In truth, the upcoming February battle between seemingly bitter British rivals George Groves and Chris Eubank Jr. doesn’t mean all that much to US fans. No, this fight is a far, far bigger deal in Europe, the UK in particular. And with good reason. It was back in the glorious 1990s when Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank Snr and Michael Watson, household names all, fought one another in a fantastic series of fights – each of them on terrestrial, or, if you like, “free” TV.
James Slater
Joseph Parker going all-out to get Anthony Joshua fight; offers rematch clause
WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker really does seem to be doing all he can do to make the unification showdown with WBA and IBF ruler Anthony Joshua. The unbeaten New Zealand warrior has offered to take a 35-percent split of the fight purse, to Joshua’s 65-percent, and now Parker has proposed the placing of a rematch clause in the contract.
“@AnthonyJoshua, doesn’t a 65-35% between two unbeaten champions sound fair? Nearly double our share. Don’t worry a rematch clause is there in case you’re worries about your chin. #NoExcusesNow #NeverBeenDropped,” Parker wrote on twitter a while ago.
Kell Brook aims to challenge for a 154 pound belt next year after “warm up fight”
Former IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook is not ready to call it quits just yet. Despite losing back to back against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence – Brook going to hospital after both stoppage defeats, his eye socket broken by both men; each side – the Sheffield man is stepping up to 154.
Promoter Eddie Hearn wanted Brook to move up earlier than now, in fact after the brave but somewhat gung-ho decision to challenge middleweight king Golovkin, but Brook didn’t want to vacate his 147 pound belt. Now that he’s lost it, Brook will pack on the pounds and go to 154 (or he will not have to undergo the agony of shedding weight to make the 147 limit).
Dillian Whyte – Lucas Browne possible for February; Hearn states how “2018 will see Whyte challenge for a world title”
Highly ranked heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte has options, and so too does Lucas Browne. Eddie Hearn’s plan is to match the two together in London next February, but Browne, one win removed from his suspension for a failed drugs test (“Big Daddy” actually twice testing positive for a banned substance) could get a shot at reigning WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker instead.
George Foreman: He walked a unique path
Back in 1969, a young fighter who had managed to capture an Olympic gold medal was not assured the million dollar contracts that abound for such talent today. No, the sport was different to young talent such as Cassius Clay, Joe Frazier and George Foreman – to mention three Olympic gold medallists from the swinging sixties. Back then, a young Foreman was paid a few hundred bucks (if that) for his debut – far, far less than guys and gals like Anthony Joshua Nicola Adams, Katie Taylor and other budding superstars got when they went pro.
Despite spurious nature of his “world” title win, Manuel Charr’s heroic comeback is one to be applauded
Despite the legitimacy of the belt he won with his unanimous decision win over the towering Alexander Ustinov on Saturday night, Lebanon-born Manuel Charr made one quite astonishing comeback. Charr, long based in his adopted country of Germany – the country giving him, he says, “everything” – claimed a version of the WBA heavyweight title on Saturday night, but the win itself meant way more than the belt.
“Krusher” is back; Kovalev destroys Shabranskyy – Beterbiev, Bivol, Stevenson next?
Once the most feared man in the light-heavyweight division, Sergey Kovalev went at least a little ways towards regaining that status last night in New York. In totally destroying the decent if not great Vyacheslav Shabranskyy inside two short rounds, “Krusher” regained a portion of the belts he lost to Andre Ward (the Russian dropping a controversial decision to the now-retired Ward last year and being stopped in this year’s return fight).
Wanheng Menayothin, AKA Chayaphon Moonsri – the (active) fighter with the best record in boxing today
He’s far from a household name anywhere apart from in his homeland of Thailand, but reigning, undefeated WBC minimumweight champion Wanheng Menayothin, AKA Chayaphon Moonsri, has the best pro record in boxing today – as far as active fighters go.
The 32 year old who stands 5’2” improved to 49-0(17) yesterday (Nov. 25) with a close but unanimous decision victory over Japanese southpaw Tatsuya Fukuhara, 19-6-6(7).
Yuriorkis Gamboa keeps his career alive – just; Gamboa awarded controversial decision win over Jason Sosa
Going into last night’s super-featherweight fight with Jason Sosa, one-time potential superstar Yuriorkis Gamboa was under no illusions: it was a fight he had to win or his career was over. Well, the former WBA and IBF featherweight champion got the win, but it was mighty close. And controversial.
Gamboa faced a determined former WBA super-featherweight champion in Jason Sosa and after ten rounds the New York crowd firmly felt the younger man’s hand should have been raised. Instead, 35 year old Gamboa (the Cuban will turn 36 next month) was awarded a ten-round majority verdict after an exciting, drama-filled bout.
Manuel Charr wins unanimous decision over a game Alexander Ustinov
Tonight in Germany, Manuel Charr won a 12 round unanimous decision over the huge Alexander Ustinov. Winning by commanding scores of 116-111, 115-111 and 115-112 Charr improved to 31-4(17), Ustinov fell to 34-2(25). Oh, and Charr picked up a version of the WBA heavyweight crown.
The “world” title fight was much maligned for being just this (we all know Anthony Joshua is the real WBA heavyweight champ) but tonight’s action was actually pretty good. 40 year old Ustinov was the aggressor in the early rounds, backing 33 year old Charr up. Both men swapped plenty of leather, there wasn’t too much clinching and the action proved enjoyable.