apable of developing a team identity. "We cannot make bad decision

Junior lightweight titleholder Jose Pedraza, who was granted an exception from his mandatory defense, will face flashy Floyd Mayweather protégé Gervonta Davis on Jan. 14, the promoters told ESPN on Monday night.Pedraza-Davis will be part of a Showtime-televised card headlined by the previously announced super middleweight world title unification fight between Badou Jack (20-1-2, 12 KOs) and James DeGale (23-1, 14 KOs) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.The site is locked in only if co-promoters Mayweather Promotions and DiBella Entertainment can secure an insurance policy approved by the New York State Athletic Commission that conforms to the recently implemented law that changed insurance standards for combat sports in the state. So far, there is no policy available to boxing promoters to buy so they can put on a boxing card in New York, which has not hosted a professional boxing event since Aug. 21.Pedraza (22-0, 12 KOs), 27, of Puerto Rico, will be making the third defense of his 130-pound world title since he won the vacant belt by one-sided decision against Andrey Klimov in June 2015.I think its a helluva fight, very dangerous, but its a fight Pedraza wanted, promoter Lou DiBella said. Davis has been screaming and yelling that he wanted a big fight, and he got what he wanted.In order to make the fight, Pedraza had to secure an exception from the IBF allowing him to fight Davis rather than his mandatory challenger, Englands Liam Walsh (21-0, 14 KOs), who became the mandatory by beating Klimov by near-shutout decision on Oct. 8.Davis (16-0, 15 KOs), 22, of Baltimore, is an exceptionally fast and hard-hitting rising prospect who will be taking a huge step up in competition. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said he and Mayweather believe he is ready.We feel very, very confident that Gervonta is going to win the fight, and we think that hes going to do it in spectacular fashion, Ellerbe said. Its a tremendous opportunity, and hes ready to step up and seize the moment. This is something me and Floyd have been working on for some time.Ellerbe initially tried to make a deal for Davis to challenge titleholder Jason Sosa for his version of the title, but that deal fell apart, so they pursued Pedraza.We tried to make the Sosa fight, but it didnt happen for a number of reasons, Ellerbe said. Were excited to work with Lou. We have a tremendous card Jan. 14, and this fight is just part of it. Gervonta is a straight killer. Hes a very good boxer, but hes also a tremendous puncher. Hell go into the fight fully prepared, and we expect him to bring that IBF championship home.The card will mark the first time that Mayweather Promotions, which also represents Jack, will be promoting in New York, a place Mayweather never fought as an active boxer.Floyd has been wanting to bring a big event to New York and invade New York, Ellerbe said. Mayweather Promotions invades New York. Its something weve been working on. Were very confident that everything will be worked out [with regard to the insurance issue]. Lou and his team have worked extremely hard, and Floyd has been very adamant that he wants to do anything in his power to make this happen.Cheap Suns Jerseys . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Custom Suns Jerseys .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. http://www.customsunsjersey.com/ . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Authentic Custom Suns Jersey . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. Custom Suns Jersey China . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence.Making it clear that he valued Bryan Colangelos skills running the business side of a basketball team, new Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Tim Leiweke said the decision to relieve Colangelo of his basketball decisions, but retain him as team president was arrived at in large part because the two men had "a disagreement on the current status of the organization and this roster." Speaking Tuesday on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor, Leiweke pulled no punches in saying he thought the team was not as close to being a contending team as Colangelo and others within MLSE who provided opposition to the decision thought they were. "I guess I dont think that were right there," Leiweke said. "I dont think were a piece away. I think we have work to do. "There was no consensus," he said regarding the decision to begin a search for a new GM. "There were a lot of people with a lot of opinions and a lot of different opinions. Clearly, I had to understand that I was going to make a decision that was not going to please all." Leiweke said creating a management system where both president and GM report to him directly is not ideal, but not totally uncommon in the sports world. He noted his previous structure in Los Angeles with the Kings was similar in that the president of business operations, Luc Robitaille and the president of hockey operations, Dean Lombardi both reported to him. Still, Leiweke admitted it was not the way he would have liked to "draw it up" given a clean slate, but felt like it was the proper way to deal with things considering the situation. He noted Colangelos communication skills and ability to build relationships with sponsors as to why he would be successful in a business operations role. "Hes smart, hes intelligent, hes a good businessman and hes very passionate about the Raptors, very articulate, represents them well and he loves Toronto." In a search for a new general manager, Leiweke said he would welcome Colangelos input given his vast basketball knowledge and background and wouldnt rule out the possibility of having the new hire work with the former GM. Leiweke also made it a point to mention that a "fresh face, with a fresh view of the world, with a fresh view of this roster, with a frresh view of what we need to do to be competitive long term" was something he felt the team was in need of.dddddddddddd Not naming any one player directly, he made a point of mentioning he thought Colangelos judgment may have been hindered due to his former ties to his no. 1 overall draft pick in 2006, Andrea Bargnani. "We need someone who is extremely rational when it comes to the roster and reaching conclusions as to who is going to work and who is not going to work," Leiweke said. "Sometimes you have to find a new set of eyes and a new opinion in order to judge a roster. Not be personal about a player because you chose him or you used the first pick in the first round to pick a player. Sometimes its easier for a guy coming in that doesnt have that loyalty and doesnt have that burden of being the guy that made that decision. You reach a better conclusion at times about who needs to stay and who needs to go." He said moving forward the goal is to create a team that is a perennial contender, not one that is simply looking to sneak into a playoff spot. "First and foremost, we have to figure out a way to win, how to win consistently and how to win long term. I referred to it earlier today as being a 7/11 – good enough to maybe be in the seventh or eighth spot and make the playoffs, but never good enough to win." In his search for a new head of basketball operations, Leiweke emphasized the importance of drafting and development and hiring someone who was capable of developing a team identity. "We cannot make bad decisions with draft picks," he said, mentioning teams such as San Antonio and Oklahoma City as the models to strive towards. "The great organizations maximize their draft picks when they get them." Despite the teams struggles, Leiweke said there are candidates that would welcome the chance to come to Toronto given MLSEs resources. Still, besides finding a capable general manager, he thinks the bigger challenge will be changing the league-wide perception of the franchise. "The Raptors reputation is one of people questioning what direction were going in, what brand of basketball we play and what kind of personality are we going to have as an organization and we have to change that." ' ' '