James Slater

Hearn says Froch-Groves II is “Biggest fight in British boxing history” – but who wins?

Hearn says Froch-Groves II is “Biggest fight in British boxing history” - but who wins?

As fight fans may have read by now, it has been confirmed how the eagerly anticipated rematch between bitter super-middleweight rivals Carl Froch and George Groves will go ahead at the colossal Wembley Stadium in London. The fight, a return meeting of last November’s controversial thriller won by Froch via 9th-round TKO, is expected to sell over 60,000 tickets on May 31st.

Promoter Eddie Hearn told BBC Sport today that he thinks the fight will surpass all other British fights as far as ticket sales go, and Hearn has called the return “the biggest fight in British boxing history.” Currently, there have been a few fights held in Britain that saw over 50,000 fans attend – the Joe Calzaghe-Mikkel Kessler fight that took place at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in 2007 and Ricky Hatton-Juan Lazcano clash that went down at The City of Manchester Stadium in 2008, this fight the current record holder at around 54,000 tickets sold – but Hearn is convinced Froch-Groves II will break all records.

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Chavez Jr-Vera and Salido-Lomachenko weigh-in: Chavez, Vera and Lomachenko look in sensational shape, Salido comes in heavy and loses title on scale

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The weights are in for tomorrow’s two big fights set to go down tomorrow night in San Antonio, Texas, and Mexican Son of a Legend Julio Cesar Chavez Junior tipped-in at a ready and ripped 167.5-pounds for his rematch with the rugged Bryan Vera – who came in at the exact same weight.

Chavez’ team members held aloft a giant sized void penalty cheque, in reference to the fine Chavez would have had to pay had he done as some expected and came in heavy. Instead, Chavez has clearly worked hard, his body looking hard, his conditioning looking excellent. Looks can of course be deceiving, but if Chavez fights as good as he looked on the scale, it could be bad news for Vera; a fighter many felt should have been awarded the decision after the first action-packed fight between he and the Mexican star.

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Amir Khan still wants shot at Mayweather, says he’ll KO Broner!

Amir Khan still wants shot at Mayweather, says he’ll KO Broner!

While former 140-pound king Amir Khan is still getting used to the frustrating fact that superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior will not be giving him a shot at his titles in his next fight (and in fact just jerked Khan around wasting his time, this despite the fact that Khan actually won the Twitter poll: ‘who should I fight: Khan or Maidana,’ that Mayweather set up so as to “let the fans decide,”) the 27-year-old has not given up complete hope of one day challenging the unbeaten master.

Taking to his Twitter account to address a number of issues, Khan today also spoke about who he may fight next. Khan first refuted the fact that British rival Kell Brook and his team have not offered him the $5 million that has been widely reported:

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Old Money? Floyd Mayweather Junior turns 37 today

Old Money? Floyd Mayweather Junior turns 37 today

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior celebrates his 37th birthday today. While fight fans the world over await “Money’s” belated announcement on just who he will fight on May 3rd, Mayweather has been enjoying his birthday by taking in a game and betting some big bucks as he loves to do.

Whoever Floyd winds up fighting next, and in subsequent fights post May 3rd, most if not all people fully expect him to be able to keep his perfect unbeaten record; partly because of his boxing brilliance, partly because of Mayweather’s unwillingness to take any risks (by fighting Manny Pacquiao, or making a historic move up to middleweight and a potentially rough fight with Gennady Golovkin – these two fights being those most fans bring up as the ones they’d most like to see Mayweather take).

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Ali’s gloves from historic Liston fight fetch $836,000 at auction

Ali's gloves from historic Liston fight fetch $836,000 at auction

The unforgettable first fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston is 50-years old on Tuesday and yesterday, the gloves the then Cassius Clay wore when he shook up the world sold at auction for just under $900,00. An anonymous bidder now owns this piece of fistic history and the bounty he or she paid goes to show how big and important and just plain special Ali was, is and always will be.

Back a half century ago, nobody thought the brash, somewhat annoying loudmouth would really amount to too much; certainly nobody from the fight fraternity thought Clay stood any chance against the fearsome “unbeatable” Liston. Even today, with Ali’s legend secure, there are many people who refuse to accept Clay’s 7th round retirement victory as legit. Liston took a dive they claimed then and they claim today; and as for the massive controversy the second fight and its “Phantom Punch” caused – forget it!

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Martinez-Cotto official for June 7th – Cotto goes for history!

Martinez-Cotto official for June 7th - Cotto goes for history!

While we fight fans must sit and endure Floyd Mayweather’s silly games of not doing the right thing and announcing who he will fight next, another great fight was today announced as official: middleweight king Sergio Martinez will, as has been expected for some time, face former 140-pound, 147-pound and 154-pound ruler Miguel Cotto.

The fight will take place at a 159-pound catch-weight, just a pound below the middleweight limit, and will take place at Madison Square Garden during the weekend of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade. So, Cotto can expect a ton of fan support and fight fans can expect a potentially explosive fight that will go out on HBO pay-per-view, but can Cotto realise his dream of making history and become the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles at four different weights?

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Tyson Fury tips-in at a heavy 274-pounds for clash with Joey Abell!

Tyson Fury tips-in at a heavy 274-pounds for clash with Joey Abell!

The weights are in for tomorrow’s heavyweight doubleheader in London, and the biggest shock/newsworthy item is the poundage Tyson Fury came in at.

Fury tipped-in at 274-pounds, some twenty pounds heavier than for his last fight, while his opponent Joey Abell came in at 241-pounds. Fury did not remove his shirt while weighing in.

In the chief support, Dereck Chisora, who has battled weight problems himself in the past, came in at a solid 238-pounds. His rival, Kevin Johnson, who is aiming to score the upset and ruin plans for a Chisora-Fury rematch in the summer, tipped-in at 240-pounds.

So, the Fury fight will attract most headlines and unbeaten Tyson’s weight has already done so. For those fans who like to bet on the underdog, maybe Abell is a fighter worth betting on.

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Shannon Briggs looking in superb physical shape for comeback fight against Kertson Manswell

Shannon Briggs looking in superb physical shape for comeback fight against Kertson Manswell

In a sport that has been and will continue to be absolutely littered with comebacks, boxing and its fans have to be persuaded over time that a former champ climbing back through the ropes has any kind of genuine shot at enjoying any real success. The latest name to get set for a ring return is Shannon Briggs, the former lineal and WBO heavyweight ruler.

Briggs is 42-years-old now and he hasn’t fought since being badly beaten – in a valiantly brave or foolishly stubborn effort, depending on your opinion – by Vitali Klitschko in October of 2010. Briggs, 51-6-1(45) will face sometimes dangerous journeyman Kertson Manswell, 24-8(18) in Atlanta on February 23rd. Briggs still believes he can regain a world title and the Manswell fight will, he hopes, be the first step towards bigger things.

One thing that might make Briggs’ comeback look at least something like realistic is the physical shape “The Cannon” appears to have got himself in. Briggs has posted plenty of pictures of himself on his Twitter account and, sporting a shaven head to go with the muscles, Briggs looks to be in great shape. Of course, looks can be deceiving, but it does seem as though Briggs has been working very hard in the gym.

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Floyd Mayweather Junior asks his fans who he should fight next: Khan or Maidana

Floyd Mayweather Junior asks his fans who he should fight next: Khan or Maidana

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior didn’t do as was widely expected and use the platform of the always huge Super bowl weekend to announce who his next fight would be; instead Mayweather took to his Twitter account and asked his fans do do the choosing of his next opponent for him. But fans have just two names to choose from: Britain’s Amir Khna and Argentina’s Marcos Maidana.

“I’m going to let the fans vote,” wrote Mayweather. “Tell me who I should fight next. Khan or Maidana?”

It’s a pity Mayweather’s list has just two fighters on it – just think how many votes Floyd would receive if Manny Pacquiao was on the list! But as it is, it’s almost guaranteed, in my opinion anyway, that the lion’s share of the fans vote for Maidana. Ever since the possibility of Mayweather facing Khan was brought up, fans everywhere have complained of the fight being “an obvious mis-match,” or “an easy pay day for Floyd.” It’s a no-brainer that these same fans will now ask for Mayweather to get it on with the dangerous if somewhat crude at times Maidana.

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