Like a good number of people, reigning and undefeated WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder sees this Saturday night’s IBF heavyweight title fight between defending belt-holder Charles Martin and challenger Anthony Joshua as a very close, hard to call fight. Some say the fight has come too soon in the career of the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, while others say Martin is still very much the unproven article himself.
James Slater
Tomasz Adamek – an appreciation
Fight fans the world over who appreciate a gutsy warrior, will always have a soft spot for Polish tough guy Tomasz Adamek. The 39-year-old announced his retirement from the sport he helped make popular last night in his homeland, after suffering just the fifth defeat, and just the second stoppage defeat, of his hugely entertaining 17-year pro career.
Adamek was stunned in the 10th-round by Eric Molina, this loss coming in a fight that came at a time in his career when Adamek was half-way towards retirement anyway (which in no way detracts from Molina’s impressive, away from home win).
Anthony Joshua responds to Tyson Fury criticism: Who does Fury kid himself he is – the second coming of Sugar Ray Robinson!
In a recent interview, unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson Fury referred to upcoming IBF title challenger and 2012 Olympic gold medal winner Anthony Joshua as “useless” and “totally unable to defend himself.” Joshua, though he is not at all prone to engaging in anything approaching disrespectful trash-talk, hasn’t taken too long to respond. Speaking with Mail Online, the man who will challenge IBF ruler Charles Martin on Saturday night at The O2, suggests Fury concentrate on his own skills instead of criticising his.
Eric Molina wants to make history as first Mexican heavyweight champ – how about a return fight with fellow Mexican/American Chris Arreola first?
Proving that nice guys, and very hard working guys, can finish first, 33-year-old Eric Molina traveled to Krakow, Poland and scored the biggest win over his career at the expense of Tomasz Adamek last night. The Mexican/American known as “Drummer Boy” landed a booming right hand to head to take out of the former light-heavyweight and cruiserweight king; picking up the biggest win of his career to date.
Anthony Joshua says the big fights against Haye, Fury and Wilder are “all fights for next year.”
Unbeaten British heavyweight hope Anthony Joshua is a level-headed kind of guy, and he realises he has plenty to learn before he is ready for the division’s elite. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist may well rip the IBF version of the heavyweight championship from Charles Martin a week today, but Joshua – as he told Forever Sports magazine – will not feel anywhere close to satisfied. That sense of satisfaction will not come, Joshua said to the magazine, until he has become undisputed heavyweight champion.
Floyd Mayweather Junior-Adrien Broner – could it actually happen?
In the days leading into last night’s Adrien Broner-Ashley Theophane fight – a match-up that had not set fight fans on fire – the main topic of discussion was not the fight itself, but the shenanigans Broner had, and was getting up to outside of the ring. Broner’s legal troubles generated plenty of ink, as did his failure to make weight for the Theophane fight, but “The Problem’s” seemingly very real problem in getting along with his one-time hero and “big brother,” Floyd Mayweather Junior really set tongues wagging and got keyboards pounded.
AIBA President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu’s idea to allow pro boxers to compete at the 2016 Olympic games still attracting plenty of attention
Last month, AIBA President Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu stated how he would like to see professional boxers boxing at Olympic level. The president said the sport’s governing body plans to change its rules and allow pro boxers the chance to qualify for and fight in Rio 2016. Theoretically, this would allow a top name pro, a world champion, like a Manny Pacquiao to box against an amateur in the forthcoming games.
When the ex-marine broke the draft dodger’s jaw – Norton-Ali
It might be something of a morbid subject, but Muhammad Ali, a man who literally gave everything he had in the pursuit of the greatness he achieved in the ring, is, despite the ghastly health problems he has been suffering with for over three decades, outliving his former ring rivals by a quite substantial amount of time. Ali, now aged 74 and more or less housebound, has lived longer than former foes including: Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jimmy Ellis, Sir Henry Cooper, Jimmy Young, Ron Lyle, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson and even his final ring rival, Trevor Berbick.