Tag Archives: england

Posted on 09/22/2016

Anthony Crolla vs. Jorge Linares Lightweight Title Fight Preview
By: William Holmes

On Saturday night, Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla will face Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares at the Manchester Arena live at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. This bout will be televised live on AWE, A Wealth of Entertainment, and will also be shown live on the internet at www.klowedtv.com.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Boxing

This bout will be a unification bout in the lightweight division and will be for the WBA, WBC Diamond, and the vacant Ring Magazine Lightweight Championship.

The light heavyweight commonwealth title will be on the line on the undercard and will be between Callum Johnson and Willbeforce Shihepo. Additionally, Isaac Lowe will defend his commonwealth featherweight title against Tshifhiwa Munyai.

The following is a preview of the main event of the night.

Anthony Crolla (31-4-3) vs. Jorge Linares (40-3); WBA Lightweight Title

This is a matchup between the two top rated boxers in the lightweight division, a division that is quite frankly lacking in big time names.

Linares was once considered a future pound for pound star, but three losses by stoppage have since hurt his value. However, he’s still considered to be the best boxer by many in the lightweight division and is a three division champion.

Linares is thirty one years old and is two years older than Crolla. Linares will be giving up a half inch in height to Crolla, but has a two inch reach advantage. Linares has traveled the world to fight and has fought in locations such as Japan, Venezuela, Mexico, the United States, and England. Crolla has only fought once in the United States and has spent most of his career fighting in England.

Crolla will be fighting in front of a friendly crowd in Manchester, and this is a fact that does not escape Linares.

“I love fighting in my opponent’s back yard with all the noise that comes with it from their fans,” said Linares. “The supporters cannot get in the ring with their fighter, it’s just me and him.”

Linares won several tournaments as an amateur on the national level in Venezuela, but did not win any medals in any major international tournaments such as the world amateur championships or the Olympics. Crolla doesn’t have the amateur success of Linares, and he seems to recognize the technical prowess of Linares.

Crolla stated, “I rate Linares very highly, he’s technically brilliant. Everyone in the gym loves to watch him fight, and he’s the kind of fighter young kids should watch.” He went on further to state, “He likes to fight at his pace and I can’t allow that. I don’t want to give too much away, but I’ve got to take advantage of some weaknesses that I think I’ve seen there. I’m confident I can do that.”

Linares’ one glaring weakness is his chin. He has three losses and they have all come by KO or TKO. His losses were to Sergio Thompson, Antonio DeMarco, and an upset of the year loss to Juan Carlos Salgado. He has notable victories over the likes of Kevin Mitchell, Nihito Arakawa, Francisco Contreras, and Rocky Juarez. However, Linares has won six fights in a row and four of his past five victories have come by way of stoppage.

Crolla has four losses on his record but only one knockout loss. His losses were to Gary Sykes (twice), Derry Matthews, and Youssef Al Hamidi. He holds victories over Ismael Barroso, Darleys Perez, John Murray, and Gavin Rees.

Crolla doesn’t have the stoppage power that Linares has. Linares has stopped twenty seven of his opponents while Crolla has only stopped thirteen. Both boxers have been very active recently. Crolla fought three times in 2014, twice in 2015, and once in 2016. Linares fought twice in 2015 and three times in 2014.

If Crolla was known for his power he’d have a good chance at pulling off the upset victory. However, he is not known for stopping his opponents and he will be in the ring with a very skilled, technical boxer. If Linares’ chin can hold up, he should win a wide decision victory. But he may want to go for the stoppage since he’s fighting in Crolla’s backyard.

Posted on 09/15/2016

What Happens If Liam Smith Stuns The World?
By: Sean Crose

Most people don’t think it will happen and chances are you don’t either, but since nothing is guaranteed in boxing it’s worth asking what the implications might be if Liam Smith stuns the world on Saturday when he faces Canelo Alvarez in Texas. I know, I know, since avoiding Gennady Golovkin, Canelo has decided to take fights that are safe bets…at least that seems to be the consensus among a large number of fans. This is boxing, though, where surprises are forever in the air. In the ring, each fighter is only one shot away from defeat. That’s an indisputable fact.

So, accepting the fact that Canelo should by all expectations use his experience, strength, skill and perhaps size, to cruise to a win on Saturday night, let’s ask what happens if Smith, the current WBO super welterweight champ, stuns the world. First and foremost, Canelo’s reputation would take a serious hit. Giving up a middleweight belt in order to avoid Golovkin would seem like nothing in light of a Smith victory. This wouldn’t be Marquez knocking out Pacquiao. This would be more like Douglas-Tyson, where a man casual fans were unaware of stepped right up and took out a legit star.

Make no mistake about it, Canelo would no longer have to worry about Golovkin – fairly or not, no one would again think he ever stood a modicum of a chance. He’d also be at risk of losing a hard earned legacy. Opponents like Cotto, Mosley and Khan, all of who Canelo bested, would be brought up less than Smith, who few would have heard of before team Canelo supposedly picked him as an “easy opponent.” That would be too bad, of course, but people remember Napoleon for Waterloo more than any other battle. Human nature is human nature.

Still, it’s worth keeping in mind that Canelo would most certainly get a rematch. It’s also worth keeping in mind that Smith might be far better than many believe he is. Sure enough, it’s a safe bet that Canelo could start to pick up the pieces of his career sooner rather than later should he be shocked this weekend. It’s worth wondering, though, if he would ever again be seen as “the face of boxing,” as he reportedly is at the moment. One more quick thing: A Smith victory would further add to the banner era of British boxing the world is now witnessing. First Fury defeats Klitschko, then Smith defeats Canelo?

Great Britain indeed.

Posted on 09/01/2016

Why GGG-Brook Is Worth Looking Forward To
By: Sean Crose

There’s a lot of dissention out there lately among boxing’s fan base. Some say it’s an impossible base to please. More on that later. For the moment, let’s focus on the complaints fans are lobbing at present, such as how the best aren’t fighting the best as much as they should, and how known fighters now appear to be disinterested in true competition. These, my friends, are very legitimate gripes. Sorry, but while the UFC gives fans what they want over, and over, and over, it’s hard to be satisfied when Saul Canelo Alvarez – rightly or wrongly – tells fans how it’s going to be.

Still, fans – or at least some fans – can take things a bit too far. Sure enough, some among our number tend to run over the line a bit. Sneering at the fact that Errol Spence Junior’s last fight was a ratings bonanza, for instance, strikes me as a particularly odd thing. As does aligning oneself with a particular network or promotional entity. Why not just be as objective as possible and call things as and like we see them? No one should really want a promoter, advisor or network to fail. What people should want is for these entities/ individuals to clean up their freakin’ acts when need be.

One of the strangest gripes I’ve encountered lately is aimed at the upcoming Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook middleweight title matchup. People say that Golovkin is cherry picking and that far more challenging fights can be found for the man out there. Forgive me for scratching my head, but it’s not like welterweight titlist Brook is moving up to face Adonis Stevenson here. He’s simply moving up two weight classes. It’s a challenge, sure, but isn’t that what all of us want to see more of?

Of course, some will argue that they want “legitimate” challenges, rather than insane ones. That’s understandable in a world where Rod Salka got his brains jiggled around the inside of his skull by Danny Garcia in a mismatch of almost immoral proportions a few years back. Brook, however, isn’t Salka. He’s a talented, accomplished and very skilled professional athlete. What’s more, he’s doing what tons of welterweights – great welterweights, mind you – have done before him by taking a crack at middleweight glory. Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Leonard. Thomas Hearns. Roberto Duran. Marlon Starling. These are all greats who essentially made the challenge Brook is making for himself in the here and now.

It should also be noted that name middleweights aren’t exactly clamoring to face GGG. Canelo, for instance, gave up his WBC middleweight title rather than face the man. Whether or not they battle eventually or not, Canelo stepped away from a chance to face Golovkin this year and that’s a fact that can’t be effectively argued against. By the way, I’ve always felt a bit bad for Canelo in this, since it seems his main reason to challenge for the middleweight title to begin with was solely to fight Miguel Cotto. Still, he knew what he was getting into when he allowed himself to win the title as well as a decision over Cotto last year.

Needless to say Canelo is simply one of numerous known entities who are arguably hesitant at best when it comes to the possibility of battling Golovkin in the ring rather than in the press. Truth be told, GGG can’t find a marquee opponent to defend his title against. That may be a sad commentary on the state of contemporary boxing – and that it most certainly is – but there’s nothing that can be done about it. No one, for instance, can force Billy Joe Saunders, Chris Eubanks Jr and Daniel Jacobs into the ring with GGG. If they’re willing to suffer the bad publicity for maintaining the status quo then that’s pretty much all there is to it.

Which, of course, leads to another point. Why is it that some fans, rather than sympathizing with Golovkin, are criticizing him for not “moving up” to fight someone else? This whole line of thinking is somewhat puzzling to me as the guy simply wants to stay at middleweight for now. What exactly is wrong with wanting to remain in one’s own weight division? At what point did that become such a terrible thing? The argument that someone has to move on to greater and greater challenges in order not to be accused of cherry picking simply doesn’t have the ring of authenticity to it.

Remember that the only reason Golovkin is facing Brook is because no name middleweight really wants to face the guy. You know it and so do I. Truth be told, Brook is the biggest money fight there is for the man right now. And yeah, he deserves a big money bout…so long as that bout is legitimate, which, let’s face it, the fight with Brook is. For, although there’s a real chance Brook may get his figurative clock cleaned in England within the next few weeks, there are those who feel the man has a chance, a legitimate chance, of winning. And with good reason.

Brook, after all, is a man with a true skill set. He’s big and strong for a welterweight and his straight, powerful punches are quite impressive. What’s more, Brook knows how to fight defensively and understands the importance of getting and maintaining a mental edge over one’s foe. Suffice to say, no man is invincible and if a paid professional like Brook wants to actually aspire to greatness, who can fault Golovkin for being willing to oblige?

Apparently, a lot of people can. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that such people are probably in the minority when it comes to boxing’s fan base. The internet is a truly wonderful thing, but it’s allowed chronic naysayers to spread pessimism with impunity, both in and out of the boxing world. That’s something all of us should keep in mind, for pessimism can be as contagious as optimism. Ultimately, it’s objectivity that’s needed.

Perhaps there’s an argument to be made that Golovkin should be looking to move up in weight himself in order to attain true greatness, but those who make that argument should ask whether or not they hold themselves to such high standards in their own lives. Achieving greatness sometimes requires defying reason – but that’s certainly not always the case. Nor should it always have to be.

Posted on 08/14/2016

Get a Grip, Billy Joe Saunders
By: Brandon Bernica

​Billy Joe Saunders reminds me of Gollum from The Hobbit. Just as with Saunders’ belt, Gollum’s ring infatuates him with illusions of grandeur. Both are so committed to their prized possessions that their sanities hinge on protecting their gold at all times.

​Truthfully, Saunders rejecting big-name fights is indicative of this nature. In fact, it isn’t lofty to suggest that he masquerades as a false champion with delusional sensibilities.

​First, Gennady Golovkin offered him a lucrative deal to unify titles – even ceding home turf advantage to Saunders for the fight. That wasn’t enough money for Billy Joe. Soon after, Golden Boy presented him with contracts to fight Golovkin victims Curtis Stevens and Willie Monroe. Both were turned down for unknown reasons.

​At this point, you’d probably assert that nothing could top these levels of avoidance from a “champion”. Think again. After reviewing terms to fight middleweight journeyman Gabe Rosado on the Canelo vs. Smith undercard, Saunders passed on the bout because Rosado is not a strong enough name to add to his resumé. While shocking, Saunders’ decisions signal bad news for the outlook on the rest of his career.

​Saunders’ career can fall into one of two directions from this point. One outcome of his stingy micromanagement could be a refusal of any big names to fight with him. While Saunders appears content to guard his belt against heavily outmatched opponents, he’ll eventually need a star fighter to bring him money and public respect. As they say, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

​But what if an inverse scenario is true? What if big names prey on him, sensing the fear underlying his steady diet of match rejections? At some point, either public pressure or a sanctioning organization will force him into one of these fights, which could leave him exposed and stripped of marketability. By then, it will be too late to return to the negotiating table with the big boys with his career heading towards a sharp descent, leaving him little more than a cautionary tale.

​Sadly, Saunders’ unwillingness to fight only points to a common trend in today’s boxing world: fighters search for the highest reward while incurring the lowest risk. Floyd Mayweather made a career off of maximizing his earning potential without consistently challenging himself against the best. Mayweather utilized a bevy of excuses in rationalizing his behavior, and now other fighters are following suit. Note to the boxing world: you are not entitled. You made your name off of cutting your teeth and dedication; to give up this edge is a lead-in to disaster.

Saunders didn’t start out the tepid fighter he is now. His road to notoriety crossed through fellow up-and-comer Chris Eubank Jr and former world champion Andy Lee, winning both of his fights impressively en route to prominence. But the road to respect in boxing doesn’t end overnight. It endures night after night of painstaking work. Saunders will never win the adulation of boxing fans until he embraces this grind. Here’s hoping that that happens soon.
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Posted on 07/17/2016

Rigondeaux’s Left Leaves Dickens a Broken Man
By: Oz Ozkaya

The WBA World Super-Bantamweight clash between champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, and challenger Jamie ‘Jazza’ Dickens, certainly didn’t fail to produce the world class touch that many had paid to see. Sadly, in the short two rounds that were witnessed, it was only Rigondeaux who produced that small glimmer of class. After a steady start, Rigondeaux quickly got his eye in and dealt a fatal left-handed hook shot that broke the jaw of Jamie Dickens.

Leading up to this fight, Rigondeaux, or as he is better known ‘Rigo’, had been caught up in a Visa complication which ultimately led to the cancellation of the previously arranged fight with Dickens, back in March. However, with everything during the build-up running much smoother this time; the fight was all that was left to complete.

Rigondeaux and Dickens, as you could suspect, both talked about defeating one another in their own spectacularly envisaged ways pre-fight. But with Rigondeaux appearing extremely focused through all the press that he had done, in addition to the public pad work sessions where he showed off how quick and skillful he is, it was widely thought that he was going to make light work of Dickens and claim yet another scalp to add to his perfect record of 16-0.

In all fairness his opponent cannot really be criticised for last night, after all, despite receiving a few lightning quick combinations from Rigondeaux in the first, of which he countered twice respectably, he never really got the chance to get going. Once he was back in the corner at the end of the second after Rigondeaux’s venomous overhead left, it was unanimously decided among the Dickens team that it was game over. The heart of Dickens wanted to fight on, but sadly for him the heads in his corner knew it was too big a risk to continue.

Speaking after the fight, a dejected Dickens tells of the motions when Rigondeaux’s left connected.

“Yeh, I knew straight away it was broken. I felt the crack when he landed. I felt it hanging off but I thought that I could carry on. I thought if it was meant to be I could get him but I knew that if he connected again, it was just going to come right off.

“We all made the call at the end of the (second) round. It was sensible really. Paul and Mick (Stevenson) said they had to pull me out, that I couldn’t go back out like that. I wanted to think I could get him but realistically it wasn’t worth it.”

It is unknown at this point as to how bad the damage on his jaw is, but one thing is for certain; The sound that the overhand left Rigondeaux delivered could probably have been heard all the way back in Miami, Florida. It was crisp, clear-cut, powerful… and thrown at the speed of light. Dickens was wobbled and appeared confused from damage, but, somehow managed to survive the onslaught.

After the fight speaking to Box Nation (Who hosted the fight on U.K television), Rigondeaux said that he wanted to stay in the U.K and fight again but only if Frank Warren would like him to. Frank Warren (Queensbury Promotions) was, of course, grinning from to cheek at the mere notion of that idea, Rigondeaux and he then subsequently shook hands in the post-ringside interview.

“I’m not the best, but I’m the most complete,” Rigondeaux said. “I ripped his jaw out. All those guys that want their jaws ripped out, I’m here!”. He then went on to say: ”Not 100 of those guys add up to 1 of me. I want hard fights. People make it boring [against me] once they feel my power.”

The future for Rigondeaux remains to be seen, at 35, this may be his last push to secure some big main event clashes. Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg were two of the fighters named post match, and Rigo appeared un-phased about who could potentially be put in front of him, the only question on his mind; when and where?.

An interesting night of Boxing in Cardiff for sure. The British & Commonwealth Super Welterweight Championship match between Luke Williams and Gary Corcoran producing arguably the best fight of the evening, in what actually turned out to be more of a highly energetic street fight than a boxing match. Williams landing some crushing blows to Corcoran in the early rounds, more memorably a swiftly executed hook managed to open up a large gash above the left eye of Corcoran. His corner then left with the job of keeping patched up thereafter.

Going into the final rounds it was all very ‘from me to you’ with the ever-changing shift in momentum. Despite somehow managing to remain composed from an earlier knockdown (which wasn’t classed as a knocked down as he miraculously bounced off the ropes and landed back on his feet) Corcoran was trying absolutely everything he could to try and slay Williams. But, the opposite happened and after withstanding a lot of tidy jab-by-jab work and meaty body shots, Williams pulled out a stunning KO from his almost empty locker.

Posted on 07/15/2016

Guillermo Rigondeaux To Defend WBA World Super-Bantamweight Title In Wales
By: Oz Ozkaya

The mysterious nature of Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0) would intrigue even Sherlock Holmes, but Saturday night will be the 17th professional fight he would have competed in after boasting an unrivalled record of 475 victories in 487 contests as an amateur. Some would argue that he is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Others would say that he has been ruined by leeches and ghouls that have previously run his brand.

Unfortunately, in recent years, Rigo (as he is better known) has not had the greatest of luck when it has come down to agents, managers and promoters. The fight he participates in on Saturday was originally scheduled to have taken place back on March 12th, however, due to Visa complications that couldn’t be resolved the fight was cancelled and nobody knew what was to happen next.

Thankfully, Frank Warren, the promoter of Queensberry Promotions, has been able to rearrange the showdown at another venue and the now world title fight should go ahead tomorrow night instead. His opponent, a completely inexperienced one when it comes to the world level, is up-and-coming British fighter Jamie ‘Jazza’ Dickens. Dickens has never fought an opponent anywhere near the rank of Rigondeaux, but with the utmost of confidence, and with an impressive professional record (22-1), Dickens will be heading into this fight knowing that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. He knows he will have to give absolutely everything if he is to come anywhere near defeating Rigondeaux.

For the original bout, the world title wasn’t contractually agreed to have been on the line, and this was mainly because Rigondeaux had been stripped of it for failing to make a defence through a certain period of time. Since then, the WBA have recently reinstated him as their champion and so the fight now has a been given world title glorification, but having said this it is beyond doubt that Rigondeaux will be envisaging the next step ahead after this bout. Carl Frampton and Moses Flores two of the undefeated names in the division that the world would love to see try and outbox Rigondeaux.

During the final press conference in Cardiff, Rigondeaux stated: “I would like to show my respect and gratitude to Dickens for having the courage to take this fight. Dickens is the only [junior featherweight] in the world that has the guts to step in the ring with me. All of the others like to talk and talk but they don’t have the courage to actually fight. They know where to find me. I’m here and I’m ready to face anyone in the world. I’m quicker than FedEx and better than UPS.”

Dickens on the contrary, with that ever so familiar cheeky but confident Liverpudlian charm that’s very reminiscent of fellow Merseyside boys Tony Bellew and Liam Smith, presented the cameras of Boxing Nation TV with some startling confidence of his own. He went on to say: “I’ll listen to my coaches and get my hand raised at the end of the night. I’m going to box out of my skin, I know there’s more in me—that’s why I took this fight. If there’s anyone to bring it out of me I know it’s him.”

Realistically, if Dickens can manage to withstand the speed and skill of Rigondeaux for twelve rounds then that in itself should be a realistic aim for Saturday night. With Rigondeaux looking in fine fettle during public pre-fight pad and sparring sessions, it’s exciting to know that he will be bringing his A-game along with him come Saturday at Cardiff’s Ice Arena.

Posted on 07/15/2016

Anthony Joshua’s Wish List
By: Jordan Seward

After a dominant performance against Dominic Breazeale (17-1-15KO) in his first defence of the IBF crown, Anthony Joshua (17-0-17KO) is looking for a sterner test in his next outing.

The IBF titlist has been mandated to face unbeaten New Zealander Joseph Parker (19-0-16KO), before a November deadline, but has hinted at the possibility of a voluntary defence first.

Joshua, 26, attained the IBF world heavyweight title with a 2nd round knockout of ‘Prince’ Charles Martin back in April at the O2 Arena.

The knockout specialist has been touted as the next big thing in boxing but so far, in his professional career he is yet to be tested.

Arguably, the biggest test to date was when Joshua met bitter rival Dillian Whyte in December last year, but now he is eager to show his credentials against stronger opposition.

Bermaine Stiverne (25-2-1-21KO) has been lined up as a next ideal opponent for the IBF king. Stiverne, has openly admitted to being interested in taking the fight and has started a camp for a potential fight with Joshua.

The former WBC world champion was outlined as a good opponent by the Joshua camp for his durability. The American took heavy hitting Deontay Wilder the full distance in January last year, despite eventually losing by unanimous decision.

Stiverne suffered from severe dehydration throughout the fight with Wilder which seemed to effect his performance. ‘B. WARE’ has hit back at claims that he is just durable and has insisted he still has aspirations on becoming a two-time world champion.

The 37-year-old has not been in the ring since his unanimous decision victory over Derric Rossy in November last year. Nonetheless, if a fight between the pair materialises it is believed Stiverne would present the biggest challenge of Joshua’s professional career.

Another potential opponent for Joshua is Eric Molina (25-3-19KO). Molina, like Stiverne was beaten by Wilder in his first defence of the WBC title. The current IBF inter-continental heavyweight champion was seen as an easy first defence for Wilder, but managed to take the fight 9 rounds before being knocked out.

Wilder was heavily criticised for his performance against Molina, but the victory has since looked better after ‘The Drummer Boy’ defeated Polish heavyweight Tomasz Adamek. Molina was in the running to be Joshua’s first defence of the IBF title and remains a possible option.

Kubrat Pulev’s (23-1-0-12KO) name is also on the list of potential opponents. The Bulgarian recently strolled to victory against England’s Dereck Chisora to claim the vacant European heavyweight title.
Although there is no one of real significance that Pulev has got the better of, aside from Tony Thompson, the only blemish on his record is a defeat to Wladimir Klitschko which came back in 2014.

It’s not clear who will become Joshua’s next opponent, but out of the contenders on his wish list Bermane Stiverne has emerged as the most likely. Whoever it is, Stiverne, Pulev or Molina, they would all be a step up in class from Breazeale and give Joshua his first real test.

Posted on 07/08/2016

Bombshell – GGG To Face Kell Brook
By: Sean Crose

“It’s official. I will be facing off against @SpecialKBrook Sept. 10 in #London. Ready
for my first #UK fight.”

Those words, my friends, come straight from the Twitter account of the one and only Gennady Golovkin. Surprise, surprise. Who’d have thunk that middleweight titlist GGG – one of the most avoided men in boxing – would end up facing IBF welterweight champ Brook in a mega-bout, in Brook’s homeland, no less? You read that right, the fight’s going down in London in September…of this year. Oh, and the bout’s reportedly at the 160-pound middleweight limit.

Take that, Canelo Alvarez.

“Sept 10th at @TheO2” an excited Brook Tweeted, “I will take on the most feared fighter on
the planet @GGGBoxing – let’s go UK #2weight#2time”

Followers of the sport have every right to be surprised by all this. After all, word was that Brook was all but set to face Jessie Vargas in a welterweight throwdown. There was also word that GGG would be facing Brook’s fellow Englishman Chris Eubank Jr, who now might be feeling a bit silly.

“Per @TomLoeffler1,” ESPNs Dan Rafael Tweeted, “Brook took the same deal from @EddieHearn that
Eubank turned down. #GGGBrook” That’s right, it’s being reported that middleweight Eubank refused to fight GGG after shooting off his mouth and calling the man out publicly. If true, that makes Eubank very much a modern fighter.

And it also makes Brook, for lack of a better term, look like the kind of ballsy fighter this sport needs a lot more of. Knock him and Amir Khan all you want for moving up to middleweight, these Brits are bringing it. While a number of boxing’s name fighters seem downright timid – especially in comparison to their UFC c counterparts, who don’t seem to ever fear a serious challenge – Brook and Khan aren’t afraid to dive into the deep end of the pool.

Sure enough, I don’t mind this match. While it’s true it looks a bit nuts on the surface of things, it’s features a domineering fighter getting his turn in the spotlight against a top competitor who’s daring to be great. What’s not to like? Now, should GGG win before willfully moving on to easy competition, I’ll have a serious problem with the guy. For now, though, I don’t think there’s much to complain about. It’s not like GGG hasn’t been wanting to fight other top middleweights.

It’s simply not his fault if those guys don’t want to face him.

Posted on 07/01/2016

Is Chris Eubank Jr the Answer to GGG’s Legacy Problems?
By: Jordan Seward

For the best part of a year Chris Eubank Jr (23-1 -18KO) spurred on by his ever-present father, has claimed he has the beating of the IBO, WBA super, WBC and IBF middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin (35-0-32KO).

Despite the current British Middleweight champion opting to fight at a domestic level recently with wins over Gary O’Sullivan (22-1), Nick Blackwell (19-3-1) and Tom Doran (17-0) in his last three fights, a fight against someone of Gennady Golovkin’s calibre in reality should be far off, but bearing his father’s name and not short of confidence and talent the fight is closer than some people think. Eddie Hearn revealed this week negotiations are progressing well and the deal to see Jr take on Triple G, potentially at the 02 Arena could be concluded this week.

For whatever reason the Kazakhstani knockout specialist has failed to secure a big name fight. The potent pugilist is undoubtedly one of, if not the, best pound-for-pound fighters out there and is well known as the “most dangerous fighter on the planet” perhaps it’s the latter that’s played a part in Golovkin’s struggle to land the super-fight his career so desperately needs.

However, because of this salient point GGG’s reputation has suffered. There were hopes the Kazakh would demonstrate his superiority and class if Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (47-1-1) didn’t, in loose terms ‘bottle it’. Despite all Golovkin’s achieved in his glittering career it accounts for nothing if the competition isn’t competitive enough to satisfy the paying customers and critical onlookers.

It’s fair to say everyone wants to see how good Golovkin really is and whether Eubank Jr is the man to put that to the test, only time will tell. The former WBO middleweight world champion, Chris Eubank Sr or ‘simply the best’ – in his prime, would certainly have provided stiff competition for GGG and a win over him would have been seen as a huge accomplishment. Even the great Nigel Benn couldn’t manage it and with two attempts at that.

Golovkin was last in action back in April when he faced the then unbeaten Dominic Wade. It was routine stuff and he made light work of his opponent, knocking him out in two rounds. The problem is, the Kazakh is now 34 and is running out of time to secure a legacy that is in need of that super fight. To make matters worse, no superstars operating consistently in the middleweight division spring to mind as a potential opponent, which makes the Eubank fight a firm favourite.

Jr is rated highly, he has an array of shots and the uppercut in particular is steadily becoming his trademark, but the one time he shared a ring with a solid, strong operator in Billy Joe Saunders, Eubank came up short. He didn’t perform on the night and looked nervous but now two years on and with that little bit more knowledge, knowhow, experience and arrogance, he poses a completely different opponent, one that is more dangerous, cold-hearted and the capability of winning at world level.

For British fans this fight would certainly be a huge one, especially if it was to take place in London. Whether or not Chris Eubank Jr is the kind of fighter Golovkin’s fans had in mind, it certainly is an interesting one and the Brit is realistically, the biggest name in the division right now who is openly calling the feared middleweight out.

With the kind of personality and energy that pours out of Eubank the fight would have no trouble in selling. The British fighter places an unholy amount of confidence in himself, if you don’t know, watch one of his ring walks on YouTube. The Canelo – GGG fight was the one everyone wanted but as alternatives go, a young, talented and fearless fighter who bears the name of a former boxing great isn’t a bad option to take.

Posted on 06/30/2016

Truth Or Slander? The Tyson Fury Drug Test Scandal
By: Sean Crose

“The world heavyweight champ is being probed by officials after traces of a banned anabolic steroid were allegedly discovered in a sample taken last year.”

These words appeared in Britain’s “Mirror” on Sunday. Since then, a scandal has erupted surrounding heavyweight champ Tyson Fury. In brief, it’s been claimed that Fury tested positive for having forbidden levels of a banned substance called nandrolone in his system during the winter of 2015. Nandrolone, for those who don’t know (and why would most people?) is a steroid which can enlarge muscle. Therefore, it’s easy to see why having significant amounts of the drug in one’s system would be deemed unsportsmanlike.

Yet it’s only fair to point out that rumors do not automatically equal truth and that Fury had adamantly denied being a doper. Sure enough, he’s come across as being a bit confused by this whole matter. Indeed, the thought of Fury as juicer comes across as somewhat absurd on the surface of things. For even at his most fit, the guy certainly doesn’t possess an Adonis-like physique. Regardless, appearances can be as deceiving as false rumors and no one, save perhaps a few, know what the truth really is at the moment.

For its own part, the team of one Wladimir Klitschko, who Fury won the heavyweight crown from after the reported test was taken, is being proactive, demanding the United Kingdom Anti Doping agency – otherwise known as UKAD – get to the bottom of things. Sure enough, Klitschko’s manager has already taken a shot at the agency, claiming it’s failed in its duties before. With that in mind, UKAD has refused to comment on the matter, as it claims is part of its policy as regards to privacy.

There is some urgency to the whole situation, of course, as Fury will most likely rematch Klitschko in the fall. Indeed, the two men were supposed to fight this summer, but the Englishman harmed his ankle while in training and the fight had to be postponed. Not only is the rematch anticipated because it will solidify the heavyweight pecking order, it’s being looked forward to because Fury and Klitschko are such polar opposites.

Klitschko, the former long reigning champion from the Ukraine, has always been known as something of a gentleman warrior. Fury, on the other hand, luxuriates, it seems, in being openly controversial. He’s received a lot of heat back home in England for his comments, and has even been reported for a hate crime due to his language (England just isn’t into the whole free speech thing – then again, it still has a queen). He’s also a world class bully when it comes to Klitschko, egging him on as if he were tormenting an underclassman in a school cafeteria.

Whether or not the man juiced, however, remains to be seen.

Posted on 06/25/2016

Showtime Boxing International Results: Joshua wins by 7th round Knockout
By: Matthew N. Becher

Live from the O2 arena, in Greenwich, London the IBF Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua defended his title for the first time against American, Dominic Breazeale. This was Breazeale’s first fight outside of the United States as well as his first fight as an underdog (20-1). Both of these fighters entered the Millennium Dome with perfect records and a total of 31 Knockouts between them.

Joshua showed why he was such a great favorite in the fight, and was able to showcase his skills to the masses again on a worldwide televised fight. Continuing his perfect knockout streak and undefeated record, Joshua is only 26 years old, with one of the world championship belts. The sky is the limit for this guy.

Anthony Joshua (16-0 16KO) v. Dominic Breazeale (17-0 15KO): IBF Heavyweight Championship

Joshua showed that he was the superior fighter right from the first round, landing cleaner, harder punches early. Breazeale was slow in his reflexes, moving forward and trying to adjust to the much, much quicker Joshua.
In the second round Breazeale was wobbled early in the round and nearly went down towards the end. Joshua’s right hand uppercut is a devastating punch, and easily shows that he possesses power in both hands.

Breazeale became only the second fighter to ever take Joshua beyond the third round, though Breazeale paid a great deal of punishment in doing so. Breazeale’s right eye was nearly closed by the fourth round, but credit had to be given on toughness, because many fighters would have went down for the count on much less.

Joshua doled out a great deal of punishment by the 6th round and took relatively little back in return. The difference in stamina could be noticeably seen by the midway point, since Joshua was already in a steady pace and Breazeale was very much just trying to survive.

The seventh round was the round that Joshua decided to put an end to it. The first knockdown came within the first thirty seconds of the round, from a deadly combination. Breazeale got up, showing tremendous heart and was quickly knocked out with a brutal straight left hand.

Joshua KO7 1:01

Posted on 06/23/2016

Showtime World Championship Boxing Preview: Anthony Joshua v. Dominic Breazeale
By: Matthew N. Becher

In 2012 Anthony Joshua, then 22, and Dominick Breazeale, then 26, each represented their respective countries, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the 2012 Olympic Games, held in London, England. Both fighters competed in the Super heavyweight division, with Breazeale losing in the first round and Joshua eventually standing on the top of the medal podium, having a Gold Medal placed around his neck. This Saturday, from the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London, live on Showtime, both fighters will meet face to face as undefeated professionals, for the IBF Heavyweight championship of the world.

Dominic Breazeale (17-0 15KO) got a late start in the boxing game. He was a football player, a Quarterback at that, who played division one for the University of Northern Colorado. When professional football did not seem like a valid option, the 6’8”, 250lb Breazeale found out quickly that he could turn that throwing arm into a pretty heavy knockout punch. After competing in the Olympics he immediately turned pro later that year and has amassed an unblemished records of seventeen wins, with fifteen coming by way of the knockout. He has wins over Amir Mansour, Fred Kasi, Yasmany Consuegra and Victor Bisbal in the last year. This weekend’s title fight against Joshua will be his toughest to date, and Breazeale has stated that this fight will end by KO, “We’re two knockout artists, so whoever lands first is going to win….I’m not some pushover like he’s had in the past. If I see an opportunity, I am going to take advantage of it”.

Anthony Joshua (16-0 16KO) has been groomed to become the heavyweight champion of the world, winning his first title earlier this year in April, in only his 16th professional fight. Joshua has faced a bit of better competition against the likes of Kevin Johnson, Gary Cornish, Dillian Whyte and Charles Martin, will all of them getting knocked out by Joshua. In only 3 years as a pro, the Gold Medalist and now IBF heavyweight champion has accomplished a lot, and sees Breazeale as just another mandatory competitor towards his ultimate goal of unified heavyweight champ, “I still have another couple titles I need to get my hands on. I’m still hunting. There’s still work to be done”.

This has the makings for a very exciting heavyweight fight, between two big sluggers. With the difference in competition that both have seen and the fight being in London, the edge is definitely in Joshua’s favor, but in the heavyweight division, it only takes one punch to change all of that.

Posted on 06/03/2016

Kell Brook – The Special One?
By Daniel Arissol

There is a man, a fighting man. He hails from Sheffield, England. He is undefeated in 36 professional fights. 25 of those fights have ended in knockouts. His speed and accuracy have led to many pugilists either avoiding the welterweight supremo or have simply woken up in the middle of the square ring with 20,000 fans screaming and chanting the name of the IBF champion of the world, Kell “The special one” Brook.

Brook won the title fighting against Shawn Porter in the stubhub centre in Carson, California back in August 2014. Most people had Porter pipped to win this bout, including the likes of fellow welterweights WBA champ Keith Thurman, Amir Khan and Devon Alexander. Porter had defeated Alexander to gain the IBF strap and knocked out Paulie Malignaggi in the 4th round in his first defence of the title. Kell had worked his way up the IBF rankings defeating the likes of Matthew Hatton, Carson Jones (twice) and Viacheslav Senchenko in order to be the mandatory contender for Porter’s belt. Once the bell rang for the first round of their title showdown in Carson we got what we expected from Porter. Sprawling shots from all angles that over-powered the likes of Malignaggi didn’t seem to have the same effect on the special one. Kell was simply picking and placing his shots and was countering accurately. The judges saw the cleaner work was coming from the challenger and at the end of 12 hard fought rounds between both fighters, Brook’s arm was raised as the victorious challenger after a majority decision. Porter’s trainer and father, Kenny Porter, had claimed that Brook was guilty of excessive clinching throughout the fight, however, this was not the general consensus amongst the boxing fraternity that saw the fight with many believing the decision should’ve gone Brooks way, although some claimed a draw was fairer. Team Porter made some noise about wanting a rematch but didn’t seem to force the issue and have since chosen a different route, Shawn is fighting Keith Thurman for his WBA title on June 25th at the Barclays centre, Brooklyn, New York.

Kell returned home to Sheffield to a heroes welcome and defended his world title against the little known Jo Jo Dan, winning via TKO in the 4th round. However, four weeks after winning the IBF title he went on a family vacation to Tenerife, Spain to relax and unwind with his loved ones. One night he was invited to a party which ended in an unprovoked machete attack. He was rushed to hospital were his condition was critical due to heavy blood loss. He needed 32 metal staples in his thigh and needed rehabilitation to be able to walk let alone run again. He has since made a 100% recovery and is aiming to dominate the welterweight division and possibly dip his toes a division above. He does have one problem in completing his quest though… He is the most avoided man in the division and one of the most avoided in boxing today.

Amir Khan, Danny Garcia and Timothy Bradley have all recently refused to enter negotiations for a mega fight with the IBF king. The British public would love Brook v Khan but even after his brutal KO defeat with Canelo, he is still unwilling to sign up for a huge domestic showdown. One man, however, is prepared to face him. WBO champion Jessie Vargas. Terms have been agreed and the date and venue seem to be 27th August at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. This unification fight will be shown as a PPV in the UK. Vargas (27-1-0 10ko) hails from Los Angeles but now fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He defeated the much heralded Sadam “world kid” Ali to claim the vacant WBO title. His only defeat came against Timothy Bradley via unanimous decision last June. Vargas will be seen as the best competitor since Porter but many see the result going the same way thus making Kell a two title world champion. Brook and his team have been looking for a big name to fight in the UK or US and, by unifying these titles, he should be one step closer to the winner of Thurman/Porter or even Khan. The WBC champion, Danny Garcia, may have to defend against Khan this year which potentially could lead to another unification fight.

With Kell now 30 years of age he is now undoubtedly in his prime. He is in a division with big names. He has a good promoter and he is a current undefeated world champion. He has all the attributes to be the star name in the division and be a global star in the process. When you look at the meteoric rise of someone like Anthony Joshua, who has been knocking out second and third rate opponents on his way to the farcical world title UK PPV against the terrible Charles Martin, there seems to be a gulf of popularity amongst TV networks that really can be the difference between world champion and global superstar. Perhaps the likes of Al Haymon’s PBC will assist all fighters by showing live events on free TV so new boxing fans with no prejudice will decide for themselves who really deserves their attention. After all, boxing is and always has been a sport for the masses. As for Kell Brook, his public eagerly await with baited breath. World champion or global superstar.

Posted on 06/01/2016

Kell Brook, Jessie Vargas, To Meet In Welterweight Title Unifier
By: Sean Crose

IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is finally getting the kind of opponent fans will be satisfied seeing him face. For the talented Brit is now set to battle the WBO welterweight champ, Jessie Vargas later this summer – an official date has yet to be set – in Sheffield, England, Brook’s home town. What makes this match particularly notable is the fact that the winner will actually hold two world title belts in the same division, something that isn’t nearly as common as it should be in contemporary boxing (there’s a reason middleweight Gennady Golovkin is considered a refreshing oddity these days for wanting “all the belts” in his division).

To be sure, Brook (36-0) is known as one of best welterweights in the world at the moment. Indeed, some see the man as being THE best welterweight in the world now that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have “retired.” Fans have been frustrated, however, that Brook hasn’t faced a major foe since besting the terrific Shawn Porter in 2014. Truth be told, however, that may not entirely be Brook’s fault. Significant matches against the likes of Tim Bradley (what a fight that would be) and Brandon Rios having fallen through in discussion. What’s more, fellow big name British welterweight Amir Khan doesn’t appear deeply interested in facing Brook, for whatever reason.

Brook’s certainly up against a legitimate foe in Vargas (27-1), however. For this is the same Vargas who obliterated rising star Sadam Ali by knocking the man out just a few months ago. This is also the same Vargas who almost knocked out Tim Bradley in the closing seconds of their bout last summer. Will Vargas be up to the challenge of facing Brook, though? It wasn’t as if Bradley hadn’t been dominating his fight with Vargas up until the very end, after all. What’s more, Ali was a rising star rather than a proven commodity – a fine distinction – when Vargas introduced him to the canvas.

Then again, there are still question marks circling Brook, as well. This writer pegged him to be a serious threat at welterweight well before he won his title off of Porter, but Porter is the only true “name” the man has faced. While he’s truly big and talented, it’s hard to deny that Brook is still somewhat untested. That being said, it would be quite a surprise if Brook were to lose this fight. Oh, it wouldn’t be upset of the year material, but Brook heretofore has proven to have a more impressive skill set than Vargas does.

Taking a wider view of things, it appears that the welterweight division is in movement at the moment. In other words, roles are actively being defined in the post Mayweather-Pacquiao era. WBC titlist Danny Garcia may be less than enthralled with the prospect of proving he’s the best, but other major welters like Brook, Vargas and Bradley are ripe and ready to compete. Furthermore, WBA welterweight champ Keith Thurman will be facing Porter this June in what’s an extremely intriguing matchup.

A pecking order will soon emerge.

Posted on 05/21/2016

David Haye wins in 2 rounds with a knockout over Arnold Gjergjaj
By: Stewart J Lawrence

With a fight simulating a 2-minute work out! David Haye destroys a fighter nicknamed the ‘Cobra’, but really had as much bite as a goldfish

The show was billed as the ‘Haye Maker HQ’, and had all the billing as the great comeback, and the man that was here to upset the Heavyweight division. Like the 6 Billion dollar man, he had been repaired (after shoulder surgery), made bigger, faster, stronger, and here to show everyone why he should be feared. Maybe that could have been the case, if he had a serious threat in the opposite corner. Unfortunately, he didn’t.

Haye came out of the corner, with his typical stance, hands relatively low, and stalking his prey. The ‘Cobra’, looked up for it! Was he going to prove all the doubters wrong? And show us that he was actually about to cause the upset he had been saying all week? Unfortunately not, and the first solid shot put him down. Haye sensing that it could be an early nights work, took his foot off the gas, and allowed the round to end. The second started, and again maybe the ‘Cobra’ could cause this upset! Unfortunately not, and with a straight jab, the Swiss man was down. This carried on, till Haye decided he’d had enough, and a flurry of punches later, the ref counted out (a very relieved) Arnold Gjergjaj.

David Haye scored a knockout, but the boxing community was far from impressed, with many fighters showing their disgust on social media. Even Barry McGuigan finding it hard to contain his contempt for what had been on display.

A poor fight that will not be helping David Haye’s cause.

Haye tried talking his opponent up after the fight, but he wasn’t convincing anyone. Haye said that ‘People thought I was the past, but I am still the future. Anthony Joshua is a fight I would relish, but next for me is Shannon Briggs. He came to England and talked a good game’.

When asked about his opponent, David defended the choice stating; ‘All the big names are in other fights. He has the longest unbeaten run in Heavyweight boxing. It’s not my fault I punch as hard.’

So next for David Haye will be Shannon Briggs in September and should be a tougher test than his two previous opponents. Either way, ‘The Hayemaker’ is back, and another fighter is vying to get into the exciting Heavyweight mix.