James Slater

Vasyl Lomachenko-Manny Pacquiao: too big a leap for Lomachenko or the end for Pac-Man?

Vasyl Lomachenko-Manny Pacquiao: too big a leap for Lomachenko or the end for Pac-Man?

Promoter Bob Arum is hugely excited about Vasyl Lomachenko, the incredibly talented former amateur sensation (perhaps one of the greatest amateur boxers in history at 396-1). Arum, who has seen it all in boxing over his almost 90 years, remains enthusiastic about the sport because of special fighters that come his way – and Arum says Lomachenko is very special.

Indeed, the Top Rank boss recently said Lomachenko is the best he’s seen in the sport since the incomparable Muhammad Ali. Arum has big plans for the reigning WBO super-featherweight champion. At just 6-1 and already a two-weight champion, the slick and wickedly powerful southpaw is a future superstar, says Arum. This Saturday’s defence against puncher Nicholas Walters could be looked at as a risky assignment for “Hi-Tech,” as Lomachenko is known, but it would be a massive upset if “The Axe Man” scored a win.

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British heavyweight David Allen lands big fight he wanted with Luis Ortiz

British heavyweight David Allen lands big fight he wanted with Luis Ortiz

It’s official: Luis Ortiz will make a quick return from his recent, dull 12-round win over Malik Scott and face British heavyweight David Allen on the big Joshua-Molina bill in Manchester on December 10. The fight was announced today and both fighters are delighted.

Unbeaten Cuban Ortiz expects to be able put on a far more fan-friendly fight against Allen, 9-1(6), who has promised he will “come to fight.” Allen reportedly asked promoter Eddie Hearn for this particular fight quite some time ago, convinced as he is that he can defeat the southpaw known as “King Kong.”

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Billy Joe Saunders needs a big 2017 to make up for lost time; Akavov fight postponed yet again

Billy Joe Saunders needs a big 2017 to make up for lost time; Akavov fight postponed yet again

WBO middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders has endured some disappointing and frustrating year here in 2016. Fans have lost count of the number of postponements the unbeaten southpaw has experienced since his last fight – an impressive decision win over Andy Lee last December – but the number has just risen by one; as it has been announced how this Saturday’s defence against Russian challenger Artur Akavov has been delayed yet again.

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The Ten Greatest Heavyweight Champions – and their single best performances

The Ten Greatest Heavyweight Champions - and their single best performances

Today marks the 30th anniversary of one special heavyweight’s ascension to the world title: Mike Tyson. Tyson, as fans know, decimated Trevor Berbick to win the WBC crown three full decades ago, and it wasn’t long before the rest of the belts were Tyson’s property. Some experts say Tyson, at just 20, turned in his finest performance on November 22nd, 1986.

Here is a list of the ten finest performances from the ten greatest-ever world heavyweight champions:

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Lucas Browne reportedly fails a second drugs test, fight with Shannon Briggs in jeopardy

Lucas Browne reportedly fails a second drugs test, fight with Shannon Briggs in jeopardy

In more bad news for the heavyweight division and for Lucas Browne in particular, it has been reported – by Ring and by ESPN.com – that the Australian heavyweight has failed a second drugs test. According to the WBC, Browne – who vehemently insists he did not knowingly take the banned substance clenbuterol ahead of his March fight with Ruslan Chagaev – tested positive for ostarine, a stamina-increasing substance.

Browne enrolled in VADA back in July, insisting he has nothing to hide, but this failed second test looks to have put an end to his WBA-ordered fight with Shannon Briggs for a version of the title (still, the Alexander Povetkin-Bermane Stiverne fight, for the interim WBC belt, is still going ahead, despite Stiverne testing positive for an illegal substance, so you never know).

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As “Rocky” turns 40 – listing the finest boxing films ever made

As “Rocky” turns 40 – listing the finest boxing films ever made

Yesterday, November 21st, saw the 40th anniversary of the movie premiere of arguably the finest, the best-loved and the most inspirational boxing flick of them all – “Rocky.” All these years (and six sequels) later, “Rocky” is a movie and a fighter to have passed the test of time in style; still standing and way ahead on points.

Fans simply love the Sly Stallone creation, even if some of the more hard nosed film critics enjoy slating the over the top theatrics of the series (having been guilty of totally missing the point). Bottom line: “Rocky” is a great film; as are some of its sequels.

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So, does Andre Ward deserve the top spot pound-for-pound?

So, does Andre Ward deserve the top spot pound-for-pound?

Going into this past Saturday’s big light-heavyweight title fight showdown plenty of people were saying the winner between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev would be deserving of being placed atop the mythical but always hotly debated pound-for-pound rankings. Ward, as we all know, won – at least officially – and we cannot go back on things now.

So is Ward, who was a dominant super-middleweight for a number of years and is now a king at light-heavyweight, the best boxer, pound-for-pound on the planet? On paper, yes, he probably is, although a number of people may choose to rate Kovalev higher than “S.O.G” due to the fact that they felt, and feel, “Krusher” won on Saturday, only to be “robbed.”

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Can Andre Ward follow Roy Jones, James Toney up to heavyweight?

Can Andre Ward follow Roy Jones, James Toney up to heavyweight?

Can Andre Ward make it as a heavyweight? After his close, controversial but at times very impressive win/performance over Sergey Kovalev, Ward, the new light-heavyweight king, briefly spoke about how he might – might – be tempted to take a fight at heavyweight one day. Ward hasn’t lost it completely, as he carefully inserted the caveat that the fight would have to be “the right fight.”

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Thirty years on: Tyson makes history with win over Berbick

Thirty years on: Tyson makes history with win over Berbick

It really was 30 long years ago this week (November 22) when a young, soon to peak Mike Tyson made boxing history by becoming, at the age of 20, the youngest ever claimant of a world heavyweight title.

Tyson, who had been a pro for just 20 months, challenged WBC champ Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas and those in attendance witnessed a quite brutal coronation.

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