DaytonDailyNews.com

The word is out. The Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit is about to knock out boxing, the Sweet Science. Young males prefer UFC over boxing at a time when boxing is in about a 25-year process of destroying itself.

Well, the characters who run boxing have heard the word and they are firing back. Give the sport an eight count, but counting it out is way premature. In the last two days two major fights with plenty of drawing power have been announced.

Undefeated middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, one of the sports top fighters, will defend his crown against Youngstown native Kelly Pavlik on Sept. 29. Pavlik, boxing's newest sensation, will probably be the favorite.

And welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. will defend his title against Ricky Hatton on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Mayweather (38-0 with 24 knockouts) will be fighting for the first time since his victory over Oscar De La Hoya in May. Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), from Manchester, England, is more than a serious contender.

In addition, on Oct. 6, Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KOs), will face Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5, 42 KOs) for the super featherweight title.

All the above combatants are recognizable to a significant segment of the sporting public, so the announcement of the matches causes buzz. And most of the bouts will likely be shown on boxing's top stage, HBO Sports, which has upgraded its matches to show the sport has plenty of fight left. Stay tuned.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2160

or gsimms@DaytonDailyNews.com.