It is the championship fight of the other Showtime tournament, the other being the “Super Six” Super Middleweight tournament that has brought a boxing fan to a brink with all the changes and fixtures that go along with a long and dragged out tournament. However, no matter how one views the Showtime concept of tournament boxing to determine who is number one, it seems this final bout with Agbeko has gathered interest and anticipation.

Because like the competitive and not so well publicized featherweight division, the bantamweights suffer the same dilemma. A boxing fan does not get to appreciate what they can do, that is, sustain interest and give some respectability to the sport.

“I love the tournament,” commented Agbeko (28-2, 22 KO’s) the native of Accra, Ghana who recaptured the IBF crown from Yonnnhy Perez in the semifinal round in November. It was the first loss for the (20-1-1) Perez who will be in the consolation bout opposing former two-division world champion, the 35-3-1, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan.  It was Perez who remained undefeated in a close fight with Agbeko taking a unanimous decision in 2009.

This has been more of four of the best type of elimination determining the best that is brief and not cluttered. There were no problems with fighters pulling out, making weight, partly due to the limited top 10 names in the division that leaves little acclaim this division receives. “It gives a lot of exposure to the division and what we can do,” said Agbeko as he prepared for another workout close to home.

“The winner of this fight is the best bantamweight in the world,” he says with a heavy accent similar to welterweight contender Joshua Clottey. He and Clottey are from the same country, and also train together when possible, residing a few minutes apart in in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium which is in proximity to the old and revamped gym in the South Bronx.

The fight with Mares will be a test. The bantamweights can throw a lot of punches, have speed and offer some power.  The forum of being seen by millions on Showtime won’t hurt, and Agbeko, a Don King promoted fighter, with, a resounding win could put this division on the map. Though there are those in boxing who will never look at the bantamweight king as a division that propels the sport.

“That’s what they may say that we are not popular,” he says. “I feel happy to be in the final of the tournament. The only prediction that I know is that I am going to come out of the ring as the winner of the night. I’ve really prepared for Mares. I don’t know if he will take the strength and the skills I bring to the ring.”

Agbeko, 32-years old did not watch Mares defeat Darchinvan. It does not concern him claiming that the southpaw Darchinvan would offer nothing to study the possible next opponent. He goes about his business and depends on experienced advisor and cut man Len DeJesus and trainer Adama Addy.

They also have seen the talent that Agbeko brings to the ring. Addy, who has trained Agbeko 18 years, going back to their days in Ghana keeps his fighter in the Bronx to avoid distractions back home. “There is no girlfriend here,” he said with a laugh. But the serious business has been taking place in the gym with a realization that Agbeko will be considered an elite fighter if he indeed prevails over Mares.

“We have no particular style going into this fight,” he says. “With him (Agbeko) you don’t know. As for the question of how Agbeko can make the division more prominent, Addy commented “The power he has makes this division popular.”

Take that to the bank because power from guys coming in at 122 is something to admire.  Mares also can be dominant but may not offer the strength and power to his opponent. Though he did go down in the seventh from a Darchinyan punch to the body and came back to floor his opponent in the seventh with a vicious left that had Darchinyan dazed.

As for the ultimate question of moving to the ever more competitive featherweight division, Agbeko said he has no problem in taking another step. The money will never be huge in his division and there is a young champion Yuriorkis Gamboa taking charge at 126 and destined to be around a long time

To that he said, “I’m thinking of moving up to featherweight to take on the big guys. I’m thinking of Gamboa, Lopez (Juan Manuel) and I’m thinking about being in the league with them. After this fight, if I don’t get any good competition then I’m going to move to featherweight. I want to fight them I want to prove to the world that I’m the best.

And to many, Agbeko is the best, at least for now among the bantamweights.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

All three judges at ringside gave Pacquiao the edge, including one judge giving him every round 120-108.  The scorecard here at ringside gave Margaritio one round. “It’s hard I really did my best to win the fight. He was strong and a very tough fighter,” commented Pacquiao. “I can’t believe that he was as strong as he was.”

Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KO’s) won his 12^th straight fight and admitted that Margarito, (38-7, 27KO’s) was strong enough to hurt him when he was in the ropes in the middle rounds. He motioned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11^th round to stop the fight as Margaritio’s face was battered and a bloody mess.

“There was no way I was going to quit,” commented three-time champion Margarito after the fight. “I’m a Mexican. We fight until the end,” he said.

It was the second straight win for Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium before a crowd of 41,734, many Margarito supporters.  Earlier this year, in March, he easily handled Joshua Clottey taking a 12-round unanimous decision, a seventh title and the welterweight championship.

As for a potential showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 154, a fight that has been anticipated and talked about, again Pacquiao left that answer to his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank. As for continuing his career, Mayweather or not, Pacquiao would not rule it out of the question.

The popular Congressman of the Philippines said, “I have another job after this. I’m going back to the Philippines to do my job as a public servant.”

“He was really fast and I was going- good until I got cut,” said Margarito.  His trainer Robert Garrcia also said he never considered stopping the fight and it would continue until the end. Garcia also saw first hand as to why Pacquiao is indeed the best pound-for-pound fighter.

Said Garcia “Manny is the best fighter in the world.  He is just too fast, Very, very quick.”

By the 10th round it became a boxing clinic for Pacquiao who continued to throw the right hook and pound the face of Margarito.  In between rounds it became obvious that Margarito was fighting for redemption, proving that his year suspension from the ring from using illegal hand wraps was all in the books.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Now the 35-year old Martinez (45-2-2,23KO’s), a native of Buenos Aires Argentina, and residing now in Madrid Spain can call himself the WBC/WBO middleweight champion. There certainly were no cries for Argentina especially after the way Martinez fought his way to the title from the seventh round on

Pavlik (36-2, 30Ko’s) of Youngstown Ohio entered the ring once again at Convention Hall to a thunderous ovation, opposing Martinez the mandatory challenger, a heavy favorite to retain the title he won from Jermaine Taylor at the same venue almost two years ago. It was a pro Pavlik crowd as about 3,000 or more of the 6,700 in attendance once again traveled by car and bus from Youngstown to see their fighter defend against Martinez.

Martinez was expecting a 12-round fight, “A 12-round plan,” he said afterwards in the ring with a translator by his side. The cut from a Martinez punch appeared severe at first but Pavlik was able to get by. He briefly sent Martinez to the canvas in the seventh with a short right, appearing to be a slip, but Martinez quickly got up.

Then with Martinez clearly behind on points, he went to work in the ninth round and all three judges at ringside gave Martinez the last four rounds of the fight. The new champion was able to counter the right of Pavlik, and the cut got worse. Pavlik obviously was hindered and could do nothing, and at times it appeared the ringside doctors were going to stop the fight as the cut got worse.

“In the last third of the fight, in the eighth or ninth round he began touching me a lot,” commented Pavlik who required 12 stitches to close the wound. It was obvious that the complexion of the fight changed as Martinez made the comeback and landed solid punches to the face of Pavlik. Martinez would have a 112-51 edge of connecting punches in the final four rounds.

“I tried but it was very hard to come back after him,” said the dethroned champion who may or may not get a rematch with Martinez. “I couldn’t see out of my right eye after he cut it in the eighth or ninth round. I could not see his left,” added Pavlik.

And in the corner, Pavlik’s handlers did their best. But, they too also realized that the championship was suddenly slipping away. “After the eighth round, he just seemed like he gave it away,” said Pavlik trainer Jack Lowe. “We could not turn it around and I don’t know why,” he commented.

The anticipated fight for Pavlik against Paul Williams, previously scheduled and postponed, because of a staph infection on his left hand is now history.  He will go back home and weigh his options.  For Martinez, who has had bad success over the past few years because of decisions that went against him, there is more to come.

Martinez, who ironically is promoted by Lou Dibella could get Williams who he lost to back in December in what was a controversial unanimous decision.  Taylor, who lost the title to Pavlik was once promoted by Dibella, so in a way Dibella has another champion and gets his redemption.

For now though Martinez will savor the victory and celebrate his championship in Spain and of course in Argentina. “There is a lot of pride and emotion for me,” said Martinez who was wrought with emotion when the decision was announced.

“When the last bell rang I knew I was the new world champion,’ he said. Martinez could have been a successful soccer player but chose boxing because hr thought he would be more successful in the ring.  “Boxing gives you a chance to dream. You never stop to dream to be a world champion,” he said.

Indeed there will be no crying in Argentina when their new champion comes home to celebrate the victory.

ON THE UNDER CARD: Vincent Arroyo (10-1, 7 KO’s) a promising super lightweight from New York stopped the previously undefeated Jeremy Bryan (13-1, 6KO’s) of Paterson New Jersey. Referee Benjy Esteves put an end to the fight at 1:43 of the eighth round,

Mike Jones (21-0, 17 KO’s) the promising welterweight from Philadelphia stopped Hector Munoz (18-3-1,11KO’s) of Albuquerque New Mexico at 2:03 of round five and won the NABA and NABO Welterweight titles.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Williams (11-2 with 10 knockouts) boxed well, landing effective counters and hard single shots that occasionally thrilled the crowd, but Vanda prevailed by virtue of his unbreakable chin, superior workrate, and some showmanship that got the sellout crowd on his side.

Vanda started strong – pressing the action, pursuing Williams around the ring, and occasionally taunting the larger, more powerful Williams.  Williams looked best in the late rounds, especially in eight and ten, surprisingly hanging in with the smaller but busier man and landing bombs that would have flattened a lesser opponent.

Vanda, a 13-year veteran with a 42-9 record (22 wins by knockout), was supposed to be a step-up opponent for Williams, who was coming off a thrilling 7^th-round knockout win against former contender Antwun Echols.  Instead, Vanda won his third straight bout – the first time Vanda has won three straight since 2005-06.

The good news is that Williams could have won – would have scored more – if he had just let his hands go.  It looked like Vanda’s experience and bravado allowed him to get inside Williams’ head.  Williams dished out plenty of punishment, but Vanda was just the wrong opponent – a tough-as-nails veteran who is always fit and loves to trade isn’t the best match for an inexperienced slugger.  But the fight was an exciting back-and-forth affair, and Williams gave boxing fans the kind of fight they love, if not the result that his own fans had hoped for.

In other action on tonight’s card:

• Wilton “The Pretty Warrior” Hilario of the Dominican Republic improved to 12-0 with 9 knockouts by thoroughly dominating the usually slick and elusive Leon Bobo of St Louis, MO.  Bobo’s record fell to 18-4.  The result was a unanimous decision in Hilario’s favor.
• Undefeated prospect Ceresso Fort of St Paul and 6-4-1 Lamar Harris of Saint Louis engaged in a tremendously entertaining brawl, with Fort (now 8-0 with 7 knockouts) winning by unanimous decision.  Fort was credited with a knockdown in the first and generally controlled the first half of the bout, but Harris came on in the last three rounds.
• Former top-ranked amateur Javontae Starks of Minneapolis made his professional debut, winning by second-round TKO over Dan Copp.  Starks felt Copp out for a round, then tore into him in the second.  Starks hit Copp with a body shot that put Copp (now 1-2) down on his knees, moaning in agony.
• Tim Taggart (3-2-1) and Sam Morales (3-3-1 battled to an entertaining draw in a four-rounder.  Morales seemed to get the better of Taggart, but the judges made it a majority draw.
• Zach Schumach got his first pro win, improving to 1-2, against Don Tierney (now 1-1).  Tierney, interestingly, had former IBO world junior welterweight titleholder Mike Evgen in his corner – unfortunately for Tierney, Evgen had to stay in the corner.