During his time in boxing, trainer and former pro Justin Fortune has tasted, either in a real fight or in sparring, the power of Lennox Lewis, Tommy Morrison and, arguably the freakishly strongest puncher of them all, George Foreman. Fortune, speaking before the media in Sydney this week ahead of his fighter Solomon Haumono’s clash with unbeaten IBF number-one contender Joseph Parker, said Haumono has power to match all three.
James Slater
Roy Jones Junior to return for “possible farewell” fight against Rodney Moore in August
Roy Jones Junior, now aged 47 and last seen being brutally KO’d by Enzo Maccarinelli is his adopted Russia in his most recent bout of any meaning, will box again on August 13. Set to face fellow veteran Rodney Moore in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida, Jones Jr will reappear after his winning curiosity bout against competition winner and debutant Vyryon Phillips in March.
Jones Jr, 63-9(46) has been shot or close to it for years, certainly nothing like the once untouchable boxing master he was in the 1990s and early 2000s, yet he cannot, for whatever reason, walk away and retire. Against Moore, 17-11-2(7) will be attempting to defeat a 40-year-old cruiserweight who has not won a fight since way back in 2002. “Rocking” Rodney of Houston, Texas has faced a number of good fighters during his 20 year pro career (that saw a gap of inactivity between 2006 and 2011) – including Richard Hall, Darnell Wilson, Andrey Fedesov and, more recently, in June of 2015, Murat Gassiev. But Moore has lost to the names he has faced. Moore has only been stopped once, by the rising Gassiev, but it is unclear how much he has left to offer today.
Deontay Wilder in nasty mood ahead of Arreola fight; says “it’s good to send opponents to the hospital once in a while”
With the mood WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder seems to be in right now, it takes a brave man to want to get in the ring with him. Chris Arreola has never been short on courage, as we know, and he will take the challenge on Saturday night. Arreola knows he’s up against it and he has trained hard to make the most of his short-notice opportunity, but Wilder is vowing to not only knock him out, but also send him to the hospital.
Manny Pacquiao looks set for comeback, will Floyd’s follow?
Though superstar Manny Pacquiao has not yet fully or officially endorsed his return to the ring, stating how his senatorial duties will always come first, his promoter Bob Arum is certain Pac-Man’s retirement, which came just three months ago, will end on either October 29 or November 5 in Las Vegas. It has been widely covered by many outlets how the 37-year-old great is expected back on one of these date and all that remains to be worked out (aside from just which Vegas venue will host the fight) is who will be the man in the opposite corner of the ring.
Arum spoke to The Mail and he said that one fighter, who was once a possibility, has now been well and truly crossed off the list: Adrien Broner. According to Arum, Broner has a problem understanding the economics of his sport, asking for as much as, or more than, Pacquiao will get paid. “He’s crazy,” Arum said. So who might it be in October or November?
Tony Bellew to make first defence of WBC crown in October – talks Haye, B.J Flores
Back in May, underdog Tony Bellew rose to the occasion and put in a contender for best performance by a British fighter this year, when he destroyed the dangerous Ilunga Makabu in three-rounds to take the WBC cruiserweight title. Now, “Bomber” has to hold onto the belt, and his first defence will take place in Liverpool in October, Bellew told Sky Sports.
Bermane Stiverne already in training camp for Joshua shot: “I have a desire to be a two-time heavyweight champion”
Former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne is already in training camp, working ahead of a hoped for shot at IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua at the end of the year. Joshua has spoken of wanting to get a second voluntary title defence in before moving on to face his mandatory, Joseph Parker, early next year. And Joshua said he would be interested in fighting Stiverne, as he feels the fight would have a good chance of going into the later rounds, where A.J is keen to show his stamina (he has of course not yet gone past the 7th-round as a pro).
Deontay Wilder-Chris Arreola: the best value for money fight of the year, whatever happens (your seat – $20!)
It might be a competitive fight, it might not be. It might be an exciting fight, it might not be (it will be!) And it might be a long fight, it might not be – but what Saturday’s WBC heavyweight title fight between champ Deontay Wilder and challenger Chris Arreola will be, is a value for money fight. Cheapest tickets at The Legacy Arena in Alabama? Yours for just the almost insulting price (insulting to the two fighters and the promoters who, let’s face it, need to earn a buck) of $20.00!
Kell Brook:” As crazy as it sounds, I’m looking forward to feeling his power”
Kell Brook really does come across as a very confident fighter entering his massive challenge of feared middleweight king Gennady Golovkin (the man and his power he is of course referring to in the above headline). Of course, any fighter who has called for a big fight and got it should be fully confident he is going to win, but there are sceptics out there who feel Brook – who is a huge underdog according to the latest betting odds available – has taken this fight for the huge payday and nothing more.
Hail Cesar! Chavez, the greatest Mexican fighter ever born on this day in 1962
Who is the greatest ever Mexican fighter: Ruben Olivares? Salvador Sanchez? Carlos Zarate? Miguel Canto? Juan Manuel Marquez? Erik Morales? Marco Antonio Barrera? Ricardo Lopez?
No, top of the list, above all this incredible talent, is the man who was born today in 1962 and went on to record an astonishing 107-6-2(86) pro record – the mighty, the incomparable Julio Cesar Chavez. Simply unbeatable in his prime years – 1984 to 1993 – Chavez tore through the super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight divisions, capturing world titles in each weight class and retaining them for a substantial amount of time. Among the fine fighters Chavez defeated: Mario Martinez, Ruben Castillo, Roger Mayweather, Rocky Lockridge, Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez, Meldrick Taylor and Hector Camacho.
Andre Ward must get past his “tune-up” first, but looks the favourite to defeat Sergey Kovalev in November
In boxing, a so-called “tune-up” fight can have the exact opposite result than was planned or hoped for. Wanting to sharpen up tools and pick up added, reaffirming confidence before heading into a big match-up, a fighter can sometimes leave said “tune-up” feeling rustier, less sharp and less confident than he was before fighting it. Light-heavyweight ruler Sergey Kovalev might be feeling a little this way right now, after his frustrating, less than satisfying points win over Isaac Chilemba yesterday.