1. Sports

Peterson Fails Drug Test; Rematch with Khan Cancelled

Tuesday May 15, 2012
Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan were scheduled to meet on May 19 in a rematch of Peterson's controversial split decision win on December 10. Scratch that. In a random test administered in March, Peterson tested positive a banned substance - synthetic testosterone - so the bout is off.

So far there has been no discussion of setting a new date for the rematch. Instead, Khan's camp is trying to have Peterson's win changed to a no contest, in which case Khan would likely get his titles back.

Mayweather Outpoints Cotto in Competitive Fight

Tuesday May 8, 2012
Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. is so good his fights are judged not on whether he wins or loses (he always wins), but rather on whether his opponent is even competitive. Miguel Cotto was competitive ... very competitive. Mayweather raised his record to 43-0 and took the WBA super welterweight title from Cotto, but it was never easy. Cotto, who bloodied Floyd's nose in round six and had a big round eight, matched Mayweather's heart ... he just couldn't match his skill level. Mayweather staggered Cotto in the final round and was awarded a unanimous decision: 118-110 and 117-111 twice.

Mayweather set a record with a guarantee of $32 million (pay-per-view will make his total take even higher), while Cotto earned a minimum of $8 million -- the bigger payday of his career. Next for Mayweather is an 87-day jail sentence for domestic battery which begins on June 1. Cotto, despite the loss, remains a top draw and will have multiple attractive options for his next fight, such as Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Saul Alvarez.

Alvarez Passes Test, Dominates Mosley

Tuesday May 8, 2012
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez retained his WBC super welterweight title with a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over 40-year-old former champ Shane Mosley. An accidental clash of heads opened a cut over the left eye of Alvarez in round three, but Mosley simply did not have enough left in the tank to test his younger opponent. Alvarez, 21, pounded Mosley but could never put him down. Scores were 118-110 and 119-109 twice.

Alvarez landed 348 of 673 punches (52%) -- the most punches landed on Mosley in 34 fights tracked by CompuBox. Mosley was only able to land 183 of 745 punches (25%).

Next up for Alvarez may be a Sept. 15 bout with James Kirkland. Next up for Mosley - winless in his last four (0-3-1) - should be retirement as he is no longer competitive at an elite level. His toughness and ability to take a punch - tremendous assets in a younger fighter - now put him in danger of taking excessive punishment if he elects to continue his ring career.

Best-Paid Athletes by Country

Friday May 4, 2012

ESPN The Magazine's Money Issue includes a list of the highest earning athletes in 200 countries. For purposes of this list, earnings include salary and/or prize money from 2011 (or most recent season) and excludes other source of compensation such as endorsements. In six countries, a boxer was the highest paid athlete: United States, England, Philippines, Indonesia, Romania and Ukraine. See if you can guess the six boxers before looking at the complete list:

Best-paid athletes from 200 countries - ESPN The Magazine

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