Former boxing champion Antonio Cermeno kidnapped and killed

Former boxing champion Antonio Cermeno was shot and killed in his home country of Venezuela.

Cermeno and some of his relatives had been seized on Monday night near the La Urbina area of the capital Caracas.

The relatives escaped when the kidnappers stopped to refuel a car, but the ex-boxer remained a hostage, police said.His body was discovered in the central state of Miranda.

Cermeno, 44, was a WBA super bantamweight and featherweight champion in the 1990s. He retired in 2006 with a 45-7 record.

He won the super bantamweight title after defeating Puerto Rican Wilfredo Vazquez in 1995 and kept it until 1997.In 1998 he won the featherweight title and held on to it until a year later.

After he retired, he helped young sportsmen.

His murder comes after 29-year-old Monica Spear, a popular soap-opera actress and former Miss Venezuela, was killed early in January.

She and her British ex-husband Thomas Henry Berry, 39, were shot dead by robbers as they returned by car to the capital with their young daughter.

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New York Knicks sign Earl Clark

The New York Knicks have confirmed the signing of forward Earl Clark.

Clark,26, was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on February 20th immediately after he was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and became a free agent on February 22nd will be the player to provide the Knicks with the forward depth that they seek. The former number 14 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft was averaging over 15 minutes per game this year for the Cavaliers and chipping in just over 5 points and 2 rebounds per game.

Clark can play both forward spots but will likely be used as a "stretch 4". The Knicks were desperate for frontcourt help after waiving Metta World Peace and Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin on the shelf.

Clark probably won't be a difference maker but he can be productive in stretches as he proved last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He probably would've been better off signing with a contender though.

Amir Khan says Mayweather has picked Maidana for next fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr appears to have rejected Amir Khan as his next opponent for a megafight in Las Vegas in May.

In a series of tweets on Friday night, Khan sent out the clear message that Mayweather has chosen instead to take on the challenge of the Argentinian Marcos Maidana, whom Khan defeated on points in 2010, but who beat the rising Adrien Broner last December.

"No response from Mayweather or his team. Fights not happening. I should of taken the title fight last December against Alexander ..." Khan tweeted on Friday night, followed by, "very disrespected by his team. Wasted my time." and, "Good luck to Maidana against Mayweather."

Khan, who has been in full training for the fight in anticipation that he was the favored contender, added: "Can I apologize to the thousands of people who are let down? You me and everyone wanted the Mayweather fight. He's running scared."

 “Floyd is not the same fighter as he was three or four years ago. That’s why he picks slow fighters, because he doesn’t have the same movement as he used to.”

Mayweather has yet to announce the name of his next opponent officially. He has four fights left in a six-fight deal with Showtime that probably will earn him $600 million. Controversy surrounded the choice of his next opponent when Mayweather threw the option open to social media. Some votes had Maidana well ahead; others had Khan the favorite.

Khan thinks Mayweather hand picks his opponents and he might be right. But when you're coming to the end of the line of an illustrious career such as Mayweather's you almost have the right to do that. It doesn't make it right because it deprives the sport of boxing of the best matchups possible.  

Brett Favre compares Johnny Manziel to himself

Improvisational with a "go big or go home" attitude. A propensity for risk-taking that will leave you either jumping for joy or smashing the beer glass in your hand to pieces. The ability to zip any throw right on the money while also making occasional boneheaded plays that leave you wondering, "how could he?"

A lot of quarterbacks who fit that mold, but two that really encompass those traits are legendary Green Bay Packers signal-caller Brett Favre and NFL prospect Johnny Manziel, out of Texas A&M.

Through a recent interview with USA Today, Brett Favre revealed that he also felt that the play of Johnny Manziel was reminiscent of his early days. As with Manziel, Favre had a strong arm, and was able to run, utilizing a skill that many quarterbacks have not been able to master.

"I haven't watched him much," Favre told USA Today, "but one game I watched, for like three quarters, was the Ole Miss game. I almost thought I was watching film of a young Brett Favre. I didn’t think I did a lot of things well (in college at Southern Miss), but he did. And and I liked the attitude of ‘whatever it takes’ — from that standpoint, I liked him.” 

"I didn't throw near as well as him," Favre said of Manziel. "He may have that capability — unbelievable throws and can make plays with his feet. I was impressed."

Manziel will be one of the key players to keep an eye on in the draft, in addition to the upcoming NFL scouting combine, which is taking place this week. However, he doesn’t plan to throw for scouts and personnel executives until March 27th.

With a 6’0, 210 pound figure, he is also small for a quarterback. He has significant similarities to Russell Wilson in terms of their build, and playing style, and the young player has also credited Wilson, a recent Super Bowl winner, for giving shorter quarterbacks a chance in the NFL.

After an outstanding career with the Texas A&M Aggies, Manziel is ready to transition into the NFL. The two most likely destinations for him to end up seem to be with the Houston Texans or the Cleveland Browns. Who should get him? Is he able to become a star in the NFL in the same way that Russell Wilson has?

If Manziel can have anywhere close to the success that Favre had throwing the football, while also making his signature Johnny Football plays with his legs, Manziel could be absolutely sensational at the next level. It's just another reason that I feel he has the most upside of any quarterback in this draft class.

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SMU could be a dangerous team in March

Despite losing Sunday to a below average Temple squad on Sunday and dropping out of the top 25, the SMU Mustangs should be heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 barring a late season collapse.

The Mustangs currently sit at 20-6 and are 9-4 in the American Athletic Conference behind Louisville and Cincinnati. Head coach Larry Brown has made the Mustangs into a team in his image and one of the surprise teams in the nation. The Mustangs are undefeated at Moody Coliseum and have been ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in nearly three decades.

Even though Brown is a nomad and has never been one to overstay his welcome, he is enjoying his current stay in Dallas and I'm sure the players enjoy playing for him. Brown has the Mustangs playing at their highest level since the days of Jon Koncak. If they can lock down a tournament berth in the next week they can be a difficult matchup in March.

I'm not predicting any Final Four runs for the Mustangs, but they do possess the firepower to get past the round of 64 and knock off a higher seeded team in the next round and advance to the Sweet 16. With Brown at the helm the Mustangs are definitely a team you don't want to look past. The SMU games I've watched this season, the Mustangs are very capable of catching fire.

The two transfers, guard Nic Moore (Illinois State) and forward Markus Kennedy (Villanova) are what give the Mustangs their horsepower. Despite being 5-9, Moore can get hot and take over a game from the perimeter. Kennedy has stepped up his game in the absence of center Yanick Moreira, who should be coming back by season's end. Freshman forward Ben Moore has been solid and reminds Brown of a young Derrick McKey. Nick Russell and Shawn Williams have also played well. Star freshman Keith Frazier hasn't  even played a major role for the team. If Moreira can come back healthy and Frazier can hit his stride this team can be dangerous.

If anyone can get this team to play up to his potential it's Brown. The problem for the Mustangs which reared it's ugly head in their loss to Temple, was their ability to play down to the level of their competition. They have no problem getting ready for the big name games on their schedule, but the tend to struggle with lesser teams.

If the Mustangs can put a string of games together they'll be a handful.