Richard Schaefer: We need Floyd Mayweather back

10/31/2016 James Slater

As fight fans may or may not have read, Richard Schaefer is back with a new promotional outfit, the former Golden Boy CEO set to launch Ringstar Promotions soon. And Schaefer, in speaking with Fighthub and Secondsout, said that the world of boxing “needs Floyd Mayweather back.”

Schaefer, with whom Floyd is both friendly and on good terms with as far as mutual respect goes, says he feels boxing is missing an ingredient today, and that the star power of “Money” would satisfy fans who have, as one-time Schaefer partner Oscar De La Hoya put it last week, endured “one of the worst years in boxing history” in 2016 – if he returned for a 50th fight.

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James DeGale: “My mega-fight would be against Golovkin!”

10/28/201610/27/2016 James Slater

You can add super-middleweight champ James DeGale to the list of big names who want to fight feared middleweight king Gennady Golovkin. Southpaw DeGale, like GGG a former amateur standout, is the IBF 168-pound champion – and he will next face WBC super-middleweight champ Badou Jack in a big unification fight in January – but he sees GGG moving up one day.

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Can Gennady Golovkin really be expected to defeat the best at 175? Sanchez says his fighter “beats everybody that’s out there right now”

10/24/2016 James Slater

It seems there is a growing number of people who feel middleweight king Gennady Golovkin should move up in weight if he’s to achieve true greatness. The likes of Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jnr have said this, insisting GGG must “take a risk” by stepping up, to either 168 or, unrealistically (in the opinion of others) 175-pounds.

Can Triple-G, a reasonably smallish middleweight really be expected to move up 15-pounds and tackle dangerous light-heavyweights such as Sergey Kovalev? This is asking too much of even as special a fighter as the 34-year-old (who recently stated he’d consider going DOWN in weight, to 154, if the right mega-fight were possible) surely? But GGG’s coach, the knowledgable Abel Sanchez, says in time his fighter will indeed look at moving up to light-heavy, and that when he does so, look out Kovalev, Andre Ward and Adonis Stevenson.

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“Money” Mayweather complimentary towards Manny Pacquiao, says he’s one of the best he’s ever fought

10/16/2016 James Slater

It sure would be very interesting to have “retired” superstar and all time great Floyd Mayweather Junior sit down and list his picks for a “The Best I Faced,” article or to go through his career and look back at the best and worst opponents he met. Throughout his 49-0 career, Mayweather met punchers, fellow boxers, durable guys, southpaws and fighters who were incredibly fast.

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Luke Campbell scores impressive 4th-round KO over Derry Matthews

10/15/2016 James Slater

Tonight in Liverpool on the big Tony Bellew-BJ Flores bill, Olympic hero Luke Campbell scored one of the most impressive wins – if not the most impressive win – of his pro career, as he stopped the hugely experienced Derry Matthews in the 4th-round. Campbell, showing stunning accuracy and power, dropped the former interim WBA lightweight champion with two nasty left hands to the body, 33-year-old Matthews being counted out after his second trip to the canvas.

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David Haye: “Joshua beats Klitschko easily, all he needs is a fair referee”

10/14/201610/13/2016 James Slater

Former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye, who was soundly out-pointed in a disappointing challenge of Wladimir Klitschko way back in 2011, says that should Anthony Joshua fight Klitschko next, it will be the 40-year-old ex-champ who is soundly beaten – maybe even disqualified! Speaking with Sky Sports, Haye said he feels Joshua “wins that fight easily.”

Klitschko-Joshua has not yet been made official, but promoter Eddie Hearn has said numerous times how the fight is “close” and an official announcement should be forthcoming soon. But Haye sees only one winner, and it’s the man he wants to fight; hopefully next summer at Wembley.

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Danny Garcia to fight Samuel Vargas on November 12, Thurman super-fight next year?

10/13/201610/12/2016 James Slater

Reigning WBC welterweight champ Danny Garcia’s next bout has been confirmed: he will face Canadian-based Colombian Samuel Vargas in Philadelphia on November 12. The fight will be a non-title affair. Garcia, 32-0(18) has been somewhat disappointing in his choice of opposition lately – with fights against the likes of Rod Salka, Paulie Malignaggi and now Vargas cluttering his CV. Fans are certain to be far from happy with the choice of Vargas, 25-2-1(13) in what will be “Swift’s” second and final fight of 2016.

The good news, though, is Garcia, if victorious next month (and he will win, unless we see a candidate for Upset of The Decade) will likely face WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman in a big unification showdown sometime in the first quarter of next year. This is the word according to reports anyway. But first comes the fight against 27-year-old Vargas, in what can only really be called a tune-up bout for Garcia, primed and peaking as he is at age 28.

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David Haye says Joshua-Klitschko is on, says the match-up reminds him of Ali’s ill-fated fight with Berbick

10/12/201610/11/2016 James Slater

Though British promoter Eddie Hearn is at pains to insist how the huge Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko (or should that be the other war around, with “Dr. Steel Hammer’s” name being given top billing?) fight is “close” but not yet done, former champ David Haye has Tweeted a congratulatory message to the reigning IBF heavyweight belt-holder over having got the fight.

“Great to hear Joshua-Klitschko is done. Timing is everything & the time now is perfect for AJ. Reminds me of Ali-Berbick. #Father Time,” Haye wrote today.

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Kovalev-Ward one month away

10/12/201610/11/2016 Main Events

As WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and former Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) prepare for their epic “Pound For Pound” showdown scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, fans, media, experts and odds-makers around the world are split on who will be the favorite to win this virtually even-money battle.

And with good reason. Both Kovalev and Ward are undefeated and in their prime, making for a rare and exciting boxing match-up and a testament to the moxie of the boxers and the promoters.

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Champ means Champ not Chump doesn’t it?

10/05/2016 John Hoolan

Not in the case of Jurgen Braehmer it seems…

After 6 hard fought rounds against Nathan Cleverly last night, it was all over on the stool for Braehmer who told his team he couldn’t continue. The “reason” was apparently a dislocated elbow, however there hadn’t been any signs of discomfort leading up to that, in fact several times during those 6 rounds, Cleverly looked like the man in trouble, not Braehmer.

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