Still interested in a possible Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor “super-fight?” Money Mayweather sure is, and he’s gone on record as saying he will pay the UFC star the figure of $15 million, along with a slice of the Pay-per-View revenue, for the fight to happen – under boxing rules.
Mayweather, speaking on ESPN’s “First Take” yesterday evening, said “Let’s make it happen.”
WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder is all for taking a fight that he believes would see him add the WBO belt to his trophy cabinet. Wilder, who must first return to action for his first fight since last July, against Polish contender Andrzej Wawrzyk on February 25, says he very much wants to fight recently crowned WBO champ Joseph Parker in April.
Parker and his people have gone on record as saying they would like the Wilder fight – and a unification fight can override a mandatory, so Parker’s mandatory, Hughie Fury would have to wait – and “The Bronze Bomber” told 78SPORTSTV he wants Parker after Wawrzyk.
With superstar Manny Pacquiao set to see out the remainder of his great career overseas, on a “world tour” according to Bob Arum, fighters from countries such as Australia – Jeff Horn, next in line to challenge Pac-Man – and the UK are anxious for a shot at the southpaw.
And, according to Eddie Hearn who spoke with Sky Sports, talks have begun for a fight between Pacquiao and Kell Brook. Brook, who has not yet fought since his brave but ultimately painful loss to middleweight king Gennady Golovkin, says an all-British super-fight with Amir Khan remains his priority, but that a fight against either Errol Spence or Pac-Man could happen this year.
Warrior Tim Bradley, last seen in the ring doing battle for a third time with superstar Manny Pacquiao in April, has gone on record stating how he is mulling over the idea of retiring sooner rather than later. Bradley, speaking with FightHub, said “I think about it (retirement) a lot.”
A great fighter who thrilled fans with, amongst other bouts, his almost unbelievably entertaining 12 round war with Ruslan Provodnikov – this incredible, up-from-the-floor 2013 win arguably being the most exciting of Bradley’s 36 pro fights – Bradley says he “can’t complain,” and that at age 33 he feels he has “done pretty damn well,” which is of course an understatement.
A fighter’s fitness cannot be gauged accurately by looking at photos, but it must be said, David Haye looks in absolutely superb physical condition today as he trains for his grudge-match with fellow Brit Tony Bellew – and there are still a full eight weeks to go until fight night.
Haye, who is training out at Dino Spencer’s legendary 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, released a Twitter photo today, along with a short video message also on social media. Haye looks to be about as fit and strong as he ever has, certainly more ripped and muscular than for his last fight, the May blowout of Arnold “The Cobra.”
Fighters often like to add the wisdom of a great trainer to their team as they approach a big, big fight. Oscar De La Hoya, for example, was fortunate enough to have been able to bring in the legendary Angelo Dundee ahead of his big fight with Manny Pacquiao (although not even Dundee’s vast knowledge was able to help a severely weight drained, past his best De La Hoya). And heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield was one of quite a few fighters who brought in the services of “hired gun” Emanuel Steward; “The Real Deal” doing so before his second fight with Riddick Bowe.
The superb featherweight battle Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz engaged in last July was, for many people, The Fight of 2016. Back and forth the two unbeaten warriors went, with the intense pace of the high quality fight never once relenting.
Now, in just under a couple of week’s time, the two 130-pounders will do it again – this time at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Both men have promised an improvement on fight-one: Frampton stating how he fully believes he will KO or stop Santa Cruz this time; Santa Cruz vowing he will get revenge for the sole loss of his pro career.
Former 140 and 147-pound champ Zab Judah is not yet ready to call it a career. Though the Brooklyn southpaw is now pushing 40 (he will hit the big 4 0 this October) and has not fought since being decisioned by Paulie Malignaggi in “The Battle of Brooklyn” in December of 2013, Judah will fight on.
Set to face Jorge Luis Munguia of Honduras on January 21 in Trenton, New Jersey, Zab feels he can make another run at a world title. Munguia, 13-7(5) is just 28, he has been stopped just twice and he has nothing to lose in this fight. There are no instantly recognisable names on Munguia’s record and not too much is know about him. Of course, nobody, including Judah himself, knows how much Zab has left in the tank.
Scottish hero and reigning WBA 140-pound champ Ricky Burns has had his name mentioned as a possible Manny Pacquiao foe, what with the superstar Filipino set to embark on a “world tour” (with Australia’s Jeff Horn Pac-Man’s probable next challenger).
Obviously, such a fight would be massive, a real dream come true for Burns, 41-5-1(14), even more so if it took place in the UK. But first, according to STV News, 33-year-old Burns will face recently crowned IBF 140-pound champ Julius Indongo, probably on April 8, in a big unification clash.
IBF super-middleweight champ James DeGale has made a habit of fighting away from home over the last few months, and if he can win in New York this Saturday when he will face WBC ruler Badou Jack, the southpaw will be fully deserving of a homecoming.
DeGale has his eye on taking such a homecoming at Wembley, and George Groves, the only man to have beaten him, is very much a target for “Chunky.” Groves of course fought Carl Froch at Wembley a couple of years ago, before a monstrous 80,000 crown – this number breaking all previous records. Now DeGale feels he and Groves in a return could equal those big numbers – but first he must beat Jack.