You can read it here.

The opportunity to join some well respected boxing bloggers under one roof was too much of a temptaion to pass up.  As for what the future holds for this blog the answer is simple.

I will try to post on The 8 Count at least once a week and I implore you to continue to visit this site as well as Ring Report.

I thank you all for your continued support of sport blogging and look forward to hearing from you all on the new site.

Cintron (29-1, 27 KOs) injured his right hand in the first round of his Nov 23 bout against Feliciano.  Despite the intense pain—which Cintron made evident when he dropped to the canvas following the bout—he battled on for 10 rounds before stopping the granite-chinned Feliciano with a two-fisted barrage at the 1:53 mark of round ten.

 “I’m disappointed that I injured my hand, but I’m going to do whatever the doctor says because I’m eager to get back into the ring and unify the welterweight title,” said Cintron.

“Kermit will take the time necessary to heal his hand,” said Duva.  “We will not run the risk of him entering the ring and injuring his hand further.”

For many this was the only fight that mattered for Pacquiao as he continues his Hall of Fame bound career. 

The fight will take place on March 15th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.  HBO PPV will broadcast the fight.

Financial terms were not disclosed but word is that Marquez took short money to make the fight happen.

You can view it here. 

You can get to the article here.

The following is a fictional account as my convoluted mind would imagine.

The scene takes place in the spacious office of Francisco Valcarel.  The office walls are adorned with pictures of various fighters who represented the WBO.  Rhythmic salsa music is faintly heard in the background.  Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya enters; he is alone.

Francisco Valcarel: Como esta Senor De La Hoya.

Oscar De La Hoya: Bien Don Valcarel.  How is your family?

FV: They are good but enough with the pleasantries.  I hear that you are most interested in a Juan Diaz-Michael Katsidis fight. 

ODLH:  That is correct.  As you know we at Golden Boy Promotions think highly of that Katsidis.  That guerro can put nalgas in the seats.  As for Diaz, well you know that he almost signed with us but…

FV: But what?

ODLH:  Well we would have had him if not for that meddling Don King.

FV:  You don’t worry about King.  You will find he is powerless to the great and mighty WBO.

OLDH:  Wasn’t King supposed to be here?

FV:  Don’t you worry your pretty little image conscious face about King.  Let’s just say that his stay in Germany was extended.

A bead of sweat beggings to run down the face of De La Hoya.

ODLH:  If you don’t mind Don Valcarcel, I would just as soon get this over with.  Millie doesn’t like me out alone.

FV:  Fine.  I trust you have something for me?

OLDH:  I sure do, here you go.

An unmarked envelope is pulled from De La Hoya’s suit jacket and thrown on to Valcarcel’s desk nearly tipping over a glass of Puerto Rico’s finest rum.

FV: You idiot!

ODLH:  Please forgive me Don Valcarcel..

FV:  See that it does not happen again or all of your fighters will be relegated to NABO title fights.

ODLH:  You wouldn’t…you monster!

FV:  Silencio!  Now I see by the contents of your envelope that you are now the prized owner of one lightweight unification bout.

ODLH:  But how can it be a unification if both fighters claim a WBO lightweight title?

FV:  You are pushing it senor.  You will find that as a governing body, we can pretty much do what we want.  Instead of buying some silly magazine you should have gotten into business of creating titles.

ODLH:  That is genius, pure genius.

FV:  Yes, this I know.  Now beat it.  I must figure a way to keep Sultan Ibragimov a WBO title holder after he gets his Russian ass handed to him by Klitschko.

OLDH:  Ay Dios!  Please do!

FV:  Get out!

De La Hoya scurries out the office.  Valcarcel sits back and lights a cigar in his mind all is right in the world.

GBP won the right for the fight after putting up a bid of 1.5 million.  With the mandated 80/20 split Diaz will reportedly earn 1.2 million with Katsidis taking home $300,000.  Don King tried to postpone the bid on the grounds that he is still in Germany with our troops.  The WBO countered King’s posturing with the claim that all interested promoters were advised of the purse bid on November 16.  On these grounds King had ample time to plan accordingly if he truly was interested on bidding.

Golden Boy Promotions has 90 days from Nov. 23 to stage the fight.  Sources indicate that GBP plans on this fight taking place on Jan. 26 in the hometown of Diaz, Houston, TX.

Below: Jesse Feliciano

However, what Team Cintron failed to take into consideration while preparing for Feliciano was his heart, determination and cast-iron chin. The very same assets that would propel Feliciano into putting on the performance of a lifetime, winning over the thousands upon thousands of fans packed into the Staples’ Center, and showing Cintron that he was not going to act out the role the champ had expected him to play.One of the fans sitting ringside Saturday night that Feliciano won over is the same man who has become worldly recognized as the epitome for all underdogs in every fashion of life – none other than Mr. Rocky Balboa himself, Sylvester Stallone. Feliciano had the one guy who could best relate with what he was going through as a promising fighter who was taking on a tough champion, and Rocky was rooting for him.

At the same time, Stallone was seeing his Rocky movie franchise play out right before his very eyes, as a fighter who was “supposed” to lose, pouring out his blood, sweat, and tears with every punch he threw, and emitting his never-say-die ferociousness to every fan in the house, all who were on their feet begging for more.

From the opening bell, Feliciano wisely chose to fight Cintron on the inside, taking away the champ’s ability to use his impressive punching power from a distance, and therefore giving the busier Feliciano the advantage of outboxing Cintron over the scheduled twelve round battle. “My game plan was to keep him on a short leash,” said Feliciano. “I stayed in his chest throughout the entire fight trying to outhustle him.”

After Feliciano took some of the champ’s best shots in the first round, it was Cintron who came out a little more worse for wear, due to Feliciano’s non-stop attack. “I wasn’t going to back up,” said Feliciano. “I came to fight and that had to discourage him.”

Cintron’s level of discouragement only increased, as with each passing round Feliciano not only seemed less likely to succumb to Cintron’s might the way so many of his previous opponents had, but Feliciano’s had amazing ability to toss out an exorbitant amount of leather that never seemed to cease. The fans, the PPV commentators and even Emmanuel Steward, the trainer of Cintron, saw the title slipping away from Cintron in what was playing out to be a major upset.

It was not until the middle of the tenth round, when after both warriors had given it their all, a barrage of power punches had the referee stopping the bout. Nonetheless, Feliciano was still standing and many were disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to see Feliciano pull off the major raupset. Many believed that Cintron had just gone for broke and wonder what would’ve happened if the referee didn’t stop the fight. Feliciano’s heart came out in words. “I could have gone another two rounds,” said Feliciano. “I think the referee stopped it too early.”

Feliciano had forced Cintron into deep waters. In his thirty professional bouts Cintron had only seen the tenth round two previous times. Feliciano had taken Cintron’s best shots, and even though his feet never left the canvas, his heart pulsed out of the squared circle and into the 10,365 fans cheering his name throughout the arena.

On Saturday night, Feliciano became a fan favorite even in defeat, he won more fans then his victor did, and he showed he has the formula to make big crowd- pleasing fights in the future. When you have Rocky rooting for you, you must be doing something right.

“Jesse Feliciano displayed all that’s great about the sport of boxing” said Star Boxing’s CEO Joe DeGuardia. “A true underdog, Jesse showed the will, character and determination of a true warrior”. Jesse earned the respect of all the fans who watched and of all of us involved in the sport of boxing”. “I join the thousands in looking forward with great anticipation to the next time Jesse steps into the ring”.