Saturday night on Showtime, four live fights come our way without pay-per-view for the first time in a dog's age, as the "Four Warned" card goes live from the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Really, though, it's five notable fights, as Showtime Extreme will showcase a super middleweight bout between Sakio Bika and Dyah Davis at 8 p.m. EDT, before the four "main card" fights on Showtime at 9 p.m.

Since this is such a big, spread-out card, we're going to break the previews down into fourths, starting here with Bika vs Davis, and before we get to that one, the opening bout on Showtime. Leo Santa Cruz, a top bantamweight prospect with a fan-friendly style, gets his first chance to make a major impression on U.S. fight fans, facing Vusi Malinga for the vacant IBF title.

Bantamweights, 12 Rounds (Vacant IBF Title)
Leo Santa Cruz (19-0-1, 11 KO) vs Vusi Malinga (20-3-1, 12 KO)

Santa Cruz, 23, is managed by Cameron Dunkin, promoted by Golden Boy, and is the younger brother of former lightweight contender Jose Armando Santa Cruz, who should by rights be called "former lightweight champion Jose Armando Santa Cruz," but was robbed of that distinction by two blind mice at ringside for JA's loss to Joel Casamayor in November 2007.

Big brother may have had his greatest moment stolen from him by Frank Lombardi and Ron McNair (Tony Paolillo is saved from attachment here as he scored it a still-too-close 114-113 for Santa Cruz), but now it's Leo's time, and while Jose was a solid fighter at his best, Leo has a chance to be a true standout, among the elite in his division for a long time to come.

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As he continues to wind down a Hall of Fame career that officially became a punchline with his pathetic lip-synching performance in Russia in April, Roy Jones Jr has his passport ready for a trip to Poland on June 30, where he'll face Dawid Kostecki.

Unlike Roy's trips abroad to fight Danny Green and Denis Lebedev, he's facing neither a contender nor a guy who used to be a contender, and there's nothing really on the line in this one. It's a ten-round fight without even some bogus fringe title up for grabs.

Jones (55-8, 40 KO) did win his last fight over Max Alexander in December, something I paid to see (on replay, really, since it was Khan-Peterson night) because I'm a sick human being with no moral compass, and I'd watch this one, too, but I have a wedding to attend that day, so I'm going to be spared seeing this live as it happens.

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In an interview this evening with Leave it in the Ring Radio, James Kirkland spoke about his September 15 fight with Canelo Alvarez, which was made official on Thursday, sounding excited for a big opportunity, confident in his ability to pull the upset, and respectful of Canelo's ring intelligence and improvements.

When asked if he'd studied Canelo, Kirkland responded with a laugh.

"Have I been studying him? You got to know that. He's a great champ," said the Texas native.0" He's a combination fighter. He's got willpower. He's got almost the whole package, you know? One thing that I believe, my willpower, my determination, and my heart, along with the skills that I have, plus I'm left-handed -- I've seen one fight he had with a left-hander and he almost got knocked out."

Kirkland continued, "He's never fought nobody like Kirkland. He's never fought a fast fighter like me, the hardest puncher like me. He's fought people who have power, but don't have speed or that extra mile in them. People say, 'Kirkland, this is a step up for you.' And I say, 'It's a hellified step for him.'"

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Update: Mitchell vs Banks has been canceled.

Dan Rafael reports that Seth Mitchell has suffered a hand injury training for his July 14 fight against Johnathon Banks. His first report said that Mitchell was pulling out of the fight, but Mitchell's manager denies that, and says that there is a "hand problem," but the fight is still on for now.

If there was an injury report in boxing, Mitchell would be listed as questionable, is what this amounts to. The fight might happen still. It also might not. Hand injuries are not something fighters play around with, given the long-term consequences of developing chronic hand problems. Mitchell's team says this is still on, but if they get a second opinion or anything else happens, the fight could be called off, and for good reason.

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Ring Magazine's Lem Satterfield reports via Twitter that Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland have both agreed to a September 15 fight, confirming the speculation that Kirkland would be tabbed as the replacement for Paul Williams, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle crash a few days ago.

Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO) and Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KO) were rumored to be meeting on that date before Williams' name was attached to the fight, but Kirkland's team instead opted to wait and fight a bit later, as the fighter is recovering from shoulder surgery.

Obviously, this is a unique situation, and Golden Boy needed a quality replacement. Kirkland has been cleared medically and all expectations are that he'll be able to fight without any massive setbacks on September 15. The WBC has also decided to make this a mandatory title fight, allowing Canelo a chance to get rid of that obligation while he takes what is really an optional defense.

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Timothy Bradley says that he'll know in the first round against Manny Pacquiao whether or not he'll be winning the fight. In an interview with The Boxing Lab, Bradley also says he's just preparing to make sure that he'll be able to back up his pre-fight confidence:

"I'm just thinking about backing up everything I've said. I'm just thinking about doing what I got to do. I want to see what it feels like when I step in with the best pound for pound."

... "I will know in the first round if I am going to win the fight. I will know if it's going to be an easy or a difficult fight. I want to test his speed, his power. It only takes me two rounds to figure guys out."

In their Face Off interview with Max Kellerman, Bradley's trainer Joel Diaz said that the first few rounds are crucial, and that they always like to start slow:

Diaz: "If you want to take him out, you gotta take him out when he's not even warmed up, and that's in the early rounds."

Kellerman: "Does that mean that early on you gotta take it easy, because you don't wanna get caught cold?"

Diaz: "We always do that."

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An IBF super middleweight title eliminator between Adonis Stevenson and Edwin Rodriguez won't be happening, as Rodriguez's team has passed on the fight, according to Ryan Maquiñana. Stevenson will keep his August 11 date on the Cloud vs Pascal undercard on Showtime, and the IBF has vowed to go down the rankings list and find him an opponent. (More on that in a second.)

Rodriguez, meanwhile, will be returning August 3 on a Broadway Boxing card in NYC, headlined by Thomas Oosthuizen. Rodriguez's manager Larry Army says that TV rights in South Africa played a big role in their decision here:

"DiBella has Thomas Oosthuizen on this card and he’s already sold the ‘Broadway Boxing’ television rights to South Africa. They also want to build Edwin on that card, so we’re committed. If the South African television rights weren’t attached to the show, we’d probably take the [Stevenson] fight."

One wonders if this isn't one of the flimsiest excuses in recent memory. I'm sure there's something to it, but are the South African TV people really that concerned about having a Dominican from Massachusetts on their boxing TV show?

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Lucian Bute, who lost his IBF super middleweight title and his undefeated record at the hands of Carl Froch last Saturday, is not making any excuses for his defeat in Nottingham, England, and is instead focusing on getting himself back in action, and an eventual rematch with "The Cobra," whether there's a belt on the line or not.

"Every athlete has to admit defeat. Great champions need to know to lose. I have to learn from this defeat. This is not the end of the world. ... On Saturday night, Carl Froch was better. Any great athlete must have dignity, to be able to congratulate your opponent. I was the favorite and everyone thought I would win easily. We all thought that, even me. Unfortunately, you saw what happened there. I believe that in five rounds I boxed in only one, for about three minutes. I was totally dominated. After the first round, I was very sure of myself. I told my coach that [he was] slow. But things changed in the second round."

Bute (30-1, 24 KO) may have gone in wildly overconfident to face Froch, but that may also be a result of the fact that Bute's only been really challenged once, and it was only over three minutes against Librado Andrade. I mean, he didn't have it easy with Sakio Bika, and even Brian Magee gave him a few decent looks in their fight, but it was never anything like what Froch did with him last weekend.

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Carl Froch is on cloud nine right now following his May 26 rampage over Lucian Bute, and promoter Eddie Hearn is hard at work trying to put together a rematch between Froch and the first man to beat him in the pro ranks, Mikkel Kessler.

From Phil D. Jay:

''I spoke with Kalle [Sauerland] yesterday and it's pretty clear everyone wants the fight," Hearn told World Boxing News.

"Carl wants to avenge that defeat and what a huge fight that would be. His profile has risen to another level and Froch-Kessler II is a mouth-watering prospect."

Froch (29-2, 21 KO) and Kessler (45-2, 34 KO) both scored wins in May, with Kessler knocking out Allan Green on May 19. The Kessler-Green fight was sort of at light heavyweight, but the Danish star weighed just one pound over the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds for the fight, and reports after were that it was actually a catchweight of 172 pounds. In other words, Kessler is not firmly at 168 or 175, and it seems he's going where the best offer is.

That appears to be a Froch rematch for now.

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With Felix Sturm and Daniel Geale set to meet on September 1 in Germany, another big middleweight fight is ready to go, as WBO titlist Dmitry Pirog will face Gennady Golovkin on August 25 on HBO. Steve Kim first reported that the fight was being "seriously discussed," and Dan Rafael seemed to confirm it as a done deal.

Pirog (20-0, 15 KO) has held the WBO title since his win over Danny Jacobs in July 2010, defending it three times against mediocre opposition in Javier Maciel, Gennady Martirosyan, and most recently, Nobuhiro Ishida. Golovkin (23-0, 20 KO) has made most of his name via press clippings, as his schedule hasn't lived up to his reputation, but he's also been repeatedly avoided by the likes of Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam and Felix Sturm.

Golovkin's last two fights have been extremely easy wins over Lajuan Simon (KO-1) and Makoto Fuchigami (TKO-3).

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Just days following a serious motorcycle accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down, former 147- and 154-pound titleholder Paul Williams tells NBC Atlanta that he plans to walk again, and also quotes The Lion King:

"[Doctors] told me there's a very slight chance of walking, because the spine was, like, crushed, or whatever," he said. "I should be able to sit up on my own. But as far as me walking, and all that, it's all on me. I'm going to be walking, I know that. That's how I feel."

"If I can't walk, then, oh well, hakuna matata," he said. "I'll be on a boat fishing."

He laughed a bit as he spoke, a man insisting he is at peace despite his dire circumstances.

Williams, 30, would need a genuine miracle to walk again, from all the reports we've heard, but there's surely no doubt he's going to try and make that a reality.

His boxing career is over, but that doesn't matter much at this point. He can be proud of the legacy he left in the ring, and his attitude right now is almost shocking in how positive it is.

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Former British and Commonwealth and current Irish heavyweight champ Tyson Fury will make his ring return on July 7 in Blackpool, according to World Boxing News, with an opponent to be named.

Fury (18-0, 13 KO) will be televised on Channel 5 again, going more or less head-to-head with Wladimir Klitschko's fight against Tony Thompson in Switzerland, as well as Kell Brook's fight against Carson Jones, which will be televised on Sky Sports.

The 23-year-old Fury has become quite a TV star in the UK, drawing strong numbers on the broadcast station. But boxing fans are starting to question Fury's development again. Last year's win over Dereck Chisora was good, but his trio of victories since then over Nicolai Firtha, Neven Pajkic, and Martin Rogan have been predictable and frankly a bit weak. The fact that he vacated his British/Commonwealth belts instead of fighting David Price was defensible from promoter Mick Hennessy's standpoint, but the general public seemed to take that as Fury ducking Price, and it wasn't good press.

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Middleweight titleholders Felix Sturm and Daniel Geale will unify their WBA and IBF belts on September 1 in Germany, in what will be one of the most significant fights of Sturm's career, and definitely the biggest to date for Australia's Geale.

Sturm (37-2-2, 16 KO) had a rough 2011, with a disputed win over Matthew Macklin and a draw with Martin Murray (as well as a win over Ronald Hearns that meant little), but he started his 2012 campaign with an impressive thrashing of Sebastian Zbik on April 13.

Geale (27-1, 15 KO) picked up the IBF belt in Germany with a clear decision win over Sebastian Sylvester in May 2011, and has since defended twice in Australia against Osumanu Adama and Eromosele Albert. Both wins were of the victory lap variety, but there's no question that Geale is a talented boxer who can hold his own with just about anyone out there at 160 pounds.

In short, this is a damn good fight between two legit top fighters at 160 pounds, who both happen to also hold titles.

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Friday, June 1

BoxNation (UK), 2:30 p.m. EDT, Billy Joe Saunders vs Bradley Pryce, Frank Buglioni vs Jody Meikle, Stephen Smith vs Jose Luis Graterol. This is a solid step for Saunders, as he stays busy and gets in with a known quantity. Pryce (33-10, 18 KO) was at one point a decent domestic contender at 147 and 154, but now is just a veteran gatekeeper, and Saunders (13-0, 9 KO) is banging on that gate after his TKO-1 slaughter of Tony Hill on April 28. Buglioni (4-0, 3 KO) is a super middleweight prospect and the sort who has gotten a real boost from the existence of BoxNation -- it wouldn't be so easy to get him on TV on Sky cards with their limited time, but Warren has the ability to televise every fight he wants to, and thus, I have seen every one of Buglioni's fights. He looks a decent prospect at 168, and already has a meathead fanbase. Smith (14-1, 8 KO) is still on the comeback trail following his loss to Lee Selby in September. Graterol (14-14-4, 5 KO) is a Venezuelan import who has lost six straight. This is the sort of opponent you just can't find at home. Ya gotta go out and find him. Bad Left Hook will have live round-by-round coverage.

GFL ($9.99), 8:00 p.m. EDT, Dennis Hasson vs George Armenta.

NBC Sports, 9:00 p.m. EDT, Gabriel Rosado vs Sechew Powell, Ronald Cruz vs Prenice Brewer. Rosado (19-5, 11 KO) is a fighter I really like, and I'm thrilled for him that he's headlining a show like this one. He's really made something of himself, and is a fringe contender at 154 right now, looking to become more. He's had no help along the way, really -- not like most contenders have. This is a guy who has earned his record. He wasn't protected. He wasn't even supposed to get this far. That said, Rosado is the exact sort of guy who lives right on that edge -- a stiff breeze could knock him right off the path he seems to be on. He's a good fighter, but far from great, and he needs to peak and get the right opportunities if he's going to become a true top fighter. I hope he does, but don't count Powell (26-4, 15 KO) out of this one. Unlike Rosado, Powell had lots of help. He was a highly-regarded prospect. But now he's just an also-ran, out of title shots and shots at getting title shots. If he's going to get back in the mix, he has to do it himself. Rosado would be a good start. This is a big fight for both guys.

Cruz (16-0, 12 KO) is a Puerto Rican-born welterweight prospect now fighting out of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Brewer (16-1-1, 6 KO) is a Cleveland prospect who was stopped two fights ago by Patrick Lopez, trying to get right back into the race. He's largely fought at 140, where his 5'10" frame made him damn tall for the weight. Bad Left Hook will have live round-by-round coverage.

WAPA America, 10:00 p.m. EDT, Rafael Marquez vs Jesus Pastrana, Israel Vazquez vs Miguel Del Valle, Rafael Gonzalez vs TBA. Don't worry -- it's not the real Rafa or Izzy. This Israel Vazquez is WV2's brother.

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Because of Paul Williams' tragic motorcycle accident earlier this week, Canelo Alvarez needs an opponent for his September 15 pay-per-view event from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and it looks like James Kirkland will be getting the call.

Kirkland, you'll recall, was the first named potential opponent for Alvarez in September, and stated clearly he was ready to take the fight and beat Canelo. But his team made a smart choice by not throwing him in with Alvarez right off, and instead targeted a return in October against a weaker opponent, not because of a lack of confidence against Canelo as much as wanting to make sure that Kirkland's recently surgically-repaired shoulder would hold up in the ring.

The Williams story, of course, is not something anyone prepares for. Golden Boy has that date set aside, the venue's booked, an undercard fight (Jhonny Gonzalez vs Daniel Ponce De Leon) is already good to go, and they need an opponent. Three names were supposedly being considered. Kirkland appears to have won the race, and perhaps that's due to a little help from the WBC.

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Paul Williams' boxing career came to a tragic end this weekend, as the 30-year-old former welterweight and junior middleweight titlist was involved in a motorcycle accident that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. It is a rare thing for me (I'm 30 myself) at this stage of my life and my time writing about boxing and discussing the sport with you all that I have seen, live as it happens, what amounts to an entire career unfold.

But I got to see all of Paul Williams' career. And while a cold review of that career may reveal some level of "disappointment," I'm not in the mood for cold. Sure, maybe he didn't quite become the southpaw Tommy Hearns we were told he could be, with his 6'1" (or better) frame standing out at 147 pounds like a sore thumb next to contemporaries such as Floyd Mayweather (5'8"), Miguel Cotto (5'7"), Zab Judah (5'7"), Shane Mosley (5'9"), and others. Hell, even Antonio Margarito, a giant welterweight at 5'10" with a thick frame for the weight, looked little when in the ring with "The Punisher."

Any disappointment, though, was probably going to be forgotten as time went on, anyway. Paul Williams was more than a contender, more even than another titleholder, more than a dangerous foe. He was a lot of fun to watch. Here was a guy who could have stood outside and established a jab and dominated fights that way. It would have been damn hard for even the most determined, iron-chinned fighters to get past a dominant jab on a welterweight with a freakish 79-inch reach.

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It felt like more happened this past weekend, but in terms of the boxing rankings here at BLH, there's really just the one major move, as Carl Froch established himself at No. 2 at super middleweight with his destructive win over Lucian Bute. A busy, busy weekend is coming, though, followed by a whole lot more over the next two months.

Click here for the full rankings!

Super Middleweight

Froch (29-2, 21 KO) is up to No. 2 from No. 3, and Bute (30-1, 24 KO) is down to No. 4 from No. 2. I actually debated myself about whether to drop Bute two spots or just one -- the guys behind him haven't proven a whole lot, either, and in my view his resume is every bit as good as Andre Dirrell's. I also refuse to compare the two and their performances against Froch, as while I did score Froch-Dirrell for Dirrell back in 2009, that was a long time ago, really, and I really have a harder time describing what Dirrell did as a "performance" compared to what Bute did (and didn't do). It's not that Bute had any notable success, but neither did Dirrell. It's just someone had to win the rounds. You couldn't score them all 10-10, or what they really deserved, which was, like, 6-6.

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Key
No.: Current ranking in the division.
Last: Ranking last week.
Country: The fighter's place of birth (or country he represents), represented by flag. If you don't know what flag that is, learn more about flags.
Record: The fighter's current record by W-L (KO wins).
Weeks: The number of consecutive weeks the fighter has been in the rankings in that division.
Next: The fighter's next fight. Subject to change, of course.

Note: As of May 4, 2012, Bad Left Hook no longer recognizes Ring Magazine championships as the "legitimate" championships, due to changes in their championship policies. No titles are officially recognized as representing the champion as of this time.

Notes
Updates: The rankings will be updated every week, on Tuesday.

Inactivity: Generally, fighters are ruled inactive and removed from rankings if they have not fought for one year. Exceptions may be made for injuries where a return in the near future is likely, or for fighters who have been inactive for one year, but do have a fight scheduled. If a fighter has been removed due to inactivity, he will not be ranked again until he has fought.

Heavyweight (Weight Unlimited)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Wladimir Klitschko		57-3 (50)	65	07-07 vs Tony Thompson
2.	2	Vitali Klitschko		44-2 (40)	65
3.	3	David Haye		25-2 (23)	4	07-14 vs Dereck Chisora
4.	4	Tomasz Adamek		45-2 (28)	65	06-16 vs Eddie Chambers
5.	5	Chris Arreola		35-2 (30)	45	06-23 vs TBA
6.	6	Alexander Povetkin		24-0 (16)	65	07-14 vs Hasim Rahman
7.	7	Tony Thompson		36-2 (24)	65	07-07 vs Wladimir Klitschko
8.	8	Kubrat Pulev		16-0 (8)	17
9.	9	Tyson Fury		18-0 (13)	32
10.	10	Dereck Chisora		15-3 (9)	26	07-14 vs David Haye

Cruiserweight (Weight Limit: 200 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Marco Huck		34-2-1 (25)	65
2.	2	Yoan Pablo Hernandez		26-1 (13)	65
3.	3	Denis Lebedev		24-1 (18)	65	07-21 vs Jean-Marc Mormeck
4.	4	Steve Cunningham		24-4 (12)	65
5.	5	Ola Afolabi		19-2-4 (8)	65
6.	6	Krzysztof Wlodarczyk		46-2-1 (36)	65
7.	7	Antonio Tarver		29-6 (20)	65	06-02 vs Lateef Kayode
8.	8	Guillermo Jones		38-3-2 (30)	31	06-23 vs TBA
9.	9	Lateef Kayode		18-0 (14)	26	06-02 vs Antonio Tarver
10.	10	Alexander Alekseev		23-2-1 (20)	26

Light Heavyweight (Weight Limit: 175 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Chad Dawson		31-1 (17)	65	09-08 vs Andre Ward
2.	2	Gabriel Campillo		21-4-1 (8)	65
3.	3	Bernard Hopkins		52-6-2 (32)	65
4.	4	Jean Pascal		26-2-1 (16)	65	08-11 vs Tavoris Cloud
5.	5	Tavoris Cloud		24-0 (19)	65	08-11 vs Jean Pascal
6.	6	Mikkel Kessler		45-2 (34)	2
7.	7	Nathan Cleverly		24-0 (11)	65
8.	8	Beibut Shumenov		12-1 (8)	65	06-02 vs Enrique Ornelas
9.	9	Karo Murat		24-1-1 (14)	65	06-02 vs Sandro Siproshvili
10.	10	Isaac Chilemba		19-1-1 (9)	3

Super Middleweight (Weight Limit: 168 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Andre Ward		25-0 (13)	65	09-08 vs Chad Dawson
2.	3	Carl Froch		29-2 (21)	65
3.	4	Andre Dirrell		20-1 (14)	25
4.	2	Lucian Bute		30-1 (24)	65
5.	5	Sakio Bika		29-5-2 (20)	65	06-02 vs Dyah Davis
6.	6	Robert Stieglitz		42-2 (23)	57	08-25 vs Arthur Abraham
7.	7	Arthur Abraham		34-3 (26)	65	08-25 vs Robert Stieglitz
8.	8	Adonis Stevenson		18-1 (15)	16
9.	9	Thomas Oosthuizen		19-0-1 (13)	5
10.	10	George Groves		14-0 (11)	2	06-30 vs Kenny Anderson

Middleweight (Weight Limit: 160 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Sergio Martinez		49-2-2 (28)	65
2.	2	Felix Sturm		37-2-2 (16)	65
3.	3	Daniel Geale		27-1 (15)	65
4.	4	Matthew Macklin		28-4 (19)	65
5.	5	Dmitry Pirog		20-0 (15)	65
6.	6	Gennady Golovkin		23-0 (20)	65
7.	7	Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam		27-0 (17)	65
8.	8	Martin Murray		23-0-1 (10)	25
9.	9	Julio Cesar Chavez Jr		45-0-1 (31)	12	06-16 vs Andy Lee
10.	10	Andy Lee		28-1 (20)	11	06-16 vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Junior Middleweight (Weight Limit: 154 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Miguel Cotto		37-3 (30)	65
2.	2	Canelo Alvarez		40-0-1 (29)	65	09-15 vs TBA
3.	3	Austin Trout		24-0 (14)	52	06-02 vs Delvin Rodriguez
4.	4	James Kirkland		31-1 (27)	30
5.	5	Carlos Molina		19-5-2 (6)	47
6.	6	Erislandy Lara		16-1-1 (11)	47
7.	7	Delvin Rodriguez		26-5-3 (14)	26	06-02 vs Austin Trout
8.	8	Cornelius Bundrage		31-4 (18)	26	06-30 vs Cory Spinks
9.	10	Lukas Konecny		48-3 (23)	12
10.	-	Zaurbek Baysangurov		27-1 (20)	1

Welterweight (Weight Limit: 147 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Floyd Mayweather Jr		43-0 (26)	37
2.	2	Manny Pacquiao		54-3-2 (38)	65	06-09 vs Timothy Bradley
3.	3	Victor Ortiz		29-3-2 (22)	59	06-23 vs Josesito Lopez
4.	4	Andre Berto		28-1 (22)	65
5.	5	Kell Brook		27-0 (18)	65	07-07 vs Carson Jones
6.	6	Mike Jones		26-0 (19)	65	06-09 vs Randall Bailey
7.	7	Jan Zaveck		32-2 (18)	65
8.	8	Devon Alexander		23-1 (13)	14	08-18 vs TBA
9.	9	Paulie Malignaggi		31-4 (7)	5	10-20 vs TBA?
10.	10	Carson Jones		34-8-2 (24)	14	07-07 vs Kell Brook

Junior Welterweight (Weight Limit: 140 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Timothy Bradley		28-0 (12)	65	06-09 vs Manny Pacquiao
2.	2	Lamont Peterson		30-1-1 (15)	65
3.	3	Amir Khan		26-2 (18)	65	07-14 vs Danny Garcia
4.	4	Juan Manuel Marquez		54-6-1 (39)	7
5.	5	Lucas Matthysse		30-2 (28)	65	06-23 vs Humberto Soto
6.	6	Marcos Maidana		31-3 (28)	65
7.	7	Danny Garcia		23-0 (14)	33	07-14 vs Amir Khan
8.	8	Mike Alvarado		33-0 (23)	29
9.	9	Ajose Olusegun		30-0 (14)	35
10.	10	Zab Judah		42-7 (29)	10

Lightweight (Weight Limit: 135 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Miguel Vazquez		30-3 (13)	65
2.	2	Antonio DeMarco		27-2-1 (20)	41	08-20 vs Alejandro Sanabria
3.	3	Ricky Burns		34-2 (9)	30
4.	4	Richard Abril		17-3-1 (8)	7
5.	5	Kevin Mitchell		33-1 (24)	46
6.	6	Gavin Rees		36-1-1 (17)	38	07-07 vs Derry Mathews
7.	7	Hank Lundy		22-1-1 (11)	9
8.	8	Nihito Arakawa		22-1-1 (14)	7	08-13 vs Takehiro Shimada
9.	9	Emiliano Marsili		24-0-1 (10)	7
10.	10	John Molina		23-1 (19)	7

Super Featherweight (Weight Limit: 130 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Takashi Uchiyama		18-0 (15)	65	07-16 vs Michael Farenas
2.	2	Takahiro Ao		23-2-1 (10)	65
3.	3	Adrien Broner		23-0 (19)	61	07-21 vs Vicente Escobedo
4.	4	Juan Carlos Salgado		25-1-1 (16)	37
5.	5	Argenis Mendez		19-2 (10)	48
6.	6	Roman Martinez		25-1-1 (16)	65
7.	7	Jorge Solis		40-4-2 (29)	65
8.	8	Diego Magdaleno		22-0 (8)	29
9.	9	Juan Carlos Burgos		29-1 (19)	22
10.	10	Gary Buckland		25-2 (8)	17

Featherweight (Weight Limit: 126 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Yuriorkis Gamboa		21-0 (16)	65
2.	2	Orlando Salido		38-11-2 (25)	65	07-21 vs TBA
3.	3	Chris John		47-0-2 (22)	65
4.	4	Celestino Caballero		36-4 (23)	65	07-28 vs Mikey Garcia
5.	5	Daniel Ponce de Leon		43-4 (35)	65	09-15 vs Jhonny Gonzalez
6.	6	Jhonny Gonzalez		52-7 (45)	65	09-15 vs Daniel Ponce De Leon
7.	7	Mikey Garcia		28-0 (24)	65	07-28 vs Celestino Caballero
8.	8	Juan Manuel Lopez		31-2 (28)	65
9.	9	Jonathan Victor Barros		33-2-1 (18)	56
10.	10	Billy Dib		34-1 (21)	12

Super Bantamweight (Weight Limit: 122 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Toshiaki Nishioka		39-4-3 (24)	65
2.	2	Nonito Donaire		28-1 (18)	17	07-07 vs Jeffrey Mathebula
3.	3	Abner Mares		24-0-1 (13)	6
4.	4	Guillermo Rigondeaux		9-0 (7)	65	06-09 vs Teon Kennedy
5.	5	Victor Terrazas		33-2-1 (19)	29
6.	6	Wilfredo Vazquez Jr		21-2-1 (18)	65
7.	7	Fernando Montiel		47-4-2 (37)	65	06-09 vs Arturo Reyes
8.	8	Jeffrey Mathebula		26-3-2 (14)	11	07-07 vs Nonito Donaire
9.	9	Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym		46-2 (32)	65
10.	10	Akifumi Shimoda		24-3-1 (10)	65

Bantamweight (Weight Limit: 118 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Anselmo Moreno		33-1-1 (12)	65
2.	2	Joseph Agbeko		28-4 (22)	65
3.	3	Shinsuke Yamanaka		16-0-2 (11)	30
4.	4	Jorge Arce		60-6-2 (46)	27	06-09 vs Jesus Rojas
5.	5	Koki Kameda		28-1 (17)	65
6.	6	Vic Darchinyan		37-5-1 (27)	65
7.	7	Malcolm Tunacao		30-2-3 (19)	65
8.	8	Leo Santa Cruz		19-0-1 (11)	17	06-02 vs Vusi Malinga
9.	9	Hugo Ruiz		30-1 (27)	12
10.	10	Jamie McDonnell		19-2-1 (8)	6

Super Flyweight (Weight Limit: 115 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Tepparith Kokietgym		19-2 (12)	25
2.	2	Yota Sato		24-2-1 (12)	16
3.	3	Tomonobu Shimizu		19-3-1 (9)	39
4.	4	Hugo Cazares		36-7-2 (25)	65
5.	5	Suriyan Sor Rungvisai		20-6-1 (7)	40
6.	6	Omar Narvaez		36-1-2 (19)	65
7.	7	Tomas Rojas		36-13-1 (24)	65
8.	8	Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr		14-1-1 (7)	2
9.	9	Raul Martinez		28-2 (16)	65
10.	10	Cesar Seda		21-1 (15)	65

Flyweight (Weight Limit: 112 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Tyson Marquez		33-2 (25)	65	06-23 vs Ardin Diale
2.	2	Brian Viloria		31-3 (18)	47
3.	3	Moruti Mthalane		28-2 (19)	65
4.	4	Sonny Boy Jaro		34-10-5 (24)	13	07-16 vs Toshiyuki Igarashi
5.	5	Pongsaklek Wonjongkam		83-4-2 (45)	65
6.	6	Edgar Sosa		45-7 (27)	65
7.	7	Giovani Segura		28-2-1 (24)	50
8.	8	Rocky Fuentes		33-6-2 (20)	65
9.	9	Luis Concepcion		25-3 (20)	65
10.	10	Rodel Mayol		31-5-2 (22)	3

Junior Flyweight (Weight Limit: 108 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Roman Gonzalez		32-0 (27)	65
2.	2	Ulises Solis		34-2-3 (21)	65
3.	3	Kompayak Porpramook		45-3 (30)	23
4.	4	Donnie Nietes		29-1-3 (16)	34	06-02 vs Felipe Salguero
5.	5	Adrian Hernandez		22-2-1 (14)	57
6.	6	Johnriel Casimero		16-2 (10)	16
7.	7	Masayuki Kuroda		21-3-1 (13)	51
8.	8	Ryoichi Taguchi		16-1-1 (7)	25
9.	9	Luis Ceja		21-1-3 (17)	15
10.	10	Ramon Hirales		16-4-1 (9)	65

Strawweight (Weight Limit: 105 lbs)
No.	Last	Name	Country	Record	Weeks	Next
1.	1	Nkosinathi Joyi		22-0 (15)	65
2.	2	Kazuto Ioka		9-0 (5)	65	06-19 vs Akira Yaegashi
3.	3	Moises Fuentes		14-1 (6)	40	06-02 vs Julio Cesar Felix
4.	4	Raul Garcia		31-2-1 (19)	65
5.	5	Denver Cuello		31-4-6 (19)	65
6.	6	Katsunari Takayama		24-5 (10)	65
7.	8	Juan Hernandez		18-2 (13)	65
8.	9	Hekkie Budler		19-1 (6)	36
9.	10	Akira Yaegashi		15-2 (8)	31	06-19 vs Kazuto Ioka
10.	7	Juan Palacios		29-3-1 (22)	65

Paul Williams, who was set to fight Canelo Alvarez on September 15, is "likely paralyzed" from the waist down following a motorcycle crash near Atlanta, reports WRDW.

Williams, 30, has a record of 41-2 (27 KO) in the ring and was set to be a big step-up opponent for Mexican phenom Alvarez. He is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, according to manager and trainer George Peterson, but the early prognosis is not good. No matter what happens, he's not going to be fighting Canelo in September. Apart from that, we can only hope for the best.

This is absolutely awful news. Paul Williams has had a good, entertaining career, and always gave the best he had in the ring. Forget the fight: I just hope Paul Williams can beat the odds here and walk again. That's obviously the number one, most important thing in this story.

We'll have more when more is known. Our best wishes go out to Paul Williams at this time.

Despite both fighters signing an agreement that in theory puts together a September fight between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Martinez says he doesn't expect Chavez will actually fight him, and that if he doesn't, he'll likely take a homecoming fight in Argentina next.

Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KO) has supposedly been guaranteed a shot at the WBC title that was stripped from him in bogus fashion in 2011, an act that made it possible for the sanctioning body to all but put a bow on it for favored son Chavez (45-0-1, 31 KO).

Since he was stripped, Martinez has beaten Sergiy Dzizniruk, Darren Barker, and Matthew Macklin -- and despite he and promoter Lou DiBella complaining about the WBC not honoring their promises, Martinez continues to pay sanctioning fees for their "diamond title." And despite the two complaining about HBO's role in the matter, Martinez continues to fight on HBO.

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Johnny Tapia, who won five world titles in three weight classes during a 23-year pro boxing career, was found dead at his home in Albuquerque on Sunday, May 27. He was 45 years old.

Boxing fans will remember Tapia not just for his energetic, exciting style in the ring, or for his time in the upper echelon of the sport, but also for being one of boxing's most colorful characters -- as well as one of its most tragic. Tapia's entire life was a whirlwind, starting with his father being murdered before he was born and his mother murdered when he was a child, abducted before his very eyes.

At nine, boxing came into his life. And he credited the sport with saving it many times over. He turned pro in 1988, at the age of 21, and in 1994 won his first world title, the WBO super flyweight belt. He defended that title ten times before unifying it with the IBF belt, and he defended those two belts twice more, before moving up to bantamweight in December 1998.

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Nottingham, England

Carl Froch TKO-5 Lucian Bute: In a brutally thrilling effort, Froch lifted the IBF super middleweight title from Bute and ended the Romanian-Canadian's undefeated run in the pros, thrashing him over four-plus rounds in front of a rabid crowd in Nottingham. The fight was never really close -- Bute had but occasional moments, and his slow start out of the gate sealed his fate by the third round, when he was battered around the ring and seemed like he had no idea what to do with the relentlessly aggressive Froch, who was throwing punches at Bute with reckless abandon. This was a true exposure -- not that it means Bute is a bad fighter, but it means that the criticisms were correct.

Still, I think you have to give Bute credit. He showed up here. He went on the road to face a good opponent. He hasn't whined about the loss. I just don't see what's so personally offensive about Lucian Bute. Let me put it this way: He's never talked trash, never paraded around calling out guys. All he's said is "I would fight that man." He took a tough fight and lost. It happens. I've got a lot of respect for the way Bute carries himself. He's got real class. Credit Froch for what he did, because he deserves it. But slagging off Bute as a "bum" gives Froch no credit. If Bute's a bum, then the win doesn't mean a whole lot. Full recap. Froch 29-2 (21), Bute 30-1 (24).

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Earlier this week, it was reported that although their fight was occurring on June 2, Peter Quillin and Winky Wright had both agreed to take USADA testing ahead of their Showtime-televised bout, the featured undercard fight on the Tarver vs Kayode show.

It seemed strange at the time, with such a small window before the fight to get the testing in, but Winky requested the testing, ostensibly due to recent failed tests by Lamont Peterson and Andre Berto under the VADA banner, and Quillin agreed. I said then that I applauded the request by Wright, and the willingness to oblige by Quillin. In my view, this level of testing, whether done by USADA or VADA or Prada, is nothing but good for the sport of boxing. This should be done at the higher levels of boxing, period. Every fight, every commission, every promoter.

Now, however, there's confusion in the Wright camp after USADA took samples from both fighters, but two days after taking blood and urine from Quillin and a day after the same from Wright, USADA contacted Wright's lawyer and said they would not be doing the testing after all, according to MaxBoxing.com's Gabriel Montoya.

Wright says that he requested the already submitted samples be tested, understanding that if it was too close to the fight, then that's just how it is. But USADA then informed Wright's lawyer that the samples had been destroyed.

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Carl Froch left no doubt. Forget the worries of potential dodgy scoring, or Froch's age or lack of hand speed being a problem. Lucian Bute couldn't even get out of the starting blocks today in Nottingham, as a fearless, reckless, determined, and downright overpowering Froch blasted out the previously unbeaten Romanian-Canadian in the fifth round, administering a beating beforehand, to gain a major super middleweight title for the third time.

Froch (29-2, 21 KO) won the first two rounds and stung Bute (30-1, 24 KO) a couple of times, but it was the third round that sealed Bute's fate. As Froch made a mad charge at the defending titlist, Bute seemed to call him on. This turned out to be a terrible idea, as Froch opened up the proverbial can of whoop-ass on Bute, battering him for the remainder of the frame and sending him back to his corner on unsteady legs.

[ Undercard: Frampton Routs Hirales / Cote Stops Lloyd ]

In the fourth, Bute did better, getting his legs back and getting himself back into the fight, but then toward the end of the round, Froch slammed him again, sending him back to his corner with no idea where he was.

In the fifth, it came to a head. Froch came right at Bute and finished the job, wobbling Bute against the ropes. Referee Earl Brown jumped in, seemingly to stop the fight, but instead started to administer a count. Bute's corner entered the ring to save the fighter anyway, as the Froch side had prematurely celebrated. Truthfully, the only argument is that Brown shouldn't have counted. Bute was gone.

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Carl Frampton was, if you listened to the Sky Sports commentators today, facing a double-tough Mexican warrior whose lack of double toughness of warriorness was a stunner. Instead, he was facing a very limited, inexperienced opponent who didn't offer much resistance, and put in a steady if unspectacular performance over 12 rounds, winning on scores of 120-108, 119-109, and 119-109.

[ Round-By-Round Coverage: Bute vs Froch NEXT! ]

To Hirales' credit, he did do that thing where after you've been clearly defeated, you still pretend you think you won. "Yeah, these scores are for me. Yeah. From... Belfast?! WHAT. Oh no. That is not...well. I think...just..." and so on.

After the fight, Frampton's promoter Eddie Hearn and biggest fan Barry McGuigan still went on about Hirales (16-1-1, 8 KO) as if he had done anything over 12 rounds to make anyone think he was any good.

But all that aside, which just amuses me and nothing more (it's nothing unusual, not a big deal), let's talk about the fight.

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Pier Olivier Cote didn't live up to his reputation as a big-time offensive fighter for the first four rounds today in Nottingham against Mark Lloyd, but landed good, clean shots in the fifth round to get the British fighter out of there, scoring two knockdowns before a final charge forced referee Terry O'Connor to call a halt to the action at 2:45 of the round.

[ Live Coverage Continues: Bute vs Froch Round-By-Round ]

Cote (19-0, 13 KO) looked really rusty from the get-go, not like himself at all. He was twitchy, seemed a bit unsure of himself, and just didn't have the accuracy and sharpness we're used to seeing from the 27-year-old prospect. He wasn't that same bomber in the fifth either, but he definitely did the job he was there to do, landing good shots to the body and head with both hands, finishing off a challenger in what mostly amounted to a rust-shedding fight, Cote's first appearance in the ring since November.

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This afternoon starting at 5 p.m. EDT, Bad Left Hook will have live, round-by-round coverage of the IBF super middleweight title fight between Lucian Bute and Carl Froch, live from the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England.

We'll be here for the entire Sky Sports broadcast from the U.K., starting at 5 with a pair of undercard bouts. The U.S. telecast on Epix and streaming live at EpixHD.com does not start until 6 p.m. EDT.

[ Related: Bute vs Froch Preview and Prediction ]

Bute (30-0 24 KO) is taking the biggest risk of his pro career, traveling to the Cobra's backyard to face Froch (28-2, 20 KO) in a high-profile fight, hoping to silence critics who say he's built his record against creampuff opponents at home in Montreal.

Froch is hoping to rebound from his December loss to Andre Ward, and continues what has been the toughest schedule in the sport of boxing since 2008.

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If Timothy Bradley pulls off the big upset over Manny Pacquiao on June 9 in Las Vegas, a rematch is already set for November 10, Bob Arum tells the Manila Bulletin:

"This is the reason why I haven’t talked about any other fight with Manny other than this upcoming fight with Bradley," said Arum.

Arum checked on Bradley’s preparation in the desert city of Indio, California, and was awestruck by Bradley’s confidence level and demeanor.

It can be argued this is a sign that Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO) is definitely not looking past Bradley (28-0, 12 KO), which is a good idea considering Manny's not getting younger or better anymore, and Bradley is an unbeaten athlete in his prime who has nothing to lose with this fight.

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Amir Khan doesn't believe Danny Garcia is truly ready for their July 14 fight, and the outspoken British star even sounds like he might be looking past the WBC junior welterweight titlist a bit, as he eyes a move to 147 pounds and a fight with a major name there later this year.

From the Daily Mail:

"My plan is to move up to 147 and face one of the big names up there. You've got Victor Ortiz, you've got Manny and Mayweather. There are super names there so I'll be in that mix and we'll sit down with Freddie Roach and see what route we're going to take with the big names."

... "Danny Garcia's a young fighter. He's only had 23 fights. He's unbeaten, he's strong, he's got power and he has speed. I think it's a bit early for him to be fighting me but him being a world champion, I think it'll be a good fight as he's never tasted defeat before. He's not coming into the fight just to make up the numbers, he's coming to win the fight."

Actually, Khan (26-2, 18 KO) seems like he can't quite make up his mind how to sell Garcia as an opponent here -- he compliments his power and speed, says he's strong and coming to win, but also says he's not really ready ... which is really a big deal. I mean, all of that other stuff doesn't matter that much if a guy isn't ready, right?

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Timothy Bradley says he's already right around the 147-pound limit for his June 9 fight with Manny Pacquiao, and that he's planning to come in a bit light for his big stage shot at glory:

"I've been training for three months now. I'm on weight. I left the gym at 147-pounds today. I'll probably be coming a little light on the day of the weigh-in, 145 or 144. I'm just eating a little bit more. I feel great, I feel comfortable and I'm ready to deliver."

Bradley (28-0, 12 KO) will be looking to pick up Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title, but of course the title belt isn't really the prize here, it's the chance to face one of boxing's two biggest moneymakers and make himself a superstar if he can pull off the upset.

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