Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto says he “rested a lot, healed” and is now “ready to fight” against vulnerable but dangerous slugger James Kirkland on February 25, and Cotto has also vowed to retire from boxing this year. A great career will come to an end, but the Kirkland fight aside, fans are asking who Cotto will fight in his final ring appearances.
James Slater
Andrzej Wawrzyk’s trainer: Huge upsets happen all the time
There is no doubt about it, Polish heavyweight contender Andrzej Wawrzyk is a huge betting underdog entering his February 25 challenge of WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder. Indeed, if the once-beaten challenger pulls it off next month, the heavyweight division will witness a Hasim Rahman-Lennox Lewis or a Danny William-Mike Tyson-type upset.
Maybe if Wawrzyk wins, the upset will be ranked alongside even bigger shockers from the sport’s history. Indeed, most fans and experts seem to feel Wilder will get the win, by KO, and probably pretty quickly. This line of thinking has not stopped Wawrzyk and his team from believing, though.
Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn possible for April 23 in Australia
The proposed Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn fight in Australia is reportedly very close to being finalised. All that is required now, says promoter Bob Arum, is for the money to be right. Arum says Pac-Man is “on board” for the fight against the unbeaten Horn, but that the money needs to be put up before the fight can be signed off and made official.
“Manny thinks Jeff is a very live fighter – in the sense that he’s a come ahead guy and he says it will be a tremendous fight and a good challenge for him,”Arum told The Sunday Mail. “We are very excited about this fight. Jeff is a very good fighter – I don’t know if he beats Manny Pacquiao but he’ll give him a tremendous fight.”
Shawn Porter wants Andre Berto for return foe
Last seen going to war with Keith Thurman in last summer’s FOTY candidate, former IBF welterweight champ Shawn Porter is ready to make his return to the ring soon. According to Porter’s father and trainer Shawn Porter Senior, who spoke with The Las Vegas Review Journal, fellow former welterweight champ Andre Berto is the preferred comeback opponent.
Renold Quinlan unhappy, says he may walk on Eubank Jnr fight
It seems the scheduled return to boxing for terrestrial channel ITV has been bugged by problems – what with fans balking at the idea of having to pay for the first planned ITV pay show, between Chris Eubank Jnr and the little-known Renold Quinlan in a fight that will contest the lightly regarded IBO super-middleweight title.
As critics have already pointed out, the show, scheduled for February 4, has no announced under-card and the main event does not seem worthy of carrying a payment fee (with rumours saying this fee could be as high as £20). But now, to make matters even worse, Quinlan says he may pull out of the fight due to what he says is a distinct lack of exposure and media attention.
Abel Sanchez says “nobody at 160 will last the distance with Golovkin,” but will these words come back to haunt him?
While his critics – Carl Froch and Floyd Mayweather among them – argue how he should “prove himself” by taking a move up in weight, middleweight king Gennady Golovkin is sticking around at 160 for the time being. And, according to his trainer Abel Sanchez, not only is there no middleweight on the planet capable of defeating his fighter, there is not even a middleweight capable of lasting the full 12 rounds with Triple-G.
Speaking before the upcoming and anticipated Golovkin-Danny Jacobs fight, Sanchez says he hopes “Miracle Man” Jacobs keeps his word and comes to fight hard. If he does, though, the once-beaten New Yorker will have a second loss on his record, according to Sanchez.
Briggs vs Oquendo ordered to meet for vacant WBA “regular” belt; Briggs wants fight in London
Veteran heavyweights Shannon Briggs and Fres Oquendo have been ordered by the WBA to fight for the vacant “regular” version of the belt. Briggs, who has been chasing a big fight for the longest time – first one with Wladimir Klitschko then one with David Haye – has now got one, sort of.
Though Briggs Vs. Oquendo will not set the sport alight, it is a fight that will contest a title, with the winner possibly going on to a bigger fight or fights. Negotiations between the two are set to begin (if no deal can be reached the fight will go to purse bids) but already Briggs is over the moon happy and planning a venue for the fight.
Clinton Woods’ autobiography due out this summer
Sheffield Man of Steel Clinton Woods had some storied career and the self-confessed former street tearaway who only got into boxing to get fit, his aspirations limited to winning the British title, is in the process of telling it in an autobiography due out this summer.
Co-writing the book with writer Mark Turley (author of “Journeymen: The Other Side of the Boxing Business”) Woods, who retired in August of 2009 with a fine 42-5-1(25) pro record, achieved far more than he was expected to achieve and far more than he himself ever believed he would achieve. Woods, possessing a granite chin, a good engine and attention-gaining punching power, not only won the British title at light-heavyweight, but also the Commonwealth, the European and, finally, the IBF world title at the weight.
Hearn predicts “A very painful night” for Klitschko when he fights Joshua
Barry Hearn, father of course of Eddie Hearn, is convinced IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua is not only the real deal but also just about unbeatable. Hearn, speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, says he sees only one winner on April 29, when Joshua, 18-0(18) will face former champ Wladimir Klitschko, 64-4(53) in a bout that will also contest the vacant WBA heavyweight title.
No Salido-Lomachenko rematch any time soon; Arum says Salido “Chickened Out!”
It seems P-4-P star and reigning WBO super-featherweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko got overly hopeful, even jumped the gun, when he recently stated how his next fight would be a return meeting with Orlando Salido. According to Top Rank boss and Lomachenko promoter Bob Arum, Mexican warrior Salido “Chickened Out” of a rematch.
Speaking with RingTV.com, Arum said Salido – the only man to have beaten Lomachenko as a pro – asked for “crazy money.”