We don’t have too long to wait until the hugely interesting Mikey Garcia-Adrien Broner fight (July 29) and understandably Broner’s trainer Mike Stafford is talking a great, great fight going in. Speaking with RingTV.com, AB’s coach said that all the negative stuff aimed at his fighter from the writers and the fans is unjustified and that as Broner, 33-2(24) has “never lost to a Mexican,” and has “never lost at 140,” his chances of beating the unbeaten Garcia should in no way be marginalised.
James Slater
Can the Saunders-Monroe Junior winner topple the GGG-Canelo victor?
The undisputed middleweight championship of the world. This is the lofty title that one fighter may lay claim to before the end of 2017, or in the early stages of 2018.
Not too long ago, unbeaten and, before now, heavily avoided Kazakh warrior Gennady Golovkin looked like the only fighter capable of scooping up all four universally accepted 160 pound titles – WBC,WBA,IBF,WBO – but now, with GGG’s upcoming fight with Canelo Alvarez viewed by most as a 50/50 clash, and with the winner set to face the winner of the WBO title fight that will go down that same night, between Billy Joe Saunders and former GGG victim Willie Monroe Jr, there are differing opinions on who may become THE middleweight king in five to seven months from now.
Goodbye and thanks to The Ghost; Robert Guerrero reaches the end
No matter how incredibly brave, no matter how talented and no matter how so full of faith and self belief a fighter is, the end has to come one day. This past weekend, on Saturday night in Uniondale, New York, in his 42 pro fight, the end came for the hugely popular Robert Guerrero.
“The Ghost,” as the Californian southpaw is known, appeared to have close to nothing left but his sheer heart against Omar Figueroa, who, with his five-knockdown, 3rd-round stoppage win, became the first man to stop the 34 year old. Guerrero, who had previously and quite recently been beaten by Keith Thurman (in a punishing fight), Danny Garcia and, in his fight before Saturday, David Peralta, must now prove to be the smart, realistic person we all know he is, and retire.
Billy Joe Saunders has harsh words for Willie Monroe Jr, Chris Eubank Jr.
WBO middleweight ruler Billy Joe Saunders has a big and meaningful fight for the first time in over a year, and the unbeaten southpaw is expected to formally announce it later today: Saunders, 24-0(12) is expected to face fellow southpaw Willie Monroe Junior, 21-2(6) on September 16 in London.
And today via instagram, Saunders appeared in a short video in which he had harsh words for both Monroe Jr. and Chris Eubank Jr. Saunders, in one of his biggest wins, decisioned Eubank back in November of 2014, taking Eubank’s unbeaten record, and he has been close to fighting him again. The rematch has not been made, though, and, in light of Eubank’s move up to super-middleweight and his entry into The World Boxing Super Series eight-man tournament, it’s likely it never will get made.
Charles Martin comeback continues tomorrow, will face Michael Marrone in Louisiana
One win removed from his terribly disappointing effort against Anthony Joshua in April of last year, when he lost his IBF heavyweight belt, Charles Martin’s comeback is scheduled to continue tomorrow night in Alexandria, Louisiana. The 31 year old southpaw known as “Prince” Charles, will face journeyman Michael Marrone, 21-7(15).
In April this year, returning to action a full year after being blasted out inside just two rounds by Joshua, the 6’5” Martin, 24-1-1(22) eased himself back with a straightforward stoppage win over another journeyman in Byron Polley. It’s not likely Martin will get a much stiffer test against Marrone, the 31 year old from Vero Beach, Florida who was once managed by the late Lou Duva.
Win, lose or draw, Floyd Mayweather will be a billionaire after August 26
No wonder they call him “Money.” Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather Promotion’s CEO, told MMAjunkie how Floyd Mayweather Junior will, in all likelihood, become a billionaire after all the revenue comes in from the heavily hyped Mayweather-Conor McGregor “Super-Fight” of August 26.
Mayweather, whose career earnings are said to be around the, quite staggering, $750 million mark already, are expected by Ellerbe to go over the $1 billion mark after the Las Vegas extravaganza. So, win, lose or draw on August 26 (Floyd will win; YOU can take it to the bank) Mayweather will be one incredibly rich man; THE highest paid athlete in all sports leaving all competitors in his wake (his nearest competitors being Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods).
Eubank Jr. beats Abraham but can he do the same to Groves, DeGale?
Chris Eubank Junior has done a whole lot of talking throughout his pro career, as fans know. Promising much, the reigning IBO super-middleweight champ backed up at least a few of his big words last night, shutting out the ultra-experienced Arthur Abraham in a fight that, in truth, nearly everyone expected the younger man to win.
But the Abraham victory, the best name on Eubank’s record aside from Billy Joe Saunders who defeated him, is a step in the right direction – a step towards greatness according to both Eubank the fighter and Eubank Senior, the former fighter. Eubank, aged 27 and now 25-1(19) as a pro, will now go into the upcoming, eagerly anticipated World Boxing Super Series tournament full of confidence (when has he not been?)
Remembering Eddie “The Animal” Lopez; the former contender passes away
Fight fans of a certain age will remember rough, tough 1970s and ’80s heavyweight warrior Eddie “The Animal” Lopez, who sadly died over the weekend according to a report on RingTV.com. It’s not clear what the cause of death was but, as the article points out, Lopez had a long battle with drugs.
Boxing’s finest trash-talkers!
Finally they are silent – for now. We’ve been “treated” to plenty of hype, nastiness, fun and games and, most notably, trash-talking these past four days; courtesy of Floyd Mayweather Junior and Conor McGregor. And, perhaps surprisingly, it is McGregor who gets most votes when it comes to who had the fastest, smartest mouth during the four-day press tour; with the MMA star getting off better, more amusing lines than his upcoming August ring rival.
Trash-talking has of course been around the sport of boxing for decades, with it today being as big a part of the game as stare-downs, catch-weight fights and rematch clauses. Trash-talking can be fun; if it’s done right. Mayweather, for once, found himself out-talked by McGregor (rest assured Floyd will make him pay in the fight next month) but “Money” is usually on the money when it comes to hurling both amusing and effective (effective at rattling his opponent) insults.
Showtime boss Espinoza says he expects Joshua-Klitschko II decision “pretty quickly”
Anthony Joshua could be heading towards his US debut in his next fight. Promoter Eddie Hearn has been looking over potential venues in Las Vegas, with the T-Mobile Arena now the frontrunner to host the expected rematch between the reigning WBA/IBF heavyweight champ and former king Wladimir Klitschko (Klitschko has still to officially confirm that he will face AJ for a second time).
And Stephen Espinoza of Showtime says Joshua-Klitschko II “would be the biggest heavyweight Vegas fight in probably a couple of decades.” Joshua wants it, Hearn wants it and Espinoza wants it – now it just needs Klitschko’s signature on the contract to make the rematch happen in Vegas. At least this is how it seems.