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The heavyweight division has started to become interesting again. And there are three heavyweights in particular that have a lot of fans talking. We have unified IBF/WBA world champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs). Then we have WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs). And off the radar, but perhaps back in the picture, we have the man who ended Wladimir Klitschko’s long streak of dominance, Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs).
Eddie Hearn and his prized-possession Anthony Joshua have taken the world by storm the last two years. Matchroom Sports flagship fighter has created a buzz never seen before in the United Kingdom by packing over 168,000 fans into stadium events in 2017 alone. Joshua’s epic-mash-up with former heavyweight kingpin Wladimir Klitschko put him over the top.
Anthony has all the necessary ingredients from the GQ-model looks to his chiseled-frame wrapped up in a humble personality. Did I mention the boy who grew up some 10 minutes away from Wembley Stadium now as a full-grown adult has real skills and a huge heart? Those attributes were on full display as Joshua caught his second breath able to rise to the occasion as many legendary pugilists have in the past. The total package nearly derailed last April between rounds 6 and 8. Joshua was dead tired having exuded too much energy in the 5th trying to end the fight and celebrating too early.
Carl Frampton insists that he has to win in style on his ‘second coming’ against Mexican Horacio Garcia at the SSE Odyssey Arena tonight in Belfast.
‘The Jackal’ tops one of Irish boxing’s biggest ever fight bills this weekend as the ‘Frampton Reborn’ card also features Jamie Conlan challenging for the IBF world super-flyweight title while three-time Olympian Paddy Barnes competes in his fifth pro bout, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.
Tributes have been flooding in due to the sad passing of lifelong boxing figure Rafael Garcia; best known for being a long-serving cutman for Floyd Mayweather Junior. Mayweather has led the tributes, of both the written and verbal variety.
Garcia was 88 years old and he died due to a heart attack, he was also suffering from leukaemia.
It’s far from the kind of news fights fans eager to see a return fight between middleweight king Gennady Golovkin and Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez want to hear (and who doesn’t want to see a sequel – ideally one with a definitive ending – to the September draw!), but Golden Boy head Oscar De La Hoya has conceded how talks for the fight are “going slow.”
Former middleweight titlist Danny Jacobs enjoyed a winning debut under new promoter Eddie Hearn; and Hearn’s claim that “The Miracle Man” is the second or third best middleweight in the world was very possibly validated last night in New York.
Shutting out a game (he claims injured) Luis Arias over 12 one-sided rounds, Jacobs scored himself a fine win to close out the year. Now hungry to rule the world again (Jacobs holding the WBA belt from 2014 until his March defeat to Gennady Golovkin), the 30 year old says he will be travelling to Canada to watch the December 16 battle between WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders and challenger David Lemieux.
With the recent departure via retirement of Andre Ward and with Adonis Stevenson coming towards the end at age 40, the light-heavyweight division needs a new star to come along to light up the weight class. Fortunately, there are two 175 pounders who are, between them, either already holding a major belt or set to challenge for one very soon.
And both of these unbeaten and hard-hitting light-heavyweights come from Russia. Dmitry Bivol (born in Krygyzstan and relocating to Russia at the young age of 11) is the WBA champ, and he showed again on Saturday night in Monaco – with his first-round icing of Trent Broadhurst – how hard he hits and how ruthless he is.
Well, Deontay Wilder sure made Bermane Stivere eat his words last night in their basically pointless return fight. Ahead of the rematch, former WBC champ Stiverne boldly stated how “No-one ever knocks me out. It isn’t gonna happen.”
It did happen, though, inside the very first-round last night in New York as a rampaging, viciously determined Wilder absolutely crushed his sixth title challenger, scoring three knockdowns in rapid fashion. Whether or not Wilder’s critics will have been impressed with the win, the 38th KO win picked up by Wilder in his 39 pro wins, is another matter. Stiverne, in poor physical condition, was a slow and easy target, some will say, adding how Wilder simply could not miss. Still, Wilder has sickening power and until anyone beats him he has every right to claim he is “The Man” at heavyweight.
The definition of necessary evil is an unfavorable thing (This Fight) that someone (The WBC) believes must be done or accepted because it is necessary to achieve a better outcome — especially because possible alternative courses of action or inaction would be worse. Yep that pretty much defines this unnecessary bout that even Showtime didn’t want to broadcast originally.
Tonight in Cardiff, in a fight that surpassed ALL expectations, IBF/WBA heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua finally overcame an incredibly gutsy late Carlos Takam; a late replacement foe for the injured Kubrat Pulev.
The end came in the 10th round, as Takam, bleeding from both eyes, was under fire. Still, the stoppage angered Takam and a large section of the massive crowd who booed the stoppage decision from the British referee. Joshua is now 20-0(20). Takam falls to 35-4-1(27).