In his peak years, from 1993 to 2003, Roy Jones Junior was as close to unbeatable as any fighter could possibly be. Better than Floyd Mayweather Junior, up there with the two Sugar Rays, maybe even the best fighter of the past forty years or so at the time, Jones was sheer poetry in motion. If only he’d walked away before his skills, and his blinding speed, deserted him.
James Slater
Big-money betting taking place on Mayweather-McGregor fight, despite the bout not yet being official
While much has been made of The Money Team reportedly reserving The MGM Grand in Las Vegas for August 26 for the much hyped “Super-Fight” between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, the fight between the superstar boxer and the superstar MMA fighter is not yet official.
Despite this, big wagers have been placed on the fight’s outcome in the Vegas casinos and sportsbooks. According to an interesting piece on ESPN.com, The Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas has already had over $10,000 bet on the fight. Currently, Mayweather is a whopping -900 betting favourite (down from an even bigger –2,500 favourite when odds were first announced back in February), while McGregor is currently listed at +700 (he was +1,100 back in February).
Hearn says the public “want to see” Bellew-Haye rematch, says Haye “needs it”
In this, a big year for big boxing rematches, promoter Eddie Hearn wants to add Tony Bellew-David Haye II to the list of returns that includes Ward-Kovalev II, Joshua-Klitschko II (most likely anyway) and Rungvisai-Gonzalez II. In speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, Hearn said that the public want to see the rematch (do you, really?), that he himself wants to see it, and that David Haye “needs it.”
Hearn argues how in Haye’s case, there is “no other fight for him other than Tony Bellew,” but that Bellew has plenty of options. Hearn added how the rematch, if it does happen, will likely go down in December, giving Haye’s terrible Achilles injury enough time to fully heal – “to make sure he is 110-percent,” Hearn said.
Glenn McCrory on sparring Tyson and wanting to fight him for real
Former IBF cruiserweight king Glenn McCrory had some career. Not only was he a world champion, but McCrory also, famously, sparred nearly a hundred rounds with a peak Mike Tyson.
Glenn, who retired with a fine and hard earned 30-8-1(12) pro record in 1993, became a pundit and commentator for Sky Sports, calling fights all over the world. Despite this, it is due to the time he spent with Tyson that many fans are most familiar with McCrory.
All-time great Holyfield enshrined in Hall of Fame; recalls his toughest ever fight
Evander Holyfield was enshrined at The Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York yesterday, along with, amongst others, Marco Antonio Barrera and the late Johnny Tapia. Holyfield, the only four-time heavyweight champion in boxing history, was genuinely moved as he gave his acceptance speech; devoting his success to his mother – who, he told the gathering, told him “never to quit.”
R.I.P Errol Christie, one of British boxing’s finest talents
Former European middleweight champ Errol Christie sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 53. He had been battling lung cancer for two years. A superb amateur boxer – Christie being placed in The Guinness Book Of Records for being the only British boxer to win ten amateur titles – Errol turned pro in 1982 and went 32-8-1(26) overall.
When Mike Tyson lost a fight it almost always caused one HUGE shock
The great, the fascinating, the exciting and the controversial boxing career of Mike Tyson officially ended today – in Washington DC of all places. Tyson was an ageing, past his best former champ in June of 2005, fighting only for money, yet it was still one huge shocker when the somewhat clumsy, somewhat unheralded, somewhat slow and lumbering Kevin McBride forced the 39 year old to quit on his stool after six rounds.
Danny Jacobs could feature on GGG-Canelo card in September
New Yorker Danny Jacobs, last seen pushing feared world middleweight king Gennady Golovkin very hard indeed, all the way to the end of the 12th and final round in March, might next be seen boxing on the under-card of Golovkin’s mega-fight with Canelo Alvarez.
According to a short news piece on ESPN.com, talks are currently underway between Golden Boy and Al Haymon. So far Jacobs’ opponent, if he does indeed box on the card, is TBA. It would of course help make the big September 16 show even bigger if Jacobs, arguably the world’s second best middleweight, appeared on the Las Vegas card.
Tom Loeffler: No one wanted to get in the ring with Golovkin
After years of struggling to get the top names to agree to step into the ring with him, middleweight king Gennady Golovkin finally gets his defining fight in September, when he will, as all fight fans know, rumble with Mexican superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez.
Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler was right there with his fighter, trying to get the big fights, the important fights, and now, as he pointed out when speaking with The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the GGG-Canelo Super-Fight will take place almost five years to the day that Golovkin boxed on HBO for the very first time. Loeffler said that during the years 2012 to recently, he experienced serious reluctance from name fighters, fighters who wanted no part of his fighter; this type of reluctance being a new thing for the promoter.
Who next for Pacquiao after he “demolishes this guy” Jeff Horn?
Is the upcoming July fight between superstar Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten but somewhat little-known Jeff Horn a mere formality, a fight that has only one winner? Horn and all of Australia are hugely excited about the fight and the belief is high that puncher Horn can pull off the upset; but everywhere else, it seems, the sure winner is Pac Man.