The hottest fights that can be made today

12/02/201312/01/2013 James Slater

(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) It’s what fight fans the world over always want but seem to get only on occasion: the best fighting the best. Today, with some serious talent spread out among the weight classes, there are some superb-looking match-ups that could and should be made.

Getting right to it, I now list, in no particular order, the hottest, most intriguing and potentially explosive fights that can be made right now!

Sergey Kovalev-Adonis Stevenson.

An obvious choice to kick off this list, this battle of punchers would absolutely captivate. Both men are capable of throwing dynamite, the seriously scary Kovalev especially, and a devastating conclusion would be reached if these two light-heavyweights tangled.

Froch seems to be leaning towards career finale in Vegas, Groves says he’d stop Froch in six-rounds in a rematch

11/29/2013 James Slater

The fallout over last weekend’s epic yet controversial Carl Froch-George Groves fight continues. Amid reported death threats aimed at referee Howard Foster – who, as if you didn’t know, halted the fight in the 9th-round, instantly coming under fire from just about everybody, the feeling being that he halted the action prematurely – fans continue to talk about a possible rematch between the two British rivals.

Fans also continue to either praise Groves and have a go at Froch, or, is some cases, praise both fighters. But you will be hard pressed to find anyone who is entirely satisfied with what went down in Manchester last Saturday. The only way to end the controversy, the thinking goes, is to get Froch and Groves back in the ring ASAP. But it’s almost never that simple in boxing.

And so we go down that road again…talks begin anew for Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao

11/25/201311/25/2013 James Slater

pac931 I can hear the groans from some fight fans already, those who have suffered enough over the games both sides have played with regards to thus far putting the stumbling blocks on making the fight the whole world (still) wants to see: Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao.

No sooner had Pac-Man put a beat down on a game but outclassed Brandon Rios, did promoter Bob Arum and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach begin banging the drum (again) for a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown. Arum told AFP that the fight can finally be made because “where there is a will there is a way.”

Roach went further in hyping the would be fight, stating how he believes his fighter will “overwhelm” Mayweather should the two superstars get it on.

Roy Jones Junior will not face Bobby Gunn on Dec. 4th as planned, will box in Russia on Dec. 21st instead

11/22/201311/21/2013 James Slater

Living legend and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Junior was originally set to attempt to keep his fading career alive by facing ‘bare knuckle champ’ Bobby Gunn in Philadelphia on December 4th. Gunn – who lost to former Jones rival James Toney in his most recent sanctioned boxing match, being stopped with a broken hand after 5-rounds last April – will be disappointed, yet Jones has had a change of mind and will instead be fighting in Moscow on December 21st.

(statement from Team Toney: For the record, the reason why Bobby Gunn didn’t answer the bell was cause he didn’t want to fight James Toney anymore. Gunn did not sustain a broken hand as you reported during the fight, the following morning he was even in the lobby shaking hands and laughing with boxing fans. Also for the record, there are no medical documents whatsoever supporting that he indeed had a broken hand. We are tired of hearing the same old false reports of Bobby having a broken hand. – TEAM LIGHTS OUT)

Tyson vents his Fury: announces his retirement from boxing!

11/20/2013 James Slater

Remember when, after his awesome KO win over Michael Spinks, an upset Mike Tyson told the media at the post-fight press conference that he may well have fought his last fight and was retiring due to his general disgust at the way the media types had treated him? Of course Tyson never meant it, even if he was angry at the time.

Well, another fellow named Tyson who has not been altogether happy lately, namely Tyson Fury, has also announced his “retirement” from boxing. The word retirement has the speech marks surrounding it because no-one really believes or takes seriously the announcement Fury has made via Twitter, yet who knows for absolutely sure?

Fury, no doubt disgusted at his big money fight with rival British heavyweight David Haye having been cancelled twice, wrote:

Fury Vs. Haye is off. Again! Haye has shoulder surgery, career may be over

11/18/201311/17/2013 James Slater

haye7 It looks like those fight fans who remained interested in seeing Tyson Fury get it on with David Haye will be disappointed on a permanent basis. The heavily hyped British heavyweight showdown, that was postponed from September due to a cut suffered by Haye in some late sparring, has been called off for a second time – this time due to shoulder surgery Haye underwent in Germany this past Thursday.

And now, with some experts telling Haye he must retire from the ring, Team-Fury are searching for a replacement foe for the February 8th date the Haye fight was rescheduled for at The Phones 4U Arena in Manchester (the fight set to go out live on Sky Box Office).

Tua and Ustinov weigh-in for heavyweight showdown, a trim Tua ready to give it one last shot

11/15/201311/15/2013 James Slater

The David Tua-Alexander Ustinov heavyweight clash, a big deal in New Zealand but in truth nowhere else, will see a Tua who has gotten himself in his best physical condition for some time. Tipping-in at a trim and solid 236-pounds – to giant Ustinov’s 292 – Tua knows he will have to retire if he loses.

Now in his forties, the Samoan powerhouse is coming off a points loss to Monte Barrett. The real carrot for Tua in this fight is the vague possibility of a shot at Wladimir Klitschko should he get the job done in style. But can Tua, even an in-shape version, get inside on the much taller Ustinov and detonate his bombs? A true David Vs. Goliath showdown, this fight could be lively, or it could go the other way and be a dull affair. If Ustinov uses his height, reach and strength and is content to jab and then tie Tua up, how will the much shorter man be able to cope?

If James Toney wins “Prizefighter” – what then?

11/14/201311/14/2013 James Slater

With just hours to go until tonight’s intriguing edition of “Prizefighter: UK Vs. USA” gets underway – and with the debate continuing as to whether or not former multi-weight ruler James Toney should even be participating – the betting odds have shifted in the 45-year-old’s favour.

Toney, a veteran of 88 pro outings dating back to the tail end of the 1980s when his marvellous career began, has surprised many by getting himself in good physical shape (at least Toney looks to be in good shape, having dropped something like 50-pounds) and tipping-in at a lowly (for him) 217-pounds. This, and the fact that Toney has been matched with relative novice Matt Legg (who has just 7 pro bouts to his name) in his first fight, must be what has influenced the bookmakers.