Gennady Golovkin-Curtis Stevens: Get Ready For A BANG!

08/04/201308/04/2013 James Slater

stevens1 As fans may have read, middleweight ruler (begging the pardon of Sergio Martinez) Gennady Golovkin is shopping around for a November challenger, with a December fight also pencilled in. Currently one of the hottest fighters/champions/out and out punchers in boxing, “GGG” has fans salivating for more pure punching action.

Fresh off his hugely impressive body punch KO over the experienced Matthew Macklin, the WBA/IBO 160-pound king wants to close 2013 with two more highlight reel wins. As to who his November foe might be, well, Curtis Stevens scored a sizzling highlight reel KO of his own last night in Connecticut, in wrecking Saul Roman in the opening round of a fight that contested the vacant NABF middleweight belt.

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Chris Arreola: A “Nightmare” Of A Fight For Seth Mitchell?

09/14/201608/03/2013 James Slater

arreola56445 You’ve got to hand it to former football player Seth Mitchell. The once-beaten 31-year-old had limited amateur experience and “Mayhem,” as the Brandywine slugger is known, has not found the transition from the field to the ring to be a natural one. But whatever shortcomings Mitchell has as a fighter – and his critics maintain they are plenty – the 26-1-1(19) contender makes up for them, or almost makes up for them, with sheer heart.

Mitchell is not blessed with a good chin, and he appears lost and unsure what to do when hurt (see his stoppage loss to Johnathon Banks and the early going of the return), but he is making the most of his boxing career. By even taking the revenge win over Banks – a fight that resulted in Banks seeming totally disinterested in capitalising on the early, near fight-ending success he had – Mitchell showed he is game, and his next fight, an almost-made match-up with the vastly experienced Chris Arreola, further proves Mitchell is willing to take risks. But is a fight with Arreola, 35-3(30) too much of a risk for Mitchell?

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Jesus Soto Karass: Give This Man A World Title Shot!

07/28/2013 James Slater

002 Soto Karass victory IMG_1761 Last night in San Antonio was quite simply boxing at its very best. The Golden Boy card – surely the leading candidate for Card Of The Year (if there is such an award) – gave us three, count them, three, great fights; two of which are definite FOTY candidates. With the televised opener (at least it was on BoxNation, and how grateful should UK fight fans be for that channel picking up last night’s card!) we had a very good fight in Keith Thurman-Diego Chaves, while with the two epics that were Omar Figueroa-Nihito Arakawa and Jesus Soto Karass-Andre Berto we had unforgettable action delivered by way of two breathtaking slugfests.

The WBC interim lightweight battle was truly awesome, with both guys hammering away at each other with scarcely a jab or anything resembling a clinch in sight all night. That fight may not be topped as far as 2013’s FOTY award goes, but last night’s main event sure came close. Andre Berto, once looked at as a star and a future pound-for-pound talent, showed a ton of heart in his must-win war with Mexican warrior Soto Karass, but he didn’t win. A huge setback, the 12th-round TKO may well have ended Berto’s chances of being an elite fighter.

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Fans Brace For Another Round Of “Rocky” – Sly To Return As Balboa In “Creed”

07/27/201307/26/2013 James Slater

Do we really need another addition to the superb but, some would say worn out, “Rocky” series? Well, no, but Sylvester Stallone cannot really be blamed for being in the mood to once again revive his best, his most intriguing and his most popular screen character, can he?

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Carl Froch-George Groves WBA/IBF title fight confirmed for later this year; date and venue to be announced soon

07/23/2013 James Slater

Georges_Groves It’s official: Carl Froch will defend his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles against unbeaten countryman George Groves later this year at a venue in the UK to be determined soon. The exact date is also TBA but both men appeared live on Sky Sports News at 12 noon UK time today, to talk about the fight.

Froch, unable he said to get rematches with Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward right now, is excited about giving the UK fans a domestic fight that will contest two major world titles.

“I think this fight is a real treat for the fans,” Froch said. “Some people have said George Groves is not in the same class as me, but there is no danger of me underestimating him. I will take this fight very, very seriously and will bring my A-game as I always do. Groves has done everything asked of him and Eddie Hearn has done a great job getting him the mandatory position. I will prepare like I’m fighting one of the best fighters in the world.

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Dereck Chisora Takes Away Malik Scott’s Unbeaten Record With Controversial 6th-round Count-Out

07/21/201307/20/2013 James Slater

chisora101 Tonight at Wembley, Dereck Chisora got back to winning ways with a 6th-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Malik Scott. The ending, at the very least a slightly controversial one, came at the two minute and 56-seconds mark of the 6th.

Chisora, in improving to 17-4(11) said after the fight that he wants to go back to Germany to fight the Klitschkos, again in the case of WBC king Vitali. Scott, now 35-1-1(12) said “everyone knows I beat the count,” yet otherwise took the defeat graciously.

So, now to the controversy. Scott, ahead on the cards at the time of the stoppage and having boxed very well, was belted by a right hand shot that landed on the back of the head as he was on the ropes. Scott went down, smiling as he did so, appearing relatively unhurt.

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Building The Perfect Heavyweight!

07/19/2013 James Slater

Begging the pardon of Alexander Povetkin (who gets the next shot), the David Haye-Tyson Fury winner, Deontay Wilder and the tough and avoided Kubrat Pulev, but no-one looks like defeating heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko. Older brother Vitali, if he risks his fine record by sticking around too long and battling Father Time might, just might, be the victim of a young fighter being smack bang in the right place at the right time, but “Dr. Steel Hammer” looks set to walk away having remained unbeaten since way back in April of 2004.

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Harlem: Host To Boxing Royalty In A Golden Age (A work of fiction)

07/16/2013 James Slater

robinson464633 It’s the middle of a magical year in a magical decade and we are in a magical place for boxing. Only boxing royalty is present this night, that and the finest, most gifted artists, writers and performers of the day. The one and only Miles Davis, enveloped in silhouette, plays for the guest of honour, while Sugar Ray’s fellow boxing masters, the ones he has personally invited to his latest post-fight celebration, sit and drink and revel and talk boxing and money and fame and immortality as they bask in the glory they have each long since grown accustomed to enjoying.

Archie Moore, the seemingly ageless light-heavyweight champion, sits at the piano, almost silently tickling the keys as accompaniment to the heavenly playing of the jazz great. Joe Louis, arguably the finest heavyweight of all time, sits and sips on a short, “The Brown Bomber” looking slightly uneasily towards the door as he does so. Then the music stops and our hero makes his entrance.

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Kell Brook’s “Big Name” In Planned September Fight: Might It Be Mosley?

07/14/2013 James Slater

mosley45445 Unbeaten Kell Brook put a frustrating number of months behind him last night in Hull, in stopping tough rival Carson Jones in the 8th-round of a largely one-sided fight. Looking “Special” indeed at times, Brook – who impressed with his left jab and his right hooks to the head – advanced to 30-0(20). Perhaps more importantly, is the “big name” an “excited” Eddie Hearn spoke of having lined up for Brook in Sheffield in his next bout in September.

Already, fans are wondering who this big name will be (Hearn is expected to make announcement this week). Brook’s main goal is of course to fight for and win a world title, but the September bout doesn’t figure to be a title shot. Instead, look for Brook to attempt to bag himself a valuable, statistically impressive win over a “name” and then get his long-awaited shot at world glory.

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Haye Vs. Fury News – Haye’s Trainer Adam Booth: “10,000 Tickets Sold In Three Hours”

07/11/2013 James Slater

Heavyweight rivals David Haye and Tyson Fury continued their war of words on Sky Sports’ Ringside show tonight, just an hour or so after their heated press conference in London. The fight, one that Fury promoter Mick Hennessey is calling a “super-fight,” all set for Manchester on September 28th, is sure to attract a massive audience – with the pre-bout build-up already proving hugely entertaining.

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