James Slater

Sugar Ray and The Hitman have mutual respect for one another – they earned it

Sugar Ray and The Hitman have mutual respect for one another – they earned it

Boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns are currently in Las Vegas – the scene of many of their sensational, unforgettable fights – to attend tonight’s Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.

Hearns, a former five-weight king, will be inducted, Leonard, also a five-weight ruler, will be taking care of the induction duties. Once venomous rivals, the two all-time greats who met in 1981, at welterweight, and in 1989, at super-middleweight, have nothing but mutual respect these days. They earned it in the ring, in so doing thrilling the world with 26 rounds of superb boxing.

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Deontay Wilder says he wants “Boogeyman” Luis Ortiz next: If people are scared to fight you, let me tell you who ain’t

Deontay Wilder says he wants “Boogeyman” Luis Ortiz next: If people are scared to fight you, let me tell you who ain't

Deontay Wilder is shopping around for his next fight – set to take place, possibly, in November – and he may have found a most marketable and exciting opponent in dangerous Cuban southpaw Luis Ortiz.

Speaking with Premier Boxing Champions, the unbeaten WBC heavyweight king spoke about how Ortiz, also unbeaten, is a fighter other heavyweights are afraid of. But “The Bronze Bomber,” who said Ortiz is known as a “Boogeyman,” insists he does not in any way shape or form scare him.

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Juan Manuel Lopez-Jayson Velez set for September 30 in all-Puerto Rican clash

Juan Manuel Lopez-Jayson Velez set for September 30 in all-Puerto Rican clash

The last time he fought, former two-weight champ Juan Manuel Lopez actually fought twice on the same night. “Juanma,” who returned from a two year layoff last October, this inactive spell coming after two straight (and quite nasty) stoppage losses, beat Wilfredo Vazquez Jr – and after the 11th round TKO win, the Puerto Rican got involved in a fracas with one of Vazquez’ corner-men!

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De La Hoya says GGG-Canelo will be “biggest fight in history of middleweight division,” but will it be one of the best?

De La Hoya says GGG-Canelo will be “biggest fight in history of middleweight division,” but will it be one of the best?

Biggest isn’t always best. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya, himself no stranger to gargantuan numbers, either as a fighter or as a promoter, said on Tuesday’s conference call to further promote the September 16 world middleweight clash between Gennady Golovkin and Saul Canelo Alvarez that the upcoming fight will be THE biggest fight in the history of the middleweight division.

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Carl Froch says it would be “dangerous” to come back: I’m hearing whispers I might be a Hall of Famer one day

Carl Froch says it would be “dangerous” to come back: I'm hearing whispers I might be a Hall of Famer one day

Is former super-middleweight king Carl Froch worthy of going into The Hall of Fame? “The Cobra,” now aged 40, his reputation, his health and his wealth as intact as his recently surgically repaired nose, told BBC Sport that he has “heard whispers that I might be a Hall of Famer one day.”

The British legend again confirmed how he will not be coming back, that he has “been out too long,” and that he would find it “dangerous” to attempt to boil back down to 168 pounds. Froch, who went out on a high with his crushing of vocal rival George Groves, who he knocked flat in a return fight in front of a then record crowd at Wembley in May of 2014, says he currently weighs around 14st (196 pounds) and that he is content where he is, on the safe side of the ropes.

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Dillian Whyte defends Malcolm Tann’s credentials as his next opponent; eyes two more fights this year

Dillian Whyte defends Malcolm Tann's credentials as his next opponent; eyes two more fights this year

Dillian Whyte has defended the credentials of his upcoming opponent Malcolm Tann, who “The Body Snatcher” will fight, in his US debut, on the big Terence Crawford-Julius Indongo card on August 19. Though Tann has had just two fights in the last nine years, one win and one loss, Whyte says his 6’6” foe will provide him with added experience as far as fighting big guys goes.

Whyte, in speaking with Sky Sports, also made clear his intentions of keeping himself active from now on; with two more fights planned for after the Tann bout.

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Vasyl Lomachenko offers to spar with Conor McGregor!

Vasyl Lomachenko offers to spar with Conor McGregor!

With “Magic Man” Paulie Malignaggi out as Conor McGregor’s chief sparring partner, the MMA star has just been offered the opportunity to go “ Hi-Tech.” No less than pound-for-pound star (some say P-4-P number-one) Vasyl Lomachenko took to social media earlier today, offering his services in asking McGregor if he “needs another sparring partner.”

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