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2014/2015 – Reviews & Previews: Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto, Canelo, Bradley, Golovkin, & Khan!

2014/2015 - Reviews & Previews: Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto, Canelo, Bradley, Golovkin, & Khan!

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

2014 will end as one of Mayweather’s more intriguing chapters of his 18 year career. After closing out 2013 with an amazing performance over Mexico’s Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, Mayweather entered 2014 on a high. Unfortunately, a love life gone bad, assisted by other personal drama’s would only serve as a small subplot compared to what would unfold on the night of May 3rd, 2014. Mayweather would dig deep and create a path to victory, but a rugged performance by Maidana proved that even the great ones have reason to fear ‘father-time’.

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The Year in Review: Six Notable Fights in 2014 – Part I — Pacquiao, Hopkins, Froch, More!

The Year in Review: Six Notable Fights in 2014 - Part I — Pacquiao, Hopkins, Froch, More!

By Paul “Paparazzi“ Jones – Photo © (clockwise) Paul “Paparazzi” Jones/ESB; Steve Lopez/ESB; Al Santiago/ImageSantiago; Chris Farina/Top Rank | Illustration – Paul “Paparazzi” Jones

In this two-part review, I chronicle six of the most anticipated bouts of 2014. In Part I, I cover three key fights from the first half of the year. In Part II, I describe three fights from the remainder of the year and list match-ups that deserve honorable mention.

I selected each of these contests based on their ability to produce drama, historical significance, and/or sustained action. In addition, I emphasize tilts with pound-for-pound and title implications.

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Five Fighters to Watch in 2015

Five Fighters to Watch in 2015

As we see out the year of 2014, boxing fans will look back and be nothing more than truly excited about the year to come.

Whilst there may not have been many real legacy defining super-fights, many new contenders have emerged, ready to pose a threat to those that dominate. Some divisions have opened up and could be conquered by anyone, while others have contenders vying for an imperious champion.

At featherweight a true legend in Nonito Donaire was put away by Nicholas Walters. Sergey Kovalev was not able to do the same to Bernard Hopkins, but he showed he is a worthy successor to the oldest champion in boxing history.

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The Greatest Super Middleweight Boxers of All-Time

The Greatest Super Middleweight Boxers of All-Time

On the 28th of March, 1984, Murray Sutherland, with a modest record of forty-one wins, eleven losses and one draw, defeated Ernie Singletary for the vacant International Boxing Federation title, becoming the first internationally accepted world champion in the one hundred and sixty-eight pounds, super middleweight division.

A little over thirty years have passed since Scotland’s Sutherland was crowned champion, and in that time dozens of talented pugilists have graced the division. Initially boxing’s elite seemed to merely use it as a pit-stop, on the way to light heavyweight, or as simply an opportunity to capture a title in a different weight class. Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and James Toney didn’t stay long, but by the end of the 1990’s the reigns of Jones, Benn and Eubank had helped it evolve into a respected weight class in its own right.

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The Good, The Bad and the Unfair: A Week in the Life of Boxing

The Good, The Bad and the Unfair: A Week in the Life of Boxing

The events of the past week have been a microcosm of the world of boxing, the good, the bad and the downright unfair unfolding before us. All of the events, euphoric, frustrating and heartbreaking in equal measure, the greatest and yet cruelest of sports ever perceived in full view once more.

The Good

When Andy Lee entered the ring against unbeaten former World Amateur champion, Matt Korobov, he did so as a huge underdog. Korobov was the house fighter and champion elect, primed for big things by his promoter Top Rank at least. Whereas Lee was a fringe world level fighter beaten twice, by Brian Vera in ’08 (a defeat he avenged in ‘11) and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in a ridiculous weight mismatch in ‘12.

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Stevenson stops Sukhotsky; Dirrell beats Edwards

Stevenson stops Sukhotsky; Dirrell beats Edwards

In an embarrassingly one-sided fight, WBC 175 pound champion Adonis Stevenson (25-1, 21 KOs) annihilated #7 WBC Dmitry Sukhotsky (22-3, 16 KOs) by a 5th round knockout tonight at the Colisee de Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. If the idea was to pick out an opponent that was no threat to him, Stevenson did a good job with Sukhotsky because this guy did very little in the fight on offense in this one-sided affair.

Stevenson hurt Sukhotsky with a straight left to the head that put him down on the canvas. Stevenson would then knock Sukhotsky down twice more in the round with left hands before the fight was halted at 2:42 of the round.

“He [Sergey Kovalev] has com come to me. I’m the Ring champion, so he has to come to me,” Stevenson said.

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Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao on May 2: Bob Arum says that’s Canelo’s date

Mayweather Jr. vs. Pacquiao on May 2: Bob Arum says that’s Canelo's date

In a recent interview with Showtime’s Steve Farhood, Floyd Mayweather Jr. made it absolutely clear that he is ready to cross the ropes and face Manny Pacquiao on May 2 of next year:

“I’d love to fight Manny Pacquiao”;”Bob Arum is stopping the fight. We have been trying to make this fight happen behind the scenes for years now, but the fans and the people have been fooled because they have been listening to people on just one side. Now it’s time for us to talk. We want to fight. We’re ready. Let’s make it happen May 2nd, Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Let’s do it!”, “Let’s make this fight happen for the people and for the fans, Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, May 2nd, ‘Cinco de Mayweather,” were some of the things that Money May stated during the interview.

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Andy Lee produces the “feel good” moment during an action packed night of boxing

Andy Lee produces the “feel good” moment during an action packed night of boxing

There was plenty going on in the world of boxing over the weekend; what with British star Amir Khan turning in a near perfect display against Devon Alexander, in doing so winning his must-win fight in brilliant style. We also saw Tim Bradley go to war with Diego Chaves over 12 eventful rounds, after which apparent winner Bradley had a badly swollen left side of his face and a controversial draw to show for it.

We also heard, over and over again, Floyd Mayweather Junior calling out Manny Pacquiao – even if the bold and committed words Mayweather bellowed into the Showtime microphone have come at least five years later than they should have done (and there are still many doubters who are yet to be convinced the fight will go ahead, yawn!). And we saw hotshot welterweight and Mayweather wannabe opponent Keith Thurman put on a perfectly commanding yet roundly booed showing against another tough nut in Leonard Bundu. Indeed, it was one interesting, not to mention long, night in Vegas.

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De la Hoya, Canelo Forced to Wait on Cotto

De la Hoya, Canelo Forced to Wait on Cotto

Within the past two weeks, it seems that talks between the Cotto and Canelo camps have gone from hot to cold. What initially appeared to be on the brink of getting done has suddenly presented a reality which boast the polar opposite. Last week, Oscar De la Hoya said that he and Canelo had signed the deal, and were simply waiting on Team Cotto.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, one source close to Cotto made it very clear that this “process” is not quite a done deal. When asked specifically, the source stated “while Canelo is the fight we want, we’re also cognizant of the fact that we do have options; most which will listen more and dictate less”.

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“Night of Champions” card honors Dan Goossen in style

photos by Tiffany Lam: Thursday night ESPN Boxing put on a special three-hour telecast featuring four bouts. It was all part of a stacked Goossen Promotions card at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula California dedicated to the memory of the late Dan Goossen.

http://youtu.be/naCRgLDaZTk

In the main event, 46-year-old Antonio Tarver was coming in off a yearlong layoff against Detroit native Johnathon Banks, who was making his ring return after a year and half off himself. The heavyweight fight started very slowly, drawing boos from the crowd. But Tarver the former light-heavyweight champion of the world, appeared to be in control, occasionally timing his opponent and landing clean left hands that buzzed him. Banks did absolutely nothing but feint and tie up, hardly throwing a punch in the early rounds. Tarver’s game plan was obvious, to lure Banks in for a big counterpunch. But would he have the speed, and power, to pull it off?

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