Tag Archives: next

Posted on 06/23/2017

Jeff Horn: Pacquiao’s Next Opponent
By: Sean Crose

Sixteen wins. One draw. No Loses. Eleven of those wins by knockout. On paper, at least, Australian welterweight Jeff Horn looks to be a decent enough fighter. On July second, however, the little known WBO challenger will be facing the great Manny Pacquiao – on basic cable, no less – in front of around fifty thousand people (if not more) in his homeland for Pacquiao’s title. Does he stand a chance? Does he even belong in the same ring as the fighter known as PacMan? Well, Horn is more deserving of his big boxing opportunity than Conor McGregor is – but that’s really not saying much. So what’s the deal with this little known fighter whose about to step onto the big stage in a very big way?

Well, for one thing, he’s never fought outside of his homeland, unless you count some scraps in New Zealand. That means he’s far from the global player that his opponent is. What’s more, a full 25% of his wins have come against men who entered the ring having lost more professional fights than they had won. Taking things a step further, Horn has never faced a true name opponent. Some Pacquiao opponents, like Chris Algieri, were knocked for having less than impressive resumes, but Algieri had at least bested the then feared Ruslan Provodnikov (albeit controversially) before facing the Filipino legend in a high level bout.

On the other hand, Horn is a strong, straight puncher with an aggressive, come forward style. He can employ his jab as a measuring stick and most certainly knows how to finish an opponent of. He’s a tough guy, make no mistake about it. He can also be a lot of fun to watch. Those of us who can remember those exciting, though perhaps not great, fighters who regularly appeared on network sports programs in the 70s-90s can both recall and appreciate the kind of fighter Horn seems to be. Then again, no one has seen Horn rise to the occasion the way he will have to against Pacquiao. Some fighters can simply find a way to truly grasp the moment, sure (Buster Douglas being the most obvious example), but is Horn among that small number?

There are, however, some indicators to at least suggest Horn’s Olympian climb may be easier than thought, prime among them, Pacquiao’s age and outside the ring interests. Most all would agree that Pacquiao is past his prime. At 38, his best days may well be behind him. What’s more, Pacquiao’s job as a Filipino politician must take a whole lot of time and energy out of the man. Will these things come into play when he faces Horn? They may very well. Having said that, it’s hard to see Horn scoring the upset win on the 2nd. Manny is simply too fast, and Horn just doesn’t appear to have the skill set.

Posted on 05/31/2017

After conquering The United Kingdom, what is the next move for Errol Spence Jr.?
By: Kirk Jackson

He came, he saw, he conquered.

Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. 22-0 (19 KO’s) delivered on his promise, dethroning IBF welterweight champion Kell “Special K” Brook 36-2 (25 KO’s) in a thrilling, competitive bout across the pond in Sheffield, Yorkshire, United Kingdom this past weekend.

Displaying what Spence described as “True grit,” the newly crowned champ accomplished the same feat a few high profile, contemporary American fighters accomplished – traveling to the United Kingdom to win their first world title.

A ⭐️ was born@ErrolSpenceJr became the 1st American to dethrone an Englishman on British soil in nearly a decade ??#BrookSpence #AndTheNew pic.twitter.com/ajSLhJ8sjN

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) May 28, 2017

Terence Crawford, Timothy Bradley and Marvin Hagler won their first world titles in the United Kingdom. Pretty good company.

After eating a few of Brook’s “Chocolate brownies,” Spence dissed out his own punishment, stopping the brave Brit in 11 rounds.

“I watched some of his fights and he likes to fight at a certain pace,” Spence told Showtime’s Jim Gray after winning the title.

“And once you pick up the pace on him, he kind of breaks down a little bit, and he can’t throw a lot of punches. So I decided to press the action, make him fight at a pace that he didn’t wanna fight at. Then he started breathing hard and he started slowing down, and I knew that I had him.”

Spence stated in his post-fight interview, the goal is to fight all of the top guys in the division. He wants to unify all of the belts and specifically called out unified WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman 28-0 (22 KO’s) and WBO welterweight champ Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao 59-6-2 (38 KO’s).

“I’ve been calling Keith Thurman out for a long time,” said Spence. “Now it’s time. You say I have to prove myself and I haven’t fought anybody. Well, I just beat the so-called biggest welterweight in the division – Kell Brook. So now, Keith Thurman, you know, come-out. It’s time to fight.”

Congrats EJ, but there is no true ? until you see me. #OneTime pic.twitter.com/oBbwowShGv

— Keith Thurman Jr. (@keithfthurmanjr) May 27, 2017

Thurman appears to be game. Whether these fights occur remain to be seen. It’s been suggested Spence has been avoided in boxing’s toughest division.

It will be difficult to avoid Spence now that he has championship stake in the division. If he can unify, then all championship welterweight roads must be traveled through him.

“The goal is to unify the titles,” Spence told Sky Sports following Saturday’s fight. “I wanna fight Keith Thurman next, you know, Manny Pacquiao next. I wanna fight the champions next, unify the division and become the undisputed champion of the world.”

Danny “Swift” Garcia 33-1 (19 KO’s) and Thurman played their part in the unification process earlier in March and it will be great for boxing if the trend continues throughout the year.

With Pacquiao facing relatively unknown contender Jeff “The Hornet” Horn 16-0-1 (11 KO’s) in July, time to will tell if he wants to participate in this unofficial, welterweight-tournament styled unification process.

Spence appears to have a bright future and it will be interesting to see the challenges in store for him next.

Posted on 04/18/2017

Boxing Insider Interview with Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez: The Next Big Thing
By: Francisco Martinez

Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez a 168lbs southpaw standing 6′ 2” with technical boxing ability along with speed and stamina and not to mention good looks is an easy sell to the public. This coming Saturday April 22nd he’s set to step back into the ring after a lay off do to a hand injury and defend his WBO 168lbs title for the first time against Max Bursak of Germany in a triple header card which will also showcase Oscar Valdez and Jessie Magdaleno whom will also defend their versions of the WBO title at 126lbs and 122lbs. All in a stacked Top Rank promotions PPV card at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

BoxingInsider was at hand for the media day at the famed Magnifico Boxing Gym own by 3 time champion, legend Israel El Magnifico Vazquez who’s gym resides in Southgate, Los Angeles as Zurdo Ramirez, Oscar Valdez and Jessie Magdaleno worked out in front of the media and fans we managed to get a few quotes from Zurdo as he taped up for his workout and this is what he had to say.

BoxingInsider: “How was training camp?”

Zurdo Ramirez: “Really good, really good, my preparation is done now” says with a big smile on his face.

BoxingInsider: “You look very happy why?”

Zurdo Ramirez: “Because the fight is really close and I’m really happy. One year and 13 days out of the ring and now it’s time to go back”

Zurdo Ramirez was suppose to defend his title on the night Manny Pacquiao soundly defeated Jessie Vargas but Zurdo suffered a hand injury which required surgery and has kept him out of the ring since April of last year. Although not being able to compete Zurdo maintained active while back home in Mazatlan, Mexico where he kept his physical shape in tact by running, swimming and strength and conditioning work. Something trainer’s, father and son Jesus and Hector Zapari feel benefited him greatly being out of the ring from over a year.

BoxingInsider: “So that was on your mind the whole time to step back into the ring?”

Zurdo Ramirez: “Yeah because one year out of the ring and now it’s closer to the fight and I’m really happy”

The bigger picture here lays within the victory of April 22nd if Zurdo Ramirez manages to successfully defend his title the possibility of a showdown with Kazak powerhouse Gennady Golovkin will be explored as both Bob Arum and Tom Loeffler have expressed great interest in this possible match up. One that the boxing community is also hoping for. After his tough earned and controversial victory against Daniel Jacobs Gennady Golovkin and his team went on record that a June fight date versus Billy Joe Sunders was the goal and with a win Gennady would move up to 168lbs as undisputed status was his ultimate vision regardless of the potential Canelo fight they were not gonna wait for him.

Those comments sparked legendary promoter Bob Arum to quickly say Zurdo Ramirez would “destroy” Gennady Golovkin and that he would be looking to make that fight. A fight Zurdo and his team are also hoping for but not over looking their April 22nd assignment. Zurdo assures us that “first thing is first, first thing is April 22nd, Max Bursak and after that like I say doesn’t matter whatever comes. I have the skills, power, everything. I’m really confident about me, myself that’s why I asked for that fight but I need to win this fight (April 22nd)”

Trainer Hector Zapari also confident in Zurdo and likes the idea of a Gennady Golovkin fight “yeah for sure Zurdo is a very complete fighter, yeah, Zurdo beats Golovkin for sure” with Gennady Golovkin now passing up on that June fight date which could have possibly ended up taking place if his home country of Kazakhstan not happening it opens the door for a possible move to 168lbs or he awaits the winner of Saul Alvarez vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. but given the general opinion that Alvarez will have an easy night this coming May 6th a possible Alvarez vs Golovkin fight is a little sketchy do to the history of their negotiations which have lead to nowhere and can only leave the door open for other possibilities with one of those being Zurdo Ramirez.

Tune in this April 22nd for the Top Rank promotions PPV triple header at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. Follow complete coverage leading up to the fight by using #TopRankBoxing

Posted on 03/20/2017

Where Do Philly Boxers Garcia, Cunningham and Hopkins Go From Here?
By: Ken Hissner

Starting with Danny “Swift” Garcia, 33-1 (19) the former super lightweight and welterweight champion who just lost to his toughest opponent in Keith “One Time” Thurman and his WBC belt. As a super lightweight Garcia he scored wins over Amir Kahn, 31-4 (19), in a shootout who gets to who first and gave overblown featherweight Erik Morales a rematch? How about Kahn? How about Herrera? How about Peterson? His win over Lucas Matthysse was possibly his biggest accomplishment.

Garcia took on Rod Salka a 132 lightweight and made him come in at over 140 in a non-title bout. When asked who made this choice he said “my manager.” Al Haymon? What about “The New” Ray Robinson or “Hammerin” Hank Lundy who have been calling him out since their sparring days with Garcia? Two Philly fighters who could have brought some fans out even in Philly.

As the No. 2 welterweight contender in the WBC Garcia won’t fight No. 1 Kahn so “he gets” No. 6 the over the hill Robert Guerrero in a vacant title fight? He finally steps up and takes on Thurman and we saw how that turned out in not a great fight but an interesting one. Where does Garcia go from here? No rematch I’m sure with Thurman. No. 5 Shawn Porter and No. 7 Andre Berto have “an elimination bout” coming up? Granted Kahn is No. 1 but is supposed to get a shot at WBO champion Manny “Pac Man” Pacquaio’s title though Kahn hasn’t fought since May of 2016 getting knocked out by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and isn’t even in the WBO ratings. So where is Garcia going to land in the next WBC ratings? No. 1 is not automatic for former champs. Ask Sergey Kovalev about that.

Lamont Peterson, 35-3-1 (17), is now holding WBA World belt. IBF champion Kell “Special One” Brook, 36-1 (25), is tentatively going to defend against his No. 1 contender in Errol Spence, 21-0 (18), having not fought since September when Gennady “GGG” Golovkin injured his eye socket in an interesting fight.

Then there’s former 2-time IBF champion Steve “USS” Cunningham, 29-8-1 (13), who entered last Saturdays ring in Reading, PA, in a scheduled 8 round bout reduced to a 6 winning every round from overweight former light heavyweight Felipe “El Indio” Romero, 19-12-1 (13), so Cunningham can “get the rust off” after with a promise from his manager Al Haymon getting him a title fight. He isn’t ranked anymore and all four champs are from outside the US. Cunningham had to go to Europe to get those titles so it won’t be like a first time for him.

Starting with WBC champion Tony “The Bomber” Bellew, 29-2-1 (19), of the UK who just stopped former champion David Haye and whose No. 1 challenger is MairisBriedis, 21-0 (18), from Latvia who is scheduled to fight for the interim WBC title April 1st against former champion Marco Huck in Germany whom Cunningham stopped in 2007.

The WBA champion Denis Lebedev, 29-3 (22), only defended his IBF title in Russia against fellow Russian Murat “Iron” Gassiev, 24-0 (17), losing a split decision. There may be a rematch in that one. The IBF doesn’t have any challengers in the number one or two spot but have No. 3 Noel Gevor, 22-0 (10), an Armenian out of Germany who is also the No. 1 contender in the WBO where the champion if OleksandrUsyk, 11-0 (10), of the UKR. He is defending his title in Oxon Hill, MD, April 8th against Michael Hunter, 15-0. So Cunningham may be able to get the winner in the US. Gevor is scheduled to go to Poland to fight the former champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, on May 20th who split it two fights with Cunningham.

So it’s a matter of Cunningham getting ranked again which shouldn’t take much based on his record and being a former champion. Who knows he may not have to leave the US to get that shot. The man is always in tip top shape and though having fought at heavyweight a bit makes 200 easily.

This leaves us with 52 year-old Bernard “the Executioner” Hopkins, 55-8-2 (32), who is from Philly and was living in Hockessin, DE, but also I understand had a place in Philly and may be back there. After witnessing former 3-division champion another “ageless” boxer pack them in at the Chase Center in DE recently could there be a “rubber match” between Jones and Hopkins at the Chase Center? Jones is 48 but you would never know it in his win over Bobby Gunn in his last fight. Neither he nor Hopkins may never get another title fight but then who knows. Both are future IBHOF boxerswho don’t seem to go away.

I’m sure Hopkins would like to retire with a win in his last fight that seems to have been difficult to do since losing his last two fights to Sergey Kovlev and Joe Smith, Jr. Just prior to that he held the IBF and WBA titles defeating Shumenov but lost those titles to Kovalev who got robbed by Andre Ward losing all three titles and may never get a deserved rematch. Though both are no longer ranked don’t be surprised if their names appear in a title fight in the near future.

Philadelphia is again without a champion but has a ton of young prospects with “champion” written all over them such as 19 year-old Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 9-0 (8), who fights March 31st back in Philly. It will be ten fights in twelve months for this talented welterweight whom this writer calls “the best Philly prospect since 1984 Olympic champion Meldrick Taylor”. His brothers “Pooh” and Farah held USBA and NABF titles while their father “Bozy” is the best trainer in Philly and one of the best in the world.

Posted on 03/07/2017

Thurman Made a Statement, but What Now for the Champ?
By Harry Hogg

Keith Thurman (28-0)claimed a split decision victory over Danny Garcia (33-1) in New York on Saturday night to unify the WBA (super) and WBC welterweight titles. The victoryin front a record crowd at the Barclays center consolidates Thurman’s position as the number one fighter in the 147lbs division.

Thurman’s display was well worth the victory, his incredible movement and eye catching punch power was there for all to see. In the end he was far too classy fora pretty ordinary Garcia, who seemed to lack any real ideas as to how to deal with Thurman.

Thurman’s performance was not without its flaws however. Seemingly cruising towards victory, Thurman faded late on giving Garcia the last few rounds. In the end this almost cost Thurman on the cards. He was in control for the majority of the fight and should have claimed the win unanimously. But his reluctance to engage late on and tendency to play safe almost backfired on the unbeaten American.

Never the less there is no denying he was the better fighter and deserved to be the first unifiedwelterweight champion since Floyd Mayweather in 2015. He was smart and picked his shots well, combined with some impressive footwork and movement, he was difficult to pin down for a largely inactive Garcia. The Philadelphiaman was resilient and kept coming forward, but very rarely troubledThurman.

What is next?

Thurman is now the number 1 fighter at 147, and is the man to beat. And while Garcia expressed his desire for a rematch, it is difficult to see this one happening again. The fight started well enough but never really kicked into gear, with Garcia leaving himself far too much to do in the later rounds.

But the American will surely be keeping a close eye on events in London in May, when Kell Brook defends his IBF belt against the dangerous Errol Spence Jr.The prospect of a second unification fight in a year would prove tempting for Thurman should he face the winner.

Or he could turn to the WBO champion in Filipino Legend Manny Pacquiao, whose April 23rd bout against Amir Khan is still without a venue.

Before any thoughts of another unification however, Lamont Peterson is likely to be announced as the next mandatory challenger for Thurman. Peterson, who picked up the WBA (regular) belt recently by beating David Avanesyan, would prove a tricky test for the new unified king.

The possibility of Thurman moving up to 154 would not be out of the question either. The champ looked bigger and stronger in comparison to Garcia on Saturday, and it would seem like he would have little trouble making the 154 limit. If he chooses to do so, a huge fight against Saúl Canelo Álvarez or Erislandy Laracould present itself.

Whatever Thurman decides do, he has put himself in a position of power and there are endless options open to him. He is the number one in the division and the route to welterweight supremacy will go through him.

Posted on 02/23/2017

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez: Whoever is Next, is Next
By: Francisco Martinez

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez the hot trailblazing southpaw, Top Rank promotions signee, Mexican import who hails from Sinaloa, Mazatlan and current 168lbs WBO world champion aims for unifications in his division coming off of hand surgery and wants to waste no time. Penciled in for a April 22nd title defense at the StubHub center in Carson, California against European Max Bursak. Zurdo Ramírez might just be the most naturally talented fighter in his division standing at 6′ 2” tall the naturally talented southpaw aims to prove why he’s the best 168lbs.

“I’m prepared for anybody, anyone” immediately after Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last fight and win Zurdo Ramirez took to social media by challenging Chavez Jr. congratulating him for his victory and asking him “Do you want to fight with a real champ?” a challenge not acknowledge by Chavez Jr. and his team who had Canelo on their sights. Leaving Zurdo Ramirez with no real direction having won his WBO title what he thought would help lure the top 168lbs into the ring but instead turning him into the most avoided fighter in his division.

His trainer Hector Zapari hopes unifications are what this year holds “Those are the fights that we’re looking for. He’s ready for those fighters. We trust in our promoter Bob Arum that we’re gonna get those fights. We are willing to fight any champion. We won’t underestimate our next opponent because he wants to be a world champion too. All opponents are dangerous but it’s a motivation to get pass this fighter to make the unifications possible” as for Zurdo Ramirez surgically repaired hand

Senior trainer and father of Hector, Jesus Zapari had this to say in regards to the surgery “Doctor Steve Shin did a very good job. I think he is a lot better now because he is more confident in his hand before the surgery he was hurt for a while and he wasn’t confident when he punched so I think he is a lot better now than before the surgery” Hector Zapari added this to the conversation “I feel Zurdo is stronger because mentally he’s much, much better. He was active the whole time. That was good for him because he didn’t stop training after the surgery”

It seems Top Rank promotions and premier boxing champions are open to working with each other making such unification match ups in the 168lbs division a great possibility with the WBC title now vacant that Badou Jack has made a move up in weight to the 175lbs class for a rumored lucrative showdown with Adonis Stevenson. Zurdo Ramirez versus IBF kingpin James Degale becomes the most attractive fight at 168lbs not forgetting about the WBA title which belongs to German Tyrone Zeuge who fights exclusively in his native home country which could bring up serious disadvantages for both Ramirez or Degale if they so choose to unify with Zeuge we would imagine bringing him to the states would prove to be difficult as the Germans in boxing do have somewhat of a no travel policy in means to keep their title as proven throughout history time and time again. Somewhat of holding the title “hostage” with favorable judging back home.

Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez wants the big fights. Wants to unify the division. Wants to prove he is the face of Mexican boxing although he is aware those bragging rights will most likely go to the winner of Saul Canelo Alvarez vs The Son Of The Legend, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in what is being dubbed Mexican Civil War. Zurdo Ramírez and his team are confident in their abilities and skills and are willing to wait for their time while keeping their eyes on a mega showdown with Gennady Golovkin one that was talked about between Ramirez promoter Bob Arum & Tom Loeffler who manages Golovkin. A future fight both promoters do hold in mind as a possibility.

Hector Zapari had this to say in regards of the winner between Saul Alvarez & Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. “Let me tell you who’s gonna be the leader of Mexico…” points at Zurdo Ramirez “…right here. He’s gonna fight with true champions. No marketing” Zurdo Ramírez adds “I’m gonna prove to myself and to the people that they’ll see a stronger Zurdo Ramirez, a faster Zurdo Ramirez and better than ever”

April 22nd Zurdo Ramirez defends his WBO title for the first time at the StubHub in Carson, CA a venue and crowd Zurdo feels will help propel his superstardom into the next level expressing that Los Angeles has the best fans in boxing Hector Zapari adds “Los Angeles, Southern California is like our second home. We always train in Mazatlan (Sinaloa) but the last 2 months, 10 weeks we always come here to California. It’s one of the best fanbase in the world, boxing”

Be sure stay updated on boxings latest headlines and breaking news by visiting BoxingInsider.com for daily updates and exclusive interviews from boxings top names.

Posted on 02/12/2017

Update: Pacquiao Now Running Poll For Next Opponent

As if Manny Pacquiao’s tweet on Saturday that he’d be fighting in the United Arab Emirates – as opposed to Australia – wasn’t enough, PacMan returned on Sunday to set the fight world abuzz again.

“Who do you want me to fight next in the UAE?” he tweeted.

Under that question were four choices for fans to pick from: Jeff Horn, Amir Khan, Bud Crawford and Kell Brook. Indeed, it looks like Horn may no longer be a shoe in for Pacquiao’s next opponent. As of press time, fans had 18 hours left to make their choice. If this all sounds a bit familiar, that’s because Floyd Mayweather ran a similar poll a few years back – only the winner of that poll, Amir Khan, never got around to facing Mayweather. That particular honor went to Marcos Maidana.

To add to all the intrigue or would-be intrigue, Kell Brook made it pretty clear on Twitter Sunday that he’s all set to face Errol Spence for his IBF Welterweight championship. “All that work just to give it up?” Brook tweeted. “Never ducked a challenge in my life. Here to give the fans what they want @ErrolSpenceJr you are next.” Perhaps Pacquiao can make him change his mind.

Posted on 12/15/2016

Who should Terence Crawford fight next?
By: Harry Hogg
Twitter: @HazHogg

Terence Crawford took his record to 30-0 on Saturday night after an impressive demolition of John Molina Jr to retain his WBO and WBC junior welterweight titles. However since being named fighter of the year back in 2014 the 29 year has not fought the type of calibre fighter that could force him into the argument of being the pound for pound best in the world. We look at the potential opponents Crawford could face next.

Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2 38KO)

Without doubt Pacquiao is the obvious choice, the Filipino legend is the superstar name Crawford needs to put himself at the forefront of the sport. Pacquiao has looked excellent this year since returning from his short retirement. Victories over Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas have rekindled talk of a rematch against Floyd Mayweather. But with this looking increasingly unlikely Pacquiao could well turn to Crawford in what would be a true super fight, also one in which many believe Crawford would be the slight favourite.

Ricky Burns (41-5-1 14KO)

If Crawford wants to stay at 140 and unify the division then a rematch with Ricky Burns could well be his next fight. The American made light work of Burns at Lightweight back in 2014 and Crawford would likely breeze past the Brit again. Crawford has clearly proven he is the outstanding light welterweight in the world, surely his time at 140 has come to an end.

Vasyl Lomachenko (7-1 5KO)

At the age of 28 the WBO junior lightweight champion is widely regarded as one of the best fighters in the world despite only having 8 professional fights. Lomachenko looked spectacular against Nicolas Walters’s last time out and does not appear to have any obvious weakness. A step up in weight to face Crawford may well be too much too soon for the Ukrainian though.

Errol Spence Jr. (21-0 18KO)

Arguably the most dangerous potential opponent for Crawford, Errol Spence Jr is incredibly talented and possess immense power. Spence is knocking on the door for a world title opportunity at welterweight and has expressed his desire to face Kell Brook in 2017. From Crawford’s point of view it would represent a huge risk and one which his promoter Bob Arum would be unlikely to take.

Posted on 08/24/2016

Errol Spence Jr. – The Six Million Viewer Man
By: Sean Crose

Not only did undefeated welterweight Errol Spence Jr impress in Sunday’s televised battle against Leonard Bundu, he gave boxing a much needed bolt of adrenaline. For this weekend’s bout, which was aired live from Coney Island in Brooklyn, brought in an estimated six million NBC viewers. Needless to say, that’s a whole lot of eyeballs tuning into a boxing match. Sure enough, the Premiere Boxing Champions broadcast broke PBC records and proved that, when situated properly, the sweet science can bring in an impressive viewership – even late on a Sunday afternoon in the doldrums of August.

Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions

If this is all very good news for boxing – and it is – it’s exceptional news for PBC powerhouse Al Haymon, who arranged to have a star up and comer in Spence Jr appear right after an Olympic broadcast. That sort of lead in can prove to be invaluable, as it may have proved to be on Sunday. Maybe even more telling, however, is word that roughly three quarters of Olympic television viewers stuck around to see Spence take Bundu out in ruthless fashion in the sixth round. Had Spence bored his audience, well, that audience clearly would have changed the channel.

Something here obviously worked. The question now is whether or not it can work again. The truth is that it certainly can, but strategic thinking will have to be in place. Those of a certain age will remember first learning of fighters like Marvin Hagler and Mike Tyson by watching weekend afternoon television. They may not have turned on the t.v. looking for those fights, but once they saw them, those viewers stopped changing the channel. Having good fights/fighters on an afternoon broadcast can be a terrific thing. All of the elements, however, have to come together.

And the entertaining Spence Jr coming on after the US Olympic basketball team got its gold medals proved to be dynamite. Indeed, it may well be Spence who is happiest of all in all of this. For while he’s still considered an up and comer, the talented Texan has arguably now been seen by more people than peers Keith Thurman, Kell Brook and Danny Garcia. That’s saying something. It also means that it will be harder for the division’s top players to simply write the former Olympian off. Whether the biggest names like it or not, Spence has arrived – and it appears he doesn’t aim on going anywhere.

Except, of course, up.

Posted on 07/19/2016

Where is Danny Garcia?
By: Matthew N. Becher

​Danny Garcia is a 28 year old fighter from the rich boxing city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has a perfect record, consisting of 32 wins in 32 fights, with 18 wins coming by way of the Knockout. He was the lineal champion in the Jr. Welterweight division and only recently moved up to the 147lb-welterweight division last year, when he beat an aging Paulie Malignaggi. Since beating Malignaggi, Garcia was able to fight Robert Guerrero for the Vacant WBC welterweight title that Floyd Mayweather left when he retired.

​Last week, it was announced that Manny Pacquiao would forgo his retirement and fight this year. It was also announced that the young Danny Garcia was officially offered the fight by Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promoters. Garcia was offered a career high payday as told to USA Today on Friday, “My Dad told me that an offer was made, around $3-4 million”. This would be double the amount that Garcia has ever made for a fight and presumably would also be his first fight on Pay Per View. Instead he turned it down. The short list now for Pacquiao is between, Terrence Crawford, Viktor Postol and Jesse Vargas.

​One of the most outrageous things, besides turning down a career high payday against one of the best fighters of your era, is the consistent inactivity that Garcia displays. Since 2013, Garcia has never fought more than twice a year. Even this year, he has only fought once, in January, and has no fight announced for anytime this year. This is one of the 147lb champs, who belongs to the PBC stable that is littered with the top welterweights in the division, but yet he sits on the sideline.
​
This may become the way that fighters begin to handle themselves as the boxing world turns more in to the business world. Garcia, for example, got paid a cool million dollars to fight Rod Salka in 2014. Salka had never fought above 135, and was no risk to Garcia. Garcia wouldn’t need to worry about weight, or damage to his body and he would walk away with a very good amount of money. If fighters are paid this well, and don’t have to worry about taking any punishment, why work harder.
​Garcia is seen as a “cherry Picker”. A person that can pick and choose his fights to be beneficial to him. He fought an aging Erik Morales (twice) and Zab Judah. A small Rod Salka, and a foot out the ring Paul Malignaggi. For each of those small chance bouts, he was paid handsomely and was never really in any doubt of losing. His fight against Lucas Matthysse was the biggest gamble of his career and he garnered a lot of respect for that fight, but he followed it up with two controversial wins against Mauricio Herrera and Lamont Peterson. Two fights that many people believe he lost. Possibly he also does. Maybe those close calls have made Garcia in some way afraid to take on another tough opponent. Only time can really tell, but the clock keeps ticking on 2016, and the kid from Philly has still only fought once.