Mayweather’s First Battle With Castillo – The Only Real Blueprint On How To Defeat “Money?”

mayweather5555Maybe Oscar De La Hoya has got it wrong, and his close (in the opinion of some, not in the opinion of many others) but losing fight with superstar Floyd Mayweather is not the real example of a blueprint on how to defeat the 44-0 master. Maybe – and it’s testament to Floyd’s greatness that we have to clutch at straws in such a way – we have to go back to the night of April of 2002, and Mayweather’s tough, close and gruelling encounter with Mexican warrior Jose Luis Castillo to find anything approaching a genuine blueprint on how to beat him.

It’s certainly interesting that Mexican fighters have given Mayweather his toughest tests (Castillo and Mexican/American De La Hoya being right at the top of the short list) and maybe Saul Canelo Alvarez will have studied both fights in his preparations for “The One,” which is now just days away.

read more

Arreola Destroys A Game Mitchell – Wilder Or Stiverne II Next?

Chris Arreola vs Seth Mitchell(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Chris Arreola came into last night’s fight with Seth Mitchell wearing a robe that had written on it “you don’t play boxing.” A clear dig at Mitchell’s attempts to transfer his physical skills from the football pitch to the boxing ring, Arreola’s statement was borne out – in quite devastating style.

Looking as focused as can be, Arreola wasted no time testing Mitchell’s chin and pretty soon the writing was on the wall. Mitchell ate plenty of leather in a short period of time and he was all over the place, hurt bad and clumsily trying to hold on. Arreola, though, would not be denied.

read more

Oscar De La Hoya making a lot of pre-fight predictions ahead of “The One!”

dela hoya12It’s always both very interesting and a great honour being a call in participant whenever a big fight is preceded by a teleconference; especially an international one ahead of a massive, massive fight such as the fast approaching Floyd Mayweather-Saul Canelo Alvarez clash. Yesterday, with big name scribes such as Dan Rafael and Lem Satterfield asking Canelo and Oscar De La Hoya questions regarding “The One,” it was hugely exciting being on the line.

I listened to the ESPN.com scribe ask his questions, along with writers for USA Today, Ring Magazine and other instantly recognisable publications, and the thing that struck me most, well actually there were two things – they were: Canelo’s amazing maturity and quiet self confidence, and Oscar De La Hoya’s bold pre-fight predictions.

read more

Unbeaten heavyweight Erkan Teper stops Michael Sprott in 1st-round – Teper may be one to watch

YouTube video
It was a slow, slow weekend for boxing as fans know, yet over in the somewhat unlikely setting of Switzerland, an unbeaten heavyweight scored a win that just might suggest he is worth keeping an eye on. In a fight that flew very much under the radar outside of Switzerland, unbeaten German heavyweight Erkan Teper scored the biggest win of his three-year pro career last night in Basel, as he scored a 1st-round TKO over the seasoned and well travelled Michael Sprott.

31-year-old, 6’5” Teper scored with a right hand and Sprott was unable to recover. Improving to 11-0(7), Teper might have moved himself into position for some bigger fights. 38-year-old Sprott is now 37-21(17) and loser of six of his last seven outings. This could well be the end for the former British and Commonwealth champion.

read more

Dereck Chisora-Denis Boytsov for European crown on September 21st – who wins?

chisora6Dereck Chisora will be back in action again next month, just over two months after his stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Malik Scott, and “Del Boy” will look to take away another top level fighter’s perfect record on September 21st as he is set to face Russia’s Denis Boytsov in a bout that will contest the European heavyweight belt.

According to the web site of UK trade paper Boxing News, Chisora-Boytsov will take place on Frank Warren’s show at the Copperbox Arena in London.

“That’s a good show,” Warren said to BN. “[Chisora’s] got to get the European and hopefully he can get himself into a good position. I watched Pulev and Thompson at the weekend. We certainly wouldn’t worry about fighting either of those.”

read more

Amir “Hardcore” Mansour Interview – “I’m Definitely The Most Avoided Heavyweight Out There!”

Amir “Hardcore” Mansour Interview - “I’m Definitely The Most Avoided Heavyweight Out There!”

Unbeaten southpaw heavyweight Amir Mansour believes he is the best kept secret in the heavyweight division today. This may come across as an overused cliché, but “Hardcore,” as the 18-0(14) heavyweight is known, has certainly been avoided by the top names of the division, and this is the reason, he says passionately, that the casual fans are largely unaware of him and his explosive talents.

The 41-year-old, who has served some serious time in prison, has also suffered criticism due to his age. Yet the eloquently spoken Delaware man defies any younger fighter to come and test his speed, stamina and power. Amir has also put his jail time well and truly behind him.

Speaking with me last week, ahead of tonight’s fight against the seasoned Maurice Harris, Mansour insisted that as long as he keeps winning the top names will have to “come and see me eventually.”

read more

Cleverly and Barker: Heartbreak In Wales, Tears Of Joy In Atlantic City!

IMAG0001What a rollercoaster night of emotions British boxing fans experienced last night! In Cardiff, Wales, unbeaten WBO light-heavyweight champ Nathan Cleverly was the victim of one of the most one-sided beat-downs seen, as the lethal-hitting monster that is Sergey Kovalev won by crushing yet at the same time seemingly effortless fashion.

Simply put, the fight was no contest from the start, as the Russian terror knocked the unbeaten Welshman senseless, to the point where the referee was all but holding Cleverly up at the end of that torrid 3rd-round. The slaughter should have been stopped then, as Cleverly was totally gone and seemed out of it as he sat on his stool. Cleverly actually appeared to come to in the corner and he was allowed out for the 4th. The inevitable was swift in coming, however.

read more

The Top Heavyweights Of 21 Years Ago Vs. Today’s Top-10: Who Wins?

wladimir65How fit and healthy is today’s heavyweight division? Did we fight fans have a better time of it in previous decades, or are today’s big men holding up the “glamour division” in good stead?

Picking up an old issue of Ring Magazine recently, the August 1992 issue, I scanned the top-10 heavyweight rankings. A great bunch of fighters are listed on the page of that 21-year-old issue, that’s for sure – but would the likes of Holyfield, Lewis and Mercer have beaten the cream of today’s crop?

Read on and see what I think!

The heavyweight top-10: Ring Magazine, August issue 1992 VS. Today’s heavyweight top-10: Ring Magazine

read more

Now Who’s The Best American Heavyweight?

003WildervictoryIMG_3358Which fighter has the best chance of bringing at least a slice of the heavyweight title back to America, the country that once all but owned the belts for decade after decade?

Last night, in utterly destroying the rusty yet experienced Serhei Liakhovich in one chilling round with one chilling right hand (if the former WBO champ’s face didn’t tell the story, his quivering limbs sure did!), unbeaten 27-year-old Deontay Wilder made some people believe in him and his title hopes a little more.

Wilder, 29-0(29) isn’t the finished article yet but his punching ability certainly is noteworthy. But is Wilder the best American heavyweight out there today?

Here are the best US big men on the scene right now:

read more

“Colonel” Bob Sheridan Says The Klitschkos “Need David Tua”

tua432323As fans will possibly be aware, heavyweight powerhouse David Tua, arguably one of the best fighters never to have captured a major title, will be back in action later this month, when the 40-year-old will tangle with Russian giant Alexander Ustinov.

The fight, a big deal in New Zealand like all of Tua’s fights, will mark “The Tuaman’s” first ring appearance for two years (his rematch loss to Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett) and the Samoan slugger’s fans are hoping their hero can launch one last assault on the heavyweight championship of the world.

I’ve always been a fan of Tua, since he burst onto the scene with his chilling destruction of John Ruiz. And I do think that a prime Tua – say the wrecking machine that ruined Ruiz and went to war with the could-have-been-great Ike Ibeabuchi – would have given Wladimir Klitschko a fierce argument.

read more