Q.1 Caleb, you discovered your talent for boxing quite late on. Tell us a little about your introduction to the sport.
Yes, I didn’t begin boxing until I was 19. I was always a big boxing fan, but never knew it was accessible in MN. Ultimately, I saw an ad in the local City Pages for a tough guy tournament, decided to enter with a friend, and that’s how I was introduced to competing in the sport.
Q.2 Growing up in Minnesota you were heavily involved in team sports. How did it feel to step into the individual environment of a boxing ring for the first time?
As a kid, I played every sport there was to play, but outside of golf, I never played individual sports. It was definitely a change not to have any teammates to rely on, but I welcomed it. I enjoy having everything start and stop with me in the ring. I think not having any safety valves to the left or right, as is the case on a team, brings out the best of me.
The vacant IBO Light Heavyweight World Title fight between American Allan Green 32-4 and Australian Blake Caparello 17-0 will take place in Australia, October 17 at the Melbourne Pavilion.
Dereck Chisora will be back in action again next month, just over two months after his stoppage win over the previously unbeaten Malik Scott, and “Del Boy” will look to take away another top level fighter’s perfect record on September 21st as he is set to face Russia’s Denis Boytsov in a bout that will contest the European heavyweight belt.
Pound-for-pound number one Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs) will defend her WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Titles against WBO Female Light Middleweight Champion Oxandia Castillo (12-0-2, 9 KOs) at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn on September 7. Here is the latest from the First Lady prior to the clash of champions.
Martin N. (Philadelphia, PA): You have been consistent from day one about Canelo’s better-than-average chances against Floyd Mayweather in September. Did you see anything on All-Access to sway your opinion one way or the other?
by Earl Orr VNewz: It was an exciting night of fights at the Las Vegas Sports Center last night, as Pochiro Promotions put together their first card, entitled “Hometown Throwdown”. The event was one of what is expected to be many more in the near future. It featured six bouts, with referees Tony Weeks and Robert Byrd alternating as the third men in the ring.
Jhonny Gonzalez was supposed to be on the way down. After all, hadn’t he lost an 8th round TD to Daniel Ponce DeLeon, a fighter that Mares stopped? The odds makers thought so, and so did most boxing analysts; although, most qualified their opinions by saying he had a puncher’s chance. They would go on to describe how well Mares successfully dealt with different styles to remain undefeated. Abner was more versatile than Jhonny. Well, it took Jhonny less than a round to fool Mares and prove all the detractors wrong.
Juergen Braehmer took another step towards another crack at a world title. On Saturday, the 34-year-old beat Stefano Abatangelo by unanimous decision (119:108, 119:108 and 115:111) in front of a sold-out home crowd at the Sport- und Kongresshalle Schwerin, Germany. “It was difficult to showcase my skills against Abatangelo as he has an awkward style,” said the light heavyweight contender who defended his European as well as his WBO International Title. “Still it was good for me to get some more rounds under my belt which will definitely help me in my next fight.” Braehmer is the mandatory to WBO Champion Sergey Kovalev.
In a leading candidate for Upset of the Year – and possible Knockout of the Year – former two-division world champion and knockout artist Jhonny Gonzalez (55-8, 47 KO’s) registered a stunning 2:55, first-round knockout over previously unbeaten Abner Mares (26-1-1, 14 KO’s) Saturday on SHOWTIME® before 7,686 loud and enthusiastic fans at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.