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.

Manny Pacquiao says he’ll be watching Golovkin-Brook; picks GGG to win

09/09/201609/09/2016 James Slater

Like the rest of us, superstar Manny Pacquiao will be paying to see tomorrow night’s big Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook middleweight clash (well, he’ll be watching it anyway). Currently preparing for his own fight – against WBO welterweight king Jessie Vargas, who was to have fought Brook in a unification clash before the match-up fell through – Pac-Man says he is excited by tomorrow’s fight at The O2, but that he sees a very tough task for Brook.

Pac-Man of course rose through the weight divisions with stunning efficiency, eventually capturing recognised world titles in a record eight weight classes, but even he feels welterweight Brook’s jump up two weights in one move is too great. Speaking with Omnisport, Pacquiao said he sees a “hard” fight for Brook.

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Abel Sanchez: Absolutely no truth to GGG illness rumours; he’s in fight mode!

09/09/201609/09/2016 James Slater

Today, rumours circulated saying how Gennady Golovkin was feeling unwell, even perhaps battling an illness, ahead of tomorrow’s big fight with Kell Brook. In the opinion of some people, these rumours were given some credence by the fact that Golovkin headed straight for his room after the weigh-in and did not want to do any further media engagements.

Of course, rumours being circulated is nothing new in boxing, especially just days (or hours) before a big fight, but GGG’s trainer Abel Sanchez spoke with Sky Sports just after today’s weigh-in, and he stated that there is no truth whatsoever to these whispers.

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Face-to-Face at the weigh-in: Brook says he could “see fear” in Golovkin’s eyes

09/10/201609/09/2016 James Slater

What to make of today’s official weigh-in for tomorrow’s hugely fascinating and potentially thrilling Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook middleweight battle? The weights were pretty much as expected, although it was perhaps a little surprising seeing welterweight Brook tip-in heavier than the world middleweight ruler; even if it was by less than a pound. Brook, though, looks absolutely magnificently conditioned, muscular, ripped and ready.

Brook has that glow about him that only a peaking, fully fit pro athlete can have. Golovkin pretty much looked his usual self, despite promoter Eddie Hearn’s belief that GGG “looked a little drawn” yesterday. Both men looked in fantastic, ready to go shape as they stood on the scales. Brook, however, said he could see fear in the eyes of the feared KO artist who will be having his first pro fight in England tomorrow night.

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De La Hoya outlines plans for Canelo: one more fight this year, one on Cinco de Mayo 2017, then GGG

09/08/2016 James Slater

Oscar De La Hoya is of course confident his fighter, Mexican superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez will emerge victorious in his upcoming 154-pound WBO title challenge of a very live underdog indeed in Liam Smith, and Oscar has laid out his plans for Canelo for after the September 17 figh. Speaking with HBO in a piece to promote the Smith fight in Texas, De La Hoya said Alvarez will continue his ascension to the middleweight division he says he will move up to on a full time basis only when his body is ready.

“We envision Canelo doing a third fight in 2016 either at or close to the middleweight limit and then a fight on Cinco de Mayo at 160 before facing Golovkin in the fall. I know Canelo-Golovkin is the biggest fight to make; the fighters know it’s the biggest fight to make and the fans know it’s the biggest fight to make. I have been clear that Canelo will fight Golovkin at 160-pounds and we have a verbal agreement to do it in the fall of 2017. But in the meantime, Canelo is going to build up to being a true middleweight.”

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Eddie Hearn: Maybe I’m clutching at straws, but I thought GGG looked a little bit drawn

09/08/2016 James Slater

Today in London, Gennady Golovkin and Kell Brook came together for the final press conference ahead of Saturday night’s big fight, and Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn came away with a little bit of added confidence, due to how he felt Golovkin looked physically. Brook, as fans know, is looking great: “massive, strong and serious,” in the words of Golovkin himself. But Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports after the press conference had come to an end, said he felt GGG did not look great; in fact, Hearn said his personal opinion is that Triple-G might have struggled a little in getting his weight down to 160.

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R.I.P Bobby Chacon

09/08/201609/07/2016 James Slater

In sad news, it has been reported how legendary warrior and former WBC featherweight and super featherweight king Bobby Chacon has passed away at the age of 64. Reports are sketchy and it is not yet clear just how Chacon of Sylmar, California died, but it is bad news nonetheless. A great action fighter who thrilled his millions of fans in the 1970s and ’80s, Chacon was a fearless warrior who always sought to fight the very best.

Turning pro in April of 1972 at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, Chacon went on to become a firm fan favourite. A 1973 loss to Mexican great Ruben Olivares proved a setback, with Chacon losing his unbeaten record, but he bounced back and, just six fights later, including a win over an unbeaten Danny Lopez, Chacon defeated Alfredo Marcano to win the vacant WBC 126-pound title. Just one retention followed, before Chacon met Olivares in a return. Losing again via stoppage, Chacon would also lose his next but one fight – to Rafael “Bazooka” Limon.

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Now it could be Lamont Peterson for Miguel Cotto

09/07/2016 James Slater

Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto may still box before the end of 2016. The Puerto Rican great, inactive since his engrossing and competitive 12-round loss to the bigger and younger Canelo Alvarez, has had a number of potential opponents mentioned for this year – from James Kirkland to Yuriorkis Gamboa (talk which proved to be just that, talk). But now, according to a news piece on RingTV.com, Cotto could face Lamont Peterson on December 3rd.

A “source” told The Bible of Boxing that although no deal has yet been reached for a Cotto-Peterson clash, the talks are “far along,” and how things “looked good.|” The fight, if it does happen, will go ahead at The Barclays Centre in New York. Ring reports how it is not yet clear whether this would-be fight would go out on HBO pay-per-view, or just reguar HBO. In the interest of the fans, Cotto-Peterson, a good if far from great match-up, should not be pay-per-view.

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Fury-Klitschko rematch finally on, but who wins?

09/07/2016 James Slater

As fight fans have no doubt read or heard, the rematch for the heavyweight championship of the world between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko, is finally on. This fight, one that looked for a time as though it would never see the light of day – what with Fury declaring he might quit the sport, his subsequent leg injury, alleged failed drugs tests and Wladimir’s statement of intent as far as taking Fury to court – will go ahead, as planned, in Manchester on October 29th. Whew!

The massive fight has been dubbed “Repeat or Revenge,” but a better, more appropriate tag might have been, “Finally!” But tag-lines aside, this fight is one all fans want to see. Not because the first fight, won via decision by Fury, was a great fight, but because so may people just cannot decide whether Fury got “lucky” and had a great night at the expense of a rare bad night on the part of Klitschko. Fans want to know, is the controversial, the entertaining, the wholly unpredictable Fury the real deal or not?

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“Prince” Naz gives his take on GGG-Brook – picks Kell to win and become “best British fighter ever”

09/06/2016 James Slater

Naseem Hamed lit up the featherweight division like no other British fighter ever did, and “Prince” Naz, although a loser in the biggest fight of his thrilling career – against Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera – ranks as one of the best British fighters of recent years. Today long since retired (and carrying so much weight he is almost unrecognisable from the sleek and lethal 126-pound puncher he was in the 1990s/early 2000s) Hamed remains a fight fan.

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Evander Holyfield Vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi: the cruiserweight division’s Thrilla (in Atlanta!)

09/06/2016 James Slater

The great Muhammad Ali’s quote of how the third war he had with the also great Joe Frazier was “close to death,” is well known, and it is of course undeniably true that the two legends gave their all in the unforgettable 1975 super-fight. But yet another great, in Evander Holyfield, at the beginning of his storied career, also experienced something akin to the sheer hell Ali (and Frazier) went through – in the summer of 1986, when he was a cruiserweight contender challenging for his first world title.

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