US fight fans who want to see Anthony Joshua fight in America will likely get their wish this summer; while unbeaten heavyweight contender Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller may well get what he has been calling for: a shot at the WBA/IBF ruler. Eddie Hearn was in New York yesterday to announce the upcoming April doubleheader at The Barclays Centre in New York – Danny Jacobs-Maciej Sulecki and Miller-Johan Duhaupas – and he said the plan is for AJ to box in New York in either August or September.
James Slater
50 years ago: The finest heavyweight boxer in history is banned from working his unique magic, is “pretty much broke”
Go back 50 years, to 1968, and the greatest heavyweight champion boxer in the sport’s long history Muhammad Ali, was barred from boxing; unable to even earn a living. “I am not allowed to work to earn a living in America, and I’m not allowed to leave the country,” Ali said in explaining his hopelessly unjust plight.
Boxing tournaments are clearly the way to go!
Evander Holyfield’s co-promoted Eight-Man welterweight tourney set to begin in April
With the enormous success of the ongoing WBSS tournaments that are still to be decided at both cruiserweight and at super-middleweight (with more planned for the future, at additional weight classes) it’s clear many people feel tournaments are the way to go – that they are the future of this great sport even.
25 years ago today: The Chavez-Haugen monster card and the biggest live gate of all-time
An incredible, record-breaking 133,000 fans packed into Azteca Stadium in Mexico a quarter of a century ago today; most, if not all of these fans in attendance to watch their fistic hero Julio Cesar Chavez beat up on trash-talking challenger Greg Haugen. The monster card that played out in front of a monstrous crowd (many millions of fight fans also tuning in on TV all around the globe) also saw great fighters Azumah Nelson, Terry Norris and Michael Nunn in action (all winning) and promoter extraordinaire Don King had brought us his latest, biggest boxing spectacular.
Jürgen Brähmer has withdrawn from Saturday’s WBSS semifinal with Callum Smith
The World Boxing Super Series was going so well, too. The 168 pound tournament had gone without a hitch until this past Saturday, when George Groves badly injured his shoulder in his wide win over Chris Eubank Junior in their semifinal clash; meaning Groves’ slot in the final, scheduled for June 2, might be in jeopardy.
George Groves adamant he WILL fight in the WBSS final: If the date has to be moved, so be it
As fans are aware, WBA super-middleweight king George Groves suffered a dislocated left shoulder in the 12th and final round of his otherwise dominant decision win over Chris Eubank Junior, the injury being one Groves has said is “probably one of the most painful I’ve ever had.” Now, with the final of the WBSS Groves fast approaching (June 2), there is concern over whether or not Groves will be fit and ready to be able to face either Callum Smith or Jurgen Brahmer (who meet in the last semifinal this Saturday night).
18 years ago today: Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales fight the first of their three great wars
Las Vegas, February 19, 2000. Mexican warriors Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales collided for the first of three epic ring wars. Morales at the time was the new star of the 122 pound weight class and he was undefeated. He was the favorite in the match-up with Barrera for a number of reasons: one of these being the fact that Barrera has twice been beaten, by Junior Jones; who has actually stopped Barrera in their first fight. These defeats remained vivid in the minds of fight fans, and Morales of Tijuana was expected to dispatch his rival who hailed from Mexico City.
The Eubank-Hamed story: A tale of rivalry and jealousy
Long since retired former British superstar Naseem Hamed made quite the memorable pundit as a guest commentator on ITV Box Office this past Saturday night. Working the George Groves-Chris Eubank Junior WBSS semifinal, Hamed, as overweight as we have grown accustomed to seeing him these days, really did put the boot in in brutally assessing points loser Eubank Jr.
After his highlight reel KO of Brandon Rios, Danny Garcia is once again a player at welterweight
Last night in Las Vegas, former WBC welterweight champ Danny Garcia iced a game (if faded) Brandon Rios in fine, highlight reel fashion. The ninth-round KO “Swift” scored is arguably the most impressive, certainly most eye-catching, fight termination of his since his destruction of another faded former champ in Erik Morales, who Garcia KO’d in 2012 (forget the hatchet job Garcia did on the hopelessly over-matched Rod Salka in 2014).
What next for George Groves, Chris Eubank Jr?
So, was Chris Eubank Junior mostly hype all along? To paraphrase Eubank Jr. himself, maybe. This is the answer Eubank Jr. gave last night when asked if he’d underestimated his conqueror George Groves. Groves, as he had predicted months ahead of time, was too big, too strong, too experienced and too good for his vocal challenger.