Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley III Apr. 9th date in jeopardy, as Philippine elections committee is asked to stop the fight

02/22/201602/22/2016 James Slater

There is a chance the rubber-match between welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley will not go ahead as scheduled on April 9th in Las Vegas. The reason is, today (local time) the Philippine elections committee was asked by Pac-Man’s senate candidate rival Walden Bello to stop the fight as it would give Pacquiao unfair publicity and exposure ahead of the May 9 elections.

Bello insists a law, put in place to give candidates equal publicity when entering an election, will be broken if Pacquiao’s fight, and all its TV, radio and print exposure, goes ahead. Bello, ESPN.com reports, wants the fight postponed until after May 9th.

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Mike Mollo KOs Krzysztof Zimnoch in Poland

02/21/2016 James Slater

Never underestimate a heavyweight, especially a powerful one who has a ton of heart! Last night in Poland, Chicago’s Mike Mollo, having his first fight for two and-a-half years, derailed unbeaten hope Krzysztof inside a round, flattening the younger man twice, the second knockdown ending matters. 36-year-old Mollo came out fast, giving the taller man no time to get set. His power punches proving too much for the Pole who entered the ring with a 18-0-1(12) record that included a useful points won over veteran former WBC champ Oliver McCall, Mollo rejuvenated his career.

Zimnoch had not been overly active himself ahead of last night’s fight; having won one bout last October following a two year layoff. But if rust was a problem for both men, Mollo wiped it all out with his intent and his fast start. Now 21-5-1(13) the Illinois slugger scored his first win since way back in 2007, when he scored a TKO over Art Binkowski.

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Chisora “knows” what Charles Martin’s game-plan will be in Joshua fight

02/21/2016 James Slater

Dereck Chisora, who will fight Kubrat Pulev for the vacant European heavyweight title (date and venue still TBA) is sure he and Anthony Joshua will still meet down the line in a big match-up that “will always be there.” Chisora will be one of the interested observers of the Charles Martin-Joshua IBF title fight on April 9th, and “Del Boy” gave his pre-fight prediction when speaking with Sky Sports.

“It’s always going to be there,” Chisora said of a showdown with Joshua. “When he wins (against Martin) he’s going to ask to fight me or David Haye. It’s always going to be there. It’s a fight none of us can hide away from. Every fight in the heavyweight game is a 50-50 fight. It’s all about who wants it more in that split second – that is it.

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Charles Martin says he and Tyson Fury are “The young lions of the sport” – picks Fury to repeat win over Klitschko

02/20/2016 James Slater

IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin, all set on winning his maiden defence against fellow unbeaten Anthony Joshua in London on April 9th, says he wants the big fights as champion and that Tyson Fury is a man very much on his radar. Whilst in the UK to help promote his fight with Joshua, “Prince” Charles spoke with Sky Sports, about Fury and the prospect of fighting him in particular.

Martin had nothing bad to say about Fury – who was stripped of the IBF title he now owns – even recalling how the often vocal Brit congratulated him from ringside on his winning the IBF belt Fury had called his own only weeks before. But, like practically every other active heavyweight out there, Martin says he wants to fight Fury.

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Alexander Povetkin-Deontay Wilder set for purse bids as talks “fail”

02/22/201602/20/2016 James Slater

According to WBC mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin who has been waiting and waiting for his chance against heavyweight ruler DeontayWilder, the fight will now go to purse bids. Speaking with TASS, the Russian star said talks between his people and Wilder’s people, “failed.”

The purse bid is set for the 26th of this month, and Andrey Ryabinskiy said the fight going to purse bids is “more convenient for us.”

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Peter Fury says contracts have gone out for Hughie Fury Vs. Alexander Ustinov

02/20/2016 James Slater

Hughie Fury, the unbeaten and talented cousin of reigning heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is in search of meaningful fights against established contenders as he chases his own dream of reaching the very top. Peter Fury, his trainer, has Tweeted how Andrey Fedosov “declined” a fight with the 21-year-old with the 18-0(10) pro record, but that contracts have now gone out for a Hughie Fury-Alexander Ustinov fight.

“We now offered Ustinov ranked no5 WBA WBO. & contracts gone out. Frank Warren trying to make this happen awaiting news from Frank,” Peter Tweeted today.

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Tom Loeffler says Bernard Hopkins fight is a possibility for Gennady Golovkin

02/19/201602/19/2016 James Slater

One can hear the groans, the screams and the pleas already: Gennady Golovkin, the most feared fighter on the planet, against a 50-something Bernard Hopkins, in a genuinely dangerous fight for the former middleweight and light-heavyweight king. “Don’t do it, Champ!” the man on the street bellows. But, as crazy as it sounds, this particular “Dream Fight” (or nightmare, call it what you will) could, possibly, maybe, happen.

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Miguel Cotto to return on June 18th, opponent TBA

02/19/201602/19/2016 James Slater

Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto, last seen losing his middleweight championship to the younger and bigger Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is ready to return to action. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Cotto has a date: June 18th being pencilled in for his next fight, but he has yet to officially name his opponent.

Cotto, who will likely fight once again in New York, has been in talks with fellow future Hall of Famer, Juan Manuel Marquez, and could still face the Mexican great. However, another rumour floating around on a few web sites says it is possible Cotto, 40-5(33) could face thrill-a-minute slugger Ruslan Provodnikov next.

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Broner vs Theophane on April 1st – no joke, but is anyone interested in this fight?

02/19/201602/18/2016 James Slater

It wasn’t all that long ago that boxing people were calling a brash, unbeaten lightweight titlist , “The New Floyd Mayweather Junior.” That was back in 2012, and a lot has happened in the career of Adrien Broner, who is known as “The Problem,” since then. Most troublesome for the trash-talking 26-year-old from Cincinnati, was his brutally exposing beating at the hands of Marcos Maidana just 11 days before Christmas in 2013.

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Lebedev vs Ramirez cruiserweight unification in the works for April 30th

02/19/201602/18/2016 James Slater

According to Dan Rafael, a cruiserweight unification clash that will contest the WBA and IBF titles could be heading to Russia – or maybe the U.S – on April 30th. Promoter Andrey Ryabinsky says Dennis Lebedev and Victor Emelio Ramirez have a deal in place to fight at the end of April.

Ryabinsky wants to stage the fight in America, yet he does not thus far have a TV deal to show the fight in the U.S. If he cannot negotiate a TV deal, ESPN.com reports, the fight will go ahead in Russia; either Moscow or Sochi. Either way, Lebedev-Ramirez is a good fight.

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