Many fighters are fond of repeating the credo “To be the best, you have to beat the best” but few live by those words.
Vic Darchinyan is among the few.
Darchinyan, THE RING’s No. 1-rated junior bantamweight, has defeated the top 115 pounders who were willing to face him in the past year, so now the unified titleholder has targeted one of the best bantamweights in the world.
Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 knockouts) will challenge Joseph Agbeko (26-1, 22 KOs) for Agbeko’s IBF title on July 11 in a Showtime-televised main event from Sunrise, …

Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated has long been one of my favorite writers. He writes on just about any sports topic better than anyone else.
When Smith would tackle boxing, it was always a special treat because he could paint a portrait of a man few others could.
So when I learned the sad news of the great Alexis Arguello’s death at 57 on Wednesday, possibly at his own hand, I remembered the wonderfully poignant story Smith wrote about him nearly a quarter of a century ago.
In particular, what came to mind …

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP)—Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing’s most classic brawls and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early Wednesday.
Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Sandanista Party’s Radio Ya and other local media were reporting it appeared to be a suicide.
The La Prensa newspaper reported that Arguello—elected mayor of Nicaragua’s capital last year—was found with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The 57-year-old Arguello retired in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts and was a champion …

Ask those in the boxing business whether Victor Ortiz quit in his fight against Marcos Maidana on Saturday in Los Angeles and they’ll probably squirm before giving you a yes or a no. That’s because they have respect for Ortiz and everyone else who has the guts to step through the ropes.
Ultimately, though, most arrive at the same conclusion.
“I’ll just say it … he quit. I wouldn’t have done that,” heavyweight contender Chris Arreola said after a few moments of hemming and hawing.
The response to the way the fight ended …

In many circles, maybe yours, today’s welterweight division is being spoken of as another “Golden Era” at 147. There have been so many of those at this weight you could be forgiven for wondering what the hell it is with guys who weigh around 147 pounds, but that’s a question for another day.
Look at the guys currently campaigning at or around 147 pounds. Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are all locks for the Hall of Fame. Miguel Cotto is one of the best in the world. Antonio …