Bob Arum has spoken about his desire to see Manny Pacquiao fight Terence Crawford and Freddie Roach, while acknowledging the fight would be a tough one for Manny, says it could happen. But yesterday, in speaking with The Manila Bulletin, Pac-Man’s right hand man Michael Koncz put a potential spanner in the works by stating how the Filipino superstar will only agree to a fight with the unbeaten pound-for-pounder if he is guaranteed a whopping great $20 million payday.
James Slater
Ahead of the Badou Jack fight, James DeGale compares himself to Joe Calzaghe
Britain’s James DeGale, a fighter who has done things the hard way – fights on the road, tricky opponents, frustratingly long enforced layoffs – believes he will get the respect he is due after he beats Badou Jack in their big 168 pound unification fight on January 14.
In fact, Olympic gold medal winner and reigning IBF super-middleweight champ DeGale compares himself to the great Joe Calzaghe and the position he was in when entering his crunch fight with Jeff Lacy in 2006. DeGale told ESPN.com that like Calzaghe did with his blistering win over Lacy, he will prove he is the best in the world with a commanding win over Jack.
Golovkin vs Jacobs: Jacobs leaving no stone unturned in training
As expected, Danny Jacobs is pushing himself to the absolute limit as he gets ready to challenge unified middleweight king Gennady Golovkin in March. Jacobs has began his 10 week training camp and, in what must have proven quite costly, “The Miracle Man” has brought in three world class fighters as sparring partners – the three Russian fighters all being legit middleweight contenders in their own right.
Arturo Gatti Vs. Micky Ward: The last great boxing trilogy – further immortalised in new book: “Intimate Warfare”
For those of you who, like myself, somehow missed it in 2016 when it was released, there is a great new book out on the simply unforgettable three-fight rivalry warriors Aturo Gatti and Micky Ward engaged in back in 2002/2003, that just has to be read. If you didn’t get a copy – released as it was just before Christmas – and you care anything for the Gatti-Ward fights, then “Intimate Warfare: The true story of the Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward trilogy” is a must.
New Year’s wish-list – all the best for 2017
The way things stand right now, 2017 promises to be a big year for boxing; with blockbusters such as Klitschko-Joshua, Golovkin-Jacobs, Thurman-Garcia, Haye-Bellew all set and others, such as GGG-Canelo and Wilder-Joshua possibilities.
But will 2017 provide fight fans with everything they want? Here are a few things this writer wishes for over the coming 12 months:
Hughie Fury says he will fight Parker next, Amir Mansour-Travis Kauffman to feature on Wilder card
Unbeaten heavyweight contender Hughie Fury has confirmed that he is currently in negotiations with WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker and how he fully expects to challenge the New Zealander on Parker’s scheduled April 8 defence.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Fury, cousin of course of former heavyweight king Tyson Fury, said he is willing to travel to New Zealand for the fight and that after he beats Parker, he will look to unify the heavyweight titles.
Wladimir Klitschko: I do have a lot of weapons
Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has already said a number of times ahead of his April fight with Anthony Joshua how age is not, and will not be, a factor. Although he will be 41 come the April 29 fight for the IBF and WBA titles, Klitschko says this is merely a number and nothing more.
And, in a more recent interview with Eirsport, Wladimir says that he actually got faster as a fighter with age. Klitschko also says he has “ a lot of weapons” at his disposal and he will decide on the night which one he uses against the unbeaten Joshua.
Can Amir Khan bounce back in 2017? Khan says he “knows” he can win a world title at 147
Have we seen the best of former 140-pound champ Amir Khan, maybe even the end of his winning fights at the top level – or can the now 30-year-old bounce back from his crushing KO loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2017? Khan, who is excited to get back in action having had an op on his troublesome right hand, told The Bolton News he is positive he can win a world title at welterweight.
Khan Tweeted yesterday how his next opponent will be announced “soon” and the British star told The Bolton News how he will win that welterweight title and that after he does so, “people will forget about the defeats.” Khan of course suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the much bigger and heavier Canelo, and there are plenty of critics out there who feel Khan may have suffered irreparable damage from the heavy KO.
Jarrell Miller dismisses Joseph Parker, says he would “go anywhere to beat that bum”
Unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller, an unbeaten heavyweight contender with an explosive mouth to match his punching power, insists he should get first crack at recently crowned WBO heavyweight champ Joseph Parker – not Hughie Fury or David Price.
As Sky Sports have reported, Miller, Price and Fury are on the short-list of challengers for Parker’s maiden title defence, pencilled in for April 8. But Miller, known as “Big Baby” is not only dismissive of both Fury and Price, he also has no respect for Parker – who he calls “a bum.”
Donald Trump and Don King hold bizarre impromptu press conference – “Only in America!”
It’s no secret that Don King is, and has for a long time been, a Donald Trump supporter. The two larger than life public figures have a mutual admiration for one another and yesterday, in an impromptu presser that has to rank as one of the most bizarre even in the world according to Trump, the two faced a stunned media gathering in Florida.
Okay, this isn’t really a boxing story, but with not too much going on in the sport at this time of year, the Trump, King get together is at least interesting. The two men, without much warning, surprising those few reporters on the scene at Trump’s luxurious Mar-a-Lago club in sunshine Florida, appeared on a staircase and answered questions. Throughout the short session, King – who waved his customary US flag, as well as an Israeli flag – repeated his famous “Only in America” slogan, as well as Trump’s catchphrase “Make America Great Again.”