Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has been using the mantra, “now more than ever” ahead of his on/off now on again rematch with Tyson Fury. “Obsessed” with getting revenge and of “putting right” the decision loss he suffered last November, the 40-year-old has pointed out on Twitter how he is “vicious” when returning to the ring from a loss.
And Dr. Steel Hammer says he will be vicious on October 29, in his latest comeback.
There have been a few stories floating around regarding who IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua might fight in his upcoming defence on November 26. With Hughie Fury’s October 29 fight with Andy Ruiz Jr now off, Fury was a possible option for Joshua’s upcoming defence – and Peter Fury has said on twitter that his son would definitely take the fight, and that he himself would accept it if the money was right.
It seems “regular” WBA middleweight champion Danny Jacobs is serious about wanting to fight world ruler Gennady Golovkin next. According to WBA President Gilberto Mendoza, who spoke with Sky Sports, negotiations between the two sides have started in earnest and Jacobs’ handlers have sent a financial offer to GGG’s promoter Tom Loeffler. Of course, we do not know how good, or fair an offer this is, but Mendoza says that if the two sides cannot reach a deal, the fight will go to purse bids.
So either way, it sure looks like once-beaten New York “Miracle Man” Jacobs will be the next fighter to try and put a halt to the GGG-Express.
When they met at the end of July, featherweights Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz gave us a truly great fight, one that is sure to figure prominently when the plaudits go out for the 2016 Fight of The Year. Now, after trading leather for 12 thrilling rounds in New York, the two are close to doing it all again. Frampton took the WBC 126-pound crown from Mexican warrior Santa Cruz, becoming the first man to beat him. In the process, Frampton became a two-weight king and an absolute legend in Ireland.
Santa Cruz has activated the rematch clause that was in place ahead of the first fight and now, Jose Santa Cruz says the return could happen before the end of the year.
Fans will hopefully find out next week who IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua will be fighting in his second title defence, set for November 26. Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted how the opponent will be revealed week commencing Sept 26 (next Monday) – and one fighter who says he would take the fight and “break Anthony Joshua’s face in half,” is unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller.
Speaking with Sky Sports, “Big Baby,” as the 18-0-1(16) contender is known, says he should have been on the short-list to next challenge A.J, along with Kubrat Pulev, Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker. Miller has been calling Joshua out for some time now and he is certain he has too much heart for the 17-0(17) Londoner.
A quarter of a century ago today a boxing match took place in London. It was a fight that will always cause any fight fan who witnessed it to have an uneasy, disturbing feeling. Michael Watson and Chris Eubank, two men who seemed to have a very real dislike for one another, met in a much anticipated, publicly demanded rematch. At the conclusion of just over 11-rounds of warfare neither man would ever be the same again.
Three months earlier, down at middleweight, Watson and Eubank had contested the WBO title, with the already controversial and unbeaten Eubank walking away with a debatable 12-round majority decision victory. The boos that met the announced decision ensured the two would have to fight again. When they did, as super, super-middleweights, an entire nation was watching. The incredibly determined Watson, a no-nonsense fighter who had worked his way up the hard way throughout his career, was utterly relentless, winning round after round after round.
According to trainer Peter Fury, who guides both heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and his son, unbeaten heavyweight contender Hughie Fury, Mexican/American contender Andy Ruiz Junior has pulled out of his scheduled October 29 fight with Hughie. The fight, a very interesting and intriguing one between two young and talented big men, was to have been the chief support to Fury-Klitschko II in Manchester.
However, according to Peter, who took to social media earlier today, the fight is now off as Ruiz Jr has pulled out for as yet unconfirmed reasons.
During the relatively short history of the two “rival” sports being in existence at the same time, fight fans have not been treated to too many, if any, glorious spectacles whenever a boxer has crossed over to fight an MMA fighter, or vice-versa. We’ve seen big names from both sports try it (think James Toney succumbing against Randy Couture for an MMA victory over boxing, to Ray Mercer icing Tim Sylvia for a boxing triumph over MMA) but it’s never been too pretty.
Modern day fight fans know there is a lot more to it that mere fighting prowess when it comes to being able to unify a weight class. These days, with fighters performing on rival networks for rival promoters, the actual getting of a big fight can prove more troublesome and stressful than the actual in the ring fighting (well, not quite, but you get the idea). Simply put, it is much easier these days for fighter A to duck fighter B, and just put the failure to make the fight down to boxing politics.
WBA 140-pound champ Ricky Burns, who has already enjoyed a quite amazing career, has even more incentive to successfully defend his belt against dangerous puncher Kiryl Relikh on October 7. Scottish hero Burns, who rejuvenated his career by winning the WBA light-welterweight title earlier this year, becoming a three-weight champion, could fight American bad boy Adrien Broner in December of this year if he comes through next month against the Ricky Hatton-guided Relikh.
Speaking with STV News, Burns, 40-5-1(14) said talks between his team and Broner’s team have been ongoing and that a fight out in Las Vegas would be something he’d really like. Burns insists, however, he is not underestimating the unbeaten Relikh, 21-0(19)