LAS VEGAS –He called himself No. 2 on the Filipino ticket, but Nonito Donaire was No. 1 in the ring Saturday night. As a bantamweight, he is all by himself. A guessing game will soon ensue about how long he will stay at 118 pounds. Bigger things await Donaire.

Within seven minutes, however, General Santos City in The Philippines emerged on the boxing map like no other piece of modern real estate. It is more than Manny Pacquiao’s hometown. Donaire was born there, too.
There must be some punch in the water.

Donaire threw a huge one to stop the accomplished Fernando Montiel in the second round of a bout for two pieces of the bantamweight title. Montiel missed with a right. Donaire countered with a left, which traveled in an orbit-like loop and landed on Montiel’s chin with the impact of a baseball bat.

“I’m very surprised he got up,’’ said Donaire (26-1, 18 KOs), who earned $350,000, $100,000 more than Montiel’s purse.

Montiel (44-3-2, 34 KOs), who lost the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization versions of the title, went down as if he had been dropped onto the canvas from a diving board. The Mexican landed on his back in a flop. His legs twitched one way, then another. His arms and upper body moved, almost as if he were trying to regain control of nerve endings that connected him to consciousness. He did, long enough to get up and onto his feet. He stumbled in a futile attempt to re-gain his balance.

Referee Russell Mora must have thought that he had. Mora signaled for the fight to continue.

It did for a maybe a couple of seconds. Donaire threw a couple of punches that quickly indicated Montiel was defenseless. Mora ended it, calling it a TKO at 2:25 of the second.

But there was nothing technical about a knockout that makes Donaire the world’s best bantamweight, a future contender in the featherweight divisions, a rising factor in the pound-for-pound debate and the second-best fighter from General Santos City.

Mike Jones and Jesus Soto-Karass got it right the second time around.

The controversy of Jones victory by majority decision in November was swept away Saturday night at Mandalay Bay with poise Jones and guts by Soto-Karass.

Jones (24-0, 18 KOs) won another decision. But this one was unanimous on the scorecards and unanimous for its brilliance. Duane Ford scored it 115-113, Robert Hoyle 116-112 and Ricardo Ocasio 117-111, for Jones. The crowd roared in approval for both.

Cuts near each eye in the third seemed to put Soto-Karass (24-6-3, 16 KOs) in early jeopardy. Before the fourth, it looked as if Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer and one of the four ringside physicians were about to stop a bout, scheduled for 12 rounds on a card featured by Nonito Donaire’s second-round stoppage of Fernando Montiel for two pieces of the bantamweight title.

Blood poured from a cut near the outside of Soto-Karass’ left eye. That one was caused by a head butt. There was more blood flowing from another cut near the outside of his right eye. It looked as if a Jones’ punch caused that one. Blood flowed like tears. But Soto-Karass wasn’t crying.

If anything, he appeared energized, emboldened by his wounds. He could taste the sense of urgency. He jumped off his stool and raced at Jones throughout the fourth, gesturing at him as if he were inviting him inside for a closer look at the carnage. Jones played it smart.

He stayed away, backed away, from the dangerous, courageous Soto-Karass. While Soto-Karass saw less and less. Jones could see what was happening. He waited with patience and enough quickness to score with range and precision.

In the ninth, a long Jones punch opened up another cut on the inside of Soto-Karass’ left eye. By then, it was only a matter of time before the end, before Jones celebrated a victory and everybody else celebrated a great fight.

Four hours before Nonito Donaire and Fernando Montiel entered the Mandalay Bay ring, the card began in a chilly and empty arena Saturday with Denver junior-welterweight Mike Alvarado (29-0, 21 KOs) in a bid to restore his chances at being a contender in the crowded 140-pound division after a stretch in jail on a parole violation.

Alvarado, who did time on a domestic violence charge and driving offenses, needed some work. He got four rounds. Alvarado’s tune-up turned into target practice against Englishman Dean Harrison (16-5, 5 KOs), a TKO loser who was left bloodied, beaten and unable to continue after the fourth of a scheduled eight.

The undercard’s best: Welterweight Mark Melligen (21-2, 14 KOs), who had the Filipino flag on his trunks and Filipino fans in his corner, didn’t disappoint his countrymen with a unanimous decision over Mexican Gabriel Martinez (27-2-1, 14 KOs), who staged a ninth-round rally that was too late to save him from a one-sided loss on the scorecards.

The worst: Dallas lightweight Jose Hernandez (10-4-1, 4 KOs) had the fans screaming Si Se Puede, Si Se Puede. Either the judges don’t speak Spanish or they didn’t hear a chant that means Yes We Can, Yes We Can. Hernandez’ bid for an upset of unbeaten Mickey Bey of Cleveland (16-0-1, 8 KOs) fell a few points short. CJ Ross and Glenn Trowbridge scored it even, 76-76, each. Lisa Giampa gave it to Bey, 78-74, for a majority draw booed by a majority of the fans.

The rest: Welterweight prospect Yordenis Ugas (6-0, 3 KOs), a Cuban bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympics, continued his apprenticeship with a unanimous decision over a Sacramento opponent, Carlos Musquez (3-3-4, 3 KOs), who rocked Ugas in the opening round, yet did little throughout the next five.

Philadelphia, PA–Overcoming the loss of his 10-year-old son 12 years ago, Vaughn Jackson, Mike Jones’ trainer, has turned tragedy into inspiration with the help of family, faith and boxing.

Jackson is winding down his training with Jones, who meets Jesus Soto-Karass (a rematch of their Nov. 13 fight, which Jones won by majority decision) on Feb. 19 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and on HBO’s Boxing After Dark.

“It was a devastating loss, the worst feeling a parent can ever have, “said the 41-year-old Jackson, whose first child, Vaughn Welcome Jackson, sustained a fatal vocal cord injury while playing by himself in his room in December, 1998.

“At age 8, he wanted to box, so I took him to Joe Frazier’s gym. We trained together and he built up a 16-0 amateur record,” said a reflective Jackson, who boxed briefly as a teenager but couldn’t dedicate himself to the sport because of the reality of having to work.

“I took a year or so off from going to the gym, but I started to go to church regularly during that time. In 2000, I started to go back to the gym. I thought my son would have wanted me to do and that’s what turned my life around.

“I then started to take another son, who was 9 (Jackson has five children), to the Joe Hand gym on a regular basis and by the time he was 11, he was No. 2 in the country. At that time, I started training three local amateur fighters (Rashiem Jefferson, Saaed Hawkins, Mike Colston). Jefferson and Hawkins made it to the semifinals of the 2004 Olympic Trials.

“I met Mike (Jones) after the trials from a mutual acquaintance, a female boxer, who recommended me as an-up-and-coming trainer. Mike was looking for a new trainer at that time before he turned pro. We knew of each other and when he came to visit me at the gym we hit it off.

“Mike had a lot of natural ability and I liked his style. I wanted to enhance his strengths and work on correcting his faults without taking away from his strengths.”

“My life has really turned around in the last 12 years with the help of my faith and family and being involved in boxing, my passion. But there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of my son Vaughn. He’s my guardian angel who gives me spiritual lifts to this day. And I know he’ll be there on February 19.”

JACKSON ON THE JONES vs. SOTO-KARASS REMATCH

“We want to quiet all of the critics that have doubts in Mike since his first fight with Soto-Karass. Don’t judge a fighter from one off-night. Mike overcame a lot of adversity in that fight and still won. We want to win more clearly this time.”

“Mike made a mistake and he didn’t stick to his game plan. He shot his load in the second round but he believed, as I do, that he did enough to win the fight.”

“We know that Soto-Karass will come out like a raging bull in this fight. I want Mike to gradually break down Soto-Karass and slow him down so that Mike, the matador, will gore the bull and finish him off.”

####

Mike Jones vs. Jesus Soto-Karass rematch, co-promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing Promotions, takes place on Saturday, Feb.19, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The 12-round title fight will be televised live on HBO beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET along with Fernando Montiel defending his bantamweight title against two-division champion Nonito Donaire.

undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones works out in advance of his rematch with Jesus Soto Karass

Philadelphia, PA–Danny Davis, who has been Bernard Hopkins’ strength & conditioning coach for eight years, has been added in that capacity to Mike Jones’ team as Jones, the undefeated welterweight contender from Philadelphia, prepares for his rematch vs. Jesus Soto-Karass on Feb. 19 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

“I push and challenge Mike and bring out the best in him,” said Davis, who credits Hopkins, trainers Freddie Roach and John David Jackson and fitness nutritional specialist Mackie Shilstone as major influences. “Mike’s a hard worker who wants to go to the highest level and never complains about what he’s asked to do. That’s what makes a champion.

“He looks a lot stronger and his conditioning is right there. People will see a difference in Mike in this fight,” added Davis, who has worked with pro football and basketball players and is based at Joe Hand’s Boxing Gym in Philadelphia. “I hope I’m the missing piece to the puzzle. It’s a pleasure to be working with him. I’m blessed each and every day.”

Jones: “Danny has pushed me and has squeezed out of me every ounce of sweat I own in the drills he has put me through. Look at the shape Bernard (Hopkins) was in for his last fight. Staying in shape is a lifestyle that I also believe in, doing the right things in and out of the ring. Look at how long Bernard’s stayed on top. That’s where I want to be.”

“Danny has some great ideas on strength and conditioning that he brings to the team from his experience with B-Hop,” said trainer Vaughn Jackson, who brought Davis aboard three weeks after Jones’ first fight with Soto-Karass last Nov. 13. “Danny brings what he’s done with Bernard to our workouts. He’s put Mike through some strenuous sessions. He also gives me great feedback from Mike’s sparring sessions. He will be my other set of eyes in the corner for the fight with Soto-Karass.”

* * *

Mike Jones vs. Jesus Soto-Karass rematch, co-promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing Promotions, takes place Saturday, Feb. 19, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The 12-round title fight will be televised live on HBO beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET along with Fernando Montiel defending his WBC/WBO world bantamweight title against two-division champion Nonito Donaire.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

Philadelphia, PA–Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) has taken advantage of the snowy conditions in Philadelphia to help prepare for his rematch with Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs) on Feb. 19 at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas.

The Jones vs. Soto-Karass fight is being co-promoted by Top Rank and Peltz Boxing Promotions.

“Shoveling snow at home has been an excellent workout for my arms,” said Jones, who has shoveled a-near-Philadelphia record of 37.8 inches of snow over the 12-13 days that it’s fallen to date this winter.

“I’m glad I stayed home for training this time (Jones has gone away for training for his fights over the last two years). I focus better. I don’t drink, smoke or go out so there’s no problem with distractions at home. It’s soothing being home.

“Plus, the snow workouts have made me stronger.”

Jones, rated No. 2 by the WBO, No. 3 by the WBA, No. 3 by the IBF and No. 4 by the WBC, won a majority 10-round decision over Soto-Karass in their first fight Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX, to retain his NABO and NABA welterweight titles while winning the WBC Continental Americas belt.

The Jones-Soto-Karass fight, this time scheduled for 12 rounds, opens the 9:45 pm (EST) HBO telecast prior to a title fight featuring world bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel defending his title against two-division champion Nonito Donaire.

LAS VEGAS, NEV (December 17, 2010) – Las Vegas hosts its first world title fight of 2011 when World Bantamweight Champion FERNANDO “Cochulito” MONTIEL defends his title against two-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE, in the latest chapter of the storied México-Philippines rivalry, Saturday, February 19, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions, the Montiel-Donaire world title tilt will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast.) The broadcast will open with undefeated NABO/NABA/WBC Continental Americas welterweight champion MIKE JONES defending his titles against Top-10 contender JESUS SOTO-KARASS in a rematch of their exciting battle which took place on November 13 under the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito pay-per-view extravaganza.

Looking for a great last-minute Christmas gift? Yule love this! Tickets to Montiel vs. Donaire, priced at $250, $125, $50 and $25, not including applicable service charges, go on-sale Next Thursday! December 23, at Noon PT. They can be purchased at all Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Mandalay Bay at (877) 632-7400 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs), of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México, is only the fourth Méxican fighter to win world titles in three different weight divisions, joining Hall of Famer-elect Julio César Chávez and future Hall of Fame inductees Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Undefeated since 2006, eight of Montiel’s last ten victories (eight were world title fights) have been by stoppage.

Donaire (25-1, 17 KOs), a native of General Santos City, Philippines, now living in the Bay Area of San Leandro, Calif., is a consensus top-10 pound for pound fighter. He enters this fight riding a nine-year, 24-bout winning streak, which includes an IBF/IBO flyweight title knockout victory of defending champion Vic Darchinyan, and a fourth-round blasting of former WBA bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidorenko in his last fight on December 4.Nine of Donaire’s last 10 victories have come by way of knockout.

Co-promoted by Peltz Boxing, Jones and Soto-Karass return for an immediate rematch of their November 13 brawl. After Jones decked Soto-Karass in the second round, Soto-Karass came back to almost pull out the victory in a fight most ringside fans and media thought could have gone either way. In fact, Jones’ second-round knockdown of Soto-Karass provided Jones the one-point margin for a razor-thin majority decision victory instead of a Draw. The judges’ scores were 95-94, 97-93 and 94-94.

Jones (23-0, 18 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA., has been attracting rabid fans to his fights in the friendly confines of Atlantic City and Philadelphia. He took on his biggest challenge on the biggest stage he has ever fought on when he tangled with Soto-Karass, successfully defending his titles and adding the vacant WBC Continental Americas welterweight title. Considered one of the hottest prospects in boxing, six of his last nine victories have come by knockout. Victories over Brazilian strongman Juliano Ramos, Henry Bruseles, ending his five-year winning streak, Hector Muñoz and Irving Garcia, have catapulted Jones to the top of the WBA welterweight ratings. He’s also rated No. 2 by the WBO, No. 3 by the IBF and No. 4 by the WBC.

Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs), of Los Mochis, México, boasts an impressive 13-2-2 (one No Contest) record, over his past 18 fights, dating back to 2005. The only other blemish was a sixth-round technical loss to Alfonso Gomez last year. Highlights of that period include knockout victories of former world champion Vince Phillips and undefeated contender Michael Rosales in WBC Continental Americas welterweight title fights in 2006 and contender David Estrada for the vacant NABF welterweight championship in 2008. He is currently world-rated No. 8 by the WBC.

Doors will open at 4:00 p.m. PT with the first bell at 4:30 p.m. PT. The HBO-televised fights will begin at 6:45 p.m. PT.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

ARLINGTON, Tex. – Manny Pacquiao’s congregation wore T-shirts that said it all. Say it all.

Manny Knows

Does he ever.

There’s never a hint of doubt in that enigmatic smile and child-like eyes. Pacquiao never doubts. He just believes and on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium he crushed those doubts and Antonio Margarito with hands that deliver an unrivalled mix of speed and power.

Questions about Pacquiao’s commitment and priorities were everywhere and building for weeks before he would challenge for an unprecedented eighth title, junior middleweight, at a catch weight. He was said to be more of a politician than a puncher since his election to the Filipino Congress. The guessing game was that he wanted a political title more than a boxing one. When he isn’t in the ring, maybe he does.

But at opening bell, this Congressman is still the pound-for-pound champion.

Margarito never had a chance in losing a decision. It was more than unanimous. It was one-sided. Judge Jurgen Langos scored it 120-108. It was 118-100 on Glen Crocker’s card. Oren Schellenbruger had it 119-109. On the 15 Rounds card, Margarito won only one round, the eighth, out of the scheduled 12. Even that one might qualify as a gift to the gutsy Margarito, who withstood a blinding succession of combinations and was clearly finished after the ninth.

“He is a tough fighter,’’ said Pacquiao, (52-3-2, 38 KOs), who said he was hurt by body punch along the ropes in the sixth.

But he is a slow fighter.

That became oh-so-evident quickly.

Seconds after the opening bell, Pacquiao was more effective with a consistent jab and an accurate right that began to expose Margarito’s ponderous lack of speed.

Pacquiao’s right landed, landed and landed in the first round. There it was again in the second, even in the face of a more aggressive Margarito, who landed an uppercut that served as an early warning and a powerful reminder that standing still was a one-way ticket to defeat for the Filipino.

Suddenly, a crowd announced at 41,734 began to witness answers to questions about Pacquiao had done the roadwork. He had. From round-to-round, Margarito moved forward. He knows no other way.

Through at least seven rounds, Pacquiao darted out of the corner, off the ropes, around Margarito as he landed a bewildering array of punches off-balance and always on the fly.

“He is the fastest fighter of our era,’’ Margarito trainer Robert Garcia said. “We’ve never seen anything like him.’’

In the later rounds, Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) had trouble seeing at all.

In the third round, Pacquiao opened up a cut below Margarito’s right eye with an uppercut. With each round, the swelling grew and it looked as if it began to affect Margarito’s vision. By the 11th, even Pacquaio was concerned. He turned and seemed to ask referee Laurence Cole to stop it.

“My opponent looked bad,’’ Pacquiao said. “I didn’t want to damage him permanently.’’

But damage might have been done to Margarito’s future as fighter. At least, Roach thought so.

Margarito, Roach said, has “the worst corner.’’ Garcia, he said, should have stopped the fight to save Margarito’s career. But Margarito would not quit and said so in the ring after it was over. His pride, his Mexican heritage, would not permit surrender, he said. Still, there was no chance at victory either.

Magarito came into the ring just three pounds lighter than a super-middleweight and 17 pounds heavier than Pacquiao, who at 148 pounds was just one heavier than a welterweight.

Margarito gained 15 pounds between weigh-in and opening bell. He grabbed the water bottle after stepping off the official scale Friday and must have kept room service busy with orders for pasta, more pasta, for the next few hours.

But the early issue involved something that isn’t on any menu. Ephedra, a stimulant, is illegal. Roach suggested that Margarito might have been sprinkling it onto that pasta, or spiking his breakfast cup of coffee with the stuff.

In the end, neither the pounds nor ephedra, not anything else mattered.

But like the T-shirt said Pacquiao already knew that.

A good, sometimes great fight, unfolded while laptops at ringside were abuzz with tweets about a locker room debate initiated by Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, who asked that Antonio Margarito undergo drug testing for ephedra, an illegal stimulant.

It wasn’t clear who was winning in the locker room.

It also wasn’t clear who was winning in the ring between Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones (23-0, 18 KOs) and Mexican Jesus Soto-Karass (24-5-3, 16 KOs). In the end, Jones got the nod, a 12-round majority decision, over Soto-Karass.

Jones and Karass brought the crowd to its feet with a toe-to-toe, free-swinging exchange in the second. Jones won the round. For awhile, however, it looked as if had lost the fight. He nearly exhausted himself and Soto-Karass capitalized with stubborn aggressiveness and body shots followed by head-rocking right hands. Judge Serio Caiz scored it 97-93 for Jones. Jones won, 95-94, on Levi Martinez’ card. Gale Van Hoy scored it 94-94, leaving Soto-Karass with a tough loss to go along with bloody cuts near both eyes.

Guillermo Rigondeaux (7-0, 5 KOs), an Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, won a fight, but no fans. They had a new way to spell his name, as in Rigondull.

That’s what his split decision over Panamanian Ricardo Cordoba (37-3-2, 23 KOs) for a World Boxing Association interim junior-featherweight title was: Dull, dull and duller. Did we forget to say dull?

The only cheers were for legendary Roberto Duran, who accompanied Cordoba into the ring. After that, there were yawns, then boos and even the wave, which might have been the most derisive gesture from bored fans awaiting Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.

For awhile, it sounded as if the restless crowd was watching the Cowboys, who have yet to win a game this NFL season on the home turf beneath the ring.

Rigondeaux escaped with a victory, in part because Cordoba went down on to a knee in the fourth from an apparent body shot. The Cuban won 117-109 on one judge’s card and 114-112 on a second. The third judge scored it 114-112 for Cordoba.

For the first time in days, there were cheers for Brandon Rios, who had been booed for mocking Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s symptoms in a controversial video.

Rios was booed at Friday’s weigh-in.

He was booed when he walked to the ring Saturday for the first fight on the HBO pay-per-view telecast that featured Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito. And booed when he stepped through the ropes. And when he was introduced.

The cheers came later, after Rios (26-0-1, 19 KOs), a super-lightweight from Oxnard, Calif., was declared the winner by TKO over Omri Lowther (14-3, 10 KOs) of Valdosta, Ga.

Rios cut off the ring, cut off every avenue of escape and began to subject Lowther to a withering succession of body punches. In the fifth, a few well-placed head shots brought about the inevitable end for an exhausted Lowther.

An Antonio Margarito sparring partner was beaten up in the gym and beaten Saturday night on the card’s opening bout.

Los Angeles welterweight Rashad Holloway (11-2-2, 5 KOs) lost an unanimous decision to Dennis Laurente (35-3-4, 17 KOs), one of Manny Pacquiao’s fellow Filipinos.

Fellow Filipinos already in their seats at Cowboys Stadium probably hoped that was a good sign for their revered Congressman in a main event scheduled to start six hours after the opener. For Margarito fans, it might have been a sign of what they hope he will do to Pacquiao.

Margarito reportedly hurt Holloway in sparring. One of his injuries was reported to be a dislocated eye socket. Holloway never had a chance against Laurente, who won seven of eight rounds on one card, six on another and five on the third.

In the second bout, Mexican super-lightweight Oscar Meza (20-4, 17 KOs) left no questions, scoring a knockdown in the fourth and final round for a unanimous decision over Jose Hernandez (10-3, 4 KOs) of Dallas.

There were some questions in the third fight. Filipino flyweight Richie Mepranum (17-3-1, 3 KOs) got the favorable answer, an eight-round split decision over Anthony Villareal (10-4, 6 KOs), of Perris, Calif.

Phoenix prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. (9-0, 9 KOs) knocked fellow super-lightweight Winston Mathis (6-3, 2 KOs) of Stockbridge, Ga., down and around, but never much sense into him.

After scoring two knockdowns in the first round, Benavidez sent Mathis up and back onto his heels with a looping right that landed with the impact of bat onto a fastball. Referee Neal Young looked into the hazy daze of Mathis’ eyes. What he saw was obvious: The end.

Young stopped it at 2:24 of the third. But the stoppage angered Mathis, who for a moment raised his hands and ran at Young as if he had decided to continue the fight against a different opponent. Mathis lost that one, too

Notre Dame graduate Mike Lee did to Keith Debow what the Irish used to do to Navy. He mauled him. Lucky for Debow, this one didn’t last four quarters.

It was over at 1:33 of the first round.

Lee’s report record as a light-heavyweight remained perfect (3-0) with his second knockout, which came about as a result of big right hand followed by several more against defenseless Debow (0-3-1), a St. Louis who leaned on a neutral ring post as though it if it were the only thing keeping him up and in the ring.

First-round stoppages began to become a theme in the next bout, the sixth on a card scheduled for 11. Dallas featherweight Robert Marroquin (17-0, 13 KOs) scored the encore, knocking down Mexican Francisco Dominguez (8-8, 7 KOs) twice within 87 seconds for a TKO victory at 1:27 of the first.

It was a swing fight. For super-featherweights Angel Rodriguez (6-4-2, 4 KOs) of Houston and Juan Martin Elorde (11-1, 4 KOs) of the Philippines, it was swing and mostly miss through flour erratic rounds. Rodriguez missed less often Elorde. He scored a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Filipino.

Photo By Cgris Farina / Top Rank

Undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones works out for his showdown with Jesus Soto Karass on the Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito card

Watch Mike Jones Workout in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Undefeated Mike Jones talks about his showdown with Jesus Soto Karass on the Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito card

Watch Mike Jones Interview in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Fairless Hills, PA–Undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones, of Philadelphia, PA, opened up his training camp at the 10th Round Gym in Fairless Hills, PA, last week in preparation for his Nov. 13 fight with Jesus Soto-Karass at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.

The Jones vs. Soto-Karass fight opens up the pay-per-view telecast that night on a card which features Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title in the main event.

Among Jones’ sparring partners are fellow-Philadelphians Gabriel Rosado and Raymond Serrano. Rosado (14-5, 8 K0s) is on the verge of his own world ranking at junior middleweight while Serrano (13-0, 6 K0s) is quietly moving up through the welterweight division.

Jones also has been working with unbeaten junior welterweight Ronald Cruz (9-0, 6 K0s), of Bethlehem, PA.

A pro since 2005, the 27-year-old Jones is ranked between No. 2 and No. 4 by all four major world sanctioning bodies. At stake in this scheduled 10-rounder will be Jones’ NABA and NABO welterweight belts.
“I am taking time off from my job (forklift operator at Home Depot in Cherry Hill, NJ) to concentrate on my boxing career,” Jones said. “This is a big fight for me. Soto-Karass is not a pushover and I need to be fully prepared—as usual—for this match. It’s a whole new stage for me and I need to be focused 100 percent.”

Other major fights on the PPV card include: Kelly Pavlik, of Youngstown, OH, vs. Bryan Vera, of Austin, TX, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Guillermo Rigondeaux, of Miami, FL, vs. Ricardo Cordoba, of San Miguelito, Panama, 12 rounds, super bantamweights.

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

BOB ARUM: Top Rank has a reputation of developing its fighters from scratch, from its earliest fight onward and we don’t usually co-promote a fighter with anyone. But we’ve know Russell Peltz for many years and Russell is a true boxing promoter, who knows what he’s doing as witnessed by the tremendous job he’s done developing Mike Jones to where Mike is one of the rising prospects in boxing on the cusp of becoming a star in the sport. When we looked at Mike we saw a fine young man who had great ability who believed we could help Russell develop him on the next stage against the elite fighters in the sport. We are so proud and happy to be aligned in this venture with Russell Peltz, who has developed more fighters in the Philadelphia area than the Phillies have pitchers and they have a lot of great pitchers and Russell has developed so many.

RUSSELL PELTZ: Bob, I’ve known you for 36 years and I think you’ve known me longer than you’ve known anybody in boxing with the possible exception of Don Chargin.

BOB ARUM: I think it’s about the same time.

RUSSELL PELTZ: I think Mike is probably the best prospect to come out of Philly since maybe Bernard Hopkins. His management came to me a couple years ago asking to please use Mike Jones on a show, who I had never heard of. I put Mike with a New York Golden Gloves champion named Jason Thompson who was undefeated and after Mike knock him out I was deluged with calls from out of town asking who this kid was. I figured I had something and now he is ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and Top Rank has an entrée with most of the top 147-pounders in the world and it can be a good working relationship. For Mike to have a chance to fight in Cowboys Stadium, and we did have an offer to go to England to fight Kell Brook and probably for more money but this is a better stage for him, and we are all looking forward to this.

BRUCE TRAMPLER: At Top Rank we make it a practice to track the careers of up and coming fighters from around the country and always looking to get involved with the best young fighters. When Russell started telling me about Mike Jones a couple years ago our ears perked up because Russell doesn’t get high on too many guys. We had an opportunity to put Mike on a couple of shows we did in conjunction with Russell this year. He beat Bruseles in a fight I thought gave Mike a lot of experience and a kid in Albuquerque, Hector Muñoz, and he’s fought since and we agree with Russell. He’s got everything it takes. He’s got a great body for a welterweight; very good boxing skills and you can see the improvement in each fight. He could be the face of Philadelphia boxing and we are very thrilled to be involved with him.

BOB ARUM: Everyone knows about this storm coming out of Philadelphia and we are proud to have him on this card in Cowboys Stadium on November 13, so speak for your self now Mike.

MIKE JONES: Thank you and I’m happy to be on board. I am honored to be called one of the best prospects since Bernard Hopkins. I am honored to be on the November 13 card against Jesus Soto-Karass and I’m a work in progress. I get better in each and every fight and I will be one of the best out there. I’m in the gym every day trying my hardest in the gym and giving my best in each and every fight.

Can you tell me your familiarity of history of Philly boxing?

MIKE JONES: I grew up in Joe Frazier’s gym so I know about Joe Frazier and some of the fighters that came from there. But I really wasn’t a boxing fan growing up – I played basketball. Some friends brought me to the gym and I am learning a lot now. I know there were a lot of great fighters in Philly, but I don’t know too much about the history.

RUSSELL PELTZ: I try to twist Mike’s arm to get him to look at some old tapes but he’s got a full plate with two young daughters and he still holds down a part time job and he likes to train 24 hours a day but I know he watched a tape the other day of Price Charles Williams beating Bobby Czyz for the title. I am trying to get Mike to use his jab more and that was a fight Prince Charles won with just his left hand.

What about the part-time job and the kids and training?

MIKE JONES: As of right now, I left the job alone to give 100% to boxing, so I have been training basically all day long. I gave the job up at Home Depot shortly before my last fight.

Why did you think the undercard should be so stacked for this fight?

BOB ARUM: We always try to do a good undercard. Sometimes fights that we think are going to turn out to be really great, don’t, like that Castillo-Gomez fight that we had on March 13, which surprised us that it was not that good. We always aim to do what we can to make a strong undercard and in this case we put together something that I am confident that it will absolutely be great I addition to Mike, Rigondeaux is in a title fight in his seventh professional fight. A lot of people say he is the equal or not better than Gamboa. Then there is Kelly Pavlik who is trying to right himself with this fight that he has against Brian Vera. So it is a very interesting undercard. Even the off-TV card is stacked with great prospects and interesting fights.

Is there an urgency to have your fighters showcased?

BOB ARUM: The difficulty with working with another promoter on a big fight is they ask spots on the televised undercard and because they re a co-promoter they are entitled to it. Therefore it is not always possible to present the best possible undercard dealing in a situation like that.

Mike, how do you see this opportunity?

MIKE JONES: This fight means everything to me right now. It will be watched by millions of people around the world and I am going to try my best so I can be looked at as one of the best out there.

BOB ARUM: Todd is over in Europe right now at Sportel and he has said the interest from TV from around the world is immense. It will probably be the biggest coverage we have had in years.

RUSSELL PELTZ: We talked about going to England and because of the lack of exposure and if Mike wins, which is Kell Brook and if he loses he is in a hole. It wasn’t even the money; it was just the opportunity to fight on this show that made the difference.

BOB ARUM: It may even be more advantageous if Mike fought Brook, to do the fight here in the states.

MIKE JONES: I haven’t thought about the crowd too much or how big the stadium is. I feel like I have always proven myself and it always feels like I have a lot of pressure on my anyway. The bigger the crowd, the more relaxed I get.

Where does the pressure come from?

MIKE JONES: The pressure from within. To be great is my calling. The pressure builds up inside and releases in the fight.

What would you like to work on to become a complete fighter?

MIKE JONES: I have an excellent jab and I barely use it. I could control a whole fight with the jab. I need to get it out there more. And I need to use the power jab. I use it as a range finder, a pity-pat, but I need to use that and it will be a lot better as a weapon.

What about your power?

MIKE JONES: Well, it is deceptive power right now. My style right now is to box and move and counter-punch. I feel I have both. I can box and move around or I can get a guy out of there as well. But I can use both.

What kind of fight do you expect?

MIKE JONES: I have seen tapes of him and I expect a tough fight. He reminds me of a baby Antonio Margarito. He comes straightforward and throws a lot of punches and works the left side a lot. I expect for him to come out and give it his all.

RUSSELL PELTZ: I have been on Mike’s back a lot lately explaining to him that with all the talent he has and to use the jab. When Mike was an amateur and everything that Joe taught him was power. Everything was hard and everything was heavy. He said when he left Frazer and went to Vaughn Jackson he became more of a boxer. He thought maybe he shouldn’t have completely disbanded the power game that Joe taught him and that he should revisit it. Use the jab as a straight left. With his size and ability if he starts developing that jab, he can control the whole Soto-Karass fight in my opinion just by letting that thing go out there and really snapping it. Chandler has a jab like that and this is the closest fighter I can find to Mike Jones.

Were you frustrated not getting the TV exposure?

MIKE JONES: I wasn’t frustrated at all. I just get ready for fights. Russell worries about that and he can make it happen one way or another with Bob Arum.

How soon do you expect to challenge for a world title?

MIKE JONES: Very soon. Given the opportunity. I definitely am going want to win this fight, no respect to Soto-Karass. But I come to win this fight and after that maybe I can get a piece of a title.

RUSSELL PELTZ: Mike became a cause-celebre because everyone found out that for some reason, Russell Peltz couldn’t get Mike Jones on ESPN. So people said who is this kid from Philly that keeps winning and is getting blackballed or shutout from TV, and it helped him. We turned a negative situation into a winning situation. I didn’t want television people telling me who Mike Jones could fight. They weren’t going to dictate Mike’s career path.

BOB ARUM: Remember the guy who no one would put on television and nobody would give a title shot to turned out to be one of the greatest middleweights of all time, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. This happens in boxing and the one thing we pride ourselves on at Top Rank if for any reason a network won’t buy a fight with one of our fighters, we do the fight ourselves. You cannot be beholden to the television networks because if you are you do a disservice to your fighter.

What was your job at Home Depot?

MIKE JONES: I was a forklift operator. My daughter’s ages are 6 and 4.

You said the last fight you wanted to step it up and get your guy out of there, so what is it for this fight?

MIKE JONES: I want to control the fight with the jab and I want to counter-punch and I want to move. I know he can’t fight a mover.

You thought you could knock Berto out, are you disappointed the fight did not come about?

MIKE JONES: A little bit, but I take what I can get. This fight here is not an easy fight. I am fighting a great fighter in Jesus Soto-Karass and this will be one of my greatest days yet. It is a great opportunity for me.

Bob, will it be easier to put the promotion together at Cowboys Stadium the second time around?

BOB ARUM: We learned a lot from the last time obviously. One of the things we learned was pricing tickets because we have so many seats there we can offer people the opportunity to see the fight for $50. People say you will be far away but you have one of the greatest screens, the greatest high definition screen in the world. You see it in high definition and you are there in the arena and no matter how far away you are sitting you can watch the fight closely on that big screen. It makes for a great experience. We are marketing the fights differently because of Margarito. We are reaching out more to the Hispanic community because last time we didn’t have a Hispanic main event and we are very bullish about the buzz that is taking over in North Texas and we know we are going to do more than the 51,000 we did before and how much more we will see. For us as boxing promoters working together with this Cowboy organization is a great experience. They are really a professional operation and too bad none of them can play quarterback because maybe the team would do better but they are really terrific people.

How much do you talk to Jerry Jones?

BOB ARUM: I keep away because he knows I am a crazy Giants fan and he tolerates that but with them losing and the Giants starting to look good I don’t think I am going to talk football with him until we finish this event.

Where do you see Mike fitting in the welterweight division?

BOB ARUM: The welterweight division is very strong. Even thought he is fighting this at junior middleweight, Manny is now a natural welterweight and where Manny is that’s where the money is. And Mayweather is a natural welterweight and he brings a lot of excitement and money to the table. Then there are guys like Berto and Williams who may still be a welterweight and other guys who make it a strong division that can give the public very strong and interesting matches. I know that HBO and Showtime have expressed a big interest in Mike and once we have the attention of the two premium networks, we can explain to a British promoter that the money is better fighting in the USA than fighting over in England. That’s why we are very excited because Frank Warren offered the Brook fight to Russell and Russell turned it down. I think with this exposure that Mike is going to get, I know that we can do some big, big fights on either of those premium networks.

Mike, who would you say is the top welterweight?

MIKE JONES: Manny Pacquiao. I would match up pretty well against him. I know Pacquiao is pretty fast and moves a lot but I am fast too and I am much taller than him. I could jab him and I could get him too.

How far away is he from a fight like that?

RUSSELL PELTZ: I consider this a major fight. Every fight from here on, he could fight Berto, the Selcuk Aydin, he could fight Ionut Dan. Everything is riding on this fight in Dallas. The way he is looking in the gym and they way he is talking and thinking right now I think he is starting to fill in all the loose ends and I think 2011…remember 2009 was a wasted year for us. Pullouts, injuries, it was like the year didn’t even happen. I think 2011 is going to be his year and title…it’s about money and I envision him making a lot of money for himself regardless of who he is fighting and somewhere along the way he will fight for a world title.

Would Miguel Cotto fit in the welterweight group?

BOB ARUM: There is no question that Miguel Cotto fits into every situation. In addition to Miguel being a great welterweight and a big crowd pleaser, Miguel Cotto brings in the people and that certainly is a big possibility. I can’t get a Berto to step up and fight a Mike Jones because his management wants to do the safe-risk thing and as long as HBO is paying him the money to do that, he’ll continue to do it. But Miguel Cotto fights for Top Rank and Miguel Cotto will be at the fight on November 13 and that is surely a possibility. We have to get Mike some more exposure, which we will. Then I can see him going in with a Cotto, going in with a Manny Pacquiao. All these guys are looking for dance partners and all these guys are really athletes and they want to be involved in competitive fights and not walkovers.

Mike, where does the work ethic come from?

MIKE JONES: I have always been like that, ever since I was a kid. It’s just what I like to do. I work as hard as I can to get the best out of me and that carries over into boxing.

What about having a team that has been together for a while?

MIKE JONES: Ever since day one and I don’t need any distractions in this point in my career and I have been with these guys ever since I started. We all get along and we are looking forward to bigger and better things.

BOB ARUM: This has been a very informative call. We are going to have a media day and a workout on the 27th in Los Angeles at the Wild Card Gym and on the 28th media and workout for Margarito at the Fortune Gym in LA and that should be very interesting and we are going to do a press event that week in Houston, TX where Rigondeaux trains with Ronnie Shields and Mike Lee, the Notre Dame boxing champion who trains with Ronnie also. There is a lot of activity as we go into the home stretch. And on the 23rd will be the first installment of the 24/7, which the guys at HBO are telling me it, is the best they have ever done. It is one month to go and down the home stretch and I want to than everyone for being on the call.

************************************

Mike Jones (22-0, 18 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA., currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC and the IBF, will defend his NABA/NABO welterweight titles against Jesus Soto-Karass (24-4-3, 16 KOs), of Los Mochis, México. Soto-Karass is the WBC’s No. 7-rated welterweight contender. Jones vs. Soto-Karass will open the Pacquiao vs, Margarito HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cowboys Stadium, MP Promotions and Tecate, PACQUIAO vs. MARGARITO will take place Saturday, November 13 in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. The $1.2 billion stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Pacquiao vs. Margarito will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Margarito are priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, and can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.

HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning all-access series “24/7” premieres an all new edition when “24/7 Pacquiao/Margarito” debuts Saturday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the super welterweight championship showdown in Texas.

For Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com or www.toprank.com .

It is the indispensable medium. Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya need television as much as Bill O’Reilly needs to shout into the cameras. But it is also a dilemma for young fighters impatient to get onto that rich stage as quickly as possible. Mike Jones is about to step through those ropes and into that light, which can be as unforgiving as it is bright.

That Jones has yet to do so can be viewed through a prism that casts a varied spectrum of interpretation. Prospects with less experience, a lesser record and a lot less potential have already been there. Fair or not, Jones has been waiting his turn, which finally comes on Nov. 13 beneath a screen that enriches as much as it exposes at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

The wait, however, represents another opportunity, one which has been swept aside in the headlong rush to cash in before dues have to be paid. Jones, a Philadelphia welterweight who faces Jesus Soto-Karass on the HBO telecast of Manny Pacquiao-versus-Antonio Margarito, has served an apprenticeship. That’s a quaint notion, I know. Maybe, it’s even been forgotten. But forgotten fundamentals are a sure way to foreclosure.

While listening to Jones, promoter J Russell Peltz, Arum and Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler on a conference call Wednesday, I couldn’t help but think that Jones hasn’t been allowed to forget lessons presented, reviewed and repeated at the rhythm and rate of a speed bag over the course of his 22-fight resume (22-0, 18 KOs).

A negative turned into a positive, Peltz said of Jones’ classroom away from HDTV’s defining portrayal.

“You can’t be beholden to the television networks,’’ Arum said. “If you are, you’re doing a disservice to your fighter.’’

More than a disservice.

It is irresponsible to both fighter and fan to push a prospect in front of the HBO cameras before he has a chance to discover whether he really wants to enter the crosshairs in pursuit of a living. Too many have. I still recall a former heavyweight, Danell Nicholson, saying that he wanted to be famous. Nicholson never said he wanted to be a fighter. Fame was his only objective. But it’s not a commodity. You can’t pick up a couple of pounds of it at the corner store

It was as if Nicholson had calculated that boxing was the quickest way to claim his share. But dangerous punches can get in the way of fame, money and common sense. A willingness to take those punches, endure them and counter them is the priority. Fame or money is the windfall, but it is only there if the prospect discovers that he likes to fight — first, foremost and mostly for himself. The cameras are incidental, almost like that windfall.

Among other things, Jones has had a chance to discover that, yeah, that willingness is within him like a heartbeat. Throughout his apprenticeship, he supported two daughters, aged four and six, with a day job at Home Depot. It would have been easy, even understandable, if he had decided to punch-in, punch-out and forget about punches at the gym.

But he didn’t. In the gym and away from the cameras, Jones, who has been compared to Thomas Hearns, learned that the brutal trade was his trade. He’s still learning and re-applying some of the fundamentals, including a more effective jab. He calls himself “a work in progress.’’ But it doesn’t sound as if there any doubts or looming identity crisis about where that progress is headed.

HBO is just a natural step in the progression.

NOTES, QUOTES
· Pacquiao fans must be getting nervous. According to reports from the respective camps, Margarito’s has been single-minded and his work uninterrupted. Meanwhile, Pacquiao has suffered from the flu and a slight foot injury. It might not matter; Pacquiao might win as expected. In the long wake of hand-wrap controversy in a loss Shane Mosley in January, 2009, however, Margarito has much to prove, He is armed with motivation to redeem himself. That’s powerful. Meanwhile, Pacquiao has a new career as a Filipino Congressman and an opponent not named Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

· More Margarito motivation: Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Margarito has a bet with clothing manufacturer Affliction. He will wear the company’s T-shirt during HBO’s 24/7 series and into the ring. If he loses, he’ll only have the shirt. If he upset Pacquiao, he’ll win a renewal of his endorsement deal. It’ll be worth five figures.

· Two more reasons to forget about the heavyweight division are on the schedule, first Friday and then Saturday. Antonio Tarver is old enough for a cinematic rematch against Sylvester Stallone. Yet, he will make his heavyweight debut on ShoBox against Nagy Aquilera in Miami, Okla. On Saturday, Shannon Briggs faces Vitali Klitschko in Hamburg, Germany. Tarver, an insightful commentator for Showtime, and Briggs are personable. They’re great talkers. If only they could have talked their way out of these fights.

Undefeated Welterweight Mike Jones talks about his November 13th fight with Jesus Soto Karass on the Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito Undercard

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