Warren says he’s been told Golovkin is injured, hence delay in signing of GGG-Saunders fight; Sanchez says GGG not injured

04/08/201704/07/2017 James Slater

Just what will middleweight champ Gennady Golovkin’s next move/fight be? The last we heard, GGG’s Dream Fight was to face reigning WBO boss Billy Joe Saunders, thus being able (if he won the fight) to walk around with every single middleweight strap there is that counts.

According to BJS promoter Frank Warren, Saunders has signed the contract, and is now merely waiting for Triple-G to do likewise; the fight a real possibility for June in Golovkin’s home country of Kazakhstan. But Warren, in speaking with iFL TV, recently said that he has been informed by a member of Team-Golovkin that GGG is currently nursing an injury of some kind, and is holding out on putting pen to paper, contract-wise, as a result.

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A Tyson Fury comeback in May? Fat Chance

04/07/2017 James Slater

Recently, via his own, oft-used social media account, unbeaten former unified heavyweight champ Tyson Fury announced how he was back in training, aiming for a return to the ring this May. It is clear that this will not happen.

We’ve all seen the various photos depicting a clearly out of shape and much overweight Fury, and yesterday in Manchester, in speaking with Box Nation pundit Steve Lillis, Fury – appearing to have lost none of the excess weight he has piled on since his sensational November 2015 upset decision win over Wladimir Klitschko in Germany – said that he is “not back in the gym.”

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George Foreman sees Joshua as slight favourite over Klitschko

05/06/202004/06/2017 James Slater

Heavyweight living legend “Big” George Foreman is as excited as the rest of us ahead of the … continue

30 years ago today: Leonard-Hagler – The Superfight that caused a debate like no other

04/06/201704/06/2017 James Slater

The date of April 6, 1987 is etched firmly in the memory banks of all boxing fans who were of sufficient age to have been aware of “The Superfight” – the astonishing world middleweight title fight between defending champ Marvelous Marvin Hagler and underdog challenger Sugar Ray Leonard – when it took place.

The fight caused an enormous stir when first made official; in large part due to the perceived “crazy” decision former welterweight king Leonard was making in attempting to come back, after almost five years out of action, to challenge the formidable Hagler – this after having undergone major retinal surgery. But the debate that followed – one that continues to rage a full three decades later and shows no sign of fading away – proved absolutely monstrous.

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Srisaket Sor Rungvisai-Roman Gonzalez rematch ordered by WBC

04/06/201704/05/2017 James Slater

In what is great news for fight fans, the WBC has ordered their newly crowned super-flyweight champion, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to make an immediate defence against Roman Gonzalez, the man he upset to take the belt in a terrific action fight on March 18.

Arguably The Fight Of The Year thus far in 2017, the 12 rounder was crammed full of action, blood and guts and sheer drama. Gonzalez as we know was 46-0 upon entering the fight, but the tough (and rough, even dirty, with his head mostly) Thai fighter who was a whopping great underdog, dropped “Chocolatito” early on and got the better of a number of the furious exchanges.

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Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn back on, July 2 in Australia the likely date

04/05/2017 James Slater

Superstar and reigning WBO welterweight king Manny Pacquiao is right back where he was back in January of this year: on the verge of fighting unbeaten Australian puncher Jeff Horn.

As fans may recall, Pac-Man was set to give Australian fight fans the biggest boxing event in their country’s history in April, only for the Brisbane fight to appear to fall apart for good; with Pacquiao announcing on social media how he and Britain’s Amir Khan had reached an agreement for a lucrative fight in the UAE. The money never appeared for that one to go ahead, and now Pacquiao is again looking at heading to Australia, likely on July 2.

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Win or lose against Joshua, Klitschko will not fight a rematch with Fury, says Boente

04/05/2017 James Slater

It seems we will be left to forever ponder what would have happened had heavyweight rivals Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko fought a rematch; as they were twice scheduled to do, only for the return meeting to fall through on both occasions.

Bernd Boente, Klitschko’s long-time manager, spoke with Sky Sports, and he said that no way does Wladimir or himself “want to deal with this group of people again.” Boente is understandably unwilling to forgive Fury for wasting Klitschko’s time in not going ahead with the rematch (Fury pulling out of the second arranged date for the sequel).

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Which fight would you rather see next: Santa Cruz-Frampton III, or Santa Cruz-Mares II?

04/04/2017 James Slater

Mexican warrior Leo Santa Cruz is back where he belongs right now: at the top. The superb fighting machine lost his unbeaten record last summer, when another excellent fighter in Ireland’s Carl Frampton topped him in a genuine FOTY contender.

The two came together in a return in January of this year, and Santa Cruz employed his underrated boxing brain, switched tactics, and avenged his decision loss. A rubber-match looked almost a formality, yet the WBA has now ordered Santa Cruz, 33-1-1(18) to fight a return with the man who also engaged him in a classic battle: Abner Mares.

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Harold “The Shadow” Knight, former co-trainer of Lennox Lewis, breaks down Klitschko-Joshua

04/04/201704/04/2017 James Slater

Everyone has an opinion on what will happen, who will win, when the biggest heavyweight title fight of the year – and the biggest ever in the UK – takes place on April 29. Will new star Anthony Joshua have too much strength, youth and power, or will former king Wladimir Klitschko have too much experience, knowledge and fire power of his own?

One man who is always worth listening to, is Harold “The Shadow” Knight, the former world super-featherweight title challenger and long time co-trainer of the great Lennox Lewis. Knight, who learnt so much from the late, great Emanuel Steward as the Kronk legend took over the reigns are coached Lewis to greatness, would arguably make a good trainer for Klitschko; this position of course belonging to Steward as he guided Wladimir back to the top after suffering a crushing loss to Lamon Brewster.

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Superb double-header set for June 17: Ward-Kovalev II, Rigondeaux-Flores

04/04/201704/04/2017 James Slater

It’s always a great night in Las Vegas, especially so whenever a big fight card is going down at one of the many beautiful hotels/casinos. And fight fans are in store for a potentially classic night of boxing at The Mandalay Bay in Vegas on June 17.

Not only is the eagerly anticipated Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev light-heavyweight title fight rematch set for then, but a superb supporting feature between junior featherweights Guillermo Rigondeaux and Moses Flores will go ahead on the card. So, with pure boxers Ward and Rigondeaux in action, fans of The Sweet Science will have plenty to look forward to; both pound-for-pound stars possessing an abundance of skill and class.

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