David Price returned to winning ways at the end of last month, scoring an impressive and, most importantly, confidence boosting KO victory in Liverpool (never mind the calibre of the opponent, Price was happy to get back in there and let his fists fly). The win came after an agonising period for the heavy-handed contender, what with him losing to Tony Thompson and then Erkan Teper – both fighters later failing drugs tests, their wins over Price being severely tainted as a result; Price rightfully feeling cheated.
James Slater
Dillian Whyte to face Danny Batchelder on Saturday’s Joshua-Breazeale card
Returning to the ring for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery after his exciting loss to current IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte will face short notice foe Danny Batchelder this Saturday on the Joshua-Breazeale card at The O2. 28-year-old Whyte, 16-1(13) last boxed in December, the 7th-round stoppage loss to A.J, and he is chasing a rematch with Joshua. As a comeback opponent, Batchelder, 31-11-1(15) is not a bad choice; even if the man from Phoenix has seen better days.
Go back a few years, to 2007 and 2008, and Batchelder was facing former world champions James Toney and Lamon Brewster and giving them good fights, Toney especially, who won only a split decision over him. A top class journeyman/trial horse in his day, Batchelder could always be relied upon to give world class fighters a decent enough test. But Batchelder, who has been stopped six times, has not fought in almost a full year and he lost his last two bouts. Before that, though, Batchelder had reeled off six straight wins (against limited opposition).
Hearn: I think I’ve got the best heavyweight on the planet for the next ten years
The above statement, on IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, was not made by Eddie Hearn, but by his father, Barry Hearn. Still, regardless of who made the bold statement, it is just that – bold. Many people (myself included) see Joshua, 16-0(16) as a talented fighter with plenty of potential, but nothing more at this stage in his career. Look at Joshua’s record of opposition and you will see two, maybe three decent names. Until he beats an elite heavyweight – a Tyson Fury, a Wladimir Klitschko or a Deontay Wilder for example – the jury will still be out on how good, or great, as Hearn claims, Joshua really is.
Tyson Fury still angry at IBF, vows to never again fight for the belt he once held
Tyson Fury, the lineal world heavyweight champion, is still angry at the way the IBF declared their belt vacant just days after he had won it by beating Wladimir Klitschko in a big upset last November. Fury, unable to defend the strap as quickly as the organisation demanded, watched as Charles Martin became the new IBF ruler, subsequently losing it in double-quick time to Anthony Joshua.
40 years on and “Rocky” still inspires
It’s quite hard to believe, but the classic, the inspirational and the just plain terrific “Rocky” movie is 40 years old this year. Released just before Christmas, in early December of 1976, the film was an instant success and all these years later it’s still nothing but a treat to watch. There is just so much to enjoy from this, a relatively low budget, but highly moving piece of cinema. The film of course made a hero out of its star, Sylvester Stallone, but the supporting cast, the theme music, the realistic fight scenes and makeup, all share top billing.
Justin Fortune: “Solomon Haumono can punch like a train” – confident of upsetting Joseph Parker
40-year-old Solomon Haumono will certainly be ruining a lot of big plans if he pulls off the upset and defeats top-ranked IBF heavyweight contender Joseph Parker when they meet next month, but Haumono’s trainer Justin Fortune is confident it can happen. Currently training the 24-2-2(21) giant in Los Angeles, Fortune – best known as a former co-trainer of superstar Manny Pacquiao but also a former heavyweight himself – told The Daily Telegraph that “Sol,” as he refers to Haumono, is “going to be completely different to anything he has ever shown in the past.”
Anthony Joshua wants to pay The Greatest tribute, by doing The Ali Shuffle on Saturday!
The tributes continue to pour in for The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, as we all knew they would after his sad passing of June 3rd. But one man, IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua, a huge Ali fan, is planning to pay a visual tribute to the great man: by mimicking Ali’s flashy Ali Shuffle. A number of fighters who came after Ali have tried to either win over fans or impress them by doing The Shuffle, and it has not always gone down too well. Seen by many fans as a classless act, by fighters who were not worthy of imitating the incomparable Ali (think Tony Tucker, for example, when he did The Shuffle during his big fight with Mike Tyson; the fans booed and the commentators cringed).
Deontay Wilder as big as a 37-1 favourite over challenger Chris Arreola!
Shades of Mike Tyson Vs. Buster Douglas? WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder is a whopping favourite to retain his belt with a win over Chris Arreola when they meet on July 16th. A betting site in Alabama – Wilder’s hometown – list the champ as a 37-1 favourite to beat Arreola. Most odds, found on line, have Wilder as around a 25-1 favourite to win next month.
Amir Khan “chasing” return fight with Danny Garcia, still no interest in Kell Brook
Amir Khan, last seen losing his big and brave gamble of a 155-pound fight with Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez, is not sounding at all like a fighter who is thinking about retirement. Far from it, Khan is searching – or, to use his exact words, chasing – another big fight; a return meeting with WBC welterweight ruler Danny Garcia. Khan is currently the WBC number-one contender and he wants the fight.
Khan was of course stopped by Garcia back in 2012, inside four-rounds. Can Khan do any better in a rematch? If Khan gets his way, we will find out.
Eddie Hearn: “Don’t be surprised to see Eubank-Golovkin in September”
Though there are certainly plenty of critics and cynics who say the fight will either never happen at all or that it is a gross mismatch anyway, Chris Eubank Junior’s promoter Eddie Hearn insists talks are well underway, at an advanced stage even, for his fighter to face unbeaten pound-for-pound star Gennady Golovkin. In fact Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports News HQ, said we should “not be surprised to see Eubank-Golovkin in September.”
Hearn said Eubank must first take care of, and look good against, Tom Doran in defence of his British middleweight belt on June 25th (on the Joshua-Breazeale card in London) but that it could then be an assault on GGG’s collection of world titles.