James Slater

Lamon Brewster gives his take on the Joshua-Klitschko fight: “I don’t see anyone beating Joshua”

Lamon Brewster gives his take on the Joshua-Klitschko fight: “I don't see anyone beating Joshua”

Arguably, and very possibly, the last great American heavyweight champion (begging Deontay Wilder’s pardon) Lamon Brewster will be a very interested viewer when heavyweight giants Anthony Joshua, the IBF king, and Wladimir Klitschko, the former world ruler, clash in London next month.

Brewster, the former WBO king who retired with a fine 35-6(30) record in 2010 (when eye trouble contributed greatly to the Indianapolis warrior’s decision to call it a great career) is the last man to have stopped Wladimir; sensationally – and somewhat disturbingly – scoring a TKO over “Dr. Steel Hammer” in April of 2004 in a wild and shocking slugfest. But Brewster is not worried about losing the distinction of being the last man to have sent Klitschko to the canvas, far from it – Lamon, in kindly giving some of his time to this writer, predicts that AJ will do what he did, and stop Klitschko on April 29.

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“One Last Time?” James Toney to fight again; will face Mike Sheppard for WBF strap in May

“One Last Time?” James Toney to fight again; will face Mike Sheppard for WBF strap in May

James Toney, once a truly great fighter, is not quite ready to call it a day and retire just yet. The 48 year-old (49 in August) will reportedly face journeyman Mike Sheppard for the vacant WBF heavyweight strap on May 13, the scheduled 12-rounder to go down in Ypsilanti, Michigan. So far there is no word of any TV coverage, not even an internet presentation.

Toney, a remarkable 76-10-3(46) – numbers compiled without “Lights Out” ever succumbing to a single stoppage defeat – was last seen in a losing effort. It was back in August of 2015 when Toney was simply out-worked by another heavyweight journeyman in Charles Ellis, Toney dropping a decision in Missouri. Who knows what we can expect from Toney-Sheppard.

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Imagine: Deontay Wilder defends against the best of the ’90’s heavyweight contenders – Ruddock, Tua, Golota, Ibeabuchi

Imagine: Deontay Wilder defends against the best of the '90's heavyweight contenders – Ruddock, Tua, Golota, Ibeabuchi

It’s universally agreed that reigning WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder is a most exciting fighter, a very powerful and dangerous fighter, and a very determined fighter (Deontay could easily have quit in pain having suffered the hand and arm injuries he picked up in his win over Chris Arreola last summer).

But what we don’t know is this: how good is Wilder? The unbeaten KO artist could well be the best big man on the scene today, and Wilder, 38-0(37) has made it clear a number of times that he wants the big, big fights to prove his dominance. These defining fights, against the likes of the Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko winner, Tyson Fury (if the giant can return as planned) and others may come. But imagine for a second if Wilder was busy defending his green belt against the best contenders the 1990s had to offer; the men who came, oh, so close to becoming champion.

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Amir Khan talks possible Conor McGregor fight: In boxing I beat him quite easily but in MMA I think it might be tough

Amir Khan talks possible Conor McGregor fight: In boxing I beat him quite easily but in MMA I think it might be tough

Amir Khan just cannot seem to get himself a fight. Idle since last May – when he was taken out by the much bigger Canelo Alvarez in a fight that has recently been branded a “foolish” move by Khan’s own trainer, Virgil Hunter – the former 140 pound king has seen both a Manny Pacquiao fight and a Kell Brook fight fail to come off (blame who you want for the latter fight failing to materialise).

Maybe due to his frustrations at not yet being able to test his “new,” surgically repaired right hand, Khan is now even talking about the possibility of fighting Conor McGregor, under either boxing or MMA rules! Speaking with ESNEWS, Khan said he’d “give it a go” if the fight was offered to him.

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Warren on GGG-BJS: “Financial terms have been agreed it’s just whether they want to do it or not

Warren on GGG-BJS: “Financial terms have been agreed it's just whether they want to do it or not

Fight fans may have read how reigning WBO middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders issued world ruler Gennady Golovkin an ultimatum: sign to fight me by the end of this week or I move on to another fight. Well, Saunders’ promoter Frank Warren, in speaking with ESPN, has extended the deadline to the end of next week.

Like his fighter, though, Warren insists there will be no waiting game employed with this fight.

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Lennox Lewis-Shannon Briggs was a heavyweight rumble to remember!

Lennox Lewis-Shannon Briggs was a heavyweight rumble to remember!

One year short of two full decades ago today, WBC heavyweight king Lennox Lewis met lineal ruler Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and a surprisingly fun fight took place. The two men with a big punch and a big personality, Briggs especially when it comes to the latter, slugged it out for five thrilling rounds.

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Star in the making Ohara Davies says Mayweather is keeping his fighters away from him; “He knows I’ll beat anyone he’s got”

Star in the making Ohara Davies says Mayweather is keeping his fighters away from him; “He knows I'll beat anyone he's got”

Unbeaten, talented and hugely confident star of the future (most likely, as in reality there is no such thing as a “sure-thing”) Ohara Davies believes Floyd Mayweather Junior is avoiding him; at least the boss man of The Money Team is keeping his fighters away from him.

The brash 25 year-old super-lightweight – last seen crushing a shop-worn Derry Matthews into retirement on the Tony Bellew-David Haye card – got into a social media beef with superstar Mayweather recently, and Davies has again called on Floyd to let him face one of his fighters – Ashley Theophane in particular. Speaking with Sky Sports, Davies, 15-0(12) said no way does Mayweather risk one of his fighters against his talents.

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James DeGale set for massive London fight in June: GGG, Smith, Ward, Groves on the short-list

James DeGale set for massive London fight in June: GGG, Smith, Ward, Groves on the short-list

IBF super-middleweight champ James DeGale, a fighter used to fighting on the road, is set for a massive June fight in London. Last seen going to war with Badou Jack in a WBC/IBF unification clash, which ended as a draw after 12 thrilling rounds, DeGale now has a list of four big names to mull over, as he will reportedly face either: Gennady Golovkin, George Groves, Andre Ward or Callum Smith.

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Virgil Hunter: Andre Ward is not a light-heavyweight, he’s still a super-middleweight – GGG fight a possibility

Virgil Hunter: Andre Ward is not a light-heavyweight, he's still a super-middleweight – GGG fight a possibility

Ask any fight fan, and they will tell you that unbeaten pound-for-pound king (according to “The Bible,” Ring Magazine) Andre Ward has unfinished business with Sergey Kovalev, the man he so controversially dethroned to become 175 pound champ last November. Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter agrees, saying the exact same thing to TownBizzNizz Sports & Media.

Hunter, though, adds how his fighter is “not a light-heavyweight, he is still a super-middleweight.” The anticipated rematch with Kovalev is expected to happen this summer, but Hunter says that after Ward has “finished with Kovalev” his star boxer may move down to 168 for a huge fight with Gennady Golovkin. Hunter says Ward would have no problem doing this.

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