The Latest Boxing News
With the holiday season fast approaching. Many people are making their shopping lists and wish lists. As we end another exciting year for pugilistic combat. One can not help but look forward to 2018 and think about all of the tantalizing matchups that it may bring us. Here are just a few fights that I am hoping to get in 2018. Seeing these fights made with be the perfect way to end 2017 and start off 2018 on the right foot.
Terence Crawford vs Keith Thurman.
Sometimes in heavyweight boxing a fighter, with just one win, arrives on the world stage and captures the attention of anyone and everyone interested in boxing in a massive way. This was exactly what happened on this day, Halloween, in 1992. Lennox Lewis may already have been known to a good share of fight fans, due to his winning the Olympic gold medal in 1988, but his performance on this night really catapulted the Brit to superstardom.
EDDIE HEARN: This big fight on November 11 is very important in the heavyweight division. Jarrell Miller is making big waves is the US right now and of course in the world rankings and Mariusz who has been, for a long time, they come together and they meet in a pivotal clash on November 11. Both guys are looking for a chance at the world title. While this is not an official eliminator for the world title, one thing is for sure, the winner, I believe, will fight for a world title and the loser will not. This is a huge for both of their careers and is part of a huge show with Danny Jacobs headlining against Luis Arias in a great fight and Cletus Seldin against Roberto Ortiz.
Unbeaten contender Ahmed Elbiali will take on former world champion Jean Pascal in the 10-round light heavyweight main event of a special Friday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 and BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes, December 8 from Hialeah Park in Miami, Florida.
EDDIE HEARN: When I saw Luis Arias fight on the Kovalev-Ward undercard, I thought ‘This is a guy that really excited me.’ He had plenty of charisma and he loves to fight and he could become a star on November 11. In the other corner a very determined Daniel Jacobs, trying to recapture the title and trying to pick up more championship belts and potentially unify the division. He’s a honest a kid if I ever saw one and since the press conference in New York Danny Jacobs has been extremely motivated. I believe that his team and certainly I and Roc Nation know all about the threat of Luis Arias and I think this is a great fight.
Begging Joseph Parker’s pardon, there is really only one world heavyweight title fight that matters right now; only one that would be wholly deserving of having a Super-Fight tag attached: Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder.
The hero of the hour in terms of the heavyweight division, France’s Carlos Takam made one big name for himself in defeat on Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales. The huge betting underdog (Takam was a 40/1 outsider on some boards) put on one helluva gutsy, admirable showing against the younger, bigger, stronger and harder-hitting Anthony Joshua.
Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga (1-0), a former UFC heavyweight title challenger made a successful professional boxing debut as he defeated Alejandro Esquilin Santiago (0-1) over four competitive, back-and-forth rounds with two scorecards (58-56) and one scorecard (38-38), for a majority decision victory. Both fighters had their moments in this entertaining heavyweight bout, especially in the third-round; however, Gonzaga landed the more powerful punches and was the aggressor throughout the fight.
Headlining the event, Manchester, CT’s Matt “Sharp Shooter” Remillard, 129, lived up to his nickname, as he just could not miss against the tough-yet-stationary Mexican southpaw Yardley Cruz, 130, of Sacramento, CA. Once ranked #2 in the world before his loss to future world champion Mikey Garcia in 2011, Remillard’s edge in speed and power were on display as he picked up the third victory of his comeback that began in April of this year. Trained by Connecticut Boxing Hall of Famer Paul Cichon, Remillard proved to be effective at cutting off the ring and trapping Cruz in corners, tagging the midsection with stinging straight rights. As the bout wore on, the very accurate Remillard unleashed more of his arsenal, battering Cruz with uppercuts and straights that snapped his adversary’s head back. The punishment continued until the referee felt Cruz had taken enough, ending the contest at 2:31 of round four, awarding Remillard the TKO victory and improving his record to 26-1 (15 KOs). Cruz is now 22-9 (12 KOs).
He has fought just twice this year, but how Anthony Joshua entertained us, thrilled us and given us value for money in doing so. There seems to be little doubt AJ, the WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler, is THE most consistently exciting big man on the planet today.
Some fans will point to WBC champ Deontay Wilder, but never has Wilder given us the kind of sustained action Joshua gave us last night in finally (and via premature stoppage) getting rid of an incredibly game Carlos Takam, as well as earlier in the year in his titanic, off the floor win over Wladimir Klitschko.