Taking A Field Trip To Canada For Chad Dawson Vs. Jean Pascal » Chad Dawson-Jean Pascal on Saturday is about as meaningful a bout as there is on the 2010 schedule. It offers Dawson, a strong contender for the best young American fighter there is today, and Pascal, a Canadian all-action highlight reel who very well could defeat Dawson. It’s being staged in the biggest city in Quebec, where they root loudly for their Canadian fighters but where the classy fans appreciate good performances by all. And it offers something that’s rarer than it should be: a chance to crown an honest-to-God, real division champion, in this case, the light heavyweight division… Tim Starks, queensberry-rules.com

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Deal Is Near To Bring Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito Fight To Cowboys Stadium » Apparently Manny Pacquiao hopes to make it back-to-back bouts at Cowboys Stadium. And if promoter Bob Arum is correct, the crowd for a Nov. 13 fight against Antonio Margarito would dwarf the 50,994 that watched Pacquiao easily handle Joshua Clottey in March… BARRY HORN, www.dallasnews.com

What Does Zab Judah Have Left? » Once upon a time welterweight southpaw Zab Judah was considered to be a future all-time great. While the 32-year old Judah, 38-6, 26 KO’s, has managed to capture a few title straps he has never lived up the his hype. Judah has not a had a major fight since his 2008 loss to Joshua Clottey but is hoping that a win over rugged veteran Jos Armando Cruz, 28-4, 17 KO’s, on ESPN Friday Night Fights will give his career a boost… Source: www.onlinesportshandicapping.com

Foreman Family Brings Boxing To East Texas » MARSHALL, TEXAS (KLTV) – Two time heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman is bringing boxing back to East Texas. • And there will be a Foreman in the ring… Coleman Swierc, www.kltv.com

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Luis Abregu Will Be Bigger, Tougher Foe » The situation is fluid and Timothy Bradley is willing to swim in either direction – junior welterweight, where he is titled, and welterweight, where the big money beckons. • He just doesn’t want to tread water… Michael Katz, www.gamingtoday.com

Judah photo by Lemlerphoto.com

Clottey Set To Face Mosley » Welterweight challenger Joshua Clottey of Accra, Ghana, will train in Las Vegas at the Top Rank gym for his upcoming bout against Sugar Shane Mosley… Source: www.fightnews.com

Mayweather Not A PPV Draw? Not According To Floyd » If anyone is tired of hearing that they aren’t a good pay-per-view draw, it’s Floyd Mayweather Jr…. Marcus Henry, www.newsday.com

Pacquiao Overrules Roach: Trainer Has No Choice But Join Baguio Camp » Manny Pacquiao is bringing Freddie Roach to the country whether he likes it or not… Source: Manila Bulletin

Many of you saw the great photo by Howard Schatz in Sports Illustrated after the Cotto/Clottey bout at Madison Square Garden last month. Howard is pleased to share with you more photos from that classic fight. See gallery here »

To view many other photos already created for the Boxing Book, we invite you to visit: http://www.howardschatz.com/index.php?gallery=BOXING::2::1

Welcome to “Gloves Off”, where you will read only the truth about boxing here. At least the truth the way I see it and more importantly, the way I hear it from the boxers, the sport’s shotcallers, boxing insiders who go on record and the occasional paying fan who in his own way supports the financial purses at both the big PPV events and the local club scene. Any press release passing as an interview will be duly noted. Any boxing writer, website, or fans’ outpost will be called out for praise or as is sadly often the case, stretching the truth in lieu of THE TRUTH. I spent two years working with Joe Pistone, the real life “Donnie Brasco”, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the film. There I learned the truth has three sides: yours, mine, and the ABSOLUTE TRUTH (and the truth about “Donnie Brasco” was that Al Pacino’s character, Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggerio may have been “whacked” in the film, but was healthy enough in real life to attend the film’s premiere in February, 1997.) Read more »

(Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

» Tickets «

WBO Champ Miguel Cotto Won’t Cry Uncle Vs. IBF Champ Joshua Clottey » WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto will meet IBF champ Joshua Clottey in a title unification match at Madison Square Garden on June 13. It will be the fourth time in five years that Cotto has fought at the Garden on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade… TIM SMITH, www.nydailynews.com

Is Clottey Catching Cotto At Just The Right Time? » Miguel Cotto’s rumble with his uncle Evangelista sounded a heckuva lot more interesting than just about any heavyweight title fight we’ve seen in the last few years, didn’t it? Such passion, such fury…why couldn’t most of Wladimir Klitschko’s recent foes have summoned half that energy and zest for combat?… Michael Woods, www.thesweetscience.com

Many Options For Rebounding Cotto  NEW YORK – Boxers are rarely the same after taking the kind of beating that Miguel Cotto absorbed from Antonio Margarito in their welterweight title fight in July. • Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo were only shells of themselves after their epic 2005 lightweight title match. David Reid was barely competitive again following a pummeling he took from Felix Trinidad in 2000… By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports

To view many other photos already created for the Boxing Book, we invite you to visit: http://www.howardschatz.com/index.php?gallery=BOXING::2::1

Check out photographer Howard Schatz’s latest studio pics of IBF Welterweight Champion Joshua Clottey (2/09). Enjoy!

To view many other images from the Boxing Book Project, we invite you to visit: http://www.howardschatz.com/index.php?gallery=BOXING::2::1

In 5 years time the best fighters will be? —R_9-Ronaldo, www.boxingforum.com/boxing-forum-general-discussion (18 replies) • Zab should retire? —Xplosive, fightbeat.com/forums (8 replies) • Is Arturo Gatti Hall of Fame worthy? —Mark TKO, www.saddoboxing.com/boxingforum (32 replies)