The latest boxing top stories and breaking news
The panic among those rich enough to secure one, must be rising steadily as tickets for the “Fight Of The Century” are STILL not on sale to the public as at time of writing (Weds am)
A little over 24 hours ago Golden Boy Promotions boss, Oscar De La Hoya issued a day-long offer to anybody with a genuine ticket, that could they take a photo and tweet it to him, he would send them to the May 9th Canelo-Kirkland fight in Texas for nothing.
Both fighters conducted themselves with confidence, class and respect, something, which has typified the build up to a fight that has accepted its position as the entrée to the biggest event in boxing history.
This class cannot be extended to the continued delusion of gate crasher Shannon Briggs, who ludicrously turned up at the proceedings as incoherent and as annoying as ever.
I spent this morning watching old boxing clips, compilations of great rounds, profiles of great fighters and the one thing that became obvious was that styles most certainly make fights. Ali was superbly sleek and ultimately elusive until he shared the ring with Frazier whose marauding style negated much of what Ali had to offer. Their trilogy rank amongst the all-time great bouts as styles forced those men into a war that defined an era of the sport. Kenny Norton, the forgotten man, had even more success against Ali and many felt that he actually won two of their three encounters…I happen to be one of those and I always felt a sense of sympathy for the truly brilliant but often overlooked Norton.
On a different level, Marco Antonio Barrera knew all about styles when he opted to face Junior Jones as a warm up for a major showdown with Erik Morales. Jones was no pushover but, on paper, he simply wasn’t in Barrera’s class. I remember watching the bout live and being truly amazed at how inept Barrera was in dealing with the movement of Jones. The rematch was designed to show how a more focused Marco Antonio could easily handle the limited Jones but that backfired also and Junior Jones has a 2-0 record against the legendary Mexican. That Morales later destroyed Jones and Barrera went on to beat Morales is a scenario that highlights the ‘styles make fights’ aspect of what happens in the ring when the talking and the training is done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yycflHn_Tss
1. A waiter in Hollywood, California and a snow storm in the Northeastern United States are to be credited, at least in part, for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao finally happening
Gabriel Salvador, a West Hollywood waiter, took his son regularly to the Wild Card Gym. Wild Card Gym is run by Manny Pacquiao’s trainer (Freddie Roach).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfN-6LPG0Js
Now the dust has settled slightly on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr’s (48-2-1,32ko) comprehensive beating at the hands of Poland’s Andrzej Fonfara (27-3,16ko) at the weekend, I can’t help but wonder what the future holds for the son of the Mexican legend. I’m not so sure it’s good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XStLWO0-BLQ
Freddie Roach Blog Part 3: Monday, April 20
How much of a role will footwork and hand speed play into Pacquiao’s success?
Wladimir Klitschko: Good afternoon, everybody.
Q. When you’re at the stage of Bryant Jennings now where you’re climbing, where you weren’t yet the champion, what did life change after you became the heavyweight champion of the world? Also, fighting again in the United States and bringing the belt back here?
A. The first question was how did it feel when I became champion?
Q. How did it change your life?
By my reckoning, and that of most in the know, Terence “Bud” Crawford (25-0, 17ko) is one of boxing’s brightest stars. Last years Boxing writer’s Fighter Of The Year will make his 140lb debut this Saturday when he steps up in weight to face Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14ko) in Arlington, Texas for the vacant WBO strap.
The fight will be screened as part of a split card on HBO in America and Boxnation in the UK.
This Saturday night Turning Stone Resort and Casino will host an HBO event that will likely be the leading candidate for fight of the year by night’s end. Stylistically speaking this is as close to a hardcore-fight fans dream matchup as any other on the busy spring fight schedule. Lucas “The Machine” is set to do battle against Ruslan “The Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov with the victor possibly facing the co-feature bout winner between Terrance Crawford and Thomas Dulorme. Who will survive this firefight that promises to produce enough electricity to light up all of New York City?
Ruslan Provodnikov came up the hard way both in and outside the ring. From his humble begins as a member of a communal tribe in Western Siberia to grinding his way up the ranks on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights. Ruslan has out kicked his coverage long ago and overachieved beyond his natural skill set. His coming out party was a war with Timothy Bradley now two summers ago. He followed that narrow-points loss to Bradley with an obliteration of Mike Alvarado.
It was Manny Media Mania at Wednesday’s media workout for Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and boxing superhero Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), who represents the Sarangani province in the Philippines, hosted a Hollywood Media Workout with his Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and Hall of Promoter Bob Arum.
Over 300 media from around the globe flocked to Wild Card Boxing Club to ask the trio about Pacquiao’s May 2 welterweight world championship unification battle against undefeated FLOYD “Money” MAYWEATHER JR. (47-0, 26 KOs), at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.