Tag Archives: Boxing

Posted on 05/10/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite reigning as light heavyweight champion for the better part of the past five years, Dmitry Bivol capitulated to many of the demands of Canelo Alvarez.

Although Alvarez came into their May 7th, showdown as the challenger, it was Alvarez who was allowed to walk second and introduced last prior to their bout. Bivol, while a proud champion, was willing to do essentially whatever it took to get boxing’s premier star into the ring.

After gnashing his teeth while saying yes to all of Alvarez’s requests, the 31-year-old Russian had officially landed the one bout he craved above all others.

Heading in, Bivol paid no attention to oddsmakers pegging him as a considerable underdog on the night. Also, the WBA light heavyweight titlist ignored Alvarez’s staunch supporters who predicted he would be violently stopped on the night.

A stone-faced Bivol calmly made his way through the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, first. He also stood patiently as Alvarez was given his grand entrance. Nevertheless, from the moment the opening bell rang, Bivol marched forward and took the fight to the former pound-for-pound king.

Although Alvarez as of late, has punished his foes, resulting in stoppage victories in four of his previous five bouts, Bivol showed his resolve. The normally offensive brilliance of Alvarez, by and large, was rendered useless as Bivol maintained his defensive principles while piling up the points.

With all three judges scoring the bout handing Bivol a 115-113 unanimous decision victory, the former pound-for-pound king revealed that he would pursue an immediate rematch, words that became music to the ears of Bivol.

Openly, the Russian native admits that while he fully intended on winning against Alvarez in their first bout, he more so wanted to use their initial bout as a way to be thrust into the limelight. In what now appears to be an upcoming sequel, Bivol has now shifted gears. With his star power receiving a considerable bump, Bivol wants to show the rest of the world that while Alvarez is a terrific fighter, he’s simply a cut above.

“First fight was important to me because I wanted to introduce myself to the boxing fans,” said Bivol during a recent interview with FightHype.com. “Second fight, I want to prove that I’m really better than him. He is the bigger name but I am better.”

In addition to allowing Alvarez to dictate both the ring walks and introduction, Bivol also reveals that he took a massive financial blow. According to multiple reports, Alvarez earned somewhere in the ballpark range of approximately $50 million, including roughly 70 percent of the pay-per-view revenue. Bivol, on the other hand, may have pocketed around $2 million plus a lower-end portion of the pay-per-view revenue.

Financial ramifications aside, Bivol has no qualms about the sacrifices that were made in order to secure the biggest victory in his career. This time around, however, with part two lurking, Bivol is more assertive in his monetary demands.

“I can earn more money for a rematch and get more attention.”

Posted on 05/09/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Admittedly, Terence Crawford knew he had plenty of competition.

The Omaha, Nebraska, native and current WBO welterweight champion has always been proud of his pugilistic achievements. Having won world titles at 135, 140, and now – 147 pounds, Crawford not only considers himself the best welterweight in the world but the best overall fighter on the planet.

But, despite his bravado and unwavering self-belief, Crawford was somewhat accepting of his position amongst his fellow fighters.

In the mind of many, Canelo Alvarez was viewed as not only boxing’s premier attraction but also, its best fighter. While Crawford tipped his cap in acknowledgment of Alvarez and his overall achievements, the 34-year-old welterweight belt holder still adamantly backed himself as the best fighter in the world.

Regardless of his position, Crawford reluctantly accepted his placement behind the Mexican native. Nevertheless, following Alvarez’s lackluster defeat this past weekend at the hands of Dmitry Bivol, Crawford now believes he has officially usurped Alvarez on virtually every pound-for-pound list.

“We know who #1 is now,” said Crawford on his social media account.

Bivol, the current WBA light heavyweight belt holder, marched through a sea of dubious voices at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, this past Saturday night. As Alvarez’s supporters continued to scream and shout in his direction, the Russian native remained stone-faced and focused on the task at hand.

Although Alvarez has openly admitted in the past that fighting at 175 pounds places him at a significant disadvantage, after aggregating every world title at 168 pounds, the Mexican product craved a new challenge.

During the early portions of his light heavyweight bout, Alvarez appeared to dictate the action. However, as the rounds slowly ticked by, an increasingly elusive Bivol began finding his rhythm. Alvarez, 31, while known for his defensive acumen, languished against the ropes for long durations, resulting in Bivol piling up the points en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Considering Alvarez’s recent defeat, coupled with Crawford’s continued run of dominance, the switch-hitting star believes he should rise unopposed to the top of the pound-for-pound charts.

In Crawford’s most recent trip to the ring, the 34-year-old successfully defended his WBO crown against former two-time world titlist, Shawn Porter. In doing so, Crawford became the first man to stop Porter in his tracks, accomplishing the feat in the 10th round.

Posted on 05/08/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Eddy Reynoso beamed with pride and confidence as he watched his fighter, Canelo Alvarez, make his way to the ring late last night.

As a jam-packed crowd in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, roared vociferously, Reynoso remained steadfast in his belief that his Mexican star would keep his staunch supporters on their feet.

While pegged as a considerable underdog, Dmitry Bivol was both unfazed and undaunted by the task at hand. In the opening round, the Russian native appeared content and willing to allow Alvarez to bully him against the ropes. As the rounds slowly ticked by, however, he slowly began finding his rhythm.

At times, Alvarez’s backers sat quietly as Bivol blasted his man mercilessly. A visibly tired Alvarez admitted that during the championship rounds, he was running on fumes, something Bivol would take full advantage of.

Despite languishing against the ropes for long stretches, Alvarez proudly rose his hand in triumph as the sound of the final bell blared through T-Mobile Arena. Nevertheless, while Alvarez believed he was only moments away from arguably his greatest achievement, it was Bivol who was left grinning from ear to ear as all three judges scoring their light heavyweight bout handed the Russian star a close but clear unanimous decision victory.

As both Alvarez and Reynoso retreated to their dressing room in disbelief, the pair have already revealed that their rivalry with Bivol has only just begun. In the end, while Reynoso refuses to fulminate over the judge’s decision, he believes they ultimately handed the victory to the wrong fighter.

“Yes, there’s no doubt about that, we want that rematch,” said Reynoso to a group of reporters. “We felt that we didn’t lose the fight, just some rounds. We want that rematch to see what we can do better.”

After wrapping every world title around his waist at 168 pounds, Alvarez, 31, craved an even bigger challenge. In an effort to meet his wishes, Reynoso viewed a light heavyweight showdown against Bivol as the ultimate risk.

Having produced a spotless record through 19 professional bouts, Bivol gladly accepted team Alvarez’s decision to face him. Reynoso, who also manages Alvarez in addition to training him, is of the belief that the former pound-for-pound king followed his pre-fight game plan to perfection.

Still, regardless of Alvarez’s execution, and despite Reynoso maintaining that his fighter should have been given the victory, he won’t allow himself to take the spotlight away from Bivol. More than anything, the former trainer of the year believes that while Bivol has sullied Alvarez’s record, the Mexican native can walk with his head held high.

“You have to give good credit to Bivol and what he did but Saul is a winner and he will come back stronger.”

Posted on 05/08/2022

Montana Love has never been short on bravado.

The flamboyant 140 pounder sauntered his way to the ring in front of a fairly jam-packed crowd in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, being accompanied by his pet dog. Love smiled, danced, and took in the sights. But while he appeared to be enjoying the moment, he made sure to take care of business.

Love cautiously stepped to the middle of the ring as fringe contender, Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela, eagerly followed suit. In an effort to use his four-inch reach advantage, Gollaz stuck his jab into the face of his man early and often. A smiling Love dipped low, carefully evading Gollaz’s persistent jab. Moments later, Love connected on his first blow of the night, a straight left hand. Just mere seconds later, history repeated itself as Love connected once again with a straight left hand. This time, Gollaz hit the deck.

As Love waltzed back to the center of the ring to begin the second round, Gollaz made him pay for his excessive confidence. In a quick and seemingly inconsequential exchange, Gollaz connected on an overhand right, sending Love to the deck.

For the duration of the round, Love backpedaled, moved cautiously, and attempted to hold until his legs were underneath him.

Well aware of his man’s power, Love boxed a more calculated fight for the remainder of the bout. At times, he landed his vaunted straight left hand, while using his defensive acumen to remain out of harm’s way.

While it may have resulted in Love being vehemently booed by the Las Vegas, crowd, he was given the fairly wide unanimous decision victory.

Posted on 05/07/2022

By: Hans Themistode

An unprecedented amount of Canelo Alvarez fans have swarmed the Las Vegas, area. The reason for their presence is a simple one, as Alvarez is set to return to the ring later on tonight to take on WBA light heavyweight champion, Dmitry Bivol.

But while Alvarez’s undying supporters have come out in full force, Jake Paul is of the belief that the pound-for-pound star’s upcoming trek to the ring will be a box office failure.

“Dmitry Bivol?” Questioned Paul. “No one wants to see that fight.”

Regardless of Paul being apathetic toward Bivol’s upcoming showdown against Alvarez, the Russian native believes he has what it takes to solve one of boxing’s most bemusing puzzles.

After failing to enter the ring for the entirety of his 2020 calendar year, Bivol bounced back nicely in 2021. Up first for the light heavyweight titlist, was a tougher than expected test against Craig Richards. While he would ultimately go on to pick up the unanimous decision victory, Richards fought Bivol on mostly even terms.

At the tail end of Bivol’s year, he looked remarkably better against Umar Salamov, as he scored the lopsided unanimous decision win. With the 31-year-old producing a spotless record through 19 professional bouts, Paul shrugs his shoulders as he downplays the overall drawing power of the Russian native.

Ultimately, Paul is of the belief that Alvarez has two well-known and more distinguished fighters who are more worthy of his time in the ring.

“Fight (David) Benavidez, quit ducking Benavidez, quit ducking (Jermall) Charlo.”

As Paul eludes to, both Benavidez and Charlo were offered to Alvarez as part of a two-fight deal made by Premier Boxing Champions Al Haymon. Benavidez, and Charlo for that matter, have urged the pound-for-pound star to face them inside the ring. But, despite their constant callouts and regardless of Paul’s chastisement, Alvarez opted against facing either foe.

Although initially apoplectic by his decision, both Charlo and Benavidez have moved on.

In the case of Benavidez, the former two-time super middleweight champion will square off against David Lemieux on May 21st, with the winner being awarded the WBC interim crown. As for Charlo, while he has stated on numerous occasions that he would eagerly and swiftly acquiesce to Alvarez’s weight demands and face him at 168 pounds, for now, he’ll remain in the middleweight division where he’ll attempt to defend his prized WBC title against Maciej Sulecki on June 18th.

Posted on 05/07/2022

By: Hans Themistode

As Kell Brook looks back on his noteworthy career, he’s immediately filled with both joy and satisfaction.

In 2004, at the tender age of 18, Brook entered the ring for the first time as a professional. Nearly a decade later, the British star achieved a lifelong dream of becoming a world champion.

Yet, having taken on some of the best names that the sport of boxing has to offer, Brook believes his time underneath the pugilistic bright lights has come to an end.

“I’ve had a long chat with my family and my parents, and it’s over for me,” said Brook. “I’ll never box again.”

Brook’s recent revelation comes off the back of arguably his proudest achievement. Following years of back and forth banter with long-time rival Amir Khan, the two officially squared off in the ring to put their bad blood to bed.

A jam-packed crowd filled Manchester Arena on February 19th, 2022. A visibly irate Brook marched forward from the opening bell, keeping a high guard while the lightning fast blows from Khan bounced inconsequentially off his gloves.

As Brook began finding his range, he battered his man, ultimately resulting in a sixth-round stoppage victory. Shortly after, Brook revealed that despite being 36 years of age, he felt young and spry. Further backing his words, team Brook quietly began negotiations for his next ring appearance with welterweight contender Conor Benn and former middleweight interim titlist, Chris Eubank Jr., emerging as frontrunners.

However, over the past few days, talks between both parties had gone cold as Brook has opted to instead, hang up his gloves for good.

Brook, while completely satisfied with how his career played out, is unsurprisingly poignant as he holds back tears and stutters over his words. Throughout it all, Brook acknowledges his dark moments, including suffering back-to-back broken orbital bones in consecutive defeats at the hands of Gennadiy Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr.

Still, regardless of his sour moments, Brook also smiles at his prestigious and memorable victories. Nonetheless, more than his unforgettable victory over Shawn Porter which led to his first world title reign and more salient than sharing the ring with pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford, Brook is most proud to be leaving the sport he once loved on his terms.

“It’s a little emotional to be actually saying this out loud. My mom [Julie] is relieved. I think everyone around me is pleased. It’s been a long journey and all I’ve known. “I’ve been a world champion, and that night against Shawn Porter in California will live with me forever. As will my last fight with Amir.

“I’ve been in the ring with Golovkin, Spence, Crawford, and I finally got my fight with Amir Khan. After that, I don’t think I needed to go on anymore. Truth is, boxing is a very, very tough, dangerous sport, one in which you can be legally killed in the ring, and I’ve finished now with all my faculties intact.”

Posted on 05/06/2022

by John “Gutterdandy” Walker

Former heavyweight champions of the world the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, won’t be cheering on WBA light heavyweight champion Dimitry Bivol when the latter man takes on superstar Canelo Alvarez this Saturday evening at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Though Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs), a Russian, has spoken out against the war his country has chosen to wage against neighboring Ukraine, the Ukrainian Klitschko brothers are far from satisfied about Bivol is getting a world wide platform to perform against Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) in the middle of a bloody conflict that his country started.

According to former unified world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, currently fighting on the front lines with his brother [the current mayor of Kyiv] Vitali, it’s nothing personal against Bivol, but a matter of principle.

In an interview with the BBC, Wladimir recently opined that “[Bivol should] absolutely not [be facing Canelo]. Every sanction, and it’s nothing against the personality or athletes, it’s about the politics of Russia.”

“Every Russian representative in this case needs to be sanctioned, because this way we show to Russia that the world is against this senseless war and that there’s no good in this war,” Klitschko said.

Bivol, of course, sees the issue differently, and claims the realms of sports and politics should be kept separate.

“All his career I support [Wladimir], I liked how he was fighting and of course I was glad when he won,” said a somber Bivol.

“He is [a] sportsman, he should know sports and politics is different. He was [an] athlete. Now he is politician. It is sad that wants to shake it up and mix sport and politics,” a downcast Bivol told Britain’s IFL TV.

While the Klitschkos won’t be making a Vegas trip to see Bivol defend his title against Alvarez, one face to look for at ringside is that of current “retired” WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Last weekend, Matchroom promotions honcho Eddie Hearn put on a successful women’s boxing headliner featuring popular Irish fighter Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Irish compatriots such as former pugilist Matthew “Mack The Knife” Macklin, and according to rumor, Tyson Fury himself were slated to fly to Manhattan to cheer on their woman, but Mackin and “other boxing figures” were refused entry into the USA due to their connections with former MGM/MTK honcho and reputed Irish mob kingpin, Daniel Kinahan (“MTK” is an acronym for Mack The Knife).

Fury, rumor has it, was tipped off not to get on the plane to Manhattan. The WBC champion, who recently made light work of hapless challenger Dillian Whyte, was very friendly with Kinahan until the FBI offered a $5 million reward for the mob boss, at which point an agitated Fury was adamant that he knew nothing of Kinahan’s business and split ties with him.

If Fury, who recently bought a home in the Las Vegas area, and who is due to meet with the WBC next week to discuss his retirement plans–which he claims are 100% irreversible–fails to show at the Canelo vs Bivol tilt, the rumor mill over Fury’s own legal status regarding Kinahan and the now-defunct MTK Global promotional outfit will surely go into overdrive.

Posted on 05/06/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Dmitry Bivol is well aware of the uphill battle that will be standing before him.

On May 7th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Russian native will attempt to knock boxing’s premier star in Canelo Alvarez, off his high horse, while simultaneously defending his WBA light heavyweight crown. In the eyes of many, a victory for the Mexican product is simply a formality. With Alvarez audaciously snagging every world title at 168 pounds, he saunters into his bout against Bivol as a sizable favorite.

Still, the betting market’s conjecture will have no bearing on how Bivol will ultimately fair against Alvarez. Having scored victories against the likes of Joe Smith Jr. and Jean Pascal, Bivol has the experience and physical attributes to give Alvarez all he can handle. But just because Bivol can pull off the victory, will he? Let’s dive in and take a look at Bivol’s keys to nabbing the biggest win of his career.

Jab, jab, and jab some more

For as great as Canelo Alvarez has proven to be in his career, he still has one glaring hole in his awe-inspiring defensive game…the jab. Even while rising to the top of virtually every pound-for-pound list and despite embezzling several world titles across countless weight classes, fighters such as Floyd Mayweather, Sergey Kovalev, Gennadiy Golovkin, and most recently – Caleb Plant, gave Alvarez fits with a piercing and consistent jab.

Luckily for Bivol, he has one of the best in the business. Before going into his offensive bag of tricks, Bivol uses his jab to soften up his opponents. Alvarez, known for his willingness to come forward, often flashes a high guard as he stalks his foes. For every step that Alvarez takes, Bivol should place his stinging jab into the face of his man. Alvarez’s ability to slip and counter is well chronicled but a well-timed jab can disrupt his defensive rhythm.

Be the bigger man

Although Alvarez has outboxed many high-level boxers, as of late, he appears hell-bent on ending his pugilistic night before the sound of the final bell. With stoppage victories in four of his five most recent ring appearances, including against Sergey Kovalev, another world titlist at 175 pounds.

Regardless of the pernicious knockout power Alvarez has displayed, Bivol has to remember one thing, he is the bigger man. Physicality hasn’t always been a major part of the Russian star’s career. Instead, he often opts to remain on the outside and outbox his opponents. While effective in most circumstances, Bivol can’t afford to simply sit back on his laurels and allow Alvarez to control the real estate of the ring. Come forward, push Alvarez back physically and remind him that he is, in fact, the bigger and stronger fighter.

Land the right hand

During the early stages of Bivol’s career, he was miscast as a deleterious knockout artist. While he did real off six consecutive victories from 2014 to 2016, Bivol has been forced to enlist the help of three judge’s watching ringside for his past six bouts.

Be that as it may, Bivol is very much a puncher. According to former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez, Bivol has quite possibly the most lethal right hand he has ever absorbed during sparring. The Russian native should uncork said right hand whenever possible and dissuade Alvarez from simply barreling forward. If Bivol connects early and often, and Benavidez’s words prove to be true, a more cautious Alvarez could change the entire complexity of their showdown.

Posted on 05/06/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Since officially opting against accepting Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions’ two-fight offer, promoter Eddie Hearn has become incredulous about the ongoing narrative surrounding Alvarez’s decision.

From the moment the Mexican star wrapped the final 168-pound title around his waist following his 11th round stoppage victory over Caleb Plant in November of 2021, Alvarez was bombarded with numerous offers.

Initially, Haymon dangled a two-fight deal in the face of Alvarez. Amongst the names that were mentioned on said deal, was a 168-pound showdown against current WBC middleweight champion, Jermall Charlo.

Ultimately, Alvarez found Hearn’s proposal more enticing. In just a few short hours, on May 7th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Alvarez will take on the first name as part of his three-fight agreement with Hearn when he faces off against WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol.

Soon after Alvarez inked his name on the dotted line, fans of Charlo have fulminated over the Mexican star’s choice. As his staunch supporters continue to publicly back their man as a more difficult fighter to deal with as opposed to Bivol, Hearn believes everyone has lost their mind.

“How can you say that Charlo is a tougher fight than Bivol at 175 pounds?” Said Hearn to a group of reporters. “Who has Charlo ever beat?”

The normally truculent knockout artist hailing from Houston, Texas, has continually called for a showdown against Alvarez. He continued his tradition following his unanimous decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel in June of 2021.

In an effort to lure his man into the ring, Charlo, who has never competed over 160 pounds, openly revealed that he would be more than willing to acquiesce to Alvarez’s weight demands by fighting as a full-fledged super middleweight.

Ultimately, following Alvarez’s decision to go in another direction, team Charlo pursued a middleweight showdown against highly ranked contender, Jaime Munguia. Although both fighters agreed to the financial portion of their deal, network disagreements pushed their bout to the wayside.

Despite the constant change in opponents, Charlo has settled on a new foe. On June 18th, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Charlo will take on fringe contender Maciej Sulecki.

Upon hearing the news, Hearn becomes bemused by Charlo’s opponent selection. In the end, however, Hearn is unwilling to place the blame completely at Charlo’s feet for what he believes is a subpar foe. Instead, the longtime promoter looks directly at Premier Boxing Champions for what he perceives is myopic matchmaking.

“Sulecki? I don’t blame Charlo because he’s fighting a guy he’s not even motivated to fight. Charlo is an outstanding fighter but you’re not going to see that unless he steps up and fights a real fight. Put him in with (Caleb) Plant, put him in with (David) Benavidez.”

Posted on 05/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Although becoming a world champion brings a certain amount of spotlight and attention, that aforementioned spotlight is intensified tenfold when facing Canelo Alvarez.

The pound-for-pound star and multiple division titlist has brought his adoring fans and staunch supporters with him to Las Vegas where he’ll be taking on current WBA light heavyweight champion, Dmitry Bivol.

While Bivol has proudly held his world title for the better part of the past five years, he admits that facing Alvarez brings an unprecedented amount of eyeballs. With the two officially set to square off this Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena, Bivol has noticed a trend with many of Alvarez’s opponents.

By and large, the Mexican star fills arenas and brings a large number of media personnel to his bouts. In Bivol’s opinion, the uncharacteristically large crowds often have a detrimental effect on Alvarez’s opponents.

Ultimately, Bivol admits that more cameras have been shoved in his face than usual and the seemingly perpetual interviews that he’s forced to partake in can become arduous and burdensome. Nevertheless, Bivol refuses to allow his newfound limelight distract him from the task at hand.

“Many people can’t get over all the pressure and the big ring and all of the fans but that’s a part of being champion,” said Bivol during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “Mentally being there and getting over it.”

Alvarez’s upcoming title fight against Bivol will represent only the second fight of his career at 175 pounds. In November of 2019, Alvarez scored a concussive knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev. Since then, however, Alvarez has spent his time aggregating every world title at 168 pounds. Following his 11th round stoppage victory over Caleb Plant at the tail end of 2021, Alvarez became the first undisputed super middleweight champion of all time.

While he may have competed above 168 pounds only once in his career, oddsmakers are publicly backing Alvarez to pick up the victory. Bivol, nonetheless, is incredulous over the feelings of the betting public.

In addition to holding a spotless record through 19 professional bouts, Bivol has registered 11 stoppage victories. Although his last knockout performance came in 2018, the Russian native is confident that due to a combination of both his punching power and his decided weight advantage, he has everything that it takes to stop Alvarez right in his tracks.

“I believe I can win. Why not? It’s boxing, we both have power. If I see I can knock him out, I will try.”

Posted on 05/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment Errol Spence Jr. made his professional debut in 2012 on a relatively small show in Indio, California, the Dallas native has shown an immense amount of confidence. But while it’s clear that Spence Jr. has the utmost faith in his skills, it appears as though the powerful southpaw believed he could dethrone arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Following Alvarez’s 11th round stoppage victory over Caleb Plant in November of 2021, the newly crowned undisputed super middleweight champion became a wanted man. On one end of the spectrum, was Eddie Hearn. The longtime promoter dangled a three-fight deal in the face of Alvarez. First up for the Mexican star, would be a date against current WBA light heavyweight titlist, Dmitry Bivol. Should Alvarez walk away from their contest unscathed, he would then move on to a showdown against longtime rival, Gennadiy Golovkin.

For Alvarez’s third bout with Hearn, names such as cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, as well as Joshua Buatsi have been rumored to be the frontrunners.

As Alvarez pondered over Hearn’s offer, Al Haymon from Premier Boxing Champions made his move. Initially, it was revealed that both Jermall Charlo, the current WBC middleweight champion, as well as David Benavidez, were offered to the Mexican star. However, Tom Brown of TGB Promotions, divulged that there was another name offered to Alvarez as part of their initial package.

“Props to Eddy Reynoso, the ‘Manager of the Year,’ for getting Canelo these huge paydays with the least risk,” Brown said. “He had him take the least risk for the most reward. Because he had a chance to fight a reigning world champion at 160 pounds in Charlo and he also had a chance to fight an undefeated, two-time former 168-pound champion in Benavidez. Or he could’ve fought the reigning welterweight champion. It was a $100 million deal.”

The reigning welterweight champion that Brown is eluding to, is current unified titlist, Errol Spence Jr. According to Brown, Spence Jr. was willing to audaciously move up to take on Alvarez at a catchweight of 164 pounds.

Although Alvarez carefully looked over his options, he decided against Haymon’s offer in lieu of Hearn’s deal. Despite Alvarez now being tied at the hip with Hearn, he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the negotiating table with Haymon. If Alvarez does, in fact, accept a future deal to face Spence Jr., the Mexican product reveals that he would be unwilling to acquiesce to his weight demands.

“I don’t want to do things like that. Catchweight? 164, why me? I don’t need to do that.”

Regardless of Alvarez’s public refusal to go down to 164 pounds, Spence Jr. has seemingly moved on from the idea of facing the pound-for-pound star…at least for now. Just a few short weeks ago, Spence Jr. successfully added yet another world title to his collection, scoring a 10th-round stoppage victory over Yordenis Ugas. Since nabbing the victory, Spence Jr. has openly admitted that he currently has his eyes set on facing longtime rival, Terence Crawford.

Ultimately, Alvarez continues to be apprehensive over the idea of squeezing down to 164 pounds. However, he isn’t completely eliminating the possibility of a showdown against Spence Jr. If, of course, he were willing to meet him at his natural weight.

“168,” continued Alvarez. “I don’t need to do anything like that.”

Posted on 05/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

From the moment Joe Smith Jr. wrapped light-heavyweight gold around his waist in 2021, the Long Island native was anxious to face off against the best that the 175-pound division had to offer.

Although initially, Smith Jr. had been linked to pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez, he quickly rebuffed those original rumors. Instead, Smith Jr. had set his sights on facing Artur Beterbiev. Following several months of back and forth negations, the hard-hitting titleholder has officially landed the one bout he’s craved more than any other.

On June 18th, in Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, Smith Jr. and Beterbiev will collide in the main event. Ticket sales for the event are set to go on sale on May 12th.

Earlier this year, Smith Jr. made the first successful defense of his newly won world title, pounding longtime journeymen Steve Geffrard, resulting in a ninth-round stoppage victory. With three world titles set to be on the line during his showdown against Beterbiev, Smith Jr. has even bigger aspirations. If the hard-hitting Long Islander were to emerge with his hand raised in victory on the 18th of June, he’ll look to become an undisputed world titlist.

But, regardless of Smith Jr.’s ambitions, Beterbiev will look to add another world title to his ever-growing collection. Following an idle 2020, the Russian native got back to his winning ways in 2021.

First up on his pugilistic calendar, was a showdown against Adam Deines. While the fringe contender proved to be durable, Beterbiev eventually found his stride, scoring the knockout victory in the 10th round. Next up for the heavy-handed unified champion, was a date with former Olympian Marcus Browne.

In an effort to keep away from Beterbiev’s knockout power, Browne boxed cautiously on the outside. To further complicate matters for the Russian, blood poured from a deep gash that opened near the top of his right eyebrow. Still, despite the severity of his wound, Beterbiev continued to push forward.

As Browne appeared to lose steam during the second half, Beterbiev dropped his man in the seventh and ninth, before ultimately scoring the stoppage win moments later. Presently, Beterbiev is pleased with his recent performances. However, he’s well aware of the dangers Smith Jr. presents in the ring.

Ultimately, while Beterbiev will prepare himself for what’s expected to be a grueling affair, he refuses to allow Smith Jr., or anyone else for that matter, come between himself, and his undisputed title dreams.

“I look forward to the challenge ahead of me,” said Beterbiev. “Joe Smith Jr. is a worthy champion, but I am coming to Madison Square Garden to add another world title to my collection. This fight will get me one step closer to becoming undisputed champion.”

Posted on 05/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Long before Terence Crawford sauntered his way to the welterweight division in 2018, the Omaha, Nebraska, native made his feelings known that he wanted to face the best 147-pounders in the world.

By and large, Errol Spence Jr., the division’s only unified champion, has held that distinction. So, after identifying who was the man to beat, Crawford immediately set his sights on the powerful southpaw. Nevertheless, despite his attempts to lure Spence Jr. into the ring, Crawford was forced to wait.

While Spence Jr. has always viewed their showdown as inevitable, with Crawford being associated with promotional company Top Rank, and Spence Jr. being closely aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, several issues behind the scenes prevented the two from facing off. In an effort to avoid the back and forth theatrics, Spence Jr. temporarily pushed a possible showdown against Crawford aside as he focused his efforts on aggregating every other world title at 147 pounds.

Just a few short weeks ago, Spence Jr. successfully achieved his goals. On April 16th, in front of nearly 40,000 fans, Spence Jr. would hand Yordenis Ugas the first knockout loss of his career. In the process, the Dallas native violently ripped away his WBA welterweight title.

Presently, with Crawford operating as a promotional free agent, the switch-hitting pound-for-pound star believes that now more than ever, nothing is standing between himself and his fellow welterweight champion, from swapping fists.

“I’m free to do whatever I want,” said Crawford to ESPN during a recent interview. “There’s nothing standing in the way from us fighting. There’s no promotion company that’s blocking it, there’s no wrong side of the street, there’s no nothing. Let’s see who the best welterweight in the world is.”

For the 34-year-old Crawford, in the midst of waiting for Spence Jr. to make his way to the negotiating table, the Omaha, Nebraska, native has wreaked havoc on the division. With six consecutive stoppage victories since making the move up in weight, Crawford snagged the most impressive victory of his career in his most recent outing.

In November of 2021, Crawford first boxed and then brawled his way to a stoppage victory over former two-time 147-pound titlist, Shawn Porter. Since then, Crawford has remained sequestered on the sidelines, patiently waiting for Spence Jr.

Although a showdown between them has yet to be discussed, considering that Spence Jr. is only a few weeks removed from facing Yordenis Ugas in a physically taxing bout, both welterweight stars could be heading toward a collision course near the end of the year. If that is in fact the case, Crawford would have plenty of time to sneak in a bout of his own before facing Spence Jr. However, following years of pent-up frustration, Crawford has zero intentions of facing anyone but Spence Jr. next.

“I’m going straight into it. I don’t want no tuneup fights.”

At one point, a showdown against Spence Jr. became worrisome for Crawford. Although Spence Jr. has been lauded for his in ring work, concerns surronding his health mounted.

In October of 2019, one month after successfully unifying titles against Porter, Spence Jr. was involved in a horrific car wreck. Considering the seriousness of his near-fatal accident, inquiries encircling Spence Jr. arose. But, despite it all, the former Olympian bounced back nicely, winning a lopsided unanimous decision over Danny Garcia in December of 2020.

The injury woes for Spence Jr., nonetheless, continued. In August of 2021, the unified champion was scheduled to face off against Manny Pacquiao. However, due to a retinal detachment/break in his right eye, Spence Jr. was forced to withdraw as he was ushered into immediate surgery.

As even more haze clouded Spence Jr.’s career, he turned in a superb performance against Ugas. Known for his durability and toughness, Ugas succumbed to the pernicious blows of Spence Jr. via 10th-round stoppage.

A sly smirk was spread across the face of Crawford after watching Spence Jr.’s performance. His aforementioned smirk turned into a full-blown grin as Spence Jr. officially called him out. With the Dallas product seemingly back to his dominant self, Crawford is anxious to face the best version of his longtime rival.

“Now everybody’s saying that Errol’s back and he’s 100% ready. So now is the perfect time for me and him to fight. He called me out, so it ain’t no backing up.”

Posted on 05/03/2022

By: Hans Themistode

A look of despair and uncertainty was plastered onto the face of Josh Taylor following 12 hard-fought rounds against Jack Catterall.

Pegged as a considerable favorite heading into their February 26th showdown, most were under the assumption that Taylor would waltz through the ropes and dazzle his hometown crowd at the SSE Hydro. Yet, Catterall refused to simply lay down.

The former undefeated contender stood defiantly in the face of the undisputed 140-pound titlist and did as he pleased. In addition to outboxing Taylor for long stretches, Catterall successfully knocked his man down in the eighth. Although a point was taken away from him for excessive holding, Catterall screamed exuberantly as the final few seconds officially ticked off the clock.

Having turned in a career-best performance, Catterall was convinced that his world title dreams were only moments away from being realized.

However, Catterall was left shellshocked as Taylor was announced the victor. Initially, Taylor was bemused as criticism and controversy mounted. Taylor, 31, was originally of the belief that Catterall won no more than a handful of rounds. Nevertheless, having flicked on his television set and rewatched their contest on several occasions, Taylor admits that after further analysis, although he still believes the right man won, giving Catterall the decision would have been fair as well.

“I can see why people thought that Jack won,” said Taylor during an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. “There were a lot of rounds in there that could’ve went either way. If it was a draw, it would have been a fair result. If it had went to Jack by a point or two, I wouldn’t have grumbled. Obviously, I would’ve been gutted that I lost my titles. I still feel like I did just enough to win the fight. It was a close fight, it could’ve went either way. I personally scored it 113-112 for myself.”

In addition to Taylor coming to the realization that giving Catterall the nod wouldn’t have been considered controversial, the current undisputed world titlist is pondering a move up in weight. Having spent the entirety of his career at 140 pounds, Taylor believes that his 5’10” frame has made it nearly impossible for him to continue defending his undisputed throne.

While Taylor admits that it wasn’t his best day at the office, he maintains that an arduous weight cut played an enormous part in his disappointing showing.

“It was a really bad performance for myself. Way below par. I just felt that I couldn’t really get going. I think that the weight cut had a massive impact on my performance. There’s no excuse, it was a bad performance, it is what it is.”

Posted on 05/03/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Although Shakur Stevenson is still in the infancy stages of his career, the former Olympic silver medalist believed that the world would soon realize his greatness.

Following his most recent performance, Stevenson is now convinced that his name should now be mentioned amongst the best fighters in the world. This past Saturday night, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Stevenson easily outboxed Oscar Valdez. In the process, Stevenson successfully unified the super featherweight division, adding Valdez’s WBC crown to his WBO title.

With Stevenson now emerging as one of boxing’s premier talents, the now unified champion is enjoying his time in the spotlight. Presently, Stevenson believes he has a bevy of options for his next ring appearance. However, seemingly at the top of his list, is current pound-for-pound star and former two-time Olympic gold medalist, Vasiliy Lomachenko.

“I’m down for a Vasiliy Lomachenko fight,” said Stevenson on the DAZN Boxing Show. “I don’t duck no action. I don’t care who it is, I’m gonna keep the same energy. I’m down for that type of fight.”

Lomachenko, 34, has bounced back nicely since suffering defeat at the hands of Teofimo Lopez in 2020. The multiple division star made it look incredibly easy against Masayoshi Nakatani, stopping the rough and rugged Japanese native in the ninth round. Shortly after, Lomachenko closed out his 2021 campaign with a one-sided victory over Richard Commey.

With Lomachenko returning to his winning ways, the 34-year-old was chosen by current unified 135-pound titlist, George Kambosos Jr., as his next opponent. While Lomachenko was honored, he elected against taking Kambosos Jr. up on his offer. Instead, Lomachenko opted to stay in his native land of Ukraine to help fend off attacks from the ongoing Russian invasion.

Presently, it’s unknown when Lomachenko will return to the ring. However, he has given his thoughts on a possible showdown against Stevenson in the past, stating on numerous occasions that he would only be willing to drop down in weight to take on his fellow Olympian if and only if, Stevenson became an undisputed champion.

If, for whatever reason, Lomachenko changes his mind and decides to return to 130-pounds to face Stevenson, the former Olympic silver medalist wouldn’t be so quick to face Lomachenko though. While Stevenson loves the thought of facing the former Olympic gold medalist, becoming an undisputed champion has always been a longtime dream for him.

“Truth be told, I’m torn between all the belts and a big fight.”