By Dave Sholler

Before I write my weekly column, I’ll usually scour different publications to make sure that I get a vast array of boxing topics, opinions, and feedback.

I’ll check out what ESPN’s Dan Rafael has to say.

I’ll see what Dougie Fischer is chewing on at The Ring’s website.

And I’ll check out the work of my colleagues Greisman, Stewart, Donovan, Rold, and Fitzsimmons right here at BoxingScene.

As I was sifting through stories and tidbits this week, I realized that I could have taken the easy way out for this week’s Friday rant. I could have gone on and on about the promise of Andre Berto. I could have vented about how The Ring’s advisory panel missed the mark when they decided that Margarito-Mosley isn’t good enough to decide the sport’s best welterweight.

But truth be told, you’ve read these stories already. My colleagues have already done a good job hashing these issues out. Thus, you don’t need me rambling on about them. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the wild, crazy, and mind-boggling stories that didn’t get the right amount of attention this week.

SAM PETER CALLS OUT CRISTOBAL ARREOLA

Calling it a quest to decide boxing’s true “Nightmare,” Team Peter issued a press release challenging up-and-coming heavyweight Arreola. Excuse me if I don’t get too excited for this one.

For starters, both would come into the bout ridiculously out of shape. During training camp, Peter wouldn’t train as hard because he’d expect to fight a round Arreola. Likewise, Arreola would keep drinking brews because he’d expect a rotund Peter to enter the ring on fight night. The result is two fat men who gas out after four rounds. The only true nightmare here is the mess both would leave at the hotel buffet line.

ROY JONES JR. WANTS TO FIGHT IN FLORIDA

Mark Vester, the hardest working man in boxing, found a snippet from Roy Jones Jr. in the Pensacola News Journal in which the former world champion clamored for a fight in his hometown. Jones, in essence, wanted to bring a big fight to his hometown people.

Here’s the question: does Roy have a big fight left in him? We tend to believe that Jermain Taylor - the name most recently connected to Jones - would beat him senseless, so who else could the fading “Superman” fight? Whoever it ends up being, we know it won’t be Bernard Hopkins. Jones just won’t make that fight happen.

In the end, we don’t think a fight will land in Pensacola. In all reality, the only Florida plans Jones should be making are ones that involve that dreaded “R” word.

BERNARD HOPKINS WAITING FOR ONE LAST ‘CAREER’ FIGHT

Raise your hand if you chuckled when you read this story. Hopkins, now doing commentary work for ESPN on top of his duties with Golden Boy Promotions, told the USA Today that he wants to be remembered as a man “willing to fail to win.” He then proceeded to inform us that such a statement isn’t Shakespearean, it’s Bernard Hopkins.

Oh, Bernard, where art thou? We won’t fall for your “one more fight” trick again. From now until the day you die, we know there’s always a chance for one more Hopkins fight. If you are Romeo, boxing is your Juliet.

MANNY PACQUIAO WANTS 60/40, THEN 50/50, THEN 60/40, THEN 50/50…

It took Pacquiao exactly 10 minutes following the De La Hoya fight to become a diva. In negotiating his proposed May 2 bout against Ricky Hatton, the Filipino has argued for a 60/40 purse split, then came down to 50/50, and then went back to 60/40. Hey Manny, get over yourself big guy.

Pac-Man should look at the facts. Hatton’s appeal in the UK is worth the extra 10 percent. Plus, if pay-per-view numbers do as well as anticipated for the fight, both competitors will leave Las Vegas extremely wealthy.

Yes Manny, you defeated Oscar. But Ricky is a certifiable draw. Let’s not make this into a Hopkins/Jones type of negotiation. You’re better than that.

VITALI KLITSCHKO THINKS LENNOX LEWIS REMATCH CAN HAPPEN

And this just in…James Toney is heading back to middleweight.

GLEN JOHNSON WILL WORK FOR FIGHTS

After his literary attempts to reach Joe Calzaghe failed, Johnson turned his attention to luring Mikkel Kessler into a fight. Is there anyone you’d rather have on your side than Johnson? I mean, if you and “The Roadwarrior” were enjoying a vodka tonic at the local pub and a fight broke out, don’t you think he’d have your back? Plain and simple, Glen Johnson will fight anyone and we love it.

For the record, Kessler wouldn’t dare take the fight.

‘MONEY’ MAYWEATHER TAKING DONATIONS?

While some think Floyd Mayweather’s recent money troubles are funny, we can’t help but to wonder why this continually happens to famous athletes. Having made millions upon millions of dollars in his career, Floyd has reportedly pissed a ton away on jewelry and cars all while not paying his taxes and/or fulfilling real estate agreements. We have all at one point called for his return from retirement, but we did so for pure boxing reasons. In the end, Floyd may have to come back…because he’s going broke.

It’s a damn shame really. We don’t claim to be money management experts here at BoxingScene, but we’d like to think that we could live pretty well on $50 million. They say that it doesn’t take nearly as long to spend your fortune as it did to make it. Floyd is learning this the hard way.

Here’s to hoping Floyd avoids the economic woes suffered by the likes of Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. Maybe it’s time for Floyd to stop “making it rain.”

BARRERA VS. KHAN AT LIGHTWEIGHT

After losing his first fight in September, most observers thought that 22-year-old rising prospect Amir Khan would be brought along slowly. That observation went out the window this week when it was announced that Khan will face future Hall of Famer Marco Antonio Barrera in March.

We have to admit; this fight is a bit intriguing. It’s the old lion vs. the future leader of the Pride. On top of Khan being rushed back into the spotlight, isn’t it ironic that Barrera is being ushered back into meaningful bouts quite quickly as well? Ahh, the life of a pro boxer. You never truly hear the final bell.