Billy Joe Saunders wins tough split decision win over Chris Eubank Junior

11/30/201411/29/2014 James Slater

Tonight in London, in one of the most heavily hyped and intriguing British middleweight clashes of recent years, Billy Joe Saunders ultimately proved too tough, too skilful and too experienced for a game and always dangerous Chris Eubank Junior.

At the end of 12 hard rounds, southpaw Saunders retained his unbeaten record and his European, British and Commonwealth titles. The scores were 115-114 for Saunders, 116-113 for Eubank and 115-113 for Saunders.

Thanks mostly to his famous father, there was plenty expected of Eubank Jr in the lead-up to this fight. “He beats [Gennady] Golovkin now,” Senior stated of his son. And, “He will be better than Floyd Mayweather Junior.” Such talk now looks foolish, if it didn’t before Saunders took away Junior’s unbeaten pro ledger. Still, Eubank Jr did display real grit, determination and a good chin. Sadly for those fans who hoped the young Eubank would achieve the great heights his father did, tonight’s challenger also displayed certain moves to rival those of a rank amateur, as well as a game-plan that saw him all but give away the early rounds.

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Manny Pacquiao’s great ring career may be close to an end; Pac-Man says he may retire and run for senator in 2016

08/01/201408/01/2014 James Slater

Superstar and all-time great Manny Pacquiao may not have too much time left in the boxing ring. Pac-Man, for a while now having been heavily and passionately involved in politics, has gone on record stating how he is thinking of quitting the squared circle and running for senator in 2016.

Speaking with DZMM, the 35-year-old icon and hero to millions had the following to say:

“There’s a big possibility that I will run for senator. UNA asked me to join its slate and I am grateful they picked me.”

Boxing fans do not want Pacquiao’s fantastically entertaining career to end, yet the political world wants Manny and it seems there could be just a few fights left for the southpaw dynamo who has already achieved so much as a fighter. The first thing many fans may think of with regards to how long Pacquiao has left in the ring is, will a clash with Floyd Mayweather – the only serious rival to Pac-Man’s dominance as this era’s finest pound-for-pound boxer – ever happen. Of course, so many of us gave up on that match-up ever taking place a long time ago. Still, how sad and disappointing would it be if the two megastars both exited the ring having never tested themselves against one another?

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Fury pulls out of Ustinov fight: One bizarre week in British boxing!

07/28/201407/26/2014 James Slater

Who’d be a boxing promoter!

This time last week, fight fans, especially British heavyweight fight fans, were looking forward to the scheduled and quite long since announced return meeting between colourful characters (an understatement) Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora. The fight was given an extra element of spice thanks to Fury’s shenanigans at the London, open to the public, press conference.

Fury was on his A-game when it came to trash talking and being as funny as he was crude. The BBB of C didn’t enjoy what he did, or had to say (especially the latter), but some fans sure did.

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Tyson Fury IS still hoping to fight on Saturday, Peter Fury says he has a short list of names

07/22/201407/22/2014 James Slater

Tyson Fury, understandably angry and frustrated over his fight with Dereck Chisora, set for this Saturday, falling through, still wants to box on July 26th. After having whipped himself into obviously good fighting shape, Fury – who has, amazingly, seen three of his last four bouts fall apart due to injuries suffered by his opponent – is looking for a short notice replacement.

It’s not clear yet whether he will actually fight, but Team-Fury obviously want to see action. Speaking exclusively to The Morecambe Visitor, Peter Fury said there is a short list of possible opponents who could be brought in with just four days to go.

But one man who will not be getting the call is 42-year-old American southpaw Tony Thompson, who Tweeted how he would take the fight.

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Tyson Fury cannot get a break! Third fight in a row off

07/22/201407/21/2014 James Slater

As fight fans have most probably read by now, this Saturday’s WBO heavyweight title eliminator between British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora is off, as Chisora suffered a fractured hand in his final day of sparring. This is bad news for all concerned, but it is especially unimaginably frustrating news for Fury and his whole team.

As Fury himself or the fans didn’t need reminding, this fight being off marks the THIRD time in a row the unbeaten giant has worked his ass off in training camp only with absolutely nothing to show for it. Twice Fury set up camp for a clash with David Haye, only for Haye to get himself injured ahead of both dates. Now, with a long training camp under his belt and a number of press conferences and other media duties fulfilled, Fury is sure to be, well, furious at his rematch with Chisora falling apart. What must be so annoying for Fury is the fact that all three of his scheduled bouts fell apart so close to the actual day of the fight.

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Guillermo Rigondeaux destroys Sod Kokietgym inside a round (with a little controversy thrown in!)

07/20/201407/19/2014 James Slater

Today in Macao, WBA and WBO super-bantamweight king Guillermo Rigondeaux scored a devastating 1st-round KO over the experienced and usually very durable Sod Kokietgym of Thailand. The incredibly gifted 33-year-old Cuban southpaw improved to 14-0(9) with the quick, 1-minute 44-seconds win. 37-year-old Sod, also a southpaw, fell to 63-3-1(28).

Expected by just about everyone to win either late on or via somewhat dull decision (the knock on Rigondeaux is that he is defensive minded and boring to watch), the former two-time Olympic gold medallist instead put on a show of power punching. Before today’s fight – perhaps angry at having been rejected by a certain cable T.V giant who refused to take his most recent fight – Rigondeaux promised he’d be more explosive against Sod. The Cuban delivered.

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Bernard Hopkins says he wants Kovalev in November and then Stevenson next year: is B-Hop pushing his luck?

07/17/201407/17/2014 James Slater

Bernard Hopkins is a living legend and he has been upsetting odds, and much younger fighters, for a long time now. In fact, Hopkins is one of those fighters who seems to have been around forever. Hopkins, however, is not like any other fighter today, or of the last 30, maybe even 40 or more years. A true phenomenon who has made “age means nothing to me” his rallying cry for so long now, B-Hop, or “The Alien,” or whatever you want to call the 49-year-old all time great, has outlined for Ring Magazine’s web site his plans for this year and next year.

At a time when nearly all fighters anywhere close to his age are long into retirement, Hopkins is planning on taking on the two killers, or at least killer punchers, of his weight class. Hopkins told Ring how he and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy are currently in talks with Kathy Duva of Main Events, the subject of their talks being a Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev fight to take place in New York, on HBO, on November 8th. There’s more: Hopkins says that after he’s beaten Kovalev, he wants to fight Adonis Stevenson “after I’ve turned 50.” For the record, Hopkins hit his half century in January of 2015.

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Canelo Alvarez scores close win in brilliant fight with Lara; three names being mentioned for the Mexican star’s next fight: Golovkin, Cotto, Kirkland!

07/13/201407/13/2014 James Slater

The usual debates that take place after a close fight has been awarded to the “house” fighter, or the big star, over the lesser name with less promotional clout on his side, have already begun. Some say Saul Canelo Alvarez was a worthy winner over slick southpaw Erislandy Lara in Las Vegas last night, while others claim the Cuban talent was robbed of a deserving win. The split decision proved one thing: it’s never easy being a boxing judge.

But whatever you think of last night’s scoring, it has to be agreed by everyone how the 155-pound catch-weight battle was a terrific, engrossing fight. A clash of styles that resulted in some excellent action, Alvarez-Lara was thoroughly entertaining. Talk has also begun of the possibility of a rematch – something Team-Lara obviously and understandably want – but Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya – who was proven to be correct in his thinking that his fighter would win the risky, some said foolishly taken fight with Lara – has said his warrior is “moving on,” and that no-one wants to see a return of last night’s fight.

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28-years ago today: THE greatest cruiserweight fight in boxing history!

07/12/201407/12/2014 James Slater

Today in 1986, at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, two cruiserweights put on a truly unforgettable 15-round war of a fight that still ranks, all these years later, as THE finest to have been waged in the weight class directly below heavyweight. And though, at the time, the still relatively new cruiserweight division was both dismissed and mocked by many a fan and expert, the battle defending WBA ruler and challenger Evander Holyfield put on went a long way towards getting the division accepted by all.

Holyfield, a 1984 Olympian who was having his 12th pro bout, was seen by many as too inexperienced for the tough, dangerous and crafty born-again Muslim who used to be known as Dwight Braxton. Holyfield, the critics, said, ran out of gas after just a few rounds of warfare, and if that happened against the saw-off slugger (who was also blessed with good defence and a rock of a chin) known as “The Camden Buzzsaw” he would be in a whole heap of trouble.

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Ruslan Chagaev wins “Regular” WBA heavyweight title with majority decision win over Fres Oquendo

07/07/201407/06/2014 James Slater

Tonight in Grozny, Russia, former WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev became a two-time champ, as he won a 12-round majority verdict over Fres Oquendo to pick up the “regular” WBA strap. The scores were 115-113 twice and 114-114. 35-year-old Chagaev is now 33-2-1(20). 41-year-old Oquendo, who felt he had won, fell to 37-8(24).

It was a bizarre night in many ways. The setting for the fight was quite impressive, as was the ring set-up and the pre-fight entertainment. The presence, too, of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov was quite unique. As for the fight itself, the action was intriguing enough in the early rounds, with southpaw Chagaev pressing the action in his usual bull-like fashion. Fast-handed, Chagaev out-jabbed the taller Oquendo, winning the early to middle rounds. Neither man was noticeably hurt, until Chagaev picked up a nasty cut above the left eye in the 7th.

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