox Lewis and Naseem Hamed did.

And the explosive Mancunian reminds him of his old pupil Tommy Hearns - the original Hitman.

Steward said: "It won't take too many fights for America to adopt him - he's an everyday, blue collar, working-type guy."

Oleg Maskaev used to work on the family farm and in coal mines in Kazakhstan. Now, at 37, he is set to challenge for a world heavyweight boxing title. "This point, I was coming to all my life," Maskaev said in New York on Wednesday, talking about his August 12 bout against WBC champion Hasim Rahman. "It's the biggest fight in my life." Maskaev, who has a record of 32-5, with 25 stoppages, has won his last ten fights, eight by knockout. He is coming off a 12-round decision over Sinan Samil Sam of Turkey. "I know he (Rahman) wants to get even with me because of the last fight. That's why I'm going to work very hard to be ready for this fight; to be in my top shape." Maskaev plans to train at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, in the Pocono mountains and on the West Coast before the bout, which is touted as "America's Last Line of Defence." Rahman wants to avenge the most devastating loss of his career, earn the WBC crown in the ring and remain the only American heavyweight title holder among the four divisions. "He beat me, knocked me out of the ring," said Rahman. "He did something to me that I really didn't count on. I haven't been able to sleep right. I'm going to get him and I'm going to beat him bad." In their first meeting in 1999, Maskaev rallied with an overhead right to the head that sent Rahman headfirst through the ropes, hitting the ringside commentators' table and eventually the floor in a dramatic eighth-round knockout. Maskaev is not overconfident, despite that knockout. "It's kind of a little bit of pressure, no?" Maskaev said. "It looks like he wants to get even with me. It's going to be a war, it's going to be a tough fight." Rahman, 41-5 with two draws and 33 knockouts, gets another chance to earn the WBC title in the ring. He was handed the WBC belt last year when Vitali Klitschko retired. But the 33-year-old Rahman has not won a title fight since his one-punch knockout of Lennox Lewis in 2001. At Wednesday's news conference, WBC official Joe Dwyer belatedly presented Rahman with the heavyweight belt for knocking out Lewis. When he fights Maskaev, Rahman said, he will listen to his trainer's advice. In his mostv recent fight he tried to mix it with James Toney, defying his corner's directions to keep his distance and use his jab. It cost him points win. "I know he can knock me out," Rahman said of Maskaev. "I don't think he knows I can knock him out. I'm going to train harder than he will. This is the end of the line. He's going to be on the wrong end of the knockout on August 12." Rahman said he wants to fight Wladimir Klitschko if he gets past Maskaev.

Rahman aims to avenge Maskaev's KO

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hasim Rahman wants to avenge the most devastating loss of his career, earn the WBC crown in the ring and remain the only American heavyweight title holder among the four divisions.

Rahman, the WBC champion, is scheduled to fight mandatory challenger Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan on Aug. 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The bout will be shown live on HBO pay-per-view.

"(He) beat me, knocked me out of the ring," said Rahman, who appeared Wednesday with Maskaev at the Copacabana in Manhattan. "He did something to me that I really didn't count on. I haven't been able to sleep right. I'm going to get him and I'm going to beat him bad."

In their first meeting in 1999, Maskaev rallied with an overhead right to the head that sent Rahman headfirst through the ropes, hitting the ringside commentators' table and eventually the floor in a dramatic eighth-round knockout.

Maskaev is not overconfident, despite the knockout that sent Rahman sprawling out of the ring.

"It's kind of a little bit of pressure, no?" Maskaev said. "It looks like he wants to get even with me. It's going to be a war, it's going to be a tough fight."

Rahman, 41-5-2 with 33 knockouts, gets another chance to earn the WBC title in the ring, coming off a 12-round draw with James Toney on March 18.

Rahman was handed the WBC belt last year when Vitali Klitschko retired. But the 33-year-old Rahman hasn't won a title fight since his one-punch knockout of Lennox Lewis in 2001. At Wednesday's news conference, WBC official Joe Dwyer belatedly presented Rahman with the heavyweight belt for knocking out Lewis.

Against Maskaev, Rahman said he'll listen to his trainer's advice. Rahman tried to mix it up with Toney, defying his corner's directions to keep his distance and use his jab. It cost him a decision.

"I know he can knock me out," Rahman said of Maskaev. "I don't think he knows I can knock him out. I'm going to train harder than him. This is the end of the line. He's going to be on the wrong end of the knockout on Aug. 12."

The 37-year-old Maskaev (32-5, 25 KOs) has won his last 10 fights, eight by knockouts. He's coming off a 12-round decision over Sinan Samil Sam of Turkey on Nov. 12 in Hamburg, Germany.

Maskaev worked on the family farm and in coal mines in Kazakhstan before coming to America in 1995.

"It's the biggest fight in my life," Maskaev said. "This point, I was coming to all my life. I know he wants to get even with me because of the last fight. That's why I'm going to work very hard to make sure to be ready for this fight, to be in my top shape."

Maskaev plans to train at Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, in the Pocono mountains and on the West Coast before the bout, which is touted as "America's Last Line of Defense."

Rahman is the only American standing with a heavyweight title after Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko stopped Chris Byrd in April for the IBF heavyweight title, becoming the third fighter from the former Soviet Union to win a heavyweight title in four months. Russian Nikolai Valuev took John Ruiz's WBA belt and Sergei Liakhovich of Belarus won Lamon Brewster's WBO crown.

Rahman said he wants to face Klitschko rather than Toney if he gets past Maskaev.

"I thought it was crazy," Zab said. "I don't think it was fair. A lot of BS was involved. I thought I'd get $100,000 fine and maybe a four-month suspension. I was very surprised at how harsh they were. They gave me the maximum out of everyone and Roger [Mayweather] started the whole thing." - Zab Judah

I have never been a Zab Judah fan, and I admit I have taken pleasure seeing him do the "Judah Polka" a time or two.  But the penalty imposed upon him by the Nevada State Athletic Commission is downright insane.  $250,000 and license revocation for 1 year!  Too harsh!  As Zab stated, Roger Mayweather started the whole thing, the Judahs were just retaliating.  I don't know, maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think so.  Speaking of the $250,000, that was Zab's entire cut of his $1,000,000 purse for fighting Floyd Mayweather!  Sounds a little funny doesn't it?  It looks like he was DK'ed too!  I've got to feel a little sorry for poor little Zabby.  In both fights where he's "made" 7 figures, he's been involved in controversy and purse reduction.  He lost $100,000 for choking Jay Nady after he was knocked out by Kostya Tszyu.  Now he loses $250,000, and his ability to make a living for 1 year, for a "melee" he didn't even start!  Under Federal Law, because Zab is on suspension in one state, all other states belonging to the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) must uphold his suspension.  His only option is to fight overseas, and I don't think that's going to happen.  Zab needs a good attorney, but I'm sure that's not going to be an option either because it doesn't appear he has the money to pay for one!  Unfrigginbelievable!  Only in boxing!  I think this is another example of a state boxing commission that's gone out of their damn mind!