Boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, will be campaigning to become the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title when he collides with two-division world champion JESSIE VARGAS in a 12-round battle for Vargas’ World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career. Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its co-main event fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.
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Kovalev vs. Ward quotes
On Tuesday, September 6, No. 2 Pound-for-Pound and WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and No. 4 Pound-for-Pound and Two-Time World Champion Andre “S.O.G.” Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) participated in an official press conference at Le Parker Meridien in New York City, in advance of their November 19 “Pound for Pound” showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Kovalev vs. Ward “Pound for Pound” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets start at $55 and are available on axs.com and the T-Mobile Arena box office.
Canelo-Smith live on Goldenboyppv.com
On Mexican Independence Weekend, Golden Boy Promotions will offer the world championship battle between heavy punchers, former two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion, Liam “Beefy” Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs), on online pay-per-view via new site, www.goldenboyppv.com. Live from the home of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, www.goldenboyppv.com will allow fans the opportunity to watch this mega-fight on the device of their choice on September 17. This online offering is designed to reach those consumers who don’t have access to the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast that’s available through cable TV, satellite and telco pay-per-view providers.
WATCH: A boxing superstar is in town! The UK gets excited over Gennady Golovkin!
British boxing is buzzing right now, over two things: the imminent super-fight we can look forward to seeing this Saturday, and the very prescence of the star of the fight. Middleweight king Gennady Golovkin has touched down in london and fans cannot wait to see him do his stuff at the o2 arena against Kell Brook.
As much as british fans are supporting brook and genuinely want him to win, there is something special, regal even, about ggg being in town. A few good judges are giving brook a shot at winning on Saturday, but the overwhelming majority of fight people are basically looking forward to seeing a Golovkin showcase.
Golovkin vs Brook: GGG says, with a laugh, how he may intentionally look less than great against Brook, to lure Canelo into fighting him!
Gennady Golovkin is a fighter who has proven so dominant he has even taken to letting an opponent stick around for a few extra rounds before lowering the boom on him, and GGG has even dropped his hands and let a foe punch him in the face. So special a fighter Golovkin is, his admirers say, he has yet to get out of second gear in any pro fight. Winning with something to spare is what GGG has been doing, consistently, and his potential rivals (who are few and far between) have been impressed/intimidated enough to want to stay away from him.
But what if GGG does struggle, look bad or gest genuinely hurt in a fight? Would his cowering would-be rivals come out of hiding and agree to face the middleweight king if he looked less than formidable? GGG is so desperate to get the big, big fight with Saul Canelo Alvarez that he said to The Los Angles Times how he might intentionally look less than great against Kell Brook on Saturday, so as to lure Canelo into fighting him.
Menacing middleweights: Hagler, Golovkin and Burley – the most avoided fighters in the division’s history
Even after ascending to the position of #1 contender in 1977, Marvin Hagler’s title shot was not forthcoming. His wait as the division’s top challenger – lasting over 2 years – became the longest in middleweight history.
Early on in Hagler’s career, heavyweight royalty, Joe Frazier, warned the young middleweight why promoters and their showpiece fighters would want nothing to do with him:
“You have three strikes against you: you’re black, you’re a southpaw and you’re good.”
Video: A quick glance at Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook
Unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will face welterweight Kell Brook on Sept 10 in what is being billed as a middleweight championship bout. This upcoming fight has a lot of boxing fans talking, many of them passionately. The debate largely centers around whether or not Brook – a largely unproven welterweight trinket holder – is worthy of facing the middleweight powerhouse better known to most as “Triple G”.
Floyd Mayweather Junior back training hard in the gym; 50th fight coming soon?
“Retired” superstar Floyd Mayweather junior was back at work in his Mayweather boxing gym yesterday, jumping rope and putting in some “hard work and dedication.” Mayweather posted a video of his training via Instagram, with the written question – “How far are you wiling to push yourself to get to the top and stay on top?” on his Twitter page. Of course, this return to gym, Floyd’s office, has led to speculation that “Money” will soon announce his 50th pro fight.
Mayweather is of course 49-0 and ever since his “retirement” following his wide decision win over Andre Berto last September, many people have expected Mayweather to announce that yes, he is indeed going to fight again at least once more. Can Mayweather possibly resist fighting again and in so doing trying to reach a record of 50-0? If he’s not coming back, or planning to, then why the return to the gym – one he has made public knowledge?
De La Hoya assures us Canelo-GGG super-fight will not be like Mayweather-Pacquiao; says it won’t take, six, seven years to get done
Fans seem to have been waiting for stars Gennady Golovkin and Saul Canelo Alvarez to fight for the longest time, but in fact the wait hasn’t been over a year yet – it just seems that way. Fans, older fans especially, cannot understand why the two natural rivals do not just get on with it and fight. Despite giving up his WBC middleweight title rather than face GGG next (after he won it from Miguel Cotto) Canelo assures us he “fears no man” and will fight the unbeaten KO artist from Kazakhstan in time.
GGG vs Brook: Kell Brook using “confidential” science techniques in training for mega-fight with GGG
Kell Brook is leaving no stone unturned in his training for his fast approaching September 10 challenge of middleweight champ Gennady Golovkin. In fact, Brook is using some techniques that are of a secretive nature as he pushes his body to the max for the biggest fight of his entire career. Speaking with The Sheffield Star, the IBF welterweight champ’s head trainer Dominic Ingle revealed how the science dept of their local university in Sheffield has been brought in, with the aim being to get Brook added advantages regarding his cardio and his overall body performance.