Well I’m just about off for a nice vacation away from just about everyone and everything except my mom and maybe an occasional black bear. I’m headed towards to Appalachian Mountains in Northern Georgia to my retreat to finish writing my movie. The North Georgia Mountains are so quiet and peaceful. You know where that is don’t you? Think back to the movie 1972 movie Deliverance, taken from the book by James Dickey, directed by John Boorman and staring Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ronnie Cox and who can forget, “ weeee , squeal like a pig,” Ned Beatty. I’ll be avoiding any wild pigs or people I hope. So I will delay my packing just long enough to give you this short staccato jab type column.

I pride myself in saying that I am not given to vacillation, ambiguity or ambivalence, but I must be honest and admit that I fell prey to some if not all of those a week before this past weekend’s fight between Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.

Fight week in Las Vegas and a great fight it should be as Puerto Rican Superstar Miguel Cotto puts his unbeaten record and pound for pound status on the line against hard punching, tough, sturdy-chinned, Mexican Antonio Margarito Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Wow, I can’t wait!

It’s fight week here in Las Vegas as one of my favorites, Manny Pacquiao, will be in action on Saturday night stepping up in weight and taking on David Diaz for Diaz’s WBC Lightweight Championship.  I will get to that one in a bit but first let’s recap some weekend action. Read more: Pacquiao vs. Diaz Preview Plus a Whole Lot More!

Since this is my inaugural Secondsout column I will not give you any long drawn out pugilistic Smitty stuff, I will just give little doses of Smittyisms.  Is that a word?   Read more: Smitty and In This Corner Join Forces with Secondsout.com!

The Joe Calzaghe vs. Bernard Hopkins fight went as expected, or at least as I expected.  Calzaghe the slightly younger, faster, fresher, hungrier fighter of the two won the fight by a decision. Now having said this, Calzaghe is not all that young and fresh at age 36, but he is still hungry in the sense of worldwide recognition and lucrative paydays.  Read more: Calzaghe Defeats Hopkins!

What happened last Saturday night with Joel Casamayor stopping Michael Katsidis in round 10 is what really makes boxing such a great sport.  Truly the theatre of the unexpected at times.  Read more: Stunning Victory for Casamayor!

Well there is one sure bet in boxing, and that is when anybody named Marquez is fighting an opponent for a second time or more, it is guaranteed to be a great fight. Read more: Pacquiao Edges Marquez!

First off, let me say that finally Sam Peter fulfilled my pugilistic prophecy from about three years ago when I said he would become the first Nigerian-born Heavyweight Champion, (sorry Ike Ibeabuche but you’re in jail and missed out).  Sam stopped the 39-year old, and looking much older, Oleg Masqaev in round six last Saturday night in Cancun to win the WBC belt.  Read more: Quick Hits and Pac-Man vs Marquez Pick

We are off to a nice start to 2008 in the world of Pugilism with the exception of the heavyweight division.  We had a nice rematch with Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor last month and this past weekend, we had a fantastic rubber match between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez. The fistic fireworks should continue the next two weekends.  Read more: 2008 is Shaping Up!