It was a truly landmark event not only in boxing, but in the careers of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, in black music and in the career of the man behind it all, Don King. It was “The Rumble in The Jungle” of 1974 and, in honour of The Greatest, who as we all know passed away in June of this year, promoter extraordinaire King is planning a sequel, a “Rumble in The Jungle II” as it were.
James Slater
Sky Sports poll: who is Britain’s best current world champion?
Sky Sports recently launched an online poll, asking fight fans to vote for who they feel is the best of the current British world champions. With an impressive 14 reigning world champions to pick from (an amazing achievement for British boxing; with champions at heavyweight all the way down to bantamweight) fans who voted had a tough task.
In the end, 400,000 fight fans cast their vote and the results came in as follows:
Golovkin vs Brook: Brook extremely confident going into huge challenge of Golovkin
“I’ve visualized the knockout already”
Kell Brook might be a significant underdog going into his September 10 challenge of middleweight ruler Gennady Golovkin, he might be having his very first fight not one but two weight classes above his career-long tenure at welterweight, and he might be going in with the single hardest puncher in boxing today. But Brook – who is either talking a great game that hides his real feelings or is utterly convinced for real that he will win – says he does not care about what Golovkin will be doing in the ring he will share with him in London next month.
David Haye: “I’m working on my next fight. I want it to be a fight that gets people excited”
Who will David Haye fight in his next bout? Do fight fans retain serious interest in the one-time cruiserweight great and the former WBA heavyweight ruler? Two disappointing fights into his latest comeback – not disappointing to Haye in terms of the result, but quick wins over the over-matched duo that was Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj certainly disappointed the hardcore fans – Haye is on the lookout for a shot at a heavyweight belt.
Joe Gallagher hoping his gym will boast four world champions by the end of 2016
Manchester’s Joe Gallagher has already proven his ability as a boxing trainer, what with great success with the likes of Anthony Crolla, Scott Quigg and the Smith brothers, but the modest coach says his gym, in Bolton, could boast four world champions by the end of the year. Gallagher also said, in speaking with Sky Sports, how he feels he has the right to say his gym is currently the best in Britain and Europe.
Carl Frampton wants Leo Santa Cruz rematch next, “It’s what the fans want”
It could be boxing’s next great rivalry. Newly crowned WBA featherweight champion Carl Frampton, just over a week on from his terrific and thrilling win over Leo Santa Cruz, is already calling for the rematch. Frampton, who became a two-weight ruler with the July 30 win, wrote in The Sunday Life yesterday how he wants the rematch this year, before Christmas.
Floyd Mayweather Snr doesn’t want to see his son return, but hopes it’s against Adrien Broner if he does
Will superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior return to the ring so he can achieve the milestone record of 50-0? Nobody knows for sure, despite the ongoing speculation – not even his father and trainer. Speaking with Helen Yee Sports, Mayweather Senior said he does not know if his son will lace ’em up one more time, but the former fighter says he is only too aware of how age can catch up with any boxer, his son included. And Snr said that at age 40 soon (Floyd will hit the big 40 next February) he “wouldn’t advise him to keep fighting.”
As Caesars Palace celebrates 50 years, boxing legends Ali and Hearns receive prestigious Icon Awards
A huge party was taking place last night in Las Vegas, as the iconic and quite beautiful hotel Caesars Palace celebrated its 50th birthday. The hotel, one of the oldest in Las Vegas, opened its doors on August 5, 1966 and a weekend-long series of celebrations came to and end with a stunning fireworks display last night. Fight fans of course used to regularly pack out Caesars Palace when the biggest fights, the most special fights, took place there.
Throughout its history, Caesars Palace played host to, amongst many others, the following unforgettable boxing nights and fights: George Foreman-Ron Lyle, Larry Holmes-Ken Norton, Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns.
Gennady Golovkin: “I hit harder every day”
Is middleweight king Gennady Golovkin the hardest puncher, pound-for-pound, in the sport today? Many people feel the 35-0(32) star is and when you look at GGG’s stats: those 32 KO’s, the fact that no man has ever taken him the full 12-rounds and how Triple-G has a 100-percent KO ration in world title fights and a 91.4-percent ratio overall in his pro career, it’s easy to see why. But Golovkin, training hard for his upcoming September 10 title defence against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, has Tweeted some very bad news for Brook.
Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward: can Kovalev make it an exciting fight?
Andre Ward sure is a talented boxer, but he sure can turn in a boring fight. Last night’s almost pointless 12-rounder with a totally outclassed Alexander Brand has received some of the worst reviews in recent memory, with a number of experts calling the dreadfully dull shut-out win for Ward one of the worst fights ever televised on HBO. Ward cruised to the lopsided win, content to win each round in pretty much the same manner he had won the previous three minutes.