James Slater

James Slater has been a respected voice at Boxing247.com (formerly East Side Boxing) for over twenty years. Known for his deep knowledge of the sport, he covers everything from breaking news and historical features to exclusive fighter interviews. Throughout his career, Slater has spoken with world champions, rising prospects, and boxing legends alike, offering readers trusted insight and genuine passion for the fight game.

Who will emerge as THE man at heavyweight at the end of 2018?

Who will emerge as THE man at heavyweight at the end of 2018?

In an ideal world, the winners of the fast-approaching world heavyweight title fights – between defending WBA/IBF champ Anthony Joshua and WBO ruler Joseph Parker, and between WBC king Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz – will meet up and fight before the year is out. And it is this ideal world Wilder hopes he lives in.

Wilder, who has given Cuban dangerman Ortiz a second chance (the big southpaw’s November 2017 shot at the WBC belt ruined by his own failed drugs test) has told Sky Sports how he aims to face the Joshua-Parker winner in a Mega-Fight once he has dealt with Ortiz.

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Tyson Fury says he’s picking Parker to beat Joshua

Tyson Fury says he's picking Parker to beat Joshua

WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker is the underdog going into his March 31 unification battle with WBA/IBF champ Anthony Joshua – via the betting odds and in the opinion of most fight fans – but the unbeaten New Zealander is not without his his supporters. In fact, potential rival Tyson Fury, who still holds the linear crown, is one of them.

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Marcos Maidana: A special kind of tough

Marcos Maidana: A special kind of tough

Argentine warrior (warrior with a capital ‘W’) Marcos Maidana is living like a king these days, his wealth and comfort a well-earned result of the blood, sweat and tears he left inside the ring – and the pain he inflicted. Aside from Jose Luis Castillo, did any fighter come closer to beating the sublime Floyd Mayweather; in “El Chino’s” first fight with “Money?”

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Joseph Parker says Anthony Joshua is “The King of Steroids!”

Joseph Parker says Anthony Joshua is “The King of Steroids!”

First of all, it must be pointed out how Joseph Parker has no evidence whatsoever – zero, nada, zilch. And Parker himself stops short of flat-out calling Anthony Joshua a steroid cheat. However, the reigning WBO heavyweight champ has caused quite a stir with his comments on this, always a sensitive subject, all the same.

Speaking with the Radio Sports Breakfast, the New Zealand warrior began by replying to Joshua’s recent statement that Parker is “The Pie King” (a reference to Parker’s physique).

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Three potential heavyweight slugfests set for this March: Joshua-Parker, Wilder-Ortiz, Whyte-Browne

Three potential heavyweight slugfests set for this March: Joshua-Parker, Wilder-Ortiz, Whyte-Browne

Things are set to hot up in the heavyweight division this March. There are three fights, two of them world title fights, that will go down over a four-week span: Anthony Joshua Vs. Joseph Parker in a March 31 unification clash that will see the winner emerge with three belts, Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz in a March 3 WBC defence by Wilder, and Dillian Whyte-Lucas Browne in a March 24 elimination bout

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Team-Horn: Jeff will achieve greatness by defeating Terence Crawford

Team-Horn: Jeff will achieve greatness by defeating Terence Crawford

If Jeff Horn shocked the boxing world with his wholly unexpected July 2017 decision win over Manny Pacquiao, what will the reigning and defending WBO welterweight champion achieve if he manages to defeat the unbeaten Terence Crawford in the upcoming April 21 fight in Las Vegas? Well, according to Team-Horn, the champ’s trainer Glenn Rushton in particular, “The Hornet,” as the also undefeated Horn in known, will achieve nothing less than greatness with an upset win over the former 135 and 140 pound king.

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Marvelous Marvin: The Early Years

Marvelous Marvin: The Early Years

Turning pro to little or no fanfare back in May of 1973, no-nonsense southpaw Marvin Hagler (the ‘Marvelous’ was added much, much later; and legally) slogged his way up the hard way. Fighting tough guys for low pay checks, Hagler’s inner hardness was formed. Nothing came easy to him, and there were very few opponents that could in any way be referred to as anything other than formidable.

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Carl Frampton (Frank Warren) Vs. Amir Khan (Eddie Hearn) on April 21st

Carl Frampton (Frank Warren) Vs. Amir Khan (Eddie Hearn) on April 21st

Fight fans, British ones in particular, will possibly have a tough choice to make on the evening of April 21st: attend/watch at home the hugely intriguing Carl Frampton-Nonito Donaire fight in Belfast, or attend/watch at home the Amir Khan comeback fight in Liverpool.

Both British stars will engage in their respective fights, while a ratings battle will also take place, between Sky Sports, who will televise Khan’s comeback, and BT Sport/BoxNation, who will do the business with the Frampton-Donaire clash. Frank Warren, who promotes Frampton, obviously wants his show to triumph, but Eddie Hearn, who of course has just signed Khan to a three-fight deal, believes the star power of Khan will see to it that his show gets the bigger viewing figures.

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