By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 29th to August 5th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 to be Presented Live in Cinemas

Fathom Events and Mayweather Promotions are pleased to present the second bout between the two fighters on the big screen. This event will be broadcast live on Saturday, September 13 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Mayhem: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. A complete list of theater locations and prices can be found at the Fathom Events website. The event will be broadcast to nearly 570 select movie theaters across the country.

“I love that fans can go to the movie theaters to watch my fights. Our relationship with Fathom has been a good one thus far and it’s only getting stronger,” said Mayweather. “This is my first rematch in over a decade and I’m happy that we’re going to give fans the opportunity to see it live on the big screen.”

Bernard Hopkins to Meet Sergey Kovalev on HBO

Speed, savvy and defense will come face-to-face with explosive power and force this November when Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins takes on Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in a Light Heavyweight Unification title fight, Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events announced today.

Hopkins, incredibly just two months short of his 50th birthday, is seeking to add the WBO
Light Heavyweight Championship to his collection of IBF and WBA belts. Kovalev, who burst on the scene just a year ago, has never lost a fight and has won 23 of his 25 victories by knockout.

“Everything I do at this point in my career affects my legacy,” Hopkins (55-6-2, 32 KOs) said.

“I’ve set and broken many records, but becoming the oldest undisputed light heavyweight world champion is the goal and Kovalev stands in the way of that goal. He’s another young, hungry fighter and just like the ones that came before him, he will leave the ring beltless.”

“I respect Bernard Hopkins for taking this fight,” said the 31-year-old Kovalev (25-0-1, 23
KOs). “When I came to America, it was dream to fight the best and now I am fighting, I have my chance. He says he is alien. He punch, I punch, then we see who is gonna go to Mars.”

In April, Hopkins defeated Beibut Shumenov to win the WBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, breaking his own record as the oldest fighter in history to win a world title, which he set in May of 2011 after defeating Jean Pascal at age 46. Kovalev comes off of the third defense of his WBO Light Heavyweight Title on HBO, defeating Blake Caparello by TKO on Saturday night. Hopkins vs. Kovalev is set to take place in the first half of November and will be held on the East Coast at a venue still to be determined.

Golden Boy Fighter Daniel Jacobs to Make Cancer Patient Wish Come True

On Saturday, August 9, 2014 at the Barclays Center for the WBA Middleweight World Championship bout against Jarrod Fletcher, Golden Boy Promotions fighter Daniel “The Miracle” Jacobs and his Get in the Ring Foundation will launch the “The Miracle Fight Night Fan Experience,” to knockout cancer and make a wish come true for a patient battling pediatric cancer in New York City to have VIP access and attend the fight as Jacobs’ special guest.

As a cancer survivor himself, Jacobs was paralyzed and diagnosed with osteosarcoma two years ago. His complete recovery from the rare bone cancer and return to boxing as a championship contender has branded him a miracle.

“This WBA Middleweight Championship fight is bigger than boxing for me, it’s an opportunity for me to represent anyone fighting cancer at the highest level. I won my battle against cancer and now I can continue to raise awareness and fight for cancer patients and survivors everywhere,” said Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs.

From birth through age 21, children staying at the Ronald McDonald House are given a home-away-from-home while undergoing cancer treatments that include chemotherapy, radiation, surgical intervention and other progressive oncology treatments. The House provides a opportunity for the entire family to stay together, increasing the patient’s odds of success.
“We are grateful to all of our volunteers and thoughtful supporters who work to build awareness about our mission and the devastating effects that cancer can have on the entire family,” said. William T. Sullivan, president & CEO of Ronald McDonald House New York. “Danny Jacobs’ story of beating bone cancer to regain his strength as a boxer is an inspiring story – just the kind of miraculous recovery that makes him our hometown hero.”

In collaboration with Ronald McDonald House New York, The Miracle Fight Night Fan Experience is an initiative driven by efforts to support and knockout cancer as part of Get in the Ring Foundation’s commitment to help families who are struggling financially with medical expenses for their cancer stricken children.

Main Events Drops Stevenson-Kovalev Lawsuit Without Prejudice

Main Events has formally dropped their lawsuit against Groupe Yvon Michel, Inc., Yvon Michel, Adonis Stevenson, Al Haymon, Showtime, Golden Boy Promotions, Inc., and Richard Schaefer after they have made their light heavyweight unification bout between Sergey Kovalev and Bernard Hopkins.

The lawsuit was originally filed after Groupe Yvon Michel and Stevenson failed to honor an alleged agreement for a scheduled bout between Sergey Kovalev and Adonis Stevenson. They have no dropped the suit without prejudice, retaining the right to reinstate the litigation in the event a fight between Hopkins and Kovalev does not proceed.

Main Events’ CEO Kathy Duva said, “The purpose of the lawsuit was to secure a unification bout for Sergey and allow him to face the top competition in the light heavyweight division. By signing on with Hopkins and Golden Boy Promotions for a three-title unification bout, Main Events secured the big fight that Sergey wanted. We no longer have damages, so we will not proceed with the litigation at this time.”

Austin Trout Returns August 22nd

Former world champion AUSTIN “No Doubt” TROUT returns to battle against two-time world title challenger DANIEL “The Rock” DAWSON in the main event on ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra™ from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California on Friday, August 22nd it was announced today by Dan Goossen.

The Trout-Dawson fight will be televised live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event is promoted by Goossen Promotions.
Advance tickets starting at $50 can be purchased through the Pechanga Resort and Casino website, www.Pechanga.com or by calling 1-877-711-2946. Doors on the night of the event will open at 4:30 p.m. with the first bell at 6:00 p.m.

Willie Nelson Express Back on Track to Headline ESPN FNF

World super welterweight contender Willie “The Great” Nelson (22-1-1, 13 KOs), rated No. 5 in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC), is back on track after surgery to his left elbow temporarily derailed his very promising career.

Nelson takes on former Mexican champion Luis “Slayer” Grajeda (17-2-2, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event on this week’s ESPN Friday Night Fights, airing live from Churchill County Fairgrounds in Fallon, Nevada.

“My elbow is fine, 100-percent, and I don’t even think about it when I’m fighting,” Nelson said. “It’s been frustrating but I’m a fighter and I’m looking forward. I’m focused on winning this fight, not on who I might be fighting next. I can’t get my big fight without making a big splash this Friday night. Grajeda is in top shape, always comes to fight, and nobody’s ever stopped him.”

Nelson is riding an impressive six-fight win streak into this Friday night’s fight. He had moved up to No. 3 in the WBC and signed to fight three-time world title challenger Matthew Macklin last December on HBO, however, the aforementioned elbow surgery forced him to pull out of that fight.

Everlast Gloves Worn by Muhammad Ali Sell for Nearly $400,000

The Everlast gloves worn by Muhammad Ali in his 1971 fight against Joe Frazier sold at an auction for $388,871. The fight, nicknamed the “Fight of the Century,” ended by unanimous decision and solidified Frazier as the Heavyweight Champion of the world. The gloves were purchased by an anonymous bidder at an auction in Cleveland, Ohio.

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