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.

Danny Jacobs comes oh, so close to beating Gennady Golovkin! Rematch?

03/20/201703/19/2017 James Slater

What a night boxing fans were treated to last night in New York! We saw an enormous upset with consensus pick for the pound-for-pound spot Roman Gonzalez losing in a great Fight of The Year candidate to Thailand’s gutsy Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

And the main event between middleweight king Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs surprised absolutely everyone. Jacobs, pushing GGG harder and longer than anyone else ever has, looked to have pulled off a stunning upset of his own, but it was not to be. It’s very tough to not have a ton of sympathy for Jacobs right now now, however. Did Golovkin deserve the 12 round unanimous decision? Maybe the card that had GGG winning by a solitary point was fair, but Triple-G by three points? That was wide.

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Sergey Kovalev insults Andre Ward in rematch call-out: “Are you a man or a girl!”

03/18/201703/18/2017 James Slater

Sergey Kovalev “Andre Ward, He’s another piece of sh*t in my eyes! He’s not real man!”

All the big boxing names are currently gathered in New York, primarily for tonight’s world middleweight title clash between punchers Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs. Included is one of the biggest hitters on the planet pound-for-pound, light-heavyweight “Krusher” Sergey Kovalev.

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Video: Conor McGregor – I’m going to KO Floyd Mayweather and you’re all going to eat your words!

03/18/2017 James Slater

Conor McGregor is either doing a great job of selling his “super-fight” with Floyd Mayweather, or he genuinely believes he is going to win if and when the two titans clash later this year – maybe it’s a bit of both.

For last night in New York, after he had walked fellow Irishman Michael Conlan to the ring for the 2016 Olympian’s pro debut in Madison Square Garden, McGregor let loose with a torrent of confidence/arrogance/bombast. Speaking with reporters at ringside, the MMA star said that he is “The boxing guy,” and that, “No-one in this boxing game knows what’s coming.”

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Danny Jacobs a no-show at IBF same-day weigh-in this morning; cannot win IBF belt tonight

03/19/201703/18/2017 James Slater

In a strange development, Danny Jacobs did not appear for this morning’s same-day weigh-in conducted by the IBF. Gennady Golovkin, who will of course be defending his belts against Jacobs tonight in New York, tipped in at 169.6 pounds at the same-day weigh-in check, but whatever happens in the fight, Jacobs will not be able to win the IBF title.

Stated IBF President Lindsey Tucker:

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40 years ago today: Jimmy Young-George Foreman – “He beat the devil out of me!”

03/18/201703/17/2017 James Slater

Upon entering the ring in the Coliseo Roberto Clemente stadium in Puerto Rico 40 years ago today, former heavyweight king George Foreman had Muhammad Ali on his mind; in particular a rematch with the man who had shocked, stunned and beaten him three years earlier.

But at the conclusion of his frustrating fight with Jimmy Young, Foreman would soon have nothing but God and a new life on his mind. It was “Big George’s” fight with Young – won by Young via 12 round unanimous decision – that forever changed the Texan giant’s life; or rather it was the fight’s aftermath that did the changing.

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Golovkin Vs. Jacobs: who will YOU be rooting for?

03/17/2017 James Slater

It’s almost fight time, and everyone and anyone has had a say on what will unfold inside the legendary venue that is Madison Square Garden in New York tomorrow night. Most experts are picking middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin to beat Danny Jacobs and retain both his belts and perfect record, while some people are giving the once-beaten Jacobs a shot at scoring the upset.

One thing almost everyone is agreed on is this: the fight is not going the distance. Someone will get KO’d, very possibly violently so. That said, who do you WANT to win tomorrow? Jacobs is a fighter and a man who is simply impossible to dislike. We all know “The Miracle Man’s” story; of how he beat “career-ending” cancer (so said the doctors) and came back to where he is now in boxing – on the verge of true international stardom. Plenty of us will likely find it all but impossible not to root for Jacobs once the action gets underway tomorrow.

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Terence Crawford set to return May 20, will face either Adrian Granados or Felix Diaz

03/17/2017 James Slater

Who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today? Roman Gonzalez and Gennady Golovkin, for many people two of the best on the planet today, are both in action tomorrow night, while Vasyl Lomachenko, the P-4-P pick of many fans, returns to action in April. But if it’s not one of these three great fighters you have as your No.1 P-4-P, then maybe it’s Terence Crawford.

The undefeated super-lightweight champ who also reigned as a world champ at lightweight, will return on May 20 in Newark, New Jersey and according to his promoter Bob Arum, Crawford will face either Adrian Granados or Felix Diaz. Arum spoke with RingTV.com yesterday:

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Haye insists he’s far from finished: “I will be the heavyweight champion of the world once again”

03/17/201703/16/2017 James Slater

David Haye is confident of three things: he will fight again this year, he still wants it, he will be heavyweight champion again.

Many fans, and experts, felt the crippling, potentially career-ending injury Haye suffered in his March 4 fight with cruiserweight Tony Bellew would leave the former WBA heavyweight champion, at the age of 36 (37 in October) with nowhere to go but into retirement. And though it remains a mystery just how long Haye’s Achilles tear will take to heal (some predict months, others suggest weeks), Haye himself is full of optimism.

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Shannon Briggs ready, says “Fres Oquendo must fall” on June 3rd

03/16/2017 James Slater

Former two-time (lineal and WBO) heavyweight champ Shannon Briggs turned 45 in December, he has not fought since May of last year (a one-round blowout) and his critics say he should never, ever have fought again after the brutal 12-round hammering he took at the hands of Vitali Klitschko back in late 2010.

But Briggs believes he is on the verge of making history, his fight with Fres Oquendo, for a portion of the WBA heavyweight title, set for June 3rd at The Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. Briggs took to social media a few hours ago to announce the fight:

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Dillian Whyte calls out Bellew, says he is “a bigger name in Britain than Joseph Parker, Deontay Wilder”

03/16/2017 James Slater

As fans know, Tony Bellew is never shy to get involved in a grudge-fight; he’s had trash-talk run-ins with Nathan Cleverly, Adonis Stevenson and, most recently, David Haye. Dillian Whyte is also no stranger to a grudge-match; his pre-fight escapades with Anthony Joshua and Dereck Chisora proving memorable.

And now, with British heavyweight champ Whyte calling out “fake heavyweight” Bellew, these two could be locking horns in a venomous grudge-fight with one another. Bellew may need surgery on the hand he broke in his winning fight with Haye before he can box again, but Whyte, in speaking with Sky Sports, called the WBC cruiserweight champ out, claiming, “me versus Bellew will make more money than any other fight he can get at the minute.”

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