Andre Ward not interested in Froch’s fight with Mack

Andre Ward not interested in Froch's fight with MackBy Michael Collins: Having beaten Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KO’s) soundly in the Super Six finals last December, WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Andre Ward (26-0, 14 KO’s) says he has absolutely zero interest in following Froch’s fight tonight against American light heavyweight Yusaf Mack (31-4-2, 17 KO’s) in Nottingham, England.

Ward said on his twitter: “Cobra fans seem a bit upset that I’m not watching. Sorry folks…NOT INTERESTED! I’m not watching Froch vs Mack. You guys can tell me what happens. Honestly, really not interested in the fight. Looking forward to the HBO fights tonight!! I’m picking [Adrien] Broner and [Seth] Mitchell. They both should be good fights. Froch fans keep saying it wasn’t him in the ring the night we fought…then who was it…his twin brother??!! Froch Fans: Ride with your guy, but the things you say have to make since…ok??!! Froch said he wasn’t himself when we fought, because he was HOME SICK. Question: Why do I HAVE TO rematch Froch in the UK?? #IWonTheFirstOne Talk to me UK!!”

Ward takes issue with the excuses that Froch has made about his loss to him last December in which Froch said he wasn’t at his best in that fight and that if he had fought the way he had in his win over IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute then he would have beaten Ward.

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Abner Mares: “The public wants to see me fight Nonito Donaire”

Abner Mares: “The public wants to see me fight Nonito Donaire”By Joseph Herron: This past Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, Abner Mares continued to prove to his detractors that he is indeed for real. The 26 year old fighter overcame his toughest test to date in Panamanian sharpshooter Anselmo Moreno by applying massive pressure and placing shots in every opening.

After the sensational unanimous decision victory, the undefeated Golden Boy star announced that he had one fighter on his 2013 radar.

“I want to fight Nonito Donaire,” proclaims the reigning WBC Super Bantamweight Champion. “This is the fight that the public wants. This is the fight that the people want to see at 122 pounds. It’s only right that boxing gives the fans that fight. The fight fans shouldn’t have to wait years to see the best take on the best.”

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Transnational Boxing Rankings November Update!

Transnational Boxing Rankings November Update!by Matt McGrain: Having thrashed out its inaugural boxing rankings last month, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board reconvened this week to organise updates in what had been a busy month for boxing. Happily, the first month’s action also allowed the crowning of a new Trans Rankings champion at junior featherweight as Toshiaki Nishioka was laid low by an on-form Nonito Donaire. Donaire also announced what is to be the first defence of that title, meeting #7 TBR contender Jorge Arce in December. Nonito’s meeting another ranked contender immediately after annexing the title is refreshing and indicative of his ambition and long may it continue. The defeated Nishioka announced his retirement prompting his removal from the rankings and this combined with Donaire’s elevation to champion made room for two new entrants, Cristian Mijares (#8) and Scott Quigg (#10) in what was the busiest division in terms of movements in the past four weeks.

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Fired up Joey Hernandez eyes Canelo fight

Fired up Joey Hernandez eyes Canelo fight By Prince Dornu-Leiku, photo by Tom Casino/SHOWTIME – Even before he takes to the ring on Friday night against James Winchester, WBC / USNBC Light Middleweight titlist Joey Hernandez is eyeing a fight date against WBC 154-pound champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 31KOs).

28 year old Hernadez, 22-1, 13 KOs, on a 7-fight winning streak, has exclusively told East Side Boxing there is no looking back now as he gets closer to realizing his world title dreams and is promising his fans of becoming a world champion by the end of 2013.

He is therefore pledging a masterclass performance Friday night against Winchester (15-5, 5 KOs) at the Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Miami, Florida (live at 11 p.m. ET/PT, on SHOWTIME).

“I finally get the opportunity to showcase myself on a national level since my setback 3 years ago which was not me. This fight is the new beginning of my career, I have what boxing needs and will showcase it Friday night,” he said.

The southpaw with Cuban roots and who is trained by Miguel Cotto’s uncle, added: “This fight will be the breakthrough for me. A lot of fans and boxing people around the world will want to see more with what I bring to the ring, I’m excited and ready to go after 9 hard weeks of camp in Puerto Rico with Evangelista Cotto.”

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Vanes Martirosyan: “My cut is healing well, but my balls are extremely sore!”

Vanes Martirosyan: “My cut is healing well, but my balls are extremely sore!”By Joseph Herron: This past Saturday night at the Wynn Las Vegas, former Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (32-0-1, 20 KOs) fought top rated Junior Middleweight contender Erislandy Lara (17-1-2, 11 KOs) to a tactical, nine round technical draw.

Because the fight was deemed by the WBC as an official title eliminator, the inconclusive results will force a rematch at a future designated date and venue. Although many fight fans who witnessed the awkward yet tactical bout aren’t exactly clamoring for an immediate sequel, both fighters have acknowledged a willingness to step in the ring one final time.

On this Sunday night’s edition of “The Pugilist KOrner’s: Weekend Wrap”, Lara’s world renowned trainer, Mr. Ronnie Shields, revealed that the Cuban missile sustained an injury to his right hand in the first round. The famed fight trainer claims that Erislandy’s injured hand drastically affected his punch output within the calculated boxing match.

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Abner Mares is the Real Deal

Abner Mares is the Real Dealby Emilio Camacho, Esq: Abner Mares is young, disciplined, undefeated and hungry. That is a powerful combination in boxing. He has had a magnificent run and last week he did not disappoint.

Mares’ story is compelling. He was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and was brought to the United States as a child to the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California. As many youngsters from low income households, gangs and bad company pushed him into trouble. As a result, his father sent him back to Mexico in order to avoid a tragic result (jail or death).

Back in Mexico, he took boxing seriously. He went to the Olympics and lost a highly controversial decision against Zsolt Bedak of Hungary by 27-24. Some experts believe he could have won the gold medal.

As a professional, his success has been intensifying. First, similar to Andre Ward, Mares won the Showtime four-man single elimination Bantamweight Tournament, which also included the top fighters at the time—Vic Darchinyan, Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko. The final match of the tournament against Agbeko was a controversial one. As a result, Mares accepted a rematch (something he did not have to do) and won that convincingly. He settled the controversy the way it should be done: in the ring. You gotta love that approach (yes, Floyd and Manny, but mostly Floyd now).

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Broner vs. DeMarco: Antonio would be wise to take a page from the Abner Mares playbook

Broner vs. DeMarco: Antonio would be wise to take a page from the Abner Mares playbookBy Joseph Herron: This past Saturday night from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Abner Mares defeated, who most boxing pundits viewed as the 26 year old fighter’s toughest test to date, Super WBA Bantamweight Champion Anselmo Moreno by way of gritty, twelve round unanimous decision.

Many ringside experts felt that the skill level and natural athleticism of the Panamanian southpaw would be too much for the undefeated fighter. But Mares took Moreno out of his comfort zone and forced a more torrid pace than the defensive technician had grown accustomed to seeing.

Abner took away Anselmo’s natural southpaw advantage by bringing the fight to close quarters and touching-up the seemingly untouchable and slippery fighter with a barrage of punches from various angles. Mares’ intent was to hit Moreno anywhere he could, as often as he could, and to force Moreno into fighting a very physical and uncomfortable contest.

On Saturday, November 17th, from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Antonio DeMarco (28-2-1, 21 KOs) will attempt to defend his WBC Lightweight title against the very talented, defensive specialist Adrien “The Problem” Broner (24-0, 20 KOs).

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Jason Estrada Destroys Galen Brown

By James Stillerman – Jason “Big Six” Estrada scored a technical knockout over Galen “Bad Boy” Brown in the fifth round in this heavyweight main event, which was presented by Big Six Promotions, on the “Big Things” at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Estrada with his fourth consecutive victory upped his record to 20-4, 6KOs while Brown fell to 38-21-1, 23KOs.

“I was pleased with my performance tonight especially against a good 60 fight veteran,” said Estrada. “Brown was shifty and was doing a great deal of show boating and I was not in the mood for it, so I worked his body well, landed the powerful punches and finally everything came together for me in the fifth round when I ended the fight.”

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Ronnie Shields: “Erislandy Lara would have knocked out Vanes Martirosyan in the 10th or 11th”

Ronnie Shields: “Erislandy Lara would have knocked out Vanes Martirosyan in the 10th or 11th”By Joseph Herron: Last night on “The Pugilist KOrner’s: Weekend Wrap”, veteran trainer Ronnie Shields shared his thoughts regarding Erislandy Lara’s (17-1-2, 11 KOs) technical draw with Vanes Martirosyan (32-0-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday night at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Although the Cuban exile didn’t take full advantage of his opportunity to meet Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2013, Mr. Shields is very proud of his Junior Middleweight star for fighting through a very unexpected situation.

“What most people didn’t realize was that Erislandy injured his right hand in the first round,” proclaims Ronnie Shields. “After the first round, he came back to the corner and whispered something into his manager Luis Decubas Jr’s ear. I didn’t find out until after the second round had started that Erislandy severely injured his right hand in the opening round.”

“I told Erislandy to just box Vanes and feel him out for the first few rounds. That was the primary game-plan anyway. I wanted to see what Freddie Roach had planned for Martirosyan to begin the fight. I had a feeling that they were going to have Vanes uncharacteristically fight while moving forward, because they felt Erislandy wasn’t as effective fighting while backing up.”

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Wach blew his chance against Wladimir by not throwing enough punches

Wach blew his chance against Wladimir by not throwing enough punchesBy Michael Collins: In dissecting what went wrong for the huge 6’7 1/2″ Mariusz Wach (27-1, 15 KO’s) last Saturday night in his embarrassingly one-sided 12 round unanimous decision loss to IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (59-3, 50 KO’s) in Hamburg, Germany, it comes down Wach’s failure to let his hands go.

Wach had the built in power to win the fight if he had thrown some damn punches, but no. Wach fought passively by just covering up and every once in awhile throwing a wild right hand that frequently missed badly.

Wach’s mistake was that he just covered up like a sparring partner instead of taking advantage of what could be his only opportunity to ever fight for a world title. I can’t see Wach ever getting another chance at a strap unless the sanctioning bodies give him an inflated ranking off of a bunch of wins over lower level opposition.

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