James Slater

James Slater has been a leading voice at Boxing247.com (East Side Boxing) for more than two decades. His expertise lies in writing news, detailed historical articles, and conducting interviews with fighters across the globe. Over his career, Slater has spoken with world champions, prospects, and legends, bringing unique insights to both current events and boxing’s rich history. Slater’s long-standing commitment to the sport has made him a trusted source for fans who want context, reliability, and passion in their boxing news.

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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The Super (expensive) Fight! Klitschko-Joshua tickets going on re-sale for as much as £35,000

04/03/201704/03/2017 James Slater

Plenty of people will make plenty of money as a result of the fast-approaching Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko heavyweight title fight showdown. The two fighters will make millions, as will the promoters; while re-sale ticket outlets are aiming incredibly high.

The fight, a complete sell-out at Wembley with a staggering, record setting 90,000 tickets all gone, will of course go down on April 29, and fans are hoping for a great fight. Seen by many as a 50/50 match-up, the big winner could be the money men.

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Who’s the better fighter right now: Wilder or Joshua?

04/03/2017 James Slater

Things may well change, and perceptions will definitely change, if Anthony Joshua can beat ex-champ Wladimir Klitschko on the 29th of this month; but right now, rival heavyweight ruler Deontay Wilder has plenty of people on his side when he says he is “on a whole other level” to the reigning IBF champ.

Wilder, in speaking with FightHype, made this claim and he says he has more experience and has faced more styles of fighters than has AJ. Just who is the better fighter of the two right now?

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Wild Man Ricardo Mayorga gets first win in two years, ready for more mayhem – Margarito clash next?

04/03/2017 James Slater

Nicaraguan bad boy/wild man Ricardo Mayorga fought a comeback fight over the weekend, in his homeland, against a 12-17-1 Jaudiel Zepeda. The former welterweight king, fighting at the light-heavyweight limit, stopped his Mexican opponent (who is listed by BoxRec as a cruiserweight) in the third round, as Zepeda turned his back upon being hurt, the ref calling a halt to the proceedings.

43 year-old Mayorga improved to 32-9-1(26) in fighting for the first time since losing his rematch to Sugar Shane Mosley in August of 2015. Of course we all know the fantastically entertaining, beer guzzling, cigarette puffing former champ will never again get himself into title contention, much less actually challenge for another major belt, but he seems set on causing at least a little more mayhem before he finally calls it a career and retires.

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Rocky Marciano’s legendary 49-0 record: For it to be truly broken, must it be a reigning heavyweight champion who reaches 50-0?

04/02/201704/01/2017 James Slater

Back in 2015, when Floyd Mayweather tied beloved heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, the late ex-champ’s brother, Peter Marciano, was less than moved. It would have been better, more newsworthy, more impressive, he said, if another heavyweight champion had equalled his brother’s astonishing numbers, not a welterweight.

Just recently, little star Roman Gonzalez was getting a ton of press as he closed in on “The Rock’s” record, but as we know, “Chocolatito” lost in a big upset and fell to 46-1 in the process. Now publications and boxing sites are talking about Thailand’s Wanheng Menayothin, the reigning WBC minimumweight champ who yesterday improved to 46-0 with a non-title six-rounder victory. Can he break Marciano’s record they are asking (or, in a sacrilegious move, some have asked if Menayothin can break Floyd’s 49-0 record!)

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Froch-Kessler III? In light of Kessler’s comeback, “The Cobra” says maybe – but at light-heavyweight

04/01/201704/01/2017 James Slater

As fans may have read, news broke earlier this week that Danish great Mikkel Kessler, one of the best super-middleweights of the past decade or so, is coming out of retirement after almost four years out. Now aged 38 and last seen losing a great rematch battle with British great Carl Froch, Kessler is coming back at 168 pounds.

This news caused quite a stir all by itself, but Froch could be about to make even bigger news: by agreeing to a third fight with the warrior he is currently 1-1 with. Writing in his column for Sky Sports, “The Cobra” said Kessler’s comeback has “really got me thinking!”

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“Terrible Tim” in the house; Witherspoon speaks on his great career and on Joshua-Klitschko

04/01/201704/01/2017 James Slater

Former two-time heavyweight champ “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon was a guest of honour in a pub in York, UK last night, promoting his excellent and revealing biography “Terrible Times.”

The Philly legend spent around four hours chatting with a surprisingly small number of fans (making the experience all the more intimate and special); telling us so many stories from his great career: like the time he was thrown out of Gerry Cooney’s gym for being too rough and tough a sparring partner, how he was so massively inspired by sparring and training with the great Muhammad Ali (even though, as Tim said, he knew Ali “was sick” at the time; in the early ’80s), about how he would have loved to have fought Mike Tyson in the 1990s, about how great his era of heavyweights was in comparison to today’s.

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Serious and dedicated like never before? Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. says he is weighing 178 pounds right now; Canelo in trouble!

03/31/201703/31/2017 James Slater

Though nobody ever, ever expected Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to become the great – all-time great – fighter his legendary father was, all along the experts knew Chavez Jr. could fight. The problem, as both his fans and critics know, was the 30 year-old’s discipline, or lack of it.

The former WBC middleweight champ got so out of shape and overweight that at one point he fought as a light-heavyweight; being stopped by Andrez Fonfara. But it seems those days of lack of focus and laziness in the gym are behind Chavez (although for many people, it will be a case of, ‘I’ll believe it when I see it in the ring’) – at least if his current weight and physical appearance is anything to go by.

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