Super Six super middleweight tournament could hold final in Las Vegas

It took Showtime more than a year to bring its Super Six super middleweight tournament to Las Vegas. When the finals are fought in late 2011, the city might also play host to that event.

"The finals have to be on neutral territory, and I think it would be tremendous to have it in Las Vegas," said Ken Hershman, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports.

Hershman said Showtime is in talks with Richard Sturm, MGM Resorts president for sports and entertainment, and that the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay "would be a great setting."

Allan Green fought Glen Johnson on Saturday at the MGM Grand, and the semifinals will be held early next year.

Hershman said the Super Six would have come to Las Vegas earlier, but promoters for the participants wanted the early-round fights held where their fighters would have a home advantage. There are no Las Vegas fighters in the tournament.

Showtime signed IBF super middleweight champ Lucian Bute to a multifight deal but did not include him in its tournament. However, Showtime could include him on the finals card if it's held in Las Vegas. Bute (27-0, 22 knockouts), who lives in Montreal and sells out fights at the Bell Centre, has never fought in Nevada.

"We'd love to have him in Vegas at some point," Hershman said of Bute. "We'll see how things go. He'll have his first fight for us probably in March."

■ PUNCHFORCE DEBUTS -- HBO Sports gained tentative approval from the Nevada Athletic Commission to use PunchForce, which measures the strength of a fighter's punches.

A sensor is attached to both wrists of each fighter and a computer picks up how hard a fighter is hitting. The sensor weighs little more than an ounce and HBO believes the technology will enhance its broadcasts.

HBO hopes to use PunchForce for the Dec. 11 junior welterweight title fight between Amir Khan and Marcos Maidana at Mandalay Bay.

■ MARQUEZ-KATSIDIS OFFICIALS -- Kenny Bayless was selected to referee the Nov. 27 WBO world lightweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Michael Katsidis at the MGM Grand. The judges will be Robert Hoyle and Adalaide Byrd of Las Vegas and Ted Gimza of Illinois.

Russell Mora will referee the WBC welterweight title fight between Andre Berto and Freddy Hernandez on the same card. Judges are Patricia Morse-Jarman and Dick Houck of Las Vegas and David Sutherland of Oklahoma.

■ PACQUIAO FEATURED -- Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao will be featured tonight on "60 Minutes" on CBS, in advance of his fight against Antonio Margarito on Saturday at Arlington, Texas. The feature includes an interview with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and Margarito are scheduled to arrive in Dallas on Monday. Pacquiao remains a 6-1 betting favorite at most Las Vegas sports books.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.