James Slater

Teddy Atlas’ recent Top-10 Pound-for-Pound list didn’t include GGG; Atlas explains why

Teddy Atlas' recent Top-10 Pound-for-Pound list didn't include GGG; Atlas explains why

Love him or loathe him, there is no denying Teddy Atlas is about as passionate about the sport of boxing as any expert/pundit you could come up with. Atlas has a long history in the sport – training a young Mike Tyson way back in the early 1980s being one famous and well-documented highlight – and he has trained many other world champions.

Still, despite his passion, and a great deal of knowledge, picked up over the decades in which he has been involved in boxing, Atlas is not without his critics – far from it in fact. And just recently having filed his Top-10 Pound-for-Pound list for ESPN.com, Teddy drew the sting of many a fight fan. Why? Because his top-10 lacked one prominent fighter: feared middleweight king Gennady Golovkin; a fighter who is on EVERY SINGLE p-4-p list you can find today barring Teddy’s.

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Amir Mansour-Travis Kauffman to collide in likely slugfest, March 17

Amir Mansour-Travis Kauffman to collide in likely slugfest, March 17

An interesting and potentially fun heavyweight match-up has been announced for March 17 in Reading, Pennsylvania, as Amir Mansour and Travis Kauffman will clash in what should be a fan-friendly fight.

Mansour, 22-2-1(16) was last seen in a thriller, albeit a losing one, with Dominic Breazeale a year ago. In that slugfest, southpaw Mansour scored early damage, decking the future IBF title challenger, before being forced to quit after tasting his own blood, quite literally. Fans didn’t know it at the time of his decision (Mansour really had no choice) to remain on his stool at the conclusion of the 5th-round, but he had picked up one helluva nasty injury – his ripped tongue later needing no less than 36 stitches.

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Wladimir Klitschko says now is the “perfect time” for Joshua fight; “in three years he’s going to be too good”

Wladimir Klitschko says now is the “perfect time” for Joshua fight; “in three years he's going to be too good”

Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko came face to face again yesterday, at a New York pre-fight presser too further promote their huge, 90,000 sell-out clash at Wembley. Showing mutual respect once again, the two spoke of the enormity of the April 29 fight. As reported by Gareth A Davies of The Telegraph, some members of the US media are saying Joshua has all the ingredients to become “The second coming of Muhammad Ali.”

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Eddie Hearn: At this stage 70-80 percent likely Brook fights Spence next

Eddie Hearn: At this stage 70-80 percent likely Brook fights Spence next

An exasperated Eddie Hearn says he thinks it is “ridiculous” that Amir Khan and his team will not agree to a fight with Kell Brook. Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports, said that after all this time, three years, his only conclusion as to why the fight hasn’t happened – and now most likely never will happen – is because Khan doesn’t want it.

So with all the time spent trying to make a Khan-Brook fight now nothing but a frustrating episode in his career as a promoter, Hearn is looking at what Brook will do next instead. Though Hearn wants Brook to move up in weight to 154, Brook himself is unwilling to give up his IBF welterweight crown. So that means a mandatory defence against the unbeaten and ultra-talented Errol Spence Junior.

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Abel Sanchez picks Danny Garcia to beat Keith Thurman; says “This ‘One Time’ Thurman thing is a myth”

Abel Sanchez picks Danny Garcia to beat Keith Thurman; says “This 'One Time' Thurman thing is a myth”

The welterweight division is clearly one of the deepest, most talent-rich in the sport today, and on March 4, two of it’s biggest names will square off in a WBC/WBA title fight unification showdown that promises to light up the sport. Danny Garcia (a big name welter despite not having yet spent too much time as a 147-pounder) will meet Keith Thurman and fans seem to be divided over who comes out on top.

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Gerald Washington on Wilder shot: I’ll shock the world!

Gerald Washington on Wilder shot: I'll shock the world!

He will enter the ring in Alabama as a hefty underdog and he has been given less than a month’s notice for the fight, by far and away the biggest of his four-and-a-half year pro career – but unbeaten heavyweight Gerald Washington is convinced he will “shock the world” in beating WBC king Deontay Wilder on February 25.

Thanks to original Wilder return foe Andrej Wawrzyk failing a pre-fight drugs test, Washington, 18-0-1(12) got the late replacement call, and the big, 6’6” former football player is saying all the right things going into the fight. Washington, who holds some decent wins – over the likes of Eddie Chambers and Ray Austin (both faded it must be said) – tells Sky Sports he will “hurt” Wilder and knock him out.

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Terence Crawford-Mikey Garcia: suddenly the hottest fight that can be made at 140?

Terence Crawford-Mikey Garcia: suddenly the hottest fight that can be made at 140?

Just after his hugely impressive, even scary KO win over a previously unbeaten Dejan Zlaticanin, Mike Garcia spoke about the possibility of moving up to 140 pounds, in search of a fourth world title in as many weights.

Garcia, who has everyone in boxing excited like never before during his career at age 29, has won belts at 126, 130 and, with the annihilation of Zlaticanin, 135. One man is ready and willing to face him – in a rematch – if Garcia does climb up to super-lightweight. Who? Terence Crawford.

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Carl Frampton: It’s about how you come back; I do not believe there is a man who could beat me in Belfast

Carl Frampton: It's about how you come back; I do not believe there is a man who could beat me in Belfast

Although it wasn’t the after-fight party he and his passionate fans were hoping for, Irish superstar Carl Frampton kept his word and met many of his fans for a post-fight drink on Sunday, after his close loss to Leo Santa Cruz.

Picking up the tab – in the only bar Frampton was ever going to choose in Las Vegas, “Nine Fine Irishmen” right on the Strip, not far from The MGM Grand, where Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz battled in their rematch – Frampton admitted he was “down in the dumps,” but was not going to let his fans down. Now Frampton is hoping Santa Cruz will not let him down, and will instead keep his promise of fighting him in a third fight in Belfast.

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So, Eubank Jr can “wreck” Andre Ward, as well as GGG, DeGale, Saunders ….. says Eubank Snr

So, Eubank Jr can “wreck” Andre Ward, as well as GGG, DeGale, Saunders ..... says Eubank Snr

The two Eubanks, Chris Junior and Senior, sure talk, and talk and talk – the latter especially. We’ve all heard and read both men claim how Junior, the former British middleweight champ, would “wreck” middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, and we’ve heard the Eubanks claim how a win over IBF super-middleweight ruler James DeGale would be nothing more than a formality.

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Carlos Takam scores crushing, highlight reel KO over Marcin Rekowski

Carlos Takam scores crushing, highlight reel KO over Marcin Rekowski

On Sunday (January 29) in Macao, China on a card topped by an IBF super-flyweight title defence by Jerwin Anacjas who scored an 8th-round corner retirement (shoulder injury) victory over Jose Rodriguez, heavyweight contender Carlos Takam scored a sensational KO win.

Takam, a top class heavyweight who has been in with some big names including Mike Perez, Tony Thompson, Alexander Povetkin and, in his last fight before yesterday’s brutal win, Joseph Parker, improved to 34-3-1(26) with his 4th-round KO win over Poland’s Marcin Rekowski.

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