The Latest Boxing News
Promoter Eddie Hearn has announced how his heavyweight star Tony Bellew will “100 percent fight again in 2017.” Speaking with Sky Sports News HQ yesterday evening, Hearn said that “Bomber” will have the final say on his next move but that a big fight rematch with David Haye is among the options for the Liverpool warrior.
Bellew suffered a hand injury in the shocking fight with Haye, Haye of course tearing his Achilles, but Hearn is sure he will be fighting again this year.
David Lemieux delivered an early candidate for knockout-of-the-year when he landed a perfectly timed powerful short left hook on Curtis “Cerebral Assassin” Stevens’ jaw that brutally knocked him out unconscious onto the canvas, which prompted referee Charlie Fitch to immediately stop the fight at 1:59 in the third round. Stevens remained motionless while flat on his back for several scary minutes until he was taken out of the arena while strapped to a stretcher, but by that time, he was conscious.
Newly crowned WBA Junior Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade threw a staggering 953 punches according to Compubox, in his title win over Jack Culcay this past Saturday in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Andrade, who many regard as the most talented fighter in the 154 pound division, showed his versatility as divvied up his punch output nicely between jabs and power punches by throwing 519 power punches and 434 jabs.
The junior middleweight average is 684 punches per 12 rounds.
KO King David Lemieux? Well, in light of the chilling display of accuracy, timing and power we witnessed from the hands (or, the left hand in particular) of the Canadian contender and former IBF champ, yes, Lemieux deserves the unofficial nickname.
Lemieux’ nasty knockout of Curtis Stevens, in what was pretty much a 50/50 shootout going in, both thrilled and disturbed fight fans. A genuine KO of The Year contender, the 3rd-round icing of Stevens will likely keep fans talking for some time. Right now though, fans are wondering who Lemieux, 37-3(33) may fight next.
While congratulations have to go out to reigning WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, who is going to soon see unveiled a statue of his likeness in his honour, some fight fans are sure to wonder whether or not the honour is a little premature. Wilder is an exciting fighter and, with his punching power, a threat to anyone – but a statue; after arguably just one solid ring victory (over Bermane Stiverne, the man Wilder decisioned to win the crown)?
Joe Frazier’s loss became Laurence Tureaud’s gain. According to Sylvester Stallone, the legendary former heavyweight king was all set to take the part of Clubber Lang in the third installment of the fantastic “Rocky” series, only for “Smokin’” Joe to suffer a flashback in pre-movie sparring with Sly, hitting him with a shot that opened up a nasty cut, requiring six stitches.
Cuban talent and one-time pound-for-pound star Yuriorkis Gamboa returned to the ring on last night’s David Lemieux-Curtis Stevens card in New York, but unlike the main event, Gamboa’s decision win over Rene Alvarado failed to electrify the crowd. Boxing for the first time since December of 2015, former featherweight king Gamboa had to make do with a reasonably wide ten round UD.
Now aged 35 and a Golden Boy fighter, Gamboa improved to 26-1(17) but he failed to impress; even suffering a flash knockdown late on in last night’s bout. Gamboa had been hoping for a big fight with reigning WBO super-featherweight champ Vasyl Lomachenko (and probably still is) but it’s unlikely the Cuban defector did much to increase his chances.
It might only be March, but we surely saw The KO of The Year last night in New York. Fans were braced for something special as soon as the middleweight collision between David Lemieux and Curtis Stevens was signed – and did the fight deliver!
The two heavy-handed bangers, who had exchanged plenty of trash-talk in the run-up to the battle, went at it right from the opening bell; the faster, sharper Lemieux getting much the better of it. Stevens was content – or maybe he simply had no other choice – to cover up and attempt to weather the storm, coming to life more in the second round when he got home with some decent shots of his own.
PRAGUE – A fully packed Kralovka Arena in Prague proved to be a venue for some stellar boxing spectacle this past Saturday. All in all, ten fights were scheduled – and each had its own, unique script. Among those who impressed the most were Stepan Horvath (18-5-0, 8 KOs), Josef Zahradnik (8-0-0, 4 KOs), Lucie Sedlackova (9-0-1, 4 KOs) and Fabiana Bytyqi (10-0-0, 3 KOs), but unfortunately, their stellar fights had no such support from the crowd as the planned visit of American boxing legend Floyd Mayweather eventually failed to materialize.
In a match up that was guaranteed to end in a knock out, David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) lived up to his promise of taking out Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (29-6, 21 KOs) in a jaw-dropping third round stoppage to claim the WBO Intercontinental and WBC Continental Americas Middleweight belts live from Turning Stone Resort Casino and televised on HBO Boxing After Dark.
“I told you what I was going to do tonight,” said David Lemieux. “What I saw was a ‘check mate’,” said Lemieux. “The punch was made with perfect landing. I am in great shape, and I prepared myself for him. He is physically strong but nothing special. Stevens is a solid fighter, and we were successful. I wish him the best, and I hope he is OK.”