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.

R.I.P Bobby Chacon

R.I.P Bobby Chacon

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

Now it could be Lamont Peterson for Miguel Cotto

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?

Fury-Klitschko rematch finally on, but who wins?

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”

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

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!)

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

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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Carl Froch says he had a “nightmare” spar with Kell Brook, says GGG is in for the “toughest fight of his career”

Carl Froch says he had a “nightmare” spar with Kell Brook, says GGG is in for the “toughest fight of his career”

Retired former super-middleweight king and current Sky Sports pundit Carl Froch has weighed-in with his thoughts on this Saturday’s massively intriguing Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook fight and, though Froch does not go so far as to say his countryman will get the win, he does say that unbeaten pound-for-pound star GGG is in for the “toughest fight of his career so far.”

Froch sparred an up and coming Book back in 2009, as he was getting ready to fight Andre Direll in the “Super-Six” tournament, and though the spar was a long time ago, Froch remembers it well and feels that the problems he had nailing Brook, and avoiding his right hand, could be obstacles GGG has trouble with also.

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Weight a minute!….GGG says Brook is looking “huge;” expects an “interesting” fight

Weight a minute!....GGG says Brook is looking “huge;” expects an “interesting” fight

Weight, size, and size again. These have been two of the big talking points ahead of the big fight that is now just five days away: Gennady Golovkin Vs. Kell Brook. Initially, when the fight was first (shockingly) announced, to the, well, shock of practically everyone, the cry was, ‘Oh, Brook is a welterweight! He is too small for GGG.’ Well, since then, and as a result of some serious training, IBF 147-pound champ Brook has bulked up to middleweight – actually tipping-in at 167-pounds at last week’s check-weight.

This change to Brook’s physique has forced some fans (mostly British fans, it must be said) to change their opinion on the big fight. Brook himself has said a number of times that fans, and GGG, will be shocked and surprised by his size and strength on fight night. And today, when speaking with Sky Sports, the undefeated middleweight king said himself how impressed he is with Brook’s physical appearance.

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Remembering “Bad” Bennie Briscoe – would the Philly hard man have been a champ today?

Fighting in a golden era for middleweights, Philadelphia legend Bennie Briscoe ranks as one of the toughest,hardest and best 160-pounders to have never got his hands on a world title. Imagine, though, if the shaven-headed warrior was around, and at his fighting peak, today. Surely, with all the many titles that are around these days, “Bad” Bennie would have claimed at least one of them. Maybe, just maybe, Briscoe would also have given current king Gennady Golovkin the fierce test fans so want to see GGG engage in.

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WATCH: A boxing superstar is in town! The UK gets excited over Gennady Golovkin!

WATCH: A boxing superstar is in town! The UK gets excited over Gennady Golovkin!

British boxing is buzzing right now, over two things: the imminent super-fight we can look forward to seeing this Saturday, and the very prescence of the star of the fight. Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin has touched down in london and fans cannot wait to see him do his stuff at the o2 arena against Kell Brook.

As much as british fans are supporting brook and genuinely want him to win, there is something special, regal even, about ggg being in town. A few good judges are giving brook a shot at winning on Saturday, but the overwhelming majority of fight people are basically looking forward to seeing a Golovkin showcase.

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Golovkin vs Brook: GGG says, with a laugh, how he may intentionally look less than great against Brook, to lure Canelo into fighting him!

Golovkin vs Brook: GGG says, with a laugh, how he may intentionally look less than great against Brook, to lure Canelo into fighting him!

Gennady Golovkin is a fighter who has proven so dominant he has even taken to letting an opponent stick around for a few extra rounds before lowering the boom on him, and GGG has even dropped his hands and let a foe punch him in the face. So special a fighter Golovkin is, his admirers say, he has yet to get out of second gear in any pro fight. Winning with something to spare is what GGG has been doing, consistently, and his potential rivals (who are few and far between) have been impressed/intimidated enough to want to stay away from him.

But what if GGG does struggle, look bad or gest genuinely hurt in a fight? Would his cowering would-be rivals come out of hiding and agree to face the middleweight king if he looked less than formidable? GGG is so desperate to get the big, big fight with Saul Canelo Alvarez that he said to The Los Angles Times how he might intentionally look less than great against Kell Brook on Saturday, so as to lure Canelo into fighting him.

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