On Saturday, Jan. 24 in Los Angeles, Antonio Margarito makes his first defense of the WBA welterweight title he took from Miguel Cotto last July in a Fight of the Year candidate. The performance elevated Margarito to superstar status and he's not wasting any time cashing in -- taking on former champ Shane Mosley in boxing's first big event of 2009. Not only does this promise to be an excellent fight with lots of toe-to-toe action but - perhaps due to the difficult economy - the bout will be shown on HBO rather than pay-per-view.

Fight-by-Fight Career Records
Antonio Margarito
Shane Mosley

Oddsmakers favor Margarito, 30, over the 37-year-old Mosley (-500/+300). Who do you think will win? Margarito or Mosley? Vote in our poll.

Many of boxing's biggest names – and box office attractions - are nearing the ends of their careers. Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., Felix Trinidad and Fernando Vargas should all retire based on their recent performances (though several will undoubtedly fight on). Shane Mosley, Marco Antonio Barrera, Antonio Tarver, Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright are nearing the end. And how much longer can Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins defy father time?

So who will comprise the next generation of boxing superstars? Some current stars are still young enough to remain headliners for years to come: Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Paul Williams, Ricky Hatton and Kelly Pavlik all appear to have plenty of miles left in their respective tanks. The tougher question is which young fighters will make the difficult transition from talented prospect to true star?

We've compiled our list of the top 25 boxing prospects for 2009 and beyond. To qualify for this list a boxer must be 25 years of age or less and must not have appeared in a WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO title fight. We're sure you'll agree with some of the names on this list. However, we're equally sure you'll think there are other top prospects who have been unfairly overlooked and deserve to be included. Let us know what you think . . .

Oscar De La Hoya looked old and lifeless as he took a beating from Manny Pacquiao. He's earned enough in the ring during his career that he certainly doesn't need to keep fighting ... and he's got plenty of business interests to keep him busy. Oscar even hinted at retirement in his post-fight comments after the Pacquiao bout. So he's retiring, right? Wrong! Reports indicate the Golden Boy is contemplating a May bout with 22-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the 100,000 seat Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

De La Hoya-Chavez Jr. has a built-in storyline as De La Hoya scored TKO wins over Julio’s father, Julio Cesar Chavez, in 1996 and 1998. Plus, De La Hoya doesn't want his last bout to be a one-sided blowout loss ... and - as bad as he looked against Pacquiao - Oscar would have a decent shot of defeating the still raw and relatively untested Chavez Jr.

The WBA has ordered a panel of judges to review video of the Dec. 20 bout between Nicolay Valuev and Evander Holyfield for Valuev's WBA heavyweight title. Apparently, the decision in favor of Valuev was sufficiently rotten that the WBA felt compelled to take action because it "always cares about and respects the fans' and the media's opinion". Whatever.

The decision will not be overturned. Expect the WBA to order a rematch ... which would likely be just as dull and pointless as the first fight.