Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Deontay Wilder, Miguel Cotto, & Saul Alvarez!

01/19/201501/19/2015 Vivek Wallace

Jeff H. (Liberty City, FL): Deontay Wilder served me a huge bowl of ‘crow’. I was really impressed with the way he performed and don’t see too many people walking thru his power the way Stiverne did. How did you rate his performance and what would you like to see next for him?

Vivek W. (ESB): For starters, I’d like to say congratulations to Deontay Wilder and Team Wilder on a job well done. What a way to start the new calendar year of Boxing! What I loved most about this fight was that it put the spotlight on a man who said he was “ready” for the next level, as well as the burden of proof which required him to rise to the occasion. What was perceived as “conventional logic” prior to the first bell was a totally different story once the bout was in the books!

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Arum: “We’ve agreed to everything. I want this fight to actually happen”

01/14/2015 Vitali Shaposhnikov

It is entirely possible that if nothing goes outrageously wrong, this might be the last article I write on the topic of Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao without discussing ticket prices and proposed details of the would-be already signed bout.

Bob Arum of Top Rank has stated to Yahoo Sports that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to all of the terms set forth by team Mayweather Jr., and now all that is left is Floyd’s approval.

“I want to get some movement here, with bringing Mayweather to the table so we can go out and get everything signed and get the networks together and get the thing finished,” pleaded Arum to Yahoo Sports.

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Roc Nation Sports Invades Boxing

01/14/2015 Brad Marchetti

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports put their stamp on Madison Square Garden Friday night with an adrenaline fueled boxing event featuring a mini-concert by rapper Fabolous. The eight-bout card showcased the Roc Nation’s boxing stable, with especially strong performances from 20-year old welterweight Dusty Hernandez-Harrison, Freddie Roach trained welterweight Chris Van Heerden and Bahamian middleweight Tureano Johnson. The music mogul Jay-Z recently added #2 pound-4-pound ranked middleweight Andre Ward to his list of 20+ fighters that he acquired in a takeover of Gary Shaw Productions.

The Garden was flush with celebrities in most directions when the third bout of the evening sounded off between welterweights Chris Van Heerden and Cecil McCalla for the vacant I.B.F. international welterweight title. Despite a title being at stake, the bout was only scheduled for 10-rounds and McCalla, 149.6 Lbs. was almost three pounds over the welterweight limit of 147 Lbs.

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Arum agrees to Mayweather-Pacquiao fight taking place on May 2nd

01/14/201501/13/2015 Rob Smith

After initially giving Floyd Mayweather Jr grieve about staging a fight between him and Manny Pacquiao on the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo on May 2nd, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has given the green light for the fight to take place on this date. However, Arum pretty much had no other choice after Pacquiao told him that he was fine with facing Mayweather on that date.

Arum didn’t want to have the fight take place on May 2nd because he felt that this was a Mexican date and saw Mayweather as poaching the date from Mexican fighters like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Some boxing fans felt that Arum’s reasons for not wanting the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight to take place on that date was self-serving.

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Robert Garcia picks Mayweather Jr., but skeptical on fight happening

01/14/201501/13/2015 Vitali Shaposhnikov

Despite the fact that the rumors of a Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao fight being signed by the end of the month are at their highest, Robert Garcia believes that the fight is not going to come to fruition.

“I don’t see that happening. There’s too much pride between both camps, promoters, TV networks. Mayweather wants the bigger chink and I think well-deserved. I just don’t see it happening,” stated Garcia in a recent interview with Hustle Boss.

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Left-Hook Lounge Mailbag: Mayweather vs Pacquiao, Roc-Nation, Andre Ward, Broner, & More!

01/12/201501/12/2015 Vivek Wallace

Jason H. (Brooklyn, NYC): I was very shocked to see your post last week about Mayweather and Pacquiao and the fact that the fight is nearly signed. Considering all that has happened since this fight was first discussed, can you give your thoughts on the road to get here and what you think it will be like once they actually fight?

Vivek W.: The road to get here…..all the drama between the two camps, the lies, the lawsuits, the subsequent bouts…..it’s been a hell of a ride, but truthfully, I don’t know if I’d change any of it. The buildup we’ve just experienced is unlike any we’ll ever experience again. Some say the fight is years too late. I say there’s never a bad time to see a good fight. When you examine things closely, both men have appeared to slow down a bit. That being said, they both remain head and shoulders above practically all of their contemporaries! Styles make fights, and this showdown is no different.

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Joseph Parker fights Jason Pettaway in March, confirmed to join Wladimir Klitschko’s camp in April

01/12/2015 Bryce Wilson

Rising heavyweight contender Joseph Parker’s (12-0, 10 KO’s) next fight has been announced for March 5th at Auckland’s Vodafone Events Centre, where he will face American, Jason Pettaway (17-1, 10 KO’s.)

Pettaway has been pegged by Coach Kevin Barry as something of a mover in the ring and someone who won’t remain stationary in front of his powerful protégé. Learning to effectively cut off his opponent’s space is definitely a work-on for Parker and in Pettaway they hope to have found an adversary who will test these abilities.

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Mayweather v Pacquiao: Prepare For Disappointment

01/12/201501/11/2015 Mark Klimaszewski

The ongoing saga (or soap opera, depending on who you speak to) of the “will they, won’t they” couple; boxing’s top two 147lbers who have kept the fans and public guessing for way too long now, leaving many completely indifferent to whether the fight will actually happen or not; Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have led us all on a merry dance, and now are allegedly close to confirming a showdown sometime in the first half of 2015.

With the relevance of this fight significantly reduced since its first incarnation was discussed way back in 2009 (hard to believe it’s gone on that long now), most people I speak to now are totally uninterested and pretty much say the same thing: “I’ll believe it when the bell rings”.

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Andre Ward signs with Roc Nation

01/10/201501/09/2015 Jeff Sorby

After a protracted legal battle with Goosen Promotions, WBA Super World middleweight champion Andre Ward (27-0, 14 KOs) signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports on Friday, which reportedly ends his deal with Goosen Promotions. This means that the soon to be 31-year-old Ward should get a lot busier in terms of fighting on a more regular basis.

Ward’s fought only fought twice in the last three years, and he didn’t fight at all in 2014.

“It’s official!! #NextChapter Happy to be a part of the @rocnation family,” Ward said on his twitter today.

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Stiverne vs. Wilder: Bombs Away!

01/09/201501/09/2015 Mark Klimaszewski

In what could be the liveliest heavyweight scrap of recent times, reigning WBC champ Bermane Stiverne will face undefeated KO artist Deonte Wilder, on January 17th at the legendary MGM Grand, Las Vegas. This could be the fight to bring heavyweight glory back to its rightful home, and finally reignite the spark that has been absent from the big boys’ division for far too long.

Will Wilder’s undeniable power be enough to overcome Stiverne’s solid chin and vicious countering abilities? Or will the young lion be ‘exposed’ following his widely considered ‘soft’ opposition? With a genuine ‘anything can happen’ element to this potential classic, there’s a lot to be excited about. Jim Lampley’s famous “theatre of the unexpected” tag will be more than appropriate here.

Stiverne has proven himself a fierce adversary with a string of strong performances in recent years, icing his cake with a stoppage win over the usually iron-chinned Cris Arreola in their rematch in May of last year.

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