(This article was originally published in Boxing Digest in April 2003.)

Sullivan…Johnson…Dempsey…Louis…Marciano…Ali…Holmes…Tyson…Lewis. This is the linear line of boxing’s nine dominant heavyweight champions. The question now is who will be the next and tenth man to join this exclusive brotherhood? There are indications that suggest it could very well be Wladimir Klitschko.

“He’s the one,” says top trainer Tommy Brooks. “Everyone better look out for that guy.”

“My brother is the future of boxing,” smiles older brother Vitali Klitschko, himself the mandatory contender for Lewis’ WBC title.

“There’s a rapidly growing bandwagon of those who believe that Wladimir Klitschko is the future of the heavyweight division,” said HBO’s Jim Lampley. “Count me as a front-row participant on that bandwagon.”

Wladimir ‘Dr. Steelhammer’ Klitschko first made his name known worldwide in 1996 when he won Olympic gold for Ukraine in Atlanta – as a super heavyweight. His career was progressing along in the proper direction with 23 straight wins as a pro. But then all of a sudden, there was a crash. An unexpected TKO loss in his home country Ukraine to American journeyman Ross Purrity in December of 1998. This defeat did major damage to his momentum and reputation. He was only 22.

Klitschko’s explanation of the loss was, “I lost to myself. I was too young for that fight. I didn’t have much experience.” Klitschko admitted he wasted too much energy working on the promotion in Kiev the week of the fight. Little known is that Klitschko was well in control of Purrity until he simply ran out of gas in round 10, as a result of throwing too many power punches. His corner stopped the fight. Klitschko had not yet learned the ability of pacing himself for the full distance. It was just a rookie mistake, they told us.

However, that shock loss to Purrity was widely interpreted as doomsday. ‘Oh well, he must’ve been overrated. He must be a fraud. Just another over-hyped prospect put in his place.’ The experts wrote him off. An embarrassed Klitschko vowed to learn from the defeat. And he did just that, with four straight stoppage wins. But the boxing world was still very skeptical.

I have to admit, I was doubtful as well. I mean, anyone who loses to Ross Purrity…do they have the burning ambition that it takes to become heavyweight champion? Do they have that extraordinary, almost supernatural willpower?

We would learn Klitschko was not your typical prospect. He has that special capacity to return – even mightier – after disaster strikes. And, interestingly, he has the natural ability to leave an indelible impression on those he encounters.

The boxing media was in Las Vegas in November of 1999 for the Lewis-Holyfield rematch. The night before that battle, Klitschko was facing former WBC heavyweight title challenger Phil Jackson at the Orleans Hotel on espn2. Dr. Steelhammer easily scored the second-round win, his sixth straight. Afterwards, I was talking with former WBC Super Featherweight champion Cornelius Boza Edwards. Boza was telling me about how, a couple of days earlier, Klitschko approached him to ask some technique questions, about how to properly turn over the fist on left hook power punches. “Then later in the week I was talking with (Vegas-based trainer) Kenny Adams,” Boza revealed. “And he told me Klitschko was asking him the very same questions!”

Boza Edwards expressed great pleasure in telling this story of Klitschko, about how he is a determined and serious student of the sport. It was pretty clear now that Klitschko was not just a manufactured prospect, using boxing like a businessman with the intent to make a lot of money. Like so many of the others. This is a man who obviously yearns to be the best.

The next time I saw Klitschko in person, was just a few months later. It was at the final press conference – four days before the Lennox Lewis-Michael Grant heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in April of 2000. Klitschko was on the undercard of the card which was being billed as “Two Big.” When it was Klitschko’s turn to step up to the podium and speak a few words, he had a presence that commanded your attention. Klitschko spoke with an easy smile. “I think the title of the promotion is mistaken,” Klitschko announced, as he turned around and pointed to the huge poster. “It should read ‘Four Big!.’” Everyone laughed or smiled. Preliminary fighters rarely shine like that on the big stage. They are not supposed to. It is not their place, not their domain. Not yet anyway. But Klitschko got everyone’s attention that day. Surely, the very alert and intuitive champion Lennox Lewis was listening as he was seated right next to the podium. Three days later, Klitschko stopped David Bostice in two rounds, for another impressive win.

But, still, the perception about Klitschko was generally more negative than positive. Okay, he looks good. He has size advantages. He has power. He has charisma. But he lost against Ross Purrity! Further complicating his reputation was the fact that his most important win since that loss was not witnessed by American audiences, as it was unfortunately not shown on TV. In that fight, Klitschko dominated Chris Byrd over 12 rounds in October 2000. The win was significant for two reasons – Klitschko proved he could easily box the 12-round championship distance, and he won the WBO title from Byrd. (Byrd had taken it from brother Vitali under dubious circumstances – Vitali tore a rotator cuff and had to retire on his stool, though winning the fight comfortably). Byrd has since proven his formidability. He is the current IBF champion, after outpointing Evander Holyfield.

Four more astoundingly easy TKO wins followed – against Derrick Jefferson, Frans Botha, Charles Shufford and Ray Mercer. By now Klitschko had proven himself as the leading challenger for Lennox Lewis. And many highly-respected boxing people were paying Klitschko some heavy compliments.

“I trained with almost all the big boys in boxing,” said sparring partner Corey ‘T-Rex’ Sanders. “But Wladimir’s punch is far beyond. He beats like a horse, he could run a marathon and he moves like a ballerina.”

“I think that Lennox is ready to go up against anyone right now, ” said Tommy Brooks, who previously worked with the two brothers before the Mercer fight. “He can beat Lennox. He’ll clean his clock.”

“This guy’s got the skills,” George Foreman said. “This guy will be heavyweight champion of the world. He’s just waiting and biding his time.”

Klitschko’s fight against WBO mandatory Jameel McCline was the one that really impressed. Klitschko completely tamed the giant 260-pound powerhouse – as McCline’s corner stopped the mismatch after the 10th round. McCline hardly landed a glove on Klitschko. Many in the media blamed McCline for lack of effort, and this criticism almost overshadowed just how magnificent Klitschko’s dominating performance was. Maybe, a more accurate summation of the fight was that McCline suffered a broken spirit when he realized very early that he was thoroughly outclassed. And he simply ran out of ideas on just what to do to penetrate through Klitschko’s elusive defenses.

Many boxing writers have a tendency to prefer the negative angle in a disappointing match – and they condemn the loser rather than credit the victor. For examples, when Spinks froze against Tyson and Tua was completely mastered by Lewis, what are the lasting impressions of those fights? That ‘Spinks was scared to death’ and that ‘Tua didn’t come to fight.’ This is grossly unfair. Let’s give some major credit where it is due. Iron Mike was able to intimidate a great, unbeaten champion like Spinks. He didn’t do it with smoke and mirrors and words. He did it with his mental and physical superiority. And Lewis didn’t completely outbox and outskill Tua with a weak jab and cumbersome footwork did he? No. He achieved victory over a dangerous threat with an intelligent exhibition of boxing mastery.

Maybe instead of ridiculing the losers, the critics should celebrate the winners more. And instead of bombarding McCline for being a class beneath Klitschko, how about focusing more on the excellence of Klitschko’s style and technique? Like McCline said about Klitschko, “He’s awesome.”

Former champ and noted boxing historian Mike Tyson witnessed Klitschko vs. McCline from ringside. “I’m even more impressed than I was before the fight,” said Tyson.”I would like to fight against him. In any case, I’m convinced Wladimir is a future champion.”

Max Schmeling watched the fight on television back in Germany and wrote his kindred friend a congratulatory note, saying, “You defended your title with a high amount of aesthetic. It was a convincing and impressive performance. You paved your way to America.”

George Foreman: “What we saw tonight was scary. What we saw tonight is scary. It’s scary. It’s scary for other opponents to fight Wladimir Klitschko.”

Larry Merchant: “He is for real. When top American trainers like Tommy Brooks, Emanuel Steward and Ronnie Shields all agree that he is the future of the heavyweight division, attention must be paid. Not all the questions have been answered…can he take a punch? Can he deal with serious adversity? But sometimes a phenomenon is so good, that no one can ask those questions inside the ring.”

“I hope the show was good,” Klitschko said after beating McCline. “I hope they had fun watching the fight. The fight was maybe a little boring at times, I’ve heard, and I apologize for that. But this is the heavyweight division where one punch can change a fight. Jameel McCline is a very strong fighter. I had to be careful. I don’t want to prove my head (is strong) because I want to use my head for the future.”

Klitschko is a gentleman. In the sport where trash-talking and self-glorification are the norm, Klitschko’s humble politeness is a welcome addition. His pleasant manner is more reminiscent of a champion golfer or tennis player. At the pre-fight press conferences, Klitschko displays no trace of malice or hate for his rivals. He often smiles and shares a friendly word with them. On fight night, he walks to the ring completely relaxed, stoic. Seemingly absolutely unaffected by any feelings of apprehension, fright or pressure. His expression conveys a supreme confidence, like he just knows for certain that victory will be his.

And after the fight, he is all class. He always makes a point to praise his opponent in some way. And Klitschko’s words are spoken with sincerity. In his disposition you can detect not even a hint of arrogance…well, except for his ring entrance musical choice of Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best.’ All in all, Klitschko represents himself as a great ambassador for the sport, like the embodiment of the quintessential sportsman.

“I don’t like to hear how good I am or how smart I am,” says Klitschko, who earned his doctorate in sport science at the Univsersity of Kiev. “My parents raised me to be more easy-going, to have respect for people. To say ‘Thank you’ and ‘please.’ They didn’t raise me to say, ‘I’m the greatest.’ Maybe it’s hard (for people to accept me) because America likes showman. But that’s not me. They said Michael Grant was the future. Now he’s downstairs. There were a lot of guys they said that about. I don’t want to hear this. It’s better to achieve it first.”

If you consider how easily Klitschko defeated the highly-touted McCline, who else is out there to threaten Klitschko, aside from the now 37-year old Lewis? It seems reasonable to believe that Klitschko may dominate boxing for many years – or at least for as long as he’s interested in the game. He may possibly even achieve a reign of greatness comparable to Larry Holmes, which lasted nearly eight years.

But one man has been rather unimpressed by this rising force of a newcomer. Lennox Lewis was confronted about the idea of fighting Klitschko. This was a few days after Wladimir first challenged him publicly – following the Mercer win. Klitschko suggested – in a jesting yet serious tone – that he and Lennox could play a chess match first. With – as the special referee – his friend, the chess world champion Gary Kasparov. Then a few days later, the two would fight for the world heavyweight title. This would be a first for boxing, said Klitschko, revealing an Ali-like promotional acumen. Lewis was not amused by the sporty offer though. He responded that it would be a… “Waste of time. Wladimir Klitschko, he’s not tough enough. It would be a waste of my time to fight him. I would knock him out.”

But you have to wonder. Could Lennox really have such low regard for Klitschko as a boxer? These two combatants spent time together while filming the movie ‘Ocean’s 11′ a few years ago. You have to wonder. Did their egos collide? Did the competitive natures of the the two boxers reveal themselves when they were together? Did they challenge each other on some kind of mental or intellectual level? Did one maybe even assert and establish his superiority over the other?

Its been said that the alpha male of a wolf pack always is the first to recognize who his successor will be. And rather than putting up a vicious fight to ward off his rival, the vanquished alpha wolf just surrenders and quietly leaves the pack.

Think about it. If it would be so easy for Lewis to beat Klitschko, why not just do it? Perhaps Lewis would rather keep to himself, at this time, what his true opinion of Wladimir Klitschko really is.

(Postscript: The very month this article was published in March 2003, Klitschko was defeated by substitute challenger Corrie Sanders via 2nd round TKO. It was a shocking and violent defeat. One year later, after two comeback victories, Klitschko lost again to Lamon Brewster via 5th round TKO. It was a bizarre fight as Klitschko was dominating Brewster but suddenly and inexplicably became exhausted in round 5. Those two losses appeared to destroy the career of Klitschko in the eyes of many boxing experts but the mind, spirit and determination of a true champion are not easy to measure or analyze. Klitschko has defeated DaVarryl Williamson, Tony Thompson, David Haye, Samuel Peter and IBF champ Chris Byrd all in very impressive manner and appears on his way to becoming one of the great champions in boxing history. Klitschko just scored his 50th KO againt Jean Marc Mormeck on Saturday in Germany.)

Read more: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/classic-scoop-2003-is-wladimir-klitschko-the-next-one/#ixzz1oM8ZUhGs

Well, newly-appointed HBO Sports chief Ken Hershmann sounds like a man who doesn’t fully subscribe to that age old maxim.

“(The heavyweight division) has just languished for so long,” Hershmann told journalist Keith Idec of The Record. “It’s really no fault of the Klitschkos that, number one, they’ve been just so dominant in the ring, and number two, have a great business model where they are in Germany. I don’t criticize them at all for the way they have conducted their careers and their business. It makes total sense. Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped the U.S. heavyweight market and we haven’t seen those young Americans coming through the ranks that we feel we can invest in and that could be the future.”

Well, Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson, Las Vegas based Sam Peter, Chris Arreola, Kevin Johnson came along and tried their best but got annihilated.

“It’s a dilemma,” continued Hershmann. “And I don’t ignore or pretend that the heavyweight division isn’t hugely important to boxing. It is. Hopefully, we’ll get in the next year or two some prospects that we think we can really count on to really energize the U.S. component of the market. But right now, I don’t see it in the immediate future.”

It’s an interesting position for Hershmann to take. Right now, the brightest American hope is Seth Mitchell who is advised by Al Haymon and promoted by Golden Boy. You can bet your bottom dollar that all of Mitchell’s upcoming fights will be televised by HBO as they groom him for a future title shot. It’s already been reported that Mitchell will be on the Hopkins-Dawson II undercard in April. So for HBO to build up the unproven Mitchell while ignoring the dominance of the Klitschkos is a bit of an irony.

For HBO to ignore the Klitschkos, in this global day and age, is a somewhat illogical position. The heavyweight title is the richest, most prestigious prize in all of sports. It can’t and should not be minimized, ignored or shunned just because the two dominant champions are non-Americans. Look at who the biggest boxing star in America is right now – it’s a Filippino named Manny Pacquiao.

If America willingly consumes Pacquiao (they do, massively), then America will also consume non-American heavyweights, if the American TV network HBO markets and promotes the Klitschkos as energetically and devotedly as they do Pacquiao.

When you consider the Pacquiao business model, it doesn’t make sense that HBO and Showtime opt to ignore the Klitschkos. Look at the sport of tennis. The four major stars in mens’ tennis are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – all non-Americans. Yet tennis TV ratings and attendance at the major tournaments in American continue to break record numbers every year despite the lack of a major American presence in the tournaments. The reason why? Simple. Tennis and the TV networks do not ignore or shun Nadal, Djokovic, Federer or Murray, they embrace and celebrate their special talents. And the American public appreciates and consumes the excellence of their tennis playing.

Who is the biggest star in track and field? A Jamaican sprinter named Usain Bolt who is a colossal attraction whenever and wherever he competes. The best is the best and the public will always want to see the best, if it’s properly promoted and not shunned and ignored.

The American public would embrace and consume the Klitschkos too, if HBO opted to market and promote them positively, as they do Pacquiao, and as the sport of tennis does for it’s star players.

How HBO could be willing to invest in Seth Mitchell vs. TBA, while turning it’s back on the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal of boxing – The mighty Klitschko brothers – is a typical error of judgement by the current American powers which has contributed to the undermining and lowering of the sport in the collective American sports fan conscience.

Note: Newly formed TV network EPIX will televise the forthcoming Vitali Klitschko-Dereck Chisora and Wladimir Klitschko-Jean Marc Mormeck world title fights.

(Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko oil painting by John Murawski)

I’m gonna take a chance and write what I believe today at 9 a.m. on this January 6 Wednesday morning.

Don’t get your hopes up. This is all just another futile charade by the fraud. March 13 isn’t gonna happen, George Peterson and Bernard Hopkins already told us.

The fraud has his out – the random blood test the week of the fight. The fraud saw that video before the Morales loss and knows Pacquiao won’t budge on it. And Pacquiao shouldn’t.
The fraud doesn’t want this fight and he never did. It’s too risky. He didn’t even want it before what happened to Cotto on November 14. And Bob Arum was right, this fraud is indeed a “psychological coward.”

The fraud is also a known liar. Boxing would die without him. God doesn’t want him to lose. He made $12 million for Baldomir. He’ll fight Margarito any time any where, just as long as Bob Arum shows him the money. The Philippines has the best performance enhancing drugs. Pacquiao doesn’t want to fight me because he knows he can’t beat me. Cotto knows he can’t beat me, and he’s a punching bag. Bob Arum doesn’t want to do business with me. I’ll fight Mosley for $25 million guaranteed. They better be prepared to pay me $100 million if they want me to come our of retirement. $200 million liquid. $20 million for one night of work from WWE.

The fraud is a coward who lies and deceives and also manipulates his protectors to lie and deceive on his behalf. They survive because no one can accept the plain truth – this fraud is a coward who only handpicks safe, easy opponents and will never ever fight a beast who can brutally knock him out.

Bob Arum, HBO, most fans, most media refuse to believe this. They can’t believe it. They all still believe the fraud will eventually come to his senses because the money is too much. They don’t realize this is a megalomaniac fraud who is playing them all for suckers. But underneath the delusions of grandeur is a coward child who absolutely knows who can knock him out and crash the house of cards he’s carefully constructed.

This fraud knows Margarito, Cotto, Mosley and Pacquiao all will beat the shit out of him and he will use any excuse and reason to avoid being physically humiliated and exposed. He will lie and deceive, he will even bring down the sport if he has to. He will also use assassination of character tactics via baseless accusation and insinuations of steroid use to maintain his fraud.

This fraud will discredit any man, any legend that stands in his way, including Sugar Ray Leonard. He will call his family HBO racist when they speak the truth. This fraud would have used the same dirty filthy tactics to duck Duran, Leonard, Hearns, Robinson, Ali, all of whom would have been smeared by himself and his protectors as cheaters or steroids users. Just so this coward could go on his merry ducking way, polluting the sport with his garbage act.

I believe George Peterson, a colleague of Al Haymon by way of managing Paul Williams, knew of the secret plan by this fraud to duck Pacquiao as far back as December 2, well before the steroid excuse was first used. A disgusted George Peterson actually told me, point blank, this fight “is not gonna happen. Some fights aren’t meant to be made.” I believe George Peterson is disgusted at this ccowardly fraud who is a shame on our great sport, and wanted the truth to be known.

This fraud will never put himself in a position to be brutally knocked out, where the images of that brutal knockout will be shown repeatedly all over the world till the end of time, on TV replays, You Tube and photography. The fraud knows he’ll be slaughtered by Pacquiao and will not let his happen, by any means necessary.

The sport is going to lose it’s Super Bowl, all on account of this cowardly fraud. We’re talking millions upon millions, maybe billions. Just imagine how far boxing would have sunk in the 1980’s if Sugar Ray Leonard was a cowardly fraud and ducked Benitez, Duran, Hearns and Hagler. Just imagine how many millions in revenues, goodwill, positive buzz and hype would have gone down the drain if Leonard were a cowardly fraud who only handpicked safe sparring sessions, pardon I mean fights, against low-risk opposition.

The great sport might have died. Or sunk to a level of irrelevance of such sports as roller derby or pro wrestling.

After the mediation falls through today, the sport will need to take immediate action against this cowardly fraud and any entity that attempts to sell this massive fraud to the public. The future well-being of this historic sport may depend on it.

(Artwork by Michael Canja)

The Mayweather ship is sinking fast. And there’s no hope really. It’s inevitable that Mayweather is going to hit the bottom and be humbled. “The humble shall be exalted and the exalted shall be humbled.”

Floyd’s in a no-win situation, really, outside of the money factor (and Floyd recently said it’s not about the money any more). Almost 34, his skills and confidence are fading fast, he is ignored or deplored by most of the sporting public, and he absolutely is going to get knocked out by Manny Pacquiao, the younger, faster, stronger, more beloved and humble man who is everything Floyd wishes he could be.

A friend of mine named Luther Chiles made a good point. “I was watching “24/7″ on HBO, as a boxing fan I must admit that the overwhelming popularity of Manny Pacquiao has to be great for boxing,” wrote Luther. “As much as I respect and admire my man Floyd Mayweather’s ability, he needs to steal a page or two from the positive feedback Manny gets from doing positive things consistently – those TV endorsements can carry you a long way and earn you some good money even when you can’t participate in combat anymore. Look at what George Foreman did when he came back with a new attitude and commitment. I don’t think George made anywhere near in ring earnings as much as he made in endorsements. It’s a no brainer!”

It was interesting to hear an honest Mayweather fan raise this issue. Luther’s comment made me remember hearing many boxer and tennis player say how important the positive support of the crowd was, that it was the reason they won a certain fight or match. So I replied to Luther:

“Interesting point Luther. Floyd should sign the Pacquiao deal, get knocked out like he knows it’s inevitable and just learn from it. Get touched by the greatness of Pac and learn from it. Like Foreman learned from getting knocked out by Ali. And ultimately became a better man from it. This is Floyd’s only hope, he needs to be humbled and humiliated. Experience rock bottom. His current ugly act will never endear him to the public.”

Luther responded. “Good comparison Scoop! That’s your journalistic creativity coming out, we will never agree on the outcome of this fight but after Ali vs Foreman, it was actually Philadelphia native Jimmy Young who sealed the deal for Foreman and sent him into retirement the first time around.”

Another excellent point from Luther. I re-watched Young vs. Foreman about a year ago for the first time since seeing it on ABC in 1977, and was enthralled seeing how the huge, vocal Puerto Rican stadium embraced Young in this fight, while totally rejecting Foreman who was acting like a bully jerk, fouling Young repeatedly. At first the crowd was neutral but after seeing Foreman act like a goon, they got behind Young booed and jeered Foreman relentlessly. And it actually seemed to break Foreman’s spirit as the fight proceeded. The entire Roberto Clemente Stadium helped the underdog Young who got off to a slow start and then energized and willed him to victory. It was an incredible fight to see the audience be such an important factor.

I strongly believe it was the rowdy Puerto Rican crowd support for Young and AGAINST George which was the key factor in this fight. In his heart, Foreman had to feel ashamed again (like in Zaire) for being so hated by the crowd and that was the last straw that broke him and his career. He left boxing and found religion and completely changed his life and later, public image.

Make no mistake about it: Crowd support can be so crucially important sometimes – and it can even make the difference between victory or defeat.

Mayweather knows when he faces Pacquiao he will get treated worse than what Foreman got in Zaire and Puerto Rico. He just can’t win. I remember Floyd even said last year, “It’s a no-win situation.” The only hope is to just accept his fate and let it happen. The public is never wrong. Floyd certainly deserves all the scorn he gets.

The only hope for Floyd is to accept it and learn from it and try to better himself and become a better man. After Floyd takes his beating from Pacquiao, the people will forgive him, just like they forgave Foreman and later embraced him. Humanity always forgives.

But Floyd Mayweather has to admit to himself, the way he has behaved for the last decade – the false drug accusations against Pacquiao, the materialism, the whoring himself for money, gambling, the bad examples he’s shown in public, the immaturity – this must be changed.

George Foreman learned a lot from Muhammad Ali and how to become a great person.

Likewise, Floyd Mayweather will learn a lot from Manny Pacquiao and how to finally become a great person instead of just a great boxer.

Scoop Malinowski is the author of “Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle.” He has also created www.tennis-prose.com

(Mayweather artwork by John Paul Raloto.)

 Everybody’s favorite judge and HBO’s unofficial scorekeeper Harold Lederman took time out to talk some sweet science. Read on to learn Harold’s thoughts on this weekend, why he believes Floyd will do the right thing and fight the winner, why he likes Paul Williams and Tavoris Cloud and much more…

BoxingInsider: We have the big one we all been waiting for this weekend, you have to be excited.

Harold Lederman: “Very much so, I think it’s going to be a sensational fight. Miguel Cotto is a very hard puncher, he’s the bigger guy. Durable, he keeps coming, he always makes exciting fights. He digs to the body. He’s certainly capable of giving Manny Pacquiao trouble.”

BoxingInsider: You’re picking Cotto to win?

Harold Lederman: “No I’m not picking anybody. I gotta keep score, I gotta be nuetral [laughs]. But Manny is really in his prime right now. Bigger guys don’t bother him, we saw what he did to Oscar, David Diaz, Ricky Hatton. He looks sensational. He throws a punch, he just doesn’t miss. Always right on the money. The question is can he stop a real full fledged 147 pound fighter like Miguel Cotto? We don’t know. On the other hand, can he stand up to Cotto’s power? It’s gonna be interesting. If Cotto looks great…if either one of them looks great, it’s gonna set up a heckuva fight with Floyd Mayweather. I’m really excited.”

BoxingInsider: Do you think it will happen? Floyd seems not to be too interested.

Harold Lederman: “I think Floyd is looking for the best money he can get. And I think the best money he can get is with the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto. I think it’s a bigger fight than Shane Mosley. I think more people will want to see it. The Mosley fight might be easier to make but I think Floyd will just look at the numbers and say, I’m gonna do the best fight – Cotto or Pacquiao. Personally I think Floyd is praying for Manny Paquiao to win because he loves to fight small guys [laughs]. But it remains to be seen. If the fight turns out to be a dull fight – which I don’t think is gonna happen – then Floyd will probably take Shane Mosley.”

BoxingInsider: But we have heard rumors that Floyd is looking to make a Hatton rematch, or pick Dimitri Salita – if Salita upsets Khan.

Harold Lederman: “I don’t think so. I doubt it. I think he’s looking for the biggest money he can make. I think it’s with the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto.”

BoxingInsider: This will be the biggest night of the year for boxing.

Harold Lederman: “Huge, I think it’s absolutely gonna be huge. Everybody wants to see the fight. It’s exciting, it’s huge in the Latin and Filipino communities. The guy on the street wants to see it.”

BoxingInsider: Yeah people like Shaq, the New York Giants are hyped about it. Like the Larry Holmes era in the 80s, the welterweight division is picking up the slack and taking the sport to a higher level.

Harold Lederman: “There’s more interesting fights at welterweight than there is at heavyweight. The heavyweights are dominated by the Klitschkos, they look terrific. You can’t take it away from them, they just keep on winning. You don’t see any opponents out there who can give them a competitive fight. They both have fights coming up – Vitali with Kevin Johnson and Wladimir with Eddie Chambers.”

BoxingInsider: We know who will win those.

Harold Lederman: “That’s what I’m saying, the Klitschkos are so dominant. Eddie Chambers is really a good fighter, but at his size, can be beat Wladimir Klitschko? He’s not a really big guy.”

BoxingInsider: Solis from Cuba looks like he could be the future of the heavyweight division.

Harold Lederman: “You know what scares me about Odlanier Solis? I saw him beat Monte Barrett and he has power. But when he was an amateur beating Felix Savon, he weighed 201. For Monte Barrett he weighed 271. That’s scary. I don’t know if he can put on all that weight and be efective. I don’t know, I’m a little leery. Wait till we see him in a couple more fights. He may be suffering from that problem Chris Arreola has – in other words, he may be 25-30 pounds overweight. But from what I saw in the Barrett fight, it sure looks like he can punch.”

BoxingInsider: With the “Super Six” on Showtime, Cotto and Pacquiao on Saturday, you’ve been in boxing a long time. Is your enthusiasm for the sport still very high? Or has it declined?

Harold Lederman: “No [laughs]. Not in the least [laughs]. Without question, Mikkel Kessler-Andre Ward is gonna be a great fight, there’s no doubt about that. And our show is going to be fabulous. I’m really excited about several fights coming up. I’m really looking forward to seeing Paul Williams against Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City.I’m looking forward to Paulie Malignaggi-Juan Diaz again December 12 in Chicago. I’m looking forward to Librado Andrade-Bute in Quebec City.”

BoxingInsider: How good is Paul Williams?

Harold Lederman: “Dynamite. When do you see a southpaw knock people out with right hooks? I mean, he doubles and triples the left hook. Which is unheard of for a southpaw. I think he’s a terrific fighter, he really is. Not only does he have a helluva straight left hand, good size, good power, but what he can do with a right hand is amazing for a southpaw.”

BoxingInsider: And where is the boxing talent in America? The amateur system is not producing the future stars like we have come to expect, especially in the heavyweight division. What is going on?

Harold Lederman: “We will. It’s a lull in the action. They’ll be back. I guarantee they’ll be back. There’s Deontay Wilder, Demetrius Andrade from the last Olympics. Guys like that. It’s just a matter of time. Now there isn’t a lot of young Americans coming up but I’m impressed by Tavoris Cloud. He seems to be a great name that we didn’t know about. The new IBF Light Heavyweight champion of the world. He impresses me with his punching power. I’m sure, before long, we’re going to see a whole lot of new faces.”