James Slater

Mayweather-McGregor: It was no joke

Mayweather-McGregor: It was no joke

So much for those people who said Conor McGregor would not be able to land a single punch on Floyd Mayweather. Last night, in the most heavily hyped fight in years, MMA star McGregor did considerably more than that; catching Mayweather with uppercuts the odd left hook and a number of fast right-hand jabs.

What was widely derided, going in, as a bad joke/potential black eye/farce/disgrace proved to be none of those things. Instead, quite shockingly, what we got last night in Las Vegas was one of the most watchable, compelling and entertaining Floyd Mayweather fights is quite some time. It may be taken as an insulting claim, but last night’s fight was more exciting and was far better value for money than was the incredibly disappointing Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight.

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Bob Arum says Horn-Pacquiao II is a “50-50 fight”

Bob Arum says Horn-Pacquiao II is a “50-50 fight”

Going into the July 2 fight between superstar Manny Pacquiao and largely unheralded challenger Jeff Horn, practically everyone saw it as pretty much a straightforward win for Pac Man. And when promoter Bob Arum spoke about how unbeaten Horn had a decent shot at scoring the upset most fans put this down to the Top Rank boss simply doing his utmost to sell the fight.

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Would a McGregor win over Mayweather be a bigger upset than Douglas-Tyson? Buster says yes

Would a McGregor win over Mayweather be a bigger upset than Douglas-Tyson? Buster says yes

As soon as it hit the news-wires that whopping great 42/1 underdog James “Buster” Douglas had beaten the “invincible” Mike Tyson, by stunning KO, the entire world went into shock. But even this monumental boxing upset would be topped if MMA star/boxing debutante Conor McGregor managed a win over the 49-0 Floyd Mayweather tonight in Las Vegas.

So says Buster himself, the man who sent the world of boxing, indeed sports, into a state of disbelief that February morning in Tokyo, Japan. Douglas, speaking with TMZ Sports, said a McGregor win over Floyd would be an even bigger upset than the one he scored over 25 years ago.

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Gervonta Davis ready to shine on tonight’s big card; “ready to take over the sport”

Gervonta Davis ready to shine on tonight's big card; “ready to take over the sport”

Tonight, whether he wins, loses, or is held to a draw, we will likely see the final ring appearance of the great Floyd Mayweather Junior. There is, however, a young talent ready to “take over the sport,” and no, it’s not Conor McGregor.

22 year old Gervonta Davis, unbeaten at 18-0(17) and the holder of the IBF super featherweight crown, says he has been “passed the torch by Floyd” and is ready, willing and able to become the sport’s next star. Tonight, the gifted southpaw will, in all likelihood, enjoy showcasing his considerable skills, as he faces Francisco Fonseca of Costa Rica.

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Heavyweight excitement: Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz in the works for Nov. 4; unbeaten Jarrell Miller set to co-feature

Heavyweight excitement: Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz in the works for Nov. 4; unbeaten Jarrell Miller set to co-feature

Fight fans have read about how a fight between unbeaten WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder and unbeaten Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz is very much on the agenda, but so far the fight has not been signed. This could change soon. According to a piece on RingTV.com, the fight is back on the radar, for November 4, in Brooklyn, New York, to go out on Showtime.

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Remembering the great Diego Corrales: “Chico” would have turned 40 today

Remembering the great Diego Corrales: "Chico" would have turned 40 today

Had his life not been so cruelly taken from him via a motorbike accident in May of 2007, when he was just 29 years old, legendary warrior Diego “Chico” Corrales woud have celebrated his fortieth birthday today. Remembered as one of the bravest, never-say-die fighters of the modern era, Corrales gave us so many classic, monumental ring wars.

Born on August the 25th, 1977, in Sacramento, the lanky puncher with the incridble heart turned pro in March of ’96. A three round TKO win over one Everett Berry was his and the beginning of a sensational boxing career had begun. Corrales went unbeaten in his first thirty-three fights, picking up the IBF super featherweight title with a seventh round stoppage of Roberto Garcia in 1999. This belt proved to be the first of many titles he would box for.

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Happy Birthday, James Toney – where does “Lights Out” rank all-time?

Happy Birthday, James Toney – where does “Lights Out” rank all-time?

Boxing great James Toney celebrates his 49th birthday today, yet we do not know for sure if his fighting career has yet reached its end. Back in May, “Lights Out” fought what was dubbed his “final” fight, stopping journeyman Mike Sheppard in a heavyweight bout.

But the lure of one more fight is there for Toney as it is for every fighter who finds it so incredibly hard to walk away. I messaged Toney’s manager John Arthur shortly after the Sheppard win, asking him if it really was the end for his fighter:

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Spike O’Sullivan “I’m sharpening my tools for war” – fight with Gabriel Rosado close for Sep 30 in Boston

Spike O'Sullivan “I'm sharpening my tools for war” - fight with Gabriel Rosado close for Sep 30 in Boston

Philadelphia’s Gabriel Rosado is scarcely in a dull fight while the same thing could be said of Cork, Ireland’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan, and the two middleweight warriors are reportedly very close to swapping leather in a fight next month.

According to the twice-beaten O’Sullivan (the losses coming at the hands of Chris Eubank Junior and before that Billy Joe Saunders) he and Rosado are close to signing on for a fight that will headline a Golden Boy card on ESPN in Boston on Sep 30. Seemingly a terrific match-up that would deliver terrific action, this in the works battle will hopefully come off.

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