There will be a lot on the line on the night of July 9th; for Tyson Fury and for Wladimir Klitschko. Reigning and defending heavyweight champion Fury will be out to prove his title-winning effort against Klitschko was not a fluke, while Klitschko will be shooting for revenge. And history. If 40-year-old Klitschko can regain the crown against Fury, he will become just the second three-time heavyweight ruler in boxing history (along with Muhammad Ali; Evander Holyfield being the only four-time champ at heavyweight) and Wladimir will become the third oldest heavyweight champ ever (after George Foreman and Vitali Klitschko).
James Slater
Errol Spence Junior calls out Kell Brook; finally a great fight for the IBF welterweight champ?
http://youtu.be/4M0b_gucXe8
Unbeaten welterweight sensation Errol Spence Junior looked terrific in becoming the first man to stop Chris Algieri last night in New York. Fast, powerful, accurate and showing fine finishing skills, Spence Junior, now 20-0(17) passed the biggest test of his hugely promising career with apparent ease. Looking for all the world like a future world champion and superstar, Spence Junior seems to have that look the special fighters have.
Iran Barkley speaks: “The Blade” on Hearns, Leonard, Duran, Benn and more
As he is often fond of saying whenever he grants an interview, former three-weight champion Iran Barkley never had things easy during his career. The blood and guts warrior who gave his all in memorable battles with the likes of Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Nigel Benn and others, can come across as bitter at times – bitter over how he feels he was not paid the type of big money he should have been and bitter over how he feels he was “robbed” in some of his fights.
But Barkley always gives a good interview – with a career full of great fights, how could he not – and today, recently married, the 55-year-old comes across as more upbeat and cheerful. ESB has had the pleasure of speaking with “The Blade” on a number of occasions and each time he has been kind enough to grant some of his time, Barkley has proven a very interesting subject.
Cotto won’t take a fight in June as planned, will return later in the year – rematch with Canelo possible
Dan Rafael of ESPN.com has reported how Puerto Rican great Miguel Cotto will not now be having a June 18th bout, as was originally planned. Cotto, who has not boxed since putting in a valiant but losing effort against middleweight champ Saul Alvarez, will now look at coming back towards the end of the year, ESPN.com reports, against a big name.
Cotto’s list of possible opponents for the now scrapped June date included James Kirkland and Diego Chaves, but neither guy was deemed suitable by HBO; either for a regular show or a pay-per-view headliner. Britain’s Kell Brook, the reigning IBF welterweight champion, was also a possibility but, depending on which source you choose to believe, either Cotto didn’t fancy the fight or Brook was unavailable on that particular date. In light of Brook’s recent and growing desperation to land himself a big and meaningful fight (his promoter Eddie Hearn was quoted as saying Brook would “walk to New York to fight Cotto”) it’s perhaps hard to believe the Sheffield man would have turned down the fight.
Khan says a win over Canelo will “take away all the defeats I have had”
Although Amir Khan has his critics, who suggest the former 140-pound king is not the great talent he himself believes he is, no-one can deny how Khan has always sought the big fights (he was absolutely desperate to get a Floyd Mayweather Junior and/or a Manny Pacquiao into the ring). Nor can anyone say Khan is not involved in exciting fight after exciting fight. And, for a fighter some more vocal critics have called “chinny,” “overrated” and a fighter who has been “exposed at top level,” Khan has a pretty good record.
Hagler-Hearns: still the greatest fight in middleweight history – but what if there’d been a rematch?
It’s just over three decades old (31 years ago today to be exact) but no fight has surpassed the epic three-round war between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas “Hitman” Hearns since it took place in Las Vegas in 1985 – certainly no middleweight fight has topped “The War.” With seemingly reckless abandon, the two greats, who were at their peak at the time of the showdown, launched into one another. Fans, experts and even the commentators could barely do anything but watch in awe as the magnificent warfare unfolded.
Tyson Fury/Anthony Joshua won’t be fighting on the same night, Joshua sees sense and looks at other dates for first title defence
In the words of one boxing pundit, it would have been “promotional suicide” for rival British heavyweight stars to have fought on the same night. Yet for a time, it looked as though the world heavyweight king and the newly crowned IBF heavyweight champ would indeed go head-to-head on rival shows on July 9th. But today, in speaking with BBC Sport, Joshua said it is “most unlikely” he will now box on July 9th.
Who are the 10 worst heavyweight champs in boxing history?
Perhaps it’s disrespectful to even attempt to compile such a list: the 10 worst heavyweight champions in boxing history. After all, all boxers, from amateur to pro level, be they club fighters or pound-for-pound stars, deserve the utmost respect for having the bravery and the courage to do what they do. But still, in light of how much hard-earned cash fight fans must part with to see the big names, the champions, in action, such a list must on occasion be compiled.
Ellerbe: Not a word about Floyd coming back
Though talk of a possible Floyd Mayweather Junior-Manny Pacquiao rematch gathered pace this week, according to one man – Floyd’s right hand man, Leonard Ellerbe – it is mere talk and nothing more. In fact, in speaking with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Ellerbe basically said there is nothing to talk about with regards to a possible Mayweather ring return.
Broner sent to jail for ten days for parole violation
Adrien Broner seems destined as of late to make more headlines due to his out of the ring actions than those inside the four corners. Broner currently sits in a Cincinnati jailhouse due to how he was arrested this week for parole violation. Broner – who was recently in court to face assault and theft charges – violated the terms of his parole for a previous crime, that of a reckless driving conviction. Broner will not be released until April 22nd, his sentence being ten days.
Broner, nicknamed “The Problem,” has recently had far more problems than the majority of his boxing opposition; although he did stop his last foe, Ashley Theophane (in a fight where the winner was stripped of his WBA light-welterweight title before the bout got underway due to failing to make weight) on April 1st.