Last night, I watched ESPN’s 30 for 30 doc “One Night in Vegas”, it’s really, really good. The documentary by Reggie Rock Bythewood, director of Notorious, chronicles the oddly similar trajectory of the careers of Tupac Shakur and Mike Tyson, who were close friends going back to the late 80′s, early 90′s. Fittingly, ESPN premiered it on the anniversary of Tupac’s fatal shooting in Las Vegas following Iron Mike’s first round knockout of Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand on Sep. 7, 1996.

The documentary features a couple of unreleased Tupac tracks. One I’m still looking for; the song he recorded a few days before the Seldon fight. In what was the most interesting part of the documentary, a Death Row Records engineer talks about the smash and dash production of that song (according to him, all Tupac needed was 20 minutes, a blunt and some Hennessey). This dude definitely told this story before – probably to every rapper, mixer, keyboard player and production intern he’s encountered in the industry since 1996.

The other unreleased song in “One Night in Vegas” is “Road 2 Glory,” another track that Tupac did for his friend Iron Mike before his WBC Heavyweight title fight against Frank Bruno – his first title fight after being released from prison in 1996. Check it out below – audio’s not great, overlay of boxing announcers doesn’t help much. Also included the video of Tyson walking out to it before the Bruno fight in March of ’96.

If anyone comes across the Seldon track, pass it my way.

Pictured above: the sports book at the Monte Carlo Casino in Las Vegas. At some point in the 30-odd hours I’ll be sauntering in there to lay some money down on either Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (35-3, 17KO) or Juan “Dinamita” Marquez (50-5-1, 37KO). Which Juan should I pick? (Went for it…)

I recently enjoyed the privilege of informing the group of guys who I’m traveling to Vegas with this weekend for a bachelor party (my first time in Vegas in fact) that we’ll be out there for the fight of the year. Depending on how everyone does at craps table, perhaps some of my comrades will join me in laying down some winnings on the fight. I’m definitely betting on this fight, and I’m leaning towards Diaz at the moment – just because I want to root for him.

Boxing trainer and fight writer, Gordon Marino, breaks down Diaz-Marquez II over a Huffington Post. Check out a clip below of the their first meeting back in Feb ’09, ruled in Marquez’s favor in the ninth round.

NOTE: I previously posted that I was looking for a good boxing book, and was advised by the good men at No Mas to read The Harder They Fall by Budd Schulberg. Just finished it. I Highly recommend it.

Back in May, word came down that Cowboys Stadium was holding two dates in November for a potential Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. That sounded like a promising development to all of us who desperately want this fight (promising in a we don’t care where they fight, we just desperately want it kind of way). Well, according to Pacquiao’s revered trainer Freddie Roach, Dallas isn’t happening – but the fight might.

SportsRadioInterviews.com reports that Roach told 590 The Fan in St. Louis that Mayweather said no to Dallas, and if the fight happens it will be Vegas. Here’s an excerpt:

On if there is a site already picked out the November 13th Date:

“There are two sites etched in. The MGM in Vegas, or Dallas. The thing is, Mayweather will not fight in Texas. If we get Mayweather we’ll go to Vegas, if it’s Margarito or Cotto, it will go Dallas. Bob (Arum) has done that deal with those two venues and we’re just waiting to hear the outcome, the final outcome, which Bob says will be in about a week’s time.”

Roach was asked if Mayweather has specifically said no to Dallas:

“Yes. The thing is, you can’t charge the money in Dallas (at the gate) that you can in Vegas. You’ve got a guaranteed sellout there, where as in Dallas there is no guaranteed sellout. I think money-wise, Vegas will bring in just as much as Dallas.”

Freddie usually has all-things Manny on good authority – so sorry, Dallas, but at least you’re still one of the top draws for this year’s NBA free agent talent, right?

Check out the transcript featuring more soundbites from Roach’s interview on SportsRadioInterviews.com. He takes some pretty good jabs at Mayweather, and parries off the bloodtesting q’s quite gracefully.

Last week, I put out the word that I was in the market for a good boxing book – despite the fact that my reading list is constantly beating me into submission. Great comments and emails followed from some of the most respected boxing voices online (Bill Dwyre (LA Times), Bryan Brennan (Bry Guy Boxing), Ryan from Fightlinker, and the guys from the fantastic No Mas). In the interest of not just moving on to the next one, I decided to post a follow-up and crowdsource the ultimate purchase decision.

I included all the suggestions that were put forth, plus W.C. Heinz’s The Professional because from what I hear it at least deserves to be in the final conversation. Hit the poll, and I will quite simply buy and read one of these tales from the ring.

The Great Prize Fight, by Alan Lloyd

Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring, by Teddy Atlas

Ghosts of Manila, by Mark Kram

The Harder They Fall, by Budd Schulberg