World Super Flyweight Champion VIC “Raging Bull” DARCHINYAN weighed in at 123.6 pounds for his World Boxing Council-mandated 30-day weigh-in, well below the maximum limit of 127 pounds. The weight was certified for the WBC by Gary Soo, M.D. Luis M. Escalona, Chairman of the WBC Safety Committee, informed promoters Gary Shaw Productions and Top Rank, that World Boxing Association interim super flyweight champion JORGE “Travieso” ARCE had yet to furnish his required 30-day weigh-in result.

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Undefeated Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto (Winter Haven, Fla.) (23-0, 19 Kos) is featured in the January 12 issue of ESPN the Magazine. The six-page article highlights Berto’s road from an accomplished amateur to his second title defense on January 17, 2009. Entitled “1,506 Days with Andre Berto”, the story follows the WBC Welterweight World Champion through several important dates, ranging from his professional debut to the purchase of his first house and concludes with his upcoming bout with Luis Collazo.

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In this ongoing video feature at FightFan.com, Roger Mayweather enlightens you on key factors most people don’t understand about boxing. Sometimes simple, sometimes complex, the only thing you really need know is that he knows more about boxing than you do! This episode: “No one has ever done what Sugar Ray Robinson has done”.

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Yuriorkis Gamboa will headline the season premiere of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” next week (January 9) at Terrible’s Primm Valley Casino Resorts. The 2004 Olympic gold medalist had no spare time over Christmas or New Year’s and has been working hard at his training camp in Primm, Nevada.

On January 11, 2008, Edison Miranda blasted David Banks out of the ring in the third round, a knockout recently named 2008 Knockout of the Year by ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael. On January 14th, 2009, “Pantera” hopes to make spectacular January knockouts an annual tradition when he takes on Manuel Esparza on the latest edition of “Hard Knocks at the Hard Rock” at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

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Fighter of the year:

Ace Freeman: Manny Pacquiao

How could there be any doubt? ‘The Pacman’ had a year for the history books, defeating nemesis and fellow top three pound-for-pound fighter Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBC super featherweight title in March. He moves up to the lightweight division in his next fight and picks up the 135 pound WBC title destroying David Diaz. Finally, in December he move straight up to welterweight, bypassing 140 pounds, and absolutely beats Oscar De La Hoya into submission like no fighter ever has. Pacquiao’s campaign in 2008 goes beyond winning the praises of being named ‘Fighter of the Year’. It was the stuff of legend.

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“He can’t handle your speed, son!”

Freddie Roach is pictured here during Manny Pacquiao’s one sided annihilation of Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6, 2008. It is perhaps iconic that across the ring sat the legendary Angelo Dundee as Roach uttered the above words to his star pupil in the heat of the action. A historic year in Manny Pacquiao’s corner in 2008 has earned Roach FightFan.com’s ‘Trainer of the Year’ award. Among other fights, Roach developed a strategy to guide Pacquiao to victory over both Juan Manuel Marquez, and more emphatically Oscar De La Hoya to close out the year. Details of Roach’s work with Pacquiao can be seen here, in previous interviews through out the year.

Courtesy of Showtime, watch this year end video chronicling 2008’s greatest moments in boxing and MMA from the Showtime network. From Israel Vazquez’s epic third fight with Rafael Marquez to big victories for Chad Dawson, Paul Williams, Vic Darchinyan, and more! Stay tuned to Showtime for another big year in 2009!

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton looks to be just about finalized for May 2 in Las Vegas according to reports out of the Philippines. Top Rank’s Bob Arum met with Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach recently in Los Angeles and revealed to The Manila Bulletin that after meeting with Golden Boy Promotions, the fight is “Just about done.” With that said, take a closer look at how Pacquiao and Hatton stack up to one another, only on FightFan.com!

Courtesy of KZ Events, FightFans can catch their first look at 25 year old rising light heavyweight star Beibut Shumenov. Currently 7-0 (5 KOs), Shumenov fought former world champion Montel Griffen in just his sixth professional fight! Watch all twelve rounds of his fight with Griffen from earlier this year and read more about the man himself, only on FightFan.com!

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A must-see matchup that fans, media and the fighters themselves have been clamoring for will take place when two of boxing’s biggest little men and hardest punchers, Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce, clash on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, live on Showtime Championship Boxing (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast). Darchinyan’s newly acquired 115-pound International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) world titles will be on the line.

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Courtesy of HBO Boxing, watch this action packed highlight package of some of the most exciting moments in 2008. See clips from some of the biggest title fights and toe-to-toe action from the best moments of the year featuring the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Antonio Margarito, Bernard Hopkins, and more! For more information, visit HBO.com.

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Mexican icon Juan Manuel Marquez solidified his place among boxing’s elite and became Mexico’s number one fighter by knocking out Joel Casamayor and winning a championship in a third weight class. As 2009 opens, Marquez will not be resting on his laurels, as he accepted the challenge to face former three-time lightweight champion Juan ‘The Baby Bull’ Diaz on Saturday, February 28 in what promises to be an early Fight of The Year candidate.

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Check out this exclusive footage of the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao - in motion - as captured by FightFan.com’s Ace Freeman in November, 2008. Pacquiao’s graceful and fluid footwork is on full display and is one of the many characteristics that make the Filipino fighter such a dangerous package. Don’t miss ‘The Pacman’ in motion, only on FightFan.com!

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Dear Santa,

It’s that time of year again, when I know you’re getting tons and tons of letters from people around the world asking for gifts this Holiday season. I’ve got to be honest with you though; with the exception of a horrible injustice done to me in Florida on April 12th, I’ve had a great year. I knocked out Hugo Pineda and Aaron Norwood, was crowned people’s champion again after the robbery against Chad Dawson, and I’ve got good friends and a great team around me…

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