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By: William Holmes
The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of December 1st to December 8th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.
Mayweather States Pacquiao is Biggest Win of his Career
Floyd Mayweather retired with a record of 49-0, but was recently seen in Russia wearing a shirt that says 48 at an open training session in Russia.
He told the reporters in attendance, “ This is in honor of my 48th victory, which is the most important of my career.”
He continued, “ A lot of people said that I avoided this fight. A lot of people said that I couldn’t win the fight. But I proved all of that was wrong, and therefore the fight against Manny Pacquiao is the most important for me.”
Mayweather also set the Guiness World Record for having the wrold’s largest boxing lesson audience, with 791 people in attendance.
Pacquiao Opponent to be Announced on Friday
Manny Pacquiao announced that his next fight will be his last fight, as he plans on retiring from the sport of boxing to give his undivided attention to his political career.
Three possible opponents have been floated for Manny Pacquiao. They are Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley Jr., and Terence Crawford.
There has been some rumbling as to who Pacquiao will face next, but Bob Arum recently announced that Pacquiao’s foe will be announced on Friday’s truTV boxing telecast.
Julian “J Rock” Williams to Set Trend with Year Round PED Testing
Undefeated Jr. Middleweight, Julian “J Rock” Williams has declared that he wants to be the first professional boxer to be tested by both USADA & VADA randomly throught the year.
Williams (21-0-1) is currently ranked number 7 by the WBC, number 10 by the WBA, and number 6 by the IBF, and wants to prove to the world that there would be no doubt left in anyone’s mind as he continues his quest to become world champion.
“I want to be known as the 1st boxer to actively participate in 365/24/7 Olympic Style Testing with two different agencies. USADA and VADA. I don’t know if I will be the best boxer of this era, that remains to be seen. But what I will prove, is that accomplishments are 100% legit. I want to be the pioneer in this. I’m presently seeking sponsors to help me. I’m not a millionaire yet, so money is an issue but I am working to get to the point where I can test continuously no matter if I have a fight scheduled or not. This will be very easy for me because I am 100% clean all the time. Not some of the time. I don’t indulge in drinking or smoking either. I don’t think it’s realistic to test every single fighter in the world. But I do think once you get ranked and/or a champion then we should be in a random testing pool. If I am able to get this done I will welcome any future opponent to participate with me. If my opponent refuses then the fans and media can draw a fair reference and conclusion.”
Gary Shaw in Awe After Watching Bryant Jennings Spar 16 Rounds
Bryant “By-By” Jennings (19-1) has been preparing for his upcoming December 19th bout with Luis Ortiz (23-0), and promoter Gary Shaw feels confident that his fighter will be victorious after watching a 16 round sparring session.
This bout will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET.
“To see Bryant Jennings spar sixteen-rounds with four different guys was an amazing feat to watch,” said Gary Shaw. “I’ve been around this sport for many years and I’m telling you, Jennings is one of the best athletes I’ve ever promoted. The fact that he was able to handle all the fresh sparring partners that were rotating in was unbelievable. John David Jackson is a great coach and both he and Jennings are working extremely well together. Everyone will see a much more improved fighter when Jennings steps in the ring on December 19th.”
He also said the following about Jennings strength and conditioning coach Edward Jackson.
“Edward Jackson is one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in boxing and I’m very pleased with his work.” Gary Shaw continued. “His track record speaks for itself with all the great champions he’s currently working with. Amazingly Jennings could have gone a few more rounds if he wanted to and I credit Edward Jackson for getting him in tip top shape.”
Julian Ramirez to Headline First LA Fight Club of 2016
Julian Ramirez (15-0) will headline the first LA Fight Club of 2016 in a featherweight bout to televise live on Boxeo Estelar on Estrella TV on January 29, 2016 from Downtown’s Belasco Theater.
Undefeated featherweight standout Abraham “Chamaco” Lopez (19-0-1) will also make his first 2016 appearance in a ten round featherweight televised co-main event.
“The response we’ve received with LA FIGHT CLUB has far exceeded our expectations,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “We set out early this year to bring exciting boxing match ups back to downtown Los Angeles with this series and we’ve done just that. The greater Los Angeles area is rich with up- and-coming boxing talent, and LA FIGHT CLUB has been a great way to showcase these fighters.”
Known as “El Camarón,” Ramirez is coming off of a unanimous decision win on the undercard of the Lucas Matthysse vs. Viktor Postol fight Oct. 3 at the Stubhub Center in Carson in an action-packed affair that had the fans on their feet. The undefeated East Los Angeles native has boxing in his blood. His late uncle was the former WBA and WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Genaro “El Chicanito” Hernandez. Ramirez has been on the fast track since turning professional in 2012. A dynamic southpaw who has the skills to succeed, the 22 year-old Ramirez gave a spectacular showing on the undercard of Matthysse vs. Postol on October 3 and a thrilling main event showdown April 2 when he headlined LA FIGHT CLUB for the first time card, adding another victory to his resume with a unanimous decision win over the vicious Raul “Bule” Hidalgo. Ramirez will look to start off 2016 strong with a win on Jan. 29th.
Bronco Billy Wright Calls out Deontay Wilder
WBC Latino and FECARBOX heavyweight champion, Bronco Billy Wright (49-4), is willing and able to step up and challenge Deontay Wilder (35-0) for his world title. Wright is currently rated #20 by the WBC, and is currently riding a 20 fight winning streak with 17 of those victories coming by way of knockout.
“No one can deny that I’ve earned the right to fight Deontay Wilder for his WBC title,” said Bronco Billy Wright. “I’ve been ranked in the top 20 with the WBC for the last three years. This is the American Dream for a fighter like myself who’s been waiting patiently to get an opportunity to fight for a world championship. I’ve paid my dues and I’m ready to take on this challenge.”
“There is no reason why this fight shouldn’t happen,” said Wright’s agent Ivaylo Gotzev. “From the day that Billy made his comeback till now, he’s made a believer out of me with everything that he’s accomplished. This is America where everyone should have an opportunity to fulfill their dreams, that’s what makes this country great. The man is active having just fought last month. Age should not be a factor. If George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins can fight at the championship level in their latter years, then the networks should not have a double standard when it comes to Bronco Billy. He wants to raise the bar and become the oldest heavyweight champ in boxing history. He currently holds two WBC belts which makes him more than qualified. There should be no discrimination in this matter. Billy is ready to fight Wilder now!”
Glazkov Passes on Shot Against Deontay Wilder for Shot at IBF Title
Vyacheslav Glazkov has passed on a January 16th title shot against WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder and has instead to pursue the mandatory IBF Title shot he is due.
Kathy Duva recently told ESPN that she was nearly done with a deal for Glazkov to fight Wilder on Showtime at the Barclays Center, but that she was not able to agree on all the details, including options, with promoter Lou DiBella.
Fury recently won the IBF title in his bout with Wladimir Klitschko, but Klitschko has decided to exercise his contractual right to an immediate rematch and it appears the IBF title will soon be vacant.
