Irish warrior Carl Frampton has Tweeted how his anticipated return fight with Mexican warrior Leo Santa Cruz is a “done deal.” Frampton won the WBA featherweight crown with a thrilling performance in a Fight of The Year candidate in New York in July. Santa Cruz, who, in dropping a majority verdict, lost for the very first time as a pro. A rematch clause was in place, Santa Cruz and his team enforced it, and now the rematch is set to go.
James Slater
Deontay Wilder says he would have KO’d the great Joe Louis!
The old timers won’t like it one bit, and it’s probable younger fight fans will disagree with Deontay Wilder’s opinion on what would have happened had he and one of the great heavyweight champions of yesteryear got it on. Speaking with Lem Satterfield for Premier Boxing Champions, the currently sidelined WBC heavyweight king was asked which fighter in history he would have liked to have fought and how the fight would have gone.
Anthony Joshua will box in Manchester on December 10, “With or without Wladimir Klitschko”
With the seemingly close – in fact, tantalisingly so – Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko fight now looking doubtful due to the WBA’s indecision on sanctioning the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn has again began looking for the reigning IBF champ’s next challenger. Joshua, 17-0(17) will fight as planned on December 10 in Manchester, “with or without Wladimir Klitschko.”
Amir Khan says he has “about five fights left,” wants Garcia or Brook in UK summer showdown
British star Amir Khan once said he would retire at age 30. The former 140-pound king hits 30 this December, yet Khan has plenty of big plans for next year. Speaking with ESPN.com, Khan said he feels he has “about five fights left,” and that he will look to return to action next summer. Khan will have been out of action for over a year by next May – last fighting on May 7 of this year when he was brutally KO’d by the much bigger Canelo Alvarez – but he says he wants a big showdown with either Danny Garcia or Kell Brook next summer. And Khan wants his return to take place in the UK.
Marco Huck to face Dmytro Kucher, November 19 in Germany
Former long-reigning WBO cruiserweight king Marco Huck will put the disappointment of his scrapped summer fight with Ovil McKenzie behind him, as he will face dangerous contender Dmytro Kucher in Germany on November 19. Huck, who last boxed in February – beating the tough Ola Afolabi in their fourth meeting, this fight being Huck’s first fight back since losing his WBO belt to Krzysztof Glowacki in a great action fight last year – will defend his IBO belt.
Klitschko-Joshua hits a snag, Hearn exploring “alternative options” for December
The big, anticipated heavyweight title fight between former champ Wladimir Klitschko and reigning IBF titlist Anthony Joshua has hit a road bump in the form of the WBA not yet sanctioning the proposed December fight. Eddie Hearn, in speaking with Sky Sports today, explained how both fighters want the WBA belt to be on the line in the fight and until the organisation goes ahead and sanctions Klitschko-Joshua, the promoter says he will look at “alternative options” for AJ and his next fight.
25 years on: Ray Mercer’s brutal KO of Tommy Morrison still disturbs
The fight was dubbed “Test of Courage” and the loser of the heavyweight battle that took place a quarter of a century ago today had to show real courage in even stepping back into a boxing ring after what happened to him in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Tommy Morrison, unbeaten, heavily hyped and even a movie star, was challenging recently crowned WBO heavyweight champ Ray Mercer in a clash of unbeaten punchers. What followed was nothing short of gruesome.
Dillian Whyte calls out Lucas Browne, calls him “a big baby”
Newly crowned British heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte says he wants to get one more fight in before the end of the year, and he told Sky Sports that his ideal choice of opponent would be Australia’s former WBA belt-holder Lucas Browne. Whyte, beaten as a pro only by reigning IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua (with whom Whyte is convinced he will one day get a return fight) has called the man known as “Big Daddy,” “a big baby.”
Whyte says he would love to fight, and silence, the man he has been going back and forth with on Twitter.
Veteran scribe Colin Hart lists his top-10 greatest living British fighters
Inspired by the recent top-10 greatest living fighters poll by Ring Magazine, veteran British boxing writer Colin Hart has produced his picks for the ten greatest living British fighters (note: ‘living’ fighters, not all-time greats). With some six decades of covering boxing under his belt and the huge amount of knowledge that has been picked up along the way, the 80-something Hart is probably one of the most qualified writers to come up with such a list.
Bernard Hopkins likely to face Joe Smith Jnr in Farewell fight, Dec 17th
Boxing legend Bernard Hopkins (a real legend in an age when the word is over used) will look to exit the sport he helped make great, on December 17th, and, in typical Hopkins style, B-Hop will not face a soft or easy opponent in his swansong. According to the always reliable Michael Woods of NYFights.com, the amazing 51-year-old (Hopkins will turn 52 in January) will face dangerous puncher Joe Smith Jnr just over a week before Christmas Day.