Tag Archives: brooklyn

Posted on 06/09/2017

Jarrett “Swift” Hurd’s First Title Defense is a Serious Challenge
By Eric Lunger

There is a perception in boxing today that too many fighters, when they finally reach that goal of grabbing their first belt, spend too much time resting on their laurels, maybe trying to maximize their earning power by dusting a few weak challengers. And who can blame them, really? Success in boxing requires years of sacrifice and rigorous training, so once a fighter reaches the top, there is no hurry to risk that coveted position.

So big respect to Jarrett “Swift” Hurd (20-0, 14 KOs), who has set his first title defense against Austin Trout (30-3, 17 KOs). Hurd, who proudly hails from Accokeek, Maryland, won the IBF super welterweight belt last February in a tactical and very professional stoppage of well-regarded veteran Tony Harrison (24-2, 20 KOs). Although it was Hurd’s first title fight, he approached the bout methodically and patiently, doing some serious bodywork with his left hook and waiting for an opening. Hurd was also surprisingly versatile in this bout, working behind the jab from range but also comfortable and effective on the inside. Hurd is classically trained, so to speak, and takes pride in being able to display all aspects of the craft.

Austin Trout, from Las Cruces, New Mexico, is a serious threat. He has a long professional resume — he fought Miguel Cotto, Erislandy Lara, and Canelo Alvarez back to back — and he brings a tricky, southpaw style into the ring. Trout has a full professional tool kit and enough experience to make adjustments during the fight. His last bout, against rising star Jermall Charlo, was a close unanimous decision loss (116-112, 115-113, 116-112). While making no excuses, Trout was bitterly disappointed with his loss to Charlo, and the Hurd fight might be his last chance to regain a top spot in the division.

As I see it, Hurd still has some defensive issues that Trout may be able to exploit, while Trout is vulnerable to a short right counter when he fights on his front foot. This bout may hinge on ring IQ and ring adjustment — which fighter will be able to solve his opponent first?

This will be an exciting card, also featuringMikey Garcia vs. Adrian Broner. Garcia, a multiple division champ, is moving up to 140 lbs. Having put his legal issues behind him, Garcia destroyed an overmatched Dejan Zlaticanin in a scary knockout in January, and he is looking to make up lost time. Technically proficient, Garcia sits down on his punches, generates real power, and has a mean streak when he steps between the ropes. No disrespect to Broner, who is a warrior in the ring whatever problems he may have away from boxing, but I think Garcia will clean out most of the division, setting up a potential super-fight showdown with Terence Crawford.

Showtime is broadcasting the fight on July 29th and it looks like the card will land at Barkley’s Center in Brooklyn, a fantastic venue for boxing.

Posted on 06/02/2017

Mikey Garcia Prepares To Enter Boxing’s Elite Realm
By: Sean Crose

Now that Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia are set to fight at 140 lbs this summer, expect a whole ton of talk about whether or not Broner will rise to the occasion. I’ve no doubt I’ll be engaging in such talk myself. Broner is, if nothing else, a fascinating study: A tough, talented, colorful guy who essentially keeps stepping in it. Garcia, however, is fascinating in his own right. Of course, Garcia – unlike Broner – isn’t made of TMZ material. The guy’s a pro who goes about his life and business accordingly. In short, he’s Broner’s opposite.

The truth is that people prefer Broner to Garcia, whether they want to admit it or not, because Broner makes what they used to call “good copy.” In short, he’s showy. Garcia, talented though he is, is only showy if by showy you mean productive, hard working and well thought out in one’s opinions – in other words, the sorts of things the general public seems to get bored with. No matter. Garcia is on the verge of entering boxing’s elite realm – a strange place that requires more than talent and impressive wins. And he’ll enter that realm if he beats Broner convincingly. The Californian has a high end skill set, coupled with explosive power. All he needs is a win against a big name opponent.

And now that opponent has been lined up to face him.

Broner is no joke, though, no matter how it seems that he himself has tried to be over the years. He’s a formidable foe who, for whatever reason, has plateaued in his ring ability. That ring ability, however, is impressive. Broner is fast, he can hit, and he’s tough. Really tough. The man can, as Timex once claimed, take a licking and keep on ticking. Garcia’s never met anyone like him. Should Broner be at his best when he enters the ring this July, Garcia will have quite the mountain to climb if he wants to emerge victorious.

After spending years out of the sport, though, Garcia is clearly confident and ready for the challenge. Due to contractual problems, the man went over two years without a single fight. Since returning last July, however, Garcia has completely destroyed the competition, knocking out Elio Rojas in five and then demolishing Dejan Zlaticanin in frightening fashion within three. Yet Broner is clearly the biggest name the man has faced. And, as all fight fans know, big names lead to other big names, if, of course, you win.

That’s always as very big if.

Posted on 04/19/2017

PBC on Showtime Preview: Andre Berto vs. Shawn Porter, Jermell Charlo vs. Charles Hatley
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night in Brooklyn, New York Showtime will televise at least two bouts in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The main event will be between two top contenders, Shawn “Showtime” Porter and Andre Berto in a WBC Welterweight Title eliminator. The co-main event will be for the WBC Junior Middleweight Title between Jermell Charlo and Charles Hatley.

Other boxers on the undercard include WBO Women’s Bantamweight champion Amanda Serrano, Jose Miguel Borrego, Julian Sosa, and Richardson Hitchins.

The following is a preview of the Porter vs. Berto and Charlo vs. Hatley bouts.

Jermell Charlo (28-0) vs. Charles Hatley (26-1-1); WBC Junior Middleweight Title

This bout is between two boxers who should be somewhat familiar with each other, Jermell Charlo and Charles Hatley. Charlo and Hatley are both Texas natives and Charlo hails from Houston while Hatley hails from Dallas.

Charlo, the younger twin brother of Jermall, will be five years younger than Hatley and will have about a one inch height and reach advantage. Hatley, however, appears to be the harder puncher of the two. Hatley has stopped eighteen of his opponents and four of his past five wins have come by TKO. Charlo has only stopped thirteen of his opponents and only two of his past five opponents were stopped.

Both boxers have not been very active recently. Charlo only fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015, while Hatley did not fight in all of 2016 and fought twice in 2015.

They both had decent amateur careers, but Hatley was the more accomplished amateur. Hatley was the 2007 US National Amateur Welterweight Champion and the 2008 Olympic alternate. Charlo won the bronze medal in the 2005 Junior Olympics.

Charlo has the better resume as a professional. He has beaten the likes of John Jackson, Joachim Alcine, Vanes Martirosyan, Mario Lozano, Charles Bellamy, Gabriel Rosado, Demetrius Hopkins, and Harry Joe Yorgey. Hatley has beaten the likes of Emmanuel Augustus, Anthony Mundine, Saul Roman, and Jose Flores. His lone loss was to Lanardo Tyner, and he failed to go the distance in that bout.

At the age of thirty one and not having fought in over a year, ring rust is a serious concern for Hatley. Charlo is coming off a very good win against Jackson and momentum and age is on his side.

This should be a close bout early, but Charlo should take over in the later rounds.

Shawn Porter (26-2-1) vs. Andre Berto (31-4); WBC Welterweight Eliminator

This is a bout between two of the top contenders in the welterweight division that are looking for another chance at a welterweight title shot. Another loss for either boxer could spell the end of any hope of fighting for a title in the near future.
Both Porter and Berto had successful amateur careers. Porter was a World Golden Gloves Champion and came up short in qualifying for the 2008 US Olympic Team. Berto was a National Golden Gloves Champion, a bronze medalist in the 2003 World Championships, and represented Haiti in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Both boxers have had some difficulties as of late. Berto has gone 3-3 in his last six bouts while Porter has gone 4-2. Porter has losses to the likes of Keith Thurman and Kell Brook by close decisions. Berto has lost to the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Robert Guerrero, Victor Ortiz, and Jesus Soto Karass.

Berto appears to have the harder punch of the two. He has stopped twenty four of his opponents while Porter has only stopped sixteen. However, Porter is five years younger than Berto and will have a half an inch height advantage and about an inch reach advantage.

Neither boxer has been very active the past two years. They both fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Berto’s career started off strong but has since fizzled a little bit. He has wins over Victor Ortiz, Josesito Lopez, Jan Zaveck, Carlos Quintana, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo and Freddy Hernandez.

Porter’s two losses could have gone either way, and he has defeated the likes of Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi, Devon Alexander, Julio Diaz, Phil Lo Greco, and Alfonso Gomez.

This should be a good bout and as typical for most Shawn Porter fights, will likely be very rough and chippy. Porter should be given the edge based on his edge and recent performance, but Berto has the power to stop the fight early if he lands a punch cleanly.

This writer believes Porter will win a close, and at times ugly, decision.

Posted on 03/06/2017

Garcia v. Thurman: Was it truly a “Super-Fight”?
By: Matthew N. Becher

​Now that the dust has settled and the fight has been fought, we can look back and ask if this weekend’s fight between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman deserved to be called a “Super Fight”. Thurman came away with his undefeated record still intact and left with both the WBA welterweight title (his going in) and the WBC title (Garcia’s). It was a relatively easy fight to score, but left us with little to remember, but could it still be considered a “super fight” with other aspects considered?

Photo Credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

​First it definitely had the pre-fight night parameters to be considered in the spectrum of the all-time big name fights. You had two fighters (Garcia and Thurman) who are both in their prime age, both are undefeated and both have championship titles (Garcia in two weight classes). The stage was set for a big fight, the biggest two names in the same ring that Premier Boxing Champions have put together so far in their history. It was being compared to that of Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns, who fought in September of 1981, 36 years ago. They were both also undefeated at the time and both fighting for the WBC/WBA welterweight titles. That is a fight which people still replay and talk about. That is a fight that echoes the lines of the great trainer Angelo Dundee, who repeatedly yelled at Leonard in the corner “you’re blowing it son”, as a tired Ray Leonard fought his way back to end up knocking out Hearns in a round that no longer even exists in today’s boxing world. So, yes, in the pre-fight promotion and stats, it was a “super-fight”.

​Second. The ambiance of the venue and the fans was the biggest that the Barclays Center has ever seen. Every fighter, outside of Mayweather and Pacquiao were in attendance. From Bud Crawford to Amir Khan to Andre Ward to Lennox Lewis to every PBC fighter was ringside. Celebrities were all around, heck the Golden State Warriors basketball team (who were in town to play the NY Knicks the next night) were sitting in section 124 to catch the fight. It was packed. The overall attendance was 16,533, which is the record for a boxing match at the Brooklyn Arena, and it broke the previous record by over 2,000 people. The atmosphere was incredible. People were excited, people were showing up, people were talking boxing. So yes, in the overall setting of the fight, it had all the feelings that you were at a “super-fight”.

​Next came the financials of the fight.

Tickets were all sold out. Numbers haven’t been announced as of writing this, but the live gate must have been close to $1.2-1.5 million which would also be a records for that arena. Each fighter made $2 million apiece and the overnight network numbers were a 2.2, which meant a lot of people were home watching the fight on primetime on CBS. This is a big deal for boxing as a whole, a way to get fans back to tuning in to the sport. This checks out as a “super-fight”.

​Then finally, the fight itself. Two undefeated champs. Two guys that were groomed, not only as boxers growing up to become world champions, but by their same promoter to shine on this stage. They didn’t do what they needed to do, for the sport. Thurman won, and you cannot take that away from him. He fought smart but timid. He did what he needed to do to win. Garcia found some kind of rhythm towards the end of the fight, but it was already too late for him. Neither man fought to entertain though, they fought to just get enough to win. It was relatively boring. Booing sporadically took place during the middle of the fight. And for that reason, it will never be remembered, it will not be re-watched, after a couple weeks it will probably not be talked about. That is why it was not a “super-fight”. They had all the boxes checked, except the one that really counted.

Posted on 03/04/2017

Pbc on CBS Results: Thurman Bests Garcia, Lubin Stops Cota
By: Sean Crose

The biggest fight on network television in decades went down Saturday night at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York. WBA welterweight champ Danny Garcia took on his WBC welterweight peer Keith Thurman in a unification battle of undefeated titlists.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

The opening bout featured Jorge Cota 23-1 against rising star Erickson Lubin 17-0. The first round started off tentative with neither man showing a willingness to let loose. The second showed each man trading a bit, but the battle remained close. Lubin landed with purpose in the third and in the early fourth Cota was on his bicycle. It did him no good. A single left hook sent Cota down and out at around the halfway point of the round.

After a small eternity – which isn’t good for a network broadcast – it was time for the main event. The crowd was clearly behind Philadelphia’s Garcia, 33-0, but Clearwater, Flordia’s Thurman, 27-0-1, appeared cool as ice. The first round was pretty explosive with both men landing exceedingly hard. Thurman was aggressive from the opening bell, but Garcia held his own.

Thurman was aggressive in the second, as well, but Garcia was able to land hard and was also able to maintain his cool. Garcia subtly became more aggressive in the third and Thurman began slowing down his output. In the fourth Thurman was able to glide through at the end, though Garcia was striking the body well. Thurman controlled the fifth for the most part, but Garcia came on strong at the end.

Garcia landed hard and with frequency in the sixth, taking the round. Thurman grinded his way through the seventh, a round where Garcia was warned for low blows. Thurman continued to dominate through the eighth, but Garcia was still very much in the bout. Thruman ruled the tenth and looked to be pulling away. Not that it was an easy affair for the Clearwater native. Garcia slugged his way into taking the tenth.

Thurman cruised through the eleventh…perhaps too much. I had him winning the round by the skin of his teeth, but it may well have gone either way. It was time for the final three minutes. Garcia landed enough that I gave him the last chapter. Still, it appeared that Thurman had done enough to take the fight by a comfortable margin.

Needless to say, Thurman won by split decision. It was fair, but the fight was indeed close. Garcia was game, but came up short. Thurman looked excellent.

Posted on 03/02/2017

PBC on CBS Preview: Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia, Erickson Lubin vs. Jorge Cota
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night one of the best fights that could be made in the welterweight division will happen at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York as Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia will meet to unify the WBA and WBC welterweight titles.

This is a fight that many fans have been salivating over.

The co-main event of the night will be between Erickson Lubin and Jorge Cota in a WBC Junior Middleweight eliminator. The undercard that will not be shown on CBS will feature high level boxers such as Andrzej Fonfara, Chad Dawson, Mario Barrios, and Heather Hardy.

The following is a preview of the televised CBS card.

Erickson Lubin (17-0) vs. Jorge Cota (25-1); Junior Middleweights

At first glance this fight appears to be a competitive fight.

Both boxers are still relatively young and have good records. Lubin is twenty one years old and eight years younger than Cota, but Cota is still below the age of thirty. Both boxers have very good records with only one loss between them.

However, a closer look reveals that Lubin is the better prospect of the two.

On paper, Cota appears to be the stronger puncher of the two. He has twenty two knockouts for a stoppage ratio of 85%. Lubin has twelve knockouts with a stoppage ratio of 71%. However, Cota has fought nearly his entire career in Mexico against less than stellar opposition.

Cota’s only big win came against Yudel Johnson in 2015, which was his only bout in 2015. Cota had zero bouts in 2016. Cota was defeated by Marco Antonio Rubio.

Lubin has defeated the likes of Juan Ubaldo Cabrera, Ivan Montero, and Daniel Sandoval. Lubin has never tasted defeated and was the 2012 US National Police Athletic League Gold Medalist as well as a former Golden Gloves gold medalist.

Lubin has also been considerably more active than Cota. Cota has only fought once since 2015, while Lubin fought five times in 2015 and four times in 2016.

This is a showcase fight for Lubin to get a win against an opponent with a good record but an empty record.

Keith Thurman (27-0) vs. Danny Garcia (33-0); WBC/WBA Welterweight Titles

Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia will fight to determine who is the best welterweight boxer in the world, outside of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

And maybe outside of Kell Brook and Errol Spence Junior. And maybe outside of Timothy Bradley Jr. and Terence Crawford if he ever decides to make the jump up to 147.

But regardless, this is an excellent fight between two undefeated boxers that are twenty eight years old. They are both known for having some power, as Thurman has stopped twenty two of his opponents and Garcia has stopped eighteen of his opponents.

The winner will have two belts in the division and will also put themselves in a good position to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., if he were to ever end his retirement and not fight a UFC fighter.

Thurman will be giving up about one inch in height to Garcia but will have a slight half an inch reach advantage. Garcia has been slightly more active than Thurman and fought twice in 2016 and in 2015. Thurman fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Both boxers had good national amateur careers. Thurman was a runner up in the US Olympic trials and Garcia was a US National Amateur champion.

Both boxers have an impressive list of defeated opponents. Thurman has defeated the likes of Shawn Porter, Luis Collazo, Robert Guerrero, Leonard Bundu, Jesus Soto Karass, Diego Chavez, Jan Zaveck, and Carlos Quintana. However, Thurman has not had a KO or TKO victory in his past five fights.

Garcia has won three of his past five fights by stoppage and has defeated the likes of Samuel Vargas, Robert Guerrero, Paulie Malignaggi, Lamont Peterson (questionable), Mauricio Herrera (questionable), Lucas Matthysse, Zab Judah, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, and Kendall Holt.

This is a tough fight to pick and both boxers have been able to come up on the winning end of some close decisions. Thurman however is more comfortable fighting in the welterweight division and doesn’t have the gift decisions that Garcia has.

It will be a close fight and could go either way, but Thurman has a slight edge going into Saturday night.

Posted on 01/24/2017

What’s To Be Done About Angel Garcia?
By: Sean Crose

What can be done with the likes of Angel Garcia? The father and trainer of WBC welterweight champ Danny Garcia has proven himself to be a menace to the sport of boxing. Sure, you can say the word menace is hyperbole, but how else to explain a man who disrupts a major press conference with vitriol and behavior that, to the untrained eye at least, appears less than stable? That’s the thing about the elder Garcia – he’s either a complete ass or he’s unstable. There really is no in-between. And frankly, neither option is acceptable in the public sphere.

Truth be told, it’s painful to write about the man in this age of political correctness run amok. At a time when there is a serious belief that the First Amendment is a bad thing instead of the key to freedom it is, the last thing reasonable people should want to do is criticize someone for speaking out. Yet the elder Garcia gives us no choice. Yes, he has the right to say what he wants. No one (or, at least not this author) is arguing that fact. Yet people also have a First Amendment right to call him out for acting in a wildly inappropriate manner. And yeah, the WBC has a right to ban the man from further press conferences, as well as from his son’s corner in WBC sanctioned fights.

In all honesty, I’m still not sure exactly what Garcia was getting at when he went wild at last week’s press conference to announce the welterweight title unifier between his son and the undefeated Keith Thurman. Nor do I know if the man made sense or not. I heard a lot of derogatory stuff, though. I also saw the guy totally obliterate a major press conference that, for all intents and purposes, should have been very good for boxing. Garcia-Thurman is a major bout to be aired on network television in primetime, after all. In other words, it’s just what boxing needs.

What boxing most certainly doesn’t need is a major participant, peripheral or not, engaging in antisocial behavior in a public setting. Mike Tyson’s well documented meltdown hurt the sport – believe it. While the “Iron Mike” of the late 80s through early 90s brought the sport intense interest, the later, ear-biting, vile talking Tyson turned fans off. In other words, the sport can’t afford an unhinged Angel Garcia. Sanctioning bodies, networks and even analysts have to be responsible here.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that things like trash talk need to go by the way side. You don’t have to be a fan of what used to be called talking smack to understand its effectiveness. Trash talk is, after all, psychological warfare. And psychological warfare has been a part of boxing since at least 1890s, when it was practiced by “Gentleman Jim” Corbett. There’s a difference, though, between trash talk and legitimately chaotic behavior. Boxing is chaotic enough. If anything, more order is needed, not less. If he’s able to appreciate the difference, the senior Garcia should grasp the fact that hyping a fight and pissing off decent society are two entirely different things.

Posted on 01/12/2017

Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Jose Pedraza vs. Gervonta Davis, James DeGale vs. Badou Jack
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York will host a WBC/IBF Super Middleweight Unification Title fight between Badou Jack and James DeGale to be televised live on the Showtime Cable Network.

This bout will help determine who the true number one boxer is in the super middleweight division since Andre Ward bumped up to the light heavyweight division.

Another bout scheduled for Saturday will be between Jose Pedraza and Floyd Mayweather Jr. promoted Gervonta Davis for Pedraza’s IBF Junior Lightweight Title. This bout should open up the Showtime broadcast.

The following is a preview of Saturday’s card.

Jose Pedraza (22-0) vs. Gervonta Davis (16-0); IBF Junior Lightweight Title

This is an intriguing matchup between two young upcoming stars in boxing with a bright future ahead of them. It’s also interesting because both boxers have had some much publicized issues with their management teams in the months coming into this fight. It’s been alleged that Pedraza wasn’t completely pleased with his lack of activity underneath the management of Al Haymon, and it’s also been alleged that there was some friction between Gervonta Davis and his promoter, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

However, those issues appear to have been resolved to allow this matchup to take place.

The most noticeable difference between the two boxers on Saturday will be the difference in size. Pedraza will have a two and a half inch height advantage over Davis and will also have about an inch and a half reach advantage. Pedraza is also five years older than Davis, and is experienced enough to deal with the southpaw style that troubles many boxers.

Pedraza does have an edge in amateur experience. Davis did well on the national level; he was a 2012 National Golden Gloves Champion, a three time National Silver Gloves Champion, and a two time PAL Champion. But, Pedraza competed on the international stage as an amateur and represented Puerto Rico in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Valuable international experience that Davis does not appear to have.

Davis has been the more active boxer between the two. He fought five times in 2015 and twice in 2016. Pedraza only fought twice in 2015 and once in 2016.

Davis is also the more powerful puncher/knockout artist. He has stopped fifteen of his opponents. He has defeated the likes of Marco Antonio Macias, Guillermo Avila, Luis Sanchez, and Cristobal Cruz.

Pedraza only has twelve stoppages on his resume. He has defeated the likes of Stephen Smith, Edner Cherry, Andrey Klimov, Michael Farenas, and Tevin Farmer.

This will be an entertaining bout between power and technique, and it should be a close one. But Pedraza has faced better opposition both as an amateur and a professional, and that experience alone gives him a slight edge going into their fight on Saturday.

Badou Jack (20-1-2) vs. James DeGale (23-1) WBC/IBF Super Middleweight Titles

This is one of the best bouts that could be made in the super middleweight division, and the winner should be considered by most to be the best super middleweight.

Both boxers are beginning to leave their prime ages as Jack is thirty three years old and DeGale is thirty years old. Neither boxer is known for their power, as Jack only has twelve stoppage victories and DeGale has fourteen stoppage victories.

Even though both boxers are at the top of their weight division, neither fighter has been very active. Jack fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015, and DeGale also fought once in 2016 and twice in 2015.

Both boxers have a deep amateur background. Jack represented Gambia in the 2008 Summer Olympics and DeGale represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, only DeGale medaled as he won the gold medal.

Jack has defeated the likes of Lucian Bute, George Groves, Anthony Dirrell, Rogelio Medina, Marco Antonio Periban, and Farah Ennis. His lone loss was an upset loss to Derek Edwards which he lost by TKO.

DeGale has defeated the likes of Rogelio Medina, Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, Marco Antonio Periban, Gevorg Khatchikian, and Dyah Davis. His lone loss was the George Groves.

Even though this is a good matchup, it will likely not be a fan pleasing fight as both boxers are technically skilled fighters that are not known for their power. DeGale has experienced more success as an amateur than Jack, and that indicates that he’s the better technical boxer.

DeGale should win by a close decision on Saturday night.

Posted on 09/30/2016

GGG-Jacobs? It May Just Happen This December
By: Sean Crose

“I understand my situation,” Gennady Golovkin told me some time ago, before his match with Daniel Geale. Since then, the man has become less patient, and with good reason. Still, it seems like now a big name middleweight will finally be willing to get in the ring with the feared GGG. For word is out that Golovkin may get it on with Brooklyn’s Daniel Jacobs, a hard hitting, exciting slugger who holds the WBA middleweight world title (Golovkin is WBAs super world middleweight champion, but let’s not get hung up on the silly details) this December.

The truth is that HBO, which would air the bout, is going through some money woes – at least as its boxing broadcasts are concerned – so it hasn’t been able to air as many fights as it usually does. The injury Canelo Alvarez received fighting Liam Smith recently, however, means Canelo won’t be fighting again this year on HBO as planned. Hence talk of this potential middleweight unification. Should the fight be made, it will likely go down December 10th at Madison Square Garden in New York. After what will be a slow October for boxing, the more good news there is for fight fans, the better.

Golovkin, as most fight followers know, is the most avoided man in boxing with the possible exception of Guillermo Rigondeaux. Sure enough, men like fellow middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders have openly admitted to being hesitant to face the Kazakh warrior. Boasting a record of 36-0 with 33 knockouts, Golovkin brings an impressive, patient skill set to go along with his furious punching power. Indeed, GGG can not only win a fight, he can beat an opponent severely. Case in point – welterweight champ Kell Brook, who went up in weight to fight GGG recently and had to have surgery as a result of his encounter with the man.

Jacobs, however, is no joke. Here is a fighter, after all, who has not only licked cancer, but who has earned himself a record of 32-1 with 29 knockouts. Sure enough, Jacobs is skilled as well as powerful. Peter Quilin, for instance, was dusted by Jacobs within one round and that was supposed to be a relatively evenly matched fight. Perhaps most importantly, though, Jacobs appears to be willing to fight Golovkin, a man even top fighters like Alvarez appear to be content avoiding.

That in an of itself is worthy of some kind of praise in this era of low risk/high reward.

Posted on 08/23/2016

Female Fighters Bring Some Much Needed Excitement To The Sport Of Boxing
By: Sean Crose

I had the pleasure of watching one of the best televised fights of the year this weekend. It went down at Coney Island and unfortunately was relegated to the NBC Sports Network. That’s too bad, because the brawl I witnessed between featherweights Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent was an all-out war, comparable in action to the much applauded Conor McGregor – Nate Diaz UFC match a day earlier. Watching the tide perpetually change between Hardy and Vincent this weekend, I kept thinking how ridiculous it is for people to claim boxing is dead. For what went on at Coney Island was, for lack of a more academic term, terrific stuff.

Truth be told, I’m not even sure who I think really won – though the decision went to Hardy. Looks like I’ll have to watch it again. In the meantime, let me bring up another female fighter who deserves all kinds of praise now that the Rio Olympics have come and gone. For America’s Claressa Shields has now won not one, but two Olympic gold medals. What’s more, she’s the first American boxer, male or female, to ever do so. After being adorned with her second gold in Rio, Shields took the first gold medal she won out of her pocket (she got that one in London back in 2012) and placed it on her shoulders along with her newest hard earned prize.

There she was, an American boxer, standing on the podium with not one, but two gold medals around her neck. If that doesn’t tell fight fans something, I’m not sure what does. Truth be told, female boxers have essentially told us fans these past few days that things aren’t always as bad as they seem. While it appears that many – though certainly not all – male boxers have taken to playing it safe, their female counterparts appear to be daring to be great.

Back to Sunday evening. Engaging with “Boxing Twitter” while watching the Hardy-Vincent bout, I noticed fight followers doing something they aren’t generally apt to do – publicly show their appreciation for the combatants. The typical online snideness seemed to have vanished as Hardy and Vincent traded one shot after another. All that was left was a sense of “wow, this is a great match.” Someone even wondered in one hundred and forty characters why women fighters aren’t getting more exposure in the fight world right now.

It was a good question. The sport really needs competitors like Shields, Vincent and Hardy. After all, action, and gold medals, go a long way.

Posted on 08/19/2016

PBC on NBC Preview: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Leonard Bundu
By: William Holmes

On Sunday afternoon, at 5:00 PM EST, Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) will broadcast a daytime event live on NBC from the Ford Amphitheater at the Coney Island Boardwalk in Brooklyn, New York.

Only one bout is scheduled to be televised on Sunday and it will be between former United States Olympian Errol Spence Jr. and Italian contender Leonard Bundu. They will be competing in an IBF Welterweight Title eliminator bout.

Prospects Claudio Marrero and Heather “The Heat” Hardy will be competing on the undercard will have a chance at fighting on the televised portion of the NBC card if the Spence bout is over quickly. Heather Hardy will have the toughest test of her career when she faces fellow undefeated boxer Shelly Vincent.

Spence, who is perhaps the most famous United States Olympian boxer from 2012, will be fighting before the start of the closing ceremonies for the 2016 Rio Olympics and on the same network that will be broadcasting it.

The following is a preview for the bout between Errol Spence Jr. and Leonard Bundu.

Errol Spence Jr. (20-0) vs. Leonard Bundu (33-1-2); IBF Welterweight Eliminator Bout

Many pundits consider Leonard Bundu to be the toughest opponent that Errol Spence Jr. has faced at this point of his career.

At first glance that may appear to be true. Bundu, like Spence, competed in the Olympics and was successful on the national and international stage in the amateurs. Bundu was born in Sierra Leone but represented Italy in the 2000 Summer Olympics. Spence represented the United States in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Both failed to medal.

However, the similarities end there.

The biggest difference between the two opponents is age. Bundu is fifteen years older than Spence and is past his prime at the age of forty one. Bundu will also be giving up about three inches in reach and three inches in height when he steps into the ring.

Bundu also has only competed once in 2015 and once in 2016, while Spence fought once in 2016 and four times in 2015. Spence has clearly been the more active fighter.

Spence has seventeen knockouts on his record for a high stoppage ratio of 85%. Bundu has only stopped twelve of his opponents, and has five less stoppage victories despite having sixteen more fights.

Spence has been in the ring with increasingly difficult opposition. He beat the brakes off of Chris Algieri and was able to stop him while Manny Pacquiao was unable to do so. He has also defeated the likes of Chris Van Heerden, the sparring opponent of UFC star Connor McGregor, Phil Lo Greco, Alejandro Barrera, and Ronald Cruz.

Bundu stepped up in competition to face the elite of the welterweight division when he faced Keith Thurman, but he lost to him by decision. He has defeated the likes of Frankie Gavin, Lee Purdy, and Daniele Petrucci.

Bundu is a good fight for Spence at this stage of his career and has a solid chin. He should be able to give Spence some rounds and an opportunity for Spence to showcase his skills in front of a nationally televised audience.

But, Bundu has little to no chance of defeating one of the most prized prospects in the United States on Sunday afternoon. Bundu can survive the whole bout, but will take a beating in the process.

Posted on 07/30/2016

Showtime World Championship Boxing Results: Frampton Decisions Santa Cruz in Slugfest, Harrison and Garcia Win by TKO
By: William Holmes

Tonight’s edition of Showtime Championship Boxing was presented by Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and broadcast live from the Barcalys Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The undercard was packed with televised worthy bouts. Amanda Serrano was able to retain her WBO World Featherweight Championship with a first round TKO over Calixta Silgado. This victory sets up a possible title fight with fellow undefeated Heather “The Heat” Hardy, who was in attendance and watched the bout keenly from ringside.

Two bouts were televised on Showtime Extreme before the start of the main card on showtime. Tevin Farmer was able to score a mild upset over Ivan Redkach with scores of 99-89, 98-90, and 98-90 in the lightweight division. Paulie Malignaggi faced off against Gabriel Bracero in the main event of Showtime Extreme and was able to win the decision victory in the welterweight division with scores of 96-94, 98-92, and 98-92.

Photo Credit: Andy Samuelson/Premier Boxing Champions

The first televised bout on Showtime was between Tony Harrison (23-1) and Sergey Rabchenko (27-1) in the junior middleweight division.

Tony Harrison, a Detroit native that was formerly trained by the late Emmanuel Steward, is a boxer with a lot of promise that lost some of his luster when he was upset by Willie Nelson.

Both boxers fought out of an orthodox stance and felt each other out in the opening round. Harrison began to throw more straight right hands and combinations in the second round and was starting to find his target.

Rabchenko was more aggressive in the third and fourth rounds than Harrison, but he wasn’t able to land many punches of significance as Harrison was able to keep his jab in the face of Rabchenko and out of range.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds played out like the earlier rounds, with Harrison pop shotting Rabchenko but not taking any risks to try and finish the fight.

Fans were starting to boo the action in the seventh round and that continued into the eighth, though Harrison was able to land some hard left hooks to the head of Rabchenko.

Harrison scored a knockdown n the ninth round with crisp straight right hand to the temple of Rabchenko that put him on wobbly legs and down to the mat. He was able to get up before the ten count but still had shaky legs and waived off the bout.

Tony Harrison wins by TKO at 1:18 of the ninth round.

Mikey Garcia (34-0) returned from a two year layoff to face Elio Rojas (24-2) in the Super Lightweight Division in the co-main event of the night.

Garcia refused to touch the gloves of Rojas at the start of the bout. Garcia looked good, physically, in the junior welterweight division, but was tentative in the opening round and might have given it away on inactivity alone.

Rojas threw more punches and landed more punches than Garcia in the second round, but Garcia started to warm up near the end and was able to land a hard lead left hook and straight right hand.

Garcia started off the third round by landing some piston like jabs and was chasing Rojas around the ring. He was able to land a short left hook out of nowhere that sent Rojas to the mat and on one knee. Rojas was able to get back to his feet and land some counter punches when the action continued, but was cracked with a hard straight right hand that sent him to the mat for a second time. Rojas, to his credit, was able to survive the round and second knockdown.

Rojas was able to stay on his feet in the fourth round and connect with an occasional straight right hand, Garcia, however, pressed forward the entire round and landed the heavier shots in the round.
Garcia scored another knockdown in the fifth round with a straight right hand. Rojas beat the count again, but got cracked with a left hook from Garcia that sent him to the mat for the fourth, and final time.
Mikey Garcia wins by TKO at 2:02 of the fifth round.

The main event of the evening was between Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1) and Carl Frampton (22-0) for the WBA World Featherweight Championship.

The upper sections in the Barclays Center were closed off, but the bottom half of the arena was packed and many fans of Carl Frampton were in attendance and were very loud and supportive of their fighter and very hostile towards Santa Cruz.

The crowd was deafening in the opening round and both boxers seemed content with trading leather rather than feeling each other out. Santa Cruz appeared to have landed more, but the crowd roared every time Frampton landed a punch and may have titled the scorecards in his favor.

The crowd continued to sing in the second round to spur their fighter on, and Frampton got them exited when he rocked Santa Cruz with a counter left hook and sent him stumbling backwards. Santa Cruz was able to stay on his feet, and land good shots of his own, but that punch likely won Frampton the round.

Santa Cruz looked recovered by the third round and continued to come forward throwing a high volume of punches, but Frampton landed several crisp counters and dug in some heavy body shots.

The fourth round had several good exchanges, but Santa Cruz appeared to land the higher number of punches and caught Frampton by surprise with a good right hand to the temple. Both fighters landed, and took, several hard shots to the head.

The action slowed down in the fifth round, and the slow down clearly favored Frampton. His counter punches were more noticeable this round and Santa Cruz looked frustrated.

The action picked up again in the sixth round and featured both boxers standing in the middle of the ring and exchanging and firing at will, but Santa Cruz appeared to get the better of Frampton and did good work to the body and head.

Santa Cruz did state that he would begin to take over the fight in the sixth round in pre-fight interviews.

It looked in the seventh round that Santa Cruz’s prediction might come true, as he kept up the pressure and took the fight to Frampton. Frampton was still able to land an occasional counter, but he was not landing them as cleanly as he did in the opening rounds.

Frampton retook control in the eighth round by landing good shots to the body when in tight and connected on several hooks to the head of Santa Cruz.

Frampton did well in the opening minute of the ninth round and was matching the work rate of Santa Cruz, which not many people can do. However, Santa Cruz connected with two hard right hands near the end of the round and was doing some damage on Frampton when his back was against the ropes.

The tenth round could have been scored either way, as Santa Cruz pressed the action but Frampton was landing some good counter shots.

The eleventh round was one of Santa Cruz’s best rounds. He landed several hard right hands and appeared to hurt Frampton once or twice, but Frampton was able to land good shots of his own.

The crowd was on its feet in the final round and neither boxer could have felt comfortable going to the scorecards. Several violent exchanges were made in this round, and both boxers landed their fair share of punches and like several rounds before it, could have gone either way.

It was an exciting and action packed title fight. The judges scored it 114-114, 116-112, 117-111 for Carl Frampton for a majority decision victory.

Undercard Quick Recap:

Josh Taylor (6-0) defeated Evinii Dixon (7-15-1) by TKO at the end of the second round in the junior welterweight division.

Min-Wook Kim (16-1) defeated Louis Cruz (11-2-1) by TKO at 2:33 of the first round in the junior welterweight division.

Jose Gomez (8-0) defeated Josh Crespo (5-4-3) by TKO at 2:31 of the first round in the featherweight division.

Conrad Cummings (10-0-1) defeated Dante Moore (9-1-2) by decision with scores of 59-53, 58-54, and 58-54 in the middleweight division.

Amanda Serrano (29-1) retained her WBO World Featherweight Championship with a TKO victory over Calixta Silgado (14-7-3) at 1:41 of the first round.

Tevin Farmer (22-4-1) defeated Ivan Redkach (19-2-1) by decision with scores of 99-89, 98-90, and 98-90 in the lightweight division.

Paulie Malignaggi (36-7) defeated Gabriel Bracero (24-3) by scores of 96-94, 98-92, and 98-92 in the welterweight division.

Posted on 07/28/2016

Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Santa Cruz vs. Frampton, Garcia vs. Rojas
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) will put on a stacked card on Showtime and Showtime Extreme live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The main event of the evening will feature a WBA Featherweight Title bout between Mexican brawler Leo Santa Cruz and Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton. This is one of the best bouts that could be made in the featherweight division.

Mikey Garcia, who is returning from an extended layoff, will be returning to the ring since formally splitting from Top Rank in a tune up fight against Elio Rojas in the co-main event of the evening.

The undercard is also stacked and will feature several good bouts. Sergey Rabchnko and Tony Harrison will compete in an IBF Junior Middleweight eliminator. Paulie Malignaggi will face fellow Brooklyn native Gabriel Bracero in a welterweight bout, and Philadelphia native Tevin Farmer will face the tough Ivan Redkach in a lightweight bout.

The following is a preview of the main event and co-main event of the evening.

Mikey Garcia (34-0) vs. Elio Rojas (24-2); Junior Welterweights

Mikey Garcia has not fought in over two years, and the last time he was in the ring he was fighting in the super featherweight division. He is jumping up two weight classes and normally ring rust would be a major factor going into this fight. However, his opponent Elio Rojas fought zero times in 2015, once in 2014, and zero times in 2013 and will also be experiencing ring rust. Rojas also last fought in the featherweight weight class.

Garcia is five years younger than Rojas, but will be giving up two inches in reach. Garcias is the more powerful puncher and has stopped twenty eight of his opponents, and won three of his last five fights by KO/TKO. Rojas only has fourteen stoppage victories on his resume, and only has one stoppage win in his past five fights.

Both boxers had good amateur careers. Rojas won the bronze medal in the World Championships as an amateur and won gold medals in various regional amateur tournaments. Garcia is a bronze medalist in the National Golden Gloves and a Silver Medalist in the US PAL Cadet Championships.

Rojas is a former WBC Featherweight World Champion. His biggest wins were against Takahiro Ao and Guty Espadas. His losses were to Jhonny Gonzalez and Gamaliel Diaz.

Garcia has a much more impressive professional resume. He has defeated, easily, the likes of Juan Carlos Burgos, Roman Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez, Orlando Salido, and Jonathan Victor Barros.

Garcia had a long and expensive fight with Top Rank Promotions to be let out of his contract, and his inactivity might be evident in the ring. However, Top Rank fought so hard with Garcia because he is an elite talent with a growing fan base.

If Garcia was fighting a legitimate junior welterweight contender, his inactivity and smaller size might be of worry. However, he’s fighting a boxer who is also making the jump up weight classes and has also been very inactive.

This is a bout that Garcia should win, quite easily.

Leo Santa Cruz (32-0-1) vs. Carl Frampton (22-0); WBA Featherweight Title

The main event of the evening is an excellent matchup and one of the best fights that could be made in the featherweight division.

Santa Cruz has expressed interest in moving up in weight after this bout, and he has the frame to pack on a few more pounds without sacrificing too much in performance. Santa Cruz is two and a half inches taller than Frampton and will have an imposing seven inch reach advantage.

Both boxers have similar knockout ratios. Santa Cruz has stopped eighteen opponents in thirty three fights, while Frampton has stopped fourteen opponents in twenty two fights. However, Santa Cruz has three stoppage wins in his past five fights while Frampton has two stoppage wins in his past five fights.

Both boxers have also been fairly active. They both fought once in 2016, and Frampton fought twice in 2015 while Santa Cruz fought three times in 2015.

Both boxers had some moderate success as an amateur. Santa Cruz was a Gold Medalist in the International Junior Olympics Tournament and a Silver Medalist in the US National Championships. Frampton was an Irish National Champion as an amateur and had moderate success on the international stage as an amateur.

Santa Cruz has defeated the likes of Kiko Martinez, Abner Mares, Jesus Ruiz, Cristian Mijares, Victor Terrazas, and Eric Morel. Frampton has defeated the likes of Scott Quigg, Chris Avalos, Alejandro Gonzalez, Kiko Martinez (twice), and Steve Molitor.

The seven inch reach advantage will likely play a huge factor on Saturday night. Santa Cruz is also a volume puncher, and that will make it very difficult for Frampton to get within his range and inflict damage upon his opponent.

Santa Cruz is not known for his defensive abilities, but his nonstop offense is his best defense. This bout will likely go all twelve rounds, and Frampton will likely have a large number of fans from the United Kingdom in attendance, but Santa Cruz has to be considered the favorite to walk away the victor.

Posted on 07/25/2016

Santa Cruz And Frampton Would Rather Punch Each Other’s Lights Out Than Face Rigo
By: Sean Crose

Sure, Saturday’s bout between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz will probably be exciting. These are two fighters who can excite, after all. They’re both also quite popular and lucrative properties, to put it bluntly. Yet therein lies the problem to me. These guys are bringing in bucks and eyeballs while avoiding the biggest threat out there that either of them could face – Guillermo Rigondeaux. Sure, they could say that they’re in a different division than Rigo now, but everyone knows that’s crap. These two have been avoiding the slick Cuban for ages – so much so they’d rather punch each other’s lights out than be made to look foolish for twelve rounds.

Look, I understand that boxing is “prize fighting,” and that it may well have been first designed to be a part of the entertainment business as opposed to the sport’s world. That doesn’t mean it should stay that way, though. The truth is, boxing isn’t pro wrestling, it’s ultimately a sport (whether it was originally designed to be one or not), and competition should be first and foremost on everyone’s mind. Indeed, the reality is that the New York Yankees might bring a lot more eyeballs to the World Series than, say, the Tampa Bay Rays…but baseball fans would be outraged if the top division teams didn’t get to play in the big one at the end of the season. Where is that sense of fairness among those of us who love the sweet science?

Well, it’s there when we want it to be, it seems, but only when we want it to be. We call bullshit when Canelo calls GGG into the ring, then gives up his title rather than face the man. We make Stevenson a virtual nonentity for not getting it on with Kovalev. We do not, however, charge Santa Cruz and Frampton of ducking Rigo. We simply nod our heads, laugh, and say Rigo is too boring to watch anyway. Fair enough, but we then need to remember that boxing is the entity we ourselves allow it to be. We either wish it to be about who is the best or we don’t.

What we need to remember, however, is that there’s consequences to our choices. When we pick an entertainment business over true competition, we avoid having to watch Rigo potentially bore the hell out of us in a twelve round snoozer. Yet we also get the Canelo-GGG scenario, and Danny Garcia facing less than challenging opposition. It’s a tradeoff, plain and simple.

And, for all our griping, it appears to be one we fight fans are willing to accept.

Posted on 07/24/2016

More Than A Belt: Santa Cruz vs Frampton
By: Brandon Bernica

​Dreams come to life in the Big Apple. Lives constantly intersect. People from far-reaching locations around the globe converge in this concrete jungle in hopes of capturing the American dream. In New York, competition to the top is a little stiffer, but the opportunities are a little more grandiose.

​Saturday night will pit Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton against one another for the WBA Featherweight World Championship. The fight will happen in Brooklyn, New York amidst a crowd of city dwellers who are all too familiar with the struggles of proving oneself. Because, whether Santa Cruz or Frampton realize it or not, more than a belt is at stake in this fight. Just like New York’s inhabitants, they both fought to distinguish themselves from the crowd; now, they will attempt to carve legacies enduring far beyond the splendor of a singular win.
​See, fans sometimes look back on these types of fights with remorse, not having comprehended the significance of these matchups when they happened. Truthfully, the glow of this bout hides behind the circumstances around it. Take that the PBC consistently receives flack for showcasing non-intriguing one-sided fights. When a gem such as this one sparkles brightest amongst a lackluster schedule, it’s hard to determine just how compelling the fight really is. In addition, HBO aired a PPV this past Saturday featuring Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol. While experts probably would tout Santa Cruz vs. Frampton as the better choice, being on PPV can make fights appear greater than their actual value.

​Two undefeated fighters butting heads is a no-brainer win. But the fighters’ rich resumes and their individual fighting styles accentuate this bout as extraordinary. Both of their resume’s shine with exceptional wins. However, their only shared opponent is Kiko Martinez, a rugged veteran from Spain. Frampton demolished him with two knockouts in two blood-rushing fights, while Santa Cruz went toe-to-toe with Martinez en-route to a stoppage of his own. Martinez (a former champion himself) and his losses to these two men confirm just how far ahead of the pack both Santa Cruz and Frampton are heading into Saturday night’s clash.

​Style-wise, this matchup flourishes as a potential slugfest. Frampton excels on both the back foot and front foot, depending on the style he needs to win. He demonstrates power and grit, cycling between gears with ease. Santa Cruz, however, knows one gear: forward. He marches ahead and relentlessly bombards his foes with punches that never seem to seize. While nerves could freeze both fighters into more cautionary styles, something tells me that competing at such a high level will bring the best out of both men. Youth vs. youth. Length (Santa Cruz) vs. compact punching (Frampton). Who wants it more? Who can adapt better?
​To add flavor to the storylines surrounding the bout, both men hail from boxing-rich traditions. Frampton comes from the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, to be exact) while Mexican blood courses through Santa Cruz’s veins. Fans from both Mexico and the United Kingdom share rabid passion for their brethren in the fighting ranks. With the rise of various world-ranked fighters from both nations, the potential for a boxing rivalry to form only grows stronger. You can bet the last dollar in your wallet that each side will cheer their lungs out for their man to come out on top.

In the end, country pride looms as a sliver of the backdrop to this pertinent matchup. Boxing’s current landscape opposes top-level fights in favor of money-making draws. Substance decays on the backburner in favor of sizzle. As fans, we wait years for ideal meetings of talent in the ring. Yet we’re so conditioned by the disappointment of boxing politics that it’s tempting to care less when we’re finally thrown a bone. Don’t fall into the trap. Hindsight is 20/20, and years from now, this bout could be known as the defining bout in both Leo Santa Cruz and Carl Frampton’s careers.